Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 23 11 2016

No. 104744

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

No $600M bailout for City Hall

–Min Bulkan confirms 3 Page

Four charged with murder of Corentyne carpenter Page

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Three of the four murder accused at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday: They are, from left, Radesh Motie, Harrypaul Parsram and hire-car driver Niran Yachood (Photo by Cullen Bess-Nelson)

Boy, 16, charged First set of duplexes GTA launches 18 annual South with killing 10 by early 2017 Rupununi Safari 19 ––but funding still an issue older rival Page

Page

Page

–– asking more sponsors to come on board

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

Sparks fly over ‘Durban Park’ Motion ––Gov’t finds its tabling ‘was unnecessary’

By Svetlana Marshall THE motion looking into the validity of the Durban Park Development Project saw a heated debate erupt in the House on Monday night, with members of the government side deeming it “unnecessary”.

The motion, which was tabled by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament Bishop Juan Edghill, sought to have the government make full disclosure on the project, ostensibly in the interest of public accountability, transparency and good governance.

But the APNU+AFC members argued that the Coalition Government has always been open about the project, which was necessary and of tremendous benefit to the people of Guyana.

“This government

PPP MP Bishop Juan Edghill has nothing to hide; our hands are clean!” Minister of Public Telecommunication, Ms. Cathy Hughes, declared as she took to the floor to defend the project in light of a string of ques-

tions raised by the PPP through the motion.

A NECESSITY Hughes told the House that the project was necessary. She explained that the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, which was built specifically to host the Super Eight matches during Cricket World Cup 2007, has the capacity to accommodate only approximately 16,000 people.

She said it became patently evident during President Granger’s inauguration ceremony in May 2015 that the stadium was inadequate to accommodate the more-than 30,000 persons that were expected to attend the historic Jubilee Celebrations here this year.

“During this year, we saw the largest display of pride and nationalism this country has ever seen,” Minister Hughes told the House. “It was where all of us can gather and see that gigantic Golden Arrowhead blowing in the midnight wind… No one could convincingly argue that the construction of Durban Park was not necessary, or that it was not badly needed, especially in the time that it was completed,” she argued.

Region 10 APNU+AFC Parliamentary Representative Jermaine Figueira felt it was point-

Minister of Public Telecommunication Ms. Cathy Hughes defending the Durban Park Project on Monday less moving the motion, since the project has already found favour with the Guyanese people.

“Why are we having a debate on this needed and worthwhile investment for the people of Guyana?” he asked.

He said that while the Opposition does have a right to scrutinise projects and programmes established by the government, it is misleading to insinuate that the government did not provide the req-

uisite information on the construction of the park.

“This government, Mr. Speaker, the Granger Administration,” Figueira said, “has taken yet another bold and visionary step in tackling the legacy of neglect of this jungle, this swampy, mosquito-and-reptile-infested land, and transformed it into a needed facility.”

For that matter, he said, the project forms part of a larger programme, which seeks to restore the capital city to its former glory.

BEG TO DIFFER But mover of the motion, Bishop Edghill, countered that it would not have been necessary, had the government lived up to its promise to be transparent and accountable to the people of Guyana.

Said he: “Sir, transparency, as I understand it, is operating in such a manner, or such a way, that the actions that are taken or performed are known by the parties and the stakeholders concerned.”

In an attempt to imply that the Durban See page 3

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

No $600M bailout for City Hall

–Min Bulkan confirms

MINISTER of Communities, Ronald Bulkan has said the government is not inclined to provide a $600M “bailout” for City Hall. The money that the Georgetown municipality seeks is to assist the cash-strapped town to meet expenses and pay creditors.

However, according to a report from the Government Information Agency (GINA), Minister Bulkan said Government will not bailout the municipality. The Minister was speaking at an engagement with the Mayors and Councillors of the three municipalities in Berbice on Friday last.

“This $600M bailout that we all have read about in the newspapers, where that particular council is looking for that support, what I can say…and from my own understanding and the limited current engagement that I have had with colleagues in

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan the administration, is that, I do not think that there is any appetite on the part on the central government to be favourably disposed towards that request,” Minister Bulkan was quoted as saying by GINA.

The Communities Minister said that what may occur instead is that Central Government may encourage City Hall to seek commercial sources of financing.

“The response of central government may very well be along the lines of telling the Municipality to think like a corporation, so I believe the Georgetown council would be encouraged, that there are commercial sources that they can approach,” Minister Bulkan said.

The Mayor and Councillors of Georgetown, at a recent statutory meeting, had passed a motion for the council to assemble a delegation to approach the Communities Minister for a $600M bailout.

According to the GINA report, during the meeting in Berbice, the councillors had raised the concern that Georgetown seems to be the only council enjoying the largesse of central government. It was noted that Mayor of New

Mayor of New Amsterdam, Kurt Wynter Amsterdam, Kurt Wynter had voiced the concern that City Hall would have received from Central Government $300M, just after the General and Regional Election of May 2015 and would soon be asking for $600M more. He

noted this, whilst pointing out that his municipality is still to hear from the Government on the approximately $137M proposal it submitted, to help cover the restoration of the drainage infrastructure in New Amsterdam.

Wynter called for Central Government to “stop focusing all its attention on Georgetown and to start focusing on the other municipalities,” noting that “Georgetown is not Guyana.”

Minister Bulkan however, advised Wynter and the other Region Six municipal councillors present at the engagement that instead of bailout, the administration had adopted a plan to begin weaning the municipalities off Central Government’s support, for financing their works. He told the councillors that the municipalities are now being advised to start functioning like corporations that generate the wealth needed to meet their operational cost.

“I think that business consideration that our councils are being urged to bring, that business mindset, beginning in Georgetown would do a lot to drive efficiency and improvement within the management of councils,” the Minister said.

“So honourable Mayors, I do not want you to feel that Central Government is just going to push their hands in the kitty and keep bailing out Georgetown, and you are going to be left on your own, we are going to try to be consistent with the message and not discriminate,” he said.

Minister Bulkan has been meeting with Regional officials, municipal councillors and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils’ (NDC) officials, to listen to their concerns and to work together to identify ways of addressing them. The meeting in Berbice was a continuation of this exercise.

Sparks fly over ‘Durban Park’...

From page 2

Park Project is a “state secret”, Edghill said: “Why we don’t know the name of the holding company or the private company that these donations were made to? We are asking that the rights of citizens to know and to have information are upheld, and the government must come clean on this particular issue.”

He maintained that, in any democracy, transparency helps citizens to monitor the actions of their government, and is seen as a mechanism to reduce corruption. He further called on the government to make public the names of the donors, the respective amounts of money donated, and whether the sums of money collected were handed over to the Consolidated Fund.

Former Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minister Mr. Anil Nandlall had put similar questions to the government, warning that those sitting on that

side of the House should not deviate from disclosing the facts surrounding the project.

“We heard about the glories of the 50th Anniversary; we heard about the thousands who came to celebrate; we heard about the 32 on this side who were not offered seating, except for the simple request that the motion asks,” Nandlall told the National Assembly.

Electing to take him up on the matter, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Mr David Patterson, who was not initially slated to speak, told the House that contrary to the impression the PPP is attempting to create, the APNU+AFC has always been transparent about the project.

In response to the questions posed in the motion, Minister Patterson told the

House that the Durban Park Project was managed and executed by Homestretch Development Inc. before the Ministry of the Presidency took a decision to assign the multi-million-dollar project to the Public Infrastructure Ministry in April, 2016.

He told the House that though he did not have all of the requisite documents with him and was responding based on the information available to him at the time, in the name of transparency and accountability, he was attempting to answer some of questions posed in the resolve clause of the motion.

He said that because the project was being executed and managed by a private company during the initial stage, none of the contributions received were placed into the Consolidated Fund. “No contribution was paid over to the Consolidated Fund,” he posited.

Some of the contractors involved in

the project included Barnes Construction, Car Care, C&L Construction, TBL Home Design, Party Development and RW Electrical among others, while the crusher-run was provided by companies such as Toolsie Persaud Limited and BK International.

It was noted, too, that asphalt was provided by the Demerara Harbour Bridge at a cost of $59.3M. “Sir, there is nothing to hide in the books of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure,” Minister Patterson told the House.

When the Public Infrastructure Ministry had initially taken over the project, some $150M was budgeted for its completion; however, the government had utilised additional funding.

Supplementary Financial Paper No. 1 of 2016 had provided for an additional 407.6M from the Contingency Fund.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Trump disavows

‘alt-right’ supporters [BBC] - Donald Trump has repudiated the fringe “alt-right” group that celebrated his election win with Nazi salutes. In a far-ranging interview with the New York Times, the US president-elect was quoted as saying: “I condemn them.

I disavow, and I condemn.”

He said he did not want to “energise” the group, which includes neo-Nazis, white nationalists and anti-Semites. Alt-right supporters were filmed on Saturday in Washington DC cheering as a speaker shouted: “Hail Trump.”

In the video, Richard Spencer, a leader of the “altright” movement, told a conference of members that America belongs to white people, whom he described as “children of the sun”. He denounced the movement’s critics as “the most despicable creatures who ever walked the planet”.

“Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!” Spencer shouts at one point as some members of the audi-

ence raise their arms in the Nazi salute. The gathering on Saturday drew protesters who blocked traffic around the Ronald Reagan Building, a federally owned conference centre in the nation’s capital.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed con-

Donald Trump cern on Tuesday that Mr Trump’s election victory could give succour to white supremacists. A senior official close to her described the “Hail Trump” video as “repulsive and worrying”.

But Mr Trump stood by his chief strategist Steve Bannon, the former CEO of Breitbart News, and bristled

at claims that the ultra-conservative site was associated with the white nationalist movement. “Breitbart is just a publication. They cover stories like you cover stories,” he told the New York Times.

“If I thought he was a racist or alt-right or any of the things, the terms we could use, I wouldn’t even think about hiring him”, he said of Mr Bannon. Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Trump’s spokeswoman said he would not follow up on a campaign pledge to pursue a further inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s emails.

His adviser said the president-elect would not appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the former secretary of state, and dropping the matter would help her “heal”.

Later, Mr Trump was quoted as telling the New York Times: “I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. “She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways.”

Ukraine teacher ‘tried to sell girl’ [BBC] - Police in eastern Ukraine have arrested a teacher accused of trying to sell a 13-year-old girl for $10,000 (£8,035).

The girl was living at a boarding school in the Kharkiv region for orphans and children from broken homes.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov reported the case on Facebook, with photos of the 52-year-old teacher and girl. He said police had been monitoring them for four months.

Mr Avakov said the buyer hinted that the girl’s organs would be removed.

The buyer inquired about the girl’s health and paid the teacher 1,000 hryvnia (£31; $39) for pho-

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tos of the girl and her medical records, Mr Avakov said. Ukrainian media have

The suspect arrested in Kharkiv, in a photo posted by Ukraine’s interior minister named the suspect as Galina Kovalenko. She teaches the Ukrainian and Russian languages, and literature, and has more than 20 years’ teaching experience, they report.

There has been no statement yet from the teacher.

Mr Avakov said “Galina [Kovalenko] worked for nearly a year on her ‘business plan’ for selling the 13-year-old girl”, whom

she had singled out as vulnerable.

“They got this seller ‘red-handed’ - when she took the girl out of the boarding school, brought her to the buyers and received money,” Mr Avakov said.

I f f o u n d g u i l t y, t h e teacher could be jailed for up to 12 years. Mr Avakov is personally handling the case. There have been previous reports of criminal gangs preying on destitute people in Eastern Europe to harvest their organs.

The trade in organs can be highly lucrative.

In 2013, an EU-led court in Kosovo found five people guilty in connection with a human organ-trafficking ring.

The five were accused of carrying out dozens of illegal transplants at the Medicus Clinic in the capital, Pristina.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Antigua PM offers Prince Harry honeymoon [BBC] - Prince Harry and his new girlfriend Meghan Markle have been invited to “honeymoon” in Antigua - by the country’s prime minister.

The offer was made during a speech by Gaston Browne, leader of Antigua and Barbuda, before hundreds of guests.

The reception at Barnacle Point, staged in Prince Harry’s honour, was part of an official 15-day trip to the West Indies on behalf of the Queen. The prince confirmed his relationship with Ms Markle earlier this month. Ms Markle is a US actress, most famous for her role in the TV drama Suits.

At the event on Monday night, Mr Browne was keen to stress the honeymoon credentials of his country. He said: “I am told that there may be

Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, (right) made the offer before hundreds of guests a princess and I just want to say that should you make the decision to honeymoon - then Antigua and Barbuda want to welcome you.

“We have been voted consistently as the best honeymoon destination in the Caribbean and one of the best in the world - so there will be nowhere in

the world as special to spend your honeymoon, when that day arrives.”

Earlier this month, Prince Harry’s communications secretary Jason Knauf issued a statement complaining about intrusion into Ms Markle’s private life and the “wave of abuse and harassment” she had

and Nicaragua.

Panamanian officials said about 50 homes were destroyed by mudslides.

Flights have been delayed.

the city of Bluefields in Nicaragua.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts that Otto will make

Storm Otto kills four in Panama [BBC] - At least four people have died in Panama in severe weather caused by the approach of Tropical Storm Otto, officials

A schoolboy was killed in Panama when this tree was blown onto a car driven by his mother say. Two victims died in a mudslide, a girl drowned in a river and a boy died when a tree fell on the car taking him to school. His mother, driving, survived.

The Panamanian education minister has suspended classes until Thursday. The US National Hurricane Center says Otto is now near hurricane strength and approaching Costa Rica

Also in Panama, one Colombian man is missing after having been dragged away by a river swollen by heavy rainfall.

A further day of heavy rain is forecast in Panama with gusts of up to 50 mph (80km/h). The governments of Nicaragua and Costa Rica have issued a hurricane watch from Costa Rica’s southern border to

landfall in Costa Rica or Nicaragua on Thursday. Meteorologists have warned of life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in this area. There is also a likelihood of dangerous surf and rip current conditions over the next several days along the coasts of Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, the NHC says.

been subjected to by the media.

On Monday, organisers of an Antiguan charity event attended by the prince briefed the young people involved, warning them that his romance with Ms Markle was off limits for conversation. However, Mr Browne went on to say “whatever is done here, stays here. So do not worry”, before introducing Prince Harry to a group of beauty queens.

The reigning Miss Antigua

and Barbuda, Leanda Ann Norville, later said that “everyone at this party” wanted to be his princess, adding, “his girlfriend seems a nice lady, but I would be a good girlfriend for him”. Speaking to the press, Mr Browne said he thought the pair made a “very good looking couple”, and hoped they would come to his country “for some quiet time very soon”.On Tuesday - day three of the tour - Prince Harry visited Antigua’s sister island of Barbuda where he holidayed with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, just a few months before her death in 1997.

There he visited local schools and a frigate bird colony - one of the largest in the world - and was given a boat tour of their breeding grounds.

Tour leader, Pat Richardson, 57, has been taking people to see frigate birds for more than 20 years.

“He talked about com-

ing here when he was younger - and that he remembered the really good beaches and friendly people,” he said. “Everyone here remembers Diana from when she came here on holidays - she was a beautiful person.”

Later the prince showed off his fishmongering skills, as he gutted a fish during his visit to Sir McChesney George High School. Under the direction of the school’s head of home economics, he held the snapper fish steady with one hand and slit open its belly.

He then reached inside and began to pull out its guts, before telling the watching students “not exactly Bake Off”. Prince Harry began his tour amid a social media campaign which saw the hashtag #NotMyPrince trending on Twitter. The campaign describes itself as an “anti-colonial welcoming committee” for the prince.

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

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

Editorial RECENT circulation of a recorded sex tape involving self-described “Pope Emmanuel” Philbert London continues to be met with varied public reactions. There exists no interest in speaking to the tape’s contents, save to say that the rectitude expected of religious leaders has been brought into question. With that being said, London’s conduct ought not to be seen and viewed only through moral lens, but spark conversations about the present role of religion.

Religion occupied a progressive role through the ages of this society’s evolution. While Guyana’s historical route has been that of the Christian faith, what is being said here does not absolve any religious denominations practising here.

The religious community is usually seen at society’s moral compass. This group is expected to set the standards for rectitude, love for fellow man, retributive justice and equality; and has framed human relations on the big tent approach of man’s capacity and capability to live in peace and harmony. These beliefs have undergirded international conventions, charters, time-honoured principles and laws.

In reflecting on our history, it has been seen that although religion has been used as a force to justify discrimination and oppression -- as in slavery, indentureship and colonialism -- it was also a major agent for positive social change.

Earlier religious leaders such as Sir Thomas Buxton, British Member of Parliament, abolitionist and social reformer, fought slavery on the ground of its inhumanity and practice, which ran contrary to Christian principles of equality and do unto others as you would like them to do unto you. This force played an important role in supporting the struggle of the enslaved for freedom, by standing up to the powers that be in Britain and petitioning the Crown for the abolition of the slave trade and slavery.

In recognition of the church’s liberation role, it is not un-surprising that in the Village Movement era, former slaves named villages, places, and their children in the honour of religious leaders who had supported their emancipation struggle.

Outside of the liberating role, the church was a key player on the empowerment stage. For instance, though it was felt that the oppressed were under-deserving to be educated; and whereas an argument can be made in regard to the benefit, or lack therefore, of the type and quality of education provided, the church’s role in this regard cannot be denied.

Fast forward to 21st century society, and it is not untrue to say that the religious community in Guyana has either departed, or some are staying true to the empowering and liberating aspects of its tradition. This is happening in the presence of a society where social ills are pervasive and avenues for upliftment are few or non-existent.

In our society, where poverty is pervasive and unemployment high, mental health cries for attention and the education system is not serving all, want is pervasive and values are under attack, corruption is debilitating and human rights are un-fulfilled, the voice and involvement of the religious leadership is silent and non-involved, or at best meek; when society saw London return to his church after an absence when the tape went viral, the congregation in standing ovation serenaded him with Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best.”

This display serves as a reminder of how much religious practices in some quarters have strayed from liberation theology to sometimes adulation and self-aggrandisement.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 23, 2016

When the history of Georgetown is written…

Dear Editor, WITHIN a couple of months, Patricia ChaseGreen’s term as Mayor will come to an end, and one will have to analyze, when the history of Georgetown is written, what role she played, what contributions she made, and how effective she was as Chief Citizen.

Of course, all of her campaign promises of increasing accountability at City Hall; working collaboratively with all Councillors, including the Deputy Mayor; regularizing communities such as Sophia and Cummings Lodge; consulting with var-

ious communities to ensure their development etc, have all gone through the window.

But has she been doing things like progressive mayors do? Such as ensuring that recreational facilities, including gymnasiums, preschool sites, fitness studios, weight rooms, pools, arenas and meeting spaces, are developed in Georgetown?

Has the City Constabulary lowered the crime rate in the City under her watch?

Has there been a positive change in the social atmosphere in the City since she has become mayor? Has she ensured that the Georgetown Municipality was built in the digital infrastructure of

networks and data analytics to ensure the city’s systems and procedures are modernized? Has she revolutionized engagement between the citizens and the municipality, empowering people to report things such as potholes, lack of street lighting, illegal dumping?

Or has she been spending her time just jetting around the world, with no tangible returns for the city; driving around town aimlessly in her new SUV with a retinue of staff and security in tow; picking fights with her deputy; disallowing a forensic audit to be carried out on City Hall; implementing a draconian parking meter

contract, giving employment to friends and family; advocating for a huge increase in property taxes next year; bullying vendors across the city; punishing municipal workers every month since taking office, by paying them late each month; encouraging a creeping dictatorship at the Georgetown City Council; failing to have consultation in the decision making process?

She just might turn out to be the most useless, inept, unrefined and simple-minded mayor of all time.

meters) around the necks of the citizens and visitors to Georgetown.

This is a most unjust, iniquitous and unreasonable imposition. This is a situation whereby a foreign company with comparatively little investment would be able to milk Guyanese mercilessly for at least another twenty years.

Why was multi-level parking systems not considered as an option to provide relief for our parking systems, since it has a number of advantages, such as optimal utilization of space and a secure environment?

Multiple level car parking systems are much

more in vogue in other progressive countries as a method of automatically parking and retrieving cars, providing advantages like safety; saving of space, time and fuel. But this of course would require a much greater investment by the parking meter company than what Smart City Solutions is doing, and that is putting down multi-space meters that control multiple spaces per block, whereby parkers will have to walk several car lengths to the meter.

A question to be asked is whether the municipality would rehabilitate the streets on which persons would be required to pay to park, or whether they would just put down these

meters on these potholed, decrepit roads that constantly damage persons’ vehicles?

It is such a shame that our roads -- which our ancestors built often with their bare hands, and for which this present Council is failing to maintain -- shall be used to make a fortune for a foreign company and a few corrupt municipal officials, who could not care less about what happens to Georgetown’s commercial sector as a consequence of the further economic hardship this burden will heap on the citizens of, and visitors to, Georgetown.

revenue shortfalls, contractors and workers not being paid, and other creditors being owed hundreds of millions of dollars.

Is no one at the Ministry of Communities charged with overseeing or reining in such expenditures? The Fantastic Four seem to have an addiction to luxury travel to all corners of the earth, whilst bringing back nothing for the City.

Even if tickets are provided, there is still a heavy taxpayer expense in per diems, gifts and other associated costs.

Maybe it is time for the Georgetown City Council to purchase its own private jet, a Gulfstream or Lear Jet maybe, using revenue from the parking meters. It would allow the Fantastic Four to cut back the excruciatingly long airport security lines they have to endure to luggage checks, crying babies and sick passengers freely sharing their germs with this mighty municipal team on their fortnightly trips to Panama, Mexico, Chile, USA, China etc.

But seriously, is it only the members of the Fantastic Four who are capable,

qualified, and competent to travel? Do no other Councillors or officers have passports, visas or vaccinations?

When the present Mayor was Deputy Mayor and an ordinary Councillor, she did a lot of travelling on behalf of the Mayor and City Council. Surely, some of these current junkets could be awarded to the Deputy Mayor, or other Councillors and Officers, most of whom are more articulate and urbane.

A done deal Dear Editor,

IN SPITE of the ruckus caused throughout the capital city and country by the proposed installation and implementation of paid parking systems in Georgetown; regardless of the concerns expressed by civil society, the business community, non-governmental organizations, the media entities, Guyana’s academia, private citizens, and some governmental officials and organizations, the Mayor of Georgetown and some Councillors seems hell bent on rolling out this albatross (parking

Sincerely yours, NADINE JERRICK

With thanks, RILEY MATTHEWS

Councillors or globe trotters?

Dear Editor,

SO THE ‘Fantastic Four’ of the Georgetown Municipality, or at least most of them, are off globe-trotting again, this time to the Far East?

It would seem as though this mayor is attempting to out-travel her predecessor in just one year.

Georgetown municipal officials seem to have no qualms in flying the friendly skies in style, regularly using first class for their travel. This reflects the culture of entitlement that pervades City Hall even in an era of supposed

Sincerely, SHANTA SINGH

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 23, 2016

No to the African Business Chamber Dear Editor,

I DO not believe in the philosophy, ideas and sentiments of anything that is divisive or could cause Guyanese to think in a manner that would create a sort of internecine tribal division in our nation. I am someone who does not know what racism is. I do not like it, I do not believe in it, and I do not tolerate it.

However, I believe that an organization like the African Business Chamber, for whatever reason and whoever decided to form it, did not go far enough to realize that in Guyana we have a multi-ethnic society, and in Guyana everyone has the right to go into business.

To form an Afrocentric business chamber is, to me personally, a regressive action. Some other people may not be as outspoken as I am to come out and say this, but it must be said. So I give my message to the media, the editors and the public: that I strongly disagree with this move.

The African Chamber of Commerce has been applauded by the Government, and that is within their power to do so, although I disagree.

To be fair, I do recall His Excellency President David A. Granger calling for growth and development among the African culture and business and so forth, but I believe that encouraging such segregation could be dangerous.

I also read that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo wisely critiqued its formation and brought out his thoughts nationalistically, stating that it could lead to the destruction of other businesses.

I believe that this would also create a widening of ethnic chambers of commerce in Guyana. Would it be wise for the Indian businesses to form an Indian Business Chamber?

Will it be wise for the ‘Dougla’ to form a Dougla Chamber of Commerce? Would it be a wise decision if our Amerindian brothers and sisters in business formed an Amerindian Business Chamber? It could be justified, since they are probably the most abused and mistreated people in the history of Guyana. Should

The Dharamlall dilemma Dear Editor

THE Guyana Times carried a noteworthy Editorial (19/11/16) in which the newspaper called on Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo “to deal with Dharamlall” and to send a clear signal to party supporters that his behaviour is unacceptable.

The editorial was in response to the public outcry

the Chinese then call for a Chamber of their own? Can the Europeans here form one also?

I view having a chamber strictly for a particular race as degenerating.

I know that some of my African brothers and sisters will be upset and annoyed with me, but the ones who are intellectual will see the repercussions of this development. If Africans are to keep the business of Africans within their community, then the other races nay think the same way. If this happens, then there will be no need for a regional or national chamber of commerce.

My philosophy is one of unity and goodwill, and I believe that all must be given

opportunities. The goal which we all hope to achieve together is social cohesion, and I further believe that this African chamber will cause paranoia among the other races, and they may want to marginalize the Africans, and vice-versa.

Once we go in this direction, a kind of apartheid mentality would be created, not by the Government, but by the people themselves. The African people are one of the world’s most dynamic, powerful, and industrious groups, and they do not need to be segregated to make economic gains in this country. I sincerely hope that this African Business Chamber does not add to the racial polarizing of groups of Guyanese.

We know that some In-

dians discriminate against certain groups of Indians, also some Africans discriminate against their fellow Africans; for example, light skin versus darker skin; the Chinese and the mandarins versus the others. This, brothers and sisters, is human nature; but we must evolve. So are we going to have several different kinds of tribal organizations within the country?

Our first 50 years as an independent nation have been riddled with racial and political chaos. Let us make the next 50 years an example to the world on how to live harmoniously in a plural society.

“the most disgusting speaker” of all time.

Mr. Jagdeo is the effective leader of the PPP. He should have seen it fit then to clip the wings of Dharamlall.

“Dharam” means righteousness, but nothing is righteous about the conduct of this party activist in and out of parliament.

Mr. Jagdeo is fond of attacking Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who has been a PPP leader for several decades. But he should take a leaf from the book of this goodly gentleman, who

when faced with the unruly behaviour of one of his regional representatives, fired him summarily.

Another employee who was involved in an altercation with an activist of another party during the local government elections was also fired.

I wish to commend the Guyana Times for its forthright position, and looks forward to action being taken against the runaway MP.

about what ugly means, and you bark up the wrong tree. The ugly thing is not the building; it is the small, unnamed street being full of stinky mud, rampant mosquitoes, and taken over by bushes on the one side of the Embassy compound before it was adopted as Fuzhou Street.

Now part of it has been cleaned and beautified under funding from the Embassy; for we believe this is good for the environment of our residency as well as for the whole

neighbourhood and community. In consultation with the city council and other stakeholders, we will continue our efforts to help complete the beautification work of the remaining part of this street.

Thanks, and my sincere wish is that “shoot first, check facts later” is not becoming your style of journalism.

against Dharamlall’s nasty Facebook attacks on the President. Dharamlall is a PPP Member of Parliament and a former Permanent Secretary and REO. He sits on the Central Committee of the party.

When he writes on Facebook, he does so under the weight of being both a party leader and an MP. As a former member of the PPP, I am horrified by what Dharamlall has written,

and I feel uneasy by what his supporters have said in defense of his hate language and that they are promising to watch his back.

Dharamlall has many skeletons in his cupboard, all of which are known to the PPP leadership; yet no tangible action has been taken against him for breach of the party’s Code of Conduct for behaviour that would discredit and hurt the image of the

PPP. The incident in which he discharged his firearm at an official of the IDB is but only one such outrageous act for which he ought to have been suspended or expelled from the PPP, and recalled from Parliament.

It is true that Mr. Jagdeo has criticized him on this occasion, but that is not enough.

His attacks on the Speaker of the National Assembly remain condoned by the PPP leadership. Dharamlall had insulted the Speaker when he posted that Dr. Scotland would go down in history as

stands that, as early as 1853, the Chinese immigrants were admitted on the land of Guyana. Chinese have since become one of the six ethnicities of Guyanese people.

Although the Chinese population in Guyana has dwindled over the years, Chinese are not strangers on this land.

Many of those early Chinese immigrants called “Fuzhou” their home. It is a “foreign name” to the editor.

Dear editor: if you don’t have a problem with many place names in Georgetown, such as “Delhi Street” and

“Mandela Avenue”, why are you so bothered by “Fuzhou Street”? Are you ignorant of your country’s history, or are you discriminating against one of your ethnicities?

Second, the Chinese E m b a s s y ’s p o l i c y i s t o encourage and support friendly exchanges between China and Guyana at national as well as local and grassroots levels.

The sister city relationship forged years ago between Georgetown and Fuzhou, now a capital city of Fujian Province in southeast

China, is such an example.

Through this relationship, the two sides have had opportunity to enhance mutual understanding, share their development experiences, and provide assistance to each other within their capacity, when necessary. This kind of south-south cooperation relationship model benefits both parties. So what’s your ground for the attack?

Third: when you judge the building of the Chinese Embassy as “supremely ugly”, you know nothing

Yours sincerely, ROSHAN KHAN

Yours sincerely, KUMAR J. PERSAUD Ex-PPP member

Chinese Embassy ‘hurt’ by Stabroek News’ comments

Dear Editor,

PLEASE refer to the editorial “Fuzhou in Georgetown” (Stabroek News November 20 Page 6). Apparently the editorial targets the Georgetown City Council’s decision-making, but the reputation of the Chinese Embassy is collaterally damaged by the comments; and this compels me to respond with the following points: First, any person with a little knowledge about the history of Guyana under-

YANG CHENQI Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission, Chinese Embassy

BUDGET 2017

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

–– Magnanimous compromise and confidence

IN A BRIEF presentation to the National Assembly on Monday of this week, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan confirmed that Budget 2017 would be presented on Monday of next week, November 28, 2016 - 33 days before the start of the new year.

This will mark a 21st century record for Guyana.

Noting that the presentation had been originally slated for December 5, a decision was taken by the Coalition Government to bring the date of the presentation forward, in order to, among other things,

facilitate the opposition People’s Progressive Party which has its congress scheduled for the first quarter of the Christmas month. Minister Jordan acquiesced to the request, he said, in the spirit of compromise.

Such magnanimous acquiescence has demonstrated a delightful break from the hardnosed, antagonistic and combative national politics and political exchanges the nation has become accustomed to. expectations of this gesture signaling a new season of political cooperation could rise.

This marks the first time, since the turn of the century that the annual national budget will be presented the year prior.

In 2006 however, the former PPP/C administration had intimated its intent to present an early budget for the fiscal year 2007. It had initially scheduled the 2007 budget presentation for December 8, 2006.

This failed to materialize. Budget 2007 was eventually presented to the house on February 2, some two months after the initially proposed date.

Even this date, was, at the time heralded as ‘early’ by the Ram & McRae annual budget review – Focus on Guyana’s Budget.

The report observed, “[t]he Budget continues to be presented early in the year albeit nothing was said as to why the commendable target date of December 8, 2006 was not achieved. In a release by Government Information Agency (GINA) then, the Minister (Dr. Singh) expressed satisfaction with the progress made to date and noted that no delay in the presentation of the 2007 budget was anticipated.”

Two years prior, in 2005, the PPP had also initially planned a January budget with the date set for January 24, but this was delayed by four weeks owing to the devastating 2005 flood on the lower East Coast Demerara and in Georgetown. The budget was delivered on February 22 instead.

Since 2000, the former PPP administration presented budgets between January to June with the earliest being January 17, which was achieved in 2011, notably, an election year. The incumbent PPP went on to lose the parliamentary majority in the 2011 elections and could not survive a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly which led to elections in 2015.

Focus on Guyana’s Budget publication noted of another election year budget, this time in 2006, that, “[i]t was the third earliest presentation of a national budget since 1993 and comes months before the constitutionally due general elections.”

The 2006 budget was presented on January 23.

The trend had been for February and March budgets and one, in 2001, presented as late as June, though this was deemed a half year budget by then Minister of Finance, the low key, Sasenarine Kowlessar.

In 2008, budget was presented on February 22, the day before Mashramani after it was originally

scheduled for February 18, but was pushed back by four days following the horrendous massacre at Bartica on February 17.

In 15 budget presentations since 2000, neither of the two PPP finance ministers during this period, Kowlessar (2000-2006) or Dr. Ashni Singh (20072014) managed to present a budget in advance of the fiscal year.

Seven PPP budgets were presented in March, the third month of the year. Another five budgets were presented in February (Mashramani month), while two were presented in January of election years (2006 and 2011) and the other presented in June (2001).

DATE OF BUDGET PRESENTATION – 2000 to 2016 2016 – January 29, Winston Jordan 2015 – August 15, Winston Jordan (four month budget following elections 2015) _______________________ 2014 – March 24, Dr. Ashni Singh 2013 – March 25, Dr. Ashni Singh 2012 – March 30, Dr. Ashni Singh 2011 – January 17, Dr. Ashni Singh 2010 – February 8, Dr. Ashni Singh 2009 – February 9, Dr. Ashni Singh 2008 – February 22, Dr. Ashni Singh (Originally scheduled for Feb 18) 2007 – February 2, Dr. Ashni Singh (Originally scheduled for Dec 8, 2006) ________________________ 2006 – January 23, Sasenarine Kowlessar 2005 – February 22, Sasenarine Kowlessar (Originally scheduled for January 24th) 2004 – March 29, – Sasenarine Kowlessar 2003 – March 28, Sasenarine Kowlessar 2002 – March 15, Sasenarine Kowlessar 2001 – June 15, Sasenarine Kowlessar 2000 – March 27, Sasenarine Kowlessar Next Monday’s budget presentation will be the third in 18 months for Minister Jordan, the experienced and accomplished economist and previously long-serving budget advisor at the Ministry of Finance under the former PPP administration. It will follow Budget 2015, which was a four-month budget covering September to December for that year and the 2016 budget.

That the minister agreed to the bold move of not only initially presenting the budget in December but also to bringing the date further forward to November is indicative of his confidence in completing his work well in advance of the new year, which, hitherto, the nation had not been the beneficiary of from previous finance ministers.

The standard has been elevated.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

The glass ceiling

By Akola Thompson I HAVE always had a problem with the term “glass ceiling” as it relates to women in the workplace. It was a term which was coined in the early 1980s to represent the “unseen limitations that face women in the world of work”.

Basically, it is a barrier so subtle that you can see through it, but still so strong there has to be significant effort extended to break through.

The reason for my dislike of the term is not based on whether it is valid or not (It is!), but rather on the obvious sugar-coated term used for blatant discrimination against women rising to positions of power in the workplace.

It may be one of my hang-ups as a writer, but I do believe that there is power in terminology.

The usage of the term,

which has for the most part become clichéd, has helped usher in the further entrenchment of discrimination against women, as it gives the impression that this form of bias is just another thing society has to continue to deal with. It projects the idea that no one is really responsible for this, and it is merely a woman’s responsibility to break this barrier, which has continuously been solidified by years of patriarchy.

There are, of course, those who are quick to say that patriarchy is dead, or that women are blowing things out of proportion, and things have gotten better.

Well, yes, there are varying amounts of truth to all of this, except for the first one.

Patriarchy, unfortunately, has never suffered any mortal blow; its prevalence in the p u b l i c s p h e re m a y have been diminished,

but it is rampant in every part of society. And while things may have gotten better in some

We may be able to now vote, go to universities, and work; but the fact that there are

same job with virtually the same or more qualifications, only goes to show that while we

regards, the majority of women are still suffering from one manmade barrier or the other impeding them.

still very few opportunities for women in male-dominated sectors, and that women are still earning less than their male counterparts in the workplace for doing the

have reached a certain space where we can say things have gotten better, we certainly have not arrived.

A lot of those who say the glass ceiling no longer exists, however,

FEW OPPORTUNITIES

are those who continue to profit from the continuous oppression of women. Suffice it to say that men are not the only ones who do this; women, too, will state that there is no glass ceiling, because they, or someone they know or admire, would have climbed the corporate ladder with relative ease. They seem to forget that these cases are exceptions to the rule, rather than the rule itself; and these women, admirable though they may be, cannot be used to represent the multitude of women who are still entrenched in male politics about place and importance of women.

These women who “make it”, or who tout that bias against women in the workplace does not exist, are usually the ones who reseal those small cracks in the ceiling through their support of such a system.

‘Not Nice’, cohort jailed, fined for ‘ganja’ possession TWO Berbice men caught last year with 129 pounds of marijuana in Georgetown were on Monday each sentenced to 60 months imprisonment and fined $80,754,500 by Magistrate Judy Latchman.

Twenty-five-year-old Fawad Hamid, known as ‘Not Nice, of McRae Street, Rosignol, West Coast Berbice, and Mark Douglas, 47, of Number 3 Village, West Coast Berbice were found

guilty of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

The incident reportedly occurred on March 12, 2015 following a shootout with police in Kitty.

According to police reports, police ranks, acting on a tip-off, made their way to Sheriff Street in the vicinity of Subs and Salads, where two suspicious-looking vehicles were said to have been.

On seeing the police arrive, Hamid, the driver of one of the vehicles, PJJ 8009, turned into David Street but was later cornered.

When the police searched his car, they found a white ‘salt bag’ filled with compressed marijuana on its front passenger seat, and another four with more of the substance in the trunk.

When cautioned, Hamid allegedly told the police, “A man give me the

weed to bring to town, and we did waiting for somebody to pick it up when the police come.”

Before that, he reportedly told the police that he thought the bags contained dried coconuts.

Douglas, on the other hand, reportedly told the police when he was arrested, “A man tell me fuh clear the way fuh ‘Not Nice’ pass with the weed, and he go’ pay me $35,000.”

First set of duplexes by early 2017

10

By Svetlana Marshall MINISTER within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Adams-Patterson, has said the first set of duplexes would likely be constructed within the first quarter of 2017, but the source of finance for this project is yet to be determined.

Speaking at a People’s National Congress/ Reform-sponsored press conference at Congress Place on Tuesday, Minister Patterson, while acknowledging that the government does not have the required finance to fund the ministry’s housing project -- which includes the construction of duplexes, condominiums and apartments -- said the Ministry of Communities has turned to the Islamic Development Bank for help.

Last month, the Ministry of Communities was among ministries that made several developmental pitches to executives of the Islamic Development Bank during their visit here.

And from all indications, Minister Patterson said, the international bank appears to have bought into the project, but a decision has not yet been made.

In the interim, the minister said, based on the advice of President David Granger, the Ministry of Communities will be looking to commence the construction of the duplexes as part of the first phase of

the housing project.

She explained, however, that Cabinet has not yet made a decision on whether the duplexes would be constructed solely at the expense of tax payers, or whether a grant or a loan would be solicited from the Islamic Development Bank.

THE PROJECT The overall project allows for the construction of approximately 3,300 apartment units in three locations, as well as 1000 duplexes in 12 areas

Central Georgetown; and Cummings Lodge on the East Coast of Demerara.

Come next year, Minister Patterson said, preference will be given to State employees, low-income earners and youths; but in order to be eligible, they would have to have an application within the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA)’s system.

The minister had convened the press conference to express the PNCR’s support of the Coalition Government’s decision to

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

–– but funding still an issue co-operatives, selfhelp and other forms of non-profit-making means of building communities. We changed the landscape of housing and home ownership in Guyana,” she told reporters in the presence of Party General Secretary Mr. Oscar Clarke and National Secretary of the Youth Arm, Mr. Brian Smith.

many others were developed,” Minister Patterson recalled.

She said that unlike what obtained under the PPP/C administration, the PNCR did not allocate undeveloped plots of land to people. “We gave them a key to a well-built house in a community with paved roads, light and running water,” she said, adding that it’s no secret that the PPP’s housing

At yesterday’s press conference: Seated, from left, are PNCR General Secretary Mr. Oscar Clarke; Minister within the Ministry of Communities, with responsibility for Housing, Ms Valerie Adams-Patterson; and PNCR youth arm’s National Secretary, Mr. Brian Smith

spread across five coastal regions.

Some of the areas at reference include the communities of Little and Great Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara; East La Penitence in

build communities rather than allocate “house lots”, as was done under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration.

“Building viable communities has always been the thrust of the PNC’s housing policy, in and out of office,” Minister Patterson said.

“In our Party’s first ten years in office, we developed a housing programme that provided housing of satisfactory standards and sizes for low and middle-income families. We stimulated

HOUSING BEFORE ‘92 It was also pointed out that the PNCR government, while in office, had increased the housing stock by producing new accommodation at the rate of over 4000 units per annum.

“It was under the PNC that communities such as Tucber, Tucville, Amelia’s Ward, North and South Ruimveldt, Festival City, Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Melanie Damishana, Stevedore Scheme, The Wismar-Rockstone Housing Project, Dazzel Housing Scheme and

policy was a failure.

“Communities were allowed to be developed with inadequate infrastructure: water, light, roads etc,” she said, adding: “The 1000 Homes Project, also known as the Turnkey Project, was officially launched at Providence in 2014 by the PPP government. However, despite being allocated, several of the almost 50 completed houses remain unoccupied because of poor construction and finishing, coupled with structural faults.

“Also, this programme was riddled

with corruption and poor management.”

UNDER PROBE An investigation conducted by the Ministry of Communities into the PPP’s housing programme has found that 66,000 service lots were developed in 380 areas in Guyana from 1995 to 2015; but to date, approximately 28,000, the equivalent of 45 per cent of the lots, are unoccupied.

And during the period 2011 to 2015, approximately 20,000 lots were developed in 13 areas, for which approximately 16,000, or 80 per cent, are currently unoccupied, in many cases as a result of a lack of access roads, water and electricity.

It is for this reason, the minister said, the PNCR supports the new initiative of the Ministry of Communities to replace the 1000 Homes Project with apartments and condominiums, to provide the critical housing needed for especially low and middle-income families.

“Our party, as part of the Coalition Government, is also committed to ensuring that suitable and developed land is made available for private house building for those persons who could afford to build their own homes,” Minister Patterson said.

The party also used the opportunity to call on lending institutions to provide incentives and assistance to the house-building industry through mortgage financing and shortterm loans for repairs, extensions and home improvement, and longterm loans for new construction and rebuilding of condemned houses.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

Teaching communities to be more accountable

MARURANAU, Shea, Rupanau, Sandcreek, Shulinab in Region 9, South/Central Rupununi are among the most recent villages where discussions were held on the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs MoIPA much touted Sustainable Development Framework Agreement.

The Ministry is receiving considerable support from Conservation International Guyana (C.I) for this initiative which seeks to outfit villages with a framework aimed at ensuring they are strategically positioned on a sustainable developmental path.

Staff from the Ministry and C.I returned from the Rupununi over the weekend following a week long discussion with the villages.

Project Coordinator in the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Jude Da Silva during a village meeting in Sand Creek on Thursday reiterated the need for communities to become more accountable and self-sufficient hence the drive in

this regard.

“It is important that the village councils have the community development plan so coordination, as well as coordination from NGO’s is important …. so this policy that we have will bring all the stakeholders together so we can see how the money you would receive can be best used or can coordinate the best kind of investment”, Da Silva said.

Under the Sustainable Development Framework villages will be required to produce a long term (10-year) Community Development Plan (CDP), where programmatic areas will be outlined, projects and targets prioritize based on the respective CDP’s coupled with an effective feedback mechanism.

A number of villages in Region 9 have successfully completed their long term plan and according to C.I’s Community Development Assistant, Kayla de Freitas, “work will soon begin on completing their Annual Village Plans (AVPs) which will be extracted from plans outlined in the CDP to be

implemented during the coming year.”

Villages will have to submit their proposal to the MoIPA by May of every year together with a proposal for funding.

The same timeline will be instituted for projects that are to be submitted to any other government agencies.

Technical Coordinator for C.Is Livelihood Enhancement Project in the Rupununi, Rene Edwards emphasised the need for the implementation of such mechanisms aimed at improving the social and economic livelihood within village economies.

“What has happened over time, things have changed and things continue to change. One of the big changes that we have had is the introduction of cash/money into the way of life of village economies, which is made up of different parts. What we have seen is that the customary part that remains strong which includes your land, languages, traditional practices, culture and your own laws and institution, we don’t want to disrupt

Garbage contractors to be on board for Christmas season THE two major solid waste companies, Puran Brothers Disposal Services and Cevons Waste Management Inc. are back on board after they had threatened to pull their services had the City Council not make any payments on their outstanding amounts.

Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan told the Chronicle that following a meeting with the garbage contractors, it was agreed that the council would make a partial payment.

Solid Waste Management Director Walter Narine, in an invited comment yesterday, assured that both companies will be rendering their services throughout the Christmas season. He observed that during the holiday period, more waste than usual is generated.

City Hall had decided to rehire Puran Brothers to help the municipality with its garbage collection in George-

town’s central business district after initially saying that the council was equipped with its own staff and trucks to collect garbage on its own.

Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan The two garbage companies which operate in Groups 7, 8 and 10, were subsequently suspended.

The municipality had

said it was trying to save cost this way, but Mayor Patricia Chase-Green said she felt it necessary to re-hire the private contractors because she was not satisfied with what was happening in the City as it relates to the garbage collection.

City Hall has subsequently recruited once again the services of Puran’s to help clear the business district.

The company will clear once a day, and City Hall’s trucks will clear the other time.

Hence the business community will again benefit from the two-time collection that was previously being enjoyed.

Town Clerk, Royston King had told the Guyana Chronicle that he was optimistic that there would be a different cost for the collection of commercial waste during 2017. He noted that it was unfair for businesses to be paying the same amount as residents.

that but to build on these things and what you want to be and where you see yourselves going in the future and how you want to do it and how you can manage the change that is happening here,” Edwards emphasised.

When the program was launched early last month Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock stressed that this policy framework will ensure efficient and effective financial and technical support directed to the villages for social, economic

and cultural development.

Minister Allicock said “we cannot allow this to continue so there must be a system that will help to alleviate the problem and hence the Sustainable Development Agreement Framework which we hope can rectify most, if not all of these short comings.”

He added that “villages will be in a position to know what their annual priority projects are and send it to the Ministry and the REO in time to be placed into the Ministry and RDC’s Annual Bud-

gets.”

To date more than 30 villages in Region Nine were engaged and similar exercises are scheduled for Parikwarinawa, St.Ignatius, Moco Moco, Nappi, Yupukari and Katoka shortly.

Discussions will be held in Mainstay/Whyaka in Region Two next weekend. Late last year the Ministry began formulating the Sustainable Development Framework Agreement, which aims to create viable economies within villages and communities.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

Building Victoria Village

By M Margaret Burke

VICTORIA, the mother of all villages celebrated ‘National Day of Villages’ with much pomp and ceremony on November 7, culminating their annual First Village Indaba.

The theme of the Indaba or conference was simply one word: ‘Reconstruction’ and according to one of the chief organisers of the occasion, Media Training and International Relations Specialist, Abraham Poole the conference was a success, though not with as large a turn out as was expected.

Mr Poole looked at reconstruction as it relates to infrastructure…the present design of the village, which was from its origination. He pointed out that there were essentially three roads, each adjacent to a canal, which were not relevant at this time. He stated that the canals were designed for the use of boats, but that at this time very few boats can be found in the village.

He went on to state that the canals must now serve a purpose of drainage, primarily for irrigation of water. “Now, we can’t expand; we can’t make the road

wider because of the canals; if we are able to have modern drainage and one idea is to fill parts of the canal and cover them so that we have more road space and more parking spaces.”

Mr Poole continued, “The only way we can literally expand the village is to look at creative engineering and so when we talk of infrastructure that is an issue.

There is no way we can add more space; we can’t make Plantation Northbrook (Victoria) any larger than it is, but we can utilise space out of our waterways,” as he explained that the use

of waterways are not now needed in the same manner since the village has become modernised, with the use of potable water, access to a variety of transportation and other facilities.

He indicated that there is nowhere the village can have more space, except by redesigning the infrastructure, thus making more space where possible, even as it is necessary to do so, while at the same time creating and maintaining proper drainage and irrigation.

The trenches/canals were designed for transportation by boats, especially for use by farmers who needed to go distances into the backlands; the trenches were also designed for easy access of water for washing and other chores, bathing and so on; “But we don’t need the water for the purpose of washing and other purposes anymore, we need that water for irrigation purposes and bringing in consultants to look at that can be a good thing.” Mr Poole pointed out that even the smaller drains separating the coconut beds can be covered and tubes can be installed to make drainage in the village more efficient.

THE HUMAN FACTOR “Primarily in our minds on reconstruction is the human factor…the human factor is so important, the distinctiveness of growing up in a village; your understanding of your history; how to absorb what’s happening in the society – in the modern Victoria society without loosing the values which are consistent and they persist all the time – they are still good values; the value of honesty, hard work, not giving up at the slight of the first difficulty.”

Mr Poole emphasised the need for villagers to be resilient just as their forefathers were, finding creative ways to go around their difficulties. “Our young people, to our mind, they are sinking too quickly under the burdens of the times; the resilience of personality, the confidence in their ability, the idea of throwing up the hand is happening too early and that has to do with the way we train our children.”

He stated that the young people need to be trained to be much more resilient

in the world because difficulties will come. “If our fore-parents were not resilient the village movement would not have succeed …Victoria’s success was encouragement to others to

were some of the prevailing concepts that really helped in the framing of the theme of the conference and also to organize the conference around what they diagnosed of the village needs.

“A good conference must not just take up hifalutin subjects, it must be organized to be what we have diagnosed as the problems, the difficulties, the trends that are dangerous, which we are seeing in the village, so here we come with the theme of reconstruction – family life, the matter of education, the matter of community.”

Mr Abraham Poole

COMMUNITY He thus emphasized the need for community, noting that because technology helps us to be independent of other people, many times people go away with the view that they do not need their neighbours, only to discover that we do. Mr Poole stated that the idea of community: one of the pillars of the philosophy of Victoria, which we named as spirituality, a church, a school and the matter of cooperativism…because of the matter working together to expand the wealth of the village are all very essential for reconstruction.

“Therefore, we must make a diagnosis of what’s going on in the village; we must see the trends, we must understand the difficulties; we must see where we are able to make changes within our country – national change, as well as global change.” Poole declared that coming out of the Indaba conference, “It is important that they come up with a theme that answers, that pushes back, that says that there is need for education – learning to read and write is important; you still have to remember that you are part of a whole.”

“The pressures of life, the pace of change, the fluidity of residence, so the connection to the past, the fragrance that has come out of our fore-parents that is lost, the oral tradition of passing on those things is now despised for a cell phone.”

I am saying this because I am not making ridicule, I understand the social forces at work but what it says is we all have to find

try – this very model that worked and so to talk of reconstruction we have to deal with that.”

Therefore in the process of planning the Indaba and National Day of Villages, with the theme as ‘reconstruction’, there was much focus on two very important areas: family-life, as well as the matter of education, Mr Poole stated.

“In our comprehensive statement we bemoaned the fact that we are producing more teachers and lawyers and doctors, but every time we get a few we are leaving the bulk of the village population behind. So we are getting more in terms of numbers but we are not getting better in terms of the overall.” He noted that while as leaders of the village, they are interested in having the lawyers and doctors and others, “We also want the rest of the population to be on board with what’s happening in education. The value of education in life is a matter we need to rediscover – it is lost in the scene where they are looking for quick money…by the attraction of the goldfield; quick money; the danger of dealing with illicit substance.”

Mr Poole said that he understand that money is a necessity, but the drive to quick the money should never take the place of a good education, “But we need to still get our children involved in education, a skill; so that we talk of the matter of reconstruction we have to make the case back again as to the value of education in the changing economy.”

He noted that those

See page 13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

No arrest in murder of West Ruimveldt man

POLICE in ‘A’ Division said that no arrests have been made yet in relation to the Avocado Avenue, West Ruimveldt shooting which claimed the life of 29-year-old Paul Rodney on Monday morning.

According to investigators persons have not come forward with any information, although people were seen running from the crime scene as gunshots rang out early Monday morning following a party. Police are seeking the assistance of the public to bring the perpetrators to justice.

It was reported that Rodney, unemployed, of Lot 530 West Ruimveldt, was gunned down at about 02:55hrs at Avocado Avenue, West Ruimveldt by person or persons

unknown. Investigations revealed that police ranks on

Dead: Paul Rodney a mobile patrol on Mandela Avenue, heard several loud explosions and went to investigate.

Upon arrival, a group of men were observed run-

Building Victoria ...

From page 12 the way to connect with each other, he implored.

“We must understand the change; we can’t prevent the change and we can’t bemoan the change; change is a fact, but be must find an effective way.”

THE VILLAGE ECONOMY The topic of the village economy took center stage.

“I believe that we need are micro-enterprises big enough – a collective effort; we need to be able to form businesses; to be able to operate in a different way now – on sound business principles.” Poole said that there must be the sharing of responsibilities, “With a number of persons in a chain of events, leading to the end product.”

There is need for business models – micro-business models; models that can work – the sharing of products and services, at the same time ensuring quality assurance; being educated on the use of advance technology and knowledge of the global market. “We have to show a clear pathway to our activity to the market and also to our profit – there must be an economy-of-scale.”

“You still need a business plan; you need to understand scales because once you are a farmer agriculture has to satisfy your needs so that you really have to see it as a job; you have to see it in terms of investing and also securing your income.” Mr Poole stressed on the need for farmers in the village to see the need to contribute towards the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) by continually making payments towards the scheme. He noted that there has to be that new approach to doing business, even farming. He cautioned that villagers should not see themselves being robbed when they pay NIS contributions or income tax. Mr Poole stressed that the NIS is a ‘social net’ in rough times.

He also urged the villagers to consider better business principles by paying their income tax. “If you are earning $50,000 or less per month then you would be exempted from payment.” He again highlighted the need for urgent education so that farmers could better understand their needs in this changing time.

“Therefore the idea of this reconstruction is understanding the life-changes that are happening in the economy; social change, and how you adjust to that without loosing a sense of who you are and your villageness, you don’t loose that,” he stressed.

ning, again several loud explosions rang out, and the deceased was seen lying motionless, with blood all over his body.

He was immediately taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed 30 minutes later, whilst receiving medical attention. The body, which bore seven gunshot wounds, is at the Hospital’s Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Several spent shells of a small calibre weapon were found at the scene.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

New Albouystown bridge still in limbo

THE City Works Committee has recently given its approval for funds to be released for a new bridge for Barr Street, Albouystown, which has been out of order for several months now.

But authorities are still unable to give a timeframe by which a new bridge would be constructed, as it now depends on the availability of funds, which City Hall has said it doesn’t have at the moment.

The bridge, which serves

as a key alternative for traffic coming from as far as the East Bank of Demerara, is in need of immediate attention ever since it was closed to vehicular traffic in May. In an invited comment yesterday, Constituency Councillor Malcolm Ferreira told this newspaper that he is still hoping for central government to step in and provide assistance for the bridge to be completed.

He had described the bridge as a “key artery” out of his constituency into the

city.

Chairman of the Finance Committee, Oscar Clarke, had said that this bridge is so important to the city that it has to get priority. “I would like to assure the Council that once it comes to the Finance Committee, it will get priority treatment. I see no reason why that bridge should not be done on or before the last quarter of this year,” he had stated.

UNDER PRESSURE

Meanwhile, Proportional Constituency Councillor, Heston Bostwick had raised the issue of Albouys Street having to now face the pressure.

Although the bridge at Hunter and Sussex Streets is also sinking, Bostwick asked that priority be given to the Barr Street bridge, while the others can be looked at later.

He had expressed concern that vehicles will soon be unable to use any of the Albouystown links, as the

other bridges surrounding the one at Barr Street are now feeling the pressure.

The councillor has observed that the bridges at Hill Street and Albouys Street are becoming affected, as they now have to deal with more traffic than usual.

Barr Street serves as a key alternative to the La Penitence Public Road for vehicles coming from the East Bank of Demerara and heading to central Georgetown. The closure of this bridge contributes to

a severe build-up of traffic in contiguous areas, and many of the streets in Albouystown are too narrow to accommodate two-way traffic.

Albouystown has long been regarded as a ‘highcrime’ area, causing motorists to be hesitant about using the streets surrounding Barr Street.

“Soon we may not be able to pass through Albouystown,” Councillor Bostwick told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

Gov’t votes against scrutiny of Public Service Commission

By Svetlana Marshall

GOVERNMENT has blocked an Opposition attempt to have the report on the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service of Guyana sent to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee by voting against the Opposition-sponsored motion.

Though the APNU+AFC

Minister of State, with responsibility for the Public Service, Joseph Harmon Members of Parliament have embraced the concept of debating the contents and recommendations of the report, in accordance with the motion -- the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service of Guyana -– they maintained that there was no need to send the document to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for further scrutiny and consultation.

A Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service was, in August 2015, appointed by President David Granger to “examine, advise, and report on the salaries, conditions of service, training, and other matters pertaining to the improvement of the efficiencies of the performance of the public service and the well-being of the public servants in the public service.”

In May 2016, nearly one year after its constitution, the Commission, chaired by Professor Harold Lutchman, presented copies of the report to President Granger, Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo; and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland.

Addressing the National Assembly during a late-night debate on the motion on Mon-

day, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, within whose purview responsibility for the public service sector falls, said the nation owes a debt of gratitude to the Commissioners – Professor Harold Lutchman (Chairman), Sandra Jones and Samuel Goolsarran – for the exceptional work done in compiling the very complex and detailed report.

“The recommendation of my colleagues on the other side -- that this matter goes to a special select committee -- cannot stand, because the work has already been done.

The work in the communities has been done; all of the consultations have been done,” the State Minister told the House in marking his objection.

He recalled that when the APNU+AFC Administration assumed office, the country’s public service was in an unacceptable state.

“The APNU+AFC Coalition Government, upon assuming office in May 2015, inherited a public service that was ill-equipped to perform their functions in transitioning Guyana into a modern state,” he said, while explaining that there were arbitrary increases of wages without adhering to the collective bargaining agreement and respect for the union.

Additionally, he said, there was a large number of contract employees, and little provision was made for those who had been employed under the old system to acquire promotion.

Now equipped with detailed information on the needs of the public service, Government will be taking the necessary steps to implement a number of the recommendations: such as the establishment of planning departments in government ministries, the introduction of a public service code of conduct, and the establishment of a committee of permanent secretaries.

A Public Service Appellate Tribunal would be appointed in 2017, Minister Harmon further announced.

Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, was also of the opinion that Professor Lutchman, who was among those observing the sitting on Monday, ought with his team to be applauded for compiling such a comprehensive report on Guyana’s Public Service.

“The Ministry of Public Service now has in its pos-

session an excellent working document that will provide guidelines and enable the minister to craft strategic plans and programmes for several years, as the APNU+AFC Government seeks to initiate changes that will significantly impact on the quality of the service that the Public Service Ministry offers,” Minister Lawrence told the House.

But the mover of the motion, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, with support from her colleagues, argued that the report should have been sent to the Parliamentary Select Committee.

Teixeira told the National Assembly that the report, which has some 89 recommendations, raises some serious concerns. She argued that not

PPP Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira only did the report need to be sent to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee, but that there was need for national consultation.

The PPP Chief Whip was particularly concerned about the recommendation which states that contract workers should be “absorbed into the pensionable Public Service establishment, provided that they are suitably qualified to fill established positions.”

The commissioners, in making the recommendation, had pointed out that the contract workers, the majority of whom occupy very senior positions, “were not recruited through the established processes and procedures of the Public Service Commission.”

However, the PPP front bencher said this recommendation has not found favour with the younger generation.

“Young people today do

not see themselves staying in one place for 35 years to get a pension. That’s just not what the modern world is!” she lamented. “Sir, we also have young people who have been in the public service who are educated, have their degrees and masters, who have been told that they now have to apply to go on the pensionable establishment -- pensionable non-contractual arrangement -- and that they will start all

over again… (They) would therefore not be able to access some of the benefits,” a disappointed Teixeira said.

She maintained that there was need for the report to be sent to the Special Select Committee for further scrutiny. Her colleague, back bencher Ganga Persaud, said there is no doubt that the report compiled by the commissioners is comprehensive, but “it is not a perfect document,” and as such should

be sent to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee.

He, too, underscored the need for consultation, contending that the majority of the 187 interviews done did not include active members of the public service sector.

Despite pleas by the Opposition, the Government voted against the motion minutes past midnight, and as such the motion was not carried.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

Family of murdered carpenter receives death threats

POOJA Pitam, wife of Faiyaz Narinedatt whose lifeless body was found on the Number 70 Public Road, Corentyne on November 1, has reportedly received a number of death threats to stop the police investigation, and is now fearful for her life and that of her relatives.

The mother of Narinedatt’s two children said she has received several calls, with persons threatening that she would meet the same fate as her husband if she does not desist from pursuing the investigation

Pooja Pitam into his death, which had been staged to appear as a hit-and-run accident. She

added that other members of her family have been receiving similar threats, and they are all fearful for their lives.

She told this publication that the person behind the death threats had received a $2.5 million donation from the businessman who is the alleged mastermind in the murder of her husband.

“Them ah threaten everybody, and now (everybody) frighten, because if them kill me husband, (everybody) frighten them kill them too,” Pitam said.

Pitam had always been

adamant that her husband was murdered. She has since pledged that she would not give up until justice is served.

This newspaper understands that several other persons who were outspoken about Narinedatt’s murder have also received death threats.

Family friend Nafiza Ally said she received several phone calls after she pleaded on social media for justice for the young father.

“I got a call from a woman who identified herself. She asked if I got evi-

dence to support what I put up on Facebook. She tell me I gon see she when she come lock me up, and If I continue she gon let the [name provided] send people to kill me,” Ally said.

Meanwhile, as investigations continue into the gruesome murder of the carpenter, two detectives of the Springlands Police Station have been questioned by the Major Crimes Unit. According to investigators, it is alleged that the two are closely associated with the mastermind, who is believed

Dead: Faiyaz Narinedatt to have paid hefty sums to assist in covering up the act.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

Four charged with murder of Corentyne carpenter

By Sherah Alleyne

FOUR men from Berbice were remanded to prison on Tuesday after they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan charged with the murder of 27-year-old Faiyaz Narinedatt, of No. 70 Village Corentyne, who was allegedly beaten unconscious and run over by a car on the public road.

Thirty-nine year old Radesh Motie, an Excavator Operator, of No. 78 Village Corentyne, Berbice; 18-year-old painter, Diadath Datt, of No. 71 Village, Corentyne, Berbice; 41-year old Harrypaul Parsram of No. 71 Village Corentyne, Berbice and Hire Car driver Niran Yachood, 37 of No. 67 Village were not allowed to plead to the indictable charge.

Police Prosecutor, Neville Jeffers requested two weeks from the court to complete the file since the matter was still under investigation. The matter was transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court and the men were remanded until December 08, 2016. The men were represented by Attorney Stanley Moore.

Meanwhile, two female relatives of the accused, one being the mother of the alleged mastermind, were also charged and placed before the court on Tuesday for attempting to pervert the course of

justice.

It is alleged that the mother of the Guyanese US based mastermind, 44-year-old Shamell Inderally, and Marian Lionel, offered Police Officer, Kamal Pitama $4million to prevent the investigation into the murder and to act in favour of the four accused, including the mastermind, who was identified as Marcus Brian Bisram.

The incident occurred on November 19, at the Criminal Investigation Department at Eve Leary, where they willfully intended to obstruct the course of justice. The women pleaded not guilty to the charge and were remanded to prison until November 28.

Police had initially labelled the case a ‘hit and run’ accident, but Narinedatt’s relatives have always been adamant that his death was staged by persons known to them.

Reports indicated that after beating the man, the four men placed Nariendatt’s lifeless body into the trunk of a car and dumped it on the public road before attempting to run it over to make it appear to be an accident.

It is alleged that the murder stemmed from a sexual advance from the host of the party towards Nariendatt. This publication understands from a source that Narinedatt was urinating when the Guyanese/US based busi-

nessman approached him and tried to touch his private parts. Narinedatt became upset and accosted the businessman by slapping him twice. The businessman then reportedly ordered one of his bodyguards to “get rid of him,” and that he (businessman) “will deal with it.”

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Shamell Inderally [in white] is the mother of the alleged mastermind, Marcus Brian Bisram, while Marian Lionel [in stripe blue top] is the granddaughter of Harrypaul Parsram

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GTA launches annual South Rupununi Safari

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

–– asking more sponsors to come on board

By Michel Outridge

THE Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) in partnership with Rainforest

Tours and Mekdeci Mining Company (MMC) on Tuesday launched its 4th annual South Rupununi Safari in observance

of Tourism Awareness Month.

The launch took place at GTA’s Sophia Exhibition Centre head office, GTA Director, Mr Indranauth Haralsingh (right) and safari coordinator, Mr Frank Singh at yesterday’s press conference (Photo by Delano Williams) where Director, Mr Indranauth Haralsingh outlined the advantages of the six-day event, which kicks off tomorrow.

From the assembly point at Rainforest Tours office on Avenue of the Republic, the safari will take participants through some 10 Amerindian villages along the way.

Among those communities are the Wapishana village of Shea, where they will catch a glimpse of the famed Shea Rock which towers over the flat savannahs, and further on the equally famed Bottle Mountain, the Shiriri Mountain and the Kanuku mountain range.

UNIQUE EXPERIENCE Haralsingh said one of the objectives of this particular safari is to gives persons an opportunity to experience the outdoors, have fun and adventure, discover the picturesque beauty of miles upon miles of savannah-land, and explore little-known places south of Guyana’s interior.

He warned, however, that venturing into Guyana’s most remote terrain is not an easy task, whether you are crossing the Rupununi River, camping in the open, or driving for miles in flat savannah land teeming with flora and fauna.

Giving a detailed

itinerary of the safari was its coordinator, Mr Frank Singh who said that among some of the requirements for making the trip were a generous supply of food, utensils and tools.

TIME TO BOND Noting that this the fourth edition of the South Rupununi Safari is a good opportunity for families to bond and make new friends, Singh said: “This one here is to give drivers the know how to activate a 4x4 vehicle, due to the fact that when we visited the North Pakaraima before, a lot of persons didn’t know how to engage the vehicles.

So this is an opportunity for them to learn how to operate their vehicles.”

He also explained that on these trips, it is mandatory for Safari members to donate something to each village they pass through.

And with Christmas just around the corner, on this occasion they will be taking along Santa Claus and his bag of goodies to help put a smile on the faces of the children of these far-flung communities.

He said, too, that one of the things they will be doing this time around, is trying to drive up the Shea Rock. “We have tried before, but it did not happen, so we are going to do it this time,” he said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

Boy, 16, charged with killing rival, 23

A 16-YEAR-OLD boy on Tuesday appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, charged with the murder of 23-year-old excavator operator Intiaz Ally of Lot 121 “BB” Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

It was alleged that on November 19, 2016, the young man killed Ally after the two had an altercation.

According to reports, it was a triangular love affair which turned deadly when Ally was dealt a single stab wound to his neck as he pursued the 16-year-old, whom he had seen in the company of his reputed wife, Nicole Indal.

The deed, allegedly an act of self-defence, was done near his home and in presence of the woman at the centre of the intrigue. A police statement said Ally’s reputed wife was going home from work and the lad was riding a bicycle alongside her, as was a routine, when the incident occurred. The lad had Indal’s bag in his possession, and inside was a 10-inch Rambo knife. The two persons were proceed-

ing in a northerly direction when Ally, who was driving motor car PSS 2435, struck down the youth, who got up and began to run.

Ally eventually apprehended the lad and a fight ensued. The suspect pulled

the knife from Indal’s bag and inflicted a wound to the left side of Ally’s neck. The blow ended the fight and Ally’s life.

The matter was adjourned until December 17.

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Dharm Shala needs your help –– with hosting children’s party, luncheon

Intiaz Ally and Nicole Indal in happier times

THE Dharm Shala is asking the help of the public in hosting its annual children’s Christmas events.

The first event, the Christmas party, is billed for December 8, from 14:00hrs, while the Christmas Day luncheon is scheduled for December 25, from 11:00hrs.

Persons interested in making donations are asked to get in touch with either the President, Treasurer, Secretary or Assistant Secretary, c/o Dharm Shala, 140 King Edward Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, or call them @: 2261817.

MPI ‘nices up’ Houston for the holidays THE Ministry of the Presidency has embarked on a tree-planting exercise in the vicinity of Houston on the lower East Bank. The exercise, which entails planting a number of palm trees on the median dividing the East Bank Public Road, is being done by Hansneher Landscaping located on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, where they have a palm tree nursery.

The ongoing palm-planting exercise at Houston (Photo by Delano Williams)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

Banks DIH responds positively

THE Bamia Nursery and Primary School on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway is now happy to be able to do its own desktop publishing, thanks to the timely intervention of Banks DIH Limited.

According to Headmistress, Ms. Denise Piggott, up until recently, the school had to do whatever printing it needed done all the way in Linden, some 15 miles away, because there was no electricity in the village where it is located.

But now that Bamia has gotten power, the school was prompted to seek Banks’ assistance with the acquisition of a computer and printer.

And, to the company’s credit, she said, it responded positively.

“The computer sys-

–– gifts Bamia Primary computer, printer

Banks DIH’s Linden branch manager, Ms Shondell Easton (right of computer) makes the presentation to the school’s headmistress, Ms. Denise Piggott

tem will help us tremendously and reduce cost, because we will no longer have to travel all the way to Mackenzie to have our paperwork done,” Ms Pigott said.

“We are very grateful to Banks DIH Limited for their support.”

According to company Communications Manager, Mr Troy Peters, Banks responded almost immediately to the request after hearing about the school’s many challenges. “This presentation forms part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme (CSRP) as we continue to foster closer relationships in the communities in which we operate,” Peters said.

Bamia School has a population of 48 pupils and five teachers.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

KN grenade attack ...

Third witness takes the stand

THE Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the grenade attack on the local daily, the Kaieteur News, continued on Monday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan with a new witness taking to the stand.

Janeil Howard, 20, of 322 Section ‘C’ Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara; Alfie Garraway, 36, of Norton

Street, Lodge, Georgetown; and Leroy Williams, 25, of 11 D’Urban Backlands are accused of conspiring with other persons to cause an explosion, by way of a grenade, likely to endanger lives and cause damage to property.

Garraway is currently out on $300,000 High Court bail, while the other two

accused remain on remand.

Police Prosecution, Inspector Neville Jeffers called to the stand Detective Corporal Junior Blair, who is attached to the Forensic Video and Analysis Unit at the Criminal Investigation Unit at Eve Leary.

Having made copies of video footage from six of the company’s CCTV cameras,

–– Hearing resumes tomorrow

Corporal Blair presented them before the court, along with his analysis report.

He is expected to be cross-examined on the next hearing.

Jeffers, however, recalled Somal Sharma, Network Administrator at Kaieteur News, and Police Sergeant

Herbert Henry, the Subordinate Officer in-charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Ruimveldt Police Station, to the stand.

They were called upon earlier to testify. The matter was adjourned to tomorrow.

According to reports, on the day in question, a security

staffer heard an unusual sound coming from near the publisher’s vehicle, PRR 8398, which was parked on the western side of Saffon Street.

On checking the front of the vehicle, the staffer spotted a grenade lying near one of the front tyres.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 23, 2016

Records fall as Linden take promising lead at Nationals Stories by Tamica Garnett CORENTYNE District 6’s Samuel Jordan leaped to a new record in the Boys’ Under18 long jump, while other record-breaking performances like those by CARIFTA Games bronze medallist, Chantoba Bright, and Jemaine Simmons, helped defending champions Upper Demerara/Kwakiwani (District 10), climb to a lead by the end of the first 20 finals in the athletics competition of the National Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

The Lindeners amassed 81 points to

start off a good defence of their title. However, things got off to a bleak start for District 10’s longtime rivals, North Georgetown (District 11), which was eleventh among the 15 districts in the point standings after having just 38.5 points by yesterday’s conclusion.

In a day that saw only field event finals

being completed, West Coast Berbice (District 5) finished behind Linden with 76 points, while next in line were Essequibo Coast/Pomeroon (District 2) with 75.5 points.

North West (District 1) also had a good showing, and for their efforts finished with 72 points, while rounding out the

Shane Warne Facebook video earns cricketers seatbelt fines FORMER Test cricketers Shane Warne, Kevin Pietersen and Michael Slater have been fined $300 (£177) for not wearing seatbelts after Warne posted a video of them in a moving car.

The four-minute Facebook video was filmed after day three of Australia’s Test match against South Africa, where the men had been working as TV pundits.

Towards the end of the footage, the trio all put their belts on.

But Tasmania police were alerted to the infringement and reviewed the video.

In a statement, the authorities said: “Tasmania police remind motorists that seatbelts save lives and urge drivers to insist their passengers buckle up too.”

Former Australian captain Mark Taylor was driving the van and former wicketkeeper Ian Healy was a passenger in the front seat, but both were wearing seatbelts. (BBC Sport)

ENGLISH RACING TIPS Wetherby 08:20 hrs Robbing The Prev 08:50 hrs Swinton Diamond 09:20 hrs Zeroshadesofgrey 09:55 hrs Indirocco 10:25 hrs Rathlin 11:00 hrs Generous Pet 11:30 hrs Petticoat Tails WOLVERHAMPTON 08:30 hrs Wentwell Yesterday 09:00 hrs Myllachy 09:30 hrs American History 10:05 hrs Oxford Thinking 10:35 hrs Trishuli Rock 11:10 hrs Flower Of Love 11:40 hrs Noninos 12:10 hrs Tavener HEREFORD 08:40 hrs Bradford Bridge 09:10 hrs Book Direct 09:40 hrs The Happy Chappy 10:15 hrs Show’s Over

10:45 hrs Midnight Tour 11:20 hrs Grand March 11:50 hrs Barton Rose SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Kenilworth 08:40 hrs Mini Loushe 09:10 hrs Craven 09:50 hrs Miss Hyde 10:25 hrs Captain’s Version 11:00 hrs Miranda Frost 11:30 hrs Edge Of Glory AMERICAN RACING TIPS Aqueduct Race 1 Woundwithhereyes Race 2 Bass River Road Race 3 Dom the Bomb Race 4 Piazza Del nCampo Race 5 Life in Shamblles Race 6 Grey Glory Race 7 Leaveematthegate Race 8 Brimstone Race 9 Brooklyn Speights

top five were New Amsterdam (District 15) with 68 points.

Closing off the top 10 are West Demerara (District 3) (67 points), East Coast Demerara (District 4) (60 points), Corentyne (District 6) (54.5 points); East Bank Demerara (District 14) (52 points) and Bartica (District 7) (39 points).

Out on the field the athletes strived to do their best, aspiring to claim one of those coveted medals. In the process, Bright and Jordan ensured that both the Boys’ and Girls’ Under- 18 long jump records were amended, while Bright claimed her first medal after clearing 5.40m, erasing Keane Griffith’s two-year-old 5.18m record.

District 4’s Toyan Raymond was just behind with a best jump of 5.20m. District 11 took a worthy podium finish as Virlyn Gibson leaped to 4.35m in one of her jumps.

Jordan set the new record in the event at 7.02m.

The old record of 6.68m was set by Jomal Butts back in 2014.

Also in the Under-18 category, Simmons ruled in the Boys’ javelin for a new record of 48.50m.

District 13’s Godfrey Phillips was second after his throw covered 42.73m. In other wins for District 10 Trystal McAllister won the Girls’ Under -8 javelin with a throw of 22.74m.

West Demerara (District 3) managed to take the Girls’ Under-20 javelin through Shontel Browne’s 19.18m throw, and District 11’s Ruth Sanmoogan championed the Girls’ Under-20 long jump with a 4.90m leap.

The day also saw the completion of the 400m heats, where several track regulars like District 11’s Kenisha Phillips and District 10’s Compton Caesar made it into the finals set for Friday.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Raw Australia seek to reboot under Adelaide lights

By Ian Ransom |

MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - An Australian team full of rookies will be pushed blinking into the spotlight of the day-night Test in Adelaide facing a huge task to prevent South Africa from completing an unprecedented series sweep on their home soil.

Three uncapped batsmen and a recalled wicketkeeper will feature in Steven Smith’s side, after selectors swung the axe with ruthless abandon following the Hobart humiliation, which gave the touring side an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

No team has ever swept Australia on their own

pitches in a series of three or more Tests and the hosts can be expected to fight hard to restore pride under the lights of Adelaide Oval.

They will enjoy a slender advantage of experience with the pink ball, having beaten New Zealand in the first ever day-night Test at the same ground 12 months ago.

But a year is a long time in cricket and South Africa’s rampaging attack is a far different beast to the off-colour bowlers who reported for duty for New Zealand.

Apart from a determination to whitewash Australia, South Africa bring a chip on their shoulder after their stand-in captain Faf du

Yorkshire born Matt Renshaw is one of the new faces Plessis was hauled before an ICC hearing in Adelaide yesterday and found guilty of ball-tampering during the Hobart Test.

Footage emerged last week of du Plessis applying saliva to the ball with a lolly

in his mouth and although he was cleared to play in Adelaide, the case and the accompanying media attention angered the South Africa camp.

Their management complained of harassment from local journalists after a team security guard was involved in a physical confrontation with a TV journalist at Adelaide Airport on Monday.

Australia’s pugnacious opener David Warner wasted little time fanning the flames.

“I just know from an Australian cricket perspective we hold our heads high and I’d be very disappointed if one of our team members did that and how they’re reacting,” he said of

the airport clash yesterday.

Wa r n e r, h a v i n g j u s t turned 30, is suddenly the oldest and most experienced player in the team with 56 Tests and one of only three specialist batsmen retained from the Hobart debacle.

He will team up with a third opening partner in three matches in debutant Matt Renshaw, a Yorkshire-born, New Zealand-raised 20-year-old who has been fast-tracked into the side after 12 first-class matches.

Victoria batsman Peter Handscomb and New South Wales left-hander Nic Maddinson are the other uncapped batsmen, with the abrasive Matthew Wade dislodg-

ing Peter Nevill behind the stumps.

In-form South Australia fast bowler Chadd Sayers could be a fourth debutant if he is preferred to Jackson Bird to replace the discarded Joe Mennie.

Worried about the pink ball wearing too quickly, ground staff prepared a grassy pitch last year and Australia closed out a bowler-dominated victory in three days.

The pink ball is still expected to hoop around during the evening sessions but curator Damian Hough has promised a fairer pitch for the batsmen after a number of them complained last year.

Kohli hits career -high Test batsman rank

INDIA skipper’s match-winning effort in second Test against England elevates him to a new personal best in ICC player rankings.

But after sublime knocks of 167 and 81 against England, which helped India win by 246 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, Kohli moved up 10

TOP BATSMEN

edge closer toward his quest of topping the batting table.

Kohli boasts 14 Test centuries and has an average of 48.03 from 50 matches.

eight-wicket win against Pakistan in a low-scoring first Test in Christchurch did not result in much positive movement for batsmen.

New Zealand’s BJ Wat-

TOP BOWLERS

ranking, moving up five places to 21st spot, while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja moved up one position to sixth place.

England paceman Stuart Broad (up one place) and Moeen Ali (up four places) occupy fifth and 23rd place, respectively.

Arena replaces Klinsmann

as head coach of U.S. national team

India captain Virat Kohli has vaulted to a career-high fourth on the ICC Test batting rankings after producing a player-of-the-match performance in the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam.

Kohli is currently the world’s top-ranked Twenty20 international batsman and has also held the top position for one-day internationals, but has never previously moved above 10th spot on the Test rankings.

spots in the rankings and crossed the 800-point barrier for the first time, becoming only the 11th India batsman to do so.

The 28-year-old’s performances helped him gain 28 points and close the gap on England’s second-ranked batsman Joe Root, who trails behind the world’s best batsman, Australia skipper Steve Smith.

Another strong performance in the Mohali Test, which begins on Saturday, would mean Kohli could

Middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has moved up one place to ninth after scoring 119 and one in the second Test.

The England pair of w i c k e t k e e p e r- b a t s m a n Jonny Bairstow and all-rounder Ben Stokes also made significant gains, with Bairstow moving up four places to reach 12th after scoring 53 and 34 not out, while Stokes moved up five slots to 28th after knocks of 70 and six.

New Zealand’s

ling gained two places to take 36th spot while debutant opener Jeet Raval entered the rankings in 60th position after knocks of 55 and 36 not out.

Black Caps debutant pace bowler Colin de Grandhomme, who was named player-of-the-match in his first Test after grabbing seven wickets in Christchurch, entered in 61st position on the Test bowling rankings.

India fast bowler Mohammad Shami also achieved a career-high

(REUTERS) - Bruce Arena has been handed the tall order of getting the United States’ qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup back on track after being named head coach of the national team, U.S. Soccer said yesterday.

Arena, a five-time Major League Soccer champion coach who is taking over for the recently fired Juergen Klinsmann, is no stranger to the U.S. national team having been at the helm from 1998 to 2006.

Considered by many to be American soccer’s greatest coach of all-time, Arena’s previous stint with the U.S. team included a run to the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, the country’s best result in the tournament since the inaugural event in 1930.

“When we considered the possible candidates to take over the Men’s National Team at this time, Bruce was at the top of the list,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said in a

statement.

Arena now takes over a U.S. team who are sitting dead last in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying after last week’s stunning loss to Costa Rica, which came on the heels

Bruce Arena of a home loss to Mexico.

During his first stint with the national squad the United States shot to fourth from 19th in the FIFA world rankings and his 71 wins are easily the most in U.S. history.

32

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 23, 2016

GCF executives call extraordinary meeting with aim to install IMC EXECUTIVES of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) has called an extraordinary meeting with the aim of installing an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to manage the affairs of the Federation until the Annual General Meeting is held during the first quarter of 2019.

The meeting which is fixed for November 30 at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) headquarters, High Street, Georgetown will see club representatives offer their opinions on the current state of the sport locally.

According to one executive who prefers not to be named, things have not been going right with the federation since the current executive was elected to office in June last year.

The official said for one, the incumbent president, Horrace Burrowes, a United States businessman, , has been in Guyana “maybe once or twice since his election to office and

Flashback to June 20, 2015. New GCF President Horace Burrowes (seated) is flanked by Secretary Ms. Maria Leung (right) and Treasurer, Ms. Rosanna Sookoo. Standing from right are, Jerome Allicoco (3rd VP), Hassan Mohamed (Race Secretary), Paul Choo-wee-nam (1st VP) and Andrew Arjoon (2nd VP).

this is totally unacceptable”.

According to the executive, some members of the executive are totally fed up at the way the Federation is conducting its affairs since the new executive was elected to office last year June.

The former national cyclist said the administration of the sport is being done in a haphazard manner and more needs to be done in order for the sport to blossom locally, regionally and internationally, thus taking the sport to a higher level and will see local cyclists make an impact on the Regional level and further afield.

He said clubs have already been informed of the extraordinary meeting which aims is to install an IMC. “We need inclusiveness, we need for people from all over the country to see cycling, we need to spread the sport and most of all, we need to remove those incompetent office-bearers,” the official stated.

Burrowes has been given the mandate of leading the sport until 2019, and narrowly defeated the incumbent Cheryl Thompson by one vote, 6 to 5 as eleven clubs did cast one vote each.

Veteran cyclist Paul Choo-Wee-Nam was elected First VP following a three-way race with himself, Mark Conway, who was eliminated after the first round of voting, and Malcolm Sonoram by a similar 6-5 margin.

The AGM had its challenges as no Audited Financial Report was presented, just a normal report which was presented by William Howard the former treasurer (ag) who called for a total audit of the federation’s accounts from 2011 citing the lack of accountability by a number of persons, whose names he did not call, for poor stewardship.

Former president Thompson in her report had also chided former executive members for their lack of commitment as many

meetings did not come off for want of a quorum.

There was no smooth sailing in the conduct of the AGM as the previous executive clearly did not prepare the relevant documents to be circulated as per Constitution.

But even as that was the case, the eleven clubs present had collectively stated that they were there to change the course of the sport for the better. Constitutionally, the AGM was due since March last year.

New president, Horace Burrowes, in his acceptance speech, had thanked the clubs for showing confidence in him and had promised that there would have been many changes for the better in the first year of the new Executive.

Burrowes had said then that residing in the USA would not affect his effectiveness as president since he is home for four to five times yearly, spending over one month on each occasion.

GCB/NSSCL 2016...

Refs banned, publicly criticised IBE and Enterprise Secondary after World Cup qualifiers to clash in ECD final today

(REUTERS) - Two referees and one linesman have been suspended for three months and publicly criticised by African soccer’s governing body while another has been warned, following their performances in recent World Cup qualifiers.

Ghanaian Joseph Lamptey was suspended after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said he wrongly awarded South Africa a penalty in their 2-1 win over Senegal on November 12.

Kenya’s Davies Omweno was also barred for his performance in Tunisia’s 1-0 win over Libya and his

assistant Berhe O’Michael of Eritrea was banned after CAF said he had denied Libya a valid goal by waving for offside.

CAF’s public shaming of the match officials is highly unusual in international soccer.

World governing body F I FA a n d i t s E u r o p e a n counterpart UEFA, for example, maintain policies of never commenting publicly on the performances of referees and linesmen.

C A F, o n t h e o t h e r hand, said that Lamptey was guilty of “poor performance” in his match and “awarded a wrong penalty

for handball despite the fact that the ball never touched the hand of the player”.

Lamptey previously served a six-month ban for wrongly awarding a goal during a CAF Champions League semi-final in 2010.

Omweno was also criticised for “poor performance” which CAF said included “wrong positioning and movement, incorrect identification of fouls and failure to administer some disciplinary sanctions”.

His assistant O’Michael was barred for “offside decisions including one denying a valid goal

by Libya”.

INTERNATIONAL Business Education (IBE) and Enterprise Secondary booked places in the East Coast Demerara Zone final when they defeated President’s College and Cummings Lodge in their respective semi-final encounters of the 2016 edition of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) National Secondary Schools Cricket League (NSSCL).

In the first semi-final at Enterprise, President’s College were dismissed for 137 in 21.2 overs despite another brilliant innings of 85 from Rajendra Singh.

Singh, who smashed 158 in their first match was again

the top scorer. His innings was decorated with five fours and three sixes. Khrishna Surujpaul was the only other batsmen to get to double figures with 14. Bowling for IBE, Tameshwar Permaul bagged 4-10 and Asif Sammy had 3-33.

IBE in reply, held their nerve to score 138/7 in 24.4 overs with Permaul returning with the bat to score 22. They were also aided through 36 extras from the ‘generous’ President’s College bowlers.

Sachin Narine had 3-10 and David Wilson took 3-36 for the losing team.

In the other semi-final, Enterprise’s 119/7 in 30 overs was enough to give them a 15-

run victory and earn the right to face IBE in the East Coast Demerara final.

Himnauth Dindyal topscored for Enterprise with 44. Bowling for Cummings Lodge, Skankar Sahadeo took 3/28.

Cummings Lodge fell for 104 in 17.5 overs in reply, failing to bat out the remaining 7.1 overs they had left to score the required 16 runs for victory. Devanand Khemraj top-scored with 24. Bowling for Enterprise, Rafeek Azeez bagged 4-19 and Yugendra Samaroo took 3-22.

The final between IBE and Enterprise is fixed for today at the Enterprise ground, starting at 12:00hrs.

Bayliss wants attacking Buttler in all formats TREVOR Bayliss has told Jos Buttler not to change his attacking style if he is recalled to England's team for the third Test with India.

Buttler is in the frame to come into England's side as a batsman in place of the struggling Ben Duckett, with wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow retaining the gloves.

The 26-year-old has not played in the longest form of the game since October 2015 when he was dropped during England's series against Pakistan in United Arab Emirates.

He could feature in Mohali, though, after Duckett continued to struggle in Visakhapatnam, making just five runs across the two

innings.

And, should he be given the nod, head coach Bayliss wants to see Buttler playing in the destructive way he does in limited-overs cricket.

"The one thing with Jos, if he plays the same way as he does in one-day cricket, I think that's the way ahead for him, red ball or white ball," he is quoted as saying

by Sky Sports News.

"I think he's starting to get his head around that fact.

"He's in the top echelon of destructive batters when it comes to white-ball cricket, and there's no reason - if he can get his head around playing against a red ball that he can't do the same and put the pressure back on the opposition.

"If someone like Jos is able to do that, it would take a bit of pressure off the rest of the guys."

Duckett's struggles come as a blow to England who were hoping he could become a mainstay in the top order, but Bayliss remains confident the 22-year-old has the talent to play Test cricket.

He added: "Ben's working harder than anyone in the nets to try to fix things up, getting himself into a position that he is confident enough in to score runs.

"I think he's got a special talent. Whether he plays the next match or not, I think he'll play a lot more for England." (Omnisport.com)

33

Tuesday NOVEMBER, 23 2016

Leicester reach last 16 to continue fairytale year

(REUTERS)-Leicester City added another tale of remarkable success to an incredible year by reaching the last 16 of the Champions League in their debut season with a 2-1 victory over Club Bruges yesterday.

A volley from Shinji Okazaki and a Riyad Mahrez penalty put Leicester two goals ahead in the first half and they managed to see off a revival from the visitors who pulled one back with a fine individual effort after the break from Jose Izquierdo.

The result moved the Premier League champions to 13 points from five matches and not only ensured their spot in the knockout stages, but also their status as Group G winners with one match to spare.

It was a mixed perfor-

mance, however, from Claudio Ranieri’s side who were scintillating in the first half but much more like the team that has struggled in the Premier League this season after the break as the visitors pegged them back.

Leicester’s fans, however, are unlikely to care about a sloppy second-half display after moving forward in Europe’s elite club competition just seven years after they were playing in the third tier of English football and 18 months after narrowly avoiding relegation from the top flight.

The hosts ripped through the Bruges defence to open the scoring after five minutes as an incisive counter attack of the sort that characterised their run to the English title

Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez scores their second goal from a penalty Reuters / Darren Staples Livepic

Faf du Plessis fined for ball-tampering, cleared to play

(REUTERS) - Faf du Plessis has been found guilty of ball-tampering and fined his entire match fee from the second Test against Australia in Hobart but the South Africa captain has been cleared to play in this week’s third and final match of the series. du Plessis received the punishment following a lengthy International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing in Adelaide yesterday, two days ahead of South Africa’s first day-night Test match at the Adelaide Oval.

The 32-year-old, standing in for injured regular skipper AB de Villiers, was charged by the ICC on Friday after footage emerged that appeared to show the Proteas skipper applying saliva to the ball while sucking on a sweet.

After hearing representations and evidence from the umpires at last week’s second Test as well as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) head of cricket John Stephenson, ICC match referee Andy Pycroft found du Plessis guilty.

The London-based MCC remains the copyright holder to the laws of cricket.

“The decision was based on the evidence given from the umpires, who confirmed that had they seen the incident they would have taken action immediately, and from Mr Stephenson, who confirmed the view of MCC that the television footage showed an artificial substance being transferred to the ball,” the ICC said in a statement.

Three demerit points had also been added to du Plessis’s disciplinary record, the governing body added.

If a player accumulates four-to-seven demerit points within a two-year period they are converted into two suspension points, which brings a ban for one Test or two oneday internationals or Twenty20s, whatever comes first. du Plessis, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, had previously been sanctioned for ball-tampering after a Test against Pakistan in 2013.

He was then fined 50 per-

cent of his match fee after he was caught on camera

rubbing the ball against a zip on his pocket on the third day of the match in Dubai.

The Proteas have wrapped up the three-match series in

Australia with a game to spare after routing the hosts by an innings and 80 runs in the Hobart Test.

The ball-tampering charge angered the South African camp and senior batsman Hashim Amla launched an impassioned defence of du Plessis on Friday in a public show of solidarity with the entire team standing behind him.

The Proteas management complained on Monday that du Plessis had been subject to ‘harassment’ by Australian media after a TV reporter was involved in a physical confrontation with a team security guard at Adelaide Airport.

last season ended with Okazaki swivelling to volley home Christian Fuch’s cross.A thoroughly dominant first-half display then received further reward 15 minutes before the break when Marc Albrighton was tripped by Dion Cools and Mahrez slammed his penalty down the middle of the goal to double Leicester’s lead.

They received a shock to the system when Izquierdo ran from the halfway line and rifled into the roof of the net after 52 minutes.

It was the first goal Leicester had conceded in the Champions League and it prompted a nervy retreat into their shell as Bruges pressed for an equaliser, but they held out to reach another remarkable milestone in 2016.

PSG ‘stunned’ after Aurier is denied UK visa

(REUTERS)-Paris St Germain were left “stunned” yesterday at a decision by British authorities to revoke the visa of their defender Serge Aurier, preventing him from playing in a Champions

League match at Arsenal.

The Ivorian will miss Wednesday’s Group A game and PSG officials are furious that the decision to deny the 23-year-old a visa over a conviction for assault - a ruling the player is appealing against - was only relayed to

them by British government officials on Tuesday afternoon.

“Due to a sudden aboutface by the British authorities, Serge Aurier has not been allowed to travel with Unai Emery’s squad for the clash away to Arsenal,” PSG said on their website (www. psg.fr).

“Paris Saint-Germain is stunned by this incomprehensible situation that attacks the very integrity of the UEFA Champions League,” the French champions added.

“Paris Saint-Germain strongly regrets that the presumption of innocence has not influenced Britain’s decision.”

Aurier was arrested in May and found guilty in September of assaulting a police officer outside a Paris nightclub after being stopped for a breath test.

The Ivory Coast international, who denied the charge, was handed a twomonth jail sentence but is appealing against the verdict.

had equalised with a penalty after Joao Pereira’s 64th-minute red card.

Varane drilled the ball home from six metres after Ronaldo unwittingly laid the ball into his path following an inviting cross by Luka Modric.

Needing a win to keep alive their own hopes of advancing, Sporting matched Real in every department for long spells but were up against it after Pereira was sent off following an altercation with Mateo Kovacic.

Their 80th-minute equaliser came out of the blue, with substitute Fabio Coentrao han-

dling the ball while raising his arm to appeal for handball by Sporting forward Joel Campbell.

Real appeared to be heading for a draw -- and the group’s runners-up spot -- after Silva blasted his spot kick past Keylor Navas, but Benzema made his presence count after coming on for Isco midway through the second half.

Just as Sporting pressed forward in search of a winner despite their numerical disadvantage, Benzema steered an inch-perfect cross by Sergio Ramos into the bottom right corner.

Paris St Germain’s Serge Aurier.

Late Benzema header gives Real last-16 berth for 20th successive season

(REUTERS)-Champions League holders Real Madrid secured a last-16 berth for the 20th successive season after an 87th-minute header by substitute Karim Benzema gave them a laboured 2-1 win at 10-man Sporting Lisbon in their Group F clash yesterday.

The result left Real second in the group on 11 points from five games, two behind Borussia Dortmund who crushed Legia Warsaw 8-4 to set a record for the most goals scored in a Champions League match.

Dortmund need a draw when they visit Real at the Bernabeu on Dec 7 to win the

Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema celebrates scoring their second goal. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante

section. Sporting have three points and will clinch a consolation last-32 berth in the second-tier Europa League with a draw at Legia.

Real stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 30 games after a patchy performance in which their top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, needing two goals to reach a 100-goal milestone in European club competition, was largely subdued.

France defender Rafael Varane fired Real ahead in the 29th minute but it took a late glancing header by Benzema to rescue them after Adrien Silva

34

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 23, 2016

District Six, 10 locked in battle for championship honours DISTRICTS Six and 10 are locked in battle for championship honours in the 56th annual Guyana Teachers Union National Schools Championships which commenced on Monday around the inner circuit of the National Park in Georgetown.

After completing all the track events, defending champions District Six (Corentyne) held the lead in the points standings with 269 points, one ahead of arch rival District 10 (Upper Demerara/ Kwakwani).

After a very long day with more than 35 events being contested in various categories, it was evident that the Berbicians would have come out on top as they had quite a few national; junior male and female cyclists in their contingent and all these cyclists delivered the goods necessary to make a successful defence of the title they won last year at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Despite the change in venue and track surface, the senior riders from Berbice who are familiar with the National Park surface from constant participation in races held there over the past decade proved their worth as part of the Corentyne team for this year’s championships.

In the Boys’ open category, Andrew Hicks who has represented Guyana on many occasions regionally, proved his worth in capturing the 3 000-metre race giving his District a valuable 10 points, while Hicks’ sibling, David, powered his way to victory in

the Boys’ Under-14 race.

On the distaff side ,Whitney Poyere who can be called a veteran at these championship dominated the Girls’ 16 years and under 800-metre race and her sibling Nynza captured gold in the 2 000-metre Girls’ Under-14 race.

For District 10, Jermel

Cortis Dey, Deancae Welch, Delicia Sarmento; District 10’s, B’Yonka Barker, Denzil Huntley and Wakenaam-born Cyanna Retemiah of District Three West Demerara/Essequibo Islands.

Esau Lowden of District 10 carted off the 800m Boys U-14 while his teammate Theresa Spencer grabbed

Part of the action at Monday’s National GTU Schools cycling championships Yearwood, who is a very active cyclists nationally, won the 3 000 metres race for Boys’ open.

The overall title is now largely dependent on the 40km Boys’ open and the 25km Girls open road races which will be held on Friday.

Apart from the aforementioned results, Monday’s events saw outstanding performances from District Six’s Balram Narine, Ralph Seenarine, Shenika Teixeira,

the female equivalent.

Balram Narine gave District Six success once again when the pedalled to victory in the 800m Boys’ open ahead of District 10’s Christopher Joseph and Jason Cameron of District 15 (New Amsterdam) respectively.

Ralph Seenarine of District Six edged Denzil Huntley of District 10 to win the 3 000m Boys’ U-16 while David Hicks of District Six powered his way to victory

Fruta’s U-19 League continues today at Tucville ground THE battle for supremacy in the 12-team Invitational U-19 Football League, organised and run by the Fruta Conquerors FC, is set for another double-header today at the Tucville community ground.

The opening encounter set for 17:00hrs will bring together Black Pearl FC and Western Tigers FC in Group ‘A’. At 19:00hrs, Santos FC face Linden’s Botofago FC in a Group ‘B’ match-up.

in the 3 000m Boys U-14; Lowden of District 10 took the runner-up spot while Clevon Murray of District Seven (Bartica) finished third.

Jornel Yearwood of District 10 rode to victory in the 3 000m Boys’ open; Cortis Dey of District Six finished second and Jason Cameron of District 15 placed third.

The Mining Town lads were held to a bruising 2-2 stalemate by Buxton United in their opening match played last Saturday.

Five more games are scheduled for this weekend at the Club’s venue: on Saturday at 14:00hrs, Buxton tackle GFC and at 16:00hrs, Santos FC oppose Eastveldt FC in a Group ‘A’ double-header and on Sunday at noon, Uitvlugt Warriors oppose Western Tigers FC in

a Group ‘B’ fixture, followed by a Group ‘A’ showdown with home side Conquerors FC versus Order and Discipline FC at 14:00hrs. In the finale of the day at 16:00hrs, Black Pearl FC clash with Pele FC. The top two teams of each group at the end of the round-robin league will then advance to the semifinals KO stage for a chance to qualify for the Championship game.

Cyanna Retemiah of District Three won the 1000m Girls U-14 while Selena Stephen of District Seven placed second and Dayna Roberts of District 14 East Bank Demerara third.

Kevin Reddy of District Seven took gold in the 1000m Boys’ U-14 while Lowden of District 10 grabbed the silver.

Jerome Stephen of District 13 captured the 1 000m Boys’ U-16 event. Huntley of District 10 finished second and

Mark Welcome of District 12 (East Georgetown) third.

The Girls 1 000m U-16 was taken by Kendra Dunn of District Six ahead of Destheney Lewis of District 15.

Nyanza Poyer of District Six grabbed the 1 000m Girls’ U-14. Chelcia Sanchara of District 10 placed second while Cyanna Retemiah of District Three got third.

The 1 000m Boys’ U-14 was taken by Omari Walcott of District Four (East Coast Demerara; Tryston Louisy of District 13 ended in second spot and Kevin Reddy of District Seven third. Kevin Monah of District 10 won the 1500m Boys U-16 ahead of Ronaldo Narine of District 13 and Rokeel Gordon of District Six. Narine was successful in the 3 000m Boys U-16.

Shenika Teixeira of District Six romped to victory in the 1500m Girls open while Olesa McPherson of District 10 took the runner-up spot and Saudia De Silva of District Four placed third.

The 1500m Boys’ open was won by Andrew Hicks of District Six; Adealie Hodge of District 11 North Georgetown got second and Christopher Joseph of District 10 finished in third position.

Deancae Welch of District Six powered her way to gold in the 400m Girls’ open ahead of Abigale Jeffrey of District 10 and Selena Blair of District 14 in that order.

The 2000m Boys U-14 was taken by David Hicks of District Six; Omarie Walcott of District Four got second and Clevon Murray of District Seven third.

Nynza Poyer of District Six took gold in the 2000, Girls’ U14; Cyanna Retemiah of District Three got silver and Chelsea Sanchara of District 10 bronze. Denzil Huntley of District 10 won the 2000m Boys’ U-16 while Ronaldo Narine of District 13 was the runner-up and Ralph Seenarine of District Six placed third.

Kendra Dunn of District Six won the 2 000m Girls U-16 ahead of B’Yonca Barker of District 10 and Allia Roberts of District 13 respectively.

The 2 000m Boys’ open was taken by Andrew Hicks of District Six; Jornel Yearwood of District 10 finished second and Rockwell Smith of District Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam) got third.

Shenika Teixeira of District Six won the 2000m Girls’ open while Abigail Jeffrey of District 10 and Junisca Blair of District Seven finished second and third in that order. Delicia Sarmento of District Six won the 800m Girls’ open.

Deancae Welch of District Six bagged gold in the 1000m Girls’ open; Kenesha Williams of District Five (West Coast Berbice) placed second and Alicia McPherson of District 10 third.

The 3 000m Girls’ open was won by Shenika Teixeira of District Six, Abigail Jeffrey of District 10 got second and Kenesha Williams of District Five third.

Cortis Dey of District Six won the Unknown Distance event which replaced the Devil takes the Hindmost.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday November 23, 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)

Brian Chari (ZIM)

(2)

Dhananjaya de Silva (SL)

Today’s Quiz: (1) Where was the third game of the Tri-Nations ODI series (involving WI, SL & ZIM) played?

(2)

Who is Sri Lanka’s captain for the current Tri-Nations ODI series?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

35

Tuesday NOVEMBER, 23 2016

Magnificent Halley fires Windies to series sweep

VIJAYAWADA, India (CMC) - West Indies Women defeated India Women by 15 runs to complete a three-nil sweep of the T20 International

lor laid the foundation for West Indies’ 139 for four in 20 overs, after they won the toss and elected to bat.

Their bowlers then suppressed the Indian run-

Kaur.

Matthews and Taylor powered the early part in the innings for the visitors by adding 61 runs for the first wicket in 6.4 overs.

series at Vijayawada here yesterday.

A solid half-century opening partnership between Hayley Matthews and captain Stafanie Tay-

chase, restricting them to 124 for three in 20 overs despite a fighting unbeaten half-century stand between Veda Krishnamurthy and Harmanpreet

Matthews dominated the partnership with a 22ball 47 that included seven fours and one six before she was caught behind.

Taylor batted through-

THE third annual Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) first division 20-over tournament will once again

see support from Ansa McAl through its Carib Beer brand.

The sponsorship was announced at a small press

conference yesterday, at the company’s boardroom in Beterverwagting.

Present at the press con-

out the innings to finish not out on 44, picking up four boundaries in the process.

The Windies Women skipper also featured in two crucial partnerships, putting on 16 with Kycia Knight and 11 with Britney Cooper.

The hosts suffered an early setback when opener Vellaswamy Vanitha was run-out by Taylor without scoring off the first ball of the innings.

Their innings plunged into further chaos when they lost another two wickets and stumbled to 32 for three.

Krishnamurthy and Kaur stayed together to the end of the match, adding 92 runs for the fourth wicket.

Krishnamurthy scored a boundary-less 40-ball 31, while Kaur struck three fours and three sixes in her 51-ball 60.

Deandra Dottin and Matthews picked up a wicket each for West Indies to contain India, who fell 15 runs short with seven wickets intact.

GCA Twenty20 tournament gets support from Ansa McAl

L-R Robert Hiscock looks on as Sheldon Hazelwood presents cheque to Roger Harper.

ference were Carib Beer Brand Manager Robert Hiscock, GCA president Roger Harper and Ansa McAl representative Sheldon Hazelwood.

Speaking first was Hiscock who announced Carib Beer’s pleasure to lend sponsorship to the GCA. Also speaking was Harper who stated, “We at the GCA are delighted to partner with Carib Beer once again. Ansa McAl has always supported sport throughout Guyana and in particular has been keen to partner with the GCA.” The tournament, however, has no set date due to inclement weather. “As soon as the weather gives an opportunity we will take it.

We were looking to start earlier but senior players were involved in local Franchise league,” stated Harper.

He added that despite being first division teams from Georgetown, the tourney will comprise players from all over the country.

Grass Track finals set for Sunday as STAG lends support

THE Ogle Community Centre ground will be the venue as the 2016 edition of Grass Track Championship enters its final stage on Sunday, November 27.

The championship, despite drawing to a close, has received a marked boost with STAG Beer joining the list of sponsors.

The move to get on board was announced in a press conference at Ansa McAl Trading at Beterverwagting yesterday. Speaking at the press conference was STAG Beer Brand manager Linden Henry who stated that the brand was happy to be on board with Grass Track Championship in keeping with their ‘a man’s beer slogan’.

“Here we are again jumping on another manly sport with the grass track and we are happy to be on board with sponsorship.”

Also speaking was organiser of the championship, Sheik Yaseen, who gave details of the finals on Sunday, in addition to thanking Ansa McAl for their support. “There will be 10 races with five professional, three novice and two open races,” said Yaseen.

He also stated that the cash prizes for the professional racers start at $20 000 but with STAG on board the amount could increase.

Tickets are $1 000 and spectators can win prizes and hampers by holding on to their ticket stubs.

Pride, Hurricanes move to top of Digicel Regional 4-Day table ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) - New front-runners have emerged after second round matches wrapped up Monday in the 2016-17 Digicel Regional 4-Day Cricket

the highest successful run-chase in the history of the modern first-class championship, to shock the two-time reigning champions on Monday.

T&T Red Force,

Barbados Pride players celebrate the fall of another Red Force batsman.

Tournament.

Barbados Pride and Leeward Islands Hurricanes have moved to the top of the table forcing defending champions Guyana Jaguars from second to third position.

Pride are leading with 24.4 points after a convincing 292-run victory over Trinidad and Tobago Red at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Leeward Islands Hurricanes are hot on their heels in second position with 24.2 points after a stunning four-wicket win over Jaguars at Warner Park.

Hurricanes executed

front-runners after the opening round last week, have dropped to fourth position on 22 points while Jamaica Scorpions are on 21 points after defeating Windward Islands Volcanoes by 41 runs at Sabina Park.

Volcanoes have 9.6 points.

Third-round action starts on Friday with Scorpions at home to Pride, Red Force at home to Hurricanes while Volcanoes take on the visiting Jaguars at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground, in a day/night fixture.

Shane Warne Facebook video earns cricketers See story on seatbelt fines page 30

Records fall as Linden take promising lead at Nationals

See story on page 30

District 10’s Leon Benjamin challenges District 6’s Shamar Thom for the win in one of the Boys’ Under-16 400m heats. (Samuel Maughn photos)

District 11’s Kenisha Phillips takes a comfortable win in the Girls’ Under -6 400m heats.

Minister Henry declares Nationals officially open MINISTER responsible for Sport, Nicolette Henry, took yet another opportunity to say that the government is fully committed to making sports in Guyana a priority, when she delivered the feature address and officially declared open the 56th National Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

“The government recognises the important role that sports plays, not only for social cohesion and economic and national development but in education as well.”

Henry emphasised “As a result, a lot of attention and finances have been put towards the development and enhancement of our sporting facilities, provision of sporting gear and equipment, the training of our athletes

and the inclusion of sports in the school’s curriculum.”Henry also, again, pointed to the great tool that sports can be used as in fostering unity among persons of different backgrounds.

“It can be utilised to bridge cultural gaps, resolve conflicts and educate people in ways, perhaps, that no other non-physical activity can. Sports, arguably, is the only forum that can bring people together for a com-

Upper Demerara/Kwakwani (District 10), all decked out at yesterday’s march past at the Guyana National Stadium.

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mon goal,.” the minister said.

Also touching on the role of sports as a unifying tool was Guyana Teachers Union (GTU president Mark Lyte.

Lyte also spoke of the Championships’ direct role as a starting point for many athletes who went on to participate at bigger sporting events.

“Our commitment to this Championship has enabled us as Guyanese to produce many stalwarts who have gone on to represent Guyana at the CARIFTA Games, Caribbean Union of Teachers’ Championship, and even to the coveted Olympics,” Lyte reminded.

He continued: “We have not produced a world leader in athletics as yet … but in order for this to happen we need to place emphasis on sports in school. The time has come for sports to be firmly cemented in our national curriculum, and the resources to support its growth and development must be readily available.”

Lyte also commended the hard work of all those who came together to ensure the success of this year’s Championships.

Speeches by Lyte and Henry followed the march past of the 15 Districts, which saw a flamboyant display of the athletes in the

colours of their respective district. Over the next few days the districts will battle for supremacy in the track and field competitions daily at the national stadium.

The swimming aspect of the Championships has already concluded with North Georgetown (District 11) winning that on Monday. Most of the cycling was also completed on Monday, with only the 40km road race remaining.

Corentyne (District 6) are currently in the lead for that competition.

District 10 (Upper Demerara/Kwakwani) are the overall defending champions of the annual event.

Some of the athletes from District 10 light the symbolic cauldron. (Photos by Samuel Maughn) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016