Tuesday April 22, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Kamla ready for T&T to join CCJ, but....
Help and encourage us to move forward racially
DEAR EDITOR, As members of the Regional Judicial Service Commission are about to make known the replacement for retired Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) lone female judge, Desiree Bernard, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Kamla PersadBissessar announced that her country will abolish appeals to the Privy Council, and join the regional Court. She however said that there are a few hurdles, explaining that under the Trinidad and Tobago Constitution, the UK-based Privy Council as the country’s highest appellate court is one of the most entrenched provisions, which will not allow a simple majority to remove. The Prime
Minister, who is also a Senior Counsel, stressed that the CCJ is inevitable, not only for Trinidad and Tobago, but all of us in the Caribbean. A referendum by the electorate is required, she said, and at least two-thirds must agree for the change. She was at the time speaking at the official opening of the Faculty of Law of the U n i v e r s i t y o f t h e We s t I n d i e s , St A u g u s t i n e Campus, where the President of the CCJ, Sir Dennis Byron, was one of the speakers who had earlier spoken out against countries which were reluctant to join the regional appellate court. Persad-Bissessar, two years ago, said that she was considering her country to join the CCJ as the final court
only in civil appeals, while criminal cases must still be dealt with by the Londonbased Privy Council. So far only three countries - Guyana, Barbados and Belize - have abolished appeals to the Privy Council, and Dominica is now on the verge of joining - having obtained the green light from the British Government. Trinidad and Tobago was in the forefront of the establishment of the CCJ, hence the reason why Port of Spain was chosen as the headquarters of the regional court which was inaugurated in April 2005. Jamaica is also considering joining the regional court, but will also have to go through a referendum process. Oscar Ramjeet
DEAR EDITOR, Your paper does a very good job of exposing to the public what some of our countrymen are doing to bring our country down. And because of this I read your paper almost daily. So it was with much disappointment that I read in your article of April 16th: Dem boys seh … Nokta is a fake Amerindian, the use of a derogatory, racial term referring to one minority group in Guyana. Please realize that people look up to you as someone who knows better, especially in the use of language. So, I ask you not to misuse this power to lead us back to the days when, in ignorance, intolerance or hatred, we referred to others who were
different from us in racially offensive terms. Allow me to say that by the use of these terms in your paper, one can only presume that you look down on these people (my people) solely because of where they were born and who their ancestors were, regardless of what they have achieved or how they behave in Guyanese society (my society). It is easy to assume that the use of this term by you is an attempt to keep these people down as was done in the past, no matter how hard they work or how much they have contributed to our society, especially considering where they started. Further, you may want to refrain from doing this in the
future solely from a selfish position since your paper is read and judged and its contents evaluated by foreigners also. And lazy, intolerant language probably is one of the factors used in this evaluation of your paper and you, personally, as the person who edited the article before printing. I hope your publish this letter in your paper, even if you do not agree with my sentiments. It may help you by giving some of your readers the impression that you are balanced in your reporting, even when others disagree with you. Help and encourage us to move forward racially. David Correia President, Guyana Aid Region One, Inc.
DEAR EDITOR, The importance of youth employment is underscored by the fact that all the issues affecting youth rest fundamentally on their lack of assets or material means. Their housing status rests on it; their health status depends on it; the concept they have of themselves, and the level of their independence, indeed their very ability to exercise their rights as human beings depends on their access to assets, as described above. Therefore, youth employment must be given priority and full attention. Actions to create youth employment must ensure that: a) Employment opportunities for youth are flexible, especially for those most at risk; b) Working conditions are decent for all young people and in accordance with the national and international labour laws and ILO standards. c) Employment policies must
ensure that jobs are meaningful, contributing to creation of more just and sustainable communities, and to reinforce young people’s self-esteem and self worth. d) An action on youth employment needs to be integrated as a central plot form for achieving poverty reduction. e) Youth employment poverty reduction strategies should especially focus on young women, indigenous populations and the rural youth, as those most marginalised within the current economic system. f) Governments must
address the needs of young people to achieve gender equity and ethnic balance for a better empowerment of youth. Finally, opportunities must be created and sustained so that the youth can participate in the fair trade movement, and further develop open trading and financial systems that are rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory; and there is partnership between young people, the public and private sectors. Ivan Bentham Chairman of the Achievers Youth Development Association
From page 4 striking for more money, since Saturday, April 12, and none of the PPP/C’s hard-talking ministers at the protest are helping and protesting with the workers for their cause. GuySuCo has now lost millions because of this strike and no one within the Government and GAWU seems to care and fight for the rights of the workers. Workers must now ask themselves which side is GAWU on. We all know the answer. The PPP will continue to use sugar workers because they feel the workers belong
to them and they can do what they want. I call on the Ministers and other PPP officials who used the workers, to come out now and condemn the action of GuySuCo and the misrepresentation by GAWU towards the sugar workers. The workers are now very sad that they joined in a protest that has no benefit for them, and today, no one from the PPP seems to care. The AFC has continued its fight for the sugar workers, and I expect its leaders to not allow the recent abuse by some of those workers on Mr. Nagamootoo to be a problem. Many of the workers told me
they are sorry because they were misled. The workers know that they can count on the party. I call on the AFC to seriously consider challenging GAWU for the rights to representing the sugar workers, in this way we will see better representation for our brothers and sisters in the industry. Abel Seetaram
Creating youth employment Where are the PPP and GAWU...
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday April 22, 2014
$1.1B Amerindian Development Fund was for uncontrolled vote buying …there still remains in the 2014 Budget a lot of fat - Chris Ram The $1.1B that the parliamentary opposition did not approve was said to be used under the Amerindian Development Fund was exposed as money for uncontrolled vote-buying in the Amerindian communities. The money had nothing to do with capital expenditure. This is according to Financial Analyst, Christopher Ram, who in his review of the recent budget which was reduced by $37B, said that as it relates to that $1.1B fund, “when the window was opened on the projects, (the projects) melted like fat from pork exposed to the sun.” According to Ram, “Not surprisingly, none of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Ministers seemed in the least bit embarrassed at being caught red-handed, even as they abused some bemused Amerindians to picket the National Assembly.” According to the project profile for the use of the $1.1B as was set out by the Ministry of Finance, the money would be used to secure the livelihood and youth entrepreneurship apprenticeship programmes; construction of village officers and multi-purpose buildings; purchase of sports gear, musical instruments, drip irrigation systems, tractor and implements; support to other projects and programmes including ecotourism. Ram in his analysis noted that collaterally, $42.5M for water and land transport and acquisition of furniture and equipment under the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs was also not approved. In his continued analysis of the expenditures Ram wrote that the surprises at some of the non-approvals
were probably matched by some of the items that were approved. “The state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), an entity with no Board of Directors, a history of violations of the law requiring the publication of financial statements, and a future awash with red ink, was given a further $6B as a subsidy for 2014; the Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs Ministry was allocated $1B for an as yet undefined programme to support enterprise development initiatives while the Ministry of Finance got a pass on an allocation of $4.4B for unspecified Other Employment Costs, a redesignation of the line item previously described as Revision Of Wages and Salaries.” According to Ram, GuySuCo placed the Opposition on the horns of a
dilemma. He said that while they knew the money would continue to finance poor governance, lack of accountability and a hopelessly managed and structured entity, the Parliamentary Opposition, and mainly the Alliance For Change (AFC), could not dare to not approve the budget provision for the sugar corporation. “No one, it seems, was prepared to say to GuySuCo no more money until it accounts for what the Assembly had given it in prior years.” Ram suggested that if the country is going to drain money into GuySuCo, use at least half of that money to pay severance for a few thousand workers and allow them to pursue other employment of their choice and the rest for a serious restructuring of the industry. Ram posits that “in two to
Financial Analyst Christopher Ram three years we could have a streamlined, profitable enterprise.” According to Ram, A Partner for National Unity (APNU), while it harbours legitimate doubts about the spending of previous multi-
billion dollar allocations for Revision of Wages and Salaries, it would have found itself at the mercy of the government propaganda machinery – GINA/NCN – if it had dared to not approve the line item for Other Employment Costs. “APNU’s problem is that it knows that some part of the allocation will go to revision of wages and salaries of public sector employees, the majority of whom it may consider supporters.” He said, too, that APNU with its perceived emphasis for a stronger and more effective Police Force should probably explain why it would approve a twenty-fold increase in the capital allocation for Community Policing while the Police Force receives a reduction under the same budget. A point to note is that when the allocations for the Ministry of Home Affairs
came up for a vote, not a single question was posed to the subject minister. Ram in his analysis said too that the $1B allocation for Enterprise development initiatives without a clear institutional mechanism and criteria for accessing these funds defies all logic, economics and the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act. In addition to the allocations referred to, there still remains in the 2014 Budget a lot of fat, according to Ram, “and one has to assume that the thirty-three opposition members of the National Assembly lost concentration or commitment when the items came up for concentration.” According to Ram, Dr. Frank Anthony and Minister Irfaan Ali must be smiling at the amount of funds at their disposal for their discretionary spendthrift ways.
Govt. drugs purchases tops $5B mark this year Guyana’s shopping budget for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies this year is expected to surpass the $5B mark even as the process to shortlist suppliers continues. Last year, Guyana spent $4.69B. The time around, according to the estimates recently approved in the National Assembly, it is the intention to expend in excess of $5.14B, or $442M more than 2013. The drugs bills would represent half of the total Ministry’s budget of $10B. The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is set to spend $1.86B or $40M more than in 2013. While the Opposition approved the expenditure during the recent considerations of the 2014
National Budget, there have been questions especially over the drug purchases by the Ministry of Health and GPHC. The spending again attracted the attention of the Opposition during the recent budget debate. Leader of the Alliance For Change, Khemraj Ramjattan, requested details of what percentage of the $1.8B set aside for drug supplies the New GPC would be receiving in contracts. New GPC is the company in the middle of an ongoing scandal involving the purchase of drugs. The government now has to provide the details. For years now, the company, owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, a close friend of
former President Bharrat Jagdeo, has had a stranglehold in the supply of pharmaceuticals to the Government. The Opposition, using its Parliamentary powers, has been questioning the manner in which the inventory was being managed and the prices being paid. There were also heavy criticisms over the process used in selecting New GPC as a pre-qualified supplier which allowed the company to be among the first in line for the supply of drugs in case of emergencies. That company has been accused by the Opposition of being favoured as a recipient of the multi-billion state contracts. Ramjattan also wanted
Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo information as to what measures were in place to determine whether Guyana was receiving the best possible prices for drugs.
New GPC owner, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop Billions of dollars are being spent annually on procurement, with New GPC (continued on page 24)
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Kaieteur News
Syria calls presidential vote, defying Assad’s opponents
Members of the Syrian parliament attend a session to set a date for voting for the presidential election, in Damascus yesterday, in this handout photograph released by Syria’s national news agency SANA. (Credit: Reuters/Sana/Handout via Reuters) (Reuters) Syria announced yesterday a presidential election for June 3, preparing the ground for Bashar al-Assad to defy widespread opposition and extend his grip on power, days after he said the civil war was turning in his favor. Western and Gulf Arab countries that back Assad’s opponents have called plans for an election a “parody of democracy” and said it would wreck efforts to negotiate a peace settlement. U.N.-backed talks in Geneva collapsed in February with both sides far from agreement - not least over the question of whether Assad should go. Monzer Akbik, of the Western-backed National Coalition opposition group, told Reuters the election was a sign Assad was unwilling to seek a political solution to the conflict.
“This is a state of separation from reality, a state of denial. He didn’t have any legitimacy before this theatrical election and he will not after,” Akbik said. “We do not know what actor he is putting up as an opponent but we are not taking this seriously.” Infighting has fragmented the anti-Assad forces, and several major opposition figures did not attend the Geneva talks. The European Union reiterated its stance against holding an election now. It said such a vote “conducted in the midst of conflict, only in regime-controlled areas and with millions of Syrians displaced from their homes would be a parody of democracy, have no credibility whatsoever, and undermine efforts to reach a political solution.” U.N. Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon said: “Such elections are incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Geneva communiqué,” referring to a June 2012 agreement on seeking a political transition in Syria. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: “The Syrian regime under the Assads has never held a credible, free and fair election and has taken legal and administrative steps to ensure that this vote will not be fair. “Calling for a de facto referendum rings especially hollow now as the regime continues to massacre the very electorate it purports to represent,” she added. The three-year-old rebellion against Assad has killed more than 150,000 people, forced millions to flee their homes and caused the government to lose control over swathes of territory.
U.S. force in Afghanistan may be cut to less than 10,000 troops (Reuters) - The number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan may drop well below 10,000 - the minimum demanded by the U.S. military to train Afghan forces - as the longest war in American history winds down, Obama administration officials briefed on the matter say. Since Afghanistan’s general election on April 5, White House, State Department and Pentagon officials have resumed discussions on how many American troops should remain after the current U.S.led coalition ends its mission this year. The decision to consider
a small force, possibly less than 5,000 U.S. troops, reflects a belief among White House officials that Afghan security forces have evolved into a robust enough force to contain a still-potent Talibanled insurgency. The small U.S. force that would remain could focus on counter-terrorism or training operations. That belief, the officials s a y, i s b a s e d p a r t l y o n Afghanistan’s surprisingly smooth election, which has won international praise for its high turnout, estimated at 60 percent of 12 million eligible voters, and the failure of Taliban militants to stage high-profile attacks that
day. The Obama administration has been looking at options for a possible residual U.S. force for months. “The discussion is very much alive,” said one U.S. official who asked not to be identified. “They’re looking for additional options under 10,000" troops. There are now about 33,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, down from 100,000 in 2011, when troop numbers peaked a d e c a d e into a conflict originally intended to deny al Qaeda sanctuary in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Kaieteur News
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GUYANA LOSES BIG TIME Brazil hosts the 2014 FIFA World Cup in two months’ time. Tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world are going to make the long commute to Brazil for this event. Persons will be travelling from all of the continents to Brazil. As a consequence they will have to transit through other countries’ airports to reach the various cities in Brazil that are hosting the World Cup. Guess which airport will handle the most travelers? Miami International Airport! According to the Miami Herald, the Miami International Airport is readying itself for an invasion of some 50,000 transit passengers en route to Brazil. Miami will become the biggest beneficiary of tourism dollars outside of Brazil because of the World Cup. It could have been Guyana. However, we cannot even secure a residual benefit because for the past two years, financing for the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport has been voted down in the National Assembly. The hurtful part of it all is that
China was providing the financing for the project. Ok, accepted that even if the funds were approved by parliament, the works would not have been completed in time. But what about in two years’ time when Brazil hosts the Olympics? Then it is not just fifty thousand travelers that are expected to attend those games but more like one million travelers. If ten per cent of that number opts to transit through Guyana and if they each spend on average one hundred Guyana dollars, we are talking about ten million United States Dollars earned for a one month period. That will be a massive gain for our country and a big boost for tourism because any traveler passing through a country harbors the thought of seeing a little bit more of it. If the experience is enjoyable that passenger will tell friends and relatives of the experience. There will be an exponential gain in travelers just by becoming a hub for transit passengers. Sadly, with the airport project not being approved
Dem boys seh ...
Guyana fed up wid old song All de project initiated under Jagdeo got only one tune. That tune is that this year gun be better than last year. But is only one set of people does benefit. Every year is a better year fuh dem. Tek GuySuCo, fuh de past ten years this sugar company was suppose to produce so much sugar that by now de whole region woulda full. De Atlantic Ocean woulda taste sweet instead of salty. This year dem sing de same song wha dem does always sing. De management project that de first crop gun be 74,000 ton. Dem boys seh that dem name should change from Bim and Bam to singers and projectahs. When people question de US$200 million wha Jagdeo seh he spend, he jump up like a kangalang and seh that he gun personally go down and get de plant up and running. Is either that he run away or de plant run away. Rob de Earth was a Minister at de time when de Skeldon factory build. He and all seh that he gun pee-nah-lies dem Chinee. He talk bout some US$5 million. Dem Chinee pay but is who collect and wheh de money deh. When dem start de airport project dem sing how much Guyanese gun get wuk. Today, one old bad word deh guarding a sand pit. Marriott was de same thing except that dem sing li’l more lang. Dem sing how nuff Guyanese gun get wuk. Hotel done build and Guyanese still nah get wuk. Dem sing how dem gun tell de nation who putting in li’l bit money and end up owning de hotel. Dem boys got an idea; is one of Bobby children but he under age suh dem don’t want name he yet. De hotel really build fuh Jagdeo and he did want give he niece from Miami some shares, de same way how he give she shares in de telecoms business. Dem really sing bout de Amaila Falls project. De falls dry up but dem still a sing how dem gun start up this year. That song gun guh pun de hit parade. De people of Guyana deh same way but de drug budget increase every year. Dem sing a special song how dem would stop give Bobby all de drug contract. That song nah got end. Every day dem boy hearing something bout that song. De other day de guard seh how thief man stick he up and dem thief all de morphine. Dem boys know is who because de hospital got to replace. And all Guyana know who does sell de drug. Talk half and let dem find new songs to sing.
by the opposition parties, Guyana has little hope of capitalizing on the massive influx of travelers that will be head to Brazil within the next two years. Will Miami International Airport again be the major beneficiary? No doubt it will benefit. But Guyana’s loss is likely to be Suriname’s gain. While opposition parties are practising slash and burn tactics in the National Assembly, cutting critical investments being financed by China, Suriname is forging ahead with US$6 Billion in mega projects with China. Suriname is constructing both a road and a railway to Brazil and this will allow it to benefit tremendously from the influx of travelers that will be seeking adventure, fun and alternative ways of getting to Brasilia for the Olympics in 2016. Guyana will lose out because the opposition parties want the country to continue with its small one terminal airport where arriving passengers have to disembark onto the tarmac and walk into the terminal. Guyana could have been the hub for at least one hundred thousand travelers transiting to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics, but we will not be ready because of the shenanigans of the parliamentary opposition parties. This is a clear example of development being strangled by the opposition. The opposition will however contend- and they should be believed- that it is not their intention to curtail development.
They will defend their non approval of the airport expansion project on the grounds that they have fears that the monies for the airport will end up in the hands of corrupt Government politicians. But if transparency and accountability are the issue here why deal such a severe blow to the project? Why not instead of withholding funding did the opposition parties not demand an arrangement whereby the financing and implementation of the project be audited by a reputable international firm? Why threaten this project simply over suspicions that monies will be pilfered from the project? This is a reckless
approach that is being undertaken by the opposition parties. It hurts Guyana’s future prospects. The opposition parties have found themselves in this position because they are in part taking advice from the wrong persons, individuals who have grouses and who wish to hurt the government for personal slights. The opposition parties must see themselves as a potential government in waiting. They should not frown on any project that is for the benefit of the country. At the moment there is an obsession with the government, paranoia about elements within the government enriching themselves at the public trough. The way to address this
concern is not to stifle development but to work towards greater transparency and accountability. Transparency and accountability will not be had by cutting financing and therefore forcing Guyana to miss important opportunities in the global market place. The better approach is to negotiate mechanisms that will account for every cent spent. The opposition has however slammed that door shut and prefers instead a scorched earth policy.
First shipment of paddy about to sail to Venezuela Loading of the first shipment of about 6,000 tonnes of paddy due for Venezuela, commenced yesterday at the Muneshwer ’s Wharf, Georgetown. Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said that this, the first shipment for 2014, is expected to sail by today. He said that another shipment is expected to depart in two days from the same facility. About 100,000 tonnes of rice and paddy are expected to be shipped to the neighbouring country by the end of April. It is anticipated that a maximum of two shipments per week will be exported until November, later this year.
A total of 200,000 tonnes of rice and paddy are due to be exported for the period to the Spanish-speaking country. This year’s initial rice shipments were delayed due to the civil unrest in Venezuela. Minister Ramsammy said about 400,000 tonnes of rice and paddy are to be exported for this year. The rice pact was initiated in 2010 between former President Bharrat Jagdeo and
the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. The agreement aims to strengthen food security in both countries. In late 2011, government signed a US$54 million agreement with its western neighbour to supply 50,000 metric tonnes of paddy at US$520 per metric tonne, and 20,000 metric tonnes of white rice at US$800 per metric tonne. Last year, US$130 million worth of rice was exported to Venezuela. (GINA)
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday April 22, 2014
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
Danger ahead: The “Oracle” and jury abolition If this country accepts the abolition of the jury system based on the explanation that is currently being thrown around, its people are not fit to enjoy whatever freedom still remains. Below are my arguments for the retention of the jury system, but a deeply felt point needs to be made before I go on – I have little faith in the judicial system which I believe is tainted by hopelessly incompetent magistrates. There are judges who are willing to submit to political pressure and who are not above financial incentives. If Guyanese do not retain optimism in the jury system then I contend they don’t too in high judicial officers. Roger Khan’s lawyers, Simmel
spoke of the “Oracle”, a judge that was more than just an acquaintance of Khan’s. Major David Clarke’s revelations to the US authorities contained damning evidence against the Oracle. A judge brings a libel case to the courtroom eleven months after papers by the plaintiff were filed. This may be a record for the world not only Guyana. The plaintiff at the time was the sitting president. So the billion dollar question is; if you abolish the jury system, who or what do you replace it with? Certainly in present day Guyana not two or three judges sitting together. Let us examine the one
argument, so far, of a leading lawyer for the abolition of the jury system. He points out that in 22 sexual offences hearings before a jury, there was only one conviction. Of thirteen High Court trials, there was only one conviction. He then makes a fantastic leap and concludes that the jury system has failed. He cites the Attorney General as saying the Guyanese people have lost confidence in the jury system. I take it he means the Guyanese population in Iraq, not in Guyana. I live in Guyana and unlike the AG I am always here. I mix with those in the less endowed classes more than the AG and I don’t get that impression about the jury
system. I wonder if by the Guyanese people the AG means the people in the PPP since the Lusignan acquittals. A social scientist must be indignant when he reads the explanation by that lawyer. The social sciences refer to “variables.” You have to investigate all the variables before you come to conclusions. It is when you investigate the competing variables that laws, theories, trends and conclusions are discovered. Let us examine the variables in the judicial system in Guyana. Why can’t the low percentage of convictions be connected to horrific investigative incompetence by the police? You beat an eighteen-yearold in the lock up every night and he is going to sign a confession to killing the person that you say he killed. A well trained lawyer sees the hole in the police case and a decent jury must free the
accused. The second variable is the DPP office. Most young people in the world want to be lawyers and doctors because for them these are the two most prestigious professions. So statusseekers become lawyers and doctors. They cannot argue in court to save a dog charged with mauling a cat. But they are lawyers. Cuban-trained Guyanese doctors the past ten years are not going to treat my family. No sir. They are not properly trained in poor Cuba.So we have a situation in Guyana where the DPP Chambers are not staffed with learned, intellectually endowed prosecutors and they just cannot stand up to defence lawyers who know their stuff. Show me two magistrates who are bright lawyers and I will show you where Adolph Hitler is still living. Why is the jury system the fault and not these other
Frederick Kissoon two variables? But we can go further. Are we not insulting these jury members when we point to the low conviction rate? What are we saying? That they are stupid people? Are we saying they are only useful when they convict people? Let us dig deeper into our analytical framework. If the argument is that a low conviction rate is the reason for us to remove the jury system then Guyana must immediately abolish two important institutions that are abysmal failures. The University of Guyana no longer meets any of the definitively laid out criteria for being a university. The police force in Guyana probably has the lowest arrest crimesolving rates in the world. If you are going to contend that the rate of acquittal points to the nonfunctioning of the jury system then surely the police force’s record of solved crime calls for its immediate dissolution.
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Strategic tactic in place to guard against shoddy work - Education Minister With a keen intent on getting value for money, the Ministry of Education has put in place a strategic policy which is designed to garner community support in the quest to achieve value for money. This notion was recently amplified by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, as she addressed the National Assembly during the recent budget debate. According to Manickchand, the strategic move is one which will see Ministry officials venturing into communities in which there are plans to undertake education infrastructural work. “Every time we are going to expand infrastructure, build new schools, we are going to go out, take all our
documents with us and have community meetings with all those who will come. Particularly, we would invite parent-teacher associations (PTAs), staff, parents, students, the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and we will leave with them documents so that they can keep a close eye on what is happening in schools so that we can have quality work,” said the Education Minister. This move, she said, is seen as important in light of the fact that the Ministry has, in the past, been the beneficiary of works that are less than desirable. “We recognise that sometimes we get shoddy work...That does not mean
that all contractors give us shoddy work but we have been robbed; the country has been robbed a couple of times and we want to make sure that when we do things we get value for money,” asserted Manickchand. The Ministry is also working towards forging greater collaboration with its stakeholders through the introduction of a website. And according to the Minister there are plans apace to launch the website shortly which will be interactive and offer all visitors education documents, policies, textbooks and even past exam papers. “It is going to have a feature that will allow children to answer exam papers and then we send them an email with what results they got –
GPHC's guard remains in police custody John Bhagwandin, the security guard under whose watch microscopes and outboard engines were removed from the Malaria Clinic on Sunday, remains in custody. The items were stored for the various outreach programmes. The Malaria Clinic, which falls under the Ministry of Health, is located in the GPHC compound, on Middle Street, Georgetown. In a previous report Kaieteur News had stated that armed men had broken into the hospital and stolen a quantity of morphine. Reports are that the gunmen
backed their vehicle up to the clinic. Once inside the building, the men lifted the items and stored them in their parked car. From all indications, the men appeared to know exactly which rooms to enter for the items. Chief Executive Officer of the GPHC, Michael Khan said that the robbery had all the markings of an inside job. Kaieteur News was informed that the guard is claiming that around 01:00hr on Sunday, three men armed with a gun and knives scaled the hospital fence and confronted
him. According to sources, the security guard reportedly told his superiors that he was held at gunpoint while the men escaped with his personal items and the properties of the Clinic. “This hospital doesn't even have a proper guard hut at the back there. Last month was the same thing. A female security saw when thieves jump the fence and she raised an alarm and they escaped,” the source related. Director of the Unit, Dr. Reyaud Rahman could not be reached for a comment. Investigations are ongoing.
what was right and what was wrong,” disclosed the Minister. This feature, according to her, will cater to children at the levels of Grades One through Six and students from secondary schools will eventually be included too. Already the Ministry has in place a Live Chat internet forum, which stakeholders could access at www.education.gov.gy every Thursday between the hours of 19:30 hours and 21:00 hours, to interact with the Minister herself or senior officials about issues of concern. The introduction of the forum was premised on the recognition that there were a number of concerns within the education system, some of which were not gaining the attention of the relevant officials within Central Ministry in a timely manner. With the introduction of
this avenue it is expected that information will reach senior officials at a much faster rate than was obtained in the past. It is therefore expected that such interactions will lend to the education sector operating even more efficiently. Stakeholders could interact with the officials via the Ministry’s Facebook page. “These are all things that we have done to make sure that we can hear from the people we serve, so that we can serve them better. These are things that we have done to make sure that we can get our messages out, get our information out there,” said the Minister. She added that the Ministry has been on a continued focused mission to ‘fine-tune’ its partnership with parents and other stakeholders since according to her, “we are absolutely sure that students in our care will not have as much and be as
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand much as they can be except there is parental or home involvement.” The Minister was at pains to highlight that “all the children who have done well we can trace it back to a few things, a good school system, sound investment in the education sector and involvement of their families and not necessarily wealth families...”
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Family feud ends in bloodshed at horse race meet An escalating ongoing family feud between two families of Bush Lot, Corentyne, ended in bloodshed. One member of the family was viciously chopped across the left hand by his assailant who had a chopper. The police who were present responded quickly. One rank discharged a round in the air causing the combatants to stop in their tracks. The assailant a well known character known as Raymond, wounded one Barris, and threatened to return to finish him off. When he made that promise he was chasing another man across the pasture when the police intervened. Both men were taken away by the police. Investigations are ongoing.
The police vehicle leaving with the assailant and the injured Barris
Health Minister urges population to take responsibility for own health Even as the Ministry of Health is celebrating the gains made through its delivery of health care, efforts are simultaneously being directed towards encouraging members of the population to take responsibility for their own health.
This disclosure was recently made by Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, during a recent conversation with this publication. But although there is more to be done to improve the delivery of health care, the Minister disclosed that among the notable successes
realised, has been a reduction in the maternal mortality rate. He recounted that while there were 25 maternal deaths in 2012, by the following year the mortality rate recorded was 18 of which only 11 were directly linked to pregnancy interventions within the health sector. Among the
indirect causes were that of geography as well as HIV and malaria related complications. The Ministry, according to Dr. Ramsaran, has also been making great strides with regards to the under-five mortality rate. However, the Minister cautioned that the media for instance must seek to take care in its reporting of such cases. “The media has to be innovative and follow what we are saying because when we punch figures, especially small figures, you can get a skewing of the outcomes...” explained the Minister. According to him, for example, there were five whose babies died in accidents, and another three lost their lives in fires. These
were reflected in the health statistics. The Minister said, though, that it is therefore important to recognise that these were definitely beyond the health sector. “...This is what we call the social determinants of health...Why should a toddler barely as high as the a minibus wheel be allowed to stray out onto the roadway, then the driver gets into problems, the health sector gets bad statistics; so how do we get Guyanese to take personal responsibility for their health and in the cases of guardians responsibility for those within their charge,” questioned Minister Ramsaran. Nevertheless, he said that the Ministry will continue to
keep focused on the gains such as the reduction of the maternal and child mortality rates. The reduction of the mortality rate for instance, the Minister said, is directly linked to his moves, a few years back, to introduce strategic measures such as the Advanced Labour and Risk Management (ALARM) programme. And according to the Minister, “We have trained practically all of the graduate doctors who came back from Cuba. There were over 278 for last year and even more previously, so we have trained all of them in batches over weekends in ALARM.” This strategic move, the (continued on page 24)
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Kaieteur News
Ruby, Parika Backdam Access Road…
‘We need proper contractors to do this road’ - residents
Page 21
Chenapau needs income generating ventures - Residents want original lands restored Chenapau, an Amerindian community in Region Eight, is experiencing economic hardships owing to the absence of opportunities to generate jobs. This is according to Mark Crawford, Regional Chairman, who is concerned about the future of the more than 560 residents of Chenapau. He said that the primary source of income for residents is mining since the high transportation cost has rendered logging and farming uneconomical activities. Mining is done on a small scale in the community. Crawford, who visited Chenapau recently, said that residents are demanding a portion of the revenue earned from tourism activities by the Kaieteur National Park. According to the Regional Chairman, residents
One of the many sections of the deplorable Parika Backdam roadway The junction linking Ruby and Parika Backdam Access Road, East Bank Essequibo is in a deplorable state, according to residents in the area. They say that millions of dollars were spent to construct the two-mile stretch of road, yet tar was never applied. Contractors are only destroying the road instead of making it proper, the residents said. “When on earth would the government get competent people to do proper work on this road? This thing is frustrating. In 2011, millions were being spent to do the road and one year later it gone
to the dogs. Now it got to do over again. Is taxpayers getting rob through their nose, average people like me and you,” one resident said. Only crusher run, sand and loam were administered in the process of road construction. The road surface would deteriorate rapidly following a period of consistent rainfall. Residents, taxi drivers and students have to endure this inconvenience. Kaieteur News understands that over 600 residents live in the affected area and the majority of these families depend on farming as their main source
of income. They are hoping that repairs are conducted in an expedited manner before more damage is done. The Caribbean Development Fund will now be investing in the construction of 6.2km of roadway at Parika at a cost of US$2M and the Ruby 6.7km road for $US2.3M. This newspaper was told that the roads are being constructed to alleviate the transportation woes of farmers. Residents complained about their vehicles being destroyed, causing them to be frequently buying new parts.
Canal Polder Roads to be upgraded Cabinet recently gave its no-objection to the award of a contract for the design of the West Bank Demerara and Canal Polder Roads, says Dr. Roger Luncheon, Cabinet Secretary. Addressing media operatives at his weekly postCabinet press briefing on Wednesday, at the Office of the President, he enlightened that the contract is valued at US$586,000. According to Dr. Luncheon, the designs cater
for both Canal No.1 and Canal No.2 Polder Roads, leading from the West Bank Demerara Public Road to the Conservancy. He noted that the Roads have deteriorated and the designs are to upgrade them to modern standards. He related that Cabinet also gave its no-objection to the award of a contract to the tune of US$593,000 for the design and consultancy services for the East Bank Demerara Public Road, from Grove to Timehri.
Currently, contractors are widening the East Bank Demerara Public Road from Providence to Diamond into four-lanes. And, road widening works were being executed between the Timehri Police Station and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport’s Terminal Building. Cabinet also gave its noobjection to the award of a contract valuing US$397,000 for the design of the East Bank Berbice Road southwards of Stanleytown.
are claiming that a significant section of their original land was taken away from them to facilitate the extension of the Kaieteur National Park. They believe that Kaieteur Falls and the surrounding area are part of their ancestral lands, he added. “Because of this, they have very little land to do mining. As a result the village is facing severe economic hardship. It is understandable that preservation of such a majestic treasure is needed but they should be compensated for this sacrifice,” he said. Crawford stated that residents have indicated their willingness to fight to get back their land. He said residents claimed that they never accepted any demarcation given to them by Government.
“They told me that they need back their land to work…They don’t need any hand out from Government. They also need to be part of the management of the Kaieteur National Park and to access some of the revenue obtained from there,” Crawford said. Crawford believes that the original land should be restored to the community. In addition, residents should be given the opportunity to mine the minerals on it in an environmentally friendly manner until other jobs are made available. “The residents should also benefit from revenue generated from the Kaieteur National Park. The residents should also be allowed to have a market at Kaieteur Falls to sell their products to the visitors,” he suggested.
Page 22
Kaieteur News
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale.Call:627-5416
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
FOR SALE Toyota Forklift - Excellent condition, 4,000lbs capacity, 117" Lift, Solid Wheels, Automatic Transmission, 4 Cylinder LPG Motor. Call: 604-6108.
Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943
Pork - $380, Pork Chops - $650, leg pork - $480lb, salted pork $450 (8 Lbs pails) @ Geroge & Hadfield Sts. Red Honda 250 Twister motorcycle – Contact:6713533; 681-2217
Houses located Ogle, Diamond, Herstelling, BelAir, Lamaha Gardens, ETC, Contact: 223-8479/684-4748, www.spaceseek.gy Blow out sale on 5/8 smooth steel rods – Priced to go – Tel:657-4072 1,500 Acres of Land located in Berbice. Includes Machinery, Property and Multiples Vehicles, etc, Contact: 223-8479/684-4748, www.spaceseek.gy Complete 8 Bass sound system 70KVA generator – Tel: 610-1230, 673-5828 HiFi Sound Connection. Slate pools table 8x4 $450,000 negotiable, 1 brand new 2 door freezer - $100,000, 1 fridge - $35,000 – Tel:6018083, 689-2658. TAXI SERVICE IN OPERATION-TEL: 621-0400 Fresh Halaal pluck chicken. Tel:602-2131, 270-4319, 654-5432, Price $300 per lb free delivery One 6125 John Deere tractor for sale. For more information contact: 670-3328 Pure breed German Shepherd puppies - $75,000 each – Tel:682-2148, 655-8674 1 -65 DAF 210 Engine Foreign used. In Excellent condition - Tel:228-5655 or 628-1756 Gold and Diamond Land @ Ekereou Honey Camp, Berbice River (Parish Hill) – Tel:223-1719, 600-0036 Large land in Bagotville W.B.D 37X724 - $5.9M – Tel:223-1719 or 600-0036 Salon equipment, foot spa, Hydraulic Chairs – Tel:2231719 HP NOTEBOOK, dual core, windows7 4GB RAM, 120GB, DVDRW, 15" SCREEN $58,000.00 TEL: 680-4039 GATEWAY NOTEBOOK, PENTIUM-M, 2GB RAM, 80GB HDD, DVDRW, WIN7, 14" SCREEN $38 000.00 NEG. TEL: 680-4039 Pure Rottweiler Pups - Call: 672-6402
Two 212 Carina, 2 AE100 Wagon – Tel:660-0018, 6411040 Honda Welder, 270 Amps, 2002 Tundra – Call:611-5114, 220-4495
Two Storey concrete building. Price$32M, E.C.D. Call: 661-9431 1-2 storey wooden & concrete house with 5 bedrooms, upper flat & lower flat 4 apartments located@ Shell Road, kitty - $38.9M – Tel: 642-7898 One three storey business property @ Middle St. Georgetown – Tel:619-7134, 225-6481 price negotiable. 2 Business properties on Whim Public Road Corentyne – Call: 619-7134, 225-6481. Price Negotiable Sophia - $3M, 3 houses @ W.B.D - $22M, Diamond A – $28M, Providence- $16M, South - $17M – Contact:2312199, 618-7483 One property for sale at Covent Garden Island, E.B.D – Call:265-3586
Tuesday April 22, 2014
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Cement mixers, generators and water pump - Tel: 643-1131 Executive Four Bedroom House located in Bel-Air Park- USD $2500-Contact: 223-8479/6844748, www.spaceseek.gy Executive Houses & Apartments Located in Queenstown, Prashad Nagar, Kitty, Lamaha Springs, etc, Contact: 223-8479/ 684-4748, www.spaceseek.gy Office Spaces located in secure compound on New Market Street. Contact: 223-8479/6844748, www.spaceseek.gy
One – 2 Storey concrete house for sale – Contact:618-1754 Hand Truck, Bar –B-Que fireside – Tel:627-7835 EPSON TM-T88 THERMAL RECEIPT PRINTER $25 000.00 NEG. EPSON TM0220 RECEIPT PRINTER $25 000.00 NEG. TEL: 6804039. BRAND NEW SEALED LENOVO YOGA 8" TABLET WITH ANDROID 0/S $65 000.00 NEG. TEL: 680-4039
VACANCY
EDUCATIONAL Practical Electronic Course beginning May 6th 2014 – Call Abdul Electronics – 2266551 or 225-0391
CAR RENTAL LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 Shalom Driving School @ 2 Croal street. Fee $16,000- Call:227-3869
Dolly’s Car Rental - Call: 225-7126/ 226-3693 dollys autorental@yahoo.com/ www.dolly sautorental.com
Blankenburg, Public Road W.C.D (38ftX150ft), (39ftX150ft) $16M each - Call: 658-0132
MASSAGE The Gents Spa: Be pampered by beautiful masseuses. New masseuses Amanda and Crystal – Tel:657-5979
Federal Management Security Services: Armed, Baton Officers, bus drivers. Located @ 120 Peter Rose Street, Queenstown - Tel:2260633, 226-0652, 226-0637 Supervisors, Cosmetologist, Massage Therapist. For details call:672-1239 Sawmill – Mill wright, porters, wood mizer, band saw & moulder operators. Eccles industrial Site, EBD – Call Richard:609-7675,233-2614 One night security, Apply in writing with a valid,Police clearance to GCC Ground, Bourda. Cashiers @ Shell Service Station Providence EBD. Must be able to work shift (5am-3pm & 3pm-12pm) – Tel: 265-7305
TO LET LAND FOR SALE
24 Hour East Coast Guy-oil needs night pump attendants, salesgirl & office assistant - Call: 670-8893/ 695-9880/ 684-2838
1 – Four bedrooms house with all modern conveniences, semi-furnished - $300,000 monthly, Happy Acres - Tel: 231-7839 (working hours) Two bedroom apartment to rent with toilet & bath located in Eccles – Call:2332252, 694-4563, 662-3837 Tw o b e d r o o m h o u s e , E.C.D – Call:663-9816 or 619-3887 Now Open! Harmony Inn, Georgetown Branch - $6,000 & $7,000 – Contact:6680306, 694-7817, 602-8769
Pump Attendant @ Shell Service Station Providence EBD. Must be able to work shift (5am-3pm & 3pm-12pm) Tel: 265-7305 Graphic Artist, CorelDraw & Adobe PhotoShopcs2, Apply to: Executive Office Service82 Albert St. & Regent Road, Bourda, Georgetown TO LET Have your properties to let, sell or manage? E m a i l : Diana_reality@yahoo.com or contact Diana: 2272256, 626-9382 Rooms - Tel:225-9223
SALON
VEHICLE FOR SALE
Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773
Unregistered Toyota Raum Year 2004 , Black interior, HID lights, power door, TV navigation – Tel:617-5536 Toyota Allion PRR 9124, low miles, mags, reverse camera, etc. In excellent condition CallAyube: 233-5557; 610-1309
WANTED Experienced cashier apply with application & Passport size photo to survival shopping complex – Tel:2275286/9 Urgently needed live-in waitresses to work in bar & restaurant. Reasonable Salary Offer. Tel:259-0574 Two mechanics, assistant mechanic, secretary. Apply at J&J Service Center – Tel:227-4897 or 660-3360 Handy boys to work, live in accommodation and meals free – Tel:228-5655, 628-1756 Live-in couple, husband: driving duties, wife: domestic. Good rates & accommodation – Tel:6102978 - (after 5pm)
Reduced Prices: Premio, Spacio, Axela, Raum, Allex, AT212, Tel: 681-4208, 2206262 Toyota Fielder motor car, PNN series, excellent condition, price negotiable – Tel:627-7261 One registered Allion 2003. In excellent condition – Call: 652-3820, 665-4529 First Class Auto: Premio, Allion, Spacio, Raum, 212, Allex, Runx, IST, Fielder, Bluebird, Axela – Tel:6098188, 638-3045 NISSAN TITAN - VERY GOOD CONDITION, LEATHER INTERIOR, FULLY LOADED $2.5M NEG. CALL: 620-1026 One 8,000 Ford Tractor, one 450 Ford Towing Truck & size 16 & 17 tyres - Contact Floyd: 694-5599
One Bahir (cook) to work in the interior. Must keep self & environment clean & tidy – Contact Troy: 604-6730 .
1 Leyland Daf 45-130, GNN7347 ,1 Nissan Titan 4x4 GLL3687 for $2.6M-Tele # 660-4483
Girls to work at bar, preferably out of Town – Tel:223-4778, 653-0220
One RX-8 Mazda fully air conditioned, stick gear, wheel lights, fog lamps, power windows - Tel: 653-2477 2004 Toyota Tundra GNN Series - $1.6M. Owner leaving country - Phone: 647-5919 AT170 Corona – Phone:2340475 or 628-2796
Lorry Drivers to work labour lorry at Emore Estate and L.B.I – Tel:228-5655, 6281756,615-6683 Live out domestic babysitter and live in babysitter – Call:225-0188, 223-7500 (Monday to Saturday ) (8:15am-4:15pm) One maid – Call:612-9570 Pump attendants and Cashiers, Apply at Shell Gas Station, Mc Doom, EBD – Tel:627-2550, 646-7180 Large quantities of Purple Heart, greenheart and other woods needed. Also Nibi furniture. 2185591 or 675-7292 We buy all low income lands especially in La Parfaite Harmonie 218-5591 or 675-7292 Hire Cars at Atlas Taxi Services – Tel:661-3043 Graphic Artist – Tel:2332725 Experienced sales girl and sales boy – Tel:609-1535,2278529 Attractive live in waitressCall:327-0252/674 DRESSMAKING Jean is offering courses in dressmaking, curtains, floral & cake decoration. Lot 153 Barr St Kitty – Call:670-2653, 618-1706
BMW 525I M BODY KIT, E X C E L L E N T CONDITION, LOW MILEAGE, PRICE NEG. CALL : 620-1026 To y o t a R a u m , S p a c i o , AT212, AT192, NZE ,LTouring wagon,Fun Cargo, IST, Nissan E24 Caravan – Tel:644-5096; 697-1453 One Toyota AT192, good condition – Price $850,000 negotiable – Tel: 616-1671
SERVICES Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call: 225-9032, 647-2943 (Continued on page 23)
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 23
Easter Monday celebration - City Mayor, police clash over revenue collection (From page 22)
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Police and city constabulary vehicles parked along Rupert Craig Highway as they engaged in confrontation with citizens for occupying the spots.
The fun and frolic which traditionally surrounds the Easter Monday activities were marred yesterday by a faceoff between the Georgetown Mayor and law enforcement officers, over persons occupying sections of the Georgetown Seawalls. While families lined sections of the seawalls participating in kite flying activities yesterday afternoon, two van loads of police ranks and City Constabulary officers swooped down and attempted to forcibly remove anyone who had erected a structure, demanding that they pay a fee. This included small scale vendors and families nestled under tents and make shift structures. The contention of the officials was that payments should have been made to City Hall for occupying the vicinity and those that had not done so were in contravention. However, their attempts met with firm resistance from City Mayor Hamilton Green and a group of Councilors who claimed to have ‘stumbled upon incident. ’ They instructed the people to ‘stand their ground.’ “We just came out here and happened to witness what the people were facing first hand and therefore we decided to intervene and put a stop to it. We were told that they have been harassing people here all day… this sort of behavior has dampened the usual celebration that takes place here every Easter. I have an example of a man who came here all the way from the Corentyne. He has a pretty large family. He had to pay $20,000 to erect his canopy to enjoy and partake in the celebrations.”
Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. COOL TECH : Repairs Services & Installation of all types if homes appliances: Air Condition & Refrigeration units - Tel: 233-2008; 675-4959 B R I D G E WAT E R CONSTRUCTIONS - CO: NEWHOMESREMODELING, NEWBATHROOMS,TILE& M A R B L E INSTALLATION, FREE E S T I M AT E S - C A L L : 660-6935; 676-9660; 269-094 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer call:2310655,683-8734 Omar
Some of the stalls which the officers attempted to remove Yesterday’s showdown is the offshoot of controversy surrounding the payment for the occupation of spots along the seawall route on the Rupert Craig Highway. Last week, M&CC officials were at loggerheads over whether persons should pay to use the seawalls. However, this newspaper was told that despite lack of consensus on the matter, the Town Clerk instructed the law enforcement officers to remove persons who did not pay to occupy the area. Mayor Green had initially instructed the public not to pay a cent for spots on the seawall on Easter Monday, while Town Clerk (Ag), Carol Sooba insisted that citizens must pay “The Council had held talks and decided that people must not pay for occupying the section of the seawall but
it appears as though the Town Clerk has instructed the officers of the City Constabulary, under the command of Gordon Langevine to do otherwise. They seem to be ambiguous about their role as they are unresponsive and uncaring to the instruction of Council because they all seem to be afraid of this strange person. The officers are in very brutal manner attempting to remove small scale vendors and other persons who are occupying the area …they are demanding as much as $10,000 from a woman with a little tray, which is pretty absurd,” the Mayor explained. The officers were reportedly requesting payments ranging from $ 10,000 to $20,000 per spot from those occupying the area for commercial purposes
or otherwise. A vendor and mother of three expressed gratitude to the Councilors for their intervention, as she explained that she would have lost her entire investment. “Is every year we does come out here with we children and sell couple small things like drink and so and if we gotta pay we does pay a $2000 or $1500 to the Council but this year they want $10,000. If I pay that I would not leff with nothing so I grateful for what the council fuh what they do.” Last week Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker told media operatives that he is prepared to recant the Town Clerk’s decision if it was found that she was selling the space without the permission of City Hall. “I have learnt that it is not
a Council decision. In that respect, our intention is to engage the Town Clerk on the matter, but for now, I am guided by what is in the press. If it is not a Council decision, we will be engaging the Town Clerk to find out whether what was reflected in the press is true, and if it is correct, then we will ask the Town Clerk to reverse that decision,” Whittaker explained. However, the Minister was unavailable for a further comment on the issue yesterday. Last February, the Town Clerk took similar action during the Mashramani celebrations, claiming that more revenue was needed to be raised for the cashstrapped Council. The exorbitant prices resulted in large companies pulling out from occupying the popular Merriman’s Mall.
Page 24
Kaieteur News
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Georgetown Easter celebrations not as impressive Kite flying on the day after Easter has over the years been celebrated by many families taking to the National Park and the Seawall to fly their kites. Easter Monday is the holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ whom Christians believe is the son of God and who was crucified as the ultimate sacrifice to save the world from sin. While in previous years many families came out in their numbers to fly kites, it now seems that this trend is slowly dying in the city since every year the number of families turning out to the National Park, the Seawall, the Botanical Gardens and open spaces to part take in the kite flying festivities has significantly decreased and that trend is continuing as the years progress. Last year's Easter celebrations saw a significantly greater turnout than this year within the National Park. The number of persons this year on the seawalls was dismal. It would be premature for one to speculate as to what is the reason for this phenomenon but the prevailing controversy surrounding renting spots at the Sea Wall could be a contributing factor.
Two young lads in the process of raising their kites This would have turned the minds of many families from visiting the seawalls to fly kites. Additionally the new policy of introducing a fee for vehicles to enter the National Park to aid in the process of cleaning the Park while a noble initiative could have been a deal breaker for some. Whatever the cases may
or may not be it would seem that that our culture of assembling with families to a quite location and raise our kites while enjoying a family oriented day is gradually changing. However those families and friends that were gathered within the National Park and other places, from the looks of it were truly enjoying
the festivity of Easter Monday with many young and old persons going through their paces to get their kites of varying sizes ascending into the relatively blue sky. Beyond the kite flying activity itself families were partaking in the sumptuous meals that were either homemade or bought from the many food vendors that were set up all over. Families were also taking part in outdoor activities such as cricket and keeping themselves busy by walking around and admiring the many different, unique and beautiful kites that were either in the sky already or now in the process of taking flight. It was not always clear sailing for some persons who tried in vain to get their kites to fly in the forgiving breeze which was prevalent. While some persons couldn't get their kites up,
some of those who had a hard time keeping them afloat. As usual, slight modifications had to be made to either the tail of the kite or to the paper used to cover the frame before it could be hoisted without worries. Some kids who lost their kites in the trees of the Na-
tional Park were seen climbing to retrieve them, all of which made the festive day more adventurous for them. While there weren't many persons as the previous years, this year's Easter was well spent for those who were assembled with their family and friends.
Health Minister urges population to take ... From page 12 Minister said, was done in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation. Moreover, he insisted, “ALARM is not a third world Guyanese invention, it is sanctified and sanctioned by PAHO/WHO,” and is being used to improve women health even as efforts are being made to improve child
health as well. As part of its improvement efforts too, Dr. Ramsaran said that currently the Ministry is offering post-graduate programmes in Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Surgery, Paediatrics even as fervent moves are made to maintain over 400 health care facilities across the country to help maintain the health of the population.
Govt. drugs purchases tops ... From page 6 receiving the lion’s share in contracts. Local importers have been complaining of a deliberate plot by the administration to sideline them. In the case of the storage, the Ministry of Health, citing a lack of capacity, has been using a space of New GPC, paying that supplier tens of millions of dollars for storing drugs it had bought from them in the first place. Between late 2007 and December 2012, New GPC was paid more than $90M to store drugs for Government. The Opposition, describing the deal as a sweetheart one, was especially concerned about the degree of control that the Ministry had over the drugs. The Ministry has since moved to its own storage
facility in Diamond, East Bank Demerara. Also, based on audit reports, there have been accusations that New GPC failed to deliver millions of dollars in drugs. In early 2010, the Cabinet under the Jagdeo administration decided that New GPC would be the sole supplier of drugs. In 2011, in controversial circumstances also, a number of companies were prequalified to become suppliers, including New GPC. Drug purchases have accounted for a large chunk of the Ministry of Health’s expenses with New GPC in 2011 being awarded almost 80 per cent of the $13B expended. The Opposition parties in the National Assembly have expressed alarm over the developments with members of its Public Accounts
Committee arm, clashing during examinations of the 2010 Auditor General’s report. Hotly debated also was how the Ministry did not follow competitive bidding processes and as such allowed $1.252B in contracts to be granted to New GPC to deliver drugs in 2010. Last December, the prequalification period expired and Government immediately moved to invite companies to apply. However, local suppliers and the Opposition again criticized the “unfair” conditions which included among other things, large spaces for storage and evidence that it supplied hundreds of millions of dollars in drugs. The conditions, in effect, tipped the scales in favour of New GPC.
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Kaieteur News
Corruption Galore ...under new procurement bill
Winston Riley (Trinidad Guardian) The draft Procurement Bill leaves procurement by the State and State-owned companies wide open to corruption, and is a “waste of time” in its present state, said Winston Riley, chairman of the Public Sector/ Civil Society Group on Public Procurement. “You can burn the bill as it is a waste of time. There are loans from the international lending agencies for the procurement of goods, works and/or services that are outside of the remit of the Procurement Bill. We know that over 50 per cent of procurement for goods, works and services in our region is outside regulations. “With our approach of government to government it is about 70 per cent in T&T. So what are you having the Procurement Bill for? We are wasting time,” he told the Guardian on Sunday in a telephone interview. In the first week of April, the Procurement Bill was brought to the Senate by Planning Minister Bhoe Tewarie, who said the bill would not be debated until
three weeks have elapsed to allow time for public scrutiny and discussion. Tewarie said the bill was finally approved by the Legislative Review Committee (LRC) on March 17 and subsequently approved by the Cabinet on March 20. Riley describes Clause 7 of the bill as “disturbing” and said this clause, which excludes government-togovernment arrangements from the purview of the legislation, should be removed. ”Clause 7 states that the act does not apply to the procurement of goods, works or services arising out of a treaty to which T&T is a party with one or more states or with an international lending agency. Any international treaty that has to do with goods or services is outside the bill. “The Prime Minster just came back from China with billions of dollars worth of investment. There are other government-to-government arrangements on the cards with Austria and Canada. There is the SNC Lavalin matter where the question of the sovereignty of the nation was in question. ”If we allow countries to do what they want and choose who they want, then we have left out procurement itself. The core issues in any procurement legislation are accountability, transparency and the efficient use of public money. ”Just look at the massive expenditure spent on the National Academy for Performing Arts (Napa) and the Southern Academy for Performing Arts (Sapa) after they were opened.” Riley said the issue of procurement
legislation goes back many years. He said 35 years ago the then administration amended the Central Tenders Board Act to exclude government-to-government contracts from the scrutiny of the Central Tenders Board. As a result of that, the government was able to proceed with government-togovernment contracts. In an attempt to bypass the public sector slowness, administrations have also set up a plethora of special purpose state-owned enterprises “which destroyed all of our institutions responsible for the delivery of good, works and services utilising public money in T&T. Even now the boards are just areas where you distribute political patronage,” he said. He said there were “shocking” things in the first two or three drafts of the bill. ”The bill was a complete replica of several bills. It was highly regulatory, thus in contradiction with Parliament’s directives. The very foundation of the earlier versions of the draft bill was wrong in the first place.” He criticised the Opposition for asking the Government to set up a policy position on the bill as he said this had been done before. “What has been surprising to us was that the Opposition asked the Government to put up a policy position which will carry the whole process backward. The White Paper was accepted as far back as the first budget speech of this Government. I do not wish to comment on why they did this.” Despite this, he said he is in discussions with the Government.
Father of 2 shot dead by trap-gun Police believe a homemade trap-gun meant to scare animals fired and killed Barrackpore labourer Ramraj Ramnarine on Sunday. Ramnarine, who would have turned 44 yesterday, died after he was shot in his back in a forested area in South Oropouche Road, Barrack-pore. According to a police report, at around 6 p.m., Ramnarine accompanied his friend, Terry Singh, of Rochard Douglas Road, Barrackpore, who went to attend to his cattle in South Oropouche Road. Singh, 32, told police he heard a loud explosion and saw Ramnarine fall to the ground. Singh ran for help and returned to the scene with officers of the Barrackpore
Police Station. A district medical officer pronounced Ramnarine dead at the scene and the body was removed to the San Fernando mortuary. Officers of the Homicide Division (South) and Barrackpore station returned to the area yesterday with Singh and recovered the trapgun. Police said the homemade device was fashioned using a rat trap with a spring and a metal pipe attached. Officers found one spent shell and a live round in the device. Ramnarine’s father, 90year-old Sonny Ramnarine, said he found the incident suspicious. “His wife said he went to tie animals but where he went, they don’t usually have ‘pipeguns’ (trap-guns). And even if he was to get shot, he
would get shot in his legs or sides but not in his back,” said the deceased’s father. The Express was told police officers of the Barrackpore station and Prae-dial Larceny Unit had on several occasions spoken to Singh about complaints against him leaving his animals to feed on their land. Police suspect the trapgun may have been set to scare off the animals. Sonny Ramnarine said he last saw his son on Friday when he came to visit him and other relatives. He said the deceased was a father of two. He had previously lived in the United States for approximately seven years. Ramnarine, he said, worked as a labourer with a private contractor.
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Tuesday April 22, 2014
Ukraine peace deal falters as rebels show no sign of surrender
Pro-Russia protestors sing and dance near a barricade outside a regional government building in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine yesterday. (Credit: Reuters/Marko Djurica) (Reuters) An international agreement to avert wider conflict in Ukraine was faltering yesterday, with pro-Moscow separatist gunmen showing no sign of surrendering government buildings they have seized. U.S. and European officials say they will hold Moscow responsible and impose new economic sanctions if the separatists do not clear out of government buildings they have occupied across swathes of eastern Ukraine over the past two weeks. Washington, which signed last week’s accord in Geneva along with Moscow, Kiev and the European Union, said it would decide “in days” on additional sanctions if Russia does not take steps to implement the agreement. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, yesterday to help carry out the deal, including by “publicly calling on separatists to vacate illegal buildings and checkpoints”, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “If they don’t take steps in the coming days, there’ll be consequences,” she told a news briefing. “Obviously, we would have to make a decision in the matter of - in a matter of days - if there are going to be consequences for inaction.” The United States and the European Union have imposed visa bans and asset freezes on some Russians over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine last month. Those limited measures, designed not to have wider economic impact and to avoid deepening the crisis, have been mocked as
pointless by Moscow. Building a consensus on tougher measures is tricky in Europe where many countries rely on Russian energy exports. In its account of their telephone conversation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov had called on Kerry to “influence Kiev, not let hotheads there provoke a bloody conflict” and to encourage it “to fulfill its obligations unflaggingly.” U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Kiev, where he is expected to announce a package of technical assistance. The visit is likely to be more important as a symbol of support than for any specific promises Biden makes in public. MUTUALACCUSATIONS The Geneva accord aimed to lower tension in the worst confrontation between Russia and the West since the Cold War. It calls for occupied buildings to be vacated under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE. But no sooner had the accord been signed than both sides accused the other of breaking it, while the proMoscow rebels disavowed the pledge to withdraw from occupied buildings. An OSCE mediator, Mark Etherington, held his first meeting with the leader of separatists in Slaviansk, a town that rebels have turned into a heavily fortified redoubt. He said he had asked the pro-Russian self-proclaimed “people’s mayor” of the town, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, whether he would comply with the
Geneva agreement, but gave no hint about the response. Ponomaryov later told a news conference: “We did not negotiate, we talked. We told them our position, what happened here, and they told us about their plans.” In other signs the Geneva accord was far from being implemented, activists in Slaviansk brought up trucks laden with sand and were filling sandbags to reinforce their barricades. In nearby Kramatorsk, local media showed masked gunmen taking over the office of the SBU security service and leading away a civilian identified as the local police chief. Separatists said they would not disarm until Right Sector, a Ukrainian nationalist group in western Ukraine, did so first. “Who should surrender weapons first? Let us see Right Sector disarm first. Let them make the first step and we will follow,” Yevgeny Gordik, a member of a separatist militia, told Reuters. “We need dialogue. This is not dialogue. It is monologue.” Russia says Right Sector members have threatened Russian speakers. Kiev and Western countries say the threat is largely invented by Russian state-run media to justify Moscow’s intervention and cause alarm in Russian speaking areas. Moscow blames Right Sector for a shooting on Easter Sunday morning, when at least three people were killed at a checkpoint manned by armed separatists. Right Sector denies involvement, while Kiev said Russia provoked the violence.
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Kaieteur News
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World Cup to kick up prices in inflation-weary Brazil BRASILIA (Reuters) - As if worrying about unfinished stadiums and overcrowded airports wasn’t enough, the upcoming soccer World Cup will give Brazilian policymakers another headache: an inflation spike. The arrival of roughly 600,000 foreign tourists for the month-long tournament that starts in mid-June will likely cause substantial increases in the prices of airline tickets, restaurant meals and hotel rooms. Those three areas account for about a tenth of the weighting of Brazil’s benchmark IPCA consumer price gauge. That could spell
trouble for President Dilma Rousseff as the inflation rate is already at 6.19 percent. “The World Cup will make things more difficult for the government,” said Reginaldo Nogueira, economics professor at Ibmec business school in Belo Horizonte. The World Cup has already been bogged down by cost overruns, delays in infrastructure projects and deadly accidents. Although the government expects the tournament to add half a percentage point to economic growth and thousands of jobs, rising inflation and persistently weak growth has eroded
Rousseff’s popularity as she seeks re-election in October. Nogueira said that price shocks from the Cup could be the last straw that puts Brazil’s 2014 inflation target between 2.5 and 6.0 percent out of reach. Estimates as to the exact impact of the World Cup on consumer prices vary. Juan Jensen, chief economist with Sao Paulo-based consultancy Tendencias, said it may add 0.35 percentage points to inflation in June alone. Most economists agree that any spike will ease after the World Cup ends in July but some officials still worry
Tuesday April 22, 2014 Aries (Mar. 21- April 20) Your energy will be high. Pleasure trips or friendly gettogethers will be satisfying and intellectually stimulating. Problems with in-laws or relatives may be more damaging than you realize.
LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) You should teach children some of your unique creative talents. Travel should be on your mind. Do your work at home, if you can. Someone may be trying to make you look bad.
TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) Try not to overspend on luxury items. You will find that you can work progressively at improving yourself today. Travel if it's needed to start the ball rolling.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)
GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Don't make large purchases or investments. Travel should open doors that lead to exciting new adventures. You need to take some time out to decide what you want to do.
Relationships will become stronger. Take time to explain your intentions to loved ones. Organize your day to avoid any setbacks that might ignite temper flareups. SAGIT (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) Don't spend too much on products that promise amazing cosmetic results. Investments that deal with property will pay off but could cause conflict with some family members.
CANCER (June 22-July 22) A long, quiet walk alone may help you sort out your thoughts. Opportunities to get together with people in powerful positions could help you get ahead. You will be overly generous with children today.
CAPRI (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Try to keep any mood swings under control; they may result in alienation. Don't push your luck with your boss. Financial affairs do not look too favorable today.
LEO (July 23-Aug 22) You may overspend if you travel today; however, the trip will be one to remember. Get busy on projects that improve your own image; you'll have the discipline to succeed. Think about your priorities.
AQUAR. (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) Be prepared to step into the limelight if you wish to promote your ambitions. Be sure to cover all the necessary groundwork before signing binding contracts. Be sure to take advantage of the opportunities that exist.
VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Get friends to help you with the preparations. Passion will be your only answer. Don't let others try to create unwarranted guilt if you can't meet their demands.
PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) You can make it up to them later. Your sensitivity toward those you love will capture their hearts. You can increase the value of your dwelling.
it could scare consumers and contaminate expectations going forward, giving new impetus to price increases. The government has tried to cap hikes in electricity and gasoline prices but not much more can be done to tame prices during the tournament, two senior officials told Reuters. Luiz Roberto Cunha, an economics professor who advises the government on inflation data, said that all host countries tend to see rising prices when they host the World Cup. But he said the effects could feel greater because of already high inflation in Brazil, fueled by homegrown factors such as contracts that force annual increases in rents and other prices, as well as high government spending and even a recent drought that has caused a jump in food costs. Since the World Cup is being held in 12 host cities across Brazil, an unusually high number, any run-up in prices will be particularly widespread. Brazilians have already started to complain. A Facebook page called “Rio $urreal” was created to denounce high prices in Rio de Janeiro, which will hold the Cup’s final in July. “It seems like drinking beer on a Friday is only for
Albion to host GCB double... From page 30 matches= 60 mins= 452 mins or 7 1/2 hrs approx - 8 Preliminary Male Matches to be 4 overs a side on a knockout basis= 64 overs - 4 Preliminary Female matches to be 4 overs a side= 32 overs - All 4overs would be bowled from one end of the wicket to save time and ends would be rotated ever so often. - After every 2 male matches, there will be a female match. Day 2 (84 overs X 4 mins = 336 mins plus 5 mins changeover time between 10 matches = 50 mins. Total = 386 mins or or 6 1/2 hrs approx - 4 Men Quarter finals will be 4overs each= 32 overs - 2 Men Semi finals will be 4 overs each= 16 overs - 1 Men Final to be 6 overs each= 12overs - 2 Female semis will be 4 overs each= 16 overs, female semis will be played before and between the Men Semis. - 1 Female final will be 4 overs each= 8 overs will be played before the men’s final
A Colombian fan displays his FIFA 2014 World Cup tickets for the match between Colombia and Greece, in Rio de Janeiro April 18, 2014. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes the rich now,” wrote Luiz Felipe Oliveira in a recent post that complained of a local bar charging nearly $4 for a beer. In the capital Brasilia, already one of Brazil’s priciest cities, tourists can pay more than $600 a day for a room at a four-star hotel near the stadium. A night at a fancier hotel can go for $1,000 during the tournament. Threats of strikes by
metro, airport and hotel workers during the World Cup could also push wages higher and stoke prices even more. Not even one of the world’s most aggressive monetary tightening cycles has been able to significantly ease the pressure. The central bank has raised its benchmark Selic rate by 375 basis points to 11 percent since April 2013.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Daniel Ricciardo plays American Meb Keflezighi down Vettel dispute wins Boston Marathon
Vettel has refused to allow his teammate by following team orders BBC Sport - Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo moved to defuse a potential dispute with team-mate Sebastian Vettel over team orders at the Chinese Grand Prix. Vettel initially refused to accede to a demand to let Ricciardo through because he was faster, although says he did subsequently move over. “I don’t want to start any conflicts or anything,” said Ricciardo, who joined the team this year. “At the end of the day we eventually got past and I was able to do my race.” Ricciardo ended the race in fourth and Vettel in fifth, around 20 seconds behind his team-mate. It is the second race in a succession in which Vettel, who has won the last four world titles with Red Bull, has received an order to move over for Ricciardo. The issue is a sensitive one at the team, who had a series of team orders rows between Vettel and former team-mate Mark Webber in the last four years. Vettel caused controversy last season by ignoring an order not to overtake Webber in last year’s Malaysian Grand
Prix. He initially apologised and then later said he would do the same again. In China on Sunday, Vettel queried the order, asking what type of tyres Ricciardo was on. When he was told the two drivers were on the same tyres but the Australian’s were fresher, Vettel replied: “Tough luck.” Ricciardo did get by two laps later. Vettel said this was a result of him moving over once he had been told the plan was for him to do one more pit stop. “I did move over,” Vettel said. “Initially I didn’t understand because we were on the same tyres, unlike Bahrain [the last race]. “That’s why I doublechecked, but when I got the call that at that stage Daniel was on a different strategy, I moved over.” In the end, Vettel did do the same two-stop strategy as Ricciardo. Team boss Christian Horner said: “He was obviously understanding they were on the same tyres and strategy and he wanted to race. “His tyres were quite a bit older, he was going through
the tyre quicker and it looked like a three-stop.” Asked whether Vettel should not have simply obeyed without disputing the team’s request, Horner said: “He’s a race driver. We employ these guys because they have that fighting spirit. “He hasn’t won four world championships by not being a racer. Of course he’s going to question it to understand but as soon as he understood it, bang, he moved over. “For any driver, they don’t like that call. But he’s absolutely abided by it. He’s a team player at the end of the day.” Vettel said he was struggling to drive the car as well as Ricciardo. “I don’t think there was a problem with the car,” he said. “At the moment he just seems to get more out of the car than I do. “There are a lot of things I don’t really like but we have the same car so the gap is too big to be something small in terms of set-up. We take one step forwards, one step back. But hopefully in the next couple of races more steps in the right direction.”
BBC Sport - India’s cricket board has appointed a three-member investigative panel to look into allegations of corruption in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Its members are former law enforcement agency head RK Raghavan, former high court judge JN Patel and former Indian cricket captain Ravi Shastri. It comes after an Indian court urged the board to probe spot-fixing claims against 13 players and officials. The IPL is the
world’s richest cricket tournament. The seventh edition of the 20-over tournament, which features eight teams of international players, began last week and runs until 1 June. India’s Supreme Court recently ordered N Srinivasan to stand down as chief of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) amid allegations that his sonin-law was involved with illegal betting. Mr Srinivasan was elected head of cricket’s world body,
the International Cricket Council, in February. He is due to take up the role in July. Former India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar was installed as the interim head of the cricket board, and is responsible for overseeing the ongoing IPL tournament. The last season of the IPL was dogged by allegations of spot-fixing and betting. Spot-fixing involves players bowling wides and no-balls at certain times arranged beforehand with bookmakers.
Meb Keflezighi of the United States celebrates after winning the 2014 Boston Marathon. (Photo: Greg M. Cooper, USA TODAY Sports) USA TODAY Sports BOSTON – In one of the most memorable victories in Boston Marathon history, Meb Keflezighi became the first American man since 1983 to wear the laurel wreath. With the backdrop of so much tragedy, in front of many of those gravely wounded in last year’s attacks, Keflezighi raised his arms in victory as he crossed the finish line at 2:08:37. He looked up to the sky, then kissed the ground three times. He took a bow, then emotion won out as he put his hands over his face and broke into tears. Wilson Chebet of Kenya was second in 2:08.48. Keflezighi’s win was entirely unexpected. Turning 39 next month, his best days seemed to be in his past, especially given the Kenyan stronghold on the race. Since 1991, a runner from Kenya has won the men’s race 19 times. After the race, Keflezighi hugged Greg Meyer, the last American man to win the race
in 1983. “He told me two days ago, ‘You’re the smartest guy there,’” Keflezighi said. “Then this morning before I took off, he said, ‘Go get it done. You can do it. You can do it. There can’t be a better person to pass it on.’” Wearing a red and white top and blue shorts, Keflezighi was cheered by massive crowds from Hopkinton to Boylston Street. He was born in the African nation of Eritrea but immigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was 12 and lives in San Diego with his wife and three daughters. He didn’t race last year but was in the stands, leaving only about five minutes before the bombs went off. Today Keflezighi, a three-time Olympian, returned to the same spot and gave the city a reason to cheer. The 2004 Olympic silver medalist won his last major marathon at the Olympic trials in 2012. He also won the New York marathon in 2009.
Keflezighi broke away from Josphat Boit, an American runner who was born in Kenya, midway through the race. By mile 17, Keflezighi had a minute lead over the pack that included defending champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia. Rita Jeptoo of Kenya defended her title in the women’s race, setting a course record of 2:18.57. American Shalane Flanagan set a fast pace through the first half, leading the women’s pack at the halfway mark and finishing seventh in 2:22.02. The field was announced at 35,755, second only to the centennial race in 1996 when a record 38,708 ran. Tight security was in place, giving the race a different feel from the past. Along the course, more than 3,500 police officers were out along with 800 National Guard soldiers and airmen. A crowd of 1 million was expected for the race, which started with a moment of silence. Strict new protocol required runners to check all their gear in officially approved bags, then pass through security checkpoints before boarding school buses. Pedestrians clapped as a team of more than 50 state and local police in florescent jackets rode through the Common on mountain bikes. “It does feel different from last year,” said Raj Chavan of Newton. He came downtown with his 10-yearold son, he said, in an act of defiance against global terrorism, which he said has impacted his native India as well as the United States and other nations. “It’s sending a message of resiliency,” Chavan said. “We’re not going to stay out. We’re going to cheer.”
IPL corruption claims: BCCI appoints investigative panel
Rita Jeptoo of Kenya defended her title in the women’s race, setting a course record. (Greg M. Cooper USA TODAY Sports)
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Kaieteur News
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Red Bull to throw David Moyes: Manchester United everything at Mercedes ‘no comment’ on boss reports
Redbull F1 driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany takes a curve during a training session at Catalunya’s racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona. REUTERS/Albert Gea (Reuters) - Champions Red Bull believe they can pick up the pace and take the fight to dominant Mercedes now that Formula One is heading back to Europe after the first four ‘flyaway’ races in Asia and the Middle East. Team principal Christian Horner kept calm after Mercedes chalked up their fourth victory in a row, and third successive one-two finish, in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix won by Lewis Hamilton. “If we are going to make a championship of it, we’ve got to take the fight to them,” Horner, whose team have just one podium finish so far this year, told Sky Sports television. “We’re going to give it everything. I believe we can take the fight to them, we just can’t concede too much more ground.” “We were 22km an hour slower on that kilometer straight today, that represented almost 100 meters that we’re giving away on the straight. That’s where we’ve got to improve. “We know where we’ve got to fix our issues and hopefully there’s some steps towards that in Barcelona,” added the Briton. The next race is the
Spanish Grand Prix on May 11, with all the teams sure to bring upgrades after the threeweek break. Red Bull’s design wizard Adrian Newey skipped Shanghai to work on improvements and his rivals need no reminding about his reputation. “The Red Bulls are famous for coming back and Newey is there,” Niki Lauda, nonexecutive chairman of the Mercedes team, warned on Sunday evening. “He wasn’t here so he sends something new for Barcelona, I’m afraid.” Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth for Red Bull in China, with quadruple champion Vettel fifth after being ordered to move aside for his younger team mate for the second race in a row. The German did so, but only after initial reluctance. Horner had only praise for Ricciardo, who has had the better of Vettel in three races. “He’s just Joe Cool, isn’t he? He’s always smiling,” Horner said of the Australian. “And he’s quick. we knew he was quick but he’s exceeded all our expectations so far. “He’s so cool under pressure. I don’t know whether you hear any of his
radio but it’s like he’s having a chat at a coffee bar,” he added. “You wouldn’t think he’s in a grand prix. “He’s been enormously impressive since the start of the season in Melbourne. His confidence is growing, you can see that.” Ricciardo has outqualified Vettel three times but Horner said the German would fight back. “We know that Seb is very sensitive to the car, how it enters into a corner and at the moment he hasn’t got the feel that he needs from the car,” he said. “As soon as he gets on top of that, bang. He’ll be right back,” added the team boss. Vettel, winner of nine races in a row at the end of last year, has made slow starts before and still come out on top but he faces his biggest challenge yet. The new Mercedes power unit has been the pick of the grid while Red Bull’s partners Renault are still playing catch up. Although Red Bull have now clawed their way back to second in the constructors’ standings, they are 97 points behind Mercedes. Vettel is fifth in the drivers’ championship, 46 adrift of Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg.
From page 31 Pandey and Ben Hilfenhaus were probing with their outswingers, and when Mayank Agarwal tried to break free with an attempted chip over cover, Raina made ground to snap up the mishit. With Pandey bowling a disciplined full spell on the trot and Mohit Sharma providing no release, Vijay and Manoj Tiwary stuck to Agarwal’s approach. Both fell to spectacular, running takes
by du Plessis at mid-off. Daredevils were 17 for 3 in the fifth over, and were going nowhere from there. Everything that Super Kings tried worked even as Karthik hung around in vain. Dwayne Smith trotted in for his first ball in the ninth over and caught JP Duminy plumb in front. Hilfenhaus had Ross Taylor caught behind as just reward for his away swing. At 50 for 5 in the tenth over and Coulter-Nile unavailable, Daredevils
needed a miracle from the last batting pair of Karthik and Jimmy Neesham. Instead, R Ashwin hit his Tamil Nadu team-mate’s middle stump with his first ball in the 13th over, and along with Ravindra Jadeja, ran through whatever remained of the Daredevils line-up. Scores: Chennai Super Kings 177 for 7 (Raina 56, Dhoni 32, Unadkat 3-32) beat Delhi Daredevils 84 (Ashwin 2-3, Jadeja 2-18, I Pandey 2-23) by 93 runs.
CSK crush Daredevils by 93 runs
BBC Sport - Manchester United say David Moyes has not been sacked but declined to comment when asked about the manager’s longerterm future. National newspapers say the club will dispense with the Scot’s services following a poor season. However a United spokesperson would only confirm Moyes has not been sacked. When pressed on whether the manager would leave before the end of the season, the spokesperson added, “we do not comment on speculation”. None of the newspapers are reporting that Moyes has been sacked yet. The Daily Mail writes that he will be dismissed before the end of the season, while the Daily Telegraph says he has lost the support of club owners the Glazer family and is facing the sack. The Sun and the Daily Mirror, meanwhile, report that the United board will sack him, but that it is unclear whether this will happen before the weekend’s game at home to Norwich. Moyes was chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson to succeed him as United manager when he stepped down from the role after 26 years in charge last summer. The 50 year-old was handed a six-year deal to leave Everton for the Premier League champions but his tenure could be nearing an end after just 10 months. United, who currently lie in seventh place in the table with four games remaining, will record their lowest ever points tally in the Premier League having struggled at Old Trafford, especially. Under Moyes, they have lost six league games at home, been beaten in the FA Cup by Swansea and were unable to prevent Sunderland knocking them out of the Capital One Cup in the semi-finals. In March, supporters chartered a plane to fly
David Moyes overhead trailing a banner with the words, “Wrong One - Moyes Out” during the Premier League win over Aston Villa. The Reds will also miss out Champions League football for the first time since 1995 and are in danger of missing out on European competition altogether for the first time since 1990. United did reach the last eight of the Champions League before being knocked out by Bayern Munich and Moyes argued that their best displays had been in the competition. But the Scot has been dogged by claims of fallouts with his squad. When midfielder Anderson joined Fiorentina on loan in January, he was quoted as saying other United players “wanted out” although he later denied it. Rio Ferdinand and Robin van Persie also made less than complimentary comments about his management style, while Javier Hernandez and Wilfried Zaha posted cryptic quotes on Twitter. And this weekend, Manchester-born striker Danny Welbeck was reported to be considering his future after becoming frustrated at regularly being played out of his favoured position. Moyes left Everton after
11 seasons saying he could not turn down the opportunity to move to Old Trafford and began his job on 1 July. However, United endured a difficult summer transfer window and failed in reported bids for Barcelona’s Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregas. A double bid for Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines was dismissed as “derisory and insulting” by Moyes’ old club Everton, although Fellaini finally joined on transfer deadline day for £27.5m. Moyes was unhappy with a difficult start to the season, during which his side played Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in their first five games. “I find it hard to believe that’s the way the balls came out of the bag, that’s for sure,” he said. But his reign began in style with a 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in the Community Shield at Wembley, followed by a 4-1 win away at Swansea City in the first league game of the season. However, things got worse quickly with defeats away at rivals Liverpool and City on the way to what will be United’s worst ever Premier League season.
Bulls’ Noah named league’s defensive player of the year (Reuters) - Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was named the National Basketball Association’s defensive player of the year on Monday, the first player from the franchise to earn the award since Michael Jordan in 1988. Noah, whose father Yannick won the 1983 French Open tennis championship, was the centerpiece of a
Chicago defense which held opponents to a league-low 91.8 points per game during the 2013-14 regular season. The 29-year-old received 555 out of a possible 1,125 points, including 100 firstplace votes, from a panel of 125 sportswriters and broadcasters in the United States and Canada. Roy Hibbert of the
Indiana Pacers (with 166 points) and DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers (121 points) finished second and third in the voting. Noah averaged career highs of 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists during the 2013-14 season, helping the Bulls finish fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 48- 34 record.
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Kaieteur News
Thomas, Reid star as Regal, Farm victorious
Rawl Reid
Eric Thomas Eric Thomas stroked a fine unbeaten 46 to lead Regal Masters to a commanding seven wicket victory over Success Masters in a 20 overs softball fixture on Sunday last at Everest. Thomas, who was given the man of the match award, slammed five fours as Regal reached their winning target of 98 for the loss of three
wickets in 15 overs. Batting first Success Masters never got going and were skittled for 97 in 19.4 overs. Only Kishore Mohabir showed fight with 28 as Troy Kippins captured 3-10 and Mahendra Hardyal 3-15. Farm overcame Frontline by five wickets in the open category which followed. Frontline managed 106 all out
in 15 overs, taking first strike. Mohamed Rafeek scored 38 (3x4); Patrick Khan snared 316 and Junior Reddy 2-20. Man of the match Rawl Reid then cracked a fine unbeaten 58 with six fours to lead Farm to 108-5 in 10 overs in reply. The games were organized as part of the Everest Cricket Club 100th anniversary celebrations.
Tuesday April 22, 2014
Guyanese impressive as Suriname Easter Int’l Badminton tournament concludes The Guyana Badminton Association Team participating in the Suriname Annual Easter International Tournament at the Walter Amo Sports Hall in Paramaribo over the Easter weekend turned in an impressive display despite competing in higher age categories. The Guyanese Players did well on the Final day against their older opponents by reaching the S e m i - F i n a l s a n d Finals especially 12 Year Old Priyanna who played in the Under-15 & 19 Events. Players like Priyanna & Narayan had to play five Matches each on the Final Day but were able to stand up to the pressure. After the Finals the Presentation was held with the Guyanese Players collecting a total of 11-Trophies. Manager/Coach Gokarn Ramdhani said, “I am really proud to say that for the last seven years in a row the Guyana Badminton Team have medaled at every International Tournament we attended which includes, The Pan American
Championships, Caribbean Championships, Suriname Easter International Championships and The South American Youth Games.” The Overall Results are: Priyanna Ramdhani- Gold (Under-15 Girls Doubles) Silver (Under-15 Girls Singles) Bronze (Under-19 Mix Doubles) Narayan RamdhaniSilver (Under-19 Boys Doubles) Bronze (Under19 Boys Singles) Bronze (Under19 Mix Doubles) Jonathan MangraBronze (Under-19 Boys Doubles) Ronald Chang YuenBronze (Under-19 Boys Doubles) Hemraj Beharry- Bronze (Under-19 Boys Doubles) Ambika Ramraj- Bronze (Under-19 Girls Doubles) Krystal Peters-Bronze (Under-19 Girls Doubles) SEMI-FINALS RESULTS: Under-15 Girl Singles: Priyanna Ramdhani (GUY) defeated Erisa Bleau(SUR): 21-11, 21-11 Under-15 Girls Doubles: Priyanna Ramdhani & ShemaraLindveld (SUR)
defeated Imani Mangroe & Stacy Cheung (SUR): 21-6, 2111 Under-19 Boys Singles: Narayan Ramdhani lost to Samuel Ricketts (JAM): 21-17, 21-13 Under-19 Boys Doubles; Narayan Ramdhani & Jonathan Mangra (GUY) defeated Shawn Brandon & M. Nannanpanday (SUR): 213, 21-9 Hemraj Beharry & Ronald Chang Yuen (GUY) lost to Soren Opti & Mitch Nai Chung Tong (SUR): 21-6, 217 Under-19 Mix Doubles: Narayan Ramdhani & Priyanna Ramdhani (GUY) lost to Soren Opti & Ishaak Rugshaar(SUR): 21-16, 21-17 FINALS RESULTS: Under-15 Girls Singles: Priyanna Ramdhani (GUY) lost to Imani Mangroe(SUR): 21-18, 8-21, 17-21 Under-15 Girls Doubles: Priyanna Ramdhani (GUY) & Shemara Lindveld(SUR): defeated Jogia Williams & Nazeeya Oemar: 21-11, 21-7 Under-19 Boys Doubles: Narayan Ramdhani & Priyanna Ramdhani lost to Soren Opti & Mitch Nai Chung Tong (SUR)
Super Kings v Daredevils, IPL 2014, Abu Dhabi
Albion to host GCB double CSK crush Daredevils by 93 runs wicket cricket on May 3 & 4
By Sean Devers The historic Alboin Sports Complex in Corentyne, Berbice hosted the first ever ODI in the West Indies in 1977 when West Indies beat Pakistan by four wickets in the one-off match and over the years the crowds have turned up at in large numbers to support their teams even at the domestic level. Now with the installation of Floodlights at the FirstClass Venue set to be fully completed this month, The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has organized a 16-team grand double wicket cricket competition on the weekend of May 3 and 4. The competition will cater for both Male and Female pairs and both Finals will be contested under-lights on Sunday May 4. Entry fee for each male pair is $40,000 and $10,000 for Females and the Pairs will vie for the half Million first prize for males and $100,000 for females. The male runner-up takes home $200,000 and the female runner-up pockets $50,000. Each team will acquire their own sponsor who will pay their entrance
Finals to be played under lights, ½ million for Male winners & $100,000 for Females fees and manage the team. The first match is scheduled to start at 10hrs on Day one and 13:00hrs on Day two. The Preliminary round matches will be four overs per side with both players bowling two overs. At a venue which hosted the last of its five ODIs in 1985 when West Indies beat New Zealand, a large crowd is anticipated since this will be the first time cricket will be played under proper lights in Berbice and not much of the younger generation know what is double wicket cricket. Incentive Prizes for sixes will be given out for the top five male six hitters and the top three six hitters on the distaff side. Incentive Prizes will be given for the most catches, best five fielders, and run outs on a formula to be determined. No fielding restrictions will be in place but other standard cricket Laws will apply. The GCB will provide the fielders, Umpires, meals, refreshments, scorers,
announcers each day in addition to promotion and marketing of event and other officials. The Presentation Ceremony will be done immediately after the second final and everyone will be admitted free of charge on the first day while adult males will be required to pay $1,000 to enter the ground on day two. Females and kids pay no charge while there will be free parking and a Tarmac party on Sunday night. Double wicket cricket at a high level was last played at Bourda in 1987 when several international players competed including Sir Gary Sobers, Lance Gibbs and Michael Holding in addition to all the then present Guyanese Test players. Eleven fielders, including the two participating players will be on the field at all times. Rules: Day I (96 overs X 4 mins= 392 mins) with a 5 min turnaround time between 12 Continued on page 27
Suresh Raina made his 20th fifty-plus score in the IPL © BCCI ESPNcricinfo - Chennai Super Kings crushed Delhi Daredevils by 93 runs in a thoroughly one-sided game in Abu Dhabi. Super Kings started steadily after choosing to bat, but Suresh Raina’s busy fifty in the middle and a late surge catapulted them to 177. Their quicks tied Daredevils down with accurate swing bowling, and electric catching from Raina and Faf du Plessis
made it harder. The middle order sank without a fight, and by the halfway stage of the chase, the match was as good as over. By the 16th over, Super Kings had wrapped up their biggest win in terms of runs. Brendon McCullum had said that with such a powerful line-up, Super Kings would go hard right from the start. But they stuck to their tested approach of starting steady,
keeping wickets in hand and exploding at the death. Super Kings were 34 for 1 after the end of the Powerplay and 65 for 1 after ten overs. They took 58 off the last four overs with swift contributions from MS Dhoni, du Plessis and Mithun Manhas. Daredevils lost the services of Nathan CoulterNile three deliveries into the match, the fast bowler hobbling off after hurting his leg while sliding to stop the ball. To his credit, Dinesh Karthik still managed to keep Jaydev Unadkat and Mohammed Shami for the final four without suffering too much damage in the middle overs but led by Dhoni, Super Kings had too much firepower in store. Dhoni blitzed 32 off 15, almost smacking Unadkat flush on the head before the bowler somehow scrambled to avoid a fearsome straight hit. Raina ensured Super Kings did not stall before the late assault. He did not rely too much on the boundaries but when the chance came, he did hit a few, taking the parttime offspin of M Vijay for three fours in an over. Raina was also to start Daredevils’ downfall. Ishwar Continued on page 29