Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 13 06 2016

Parking burden No. 104581

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

‒ Ramkarran says parking meter system unjustified

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Guyanese 'Mash' down in New York 3

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A section of the crowd revelling to Guyanese music at the Unity Concert held in New York

Guyana dismisses Venezuela’s 2 destabilisation claim P.

Prime suspect Marijuana plot, camps destroyed confesses

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‒ to murder of Timehri mechanic

in Berbice River

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Guyana dismisses Venezuela’s destabilisation claim GUYANA has categorically dismissed claims by Venezuela that it is part of an “international media campaign” and is participating in “an international effort” to de-stabilise Venezuela.

Such allegations do not even merit a response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

has said in a statement.

The Government of Venezuela has issued a release -- carried in the local media -- denying reports that its troops had fired on Guyanese officials traversing the Cuyuni River on May 30. That release suggested that Guyana had fabricated the story.

Guyana has reiterated its position that Venezuela must desist from provocative actions on its border, since such acts could only lead to the destabilisation of relations between the two countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also noted that it was unfortunate that Guyana was not afforded the courtesy of an official response to the Diplomatic Note which was sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela on the matter.

“The statement which

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge

the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has chosen to release to the media flies in the face of direct reports which the authorities of Guyana received from the victims, as well as the explanation which the representatives of Guyana’s military received on May 3l from the Venezuelan Corporal-in-Charge of the six troops who were

involved in the incident,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said. It added: “The Venezuelan authorities would have done well to have checked with the troops in question at the Observation Post (at) La Boca on Ankoko Island, who had furnished Guyana’s investigators with an explanation, which the Government of Guyana believes and which it has found to involve unacceptable behaviour because it assumed that (Venezuela) had rights of policing the river which is in Guyana’s territory.”

The Foreign Affairs Ministry noted that such action had, in the past, led to the loss of lives, and contended that for Caracas to brush off the latest shooting incident was highly irresponsible.

It also stated that Guyana has been, and will continue to be, a peaceful and law-abiding neighbour, with no interest in any other country’s territory or in destabilising its adminis-

tration.

On May 30, three officials of the Mines Services Division of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), together with a boat captain, managed to escape being hurt when the boat in which they were travelling became the object of a fusillade of gunshots fired by persons suspected to be Venezuelan soldiers.

Acting GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison has confirmed that the shooting did occur. He said the verbal report he received indicated that the officers were in the vicinity of Eteringbang, in the Cuyuni area near the Guyana border with Venezuela, when shots were fired from the Venezuelan side of the border.

The Venezuela military had, last September, reportedly amassed troops with missiles and guns at its eastern border with Guyana.

The David Granger administration has been urging citizens to remain calm, insisting that there is no need for aggression on Guyana’s part.

Guyana has made it clear that the Good Offices process of mediating the border controversy between the two countries has run its course, and the next best option is a juridical settlement by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with the assistance of the United Nations (UN).

Venezuela has, over the years, committed a series of acts of aggression, starting with the presidential decree of June 1968.

The border controversy flared early last year when American firm ExxonMobil announced that it had made a “significant” oil discovery in Guyana’s waters.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Guyanese Mash down in New York

By Navindra Seoraj in New York GUYANESE in their thousands, bedecked in colourful costumes, paraded through the streets of Brooklyn, New York on Sunday as they celebrated Mashramani in the proverbial Big Apple.

Waving tiny replicas of the Golden Arrowhead, Guyana’s national flag, the marchers showed their pride in, and patriotism for, their native country Guyana as they moved in a lively procession first along Church Avenue, then into Ralph Avenue, before culminating at South Shore High School in Flatlands Avenue, where many more were assembled to partake in the celebrations.

The parade afforded the Guyanese diaspora an opportunity to enjoy a typical carnival-like atmosphere that is typical of ‘Mash’, and the masqueraders were on hand to aid in transmitting that peculiar spirit.

“Mashramani – an Amerindian word which means ‘celebration after hard work’, will live out its true meaning in New York with ‘Mashramani in New York’ depicting various aspects of our culture

Artists Compton Babb and Christopher Taylor, who designed the 50th Independence Anniversary Logo, hold a banner outside of the South Shore High School, Brooklyn, New York on Sunday following the Guyana Mashramani Parade

and stages of our national journey under the theme,” the New York Guyana 50th Independence Anniversary Committee said.

And it did live up to every expectation! Many Guyanese

in New York hailed the occasion as a memorable one, pointing out that it showcased Guyana’s rich cultural diversity in a single celebration.

“It has been so long since I party for Mashramani, be-

cause I left years ago; and it feels nice to see everyone coming out in their numbers and enjoying this event together,” one reveller told the Guyana Chronicle.

After the procession,

Guyanese artistes Fabulous, Natural Black, Terry Gajraj and others took to the stage; and they had the crowd in a frenzy, with may jumping, cheering and hugging each other as the messages of unity

and togetherness blasted from the microphones.

Many passersby could not resist joining in the celebrations!

During the celebration, the Buxton Steel Pan Group was honoured for its performance at the recent Interfaith Ceremony.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and his Cabinet colleague, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, who were in the proverbial thick of things, lauded the New York Independence Anniversary Committee for their work, and expressed joy in seeing the cohesiveness of the Guyanese diaspora.

They danced and enjoyed every aspect of the event.

Seasoned Guyanese diplomat George Talbot, who also joined in the celebration, said the event was a major success, as it brought many Guyanese together.

All Guyanese, he said, must work for a better Guyana.

Senator Roxanne Persaud also expressed similar sentiments.

“With events like these, we can surely encourage togetherness, not just in Guyana, but also here in the diaspora,” she said.

Attendees stand proudly with Guyana Flags on Sunday at the South Shore High School, Brooklyn, New York. Also in photo are Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Guyana’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador George Talbot

Guyanese singer Terry Gajraj performing at the South Shore High School, Brooklyn, New York on Sunday

A vendor displays Guyanese products outside of the South Shore High School, Brooklyn, New York on Sunday

Guyanese beauties stand proudly at the South Shore High School, Brooklyn, New York on Sunday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Obama: Orlando attack ‘act of terror and hate’

US President Barack Obama has described Sunday morning’s gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, as “an act of terror and an act of hate”.

Americans were united in grief, outrage and “resolve to defend our people”, he said.

Omar Mateen, 29, killed 50 people and wounded 53 at the Pulse club before being shot dead by police.

The so-called Islamic State group has said it was behind the attack, but the extent of its involvement is not clear.

A statement on its affiliated Amaq news agency said that an IS “fighter” was responsible.

NBC News reported that Mateen had called the emergency services before the attack and swore allegiance to IS. The gunman was killed in an exchange of fire after taking hostages at the club.

The attack is the worst mass shooting in recent US history.

Six of the victims have so far been named - Edward Sotomayor Jr, Stanley Almodovar III, Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, Juan Ramon Guerrero, Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera and Peter O Gonzalez-Cruz.

A nationwide moment of

for the LGBT community.

An attack on any American was an attack on all, he added, saying: “We are united in grief, in outrage and resolve to defend our people.”

Mr Obama has ordered flags on federal buildings to be flown at half-mast until sunset on Thursday.

Later the White House said Mr Obama had postponed a joint appearance with the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for President, Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, her Republican rival, Donald Trump, said Mr Obama should step down for refusing to use the words “radical Islam” in his remarks.

“If we do not get tough and smart real fast, we are not going to have a country anymore,” he said.

Mateen, a US citizen of Afghan descent who was reportedly born in New York and lived in Florida, was not on a terrorism watch list.

However, officials revealed that the FBI had twice interviewed him in 2013-14 after he made “inflammatory remarks” to a colleague before closing their investigation.

The death toll of 50 means that the Orlando attack surpasses the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech which left 32 people dead.

Another 53 people were injured in the shooting.

States of emergency have been declared in the city of Orlando and surrounding Orange County.

Security was boosted for the last day of the Capital Pride LGBT festival in Washington DC, which included a moment of silence for the Orlando victims at 13:00 local time.

US media have published pictures of the suspect, Omar Mateen silence will be held at 18:00 local time (22:00 GMT).

In an apparently unrelated event, a heavily armed man was arrested in southern California after saying he was on his way to a gay pride event in Los Angeles.

Condemning the attack, Mr Obama said the “brutal murder of dozens of innocent people” was a further reminder

of how easy it was to acquire a deadly weapon in the US and shoot people.

“We have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be,” said the President, who has campaigned for stricter gun laws. “To actively do nothing is a decision as well.”

“It was an act of terror and an act of hate,” he said, adding that it was a heartbreaking day

Heavily armed police officers were called to the scene of the shooting

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Police released a picture of the scene outside the nightclub after the attack

A gay pride parade has also been taking place in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. The city’s mayor said police in the nearby city of Santa Monica had arrested a heavily armed man who said he was going to the parade.

He was later identified as James Howell from the state of Indiana. He is not known to have any connection to the Florida gunman.

Chief Mina said a decision was taken at 05:00 to send a police assault team into the club after receiving texts and phone calls from some of the hostages. The suspect was

shot dead.

It emerged that he legally purchased several guns in the past few days.

According to the Mass Shooting Tracker, the US last year suffered 372 mass shootings, defined as a single incident that kills or injures four or more people.

Some 475 people were killed and 1,870 wounded.

The latest incident came as Orlando was still reeling from the fatal shooting on Friday night of 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie following a concert in the City.

The LGBT community is in shock after the attacks

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Venezuela recall vote ‘not this year’

Mr Maduro was elected in 2013 for a six-year term VENEZUELA’S President Nicolas Maduro has said that a referendum the opposition is trying to call to oust him will not take place this year.

There was no time to organise the recall referendum, said Mr Maduro.

On Friday the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared more than 600,000 signatures on a petition for the referendum invalid.

The opposition says the electoral authorities are

working alongside the Government to derail the process.

Opposition leaders say their signatures on the petition have also been invalidated, revealing the electoral council’s bias.

Former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles is among those who say their signatures have been ruled out for “failing to meet the requirements”.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Henry Ramos Allup, described the

move as “shameful” and “a provocation”.

President Maduro accused the opposition of fraud and said he would ask the Supreme Court on Monday to annul the process.

“If they meet the requirements, the recall referendum will take place next year, full stop” said Mr Maduro at a rally in Caracas.

“If they don’t meet the requirements, there will be no recall referendum, full stop.”

The chronic shortage of food and basic goods has led to clashes and skirmishes across Venezuela the CNE demand and go to Timing is essential for voters backing a recall refer- Government offices to have both sides. If the referendum endum, many more than the their identities checked later is held by January 10, 2017 197,000 needed at this initial this month. and President Maduro loses, stage. The CNE said on FriVenezuela is in a seria new election will be called. day there were 1.97 million ous economic crisis, which If it is held after that date signatures on the list. the opposition blames on and the vote goes against The voters whose signa- mistaken left-wing polihim, his vice-president takes tures have not been struck off cies of Mr Maduro and his over and remains in power by the CNE - more than 1.3 predecessor, the late Hugo until the end of the presiden- million people - will need to Chavez. tial term, in January 2019.

The inflation rate is one turn up at regional electoral The opposition handed offices to confirm their iden- of the highest in the world over the petition on May 2. and there are long queues tities later this month.

It said it had gathered the They will have five days outside shops. signatures of 1.85 million from June 20 to have their Mr Maduro says the shortage of goods is the signatures checked, CNE result of an economic war President Tibisay Lucena waged by the country’s announced on Friday. elite against his GovernMr Capriles urged voters ment.

(BBC) to get ready to comply with

CCJ dismisses discrimination claim by gay rights activist THE Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has dismissed a case brought by a homosexual and prominent gay rights activist in the region, who claimed that the Immigration Acts of Belize and Trinidad and Tobago seek to prohibit homosexuals from entering those countries.

Maurice Tomlinson, a Jamaican, had claimed that the two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states were in breach of their obligations under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas because their Acts contained provisions that discriminated against homosexuals.

But the CCJ dismissed Tomlinson’s assertions, saying he was unable to show that he had ever been or would be in danger of being prejudiced by the existence of the challenged provisions of the Immigration Acts of Belize and Trinidad and Tobago.

He had sought, from the CCJ, orders declaring that he has a right to enter the two

Maurice Tomlinson states; and an order to have the countries amend their Immigration Acts to remove homosexuals from any class of prohibited immigrants.

While conceding that he has never actually been refused entry into either country, Tomlinson argued that the mere existence of these laws prejudiced the exercise of his right to free movement as provided for under Article 45 of the Treaty and the 2007

decision of the Conference of Heads of Government as elaborated by the CCJ in the wellknown Shanique Myrie case.

Both Belize and Trinidad and Tobago acknowledged that Tomlinson does have a right of entry conferred by and under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. They also highlighted the fact that he has entered both territories in the past without hassle, and that the existence of the legislation has not caused him to suffer any prejudice.

(Caribbean360)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Op-ed

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

Remembering and situating Dr. Walter Rodney JUNE 13, 2016 marks the 36th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney, the renowned Guyanese scholar-activist.

While his name has recently been associated with the Commission of Inquiry surrounding his death, the general public is not as aware as it should be of the breadth of his contributions to Guyana and the rest of the world. Today we remember him with a short profile of his life and work.

When Walter Rodney was born, the Anglophone Caribbean had just experienced a decade of protests which had highlighted the miserable conditions under which the majority of people lived. Those protests had forced the British Government to send a commission to investigate the causes, and to make recommendations for a solution. The commission’s report led to the granting of limited self-government to the region, which speeded up the decolonization process. Rodney therefore grew up with the decolonization movement.

His father was an active member of the colony’s nationalist party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which brought Rodney into contact with radical politics while he was still in primary school.

Rodney won a scholarship to attend the elite Queen’s College (QC), an opportunity made possible because of changes made to the education system by the PPP government, which had won the country’s first election held under adult suffrage. While at QC, he excelled in academics and athletics, but maintained a keen interest in politics. His years at QC coincided with the split of the PPP into two ethnic factions in 1955.

However, he traced his interest and receptiveness to Marxism back to this period. He explained that the PPP’s openness on the issue was an advantage, which he and other Guyanese noticed when they arrived at the University of the West Indies.

Rodney entered the UWI in Jamaica in 1960, to study history at a time of growing Caribbean nationalist sentiments. The region was in the middle of the Federation experiment and the imminence of independence excited Rodney’s generation. He had left a Guyana which had begun to show signs of ethnic confrontation, and would not return permanently for fourteen years. It was during his undergraduate years in Jamaica that he became interested in African history. He recounted how, when given an assignment on the relevance of Africa and Europe to the Caribbean, he could articulate the relevance of Europe but could not do the same for Africa.

It was at that point that he decided to study Africa. As he puts it, “I couldn’t articulate why Africa was relevant.

So eventually it was necessary to (research) more in that direction.” (Rodney 1990:14). It was also while at the UWI that he became closely acquainted with the work of CLR James, particularly through his book, The Black Jacobins.

James’s use of Marxist methodology to explain the Haitian

THE RODNEY HOPE LIVES

By Moses Nagamootoo

TODAY, June 13, marks 36 years since Walter Rodney was killed. For us who knew him and who were part of his struggles, Walter’s untimely death was a loss of an opportunity to share a fresh vision of what Guyana ought to have been – a truly free, prosperous and united State.

After 36 years, that vision remains a hope that lives; and must, in his name and memory, be kept alive.

There have been attempts to explain the circumstances that led to, and resulted in, Walter’s death. This would continue to be a matter for contentious debate, as no definitive answer has been provided so far.

An earlier inquest concluded that his death was due to misadventure, which was saying that he had committed suicide. Of course that conclusion was a cover-up of a more complex but tragic narrative. The recent inquiry attempted to situate his death within that narrative, and much of the circumstantial evidence spoke to an abuse of State power. The outcome could hardly be considered conclusive.

There could have been a different outcome had Gregory Smith -- the person who had planted on Walter Rodney the rigged electronic equipment that ignited by remote control -- been extradited by the French authorities from Cayenne to answer charges in Guyana.

The French had demanded

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo assurance that, should Smith be sent back to Guyana, he would not face a charge that carried the death penalty upon conviction. The then Director of Public Prosecutions, Ian Chang, had advised that a charge of manslaughter be brought against Smith.

I was a member of Cabinet then, and, like several others, wanted Smith to face charges in Guyana; but the officials assigned responsibility for negotiating the extradition dragged their feet, resulting in Smith not only escaping trial in Guyana, but taking with him, when he died, that definitive narrative about what really transpired on that fateful night of June 13, 1980.

I blame the Government of which I was a part then for that inaction. I also deem the invocation of powers of inquiry in 2014, to find out how that death occurred and who was responsible, highly suspect. It was motivated by sheer political opportunism, to use the revelations

revolution had a big impact on the young Rodney, and helped to crystallize his attraction to Marxism. He also credited his travels to the USSR, and particularly Cuba, with helping in some small way to propel him in the direction of Marxism.

So, as he left to pursue graduate studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in England in 1963, he was already armed with an interest in African history and Marxism -- one the subject, the other the methodology --which would form the basis of his intellectual work. He completed his PhD within three years; his dissertation was on the slave trade on the upper Guinea Coast in West Africa. While in England, he sharpened his political consciousness and moved closer to an embrace of Marxism. He attended a study group conducted by CLR James and his wife Selma, who had returned to England following CLR’s falling out with Trinidad’s Prime Minister Eric Williams.

His first teaching assignment was at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Although his preference was West Africa, given his academic specialization, he felt the unstable politics of Nigeria and Ghana at that juncture would not have facilitated his quest to effectively learn the African society and its politics. He also ruled out Guinea because of the language difference. After spending two years in Tanzania, he returned to the University of the West Indies; but after just one term, he was banned from

from the inquiry principally against opponents, not to establish any truth or to bring closure. The “evidence” was to be massaged in the period leading up to the 2015 elections as a Public Relations propaganda stunt, which was executed crudely and in unimaginative ways.

But the inquiry did offer a platform for several of the witnesses who situated Walter’s death within the context of a period that was characterised by authoritarian excesses, in which para-State groups of goons wielded deadly powers. It was a period of oppression, of which I was among the victims.

I had previously commented that, much more than I could ever say, Walter’s death was personal to me. We had embraced as comrades-in-struggle. He influenced and motivated me, not in a casual way, but in a sense that clothed me with an impenetrable, multi-ethnic, international, conviction. He was the steel in my political armour. His vision was well defined. As a revolutionary intellectual, he articulated a historic mission, not of his own, but of the working classes. For that, he had believed that martyrdom, as he was to say, was not in his will.

In his proletarian commitment, Walter Rodney had become highly partisan.

Rodney’s class approach to issues was always distinct.

Even when he turned to an analysis of the race issue, there was always a class side to it. That was how he

saw the Arnold Rampersaud trials: one section of the poor and dispossessed fighting a racist battle against another section of the poor and dispossessed. The division of the working class was what Rodney agonised about most.

Walter is telling us today that we have much work to do in Guyana. He is telling us: “Don’t mourn; organise!” Organise for a free, multi-ethnic, diverse and united Guyana.

I hope that the Walter Rodney Chair at the University would continue to spread his words, his vision, his hope.

On January 7, 1993, when I made my maiden speech as a Member of Parliament, I described Walter Rodney as an irresistible character who, “in a very personal way, has touched me as he would have touched many Guyanese in this era in Guyana”.

I want, on this death anniversary, to repeat what I said then: “When we weep for our dead, when we can honour our heroes, when we can make castles of memories of things great and exceptional, we are doing this not for Walter Rodney, but we are ourselves putting a healing touch to the nation’s wounded soul.

His death was a blemish to us all, that tiny Guyana was capable of such gigantic barbarity. Walter’s was a soul of greatness, and I believe his Chair would be an intellectual lodestar for Guyana for now and for a very long time to come.”

Again, hail up, Brother!

Jamaica. The Government considered him a security risk on account of public lectures he had been giving off campus to Rastafarians and the urban youth. There were huge demonstrations following his expulsion, which came to be known as the “Rodney Riots.”

After a short visit to Cuba, he returned to Tanzania in 1969, where he taught for the next five years. In 1974 he left for Guyana, expecting to get a job he had applied for at the University of Guyana. But the Government overruled the decision of the Academic Board and denied him the job. Contrary to the Government’s expectations, Rodney decided to stay in Guyana. He joined the newly formed Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and became immersed in the struggle against the authoritarian regime.

Within six years, he had inspired a broad-based mass movement that put the Government on the defensive. On June 13, 1980 he was assassinated in Georgetown, bringing the physical end to a life that had shone so brightly while it lasted.

We salute this acclaimed Guyanese who, through his scholarship and activism, made Guyana proud. There was a time in the 1970s when he inspired a multi-ethnic solidarity movement in Guyana that inspired hope for a cohesive nation. Perhaps our country may be inspired again if we reach for his example in this regard.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Lay Rodney CoI report before Parliament Dear Editor,

TODAY, June 13, we mark another anniversary of the assassination of Walter Rodney, Guyanese patriot and world-renowned scholar-activist. On this 36th anniversary of Walter Rodney’s assassination, I call on the Government to fulfil its promise to have the Walter Rodney CoI report properly laid before Parliament and be debated. I hope that such a debate avoids the political finger-pointing and instead focuses on the big lessons, in particular the banishment of the use of the state and para-state institutions

as tools of violence against political opponents and the citizenry in general.

On this Rodney anniversary, I call upon the President to expand his promise to inquire into the death of former PPP Minister Satyadeow Sawh and his family to include all politically-motivated killings over the last four decades.

I especially call for inquiries into the deaths of Ronald Waddell and Courtney Crum-Ewing; the families of these brothers and all of Guyana need to know the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

I also urge the Government to honour Walter Rodney in the most non-partisan manner

by renaming the University of Guyana the Walter Rodney University of Guyana.

All Guyanese, regardless of political affiliation, agree that Rodney was one of our most brilliant scholars. It would be a fitting symbol of the efforts to regenerate the university, and a living monument to Rodney and the centrality of education to Guyana’s national development.

I also call on the Ministry of Education to introduce Rodney’s two children’s books —- ‘Kofi Badu out of Africa’ and ‘Lakshmi out of India’ -- into the school curriculum.

Such a move would contribute immensely to national cohesion,

particularly among the youth.

Rodney’s insights into our ethnic dynamics are invaluable, and should not be wasted.

Finally, on this anniversary, I call for a national stand against attacks on the independent media. This is an area of our politics that Rodney was most concerned about.

He saw the assassination of the journalist Father Bernard Darke in 1979 as a descent into barbarism. The recent grenade attack on the Kaieteur News is a stark reminder that there is still fear of the “Open Word.”

Yours sincerely, DAVID HINDS

GPO PRO attempts to sweep a serious problem under the rug Dear Editor, TWO letters that were published in the Stabroek News on Friday, June 3 --“Pensioners should be treated in a more dignified manner” and “Pensioners wait for hours for money outside Blairmont Post Office” -- seem to have finally gotten the attention of the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC).

Unfortunately, though, the response by GPOC Public Relations Officer Telesha Whyte, offering an apology and vague explanation (Stabroek News Saturday, June 4) is nothing more than an attempt to sweep this chronic problem under the rug.

Reading Telesha Whyte’s explanation, one would conclude that the undignified manner in which our elderly were treated at the Blairmont Post Office is an isolated case; it is not. The PRO also deliberately and cleverly avoided giving an explanation as to why “every single month, at each post office in this country, from early dawn (‘foreday marnin’), one can witness long queues of senior persons/pensioners waiting in undignified fashion for their National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and old age pensions; ‘hungry belly’ in some cases”, as reported in the second letter written by Rooplall Dudhnath.

During the nationwide, fact-finding outreach by the Ministry of Education in 2014, to determine the people’s choice for the agency best suited to cash the $10,000 “Because We Care” Education Grant vouchers given to each child in the public school system, the people unanimously voted against the post office, as they considered this agency grossly unsuited to efficiently handle the disbursement of these funds. The sole reason given for the disqualification of the Guyana Post Office Corporation by residents in all ten regions was insufficient money held at post offices nationwide. The plight of the elderly was cited as the reason for this vote of no-confidence.

At the beginning of each month, our elderly can often

be seen standing in long lines for exhaustive hours to collect their Old Age Pension at post offices nationwide. Very often, after waiting for hours, some of the tired and frustrated senior citizens are asked to return the following day, as the money had run out.

Earlier this month, I visited the Blairmont Post Office and noticed two elderly women sitting quietly on a bench near the teller. I enquired whether they were next in line to be served, and was told that they were waiting for persons to visit the post office to pay bills, so that the cashier can use this money to cash the Old Age Pension vouchers for senior citizens.

The same conditions exist at the Fort Wellington Post Office, and I dare say throughout the entire nation. It may be helpful for GPOC Public Relations Officer Ms. Telesha Whyte to get out of her office, take a tour of the many post offices along the entire coastland on the 1st and 2nd day of each month, and familiarize herself with the degrading conditions our elderly endure, so that she might be better prepared to attempt defending the indefensible.

Let me make it emphatically

clear that I am not holding the post office employees responsible for this undignified and disrespectful treatment of our senior citizens. This is an administrative failure that has been ongoing for many years, but needs to end now. The current system in place at the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) is ineffective, and needs to be urgently upgraded to provide a more reliable, hassle-free service to our most vulnerable -- our elderly.

In addition, we need to restore the pride in our national institutions, and make them more accessible to persons with disabilities. Wherever possible, a wheelchair ramp must be constructed in keeping with the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2010 - Section 28 (1): “The Commission shall collaborate with public or private sector agencies to ensure the attainment of a barrier-free environment that will enable persons with disabilities to have access to public buildings and establishments.”

With the exception of the main GPO Building in Georgetown, post office buildings have limited public space, and cannot accommodate the crowd

that turns up on the first two working days of the month to collect their pensions. For those forced to wait outside, a portable tent can be mounted, and a few wooden benches added to provide some comfort and to protect pensioners from the rain and sun as they wait their turn outside to gain entry to the post office to cash their vouchers.

In one way or another, our senior citizens have played their part in the development of Guyana, and deserve to be treated with compassion, respect and dignity. We can do better as a nation.

Yours sincerely, HARRY GILL, MP

We saw a glimpse of statesmanship

Dear Editor,

LAST Saturday night, as guest of Captain Gerry Gouveia, I attended the 50th Independence Anniversary “Golden Jubilee” Dinner in New York City, at which HE President David Granger was the guest of honour and keynote speaker.

For me, the highlight of the evening was the President’s address, which did not include any mention of the former Government’s 23 years in office; which did not include any mention of any partisan politics; which did not include any mention of forensic audits, but rather highlighted the assets, including our flora and fauna; the achievements and the challenges of the nation over the past 50 years; stressed the importance of national unity, and identified some diversification and other measures necessary for Guyana’s future development, progress and prosperity.

In introducing the President, the young lady slipped and said: “I give you…President of the United States…”, then quickly corrected the faux pas. But she might have been on to something, for the President’s speech was Obama-like in content: a bit of history, identification of the attributes that make Guyana great, some analysis of the current state of affairs, and recommendations about how the country might best develop over the next 50 years; not to mention snippets of humour.

At various events in the past to celebrate our Independence and Republic anniversaries, some of which I was involved in planning in Florida, one of the trends of the speakers from Guyana was to refer to 28 years of dictatorship and to highlight their perceived ills of the Opposition of the day. Not so Saturday night! We saw more than a glimpse of statesmanship. Take a bow HE David Arthur Granger. Thanks, Captain Gerry Gouveia, for inviting me to be among your guests.

Regards, WESLEY KIRTON

Parking burden 8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

‒ Ramkarran says parking meter system unjustified

By Telesha Ramnarine SINCE City Hall plans to impose a financial “burden” on owners of motor vehicles through the establishment of a parking meter system in Georgetown, democratic principles and respect for the public dictate that such individuals should have been consulted before a definite decision was made.

These were among some of the thoughts expressed recently by former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, on his blog, conversationtree.gy.

Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen had announced at one of City Hall’s fortnightly statutory meetings that the municipality signed a contract last May 13, with a company called National Parking Systems. This was irrespective of the fact that City Hall had an existing contract with Chief Executive Officer of Astrolobe Technology Incorporated, Mr Saratu Phillips, since 2007.

The former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive observed: “Owners of motor vehicles who park them on the roads in Georgetown, either for long or short periods, while at work or for

Ralph Ramkarran

Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan

Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green

any other purpose except residential, have not been consulted.”

The streets in which the meters are to be installed are reportedly Avenue of the Republic, Regent Street, Robb Street, Camp Street, Main Street, Brickdam, Water Street, America Street and Church Street.

“Coming so soon after the elections, the decision to install parking meters was clearly on APNU+AFC’s agenda prior to the elections.

During the elections, APNU+AFC contestants had ample opportunity to inform the residents of Georgetown that parking meters were on the agenda, but they kept this

plot a secret for obvious reasons,” Ramkarran charged.

He said the election of the City Council to office does not give it a right to unilaterally exercise authority where the expectation exists that consultation will take place, or where the public has a right to be heard if its interests are to be affected.

of information and so many imponderables that it is incumbent on the City Council to speak with and consult the citizenry.”

Ramkarran is of the view that even basic information is lacking in regard to the parking meters. “For example, are employees who park outside of their offices for eight or nine hours a day expected to pay what may be unaffordable sums per month for parking? And if they have to get their children to school every day from out of Georgetown, what are they to do in the absence of an efficient, cheap and safe transport system?

UNJUSTIFIED “This is particularly so in relation to the installation of parking meters. There is no case more deserving of consultation than this unjustifiable burden that is now proposed to be placed on citizens. There is such a dearth

“And why are specific streets selected? For example, why Church Street and not North Road? What answer would the City Council give to the person who is employed in Church Street who asks why he or she has to pay for eight hours of parking, while the North Road employee has to pay nothing?

“We also learn that the contractor will take 80 per cent of the revenue from the parking meters, while the City Council will get 20 per cent from off the top. This smells very much like a getrich-quick scheme to exploit owners of motor vehicles, many of whom are regular working people, for the substantial benefit of the 80 per cent private contractor(s) and not the City Council,” Ramkarran said.

CANNOT SUPPORT Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan has also voiced his refusal to support the parking meter system, citing a lack of verifiable information on the parking meter company.

Duncan, on a social media post, said he has been provided with little information by National Parking Systems (NPS) / Smart City Solutions from which

to make a quality judgment.

“It is my firm belief that the architecture of a traffic and mobility management policy must be the construct of several stakeholders, and the culmination of signing such a contract should have had due diligence done.”

In the roll out, the parking meters project of National Parking Systems (NPS) has touted Smart City Solutions' years of experience in the area of the subject matter, Duncan said. “In my research, I have not found any company by the name ‘Smart City Solutions’ associated with parking meter systems in any of the places the company is purporting to have done business, like Panama.”

Furthermore, Duncan said that in his independent research on Simon Moshevilli who represents Smart City Solutions, he has found no one with said name connected with the said company. In fact, he said there is no evidence that such a company even exists.

“Again, the total lack of verifiable information on the company and its capacity to execute the scope of the project, and the absence of a contract on the proposed project, I cannot offer my support, and reaffirm my grave reservation on such a venture.”

GFF acknowledges receipt of US$40,000 ‒ says will inform public at appropriate time how the money was spent

By Svetlana Marshall IN light of City Hall’s investigation into the “missing” US$40,000, the Global Friendships Foundation (GFF) has acknowledged receipt of the funds.

Last week, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council launched an investigation after being informed that the Chinese Embassy, in November 2015, had donated US$40,000 or G$8M to the municipality to aid in a beautification programme.

However, the Council reportedly had no knowledge of the donation.

In a press statement, GFF, which credits itself as a non-governmental organisation committed to bringing the world to Guyana and Guyana to the world through

increased global co-operation, has acknowledged receipt of the US$40,000 grant.

According to the organisation, the grant is being used to execute a number of enhancement and beautification projects in Georgetown. Though the GFF has acknowledged receipt of the grant, it fell short of detailing particulars of the projects it is currently executing in collaboration with the People’s Republic of China.

The GFF said it will inform the public “at the appropriate time when the projects are completed, [and] of the works that were done and the benefits to be derived by the various communities.”

The organisation, however, has given the assurance that the funds are being

properly managed.

“The foundation is properly managing the grant, and shall be providing comprehensive financial reports to the embassy which is its funding agency for this project. The embassy has expressed its satisfaction and approval with the systems and arrangements in place,” the GFF said.

In light of the investigation being conducted by City Hall, the foundation made it clear that it is in no way affiliated with, governed by, or answerable to, the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown or any other organisation or entity.

COMMITTED TO UNITY AND DEVELOPMENT “It is an independent or-

ganisation run by volunteers who are totally committed to bringing together people through culture, sport, and education, and carrying work and projects for the betterment of the society,” GFF said.

It is of the opinion that the recent assertion that the grant was “missing” is an attempt to bring the organisation into disrepute.

“The foundation, which enjoys positive alliances and functional cooperation with a number of embassies and foreign missions in Guyana, holds itself to the highest ethical standards and was very distressed and unhappy to learn of suggestions in some quarters that the US$40,000 grant was misplaced, could not be accounted for, or was intended

for another agency. These assertions are furthest from the truth and (are made) with malicious intent to cause harm and bring into disrepute the good name and high standing of the members of the foundation, both individually and collectively,” GFF stated.

On Thursday, Georgetown Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) former Protocol Officer Waynewright Orderson was questioned in connection with the US$40,000 grant.

The donation was brought to light last Tuesday after Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Zhang Limin sought a progress report while paying Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen a courtesy call.

Mayor Chase-Green told the Guyana Chronicle that

it was during that meeting that she was informed by the Chinese Embassy that the Global Friendship Foundation had received US$40, 000 on behalf of the municipality.

“They [Chinese Embassy] thought that the foundation was a part of the municipality, but that is not so,” the Mayor told this newspaper.

Asked whether the Guyana Police Force will be called in to assist with the investigation, Chase-Green merely responded that an investigation was ongoing.

“All we are asking is for the individual or individuals to say to the Council what work was done to the tune of $8M, who authorised the work; and if no work was done, where is the money,” she said.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

IF you see an adult beating up a child, boxing, kicking or pinching a child, wringing a child’s ear, grabbing, shaking, burning, biting, scalding or choking a child, these are acts of physical violence in violation of the rights of a child and more commonly known as child abuse.

There are various types of child abuse: for instance, if you hear someone calling a child names, such as fool, stupid, dunce, you’re a let-down, a disgrace, a whore, a cross: or threatening a child with aggressive gestures or language such as swearing, shouting at, or humiliating a child, these are acts of psychological abuse. Psychological

abuse includes preventing a child from contacting a parent, family member or friend; not allowing children to express themselves or depriving them of food, sleep or an education.

Sexual abuse occurs when a child’s private parts are deliberately penetrated by a sexual organ, body part or object. Sexual abuse also involves the fondling or inappropriate touching of children in a sexual way. Other forms of sexual abuse is when an adult tells a child sexual things, or when adults expose their private parts to a child. Forcing a child to watch sexual material (porn or photographs) or listen to sexually explicit music is child sexual abuse.

When children are left alone for long periods of time without adult care or guardianship, this is called neglect. Neglect is also when a parent fails to show love, care and affection to a child. When children are left to do as they like; when they have to find their own food and they are not sent to school, this is neglect.

These are just four examples of child abuse; however, there are many more derogatory things that adults either do to children or expose them to. All the things that children suffer at the hands of the very adults who are meant to protect them are against the law, they are illegal acts. That is why

adults who are aware that children are being mistreated should not be afraid to make a report to the relevant authorities.

The Protection of Children Act was passed in Parliament in 2009.

It states that CHILDREN HAVE THE RIGHT TO LEAD HAPPY, PRODUCTIVE LIVES, FREE FROM PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL OR MENTAL HARM OR ABUSE. When a child’s health, well-being or safety is being threatened in some way, the law provides for the protection of these children. The Childcare and Protection Agency, within the Ministry of Social Protection, has a 24-hour hotline and an email address where

adults, who are concerned about the welfare of a child, can make contact.

I would now like to ask you to re-read this article from the beginning and to stop at the end of the fourth paragraph at the word “neglect.” My question to you is this, what could a child possibly do that is so bad, that it warrants the type of abuse mentioned in these paragraphs?

If you are concerned about a child you can ring the CPA hotline 227 0979 or email childcaregy@gmail.com A Message from the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ministry of Social Protection

GEA encourages livestock farmers to use biogas ‒ as alternative energy source

By Rabindra Rooplall LIVESTOCK farmers are being encouraged to install bio-digester units (BDUs) on their farms to enable them to produce biogas, as this can bring them longterm benefits with cash savings, according to the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA).

Biogas is produced by the breakdown or decomposition of organic waste in the absence of oxygen, and comprises a mixture of gases, mainly carbon dioxide and methane, which can be used as an alternative energy source instead of firewood and fossil fuels.

“A bio-digester unit is a clean, healthy and economic alternative, since it not only provides fuel for domestic household use, but also provides liquid and solid fertilizers that can be used in farming. This, in turn, aids in reducing the amount of chemical contaminants (in organic fertilizers) that affect human health and the environment,” the GEA has underscored.

The agency disclosed that it has both been support-

ing the installation of bio-digesters and monitoring their use. There are at present over thirty (30) bio-digesters installed in Guyana, and these use organic materials to produce biogas.

GEA encourages livestock farmers (cattle, pig, etc) that the production of methane gas will help to conserve on imported energy sources (fossil fuels), thereby allowing for savings on energy bills and a positive contribution to the environment.

“There are many raw materials (organic materials) from which biogas can be extracted; for example, animal manure, leaves, twigs, grasses and garbage, among others. Biogas production from animal waste provides a unique opportunity to mitigate the effects of waste produced on farms while providing a cheap and sustainable source of energy,” the GEA underscored.

“To facilitate the production of biogas, a structure referred to as a bio-digester unit (BDU) is used. A bio-digester aids in the decomposition of organic materials, such as those listed

above, to produce methane gas (biogas) that can be used for cooking, heating, lighting (using gas lamps), electricity generation, operation of farm machinery, and other energy needs.

“The decomposition of waste material during anaerobic digestion is caused by bacterial action rather than high temperatures. It takes place in almost any biological environment, but is favoured by warm, wet and low-oxygen conditions.

Anaerobic digestion also occurs in two major situations created by human activities: sewage (human waste) or animal manure. Landfill gas is produced by domestic refuse buried at landfill sites.

“In nature, there are also many raw materials (organic materials) from which biogas can be extracted: human and animal manure, leaves, twigs, grasses, garbage, agricultural and industrial wastes with organic content greater than 2%. The biogas produced can be used for cooking, heating, lighting (using gas lamps), electricity generation, operation of farm machinery and other energy needs.

“The effluent produced from the process can be used as a fertilizer for crops.

The cost to set up a bio-digester, including parts and labour, should be approximately $120,000 and would replace the need for at least one 20-lb LPG gas cylinder per month. The simple payback for the installation based on an average cost of $3,600 per 20-lb LPG gas is just under three years. After year three, except for basic maintenance and labour, all

gas produced will be free.

“Biogas is primarily used as a fuel for cooking purposes and electricity generation.

Scientific advances have significantly enhanced biogas yield production, leading to the development of commercial or large/medium scale biogas plants in recent years.

“In terms of both consumption and production of biogas, Europe leads the other nations mainly due to increased government regulation for renewable energy

initiatives.

“The German experience is particularly impressive.

Since the introduction of feed-in-tariffs for biogas in Germany, over 7,000 biogas plants have been developed and are on target to develop 17% of power from biogas.

However, although Europe dominates biogas production, the technology application is fast increasing in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The Asia-Pacific biogas plants’

market is displaying strong appetite for growth, especially in the emerging markets such as China and India.

Global Analysts Inc reports that the global biogas plants’ markets will reach $8.98 billion by the year 2017. The desire to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, heightened attention to eco-friendliness, and government incentive programmes will continue to grow investment in biogas facilities.

10

Still to be resolved GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

‒ Yarde urges Gov’t to act speedily on sweeper-cleaners' matter

By Svetlana Marshall SIX months after the Government gave a commitment to resolve the age-old sweeper-cleaners issue, it is still an outstanding matter.

In December 2015, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) pleaded with the Administration to have sweeper-cleaners paid under the minimum wage order, and paid retroactively to July 2013, in keeping with a Cabinet decision taken under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government.

In response, Minister within the Ministry of Fi-

nance, Jaipaul Sharma, on December 31 informed the union that the issue was at the time engaging the attention of Cabinet.

“Since then we haven’t heard anything from the Government,” GPSU President Patrick Yarde told the Guyana Chronicle during a recent interview.

According to Yarde, since the APNU+AFC Government took office in May 2015, the union has held a series of consultations with President David Granger, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, Minister of Social

GPSU President Patrick Yarde

Protection Volda Lawrence, Minister of Social Cohesion Amna Ally, and Minister of

Business Dominic Gaskin, but to no avail.

“Every opportunity we had to raise it, we raised it,” said a frustrated Yarde. He said that the injustice being meted out to sweeper-cleaners who continue to play a critical role in keeping the environment of public buildings clean ought to be corrected.

In December 2013, the then Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, had announced that supplementary provisions would have been sought to pay sweeper-cleaners attached to the Education Min-

istry in keeping with the minimum wage order.

But although Dr Luncheon had made that public announcement, the GPSU was never formally informed, nor were the supplementary provisions put into effect.

CABINET DECISION Today, the struggle continues. The GPSU is pushing for sweeper-cleaners to be employed on the permanent establishment and paid in keeping with the Public Service minimum wage. “It was a Cabinet decision and it ought to be honoured,” the GPSU President maintained.

He said although these sweeper cleaners were contracted to work six hours per day, they often work eight hours per day, and as such should be paid in full.

Yarde also noted that prior to Government’s announcement in the 2015 Budget that these employees should be paid at a rate of $312 per hour, they were receiving less than $202 per hour, although the Nation-

al Minimum Wage Order which took effect July 1, 2013, stated that every person employed in Guyana shall be paid no less than $202 per hour.

Sweeper-cleaners are not considered to be permanent employees, but rather contractual employees and so they have not been paying NIS contributions, but Yarde said this must be corrected.

“NIS must be paid for these employees. However, an investigation must be conducted and correction be made so that all employees must be able to benefit from an NIS pension at the time of retirement,” Yarde explained in the letter he had written to Minister Sharma.

While the union is disappointed that the matter is still to be addressed, it is not prepared to jeopardise the lives of children.

“Industrial action would put children in jeopardy and we are not anxious and hasty in taking such action,” he said, noting that the GPSU would remain hopeful that good sense would prevail.

Prime suspect confesses ‒ to murder of Timehri mechanic

Dead: Puranand “Andrew” Baljit

By Rabindra Rooplall THE police on Saturday night apprehended the prime suspect, who has since confessed to the mur-

der of Timehri mechanic Puranand Baljit. The man is expected to appear in court soon.

Investigators revealed that the killer was apprehended in the vicinity of the Kitty seawall. He reportedly told police that when he gained access to Baljit’s room, he hid under his bed before carrying out the gruesome murder.

After committing the act, the killer escaped with a number of items from his victim’s home. On Friday, the girlfriend of the prime suspect was taken into police custody.

Baljit, 23, called “Andrew” of 57, Timehri Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was found with sevContinued on page 11 ►

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Prime suspect... eral stab wounds about his body, mainly to the chest and shoulder, in his bedroom Thursday night.

Detectives were able to establish that the motive for the murder was robbery. Police said many cell- phones were stolen from Baljit’s room along with other valuables.

Relatives said that the young man repaired computers and mobile phones at home in his spare time. The girlfriend led the police to the man they believe carried

out the murder.

Police said a 12-inch knife that was discovered on the window ledge was not the murder weapon; it appeared to have been planted there.

Based on reports, the perpetrator(s) used concrete blocks to climb up to gain access through his bedroom window. Detectives made a break in the case on Friday after they discovered a suspicious mobile phone at the murder scene. Two of the dead man’s close friends were detained on Friday, but

From page 10

were subsequently released.

In addition, one girlfriend was also questioned.

Neighbours disclosed that they did not hear any screams emanating from the house where the murder occurred, since someone in the area had been playing music loudly.

Detectives spent all day Friday combing the area and taking statements based on the circumstances under which the body was discovered.

The father, Harichand

Baljit and stepmother Simone Baljit, called “Jackie,” were also questioned. They combed a tract adjacent to the house where footprints were found leading to the public road almost 40-feet from the entrance to the house and mechanic workshop. Strands of female hair were also reportedly found in Baljit’s bedroom.

The father of the dead man said he heard his son scream on Thursday night and he rushed over to his bedroom but the door was locked. He then exited the house, climbed through his son’s bedroom window and found him lying in blood. He

said his son was then taken by his stepmother to the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The window at Baljit’s room was located on the northern section of the flat concrete house. His bed-head was near the window which was not grilled. One of the theories by investigators is that the perpetrator grabbed him by the head while he was sitting next to the window and stabbed him about the body before escaping on foot. Residents in the area said they learnt of the stabbing after 22:00hrs Thursday night and they gathered to-

gether and combed the area searching for the attacker.

Described as a quiet individual with few friends, one resident said that Baljit was always easygoing and was almost always seen on his cellphone.

The young man was successful at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations, gaining several subjects, but he chose to assist his father in the mechanical field.

His biological mother died when he was just two years old and he was raised by his grandmother, who resides in Berbice. He moved to Soesdyke at the age of 13.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Over 100 house lots distributed in Region 5 RESIDENTS of Region Five, as well as police ranks stationed in the region were able to secure house lots at

a Public Day exercise held at the Regional Democratic Council Office, Fort Wellington, on Friday.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Sharpe-Patterson and her team sought to allocate

Some of the police officers awaiting their interview with Minister Valerie Sharpe-Patterson

more than one hundred house lots.

Lots at Hope, Experiment and Burma villages in Region Five, with prices ranging from $230,000 – $1.5M, were allocated.

It was the second Public Day exercise to be held by the Ministry this week. On Thursday, the minister and her team were at the Albion Sports Complex, Corentyne, Berbice.

The residents and police ranks noted that having the service brought to them

saves time and money.

“Well, I must say that in Region Five we do welcome this initiative and I hope that at the end of it, the people of Region Five can surely say they have benefitted from this contribution the Ministry is making,” one officer said.

According to the minister, the exercise was a success.

“The good thing is that we were able to give everyone at Albion a house lot,” Minister Sharpe-Patterson reported.

A total of 1200 house lots have already been issued for 2016 by the coalition administration. These allocations span all categories: very low income, low income, moderate income and high income house lots.

The house lot distribution exercise will continue countrywide as the minister and her team aim to meet the needs of those who are not able to attend interviews at the Ministry of Communities in Georgetown.

Dr Rodney hailed as prophet of self-emancipation

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

THE Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has hailed Dr Walter Rodney as a prophet of self-emancipation as the party celebrates the 36th anniversary of his assassination.

The party, in a statement, said that while much has changed since Dr Walter was cut down by the assassin’s bomb blast, the core questions he raised and the solutions he proposed are still relevant.

“In this age of neo-liberal domination at the global level and passive acceptance at the domestic level, Rodney’s thesis of the nexus between development of the powerful and underdevelopment of the powerless still rings loud across the globe.

As the countries of the Global South fight for their survival in a world in which their voices and aspirations are smothered by harsh socio-economic prescriptions from the Global North, Walter Rodney’s insights about the destructiveness of global capitalism for the poorest peoples must be embraced and acted upon,” the WPA said.

According to the once vibrant political force, 36 years after Dr Rodney, insular instincts and egos stand as barriers to an integration praxis that “fulfills our historical mandate for a unified Caribbean”.

It contended that while

the colonial faces are gone, the legacies of colonialism still keep the Caribbean as producers of goods and services primarily for the benefit of others. “ T h e ‘ N e w Wo r l d ’ , which Rodney’s generation imagined, has vanished from our Caribbean imagination.

The Caribbean has been de-radicalised in ways that have rendered our people hopeless and cynical about our individual and collective futures. That is something that must be corrected forthwith.

“Here in Guyana, the State, which Walter Rodney and his comrades fought so hard to democratise, is still a menace to the citizenry.

The criminalisation of the State has been a major step backwards for Guyana and the elimination of corruption and autocracy would require all the energies and willpower of the current political directorate. Walter Rodney has left us a large body of ideas about governance and democratisation that could aid in this process,” the WPA said.

NOT SATISFIED And towards this end, the WPA is still not satisfied that enough effort is being put into ensuring that Dr Rodney’s work is made available to the general public, in particular the education system.

“We use this opportunity

--on 36th death anniversary

nity. Today, WPA reiterates the cry of the Rodney era that Guyana cannot move forward as a viable nation, if our ethnic groups do not move together in solidarity and mutual respect.

The recent warning of our esteemed brother and elder, Esui Kwayana, that Guyana must reconcile or recede, must be heeded by all. The WPA recommits itself to do everything in its power to help return Guyana to the Rodneyite multiracial culture,” the WPA said.

Dr Walter Rodney to publicly call on the policy his success in breaking down makers in the education sec- the political walls which septor to correct this grave error. arated the two major ethnic We cannot, as a nation, be groups. satisfied that the work of one “This is an accomplishof our leading intellectuals is ment of which the WPA is better known in places other especially proud. It is one than his native country.” of those things that cannot Walter Rodney’s biggest be measured in votes, yet it impact on Guyana during the gave hope for the survival last six years of his life was of our multi-ethnic commu-

DEFENCE OF THE POOR The WPA has also on this occasion, recommitted itself to the defence of the poor and the powerless and reminds Guyana that Independence means precious little if the poor are treated as undignified and worthless citizens.

“We cannot have one standard for the powerful elites and a different one for the powerless. Socio-economic inequality is incompatible with true democracy and Independence. Our people will come into their own when they can be afforded opportunities to find meaningful employment and earn a living wage. These two outcomes must engage the

full attention of those who guide our Government,” the WPA said.

Dr Rodney’s anniversary this year comes on the first anniversary of Guyana’s first genuine Partnership Government, of which the WPA is a part.

WPA sees the Coalition’s ascendency to power as a positive development for Guyana, which has long been weighed down by one-party Government.

As a partner, the WPA said it is committed to playing its part in ensuring the success of the Government, while protecting its own integrity.

“The WPA, despite being in the Government, will never trade its core principles for political expediency. But we also will not seek to impose our will on the collective; for us that is the antithesis of partnership.

“Finally, the WPA remembers other fallen comrades—Ohene Koama and Edward Dublin whose extreme sacrifices we will always remember and cherish. We are indebted to the families of these comrades who have had to nurse the hurt of being left fatherless and husbandless. We also remember Father Bernard Darke and all the other martyrs of our struggle to give meaning to our Independence,” the statement concluded.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Marijuana plot, camps destroyed in --one arrested, two unlicensed Berbice River firearms seized in separate incidents POLICE conducted several drug eradication exercises Saturday in the Berbice River, where over five acres of marijuana cultivation was discovered. The plants ranged between two to seven feet and there were also several nurseries.

Police Press Officer Jairam Ramlakhan said in excess of 600 kilograms of dried cannabis and five camps were destroyed in the raid. No arrests were made.

Meanwhile, the same day members of a police river

patrol conducted a search on a house in the Berbice River, where they found an unlicensed single-barrelled shotgun and five live 12-gauge cartridges. A male was arrested and is in police custody assisting with the investigation.

Another man was also arrested in Enmore, East Coast Demerara, after an unlicensed 9mm pistol and 19 live rounds were discovered. He is in police custody assisting with the investigation.

KN grenade attack…

Wanted man yet to be arrested WANTED man Shemar Wilson, called ‘Abdue’, is yet to be apprehended for questioning in relation to the lobbing of a live grenade outside the offices of the Kaieteur News at Saffon Street, Charlestown on June 4, at about 22:00 hrs.

The device, which did not explode, was thrown at the vehicle of Kaieteur News publisher Glenn Lall, which was parked outside the premises of the news publication.

Police believe the 20-year-old is a key player in the attack.

Wilson is said to be from Lot 43 North Sophia, Georgetown and Lot 51 West La Penitence, Georgetown. This newspaper understands that Wilson’s mother has since moved out of her Sophia home.

Police apprehend another suspect on Saturday night as multiple persons remain in custody. Initially, 12 persons were in custody, including the 1 9 - y e a r- o l d d r i v e r o f Toyota Spacio PSS 5252 which police found abandoned near Norton Street a n d M a n d e l a Av e n u e shortly after the grenade was thrown at Lall’s vehicle. The car is impounded at the East La Penitence Police Station.

The vehicle reportedly belongs to a Kitty businesswoman, who had rented it to the young driver.

Shortly after the grenade attack, the 19-yearold driver gave conflicting reports to ranks at the Alberttown Police Station, but several persons were

Shemar Wilson, called ‘Abdue’ subsequently arrested for questioning. However, based on investigations, Wilson appears to have the answers police are seeking.

This investigation is being spearheaded by ‘A’ Division Commander Clifton Hicken, and involves ranks from the Major Crimes Unit.

Hicken has said he would do whatever it takes and will go as far as it takes to solve this case.

When the device was tossed at the publisher ’s vehicle, a security staffer heard an unusual sound near the Lexus SUV, which was parked on the western side of Saffon Street. Upon checking, the staffer spotted the grenade lying near the right front wheel.

Staffers were at the time participating in a wake for Assistant Editor Dale Andrews, who had passed away earlier the same day.

Video footage from a Kaieteur News CCTV camera showed the grey vehicle heading north, but slowing as it approached Lall’s vehicle. The vehicle then accelerated after the device was thrown.

Be doers, not just talkers

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

--Harmon tells Youth LeadershipTraining Programme graduation ceremony

MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon, on Sunday charged 57 graduates of the Youth Leadership Training Programme, organised by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Youth Empowerment and the Department of Youth, at the Madewini Training Centre to be “doers” and not just talkers for the development of Guyana.

The minister was at the time speaking at the closing ceremony of the first in a series of eight of these training programmes, which will draw on youth leaders from across the country between June and December.

“The true demonstration of your effectiveness as youth leaders will be the practical things you get done and the positive, tangible things that you achieve through your endeavours. Be doers, not talkers. We have too many talkers in Guyana; people who have the best ideas about everything, but they do nothing. Change that paradigm. Become agents of change, become people who do things. Make your communities better, make your regions better and ultimately you will make Guyana better,” Minister Harmon said.

Referring to the contents of a publication by President David Granger,in which he referred to the crises of employment, education and empowerment faced by young people who make up 60 per cent of the nation’s population, the State Minister said that the APNU+AFC coalition Government has a clear vision for the development of this important sector of the population.

Following national consultations across all 10 regions of Guyana, a draft National Youth Policy, led by the Presidential Advisor on Youth Empowerment, Aubrey Norton, has been reviewed by Cabinet and is now being prepared as a “white paper” to be laid before the National Assembly and made public for national scrutiny and consultation.

However, Minister Harmon noted that even as the National Youth Policy is in the pipeline, the challenges facing Guyana’s

youth are of a critical nature and hence it is important that interventions such as this training programme begin immediately.

“We… came into office with a very clear understanding of the critical challenges and the crises our young people face as a result of the neglect of the previous government for over two decades. We also had a very clear vision and a plan of action for youth empowerment. One of the main components of that plan is the provision of education and training for all of our young people everywhere; in all communities, in every region; on the coastland and in the hinterland, because we believe that all Guyana is one Guyana,” he said.

SOCIAL COHESION The minister also spoke on the importance of social cohesion and lauded the organisers of the programme for the diversity reflected by the faces of the graduates. He called on them to return to their communities and resolve to work to remove the political, economic, social and cultural barriers that divide Guyanese.

“I hope the training, which you have received here, will enable you to establish cohesive relationships and cohesive groups to foster cohesive communities and thus a truly cohesive society in our country…

Your government is unequivocal and resolutely committed to the establishment of a cohesive society. We cannot; we will not develop by half or any other fraction or configuration… a holistic arrangement where all of our country’s people are committed and involved is indispensable to any real development that we achieve as a nation.”

Further, the minister called on each of the young people to not see politics as a “big people” thing, but to become involved in the “political, economic and social affairs of your communities as precursors to your involvement in regional and national affairs.”

He added that even as they work to develop existing and new youth organisations at the community level,they must

Melynda Smith models an outfit as part of the activities at the graduation ceremony for her colleagues (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

also focus on their own personal development.

NEW VANGUARD “You are the new vanguard in our quest to have the youth take their rightful place in our country’s affairs. In our efforts

at national revival and rebirth, yours is the task of commencing the process of developing our most precious resource; our human resource… I charge you also to rigorously pursue self-development; to first develop your own skills, education

[and] work ethic, even as you strive to improve the lot of others,” Minister Harmon said.

Presidential Adviser Norton said that the Leadership Programme became necessary after his office supported the development of a number of

new and existing youth groups and realised that there was a dearth of leadership skills. He said that module one of this training programme is offering such topics as leadership skills,

See page 17

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Guyana signs on to fishing treaty A GROUNDBREAKING international accord aimed at stamping out illegal fishing is now in effect, and is legally binding for the 29 countries and a regional organisation that are its adherents.

The Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) -- adopted as an FAO Agreement in 2009 after a years-long diplomatic effort -- is the first-ever binding international treaty to focus specifically on illicit fishing.

The threshold to activation of the treaty -- official adherence by at least 25 countries -- was surpassed last month, triggering a 30-day countdown to recent entry-into-force.

“This is a great day in the continuing effort to build

sustainable fisheries that can help feed the world,” said FAO Director-General Graziano da Silva. “We hail those countries that have already signed on to the agreement, who will begin implementing it as of today. We invite governments who have yet to do so to join the collective push to stamp out illegal fishing and safeguard the future of our ocean resources.”

Current parties to the PSMA are: Australia, Barbados, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, the European Union (as a member organisation), Gabon, Guinea, Guyana, Iceland, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Palau, Republic of Korea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Tonga, the United States of America, Uruguay, and Vanuatu.

The organisation has been informed that additional formal instruments of acceptance of the agreement should be received shortly.

HARDENING PORTS AGAINST PIRATE FISHERS Parties to the agreement are obliged to implement a number of measures while managing ports under their control. The goals are to detect illegal fishing, stop illcaught fish from being offloaded and sold, and ensure information on unscrupulous vessels is shared globally.

Foreign fishing vessels wishing to enter ports are required to request permission in advance. Detailed information on their identities, activities, and the fish they have onboard has to be transmitted. Landings can only happen at specially designated ports that are equipped for effective inspection. Ships suspected of being involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing can be

A fisheries worker unloading the morning’s catch denied entry into port outright, or be permitted to enter for inspection purposes only, and refused permission to offload fish, refuel, or resupply.

Vessels that are allowed into ports may be subject to inspections conducted according to a common set of standards. Vessels will be required to prove that they are licensed to fish by the country whose flag they fly, and that they have the necessary permissions from the countries in whose waters they operate. If not, or if inspections turn up evidence of IUU fishing activity, vessels will be denied any further use of ports, and be reported as violators.

Once a ship is denied access, or inspections reveal problems, parties must communicate that information to the country under whose flag the vessel is registered, and inform other treaty participants as well as portmasters in neighbouring countries.

A FIRST OF ITS KIND Operating without proper authorisation, catching protected species, using outlawed types of gear, or disregarding catch quotas are among the most common IUU fishing activities. Such practices undermine efforts to responsibly manage marine fisheries, damaging their productivity and, in some cases, precipitating their collapse.

While there are options for combating IUU fishing at sea, they are often expensive and, especially for developing countries, can be difficult to implement, given the large ocean spaces that need to be monitored and the costs of the required technology.

Accordingly, port state measures are one of the most efficient and cost effective ways to fight IUU fishing. The now-active Port State Measures Agreement provides the international community with a valuable tool for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which includes a stand-alone goal on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, and a specific sub-target on IUU fishing.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Be doers, not just ...

From page 15

event planning, communications, effective public speaking, meeting procedures, organising youth organisations, EPIC messaging and SMART Objectives.

This provides youth leaders with basic skills to better manage their organisations.

Currently, young people from Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10 are benefiting from the sessions, but hinterland communities will begin to benefit in July when the first such training session is held in the Rupununi.

PROFESSIONALISATION OF YOUTH WORK However, this leadership training is just one part of a holistic approach to youth development. Mr Norton said that his office is looking at the professionalisation of youth development work and will approach the University of Guyana to explore the possibility of its inclusion in the curriculum and the setting up of a youth empowerment centre.

However, acknowledging the high rate of school dropouts in Guyana and the need for the development of job and entrepreneurial skills, Mr. Norton said, “We have designed a number of programmes to facilitate economic empowerment for young people… The aim here is to create a corps of people who can serve.”

With this in mind, 25 young people started a Heavy Duty Operator programme today, which will see them benefiting from three months of intense training in the operation of bulldozers, bobcats, frontend loaders and other such machines. Once participants are successful in the practical and theoretical aspects of the programme, they will be supported through the licensing process. “It is an area of ready employment. One of the things we are trying to do is [promote] programmes that the market is demanding,” Mr. Norton said.

Along this line, recruitment

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is currently ongoing for three food and fruit- processing training programmes targeting 100 young people. Aiming to tackle the school dropout problem, training will be conducted for a corps of literacy and numeracy tutors in communities across the country. A youth-counselling and guidance training programme is also on the cards.

In invited comments, some of the young people who participated in the leadership programme told the Ministry of the Presidency that they believe they have benefited significantly from the training they have received.

CONFIDENCE BUILDER Alana Phillips of Region Two said that though she is a shy person, she feels her confidence has grown and that she learnt a lot about how to manage an organisation. Phillips, who wants to be a Guyana Defence Force officer, said that she believes employment is the most important thing that is needed for youth development. She said that having a job allows young people to show who they really are.

“Being an Army Officer is something that I always wanted, but everybody keeps telling me that I am not good enough and I am too little… but I think I am good enough,” she said.

Thelston Williams, Chairman of the Hopetown Youth Unity Organisation, said, “The thing that stood out the most for me was qualities of a good leader. I believe that what I was doing as a leader was not acceptable, so learning those qualities I can now go back into my organisation and put them into practice.”

Narendra Persaud of the Essequibo Coast and representing the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary Challengers Unit of the President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG), said his vision is to break down social and political barriers and believes a practical way to

Monday, June 13, 2016 - 11:30 hrs Tuesday, June 14, 2016 - 13:00 hrs

Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Presidential Adviser Aubrey Norton take a photo opportunity with the graduating class of the first of eight Leadership Training Programmes, along with other support staff at the Madewini camp and training centre (Ministry of the Presidency photo) breaking social barriers is for all groups to participate in each others activities regardless of ethnicity.

Meanwhile, Melynda Smith of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement from ‘A’ Field Sophia, said that school drop-

outs are very common among young men under the age of 15 years old in her community and urged the development of a programme which promoted skills training. She said that tertiary institutions should embark on door-to-door enrolment and

offer school clothing and meals as incentives.

“That could give them a skill and a skill is a job and a job that could help build Guyana. All jobs are necessary in order to build our society more,” she said.

The graduation/closing ceremony was planned by the participants as part of their practical training and event management and included several cultural performances. (Ministry of the Presidency)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Russia and England could be expelled (REUTERS)-European soccer’s governing body warned the English and Russian soccer associations yesterday their teams could be disqualified from Euro 2016 if there was more of the fan violence that has injured several dozen people.

UEFA’s threat came after it began disciplinary proceedings against the Russian federation on Sunday following ugly scenes inside Marseille’s Stade Velodrome stadium at the end of Saturday’s match between England and Russia.

Masked Russian fans charged at England supporters, punching and kicking them. Some England fans had to scramble over barriers to escape.

UEFA said it would also investigate allegations of racist behavior and the throwing of missiles and fireworks.

The violence in the stadium followed three days of clashes between English, Russian and French fans in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille that drew a strong response from riot police.

UEFA said it was “disgusted” and would not hesitate to impose sanctions, including “the potential disqualification of their respective teams from the tournament, should such violence occur again”. It said a decision on sanctions against Russia would be made on Tuesday.

ALCOHOL BAN? French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve called the fans’ behavior barbaric and said it was “absolutely necessary that national federations whose supporters create incidents of this nature be penalized”.

A ministry spokesman said Cazeneuve was not calling for Russia and England to be punished, but rather supporting UEFA’s stance.

The minister also said he had asked the cities hosting Euro 2016 fixtures to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol in zones where the risk of confrontation was most acute.

English and Russian fans will almost certainly cross paths in northern France later this week, with Russia playing Slovakia in Lille on Wednesday and England facing Wales only 40 km (25 miles) away in Lens on Thursday.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who had initially denied there had been any crowd disturbance, said UEFA was right to investigate.

It is the second time in as many European Championship tournaments that the Russian federation has faced sanctions because of its fans.

SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Flamingo Park 008:20 hrs Bodega 08:50 hrs Misty Power 09:25 hrs All I Want 09:55 hrs Caribbean Bay 10:25 hrs Hawksworth ENGLISH RACING TIPS Carlisle 09:00 hrs Local Artist 09:30 hrs David’s Success 10:00 hrs Mininggold 10:30 hrs In My Place 11:00 hrs Our Kylie 11:30 hrs Bad Girl Caoimhe 12:00 hrs So It’s War 12:30 hrs Palisade THIRSK 09:15 hrs In First Place 10:15 hrs Fort Jefferson 10:45 hrs Pennerley 11:15 hrs Laila Honiwillow 11:45 hrs Prying Pandora 12:15 hrs Cape Hideaway 12:45 hrs African Blessing WINDSOR

12:50 hrs Eugenic 15:20 hrs Compton Lane 13:50 hrs Cosmic Beau 14:20 hrs Joe Packet 14:50 hrs Snappy Guest 15:20 hrs September Stars 15:50 hrs Cosmic Storm IRISH RACING TIPS Roscommon 12:30 hrs Billy Big 13:00 hrs Enough Is Enough 13:30 hrs First Class Ticket 14:00 hrs Miss Ballygally 14:30 hrs Intifadah 15:30 hrs Padraig’s Joy 16:00 hrs Sandymount Duke AMERICAN RACING TIPS Philadelphia Park Race 1 Thump Race 2 Better Than Rubies Race 3 Judi’s Jpy Race 4 Larco Mar Race 5 Far Out West Race 6 Smarty Mr D Race 7 Fast Flying Rumor Race 8 Whistling Straits Race 9 C C Diamond Lil

NAMILCO U-17 FOOTBALL

Wins for Santos, Alpha, Eastville and Conquerors

… 13 goals scored from four games By: Ras Wadada

THE Georgetown Football Association’s (GFA) zone of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/NAMILCO U-17 nationwide League tournament served up 13 goals among the eight competing teams on the opening match day watched by a handful of spectators at the Tucville ground.

In yesterday’s opening encounter reduced to a 60-mimute affair, from 70 minutes, after a delayed start, Santos FC clobbered a 10-man Camptown FC 5-nil Nazeem Algernon initiated the onslaught when he scored from the Penalty mark in the 19th minute after the ball was handled in the box by a defender. Five minutes later Eon Adams made it 2-0 and two minutes from the interval captain Cosmos Dos Santos added his name to the scorers’ list.

Algernon would net his second goal of the match when he converted 17 minutes after the resumption and one minute from full time Ryan Dowding made it 5-0 and that was how it ended.

The second game resulted in a 2-0 win for Alpha United over Pele FC. The diminutive Shaquan Favorite sent Alpha into the lead in the 33rd minute and five minutes after the break Travis McDonald sealed the victory for the much bigger Alpha side.

Eastville had to stave off a spirited challenge by Order and Discipline to win by a similar score-line with goals from Teon Van Kenic in the 30th minute and Shamar Carrington in the 40th minute.

In the final game of the day, home team Fruta Conquerors easily took care of the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) by a 3-1 margin. Jermey Garnett powered his way through the middle in the 12th minute to give Conquerors the advantage, but seven minutes on Tamiel Hutson equalised for the Bourda Blues.

Malachi Adonis regained the lead for the Fruta Boys in the 25th minute and 15 minutes after the interval Roshan Rich stretched the lead to 3-1.

The eight-team GFA League competition will continue this coming Saturday at the said Tucville ground with four more games, beginning at 09:30 hrs

Green hit with one-game suspension for striking James in groin THE Golden State Warriors will be without Draymond Green when they try to close out the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the NBA Finals tonight after he was handed a one-game suspension for punching LeBron James in the groin.

Upon the NBA’s review of the in game-four incident, Green was assessed a Flagrant Foul 1 for striking James in reaction to the Cavaliers star stepping over him during the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ win.

NBA rules mandate a one-game suspension for any player who accumulates four flagrant foul points over the course of the playoffs, with every additional Flagrant 1 resulting in a one-game suspension and a Flagrant Foul 2 earning a two-game penalty.

“The cumulative points system is designed to deter flagrant fouls in our game,” NBA VP of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe said. “While Draymond Green’s actions in game four do not merit a suspension as a stand-alone act, the number of flagrant points he has earned triggers a suspension for game five.

James was also assessed a technical foul for taunting Green.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Hales falls short as Sri Lanka set 362 to win (REUTERS)-Sri Lanka’s openers confidently negotiated an awkward session at the end of a rain-interrupted fourth day at Lord’s yesterday, setting up the prospect of a fascinating finish to the third and final Test against England.

Set 362 to win after Alex Hales had narrowly missed out on his maiden test hundred for England, who are 2-0 up in the series, Kaushal Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne took the visitors to 32 without loss by the close.

It leaves today’s extended final day nicely poised with Sri Lanka facing the tallest of orders to score the runs that would secure a consolation victory.

After the morning session and part of the after-

noon’s play were lost to rain, England resumed on 109 for four and opener

short of his first Test ton.

With Alastair Cook, back in action after missing the

England’s Alex Hales looks dejected after he was out LBW to Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews (not pictured).Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Boyers Hales was the picture of disappointment when he ended up falling six runs

BCCI announces 57 applicants for India coach THE BCCI has received 57 applicants for the position of head coach of the Indian team. Ravi Shastri, the former team director, Sandeep Patil and Vikram Rathour, members of the current selection committee, Pravin Amre, Venkatesh Prasad, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Surendra Bhave and Hrishikesh Kanitkar are among those interested in the assignment.

It is understood that Sanjay Bangar, appointed interim coach for the ongoing Zimbabwe tour, B Arun and R Sridhar, who were members of the support staff under Shastri and whose contracts ended after the World T20, have not applied for the position, and are waiting for the board to advertise for recruitment of specialist coaches.

The BCCI did not divulge the names of the applicants in their press release yesterday.

Media reports had suggested Jason Gillespie, the former Australia fast bowler and Yorkshire’s coach in the English county cricket, was one of the high-profile overseas names to have applied. But he confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he had not.

Meanwhile, another former Australian cricketer, Stuart Law, who had been Bangladesh’s coach from July 2011 to June 2012, has reportedly expressed interest in being India coach.

This initial list of 57 applicants will be trimmed by BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke and then forwarded to a yet-to-be-named cricket advisory panel before a final decision is made.

“The primary scrutiny of the applications received is now being carried out by the Office of the Honorary Secretary of the BCCI, with regards to the applicants, meeting the set eligibility criteria,” the board said. “After this initial scrutiny, the list of candidates who meet the criteria will be processed for further consideration.”

MS Dhoni, India’s limited-overs captain, said last week that the incoming coach needs to understand the players’ culture and background to establish a rapport with the group.

“More than Hindi, English, one who understands our culture and our upbringing, the one who understands these sort of things, he will always be better with us,” he had said. “In the past, too, these things have been important, and the coaches who have understood us better, it has made a difference at the ground level.”(ESPN Cricinfo)

start of the second innings with a bruised knee, also looking to push on towards

a declaration at the other end, Hales was trapped lbw for 94 when trying to turn Angelo Mathews into the leg side.

He reviewed umpire Rod Tucker’s decision but was left dismayed when the video replay showed the ball would have clipped the top of leg stump.

Cook, in the unusual position of batting at number seven, enjoyed himself, following up his first-innings 85 by helping himself to a six in an unbeaten 49.

Declaring on 233 for seven, Cook then gave his attack 12 overs to make a breakthrough but Silva and Karunaratne, who shared a hundred stand in the first innings, had few alarms against two of the world’s top three pacemen, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson.

SCOREBOARD ENGLAND 1st innings 416 (J. Bairstow 167no, A. Cook 85, C. Woakes 66; R. Herath 4-81) Sri Lanka 1st innings 288 (K. Silva 79, D. Karunaratne 50) England 2nd innings (Overnight: 109-4) N. Compton c Chandimal b Eranga 19 A. Hales lbw b Mathews 94 J. Root b Pradeep 4 J. Vince b Pradeep 0 J. Bairstow b Pradeep 32 S. Finn lbw b Eranga 7 A. Cook not out 49 M. Ali c Herath b Eranga 9 C. Woakes not out 0 Extras (b-6 lb-4 nb-8 w-1) 19 Total (for 7 wickets declared, 71 overs) 233 Fall of wickets: 1-45 N. Compton,2-50 J. Root,3-50 J. Vince,4-101 J. Bairstow,5-120 S. Finn,6-202 A. Hales,7-224 M. Ali Did not bat: S. Broad, J. Anderson Bowling: S. Lakmal 13 - 2 - 45 – 0, S. Eranga 14 - 1 - 58 - 3(nb-3 w-1), N. Pradeep 15 - 5 - 37 - 3(nb-3),R. Herath 20 - 2 - 63 – 0, A. Mathews 9 - 3 - 20 – 1.

SRI LANKA 2nd innings (Target: 362 runs) D. Karunaratne not out 19 K. Silva not out 12 Extras (lb-1) 1 Total (for no loss, 12 overs) 32 Fall of wickets: To bat: K. Mendis, D. Chandimal, A. Mathews, L. Thirimanne, K. Perera, R. Herath, S. Lakmal, S. Eranga, N. Pradeep Bowling: S. Broad 5 - 2 - 15 – 0, J. Anderson 4 - 1 - 5 – 0, C. Woakes 2 - 1 - 7 – 0, M. Ali 1 - 0 - 4 – 0.

Hamilton wins in Canada for a fifth time

By Ian Gordon MONTREAL, (Reuters)-Lewis Hamilton survived another first corner clash with Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg yesterday to take a fifth Canadian Grand Prix victory and cut the German’s championship lead to nine points.

The duo banged wheels after being overtaken at the start

by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel but triple world champion Hamilton, who had been on pole position, recovered to record a second successive win.

Hamilton took the chequered flag five seconds ahead of Vettel while Rosberg finished fifth, behind Red Bull’s Dutch teenager Max Verstappen in fourth, after a frustrating after-

noon.

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas finished third for Williams but was 46.4 seconds behind Hamilton in a race that turned into a strategy duel between Ferrari and Mercedes on a cold

Canadian afternoon.

Ferrari’s gamble on pitting Vettel twice did not pay off, with the four times world champion still looking for his first win of the campaign.

With the victory coming

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates winning the race.

two days after Muhammad Ali’s funeral, Hamilton quoted the late boxing great -- ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ -- over the radio as he crossed the finish line.

“That was for Ali,” he said.

The opening clash between the two Mercedes drivers was their second in three races, this time with Rosberg pushed wide and dropping to ninth place at the end of the first lap.

The German also suffered a slow right rear puncture and had to make a second pitstop on lap 52 while in fourth place.

He then spun while trying to pass Verstappen in the closing laps.

Rosberg now has 116 points to Hamilton’s 107 after seven of 21 rounds.

Northern Ireland beaten by Poland NORTHERN Ireland’s first match at a European Championship finals ended in defeat as Arkadiusz Milik gave Poland a 1-0 win in Nice.

Ajax star Milik slotted in after being picked out by Jakub Blaszczykowski early in the second half.

Poland had dominated the first half but were thwarted by some superb defending

by Michael O’Neill’s men.

Northern Ireland did not manage to get a decent effort on target and must now regroup to play Ukraine on

Thursday.

Poland deserved the three points, the first time they have won an opening match at a Euro finals, inflicting a first defeat in 13 games on their Group C opponents.

Northern Ireland endured an anxious opening and must have been relieved to get to the break still on level terms - they have now conceded just one first-half goal in their last 21 matches.

But the mood changed when Milik, scorer of 24 for his club last season, took one

touch before finding the net with a left-foot shot.

Northern Ireland’s best hope was a well-worked free-kick which ended with skipper Steven Davis just failing to get in his shot More than 10,000 green-shirted fans travelled to Nice full of an optimism fired by their team’s qualification and 12-match unbeaten run.

But that fantastic vocal support failed to inspire Northern Ireland, who struggled badly in the opening exchanges, letting Poland

dominate.

And despite the significance of the match for O’Neill’s side, it will not be one they will look back on with much pleasure.

On a positive note, they finished the match much better than they had started it, with substitute Washington providing support for sole striker Lafferty, while they also produced a determined defensive display to shackle Robert Lewandowski, one of Europe’s leading strikers.

(BBC Sport).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Cricket Guy Inc. acquires bowling machines for Coaching Education Programme CRICKET Guy Inc. (CGI) has acquired two bowling machine for the Guyana Jaguars and Academy players. The National age group players and National Female teams are also expected to benefit from this valuable asset.

The bowling machines are expected to benefit training sessions in a favourable way, since it allows for programs to be conducted in a more realistic and meaningful manner, with coaches being enable to structure net sessions in a systematic way that incorporates varying types of learning.

The bowling machine provides batsmen with an opportunity to enhance their strengths as well as explore the challenging batting areas they may face.

The machine allows for batsmen to have extended batting practice that may not be otherwise presented by bowlers.

GCB’s Colin Stuart and Drubahadur with the newly acquired bowling machines.

Further, the machine provides for an opportunity for coaches to simulate different types of deliveries that may not be readily available to batsmen base on the nature and quality of bowlers in a given squad.

In addition, the bowling machine allows for meaningful practice both indoors and outdoors, generally providing a good mix between

automated (abstract) practice and actual (real) practice and match context.

President of GCB Drubahadur indicated that CGI feels delighted to be able to provide such an invaluable asset to the players gear inventory. The players and coaches have highlighted the need for such an equipment, and our organisation is today honoured to be able to provide

LILLE, France, (Reuters)-Stand-in centre back Shkodran Mustafi headed his first goal for Germany and Bastian Schweinsteiger scored in stoppage time as the world champions survived several scares to beat Ukraine 2-0 in their opening Euro 2016 Group C match yesterday.

Mustafi, who started in the absence of regular centre back Mats Hummels, rifled home a header after 19 minutes to give Germany the lead, which was not extended until Schweinsteiger, a 90th-minute substitute, swept home from close range.

Germany, bidding for a fourth Euro triumph but first since 1996, dominated possession, but also relied on three top saves from keeper Manuel Neuer and a goal-line clearance

by Jerome Boateng to come out on top.

Ukraine, playing in their second European championship, harried and hustled their opponents and their tight defence offered few clear sights of goal to the Germans.

Yet lone striker Roman Zozulya was unable to offer much threat, except at the very start and in the closing stages as Ukraine pushed on in search of

an equaliser.

In a breakneck first half, Ukraine’s Yevhen Konoplyanka forced Germany keeper Neuer to make a flying save

ble Germany’s lead as Kroos floated a ball beyond the defence, but he shot straight at the keeper.

By then though, the

Germany’s Shkodran Mustafi scores their first goal Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes in the fourth minute before the Germans steadily took control, with Toni Kroos orchestrating most of their attacks.

It was from his free kick, that Mustafi, who last featured for Germany in March and only made the side because Hummels was recovering from a muscle injury, leapt behind Serhiy Sydorchuk to power in a header.

Ten minutes later Sami Khedira had the chance to dou-

Ukrainians had woken up and, driving their full backs higher up the pitch, forced Neuer to punch over a strong header from Yevhen Khacheridi.

Boateng was then forced into a dramatic clearance, having first lost the ball before hacking it clear while back-pedalling into the net.

Lone striker Zozulya also had an effort disallowed for offside as Germany hung on until halftime.

Ukraine posed less of a

THE United States beat Paraguay 1-0 and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Copa America as Group A winners on Saturday after Costa Rica stunned already-qualified Colombia 3-2.

The United States, who are hosting the tournament in its 100th anniversary, will next play the second-placed team in Group B. As it stands, Brazil top that group ahead of Peru and Ecuador, with Haiti already eliminated.

U.S. forward Clint Dempsey converted a low cross from Gyasi Zardes in the 27th minute as the hosts had the better of the early exchanges.

However, the Americans were reduced to 10 men shortly after half-time when right back DeAndre Yedlin received two yellow cards within a minute for aggressive tackles.

“The boys showed a lot of heart, especially after that red card,” Dempsey said. “Man, we showed a lot of character and we’re proud to advance to the next round.”

such purposeful tool towards the CGI’s coaching education programme.

CGI continues to assess its pool of players and its available resources, and continually seek to take all necessary and realistic steps to add value to the coaching education process and by so doing, adding purpose and value to the players and team’s performance.

Germany survive several scares to beat Ukraine 2-0

By Philip Blenkinso

U.S. win Copa group after Costa Rica stun Colombia

threat in the second half, relying on hopeful long balls forward, while their keeper Andriy Pyatov was forced into action to save a long-range effort from Khedira, a low drive from Thomas Mueller and from Mesut Ozil, when he was through on goal.

Germany suffered one final fright when Mustafi headed back over Neuer’s head, leaving the goalkeeper to scramble back towards his own net, while appearing to body check substitute striker Yevhen Seleznyov in the process.

Then, in the final seconds, with Ukraine pushing up, Germany countered and Schweinsteiger slammed in an Ozil cross to score.

The result extended Germany’s unbeaten run against Ukraine to six matches and maintained their record of never having lost their opening match in a European Championship.

Germany will play joint group leaders Poland at the Stade de France on Thursday, when Ukraine take on Northern Ireland in Lyon.

Several hours before the match, German and Ukrainian supporters scuffled briefly in the centre of Lille, though police quickly brought the situation under control.

United States midfielder Clint Dempsey (8) scores past Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar (1) during the first half of the group play stage of the 2016 Copa America Centenario. at Lincoln Financial Field.

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports The United States looked set to fall behind in the 11th minute when Paraguay had a three-on-one break but defender John Brooks chased down Miguel Almiron to deliver a terrific sliding challenge and knock the ball out of play.

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who made key saves from Jorge Benitez and Almiron in the 82nd minute, paid tribute to his defense.

“The guys in front of me were fantastic,” said Guzan.

“Every now and then it’s up to the goalkeeper to come up with the save and I was lucky enough to do that tonight.”

In the later Group A game, Costa Rica’s Johan Venegas scored in the second minute before Frank Fabra pulled Colombia level four minutes later.

Fabra turned villain in the 34th minute by scoring an own goal and Celso Borges put the Costa Ricans 3-1 up just before the hour mark. Colombia’s Marlos Moreno made it 3-2 with 17 minutes left but they could not find the equaliser.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday June 13, 2016) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Clive Rice (2) 5 points

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who faced the first ball in the Tri-Nations series?

(2) Who registered the first duck in the Tri-Nations series?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, June 13, 2016

Luther Kelly proud as Warner Park marks 10 years BASSETERRE, St Kitts – A decade ago, the proud people of this fair nation hosted their first international match and they are ready to celebrate this anniversary in style.

Luther Kelly, the former St. Kitts captain, plans to be part of the celebration at the scenic venue during the upcoming matches in the Ballr Cup Tri-Nations One-day International Series presented by Cycle Pure Agarbathies.

The 61-year-old Kelly, a former Leeward Islands batsman, whose contemporaries included the legendary Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Richie Richardson and Sir Curtly Ambrose, is calling on his fellow countrymen to come out and support the grand occasion as West

Indies host Australia and South Africa in the second leg of the Ballr Cup. “It is a very good thing for the administrators in the West Indies to give us a chance to host international matches and especially matches featuring top teams in world cricket,” said Kelly.

“It is good to see so much great cricketers at the same time. I want to urge the coaches and people involved in the game on the island to turn out and watch, so we can see some really great cricket.”

He continued: “The ground at Warner Park has been a batsman’s paradise for a long time. I am happy to see where we have come from and how the venue has grown on the international stage.

“We are a small island,

Warner ruled out for 2-6 weeks AUSTRALIA have been dealt a significant injury blow after the win over South Africa on Saturday.

Their opener David Warner has been ruled out for at least the next two weeks due to a fractured finger.

The opener copped a blow to the tip of his left index finger during Australia’s 36-run victory over South Africa in St Kitts and subsequent X-rays have revealed the digit to be fractured.

The injury has all but ruled Warner out of Australia’s three remaining preliminary matches of this ODI tri-series in the West Indies, but he could return for the final in Barbados on 26 June.

But with a lengthy tour of Sri Lanka beginning in around six weeks, ahead of a tour of South Africa and the international summer of cricket, Cricket Australia may yet take a conservative approach with one of their best and most consistent players.

“We will assess the situation over the coming days to see if the injury requires a surgical option,” said team doctor Geoffrey Verrall.

“But should that not be the case then David is likely to be available to return to play in somewhere between two and six weeks.”

The results of Warner’s X-rays will be examined more closely in the coming days before a decision is made on whether or not he will return home.

With just two weeks left

in the series and a 16-man squad already in the Caribbean, it seems unlikely that a replacement player will be called for even if Warner is forced out of the entire series.

Warner, whose wife and two daughters are with him in the Caribbean, is staying optimistic.

DAVID WARNER “It’s obviously disappointing to be sidelined given the form I’ve been in and given the important stage the tri-series is at, but it’s always important to look at the positives,” Warner said.

(Cricket Australia).

but we are big on our cricket, and this is a great tribute to the game on the island that we can have a venue that is so well-respected around the World.

“The game has put us on the map. It is very nice to see the game being played on my island. You get a good feeling. The game has done so much for St. Kitts and now we have the marriage of sports and tourism…we have much about which we can be proud.”

Kelly played for Combined Islands and Leeward Islands from 1976 to 1990, where he was a hard-hitting opening batsman. He has turned his energies to umpiring and was a member of the WICB Regional Umpires Panel for close to a decade after hanging up his boots.

The Warner Park ground which hosted its first international match a decade ago The first match at Warner Park featured West Indies beating India by two wickets with a ball to spare back on May 23, 2006 – just under a year before it hosted matches in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. Ramnaresh Sarwan made a famous 115 not out and celebrated with members

of the excited crowd.

The most famous performance came from South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs who smashed six sixes in an over off Dutch bowler Dan van Bunge. It was the only time the feat was performed in an international match.

“I expect the crowd to

come out in their numbers,” he said. “The South Africans and the Australians have been doing very well on the international stage for a while now and the West Indies are the World T20 champions, so I’m sure the fans will want to come out and see the stars perform.”

RHTYSC/M.S announces annual Cricket Academy and RBL Summer Camps THE cricket teams of the RHTYSC MS, Hilthe Rose Hall Town bert Foster, stated that Youth and Sports Club the main objectives of MS, during the up- the academy are to procoming school holiday season will be hosting their annual cricket academy and the Republic Bank Summer Camp for Grade Six Students.

These two programmes are being organised by the Rose Hall Town Farfan and Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under -17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Metro Female and Gizmos and Gadgets Under 21 and First Di- Secretary/CEO of the RHTYSC MS, Hilbert vision teams.

The Cricket Acad- Foster emy would be hosted at the Area ‘H’ Ground duce future cricketers from July 11- 23 from for the club, to teach 9-13:00 daily. The acad- youths how to play the emy would be conducted game of cricket, to get by experienced cricket youths to understand coach Winston Smith, their role as sports with assistance from for- ambassadors and to mer national players and develop them into role Berbice Under-19 Coach models.

Delbert Hicks and BerThe coaches would bice senior player, Eon concentrate on the baHooper. sics – batting, bowling, Secretary/CEO of physical fitness, wicket-

keeping, fielding, field placement and captaincy, while the young cricketers would be involved in a total of 15 classroom lectures on topics of interest to them.

The topics will include the History of Cricket,the Laws of Cricket, Structure of the Game, Personal Discipline, Personal Hygiene, HIV/Aids, Suicide, Drug Abuse, the Importance of Education, Career Choices and the role of a Sports Ambassador.

The club will provide snacks to the cricketers on a daily basis, while it would also provide all necessary equipment and cricket gear. The academy will cater for 120 youths and with the large RHTYSC youth membership, few places are available for nonclub members.

Interested youths between the ages of 8 to 18 are encouraged to call the Club Office on 337-4562 or email foster_hilbert@yahoo.com to register.

Meanwhile, the Republic Bank Summer Camp will be hosted in the upper flat of the RHTYSC Office at the Area ‘H’ Ground.

The camp will start on Monday, July 11 and would last for a total of five weeks under the supervision of an experienced educator with the main aim of assisting Grade Six students to make a successful transition from Primary to Secondary School.

The class will cater for 60 students and they will be taught Maths, English A, English B, Social Studies and Integrated Science.

Students will also be involved in lectures on a wide range of topics, including peer pressure, choosing friends, classroom manners, career choices and serving the god they believe in. Students will also be involved in learning the basics in playing cricket. The top 10 students from the summer camp will receive special gifts from the cricket teams.

Luther Kelly proud as Warner Park marks 10 years See story on page 27

NAMILCO U-17 FOOTBALL

Wins for Santos, Alpha, Eastville and Conquerors … 13 goals scored from four games See story on page 24

Camptown’s goal-keeper breached from the penalty mark by Santos’ Nazeem Algernon (not in picture)

Santos’ Eon Adams (number 6) beats the Camptown custodian for goal number two. (Samuel Maughn photos)

CFU accuses CONCACAF of interference THE newly formed CONCACAF executive has been accused of trying to undermine the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) with some member associations even alleging political interference with the regional body’s affairs.

The issue stems from a decision by Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John Williams to invite all other presidents of the CFU member confederations to a meeting to discuss the establishment of a long talked about Caribbean professional

TTFA president David John Williams football league later this month.

The letter issued by Wi l l i a m s re p o r t e d l y states that all travel cost

for the meeting were already being paid for by CONCACAF with the support of UEFA. The meeting is, however, being held without the involvement of the CFU, Caribbean football’s governing body, or even its knowledge.

With the CFU elections just two months away many have suggested that the meeting has been provided as a smokescreen for Williams to announce his candidacy for CFU president, heavily supported by the CONCACAF executive.(Sportsmax.com)

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No pressure on Windies - Holder WEST Indies skipper Jason Holder has dismissed suggestions that the team is likely to be under huge p re s s u re i n t h e B a l l r Tri-Nations ODI clash against Australia today.

Heading into the fixture in St Kitts the regional team finds itself at the bottom of the three-team table on four points after two games.

Australia top the table on 9 points after three games, while South Africa are second on five after the same amount.

“We all know the importance of the game but I wouldn’t say there is pressure. Australia came off a very good win against South Africa when their

backs were against the wall,” Holder said.

The teams will meet at

West Indies captain Jason Holder the Warner Park ground in

St Kitts and Nevis for the 12:00pm (1:00pm ECT) with the hosts desperately needing to keep pace.

The first encounter between the teams was a lopsided six-wicket win for the Australians in Guyana, and Holder claims the Windies must focus on correcting the mistakes made.

“It’s just important for us to focus on our games to narrow it down to what we specifically need to do to win this game. I just think once we tick our boxes in terms of the process the results will take care of itself,” he added.

The regional team beat South Africa in the tournament’s opening game.

(Sportsmax.com) MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016