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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

Focusing on the dysfunctional child As the Christmas holidays approach one cannot help but be drawn to the various shelters set up to cater for the indigent, the abused and the children who simply appear to be people that nobody wants. Things do not appear to be too bad at the orphanages because the children are often managed by people who are minded toward charity. That feeling is prevalent in many people in the society. There are the private individuals, some of them barely above the poverty line who would try their best to share their fortune with the children in the orphanages. It is always an emotional sight to see ordinary people packing baskets to ensure that the less fortunate children enjoy a treat. It is also common to see some organisations patrolling the streets in search of the homeless to offer them a meal. One particular organization, the Central Islamic Organisation tries to do this every week. The Dharm Shala is often the magnet for the beneficent. It is one of the oldest charitable organisations that open its doors to everyone. And so it is that, at this time the residents of that institution may very well have more food than they can handle. But it is the home for the children-the Drop in Centre, the orphanages and the children correctional centre that should be the focus of attention. These are managed by untrained people who have families of their own and who must be under tremendous stress and strain to seek to control and fashion the lives of these children. Those controlled by the state have been able to enforce the rules that prevent abuses of the wards. Yet there have been isolated incidents, some of which have led to court action. But these facilities also have their share of sadness at this time. They accommodate children who share nothing emotional with their parents. At one time, the view was that poverty forced people to fend for themselves to the exclusion of their children who must then fend for themselves. But this is not the case. The separation between parent and child is due to two factors, peer pressure and mental illness. Peer pressure is allowed to triumph because the society is placing so many restrictions on the manner in which parents deal with their children. Parents are told that they should seek alternatives to corporal punishment. Many can think of no alternative so they give up. The argument that corporal punishment leads to the development of violence in the child is not tried and proven. The world is full of examples of children who grew up under the belt becoming loving parents. They also became extremely respectful of authority. Those who became violent and resentful were those who always refused to accept authority and the rule of law. Many of them were products of neglect and became conditioned to the harsh realities of the streets where love is not readily dispensed or shared. Mental illness is the major contributor to displacement of the children. And there is a high degree of mental illness in Guyana. It explains the growing band of young criminals who seem to have no regard for life or limb. These are the repeat offenders because they simply cannot relate to law and order. One expects the government to provide the people who would be the counselors and the psychiatrists, and in a country like Guyana where money is not at a premium such an investment may be worthwhile. The Ministry of Education may wish to consider one or two professional counselors in the schools. This would certainly reduce the extent of errant behaviour. It would also help the child, on becoming adult, to be more receptive to the approaches of a professional counselor. So it is that one is worried about the impact of the season on these children who have no place to call home. Perhaps there will be the development of some form of resentment or a chronic feeling of rejection. It may be a good thing for more of us to spend some time with these less fortunate. It may be a good investment.

Saturday December 19, 2015

Letters... Where your views make the news

Seven suggestions that will make rice farmers smile DEAR EDITOR, Rice is in crisis. The cost of production is high. The government must urgently assist rice farmers to minimize cost of production. Here are my suggestions; 1) Fertilizers: The government must import fertilizers in a well structured manner to minimize costs and delivery to certain locations for distribution to farmers. Ask exporting countries to remove export duties for 2 years and the producers to lower the cost. The government to pay for all transportation. Have the RPA extension officers to collect advances and quantity required by each farmer. The same should be done for sugar. Ensure the potency is properly monitored. Each farmer to sign that they wave liability against the Government in the event the fertilizers do not have the full potency in the process of handling. This process must start now for the next crop. 2) Drainage and Irrigation: This is the big item. Farmers undergo big loses, poor yield, due to flooding, not adequate water during cultivation, and high cost for pumping water. The Government needs to provide 2 reliable pumps at every location in the country with spare parts for irrigation, and quarterly inspections . All sluices and water regulators must be

reinstalled or replaced. There were sluices and water regulators provided by the British to block water to fill the high lands and then the sluices will be reopened to go to the low lands. There was no individual pumping of water, like you see all these long pumps being carried by tractors today. All drainage/irrigation canals must be dredged, due to vegetation, lateral shear of the soil, siltation. The water users must get all farmers to report on what infrastructure is not working and what new infrastructure is required that was lost from the British time. The Government will send trained technicians, 2 days training to do ACRS (Assets Condition Reporting System). with some survey levels which will show for each asset with pictures, the general condition, category, type and urgency of repairs requires with an estimated cost. This info will help in budgeting, inventory of assets and will help in transparency , design and construction terms of reference. All government assets , including schools etc should have ACRS done , for the inventory of assets, their condition, transparency, O&M budgeting etc. 3) Research: High yield seed paddy must not be susceptible to disease and bugs. The plants must not fall easily. See what they do and

use in Thailand . Seed Paddy to be very clean.etc 4) Soil study: soil study to advise farmers on the quantity and type of fertilizers required 5) Training: Training to farmers on efficient cultivation and management of field operations and cost 6) Marketing: We know about world price control, but government should personally try to bargain with certain countries to do a little better in prices. Like the oil for rice, Venezuella deal. Go back to Venezuella politely, no land discussion. Put the ego aside, many persons are saying that the Coalition, did not take power alone from Jagdeo. They took his ego, the horses from his clique and

himself, and is riding high so that they are not reachable. They know everything, they have answers for everything. A good listener is a learner and a learner is a winner. 7) Paddy purchasers: They are judge and jury all in one. They weigh and grade the farmers’ paddy. This is wrong. The farmers are at their mercy. The government must train personnel with heavy fines if caught in biased weighing and grading, using the purchasers equipment, witnessed by both the purchasers and sellers. The grading system must be reexamined. The above will make the rice farmer smile. Joe Persuad Canada

No judge in the Berbice Assizes since October DEAR EDITOR, Pursuant to a published letter titled, “sister wants justice for brother, crippled by shotgun violence,” on page 4 of Wednesday December t6, 2015 edition, please be informed of the following. We have noted that some of the information is incorrect. There was a Preliminary Inquiry (Pl) in the Magistrates’ Court and at the end of the Pl the Magistrate committed the accused to stand trial in the High Court. State Counsel,

Natasha Backer, set the case to do it in the Berbice Assizes, but no judge has been sitting in the Berbice Assizes since October 2015. A judge is expected to be assigned to sit from January 2016. The victim, Mr. Bijai “Rohan” Ramdass, spoke with Ms. Backer via the telephone and she advised him, that the jury is to return to Court on January 5, 2016 when his case is likely to be heard. Liz Rahaman Communications Officer DPP Chambers

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

Explanation for the gradual Put the Retention of Capital decline in sugar production Punishment to a Referendum DEAR EDITOR, As a former employee of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, I have been following with keen interest the imbroglio between the state corporation and the main Union, GAWU on the former refusal to negotiate pay increase for 2015 and its insistence on awarding approximately 2½ days’ pay as annual production bonus for 2015. Now that the year’s production is at an end, the elation is high, according to the CEO, that after 11 years the sugar company was able to surpass its target. I do wish to comment on the correctness of the

company’s stance on its refusal to negotiate pay increase for this year, or the wisdom of its insistence not to award more than 2½ days’ pay as bonus, despite the fact that one cannot rule out the hard work and diligence of the workers in ensuring that the year’s target was achieved. However, what I wish to point out is that there is a strong correlation between pay increase and bonus to high production. Booker Tate, the British firm, that was hired by the Desmond Hoyte’s administration in 1991 to manage the sugar industry, and who managed until 2008 when they

DEAR EDITOR, This bridge is located on the Industry access road between the railway embankment and the main East Coast highway. It has been in this state for over 11 months and many vehicles have had to be pulled out that gaping hole which is going from bad to worse daily. This is the state of the bridge which leads into Atlanticville and has been a

source of concern for some time now. It is located between Grahams Hall and the East Coast highway and is the main access for persons using the railway embankment road. It may also be pertinent to note that many heave duty vehicles are using these bridges on a daily basis and one could only hope that repairs could be expedited so as to avoid and fatalities. Alex Edwards

These are death traps waiting to harm people

People who identify with thieves DEAR EDITOR, Have we reached a new low? I still cannot believe the article in your newspaper of Friday, 18th December, 2015 in which you reported that some cleaners forced a security guard to release a suspected serial thief. It is ironic that these

labourers work and make an honest dollar but yet they can identify with and protect a thief. We must all wonder if in the course of their cleaning exercises, they assess people properties with a view of launching their own attacks. Bish Panday

Politics/cricket analogy

DEAR EDITOR, The partnership between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brian Lara ,(WI vs. England, Antigua, 1994), which resulted in Lara, breaking Garfield Sobers’ record of 365runs not out; is SYMBOLIC of what we in Guyana and the Caribbean region can do as a people, when we work together. It was Chanderpaul ‘s debut series. He was nineteen years old in his second test match. He sensed Lara’s mood, and ‘farmed the bowling’, to give Lara the majority of the strike.

Lara on the other hand, was confident that Chanderpaul would hold up his end of the bargain. History was created. The Passion with which Chanderpaul protects his wicket, is a quality every Guyanese should try to emulate, in advancing ‘Good Governance’, in this Nation. George Daniels

were asked to leave by the previous administration, left with the following labour-related and production indicators for period 1991 - 2008:a) Average sugar production (tonnes) - 266,895 b) Average pay increase per year - 16.76% c) Average days’ pay as annual bonus - 15.44 Local management took over the sugar industry from 2009, and the data on similar indicators for period 2009 – 2015 is as follows:a) Average sugar production (tonnes) - 218,000 b) Average pay increase per year - 4.11% c) Average days’ pay as annual bonus - 4.97 Editor, from the above data, which I am sure is available to the company, it doesn’t need rocket science to determine why there has been a gradual decline in sugar production each year and why the sugar industry is no longer considered the “employer of choice”. The ordinary sugar workers have been an impoverished group ever since Booker Tate departed these shores. I do not advocate that labour is the singular factor that’s responsible for either increased or reduced production, since there are other factors such as agronomy and factory engineering that also play their part. But in a highly labor-intensive organisation where labour-related indicators such as strikes, low productivity and poor attendance have often been referred to by the company as being solely responsible for poor production, it cannot be denied that labour is the most important and critical of all factors of production. As such there should be no room for complacency, obstinacy, and arrogance in dealing with labour whether from a unionized or nonunionized perspective. If the management of the sugar company and/or the major shareholder do not make a conscientious effort to pay sugar workers well, then production will perpetually continue to hover around 220,000’s tonnes per year, the massive state subsidy from the poor taxpayers will continue, and worst of all the company’s retention and recruitment capacity will be adversely affected; as it is at the moment. Rovin Chandimal

DEAR EDITOR, On an almost daily basis we are treated to reports of very violent and even macabre crimes being committed in our country. Along with these heinous acts of criminality, are also the very frequent reports of suicides and road-traffic related deaths. It leads one to wonder exactly how much value do Guyanese put on this most precious thing we call life. What drives a bandit to threaten to kill a five-year old child in the course of a robbery, or to calmly beat a 77year old woman to death in her home while ransacking her refrigerator? What demonic possession prompts someone to dismember a woman in her home and then scatter the remains in the sea? To some extent these and many more chilling crimes which took place this year in Guyana, were driven by rabid greed and lives that were hooked on drugs. The flourishing drug trade in Guyana, clearly evidenced by the legions of demented vagrants who roam our streets, has its particular brand of violence. In the past we have seen gang-related violence and instances of beheading synonymous with the kinds of messages transmitted between dishonourable drugtraders. Individual criminality is in some ways goaded and reinforced by a system of organised crime in our country; persons with criminal intent seem to be emboldened to act out their fantasies by the much more spectacular crimes perpetrated by feuding gangs and drug lords. “Guns for hire” criminals are also seemingly abundant, with the price for committing murder dropping because there are more and more willing killers available. A few months back, we had a hired killer who entered a “hire-purchase” murder-for-credit agreement with the master-

mind to carry out a hit on her ex-husband. The rise and subsequent decline in gold-mining in our hinterland areas also seems to have become a major contributor to a continuous spate of killings in what is reminiscent of a “wild-west” scenario where it takes very little provocation to tick someone off to the point that they are ready to kill. The price of someone’s life seems to be even cheaper in these territories. We seem to know no end to the level of depravity that we can descend to. Apart from crimes driven by greed and addiction, we also have had some sensational cases of crimes-of-passion, which point to an altogether different dimension to changing social behavioural patterns. Take for instance the Neesa Gopaul case in which the court found a parent being complicit in the murder of her own child. But exactly has allowed heinous crimes to reach the morbid level that we are at now? With regards to highprofile organized crimes, a 2012 study done by the Swiss group, Small-Arms Survey described Guyana as a “haven” and “fertile grounds” for gangs and organised-crime (SN, March 11, 2012). The study concluded that “should the country maintain its general sense of apathy towards gangs and organized crime, Guyana’s security situation will only continue to deteriorate”. The study went on to say “corruption, especially in law enforcement and the judicial system, plays an important role in allowing gangs and organized crime elements to operate with impunity.” But what about our sentencing policies? We have a judge who has become a hero among the law-abiding for handing down some lengthy sentences for heinous crimes. If sentenced by this judge,

A Christmas Appeal DEAR EDITOR, It is good to see the Public Servants being remembered with a gift of cash this Christmas. What about the pensioners, will we be forgotten? Should Auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? So, for the sake of Auld Lang Syne, in the style of the

traditional Christmas nursery rhyme I say: Christmas is coming The goose is getting fat Please put something good in the old ones’ hats You took away our subsidies And now we feel the pinch Oh please, oh please Don’t be a GRINCH Joan Collins

you have to have some Methuselah-genes in your blood to ever hope to see the light of day again. Nice to have people like him around, but as a poor nation, can we really afford to maintain vicious killers in jail for such lengthy periods – 40 + years? Even at a modest daily maintenance rate of $2,500 per prisoner (all related expenses considered) it would cost almost a million dollars a year to keep a prisoner behind bars. What is the trade-off with society in these cases, how does a poor society actually benefit? The ordinary man will conclude that to spend 40 million dollars at today’s rates on a single prisoner for the remainder of his life in jail, is a complete loss of welfare to society. Why not go the other route, put his lights out at the end of the trial and end the misery for all involved – the victim’s family, the prison system, society at large, and even the convict? It is not so easy after all! Even though our legal system provides for the imposition of the death penalty, and there is nothing preventing the carriage of justice in such cases, we have seldom had a judge pass the death sentence on a convicted killer for the past decade. Exactly why is our judiciary this reluctant to impose capital punishment, when every John and Jane out in the public knows that the convicted should dangle at the end of a noose? I humbly suggest that we include a referendum on the retention of the death penalty in our voting rights and duties when we go to the polls for Local Government Elections in March 2016. It has happened in many other countries, that a referendum on a critical and divisive issue be included when an opportunity for elections is presented. We can do the same and put this issue to rest. Khemraj Tulsie

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Saturday December 19, 2015

Despite surpassing production… GECOM discusses electronic voting with EU GuySuCo likely to see more bailout next year

GECOM officials meeting with EU Ambassador, JernejVidetic and his team yesterday. Matters of mutual interest including the state of preparedness of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the conduct of Local Government Elections were discussed between Dr. Steve Surujbally, Chairman of GECOM, and Mr. Jernej Videtic, Ambassador/Head of Delegation of the Delegation of the European Union to Guyana. The discussions took place during a courtesy call which the Ambassador/Head of Delegation of the Delegation paid on Dr. Surujbally yesterday. Ambassador Videtic was accompanied by Mr. Brian Suhhai, Programme officer; Mr. Benedikt Madl, Head of Bilateral Development; and

Mr. Derek Lambe, Head of Political Affairs, Press and Information - all of the Delegation of the European Union. Dr. Surujbally highlighted specific areas in which assistance could possibly be provided through the Delegation of the European Union relative to the conduct of Local Government Elections. The areas include the possible introduction of electronic voting in Guyana, Civic and Voter Education, resuscitation of the GECOM Media Monitoring Unit, and the establishment of a specialized course in elections management at the University of Guyana. In respect to the latter, Dr. Surujbally explained that such

a course would be geared to deliver a pool of knowledgeable personnel to which GECOM would have access when seeking to hire competent persons to work during election projects. Responding to Dr. Surujbally’s identification of the suggested areas, Ambassador Videtic undertook to collaborate with the other members among the International Development Partners to determine how to assist GECOM. He indicated his willingness to be part of a “Diplomatic Watch” Team which could be established to monitor the election processes, including the voting by members of the Disciplined Forces and on Election Day.

Husband critical after in house cutlass brawl A 45-year-old Trulie Island man is battling for his life at the Suddie Public hospital, after his wife dealt him several chops to his head Thursday morning at the couple’s Trulie Island home, in the

Essequibo River. The father of four went home drunk Thursday morning and started to abuse his wife. During the heated argument, the report stated, the man in a rage started to curse

and strike his wife. It was also reported that the man threw away the food that was offered to him. It was during the physical brawl that the wife chopped him after he chopped the palm of her hand. It is understood that the laborer’s wife picked up the same cutlass and chopped him to his head. Due to the severity of the chops the laborer sustained, his wife was forced to transport him to the Suddie Public Hospital where he remains in a critical state. The 45-year-old woman is in custody. (Yannason Duncan)

Government is upbeat that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuco) has accomplished and exceeded its production target for 2015. The management and workers have also been commended for ensuring this achievement, they said yesterday. On Monday last, GuySuCo surpassed its 2015 production target of 227,443 tonnes. Yesterday, the company reported that it has already achieved 148,372 tonnes of the 150,000 tonnes it was hoping to realise by the time the second crop ends next week. Albion, Rose Hall and Enmore are currently grinding. The total production achieved for the year up to today is 229,515 tonnes, just under 500 tonnes more to the 230,000 the company was expecting to attain. In an invited comment on Thursday, Prime Minister and First Vice President Moses Nagamootoo stated, “I am very pleased that they have all worked diligently and as hard as they usually do to help realise the target.” The Prime Minister has also attributed the success to the innovations implemented by the new management of GuySuCo. “They have been coming up with innovative measures to have the factories perform better, and some of those innovations are showing the independence of the management of GuySuco which is free from political interference and dictate, and it’s showing hopeful signs of GuySuco as an industry.”

PM Moses Nagamootoo The Prime Minister believes that the workers are now more energised that they are offered better leadership. Prime Minister Nagamootoo added that the sugar workers must be cognisant that the nation is behind the industry as the Government is determined to save it. “Over the last few years the national treasury has funded the sugar industry perhaps with over $50B. This year was over $12B, and next year they will also have a bail out from the national purse.” The company is indebted to the tune of $82B and “therefore if it hasn’t become viable over the medium and long-term it’s going to be a millstone around the neck of the sugar industry,” the Prime Minister stated. He contended that while the government also wants to

Despite surpassing annual target for the first time in 11 years, GuySuCo is not out of the woods yet, and is likely to see more cash bailouts from Government next year, PM Nagamootoo says.

see production increase, and that attention is paid to sugar workers’ conditions among others, there is the longing desire to see the industry start making profits and not go under because of indebtedness. Meanwhile, adding to the sentiments expressed by the Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, credited this success to the new management which was installed by the Coalition Government after the company was facing difficulties. “This government does not wish to politicise business; that was GuySuco’s problem and you saw what happened. We have taken a “hands off’ approach, appointed a competent board, let the management and workers do what they are supposed to do and they have surpassed the target within five months,” Holder stated.

Saturday December 19, 2015

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Despite damning revelations on Winston Brassington’s corrupt acts…

Coalition Govt. pussyfooting on prosecution “All the police need, sometimes, is probable cause that you have committed a crime and they can arrest and charge you. But in the case of Winston Brassington, NICIL’s CEO, there is more than probable cause for him to be arrested and charged. There is irrefutable evidence that he has been involved in unconscionable acts of corruption against the state. Yet, we cannot see a single charge being laid against this man.” So said Financial analyst, Raymon Gaskin. He said that he is concerned that Government may be quibbling or pussyfooting when it comes to ensuring that Brassington “does the time for the crimes he committed.” Gaskin said that when one takes into consideration the findings of the forensic audit report completed on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), there is more than sufficient ground for Brassington to be hauled before the court and reprimanded. The financial analyst said that white collar crimes were rampant under the former administration and Brassington was found in innumerable cases, committing some of the most “grievous and treacherous acts” in that regard. He said that the coalition government needs to send a strong message that those who stole from the state will not slip under the radar. “This was their election promise and that is what President David Granger said on several occasions,” added Gaskin. “You have to send a strong message not only for the people to understand that you mean business but so that your own can understand that the law will be respected and those who fail to do so will be dealt with expeditiously. In seven months, we have been seeing a number of revelations on the crimes committed by Brassington and his cohorts, one of which includes former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh. What is causing the hold up with the charges? Government needs to act. Bring the evidence before the court and remand them,” expressed Gaskin. He then made reference to some of the findings in the NICIL forensic audit report which was prepared by Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran. “The forensic report shows that Brassington bypassed internationally recog-

Financial analyst, Raymond Gaskin

NICIL, CEO Winston Brassington

nized and credible companies only to engage criminal entities for the construction of the Marriott Hotel. He failed to justify how millions of dollars were spent in the Linden Mining Enterprise and to properly account for their assets. “He hid $1B in a secret account which he received to aid in the construction of the Marriott Hotel , then he paved the way for NICIL to illegally fund the preparation of the Pradoville Two scheme, misappropriated billions of dollars , and kept $26B from the Consolidated Fund.” “And that’s just the beginning. Doesn’t that amount to more than probable cause? This is what came out of a forensic audit report which found damning evidence regarding these financial crimes. What more are we waiting to see before he is charged?” questioned Gaskin. In the report, Goolsarran also recommended that moves be made to institute criminal and/or disciplinary actions against all those within NICIL responsible for the interception of State revenues totaling $26.858 billion in violation of Articles 216 of the Constitution and the related sections of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMA). He said that disciplinary action is provided for under the following sections of the FMA Act: (a) Section 48 — Misuse of public moneys; (b) Section 49 — Liability for loss of public moneys; and (c) Section 85 — Liability of an official. Goolsarran also called for the institution of criminal and/ or disciplinary actions against all those responsible for violating Article 217 of the Constitution by causing expenditure to be incurred without parliamentary approval. He said that charges are in order for all those responsible for ignoring National Assembly Resolution No. 32 of December 17, 2012, requir-

ing NICIL to pay over to the Consolidated Fund “all revenues and proceeds from the sale of all State properties, except for those necessary administrative costs for maintaining and running its operations annually.” The Chartered Accountant called for NICIL to be liquidated and for the appointment of a Receiver to oversee the liquidation process. He said, too, that Government should re-activate the Privatisation Unit as a department of the Ministry of Finance to manage the Government’s residual investments after liquidation proceedings have concluded. In this regard, he noted that the existing staff of NICIL could be transferred to the Ministry of Finance. Goolsarran also recommended for his report to be forwarded to the State Assets Recovery Unit, with a view to recovering any State assets/properties that might have been improperly and illegally transferred to third parties. He believes that there should be a further independent audit to examine in detail transactions over the last six years, given that the scope of his report covered the period 2001 to May 2015. “In addition, considering the hostile, arrogant and demeaning response to my preliminary draft report as well as certain restrictions placed on this audit, it would be desirable for the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director to proceed on leave to facilitate the transaction audit,” Goolsarran added. He said that Government may wish to consider whether it wishes to retain the services of the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director in light of the findings and conclusions contained in the report. Come next week, the forensic audit report is expected to be discussed among Cabinet members.

Saturday December 19, 2015

Govt. passes legislation to secure LGE

The fact that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/ C) opposition walked out of the National Assembly during the introduction and debate of the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill on Thursday evening had no bearing on its passage. The Bill was introduced, debated and passed nevertheless. All that is necessary to make it law is the President’s assent. As soon as the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan took the floor, PPP/C members of Parliament (MP) walked out. The PPP/C took this action claiming that it was not given adequate time to prepare speeches for the debate of the Bill. In fact, the PPP/C, before walking out, caused a debate over whether the Bill should have been debated that evening. But it being the minority in the National Assembly had no other choice but to go along with what the government wanted. The Local Authorities Bill seeks to amend the Municipal and District Council Act, Chapter 28:01, to provide clarity regarding its application with respect to the new local

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan government system. It also seeks to amend the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Chapter 28: 03, to ensure consistency in its application as obtains in the Municipal and District Councils Act. Bulkan told the National Assembly that contrary to the opposition’s contentions, the Bill is not “onerous” nor does it make it harder for smaller Parties and individuals to contest Local Government Elections. Further, the Minister said

that the Bill clarifies statements in the Local Authorities Act that contradict Chapter 28:03 of Guyana’s Constitution. “All this Bill does is seek to provide clarity,” said Bulkan. Bulkan stated that the Bill ensures the right to local democracy and is about “handing power to the people.” “What this Bill does is to invest in local democracy (which is) unheard of from those members on the other side of the House,” said the Minister. Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, concurred that the Bill does not in any way affect the rights of individuals in any constituency. He told the House, “The reason the opposition is absent has nothing to do with consultation or limited time, it is a pattern. He said that from all indications, the opposition is just trying to frustrate efforts by the government to secure all Legislation needed to ensure the holding of Local Government Elections next year. The Bill was passed with no objection. (Abena Rockcliffe)

Brassington must be jailed for his treachery - IMC Chairman ...“Government must treat everything he says with a grain of salt.”

Linden Interim Management Committee (IMC) Chairman, Orrin Gordon, is calling on the Granger-led administration to treat “everything said by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NICIL, Winston Brassington, with a grain of salt.” Gordon said, “My reason for saying this is premised on the fact that Brassington lied to forensic auditor Anand Goolsarran about the expenditure in the Linden Mining Enterprise (LINMINE).” He recalled that the forensic audit report on NICIL stated that total expenditure for the company for the period 2002 to 2014 amounted to $8.6B. Of that amount, NICIL’s operating expenses was $2.1B. The forensic auditor, Anand Goolsarran, found however that LINMINE accounted for 59 percent of NICIL’s operating expenses— $1.3B. Goolsarran noted that this didn’t make any sense since the company had enough assets to sustain itself. Additionally, when he examined the activities of LINMINE, Goolsarran said that nothing could have justified why the company accounted for 59 percent of NICIL’s expenditure.

He subsequently asked Brassington to explain this situation. The NICIL CEO said that $983M was spent on salaries for a staff of 75 while $122M was spent on rates and taxes for the entity. Gordon said that the CEO’s explanation was nothing but a “nasty lie”. “I have the records to prove otherwise.” He said that the most that was paid to the Municipality was $35M in rates and taxes and with even that figure he is even being liberal. Gordon said that LINMINE used funds from the Mackenzie/ Wismar Bridge to pay staff and to maintain the operations of the LINMINE secretariat. Earlier, Gordon had said that NICIL would have sold 83 properties on South Mackenzie, including the old Surapana Golf course, for which it would have received millions of dollars. “So where has the money gone?” He added that to date, the

Municipality has not received “a single cent” for rates and taxes since 2009, when those properties were sold, and that NICIL currently owes the Municipality about $500,000, which he claims as being an “extremely conservative” figure. Scrap iron sales accounted for another revenue earner for NICIL, Gordon said, but yet the question remains, “Where has the money gone?” The IMC Chairman said, “The point is that Brassington lied about the expenditure on LINMINE and he should be jailed for his treachery. I have the evidence to prove that he is lying through his teeth and if he lied about that then I am left to wonder what else he lied about in the report just to defend himself and his cohorts.” He reiterated that Government must be cautious when listening to Brassington, “and try as much as they can to always verify his explanations. He cannot be trusted.”

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THE BONUS IS NOT A CONDITION OF SERVICE This is the first year that a Christmas bonus has ever been paid in Guyana by the government, dating back to at least the mid-1970s. The PNC government never paid any Christmas bonus. They never encouraged the payment of a bonus. The PPP also never paid any bonus. The PPP paid something called back pay which was earned money. The PPP would in the month of December impose salary increases on workers and make it retroactive to December. This was therefore earned income and the retroactive pay, known as back pay, was what people got to go on the spending spree at

Christmas time. The public service in Guyana therefore has no tradition of receiving any bonus and therefore such payments could not by convention be part of any collective bargaining agreement signed between any union and the government. Unless it is expressly stated in the agreement that a bonus is subject to the terms of collective bargaining agreement, the government is under no obligation to consult with any union on the payment of any bonus. A bonus is not a condition of service. A bonus is a gratuity. It is non-negotiable and it is at the discretion of the government. There is

Dem boys seh... De scamps running to hide This is de time fuh Christmas party, de time when every Ministry and department does try to mek de staff realize how much de boss appreciate dem. Some of dem does keep de party at some big shot place and mek de staff feel important. Dem boys never realize that dem woulda live to see de day when de boss wouldn’t even go to de party. And is not that he sick. GGMC keep dem party and dem select de place wheh Clinty de Willie use to go and eat. Was a nice party because likker flow. Everybody of importance been to de party. Dem see all dem manager, all dem directors except Clinty de Willie. It wasn’t a case of dem boys missing him because he couldn’t hide under some chair or table or get loss way in a corner. He too big to miss. He is a man when he stand in a crowd de crowd does look like a doughnut, thick on de outside and thin in de middle. Is only Clinty de Willie can hold in de middle. When dem boys ask dem other directors why Clinty De Willie was absent de Minister seh that he demand that de party provide jumbo prawns and big basha. Dem people seh not a bit of it. Brassington didn’t go to any party either. Last year, at this time he been all over de place. He go to GPL party. Even NICIL wid three people host a party and Brassington was the centre, if only because of he size. This year people can’t even see de man. And it ain’t because Brassington reduce in size. This man lie bout how he spend money in Linden. De boss man in Linden come out and tell Brassington that he lie. Soulja Bai hear these things and he pussyfooting wid de charges. That is why dem boys now want to believe that dem got people in Soulja Bai camp who encouraging slackness. It was only when dem boys start to talk bout jail that some of dem disappear. Dem now get frighten because dem know that is not everybody gun fall fuh dem stupidness. Talk half and watch how dem running like bed bug from bright light

therefore no basis for the government to consult with any union on the payment of a bonus. To consult would be to make the bonus something other than a gratis payment, which it is not. The Guyana Trades Union Congress is therefore barking up the wrong tree by accusing the government of violating collective bargaining agreements. It is also jumping on the wrong limb by accusing the government of breaching the trade union recognition law. It is further in the wrong territory by contesting that the payment of the bonus is unconstitutional. If it is unconstitutional then why not mount an unconstitutional challenge. The payment of a bonus is a privilege of management. It is a

discretion of management and cannot be used to supersede the payment of any benefit. In other words, only if some other benefit is forgone can any union question the payment of the bonus but it is not the bonus per se in this instance that would be the issue. It would be the nonpayment of the benefit. The sugar workers are asking for the bonus. They have a right to ask because this is the first time that a bonus is being paid and they are keen to ensure that they are not excluded from the precedent that is being set. Of course, the government does not have to pay a bonus next year. This can be a one-time bonus. The workers at the Guyana Chronicle are asking

for them to be included in the bonus. They cannot be because like the sugar workers they are part of a public corporation and are not bona fide public servants. Neither are members of the army and the police which the PPP gave, each year, a one-month salary. This is another kettle of fish. This can be considered a 13th month salary. It may or may not be a bonus depending on whether it has become a convention. The soldiers and police got a $50,000 this year instead of a one month salary. They may have been hoping for both but this would have been unreasonable. The history of PNC rule – and make no mistake about it, it is the PNC that is running things in Guyana – is

that no bonus is usually paid. This year was an exception because the government is still smarting from the controversy that has erupted over the payment of increases to Ministers and parliamentarians. As such, they are trying to appease workers by paying a $50,000 to each public servant.They should not have bothered. They will have many discontented workers breathing down their necks, including sugar workers and employees of public corporations whose Christmas looks bleak.

President meets Indigenous leaders on mining, security concerns

President David Granger and other Ministers pay keen attention as an Indigenous leader makes a presentation. President David Granger and Vice-President and Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally and Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, yesterday met with 12 Toshaos and a number of Village Councillors from Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Region Seven to discuss problems affecting their livelihoods. The Toshaos, led by

Casey Hastings from Kako Village, Upper Mazaruni, said that problems in the mining sector, security, especially at the border, and education were among the most pressing matters the group raised with the President and his Ministers during the meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency. “We have been raising these issues over and over in the past. Now we feel

that it is time to present them to the President. He promised to investigate them further and to take action,” Hastings said. Indigenous leaders from

Kako, Paruima, Kamarang, Waramadong, Jawalla, Imbaimadai, Chenowing, Phillipai, Kaikan, Arrau, and Isseneru were also at the meeting.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 19, 2015

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

The APNU-AFC is taking a road that is paved with chasms Politicians do not learn. Of all the categories of human behaviour, including repeat offenders, powerful politicians tend not to want to mend their misdirected attitudes. After a long era of autocratic politics under President

Burnham, the PPP returned to power in 1992. Even with Jagan at the helm, the PPP learnt absolutely nothing from history. Jagan traveled on the same road that engendered his down fall in the sixties. When

he died, the people he left in charge were eager to surpass the excess of the Burnham regime. Desmond Hoyte was redemptive but he too went in unhistorical directions. He turned his back on some historical moments that could

have seen him in office longer than the seven years he had. Hoyte refused to accord the PPP any hearing but he also shut out the WPA. Had he acceded to WPA’s insistence on inclusive politics and constitutional changes, this country would not have ever seen someone named Bharrat Jagdeo. Hoyte’s refusal to learn from the past brought into being the presence of Jagdeo. Twenty-three years of the PPP was essentially a journey into nihilism. Guyana hardly worked under the PPP. Even if one was willing to turn a blind eye to corruption and incompetence, it was the undemocratic nature of PPP reign that made it not only more tyrannical than Burnham’s Government but an organization that was indecently unhistorical. The PPP is gone; voted out of office but are we on a breathtaking journey using a different pathway than the ones Burnham, Jagan, Hoyte, and Jagdeo traversed? The jury is still out on that. From what I have seen in a mere seven months, I am not brimming with optimism. On Thursday night, I dropped off Kaieteur News’s reporter, Kiana Wilburg, to Parliament. What I saw was the creeping shadows of Burnham and Jagdeo. Parliament now sits inside a metal jungle. The barriers have completely taken over Parliament Building. This is coming from a new government that passed a

parliamentary motion when it was in opposition to remove even the meager barriers the PPP Government had put up. To date, only one citizen has publicly condemned this double standard - the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Lincoln Lewis. No other Guyanese has seen the wisdom of pointing to that little spark of hypocrisy. And why should they? It is just a little spark. Only a nation of fools does not know that a conflagration begins from a tiny spark. Someone from outside of Guyana should educate Guyanese that a tiny spark, if not doused, will cause a fire. From the metal barriers, we moved to the salary increases that were made retroactive to the very next month that the Coalition came into power. Many missed the retroactive nature of the increases. It meant that it is a recorded fact that the post-PPP regime gave itself a salary increase one month after it won the general elections. We come to the marijuana law. Any politician in this country, that accepts that a law that jails citizens for a few grams of marijuana in the 21st century, is not worthy of being in charge of any country in the western hemisphere. But we are not seeing any eagerness to extirpate this nasty, obnoxious atrocity that President Hoyte perpetrated on this country. We are told that before Hoyte’s nonsense is exorcized from the law books, there must be wide-

Frederick Kissoon spread consultations but where were the widespread consultations on the Terrorism Bill? One would like to think there needs to be more dialogue with the Guyanese society on the implications of the Terrorism Bill than on Hoyte’s anachronistic legislation. Here are the words of the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) on the Terrorism Bill; “In its present state this Bill would allow the State to perpetrate serious violations of due process and fair trial rights and should not be allowed to pass into law.” I confess I haven’t seen or read the Bill but surely the GHRA has to be insane to utter those words. And I don’t think the organization is even irrational much less insane. These words are so disturbing that they need to be repeated for emphasis; “In its present state this Bill would allow the State to perpetrate serious violations of due process and fair trial rights and should not be allowed to pass into law.” The PPP made the fatal mistake of thinking that people embraced it in 1992 because they had enough of the PNC so it could get away with excesses. Is APNU-AFC repeating the same tragedy?

Saturday December 19, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 11

CARICOM free trade tested…

Guyana rice shipment blocked at Belizean wharf Belize - A shipment of milled rice from Guyana arrived at the Big Creek Port in southern Belize overnight and there it remains at present. At the port, all was quiet and calm throughout the day. Shortly before two o’clock, businessman Jack Charles, accompanied by former Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Sergio Garcia, made their way to the BAHA quarantine office where they met with Senior Quarantine Inspector Israel Pitts. Acting on instructions from his bosses, Pitts informed the importer during a lengthy back and forth that the shipment would not be released today. That is because the requisite paperwork, including an application for a permit, had purportedly not been submitted. Jack Charles is bucking horns with the Agro-productive sector claiming that he can bring in the staple to retail at lower prices and while he has applied for a permit there has been no response from authorities. So what’s next? He says that a decision will be taken after giving Government sufficient time to rethink its po-

The Big Creek Port, Belize, where the rice shipment is being held.

Belizean businessman, Jack Charles sition on the deadlock. The arrival of a consignment of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds of rice from Guyana at Big Creek has been met with a blockade by the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, BAHA. “Based on the instructions from my supervisor; that I explained to the importer, we are detaining the cargo, the shipment of rice. And if there is further information that he needs, he can contact my supervisor.” Businessman Jack Charles, proprietor of RC Imports, the company that is bringing the rice into the country, headed south today

in an attempt to clear the cargo. Not to his surprise, he was unsuccessful despite presenting paperwork indicating that he had applied for a permit to import the three containers of processed grain. “As you can see, I had already processed my customs entry to get my goods to be released and after the customs, we have to come to get clearance from the BAHA. Yes, as you guys know, we don’t have the permit, but we had already applied for it— the BAHA SPS requirementsbut we had already applied in July right. And we are here; we brought all the documents, all the certifi-

cates needed. Those are the same kinds of certificates they had used for the last year importation of rice from Guyana.” According to existing regulations, in the absence of a permit, importers can only be fined before having the shipment released to their custody. Regional Trade Specialist, Sergio Garcia, who represents RC Imports, elaborates. “Where an importer of a regulated commodity or product fails to produce an import permit, for such regulated commodity or product

President Granger inducted as a member of Rotary Club of Georgetown

The Rotary Club of Georgetown members paid a courtesy call on President David Granger, presenting him with a token is Club Secretary, Mr. Ralph Persaud. While Club member, Colonel Christine King; Vice President, Clyde De Haas and Club President, Mrs. Elizabeth Cox look on. The Rotary Club of Georgetown, on Thursday, inducted President David Granger as an honorary member of the Club during a courtesy call, at the Ministry of the Presidency. The group was led by Club President, Mrs. Elizabeth Cox; Vice President, Mr. Clyde De Haas; Rotary Foundation Director, Mr. Pearson BurchSmith; President-elect 20162017, Ms. Lisa Foster; past

President Mr. Ronald BurchSmith; Club member, Colonel Christine King; and Club Secretary Mr. Ralph Persaud. The Rotary President said that the aim of the meeting was to garner the Administration’s support of their humanitarian efforts. “I know that having spoken to him, he is very excited about literacy and that is one of our areas…because we feel if you have an educated population they will be

taken out of poverty faster,” Mrs. Cox said. Members also used the opportunity to brief the President on the Club’s work and enquired how best they can aid the government in its ongoing efforts to improve literacy throughout the country. Mrs. Cox said that the Club is pleased with the outcome, as the sentiments expressed by President Granger indicate the Administration’s willingness

to support the efforts of the Club. Also during the meeting, President Granger was presented with a token from Ralph Persaud, the Rotary Secretary. The Rotary Club of Georgetown Guyana was first constituted on May 20, 1959. Dr. B.B.G Nehaul the then Government Pathologist and Bacteriologist of British Guiana conceived the idea of establishing a service club in Guyana. He chose the Rotary.

as prescribed under regulation six in the presence of supporting documents such as the phytosanitary certificate/certificate of origin, he should be liable to an administrative penalty of $200 per consignment in addition to an inspection fee of $100, which would have been applicable in this position. Why? Because we have applied for a permit; it is a reasonable expectation of the importer because under the regulations and WTO and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, the only time you can reject an application, you must give a reason in writing to allow that client to appeal the decision that you have made. In this situation, after the application, nothing has been received from BAHA in writing saying we have rejected the application. So sometimes we say silence is good and everybody went with the expectation that this will be approved.” Failing the approval of the permit, Jack Charles is allowing Government a day to provide a written reason for the denial before considering legal options. According to the importer, his rights under the CSME framework have been violated. “The office of BAHA, as you can see, the decision

has been taken by somebody else. Currently, I will just wait for a day or two; at least I’ll give them until tomorrow to see exactly if they have any legal grounds to present to me. But again, like I said, if they had the legal ground and they know the rice is coming on Thursday—from last week, they know this rice is coming on Thursday. “I was more hoping that as I entered the BAHA office, along with the decision, I would just be given a paper saying that here it is, these are our grounds to hold it and walk out. We didn’t have to stand for another 45 minutes and argue and discuss and all of this. “Actually we didn’t get no kind of grounds in black and white, no section, no chapter, nothing. This rice is going to control all the contraband rice coming from across the borders. We are concentrating on 20 percent of the conception; we still have eighty percent of the market which we have no intention to get into. We are not here to create any import monopoly. And certainly farmers like Toledo who are collecting thirty cents for a pound and paying a dollar and twentycents for a pound of rice; that is completely out of, what should I say, humanness.” (edition.channel5belize.com)

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 19, 2015

CH&PA repossesses Core Homes due to multiple breaches - Min. Scott

In picture, former President Donald Ramotar and former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali, with one of the beneficiaries.

- accuses Nandlall of fostering indecency, dishonesty

Junior Minister of Communities, Keith Scott

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall Junior Minister of Communities, with responsibility for Housing, Keith Scott, has blasted former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, for his claims that the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) acted unconstitutionally when it moved to repossess properties belonging to beneficiaries of the Core

Home programme. While Scott has not denied that the authority repossessed the land, he stated that in some cases the homeowners were participating in other Inter-American Development Bank/ Government of Guyana (IDB/GOG) programmes, subletting and even attempting to sell the houses. Scott said that all of this was in breach of the agreement and thus CH&PA moved to reclaim the properties. “In each case, when the letters were sent out seeking to repossess these houses, the persons who were allocated the houses breached the agreement which they signed and violated the principles of fairness and equity,” the Minister said yesterday. The matter came to the forefront on Wednesday during a press conference at Freedom House. Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, had presented letters from beneficiaries of the Core Home programme who had complained that CH&PA had repossessed their homes, without providing compensation. “Now these people received their certificates of title, they are in occupation of these homes. They are very poor people, right across the length and breadth of this country,” Nandlall had said. “And I have here a series of letters sent out by the CHPA, revoking these certificates of title and taking back these homes. This is unconstitutional.” Nandlall had observed that the principal reason offered for repossession was that the homeowners were not in occupation of the properties. He had described this explanation as “flimsy” and had stated that the homeowners were disputing

this contention. Asserting that this was the private properties of citizens, Nandlall insisted that the homeowners should have been protected under Article 142 of Guyana’s constitution. This part of the constitution talks of protection from Government repossessing house lots, without compensation being provided, as a fundamental right. However, Scott questioned whether Nandlall had “no interest in justice and decency” in light of the fact that the flagged homeowners were a “group of exploiters”. He labeled Nandlall’s agitation as “cheap politicking and deception.” The Core Home programme originated back in 2009, when the then Government requested a US$27.9M loan from the IDB, to improve the quality of housing for low income families. The agreement that Government perpetuated in April of that year, became known as the Second Low Income Settlement’s Programme. As part of the project, over 400 pilot core homes were constructed. The houses were defined as a minimum of 312 square feet with a sanitary block (septic tank, toilet, shower and a multi-purpose sink), concrete block for outer walls, floor in concrete slab, basic doors, windows, electrical wiring and water connections. The average cost for these core-homes was US$5,500. The overall programme was mainly separated in three main phases, with the aim of benefiting 12,000 households. The first phase dealt with de-

veloping new sites and land subdivisions. This would have provided new house lots with connections to basic infrastructure such as streets, sanitation, power, electricity and drainage. The target areas under this phase were Block ‘8’ Tuschen; Section EE Non Pareil; Ordnance Fortlands, Berbice; No. 76 village; Five

Miles Bartica; Amelia’s Ward; Bell West and Recht Door Zee phase 2. The second phase dealt with consolidating existing housing schemes, to complete and rehabilitate infrastructure and services. The seven areas under this were Westminster phase 1; Area B Lusignan; Tabatinga; Onderneeming phase 1; Block

D Bath; Amelia’s Ward phase 2 and Recht Door Zee phase 1. The third phase dealt with upgrading squatter settlements. The areas that the strategy dealt with in this regard were Section D Sophia; Binkey Alley, Lusignan; Area R Ankerville; Block 5 Ankerville and Eliza and Mary. The programme was officially phased out last June.

Beer that in mind...

Banks DIH defends sales of Bajan shares Barbados (Barbados Today) - The Guyana-based sister company of Banks Holdings Limited (BHL) says that it is not to blame for BHL’s recent takeover by the Brazilian beer giant, AMBEV. In fact, Banks DIH Limited (BDIH) suggests that if anyone is at fault, it is the BHL directorship. A BHL circular issued on December 4 and signed by Chairman of the Board of Directors G. Anthony King, stated that SLU, a subsidiary of the Brazilian firm AMBEV, had acquired 6,054,354 shares at $7.10 per share two days earlier, thereby increasing its shareholding to just over 50 per cent of the Barbados company’s stock, and making it the de facto controller. However, BDIH published a notice in Guyana newspapers yesterday making clear that it sold SLU the 4,358,815 shares it held in BHL on the Barbados Stock Exchange on December 02,

Chairman of the Board of Directors, G. Anthony King only after it had offered the same to BHL and the Barbados company turned down the offer. Those shares equalled 6.7 per cent of BHL’s share capital, according to the Guyana company. BDIH said in its published statement that a memorandum of understanding struck

in 2005 when the two beer companies acquired shares in each other, required that they offer these shares to the sister company before selling to a third party. “Accordingly, BDIH offered the first option to purchase its shares held in BHL to BHL. However the Board of Directors of BHL determined that it was not interested in re-purchasing shares held by BDIH in BHL, and had no objections to BDIH selling its shares to SLU Beverages,” the Guyana company stated in its public notice. BDIH went on to state that contrary to a report in the Barbados media, its sale of shares in the Barbados beer company did not by itself give SLU majority shares. “Accordingly, it is not accurate to state that the sale by BDIH ‘sealed the deal’ in terms of SLU acquiring majority ownership of BHL,” the Guyana company said. (www.barbadostoday.bb)

Saturday December 19, 2015

Kaieteur News

THE VOICE OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Understanding the Arithmetic - the May 2015 Victory and Beyond By Sase Singh I plan to present this series with the hope that there shall be some refinement of the political strategy of the APNU+AFC government in time for the mid-term in 2017. I am making this conclusion based on feedback provided from real people in the field with a fair subset of these views originating from rural Guyana. I want to thank the hundreds of Guyanese in the homeland who have sent me emails, WhatsApp messages, Facebook inboxes and even telephone calls outlining their perception of the political situation. For the record, these are not my comments, but my interpretation of what has been communicated to me. After cataloging these many comments, I think I can put them into four boxes from which we can together unpack them for all to read and hopefully change attitudes going forward. These four boxes shall be labeled: (1) what happened in May 2015? (2) Where do we stand today? (3) What are the projections to local government elections? and (4) how the people see this government evolving by the midterm in 2017? What happened in May 2015? May 2015 was indeed a landmark in Guyana’s political history according to almost every person I communicated with. For the more experienced observers, they concluded that this victory felt similar to the one in 1992. But for the younger generation, May 2015 felt empowering. Upon further probing, they were even candid to say that if it was not for the consistency in action from the Americans, the outcome might have been different. The youths see this as their victory against the Jagdeo /Ramotar cabal which in their eyes was ruling exclusively for a small political elite consisting of friends and family. Overwhelmingly, many of the commentators were fed up with the arrogance and corruption of the Ramotar government. Many stated that they did not see President Ramotar as their leader since they struggled to draw any inspiration from him. You could say, after all, the APNU+AFC only won by

4,545 votes; that’s true. You could say that this is the slimmest victory in any free and fair elections in Guyana; that is also correct. You could say this is the tiniest majority of votes every enjoyed by a President of Guyana at 50.3 percent; that’s true. All of this is true, but let us not underestimate the symbolism of May 2015. It was a true grassroots uprising against a well-financed and well-oiled political machine. This confirms the political reality that money alone does not win elections. In this post PNC polity that began after 1992, most people agreed that we entered a new phase in Guyanese politics, which allowed for the transition of power. But it was not only the PPP that was beaten at the 2015 polls – arrogance and corruption in high office were also beaten. Similarly, if this was a pure race vote, the PPP would have had the advantage but the party lost. Why? There were enough East Indians voting for this APNU+AFC coalition in places like Bath Settlement to deny the PPP another Presidency. If one looks at the hinterland where the Amerindians dominate the electoral race, the PPP won three of the four regions - North West (Region One), Potaro Region (Region Eight) and Rupununi (Region Nine). This confirmed that this victory was not possible without those swing voters in East Indian-dominated communities that made that conscience decision to either not vote for the PPP or voted for the APNU+AFC like those 557 voters in the Bath / Woodley Park NDC. The key to this victory was the disgruntled former PPP supporters who voted for the APNU+AFC. Where do we stand today? The important thing to understand today is whether what was fought for in May 2015 still holds. Have we been able to get rid of arrogance in office? The feedback from the people clearly illustrates they have serious doubts. Many of the commentators from as far as Essequibo Coast to the Corentyne have said to me the Ministers are standoffish, always too busy for the public, illustrate an aura of self-important and very inaccessible. I am not sure about this (Continued on page 24)

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Kaieteur News

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FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 1-One bedroom apartment for rent at Grove E.B.D-Call: 2660892; 681-1047 Commercial Space for rent at Lot 12 North Road, salon & barber stations – Call: 6628715, 680-1198 2 Storey @ Robb Street Building, top flat furnished, 3 bedrooms apartment for living/office/storage, bottom flat for business-Call: 2272454 1- Two Bedrooms apartment to let for $50,000 per month at Linj Street. Call: 669-7203 House to rent @ Parfaite Harmonie-Call: 659-8746; 6515924 Offices to rent @ 220 South Road, near the High CourtCall: 691-8420; 227-1042 Top flat, 2 bedrooms @ East Street opposite Balwant Singh Hospital, no children. Call: 227-6776; 667-3062 2 Flats; 6000Sq.Ft of prime space, @ 14 Longden & Croal Street, formerly Salt & Pepper –Call: 663-0376

Male and female to work in the Interior –salary-$80,000 – Call: 674-1767; 675-7043; 6592708 Security Guard –Call: 2271717

PEN PAL

Full & Part time & Seasonal, local & international work available, training provided $5,000 plus daily – Call: 6221957/ 233-6517, www.jobfairworldwide.com

Saturday December 19, 2015

Spacious 2 bedrooms apartment in Festival City. Asking $80,000- Call: 6192141 Bond space in Sandy Babb Street Kitty- Call Tony: 6783945 Two bedrooms house “A” Field Sophia, fully grilled off Road Parking, CCTV, $50,000 monthly with 2 months security-Call:693-2237; 2190211

One 928 F Caterpillar Wheel Loader $ 7.1 M, Price negotiable -Call Us Today On #650-0402/260-4988 Crazy Deals: Dell/HP desktop & laptop computers from $49,000, free games & educational programs @ FutureTech: 231-2206 One property in Nandy Park and one complete dredge for sale- Call: 642-3808, 644-7207 Hobart Bread Mixer for sale $3.4M, in good condition with accessories, price negotiable –Call: 696-9399 1 Leyland DAF 55 Truck, excellent condition, seldom used since arrival, owner migrating –Call: 675-4287; (evening) 233-5454 PS3 -$35,000, XBOX360 $25,000, XBOX one-$100,000, plastic barrel -$4,000-Call: 621-7497; 603-8643 CAT 930- Front End Loader, CAT D4H bulldozer, 9wheeled Pneumatic, Roller – Call: 275-0538; 683-7225 Leyland DAF 55 Dump Truck, CAT 320 BL excavator. Call: 275-0538; 683-7225 Bloodline German Shepherd puppies for sale-Contact: 612-6672; 697-1141 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 250 Rebel Motorcycle, one 250 nighthawk motorcycle, for more information contact: 662-8715; 680-1198; 771-538887 One Massey Ferguson 165 Tractor in excellent working condition (first owner) –Call: 679-8454

VEHICLE FOR SALE One Honda CRV, immaculate condition –price $1,650,000- Call: 626-2884 1 RZ mini-bus -$750,000 negotiable, down payment & installment acceptedCall:694-8322; 223-1506 Toyota 2 RZ BTT Series, power window, sunroof, TV, fog, mint condition, owner leaving country- $1.6MCall: 612-6121 Toyota Dyna (enclosed), never registered, lift gate (hydraulic), back camera, excellent condition, low mileage -$2.6M –Call: 629-4494 Smart Choice Auto: Premio, Allion, Bluebird, 212, IST, Fielder, Spacio- Call: 6523820/ 665-4529 One Axela Mazda -$1.550 negotiable, one Nissan Titan, one Audi A4; all vehicles in excellent condition-Call: 6653038; 226-4356 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 1- New model Raum PSS Series rim AC dark interior, flair kit, TV & DVD deck, price -$1.7M negotiable – Call: 615-4317; 274-0086 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 2008 PTT series, Allion, 17" rims, TV, Viper alarm -$2.9M negotiable. Call: 669-7298 Toyota Raum, L-Touring Wagon, AT192, EP71 Starlet, Nissan 4 Door pickup, Yamaha R1 & R6, Honda 600RR-Call: 644-5096; 6971453 2013 Mercedes C250 turbo AMG coupe, retractable glasstop, mileage 15K, alcantara leather interior, brush aluminum acc- Call: 650-5136 Holiday Discounts!! Get a gift with the purchase of unregistered: Allion, Bluebird, Axela Fielder, Etc @ City Motors-Call: 626-7478 Honda Accord, 2003, leather, TV, DVD, radio, 35,000km, like new, price negotiable- Call: 689-1194

EDUCATIONAL Registered for Phonics, Reading, Spelling etc, classes for all ages, private tutoring also offered –Call: 675-4379

EDUCATIONAL 9 Courses Diploma in Computer Studies, –Xmas Deal -$20,000 off Toyota Fortuner 2012 year@ Micrographics, Vreed-en- Call: 624-6702 Hoop, Royal Castle BuildingCall: 264-3057 Unregistered Toyota Premio Computerized Accounting: 2007, push start, reverse QuickBooks, Peachtree, Excel camera -$3.1M negotiable, 2016, P.O.S Pre-Xmas Honda Ridgeline, 4 door giveaway -$35,000 extra cab-Call: 655-3400 Micrographics, Vreed-enHoop, Royal Castle Building. Continued on page 23

Saturday December 19, 2015

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56 more boost police ranks From page 22

PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461. 2 storied transported concrete property- upstairs: 2 bedrooms apartment, downstairs: 2 bedroom apartment, block ‘8’ MonRepos, E.C.D -$19M neg. Call: 625-1514; 231-7255

Commissioner of Police: Seelall Persaud D.S.M at center stands with the most outstanding ranks out of the police recruit courses # 329 and 330 “Go forth and do the force proud. Be humble; maintain your level of discipline and be courteous as it will be your pillar of strength to guide you through.” This was the advice from Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud DSM, when he addressed 56 new recruits during their passing out parade yesterday at the Tactical Services Unit Drill Square, Eve Leary. He said that policing is not just about crime fighting but also about having a human

face to problem solving and upholding of the law. “Remember that the police force is not here to hurt anyone but to help create a better crime free society.” The ranks paraded before Commissioner Persaud, Assistant Commissioner Administration David Ramnarine and Force Training Officer: Senior Superintendant Paul Williams among other officers. The recruits commenced initial training on September 3, 2015. Kaieteur news under-

stands that among this batch are ranks that have passes in as many as 13 CSEC subjects. During their four months of training the new constables who graduated yesterday from the Felix Austin Police College were exposed to the basic and essential principles of policing, practices and procedures, foot and arms drills, physical exercise, self -defence tactics, firearm training theory and live firing exercises. According to Force training Officer, Senior

Queenstown knife robber gets 3 years for armed robbery A Queenstown robber, who has been reportedly terrifying women in the neighbourhood, made his first appearance before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Devon Wilson, 22, a mechanic, who reportedly hails from Lot 103 Blueberry Hill, Linden appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, to answer five charges of robbery under arms. He pleaded guilty to four of the charges. On December 8, last, in the vicinity of Queenstown, while armed with a knife, he robbed Mayleen Fernandez of her hand bag and other articles; another charge read that on December 10, also in the vicinity of Queenstown, he robbed Yaa Edwards of her hand bag, one gold ring and one LG smart cell phone. On December 15, he robbed Tamara Manga of her handbag, one cell phone and $7,000. Also that day he robbed Sonatra Mohamed of her hand bag, one cell phone and one pair of tested glasses. However, he pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on December 17, he, in the company of others,

Devon Wilson robbed Chitarlakha Candice of one wallet, two cell phones, one bottle perfume, one purse and one phone charger. That same day, Wilson was armed with a knife, confronted Candice in Queenstown and demanded that she release her hand bag. She subsequently defended herself. Wilson, in retaliation drew his knife and injured the woman. Vigilant security guards in the area saw the incident and discharged several rounds in his direction. He was afterwards apprehended and arrested by Police Ranks. The Magistrate sen-

tenced Wilson to three years imprisonment on each charge and ordered that they run concurrently. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones told the court that in the case of Fernandez, she had refused the defendants’ demands and threw her bag in another yard. The defendant then punched her, retrieved the bag and made his way with the items. Wilson, who was not represented by an Attorney, told the court in his defence that he has been under severe pressure and due to his financial status within his home, he resorted to crime.

Superintendant Paul Williams during their classroom sessions they were exposed to topics such as Domestic Violence, Human Rights, Crime, Traffic, Information Technology, Use of Force Continuum to name a few. Commissioner Persuad told the ranks that training is continuous and far more advanced than in days of old to match the cyber age and that the real world of policing has great demands for them to address many challenges. Policing today, he told them, includes lack of political intrusion, protracted conflicts and displacement which are new norms in addition to global trends such as climate change, organization income inequality, food insecurity and resource scarcity and increased vulnerabilities. “It is your job to keep people safe from harm,” he said and noted that there is no need for anxiety but instead they must remain confident as history has shown the forces constant adaptation and resilience in treating with challenges that have confronted the organization during different periods and time that they are now part of. The ranks were also exposed to live firing at the Timehri Rifle Ranges under the guidance and supervision from the experts at TSU. The ranks also visited the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and Mortuary, where they had a first-hand experience of what is to be expected at the Court when giving evidence, and how to identify a

victim or someone who would have lost his/her life during a homicide and how the pathologist determines the cause of death. At the end of each lesson ranks were tested and graded based on their performances while the best students and runners up were adjudged based on their overall performances and discipline exhibited during the four months. The parade was dubbed a testimony to the return of old standards and practices of giving credence not only to training but to show an appreciation for the men and women who have withstood the rigors of training and are now equipped with the basic knowledge and skills to go forth and perform with due diligence to boost the noble organization. They are expected to live up to the Forces motto “Service and Protection.” Reflecting nostalgically on the mixed emotions that he and others felt during their time of training in years gone by Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud encouraged them to be the best police that they can be, while maintaining law and order. All told the police have completed twenty training courses in recent years. This graduation exercise is in keeping with a recent announcement that all being equal, by the end of next year, Guyana will see an additional 1200 new police ranks deployed. In September the force was boosted by 136 ranks. (Mondale Smith)

President serves lunch... From page 19 different locations in our hinterland and our coastland. “We are on Operation Dragnet, an operation that is aimed to enhance security throughout Guyana, and we remain ready for any other operation that you and your Defence Board would direct to us. President Granger also used the opportunity to tour the Civil Defence Commission's Emergency Operation Centre and Warehouse.

Popular business place at temple Street, WindsorForest, W.C.D, -$35M price negotiable. Call: 642-6664; 658-3640 Parfaite Harmonie (land)$1M, $1.3M, $1.5M, Eccles$5M, unfinished structure $2M-$5M-Call: 604-2207; 611-7223 Church and 2 storey building Lot 180 Charlotte Street Bourda, between Albert & Oronoque Streets -Call: 227-6817; 624-7341; 226-5183 Business & residential property @ EBD Public Road, all amenities including security camera & grilled, best cash offer accepted – Call: 684-2119 2 Storey 45x35 concrete property, lower flat incomplete. Land 65x120 @ Diamond N/S 5th Avenue,E.B.D- Call: 664-5052 Property @ Tuschen Scheme, Main Road, transport ready $7M negotiable –Call: 6848231

CAR RENTAL DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM

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Understanding the... From page 21 perception because on the matter of importance, when I communicate with Ministers they always respond, so my views on these issues are in the minority. Even media personnel have told me that they cannot access Ministers in a timely manner and they are comparing this situation to their access to the PPP Ministers. The fourth estate if properly utilized is a powerful vehicle to get your message out. That is elementary politics. If this is the case, then we have a growing perception that will influence how people will vote in the Local Government Elections (LGE) in 2016. It would best serve the Ministers to fix this sooner rather than later or else we have a problem. There is a perception today that there is some level of policy paralysis especially on the productive sectors (the six sisters) and new foreign direct investments. What is very clear is that in the eyes of the people, they are not seeing much improvement on the jobs front, on the wages front for the masses and on the economic management front. Translating these anxieties positively, it can be in-

terpreted that there is a dire yearning for stronger leadership on how we manage the economy. We cannot continue on this path of looking back every five seconds and blaming the Ramotar administration for our inability to clearly communicate and implement courses of action that stimulate economic transformation. There is a clear need for new blood and new energy in the process and that can only be found by unleashing the youths and women by putting them in positions of authority to drive “outof-the-box” ideas. Even a very strong supporter of this coalition, Andaiye, reflected and said that the boards appointed since the new government was formed, “constituted mainly men, who are mainly older, mainly middle class and mainly AfricanGuyanese.” This might be a totally inaccurate statement but it is the perception that has been formed and it will materially influence the results in the LGE. Next week, we shall attempt to answer the other two questions in this miniseries. Please share your feedback at sasesin1@ yahoo.com

Saturday December 19, 2015

Local businesses placed on high alert about computer malware threat The Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team (GNCIRT) is putting local businesses and organsations on alert to the threat of individuals who are causing damage to computer data and demanding payment for that data to be restored. The warning comes in the wake of a recent incident in which computer data from one prominent Government agency was infected by ransomware. “The Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team (GNCIRT) had one recent report of ransomware that infected several computers at a prominent Government agency in Guyana and caused irreparable damage to important data files and inconvenience to users,” the GNCIRT release stated. “Given the global trend, GNCIRT has reason to believe that Guyanese users, especially organisations and businesses processing financial transactions via email, are at high risk.” “Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts your data files and demands payment in return for the key to decrypt your files. A successful ransomware attack will encrypt your data files and make them unavailable to you. “When an individual or member of staff tries to access the data files, they are pointed to a ransom note with directions on how to make a payment in order to regain access to the data files.” “GNCIRT advises that a payment should never be made as there is no guarantee that the attackers will provide the decryption key. Instead, all precautions should be taken to prevent a successful attack. The release stated that the current trend is for the malware to be propagated via spam email with malicious attachments. The subject of the emails relate to alleged ‘Invoices’, ‘Payments’, ‘Payment Notices’ or ‘Wire Transfers’ and typically have a ‘Ref-

- hackers demand payment to restore data

erence# or Invoice#’ followed by random numbers to appear legitimate. The emails have an accompanying malicious attachment which is typically a zip file and include the reference number and words such as ‘invoice’ or ‘info’ or ‘note’. The use of these keywords suggests that the attackers are targeting businesses and organizations involved in processing financial transactions. “GNCIRT advises that all staff accessing emails on their desktops or on their mobile phones be made aware of this threat. They should be alerted not to click on any suspicious emails or download any suspicious attachments. While the immediate threat is against Microsoft Windows desktop users, mobile phone

users are also at risk for ransomware. Persons who are using a personal computer at home are advised to delete any suspicious e-mails and to be on the alert for future threats. Persons using an organization’s e-mail service are advised to immediately report these spam mail to their System and Network Administrator or any such person(s) who may be administering the network and email services. GNCIRT advised that the following preventative measures be taken: 1. Make regular backup of your data files to limit the loss of data. Daily backups of critical files should be done by the System Administrator. 2. Backups should be securely stored away from the computer systems. Flash drives and back up drives should not be left connected to computer systems. 3. Alert all staff to exercise caution when opening emails. One careless act can expose an entire network to serious loss of data.

4. Pay special attention to emails from unknown email addresses, emails with attachments and emails appearing to suggest payments, receipts and invoices. 5. Observe emails that appear to come from known associates with minor variations to their names and email addresses. 6. Also be aware of attachments with file extensions that do not match the respective document types eg. Executable files (.exe, .js, .bat, etc) masquerading as office documents (.docx, .xlsx, .odt, .pptx, etc). 7. Use an antivirus software to scan for malware. There should be online protection as well as scheduled boot scans. It is important that the antivirus software be kept up-to-date to ensure that new strains of the viruses are detected. 8. Do not use pirated software, as most pirated software contain malware. 9. Plug all vulnerabilities by installing all approved patches (updates) for your operating system and application software. If infected, GNCIRT recommends the following steps be taken to mitigate the impact: 1. Do not pay any ransom demand. 2. Disconnect the impacted system/s from the network immediately and quarantine same in a secured location. 3.Halt usage of impacted system/s to minimize loss of data. 4. Attempt to identify which variant of ransomware you are infected with. 5. Notify the Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team Please refer to www.cirt.gy for more details. Reference: GNCIRT ALERT #2015-2 The release stated that regionally, Paraguay has recently experienced a ransomware campaign against its citizens. “GNCIRT asks that this advisory be taken seriously, as failing to do so may make you or your organization the next victim of ransomware.

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Mother Teresa of Calcutta HDC boss sent home and seven others told to go on leave to be made saint (Reuters) - Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Nobel laureate known for dedicating her life to helping the poorest of the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican said yesterday. Pope Francis has cleared the way for sainthood by approving a decree recognizing a second miracle attributed to her intercession with God - a necessary event for such a move in the church. Mother Teresa, who died in 1997 at the age of 87, become an international icon of charity in the 20th century but has also been criticized for trying to convert people to Christianity. She was beatified in 2003 by the late Pope John Paul II. Beatification, which requires one miracle, is the last step before sainthood, which requires two. The church believes saints are holy men and women who lived extraordinary lives of virtue and are believed to be in Heaven with God. Francis, who has made concern for the poor a major plank of his papacy, was keen to make Mother Teresa a saint during the Church’s current Holy Year, or Jubilee, in which Catholics are called on to emphasize the need for mercy and compassion in the world. Mother Teresa second miracle involved the inexplicable healing of a Brazilian

Mother Teresa of Calcutta man who was suffering from a viral brain infection that resulted in multiple abscesses with hydrocephalus, according to Church officials. Relatives prayed to Mother Teresa and he recovered, leaving his doctors at a loss to explain how. A Vatican medical commission deemed the sudden recovery “inexplicable in the light of presentday medical knowledge,” according to Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, the chief promoter of the sainthood cause. “CHRISTMAS GIFT” In Calcutta, Sunita Kumar, spokeswoman for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Char-

ity religious order said the nuns were “over the moon” when they got the news. “We thought her whole life was a miracle. Her whole life was dedicated to the poor and there was nothing else in her mind than service. Everyone was accepted and there was no obstruction in her work,” she told Reuters. Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta told Reuters the news from Rome was “the best Christmas gift,” adding, “Her entire life and work was for the poor. Now it is in a way officially recognized. We are grateful to God.”

Number of refugees entering Europe in 2015 nears 1 million - IOM Nearly 991,000 refugees and migrants have entered Europe by land and sea so far this year and the number is expected to reach 1 million in the coming days, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said yesterday. Some 4,300 people arrived on the Greek islands on Wednesday, including 3,000 on Lesbos, meaning that the exodus of people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa via Turkey is continuing despite winter weather and rougher seas, it said. “We see that the flows are so strong even now this late in the year that perhaps by Tuesday, even before then, IOM estimates the 1 million person mark will pass,” IOM spokesman Joel Millman told reporters. The numbers of people reaching the continent in Europe’s worst migration crisis since World War Two would be at least four times more than for 2014, he said, adding this was “extraordinary” and a record.

Trinidad Guardian - Managing director of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Jearlean John is citing “political motivation” as the only reason behind a decision by the new HDC board of directors to send her home Thursday. John and seven other members of senior management were sent on immediate leave. The new board, headed by Newman George, met for the first time Thursday and after a presentation into the works by the HDC, the board called for an independent audit of the State-owned organisation. The T&T Guardian understands that the audit is to be done by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The board also determined then that John and seven other senior level personnel would be sent on administrative leave, pending the completion of the independent audit. John, in an interview with the T&T Guardian moments after the decision, said she was surprised the board would make such a move, and alleged political motives behind the board’s decision. “This board obviously came in to take political action. This has to be politically motivated,” John said. She said her work “crossed party lines” and because of her innate professionalism she was able to work well despite the political divides. “Everything they asked me for, I have provided with no indication of dissatisfaction with the information received.

“Even what they have not yet asked for that is part of the natural handover, I have provided. I have remained open and transparent so I don’t understand how the need for an independent audit can be a reason for me being sent on administrative leave,” John said. The T&T Guardian recei v e d t e x t s b e t w e e n George and John, which show that George contacted John at 11.36 pm on Tuesday night informing her that he had “two matters” which needed attention and advised her to call him by 5.30 the next morning. John responded immediately to that text and then called him the next day. When asked about that exchange, John said she found it “unprofessional” but recognised then what she was dealing with. That, the T&T Guardian was told, was cemented when

George told John, the chief legal officer and the corporate secretary that he “had no heart and no conscience.” “My expectation is that the audit goes back from the periods 2000-2004, then 20052009 and 2010-2015,” John said. She joined the HDC in 2009, appointed by the then People’s National Movement (PNM) administration to replace Noel Garcia. Garcia is now the chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) where John sat under the former administration. John dismisses all allegations of political allegiance to either the PNM or the People’s Partnership and had maintained her work ethic and style of management had kept her at the various State enterprises. She said she liaised effectively with the new board and her new line minister, Housing Minister Marlene McDonald. McDonald, in a brief interview yesterday, said she had not yet been “apprised” of the outcome of the board meeting at HDC. “I was at Cabinet and then at constituency meeting, so I have not been in touch or informed of what went on at the meeting,” McDonald said. George answered his mobile phone but asked that he be contacted again within 20 minutes but did not respond to several successive calls for comment. Former minister of housing Dr Roodal Moonilal has criticised the PNM for the “constructive dismissal” of eight executives from the HDC.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (SKNIS) — The government of St Kitts and Nevis is in discussions with Venezuela regarding outstanding debt under the PetroCaribe arrangement. Minister of public infrastructure, posts, urban development and transport, Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd said that the debt to Venezuela through PetroCaribe stands at US$83 million, of which $45 million is due and payable. “We are in discussions with the PDVSA to see how best we can service that debt,” Liburd said on the government’s programme on local radio. “$16 million of it is current… remember the agreement speaks to a 25-year pe-

riod over which you pay the debt but you pay the current fuel price,” he added. Several Caribbean countries are beneficiaries of the PetroCaribe arrangement that provides for concessional financing for a portion of the fuel cost, depending on the market price. Liburd said he is not sure if there will be any new terms following the recent election results in Venezuela, which saw the Democratic Unity opposition coalition winning a key two-thirds majority in the National Assembly of Venezuela. The opposition won 112 of 167 seats, defeating the Socialist Party of President Nicolas Maduro. The minister however sought to allay any fears or

concerns that Venezuela may look to end that arrangement with St Kitts and Nevis and the rest of the Caribbean, noting that Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris would be able to convince the Democratic Unity coalition to continue to social and economic policies of Venezuela towards St Kitts and Nevis. St Kitts and Nevis has already benefited from an EC$16 million grant used for a gratuity payment for former employees of the St Kitts Sugar Manufacturing Corporation. “That is the kind of leader we have in the Team Unity government and I say so because it is a fact,” said Liburd.

Jearlean John

St Kitts-Nevis government in discussions with Venezuela on PetroCaribe debt

Refugees and migrants arrive aboard a passenger ferry near Athens, Greece (Reuters/Alkis Konstantinidis) “We also want to point out that these very high flows for December in Mediterranean are proving to be what we feared - very lethal,” Millman said, speaking on International Migrants Day. This was particularly the case in the eastern Mediterranean, or Aegean, where the IOM has counted 706 deaths so far this year. The toll includes 422 since Oct. 16, an average of seven a day, he said.

“Obviously this is quite alarming and we are not looking forward to a winter like last year. But from what we can see the flows remain robust and dangerous,” Millman said. The number of people forcibly displaced worldwide is likely to have “far surpassed” a record 60 million this year, mainly driven by the Syrian war and other protracted conflicts, the United Nations said earlier yesterday.

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Saturday December 19, 2015

Back to reality for Merkel as Europe stalls on refugees (Reuters) - Only two of the 11 refugee reception “hotpots” Europe hoped to get up and running this year are working. Less than one percent of the 160,000 migrants it agreed to relocate have been. And a recent drop in arrivals has more to do with the weather than any crackdown by Turkey. The harsh reality of Europe’s refugee crisis, spelled out in stark numbers and cautionary rhetoric in a report given to EU leaders at their end-of-year summit, was a sobering wake-up call for German Chancellor Angela Merkel after her triumphal showing earlier in the week at a congress of her conservative party. At that meeting in the southern German city of Karlsruhe, Merkel delivered a passionate defense of her refugee stance and, crucially, pledged to substantially reduce the number of migrants entering Germany. Her political future probably rests on her ability to deliver on that promise, and to do so in the first few months of 2016, before three state elections take place in

mid-March. Yet at the summit in Brussels, it was abundantly clear how limited her leverage really is. Although she described a “mini-summit” with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu before the full EU met as “very good”, the appetite in other European countries for her voluntary program to resettle migrants from Turkey seems limited.Amajority of EU leaders stayed away. Publicly, German officials have praised Ankara for its apparent readiness to help Europe on the migrants. Privately they express disappointment with what Turkey has done so far to stem the tide of refugees crossing the Aegean Sea to Greece. The report by the Luxembourg presidency of the EU on how the bloc is managing the migration flows spoke of “significant gaps” in implementation and acknowledged that the planned relocation of 160,000 migrants — hailed by Merkel in her Karlsruhe speech as a “major success” — was “unsatisfactory”. Even European Council President Donald Tusk spoke of a “delivery deficit” on the

implementation of a range of migrant measures agreed by leaders in recent months. The summit conclusions said: “Deficiencies, notably as regards hotspots, relocation and returns, must be rapidly addressed”. MERKEL VERSUS THE WORLD In a positive development for Merkel, EU leaders pledged to fast-track the establishment of a border and coastguard force, a key element of her strategy to stem the influx at the bloc’s external rim. However some leaders, including Greece’s Alexis Tsipras, made clear their opposition to giving Brussels powers to send in EU border guards without the consent of the country concerned. Ultimately, officials acknowledged, the EU has little direct leverage over how member states police the bloc’s external borders, beyond the implicit threat to boot them out of the Schengen freetravel zone if they don’t cooperate — a breakup German officials say would be disastrous for Europe.

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Sri Lanka probes bid to fix... Harden helps Rockets soar (From page 28) players. “After Kusal turned down the offer, the man approached Herath who also rejected the offer and alerted the authorities,” he said. “We have started a police inquiry in addition to an anticorruption probe by Sri Lanka Cricket,” Jayasekera added, in reference to the national cricket board. Sri Lanka beat the tourists from the Caribbean by an innings and six runs after veteran left-arm spinner Herath took 10 wickets in the match on the country’s south coast. The West Indies, who have never won a Test match in Sri Lanka and went on to lose the two-match series 20, were rank outsiders for the showdown in Galle where the home team have a particularly strong record. Jayasekera also suggested that Perera’s recent failure in a doping test during the ongoing tour of New Zealand may have been linked to his raising the alarm over the match-fixing attempt.

“It is possible that something was slipped into his food or his urine sample was tampered with to get this result,” Jayasekera said of Perera, who was sent back to Sri Lanka after failing the doping test. “We are doing our best to defend him,” the minister added. Ashley de Silva, the chief executive of Sri Lanka Cricket, said the board could not discuss the case in line with International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption regulations. “Because of the anticorruption regulations, we cannot say anything,” de Silva told AFP. However a source on the board confirmed that the organisation was conducting its own investigation into the claims. “The two players brought this to our notice,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. Although betting is illegal in most of the cricket-mad Indian subcontinent, there is no shortage of backstreet book-

makers — many of whom have links to the underworld. Ronnie Flanagan, who heads the ICC’s anticorrruption unit, recently acknowledged match fixing would never be eradicated even though a string of international stars have been exposed as in the pay of bookmakers. Although no big-name Sri Lankan player has ever been convicted of corruption, several former stars have made allegations of either match fixing or spot-fixing, when players deliberately bowl or field badly to give away a set number of runs. Former skipper Hashan Tillakaratne dropped a bombshell in May 2011 when he claimed he had been an eyewitness to match-fixing by fellow players since 1992. Tillakaratne never disclosed any names. Two Sri Lankan umpires were banned in 2013 after an Indian television station claimed they were willing to make favourable decisions during matches for cash.

Saturday December 19, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may feel like you're slowly plowing through mud, but things are starting to look up. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Don't take anything too seriously today. People may be careless with their words and end up hurting feelings or even breaking hearts. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Yes, it's your turn now. Perhaps you've been waiting for something, but the timing hasn't been right. Perhaps there has been a mental or physical roadblock in the way. CANCER (June 21–July 22) If you keep trying to perfect every aspect of the package before you send it out, you'll end up missing the boat and the package won't go at all. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may be talking a lot today, but that's natural. You have a great deal to say, so why not say it? You'll have your way with very little effort. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may find it hard to stick to a task today. Your mind may feel fragmented. It may be hard to focus. If this is the case, don't worry too much about it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Go out and play today. Escape your work mode and have fun. Drive someplace new and take a long walk outside with friends. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Get some of your thoughts on paper today. Communicate your feelings in a journal or write letters or emails to people you haven't seen in a while. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You're the certified expert on many topics, so spread your knowledge around. Others will attend to your words. Use them carefully. You may jump from subject to subject, but that's OK. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Don't worry so much about others today. Your job is to have fun. Keep things balanced by not delving too deeply into one specific topic or project. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) If you don't express yourself today, people might get the impression that something is wrong. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) This is a great day to shop. Join friends and hit the stores to add more beauty and pleasurable items to your life. Stay away from the cheap and shoddy.

over stumbling Lakers

Reuters (The Sports Xchange) - Guard James Harden had 25 points, six rebounds and six assists, leading the Houston Rockets to a 107-87 romp over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Thursday. Center Dwight Howard scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds despite experiencing foul trouble throughout the contest. Forward Terrence Jones had 16 points and forward Trevor Ariza and guard Patrick Beverley chipped in 13 apiece as the Rockets (13-14) ended a twogame slide. They also defeated Los Angeles for the fifth consecutive time at Staples. Forward Kobe Bryant scored 22 points and had eight rebounds for the Lakers

(4-22), who lost seven of their last eight. Forward Julius Randle had 18 points and 10 boards, while guard Lou Williams contributed 14 points. Randle’s layup pulled Los Angeles within 81-76 less than three minutes into the fourth quarter but an 11-0 run by Houston gave the visitors a 16-point lead. The Lakers never recovered. The Lakers resorted to intentionally fouling Howard with 5:21 left in the contest but the center converted seven-of-12 free throws. The Rockets led 52-39 at the break. They limited the Lakers to 34.8 percent shooting while hitting 40.9 percent of their shots. Houston also had the edge in three-pointers, making six-of-12 attempts (50 per-

cent) to three-of-12 (25 percent) for the Lakers. Overall, the Lakers outshot the Rockets 42.9 percent to 38.6 percent. Bryant provided some crowd-pleasing moments in the third quarter. He had Laker fans roaring and on their feet after he drove the lane and slammed a dunk over forward Clint Capela. He followed with a baseline jumper to cut the Rockets’ advantage 55-48 at 8:49 of the third. Bryant scored 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the quarter but the Rockets took a 78-68 lead heading into the final frame. It was Houston’s second win over the Lakers within the past five days. The Rockets coasted to a 126-97 rout on Dec. 12.

Boult strikes before rain ends... (From page 27) Williamson as the visitors lost three wickets for just five runs. Prior to that short period, Sri Lanka had looked to have seized control of the day with Mathews and Siriwardana untroubled at the crease and attacking left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner in particular. The pair had been brought together at 121-4 after New Zealand had got back into the game when they broke a 71-run partnership between Dinesh Chandimal (47) and Udara Jayasundera, who was run out for 26 after

Fraser flopped in...

(From page 26) failed to the Public, but I will reiterate what the Guyana Teachers Union said on national television that when they met with Minister Roopnarine, the honourable Minister had no knowledge of such a document or such a group. It means therefore that Mr. Fraser’s efforts were without the authorisation of the subject Minister. In addition, Mr. Fraser made some other recommendations. It is very noteworthy that these recommendations came in the context of his response to my article, but not as information on what is being implemented in schools. Fraser should begin to think seriously about helping an ailing Physical Education Programme with his suggestions, so that the National Schools’ Championships is strengthened through such efforts nationwide. Respectfully, Edison Jefford

some good fielding by Santner. Chandimal, who scored half-centuries in both innings in the first test in Dunedin, then chased an outswinger from Doug Bracewell that caught the edge and gave wicketkeeper BJ Watling his

third catch of the innings. New Zealand won the first test of the two-match series at University Oval by 122 runs. Scores: Sri Lanka 264 for 7 (Mathews 63*, Siriwardene 62) v New Zealand.

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Saturday December 19, 2015

Letter to the Sports Editor

Fraser flopped in understanding my analysis Dear Editor, It is not usual that I respond to critiques of my work, which I am often open to accepting once they are justified. But when there are attempts to mislead the public and deliberate efforts to influence negative opinions, I see a need to offer clarifications less the misrepresentations of fact become truth to those who are not analytical. Mr. Editor, the Head of the Physical Education Department at the Unit of Allied Arts within the Ministry of Education, Mr. Nicholas Fraser responded to an article I wrote last Sunday. Fraser in his attempt to represent the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) misunderstood the central themes of my article. But why does Fraser see the need to respond to my analysis? As far as I am aware, Fraser is not an Executive, or mere member of the AAG, neither is he their Public Relations Officer. Mr. Editor, my perspective last Sunday had two overarching themes: (a) That the AAG is failing, and has failed, to implement postNationals programmes to aid in the development of youth and junior athletes and (b) Someone may have misinformed the Minister of Public Health, George Norton as to the role of the AAG in Nationals, causing the Minister to launch an unnecessary advocacy for the association to “take over” the Championships. Mr. Editor, I did not mention Mr. Fraser in my article, yet he sees the need to respond to me; yet he sees the need to become the arbitrary mouth-piece of the AAG to attempt a defence of the themes listed above. The question here is why. Could it be that the ‘someone’ I referred to as misinforming the Minister is Fraser? Could it be that Fraser’s conscience is laden with guilt, hence his response? Please allow me to expose the mischievous nature of administrators like Fraser. This gentleman sits on the Management Committee of the National Schools’ Championships as Head of the Physical Education Department at the Unit of Allied Arts. Notwithstanding, Fraser is telling the Public that the track at the National Stadium had an extra 17m. Could you imagine, Mr. Editor the Head of Physical Education sitting through the National Schools’ Championships with this information and is only now revealing such?

Mr. Editor as the one who is responsible for information at the National Schools’ Championships I want to categorically debunk Mr. Fraser’s claim as untrue and false. There was a problem with two lanes as discovered on the first day of the Championships at the Stadium. This problem was immediately rectified following that discovery and the Championships proceeded unhindered. It means that none of the final results were affected by this issue. Mr. Editor, if we are to believe Fraser then it would mean that the winning time of 10. 7 seconds returned in the Boys U-18 100m Final is recorded for 117m instead, for example. It means therefore, when calculations are done, the time really should have been around 9. 2 seconds over 100m. With that 9.2 seconds time, Mr. Editor, we have an athlete who is faster than Usain Bolt. The same analogy holds for all the other distances. The claim of athletes running an extra 17m is simply untrue. But could you imagine if this were to be true, you would have the Head of Physical Education in Guyana and the AAG President, Aubrey Hutson present each day at the Championships with this knowledge and their position was to keep it secret until an opportunity like this arises for them to mislead the Public. These are the types of officials who are preventing the progress of sport in Guyana. Fraser also spoke about international standards. Mr. Editor several aspects of an athletics event makes it international. But for our sake, we are still recording hand-times in Guyana. The Fully Automatic Timing System (FATS) that the Guyana Olympic Association handed over to the AAG is not used. Meets at the synthetic track are recorded in hand time. The AAG has made several attempts to get the FATS working to no avail. If we are to take Mr. Fraser seriously then it means that nationwide we would have to have electronic times recorded from InterHouse to Nationals, which simply is not possible now. What we have, we use, but it does not discredit performance as Fraser would have you believe. On the construct of Mr. Fraser’s recommendations and working group I won’t divulge details of why that (Continued on page 25)

Saturday December 19, 2015

Kaieteur News

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ICC: Governments Guus Hiddink in Chelsea have right to intervene talks about manager’s job Says Dr. Rudi V. Webster The Five-Person CARICOM Report on the structure and governance of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has been out for just over a month and has received almost universal acclaim and support from the Caribbean public. The people are fed up with the governance and performance of the WICB and are in a state of despair and depression, unable to see a better future, or to do anything to change the present situation. They know that the Board will not reform itself. After all, it has been down this path before with previous reports - the Patterson and Wilkin reports – and has retained the status quo. Sadly, most of our people have given up on West Indies cricket. Those who have not are now turning to elected representatives, CARICOM Prime Ministers, and are imploring them to implement the recommendations of that report. Anything less would be a terrible disappointment. Not everyone agrees with the report. This is to be expected. We see things not as they are but as we are. So Members of the Board, insiders, and some outsiders will have a different view of the situation. They feel that the WICB is being unfairly targeted and that politicians are interfering in the affairs of the Board. “Politics should not enter sport,” they say. They strongly believe that in the end the ICC will resist these recommendations and intervene on behalf of the Board. A long held WICB belief and attitude towards CARICOM Prime Ministers is revealed in the Trinidad Guardian newspaper of November 6, 2014 in an article entitled, “WICB director: CARICOM is all talk: the ICC will save West Indies.” In the article, one prominent director, who spoke anonymously, did not hide his skepticism about what the CARICOM leadership brings to the table. The ICC can intervene in the present crisis but Members of the Board might discover that the odds are not exactly in their favour. On the subject of government intervention and interference, the ICC Governance Review Committee says the following: “Naturally, a government (or any office thereof) would also not be prevented from investigating the affairs of the Member Board in order to ascertain whether any criminal offence has been committed,

Dr. Rudi V. Webster

including fraud, dereliction of director’s duties (including fiduciary duties) or contravention of any relevant legislation. Similarly, there may be circumstances where a government (or any ministry thereof) rightfully seeks to intervene in the event that a Member Board is dysfunctional. The ICC governance Review Committee believes that this is a question of accountability, not interference.” Clearly, the Board has been disgustingly dysfunctional for many years. And, every year that dysfunction gets worse. Just a few days ago in Sydney Australia, Brian Lara one of our greatest batsmen was asked why West Indies cricket had taken a nosedive. His answer, “Bad governance of the WICB.” The governments of the region have every right to intervene and investigate the structure, governance and gross dysfunction of the WICB. Moreover, they should press for detailed forensic audits to examine and eliminate any of the other factors mentioned above in the ICC Governance Review Committee statement; factors that might be obstacles to the Board’s accountability, transparency, efficient function and honest governance. Change is often very difficult to implement. The persons recommending the change can easily see its rewards and benefits, but the people who have to accept and implement the change might not see these things because the change might conflict with their power, status and aspi-

rations. But in times of crisis, the common good must always take precedence over personal power and personal agendas. There are two fundamental truths that we, including Board Members should all remember. The first: people who take their organization into serious trouble are usually the least qualified to take it out of that trouble. Other people usually have to be brought in to make that transformation. And second: the meaning of any situation depends on the way we look at the situation. So if we change our perspective of the situation we will automatically change its meaning, and with that our thoughts, decisions and actions. Let’s hope that at its next meeting in St. Lucia in a couple of days that Board members learn to see things from different points of view – the public, players, coaches, regional boards, international boards, governments, sponsors and press. It will then be easier for them to resolve the present crisis and make the right decisions for the good of West Indies cricket. Finally, it is worth repeating to the WICB the views of the ICC Governance Review Committee: “Similarly, there may be circumstances where a government (or any ministry thereof) rightfully seeks to intervene in the event that a Member Board is dysfunctional. The ICC governance Review Committee believes that this is a question of accountability, not interference.”

BBC Sport - Former Netherlands boss Guus Hiddink is set to become Chelsea’s interim manager following the sacking of Jose Mourinho. The 69-year-old Dutchman is currently at a London hotel holding discussions with Blues officials. Hiddink, who has already had one spell as Chelsea boss, winning the FA Cup in 2009, is yet to sign a contract. The Blues are currently 16th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone after losing nine of their first 16 games. Mourinho was sacked as manager on Thursday, just seven months after guiding Chelsea to the Premier League title. Hiddink won six Dutch league titles and the European Cup across two spells as PSV Eindhoven manager. He has also coached South Korea, Australia and Russia before leading Chelsea to FA Cup success in 2009. He took over at Stamford Bridge in February 2009, replacing Luiz Felipe Scolari, and shared the role with his job as Russia manager. Since then, he has endured unsuccessful spells as

manager of Turkey, Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala and the Netherlands. He stood down as Netherlands boss in June, with their Euro 2016 qualifying hopes already in disarray. The Dutch eventually failed to reach the finals, finishing fourth in their group, behind Czech Republic, Iceland and Turkey. Meanwhile, Chelsea captain John Terry has described Mourinho’s exit after 30 months in charge as a “sad, sad day”. Terry led Chelsea to all three Premier League titles under Mourinho, in addition to an FA Cup and three League Cups. “Going to miss you boss,” Terry wrote on Instagram. “The very best I have ever worked with, unbelievable memories together. Thank you doesn’t seem enough.” Terry’s comments contrast sharply with those of Blues technical director Michael Emenalo, In the wake of Mourinho’s sacking, Emenalo talked about a “palpable discord between manager and players”. Cesar Azpilicueta also

Netherland’s coach Guus Hiddink (Reuters/Toussaint Kluiters/United Photos) called Mourinho’s departure a “sad” day. The 26-year-old defender added: “I would publicly like to thank Jose Mourinho for his contribution to this club and for everything he has taught me over the years. “I want to wish him all the best for the future. With him we have achieved very important titles and memories for the fans that will remain in the history of Chelsea forever. “He will always be remembered. Thank you mister.”

Boult strikes before rain ends first day early Reuters - Trent Boult took two wickets in one over and broke a partnership that had threatened to take the game out of New Zealand’s reach as Sri Lanka reached 264 for seven by the end of a rainshortened first day of the second test on Friday. Captain Angelo Mathews was 63 not out when the players left the field at about 4:25 p.m. (0325 GMT) with Dushmantha Chameera yet to score. In total, 23 overs were lost due to the rain. The visitors, who were asked to bat on a green Seddon Park pitch in Hamilton, had been in control of the contest after tea with Mathews and Milinda Siriwardana starting to dominate the New Zealand bowlers. “They played very well,” Boult told Radio Sport. “I think it’s still relatively (delicately) poised. I don’t think we let them get too far away. “It was nice to get them seven down, so obviously (we need) three wickets in the morning and then get out there and have a bat.” Boult, who has struggled

New Zealand gather around Trent Boult and Brendon McCullum to celebrate a wicket, New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Hamilton, 1st day, December 18, 2015 ©Getty Images to rediscover his rhythm since returning from a back injury, however, bowled the best over of the innings, with the older ball swinging appreciably as dark rain clouds began to inch towards the ground. THREE WICKETS He coaxed Siriwardana (62) into an edge that flew to first slip Ross Taylor, who having already dropped two earlier catches, bobbled the

ball before holding on to it as he broke a 138-run partnership with Mathews. Kithurawan Vithanage was then caught by a diving Brendon McCullum at mid-off for a duck three balls later after he got a leading edge to a swinging delivery. Rangana Herath was then run out in Boult’s next over from a direct hit by Kane (Continued on page 25)

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Saturday December 19, 2015

Perez (81) & Rutherford (66) share century stand See Demerara U-19s to victory over T&T’s Academy By Sean Devers A 103-run partnership between stylish right-hander Raymond Perez and pugnacious left-handed all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford lifted Demerara to a 107-run victory against the Trinidad &Tobago Academy yesterday at Wales in the visitors’ final match of an eight-day trip to Guyana. Perez, who stroked a confident 81 with six fours and a six and Rutherford who cleared the boundary seven times and reached it once, were the dominant forces as they lifted the home team to 259 all out in the 49th over before dismissing the Trinis for 152 in 31 overs. Clevon Kalawan topscored with an aggressive 84 after taking his time initially, while the consistent Simmons chipped in with 25 but the tourists, who beat Berbice at Albion on Thursday in their only win in four matches, were no match for Chase

Academy’s national U-19 leftarm spinner Ashmead Nedd, who captured 3-26. Ronaldo Ali- Mohamed (2-15) and Rutherford (2-27) also bowled well for the Travis Persaud Demerara unit. Kalawan dominated a 66run seventh wicket stand with ‘silent partner’ Stephon Katwaroo who managed to survive despite his contribution being just a single. Earlier, Perez came to the crease after the third ball of the match when Demerara, asked to bat on a ‘slow turner’ and fast outfield, lost Renaldo Renee bowled by Kalawan without a run on the board, in the contest which was reduced to a 45-over affair due to overnight rain. But the big, strong Kalawan struck again when he trapped Joshua Persaud (5) LBW at 22-2 before left-arm spinner Bryan Boodram removed Bashkar Yadram, who got off the mark with a boundary off Kalawan but did not

add to those runs and at 44-3, a keen contest was anticipated from another disappointing turn out at a time when students are on their Christmas vacation. But Perez, who started cautiously, and the powerful Rutherford had other plans as they dominated the bowling in steaming heat. Rutherford dumped Simmons onto the roof of the Wales Community Centre to take him into the 30s, while the slightly more subdued Perez favoured the drives through cover as the partnership flourished. The pair demonstrated good shot selection and excellent running but did not miss out on putting away the bad balls. Rutherford clobbered Boodram for a couple of sixes before bringing up the 100 with another huge six off Iqwe Craig before a magnificent back-foot punch, raced to the cover boundary to bring up

Raymond Perez punches one from Keagan Simmons for four during his 81 at Wales yesterday his fifty from just 26 balls with five sixes and two fours. Rutherford from the East Coast of Demerara celebrated the land mark with a scintillating pull off Boodram which cleared the boundary with ease. Perez, content to play the supporting role in the partnership unleashed a thunderous lofted drive off Emilio Gopaul for six to move to 47 and soon brought up his 50 from 86 balls

aided by five fours and six. Rutherford was taken on the boundary going after pacer Shaaron Lewis at 147-4 to make way for the Skipper to join the well set Perez. Travis Persaud whipped Kalawan neatly past mid-on for four while Perez grew in confident the longer he batted. With the fifth wicket stand on 49 and Persaud on 18, the West Bank Demerara right-

hander played too late to an arm-ball from Simmons and was bowled and some quick wickets by Gopaul inclusive of Perez, who was stumped, preventing Demerara from reaching 300, a total which looked very likely when Perez and Rutherford were at the crease. Gopaul finished with 4-39 and got support from Simmons (2-52) and Kalawan (2-55)

Banks DIH, Trophy Stall come Sri Lanka probes bid big for Guyana Cup rematch to fix West Indies Test Over 80 entered for $10M race meet tomorrow Samuel Whyte

With some last minute juggling taking place and action time just one day away it has been confirmed that over 80 entries have been received for the Guyana Cup Rematch Horserace meet slated for tomorrow at the Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC), Corentyne Berbice. Beverage Giants Banks DIH Limited and The Trophy Stall have come on board for the year end day of races in a big way. Banks DIH cemented their commitment with the handing over their sponsorship to Justin Ally, who collected the trophy for the feature event from Banks DIH rep Gavin Jodhan in the presence of Nasrudeen (Jumbo Jet) Mohamed Jnr. yesterday. At the moment the facilities at the PMTC is in the best of condition with the stands, track and paddock all being spruced up and a day of action pack racing is anticipated. The event which is sponsored by the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Racing Stables in collaboration with the PMTC has a massive $10M injection. Nine top of the line races are on the cards with most of the

top horses in the country slated to participate. The Jumbo Jet stable has so far confirmed 11 runners for the day’s event. The feature event is for animals classified A1 and lower and is expected to see the best in the business as they compete for the whopping $1.2M available for the winner from a $3M prize package and trophy over 1800M. Horses such as CP Got Even, Just Call Me boss, Princess She is not, Spit Fire, Diplomatic Cat, Jack in My Style, Bridal Stone Corner, Unsettled, Kazi Azari, Giant Time, Africanists and Lady Budapest among others are all expected to participate in the feature event. Horses such as Donut Prince, Strom Bird, Big man Boss, She So Special, Appealing Harvest, Cassie, Keep on Swinging, Red and Lovely, Release The beast, Rosetta, IT MY Choice, Amazon Warrior, Red Rocket, Storm Mark, Fire ball, Golden Kiss Mary Ann, Sweet Return, Cat Messiah, Western Charm, Top Of the Line, The Girl Is Mine, Party Time, Affinity, Week end Surprise, Maggaline, Back Track, She in Control, Prince Maya, De Gump, Noble Impact, Red Jet, Mystic, Red

Region, Plane Land, Liquid Lion, Little, Windy Killer, Up Front Blue Lightning, Miss Doubt Fire, Miss Regina, 3P Prince and Secret Escape are among the lot to have entered so far. The other races on the day’s card are for; E1 and lower catering for two year old American bred maiden horses with the distance now 1000M. The first prize remains $800,000 and trophy. The other events on the day’s car are -The event for E1 and lower horses will not cater for 4 year old animals anymore, but two years old American bred maiden horses with the distance now 1000M. The first prize remains $800,000 and trophy. The three year old West Indies and Guyana bred event is a 1500M affair for a winning purse of $600,000 and trophy. The F3 and lower event will be a 1300M affair for a $500,000 winner’s take and trophy. The Two year old event for West Indies Bred horses has its first prize tagged at $400,000 and trophy now over 1200M. The H1 and lower 1200M race has a winning pocket of $400,000 and trophy. The event for two year old horses has a take home of

$300,000 and trophy over 1000M. The J class event is now for J3 and lower horses over 1000M for the winning pocket of $250,000 and trophy. The final event is for animals classified K and Lower over a distance of 1000M for a winning purse of $150,000 and trophy. The top Jockey along with the runner up, the top stable and champion trainer will all be presented with trophies and other incentives compliments of Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall and the organizers. Patrons and other turfites visiting the event are encouraged to go early since the various sponsors along with the organizers have put together some i n t e r e s t i n g i n centives for lucky patrons and participants including some massive giveaways. The event will be held under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. Those with last minute queries can contact Chandu Ramkissoon (624-9063 or 2320633), Jagroop (624-1798) and Sancho 690-0569. Race time is 12:30 hrs. The coordinator is Nasrudeen (Jumbo Jet) Mohamed.

A file picture taken on October 16, 2015 shows Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath (C) being congratulated by teammates at the close of play of the West Indies’ first innings during the third day of the opening Test match between Sri Lanka and the West Indies at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle. (Photo: AFP) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) – Sri Lankan authorities are investigating a bid to bribe members of the national cricket team to under-perform in a recent Test to ensure a surprise victory for the West Indies, the government said Friday. Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said a man linked to a bookmaker had offered wicketkeeper Kusal Perera and star bowler Rangana Herath tens of thousands of dollars to engineer a Sri Lankan batting collapse at a Test in Galle in October, which

the hosts went on to win emphatically. “They wanted Sri Lanka to get out early for a very low score. This is a match Sri Lanka was expected to win, but if they lost, the bookie would have made a lot of money,” Jayasekera told AFP. The minister said some 10 million rupees (around $70,000) had been offered to the players to lose the match. Police had mounted a search for the suspect who was said to have approached the two (Continued on page 25)

Saturday December 19, 2015

Kaieteur News

Sans Souci, SS Jaguars record victories

Wayne Osbourne Sans Souci and Sans Souci Jaguars recorded victories when the Badri Prasad Memorial T20 competition continued recently in Wakenaam. Sans Souci defeated Good Success by nine runs at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground. Batting first, Sans Souci scored 134-5 off their reduced quota of 15 overs. Wayne Osbourne struck 57 and Seon Venture hit 51; Vickram Ramnarine snared 3-24 while Imran Khan and Wazir Khan had one each. Good Success were limited to 125-6 in 15 overs. Imran Khan stroked 46, Tulsieram Ramadeen 30

and Wazir Khan 27. Kleon Maxwell and Keddernauth Naraine claimed two wickets each. Sans Souci Jaguars overcame Maria’s Pleasure/Zeelandia by seven wickets at the said venue. Zeelandia/Maria’s Pleasure batted first and were bowled out for 74 in 17 overs. Ajay Ghansam made 15; Sanjay Jairam grabbed 4-19 and Dellon Osbourne 3-18. Jaguars responded with 80-3 in nine overs with Imran Mohamed scoring 20 and Zameer Zaman 10 off two deliveries. The competition continues on tomorrow.

Trophy Stall on board for UDFA/GT Beer Knockout Football Cup tourney Proprietor of Trophy Stall, Ramesh Sunich, on Friday presented the top place trophies to President of Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) Sharma Solomon during a simple ceremony at Trophy Staff main office at Bourda Market. Also present was Jeoff Clement, GT Beer Brand Manager. Trophy Stall of Bourda Market has signed on a sponsor for the 3rd Annual UDFA/GT Beer Knockout Football Cup being played at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground in Linden. Solomon expressed gratitude to Sunich for sponsoring the trophies for the 14-team tournament organized by the UDFA with the main sponsor being Banks DIH Limited through its GT Beer brand. The winning team will receive $800,000 and the GT Beer Trophy with the runner up taking home $500,000 and a Trophy. Third Place will secure $300,000 and trophy, while the fourth place finisher will capture $200,000. There will also be prizes for the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Highest goal scorer, Best goalkeeper, Most Disciplined team, Best Defender and Best Coach. Meanwhile, a double header card is slated for tomorrow with Hi-Stars coming up against Netrockers in the first match at 18:30 hours. The feature game will bring together Amelia’s Ward and Botofago at 20:30 hours.

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Saturday December 19, 2015

LABA Malta Supreme Christmas Basketball C/ship at MSC hard court

Unbeaten Raiders and Bulls face separate opponents tonight Retrieve Raiders halted Victory Valley Royals 49-46, as they Royals lost for the second time with one game remaining in the preliminary round, to maintain their unbeaten record after three games, and Amelia’s Ward Jets won 60-28 to remain on course for a final four position in this six team competition with a dominant display to dash any hopes the Block 22 Flames had of advancing, as the Banks Malta Supreme sponsored Linden Amateur Basketball Association Christmas Open championship continued Thursday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court. Tonight the Raiders go after another win in their penultimate game against Jets at 9.00pm but that game will see at 7.00pm a clash between Half Mile Bulls, who have won their four matches so far and are favoured to hand the Falcons who could face their fifth loss but needs to show up

Orin Rose after handing the Jets a walkover win in their last scheduled game. With no real hope of reaching the last four the Falcons may think of upsetting the Bulls but are the rank underdogs in this game. In the most recent results,

Terron Welch the Raiders must credit themselves for holding their nerves in the final strait against a determined Royals side which had knotted the scores at 45 before the Raiders, with all their experience came away with a tough 49-46 win. That game saw Derwin

Robertson once against leading their cause with 25 po i n t s , w h i l e o t h e r s contributing to that victory were national guard Keon Cameron with 14 and Deul Garner getting 10. Alwyn Rodney has great form for the Royals and for

Harold Adams the s e c o n d s t r a i g h t game he top scored getting 15 ahead of the inform Harold Adams who netted 13 and Nevin Glenn again among the scorers with 12. In the other game Thursday night, the Jets crushed Flames 60-28 as

Akani Wilson and Joel Webster each netted 11 points and national player Orin Rose eight, with Rawle Williams netting the top score for the Flames with eight points and Keith Sullivan supported with seven. The night before Royals triumphed past Block 22 Flames scoring a solid 53-37 win as Rodney led the score sheet with 16 and Adams got 14 with Nevin Glen 11. Rawle Williams was the best player for Flames getting eight points. The second game was not played as the Falcons gave the game Wednesday night to the Jets via a walk route. Tonight’s encounters will determine the naming the four teams advancing and the battle will be for the top positions and how they will meet in the semifinals after next Wednesday night’s last encounter between Raiders and the Bulls.

Saturday December 19, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 35

BCUA to host annual awards Battle for bragging rights in today’s presentation tomorrow GFA Banks Beer KO Cup

double header at No.5 ground

The 5th Edition of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Banks Beer Knockout Cup resumes today with a double header, at the No. #5 ground in Berbice. In the feature game, Cougars FC collide with Rosignol United from 21:00hrs, but before that, Georgetown-based Blackwater FC tackle New Amsterdam United from 19:00 hrs. Cougars will look to the services of the experience of Adrian Best and Stephon DeFlorimonte to marshal their backline and snuff out the offensive forays of

Rosignol United. In attack, their chances of scoring will depend on the combination of Carlos Leach, Ron Wilson and Randel Hazel. Head Coach of Cougars Phillip Carrington in an invited comment said, “Football has been inactive for the whole year at the association level, it has mostly been at the invitational level and it depends on if you are invited.” “Now with this tournament, we have to try our best. Fitness will be our problem, but with the little fitness we have, we have to go out there and try our best. We can play good football, we just have to perform and as the coach, I have to try my best to motivate them.” Rosignol United backline will be spearheaded by Randy Arrindell and

Orwin Johnson, while their pursuit of victory will rest on the feet of Mark Wronge, C o r n e l Ta y l o r, O s w i n Carmichael and Shamar Arrindell. The opening game is a straight fight between Georgetown and Berbice and because bragging rights is at stake, the game is worth watching with the Berbicians expected to have huge home support. New Amsterdam United’s search for a win will be spearheaded by brothersAdrian and Lenardo Adams, while Blackwater will be led by Joshua Fiffie, Charles Josiah, Junior Thomas and Akeem George. The winning team is set to receive $2million dollars and the championship trophy, while the second, third and fourth place finishers take home $1million, $500,000 and $250,000 respectively along with trophies.

The Berbice Cricket Umpires Association (BUCA) will tomorrow host its annual awards ceremony and year-end social at the Berbice Cricket Board Office, Cheddi Jagan Street, New Amsterdam beginning a t 1 0 : 0 0 h r s . According to a release from the association, they will also be using the occasion to pay homage Umpires who have passed on. Long serving, current and Rafik Latiff, who has clocked 40 years of service, along with persons within

the community who have contributed to the development of the BCUA will all be recognized t o m o r r o w . List of awardees Rafik Latiff - over 40 years service as an umpire Dhierendranauth Somwaru Highest achievement of a Berbice Umpire award Imran Moakan - Berbice #1 Emerging West Indies U m p i r e Moses Rampal and Oomadat Samaroo - Runners-up Special Awardees for sterling contributions

Mr. Vickram Seubarran of Universal Solutions & DVD S t o r e Mr. Rohan Chandan; Mr. Carl Moore; Mr. D. Balram (Shane); Mr. Hilbert Foster; Mr. Roy Baijnauth; Mr. Mortimer George. Former Umpires, Mr. Keith Sultan and Courtney Daniels

t r o Sp Banks DIH, Trophy Stall come Trophy Stall on board for UDFA/GT big for Guyana Cup rematch Beer Knockout Football Cup tourney Over 80 entered for $10M race meet tomorrow

Justin Ally (centre) collects the trophy for the feature race from Banks DIH rep Gavin Jodhan in the presence of Nasrudeen (Jumbo Jet) Mohamed Jnr.

UDFA President Sharma Solomon (left) receives the first place trophy from Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, while Jeoff Clement (centre) GT Beer Brand manager looks on.

Perez (81) & Rutherford (66) share century stand See Demerara U-19s to victory over T&T’s Academy

Sherfane Rutherford goes over cover in his 66 at Wales yesterday.

Guus Hiddink in Chelsea talks about manager’s job Battle for bragging rights in today’s double header at No.5 ground Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210