Tuesday August 01, 2017
Nation of Islam urges elected officials to do more for Black people DEAR EDITOR, At this stage of our current social condition in 2017, the celebration of Emancipation must be centred on the condemnation of gang violence and the establishment of peace in our communities through the eradication of guns and illegal drugs and the promotion of a consciousness emphasizing the value and worth of black lives. Caribbean Nations now have some of the highest murder rates in the world, and the uncontrollable bloodshed is becoming so common that a desensitization process is taking place, whereby, while we celebrate our African history, we ignore our contemporary reality. Also the community neglect by politicians of African Descent speaks way too loudly in the face of their often diligent economic partnership with non-African ethnic groups. Afro-based political parties have facilitated a pathway for non-African communities to graduate from the lower
social classes to a new middle class. We are not requesting any special treatment or privileges for African people, but simply equal treatment as other races have received. The absence of justice will always threaten social order and stability. In this United Nations decade for people of African Descent, and along with the call for reparations for slavery, the Nation of Islam urges our elected officials and representatives to be more mindful of the chronic neglect that poor black communities suffer from. Our organization, through the Black Agenda Project, continues to help teach, inspire, motive and improve our collective condition, but Governments across the region must be more sensitive to the exclusive plight of the Black community. David Muhammad Eastern Caribbean Representative of the Nation of Islam (Black Agenda Project Director, Author of Black Studies)
In an age of high technology, our banks should do better DEAR EDITOR, I fully and emphatically endorse the letter titled “Banks need more efficient system of Administration” which appeared in the letter column dated 31/7/2017. I am absolutely certain that an overwhelming majority of us have faced similar situations and silently fumed and wished that things could have been better. But banks only seem to be friendly to you when they want your money. For when it comes to customer service they seem completely immune to the sufferings faced on a daily basis. It is common knowledge that banks are one of the most profitable businesses in Guyana. You only have to look at their annual statements to observe just how large their profit margins are. To top it off they institute charges for every transaction you conduct with them. So there is absolutely no reason why they cannot invest to make their customer service better. In this day and age of Information Technology it is easy to compare local banking services with those internationally. And it is very easy to see that our banks are way behind
in terms of technology to improve efficiency. The question which needs to be asked is why do our banks treat us so poorly even though there is clearly technology available which can improve their customer efficiency? Is it a callous lack of respect for their customers? An unwillingness to return some of their high profits into providing a better service for the people who make the banks operable in the first place? The view of empty teller slots when bank lines are very long is the ultimate insult to customers. This does not require any investment in technology to improve this. It requires a simple understanding of the plight of the customers and a bank that is willing to put aside their seemingly complete immersion in how to make money and start considering ways to improve their extremely poor customer service. A final note on this matter is that if the banks do not see it necessary to improve their customer service, then the onus is on the authorities who oversee these banks to mandate improvements in their customer service. M. Abraham
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Kaieteur News
What about equality for African Guyanese in the business sphere? DEAR EDITOR, Almost eighteen decades after emancipation, the general condition of African Guyanese is not as encouraging as one would want it to be. Over the decades there have been significant decline in the general standard of living in the community which has in turn led to a sense of alienation and frustration. A lot of the problems in the African-Guyanese communities have to do with the challenges that the AfricanGuyanese economy has had to face historically. In other words, the problems are structural. First, we have to locate the challenges within the context of the colonial economy, which saw the African Village economy as a direct affront to the interests of colonialism and at every twist and turn tried to undermine and marginalize efforts of self-activity and self-reliance. Second, we must look at it within the context of the ethnic competition — from decolonization to the present– whereby the ethnic demarcation of the Guyanese economy, itself a legacy of colonialism, has made eco-
nomic progress in the separate ethnic communities a victim of the larger ethnic politics. Although the decline in African-Guyanese communities is not just economic, I think their economic condition has a lot to do with it. The last set of reliable data from about two decades ago showed 43% of African Guyanese living below the poverty line. African Guyanese unemployment (13.6%) was above the national rate (11.7%). There is every reason to believe that those numbers have not changed—in fact things are more likely to have become worse. African Guyanese are not well represented in the business sector. Most African Guyanese are employed in the public sector, which has seen the highest reduction of jobs over the last two decades and which because structural adjustment pays less than other sectors, both public and private. More than any other group, African Guyanese work for others. The African Guyanese community has one of the
highest rates of functional illiteracy and homelessness. They own less transported land than other races and live in the most run-down houses in both the urban and rural areas. African-Guyanese have traditionally been located in the Bauxite Industry, the Public Service, Pork-knocking and the Village Economy, where farming, small business and vending predominate. Later, they dominated “Trading”—bringing food and clothing for sale from other Caribbean countries. In addition to the above, education was an area of relief from poverty and social mobility. But over the last two decades bauxite has declined, and the Public Service stalled, thanks mainly to the IMF conditionalities and the ethnic interests of the PPP government. Wages have not kept up with the cost of living. Education and Agriculture in the villages have declined. I think the combination of the above is at the heart of the “crisis” in the AfricanGuyanese community. In addition, the evolution of a culture of accommodation with”
political bribery “has led to a weakening of group solidarity, pride and dignity. Finally, the heavy migration has had a negative effect on the community. One of the devastating consequences has been the loss of role models who live day to day in the communities. Finally, one cannot discount the impact of some negative group habits, but these should be seen within the larger dynamics of postplantation evolution among the formerly enslaved. It is clear to me then that the emancipation of AfricanGuyanese has become a very urgent necessity for that group and for Guyana at large. There is definitely need for some form of Affirmative Action to correct the structural changes facing AfricanGuyanese, particularly in the business sector. Unless African-Guyanese can compete again in the business sector, that community would remain dependent and empowerment would be an elusive dream. The government must muster the courage to Continued on page 6
The Minister of Agriculture should be careful with his pronouncements DEAR EDITOR, At a meeting held on July 13, in the board room of the Region 10 Democratic Council, Minister of Agriculture (MoA), Noel Holder, announced that the Immediate Savannahs will be the new agricultural frontier for Guyana. He outlined the MoA’s strategy to commence large scale agricultural production needed to fight climate change by moving agricultural activities inland from the low-lying coastland to higher ground. To assist in this transformation, the Caribbean Development Bank has approved a grant of US$295,000 for technical assistance to enable the Government to identify agri-
cultural areas most vulnerable to climate change and to assist in the better planning of its investment programs for the adoption of new climate smart agricultural practices. Further, the Inter-American Bank has approved $105.7M for a proposed sustainable development agricultural program to cultivate such crops as corn, soyabeans, and orchard crops in addition to cattle rearing. During governance by the late Prime Minister, Burnham, his then Minister of Agriculture, Jordan, had identified Ebini in the Immediate Savannah as a very suitable area for corn production and sustainable agricultural production. Approval was given for project execution and Minis-
ter Jordan immediately used public funds to purchase expensive farm equipment under shady circumstances which were delivered and stored in a bond on the Berbice River before any feasibility study was done or detailed agronomic analysis and irrigation needs for corn cultivation carried out. The project never got off the ground as the soil was found to be deficient in nutrients for corn cultivation while irrigation was not available in quantities required to sustain crop growth. As a result of this debacle, Minister Jordan was relieved of his duties. Minister Holder should be aware also that many of the cooperative farms which were established under
the former PNC Government failed for lack of good planning, farming skills and social discord among their members. Minister Holder should be prudent in his pronouncements regarding massive agricultural development in the hinterland savannahs and elsewhere as without proper plans in place with adequate data on agronomics, drainage, irrigation, infrastructures, market availability, management capability, etc., no Continued on page 6
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Tuesday August 01, 2017
Kaieteur News
Guyana’s silence on the Travel to the US has certainly to his wife, to help changed, money wise supplies in her community work. She Venezuela crisis is deafening DEAR EDITOR, I read the recent letter about the chap and his US travel money woes. Things seem to have changed for travel to the USA, moneywise over the years. During the 1980s and part of the 1990s, on a UK/EU passport, I travelled annually to the USA and experienced the opposite. All my holidays were chosen from travel agents’ brochures, booked through them, and all the booking fees handed over to them. I faced no problem from the UK end, but at the US end, some Immigration staff were always surprised that I had such a modest amount “to declare”. I finally figured out why they disappeared into a room behind and then returned ‘relaxed’. All visiting non-US citizens had to declare on their filled-in on-board form information regarding place of residence, reason for visit, length of stay, and any sum over a certain amount. So when my money declared was so modest, details on the filled-in form had to be checked, to verify what was written. The travel agents always put together the entire deal. Booking hotels was included,
so accommodation checking was easy. The money I had was always for travelling by public transport and food. I preferred Brit-made goods to American, particularly clothing, which Brits found too “skimpy”, with seams falling apart easily. And I was not a “foodie”. Hamburgers with coffee, and ice cream for takeaway as afters were fine with me. It seems logical that visitors should be aware of the rules and abide by them, or else... keep away. As a matter of interest, Brit holidaymakers dress the part - casually. When visiting poor countries, we are always advised by tour guides not to,’show off’, which is “rude and invites the wrong sort of attention”. On evenings out by pickup coach dressing-up is OK. In 1990, I did this in Guyana, and was shocked when some assumed ‘Brit poverty’. I still flinch when I remember a ‘rough’ ex-US resident’s remark about “Whenever anyone offers me something, I always ask myself what are they after”. The thought formed in my head “What have you got to be after”? I remained silent. I had offered to send school
What about equality for... From page 5 implement policies and create institutions that cater to this particular problem. I appreciate that in our fragile ethnic environment, such a course of action is fraught with political risks. No doubt, the political opposition and the ethnic commentators would lay charges of favouritism. But I don’t see any other way out. If African-Guyanese are to return to agriculture, then the infrastructure in the villages must be repaired or where they do not exist, they should be put in place. Another area in which investment should be made is the creation or improvement of small businesses. There is urgent need for a banking institution that pro-
vides low-interest loans. The situation with the vendors should be solved, so that their location offers them commercial benefits. They must be able to sell in areas where buyers traverse; confining them to spaces far away from the path of buyers is counter-productive. Having said that, African Guyanese must understand that governments are important, the larger institutions of society are important, but it is only through their collective effort they can draw attention to their situation and thereby can begin to do something to repair it. Once you begin to do something to repair it, then you begin to put pressure on those who are in authority. David Hinds
then invited me to spend a short holiday with them. But he was so narrowminded, such a “misery guts”, that he could not find good in anyone or anything. I had intended to keep up the practice, but changed my mind, based on his unpleasantness. His wife and I were childhood friends, our mothers close friends. Instead, I decided to have the local primary school repaired, attributing the gesture to my husband. I gathered the chap capitalised on this, as he and my husband knew each other as children. I then remembered the Yank operating style of “If you have it, flaunt it; if you don’t, fake it”. I did not mind. I was comfortable with this, and eventually, at the end of my holiday, left things I no longer needed for my poor country relatives and others. Geralda Dennison
DEAR EDITOR, Venezuela’s President Maduro defiantly followed through with his pledge by holding Sunday’s elections to establish a ‘constituent assembly’. The opposition parties have mostly boycotted those elections that they believe to be a new tool to be used by President Maduro to override the country’s oppositioncontrolled National Assembly. Most of the countries in the region including two of Venezuela’s three neighbours have condemned the decision to proceed with the elections, and have called for dialogues between President Maduro and opposition leaders. Only one of Venezuela’s neighbours has remained conspicuously silent throughout the crisis. Most of the South American countries, including Columbia and Brazil have condemned Maduro’s decision to hold those elections.
Columbia’s President Juan Manual Santos said that the constituent assembly is of ‘illegitimate origin’ and therefore will not be recognized. Brazil’s foreign minister, Aloysio Nunes branded it a coup, stating “President Nicholas Maduro’s proposal for a constituent assembly is a coup d’état. It is another break with democracy, violating the country’s constitution.’ Even the OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro offered his thoughts in a video message stating “the announced proposal is wrong-headed, unconstitutional and fraudulent.” With all the international outcry and condemnation, Venezuela’s eastern neighbour remains silent as though it is completely oblivious to what is likely a historical destruction of a democracy next door. Why? Why has Guyana decided to ignore the cries of the Venezuelan people?
What can Guyana’s leader lose, by speaking out against those who deliberately seek to destroy important foundations of democratic principles? It often said that silence may be construed to mean acquiescence. Does Guyana’s silence on the Venezuela crisis suggest that President Granger supports Maduro’s actions? It sure looks that way. But, President Granger ought to consider strongly the likelihood that Maduro’s Government will inevitably come to an end sometime, and that the opposition leaders of today could be the ones leading that country in the not too distant future. I suspect that they will remember Guyana’s silence during their struggles. It is time for President Granger to take off his ‘wuss’ hat and make a statement on the Venezuelan crisis – one way or the other. Max Mohamed
Quoting Oliver Cromwell to condemn Minister Ramjattan DEAR EDITOR, I deliberately kept away from this debate on “Ministerial Responsibility” after the second or maybe the third prison unrest in Guyana under Khemraj Ramjattan (was there a fourth, I cannot keep count) because I felt there was no need for debating this issue when the nation was in the middle of a security operation. But now that all the prisoners have been removed from the “cow pasture” at Lusignan, I wish to join the debate because horrible history was made under Ramjattan and Granger over the last few weeks. Guyana is now classified as having one of the worst prison systems in the Caribbean with one of the worst break-out record. The 2016 prison unrest where 17 prisoners died should have been the trigger to motivate any portfolio head
to more effectively manage the system until the risk levels were de-escalated. Under Ramjattan, the opposite happened over the last 12 months. Under Ramjattan, the conditions for a break out in the prison system actually got worse because of a lack of proper investments and executive lethargy at the policy conception and implementation levels. For that reason alone, if Ramjattan has any dignity and honour left, he should offer his resignation to the President forthwith. Ramjattan has brought great shame to all his predecessors especially Balram Singh Rai, one of Guyana’s foremost intellect and most celebrated Home Affairs Minister. Under the Govt of which Ramjattan is a Vice-President , cabinet found the resources to divert billions towards
building a billion dollar Durban Park Ponzi Scheme, to fund ministerial travels, the 50% increases in their personal perks and executive vehicles. But even after all that comfort, these people continue to fail the nation on many fronts especially the security front when they presented themselves as the security barons of Guyana on the 2015 campaign trail. The evidence clearly reveals they are security incompetents when it comes to managing the security sector as they continue to mismanage the systems to protect the people of Guyana. For that reason alone Khemraj Ramjattan should go because his poor leadership failed resoundingly to put systems in place to serve and protect the people. On April 20, 1653, when Oliver Cromwell made a speech upon the dissolution
of the Long Parliament, he said these words “Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress’d, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, JUST GO!” I am truly disappointed in Ramjattan. He can so better serve the society by going back to the law where he is fantastic rather than cling on to a siren and a portfolio at which he is an utter failure. I am convinced in my belief that he is no longer fit to conduct the affairs of the nation as the Minister of Public Security. As Cromwell said “You have sat too long here for any good. Depart, I say and let us be done with you. In the name of God, JUST GO!” Sase Singh
The Minister of Agriculture should be careful with... From page 5 agricultural project could be successfully developed. The areas now under consideration have no significant number of skilled farming laborers waiting to be employed as claimed, only subsistence farmers. Climate change is only one of several factors adversely affecting agricultural production and development in Guyana. For example, rice farmers along the coast experience flooding of their lands at every heavy downpour while
during the growing season the young rice plants are starved of irrigation because the infrastructures in place to provide them with the needed services for efficient and high yield crop production are either broken and/or poorly maintained. The sugar industry is rapidly shrinking not because of climate change but as a result of high production costs, low commodity price, labor strife, falling production and poor management, all of which have taken their toll. The implementation of cli-
mate smart agricultural practices to improve crop yields and diversification and hence developmen t of the country’s economic base lies in improving falling crop yields and labor productivity of what is already being grown on the coastland rather than blindingly shifting and elusively seeking out solutions to the global problems of climate change by developing agriculture in the immediate savannahs where much is yet to be learned for successful crop production.
The MoA does not have the technical know-how, skilled personnel and financial resources for massive agricultural extension in the hinterland savannahs and therefore the schemes being pursued with seed money are only likely to produce a herd of ‘white elephants’ foraging the immediate savannahs blindly seeking out those elusive crops and their varieties to better manage global weather changes than their cousins on the coastland. Charles Sohan
Tuesday August 01, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Appeal Court order halts Magistrate from continuing with Dr. Westford trial
Appeal Court Judge, Justice Dawn Gregory, has granted an order staying Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore from continuing with the trial of Former Minister of Public Service, Dr. Jennifer Westford, and Ms. Margaret Cummings who are charged in relation to eight state vehicles, for which they allegedly forged documents and attempted to transfer to persons. In August, 2015, the former minister was placed on a total of $800,000 bail after she pleaded not guilty to the charges which alleged that between July 17, 2014 and June 23, 2015, she attempted to transfer eight state vehicles to four persons. Cummings was also slapped with four counts of forgery which alleged that she forged documents for the purchase of the eight motor vehicles. She has been released on a total of $1.2M bail. Kaieteur News understands that the order, which seeks to examine an amnesty for the vehicles announced by Minister of State Joseph Harmon, was granted last week Wednesday. The order also prevents the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Police from prosecuting Westford and Cummings until the outcome of the Court of Appeal proceedings. This newspaper was reliably informed that the Court of Appeal found that there were some debatable issues as it relates to the amnesty. Senior Magistrate Azore
CHARGED: Dr. Jennifer Westford will apply the Appeal Court order on August 7. The Court of Appeal order comes months after Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Yonette CummingsEdwards, who was then Chief Justice (ag) quashed a Constitutional Motion which sought to have the trial before Senior Magistrate Azore halted. That Constitutional Motion was filed by Senior Counsel Neil Boston and Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd, who are among the battery of lawyers representing the women. Senior Counsel Neil Boston and Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd are contending that the instituting of criminal charges against the former minister and Cummings
Sex-crazed conductor punches woman A minibus conductor yesterday made an appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and pleaded guilty to a charge of malicious wounding. Twenty-two-year-old Paul Smith of Lot 505 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on July 22, last, at Croal Street, Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Tonya George. When given the opportunity to address the court the man said, “I was dreaming that I was having sex with a girl and the place been getting too crowded so when I stretch out my hands that’s how she get hit. I already told her sorry.” Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore told the court that on the day in question about 10:20hrs George was walking towards the 45 minibus park between two vehicles when the accused who was also
walking in the same direction approached her and dealt her a punch to the face. The court heard that the blow caused George to collapse. Public-spirited persons took her to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where she was examined by a doctor. The prosecutor added that the victim received a laceration to the left jaw bone. The matter was then reported to the Brickdam Police station and the accused was arrested and charged. The magistrate after listening to the accused told the court that the accused will be placed in the custody at the Psychiatric ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for him to be examined by Senior Government Psychiatrist Dr Bhiro Harry. The accused will make his next court appearance on August 9 when a report will be handed to the magistrate before sentencing.
CHARGED: Ms. Margaret Cummings
breaches a Presidential amnesty for the vehicles which was announced by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon during a June 19, 2015 press conference. The lawyers filed the High Court
action after Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore overruled Boston’s submissions citing “Executive Abuse”. The Senior Counsel had made a request to Senior Magistrate Azore to halt criminal
proceedings against his clients. Boston had stated that Harmon had promised that once the vehicles were returned no prosecution will take place. According to Boston, Harmon said, “They can quietly bring them (vehicles) back to the Ministry, in which they came from or to the Office of the President (OP). They can park them outside the gate…” Boston had related that all the vehicles were returned to the then Office of the President and, in spite of the amnesty, his clients were still charged. However, Senior Magistrate Azore ruled that the statement made by Harmon was ambiguous. She stated that the court is not sure if what the minister said amounts to an amnesty or pardon and signalled her readiness to proceed with trial.
The Magistrate had commenced trial which was at a standstill for months pending the outcome of the High Court matter. And again, the trial has been halted until the conclusion of the Court of Appeal proceedings. In June, 2015 Minister of State Joseph Harmon, had told the media that it was brought to his attention that some documents were sent to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), purportedly signed by Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Ministry, Hydar Ally. This was done under Ally’s letterhead, but signed by someone else. “He had no knowledge of this transaction,” Minister Harmon had stressed. It was Ally who directed Harmon to the discrepancy in the paperwork forwarded to GRA for the transfer of eight vehicles. In light of the overwhelming evidence, the vehicles were returned to the government.
Broadcasting Amendment Bill is ‘an assault on press freedom - Nandlall Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, is of the opinion that the government has gone a step too far in its “authoritarianism” with the formulation of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2017. He said that in almost every policy of this Administration and in almost every Bill tabled in the National Assembly, one can easily discern some element of authoritarianism. “The Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill of 2017 suffers from an overdose. It collides with several fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed to the citizenry by the Constitution, including, the freedom to receive ideas and information without interference; freedom to communicate ideas and information without interference; freedom to hold opinions without interference; protection of private property from compulsory acquisition by the State without payment of adequate compensation and freedom to hold and publish political views of one’s choice.” Nandlall is particularly peeved at the provisions made in the Bill regarding broadcasting licences. Nandlall said, “Licences such as broadcasting licences are not mere licences but are licences which are coupled with a proprietary interest. Hence, one can sell one’s broadcasting licence for millions of dollars, as has been done several times in Guyana.”
Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall He noted that the Broadcast (Amendment) Bill 2017 when it comes into force, immediately terminates all existing licences and mandates the licencees to apply for new licences in accordance with the Bill, within 30 days. “Clearly, this is in violation of Article 142 of the Constitution which guarantees protection of private property against compulsory acquisition by the State. That no hearing is afforded to the licencee prior to the revocation, compounds the matter,” said Nandlall. Nandlall said that the “unlawfulness” is further aggravated by the fact that there is no guarantee that the licences which are revoked would be reissued. “More fundamentally,
even if licences are reissued, they will be severely altered and many of them may not enjoy the spectrum reach which they now enjoy. Moreover, a new regime of fees will be imposed under the Bill based upon the number of zones which the broadcaster will now be licensed to broadcast in. “From all indications, the new regime of fees is going to be much more financially onerous than the current regime.” The former Attorney General said that legislation that impose a regime of conditions upon civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution that are draconian have been repeatedly struck down as unconstitutional in the Commonwealth on the ground that
they stifle, frustrate and derogate from those civil liberties. He said that this Bill is likely to suffer the same fate. Nandlall said that perhaps the most egregious aspect of the Bill is that it imposes a mandatory obligation upon broadcasters to carry “public service programmes” for a total of 60 minutes per day between 6:00h and 22:00h, free of cost. “The Constitution and the law aside, this is rank vulgarity and smacks of political dictatorship.” Nandlall said that “public service programmes” is an obscene euphemism for Government propaganda. “Inherent in the freedom to publish, is the freedom not to publish. Mandating broadcasters, therefore, to publish government information is an infringement of freedom of the press,” said Nandlall. Additionally, Nandlall said that freedom to hold and publish one’s political views of choice includes a freedom not to publish a particular political view. He claims that the Bill denies broadcasters that freedom. “This Bill comes from a political Coalition, which, while it was in the Opposition, cut budgetary allocation to GINA and NCN, state-owned agencies, on the ground that they were publishing too much ‘Government propaganda’. Now in government, this Coalition, is forcing, by law, private broadcasters to publish Government propaganda. The irony is as nauseating as the hypocrisy.”
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Broadcast amendment Bill addressing illegally granted radio licences is finally here By Abena RockcliffeCampbell The Broadcast (amendment) Bill 2017, which addresses all existing broadcasting licences, has been laid in the National Assembly.
The piece of legislation has been long awaited. The Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has long been looking for a way to address the radio licences that were issued by former
Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo The Bill was tabled in the name of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. Nagamootoo was one who had promised to reclaim the valuable resource belonging to the people of Guyana but which he said was given away. Essentially, this move is a fulfillment of a campaign promise to the people of Guyana, he said. After the Bill is passed in the National Assembly and assented to by President David Granger all broadcasters, radio and television alike, will have to reapply for licences under the new regulations and provisions stipulated in the Bill. Section 9 (1) of the Bill states, “Every person carrying on a broadcasting service immediately before the commencement of this Act for which a licence had been previously issued shall apply within thirty days of the commencement of this Act for a licence in accordance with the provisions of the Principal Act as amended by this Act for the continuation of the broadcasting service.”
Tuesday August 01, 2017
Kaieteur News
President Bharrat Jagdeo a short while before demitting Office in 2011. But the previous Board failed to get any real work done on this front due to internal discord. In 2016, the then Board of the GNBA headed by Leonard Craig, said that it had explicitly and unanimously decided that former President Bharrat Jagdeo illegally distributed resources “belonging to the people of Guyana” when he granted radio licences to his friends and family in 2011. On the grounds of such a consensus, the Board decided that it must and will make moves to make those licences null and void. Craig said that the Board is cognizant that the issue regarding the licences issued by Jagdeo, shortly before demitting office and prior to the coming into force of the current Broadcasting Act No. 17 of 2011 has attracted the greatest interest relative to the Board’s function. Craig pointed out that the licences have been arbitrarily issued to persons and entities with close ties to decision
maker and without regard to prior existing applications. Craig said that Jagdeo’s decision would have preempted the application of the Broadcasting Act which was already assented to but was awaiting a date to come into operation. He said that the operationalization of the Act was entirely within the authority of Jagdeo who held the portfolio of Minister of Information as provided for by Section 1 of the Broadcast Act. Former GNBA Director Abiola Wong-Inniss has spoken about the intricacies surrounding the matter. She said that the Board was looking for a foolproof way to address the issue. Wong- Inniss reiterated that the radio spectrum belongs to the people of Guyana. It is the belief of the Board that the distribution process used by Jagdeo, or the lack thereof, made the licences vulnerable and subjected to challenges, she added. It was later announced that the GNBA found the formulation of new regulations and provisions to be the best way of addressing the issue. In that way everyone will have to reapply to come under the new umbrella. Among the 11 persons and entities receiving permission to run radio stations back in 2011 are Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, Jagdeo’s best friend; the Mirror Newspaper, which belongs to the former ruling party; and Telcor Cultural and Broadcasting Inc. The three received five frequencies each giving them countrywide control of the radio airwaves. Currently, PPP is operating one of its frequencies. Former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud relinquished ownership of iRadio 90.1 Love FM. Persaud sold to Ansa McAlowned Guardian Media Group.
City Hall halts construction
The Construction site. After working several weeks on a building located at the corner of Regent and Wellington Streets, contractors were instructed to halt all works. The Mayor and City Council issued a letter to Ms. Vidushree Ramkumar, mother of Devi Ramkumar, the owner of the land, stating that her construction was contrary to her business plan that was previously approved. A section of the letter
“Chokadag” remanded for fisherman murder Shariff Bacchus, called ‘Chokadag’ , 42, a fisherman of 26 Albouystown , Georgetown, was yesterday remanded to prison for the murder of Chan Wen Wong called ‘Chiney man’ on July 20, last, at Meadow Bank Wharf. The unrepresented man appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he was not required to plead to the indictable charge. Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore told the court that the investigation into the matter is complete. Only the post mortem report is outstanding from the case file, he added. Bacchus will make his next court appearance on August 14, for report. According to information the fisherman was stabbed at the Meadow Bank Wharf, East Bank Demerara. Reports indicated that he was stabbed to the chest after he had an altercation with the accused. On the day in question the men were parted by onlookers. Chan Wen Wong walked away only to be pursued by Bacchus who whipped out a sharp object and stabbed him.
states, “(We wish to)bring to your attention one aspect of you contracting contrary to the plan, is that of you not leaving the required and approved set-back distance to the west of the above mentioned property.” This suggested that Ramkumar had invaded the property of another business owner, who is located on the western half of sub-lot D, to accommodate her own. As a result of this, the business woman was informed that she has 14 days to have her d i g r e s s i o n s fixed. She told this newscast that she had received approval from City Council to proceed with her plan, which is now according to City Engineer, Colvern Venture, not in keeping with her agreement. She explained, “This building is owned by me, Sublot East. It has two parts, Sublot D and Sub-lot East half is mine. Somebody is telling Council that I have two feet on their land, but according to the measurement, if I have two feet on somebody else’s land,
then I have two feet on the Government’s land, so the council is not telling me where is my two feet but the manager told somebody else who don’t have a plan where their two feet is.” She clarified that she does not wish to mention a name since she has no proof to support her accusations. Ramkumar said that the property has been in their name since her father left it to them. She even has papers to prove that council had approved this, she said. She further stated that the council came and carried out measurements on her property some two weeks prior to her beginning construction. Now two weeks later they are saying, “It’s not okay.” She said they had stopped us without a letter, and the attorney for the other half of the land, R.N. Poonai, sent a letter but never explained which part of her construction needs to be halted. Venture said he prefers not to pronounce on the matter because he has not seen the owner since the letter was issued.
Welder remanded on attempted murder charge A welder was yesterday remanded to prison on a charge of attempted murder. Osafo Swain, 23, of Lot 29 Hadfield Street, Georgetown appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and was not required to plead to the indictable charge. The charge alleged that on July 26, last, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, he discharged a loaded firearm at Hubert Blair, with intent to commit murder. Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore objected to bail being granted to the accused citing the fact that the victim is still hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
The Prosecutor cited the nature of the offense and the penalty the charge attracts. The court heard that the victim and Swain are known to each other for over five years. Swain was positively identified as the shooter, by Blair. Prosecutor Moore also told the court that if the accused is released on bail he will tamper with the witnesses in the matter and might not return to court for the trial. The prosecutor further disclosed that detectives are still trying to recover the gun that was use in the shooting incident. The accused will make his next court appearance on August 18 for report.
Tuesday August 01, 2017
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Kaieteur News
THE PROBLEM IS THE SIZE OF THE BUDGET The Minister of Finance is of the flawed belief that there is a problem with the implementation of the Public Sector Improvement Programme. The Minister should carefully consider this assessment. The problem may not be with the implementation of his capital budget; it may be with the size of that Budget. We are told that more than 50% of the PSIP has been approved as of mid year but slightly over 30% has been spent. This is not a bad record at all. We are past half year and half of the PSIP has been approved. As the year, proceeds, approvals are going to be accelerated and spending is also going to be accelerated. It is clear from the numbers provided by the Minister, himself, that project approval is proceeding at a decent rate with more than 50% of the PSIP approved. A lower rate of spending
may have nothing to do with implementation capacity and everything to do with absorptive capacity i.e. the ability of the economy to absorb certain levels of spending at the same time. We have a lot of so-called ‘big’ contractors in this country. But they are limited. Very few of them can implement two or three major contracts at the same time. They cannot mobilize the capital or the labour to do two of three massive projects at the same time. The Minister should concentrate less on finding out the problems with implementation and concentrate more on his highly ambitious PSIP given the constraints of absorptive capacity of the economy. In 2014, the PPP/C spent $51B in capital expenditure. The Minister of Finance should examine, if he has not done so already, what were some of the big numbers which allowed the PPP/C to
spend that sum. One year later, amidst tremendous pressures from the APNU and the AFC in parliament, only $39.04 B was spent because of the decline in most sectors of the economy. Despite this the APNU+AFC Budgeted $52.2 B in 2016, hoping to match the PPP/C’s 2014 spending, but without any major projects in the pipeline. The APNU+AFC could never have been serious that it was going to spend that amount in capital expenditures. The analysis therefore suggests that the problem is two-fold. The APNU+AFC aimed too high. The problem is with the numbers in the Budget. They are too ambitious. The APNU+AFC, given the downturn in most sectors of the economy, was never going to be able to spend $50B as part of its capital programme. The PPP/C spent $51B in 2014. But even if it had won in 2015, it would not have
Dem boys seh...
Today is dress up day People gun dress up today like if dem live in Africa. Nuff of dem gun wear wraps wid some nice print. Women gun wear head wraps that got nuff meaning. People does tie dem head but dem don’t know that how dem tie dem head is a sign. Dem boys seh that in this country when de people don’t know nutten bout dem African culture is trouble. But Guyana got some Africans. One of dem get cuff last year because he respond to a woman who was walking wid she husband. De woman tie she head and send de message that she looking fuh a man. De African man from Ghana spot it and mek he move. That is how de lady husband cuff him. When de dust settle de man from Ghana tell de husband that de woman send out a message wid de way she tie she head. People gun cook food like Metem and cook-up and conkie. Africa is a place wheh de people love corn suh look out fuh nuff
boil corn in de National Park. But wha got dem boys thinking is that all who dress up gun either dress like Nigerian, or Ghanian or Guinea or Senegal. None of dem dressing like de man from Kalahari. He is a man who does wear little more than a string round he waist. Dem boys certain that dem wouldn’t see a man or a woman dress like that. De man does put he penis in a shaft like how people des put knife in a sheath. No Guyanese gun dress like that because none of dem ain’t come from that part of de world. Most of de people come from Ghana and from Senegal pun de West Coast suh dem should wear clothes from that region but of course dem don’t know. Whatever de case, is a time to remember that nuff of dem ancestors get kill. And to think that de old people lose dem life while some of dem descendants wasting dem own. Talk half and spare a thought fuh de cruelty of slavery.
been able to spend more than the $39B spent on capital works in 2015 because of the decline in most of the sectors of the economy. Secondly, the APNU does not have the projects to spend this type of money. It should be spending, ideally, on the productive sectors rather than on sectors which will not generate growth. This is not to downplay the problems of implementation capacity within the government. But the government cannot absolve itself from blame for that. It shook up the personnel in almost all of the Ministries, except the Natu-
ral Resources Ministry. And it has paid a huge price for this because quite honestly the newcomers have in the main not been able to do much better than those whom they replaced. In fact, they have done worse. Important skills have been denuded from Ministries. Institutional knowledge has been lost. Persons who have been away from Guyana for eons have been catapulted to positions of prominence. There are persons who are at sea when it comes to their jobs. They are better suited to sailing rather than running an
economy. The human resources talent is limited and when critical personnel are removed then there is bound to be an effect in terms of the operations of government agencies. The bottom line, though, is that the Budgets of the APNU+AFC are too ambitious. As such the PSIP will always have a poor implementation ratio until the numbers are shaved.
Three in custody for Kitty murder As investigation continues into the murder of Kitty resident, Devon Ali, the police on Sunday arrested the killer’s brother and his wife. The accused killer is Lisa Hayley. The two persons and the suspect, Lisa Hayley, provided different versions of the murder to the cops. Ali was stabbed to the chest on Friday in the presence of the suspect’s sibling and his wife. He died around 11:00 hrs on Saturday at the Georgetown Public Hospital. While the woman claimed that she stabbed the deceased in self defence and not with the intention of killing him, it is believed that her brother and his wife are trying to cover for their relative. She told the police that she and the deceased have been together for the past three years. During that time, she had been abused frequently.
According to reports, Hayley was forced into prostitution by the now dead Ali who would usually take away whatever cash she made. Last week, the duo got into a heated argument and Hayley claimed that the suspect beat her and threatened to kill her. Tired of being abused, she moved from her Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home and went to stay with her brother in Kitty. Ali reportedly turned up at the woman’s home and demanded to talk to her. “Her brother told him that she
wasn’t there,” a source said. The woman was at the time entering her brother’s yard. Ali spotted her and reportedly attacked her with two knives. This newspaper was informed that during the process, Hayley managed to get her hands on one of the knives and stabbed her abusive partner. The woman told the police that she had no intention of killing the father of her two children but she was simply trying to protect herself. Investigations are ongoing.
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Tuesday August 01, 2017
Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
You can easily become unemancipated today if…. If you are planning to smoke a marijuana cigarette (in common parlance, “a joint”) tonight at the National Park when the crowds thin out and the night gets older; don’t do it. On Emancipation Day you will get seriously unemancipated. The police will arrest you, a silly magistrate will give you three years, the people you voted for couldn’t be bothered with your fate, and you may lose your life in a prison riot. In other words on Emancipation Day, slavery may visit you again, if you take that joint. On this crucially important date, all African Guyanese must ask themselves if the effects of the abolition of slavery are totally gone. All humans, without exception, would say that slavery was civilization’s most cruel, horrible act of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. Emancipation Day, then, has
a special place in the hearts of the descendants of slavery. But the theories keep multiplying in the halls of academia that the mind of the physically emancipated is not freed. It was Bob Marley more than any great scholar who popularized the concept of mental slavery with his extraordinary hit tune, “Redemption Song.” Have Guyanese Indians in this country freed themselves from the limitations and strictures of their ancient culture and religion that they brought with them from India? Indians are obsessed with light complexion which has its basis in ancient Hindu texts. Many Indians in Guyana have some kind of tolerance for the caste system. How mentally free are African Guyanese? The question takes on special meaning when applied to Black Guyanese leaders in power. Desmond Hoyte had
serious trappings of a colonial mentality. Let me clarify that. Of our eight executive presidents, (I include Sam Hinds; he was president if even for a short time), Desmond Hoyte embodied a stronger sense of the difference between right and wrong and had a greater sense of fairness. That leaves three African President; Burnham, Hinds and Granger. Let us exclude Hinds. He lasted only months so there isn’t any material at all that is available for research. Burnham is one of the Third World’s most manifest enigmas. The most anti-colonial of all Caribbean leaders, he also was fascinated by certain colonial paraphernalia. Why would the president of a small, poor country be on horseback sharing out cigarettes to poor districts in Georgetown? Dale Andrews, the famous crime reporter from Kaieteur
News who died a year ago told me he never liked Burnham because he thought his uncle’s discussion of Burnham with him was the reason. Dale said his uncle was a public servant who was ordered to work weekends at the state-owned Hope Estate as part of Burnham’s policy of exposing public sector workers to the field experience. Dale said his uncle told him Burnham would appear on horseback and shout on employees who he felt were either lazy or skulking. Dale said his uncle related many incidents where Burnham would gallop his horse and workers had to scamper. I heard but not from Dale about such actions and when that happened many workers would fall into the trenches. I honestly don’t know if that was true but I would not put it past Burnham. The troubling, worrying, disturbing
thing about the admirers of Burnham and Jagan is this relentless unwillingness to concede major character faults, personality defects,
Frederick Kissoon political egregiousness and national mistakes by these two men. I would say the two Guyanese that admire Burnham the most are President Granger and Vincent Alexander by their publicly proclaimed sentiments for Burnham -— Alexander heads the Burnham Institute and Granger ’s private home houses four Burnham foundations/projects. But I don’t think you can
get them to give their thoughts on the reason for this horseback thing. I was on a channel 9 panel with Alexander and I brought it up but he did not respond. It is too early to assess the last African Guyanese President because Granger is just two years in power and in those two years there hasn’t been the implementation of any visionary project. I would say he has not been an impressive president, the type that Guyana cries out for, given our special historical and psychological problems. We will have to wait longer before we can determine his colonial values if any. He does come across as a conservative leader in the mould of Hoyte but surely not with the phenomenal courage of Hoyte to take uncertain pathways. He does not seem willing to agree to the changing of the marijuana penalties –including the nature of bail-and that is what I am told is holding up the amendments which remain on the Order Paper of the House
Tuesday August 01, 2017
Hunt for prison escapees…
‘We are not out of the woods yet’ – Ramjattan Despite the successes over the weekend by the joint services in capturing some of the prison escapees, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan is urging Guyanese not to relax. There are still four escapees to be apprehended.
vigilant in maintaining order at all the prisons and ensuring that any attempt of plotting an escape is thwarted. “Nothing is being taken for granted and the security is being further beefed up to ensure that the integrity of the prison is high and safety and
Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan Ramjattan expressed this position yesterday during a press conference at his Ministry’s boardroom on Brickdam. In the company of Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine and Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, Ramjattan asked for the members of the public to continue being vigilant and to report all information to the police. “I further plead with the family members, relatives, friends and associates of those on the run to turn them in if they are in contact with them or know of their whereabouts. Of course, if you are caught harbouring them you will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.” He added that the Guyana Prison Service with the support from the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force, have also been
good order prevails in the society. So Citizens can feel some heightened sense of security. I want to say that certainly we are not out of the woods. We have lots of work to do.” According to the Minister, work still needs to be done to capture the remaining four escapees. They are Paul Goriah, Mark Royden Williams, Uree Varswyck and Cobena Stephens. Ramjattan repeated that it is members of the public and the tremendous information that is being supplied to the joint services that is aiding authorities in recapturing the escapees. Meanwhile, following the incident at the Lusignan Prison whereby prisoners had started to riot, the Prisons Director informed that one prisoner was injured to the extent that he had to receive medical attention.
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During that incident, Samuels said that three improvised weapons were found in the possession of prisoners. Moreover, as it relates to the injured prison officers following the July 9, 2017 Georgetown Prison Fire, Samuels said that he visited the officers who relayed some details of what took place that day. “Last Saturday I visited six of the injured officers. I managed to get a very detailed account of most of what transpired on July 9. Many of those officers would have already given statements to ranks at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and I am quite sure the police will be acting on the information received.” He said that some ranks that were injured are still visiting the CID giving statements. According to Samuels, the investigation is in a better position because persons that could not have been pressed for information due to their medical state can now provide statements to the police. As it relates to the pistol that was reported missing at the Georgetown Prison after the fire, Samuels said that the weapon has not been recovered. According to him, it may be that the weapon was destroyed or due to the exercise to remove debris from the location, the pistol could have been moved undetected in the rubble. However, he did say that efforts were made to find the weapon at the location. The prison system was criticized for being understaffed. On this note, Samuels said that efforts are currently being made to recruit prison officers. He said that a number of persons have already been interviewed by the recruitment board. He said that the persons are on stand-by to begin training when the situation allows for this kind of activity.
Food and Nutrition Security Institute, other ventures in UG renaissance drive A Food and Nutrition Security Institute is on the cards for the University of Guyana [UG]. This is according to the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith. Griffith made this announcement at a formal installation ceremony held in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre last Friday. According to Professor Griffith, feasibility work for the establishment of an Institute of Food and Nutrition Security will begin in the New Year. Support for this venture has already been streamlined. “A distinguished Guyanese-born chemist will be spending her sabbatical year with us, and has agreed to lead this effort. I have secured the collaboration commitment of the Director of UWI’s Centre for Food Security and Entrepreneurship at Cave Hill,” Professor Griffith disclosed. The Vice Chancellor spoke of moves towards reenergizing biodiversity teaching and research at the University. He noted that the collaboration with the Ministry of the Presidency and Iwokrama must be taken to a higher level. Professor Griffith saw these and other measures as important in the renaissance movement currently unfolding at the state university. Among the areas that the Vice Chancellor has also been giving keen attention to is that of the Law Department. In underscoring the need to address multiple challenges facing the Law Department, Professor Griffith outlined what he called two initial initiatives. The first initiative, according to him, will entail the commissioning of a comprehensive review of the department. “I truly appreciate the agreement by Professor Velma Newton, a former UWI Law Dean and current Director of the IMPACT Justice Project and head of the Caribbean Law Institute Centre (CLIC), to head the review team. “I have nominations from the Law Department, but I
UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith shall defer announcement of others in the review panel until the full team has been empanelled,” announced Professor Griffith. The second initiative will see the university working towards the establishment of a Jurist-in-Residence Programme, and, according to Professor Griffith, “I am pleased that former Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh is likely to be the first Jurist-in-Residence.” Professor Griffith who commenced his appointment as the UG Vice Chancellor in June last year has outlined a number of ambitious measures that he envisions will restore the image of the national university which, according to him, has been neglected for far too long. But according to the Vice Chancellor, while his reorganization plan of October 2016 catered for the establishment of a deanship for Research and Graduate Studies, a Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence, and an Office of Legal Counsel, budgetary and other constraints precluded actualizing these. As such he noted that these will need to become priorities in the second year of the Renaissance. Part of his renaissance drive has seen the introduction of a series of actions including some that gave focus to the arts. These, according to him, have included, “using
Renaissance House, my residence, as a gallery to showcase the painting and sculpture of our students and lecturers, hosting the inaugural Painting, Music and Poetry session at Renaissance House, and appointing the first Distinguished Artist-inResidence, on a visiting basis, since Martin Carter held the position permanently decades ago. “Music icon Keith Waithe, who is here with us, is doing his second stint in this position. This coming year we shall formalize the Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Programme.” Even as he zeroed in on the arts, the Vice Chancellor announced Friday that music legend Dave Martins will be joining UG as a Distinguished Visiting Artist-in-Residence. “I have indicated to Dave and to Deputy Vice Chancellor Paloma Mohamed, who will be managing the AIR programme, that it is important that we extend the geographical reach beyond Georgetown and Berbice, to Lethem, parts of Essequibo, Linden, and other areas. Dave already has some fascinating topics for some of his eduperformance sessions.” The University under the guidance of Professor Griffith has started working with the Indian High Commissioner to support what he called an important component of the programme.
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Today we join our brothers and sisters of African heritage to celebrate Emancipation Day 2017. This year marks 179 years since the abolition of slavery, a feat that deserves to be recognized and celebrate by all. Extending messages on this occasion are a number of individuals and organizations below:
HEAD OF STATE, PRESIDENT DAVID GRANGER Emancipation Day - on 1st August 1838 - marked the end of over 200 years of enslavement in the colonies of Demerara-Essequibo and Berbice. This day marked, also, the start of Guyanese nationhood. Emancipation enabled Africans who had been enslaved
on the plantations to gain their freedom. It triggered, also, the immigration of Portuguese, Indian and Chinese indentured labourers. The descendants of these peoples, together with the indigenous Amerindians, make up the population of the free nation of Guyana today. Emancipation was the opportunity for people from four continents to build better lives for themselves and gen-
Tuesday August 01, 2017
Kaieteur News
erations to come. They embarked on a series of movements to transform the colonial landscape and the peoples’ livelihoods. The great ‘Village Movement’ started in 1839. This led, eventually, to the ‘political movement’ for civil rights and constitutional change and to the ‘labour movement’ for the improvement of conditions of work in urban and rural areas. Emancipation Day, therefore, is a most auspicious event of Guyana’s history which should be observed by all. It was, indeed, the start of the process by whi c h t h e plantations became the f oundation of one nation and through which the various peoples began to live and work together in pursuit of a common destiny. Happy Emancipation Day to all Guyanese!
WORKING PEOPLE’s ALLIANCE The WPA joins with African Guyanese in observing yet another Emancipation anniversary. Emancipation should be a reminder to all Guyanese of both the horrors of the system of slavery and the long struggle to overthrow it. The memory of slavery should serve to recommit us to a country and a world free of all forms of bondage. Slavery was a political and economic system which had far-reaching consequences for the very notion of who were classified as human beings. Africans were classified as chattel, not fit to be humans. So, Emancipation was the culmination of the struggle to restore the humanity of the enslaved. Emancipation also meant the desire for freedom on the part of the formerly enslaved—to be free to live as equal citizens, to have the right to education, to practice their culture in its deepest sense, to build and nurture their communities and above all to enjoy the fruits of their labour. Since Emancipation in 1838, there has been a constant struggle to attain that freedom. The challenges to the freedom of African Guyanese and other powerless groups in our society have multiplied, causing
many African Guyanese to question whether the Emancipation promise has been realized. WPA, therefore, urges that our country revisits, as a matter of urgency, that promise of freedom. When one looks at the socio-economic condition of African Guyanese, we cannot, as a country, be proud of our trackrecord since 1838. The decline of the villages and the village economy has had dire consequences for villagers and African Guyanese in general. The high rate of unemployment particularly among our youth population, the decline in the standard of education and the high rate of migration out of the communities are all consequences of that larger decline of the village economy. WPA wishes to use this Emancipation anniversary to raise anew the urgency of the restoration of the right to work and to earn a living wage as fundamental human rights. While, we recognize that government has to juggle scarce national resources, we urge that the next budget shout treat with the matter of improved public service wages as a matter of high priority. More efficient government services cannot be realized outside of a living wage for government workers.
ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE August 1 in Guyana marks a day of celebration of the attainment of freedom and the end of slavery. It is also imperative that we spend time reflecting on the life of tribulation and servitude that our foreparents were forced to endure for centuries under brutish colonial rule. Even as we engage in the festivities of Emancipation Day 2017, the Alliance For Change urges the nation to reflect on the oppression and brutality of slavery and bondage, in all its forms, including its modern incarnations, and renew our national commitment never to return to the dark days of oppression, servitude and submission when basic individual freedoms were deprived and a ‘massa’ mentality pervaded. As we engage in prayer, culinary delicacies, socializing and fraternizing we must never forget the sacrifices of
our forefathers who suffered and paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we now enjoy. As the heirs of emancipation fought for by Cuffy, Accra, Damon and other heroes we have a sacred duty to ensure that their struggles and sacrifices are never forgotten or eroded. It is our duty to celebrate their lives and sacrifices and recognize their contribution to the human and social upliftment of our beloved nation. The beat of the drums in celebration should forever remind us that we are called upon to ensure the protection of those rights and freedoms which were fought for and won at emancipation time. Guyanese must guard against the forces who wish to return our nation to a state in which Guyanese are treated as the property for political, economic and other purposes. This is the solemn duty of every citizen.
APNU/AFC COALITION GOVERNMENT Every August 1st since 1838, successive generations have reflected on the struggles of the original freedom fighters – Cuffy, Quamina and Damon and those with whom they organized and mobilized to effect redress to the darkest and most heinous act in human history – the enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean and the Americas. Following centuries of despicable and inhumane enslavement, these indomitable African warriors demanded and fought for an end to hundreds of years of abhorrence. Freedom was restored and this represents the original independence in our nation’s history. As was noted on the previous observance of this occasion the emancipation of African slaves predated the abolition of indentureship, the struggle for universal adult suffrage and labour rights, independence from colonial rule and the attainment of Republican status. Now, in a democratic nation where freedoms have been restored and are zealously guarded, we thrive and look toward the future with great hope and expectation. Long may this continue as we build Guyana towards a glorious future of the good life in a green economy.
THE PEOPLE’S PROGRESSIVE PARTY The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to extend warmest Emancipation greetings to every Guyanese, especially our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters. Slavery remains the most cruel and inhumane system of subjugation and discrimination known to human history. The celebration of its abolition is the right and duty of every single human being. Under the most intolerable and horrendous conditions, the slaves were able to mobilize and struggle relentlessly for their freedom. When freedom finally came, the freed slaves and their descendants, though uneducated, demonstrated an exceptional degree of industry, thrift and financial acumen and hence, were able to acquire large portions of land, which today remains the foundation of our village movement and subsis-
tence cash crop industry. Indeed, the contributions of slaves and their descendants to every facet of life in this nation is simply immeasurable and it would be impossible to accurately capture in a mere statement of this nature. As we celebrate this important historic and national occasion, we urge every Guyanese not only to reflect upon the herculean sacrifices of the slaves and their descendants, their incomparable struggles and their remarkable achievements, but also to use them as a source of inspiration and guide as we continue to work together to build a united and democratic nation, free from poverty and discrimination and one in which every Guyanese believes that he/she can achieve his/her true potential. Happy Emancipation Day to all.
Tuesday August 01, 2017
GUYANAAGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION The final “full freedom” of Emancipation was won after decades of death, suffering, slavery and exploitation from 1763 through 1823 to 1834 and finally 1838. The spirit of yearning for freedom – that liberty of mind, body and soul from ownership by others never deserted the African slaves and the indentured contracted workers who followed them after full Emancipation in 1838. Numerous were the uprisings, rebellions, protests, riots and strikes. Emancipation never came willingly or cheaply from the colonialists. Against those sentiments, GAWU salutes the memory of those who struggled and sacrificed for freedom, and the descendants of our African forefathers who today have hopefully inherited their spirit of justice and true freedom from those who dared to stand up against the brutal, enslaving colonial system. It is now popular to repeat that “had there been no Emancipation there would have been no Arrival”. But it is still a valid observation of our shared history. Both slaves “apprentices” and indentured labourers were children of the plantation – however illegitimate they were made to be. Sugar is the historical reason for today’s diverse demography we know as Guyanese society. It is perhaps a curious but understandable fact of Guyana’s socio-economic history that sugar brought us together, often forged bonds of collective struggle against the plantocracy and for independence. GAWU feels that this Emancipation 2017 period should re-inforce in us all the lessons of the post-1838 history. In unity, strength is most sustained. Today, sugar workers are at a low ebb facing the disaster of unemployment as government flounders to fashion a valid structured lasting plan to rescue an historic industry. Closure threatens thousands – both
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Kaieteur News
sugar workers and other members of the working-class. As with the forced apprentices in 1838 today’s sugar workers face a bleak, hopeless future unless, economic sense prevails and the workers’ representatives are listened to with serious intent. The descendants of Emancipation must all share in equal opportunity as our natural and human resources become available to development for all. GUYANA TRADES UNION CONGRESS On this day 179 years ago the valiant struggle by Africans for human dignity and respect was advanced a step further with the Emancipation Proclamation which ended the most brutish system of man’s injustice towards another. Freedom from chattel slavery not only set in train a series of events proving to the world the indomitable spirit of the newly freed, and the capacity of human fellowship across racial diversity, but that of selfdetermination in charting a course for further up-liftment and development. The nation will recall the dogged pursuit for economic freedom, via the Village Movement, that saw the purchasing of plantations to establish communities, local government, build stability, familial and otherwise, and advance development. This sense of thrift not only proved beyond a shadow of doubt a people’s capability, who though for hundreds of years toiled and lived under inhumane conditions, whips reigning down on their backs, families torn asunder, treated as property not human beings, in the four-year of Amelioration (1834-1834) were able to achieve what others thought impossible. The achievements must not only be testimony of the ability to self-determine but also determination not to be enslaved or constrained by past unpleasantries. Heirs and beneficiaries of these struggles, sacrifices and gains must engage in redoubling of efforts,
vigilance and insistency to be allowed to continue the forebears’ work. Zealously defending, protecting, strengthening and deepening what was bequeathed and leaving a firmer foundation for future generations must become the mantra and solemn pledge. Freedom is not free, it requires eternal vigilance and continuous sacrifices. To the extent where Africans are deprived of equality in the social, cultural, political, civic and economic environment, all out efforts must be made to secure these. And let it be said, in the pursuit of said determination, it must matter not the identity or diversity of those who suppress or support the cause. The only thing that must matter is the cause, for it speaks to and solidify the inalienable rights of all humankind. To ignore this would be unlike the ancestors who worked with others in furtherance of their interests and resisted any who participated in their enslavement and deprivations. FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT TRADE UNIONS OF GUYANA The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) joins easily with all Guyanese in the observance and, indeed, celebration of Emancipation 2017. We are well aware of our colonial history which this occasion reminds us of. We recall that the British colonial plantocracy did everything in its guile and power to keep African slaves in plantation bondage even after the British Parliament passed the Emancipation Act in August of 1833. The enslaved had to wait until August, 1834 – one full year later – to enjoy liberty. But with stiff conditions. They had to register as “apprentices” to work for limited payment on the same pre-1834 plantations. This apprenticeship was intended to last for four (4) to six (6) years.
FITUG highlights the foregoing to illustrate that freedom was not easily granted. Hundreds of slaves had died in the 1823 East Coast Uprising – just 11 years before 1834. Slaves on the Essequibo Coast saw their leader, Damon, executed for thinking that complete emancipation had been granted. To add salt to the wounds of the forced population, the Planters were awarded thousands of pounds as “compensation” for the loss of their African labour. The slaves received nothing for their years of slave service. But the Spirit of Man – however severely tested – is resilient and given to liberty. The African forefathers utilized savings from the Apprenticeship service to buy lands and began anew their lives under the new conditions. Since then their descendants have made admirable strides in the various fields of human endeavour. They have become an important part of Guyana’s demography. However, 179 years after 1838’s “full freedom” Guyana is still beset by modern day problems. Today, we see a new struggle being engaged in by Guyanese of various persuasions. The cost of living rises affects FITUG’s working-class members; crime is dramatic, dangerous and they are literally daily occurrences. The government itself does not seem inclined to negotiate a living wage for its own employees, even as the private sector – whether in commerce, mining, manufacturing or agriculture – lays out the restraints hampering production. At this time, even as we celebrate our Emancipation Day and the positive strides made, FITUG urges workers to unite in solidarity against any burgeoning repression. We must take inspiration from the African pioneers of post-1838, in the pursuit of economic and social justice for all. Let not the forefathers’ struggles be in vain. A reflective and happy Emancipation Day 2017 to all Guyanese.
Venezuela’s Maduro cheers election, opposition barricades streets CARACAS (Reuters) Anti-government demonstrators barricaded streets yesterday and promised a fresh wave of protests against President Nicolas Maduro, after an election a day earlier giving the Venezuelan leader and his ruling Socialist Party sweeping powers. At least 10 people were killed on Sunday in protests against the unpopular Maduro, who insists the country’s newly elected constituent assembly will bring peace after four months of protests that have killed more than 120 people. Opposition parties sat out the election, saying it was rigged as part of a naked power grab by Maduro, leaving all 545 of the assembly’s seats for the socialists and their allies. Protesters set up barricades along main avenues of Caracas as they denounced the advent of dictatorship. Construction worker Leonardo Valbuena, 35, leaning on a rusting barrel next to a cable was stretched across a usually busy street, said he was protesting because the economic crisis had left him
unable to find work. “I’ve got four kids - four! How am I supposed to feed them?” said Valbuena, adding that the official figure of 8 million voters in Sunday’s election was inflated. The opposition put the figure at around 2.5 million. “Now that they’ve got their assembly they’re going to come for us. But we’ll die fighting them.” Countries across the Americas, as well as the European Union, denounced the creation of the assembly, which will have the power to rewrite the constitution. The United States - the top market for the OPEC nation’s oil - called the vote a sham, and officials in Washington said they were preparing oil-sector sanctions. Opposition leaders say the election was designed to tighten Maduro’s hold on power amid growing anger over an economic crisis marked by rising poverty levels, the world’s highest inflation rate and chronic food shortages. Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega, who has been harshly critical of Maduro this year,
Opposition supporters shout slogans during a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government in San Cristobal (Reuters photo) said the creation of the constituent assembly was putting “absolute power” in the hands of the Socialist Party leadership. “We are in the presence of dictatorial ambitions,” Ortega told a news conference. Government officials have for weeks suggested that she will be removed by the new assembly, which will have the power to dissolve state institutions such as the opposi-
tion-run Congress and dismiss state officials. Maduro last night called for a “restructuring” of the chief prosecutor’s office. TAKEOVER OF CONGRESS? Opposition lawmakers met to discuss strategies. “Nobody recognizes that (constituent) assembly, it’s the epitome of nothing,” said legislator Juan Requesens in an internet broadcast as he entered Congress for a meet-
ing with opposition deputies. Socialist Party No. 2 Diosdado Cabello on Sunday hinted that the constituent assembly would meet in the same legislative palace. The socialists had controlled Congress until the opposition’s landslide victory in 2015. “They kick us out the door we come back through the window,” he told a news conference. Requesens, however, warned of a struggle if gov-
ernment forces wanted to seize the premises of the legislature. “If they want to take over Congress with their armored vehicles, with their paramilitary groups, then what’s waiting for them here is a fight,” he said, referring to armed pro-government gangs who recently burst into Congress and beat legislators with lead pipes, leaving several of them bloodied and injured. Latin American nations from Argentina to Mexico, which are historically wary of siding with Washington in hemispheric disputes, sharply condemned the vote, leaving Venezuela on track to become a pariah state. The EU said the constituent assembly could not be part of the negotiated solution to the country’s crisis, noting it was elected under doubtful and often violent circumstances.. The opposition organized an unofficial referendum over Maduro’s plan earlier in July, when more than 7 million voters overwhelmingly rejected his constituent assembly and voted in favor of early presidential elections.
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Kaieteur News
Spa salon furniture to sell on less price. Please call: 6181853 2 Samsung Galaxy s8 smartphones for sale and much more. Call 685-7251 for more info E l e v a t o r, g l a s s s l i d i n g door, ceiling fans, metal gates. Call: 231-1284/2239719
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Tuesday August 01, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Operation “Focus” to continue even after capture of Camp Street Prison escapee
Commander Paul Williams
The house Alexander used as a hideout. ‘B’ Division Commander Paul Williams, and his Deputy Edmond Cooper, are assuring Berbicians that the security of the region is on their priority list with Operation “Focus”. Williams opined that in light of the recent capture of Stafrei Alexander security protocals will not be relaxed. “We want Berbicians to know that not because Stafrei Alexander is arrested means that security will be relaxed. We are gonna keep at it and maintain posture with a high level of security alertness and we gonna be doing operation “Focus”, every little aspect as it relates to crime and traffic lawlessness we are going to be targeting,” Williams stressed. He further explained that they still have a job to do. “We have robberies and other things likely to happen and it simply means that we need to be on top of the situation”. The Commander is there-
fore asking that the media along with Berbicians work together with him as it relates to the disseminating of information connected to a crime or suspect. Under the leadership of Williams, ranks in Berbice were able to capture Stafrei Alexander in an unfenced yard aback of Topoo, Hampshire, Corentyne, Berbice. The house situated in the said yard was used as a hide out for Alexander. He reportedly ate sugarcane to survive while on his hideout. Alexander was eventually caught after an intelligenceled operation commenced at 20:00hrs on Friday. The Commander confirmed that he was nursing a gunshot wound to the leg, an injury he sustained about a week ago after police received reports that he was seen in the Port Mourant backlands. He was treated at the Port
Mourant Hospital in the company of the police and was subsequently taken into custody. Williams also confirmed that the wound was exposed giving an indication that he was not being treated and assisted by anyone for the injury. Alexander reportedly told ranks that he was alone while the others went their separate ways, Williams said. Four persons were detained and released the said evening of the fugitives capture. Meanwhile, just recently a quantity of improvised weapons and cell phones were discovered during a prison search after information got around to ranks that inmates might be attempting to cause a disturbance similar to Camp Street Prison Fire. There were reports that they were trying to smuggle contraband and other illegal items into the prison.
Joint Services beefed up around the Lusignan Prison.
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U.S. targets Venezuelan President Maduro for sanctions
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro show his ballot as casts his vote at a polling station during the Constituent Assembly election in Caracas (Reuters photo) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government slapped sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro yesterday, the Tr u m p ’s administration’s toughest move so far against his government in response to Sunday’s election of a legislative superbody Washington denounced as a “sham” vote. No oil-related measures were included in the announcement, but such measures remain under consideration, according to congressional sources and a person familiar with the White House’s deliberations on the matter. Under the sanctions, a l l o f M a d u r o ’s a s s e t s subject to U.S. jurisdiction were frozen, and Americans are barred from doing business with him, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said. “By sanctioning Maduro, the United States makes clear our opposition to the policies of his regime and our support for the people of Venezuela who seek to return their country to a full and prosperous democracy,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. He said anyone who participates in the new legislative superbody could
Tuesday August 01, 2017
Kaieteur News
be exposed to future U.S. sanctions for undermining democracy in Venezuela. In Caracas on Monday, Maduro celebrated the election of the new legislative superbody, which is expected to give the ruling Socialist Party sweeping powers. He mocked U.S. criticism that the vote on Sunday was an affront to democracy. The sanctions against Maduro could be followed by measures targeting further senior Venezuelan officials as well as oil-sector measures in an “escalatory process” depending on how far the Venezuelan government goes in implementing the new congress following Sunday’s vote, according to the person familiar with the White House deliberations. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has also weighed possible sanctions against Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and Socialist Party No. 2 Diosdado Cabello, other U.S. officials have told Reuters. But experts say individual sanctions, while providing strong symbolism, have had little or no impact on Maduro’s policies and that broader oil-sector and financial sanctions may be the only way to make the Venezuelan government feel economic pain.
Trump fires communications chief Scaramucci in new White House upheaval WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump fired his communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, yesterday over an obscene tirade, just over a week after naming him to the job, sources familiar with the decision said, in the latest staff upheaval to hit the Republican’s six-month-old administration. The move took place on the first day of work for Trump’s new chief of staff, retired Marine Corps General John Kelly, who sources said was seeking to impose order and discipline on a White House riven with factions and backbiting. “There’s a new sheriff in town,” said Barry Bennett, a former Trump campaign adviser. An administration official said Kelly had asked for Scaramucci’s removal. “A great day at the White House!” Trump tweeted last evening. The departure of Scaramucci followed one of the rockiest weeks of Trump’s presidency in which a major Republican effort to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system failed in Congress and both his spokesman and previous chief of staff left their jobs as White House infighting burst into the open.
From left: John Kelly, President Donald Trump and Anthony Scaramucci (Photo credit: Getty Images) Scaramucci was damaged by comments he made to The New Yorker magazine last week in which he attacked then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon, in profanityladen terms. “The president certainly felt that Anthony’s comments were inappropriate for a person in that position,” spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. In a change from previous procedure at the Trump White House, all staff will now report to Kelly, including Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Sanders said.
A Republican official close to the White House said Kelly had been given wide authority to impose order on the unruly Trump White House. Tensions in Trump’s inner circle erupted last week when Scaramucci assailed Priebus and Bannon, two of the West Wing’s most senior figures. He accused Priebus of leaking information to the media. Priebus later resigned. Trump appeared on Monday with Kelly in the Oval Office and in a Cabinet meeting where he predicted the new chief of staff would do a “spectacular job.” He praised Kelly for his tenure overseeing border security issues at
the Department of Homeland Security. “With a very controversial situation, there’s been very little controversy, which is really amazing by itself,” Trump said. Republicans fear that staff chaos at the White House could derail any attempt to revive efforts to repeal and replace the Obamacare healthcare law and a plan to overhaul the U.S. tax system. The U.S. dollar hit a more than 2-1/2-year low against the euro on Monday on month-end portfolio adjustments and uncertainty over the U.S. political outlook after Scaramucci’s departure.
Aeshwar Deonarine sues K/News, Minister... From page 17 Law Murseline Bacchus in the High Court, Glenn Lall, Publisher of Kaieteur News; and Adam Harris, Editor-in-Chief of Kaieteur News, were named as the third and fourth defendants respectively. The second and fifth named defendants are listed as National Media and Publishing Company Limited and Kaieteur News respectively. Deonarine is contending that in a November 11, 2015 issue of Kaieteur News the defendants falsely and malicious printed and published an article “Government makes no effort to recover $27M from former GPL Deputy CEO.” The document said that
by publishing the article the whole world understood that Deonarine had stolen $27M from GPL, or at least took the sum to which he was not entitled from GPL and had committed a criminal offence, and as such, sues the defendants jointly for damages to the tune of $1B, with costs. The article, the document said, highlighted that Deonarine had reportedly signed off on payments to himself totalling $27M. Duncan who was a former Director at GPL received $948,000. “The discoveries of the suspicious monetary transfers were made by independent auditors who were probing the PetroCaribe Fund, which held proceeds of oil
shipments taken from neighbouring Venezuela. Some of the monies were used to buy Wartsila engines for GPL among other things.” The monies represented back pay the men felt they deserved, the document said was published. It went on to say that Kaieteur News published that Deonarine, who had been responsible for administration had reportedly wanted to receive the same level of pay as the then Deputy CEO (Technical), Colin Welch, but his approaches to the Board of Directors were rebuffed. He had reportedly offered to repay the money but GPL was supposed to have waited until it was transferred from
Top Cop denies ordering... From page 3 a warrant. Meanwhile, Nizam Khan, the businessman at the centre of the plot, denied offering Gillard $7 million to kill President Granger. The businessman, of Diamond East Bank Demerara, took the stand at the COI yes-
terday. He related to the commission that he and Gillard were neighbours but their relationship was strained because Gillard had robbed him of some $1.8 million. Khan said that Gillard had accused him of having an affair with his wife and even
supplied the police with false information. Gillard had accused him of stealing radio sets and threatening to shoot him. The man said that although he owned a gun, it was .32 Taurus pistol, which he had never used or thought of using.
his US bank account. The document said that this newspaper published, “When Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson confronted Duncan, he kept changing his story. In the first instance, Duncan said that the Board approved it. “When told that officials of the board denied this, Duncan then said it was the Chairman, Winston Brassington. But Brassington reportedly also denied granting approval. Duncan then said it may have been the former Prime Minster Samuel Hinds. Hinds when contacted distanced him from the payment.” “Confronted again, Duncan then suggest it may have been former President Donald Ramotar. According to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, Government has taken steps to ensure that no interference will come as a result of the findings.” Here is a link to read the full article online: http:// www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2015/11/11/govt-makes-noeffort-to-recover-27m-fromformer-gpl-deputy-ceo/ _GoBack_GoBack.
Tuesday August 01, 2017
Kaieteur News
Army fingers 3 in payroll scam: $2M siphoned off (Trinidad Guardian) Two members of the T&T Defence Force (TTDF) are now under arrest at the TTDF’s headquarters in Chaguaramas, as investigations continue into the defrauding of almost $2 million in payments. The privates and a civilian worker attached to the T&T Defence Force’s (TTDF) payroll department were questioned over the weekend. However, the T&T Guardian was told by sources within the TTDF that a very senior official in the TTDF is said to be the main “brain” behind the operation to siphon money from the organisation over the years. It is believed that three other soldiers close to the senior officer are also involved. According to the TTDF source, the “defrauding operation” is not new in the TTDF. “This has been going on for years and years. Soldiers have been getting as much as $20,000 and $30,000 added to their normal salaries over the years, but now it look like they get too greedy because that figure went to $100,000 in some cases,” the TTDF source said.
“All this has been discovered in the paperwork, which of course confirmed the talk going around with this one saying he get so much and so much in his account from the bank and he could see about house or car. “So the talk keep spreading until it reach the ear of the person who began digging up.” It is also suspected that years ago there was an “accidental” death of a private in the TTDF camp linked to the same defrauding operation. “It was said after that soldier got information and names of those involved in defrauding large sums of money back then and when he vowed to expose all he was suddenly killed, which of course they labelled as an accidental shooting,” the TTDF source said In a media release issued yesterday, the TTDF’s Public Affairs Officer, Flight Lieutenant Monique Sprott, confirmed the situation, saying instructions for the investigations came from acting Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Captain Hayden Pritchard. Pritchard has been en-
gaged in an investigation into the reports of overpayments. Sprott said the matter has also been reported to the police, who are currently engaged in an independent investigation into the matter. She said the investigation was the result of the improved auditing functions in the TTDF, which ultimately led to a discovery of significant and unusual overpayments to members of the TTDF who have been specifically identified. “The TTDF commends its internal auditors on the work undertaken in this matter to date and reconfirms its commitment to driving the continued improvement of the organisation whilst being ever mindful of the need for care and caution in due process,” Sprott said. The T&T Guardian understands that the two members of the payroll department and a civilian worker, who is on sick leave, have been fingered in the investigation. It was alleged that a replacement for the ill worker found the discrepancy and reported it to his supervisor.
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North Korea can hit most of United States: U.S. officials WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea’s latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has shown that Pyongyang now may be able to reach most of the continental United States, two U.S. officials told Reuters yesterday. The assessment, which the officials discussed on condition of anonymity, underscored the growing threat posed by Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs, and could add pressure on President Donald Trump’s administration to respond. North Korea said on Saturday it had conducted another successful test of an ICBM that proved its ability to strike America’s mainland. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the midnight launch of the missile on Friday night and called it a “stern warning” to the United States that it would not be safe from destruction if it tried
to attack, the North’s official KCNA news agency said. However, two U.S. intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday Kim wants to develop a nuclear-capable ICBM to deter any attack on his country and gain international legitimacy, not to launch an attack on the United States or its allies that he knows would be suicidal. The Pentagon declined to comment on the U.S. assessment of the missile launch, even as it acknowledged that the latest test represented the longest test flight of any North Korean missile. “The specifics of our assessment are classified for reasons I hope you understand,” Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis told a news briefing, acknowledging only that the missile could fly at least 5,500 km (3,420 miles), the minimum range for what the Pentagon classifies
as an ICBM. Two separate U.S. officials who discussed the latest test, which lasted about 45 minutes, said it showed greater range than the July 4 ICBM launch, which North Korea said lasted 39 minutes. One of the officials said it had greater height, range and power than the previous test because it used force stabilizing engines, which counter the effects of winds and other forces that can knock an ascending rocket off course. DIFFERENT TRAJECTORY Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke with Trump on Monday and agreed on the need for more action on North Korea hours after the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations said Washington is “done talking about North Korea”. The Pentagon acknowledged military-to-military talks after the test with U.S. allies Japan and South Korea. Davis added that while the test missile had a lofted trajectory rather than the more direct one required to reach the United States, the military takes the threat seriously.
Tuesday August 01, 2017
Oil markets escape Venezuela sanctions for now NEW YORK (Reuters) U.S. oil markets had a muted reaction yesterday after Washington slapped sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but experts say broader oil-sector and financial sanctions may be the only way to make the Venezuelan government feel economic pain. The move came after Sunday’s vote creating a new legislative superbody with the power to dissolve state institutions such as the opposition-run Congress. Countries around the world denounced the vote while Washington called it a “sham.” All of Maduro’s assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction were frozen, and Americans are barred from doing business with him, the U.S. Treasury Department said. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, when asked about oil sanctions against Venezuela, said the U.S. would consider all options, keeping the possibility of trade flow disruptions alive.
U.S. oil futures rose to settle above $50 a barrel on Monday, ahead of a key producer meeting and on expectations that sanctions would include the oil sector. Traders and analysts said the sanctions, in their current state, would not affect oil flows to or from Venezuela. “The latest sanctions are more symbolic than anything else, as the oil sector remains exempted,” said UBS oil analyst Giovanni Staunovo. The market had expected a likely ban on U.S. exports of lighter crude that Venezuela mixes with its heavy crude. Other options had included individual sanctions or various measures to restrict the Venezuelan government and state oil company PDVSA’s access to the U.S. banking system. Such moves might help Maduro in the realm of public opinion, said Adam Sieminski of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank and
former head of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, prior to the announcement. “If we impose sanctions on Venezuela, we’re giving Maduro a scapegoat. He can blame his country’s problems on the United States,” he said. Ve n e z u e l a i s a k e y source of heavy sour crude for U.S. refiners. U.S. i m p o r t s o f Ve n e z u e l a n crude in the first four months this year averaged 724,000 barrels per day (bpd). The country has become more reliant on imports for blending due to problems at its refiners, which are runn ing far below capacity. Venezuela took in an average of nearly 87,000 bpd of American-made fuels so far this year. U.S. refiners such as Valero Energy Corp and Marathon Petroleum Corp have been shifting away from processing heavy crudes such as those supplied by Venezuela and other OPEC producers.
Tuesday August 01, 2017
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Tuesday August 01, 2017
Taylor’s 60 spurs Select XI to win over Warriors (From page 30) Katwaroo off Mohammed as three wickets fell in quick succession to leave the score on 67-5. The 18-year-old Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan joined Taylor who accelerated after a watchful start; hitting Mohammed for 14 runs in one over with a six and a four to move into the 40’s. Taylor, of Jamaican parentage, clobbered Primus to the mid-wicket boundary to post his fifty but was removed at 116-6 by Primus, who also got rid of Khan (13) a run later. Sherfane Rutherford was run out for five, while Tanveer bowled Keon Joseph for a duck leaving Eon Hooper (0) and Muhammad Ali Khan (8) unbeaten. When the Warriors began their chase of the small target, Guptill got off the mark
with a boundary but soon lost his off-stump to the lively Joseph, while Assad Fudadin (0) was bowled by Ali Khan at 42. Mohammed and Katwaroo joined forces and added 84 for the third wicket before Katwaroo was run out and although Mohammed batted confidently and reached his fifty, he was LBW to Khan who tormented the West Indians when Afghanistan toured the Caribbean this year. Tanveer (18) hit a four and a six but none of the others reached double figures as the Warriors fell 12 short when their overs ran. Meanwhile, The Warriors lost yesterday against a Leon Johnson led Guyana X1 in the Super overs after the scores were tied in the match. The Warriors made123-6
with Kemo Paul making an unbeaten 36 with four sixes and a four from 17balls and got support from Babar Azam, who made 29. Romario Shepherd took 2-30 for Guyana who then reached123-8 to set up the Super Over. Anthony Bramble top scored with 37, while Rajendra Chandrika made 23 as Ali Khan had 4-23 and Permaul took 2-17 Ali khan bowled the Super over and Rutherford was removed for a duck, while Johnson (6) and Bramble (8) saw their team to 15-1. The Warriors reached 101 from the over bowled by Paul Wintz with Taylor (8) and Paul (1) at the crease after Guptill was dismissed of the first ball. The Warriors play their final practice game today from 11:00hrs at Providence.
Tuesday August 01, 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Property investments, insurance, taxes, or inheritance should bring you financial gains. Romance could develop through social activities or short trips. You will be able to work in fine detail and present the best possible proposal.
ish entertainment. Change will be required to make your life more harmonious. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Try not to judge too quickly. You have two choices; Get out on your own, or bend to your mate's whims. If you're already in a relationship, use this added energy passionately.
TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21) You can help other people with their financial problems by setting up a budget for them.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Emotional disputes will only end in sorrow. Problems with colleagues are likely.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You will be quite excitable today. Uncertain changes regarding your personal life are evident. Frustrations and limitations could cause anxiety today.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Use your creative talent in order to accomplish your goals. You will find your personal partner taxing today. Get help to finish a project if you need it.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Hard work will payoff if you refrain from expressing your opinion to superiors. Opportunities to travel will develop through peers. Discuss your objectives with partners or peers.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Pamper yourself; the self esteem it brings you will be most gratifying. You can avoid hassles by sticking to your work and refusing to get involved in gossip or idle chatter.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Take the time to do something nice for your friends and relatives. Your mind is on moneymaking ventures. Opposition is present and you should be prepared to counteract it as best you can.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Your self confidence will attract members of the opposite sex Take things slowly, especially for the sake of those you love.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Children may be on your mind. Socialize with friends, but don't overspend on lav-
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PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Children may be difficult to handle. You may be tired of working for someone else. It's time to reevaluate your motives.
Lands and Survey claim Trophy Stall dominoes Lands and Survey notched up 74 games to win the final of the Trophy Stall dominoes competition which was contested recently.
Guyoil finished second with 61 games, while The Ministry of Agriculture NDIA was third on 59. Nine teams took part in the
competition which saw the top three finishers collecting trophies and cash prizes. The competition was organsied by James Lewis.
Regional Under-15 Championship -3rd round BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Results of matches played in the third round of the Regional Under15 Championship here yesterday: Scores: At KMV Oval: Leewards won by 15 runs. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 168 for eight off 50 overs (Darren Samlal 44, Kyle Roopchand 22, Tariq Mohammed 21; Jaylen Francis 2-16)
LEEWARD ISLANDS 169 for six off 42.3 overs (Carlton Tuckett 40, T’Jhari Clarke 27, Anderson Amurdan 25; Andrew Rambarran 2-19) At Weymouth A: Windwards won by 14 runs. WINDWARD ISLANDS 162 off 49.2 overs (Teddy Bishop 51, O-Jay Matthews 21; Sheldon Charles 4-28, Hemray Harrilall 2-25) GUYANA 148 off 48.3 overs (Marvan Prashad 40, Sheldon Charles 39; Udell
Preville 3-23, Ackeem Auguste 3-32) At Windward Cricket Club: Barbados won by 89 runs. BARBADOS 222 for eight off 50 overs (Jacon Bethell 100 not out, Giovante DePeiza 44, Thierry Walcott 25; Brandon English 3-26, Rajiv Redhi 2-28) JAMAICA 133 off 39.5 overs (Shemar Phillips 27; Romario Brathwaite 6-20)
Moeen hat-trick seals England rout... (From page 28) final day of a test four wickets down having secured draws only three times. For a while it looked like Elgar and Bavuma had not read the script, however, as they increased their fifthwicket partnership to 108 before Roland-Jones sparked the first flurry of wickets. The debutant seamer took his tally to eight in the match by snaring Bavuma (32) and Vernon Philander (0) lbw with full-length deliveries. With blue skies and little cloud cover, batting conditions proved the easiest of the match and Elgar looked untroubled in reaching his eighth test century and second against England. But the tourists suffered a further blow to the last ball before lunch when Moeen had Chris Morris caught in the slips by Stokes for 24. Suitably refreshed, Moeen mopped up the tail. Bizarrely, he was the third
bowler, after Stokes and Roland-Jones, to take two wickets with successive balls in the innings before eclipsing his team mates to claim his 18th wicket of the series. The game proved just as one-sided as the previous two, with England winning at Lord’s by 211 runs before losing at Trent Bridge by 340 runs. England will have the mo-
mentum going into the final test which starts at Manchester on Friday as they eye their first home series win over South Africa since 1998. Scores: England 353 (Stokes 112, Cook 88) and 313 for 8 dec (Bairstow 63, Westley 59, Root 50) beat South Africa 175 (Bavuma 52, Roland-Jones 5-57) and 205 for 7 (Elgar 136, Moeen 4-45) by 239 runs.
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Tuesday August 01, 2017
Top Brandz Corona Invitational Football
GFC, Western Tigers & Police in winners’ row With an empty Goal and an advancing Keeper, Venezuelan Alberto Vera’s shot was well saved by the Black Pearl’s Custodian. (Sean Devers photo)
By Sean Devers Host GFC, Western Tigers and Police all emerged victorious on Sunday night as the top Brandz Corona Beer invitational football tournament continued at the GFC Ground with GFC beating Black Pearl FC 6-1, Western Tigers destroying Beacons FC 13-1 and Police getting past Camptown 1-nil. In sunny conditions, with the shadow of the GFC Pavilion stretching across the pitch, a handful of fans watched as the home team executed several excellent passes and demonstrated a skill level which was superior to their opponents Black Pearl FC. On a ground which was a lot firmer than on Friday and with pulsating music coming from the Black Peal Sound
System in the pavilion, Venezuelan Alberto Vera wasted two chances to score in quick succession when he missed judged a pass from square infront of the goal mouth. Then, after doing all the hard work to get past the defenders and with only the keeper to beat, Vera kicked the ball straight at the Black Peal Custodian as GFC dominated possession but had problems finishing. A powerful shot from just outside the box went right through the Black Pearl Keeper as Nigerian Benjamin Opera scored the opening goal in the 14th minute. A tackle inside the area brought down Vera resulting in a penalty being awarded the GFC and Shaquille Bowan made no mistake to give his team a 2-nil
Andrew Murray nets 5 for the ‘Tigers’
advantage in the 27th minute. Black Pearl, who were mauled 13-0 by favorites Western Tigers, had a couple of opportunities but as soon as they got the ball it was quickly taken away by GFC. Lavaughn Innis, in a well orchestrated build-up by two assists, caught the defence coming forward as he fired from just outside the 18-yard box in the 35th minute to make the score GFC 3, Black Pearl nil, a score line which remained by half-time. The second half saw three more goals being scored as Joel Humphrey netted in 66th minute, Vera finally found the back of the net in the 73rd minute, while Bowan in the 79th minute added to the tally. Ocemic Griffith scored Black Pearl’s lone goal in the 58th minute. Western Tigers, easily
the best team in the tournament, continued their high scoring wins with a 131 effort against Beacons. The impressive Andrew Murray was on fire, blasting in five goals, while Hubert Pedro beat Beacons’ Custodian four times to set up the emphatic win under lights. Murray scored in the 15th, 58th, 59th, 80th, & 87th minutes, Pedro goals came in the 62nd, 63rd, 67th, & 91st minutes, while Mark Gritten (19th), Lennox Cort (68th) and Shane Morris (76th) also registered goals as the Tigers’ scored 13 goals for the second time in the competition. Travis Lyken (52nd) scored the consolation goal for Beacons. Dwayne Jacobs (62nd) led Police to a 1-nil win over Camptown in the last match
Andrew Murray of the night. T h e To u r n a m e n t continues on Friday August 4 with the following fixtures: At 17:00 hrs Beacons FC
play Black Pearl FC, at 19:00 hrs Pele FC battle Flamingo FC and at 21:00 hrs Santos FC face-off with Northern Rangers FC.
Fireworks expected in Four Horsemen Top Brandz Corona Emancipation meet More Companies on board as prize monies increase and changes made The Port Mourant Turf Club all set for today’s Emancipation Horserace action. With all systems in place, all roads lead to the Port Mourant (Big Yard) Turf Club, today, for the mouthwatering Four Horsemen Top Brandz Corona Beer Emancipation one Day horserace meet. With all entries in place and all systems set, the venue is expected to be packed for the fireworks expected to explode. Meanwhile, Poonai Pharmacy and AFF
Shipping Agency are the latest to join the list of sponsors for the seven race meet which has a prize package of $5M in cash, trophies and other incentives up for the takings. Over 60 horses have taken entry. A top Class field now include Honey Flow, Quiet Dancer and Brave Sky who have been entered in the feature event which is now for animals E1 and lower for
a winning pocket of $600,000 and the Top Branz Corona Beer trophy over 1300M. They will have their work cut out against the likes of Witchy Poo, Storm Bird, Media Day, Climate Change, Bridal stone Corner and Because I Say So. The Three Year Old Top Brandz Corona 1300M Classic for a top prize of $500,000 have the likes of Puppy Tail, King Stanley, Seven Dust, De Rock, Governa Ground Gal, Fresh Dancer, Supreme Cat, Natural Beauty competing in the Co-feature event. The H class event is now an open affair with Its Mt Turn,
Super Bowl, Sweet Return, Quiet Dancer, Bridal Stone Corner, T and T and Midnight Blues running in the 1200M for a first prize of $300,000 and trophy. The 2 yrs old Guyana bred animals will be racing for the first time. The winning prize is $250,000 and trophy with Release the Heat, Dona View, Perfect Return, Touch Gold, Jungle Princess and Princess Sharia in contention. Red Jet, Party Time, Daddy’s Dollar and Mary Ann are in contention in the I3 & lower 200M race for a wining prize of $200,000
and trophy. The J3 and 4 years and older and K class event will be racing over 1100M for a winning prize of $150,000 over 1100M. I am back, Red Region, Not This Time, Big Man in Town, Flow Joe, Daddy Dollar, Supreme Cat, Golden Kiss, Slim Shady and De Rock will be in action. The L class non earners event has over 15 entries as they compete for the $120,000 take home and trophy over 1200M. Sponsors on board are Top Brandz Distributors, Delmur Company Limited, Toolsie Persaud Limited,
Assuria Insurance C o m p a n y, C u m m i n g s Electrical, R.N Poonai Fazal Habibulla, Sankar Auto Works –Valvoline, Fix It Hard Ware and Bothers Incorporated among others. Most of the trophies were sourced f r o m o v e r s e a s . The top jockeys along with the runner up, the top stable, champion trainer and best dressed groom will all be presented with trophies and other incentives compliments of the organisers. Colin Elcock is the Coordinator. Bugle Time is 12:30 hrs.
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Tuesday August 01, 2017
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Powerlifters aiming to raise over $9M for Commonwealth Games History making 12 from Orlando aiming to strike again By Franklin Wilson Following their historic performances when they collected a combined 33medals inclusive of 19 gold 9 silver 5 bronze and shattered records at the Caribbean, Pan Am and FESUPO levels at the 16th NAPF and 32nd FESUPO Equipped Championships in Orlando, USA earlier this month, attention is not focused on a higher competition. The same team members that inked their names into the powerlifting history books are aiming to conqueror the world again but this time at the C o m m o n w e a l t h Championships set for September 10-17 in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Records were set by Carlos Petterson, Demetri Chan, Romario Gonsalves, ‘Big’ John Edwards, Nairianjan Singh, Andrea Smith and Britny Mack. Petterson is the current Commonwealth Junior Raw/Classic 93kg Class champion and Guyana Amateur Powerlifting F e d e r a t i o n P R O D r. Osmond Mack has informed that Petterson broke the Deadlift record three times in Orlando, his first attempt a t 3 0 0 k g s ec o n d w a s 317.6kg and 330.0kg r e s p e c t i v e l y . Petterson’s squat at 280kg did not secure the record because a new record was set at 295kg on 19/6/2017 in Minsk, Belarus at the World Games but he still secured the Total of 760.0kg, a new record total putting him at first place. Mack stated that he has full confidence in Patterson s h a t t e r i n g t h e
Future Stars! From right, Romario Gonsalves, Teneisha Toney, Britny Mack and Demetri Chan. Commonwealth records and setting a new deadlift world record next month South Africa. In the Women’s SubJunior 47kg category, Britny Mack achieved a total of five (5) records in the Equipped category whilst setting a new Commonwealth Squat record of 117.5kg and Deadlift of 110.0kg and 115.0kg breaking the record twice. In Raw/Classic competition, Mack set new Squat records of 95.0kg and 1 0 2 . 5 k g , r e s p e c t i v e l y. Mack has also predicted that Tiniesha ‘Boss Baby’ Toney (57kg class) was the best Sub-Junior Female and would also set new records in South Africa but has sustained a lower back injury. Romario Gonsalves (59kg Junior class), who had a Deadlift record at 215kg, saw that being erased with a new mark of 222.5kg at the World Games on July 18th in Minsk, Belarus. Mack posited that the team for the Commonwealth P o w e r l i f t i n g Championships in South Africa will again showcase Guyana and make the nation proud with a close eye on
setting new records. Faced with a budget of over 9 Million dollars to make the team’s trip a reality, the GAPF is seeking the support of the all Guyana to ensure the team travels. Donations can be deposited at Republic Bank A/C #655-219-4 or contact can be made with f e d e r a t i o n Tr e a s u r e r, Andrew Austin. Following is the list of athletes and their categories for the championship. Classic Women’s SubJunior and Women’s Equipped Sub-Junior Britany Mack (47kg class), Tiniesha Toney (57kg class) Wo m e n ’ s O p e n a n d Women’s Equipped Open Britany Mack (47kg class) Andrea Smith (72lg class) Nadina Taharally (72kg c l a s s ) Wo m e n ’s M a s t e r s 1 Nadina Taharally (72kg c l a s s ) Classic Men’s Junior Romario Gonsalves (59kg c l a s s ) Arif Imamdeen ( 66kg class) - Men’s Equipped Junior, Men’s Equipped Open Demitri Chan (74kg class) Carlos Petterson (93kg c l a s s ) M e n ’ s O p e n
Regal Sports Softball continues on Sunday The Regal Sports softball competition is set to continue on Sunday at Everest Cricket Club. On pitch one at 10:00hrs, Regal Masters will face Wellman, while at 13:00hrs Amazon will take on Ariel.
On pitch two at 10:00hrs in the Open category, Super Star will play De Hoop, Farm will battle De Hoop at 12:00hrs and Super Star will entertain Queenstown at 14:00hrs. On pitch three at
10:00hrs, Farm will face Speed Boat, at 12:00hrs Massiah XI will challenge Speed Boat and at 14:00hrs Massiah XI will face Farm. Teams are asked to be on time for a prompt start.
Carlos Petterson deadlifts 330kg, new National Junior and Open records in Orlando, Florida, July 5, 2017. Romario Gonsalves (59kg class) Demitri Chan (74kg class) Erwyn Smith (93kg class) Men’s Equipped Open Carlos Petterson (93kg c l a s s ) Men’s Masters 2 and Men’s Equipped Masters 2 Winston Stoby (74kg class)
John Edwards (120kg class) Men’s Masters 4 and Men’s Masters 4 Nairjanjan Singh (83kg c l a s s ) Dr. Osmond Mack has been designated Head Coach, while GAPF Secretary Andrea Smith will perform duties as Manager while she
will also be competing with Ms. Kathleen Paul taking care of business as the Physiotherapist. The Referees will be Gordon Spencer and John Edwards, both Cat II Referees, this information is based on the preliminary submissions.
Guyana can be assured DSFC will continue – CEO Dean Management changes imminent By Franklin Wilson Following another successful Digicel Schools’ Football Championships (DSFC), which ended on Sunday night last at the Leonora Track And Field Facility, Guyana can be assured that the championships, the biggest at the school level in Guyana’s history, will continue. This is the assurance given by Chief Executive Officer of Digicel, Gregory Dean who spoke with the media following the final which saw Chase Academy successfully retaining the title for the second year in a row with a 6-2 blanking of first timers to the final, Annai. There would have been rumors that this is the final year for the competition but Dean dispelled those rumors stating that the tournament will continue but there will certainly be changes as regards the administration of the championship which would have been done by
Digicel staff in the 7-year history of the competition. ”Just to be clear, there is no issue with us continuing with the tournament, I think we’ve been honest that we can’t do the tournament the way we’ve been doing it, we just don’t have the staff; staff doesn’t have the time to run the tournament the way it’s been running for the past seven years. We just need to change the way we’ve been doing the tournament but we don’t have any issue with continuing the tournament.” He underscored the fact that it would have been very challenging for his staff to be going into the various regions to run the tournament and still have their Digicel jobs to do. ”Regardless of what it is, we want to still do the tournament; it’s just that we have to do it differently. We can’t physically manage the tournament the way we’ve been managing it over the years.” Dean also took the opportunity to give his take
on this year’s competition and the final between Chase Academy and Annai. ”For me it was a very good final, if Annai had a stronger defence I think it would have been a much closer game. I think the level of skill that they have, especially the two brothers, who are very good players, is encouraging.” Dean also offered the view that building and developing the talent that comes to the fore in the tournament is a challenge and should be looked at. ”As we keep doing the tournament, going to all the schools, if the schools can keep producing, whether its two or three players every year, I think it’s good. But of course the big question is how do you sustain it, how do you develop those players over time. If we can get to the point where we identify those players and put them into some kind of programme and develop them over time, I think then that’s going to go well for Guyana.”
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Tuesday August 01, 2017
GTT Tapeball Competition
Kishan Persaud leads Eccles All Stars to title and $200,000 prize Led by a match winning innings of 52 from Kishan Persaud, Eccles All Stars emerged champions of the GTT Tapeball Competition, defeating Specialists by six runs in the final on Sunday night last under lights at the National Park Tarmac. Batting first in the 5-over 7-a-side competition which attracted teams from the City, East Bank, East Coast, West Bank and West Coast Demerara, Eccles racked up a challenging 93-3 off their 5-overs led by Persaud’s 52. While the total was a big ask, the motivation of pocketing the top prize of $200,000 was all that was needed, given the fact too that the teams have been aiming for this over three weekends now. However, in the end, Specialists could only manage 87-4 which meant that they ended up losers in a close contest. Their top
scorer was Renaldo Renee w h o m a d e 3 0 . The Most Valuable Player of the tournament was Ruimveldt Sports Club’s Ershaad Ali who accumulated 242 runs, whilst grabbing 6 wickets in the competition overall. The highest Individual score of the competition was achieved by Aamir Khan who blasted 85. Ruimveldt Sports Club stormed to the third prize and trophy on account of a 5wicket win over Modern Media. Ruimveldt raced to 48-1 on account of MVP Ershaad Ali’s undefeated 44 replying to Modern Media’s 46-1; A. Wasim made 28 not out. In the semi finals, Eccles All Stars made light work Modern Media by 16 runs. The champs posted 74-1 with Andy Lall hitting 29. Modern Media in response were restricted to 58-3,
Female winners, 4R Lioness ‘A’ receiving their prize from GTT’s Shazim Ali. Karamchand Persaud top scored with 31. And Specialists coasted to victory over Ruimveldt Sports Club by three wickets; the latter took to the crease first and racked up 813 led by Earl Gilkes’ 49 not
out. In reply, Ryan Adams’ unbeaten 46 shaped victory for Specialists which lost three wickets along the way. Romping to victory in the Female competition was 4R Lioness ‘A’ Team which
defeated their ‘B’ Team. Latoya Smith lashed an unbeaten 34 in the ‘A’ Teams winning chase of 37-0 responding to the ‘B’ counterparts 36-4 to win by a commanding 6-wivckets. In the lone semi final, 4R
Lioness ‘A’ posted 80-2, Smith leading the way with 33 not out. Trophy Stall Angels limped to 53-3 in reply with June Ogle hitting 21 as they lost by 27 runs. (F. Wilson)
Amazon Warriors looking Moeen hat-trick seals to finish strong-Tanvir England rout of South Africa By Zaheer Mohamed Guyana Amazon Warriors fast bowler Sohail Tanvir said they will be looking to finish strong in the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League which starts on Friday in Florida. Speaking with reporters prior to a training session at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, Tanvir said there is always room for improvement and he will try to improve with every game and hopefully help the team finish better than last year. “Last year we placed second, but the good thing is we have played good cricket throughout the history of the tournament which is very motivational for us. So we are really looking forward as a team for a repeat except for the final. Three out of four times we reached the final and lost,” he posited. Sohail Pakistani team mate Babar Azam and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan are two of the new comers in the squad which will be without the Australian duo of Chris Lynn (injured) and Adam Zampa. Sohail feels the team is a balanced one and expects both Azam and Khan to shine. He pointed out that Azam has done well in the
Caribbean in all three formats with Pakistan and he knows the conditions. “His job may be is to play an anchor role maybe batting at three or four, but it all depends how the management wants him to play,” said Tanvir. The fast bowler added that Azam is a talented cricketer who can rotate the strike and at the same time use the long handle. “We will definitely be relying on him, but having said that, this is his first time so we have to give him some time to adjust, but he has the ability to do well for the Warriors,” Tanvir noted. Tanvir stated that the pitches in Caribbean are similar and different from Florida where the Warriors will play their first game, but they have the ability to adjust to any conditions. “The pitches and conditions in the Caribbean are similar, except for the St. Lucia track where fast bowlers get more help. Otherwise, the pitches are very slow and low and spinners get much more assistance. But I don’t expect Azam and Khan to face many difficulties in Florida. The pitch there is good for batting and bowlers do get some assistance as well.”
Both Babar and Khan pointed out that they know the conditions here, having done well with their respective national teams on recent tours. Babar expressed gratitude to the Warriors for having him on board, adding that he is happy to be part of the squad and will give maximum efforts. Leg spinner Khan, who is expected to one of the trump cards with the ball, said that it is a pleasure to be part for the team. He stated that getting the basics right is important. “I will try to get the basics right and see what happens, it’s nice to have Azam on the team and the fans can expect some good cricket. I will try my best to play positive cricket for the team and according to the situation and hopefully this year will be a better year for the Warriors,” he stated. Meanwhile, another new comer Guyanese Gajanand Singh pointed out that he is happy to be part of the team. Singh, who took a break from the game for personal reasons, added that the players are gelling nicely and are supportive to each other. He stated that he is eager to see how far his talent can take him.
Moeen Ali is hoisted after completing his hat-trick. (Getty Images) LONDON (Reuters) Spinner Moeen Ali finished off South Africa with a hattrick as England completed a crushing 239-run victory in the third test at the Oval yesterday to move 2-1 ahead in the series. Moeen became the first England spinner to achieve a hat-trick in 79 years by dismissing centurion Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel soon after lunch in a dramatic end to the match. England had laboured to bowl out the South Africans in the morning as Elgar
continued his gutsy knock, although Toby Roland-Jones continued his fine debut by dismissing Temba Bavuma and Vernon Philander with successive balls. Moeen finally ended Elgar’s dogged resistance for a 228ball 136 and the spinner snapped up Rabada with the last ball of his over, both batsmen caught at slip by man-of-the-match Ben Stokes. Moeen completed his hattrick with the first ball of his next over, although he had to wait for a review to confirm he had trapped Morkel lbw.
The dismissal sparked wild scenes as the Oval celebrated its first test hat-track in its 100th match - and the first by an English spinner since Tom Goddard in 1938. “What a way to celebrate 100 tests,” said captain Joe Root. “The game was really won by the way we batted in the first innings. The lads got stuck in and got a really good score on what proved to be a really challenging surface.” The touring side, who began the day on 117-4, always knew history was against them, with a team starting the (Continued on page 25)
Tuesday August 01, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Sportsmanship at its best! GABA/Powerade/Rainforest Water/Malta Supreme tourneys
Eagles, Sonics and Plaisance Guardians win on Saturday Night Play in the GABA/Banks DIH 1st, 2nd and U-23 division basketball tournaments continued on Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with three matches. In the first game, strong contenders for the U-23 title, Eagles, returned to winning ways after two dreadful performances the previous week in which they lost to Defending champions Bounty Colts. On Saturday, in the first game of the night, Eagles made light work of Kobras who have been struggling throughout the tournament. Eagles won that game 89-64. That 25 point victory was majorly thanks to the return of Eagles Captain Travis Belgrave who had recovered from an ankle injury. Belgrave scored a game high 21 points with 3 three-pointers in that match. Nickosie Allicock supported the Eagles’ effort with an identical 21 points. In the game that Eagles controlled from the first quarter, Kobras showed some fight back from Akeem Morrison (16 points), while Rawlewayne Payne and Amoniki John both scored 15 points. Game 2: Pepsi Sonics delivered a lesson to the inform Pacesetters Club in the First Division. Sonics won that game 75-66. Sonics’ skipper, Jason Squires only managed 7 points, but Travis Nurse was on fire with a game high 24 points inclusive of 3 three-pointers for the Sonics. The other significant contributor was Trevor Smith who scored 15 points including 2 three-pointers. For Pacesetters, Sherland Legal and Nathan Saul tried to resist the defeat by leading their team with 14 points each. Game 3: This was another first division match up and it turned out to be an upset as Plaisance Guardians comfortably defeated reigning champions Bounty Colts 74-68. Guardians’ Nikolai Smith led the charge with a game high 18 points.
Singh to lead Windies U15 on England tour ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Guyanese Sachin Singh has been named to lead a 14-man West Indies Under-15 Invitational squad on a six-match limited overs tour of England starting next month. The left-handed opener was among the leading scorers in last year’s Regional Under-15 Championship, and joins the likes of Barbadian batsmen Seth Agard and Matthew Forde, along with Trinidadian off-spinner Tariq Mohammed and Jamaican left-arm spinner Rajiv Redhi, all of whom were top performers in the tournament. Mohammed and Redhi are currently involved in the ongoing 2017 edition of the Regional Under-15 in Barbados. Cricket West Indies chief selector, Courtney Browne, said the tour was designed to prepare this age group for higher level international cricket. “It has been widely recognised that our talent pool is limited in the Caribbean, so CWI has taken steps to give opportunities to our young players and encourage them to remain in the game,” Browne said. “A trip like this is designed to get players ready for what is to come on the international pathway, as they make the steps up through the youth levels and onto the senior stage, so we are eagerly looking forward to seeing how much they have progressed.” The Under-15s will play a 35-overs a-side match against Sunbury Academy at Sunbury Cricket Club on August 9 before taking on age group opponents in six 50-overs games from August 9-20. Former Jamaica and West Indies batsman, Robert Samuels, will manage the side with former Windies seamer Corey Collymore and Rohan Nurse as coaches. SQUAD – Sachin Singh (captain), Seth Agard, Sameer Ali, Antonio Fernandes, Matthew Forde, Romaine Jacob, Tariq Mohammed, Antonio Morris, Rajiv Redhi, Demetrius Richards, Jayden Seales, Garvin Serieux, Lee Solomon, Taeim Tonge.
Digicel Schools’ Football Championship MVP, Sherral Daniels of Annai is congratulated by Captain of the champion team, Chase Academy, Jeremy Garrett after receiving his trophy. (Franklin Wilson Photo)
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CPL practice match By Sean Devers A well calculated 60 from Steven Taylor and a three-wicket haul from Roshon Primus spurred the Select XI to a 12-run win against the Guyana Amazon Warriors in their first
Tuesday August 01, 2017
Taylor’s 60 spurs Select XI to win over Warriors practice match at Providence on Sunday night. Taylor, an American born Jamaican left-hander, stroked three fours and two sixes in his 46-ball 60, but only Pakistani Babar Azam with a ball-a-run 26 with four fours reached 14 as the
Select X1 reached 129-9 off 20 overs. Primus (3-31) and Sohail Tanveer (2-25) were the main wicket takers for the Warriors who were restricted to 117-6 when their 20 overs expired despite 51 from 45 balls with three fours and a
six from T&T’s Jason Mohammed and 28 from fellow Trini Steven Katwaroo. T h e Wa r r i o r s a r e preparing for their opening game on Saturday against the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in Florida and the first game
saw a power outage which stopped the proceeding after 16 minutes of play with the Select XI on 18-1 from four overs. A small, but larger crowd than the ones that usually attend Regional First-Class matches, stayed in the ‘blackout’ which repeatedly affected parts of the City on Sunday and when play resumed Taylor and Babar Azam added 48 for the second wicket on a quick outfield. Jamaican Chadwick Walton (0) was taken at slip by Martin Guptill off
Tanveer without a run on the board before the interruption. Taylor hit Steven Jacobs, who opened the bowling with Tanveer, back over his head in his second over but played the supporting role as Azam played fluently on a slow track that kept a bit low. After Azam was bowled by Primus, Gajanand Singh was trapped lbw to left-arm s p i n n e r Ve e r a s a m m y Permaul for a duck, teenager Kemo Paul was LBW to Jacobs for one and Rayed Emrit (9) was stumped by (Continued on page 25)
American born Jamaican Steven Taylor scored a well calculated fifty for the Warriors in their first practice game on Sunday night at Providence. (Sean Devers photo)
Tuesday August 01, 2017
Kaieteur News
Corona gets ‘pouring rights’ for Beer in Guyana leg of CPL Yesterday at Providence, Wayne James, the CEO of Top Brandz, the exclusive distributer of Corona Beer in Guyana, renewed his company’s partnership with the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the fifth year. Corona Beer has once again been awarded exclusive pouring rights for Beer for the Warriors during the Guyana leg of the 2017 CPL. James said his company is again pleased to have their Beer at the biggest party in sport, while the CPL is in Guyana and hopes the anticipated capacity crown
have a rollicking time and celebrate with a Corona Beer, while the Warriors Manager, Trinidadian Omar Khan, informed only Corona Beer can be sold in the Stadium when Guyana play Jamaica Tallawahs from 18:00hrs in their first game on home soil on August 17 and their three other games here. Each host nation except Trinidad and St Lucia (who will have 5) will have four games and the Warriors will come up against the Trinbago Knight Riders on Saturday August 19 from 12:30hrs, Barbados Tridents
on Sunday August 20 before their final game in Guyana is set for Tuesday August 22 when the face-off with the St Lucia stars from 18:00hrs. Khan encouraged fans to enjoy Corona Beer but reminded them to drink responsibly. Also present were three Corona Beer girls with two six-pack cases of the Beer. The Warriors depart Guyana tomorrow for Florida where they play their opening game on Saturday against the St Kitts &Nevis Patriots. (Sean Devers)
Ithaca Hardliners ‘A’ win latest encounter as tourney continues The Berbice Amateur Basketball Association 2017 Tournament for teams in Berbice and sponsored by Nigel Hinds Financial Net-game continued Sunday last at Ithaca Court. Home side Ithaca Hardliners A second half offensive explosion propelled them to a 48-38 win over Canje Knights. Hardliners trailed 12-7 in the first quarter while restricting Canje at the half
time to 4 points to Hardliners 12. Hardliners in the third quarter led 30-24 as they moved on to complete victory. For Ithaca, Royan Soloman scored 14 points an d 8 r eb o u n d s , P h il Edwards supported with 4 three pointers and 5 rebounds, Ahkel Benjamin 9 points 4 rebounds, while for Knights Kevon Emanuel had 18 points and 5 rebounds, while Cledwin Cort supported
with 14 points and 7 rebounds. The competition continued tomorrow at Fyrish Basketball Court with Fyrish Black S h a r k s p l a ying Ithaca Hardliners at 16:00hrs, while on Sunday Rose Hall Town Jammers will come up against Canje. Trophies, cash and other incentives are up for grabs. The tournament is being organized by Vibert Garrett.
Top Brandz’ CEO Wayne James (right) shakes hands with GAW’s Manager Omar Khan to seal the deal making Corona Beer the official Beer of Guyana’s leg of the CPL. (Sean Devers photo)
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Amazon Warriors looking Guyana can be assured DSFC to finish strong-Tanvir will continue – CEO Dean Management changes imminent
From right Sohail Tanvir, Babar Azam and Rashid Khan speaking with the media at Guyana National Stadium. (Zaheer Mohamed photo)
Digicel CEO Gregory Dean presenting the first place cheque to Chase Academy Captain, Jeremy Garrett.
GTT Tapeball Competition
Kishan Persaud leads Eccles All Stars to title and $200,000 prize
GTT’s Abena Fung with the champions, Eccles All Stars displaying the winning spoils. Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210