Sunday August 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
Competent Guyanese being sidelined in Amaila debate The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) condemns the “roguish tactics by Government investors and special interest” and believes that the Members of Parliament (MPs) must engage their constituents on Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project. GTUC leader, Lincoln Lewis, this past week weighed in on the current moves by government to win support for the Amaila Project and said that the participation of MPs at the recent engagement in the National Assembly raises serious concerns as to their rights and roles. “The parliamentarians were elected by the citizens and their first and foremost responsibility is to protect and advance the interests of the citizens.” Lewis believes that it is time parliamentarians understand that “your first role is to the citizens, and no foreign company has the right to walk into our National Assembly and try to sell you something that is inimical to the interest of the people, and more so this being done without the people’s
- GTUC
GTUC’s Lincoln Lewis involvement and support.” In lamenting the use of the Chambers, Lewis said that “our elected officials on both sides of the National Assembly have decided that they would entertain presentations from a group whose only intention is to make money on the backs of the citizens to influence them in making decisions.” Lewis opined also that the tenor of salesmanship by the investors comes across as “bullying our policy makers to conform to their wishes”.
According to the veteran trade unionist, the project has drawn serious analyses from prominent and competent Guyanese like Professor Clive Thomas, Ramon Gaskin and Christopher Ram. He said that Thomas, Gaskin, and Ram, who are born and bred Guyanese and whose patriotism on this matter cannot be questioned “remain voices crying in the wilderness and our MPs are yet to indicate to them that they are prepared to embrace similar consideration to sit, listen and make an informed opinion based on the concerns they have been raising.” Lewis said that the GTUC is advocating that Ram and Gaskin be allowed a similar audience in the National Assembly to address the MPs on the lingering concerns on the Amaila Falls Project. He added that the trade union body has also never been involved in any discussion on the Amaila Falls Project. “No one has spoken to us on this issue in as much as the Constitution gives us the right to participation.” Lewis also asserted that the Executive and Private Sector aggression to commit Guyanese to a project that has serious consequences for their future, without respecting the citizenry’s right to be involved, appears unconstitutional. He cited Article 13 of the Constitution, which expressly says, “The principal objective of the State is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organizations in the management and decisionmaking processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their wellbeing.” Lewis said it is clear that the MPs and political decision-makers have not learnt.
“At this time in 2012 the citizens of Linden/Region 10 were in the streets, challenging a decision made that impacted on their constitutional, economic and social wellbeing, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of many.” Lewis stated that despite the Linden experience, Winston Brassington, on behalf of the Government of Guyana, which in effect is on behalf of the People of Guyana, “is arbitrarily stating that Linden will be included in the Amaila Falls programme, without the people’s involvement.” According to Lewis, Brassington has ascribed to himself the authority to say to the people that the private generators that are off the national grid will have to return, because the government will remove the fuel concessions. The Executive, he said, has to be told when a benefit has been negotiated and implemented, and “cannot arbitrarily decide they will remove it…For what is acquired through negotiations will have to be undone through negotiations and agreement…To do otherwise is bordering on dictatorship.”
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Body with suspected bullet hole in chest fished out of Dem. River The body of a 20-year-old Riverview, Ruimveldt man was yesterday pulled out from the Demerara River behind the police maritime marine branch at Ruimveldt yesterday. Dead is Quincy Sooklall who had been reported missing Thursday last. Police are treating the case as murder since investigations have revealed that Sooklall has a gaping hole at the centre of his chest which appears to be caused from a gunshot. The seaman’s body, which was decomposed and bloated beyond recognition, was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour. The man’s mother collapsed after identifying the body. “He face and body was eaten away and even the tattoo behind the neck could hardly be seen,” the mother noted.
Dead: Quincy Sooklall According to 17-year old Shequeana Anderson, who is pregnant for Sooklall, she last saw Sooklall on Thursday night when he was leaving to go out to sea. “All he told me is that he was going out to sea and come back. I does normally stop him but I was sleepy and (Continued on page 13)
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KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
Rebalancing or Containment? As Washington winds down its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and “pivots” away from the area to “rebalance” in Asia, relations between the U.S. and China have become increasingly contentious and “zero-sum”. But in Beijing’s view, the pivot to Asia is not novel. It is simply a return to the pre-9/11 global military posture of the George W. Bush administration, which redefined China from being a “strategic partner” to a “strategic competitor”. From this perspective, deeply embedded in the rebalancing is Washington’s profound concern about China’s rise in the region and a determination to curtail its expanding influence. China sees America’s move as quite similar to the containment policy the US adopted during its Cold War with the USSR. Under this overarching theme, Beijing sees a comprehensive policy of Washington to block China’s rise in the East through strengthened military alliances, “sabotaging” China’s ties with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and undercutting China’s effort to lead the region’s economic integration by pushing the U.S.-dominated Trans-Pacific Partnership that excludes China. Since both Beijing and Washington are seeking to expand their influence in East Asia, if China continues to expand in the area, more problems, even a head-on military confrontation with the U.S., will ensue. Matters have taken an ugly turn recently as a dispute with Japan over the uninhabited Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, escalated in recent months to the point where China and Japan scrambled fighter jets while their patrol ships shadowed each other. The waters around the islands in the East China Sea have rich fishing grounds and potentially huge oil and gas reserves. Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines also have conflicting claims with China in parts of the South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands. China has laid claim to almost the whole of the sea, which is criss-crossed by crucial shipping lanes. But while it has boosted military spending and built submarines, surface ships and anti-ship ballistic missiles as part of its naval modernisation, China has also attempted to dialogue with the US to work out a new modus vivendi on what it calls “a new pattern on great power relations”. The elements in this approach were articulated by the Vice-President Xi Jinping on a visit to Washington, just before he assumed the Chinese Presidency. He highlighted four areas in which he said the United States and China need to make greater joint efforts to build such a relationship: “increasing mutual understanding and strategic trust; respecting each side’s “core interests and major concerns; deepening mutually beneficial cooperation; and enhancing cooperation and coordination in international affairs and on global issues.” Taking another tack to avert possible confrontation, one Chinese strategist Wang Jisi, China’s most prominent and influential international relations scholar and a professor at Peking University has suggested a strategy, branded “March West”. In line with Mao Zedong’s famous exposition on military strategy: “Where the enemy advances, we retreat. Where the enemy retreats, we pursue”, Wang proposes that China shifts its attention from the heated competition in East Asia and rebalance its own geographical focus westwards to the vast area from Central Asia to the Middle East, where the U.S. is pivoting away from. Strategically, Washington is retreating from the area (manifested by its withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan), leaving a potential vacuum to be filled and giving China a perfect opportunity to advance. Unlike in East Asia, the relationship between the U.S. and China would conceivably be more cooperative in the region, due to their common interests in economic investment, energy, antiterrorism, non-proliferation and regional stability. Furthermore, “March West” would offer Beijing additional strategic leverage against Washington since “U.S. is desperate for China’s assistance in stabilising Afghanistan and Pakistan.” In this sense, it will help build a “more balanced” U.S.-China relationship. An old African saying proposes that whether elephants fight or make love, it’s the grass that suffers. At this time, the rest of the world hopes that the U.S. and China will tread carefully in their evolving relationship.
Sunday August 04, 2013
Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
Govt. is not legally bound to the contract Sithe Global now holds DEAR EDITOR, Your editorial of August 3rd titled: “The needless problems with Amaila”, seems to suggest that the contract Sithe Global now holds is valid and Guyana Government is legally bound to it. (Fip Motilall sold it and “…… Guyana now seems to be saddled with the cost of the project”). Consider this anecdote. I recently contracted with a builder to build a house. Lo and Behold. Another man whom I did not recognize showed up and demanded a
first installment to start the construction. He explained that the man I signed up with did not have a license and passed the contract over to him. I told him the contract is not transferable and ordered him to get lost. This true story encapsulates in a remarkable way what is now going on between GG and Sithe Global. In what has become known as the Amaila fiasco, Fip Motilall “won” the contract to build the hydro power plant. Fip Motilall, as it turned out is a free lance operator and good talker (not
a builder of anything, not an engineer), sold the contract to Sithe Global. And, even though the Guyana Government is still negotiating with Sithe Global, and pretending that the contract is transferable, it is not. SG spokesman once said he did not know how SG got into this deal, and then added, “It just fell into our lap”. This is so shocking even as it is revealing. Is this how sovereign countries do business? And, what does it say about the power plant builder? Can this be a
reputable builder? Well, the original stated price has already more than doubled from $340 million to $840 million. And, if it is a partnership, how much equity is SG putting up – Is it 20 percent equity for 60 percent controlling ownership rights? And, is there any guarantee that SG will put up the actual dollars for the 20 percent equity? (They may not put up any – and GG will have no way of knowing). The facts in the public (Continued on page 6)
Sunday August 04, 2013
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What guarantee can be given to African Guyanese that executive power sharing will bring them new opportunities? DEAR EDITOR, As the nation observes the 175th anniversary since the African community was emancipated from chattel slavery, there continues to be yearly, monthly and daily analyses and evaluations of the affairs of the African community and the path this group has travelled. The Guyana situation, which impacts on our day-today lives, must be placed in context, guided by universal declarations and conventions, national constitution and laws. The thrust for the forward movement of this community must see us using these instruments, provided that they are not there to subjugate us. The calls by some leaders in the African community for a new dispensation premised on the change in the current constitution must be examined against what currently exists. The constitution in its present state makes provision for freedoms, rights and protections for every citizen and these are grounded in the United Nations Declarations and ILO Conventions. For instance this constitution protects every race from discrimination; guarantees every group’s right to involvement in national decision-making that impact their wellbeing, the right to work, freedom of expression, right to association; mandates an “independent” judiciary; makes Parliament the nation’s highest decisionmaking forum; and holds the executive and public officials accountable to the people through institutions such as
the Public Procurement Commission, Ombudsman and appellate tribunals. These are elements if we demand their adherence and existence offer every group dignity, respect, equality and opportunities for advancement. To call for changes to the constitution without testing the current elements speaks to an atmosphere where there exists ambivalence as to conceptualising, developing and implementing a programme that can realise the dreams and aspirations of this community. There is a call from some groups that the constitution needs to change because the president is above it. The much mis-interpreted Article 182 becomes the justification for such argument and resignation, when the president cannot, by common sense, be above an instrument he has taken an oath to uphold and the very instrument outlines the citizenry’s wellbeing and offers a road map for good governance and holding office holders accountable. There is also the popular argument and belief that the plight of the African community can only be improved when the country sees shared executive power among the political parties. In the current circumstance it is obvious that when African villages and communities are under seized, some African politicians and leaders rather than seeking to understand the problem of the affected they chose to involve in abstract evaluations, skewed to subdue the passions that
This security official should not be employed at the Georgetown Hospital DEAR EDITOR, I am bringing a matter of grave concern to the attention of the Minister of Health, the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Ministry and the GPSU. A few months ago, the GPHC advertised for the post of security supervisor. Two of the criteria were that the applicants possess three CSEC passes as well as paramilitary experience. To our surprise, the management of the GPHC saw it fit to appoint a former security supervisor who has none of the qualifications.
In addition, this individual was dismissed and also appeared in court some time ago for assaulting a junior security staffer. Editor, other GPHC employees have been dismissed for minor offences. Will they now also be reemployed? We are urging the Health Minister and other senior officials to investigate this matter, and question those who thought it best to reemploy this individual to a post for which he is clearly not qualified. Concerned
emerge and make proposals for programmes without taking cognisance of the views and feelings of those affected. What assurances can be given to the African community that executive power sharing will bring new opportunities for their development? Or this will see an improvement in the African lot? In every society, every group and every race there are good and bad people, they are persons who care about the collective and those who think only about their self-interests. And this is why constitution and laws are put in place to hold persons accountable for their conduct in public and private places
and how they treat with the people’s business. In our current circumstance the executive and its attendant arms that are being accused of discriminating against the community, comprise of African who prominently identify with the African community on issues and events such as celebrating emancipation and the Village Movement. We have seen the struggles in Region 10 in 2012 and the advancement of that struggle saw the absent of leading Black politicians in this country. And if today while in opposition they are not inclined to defend Africans when they are discriminated against and advance their rights based on the constitution, when they
are put into the executive it is foolhardy for us to ever think that they will defend and advance the African cause. This issue is not about emotions. This issue is about the realities on the ground and developing a programme premised on the instruments accepted by all of us. If for some reason we find there are deficiencies after we have applied and tested these instruments then we must seek to strengthen same. For those who call for the changing of the constitution let them be reminded that it calls for a two-third majority in parliament, a proportion you do not have control over. And let us be real about society; power concedes nothing without a consistent and resolute struggle that can
put your opponent in a position where they cannot retreat further. You will not get two-third majority but the instrument (constitution) that you have today that you have not tried and tested is at your disposal. And the refusal by the proponents to fight within this parameter, or finding excuses for not doing so speaks to a sense of either being lazy or carrying the community down the line for personal aggrandisement. We cannot allow our leaders to continue to mislead and use our people for personal satisfaction in the absence of a programme that is founded on universal principles, charters, and laws; and the Guyana Constitution. Lincoln Lewis
I hope that Dr Mangal makes a full apology to me for his unfounded assertions DEAR EDITOR, As my son has been granted Guyanese citizenship and because of our mutual love of the country and its people I monitor the Guyana press on line almost every day as far as possible. I cannot, however, read the Stabroek News in full on line as I cannot, as a pensioner, justify the cost of a subscription. I was therefore shocked to see my name mentioned by Dr Mangal in a letter now published in the Kaieteur News and the Chronicle in support of Mr Boodoo’s assertions in an earlier letter to the Stabroek News. I am even more amazed now that I have seen that original correspondence because Mr Boodoo does not mention me by name. I was British High Commissioner to Guyana and was very proud to encourage Her Majesty’s Government to continue their financial and technical support for all the efforts made by all the staff of the Guyana Election Commission to prepare for the elections in August 2006. It was my job to learn about and understand Guyana and, whilst resident in Guyana before my retirement, I was always British High Commissioner whether at the High Commission, on tour, during public holidays or at social events. Some of my fellow donor organisation Heads were wavering in their support so I sought to encourage the Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally, to brief me on the many problems that were still exercising the Commission at Easter 2006
and I encouraged him to take me on a field trip so that I could explain the administrative and logistical
difficulties more firmly to my colleagues. The only time which was mutually acceptable was over
the long Easter weekend. We were both prepared to combine our family holiday (Continued on page 26)
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Sunday August 04, 2013
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Opening day cuss down at the PPP Congress DEAR EDITOR, The PPP Congress has commenced at a time of grave crisis in Guyana where corruption is at an all time high and Guyanese from all works of life are struggling to put food on the table. The domestic policies of the rudderless minority president’s administration have landed Guyana into a morass. They have not
created jobs or provide any relief for the needy. As a result, there has been a steady deterioration in living standards for those at the bottom of the economic ladder especially those in the working class. Youth unemployment is increasing rapidly with growing frustration, crime and delinquency and there is no end in sight.
Insecurity and distrust have also increased among the elderly and those in authority are incapable of restoring confidence to a bewildered and despondent nation. This is in sharp contrast to the promises made by the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal when they took office from the Jagans in 1999. The Guyanese people
have been betrayed by the post Jagan PPP leadership especially by Jagdeo who supported his economic baron friends and oppressed the poor and the working class with his annual 5% wage increase in light of double digit inflation. In its 2011 election manifesto, the PPP, led by Donald Ramotar and closely controlled by his predecessor,
Govt. is not legally bound to the... From page 4 domain - and the reasoning we can apply to these facts – suggest that this contract that SG now holds is not transferable and is therefore invalid. GG should scrap this
deal - and re-tender the project. GG has good or excellent relations with Brazil. Brazil has a wealth of experience in building and operating hydropower plants. It is much better and
easier to work out a deal with a sovereign government like Brazil than with a so-called global company that says “the contract just fell into our lap”. The watermark written in shadows all across this contract spells “graft”. GG should seek out at least three valid tenders from reputable power plant builders. Evaluate these tenders carefully and select the right builder. This simple principle was not followed in this case. A sovereign government cannot ever deal with a builder that shows up on your doorstep and says: “I have a contract to build. The contract fell into our lap”.
I should remind the reading public that I once met Fip Motilall – at the Pulish Junction Bar at Better Hope in the Summer of 2010. I had six rounds of beer with him and his American engineer named Osteen. Fip boasted of Building, Operating and then Handing over the power plant to the Guyanese nation – a deal that would cost the nation “not a cent”. I thought this guy was some kind of a “loco”. At all times Fip talked about building a power plant, never about a road. For the next few months I read the papers and wondered: Is there some confusion here? What is Fip really building? A power plant or a road? It turned out Fip was no loco. He was indeed given a contract to build a power plant, in addition to also building a road for $15.4 million. Fip’s bid, placed under something called Synergy Holdings, was indeed evaluated. Brassington had visited Fip Motilall where he resides in Florida – and presumably would have seen that this man owns no roadbuilding company, was running a pooja shop – but still thought that the man deserves to be given the roadbuilding contract, to say nothing about also awarding him a contract to build a hydro power plant. Brassington, personally, as head of Tender Board and the GG generally are complicit in a very shady deal with Fip Motilall. No less a person than PM Sam Hinds once published a lengthy letter in Stabroek News defending the contract given to Fip Motilall, saying he deserves to “win”, to be awarded the contract, almost forgetting that a contract is supposedly awarded on the merits of what is written in the tender-bid documents and on the results of the evaluation of a company involved in building powerplants and roads. Motilall’s Synergy Holdings existed only on paper – and had never done any business. If a thing smells of graft, it usually is graft. Scrap this deal. Retender it. Or go to Brazil. Mike Persaud
declared: “Independence though emotionally satisfying, is not an end in itself. To be worthwhile, it must be an instrument for building a cohesive nation, liberating the people from the economic yoke imposed by the foreigner and establishing a prosperous, self-reliant and free society. Some other Guyanese are militant and noisy in their demand for independence from Britain, but consciously would immediately pawn Guyana, the moment after independence, to some other foreign power. Such persons are colonial charlatans or at best infants, the witting or unwitting tools and agents of new masters. Theirs is the concept of a new servitude not independence.” Yet today more Guyanese are suffering than ever before in the history of independent Guyana. All of the PPP so called transformative projects are designed to create contracts and jobs for their relatives and friends while the poor and the working class—the base of support on which the PPP was founded-continues to be left out in the cold. All of their public policies are dictated by a bunch of economic barons to better serve the interests of their personal pockets. The year 1966 may have brought us independence from the British but today we are totally economically dependent on a new band of PPP overlords and political princes. This PPP oligarchy that has replaced the British colonial masters is the worst group of people Guyana has ever had. They are greedy, selfish, uncaring and have ignored the plight of the poor. Unfortunately, after more than a decade of PPP dictatorial rule, more and more people are realizing that Guyana is retrogressing instead of progressing, that things were never so bad for those at the bottom of the economic ladder, not even comparable to the dark days of the Burnham regime. Yet, at the PPP Congress, the minority president and his cabal will tell the delegates that Guyana is progressing which is far from the truth because there exists constant power black outs, inadequate supply of potable water, huge pot holes on the roads, UG and the educational sector are on the brink of collapse and there is an increase in maternal deaths at the public hospitals. In addition, the gap between the haves and the have-nots is getting wider every day and crimes have
escalated all over the country. No one except the ruling elite is spared from the criminals. Just as we have predicted in previous letters, instead of addressing these issues, the minority president and his sycophants at the opening of the Congress have cussed down their former comrades Moses Nagamootoo, Ralph Ramkarran and the private media with the CHIEF CUSS BIRD at the head table. Both Nagamootoo and Ramkarran have bolted from the PPP because of corruption which is sanctioned and supported by the party. Those who do not believe us, just make a visit to the two Pradovilles and at Lenora and look at those palaces that are owned by the cabal. Most of the delegates and supporters of the PPP are aware of the mess the country is in currently, but they are afraid to speak out because of fear of being victimized by the overlords and the political princes in the party. Because of the fear of speaking out, we have concluded that nothing will change at the Congress except for the fact that some of the delegates and supporters will quietly migrate to the AFC or just become inactive out of frustration as their economic fortune disintegrates while those of the economic barons increases thus moving them from millionaires to billionaires. That is why the majority opposition in the Parliament must protect what little is left in the Treasury by demanding full accountability and transparency on all the projects that have billions in slush funds to facilitate a payday for the overlords and their political princes. We demand a complete set of bills of quantity for the Amelia Falls Hydro Project to expose these culprits. That is what the AFC has demanded and we call on the delegates of the Congress to join with the AFC and demand accountability and transparency of governance from their leaders. We hope the delegates will overpower their leaders and their robber barons friends in an effort to save Guyana from further debt and destruction. What ever the outcome is from the Congress, the handwriting is on the wall. It will not be long before the people remove the puppets and their economic barons in the PPP from the political scene. Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh.
Sunday August 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Sunday August 04, 2013
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Govt. moves to probe how mercury enters country
Government is moving to investigate how mercury is being brought into the country. Government is moving to investigate how mercury is entering Guyana. According to an advertisement in the stateowned Guyana Chronicle, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) wants to hire a short-term consultant to research the sources from which mercury enters the country “as well as its distribution networks and use in the small and mediumscale gold mining sector.” GGMC is the government arm that regulates the mining and extractive sector. Mercury is a dangerous substance used in the gold mining process. Globally, there is a move to eradicate mercury, but local miners are
asking for time saying there is no cheaper way to do it. Any alternatives at this time will force them out of business. Mining companies and a number of suppliers are the ones that are supposed to be importing mercury. However, it has long been suspected, and known to a certain extent, that mercury has been smuggled from neighbouring countries, like Brazil and Venezuela. However, no hard data exists. The hiring of the consultant is being funded from a programme of the nature conservation group, World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Mercury - also known as quicksilver - is an element found in nature in various
forms. It is released into the environment through natural processes such as volcanic eruptions, the weathering of rocks, and forest fires. Mercury is also released through human activities and industrial processes. Mercury does not break down in the environment. Instead, it is cycled between the atmosphere, land, and water, and can travel large distances from the original source. It has been found that low levels of mercury exposure can build up over time until concentrations are high enough to be harmful. In May, WWF also released US$60,000 ($12M) to help in research of mercury use in Guyana and its
alternatives. Mercury is especially used by small-scale miners. While a global meeting has given countries a timeline to phase out the use of mercury, the Government has admitted that Guyana can illafford to totally ban mercury now, despite such actions by a number of countries. According to published information, Guyana in 2011 imported over US$555,000 in mercury or roughly 156,000 kilogrammes. The demand for mercury rose even more last year as gold prices reached a high of over US$1,900 per ounce of raw gold. This year, it plunged to a three-year low but has recovered to over US$1,300.
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Dem boys seh
Amaila is not a ready-made dress No tricks no living is something old people does always seh when dem talking bout a scamp. Dem does use that same statement when dem children trying to smart dem just like how Brazzy and he kavakamites dem trying to smart Guyanese. Dem boys only find out de other day that dem don’t have a design fuh de Amaila Falls but dem have a price. That price jump from US$350 million to US$650 million then to US$840 and now it climb to US$858 million. Dem waiting to see it climb to something else. Now that got to be strange because if a man building a house and he ain’t got a design or a plan fuh de house then he can’t know wha de price gun be. He can’t tell nobody how much money he gun spend. Nobody know if is a onebedroom or a mansion he building. Is de same thing if a woman want a dress, de seamstress got to measure de woman to know how much cloth she got buy. De woman might be a slim woman like Julia Roberts who want a mini or it might be a full figure woman like Oprah Winfrey or Bibi Shadick who want nuff pleat and flounce and frill. Of course dem things gun tek more cloth and that gun push up de cost. Dem two size gun vary in price because dem have de measurement. Dem have dress that is ready made. Dem even got one size fit all but that c a n ’t f i t B r a z z y. D e pumpkin jump suit wha de Feds gun mek gun fit he, Barbie and de rest of dem. Dem boys seh that Amaila is
not a ready-made project or a one size fit all. Yet Brazzy give de nation a price of US$4 million per megawatt when de rest of de world buy fuh US$3 million per megawatt. Dem boys seh that if de people think de scampishness done deh, dem lie. Brazzy admit that Amaila after one year can’t generate enough power to supply Guyana. He plan de next year to build another one. Well wha happen to de feasibility study? It got to be that Jagdeo and Brazzy and all dem planners tek Guyanese fuh fools. It like de man who plan to buy a bicycle and mek a li’l bridge fuh ride over knowing that one year down de line he gun buy a car. He know that he got to mek a big driveway and gun scrap de li’l bridge. Fuh one, de bridge can’t tek de weight of de car suh is a whole new foundation. Or is like a man who build a one bedroom house fuh he and he wife. When de children come is either de man expand or de children sleep under de bed. And Brazzy can’t fit under no bed. As old people seh, no tricks no living. Talk half and watch fuh de tricks.
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Cops jailed for assaulting popular businessman Magistrate Judy Latchman sent a clear message that police excesses will not be tolerated when she sent four policemen to prison for 18 months for brutalising a popular businessman during an attempt to arrest him. Corporal Kevon Smith and Constables Jermaine Scott, Marlon Gonsalves and Wilwert Watts, were all found guilty of assaulting Nezam Khan on July 14, 2012. The four cops, who were stationed at the Brickdam Police Station, had pleaded not guilty when they made their first court appearance and were placed on self-bail by Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry, who later transferred the matter to the court of Magistrate Latchman. The facts of the case which had the court’s attention for just over a year, revealed that on the said date, the officers were on mobile patrol on the East Bank Demerara Public Road during a traffic build-up when they noticed that Khan was in breach of one of the traffic regulations and proceeded to caution him. However the businessman reportedly drove away. The officers chased Khan all the way to his home which is also located on the East Bank of Demerara. But what should have been a routine
arrest, turned into an ugly scene. The court heard that the officers entered the businessman’s home and one of them dealt him several slaps before berating him about fleeing the scene. The other ranks reportedly joined in and dealt Khan a number of blows about the body. The businessman was then thrown into a police vehicle and taken to a station where he was placed in the lock-ups. It was also revealed that while on their way to the station, Khan suffered additional blows from the ranks. News of the businessman’s assault subsequently reached the ears of the ranks’ superiors, who immediately ordered that Khan be released and taken for medical attention. A medical report indicated that Khan sustained swelling to various parts of his body. The ranks were subsequently charged and placed before the court. Following a lengthy trial and after much deliberation by Magistrate Latchman, the officers were found guilty of assaulting the businessman. After the sentence was handed down the ranks and their relatives who had turned up shed bitter tears, since they had all anticipated the accused paying fines.
Sunday August 04, 2013
Anti-Money Laundering review likely this week - AG By Latoya Giles As the August 26 deadline draws near for Guyana to comply with the Caribbean Financial Action Taskforce (CFATF) recommendations to amend its Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Laws, Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, said that the Special Select Committee will likely conclude its work this week. The Attorney General, in an invited comment yesterday, explained that after the work is completed, the revised Bill will be presented to the National Assembly along with a report from the committee. However the Alliance for Change (AFC) is not so optimistic that the legislation will be supported since government has not fulfilled its promise of setting up a Public Procurement Commission. Party Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, at a press conference on Friday last, said frankly, he does not believe that the Bill will be passed with the AFC’s support. According to Ramjattan, the committee has benefitted from “new and quite weighty submissions” from the likes of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Bank of
Guyana, which have been taken into account. “Even if they bring the report to Parliament, the AFC is maintaining that Government has to do something with the Procurement Commission, because it is tied to that,” Ramjattan stated. He maintains that the government has to date done nothing to have the Procurement Commission “so nothing would pass.” Last month, CFATF confirmed Guyana’s deadline for amending the legislation with respect to the amended Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act. Roger Hernandez, Financial Advisor of CFATF had told Kaieteur News that amendments to the legislation have to be passed in the National Assembly and enacted before August 26, so that it could be submitted and analysed. He said that Guyana has to comply with the body’s
requirements by November 2013 – the date assigned this year for follow-up review. However, the Act and other documentation must be submitted prior to November. Hernandez said that this was highlighted in a letter dated June 13, 2013, that was sent to the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Guyana’s Ministry of Finance. According to the letter, Guyana has to submit a matrix of documentation, outlining what the country has done since the last plenary session in May last, copies of any legislation, regulations, or guidance notes that may have been enacted as part of action undertaken to comply with the Mutual Evaluation Report’s recommendations. The letter also requested information on the size of the financial sector as at end of June 2013 or the date nearest and any technical assistance received, requested or
obtained during the first half of 2013. It further stated, “Responses to the Secretariat should be submitted by August 26, 2013. This deadline is necessary to facilitate a proper review of any changes to your matrix and the requisite review and update of the follow-up analysis report and translation to Spanish.” Hernandez’s comments and the letter corroborated Government’s announcement that the deadline for the enactment of the amendments to the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism legislation is August 26. In late May, Guyana was provided with a revised deadline for review in November 2013 after the National Assembly failed to pass key legislation before the initial May 27 evaluation meeting in Managua, Nicaragua.
PAHO/WHO Guyana urges action against Hepatitis threat In light of this year’s World Hepatitis Day, commemorated last Sunday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging governments to act on the hepatitis threat. Infectious Hepatitis is caused by a group of five hepatitis viruses, namely A, B, C, D and E, and is known to cause severe liver infections; namely liver cirrhosis and cancer; and lead to 1.4 million deaths every year. For worldwide reference, the Organisation has released its first Hepatitis survey, covering 126 countries. According to the findings, 37% of the countries have national strategies for viral Hepatitis; however more work is needed in treating the virus. The
survey also highlights that while 82% of the countries have established Hepatitis surveillance programmes, only half of them facilitate monitoring of the disease’s most chronic (life-long) types which are responsible for severe illnesses and deaths. Viral Hepatitis has also been identified as a ‘silent epidemic’ since most persons do not realise that they are infected. The Organisation informed that many countries are only now realising the magnitude of the disease burden and devising ways to address it. This has likely prompted the WHO, this year, to launch a Global Hepatitis Network which aims to support countries with planning and implementation of viral hepatitis plans and
programmes. According to the Organisation, the complexity of the Hepatitis disease lies in the existence of its different types. Hepatitis A and E are food- and water-borne infections which cause millions of cases of acute illnesses every year, sometimes with several months needed for a person to fully recover. Hepatitis B, C and D are spread by infected body fluids including blood, by sexual contact, mother-tochild transmission during birth, or by contaminated medical equipment and improper handling and disposal of waste from health care facilities. According to estimates Continued on page 51
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Ex-soldier slits wife’s throat then drinks poison By Dale Andrews The small farming community of Jonestown, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara is still coming to grips with the brutal murder of a 26-year-old woman whose husband later ingested poison to save himself from having to answer to man for her death. Relatives and neighbours made the gruesome discovery of the semi-nude body of 26year-old Vanessa RichmondJames with her hands and feet bound, and her throat slit, around 06:00 hours. This was minutes after her husband Ryan James, stumbled over to a neighbour seeking help after ingesting the poison. Police are convinced that the ex-soldier killed his wife during a heated domestic spat, hours after they had left a queh-queh that took place in the community the previous night. A press statement from Police Force headquarters said that at “about 06:00hours on Saturday, the body of Vanessa Richmond-James of Seventh Street, Jonestown, Mahaica, ECD, was found in her home with multiple stab wounds. Her reputed
Wife: Vanessa Richmond-James husband Ryan James, 30 years, who is the suspect in her death, is believed to have consumed poison and later succumbed.” Minutes after the discovery scores of residents from the predominantly smallscale farming community flocked to the location, with many expressing shock that the lives of the young couple, who had been living together for about five years, had come to such a tragic end. Neighbours believe that the act was premeditated since the husband had taken
their two-year-old son to his fraternal grandmother’s home the night before the tragedy. The dead woman’s father, Rudolph Richmond recalled that he was at the Mahaica Market, where he had taken produce from his cash crop farm to sell, when he received the devastating message that his daughter had been killed. He also learnt that his son-in-law was taken to the hospital after ingesting some poison. “When I come I see she hand tie up, she foot tie up (with a bed sheet and window blind), she face cover with a pillow and a blanket. She deh naked, only she panty she had on.” He advised that no one touch her body until the police arrive. It was only when the police removed the pillow and blanket from his daughter’s face that Richmond realized that her throat had been slit. He subsequently learnt that she had been struck a blow on her head with a hammer which was recovered by investigators with samples of hair on it. “Like they had a fight, and after he must be lash she pon she head. Like when she fall down is then he do de tying
Port Mourant man shot by bandits after returning from PPP Congress The police are on the hunt for three bandits who around 20:45 hrs on Friday evening ambushed and shot a Tain, Corentyne, Berbice man in his right hand. Parachandra Harriprasad, 50, a tractor operator, of First Street, Tain, was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was treated before being transferred to the New
Amsterdam Hospital where he remains warded. According to information, Harriprasad and some others who are participating in the ongoing PPP Congress, had just returned home from the Port Mourant Community Centre, where they went to pick up some sponge (mattresses). It is understood that a few of the participants
Body with suspected... (From page 3) tired that night,” she lamented. Adding that she knew Sooklall for the past two years, the young lady noted that “he left home with a black trunks and a grey jersey and that was the last time I see him. He would normally go to sea with six or seven people but when I asked them, everybody said that he went by himself and no one went with him at sea. They don’t know who he go with.” Police are awaiting a post mortem examination which is scheduled to be performed on the body tomorrow to ascertain the cause of Sooklall’s death.
are staying at his place. Harripersaud and some of the men were in the yard when they were attacked by the bandits who emerged from a bathroom situated in an empty house lot nearby. The man told investigators that at first he did not realise that he was shot, but afterwards he felt a burning and saw blood oozing from his hand. Harriprasad told investigators that he recognised one of the culprits from Tain Block Four.
up,” Rudolph Richmond suggested. The woman’s father who lives a stone’s throw from where the couple resided said that there was no indication that James and his wife were not having any problem that could have led to such an outcome. “Up to last night (Friday) dem two went to ka-ka-lay. Is when he come home he do dat, because me lef home around 12:30 (am) fuh go at de market and sell, and at dat time dem didn’t come as yet,” Rudolph Richmond told this newspaper. The dead man’s brother related that James took his son to their house in the neighbouring village of Hand en-Veldt, Mahaica on Friday night, telling them that he was going to the popular premarriage function. The brother said that although James claimed that “everything was alright”, he had an uneasy feeling that there was trouble brewing. His unease was confirmed yesterday when he received a call from his brother ’s neighbour, telling him that James had drank poison. He rushed over to the neighbour’s house and found his brother on the landing, frothing from his mouth. “He didn’t saying nothing. I fetch he down and try fuh pour egg down he throat, den I lef fuh get a taxi. But by time I come back with de taxi, another done carry he to de hospital,” the dead man’s brother recalled. A neighbour, Shevlyn Leitch, told Kaieteur News that she was asleep when James came calling desperately at her front door. “He come and he calling ‘Shevlyn! Shevlyn!’ I open de door and he seh, ‘ah drink poison!’ and dat was it, he ain’t say nothing more. He de frothing and I call he relatives and dem come and carry down de step and tek a taxi
Ryan James with their two-year-old son who was spared the mayhem. and carry he way,” Leitch stated. From all indications the couple had gotten up early yesterday morning and was planning to go to the market with their produce from their kitchen garden, since freshly reaped callaloo and other greens were left on a table in
their yard. Apart from the hammer with hair samples, police recovered remnants of the poison that James drank. Yesterday’s murder/ suicide comes three days after a man hacked his two children to death and critically wounded his wife.
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ImmigrationINFO (Immigration News For Our Community)
WHY DNA TESTING IS REQUIRED?
By Attorney Gail Seeram In many cases, the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may ask a petitioner to submit a DNA test proving the parental or brother/sister relationship with the beneficiary. Some people are taken back by this request since they feel that the birth certificate is sufficient in proving the relationship. The first reason why a DNA test may be requested is because the U.S. Department of State at one time had a fraud warning posted on Guyana birth certificates. The reason for the fraud warning was because it was believed that people could obtain a fraudulent birth certificate from the blackmarket in Guyana. Thereby, if the birth certificate presented displays any characteristics of fraud, then a DNA test will be required between the petitioner and beneficiary. Next, a DNA test may be required when a parent is filing for a child and that child was born out-ofwedlock, meaning the parents were not married. In particular, when a father is filing for a child and the father never
married the child’s mother, then a DNA test may be required. In these situations, the U.S. Immigration may request a DNA test to confirm this is the biological father filing the petition and not someone who claims to be the father. In addition, evidence to prove that the father legitimize the child would also be required to prove the parent-child relationship (such as proof of financial support and proof father held child out to be his). Lastly, a DNA test may be required in sibling relationships where brothers or sisters have only one similar parent (in other words, step-brother/step-sister relationships). In these cases, a DNA test is requested and the percentage of likelihood is examined in order to prove the relationship. What is DNA? DNA is the carrier of the genetic material that determines who you are (genetically). Your genetic makeup (who you are genetically which controls things like eye colour, hair colour, bone structure, organ size, etc.) is controlled by the paring of the chromosomes contained from the female’s egg (23 chromosomes from her) and the chromosomes
Gail S. Seeram from the male’s sperm (23 from him). Each of the 46 total chromosomes is made up of long threads of a very specific type of molecule called DNA, or deoxyrivonucleic acid. Each molecule of DNA is made up of thousands of genes, which determine your “genetic makeup”. The DNA test is not intrusive, as the lab simply takes a quick swipe or sample of the saliva in your mouth (there are no needles or blood involved). There are many labs that work internationally and coordinate DNA testing between petitioners in the U.S. and beneficiaries living abroad. U.S. Immigration accepts DNA testing from labs accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks. A list of accredited labs can be obtained from the following website: http:// www.aabb.org/SA/ FA C I L I T I E S / P a g e s / RTestAccrFac.aspx
Sunday August 04, 2013
Opposition to tackle Education Minister with NGSA queries A number of questions related to the education sector are expected to be brought to Minister Priya Manickchand, when the 62nd Sitting of the National Assembly is convened on Wednesday. And one question that has been gaining national attention of recent is that of the Analysis of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), which is slated to be moved by Shadow Minister of Education and Chief Whip of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Ms Amna Ally. Moreover, Ally is set to solicit from the Minister a written analysis of the NGSA for all of the Regions, as well as an overall percentage of pupils who fell below the pass marks in Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies. She will also be seeking to ascertain how many students fell below 400 marks and whether the results of the Grades Two and Four Assessments were included in the final Grade Six Assessment in all cases. The Minister at a press conference to unveil the 2013 results, disclosed that 16,811 pupils were entered into the 2013 NGSA which was conducted on March 25 and 26, 2013. These performers, according to the Minister, had previously participated in the National Grade Two Assessment in 2009 and the National Grade Four Assessment in 2011. A percentage of the two Assessments were combined with the NGSA in order to determine the candidates’ overall scores, the Minister said. She explained that five per cent of each candidate’s
APNU’s Amna Ally
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand
Grade Two Score in Mathematics and English and 10 per cent of the Grade Four score in the same subjects were added to 85 per cent of each candidate’s score in those subjects. The combined scores in Mathematics and English were added to the scores gained in Science and Social Studies. The highest possible standardised scores obtainable were Mathematics – 134, English – 146, Social Studies – 138 and Science – 142, while the highest possible overall total score a candidate could have obtained was 560. Ally’s line of questioning is also intended to impel the Minister to divulge whether there were requests in 2012 for reviews of the NGSA exam results and whether these were reviewed. Further still Ally is expected to ask if similar requests for reviews were made following the 2013 NGSA, how many, and when will they be completed. But Manickchand, in commenting on concerns about
the tabulation for placement of pupils following the 2013 NGSA, said that “we haven’t had more appeals than usual.” The Minister, who was at the time speaking at a press conference at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development, disclosed that an initial batch of appeals has been dealt with, even as she pointed out that “we make sure we do it thoroughly and no child has been given grades that would change the schools they received...If we have changes we will let you know”. Among the other questions that the Education Minister is slated to respond to are those pertaining to the reach of the Learning Channel; a contract between the Television Guyana Inc. (TVG) and Government; deaths which occurred at Government-funded dormitories/hostels of secondary schools in the hinterland regions, information technology equipment in secondary schools; and the teachers’ quarters at Morawhanna.
Guyana Custom House Brokers Association elects new Executive Board
(Standing: L-R) Committee members Mr. Brian Bacchus, Ms. Karen Rawlins and Mr. Ronald Ramcharran. (Sitting: L-R) Treasurer Mrs. Arlene Hicken, Vice President Mr. Calvin Reid, President Mr. Sean Dublin and Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer Mr. Shawn Holder. At its recently held Annual General Meeting, long standing company, the Guyana Custom House Brokers Association, selected among its officials, members who will serve on the body’s executive council for the 2013 period. The AGM, which was held at the Association’s Office on July 25, saw the election of President Mr. Sean Dublin; Vice President Mr. Calvin Reid, Secretary Mr. Heamraj Singh;
Treasurer Mrs. Arlene Hicken; Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer Mr. Shawn Holder; and committee members Mr. Ronald Ramcharran, Mr. Brian Bacchus, Mr. Ricky Joseph and Ms. Karen Rawlins. The organisation, with its new executive members, will aim to upkeep its standards and primary objectives, while maintaining a positive image to whom they render services.
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Politicians must not allow Amaila to become another Skeldon Plant or Berbice Bridge By Abena Rockcliffe The saying, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” was the stark reminder of Dr. Janette Bulkan, as she appealed to politicians to not have the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project become a repeat of the Skeldon Sugar Factory or the Berbice River Bridge. “Guyanese cannot afford to subsidise another investment like the Berbice River Bridge.” Dr. Bulkan is an anthropologist who has been quite vocal on issues regarding Guyana’s forestry practices and more recently the Amaila Falls Hydro Project. In a recent open letter to the media, Bulkan urged that politicians be cognizant of the mistakes Guyana made in the past as it relates to project investments. She singled out as glaring examples the Berbice River Bridge, the Skeldon Plant and the controversial Marriott Hotel. Dr. Bulkan is asking for parliamentarians to seek a ’Green Paper’ which she said will help to avert another failed project. A ‘Green Paper,’ can be defined as a discussion document intended to stimulate debate and launch a process of consultation on a particular topic. It usually presents a range of ideas and is meant to invite interested individuals or organizations to contribute views and information. It may be followed by a ‘White Paper’—an official
- Dr. Janette Bulkan
Dr. Janette Bulkan set of proposals. Bulkan said that a ‘Green Paper’ should be independently done on the Amaila Falls project. Contacted yesterday, she told Kaieteur News that an independent expert opinion on the Amaila project “is very well needed.” Bulkan who emphasized that she is a “concerned citizen,” advised that such a document will weigh the pros and cons of the Amaila project. In her appeal to politicians, Bulkan expressed that “the briefings provided by the Sithe Global/ Blackstone Group to the Parliamentary Sectoral Committees on Natural Resources and Economic Services and to the National Stakeholders Forum are no substitute for a Green Paper that includes the findings of independent objective technical and financial assessments.” She referred to the
National Stakeholders’ Forum on Wednesday last, where “Sithe Global stressed that it had spent US$16M and six years so far on the Amaila project; although it was not explained how the money had been spent other than ‘hundreds of scientists working on environmental issues” and said that it was odd that there are no published reports from these hundreds of scientists in the public domain. Dr Bulkan, in her appeal requested politicians to adequately register the need for an independent green paper. “If Guyanese taxpayers had had the benefit of an external review, we might have been spared the debt burden of the white elephant named Skeldon Sugar Factory whose costs to date are US$200M, and counting.” She added that Guyanese might have had an alignment of the Berbice River Bridge that did not turn New Amsterdam into a backwater settlement; a toll that did not cost G$2,200 per car versus the Demerara River Bridge toll of G$200 per car. “While the Berbice River Bridge was being constructed, the majority of poor Berbicians might have thought that they would be paying the same toll as the Demerara River bridge commuters. They lost corn and husk: there is no alternative cheap ferry. They must use the Berbice River
Bridge. Wealthy investors are the principal beneficiaries of that bridge; the State has been foregoing revenues so that the privileged investors can earn dividends,” Bulkan stated. She also said that the use of taxpayers’ money to fund the construction of a casino/ hotel named the Marriott, by a Chinese company, using Chinese labour, and that will bring no named social or economic benefits to Guyana, could have also been
“The drip, drip, drip of varying estimates of the component costs of this major construction project and associated commercial debts give no confidence that the Government knows what it is agreeing to with Sithe Global Inc. – whose only other venture into hydropower is the expensive and poorlymanaged construction at Bujagali in Uganda, although the same personnel working for another Sithe company are said to have built other hydels. No details were provided other than a dam in Philippines. Sithe clearly does not want to get sucked
“Even if late in the day, now is the time to have expert independent input and check on the project developer’s figures, to inform the members of all political parties in the National Assembly and civil society in general. It is surely not acceptable for the Government to try to co-opt individuals by taking them into private meetings and showing them documents; that is neither transparency nor the freedom to receive information which is assured by Article 146 of the National Constitution.” avoided. “Dr Luncheon has already signaled that the casino will be sold…Guyanese have been speculating on the identity of the likely beneficiaries. We would not have embarked on an unnecessary expansion of the Timehri Airport at great social and economic cost.”
into questions about the management and capabilities of GPL and whether GPL can pay the future debt in full and on time.” Bulkan also pointed out that the current draft agreement commits to Sithe getting the first cut of GPL income paid into Republic Bank, before GPL itself gets
any money to pay its own costs. However, Blackstone/ Sithe confirmed that they would be willing to assist in the preparation of a Green Paper to the National Assembly, laying out objectively, in sufficient detail, the pros and cons of different options for future supply of electricity, including the final line item costs to the Guyanese taxpayer. Until now, the Government appears to have been considering only the single option of Amaila Falls and only cost estimates provided by the project partners. “Even if late in the day, now is the time to have expert independent input and check on the project developer’s figures, to inform the members of all political parties in the National Assembly and civil society in general. It is surely not acceptable for the Government to try to co-opt individuals by taking them into private meetings and showing them documents; that is neither transparency nor the freedom to receive information which is assured by Article 146 of the National Constitution,” Bulkan said. “I hope that our Parliamentarians will think long and hard before voting for something that could turn into another Berbice Bridge — one in which most of the benefits are privatized, even while all the costs are socialised. We do not need another Berbice Bridge — the costs borne by the average Guyanese, a cash cow for the private investor.”
Sophia chopping spree…
Suspect tries fooling security guard at hospital to gain entry Shawn Fordyce, the man who chopped his wife and three daughters last Thursday at Sophia, turned up at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) late Friday night and told the security guard on duty, that he was the injured woman’s brother-in-law and that he wanted to meet her. Luckily, another guard recognized him as the “paperman”, but before she could have raised an alarm, he became suspicious and quickly exited the hospital’s compound. “Another security who lives in Sophia knows him but she couldn’t tell the other guard who he was talking with, anything because she was scared, but then he left and when he reach by the
step, he murmur ‘I gone kill all dem. I gon finish the job I start’ and he walk out the compound,” a source noted. The injured woman, Dorothy Blackman-Fordyce, is currently hospitalised in the facility’s High Dependency Unit (HDU) with her 20-yearold daughter, Latoya Wilson, while her younger offspring, 12-year-old Donette Fordyce, is in the Pediatric Ward. Yesterday, a relative said that a friend of her aunt received a telephone call from the accused who reportedly told her that he will finish the job he started. “A couple minutes after she received the call from him, my aunt received a call from the hospital. They explained what happened and my family went there and they sleep
there (hospital) the night.” The relative said that persons informed her family that her aunt’s attacker was spotted in Berbice. Meanwhile, in a telephone interview with Shawn Fordyce’s sister, this publication was told that the woman has urged her brother to turn himself in. “I am not saying whatever my brother did was right, but there was a reason why he did that. My brother is a loving person and he did everything for his family. He didn’t even tell us when he married her. There was a time when he used to fetch her on his back out of Sophia, but she change a lot,” the suspect’s sister said. The woman claimed that her brother was “tormented”
Shawn Fordyce a lot in his home. Meanwhile, persons knowing the whereabouts of the accused are being asked to contact the nearest police station.
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Focus shifts to Obama if Congress axes immigration bill (Reuters) - If immigration reform sputters in the deeply divided U.S. Congress, supporters are planning to push President Barack Obama to act on his own to help 11 million illegal residents, lawmakers and immigration advocates said. Immigration law experts, some senators and House Democratic aides speculated that if Congress cannot agree on a wide-ranging immigration bill this year, Obama could use his executive authority to stop deporting parents of children living in the United States illegally. Many of those children have won temporary reprieves on deportation and broadening the protection to their parents would be a way of keeping immigrant families together. Navigating around Congress comes with plenty of drawbacks, though, since anything Obama could do would not be as lasting as enacting a law. Furthermore, he could not use his own powers to make sweeping changes, such as creating a pathway to citizenship for the
Barack Obama 11 million undocumented. Any such measures are certain to provoke a reaction from Republicans. But immigrant groups would argue that some action from the White House is better than putting up with existing conditions. Obama also could sidestep Republican opposition to legislation by helping a broader spectrum of illegal residents who have been in the United States for prolonged periods, say 10 years or more, for temporary legal status if they have clean
records. “You could make a persuasive policy argument that those are the people who have most fully sunk roots into communities, most convincingly demonstrating they’re contributing in the labor market,” said Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute. “Many are paying U.S. taxes and raising families in their adopted country.” With Congress in a fiveweek recess and many Republicans balking at “amnesty” for those living in the United States illegally, chances are worsening for passing a comprehensive immigration bill this year, even with the Senate’s bipartisan backing in June for such a measure. “There’s a huge degree of effort and support going into immigration reform and if it fails (in Congress), all of that effort and support will turn right back on the administration to do something for constituents that have been hurting and are important to the president,” Meissner said.
Zimbabwe’s Mugabe declared winner, rival challenges poll result HARARE (Reuters) Africa’s oldest president, Robert Mugabe, was declared winner of Zimbabwe’s election yesterday, but his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, said he would challenge in court a result he called a fraud that would push the nation back into crisis.Mugabe, 89, who has ruled the former British colony in southern Africa since its independence in 1980, was formally proclaimed re-elected for a five-year term barely an hour after Tsvangirai announced his planned legal challenge. “We are going to go to court, we are going to go to the AU (African Union), we are going to go to the SADC (Southern African Development Community),” Tsvangirai angrily told a news conference in Harare. While African observers from the AU and SADC have already broadly approved Wednesday’s peaceful vote, independent domestic monitors have described it as vitiated by registration problems that may have disenfranchised up to a million people. The United States, which has imposed sanctions on Mugabe over previous flawed elections and alleged abuses of power, said the
Robert Mugabe
evidence of irregularities in the July 31 vote indicated the result was “the culmination of a deeply flawed process”. “The United States does not believe that the results announced today represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement. The European Union also expressed its concern. Western election observers were kept out by Harare. Zimbabwe’s Election Commission announced Mugabe had beaten Tsvangirai with just over 61 percent of the votes, against nearly 34 percent for Tsvangirai. “Mugabe, Robert Gabriel, of ZANU-PF party, is therefore declared duly elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe with effect of today,” commission head Rita Makarau told a
news conference, drawing cheers from ZANU-PF supporters. SADC observers have urged Tsvangirai to accept the result. They expressed relief that the elections had so far avoided the kind of violent turmoil that marred a vote in 2008. Then, 200 supporters of Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)were killed by ZANUPF supporters. Tsvangirai, who had been serving as prime minister in a fractious unity government under Mugabe, said the MDC would present evidence in court to back its charges that the July 31 vote was a “monumental fraud”. “I thought this election was going to resolve this political crisis. It has not. It has failed. It has plunged the country back to where it was,” Tsvangirai said.
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Sunday August 04, 2013
Kaieteur M@ilbox
I hope that Dr Mangal makes a full apology to me for his unfounded... From page 5 weekend with a field trip during which I was introduced, by Dr Surujbally, to a number of the GECOM offices and officers on the route to Lethem. We also talked to a number of members of the public about their experiences of the registration procedures etc. By the time we made the arrangements there was no accommodation available in Lethem because of the Rodeo. I drove my own vehicle (a 7seater Pajero 4X4 (DPL 1-02) with plenty of room for my family) as I almost always drove myself on field trips and, in any case, it was a holiday weekend and my loyal Guyanese driver had
family obligations too. Dr. Surujbally drove himself in a GECOM vehicle which, as far as I understood, was allocated to him for his work. At Annai we camped in tents as Mr Edwards was fully booked but we were well acquainted with him from his Paranapanema days and he was, as always, very welcoming and accommodating. We went to Bon Fin certainly not Boa Vista – which was way too far – and took accommodation in the most basic of hotels there – my children still laugh at the photographs of the concrete bed bases which we had never experienced before or since. We went over just
before dusk and drove back first thing the next morning. It was certainly not Boa Vista and it was far from lavish. I do not recall seeing Dr Mangal on this trip but Lethem was very full and half of Georgetown appeared to be there. However, Dr Surujbally and I spent most of the time there visiting his Gecom office and colleagues and spent very little time at the Rodeo where we met up with our families late in the day. I do hope therefore that Dr Mangal will make a full and unqualified apology to me, my family and to Dr. Surujbally for his unfounded and misleading assertions about my involvement in that
fact finding trip. There is one aspect of Dr Mangal’s letter with which I could agree wholeheartedly. Dr Surujbally, throughout my acquaintance with him as Chairman of the Guyana Election Commission, was at pains to let me and any of the other donors know that he fully supported the permanent staff of the Commission and that they would always act within the laws governing the conduct of elections in Guyana. At no time did I, or, to my knowledge, any of my colleagues, have any doubt about his integrity, loyalty and dedication to GECOM and its mission. Stephen J Hiscock.
Sunday August 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
Iran gets new president, vows ‘constructive’ foreign relations Dr. Hassan Rouhani, Secretary of the Iranian National Security Council and advisor to the President, (R) and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar. (Reuters)
DUBAI (Reuters) Hassan Rouhani took office as Iran’s president yesterday promising “constructive interaction with the world” after eight years under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad marked by diplomatic confrontation and damaging sanctions. The politically moderate 64-year-old cleric’s resounding victory at June’s election raised hopes of a negotiated end to the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and an easing of the sanctions that have hit the OPEC country’s oil exports. That could avert a possible new war in the Middle East. Both the United States and Israel have said all
options - including military action - are open to stop Iran getting nuclear arms. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorsed Rouhani’s election win in a statement read out to political, religious and military grandees assembled at a Tehran religious site. Khamenei praised the “selection of a worthy individual who has more than three decades of service to the system of the Islamic Republic ... and who from the time of the revolutionary struggle ... has resisted the enemies of the Islamic Revolution.” Symbolizing the handover of power, Khamenei took the presidential mandate from
Ahmadinejad and handed the document to Rouhani. Khamenei then kissed Rouhani on the cheek and the new president kissed the leader on his shoulder, a sign of supplication. The start of Rouhani’s presidency puts an end to the Ahmadinejad era during which Iran grew more isolated and came under wide-ranging United Nations, U.S. and European Union sanctions over its nuclear program. Rouhani faces enormous challenges, including inflation he put last month at 42 percent, unemployment, and political divisions between conservative, moderate and reformist factions.
Berlusconi aides seek presidential pardon ROME (AP) — A Silvio Berlusconi loyalist warned yesterday of a possible “civil war” if the ex-premier’s punishment for tax-fraud conviction is not lifted, as his aides maneuvered to win a presidential pardon so he can avoid a prison term and a ban on holding public office. Berlusconi stalwarts also urged the 10 million Italians who voted for the conservative leader in this year’s election to fill the streets of Rome today. Italy’s highest court on Thursday upheld Berlusconi’s four-year prison sentence, the first time that the media mogul was definitely convicted and sentenced in two decades of trials and other criminal
probes. A law to reduce prison overcrowding slashes his sentence to one year and since he is over 70, he can choose house confinement or perform social services instead of going to prison. Berlusconi insists he is a victim of prosecutors and judges who he says have leftist sympathies. “In this country, democracy has been mutilated” by the high court’s decision, Daniela Santanche, one of Berlusconi’s closest associates, told Sky TG24 TV. His political associates and party officials pressed their “save Silvio” strategy on several fronts after huddling with him on Friday evening. Berlusconi, in a recorded video message a few hours
after Italy’s supreme court upheld the conviction, had sounded shaken but defiant, vowing to galvanize his party’s base. Renato Brunetta, a leader of Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party, said yesterday he and a former Senate president, Renato Schifani, have requested a meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, who can issue pardons. Napolitano hasn’t publicly commented about the prospects of a pardon. But, according to the Italian constitution, only Berlusconi, his lawyer or a family member can ask for a presidential pardon, which could wipe out or lessen the punishment but not the conviction itself.
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Emancipation and education (This article is an abbreviated version of a Graduation Address to the Guyana Education Trust College) Guyana’s history has been an eternal contest between emancipation and enslavement. Those who consider themselves superior often seek to inculcate the acceptance of subordination in those they wish to treat as
inferior. Enslavement, therefore, need not mean solely the physical confinement of the coffles, barracoons, galleys and plantations of three centuries ago. It can mean also the modern-day mental slavery of
subservience and passive acceptance of inferiority. Education must mean emancipation from any form of enslavement. An educated person is an emancipated person who consciously becomes the guardian of his rights and freedoms and those of others. Even though an educated person can be imprisoned
physically, he or she cannot be enslaved intellectually or subjugated mentally. Emancipation also means freedom from want and the enjoyment of a ‘good life’ “ good food, good health, good housing and good relations with the rest of the community. The emancipated life is a ‘good life.’ It is like an edifice
that is erected on four pillars “ education, employment, equality and empowerment. Education of the young is essential to renewal and survival. Some may feel, however, that many young adults and children have become an endangered species. Children, who in their early days are imprisoned in broken homes, perverted by dysfunctional families, trained in transgressive habits and battered by physical abuse, will display the effects of their injuries in their misbehavior as adults. Education of the young is essential yet, every day, boys and girls drop out of primary and secondary schools in Guyana. Some of those who remain are unlikely to be functionally literate or numerate. Most of them are unlikely to bother to enter tertiary institutions such as the technical institutes or the university. Unless this trend is reversed, this country eventually will be besieged by a terrifying horde of ignoramuses. Employment for too many young adults still means waged labour instead of private enterprise. When private corporations contract or collapse or the public service retrenches, workers become unemployed. This creates a vicious cycle of poverty and ignorance. Unemployed people are most likely to be unable to feed their children, buy textbooks and send them to school. Children who do not attend school are most likely to end up uneducated. Uneducated children are most likely to become unemployed or unemployable. Thus, the cycle continues. The consequence of one problem becomes the cause of a subsequent, sometimes worse, one. Equality is the basis of self-esteem and respect for other people’s beliefs and culture. People of different ethnic groups should enjoy the same civil rights in a free country. They must demand and receive equal access to the country’s resources and equal opportunities for selfdevelopment. Men and boys must be taught to respect and treat women and girls as equals. Politicians, policemen, magistrates and other officials must be taught to treat all citizens as equals. Progress
would be impossible unless the dignity of its vulnerable citizens – especially women, children and minorities – is respected, in a free country. Whenever the powerful group disrespects or discriminates against the powerless groups there will be social conflict, disorder and crime. Empowerment means more than scratching an ‘X’ on a sheet of paper every five years. Empowerment is not a lottery based on the hope that, once a party accumulates the largest number of ‘Xs’, its supporters will win the prize of governmental office and its opponents will be marginalised. Empowerment does not have to be a contest of victors and victims. It should be a process by which people discuss, debate and deliberate on issues and make the decisions for the common good. Emancipation must free the people from the enslavement of discrimination, domination and abuse of their rights and freedoms. Guyana is not an island. It is part of a world in which communication technology and economic interdependence have transformed human life with staggering speed. Many small countries like ours, with higher standards of education, have succeeded in providing a higher quality of life for a greater number of their citizens. Opportunities for employment, especially for young school-leavers, have been shrinking. Educated people, as a result, have raced to migrate in staggering numbers even to smaller countries where the quality of life is higher. Many who remain feel that they have no opportunity to attain the ‘good life’ in the land of their birth. Emancipation, therefore, was not simply a historical event that occurred in the distant past. It is a living experience that must be continuously regenerated. Education, similarly, is more than a finite act of passing examinations. Education is not merely the accumulation of credits or of a few academic years that conclude with graduation. It is a lifelong process that must be continuously augmented. Emancipation and education are not free gifts. Both must be assiduously earned, zealously pursued and jealously protected.
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Deadly obsession with a Trinidadian girl
Ramesh Sookram Eighteen-year-old Nikita Ramischand never saw her stalker as she headed towards the Casa de Belize, a salon
located inside the compound of her father’s sprawling mansion in at LP 46 Maracas Royal Road, Maracas, St. Joseph, Trinidad. Reports of events that unfolded on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, indicated that before she could enter the salon, someone dragged her behind a guest house on the compound. Nikita’s assailant then slashed her throat and stabbed her six times in the abdomen. The killer then fled. When Nikita failed to arrive at the salon, her mother began calling her cell phone. When the calls went unanswered, the woman, her
husband and other relatives began searching for Nikita. They eventually found her bloodied body behind the salon. Detectives believed that the killer, most likely male, had scaled a ten-foot razoredged wire fence, located on the northern side of the family home, where he hid and waited for Nikita. Bloodstains were reportedly found on the fence. Nikita Ramischand was a second-year ACCA student of the School of Business and Computer Sciences (SBCS), in Trinidad. She was also the daughter of Guyana-born, Trinidad-based attorney Odai
Nikita Ramischand Ramischand. Questioning close family members, the detectives soon identified a prime suspect. He was 25-year–old Ramesh Sookram, a Guyanese construction worker who had done some work for the slain girl’s father. And he reportedly had a motive. Ramesh and Nikita had reportedly struck up a relationship in 2010, when Nikita was just 16. They reportedly concealed the relationship from Nikita’s father. In January, 2012, Nikita’s father hired construction workers to renovate his property and the two lovers continued their relationship. The two reportedly spoke frequently on the phone. But by March 2012, the relationship had soured. When Ramesh reportedly asked Nikita to get married, she refused. The jilted man allegedly began making threatening phone calls to Nikita. In early April, he had reportedly entered the family property after scaling the razor-wire fence. He reportedly confronted Nikita and began threatening her, but eventually left after she threatened to call the cops. Media reports out of Trinidad suggest that the Guyanese construction worker became more incensed when his ex-girlfriend started another relationship.
Sunday August 04, 2013
Relatives believe that he began to stalk Nikita. But while the Trinidadian police had a suspect in mind, the alleged killer, Ramesh Sookram, was nowhere to be found. Closed-circuit television footage at Piarco International Airport, reportedly showed the suspect in company with a cousin before he boarded a Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) flight to Guyana. One of his hands was bandaged and police believe that he injured the limb while scaling the fence topped with razor wire after committing the murder. Immigration records in Guyana revealed that Sookram entered Guyana the day after Nikita’s murder. He was accompanied by a 16-year-old cousin. Sookram allegedly called the slain teen’s mother from an unlisted number the day after the murder. He reportedly insisted that he had not murdered Nikita and that he only learnt of the incident in the newspapers. He is said to have made several other calls to the grieving mother. Dhanwattie Sookram, the suspect’s mother, told me that Ramesh had telephoned her at around 23:00 hrs on Wednesday, April 25, and said that he was coming home. He then turned up at her Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara home the following day at around 09:00 hrs. She denied that he had any injuries and said that her son had not appeared to be nervous. He had reportedly said nothing about the murder in Trinidad. According to Ms. Sookram, her son borrowed
her phone to make a call. He reportedly left with the phone and never returned. Ms. Sookram claims he called her on Friday, April 27, 2012. According to her, she has not seen or heard from him since. She said that police ranks twice searched her home and the homes of her two other sons, but found no trace of the fugitive suspect. At the time, Ms. Sookram also claimed that the family was receiving death threats via phone from someone who accused them of harbouring the suspect. Mrs. Sookram insisted that she was unaware of her son’s whereabouts, and appealed for him to surrender. “Wherever he is, let him give himself up, because I can’t take this anymore.” But Kaieteur News has received numerous calls from individuals who claimed that the suspect was hiding out near a relative’s Soesdyke home. Back then, local police officials had expressed the view that it was only a matter of time before he was apprehended. But that was more than a year ago. If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown offices. Our numbers are 22-58465, 2258473 and 22-58458. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address mjdragon@ hotmail.com.
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Ravi Dev Column
Education and Marginalisation of identity (We continue with the series on African Marginalisation from 2008) We posited that the discourse and institutionalisation of “race and racism” was an integral part and parcel of the fact of African slavery and that while “marginalisation” is a phenomenon that could be experienced by, and practiced on, any group, when it comes to African Guyanese, such a discussion is almost meaningless if it disjunctured from the racist effects of slavery and its aftermath on that community and the institutions within which they are embedded. Up to now, we have been focusing on residual effects on African Guyanese as a group and pointed to discriminatory practices that could have survived or be created…or recreated, since racism is not some viral infection that can survive on its own, but is reproduced in particular social arrangements under law, state and institutional power etc. For the actions of the state, we have long advocated the formulation of an “Ethnic Impact Statement” to accompany any governmental or state initiative. While there may be very good economic or administrative reasons for a policy that may reward or
The spate of violence is due to a darkness that has descended on the land. This darkness is due to the evil that is in the minds of the rulers who always say that they must get what they want. For the situation to change they must be prepared to be open and accepting of the views of others, something that is not going to be easy. There will be two more murders in the coming days. One of them would be initiated by a young man
penalise a particular group inordinately, it would save a lot or agitation if the “adverse impact” is broached up front. To address economic marginalisation, we suggested that there might be the need for Affirmative Action programs in certain valued areas, if proof of historical discrimination could be identified. For political marginalisation we have, in general, repeatedly advocated a government of national unity for a limited period, during which a federalist constitution could be drafted that would address political and other issues of justice for marginalised groups. But the sources of racism and marginalisation that impact on the African Guyanese are not only external: some have been interjected into the psyches of the populace, so that even if the external constraints are removed, these internal shackles will deliver their invidious effects. These shackles go to the issue of identity that eventually translates into group worth. We have already mentioned the denudation of the culture of the African slaves during slavery and the forcible imposition of practices designed to convince them that they were sub-human. There is no question that Africans opposed these
pressures but the logic of the power differential in the master-slave relationship determined that the early Euro-African “Creole” culture was never going to be positive for the slave. The docile, happy-golucky Quashie was the ideal end product that the ruling class wanted to perpetuate. With the abolition of slavery in 1834, the colonists were not prepared to leave the construction of a docile workforce to chance. By coincidence, within five years of their conquest of India in 1818, the British began crafting an alternative method of dominance. They eventually harkened to the advice proffered by Rousseau: “The strongest man is never so strong enough to be master all the time, unless he transforms force into right and obedience into duty.” What the British did was to exchange the metal chains holding the colonized people with mental chains for which the people clamoured: they introduced what Antonio Gramsci was later to define as a “hegemony” over the Indians. They would utilise the techniques honed in India into Guyana and other parts of the empire. The centrepiece would be through “Education” – with a capital “E”. In the words of Lord Macaulay, the chief
who has a temper problem. He is going to lose all sense of reasoning because his colleagues would prod him. He himself would come to no good end. ****
Fires are always close at hand. Another would break out in the eastern part of the country. Luck would prevent it from spreading. The losses would be high because of the things contained in the burnt-out building. ** As if you did not notice, suicides have taken a back seat to so many things. This is because there is so much for the people to worry about. However, one is going to occur over a domestic issue.
architect of the scheme, such that the graduates of the schools to be established would be “Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect.” The stated objective would be to create a class of clerks, who would serve the British commercial and governmental interests that were expanding exponentially, but the effect would be to create mental chains for the new elite for which they and the rest of colonized people would clamour. The segment that aspired to become the elite was taken into newly established schools (e.g. Queen’s College) and bombarded with “Knowledge”. This classificatory power to define what was “knowledge” was crucial in the construction of the hegemony since the rulers could establish a scale of value on all knowledge. This process operated at several levels. Firstly, knowledge would only be transmitted in the language of the hegemon – ensuring that all other concepts from other paradigms had to fit within the Proscrustean bed of his paradigm. (E.g. to understand
what a “Procrustian bed” was, one had to have an acquaintance with the English-appropriated Greek Classics.) Secondly, knowledge is to be only transmitted within the approved schools. Even those on the outside, whose learning is given no credence by the hegemon, devalue knowledge obtained outside of the official schools – all accept that only “schools” impart knowledge. The fisherman, farmer, yogi, medicine man or village elder is by definition not knowledgeable, and thus inferior. Thirdly, the particular, historical experiences of the hegemon are untethered from its parochial origins and universalized as applicable for all places and all times. For the transmission of knowledge, the hegemon’s curriculum is deemed complete, i.e., it is universalized as “Education”. The “graduated” colonial is taught that he is “Educated”, period, not that he is educated to keep records. The Bible is “Scripture”; “Literature” is English literature. In fact, one of the ironies of the new dispensation was that “English Literature” as a
Ravi Dev
subject was taught for the first time in India – in England, there were only Latin and Greek. The successfully imparted or imbibed paradigm creates an identity system for all those within it – including both the ruler and the ruled. Within this system, the identity of the dominated is the negative mirror image of the dominator, of which the latter is akin to perfection, if not perfection itself. The identity-set of the hegemon is the ideal, while that of the hegemonised is deficient in all respects. In accepting this inferior identity, the hegemonised individual automatically assumes a low selfconception – and self esteem – and of his group vis-à-vis the hegemony. The precursor, of course, to this identity set – was the slave-master relationship created during African slavery.
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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
Three conversations today: The tragic tale of a nation The first conversation takes place early this evening. If you look at the cricket on television today, you will see happy faces of East Indians cheering emotionally for a Guyanese cricketer of African descent, Christopher Barnwell, as he fields or bats. They will be rooting for Barnwell because he is a Guyanese representing their country. If you look at the faces in the crowd as the East Indian captain Ramnaresh Sarwan drives to the boundary, African Guyanese will exuberate over the man who leads the nation’s cricket team. For them his race does not matter. He is the captain they want to see win. This first conversation begins and ends there. After they pass the exit of the Providence Stadium and they gather at the bars and restaurants, East Indians and Africans will denounce or embrace political parties and their policies on the basis of race. This is an immense tragedy that has dogged this
nation since the PPP spilt in the fifties and Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham headed two, competing organizations. This has been the shape of the political anatomy of Guyana right up to the end of the cricket match this evening. The obvious question is that if the ethnic competition, ethnic lenses and quest for ethnic domination began with Burnham and Jagan, what then has sustained these depravities over a 50-year period? The answer is not confined to the analyst only. Any schoolboy can answer it. The politicians from mostly, but not necessarily, the PPP and PNC, have since the fifties created and continue to engineer mass racial hysteria, and it has been relentless. This is not an essay on Guyanese history and space will prevent such a direction, but two crucial features should be highlighted very briefly. The first one is that amazingly in the seventies, African Guyanese support for
an African-dominated government began to wane under the phenomenal pressure of young radical post-Independence African activists, of which the most fantastic among them was an internationally-known historian, Walter Rodney. When the international commission to investigate his death begins, this nation will be dumbfounded with some of the emerging facts. Both the PNC and WPA will find themselves in the heat of burning embarrassment. Revelations should emerge to show the extent to which the WPA had penetrated the essential fulcrums of Mr. Burnham’s rule and that this permeation was not for defensive purposes, as many admirers of the WPA think. Conversely, PNC supporters will be shocked to know how weak, politically, their talisman Forbes Burnham had become, and the close shave his government had in being removed by Rodney. The second feature is that
ethnic nastiness on the part of the Guyanese people has been devastating to small multi-ethnic parties, whose evolution did not come from a racial cocoon that was its raison d’etre, as is the case with the big parties, PPP and PNC. In 1992, the WPA almost died at the news of the election results. The AFC still remains small because of ethnic voting. The second conversation began since Friday. This is perhaps Guyana’s most sickening tragedy. In Port Mourant, around the same time the cricket starts, the PPP will select (or if you want to say “vote” for) its leadership. But as night follows day, that leadership will behave the way the PPP has carried on since it was born. The worst forms of violations will be
described as the most heavenly policies, to a school of delegates too dressed up in opportunism and too psychologically inept to see the truth. This will be a conversation in a cemetery. Perhaps the poet will be the best person to describe Port Mourant this afternoon. Corrupt politicians, whose sudden wealth cannot be explained, will be garlanded and hoisted on a pedestal. Politicians in the pockets of extraordinarily wealthy nouveau riche cabals will be presented on stage as working class heroes. This afternoon in Port Mourant, the world will see one of politics’ most bizarre conversations. The third conversation would have been underway
Frederick Kissoon by the time your eyes glance at this column. African rights organizations will be holding an all-day, open session at the ACDA head office building, for every African Guyanese to discuss the plight of the African people in today’s Guyana. Unlike the Berbice conversation, this Georgetown interfacing will be spontaneous and without garlands and politicians. You just walk in and tell your story of how you feel about the future of your race in your country, what you think has happened to bring your race to this state of affairs, and the way out of the drowning pool.
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Artificial human Healthy newborn size ear grown in lab varies with ethnicity: study
US scientists say they have moved a step closer to being able to grow a complete human ear from a patient’s cells. In a new development in tissue engineering, they have grown a human-like ear from animal tissue. The ear has the flexibility of a real ear, say researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The technique may one day be used to help people with missing or deformed outer ears, they believe. Tissue engineering is a growing field in medical science, where substitute organs are made in the laboratory in the hope of using them to replace damaged ones. This research is a significant step forward in preparing the tissueengineered ear for human clinical trials” The US research team is working on artificial living ears to help people born with malformed ears or who have lost them in accidents or trauma. Previously the researchers had grown an artificial ear, the size of a baby’s, on a mouse. In the latest development, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, they took living tissues from cows and sheep and grew them on a flexible wire frame that has the 3D shape of a real human ear. This was then implanted into a rat whose immune system they had suppressed enabling the ear to grow. “We’ve demonstrated the first full-sized adult human ear on the rat model,” Dr Thomas
Cervantes, who led the study, told BBC News. It was significant for several reasons, he said. “One - we were able to keep the shape of the ear, after 12 weeks of growth in the rat. And then secondly we were also able to keep the natural flexibility of the cartilage.” TITANIUM SCAFFOLD The cells were grown on a titanium wire scaffold that is modelled on the dimensions of a real human ear, taken from CT scans. The new work shows that in theory it is possible to grow up enough cells - at least in animals - to make a full-size human ear. “In a clinical model, what we would do is harvest a small sample of cartilage, that the patient has, and then expand that so we could go ahead and do the same process,” said Dr Cervantes. “This research is a significant step forward in preparing the tissueengineered ear for human clinical trials.” He said he expected that the process could move into human clinical trials in about five years. Other research into bioengineered organs is progressing fast. About a dozen patients have received transplants of artificial wind pipes coated with stem cells taken from either the patient or a donor. Meanwhile, a kidney grown in the laboratory has been transplanted into a rat, where it started to produce urine. (BBC)
For newborn babies, taking ethnicity into consideration may help determine how small is too small, according to Canadian researchers. They found that birthweight standards based on population averages did not predict which babies born at or near full term were likely to suffer problems associated with being small for their gestational ages. “The results are not necessarily surprising, but there has been controversy regarding whether customizing growth distributions is necessary,” said lead author Gillian Hanley of the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Based on these results, adjusting the standards may be necessary, she told Reuters Health Many factors influence birth weight, including a mother’s weight and height, whether she has given birth before and her ethnicity. Conditions that restrict a baby’s growth during pregnancy can also cause a newborn to be smaller than usual. Babies who are not premature, but still small compared to other full-term infants are at higher risk for
longer hospital stays, infections and other problems. Hanley and her coauthor Patricia Janssen looked at data on more than 100,000 singleton babies born in Washington state between 2006 and 2008, 93,000 of whom were born at a healthy weight based on general population averages and ethnicityspecific standards. The infants belonged to white, Chinese or South Asian ethnic groups. The researchers used the babies’ weights to try to predict complications after birth, including an Apgar score - which measures heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes and color - of less than 7 out of 10 at five minutes after birth.
They also examined admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit, the need for ventilation, extra long hospital stays, hypothermia, low blood sugar and infection, all of which indicate newborn distress. Newborns considered small at birth, meaning they were in the lowest 10 percent of birth weights for the whole group, tended to have the most problems in their first days, the team reports in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. But based on size alone, the researchers were only able to predict a baby’s risk of hypothermia and needing to stay in the intensive care unit after birth, whereas considering size in combination with ethnicity predicted all of the potential problems. “It’s now well known that ethnicity plays an important role in fetal growth and that weight references must be developed and adapted to local populations,” said Cyril Ferdynus, a biostatistician in Reunion, France, who was not involved with the study but has researched this question. Special ethnicity-specific birth weight charts are already common in hospitals in some
countries. “In UK, over half of hospitals have already introduced customized charts, and more and more are coming on board,” said Jason Gardosi, director of the Perinatal Institute in Birmingham, United Kingdom. But in the U.S., the specialized charts are only used in research and not yet in clinical care, which is largely because clinicians are slow to make changes to practice, Gardosi told Reuters Health by email. Other variables should be combined with ethnicity, he said, since mothers within specific ethnic groups also come in different shapes and sizes. Based on these results, if more U.S. hospitals incorporated ethnicityspecific ranges into charts, they could more accurately identify the infants that need to be watched more closely for complications, Hanley said. “By more accurately identifying the babies at risk of these complications, hospitals could save resources (by not investigating small but healthy infants) and save a lot of parents the anxiety of being told that their small but healthy baby is small for gestational age,” she said. (Reuters)
Ultrasound ‘may stop kidney injury’ from surgery Ultrasound treatments could be used to prevent a common kidney complication than can arise after major surgery, researchers suggest. The work, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, was carried out on mice. But the researchers said there could be a “rapid translation” to human studies because the treatment for acute kidney injury (AKI) was simple and routine. Experts said the study suggested potential for new therapies. AKI is the sudden loss of kidney function, which can easily develop in any sick person through infection such as pneumonia, diarrhoea or a heart attack. AKI can develop after major surgery, such as some kinds of heart surgery, because the kidneys can be deprived of normal blood flow during the procedure. Once it has developed,
there are few treatment options. The University of Virginia team exposed anesthetised mice to ultrasound using a routine clinical imaging system 24 hours before disrupting the blood supply to the kidneys. They then found the mice still had healthy kidneys after blood flow was restored. It suggests that there are protective strategies over and above good basic fluid and medicines management care that are the cornerstones of prevention. “ But in other mice, who were given a “sham” ultrasound, the same disruption led to significant kidney injury. The researchers suggest the ultrasound treatment stimulated an antiinflammatory response from the spleen that then protected the kidneys. Dr Mark Okusa, who led the study, said: “Our studies
using non-invasive ultrasound now provide us with an active treatment that appears to be simple, effective, and nontoxic for the prevention of acute kidney injury. “To our knowledge this has never been described for the prevention of tissue or organ injury. “Interestingly, we suspect that similar mechanisms that lead to kidney injury may also lead to lung, heart, and liver damage and that this form of therapy might be effective for prevention of injury in other
organs as well.” Prof Donal O’Donoghue, the former national clinical director for kidney care, who has called for action over the level of AKI, said the paper was interesting. He added: “It suggests that there are protective strategies over and above good basic fluid and medicines management care that are the cornerstones of prevention. “Studying the animal model further is the next step . But we also need to invest in AKI research in the UK.”
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Comedian Ellen DeGeneres US band Bloodhound Gang picked to host 2014 Oscars booted from Russia concert Comedian Ellen DeGeneres will make her second appearance as an Academy Awards host next year, organizers said on Friday, in a move widely seen as a less provocative choice for Hollywood's highest honors after a ribald performance by Seth MacFarlane. DeGeneres, the star of her own daytime talk show "Ellen," first hosted the Oscars in 2007, becoming only the second woman to fill that exalted role alone, after Whoopi Goldberg. "I am so excited to be hosting the Oscars for the second time," DeGeneres said in a statement. "You know what they say - the third time's the charm." "I'd like to thank @TheAcademy, my wife Portia and, oh dear, there goes the orchestra," the comedian added on Twitter. The Oscars, which are broadcast globally, often look to a host's star power to attract a larger TV audience. Recent shows have averaged 37 million to 40 million viewers domestically. DeGeneres, 55, earned an Emmy nomination for her performance in 2007 in which she departed from traditional Oscar hosting decorum and ventured into the audience for spot gags, at one point handing director Martin Scorsese a script of her own. "There are few stars today who have Ellen's gift for comedy, with her great warmth and humanity," said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced the 84thAcademy Awardsshow last year.
The American rock group Bloodhound Gang was kicked out of a Russian music festival and pelted with eggs after it emerged that its bass player had shoved a Russian flag down his pants at a recent concert in Ukraine. Videos posted online of Wednesday's concert in the Ukrainian city of Odessa show bass player Jared Hasselhoff pushing the Russian white, blue and red flag down the front of his pants and pulling it out the back. He then shouted to the audience: "Don't tell Putin,"
'A DECIDEDLY DIFFERENT TONE' The choice of DeGeneres suggests the Academy is turning to a more amenable host who has shown in the past to be skilled at poking fun at Hollywood without rankling its biggest egos. Last year, MacFarlane, the creator of animated sitcom "Family Guy," got mixed reviews for his song and dance routines, including one about onscreen female nudity, and jokes that were often aimed at the expense of the biggest stars in attendance. "Choosing DeGeneres, known for her kindler, gentler humor, signals that the Academy's next awards show will have a decidedly different tone than the 85th Academy Awards," trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter wrote. DeGeneres also earned praise for her performance as the host of TV's Emmy
awards in 2001, which was twice delayed because of the September 11 attacks, memorably lightening the somber mood by asking, "What would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?" The announcement of DeGeneres as host also comes on the heels of Hollywood marketing executive Cheryl Boone Isaacs being elected as the first African American president of the 6,000member Academy, which has made an effort to diversify its ranks after coming under fire for being too male, old and white. Trade publication Variety saw the choice of DeGeneres as a continuation of the Academy's "Year of the Woman," writing that the Oscars "will put women in the driver's seat." Disney-owned ABC will broadcast the Oscars on March 2. (Reuters)
T
Channel." Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky tweeted Friday night that he had spoken with officials in the southern Krasnodar region, known as Kuban. "Bloodhound Gang is packing its bags," he said in the Twitter post. "These idiots will not perform in Kuban." Members of a proKremlin youth group threw eggs and tomatoes at the band members' vehicle as they drove to the airport Saturday in the city of Anapa, the local Yuga.ru news portal reported. (AP)
BBC to reveal new ‘Doctor Who’ on Sunday in live show British public broadcaster the BBC will reveal the 12th actor to play the lead role in its
Actor who played first Klingon in Star Trek’ dies at 91 he actor who played the original Klingon on TV's Star Trek has died. A longtime friend and spokesman for Michael Ansara says the actor died Wednesday at his home in Calabasas, Calif. after a long illness. He was 91. Besides playing Kang the Klingon in various Star Trek series, Ansara appeared on dozens of TV shows, including I Dream of Jeannie, Hawaii 5-0 and Murder, She Wrote. His film credits include Julius Caesar, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Greatest Story Ever Told and The Comancheros with John Wayne. Ansara was predeceased by his son, Matthew, with former wife Barbra Eden. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Beverly, a sister and a niece and nephew.
a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Maria Minina, a spokeswoman for the festival in southern Russia, said Saturday that the band's headlining performance the previous evening had been canceled because of the incident, which had outraged the Russian government. The American band is known for its sexually explicit songs, including "The Bad Touch," with its unforgettable lyrics: "You and me, baby, ain't nothin' but mammals, so let's do it like they do on the Discovery
long-running "Doctor Who" science-fiction television series in a special live broadcast on Sunday. The half-hour show will feature an interview with the next Time Lord, who travels through space and time battling all manner of malevolent monsters, ranging from new computer-enhanced horrors to the now decidedly creaky-looking Daleks, survivors of the early shows from nearly half a century ago. "The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who's taking over the Tardis," executive producer of the TV series, Steven Moffat, said in a BBC statement on Friday. Actor Matt Smith, who has played the role since 2010, said in June he would be bowing out in this year's Christmas special.
His announcement sparked speculation about who might take over, with actors Peter Capaldi, Ben Daniels, Rory Kinnear and Ben Whishaw among the bookies' favorites. "Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we've been using the codename Houdini as a decoy," said BBC drama controller Ben Stephenson. "It's the biggest secret in showbiz - even those working with the new Doctor on other projects at the moment have no idea they are in the presence of the 12th incarnation.” The series will mark its 50th anniversary in November with a special episode that will see the return of some old faces, including David Tennant and Billie Piper. (Reuters)
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Artist’s impression of the Amaila Falls Hydropower plant SUNDAY SPECIAL GCCI URGES INDEPENDENT, INTERNATIONAL INQUIRY INTO HYDROPOWER PROJECT …RAMOTAR SAYS NO President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Mr. Clinton Urling has urged the government to have an international body examine and analyze the controversial Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project. He made the appeal at the opening of the Ninth Annual Berbice Expo and Trade Fair on Friday July 26 at Albion, Corentyne. But President Donald Ramotar has said no to such an activity. It would only be a time-waster, he added. It is the only way, according to Urling, in which the stalemate between the Government and Opposition can end. Urling said that if the opposition parties do not have confidence in all the presentations and studies done so far that shows the viability and feasibility of the Amaila Falls Project, it is advisable that President Ramotar “appoint an independent and credible international firm which will be acceptable to both government and opposition so that a speedy inquiry and assessment of the project could be done.” He believes that this will settle the issue once and for all, and “ensure there is national buy- in.” SITHE GLOBAL IN BREACH OF INTERIM LICENCE … SHOULD BE GIVEN THE BOOT – CHRISTOPHER RAM Sithe Global Amaila Holdings Inc should be booted out from the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project for failing to meet its licencing conditions, says Christopher Ram, Chartered Accountant. According to Ram, the
various contracts to execute the hydropower project had not been conducted in accordance with the constitutional and statutory framework of the Constitution and the Procurement Act. As such, the project should be revisited in its entirety. Ram said that the government cannot enter into any valid contract that is in breach of any law. “No party such as Sithe Global can come into our courts and attempt to enforce such contracts,” he added. Providing a background to the project, Ram said that a study done in June 2002 for the Government was based on the Amaila Falls being developed as a private sector project, on the principle of a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT). Synergy Holdings Inc was granted an Original Interim Licence on July 29, 2002, almost 11 years ago, for the development of a Hydroelectric power station and reservoir and the construction of a transmission to the coast to sell electricity. Following some extensions, Synergy went to Sithe Global Amaila Holdings Inc., a company incorporated in Cayman Islands, a tax haven, as the proposed
investor for the project. By a series of further extensions, a Tenth Supplementary to Interim Licence was granted to Amaila Falls Hydro Inc. Apparently for flipping the licence, Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall, Office Manager of Synergy was paid around US$10 million. MONDAY EDITION HOUSE AWAITS DETAILS ON GOVERNMENT/TVG CONTRACT FOR LEARNING CHANNEL It has been over a month since questions were posed to the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on the agreement/contract between the government and Television Guyana Inc. (TVG). But, Alliance For Change (AFC)’s Catherine Hughes is still awaiting the answers. The questions have been repeatedly appearing on the order paper of the National Assembly for a written response. The AFC Member of Parliament had asked Manickchand to provide copies of the contract between the government of Guyana and Television Guyana Inc., for the use of TVG’s teleport/transmission facilities to broadcast the Learning Channel.
It was also requested that the duration of the contract/ agreement be made known as to whether it is renewed monthly, yearly or indefinite. Hughes asked, as well, that the Minister state when the tender for the provision of this service was advertised and in which media. Further, it was asked how much money has been paid over to TVG to date for the provision of these services. Hughes said that her questions were posed as a result of her not knowing of any advertisements for the contracts. She said that it is also a part of the campaign to have a level playing field for media in Guyana. TUESDAY EDITION MORE EVIDENCE THAT GUYANAIS OVERPAYING FORAMAILAHYDRO… WORLDAVERAGE PER MEGAWATT US$2.32M; GUYANAAGREES TO PAY US$5.1M At more than US$5M per megawatt, the Guyana Government is pushing ahead to construct a hydro power plant that is more than double the amount being used for plants being built around the world. The government is insisting that the project is economical, viable and sustainable.
The most recent comparison was undertaken by Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran. He found that hydro power projects around the world are being built at an average of US$2.32M per megawatt, as against the US$5.1M per megawatt being proposed for the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Plant. In his comparison of the US$840M Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Plant, Goolsaran drew reference to the 147MW Plant proposed to be built in Pakistan at a cost of US$362M. This would mean that the Pakistani project is being built at a cost of US$2.46M per megawatt. Goolsarran pointed also to Nepal, where Spark Hydro Power is set to commence construction of a 101MW plant for US$186.2M. This means that the plant is being built at US$1.84M per megawatt. In Guinea, Semafo Inc., a Canadian Gold Producer that mines in West Africa is building a 130MW plant on the Cogon River for US$230M. That translates to US$1.77M per mega watt. It was noted too that last month the Ugandan Government awarded a contract for a massive 600MW Hydro Electric Plant along with a transmission line for a total of US$1.65B. This translates to the cost per megawatt being US2.75M. MURDERACCUSED FOUND DEAD IN CAMP STREET CELL Murder accused Brian Blount, who allegedly slit a man’s throat earlier this year, was found dead at the Camp Street Prison at around 23:15 hrs on Sunday. Blount, of Old England, Linden, was reportedly found lifeless in his cell some hours after he had staged a one-man protest on the prison rooftop. Conflicting reports have since surfaced about the circumstances surrounding his death. According to a statement from Prison officials, Blount,
who was on remand for murder, was found hanging in a cell about 23:15hrs on Sunday. The release stated that Blount had last attended Court at Linden on July 22, 2013 and was returned to the Georgetown Prison on July 24, 2013. “On his return to prison, a search was conducted on his person and five parcels of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis sativa were found in the hollow section of three cakes of “blue soap” which he had in his possession,” the release stated. The matter was reported to the Police. Prison officials said that Blount was last seen alive at about 21:50 hours on July 28, 2013 by Prison Officers on a routine visit to the Division. But some sources within the prison alleged that Blount was severely beaten by several prison officers. It is said that the beating stemmed from Blount being on the roof of the prison to stage a protest. WEDNESDAY EDITION AMAILA WILL BE OUTDATED BY 2019 - PROFESSOR CLIVE THOMAS Economist Professor Clive Thomas has asserted that the “troubled” Amaila Falls Hydro Project will become outdated in just five years. Despite a cost of at least US$840M, the largest undertaking in the country’s history, it is projected that within the next few years, other possibilities will have to be explored to generate electricity. Professor Thomas, who is one of Guyana’s more recognized economists, didn’t dispel the government’s projection that the venture will run for some 75 years. He, however, pronounced that the project merely has the ability to service the electricity needs of Guyana for less than a quarter of its projected lifespan. The economist noted that (Continued on page 57)
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Eight beauties to contest Miss Emancipation Pageant 2013
Name: Miracle Hilliman Delegate # 6 DOB: 11th May 1992 Education/Ambition: 2nd Year Communication Student at UG
A
s Emancipation activities for 2013 continue, eight very beautiful, intellectual, and talented young Afro-Guyanese women will be more than just contesting a pageant; the local beauties, via this year’s Miss Emancipation Pageant, will be assisting to send to school, at least 12 young ladies of Mali, sub-Sahara Africa, where education for girls is not free. Those with a chance to be at the forefront this noble cause are Franale Holder, Jennel Lovell, Shanice Bourne, Shevona Jerrick, Sunaika Adolphus, Miracle Hilliman, Joelly Valentine and Makida Blake. These young ladies are more than just pretty faces on well-proportioned bodies with killer instincts for the catwalks; they are ambitious individuals with purpose. Among them are students of the University of
Name: Jennel Lovell Delegate # 2 DOB: 10 August 1994 Education/Ambition: To become a Medical Doctor
Name: Sunaika Adolphus Delegate # 5 DOB: 23 April 1995 Education/Ambition: 2nd Year International Relations Student at UG Guyana, an aspiring doctor, an aspiring singer and songwriter, and the list goes on. The pageant seeks to promote Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It is to this end, through the Guyanese Girls Unite Project, that 12 girls from Mali will be sent to school, since this predominantly Muslim community is being recognized and honoured in this year’s Emancipation observances. This initiative is expected to equip the Mali girls with much-needed facilities to explore their senses and exploit their skills. The actual pageant will be hosted at the National Cultural Centre next Sunday, August 11, from 20:00hrs. It will include three segments - evening wear, business wear, and a talent piece. The eight charismatic young women will have to work hard to ensure that their pieces
Name: Shanice Bourne Delegate # 3 DOB: 21 September 1994 Education/Ambition: 2nd year Marketing Student at the University of Guyana
Name: Franale Holder Delegate # 1 DOB: 16 April 1990 Education/Ambition: To become a pilot are perfected. Their onstage presence, their smiles, and the general way in which they portray elegance and grace, will all be scoring points for them as they try to convince the judges that they deserve the much coveted title of Miss Emancipation 2013. In addition to this prestigious title, the winners will also receive monetary prizes. The queen will be awarded $100,000 while the first runner-up will receive $75,000, followed by the second runner-up with $50,000 and the fourth with $25,000 along with other hampers and prizes. The delegates are currently working enthusiastically to raise funds for these ventures. Meanwhile, in keeping with the United Nations Day of the Woman, the
Name: Joelly Valentine Delegate # 7 Education/Ambition: 2nd year Communication Student at the University of Guyana
Name: Shevona Jerrick Delegate # 4 DOB: 23 September 1992 Education/Ambition: Business Management Student at Nations University delegates will be choosing a strong woman of African Descent to speak on as their respective platforms. Currently, the reigning Queen is Miss Jillica Pinder who used her portfolio to launch the ‘Guyanese Girls Unite Project’, which aims to promote empowerment of young girls. Over the past year, she has been actively promoting ‘STEM’ in schools across the country. Organizers of the African Pageant are Dr. Melissa Varswyck, Alexis Connelly, and Public Relations Officer, Shabakie Fernandes. Tickets for the pageant cost $1000, $1500 and $2000 and are available at the National Cultural Centre; Nigel’s Supermarket, Robb Street; Jones Beauty Salon, D’Urban Street; Ashmin’s Trading, High Street and Upscale Restaurant and Sport Bar, Hinck Street, Georgetown.
Name: Makida Latoya Blake Delegate # 7 DOB: 4th August 1990 Education/Ambition: To become a Medical Doctor
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Guyanese pens political gem with religious overtones Book Review…
Book: “What a Friend we have in Jesus” Critic: Dr Glenville Ashby In “What a Friend we have in Jesus,” Mark Jacobs cuts to the chase. He slices away the extraneous and delivers a provocative tale that stokes the intellect and probes the conscience. His literary canvas is the economic and political stench that is Haiti. His brush is broad and the outcome reverberates beyond that battered nation. “What a friend you have a friend in Jesus” is a beguiling title. Jacobs is no Christian apologist. Neither is he your traditional writer. He willfully bends the English language, producing a
scintillating poetic-like prose replete with Caribbean argot and unorthodox narration that cements the reader to his every word. In a sense, Jacobs is the quintessential griot. His message is profound, no doubt. But his strength rests in his cadence. His rhythm is immaculate. His pacing is equally impressive. He is angry but not impetuous. He understands Haiti: the hell, the social cauldron, and the band of scoundrels - those political and economic scavengers insatiable, duplicitous and inhumane - who comb the land to eat the rotting flesh of living carcasses. He writes: ”i found it all obscene and revolting and
what i was witnessing here in Haiti was taken to another level... even the mis-leaders of guyana have not yet mastered, and not for lack of trying.” Throughout Jacobs remains measured, almost sanguine. Never is he hoydenish. Maybe, exploitation and suffering are all too familiar. Not that Jacobs is numb. No. He is instructive without being pedantic. And he understands that a raw verbal assault on any system is sometimes met with equal resistance. So like a master batsman, he picks his spots with world class timing, each stroke pulled from the top drawer. Yes, Jacobs puts on a clinic. He rancours at the right moment, but is
intermittently comedic and jocular. His interplay with his friend Max Romeo injects the right dose of levity at a supposed magic ceremony. His is a literary cocktail that intoxicates, mesmerizing the reader with joy and pain. He barrels through the plight of Haiti, post-2010, when a quarter million people perished. He is vivid. Haitians work for a little over one dollar a day and return home to ”a makeshift tent in a sea of filth and rubble...” His discourse on Haitian magic is comedic but very telling. Smoke and mirrors! No different to marauding politicians viz., Michel Martelly and the wannabe self-styled saviour, Wyclef Jean. He assails political puppets and disingenuous celebrities bent on governing Haiti. His psychoanalysis of jubilant Haitians at election time is dead on. They well know it’s a political joyride. It has always been. But for the moment Haitians grasp any occasion that offers catharsis. Why not? These are few and far between for a people who are the perennial underlings. Jacobs has lost faith in politics, in society. He has witnessed firsthand the treatment of Haitians at the hands of their neighbours. It is ugly. It is racist. And what a bitter irony. The people of the Dominican Republic are for the most part black. Every segment flows in lock-step, complementing each other. The ruthlessness and aleatory nature of law enforcement, the prostitution, the UN occupying force, the child abuse, the innocence doomed to repeat history, all form a despairing gestalt. But Jacobs holds his hand, patient, finally
delivering a sheer coup de grâce of intellectual brilliance and sarcasm. Christianity, or, in more precise terms, “Jesus” is “crucified’ on Jacobs’ symbolic cross. No, it’s not blasphemy. The twisted hero worship of the likes of John Hawkins and fellow pirates are also chided. They are the progenitors of today’s destruction. This is Pan Africanism that makes you cringe. Jacobs is compellingly sardonic and it becomes harder and harder to rein him in, or better yet, challenge his pronouncements. Try as you may. Here, his canvas morphs into a global billboard. The roots of Haiti’s stench are part of a bigger picture. And these roots run deep, twisting the mind of the Negro, distorting his true identity with lies and ethereal promises. And Jacobs cautions,
beckons us to his cry. ”am no historian but i know a few things about the use of Jesus and black people....black people have been forced fed a steady diet of mystical Jesus who loves us but wants us to endure pain.” And he slams capitalism: ”it keeps you in survival mode for as long as you can endure the suffering dangling a carrot and a dream...and when you begin to waver…the voice reminds you and Jesus said, suffer the little children to come unto me and you steady up and get back to suffering and the pain returns followed by a friendly, “god never gives you more than you can bear.” He writes of torture and rape in slave pens by the earthly disciples of Jesus and cites the words of an unnamed “brother,” ”the god of the slaver is not the god of the slave.” He repeats it again and again....and one more time. Movingly irrepressible. At this juncture he goes for the jugular: ”so when he’s putting the rope around your neck, you call for god and he calls for god and you wonder why the one you call on never answers...” And at the centre of history’s greatest hoax on black people, according to Jacobs, is that all too revered verse - an outright betrayal: ”What a friend we have in Jesus.” Feedback: glenvilleashby @gmail.com / Follow me on Twitter@glenvilleashby What a friend we have in Jesus by Mark Jacobs, 2013 Publisher: Lulu Publishing ISBN 978-1-105-08362-4 Available: Amazon. com, lulu.com Rating: Essential
Sunday August 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Fraud alleged in sale of Charlestown property
Mark Witter By Zena Henry The New Building Society (NBS) was early last week served with legal papers for what lawyers are alleging is the fraudulent sale of property located at Lot 2 Drysdale Street, Charlestown. The company is being accused of illegally selling a two-storey house – despite the owner having paid his loan – and also having access to the building’s insurance money. Mark Witter alleges that the entity sold his mother’s house at an execution sale for $2.2M on March 30, 2004, while the property, now valued at $20M, was certified at a market value of $12M in
April 2004. A fire completely destroyed the property’s upper flat in September last year, killing five tenants, including three small children. According to Witter’s case against the loan agency, the property belongs originally to Ms. Edna Witter, who passed away in December 1995. Witter said that two years prior to her death, in 1993, he accompanied his mother to NBS for a loan for over $2.2M to renovate the property. Mrs. Witter was buried in January of 1996. Witter said that a week after the funeral he and his father went to NBS to declare his mother’s death.
They were advised by the agent to attain Letters of Administration of the Estate, which was done. He was also advised to pay off the loan as soon as possible, with the assurance that once payments were being made; the company would not foreclose on the property. Witter said payments from where his mother left off commenced immediately, when the company alleged that she was still in arrears of $2.2M. The arrears, he claims, were paid off in two years; with receipts of payment to show for it. Witter said during the course of payment, he was surprised to learn that an application to foreclose on the home had already been sought and the application was granted in the High Court on June 24, 1996. Witter said he learnt also that the $12M property was later sold to a businessman (name provided) for $2.2M, the price of arrears allegedly owing. Witter claims that the property’s new owner constantly ordered him to have all occupants, the five tenants in the top flat, another couple living in the back half of the lower flat and Witter, who operated a small
PAHO/WHO Guyana urges... From page 10 provided by the Health Organisation, unsafe medical injections account for 39% of new Hepatitis B infections, 40% of new hepatitis C infections and 5.4% of new HIV infections globally each year. While vaccines are available to prevent types of the virus, particularly types A and B, WHO identified several methods which, if practiced, assured a decline in the rampant spread of the disease. These include screening of blood donors, assuring clean needles and syringes and condom use to prevent blood-borne and sexual transmission. On a national level, research in Guyana has shown that one in seven nurses suffered a needle stick injury, while waste workers had nearly double chances of such injuries. A survey revealed that one-third of the workers did not report the incident and thus did not receive any follow up on the injury. In ensuring efforts to resist the spread of the disease, the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO) in Guyana has been collaborating with the Ministry of Health, with the recently terminated Guyana Safe Injection Project (GSIP)
The ANIDAN incinerator installed at the Linden Hospital Complex. in the safe disposal of medical waste. Information received by the organisation has shown that proper management of medical waste will not only reduce the spread of Hepatitis, but also HIV/AIDS. Further, the installation and operation of the Hydroclave at the GPHC has been reported by PA H O a s a s i g n i f i c a n t improvement for destruction of medical waste in Georgetown. The expanded incinerator, installed in the West
Demerara (Region 3), Suddie (Region 2) and Linden (Region 10) hospitals, was noted as being capable of destroying other medical waste. Currently, PAHO/WHO is conducting a countrywide assessment of the generation and management of waste from all health facilities in order to develop a 10-year plan for the proper management and destruction of medical waste. This plan will include protocols as well as recommended technologies.
- loan agency sued for $60M
The remains of the Drysdale Street property. business at the front half of the lower flat, to vacate the house. The matter eventually went before the courts and the house went in favour of the businessman. The house dispute however continues before the Court of Appeal. Witter’s lawyer, Mortimer Coddett said that when the NBS loan was acquired, Mrs. Witter was told by the company to establish life insurance coverage in case she died, and this was cosigned with the loan agency. The court document says that the agency received full payment from the mortgager’s life insurance. Coddett said NBS told Witter that his mother was in arrears and gave him an opportunity to make the payments. His client immediately paid some $300,000. “Funny enough in June of 1996, long after his mother died in December 1995, before Justice Jagnandan they obtained from the courts a foreclosure order while they knew that the lady had died.”
“Having been paid cash by my client, they could have drawn down from the insurance company for the mortgage because of the life insurance, which my client was compelled to get and was assigned. Instead, they sold the property worth $12M for $2.2M, w h i c h w a s the amount mounted to the mortgage that was claimed outstanding.” The court document accuses the agency of wrongfully using the foreclosure judgment to sell the property even after receiving payment from the insurance company and the plaintiff. “I know for a fact that when you put property up for sale, there is normally a reserved price; that if the bidding was below reserved price the property is not sold. But they sold a $12M property for $2.2M, so my client gets nothing,” Coddett said. Coddett said the company is claiming not to know about the insurance,
but he contended that the new owner produced a transport with his name and would have received the insurance money by way of fire which would have been more than the $2.2M arrears; the purchase price. Witter is seeking to reclaim his home and is suing for $50M for being deprived of his property. He is also seeking repayment for the mortgage payment and $10M for the loss of use of the property. The parties will be in court on September 4 next. Former Princess International Hotel employee, 23-year-old Abiola Taylor, her four-year-old son Justin Taylor; three-year-old Kelisha Solomon and her one-yearold sister Akesha Cordis perished during the aforementioned fire. Twentyyear-old Yolanda Cort, employed at Edward B. Beharry and Company, died several days after at the Georgetown Public Hospital. She sustained third degree burns and suffered from smoke inhalation.
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Four-lane expansion on Audit Office radar By Keeran Danny The delayed East Bank Demerara Public Road fourlane expansion project is being scrutinised by the Audit Office. The findings and recommendations will be highlighted in the Auditor General’s 2012 Report. The contracts for the three Lots beginning from Providence to Diamond Housing Scheme entrance were awarded to Dipcon Engineering Services Ltd, GEICO Construction Company in association with General Earth Movers, and BK International. They were signed on October 3, 2011 with a duration of 18 months. Delays to the project, particularly Lot Three, from Diamond ‘high bridge’ to
A section of the E.B.D. Public Road four-lane expansion project Diamond Housing Scheme entrance which was stalled for several months, were blamed on poor weather conditions
and existing utilities. The project is now expected to conclude early next year. Observers believe the pace of the project could have hastened if adequate resources - human and machinery - were dedicated to this major project. A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Parliamentarian, Joseph Harmon, had expressed concern that the contractor, BK International, responsible for Lot Three, is “somewhat overwhelmed” with projects. However, BK International in a press statement had distanced itself from the delay in East Bank Demerara road project and is blaming utilities and other elements involved. According to a source, BK International is engaged in two other projects that are also delayed: building the head regulator for the northern relief channel on the Hope Canal; and widening a section of Timehri Public
Road into a four-lane thoroughfare. Even with these outstanding projects, the company recently won the bids for two sea defence projects in Essequibo. However, BK International is not the only company with more than one large project, that is executing works on the East Bank project. Dipcon Engineering Services Ltd is also executing works in more than one lot on the East Coast Demerara road-widening project. It is hoped the real reasons for the delays may be revealed in the Auditor General’s Report, which is also zeroing in on other large Government projects that required extension such as the East Coast Demerara Public Road four-lane. According to Auditor General Deodat Sharma, contractors may pass the deadline date for works owing to poor management of technical staff and labourers, shortage of building
materials, limited equipment, poor weather conditions, and over-tendering for projects. Sharma said the Audit Office always requests the start and end dates for projects, since it was observed that some contractors over-tender for projects and cannot conclude them timely. He believes persons in Regional Tender Boards and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board need to take this into account whenever they are evaluating bids. Sharma said that the lowest bid does not necessarily guarantee the awarding of a contract and this should come out in the evaluation process. He explained that during this stage the contractor’s competence and capacity to execute projects should be taken into consideration. He said in the case of the East Bank and East Coast Demerara Public Road
widening, the projects were divided into lots, owing to their magnitude. He said only contractors with large fleets of equipment could have qualified. The Audit Office is looking closely at these projects for numerous reasons, including delays and fraud allegations that tainted Lot One of the East Coast Demerara Public Road fourlane expansion. According to Sharma, sometimes whenever staff members of the Audit Office review certain projects it is observed that the real reasons for the delays are not reported. He strongly believes that proper monitoring of these projects is required if they are to be completed promptly. Whilst recommending the strengthening of contract law to include stiffer penalties, other than the payment of liquidated damages, he said it all boils down to proper supervision. The consultancy firm that is responsible for supervising the project should be just as responsible as the contractor for the timely conclusion of the project. However, these delays have a cost to the economy and progression of Guyana. According to APNU Member of Parliament, Carl Greenidge, a contract that is delayed has a number of costs to the economy. He pointed to two: the loss of money and reduced benefits to society. Greenidge said the money engaged in the delayed project could have either been in the bank gaining interest (Continued on page 53
Sunday August 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
Preparatory works for petting zoo commence
Life in the countryside and... (From page 16) become an expected norm. I saw one man preparing his horse for the backdam. He has several heads of cattle. Neighbours being on the edge and tempers flaring against blocked drains are some of the biggest complaints that the NDC and regional authority will receive. But what struck me most of all is the ease of what a little kitchen garden does to the lives of the folks in Black Bush. Almost every home has one. Calaloo and peppers are a must. So are thyme, squash, carila and saim. The rains will
Four-lane...
Children captivated by the ducks in the area outlined for the petting zoo Though, in its preparatory stage Guyana Zoological Park’s petting zoo is already attracting visitors, especially children. According to Adonika Spellen, Senior Supervisor of Guyana Zoological Park, the main objective of this project is to allow greater appreciation for animals and create the distinction between domestic and wild animals. “It would be an educational area also we’re trying to package as the children’s area for the zoological part. We would have stories about the animals to sensitise people not to abuse the animals,” she said. The idea of the petting zoo was conceived by Commissioner of the
Protected Areas Commission (PAC) Mr. Damian Fernandes and is part of a master plan for the zoo. She said construction of the petting zoo has commenced with the erection of timber revetment, and a caged pond housing ducks is already fitted neatly in the children’s play area near the Nature House. The design of the petting zoo entails turnstiles in the front and stables at the back providing an escape for animals. Spellen said the petting zoo would provide visitors the opportunity of interacting with various domestic animals including ducks, goats, cows, and donkeys. “The children would get
a chance to feed the animals, especially the ducks with feed provided by the zoo in small cups for a small fee,” she added. Interaction with animals at the zoo is currently prohibited since a majority of them are considered to be wild. Spellen said most of the animals on exhibition at the zoo were rescued and cannot be treated as pets. As such, the zoo serves as a sanctuary for injured wild animals. “If they were released back into the wild they would have died by natural selection,” she added. According to Spellen, she is unsure when the construction of the actual petting zoo would begin and the final cost for the project.
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(From page 52) or expended into another worthwhile venture. Using the assumption that money has cash value, he said money earns income. He added that most large Government contracts are funded by loans and despite the project may take awhile to finish the job, it still has to repay interest on the money borrowed to the lending institution. On the social aspect, he said if the project were intended to improve the transportation network and it takes awhile to conclude, then the people would have been in discomfort and lost productive hours.
come and kill the plants, but the folks will start over again. Nobody is starving. I have always written about the need to plan properly when you are building your home. If you are on a limited budget, it may be a good thing to leave a little space for a kitchen garden. I have thyme and what the good people in Guyana call ‘married man poke’. I also have papaya and a grafted ‘golden apple’ tree planted a few months ago is already bearing. It may require a few minutes work, but the savings each month on buying seasoning and a few fruits
can come in handy to do some other things. A four feet by 10 feet plot may be enough. You may also want a few flowers. At the end of the day, the little gardening may even become a hobby. There is nothing quite like seeing a papaya growing from your tree. It makes me proud. I am getting ready to head back to the city now. I enjoyed the yard fowl that one of the boys ‘stole’ from his neighbour. Enjoy your weekend and don’t forget to drop your comments, suggestions to gildarie@yahoo.com.
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Kaieteur News
FOR SALE
WANTED Investor needed to invest in Fish processing Plant: Land available & plant partially completed- Call:612-0200/ 602-6477 One live-in domestic. Call 617-1679 One three bedrooms apartment anywhere around town- Call:617-7865 Four experienced Welder/ Fabricator- Call:676-7226/ 613-7006 One experienced shop assistant to work in InteriorCall: 666-6836 Domestic & Handyman to clean yard. Call 227-5500/ 227-2027 One Handy Boy to work around yard in InteriorCall:666-6836 Experienced counter servers, roti/puri cooks, pastry makers & cleaners: Apply @ Hacks Halaal 5 Commerce St. Bond Supervisor (over 35yrs) & Data Entry Clerk (over 25yrs) @ Survival Shopping Complex 173 Sheriff St. Call:227-5286-90 Mason & Carpenters $6000 per day: Porters $3500 per day: Ladies to do cleaning @ Tushen, W.C.D- Call:684-8231 To work in Newly open Salon: Barbers, Nail Technicians & Tattoo Artist: Located opposite Kitty Police station- Contact:6445362 Do you need excavator operator for the Interior? 12 years experience in miningCall:254-0624/655-4440 City Taxi Service: Contract Cars Needed- Call:6601100 Live in waitress to work at a bar- Call:672-5860/604-6832 1 Nail Technician and 3 Barbers: Address: 1 Smyth & Durban St, Werk-en-Rust: Call: 674-8555 One live-in or live out maidcall:668-3985/264-3355/6837936 1 Whole day maid for East Bank area- Call:614-4358 Boat Captain With License For Essequibo River ResortTel:225-3557 Urgently needed 1 plot of land to buy in Parfaite Harmonie- Call:675-7292 Able bodied Male to work in Water store located in G/ T- Call: 678-1234
WANTED One Live in domesticCall:614-6053/600-6053 Maid & Internet WorkerCall:231-8421/223-9725 Attractive live in waitress. Call 327-0252/674-4665 Sewing machine operators with factory experience. Call 626-2629. Experienced sewing machine operators- Call:220-4337 One maid to work in Bel Air area- call:227-5585 Men to work in sea food plant, required ID, NIS & police clearance: contact Mr. James 680-5200/612-0374 One experienced Carpenter/ Mason to work at New Hope, E.B.D- Call:266-2711/6094594 Urgently, one bedroom apartment: Preferably from East Coast of Demerara $10,000-$15,000- Call:6046690 or 690-9512 Urgently, a Stand or Workshop with the vicinity or Orange Walk and Boarda street- Call:604-6690 or 6909512
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY M E R C U R Y (QUICK SILVER) 9 9 . 9 9 9 9 5 % PURITY - $15,000 PER POUND CALL:604-6108 500 Ton Cargo Ship with Contract- call: 687-6174 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Canter and Truck tyresSizes: 295.80 22.5, 195.85.16, 205.85.16- Call:222-3538/ 6600342 1- 48’ Fishing Boat- Call:6120200/ 602-6477 WE HAVE ANY SIZE AND AMOUNT OF PALMS: #1 PLANT SHOP, 70 SHERIFF ST. CALL:227-8094 Pure Bred Rottweiler pupsCall:650-8496 KS Photo Paper 300 sheet per pack $8000- Call:690-0998 Dell laptops & desktops complete computers from $55,000 Futuretech call: 231-2206 Pure Rottweiler Pups. Call 220-6879 Grizzly 6" universal surface grinder, Ryobi 10" bench drill press, electronic DW625 electronic plunge cut routerCall:265-3070/645-1895 Timber Harvester Sawmill just arrived from U.S.A with setter, sharpener and extended frame- Call:2612553/625-4393
TO LET Fully furnished short term apartments @ Eccles call: 679-7139 Harmony Inn: Apartments fully furnished, airconditioned apartments: $5000 per night- Call:6680306/602-8769/694-7817
Mix breed pups, Rottweiler and German Shepherd: Both male and female- Call:222-0410 1 CAT Engine 3164 & 1 JCB Back Hoe: Needs transmission onlyContact:691-1161/ 670-7235 Wall dividers, Cabinets, Sofas, Beds & WardrobeCall:219-3732 (After 5pm)
Fully furnished Vacation home with all amenitiesCall during working hours227-1218
1 -115 Evin Rude four stroke outboard engine: Asking price $450,000 in good condition: Price neg. Call: 649-8324
Semi- furnished apartment: Single room $50,000 @ ‘B’ field Sophia- Call:661-3801
150KW Genset, 12" Moulder, 7 Head Moulder, Resaw & Crosscut Saw- Call:616-5595
Kitty $65000, Diamond $35000, Bel-Air US$1200, Nandy Park US$1200- Call Diana@ 227-2256/626-9382
S & N Mining Inc. Large Quantity Of Virgin Mining Mercury: Best In Guyana: $14,500LB, Wholesale Negotiable- Contact Carol: 649-8505
Two bedrooms apartmentCall: 617-3001 One two bedrooms apartment for rent at Eccles $30,000 per month- Call:663-8747 or 6291805 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool TableCall:277-0578
Ducklings- Call:617-9300 Delta Jointer, Delta ShaperCall:265-3070/645-1895 Delta 14" Band Saw, Grizzly G1021 15" planer, Grizzly G10147 combination sander, DeWalt D28474W-B3 Angle grinder- Call:265-3070/ 645-1895
Sunday August 04, 2013
FOR SALE HB 7651 new model 212. Tel: 615-1370 Eddie’s Auto Parts: Just arrive Japanese used partsCall:227-2835 Zack’s Lumber Yard Georgetown: Millcut form board $115 per BM, Softwood & H/wood $180 per BM- Call:687-5361/674-0013 Tibetan Pups for sale 6 weeks- Call:645-1208 Pure Breed Pitbull Pups for sale- Contact Johnny @ tele: 628-9884 1 Apple desktop computer, 1 Epson printer, 1 Whirpool Dryer & 1 baby swing. Call 662-6045 Games for PS 2, $900,PSP $900, Xbox360 $2600, PS 3 $2600, call:672-2566 Desktop Computers complete, Windows7, 80GB $40,000- Call:223-1719/6000036 Pitbull Pups for saleCall:223-9497 Canvas, Cloth & Knitted Hammocks for sale: Good quality & Good price- Call: 689-0554 1 Freight Liner Hauler, 1- 48ft trailer, 1 Low Bed (hauler & trailer)- Call:613-6979 2 A/C- (sizes 12 & 15), solar system 45 gallon (hot & cold) Call:691-9071/674-1231 Empty plastic fuel drums (55gal) Contact Nicky @ 226-7948/646-6000/697-9610 1 Male English Mastiff Dog $150,000- Call:678-2814/6992322 Sawzall, porter cable model 347 7 1/4" heavy duty circular saw, Thakita, Grizzly 12" table saw- Call:265-3070/645-1895 Bobcat 753, Air compressor, 40ft Aluminum container, cement mixer- Call:677-9155 1-75HP Yamaha four stroke outboard engine in excellent condition asking price $800,000 price negCall:649-8324 GPS Map 76- Call:600-0036/ 223-1719 One Honda Honmel 1000 CBR, condition usedCall:610-7005/219-1342 Original games for sale call:265-3231 Boutique close out slot wall hangers, ½&¾ mannequinsCall:616-0537 29" TV $50,000, 16cuft refrigerator $65,000, China Cabinet $30,000, 30" Stove $45,000 & 321 Suite $30,000: Good condition- Call:6863712 Electric Snow Cone machines- Call:266-2711/ 609-4594
FOR SALE Asphalt Roofing Shingles, pig feed, duck feed & shrimp meal- Call:266-2711/609-4594 5 Cylinders Duets, 4 cylinders Cummins & 4 cylinders Forde TurboCall:226-9076 (Between 8:00am to 5:00pm) Massey, Yanmar Ford 5000 Logging/ Agriculture Tractors, parts, Loader & Ford Truck- Call:615-1578/ 694-3595: Tools & Chainsaw668-2831 Garden Earth and Builders waste also Bobcat rental, excavating clearing and leveling done- Call:616-0617 or 663-3285
PROPERTY FOR SALE Prospect $13M, West Bank $18.5M, Section ‘K’ $40M, AA Eccles $60M- $40MCall Diana@ 227-2256/6269382 2 Storey concrete house at Charlotte St. next to Office of the President: Asking $32M- Call:614-0335/6260017 100ft×45ft 2-storey building located at Bourda Market area. Call 626-7765 Houses on East Coast & East Bank for sale- Call:2238479/647-3768/ www.space seek.gy House and Land @ D’Edward, W.C.B.- Call: 6892973/698-3703 Prashad Nagar $65M, Diamond front, Atlantic gardens, Atlanticville, South $15M, La Penitance & W.C.D, W.B.D- Call:2317805/ 618-7483 1 two storey wooded and concrete building. Located @ Guyhoc Park main road $25M- Call:264-2154 Two storey house, six bedrooms & two kitchen @ block ‘8’ Tushen, E.B.ECall:650-2982
LAND FOR SALE At Soesdyke Linden Highway- Call:678-7355 House lot for sale $600,000Call:678-7355 Large land, great for farming/ residence @ Bagotville, W.B.D- Call: 600-0036/ 223-1719 2- Acres cultivated, 2-1 Acres cultivated, 7 Acres cultivated, citrus, house, fish pond, storage at Parika. Call 226-7968 Parfaite Harmonie $1.1M, $1.2M, $1.5M- Call:675-7292 House lot for sale: Friendship, D i a m o n d EBD & drafting of house plans. Call:223-0733, 2230730, 692-8513 Gold & Diamond land, Berbice District (1)- Call:6000036/223-1719 House & land (transport) land size 40×80 with water & electricity @ lot 39 Coldengin, E.C.D $2.2M Neg- Call:660-4739/686-1237 House lots 50’×118’ New Hope, E.B.D: Serious enquires only. No prices on phone- Call:266-2711/6094594 Transport Land; Land for Sale at Craig Public RoadContact: 695-6641/ 223-3120/ 690-8571/ 666-9972, Price Negotiable. 32 Acres for sale, Lot 5 Content Mahaicony, E.C.D: US$175,000: Call:813-3194 2 1 9 : rpooran@tampabay.rr.com
CAR RENTAL Aidan’s Car Rental & PickupCall: 645-7981/ 698-7807 Progressive Auto Rental - cars from $4000 per day. Call 643-5122, 225-8711; email www. progressive autorental. com Premio, Vitz call: 679-7139
2 Storey business premises: 94 Campbell Avenue, C/Ville- Call:6808857/647-300-4294 For sale by owner: Lot 4 La Bagatelle, Leguan. Land 100’×200’, house 40’×25’ $8M Neg- Call:231-5508/ 628-2166 CAKES & PASTRIES Courses for: Bridal accessories, Cake decoration, Floral arrangements, Cake & Pastry-contact Sharon:6728768/223-3303/612-4193
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman & Sons Driving School , First Federation Building Call 225-4858, 6445166,622-2872,615-0964 B & C Driving School: Lot 5 Hadfield Lodge- call:2250150,229-7258,680-6826 (Continued on page 56)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday August 04, 2013
MASSAGE
FOR RENT
VEHICLE FOR SALE
VEHICLE FOR SALE
VEHICLE FOR SALE
The Gent’s Spa: Let beautiful sophisticated masseuse pamper you: New masseuse available- Call:657-5979
Apartments & Houses in Ogle, Kitty, Prashad Nagar, Queenstown, Republic Park, Bel-Air, Campbellville & Diamond- Call:223-8479/6473768/ www.spaceseek.gy
Cheapest- Premio, Spacio, Hilux, Stick Gear Buses- Call: 616-7635 One NZE Toyota CorollaCall:614-9060 (1) Jialing JL 100-3 Motor Cycle in excellent condition: Minimal usage: Prices negotiable- Call:220-0890/ 691-5952 or 657-3682
Two yellow AT192 for the price of one: HB series, both working. Asking $800,000Call:621-3659
2- 2007 Toyota Avensis. Call 698-0674
Relax your mind and body with a massage- Call:622-6256 For that relaxing and sensual happy ending- Call for appointment @ tele 699-3519
Subryanville- furnished US$1000, Turkeyen house US$1200, Farm 5 bedrooms, Lusignan, Carida Park sea side, Alberttown- bondCall:231-2199/626-4890
DRESSMAKING Classes in Designing and Sewing. Call Sharmela (Canadian-Trained) @ 6410784/626-2629
Apartments $50,000-$70,000: Executive rental US$800: Entire house KingstonCall:675-7292 1 Business location ideal f o r D o c t o r ’s C l i n i c / Pharmacy/ any other business. Upper flat 3 bedrooms & 1 Taxi BaseCall:223-9727/673-0373 Business Spot at 14 Peter’s Hall E.B.D- Tel: 233-5110/ 668-0309 One bedroom bachelor apartment @ 2387 Diamond: $15000 monthly – Call: 6029302
TOURS Suriname Carifesta Summer Tour: August 15th-20th & August 22nd-27th; Casino & Site seeing; Book early. Call 639-2663/ 644-0185/ 6655171/227-8290
EDUCATIONAL I.A.E (Camp street): Register for full- time, lessons & adults CXC classes: Maths, English, Business & ScienceCall:223-0604/683-5742 Enroll now for certificate in nursing practices: Home nursing, Geriatric nursing child care- Call:692-2063/6130803/685-9095 Construct a strong lifetime literacy: Choose Caribbean First Class NurseryElementary: Lessons and Adult classes- Call:684-7403
One Hilux Surf- Call:6173001 1 AE91 (EFI)- Call:265-4346 Toyota AE 81 in good condition: Price $450,000 Neg- Call:628-5988
Newly constructed apartments, with & without A/C; Parking & security available, LBI East Coast. Call 628-8008/603-0000 3 Bedrooms unfurnished house to rent US$2200 per month: Located in Lamaha Gardens- Call:616-5415
Fielder Wagon- Call:6913812
3Y Surf $1.6M, Toyota Wills $1.6M- Call Shawn 618-7483
SERVICES Dianne’s Bridal and Party Accessories Rentals, Decorating, Catering and Event Planning. 103 Regent Road Call: 225-8111 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call:225-6496,6626045,223-8115 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool. Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer. Call:2310655, 683-8734 Omar Repairs to Fridge, Freezer, AC, Washers, Stoves: Call 683-1312,627-3206 (Nick) We repair LCD, Plasma, LED TV, Microwave, Washer & Dryer, Amp etc. Call:6472276/693-3277 Computer repairs in homesCall:675-7292 We Refill HP cartridges for $1800 call: 650-7699 Private Tutoring, CSEC Mathematics: For further information contact 6182737 IPE Private School: Nursery, Primary, Secondary Level: Register now: Branches: Grove, Mon-Repos, Poudroyen, Anna CatherinaCall:629-5300 Creative Constructs: Professional Caribbean to International Construction: Specialized in General Construction, from startfinish-Call: 613-7964/6751510 Ram & Sons Mechanic Shop: Specialist in all types of Japanese vehicles & Volks Wagen: Eccles- Call:2333072/656-2506 Brian Moe @642-3543: Computer Technician: Home and Office visits at your comfort!! FB:brianmoe.165
Toyota L-Touring Wagon: automatic, A/C, Mags, leather seats, white, PLL. $950,000- Call:612-2258 Toyota Ipsum mini van: 7 seats, sun roof, A/C, automatic, mags, etc. Blue $1.6M- Call:612-2258 Toyota Tercel PGG series: A/ C, alarm, mag rim, music: Excellent condition $650,000- Call:690-3995 Mitsubishi Pajero (Immaculate condition); automatic, fully loaded, 4×4, price $2.8M- Contact Rocky:225-1400 or 621-5902 AT 1 7 0 To y o t a C a r i n a (private), automatic, fully powered, mags, CD player, price $675,000- contact Rocky:225-1400 or 6215902 AT212 Carina (private), automatic, fully powered, A/ C, CD player, price $1.375Mcontact Rocky:225-1400 or 621-5902 Toyota extra cab pick-up (22 R engine) manual, (EFI) 4×4, (GPP series) price $2.5MContact Rocky 621-5902/2251400 1 Toyota Tundra (new model) Bubble back, automatic, fully loaded, 4×4, price $3.1MContact Rocky 621-5902 or 225-1400 1 Toyota single cab 4×4 Solid DEF with winch: Price $2.2MContact Rocky 621-5902 or 225-1400 1 Toyota Corolla: PHH 8906 $580,000- Call:602-0354/6786896 One Mitsubishi Canter GRR 5201: 15ft tray- Call:613-2150/ 254-0247 Quantum Auto: Spacio, Premio & new model raum with Alloy wheel & dark interior: Excellent condition- Call:624-7684/ 617-2378 RZ minibus BKK seriesCall:685-2101 New Arrival! Unregistered Toyota Sienta- Bodykit, TV, camera, spoiler, fogs, remote smart alarm, mags- Call:6436565/226-9931
(From page 54)
1 Hilux Surf: Excellent condition: Price $1.5 millionCall:697-1849 1 Nissan Frontier 4×4 fully loaded, GPP series: Immaculate conditionContact:697-1849/227-4856 Sale! Axio: TV, DVD $3.1M Neg: Pre-order Premio $2.5M Neg- Call: 655-3400 Ray’s Motor Spares & Auto Sales: For best price, wholesale & retail dealer in Japanese automobiles & parts- Call:233-5151/ 231-7839 2 Ford F150: Price $4.5M & $3.5M- Call: 643-5249 / 2654979
VACANCY Sales Girl and Clerk Needed. Must be Computer Literate. Good Communication Skills and Personality. Call: 6006053 / 614-6053 One Upholster & two JoinersCall:219-1342/610-7005 24 Hour East Coast Guyoil needs night pump attendants, salesgirl & office assistantCall:688-9611/684-2838
Model 192, PKK 3392 $1.1MCall:697-3191/697-8934
Refrigeration, A/C Technician. Call 231-0655/ 683-8734
1 BMW 318i PNN series $3.2M, 1 Toyota Raum PKK series $1.250M: Both in immaculate conditionCall:613-5308
Male sales person for Plant Shop 18yrs-25yrs, must have secondary education- call 648-1821 (between 8:00am4:00pm)
One Nissan Pickup: Good condition- Call:696-7664 or 614-8996
1 Live in maid must be from country & able to cook, age 35-45 years- Call:662-1124 or 611-0200
Sale! Sale! Toyota Premio (unregistered), fully loaded $2.5M-Call:617-2891/220-2345 205 Mercedes Benz C180 compressor: PPP series: Navy Blue- Call:613-5955 1 Toyota AT170, AT192, AT212, Ceres, Vitz, EP 71 Starlet, Hilux Pickup Solid DEF. Call 644-5096/697-1453 New Raum, Premio, Fielder, Alex and Vitz: Never registered- call: 269-0432/ 686-0323 Raum 04, Nav $2.4M: Fielder Nav, SP $2.5M: Spacio 03 $2.4M- Call:609-8989/6165595 Axio Special- 2007, TV/DVD & Reverse Camera $2.950MCall:617-2891 Toyota Altezza, PNN, tiptronic. Call 622-0108 2003 Allion PRR series: Equip with alarm, HID, back up camera $2.5M- Call:667-0338 First Class Auto: Allion, Premio, Spacio, IST, Axio, 212, Fielder, Verossa & AllexCall:609-8188/602-6307
Needed sellers to walk & sell Tin fruit juices: Apply at Alabama Trading G/Town Ferry Stelling Vacancy exists for able bodied male cleaner: Apply at Alabama Trading G/Town Ferry Stelling One person to build chairs in work shop- Call:610-7005/ 219-1342 Vacancy exists for one Manager to work at an out of town Hotel/ ClubCall:226-9768/642-7963 Senior Accounts Clerk: Minimum 5 subjects CXC, CAT/ACCA, knowledge of Quickbooks Accounting (3yrs experience)- Call:2314069 Cashier/ customer service Rep: Minimum 5 subjects CXC, knowledge of Point of SaleCall:231-4069e m a i l : j i m m y @ nvtechcomputers.com
Unregistered Nissan Bluebird Sylphy: Fully loaded, 17" rims- Call:692-9252 Unregistered Mitsubishi long canter $3,350,000Call:615-7526/653-4560 One black Titan (2005) 4 wheel drive, fully loaded: $4.2M negotiable- Call:6782814/699-2322 Smart Choice Auto: Unregistered Premio, Allion, IST, Fielder- Call:652-3820/ 665-4529
SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773 Natural beauty salon & spa: Grove Market Street EBD tele:265-4138,652-5800 specialized in everything for women & children
Sunday August 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 57
From page 45 looking at the Guyana Power Light Inc. (GPL) medium term, the Amaila project is simply inadequate. He referred to GPL’s declared intent to keep 50 megawatts (MW) of its present capacity going after the Amaila Falls project comes on stream. Thomas said that indeed GPL’s plans project that 88 percent of its electricity supply will come from Amaila in 2017, but opined that by 2019, more than the promised 165 megawatts will be needed. The Professor told Kaieteur News, “It (Amaila) has a shelf life up to 2019; it will be working but the supply will be less than what we need. It will be inadequate even if it is working at its full capacity.” THURSDAY EDITION CONTRACTOR, BRASSINGTON CONFIRM INCREASED PRICE TAG FORAMAILA HYDRO Sithe Global’s President, Brian Kubeck, along with Technical Director for the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project, Winston Brassington on Wednesday confirmed that the price tag has increased to US$858M. This is US$18M more than the figure quoted last week by a number of government officials including President Donald Ramotar. A high level team from Sithe Global, along with Brassington, met on Wednesday with stakeholders at the International Conference Centre where this confirmation was made. This was the second stakeholder consultation on the controversial subject within a week and this time around, the media was given preference in relation to clarifications on the ongoing project. NO LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN 2013GECOM Local Government Elections cannot be held this year, even if the four Local Government Bills are passed in the National Assembly right now, something the joint Opposition Parties have been pressing for. According to Vishnu Persaud, Public Relations Officer of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the body will require time to adequately prepare to undertake such a task. He explained that GECOM could only hold elections once the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development makes the announcement and the Secretariat would require at least six months from the
had already been put “in the mood”, having been engaged by the Buxton Fusion Drummers, Guyana Soiree Band and a popular sound system.
announcement date before it could actually hold elections. Persaud also pointed out that there are four Local Government Bills that have to be passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President before the elections could be held. As such, with five months remaining for the completion of 2013, Guyana will not have Local Government Elections. Since 1994, Guyana has not convened Local Government Elections and many local bodies have weakened. Within recent years, numerous Neighbourhood Democratic Councils have been disbanded and Interim Management Committees have been installed. On July 18, the opening session of a critical sitting of the National Assembly was characterized by an unusual silence, as Government refused to participate after the Opposition successfully brought the four Local Government Bills to the top of the agenda. FRIDAY EDITION BRASSINGTON DODGES QUERIES OF FIP MOTILALL’S GAINS The actual amount of money Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall walked away with from the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project, in particular the construction of the access road, remains unknown. Also unclear is whether Government conducted due diligence on Motilall to ascertain if he was deserving of an Original Interim Licence for Guyana’s hydro-electric power development, a huge undertaking requiring massive investments. Winston Brassington, Head of the Technical Team for the Project, who was Government’s representative at a public consultation held
on Friday last at the International Conference Centre, dodged queries on both matters. Synergy Holdings Inc was granted an interim licence on July 29, 2002, just over 11 years ago, for the development of a Hydroelectric power station and reservoir, and the construction of a transmission line to the coast to sell electricity. In relation to the due diligence inquiry, Brassington said the issuance of the interim licence was done by the Office of the Prime Minister and he was not involved. He said Motilall approached Government to pursue the development and permission was granted. Without saying whether or not Motilall was capable of undertaking the hydropower project, Brassington said he (Motilall) was able to attract an international firm with a lot of experience to do a feasibility study on the Amaila Falls Project. He added that developers in these ventures usually assume abundant risks and spend a lot of money.
ACDA HOSTS COLOURFUL EMANCIPATION FESTIVITY With a focus on honouring the African men and women who paved the way for the August 1, 1838 liberation of slaves, particularly those who revolted in 1823, the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) on Thursday spearheaded a vibrant and colourful emancipation celebration at the National Park. Under the theme “Honouring our Heroes”, the event saw the attendance of President Donald Ramotar, who upon entry to the venue was greeted by ACDA’s Executive Director, Eric Phillips. The presence of a contingent from Suriname added some international flavour. Chaired by media personality Mondale Smith and Miss Guyana Universe 2013, Ruqayyah Boyer, the official proceedings got off to a lively start with drumming by the Hebrew Family. But the quickly growing audience
SATURDAY EDITION LUSIGNAN MASSACRE TRIAL… ACCUSED FREED – DPP APPEALS VERDICT In a packed courtroom Friday night, a mixed jury found that the two men accused of killing eleven persons at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, in January 2008, including five children, were not guilty of the charges. The men, James Anthony Hyles, known as ‘Sally’ and Mark Royden Williams, called ‘Smallie’, were charged almost five years ago. The jury went into deliberations shortly after 11:30 hrs and returned several hours later, with the not guilty verdict. As the foreman was finished giving the verdict, Senior State Prosecutor Judith Gildhaire-Mursalin served a notice of appeal. Attorney at law Nigel Hughes, who represented James Anthony Hyles, then made a bail application. Prosecutor Mursalin in responding to Hughes’s application explained that the notice of intention of appeal had to be served before the accused was discharged from the prisoner’s dock and that is why the appeal was done. She explained that this is stipulated by section C 1 of the Court of Appeal Amendment Act 4 of 2010. After hearing both sides, Justice Navindra Singh said that he would be granting bail. The judge explained that he would be granting bail to the tune of $100,000 on each count of murder, which totaled $1.1M. Hyles is also expected to report to the Vigilance Police Station every Monday until the appeal is completed. The other accused, Mark Royden Williams, will however have
to remain in prison since he has other pending matters. Some 15 witnesses testified in the matter which begun three weeks ago. Williams was represented by attorney Roger Yearwood. 30TH PPP CONGRESS UNDERWAY… RAMOTAR READY TO BATTLE “UNCOMPROMISING” OPPOSITION Amidst tight security in Berbice Friday, the ruling People’s Progressive Party, at its 30th Congress, started discussions on plans to improve its fortunes over the next three years, with President Donald Ramotar warning that he is not prepared to relent to an “uncompromising” Opposition. He hinted that the possibilities of snap elections are more than likely. Shifting away from a normal conciliatory tone, Ramotar, the current General Secretary and leader of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), also insisted to delegates and observers that his party continues to stand firm in the principles and beliefs of its founder, Dr. Cheddi Jagan. There have been accusations that the party had strayed away, becoming corrupt and losing some of the values that had made it popular in the 1990s and up to the mid-2000s. Since being sworn in, the President has been publicly expressing his intentions to work with the Opposition. This was not so on Friday. “The time for harsh decisions may be now,” he disclosed. The PPP’s 30th Congress at the J.C. Chandisingh Secondary School, to elect new leaders and chart the way forward for the party, comes at a time when the Government and the Opposition have been continuously clashing over several projects, the national budget and key legislation.
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MY COLUMN
Guyanese must pay through their noses Not so long ago, Guyanese were not travelling overseas as much as they are today for many reasons. For one, the disposable income was not as much as it was today, simply because Guyanese concentrated on spending what they earned on food. And food was expensive, largely because many of the items people craved was in short supply and had to be smuggled from neighbouring Suriname, at a cost. Vehicles were not at a premium because of the strict importation laws. Vehicles could not be more than six years old and the tax was prohibitive. The result was that money that is now spent on saving for a vehicle can now be spent on travel. Another reason why disposable income was scarce was because there was no cocaine crossing the borders, so people relied extensively on their earnings from traditional sources. There was marijuana, but even marijuana use was not as prolific as it is today. Those who cultivated marijuana made money, but then again they did not make the millions that cocaine now brings. And besides, marijuana was largely for those who were close to the Rastafarian followers— ordinary men and women who were seeking an identity in a world where the focus was on the academics. Things changed after 1992 when the People’s Progressive Party came into office. Soon after those elections there was a large cocaine drop at a place called Loo Lands in the Demerara River. Tons of cocaine were found in the river and people in the vicinity helped themselves to what they could. Of course the authorities got a
substantial amount. Before long there were other cocaine drops, and with it came millions of dollars from North American and European sources. People became immensely rich and some of that money trickled down to the ordinary man, many of whom were the small dealers. Things looked up and Guyana’s economy looked more robust than it actually was. Today, the Georgetown skyline is comparable to many other countries and people have more money for the fun things in life, not least among them being money to travel to countries that were once mere names and places that were only viewed on television screens, because television had become ubiquitous. Of course, by then nearly every Guyanese had a relative in either New York or Canada or Great Britain. They had relatives scattered all over the world, either because those relatives had dared to travel ‘backtrack’ or had joined the long line of professionals who had been recruited to serve anywhere but in Guyana. Air travel was now commonplace, as Guyanese began to send their children overseas for vacations and they themselves taking vacations anywhere but in Guyana. There were airlines that needed to increase their schedules because of the numbers of people seeking their services. There were the regular airlines and the charters. There was no shortage of airlines operating out of Georgetown. But as they say, all good things come to an end. One by one the airlines disappeared and Guyanese were left to the mercies of Caribbean Airlines, the largest regional carrier. And so it was that on Wednesday
there were no less than three flights out of Georgetown by seven that morning. Such was the crowd seeking to check in, that the flight I was on was late by nearly an hour. There was a stopover of about two hours in Trinidad so it was believed that the lost time in Georgetown would have been made up because the aircraft from the Trinidad leg would have left on time. Well that was not to be; the pilot announced that there was a problem with the air conditioning and that the problem would be fixed within twenty minutes. It was three hours before the aircraft left. There was no consideration of a snack or anything. Then when the aircraft touched down at the Lester Pearson Airport in Toronto, there was a wait on
the runway for almost another hour. Another aircraft was at the gate. Caribbean Airlines had missed its berth. To add insult to injury, the airhostess, with a tone of happiness said, “Thank you for choosing Caribbean Airlines.” She was certainly not talking to the Guyanese. They had no choice. When Delta operated there was talk that the government was not happy over an incident involving former President, Bharrat Jagdeo. In the end Delta left, and what people expected really did happen. The airfare jumped through the roof. For example, it cost me twice as much as it did last year to travel out here. There was EZjet, which some of us knew would not have lasted long because of
whom the operator was. And just as the case with the ‘Fip’ Motilall contract for the Amaila Falls hydro road, EZjet did not disappoint. If some of us can see the inevitable, we must wonder why the government cannot see the same thing. We had Guyana Airways which was our own. When that airline came on stream the fares plummeted. I now hear that the government killed that airline because it was unhappy with the composition of the staff. The collapse of Guyana Airways was a case of cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face. Now Guyanese must pay for that bit of indiscretion. Government people would not care, because taxpayers pay for their travel. So for now, we are saddled
Adam Harris with an airline that sees Guyana and Guyanese as a cash cow. Fly Jamaica is supposed to be coming and we the ordinary people expect the fares to become lower, but that is another matter. The government has been saying that it courting a number of other airlines, but that courtship is not going anywhere. At least so it seems.
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Timely tongue-lashing by Carmona - Rowley Trinidad Guardian Leader of the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) Dr Keith Rowley is describing Friday’s address by President Anthony Carmona as a “tonguelashing.” Rowley was interviewed by reporters after the President’s first address to Parliament. “It was a tongue-lashing that was not all together unwarranted,” Rowley said, adding that President Carmona’s advice was very timely. He said the President was taking parliamentarians to task “for not measuring up,” and former president Arthur NR Robinson had made a similar statement years ago. Rowley insisted parliamentarians should take note of the Presidents’ remarks. “Things are falling apart in this country, there is effectively no law enforcement and there is general misconduct,” Rowley
added. On the President’s call for an 8 am start of Parliament sittings, Rowley said he was not in support of that, and Parliament should begin at 10 am and end at 5pm. Rowley also said there should be more frequent sittings and MPs should be paid higher salaries. He said in previous years the legislators were managing a “$300 million budget on a one-day-a-week Parliament. We are now managing a $60 billon budget on a half-day Parliament.” He repeated an earlier call for the speaking time of MPs to be reduced from 45 minutes to 30, with a 15-minute extension. Rowley said he was very concerned about the call by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the Parliament to enforce the AntiGang Act, as that was not the responsibility of the Parliament. The Parliament does not enforce law, but makes it, he
Sunday August 04, 2013
Kamla extends olive branch to Warner
Keith Rowley said, and it was the responsibility of the Government to enforce the law. The enforcement of the Anti-Gang Act, he said, did not require the involvement of Parliament in any way, and the PM’s comment “was not anything to be excited about.” Commenting on the violence in east Port-of-Spain earlier this week, Rowley said he was “appalled that police would have gone to Duncan Street and engaged in the exchange of gunfire with the people on the street and nobody was arrested.”
Trinidad Express - Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar Friday welcomed back to the House of Representatives Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner. The two did not greet each other, but the Prime Minister threw out an olive branch. “The Honourable member is no stranger to this House. We on this side look forward to positive contributions and support from him,” the Prime Minister said. Warner sat with his head bent as the Prime Minister spoke. Earlier, he had taken his oath of office, following the House Speaker’s announcement that he had received correspondence from the acting Chief Elections Officer Ramesh Nanan about the results of the Chaguanas West by-election. Dressed in an olive green suit, Warner, who previously sat right next to the Prime Minister (on her right), now sits next to St Joseph MP Herbert Volney. Volney wore a green tie, and behind Warner sat his petite wife,
Maureen, also dressed in a green skirt and matching top. In her statement to the Parliament, the Prime Minister said the Fourth session of the Tenth Parliament came following one of the most hotly contested by-elections in the country’s history. “What we witnessed over the past weeks were, in my view, democracy in action, is a tribute to our nation’s founding fathers who enshrined in our Constitution, the rights that the people demonstrated and the freedom to join a party of their choice and elected the people they consider best qualified to represent them in this august chamber,” she said. The Prime Minister said the legislative agenda would include more anti-crime mea-sures, public procurement legislation and the Disposal of Public Property bill, as well as the Juror Amendment bill. Noting that just this week rival gangs were shooting in Port of Spain East, she said the anti-gang law must be enforced. She said she had
Kamla Persad-Bissessar asked the Attorney General to find additional ways to deal with the crime problem. The Prime Minister said road safety must also be addressed, as drivers continued to speed with impunity, to talk on cellphones and endanger the lives of others. She said she had asked the Minister of National Security and the Minister of Transport to tackle this problem because too many young lives were being lost. She said just last week Cabinet was asked to agree to the installation of speed-trap cameras across the country. She said the Government was also addressing the issue of health care and would be building several hospitals.
Belize signs MOU with Norwegian Cruise Lines for $multi-million tourism project Venezuela and T&T discuss BELMOPAN, Belize - CMC — Prime your passengers to our sites and ... all those Minister Dean Barrow has confirmed that his government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) for a multi-million dollar destination in southern Belize that could being benefits to the tourism industry and provide employment for nationals. The MOU was signed earlier this week and Barrow said that the compromise allows for the authorities to “take out the 25 year exemption from business taxes and “an insistence that after a certain number of years, the head tax will increase. “There is a great insistence that the jobs will be had by Belizeans even as we try to protect our sites against overcrowding. In other words one provision says you must take 25 per cent or whatever the percentage is of
tours must be for Belizeans”. Prime Minister Barrow dismissed reports of dissention by some stakeholders that the accord may result in the country losing a significant amount of money. “I’ve heard complaint about...the head tax is being apportioned in the same way as the current provisions. In fact, maintained with respect to other cruise lines. Well that is exactly the point. These people want to go south ... how are you going to tell them we want you to come, we want the investments, we want the jobs, but you know what, you will pay more than everybody else who is operating in Belize? “The point has to be made that in some countries they actually have t pay the cruise lines to come to their country”.
cross-border gas field
Trinidad Guardian - An agreement between Venezuela and T&T, on how to develop a cross-border gas field and who will be in charge, is imminent. Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine confirmed that related documents are now before Cabinet for approval. Ramnarine said he expects to meet with his Venezuelan counterpart, Petroleum and Mining Minister Rafael Ramirez, to approve the “functional structure and
governance” of the unit operator for the cross-border gas field, Loran Manatee. Chevron and the BG Group (BGTT) each hold a 50 per cent operating interest on the T&T side, in Block 6(d), off the south eastern coast of Trinidad. On the Venezuelan side, state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) and Chevron are the operating partners. He said that three documents were agreed upon and accepted by the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) for the Unitisation of Cross Border Hydrocarbon Reservoirs between T&T and Venezuela. The three are draft documents on the functional
structure and governance of the unit operator for Loran Manatee, the final report of the Reservoir Technical Working Group (RTWG) for the Kapok/Dorado fields and another RTWG report for the Cocuina Manakin fields. With Cabinet’s approval, Ramnarine will be authorised to approve the three documents on behalf of the government of T&T at the Joint Ministerial Commission, comprising T&T and Venezuela’s top energy officials. According to a July 25 statement, the ministerial commission “is expected to meet in Caracas, Venezuela early next month.”
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“Christopher Columbus must be smiling - Caribbean Premier League completes the cricketing circle!” Colin E. H. Croft Christopher Columbus, credited with discovering the New World, including the Americas and Caribbean, must be smiling in his grave! While probably not being a closet cricketer, it was Captain Chris; 1492; who set out to sail to very prosperous East Indies, including Japan, which he could have eventually achieved, by heading west! Had he not crashed into San Salvador and other Caribbean islands, then travelled south to Trinidad & Tobago, even sailing along coasts of Venezuela and the Guianas on his last voyage, unbelievably not recognizing the mainland, Chris would have succeeded in proving that the world was indeed an oval! Many of us have enjoyed that great Warner Brothers/ Looney Tunes cartoon, starring Bugs Bunny, where CCC is desperately trying to convince then monarchs of Spain, especially Queen Isabela, and his rebellious crew too, that “the world, she is a-round”, while most still thought that the world was flat! The Italian captain would be ecstatic with the eventual realization of Caribbean Premier League, for the CPL, as played in Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, Jamaica, T&T and Guyana, also facilitates that third, westerly, somewhat circular, at least in our great sport, worldly set of journeys and connections. Similar T-20 cricketing
Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons share a moment after Guyana beat Jamaica in the CPL game on Friday. (CPL) leagues have happened in proverbial north; England; which supposedly “discovered” T-20’s, then to the near east; India; which really popularized the format, along with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan,
thence to our earth’s deep south; Australia and New Zealand. That second set of such world journeys came courtesy of Captain Chris Columbus and others too. That was the Slave Trade!
Benefits for youths touted as Black Hawks Martial Arts Summer Camp gets underway Despite the many challenges involved in the development of their organization, administrators of the Black Hawks Martial
Arts Management Network/Association are diligently pressing on and c ontinue to employ initiatives towards the development of their protégés. Consequ ently, they are continuing this developmental work in a Summer Camp that got underway July 22 last and concludes August 23 next. Four Degree Black Belt, Sensei Garfield Newton, plays a pivotal role in the organization of the event with support from other National and International Kumite Champions and Black Hawk
board members. He said that activities are structured to help participants build selfesteem, self-awareness and self-confidence while instilling discipline in the youths. Mr Newton explained that the services of several professionals have been sought and they will deliver lectures in their respective fields of expertise. These include teachers, doctors, Police Officers and those of the Guyana Defence Force. Organizers have also said that a top martial arts movie star is scheduled to make a guest appearance sometime before the end of the summer camp. There are no age restrictions and Mr Newtown explained that participant as
young as 4 years are involved. Activities commence daily from 09:00hrs and conclude at 16:00hrs. The students will be introduced and tutored in several styles including Kana Jui Jitsu, Kung Fu, American Tae Kwando, Aiki Jui Jitsu, Karate, Judo Gymnastics and self- defence among other arts.
Consequently, at the end of activities, administrators will conduct a grading session among its membership as well as some participants of the camp. Activities will conclude with the Guyana Martial Arts Open Championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on August 24.
Those all-encompassing, long, dangerous, disastrous journeys, costing millions of lives, from West Africa, brought slaves to plantations in the Caribbean and Americas; then boats traveled back to Europe with produce and booty of our bounteous region; thus completing that dastardly, circuitous “Triangular Trade”. Sir Walter Raleigh is one of premier seafarers who landed, circa 1595, in British Guiana, now Guyana, and some of the rest of South America, including Venezuela, with indigenous Amerindians present. He came here with that massive hope of finding gold and riches from what is still perceived to be that “City of Gold” – Manoa - “El Dorado.” CPL certainly realize such riches! If that was not enough, immediately after slavery ended - August 01, 1838 indentured laborers, including indigenous Indians, Portuguese and Chinese, were corralled, paid a small stipend, and brought to the region to replace the freed slaves. Hence that scintillating melting pot of personnel in our region. Just check out the dancing, prancing ladies! It is no mistake or special anomaly that the world’s best T-20 cricketers - Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Darren Sammy, Sunil Narine and Dwayne Bravo – hail from the Caribbean! The late Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell, along with that other extremely great “W”, Sir Everton Weekes, who is still, thankfully, with us, must also be very
satisfied with the creation of CPL. This has really been a situation extremely long in coming! While at Central High School, even before I first played for Guyana’s Youth team in 1970, I had heard from Principal Rudy Luck that Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago had so many very good cricketers that, in reality, they could have exported cricketers to help other Caribbean countries. Sir Clyde, Allan Ray, Stephen Camacho, Clive Lloyd and Deryck Murray always lamented that the Caribbean was not rich, adventurous or ingenious enough back then to make that suggestion a reality. Now, the rainbow of Caribbean Premier League makes all aspiring and former Caribbean cricketers smile! Can you imagine Keith and Ovid Glasgow, Basil Williams, Theo Cuffy, Andrew Lyght, Roy Fredericks, Norbert Phillip, Keith Boyce, Collis King and Randolph Ramnarace in CPL? They would be dynamic! When West Indies ruled international cricket’s roost, 1975 – 1995, many excellent players could not get in our international team, players who would have easily slipped into other international outfits. 1970’s and 1980’s regional players Emerson Trotman, Victor Eddy, Franklyn Stevenson, Rolston Otto, Jim Allen, Richard De Sousa, Timur Mohammed, Prince Bartholomew, even Wayne Daniel and Faoud Bacchus, who did play a few Tests and
From page 60 Morkel is capable of adjusting to the slow nature of the pitches here. Left-arm seamer Kenroy Peters and the genuinely quick Nelon Pascal could trouble the batsmen but it could be left-arm spinners Garey Mathurin and Kavim Hodge and off-spinners Sebastien and Dalton Polius who offer the most support to Shillingford. Only Ashley Nurse of the Barbados Tridents with six scalps, has more wickets than the Guyana pair of Santokie and Permaul who has five each, while Simmons’ 109 runs is only bettered by two runs by Shoaib Malik of Barbados. Guyana should start as favorites tonight but they will be mindful of not being
complacent after their wonderful start in the competition. St Lucia is only one of three teams with a 150 plus total in the competition (152 all out) while the others are joint points leaders Guyana (155-5) and Barbados (169-5). But St Lucia’s chase was a in a losing effort in their only match against Barbados. Both Jamaica and Antigua have lost their opening games but Jamaica should know the conditions here better since it was Guyana who beat them at Providence. The law of averages suggests the explosive Chris Gayle will get a ‘big one’ this afternoon after a string of failures could be a Psychological disadvantage for Antigua who are being led by flamboyant Jamaican
Colin E. H. Croft ODI’s for West Indies, would have loved CPL. All former Caribbean cricketers would have clamored to have CPL back then, just simply to make a living! In those days, if you did not have another paying job, you could not feed yourself, much less a family! Now, at least, emerging players and superstars have that golden opportunity! To see young Caribbean players Christopher Barnwell, Yannick Cariah, Delorn Johnson, Kevon Cooper, Stephen Jacobs, Veerasammy Permaul, Sheldon Cotterel and Montcin Hodge having, like Master-Card, that priceless opportunity of rubbing shoulders and learning from present and former internationals like Ricky Ponting, Justin Kemp and Gayle, in teams consisting of varying nationalities, brings tears to eyes! Making good livings and allowing themselves time and opportunity to be real professional cricketers, with respectable fees, way more than
anyone in 1970-80’s made in entire cricket careers, could not hurt either! Thank you, Christopher Columbus, for insisting that the world is really ‘a-round’! Caribbean Premier League confirms that fact too! Enjoy!
Amazon Warriors play St Lucia...
batsman Marlon Samuels. Despite strange tactics by Skipper Samuels in his team’s first match when he give wicketkeeper Devon Thomas a bowl in the penultimate over, Antigua is rich in batting experience with Ricky Ponting, West Indies opener Johnson Charles, Justin Kemp, Thomas, Kieran Powell and heavy weight Rakeem Cornwall in their line-up. In addition to Gayle, Jamaica will pin their hopes on Ahmad Shahzad, Danza Hyatt, Carlton Baugh, David Bernard, Jacques Rudolph and Nkrumah Bonner with the bat. At 41, the tournament’s oldest player, off-spinner Mutiah Muralitharan is still a top class bowler and could be a handful for Antigua’s batsmen at Providence.
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No jumping the gun for Bolt in Moscow LONDON (Reuters) - That infamous false start is no longer of concern to Usain Bolt as the six-times Olympic gold medalist heads to the world championships in Moscow ready to regain the 100 meters title he lost so ignominiously in 2011. On that fateful day in Daegu, a stunned stadium watched as the distressed champion pulled off his running vest and looked up to the sky in disbelief after clearly leaving his blocks before the gun sounded to mark the start of the 100 final. The world record holder’s young training partner Yohan Blake went on to win the sport’s blue riband event. Since then, Bolt has, on occasion, been beaten but the Jamaican arrives in Moscow as the brightest of favorites in a world championships shorn of many of its leading lights through injury - including Blake - or positive dope tests. “My coach keeps reminding me that I’m not a good starter so don’t worry
Usain Bolt of Jamaica approaches the finish line after running the final leg for the Racers Track Club to win in the men’s 4x100m relay at the London Diamond League ‘Anniversary Games’ athletics meeting at the Olympic Stadium, in east London July 27, 2013. REUTERS/Andrew Winning about the start and go when the gun says go, that is the plan,” a jovial Bolt told reporters after winning the
100 at last week’s Diamond League meeting in London. “I figured out what I did
Bradley Wiggins wins time trial at Tour of Poland
BBC Sport - Sir Bradley Wiggins signalled a return to form with a hugely impressive win in the 37km time trial at the Tour of Poland. The Brit, who won the Tour de France and Olympic time trial in 2012, recorded a time of 46 minutes and 36 seconds, 56 seconds quicker than nearest rival Fabian Cancellara. It was the final stage of the week-long race and the first competitive action for the Team Sky rider since he withdrew part way through the Giro d’Italia in May. Wiggins is next due to compete in the Eneco Tour in Holland, between 12-18 August. He will then race in the Tour of Britain (15-22 September) with his main focus being the individual time trial at the Road World Championships on 25 September, which are being held in Florence in Italy.
This week he had been
Sir Bradley Wiggins performing domestique duties for Team Sky team-mate Sergio Henao, who finished fifth after the seven stages. The Netherlands’ Pieter Weening, of Orica Greenedge, was the overall
winner after a superb time trial. He was 27 seconds behind leader Christophe Riblon before the
start of the final stage but overhauled that deficit to win by 13 seconds.
GCC to play Combermere B; Tigers... From page 69 on 7 points in one of the semis. Combermere and GCC will clash in the second semifinal; both teams were tied in second with 9 points but GCC got the nod due to a better goal difference. In the U-13 division which was played on Friday Marian Academy top group A and GCC took the runner spot after beating Combermere on a
penalty shoot out. Futuristik took first place in Group B, while Saints came second. Marina will battle Saints in an all local semifinal, while GCC will take on Futuristik in the next. Some of the results from Friday U-13 matches are; Combermere beat Hikers 1-0, Futuristik defeated Hikers 40, Marion overcame Combermere 1-0, Futuristik beat Saints 3-2, Marion beat
GCC 1-0, Saints beat Old Fort 1-0, GCC beat Hikers A 1-0, Old Fort beat Hikers B 4-0. In the U-16 girls; Combermere beat Old Fort Inkers 5-0, GCC beat Hikers 4-2, GCC beat Old Fort Heats 5-1, Combermere beat GCC 5-1, Futuristik hammered Old Forte Heats 12-0, GCC beat Old Forte Jets 3-1 Hikers and Old Forte Inkers 2-2, Futuristik beat Old
Forte Inkers 11-1.
wrong from my mistake. I went to the Olympics and I did well so it’s behind me now all I have to do is go there and compete.” Bolt went on to dazzle the crowds at the London Olympics, playfully declaring himself a legend after winning 100, 200 and relay golds to match his feat from Beijing in 2008. However, those hoping the fastest man in history, who set the 100 and 200 world records at the 2009 championships in Berlin, will go even faster in the Russian capital are likely to be disappointed. Bolt, by his own admission, is ‘race rusty’ after his early season was dogged by a hamstring injury. FINE TUNE He looked sluggish when suffering a surprise defeat over 100 meters to American Justin Gatlin in June and
despite clocking a season’s best of 9.85 to win in London last month, conceded his start had been so poor that in a stronger field he would “probably be fifth or something”. Bolt has the 100 and 200 heats in Moscow to fine tune his race-day display and ensure the crowd are treated to his trademark ‘archer’ celebration which inevitably follows his victories. The 26-year-old will also not be lining up against the men likely to have pushed him hardest - 2007 double sprint world gold medalist Tyson Gay and world champion Blake. American Gay, along with former world record holder Asafa Powell, has fallen foul of the drugs testers while Blake will not defend his title because of a hamstring injury. Bolt’s main rival for the 100 gold is likely to be Gatlin,
a twice-convicted doper who returned from a four-year ban in 2010 which will not help a sport struggling with its image following a deluge of failed drugs tests across track and field events. Having long been the sport’s meal ticket, Bolt now finds himself central to maintaining its credibility. “I can’t determine how much the sport needs me, I think other people determine that,” he said when asked how much athletics needed him. “But as a person I try to assist the sport, try to do great things and to put the sport in to a good light and that is what I’m here for. “You guys are here to tell people that Usain Bolt is needed for the sport or whatever, but I am just here to do my best and to prove to the world that it is possible to run clean and train hard and be focused.”
Sri Lanka’s next generation need to stand up ESPNcricinfo - Having been happy with their ODI wins and confident with their top ranking in Twenty20s, Sri Lanka have suddenly been given a rude start on this tour. In Faf du Plessis’ words, South Africa put pressure on the hosts for a change, and found their batting order brittle. Sri Lanka had not played their top XI, focusing instead on player development, but despite handing repeated chances to the young batsmen in their ranks, the next-generation are yet to produce a match-winning knock in the series. So more often than not when Sri Lanka’s seniors fail to fire, a collapse ensues. But on Friday, Sri Lanka lost their way despite a fluent fifty from Kumar Sangakkara. Sri Lanka are already eyeing the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh next year, and Dinesh Chandimal said his side would continue to test their T20 bench strength in this series. If the young batsmen are batted high up in the order again, they cannot afford another poor collective showing. Kusal Perera is under particular pressure, having averaged just over five in his last seven international innings. Having arrived in the international side in a whirlwind of hype, his failures continue to be considered kindly, but it will not be long before there are
calls to send him back to domestic cricket so someone else can be tried. As South Africa head to Hambantota in higher spirits than they have been for much
of their time in the country, they will still be wary of their batsmen’s inadequacies against spin. Sachithra Senanayake’s first spell was clever and disciplined, but the visiting top order cannot say they played him with any sort of confidence. Though JP Duminy and David Miller seem to have come to grips with Ajantha Mendis’ variations, the remaining batsmen appear no more clued-up on how to play him than they were at the beginning of the tour. Players to watch Dinesh Chandimal has not crossed fifty in any form of the game since March though because he bats so low, he has not had the opportunity to build a long innings in many of those matches. Plenty of eyebrows were raised when he was given the T20 captaincy in February, given it is not a format he naturally excels at. If he wants to lead the side in the next World Twenty20, he must improve his output significantly. For the first time on the tour, South Africa’s spinners were not leagues behind their counterparts in the Sri Lanka side, and a major reason for this was the bowling of Imran Tahir. In what was his T20 international debut, Tahir was given far more respect by the Sri Lanka batsmen than they had afforded Robin Peterson and Aaron Phangiso, and was a genuine wicket-taking threat to boot. He did bowl the odd poor delivery - often
a full toss on off stump - but Sri Lanka’s relative reticence meant he was not punished for it. Having now seen Tahir in action, their battle with him in Hambantota should make for good viewing. Pitch and conditions Hambantota’s surface has been among the most seamfriendly in the past, and South Africa’s pace bowlers enjoyed the extra pace and bounce in the pitch when they played two matches there in last year ’s World Twenty20. The weather is likely to be fine on Sunday evening. Teams news With Sri Lanka suggesting they will continue to rest one of their three senior batsmen, it may be Tillakaratne Dilshan’s turn to take a breather for the match. Mahela Jayawardene is then likely to open alongside Kusal Perera. Jeevan Mendis did not bowl or make any runs in Colombo and he may be swapped out for Nuwan Kulasekara on what is likely to be a better strip for seam bowlers. Sri Lanka may also consider leaving the steady Lahiru Thirimanne out fo r the
potentially explosive Angelo Perera. It is difficult to see South Africa change their attack, after Friday’s win, but the batting order may be in for at least one change. The likeliest of these is perhaps the exit of Quinton de Kock, who has not made a significant score in three innings. It will mean AB de Villiers has to don the gloves, but they may be able to strengthen their batting.
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Kevin Pietersen century checks Australia charge BBC Sport - Kevin Pietersen scored a crucial century as England edged towards avoiding the followon during a gripping day of Ashes cricket at Old Trafford. Pietersen’s 113 and halfcenturies from Alastair Cook and Ian Bell hoisted the hosts from a perilous 64-3 to 294-7 against Australia at the close of day three, 233 behind and 34 short of the follow-on target. With rain forecast for today and tomorrow, Australia’s chances of forcing the victory they need to keep their Ashes hopes alive may hinge on whether they can take England’s last three wickets cheaply on Sunday morning and ask them to bat again. After Jonathan Trott and Cook were dismissed in the morning session, a partnership of 115 between Pietersen and Bell steered England to a relatively comfortable 225-4. But after Bell was bowled by Ryan Harris after tea, Mitchell Starc removed Jonny Bairstow and Pietersen to get Australia right back in the hunt.
Kevin Pietersen scored his 23rd Test century Matt Prior and Stuart Broad survived a nervewracking final half hour to
take England into the fourth day without further damage. Pietersen’s 23rd Test hundred
took him past Graham Gooch to become England’s highest scorer in all forms of cricket on 13,224 runs. Although it was by no means his most fluent or commanding innings, it must surely rank among the most important he has played. There were moments of brilliance - he impudently pulled Starc for two fours in front of square and lifted offspinner Nathan Lyon for consecutive sixes to bring up his fifty - but also several slices of luck. On three occasions, thick inside edges avoided the stumps and raced to the fence, while a brace of airy heaves into the leg side somehow dissected the outfielders. Then, with Pietersen 62, Australia chose not to review a Shane Watson lbw appeal that had been rejected by Tony Hill, a decision that replays suggested was incorrect. When England resumed on 52-2 in reply to Australia’s 527-7, the tourists made an early breakthrough as Trott went back to a rising delivery
from Harris and guided a thick edge to second slip. Pietersen’s early edginess contrasted with Cook’s calm at the crease, as the England skipper brought up his fifty off 138 balls. With lunch approaching, however, Cook feathered a ball from Starc down the leg side and was brilliantly caught by a diving Haddin, the ball lodging in the webbing of the wicketkeeper’s right glove. The afternoon session belonged to England as Pietersen and Bell drew on all their experience to repel everything Australia captain Michael Clarke threw at them. Lyon was hit out of the attack as Pietersen launched sixes over long-on and long-off before Bell smashed the spinner down the ground for another maximum. Bell, whose centuries in the first two Tests were crucial to England’s victories, continued to bat with confidence and composure as he unfurled some trademark cover drives and late cuts. His chances of becoming the first England player to score hundreds in four
successive Ashes Tests were ended by a fine piece of bowling by Harris. After a run of away-swingers, he got a ball to nip back through the gate and clip the top of off stump. Once again, Bairstow failed to convert a promising start into a score of substance as he fell for 22. A lack of footwork to a ball shaping away proved fatal as an edge carried to Shane Watson at first slip. When Pietersen was lbw after playing down the wrong line to Starc, suddenly Australia sniffed a chance to wrap up the England innings before the close. With men gathered around the bat and a full house staying to witness the denouement, the tension was palpable. But the out-of-form Prior and Broad held firm to sneak England towards the potentially pivotal follow-on mark. Scores: England 294 for 7 (Pietersen 113, Cook, 62, Bell 60) trail Australia 527 for 7 dec by 233 runs.
MOE & Abdullah Hamid Foundation Guyanese on.... host B/Ball Camp in Linden The Ministry of Education (Reg. #10) in collaboration with the Abdullah Hamid Foundation hosted a successful Basketball Camp in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden that attracted close to 50 students and held at the Mackenzie High School from July 22nd August 2nd. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport, National basketball Coach and former National player Abdullah ‘Zico’ Hamid said that the Camp went well and he is convinced that the technical and practical knowledge gained by the students will serve the game in good stead not only in Linden, but Guyana by extension. The male and female students between the ages of 7 – 17 were exposed to the fundamentals of shooting, passing, dribbling and rebounding among others areas, and from all reports, the students were all appreciative. Hamid disclosed that they were all excited to be part of the Camp which was held for the second successive year. Fifteen females participated in the sessions which saw a 95% attendance rate throughout the duration; sessions were held from 09:00 – 11:00hrs. “I think the sessions went very well, the kids responded
From page 60 then decided that he needs to compete competitively. Last year he competed in
National Age Group Short Course Championships and though he did not make the team then, he placed fifth and won many admirers. Tyrrell vowed to himself that he will make the team for 2013 Goodwill Swim Meet. He consistently placed third at all the major swim meets this year then at the 2013 National Age Group Short Course Championships held during July 11-14 at the St. Michael’s Pool in San Fernando, he achieved his goal when he placed second overall and will represent
The rewarded players displaying their trophies amongst their peers at the conclusion of the Basketball Camp. At right General Coordinator is Linley Langhorne. well and the attendance was most heartening.” Hamid lauded the support of the Ministry of Education and General Coordinator Lindley Langhorne as well as the support of Assistant Coach and former National player, Shauna Chester. Four of the students, two males and females each were rewarded. Abigail Graham and Yannick Easton were adjudged as the Most
Disciplined players, while Nisha Cummings and Rashad David were deemed to the Most Improved players. Copping the trophy for the Most Talented Player was Usaiah Major. Hamid, who has over the year’s proven his passion for sports, himself a former FIFA Assistant Referee, has been at the helm of the Abdullah Hamid Foundation for the past 25 years.He says that he
is not just satisfied with doing one off camps, to this end; he will be running off weekly sessions starting in October. “I will be doing sessions every Saturday staring in October and this is to ensure that we are consistent with exposing our youngsters to the rudiments of the game. Sessions will be held in Wismar in the morning and Mackenzie in the afternoons.” (Franklin Wilson)
Trinidad and Tobago in Barbados next weekend. In the 9-10 age categories, he competed in ten events, and placed second in six of those events and third in the others. “I can say that swimming is time consuming and costly. We have had to rearrange our lives to accommodate Delroy’s training,” Pastor Tyrrell said. “Even our trips oversees includes going to the pool everyday. But we are very proud of him and we will support him 100%,” he continued, giving thanks to Almighty God for his son’s glorious ascendancy in swimming and his accomplishments.
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Good to start with two wins Sarwan
Captain of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Ramnaresh Sarwan, said that it is good to start the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) with two wins. Speaking after his team crushed the Jamaica Tallwahs by eight wickets on Friday evening Sarwan stated that his team will be looking to continue its winnings ways when they take on the St. Lucia Zouks today. The right handed batsman said the victories are a result of the hard work the team put in during their practice sessions. “One of the things that change from the first game is the mind set; our spinners are doing a very good job. We were not happy with our fielding in the first game where we dropped a few catches but we did some work in this department and it has improved tremendously”, added Sarwan. He informed that they are trying to get better with every game they play. “We are putting our best effort in
Amazon Warriors captain Ramnaresh Sarwan (left) and Lendl Simmons speak to the media after their win against Jamaica Tallawahs. trying to execute our game plan’, he said. Sarwan indicated that left arm pacer Krishmar Santokie is an asset to the team. “He brings variation to the bowling”, he informed. Opener Lendl Simmons played a gem of an innings at the top of the order in Friday’s match and said that he likes
the Guyana condition. “I am accustomed to playing in Guyana, I know the pitch well and I am riding on my confidence”, added Simmons. He stated that the coaches Roger Harper and Curtly Ambrose inspire the team a lot and everyone is looking up to them. (Zaheer Mohamed)
LCPL Cricket double-header at Providence
Amazon Warriors play St Lucia in feature match tonight Antigua face-off with Jamaica this afternoon By Sean Devers On the back of victories over Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica last week the Guyana Amazon Warriors will look to maintain a hundred percent record in the Guyana leg of the inaugural Limacol CPL T20 Cricket tournament when they battle St Lucia Zouks from 20:00hrs tonight at Providence. Antigua Hawksbills face Jamaica Tallawahs in the opening match of the day’s double header from 15:00hrs and like on the first two nights, tickets are all sold out and another capacity crowd is anticipated. The Ramnaresh Sarwan led Guyana combination will once again be banking on their bowlers, especially the spinners Veerasammy Permaul, Mohammed Hafeez and mystery man Sunil Narine to perform under pressure in their last match on home soil. The overwhelming support from massive crowds, waving Golden Arrow Heads and bright yellow Amazon Warriors flags, no doubt inspired the local side to the success and
they will expect no less an atmosphere tonight. The batting has to be Guyana biggest worry with only Lendl Simmons, who made 42 in the first match, getting a fifty. But the good news is that skipper Sarwan seem to be returning to his best form, judging from his two cameos so far in the tournament. Martin Guptill looked well set before he fell for 32 in the last game, while James Franklyn hit the ball with awesome power in his unbeaten 26 in the opening match. Hafeez, Narsingh Deonarine and Chris Barnwell all need to produce with bat if Guyana are to continue their winning ways. A negative from emphatic victories when chasing is the necessity to bat from Denish Ramdin, Narine, Permaul and Krishmar Santokie in the event that they are needed tonight. Santokie has been spoton with his left arm seam, while Franklyn has proved expensive on tracks in Guyana which are not conducive for fast bowling. Zouk is a fast tempo carnival style of music originating from the Caribbean islands of
Guadeloupe and Martinique but very popular in Islands like St Lucia which has a French Creole influence; hence the name of the St Lucia team. On paper, the Zouks have a formidable team and their fans could be dancing in the Streets of Gros Islet later tonight if everything falls into place for the team from the Windward Islands. Led by impassioned West Indies T20 Captain Darren Sammy the Zouks have in their batting line-up Herschelle Gibbs, Devon Smith, the in-form Misbah Ul Haq, Albie Morkel, Andre Fletcher, Liam Sebastien and Tamin Iqbal. However, in Guyana conditions it might be left to the bowlers to bail their team out of trouble since players like Smith and Fletcher, who made 57 against Barbados, are vulnerable to spin early in their innings. Shane Shillingford, considered by many unlucky not to have played in the ODIs against Pakistan in Guyana, could be St Lucia’s biggest treat tonight with his big turning off breaks although the towering (Continued on page 57)
Sunday August 04, 2013
Execution of game plan key to success - Harper Head coach of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Roger Harper told the media yesterday at a press conference held at the Guyana National Stadium, that execution of their game plan was one of the keys to the team winning their first two games in the Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20. The Amazon Warriors defeated the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel and the Jamaica Tallawahs at Providence in the first two games and Harper said they will look to maintain a clean sheet at home when the take home the St. Lucia Zouks today. He pointed out that they are delighted with both wins. “The victories did a lot for the team confidence and we will look to employ the same strategies and continue in the same vain. The crowd did boost our confidence a lot and we are looking forward to their continued support,” said Harper. Harper stated that St. Lucia Zouks is a good team and they played well in every department in their previous games. Opener Martin Guptill stated that he is enjoying the LCPL so far and he is satisfied with his performance. “I would have liked to score a few more runs in the previous matches but it is team game. Simons played well and it is nice to open the batting with him. I also enjoyed the crowd support they have been great and really urged us on”, said the New Zealander. Head coach of the St. Lucia Zouks former West
Head coach of the Amazon Warriors Roger Harper (left) and Martin Guptill address the media. Indies fast bowling great Andy Roberts said that his team is confident going into the game. “We played a
good game against Barbados Tridents but lost in the end. We got a decent start in the batting but it slipped away because of a lack of intensity between 10 and 20 overs and I think the guys lacked confidence as well”, he informed. Roberts stated that Guyana usually play well at home. “Guyana play good on this type of surface so it is challenging for us, but we have some slow bowlers so
we can give a good account of our selves”, added Roberts. He said that the LCPL has been good and he ap preciates the sellout
crowd. When quizzed about his team preparation, Roberts said that he is not too satisfied as yet. “Some of the guys have not been playing much cricket in the Windwards but th ey are getting where I want them to be,” said Roberts. Meanwhile tickets for both games are sold out and gates open from 13:00hrs. (Zaheer Mohamed)
Guyanese on Trinidad’s national swim team - Delroy Tyrrell continues to make big splash Trinidad and Tobagobased Guyanese, Delroy Tyrrell continued to make big splashes with exceptional performances t hat landed
him on the Twin Island Republic’s National Swim Team that will compete at a Goodwill meet, August 16-18, in Barbados. Close to two years ago, Tyrrell had joined one of Trinidad’s premier clubs, Tidal Wave Aquatics under the astute leadership of Hazel and Chabeth Haynes. His father, Pastor Fitzroy Tyrrell, said that at the time he only knew to swim freestyle. “He never completed the ‘learn to swim’ programme he
worked tirelessly with his son, which aided in his rapid ascendency in the sport.
His schedule followed a rigorous twice per day, six days per week training session with physical exercises for one hour in the evening. Tyrrell is an example of the maxim “what you put in you get out”
Delroy Tyrrell was enrolled at the Centre of Excellence,” Tyrrell said, adding that the Haynes
with his disciplined work ethics. After nine months of intense training, he placed first at the East Central National Primary School Swim Meet in the NonCompetitive 9-10 age category. Following that performance, it was (Continued on page 65)
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From Uitvlugt to Lithuania – Trayon Bobb signs with FK Kruoja By Rawle Toney News Source - For most Guyanese footballers at age 19, they settle for playing in their domestic league; at least whenever there’s one, but for Trayon Bobb things are different. The Uitvlugt village native at age 16, had found a way ‘out’, thanks to former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Technical Director Jamaal Shabazz who spotted the diminutive attacking midfielder during a visit to the annual Kashif and Shanghai Football Tournament in 2010. Shabazz brought Bobb to play in the Trinidad and Tobago Professional League with his club Caledonia AIA – a team he formed and owns which is always in an argument with one of the best club capo with WConnection. Bobb, who comes from a family known for their exploits in football would turn out to be Shabazz’s ‘golden talisman’ and today, his hard work has paid off with his recent signing to the Premier League of Lithuania with FK Kruoja. In an invited comment, Bobb told News Source he’s just happy for an opportunity to play the game of football at a high standard, adding, “Hopefully I can help the team achieve their goals for the season. It was my dream to play professional football and
now it’s more than just a dream, it’s my passion and my life. Every footballer wants to win titles and I believe that I can add a couple while I’m here.” “I’m fast enough, I try to use that to my advantage. I like to play with the ball, but the selfish football – is not for me. The most important thing is to work hard. I expect a good season for myself and team. So far, living here is nice, there isn’t much to do, just football which is good and will give me more time to focus on getting better so I can one day reach the English Premier League or even Spain,” said Bobb. Unlike most part of Europe, the sport of football happens to be second to Basketball with Lithuania having been ranked only behind the USA and Spain but Bobb said that he will not laze at the opportunity to shine whenever it arises. But Bobb’s journey to the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany country is one which shows the determination of not just a sportsman but a footballer who’s simply following his dreams of emulating his favourite players Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It started with his exodus to the ‘TT Pro-League’ with Caledonia AIA where in his first professional season with the Morvant/Laventille
trophy. In the 2012 – 13 season Caledonia qualified as the Caribbean’s top team for their first CONCACAF Champions League and Bobb was a starter against Major League Soccer (MLS) Seattle Sounders, both home and away and again proved to be Shabazz’s trump card, setting
up and scoring the winning goal in their 2 – 1 over Defence Force to retain their First Citizen Cup where he (Bobb) was later named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament. It was like the “City of El Dorado” had moved to Trinidad as goals came easy for the Guyanese and on January 8 of this year, he was one of five TT Pro-League players invited for a two-week trial with a touring team in Turkey to play practice matches against several European clubs on their winter breaks. A month later, Bobb signed with TP-47 of Kakkonen in the third-level of Finland Football Association Professional Leagues. Known for his exploits of easily finding the back of the net, in March, Bobb recorded his first career hat-trick in his debut for TP-47 during the third round of the 2013 Suomen Cup. He went on to make starting appearances the following two rounds before a defeat to TPV ended the Tornio club’s run in the fifth round. Bobb recorded his first league goal in his debut for TP-47, on 28 April, to level the match against PK-37 at 2–2 in the 85th minute after scoring from a cross. A week later, he scored his second goal in as many matches in a 2–0 win over Vasa IFK. The Guyanese
moved to 8 KYU 2nd Yellow belt; Three (3) moved to 7 KYU Orange belt and three (3) students gained 6th KYU Green belt. Seventeen (17) students
were graded from the Canje and Port Mourant Dojo’s in Berbice, results for these locations are: One (1) student gained 9 KYU Yellow belt; One (1) moved to 6 KYU Green belt and One (1) moved to 5th KYU Purple belt. In the Intermediate ranking, Four (4) students moved to 4th KYU Purple belt and in the advance ranking, Four (4) students were promoted to 3rd KYU Brown belt. Three (3) moved to 2nd KYU Brown belt and 3 students, Ajay Sohan, Darin Sukalingum and Riyad Nasir were promoted to 1 KYU Brown belt. Sensei Chaves in closing remarks sought to encourage all students present of the need to keep their attendance regular for all training sessions as there is no short way to reach success in JKA Karate but by continuous and consistent efforts. Prior to the examination, a training clinic was done to educate and enlighten the many students of the need to
Trayon Bobb based club, he made seven league appearances. However, Bobb was a star during Caledonia’s most successful season where he helped the ‘Eastern Stallions’ captured the First Citizens Cup, Lucozade Sport Goal Shield, FA Trophy and Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championships
scored two more goals over the next five league matches against Tervarit and a week later against KPV. But just when the Uitvlugt villager was getting settled, he became the first Guyanese to feature in the Finland Premier League following his loan agreement with Veikkausliiga side RoPS, making consecutive appearances against VPS and FC Honka. After being a prominent member of the National Under-20 side, Bobb, made his senior team debut for Guyana against India at the Providence National Stadium and a week later, featured against Barbados in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Under Shabazz, Guyana for the first time reached the third round of the qualifiers and it is there where Bobb produced his best performance for the ‘Golden Jaguars’ scoring arguably
two of the most spectacular goals of the Qualifiers against El Salvador during their 2 – 2 draw away to the Central American power house. He also featured against Mexico at the World Famous Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, concluding an active year for the Golden Jaguars with six consecutive starts during their qualification attempt for the 2012 Caribbean Cup in October and November.
JKA/WF Guyana hosts successful exams, 76 graded Seventy-six (76) students were successfully graded last Saturday at the Japan Karate Association/World Federation (JKA/WF) Guyana Karate examinations which were conducted their HQ Dojo, National Park, Thomas Lands.
Students from HQ and Craig Dojo’s were combined and graded, results for these are as follows: Georgetown: Six (6) Students moved from White belt to 9 KYU (1st Yellow belt); Eight (8) moved from 9th KYU (1st Yellow belt) to 8 KYU (2nd Yellow belt); 10 moved from 8 KYU (2nd Yellow) to 7 KYU (Orange belt); Three (3) students moved from 7 KYU (Orange belt) to 6 KYU (Green belt) while 11 students were promoted to 5th KYU Purple belt. In the Intermediate ranks, Five (5) students were
promoted to 4th KYU Purple belt and in advance ranking, Three (3) students gained 3rd KYU Brown belt, Two (2)
Their Smiles Says It All! These students of the Crain Dojo pose for a pic following their successes at the Grading Exams. gained 2 KYU Brown belts and 2 students - Athena Arjoon and Jordon Denny were promoted to 1 KYU Brown belt. Arjoon and Denny would now have to train
for one year to prepare for their Black belt test. Craig EBD: One (1) student was promoted from White belt to 9 KYU Yellow belt; One (1)
understand what JKA Karate is all about, the many benefits of this practice in and out of Dojo and their role with regard to influencing positive change in today’s society. Sensei Chaves also made mention of the annual Special Training Camp scheduled for
August/September and the National tournament in November that sets the stage for participation at the International tournament in 2014 that will be held in Panama City, Panama. Also, a celebration will be held in August for the five (5) students that achieved their Sho (1st) Dan Black belts in April as well as the success their team had in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA this past June at the Interna tional tournament. Special thanks were extended to the many supporters, parents and students by Sensei’s Chaves, and Singh and the JKA committee for their continued
support.
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IOC stands by Russia’s reassurance on anti-gay law USA Today - The International Olympic Committee said for the time being it is standing by reassurances that athletes and visitors attending the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia will not be affected by antigay legislation. “We rest with comments made directly to us by deputy PM Kozak,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams wrote in an email Thursday, referring to Russian deputy prime minster Dmitry Kozak. The country’s sports minister contradicted those assurances in an interview with state news agency RSport. “An athlete of nontraditional sexual orientation isn’t banned from coming to Sochi. But if he goes out into the streets and starts to propagandize, then of course he will be held accountable,” Vitaly Mutko said. In June, Russian president Vladimir Putin signed an anti-gay bill that outlaws “homosexual propaganda” making public events that promote gay rights and public displays of affection by same-sex couples illegal. Foreign citizens arrested under the law can be jailed for 15 days and then deported. Gay-rights groups have
A sign outside of The Call, a gay bar on the north side of Chicago, Monday. Many gay bars have joined a campaign to stop selling Russian vodka due to anti-gay laws in Russia.(Photo: Scott Eisen AP) asked NBC, which holds U.S. broadcasting rights for Sochi, and the IOC to take a stronger stand. The global Human Rights Watch wrote Thursday on its website, “Instead of listening to Russia’s hollow assurances, IOC president Jacques Rogge should stand up for the Olympic charter’s
commitment to promoting human dignity and insist that the Russian government immediately takes steps to repeal the law and, in the meantime, refrains from implementing it.” A Cincinnati woman is among people organizing campaigns to persuade companies including
Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble to drop sponsorship of the Sochi Olympics. Julianne Howell’s petition posted on Change.org had received more than 71,000 signatures as of Thursday afternoon. In the petition she also calls for Coca-Cola, Panasonic, Samsung and Visa to pull their sponsorships from the Sochi Games. “It’s time for these companies to put their support for LGBT people first, and send a message to Russia that their anti-gay laws are not only contrary to basic human rights, but fly in the face of the spirit of the Olympic Games, which celebrate human dignity and community above all else,” Howell wrote. Athletes have also been vocal about their opposition to the law. Figure skater Johnny Weir, a self-described “Russophile” who hopes to compete in his third Olympics in Sochi, said he the anti-gay laws will not dissuade him. “I have been invited to perform in Saint Petersburg, Russia, birthplace of the anti-gay propaganda movement, and with luck on my side, I will be there come October,” Weir wrote Thursday in his regular column for the Falls Church (Va.) News-Press. “I am far too passionate
about supporting the community on the ground rather than to watch from the sidelines and do nothing aside from drinking Swedish or Polish vodka instead of Russian. I will perform in a country who’s government would prefer having me in prison than entertaining her population, because I support the population and not the government. Should anything happen to me, please notify my mother and my husband.” Weir is married to Victor Voronov, whose parents grew up in the former Soviet Union. The skater’s close friend is the nation’s biggest figure skating star, Evgeni Plushenko. Olympic diver Greg Louganis joined advocate group Athlete Ally’s campaign in response to the legislation. The group is working with the global LGBT rights organization All Out and other sports leaders on a coordinated response. Other gay rights activists have campaigned that bars stop selling Russian vodka. Politicians also have voiced their concern. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Russian Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak expressing
outrage with Russia’s antigay law. “Under the new law, the mere act of publically acknowledging one’s sexuality or displaying rainbow flags could be deemed punishable offenses under the statute. Such a law is clearly inconsistent with, and contradictory to, the International Olympic Committee’s Charter,” Markey wrote. Last month after Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested boycotting the Sochi Olympics if Russia grants asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden (as it did Thursday), the idea was roundly rejected by House Speaker John Boehner and the U.S. Olympic Committee. “These are serious issues but they are not solved by Olympic boycotts,” USOC CEO Scott Blackmun told USA TODAY Sports. “It is an issue that is concerning to the IOC and the IOC is in discussions with authorities in Russia about how to ensure everybody goes to Russia for the Olympic Games, but especially our athletes, don’t feel persecuted while they’re there. We fully support the position that Johnny Weir and Greg Louganis have taken.”
Real Madrid beat Barcelona to signing Efimova sets world of 11-year-old American wonderkid record in 50 breaststroke Daily Mail - Real Madrid have beaten off competition from rivals Barcelona to land 11-year-old American Joshua Pynadath. The youngster spent time on trial at both clubs but opted for a move to the Spanish capital after being offered the chance to join Madrid’s famed youth setup. They have secured the talented attacker on a minimum one-year deal to join their academy this autumn. Pynadath becomes the first American to join Madrid’s youth system, which has produced the likes of Los Blancos legends Iker Casillas, Raul and Guti. Madrid were initially alerted to the player’s potential by Jeff Baicher, the technical director of Pynadath’s current team, De Anza Force Soccer Club. Baicher sent Real officials a video highlighting the youngster’s dribbling, passing
and shooting skills a year ago and it was enough to convince the club to invite him for a week of training in late November. The attacker, from Los Altos Hills in California, did enough to earn an extended
BARCELONA (Reuters) Russia’s Yuliya Efimova
Talented youngster Joshua Pynadath has been signed by Real Madrid. (Jackie Pynadath) trial earlier this year and also attracted interest from another Spanish giant, Barcelona. He spent 17 days at Barca’s famed La Masia academy but was then offered a chance to join Madrid’s Alevin A Team. Joshua told the Los Altos Town Crier: ‘Both trials were very serious, as kids are fighting to either keep a spot or to earn a spot. ‘It was a very good feeling to be able to play well against this top competition since the level and speed of play over there is amazing. ‘I
was blown away when I got the official news from Real Madrid. ‘They told me that I was the first American that they have ever accepted into their academy. I told them that I would set a good example.’ On his time spent with Madrid’s rivals, the Cristiano Ronaldo fan added: ‘I enjoyed my time at Barcelona. ‘I was happy to hear the coaches tell me that I was a very good player and that I improved every day of the trial.’ But Joshua, who has just completed fifth grade at St. Nicholas School, was
certain which club he wanted to join. He said: ‘The Real Madrid acade my team and coaches seemed very excited to have me back. It was like I had never left. ‘I can’t wait to get started over there. They already have an amazing team that went 25-1 in their league, so I know that playing with them every day is going to make me that much better.’ Joshua and his family, including younger brot her
Jason who will play for one of Real’s satellite teams, will move to Spain soon. The boys are set to attend the American School of Madrid.
followed up Friday’s world championship gold medal in the women’s 200 meters breaststroke by setting a world record in the 50 meters version of the event in her heat on Saturday. Efimova clocked a time of 29.78 seconds in the Barcelona pool to beat the previous best of 29.80 set by American Jessica Hardy in 2009. Hardy was swimming alongside the Russian and posted the second-quickest qualifying time of 29.99 seconds. Efimova, who won gold in the 50 breaststroke at the world championships in Rome in 2009 and silver in Shanghai two years ago, said she had barely slept following Friday’s triumph. “I still don’t understand it,” the still-dripping 21year-old told reporters. “Yesterday I was ready for a world record but today, I didn’t sleep half the night and I am so tired,” she added. “I didn’t do the warmup and I am so sleepy and
I just swam a record it’s crazy.” She said she would try to go faster in Sunday’s final. “It’s such a different technique (to the 200),” she added. “I always like to swim the 200 but actually I am a short sprinter and for me it’s like my birthday, it’s like my holidays, for me it’s always fun.” Efimova’s world best in what is a non-Olympic event was the fourth of the week at the hilltop Palau Sant Jordi, all of them set by women. Lithuanian teenager Ruta Meilutyte swam faster than anyone else before her in the 100 meters breaststroke semifinals on Monday to beat another record previously held by Hardy. American Katie Ledecky, like Meilutyte 16 years old, smashed the 1,500 meters mark to win go ld on Tuesday and
Denmark’s Rikke Pedersen set a world best in qualifying for the 200 breaststroke on Thursday.
Sunday August 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 69
GT & T C’bean Junior Hockey Festival 2013
GCC to play Combermere B; Tigers, Combermere C clash in U-16 semis GCC, Tigers, Marian Academy, Saints advance in U-13 By Zaheer Mohamed Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Futuristik Tigers of Trinidad and Tobago and Combermere C and B of Barbados turned in outstanding performances to book their places in the semifinals of the U-16 category of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Caribbean Junior Hockey Festival 2013 which is being played at the National Gymnasium.
GCC and Tigers were tied in first place with nine points, but the Tigers edged the local side by virtue of a better goal difference (8) to head group A. Combermere C top group B with 10 points ahead of Combermere B who finished second with 9 points. The result means Tigers will clash with Combermere B in one of the semifinals and GCC will face Combermere C in the other.
Combermere placed third while Guyana’s Old Fort Jets and Hikers came fourth and fifth respectively in Group A, while local sides Saints and Old Fort took third and fourth places in that order while Trinidad and Tobago’s Futuristic Bears finished in fifth position in group B. The Tigers suffered one loss in the group stage when the Guyana’s Old Fort Jets beat them 2-1, but
Boyce & Jefford host two-day workshop for Officials The Management Committee for the upcoming Boyce & Jefford Track and Field Classic IV held a workshop yesterday for Competition Officials in Georgetown at the Police Sports Club Ground Pavilion ahead of the August 17-18 mega athletics meet. The workshop will continue today in Linden for Officials in the Mining
Town; the workshop has been deemed necessary in keeping with the organisers aim to provide a quality
GBA wants U-16 boxers in school to participate in future DDL tourneys The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) would make it mandatory for boxers involved in future Demerara Distillers Limited sponsored tournaments to be in school and have a decent academic background. Speaking to President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle yesterday, Kaieteur Sport was informed that the association will go that route. He stated that they will place emphasis on this as they promote education in sport to ensure more rounded sportsmen and women. This is the second year of the DDL junior boxing tourney and come next edition, which is set for October, young fighters will have to prove they are in school to get the chance to compete. At the opening of this year ’s second edition, Presidential Adviser Odinga Lumumba had made the call to the young fighters, that
Steve Ninvalle they must consider life after sport and be rounded persons. He had urged the association to make it a criteria for participation. Ninvalle noted that this was indeed the right way to go and ensure the youngsters take their education seriously because this would not only make them rounded individuals but enhance their thinking capacity and uplift them in the years ahead.
athletics event with standards akin to international competition. The workshop deals with such topics as ‘the philosophy of officiating and the qualities of being a good competition official’; ‘Judging the field events’; ‘Starts’; ‘Time Keeping’; ‘Judging track events’; ‘duties of the call room’ and ‘duties of the referees’. The presenters are the Boyce & Jefford Classic IV Competitions Director, Mark Scott, Technical Delegate, Cornel Rose and experienced official, Pamela Phillips, who especially spoke on ‘time-keeping’ and ‘duties of the call room’. The fourth Boyce & Jefford Classic will be held on August 17 at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary with Heats, three track finals and two field finals from 1pm and on August 18, at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground, Linden with all other finals from 2pm.
hammered their other rivals to ensure their berth in the final four. They defeated Combermere 3-0, GCC 5-1 and Hikers 2-1. GCC after losing heavily to the Tigers showed improvement in their next games beating Combermere A 1-0, Old
Forte Jets 3-1 and Hikers 21. Combermere C got the better of their fellow Bajans Combermere B 2-1 before crushing Futuristik Bears of the Twin Island Republic 40. They were held to a 2-2 draw by Old Fort Shooters but then crushed Saints 5-3
in their final group game. Combermere B outplayed Futuristik Bears 6-0, Old Fort 2-1 and Saints 2-0. Meanwhile, Futuristik grabbed the first place in the girl’s U-16 category with 15 points and will play Hikers, who ended in fourth position (Continued on page 64 )
LCPL Cricket double-header at Providence
t r o Sp Amazon Warriors play St Lucia in feature match tonight P. 60
Antigua face-off with Jamaica this afternoon
The Guyana Amazon Warriors will look for another great performance to make it 3 out of 3 as Guyanese fans will turn out in numbers for another party, Music, dancing girls and all. (CPL)
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