Monday December 19, 2016
There is rampant corruption in Region 8 DEAR EDITOR; I am a resident of the North Pakarimas Sub-Region #1 of Region Eight and have been residing here most of my life. I have observed that since this coalition government came into office the allocations in the regional budgets have increased significantly and I would like to personally commend them for this. However, these increases have little or no effect in our region, as a great part of this money is expended by squander and corruptions. One thing I can equivocally say is that we are worse off than when the PPP/ C was in Government. Corruption is the game of the day here, from the construction and repairs of buildings to the provision of goods and service. Most of these contracts they claimed they did here are contracts that never existed. From the construction of buildings, revetment works, repairs of buildings, repairs of pipelines, provision of goods and services and the list goes on. This can be easily verified. I was told that one contractor who lives in Mandia SubRegion 2 of Region Eight for this year alone was awarded thirteen (13) contracts to do works in the North Pakarimas Sub-Region 1, none of which was done, yet he received his full payment. I even learnt that many contracts were awarded to contractors who have no knowledge of them; the payment is then collected by a senior officer. The North Pakarimas SubRegion 1 of Region Eight is the most difficult region in Guyana to do construction due to the difficulties of accessing and transporting building materials, yet by the second quarter of the year it has completed over 90 of its capital works. This alone should have raised some eyebrows. However, that was not to be. It is in the Number 1 position of the Ministry of Finance Performance Index. How on earth can this be? This has to be the joke of the century. A responsible Government would have someone monitoring these projects. However, that was not to be, which gives me the impression that these guys are working in collusion with central government. I can recall when the now government was in opposition there were lots of
cries from them about corruption with the PPP Government, and they promise that should they be elected they will stop corruption. However, from what we are seeing here, that was just another empty campaign promise. I don’t know about the other regions, but judging from what is taking place here, I think I can safely say that the level of corruption that has taken place here since this government took office, is greater in this region in the 18 months this government has been in office than the 23 years when the PPP/C was in Government. I personally felt as though, my relatives and I did a disservice to ourselves by voting for this coalition Government. What I would like this government to know is that we will not be fooled again and come 2020 if they don’t get their act together now, they will receive a wake-up call from the residents here. Very often we hear that this government is conducting forensic audits. What I would like the President to do if he is really serious about corruption as he claims is to conduct a forensic audit in Region Eight since his government took office to now. Failing to do so would just say to us that these forensic audits they are conducting are only a political ploy to embarrass the PPP. The good life which government has promised appears to be for only the top party members and the senior government officers in this region. These officers work for small salaries, where are they getting the money to go on these vacations? And how can they go without permission from the Public Service Commission? I’ve even heard a senior officer sent a chartered plane from a village in the North Pakarimas to collect a pair of shoes he forgot in Mandia. John Williams
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The Guyana Olympics Association has not acted on our application DEAR EDITOR; I am humbled by the confidence reposed in me after having read over the past few months, rumblings started by a very valiant and idealistic Mr. Rawle Welch that I will be contesting the position of the Presidency of the Guyana Olympic Association. Regrettably, such confidence was misplaced. Mr. T. Pemberton repeatedly mentioned in his earlier letters to the media, that the Presidency is a serious position not to be taken lightly and needs a good active dedicated Captain. I certainly agree with Mr. Pemberton and envisioned that any Candidate for the position would be actively lobbying for support closer to the elections. At this defining moment of Sports and specifically Olympic Sports for our beloved Guyana I wish to point out as with everything there are rules, guidelines and policies to guide us and ensure that fairness always prevail. Within the Guyana Olympic Association the Constitution is clear as to the General Meetings. Article 5(A) of the GOA’s Constitution sets out that notice must be given to the member associations and sub-section 5 goes on to specify clearly who are to be the eligible attendees of this Meeting. Earlier, recommendations were publicly made for all sports journalists to attend but this is still in limbo. The Council itself is constitutionally supposed to be comprised of representatives elected from the various Olympic sporting associations/federations “approved by the IOC and accepted by the Committee.” From 2011 to 2014, I was a member of the Council of GOA, representing the sport of Squash. That position on the Council has now been assumed by Mr. David
Fernandes. I have since been focusing my energies on the Guyana Sport Shooting Federation which has under its disciplines, a well-defined and structured Olympic sport which is Archery. I recall an earlier letter to the media from one Mr. Lester Sealey who rightly opined that “I do think the time is now ripe for nontraditional sports i.e Archery….” Most of Guyana by now should be aware of the significant strides the GSSF has been taking to launch and introduce Archery to Guyana. Support for the GSSF as it relates to this prominent Olympic sport has been gained from the Government via the Ministry of Education, Department of Sport and the National Sports Commission to ensure that our local Archers are given a fair chance to compete
internationally and later at the Olympic level. It has been crushingly disappointing that our request for affiliation and approval made to the GOA since 2014 is still pending. This position taken over the years by the GOA has all but halted the progress made by the GSSF for Archery. The GSSF, having gained International recognition and affiliation to the Swiss based World Archery Federation, is viewed as the recognised body for the sport of Archery in Guyana. This international affiliation was granted and is currently maintained by the GSSF after having fulfilled all the criteria set out by the IOC’s governing body for Archery. Additionally, Guyana is now enlisted as active for the Olympic sport within the zone of World Archery Americas,
and is officially represented by the Guyana Sport Shooting Federation in this regard. Despite numerous reminders and attempts over the past years to engage GOA’s attention, along with the provision of documentation from the World Archery Federation confirming us as a legitimate affiliate, we have, on a now monthly basis been asking the GOA to revisit our request. The GSSF went on to secure additional letters sent from World Archery Americas to the National Olympic Committee of Guyana (i.e. GOA) so as to facilitate our affiliation to Guyana’s NOC, which is a requirement for our local Archers to participate in qualifying World events and to begin training for the Olympics, where there is a real Continued on page 6
Lincoln Lewis used me to get personal with the Finance Minister DEAR EDITOR, I was taken quite by surprise when I read in your letter columns a letter purportedly written by trade unionist Lincoln Lewis, in which he launched a vicious unwarranted attack on the Finance Minister Winston Jordan for things the Minister allegedly said on the Walter Rodney Groundings Programme, aired on the HBTV Channel 9 on Sunday December 11, 2016. My dismay, as the moderator of the said programme, lies with the fact that the unmerited attack carries numerous allegations that were all untrue. The basis for the tirade was Mr. Lewis’s accusation that Minister Jordan sought to get personal with him “given that the trade unions and the private sector have sought audience with leaders in the National Assembly about the budget”. How Lincoln arrived at such an assumption or conclusion is anyone’s guess. Nowhere in that one hour of discourse between
Minister Jordan and I was the name Lincoln Lewis mentioned or was a minuscule reference to him made. However, Lincoln used this fabrication to himself to get pretty personal with Minister Jordan to the extent that one is left to wonder if the spin was a deliberate ploy to create an apparent legitimate opportunity to express his personal feelings about Minister Jordan and about the budget. Lincoln chose this created opportunity to demonstrate his knowledge in every areaGuyana’s Constitution, the roles and duties of government to society under the law and international conventions, the right to freedom of expression and to dissent... He even threw the deceased Clarence Ellis into the fray. I am absolutely disappointed that Lincoln chose to use me in this way. I sincerely hope that there is no repeat of this sleight of hand. Deon Abrams Educator and Community Activist
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Monday December 19, 2016
Dispute between Minister PPP Governments in the 50s and after 1992 developed Guyana Ramjattan and the TUC DEAR EDITOR; If politicians lose sight of the universal, acceptable principle, that good governance and the harmonious relationship among the people of a country are reliant on respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, the rule of law, universal declarations, international conventions and charters, this nation will never progress. Note is being taken of the utterances of Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan about the Guyana Trades Union Congress’ (GTUC) posture in the examination of the 2017 National Budget. Let me seek, as General Secretary of this body, to make it very clear; the affairs of the GTUC are underpinned by universal acceptable labour principles, which are grounded in international charters, conventions, constitution, and laws. The GTUC’s interaction with any individual, group, or office holder is guided by such. The Executive has a responsibility to this society to uphold the rule of law, to its letter, spirit and intent. It is the responsibility of this branch of government where persons have violated the law
to set in train actions to bring about justice. This society is aware of the mismanagement of the nation prior to May 2015. The people have consistently called for those responsible to be held accountable. It is the duty of the Minister of Public Security, and the Attorney General and the Minister Legal Affairs to proceed in bringing about the accountability the people seek. The Office of the Leader of the Opposition is enshrined in the Guyana Constitution. Presently Bharrat Jagdeo holds this office. Labour’s position on Jagdeo’s stewardship as President is publicly well known and documented, which Minister Ramjattan is aware of. The GTUC respects the Constitution and will abide by it. Every Member of the National Assembly, including the government bench, refers to Jagdeo as Leader of the Opposition, an office he was elected to. The GTUC held an engagement with Jagdeo at the Parliament Buildings at his request to discuss the appointment of the new Chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission, which is another constitutional
The Guyana Olympics... From page 5 chance Archery can bring home Olympic medals in years to come but to no avail. Hence, because of the silence of the current Executive Committee of the GOA to the GSSF’s request for affiliation to the Guyana Olympic Association only as it related to the sport of Archery in Guyana, there can be no representative of this Olympic Sport on the GOA Executive. This in turn renders me ineligible to run for any post on the Committee of the GOA in their upcoming General Elections. Thank you however again for the confidence placed in me. I am continuing to learn more about the sport and will endeavour to continue to see how best we can ensure Guyanese Archers will one day reach the Olympic level and bring home medals! Best of luck to all the contenders and I hope that the new Board will realise that Archery, as an Olympic sport, needs all the support it can get. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon President of the G.S.S.F
Someone once said that division is caused more by impatience than by a conflict in creed.
office. This response was consistent with our responsibility outlined in Article 23, 38, 147, 149C of the Guyana Constitution. It should be said to date the APNU+AFC administration has refused to meet with the unions in as much as the constitution specifies our role in the nation and its development. It may help this administration rather than having the ministers lashing out without giving careful thought to what they are saying to do some introspection because in the eyes of the public they are coming across as reckless, entitled, and self-serving. Minister Ramjattan should be mindful, while the administration he is part of is failing to discharge its responsibility under the law to hold persons accountable for their stewardship of this country, and refuses to engage stakeholders consistent with the constitution, they are losing the moral ground to stand on. When Jagdeo activates the constitution consistent with the office he holds and is engaging stakeholders, he is playing shrewd and compelling politics. Accusing persons of supporting him is a simplistic argument that can be construed as masking failure to treat stakeholders and citizens with regard and govern consistent with the rule of law. Let me seek to put the Minster’s viewpoint in perspective from the GTUC’s standpoint. The GTUC’s positions on the Budget have been made clear given the impact it is likely to have on our constituents-past, present and potential workers, unionised and nonunionised. The GTUC has been unflinching in speaking out on issues, over the years, guided by universal acceptable principles not loyalty or kowtowing to any person or group, which the minister can attest to and our record can withstand scrutiny to the effect. Lincoln Lewis
DEAR EDITOR; No other budget over the last few decades has created a greater public reaction than the 2017 National Budget. Almost every major interest group has criticized it in some form or fashion. For me, it has helped to confirm a hypothesis with which I have been toying in my mind for a while. It is this: 1. whenever the PPP is in Government there is economic progress and freedom in this country; and, 2. whenever the PNC is in Government there is economic decline and authoritarianism. When the PPP left office in 1964, after being in office for just under a decade, the colony of British Guiana boasted the most buoyant and diversified economy of all Her Majesty’s colonies in the Caribbean. In short, we were already moving into large scale agro-processing and industrialization. Then the PNC took the reins of Government. They destroyed most, if not all, the productive sectors. They borrowed so much that at one point, we were repaying debts at a rate of more than 94% of our GDP. The Report done by a team of economists led by Sir Allister Mc Intyre, in 1989, concluded that Guyana was the poorest country in the western hemisphere—poorer than Haiti. That was the state of the economy and the country which we inherited when the PPP assumed Government in 1992. From 1992-2015, we rebuilt the infrastructure of this country. We restored the productive sectors. We established sound macroeconomic essentials. We restored judicial independence. We enacted nearly 200 amendments to t h e B u r n h a m ’s 1 9 8 0 Constitution, in order to reduce the powers of the President, strengthen the Parliament, increase oversight of the Executive, solidify judicial independence and amplify the rights and freedoms of our people. We rebuilt the social sectors, particularly, health and education. We implemented a housing program that was the envy of the Caribbean. We brought modernity to this land. We moved the economy from bankruptcy to an upper/ middle income economy. We facilitated the growth of a vibrant private sector. We practiced a free economy and welcomed foreign investments. For the twelve consecutive years,
immediately preceding 2015, our economy grew at a rate of over 4% per annum- the highest in the Caribbean. During all of this - we kept the dollar s t a b l e , w e annually increased wages, salaries and pensions, we progressively reduced interest rates and kept inflation in single digits. We enjoyed one of the best debt/GDP ratio in the Caribbean, if not the world. We withstood the shocks of the greatest recession to have hit the world economy in living memory and even experienced growth, while our Caribbean counterparts and trading partners faltered badly as a consequence. In two short years, the equation has changed drastically. From all indications authoritarianism is on the rise again. Attacks upon and interference with independent constitutional agencies whose mandate it is to keep the Executive in check, are numerous. The Chairman of the Public Service Commission was invited to the Office of the President and offered a remuneration package to resign. When he refused, he is being hounded out of office. The Attorney General and the Judicial Service Commission are at loggerheads. The matter is now in Court. The Director of Public Prosecutions, is consistently being sidelined and Cabinet is hiring prosecutors to prosecute charges against political opponents. The Auditor General is the victim of blistering public verbal assaults because he criticizes the Minister of Finance’s use of the Contingency Fund. The President is refusing to appoint judges in accordance with the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, as mandated by the Constitution. An attempt has been made by the Government to compulsorily acquire private properties in the heart of Georgetown. An Order that commenced this process was published in the Official Gazette. Private
properties owned by Transport and Certificates of Title are being repossessed by Central Housing and Planning Authority, forcing these property owners to seek legal redress. Fifty-year-old leases to rice farmers have been capriciously revoked by the President. The Government has signaled an intention to pass laws permitting the Guyana Revenue Authority to seize monies from persons’ bank accounts if they owe taxes and to prevent them from leaving the country, as well. Monies are being spent on non-earning projects in a manner that is totally unsustainable, for example, Durban Park Stadium and inauguration events. Billions of dollars have been written off as taxes for those who favor the Administration. There has been an obstinate refusal to help the important productive sectors of rice and sugar. With the exception of large scale gold mining and due to appreciable neglect, almost every productive sector is underperforming. There have been no new investments of worth. The cumulative effect of all of this has resulted in a decline in the growth rate over the last two years by 50%. No new jobs are being created to compensate for the inevitable shortfall of revenue. Moreover, the government has imposed on the backs of the people over 200 new tax measure in less than two years. Foreign currency has dried up as people progressively lose spending power and begin to hoard or fly their money out of the country. In conclusion, the 2017 National Budget has presented me with the occasion to establish my hypothesis that: “whenever the PNC is in Government there is economic decline and authoritarianism.” From all indications, the descent has begun and I will be proven right beyond a shadow of doubt. Mohabir Anil Nandlall
Complaints of exploitation... From page 4 these sickening work standards? Moreover, annual vacation leave money is received in parcels. Again, is this the “Good Life” promised? If it is, then we might as well commit suicide! There seems to be no life at all for us. There are hundreds of guards employed across this nation with this company. We are pleading with this government or whosoever is responsible for awarding the contract to this service to please refrain from doing so. This is our only wish for the New Year (2017). Help us to keep our children in schools as we are mostly single parents working with this firm, yet our children have nothing to eat. Thanks for your co-operation Guards in the Wilderness
Monday December 19, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Burnt to death East Bank Essequibo elderly couple…
Resident captures youth who hatched robbery plot The net continues to tighten around the gang that burned business couple Mohamed and Bibi Munir in their home eight months ago, with police now capturing an East Bank Essequibo youth who played a central role in the plot. Kaieteur News understands that the youth, who is from Good Hope, East Bank Essequibo, was arrested after a civilian realised that he was the same individual known as ‘Plank’, that police had named as one of the suspects. The resident held onto ‘Plank’ and then notified the police of the ‘arrest.’ The suspect, who is in his early twenties, has reportedly told investigators that he merely acted as a look-out when his accomplices entered the house. Police confirmed that it was ‘Plank’ who had told another youth from the village that Mohamed Munir and his wife had stashed $20M in their home. Detectives also questioned a brother of the detained youth. He has told them that he saw the gang at the Munir property on the night they were slain. Five other youths, including a neighbour of the slain couple, were rounded up last week. Still at large yesterday are a deportee known as ‘Pepsi’ and an East Bank Essequibo taxi driver known as ‘Coolie Boy,’ who
- youth who lit fire linked to nine robberies - accomplices pointed out customers in commercial banks allegedly transported the killers. The case broke last Wednesday after police captured two young men who had robbed a female Hotel Tower employee of $2M after trailing her from a City bank. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhun indicated that one of the youths is said to be the individual who started the blaze after the couple refused to come out of their bedroom. He has since been implicated in at least nine other armed robberies. HAD ACCOMPLICES WHO ID’d BANK CUSTOMERS According to Crime Chief Blanhum, the youth was positively identified as the individual who shot security guard Quacy Anthony Joseph last October in Fogarty’s. The young bandit had trailed a customer, Abdel Odie from the Republic Bank into Fogarty’s and relieved Odie of $1.3M. He was also implicated in the recent robbery of two fruit vendors. Police have “a very clear image” of the suspect from a security camera. The same youth is believed to have robbed a woman on the East Coast of
Demerara after trailing her from a commercial bank. Police have now established that the young gunman had “well dressed accomplices,” who would enter commercial banks under the pretext of being customers. They would then identify customers that the gunman should target. Data seen by Kaieteur News indicate that the youth was charged last August for allegedly beating a woman, while relieving her of a $25,000 gold chain. He was released on $75,000 bail. Mohamed Munir, 75, and his wife Bibi Jamila Munir, 69, were burnt alive in their heavily-grilled home on the night of April 17, 2016. The plot on the elderly couple was reportedly hatched by ‘Plank’, who told a 25-year-old neighbor of the Munirs, that the couple, who had vast rice farming property, kept $20 M in their home. ‘Plank’ and his friend then contacted ‘Pepsi’ a deportee who reportedly also lives on the East Bank of Essequibo. The gang then recruited ‘Coolie Boy’ as a driver and the 21-year-old hotel robbery suspect.
Minister Ally distributes 25 bicycles to Parfait Harmonie pupils
Minister of Social Cohesion, Ms. Amna Ally (centre) and the latest batch of recipients of bicycles under President David Granger’s ‘Five Bs’ programme, today at the Den Amstel Community Centre. Minister of Social Cohesion, Ms. Amna Ally, today, distributed 25 bicycles to students of Parfait Harmonie Primary School, as the Government continues to advance President David Granger’s Boats, Buses, Bicycles plus Breakfast and Books (Five Bs’) programme
to ensure access to a good education for children across the country. The bicycles were distributed at a Christmas party held at the Den Amstel Community Centre, Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara (Region Three). “You know that our
President has promised a good life for all of Guyana and I want to say to you Region Three, that we have been doing a lot of work with you in this region. We have been here. We have given a bus to this region for school children. We have given (Continued on page 12)
On the night of the attack, the neighbour, the 21-yearold robbery suspect and a third youth clambered onto the Munirs’ verandah. While some of their accomplices stood watch outside, the trio entered and began to ransack the house. But the couple heard the commotion and raised an alarm. The two elderly people also refused to come out of their bedroom when the robbers ordered them to. According to reports, one of the youths then set a sofa alight and tossed a fuel cylinder near the burning sofa. They then fled through a track that led to a church and a cemetery in a street behind the couple’s home. From their hiding place, they heard Mohamed and Bibi Munir screaming for help.
Burnt to death: Mohamed Munir and his wife Bibi Jamila Munir, prior to their death last April Residents, and a family who was passing in a vehicle, were unable to free the trapped couple. Kaieteur News understands that the deportee, known as ‘Pepsi’, was furious when the youths told him they did not get the $20M. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum expressed shock at
the ages of the alleged perpetrators, and their callousness. “The revelations by these perpetrators shocked all of us. “It is hoped that they face the full force of the law, and that this serves to deter other young persons who are predisposed to criminal activity.”
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Pump stations for Hope, Vigilance, Lusignan
The construction of pump stations at Hope, Vigilance and Lusignan villages on the East Coast of Demerara will be among major projects that the Ministry of Agriculture has on its 2017 drainage and irrigation agenda. Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder stated during the consideration of the 2017 estimates of revenue and expenditure within the Committee of Supply at Public Buildings (Parliament), that the amount budgeted for the Flood Risk Management project in 2017 is $650M. However, this entire amount would not be spent on the construction of the stations. When questioned as to the cost of each station, Holder said that the Lusignan facility will cost $162M; Vigilance, $105, 152, 000 and Hope, $186, 379, 000. Holder was asked to provide these details after opposition Parliamentarian Dharamkumar Seeraj asked for the figures. In addition, the Minister was asked to give figures for the rehabilitation of sections of East Demerara Water Conservancy embankment, including structures. Holder said that the rehabilitation of the North channels of the EDWC will cost $75M, and structures will cost $20M, bringing the total cost to $95M. The entire project is to be funded by foreign loans or grants. Based on the estimates, a sum of $650M is to be spent in 2017. The particular agency which will provide the funding is International Development Association (IDA), an arm of the World Bank. This is part of the Flood Risk Management Project (FRMP). According to the details of the project as seen by this publication, bidding will be conducted through the International Competitive Bidding process as specified
Monday December 19, 2016
Kaieteur News
- as Govt. moves to tackle flooding on E.C.D.
The Guyana Re-migrants Mission:
Making a difference in the lives of the ‘forsaken’ By Kiana Wilburg
Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder
Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan
by the World Bank’s guidelines under IBRD Loans and IDA credits. It is open to eligible bidders in the procurement guidelines. Additionally, outside of this project, the Ministry has budgeted money for the construction of drainage structures. Fifteen million has been allocated for the excavation of the outfall channel at Number 51 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne. Further, sums have been allocated for the completion of building and revetment at the Hope Canal, East Demerara Water Conservancy and the provision for a solar system and gate at head regulator. To complete these works, $48M has been budgeted. For the procurement of drainage pumps and institutional strengthening, $10M has been allocated. For the EDWC also, $135M has been budgeted to finance the retention of services and the provision for equipment, supervision and management at the facility. For Berbice, several areas will benefit from drainage and irrigation interventions at a number of key locations in both Regions Five and Six. During the consideration of estimates of revenue and expenditure for 2017, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan said that over $257M has been budgeted to finance
drainage and irrigation works in region six, East Berbice, Corentyne. Bulkan, after being questioned on the allocations which his Ministry has made, informed the Committee of Supply last week that monthly maintenance work will be carried out in the Yakusari main drain. Similar work will be carried out in the communities of Crabwood Creek, Joanna and Hogstye. Maintenance of canals will be done in 53 areas, including #19 Village, Fyrish and Rosehall and Lesbeholden. Additionally, there will be excavation of sluices at the Liverpool outfall, Whim outfall, Letter Kenny and Bell West which will also see repairs to revetments. A separate allocation was made for drainage and irrigation works in the fuel which will be greater in 2017 than 2016 to supply six large Kobelco excavators, 37 mini excavators and drainage pumps in areas such as Buruma, Liverpool and Eversham. In Region Five, allocations have been made for the construction of drainage structures and sluices at Davis, Grass Hook, Perth and Strath Campbell villages. Drainage channels will undergo rehabilitation of channels at Perth/Babu and Cottage/Planter ’s Hall communities.
Involuntary re-migrants, otherwise known as deportees, are not greeted with open arms when they return to their homeland. This is mainly due to the perception that they are a menace to society. Guyana is no different. In fact, the nation is yet to establish a national deportation programme or master plan. But one group is doing its part to help these returnees seamlessly reintegrate into a society that they have been culturally, socially, and economically disconnected from for years. The Guyana Re-migrants Mission (GRM) has been helping returnees for years and is proud to state that to date, it has helped to reform over 150 involuntary remigrants. CEO of the non-profit organization, Marlus Hendricks said that he, along with seven other members, registered the entity two years ago, but prior to that, they have been executing works in that regard for almost 10 years. “With this entity, we have been able to help a lot of people. But over the years, I have noticed that when we receive these involuntary remigrants, as a nation, sometimes we fail to realize that they are people too.” “They may have made terrible, terrible mistakes, but there is still hope for them; they can still be productive citizens if we help them with the transitioning process. I am of the firm belief that the reason why we still have problems with these returnees is because we fail them, the system fails them. We treat them as though they should be forsaken and that mentality has to change.”
The human rights activist said that he is proud that he has been able to help returnees find stable jobs in the areas of landscaping , interior designing, gold mining and even in helping some to open their own stores. He opined that supporting this cause is of utmost importance to him, and his agency will always stand ready to protect the rights of the involuntary re-migrants. “This cause is an important one to me, because I was also what one might call an involuntary re-migrant. However, I refer to myself as a voluntary re-migrant. I was a human rights case in the USA and I was told that I could either stay and fight it, or return.” “When I chose to do the latter, adjusting to the environment here was difficult for me. Even though I had some family assistance that soon ceased and I had to fend for myself. So this is really important to me, because I want to show others that there is still hope and they still have a future and I am an example of that.”
While noting that his entity has a very comprehensive counseling programme for involuntary re-migrants, he noted that more needs to be done for those who return with mental issues. In this regard, Hendricks stressed that the Government must do its duty. He said that the lack of effective care for returnees with mental health issues was also evident when he made a visit to the 20 involuntary remigrants that were recently brought back to Guyana from the USA and stationed at Criminal Investigation Department, Eve Leary, under tight security for processing. Kaieteur News understands that among those deported are persons who were convicted for murder, drug trafficking and drug smuggling, robbery, rape and other offences. The CEO of GRM said that during his visit, the returnees were counseled on HIV treatment, the need for them to change their mental attitude and outlook of life, and the fact that there is still hope for them. He said that (Continued on page 22)
Monday December 19, 2016
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Kaieteur News
The PPP does not need fixing; its leadership does You cannot ask for the impossible and expect the possible. Those who want to fix the PPP to win the next elections, themselves need fixing. The PPP/C is no longer the party of the working class. It has become the personal kingdom of Bharrat Jagdeo. He owns it; controls it, dominates it and will decide who leads it and where it will go in the future. In his Congress address he called for the party to forget about the “isms” and embrace change. There is only ism which Jagdeo wants removed. He wants his party to distance itself philosophically from Marxism- Leninism. The PPP, in practice, has long distanced itself from
socialism and Marxism. The seizure of control of the party and the ‘Jagdeoites’ occurred long after the party dumped its socialist orientation. Yet, ironically, it was a call made by Khemraj Ramjattan for Marxism to be removed from the constitution of the party. That particular call was considered political heresy. The motion which was moved was dismissed and Khemraj was deemed an outcast and eventually he was booted from the party. That same call is being repeated today by the same persons who crucified Khemraj who had the vision to understand that the PPP needed to change when it was in government. The PPP needed to change because the references of Marxism-
Leninism in the party’s constitution would prevent it from attracting non-traditional support. How things have changed. The PPP no longer is in power. It now realizes that it needs to broaden its support base in order to regain power. But in order to do this, it needs to attract followers who would be circumspect with a party which traditionally was part of the dogmatic left. The call has therefore been made for the party to not be preoccupied with the “isms”. It is not just a call for ending Marxism. It is call which says do not let ideology become a deterrent to persons being supportive or becoming involved with the PPPC.
Ramjattan’s 2:00 a.m curfew stands for Christmas “Is how much more y’all want to drink after 2 a.m.? Are you not concerned about the road accidents and the need to address this? Well, I am concerned. I am not going to bend the laws for a few people who want to promote lawlessness...” - Ramjattan
Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan Even though he has faced a tidal wave of requests and pleas for the 2:00 a.m. curfew to be relaxed just for the Christmas season, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan says that he is standing his ground and will continue to hold out that the curfew will not be relaxed. “Is how much more y’all want to drink after 2 a.m.? Are you not concerned about the road accidents and the need to address this? Well, I am concerned. I am not going to
bend the laws for a few people who want to promote lawlessness. The law gives you up to 2:00 A.M. and that is what you have to work with. So it is not negotiable.” The Public Security Minister was reminded that last year, he granted a curfew lift for the season and was asked whether he would be inclined to do so, even if it is for two or three days leading up to New Year’s. To this the politician responded, “Indeed last year I did it for New Year’s, but I am not mindful of doing so again. I have been getting a
lot of requests. But I don’t want to do what I did last year, because I am concerned about the road accidents as I said earlier. We have to curb this issue and I am going to stand my ground. I am not going to compromise the law all the time for a few hundred people.” The politician said he has received nothing but praise since the implementation of the law and he has no intention of stopping now. In the meantime, he is encouraging Guyanese to drink responsibly during this time of merriment.
But if you remove the “isms” all that is left is Jagdeo. The PPP is Jagdeo. The PPP therefore cannot be fixed. The PPP is already fixed. It is a one-man show. That one-man show will influence the outcome of the elections. That one-man show will determine the future of the party over the next three years. The PPP needs to build alliances with other forces in Guyana. The party recognizes this fact. It has been trying to use the crisis created by the 2017 Budget to begin this process. APNU has given a political gift to the PPP. APNU
should have frozen the taxation measures until it engaged in dialogue with labour and the private sector. Instead of doing this, there was an irrelevant and stinging rebuke of the Private Sector Commission from the Minister of Finance in wrapping up the Budget debate. There was also a verbal onslaught against Jagdeo, criticisms which had nothing to do with the Budget and its disjointed and oppressive policy measures. The PPP has been given an opening to do what it refused to do for the last eighteen years of its twenty
three year old rule. It has been given a chance to establish alliances with important civil society, labour and private sector bodies. But that opportunity is going to be squandered because the problem with the PPP is not the party. It is the leadership. The PPP does not need fixing; its leadership does and there is only one leadership - Jagdeo.
Monday December 19, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Freshco brings supermarket investment to Guyana The recently opened supermarket
- MORE THAN 60 EMPLOYED are ready to serve. Our location is spacious and carries wide variety of brands as possible to cater to the needs of all levels of shoppers. We also have excellent parking space and we ensured that we created employment for
“We believe in the Guyanese economy and as such we are investing here,” says Rebecca Zhang, Managing Director of the newly opened multimillion dollar Freshco Supermarket. Through an investment that is upwards of US $1M, Guyana now has yet another Mega supermarket to meet the needs of a growing East bank Demerara population. Located at Lot 1 B Public Road, Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara, the Freshco Supermarket is geared to meet the shopping needs of, but is not limited to residents along the East Bank. Rebecca Zhang, Managing Director, says the idea was birthed after a trip along the East Bank three years ago. “As Americans on vacation, I and my dad took a drive from the airport to Georgetown looking for a quality, comfortable shopping location to get some beverages and other
supplies. Tried as we did, we couldn’t find any of an international standard to make us feel like we were at home.” This, she said, spawned an idea: “This is a beautiful country, but it needs some investment to serve as an example of what people should be able to experience when shopping for supplies: food items, groceries, baby items etc. I shared the idea with my dad, and he was all for it, so I went back to the US and began planning the way forward.” “After multiple consultations and some setbacks, I was able to convince some investors to buy in to the idea and now here we are. There was no major launch just yet, but we will eventually. However, we could not wait until the festive season to get started with sales to save residents along the East Bank corridor from having to go all the way to the Capital city to get much needed supplies so here we are…our doors are open and we
A section of Freshco’s
upwards of 60 people. Additionally, we will soon be launching our international Chinese/ Indonesian cuisine Restaurant under the Freshco brand. Our tagline is Fresco…It’s the way to go.
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Man dies after jumping from moving vehicle
A 41-year-old man took his own life two Mondays ago by leaping from a moving vehicle that was making its way into Isano Backdam. The dead man has been identified as Chetram Singh of Coverden, East Bank Demerara. Commander of Police ‘F’ Division Ravindradat Budhram said that police received information that Singh, who was having “domestic problems” jumped out of the moving vehicle at 70 Miles. Budhram said that Singh was transported to the Bartica Hospital, where he succumbed. Kaieteur News understands that Singh had been working in the interior for a number of years at a mining camp with his brother. The father of one was picked up at his home on the day in question by the driver of the pick-up and a porter before venturing into the backdam. Based on reports, while
Monday December 19, 2016
Kaieteur News
…reportedly had domestic problems
DEAD: Chetram Singh on the way Singh, who was in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, opened the door and made a sudden leap out the moving vehicle. A relative said that Singh’s wife was informed of her husband’s demise via a phone call. The relative disclosed that the driver of the vehicle would normally
take in goods for the mining camp. According to the relative, the porter claimed that Singh was intoxicated when he made the fatal jump. However, the woman said she does not believe the story being told by them and is calling on police to conduct a thorough investigation. According to the relative, Singh was not experiencing any problems at home. “Police tell me they investigations still going on. Every time I call the Bartica Police Station they telling me that they can’t give me any information.” She also claimed that Singh was not wearing the pants he left home with when he was picked up from the scene. “He left home in long pants. When they pick him up off the road he had on a threequarters pants. If he (Singh) jump out the vehicle, how he reach under the vehicle? The pick-up ran over his head. I see a photo with him lay down on the road with his brains scattered. I can’t understand how he jumped out the vehicle and reach under the vehicle”, the relative added. Singh was cremated yesterday. Commander Budhram disclosed that the driver and porter were kept in custody until a post mortem was done on Singh’s remains. However, he said the men were released after police were satisfied that Singh received no suspicious injuries.
‘Fat cats’ handed more under APNU+AFC
Many, including members of the Parliamentary opposition have highlighted the fact that a number of contract employees remain in the Public system at a huge expense to the treasury. This is no new situation, since some of the very politicians who highlighted the issue following the release of Budget 2017, were party to similar scenarios just a few years ago. Ram and McRae, an accounting firm, has spoken about the issue as well. The company recalled that in 2016, it expressed concern over the continued trend under the new government and the fact that the numbers increased. Ram and McRae said that back then, it welcomed the assurance by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon that “there has been a clear direction by the President that it is our intention to return the Public Service to a professional one and so contract hires will be reduced to a minimum”. Fast forward to figures contained in 2017 Budget, and the trend continues. The company gave an example of Ministry of the Presidency which reported a planned increase in contract employees from 298 in 2015 to 505 in 2016; then, in 2017, the number climbed to 569. Included in the 569 figure, the company included the increase for Natural Resource Management for comparative purposes “but even if removed, the total increases from 449 to 495, i.e. by 46 persons or 10.2 percent.” The company noted that cost-wise, the Ministry of the Presidency (excluding Natural Resources Management) shows an increase of $96.3 million or 8.5 percent. Overall, the number of contract employees decreases from 4,254 (excluding the Regional Administrations) to 4,209, a fall of 45 persons. While this may sound commendable,
…$11B budgeted to pay just over 4200 Ram and McRae noted the cost of contract employees is increasing from $9.2B to $11.0B, an increase of $1.8B. The average cost (excluding benefits such as gratuity) increases from $2.2 million per person to $2.6M per person, or by 20.9 per cent. The issue surrounding contract employees has been featured prominently in the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service of Guyana. The Report which was tabled in the National Assembly stated that: “Apart from the increase in cost to retain the contract employees, there is the issue of the arbitrary use of public resources by the political directorate to win political support, and indulge in other practices which are generally described as illegal and/or corrupt because they involve breaches of the law in the process of accessing public funds for such purposes. We are aware that this is an issue currently under discussion in Guyana. One of the emerging concerns is that those in control of public resources and assets are allowed too much leverage in their management, resulting in serious losses to the public and clear indications that there is a dire need for tighter scrutiny and control in such matters.” The report contained several recommendations. However, Ram and McRae pointed out that the report did not address how to deal with those contracted employees who were taken on by this Government “purely to reward them for their support in the elections, rather than for their qualification and suitability or those former friends and colleagues, mainly from the Army, who were invited back to Guyana. The Report appears to be silent too on any age considerations. “We do not encourage
DPI, Imran Khan youths if we fill limited available posts with persons well into their sixties and seventies.” Many were disappointed with the report the APNU+AFC government took in this regard. Just recently, the nation found out that Director of Public Information, Imran Khan works for over $550,000 per month. Khan works out of the Office of the Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo. This is the same Nagamootoo who coined the phrase ‘fat cats’ in reference to persons at Government agencies being paid huge amounts. But this was under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government. Nagamootoo coined the phrase just after he left the party. He had said that, “Office of the President is running a Dharm Shala for friends and cronies.” Nagamootoo said that it is clear as day to see that there are persons being paid by Office of the President “to do little or nothing, mostly nothing.” However, many of those persons were paid less than what Khan is being paid. Controversial Office of the President figure, in the person of the President’s Information Liaison Officer, Kwame McCoy was paid $334,850 per month.
M
Minister Ally distributes 25 bicycles... (From page 7) bicycles and we have visited many of your communities… That is all in preparation for you to enjoy the good life,” Minister Ally said. In an invited comment, Ms. Monique David, the mother of a six-year-old student, who received a bicycle, expressed her gratitude for the initiative noting that she has had often had to walk her daughter to school or travel by taxi. “I’m happy that they recognise that the students form the Parfait Harmonie community need bicycles because some of them live very far so I’m very thankful for this initiative… Indeed it is going to make a big difference [to our lives] because the distance from school to walk… she normally complains and I normally
carry her bag and I’ve noticed that the bicycles have baskets so that will help to carry her bag,” she said. Over 400 children from Stanleytown to Parika received toys and other goodies at the Christmas party. Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Ms. Annette Ferguson and Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Jaipaul Sharma also helped to distribute toys and feted with the children. Other attendees included Member of Parliament, Mr. John Adams, Regional Executive Officer, Mr. Denis Jaikaran, Regional Councillor, Ms. Kathleen Armstrong and District and Community Development Officer, Ms. Deon Gould. (A GINA feature)
Monday December 19, 2016
Kaieteur News
Obama signature coming to secure better Carib-US relations WASHINGTON, DC — Legislation to enhance the United States’ engagement with the Caribbean is now heading to President Obama’s desk for signature, after it was passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Eliot Engel and former Chairman of the Committee Ileana Ros-Lehtinen made the announcement last week on Capitol Hill, pointing out that the Act calls for a new, longterm strategy to strengthen ties between the United States and its Caribbean neighbours. The United StatesCaribbean Strategic Engagement Act (HR 4939) will strengthen relations with the Caribbean by requiring the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to submit to Congress a multiyear strategy focused on enhancing engagement with the countries of the Caribbean. The legislation puts particular emphasis on energy security, countering violence, expanding diplomacy and providing educational exchange opportunities for citizens of the Caribbean. In reacting to the bill’s passage, Congressman Eliot Engel, one of the authors of the legislation, said “at a time when our friends in the Caribbean need us more than ever, this bill will prioritise our partnership with the subregion for many years to come. It is long past time to have a multi-year strategy that will allow us to increase engagement with the Caribbean, especially when it comes to energy and security”.
Ranking member of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs Congressman Eliot Engel greets Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. (Derrick Scott) Congressman Engel pointed out that “the countries of the Caribbean are profoundly important to the United States, and particularly to the many Caribbean-American citizens in our country”. He said that he was looking forward to working with the Caribbean-American Diaspora to ensure that they could provide input to the State Department and USAID on US relations with the Caribbean in the years ahead. “With constant crises around the globe that demand US attention, we must not lose sight of our long-term interests close to home,” Engel said. In her remarks, Congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen said, “I am honoured to work alongside my friend and colleague Eliot Engel in order to send this important legislation aimed at prioritising our bilateral relationships with allies in the Caribbean to the President’s desk. “We must strengthen our relationship with Caribbean nations so that they view the
US as a reliable partner and push back against the negative influence of Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro’s corrupt regime in the region. It is vital to work proactively and collaboratively with Caribbean nations to promote close cooperation in the areas of security, trade, illicit trafficking, and energy and I look forward to seeing this important legislation implemented in order to advance our own national security interests,” RosLehtinen said. In welcoming the passage of the bill, Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks, commended Congressman Eliot Engel and US Representative Ileana Ros Lehtinen for piloting the bill. “She pointed out that the legislation had a speedy passage through both the House and Senate and commended the members of both houses for the passing of this important piece of legislation. She noted that the
PAJ presses for PM to be more accessible to media
Dionne Jackson Miller
The Gleaner - The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) is pressing Prime Minister Andrew Holness to be more accessible to the media. PAJ President Dionne Jackson Miller, in writing to the prime minister, acknowledged interviews done with select media houses, but complained that there has been no general press conference for the benefit of all media outlets since taking office in March.She says the PAJ has been concerned about access to the prime minister and other ministers of government. Jackson Miller says press conferences are important because they provide journalists with an opportunity to ask questions of the government for the benefit of the public. She says Holness should seek to remedy the situation by holding a press conference early in the new year and on a regular scheduled basis.
Caribbean owed both representatives a debt of gratitude, as the region is a valuable partner to the United States and we value our relationship deeply. “This bill will go a far way in further strengthening the relationship between the United States and the Caribbean region,” Ambassador Marks said. (Jamaica Observer)
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Jamaica to improve energy efficiency and promote fuel conservation WASHINGTON, USA — The Inter-American Development (IDB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will fund a US$30 million project to promote electricity conservation in Jamaica by reducing electricity consumption, improving traffic flows in congested road corridors in the Kingston metropolitan area, and enhancing the capacity of Jamaica’s ministry of energy to improve electricity sector planning. Jamaica’s dependence on petroleum imports and the inefficient use of energy resources seriously impacts government expenditure and debt, which is currently estimated at around 124 percent of GDP. The absence of a complete urban traffic management system (UTMS) to synchronize 161 traffic lights is a key factor causing congestion in the Kingston metropolitan region, contributing to inefficient urban mobility and unnecessary fuel consumption. A better use of energy resources would free public funds through lower government bills and reduced oil imports, helping Jamaica further reduce debt. This energy management and efficiency programme promotes energy efficiency and conservation as one approach to bring down Jamaica’s fuel bill. It mitigates against volatile oil prices, and contributes to Green House Gas emissions reduction. The project targets the demand side of electricity generation and road transport sectors, which consume over 45% of the country’s energy. The primary focus of the programme is on replacing outdated equipment and inefficient systems consuming electricity in 73 health, education, and public agency government facilities, while demonstrating the attractive economic and environmental return of energyefficient retrofits and investments. (Caribbean News)
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Monday December 19, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Making a difference in the lives of the... (From page 8) he also informed the deportees that counseling will always be available for them at GRM. Hendricks added, “But what did surprise me is the fact that there seems to be no attention being paid to one of the returnees who has been extremely depressed and has been expressing suicidal tendencies. One of them is also suffering from schizophrenia.” The 38-year-old said that since his return to Guyana, this individual has been cut off from the medication that he was receiving and it has been challenging for him to find similar help locally. He noted however, “Relatives are seeing what can be done in the meantime to facilitate the overseas arrangement for the medication. “We need a national strategy that will address how we handle and reintegrate these individuals into society. If we don’t, then we will continue to have them return, and fall victim to negative influences. In the end, we would have to take some responsibility, because we are not acting on this crisis that has been on our hands for decades.” The human rights activist said, too, that the Government must also provide funding for organizations such as GRM. “Most, if not all the time, we have to fund these ventures from our own pockets. We hold fund raising events and we ask citizens to help with whatever they can. But it is not easy. This is a good cause and we believe that the government should get on board with support us as well as other similar efforts.” The CEO of GRM insists that the past government has failed this group of people and the new government must steer itself off of the same pathway. “The good life must also be extended to the involuntary re-migrants; they must no longer be seen and treated as incapable of being reformed.”
Monday December 19, 2016
BANDITS SHOT DEAD IN CHURCH-YARD - AFTER ROBBERY AT FAMILY FUNCTION Police are now being hailed as heroes by a Campbellville family after they shot and killed two bandits who robbed persons gathered at a family function at a Lot 53 Seaforth Street, Campbellville home. The bandits who are still yet to be identified were killed during a shootout with ranks on a mobile patrol at around 21:00hrs yesterday. Sources say that the dead men hail from Plaisance, East Coast Demerara. Kaieteur News understands that the men were killed minutes after carrying out a robbery at the Seaforth Street residence. A man who was at the function said that the bandits both armed with guns, came at the gate and requested to speak with “Kevin.” The man, who declined to divulge his name, said that he told the men that no “Kevin” was there. It was then the bandits whipped out their firearms and demanded that the occupants remain still.
Jordanian police storm castle, free tourists, operation continuing - security source
One of the bandits searched almost everyone present at the event and took away cash, jewellery and other valuables. The other gunman ransacked the home and made off with several cellular phones and other items. “When we tried to move they (the bandits) fired shots.” The bandits then left the premises but the patrons chased them down. They managed to escape, but the victims alerted a passing police patrol. According to information received, ranks on the patrol managed to track down the two armed men who sought refuge in the churchyard behind Campbellville Secondary School. The armed men allegedly shot at the police, but were riddled during the ensuing shoot-out. Up to late last evening their corpses were at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) waiting to be identified.
Senators call for probe of cyber attacks by Russia
WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - U.S. Republican and Democratic senators called yesterday for a special bipartisan panel to investigate cyber attacks against the United States by foreign countries with a focus on Russia’s alleged efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election. Charles Schumer, who will be Senate Democratic leader in the new U.S. Congress in January, and Republican John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said separately yesterday a select committee was needed to ensure effective congressional focus on the hacking of Democratic Party emails during the campaign. “The fact that they’re hacking our political system and trying to influence the outcome, as it seems to be, that is serious, serious stuff,” Schumer of New York told a news conference in New York. He said the panel should also examine hacking by other countries including China and Iran. Two other senators, Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, joined Schumer and McCain of Arizona in sending a letter to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell requesting the panel. By having one dedicated committee on the subject, they said, the investigation could be targeted, while avoiding the jurisdictional overlap that would occur if multiple panels started conducting their own reviews. “Recent reports of Russian interference in our election should alarm every
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Kaieteur News
Charles Schumer
John McCain
American,” they wrote. “Cybersecurity is the ultimate cross-jurisdictional challenge, and we must take a comprehensive approach to meet this challenge effectively.” A spokesman for McConnell’s office said yesterday he would review the letter from the four lawmakers. Last week, McConnell said he would support efforts to investigate Russian interference in the presidential election. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia tried to influence the Nov. 8 election by hacking individuals and institutions, including Democratic Party bodies. The matter has angered Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who says he won the vote fairly. Russian officials have denied accusations of interfering in the U.S. election. U.S. President Barack Obama suggested on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the Democratic
Party email hacks. McCain told CNN’s “State of the Union” programme that the U.S. response to the Russian attacks had been “totally paralyzed” and said cyber warfare “is perhaps the only area where our adversaries have an advantage over us.” The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. John Podesta, Clinton’s presidential campaign chairman, said yesterday it was an “open question” whether Trump’s advisers colluded with Russia to hack into Democratic Party emails to try to sway the election outcome. Leaked emails had revealed details of paid speeches that Clinton gave to Wall Street, party infighting and comments from Clinton top aides who said they were shocked about the extent of her use of a private server to send emails while U.S. secretary of state. The leaks led to embarrassing media coverage and prompted some party officials to resign.
People follow the security operations in the vicinity of Kerak Castle where armed gunmen carried out an attack, in the city of Karak, Jordan, yesterday. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed Reuters - Jordanian security forces freed tourists trapped inside a medieval castle yesterday after storming the building where armed men had taken shelter following a shoot-out with police that killed at least nine people, security sources said. A Canadian woman, three other civilians and five police officers were among the nine killed during the exchange of gunfire between the assailants and security forces. At least 29 people were taken to hospital, some with serious injuries, the sources said.Police in the mountainous city of Karak had earlier freed 10 people, including foreign tourists, but some were still being held in the Crusader-era castle from where the gunmen shot at security forces who were surrounding it, a security source said. The identity of the assailants was not immediately clear. A former government minister from Karak city, Sameeh Maaytah, said there were signs Islamist militants may have been behind the attack but the government has so far steered away from saying this. “The operation is continuing, it has not ended and the criminals are still inside the castle ... This was a group that was plotting certain operations inside Jordan,” Maaytah told panArab news channel alHadath. Video footage on social media showed security forces taking groups of young Asian tourists up the castle’s steep steps to its main entrance as gunshots were heard overhead. The castle is one of the country’s most popular
tourist attractions. Prime Minister Hani al Mulki told parliament “a number of security personnel” had been killed and that security forces were laying siege to the castle. The Canadian government confirmed one of its nationals had been killed. Police and witnesses said gunmen had earlier gone on a shooting spree aimed at
officers patrolling the town before entering the castle, perched on top of a hill. They used one of the castle’s towers to fire at a nearby police station. Police said the gunmen had arrived from the desert town of Qatraneh nearly 30 km northeast of Karak city, a desert outpost known for smuggling, where many tribal residents are heavily armed.
Monday December 19, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Monday December 19, 2016
Kaieteur News
Record US$75B commitment to end Venezuela leader says cash crackdown a victory over foes extreme poverty in the Caribbean CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s president said yesterday that the sudden decision to scrap the country’s most-used currency bill was an economic triumph over the country’s enemies even as the government sent troops and police to cities where riots and looting broke out over the measure. In a national radio and television broadcast, Nicolas Maduro said his abrupt action had flooded the country’s banks with currency deposited by Venezuelans racing to get rid of the paper bills while also devastating Colombianborder currency traders he blames for the bolivar’s precipitous plunge in value against “the criminal dollar.” Last week’s sudden announcement annulling all 100-bolivar notes led to massive lines at banks, a
Nicolas Maduro dramatic spurt in electronic payment and widespread fear by poorer people with no bank accounts and all their savings in the doomed bills, whose value had already plunged to a few U.S. cents. Cash transactions such as buying food or gasoline became extremely difficult.
Recreation does for you what it says literally. It creates you again. It refreshes the mind, renews the spirit, and motivates the body. Constant working towards some objective can do the opposite, unless we control it by rest and relaxation.
Maduro suddenly changed course late Saturday, announcing the 100-bolivar notes could be used until Jan. 2 Before that announcement riots and looting broke out in several cities and Maduro said yesterday more than 300 people had been detained, including several members of opposition parties. He said the violence resulted from “a macabre” plan promoted by U.S. President Barack Obama to extract massive quantities of 100-bolivar notes from the country and stockpile them abroad. He said it was meant to be “the final blow of Obama, a final blow to create chaos, violence, division.” Most economists blame the country’s economic woes on price controls and falling prices for the country’s oil exports, as well as heavy government spending and production-crippling policies that gave Venezuelans lots of 100-bolivar notes but not enough to buy with them.
YOGYAKARTA,Indonesia - CMC – The World Bank says a coalition of more than 60 donor and borrower governments has agreed to ratchet up the fight against extreme poverty in the Caribbean and other places with a record US$75 billion commitment for the International Development Association (IDA) – the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries. “This is a pivotal step in the movement to end extreme poverty,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said. “The commitments made by our partners, combined with IDA’s innovations to crowd in the private sector and raise funds from capital markets, will transform the development trajectory of the world’s poorest countries. We are grateful for our partners’ trust in IDA’s ability to deliver results.” The Washington-based financial institution said the funding will enable IDA to dramatically scale up development interventions to tackle conflict, fragility and violence, forced displacement, climate change, and gender inequality; and promote governance and institution
Jim Yong Kim building. The funding will also address jobs and economic transformation—areas of special focus over the next three years. The bank said these efforts are underpinned by “an overarching commitment to invest in growth, resilience and opportunity.” “With this innovative package, the world’s poorest countries – especially the most fragile and vulnerable – will get the support they need to grow, create opportunities for people, and make themselves more
resilient to shocks and crises,” said Kyle Peters, World Bank Group Interim Managing Director and Co-Chair of the IDA18 negotiations. “IDA’s focus on issues like climate change, gender equality and preventing conflict and violence will also contribute to greater stability and progress around the world.” The World Bank said financing during the IDA18 replenishment period, which runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020, is expected to support essential health and nutrition services for up to 400 million people; provide access to improved water sources for up to 45 million; provide financial services for 4-6 million ; and enable safe childbirth for up to 11 million women, through provision of skilled health personnel. The financing will also help train for 9-10 million teachers to benefit 300-plus million children; provide immunizations for 130180 million children; enable better governance in 30 countries through improved statistical capacity; and add 5 GW of renewable energy generation capacity.
Monday December 19, 2016
Kaieteur News
Clinton’s last chance to win today
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton International Business Times - International Business Times It didn’t take long after last month’s presidential election for millions of Americans to cycle through several stages of grief before landing on the third, bargaining, and basically just sit on that level. As election results rushed and then trickled in showing Democrat Hillary Clinton had won the popular vote by a historic margin while still losing the Electoral College to a candidate who had never held elected office and who appeared somewhat disinterested in the reality of governing, people wondered if there was another way. Detractors in the end coalesced around a long-
shot strategy to deny Donald Trump the presidency: Convincing Electoral College voters to be unfaithful to the candidate their states had chosen. After more than a month of speculation about the feasibility of that strategy — several electors have indicated they may refuse to support Trump — the moment of truth will come today when ballots are finally cast. Pundits have more or less decided a last-minute Clinton Electoral College victory is highly unlikely. While the college was set up at least in part to insure against a populist movement that could undermine the country, electors regularly cast their ballots for whoever won their states. Only a handful of
electors have indicated they are planning on trying to deny Trump a victory and it would take 37 electors from states Trump won to either abstain or vote for another candidate for the Election Day results to be denied. But electors also don’t appear to be comfortable with the election either. A bipartisan group of electors came together recently to request that they be briefed on evidence related to the alleged Russian hacking and meddling in the election. Clinton’s campaign, for its part, has supported that effort to help electors become informed on whether or not Russia tipped the electoral scales in favour of her opponent.
Gunmen burn buses, hindering Aleppo evacuation deal Reuters - Armed men burned five buses that were supposed to be used for an evacuation near Idlib in Syria yesterday, holding up a deal to allow thousands to depart the last rebel pocket in Aleppo, where evacuees crammed into buses for hours, waiting to move. In return for the evacuation of fighters, their families and other civilians from Aleppo, mostly Sunni insurgents have agreed that people in the villages of alFoua and Kefraya, Shi’ite villages they have besieged near Idlib, should also be allowed to leave. Videos posted on social media showed bearded men with guns cheering and shouting “God is great” after torching the green buses before they were able to reach the villages and pick up the evacuees. State media said “armed terrorists”, a term it uses for all groups fighting against President Bashar al-Assad, carried out the attack. ProDamascus Mayadeen television blamed the rebel group formerly known as the Nusra Front. Rebel officials said an
A woman sits with her child reading the Koran while waiting to be evacuated with others from a rebel-held sector of eastern Aleppo, Syria. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail angry crowd of people, possibly alongside progovernment “operatives”, was responsible. Hours after the incident, as the Aleppo evacuees waited on their buses, it was still unclear what impact the bus burning near Idlib would have on the wider agreement. The commander of forces allied to Assad said yesterday there was still a
chance for states with influence over rebel groups to find a solution to evacuate civilians safely. In a statement carried by a military news outlet run by Damascus’s ally, the Lebanese group Hezbollah, the allied forces leadership said responsibility for the delay in the evacuation falls with “terrorists and their state sponsors”.
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Kaieteur News
Monday December 19, 2016
Monday December 19, 2016
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Kaieteur News
3RD SMALTA SCHOOL GIRLS FOOTBALL COMPETITION
St. Angela’s subject West R/veldt Dolphins stay in playoff hunt with 34-13 rout of Jets to heart break loss in final - S/Ruimveldt finish third
(The Sports Xchange) Matt Moore, making his first start in almost five years, threw a career-high four touchdown passes Saturday night as the Miami Dolphins ensured they would keep pace in the AFC wild-card race with a 34-13 rout of the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Dolphins (9-5) won for the eighth time in nine games to clinch their first winning season since 2008 and at least momentarily move into the final wild-card spot in the AFC, a half-game ahead of the Denver Broncos. The Broncos, who play the New England Patriots on Sunday, hold the strength of victory tiebreaker over Miami. The Jets (4-10) have lost
five of six. Moore, who previously threw three touchdowns in a game five times, tossed a 1yard touchdown pass to Dion Sims and a 52-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills to stake the Dolphins to a 13-10 lead at the half. Miami blew the game open by scoring three touchdowns in a span of 4:04 in the third quarter, when Walt Aikens returned a blocked punt 11 yards for a touchdown before Moore connected for touchdown passes with Sims (1 yard) and Jarvis Landry (66 yards). Moore, who last started Jan. 1, 2012, before becoming Ryan Tannehill’s backup when the Dolphins selected Tannehill in the first round of
the 2012 draft, finished 12 of 18 for 236 yards. Called up to replace the injured Tannehill, Moore is the first quarterback to go more than four years between starts since Chris Redman, who went five years and almost two months between starts for the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons, respectively, in 2002 and 2007. Jets quarterback Bryce Petty was 20 of 36 for 235 yards with one touchdown — a 40-yard strike to Robby Anderson in the first quarter — and two interceptions before he exited after a hard hit from Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in the fourth quarter.
Tournament top awardees from left:- Theria Bishop, Nikasie St. Jules, Carletta Ross and Gabriella McGarrell pose for a photo op with their prizes. Amongst the most consistent performers at the Pee Wee level, West Ruimveldt was subjected to another heart break when they went down to St. Angela’s 2-1 in the final of the 3rd Smalta School Girls Football Competition on Saturday, at the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue. St. Angela’s, who had already captured the Courts Boys Pee Wee Competition earlier in the year, became the second school to perform the feat in the calendar year following the exploits of Stella Maris. Joint Most Valuable Player Nikasie St. Jules got things started for St. Angela’s when she expertly finished a buildup that started from the left flank to hand them the lead after six minutes. The early ascendancy was all that St. Angela’s needed to drive the impetus in their players as they were frequently seen in the West Ruimveldt half searching for more success. However, robust defending erased many opportunities and the teams went to the break with St. Angela’s clinging to a slim 10 advantage. In the second period, West Ruimveldt came out in pursuit of the equalizer and nearly got it through tournament top goalscorer Gabriella McGarrell whose toe-punched effort was ruled to be a foul committed on the
opposing goalkeeper. Not to be outdone, the pint-sized, but nippy striker from St. Angela’s Carletta Ross, who was declared joint MVP with teammate St. Jules, gave her team a 2-0 cushion when she dispossessed a defender, before hitting a piledriver past the West Ruimveldt custodian in the 27th minute of play. It became a situation of desperation for West Ruimveldt as they pushed forward in numbers and was rewarded through prolific McGarrell, who pierced the St. Angela’s backline with a powerful shot that blew past the keeper in the 29th minute. It was the only goal they would score, before the final whistle sounded to signal triumph for St. Angela’s. They walked away with the winning trophy and $100,000 towards a school project, while West Ruimveldt received a trophy and $75,000. In the third place playoff, South Ruimveldt squeezed past St. Pius by a 1-0 margin with Raven Jacobs netting the winner in the 18th minute. The full results and individual awards recipients are seen below: Final West Ruimveldt-1 vs St. Angela’s-2 St. Angela’s scorers Nikasie St.Jules-6th Carletta Ross-27th West Ruimveldt Scorer Gabriella McGarrell-29th
3rd Place South Ruimveldt-1 vs St. Pius-0 Raven Jacobs-18th 5-8 Section Game-1 North Georgetown-2 vs St. Stephen’s-0 Tiffany Johnson-27th Kezia Parkinson-30th Game-2 Enterprise vs St. Agnes Enterprise won via walkover 9-12 Section Game-1 F.E. Pollard-2 vs Smith Memorial-2 Smith Memorial won 3-1 on penalty kicks Smith Scorer Alliyah Beverley-1st and 18th F.E. Scorers Talia Wharton-5th Alicia Ollievierre-7th Game-2 Tucville vs Winfer Gardens Winfer won via walkover 13-16 Section Game-1 Redeemer vs St. Gabriel’s No Contest Game-2 St. Margaret’s vs Stella Maris No Contest Individual Awards Best Coach Wayne St. Jules-St. Angela’s MVP Carletta Ross and Nikasie St. Jules-St. Angela’s Best Goalkeeper Theria Bishop-St. Angela’s Highest Goalscorer Gabriella McGarrell-West Ruimveldt with 10 goals
New York Jets cornerback Juston Burris (32) intercepts a pass from Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore (not pictured) in the third quarter and is tackled by Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry (14) at MetLife Stadium. (Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports)
Campbell/Gentle are Trophy Stall’s... From page 34 was clear that slow pace of Campbell’s carefully placed high balls were intended to throw off the Ramdyhans. However, the experienced Ramdyhans etched their way back with their signature big serves and skillful touch volleys to tie the set at 4 games apiece. In a gruelling game that racked up 3 deuces and two game points to the Ramdyhans, the set was either team’s to grab. But focus and tenacity heralded Gentle/Campbell with the success of a 5/4 lead. The Ramdyhans’ service game now held the last line of defence in the team’s chance to stay in the match. But, the prospect of a win came as Gentle/Campbell earned 2 match points. One match point saved, but the next point, an acute cross court angle generated by Campbell,
pushed Nicola off court to set Gentle up for an easy winner. Elation flooded Gentle/ Campbell’s faces as they now stand undefeated for the season and claimed the spot on the pinnacle of local women’s doubles. In the stand, the proud mother and father watched their young daughter (Gentle) celebrating another moment of joy. In an invited comment,
Campbell stated, “Winning always feels good whether it’s a big win or not. We’ve had a jittery start due to lack of communication, nevertheless my partner and I got momentum going and maintained composure at crucial points. Thankfully we came out on the winning side. Altogether it was a grueling match.”
The thrust must be... From page 35 not be used as mitigating factors for Yassin’s return to office. On the contrary, Yassin’s convenient act of goodwill is what he is supposed to do; fearing repercussion only serves to draw attention to the suspicion of reprisal. The act of vengeance is what many administrators use to intimidate voters and those who do not operate in accordance with the status quo, but there are numerous recent examples of what can happen when the majority calls for change. We’ve read about change, we’ve experienced change so the thrust must be about transforming the GOA landscape.
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Kaieteur News
Monday December 19, 2016
51-year-old Hopkins bows out with knockout loss
Number of entries received for 3rd Guyana Cup Rematch Horserace meet on Jan. 1st
Judge Thomas Taylor clears the area after Bernard Hopkins fell out of the ring in the seventh round. Hopkins did not return to the ring in the required 20 seconds and Joe Smith Jr. was awarded the win on a TKO in their light heavyweight boxing fight at The Forum. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
With just about two weeks to go before race day a number of entries have rolled in for the Guyana Cup Rematch meet set for Sunday 1st January at the Rising Sun Turf Club, Arima Park, West Coast Berbice The meet, which is organised by the RSTC in collaboration with the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Racing Stables, has over $6M up for grabs with seven races set to be contested. So far over 30 entries have been received with most of the big stables indicating an interest to be a part of the action. Also major sponsors Banks DIH Limited, Trophy Stall and the Jumbo Jet Business entity are already on board with major sponsorship for the activity. The feature event is for animals classified B and lower which has a top prize of $1.2M for the winner with all the top runners in Guyana eligible to participate in the 1800M gallop. The event for animals classified F1 and lower for a winning pocket of $400,000 and trophy will be run over 1400M. The 3 years old West Indies bred and G3 and lower horses will race over 1400M for a first prize of $350,000 and trophy. There is an 1100M event for three year old
(Reuters) Former world champion Bernard Hopkins’ long and illustrious career ended in a brutal defeat when the 51-year-old light heavyweight was knocked out of the ring in the eighth round of his final fight in Los Angeles on Saturday. A month short of his 52nd birthday, Hopkins lost by technical knockout to fellow American Joe Smith Jr at the iconic Forum when he failed to return to the ring within 20 seconds of being punched through the ropes. Hopkins had not fought since a crushing loss to Russian Sergey Kovalev two years ago and his first ever defeat inside the distance looked increasingly likely as the bout progressed against a man ranked second by the World Boxing Council. Already ahead on points on two of the judges’ scorecards, Smith ended the fight when he delivered a
series of devastating blows to Hopkins’ head, culminating with a left hook that sent the veteran between the ropes and onto the Forum floor. Hopkins appeared to land on his head but remained conscious and was helped to his feet but could not make his way back into the ring within the 20-second time limit. Despite the brutality of his defeat to the former construction worker from New York, Hopkins said he was still in with a chance until he was sent into the crowd. “I’m really still in shock they going to give him the fight,” he told HBO television, before confirming that it was his final bout. “He shoved me out of the ring. I believe I hit my head. My ankle (twisted) when I hit the ground. “I couldn’t stand up on my feet. I know for a fact if I wouldn’t have got pushed out of the ring... I believe he was
started to fade out and I was starting to come on stronger.” The victorious Smith described the final moments. “I seen him fall and I kept hitting him,” the 27-year-old said in a post-fight interview. “I landed that left hook at the end there to finish the job. I hit him with four or five clean shots there, good shots right on the button. “I didn’t expect him to get up but he is a true champion. I came here to do my job. This is my coming out party. I had to finish him.” Hopkins heads into retirement with a 55-8-2-2 professional record that includes 32 knockouts and registered a record 20 defenses of his world middleweight title from 1995 to 2005. Smith improved to 22-1 after successfully defending his WBC International title for the first time.
West Indies bred horses that have never earned over $200,000 and animals classified H3 and lower for a winning pocket of $300,000 and trophy. The Two year old event for Guyana bred horses has its first prize tagged at $260,000 and trophy over 1100M. The J, K and lower event over 1100M fetches the winner $200,000 and trophy. The animals classified L and lower will compete for the winning pocket of $180,000 and trophy over 1100M. 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 the Trophy Stall of Bourda Market and the organizers. Entries are expected to be closed on Sunday 25th December. The event will be held under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. Interested persons can contact Fazal Habibulla on 657-7010 or 232-0232, Donald Lawrie on telephone Nos 225-4530 or 225-and Campton Sancho 602-1567. Race time is 12:30 hrs. The coordinator is Nasrudeen (Jumbo Jet) Mohamed. (Samuel Whyte)
Guyana’s lone female FIFA referee nominated for CONCACAF 2016 awards
Maurees Skeete - CONCACAF 2016 female referee of the year nominee.
Bernard Hopkins reacts as he receives medical attention after he fell out of the ring in seventh round. Hopkins did not return to the ring in the required 20 seconds and Joe Smith Jr. was awarded the win on a TKO in their light heavyweight boxing fight at The Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne KaminOncea-USA TODAY Sports
Georgetown: Maurees Skeete, the only female FIFA referee in Guyana, has been nominated by the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) for the Female Referee of The Year Award. This is the second CONCACAF award nomination for Skeete in this category, having been nominated in 2015. She is among nine other female referees who have been nominated for this award, which is in its fourth year. In an invited comment, Skeete expressed her pleasure at the nomination, “Since being appointed as a FIFA referee in 2014, I’ve trained and worked very hard to deliver my best on the pitch at every tournament at which I was appointed to officiate. It is a distinct honour for me to have been nominated for CONCACAF Female Referee of the Year. This is a good feeling and I’m grateful for this recognition. I could not have done it without the creator, my family and my organisation,
the Guyana Defence Force which has supported me throughout this (journey).” The two-time Guyana Football Referees Council ‘Female Referee of Year’ recipient is a sergeant in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and a consistent performer at local, regional and hemispheric tournaments. Other nominees for the Female Referee of the Year are: Carol Ann Chenard (Canada), Kimberly Moreira (Costa Rica), Marie Soleil Beaudoin (Canada), Melissa Borjas Pastrana (Honduras), Mirian Leon (EL Salvador), Ekaterina Koroleva (USA), Princess Brown (Jamaica), Quetzalli Alvarado (Mexico) and Shirley Perello (El Salvador). The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) urges local football supporters to vote for Ms. Skeete via http://www.concacaf.com/awards. The CONCACAF Awards have been designed to recognize the top players, coaches and referees in women’s and men’s events from the CONCACAF region.
Monday December 19, 2016
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Kaieteur News
STAG NATIONS CUP KO FOOTBALL
Australia two Police and Riddim Squad into quarter finals wickets from victory over brave Pakistan following emphatic wins over Berbice duo
The Guyana Police Force FC team. City sides, Guyana Police Force (GPF) mauled Rosignol United 13-2, the biggest margin of victory to date, while Riddim Squad found good rhythm in disposing another Berbice unit, Cougars 5-2 when round-of-16 play in the STAG Nations Cup knock-out football competition was played on Saturday night last at the #5 ground, West Coast Berbice. On a windy and damp night, neither of the Berbice teams were able to fire and were sent packing form the competition, the third overall, only new Amsterdam United of their four is left standing. Both the GPF and Mocha, the East Bank Demerara based Riddim Squad have booked their respective
quarter final places in the tournament that is featuring clubs from five associations affiliated to the Guyana Football Federation which has sanctioned the tournament. It was evident from the first whistle on the night in both matches that the home teams would have been in for a torrid time against more welloiled units. GPF wasted little time in asserting their presence; by the end of the first half they were already in the ascendancy 7-2. Despite drawing first blood with a goal in the 8th minute through Oswin Carmichael, Rosignol looked out of sorts against the lawmen who did not spare their opponents as they made
their presence felt as one of the favourite teams aiming to take home the top prize of 2 Million dollars. The GPF was gifted the equaliser in the 11th minute when Rosignol’s Keenon Rajgopaul scored against his team. Three minutes later, Kester Dundas nudged home the go ahead goal for the GPF which further increased the advantage 21 minutes later when Quinsen Holder blasted the first of his hat-trick. Trying their best in this early stage of the match to keep close to the GPF, Calvin Mc Kenzie netted Rosignol’s second goal of the match with the score 3-2 in favour of the visitors and even up to that point, the home fans felt that their countrymen would have toughed it out with the GPF. However, that was the last time they {Rosignol} were able to enjoy the delight of scoring as they were relegated to closely guarded invisible cells for the remainder of the match, much to the disappointment of the fans. It was all the GPF for the remainder of the match. Atto Wallace scored in the 26th minute and Junior Gordon in the 30th before Holder completed his three with back to back strikes in the 43rd and 44th minutes.
The other players to score were Dwayne Charles (47), Jermaine Castello (70), Grayson Barker 68, 84), Jermaine Grandison (90) and Rawle Turnell (90+2). The opening game was all Riddim Squad’s which thumped a young Cougars, 52. To their credit, Cougars looked a very competitive side in the first half as they matched Riddim Squad play for play in a fast paced game. Despite trailing by one goal, 1-2 at the half way mark, most felt that the second stanza of the match would have been fiercely contested but the lack of high level competition finally put paid to the Cougars chances of getting past Riddm Squad. Riddim Squad scorers were Kevin Gordon (21), Sceyon Hope (25-Pk), Dellon John (62), Kevin Agard (79), Teon Jones (90+3). On target for Cougars were Trevon Hazel (40) and Devon James (71-Pk). Two more round-of-16 matches are set for the Leonora Track and field Facility on Wednesday night when West Demerara’s Uitvlugt Warriors and Pouderoyen will entertain Northern Rangers and Mahaica Determinators at 18:00hrs and 20:00hrs, respectively.
(Reuters) Australia were two wickets from victory at the end of day four of the first day-night test against Pakistan yesterday, but the tourists were buoyed by a feisty fourth innings chase and a brilliant unbeaten century from Asad Shafiq. Pakistan were 382 for eight at stumps, 108 runs short of their victory target, but having won admiration with the highest fourth innings total at the Gabba. Shafiq was 100 not out, after anchoring three stubborn partnerships, while Yasir Shah was on four at the end of a rain-interrupted day. Shafiq will be key to Pakistan’s faint hope of stealing a famous victory, the tourists having been set an improbable chase of 490. Australia captain Steve Smith was berating himself for grassing two catches in the slips in the final session. The second, off Mitchell Starc’s bowling, would have dismissed Shafiq for 72 and left the tail-enders to fend for themselves. Smith demanded an extra eight overs to push for the win and was finally rewarded when the eighth wicket fell in the final over. He pouched a much harder chance in the slips when paceman Jackson Bird had Wahab Riaz nick behind after a swashbuckling 30 that featured two slog-swept sixes over the midwicket fence off spinner Nathan Lyon. Shafiq was majestic in his 140-ball knock, cleaving boundaries to all corners of
the ground and rotating the strike to defy Australia’s fatiguing attack. He shared in a doughty seventh wicket stand with Mohammad Amir before Bird broke the 92-run partnership when Amir nicked behind for 48. Left-arm seamer Starc, who ended a 91-run stand between Azhar Ali and Younus Khan, also halted a 47-run effort between Shafiq and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed for the sixth wicket. The rangy Starc fired in a gem of a delivery to bowl Sarfraz through the gate for 24. Shafiq was dropped on 58 after smashing square to a diving Usman Khawaja and later slashed three runs to point off Bird to complete his stellar hundred. Bringing a dreadful run of scores, Younus batted himself back into form with a fighting half-century but he fell with an appalling dismissal for 65 when attempting a flamboyant reverse sweep that gave up an easy catch to Smith behind the wicket. The odds are stacked against Pakistan — no team has ever successfully chased more than 418 for victory — but the tourists head into the fifth day with pride restored after their batsmen were routed for 142 in the first innings. Scores: Pakistan 142 and 8 for 382 (Shafiq 100*, Azhar 71, Younis 65) need 108 runs to beat Australia 429 and 5 for 202 dec.
Asad Shafiq pulls in front of square, Australia v Pakistan, 1st Test, Brisbane, 4th day, ©Getty Images
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Kaieteur News
Monday December 19, 2016
DIGICEL REGIONAL 4-DAY CRICKET
Hope & Rajah orchestrates Red Force fight back But Jaguars in the ascendency despite threat of rain today By Sean Devers When the truncated penultimate day of the Digicel Regional four-day contest at Providence ended yesterday the Guyana
Jaguars were in the ascendency but Kyle Hope and 23-year-old Rookie Isaiah Rajah orchestrated a fight back for the T&T Red Force with a 60-run second wicket partnership
Bajan Kyle Hope goes inside out against Motie at Providence yesterday. (Sean Devers Photo)
Isaiah Rajah pushes Motie for a quick single yesterday at Providence in his half century stand with Hope. (Sean Devers photo)
Atkinson Brothers 5-a-side Football kicks off tomorrow
The Atkinson brothers display some of the trophies that will be on offer during this week’s tournament. With this year’s theme being ‘To aspire and Achieve’ the 7th Annual Atkinson Brothers 5-a-side Football Competition is set to kick off tomorrow with four matches, at the Kumaka Recreational ground, in Region 1. According to a member of the Organising Committee Ingrid Atkinson, a March Past of participating teams will precede the on-field action and a large turnout is expected to witness the start of competition among the twenty-plus teams. Atkinson told this newspaper that over $500,000 in prize monies and trophies will be up for grabs in the male and female categories, while the Under-15 and 13 divisions will compete for trophies and prizes. The brainchild of brothers Michael, Barry, Marlon and Brian, the tournament which had its genesis in 2010, has now become a staple in the Moruca community and those further
afield. Among the teams expected to participate are defending men’s and women’s champions Paloma and Wara Muri respectively, Mighty Warriors, New Horizon and Huradiah. In the men’s category, the winners will receive $200,000 and the winning trophy, while the runner-up take home $75,000, while in the women’s segment the champions will cart off $100,000 and runner-up $40,000. Three of the brothers formerly played for Thomas United of Georgetown and are all very good footballers who’ve decided to dedicate their energies to giving back to the game. Meanwhile, among the sponsors on board are Peanut & Sons Speed Boat Service, Trophy Stall, Ivor Domingo and Clement La Cruz. The tournament will run until December 26 when the finals in all the categories will be held, at the same venue.
to keep hope alive of them saving the game today. Set 216 to avoid an innings defeat after the Jaguars fell for 378 from an overnight 3576, the Red Force reached 96-2 despite losing Rajah in the day’s final over; caught behind off Veerasammy Permaul for 63 from 141 minutes, 116 balls with eight fours and a six. Hope, rated as the team’s best batsman, was contented to play the supporting role as he dropped anchor in a subdued 20 from 156 minutes and 123 balls and allowed Rajah to do the bulk of the scoring. With him at the close was night watchman Khary Pierre yet to score with their team still 120 adrift of the Jaguars’ total. Joseph, who along with Raymon Reifer is the leading fast bowler (15 wkts each) in the tournament, has 1-21, while Permaul took the other Red Force wicket yesterday. Shiv Chanderpaul added just two to his overnight 141, while Anthony Bramble progressed from 18 to 33 with two fours and two sixes. Imran Khan (4-77) and Pierre (3-49) were the main wicket takes for the Red Force who will need to bat for most of the day and possibly get help from the rain. Overnight and morning rain delayed the start by 75 minutes and play resumed with the Jaguars on 357-6 replying to the Red Force’s 162, enjoying a lead of 195. However, Chanderpaul was taken at slip off Khan at 369-7 while Permaul (1) soon fell to Pierre five runs later. Bramble came out with a positive mindset and by the time rain stopped play after 22 minutes, he had already hit a six in 31. Play was halted at 10:37hrs with 24 required from 22 balls for the Jaguars to get 400 in 110 overs and an additional point and an early lunch was taken. When play resumed at 12:42hrs the Jaguars lost their last two wickets at 378 after batting 108.2 overs. Red Force quickly lost Khan (3) lbw to Joseph who got lateral movement and Red Force were 3-1 under overcast skies with the floodlights already on. Rajah joined Hope and the pair was troubled by Joseph who has looked a far better bowler since his return from Sri Lanka with the West Indies ‘A’ team. When Motie replaced Reifer, the lefthanded Rajah accepted an early Christmas gift and blasted a nice juicy full toss for four before hitting the left-arm spinner for six. Rajah drove pleasantly on an outfield which had taken a pounding from the rain as the 50 was posted in 15th over and the half century second wicket stand in the next. Rajah capitalized on the ordinary off-spin of Leon Johnson, who bowled two overs,
spanking him for a nonchalant boundary before square driving Motie for another to post the second fifty in his three-match FirstClass career to follow-up the 69 he made against the Hurricanes on home soil. His 50 came from 84 balls, 115 minutes and was decorated with eight fours and a six. Rajah danced into Motie and smashed him down the ground and the partnership was beginning to be a worry for the home team, whose only win in four matches this season was against Jamaica in the first round. The wicket of the talented Rajah must have been a huge relief for hosts. Play is scheduled to commence at 09:00hrs today
SCOREBOARD RED FORCE 1st Innings 162 JAGUARS 1st Innings (overnight 357 for six) R Chandrika c wkp Katwaroo b Richards 12 S Hetmyer c Cariah b Jagessar 31 *L Johnson c Primus b Mohammed 69 Vishaul Singh lbw b Khan 26 S Chanderpaul c Ottley b Imran Khan 143 C Barnwell lbw b Pierre 3 R Reifer lbw b Imran Khan 38 +A Bramble c Cariah b Imran Khan 33 V Permaul c Mohammed b Pierre 2 G Motie st Katwaroo b Pierre 2 K Joseph not out 0 Extras (b8, lb3, w1, nb7) 19 TOTAL (all out, 108.2 overs) 378 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-45, 3-94, 4-235, 5-243, 6-332, 7-369, 8-374, 9-378, 10-378. Bowling: Richards 13-2-53-1, Primus 9-0-43-0, Jagessar 28-7-99-1, Imran Khan 24-1-78-4, Mohammed 15-2-44-1, Pierre 19.2-2-50-3. RED FORCE 2nd innings K Hope not out Imran Khan lbw b Joseph I Rajah c wkp Bramble b Permaul K Pierre not out Extras (b4, lb1, w1, nb4) TOTAL (2 wkts, 41 overs)
20 3 63 0 10 96
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-96. Bowling: Joseph 7-3-22-1, Reifer 3-0-8-0, Motie 15-5-40-0, Permaul 9-6-6-1, Johnson 20-10-0. Position: Red Force trail by 120 runs. Toss: Red Force. Umpires: N Duguid, C Taylor.