Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
Kissoon’s failed attempt in No minibus increase letter misleading the readers DEAR EDITOR, In response to Mr. Freddie Kissoon’s letter, please, allow me to make one point of clarification in respect to Kissoon’s failed attempt in misleading the readers. But, before I do, let me congratulate him for publicly admitting that he’s been a bit harsh on the author of ‘The Thomas Carroll Affair’ book. I was most amazed when I read this line in his letter: “I acknowledge to him (David Casavis) that the evaluation was too harsh...” Honestly, I’ve never thought that it was possible to read those words by Freddie Kissoon. It’s an obvious sign that he’s done some serious introspection, and came out being objective. Kudos, Freddie. However, I would expect Freddie to be a bit more truthful in his effort in presenting what he termed the truth behind the scene of the unfolding events before our public spat (Kaka Belly vs. Tilapia) on “The Thomas Carroll Affair” book. These are key indisputable facts that
he has avoided in order to cover up his tracks, but, not so fast Freddie: (1) He wrote: “What readers didn’t know was that I had no idea that Mark Benschop was a friend of Casavis. So when Benschop wrote bitterly about me after my review, I thought out of respect for my friendship with Benschop I would call him. I did and he told me he was on the air and couldn’t talk...” (The truth) Kissoon did call me on the evening of Monday July 15, 2013 at approximately 9:45pm (as phone records would reveal) and said: ‘Hello,
hello Mark oh sorry I didn’t know you were on the air sorry...’ I promptly said to him that it’s ok I just took a music break to talk to him since I thought it was urgent, he continued: ‘man oh gosh, I didn’t know that you and that man who wrote ‘The Thomas Carroll Affair” book were friends...” my immediate response to that inquiry was: ‘Freddie, the man and I aren’t friends and all I did was to make contact with him for an interview, and this lead to me offering to assist in the promotion of his book in Continued on page 6
Appropriate penalties for... From page 4 threshold which is difficult to traverse, even in situations where the ideal measures might be in place and that is, unfortunately, the closed doors of the homes located throughout the country where, in too many cases, the tragedies could hardly have been pre-empted. We are committed to the belief that Domestic Violence, in all its forms, must not be tolerated and that pre emptive measures wherever possible, must be implemented. Just as important is the fact that appropriate penalties must be enforced when the situation demands it. Say no to Violence! Let us all join together to end Violence in Guyana. Domestic Violence is everybody’s business. Sohodra Rampersaud
DEAR EDITOR, I read in the Sunday Edition of Kaieteur News dated August 18th 2013 from the Ministry of To u r i s m Permanent Secretary Mr. / Mrs. W. Hamilton to ignore any fare increase circulation. I wish to make it clear that communities on their way to the East Coast of Demerara as far as Ann’s Grove were made to pay $200 to get to their destination in the Golden Grove – Victoria Villages and were also forced the fares upfront before boarding the buses. These minibus operators can’t just wake up one day and charge commuters beyond our required fare which is $120. The government needs to sanction heavy on them just as they have imposed the forty (40) hour work week on employers. Minibus operators each day commuters are faced with the harassment especially those living in out of town areas. I have one call for the Government and I am sure that commuters would be in support of the return for the big buses without the transport big buses mini
bus operators will not stop the advantage on commuters. Some persons refused to pay the $200 while others were short of the fare and some paid because it was raining heavily and they wanted to get home. I sat for awhile and I observe the proceedings on my way down from Golden Grove to the city
park. My daughter was forced to pay the $200 because she had to get home to her two small children. How inhumane persons can be instead of assisting persons in getting to their destinations, they choose to rob them by over charging $80 more. Yvette Munroe
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Cayman, US agree on FATCA report of assets Jamaica Gleaner - The Cayman Islands says it has reached an agreement with the United States to provide information on accounts held by American citizens to comply with a sweeping US law designed to combat tax evasion. The British Caribbean territory, considered the world’s sixth-largest financial center and a major haven for mutual funds and private equity, said the texts of the new pacts will be made public once an official signing ceremony is held. The Cayman government said the pacts are tied to a US law called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which was enacted in 2010 and expected to take effect next year. The law targets non-tax compliance by US citizens with foreign accounts around the globe. And Washington is pressing nations to provide client data. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton said in a Tuesday statement that the agreements illustrate the tiny three-island territory’s “commitment to engage in globally accepted tax and transparency initiatives”. The islands plan further talks with
Wayne Panton Britain’s government to finalise terms of a similar information-sharing arrangement for British citizens. There is nothing illegal about US citizens opening bank accounts and trusts in places like the Cayman Islands or Switzerland, but some people illegally use them to hide money and avoid taxes at home. Such overseas accounts have come under a crush of scrutiny in recent years, and offshore financial centres like the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands have scrambled to sign new international tax treaties and defend their financial sectors.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
SURUJ: LOCAL GOVT. ELECTION DECISION IN PM’S HANDS Trinidad Express LOCAL Government Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan Tuesday dodged questions on whether local government elections could be held off for up to a year, saying the decision was one for Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar to comment on. Rambachan was speaking at a media conference at his Ministry at Kent House, Maraval, on the White Paper on Local Government Reform, which has been rehashed following a series of public consultations this and last year. He also delivered facts and figures on projects completed by his Ministry, which he said was evidence of performance.
Rambachan said the reform spoken of in the White Paper could take up to a year to implement. Asked whether this meant elections, which are currently due by October, could be postponed by a year, he said: “The Prime Minister really is the one who sets the elections date and I prefer to defer all my statements to her judgment.” He had earlier answered questions on when the elections could be expected with the response: “That’s a very good question that the Prime Minister alone can answer.” Two weeks ago, several United National Congress (UNC) councillors met with Persad-Bissessar and asked
that elections be put off. Rambachan said yesterday he believed that meeting to have had a different context and that the councillors were, in fact, asking that reform be implemented before elections are called. He said aside from some perks that had been added to councillors’ packages in 2011, under then minister, current Transport Minister Chandresh Sharma, councillors still took home $3,000 and most are forced to juggle two jobs. That will be one of the issues addressed in the reform process, as it affected the councillors’ ability to perform, Rambachan said. He also declined to hint at
Kamla Persad-Bissessar what suggestions he might be making when the matter comes up in Cabinet. to disclose to the public how money had been spent by his Ministry in the past year.
JTA, US teachers join anti child-trafficking fight Jamaica Gleaner - The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and the American Federation of Teachers have announced a joint project to combat child trafficking in both countries. The two unions signed the agreement for the project at the JTA’s annual conference now underway in Ocho Rios, St Ann. The US teachers’ union said the pilot project will use materials to be developed by the two groups as well as government and non-governmental organizations. The project is expected to, among other things, raise awareness among students about the dangers of trafficking for forced labour or sexual exploitation and provide educators with resources to identify children who might be at risk.
According to the US teachers’ union, a recent study found that between 2006 and 2010, 4, 70 children in Jamaica were reported missing — 70 percent of whom were girls. The US Justice Department estimates that as many as 300,000 US children are at risk of being trafficked. According to the union, several international bodies have found that trafficking of children from rural areas into tourist areas for sexual exploitation is a serious problem in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. President of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, says the project suggests that the unions are serious about finding solutions to reclaim the promise of public education for every child in every community.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Handyman found murdered in Safari Inn compound Police have detained the proprietor of the Safari Inn Hotel after the battered body of a 37-year-old handyman was found at the back of the once-popular night spot at Friendship, East Bank Demerara. The body of Victor Ramsabad, known as ‘TunTun’, of Eleventh Avenue, Diamond Housing Scheme, was discovered early yesterday morning by the proprietor, Francis Correia. The victim had a gaping wound to the back of the head and lacerations about the body. Police believe that he was killed sometime between Sunday and yesterday. The slain man’s mother told Kaieteur News that he did odd-jobs at several places and had been working at the Safari Inn since he was
Dead: Victor Ramsabad called ‘Tun-Tun’ a boy. Ramsabad’s mother said that she received reports that her son, a heavy drinker, got into an altercation with someone on the premises after taking several bottles of beer from a freezer. According to this report, the handyman
that day, Wallerson was crossing the Cuyuni River in a boat, when the vessel capsized and he was feared drowned. A search party that included police ranks subsequently found the body in the Cuyuni River at about 13:00h on Saturday. Speaking to his mother Hazel James, the woman said her son left in February with his older brother, Troy, to go into the interior to do mining. They went to the Aranka area. The woman stated that Keith was the fourth of her six children and had attended
$85M Bioethanol demo plant commissioned
had taken the beverages under the pretext of giving them to a customer on credit. Ramsabad’s mother said that she last saw her son on Friday and that he had told her that he was going to an East Bank Demerara business place where a wedding was being held. She said that she received a call at around 14:00 hrs yesterday from someone who informed her of her son’s death. The woman said that she then went to the Safari Inn, where she saw her son’s battered body. When Kaieteur News visited the hotel last evening, one woman who claimed to be a relative of the proprietor said that she was aware of Ramsabad’s death but had no further information. The body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour.
Post mortem on Aranka miner slated for today
A post mortem is scheduled to be performed today on the body of 22-yearold miner Keith Wallerson of Golden Grove. He is expected to be buried on Friday. The man had disappeared in the Cuyuni River on Saturday morning and his body was recovered later that day. The body reportedly bore no marks of violence, but the family wants answers, as information at the moment is sketchy. According to a police press release, at about 0800hrs on Saturday August 17, 2013, the police at Aranka received a report that earlier
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Rosignol Secondary. Her son, she said, never stayed away from home that long, He called regularly and had promised to return home for the Annual Soiree celebration in neighbouring Hopetown, West Coast Berbice, but did not come or call. She did not hear from him again. Ms. James said that she cannot say much about what happened, but the family received a call on Saturday morning informing them that Keith was missing. She said that a few minutes after they received another call informing them that his body had been found. The circumstances, she said, were unclear. Wallerson leaves to mourn his parents, three brothers and two sisters.
President Donald Ramotar and Agriculture Minister Leslie Ramsammy examine a section of the plant By Rehana Ahamad In light of Sithe Global’s withdrawal from the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, President Donald Ramotar has reiterated his pledge to “look for other partners” in pursuit of cheap and alternative energy. He was at the time addressing the gathering at a ceremony held to commission the $85M Bioethanol Demonstration Plant at Albion Estate in Berbice, a project which he said is geared at generating energy at a lower cost. It is being undertaken by the Government of Guyana in partnership with the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), while Green Biofineries of Brazil and WhiteFox Technologies Limited of Canada were contracted and subcontracted to install the components of the plant. Kaieteur News understands that this is the first time that WhiteFox Technologies Limited has built a Bioethanol Plant
anywhere in the world. Nonetheless, the facility will be handled by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), employees of which were trained in the field of bioethanol production. It was noted that during a workshop, 50 participants from 15 corresponding entities such as the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), were taught how to manage the plant during operation, bioethanol quality control, plant maintenance, and safety guidelines. The main objectives of the plant are to demonstrate the production of fuel grade ethanol locally, provide the source for demonstration of ethanol as a vehicle fuel, and develop a facility for the training of local personnel in bio-fuel technologies. Clairmont Clementson, Bioenergy Program Coordinator, explained that the plant will utilize “backstrap” molasses, the final output from the sugar production process, to produce ethanol of strength
99.6 percent or greater. The Bioethanol Demonstration Plant is designed to produce 1000 liters per day. Clementson said that this is done via a twostage process - fermentation and distillation, and dehydration. The ethanol can then be blended with gasoline for use in vehicles. Chief Executive Officer of the entity, Paul Bhim, explained that the public cannot look forward to any major profits from the project, as it is not intended for commercial use. He noted that the plant is there to provide training for locals in the field of bioethanol production, while trying to develop and extend the generation of alternative energy. According to Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, the Bioethanol Demonstration Plant is a stepping stone for Guyana. He expressed confidence that GuySuCo will develop the facility, and by extension, the energy sector.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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THE 1823 SLAVE REVOLT WAS AN EAST COAST UPRISING The following is an edited version of a previous column on the controversy surrounding the erection of the 1823 monument. One of the last public acts of Forbes Burnham, the former President of Guyana, before his voice failed, was to demand that Murray Street, now Quamina Street, be renamed because, as he stated, Murray was a Governor who had oppressed and inflicted brutality on the local slave population. Just before his death in 1985, Burnham insisted that Guyana would be unworthy of its Independence if it failed to rename Murray Street.In so doing, Burnham seemed to have had either a very uninformed or a very convenient discovery of the Demerara Slave Revolt of 1823. Murray Street was eventually renamed Quamina Street in honour of one of the leaders of the 1823 slave
rebellion. At least four of the leaders of the rebellion- Paris of Good Hope, Hamilton and Rich of Success and Achiles of Beterverwagting – were subsequently hanged at the Parade Ground in Georgetown and this remains the only connection between the 1823 rebellion and the Parade Ground where some groups were demanding that the monument in honour of the revolt be sited. The execution of some of the leaders of the revolt at the Parade Ground is the only link that can be established between the revolt and Georgetown. The vast majority of the floggings, beheadings and hangings that followed the uprising took place on the East Coast and especially at Mahaica, where there was a military outpost. The 1823 revolt began at Success on the East Coast of Demerara and the entire uprising was confined to the
East Coast plantations. The slaves who worked on the Georgetown plantations had knowledge of the revolt, but they did not join in or support it. It would therefore be an insult to the people of the East Coast for Georgetown to claim some special right to have a monument to the 1823 events situated in the capital. The 1823 Revolt was an East Coast thing. Ideally, the monument should have been located at Success or Le Ressouvenir which were the epicentres of the start of the revolt. Georgetown should not lay claim to this revolt because this uprising was confined strictly to the East Coast and was not supported by the plantations of Georgetown. The leaders of the revolt were all from the East Coast and they received support from the missionaries, one of whom, John Smith, was
Dem boys seh
Donald hug up de US Ambassador
Is funny how de government does hold on to wha people seh when it suit dem. When Jagdeo give out de radio licence to he friends and family people talk. People talk how de distribution was not fair and that Donald who tek over de country, should cancel all dem licence. Donald tun round and seh that Jagdeo ain’t do nutten wrang. De Ambassador who represent Uncle Sam add he voice. He and all hint that something wrang wid de way Jagdeo give out de licence. Since de man seh suh de whole government get vex. Dem get vex when de same ambassador talk bout human trafficking and even
suggest that de Americans mind dem own business. Now de American ambassador talk how all de parties in parliament should come together and vote fuh Amaila, Donald ain’t tell de man to mind he own business. He run and hug up de man. Dem boys seh that he even invite de Ambassador to a party at Jagdeo mansion. Of course dem got other people who talking bout how good de project is because dem feel that dem gun mek more money. One of den is Gerry who think that once de project start he hotel gun get real business. But when it come to protect de poor people dem don’t seh nutten. When de government lef public
property fuh bruck up dem don’t seh nutten. Look at de ferry stelling at Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop. Anyhow, de big thing is that de Ambassador support de Amaila project. People know that de support is a big thing because all dem Guyanese people want visa. Now Granger people ain’t want lose dem visa and dem telling David to listen. Dem boys seh that David listening. And dem got another thing that Donald want de ambassador to talk about. He want de ambassador fuh talk bout de Specialty hospital which de opposition shut down, but de man mustn’t talk bout human trafficking. That don’t exist in Guyana.
sentenced to death for encouraging disaffection amongst the slaves. He died before the sentence could be executed. It is hoped that he is not written out of the script. The revolt was not a success and the retaliation by the colonial rulers was brutal and excessive. The authorities had received a tip-off from a slave one day before the uprising about the plans for the revolt and they were therefore able to mobilize armed forces to diffuse the revolt. When they did bring it under control, they inflicted grave and severe reprisals against those involved. H o w e v e r, t h e 1 8 2 3 revolt is of historic significance because it was
the largest slave revolt in Guyana’s history, with over 10,000 slaves being involved. It is said that it also helped to hasten the decision for emancipation, because it took place within the context of the pressures being applied by the abolitionists in England and followed closely on the heels of a violent slave uprising in Barbados in 1816. The 1823 uprising was also said to have influenced the 1831 slave rebellion in Jamaica. Given the relative proximity of these uprisings to the decision to abolish slavery, the 1823 uprising, because of its scale, must be credited with influencing
the decision to end slavery in British colonies. The 1823 revolt must be seen as the most significant slave rebellion in Guyana’s history. The much more heralded 1763 revolt pales in significance and scale to the 1823 uprising which took place exclusively on the East Coast. For the capital city, therefore, to lay claim to hosting another monument to this event, distracts from the people of East Coast being acknowledged for the role their ancestors played in the greatest slave revolt in Guyana’s history.
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Wednesday August 21, 2013
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Suppose a very nice and generous boss wants to have sex with his secretary, so he goes to her and asks her for it. She says ‘no, I don’t want to do that because that is not my definition of how relationships work’. He then tells to her that her refusal means she hates him. She replies and says to him that his concept of how a female and male should relate to each other is not the way the world sees it. Looked at from any perspective she is right. No analogy fits the Sithe Global
fiasco more appropriately than this example. From the time the 10th Parliament was convened, the PPP has turned epistemology on its head. The nature and source of knowledge, the meaning of words and the deconstruction of language have been completely reworked by the PPP. As it stands today, the ruling party has constructed its own definition of terms like the rule of law, democracy, responsible political behaviour, patriotism, racism, etc. If you say that people are being discriminated against, you are the one that is racist. If the opposition votes to postpone a motion in Parliament, it is undemocratic. If the opposition chooses not
to support a position enunciated by the government, it is politically reckless. In other words, the PPP is the embodiment of knowledge that has an objective independence. The last people on earth that should lecture Guyanese on patriotism are the PPP’s members. We return now to the analogy between the boss who wants sex and the Sithe Global imbroglio. What the employer is actually saying is that he determines what he wants from a relationship and if he does not get what he wants then the person rejecting him hates him. Hate then is an attitude that he defines. We will leave out of the discussion the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and its affiliates who have parroted the accusation of the PPP that the denunciators of the Sithe Global investment are people without patriotism. The PSC people may not be bad human
beings after all, but in a hegemonic state such as Guyana is, business people will not criticize the ruling party, simply because they want protection for their profits. The fear of victimization is horrible. But it is more than fear. It is sycophancy for the purpose of wealth creation. The PSC and its lackeys will support evil once their profits are untouched. The PPP defines patriotism in its own convoluted way, the way the man who demands sex from his secretary defines relationships. If you do not support Sithe Global investment then you are against progress and development in your country. The problem here is that those who make such an accusation are in fact the unpatriotic ones. What the PPP Government has done in the Sithe Global controversy is to endanger the very existence of the nation-state named Guyana. The Amaila hydro in its present form is a financial project that has enormous disadvantages for the home country. If allowed to
continue in its present configuration, the economy of this poor, Third World state will not endure the financial consequences of this investment. I have gone through all the statistical outlays of Clive Thomas, Carl Greenidge, Ramon Gaskin, Christopher Ram and others and I have come to the conclusion that the PPP leadership is an opportunistic, anti-patriotic cabal. It doesn’t matter if Guyana will lose out; it wants the hydro-power programme at all cost. Is that nationalism? But let us stick to the subject of the meaning of patriotism. Is Sithe Global’s investment more important than the survival of Georgetown and the University of Guyana? Who contributes to the squalor and miasma that have overrun Georgetown? If you discover the culprit then isn’t he/she an unpatriotic devil? Who watches while the country’s only University goes through a slow death? Isn’t that an unpatriotic act? Who has put the NIS in a drowning pool? The NIS is a billion times more valuable to the nation than
Frederick Kissoon Sithe Global. Sithe Global was an invention of Bharrat Jagdeo. I consider Mr. Jagdeo an inherently anti-nationalist leader, the most unpatriotic that the English-speaking Caribbean has produced. Mr. Jagdeo knew from his negotiations with the investors of the Berbice Bridge that it would have been a burden on the poorer folks of Berbice. In the consideration of the return the investors would receive, the tolls were determined. In other words, the toll had to be high in order for the investors to reap their handsome profits. If that is patriotism, then Hitler was a saint. Bharrat Jagdeo’s cynical contempt for Guyana’s sovereignty is being played out in Donald Ramotar’s office with Sithe Global’s cheque book on the President’s desk.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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More sea defence works for Regions two, three Under the Ministry of Public Works, bids were opened yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the construction of Rip Rap sea defence at Zeeburg, West Coast Demerara (WCD) region three. The bids were opened at the Ministry of Finance.
A lone bid was submitted for the Ministry of Home Affairs Citizen Security Programme for the supply, delivery, installation of forensic laboratory furnishing. The bids were divided into six lots.
The Office of the Elections Commission received bids for the procurement of office equipment and furniture. In addition, bids were submitted for the procurement of works for another construction of Rip Rap sea defence at Hague, WCD.
Bids were opened for the procurement of building material –Agri Corps Projects- for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF.)
Further, bids were opened for the construction of Rip Rap sea defence at Greenwich Park, East Bank Essequibo. The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) received bids for the construction of a Parameter fence.
Still in the sector, bids were submitted for the procurement of slope protection works at Onderneeming, Essequibo, region two. Bids were opened for the Guyana Energy Authority (GEA) for the supply and delivery of timer control relay and 60 Watt Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) street Lights for the GEA.
Meanwhile, bidders who tendered for the rehabilitation/construction of miscellaneous roads in region four, were yesterday asked to retender to the NPTAB since the Public Works Ministry altered the bid due to the discovery of scope changes. Ten bids were submitted, but the bidders were asked to make contact with the tender board administration. The new closing date of the project will now be September 3, 2013. The addendum can be picked up tomorrow at NPTAB. For the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, bids were opened for phase one construction of a confinement building, New Opportunity Corps, Onderneeming, region two.
Under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Hydrometeorological Services received bids for phase two of the expansion of office building at National Weather Watch Center, Hyde Park, Timehri.
The Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU) received bids for the rehabilitation of National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) laboratories Mon Repos: Phase two. The bids were divided into two lots: Lot (1) Biological Control Laboratory and Lot (2) Tissue Culture Laboratory.
Bids were also tendered for the construction of Port Kaituma Hospital, region one -Site preparation works.
>>>> Continued on page 14 <<<<
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Security guards convicted for stealing truck tyres
Kaieteur News
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Albouystown siblings jailed for robbery - Each sentenced to sixty months
Two former security guards of Tony’s Auto Sales have been convicted for stealing of truck tyres from the said enterprise. Robert Daiterdeen, Joseph Nirghin, and Steve Daiterdeen were all charged in connection with the theft of $2.1M worth of the items. The crime was committed between October 1 and 25, 2012. The tyres were stolen during the period when the two men were under the employ of Tony’s Auto Sales store. Following the disappearance of the stocks, a police report was made by the proprietor of Tony’s Auto Sales and investigations carried out. The merchandise was later recovered from a house at Mahaicony. Magistrate Sueanna Lovell sentenced Robert Daiterdeen and Joseph Nirgain to eight months confinement while Steve Daiterdeen was fined $300,000 with alternative of six months in jail, since his crime was facilitating and transporting the stolen merchandise.
The Allicock siblings, Kevin, Chavez, Leonard and Orlando
Robert Daiterdeen (left) and Joseph Nirgain
Magistrate Judy Latchman yesterday sentenced well known Albouystown siblings, ‘the Allicock brothers’ to serve sixty months (five years) each in prison for crimes committed earlier this year. Orlando, Kevin, Leonard, and Chavez Allicock have been convicted for robbing businesswoman, Amanda Kyte, of 33 James Street, Albouystown, on February, 9 2013. The latter sibling is also convicted for unlawfully wounding, the woman’s brother, Dwayne Kyte. He
was jailed for an additional sixty months for that crime, his sentences will run consecutively. Magistrate Latchman handed down a ruling at noon yesterday, after Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt made his final submission, of which he told the court “based on the evidence; the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.”
According to the facts of the case, the siblings as well as an associate Terrence Bastiani carried out a malicious robbery and assault on Kyte’s business establishment “Amanda’s Pride and Grocery. Bastiani was subsequently cleared of the allegations. The court heard that around 09:30 hrs on February, 9, 2013 Kyte opened her
grocery shop and five men approached, armed with four cutlasses and a handgun. Two of the men entered the shop while the others jumped into the yard. The men reportedly held Kyte at gunpoint before carting off over $600,000 worth of cash and gold jewellery. The men were later identified as the Allicock brothers.
Woman suffers heart attack after being jailed for contempt of court A Hadfield Street woman is recovering at the Georgetown Hospital from a heart attack she suffered after she was sent to prison for a week for contempt of court. The woman, whose name was not disclosed by hospital officials, reportedly collapsed just before she was taken to prison to serve her sentence, which was imposed by a city Magistrate yesterday.
According to reports, during the hearing of a matter the woman got up and proceeded to hurl insults at the magistrate. She continued despite being warned by the Prosecutor and was promptly cited for contempt. For her troubles she was given seven days to cool off in prison. According to one of the woman’s relatives, just as police were about to transport
her to prison, she complained about feeling unwell. She was rushed to the hospital where it was discovered that she had suffered a heart attack. Kaieteur News understands that the woman is diabetic and also hypertensive. Because she was sentenced to prison time, the woman is presently under police guard at the hospital.
More sea defence works for.... From page 13 For the ASDU, bids were also opened for the rehabilitation of area office and head office regions three, four, five, six and ten.
Meanwhile a lone bid was received for the Public Service Ministry for the procurement of security services.
Another lone bid was opened for the rehabilitation of the scholarship office for the Public Works Ministry.
Further, two bids were opened for the rehabilitation of the external walls and account section for the Public Works Ministry.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Stage set for Amerindian Heritage Month “Honouring our culture, Advancing our future” is 2013 theme
Members of the head table at yesterday’s conference. From left: Egbert Mayers, Alexi La Rose, Jude Da Silva, Yvonne Pearson, Sharon Hicks and Jolene Brown By Tiffanne Ramphal As September, the designated month to celebrate Amerindian Heritage, fast approaches, the Amerindian Ministry has demonstrated its readiness by producing a fully planned agenda for the upcoming month’s activities. This year, celebrated under the theme, “Honouring our culture, Advancing our future”, heritage month will kick off with an inter-faith service before its grand launch on the first day of September. The news was relayed, yesterday, at a meeting held at the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, headed by Advisor to the Minister Yvonne Pearson. She, along with a number of Ministry representatives, briefly introduced each activity that will be kept, throughout the month, in
honour of Amerindian culture. Pearson said that the first planned activity, the interfaith service, will be held on August 31. She said that as is customary, the month should start off by “giving God thanks and praise.” The interfaith service, according to the preparations, includes representation from other religious denominations. Among those slated to participate are the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, the Baha’i Community, the Assemblies of God and the Hindu Dharmic Sabha. Pearson indicated that the Amerindian-based religious collection, the Hallelujah group, from the Upper Mazaruni, will also be a part of the events’ proceedings. Following the inter-faith service will be the grand official launching of
Amerindian Heritage Month 2013. The event will take place at the Amerindian Village, National Exhibition Complex, Sophia. According to the Ministry’s Project Coordinator, Jude Da Silva, the program for this event will consist of several cultural items coming from the nine Amerindian tribes of Guyana. The feature address will be given by His Excellency, President Donald Ramotar. According to the programme, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, will also be a keynote speaker. After the official launch, the month’s activities will continue, with the indigenous peoples displaying their culture by means of presentations including exhibits of their art, craft and cuisine. The craft and food exhibitions will
continue at Sophia for four full days after the opening. The next activity planned would be the Heritage Village Celebration, slated for September 7. Management Development Officer at the Amerindian Ministry, Alexi La Rose, informed that this year’s heritage village host is Karasabai, located in the South Pakaraima Mountains, Upper Takatu-Essequibo, Region 9. She stated that those who opt to travel out to the scenic village would be in for a treat, since activities that are planned include cassava grating and mule riding competitions, as well as archery, dancing, and a cross country race. La Rose added that the village will be hosting the Heritage Walk this year, an activity which is usually held in Georgetown.
Following the heritage village celebrations, will be the Stephen Campbell exhibition, held on September 10 at the Umana Yana, in honour of the first Amerindian Parliamentarian. Sharon Hicks, also serving at the Ministry as a Management Development Officer, informed that the date was chosen since it is on the same day that Campbell “got into Parliament” 56 years ago. In honour of Campbell’s service, students will be enacting drama presentations to tell his story. On the evening of September 15, the Ministry will be hosting a dinner at the Georgetown Club, serving buffets of Amerindian cuisine and drinks. According to Claire Emanuel, Administrator of the Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown, the dinner is considered a fund-raising
activity, since the fees collected from the ticket sales will go towards supporting Amerindian patients seeking medical attention. The funds will be used to cover expenses for undertaking MRI and CT Scans, as well as ultrasounds, for Amerindians out of farreaching communities. Of special importance will be launch of the Amerindian Language Revival Project, slated for September 19 at Capoey, Region Two. According to the Advisor to the Minister, it has become of concern that the Amerindian community is losing its languages and thus, the Amerindian Affairs Minister will be expending funds to revive them. Pearson said that during the implementation of the project, children will be fully involved. Next will be the sporting action. According to the Ministry’s sports organizer, Egbert Mayers, the activities will be held at the Georgetown Cricket Club on September 21 and 22. Participating in the games will be both males and females, competing to come off winners in games of football, volleyball and cricket. Mayers said that track and field activities are also included in the plans. And last but not least, arguably the most anticipated event of the month, the Heritage Pageant, will be held on September 29 at the National Cultural Centre. According to the Ministry representative responsible for the pageant, Jolene Brown, “10 culturally grounded, beautiful Amerindian women from each of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions will be vying for the heritage crown”. The pageant will unfold in four segments; the introductory, talent, traditional wear and intelligence segments; following which the queen will be crowned.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Wednesday August 21, 2013
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Albouystown man Integrity Commission does stabbed to death Declaration of assets…
not exist - Granger
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Members of Parliament will not be declaring their assets for this year to the Integrity Commission, says David Granger, Leader of the Opposition. Officials in public offices, including Ministers, Parliamentarians and Evaluators are expected to submit their declarations by August 23 to the Commission, which does not have a Chairman and Commissioners. Granger, who was very brief and assertive on the issue, told Kaieteur News yesterday that the Integrity Commission has not been appointed and as such Opposition Parliamentarians, like they did last year, will not be submitting anything to a Commission that does not exist. He said that since he became the Leader of the Opposition, President Donald Ramotar has not discussed the appointment of Commissioners for the Integrity Commission or any other outstanding constitutional appointments, such as the Ombudsman. Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change (AFC), which has seven seats in the National Assembly, seems to be heading in another direction. Leader of the party, Khemraj Ramjattan, said he cannot speak for other AFC Parliamentarians, but he will be declaring his assets. According to Ramjattan, even though the Commission does not have a Chairman and Commissioners, it is no excuse to avoid declaring one’s assets. Using the Guyana Police Force to explain his position, he said
David Granger if the Commissioner of Police is absent it does not mean citizens could disobey the law, likewise if the Chairman is not appointed it is improper not to declare assets. Ramjattan said there have been arguments for confidentiality about the declaration, but the AFC believes that it should be very transparent. Emphasizing his seriousness, Ramjattan said he owns “a couple of vehicles, couple of bank accounts, a property at Number 47 Village, and some law books in my office that probably cost $15M…and that is the attitude that must be exhibited”. He stressed that if the assets declared by the Parliamentarians and other public officials are found to be untruthful they should be jailed. He stressed that many high-ranking public officials have assets that are unequal to their salaries. He said that the Integrity Commission is “half baked” and needs to step up to the task of verifying the truthfulness of declarations,
and particularly if there are foreign bank accounts. In addition, proper investigations should be conducted to ascertain how Government Ministers and other public officials acquire their wealth. Ramjattan said Guyana should learn from Singapore with its “Shift the Burden of Proof” that allowed the Revenue Department the power to question Government officials where they acquired their wealth. Under the laws, public officers including the President, Permanent Secretaries, Director of Public Prosecutions, Auditor General, Commissioner of Police, the Army Chief, Heads of the Services Commissions, Foreign Affairs officials, Judges and Magistrates and Department Heads are required to declare their assets. Also required to the submit declaration forms of their earnings and gifts received are Regional Executive Officers, the Chief Elections Officer, Mayors, Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of state companies, Registrars of Lands and the Commissioner of Guyana Revenue Authority, along with Presidential Advisors, and Heads of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Guyana Forestry Commission. The idea behind the declarations is to ensure that no official has suddenly acquired large amounts of cash or property without proper justification. But Opposition Parliamentarians and many observers believe the Commission is a toothless poodle.
By Javone Vickerie A man is now on the run from police after he stabbed his 28 year-old friend to death during a money row related to an alleged gold chain deal. The dead man was identified as Tolasicy Marshall, 28, of Hogg Street, Albouystown who succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital. According to an eyewitness, about 11:30 a.m., Marshall was on a bicycle riding along James Street, Albouystown when he was stopped by the assailant who was identified as a resident of the area. “He (attacker) see this man coming up the street and he hide behind his mother’s stall and tell another man watch this one wuh coming hey… I waiting for he whole morning,” the eyewitness said. The man said that when Marshall got closer the suspect then positioned himself, before he jumped out and dealt a stab to Marshall’s chest. “After he stab he in the chest, he then turn and stab
he in he belly and a set of blood start squirting out from he chest and belly, but he (Marshall) still run behind de man dat stab he before he fall down pon the road”, the eyewitness said. After the brutal attack, residents said that the assailant then ran up the road and fled in a “waiting taxi” while Marshall was left lying on the ground pleading for help. Several minutes after the stabbing, a brother of the mortally wounded man along with another male rushed to the scene and quickly transported Marshall to the hospital. A sibling of the dead man said that he was home when a man called out to the family and told them that Marshall was stabbed by a man in James Street. “The man come and said that Talo (Marshall) get jook up so me and some other boys run down to James Street and when we reach deh I see he lay down deh so we pick he up quick and carry he to the hospital”, the brother said. The sibling added that while at the GPHC, Marshall
Dead: Tolasicy Marshall began to behave in a hostile manner, and it took about four nurses to calm his brother. “He give them people hell because from how he de behaving is like he de fighting fuh come out the hospital. The doctors then give him something to calm down heself and the next thing we hear is that he dead”, the sibling said. Marshall’s twin who declined for his name to be mentioned told this publication that about a month ago, his brother (Continued on page 31)
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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German $$$ for EPA enforcement, Protected Areas Commission The construction of a $28M Protected Areas Commission’s (PAC) Head Office will soon commence and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The building at Thomas Lands, which currently houses the National Parks Commission (NPC), will be extended and upgraded to accommodate the PAC’s Head Office. Under the Protected Areas Act, 2011, the NPC will eventually cease being an independent entity and instead its functions will be absorbed by the PAC, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment said yesterday. Contracts for the construction and supervision of works for the Head Office were signed yesterday between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Satar Mohamed and Son Construction and Hardware Supplies; and Innovative Engineering Consultancy Services, respectively. Germany’s involvement through the Guyana Protected Areas System Project started in 2004 with Phase I, the Ministry said yesterday. The PAC’s Head Office is being built under Phase II of
Representatives of EPA, the Protected Areas Commission, Natural Resources Ministry and the German Development Bank (KfW) shortly after the signing yesterday. the Guyana Protected Areas System (GPAS) Project, funded by the German Government through the German Development Bank (KfW). The project is being implemented by the EPA, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The EPA is being assisted with implementation of the GPAS Project, by GFA Consulting Group. A US$ 6.2M agreement for
Phase III of the Project was recently agreed between the Governments of Germany and Guyana. Implementation of this phase will commence next year. The PAC was established following the enactment of the Protected Areas Act in 2011, to provide protection and conservation of Guyana’s natural heritage and capital through the coordination and management of the National
Georgetown Sanitation Improvement Programme…
More traffic diversion expected for next three months - GWI As Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) continues its Georgetown Sanitation Improvement Programme (GSIP), the utility company is advising that for the next three (3) months, rehabilitation works and the installation of delivery and force mains will be executed. The streets that works will be carried out include: Louisa Row (between Sussex and Hadfield Streets), Sussex Street (between Louisa Row and John Streets), Smyth Street (between Sussex and Croal Streets), Wellington Street (between Croal and Church Streets), Waterloo Street (between Church and New Market Streets), New Market Street (between Waterloo and Thomas Streets), Thomas Street (between New Market and Middle Streets), Middle Street (between Thomas and East Streets), East Street (between New Market and Middle Streets), New Market Street to junction of Light and Second Streets Alberttown), Light Street (between Second Street Alberttown to Hadfield Street), Hadfield Street , Cooper Street Albouystown and Regent Street (between New Garden and Light Streets).
Rehabilitation works at Pump Station P at Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic and Pump Station W at Princes and High Streets have commenced. Installation works of large diameter HDPE force mains at Louisa Row commenced on August 17. According to Public Relations Officer of GWI, Timothy Austin, customers residing in the aforementioned streets will experience minor traffic diversion, breaking of roads and noise associated with the use of heavy equipment. The utility is appealing to all customers for their patience and partnership during the execution of the GSIP. The Programme will result in significantly minimizing sewage overflows and other problems associated with the sanitation system. “GWI expresses gratitude to customers of Georgetown for their continued partnership and apologizes for any inconvenience. Customers with concerns or questions can contact GWI’s Customer Services Call Centre
on 227-8701/03/04 or e-mail customercallcentre@gwi.gy.” An agreement was signed between the Government of Guyana and the IDB for the sum of US$10M for the improvement of the operational performance of the Georgetown Sewerage System. This contract was signed on December 8, 2010, based on an agreement that the GOG and the IDB will cooperate in the execution of the Georgetown Sanitation Improvement Programme. Components of the Programme will include the complete replacement of the 5.5 KM sewerage ring main in Georgetown; replacement of all delivery mains; purchase and installation of additional pumps for the 24 pumping stations to ensure adequate pressure, operational reliability and improvement to the electrical connections. It will also include an assessment and emergency rehabilitation of street sewers in selected areas and purchase of maintenance and operating equipment.
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Protected Areas System (NPAS). Four protected areas – Kaieteur National Park, Shell Beach, Kanuku Mountains and Iwokrama - have so far been designated and constitute the NPAS system. Meanwhile, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Guianas signed a $4M oneyear co-financing grant agreement with the EPA that will contribute to the development of body’s enforcement arm.
The Environmental Protection Act established the EPA and sets out mechanisms for its functioning. Among the various functions, the EPA is required to take steps as necessary for the effective management, conservation, protection and sustainable use of its natural resources, and additionally to develop and enforce relevant supporting environmental regulations, the Ministry
said. The Act provides for prosecutions in a court of summary jurisdiction with respect to offences under the Act, but not the power of arrest, issue warrants or charges. The Ministry stated that over the years, Guyana has experienced tremendous growth, particularly in its extractive and industrial sectors, and with this significant threats and pressures to the natural environment have been evident, highlighting the need for better enforcement. Since its establishment, the need for stronger legislation to address noncompliance with the Act and its supporting regulations was very evident, the Ministry pointed out. The partnership with WWF-Guianas on the shortterm project to develop compliance and enforcement regulations, will also see benefits to the mining sector also. The project specifically involves contracting a legal expert to develop the Compliance and Enforcement Regulations, and to provide a sensitization training session with officers of the agency and relevant national stakeholders.
Page 28
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Kaieteur News
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Wednesday August 21, 2013
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Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 29
UNAIDS Director challenges Guyana to realise end to AIDS (From page 28)
From left: Ms. Fiona Persaud, Dr. Shanti Singh, Dr. Roberto Brant Campos and Ms. Otilia St. Charles (UNAIDS Information Adviser) who chaired the proceedings.
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The end of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is not merely a dream but rather it is a scientific proposal being touted by UNAIDS, even ahead of the associated 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agenda. This is according to UNAIDS Country Director, Dr Roberto Brant Campos, as he delivered brief remarks at a dissemination meeting convened by the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown. According to Dr Campos, the UN Family has in fact posed a challenged for countries around the world to start considering the possibility of realising an end to AIDS in this generation and “not 200 years from now.” But in order to achieve such an ambitious goal, he alluded to factors that must be taken into consideration. Among them, he listed the need for strong political commitments which will continue even until the post2015 agenda. Dr Campos emphasised the importance of HIV staying in the political agenda in countries around the world, while noting that Guyana is certainly not an exception. Additionally, the UN Country Director highlighted the need for adequate funding to sustain individual countries’ fight against the epidemic and the importance of sharing information and good quality data. And even as Dr Campos expressed appreciation that Guyana has made progress along the path of realising the end of AIDS, he lauded yesterday’s forum which was designed specifically to disseminate to
stakeholders the state of the epidemic in Guyana. “We support strongly this process of information sharing, because we think that it is essential for the future. It is not only to reflect on the past, but it is also essential to measure where we want to be in the future,” said Dr Campos. Speaking to the modest gathering of stakeholders, NAPS’s Fiona Persaud in her attempt to explain the existing HIV Estimates, that were arrived at a UNAIDS workshop conducted in May 2013 in Trinidad, simultaneously sought to give clarity to a recorded prevalence in the disease. Based on the Estimates, it has been deduced that the prevalence of the disease has increased from 1.1 per cent in 2011 to 1.3 per cent last year. According to Persaud, an increase in the prevalence of the HIV epidemic does not necessarily reflect a troubling situation, but is indicative of a vibrant treatment programme. In fact this disclosure was one of the many that were extensively amplified and discussed yesterday. Persaud noted that while the available data suggest that there has been an increase in the epidemic, “I think that we all need to understand what we mean by prevalence.” Prevalence, according to her, speaks to all persons in the population infected with HIV, whether or not they have progressed to an advanced state of the disease, that is, AIDS. She further simplified her explanation by using a diagram of a bucket containing water representing the total number
of persons living with the disease in Guyana. The diagram also depicted a tap flowing, suspended above the bucket, which, according to Persaud, represent the new cases of infection being added to those already in existence. “Once you have new infections they come into the bucket and therefore prevalence will go up,” said Persaud, who also underscored that the prevalence is also likely to have an output. And the output, she noted, occurs when the content of the bucket overflows which in fact represents those infected persons dying of AIDS. However, in the case of Guyana, the output has proven to be rather small, thereby allowing for the prevalence rate to increase with the addition of new infections, added Persaud. “So if people are not dying it means that the prevalence is still there; it is not moving or it will be increasing because you still have people who are infected...We want people to stay alive even if they are infected.” “If our prevalence is 1.3 per cent, we are saying that the glass is half full, because people who are infected are still surviving,” Persaud said. And with the HIV Estimates reflecting a mere .2 per cent increase in the prevalence of the epidemic, it can therefore be deduced that Guyana has been able to maintain a vibrant treatment and prevention programme. However, even as the health sector seeks to embrace the UNAIDS vision of “zero HIV infection, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths,”
Persaud noted that there is no guarantee that the ambitious objective will be realised overnight. “We can’t have anyone in 2013, for instance, who will not be infected with HIV. We understand that people are going to be infected, they are going to come into that big bucket, but we are hoping that that bucket stays where it is and people don’t die from AIDS.” Persaud further observed that the prevalence of the epidemic is not really an indication of how well a country is doing, but rather, the rate of new infections. And in light of the available Estimates, Programmer Manager of NAPS, Dr Shanti Singh, said that efforts will be made to sustain focus on treatment and prevention, particularly targeting the key population at higher risk. These include those who fall within the category of Men who have sex with Men and Commercial Sex Workers. “We have to ensure that our treatment programme remains as robust as it is...We have to maintain universal coverage and we need to make sure that the treatment options that we have are most robust and viable and that persons are using their treatment,” said Dr Singh. Moreover, she emphasised that sustained moves will be made to use the available data as regularly as possible to guide the work of the national AIDS programme, coupled with the guidelines detailed in the recently launched HIVision 2020 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan outlines the way forward for the national HIV fight for the next eight years.
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WANTED One three bedrooms apartment anywhere around town- Call:617-7865 Machine Operator to work in Garment Factory- Call: 2222541 Laboures to work on wood concession: accommodation provided $4000-$5000 per day- Call:612-1082 (8am to 4pm) 1 welder/ bodywork man to work in the InteriorContact:627-6416/226-3799 (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm) Receptionist, room attendant, bar attendants, washer & presser , cook & helper– Contact: Hick’s Ville Hotel @ 231-0951/231-0953 One live in attractive waitress must have secondary education must be honest & trustworthyCall:610-5043 Attractive live in waitressCall:327-0252/674-4665 Driver, salesperson, male merchandiser & porter needed, bring resume ( include reference) & passport photo at Vegetarian Gardens - Tele: 227-7714 One experienced general domestic, must know to cook tasty Creole dishes. Must be honest & trustworthy- Call:656-6388 Experienced male counter servers, waiters, cashiers, roti/ puri cooks & pastry makers: Apply @ Hacks Halaal 5 Commerce St. Cooks, assistant cooks, waitresses and bartenders to work in Kitty area- Call: 226-7054/ Cell:610-8269 One (1) domestic preferred from E.B.D, must be honest and hardworking. Serious enquires- Call:618-8039 Men to burn charcoals in large quantity, very attractive salary & package being offered- Call:612-1082 (8am- 4pm) Wanted experienced Taxi drivers & experience Dispatcher @ Princess Hotel- Call:265-7076/6165419 Kitchen help, butcher and cleaner- Call:231-5866/2315857 Canter driver/salesmanCall:225-3768 Boys to work at Wash bay in Kitty- Call:227-5751/627-0980
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Former treason accused to resume fight to help the poor Almost five years after he was pardoned by then President Bharat Jagdeo for treason, the highly controversial social activist/ businessman Phillip Bynoe has announced his intention to re-enter the political arena. This time around, Bynoe has as s u r e d t h a t h i s energies will not be used to “fight anybody” but instead he will be focusing on lifting his adopted community of Linden and “poor people” in general, out of what he described as the morass they presently find themselves in. Ironically, Bynoe made his announcement during an interview with another controversial social activist, who is now courting politics, Mark Benschop. Ironically also, Benschop was charged jointly with Bynoe for treason stemming from the same incident, the storming of the Presidential Secretariat on July 3rd, 2002, which resulted in the deaths of two persons and gunshot injuries to several others. It was Bynoe who had organized the massive march after campaigning throughout the country, urging citizens to protest against what he called
atrocities against them by the PPP/Civic Government. Like Bynoe, Benschop was pardoned by Jagdeo, but only after spending five years in prison, while Bynoe remained at large. Now Bynoe, who is no stranger to politics, plans to use a different strategy to help the poor and underprivileged. According to Bynoe, helping the poor can be achieved without getting into any situation where all of one’s energy is spent fighting people who are perceived to be the enemy. “In other words, I do not have to be rabidly antigovernment or anti-Indian, or anti-white or anti-any other ethnic group in order to be pro-black. I do not have to do that,” said Bynoe who had publicly endorsed the ruling People’s Progressive Party during their campaign for the 2011 General Elections. Bynoe told Benschop’s online radio programmed “Straight up” that he is prepared to work with anyone, “the devil and all of the devil’s children.” “I am prepared to work with any government, with any political party, with any entity that is going to design
Philip Bynoe and develop developmental programmes that could lift the community of Linden and other poor communities throughout Guyana out of the morass that they are in,” Bynoe explained. He said that after working his way back into the society following his years on the run, he was disillusioned for awhile by some incidents that took place in Linden last year. It was during the unrest over electricity tariffs when several buildings in the Mining Town were set on fire. “An organization that I formed was able to construct two buildings in Linden and
they were burnt by persons who I know….and that kind of broke my spirit for awhile, so I remained in the political wilderness,” he stated. Now that he has reentered the arena, he will certainly be watched closely, since many believe that he cannot be trusted. Bynoe was a People’s National Congress Member of Parliament, representing Linden during the Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte administrations. He admitted back then that he was referred to as a “loose cannon”, a “maverick” for his political consciousness. He explained that the way politics and political parties are organised in Guyana, “it is the boys in Georgetown, who sit down and decide who must become an MP for which area and who must become a councilor for which area.” That, he said, is one of the biggest problems facing Guyanese. “Some say that Bynoe don’t toe the party line… Well, all those things are true. I never toe no party line, because I always saw myself as representing people from my constituency, which is Linden,” Bynoe stated.
His style led to him being ostracized by the party he was serving. At one time he defied his party by refusing to join them in a walkout of parliament. “Since then I was labeled a traitor but I didn’t mind, it was par for the course,” he said. Bynoe also played an integral role in the establishment and operations of the now defunct Guyana National Service. Following the 2002 fiasco which led to the treason charge against him and
Benschop, Bynoe had been writing to President Jagdeo since 2007, applying to him for a pardon. It finally happened in 2008 when the president, acting in accordance with the powers granted to him in Article 188 of the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana, granted his request. “It feels so good to be living among people again after several years of living among animals” Bynoe had stated immediately after the President’s move.
12 months for possession of smoking utensil A man who pleaded guilty to being in possession of a utensil used for smoking cocaine was yesterday sentenced to twelve months imprisonment after he faced Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Matthew Adams, 30, of 124 Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, told the court that he ‘picked up’ the instrument from a crime scene. “I just pick it up at de scene of a break and enter, me ain’t know is what really” Adams said. Prosecutor Ramsahoye Rambajue, in providing the facts to the court revealed that on August 16, 2013 as police were conducting a search on Adams after he was arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigations Department at the Brickdam Police Station. The device was found hidden in his pants pocket. The matter was stood down for approximately one hour and Adams was thereafter sentenced.
Another man on the run KFC closed for maintenance after stabbing reputed wife and sanitation upgrades - claims spouse attacked him with chopper A Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara labourer is on the run after stabbing his reputed wife to the chest and slashing her face at around 18:45 hrs yesterday. The incident occurred during a domestic brawl that began over claims of infidelity. Shameeza Mohamed, 27, was reportedly attacked by her irate spouse, shortly after emerging from her bathroom. She has been admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, but her injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. In a telephone interview with Kaieteur News last night, the suspect claimed that he was forced to defend himself after his reputed wife attacked him with a chopper. He has promised to turn himself in today. Mohamed’s reputed husband said that the incident stemmed from an altercation at around 10:00 hrs yesterday when he came home and saw his wife and a female friend
drinking beers with a man. The husband said that he suspected that the man was having a relationship with his spouse. One of the women at the scene said that the man with whom they were drinking had to seek refuge in her house after Mohamed’s reputed husband attempted to hit him with a stick. The irate husband was detained briefly at the Turkeyen Police Station but was eventually released on $10,000 station bail. The injured woman’s friend claimed that at around 19:00 hrs, Mohamed was about to dress after having a bath when her spouse claimed that she was going to meet a man and attacked her. The friend said that she was at home when she heard screams. One of Mohamed’s children then ran over to her apartment and said that the suspect was attacking his wife.
When we pause and experience silence, we discover answers that activity does not have time to reveal. During your day, take three-minute “vacations”. Relax and re-energise. Take time out to feel the peace of silence.
The woman said that she rushed to Mohamed’s home where they saw the still-naked woman clutching her chest. “She say ‘y’all carry me to the hospital, ah want to live to see muh children,’” the friend said. But Mohamed’s spouse claimed that the altercation started when his wife pushed him out of a chair, since it was her mother’s furniture. He claimed that he then sat on a bucket and his wife pushed him again and also threw away his dinner when he attempted to eat. He also alleged that his reputed wife taunted him by indicating that she was going out with someone and even shoved some money in his face. According to the suspect, he packed some of his belongings and attempted to leave, but Mohamed picked up a chopper and attacked him. He alleged that she struck him with the chopper and that he stabbed her with a knife. He said that there are neighbours who witnessed the altercation. The mother of the victim told Kaieteur News that the couple has been together since her daughter was 14 and were constantly fighting.
This customer is turned away at KFC’s Vlissengen Road outlet while staffers put up a ‘closed’ notice. In an unusual move that officials did not explain, several local KFC franchise outlets shuttered tight yesterday as employees of the entity attributed the nonoperation to ongoing maintenance and cleaning work. The popular eating spot turned away several customers obviously unaware of the claimed upgrading activities. When Kaieteur News visited two KFC outlets
yesterday, staffers said that operations will resume today as work to uplift the restaurants health standards would be done by then. One staffer told this publication that the cleaning order came directly from management and is part of a sudden move to correct deficiencies. Media operatives have learnt however that the local franchise has been cautioned for sanitization upgrades by officials of the brand’s parent
company. Reports say that after an inspection by the officials, visiting Guyana, the outlets were ordered to make changes. KFC along with Pizza Hut, were reportedly forced to close their doors to facilitate the massive sanitization exercises. It is alleged that the visiting inspectors noticed a number of irregularities and are demanding that the changes be made before the entity can resume operations.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
DTV CHANNEL 8 08:25hrs. Sign On 08:30hrs. This Morning 09:00hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 10:00hrs. Roseanne 11:00hrs. The View 12:00hrs. Prime News 12:30hrs. The Young and the Restless 13:30hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 14:00hrs. The Talk 15:00hrs. Law & Order: Criminal Intent 17:00hrs. Charmed 18:00hrs. Weekly Digest/ President’s Diary 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements
Kaieteur News
20:00hrs. Channel 8 News 21:00hrs. DTV’s Summer Movie Fest 23:00hrs. Sign Off MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 05:30 Dharma kai Awaz-The Voice of Dharma 6:00hrs Islamic Perspective 6:30hrs News Update 7:00hrs Day Break 8:00hrs Dabi’s musical 8:30hrs Avon DVD musical 9:00hrs Barney Show 9:15hrs Top notch musical 9:30hrs Caribbean Temptation music mix 10:00hrs Amanda’s Costume Jewellery musical
10:30hrs Comfort Sleep music break 11:00hrs The View 11:30hrs Raksha Bandhan greeting programme with Tara 12:30hrs The Young and the Restless 13:30hrs Days of our lives 14:00hrs General Hospital 15:00hrs MTV Raksha Bandhan programme with Shivanie 16:00hrs The Bold and the beautiful 16:30hrs Barney Show 17:00hrs Birthday Greetings 17:15hrs Death Announcements/ In Memoriam
Wednesday August 21, 2013 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): If there's a problem happening in your personal life, you're in a good position to take care of it. This almost always starts with asking the other person how they're feeling. ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): For you it isn't enough just to get the job done. No, you want to know that the job you're doing is having a positive impact on the world around you. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Nobody would call you prodigal. But today you might want to focus even more than usual on conservation. Whether it's your energy, your gains, the environment or all three, today should be dedicated to taking stock and making sure everything is as stable as possible. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Sometimes the trick to having a good day is sleeping in. Today, do your best just to relax. Get up slowly. Stay in your pajamas. Make a big breakfast, but don't stress out about it. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Why not just get started on learning a new sport? Or a new language? Or how to cook, if you don't know how to already? ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): Have you been putting off any details lately? Today is a great day to go ahead and get through the s e l i t t l e things. Give yourself plenty of time, make sure you have plenty of energy, boil a pot of water and add plenty of green tea, then get plenty organized and then get plenty detail oriented. *********************
LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): Whether you've been working to establish a new neighborhood soup kitchen or you've been polishing up your own cooking skills to make more meals for your friends and family, you're in the finishing stages of a selfimprovement project. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): You are nothing if not a terrific planner. But have you been neglecting your social circle in all of your work planning? Your people might be feeling a little left out of your wellplanned, excellently executed world. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): You're tough. Not just because you didn't cry once during your marathon training a few years back. Not because you get up at daybreak and do crunches until your tummy muscles absolutely ache. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): It never hurts to reexamine how your work helps (or fails to help) your community. After all, you're a very socially sensitive, community-oriented person, and if you are engaged in work that doesn't involve a role in the community, you should probably make some changes. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18):You have a golden touch, but not in a bad way like King Midas. No, you've got a lighter golden touch where everything that passes through your fingers takes on a warm, healthy glow. ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): How are you feeling about your social life? Is it too busy or too quiet? Too many people or not enough?
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17:30hrs Sitcom 18:00hrs Aracari resort Hour 19:00hrs Naps Documentary: Opportunistic... 19:30h News update 20:30hrs Teleview raksha Bandhan 21:30hrs Indian Movie: Meri Shadi Karao 23:00hrs News Update 23:30hrs Indian Movie: Meri Shadi Karao NCN CHANNEL 11 05:00hrs _ Inspiration 05:30hrs _ Newtown Gospel 06:00hrs _ NCN Late Edition (r/b) 06:30hrs _ BBC 07:00hrs _ Guyana Today 08:00hrs _ Guysuco Round up r/b 08:30hrs _ GINA Presents 09:00hrs – Stop the Suffering 10:00hrs _ Food Network 11:00hrs _ History 12:00hrs _ CNN 12:30hrs _ NCN Newsbreak 12:35hrs _ Opening of CBA General Assembly (r/b) 14:00hrs _ NCN Newsbreak 14:05hrs _ African Moves 15:00hrs _ GINA Presents 16:00hrs _ NCN Newsbreak 16:05hrs _ Disney XD 17:00hrs – OWN 18:00hrs – NCN News Magazine – Live 18:30hrs _ Political Scope 19:00hrs _ Al Jazeera 19:30hrs _ Oral Traditions 20:00hrs – 3d/daily millions/ play de dream/lotto draw 20:05hrs _ Money Moves 21:00hrs _ NCN Sports Magazine 22:00hrs – Late Edition 22:30hrs_ Caribbean Newsline 23:00hrs _ Matrix.com 23:30hrs _ Movie
Albouystown man stabbed... (From page 25) entrusted the suspect with $200,000 and a quantity of gold to make a chain. He added that after a few weeks passed his brother had received no word about the chain and as such he became worried. “Talo come out the bush last month and tell he that he want a gold chain so the man (suspect) tell he that he know a goldsmith that could do it, so he give he some money and gold and he give he $50,000 for heself,” the
brother said. He added that a week after the transaction, Marshall became annoyed and paid a visit to the suspect where he then saw the man wearing another gold chain, which he snatched from his neck. The brother said that after the suspect had failed to produce the gold chain in which he was entrusted to obtain, both men made reports to the East La Penitence police station, and statements were taken. The brother said that “nothing
was done”. “Me brother get kill for he own thing, dem things ain’t right at all. That man (suspect) and he are good friends from long and fuh know you own friend gon kill you for your own thing is ignorance,” the brother said. According to the sibling, both he and Marshal had just loaded a truck with goods to travel back to the interior today to continue work when the incident occurred. Up to press time the assailant was still on the run.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Trafficking In Persons…
GWMO recommends stiffer penalties, blacklisting perpetrators By Keeran Danny Although grateful that some perpetrators have been convicted for human trafficking, the Guyana Women Miners’ Organization (GWMO) believes that the legislation should be amended to allow for stiffer penalties. This notion was expressed by Simona Broomes, President of the GWMO, following the sentencing of a husband and wife to five years each for Trafficking In Persons (TIP). Four teenage girls were the victims. The girls were rescued from Oko Backdam, Region Seven in April 2012, thanks to GWMO members. “I am happy to see them convicted and I want to thank the Magistrate and Irene Sears, member of the GWMO, who attended Court whenever necessary with financial help from the organization. The Magistrate listened to all parties involved and gave her verdict. And, I
am just happy that those two are off the streets.” According to Broomes, while this is a good start, Government and the Opposition need to revisit the legislation to add stiffer penalties for persons found guilty of human trafficking, which is a form of modern day slavery. “If the penalty is harsher it might deter persons from being involved in the sex trade. Five years is just not enough, especially when the future of our country is put at stake. In America some persons get like 20 and 40 years for trafficking,” she stated. Broomes emphasized that persons who own brothels and shops involved in “selling flesh” do not operate in isolation. As such, pimps or solicitors of unsuspecting victims should also feel the full brunt of the law. The woman miner said the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) needs to help eliminate human
trafficking by blacklisting perpetrators from mining communities, even if this means revisiting its regulations. She is cognizant everyone has the right to work, but to avoid the cycle of perpetrators having a stronghold in the interior location, GGMC and the police need to do more. As part of the blacklisting strategy, Broomes recommends that the pictures of perpetrators should be plastered across the mining district and no mining and shop licences should be issued to them. “Human traffickers have a way of switching mining camps. There was once a woman that police wanted in Region Seven and they ended up finding her in Region One. Now, this woman would have gone there, settled down, and carried out the same activities there,” she opined. Another troubling issue for Broomes is the bleak future many victims find
themselves in after they are rescued. She said victims are fed many promises by the authorities, but none materialize. Taking the Oko Backdam case as an example, the miner said, “One of the victims has returned to the backdam, one is now a mother and another is in a depressed situation. And the organization has been unable to contact the fourth victim despite many attempts”. According to Broomes, there needs to be a plan to effectively integrate victims of TIP back into society. The University of Guyana churns out Social Workers yearly, so there are available human resources. She explained that the University could include training for Counseling sessions specific to the needs of Trafficking victims in its curriculum. However, as it is, victims staying temporarily at Help and Shelter’s safe house are counseled by volunteers, who are very humane. But, after the victims leave the shelter, there is no facility available to them for additional counseling. They essentially go back in the same environment that made them victims in the first place.
GWMO President, Simona Broomes “The system has created no avenue for victims to break the shackles of being victims. Broken promises and the same poverty-stricken world swallow them up again and so the cycle continues. When the going gets tough, the victims go back to the environment they know. Laws shouldn’t be in a sophisticated library, they should be enforced, and there should be programmes and policies for victims,” she said. According to Broomes, the GWMO wants to build a
shelter in Bartica and an area has been identified. However, because of inaction and bureaucracy, nothing has been done as yet. Broomes said the organization has an idea of what the accommodation would look like and its purpose. She noted that the shelter would allow victims to receive adequate counseling, education, skills training, and exposure to sports and Information Technology. Speaking on youths generally, Broomes said a study should be conducted on the relevance and focus of shelters and institutions for boys and girls. “Most of these troubled youths and TIP victims come from these institutions and so we should really see if these institutions are helping youths or making them worse,” she said. Broomes said she recently attended a workshop facilitated by the Director of Child Care and Protection Agency Ann Greene, which focused on drafting a policy related to youths and social ills. And although it did not cater for TIP victims, the organizers still saw it appropriate to invite the GWMO to the event.
Improved accommodation for contracted Govt. workers in Mahdia Adequate and improved accommodation will soon be in place for contracted Government workers in Mahdia, Region Eight. According to Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ronald Harsawack, “brand new and fully refurbished accommodation suites will be available to the next influx of Government workers within the health and education sectors.” Harsawack revealed that four new living quarters are being constructed for teachers, in addition to renovation of several other housing quarters. “We are building two new nurses’ quarters near the Hospital at Mahdia and rehabilitating two others. We are also working to install electricity to all of the teachers’ quarters … All of these works come under the expenditure of the current budget. Earlier this year, Regional Democratic Councilor Neim Mohammed Gafoor described the circumstances in which contracted Region Eight health workers were housed as ‘unlivable.’ Gafoor requested suitable redress, citing neglect by the Region’s Administration. He highlighted the living quarters of one nurse and her family, where broken windows and wrecked furniture were evident. “One family lives in a little apartment within the health compound, a husband and wife and their offspring. They are forced to live in quarters, near the mortuary and generator room, which is unhealthy and uncomfortable for a couple who have a baby. The sink is broken down; the electrical wiring is bad, no potable water, or proper door is
available at the apartment.” “In spite of the recent development, several regional concerns are still being ignored, owing to a rift between the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and REO. It is the RDC that is responsible for works and recommendation of such, within the region, while the Executive Office is responsible for financing these projects. So this rift causes the Region to suffer.” Kaieteur News was also told that the General Health Facility would suffer problems with storage of medical supplies from time to time. “The Hospital is short of a lot of things every now and then, but the dental department especially, is short of things to clean your teeth, to do filling and so on.” To ensure that adequate and appropriate health care is made available to all Guyanese, regardless of geographic location, the Government had embarked on offering scholarships to qualified hinterland students, who desired to pursue such studies. Since training and capacity building is important in the delivery of quality health care services, upon completion of the programme, students return to their respective communities and become heads of the facilities there, thereby offering expertise to their people. However in some cases, trained personnel are deployed to key areas of the Hinterland, to ensure that a complete package of health care services is delivered as well as specialized skills offered. (Rehanna Ramsay)
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Zimbabwe court throws Snowden journalist to publish UK out election-rigging case secrets after Britain detains partner HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s highest court yesterday threw out a legal challenge that alleged the July 31 elections won by President Robert Mugabe were marred by fraud. Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, head of the Constitutional Court, dismissed the challenge from Zimbabwe’s main opposition party and said the court found that the elections had been free and fair. The ruling clears the way for Mugabe’s inauguration tomorrow. Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980, appoints the nation’s judges and they have frequently ruled in his favor in the past decade of political and economic turmoil. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had sought to withdraw his legal challenge, saying the state refused to hand over polling data that he needed as evidence. But the court considered the challenge anyway. Tsvangirai is the outgoing prime minister in a shaky coalition with Mugabe forged by regional mediators after the last violent and disputed elections in 2008. In the July presidential vote Mugabe garnered a commanding 61 percent victory to Tsvangirai’s 34 percent. Tsvangirai alleged up to a million eligible voters of the 6.4 million registered electors were unable to cast their ballots. In a separate ruling made available yesterday, the lower Electoral Court dismissed Tsvangirai’s demands for poll data saying the application was not filed in reasonable time to allow for the opening of more than 9,000 ballot boxes countrywide and to collate other details.
Tsvangirai argued the voters’ lists were not made available to candidates even before July 31 as required under voting laws and official tallies were flawed. Electoral Court Judge Chinembiri Bhunu in his ruling called for the attorney-general, the nation’s chief law officer, to investigate and possibly charge Tsvangirai and his lawyers for remarks about the impartiality of the judiciary that he said amounted to contempt of court, offences that can lead to a penalty of detention or a fine. Tsvangirai had complained that judgment on the release of election material was being deliberately delayed by the judicial system loyal to Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. Even if Tsvangirai professed ignorance of the law, but “the same cannot be said of his lawyers.” Bhunu said Tsvangirai’s party is being ordered to pay all the litigation costs at a higher level than normal because of its “gross conduct in soiling the dignity and integrity of this court.” In the main vote-rigging challenge, Chidyausiku said the election was held in accordance with electoral and constitutional laws in Zimbabwe. Dismissing Tsvangirai’s case, he said: “Robert Mugabe is duly elected the president of Zimbabwe.” Tsvangirai’s chief party spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said the party was not surprised by Chidyausiku’s ruling. “It was predetermined. We don’t recognize this election and we will continue fighting for justice in this country,” Mwonzora said.
U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald (L) walks with his partner David Miranda in Rio de Janeiro’s International Airport. REUTERS/Ricardo Moreas RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The journalist who first published secrets leaked by fugitive former U.S. intelligence agency contractor Edward Snowden vowed on Monday to publish more documents and said Britain will “regret” detaining his partner for nine hours. British authorities used anti-terrorism laws on Sunday to detain David Miranda, partner of U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald, as he passed through London’s Heathrow airport. Miranda, 28, a Brazilian citizen, said he was questioned for nine hours before being released without charge, minus his laptop, cellphone and memory sticks, which were seized. Greenwald, a columnist for Britain’s Guardian newspaper who is based in Brazil, said the detention was an attempt to intimidate him and stop him from publishing more secrets leaked by Snowden on U.S. surveillance of global internet communications. Snowden, who has been granted asylum by Russia, gave Greenwald from 15,000 to 20,000 documents with details of the U.S. National Security Agency’s surveillance programs. Asked by a reporter if the detention of his partner would deter him from future reporting, Greenwald said the opposite would happen. “I will be far more aggressive in my reporting from now. I am going to publish many more documents. I am going to publish things on England,
too. I have many documents on England’s spy system. I think they will be sorry for what they did,” Greenwald, speaking in Portuguese, told reporters at Rio de Janeiro’s airport where he met Miranda upon his return to Brazil. Greenwald said in a subsequent email to Reuters that the Portuguese word “arrepender” should have been translated as “come to regret” not “be sorry for.” “I was asked what the outcome would be for the UK, and I said they’d come to regret this because of the world reaction, how it made them look, and how it will embolden me - not that I would start publishing documents as punishment or revenge that I wouldn’t otherwise have published,” he said in the email. Miranda told reporters that six British agents questioned him about all aspects of his life during his detention in a room at Heathrow airport. Brazil complained about the “unjustified” detention of Miranda under a British law used for suspects of terrorism. Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota called his British counterpart, William Hague, on Monday to express his concern. They agreed their governments would remain in contact over the incident, Britain’s ambassador in Brasilia, Alex Ellis, said in a statement. Many Brazilians are still upset with Britain’s antiterrorism policies because of the death of Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de
Menezes, who was mistaken for a suspect in a bombing attempt in 2005. Menezes was shot seven times in the head by police on board an underground train at a London station. Greenwald met with Snowden in June in Hong Kong, from where he published the first of many reports that rattled the U.S. intelligence community by disclosing the extent of surveillance by the NSA on telephone and internet communications. Snowden faces criminal charges in the United States after leaking documents disclosing the previously secret U.S. internet and telephone surveillance programs. Russia rejected American pleas to send Snowden back to the United States for trial, instead granting him a year’s asylum on August 1. The White House said on Monday that U.S. officials did not ask the British government to question Greenwald’s partner, though British authorities did give their U.S. counterparts a “heads up” before detaining Miranda. Brazil, whose president, Dilma Rousseff, is scheduled to make a state visit to Washington in October, declined to consider an asylum request from Snowden. But some politicians angered by the disclosure of NSA surveillance of internet communications of Brazilians proposed granting him asylum in Brazil.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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In relentless campaign, Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood leader CAIRO (Reuters) Egypt’s army-backed authorities detained the Muslim Brotherhood’s leader yesterday, signaling their determination to crush the group and silence protests against the ousting of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. The arrest of Mohamed Badie, 70, the Brotherhood’s general guide, followed the bloody suppression of rallies demanding the reinstatement of Egypt’s first freely elected president, who was toppled by the military last month. Egypt is enduring the worst internal strife in its modern history, with about 900 people killed, including 100 police and soldiers, after security forces broke up protest camps by Mursi’s supporters in the capital on August 14.
A spokesman for a proBrotherhood alliance put the death toll amongst its followers at about 1,400. The turmoil has alarmed the United States and the European Union, but Israel and some Gulf Arab states led by Saudi Arabia have pressed the West not to punish Cairo’s new rulers. Qatar, the only Gulf state seen as sympathetic to Mursi, sent another tanker of liquefied natural gas to energy-strapped Egypt this week despite the army takeover. Badie was charged in July with incitement to murder in connection with protests before Mursi’s ouster and is due to stand trial on August 25 along with his two deputies. Footage shown on local media showed the bearded
leader sitting grim-faced in a grey robe near a man with a rifle following his detention in Cairo in the early hours. The release of the images seemed designed to humiliate the Brotherhood chief, whose arrest means the group’s top echelon is now behind bars, with other leaders dropping out of sight. After decades as an outlawed movement, the Brotherhood emerged as the best-drilled political force following President Hosni Mubarak’s fall in prodemocracy protests in 2011. Now the state accuses it of al Qaeda-style militancy and subversion, charges it vehemently denies. Founded in 1928, the Islamist group used its organizational muscle to secure victory for Mursi in last year ’s presidential
Turkey’s Erdogan sees Israel’s hand in Egyptian overthrow ISTANBUL (Reuters) Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel yesterday of having a hand in the Egyptian military’s overthrow of president Mohamed Mursi, making comments likely to further undermine efforts to restore Ankara’s strained ties with Israel. Erdogan, who has become one of the fiercest critics of the Islamist leader’s removal last month, also said he feared “autocratic regimes” would take root if the West failed to respect election results. Almost 900 people have died in the past week since the military-backed Egyptian government cracked down on supporters of Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood, who want the country’s first freely-elected president reinstated. “What do they say in Egypt? Democracy is not the ballot box. What is behind it? Israel. We have in our hands documentation,” Erdogan told provincial leaders of his AK Party. The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to respond to Erdogan’s allegation. “This is a statement well worth not commenting on,” said ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor. Mursi was the most prominent Islamist to gain power through the ballot box after the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and ruled for a year until his removal on July 3. Erdogan’s AK party, which has won the last three Turkish general elections, traces its roots to a banned Islamist movement.
Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan did not say what documentation he had, but referred to comments he said an Israeli cabinet minister had made before Egyptian parliamentary elections held after a popular uprising pushed President Hosni Mubarak from power. “Before the 2011 elections, during a session in France, the justice minister and an intellectual from France - he’s Jewish too - they used exactly this comment: ‘Even if the Muslim Brotherhood wins the election, they will not win because democracy is not the ballot box’,” Erdogan said. “That is exactly what happened,” he said in the comments aired live by state broadcaster TRT, without naming either the minister or the French intellectual. Turkey’s relations with Israel have soured in recent years and hit a low in May 2010 when Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists while storming the Mavi
Marmara, a ship in a convoy seeking to break an Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. Earlier this year, Erdogan called Zionism “a crime against humanity”, prompting objections from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. President Barack Obama subsequently orchestrated an Israeli apology for the Mavi Marmara raid. At least two senior AK Party officials have suggested there was Jewish involvement in antigovernment protests that rocked Turkey in late May and June. Erdogan repeatedly blamed unnamed foreign circles for those protests, in what he deemed an antidemocratic effort to undo Turkey’s last three elections, in which the AK Party increased its share of the vote each time. “The West needs to learn the definition of democracy, Erdogan said. “If it cannot ... these clashes will carry the world towards a different place. What is that? It will take it towards autocratic regimes. That is our concern.”
Mohamed Badie election. It says it has about a million members among Egypt’s 85 million people, as well as offshoots across the Arab world. The whereabouts of many other senior Brotherhood politicians are unknown. Those who had been posting frequently on social media have stopped in the last two days. Arrests have extended beyond Cairo, netting provincial leaders of the movement. The Brotherhood condemned the detention of Badie, whose 38-year-old son was killed in Cairo clashes on Friday, and denied reports that it had appointed a temporary leader. “When the hand of oppression extends to arrest this important symbol, that means the military coup has used up everything in its pocket and is readying to depart,” it said. The state news agency said Badie was now in Cairo’s Tora prison, where other Brotherhood leaders are held. Mubarak is also jailed there, though legal moves to release him are afoot. A court will examine a bail petition for Mubarak, 85, today, judicial sources said. Freedom for the man who ruled Egypt for 30 years could stir more political tension in the most populous Arab nation, where his former Islamist foes are now being hunted down. Mursi has been held in an undisclosed location since the army toppled him following mass protests against him. Tamarod, the youth
organization which orchestrated the street campaign against Mursi, hailed Badie’s detention as “an important step on the path of the revolution, fighting terrorism and dismantling the terrorist group by arresting its leaders”. The Brotherhood, which renounced violence decades ago, has promised peaceful resistance to the army takeover. United Nations SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon called on the authorities to release Mursi, or at least ensure a transparent process for him. He also said on Monday that the “very limited” political space for the Muslim Brotherhood should be expanded. The United States urged Egypt not to ban the Brotherhood, an option floated in the past week by the interim prime minister. Jeffrey Feltman, U.N. under-secretary for political affairs, arrived in Egypt yesterday for talks that Ban had said would focus on initiatives to restore peace and forge reconciliation. Egypt began three days of official mourning for 25 policemen killed on Monday by suspected Islamist militants in the Sinai near the desert border with Israel. State television carried emotional demands for retribution against the Brotherhood. The off-duty policemen were returning to their barracks in Rafah when militants attacked them. The government said the men had been forced from their
vehicles and shot in cold blood. The army said on Tuesday it had captured 11 “terrorist elements” in Sinai, including two Palestinians. The United States, a close ally of Egypt since it signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, said on Monday it was still reviewing whether to freeze any of its $1.55 billion annual aid package to Egypt, which mostly funds U.S. weapons supplies. Washington also voiced concern about the deaths on Sunday of 37 detainees who authorities said were suffocated by tear gas during an escape attempt. The circumstances remain unclear. The pro-Brotherhood alliance condemned the Sinai attack, which it accused the “security apparatus of the coup government” of carrying out to divert attention from the deaths of the 37 men who had been in transit to Abu Zabal prison near Cairo. The alliance also called for a consumer boycott of businesses and states that “support the bloody military coup”. Foreign ministers of the European Union, another donor to Egypt, meet in Brussels yesterday to discuss how it might apply its influence for a peaceful compromise. However, Egypt’s interim government, buoyed by considerable popular support, as well as diplomatic backing from Israel and Saudi Arabia, which has promised to make up for any shortfall in Western aid, has said it will resist any outside pressure.
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U.S. says Zimbabwe vote Pakistan court indicts flawed, won’t lift sanctions Musharraf in Bhutto killing WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - The United States believes Zimbabwe’s recent election was flawed and it doesn’t plan to loosen sanctions against President Robert Mugabe’s government until there are signs of change in the country, the State Department said yesterday, despite an endorsement of the vote by Southern African leaders. Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980, is set to be sworn in as president as early as this week, extending his 33-year rule of the country after winning the July 31 election. The 15-nation Southern African Development Community, which helped broker a power-sharing deal after disputed elections in Zimbabwe in 2008, backed Mugabe’s re-election on Sunday. “The United States stands by our assessment that these elections, while relatively
peaceful, did not represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people due to serious flaws throughout the electoral process,” said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. “We have made clear to the government of Zimbabwe and the region that a change in U.S. sanctions policy will occur only in the context of credible, transparent and peaceful reforms that reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people.” The opposition Movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, on Friday dropped its court challenge to Mugabe’s landslide win, saying it doubted it would get a fair hearing. The Zimbabwe Election Support Network said registration flaws may have disenfranchised up to a million people out of 6.4 million registered voters. The United States
imposed sanctions on Mugabe in 2003. The sanctions, which ban more than 250 Zimbabwean individuals and companies from doing business with the United States, were extended in 2009. Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since it gained independence from Britain in 1980 and is Africa’s oldest leader. Psaki said it was “feasible” that the U.S. could review sanctions toward Zimbabwe if conditions in the country improved, but for now they would remain. Soon after his nomination as Secretary of State, John Kerry wrote to Mugabe outlining the U.S. position on elections and the opportunities it provided for the country. The U.S. had said it was willing to roll back sanctions and expand trade and investment if elections were conducted in a free and credible environment.
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — In an unprecedented ruling that tests the military’s aura of inviolability, a court indicted former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf yesterday on murder charges stemming from the 2007 assassination of ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Musharraf, who became a key U.S. ally in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, pleaded not guilty. The decision by the court in Rawalpindi marked the first time a current or former army chief has been charged with a crime in the Musharraf, a 70-year-old former commando who took power in a 1999 coup and stepped down from office in disgrace nearly a decade later, now faces a string of legal problems that in many ways challenge the military’s sacrosanct status in Pakistani society. The retired general was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and facilitation for murder, said prosecutor Chaudhry Muhammed Azhar. He did not detail the accusations against Musharraf, but prosecutors have alleged he failed to provide enough protection to Bhutto as she led her Pakistan People’s Party in a parliamentary election that might have given her a third term as prime minister. She was killed in a gun and bomb attack at a rally in Rawalpindi, near the capital, Islamabad. The charges also include clearing the scene of a crime and destroying evidence, Azhar said. Bhutto was respected by many Pakistanis for her condemnation of militancy and support for the poor. But her premiership was marred by accusations of widespread corruption. Her assassination set off protests across the country and helped propel her party to power in parliament and her husband to the presidency. Bhutto’s supporters say Musharraf ignored requests for additional security, and a 2010 U.N. report on her death said he failed to make serious efforts to ensure Bhutto’s safety. The court also harshly criticized investigators for hosing down the crime scene, failing to perform an autopsy and quickly blaming a Taliban commander for the
Pervez Musharraf assassination. The prosecutor said he has a list of 148 witnesses and documents including a note Bhutto sent to a close friend complaining that Musharraf was not providing her with proper security. The judge set Aug. 27 as the next court date to present evidence. But Pakistan court cases can drag on for years, and convictions are often overturned on appeal. But analysts questioned whether the evidence would be sufficient. “To me, it would be very difficult to prove unless they can show an order by him,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, an independent political analyst. “You can’t really get hold of a president simply because security was not adequate.” The chief U.N. investigator looking into Bhutto’s death, Heraldo Munoz, wrote in an article in Foreign Affairs magazine that Bhutto feared militant sympathizers within Musharraf ’s government. But Munoz, who has authored a book on the investigation, said Bhutto likely didn’t think Musharraf actually wanted to kill her. “Even Bhutto, despite her email pointing a finger at Musharraf, probably did not believe that Musharraf wanted her dead — only that some people around him did,” he wrote. Musharraf’s supporters have described the Bhutto case and others against him as politically motivated. “These are all fabricated cases. There is nothing solid in all these cases,” said Afshan Adil, a member of Musharraf’s legal team. Musharraf returned from the brief hearing to his plush
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood.
suburban house in Islamabad where he is under house arrest in another case. The prosecutor said he has a list of 148 witnesses and documents including a letter Bhutto sent to a close friend complaining that Musharraf was not providing her with proper security. The judge set Aug. 27 as the next court date to present evidence. But Pakistan court cases can drag on for years, and convictions are often overturned on appeal. Musharraf became president a few months before the Sept. 11 attacks and U.S.-led invasion of neighboring Afghanistan propelled him into the international spotlight as a U.S. ally and foe of Islamic militancy. After stepping down as president he retired into safe exile, and many were puzzled by his decision to come back to legal problems and unpopularity. He vowed to take part in the May elections but was disqualified — for life — and his legal problems snowballed. He has little popular support in Pakistan and even the military was believed not to want him back. The charges against him put the military and newly elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a delicate position. Pakistan has undergone three coups since the c o u n t r y ’s inception in 1947, one of w h i c h a b o r t e d S h a r i f ’s previous premiership and brought Musharraf to power. The military is considered the country’s most powerful institution. So the prospect of Musharraf as a normal defendant who might end up in prison with many of the people arrested by his government likely does not sit well with a military that prides itself on protecting its soldiers and officers. “The army will view it with some concern but they will stay quiet for the time being and see how things proceed and to what extent not only Musharraf but the institution as a whole gets dragged in,” said Rizvi, the analyst. The case is also part of a strange reversal of fates for Sharif and Musharraf. Sharif must tread carefully with the man who once put him in handcuffs. Pushing aggressively for Musharraf’s conviction could force a confrontation with the military that Sharif doesn’t need right now.
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Suruj: Local Govt. election decision in PM’s hands Trinidad Express LOCAL Government Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan Tuesday dodged questions on whether local government elections could be held off for up to a year, saying the decision was one for Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar to comment on. Rambachan was speaking at a media conference at his Ministry at Kent House, Maraval, on the White Paper on Local Government Reform, which has been rehashed following a series of public consultations this and last year. He also delivered facts and figures on projects completed by his Ministry, which he said was evidence of performance. Rambachan said the reform spoken of in the White Paper could take up to a year to implement. Asked whether this meant elections, which are currently due by October, could be postponed by a year, he said: “The Prime Minister really is the one who sets the elections date and I prefer to defer all my statements to her judgment.” He had earlier answered questions on when the
elections could be expected with the response: “That’s a very good question that the Prime Minister alone can answer.” Two weeks ago, several United National Congress (UNC) councillors met with Persad-Bissessar and asked that elections be put off. Rambachan said yesterday he believed that meeting to have had a different context and that the councillors were, in fact, asking that reform be implemented before elections are called. He said aside from some perks that had been added to councillors’ packages in 2011, under then minister, current Transport Minister Chandresh Sharma, councillors still took home $3,000 and most are forced to juggle two jobs. That will be one of the issues addressed in the reform process, as it affected the councillors’ ability to perform, Rambachan said. He also declined to hint at what suggestions he might be making when the matter comes up in Cabinet. “I don’t think I want to say what I will suggest at all,” Rambachan said.
With the 2013-2014 budget statement by Finance Minister Larry Howai just weeks away on September 9, Rambachan said he wanted to disclose to the public how money had been spent by his Ministry in the past year. He said money had been acquired just weeks after the last budget delivery, unlike previous years when the process was dragged out, because of a change in process in which his Ministry was already prepared to roll out its needs for the Ministry of Finance.”I dub this a golden year for Local Government,” Rambachan said, adding that his Ministry is massive to manage, with 14 regional corporations, about 14,000 employees at the corporation level, and up to 20,000 rotational employees in programmes such as the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and Community Environmental Protection Enhancement Programme (CEPEP). Funding under the PSIP (Public Sector Investment Programme) amounted to $228 million for the development of corporation projects, and an additional $310 million was later approved for the paving
Kamla Persad-Bissessar of local roads, Rambachan said. Another $140 million was spent on the repair and construction of bridges, with up to 944 of them being maintained by the Ministry. The Local Government Ministry also had $748 million for development projects that includes pavilions, recreational grounds, more bridges (through special purpose companies) and road rehabilitation. Rambachan said up to 1,116 roads have been paved or rehabilitated, with about 800 of those done in one year through local government.
He called this a “remarkable” feat and said most of the work had been started in May of this year and is expected to close off by the end of this month. Regional corporations around the country implemented 969 projects, he said, and praised the staff and mayors of the various towns. Rambachan said additional work in communities was made possible by the approval of “unspent balances” for use by the corporations and resulted in more community centre repairs, cemetery upgrades, the construction of drains, and local government building repairs. In Port of Spain, up to $25 million in unspent balances had been approved and up to $7 million in the Tunapuna district. Rambachan said the design of community pavilions had also been changed to include a community meeting room at the top, which included kitchenettes, washrooms and a common area, and the installation of gym equipment within the pavilion grounds. Thirty-three of these structures were underway, he said, and are expected to be delivered by the end of September. He added, “None of them will have cost overruns. Stringent methods were used to cope up with costing and management.” Rambachan said a lot of work has also been done in upgrading local fresh markets, with the Tunapuna market currently at 90 per cent
completion. Tenders have also gone out for the construction of a new abbatoir in Chaguanas, which will be mostly stainless steel on the inside and will be sectioned off into three areas, to accommodate the religious needs of Muslims and Hindus, who do not consume pork and beef, respectively. The invitation to tender is also in the works for administrative buildings in Arima and Princes Town, and tenders for the designs of town halls in Penal and Diego Martin are also being prepared. Rambachan said the drive to install a town hall in every district was part of G o v e r n m e n t ’ s decentralisation efforts. He also defended the URP programme, which, at a cost around $408 million, delivered 663 community projects of varying scales, including assisted repairs to places of worship in communities. Rambachan said while there were elements of truth to complaints of “ghosting” in the programme, where persons are listed as employed and are paid but sometimes do not work or do not exist, his Ministry has made much effort to minimise this problem. His Ministry has also, for the first time, entered into agreements with the Arthur Lok Jack School of Business, the University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine campus and the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), for the training of corporation staff.
JTA, US teachers join anti child-trafficking fight Jamaica Gleaner - The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and the American Federation of Teachers have announced a joint project to combat child trafficking in both countries. The two unions signed the agreement for the project at the JTA’s annual conference now underway in Ocho Rios, St Ann. The US teachers’ union said the pilot project will use materials to be developed by the two groups as well as government and nongovernmental organizations. The project is expected to, among other things, raise awareness among students about the dangers of trafficking for forced labour or sexual exploitation and provide educators with resources to identify children who might be at risk. According to the US
teachers’ union, a recent study found that between 2006 and 2010, 4, 70 children in Jamaica were reported missing — 70 percent of whom were girls. The US Justice Department estimates that as many as 300,000 US children are at risk of being trafficked. According to the union, several international bodies have found that trafficking of children from rural areas into tourist areas for sexual exploitation is a serious problem in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. President of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, says the project suggests that the unions are serious about finding solutions to reclaim the promise of public education for every child in every community.
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Phillips: We have not established a foundation to enhance growth MONTEGO BAY, St James — Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips says despite the gains made by Jamaica over the past 75 years, the country is yet to establish an economic foundation that will enhance growth and development and allow citizens to achieve their dreams if they work hard. “For all of the gains that have been made... the protection of democracy, the right to free speech, the equality for women... it is clear that we still have too much poverty, too much unemployment, too many people who can only think of escaping from Jamaica in
- Blames JLP for economic setbacks order to pursue life,” said Dr Phillips. (PNP), was speaking at the party’s Central St James constituency conference at the Montego Bay High School in St James on Sunday night. He blamed the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), which governed the country from 2007 to 2011, for derailing the progress, which he said his party had made in achieving sustained economic growth and development in previous
years. “There is no doubt that with all the progress that we were making on that road to achieve that mission, the four years of the Jamaica Labour Party set us back in the worst way that you can imagine,” Dr Phillips told the Comrades. He argued that during the JLP’s four years in office, the country’s debt doubled, moving from $800 billion in 2007 to $1.7 trillion, when they demitted office in December 2011. However, official Government documents show
Cayman, US agree on FATCA report of assets
Jamaica Gleaner - The Cayman Islands says it has reached an agreement with the United States to provide information on accounts held by American citizens to comply with a sweeping US law designed to combat tax evasion. The British Caribbean territory, considered the world’s sixth-largest financial center and a major haven for mutual funds and private equity, said the texts of the new pacts will be made public once an official signing ceremony is held. The Cayman government said the pacts are tied to a US law called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which was enacted in 2010 and expected to take effect next year. The law targets non-tax compliance by US citizens with foreign accounts around the globe. And Washington is pressing nations to provide client data. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton said in a Tuesday statement that the agreements illustrate the tiny three-island territory’s
Wayne Panton “commitment to engage in globally accepted tax and transparency initiatives”. The islands plan further talks with Britain’s government to finalise terms of a similar information-sharing arrangement for British citizens. There is nothing illegal about US citizens opening bank accounts and trusts in places like the Cayman Islands or Switzerland, but some people illegally use them to hide money and avoid taxes at home.
UWI Guild starts protest of tuition fees Barbados Nation - The first phase of action by students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus against the planned introduction of tuition fees from next year is taking shape. The starting of a petition aimed at reversing the decision, the Guild of Students has reported the collection of close to 1 000 signatures. Damani Parris, the president of the association, told the DAILY NATION that the petition was opened for signing on campus and was taken to Heroes Square where the Barbados Labour Party held a mass meeting on Sunday night. The students plan to take their campaign to Bridgetown Monday. Parris said the initiative would go on “for as long as it takes”. “The numbers reaching me is that we are close to a thousand signatures,” he added.
Such overseas accounts have come under a crush of scrutiny in recent years, and offshore financial centres like the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands have scrambled to sign new international tax treaties and defend their financial sectors. Zero direct taxation and friendly regulations have helped the Cayman Islands lure global money in recent decades and dramatically transform its economy from one based on seafaring, fishing and rope making to one built on financial services and tourism. The Cayman government said the agreements with the US will streamline the reporting of information “regarding accounts and non-financial entities substantially owned by United States citizens and residents”. It will relay that information directly to the US Internal Revenue Service. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act requires US taxpayers with more than US$50,000 in a foreign financial asset to annually report the details. The threshold is higher for some people, such as married taxpayers filing jointly, or US citizens living in a foreign country, according to the IRS. Critics of the US law argue it will be an administrative headache for financial institutions and will make it more difficult for US citizens to have foreign accounts. Steven Cantor, a Miamibased international tax attorney who works with Cayman financial institutions and trustees, said in a Thursday email that implementation will be “a challenge for all involved” but it’s a step in the “continuing direction of more tax transparency”.
that Jamaica’s debt was already well over the $800 billion mark when the JLP took office in September 2007 — at $920 billion — and had reached $1.63 billion in December 2011 when the JLP was booted from office. The PNP had previously ruled the country for 18 consecutive years from 1989 to 2007. On Sunday, Dr Phillips explained that the enormity of the debt has stifled the growth and development of the country. “When you get debt that is so high, it prevents you from growing as a country; it prevents you from growing because you have to spend more and more of the budget simply paying off the debt. When we came to office, what we found was a situation where spending for the debt was near 60 cents in every dollar in the budget; and you spend 20 cents paying public sector workers, which means that all that is left to repair roads, to buy chalk and books for schools, to buy medicine for hospitals... has to come out of the 20 cents that remain, so the money cannot stretch to do other things,” he argued.
Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips addressing the Central St James constituency conference in Montego Bay on Sunday night. (PHOTO: ALAN LEWIN) He stressed, however, that despite the challenges the Government is determined to reduce the debt and to set the platform for growth. “Reducing the debt means that we cannot borrow anymore money, and that means that you have to find a way to live within the available resources,” said Dr Phillips, adding that the Government is operating with a “tight budget, because we
are not going to borrow and sacrifice our children’s future anymore.” Already, he said the Government is moving to create an environment that will enhance growth and development. “What we are doing is to create the conditions that the private sector can expand their businesses, set up new businesses and employ people,” he stressed.
Colombian rebels say they share blame for decades of bloodshed HAVANA (Reuters) Colombia’s largest rebel organization for the first time yesterday accepted partial responsibility for decades of bloodshed and called for a commission to investigate the causes of the armed conflict that has killed more than 200,000. The admission from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) came after a similar one by the Colombian government and appeared to mark some progress in peace negotiations that have dragged on for nine months in Havana while fighting continues in Colombia. “The FARC are aware that up to now there have not been victors nor vanquished and the struggle continues,” said a statement, read by rebel negotiator Pablo Catatumbo on the sidelines of the talks. “Without a doubt there has also been cruelty and pain provoked by our forces.” The Colombian government and other sectors of society have accused the FARC, which has an estimated 8,000 members, of evading its responsibility for
the bloodshed and displacement of millions of people over the years. Last month a government commission blamed the government, rebels and rightwing paramilitary forces for the carnage and suffering the conflict has caused. President Juan Manuel Santos acknowledged at the time that the Colombian state was responsible for serious violations of human rights during the conflict. Discussions to end the longest and last remaining armed conflict in Latin America began last November. The two sides, which are working through a five-point agenda, have only reached
partial agreement on agrarian reform. Negotiators now are discussing the FARC’s inclusion into the political system and then will move on to reparations to war victims, the drug trade and an end to the conflict. The FARC statement said that it was proposing in the talks that a commission of Colombian and foreign experts be created to investigate the causes of the conflict with an eye toward war reparations. “We must all recognize the need to approach the issue of victims, their identity and reparation with complete fidelity to the cause of peace and reconciliation,” it said.
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Letter to the Sports Editor DEAR EDITOR, Mr. Boston now seems to have been adopted as the official mouthpiece of the disgruntled group headed by Messrs Claude Raphael, Ronald Williams & Bissoondyal. My letter was very specific in its content stating that the process utilized by Parliament and the Select Committee was deeply flawed and I carefully outlined the reasons for my opposition to same therein. Mr. Boston/Raphael inadequate response contained no salient points that address the substance of my correspondence, which points are again summarized herein for his understanding: 1. That the 2 Ministers, Dr Frank Anthony, Chairman & Attorney General Mr. Anil Nandlall, Committee Member, should have recused themselves from the Parliamentary Special Select Committee process since they were actively involved in the whole manufactured cricket fiasco over the past two years and can easily be classified as being in a conflict of interest situation. Dr. Anthony and his Ministry were directly responsible for the alleged disbanding of the Guyana Board and installing an IMC where it was alleged that only the IMC Chairman was
remunerated with the handsome salary of USD12, 000 per month, all at the taxpayers cost to this country. No other IMC member was paid and some of them such as Eddy Luckhoo saw it fit to never serve on that illfated Committee. This Sports Ministry was also responsible for the illegal trespass that involved the ludicrous act of locking out the GCB and its staff from its Offices. The AG was the original Attorney for this disgruntled group prior to his appointment as the AG and his former Law Offices probably still represent them in some of these matters that are still pending. During his tenure as the AG, his actions were responsible for the searches of several Officers’ homes and Offices and the seizure of the Board’s equipment. How can these Honourable Ministers then sit and head up such a Committee deliberating on an impartial solution for the very mess that they were instrumental in creating? I call on the Guyana Bar Association and the Honorable Speaker to make some comments on the glaring impropriety and trust that better judgment will prevail when Parliament reconvenes. 2. The second major
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Boston misses the point point was that there are still several court cases surrounding the entire cricket fiasco which have not yet been concluded. My letter suggested that these cases needs to be concluded before a resolution is arrived at or, alternatively, have the parties to these actions withdraw these matters if an agreement can be reached. None of these have occurred. In addition, these cases are being delayed ad nauseum by the Courts almost in tandem with the works of the Select Committee leaving everyone to wonder about the independence of our judicial process. 3. Further, upon close examination of this proposed Bill, the Select Committee totally ignored the submissions of one side in this matter and proceeded to tinker with a constitutional framework without obtaining the agreement of the membership. This is illegal, unconstitutional and totally unacceptable. Mr. Boston then has the audacity and temerity of accusing me of rambling when he himself is guilty of doing just that with the majority of his letter containing the usual personal attacks on the few brave persons that opposed them and the Government in their
wicked attempt to hijack the Demerara and Guyana Boards. I will now also directly address some of his ramblings, or more so, the propaganda that continues to be promulgated regularly by this disgruntled group at various times. -Fable #1-That the Berbice, Georgetown & East Coast entities are the best run Boards in the Caribbean and their members are of impeccable quality and character- The cricketers that are produced in any part of this country comes out of a very strong Club structure. Georgetown benefits from the strong Club structures of the GCC, DCC & Everest; Berbice again benefits from the strong structure in place at Albion, Port Mourant and Rose Hall with their links to Guysuco and its grounds and general support system. East Coast cricketers have been produced by a few strong Clubs in that area namely, Enterprise and Lusignan. For these entities to claim credit for these successes is both fraudulent and dishonest, so much for the cricketing acumen of these distinguished gentlemen. Most of the grounds in the rural areas of this country are controlled by the NDCs and they are all in the most
deplorable state. It is noteworthy that the Clubs that own their own grounds and the Clubs affiliated with the Guysuco grounds are the areas that produce the bulk of our cricketers. What does that tell you? The GOG need to place more emphasis on the management of these grounds by taking them out from the control of the NDCs. That experiment has totally failed! Fable #2- Insinuations that only persons associated with the disgruntled group are qualified to manage teams coming out of Guyana - Mr. Alvin Johnson has quite adequately dealt with Mr. Boston in this regard. Mr. Boston’s mentor was the Chairman of the Senior Selectors for the last 10 years or so prior to 2011 and it would be very interesting for him to produce the results/ decline of the senior Guyana team during the time of his selection tenure and his proposed choices for the team management. Fable #3- Claim that I attacked the Limacol CPL- Mr. Boston should sharpen up on his reading and comprehension skills as I never made any such attack. I simply made a comment that Mr. Ramroop, a close friend of the GOG, had now bought out the Guyana T20 team and
was the title sponsor for the CPL. I further stated that T20 is the cash cow of the cricket world with the cricket boards around the world shouldering the burden and responsibility of developing these players. I would now further state that the cricket Boards are being paid a licensing fee but more needs to be done for the nursery of these players. I am fully aware that the LCPL has tremendous potential for the development of cricket regionally but I hope a careful postmortem would be carried out at the end of this season. For sure, having just 4 Guyanese representing the Amazon Warriors is not good enough for the development and exposure of our players. Further, only Bishoo was selected by another country and played a token game after Barbados had already effectively qualified for the semis and had begun to try out other squad members. The remainder of his letter does not merit further comment. This is my final correspondence on this matter with Mr. Boston as he has displayed a crass attitude and disrespect for healthy debate and easily slips into vile attacks on personalities whilst making very little substantive arguments. Intikhab Sankar
“If you want to gain altitude you must have right attitude”
Clive Lloyd tells participants at 13th ECCB Academy By Sean Devers Eleven days short of his 69th birthday and standing six feet, five inches tall, former West Indies Skipper Clive Lloyd still strikes an imposing figure as he addressed enthusiastic participants of the 13th Cricket Academy organised by the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) at the Lusignan Community Centre yesterday. The left-handed Guyanese who scored 19 tons from 110 Tests and led the West Indies to World Cup titles in 1975 and 1979, told the youngsters, which included females, that a good leader must be stern but approachable and must earn the respect of his players. “A leader is like a Captain of a ship, he must be the last to get off when the ship sinks. He must be there for his team and protect the members” Lloyd said. Nick named ‘the Super Cat’ Lloyd also led the regional to a third consecutive World Cup final in 1983 when Kapil Dev’s
Lloyd demonstrates a cover drive to the participants at the 13th ECCB Academy at Lusignan. At right is ECCB President Bisoondyal Singh. India stunned the cricketing world with a 43-run upset victory. The powerful DCC player, who also represented Lancashire in England told the gathering which included TV personality Edwin Seeraj, ECCB President Bisoondyal Singh and former National selector Claude Raphael, that if you want to gain altitude you must have the right
attitude during his motivational speech. Lloyd made 79 centuries and captured 114 wickets from 490 First-Class matches and his record as captain was remarkable, including a run of 26 Tests without defeat, and 11 successive wins after becoming the first West Indian to play 100 Tests. The former Guyana skipper made his First Class
debut in 1963 and played at that level until 1986, a year after playing his final Test match against Australia. He told the youths when he was a boy he was not afforded the opportunity of being coached and what he learned was by looking at the great players, many times from a tree outside Bourda because he could not
afford to pay to get into the ground. “Now you have TV and Videos and Coaching but you must still work on your own to find remedies for your flaws,” Lloyd said. Seeraj presented a captivating lecture on the History of Cricket dating back to the inaugural Test match between Australia and England and highlighted the different periods of the highs and the lows of West Indies cricket including the first ever tied Test in 1960. Seeraj, a former school t e a c h e r, interacted wonderfully with the Academy Students and handed out a document on the history of cricket and advised the youths to do their own research on cricket. Seeraj told those present the unsuccessful tour of Australia in 1976 just after their World Cup success, proved to be a major t u r n i n g p o i n t i n We s t Indian cricket. Seeraj informed that after losing 5-1 against the menacing pace of Jeff
Thompson and Dennis Lillie Lloyd decided to adopt the intimidatory tactics of the Australians and stack his team with fast bowlers. “Some may say his job as captain was fairly straightforward: with a battery of fast bowlers including Roberts, Marshall, Garner, Holding and Croft at his command, and batsmen of the calibre of Greenidge, Haynes and Richards, he certainly had some handy players to call upon” Seeraj explained. But he instilled his talented side with the professionalism and determination to win consistently and when the conditions suited the opposition. He united the disparate threads of the separate nations that make up the West Indies, and was the force that ‘gelled’ them as a team rather than a bunch of talented individuals, Seeraj said of Lloyd. After the lectures Coach Latchman Yadram took the youngsters through a physical exercise session.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
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‘Restore Champions Trophy, restrict bilateral ODIs’ Nasser Hussain and Rahul Dravid, former England and India captains, have called for the restoration of the Champions Trophy and the severe restriction of bilateral limited-overs series to reinvigorate Test cricket. While Hussain believed the Champions Trophy, where the top eight teams clash, should replace the 50over World Cup, Dravid felt cutting down on bilateral ODIs and Twenty20s would help accommodate more Tests. Hussain and Dravid were speaking during a panel discussion on “The future of Test cricket in the modern age” at the ESPNcricinfo for Cricket event held at The Oval in London on Monday, part of a series of events to celebrate the website’s 20th anniversary. “A lot of five-match or seven-match one-day series don’t seem to have a context about them,” Dravid said. “The Champions Trophy had a context. Some of these meaningless bilateral one-day games, do they serve the purpose?” Although Dravid wanted the World Cup to co-exist with the Champions Trophy and the scheduled World Test Championship starting 2017, he felt T20s should be largely restricted to franchise level. “I would play one-day cricket only as preparation for the 50-over World Cup and the Champions Trophy so you can remove a lot of oneday cricket teams are playing nowadays and fit in Test matches that are required,” Dravid said. “Have a Test Championship that culminates into something
Nasser Hussain
Rahul Dravid
once every two years. The World Twenty20 should be every two years. T20 cricket should be franchise cricket except for the major competitions.” If context was important for Dravid, contest was key for Hussain. Although he was skeptical whether countries like India might allow a clampdown on ODIs and T20s, Hussain agreed with Mark Nicholas, the former Hampshire captain and the event moderator that the lack of a contest needed to be addressed. “Restore the Champions Trophy and call it the World Cup,” Hussain said. But what to do with Associates such as Ireland and Netherlands who have been part of recent World Cups and added to the romance of the game with their own stories, Nicholas wondered. Hussain said only the best eight had the right to contest a World Cup. “You got to qualify to sit at that table. You got to be good enough and I’m not sure some sides are,” Hussain said. “There might be one and they should get there through a
play-off. Whoever is ranked eighth at a certain point should have a play-off with Ireland (or the Associate nation that comes through the World Cup Qualifiers) in a three-match ODI series or whatever and they will qualify if they are good.” The panel, which also had former England batsman Ed Smith and Richard Verow, commercial director at Sky Sports, agreed that administrators had got it wrong by allowing two-Test series. Two matches, Hussain argued, killed a contest rather than building one. “As we have seen throughout this Test series [The Ashes] and it happened a little bit with the England-New Zealand series, there is nothing worse than a two-match series. Because if a contest does develop between players like Broad v Clarke now, if you get that for just two Test matches, Clarke can just go away and smash someone else. So as things develop and you get to the fifth Test and are waking up in the morning, you know that he has gone against Stuart Broad first up
and you know what is going to happen. So you need the contest.” Hussain was the only cricketer on the panel who felt that rumours of Test cricket dying due to the rise of T20 were “exaggerated”. However, he did say there was no denying the lure of lucrative leagues like the IPL, which had the power to seduce both veterans as well as youngsters. “If someone is offering me a couple of million to go and work for six weeks than stand around all year and work for a tenth of that, you are going to be very, very tempted as a young or old player,” Hussain said. “So you are diluting both ends. At the end of your career if you are Kevin Pietersen and you are looking and you find a good deal, the IPL is there, as it was for the Warnes, Gilchrists and Haydens. So you are losing the top bit of the cake. At the bottom, youngsters are coming in (and thinking), ‘shall I work my butt off, play for Essex down at Chelmsford on a nibbling one in April-May or should I go and play six weeks? Not everyone gets a million dollars in T20 but good cash will do really well so that someone might spot me.’ So you are losing that (youth) as well.” Hussain felt it was crucial to succeed in the longer form of the game and playing the IPL could not teach you to perform in first-class cricket. He pointed to the pair of Owais Shah and Eoin Morgan, players popular in the IPL but who could not perform consistently on the county circuit. “Cricket is
about rhythm of the game,” Hussain said. “And a lot of these guys that go on the T20 treadmill lose the rhythm of the game and not many come back better first-class cricketers. You look at Shah, you look at Morgan, they don’t suddenly come back and start smashing hundreds and doublehundreds for Essex, Middlesex because you lose the rhythm of batting. Test match cricket is what it is all about - the main course you look after.” The point of governance also came up for discussion and all felt the ICC needed to be empowered while being given more autonomy and liberty to perform its duties. “They (the ICC) worry far too much about small stuff,” Hussain said. “They worry about markings on pads. ‘Put tape on that. You have got too many Gray Nichols stickers on your pads.’ People are running on and off the field willy-nilly and you can let them do that. Since 1978 we haven’t had 15 overs an hour around the world. We are not doing anything about that. Just be strong with players.” Dravid said powerful member boards needed to “sacrifice” control to give the ICC freedom. “In an ideal scenario we want them to be stronger,” Dravid said. “The ICC is the creation of the boards. The boards have to actually give it that power, that responsibility to be able to run the game. Some of the stronger and more powerful nations have to make a few sacrifices in terms of their power and control and hand over little bit of power to the ICC for it to be able to
effectively run and monitor the game.” Hussain said the clear chasm between the top-tier and lower-tier nations was the “crux” of the whole debate surrounding Test cricket. “It is not about T20,” Hussain said. “The gap is widening. There is no easy solution. But it is also unfair on some of these sides. I had an argument with the great Michael Holding about West Indies not playing (well) against the moving ball in England. He said which side does play the moving ball that well in AprilMay in England. Our boys will hate me for saying this, but send them to India or Sri Lanka for a five-Test series and that won’t be easy. That is the issue. (Weaker countries) are at the mercy of sides like England and Australia. They don’t have the cash so they are not sending their Under-19s on tours.” Smith said it was the duty of the richer countries to co-operate and help the weaker members. “It is crucial to Test cricket. If the games are good, if the product is good, we are a way towards solving the problem.” Hussain posed a question to the ICC. “Should they be looking at new markets, as in America and China, and trying to spend all their cash there, and having these ICC tournaments and trying to sell it to these people who don’t really know the game or want to know the game? Or should they be looking at Bangladesh and Zimbabwe who are desperate to play the game, do well and get better and sit down, have a chat and ask them what can they do to help?” (ESPN cricinfo)
MotoGP: Brazil could be added to race calendar from 2014 MotoGP could return to race in Brazil for the first time in 10 years from next season. A round of the world championship will be held at the Autodromo Internacional Nelson Piquet circuit in Brasilia, subject to confirmation. Carmelo Ezpeleta, head of rights holders Dorna, said: “Brazil is one of the most important motorcycling markets in the world. “Returning to Brazil has been a wish of the MotoGP family for many years.” The race is planned for the second half of the 2014
season and could be one of two new South American circuits on the calendar, with a race in Argentina also scheduled for next year. The circuit needs to be renovated, with work scheduled to start in December and finish next April or May. MotoGP’s last visit to Brazil was in 2004, when the Rio Grand Prix was won by Makoto Tamada. It has not been announced whether the two new planned races will be in addition to the 18 on this year’s calendar, or i f t h ey will replace any current grand prix.
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Wednesday August 21, 2013
14th IAAF World Championships Kallis commits to more ODIs for South Africa 396,548 attend Moscow evening sessions
Jacques Kallis has committed to playing ODIs for South Africa on a more regular basis, as he looks to stay in the team’s plans in the build-up to the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The coach Russell Domingo hopes to have Kallis back for the home ODIs against India later in the year, but cautioned that his workload will still be monitored, given his recent history with injuries. “Playing for my country has always been both a huge honour and a privilege,” Kallis said after meeting Domingo on Tuesday morning. “It remains my aspiration to be available for the 2015 World Cup but, at the same time I know as an allrounder approaching my 38th birthday, I will need to assess my future in the game season by season. “At the moment I am feeling mentally and physically refreshed and I am looking forward to carry on playing for my country as long as possible.” Kallis, 37, hasn’t played an ODI since February 2012 and Domingo’s predecessor Gary Kirsten had deemed it “no longer necessary” for him to figure in bilateral series because he was too important to South Africa’s Test ambitions. Kirsten had left the door open for Kallis to make a return in major events but Domingo stated that if the allrounder still had hopes of playing the next World Cup,
Jacques Kallis he needed to play sufficient ODI cricket. “We will manage Jacques’ career season by season and take it game by game,” Domingo told ESPNcricinfo. “There is no set number of ODIs he will play before the World Cup, but the closer to the tournament we get, the more he will play. “Forget about his runs and wickets, to have someone of Jacques’ experience - whether he makes the World Cup squad or not - will be very important for the developing of younger players. No-one is guaranteed a place in the side and no-one is guaranteed a place in the World Cup squad. It all depends on fitness and form. “He looks very fit, he has been doing a lot of running. It was good to talk about his ambitions. We will have another formal discussion at the end of the season to plot the way forward.” Kallis has been injured in each of the last five
Test series South Africa have played. His’ last match for South Africa was the Cape Town Test against Pakistan in February. He missed the third Test of that series due to injury and the one-dayers that followed. He took part in the IPL but opted out of the Champions Trophy despite initially indicating interest in playing. In Kallis’ absence, Domingo had begun the process of identifying batsmen for slots in the top order, with JP Duminy, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis marked for Nos 3, 4 and 5 respectively. However, Domingo said this arrangement wasn’t set in stone and that Kallis would be accommodated anywhere at the top of the order. “Jacques can bat at No. 3 or No. 4 and maybe AB can bat at No. 5 so this doesn’t really change our plans,” Domingo said. “We will try and find some balance. There will still be a lot of opportunities for younger players.” Haroon Lorgat, Cricket South Africa CEO, welcomed Kallis’ decision to commit to the ODI squad. “Jacques is an extraordinary player who appreciates the ODI teambuilding process that is currently under way,” Lorgat said. “His availability is welcomed and CSA will do everything possible to help him achieve his personal ambitions while building a new generation ODI team.”
Ready, set, go! 2014 World Cup tickets go on sale with demand expected to be high Tickets for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil went on sale on Tuesday and fans are able to apply for them through FIFA’s website. Close to 3.3million tickets will be available for the tournament, costing between £58 to £632 (for the final) at Rio’s Maracana Stadium. There are 64 matches in the tournament and FIFA believe there will be a similar demand for them to at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, which saw around seven applicants for every ticket. Applications have already started pouring in and the FIFA website said there was a virtual queue ‘due to an exceedingly high demand for access to the ticketing page’. ‘It’s always difficult to predict,’ FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil said, as reported by the BBC. ‘But I truly believe that it will be
General view of the Luzhniki Stadium The International Association of Athletics Federations is delighted to confirm that at the conclusion of the final competition session, 268,548 stadium spectators had attended the eight evening sessions at the 14th edition of the IAAF Wo r l d Championships, Moscow 2013. Adding VIPS, guests, media and athletes seats, the evening audience total is 396,548. Aside football, no other Olympic sport can attract that number of stadium s p e c t a t o r s t o i t s Wo r l d Championships. Moscow’s figures overtake the total number of evening spectators in Daegu 2011 which attracted a total of 261,792 for the same number of evening sessions. Ahead of the Daegu 2011 World Championships and the London Olympics, the IAAF made major innovations to its competition
schedules to add additional impact and excitement to the evening sessions of athletics’ two premier global competitions. In Moscow the vast 1980 Olympic stadium, which holds more than 80,000, was reconfigured to a capacity of 50,000 for the four weekday evenings with a greater capacity made available for the opening and closing weekends. Early TV ratings very encouraging Daegu 2011 was broadcast to an accumulated global audience of more than 5 billion TV viewers. With preliminary data so far received for the first three days (10, 11, 12 Aug) in Moscow as compared to opening three days in 2011, TV figures are very encouraging. Live coverage has been well received across Europe. Average live broadcast has achieved ratings of 3.0%; double that of 2011 in some
territories. RUSSIA – 2.87 million, 7.7% share for Isinbayeva’s victory; overall more than three times larger than the top audience for 2011 CZECH – average audience represents 89% increase compared to 2011 FRANCE – average audience represents 20% increase compared to 2011 FINLAND – average audience represents 96% increase on 2011; 1 in 5 Finns are watching Moscow 2013 GERMANY – average audience represents 111% increase compared to 2011; 4 million for men’s 100m final was higher than ZDF’s audience for FIFA Continental Cup JAPAN – Record ratings for women’s marathon equalling 2011 SWEDEN – average audience represents 13% increase compared to 2011 UK – average audience represents 81% increase compared to 2011
FIFA gets million World Cup ticket requests in seven hours Brazilian supporters outside the Maracana stadium more toward to what happened in Germany than in South Africa in 2010.’ Applications made before October 10 go into a random selection draw, with left-over tickets going on sale on
November 5 on a first-come first-served scheme. The draw is made for the World Cup before tickets go back on sale on December 8, again on February 28, and finally again on April 15.
Reuters - Over one million World Cup finals ticket requests were made within the first seven hours of public sale, soccer ’s world governing body FIFA said on Tuesday. The first phase of sales for next year’s tournament runs until October 10 and FIFA said more than 163,000 people had made requests on Tuesday
for various games. The opening match on June 12 at the Arena de Sao Paulo (over 168,000 requests) and the final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro (more than 165,000) were the two most popular games. The most requests for tickets came from Brazil, A r g e n t i n a , t he United
States, Chile and England, added FIFA. A lottery will be held to decide the distribution for games which are oversubscribed. Ticket prices for international fans for the final range from $440 to $990 while prices for group stage matches run from $90 to $175. There are various discounted prices for local fans.
Wednesday August 21, 2013
Kaieteur News
Trinis Martin, Julien excited about World Juniors in Dubai Trinidad and Tobago’s Tyla Martin and Kristin Julien have expressed excitement about their participation for the 4th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships set for August 26 – 31 at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Martin, who lives in Boca Raton Florida, started representing Trinidad and Tobago in the second year of the 11-12 age group when she took Caribbean swimming by storm and won 11 gold medals at the 2010 Carifta Swimming Championships in Kingston, Jamaica. In the process, Martin set eight (8) Carifta and three (3) national records and was the FINA High Points winner and most outstanding 11-12 female at the Meet. From year to year M a r t i n h a s continued to excel bringing glory to T&T each and every time she entered the pool. Fast track to 2013 and Martin is still making waves regionally. At 2the 013 Carifta Swimming Championships, she won 5 gold and 2 silver, with a national record in the 200m butterfly. Born to a Trinidadian mother (Babette) and an American father (Craig), Martin first showed her mettle to the T & T public at the December 2009 ASATT Invitational. Her mother always wanted her to swim for T & T and through conversation with now World Juniors coach Franz Huggins, and former aquatic Director Hayden Newallo, that dream was realized. The 16 year-old mermaid, who trains with Pine Crest Swim Club in Florida, is bubbling with excitement and is well prepared for competition in Dubai. “I am feeling excited going into the meet. I have been preparing for months so I am definitely ready to
Tyla Martin
Kristin Julien
race. My goals for the meet are to do personal bests and make finals. Training was tough I have trained through all the meets so it feels good to finally be tapering. This meet is by far the biggest meet I have ever qualified for and I am thrilled to be competing for T & T at the World Junior national level. This is going to be one of the best experiences and I am elated to be a part of it.” Since August 10, Martin and Julien have been training together at Pine Crest and will leave for Dubai on Friday. Julien too, is rearing to go after months of preparation for the World Juniors. Kristin Julien has been consistent in representing Trinidad and Tobago with an impressive track record since the 11-12 age group. Born to Wayne and Beverly Julien, Kristin has displayed a series of consistent performances, which has seen her entering the national record books. This native of San Fernando has established N a t i o nal and Regional records in the 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly during the course of her career. She has been the ASATT Swimmer of the Year of her respective age group for the period 2008 – 2011, and is a member of TITANS Swim Club.
Before this achievement of qualifying for the FINA World Junior Championships 2013, her career highlight has been a finalist in the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man. Kristin qualified for Worlds in December last year after recovering from an injury which kept out of competition for most of 2012. The energetic 17 year-old said she is ready for the Dubai experience. “Going in to the meet I am more excited than nervous. I am looking to achieve some personal bests in all my events. This meet means a lot to me knowing all the hard training I had in preparation for it and also get a chance to prove wrong all those who thought I could not make it. I have had a lot of support from family, friends and my club, and I am going to swim with all my heart for Trinidad and Tobago”. Martin is scheduled to compete individually in the 50, 100 and 200m butterfly, 200m and 400m freestyle. Julien is entered in the 50m backstroke, butterfly and freestyle events, and the 100m backstroke. Both girls are expected to swim in the mixed 4 x 100m medley and freestyle relays. The other athletes on the team are Dylan Carter, Jonathan Ramkissoon and Joshua Romany.
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We can medal at World Juniors – Huggins Franz Huggins, Head Coach of the Trinidad and Tobago National Team for the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, is quietly confident that his team of five has what it takes to deliver Trinidad and Tobago’s best performance yet at this meet. Tyla Martin, Kristin Julien, Dylan Carter. Jonathan Ramkissoon and Joshua Romany are T & T’s standard bearers for the games from August 26 – 31 at the 4th edition to be held at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex in Dubai, Unite Arab Emirates. Huggins, who was selected as Coach in late July sees the World Junior Championships as a precursor to senior elite meets. “It is an extremely high quality meet and can be a real springboard for success and a wakeup call. Not doing well here is not the end of the world, however, not learning what it means to be a world beater, after seeing one in the flesh is a crime against the sport. Our athletes too many times see the end of the journey as making the team. Learning to be great through practice and observation is critical to this being a success. We want the swimmers on this team, to go on to be CAC, Commonwealth and Pan Am medallists and finalists/ medallists at World Championships and Olympics. It’s not just what you’ve done as a junior swimmer, it’s how you have applied it as you transfer to senior swimming.” The team has not trained together as a unit but have been the beneficiaries of high level training both at home and overseas. Dylan Carter has been based at Davie Nadadores Swim Club Fort Lauderdale since September. Tyla Martin who lives in the USA trains with Pine Crest Swim Club in Florida. Joshua Romany, Jonathan
Franz Huggins Ramkissoon and Kristin Julien have been training locally for the most part. Romany of Areios Aquatechs joined Carter in Davie in June to complete preparations with the Davie team. Julien and Ramkissoon also had a two week stint at Davie in June and returned home to train with TITANS. Ramkissoon went off to Davie in August while Julien joined Martin in Pine Crest. The trio of Romany, Ramkissoon and Carter are now in Kuwait for acclimatisation training with the Davie Group, while the entire team is expected to be in Dubai by August 24. Huggins sees training overseas as a positive as the athletes experience training with their peers of similar quality and ambition which allows them to be competitive on a daily basis, and experience training conditions which are more conducive to success. “I do not disagree with athletes choosing to train abroad. I simply wish that we could do something about lessening the occurrence at junior level as a start. Qualifying for a championship does not make an athlete or a coach successful. We have to perform, and the fact is we have only had one swimmer
consistently perform at a high level, and even he has chosen to leave these shores after attempting to train locally,” he added. As the Head Coach, Huggins sees his role as reinforcing their good training and providing reassurance that they are in great shape and ready to execute. “I have been in contact with the primary coaches of all the athletes and know the hard work each and every athlete has put in. I plan to provide them with tips for dealing with situations as they arise as the competition starts. I see myself as that final supportive face they see before going into battle. As much as each coach has done with each athlete, I am responsible for the moral and overall performance of the Trinidad and Tobago Swim Team.” Franz Huggins himself is a former national swimmer who in his era did not have the World Junior Championships, but was a regional and national age group gold medalist and record holder. T & T’s highest performance to date is a 17th place finish by Kimberlee John Williams in the 2011 meet in Peru. All in all Huggins is very positive about his team’s prospects in Dubai. “I remain quietly confident that this will be our most successful foray into a World Junior Championships. To date, we have not had anyone go past the opening round of the World Junior meet. My hope is that every one of these athletes does so in at least one event. With some good fortune, we may get a medal or two.” Team: Tyla Martin, Kristin Julien, Dylan Carter. Jonathan Ramkissoon and Joshua Romany (Swimmers), Dean Romany (Manager), Franz Huggins (Head Coach), June Durham (Physiotherapist), Jacqueline Pantin-Romany (Chaperone).
Host Cayman Islands record third victory in CONCACAF U-15 tourney Action in the CONCACAF Under-15 Championship continued recently in three groups in the Cayman Islands. In GROUP A - Cayman Islands defeated Bahamas 31 to mark their third win in the Group on the grounds of the Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Man of the Match Zachary Scott scored the first goal in the 11th minute,
followed by Leighton Thomas in the 16th and Sebastian Martinez in the 30th. Re’John Ene scored the only goal for the Bahamas in the 63rd minute. Bermuda defeated Aruba 3-1 in a match played at this same venue. Amar Lewis in the 7th and Man of the Match Jai-Zei Smith-DeSheilds in the 10th and 36th minutes scored for Bermuda. Ryan Ellis
scored the consolation goal in the 39th minute. US Virgin Islands beat St. Maarten 3-2. Brandon Potmis opened the score in the 9th minute. In the 23rd minute James Cook scored an own goal in favour of the USVI and Yannick Dianane completed the USVI score in the 58th minute. Kumar Serrant and Reno Brooks scored for St. Maarten in the 34th and 55th
minute respectively. Luke Patrie of the US Virgin Islands was named Man of the Match. Over in GROUP B - at Annex Field, Grenada defeated St. Lucia 2-0. With an early goal by Chelon Edgehill at the 14th minute, Grenada was able to control the match. Rickell Charles, who was named Man of the Match, scored the second
goal 5 minutes before the end of the game. St. Lucia ended its participation in the tournament, while Grenada has one match remaining. With a late first half goal by Man of the Match, Francisco Fuentes, Guatemala defeated Belize 10. With this victory Guatemala installed itself in first place, while Belize is tied in second place with Jamaica.
In GROUP D - Haiti defeated St. Vincent & Grenadines 2-0. Angelo Thelusme scored in the 49th minute, while Man of the Match, Thermidor FilsAime, scored the second goal nine minutes later. With two games remaining for each team, group leader E l S a l v a d or has seven points, followed by Puerto Rico and Haiti.
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Kaieteur News
Bolt, Fraser-Pryce have repaired Jamaica’s image, says Coach Jamaica Observer- THE gold medal performances of Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the justconcluded 14th IAAF World Championships in Moscow have done a lot to repair the damage to Jamaica’s image after three of the island’s top athletes returned adverse analytical findings in drug tests prior to the games. That’s the view of David Riley of Technique Lab Limited and current head coach of Excelsior High School. “The world wants Jamaica to do well, and I think they have done a great job in repairing it. I have not heard any talk about drugs and Jamaica in the same sentence, not even a slight comment, and I think there has been some amount of repair,” Riley pointed out at Monday’s weekly Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange. Jamaica and the world were rocked by news that Veronica Campbell Brown, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson returned positive tests just before the Championships. The revelation was made at the same time that American sprinter Tyson Gay also tested positive for a banned substance. In the days leading to the Championships the news was dominated by stories about the findings, giving detractors of Jamaica’s athletics programme much fodder. But at the Championships, Bolt, already dubbed a legend, underlined his dominance of the sprints, capturing the 100m and the 200m in 9.77 and 19.66 seconds, respectively, before anchoring Jamaica’s 4x100m relay to gold in 37.36
Powers wants to make Guyana a strong swimming nation
Coach Rick Powers (standing) demonstrate a stroke technique using a swimmer. David Riley speaking to editors and reporters at Monday’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s headquarters in Kingston. seconds. Fraser-Pryce was just as impressive, winning the 100m by the widest of margins in a world-leading 10.71 seconds, stopping the clock at 22.17 seconds in the 200m to take gold and anchoring the 4x100m relay to a national record of 41.29 seconds. Fraser-Pryce also made history by becoming the first Jamaican woman sprinter to win both the individual events and the 4x100m relay at a World Championships. “I get the impression that the world likes Bolt,” said Riley. “The world wants to see Bolt do well. The world needs Bolt. The world let out a sigh of relief when they saw him go out there and do what the world wants him to do. “Most people would want to see Jamaica do well. The world doesn’t want to see a Jamaica floundering and limping along in terms of track and field,” added Riley, who led Wolmer’s Boys’ School to victory at the annual Boys’ Championships in 2010. Meanwhile, Dr Paul
Auden, a former Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association executive who specialises in sports medicine, interjected that our sprinting success has brought the USA within striking distance of the other countries on the medals table. “A lot of the countries that don’t know anything about sprints and are trying to compete with America, like Kenya, Ethiopia, Russia, and China, can compete against America on the global stage because we are taking care of the sprints and the relays,” explained Dr Auden. “We are taking out America there, so everywhere you go they want us. A lot of Russians were wearing the black, green and gold of Jamaica. For the rest of the world, they see us as the country that can take on the mighty Americans. “China and Russia are glad for us because they have no sprinters. Without us, America would top the medals table with gold,” Dr Auden reiterated.
Giftland presents Asics footwear to top Boyce/Jefford Classic athletes Giftland OfficeMax, yesterday presented Asics Footwear to the top athletes that emerged from last Sunday’s Boyce & Jefford Track and Field Classic IV. Alita Moore, who was adjudged the Champion Female and Stephan James, who copped Champion Male, both dominated the sprints to claim the premier honours. Moore toppled veteran sprint queen Alisha Fortune in the Women’s 100m while Fortune turned the tables in the 200m race. However, Moore also won the 400m
Wednesday August 21, 2013
race in a dominant performance that continued her ascendancy in local athletics. James feat was similar, only that he won all the sprint events, including the marquee 100m to be the most dominant male at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground on Sunday in Linden. Giftland, as part of their sponsorship, presented Asics joggers to both athletes. In addition to the footwear, both Moore and James will receive $50,000 for their performances; both athletes had already collected
their trophies and other cash prizes; James won an additional $50,000 for winning the 400m, which was an international race while Moore won $30,000 for her second place finish in the Women’s 200m. Giftland OfficeMax’s, Compton Babb reiterated the company’s commitment towards the progress of sport, stating that their consistent partnership with the event has allowed them to help improve the quality of athletics through its popular Asics brand.
Rick Powers, a certified FINA (International governing body of swimming) Coach said that he wants to make Guyana a strong swimming nation. He was speaking with Kaieteur Sport yesterday at Colgrain Pool, Camp Street, where the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) Intermediate Level Coaches course continued with the practical sessions. Powers said that they are currently working on strokes technique which will be useful to instructors, coaches and swimmers. He indicated that he is also imparting the requisite knowledge to participants on how to utilize the energy system since coaches have to understand the
psychology of training. A mini competition will be done on the final day which will be based on strokes improvement and reducing drag of the body in the water. There is talent but the tools must be available to work with it”, added Powers. Pointing to the fact that there is very little c ompetition in Guyana, Powers said that he plans to assist in organising more Meets for the swimmers. “We need to find a way to make the sport more attractive and the swimmers must have short and long term goals which will aid in their progression and development. The course which started on the August 19 is being facilitated by FINA and also
includes theoretical sessions which are being held at Olympic House, High Street Kingston. According to GASA Vice President Dr. Karen Pilgrim, seventeen (17) persons have registered so far which includes coaches, facilitators and swimmers. Dr. Pilgrim said they are targeting young swimmers and it is a fantastic opportunity for the participants. “Powers always brings something new to us so I am certain the swimmers will benefit a lot and more coaches will be available to the GASA”, she concluded. Among the participants are Physical Education Teacher Nadine Smith, Baseball Coach Robin Singh and senior swimmers Nail and Yannick Roberts.
Guyanese Ramdass wants to represent West Indies again Toronto, Canada - ExWest Indies opening batsman Ryan Ramdass stated that he is happy with his current batting form and looking forward to regain his spot in the Guyana’s team and ultimately the West Indies side in the near future. He made this declaration on Sunday at the King City ground in Toronto where he was representing Islanders Cricket Club in the annual Toronto and District Cricket Association Elite 50-over tournament. The right-hander so far cracked a double-century and century while he made four half-centuries since his arrival earlier this year and has produced resounding performances in the Etobicoke and District Association competition as well in the limited-over competition. Ramdass, who represented the Caribbean side in a solitary one-day international and test match,
felt that he is back to full fitness and ready mentally and physically to play at the highest level again. He featured in 21 firstclass matches for his native country but picked up a shoulder injury which kept him out of action for the past seven years. He underwent operation and according to the 30-year-old right-hander, he wants to don the maroon colours again. “I [am] definitely working very hard on my game; I just feel I can make a big contribution to Guyana’s and West Indies’ cricket again but I know runs are very important and playing in Canada professionally helps my game and confidence tremendously,” Ramdass related. He also took the opportunity to say that he was successful in Trinidad and Tobago before joining Islanders Cricket Club in Canada for the fifth year. His experience in the Caribbean
territory was also wonderful having represented Clarke Road in both the limited and three-day competitions. “Yes, playing in Trinidad and Tobago where the competition was very stiff and getting among the runs was definitely remarkable and then came up here and making runs consistently I want to reclaim my s p o t o n t h e Guyana and West Indies team in the near future; I am confident I can do it because my fitness is great and I am delighted to make steady and significant contributions to my teams up here,” Ramdass divulged. He concluded by saying that he is willing to return home and participate in the domestic competitions there in an effort to represent Demerara at the Guyana Cricket Board inter-county competition, which is being used primarily for the selection of the national side.