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KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
GUEST EDITORIAL
IT’S THE SAME SAD STORY
T
hree years ago, Guyanese voted for a change, essentially because of the massive corruption, arrogance, lack of accountability and transparency, and crime, especially extra-judicial killings and armed robbery. Today, many are asking what is happening to our country. Where are we headed right now? Who is in charge, and if they can show, rather than claim, that someone is in charge, then they should step up and begin to lead us somewhere. Many believe that the current government is performing poorly. Since taking office, it has failed to reverse the failings of the last administration or lift the country from its underdevelopment status. Underdevelopment is not just a collection of statistical indices. It is also a state of mind, a way of expression, a form of outlook and a collective personality marked by chronic infirmities and forms of maladjustment. While this description is a bit harsh, it deserves our attention. There is no doubt that significant employment, financial and engineering capital are being lost due to corruption, kick-backs from contracts and sloppy work by contractors. In some cases, contracts that start off at a few million dollars eventually run into tens of millions, which no one could explain and no one is called to publicly account for .This was the case with the previous government and it is happening under our noses right now. Political scientists have claimed that there is no such thing as honest, uncorrupt or righteous politicians. Part of the reason is their constant denial of the truth. Let’s face it, our culture is corrupt and our work ethic, attitudes and behaviours are geared more towards underdevelopment than progress. We should realize that we compete not only among ourselves, but more so with the outside world; therefore, we could face harder times if we do not adjust our behaviour and improve our work ethic. In truth, we have created a very corrupt, deviant culture and the rot of our indiscipline has become unbearable. The decline must stop. We must change course if we are to progress. It has been repeated ad nauseam that we have delved into darkness with regard to crime, corruption and vindictiveness, especially by those in the past government. Except for corruption, which brought enormous wealth to a selected group during that period, the country has nothing much to show for the economic windfall it is blessed with after 50 years of independence. Today, those who are given the mantle to rule have not done so judiciously and efficiently either. In fact, it’s the same sad story. It seems that white collar crime is so much of the norm in the country that we accept it as part of our lives and no one is brought before the courts for unimaginable losses. White collar crime is not even really discussed in society as we discuss street crime, such as armed robbery and gang violence. While there is relative stability in the country, the people have far less confidence for the long term future, with issues such as crime. And the same can be said for the business sector, which justifiably continues to express grave concerns. We cannot continue to just hope and pray that our myriad problems will go away. They will not. It is time for our government and relevant authorities to seriously address the things that have been affecting our people from time immemorial.
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National consensus to save and revitalise the sugar industry DEAR EDITOR, There are public calls for high level national conferences to find a national agreement on ways to save and revitalise the Sugar Industry of Guyana to make it a viable and profitable industry again. The revitalisation should include from the growing of sugar canes to the manufacturing of sugar and its byproducts. The National Assembly should engage in good faith discussions on the future of the sugar industry and arrive at a consensus on the best way forward. The nation expects mature and serious encounters in the National Assembly, free of rancour and abuse of each other, and from the partisan blame game for cheap political points. This is a test for all the political parties and Members of the Assembly and the Gov-
ernment to debate, and then to confer in good faith in the Select Committee to find common ground on the future of the industry, putting partisan political consideration aside. Failure to arrive at a consensus by the National Assembly and the Government would be a source of grave disappointment to all in this country. The Members of the National Assembly must take into consideration the Government’s Commission of Inquiry Report into the Guyana Sugar Corporation,(GUYSUCO), October 2015. They must give serious consideration to the recommendations on the way forward for this vital industry, in particular recommendation (iv), which states “... the COI does not recommend the closure of any estate at this time” The National Assembly must take into account recent
studies and the views and positions of various stakeholders and put all on the table on the National Assembly, including the view that the Industry has the capacity to increase its production by at least one hundred thousand tons (100,000) of sugar annually which can turn around the industry. This must be considered among others to find a broadbased national consensus to restore the viability of the Sugar Industry. Serious consideration must also be given to the contributions of the Sugar Industry to the national treasury of foreign currencies over the years. The industry is still a significant foreign currency earner. Many knowledgeable and experienced persons on the Sugar Industry are convinced that the industry can be saved and revived to profitability.
This requires determination and the right decisions from the best practices in the cultivation of sugar canes, to producing sugar and its potential for value added products, and other revenue earning ventures flowing from the Sugar Industry. The challenge is for the National Assembly and the Government to find common ground on the future of this industry taking into account the livelihood of workers and their families, and adjoining communities of sugar estates. The citizens of this nation are looking to the political leaders to find acceptable solutions to the challenges facing the future of the Sugar Industry in the interest of all and the national good. It is not too late to save and revitalise the sugar industry to profitability. Yours sincerely, Joshua Singh
Supporting the trade union movement DEAR EDITOR Reference is being made to letters by Coretta McDonald (No one was authorised to issue a joint statement on GuySuCo by FITUG and GTUC- SN, 11th April 2018) and Eon Andrews (GTUC executive had no knowledge of joint statement with FITUG- CG, 11th April 2018) A time-honoured principle of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is that where there exists differences on issues, rules, roles, etc. internal efforts are first made to reconcile these. The trade union consultation of the executive membership. The trade union has always advocated the imple-
mentation and respect for due process in the workplace by management, in its leadership, and in the management of society. As an organisation and part of its leadership it is dangerous and counterproductive to be advocating and demanding standards for workers, employers, government, etc. and be operating differently. The same standards the trade unions expect, advocate for and demand we must be able to practice at our highest level of decision-making. The principle of solidarity where trade union gives support to fellow trade unions, workers and all, on matters of universal principles and the rule of law is sacrosanct and cuts across the board, irre-
spective of. The GTUC and FITUG met on Friday, April 7, at the GTUC Boardroom where a range of issues were discussed and agreed upon. Included in those are May Day March and Rally, and the sugar industry vis-à-vis the state of these workers and their affected communities. In attendance at the special engagement the GTUC’s delegation comprised of Coretta McDonald (President), Lincoln Lewis (General Secretary), Sherwood Clarke (Executive Council Member), Eon Andrews (Vice-President), Vanessa Phillips (Executive Council Member), and Collis Nicholson (Vice-President).
The FITUG’s delegation comprised of Seepaul Narine (Vice-President), Nagasar (General Secretary), Haslin Singh (Executive Council Member) and Thomas (Executive Council Member). On the sugar issue it was agreed that the GTUC and FITUG shall issue a joint statement supporting the sugar unions’ (GAWU and NAACIE) position that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) remains under the administration of the Ministry of Finance. The reason for this and GTUC’s support being that the unions have reported that notwithstanding challenges there has been engagement (Continued on page 5)
Recognising the festival of Ridvan DEAR EDITOR, For twelve days at the end of April and beginning of May, from April 21 to May 2 every year, Baha’i communities around the world would celebrate their most holy festival- Ridvan. This annual festival marks the anniversary of the days Baha’u’llah the prophet Founder of the Baha’i Faith, spent along the River Tigris in Baghdad. In 1863, Baha’u’llah stayed in a garden on the banks of the Tigris River for twelve days, during which His many admirers in the city came to bid Him farewell. Baha’u’llah announced to the friends gathered with Him during those days that He was God’s Messenger for a new age, foretold in the world’s scriptures.
He called the garden they were gathered in “Ridvan,” meaning “paradise.” The Ridvan period was also a time when Baha’u’llah proclaimed the foundational spiritual principles that lie at the heart of His teachings—signalling the arrival of a new stage in the evolution of the life of humanity, characterized by peace and an end to violence. The Festival of Ridvan is observed according to the Bahá’í calendar, and begins on the thirty-second day of the Bahá’í year, which falls on April 20 or April 21. The festival properly starts at two hours before sunset on that day, which symbolises the time that Bahá’u’lláh entered the garden. On the first, ninth, and twelfth days, which are Bahá’í
Holy Days, work is suspended. Currently, the three holy days are usually observed with a community gathering where prayers are shared, followed with a celebration Today, the festival of
Ridvan is the most joyous of Baha’i holy days in villages, towns, and cities around the world, Baha’i communities celebrate these special days with gatherings open to all. Rooplall Dudhnath
Get a grip of the young Dear Editor, I would like to see parents and guardians, put all efforts in sending their young children to Sunday mornings church service, whether Hindu, Muslim or Christian. On early Sunday morning, most children are taken up in activities that are not conductive to society and to add a little more to it, some teenagers can be seen returning home from Saturday night parties. To regain the morale of young people, parents and guardians have to play a serious roll. ‘’ Charity begins at Home ‘’ Thanking you. Yours Faithfully, Parmanand Ram.
A Matter of Identity
DEAR EDITOR, I was quite entranced by the intellectual passion which informed the discussion of the late Churamanie Bissundyal on Neaz Subhan’s programme ‘The Factor’, on Friday evening, March 30. It was emphasised that this author was hardly known to Guyanese, generally. I for one, interested in local literature of all kinds for more than the past seventy years, had never heard the name. But I knew personally some of the other writers mentioned – A.J. Seymour, who recruited me as a Broadcasting Officer of the Government Information Services back in 1957. Even before that Wilson Harris worked as a Surveyor for the Public Works Department, where as a clerk, I saw to the financial allocations he needed to do his work in the ‘interior’, which even then informed his spirituality. I knew ofJan Carew when for a time he lived in the Queenstown Ward of Georgetown, where I grew up.
As it turned out, all of the above interacted at different times with a group called The Penumbrians, pre-eminent amongst whom were Rashleigh Jackson, the late Hugh Desmond Hoyte and Aubrey Bishop – to name but a few acknowledged intellects. We avidly embraced Guyanese literature then, as we do now. What a pity that over the years the talent of Bissundyal which was so exalted during the programme could have been hidden under more than one bushel – for, as understood, he was both novelist and poet. But to fast forward. How many of us have heard of Steve Persaud, who Robert Lalljie in his recently published anthology titled ‘A Bouquet of Guyanese Flowers – Volume Two’, described as ‘genius’ who ‘was not just a remarkable poet; he was also an accomplished singer, song writer and guitarist…’? And when the discussants adverted, perhaps too frequently, to the pain which
the author would have suffered, I could not help but refer to the following excerpt from Krishna Nand Prasad’s letter (quoted in the same anthology) titled ‘Hurt unto Death’. “Hurt unto Death, (June 11, 2013) Dear Editor, I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to Mr Ruel Johnson for his response to Dr David Dabydeen’s sad comments on our local writers. I want to convey to Mr Johnson that I could not have offered support because I’m dead as a poet/writer socalled, because of the way I have been treated, among other things. And the dead cannot speak. After over 40 years of effort, I stand, among others, neglected and impoverished with respect to support and encouragement from any source. In a fit of intense pain, I destroyed all my pieces a few years ago when an Anthology of Guyanese Poetry (Continued on page 6)
Time for condign action DEAR EDITOR, Again, there are reports in the media about threats to the life of the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. These are indeed very serious and must heighten concerns about the safety of President David Granger, and by extension his family members. Also, this is the third such incident, apart from the assassination plot that attracted a Commission of Inquiry that exposed a shockingly unbelievable approach that can only be described as cavalier, reckless, and wholly unprofessional. No one should doubt the veracity of these reports, since the investigative authorities have been able to trace the sources, and the persons behind them. However, they point to a particular trend, in terms of the mind-set of the persons identified, inherent of a peculiar ideological behaviour which forms part of that constituent’s thinking as to
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who must govern this country. Editor, I am of the view that had a condign example been made of the first person who had issued such threats, those who followed subsequently would have thought twice before doing so. I am not a legally trained person, nor do I pretend to be; but I still cannot fathom the reason for the first such reported case of issuing a threat to the president, in which the person had been charged under the Racial Hostility Act, escaping legal sanction. It was interesting to note the trial magistrate’s ruling that … “the prosecution failed to illustrate how, ...Facebook post breached any section of the Act which was used to institute the charges”. This conclusion, no doubt led to a dismissal of the charges against the defendant. It would seem to me, then, that the automatic step was to have charged the accused under the appropriate law,
under which I am certain a conviction would have been secured. I based this conclusion on the fact that there was existing evidence in the form of a Facebook posting, sufficient enough to substantiate any legal sanction. I do not believe that such an accused would have escaped the law in any other jurisdiction. Then there was the other case involving a person already serving a custodial sentence. I am not aware if any further judicial action has been taken in this instance. It should be clear as to the reasons behind these persons’ dangerous mind set, aided and abetted by an undoubted disrespect to the person of the President. However long very serious action is not taken against such persons, others will continue. It is time for the law enforcement to act. Regards Earl Hamilton
A misrepresentation of history DEAR EDITOR, Your editorial of March 20, 2018,on the late Cheddi Jagan, was timely, given that it was his 100th birth anniversary. It seems that the names Jagan and Burnham are symbiotic in that any reference to one always seems to occasion the mention of the other. Your editorial was no different. It is in relation to that reference that I pen this letter. Your editorial stated, “Cheddi Jagan founded the People`s Progressive Party, fashioned out of a merger of the PAC (Political Action Committee) and the then British Guiana Labour Party (BGLP) led by Forbes Burnham”. The correctness of that assertion is hereby questioned and the truth proffered based the following irrefutable facts. 1. The BGLP‘s formation predated Burnham‘s return to Guyana. 2. There was no merger between the PAC and the BGLP. The two were established in the same year. Ashton Chase was a founding member of both. Nanda Gopaul in the Bengal Tiger, his bio-
graphic work on Ashton Chase, in reference to the BGLP noted that “The party went out of existence shortly after the 1947 Elections”, in which it had participated. 3. The PAC remained in existence until 1949. 4. Burnham returned to Guyana in 1949 and the PPP was formed in 1950. 5. The PPP‘S website (www.ppp-civic.org) in the article “History of the People‘s Progressive Party” does not acknowledge any such merger between the BGLP and the PAC to form the PPP. In fact, three years had elapsed between the expiration of the BGLP and the formation of the PPP. 6. Burnham was a cofounder of the PPP and its first chairman. He did not transition from the BGLP to the PPP. 7. Burnham‘s role as co-founder/chairman of the PPP was essayed before his return home when Ashton Chase, a Founding Member of the BGLP and the PAC, declined the offer and eminent Caribbean Leaders proposed Burnham as being best suited, in view of the potential that he portrayed as a student leader in
the West Indian community, in London; and his political and progressive activism, while in London. 8. In preparation for his activist role in the anti-colonial struggle in British Guiana, Burnham detoured to Jamaica, on his way home, for an induction into, and orientation on, the anti-colonial s t r u g g l e i n t h e We s t Indies. His political association, upon his return home, was with the PPP, as a founding member. Unfortunately, Stabroek News‘ version seemed to have been culled from Wikipedia which facilitates lay versions and discourses on matters of public interest. Wikipedia is not a credible or authentic academic source of information It is my sincere hope that Stabroek News acknowledges that it would have been revisionist and thus misinformed its readership on an important matter in the country‘s history; and the biography of Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. Yours truly, Vincent Alexander C h a i r p e r s o n Burnham Foundation
Supporting the trade union ... From page 4 between the Special Project Unit management and them. The GTUC recognises the importance of Article 149C of the Guyana Constitution that requires an inclusionary approach in the management and decision-making processes on matters that impact the welfare of the trade union, hence the support, for it augurs well in shared decisionmaking and ownership for decisions taken. The GTUC/FITUG statement released to the media by FITUG, which was agreed to by the parties, was prepared by both federations. As General Secr e t a r y of the GTUC, which is the executive head of the
organisation, that statement was seen by me before release and in principle the content supported, given that it reflected what was discussed and agreed on at the meeting. Further, it did not represent a departure from any of the universally acceptable principles the trade union stands for. On the notion that authorisation for release of this statement had to come from the president, the GTUC has never been managed in this manner nor the structure so dictates. The executive responsibility of the GTUC is that of the General Secretary, and in the instance under focus af-
ter the delegation would have agreed on the matters under discussion and the issuance of a joint statement, the responsibility for execution of the latter is that of the General Secretary. GTUC President would be apprised of this according to time-honoured principles and best practices. Notes of the instant meeting were taken by both parties and can be corroborated. Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary, GTUC.
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A cancer patient’s plight and a plea to the Minister of Health DEAR EDITOR, Please permit me some space in your column to reach out to the Minister of health and enlighten the public on a sensitive issue, pertaining to the treatment of Cancer in Guyana. I am a Cancer patient registered at the Oncology Clinic GPHC. Last year I went to the US for a vacation and received treatment with a medication named “Sutent”. This medication is very expensive-about US$5000 for a month supply. I was given it free of cost by the Max Foundation based in Argentina. The people at the foundation upon learning that I am from Guyana offered to send a regular supply to Guyana free of cost so that myself and other patients can be supplied here. All they require is for someone in authority to acknowledge that they will accept, store and distribute the
medication. I informed them about the Oncology Department of GPHC. An Email was sent to a Doctor at the Oncology Department from the Max Foundation to solicit the acknowledgement. Before returning home I visited the foundation to collect a onemonth supply and was told that they had not received any response from Guyana. I have been back home for five months now without medication. A recent check by a relative at the Max Foundation has revealed that no response has been received from Guyana. Too bad for me! Medication can only be collected by patients there. Madam Minister, It is heartening to know that a drug is offered free of cost to treat Cancer patients in Guyana and the hierarchy of the Oncology Department shows no interest. In my opinion this is the equivalent of
saying- If you have Cancer die quickly. We will all die some dayin that sense medications do not save lives-medications prolong life. We as Cancer patients deserve the same treatment as people with other illness. Madame Minister, I am pleading to you to check with the Oncology dept and have someone contact the Max Foundation so that Sutent could be sent to the Oncology Department free of cost to treat Cancer patients in Guyana. We deserve a chance to prolong our life like everyone else Distraught Cancer Patient Editor’s note: We propose to contact the Oncology Department about the failure to respond to the Max Foundation. We can provide the name of the patient on request.
A Matter of Identity From page 5 edited by Ian McDonald et al, positioned my name in the index of the publication without a single line of mine within. I was hurt unto death. For years to come, I doubt whether the local writer, not yet established, will be given any support from the Ministry responsible for cultural development. The Dabydeens of the literary world will ever be empowered to insult the struggling. Now I hate the word poetry; I do not want to see a poem. My thanks to those who contributed to my literary demise. Mr Johnson, God bless you for speaking for those who are not getting anywhere because they are considered not worthy to be anywhere.” The letter speaks volumes
to the point that indifference, neglect, criticism can come from so many different directions .From the discourse one is reminded of Kahlil Gibran’s advice there could be no ‘the truth’, but only ‘a truth’. It is against this background that I kept grappling, albeit respectfully, with the panel’s insistence that Bissundyal’s persona, his deep spiritual introspection, more particularly as a Hindu, did not receive the (official) recognition it deserved. There certainly can be no question about the validity of any individual’s perception of life and the environment; but one is tempted to enquire whether in the evaluation heard, that validity excludes, or is greater than, the total environment of being Guyanese.
So that in repeating the perspective that this neglected talent did not earn the public recognition as deserved, because of its Indian orientation, is to, from another perspective, limit the value of his contribution to the multicultural society to which all our talents belong. En passant, I recall objecting strongly to Clem Seecharan’s descriptor of Shivnarine Chanderpaul as an ‘Indian’ vis-à-vis ‘West Indian’ batsman, not to mention Guyanese. So that the very fact that I followed the discussion so intently was the message I kept receiving of the sense of exclusiveness about Indian spirituality, if you will, from that of others, and discouragingly more than an implication of resentment.In the end I am left asking myself: which comes first – being an African (even without a distinctive religion or language) or a (relocated) Guyanese. How long, I pondered, are we to perpetuate this state of lapsed co-existence? Yours faithfully E.B. John
Thursday April 12 ,2018
The cost of the ICJ hearing DEAR EDITOR, It is hard to accept and understand the exuberant cost estimates associated with the ICJ case of Guyana vs. Venezuela as it pertains to Essequibo. There have been a number of cases where it has taken several years and in some cases decades vs. oil companies or even the USA government and the cost of the cases have not surpassed the million dollar mark. These cases usually entail a number of appeals. A good example was the recent legal case and the settlement associated with NYPD illegal Muslim surveillance. This case was quite sensitive, dif-
ficult and costly with the legal fees over almost five years being only US$950,000. Also in the award from the court, legal expenses were included and returned to the plaintiff in the case. If the return of our legal costs is included then the funds may also be salvaged. In addition, our bar association, along with members and alumni of our legal fraternity should be able to furnish sufficient lawyers of high caliber to support this legal pursuit at the ICJ. The inclusion of legal counsel from Her Majesty’s team should also be able to bolster the effort and aid in containing any excessive
costs associated. A bit of research into the matter and precedence associated with costs should be quite informative and eye opening for those putting together the effort at the ICJ. We must also keep in mind that the country has had a very long time in which to be well prepared for this undertaking and a bipartisan approach in the legal team’s makeup will both unite us and make us stronger vs. our external adversaries. In this undertaking we must and will have to be as One People from One Nation with One Destiny. Best regards, Jamil Changlee
Beware of having to eat your words DEAR EDITOR, I begin my article today with the quotation used by a “famous” criminal lawyer “It doesn’t make sense ... something is wrong here.” These were the words used by that attorney when he presented that so called eyewitness to the media. Something is wrong here he blurted out. “It just does not add up.” He was at the time laying the foundation of his case against the police in a supposed extra-judicial shooting of three criminals at The Georgetown Seawall. So sure of himself, Nigel Hughes was here solidifying his claims to a wrongful death shooting of his clients, or was he making a fool of himself? I do not wish to go any further into the details of that claim, but suffice it to say that the “something that was wrong” as he posited was not with the police but with the three dubious characters he was vainly trying to beatify. I say no more! Now, let us turn our gaze to the most recent of occurrences involving firearm possession and or usage and police action: We woke up today to the news of Police being successful in nabbing six men and four weapons and ammunition to go with. The six youths were intercepted by a prompt and alert force who were able to foil what would have been a bloody and fatal robbery. Now, I would now continue my discourse with a few pointed questions, hoping to get some answers. Is there a conspiracy on right now?
Why all this police work and the capturing of criminals and guns? What is going on here? Why now when the party that is most sympathetic to criminals is in power? Why? Is it a matter that these guys are frustrated, out of work and forced into a world of crime? Remember, this was the main argument made for the criminal by the PNC when they were in opposition, that Black Youths were unavoidably goaded into a life of crime because they were jobless. With the advent of that sympathetic party into government what has become of “the good life” that was promised? Was that talk of a good life only an election gimmick? Was the good life only for the old and retired and not for the youths?Did The Granger Government throw The Youths of this country by the wayside, leaving them to become criminals and vagabonds only to be arrested while in hot criminal pursuit? Is it a situation that Black youths are targeted as criminals and thieves? Is it the profiling of youths of a certain race? Something is radically wrong with The Guyana Police, why are they out to get “innocent” young people? These are some of the questions I would like to ask The Government in Georgetown? Is the GPF out to embarrass and humiliate Mr. Granger’s Government? Why these police killings, and why these sudden successful arrests? Why now? Where is that lawyer who usually stands up for the “rights” of the criminal, where is Nigel Hughes in all of this? My discourse cannot be complete until I cross reference with the happenings in another community right here in Guyana and the way they have responded to their hapless situation. I speak of over 5,000 Sugar Workers who were brutally axed from their only source of livelihood and the way they are coping with that brutal loss of income to
feed their families. Did they turn to crime? The answer is a resounding no! Not for one moment have they contemplated going the way of crime to earn a living? Not for one instance has there been record of any such criminality in the areas populated by the disaffected workers? The Sugar Belt has not recorded incidents of this kind. All of these occurrences have been taking place in constituencies and strongholds of the main party in government. Yes, there is grave discontent in the Sugar Belt but they were never pushed to the point where they would want to go out there and violently take what is someone else’s.I must hasten to a close. My final thought is this. President Granger and company are painfully and shamefully learning a lesson right now. It is that you must be extremely careful with the things you say whether in or out of government. Your words must be seasoned with salt because words loosely tossed about would come back to haunt you. Saying that the youths weren’t getting jobs which caused them to go into crime was reckless and should not have been said in the first place. The consequences of making excuses for criminal behaviour is a low blow any party can make. It is an unforgivable act.My second, which is my main point, is that you must never play politics with crime because criminals will expose you at some stage of your political game. Granger and The PNC have played the political game for far too long and time and circumstances have caught up with them. Even The Police Force cannot take the political stand back approach to criminals. Instead they have taken the bold step in going forward to rid society of the menace. Respectfully submitted Neil Adams
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Int’l report on red flags of 100 corrupt deals says…
Failure of Govt. to secure “fair deal” for nation should spark “unrelenting concern”
W
hen a govern ment fails to se cure a “fair deal” for its nation, it should spark “unrelenting concern” among its citizens. This point was made in a detailed report by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). The NRGI is an international body which provides expert advice to administrations around the world as it relates to getting the best deals and arrangements out of extractive sectors. It has on several occasions, provided advice to Guyana on similar matters. In one of its documents which look at the red flags of corrupt contracts, the Institute said that agreed terms which are more favourable to the contractor, often deviate significantly
from industry or market norms. It further noted that if the terms of licenses or contracts depart significantly from expectations, past examples or industry norms, extra scrutiny from oversight actors would be warranted. The Institute also stated that there is no global rule for how much deviation is too much - only close scrutiny of the underlying industry and country context can support informed judgment calls in that regard. The Institute also cautioned that corruption is by no means the only possible reason why final terms may favour the company more than the country. It noted that other contributing factors could include the fact that the government negotiated poorly, based on
limited experience, information or negotiating power. Be that as it may, it said that there are specific warning signs which concerned citizens can look for. In this regard, the report noted that citizens must be mindful of one or more terms of the license or contract which have been changed only shortly before signing, in a manner that favours the company. The Institute warned of non-standard provisions which include excessive tax holidays, unclear or skewed currency conversion formulas or rates; unusually long payment windows; or concessionary credit lines, debt guarantees, or other non-standard financial support from the government to the winner, either as terms of the sale or in side deals with
the winner. GUYANA’S LOPSIDED DEAL The Guyana-ExxonMobil deal has been criticized continually for being highly favourable to the contractor. In fact, local critics have noted that there were several last-minute changes to the contract during the review in 2016. Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram had noted that one of the most significant additions was in relation to the stability clause. The lawyer said that Article 32 of the GuyanaExxonMobil oil deal speaks to the stability clause. Ram said that when one compares the 1999 Agreement to the 2016 Agreement, one notices several worrying additions in the latter. The anticorruption advocate said that additions to the
Guyanese sailors jailed in B’dos for coke, ganja on boat Barbados (Nationnews) Two Guyanese who tried unsuccessfully to smuggle cocaine and cannabis into the island more than two years ago were jailed when they appeared in the No. 1 Supreme Court last Friday. However, the cook, who was found to be more culpable, was given more time than his co-conspirator. Coco Ibert Profitt, a cook of Sapphire Field, and Paul Fraser, a sailor, of Lot 13, West Bank Demerara, both of Guyana, were back before Justice Jacqueline Cornelius. They had pleaded guilty at an earlier Session of the Continuous Sittings to possession, trafficking and importation of 14.1 kilos of cocaine, and possession, trafficking and importation of two kilos of cannabis, on September 10, 2015. The judge convicted, reprimanded and discharged the two smugglers for importation and possession of cannabis and cocaine. She then jailed Fraser for three years for traf-
ficking in cannabis and five years for trafficking in cocaine, and sent up Profitt for three years for trafficking in cannabis and six for trafficking in cocaine. However, because Fraser had spent 936 days on remand, he would only spend two years and five months in prison. Profitt, who had spent the same number of days on remand, has to serve three years and five months. The men were represented by attorney Samuel Legay. Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecution s A n thony Blackman had told the court that police and customs officers, acting on information, boarded the vessel Lady Sandra and found ten packages containing the cocaine and four packages with the marijuana. The captain and crew, including Fraser and Profitt, were taken to Oistins Police Station. Profitt later told police he took the risk of bringing in the
drugs because he was having financial difficulties. “I owe a lot of people money,” he told officers. Fraser, in his statement to police, said he was at home on September 6, 2015, when he received a call from the owner of Lady Sandra asking him to make a trip to Barbados to transport cement. While he was on board the vessel, Fraser said he
passed through the kitchen and saw a brown bag and three black plastic bags. He said he did not know what the bags contained. Fraser’s statement continued that on September 9, the captain told his crew that the Barbados Coast Guard was going to search the boat and warned them that if they had anything on the boat, they should get rid of it.
2016 Agreement only serve the interest of Exxon Mobil, as it limits the role of the government in applying new laws made in the petroleum sector. Ram revealed that if Guyana were to amend any of its laws which would affect the entity’s operations, then the Government would have to restore the benefits lost. Ram noted that the Stability Clause provides, inter alia, “that any delay by the government to respond to any notification from the contractor that they may have suffered any adverse effects, can result in the contractor taking the matter to arbitration.” The Chartered Accountant added, “In such a case, the arbitral tribunal is authorized to modify the agreement to reestablish the economic benefits under the Agreement to the Contractor. Where such restoration is not possible, the tribunal has the power to award damages to the Contractor that fully compensates for the loss of economic benefits under
the Agreement, both for past as well as future losses.” Additionally, ExxonMobil is able to benefit from uncapped imports based on the Production Sharing Agreement it has with Guyana. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also commented on Guyana’s lopsided deal with the American oil giant. In its latest report which was prepared for the coalition administration, the IMF said that the ExxonMobil deal gave Guyana the lowest average effective tax rate among nine projects in countries that include; Norway, Brazil, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago. It stressed, too, that the terms are “relatively favourable” to the investor not the host country.
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Regulator to rule on GWI’s rates hike application after April 30 The public hearings into an application by the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) to increase rates for several categories of customers, wrapped up yesterday. The general public and the consumer affairs bodies now have until April 30, 2018, to submit recommendations for the proposal of change of rates to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Consumer advocates and others have demanded GWI submit its financial statements before even
contemplating taking a decision to review the application. GWI is insisting that its plan to improve service, including quality, will hinge on an increase in revenues. Those revenues will have to come from a hike in the rates, which have not been raised in more than a decade. A bone of contention was that GWI has hundreds of millions owed to it and cannot collect. GWI, in its defence, claims that it is barred from collecting
beyond a certain number of years. Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles divulged plans that are on stream for the advancement of services offered by the utility. This includes ensuring closer collaboration with the Ministry of Communities, Department of Housing, to equip new schemes with an adequate water supply. He also indicated that as the customer base increases, GWI will be aiming for 100 percent metering, even as it
Five mining camp employees detained in Cuyuni robbery/murder probe - missing shotgun that ‘fell into creek’ may hold clues to killing Police have detained five employees from the Cuyuni/ Mazaruni mining camp from which gunmen allegedly carted off some $30M in raw gold before killing Dominican national Pedro Pablo Rosario. A senior police official said that ranks from the Force’s Major Crimes Unit have joined the investigation and will question the employees after they are brought to Georgetown today. Kaieteur News understands that some of the statements that the miners have given have fuelled suspicion that the killing was ‘an inside job’. A source said that the post mortem has also caused investigators to place the workmen under further
scrutiny.Kaieteur News understands that the examination revealed that Rosario was shot with a handgun as well as a shotgun. A source said that a shotgun is missing from the camp which allegedly came under attack. The workers have reportedly told investigators that the shotgun fell overboard while they were pursuing the ‘bandits.’ A police official said that seven other men who were arrested between Saturday and Sunday are still in custody. They have been further detained until Friday. One of the detained men is a former employee of the camp that the ‘gunmen’ allegedly raided. Those arrests came after police flew in reinforcements
on Saturday from the Tactical Services Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department at Eve Leary.The source also said that the four other Brazilian miners from the camp were questioned. Police were said to be somewhat baffled as to why the attackers chose to kill Rosario.There are no reports indicating that he had done anything to provoke the attackers. The mining camp is reportedly owned by a Kitty resident. According to reports, Rosario was relaxing in a hammock at around 02.00 hrs on Friday when the gunmen entered the camp and shot him. They then held the other employees at gunpoint before fleeing with two mats from the operation’s sluice box.
From recent public hearings works to overcome obstacles with procurement. Addressing concerns of the cost for water in areas with treatment plants, as against those without, the Managing Director stated that in both instances, monies are invested in either chemicals for treatment or filters and infrastructure. In Essequibo, for example, large sums of money are being invested in the importation and implementation of a chemical called SeaQuest to reduce the presence of iron in water. This is also being
implemented at a number of other pumping stations across the country. The Managing Director pointed out that the water provided by the utility is microbiologically safe and therefore the change of rates being requested will help to cushion the cost for improved water quality. “When we look at the cost, that bottle of water in front of you on the market is $100 with a volume of 100ML, GWI’s cost for 220 gallons is $64 and many people will purchase that 100ML for
$100,” Dr. Van West-Charles reasoned. He stressed that GWI needs to maintain its network to ensure a sustainable supply to customers, and that requires finances. He emphasised that GWI is merely asking for $500 from each customer for the maintenance of its system and to assist in addressing leaks in a timely manner. GWI’s goal is to guarantee a good product that is acceptable to all customers, thus ensuring them their money’s worth.
Thursday April 12 ,2018
Kaieteur News
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Kamla: Call elections now FOR RENT
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK;Guyanapassport application. G r a p h i c s design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6004212: We create A/works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. PASSPORT, PERMANENT & VISITOR VISA APPLICATION, PROFESSIONAL IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT – SABITA IMMIGRATION SERVICES. CALL: 613-3920/625-3767. Eagle’s: Re-gas –low prices, washing machine repairs, gas stove, plasma flat Screen, computer repairs & more. Call: 697-2969/646-0966 Budram’s Landscaping Services. Free advice, Free designs, Free after care follow up Tel#626-1044 LAND FOR SALE Parfaite Harmonie- $1.4M Uitvlugt $2.4M Zeelugt $2M Tuschen $3.3M Tel# 6976311/642-1252 18,731 acres mining land Gold & Diamond Mazaruni $5,000,000 USD Contact: 6951356, 687-8445 Farm, Light, water, road, new air conditioning unit, 4 piece lobby set $3.5M Call: 6117223/656-0701 Parfaite Harmonie (upfront) $1.6M Schoonord $2.6M Uitvlugt (100x50) $2.8M Harmonie high income $2.6M Call: 611-7223/656-0701 Parfaite main road 1.7 M, Parfaite 10 years $2.8 M, Parfaite $1.5 M, $1.3 M, Uitvlugt $ 2.5 M, Eccles $6M, Diamond $5.5 M. Call 6662326
EDUCATION Register your child for after school classes for slow learners in Mathematics, Reading, Phonics, Spelling, etc. Call: 675-4379
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Cottage house, 2 bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room located @ Fourth St Pearl, EBD Tel# 219-5462, 625-3981 Unregistered DAF trucks: Dump trucks, Flatbed, Flatbed with crane & hauler, Foden 6x4 Dump truck. Call: 659-3100 New triangle truck tyres, front & all-wheel drive, size 295/ 80R22.5 Call: 647-2022 Motors 220 Volts, water pumps, Generator iron cage, Fans, Wine-making equipment Tel#225-8183. Call after 9am (1) 8 apartment buliding located on the E.C.D Tel#6295582 (Selling) Whole chicken $300 per lb (50 lb up) chicken foot $140 per lb, liver & gizzert. Contact: 699-7415, 696-5424/610-6196 2008 Primo car with treadmill, fridge, stove, bed, all Ashley furniture etc $4M Call: 6117223/656-0701 Organic potting soil $700 Supari palm, Foxtail, Sugarcane palm @ $1000 Ashoka trees, Crotoons. Tel#626-1044 8 Lots with model house Ulverston, Corentyne. Double lot with shed Rosehall near market #680-6577 PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Village. West Coast Berbice. 49ft by 10,314ft. $18M. Contact:6487109/686-4818 2-flat 3 bedroom wooden building situated at 154 ‘B’ Shell road, Kitty 2 lots East of Kitty Market.670-2653
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 2 and 3 bedroom fully furnished luxury to rent long and short term #666-7028/ 691-1432 Space to rent, display rack, computers and office furniture for sale. Contact: 624-6783 Apartment 2 bedrooms, kitchen, patio, toilet & bath. 2089 Parfaite Harmonie WBD. Price $50,000. Contact # 6768842/698-9910
2 Storey commercial building at Durban & Haley street $28M, Price negotiable, serious enquiries only. Contact: 625-8884
One service manager for repair centre, must have previous experience. Call: 6472022 1 Male cook to cook in interior #699-4718 Live in general domestic and 1 experienced cook (Live out) #610-3974 Land in Parfaite Harmonie, Providence, Eccles of anywhere on the West Coast. Tel# 642-1252/697-6311
VEHICLE FOR SALE Bluebird 2012 model-$2.7M Axio 2010-$2.6M Tida-2010 $2.1M All vehicles unregistered #655-3400 1 Toyota 2 RZ minibus in excellent condition with rim & AC BMM series, Price $1.1M Neg Contact:6530120/646-9417 One Mitsubishi canter, Excellent condition, long base, engine #4D335A2F3513 $2,000,000 neg. Call: 698-8820 1 Toyota Tundra 4WD. Excellent condition $2M Call: 220-6380/618-1395 Unregistered Axela 2011, New shape, dark interior, fully loaded. #617-5536 $2.4 Mil. 1-50 DAF Labor lorry 1-55 DAF dump lorry in working condition. Tel#664-5149/6418335 Nissan Laurel Classic Car and Nissan Pathfinder JeepSuperb condition, Great deals. Call : 660-3415/225-8427
1 Able-bodied male clerk. Call: 231-2029/219-4533/616-5954 Driver, Cashier, Pastry maker/ cake decorator, curry cook, counter server, Apply H/ written application @ Hack’s Halaal 5 Commerce St Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic- Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm One family to work at wildlife farm at Timehri. Housing provided. Please call: 2270373 One 312 Hymac operator, must have mechanical skills, housing provided. Please call: 227-0373 Live in waitress to work in bar. Call: 604-6606/ 692-4649 Live in waitress to work in bar. 18-25 yrs old, must have ID Contact No: 221-2785 We buy land in Eccles, Farm, Herstelling, Parfaite Harmonie, Providence, Covent Garden Call: 611-7223/656-0701 Labourers to work on farm in Demerara river. Accomodation provided. Tel: 684-1098/6469821
Property for sale (1) 3 story building at 97 Sugarcane street S/Rvldt Gardens. Price US 1.5M neg. Tel: 695-1356 & 6878445 3 story commercial building,120ftX60ft Building 62ftX30ft Location- Lot 1486, Plot B Herstelling, EBD $95 million neg. Contact: 6093777/697-4557
WANTED Looking to buy a house or empty land, Preferences-EBD Public road. Buyer #1917-6225810/694-3331 One radiator workman preferably from the West Coast of Demerara. Contact Charran’s Radiator Works Tel#622-5721 One full time auto body technician for repair center. Must have previous experience. Call: 222-0675
One maid preferably from the East Bank of Demerara. Call Tel# 266-2217
SALON Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $90,000 Nail Technician Course: $35,000. Call: 647-1773/688-0009 PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 259 Wisrock Housing Scheme, price negotible. Tel # 628-1832/694-9226
Maid, Duties: Cooking & Housekeeping, Time: Monday to Friday 8:30am12:30pm Contact: Diana #6548839 Location: Eccles EBD. Young male age 18-30, for position at Henny Bar-B-Q Smoke House. call 629-2044 Male and Female to work in interior age 25-40, salary $80,000 monthly. Call 674-1767
VACANCY Exists for one experienced dispatcher- Call: 231-5784 Earn 5-20K working from home www.jobfairworldwide.com Tel#622-1957/652-8829 Cook/Baker & Welder for interior location. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 6182020 Cashier at Nirva Supermarket 49 Sheriff & Craig Street C/ ville. Apply in person with written application. Contact: 227-5771 Vacancy exist for (1) experienced pharmacy technician to work @ reputable pharmacy in Diamond (Flexible hours)- Call: 645-3422 One maid preferably residing on the East Bank. Call: 2278529 One office clerk, must be computer literate. Call: 6144358 Inventory clerk, Tool room clerk, Female cleaner Call: 2332745 Handyman,Experienced sales persons with CXC qualifications. Apply @ Christine’s Variety, Lombard Street. Contact: 227-8529 Wa i t r e s s , S e c u r i t y guard,Receptionist- Aracari Hotel Versailles, West Bank Demerara. Apply in person or phone 264-2946-8 Sanitation Foreman to work in Georgetown, Tel#227-1717 1-Grillman,1 live-in mature nanny from Berbice/ Essequibo,1-kitchen assistant Contact X’s Grill & Cuisine 675-2550/656-9313. Mature male Salesperson, must know about Japanese car parts. Sales experience. Contact: 601-2622/227-2322 Chef and Assistant cookPreferably Carnegie tranied. Call 225-7933, or visit 173 Sheriff street.
Trinidad Express - The firing of Darryl Smith raises more questions than answers and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley must tell the country what is the “new information” that led to the firing of Smith Tuesday, says Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. She also knocked what she said was Rowley’s failed leadership, and demanded that a general election be called now. PersadBissessar noted that at a post-Cabinet news conference just four days ago, Rowley said he had confidence in every member of his Cabinet, and up until Monday he still had confidence in Smith despite the allegations of sexual harassment, misconduct and incompetence reported in the national media.
Name change... From page 19 Articles in the Agreement. Among issues receiving attention was a change to the title and designation of the organisation that could be replaced by the OACP. There was also consideration to distinguishing categories of membership on the basis of Full, Observer or Associate status, with attention to other than “regional bodies” eligible for consideration, if they share values and common interests of the ACP Group and accept the responsibilities of membership.Gomes said that the deliberations will continue and hopefully aim to offer recommendations for a revision of the Georgetown Agreement at the 107th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers to be held in Lome, Togo on 28 -29 May this year. That occasion would also arrive at a comprehensive unified mandate for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to negotiate with the European Union a successor to the current Cotonou Partnership Agreement in 2020, he added.
1 maid with cooking skill Call: 231-0732 TOLET Rooms in Albertown & 1 house in Good Hope, 5 bedroom, 4 self contained. Tel#225-3234 Top flat, fully furnished two bedroom apartment in Riumveldt, Georgetown. Call: 227-8529 CAR RENTAL AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR R E N TA L : S U V F O R RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL:6435122/656-0087, ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494
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Thursday April 12 ,2018
Sugar workers injured after lorry topples
The toppled estate lorry
A
t least four dozen sugar workers are nursing minor injuries about their bodies after the lorry in which
they were travelling, toppled at Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice, sometime around 5:30 am yesterday. When this publication
visited the Fort Wellington Hospital, most of the injured persons had already been treated for minor injuries and sent away, but several
Worried relatives gathered at the Fort Wellington Hospital others remained for additional treatment. A large gathering of relatives was seen in the
Capacity-building workshop for gender equality taking shape
T
he Ministry of So cial Protection has the mandate of mainstreaming gender in Guyana. Gender mainstreaming is a globally accepted strategy for promoting gender equality. According to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, mainstreaming is a strategy to achieve the goal of gender equality. The mandate for gender mainstreaming underpins the comprehensive provisions for action addressing the concern for mainly the development of women. Regional Governments have attempted in various ways to advance gender equity not only through substantive policy but also through administrative reform. In Guyana the Ministry
of Social Protection has to carry out the mandate. In order for the Ministry to achieve its goal, the Gender and Social Inclusion policy is needed. The policy in its final stage of formulation; however, in spite of the existence of the policy instrument and institutional frameworks, programmes on gender mainstreaming will not be effective without capacitybuilding. As such, training sessions will be held to help participants understand the concepts on gender mainstreaming. The participants will be drawn from the Gender Focal Points within the Ministry of Social Protection, other Ministries and selected State Agencies.
Last year, President David Granger spoke of government’s commitment to addressing Gender issues towards fulfilling its obligations to the United Nations (UN)led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Gender equality cannot be achieved in the absence of a more equal society. Enforcement of legislation to protect women, to prevent abuse and to promote greater equality must be more robust. The disparities between hinterland and coastland and between rural and urban communities, for example, must be reduced,” the President said. “We have to change our attitude to gender equality. We can move much further by removing the barriers to gender equality by ensuring that
geographic, occupational, political and racial differences are diminished. We can do so by empowering women by ensuring that our communities, committees, commissions and our councils at all levels are more representative. We can do so by providing more opportunities for women’s employment by developing small and micro industries in villages and communities and by encouraging corporations to promote qualified women to executive positions.” “The vicious cycle of poverty has to be broken in order to create a virtuous cycle of gender equality. Jobs are necessary to enable poor women to enjoy sustainable incomes and to have a chance at exiting poverty.”
institution’s compound. The lorry is said to be attached to the Blairmont Sugar Estate.According to one of the injured, Ishwar Persaud, who was at the back of the lorry when the accident took place, the driver made a sudden dash that resulted in the vehicle toppling. “When da happen, the truck start roll and it fall over, some people get hard knock.” He stated that they were heading to Bath Settlement.
Meanwhile, driver of the estate lorry, Waheed Kaodabus, 37, told relatives that his brakes failed when he was about to stop for another worker at Cotton Tree Village. He said that he was heading west when the truck skidded off the road and subsequently toppled. He confirmed that there were 55 workers in the lorry at the time of the accident. No serious injuries were recorded.
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Thursday April 12 ,2018
Eight Cameroon athletes go missing at Australia’s Commonwealth Games Gold Coast (CNN) A third of Cameroon’s athletes attending the Commonwealth Games in Australia have gone missing, the team said in a statement Wednesday. Out of the total team of 24 members, five boxers and three weightlifters have disappeared over the space of three days, the statement said.They left in waves, with three going missing on the night of April 8, another two vanishing on April 9 before the remaining group left at night on April 10. Two of the eight left without competing. Team attache Simon Molombe said he did not expect them to return. “I don’t think they will be back,” Cameroon’s Molombe told CNN Sport, confirming their disappearance had been reported to Australian police. According to the team statement, the missing ath-
Olivier Heracles Matam Matam of Cameroon, here competing on April 5, has been listed missing by his team.
letes are: Weight lifter Arcangeline Fouodji Sonkbou; Boxer Arsene Fokou, Boxer Christelle Ndiang; Boxer Christian Ndzie Tchoyi; Weight lifter Olivier Hercales Matam Matam; Weight lifter
Petit David Minkoumba; Boxer Simplice Fotsala; Boxer Ulrich Yombo“Most of them departed in the night when everyone was sleeping. Nobody knows the direction they have gone,” Cameroon team
Algeria military plane crash: 257 dead near Algiers (BBC) An Algerian military plane has crashed near the capital killing 257 people on board, officials say. The aircraft came down just after taking off from Boufarik military airport, west of Algiers. An inquiry is under way into the cause of the crash Algeria’s worst-ever air disaster. The government has declared three days of national mourning.Most of the dead are army personnel and their families, the defence ministry says. Ten crew members also died.Passengers from Western Sahara, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco after Spain withdrew in 1975, were among the fatalities. The Polisario Front, which is seeking independence for the territory and is backed by Algeria, says 30 Western Saharans, including women and children, died. A senior member of Algeria’s ruling FLN party said those killed included 26 Polisario
members.The plane, an Ilyushin Il-76, was travelling to Bechar and Tindouf in the south-west of the country. The Tindouf region, which borders Western Sahara, is home to refugee camps and serves as a base for the Polisario Front.As one might expect in the immediate aftermath of such incidents, there are more questions than answers over this latest deadly plane crash in Algeria. For now, it is not known whether the cause was due to safety or mechanical problems, pilot error or interference - but these are elements that will likely be examined during the course of the investigation.The country’s maintenance record of both military and commercial aircrafts will also likely come under close scrutiny in the coming days. But for Algeria, and its military institution, the loss of life is a tragedy on a scale not seen before in its modern avia-
tion history.Witnesses say they saw a wing catch fire as the plane took off. It then went down, avoiding a highway and crashing into a field. A military aviation observer told the BBC that, based on how intact portions of the plane were, they believed the pilot had tried to crash-land.Dozens of firefighters and rescuers worked around the smouldering wreckage. One eyewitness told local television: “We saw bodies burned. It is a real disaster”. Officials are quoted as saying some survivors were taken to hospital, but it is unclear how many there were or what their current condition is.Wednesday’s plane crash is the deadliest in the world since July 2014, when all 298 people on board Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 died when it was shot down over eastern Ukraine. It is also the second-deadliest plane crash since 2003.
spokesman Simon Lyonga told CNN affiliate Seven News.According to Seven, the athletes’ visa requirements expire on May 15, allowing them to spend another month legally in Australia. David Grevemberg, Commonwealth Games Federation CEO, said the situation re-
mained an issue for the Cameroon team until the athletes breached their visas. “It is obviously disappointing that some of the athletes who have come didn’t compete when scheduled to compete,” he said at a press conference Wednesday. “I think it is also important to remember that these athletes are guests here in Australia and are still within their visas and have the right to travel freely.”The 2018 Games are currently underway in the Gold Coast in the
Australian State of Queensland. They’re expected to conclude on Sunday April 15.More than 4,500 athletes from 71 countries will take part during the course of the games, which began on April 5, competing for a total of 275 gold medalsIt is not the first time athletes have disappeared during major sporting events.During the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 25 competitors went missing, while 26 disappeared during the 2002 Games in Manchester.
Nationwide U.S. protests planned if Trump fires Mueller or Rosenstein (Reuters) - U.S. progressive groups are gearing up for nationwide protests if President Donald Trump fires the special counsel investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, or replaces the Justice Department official overseeing the probe.An ouster of Special Counsel Robert Mueller would signal that Trump was acting as if he was above the law, said
MoveOn.org, which is planning 800 demonstrations across the country.Every state will have at least one “Nobody Is Above The Law” rally and at least 320,000 people have pledged to attend so far, according to MoveOn’s website.Trump would also trigger protests if he fired Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is responsible for overseeing the
Syria war: Trump says missiles ‘will be coming’ (BBC) US President Donald Trump has tweeted that Russia should “get ready” for missiles to be fired at its ally Syria, in response to an alleged chemical attack near Damascus on Saturday. “Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’” Mr Trump said in his tweet. Senior Russian figures have threatened to meet any US strikes with a response. President Bashar alAssad’s government denies mounting a chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma.In one of his tweets on Wednesday, Mr Trump called the Syrian leader a “gas killing animal”. In another, he painted a dark picture of US-Russia relations but said it did not have to be that way. The US, UK and France
have agreed to work together and are believed to be preparing for a military strike in response to the alleged chemical attack at the weekend.On Tuesday, Mr Trump cancelled his first official trip to Latin America so he could focus on Syria.That decision suggests the US response may involve a larger military operation than a limited strike, says the BBC’s Barbara Plett Usher in Washington .But following President Trump’s early morning tweets on Wednesday, other administration figures struck a more circumspect note.Defence Secretary James Mattis said the US w a s s t i l l a ssessing the chemical attack and that the US military stood ready “to provide military options if they are appropriate as the president determines”.
Russia probe, or if he pardoned associates targeted in the investigation, such as former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort, MoveOn said.Trump has been critical of the Mueller investigation, calling it a “witch hunt”. He threatened to fire Mueller after the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided his personal lawyer’s offices on Monday, based partly on a referral by the special counsel.U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Wednesday he had been assured Trump did not intend to fire Mueller.Other groups behind the planned protests include Friends of the Earth, the American Federation of Teachers, and veterans organizations, MoveOn said. “We can’t have the highest office of the land exempt from abiding by the law,” Friends of the Earth U.S. President Erich Picha said by telephone, adding that his group would support impeachment of Trump should he fire Mueller.MoveOn said Mueller’s firing would create a constitutional crisis and compared the action to President Richard Nixon’s move to oust officials investigating the Watergate scandal. The White House said on Tuesday that Trump “believes he has the power” to fire Mueller, who has widened his probe into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow.
Thursday April 12 ,2018
Kaieteur News
Brazil’s leftists rename themselves ‘Lula’
Supporters of Brazilian former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva camp in the surroundings of the Federal Police headquarters where the ex-president is serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption, in Curitiba, Brazi. BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) — If Brazil’s right-wing politicians thought they’d seen the last of Lula with his imprisonment, they couldn’t have reckoned on running into more than 60 new “Lulas” popping up in Congress yesterday. Like an army of clones, members of Lula’s Workers’ Party in the legislature have changed their names to that of their fiery leader. The tribute to the disgraced two-term former president - and gleeful dig at his opponents — was led by the Workers’ Party head, Senator Gleisi Hoffmann. From now on, she will be referred to in the legislature as Gleisi Lula Hoffmann, she wrote in a letter to the Senate speaker published yesterday.That includes every time the speaker wishes to call upon her during debates and the way her name will appear on the electronic voting board. The party’s leader in the lower house, hitherto known as Paulo Pimenta, sent a similar letter: he is now Paulo Lula Pimenta.
The 60 Workers’ Party deputies in the lower house have followed suit.The stunt doesn’t go as far as legally changing the politicians’ names, but “it’s a way to show our solidarity,” said a party spokesman. The backlash, however, has already started. Sostenes Cavalcante, from the small rightwing DEM party, has informed that he will now make Moro his middle name, paying tribute to Judge Sergio Moro, who convicted Lula.And Capitao Augusto, from the rightwing Partido da Republica, insists on becoming Capitao Augusto Bolsonaro — a reference to Jair Bolsonaro, a hard-right former army captain, presidential candidate and scourge of Lula. Lula was convicted of taking a seaside apartment as a bribe and imprisoned Saturday to start serving a 12-year sentence. He says the trial was a plot to prevent him from running in October presidential elections in which he currently in the lead.
Police officers could go on trial seven years after the death of a Canadian visitor ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada - CMC – Five police officers, who are accused of causing the death of Canadian visitor, Oscar Bartholomew, in 2011, will appear in court on April 20. Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Christopher Nelson, said that the men were arraigned on Tuesday and that the case management is set for next Friday. “Case management is preparation for trial or what is called a status hearing. It’s preparing all the documentation that will be required for the trial,” he said, while explaining that the matter is likely to be heard at a future sitting of the High Court. Attorney Anselm Clouden who is defending three of the police officers, said he hopes the ddate for the trial would be set at the case management session. The police officers -Edward Gibson, Kenton Hazzard, Ruddy Felix, Shaun Garness and Wendell Sylvester- have been jointly charged with manslaughter after they were
accused of beating Bartholomew, a Grenadian born Canadian citizen, into a fatal coma on December 26, 2011. The incident is alleged to have occurred on the compound of the St David Police Station after Bartholomew bear-hugged a plainclothes policewoman, who he allegedly mistook for a long-time friend. Her reaction to the hug cause her colleagues to react in a manner that resulted in the beating. He later died at the General Hospital. Bartholomew was in Grenada for the Christmas holidays with his wife. In March 2013, Justice Septimus Rudd squashed the manslaughter charges against the officers after ruling that there should be a Coroner’s Inquest in keeping with Section (9) of the pre-Constitutional Coroner’s Act. The Coroner’s inquest has since concluded with a recommendation that the men be held culpable for the death. On Tuesday they were each placed on EC$30,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) bail.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday April 12 ,2018
UN agency rolls out regional response to deal with ongoing Venezuelans exodus UNITED NATIONS CMC – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched a regional action plan to bolster its response to the exodus from Venezuela amid the worsening political and socio-economic situation in the South American country. The IOM said that an estimated 1.6 million Venezuelans have left the country in 2017, up from 700,000 in 2015, with an estimated 1.3 million living in the Americas, including the Caribbean. “The plan is tailored to specific national contexts across 17 countries including eight South American countries, six Caribbean countries, two Central American countries and M e x i co,” said Marcelo Pisani, IOM Regional Director for Central America, North America and the Caribbean. IOM said the exodus is showing no signs of abating and that more than 800 Venezuelans enter Brazil on a daily basis, bringing the total arrivals to more than 52,000 since the beginning of
2017.IOM said its regional plan “seeks to strengthen the response to the needs and priorities expressed by concerned governments, and focuses on such activities as data collection and dissemination, capacity building and coordination, direct support and socioeconomic integration.” IOM Regional Director for South America, Diego Beltrand, is urging host countries to consider adopting measures, such as regularizing the stay of Venezuelans, and called for the international community to contribute to the regional plan, which requires US$32.3 million to implement. Last month, as deepening economic woes forced thousands of Venezuelans to flee the crisis-gripped country, the United Nations issued guidance on treating the population as “refugees,” while the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the outflow into neighbouring countries constitutes a “humanitarian disaster.” “The movements are tak-
ing place for a variety of reasons, including insecurity and violence, lack of food, medicine or access to essential social services as well as loss of income,” Aikaterini Kitidi, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters at a press briefing in Geneva. “While not all Venezuelans leaving are prompted to do so for refugee-related reasons, it is becoming increasingly clear that, while all may not be refugees, a significant number are in need of international protection,” she added. Since 2014, the UN said there has been a 2,000 per cent increase in the number of Venezuelan nationals seeking asylum worldwide, principally in the Americas during the last year. Last week, the Acting Chief Immigration Officer in Trinidad and Tobago, Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews, told a select Joint Committee of Parliament that an estimated 2,000 Venezuelans have applied for asylum there in recent months.
Kaieteur News
Thursday April 12 ,2018
President denies refusing to appoint minister PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – President Paula Mae Weekes yesterday denied social media reports that she had refused to act upon the advice of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley and appoint former sports minister Darryl Smith as Minister in the Ministry of Housing. Smith has since been dismissed from the Cabinet after Prime Minister Rowley said Tuesday that he had acted on new information. On Monday, Prime Minister Rowley removed Smith as the Sports and Youth Minister, after the Sunday Express newspaper in an exclusive story exposed his alleged unwanted sexual advances on his personal secretary Carrie-Ann Moreau, which she detailed in her witness statement in support of her claim for wrongful dismissal at the Industrial Court. In a statement, the Office of the President noted she had become aware “that there is currently in circulation on social media, a message stating that the President refused to act upon the Prime Minister’s advice and appoint Darryl Smith as Minister in the Ministry of Housing.
President Paula Mae Weekes
Darryl Smith
“Her Excellency denies unequivocally any such action,” and reminded citizens that under the Trinidad and Tobago Constitution the Head of State acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, “may, by directions in writing, assign to the Prime Minister or any other Minister responsibility for any business of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, including the administration of any department of Government.” “In other words, the President is mandated by the Constitution to appoint Min-
ister of Government whenever advised to do so by the Prime Minister unless the individual fails to satisfy a condition required by the Constitution,” the statement noted. The statement said that President Weekes, who last month became the first woman to be sworn in as Head of State “is greatly distressed and dismayed by this fabrication particularly in light of her reminder to citizens and the media in her Inauguration Address of their duty to report responsibly which includes avoiding disseminating misinformation”.
Former prime minister threatening lawsuit over multi-billion dollar project CASTRIES, St. Lucia CMC – Former prime minister Dr. Kenny Anthony is threatening to take legal action to force the St. Lucia government to re-negotiate a multibillion dollar investment that critics claim poses serious environmental concerns and would also drive many farmers and small businesses into bankruptcy. The Allen Chastanet government has in the past defended the US$2.6 billion “Pearl of the Caribbean” project as “one of the most adventurous and ambitious projects in the Caribbean. The project, which entails a horse racing track, high-end hotel and residences, a casino, free trade zone, an equine diseases free zone, and a marina, is being undertaken by the Hong Kongbased Desert Star Holdings (DSH), and the government said it is poised to make St. Lucia “an even more unique destination and create economic activity as never before seen in the south of the island”.But Anthony, who until June 2016 headed the government here, said he is
Dr. Kenny Anthony prepared to proceed with legal action against the DSH project.“There are a number of individuals and groups who have issues with the DSH programme. I mean there are farmers for example who are seriously affected, “There are NGOs (nongovernmental organisations) in the community who have fought repeatedly against the DSH and questioned the very basis for DSH. We will see how that goes, what I can say is this legal action is not only just going to be premised on e n v i r o n m e n t a l
issues…certainly it will have to be supported by testimonies from other persons in the community,” said Anthony, who is also an attorney. “I suspect there will be affidavits drawn from various individuals and community organisations,” Anthony said, adding that he was prepared for the legal battle given the “many examples where ordinary people have triumphed in circumstances similar to the situation we face here.Anthony told television viewers that ‘the good thing is this, the law has moved tremendously over the last couple years (and) there have been some fascinating decisions coming out of Belize for example where the courts have refined their approach in terms of what is in the public interest and what is not in the public interest “During his contribution to the budget debate earlier this month, Anthony told legislators that within the next few weeks he would be moving to the courts to “secure appropriate declarations” insisting that he had a duty to protect his constituents.
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Thursday April 12 ,2018
Thursday April 12, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Blatter hits out at FIFA’s World Cup bidding process ZURICH (Reuters) Former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter says he is shocked at a rule which has been inserted into the World Cup bidding process that could allow a five-man task force to disqualify a candidate before a democratic vote is held. In 2011 the FIFA Congress, where each of the global soccer body’s 211 member associations hold one vote, was given the right to choose the World Cup hosts following a change proposed by Blatter while he was president. The first hosting decision since then will be in June at the Congress in Moscow, where only two bids are in the running - a joint proposal from the United States/Canada/ Mexico and one from Morocco. However, the two bids
must first pass a technical inspection from a five-man task force, which has the power to disqualify a candidate whose proposal is seen as not up to scratch. Blatter, who was banned for six years in 2015 for unethical conduct but has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and believes he can get the suspension reversed, told Reuters that both candidates should have the right to present their bids to Congress. The Swiss said he was concerned “that there is a movement” where a “special task force” will be given power “to decide who will be a candidate or not”. He added: “That is not possible.” “You cannot deny one of the candidates (the chance) to go to Congress. This is a principle and I stick to this
Former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter. [Photo/Agencies] principle... I was shocked.” Before 2011, World Cup hosting was decided by FIFA’s executive committee, which had 24 members at the time. But the previous bidding process, for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments became embroiled in allegations of ille-
Thursday April 12, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Love and romance should be flying high for you now, Aries. If you're single, you could soon form an incredible relationship.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Spiritual and psychic matters come to the forefront today, Libra. You could be greatly inspired to express yourself creatively.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You should be feeling physically strong, healthy, and energetic today, Taurus, although you could also be a little lightheaded.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Are you contemplating a move of some kind, Scorpio? Perhaps you're thinking about relocating to be closer to members of a group with which you're affiliated.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) In future years, you might remember today as one of the best days of your life, Gemini. Romance should be going beautifully. You could exchange deeply felt words of love with your partner. CANCER(June21–July22) Happiness reigns in the home as friends and family members gather for a long-awaited reunion, Cancer. Or you could be hosting a gathering of friends and acquaintances interested in the arts or psychic or metaphysical matters. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Group activities, perhaps with a social, ecological, or humanitarian focus, could take place today somewhere in your neighborhood, Leo. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your values could undergo a complete turnaround today, Virgo. Recent developments in the world, your community, among your circle of friends, and within you could make you realize
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Communication with friends, siblings, and neighbors should be open, congenial, and supportive today, Sagittarius. A gathering could open the door to new friendships CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Career matters couldn't be going better right now, Capricorn, especially if you're in one of the communication fields, including writing, publishing, teaching, the Internet, or mass media. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Have you been planning a trip by air, Aquarius, perhaps to a distant place associated with a specific spiritual tradition? Warm places like Egypt, Mexico, or Israel could be especially appealing now. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Some vivid, inspiring, and intense dreams or visions could come your way today, Pisces.
gitimate attempts to influence the committee’s voting members. The finals were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively at the same time after a vote in December 2010. A subsequent FIFA investigation detailed numerous attempts to influence the voting officials but there was no suggestion the race should be rerun. NEW FORMAT Swiss Blatter, FIFA president from 1998 to 2015, was also wary of the new 48-team format to be used at the 2026 World Cup, when the tournament will be increased from 32 countries. The teams will be divided into 16 groups of three in the first round, with the top two qualifying for the round of 32. One team in each group will not play on a given match day. “We will see what will happen with 48 teams but one thing cannot be done - to play in groups of three because we had this problem in 1982 in Spain,” Blatter said. In that tournament the second round had four groups of three teams, with the winners qualifying for the
Boyce/ Jefford... From page 33 that the Boyce and Jefford Committee can play a pivotal role in ensuring that there is good competition to contribute to having success on the greater stage,” Boyce stressed. Vice-Chairman of the Committee, Edison Jefford also confirmed what the monetary prizes will look like come April 22. “We will not just be giving away trophies, most of the event will carry monetary prizes, the relays alone might be around $800,000 and we have increased the prize money of each relay event. I can say for a fact that the Football, Cricket and Dominos competitions will also have prize money attached to it,” Jefford stated.
semi-finals. The format was never used again during Blatter’s tenure. “In groups of three, there is always one spectator (a team who will not be in action),” he added. The 82-year-old was also wary of the video assistant referee (VAR) system which was approved by soccer’s rule-making body IFAB in March and will be used at this year’s World Cup. “For a purist in football as I am, I think it is an innovation which is going too fast,” said Blatter. “Most of the referees have never worked this system and to go the World Cup and to introduce this system in the World Cup, I think it is not very clever.” Blatter said that when VAR was first mooted, the idea was to give teams the right to challenge decisions, as in tennis or cricket. But under the system approved
in March, the referee or the video assistant decides when to review a decision. “I don’t feel comfortable, definitely not, and spectators don’t feel comfortable,” he said. Blatter remained confident he could overturn his ban, which was imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee shortly after the Swiss attorney general’s office began criminal proceedings against him on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation. No charges have yet been brought and Blatter has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. “So if they come to the solution (conclusion) that it is not criminal, then why, why have we been suspended?” he asked. “There is a possibility that this suspension will be lifted, although I don’t think it will happen before the World Cup.”
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In duel of Olympic champions, Miller-Uibo edges Thompson GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) — Shaunae MillerUibo got the better of a side-by-side duel with Elaine Thompson in a rehearsal for the 200-meter final at the Commonwealth Games. There was no gold medal on the line yesterday when Olympic 100- and 200meter champion Thompson and the 400-meter gold medalist met in the semifinals, so Miller-Uibo didn’t require the dive across the finish line that made her one of the photographic highlights of the last Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The Bahamas sprinter won their semifinal race in 22.48 seconds and Thompson, who didn’t run the 100, eased off to finish in 22.95. The Jamaican got away quickly and caught MillerUibo in her immediate outside lane as they rounded into the straightaway. But when Miller-Uibo pushed back, Thompson appeared to let her go. With the final 24 hours away, neither offered comment as they left the track. Shericka Jackson qualified fastest in a career-best 22.20, followed by Dina Asher-Smith of England in 22.44 and Miller-Uibo. Wi t h o u t T h o m p s o n racing the 100, Jamaica had to settle for silver and bronze on the Gold Coast. Yohan Blake was also upset in the men’s 100 and finished with bronze, meaning Jamaica is still awaiting a sprint gold at the games. The Jamaicans had to settle for silver and bronze again when Amantle Montsho won the 400meter final in the last event of the night. Montsho won in 50.15, narrowly missing the games record she set in 2010, holding off Anastasia
Le-Roy and Stephenie McPherson to give Botswana top spot on the podium. It was a double for her country after Isaac Makwala won men’s 400 the previous night. One track gold the Jamaicans did get wasn’t entirely expected, when Aisha Praught won the w o m e n ’s 3 , 0 0 0 - m e t e r steeplechase. Kenyans swept the medals in this event at the last two Commonwealth Games and it seemed another was on the way until Praught made her move on the last water jump and pulled away to win in 9:21. Kenyan teammates Celliphine Chepteek Chespol and Purity Cherotich Kirui settled for silver and bronze. Praught, who trains in the United States with world champion Emma Coburn, said the Jamaicans were going to come back stronger. “If we don’t win a gold in the 100, we’ll win one in the steeplechase. We’re just switching it up,” she said. Recently retired Usain Bolt arrived on Wednesday as the cheerleader-in-chief for the Jamaicans, and Praught said it would give the team a lift. “ H e ’s b e e n s u c h a n amazing role model, even though we couldn’t be in further events from each other — you just learn from the greats,” she said. “I’m glad he’s here. Hopefully he can raise people’s spirits.” In other games news yesterday: MISSING ATHLETES Eight Cameroon athletes have left the athletes village without notifying team officials. Team officials say the five boxers and three
Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson looks at the scoreboard following her second place finish in her women’s 200m semifinal at Carrara Stadium during the 2018 Commonwealth Games. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) weightlifters left the Gold Coast village over the past three days, some before their scheduled competitions. Games officials say the athletes haven’t broken any laws but urged them not to violate the conditions of their visas. CALAMITOUS KIWIS New Zealand’s Silver Ferns lost for the second time in the group stage of the netball, which had been almost unthinkable before the games. England’s 54-45 upset win followed the New Zealand’s shocking loss to Malawi. New Zealand has played in every Commonwealth Games gold-medal match — against Australia
— since the sport was introduced to the program in 1998. The news wasn’t any b e t t e r a t f i e l d h o c k e y, w h e r e N e w Z e a l a n d ’s men’s team lost to rival Australia 2-1, allowing the Australians to finish in first place in their pool. BEACH VOLLEYBALL Australia will play C a n a d a i n m e n ’s g o l d medal match in the games debut of beach volleyball. Chris McHugh and Damien Schumann beat the England team of Chris Gregory and Jake Sheaf 21-13, 21-16 in the semifinals. They will play Canadian teammates Samuel Pedlow and Sam Schachter, who
Shaunae Miller-Uibo reacts after winning her women’s 200m semifinal at Carrara Stadium during the 2018 Commonwealth Games yesterday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) beat New Zealand 21-18, 21-15 in the other semifinal match. SHOOTING STARS Shreyasi Singh of India took advantage of a late collapse by Emma Cox to win gold in the women’s double trap in a shoot-off. Cox entered the final round with a seven-point lead and needed to hit only 19 of her last 30 targets to ensure gold. But the Australian fell one short to finish level with Singh with 96 out of 120 targets, and then was the first shooter to miss. “I just had it in me that I want to win the gold medal,” said Singh, who finished second in
Glasgow in 2014. “I don’t want to go back with another silver.” FIELD RECORDS — At the athletics stadium, Luvo Manyonga of South Africa set a gamesrecord of 8.41 meters to win the long jump. — Kathryn Mitchell threw a games-record 68.92 meters with her first attempt in the javelin and nobody else got close, giving Australia the first gold medal of the night on the track. — Brandon Starc, the younger brother of Australian international cricketer Mitchell Starc, won the high jump after clearing 2.32 meters.
Highlights on day seven of the Commonwealth Games GOLD COAST, Australia (Reuters) - Highlights on day seven of the Commonwealth Games: 1010 MITCHELL SETS NEW RECORD TO WIN JAVELIN GOLD Kathryn Mitchell led an Australian one-two in the women’s javelin throw final as she set a new Games record mark of 68.92m to win the gold medal ahead of compatriot Kelsey-Lee Roberts. South African Sunette Viljoen took the bronze. 1000 PRAUGHT OUSTS KIRUI TO WIN 3000M STEEPLECHASE Jamaican Aisha Praught finished ahead of Kenyan duo Celliphine Chepteek Chespol
and Purity Cherotich Kirui, who was the defending champion, to win the gold medal in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase.Chespol took the early lead before being charged down by Praught, who recorded a time of nine minutes 21.00 seconds to seal gold ahead of the Kenyan. Kirui, who ran an underwhelming nine minutes 25.74 seconds, took the bronze. 0800 SCOTLAND’S WALLACE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENTAGED 24 Scottish swimmer Daniel Wallace has announced his retirement at the age of 24, saying he had achieved everything he had wanted to in
the sport. Wallace won bronze medals in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relay teams at this year’s Games, adding to his World Championships relay gold in 2015, Olympic relay silver in 2016 and individual gold and silver medals at the 2014 Glasgow Games. “It was amazing to win two medals at my last Games, my last competition ever,” Wallace told BBC Scotland. “It was obviously a goal of mine to come away with a medal or two, so I’m really happy I’ve done that. “I’d done everything I wanted to do within the
sport so it was just about enjoying the last moments, the last Games, and the last chance to represent Scotland...,” he added. “Performance-wise I achieved way more than I ever wanted to do. I went from a boy to being a man, and hopefully did a lot of people proud.” 0730 UGANDA THUMP SCOTLAND BUT FAIL TO MAKE SEMIS The Ugandan women’s netball team, who made their Games debut this year, outclassed Scotland 57-37 in the final Pool B match but failed to make it to the semi-finals. Uganda needed to win by at least 40 points to
make the most of New Zealand’s defeat by England earlier on Wednesday and move into second position in the group, but the She Cranes failed to do so. The Kiwis are now through to the semi-finals on goal percentage. 0620 MCMATH GOLD HELPS SCOTLAND BREAK RECORD MEDAL TALLY Scotland shooter David McMath won the gold medal in the men’s double trap to help the nation surpass their record tally of 29 medals at an overseas Commonwealth Games. Isle of Man’s Tim Kneale
won his country’s first medal at this year’s Games by taking silver while Ankur Mittal continued India’s medal rush at the shooting range by winning the bronze. 0520 SINGH WINS SHOOT-OFF TO GRAB GOLD Indian Shreyasi Singh won a sudden death shootoff against Australia’s Emma Cox to win the gold medal in the women’s double trap final, after the duo both finished with a score of 96 in four rounds. Singh won with a score of 96+2 while Cox took the silver with a score of 96+1 and Scotland’s Linda Pearson winning bronze on 87.
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Kaieteur News
Hand-in-Hand 3-Day Inter-County U-19 Cricket
Algoo’s ton spurs B’ce to 9-Wkt win over E’bo despite Jones’ all round efforts
Mark Ramsammy has looked the most level batsman yesterday before he suffered a brain freeze and was stumped. Story and photos by Sean Devers A well compiled century from Alex Algoo spurred Berbice to an emphatic nine-wicket victory against Essequibo in the closing stages of the penultimate day of their three-day first round Hand-in-Hand InterCounty 19 match yesterday at Lusignan. Scores: E’bo (80 & 145), B’ce 222 & 4-1). Berbice resumed yesterday on 149-3 with Algoo on 83 and Javed Karim on 10 and were dismissed on the stroke of Lunch for 222 as Algoo took his overnight score to 111, decorated with 10 fours and two sixes and lasting 292 minutes and 211 balls.
Algoo joined Demerara’s Bhaskar Yadram who became the first batsman to score an Under-19 Inter-County triple century, as the second batsman to register a hundred in this year’s tournament. But when he was bowled by Reyad Khan at 198-8 only Karim (15) and Karan Arjpaul (10*) reached double figures yesterday. Algoo and Kevlon Anderson (36), who shared in a 79-run partnership on the first day, made 147 of the 222 runs made by Berbice who need to bat much better against defending Champions Demerara at Bourda in the second round which starts on Saturday.
The main wreaker for Essequibo was the burly 18-year-old pacer Joshua Jones who bowled a lively spell on a low and slow track and was rewarded with 4-25. Khan supported with 2-24 while Sherlon Anthony bagged 2-27 for Essequibo. The Essequibians were soon 23-2 with both openers; Orlando Jailall and Kevin Christian, back in the pavilion. Mark Ramsammy demonstrated the best temperament among the Essequibo batsmen in a team that played as if they were in a T20 game and along with Kurt Lovell took the score to 52. But the correct looking Ramsammy seemed to suf-
Joshua Jones hit three sixes and three fours in 27-ball 39 yesterday to ensure B’ce had to bat again.
MOM Alex Algoo collects his trophy for E’bo Manager Ramanrine.
Jones, who had five wickets in the match, bowls to Algoo at Lusignan. fer a ‘brain freeze and charged Trevon Stanislous, missed a wild swipe and was stumped after spending over an hour at the crease for his 13. Shane Wong (0) was bowled by Arjpaul and at Tea Essequibo were once again wobbling on the ropes at 52-4. After the break Lovell, who struck three boundaries in his 69-ball 22, was bowled by Keith Simpson at 80-5 and although they had reached their first innings total Essequibo were in danger of not getting the 143 to avoid an innings defeat. H o w e v e r, Quinton Sampson clobbered four sixes from 22 balls in a cameo 27 before he was bowled by Kevin Sinclair after he hit Junior Sinclair for three massive sixes in
one over and his demise left Essequibo on 98-6 and staring an innings defeat in the face. Joel Fortune was bowled by Karan Umrou for a duck at 98-7 and even thought Jones, one of brightest prospects from the Essequibo team, deposited Arjpaul for a couple of sixes and a four in an over which cost 16 runs, his team still needed 23 with just 3 wickets in hand to make Berbice bat again with an hour remaining on day two. Jones’s big hitting and intelligent ploy of taking most of the strike ensured that Berbice would bat again. With the score on 143 the powerful Jones, who gave-up the chance of throwing the Javelin at last year’s CARIFTA Games, to
play cricket for Guyana in the Regional U-19 tournament, was stupendously taken by an airborne Junior Sinclair at deep extra cover in one of the better catches seen in local cricket at any level. Jones’ demise for 39 from 27 balls with three sixes and three fours meant Berbice had to score four to win. Algoo was caught behind hooking at Jones of the first ball of the innings before Kevin Sinclair finished the contest with a boundary off the next ball.
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Govt. collaborates with private sector to acquire replay screen for 2018 Women’s T20 DPI, Guyana, -The private sector has signalled its interest in collaborating with the government to have the replay screen up in time for the International Cricket Council (ICC) 2018 Women’s Twenty20 World Cup. This was disclosed by Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI). This follows a commitment by the minister to exploit every avenue possible to have the replay screen up. However, Minister Norton said he could not divulge the name of the individual at this time. “The replay screen is directly going to be financed by the private sector. There is somebody from the private sector who has undertaken to do so,” the minister stated. He also disclosed that all specifications have been given to the individual and the ministry is currently awaiting a response. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women’s T/ 20 World Cup, bowls off in the
Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton. West Indies from November 9 and runs until November 24, 2018. The preliminary round matches will be held at the Guyana National Stadium and Darren Sammy Stadium in Saint Lucia, while Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda will stage the two semi-finals and the final. The tournament would be the sixth of its kind and the second to be hosted in the West Indies. The West Indies
Women’s team, who are the defending champions, will go head to head against nine other countries, eight of whom have already qualified. These include Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka. Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Uganda and two Asia qualifiers will vie for the two remaining spots courtesy of a qualifier in the Netherlands in June. (Isaiah Braithwaite)
Dhoni to return to Pune as CSK forced to move home venue ESPNcricinfo - Chennai Super Kings will lose their home advantage for the rest of the 2018 season. The IPL has decided to move their six remaining home games out of Chennai in the wake of protests during the first match, and threats to disrupt more fixtures. CSK’s home games will be played in Pune instead. Kasi Viswananthan, the Super Kings CEO, met the Chennai police commissioner on Wednesday and was advised to shift the matches because of the ongoing protests in the city over the Cauvery river water issue, a long-standing dispute between Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring state Karnataka. The Maharashtra Cricket Association president Abhay Apte told ESPNcricinfo he had requested the IPL to consider Pune as CSK’s alterna-
Thursday April 12, 2018
Kaieteur News
tive home venue. Rajkot, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram were the other cities in consideration by the IPL. The Pune ground is familiar to CSK captain MS Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming, who were part of the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise in 2016 and 2017. The Super Kings already have experience playing home games away from home; four of their home matches were moved to Ranchi in 2014 due to the dispute between Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the local municipal corporation. Chennai had hosted Kolkata Knight Riders on April 10, marking the return of the IPL to the city after the franchise had completed a two-year ban for corruption. However the lead-up to the game was not peaceful, with
political parties organising rallies in the vicinity of the MA Chidambaram Stadium, protesting the Cauvery river water issue. Several local political parties and fringe groups wanted a boycott of the IPL matches in Chennai till the dispute was resolved. There was trouble during the match as well. A group of spectators flung shoes in the vicinity of Super Kings players on the boundary, prompting the intervention of police. The incident happened in the eighth over of the game, after which the concerned spectators were evicted from the ground and, as per reports, taken into custody. While there was no confirmation that the shoe-throwing incident was directly related to the Cauvery river water issue, it was the likely cause.
Praught makes history, Wilson delivers Bahamas first medal GOLD COAST, Australia, CMC – Aisha Praught produced an historic title for Jamaica in the women’s 3 000 metres steeplechase here yesterday, ending Kenya’s dominance in the event and earning the Caribbean nation its third gold of the Commonwealth Games. The 28-year-old Praught trailed pre-race favourite Celliphine Chespol of Kenya entering the final lap and was still behind the World Under20 record-holder coming off the final water jump. Once in the final stretch, however, Praught unleashed a turn of speed to overtake Chespol and clinch Jamaica’s first-ever gold medal in the event. “I just put in the work every day and believe that I can race anyone. We need medals. We need to band together as a nation,” the United States-born athlete said afterwards. “If we don’t win a gold in the 100, we’ll win one in the steeplechase. We’re just switching it up.” Praught crossed the line in a time of nine minutes, 21 seconds to stun the field, forcing Chespol into second in 9:22.61, with Kenyan teammate and defending champion Purity Kirui, taking bronze in 9:25.74. While Praught topped the podium, fellow Jamaicans Anastasia Le-Roy and Stephenie McPherson were forced to settle for the runners-up medals in the women’s 400m, after
Botswana’s Amantle Montsho stormed to gold in a season-best 50.15. Le-Roy remained steady to capture silver in 50.57 while defending champion McPherson took bronze in 50.93 In the men’s high jump, the Bahamas claimed its first medal when Jamal Wilson picked up silver with jump of 2.30 metres. He was edged out for gold by Brandon Starc – the younger brother of Australia fast bowler Mitchell Clark – who posted a personal best 2.32m. “It feels excellent. Thank God. I want to thank my family, thank everyone who supported me,” said the 29-yearold Wilson. “I feel good. This is the first international medal that I got as a senior athlete and I want to just keep this moving forward and celebrate this one.” Meanwhile, Thursday’s men’s 200m final will boast three Caribbean sprinters after Jamaican Warren Weir, along with the Trinidadian pair of Jereem Richards and Kyle Greaux advanced from the semi-finals. The 28-year-old Weir, an Olympic bronze medallist in London and who also took silver at the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, finished fourth in semi-final one in 20.62 but qualified as one of two fastest losers. Greaux clocked 20.66 to finish second in semi-final two behind Zharnel Hughes,
formerly of Anguilla but now representing England, who won the race in 20.37. Richards, a bronze medallist at last year’s World Championships in London, won the last semi-final in 20.31. Jamaicans Kenroy Anderson (disqualified) and Rasheed Dwyer (20.82), Bahamian Teray Smith (20.71), Antiguan Tahir Walsh (21.13) and Barbadian Burkheart Ellis (20.79) all missed out. In the women’s equivalent, Olympic champions Elaine Thompson and Shaunae Miller-Uibo set up a downdown in the final when they were two of five Caribbean sprinters to advance. Thompson, the 200m champion, clocked 22.95 seconds as she finished second to the Miller-Uibo (22.48), the 400m champion, in semi-final two. Jamaican Shericka Jackson also made her presence felt, racing to a personal best 22.28 to win semi-final one, with Trinidadian Semoy Hackett finishing third in 22.97 to also advance. Jackson’s teammate Shashalee Forbes ran second in the last semi-final to book her spot in a time of 22.93. There was no such luck for Bahamian Anthonique Strachan (23.62) and Trinidadians Kamaria Durant (23.83) and Kai Selvon (23.42). In the women’s long jump, Bahamian Bianca Stuart and Chantel Malone of the British Virgin Islands qualified for today’s final.
Queen’s Prize Individual Finals - Day 1
Br aithw aite ends ffla la wless da y Braithw aithwaite lawless day in 8th of 33 shooters; Goodluck is 25th just 4 shots off In the sport of fullbore shooting even a flawless day can see you down the grid and this is exactly the scenario with Guyanese Lennox Braithwaite who did not drop a single point on day one of the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Prize Individual Finals. The leading Caribbean marksman, shot possibles at the 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges 35:2, 35:5, 35:3 for a total of 105:10 and even with such a performance ended the day in 8th place as seven other shooters also fired possibles at each of the ranges but had more Vs. Braithwaite’s partner in the Pairs competition where Guyana ended 11th of the sixteen competing nations and
the top Caribbean country, Ransford Goodluck, dropped 4 points and will go into today’s second day in the 25th place. At the three ranges, Goodluck posted scores of 33:4, 34:0, 34:2 for a total of 101:6. In the top spot is A u s t r a l i a ’s J i m B a i l e y (105:15) followed by New Zealand’s John Snowden (105:14) and Brian Carter (105:14) in 2nd and 3rd, David Luckman of England (105:13), Ben Emms of Australia (105:13), Jersey’s Barry Le Cheminant (105:12), Parag Patel of England (105:12) just ahead of Braithwaite. Young Barbadian shooter Jason Wood is 23rd (102:4) is two spots ahead of
Goodluck. Jamaican Denis Nelson is 26th (99:6), Delborn Joseph of Trinidad and Tobago is next (98:7), Barbadian Richard Arthur (96:1) in 28th, Jamaican David Rickman (95:2) 30th, T&T’s Michael Perez (94:5) 31st with the Antigua and Barbuda duo of Desroy Maile (92:3) and Edworth Benjamin (85:4) in the 32nd and 33rd positions. Braithwaite would be aiming to replicate yesterday’s performance today, while Goodluck will seek to emulate his countryman when they aim from the same 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges. Tomorrow would be a practice day and dress rehearsal for Saturday’s final two ranges, 900 and 1000.
Thursday April 12, 2018
Yadram unbeaten triple century, Nedd five-wicket haul put Demerara in driver’s seat
Ashmead Nedd in action Bhaskar Yadram created history when he became the first batsman to score a triple century, while left arm spinner Ashmead Nedd grabbed five wickets to hand Demerara the upper hand against the select U-17 Team when the Guyana Cricket Board Handin-Hand inter county U-19 three-day tournament continued yesterday at Everest Cricket Club. Resuming on their overnight 446-8 with Yadram on 259 and Qumar Torrington on seven, Demerara declared on 489-8 in the first session just after Yadram reached his triple figure mark; he finished on 301, while Torrington made seven not out. Yadram took boundaries off Gevon Schultz and Sachin Singh to race to his record breaking feat; in all he counted 28 fours and 16 sixes, faced 262 balls and batted for 262 minutes. Even though Yadram anchored his team’s innings, his knock surprisingly didn’t get the type of recognition it deserved as his team mates didn’t even give him at least
Sachin Singh some cheers much less a standing ovation when he was leaving the field. Prior to Yadram achievement, the highest individual score at this level was held by Leon Johnson with 193. Niron Bissu claimed 4-69 and Nigel Deodat 2-90. Openers Sachin Singh and Navindra Persaud got the U17s reply off to a decent start as they added 74 with sensible batting. However, the introduction of spin provided Demerara with the breakthrough as Nedd induced
Singh to nick a wide delivery to wicket-keeper Adrian Hinds. Singh departed for 60 with eight fours and two sixes. Nedd then bowled Persaud (13), while Dwayne Dick had Andrew Samaroo (05) lbw before Nedd removed Seon Glasgow (00) leaving the score at 81-4. Nedd maintained a tidy line and accounted for Andre Seepersaud (02), Lance Roberts (01) before Yeudistir Persaud and Deodat added 41 for the seven-wicket. Persaud timed the ball well and hit six fours before he fell to Nedd for 48, while Deodat went for 16. Sheldon Charles made 16, while Schultz fell for one leaving Bissu not out on eight as the Select U17 Team were bowled out for 180 in the final session. Nedd finished with 5-38, while Beaton had 3-20. Dick and Steffan Wilson had one each. Trailing by 309, batting a second time, the U17s ended the day on 11-1 with Singh falling lbw to Dick for 10. Play continues at 10:00hrs today.
Boyce/Jefford launches 3rd Edition of relay festival and fun day It was announced at a press conference yesterday at the Windjammer Hotel that the Boyce and Jefford Committee will host its third Relay Festival and Fun Day on April 22 at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.”We are adding the 4x800 metres relay which would be new to the event, we will have football, dominos, cricket and we will continue with the wheel chair race which was started last year. The event will commence from 10:30hrs with a number of relay events in addition to Cycling, Football, Cricket, Dominos, Amputee and
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Wheel chair races at the Eve Leary ground. “We will also have for the first time Amputee races and there will also be Cycling that will include for the first time a female race because we believe that females are an important part of what we are trying to do with the development of sport,”informed Technical Director of the Boyce/Jefford Committee, Mark Scott. The Boyce and Jefford Committee is aiming to provide sporting fans with a massive event on April 22 at the third edition of the relay festival and family fun day.
Chairman of the committee, Colin Boyce said that the event is to aid in filling a void for the lack of competition for some athletes of various disciplines. “What we recognised is that we needed to bring a flagship event to Georgetown since the Classic was in Linden but we also recognised that we needed to include more disciplines to help provide competition for those athletes that might lack regular events. “We hope that in 2020 we can produce a medalist or at least a finalist and we believe (Continued on page 29)
BCB/Ramnaresh Sarwan Fitness 53 Under-17 Tourney…
Tournament bowls off despite rain The Berbice Cricket Board continues to push ahead with the hosting of tournaments for junior cricketers in the Ancient County. The Berbice Cricket Board has already started Under-19 and Under-21 Tournaments, while an Under-15 would start next weekend. On Friday, 6th April, 2018, several teams started to play each other in the Ramnaresh Sarwan Fitness 53 Under-17 Tournament. The Tournament, which is open to players born on or after the 1st September, 2001, is being played in the 50-Overs per side format. The teams have been divided into four zones - West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne. The teams would play each other on a Round Robin basis with the top two teams in the zones advancing to the Quarterfinals. The Under-17 league is the second tournament to be sponsored by Ramnaresh Sarwan, the former West Indies Cricket Captain and batting star. The other tournament is a Second Division 40-Overs Cup for teams in the Upper Corentyne.
Scores in the three matches played are: 1. Albion defeated Tamarind Root at the Hampshire Ground by nine wickets. Tamarind Root 89 all out in 22-Overs. D. Pooran 16, K. RRupuad 13. Gaurav Ramesh 5 for 20 and Sarwan Chainaria 2 for 21. Albion 91 for 1. Leon Cecil 37 not out, Hemandra Gurdyal 23 not out. J. Tika 1 for 18. 2. Tucber Park cruised past Rose Hall Canje by nine wickets at the Rose Hall Canje, Welfare Centre. Rose Hall Canje 35 all out in 17-Overs. Devlon Sobhai 16. Nicholas Haywood 3 for 18, Zeynul Ramsammy 3 for 5. Tucber Park 38 for 1 in 6-Overs. D. Raramdat 18 not out. S. Algoo 1 for 12. 3. No. 73 defeated Muslim Youth Organisation at the No.83 Ground by 102 runs. No. 73 Village 139 all out in 36-Overs. Kevin Heera 40, (4 boundaries, two sixes), Vettorie Latchman 39, Dorese Ramlochan 15. Shalim Khan 4 for 20. M.Y.O 37 all out in 19-Overs. Abass Khan 14. Hyresh Ramlochan 5for 18, Vettorie Latchman 4 for 12.
RHTY&SC congratulates four members on Berbice Under-19 Selection
The four RHTYSC, MS Members representing Berbice. The Patron, Management and Members of Guyana’s leading Youth and Sports Organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS would like to congratulate their four members, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair and Keith Simpson, on their selection on the Berbice Under-19 Intercounty Team. The Berbice Team started their quest to win the Hand-in-Hand Three-Day and One-Day Cricket Tournaments on Tuesday last and the four Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club Members are senior players from whom much is expected. Junior Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair and Keith Simpson are all outstanding performers with both bat and ball in all forms of Berbice Cricket and deserved their selection based on merit. All of us at the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club from the top of the ladder to the bottom, worked very hard every day and this is a fitting reward for the
sometimes tiring efforts. The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club with support of their official cricket sponsors invest heavily in players’ development and would like to acknowledged their contributions. Special thanks to Pepsi, Farfan & Mendes Ltd, King Solomon Logistics, Poonai’s Pharmacy, Bakewell, Metro’s Office Supplies and Gizmos & Gadgets. 2018 has seen a total of 13 RHTYSC, MS Junior players representing Berbice at the Under-15, Under-17, Under19 and Female levels, while seven of them have gone on to play for Guyana. Assad Fudadin and Clinton Pestano have also played at the Regional Senior level, while the club is confident that more Guyana players would emerge from the Inter-county Under-19 and Senior Female Tournaments. Kevin Sinclair is the Berbice Captain, while the highly talented Anderson is his Deputy. “We wish to reassure our members that they have our
full support and that as a Club, we would continue to invest in their development on and off the cricket field. We would also honour them in the proper way during our massive 28th Annual Award Ceremony on the 29th April, 2018. They are without doubt heroes and they would be honoured as such, during the ceremony where our $2.5M worth of trophies, medals and special gifts would be shared out,” a release informed. “The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS would like to also wish the entire Berbice team great success in the Tournament. We have always support Berbice Cricket and in fact sponsored most of the preparation of the Under-19 Team. We also donated six trophies for Berbice Man of the Match Awardee for each Match along with fifteen Berbice Inter-county Caps to the Team. Berbice Cricket is on the move again and we wish the boys success over the next three weeks.”
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Thursday April 12, 2018
Kaieteur News
Guyana Draughts team defeat Taylor’s Club in Trinidad A two man’s Draughts team from Guyana defeated Taylors’ Draughts club in Trinidad; Taylors’ club is the top clubs in the twin island with outstanding National Players. The game was played last Friday at the Rock N Sanctuary Sports club, Felicity Chaguanas Trinidad. The two Guyanese Jiaram and Khemraj Pooranmall used their mental faculties to edge passed their strong opponents. In the first round Pooranmall drew with Nicholas Ramsundar; Nicholas was a former youth champion and ranking fifth in Trinidad and Tobago. Khemraj also drew with Madhoo and then defeated Kurt. On the other hand Jiaram lost to Nicholas Ramsundar, Kurt and Madhoo in succession placing the Guyanese at a grave disadvantage. After the first round Trinidad took a commanding lead with an 8 - 4 points leaded over the Guyanese. In round two the successful Pooranmall drew with Kassim them he defeated J. Father and Bickie. He was beaten by Joshua in his final game. Seeing this was not enough to give Guyana a victory the invulnerable Jiaram defeated the 18 years old youth champion Joshua, who had just defeated Jiaram’s team mate Khemraj Pooranmall. Jiaram stroked Joshua to the King Check, demonstrating the casualties than can be inflicted by the wise old owl. Jiaram then defeated J. Fathers and another two point from Ajai put the final nail to the coffin before losing his final game to Kassim. In that round Guyana ended with a massive lead o v e r t h e Tr i n i ’s 11 - 5 points. The final count Guyana 15 points Taylors’ Draughts Club 13 points, Guyana won by two points.
World Draughts Master, Dicksen Maughn (centre), hugs Mr. Jairam, while to Jairam’s left is Andy Charles, present Trinidad and Tobago Champion along with other player share a moment for a photo.
Mr. Rufus Foster hands the trophy to Jiaram with Khemraj Pooranmall looking on. The two Guyanese also used their six days stay in that country to interact and play with other players gaining new strategies and
tremendous experience. The two players witnessed the final round in the National Playoff in the Pan American qualifiers.
They were introduced to the National players by tournament organizer Mr. P e t e r R a m s u n d a r. P a n American Draughts is
scheduled to be played in Curacao from June 2 - 10, 2018. The National Draughts Association in Guyana is an invitee to that event. At the end of the Playoff, President of the National Draughts Association (Guyana) Mr. Jiaram addressed the players. He reiterated the need for Government involvement to contribute monetary, at least airfares for these bigger games. He said that Draughts is a mind game which helps to develop the mental faculties of someone especially the youths. He called on the President and vice President of the Pan American Draughts Federation to escalate this subject at the CARICOM level if needs be. Jiaram also commended the Trinidad players for their high playing level at this game. Notable persons present at this session
were Dicksen Maughn who is an eight times Trinidad a n d To b a g o N a t i o n a l Champion and Master as recognized by the World Draughts Federation, Andy Charles present National Champion and high rated Pan American Player and Rufus Foster Vice President Pan American Federation. On Tuesday Mr. Peter Ramsundar arranged a short meeting between Mr. Jiaram and Mr. Foster at his office. A healthy meeting was held between the two on the way forward for the Draughts Association in Guyana and their entry into the Pan American Draughts. Mr. Foster also donated one board and pieces to the Guyana Draughts head. The National Draughts Association would like to thank all their sponsors and supporters who made it possible for this tournament and looks forward for their contribution towards the Pan American in June.
No 72 Cut and Load among winners in Ramnaresh Sarwan, Upper Corentyne cricket The Ramnaresh Sarwan Second Division 40 overs cricket competition is continuing in the Upper Corentyne area. The competition which is sponsored by former West Indies Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan is being organised by the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA) and is for teams in the Upper Corentyne and Black Bush areas. Results of some of the latest round of matches played: - No 72 Cut and Load defeated NO 73 Young Warriors by four wickets. Young Warriors batted first and were bowled out for 125 in 30 overs with Gobin Rajram 32,
Lakeram Latchman and Chan Ramjass 21 each. Bowling for Cut and Load R. Persaud picked up 3 wickets, while there were 2 each for Ricky Persad and Abdulla Ajib. They reached 126-6 in 24.4 overs with Persad striking 62 (5x4, 4x6). Ganesh Singh picked up 3 wickets, while there were 2 for Latchman. No78 A Warriors defeated Scottsburg United by 69 runs after scoring 195 in 30 overs with Davendra Budhoo 43, Omesh Khemraj 42 and Ryan Yacoob 29 the main scorers. Bowling for Scottsburg James Heart picked up 5-28. They in reply
Rayan Yacoob 5-40
were bowled out for 126 in 24 overs with M. Kendall 60 (5x4, 4x6) and Alex Burnett 33. R. Yacoob was the main destroyer with 5-40, he was supported by D. Budhoo and Naeem Yacoob with 2 each. Crabwood Creek Bomb Squad defeated No71 Sports Club by four wickets. NO71 made 145with S. Singh 86 (7x4, 7x6). Bowling for CWC Bomb Squad there were 3 wickets each for G. Doorgan and A. Hussein, while T. Ramsammy picked up 2. They them compiled 147-6 with T. Noormohamed 29, T. Ramsammy and T. Shivamber 25 each. Bowling for No71 there was 3
wickets for K. Roop, while N. Alli picked up 2. In another games, No 72 All Stars defeated Jukestown Warriors by 2 wickets. Jukestown were bowled out for 83 in 18.4 overs with none of the batsmen passing 20. Bowling for No72 All Stars F. Chatterpaul led the way with 515, while T. Gobin supported with 2. In their turn at the wickets No72 All Stars had to fight for their runs and ended on 84-in 16 overs with none of their batsmen either reaching 20. Bowling for Jukestown Wa r r i o r s , C. Beresford led the way with 4 wickets, while J. Byass snared 3.