Kaieteur News

Thursday Edition August 29, 2013 - Vol. 6 No. 35

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Controversial Hydro project ...

Price jumps to US$915M - additional US$57.2M unearthed in project document Does this sign reflect the state of affairs at the entire University of Guyana?

Fly Jamaica likely to start service next month

- Inspections for operations completed

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Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

Work on ECD four lane highway causes flooding in Mon Repos Several Mon Repos South residences were flooded yesterday as a result of water overtopping one of the community's main drainage canals, which was blocked to facilitate the ongoing East Coast Demerara Public Road fourlane construction.

The overtopping of the drainage canal is a result of heavy rainfall over the past two days.

However this is not the first time the area was f lo o d ed an d r es id en ts

believe it is time that the Ministry of Public Works and the contractor come up with a system to have effective drainage. From the commencement of the fourlane widening project in that section of the East Coast of Demerara, drainage was a major concern of residents, since the area is susceptible to flooding and the project involved blocking and filling the main trenches.

According to a resident, Naresh Shivram, water started overflowing the

Resident, Naresh Shivram, walks through the flooded street. blocked trench at around 7:00am, forcing him to relocate his poultry. His main concern is the health impact the resulting unclean flood water would have on his family.

Shivram said it is understandable that the contractor, Colin Talbot, needs to execute certain works to construct the roadway, but residents' everyday living should be taken into consideration. He said the “slow pace� of the project is affecting residents, adding that the community' drains are emptied into the

main trench that has been blocked to facilitate the road works. About two weeks ago, water in the trench was stagnant and a pungent scent was emanating, Shivram added.

His neighbour, Campton Charan, who operates a shop, shared similar sentiments. According to Charan, he recently started a business at his home and the water has destroyed his new carpet. The father of two said he is worried that bacteria in the water would harm his toddlers.

Charan said that last

week, he was forced to rush his two-year-old to the hospital because of an air borne infection. He is suspicious that the stagnant water was the source.

Meanwhile, another resident expressed different views from his neighbours.

The man said he spoke twice to the contractor, who promised to remove part of the blockage to allow the water to flow.

Whilst, acknowledging the contractor needs to hasten works, he believes it is necessary for the (continued on page 16)

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Police attitude and involvement in crime among major concerns of Plaisance/Sparendaam residents

A section of the crowd at the police/community outreach meeting By: Zena Henry Residents of the East Coast Demerara villages of Plaisance and Sparendaam on Tuesday got a change after a very long time to speak candidly about issues which they say are hampering their co-existence with ranks of the Sparendaam Police Station.

Most notable was a collective outcry by residents that police involvement in crime in the community and their attitude towards citizens, especially young residents, are major hindrances towards a co-habitable relationship between the two sides.

Villagers told a panel of senior police ranks and community business people that they are facing victimization, poor service and lack of concern by ranks

of the Sparendaam Police Station.

As a result, residents said, their once good community is no longer safe. The residents were also bent on saving their very popular and regular Plaisance lime activities from the likes of criminal elements, suggesting that the police should play an integral role in ensuring clean and safe fun instead of partaking in the illegal activities that are occurring.

Pastor Basil Roberts, a member of the Sparendaam Police Station Management Committee told the anxious gathering at the Plaisance Community High School to do away with their shyness and be frank about their feelings towards what he described as a “fractured” relationship between

residents and the police.

The Pastor noted that the Station Management Committee and the new Officer-in-Charge, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ms. Cristal Robertson saw the need to have constructive discourse between the police and the community to breakdown old barriers and build bridges of cooperation.

Former Parliamentarian Aubrey Norton started off the meeting by suggesting a complete re-education of the Police Force.

He opined that police officers are operating in the village as law makers instead of law enforcers; citing incidents where police officers are disrespectful to persons and demanding money from them. He pointed

out one instance where a group of young men requested elders to hear music from a string band they had put together in Plaisance.

Norton said when the band however started, two policemen demanded that they stop playing, or else.

Norton said when he asked the policeman what law the band was violating, the rank said, “it is not about law, the police say it got to stop.”

He pointed to another matter where he witnessed policemen on patrol take away money from young men on the Plaisance Line Top, and when spoken to, the young lads refused to make reports for fear of victimization.

Norton reiterated that the police needs an “attitudinal metamorphosis,” before

ASP Cristal Robertson addresses the crowd while members of the panel look on

This resident addresses matters of security stating that, “You know something is wrong with the system, when criminals feel more comfortable with the police than the citizens.”

Another resident told the panel that police officers from the station were getting involved in illegal activities in the community and befriending the criminal elements. It was noted that while the police are harassing the small man on the road with a “joint”, they were allowing the drug dealers to go free or could even be seen with the said “drug pushers”.

The residents further stated that this unorthodox affiliation was causing the imbalance in the community, because when complaints are made against those said elements, they are not dealt with because the offender might have police friends.

Residents spoke also about inconsistent patrols in the community and the unprofessional tone of officers taking reports or answering the telephone

during an emergency. To the patrols, residents said that since the local power company removed several street lights, petty crime and violence increased.

As a result, there are certain “hot spots” in the community which they believe should see constant police presence. One such part, a woman said, is the Victoria Road Backdam, where residents have to walk in groups for fear of being robbed.

She said that petty thieves prey, especially on shift workers; as such, fearful residents would wait in groups, and dare not walk alone. The gathering all agreed that the only time the police come around is after an incident, to which they drive (continued on page 6)

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Kaieteur News

Thursday August 29, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

A few dollars can make a difference The health of a nation is crucial to its continued existence.

Botswana experienced an HIV epidemic to the point that it lost most of its skilled personnel. In the end, with international support, the country had to recruit foreign teachers and nurses.

Many of those teachers came from Guyana because those were the people who were not paid the kind of money teachers should be paid. Of course, in Guyana, the salary scale leaves much to be desired. The government would say that the country is poor and given the imposition of the International Monetary Fund, it is forced to restrict its wages bill.

Of course, when Guyana first accepted the IMF prescriptions under the People’s National Congress Government, the country saw mass retrenchment. The then government called the programme redeployment. People were moved from those entities that were considered to have too many people and placed elsewhere. But many were simply let go.

Since then, the government has been reluctant to fill vacancies, as part of the programme to cut the labour force.

Yet with what available cash there may be in the public treasury, the government is not hiking wages save for the across the board pay increases to combat inflation.

Today, there are Head Teachers, who on retirement will have to find additional work because their pension would be woefully inadequate. This is why the best brains simply leave. Just recently there were those in the society who felt that the private schools were better because they are able to attract teachers by way of a better pay.

In Canada, where there is a massive drive to attract skilled people, teachers who left here a decade ago have their own homes and are in a position to buy another in the land of their birth. Many who left Botswana at the end of their contract are in North America earning the kind of money that they simply cannot earn in Guyana.

One view is that the government should review its wages and salaries structure. For its part, the government has been employing contract workers who enjoy the kind of pay that those in the establishment believe that they should.

Guyana has been talking about improvements in the education system. More recently, the leading party in the political opposition has been calling for an inquiry into the education system. Such an inquiry may very well find that the best people are not the ones dispensing education. And the reason may be that those who are better qualified seek higher paying jobs.

Countries that are among the leaders in the world pay their teachers and their police officers well. Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, all of them, at one time no better than Guyana, say that teachers are among the third highest paid people in their country. Hiking wages in this sector also serves as an incentive for people from overseas.

Guyana is no stranger to attracting teachers from overseas. In the same way that it has been attracting doctors from Cuba and China and India, it once attracted teachers from the Asian sub-continent. Many can still remember teachers from Sri Lanka. These days, there are volunteers from the United States.

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo once said that the smallest rise in the pay of teachers and policemen would significantly bump up the wages bill. However, there is evidence that the economy could sustain a hiked wage bill given the recent expenditures on some projects that have failed to deliver what they were supposed to.

It goes without saying that such pay hikes would be an investment in the same way some of the projects are touted as investments. People would remain in the country to ply their trade and the country would benefit. It would produce more skilled people to satisfy its needs at this time when skills are being sought.

This past week, the Education Ministry held a retreat to review the performance of teachers. The emanations from that retreat would make for interesting reading.

Sithe is gone; it’s time to harness the country’s other resources DEAR EDITOR, We can expose the shenanigans and corrupt practices of the PPP administrators any day…that is easy for us to do. Rather than sit at their desks and do the people’s work, too many of them continue to make elementary governance mistakes because of their determined involvement in the secret lucrative deals to fill their own pockets mistakes that have cost the taxpayers billions of dollars over the years.

But when the righteous people who practice politics of principle are not “hanging together” on basic things like calling on the minority President and his cabal to be more transparent and holding them accountable on projects like the Amaila Falls Hydro power, the white elephant Skeldon Sugar factory, the never ending ICT cable project from Brazil, and GPL for its massive power outages, to name a few – it is “cuff in the gut” for us the people who depend on the opposition to hold this

runaway regime in check. This minority PPP government has refused to accept the new dispensation and is governing as though it has a majority.

The opposition forces have to stand together and make the valid point that Guyanese, by and large, are not against the Amaila Hydro Power, but they are against the secret financial arrangements; they are against a situation where only a handful of people in the PPP (Brassington and Brassington) are making decisions that will commit the nation to 20 years of cash payout of over G$420 billion with no consultation.

The people are against the secrecy behind the bills of quantities, the engineering drawings on this Project and the Contract.

The minority PPP regime has told the opposition AFC/ APNU that the above documents are confidential and cannot be given to them.

Why is the PPP hiding these documents?

There must be a detailed

national consultation of the exact retail price that electricity will be sold to the people of Whim and West Ruimveldt.

The people want a detailed explanation and a public guarantee that after the completion of the project, the price will not change beyond the increase in salaries offered to public servants which is the usual 5 per cent.

Anything else will result in tough resistance by the opposition forces to the PPP action, like what occurred at Linden when the government decided to increase electricity rates as revenge for Lindeners not voting for the PPP in the 2011 elections. It was a rude awakening for the PPP… don’t mess with the people of Linden. The PPP regime and Sithe Global have refused to give such guarantees to the people.

If the minority president is serious about bringing hydro power to Guyana, he should first establish a managing committee with qualified personnel to oversee such a huge project.

We say it is time to dump Brassington. He screwed up on the Marriott Hotel by allowing the contractor to not employ Guyanese workers; GPL, by not putting a policy in place to reduce line losses and prevent commercial theft; and last but not least, the imposition of the highest toll in the world on the Berbice Bridge.

We want a President who is willing to engage the people to discuss his vision for green energy and how he plans to go about realizing this dream - Sithe is gone; and he should stop crying and use the other energy sources the country has to move on to better things.

Without a doubt, Hydro power is good for Guyana’s economy, but not by paying Sithe G$130 billion out of that G$420 billion for doing very little.

Time to move on; Guyana is a great country and when we work together we can conquer the highest mountain.

Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

Is Granger really a nationalist?

DEAR EDITOR, Opposition leader David Granger, in responding to the call by U.S. Ambassador D. Brent Hardt for support for the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project (AFHEP), is reported to have said that “my interest lies with Guyana and its people”. But this expression of nationalism seems to be more of a lame excuse than a demonstration of any genuine interest in the progress and development of Guyana.

Granger, in the two debates in the parliament (July 18 and August 7) did not make a single statement. In fact, no APNU (A Partnership for National Unity) parliamentarian spoke on July 18 and just a few spoke on August 7. This was clearly a display of the contempt with which the opposition holds the Guyanese people.

Granger himself has given no explanation for this opposition to the amendment of the debt ceiling Bill or the hydro power Bill. Why has he avoided the debate? Is it because he is aware that the project is good for Guyana? Is he afraid that the government will get kudos from this and he does not want that?

If that is the case, then surely that is anti-national. It also displays a narrow-mindedness and pettiness that are truly unworthy of a leader and an opposition that wants to be the government of this country.

We have already had experience with them in office.

They ruined Guyana. That attitude shows why.

It also demonstrates that they have not changed and if, God forbid, they ever put their hands on the levers of government again, we can expect a repeat performance of destruction. So far we have heard no coherent response to some simple, straightforward positions on the project. The country will not incur any debt for this project. It is mainly a private sector investment.

The guarantee has nothing to do with government borrowing. It is a commitment to ensure that the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) discharges its obligations to pay for the power purchased.

That is a no-brainer, since GPL is generating power at 1920 cents (US) per kilowatt and will buy at 10-11 cents (US) from the hydro company. In all likelihood, GPL will never default given the substantial savings to its current cost.

Guyana will have great savings. Subsidies will go; the $3 billion for Linden and the $6 billion for the rest of the GPL customers will be eliminated. The huge oil bill to import fuel to generate electricity will be saved.

The money would go to other areas for greater socioeconomic development and a better quality of life for all Guyanese. The consumers will pay much less for power.

It is expected that bills will fall by between 20-40 percent in

the first place and continue downwards to 90 percent of today’s bills.

Blackouts could almost be totally eliminated. Experience has shown that cheap electricity stimulates manufacturing and the creation of jobs for our people, mainly our youths.

These are only a few of the benefits that hydro power can bring. These are what the People’s National Congress (PNC)/APNU-led opposition has deprived us of. Granger is

trying to hide this betrayal of the Guyanese people behind nationalistic sounds.

The reality is that even if this U.S. ambassador is representing his country, since Sithe Global and Blackstone are U.S. companies, his position on this issue coincides with the national interest of Guyana.

It is the PNC/APNU and the opposition as a whole that are anti-nationals in this instance.

Erin Northe

The arrest of Ms Broomes smacks of harassment DEAR EDITOR, We are deeply concerned about the arrest of Simona Broomes, president of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) and a champion in the fight against trafficking in Guyana, for the alleged theft of a gold chain from and assault against an alleged human trafficker, w h o has been arrested, detained and charged with what should be at least 4 counts of trafficking of children who were forced into sexual slavery.

Surely there must be more compelling evidence against Simona Broomes than the accusation of a person who not only has a vested interest in damaging Ms. Broomes’ reputation, but has taken 4 months to ‘remember’ these

alleged incidents.

We call on the DPP, the TIP unit at the MLHSSS and the TIP Task Force, to investigate the course of action taken by the police and take such appropriate measures as are necessary to address this apparent travesty of justice.

To us at Help & Shelter, the arrest of Ms Broomes smacks of harassment of her and her organisation and an attempt to intimidate them in their landmark work of exposing human trafficking and rescuing numerous trafficked children and adults from sexual slavery and other forms of trafficking.

Denise Dias Josephine Whitehead Yvonne Quintin Danuta Radzik Help & Shelter

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

Letters... Where your views make the news

WPA mourns the passing of a brave and valued friend DEAR EDITOR, After half a century and more as an Attorney at Law, Senior Counsel Mr Doodnauth Singh will no longer take part in the work of developing Caribbean or West Indian jurisprudence.

Coming after a long line of eminent lawyers, SC Doodnauth Singh became one of a small number of lawyers to whom suspects and offenders looked hopefully for defence against the power of State and police.

As leader or member of a team for the defence, Attorney at Law Doodnauth Singh held the feet of the prosecution to the fire. Police witnesses were uneasy under his crossexamination.

One of his resources as a defence lawyer was perhaps his experience early in his practice as Legal Adviser to the police.

He would always interrogate the investigation rigorously to ensure that the individual accused by the machine called the State enjoyed the standard rights available under the law.

He was a member or collaborator of the Citizens Committee along with professionals who had been impressed by Walter Rodney’s decision to remain in a country whose officials had refused his services as an educator. The Citizens Committee cooperated with the professionals, trade union

and religious leaders who wished to avoid a partisan approach to national affairs.

SC Doodnauth Singh was unapologetically on the side of the beleaguered combatants in the civil rebellion of the late nineteen seventies, and, along with prominent Caribbean lawyers, put his formidable courtroom skills at the disposal of the defence of Arnold Rampersaud, as well as of the treason and the arson accused.

WPA mourns the passing of a brave and valued friend and extends sincerest condolences to his sorrowing family, colleagues and friends.

David Hinds For the WPA

THANKS TO DR. KING DEAR EDITOR, Fifty years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King gave one of the most profound and inspiring speeches of all time, which in a very fundamental way helped to shape the nature and course of race relations not only in the United States but in the world at large.

It was not only the content of that speech but the manner of articulation that caused it to resonate in all corners of the world.

The speech “I have a dream” is embraced by peoples all over the world and is now a rallying cry for all peoples who experience the pangs of racial and economic injustice.

I thought of reproducing excerpts of that speech delivered fifty years ago on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC,

for the benefit of those who may not be acquainted with the life and work of this great man.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour

of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.”

These words continue to touch the lives of progressive peoples worldwide and the collective conscience of humanity as a whole.

Thanks to Dr. King, race relations in the United States have changed for the better to a point where for the first time in its history a man of colour, in the person of Barack Obama, is President of the United States of America, something unthinkable when the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King gave that inspiring speech fifty years ago.

Hydar Ally

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Kaieteur News

Thursday August 29, 2013

Price jumps to US$915M

Controversial Hydro project.... …additional US$157M unearthed in Project document The Guyana Government has committed US$157.2 to the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project, US$57.2M more than the US$100M that it has been maintaining all along.

This was contained in the ‘Confidential Project Document’ leaked to this publication. This means that the revised price tag is now in excess of US$915M. According to the project document for the Hydro Electric Plant, in 2014 and 2015 the Government has under its ‘financial commitment’ to the project, committed US$21M to be

paid each year from its Fund for Special Operations (FSO).

The Fund for Special Operations has been set up by the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) and extended to several countries, including Guyana, which sees the bank making concessionary loans.

Government has been contending that Guyana’s taxpayers will pay about US$100M in equity.

This money, it said, consists of approximately US$20M, which is being spent on the access road to Amaila and US$80M which is

being invested from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF).

The Confidential Project Document however has revealed that for Guyana’s financial commitments, US$11.4M was spent prior to 2013 on the Amaila Falls Access Road.

It states that in 2013 some US$21.8M was committed to the road and another $0.5M to be spent each year between 2014 and 2017.

This would bring the total cost earmarked for the completion of the Access Road to US$35.2M.

Police attitude and involvement...

From page 3 around and go away.

Another woman spoke about gun violence in the area and charged that persons have difficulty giving information to the police, since they would then be targeted by the said gunmen.

Residents blurted out that while the police claim that residents do not give information, it is the police who are carrying back the information and endangering their lives.

One man spoke about aggressive police officers and those who dismiss urgent situations. Several persons

talked about police hostility, with a notable statement, “we ain’t get vehicle, all deh out”; “wha u want me fuh do?”

Another person even mentioned that at one time officers blatantly refused to come to the community on a report.

ASP Robertson has been in charge of the Sparendaam Police Station since February this year.

She did not hesitate to ask her ranks who were available to own up to irregularities that the residents were complaining about. In one instance, she called upon a named officer

who was highlighted for his deficiencies, but as soon as he heard his name, he disappeared from the meeting.

Robertson, after answering many of the resident’s questions, gave a promise to earnestly deal with problems the community faces as long as she is stationed at the Sparendaam Police Station.

However, as more residents stepped to the microphone to highlight their issues with the Police Force, a sudden “blackout” brought an abrupt end to the proceedings.

The road project was originally slated to be US$15.4M, less than half the cost that it stands now.

During the recently held National Stakeholders Consultation on the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project, it was restated that Guyana is only putting in US$100M. The remainder of the money for the project was said to be coming from Sithe Global, who was said to be investing US$157.4, China Exim Bank US$500.7M and the IDB which was applied to for the remaining US$100M. Amaila Falls Hydro Inc., which was set up to build the

plant, is majority owned by Sithe Global, given that it was investing more than Guyana.

Additionally also, under the arrangement with Sithe Global, all debt currently owed by the Guyana Power and Light will have to take the back burner, as the power company would have to make its priority payments to ‘Senior Amaila Debt.’

This is according to the agreement signed to by Government as requested by Sithe Global.

The Company had also demanded that the Guyana Government ensures that GPL remains a monopoly for the

sale of electricity and a majority government controlled enterprise.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the US$150B amount that Sithe Global had requested for Government to guarantee, should GPL make shortfalls, this publication has been reliably informed that this was related to the Value of the Debt, the Value of Interest During Construction as well as to buffer any financial adjustments that would have been made before financial closure is secured.

The previous guarantee limit stood at $1B but when the Parliament, through a majority vote, only approved a US$50B limit, Sithe Global walked from the project.

Harold Davis laid to rest

Pallbearers carry Davis’ casket from the Trinity Methodist Church.

Scores of persons turned out to pay their last respects to Former Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) Harold B. Davis who was yesterday laid to rest.

At a thanksgiving service held at the Trinity Methodist Church on Leopold and High Street, a number of friends, family and associates gave tributes to a man who was described as stern but yet understanding individual and a father to not only his children but others who knew him.

Among the distinguished personalities who attended the service were President Donald Ramotar, Opposition Leader David Granger and Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes.

Davis’ daughter, Dr. Janice Davis-Street remembered her father’s

famous quote “To thine own self be true”.

She added that excellence was always expected from her brother’s and sister growing up as children.

“I remember the days when we used go to church and he would get angry because I was usually the last one to get dressed… He was very serious when it came to being on time,” Davis-Street said.

“I remember my dad threatening to leave me on my wedding day if I was not there 15 minutes early. Punctuality was an obsession with my father,” she added.

Davis began his career as a teacher at the Rosignol Government School. He came to Georgetown in 1947 and taught at the Trinity and Bedford Methodist Schools.

He left teaching to pursue studies at the Ohio State University, obtaining a BSC

(Bachelors) in Social Administration and later, a Masters Degree in Sociology.

He returned to Guyana in 1958 and joined Bookers Sugar Estate the following year as the Personnel Manager, working at Skeldon.

He was later transferred to Georgetown, taking up a position as the company’s Education and Training Officer.

He was a member of the Council of the University of Guyana (UG), and in 1991 he became Pro- Chancellor and a member of the Board of Governors, serving for 13 years. Davis was also the Chairman of Demerara Woods.

Davis was also recognized for his experience and became a Director of GTM for some time and later as Chairman up to the time that he became ill and retired.

Thursday August 29, 2013

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Good to see this happening in Guyana!

There are hundreds of thousands of persons who want to be involved in things that help their communities, their Regions and their country.

They do not necessarily want to join any political process but they will support and get involved in initiatives that benefit others, no matter how small these may be.

This past weekend, motorists travelling throughout the Coastland witnessed small pockets of young people engaged in pedestrian painting exercises. This is an activity that is usually done by the traffic authority and questions were asked as to why the young people doing the work did not venture into some other activity.

They did not, because they wanted to help out the authorities and this is highly commendable on the part of the members of the Progressive Youth Organization, the youth arm of the ruling People’s Progressive Party. The young people wanted to be involved and they were given that opportunity even though there must have been concerns as to the quality of the work which could result.

In the end, a good job was done and the fears allayed.

The young people were given a chance to become involved. This is something that should be encouraged not just for young people but

also for adults.

There are many persons who like to sit back and complain. There are others, who noticing there is a problem, seek to fix it.

The pedestrian crossings were not a problem but the young people nevertheless decided that they would repaint them, thus sparing the traffic authorities of this task.

We need much more of this type of activity throughout Guyana because while everyone may not want to get involved in political battles as to who should be doing what, the majority of Guyanese would like to play a greater role in the development of their country but they are afraid that in our bifurcated political culture they would be branded as either government or opposition, depending on the stand they take.

However, by involving themselves in small scale initiatives such as road signs painting, persons can become involved without attracting the stigmas about which side they support. In the case of last weekend, the young people were from the Progressive Youth Organization but they were doing a good cause and they should be supported.

Not everyone of course can paint a straight line. Nor is it practical for hundreds of persons to come out to paint a zebra crossing but citizens can become involved by

Dem boys seh...

Donald behaving like de Rat Donald change so much that he start to smell like de Rat, talk like de Rat and even act like de Rat. He travel to Berbice and he mek some statements that at one time only de Rat woulda mek. He start fuh cuss people because he change from a man who dem boys use to know as a man who coulda reason things out.

De man mek some statements that lef people wid dem mouth open. Dem boys seh that he behave like if he suddenly changing to de Kwame type. And nuff people actually use to seh that de Rat is a type like that.

Imagine that when this man come to power people expect to see something different. De Rat didn’t want Donald to win suh he adopt a campaign strategy that actually hurt de Donald. Dem boys believe that de man woulda tek note but as old people does seh, it look like de Rat spit in he mouth.

Donald getting personal and when people get personal other people does react. Dem boys don’t want to disrespect he but if he decide to go down that road he will have to face de music. He got to change he attitude. De way he behaving is like if he was one of dem who had to get a cut from dem big project.

When dem boys talk bout de Marriott, Donald get vex; when dem talk bout de airport Donald get vex. He get more vex when dem boys talk bout de Amaila falls hydro project.

That project is de biggest in de history of de country and it is de one that hurt Donald more than anything else. That is why dem boys seh that de planners promise he a share.

How a man like Donald can get vex like that? He better start fuh think wid he head rather than he mouth because he might be surprise wha de ordinary people now thinking bout he.

Talk half and tell Donald to watch he mouth. Ha ha ha.

providing paint and brushes to community groups and youth organizations.

In New York City, there is actually a program in which the Mayor’s Office provides assistance to community groups and organizations that wish to clean their communities of graffiti. This sort of thing is needed in Guyana and is one of the initiatives that should be supported by the various Municipalities. They should encourage community groups to become involved

by offering to them supplies of paint and brushes with the groups providing the labour and other supplies.

There will be great savings for the various Municipalities, the towns will end up looking better and more importantly, citizens will feel more involved and want to do more.

A coat of paint can make a world of difference to the outlook of communities and to the national mood. There are so many public facilities in Guyana that are in need of

a fresh coat of paint.

Improving the physical environment in towns and villages will also help to reduce crime and vagrancy.

People will feel better about themselves and there will be less littering, and all because of a coat of paint.

There are many public facilities that are in need of repainting. Instead of them having to go out to tender, small paint jobs could be undertaken by youth groups and citizens associations.

There is a need also for

road signs, including stop signs and no parking signs.

This is work that need not wait on the traffic authorities.

They can be undertaken by citizens’ groups and they can make a world of difference to life in Guyana. A great deal can be done by involving people in these small-scale community activities.

Region Four NDCs and Public Institutions to benefit from increased garbage bins and compactor trucks The 15 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and Municipality of Region Four as well as some public facilities are poised to benefit from 825 Solid waste bins that will be added within the system as well as four compactor trucks.

A simple handing over ceremony was held yesterday at the Ministry of Local Government in Kingston, with the Permanent Secretary (PS) Collin Croal, Project Manager (acting) of the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme, Gordon Gilkes and the Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Development Norman Whittaker officiating over the proceedings.

According to Croal, the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme is an IDB (Inter American Development Bank) and Government of Guyana funded programme, which among other things is intended to address the littering issue across Region Four particularly.

Gilkes stated that the bins were procured to strengthen the NDCs, in terms of waste collection.

The tender process was advertized internationally and an English company, Unit Export, won the bid to procure 825 bins at the cost of US $185,000 dollars. ($37M Guyana dollars) The bins were received four weeks ago.

Out of the 825 bins, 458 will be handed over to the NDCs and the balance of 367 will be placed in public places such as targeted schools (Nursery, Primary and Secondary), health facilities, recreational facilities, municipal markets and sector Ministries.

Minister Whittaker spoke of the importance of using and securing the bins It was further stated that the four trucks will be procured at the cost US $620,000, to cater for the bins which are of different sizes.

Minister Norman Whittaker handing over a bin to Overseer, Buxton/Foulis NDC Cherlyn Herod.

The Minister then stated that this operation is not only confined to Region Four, since other Regions are being looked at.

According to Whittaker “we at the Ministry are working with the Georgetown Municipality and the Ministry of Public Works in a cleanup exercise that has already started in preparation for the Visit of his Excellency President Maduro of the Republic of Venezuela. So you would notice a hype of activities around.”

“We have discussed at the level of Ministry to have responsibility for solid waste disposal on the East Bank and the East Coast Corridor contracted out. The whole idea is that we advertise, inviting persons to bid to collect and transport solid waste. We have that covered in all the other Regions but we have some encumbrances and challenges that have to be dealt with.”

In relations to Mayor and City Council, the Minister stated, “they have a

responsibility for collection and disposal. They already contracted out some of the services to Cevon’s Waste and Pooran’s Brothers….”

An agreement between the Local Government and the respective NDCs were formed, with the NDCs being responsible for the monitoring and accounting of the use of the bins.

The NDCs are required to make regular visits to all the locations where the bins are to ensure that they are secured.

Customs Broker released after Marijuana in Pumpkin case is dismissed Customs Broker, Malcolm Sonaram, 38 of Lot 188 Garnett Street, Albouystown, was yesterday freed from a narcotic charge, which stated that he had over 19 kilos of cannabis concealed in a shipment of pumpkin for the purpose of trafficking.

Magistrate Judy Latchman dismissed the case against Sonaram after the prosecution was unable to link the evidence given by the witnesses to the accused.

When the matter was first called before Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates court on October 8, 2012, it was alleged that within the period of December 20, 2011 and January 10, 2012, at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) wharf, Lombard Street, Sonaram had in his possession, 19 kilos 930 grams of

cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

He pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

Court documents revealed that Sonaram was involved in transacting arrangements for a shipment of pumpkins which contained the said narcotic.

However, Attorney at Law Sanjeev Datadin, who represented the defendant at the first hearing, had told the court that his client is a Customs Broker who was only overseeing the consignment and that he had no actual control over it.

Datadin added that his client had no direct power or knowledge of the contents of the shipment.

At the end of the trial, none of the evidence put before the court implicated the defendant and he was subsequently freed.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday August 29, 2013

Private hospital hoping to offer paediatric heart surgery at no cost to patients

Dr Mahdu Singh (extreme left) and Dr Ratan Kumar Das (third from left) in the company of two other medical experts.

Having successfully completed two paediatric cardiac operations last weekend, the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital is looking to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to sustain the service at literally no cost to patients.

Administrator of the privately operated East Street, Georgetown, facility, Dr Madhu Singh, told this publication that it is expected that paediatric surgical operations, including the two completed, will be compensated with the

US$5,000 that is usually made available by the Ministry to patients seeking overseas medical care.

Officials of the hospital disclosed that a meeting with Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, was set for yesterday to discuss the proposed collaboration but it did not materialise since the Minister was reportedly otherwise engaged.

However, Dr Singh disclosed that she has already written to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, and “we are

hoping to engage them in some form of discussion shortly.”

However, Dr Ramsaran in an invited comment yesterday said that while he is not aware of any plan to collaborate with the private hospital, the Ministry of Health will be happy to support any health facility that offers a certifiable and accredited service to the nation.

In fact, the Minister in commenting on the meeting that was set for yesterday, disclosed that “I am a bit surprise that it was about

The two young heart patients being attended to by their mother and grandmother yesterday.

collaboration, I thought I was going to endorse what they are doing and meet the children who were operated on.”

However, he did note that the Ministry of Health is open to fund operations at the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital, or any other private hospital, once the standard operating procedure meets the acceptable requirements.

“Our patients can get help wherever...we have worked along with the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital before for cases of kidney transplant where we offered some funding.”

“We are also supporting these kidney patients at that hospital with medications...once we don’t have the capacity, we will work with any private sector

facility once it has been certified... this is serious business,” asserted the Minister.

He noted that the issue of paramount concern will always be certification of health facilities. “The issue that we need to be discussing now, at a higher level, is how do we certify these facilities?

Are they giving the service that we are hoping to pay for?

While the service might be good, we need it to be certified first,” insisted Dr Ramsaran.

He pointed out too that while paying for a service is crucial, there are other aspects that must be examined, such as follow-up care and management, something that has already been established in terms of the kidney

transplant service being offered. According to the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital Administrator, Dr Singh, close to US$1 million was expended to ensure that the facility is furnished with state-of-theart technologically advanced equipment to conduct cardiac surgery, which has facilitated about 150 coronary angiograms and more than 30 angioplasties, pacemakers implants and even a rare aortic stenting procedure.

Added to this, she said, the hospital has the expertise of Cardiac Surgeon, Dr Ratan Kumas Das, who has many years of experience in the field. He currently functions as the Senior Consultant Cardiac Thoracic Surgeon at a Super Specialty Hospital in Kolkata, India.

And since he has the capabilities to perform cardiac operations on both children and adults, Dr Singh noted that “this is a big plus...There are cardiac surgeons who specialise in one or the other and so not all are able to do both as Dr Das.” Last weekend, he also successfully conducted an off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft on a 71-year(continued on page 13)

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

GY$1M given to Rotary Club of Georgetown …to modify home of man injured on work site The Rotary Club of Georgetown yesterday received a donation of GY$1M from Searice Guyana Inc. to assist in making adjustments to a home, to include a workshop for a Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara resident, who was injured in an accident four years ago and has been confined to a wheelchair.

At the Georgetown Club yesterday, Doug Chappels, the General Manager for Searice Guyana Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Seaboard Corporation presented the cheque to the Non-GovernmentalOrganization (NGO)’s President, Harry Parmesar.

Chappels explained that the money will be used to make adjustments to the home of Sean Peters, to include a small business for him.

Peters was injured in a work-related accident four years ago, which has left him partially paralysed. He is currently receiving ongoing treatment so that he could regain the use of his legs.

Since his accident, Peters attended a course in Home Electrical Appliance Repair and is now qualified in this field. He approached Searice

Guyana Inc. for financial assistance to make certain modifications to his home that will allow him to set up a business to repair appliances and other items.

Parmesar thanked the company for the faith they have in the Rotary Club of Georgetown and assured Chappels that the project will be completed in a timely manner.

When asked about the future plans of the NGO, Parmesar said that given the fact that September is Education month, they are planning to establish three libraries in three schools across the country.

“We have a fund raising activity on September 28. It is a Retro Dance, Dinner and Dutch auction. That money will be used to facilitate the libraries. We are hoping to get $1.2M because each library will cost approximately $400, 000,” the Rotary President stressed.

He explained that after the libraries are completed, books will be added to them annually. “We haven’t selected the schools as yet.

We are currently in discussions with the Ministry of Education.”

President for Rotary of Georgetown, Harry Parmesar (left) receives the cheque from Doug Chappels, General Manager for Searice Guyana Inc. (right)

Page 11

Landfill Site stench continues to torment residents

One of the heaps lining the shoulder of the road

The deplorable entrance road to the Haags Bosch Landfill Site While the procurement process to purchase a compactor to effectively seal waste is ongoing, residents living in close proximity to the Haags Bosch Landfill Site at Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara, continue to be bothered by the foul smell.

In June, at a public consultation, residents of Eccles and neighbouring East Bank Demerara communities complained about the stench emanating from the landfill site. The Housing Ministry encumbering the landfill site’s buffer zone for housing development was also addressed.

It was this housing initiative that allowed persons to live so closely to the Landfill Site.

Junior Minister of Local Government Norman Whittaker in a subsequent interview with this publication said he was told that even with the reduction

in Haags Bosch Landfill Site’s buffer zone, the facility could operate efficiently once operators focus primarily on compaction and cover. As recommended by the InterAmerican Development Bank, the Ministry needs to acquire a specialized compactor.

He had also stated that for the past months, technical personnel have been monitoring the operations of the site from Monday to Friday and sometimes on Saturdays, significantly reducing the stench.

Whittaker, responding to a recent query on the status of the compactor, said, “In the absence of the Compactor, a D9 Bulldozer is being used and daily cover is ensured by way of wood chips, draining cleanings etc.”

He said, “We still receive some complaints of stench, moreso, when it rains continuously.”

When this publication

visited the area yesterday, residents gave mixed reactions to the stench.

According to a resident, at different times during the day, perhaps depending on the direction of the wind, the scent of old moldy garbage fills her house and this gets stronger at nights.

She opined that another contributing factor for the stench is the waste dumped in heaps that lines the shoulders of the scheme’s main road, which is also the access road to the Landfill Site. The woman lamented the deplorable state of the scheme’s entrance road and questioned why the road was not built to accommodate heavy-duty vehicles.

“They should really maintain this road. Must be because the road bad, people ain’t driving far in to empty their garbage.

They just throwing everything, even building materials. I see someone living right here put their garbage in a black bag and throw it in the bushes,” she added.

According to the woman, when she was allotted the land in Eccles, she did not realize that it was so close to the Landfill Site.

In fact, she was elated since she had applied around 2002- 2003. Though grateful that she has her own house, she is displeased with the scent, which is believed to be harmful.

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Thursday August 29, 2013

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Politics that just does not make sense at all These are the facts.

Under the presidency of Bharrat Jagdeo, his reign lasted twelve years.

During those years, Mr. Jagdeo’s party canopied his authority by a majority in parliament. It meant therefore that Mr. Jagdeo had unhindered power except for the role of the judiciary.

In his time in office, Mr. Jagdeo made a number of decisions that were angrily rejected by the Opposition and found disapproval by a substantial percentage of the population but Mr. Jagdeo never backed down.

The instances are too many to be cited. Mr. Jagdeo embarked on some projects that he felt were his babies and he persisted with them.

The three notable ones were the modernization of the Skeldon sugar factory, which to date is the largest state investment since self government in the fifties, the Marriot Hotel and the Amalia hydro-power project, which if it had happened, would have been the largest financial expenditure on any investment in the country’s history Speaking at the National Economic Forum last week at

the Convention Centre, Mr. Jagdeo, with reference to the exodus of the Sithe/Global investors after the PNC failed to approve Amaila said, “They killed the hydro.” He referred to people like Raymond Gaskin, Christopher Ram and Professor Clive Thomas.

In an angry mood, he concluded that Amaila was a significant loss to the entire nation. The profound meaning of Mr. Jagdeo’s words should not be lost on the citizenry of this nation and his very words could be used as a platform for changing the nasty political

mood that has undermined Guyana’s future since the fifties.

Before we develop our point, let us stress that Amaila was very close to the heart of Mr. Jagdeo, so close that Professor Thomas publicly opined that he thought this was Mr. Jagdeo’s creation of his legacy.

If Mr. Jagdeo can publicly admit that a group of academics derailed his legacy then surely it is an admission that the Government has detractors that are strategically placed. It is an admission that there are poles

of power in Guyana that the ruling party cannot conquer, and those poles are formidable voices.

It follows then that the most logical thing to do is to initiate a process of dialogue.

If you refuse to talk, and according to Mr. Jagdeo, the country loses out, then such politics makes no sense at all.

You are openly confessing to the nation that there are groups in Guyana that can intensively hurt major policies that are important to the Government and the country. Then any student around the world that heard those words of Mr. Jagdeo in reference to the Opposition, “they kill hydro,” would say; “then, why don’t they talk?”

This is not only logical but commonsensical. We don’t know as yet what will happen with Amaila but coming up next is the anti-money laundering Bill.

Again, we see the story of poles of power. If you cannot have your anti-money laundering Bill because an Opposition group can kill it, then why don’t you talk to them?

One obscure dimension of Mr. Jagdeo’s admission is that PPP constituents who for the past twenty years (since the PPP came to power in 1992) have been migrating in colossal numbers may become even more pessimistic about their country’s future and hurry to leave.

One must remember that

Frederick Kissoon there are sizeable numbers of Indian people who do not want the PNC to rule because they are either racist, antiPNC or believe the PNC did too much bad things when they were in power therefore they should not govern again.

Here comes Mr. Jagdeo and says to these numbers, “the Opposition kill hydropower.” Now, I am not referring to young Indians who have no memory of the seventies and eighties.

I am pointing to those Indians in their fifties and onwards who may take Jagdeo seriously and say; “look, you heard what Mr. Jagdeo said; trouble is coming again let’s leave.”

But what about the young Indians who have chosen to stick with the PPP? What happens to their minds when they hear Mr. Jagdeo crying about Opposition power?

The latest census is not officially published but Dr. Rishi Thakur of the Berbice campus told me that when you live in Berbice, then you see in a better way how rapidly decreasing is the Indian population.

The ghost that is haunting the PPP is that Indian migration far outstrips any other ethnic group in this country.

History is both poetic and cruel and the cruel part may come back to hurt the PPP in ways that are unimaginable.

The PPP should begin the healing process.

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 13

UG Vice-Chancellor urges more use of foreign languages A donation of some 42 Spanish-titled books by the Mexican Embassy to the University of Guyana, has led to UG officials exploring the option of making foreign language a compulsory course for students.

The books were handed over to the University’s library

by Francisco Olguín, Ambassador of Mexico to Guyana during a simple ceremony held yesterday at the Turkeyen Campus.

According to the UG’s Librarian, Gwyneth George, the publications cover a wide variety of topics including History, Culture, Migration and Politics.

Although he was initially concerned that the books are in Spanish print, the Ambassador expressed hope that they will introduce students to new opportunities by urging them to learn a new language.

He explained that through personal experiences, he has found that learning new languages “opens new horizons to all”, since it is the window to experiencing new cultures and meeting new people in another land.

The University’s Vice Chancellor, Jacob Opadeyi agreed with the Ambassador, when he suggested that the University, in the near future,

Private hospital hoping to offer paediatric ...

From page 10 old patient. While the Caribbean Heart Institute, which is situated in the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, has been offering cardiac care mainly to adults, Dr Singh disclosed that a large number of patients with cardiac anomaly are in fact children.

As such, she considers the move to offer paediatric cardiac care locally is in fact an important development for Guyana. “We have, I think, a lot of kids waiting in this country to go away and have this surgery done...I know of one set of five or six kids who will shortly be taken away (overseas) by Three Rivers (Foundation) but the truth is, they don’t need to go any more because they can have it done right here,” said Dr Singh.

She noted that efforts are likely to be made to collaborate with the Three Rivers Foundation too, which has for many years been facilitating the travel of children overseas for heart surgeries.

Such collaboration, Dr Singh said, could see the realisation of a number of advantages, which will include the fact that followup care will be available right at the East Street hospital.

But according to her, “discussions with the Ministry of Health is key to this whole process and therefore quite important...We wanted to get some operations done then speak to them (Ministry of Health officials) so that we don’t make any claims that we can’t fulfil.”

And once the cardiac programme does well, there is a possibility that Dr Das will relocate to Guyana to offer his expert service.

His recent trip here saw him travelling with a supporting team, including an Anaesthetist, a Cardiovascular Perfusionist and an Assistant Surgeon, whose services may very well be replaced with full-time professionals, once the programme is sustained.

The recent paediatric operations were undertaken on two sisters- five-year-old Tiana and three-year-old Gayona - both of whom had holes in their hearts. They were both diagnosed with Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), which is characterised by an abnormal blood flow between two of the major arteries connected to the heart.

They both developed cold-like symptoms early on and one had become so severely ill that had the operation been delayed much longer, it would have been inoperable, according to Dr Das. He noted too that neither operation was very difficult and together lasted a period of about four hours.

Both girls are recovering at the hospital and were yesterday being attended to by their mother Moushimi Bisoondyal and their maternal grandmother Gaitree Balgobin also known as Krishna. “They are both doing well,” said Dr Das of the young girls, even as he noted that “they can have normal lives now with the exception of a scar.”

Screening for paediatric cardiac patients will continue at the hospital until Saturday when Dr Das is scheduled to depart these shores.

He is expected to return within two months to undertake about 10 more operations on both adults and children.

provide the basis for foreign language courses to be taken compulsorily, by every student at the facility.

Although it may present a c h a l l e n g e , t h e Vi c e Chancellor said that he hopes that lecturers at the University will start assigning research items to students that will lead them to seeking out i n f o r m a t i o n within the donated publications. He was optimistic that the challenges of the books being in a foreign language can be overridden.

Opadeyi further suggested that the nation, as a whole, should ensure that every citizen is equipped with an additional language, preferably Spanish or Portuguese, since Guyana’s neighbours are exclusively speakers of different languages.

“There is tremendous

Librarian Gwyneth George (left) and Vice Chancellor Jacob Opadeyi (right) examine publications in the presence of Mexican Ambassador to Guyana, Francisco Olguín. opportunity for us to integrate with the bigger countries that are our neighbours,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor also

mentioned that the University is working on other initiatives, including bringing lecturers out of foreign countries to address

students in the various subject areas.

More information on this, he said, will be provided before the end of this year.

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Thursday August 29, 2013

GSA to launch agro-processing course in September The Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) is set to pursue a course in Agroprocessing when the new school year commences in September.

According to the institution’s Chief Executive Officer, Brian Greenidge, the course which has a-one year duration (three terms) will be delivered by one “fully qualified” trainer. He said that so far, seven persons have already registered to become Agro-processors, and that number is expected to go up.

Greenidge said that the programme is designed to satisfy the requirements of the Agro-processing industry, as well as impart knowledge and skills that will enable graduates to not only become employees, but employers as well.

“Graduates can, and will set up their own enterprises and become creators of employment instead of seekers of employment,” Greenidge noted.

He explained that the objectives of the programme are to expose students to the requirements of the commercial Agro-processing operations; to the practical aspects of food productions; to provide the necessary competence to allow students to start their own businesses; and to increase the number of agro-processing plants in the country.

The CEO added that upon completion of the programme, students should be able to

GSA’s CEO, Brian Greenidge establish and competently manage a processing plant; develop and market new products; understand the dynamics of the processing industry, and test and evaluate the new food products and the market.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy had said that his Ministry has been working with the University of Guyana to ensure greater collaboration so as to encourage more students to complete their degrees in the field of Agriculture.

So far, agro-processing of several products is successfully done locally by a number of individuals and companies. The products range from sauces to dried and powdered products.

Ramsammy said that in order to develop the thriving

Agriculture Sector, it is necessary for Guyana to venture further into processing agricultural products; not only for the processing of fruits and vegetables, but even milk and ground provisions and plantains.

He said that although Guyana imports plantains, it can be processed, packaged, and sold both locally and internationally.

Also, late last year, Ramsammy had announced that the Ministry of Agriculture will be placing much emphasis on the potential of spices, and coconut by-products.

In June, the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) hosted a “Grand Coconut Exposition” to display a number of byproducts from local agroprocessors.

Some of these products included roofing tiles made from coconut husk, extra virgin coconut oil, coconut base wine, coconut butter, coconut flakes, ornaments, kitchen utensils, jewelry and coconut-based chemicals that are used to make cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

A company called Phoenix Enterprises has been the pioneers of bottling and exporting coconut water in Guyana since 2004. The “refreshing bottled water” has since been receiving rave reviews from many, according to one of its owners.

Collectively, agroprocessors complain of packaging being a major challenge.

This was later realized by Dr. Maxine Parris-Aaron, Agricultural Health, and Food Safety Specialist of InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), who, following a recently concluded workshop, said that local agro-processors need help with packaging and labeling.

She noted that packaging is sometimes the major

attraction for a product.

GSA’s CEO Greenidge said that the school’s new agro-processing course will also deal with the types of packaging, and materials used for packaging, as well as labeling.

Dr. Ramsammy had stated that while there is really nothing holding Guyana back from also canning its own fruits and vegetables, the equipment and technology needed will require heavy investment.

It was also urged that local

agro-processors familiarize themselves with the Guyana Agro-processor ’s Association, which was set up in 2009 with the objective of ensuring the establishment of common standards and practices among agroprocessors within the “nontraditional agricultural sector”.

The association’s efforts are geared towards providing low cost financing and developing new and innovative products and packaging facilities.

Work on ECD four lane highway ...

The cutting of the mud dam to allow the water to drain From page 2 contractor to block the waterway to erect the road. He emphasized that this is only temporary and when the road is complete residents and commuters would benefit.

Kaieteur News observed a mud dam was built inside the trench preventing the flow of water. A man was seen cutting

a section of the barrier. But the man and others around distanced themselves from the contactor.

However, a source said the men were indeed part of the construction team.

The source blamed the flooding on negligence, since, as part of a paid item in the contract the contractor is required to control the water.

It was recommended that the Ministry applies the provisions in the contract. In addition, the contractor is ex-

pected to have an Environmental Officer on site but this is not the case.

Th e M i n i s t r y ' s C o ordinator of Works Services Group, Geoffrey Vaughn was unable to give a detailed comment on the issue since he did not have the information at hand and was going into a meeting.

He, however, noted that it only started raining in the area two days ago and “things do happen and one can't just jump to conclusion.”

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Thursday August 29, 2013

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 19

Cattle rustling costing Garbage collection system in Corentyne farmers million$$$ Berbice privatized Cattle in the savannah areas along the Corentyne

By Leon Suseran The Ministry of Local Government in collaboration with the Region Six Administration, in a bid to solve the growing solid waste disposal problem, has moved to officially privatize the collection of garbage in the Berbice area.

This announcement was made by Regional Chairman, David Armogan.

According to Armogan, the initiative began a few months ago and is moving apace in a more organized manner. Concept Solid Waste Disposal is responsible for the Corentyne area while Advance Garbage Disposal Company will be working in the New Amsterdam/East Bank Berbice area.

Pr i o r to this arrangement, village residents burned or buried their waste, while Town residents had garbage collected by their respective Town Councils.

The contractors are using several land fill sites across the Region, including one at Belle View, East Bank Berbice.

Householders will be required to pay $300 per barrel of waste and businesses have been negotiating for “comfortable” rates.

Schools, hospitals and other government agencies, too, are negotiating for cheap rates.

Armogan stated that the government is “very serious” about this programme, “as a way of dealing with the serious solid waste problem we have in the Region.”

The contractors, he added, will be visiting various areas to get people to sign on to the programme and decide on a day for the collection of their garbage.

According to reports, quite a number of businesses have already come on board, however, residents of New Amsterdam are a bit hesitant to utilize the services of the designated company, “since quite a number of householders would have already had a contract with a private

individual in the town to pick up their garbage, so it might take some time before they buy-in to this contractor.”

The Chairman noted that in time, former contractors who had services in the Berbice area will be “phased out” to give way to the new contractors.

Laws, he said, will be put in place to penalize citizens of Berbice for the indiscriminate dumping of garbage “and when those laws come into being the fines will be heavy enough to be a deterrent, I think you will really see the effects of the privatization programme.”

It has been observed that persons in the Central Corentyne area have been dumping garbage willy- nilly all around the place, Armogan said.

“This is something we have to pay careful attention to because some of us do not like to pay any money— we want everything free but everything cannot be free in life and the $300 per week is equivalent to a pack of cigarettes.”

One of the problems, too, he stated, is that some contractors, especially the one operating along the Corentyne, do not have proper garbage collection equipment.

“What he is doing presently is merely renting private people’s equipment to do his work, but he will need to own his own equipment if he wants to stay in this business for a long time, otherwise, government may have to take a decision to get a new contractor for that area, if that contractor continues to perform the way he is performing.”

The Chairman added, too, that dump sites in the region are a thing of the past; rather land fill sites with specified cells have been established.

Armogan added that the present landfill site that was formerly used by the N / A M & T C w i l l be a temporary holding site for the new contractors before they move into a permanent site.

Cattle farmers in the Corentyne, Berbice area are lamenting the increasing incidents of cattle rustling by cattle thieves who are not only chasing away their animals but are slaughtering them and leaving their carcasses in the pastures.

Speaking to the media recently, several farmers aired their disgust about the problem.

“My brother-in-law gave me a call that somebody was stealing his cattle and when we go, we saw three persons chasing the cows...they run away in the bush and my brother-in-law recognized them and we called the police,” stated Ghanesh Amar Singh of Don Robin Farm, who complained about losing over eight heads of cattle within recent times.

“My brother-in-law has over 130 heads [of cattle] and we have over 60 head of cattle,” he added.

Steve Saul, another cattle farmer, managed to thwart another attempt by men trying to steal his cattle.

“I rushed them and they run in the bush and I called for back-up and I recognized one of them. This is not the first or second time, last three weeks they carried away eight calves and came back for more too. I made a report at the station.”

The cattle farmer, who owns over 80 heads of cattle, is rapidly selling out his herd out of fear of more losses.

Cattle rearing has been his main source of income over the years. “I going sell out all and see something else to do because people thiefing...”

Leslie Budhoo is also considering throwing in the towel. “Many times now I have lost some of my milking cows. They have been slaughtered.

We found the heads, guts and skins and calves in the bellies and now we discovered again cows starting to lost. At present, I don’t know who is the thief but right now I am thinking about selling out. I don’t know what to do next in life. I have a family to maintain, so I don’t know which road I will be on.”

The father of three secondary school children stated that he is finding it hard to maintain his family. “It’s bringing down my livelihood

because I am a milkman and I am depending on the milk for my living— I am finding it hard right now. I had 48 heads and at present, I have 26. I got to keep my cows close to my bedroom now,” he lamented.

Contributing to the frustration of the cattle rearers is the fact that the relevant authorities do not seem to care.

“If the police cannot take steps in this matter, we will do our own thing to get this thing done. The government does not give us any security like guns or so...”

The farmers stated that the prevalence of cattle rustling in the area has cost them millions of dollars over the years.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday August 29, 2013

GTM 2012 profits highest ever Local Governance expected GTM Fire and Life Building

to be improved significantly with new amendments By: Kiana Wilburg

The Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Fire Insurance Company (GTM) has recorded the highest ever profit in its 133 years of existence.

This announcement was made at the company’s 133rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) that was held a week ago.

The Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors R.L. Singh (AA) in a review of the entity’s performance, reported that GTM Fire Insurance Company recorded an after tax surplus/profit of $263.2M., while the Life Insurance Company recorded a surplus of $184.3M; a combined after tax profit of $447.57M. However he noted that

even though 2012 was the most productive year so far, it was not without its challenges.

These challenges include increased competition, lower premium rates and high fire and motor claims.

But the company has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring efficiency, prompt claims settlement, corporate governance, implementation of sound risk management policies and strategies, proactive business retention strategies, according to Singh.

It was stated that The Actuarial Valuation of the GTM Life Insurance Company as at December 31, 2012, shows significant improvement in solvency

which increased from 267% at the end of 2011 to 315.5% at the end of 2012.

This Singh said is icing on the cake for what was a very good year for the Company.

During the AGM, the Chairman also acknowledged the contribution made by former Board Chairman Harold B.Davis CCH, who passed away recently.

Singh highlighted the significant contributions made by Davis, particularly in the areas of corporate governance, human relations, training and transformational leadership during his forty years on the Board, 17 of which he served as Chairman.

A minute of silence was observed by those who were gathered.

The recent passage of the Local Government Reform Bills in the National Assembly has heightened interest in Local Government Elections which have not been held since 1994.

The Government has since indicated that these elections could be held within six months while the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has said it is ready for the much anticipated process.

Registrar of the University of Guyana, Vincent Alexander, who is also a GECOM commissioner, expressed that by definition, Local Government can be described as the administration of legal affairs that may be otherwise administered by Central Government but administered by a body of local people who are either appointed or elected.

In the political sense, Alexander said that Local Government seeks to deepen democracy, which allows more people to be involved at the level of administration and/or representation. With regard to the administrative aspect, local governance aims to have a mechanism that is more efficient and effective in the delivery of services at the local level and at the administration of local affairs.

AFC’s David Patterson

Vincent Alexander

With the definition and objective in mind, one can be able to clearly ascertain how the four amendments will be able to provide the platform for local government to achieve its true purpose in a more efficient and effective manner.

The bills that were passed on August 7th and still await the President’s assent are; the Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2012, Local Government Commission Bill 2012, Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) Bill2012 and the Fiscal Transfers Bill 2012.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION BILL 2012 This bill establishes a Local Government Commission, which does two things; controls staffing arrangement at the local authorities and regulates the elements of the operations of local authorities.

Patterson noted that the Local Government Commission will ensure oversight and the Commission will be in control of hiring and firing of staff. He indicated that the Commission is of great importance since it inhibits the interference by a Minister and it therefore becomes more professional.

FISCAL TRANSFER BILL 2012 Alexander stated that the present system provides for local authorities to collect taxes on properties in local areas, to generate revenue through market rent etc and to get subvention from the Central Government.

The subvention is given at the discretion of Central Government.

Under the new system, they will continue to have taxes, raised revenues, through provision of services but the government subvention will no longer be an arbitrary subvention but one deemed by the use of a formula.

In the old system, the government gave three million to the local government regardless of size and population. However, Alexander said that in the new system the government will identify a “lump-sum” for the Local Government and the formula will determine how much each local authority gets.

The factors in the formula are; population, size, area and revenue raising ability/ record; that is, how much revenue and taxes it actively collects. The advantage here is that government could no longer exercise favoritism in giving out subvention.

David Patterson, member of the Alliance for Change, noted that the idea behind the formula is that it removes the politicizing of the system.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AMENDMENTACTAND MUNICIPALAND DISTRICT ACT 2012 Local government is regulated by the Municipal and District Councils Act and the Local Government Act. These Acts were basically amended to ensure that the reference powers of the Minister were removed and invested in the Commission.

Patterson explained that in the old act, the officers of the local authority such as Town Clerks, reported to the Minister. However, this will no longer be the case as they will now have to report directly to the Commission.

According to Alexander, the reformed bills in essence make Local government more representative of the people’s interest; it enhances good governance, and more people are involved in the decision making process who are not hamstrung or restricted by a political party.

Further, it also reduces political tension in areas where work is needed to lend towards national development.

From the financial standpoint, Alexander said that everyone gets a fair share of the cake as it reduces interference in who is given more. Moreover, staffing control by the Commission gives more leverage to have m o r e control of their area.

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Lawyers call for improved Fly Jamaica likely to start service next month methods of recording evidence - Inspections for operations completed

By Zena Henry The services of much anticipated partnership carrier Fly Jamaica Airways (FJ) will soon be available to Guyanese as optimism over the airline’s commencement of regular flights to and from Canada and the United States of America by late next month heightens. Moves towards this reality are even more evident as overseas safety officials completed inspections of the airline’s local base on Tuesday.

A four-member team, headed by Captain Egbert Field of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority departed Guyana early yesterday morning after completing in-depth inspections on general facilities that FJ would be using while servicing Guyana.

In an interview with Kaieteur News on Tuesday evening, Field related that from the surface, FJ seems ready to add Guyana to its flight paths. He said, so far, nothing has come up that would prohibit FJ servicing Guyana, but after a perusal of notes and data, a formal announcement would be made.

Field explained that the team was tasked with making sure that all procedures dealing with FJ’s operations locally are being followed.

That he said includes safety operations, documentation and facilities. Field noted that the inspection is part of the preparations for FJ’s arrival. He detailed that inspections were on the training of staff, bag handlers, desk clerks, as well as on safety regulations and operating procedures. He said local facilities must be up to standard, since there are regulations that have to be followed. The inspection team, Field continued, had to ensure that the airline’s documents were also in order, and that it had the necessary requirements to be operating in Guyana.

Following this inspection, Field informed that the team will travel to Toronto, Canada, where they will perform similar inspections like those done in Guyana; again for the purposes of safety and adherence to regulations.

As it relates to FJ acquiring permission

for direct flights out of Guyana to New York, Field said that the airline is still awaiting permission, as the objections raised by Airlines 4 America (A4A), are still being considered.

A4A is one of America’s oldest and largest airline trade associations.

A4A or Air Transport Association of America (ATA) is made up of several American air carriers. On July 31, this year, they urged the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to oppose applications from Fly Jamaica Airways and Caribbean Airlines to fly directly from Guyana to New York, citing “serious and troubling issues” that would be raised for consumers, A4A members and their employees.

This however, does not mean the end for FJ flights out of Guyana to New York. Field opined that FJ management has the option of flying Guyana to Kingston, Jamaica to the United States- since flights out of Jamaica are already in operation. Management, he stated further would however have to do the math and ascertain the feasibility of that route. In the meantime, FJ is cleared for Canada, and it is assumed that that will be FJ’s first destination out of Guyana.

Head of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Zulfikar Mohamed indicated yesterday that locally, FJ has been given the go ahead.

There has however been much talk about the need for competition on the Guyana/ New York route. As it stands, Trinidadian carrier CAL dominates and holds the monopoly for the very lucrative GT/NY route. Their service and heavy pricing structure has been met, however, with much apprehension by local travelers, with some describing CAL’s service to Guyana as a “stepchild/stepmother” scenario.

FJ has however promised to bring quality service and workable pricing to Guyana. The airline is a partnership between Guyanese Captain Ronald Reece and three Jamaican shareholders, two of whom are Captain Lloyd Tai, and Manager of In-flight Services, Christine Steele. The management said that they are committed to working earnestly for the benefit of the two countries.

Haymant K. Ramdhani

George Thomas

Legal practitioners strongly believe that Magistrates should no longer be tasked with the writing of evidence, but rather have this function replaced by a more reliable system.

Former Magistrate, now Defense Attorney, Haymant K. Ramdhani is one of the legal minds who believe that “It is important for the Magistrate to be able to observe the demeanor of the witness or the defendant being cross examined by the lawyer.

As the Magistrate is tasked with taking evidence, ultimately, it takes away from the efficiency of the trial.

While it may be argued that writing may provide an opportunity for the information to sink in and in that way the evidence can be better assimilated, it simply takes up too much time.”

Lyndon Amsterdam, a

seasoned legal practitioner, agreed with the former Magistrate.

“A lot of time could be saved if other mechanisms could be put in place. When the Magistrate has to take the time to record the evidence, the output is slowed down because of writing and it is an inefficient way of conducting a trial in a modern world. In fact, taking evidence should be removed from all judicial officials (Judges and Magistrates). It is simply too much work,” However, he stated that “while I agree that it is also important to see the demeanor of the client, I disagree with Ramdhani on the point that writing allows for the information to sink in.

The amount of trials that have to be done and considering the fact that the trials take such a long time, it is almost impossible to remember all the

cases and what were written on each case at every occasion.”

Another attorney George Thomas, in support of his colleagues’ comments, said, “They should employ the use of the voice recognition and synthesizing systems, which allow the transcription of everything that is said by everyone verbatim. The taking of evidence has a lot of disadvantages; Magistrates loose eye contact with the witness, which is of critical importance in observing the demeanor of the person being cross examined. It takes away from the essence of the case, and more importantly, if the function is removed and replaced with these technological systems, they will provide for a more accurate account of what transpired.”

Addressing the issue of accuracy, another established lawyer revealed that there were instances where Magistrates recorded information that was more or less, flawed. “I have witnessed on several occasions where the Magistrate would be recalling the evidence he or she has taken and it contradicts with what the lawyer has also recorded.

I mean Magistrates are humans and they too are given to mistakes but it is for this very reason I would support the call for other mechanisms which would in turn guarantee a hundred percent accuracy.”

Page 22

SERVICES Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves.

Ultra Cool. Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 We repair LCD, Plasma, LED TV, Microwave, Washer & Dryer, Amp etc. Call:6472677/693-3277 TransponderTV: No Monthly Fees, No Hidden Fees, No Additional Charges: 250 Channels + 50 HD Channels- Call: 675-3201 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer call:2310655,683-8734 Omar Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Profressional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call:225-6496,6626045,223-8115 Repairs to Refrigerators, Washing machines, Gas Stoves & A/C Units- Call Lindon 641-1086/694-2202 House Plans, estimates and construction- Contact T.Boodhoo 625-9883/ 6759296 Need general construction works to be done?

Carpentry, painting etc.

Call:629-4724/604-6973 Green’s Electrical Contracting Services: Phone & Date, CCTV, Security Systems etc. Residential, industrial & commercial installation- Call:223-0973/ 618-3075 Taitt Plumbing & Plumbing Consultant Limited: We specialize in all types of European, American etc.Contact:225-1371/604-6498 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING FOR ONLY $10,000CALL:694-9843/227-2766

Kaieteur News

FOR SALE 500 Ton Cargo Ship with Contract- call: 687-6174 House & Land situated at lot 95 La Penitence Street, Albouystown. Land 7,933 Sq.Ft- Call:687-5851/1-604589-1852 Electric Guitars, keyboards, speakers, 1 LCD 53 inch Phillips TV & antique brassCall:227-8519/616-5784 Ducklings and PigletsCall:688-7291/618-2708 1 Freight Liner Hauler, 1- 48ft trailer, 1 Low Bed (hauler & trailer)- Call:613-6979 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Windows, sinks, toilet bowls, table saws, grass, cutters, welders setsCall:227-8519/616-5784 Photocopy Machine colour, Laser Printers, Printing Equipment, Paper & Cardboard- Call:233-2725 Stihl 51 chainsaw- Call:6946823 Pure bred Doberman pupsCall:609-2815/696-4659 Honda welder 270 amp with 15,000 watts generator, 1 Mig Welder & 02 Tundra- Call: 220-4495/ 611-5114 Pluck chicken- Call:676-0931/ 686-7180 Plastic Fuel drums 55galContact Nicky 226-7948/6466000 Earth, delivery on the spot.

Also Bobcat and excavator rental- call:626-7127 Fluffy Dashund pups- Call: 226-9548/ 670-2653

FOR SALE/RENT

Six pan food warmer and four pan food warmer- Call:6501713

American Pool Table - Call: 277-0578

One new model 212 crash on back- Call:626-1856 Pure Rottweiler- Call:2206879 Shop & guest house @ Kurupung landing. Price $5M- Call:226-9485/226-9492 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm)

CAR RENTAL A i d a n ’s C a r R e n t a l & Pickup- Call: 645-7981/ 698-7807 Progressive Auto Rental - cars from $4000 per day.

Call 643-5122, 225-8711; email www. progressive autorental. com Premio, vitz call: 679-7139 Car Rental- Call: 643-1131/ 225-3234

Used 1220 truck tyres, Kawasaki 600, GSX/R Susuki 750, 2 model ‘M’ foreign trucks used, heavy duty dryer- Call:662-6045 225HP Yamaha Outboard engine and 23ftx6ft boat 17 seats, price $1.6MCall:226-9485/226-9492 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) Playstation2 systems + 8 games + Hacked memory card $40,000- Call:644-6012 Playstation3 games, PSP games and Playstation2 games- Call:644-6012

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES O F H IGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICKSILVER) 99.99995% PURITY $15,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

Pure Breed Rottweiler: All breeding lines imported, adults and pups with full pedigree for sale- Call:6852584 Dell laptops & desktops complete computers from $55,000 Futuretech call: 2312206 Shop/Bar & 11 rooms guest house @ Barlow landing, Eping. Price $5M- Call:2269485/226-9492 (Mon-Fri 9am4pm) House & Land for sale @ Naamryck, Parika. Price $5M- Call:226-9485/226-9492 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) Model M truck 4x4 with winch, barely used. GRR series- Call:226-9485/2269492 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) House & land @ 47 miles Mabura road, 2 acres of fenced yard. Price $10MCall:226-9485/226-9492 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) 2 plots of land adjoining, 21 acres @ Hauraruni, Linden/ Soesdyke Highway. Price $7M- Call:226-9485/226-9492 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) 5 GALLON WATER BOTTLE CAPS IN LIMITED QUANTITYCALL: 614-8957 Video recording Spy Pen $6,500- Call:671-6177 House lot #204 section @ Bush lot, W.C.B with building and erection thereon $6,500,000- Call:6247087/258-0213/266-4283 Pitbull Pups- Call:683-6674 1 Circular chair set (blue) 7 seats, 1 Recliner, 1 Toilet Bowl Set & Indian wear at sale price- Call:623-3231/259-0953 Men T-Shirts: American Eagle $3,500-$5,500. Women T-Shirts: Aeropostale $2,500, 3,500 & other clothes tooCall Ray 695-0734 15-15-15 Fertilizer in damaged bags- Call:266-2711/609-4594 Apple iTunes cards $3,500, cell phones ZTE $14,000 and home speakers- Call Ray 695-0734 Tibetan Terrier mix with Pekinese puppies- Call:2310971/666-8324 100 Watts Blitz amplifier and subwoofer- Call:622-0108

Thursday August 29, 2013

VEHICLE FOR SALE ALYEA’S AUTO SALE: PREMIO 2002/2003, AXIO 2008. ALL PRICES ARE NEG. 40 CROAL STREET STABROEK- TEL:2317284/622-3823 1 Honda CRV 4x4, excellent condition $1.7M- Call: 6397551/220-6380 Smart Choice Auto: Unregistered Premio, Allion, IST, Fielder- Call:652-3820/ 665-4529 1- AA60 Carina- Call:6430332/689-5254

VEHICLE FOR SALE One Mitsubishi Canter; late GPP series – Call:662-8743 New 2013 Isuzu: D-Max single & double cabsCall:691-0234 1 AT 212 new model- Call:6464796

Cheapest- Premio, Spacio, Hilux, Stick Gear Buses- Call: 616-7635

One 2006 Toyota Tacoma GPP fully accessorized: Excellent conditionCall:647-2783/ 644-6066/ 269-1231 Ford F150 Spare Parts: 2004-2010 models: Breaks Pads, spark plugs, mirrors, doors, deff etc- Call:685-2584

1 two bedrooms apartment at Samantha Point, Grove $40,000- Call:613-7596 SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773 ADOPTION Pets- Free! Free! Adorable mix puppies for adoptionCall:618-8039

Two Tundra, F150 truck, Suzuki sports car and one Chevrolet cargo van (2500cc)- Call: 227-8519/ 616-5784 New model Raum: Mags, TV, back camera & dark interiorCall:269-0432/686-0323 L-Touring Wagon HB $750,000- Call:674-8982 Sale! Sale! Toyota Premio (unregistered), fully loaded $2.5M- Call: 617-2891/2202345 Nissan Laurel super deluxe $700,000 & Nissan Pathfinder Jeep $1.5M neg (excellent condition)- Call:698-7878/ 225-8427 Spacio: Fully insured, drop suspension, alloy racing rims, fog lamps, body kit, alarm, DVD/ TV- Call: 647-4620 1 Toyota AT192, AT212, Vitz, Rav4, Tacoma, AE91 Sprinter, Hilux Pickup Solid DEF- Call: 644-5096/697-1453 1 unregistered Mercedes Benz 1,600cc- Call: 227-3042/ 676-7291 2008 Tacoma 4x4 automatic, excellent condition. Off road tyres with lift kit & access cab- Call: 610-5370

Live/pluck chicken-Call:6504421/220-9203

New ATVs: Introductory price $1,450,000 (Duty Free)Call:691-0234

One Dual Bore Trailer pump 14"-16". New high dam use, cheap- Call:227-1830

Sprinter 110 admirable Vintage, enjoyable rideCall:644-4990

Fully furnished short term apartments, Eccles call:6797139 Lombard street for lumber yard or other types of business- Call Richard 6097675/233-2614

Hilux Surf, Spacio, 212Call:666-2635 1 Leyland DAF 60 single axle & dump- Call:216-1315/6136615 Toyota Altezza, PNN, tiptronic- Call:622-0108

TO LET Harmony Inn: Apartments fully furnished, airconditioned apartments: $5000 per night- Call:6680306/602-8769/694-7817

EDUCATIONAL I.A.E (Camp street): Register for full- time, lessons & adults CXC classes: Maths, English, Business & ScienceCall: 223-0604/ 683-5742 Electronic Course- Practical, 12 persons per class. Register early. Beginning 4th September @ Abdul Electronics- Call:226-6551 or 225-0391 Is your child struggling with reading, writing & math or has a disability? For best results- Call:683-3887

Daily rental/ apartment & kitchen etc. Call:687-3017 Barber stations to let for only $7,000 per week, fully furnished Barber ShopCall:646-9231 Two bedrooms furnished apartment- Call:665-2548 1 Two flat semi furnished house at 2nd Avenue Diamond Scheme $75,000Call:611-6632 Bel-Air $80,000, Campbellville $90,000, Queenstown US$1000, Lamaha Gardens US$2000- Call Diana @ 2272256/626-9382 Fully furnished short rentals one (two) bedrooms apartments @ lot 721 West Minister Parfaite HarmonyCall:695-6667/663-6335 Two commercial stores @ 58 Robb street BourdaCall:695-6667/663-6335 Small cottage at lot 36 Kuru Kuru Linden HighwayCall:695-6667/663-6335 10 Acres farm land @ Lot 31 Kururu Linden SoesdykeCall:695-6667/663-6335

Portuguese Language made simple- Call:664-5947/2278257 Lessons Classes: Phonics, Reading (A Beka System), Language & Mathematics (412 years) @ 197 Roxanne Burnham Gardens- Call: 6194355/218-2076 Register for courses in English, Math, Social Studies, Masonry, Electricity, Cosmetology & Computer Studies @ AEA Centre Diamond- Call:668-1908 Institute of Academic Supremacy: Form 1-5 CXC adults/ lesson classes. CXC Maths, Engilsh, HSB & Business- Call:690-5008

MASSAGE American Style massage services- Call:678-7499

LEARN TO DRIVE Soman & Sons Driving School , First Federation Building Call 225-4858, 644-5166, 622-2872, 615-0964 (Continued on page 23)

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Soldier sentenced to death for Fort Hood shooting FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — A military jury sentenced Maj. Nidal Hasan to death yesterday for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, giving the Army psychiatrist what he believed would be a path to martyrdom in the attack on unarmed fellow soldiers.

The American-born Muslim, who has said he acted to protect Islamic insurgents abroad from American aggression, never denied being the gunman. In opening statements, he acknowledged to the jury that he pulled the trigger in a crowded waiting room where troops were getting final medical checkups before deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The same jurors who convicted Hasan last week had just two options: either agree unanimously that Hasan should die or watch the 42-yearold get an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole.

Hasan had no visible reaction when the verdict was read Wednesday, staring first at the jury forewoman and then at the judge.

Officials said he will be taken back to a county jail and

believing that any sentence short of a lethal injection would deny justice to the families of the dead and the survivors who had believed they were safe behind the gates of the Texas base.

And for just as long, Hasan has seemed content to go to the death chamber for his beliefs. He fired his own attorneys to represent himself, barely put up a defense during a three-week trial and made almost no effort to have his life spared.

Mulligan reminded the jury that Hasan was a trained doctor yet opened fire on defenseless comrades. He “only dealt death,” the prosecutor said, so the only appropriate sentence is death.

He was never allowed to argue in front of the jury that the shooting was necessary to protect Islamic and Taliban leaders from American troops.

During the trial, Hasan leaked documents to journalists that revealed him telling military mental health workers in 2010 that he could “still be a martyr” if executed.

When Hasan began shooting, the troops were standing in long lines to receive immunizations and doctors’ clearance. Thirteen

president must give final authorization before any service member is executed.

No American soldier has been executed since 1961.

Hasan spent weeks planning the Nov. 5, 2009, attack, including buying the handgun and videotaping a sales clerk showing him how to change the magazine.

He later plunked down $10 at a gun range outside Austin and asked for pointers on how to reload with speed and precision.

An instructor said he told Hasan to practice while watching TV or sitting on his couch with the lights off.

(From page 22)

VACANCY Cashier, porter, sales clerks: Apply with written application @ 2J’s General Store 148-149 Regent road Bourda, G/Town- Call:2252350 Vacancy exists for driver/ salesman & security guard: please apply at Humphrey’s Bakery & Farm Products Ltd. Tel:225-7864/227-8607 Fabricator Welder, security officers, kitchen assistant, 1 cook, host/hostess & cleaners: Interested persons can contact tel:603-3993

then transported on the first available military flight to the military prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. The timing on the flight wasn’t immediately clear.

Hasan could become the first American soldier executed in more than half a century. But because the military justice system requires a lengthy appeals process, years or even decades could pass before he is put to death.

The lead prosecutor assured jurors that Hasan would “never be a martyr” despite his attempt to tie the attack to religion.

“He is a criminal. He is a cold-blooded murderer,” Col. Mike Mulligan said yesterday in his final plea for a rare military death sentence. “This is not his gift to God. This is his debt to society. This is the cost of his murderous rampage.” For nearly four years, the federal government has sought to execute Hasan,

Porters, skidder, tractor, moulder operator, wood mizer operator and lorry driver- Call Richard 609-7675/233-2614 people were killed and more than were 30 wounded. All but one of the dead were soldiers, including a pregnant private who curled on the floor and pleaded for her baby’s life.

The attack ended only when Hasan was shot in the back by an officer responding to the shooting. Hasan is now paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair.

The military called nearly 90 witnesses at the trial and more during the sentencing phase. But Hasan rested his case without calling a single person to testify in his defense and made no closing argument. Even with his life at stake during the sentencing hearing, he made no attempt to question witnesses and gave no final statement to jurors.

Death sentences are rare in the military, which has just five other prisoners on death row. The cases trigger a long appeals process. And the

Property for sale in Enterprise E. C. Demerara Call: 627-5416/611-7437 Lodge, corner property with business- Call:223-7181/6274900 Furnished building in the interior, fully equipped along with six rooms- Call:604-6999 One two storey concrete building & land 48 x 500ft @ La Jalousie public road, W.C.D- Call:269-0778 serious inquires Property for sale by owner located at Regent Street, Georgetown- Call:225-1831 VERSAILLES: Furnished 5 bedrooms, self-contained rooms, modern facilities, generator, beautiful landscape, gated community- Call:592-6248704/ 592-684-9203

Live in maid- Call:233-2725

Maj. Nidal Hasan

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Vacancy exists for experience security and welder. Apply at Alabama Trading, Georgetown Ferry Stelling

Eccles $6.5M & Robb Street Bourda $120M- Call Diana @227-2256/626-9382

Pump Attendant @ Shell Service Station Providence, E.B.D: Must be able to work s h i f t - Te l : 2 6 5 - 7 3 0 5 Email:shellramsburg@ gmail.com Driver: License for motor vehicles (car, truck & forklifts) F & H Printing Establishment 90-92 John st, Campbellville Georgetown Stores Supervisor: Maths & English Grade 1-3 CXC: F & H Printing Establishment 9092 John street, Campbellville Georgetown

WANTED One three bedrooms apartment anywhere around town- Call:617-7865

Female 35-45 years to train for Ice Cream employmentCall:613-2978

Laboures and Porters: Apply @ Wieting & Richter Ltd

Urgently needed 1 plot of land to buy in Parfaite Harmony- Call:675-7292

1 Sales Representative (Western Union) must have Maths & English CXC. Apply @ Humphrey’s Bakery 38 Ketley Street, Charlestown- Call:231-0497

One general domestic (3 days a week)- Call:623-3231 One experienced hire car driver from West Bank or West Coast- call:616-0111 One live-in or live out maidcall:668-3985/264-3355/6837936

1 Large 5 bedrooms house with Business @ DiamondCall:627-3902 Prime Business Property at East Coast- Tel:222-2014/ Cell:622-8004 1 Three bedrooms house in Parfaite Hamonie, W.B.DCall:658-5803/622-1782 Eccles $6M, West $5M, Charlestown $15M, Prospect $15M- Call Diana @ 2272256/626-9382 For sale by owner: House and Land @ D’Edward, W.C.B.- Call: 689-2973/6983703 VACANCY Sales girl $10,000 weekly.

Apply in person @ Dian’s Deli opposite Kitty Market

LAND FOR SALE House lot for sale: Friendship, Diamond EBD & drafting of house plans call:223-0733, 223-0730, 6928513 Land @ Marudi Creek 35 acres. Suitable for farming/ sand pit- Call:664-9701/6426056 100’x120’ land on E.C.D $8M negotiable- Call:680-5944 Waiakabra, Linden Highway: 1,409’ x 403’ or 13.73 acres.

Concrete house thereon.

West of Highway- Call:6194152

At Parfaite HarmonieCall:660-0251

FOR RENT

Transported corner lot 58’x30’ at Garnett and Republic streets, NewtownCall:601-6000

Coolers and ScaffoldCall:657-0424

House lot E.B.D 100’x50’ $4M- Call:610-0051

3 Bedrooms downstairs, 1 Self-contained: Newly renovated: Yard space: Located in Diamond H/ Scheme- Call:613-0028

FOR SALE

House to rent in Eccles scheme, block ‘CC’- Contact number:696-0573/683-5591 PUBLIC ROAD BUSINESS PROPERTY, W.C.D, suitable for food/ liquor restaurant, supermarket etc.

Call:609-8132/672-8569 (Max)

Girls to work in Bar & kitchen helpers. Apply in person @ Evergreen Bar new road Vreed-en-Hoop Receptionist, room attendant, bar attendants, washer & presser , cook & helper– Contact: Hick’s Ville Hotel @ 231-0951/231-0953 Attractive live in waitressCall:327-0252/674-4665

Parfaite Harmonie $1M, $1.3M $1.6M- Call:628-9156.

For Cook or Kitchen Assistant @ Abbie’s Creole Snackette lot 6 public road Mc Doom- Call:233-1589 1 Night Security apply in writing with a valid Police clearance to GCC Ground, Bourda

WANTED Need one live in domestic preferably from country areaCall:649-1105 or 622-7956

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Egypt backs away from plan to dissolve Muslim Brotherhood CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt should not ban the Muslim Brotherhood or exclude it from politics after the army’s overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, the interim prime minister said, reversing his previous stated view.

The apparent about-turn fuelled speculation that the military-installed government may now seek a political settlement to the crisis, but also coincided with a new call for protests by Mursi’s supporters.

Hazem el-Beblawi, the interim prime minister, had proposed on August 17 that the Brotherhood, the Arab world’s oldest and arguably most influential Islamist group, should be dissolved, and said the government was studying the idea.

In an interview with state media late on Tuesday, Beblawi appeared to row back, saying the government would instead monitor the group and its political wing and that the actions of its members would determine its fate.

“Dissolving the party or the group is not the solution and it is wrong to make decisions in turbulent situations,” the state news agency MENA quoted Beblawi as saying.

“It is better for us to monitor parties and groups in the framework of political action without dissolving them or having them act in secret.”

But he tempered his comments in a separate interview with the newspaper al-Shorouk, saying parts of Egyptian society “think that the Brotherhood does not truly desire reconciliation”, and urging it to “face up to reality”.

The government has portrayed its attack on the

Thursday August 29, 2013

Pickup truck slams into utility poles

Hazem el-Beblawi Brotherhood as a fight against terrorism, and Beblawi said ordinary citizens were “afraid of reconciliation with people who use force”.

There has been no sign from the Brotherhood, most of whose leaders are now in jail or on the run, that it wants to engage with the army establishment that bulldozed it out.

Founded in 1928, the Brotherhood was banned by Egypt’s then military rulers in 1954. Though still outlawed during the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak, it ran a large welfare network and its members ran as independents in limited elections.

After decades of operating in the shadows and winning support with its charities and preaching, the Brotherhood registered itself as a non-governmental organization in March in response to a court challenge by people contesting its legality.

It also has a registered political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), set up in 2011 after Mubarak’s overthrow in an uprising. The Brotherhood won all five national votes held since 2011, including Mursi’s election as president last year.

But Mursi alienated swathes of Egyptians during his year in power and, after mass protests, the army removed him on July 3.

More than 1,000 people,

including about 100 police and soldiers, have since been killed in the worst internal violence in the Egyptian republic’s history. Most died when the security forces dispersed two pro-Mursi protest camps on August 14.

State media have described the crackdown as a war on “terrorism”.

With the Brotherhood in shock, protests that it called last Friday mostly failed to materialize.

The National Coalition to Support Legitimacy and Reject the Coup, which includes the Brotherhood and demands Mursi’s reinstatement, promised protests in the streets and squares of all of Egypt’s 27 provinces this Friday and said it would “activate a plan of peaceful civil disobedience”.

The newspaper run by the Brotherhood’s FJP ran an advertisement under the banner “Boycott the murderers”, urging citizens not to watch the television channels of the “old regime”; not to pay taxes to “the government that is killing us”; and not to buy products made by companies that it accused of supporting the military-backed interim government.

The government says it will call parliamentary and presidential elections within months, after the passage of a new constitution.

One of the utility poles which was brought down by the pick-up (in background).

The driver of a pickup truck on Tuesday morning mowed down several utility poles when he lost control of the vehicle at the corner of Church Street and Vlissengen Road.

According to an eyewitness, the vehicle GRR 2181 was proceeding east towards Vlissingen Road when it slammed into a utility pole and created a domino effect.

“He turned the corner and then like he lost control and tip the first post then he hit the

second before he slam into the last one and crash into the wall,” the eyewitness said.

Miraculously, the driver, who was believed to be under the influence of the alcohol, managed to pull his self out of the wreckage although a live wire was resting on the vehicle.

Eyewitnesses said that he then boarded a taxi but they were unsure if he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Residents locked out of meeting with Works Minister

From page 17 government, and the better thing to do would be for all of us to go to this meeting, rather than government trying to deal with us in sections.”

He continued, “This is a whole community and we want them to deal with us as a whole. We came here this afternoon only to be told that is just a few persons that will be allowed into the meeting.

They said Minister Benn is prepared to meet with three persons of the Timehri North Development Council in the executive lounge at the airport after the meeting is held inside.”

Emphasizing that the Council does not want a private meeting with the Minister, Fraser said, “Since he has been making public statements all the time, he has been saying he met with the community and had discussions, if that is the case then why are there so many people locked out of the meeting.”

Noting that every action of the government is looked at suspiciously, Fraser further said that since former Member of Parliament Philomena Sohoy Shury in 1997 began a process of regularization, it was never completed.

“The competent Ministry

to deal with our matter is the Housing Ministry, not Minister Benn or CJIA. We totally reject Minister Benn, since he is a total affront to the people, especially Timehri North.”

Fraser stressed. “We are of the view that the government intends to force us off the land to re-issue those lands to the five or more applicants to build airport hotels as announced by Minister Irfaan Ali on NCN during a corruption debate on Sunday August 26, 2012.”

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Annette Ferguson, who was present at the protest, said she was locked out of the meeting because her name was not on a list.

“They said to me that I cannot enter, however, the Minister subsequently came and some of the residents became agitated because they did not receive a letter inviting them to the meeting so the Minister was seeking to have my attention and I refused because he had wanted the meeting to be held behind closed doors.”

She explained that it is her impression that the letters were dispatched to make the residents aware of their relocation to Yarrowcabra on the

Linden /Soesdyke Highway to facilitate airport expansion.

“As a community, people have to come together if they feel they are being treated unjustly. I heard many residents say this fight should not be a political one but a civil fight and the Ministry of Public Works is not responsible for their relocation, and the Ministry of Housing is responsible since that Ministry engaged them from time to time,” Ferguson explained.

According to Public Relations Officer for Timehri North Development Council, Sherlanda Daniels, “our issue is a civil issue and not a political issue and we are asking the government to treat it as such.

The Ministry of Housing already did an occupational survey and persons were given lots numbers with utilities.

They ask for us to fill applications forms and for us to pay $70,000 for the land.

Many have invested their all, so we are saying the government should not have fragmented meetings, since to date, they have not shown us a plan and we would like to see the plan they have for us.

Relocation is more than moving a house, there are economic and social implications.”

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PM says Local Government elections ATTORNEY SHOT, will be held within constitutional deadline KILLED IN T&T Trinidad Guardian - “Win, lose or draw,” local government elections will be held when they are constitutionally due. This was the emphatic declaration

by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar Tuesday evening while speaking with reporters at her Siparia constituency office, SS Erin Road, Siparia.

Persad-Bissessar admitted that there were some in her party and within the Cabinet who firmly believed the elections should be postponed.

“Some people found that we should have postponed it,” she said. “I am not of that view. I believe that we owe it to the electorate. I believe that we had promised that on our platform and in conversations, in the elections in 2010. We had always said that we would hold elections when they are

Jamaica Gleaner - The new World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean region, Sophie Sirtaine, is currently in Jamaica for meetings with Government officials, private sector representatives, and social partners.

Her visit comes just three weeks after she took over from Françoise Clottes who served as director for the

due and that is my intention, so to do.”

Earlier this month the Prime Minister said discussions were ongoing to decide whether the local government elections should be postponed. The elections are due on or before October

25. While she did not give a date, Persad-Bissessar said: “The local government elections will be held within the time frame set by law.

There will be no postponement of those elections.”

The Jack Warner-led Independent Liberal Party (ILP) and the People’s National Movement (PNM) may have kicked off their campaigns but PersadBissessar says she is not worried. She said the People’s Partnership would be ready for the elections. She said: “It is not about readiness. We will be ready. That is what a party is for.

“I think it is more important to have integity in the things that we profess, the things we put out, the things we say. That is more important. Win, lose or draw, we must keep the promises that we make to people. The

rest will fall into place.” Last evening, Persad-Bissessar met with Special Olympic medallists from the Lady Hochoy School, Penal, who were successful in the Winter Games in January in South Korea.

She also commissioned lights at Morne Diablo Recreation Ground and the Dil Mohammed Recreation Ground, Penal.

Persad-Bissessar said the issue of local government remains a live topic with the Government and she will reveal the planned changes to the local government legislation soon.

She said unlike what happened under the previous PNM regime, reform will not delay the elections. “The Cabinet is considering some amendments to the local government elections...I will share those with you later this week,” the PM said.

Caribbean region between 2010 and 2013.

Her first meeting will be with Finance Minister, Dr Peter Phillips to discuss issues related to strengthening the World Bank’s support to Jamaica’s agenda for economic growth and greater global competitiveness.

The World Bank has pledged US$510 million in

financing to Jamaica over the next four years, in light of the country’s current deal with the International Monetary Fund.

While in Jamaica, Sirtaine will also talk with business leaders and social partners who collaborated with the Bank to stage KingstOOn, which was Jamaica’s first animation conference in June.

Sirtaine is responsible for

maintaining a strong partnership with the governments of 14 countries in order to address their development and financial challenges and support growth opportunities.

She also leads the Bank’s programme support in these countries and oversees the management of the country offices in Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Guyana.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Trinidad and Tobago police were yesterday continuing their search for the gunman who shot and killed attorney Dr Wesley Debideen in the car park of a mall on the outskirts of the capital late Tuesday.

Police said that the murder of Debideen, 68, as a “clear hit” adding that he had been shot several in the head and about the body several times as he drove his vehicle in the car park of Grand Bazaar.

Eyewitnesses said the lone assailant walked a few feet away from the vehicle, and returned to empty his gun on the attorney, who was one of several lawyers appearing before the Commission of Inquiry into the collapse of the insurance

giant, CLICO and the Hindu Credit Union (HCU).

“I couldn’t see the man’s face clearly because of the cap, which was pulled down low but he wasn’t wearing a mask,” one witness told reporters, noting that the killer appeared unhurried.

Debideen, who held a doctorate in food chemistry, was also a former general manager of the Airports Authority. One television station reported he had been receiving death threats following his appearance in a case involving land.

In a statement, the ANSA McAL Group of Companies, owner of the Grand Bazaar, said all efforts will continue to be made to ensure the safety of customers and tenants of facility.

Colombian peace talks recess with scant World Bank country director in Jamaica, to meet with Govt. officials progress, election looms

CARICOM re-affirms commitment to ensure the development of Haiti UNITED NATIONS CMC – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) yesterday said it remained committed called to working with the international community in the development of Haiti, still recovering from a 2010 earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people and left more than a million others homeless.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Rodney Charles, told the United Nations Security Council debate on Haiti that the 15-member regional grouping was appreciative of the work done so far in the redevelopment of the Frenchspeaking CARICOM country.

“For us, in CARICOM, the stability and economic development of Haiti is inextricably linked to the wider development agenda of

our sub-region.

Consequently, CARICOM lauds the efforts of MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti) which has facilitated increased stability in Haiti,” Charles said in his address on behalf of the CARICOM grouping.

He said CARICOM also welcomed the decision of the Security Council to renew MINUSTAH’s mandate until October 15th, 2013, and support the recommendation of the Secretary General that the mandate be extended until 2014.

“CARICOM further welcomes plans to encourage investment which will play a critical role in spurring the social and economic development of Haiti” But the Trinidad diplomat said that CARICOM countries “submit that

Rodney Charles international assistance must be aligned with Haiti’s national priorities to ensure that there is appropriate national ownership of programmes intended to benefit the Haitian people”.

He said CARICOM was

also welcomed the strides made by the Haitian government to achieve certain political milestones which are indicative of progress.

“We remain optimistic that the forward momentum achieved thus far will be sustained and that all parties involved in the political process would be able to rise above the differences that exist between them and, in the spirit of compromise, work together to put in place the machinery for the holding of the overdue partial senatorial, municipal and local elections.”

He said CARICOM had also taken note of the progress made in upholding the rule of law in Haiti as exemplified in the government’s “5 E” policy programme which lists the rule of law as one of its pillars.

(Reuters) The Colombian government and leftist FARC rebels wound up a 13th round of peace negotiations yesterday, bickering over how to end the conflict and making little visible progress over key issues despite nine months of talks.

While the discussion was supposed to focus on the political participation of Colombia’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), it was overshadowed by a proposed referendum on any deal that was submitted

by President Juan Manuel Santos to congress last week and scheduled to occur during national elections next year.

The FARC called a pause in the negotiations after Santos made the referendum proposal, which it strongly opposes.

The FARC has insisted a constituent assembly be formed to incorporate the content of the peace deals into the country´s constitution. The government has rejected that demand.

The talks recess every few weeks, then resume, with the next round set to begin September 9. They are being facilitated by Cuba and Norway and hosted in Havana even as fighting continues in Colombia.

Earlier in the talks the two sides settled on a partial accord on agrarian reform.

They still have before them reparations to war victims, the

drug trade and then implementing the agreement.

The rebels’ lead negotiator, Ivan Marquez, read a statement at the close of the round of negotiations that was largely dedicated to denouncing the referendum and defending a constituent assembly.

He said the referendum issue had diverted the talks.

“Though there are concrete advances, we are inviting the government to take up again the second point of the agenda, which corresponds to the current rounds,” he said.

The government’s lead negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, for his part defended the referendum.

“It is our responsibility to foresee possible future scenarios and, as President Santos has said, in this way pave the way toward peace,” he said.

Both sides did say they had exchanged proposals on how to bring the FARC out of the jungle and into the political process, without indicating that any agreements were reached.

“They have a long ways to go but are making progress and appear committed to the process,” he added.

At the same time the source expressed concern that elections could derail the talks if Colombians tired of them.

“The key will be what the polls say as the elections proceed,” he said.

Thursday August 29, 2013

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U.S. readies strikes, Syrians prepare for attack BEIRUT (Reuters) People in Damascus stocked up on supplies yesterday and some left homes close to potential targets as U.S. officials sketched out plans for multi-national air strikes on Syria that could last for days.

United Nations chemical weapons experts completed a second field trip to rebel-held suburbs, looking for evidence of what - and who caused an apparent poison gas attack that residents say killed hundreds of people a week ago.

But as U.N. chief Ban Kimoon appealed for unity among world powers and sought more time for the inspectors to complete their work, Washington and its European and Middle East allies said their minds were made up and that President Bashar al-Assad must face retribution for using banned weapons against his people.

Syria’s government, supported notably by its main arms supplier Russia, cried foul. It blamed rebel “terrorists” for releasing the toxins with the help of the United States, Britain and France, and warned it would be a “graveyard of invaders”.

Syrian officials say the West is playing into the hands of its al Qaeda enemies. The presence of Islamist militants among the rebels has deterred Western powers

Bashar al-Assad

Barack Obama

from arming Assad’s foes. But the West says it must now act to stop the use of poison gas.

Britain pushed the other four veto-holding members of the U.N. Security Council at a meeting in New York to authorize military action against Assad to protect Syrian civilians - a move certain to be blocked by Russia and, probably, China.

The United States and its allies say a U.N. veto will not stop them. Western diplomats called the proposed resolution a maneuver to isolate Moscow and rally a coalition behind air strikes.

Arab states, NATO and Turkey also condemned Assad.

Washington has repeatedly said that President Barack Obama has not yet made up his mind on what action he will order.

A senior U.S. official said strikes could last several days and would involve other armed forces: “We’re talking to a number of different allies regarding participation in a possible kinetic strike,” the official said yesterday.

Western armies are expected to wait until the U.N. experts withdraw. Their initial 14-day mandate expires in four days, and SecretaryGeneral Ban said they need four days to complete the work.

A second U.S. official said objectives were still being defined but that the targets could be chosen to prevent Assad from using chemical weapons in future.

Washington was confident it could handle Syrian defenses and any possible reprisals by its allies, including Iran and Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

UK security council unanimously backs action on Syria David Cameron LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s National Security Council unanimously backed action against Syria in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack, Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday, a day after he set out the case for a targeted military strike.

“The NSC (National Security Council) agreed unanimously that the use of chemical weapons by (Syrian President) Assad was unacceptable - and the world should not stand by,” Cameron said on his official Twitter feed after a meeting of the high-level security body.

A spokeswoman from Cameron’s office said the NSC had agreed on a specific recommendation that would be put to government ministers on Thursday morning

before parliament debated and voted on Britain’s response.

Cameron’s office declined to say what the recommendation was, but a government source said a military strike was one of the options being considered by the NSC. A spokesman for the prime minister said on Tuesday that plans for a possible military response were being drafted.

Unusually, every government minister who attended the NSC had spoken, the same government source said, adding that the attorney general had offered advice on the legality of any action, Britain’s top soldier on the military aspect, and that a senior civil servant had supplied an intelligence briefing.

“There was discussion about what it would mean for the UK’s role in the world if others acted and we didn’t,” the source told Reuters. “Ministers spoke about the need to be clear about the risks of inaction,” the source added, saying there was an awareness that any action carried certain risks.

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

Betsy Ground man charged with hanging man’s murder

Dead: Chandradat Hussein Police have charged a 64 year old man with the murder of chain saw operator Chandradat Hussein called ‘Deo’ of Goed Bananen Land, East Canje, Berbice who was found hanging in a camp up the Berbice River last Friday.

Charles Goodluck called ‘Charlie’ or ‘Charlie Patterson’ of Betsy ground, East Canje Berbice, who is no stranger to the law appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Christiansburg Magistrate Court and was remanded to prison until October 20.

Ironically, the accused and the deceased are from neighbouring villages which are located more than 100 miles from where the crime was committed.

Hussein’s body was

Accused: Charles Goodluck

found hanging in a logging camp at Kurduni, up the Berbice River. It was first mentioned that the man had committed suicide by hanging himself. Further investigations led to the arrest of Goodluck and the other occupants of the camp.

More suspicion was raised after it was learnt the man died by strangulation.

A Port Mortem Examination performed on the body on Monday August 26, 2013, by Pathologist Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan at The New Amsterdam Hospital gave the cause of death as ligature strangulation.

Diligent investigations narrowed the murder down to Goodluck as the alleged perpetrator. Both Goodluck and Hussein were working

with the Bovil concession.

Hussein was said to be the eldest son of his single parent mother. According to his mother, the former cane cutter worked most of his life in the interior areas at various timber grants and concession in Guyana. Apart from his mother, Hussein leaves to mourn four brothers.

Goodluck has done various jobs including working as a security officer and was previously charged with murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, assault, wounding with intent among other charges, all committed on former female partners.

He was released from jail just over a year ago after serving time for wounding a 54 year female paramour after she rejected him.

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Vuelta a Espana 2013: Michael Matthews take stage five UK Guardian (AP) Michael Matthews of Australia won the fifth stage of the Vuelta a España on Wednesday, while Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall leader’s jersey ahead of the American rider Christopher Horner. The 22-year-old Matthews, riding for OricaGreenedge, won in 4hr 28min

22sec, finishing ahead of Maximiliano Richeze of Argentina and the thirdplaced Gianni Meersman of Belgium, who both had the same time as the Australian after riding the 108 miles from Sober to Lago de Sanabria.

Matthews dedicated his win to his team-mate Wesley Sulzberger, who was ruled out

of the race after fracturing his collarbone and elbow during Tuesday’s fourth stage.

The Astana rider Nibali is three seconds clear of R a d i o S h a c k - L e o p a r d ’s Horner and eight seconds clear of Nicolas Roche in third. The three-week race ends in Madrid on 15 September.

Thursday August 22, 2012 ARIES (MAR 21 - APR 19): Acknowledgement for work well done could come your way, Aries, as those around you suddenly seem to see you in a new light. In some cases, a touch of fame could result. *************************** TAURUS (APR 20 - MAY 20): Your desire to advance your education and learn new skills could be promoted by a sudden event that points you in the right direction, Taurus. You could start training an artistic talent or learn to use new technology or find out about the latest advances in scientific knowledge. *************************** GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN 20):Today you might feel an overwhelming physical attraction to a new person even if you're already involved, Gemini. Also, an unusual stroke of luck could bring some extra money your way. *************************** CANCER (JUN 21 - JUL 22):An unexpected invitation to a social event could put you in touch with unusual, fascinating people, Cancer. Some of them may be involved in professions that interest you. Some may become your friends and others might prove to be valuable business contacts. *************************** LEO (JUL 23 - AUG 22): Have you been thinking about adopting a pet? Even if you haven't, a lovely little dog or cat could come into your life now and show signs of wanting to stay with you, Leo. ************************ VIRGO (AUG 23 - SEP 22):A friend could propose that you participate in a new project together. This may be something you've never done before, Virgo, and you're likely to have doubts. If you have any interest at all, don't let your doubts get in your way.

LIBRA (SEP 23 - OCT 22): A sudden feeling of love for your home could catapult you into redecorating, Libra. News could come your way of sudden good fortune involving a family member. This is likely to affect the entire family in some way, so while you're happy for your relative, be glad for yourself, too. *************************** SCORPIO (OCT 23 - NOV 21): New channels of communication may open up for you today. A female author whose work you enjoy could release a new book, Scorpio. *************************** SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22 DEC 21): Your adventurous side could show itself, Sagittarius. You might have a talent for an activity you never considered before, such as rafting, flying, mountain climbing, or skydiving! *************************** CAPRICORN (DEC 22 JAN 19): Lucky you! An unexpected break could come your way that gets you started in just the direction you've wanted to follow. This could involve love, career aspirations, or simply a new way of living that you've been longing to experience. *************************** AQUARIUS (JAN 20 FEB 18): You're sensitive, Aquarius, and impressionable. You may not appreciate the intense atmosphere building, but it may be just what you need to get motivated. *************************** PISCES (FEB 19 - MAR 20): A goal that you and some friends have been trying to reach may take a sudden turn and show signs of manifesting sooner than you expected. This could be a real break for you and you might be baffled as to how to make the most of it.

Michael Matthews won the fifth stage of the Vuelta a España finishing ahead of Maximiliano Richeze and Gianni Meersman. Photograph: Paulo Duarte/AP

Rain ruins play in GCA\Banks Malta tourney Heavy overnight and early morning showers prevented any play in the Georgetown Cricket Association\Banks Malta Supreme U-13 25 overs competition yesterday. Play was scheduled to take place at Everest Cricket Club and Bourda.

Weather permitting the competition will continue today at 13:30 hrs with Transport Sports Club playing Malteenoes Sports Club at Muslim Youth Organization ground, Georgetown Cricket Club hosting Everest Cricket Club and Demerara Cricket Club traveling to Gandhi Youth Organization. Everest and Gandhi Youth Organization currently lead the points table with two wins from two matches.

Venus Williams knocked out by Jie Zheng BBC Sport - Former champion Venus Williams was beaten by China’s Jie Zheng in the second round of the US Open yesterday.

Jie, 30, won a keenly contested match 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7-5) on Louis Armstrong Stadium, the highlight of which was a 90-minute final set.

She next faces Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, who beat American Coco Vandeweghe in straight sets.

Third seed Agnieszka Radwanska and Li Na, the fifth seed, also advanced before a rain delay.

China’s Li will next play Britain’s Laura Robson, who beat Caroline Garcia of France 6-4 7-6 (7-5).

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Bolt not worried about failure at 2016 Olympics ZURICH (Reuters) - Usain Bolt is not worried about tarnishing his career by failing to retain his 100 and 200 meters Olympic titles in Rio de Janeiro in three years’ time.

“In life you don’t always get what you want,” the Jamaican told Reuters television after visiting FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the headquarters of soccer ’s world governing body.

“It wouldn’t be the greatest moment, but I would understand because I’ve had my time, I’ve been dominant for a long time.”

“So, if I get to Rio and it doesn’t happen, I would have to understand because I’m getting older and there are greater athletes coming up,” added Bolt who turned 27 a week ago.

“I know the athletes have to work harder to step their game up, and be the best. For me, I’ll be happy for the sport because it would mean its stepping up and moving on.”

Earlier, Bolt, who will compete in the Zurich

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt poses after a news conference during his visit to the FIFA headquarters in Zurich August 28, 2013.

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann Diamond League meeting today, was handed a ticket for the 2014 World Cup final by Blatter along with a furry toy depicting the tournament

mascot, a grinning blue and yellow armadillo named Fuleco. “To go to Rio and win again would be a feat in itself, because it would be the first time anybody has ever won three times in a row so that would also add to my greatness,” he said.

“As an athlete you are always pushing the limit and for me I want to continue pushing the barrier,” added Bolt, who won the 100 and 200 meters double at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and will be approaching his 30th birthday in Rio in 2016.

“At the end of the day I want to be remembered among the greatest athletes, Pele, (Diego) Maradona, Michael Johnson.”

Bolt also commented on a suggestion that he could take up a sports administration role after retiring as an athlete, but said he might be “too lazy” for the role.

“I have thought about it, I have to admit I’m slightly lazy, but we’ll see where it goes,” he said.

Thursday August 29, 2013

37th Teach Them Young Cycling Programme to end with 11 Race Meet Saturday Hailed as the most successful year in the 37-year history of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Teach Them Young 8-weeks Cycling Programme, National Coach Hassan Mohamed will bring the curtains down on this year’s edition tomorrow at the National Park.

This is Guyana’s longest running junior coaching programme and from the inception, National Coach Hassan Mohamed MS has been at the helm. It has produced all of Guyana’s top cyclists in recent years and continues to play a pivotal role in this regard.

Activities apart from the ceremonial closing tomorrow, the programme will come to an end on Saturday with an 11-race Meet at the Inner

Circuit of the National Park where the participants which numbered 65 will have an opportunity to showcase their newly learnt skills.

The programme is sponsored by National Sports Commission. Last year ’s School Boys and Invitation winner was Robin Persaud who covered the

distance in One Hour 20 Minutes 15.92 Seconds.

Akeem Wilkinson took the Juvenile event in 24 Minutes 56.3 Seconds; Kennard Lovell was the top Veteran Under-50 winner in 12 minutes 36 Seconds, while Keon Thomas triumphed in the Mountain bike event (11 Minutes 46 Seconds).

GASA\FINA swim coaches’ Clinic concludes

Platini says any FIFA chief bid not dependant on Blatter PARIS (Reuters) - Michel Platini’s decision on whether to run for the FIFA presidency in 2015 will be made without considering the plans of incumbent Sepp Blatter, the UEFA chief was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

FIFA president Blatter, 77, said two years ago that he was starting his fourth and last term but the Swiss recently indicated he could seek another four years in charge if that was necessary to lead the governing body’s reform process.

“I don’t know (what Blatter is going to decide). At first, he said that he would quit in 2015. Now, he has been saying that he will talk next year in Brazil,” former France and Juventus playmaker Platini told French daily L’Equipe.

“I will make my decision on my own, without taking Sepp into consideration.”

The 58-year-old Platini, a strong critic of some of FIFA’s

The participants display their certificates.

Coach Rick Powers is sitting second from left.

Michel Platini, UEFA President reacts in front of the UEFA EURO 2016 logo at a news conference in Paris June 26, 2013. REUTERS/Charles Platiau latest changes, including the introduction of technology to help referees, said he had not yet made up his mind whether to stand.

“I am thinking about whether it’s good or not. I

have to persuade myself, like I did before my UEFA presidential bid, that I want to go to FIFA,” he said.

“I will definitely say something in Dubrovnik,” he added, referring to the Croatian sea resort where UEFA will hold an executive committee meeting next month.

“People would fight to get the job of president of FIFA. I won’t. I just have to assess if it’s a good thing for soccer. I’m not interested in the position for the sake of it. I have to persuade myself that it’s my destiny,” added Platini.

The Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA)\ FINA coaching clinic concluded last evening at Olympic House, High Street, Kingston.

The programme, which started on August 19, saw the participants undertaking theoretical sessions which included Stroke technique, Physiology of training and Season planning at Olympic House, while the practical sessions where the coaches and instructors learned how to teach the strokes to swimmers were conducted at Colgrain Pool.

FINA certified Coach Rick Powers, who facilitated the sessions, said the swimmers made significant improvement during the programme. He stated that Guyana is the 47th country he

worked with adding that talent is not a problem, but the sport needs support.

Powers pointed out that he would like to see the swimmers as well as schools use the National Aquatic centre at Lilienda a l regularly. “The sport needs support to develop and I would like to see the swimmers use the centre more regularly. The first step in building a strong swimming country is to make a strong foundation so their must be co-operation between the Swimming Association and the Educational sector so that the sport can be taught to the children”, he added.

Powers said the programme gives the Association the tools to work with and he wants to see more

Physical Education in schools. “This is an integral part of the Education process”, stated Powers.

Vice President of the GASA Dr. Karen Pilgrim said she is pleased with the clinic stating that there are more persons with knowledge who we can call on to assist.

One of the participants, Nadine Smith, stated that she learnt a lot from the course and plans to work with clubs and assist the outlying areas.

Seventeen of the twenty participants reached the minimum of seventy percent attendance and received certificates of participation.

Meanwhile, the FINA level one Certification course will commence today and closes on Saturday at the National Aquatic Centre.

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

England v Australia, 1st T20, Ageas Bowl

England still hold edge despite changes ESPNcricinfo - Any event in the aftermath of an Ashes series has got its work cut out to capture the imagination but a short, sharp Twenty20 series has got a chance, with the World T20 next March addin g much-needed relevance. Australia will also be extremely keen to take something home and recent history suggests they are a good bet to do so, with the last three Ashes winners struggling in the limited-overs matches that followed.

But Australia may have to wait until the ODI series to find much - c r a v e d success because England’s T20 squad is largely fresh and eager to impress selectors ahead of a global tournament. There are potential places in the ODI team at stake too, with England likely to continue

Stuart Broad returns to lead England with seven months to go until the World T20 © Getty Images rotation of the players involved in more than one format until preparation for the 2015 ODI World Cup begins in a year’s time.

Australia also need to reverse a poor recent record

in bilateral T20 series. Since June 2010, they have only won five of 19 matches. That they managed to defy that form with a run to the semifinal of the World T20 in Sri Lanka was down to a remarkable tournament from Shane Watson and a good showing f r o m t h e n o w retired Mike Hussey.

George Bailey returns to lead the side along with a host of one-day specialists including Mitchell Johnson, the mere mention of whom draws guffaws from England supporters, but his good showing in the Champions Trophy suggests he could earn their respect.

England also change captains with Stuart Broad taking the reins. He has a squad full of players in form having recently played in the Friends Life t20 and

Perfect record - Sunshine Girls power into WYC quarter-finals Jamaica Observer JAMAICA’S Under-21 netballers whipped Wales 7249 in their top-of-the-table Group C clash at the World Youth Championship Tuesday in Scotland for their fourth consecutive win and a spot in the quarter-finals.

The young Sunshine Girls were down to tackle Caribbean rivals and Group B runners-up Trinidad and Tobago yesterday in the quarter-final.

In what has been described as the most intense game of the championship so far, the young Girls were a bit slow out of the blocks against the Welsh, and held only a three-point lead after the first quarter — 17-14.

The Oberon PittersonNattie-coached girls marginally increased the advantage to finish the half with a nine-point gap — 3324 on the back of an incredible 100 per cent first halfshooting and outstanding defensive work from captain Vangelee Williams.

Pitterson-Nattie had to adjust the starting team following the injury of Adean Thomas with Shanice Beckford coming in at goal attack, and Zonasha Hinds switching to centre.

They stepped up the temp in the third quarter outscoring Wales 15-11 to widen the gap to 13 points with a 48-35 lead.

The Sunshine Girls then wrapped up victory, scoring the last seven points to finish 72-49 for a 23-point winning margin, the narrowest in four games thus far.

Jamaica’s player of the

Jamaica’s Khadijah Williams (centre) splits the defence of Wales’ wing defence Nia Jones (left) and centre Cathy Bastian during yesterday’s encounter. (Photo: Collin Reid, courtesy of Supreme Ventures, Courts and Scotiabank) match, Shantal Slater, in an audio interview courtesy of the World Youth Championship website, said this was the most exciting of their four wins. “This one because everybody was cheering for Wales, but Jamaica came out on top. I am feeling really excited, and I am glad we won that game,” said Slater.

Meanwhile, Assistant Coach Marvette Anderson said they expected Wales to come out fighting, and they did.

“We’re feeling very elated. We expected Wales to

come and give us a run, but we managed to withstand it,” said Anderson.

T&T had lost 16-77 to New Zealand in Group B action. Jamaica, with victories over Samoa, host Scotland, and Cayman Islands are heavily favoured to advance to the semi-final.

In other games, England stopped Barbados 71-22 to top Group D, and Australia defeated South Africa 59-27 in Group A for top honours.

England are set to play South Africa, while the Bajans have a date with Australia in the quarter-finals.

closing rounds of the Yorkshire Bank 40. Michael Carberry heads that list after over 500 runs in the Flt20 and is in line for a first international appearance since his solitary Test in Chittagong three years ago.

Ravi Bopara has also found his touch and will use the limited-overs internationals to stake a claim for a place on the Ashes to u r a s a potential No. 6.

Players to watch It’s a big few weeks for Jos Buttler with the jury very much out on how effective his swashbuckling batting actually is. He will be mostly judged on his performances in the ODIs where there is more doubt on his ability to bat for a long period, but he will like to get in credit during this series. His recent showings in T20s for England - two good knocks in New

Zealand and good contributions in India before Christmas - plus Matt Prior’s loss of form also give him some leeway.

Mitchell Starc endured a difficult Ashes series, coming in-and-out of the side and struggling for rhythm. Oneday cricket appears to be his strength and his best statistics both internationally and domestically are found in Twenty20. He was superb at the World T20 in Sri Lanka, third-highest of the wickettakers with 10 dismissals.

Team news England’s T20 squad is largely at full-strength with a host of options in the batting order. Michael Carberry has been called up following a super domestic season and should play one of the two matches in this series. Joe Root gives England another spin option alongside James Tredwell, with the choice of fast bowlers looking between

Jade Dernbach and Boyd Rankin.

Australia have an inflated 18-man squad for this series, which will be trimmed to 15 for the ODI series. Adam Voges had a limited Flt20 for Middlesex with the bat but was their most economical bowler and, unless Fawad Ahmed is given a debut, Voges will be relied upon for some slow bowling with Glenn Maxwell also an option.

There’s a choice between Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh for the No. 3 slot with Finch having the better record from his handful of internationals.

Pitch and conditions The Ageas Bowl has produced some cracking pitches for T20, none more so than for the Flt20 quarter-final which yielded over 400 runs. No rain is forecast which bodes well for a good evening for a sell-out crowd.

Fans for ODI series deserve refund, says former captain LONDON, England (AFP) — Former England Captain Michael Vaughan said fans who’ve bought tickets for the One-Day International series against Australia deserve a refund after the hosts’ left the spine of their Asheswinning side out of the squad.

Test skipper Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad, Ian Bell, James Anderson, and Graeme Swann, who all featured in the recent 3-0 Ashes series win over arch-rivals Australia, were all left out of the squads announced yesterday for the lone one-dayer against Ireland and the five-match ODI campaign against Australia.

Australia too have made wholesale changes — only seven of their 18-man ODI squad played in the Test series — and it’s clear both countries are already looking ahead to the return

A s h e s in Australia in November.

However, star batsman Kevin Pietersen has been included in the squad for the Australia series, with fellow Ashes-winning batsmen Joe Root and Jonathan Trott also set to face England’s arch-rivals in the one-day format, after they too were excused from the trip to Dublin.

Nevertheless, Vaughan wrote on his Twitter page: “I would have only rested Captain Cook. Plenty of time to rest from Sept 16th - Nov 21st!!!? Can’t sell tickets then rest 5 star names!!!!

“No problems resting players, but I think supporters who have paid good money to watch the best should get a small refund...”

Former Ireland international Eoin Morgan will captain the side in the absence of Cook and

Broad, with the squad including five uncapped players in pacemen Chris Jordan and Jamie Overton as well as Morgan’s fellow ex-Ireland star Boyd Rankin.

Cook, Anderson, Bell, Broad, and Swann were all involved — Pietersen was injured in the early part of the English season — as England won a home Test series against New Zealand, reached the final of the Champions Trophy and retained the Ashes with a 3-0 win over Australia in a five-match series concluded with a dramatic draw at The Oval on Sunday.

This latest squad announcement means Cook — who does not play Tw e n t y 2 0 I n t e r n a t i o n a l cricket — has been rested from a squad for the first time since he took over the Test captaincy a year ago.

Malik, Santokie top batting, bowling in CPL PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Shoaib Malik of the Barbados Tridents and Krishmar Santokie of the Guyana Amazon Warriors are the top runscorer and wicket taker of the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League, which ended here over the weekend.

Malik tallied 272 runs in

eight games to edge Guyana’s Lendl Simmons (266 runs), and St Lucia Zouks’ Andre Fletcher (238 runs) for the top spot.

Santokie, who was named man-of-the-series, finished with 16 wickets from his nine games, ahead of Shakib Al Hasan of the Tridents (11 wickets).

All-rounder Andre

Russell of the Jamaica Tallawahs hit the most sixes (16) and highest strike rate among batsmen with over 100 runs, while Tridents skipper Kieron Pollard had the most catches 14.

Tallawahs, captained by Chris Gayle, defeated Amazon Warriors by seven wickets to win the tournament last Saturday.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday August 29, 2013

American teen Duval stuns Stosur NEW YORK — The voice is tiny, but there was nothing small about American Victoria Duval’s first Grand Slam win.

The 17-year-old qualifier, ranked No. 296, pulled off the biggest upset of the 2013 U.S. Open with a come-frombehind victory against 2011 champion Samantha Stosur on Tuesday.

Trailing by a set and a break at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Duval showed poise beyond her years by hanging with the No. 11 seed from Australia.

When she cracked a crosscourt forehand winner on her fourth match point to close out the 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 firstround win, she hopped in the air with her arms extended as the partisan crowd erupted into cheers.

“It was a big moment, big stage, not easy closing any match out, let alone a past U.S. Open champion,” said Duval, who received a wild card into qualifying and next faces Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

“I don’t even remember match point,” she added. “I guess I was really happy. I mean, you could tell by all the jumping I did.”

Born in Miami but raised in Haiti until age 8, Duval culminated a promising junior career by winning last year’s

Victoria Duval fires a forehand.

(Susan Mullane, USA TODAY Sports) USTA 18-and-under girls championships to earn a wild card into the U.S. Open main draw (this month she lost in the national quarterfinals).

That tournament was won by Sachia Vickery of Guyanese roots. Vickery also won her opening match coming back from behind in the first set to comfortably win 6-4-6-4 over Croatia’s Mirjana LucicBaroni.

In her first Grand Slam appearance, Duval lost to three-time U.S. Open winner Kim Clijsters in her last tournament before retiring.

In an on-court interview, Duval expressed gratitude to her mentor, Billie Jean King, and her father, who had flown in for the match.

“There’s a lot to be thankful for,” she said in a high-pitched voice that makes her sound even younger. “I don’t take anything for granted.”

Duval and two cousins were held hostage in Haiti when she was a 7-year-old, a situation she said she preferred not to remember.

Duval, who has a bright smile and called herself

“goofy” off the court, said King sent her a text of congratulations and that she had heard American rapper Lil Wayne messaged her on Twitter, though she hasn’t yet signed up to become a member.

“I’m going to go hit that up,” she said. “Maybe I have to create one and be like @weezythankyou.”

Stosur praised Duval for her potent forehand and holding her nerve in the final game but said she made far too many unforced errors — 56 to Duval’s 35. She led in aces 9-0.

“I’m not going to be a sore loser and say she didn’t do anything,” said Stosur, who beat No. 2 Victoria Azarenka to win her fourth career title in Carlsbad, Calif., last month.

“I think I certainly helped her out there today, that’s for sure.”

Said Duval: “Although she didn’t play nearly her best today, I played amazing, so I’ll take it.”

Joining Duval in the second round Tuesday were American women Christina McHale, Alison Riske and wild card Sachia Vickery, the U.S. girls 18U champion.

Duval was ebullient, bubbly, goofy and thoughtful in her post-match press conference.

Washington to bid for 2024 Olympics WASHINGTON, USA (AP) — Washington is making a push to host the 2024 Olympics. DC 2024 president Bob Sweeney announced yesterday the formation of a no-profit group aimed at making Washington the first American city to host the Summer Games since Atlanta in 1996, and the first to host an Olympics since the Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City in 2002.

“We are the safest and most secure city in the world,” Sweeney said. “The largest expense of any Olympic Games is security, and the fact that we’ve got it pretty built in to our everyday life here in Washington, we would leverage that asset tremendously to put on this high-profile event.”

The bid has a long way to go. Washington was one of 35 US cities to receive a letter from the US Olympic Committee to gauge interest, and Sweeney expects about 10 to step forward as serious candidates. The USOC hasn’t even decided for certain that it wants to bid for the 2024 Games, which will be awarded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)in 2017.

“They need to make sure

there is a strong horse to ride,” Sweeney said. “And we certainly intend to be that.”

Los Angeles, which hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics, Philadelphia and Tulsa, Oklahoma, have announced their interest. San Diego wants to host a crossborder Olympics with Mexican neighbour Tijuana.

Other potential 2024 contenders from around the world include Paris; Rome; Doha, Qatar; and a city in South Africa.

Washington made a push for the 2012 Games a decade ago and was thought to be the favourite to be the US representative, but the USOC chose New York instead.

There was concern at the time that the Washington bid was tainted by hearings held by Congress in connection with the Salt Lake City bribery scandal, the thought being that the IOC would not want to put the Olympics in the city where its then-president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, was grilled by lawmakers under oath.

New York went on to finish fourth in the international bidding, losing out to eventual winner London. Chicago made a bid

for 2016 and suffered a stinging first-round exit, with Rio de Janeiro winning the games.

Chicago’s defeat was blamed partly on a revenuesharing feud between the USOC and IOC. The two sides have since resolved the dispute, and USOC leaders have worked hard to improve their standing in the international Olympic community.

“It’s a different USOC than it was, certainly, for Chicago,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney, a former president of the Greater Washington Sports Alliance, helped out with the city’s 2012 bid and said he has no concerns about the political problems that hurt that effort. He pointed out that Washington was recently chosen to host a major Olympic meeting — the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees — in 2015. Washington is also making a push to host the 2017 fencing World Championships, which would be timely if Thomas Bach, a former German fencer, is chosen as the next IOC president in an election next month.

Sweeney said he hopes to

raise $3 million to $5 million to support the bid by the end of 2014. He estimates the cost of hosting the Olympics would range from $3.5 billion to $6 billion, although he expected it would be toward the lower end because a good deal of the infrastructure is already in place. There will be the need, however, for a new stadium to host the opening ceremony and track and field. Sweeney said he has met with the Washington Redskins, whose lease at their current stadium in Maryland expires in 2026.

Local leaders will be pushing hard for the team to come back to the city at that time, so a stadium built for the Olympics could become an NFL stadium shortly afterward.

Otherwise, DC 2024 boasts that the area has “more sporting facilities in a 40-mile radius than any other city in the US” and “more than 100,000 hotel rooms”.

Sweeney said the events would stretch from Baltimore to Richmond, Virginia, but would be mostly concentrated around Washington. “We are the only major capital city in the world,” Sweeney said, “not to have hosted the Games yet”.

Injured Shakib sidelined for up to four weeks

Shakib Al Hasan fractured his thumb while training with the Barbados Tridents © Getty Images ESPNcricinfo - Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, is likely to miss the beginning of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League with a hairline fracture to his thumb, which could put him out of cricket for three to four weeks.

Shakib had met with the national coach Shane Jurgensen upon his return to Dhaka from his stint at the Caribbean Premier League, and was taken for X-rays after his thumb was bandaged.

BCB physician Monirul Amin said Shakib had picked up the injury while training with the Barbados Tridents and will be sidelined until mid-September.

The Dhaka Premier League, after several postponements, is scheduled to begin on September 3 and the first-of-its-kind “player by choice” auctions for the tournament took place last Friday, where Shakib was recruited by Kalabagan Krira

Chakra.

Shakib has been struggling with injury over the course of the last season. He had to bowl 97 overs during the Tests against West Indies in November, 52 of them coming in the same innings.

The stress left him with exertional compartment syndrome to his shin and in February, he was ruled out of Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka to undergo surgery to his right calf muscle. After recovery, Shakib returned to international cricket, albeit as a batsman, for the Tests against Zimbabwe and eased into his role as a bowler for the limited-over series that followed.

Shakib’s recovery is crucial not only for Kalabagan Krira Chakra, who finished ninth last season in the Dhaka Premier League, but also for Bangladesh as they will host New Zealand for two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 in October.

Thursday August 29, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Residents disappointed at state of Goed Fortuin CC Ground Residents of Goed Fortuin, West Bank, Demerara expressed their disappointment at the current state of their Community Centre ground, which is being controlled by the Malgre Tout\Meer Zorgen Neighbourhood Democratic Council.

Most of the ground has been taken over with bushes and residents told Kaieteur Sport on Monday last that they want the playfield upgraded so that they can fully utilize it. Only the section of the ground which was slashed recently can be used for sporting activities and the residents stated that this pose a problem for them when playing softball cricket since they have to replace the ball most of the time when it goes into the high grass on other sections of the field. Softball cricket and Volleyball are still being played on the ground, but residents state that the facility hosted Case Cup division one cricket and football and they would like to see those sports being played there competitively once

again. Residents said that the youngsters in the area are talented especially in cricket, football and volleyball, but they are being affected due to the current state of the ground including the pitch. They informed that the committee which was responsible for the community centre was disbanded some 10 years ago and nothing is being done to put systems in place to manage it.

The people pointed out that they are willing to form a committee but the NDC Chairman is reluctant to co-operate.

Cecil Manohar, who resides at Goed Fortuin, stated that the residents cannot get to fully utilize the ground because little work is being done to upgrade the entire playfield and this was the case for the past 25 years.

Residents said they hardly gain to access the centre since it is locked most of the time and they are calling on the authorities to reopen the building on a daily basis because it facilitates table tennis which is well-liked by the youngsters.

When contacted, chairman of the NDC, Mohamed L.

Hussain said that there are plans to upgrade the ground as well as the centre. He stated that the NDC attempted to cut the ground twice but had to stop because the land was too soft due to the rain. Hussain indicated that they will renovate the southern wall of the centre and will complete the fencing of the ground shortly.

He informed that works to upgrade the playfield and the cricket pitch, which includes raising the level of the land, will commence as soon as the rain ceases. The Chairman said that some members of the committee, which once managed the affairs of the community centre, lacked co-operation among themselves and subsequently ceased to function.

He said that the NDC will put a committee in place so that they can get the centre up and running.

In relation to the centre being closed, Hussain stated that people misused the building so they had to take the necessary steps to protect it, but residents can gain access whenever they have activities.

A section of the Goed Fortuin Community Centre ground.

Members of the community trying their hand at a cricket match on the ground last Sunday.

ECB 50-over tourney bowls off tomorrow

Bolt visits FIFA president

Herry Green

Norman Federicks

Ricardo Adams

The Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) 50-over competition kicks off tomorrow with four matches across the county. The competition, which is being used to select the Essequibo team to take part in the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board 50 overs tournament, will see East Bank Essequibo hosting Bartica at the Parika Salem ground, Leguan entertaining Wakenaam at Enterprise, North battling South Essequibo at Devonshire Castle and Central Essequibo coming up against Pomeroon at Imam Bacchus ground.

Former national U-19 wicketkeeper batsman Kevon Boodie will lead the East Bank team which also includes Trevor Benn, Jason Heyliger, Mark Braitwaite and Julio Jones. Bartica is yet to name their team. Leguan will have home advantage when they face archrivals Wakenaam.

Their captain Muneshwar Jattan is expected to lead the batting department with support from Shahad Razack and Huckumchand Savitir. Pacer Kevin Gordon and off-spinner Tulsieram Premnauth is expected to spearhead their bowling department. One of the host biggest hurdles will be to contain National U-19 player Ricardo Adams who is expected to be named captain of the visiting team. With the inclusion of hard hitting batsmen Navishaul Pooran and Kemo Paul, pacer Chandreka Ragnauth and left arm spinner Imran Khan, Wakenaam have the fire power to go all the way in this tournament.

One of the most dominant teams of recent in the Cinderella County, South Essequibo will look to start the competition on a winning note and will depend heavily on Royan Federicks, Anthony Adams,

Ricardo Peters, Mark Gonsalves and Raj Parbattie. Their opponents North, as they have proved in the past, is not an easy team get past and with the inclusion of Mark Tyrell, Vishwanauth Lall, Uvindra Balgobin, Rajiv Manichand and Greyson Paul, South can look forward to an epic battle.

Central Essequibo will be favourites when they face Pomeroon. Exciting fast bowler Ronsford Beaton will lead their challenge with support from Herry and Herrell Green, Rovindra Parsram and Parmesh Parashotam, while Pomeroon will rely on Chris Williams, Andrew D’Aguiar, Sherman Austin, Kenneth DeAgrella and Eric Gomes as they attempt to turn back their challenge. The semi-finals and final will be played on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Jamaica Observer KINGSTON, Jamaica — Sprinting legend Usain Bolt visited football’s headquarters FIFA yesterday ahead of the IAAF Diamond League meeting Weltklasse Zürich this evening at the Letzigrund Stadium in Switzerland.

He was greeted by FIFA President Joseph S Blatter and Fuleco, the official mascot for the next FIFA World Cup. Blatter presented Bolt with a FIFA No 9 shirt and an invitation to Brazil 2014.

“For years, he has dominated speed events,” said the FIFA President. “I’m very proud that this great gentleman is here today. He also showed again recently that the 4x100m is very important to him, which proves that he is a team player, just like in football,” said Blatter.

Bolt who recently turned 27 said he was pleased to visit the Home of FIFA for the first time. “For me, it’s an honour to be here today,” he said. “I follow football and today I saw the World Cup Trophy for the first time.”

FIFA invited the IAAF Diamond League organisers

Blatter proudly shows off a gift from Bolt a ticket to the Weltklasse athletics meeting. (AP) to hold their pre-meeting press conference with Bolt, in the auditorium of the home of FIFA, where all the football governing body’s important media events take place.

Bolt, meanwhile — already an all-time great in his sport — would like to follow the footsteps of legendary figures in other disciplines. “I would like t o b e c o m e a legend,” he said, “like Pele, Maradona, Muhammad Ali or Michael Johnson.”

He presented Blatter with a ticket to today’s event in return.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday August 29, 2013

Carter, Julien score records in World Juniors Morning session Dylan Carter and Kristin Julien established new 15-17 age group records yesterday (morning session) at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Dubai UAE. Carter advanced to the semis with the 3rd fastest time of 25.99, erasing Christian Homer’s record of 26.31 in the 50m backstroke. Homer established this record when he won the gold in the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in August 2010.

In the 50m freestyle, Carter was again in record breaking form with a 10th place finish in 23.01 seconds eclipsing his old time of 23.39 which he set at the 2012 CISC Championships. Joshua Romany placed 31st in 23.76.

Carter was set to feature in the semi-finals for the 50 back and 50 free, yesterday.

Kristin Julien did not advance in the 50 metre

Dylan Carter

Kristin Julien

butterfly female event with a 31st place finish. However, the multiple regional gold medallist’s time of 28.56 surpassed her teammate Tyla Martin’s record time of 29.05 which Martin set at the 2013 Carifta Swimming Championships. Martin

herself placed 39th in 29.14 seconds. In the 200 backstroke, Martin placed 36th in 2:26.64 Kristin said, ‘I was a bit nervous going into the race as there were a lot of us with similar times around 29 seconds so I knew it was

Li Na advances, then rain hits

NEW YORK (AP) — Fifth-seeded Li Na of China advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open with a 6-2, 62 victory Wednesday over Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden.

Li, the 2011 French Open titlist, hit 29 winners to only four for her 100th-ranked opponent.

Li is in the third round of the U.S. Open for the fifth time and could face Britain’s Laura Robson, who beat her in the third round last year at Flushing Meadows.

Robson, the 30th-seed, had a match against Caroline Garcia scheduled later Wednesday.

Drops of rain and a coming storm halted play at just before 1 p.m. on a loaded day in the season’s final major. Among the players on the schedule were Serena and Venus Williams in secondround matches and defending champion Andy Murray in the first match of this title defence.

Also advancing was No.

3 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who defeated MariaTeresa Torro-Flor of Spain 60, 7-5.

Radwanska rolled through the first set in 21 minutes, dropping only seven points. It took her 1 hour, 6 minutes to win the second set against her 103rd-ranked opponent.

Radwanska, the Wimbledon runner-up last year and a semifinalist at the All England Club this year, has never made it past the fourth round in seven previous appearances at Flushing Meadows.

She finished with only 10 unforced errors, compared to 38 for her opponent.

Guyana’s National Women’s Table Tennis Team came up short last night against Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation (CRTTF) Senior Championships at the Beausejour Indoor Stadium in St. Lucia.

The Guyanese played unbeaten to reach the Women’s Team’s final after topping their

group but succumbed to Trinidad 1-3 in the final.

Trinidad’s Rheann Chung proved the difference maker in the match, beating both Chelsea Edghill and Trenace Lowe.

Nathalie Cummings also lost to Aleena Edwards, while Lowe won one game to create the final score line. However, Guyana had beaten every other team, including the

super-strong Dominican Republic enroute to the final against Trinidad.

The Guyanese team was chasing a historical women’s team’s title, which would have been only Guyana’s second in the 55 year history of the competition. Denise Osman and Doreen Chowah won Guyana’s only women’s team’s title in 1970 in Barbados.

going to be close. I focused on what the coach told me, executed, and got the result which I am pleased with’. She continued that she is now more excited about the prospects of tomorrow’s 50 back race.

Team Manager Dean Romany expressed continued delight on the performance of the team. The young team is demonstrating so much maturity; the ability to make adjustments and execute instructions has seen great results so far. We are all backing Dylan later today (yesterday) to make finals in both races.

Afternoon session Carter aims for World Juniors podium in 50 back Dylan Carter continued his superb performance at the 4th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Dubai by qualifying 7th for the 50m backstroke in a time of 26.14.

Carter earlier in the day in the prelims became the first 15-17 swimmer in T & T history to go under the 26 second barrier, and broke Youth Olympic Gold

Medallist Christian Homer’s record (26.31) and established a new mark of 25.99. Following his record breaking performance in the 50 free earlier today, he did not advance to the semifinals.

Speaking to Carter around 10pm in Dubai (2pm TT time) he sounded a bit exhausted.

He explained, ‘it was a rough day and night for me, I had two swims in the morning and two in the night, I was slower in both events tonight but got through to the finals in the 50 back’. He continued, ‘there were a few technical issues in the 50 back which I will sort out for tomorrow’s (today) final’. Tomorrow (today) he has the 50 fly event in the morning and says he is going for gold tomorrow night (10am TT time) in the 50 back final! He mentioned that ‘the support is really, really encouraging and brings positive vibes to us in Dubai’.

Tomorrow morning (Thursday) (2am TT Time) Carter and Joshua Romany would seek to qualify for the semifinals (10am TT Time) of the 50m butterfly. Jonathan Ramkissoon will get his

second berth at the Championship in the 200 breast after his personal best clocking of 1:06.48 in the 100 breast on opening day.

Motivated by her 50 fly record breaking performance, Kristin Julien is aiming for a possible semifinal place in her pet event the 50 back. Tyla Martin will participate in the gruelling 400m freestyle event.

Head Coach Franz Huggins stated that all five team members have events tomorrow morning, it is quite a tough day for all.

Fortunately, everyone is positive and the expectations are high. This young team is showing great potential for the future of swimming in T&T. Team Manager Dean Romany lauds the support of the media and the swimming community in T&T. Most of the team members are feeling a bit exhausted after three days in Dubai, the brunt of which is on Dylan’s shoulders. They remain very positive, focused on the next day of competition and improving their performance.

Morgan, Forde ready to defend AinLim 10k titles - Neal and Massy launch fourth edition of race

Li Na of China fires a forehand during her victory Wednesday against Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden.(Photo: USA TODAY, USA TODAY Sports)

Road race aces, Alika Morgan and Cleveland Forde stands ready to defend their Neal and Massy 10km Road Race (also known as AinLim 10k) titles on September 15 when the fourth edition of the race and 5k Fitness Walk will be held, finishing at the company’s Ruimveldt Office.

The event was officially launched yesterday where it was disclosed that in excess of $1M in cash and prizes will be up for grabs in the race that’s expected to attract the country’s leading distance athletes, including Forde and Morgan.

Chief Executive Officer of Neal and Massy Guyana, Deo Persaud indicated that the

company is pleased to annually present the race.

Persaud informed that for the fifth edition, the race will also be staged in Berbice and Essequibo in a nationwide effort. In his remarks, AAG President, Aubrey Hutson lauded Neal and Massy for their support and also encouraged athletes to put in better performances than last year.

The Open winners (male and female) will pocket $75,000 each while the first, second, third and fourth place finishers will take home $60,000,$40,000,$15,000 and $10,000 respectively, while in the junior category (16-19 years) the winners will receive

$50,000 each with second, third, fourth and fifth place finishers will collect $30,000,$20,000,$10,000 and $5,000 each.

In the Master’s category (women 35 years and older and men 40-55 years), the top three finishers will get $40, 000, $20,000 and $15,000 respectively. Master’s men 56 years and above will receive hampers.

The 10k race commences at 6am at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and concludes in front of Neal and Massy Ruimveldt Office, while the fitness walk starts at the Demerara Harbour Bridge 15 minutes later and also ends at Neal and Massy.

The names of the female volleyball players that are vying for selection to represent Guyana at this year’s Inter Guiana Games in Suriname from October 16th to 20th have been released

by Coach Trevor Smith after practice sessions at the National Gymnasium over the past weekend.

The players called up are:Jana Gabriella Edghill, Natasha Candace Skeete, Allana Bose, Nicolette Harlequin, Krystal Sukra, Gabriel Chalmers, Shana Yan, Kerri Yan and Malika Jarvis, all from Demerara and Tamala Felix, Kathleen A n d r e a Vi c t o r, S h e n n e Suezette Subrattie, Vashti

Pooran, Taniesah Cort and Darshanie Pooran from Berbice.

According to Coach Smith the players will be involved in regular practice sessions during the upcoming weeks. Training sessions will continue until the team is ready to participate in the games.

Guyanese women come Female U-19 Volleyball squad up short in CRTTF Final National for Inter Guiana Games shortlisted