Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
Why have Guyanese children gone astray? DEAR EDITOR, With all respects being given where due, kindly permit me to perhaps act as an illuminator or vision enhancer, all in an attempt to endeavour answering the questions posed regarding whether children in Guyana have gone astray?(Kaieteur News, December 21, 2015 – “Young, Armed and Dangerous”). Perhaps the response to this seeming enigma may be more evident if the sentence structure was altered to read thus: “Why have our children gone astray? Sad to say, but this national problem that we are now focusing on has been years in the making. Could it be that we are now realizing that the chickens have come home to roost? Our children have been assaulting us, robbing us, even murdering us and we have failed to accord it the gravity it deserved. Yes, take it or leave it, as it is pointless to heave it, but Guyanese have created the society that they now live in, one in which the children have become the oppressors. Criminal acts once viewed as shocking for adults to
commit, have become the regular for teens and adolescents. Let us stroll or roll back down memory lane, recalling the jealous teenager who stabbed his girlfriend fifteen times, while at a dance in Sophia. The teenager who was killed while attending school sports, and the gruesome death of Samantha Benjamin whose decapitated body was found on the Annandale seashore, again the work of two teenagers. Not to forget the teen who was shot while robbing a home on the East Bank. We still continue to have our moral fibres ripped at the disquieting headlines involving youth and crime. Lots of folks have openly stated that a return to their native land is uncertain, disconcerting etcetera, as the disturbing crime scenes and stories daily play out in the local media. Indeed, some of the teenagers are certainly behaving like skilled predators. This in my opinion is the most unpleasant aspect of the behavior of our children. The majority of children today do not respect their parents let alone authority. Let’s face it; they drive parents like beasts of burden always
wanting more, carry out unrelenting harassment, especially when they do not get what they want or their own way. Case in point; the Mahaica teenager who laced the pot of hassar curry with a deadly dose of monocrotophos that almost eradicated her entire family save for a brother absent at the time of consumption. Another factor to be considered is the deficit in moral teaching. It is virtually nonexistent to some. Guyanese society no longer believes in the existence of absolute right and wrong. Why? One may ask. In November, under the direction of Education Minister Roopnarine, the Ministry of Education announced its interest in considering abolishing the recitation of Christian prayers from public schools. Since then, the support for abolition has found support among many people, but a debate has begun regarding possible alternatives. Discipline begins at home. Far too many parents today lack the will or seeming understanding to train and discipline their own children.
Growing up as a child in urban Guyana my parents heeded that advice with total disregard for gender bias or sexual identity. Moral teaching mixed with love first and then loving disciplines has long lasting effects. When done properly moral training will last a lifetime. Another contributing factor to the expressed concern surrounding our teenagers is our broken families. The majority of teens and youths involved in criminal activities are from single or absent- parent homes. This means that they are growing up with a mother alone, a dysfunctional homestead or with a grandmother, who must work to keep at minimum –the basics on the table. A stable society can only be built with stable families. We also need to fix our failing marriages. Another factor that is contributing to our children’s demise is the entertainment industry. If we were to stand back and look objectively at our television, movie and computer screens, even the most myopic can see that our children are being nourished on a continuous video diet of blood, gore
and pugilism. Some of these games even have an added feature, a new level of clarity and reality, which allows the user to feel and sense they are actually in the game. Continuing on the path to sure destruction movie and video game makers are also competing behind the scenes to produce the goriest action packed game or movie than ever before. This steady savage diet is conditioning our young to accept violence as a way of life. Yvonne Sam
Corruption... From page 4 The police are fully cognisant of the fact that the proper forum to effect a settlement is at the courts but obviously this was done for a kick back linked to barefaced corruption which needs to be exterminated from the Force. In the interest of justice, some form of directive from the relevant authority is urgently needed for the police to stop this anomaly once and for all. Baliram Persaud
Four great Guyanese that must be given official recognition DEAR EDITOR, The City Council initiated the idea of renaming 50 street names in our primate city of Georgetown in anticipation of the celebration planned for the Golden Jubilee of independence. While this issue is probably going to be visited by President Granger’s National Commemoration Commission, fifty new names for the streets of Georgetown alone might be a stretch. However, name changes are not such a terrible thing. Toponyms or names of places have been used for various reasons throughout history, not to mention setting the historical record straight. Many countries and governments have changed
names over the years, including the names of countries and capital cities. Some of these include, but are not limited to, Gold Coast to Ghana, Ceylon to Sri Lanka, British Honduras to Belize, British Guiana to Guyana, etc.). Georgetown was called “Stabroek” between 1784 and 1812, after it was named as a tribute to Britain’s King George. I agree that changing street names in the city by May 26, 2016 is too “rushed”, 50 names may be too many and the City Council should occupy itself with more bread and butter issues that affect our daily lives. However, the world does not revolve around the streets of Georgetown. There
are many names that could be attached to streets and places outside our primate city. In addition, there are places in Guyana without any official names, some of which were concocted by local villagers. What we need is a set of criteria and an appropriate methodology for doing so. It was reported that at the City Council meeting, no names of enslaved Africans or indentured Indians were mentioned. I have a bunch of my own, but would mention a few that deserve national recognition. First, I endorse Professor Lomarsh Roopnarine’s call to name a street (or place) after “Buchu”. As Clem Seecharan reminded us in his
book, Bechu (Odeen Ishmael identified “Bechu” actual name as Bhoshunath Chattopadhyay) was a Bengali, the “bound coolie radical in British Guiana”, who migrated from Calcutta at the age of 36. Bechu was indentured to Enmore Estate. His letters to the Daily Chronicle between 1896 to 1901 (he lived in Guyana from 1894 to 1901) consistently denounced the sexual exploitation of Indian women by white overseers, the withdrawal of hospital facilities, the abrogation of the labor code by plantation managers in their abuse of workers’ rights, the collusion between “protectors” of Indians, and the problems facing Indian immigrants in
general. Bechu appeared before the West India Royal Commission on February 1, 1897, the first Indian in the Caribbean to do so. In 1898, and again in 1899, Bechu was charged with libel and threatened with deportation, but was found not guilty. Another worthy choice is James I. Ramphal (father of Sir Shridath Ramphal). Ramphal, a Presbyterian school teacher is considered a pioneer of secondary education in British Guiana. J.I. Ramphal was formerly a Headmaster at the age of 20 of Helena Canadian Mission School, and later founded (with C.A. Yansen) the Modern High School in Georgetown in 1929. His writings under
the pseudonyms “Akbar Shah” and “Lala Lajpat” in the early 1930s in a weekly newspaper column argued for a repeal of the obscurantist 1902 Swettenham Circular. The Circular promulgated by Governor Alexander Swettenham did not make education compulsory in the rural areas if a child’s parents objected. Rather, the Compulsory Educational Ordinance of 1876 stipulated that in Georgetown and New Amsterdam children had to go to school up to the age of 14 but in rural areas they had to go to school up to the age of 12. The Circular allowed Indian parents to bypass the Continued on page 29
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
Iraqi troops storm into centre of Islamic State-held Ramadi Reuters - Iraq’s armed forces stormed the centre of Ramadi yesterday, a spokesman for the counter-terrorism units said, in a drive to dislodge Islamic State militants from their remaining stronghold in a city they captured in May. The operation to recapture Ramadi, a Sunni Muslim city on the river Euphrates some 100 km (60 miles) west of Baghdad, began in early November after a monthslong effort to cut off supply lines to the city, whose fall to Islamic State was a major defeat for Iraq’s weak central government.Progress has been slow because the government wants to rely entirely on its own troops and not use Shi’ite militias in order to avoid rights abuses such as occurred after the recapture of the city of Tikrit from the militants in April. “Our forces are advancing toward the government complex in the centre of Ramadi,” the counter-terrorism units’ spokesman Sabah al-Numani said. “The fighting is in the neighbourhoods around the
complex, with support from the air force.”Iraqi intelligence estimates the number of Islamic State fighters entrenched in the centre of Ramadi, capital of Western Anbar province, at between 250 and 300. “It’s ferocious fight, it’s premature to say how long it will take but we can say victory will be achieved in a few days,” Numani said. Dozens of militants had been killed, said Brigadier Gen. Yahya Rasool, spokesman of the joint operations command, declining to give a casualty toll for the armed
forces. The offensive to capture the city centre started at dawn, said Numani. Military units crossed the Euphrates river into the central districts using a bridge that was destroyed by the militants and fixed by army engineers, and another floating bridge set up to bring in more forces, he said.”Crossing the river was the main difficulty,” he said. “We’re facing sniper fire and suicide bombers who are trying to slow our advance, we’re dealing with them with air force support.”
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Kaieteur News
Trump under fire for sexism after vulgar Clinton jibes Washington (AFP) - Republican frontrunner Donald Trump found himself accused of sexism again Tuesday after he coined a vulgar new term of abuse while attacking rival Hillary Clinton. Whipping up a raucous crowd of supporters in Michigan on Monday night, Trump’s scorn for his Democratic rival took a sexually graphic and personal turn. Recalling the 2008 presidential race, in which Hillary lost out to Barack Obama in the battle for the Democratic nomination, the billionaire real estate mogul appeared to reach for a Yiddish term. “She was favored to win and she got schlonged. She lost, I mean she lost,” he said, apparently turning the noun “schlong” — a penis — into a verb. Then, with the partisan crowd cheering him on, he turned to an incident on Saturday when Clinton returned late to a televised debate after a bathroom break. “I know where she went, it’s disgusting, I don’t want to talk about it,” Trump said. “No, it’s too disgusting. Don’t say it, it’s disgusting.” Clinton did not address Trump’s comments directly, but when a young woman at a campaign rally asked her
Donald Trump
Hillary Clinton
what she would do about bullying, she used the opportunity to launch a not-so-veiled attack on her Republican rival. “We shouldn’t let anybody bully his way into the presidency, because that is not who we are as Americans,” Clinton told a crowd at a school in Keota, Iowa. Trump’s campaign trail outburst was not the first in which the thrice-married billionaire real estate mogul expressed distaste for women’s bodily functions. In August, Trump triggered outrage when he insinuated that Fox News host Megyn Kelly had subjected him to sharp questioning because she may have been menstruating. Trump’s personal attacks
on women also extended to his Republican rival Carly Fiorina, of whom he declared: “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?” His latest remarks drew predictable anger, with liberal site Think Progress dubbing it an “astonishingly sexist attack.” Clinton’s team urged supporters to denounce Trump and his belittling remarks. “We are not responding to Trump but everyone who understands the humiliation this degrading language inflicts on all women should,” campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri said on Twitter.
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Turkish tanks pound Kurdish militants in week-long military campaign Reuters - Turkish tanks yesterday pounded Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in Cizre, a southeastern town at the heart of a large-scale military operation that the army said has killed 127 Kurdish militants in a week. Black smoke rose from buildings in the town after shelling from hilltops, Reuters TV footage showed, and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said at least 23 civilians had been killed in the violence. A prosecutor opened an investigation against HDP leader Selahattin Demirtas, two other HDP lawmakers and two senior Kurdish politicians. They are accused of violating anti-terrorism laws and encouraging criminal activity at a press conference last week where Demirtas urged Kurdish citizens to “resist” the operations. Turkish lawmakers cannot be prosecuted unless parliament first strips them of their immunity. Clashes have forced tens of thousands of people to
leave their homes in Sur, a historic district of the region’s largest city D i y a r b a k i r, which has been under curfew for three weeks, CNN Turk said, citing a report prepared by the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP). Turkish security forces launched a new offensive in the mainly Kurdish region last week, backed by tanks and thousands of troops, after President Tayyip Erdogan pledged to root out militants. The towns of Cizre and Silopi, bordering Iraq and Syria, have been the focus of the campaign. Images on state media from Sur have shown Turkish troops patrolling rubble-strewn streets among buildings riddled with bullet holes. A two-year ceasefire between the PKK and Ankara fell apart in July, shattering peace talks and reviving a conflict that has afflicted Turkey’s mainly Kurdish
southeast for three decades, killing more than 40,000 people. The PKK, which launched its insurgency in 1984, is designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Traditionally focused on the countryside, the PKK has shifted to southeastern towns, setting up barricades and digging trenches to keep security forces away. Demirtas said the campaign was targeting locals who were presented as “terrorists”. “We stand by our people who resist the tanks and shelling,” he said before leaving for Moscow on a visit criticised by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey and Russia have been at odds since Ankara downed a Russian jet involved in operations against rebels in Syria last month, saying it had violated Turkish air space.
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
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DON’T BLAME IT ON KAIETEUR NEWS! It was not Kaieteur News that said that it will investigate NICIL when the PPP departed office. It was not Kaieteur News that said that NICIL had to go because it was acting in contravention of the law by failing to pass its revenues through the Consolidated Fund. It was APNU/AFC that said these things. So what has happened to all the commitments made by APNU/AFC on the campaign trail? It was not Kaieteur News that said it will investigate corruption. It was not Kaieteur News that promised that once in office corruption would be rooted out and those culpable will be brought
to book. It was APNU/AFC that said these things. So why it is that after seven months, there has been little movement on these issues? It was not Kaieteur News that established a State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU). The establishment of this unit was based on the presumption that the PPPC government had pilfered billions of dollars which were stashed away somewhere and which needed to be returned to the coffers of the State. So why is SARU not yet recovering billions of dollars? Why is this Unit not even empowered to prosecute persons who may have pilfered from the government?
SARU is operating with one hand, the hand of investigation. It is onehanded swordsman. The other hand, the prosecuting arm, has not been established because SARU is a toothless poodle. It has mash mouth. Its bark is stronger than its bite. In fact, it has no bite. What sort of masquerade is playing out? SARU should be pointing in the direction of the pilfered billions that it says exists. Those employed by the unit should not be worrying about house lots for government officials being sold below market value. All government house lots are sold below value. What SARU needs to be
Dem boys seh...
Brassington sharing blame like Santa sharing toys Dem boys always hear people seh that jail ain’t mek fuh cat and dog yet when de same jail watching people full in dem face dem does run and point finger at other people. All of a sudden Brassington know that he use to tek orders. In fact, he tell de reporters that he use to do wha people tell him.He sharing blame like how Santa does share toys. He claim that he was a public servant and whatever de Cabinet tell him he use to tell de Board and just do it. He can’t blame de Board because none of dem was economist. Brassington use to run rings round dem and dem use to sit down and agree wid everything he tell dem. Dem boys want to know why he never use to seh suh when dem reporters use to question him. This was a man who use to talk big like if he running de country. And that Ashni was he henchman. He sit down and he see that people want him in de jail suh all of a sudden he claiming
how he was following orders. Dem boys ain’t got a problem wid that except that he want Luncheon and Jagdeo to get jail too because is dem who give he de instruction. Is now dem boys understand why he use to go to church so often. He know that he was sinning but money is a hell of a thing so he use up de money and keep praying to de Man above fuh forgiveness. Well if a man send dem boys fuh rob and kill and de police ketch dem it don’t mean that dem can claim how dem innocent. Indeed de mastermind can get jail too but Brassington got to sing like a canary which he accustom to doing. But fuh now, dem boys seh that de new government treating Brassington like how Muslim does treat pork. Dem can’t touch him. Well dem got some Chamar in de government and dem plan to eat Brassington raw. Talk half and watch how some people sharing blame.
doing is finding out where the monies came from for some of the fancy houses that are on the lands they are investigating, and if they find that it was pilfered from government they should investigate. If SARU continues to indulge in an academic exercise of claiming that lots were sold below market value and that those who benefitted from these lots should be charged, then by implication all owners of government house lots would be liable to charges, because all government house lots were sold below market value.
It was not Kaieteur News that launched forensic audits into a number of agencies, including NICIL. It was the APNU/AFC which did this. They called the audit forensic audits. A forensic audit is not supposed to say that so and so sums are not accounted for. This is the job of an ordinary audit. A forensic audit – and some $133M has so far been spent on these audits – is supposed to find the money. A forensic audit is supposed to trace the money, not simply ask questions about the money. It was not Kaieteur News
that promised jail time for those involved in corruption. It was APNU/AFC that promised this. Some officials in the government were loud in their assertions that persons will be jailed. What has happened? APNU/AFC is floundering, or as some would say, it is fiddling while those whom they believe have milked the treasury of billions, are on their way to greener pastures.
Suspect in 2010 murder nabbed while selling water in GT Detectives from the Force’s Major Crimes Unit have tracked down a Diamond, East Coast Demerara man who allegedly killed a gold miner five years ago. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said that Seon Anthony Edwards, 26, called ‘Rasta Man’, of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, was arrested yesterday in the vicinity of Regent and Hinck Streets, where he was selling bottled water. Under questioning, Edwards reportedly confessed to killing 23-year-old Rawle Peters, called ‘Dumb Boy’, during an argument at Puruni Landing, Mazaruni, on September,
2010. He is said to have told detectives that Peters had accused him of stealing. There are reports that Peters and the suspect had an argument over $300,000 that Peters claimed he had lost. Peters is said to have struck the other man with a piece of wood. The man reportedly retaliated by slashing Peters in the abdomen with a chopper. Peters succumbed on the Puruni trail as efforts were being made to transport him to the Bartica Hospital. A post mortem examination revealed that he died from intestinal rupturing.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday December 23, 2015
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Urinating on the floor of a commercial bank The things that poor people have to put up with in Guyana are simply unbelievable. The National Consumer Commission (NCC), a governmental body, went on a trip to Regent Street stores to lecture owners on their legal obligation to consumers under the law. Store-owners were told among other requirements that all goods are returnable. One would have thought that with the change of government in May, the NCC would have started looking at its own obligation to itself. The NCC gives a yearly stipend to an NGO named the Guyana Consumers’ Association. This body just does not exist and its dormancy dates back to over
two decades. It once had vibrant leadership under Eileen Cox. Ill-health visited Ms. Cox and her incapacitation brought on the demise of the entity. Mr. Pat Dyal is the only person the association has. Mr. Dyal, a brave soul, is not in vibrant health himself. After seven months of a new government, you would have thought that the NCC would have initiated a process to resuscitate the Guyana Consumer Association. Mr. Leonard Craig, Chairman of the Broadcasting Authority told me that two years he approached Mr. Dyal about the re-birth of the association, but talks failed to get off the ground. Why did the NCC go to
commercial entities on Regent Street and not the huge business places where consumers’ rights are flippantly de-recognized? The Stabroek News did an editorial in its business section and I did two newspaper letters about a Regent Street shoe store owned by one of the country’s richest men that sells useless items. As you enter the store there are a few dozen boxes of shoes, all of which are either damaged beyond repair or just worthless items. There is a huge sign in that section that says “Goods not returnable.” This very poor chap came to me to say that when he took home his pair of shoes home, he found out that one size was bigger than the other. Management refused to reimburse him. They told him that sale items were not returnable. These were sale items that should not even be in the store in the first place, but at the garbage site in
Eccles. One year after I wrote those two letters and the Stabroek News editorial, I visited the store. Nothing has changed. The NCC and the Bureau of Standards didn’t pay this entity even one visit. They cannot. Like the police force, like the Labour Department, the NCC and the Bureau of Standards can be found on the lawns of the rich and powerful waiting for their gifts. It was reported in the press that one of the Regent Street owners that the NCC visited was so upset he almost chased them, but he couldn’t do that because the NCC has the legal right to visit and make an inquiry at any store it chooses. And the NCC made sure it chose the type of commercial outlets it wanted to visit that day in Regent Street – the small ones. Since that Regent Street escapade of the NCC, it has gone quiet. It has not ventured out in the commercial centres since.
Obviously, National Hardware should be on the list of big retail establishments. On Monday, a consumer, Donna Wharton came to the offices of the Kaieteur News to speak to me. She said after she collected her stuff from the bag bay at National Hardware, she found two items were missing. She reported the matter to the Brickdam police station. Brickdam summoned the bag bay attendant, who refused the request. Ms. Wharton returned to the station, only to be told that the police cannot force him to go to the station. That was the end of the matter. I can give the NCC this woman’s number. Will the NCC visit National Hardware and investigate why the guards have to examine your purchase when you are leaving? Will the NCC visit all the pizza establishments which have a policy that once an ingredient or two are
Frederick Kissoon missing from the toppings, you still have to pay the same price. New Thriving Restaurant does the same thing for some of its menus. Will the NCC extend its jurisdiction to the commercial banks whose customers are not offered washroom facilities? One of these days, in the largest bank, Republic Bank, some eccentric gentleman is going to “drop his physical” (to use Rastafari lingo) and pee on the ground inside the bank. Will the NCC extend its coverage to GPL and GWI who treat their customers like if they were lepers? But then again, this is Guyana.
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
Dismissed GuySuCo worker back to work Daniel Stephen, a tractor operator in the Cane Transport Department, employed at Skeldon Estate, who was controversially dismissed more than a year ago, has been reinstated. According to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), Stephen will be compensated for his lost wages with approximately seven months’ pay of the 14-month period he was off the job. He was dismissed on September 19, 2014, with his reinstatement effective last Monday. Announcing his reinstatement, GAWU said that Stephen’s dismissal by the then Estate Manager, Devendra Kumar, evoked the wrath of his fellow factory and field workers who resorted to strike action spontaneously for a few days. “Workers from Albion and Rose Hall Estates on two separate days struck in a show of solidarity with Stephen. The strike ended before the strike turn of Blairmont, East Demerara, Wales and Uitvlugt Estates.” GAWU and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), under the aegis of the then Ministry of Labour, now the Ministry of Social Protection, had
approved the Terms of Resumption Agreement which stipulated, among other things, the recall of Stephen’s dismissal letter and in its place, a letter of suspension. GAWU said that dispute itself was next subjected to conciliatory proceedings which concluded on the advice that Stephen be reinstated in his job. “GuySuCo disagreed with the Chief Labour Officer and, therefore, refused to re-instate the aggrieved worker. The dispute next became subject to arbitration proceedings. The sole Arbitrator, Mohamed Akeel, former Chief Labour Officer, out of the blue, after two sittings lasting about two hours each, ruled that Stephen remains dismissed. The ruling astounded the union, the aggrieved, and the union’s Attorney-at-Law, Mr Roysdale Forde.” The union said that Akeel did not hear arguments from the union nor GuySuCo. “The union at the two short sittings was arguing that GuySuCo breached its own Disciplinary Code and Procedures. The unorthodox conduct of the Arbitrator forced the Union’s Attorney to seek judicial intervention. Chief Justice (a.g.) Ian Chang
BACK AT WORK: Daniel Stephen set aside Akeel’s ruling.” Akeel, GAWU claimed yesterday, is reported to have conducted another arbitration exercise without its participation and that of the Secretary of the Tribunal. “Thereafter, against the changes in the management of the GuySuCo and a new Government following the May 11, 2015 elections, the union followed its representation to have Daniel Stephen reinstated in his job. GAWU recognizes the role of the Ministry of Social Protection, among others, in the reinstatement of Daniel Stephen.”
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Repackaging milk without a permit is an offence - Food and Drug Dept. According to Part II Section seven (7) and eight (8) of the Food and Drug Act Chapter 34:03 and Part II Regulation 18 (1) of the Food and Drug Regulation: “Milk must be properly labelled and when permitted be repackaged with supervision and under sanitary conditions.” Failure to do this is considered an offence. This state of affairs was yesterday amplified by the Government Analyst - Food and Drug Department (GAFDD) which in a statement, advised consumers against the purchase of powdered milk in unlabeled and transparent plastic bags. The GA-FDD also cautioned retailers to discontinue the practice of repackaging milk without being in possession of a permit to repackage. “The sale of milk powder in this manner is in breach of the Food and Drug Act 1971 and the Food and Drug Regulation 1977, and any person who sells powdered milk in unlabeled, transparent plastic bags is guilty of an offence,” the GA-FDD has asserted. In seeking to qualify its
— Advisory issued against purchasing such products reason for appealing to consumers to not purchase the improperly packaged products, the GA-FDD outlined that “unlabeled bags cannot represent the true identity of the repackager or that of the milk (brand); milk placed in clear transparent bags results in a loss of nutritional value of the milk; the milk is oftentimes repackaged under insanitary conditions by unlicensed re-packagers; milk sold in this manner may be subjected to adulteration (mixing); and the true weight of the milk cannot be determined or reflected on a clear transparent bag.” GA-FDD also sought to remind consumers that the standard for various types of milk as found in Part IV Division 5 Regulation 3, 12, 13, 14 and 16 (Dairy Products) of the Food and Drug Regulation are as follows: “Milk or Whole Milk shall contain no less than 3.0 percent milk fat , 8.5 percent milk solids;
Flavoured Milk shall contain no less than 2.5 per cent milk fat, 8.5 percent milk solids; Condensed or Sweetened Condensed Milk shall contain no less than 8.0 percent milk fat , 28.0 percent milk solid; Evaporated Milk shall contain no less than 7.5 per cent milk fat, 25.0 percent milk solids and Milk Powder shall contain no less than 26.0 percent milk fat, 95.0 percent milk solid.” GA-FDD also pointed out that “any milk being traded and/or sold on our local market in any of the above stated categories, and the label does not reflect the prescribed standard as indicative of the name, will be seized and confiscated.” Moreover, consumers are being asked to report any repackaging practices to the GA-FDD on telephone number 222-8859 or any Environmental or Municipal Health Officer in the respective Regions or Towns for their own interest and safety.
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Wednesday December 23, 2015
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Kaieteur News
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Consultations on a Universal Prayer for public schools underway Chief Education officer, Olato Sam in a recent interview with this publication, stated that while a draft of a universal prayer for public schools has been made, currently, the Ministry is looking to compile responses of various entities before they come to a final decision. The entities being consulted so far, said Sam are from both religious and nonreligious organizations and stated that, “once the process is finished the prayer will be introduced,” relating that so far, the process is going fairly well.
It is hoped that the Universal prayer will be implemented early next year. Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine had expressed his hope that the universal prayer “will satisfy all three of our major religious groups.” Since his announcement of the change, several religious bodies and organizations have come out in support of the Minister’s plans. Amongst those in favour of the change are the Guyana Presbyterian Church, Guyana Teachers’ Union and the Guyana Hindu Dharmic
Sabha. All were of the opinion that the practice has been going on for too long. President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Dr. Vindhya Persaud had stated that sections of her organization had brought up the issue of having universal prayers in public schools with previous Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand. She recalled that while promises were made, no follow up action was taken by the Ministry. Initially, the Guyana Secular Association, founded by Ferlin Pedro, had planned
Delayed criminal matters to receive attention in next session of Berbice assizes A number of criminal matters are set to receive attention in the January session of the Berbice Criminal Assizes. Justice Franklyn Holder has been assigned to preside over the upcoming session. The news of Holder’s appointment comes amidst reports that no judge has been sitting in Berbice since October. Recently a number of letters have been written to the press over the issue. Kaieteur News understands that the absence of a judge to preside over the criminal assize has affected the work at the High Court in Berbice and has resulted in a backlog. Some 53 criminal matters were set to be heard by Justice William Ramlal in Berbice, last October. Ramlal was expected to take over from Justice Navindra Singh, who presided over the June session. However, the judge was reportedly on sick leave resulting in a delay in the proceedings, since then. Residents of Berbice have been vocal about the issue and a number of letters have been published about the delay of criminal trials in Berbice. The issue was further highlighted by Public Relations Officer for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP) Liz Rahaman. In the letter to the editor, Rahaman contended that the holdup is directly linked to the lack of an arbitrator to sit over criminal matters at the Berbice High Court. Rahaman’s letter was in response to a correspondence published in the December 16, 2015 edition of the newspaper titled, “sister wants justice for brother, crippled by shotgun violence.” In that letter a relative of the injured man, noted her frustration over the delay in the court proceeding. However, Kaieteur news
understands with the appointment of Justice Holder, a number of high profile criminal trials will receive due attention in January. According to information previously released to the press, in the new session, the trial of Krishna, called ‘John’ and his son Romel Krishna is set to come up for hearing. The father and son are facing a second indictment of attempted murder and wounding with intent. The duo had previously faced a first indictment for murder. They had faced three trials, including two aborted hearings due to improprieties. At the final trial, the jury had returned a not-guilty verdict. Another high-profile case listed is that of alleged bank robbers Terrence Azore, Marlon Lepps and Henry Lindie. They are accused of being armed with guns when they robbed the Demerara Bank of $11,200,000.The incident occurred at Rose Hall, Corentyne, Berbice, on August 11, 2006. In addition, Jaber Fresco, called ‘Bull,’ is indicted with seven counts of carnal knowledge of a girl under 15 years. Another case of public interest is the second indictment of Hallman Hunte and Sohan Busjit over robbery under arms committed on Probation Officer Nadine Crawford. Initially, the men had been indicted for killing fireman Delon Collins. However, the jury acquitted the duo. The list also includes four accused persons for whom Bench Warrants had been issued since 2003: Newton Hope (murder) along with Dhanraj Kumar and Carlton Haynes who are facing a manslaughter indictment.
to challenge Roopnaraine’s decision of keeping prayers of any form in schools. Keeping prayers within schools he said, is a “form of imposing religion. This is contrary to our constitutional assurance of freedom of conscience and belief, and that includes the freedom to hold religious views or lack thereof.” However, he related that after consultations with both local and regional secular movements and organizations, they are now in support of a moment of silence. The reason for this, he states, is that the moment of silence seems to promote, at
least politically speaking, the interest of everyone. When asked if a moment of silence is an option for the ministry, Roopnaraine said that it has not been put to him, but stated that it is his belief that there is room for a national prayer. “Prayers start the day off with encouraging children and instill a belief in their selves. I don’t believe a moment of silence does the same thing,” he said. Roopnaraine on the prevalence of Christian prayers within public schools across the country had stated that “if that’s the practice that is going on in these public
schools, it is not a practice we condone. We are a multireligious country and we have to realize that we have multireligious children so that whatever prayer is used in schools should not exclude any of the religions.” Roopnaraine added that the practice could possibly be detrimental to social cohesion as it imposes upon the religion of others. According to the Constitution of Guyana, the practice of having Christian prayers in public schools across the country is in contravention of laws set out in relation to the separation of church and state.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Solid waste to get temporary holding area in G/town In light of the current situation of a spontaneous combustion at the Haags Bosch landfill site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, the City Council is currently working on a logistical arrangement to have a temporary holding area for solid waste in Georgetown. According to the Mayor and Councilors of the City of Georgetown (M&CC), the routine cycle of waste
collection has been disrupted because of the fire. In view of this, the Council is asking residents to be patient and cooperative as a solution is sought to the current issue that has developed. As it is, the M&CC is responsible for the collection and disposal of waste, but not management of the landfill site. “The Council regrets the inconvenience caused
because of the existing situation,” said City Public Relations Officer (acting) Debra Lewis. Meanwhile the M&CC has met with officials of Guyana Water Inc. to address the continuous deposit of silt in the Irving Street, Church Street and North Road canals. Citizens who live along North Road, Irving and Church Streets constantly complain about the deposit
of sludge by the water company. The Church Street canal was recently desilted, however the continuous deposit of sludge by the water company has resulted in a steady siltation of the canals, according to City Hall. City Engineer Colvern Venture explained that constant desilting of the Church Street canal can have negative effects on the viability of roads in the area. Also, heavy siltation of these canals has caused
overtopping in Alberttown, Queenstown and other contiguous areas whenever there is a downpour. The Church Street canal has a depth of approximately eight feet. It extends from Irving Street to Main Street and serves as the main drain for Alberttown and Queenstown. Town Clerk Royston King expressed concern about the deposit of sludge in these canals. King noted that it can adversely affect the ecology because of its chemical
composition. He further noted that the Council is working to ensure that the Merriman Mall area is converted to green space for the children and elderly. “This matter is of serious concern to the Georgetown Municipality,” King emphasised, as he pointed out that the Council has an environmental health mandate. The engineers of Mayor and City Council and Guyana Water Inc. are working on a plan to address these environmental issues.
Berbice money-changer missing A 56-year-old Berbice money-changer appears to be missing and his family fears the worst. Mohammed Fizal Mamood Baksh, called ‘Sugar Cake’ of Crabwood Creek, was last seen by relatives at around 08.05 hrs on Monday last, when he reportedly received a call indicating that some elderly people wanted to change some foreign currency.He had reportedly indicated that he would be back in two hours.
…after leaving home on business But his daughter said that he has not been seen since and repeated calls to his mobile phone have gone unanswered. Adding to their fears is the fact that a young man who had reportedly told the money-changer about the ‘clients’ also appears to be missing. Kaieteur News understands that the 20-yearold, known as ‘Kevin,’ had
been asked to give police a statement about his transaction with Mohamed, but failed to turn up. Mohamed reportedly does most of his business near the Skeldon Market, and was reportedly seen entering a car there. Persons with information on the whereabouts of Mohamed Baksh can contact relatives on telephone number 604-2681.
Public Service Training Division building for rehab
During yesterday’s opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), there were bids for the rehabilitation of the Training Division building at the Ministry of the Presidency - Department of the Public Service. The engineer’s estimate was $10.8M.
Meanwhile, under the Ministry of Education, bids were opened for the supply and delivery of cooked meals to the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).
Under the Ministry of Communities, bids were also opened for the provision of waste disposal receptacles. The engineer’s estimate was $14M.
Father of five jailed for stealing laptop A father of five will be spending Christmas behind bars. He was jailed for four months after he pleaded guilty to a charge of simple larceny, when he appeared before City Magistrate Annette Singh in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Junior Wilson, a father of five girls, resides at Lot 18 Farm, East Bank Demerara. He confessed that on December 21, last, at Thomas Lands, Georgetown, he stole one Haier Laptop valued at $90,000 property of Selisha Khan. Wilson, who was unrepresented by a lawyer, stated that he did not want to waste the court’s time. He explained to the court
that he has no one to take care of his children. According to Police Prosecutor Adunni Inniss, Khan is employed at the Civil Defence Commission. The prosecutor said that on the day in question, Khan took her laptop to work. Inniss related that the convict went to the woman’s office and requested assistance for his sick daughter. Khan left her office for a few minutes and when she returned she noticed that the computer was missing and contacted the police. The laptop was recovered. After hearing the Magistrate’s sentence, Wilson begged for mercy but his cries went unheard.
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
GTU President highlights highs and lows of 2015 - to face court battle in 2016 for review of TSC promotions list
GTU President, Mark Lyte Disregarding an appeal by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) to have the 2015 teachers’ promotion list reviewed, the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) has taken an executive decision to have the judicial system deal with the matter. GTU had earlier this year filed an injunction in the quest to have both the TSC and the School Boards Secretariat halt their plans to release their final promotion lists. While the School Boards Secretariat - which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Education - decided to give in to the appeal of the GTU, the TSC following a recent meeting decided this isn’t the way to go. The TSC is prepared to contest the GTU’s appeal. Moreover the matter is slated to be called in the High Court on January 7, 2016. Chairperson of the TSC, Ms. Leila Ramson, had intimated as much to this publication. “I don’t think it would be feasible to review thousands of applications,” Ramson disclosed when asked to comment on the status of a court action brought against the TSC by the GTU regarding the promotion of public school teachers. Ramson had noted that, “I doubt we will change our minds about a review…it is easy for the Ministry to change its mind, because the Ministry only has to process a few applications. We (TSC) deal with 4,000 to 5,000 applications per year, so it is not easy to just have a doover…it is a lot of work you are talking about here.” According to Ramson, the TSC had made the proposal to take into consideration the concerns of the GTU when it undertakes the processing of applications for teachers’ promotions next year.
The GTU was however not having this. The Union had taken the decision to file an injunction to halt the release of the final 2015 teachers’ promotion list by both the TSC and the School Boards Secretariat, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Education. GTU, which premised its decision on concerns that the promoting bodies have for years been deviating from written rules and regulations that govern teachers’ promotions, is calling for a complete review of the applications this year. However, while the Ministry of Education has surrendered to the demands of the GTU even without a ruling from the court, the TSC has been unrelenting. The promotion controversy was only one of the challenges faced by the GTU during the course of this year. According to its President, Mark Lyte, the GTU was forced to express its dissatisfaction with the nonpayment of debunching monies and the stalled processing of duty free concessions for teachers. The debunching issues had even caused the GTU to initiate industrial action. But recent discussions with Government have from all indications paved the way for both issues to be addressed. “We were successful in engaging the Ministry of Education on the way forward regarding debunching, so we believe that we have gone a step closer to agreeing on a position,” said Lyte even as he added that “we successfully negotiated for retired teachers to get duty free concessions. Most of them have been waiting since 2009....” “But we have had issues with the slow pace at which the duty free concessions are granted and we are asking for the personnel department of the Ministry of Education to act swifter with awarding those concessions,” said Lyte. While the debunching monies will affect all teachers, a total of about 46 teachers are expected to soon be able to benefit from the duty free concession. These teachers, according to Lyte, would have become eligible between the period 2009 and 2013. “The debunching has been a challenge and a tough Continued on page 30
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Wednesday December 23, 2015
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Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
Donald Ramotar bats Four great Guyanese that.... for Winston Brassington DEAR EDITOR, I have seen the sustained attacks on the Winston Brassington in certain sections of the media and from the supporters / operators of the APNU + AFC regime for his work as head of NICIL. From the beginning, the regime began a witch hunt against several persons who were perceived to be supporters of the former PPP/ C administration and those who worked dedicatedly during its tenure. The ‘forensic ‘audits were designed as a tool to harass and denigrate persons who worked with the PPP/C government to build our country. Winston Brassington has been attacked and demonized, and has not even been given the chance to defend himself. The audit conducted on the operations of the Marriott Hotel by Mr.Anand
Goolsarran was most unprofessional and should engage the attention of the professional bodies of accountants in Guyana. This was exposed thoroughly at a NICIL’s press conference. Even though Mr. Brassington provided all the explanations in his preliminary report, the responses were mainly ignored in a final report that was not sent to NICIL. Clearly, the APNU + AFC operatives are not interested in the truth; they are not interested in transparency and natural justice. What they want is to create trumped-up charges and attack the integrity of persons who clearly behaved professionally in the discharge of their duties. The real problem is that they shouted so much about corruption at NICIL and they are now unable to prove any of their charges. They are fast
losing credibility and their vindictive nature is being exposed for all to see. This is the reason why they have descended into mudslinging and slander. This behavior of deliberately using the media to slander people and seemingly, to even scores, is also an abuse of freedom of the press. It undermines democracy and harms our country. Many honest and talented Guyanese who are not members of the APNU or AFC will think twice before offering their service, knowing that they could be subjected to such slander and abuse by unscrupulous persons in the regime and the media operatives who support them. I, therefore, call on the regime to cease the witch hunts and instead focus more on building the nation. Donald Ramotar Former President, Republic of Guyana
Group formed to pray for criminals to mend their way DEAR EDITOR, I have this remarkable story that I would like to share. Last Friday18 December, 2015, someone broke into my vehicle and stole our possessions. We had gone into a supermarket for about forty five minutes and when we returned to the vehicle, the lock was broken, it was open and our bags, clothing, footwear and some extremely valuable personal and business documents were all gone. Of course we informed the management at supermarket and the police. However, the incident left my daughter very traumatized. Some very kind persons who heard what had happened came to us and comforted and assisted in calming my daughter; I wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to those very sweet individuals. However, the story did not end there; the thief brought back our things. On Monday 21 December, I received a call from someone who said that they had some documents that belonged to me and if they can bring them over. Mind you, this was just someone who occupies a house in the vicinity where the things were left. The person brought the documents and all of my documents, our bags, even the bag that contained the clothing was neatly folded in one of the bags. The only things missing were the clothing, footwear and another item. Here is a bit on why I am excited, after the incident, we started to pray for the salvation of the person or persons who committed the crime. We prayed that that was the last time they would ever steal anything, we prayed that they would no longer have a desire to commit crimes and that they would come to understand God’s plan and purpose for their lives and become engaged in honest work. We prayed that they would have no rest and no peace until they returned our things; and that the mother who might have been praying for her son or sons or child to stop being involved in criminal activities would have her prayers answered. Apparently, since Friday night the thief took the things into my community and placed them two streets away from my home in an
area where someone could have seen them. What is remarkable about this story, is that the same person or persons who a few hours earlier wanted to harm us by breaking into our vehicle and stealing our possessions, a few hours later were moved with compassion to return our possessions and put them in a place where they could have been easily found, all intact. Editor, some people may say that there is no God and they do not believe in God but please, allow me to state from your newspaper that there is a God and he hears and answers prayers. This is the second time thieves broke into my possession and brought the things they stole back. Oh yes, these experiences have taught me to be more security conscious and careful but I also learnt about the power of God. This incident and the rising crime rate have cause a group of us Christians to say enough is enough; while previously we were merely praying that crime be reduced in our country, we are now getting enlisted in the fight; we are putting on our ‘fatigues’ and are going to war on crime. However, our approach is not to fight with persons who commit crimes but we will fight for them; for their souls; because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of the strongholds of the enemy. Hence, we will bring together a community of persons into a group called for now, Christians Affected by Crime’ (CABC). The objectives would be to pray for the salvation of persons who have committed crimes against us and others and to provide spiritual support for the mothers who are praying for their sons to stop committing crimes. We plan to find a place to meet, even if it is once per month, where mothers and family members of persons who commit crimes can come and get support. We realize that at some point we have to get more involved. We want the criminals to know that Christ hath come that they might have life and have it more abundantly. Audreyanna Thomas
From page 5 compulsory education ordinance, thereby keeping Indian girls illiterate. J.I. Ramphal’s dream became a reality when the Circular was repealed on July 15, 1933. In 1934, with the withdrawal of the Circular in place, about 988 new Indian girls were attending schools throughout the colony, and the opening of a teacher’s training college in Georgetown in 1926 facilitated the first Indian women graduates in 1935: A.R. Khan, E. Laila and I.V. Salamalay. In August 1936, the IndoGuyanese intellectual, J.I. Ramphal, reflecting upon the question of a Guyanese identity, while objecting to “sectarianism” and ”sectionalism”, urged his colleagues to be “Guianese first, Indian later”. My third choice for name recognition is the Ruhomons: Peter and Joseph. The Ruhomons were born at Plantation Albion. Joseph Ruhomon, born on August 2, 1873, is considered the first Indian intellectual in British Guiana. Joseph Ruhomon’s pamphlet of December 1894, based on a lecture he
delivered in St. Leonard’s School Room in Georgetown on October 4, India and the Progress of Her People at Home and Abroad and How those in British Guiana may Improve Themselves, written at the age of 21, was the first book by an Indian in the British colony, and the Caribbean. Upon its publication, the conservative Argosy (then a weekly, edited by a Scotsman, James Thompson), challenged the notion that the natives were capable of governing themselves. The paper argued that neither “a Hindoo or a Negro” had the same scope for advancement and it was premature for them to assume that they were ready for selfgovernment. Joseph’s brother, Peter Ruhomon, born in 1880, was a journalist. He wrote under the pseudonym “the Pandit”
and he was a leading light in the Susamachar [Wesleyan] East Indian Young Men’s Society in the 1920s and 1930s. Peter Ruhomon was an intellectual on his own right and his book the Centenary History of the East Indian in British Guiana (1947), reprinted by the East Indians 150th Anniversary Committee, offer a wealth of information about the progress of Indians in colonial Guiana. All of these men had deep roots within the Christian faith, and they all wrote under assumed pseudonyms in the local dailies for fear of being persecuted under the hegemonic colonial government. They had a tremendous impact on all Guyanese, particularly Indians, regardless of religion or caste. Baytoram Ramharack
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Wednesday December 23, 2015
THE VOICE OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
Understanding the Arithmetic - the Local Government Elections and Beyond By Sase Singh What is the projection to local government elections (LGE)? In an electoral campaign, individuals matter, but they matter precisely because they represent something; an ideology; something enduring. So, the question now at this moment, is not whether the PPP was beaten, but what has the victorious team done with this victory to better position themselves in the LGE scheduled to be held on March 18, 2016? The important thing right now is to unpack the progress so far, to see what are the outputs from this government at the very local levels. Many from the pool that I have consulted in constructing this article advanced the position that the APNU+AFC Team has left the starting block rather late. One can conclude this was because they were not expecting victory. Another school of thought is that the Cabinet has too many people inside who have not managed even a “cake-shop” in their lives, much less a whole Ministry. On the positive side, one can use the evidence from the clean-up Guyana campaign to illustrate much progress. Further, the Venezuelan issue, which unfortunately consumed too much time from
the executive management team, was a major distraction in the first three months. One can also argue that today, we can see more policy decisions being made as compared to the first three months, and that is a positive development. However, many of the commentators who are living in Guyana and who shared thoughts with me, advised that they believe that small issues like the withdrawal of the Bath Settlement streetlights will adversely affect the performance of the Coalition in the upcoming LGE, especially across the PPP heartland in Regions Two, Three, Five and Six and parts of East Coast Demerara. To compound this “beefstake” by GPL, the Coalition Government went into Timehri North (a coalition stronghold) and installed free streetlights. That looks, smells and feels like discrimination. Such political inconsistency will have major consequences and does serve up the necessary ingredients to hurl the PPP campaign into overdrive. This was what they desperately needed. True or false, the message being projected by Team Jagdeo on this single issue has “caught afire” across rural Guyana. I am shocked that a welleducated Georgetown lawyer
who voted for the APNU+AFC in 2015 was bold enough to tell me she will be voting solidly for Team Jagdeo in 2016. This is a worrisome development. If the educated can make these tactical changes, can you imagine what is happening in the uneducated class? If one observes how Team Jagdeo has approached the Christmas outreach, you can sense the confidence. Only in the week of Christmas, Jagdeo himself served some 600 children and senior citizens in Annandale. I was advised that there was heavy politicking going on. Well, you can only guess the message. I am concluding that it is all because of three issues that were badly handled – this Bath Settlement streetlight issue, the wages issue (Ministers vs. Workers) and the failure to engage and empower enough of their political activists after May 2015 using the patronage system. It is clear from the feedback I have received, that the PPP’s message is getting out. I would not be surprised if I turn up in Annandale today and there are enough people who will tell me that they are willing to support a PPP that dips into the Treasury. This is an indictment of the Coalition not succeeding at showing these people an alternative point of
Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs focuses... (From page 6) such, the Ministry has created a programme which has seen women benefitting from funds to create income-generating projects. Garrido-Lowe revealed that over the last six months, 15 women’s group received funding to assist with their projects. Agro-processing, tourism, catering, craft and jewellery-making are just a few of the areas that the Ministry has been supporting to ensure that women are empowered, and are given the opportunity to provide for their families. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT The Ministry in 2015 began rolling out the Hinterland
Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) programme. This will see youths receiving a certificate after completing a one- year training course in specific skilled areas. This programme replaces the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP). The HEYS programme will involve initial training at institutions such as the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), the Kuru Kuru Cooperative College and other institutes of higher learning. Minister Garrido-Lowe revealed that during the period June-December, the Ministry secured scholarship for students at various secondary schools, the Government
Former Cabinet does not... (From page 20) Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA). He said that for the aforementioned reasons and more, Government may therefore wish to invoke the requirements of Sections 49, 76 and 85 of the FMA Act. Goolsarran argued that “Cabinet, collectively and individually, does not enjoy immunity as it relates to the application of the above sections, and for defying the wishes of the National Assembly as contained in resolution of December 17, 2012 for the government to cease funding the project without Parliamentary approval.”
Technical Institute (GTI), Carnegie School of Economics, Burrowes School of Arts, Guyana School of Agriculture, Bina Hill Institute and the Kuru Kuru Training College (KKTC). Additionally, for the first time in years, the Bina Hill Institute has doubled its intake. The institution went from 30 students to 67 from various hinterland regions, being trained in various skilled areas. SPORTS The Ministry has been working to ensure Indigenous youths’ involvement in sports at the national and international levels. In this quest, a number of outreaches were conducted, especially in the area of football. “We can’t have a national team if we cannot see our Indigenous faces on the team,” said Minister Garrido-Lowe. She revealed that the Guyana Football Federation has engaged four youths to organise clubs in various communities. These clubs will be licensed. The Ministry also supported three Indigenous youths to participate in the Goodwill Games in Trinidad and Tobago.
view. The well-oiled and financed PPP machinery has not stopped working after the 2015 elections and that work is paying dividends. There are consequences if this PPP machinery is allowed to continue to do this job unhindered. From the feedback I have gathered from my pool of commentators, they are convinced that the coalition government has a major problem on their hands in this upcoming LGE. In the 62 NDCs, they see a PPP landslide. On the brighter side, many people said they expect a much better performance from the coalition government in the nine municipalities, especially in Georgetown, Bartica, New Amsterdam, Linden, and maybe Lethem. From my standpoint, if the APNU+AFC wins Lethem, that would be a signal development, since Region Nine was won handsomely by the PPP in the May 2015 General Elections. One can conclude that the coalition has failed to deconstruct the PPP politically. This slothfulness in instituting legal action again PPP leaders who were associated with misappropriation of state assets has fed into the PPPpeddled message that the State Asset Recovery Agency and the Forensic Audits were established only to conduct a witch-hunt. Well if we look at the deliverables from both of these processes, they clearly have a bark louder than a bite. Do we have toothless poodles here? Every week, the press is bombarded with “who did what”. However, none of these cases have converted to an actual conviction. I am shocked that with so much
evidence in the press, there has been almost zero progress in the courts. The people are watching. So far the political performance from the coalition is most unimpressive on deconstructing the PPP. So what is the medium range outlook to the mid-term in 2017? Most of the commentators are of the view that the results of the LGE should be the occasion to stimulate a Cabinet reshuffle. This should serve as one of the processes to refine the output from the team. It is time the top performers are promoted and the freeloaders who forgot their armband, be asked to “wine to the side”, if I may use the words of Benjai, the Soca singer. Too few of the Ministers right now are adding the right value at the right time to achieve the right outcome. All this does is weaken and undermine the Presidency and no one has that entitlement. It is time for some new talent to be headhunted and thrown into the decisionmaking system with clear terms of reference and timelines. It is hoped the focus will be on women and youths. Many people are of the opinion that the Cabinet is too big and it has to be rationalized and restructured to “segue” the underperformers into ceremonial constitutional and ambassadorial positions. Even after six months in office, many in senior position still have not got the memo that the day they sign on for these jobs, they have put their lives up for greater scrutiny. Their time as a human being who eats and lives like the rest of us was over when they took that oath.
Sase Singh Ministers have to get with the programme that the people of the Co-operative Republic have a right to demand from them squeakyclean conduct and timely policy results. Attitudes synonymous with the previous administration must be banished; this is the contract they signed with the people when they took that salary increase. There is a clear difference in the expectation from the population today than ten years ago. Today the youths want their leaders to demonstrate that they are better; character-wise, ethicswise and attitude-wise. The youths of today are ready and prepared to punish anyone who breaks that contract. Thus, attitudes such as arrogance, aloofness, inaccessibleness and not delivering results will be punished. President Granger and Prime Minister Nagamootoo are still very principled and competent leaders, but 20162017 should be a period to make some decisions to shed the dead weight that continues to hurt the APNU+AFC Government. This will be my last piece for the year 2015 in the Kaieteur News, so I would like to wish all Guyanese Happy Holidays. I am humbled to have shared your life in some little way and if I have been able to influence one opinion to stay the course of “principled-politics”, I have done my job.
GTU President highlights...
From page 27 fight for the GTU...for 2015 we have gone back and forth...but things seem to be changing,” said Lyte. Meanwhile, Lyte said that the GTU has commenced negotiations with Government to further agreements regarding teachers’ remuneration and other benefits. The standing agreement the GTU has with Government is slated to come to an end this month. While the GTU has been able to make headway in a number of areas in its representation of teachers this year, Lyte is saddened that there were some shortcomings that were not remedied. Based on a multi-year agreement the Union was able to forge with the past Government, statutory meetings should have been held with Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, and identified members of the Education Ministry. But according to Lyte, “we have not had
regular meetings as agreed upon.” These meetings could have helped to ensure that there were close collaborations between the Ministry and the Union that could have prevented a number of challenges faced this year. Another issue of concern that resulted from a breakdown of communication, Lyte informed was the challenge associated with the release of teachers to attend the University of Guyana. And according to the GTU President, this challenge was particularly observed among those who were given scholarships through the Union’s negotiation with the Ministry of Education. “We find that some teachers who have scholarships are still not getting released to attend University and this is a Government of Guyana scholarship...,” said Lyte who has expressed optimism that the New Year would yield less challenging situations.
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Dominica caught in controversy T&T PM warns surrounding ex-Nigerian against going to IMF minister accused of corruption Daily Observer - The leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Allen Chastanet, says the corruption probe involving former Nigerian Oil Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, should provide St Lucians with an opportunity to rethink the island’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP). The Dominica government has sought to distance itself from the former Nigerian minister amid reports that she
was arrested on October 2 by the United Kingdom National Crime Agency, following investigations for alleged corruption while in office. She was later released on bail. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said that “there is no truth to the rumour” that Alison-Maduke had become a citizen of Dominica under that country’s CIP. Chastanet had last week written to several civil society organizations here, expressing concern about this
Diezani Alison-Madueke country’s CIP and recommending they join the opposition in demanding changes to it. He said while he had received some responses to his letter, he is also hoping that civil society will join the UWP in asking the government to reconstitute the CIP board including the resignation of its chairman, Dr. Ernest Hilaire. “We are dealing with the security of our region and the security of our major allies, while this government continues to ridicule and belittle us in terms of how they are dealing with this situation,” Chastanet added.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday said his administration is moving towards reviving the ailing economy of the oil rich twin-island Republic and avoid going to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He urged citizens “to acknowledge that we don’t have as much as we would like so there are going to be some restrictions on spending”. But Rowley, who became head of the Trinidad and Tobago government after he led his People’s National Movement (PNM) into victory in the September 7 general election, said he does not want his administration to be classified as “an austerity government. “Austerity is not the word, it is common sense. We are not in a restricted programme…in fact we want to ensure that we don’t end up in a situation where we are governing by …austerity, equals IMF. “If we don’t manage our affairs properly we could end up in a situation where we don’t have options available to us. Right now we have options and the options are to behave properly and ac-
Dr Keith Rowley knowledge the circumstances and choose the best of the options that we have,” Rowley told listeners to Citadel radio here. He reminded them that countries that don’t do so “and postpone the day hoping that the next sunrise will change things on its own end up without options and they will end up with a final option which is decisions being made for you by the lender of last resort. “We don’t want that at all,” he said, adding that the job cuts, wage freezes and other fiscal measures underscore the financial situation
facing the country. He said the message being sent to the population is simple. “These are our circumstances. For example let’s take the borrowing limit. If we did not borrow, or if we don’t set about to borrow the country would not have been in a position to pay its bills and those payments for those bills are what keeps the economy going…and also we can’t initiate any activity…to keep your economic growth going. “The fact of the matter is that our ability to borrow was severely circumscribed because the legal limit had been reached. The Parliament authorises the government to borrow up to a certain limit. The last government had that limit, like any government has, but at the time when we came in the borrowing levels were up at the top…so if any borrowing was to take place we had to go to the Parliament and get the ceiling lifted to allow this government to borrow.” Rowley said the question now is what to do with the money borrowed as a result of the parliamentary approval.
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
EU gets one million migrants in 2015, smugglers seen making $1 billion
Refugees and migrants arrive aboard the passenger ferry Eleftherios Venizelos from the island of Lesbos at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, December 18, 2015. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis Reuters - More than 1 million refugees and migrants came to the European Union this year, while almost 3,700 died or went missing in perilous journeys which reaped huge profit for smugglers, the International Organization for Migration said yesterday. “This is three to four times as many migrants and refugees coming north as we had in 2014, and the deaths have already far surpassed the
deaths last year,” IOM chief William Lacy Swing told Reuters. Almost all those arriving came across the Mediterranean or the Aegean Seas, and half were Syrians fleeing the war. Another 20 percent were Afghans, and 7 percent were Iraqis, IOM and the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said in a joint statement. People smuggling operations probably accounted for
the majority of journeys and likely earned at least $1 billion, Swing said, taking “anywhere from $2,000 to maybe $6,000 depending on how many members of the family and depending on which smuggling ring it is”. IOM estimates people smugglers in Europe have made $10 billion or more since 2000, maybe much more. “They are certainly getting very well paid for their services,” Swing said. Out of a total of 1,005,504 arrivals to Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, Malta and Cyprus by Dec. 21, the vast majority — 816,752 — arrived by sea in Greece, IOM said. IOM spokesman Joel Millman said it was impossible to forecast how the flow of migrants would evolve in 2016. “So much is in the balance, the resolution of the Syrian war, and the disposition of the European border protection moves that are being contemplated,” he said. “We never thought it would reach this level. We just hope people are treated with dignity.”
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Wednesday December 23, 2015
India lowers crime trial age to 16 after Delhi gang rape furore Reuters - India passed legislation lowering the age at which someone can be tried for rape and other crimes to 16, spurred into action by an uproar over the release of a minor convicted in a 2012 fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a Delhi bus. Parents of the victim had led demand for amendments to the law after their daughter was repeatedly raped and beaten by the 17-year-old minor as well as five adult companions. The woman died of her injuries two weeks later at a Singapore hospital. Four adults in the case, which drew worldwide condemnation, were sentenced to death while the fifth hanged himself in prison. The death penalties have yet to be carried out. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said yesterday the legislation aimed to strike a balance between the rights of a child and the need to deter heinous juvenile crimes, especially against
women. “Juvenile crime is the fastest rising segment in the country and the bill will help to stop (this),” she said. “The new law will decide whether a child committed the crime in a childish or adult frame of mind.” The R a j y a S a b h a passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill by a voice vote, paving the way for lowering the minimum age for a criminal trial to 16 from 18, depending on the gravity of the offence. The Lok Sabha had already passed the bill. It will become law once President Pranab Mukherjee signs it, likely a formality. Current law defines a person under 18 as a juvenile and caps punishment at three years in a correctional home. Under the new law, 16and 17-year-olds can be tried as adults, with corresponding sentences of up to life in prison or even the death penalty, depending on the severity of the crime. The release last Sunday
of the teenager involved in the 2012 gang rape sparked street protests by students and the victim’s mother, Asha Devi. Police had accused the teenager of gory violence, including pulling out a part of the woman’s intestines with his hands. “I understand that a change in law will not affect my daughter’s case, but a serious crime even if it is committed by a minor should not be overlooked,” Devi said before the legislation was adopted. India’s National Crime Records Bureau data shows that 16- to 18-yearolds account for a majority of minors arrested for crimes but activists said the latest amendment violated child rights and would not stem sex crimes. “Lawmakers have committed a blunder by changing the law,” said Shahbaz Khan, programme coordinator at Haq, a centre for child rights in New Delhi. “They have taken an emotional decision and only children will suffer the most.”
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
Letter to the Sports Editor
Nicholas Fraser responds Dear Sports Editor, My previous letter captioned ‘My thoughts on the AAG’s role at Nationals’ was indeed spurred by Mr. Jefford’s article, however careful reading would see my intention at creating a culture of inclusiveness while giving my thoughts as to how the system may be improved. My interest is in inclusion and advancement not exclusion/ division and stagnation. I do not have the time or space to address the myriad of logical fallacies presented in his letter to the Sports Editor captioned ‘Fraser flopped in understanding my analysis’, however, the attacks on persons’ characters and careers instead of conversing about ideas and facts is simply unbecoming of a professional in sports administration. Why indulge in divisive tactics? As regards the themes of the article in question a) that the AAG is failing to implement post-Nationals programmes and b) the misinformation of a Minister to
advocate for the “take over” of Nationals. With regards the first theme, I gave my thoughts as to why the AAG may be failing to implement post-Nationals programmes and highlighted an inclusive stakeholder-driven plan for the development of Nationals which would have made the linking of ‘Nationals’ to postNationals programmes much more seamless and systematic. Unfortunately, this wideranging plan was not implemented and of course many of the contributing agencies felt that the months of work was laid to waste. It meant that the voices of the various stakeholders were stifled and much needed advancement was discarded. Regarding the second theme, I have never had the privilege of meeting or speaking with the Honourable Minister of Public Health, George Norton. I, therefore, could not be the man sought. As it relates to the unbecoming statements made, I would like to posit that I have
not been a member of the Management Committee (MC) for the last three years. This year, I was approached to serve as Secretary but declined the position. As a Public Servant, I was required to lend support to my Unit in executing the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. I so did. Mr. Editor, many of the ideas and issues highlighted in my letter remain unattended. The only issue addressed was that of the discrepancy relating to particular lanes of the track. The facts are that the trumeter
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO AND... (From page 36) Oval. Last year’s final was a one-sided affair when the Red Force clobbered the Jaguars by a 135-runs margin. MATCH SCHEDULE Group A – Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, Jamaica Scorpions, Barbados Pride, ICC Americas Group B – Guyana Jaguars, CCC Marooners, Windward Islands Volcanoes, Leeward Islands Hurricanes Opening Matches - Thursday, January 7 Red Force vs Scorpions – Queen’s Park Oval – TT (1:30 pm) Pride vs Americas – UWI SPEC TT – 9:00 am Jaguars vs Volcanoes – St. Paul’s – SKN – 9:00 am Hurricanes vs Marooners – Warner Park – SKN – 1:30 pm
Wednesday December 23, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Try to stay calm and do the best you can. Leave your checkbook and credit cards at home.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your emotional partner will push all the right buttons today. Travel will be favorable.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Assist a relative or good friend by setting of a budget for them. Try to enlist the help of those you trust in order to fulfill the demands being made of you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You will accomplish the most in the work environment today. Try to be patient with their inability to accept your new beliefs.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Trips will be enjoyable, and communication with your lover will clear up any misconceptions. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Sudden changes concerning coworkers may surprise you. Take the time to sort out your personal papers and doublecheck your financial investments. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Abstain from getting involved with married individuals. Social activity should be on your agenda. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Relatives will want to get together. Be sure to look into travel opportunities that will provide you with mental stimulation.
(equipment used to measure distance) used to re-measure the track was provided by my Department and was corrected on the second day. We may agree that this should not have happened. If I am being accused of having a mischievous nature based on my track record of inclusion in planning, planning in advance and expecting the best outcomes from my work: THEN MISCHIEVEOUS I AM! Yours in Sport, Nicholas Fraser
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Don't get intimately involved with a coworker. You can make successful moves. You can get a promotion if you put in a little extra detail. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You will get along well with your colleagues today. Get out and about. Things at home may be somewhat rocky. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Minor accidents could cause trauma and major setbacks. Hide your cards and learn to say no. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Social events will be favorable. Problems with your partner are apparent. You will want to complain about the injustice that is going on..
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Letter to the Sports Editor
A Poor perception of football’s marketability Dear Sir, With the culmination of the inaugural GFF Stag Beer sponsored Elite League on the 29.11.15 at the Lenora Track and Field Stadium, WBD, with a doubleheader, Slingerz FC recorded a come from behind 2-1 victory, in the feature match, capturing the title and in the process confining Alpha United to the runner-up spot. In the opening encounter, Pele edged out city counterparts Fruta Conquerors 1-0 for the 3rd place, with the Tucville based unit, securing the 4th position. Editor, while it’s good for the sport’s image that Slingerz FC, have been able to add more silverware to their winners’ collection and in the process
continuing to disrupt Alpha’s dominance, which by extension that of the capital city, ahead of the second phase in February, 2016, may I inquire! How will all the players remain active for the corresponding period, outside of training with their respective clubs? Wouldn’t it have been more prudent for players (Elite League) to be assigned to various clubs within the respective Associations, for the end of the year t o u r n a ments? While it’s not intended to be compulsory, since the overseas based players would have returned home by now! However, the cost factor of attracting non-Guyanese players from overseas would be significantly reduced. Assigning
the Elite League players, via a lottery system i.e. senior national, starters, national under-23s, under-20s and reserves; suffice it to say a maximum of five players per club, two of whom must be under20s and no more than three of the Elite League players of the field of play, at any given time. Editor, this suggestion/ recommendation though not “fool proof” would have had a twofold benefit, for all and sundry! Whereas, in the training, the non- Elite League players would have been overwhelmed to be training with the likes of a “Jackie Chan” Richardson and “Zorro” Grant much less playing with them. As a consequence punctuality and semi-
Djokovic and Serena Williams named ITF players of the year LONDON (Reuters) Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams were named men’s and women’s world champions for 2015 by the International Tennis Federation on Tuesday. The Serb ended the year as men’s world number one for the fourth time after taking three majors - the Australian, Wimbledon and US Open, as well as finishing runner-up to Stan Wawrinka in the French. Williams also narrowly missed a calendar-year grand slam, winning the Australian,
French and Wimbledon and reaching her home US Open semi-final. Martina Hingis, of Switzerland, and India’s Sania Mirza were named women’s doubles world champions, with Jean-Julien Rojer, of the Netherlands, and Romania’s Horia Tecau taking the men’s award. Hingis thus became an ITF world champion again 15 years after being crowned singles champion. Dalma Galfi, of Hungary, and USA’s Taylor Fritz were named ITF junior champions.
professionalism would have been paramount! Automatically, with an improved standard of play, attendance at matches by the paying public would have transcended into enhanced tickets sales, albeit additional income/revenue, with a written clause also allowing coaches, trainers and managers to be involved, along with the “loan players”. In the final analysis “marketability” of the product of football, to make dollars and sense, and not cents, enables the sport to be the ultimate winner! Modalities entailing transportation expenses, medical coverage and stipends, in addition to accommodation and meals wherever applicable i.e Berbice and Linden; are all factors worthy of consideration. And please do not tell me that “contractual obligations for Elite League players do not allow this”. In countering/rebuttal, the precedent was already created with the Guinness Greatest in the Streets! Since it maybe too late for implementation now, at least the issue should not be overlooked for enactment, come next year. With no offence meant to the Petra Organisation, Organisers of the Guinness Greatest in the Streets, though it can be argued that the competition does not involve clubs, nevertheless, players from the Elite League, participate and not representing the areas where they reside! Respectfully Yours, Lester Sealey.
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
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LABA Malta Supreme Christmas Basketball continues tonight Unbeaten clubs Retrieve Raiders and Half Mile Bulls will go head-to-head at 9:00pm this evening in the final preliminary game of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association organized Banks Malta Supreme Christmas Open basketball champion-
ship being played at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court. Basketball fans are in for a treat tonight in this final fling to determine who are the number one and two seeds as they head into the semifinals to be played next Monday. The feature game between
(From page 34) good fight. “It’s very important we look at the positives. In the practice game young Blackwood played pretty well, as well as Kraigg Brathwaite. The bowlers had a very good run, including Jerome Taylor. The guys are putting in the work, it’s just a matter of us going out there and executing.” West Indies trained at the MCG on Tuesday for the first time ahead of the Test, which starts on Saturday, while the Australians will begin training on Wednesday. The Victorian fast bowler Scott Boland has been added to Australia’s squad as an injury replacement for Nathan Coulter-Nile, and while Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson remain the likely attack, Bravo knows from his Hobart ton that scoring opportunities will present themselves. “The Australian bowlers, they have a plan exactly how they want to get us out,” he said. “You respect the good balls and put away the bad balls. Yes they are a very good team but at the end of the day they are still humans. They’re going to present bad balls and it’s just a matter of put-
ting it away. I don’t think you should be bogged down too much. Don’t be intimidated by the Australian bowlers. Just back yourself and your ability. “When you’re not scoring runs it is difficult to pick yourself up. I believe the guys have that sort of resilience in them. Most of us have scored international hundreds. We have proven that we are definitely capable of playing at this level. It is just a matter of going out there and spending some time.” It was also easy to forget after the three-day result in Hobart that at lunch on day one, West Indies were arguably in the stronger position, having picked up three wickets after Australia chose to bat. However, they then allowed Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh to compile a record fourth-wicket partnership that batted West Indies out of the match. “It’s very important that whenever we’re in the driver’s seat we try and stay there,” Bravo said. “I remember in the first Test match we had Australia three for 100 or something like that. We were in the driver’s seat and we let loose. We need to maintain the momentum in the game.”
Bravo stresses ...
the Bulls and Raiders game will be the second as a Linden East and West matchup is set for 7:00pm. Already qualified for the semifinals are third seed Victory Valley Royals and fourth seed Amelia’s Ward Jets. The Raiders will be led by their experienced former national forwards Neil Marks, Dwayne ‘Brown’ Sugar’ Roberts, once he is available, and the former national coach Abdulla Hamid. With them they will combine with their current national player, guard Keon Cameron and the ener-
Bulls and Raiders square-off for top ranking ahead of semifinals getic back court player Alexander Rose. The talented Cameron must show some willingness to listen to his more experienced players and learn quickly if he is to be effective. They also have acquired the services of another former national guard Marvin Hartman and with young Duel Garner and Cole Winter supporting, the Raiders must fancy themselves to get past this Half Mile Bulls side. However, the young Bulls
have won the last two tournaments staged by the association and certainly must be rated as the favoured side to win. They are led by the national players in back court players Terron Welch, Dennis Niles and Michael Turner who all made their debut and played recently in the Guyana versus Antigua and Barbuda All Star series. They are all capable of playing the up-tempo basketball with the exciting young-
ster Keifer Tappin, but Welch has not been in great form thus far. Turner and Neils are now approaching their peak form, while Welch shooting form is needed to secure a win tonight. Regardless, this Bulls team is the team to beat and add another national prospect in power forward Travin Dryden along with Kevin Easton and centre Shane Lewis, they are the side to watch.
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Wednesday December 23, 2015
Stag Super XVI
Den Amstel v Agricola; KK Warriors v Mahaica conclude Rd. of 16 today at Den Amstel Seeking to join Ann’s Grove, Beavers, Uitvlugt, Victoria Kings and last evening’s winners from the matches that involved Soesdyke Falcons v Pouderoyen and Golden Grove v Grove Hi Tech will be the winners of the final round of 16 matches set for today at the Den Amstel g r o u n d , We s t C o a s t Demerara. Home team Den Amstel will put everything on the line when they e n g a g e E a s t Bank’s Agricola Red Triangle in the main attraction with another East Bank side, Kuru Kururu Warriors taking on East Demerara’s Mahaica Determinators in the night’s opening showdown. Den Amstel has lost some ground as the leading side on the West Side but this clash and tournament offers them the perfect opportunity to
Andre Hector chart a path back to a #1 ranking in the WDFA but they will first have to get past EBFA’s #2 side, Agricola Red Triangle. Carrying the charge for the home side apart from the hundreds of fans that are ex-
pected to fill the stand and seats at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground are Dwayne Wilson, Travis Hamilton, Colin B e n n , Wy c l i ff e S i m o n , Ryan Hunte, Andre Hector, Jamal Perreira, Akimbo H e n r y, G a v i n G r a h a m , Oret Stephenson, Paul and Joey Payne and Kevon Warde. Agricola Red Triangle will be no pushovers and have a solid team on paper led by their number one marksman Gordon Grant. Many of the villagers from Agricola are expected to make the journey to Den Amstel to support their team in their quest to, first take care of the home team as they make a charge for the top prize of 1.5 million dollars compliments of Ansa McAl under the Stag Beer brand. Supporting Grant will be Winston and Akeem Rawlins,
Jermaine Frank, Travis Farina, Travis Welch, Collis Samuels and Egbert Nedd. The penultimate roundof-16 match features Mahaica Determinators against Kuru Kururu Warriors. The Warriors, based on the Linden Soesdyke Highway will be aiming to create a huge impression and like Agricola, will be working to make it past this round, unlike last year. The Warriors will pin their efforts on the mixture of experienced and young players to aid in their success tonight. Deon Denhart, Cordell Johnson, Christopher Fraser, Christopher Alleyne, Joseph James, Ryan Scott, Nicholas Holder, Franklyn Medouze, Rakesh Haimnauth, Allen O’Selmo, Joshua O’Selmo, Mario DeFreitas, Michael Carring ton and Ethan Sparman among
others will take on that responsibility. Mahaica’s challenge will be spearheaded by the likes of Terry Caesar, Shameer Zaneer, Demon Charles, Nickel Benjamin, Curtley Adams, Andrew Williams, Kirk Roberts,
Delroy Pereira and Quincy Holder. Quarter final action will kick off at the Farm Community Centre ground this Friday, Christmas Day and the Victoria ground on Boxing Day.
(Reuters) Take a look at the scorecard from West Indies’ tour match in Geelong at the weekend and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was as meaningless as warm-up games get. A two-day match against a Victorian XI featuring only two players - neither of them bowlers - with firstclass experience. But Darren Bravo hopes that if his fellow
batsmen gained just one thing from the game it is this: confidence. West Indies have been sorely lacking it of late. In Sri Lanka in October they were roundly defeated and none of the batsmen scored centuries in the two Tests; in fact, only Bravo and Jermaine Blackwood managed so much as a fifty. That was followed by a tour game in Brisbane that the team lost to a rookie Cricket Australia XI, which in turn was followed by a crushing three-day loss in the first Test. But as poor as West Indies were in Hobart, there were a couple of encouraging signs. Bravo himself scored a classy 108 in the first innings, but was let down by the complete lack of support from the rest of the batting order. In the second, Kraigg Brathwaite found himself in a similar position, posting 94 out of a total of 148. A bit more back-up in either innings and it could have been a much tighter contest. So, as weak as the Victorian attack was in Geelong, West Indies were still pleased that Blackwood, after making a pair in the Hobart Test, managed 69, that Brathwaite backed up from his Test effort with 78, and that Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin at least spent some time in the middle. Bravo did not bat in Geelong but was pleased with what he saw, and hopes that the batsmen will be better for it come Boxing Day. “It’s just a matter of confidence,” Bravo said. “Coming in to this series most of our batsmen didn’t really have that confidence. We lost the series in Sri Lanka, we lost the practice game as well in Brisbane. It’s a matter of confidence. “It’s important that whenever we go to bat we spend some time out in the middle. If we spend time we’re definitely going to score runs. Naturally we play aggressive cricket where batting is concerned. It’s just a matter of us spending time out in the middle and putting up a very (Continued on page 33)
Bravo stresses on confidence factor ahead of second Test
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Platini slams FIFA ban as ‘masquerade’, vows to fight in court LONDON (Reuters) The head of European soccer, Michel Platini, vowed on Monday to go to court to fight a decision by the independent Ethics Committee of the world football body FIFA to ban him for eight years, calling it a “pure masquerade”. Platini and Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA president who is also appealing, were both banned and fined for ethics violations in connection with a 2 million Swiss franc payment that FIFA made to Platini in 2011, at a time when Blatter was seeking re-election. Until he was suspended in October, Platini was the favourite to succeed Blatter as FIFA president in an election next February. “The decision is no surprise to me: the procedure initiated against me by FIFA’s ethics committee is a pure masquerade,” the
Frenchman said in a statement. “It has been rigged to tarnish my name by bodies I know well and who for me are bereft of all credibility or legitimacy.” Platini said his conscience was clear and that he would challenge the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport and ultimately seek damages in civil proceedings. “I will fight this to the end,” he said. The French Football Federation (FFF) maintained its support for Platini with FFF president Noel Le Graet saying that he had been saddened and shocked by the former F r a n c e m i d f i e l d e r ’s suspension. “He will continue to fight,” Le Graet said in a statement. “His life has been dedicated to football. He has done great things for UEFA and I hope that his good faith
will be recognised. “It seems unbelievable, but it doesn’t surprise me. The spokesperson of the Ethics Commission (Andreas Bantel) had already announced that Michel would be suspended for several years.” That support was not shared by the head of the English FA, Greg Dyke, who had previously backed Platini to become FIFA president after Blatter announced that he was stepping down. Dyke said he felt this would spell the end for the f o r m e r F r a n c e i n t e r n a t i o n a l ’s F I FA ambitions. “We took an early decision to support Mr Platini, we thought he had done a very good job with UEFA, and we were clearly all very disappointed when all this came out. We didn’t know,” Dyke said on BBC
Combination file photograph of FIFA President Sepp Blatter addressing a news conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland June 2, 2015 and UEFA President Michel Platini (R) attending the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, May 29, 2015. (Reuters/Ruben Sprich/Files) radio. “I would think is the end for both him and Blatter.”
In a separate statement, FIFA said it “acknowledges the decisions of the
independent Ethics Committee and has no further comment”.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Mobile Wizard 10/10 Softball cricket
Teams gain valuable points Wins for Crossbreed Warriors, Zeeburg Warriors, Leonora Youths, Vipers XI, Settle XI The Mobile Wizard 10/10 Softball cricket competition organized by the Guyana Softball League in collaboration with the West Demerara Softball League concluded its tenth weekend with teams pushing to enhance their chances of a top six berth. The tournament is being sponsored by Mobile Wizard, Trophy Stall, V&P Supermarket, Rohan Furniture Establishment, Miss Love Trading, Wolf’s Furniture Store and Imtiaz
and Imran Hack. The results improved their record and gained valuable points in their quest to be the best team on the West Coast Demerara as well as East Bank Demerara. The latest results are as follows: Settle XI cruised past MMZ XI by 8 wickets to remain unbeaten. MMZ XI won the toss and batted scoring 80 all out in 10 overs; Akash Rahaman 16 (1x6); Diaram Persaud 310 off 2 overs. Settle XI
replied with 81-2 in 5 overs with Skipper Nazim Azeem 36 (5x6) off 18 balls. Vipers XI gained a walkover from Ocean View XI. Zeeburg Warriors also gained a walkover from Next Level XI. Both teams who failed to show up with the required players will be fined. Crossbreed Warriors demolished Superstreet Reloaded by 60 runs in a low scoring affair. Crossbreed Warriors
batted first and scored 80 all out in 10 overs with Anthony Arjune 27 (4x6) off 17 balls being the top score. Devindra Persaud 2-8 off 2 overs and Seepersaud Persaud 2-21 off 2 overs were the destroyers. Superstreet Reloaded were bundled out for the lowest score of the tournament, 20, in overcast conditions. Yoganand Rajnarine 3-2 in 2 overs and Anthony Arjune 27 off his two overs were in destructive form but it was the four run outs which were
Members of the Crossbreed Warriors team celebrate their success. the telling blows on the Superstreet Reloaded batting. Leonora Youths defeated Irfaan XI by 3 wickets. Irfaan XI won the toss and batted scoring 79 all out in 10 overs with only Prem Persaud 28 (2x6;1x4) showing that he could handle the bowling. Bowling for Leonora Yo u t h s H e m e n d r a Kowlessar 2-14 from 2 overs was the pick of the bowlers. Leonora Youths hit off the required runs in 4.1 overs, scoring 81 with Imtiaz Hack pulverizing the bowling with a quick fire 45 laced with 6 sixes and one four off 16 balls.
Arun Kumar was the winner for the day in the one ball manto and was the recipient of one Oakley shades and bat compliments of Imran Hacks and the popular bat maker Ickram Ali. Additionally the Guyana Softball League, its Affiliates and sponsors would like to wish the entire Guyana a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year and would like to inform all the players there will be no matches this coming weekend because of the holidays. Matches will resume on the first Sunday in January 2016.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO AND ST. KITTS NEVIS CO-HOST 2016 NAGICO SUPER50 ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – The 2016 NAGICO Super50 tournament will have 27 matches over 18 days in the biggest, senior regional domestic 50-oversa-side tournament to be ever staged by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). The tournament will be co-hosted in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts Nevis starting on Thursday, January 7 in the two islands. Defending champions and co-host, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, will open their account against the Jamaica Scorpions in a Zone A encounter; while Barbados Pride will face
newcomers, ICC Americas. In the other group, beaten finalist Guyana Jaguars will face the Windward Islands Vo l c a n o e s ; w h i l e t h e Leeward Islands Hurricanes will face the CCC Marooners in St. Kitts Nevis In the preliminary round, each team is scheduled to play six matches in a nonelimination format and top two teams in each zone will move to the semi-finals due to start, Wednesday, January 20 in TT at the Queen’s Park Oval. Winners from the semis will then play in the final on Saturday, January 23 also at the Queen’s Park (Continued on page 31)
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
French minister questions ban on would-be FIFA chief Platini PA R I S ( R e u t e r s ) France’s sports minister publicly questioned the legitimacy of FIFA’s ethics committee after it imposed an eight-year ban that seriously endangers fellowFrenchman Michel Platini’s prospects of becoming the next head of the world football body. Patrick Kanner said he still backed Platini, head of the powerful European soccer body UEFA, and questioned whether he had been given a fair hearing by a committee he said was close to the old guard of the FIFA world soccer body. FIFA President Sepp Blatter and would-be successor Platini were both banned from the sport for eight years on Monday for ethics violations. Both are under scrutiny over a 2011 payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2 million) made to P l a t i n i w i t h B l a t t e r ’s approval, for work done 10 years earlier. “We know very well that FIFA’s ethics committee has
UEFA President Michel Platini is seen before the draw for the 2015/2016 UEFA Europa League soccer competition at Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco August 28, 2015. (Reuters/Eric Gaillard) been very close to the former managers, notably Sepp Blatter ... who is perhaps dragging down with him the man he expected to be his successor but who was not always the man he wanted to see take his place,” Kanner told Europe 1 radio. “I regret this because Michel Platini is in a sense being hounded. Was he able to defend himself under fair conditions? I’m not
convinced.” Platini has vowed to fight the eight-year ban in the world sports tribunal and even civil proceedings to claim damages over a decision that he has denounced as a “masquerade”. FIFA said on Monday it “acknowledges the decisions of the independent Ethics Committee and has no further comment”. The committee operates
independently of FIFA; its members are appointed by the FIFA Congress and cannot be members of any standing committees. For Blatter, the ban brings 17 years at the helm of world soccer, already tarnished by controversies over the awarding of several World Cup tournaments and a host of corruption cases against senior soccer officials, to an end in disgrace. For Platini, it appears to have killed his chances of being picked to replace the 79-year-old Swiss at a FIFA Congress in February. S o c c e r o ff i c i a l s i n France, which will host the UEFA European finals in June, have defended Platini. On Monday the French Football Federation (FFF) maintained its support, with FFF president Noel Le Graet saying that he had been saddened and shocked by the former F r a n c e m i d f i e l d e r ’s suspension.
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Angela Reakes: Player punished for £4.36 bets on World Cup final
Angela Reakes bowls leg spin and has received coaching from former Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill. (Getty Images) BBC Sport - An Australian cricketer has received a two-year suspended sentence for bets totalling Aus $9 (£4.36) during the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Angela Reakes, 24, of the ACT Meteors in the Women’s National Cricket League, was guilty of breaching Cricket Australia’s (CA) anticorruption code. She pleaded guilty to placing five bets on the Australia v New Zealand
final man-of-the-match betting market. CA integrity unit chief Iain Roy said: “Angela knows she made a bad mistake.” He added: “All elite cricketers are reminded regularly that betting on any form of cricket is strictly prohibited.” Australia won the Wo r l d C u p f i n a l i n March, beating New Zealand, with James Faulkner named man-ofthe-match.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday December 23, 2015
LDIMAA enjoyed successful year in Martial Arts Scramblers capture Orin Joseph The Little Diamond International Martial Arts Academy (LDIMAA) has closed the year 2015 on a very high note with the Academy becoming a member of the Kyokushin Schools of Karate Union Worldwide, ‘Shihan’ Nazim Yassim been a Life Member of that Union. The Academy has just concluded the year with its final Exams and an InterClub ‘Bragging Rights’ Championships that was won by Enmore for the second time. On November 12-14 twenty-five students took part in an Exam moving from one level to the next. Fourteen students from Enmore, nine from Wales and two from Parfait Harmony were successful in their exams. Full Exams results: Tristian Prince, Abhishek Lilman, Amber Lall, Laajwantie Sukhlall,
Bhumashvanie Gangadin, Reenita Nandram, moved from 9th Kyu to 8th Kyu Yellow Belt: Ephraim Lall, Aryan Ritlall, Haymant Gangadin, Bheemeshvanand Sukhlalland Ryan Ritlall moved from 8th Kyu to 7th Kyu Orange Belt Samuel Fraser and Balram Harrichand moved from 6th Kyu to 5th Kyu Blue Belt, Joshua Bascombe, from Enmore, moved from Blue Belt to Brown Belt while Vikash Somwaru advanced to 3rd Kyu Brown belt. Muneshwar Ganga (Wales) & Moses Ignatius (Parfait Harmony) moved to 2nd Kyu Brown belt while Ravi Samuroo and UmishaParasram of Enmore moved to 1st Kyu Brown belt. Maranda Bennett, MarcellYassim and Tadious Edun of Wales and Marlon Ignatius (Parfait Haromny)
moved from Brown Belt to 1st Dan Black Belt. K e l v i n Wa l c o t t (Enmore) and Parsuram Arjune (Wales) moved from 1st Dan to 2nd Dan Black Belt. Shihan Nazim is happy with the progress that the Academy has made by accomplishing more than 90% of its programme planned for the year. He was more elated that two new branches were opened by the Academy. They were opened in Belle West Canal number two (WBD) and in St. Cuthbert’s Mission, with the one of St. Cuthbert’s Mission. Shihan Nazim looks forward to the New Year (2016) as he continues to share his knowledge with his students at the Academy. For more information on our upcoming events contact Shihan Nazim Yassim on 592-662-7211.
Memorial Dominoes title
Members of the victorious Scramblers team with Oshantti Joseph (fourth from right) and GDA secretary Barbara Marshall left. Scramblers were crowned champions of the Orin Joseph Memorial dominoes competition when the final was contested on Monday night at Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt. Both Scramblers and Rage were tied on 76 games each, but the former prevailed on more sixes. Phantom finished third on 66 games. Dane Venture made the maximum 18 games for the winners, while Hilton Small got 17. Winston Stephens and Ron Callendar made 17 and 16 games apiece for the runner up team, while Orin Favourite scored 14 and Huey Gordon 13 for Phantom. Rage won the semi final encounter with 74 games, while Phantom placed second on 70 and C Point
third on 67. Rage leading players were Lyall Gittens and Callendar with 17 and 15 games in that order. Rawl Cameron marked 17 and Keith Solomon 15 for Phantom, while Colin Mc Ewan and Paul Wallace got 16 apiece for C Point. Scramblers pocketed a trophy and $150,000, Rage a trophy and $75,000 and Phantom a trophy and $35,000. The competition was sponsored by president of the Georgetown Dominoes Association Faye Joseph in memory of her late husband and former head of the GDA Orin Joseph. A minute silence was observed before the final. Oshantti Joseph, daughter of the late Orin Joseph congratulated the
winners and thanked the teams for participating, while Faye Joseph said the GDA had an excellent year. She informed that they have secured a sponsorship from the Guyana Beverage Company Inc and that tournament will be played in February 2016, and thanked the company for their input. Meanwhile, Mark Wiltshire and Prem Persaud will be hosting a preChristmas team and King dominoes competition tomorrow at Metal shop, L e o n o r a , We s t C o a s t Demerara. Action gets underway at 14:00 hrs and entrance fee for the team tournament is $15,000 and King dominoes is $1,000 per player. Interested teams can contact Persaud on 611 6903 or Wiltshire on 665 5855.
Wednesday December 23, 2015
Kaieteur News
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GFA Banks Beer KO Cup
Could Sunburst Camptown hold off upstart Northern Rangers tonight? -Beacon vs. Flamingo clash seems evenly matched Another double header is planned for today when the Annual Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Banks Beer Knockout Cup resumes, at the Georgetown Football Club ground, North Road. In the first encounter, Beacon FC and Flamingo FC
square off at 19:00 hrs and this will be followed by the feature clash between Sunburst Camptown FC and Northern Rangers FC at 21:00 hrs. In the feature game, while Sunburst Camptown should start as favourites to advance, they will know that
Northern Rangers are an improving side laden with a number of experienced players such as Captain Nigel Denny, his deputy Donal McKenzie, Sherwyn Vincent, Omali Nassy, Orendelle Squires and Gavin Bobb. Vincent, a former Alpha
United standout is in his twilight years in terms of his career, but his guile and experience could make it a long night for the more established Sunburst Camptown unit. When you add the services of Nassy, Denny, McKenzie and Squires then
Guyana NRA Smallbore Section rewards top shots Dr. Johan DaSilva is A-Class king; John Ferreira tops B-Class
the team’s potency makes it a dangerous opposition for Sunburst Camptown. Sunburst Camptown on the other hand is no pushover and just like their opponent is loaded with players of a high calibre. T h e w i l y a n d experienced Troy Prescod will no doubt be pulling the strings from mid-field, while Jahal Greaves, Rishawn Sandiford are the designated marksmen. Wendell St. Hill is another player whose knowledge and skill will be depended on to pull off a victory. The two teams are equally balanced and fans could expect a scorching affair as they go head to head for a plce in the next round. The match before that should be interesting enough to wet the appetites of the fans as they both look to advance further Beacon has been playing a solid brand of football and the news emanating from the camp seems to suggest that they have been involved in intense training so despite the lack of football, fans should expect a solid
performance.Troy Lambert, Colin McNichols, Rawle Prince, Desmond Cottam, Trilton Luke and Keon Douglas are the main threat and should be involved in any plan for victory. On the other hand, Flamingo’s chances of a win will rest on the performances of p l a y e r s s u c h a s Sheldon Gurrick, Shem P o r t e r , L e o n Ya w, Dwayne Layne and Akeem Roberts. The winning team is set to receive $2million dollars and the championship trophy, while the second, third and fourth place finishers take home $1million, $500,000 and $250,000 respectively along with trophies. Meanwhile, action in the Cup continues on Sunday with another double header at No.5 ground, West Berbice. Beginning at 19:00 hrs, NA United tackle Guyana Police Force and this encounter will be followed by the clash between Rosignol United Fc vs Santos FC. Both games promise to be sizzlers.
Sonics, Knights latest winners in GABA League -tournament continues in January nd
Guyana NRA President Brigadier Mark Phillips (seated 2 left) flanked by A-Class champ Dr. Johan Da Silva (2nd right), B-Class winner John Ferreira (left) and Hemant Narine (9mm winner) along with other awardees following the presentation. President of the Guyana National Rifle Association (Guyana NRA) and Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Mark Phillips, MSM, was on hand to assist in the presentation of awards when the GNRA rewarded members of its Smallbore section for their
performances during 2015. Emerging as the A-Class champion following the completion of the 0.22, 9mm and Action Pistol competitions was Dr. Johan ‘Eye of the Tiger’ DaSilva who accumulated scores of 274-6v in the 0.22; 274-4v in the 9mm and 289-4v in the
Action Pistol for a total of 837-14v which meant 100% returns. Ryan McKinnon placed second and Dale Hing third. Ferreira had a return of 86% in topping his peers in this class, his total of 723-8v was accumulated from scores of 248-7v in the 0.22
shoot, 248-1v in the 9mm and 227-0 in the action Pistol m a t c h . Coming in second was Joshua Ramlakan Ms. Vidushi Persaud followed in third with the fourth and fifth positions occupied by Randy Sarjoo and Murtland Smith. (F. Wilson)
Pepsi Sonics and Knights became the latest winners Sunday night in the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) League at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall before the tournament takes a hiatus to facilitate the Holiday Season. Trevor Smith shot his way to 21 points to lead Sonics to a 65-53 win against Republic Bank Nets with national guard, Jason Squires contributing 12 points. For Nets, forwards Mortimer Williams and Sheldon Howell scored 16 and 11 points respectively. Knights outscored Patriots 60-55 for the win. Guard, Owan Walton scored 27 points for Knights while Lloyd Bart and Kester Gomes had 10 points each. Centre, Sherlan Legall had 14 points for Patriots while Ashton Adams scored 13 points.
Owan Walton In the Under-23 contest, Ravens dominated Sonics 73-41 with Anfernee Jervis and Sebastian Luke scoring 15 points apiece. For Pepsi, L. Grant and J. Lee also had 15 points apiece but in a losing cause. The League Playoffs continues in the second week of January. Club standings will be sent to the various clubs before the start of the playoffs.
t r o Sp Den Amstel v Agricola; KK Bravo stresses on confidence Warriors v Mahaica conclude factor ahead of second Test Rd. of 16 today at Den Amstel
Travis Welch and Gordon Grant
Rakesh Haimnauth and Cordel Johnson
Djokovic and Serena Williams named ITF players of the year Darren Bravo scored a classy 108 in the first innings in Hobart, but was let down by the complete lack of support from the rest of the batting order Š Getty Images
LABA Malta Supreme Christmas Basketball continues tonight Bulls and Raiders square-off for top ranking ahead of semifinals
Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Serena Williams of the U.S. dance Gangnam Style during the Kids Tennis Day at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 12, 2013. (Reuters/Damir Sagolj/Files)
Travin Dryden
Dwayne Roberts
Terron Welch
GFA Banks Beer KO Cup
Could Sunburst Camptown hold off upstart Northern Rangers tonight? -Beacon vs. Flamingo clash seems evenly matched Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210