Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Anxious to leave

It has been reported in the not too distant past that close to 80 per cent of the country’s skilled people migrate. This certainly paints a gloomy picture for the future. It means that we are getting considerably less for investments in human development; training people is a very costly exercise. Indeed, for as long as we could remember we have been producing our own teachers, nurses, skilled artisans and the like. Such was our training regimen that all those who graduated were good enough to work in any part of the world. There was a time when the cost of living was such that we were content to stay and serve. But there was always the lure of life overseas. That lure now has so many of us leaving that we cannot train people fast enough and even those we train are never good enough because their foundation was rather weak. Things had even reached the stage where we were forced to lower the entrance qualifications to our top learning institutions. What makes it worse is that all those who leave seem to have very good reasons. People can now say that they left because of the crime. In the past they said that they were running from a dictatorship. Some even left because, as they said, they were the victims of discrimination. What we do not hear a lot of is the migration of people because they are dissatisfied with the pay. This was the talk for most of the time as recruiters came from every part of the world to solicit skilled people from Guyana. Our decision-makers are wise enough to realize that they cannot stop the outward flow of the skilled people. They also say that they cannot match the financial rewards offered elsewhere. But there must be something that we could do. It is a given that we do not have the money to recruit foreign skills to replace those that we have lost. Many countries have been able to secure foreign funding to help them replace the lost skills and the people from those territories do not migrate in the numbers like we have been doing. Foreign investment would also help reduce the brain drain, but there must be something that the government must do. It must allow the foreign investor to pay the kind of wages that the investor feels is real. Until recently, the government often dictated to the investor the kind of money that he should pay to avoid a conflict within the society. What is considered a fair pay in most societies would be seen as super salaries in Guyana, given the low value of our currency. But even before the investor comes a lot has to happen in Guyana. One of the things is political stability. By no stretch of imagination can we say that we have a stable political climate in Guyana. Every time it seems as though something is going to happen to make the climate stable someone or some event serves to widen the rift between the parties. This does little or no good and certainly no reputable foreign investor is going to come. Without these foreign investors the economy is going to slide further downhill and our skilled persons would continue to leave at a high rate. What is most worrying is that no one seems to be doing anything to effect a change in our condition. The situation is still that taxes account for the bulk of our revenue which means that the very people who are complaining about poor pay and who are anxious to leave, would be asked to contribute more of that small pay to the national coffers by way of taxation. At the same time, the cost of the utilities is rising. The electricity company often signals higher rates, citing the rising cost of fuel, and the same applies to water and transportation. Some say that we are witnessing the death of Guyana as we know it. Unless something drastic happens they may be right.

Saturday August 30, 2014

Letters... Where your views make the news

Investors must positively contribute in communities in which they operate or transit DEAR EDITOR, We, the Residents of Sub Region Two of Region 10 are somewhat relieved that the time of our journey from Linden to Kwakwani and other Communities is not so long now. This is because someone in authority has caused a Motor Grader to be on the stretch between Ituni and Linden to do some smoothing. The journey on the Kwakwani-Linden road in the best of conditions can take as little as ninety minutes, but the heightened logging activities and lack of regular maintenance had caused residents to take as much as five hours to

complete this said journey. A careful observation of what is presently taking place to smooth the road will leave us worse than we were after the next rainy season. Most of the road is below the sides - with some places as much as four feet below. With the grading now in progress, it is clear that in some sections all the capping (hard crust) is being removed, leaving the bare white sand which is at the base of the road. I can guarantee that the Kwakwani-Linden road will take as much as six hours or more to traverse during and after the next rainy season. With the economic

activities taking place in the sub Region, bauxite, gold and diamond mining, and logging, which are all contributing significantly to the national coffers through royalties, and the bauxite workers at Aroaima who are also contributing a significant amount of their earning as PAYE, what can be a logical reason for the Kwakwani-Linden Road being in such a state? The use of the grader alone to smooth this road is just a quick fix and should be followed up immediately with a comprehensive programme which will build and elevate it above the c o r n e r s . Ta k i n g i n t o

consideration what is known as corporate citizenship and social impact on the lives of all or the majority of citizens residing in a community, it cannot be considered asking too much of any investor, be they national or foreign, to make contributions that will positively impact the lives of residents living in communities in which they operate or transit. It is with thoughts and understanding of the above that our Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon must be supported in his representation to better the lives of all residents within Region Ten. Jocelyn Morian

WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO BECOMING A POLICE STATE

DEAR EDITOR, Please permit me to respond to a letter penned by the Honourable Mayor of Georgetown when he asked if we as a nation live in a police state. Based on my experience, I would have to posit that if we have not reached to a complete police state we are well on our way. I have seen many instances where ranks of the Guyana Police Force have tried to do their jobs (however rare that may be), and have been hampered by an order from a senior officer informing them to let a potential perpetrator off the hook. This happens because

of a combination of things. First, the level of corruption is so high that very few people have respect for the Guyana Police Force, especially since they know that most of them can be bought. Then, there is always the issue of an individual knowing someone in authority who has the connections to rid them of prosecution for almost any offence. More so, what makes matters worse is if the particular individual is one in some sort of power like a minister of the government or a wealthy businessperson. Things have gotten so bad that we see heavily-

tinted vehicles traversing our roadways when we know that dark tint is illegal. However, when we investigate we learn that these vehicles are owned by these powerful members of society or even ranks of the Guyana Police Force. Things have become so bad that society rarely seeks help from the police because they know most times the result will be dismal. Especially since officers are conducting personal investigations and accidently shooting teens who they thought were suspects of a crime. My solution? Simple. Eliminate the bad apples and

save the bunch. Those officers that are even suspected of such despicable acts should be removed from the force immediately and subsequently charged if evidence is available. Sadly, it is a utopian idea, because we have to rely on the work of the police force to carry out such justice. Restoration of the office of the Ombudsman and complete revamping of the Police Complaints Authority are steps in the right direction, but that too is utopian, since corruption is also at the government level. Pray for Guyana. Patrice S. Wishart

When will our sanity return? DEAR EDITOR I was lying in bed the other night, thinking about the day’s news from around the world. I thought about the recent incident in the USA, where a child, nine years old, was learning how to use an Uzi, a sub-machine gun, a weapon of war, a real one, not the kind that children usually play with. T h e c h i l d c o u l d n ’t handle the weapon well, and this resulted in the death of the instructor. I am trying to understand why anyone would want their nine year old to learn to use such a weapon. I understand the parents were recording the exercise at the time. No reasonable explanation came to my mind. I subsequently saw another parent who was allowing his child, of similar age, to learn to use a semi-

automatic weapon; not a weapon as big as the Uzi but big, nevertheless. I gathered from that parent’s comments that he feels safer knowing that his child would be able to ‘defend himself’. Life gives us lessons, until we get it; although, some of us never learn the lessons. I wonder how we can justify making money by creating all kinds of wants and ‘needs’ in people, no matter how bizarre; appealing to people’s egos and thirst for power, status, and safety etc. It’s called marketing, and is used to reel children in too, when marketers are looking for other market segments to target, even when a product or service is not appropriate for the intended user. While I lay there, I wondered about capitalism in general and the relentless

search for profits. The capitalist approach to development is a useful one, but like all approaches, it has its limitations, and can be abused by the greedy to reach the unsuspecting vulnerable person. Things can get out of hand. I am convinced that we have lost it, our marbles, that is. We are truly living in perilous times, when reason takes a collective back seat. We allow other people’s greed to fan our own greed, and we make choices that are not in any nation’s best interest. I thought of how nature is socking it to us with the unusual and extreme weather patterns that are being experienced. I thought about how excuses are made for these occurrences in order to continue to exploit natural resources to the maximum,

increasing and intensifying mudslides, tornadoes, rainfall, and the like, without proper regard for the environment which sustains us. Even though we see these occurrences, we refuse to learn. More lessons will come. We fill our pockets at our own peril. We think that that peril won’t come in our lifetime. Of course this means that we are not overly concerned about future generations and sustainable development. We don’t care too much about leaving the earth in a manner that would benefit those generations. We’ll be gone. Why bother!! We keep marching on to some strange mad tune called ‘money, money, money’, oblivious of selfdestruction. Way to live!!! Rosemarie Terborg Davis

Saturday August 30, 2014

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

African politics and the no confidence motion DEAR EDITOR, I write this letter fully aware of the political implications and the accusations which will follow from what I consider a bold attempt on my part to draw to the attention of the African community and the nation, the danger that is inherent in the “no confidence motion” which has been presented and is expected to be passed in G u y a n a ’s P a r l i a m e n t , thereby forcing the country into general and regional elections sometime soon, without the most critical and necessary constitutional changes being put in place. My concern is that while these important political developments are taking place, there is no African organisation, political or cultural, that is publicly addressing the pertinent question - whether elections at this time; without constitutional reform is in the best interest of Africans and the nation. In the absence of this discussion, African people have become prey to political forces whose primary interest is contesting elections, and who don’t necessarily have African interests and the future of its people as a major concern. In the past, the role of providing political leadership on important matters like elections was not left only to political parties. The African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) was vocal on these matters. However, with the loss of that organisation’s political activism, the African community is now more vulnerable and unprepared for the challenges and consequences of new elections under the old winner-take-all political arrangements. Our national political parties are doing what they were formed for, that is to engage in competitive election politics. In the process, they are prepared to disregard the nation’s experience of the results of 60 or more years of debilitating party politics. As

a nation we are now more divided than ever. This weakness in the body politics has made us easy pickings, for the old and new economic plunderers who have descended on the country. In collaboration with high state officials, they now rape and control the commanding heights of Guyana’s economy. In the African c o m m u n i t y, t h e n o confidence “fever” has emerged as a necessary and to some, the only available political instrument to unseat a vicious political entity. This fever has the propensity of becoming a political epidemic, with dangerous consequences, before and after the elections. Let me be frank and say that I believe this support for the motion among the masses is not well thoughtout. It is one of political desperation propelled by the need of a large body of people to find relief from conditions of social and economic degradation heaped on them by the PPPC party and government. They are hoping that early elections will result in the defeat of the PPPC and the emergence of a new government, which will be more responsive to their problems and needs. The political, economic and social dilemma of Africans in Guyana and the ethnic and political reality have left African people clutching at political straws. This more than anything else

is the motivation that is fuelling the support for the no confidence motion. While I fully understand the motivational aspects, I am of the view that African Leaders who support the motion will be engaging the elections with no guarantee that their expectations of their supporters have a reasonable chance of success. Guyanese have being walking that road for the last 22 years. Are we still incapable of learning the lessons of our history? My contention over the years has been that given Guyana’s political reality, correct African politics is necessary to enhance national politics. On the other hand misguided African politics, even when it is popular, can be selfdestructive, with negative effects on our community and the nation. The same is true for the politics of other race groups. In the run-up to the 2011 General and Regional elections, some of us in ACDA recognised the need for the organisation to hold firm to its historic practice of engaging the political process and providing leadership to our community on political and election matters. To demonstrate our conviction, we organised and conducted a number of public meetings in selected villages, putting to the people our views on the political possibilities of the elections and focusing on the fact that these elections were

taking place in the UN designated year for “Africans” which had mandated governments worldwide to address Africans social, economic and political concerns. We also advanced the positions that the African political leadership should declare that we are participating in the elections in a new way – that we rejected outright, winnertake-all politics; and that win or lose, we will fight for shared governance. Our campaign came to national and international attention as a result of the hysteria created by progovernment forces over my statement made at the first meeting at Beterverwagting (BV) where I stated that ACDA had come to that village to read the “riot act”. Our advice was ignored by the political leadership. Opposition political parties participated in the elections and the result is now history. Guyanese were forced to accept the results of rigged elections, and a political compromise in the form of the political opposition having a one-seat majority in the parliament and the minority party, the executive. This arrangement, we were led to believe, offered us salvation. Today we know better - it did not. Ironically, we are set to once again repeat the same mistake we made in relation to the last elections. The present political system, given the known advantages

of the ruling party and the inability of the opposition to prevent election rigging, makes it almost a foregone conclusion – that the will of the rulers is likely to prevail, to the disadvantage of the opposition and their supporters. I will continue to argue that it is political suicide for the African leadership in Guyana to contemplate entering another elections without first winning the struggle for constitutional reform to ensure shared governance after the elections or, at the least, a return to a system that allows parties – as is done in other countries - to enter into a coalition arrangement after the elections to form the government. I wish to reiterate what the present situation is - once the PPPC wins the plurality they get the Presidency and the right to form the government and they can achieve this feat by one vote more than the other contesting parties. The failure of the opposition, particularly since the 2011 General and

Regional elections, to wage any struggle for constitutional reform (and this becomes more difficult to understand when it is realised that the parliamentary committee on Constitutional reform is chaired by none other than the Leader of the Opposition) and shared governance, has allowed the PPPC to find refuge in its old position that shared governance can only be achieved after trust is built between the parties. Clement Rohee, the PPPC General Secretary recently made this point when he announced that his party is exploring a “national alliance”. I have in the past, in the face of the PPPC’s contention that trust is needed for shared governance, made the point that that position is merely a political ploy by the ruling party to buy itself time. Nothing has changed in the present equation. The PPPC is now blaming the majority opposition in the National Assembly, particularly the (Continued on page 24)

Saturday August 30, 2014

Kaieteur News

Don’t mess with nuclear Russia, Putin says LAKE SELIGER Russia (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said yesterday Russia’s armed forces, backed by its nuclear arsenal, were ready to meet any aggression, declaring at a pro-Kremlin youth camp that foreign states should understand: “It’s best not to mess with us.” Putin told the assembly, on the banks of a lake near Moscow, the Russian takeover of Crimea in March was essential to save a largely Russian-speaking population from Ukrainian government violence. He said continued fighting in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists launched an uprising in April, was the result of a refusal by Kiev to negotiate. Ukraine and Western governments accuse Russia of sending troops and armor to back the separatists in a conflict that has already killed over 2,000 people. Russia denies the charge. “Russia is far from being involved in any large-scale conflicts,” he said at the camp on the banks of Lake Seliger.”We don’t want that and don’t plan on it. But naturally, we should always be ready to repel any aggression towards Russia. “Russia’s partners... should understand it’s best

Vladimir Putin not to mess with us,” said Putin, dressed casually in a grey sweater and light blue jeans. “Thank God, I think no one is thinking of unleashing a large-scale conflict with Russia. I want to remind you that Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers.” Putin spoke easily with the students, many of whom looked to be asking scripted questions about demography and history. Other times he accepted gifts or, smilingly, played down their praise. When a student said that

she had not heard a single negative comment about Putin’s presidency from camp speakers, he responded with a grin that “objectivity” was important. His tone darkened when speaking on Ukraine, blaming the United States and the European Union for the “unconstitutional” removal of Kiev’s former Moscowbacked president Viktor Yanukovich and replacement with a pro-European government. He said eastern Ukraine did not agree with Yanukovich’s removal and was now subjected to “crude military force” from government planes, tanks and artillery. “If those are contemporary European values, then I’m simply disappointed in the highest degree,” he said, comparing Ukraine’s military operations in the east of the country with the Nazi siege of Leningrad in World War Two. “Small villages and large cities surrounded by the Ukrainian army which is directly hitting residential areas with the aim of destroying the infrastructure... It sadly reminds me of the events of the Second World War, when German fascist... occupiers surrounded our cities.”

Ebola outbreak reaches Senegal, riots break out in Guinea D A K A R / C O N A K RY (Reuters) - The West African state of Senegal became the fifth country to be touched by the world’s worst Ebola outbreak yesterday, while riots broke out in neighboring Guinea’s remote southeast where infection rates are rising fast. In the latest sign that the outbreak of the virus, which has already killed at least 1,550 people, is spinning out of control, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that Ebola cases rose last week at the fastest pace since the epidemic began in West Africa in March. The epidemic has defied efforts by governments to control it, prompting the leading charity fighting the outbreak, Medicins Sans Frontieres, to call for the U.N. Security Council to take charge of efforts to stop it. Including the fatalities, more than 3,000 have been infected since the virus was detected in the remote jungles of southeastern Guinea in

March, and quickly spread across the border to Liberia and Sierra Leone. It has also touched Nigeria where six people have died. Senegal’s first case is a student from Guinea. Senegalese Health Minister Awa Marie Coll Seck said the man turned up for treatment at a hospital in the capital Dakar on Tuesday, concealing the fact that he had had close contact with victims in his home country. Tests at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar showed he had the disease. “We are tracing his whole itinerary and also identifying anyone who had contact with the patient, who now that he has been diagnosed is much more cooperative and supplied all the necessary information,” the minister said. A Health Ministry official, who asked not to be named, said that the 21-year-old crossed into Senegal via its southern border with Guinea and had been living in the densely populated Dakar suburb of Parcelles Assainies

for three weeks. He added that the man appeared to have a good chance of recovering. The man had been under surveillance by health authorities in Guinea because of his contact with Ebola victims but escaped to Senegal, Seck said. Residents in Dakar reacted with anger and concern. “When you are sick, why do you leave your own country to export the disease to another?” asked radio host Taib Soce on RFM, a popular station owned by Senegalese music star Youssou N’dour. In an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus, Senegal last week banned flights to and from three of the affected countries and shut its land border with Guinea. The country, a regional hub for U.N. agencies and aid groups, has also refused to give clearance for U.N. aid flights to Ebola-hit countries in a move that humanitarian workers say is hampering their ability to respond to the epidemic.

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A class analysis of Guyana’s political parties Many analysts of political developments in Guyana shy away from undertaking a class analysis of Guyana’s political parties. They do this out of fear being labelled leftist. This is unfortunate, because if you remove the glossy covering from all of the main political parties, all that separates them is the narcissist view that each can govern Guyana better than the other. But for one party to govern a country better than the others, means that the policies of that party have to be different to the policies of the others. But how different are these policies going to be when all of the main political parties represent the same class interest. You cannot represent the same class and have any significantly divergent policies. It has been a paradox of Guyana’s political history that despite the PPP and the PNC claiming to be left-wing parties, they both became captive of the bourgeoisie class in Guyana. Their policies have enriched these classes more than they have done the working class. In the 1950s and early 1960s when the PPP ruled Guyana, its policies were

viewed as radical and leftist. And indeed there were progressive working class policies. But even though Jagan pursued left-wing policies, the propertied class was able to exert considerable influence on his party. It was for example felt in some circles that it was this class that caused the fracture between Jagan and Kwayana over the favouring of Balram Singh Rai. Burnham came to power in 1966 and by 1970 declared his government as socialist. He proceeded to bring the commanding heights of the economy under his control. Quickly, more than 80% of the economy was under State ownership. Burnham was deeply envious of Jagan. He tried desperately to outdo Jagan’s international reputation as the radical of the Englishspeaking Caribbean. Despite Burnham copying cooperative socialism from Tanzania and implementing it in Guyana, he never succeeded in gaining the sort of respect that Jagan had in left wing circles. This failure haunted Burnham, so much so that he tried and tried all manner of experiments to be seen as the foremost leftist in

the English-speaking Caribbean. His policies benefitted a small family-styled local capitalist class more than it did the working class. Indeed the working class suffered under his rule. Today, Burnham’s party, the PNCR, is decrying the Rodney Commission of Inquiry. They are doing so because the Commission is revealing how brutal, oppressive and hard life was under Burnham. But it is not the fact that we are receiving a history lesson that has led the PNC to oppose the Rodney Commission of Inquiry. The younger generation does not need such a Commission for them to understand the hardships and oppression unleashed on Guyanese under Burnham. They know that from the stories they would have heard from their parents and grandparents. The real reason for the opposition to the Rodney Commission of Inquiry is not the sullying of the PNC. The real reason for the opposition is the shame that such a recollection evokes. The PNC wants that narrative removed from the collective conscience of our nation. The PNC has chosen to forget, to

erase from the historical memory of Guyana, what is too shameful to remember. This is why since 1992, supporters of the PNC object to the PPP and its supporters referring to the PNC’s twentyeight years in power. They do not want to touch that narrative. Under that narrative, it was small band of familyowned businesses that reaped the greatest benefits from Guyana’s economy. The private sector was miniaturized, and it was this miniaturized remnant that made a lot of money. The traditional propertied class did well and many own valuable real estate in foreign countries. After the shortages hit, a new entrepreneurial class emerged. They made a lot of money by doing what the official economy was unable to do. And out of this grouping of entrepreneurs emerged a nouveau riche class. By the time Desmond Hoyte came to power in 1992, there were two strata of the capitalist class in Guyana. On the one hand you had the traditional family-owned business class, and on the other hand you had the

nouveau riche. Elements from both of these classes joined forces in an attempt to have Hoyte reelected. They used their finances to gain favours and influence over Hoyte. But behind the scenes, some of these same persons were twotiming Hoyte. They were also financing the PPPC. Therefore when the PPP came to power in 1992, it was easy for elements of the propertied classes to find favour with some PPP leaders. They could do this because behind the scenes they were heavily financing the PPP. And they used their financing of the PPP’s elections to ingratiate themselves into the leadership of the party. Under the PPP, and under neo-liberal policies of the PPP, it was the

propertied classes that benefitted more than the working class. The working class did benefit and benefit tremendously, but the propertied class benefitted astronomically because of the economic system that favoured them. (To be continued)

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Bai Shan Lin saga… PPP, AFC welcome to join coalition of national unity Owed Kwebana loggers must make Talks of the implications of early general elections are in the air and even though Dr. Roger Luncheon was singing the “elections blues” earlier this week and stressing the need to make minority governments work, Opposition leader, David Granger says his Party’s doors are open to the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) if they so desire to join the coalition. The leader of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) expressed this view yesterday during a press conference. The PPP administration has already disclosed its interest in a national alliance and General Secretary, Clement Rohee told the media recently that from the informal dialogue they have had with stakeholders, the idea is being well received. He said the stakeholders informed that they are simply tired of the manner in which the political opposition has abused its “one seat majority” and are interested in seeing a change. The support has encouraged the PPP administration to continue with the national alliance policy as Rohee informed that it is not some mere political tactic. Dr. Luncheon had also stated that he believes that minority governments are becoming a regular feature of the political landscape in and outside of Guyana. He however, underscored the need for theorists and practitioners of politics to seek to make minority governments work, rather than trying to get rid of it. But Granger said that he

formal complaint to Ministry

- Granger believes that the remarks of the Cabinet Secretary are perhaps more appropriate for an ancient time. The opposition leader believes that the real question should be how Guyana can be effectively governed. According to Granger, Luncheon’s statements reflect that the PPP administration is still wedded to the “winner-takes-all” policy. “This is not a matter of making minority governments work but it is a question of all the major parties coming together in an inclusionary democracy to move this country forward and it’s good that he (Dr. Luncheon) recognized that the government will perhaps remain in a minority.” “It (government) must be prepared to partner with other parties…It’s not a matter of minority but one of coalition and the PPP would be welcome into a coalition of national unity to move this country forward,” the democracy advocate asserted. Granger said too that he is confident that come the next general elections, the partnership of which APNU is going to be a part, will form the government and “we are prepared to enlarge that partnership.” Asked about the status of its readiness and if it has begun courting other stakeholders and even the Alliance For Change to join its partnership, Granger stated, “APNU has launched

Bartica woman dies after struck by lightning A Bartica woman is dead after being struck by lightning. According to the police, yesterday, Elizabeth Henry, 52 years, suffered significant injuries from the lightning bolt. The woman of 4 Miles, Bartica, succumbed at the Bartica Hospital, while receiving medical treatment. The incident is said to have occurred around 14:30hrs.

David Granger, Opposition Leader its campaign since October last year. We started our outreach a while now. As far as the APNU is concerned, we had announced the launch of something called a social contract, inviting the labour unions and civil society and other parties to come on board with us to form a government of national unity and that dialogue has started. As I said, we approached the AFC since January 2012, offering a long-term agreement for corporation in the National Assembly. That is still on the table. We are only three- years -old and from the time we were launched we were prepared for a large number of partners and we have continued to function on that basis.” Referring to Dr. Luncheon’s statement on minority governments, Granger said that he is not interested in becoming a minority government and his desire is to create a majority partnership. “We want a situation where the bulk of the people can have their voices heard. We want to ensure that, that majority is inclusionary. We aren’t interested in replicating the winner-takes-all system... Again I say, we welcome any party which shares the notion of national unity and we offered the AFC the opportunity to combine with us and yes, I would be very happy for them to reconsider their position and the benefits that can accrue for the nation from that coalition,” the Opposition leader concluded.

Those Kwebana residents who claim that they are owed millions by Chinese logging company Bai Shan Lin, have made no such complaints to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, which would have led to the matter being resolved. At least this is according to Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Nigel Dharamlall. He told this publication yesterday that the Ministry has a Welfare Department that would address issues such as the report published by this newspaper recently; suggesting that several of the members of the community were owned millions by Bai Shan Lin. As a matter of fact, the Permanent Secretary was surprised at the report saying that the subject Minister, Pauline Sukhai, would visit the Kwebana community on numerous occasions and this matter has never been raised. According to Dharamlall, neither the loggers in the community nor its Toshao has ever made a complaint to either the Ministry or any of its officials. He said that the Ministry, through the Welfare Department, has on many occasions in the past successfully addressed issues where Amerindians have provided labour to

- Dharamlall companies and found it difficult to access payment. According to Dharamlall, those persons now making complaints to the media over being owed monies by Bai Shan Lin, should lodge formal complaints with the Ministry. Bai Shan Lin harvests logs through what authorities say is a joint venture with Kwebana Woods, a company that has a Timber Sales Agreement (TSA) that allows it to harvest for export in commercial quantities. Many of the workers employed by Bai Shan Lin through this joint venture arrangement, are claiming that they are owed a combined total of millions of dollars. “They tell me that I must give them the service and I must work for plenty, plenty money and they would pay me the money, but when the time reach for I come home now, no money,” said Andrew Brescenio, one of the owed workers. Apart from the exploitation of the workers at Kwebana, when Bai Shan Lin entered the community, the company reportedly bluntly refused to draw up an agreement. This was revealed by Toshao Godfrey Wilson. According to Wilson, the

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Nigel Dharamlall company wanted to use the village as a thoroughfare to take out its logs. The village asked for a monthly toll of $1.5 million. The company refused, Wilson said. He said Bai Shan Lin offered to buy the logs the community harvests. Wilson said the village agreed, but Bai Shan Lin wanted to set the payment terms. The village refused, because the price that was offered was below what was deemed reasonable by the villagers. The village depends on its community forestry operation. Most of the residents are employed in the processing of the logs, which are then sold as building material to companies on the Coast.

More support for senior citizens on Government’s agenda Improving the lives of senior citizens is high on the agenda of Government. In this regard plans are currently being streamlined to put measures in place to help create, as far as possible, a more comfortable and stressfree existence for the elders. But achieving such a goal will require immense input from the very people on the agenda for attention. Moreover, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, said yesterday that a consultation that will target senior citizens is currently in the making. This consultation, she disclosed, is expected to be convened during the month of October and it is expected that a wide crosssection of the elders from across the nation will be in attendance. Currently a venue for the consultation is being identified with a view of ensuring that it could be accessible to the target stakeholders, Minister Webster said. Speaking to a gathering of media operatives yesterday, Webster said that the intention of the consultation is to engage the senior citizens in a discussion about proposed plans to draft laws that would detail measures of benefit to them. The main intent of the consultation, according to the Minister, is therefore designed to ensure that “they are protected from abuse, from violence and so on...” even as she pointed out that “we have witnessed in the recent past where two elderly women lost their lives in the confines of their homes.” Minister Webster disclosed too that “on a regular basis the Probation and Social Services Officers, and even I, have received

complaints from elderly persons...elderly persons come to see me about their families putting them out of their own homes or after they add their children’s names to their property (transport). We have to ensure that in cases like these, that they are protected,” stressed the evidently concerned Minister. The planned consultation, according to the Minister, will entail discussions on other possible support services that can be provided to senior citizens. The elderly in Guyana have long been recognised among the vulnerable faction of the society therefore, Government has been making strides to improve their existence. Already Government has been providing some support to senior citizens. Aside from the monthly old age pension, provisions have also been made for them to be recipients of subsidies to aid their access to potable water and even more recently, electricity. During the latter part of last year, over 5,000 pensioners started to receive an annual $20,000 subsidy. The Guyana Power and Light Company then announced that it had started to disburse the Parliamentary-approved annual electricity subsidy and the accounts of 5,610 registered pensioners had been credited. The $20,000 subsidy was announced in 2013 by Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, as part of a menu of measures in the budget then to assist the vulnerable in society. This faction of the society has also been afforded in excess of $200 million towards their water charges. Based on the outcome of the proposed consultations, it is expected that the senior citizens will be able to benefit from even more support from Government in the future.

Saturday August 30, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Clean up my country campaign... GDF trains ranks of St Kitts Nevis Defence Force City Council urged to

remove encumbrances Shops occupying the reserve on Sussex Street.

FROM LEFT: LCPL Melissa Carey, SGT Shayne Mike, CPl Desroy Elliot and SGT Jahmoy Gumbs of the St Kitts and Nevis Defence Force

A

s part of its commitment to CARICOM states, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) recently provided training for officers and ranks of the St Kitts and Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF). On August 18 , during GDF’s Senior Command and Staff Course graduation, SKNDF Captain Peter Kayode Sutton, was one who successfully completed the training. In addition, Sergeants Shayne Mike and Jahmoy Gumbs also completed training on the Drill Instructor Course. Mike and Gumbs are now on attachment to the GDF Training Corps, where they will serve as members of the training staff on the Force’s upcoming second annual Basic Recruit Course, scheduled to commence shortly. According to the GDF, their colleagues, Warrant Officer Class Two, Mervin Lewis and Sergeants Sherwin Julius and Althea France are currently also students on the Senior Leader Course. Meanwhile, Corporal Desroy Elliot, a trained mechanic and Lance Corporal Melissa Carey, a financial clerk, are on attachment to the GDF’s Motor Pool and Finance Department respectively. Elliot is scheduled to commence training on the Section Commander Course while Carey is slated to train on the Junior Leader Course. According to the army in a statement yesterday, Captain Sutton spoke highly of his training which stretched back to when he was enlisted as an Officer Cadet back in 1999. “This has not been a strange experience for me. I was able to adjust rather quickly since I am already familiar with the GDF and its training environment. In actual fact, coming back on this senior course is like coming th

home,” he said. “In our Defence Force, Guyana is regarded very highly for the comprehensive nature of its training. In fact, my earlier training as an Officer Cadet enabled me to successfully complete Ranger training in the USA.” The Captain explained that many more of his colleagues and ranks from the SKNDF will be coming to Guyana to pursue training, as it is recognised as a necessary element for their development in the SKNDF. He believes that the experience of training in Guyana has tremendous benefits not only for his soldiers, but also for the further development of the SKNDF. “The other soldiers of the SKNDF say that their experiences thus far have been quite valuable. They confess that it has taken some getting used to Guyana and some cultural differences, but agree that the experience is one that they will always treasure,” the army said yesterday in its statement. The relationship between the St Kitts and Nevis Defence Force and the GDF goes back several decades and many Officers and Other Ranks of the SKNDF have benefitted from training in Guyana. “In the framework of cooperation among Caribbean states, the Guyana Defence Force remains committed to providing members of the militaries of sister CARICOM states with opportunities to gain professional development through participation in its training regimen. In this regard, on an annual basis, the GDF invites Caribbean militaries to participate in all its various training programmes.”

Lately, the “Clean-Up My Country” Programme Committee has been experiencing difficulties in removing obstacles that hinder the sanitation of communities. According to Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Olive Gopaul, these encumbrances include squatters occupying government reserves, abandoned vehicles and their parts along areas that require cleaning. Gopaul related to this publication, that the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown are

tasked with the responsibility of removing these encumbrances that prevent the cleaning of areas in the communities, but noted that ongoing conflicts in the Council, seem to be hindering its role in the clean-up of the city, as it has not been active in removing obstacles that prevent the city’s sanitation. The Ministry of Local Government and the Environment is awaiting the intervention of the Mayor and City Council to facilitate the clean-up process by removing these encumbrances.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday August 30, 2014

GT&T proposes hike in landline service charges By Abena Rockcliffe In a bid to justify an application for a rate hike, representatives of the Guyana Telephone and Te l e g r a p h C o m p a n y (GT&T) yesterday appeared before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). An application from GT&T for approval of a change of rates and new rates had been made to the PUC since early July. This is with respect to international outbound calls, local wire line or landline and ancillary services. The first hearing for this application was July and yesterday was the second. Gene Evelyn, one of GT&T’s representatives on yesterday’s panel told the Commission that he intends to demonstrate, by any means possible, that the company is indeed in problems. E v e l y n ’s c o m m e n t s came after he was told by the

Commission that the financial statements of 2011 negates the argument being put forward to justify the application for the hike; that the company is operating at a loss. Evelyn stated that GT&T is at present not even able to cover the cost of providing a wire line service which is like an albatross around the company’s neck. John Audit, another GT&T representative, told the Commission that the company has to increase its rates to survive. He noted however, that even with the hike, landline rates will still be significantly cheaper than mobile charges. Kaieteur News understands that the current service installation charge for residential areas is $500 but the proposed increase is $2000. For businesses, the current installation price is $1500 but GT&T is proposing to increase the rate to $6000. For dial tone lines, the current monthly charge for

“GT&T has a history of not delivering to the Guyanese people,” - Consumer activist, Leonard Craig contends one to two lines is $500 for residential areas. If customers require more lines the current charge is $1000. For businesses which may require one to four lines, the current rate is $1500. Lines exceeding that amount will incur a cost of $4000. However, the telephone company is proposing that customers pay $1000 if they want one to two lines for residential areas and $1500 if they require more. For businesses, they are suggesting that for one to four lines, the price be $3000 and if more, the increase would be $4500. Audit said that GT&T is cognizant that some consumers will reject the increased rates and terminate their landline services but it is a move that GT&T must make. He bemoaned the fact

that Guyanese are moving further away from landline use. Audit blamed this on services like WhatsApp and others. T h e G T & T representative said that people are no longer calling each other to find out simple things like “how you doing”, they are using Whats App instead. He noted that in such cases GT&T gets nothing. But even with this and other arguments put forward, Consumer activist, Leonard Craig made no bones about telling the GT&T representatives that the company is wasting time, being unproductive and is having a “feeding frenzy in Guyana.” He said that, at its inception, GT&T had enough receivables to monetize its purchase agreement price and as such could have started with a positive working capital base which would have affected positively its laglead analysis. Craig reminded the Commission that in return for this monopoly, GT&T agreed to a plan to expand its facilities and operations significantly. He pointed out that the original date for completion of the plan was December, 1993 which was subsequently amended to February, 1995, but by the end of 1999, GT&T had not yet delivered on its

agreement. According to Craig, “This demonstrates that GT&T has a history of not delivering to the Guyanese people while every single year, since its inception, it has met and extracted its 15% minimum rate of returns sought in the original agreement. As such, the Guyanese consumers have been meeting its obligation to GT&T every single year of the life of the company.” At this point Chairman of the Commission, Prem Persaud interjected saying that if it can be proven that GT&T is extracting its 15%, the application for increase will be completely rejected as that is the basis upon which the application is made. As Craig continued, he noted that GT&T has a lot of inefficiencies in its system “probably pointing to boardroom ineptitude; for example the E1 digitalized subscriber line service. GT&T has always had the capacity to deliver this service but waits until it is approaching obsolescence before introducing this as a service to Guyana.” He added that ‘domestic rate increase’ - seems to conveniently refer to landline services when indeed it refers to all domestic services taken together. The consumer activist, said, “what GT&T has done is to aggregate all its domestic costs and

disproportionately attributed it to the landline service as a disaggregated cost center, thereby overestimating its share attributable to any possible cost under runs. Therefore, the imbalance may not be as large as GT&T claims it to be or may not even exist at all, we cannot rely on the calculations provided by GTT they seem to be misleading.” Further, Craig noted that interconnection settlement service charge is $14 but GT&T charges $12 per min. He said that even with a deficit settlement charge, GT&T can and will have several surplus zones on every call, in that the settlement rate is a per second charge while the customer is billed by the minute. As such the differential will be a surplus, except in cases when a customer ends a call exactly on the minute. Craig told the Commission that further inefficiencies occurs with the long time it takes for GT&T to issue telephone lines to businesses and residences all over Guyana. He quoted from the National Development Strategy Chapter 6I.10 which states, “Moreover, there appears to be little rationality in the allocation of telephone connections for frequently, areas that are sandwiched between serviced districts are ignored and, far too often, individuals in particular streets are by-passed.” Craig added that GT&T (Continued on page 24)

Saturday August 30, 2014

Kaieteur News

Real estate agent charged in land fraud A 36-year-old real estate agent was granted $100,000 bail yesterday after he was charged for obtaining money from a client for a plot of land he was in no position to sell. Shawn Waaldijk, of Lot 90 Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown pleaded not guilty to the allegations before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The court heard that on February 18, last at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, Waaldijk obtained $500,000 from Alicia Joseph by falsely pretending that he could have sold her a house located at 1473 Block XXIV, Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara. P o l i c e P r o s e c u t o r, Michael Grant told the court that Joseph had told her

uncle that she was interested in purchasing a plot of land and he introduced her to the real estate agent. Waaldijk allegedly took Joseph to the area where the land is located in Buxton and she agreed to purchase it. The real estate agent reportedly asked for $500,000 for the plot of land and she paid it. The Court heard that after making her “purchase,” Joseph visited the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission Office and was told that the land belongs to someone else. The thwarted customer reported the matter to the police and following the real estate agent’s arrest, a charge of Obtaining Money by False Pretence was instituted against him.

Neighbours granted bail on burglary charges

ACCUSED: Shawn Waaldijk Waaldijk was represented by Attorney-atLaw Paul Fung-a-Fat who made an application for reasonable bail. The lawyer noted that his client has been working as a real estate agent for the past 16 years. The accused was granted bail and ordered to return to Court on September 30 before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Miner remanded for stealing raw gold from “mosquito” A 22-year-old gold miner was granted $100,000 after he was charged for stealing raw gold from an acquaintance. Garfield France, of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to face a Simple Larceny charge. The court heard that between August 20 and 21 at Blue Mountain, Cuyuni River, France stole 11.6 penny weight of raw gold belonging to Bernard Singh also known as ‘Mosquito.’ France was represented

by Attorney-at-Law, Kevon Bess, who requested that he be released on reasonable bail. Bess said that his client was not a flight risk and has intentions of attending court. P o l i c e P r o s e c u t o r, Michael Grant did not object to bail but asked that it be granted in a substantial amount. The lawyer, however, asked the court to consider the cost of the stolen raw gold, and stated that France is innocent “until proven otherwise.” The gold is valued at $121,800 The Magistrate granted the lawyer’s bail request.

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France will make his next court appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on September 8.

Two miners from Sand Road, Soesdyke who were accused of sneaking into the houses of two Linden/ Soesdyke residents and carting off almost $200,000 in items, were granted bail when they appeared in court yesterday. Anthony Rogers, 24, and Michael Lawrence, 33, who were taken before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, allegedly committed both acts on Tuesday night. The court heard that Rogers and Lawrence, employed as miners, broke into Rita Hyman’s house at Wiakabra and stole a generator set which cost $19,000. Afterwards, the duo reportedly ventured to Darwin Canterbury’s home in Kuru Kururu, and broke in while everyone was sleeping. They are accused of stealing a quantity of items, including jewellery, cellular phones, clothing and electrical items to the value of $170,000. P o l i c e P r o s e c u t o r, Corporal Simone Payne, reported that on the night in

ACCUSED: Michael Lawrence question Canterbury was awakened by his baby who had started crying. He ventured into his kitchen and noticed that five of the window panes had been removed. Payne said that the victim continued searching his house and discovered that a number of valuables were missing. The matters were reported and during the investigation, police ranks were led to Rogers’ house where they found some of the missing articles. The Prosecutor reported

ACCUSED: Anthony Rogers that further investigations led the ranks to Lawrence’s house (next door to Rogers) where the other articles were found. The miners were subsequently charged with break and enter and larceny. During their court hearing, they pleaded not guilty and submitted bail applications through their lawyer, Paul Fung-a-Fat. They were separately granted $80,000 bail on each charge. The duo is scheduled to appear at the Providence Magistrates’ Court on October 18.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday August 30, 2014

Son of Suriname’s President guilty of cocaine, terrorist related charges PA R A M A R I B O , Suriname: Dino Bouterse (41), son of the President Desi Bouterse of Suriname, pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to smuggle cocaine to the U.S., aid Hezbollah, a U.S.designated terrorist organization, international media reports indicate. “In 2013, I knowingly provided a false Surinamese passport to a person I believed to be associated with Hezbollah, an organization I knew to be designated a terrorist organization by the United States,” Bouterse, said at a court hearing Friday in New York, according to a Reuters report.

The defendant also pleaded guilty to conspiring to import narcotics and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime. Bouterse faces a sentence of between 15 years and life in prison and he is being accused of attempting to assist individuals he believed to be Hezbollah representatives, to establish a base in Suriname to attack Americans. He has negotiated a paycheck of initially US$2M, court documents show. The defendant was arrested a year earlier in Panama and subsequently extradited to the United States on charges that he conspired to smuggle

cocaine to the U.S. Edmund Muntslag, a co-defendant, was arrested in Trinidad and Tobago at the same time and is currently fighting a court battle there to prevent his extradition to the U.S. Instead of the anti-tank launcher named in the indictment, as part of a plea deal, Bouterse admits that he was brandishing a handgun when he showed, who later appeared to be undercover agents a quantity of cocaine in his office in Paramaribo. At the hearing in a Manhattan court. Bouterse was dressed in blue prison garb, sometimes using a Dutch interpreter in his exchanges with Judge Shira Scheindlin. The judge

warned that if a terrorism enhancement applies to his case, his minimum sentence could double from 15 years to 30 years behind bars. Sentencing is scheduled for January 2015. The undercover operation to trap the defendant took about nine months. Documents indicate that Bouterse was approached by two confidential informants of

the Drug Enforcement Administration, who claimed to have ties with the Mexican drug organization who were looking to put up shop in Suriname. According to the indictment, Bouterse promised that he could help with the cocaine trafficking operation and that he also could provide firearms. A test run of 10 kilos cocaine he tried to export from Suriname to the

GUILTY: Dino Bouterse US were seized in Trinidad and Tobago.

CORN SEED PRODUCTION increases in Caribbean Region Thanks to the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) through its Revenue Generating Unit established in 2013, farmers in the Region would be cultivating over 1,800 acres of corn for the 2014 crop. During the latter part of last year, 29,000 pounds of corn seed were produced and sold to farmers, CARDI said in a recent press release. “This represented a 50 percent increase in corn seeds produced and supplied by CARDI for the Region’s farmers,” the institute said. According to CARDI, the new markets supplied with corn seed included Grenada that utilised 7,500 pounds of yellow field corn variety, to establish just over 400 acres to be supplied to the boiling and roasting markets. “An additional 1,000 pounds were also supplied to the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute of Guyana for evaluation and 10,000 pounds to Belize. A further 10,000 pounds of CARDI’s white corn seed varieties were also supplied to the Ministry of Agriculture in Belize for distribution to farmers for production of corn flour for the 2014 crop,”

the release said. Annually, CARDI has been producing corn and soybean grain, for livestock and the Mennonite poultry feed mills in Belize at competitive prices at its farm located in Central Farms, using a fully mechanized planting, harvesting and drying operation. The 2014 corn crop is on the way and is expected to produce 137,000 pounds of corn grain from 34 acres to supply to the feed mills. The soya bean crop will be established in November 2014 and is expected to yield 141,100 pounds of soybean grain from 79 Ha. With a focus on increasing crop and small ruminant productivity by equipping the Region’s agribusiness sector to deal with the challenges of climate change, increasing incidence of invasive pests, low productivity and increasing costs of inputs, CARDI established the Revenue Generating Unit in 2013. The Unit supplements the Institute’s operating cost, and is focused on generating revenue from research activities with commercial potential and align CARDI’s technical assets for greater revenue generation and cost reduction. The Unit has since

established 11 Revenue Centres in its first phase. Four of these are based in Belize and have been generating revenue from mercantile corn and soybean grain production and corn and soybean seed production for sale. The Revenue Generating Unit expects to assist CARDI in achieving its mandate, primarily by increasing the availability and usage of C A R I C O M ’s M e m b e r States’ indigenous planting material to the wider Caribbean farming community; and providing sustainable technology, technical support and monitoring systems developed by CARDI to the Region’s agribusiness sector. Under the judicious stewardship of Dr. Arlington Chesney, Executive Director, the Resource Mobilization, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit was instituted in 2008 to attract and retain financial resources for research for development from international and regional sources. This became necessary since the contributions from member states have not increased relative to inflation over the years. The establishment of the Revenue Generating Unit further supports this goal.

Saturday August 30, 2014

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call:225-9032,647-2943 1 Cupboard, 1 imported wall divider, 1 imported 4 piece table & chair, 1 stainless steel sink, 1 freezer (good quality & affordable price) Contact: 686-8343 White Tibetan Terrier pups for sale – Call: 649-4247 I have some nice Greenheart Logs and Green heart piles for sale @ the best prices guaranteed – Tel: 639-3450 German shepherd and Doberman mixed pups Contact: 615-0513. 1-25 KVA Generator (Diesel), food warmers, deep fryers, 1 RX8 Car – Call Raj: 260-4643 Parika Supenaam Route Speed Boat with 2-75HP Yamaha - Cheap! - Tel: 695-8381 One Bedford truck, Model ‘M’ 4X4 with winch, excellent condition – Tel: 601-1200 Massey Ferguson 390 4X4fully renovated – Call: 6886274, 691-3851, 338-2591 Used electrical motor, 60HZ, 440Volts, 30HP, 60HP, 75HP,125HP, 150HP,200HP (in excellent condition) contact: 601-3194 or 266-2207 Laptops, desktop computer, cell phone, barber chair, mirror and station for salon . Call: 600-0036, 223-1719 Minibus (pit-bull) sliding glass - $23,000, Premio$2.3M, Allion-$2.2, Noah$1.6 – Contact: 628-0909 Parika Supenaam run Boat equipped with 2-75HP Yamaha – Tel: 695-8381 Metal clothes rack, salon chairs, salon dryers – Contact Simone: 227-0501, 626-5317 Fluffy puppies for sale – Contact: 641-6162, 222-5671 Yamaha outboard from 2250Hp 1-2003 Yamaha Jet Ski, 1- 2004 F150 Lariat, Miller Welder/Generator – Tel:6580337, 666-6618 High proof super custom long based mini bus, in excellent condition – Call: 646-8748 FOR HIRE Large enclosed canter Contact: 694-5460, 266-5771

Kaieteur News

VACANCY 24 Hour East Coast Guyoil needs night pump attendants, salesgirl, office assistant & handyman- Call: 669-4755/ 695-9880 International Cruiseline Purser officer, waitresses, waiters, cooks, receptionist, storekeeper, cleaners, electrician, carpenter, plumber, musicians etc – Tel: 650-9880 Sales representatives in G/ Town to sell Groceries & beverages. Send application to Maya @ Kaieteur News, 24 Saffon Street. Earn $5,000-$20,000, work from home plus free training, www.jobfairworldwide.com – Call: 233-6517/ 622-1957. Pharmacist and pharmacy assistant/technician must have 5 years working experienced in pharmacy – Call: 661-3124 Old forestry workers to work in the interior age 35-45 for more information – Call: 6519934 or 664-5150 LORRY DRIVER living on E.B.D, GUARD for Land of Canaan, accommodation available. 266 4427 Experienced Cashiers, cooks & counter attendants, apply to Hot & Spicy, Lot 112 Third & Albert Streets. Cook, bartender, security guard, handyman, maid for restaurant 25yrs & up @ Lot 44 Public Road Kitty/ Tel:231-1908/ 231-1912 Live in housekeeper to take care of infant – 35-45yrs – Tel: 697-8797 One Trainee refrigeration technician – Call: 231-0655, 683-8734

PROPERTY FOR SALE 1- 2storey wooden & Concrete house with 5 bedrooms upper flat & lower flat 4 apartments located@ Shell Road, kitty - $34M - Tel: 642-7898 Two storey concrete house (26X45 ft), 4 bedrooms, 3 washrooms, grilled with electronic security @ Granville Park, Beterverwagting Tel: 672-6169 Kitty- $35M, Mocha (2 Buildings)-$15M, Meadowbrook - $16M, Lamaha Garden - $55M – Contact Diana: 227-2256, 626-9382 One new ranch type house for sale in Roxanne Burnham Gardens – Call: Rick 664-2006 price negotiable! Property at Good-Hoop, E.C.D – Tel: 621-1722

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 GT TOOL RENTALS: CONTRACTORS; CARPENTER, HOME OWNERS, RENT ANY TOOLS, FREE DELIVERY, SAWS, HILTI & MORE – CALL: 675-0767, 627-5098 Two bedroom furnished apartment in Campbellville – Call: 665-2548 Prime business building; top and bottom flat @ Lot 78 Hadfield Street – Contact Simone: 227-0501, 626-5317 One business premises at Stewartville Opposite primary & secondary school. Contact: 613-5261 One 2 bedroom bottom flat to rent in Diamond E.B.D $40,000 – Call: 651-6263, 6581523, 672-0811

LAND FOR SALE 1500 Acres Transported Land near Bartica Essequibo River Front to Potaro Road – Contact Mark Hack: 6031266 or 704-465-2222 At Eccles Housing Scheme price $5.5M - negotiable Call: 616-6000 Erkerous, gold and diamond land, large land for residential and farming – Call: 600-0036, 223-1719 Three Acres transported house lots and 1 Acre rice land @ Golden Grove W.C.Berbice Call:226-9582, 603-2095

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WANTED Females to work in Bakery located in Best Village W.C.D Tel:254-1399, 627-2515 Carpenters and mason – Contact: 615-7526, 668-9863 Receptionist with computer and cosmetology experience. Hairstylist with haircutting and barbering experience- Call 2264573 Ice cream driver, age 4050yrs, Salesgirls 18-28yrs – Tel: 218-3021 One person to work on Sundays only & one person to work part-time – Contact:226-2320, or 193 Charlotte St. G/Town. Young attractive and courteous counter girl for Creole restaurant – Contact: 669-9678 Urgently needed live in waitress, affordable salary – Tel: 259-0574. 1 Experienced canter driver to work at Tuschen West Coast Demerara – Tel:6848231, 629-4236 Mason, Carpenter, experienced welder, clerk, secretary, farm workers – Contact: 265-3586 One experienced male cook for the interior location – Call Charlie: 623-4242, 688-2464 One mechanic to work in interior must know about RZ & pickup etc – Call: 681-6044 One live in maid to work in home in Georgetown – Tel:669-6030 One male/female to work in a shop in the Interior – Tel: 6816044. One 4 day domestic, preferably from East Bank only – Call: 681-3812 between 8:00am-4pm Experienced cosmetologist – Call: 639-3113 Live in couple for domestic and care taking duties – Tel: 227-1830 One live in cook / maid between age 40-45 preferably out of Georgetown – Tel: 2264942 One experienced wash bay worker, urgently needed must know to drive – Call:223-6474, 694-0569, 6931782 Responsible hire car driver – Tel: 231-7200

SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773

VEHICLE FOR SALE Special sale on new model Spacio, with camera, TV, DVD, Spoiler, unregistered $2.1M – Tel: 617-2891 Toyota Voxy - $1.8M, Toyota Premio - $2.3M, Toyota Spacio $2.1M, all vehicle are fully loaded – Tel: 617-2891 Unregistered: 2003 Premio $2.450M Neg, 2004 Spacio $2.150M, 2002 Spacio - $2.150 Neg. Tel: 616-3001, 270-5042 One Bedford 4x4 Hiab Truck $3.8M, One Toyota Hilux Solid Axle - $2.4M – Tel: 667-1833 Toyota Hilux Surf, RZN-185, 4x4, Automatic, Excellent Condition – Tel: 617-0544 One Leyland DAF 4x4 Winch bush truck - $3.2M, price negotiable – Call: 667-1833 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 Unregistered Spacio 2003, TV, Navigator, dark interior, rims, rear spoiler, fog lamp – Tel: 617-5536 Special sale on new model Spacio, with Back & front Camera, TV/DVD/CD, Spoiler - $2M – Tel: 617-2891 2007 Mazda Axela, 2008 Toyota Premio, 2003 Toyota Verossa with TV & Rims – Tel: 615-4114. One Mitsubishi Canter 3½ Tons – Tel:626-9254, 264-2582 Motor Car Toyota Cresta (5X-70) – Contact: 225-9395 or 624-8788 Unregistered Premio, fully loaded- $2.3M, negotiable – Contact: 226-5473

PENPAL

MASSAGE LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997

Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045 Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call:2259032,647-2943 School bus from Land of Canaan to Greater Georgetown and back – Call:646-5147 Professional grill works, razor wired installation, repairs maintenance and sliding gate etc – Call: 6616793 or 677-2482 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer Call Omar: 231-0655, 683-8734 School Bus Service from West Bank to Swami School West Coast Demerara – Tel:624-0622, 614-5639 Dog Training: Have your dog properly trained – Call: 628-2826 For the best in landscaping, the most reliable & trustworthy landscapers call us @ 648-1821 Design Team Neher.

TO LET Alberttown - $65,000, BelAir-$150,000, Kitty (Office Space)$65,000, Campbellville - $90,000 – Contact Diana: 227-2256, 626-9382 Lower flat @ L23-1015 Perry Street Tucville – Tel: 648-7621 Furnished 2 bedroom apartment in Linden for local & overseas guest short term rental – Call: 614-4415/ 444-4704 Small business space in Stabroek Area – Tel:2312619, 691-7164

Guyanese male age 27 seeking female companion for serious relationship – Call: 691-4716 (no texting) CAR RENTAL Progressive Auto Rental: Cars & SUV for rental$4,000 & up per day- Call: 643-5122, 219-3900, Email:pro_autorental @yahoo.com

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

T h e G e n t ’s S p a : B e pampered by beautiful masseuses, new attendant C a n d y, four hands massages, drinks available – Tel: 657-5979

2 Bedrooms flat @ Anira St, Queenstown - $80,000 monthly – Phone: 617-4261 3 Bedrooms flat @ Anira St, Queenstown - $120,000 monthly –Phone: 617-4261 (Continued on page 24)

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GT&T proposes hike in landline... (From page 23)

EDUCATION Caribbean First Class Elementary Thorough Reading, Phonics, Comprehension and composition program, lessons for Grades 1-6 – Call: 231-4161, 684-7403 New Courses Starting September: Computerized Accounting, 4 courses $35,000, QuickBooks, P.Tree, POS @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-EnHoop -264-3057 Didn’t Do Well in Mathematics/ English ? Join Us Now! Individual Training @ MicroGraphics Vreed-EnHoop Tel: 264-3057 9 Courses Diploma In Computers $35,000 SPECIAL DEAL FOR 2014, CSEC students MicroGraphics @ Vreed En Hoop- 264-3057 Grade 1-6, also ready classes, Kitty Campbellville – Call: 654-8650

CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTAL. CALL: 225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 D O L LY S A U T O R E N T A L @ YA H O O . COM/ WWW. DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL. COM

From page 14 has not made any “significant” investment in changing equipment in any “significant way.” He pelted several accusations in the face of GT&T including one suggesting that the telephone company has been taking advantage of Guyana. Craig said that instead of making investments, GT&T chooses to “jump on the backs” of Guyanese consum-

ers when it has a choice to be innovative. He posited that the company has capacity that has not yet been tapped into. In citing an example, Craig pointed out that GT&T has not activated landline voicemail service “while lots of people go around buying answering machines,… this could have been avoided.” In conclusion, Craig said that, without raising a single cent in rates GT&T has the

capacity to sustain itself. He then recommended that the Commission sends a message to GT&T to be innovative and stop “taking advantage of Guyanese consumers. Persaud told GT&T that in two weeks, the Commission will submit further queries to GT&T. Gene declared that the company will respond a week after that and will also reply to Craig’s concerns.

Guyana's CMRV model lauded by... From page 21 communities over the past three years on the CMRV programme; training them on the use of the relevant technologies. “I can walk away from the communities in that area feeling assured that not only have they got a solid grasp on the technology that they are using, but they can also take the data themselves, understand it, report on that data locally to their own toshaos and make use of it in their vil-

lages, they can also report it to the national level and they can report it internationally,” Parsons said. The Natural Resources Ministry has on several occasions, emphasised the importance of having a robust monitoring system for the south of Guyana. The CMRV being developed in Konashen, which accounts for close to 600,000 hectares or 1.5M acres of forest in pristine south regions of Guyana, has been supported by the Government

because of this prioritisation. Minister Persaud said that, “we are pleased to be working with WWF to advance this common goal…we urge that consideration be given to ensuring such an effort is sustainable through the integrating of monitoring, reporting and verification elements at the community level. It is also imperative that the models being developed have the potential to be replicated at other communities in Guyana and also in similar cases, in other countries.”

GNIC completes... From page 18 powered by steam originally (it was built in Saltney, Wales in 1927) before being converted in the Lombard St. Shipyard to use diesel fuel. Sprostons became the Guyana National Engineering Corporation (GNEC) in 1976 then GNIC in 1995.

The company has always traded on its spacious drydock which, with a max capacity of some 800 tons, remains one of the chief ship repair facilities in coastal Guyana, equipped with the necessary human expertise and mechanical facilities.

Letters... Where your views

African politics and... From page 5 David Granger-led APNU, for the country’s present political crisis. This accusation is purely self-serving, since it fails to take on board the fact that the PPPC has not demonstrated an enlightened position which recognizes the fact it had lost the majority in the 2011 elections. Political maturity post2011 elections required that it offered the opposition the option of joining it in government. Instead, that party chose to go down the slippery slope of running a minority government. In making that choice, the PPPC forced the majority in parliament to do what it did. But in the PPPC’s paradigm they are blameless. They have refused to accept political responsibility for their actions and they are devoid of self-criticism. In all of this the political opposition has not been blameless. The mistakes the opposition have made were first, to refuse to initiate/join the struggle after the elections for shared governance; and secondly to give their supporters the erroneous impression that the “so-called” new dispensation offered hope that would lead to economic and social benefits for them. The opposition’s political miscalculation was to underestimate the PPPC leadership’s ruthless political culture of pretending to be reasonable while it was in fact hell bent on practicing hard ball politics. The ridiculous ease with which the PPPC conned the opposition into indulging that party’s propensity for meaningless dialogue underscored

how naïve the leadership of the opposition has been. When the political opposition entered into dialogue with the PPPC which was not time bound, it signalled to the PPPC that they were willing cannon fodder to the PPPC’s big guns. The PPPC’s success over the last 24 years has been characterized by mastering the art of not conceding anything to the other side unless those opposed to them were willing to pay a high political price. What in normal democracy people can achieve by making demands to the powers that be, in Guyana under PPPC rule, it has become a life and death struggle for demands to be met. Having said the above, I am prepared to urge, even at the risk of political isolation and condemnation of myself by my detractors, that in spite of the popular support among opposition constituents for the no confidence motion, the opposition leaders should take advantage of the public interest created by the motion, bite the “bullet” on this motion, and begin a massive mobilisation of their supporters for constitutional reform before elections. In closing, I wish to recognise the contributions of two columnists, Mr Henry Jeffrey and Mr Ralph Ramkarran, who have been leading the struggle for constitutional reform and a political solution to Guyana’s ongoing crisis, post-2011 general and regional elections. It is unfortunate that their voices of reason seem to be falling on deaf ears. Tacuma Ogunseye

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EU ministers discuss firmer action on Russia over Ukraine MILAN (Reuters) European Union foreign ministers considered yesterday the options for firmer action against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, discussing tougher sanctions but leaving any decision to their national leaders. Ministers attending the informal meeting in Milan spoke of possibly toughening an arms embargo, extending the list of individuals or sectors targeted by economic sanctions and sending military equipment to Ukraine. But diplomats said any new steps would only be taken by EU heads of state and government meeting in Brussels today. “The Russians have crossed our red line many times and will go on until they are stopped,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, who strongly backs tougher sanctions, told Reuters. “Many ministers today have said that EU measures against Russia should be extended.” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius could not attend, but told France 24

television in Paris: “If Russia does not change its conduct, sanctions will probably be tightened even more.” Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini, tipped to become the new EU foreign policy chief, said the ministers were looking for a long-term strategy to solve the Ukrainian crisis rather than a quick reaction. The five-month conflict in Ukraine reached a dangerous point this week after NATO said on Thursday that well over 1,000 Russian troops had crossed the Ukrainian border and were fighting alongside pro-Moscow separatists. Russia says it is not involved in the conflict pitting the rebels against the Ukrainian military, but EU foreign ministers were clearly not persuaded. “We have to react, we should show solidarity to our neighbors,” said Denmark’s Martin Lidegaard as he entered the meeting chaired by Italy, the current EU president. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, speaking from Amsterdam, said tougher sanctions against Russia should be considered.

The EU and the United States announced sanctions against Russia at the end of July, targeting its energy, banking and defense sectors. Previously the EU had only imposed sanctions against certain individuals and organizations accused of direct involvement in threatening Ukraine. Poland said Russian “aggression” had created the most serious security crisis in Europe for decades and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned of a possible broader conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “If the situation continues to worsen, finding a political situation becomes more and more difficult,” he said. Fighting in eastern Ukraine erupted in April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in response to the toppling of a pro-Moscow president in Kiev. A U.N. report this week said more than 2,200 people had been killed, not including the 298 who died when a Malaysian airliner was shot down over rebel-held territory in July.

Britain raises its terrorism threat level over Syria, Iraq (Reuters) - Britain raised its terrorism alert yesterday to the second-highest level with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the Islamic State (IS) group operating in Syria and Iraq posed the country’s greatest ever security risk. The government said there was no evidence an attack was imminent but the assessment of the latest intelligence by security chiefs justified elevating the international threat level to “severe”, meaning a strike was “highly likely”. “What we’re facing in Iraq now with ISIL (IS) is a greater and deeper threat to our security than we have known before,” said Cameron, adding he was “absolutely satisfied that ISIL ... would make specific threats to the UK”. It is the first time since mid-2011 that Britain has been placed on this grade of alert by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), the independent body responsible for setting the national threat level. The national threat level was first published in 2006, just over a year after four British Islamists carried out suicide bombings on

David Cameron London’s transport network killing 52 people. Police chiefs said raising the level to severe would mean a rise in the level of visible patrols, along with other security and protection measures. White House spokesman John Earnest said: “This is a threat that the United States has been focused on. We’ve been coordinating closely with our allies, both the Brits, but others in Europe, about countering this threat and mitigating it.” The British move comes

less than two weeks after a video released by IS showed the beheading of U.S. journalist James Foley, by a masked knifeman apparently speaking English with a London accent. An investigation to identify the suspected attacker is in train. Foley’s murder prompted demands for extra security measures to tackle Britons travelling to the Middle East to join militant groups. Officials have warned that some who had gone to Syria or Iraq might return to Britain to carry out attacks. British and European authorities have been warning for many months the Syrian conflict posed a serious terrorism threat, but no specific reason was given why JTAC had raised its alert. “The increase in the threat level is related to developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West,” Home Secretary (interior minister) Theresa May said in a statement. “Some of those plots are likely to involve foreign fighters who have travelled there from the UK and Europe to take part in those conflicts.”

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Kaieteur News

Embattled court official barred from leaving St Vincent on one-way ticket KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent - CMC - The Immigration Department has prevented the embattled former Registrar of the High Court, Vanessa Tamara Gibson-Marks from leaving the island for her homeland, less than 24 hours after she was granted bail on theft, abuse of office, and false certification charges. “The information received is that there is ongoing investigation in which Miss Marks was needed and she was stopped,” Chief Immigration Officer, Stanford Hamilton confirmed. Marks was granted EC$30,000 (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) bail with one surety when she appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court last Thursday, less than 24-hours after she returned to St. Vincent for the first time since she left on May 21. The court did not ask her

Vanessa Tamara Gibson-Marks to surrender her travel documents. “The court granted Miss Marks bail, and there were conditions in relation to the bail that was granted. The issue at hand had nothing to do with the bail which she was granted,” Hamilton told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

“The condition in which she was granted bail was already stated on the bond. That had nothing to do with the issue in which she was stopped.” Gibson-Marks checked in to travel on a one-way ticket to St. Lucia last Friday, but she was unchecked and her bags removed. The flight was initially booked by Duane Daniel — one of Gibson-Marks’ lawyers — in Daniel’s name last Thursday. Gibson-Marks pleaded not guilty to the charges against her and is scheduled to re-appear at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on October 7. She is also expected in court next month to give cause why she should not be disbarred from practicing law in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Dominica to screen West African students for signs of Ebola ROSEAU, Dominica CMC – Dominica says while it will not impose a travel ban on people coming from Africa, it will screen new students arriving here from West Africa where an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has resulted in more than a thousand deaths. Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Johnson, speaking on the state-owned DBS radio, said that a meeting had been held involving various stakeholders to look at the threat the virus, for which there is no known cure, poses to the island. “There are a lot of discussions in light of what may have happened in other countries as to the pros and cons of putting travel restrictions. The advice that we provide is that given the low risk that we have at this time and given the best

available evidence that we have, given all of the obligations we have under the international health regulations…we are guided a lot by what the World Health Organization advises.” Dr. Johnson said that the advise is that “we cannot go down the route of imposing travel restrictions at this time. “So we would not advise any restriction on travel or on trade at this time,” he said, noting however that a screening questionnaire for West African nationals entering Dominica would be implemented. “We have worked very closely with the medical school (here) where we know there are a number of students from Nigeria and other parts of Africa. “We have ascertained the number of students they are

expecting to come from that country. We have developed what is referred to as a screening mechanism. We have gotten the numbers, we will identify those students when they arrive…find out exactly which part of Nigeria they coming from, whether there is any possibility of them being in contact with anyone who may have had Ebola”.

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More reform to come, says PM Trinidad Guardian - After three days of intense debate inside and outside of Parliament, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill was sent to the committee stage to allow senators to make amendments but Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar says there will be more changes to come to the electoral process. PersadBissessar, who had been deeply involved in the drafting of the bill, said another bill for fixed election dates was being considered by Cabinet. She also said the Government was still looking at proportional representation. In an hourlong wrap-up of the bill, which proposes fixed election dates, term limits for prime ministers, the right to recall nonperforming MPs and a runoff ballot system, PersadBissessar praised Independent senators for

their input. She also condemned the Opposition’s criticisms, saying they failed to make any suggestions and had taken a decision to vote against even before the bill was read. However, she assured there was no need to fear the bill as it was the people who would decide who governed the country. She said: “I thank you members of the Independent bench because whilst it is that the Opposition did not come out with a single idea or proposals as to the way forward, indeed it was as Mr (Rennie) Dumas said in his article that they did not propose any way forward, any suggestions, apart from condemnation. “I was very happy that from the Independent bench that there were suggestions coming forward from several of them. “I think the comment made by Senator (David)

Small that we are going into uncharted waters, that is so totally true. The very reasoned comment came from Senator (Anthony) Vieira. “Honourable Senator (Dhanayshar) Mahabir came up with a very interesting session, which we certainly would give consideration to at the committee stage. “Honourable Senator Mr (Victor) Wheeler has his own concerns and he has spoken from a Tobago perspective and the perspectives of his patients. “He said he has been speaking with his patients and they told him to do the righ t thing. Honourable Senator as your conscience dictates, I am sure you will do the right thing.” Persad-Bissessar took offence to Roach’s call for an early election, saying she had never heard an Independent senator making such a call in her 26 years as a politician.

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Shock waves hit U.S. Open as Halep, Kerber and Venus... From page 30 junior, but a surprise nonetheless. Errani, loser of all three previous singles matches against Williams in straight sets, outdueled the seventimes grand slam winner in a thrilling third-set tiebreaker to win their roller-coaster clash 6-0 0-6 7-6 (5). Two other veterans also advanced. Ninth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, 2 9 , c r u s h e d S w e d e n ’s Johanna Larsson 6-1 6-0, and 28-year-old Peng Shuai of China registered another upset. The 39th-ranked Peng,

who upset fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round, eliminated 28th seed Roberta Vinci of Italy 64 6-3. Williams served for the match at 5-3, but the 27year-old Errani broke the big-serving 34-year-old American for the third time in a topsy-turvy third set to bring the match back on serve and set up a climactic tiebreaker. After the hot-and-cold opening to the match, the longtime doubles adversaries went toe-to-toe with long rallies and exciting exchanges

that often culminated at the net. In the third-set decider, the Italian took a 5-2 advantage before Williams rattled off three points in a row to tie it. Then in the point of the match, Errani reached match point after a sensational trade of volleys and drop shots on a backhand volley winner into the open court that brought both an ovation from the Arthur Ashe crowd. Errani finished the twohour clash on her first opportunity with a crackling forehand cross court winner

Saturday August 30, 2014 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Friendship could turn into romance if you aren't careful, Aries. A platonic relationship could turn passionate, and no one would be more surprised than you. Think carefully about where you'd like this to go. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Today you wake up feeling reinvigorated and renewed, Taurus. You feel as though you can accomplish anything. And very likely, today you can. Anything you set your mind and attention to works out beautifully. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) People often see you as shy and reserved, Gemini, but of course you know that you're really very friendly once you relax. Today you find it unusually easy to interact with others.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're likely aware of your writing abilities, Libra, but you may not realize the extent of your talent. It would be worthwhile to devote more time to your craft. You can't improve much if writing time is interrupted by other obligations. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Tact isn't necessarily your strong suit, Scorpio. No one would accuse you of being overly sensitive to other people's emotions, but today you turn over a new leaf. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) If you aren't getting on a plane today, Sagittarius, expect to in the near future. Your wanderlust is back and you're bound for the wild blue yonder yet again, most likely to someplace exotic.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) All things domestic are highlighted, Cancer. It could be that you've finally called the plumber or set out to do those household repairs yourself. New people are likely to come into your life.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Positive change rarely happens without effort. Keep this in mind as transformation occurs quickly. You may feel as though you're in the middle of a whirlpool and getting sucked deeper and deeper, unsure of where you'll ultimately end up.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Keep your mind open to any and all possibilities today, Leo. It's likely that you'll encounter someone who imparts valuable information. You may not realize right away just how important this information is, but it could have a dramatic impact on your life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Yo u h a v e natural leadership abilities, and today would be an ideal day to make use of this talent. In the past you may have hesitated to step forward and implement your ideas.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your ship could come in today, Virgo. It will happen unexpectedly, and it may take you some time to adjust to this sudden financial windfall.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today you feel in control and on top of the world. You can do anything, Pisces. This would be an auspicious time to begin a new project or creative endeavor.

that allowed her to celebrate with fists pumping and a roar of triumph. O n t h e m e n ’s s i d e , fourth seed David Ferrer of Spain reached the third round without lifting his racket when Australian Bernard Tomic withdrew with a hip injury. Bulgarian seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov breezed into the third round with the loss of just five games against Israel’s Dudi Sela, and Belgian David Goffin lost just one game more in

advancing past Joao Sousa of Portugal. Dimitrov will next meet Sousa. France’s Gael Monfils, the 20th seed, moved on with a straight sets win over Alejandro Gonzalez. Working harder was 18thseeded South African Kevin Anderson, a four-set winner against Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, while Spain’s 19th seed Feliciano L o p e z won a fourth-set tiebreaker to advance past Japanese qualifier Tatsuma Ito.

Sara Errani

Semi-finals on today at Wisburg... From page 35 can positively dictate the outcome of any matchup. The finals are slated for Sunday, September 7, at the Bayroc Community Ground and it’s going to be epic. Group A Winners Connection 9, Net

Guyana ... From page 30 Demerara Distilleries Ltd., Sentinel Security, GT&T, Demerara Bank Ltd., Banks DIH, Bissoondyal Singh of Elizabeth Styles, Berbice River Bridge, Hand In Hand Insurance, E-Networks, Raffik and Sons Constructions, Jayzee of USA, Sunshine Supermarket, NPG, Nand Persaud Karibee Rice, Ainlim, Mary Prashad Gas Station, Ishmael Poultry, The New Building Society, Asheik and Sons Spare Parts and Auto Sale, Danzies Fashion Centre and Auto Sales, Peter Ferreira of Canada, Advance Agri, Poonai Pharmacy, Zai Permaul, Terminate Pest Control, Metro Computer and Office Supplies, Balram Shane, Furniture World, Ramesh Maraj, Bhagoo, Digital Technology, Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, A. Ally and Sons, Geddes Grant, J’s Printer and Mr. David Armogan, Regional Chairman, RDC 6.

Rockers FC 6, Kara Kara Kriptonite 0, Hi-Stars FC 0. Group B - Eagles United 9, Butofagoo FC 6, Vasco FC 0, Coomacka FC 0. Among the sponsors who’ve come on board to make the tournament a success are: Caribbean International Distributers Inc. (CIDI) Thrill Soft Drinks, Rubis Guyana Inc., Giftland Office Max, Danny & Reshma Groceries, S & L Electrical, Farfan

& Mendes, Trophy Stall, Express Shipping, CG’S Promotions, S n o o k s Va r i e t y, Bernard’s Variety, Stag Bar, Figgy’s Groceries, Wills Electrical, LJ Shopping Zone (Randy Hall), Rite Care Pharmacy, Mayfield Clothing, River View Shopping Center, Office Pro, Dexter Copeland, Stanley Lancaster, Abdulla Hamid, Shamine Hinds , Major Murray and Bunny.

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Hope Football U-20 Sports View by Neil Kumar final set for tomorrow The final of the 2nd Hope Memorial Under-20 football competition is slated for tomorrow at Burnham Park, New Amsterdam. The East v West affair will see New Amsterdam United (NAU) and Monedderlust of West Berbice facing off. Both teams scored impressive victories in their respective semi final encounters; NAU whipped Rosignol United 4-1 while Monedderlust trounced Hope Football Club 4-0. NAU will have the likes of Jomaul Butts, Shakeel Grant, Stephon Boucher, Graham Stevenson, Jeremy Samuels and Omari Bentham doing duties between the uprights.

Monedderlust, will be spearheaded by National Under-17 players Kevin Layne and Brian Thom with support expected from Akimo Watts. Kickoff time tomorrow is 15:30hrs. The competition has been organized by the Hope Memorial Foundation in memory of the late Wilbur “Hopey” Hope a former national footballer, referee, coach, mentor and enthusiast. The Hope Football Club which is a part of the Hope Foundation was formed in memory of the late footballer in October 2012. Hope, a former resident of Tucber Park, New Amsterdam

suffered from an Acute Heart condition and passed away at the Young Age of 33. During his days he participated in numerous sporting activities representing Guyana in football and athletics. On September 17, 2012, U.S Army Soldier Kevin Henry, a former New Amsterdam resident realized his dream of honoring his former mentor and friend, by launching the inaugural Hope Memorial Inter School Football Tournament (HMFT) which is also played yearly. A pavilion in his memory was also constructed and donated by his family to the people of Tucber Park.

Chanderpaul to play for SKN in warm-up The St Kitts & Nevis Cricket Association yesterday named the 13-man squad to play the upcoming three-day match against Bangladesh. The match will be played at Warner Park from today to Monday, September 1. Play starts daily at 10 am (9am Jamaica Time). The squad will be led by allrounder Jacques Taylor. The squad also includes Shiv Chanderpaul, who is a guest player. The 40-year-old is the most capped West Indian in Test matches. He has played 156 Test matches since his debut 20 years ago. He has scored 11,414 runs, at an average of 51.88 per innings, including 29 centuries. Also included is fast bowler Quinton Boatswain. The 23-yearold – from Montserrat – is a recent graduate of the Sagicor West Indies High Performance Centre and has played four firstclass matches for the Leeward Islands. Squad - Jacques Taylor (captain), Elvin Berridge, Shino

Shiv Chanderpaul Berridge, Quinton Boatswain, Shiv Chanderpaul, Jaeel Clarke (wicket-keeper), Tristan Handley, Javal Hodge, Shane Jeffers,

Jeremiah Lewis, Shaquille Martina, Terrence Ward, Tonito Willett, Percy Daniel (Coach), Major Leroy Percival (Manager).

CONCACAF and IMG Ink Deal for International Media Rights Miami – The Confederation of North Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has announced that IMG has secured an exclusive agreement to market the international media rights for all of the confederation’s events from 2015, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 and the CONCACAF Champions’ League. The deal, which also covers the CONCACAF Under20 and Under-17 Championships in both men’s and women’s disciplines, the CONCACAF Women’s Championship USA 2014 and the UNCAF Central American Cup Tigo 2014 USA, will see IMG distribute worldwide media rights outside of CONCACAF’s pre-existing territories.

Michael Mellor, Senior Vice President, Head of Football, IMG Media, said: “The success of the U.S., Costa Rica and Mexico at the World Cup is testament to the high standard of football in the region and will ensure increased interest in CONCACAF events around the world going forward. Our global network and expertise will help grow both revenue and awareness of the tournaments as the appetite for competitive international and top club football events continues to grow.” CONCACAF General Secretary, Enrique Sanz, said: “It’s great to note the growing interest in viewing our matches on screens not just within the CONCACAF region, but also globally. The new markets set to

be reached with this deal are yet another testament to the quality and potential of football in our region.” The United States will defend their crown at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, while current Champion’s League holders, Cruz Azul of Mexico, are currently competing in the group stage of the 2014-15 edition of CONCACAF’s top club tournament. The latest edition of the Central American Cup – the first ever to be disputed on U.S. soil — gets underway at the beginning of next month, when Costa Rica and Nicaragua contest the opening game on Wednesday, September 3 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. The final is set for September 13 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

It is most unfortunate for the cricket fraternity around the world and Guyanese in particular to accept the decision taken by the “Caribbean Premier League” – Cricket Tournament Committee (CTC) in respect to the glaring and unacceptable decision that cheated the Guyana Amazon Warriors in this year’s 2014 CPL final. It cannot be denied that the 2014 CPL Tournament was well organized and the massive spectator support was spectacular in Guyana. Thousands of Guyanese at home and in the Diaspora rallied behind the Amazon Warriors and cannot accept the blatant disregard for the rules of the game and the bad decision to award the final to the Barbados Trident. Immediately after the match was awarded to the Barbados Trident, the Amazon Warriors challenged the decision. It was heartbreaking to watch the reactions of fans in St. Vincent and the mammoth crowd in the ground as they displayed their utter disappointment with the results of the match. Thousands of spectators around the world particularly at home and in the ground in St. Kitts publically protested and spoke out against the decision. Thousands of followers in the Social Media are voicing their opinion and are vehemently condemning the decision of the Cricket Tournament Committee (CTC). It is amazing to know that both the CTC and the CPL said they do not object to the matter being referred to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the games world governing body, for a ruling that is definitive, transparent and expeditious. These words clearly suggest that the CTC’s decision was arrived at with a great degree of doubt. A petition website has been launched in support of the Amazon Warriors Challenge. Thousands of

followers are expressing their support for the Amazon Warriors. They are calling for the reversal of the decision and for the game to be awarded to the Amazon Warriors. Unfortunately the CTC ruled that the result of the rain affected final stands, although there has been mounting pressure from thousands of fans worldwide for the results to be in favour of the Amazon Warriors. Imminent personalities, highly respected analysts and commentators along with administrators and sport enthusiasts are also voicing their opinions against the decision to award the game to the Tridents. The winning team collected a hefty purse. But what is more significant is the fact that the winning team in this year’s Caribbean Premier League will play in the Challenge Trophy Championship. The Amazon Warriors’ Franchise Owner, Manager, Coach and Administrative arms must be more aggressive and demand that the Guyana Amazon Warriors be the only team from the Caribbean to play in the Champions League Championship. The Franchise Owners need to “fresh up” our thousands of Limacol supporters. A Strong petition must be sent immediately to the West Indies Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council (ICC) for them to bring this matter to a just conclusion. The playing conditions and rules clearly stipulate that there is a penalty for slow over rate. When rain stopped play at 19:54 (7:54pm) only 15.5 overs were completed. This clearly reveals that there was a very slow over rate by the Barbados Tridents and this was not dealt with by the umpires. The fact is that after the rain interruption, the covers were removed, mopping up was completed and the

stumps were back in position and ready for play. The fourth umpire also indicated the restart of the game. Both match umpires went on to the field when the stumps were up and ready for play. However the devil took over and after deliberate delays, the match was unfortunately awarded to the Tridents. These most ungentlemanly tactics must not be accepted; as cricket has always been a gentleman’s game. The Spirit of The Game itself calls for an immediate resolution to this issue. It is important that more explicit statements and explanations be made by the relevant authorities. Many persons are still not clear about the rules and playing conditions governing the Limacol Caribbean Premiere League. The blanket expressions cannot suffice. People need explanations. People need information. People need to be guided with respect to the outcome of the final game. The truth is of absolute necessity. If there were wrong doings let them be known. If there were dishonest actions, the perpetrators must be exposed and brought to justice. If there is a need to re-visit the rules, regulations and playing conditions, then this must be done with urgency, so as to ensure that any changes required are immediately implemented thus eradicating any doubts and or embarrassment to anyone. The phrase “it’s just not cricket” was coined in the 19th century to refer to unfair or unscrupulous acts in any aspect of life. Today, it is indeed unfortunate that I must say the CPL 2014 Final was Just Not Cricket! We need to ensure that cricket, whatever form of the game, remains as it has always been - ‘A Gentleman’s Game’.

Shock waves hit U.S. Open as Halep, Kerber and Venus fall Reuters - Shock waves hit the U.S. Open yesterday as veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni spearheaded a series of stunning third-round surprises that claimed two of the top women’s seeds and seven-times grand slam winner Venus Williams. Lucic-Baroni ousted second seed Simona Halep, Italy’s Sara Errani posted her first career win over Williams and Swiss teen Belinda Bencic ousted sixth-seeded

German Angelique Kerber on a sunny day that opened up the women’s draw. Croatian Lucic-Baroni, a 32-year-old qualifier ranked 121st in the world, dismissed Romania’s Halep 7-6 (6) 6-2 to reach the fourth round for her best grand slam result since a 1999 run to the Wimbledon semi-finals. With nothing to lose, Lucic-Baroni cut loose and rifled in 31 winners against Halep, who was on the

defensive throughout the 94minute grandstand match. Bencic, 17, last year’s French Open and Wimbledon junior champion, defeated Kerber 61 7-5 to reach the round of 16 in her U.S. Open debut. Lucic-Baroni’s next opponent will be 13th seed Errani, whose passage into the round of 16 was not as startling as the Croat’s dismantling of a world number two 10 years her (Continued on page 29)

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 30, 2014

Page 31

Several teams advance as Rose Hall Town U-17 prevails in GPF organized cricket competition GUYTRAC T20 KO cricket commences Officials of the Guyana Police Force continue to intensify efforts to form alliances with the communities and Commander of B Division, Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph and his second in command, Senior Superintendent Marlon Chapman, successfully organized a 5 over cricket competition for those youth and scout groups in Berbice at the Rose Hall Community Centre in East Canje on Sunday last. The primary objective of the exercise is to engage those principals in productive activity and participants were drawn from #1 Sub-Division, New Amsterdam/ Canje, East Bank and East Coast Berbice, # 2 sub-division, Corentyne and the #3 subdivision, West Berbice. The Rose Hall Town Under-17 cricket team was also involved in the activity. In the first encounter, #1 Sub Division opposed their counterparts from #2 Sub Divisions and the latter team took first strike, amassing 41-4 off their allotted overs. No. 1 sub-division then raced to 42-5 in 4.4 overs to cart off the honours. Bowling for No. 1 subdivision Steve Roopnarine and Ryan Balgobin picked up 2 wickets each while the

The winning No. 1 sub-division cricket team receives the trophy from Commander of B Division Brian Joseph. pick of the bowlers for No. 2 sub-division were Dajendra Nauth, who picked up 3 wickets while Devon Williams grabbed 2. In the second game which was played between No. 3 sub-divisions and Rose Hall Town U-17 ended in favour of the latter team after #3 sub-division batted first and made 29-4 off their overs. Rose Hall Town in reply reached 30-4. Bowling for No. 3 sub-division, Anil Ramnarine and John Fraser snared 2 wickets each.

The final was then played between No.1 subdivision and Rose Hall Town U-17 and the latter team was asked to take first strike, amassing 26-5 in the allotted overs. No. 1 sub-division then raced to 28-1 in 3 overs to claim the spoils by nine wickets. Bowling for No. 1 sub-division -Terry Karran and Steve Roopnarine picked up 2 wickets each while Daniel Singh took 1. The winners received their prize from Assistant Commissioner, Joseph.

Peters guides Rising Star to NOC T20 title with six-wicket victory An unbeaten 86 from Ricardo Peters guided Rising Star to a six-wicket victory over Invaders Masters when the final of the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) T20 tournament was contested on Sunday last at NOC ground on the Essequibo Coast. Peters slammed six fours and five sixes and dominated a fourth wicket stand of 70 with Rohan Ramdass (18*) as Rising Star finished on 139-4 in 18 overs in reply to Invaders Masters 135-6. Roy Gonsalves and Beesham Seepersaud captured two wickets each. Earlier Roy Rampersaud and Gonsalves anchored Invaders Masters’ innings with a fifth wicket partnership of 67 after they were reduced to 45-4, batting first. Rampersaud scored 42 not out (2x4 3x6) while Gonsalves made 32 (3x4 2x6). Rabindra Narine, Rovin

Ricardo Peters (left) collects his prizes from Coach Andy Ramnarine Dusraj and Christopher Latchman picked up two wickets each. Peters was given man-of-the-match and best batsman prizes. Rising Star received a trophy and $30,000 and Invaders Masters a trophy and $15,000. NOC overcame

Jaguars by seven wickets in the third place playoff. Batting first, Jaguars managed 42-2 from their allocation of 15 overs. Norman Federicks scored 22. NOC responded with 46-3 in six overs. Ravi Beharry hit 20*.

Six teams advanced to the second round when the GUYTRAC T20 knock-out cricket competition, organized by the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA), for teams in the Upper Corentyne area, got underway at several venues in the Ancient County, Sunday afternoon last. Ten games were scheduled to be contested but in the end only four matches were possible after heavy rains forced the cancellation of the others. Those teams advancing are No. 70 Young Star, No. 64 Fighting Marines, No. 70 Cricket Club, Springlands C.C, Corriverton C.C and Skeldon Community Centre. At the #71 Ground, Corriverton CC defeated # 70 MYO by 3 wickets after the latter team batted first and scored an impressive 147-5 off 20 overs. Ahmad Khan and Alim Khan both contributed unbeaten totals of 58 and 27 respectively for the winners while bowling for Corriverton, Victor Pedro took 2 wickets off his 4 overs with Clavern Beresford picking up one. Corriverton, led by an unbeaten top score of 41 by Errol Byass, eclipsed the target with 2 balls to spare at149-7. Jermaine Reid and Imran Jabbar also contributed with 22 runs apiece. No. 70 M.Y.O,

Trishan Ramdass Ahmad Khan then returned with the ball to take 3-26 from his 4 overs. Over at the No 73 Ground, Springlands defeated No. 73 Young Warriors by 9 wickets. Batting first No. 73 Young Warriors compiled 128 in 19.4 overs with Lakeram Latchman top scoring with 34. Naresh Persaud topped the bowling department with 4-16 for Springlands. Over at the No. 70 ground, the home team, Young Stars, whipped No. 72 Cut and Load by 83 runs. Batting first No. 70 Young Stars were bowled out for 121 off 17.3 overs with Upper Corentyne youth player, Thameshwar Kumar, leading the batting with a gusty contribution of

24. Bowling for No. 72 Cut and Load, Carl Singh took 431. In reply No. 72 Cut and Load were bundled out for 38 in 10.4 overs, Thameshwar Kumar returned with the ball to take 4-9 off his 4 overs. Omesh Kumar supported with 2-6. Activities will resume tomorrow morning with matches at several venues; over at the No 70 Ground, No. 69 Vikings will play Young Royals beginning at 10:00hrs while at 14:00hrs, No. 70 Young Stars will play No. 64 Fighting Marines. Skeldon will then enjoy home advantage when that team plays Corriverton at the Skeldon Community Centre Ground at 10:00hrs. Two matches will be played at the No. 48 Ground; No. 48 Challengers play Guytrac XI from 10:00hrs while #69 Vikings and Young Royals clash at 14:00 hrs. At the No. 73 ground, No. 43 Scorpion will do battle with No. 68 team from 10:00hrs followed by the winner of the first match playing Springlands from 14:00hrs The final set of matches is set for the No. 71 ground between No. 69 Red Rose and No. 72 Cut & Load from 10:00hrs and the winner of that match takes on No. 70 Cricket Club from 14:00 hrs.

Heated competition anticipated as race walkers compete in Linden 10K They have scorched the streets in highly competitive events and now the cream of the crop of the nation’s race walkers will clash in a highly competitive encounter when the Cavaliers Sports and Tour Club in association with the Half Mile Wismar Community Group stages the ‘Last Lap’ race-walk in Linden tomorrow morning. Athletes will convene at the Four Corners, Wismar and proceed to the Five Corners on

the other side of the river, in Mackenzie, for the finish. The race will bring the curtains down on the CSTC’S 11th Race Walk month of activities held under the theme ‘Preparing R a c e Wa l k e r s f o r Participation in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil’. The walkers will compete for trophies, medals and other prizes donated by corporate Guyana and the top three finishers in several categories including male and female

(seniors) juniors, veterans and differently able participants, will receive prizes and competitors must be at the starting line at 06:00 hours, before the start of the event half an hour later. Meanwhile, plans are being finalized for the staging of the club’s annual Amerindian Heritage month 10k Race Walk around the National Park, Thomas Lands on Sunday September 14, 2014 at 06:30hrs. Lucrative prizes will be at stake.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday August 30, 2014

Top students rewarded as GCB/ LSL to host Inter Scotiabank camp concludes in B’ce Community The outstanding students of the Berbice leg of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) / Scotiabank Kiddy cricket programme were rewarded for their efforts when the camp concluded yesterday at the All Saints Primary School ground, New Amsterdam. The participants were taken through the basics of the game which includes batting, bowling, fielding and wicket keeping as well as game sense scenario during the one-week clinic under the guidance of Coaches Winston and Albert Smith. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport, Winston Smith said he was impressed with the response adding that there is an abundance of talent. “This clinic is very good for the development of the students, but there should also be a follow-up programme for their advancement”, he added. Smith informed that the participants will be

The outstanding students display their prizes with Coach Winston Smith (left) and David Black.

recommended to clubs shortly. West Indies female allrounder Shemaine Campbell, National U-15 batsman Steve Deonarine and Gudakesh MotieKanhai are some of the players that have graduated from this programme.

Smith pointed out that coaches must continue to monitor the youngsters at the various clubs so that they can improve generally. The players that received awards are, Navindra Persaud (best wicketkeeper), Isaiah Thorne and Bhaskar Ramdowar (top

spin bowlers), Joval Persaud and Akash Harilall (most outstanding fielders), Nicholas Shivrattan and Romel Retemiah (most promising fast bowlers), Daniel Mille (top allrounder), Deoram France and Daniel Narsaiah (best batsmen).

12-Over tourney Excitement is set to hit the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden for six weeks when the Linden Softball League (LSL) in collaboration with the Guyana Softball League (GSL) hosts the Inter Community Softball 12Over knock-out competition from August 31st to October 5th, 2014. LSL Organising Secretary Mortimer Denney said the competition should have taken place earlier but due to the inclement weather and other u n f o r e s e e n circumstances it was put on hold. Denney was peeved at the way cricket players are being treated. “There are grounds earmarked for football only and why we can’t get a ground for cricket only? Right now C h r i s t i a n b u rg g r o u n d ;

the pitch needs to be done properly. We need support with the venues, everything is about football, but we got to balance the sport.” Fifteen male and ten female teams are expected to participate with teams coming as far as Wairuni and Calcuni in the Berbice River. Three games will be played each Sunday at Bayroc, West Watooka and Christianburg g r o u n d s . T h e f i nal is expected to be played at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground. The first prize for the male competition is $90,000 and trophy while the female top prize is $60,000 and trophy. The sponsors are Banks DIH, RDC #10, Star Party Rental, Builder ’s Lumber Yard and Regal Stationery. (Jacquey Bourne)

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 30, 2014

GFF announces 18-man squad for CFU C/bean Cup T h e G u y a n a Football Federation (GFF) announced an 18-man squad along with five officials who are expected to depart shortly for St. Kitts & Nevis to participate in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup. Guyana will play in Group 6 and the other territories in the group are host St. Kitts & Nevis, Dominica and St. Lucia. Guyana open up their pursuit to advance f u r t h e r i n t h e competition against D o m i n i c a o n September 5 and that will be followed by the clash against St. Lucia two days later, while their final game is against St. Kitts & Nevis on September 9. All three

matches will be played at Warner Park. Meanwhile, the players named are: (Goalkeepers- Oswald Cornette and Dorville Stewart; (Defenders)Steffon Ramsay, Walter Moore, Quincy Adams, Adrian Adonis, Joshua B r o w n e a n d T revon Lythcott; (Midfielders) Eusi Phillips, Jahal Greaves, Eon Alleyne, Mark Jhalu and Jamaal Harvey and (Forwards) Delwin Fraser, Delroy Fraser, Shaquille Agard, Clarence Huggins and William Europe. The Manager is Carlos Bernard, while the Head Coach is Denzil Thompson, Assistant CoachDwain Babb, Physical Trainer - Germin Craig and Physiotherapist Lacretia Abiola Blair.

Elvir nets three, Olimpia tops Alpha United Tegucigalpa, H o n d u r a s – MoneyGram Player of the Match Fredixon Elvir netted a hat-trick to help pace Olimpia to a 6-0 win over Alpha United in Group 5 of the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) at Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino on Thursday night. Olimpia (2-0-0, 6 points), which also beat Alpha United, 1-0, in their first meeting on August 5, moved into first place. The Portland Timbers (1-0-0, 3 points) are second, while Alpha United (0-0-3, 0 points) has been eliminated from contention with a game to play. The Honduran power, which recorded its four consecutive CCL shutout, scored three times inside the opening half hour. Antony Lozano struck first in the 19th minute after Alpha United goalkeeper Dwaine Sandy spilled a low, bouncing shot by Oliver Morazan from distance. The 21-year-old forward picked up the ball, turned and hit the back of the net from eight yards. Sandy had no chance

to stop a blast by Morazan six minutes later as the midfielder hammered in a golazo from 26-yards out to give Olimpia a 2-0 lead. Elvir made it 3-0 in the 29th minute, when he ran onto an Ever Alvarado cross that was blocked by Wayne Ellis and curled a shot from 24-yards out over Sandy and inside the far post. The host went up 4-0 nine minutes into the second half. Elvir tapped in a ball cut back into the box by Carlos M ejia, w ho beat his defender and made a run at Sandy. Lozano netted his second goal in the 61st minute, leaping high to latch onto a Bayron Dionicio free kick and heading past Sandy from the edge of the six-yard box to extend Olimpia’s lead further.. Elvir capped the scoring with his third goal in the 74th minute, easily knocking a low shot from the edge of the 18-yard box past Sandy, who was off his line to challenge an initial Olimpia attempt. Group 5 returns to action on September 16 with a meeting between the Portland Timbers and visiting Olimpia.

Page 33

GRFU 10s’ resumes today with double header After a delay to the conclusion of the first round of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) 10s’ Tournament due to the inclement weather, play in the competition resumes

today with a double header at the National Park. In the opening game from 15:00hrs the University of Guyana tackles top of the table Hornets, while in the final

encounter of the afternoon, the Guyana Defence Force takes on cellar dwellers Hornets from 16:00hrs. Meanwhile, below is a look at the points standing:

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 30, 2014

WI name 13-man squad Barnwell to lead Demerara in for first Bangladesh Test GCB Senior Inter County tourney The new WICB selection panel led by Clive Lloyd has named a 13-man Test squad for the West Indies ahead of the first of two Test matches against Bangladesh beginning on September 5 in St Vincent. The only change to the squad from the West Indies’ previous Test assignment against New Zealand in June was dropping reserve batsman Leon Johnson while all other players have been retained. In the release announcing the squad, the WICB noted that two other players were considered for selection but instead opted to play in the Champions L e a g u e Tw e n t y 2 0 competition which begins September 13 in Raipur, India. Since the tournament is

in an ICC-approved window on the international schedule, the WICB said the decision of the players will not have any impact on future selection. Aside from representatives in the Caribbean Premier League champion Barbados Tridents squad, seven other West Indies players are participating in the Champions League Twenty20. Among those possibly in line for Test selection out of that group are Sunil Narine and Dwayne Bravo. Narine was not considered for selection for all three Tests against New Zealand in June after opting to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL Final on June 1. It caused him to miss the start of a West Indies training camp

ahead of the first Test starting on June 8. It paved the way for both Shane Shillingford and Sulieman Benn to make their returns to Test cricket during the series. Earlier this summer, Bravo expressed his desire to return to the Test cricket following recovery from a shoulder injury suffered at the start of this year’s IPL. The West Indies ODI captain has not played Test cricket since 2010 on tour in Sri Lanka. West Indies squad: Denesh Ramdin (Captain), Chris Gayle, Kraigg Brathwaite, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jermaine Blackwood, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor, Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Sulieman Benn, Shane Shillingford. (ESPNcricinfo)

Charismatic all-rounder Christopher Barnwell has been chosen to lead Demerara in the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Senior Inter County 50-Over and 4-Day tournaments. Barnwell will have fellow Demerara Cricket Club teammate Paul Wintz as his deputy. The team includes opener Robin Bacchus, the experienced Shemroy

Barrington, Rajendra Chandrika, Amir Khan and Zaheer Mohamed. The selectors have also named six reserve players for the 4Day competition. The 50Over tournament is expected to commence on September 4. The squad reads; Christopher Barnwell (Captain), Paul Wintz (Vice Captain), Trevon Griffith, Robin Bacchus, Andrew L i g h t J r. , S h e m r o y

Barrington, Rajendra Chandrika, Raj Nanan, Zaheer Mohamed, Amir Khan, Yatesh Dhanpaul, Steven Jacobs, Chanderpaul Hemraj and Seon Daniels. The reserve players for the 4Day are Randolph Knights, Gavin Moriah, Joseph Perry, Jeetendra Sookdeo, Shawn De Souza and Vishal Singh. The coach is Garvin Nedd and the Manager is Clive Grimmond.

DCB’s Academy concludes with cricket match at DCC Persaud’s X1 takes W&H Rambarran Marine trophy

Guyana Independence T20 Cup organizers fulfill promise Participants of the DCB Cricket Academy members pose with administrators following the conclusion of the camp yesterday.

Representatives from various charitable organizations displaying their cheques in the presence of members of the organizing committee, Guyana Independence T20 Cup, 2014. At a simple ceremony held recently, the organizing committee of the Guyana Independence T20 Cup 2014 made presentations to several charitable organizations with proceeds garnered from the tournament. The third edition was a joint fundraiser of The Berbice Cricket Board and The Berbice Chambers of Commerce and Development Association. In an invited comment, Anil Beharry, the chairman of the committee and the first Vice President of the Berbice Cricket Board, said that he was happy to report that the tournament was a resounding success despite the challenges faced. He said that his noble fundraiser is here to stay and will continue to assist the less

fortunate in our communities. He thanked the sponsors for the faith shown and commended the players and fans for their support. He also thanked all the media houses for their excellent coverage. Mark Roopnarine, president of the Chambers and a member of the organizing committee, echoed the sentiments of Beharry and promised a bigger event come next year. He added that planning for the 2015 edition would commence soon. Ramroop Rajnauth also spoke on behalf of the Chambers, while Angela Haniff spoke on behalf of the BCB. Event treasurer, Chris Hicks, gave a detailed financial report. Donations were made to The Chambers, BCB, two

cricket clubs, The Upper Corentyne Cricket Association and the Blairmont Cricket Club, Bal Nivas, a new shelter at Port Mourant, Alpha Home, Canaan Home and Children of Promise. Two schools are to benefit along with continued assistance to Albion Sports Complex for renovation purposes. Funds were put aside for Health/Disaster and a contribution was made to the Regional Democratic Council Region #6 for launching of the lights at Albion. The committee wishes to thank the following sponsors for their support: Courts Guyana Ltd., Rommel Jagroop, Ansa McAl, Greenidge Refrigeration, (Continued on page 25)

The Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) one-week Academy for Under-15 and 17 players, which was sponsored by W&H Rambarran Marine, concluded yesterday at the DCC ground with a 30-over cricket match. The Academy, which began on Monday last was deemed a resounding success by recently appointed Demerara Head Coach and former National off-spinner Gavin Nedd, who added that this was a good opportunity for him to see some new players while at the same time inculcating the right attitudes in the youngsters through the various sessions they were exposed to during the week. Nedd and former GNIC wicket-keeper Clive Grimond conducted the Coaching sessions while several experts in their respective areas of competence delivered lectures at the Academy. DCB Vice-President Anand Sanasie, standing in for DCB President Raj Singh who is overseas, told the participants that he hoped they would have enjoyed the various sessions and benefitted from the time

and effort invested by the tutors. The DCB executive informed that the camp would be an annual affair and assured that next year it would be much longer and be divided into specialist areas. Sanasie thanked the sponsors for their support at a time when ‘tight budgets’ and other issues encountered by the ‘Board’ make getting sponsorship for programmes like this difficult to acquire. Also present yesterday was Manager of W&H Rambarran Marine, Bharatt Singh who congratulated the players for their involvement and said his company was proud to be associated with sponsoring such cricketing programmes. “My Boss, Alvin Rambarran was a well known cricketer on the East Bank and loved cricket very much. He even had his own ground on the Highway and knew the DCB President personally so when approached for sponsorship he readily agreed. Marketing Manager of the DCB, Ray Persaud runs t h e U n i t e d Aw n i n g workshop in Eccles and said with the off-the field problems now being fixed

the job of marketing cricket in Guyana should be a lot easier now. In the match played, Joshua Persaud’s X1 beat Raymond Perez’s X1 by 15 runs in bright sunshine on a slow track and heavy outfield. Man-of-the match Stephon Campbell fell one short of his fifty while Skipper Persaud contributed 17 to lead his team to 115-6 when their overs expired. Bhujnarine Singh took two wickets for Perez’s X1 who were bowled out for 100 in 24.4 overs despite 47 from the Captain who opened the batting and was the last man out. However, he got no support as only National Under-15 left-arm spinner Ashmed Nedd, the son of Gavin Nedd, managed to reach double figures with 11. Leg-spinner Juspice Jones captured three wickets and got support from Adel Bacchus and Jeremiah Benjamin who took two wickets each. Persaud was presented with the W&H Rambarran Marine trophy for winning the inaugural Match. (Sean Devers)

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 30, 2014

Page 35

‘Unity’ is the watchword as ‘Cricket UDFA/Net-Rockers FC Community Cup U-20 tourney for Unity’ competition launched Semi-finals on today at Wisburg ground

Mr. Dexter Garnett presents Mr. Raphael Trotman with his uniform for the game. At a critical time in the country’s history, when the pundits advocate a need for togetherness, a group of patriotic Guyanese, under the banner ‘Cricket for Unity’ has organized a cricket match among a wide cross section of the Guyanese celebrities to forcefully underline the concept. Activities are scheduled to get underway Saturday September 6 at the Demerara Cricket Club Ground, Lance Gibbs Street, Queenstown and the celebrities will be divided into two teams, Roraima Strikers and Kaieteur Thunders; already anticipation of a steamy contest is high. The tournament received the seal of approval by Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Raphael Trotman, when the organizers visited his office in Parliament Buildings, yesterday morning. Mr. Trotman has agreed to sponsor the medals for the tournament and kept his promise when he handed over same to Chairman of the Organizing Committee,

Dexter Garnett. The latter individual was also accompanied by committee member, Uzzi Yisrael. Mr. Trotman said that he was in full support of the initiative and agreed that most Guyanese would be happy with a game of this nature. He admitted that there is much tension among citizens even as he commended the organizers for arriving at the concept. “I am impressed that someone thought of such an innovative concept and would like to give it my full support,” exhorted the Speaker moments before handing over the gift. Mr. Garnette was highly appreciative of the gesture and relayed such sentiments to Mr. Trotman. He said that the name of the initiative says it all and invited supporters of all ethnic and cultural persuasions to support the event. Meanwhile, Mr. Trotman will represent the ‘Roraima Strikers’ and he received his uniform for the game from Mr. Garnette. That team also sports such notable

names as popular cricketers, Tr a v i s D o w l i n , M a r k Harper, Rayon Griffith, Clyde Butts and Neil Barry. That team will also field journalist, Gordon Moseley, GBA President Steve Ninvalle and Politician, James Bond. Kaieteur Thunders will also be coming strong with such notables as former West Indies Cricketers, Reon King and Colin Stuart. Others in this squad are former Head of State, Bharrat Jagdeo, politicians, Khemraj Ramjattan, Frank Anthony and Alfred King. Former top athlete and announcer, Basil Bradshaw will also comprise a part of this squad. Practice sessions for both teams would be held t h i s We d n e s d a y a n d Thursday from 16:30hrs. Roraima Strikers would be at the GNIC ground, Woolford Avenue and Albert Street while members of Kaieteur Thunders will sharpen up at the DCC ground, Queenstown. Negotiations are in train to have a female game before the main event.

National Intermediate Boxing Championship gets underway this evening Leathers will fly this afternoon and continue tomorrow afternoon when the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) presents the 2014 National Intermediate Boxing Championships at the Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym. The boxers weighed in at the fight venue yesterday afternoon and Tournament Director, Terrence Poole said that fans could expect the action packed encounters often

witnessed at this level. Several Gyms will contest for honours including Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym (ALBG), (Harpy Eagles (HEBG), Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) Rosehall Jammers (RJBG), Pocket Rocket (PRBG) and Caryll Boxing Gym (CBG).There will be prizes for Best Gym, Runner-up Gym and Best Boxer. The action gets underway at 18:00hrs.

The Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) / Net-Rockers Football Club Community Cup Football tournament is now down to the knock-out stage featuring the final four teams in what is anticipated to be two exciting semi-final matches today, at the Wisburg Secondary School Ground. The tournament started on August 22 with a preliminary round of eight (8) participating clubs being placed into two groups of four with clubs in the respective groups playing against each other on a round-robin basis following which the top two teams advancing to the knock-out phase. The four semi-finalists feature pre-tournament favorite Winners Connection FC who topped their Group (A) after playing unbeaten, and they battle Botofago FC who ended in the runner-up spot in Group B in what is dubbed the tournament ‘derby’. Meanwhile, Group (B)

UDFA official Jermaine Figueira (right) collects a trophy from a representative of Trophy Stall recently winner, Eagles United who also ended their group stage unbeaten will have to prove their worth when they face a well balanced Net-Rockers FC, runners-up to Winners Connection in Group A. Winners Connection will depend heavily on their scoring machine Marmalique Davidson to continue doing what he does best to see them through,

while Donavon Francis will have to maintain his form if his team is to book that final spot. Kellon Primo is one of many players that Eagles United FC will depend on if they are to rise above their fierce opponent Net Rockers FC whose combination of Shane Luckie, Anthony Layne and Andrew Breedy (Continued on page 29)

t r o Sp

Elvir nets three, Olimpia tops Alpha United P.33

GFF announces 18-man P.33 squad for CFU C/bean Cup

Alpha United Technical Staff, at left is Head Coach Wayne Dover.

Walter Moore

WI name 13-man squad P.34 Barnwell to lead for first Bangladesh Test Demerara in GCB Senior Inter P.34 County tourney

Denesh Ramdin was leading West Indies for the first time in Tests, West Indies v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kingston, 1st day, June 8, 2014 Š WICB Media/Randy Brooks

Chris Barnwell

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