Monday December 30, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Tripartite budget talks in limbo again ...Opposition warns of increased scrutiny O p p o s i t i o n parliamentarians are once again accusing the government of sidelining them from budget preparations. According to Opposition executives, next year’s budget, which at this time is more than likely completed or is in its final stage, saw no input, advice or concerns of the one seat majority Opposition. A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) front bencher, Joseph Harmon, along with Alliance for Change’s (AFC) leader Khemraj Ramjattan have both explained that absolutely no tripartite talks were held in putting together the national budget for the upcoming year. Both parties have expressed that this move by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) led government
is only a recipe for deeper scrutiny of budget figures and its allocations. It is against this backdrop that the opposition side has indicated that travesties like the poor increases for Public Servants exist. While the AFC, in an earlier report expressed the party’s commitment to questioning every seemingly questionable sum earmarked in the budget, APNU has noted that given the government’s actions in past budgets, they are in a better position to eye and point out doubtable figures. Harmon said, “We will be giving a much harsher look at the issues in the budget. The government will be hard pressed again to deal with issues of transparency and accountability. We are going to be very, very detailed and precise about the questions we can ask now, because we
Government struggled to clear some estimates at last year’s budget debate have had since 2011, two budgets and I think we are in a better position now to be able to debate the government on these issues. We are going to ask for much more details as we are better prepared with questions because we have details and facts on where the Ministers have been silent and where
they are trying to hide things” Harmon explained that, “budget arrangements are usually completed by this time of year. The 2014 budget is presented no later than March of 2014. At this time, (December 2013), there are hardly many changes that are made. A budget cycle starts
Low rating on CPI not effecting Guyana’s business on int’l scene Continuous low rating on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index has not hindered the way Guyana does business with international financial bodies and other countries, says Juan Edghill, Junior Finance Minister. According to Edghill, the Transparency International Guyana Chapter is a jaundice and prejudice group comprising well known public critics of the Government of Guyana and projects being executed under this Administration. “So whatever you get out is what you put in…if you have a jaundice view and prejudice position and you are the principles of the organization, your reports will produce at international level that same jaundice and prejudice position. I have seen that over the years,” he said. Edghill said that Transparency International’s reports are basically based on who they talk to and rely on for information in Guyana. According to Frederick Collins, Vice President, Transparency International Guyana Inc (TIGI), the finding on Guyana is based on surveys carried out by four reputable international institutions – the International Country Guide, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and the Global Insight Country.
- Edghill
Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill Guyana remains at the bottom of the list, ahead of only Haiti as the most corrupt in the Region. He announced that Guyana has been ranked 136 out of 177 countries, joining Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Kenya with a score of 27. Guyana was
ranked 133 last year. In terms of the Americas, Guyana has been ranked 28 out of 32, while for the Caribbean, only Haiti scored lower, with 19. But, according to Edghill, while the reports by TI are subjective, Guyana has developmental partners who engage with Government and know the reality. They utilize objective yardsticks to measure what is happening, he said. He stressed that while Government has to face off the perception of corruption that is being est a b l i s h e d because of these negative reports that come out from this jaundice and prejudice group, it still has to provide evidence to show that Guyana is doing business in a fair, open and transparent
manner. “Twist it or turn it… when it comes to the award of contracts, procurement of goods and services, our whole tendering process having faced all the criticisms you can find in Guyana, we are still one of the most progressive regimes in the English speaking Caribbean in terms of openness and transparency,” he said. Admitting that Government does make mistakes sometimes, Edghill said steps are being made to correct them. “In terms of saying the country operates on a platform of corruption and lack of accountability and we are brandishing these terms around, I don’t think the bite has been effective because the proof is not in the speeches that come but is what you find on the ground,” Edghill said.
sometime within June of the old year for the new year. We are already in December and by now all Ministries and Government Departments would have submitted their budgets after meetings and so on. And there would be a fair idea by now what the 2014 Budget would look like.” However, Harmon stated, “the fact of the matter is that we have actually submitted some proposals to the government in relation to the Tripartite Budget Committee, which really has not come off the mark as yet. The work which should have been done in the Tripartite Committee has not been done, and I believe Mr. Carl Greenidge, who is our Shadow Finance Minister, wrote to Dr. Ashni Singh, basically stating that ‘the commitment which we were given by the Leader of the Opposition and the President, cannot be met because you have not done what you are suppose to do and it is already late into it.’ We are in December going on to January.” Following the first cutting of the National budget, Opposition Leader David Granger and President Donald Ramotar had agreed that the Tripartite Committee would be formed for the input of all sides.
The Leader of the AFC Khemraj Ramjattan is also of the view that it is too late for tripartite talks. He said that he is also not convinced that any talks will be held at this time. The Opposition has noted also that before any drastic moves, they will examine what is placed into the next budget. Harmon said parliamentary members sometimes have some two weeks to peruse the budget ahead of the debate. “What we will do, is examine all these figures when they come when estimates are presented in the National Assembly. Against this background of the Minister refusing to provide relevant information, we will be paying very close attention to all these things. When the Committee of Supply meets; where the Minister has to give explanation for things done, we definitely will seek to have more answers for unanswered questions,” Harmon indicated. In the past, the Opposition has given advice on the National budget, but had no real input into the spending framework and has thus resorted t o c u t t i n g funds where it was felt necessary. This has landed all parties before the court where it is still to be determined what powers the Opposition has.
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Kaieteur News
KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
Editorial
The newspapers that officials hate There was a time when the media, more particularly the newspapers and the radio, reported on the happenings in the country. These reports were primarily about the daily happenings, the social events like weddings of prominent people and births and things like the weather. On radio there was a special segment for the deaths of people. In the pre-independence days there were no less than five newspapers, two of them were evening issues. They were cheap and chockfull of advertisement. Each newspaper had its clientele; one was business oriented; one focused on politics and the other was a hodge podge of everything. One by one those that failed to cater for the wider national interest failed. The first to go was the paper that concentrated on what people considered the mundane business reports. The readers were not enamoured about the arrival of some goods or the other unless or the expansion of some family business. This was the forte of the Argosy and it was the first to fold. The society was changing and so too was the face of business in Guyana, literally. The Graphic was the major newspaper being older and more in keeping with the broadsheet courts; it has a special column called Champagne and Gossip that dealt with the social events but only those that featured the hoity toity. In short, it had everything that the society wanted to know. The Chronicle, which had a largely political focus, was acquired by government when it foundered. And the Graphic had hit dire straits. Neither was satisfying the needs of the people. As much as people may criticize the ownership of the state media the government of the day kept both newspapers alive by way of a merger and pretty soon there was a staff that covered every gamut of the social spectrum. Up until 1992 it remained the largest selling newspaper in the country despite the appearance of the privately-owned Stabroek News. There were other newspapers that surfaced but they failed because they could not satisfy the taste of the readers. The result was that they failed to make a dent on the clientele of the two major newspapers and soon closed their doors. Another factor was that they did not have their own printing press so the cost of production was excessively high. Kaieteur News emerged to compete with the established papers first by opening its pages to every section of the society; it also pandered to the tastes of the ordinary man by reporting on the things that make the society what it is. There were the various disputes between neighbours, the harassment by officialdom, the sufferings of people, the impact of robberies, fires and even rapes. In the end it became the most sold newspaper in the country and remains so to this day. It still covers just about every aspect of the society and while it has been doing this it has seen the rapid decline of the state newspaper and the development of a culture of governmental dislike of the private media, the Kaieteur News more than the Stabroek News. What become more noticeable are the reports that the government finds objectionable. Both of the private newspapers have begun to focus on investigative reports, often questioning decisions by the government and challenging the award of certain contracts. More recently, the probes by these papers have centered on the relationship between the government and the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation. Not surprisingly, the government has not been happy with the disclosures although at the centre of the probe is a private company. New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation has not taken kindly to the disclosures and has even resorted to ad hominen attacks against the owners and editors of these papers. More recently, the issue took on unimaginable proportions with slanders being heaped on people, especially by people closely associated with the government. It begs the question of whether a defence mechanism has kicked in. This would be rather unusual for a government that prides itself on being open and fair.
Monday December 30, 2013
Letters... Where your views make the news
Dr. Jagan made sincere efforts to unite the political Opposition DEAR EDITOR, This is in reference to letters by Eusi Kwayana, Ralph Ramkarran and others relating to the effort of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to field a consensus candidate against the People’s National Congress (PNC) in 1992 and the offers to the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) for a Cabinet berth. Several of us from New York involved in the liberation movement (Vishnu Bisram, Ravi Dev, Dr Baytoram Ramharack, and Vassan Ramracha, among others) made trips to Guyana and met the political figures to help fashion a united opposition. We even met in Trinidad and Tobago with some of the Guyanese political figures regarding this noble cause. Dr Fenton Ramsahoye was also quietly figured in the discussions. Based on recollection of information provided to me by various individuals, the PPP/C went out of its way to accommodate the WPA that was opposed to him for ethnic reasons (he won’t attract African voters). As Ramkarran stated, it was well known that the WPA was adamantly opposed to Dr Jagan as the presidential candidate, arguing that he would not be able to bring African voters on board to support an electoral alliance to defeat the PNC. The WPA proposed Ashton Chase, among others, as a consensus presidential candidate. Dr Clive Thomas
may also have been proposed (I stand to be corrected). The PPP/C initially insisted on Dr Jagan being the consensus candidate (with Dr Thomas as the prime ministerial candidate), but later yielded and offered Dr Roger Luncheon and/or Bishop Randolph George as consensus candidates. The PPP/C wanted a united slate to contest the election. In my meeting with him at Freedom House, Dr Jagan told me he and his party were prepared to yield on the issue of a presidential candidate, but insisted that the PPP/C be given a majority of seats. His preference for the post was Bishop George, whom he thought would attract a lot of African support. The PPP/C was offered an unrealistic 20 per cent or 25 per cent of the seats – WPA officials told me that number approximated the political support of the PPP/ C, although the Turkeyen Research and Polling Institute (TRPI) poll showed the PPP/C with about 45 per cent support (PPP/C ended with 53 per cent in the election). There were also sticking points about the number two and number three positions in the consensus ticket. Paul Tennassee of the Democratic Labour Movement (DLM) was offered a vice president (or deputy prime ministerial) position. Some PPP/C stalwarts were opposed to such a prominent position for Tennassee.
Other offers were made to the United Republican Party (URP) and other constituents of the People’s Coalition for Democracy (PCD) to keep them on board. According to Cheddi, the main sticking point was over seat distribution, as he told me he was prepared to bury his political ambition of being president. The WPA, I was told by lesser PPP/C officials, wanted an unrealistic 20 per cent of seats, equal to the PPP/C, although the TRPI opinion poll showed it having only three per cent support (ending up with two per cent in the election). Bisram, Dev and others, separately or together, held back and forth meetings (serving as unofficial intermediaries) with the political leaders (Kwayana, Dr Thomas, Rupert Roopnaraine, Tennassee, Vishnu Bandhu, Dr Leslie Ramsammy and Llewelyn John, among others) of the parties, but could not convince them to compromise on seat allocations and positions. The late Doodnauth Singh also was approached by Bandhu, Dev, myself and others to help broker a deal. He also threw up his hands in frustration. The idea of a dream consensus coalition collapsed. Subsequently, I met Cheddi and he told me he was still prepared to accept Clive as his number two. But the WPA turned it down. Kwayana, in an interview with me for an article, told me the position was offered to Clive
and not the WPA. It was for me a petty distinction. Some time later, I met Dr Thomas at his University of Guyana (UG) office and revealed to him Dr Jagan’s offer. Clive was praiseworthy of Cheddi and thanked him for his generous offer‚ but said he was not interested in the prime ministerial position and instead suggested Dr Luncheon’s name, noting that “Roger” was far more deserving because of his unswerving loyalty to the PPP/C. Jagan and the PPP/C, wanting to expand their ethnic base, opted for Sam Hinds, who was with the Guyana Action for Reform and Democracy (GUARD), as his number two, as well as other prominent individuals under the “Civic” component. All this time, abroad, our liberation forces were waging an unrelenting campaign for free and fair elections, especially America. The U.S. had sounded a warning to the Desmond Hoyte regime to stage a free election. As it became clear a free election would be held, the PPP/C hardened its position on an alliance, recognising it would win on its own. The WPA and other members of the PCD failed to read the ground reality of their political support once free and fair elections were held. I went back to Cheddi urging him to find a way to bring in Dr Thomas, recognising his importance in an alliance and as a way to unite the races. He told me he Continued on page 7
When will Rohee do something about the crime rate? DEAR EDITOR, For the last ten years Guyana has struggled with this pernicious problem of high crime and senseless killing of innocent citizens by armed bandits for which the slumber PPP regime and its pathetic Minister of HomeAffairs have been pilloried for their failure to tame this monster. In fact, it is often joked that an out-of-favor politician is sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs where his career is expected to die! This is true because the current Minister of Home Affairs career has indeed ‘died’ a long time ago. He has now become the Ghost Minister of Home Affairs. We recall the more than 400 horrible murders committed between 2002 and 2006 that have shattered many lives, leaving families without mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, uncles,
aunts, grandparents, and grandchildren. We recall the pain and suffering unleashed on this country by marauding, callous scum who killed with impunity and, in the process, created fear that strangled growth and the incompetent Minister of Home Affairs and the corrupt minority PPP regime could not find a solution to this problem. The Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal continues to hide the truth from the public on the criminality that held the country and people hostage for five years. Our reflection on this sad, awful chapter in the country’s history is prompted by what is obviously a return to those dark days with the recent spate of robberies and murders. The killers/murderers have robbed the families and the country of citizens
who probably could have made significant contributions to Guyana’s development but it was not meant to be. Mr. Rohee is not a proactive minister, rather a reactive one who does not know what to do. It is difficult for anyone to fathom that a country with a population of roughly 730,000 would have 130 murders in eleven months. We, like all right-thinking Guyanese, are appalled by these senseless and brutal murders, which are not only denying the country the benefit of its human resources, but are affecting its economic development, yet the incompetent Minister of Home Affairs finds time for everything else but to stop the vicious slaughtering of innocent Guyanese. Can anyone imagine that Rohee has blamed the Mayor for the
garbage pile-up in the city. We firmly believe that Guyana would be better off without him and several others including the Minister of Housing. Guyana is losing millions of dollars from cancelled vacations by Guyanese in the Diaspora and other tourism bookings because of a fear of crime, even though crimes against visitors are negligible. Add to this is the disruption to people’s daily lives, as well as the sadness crime has brought to families, the harm it does to social cohesion, and one would get the picture of the kind of predicament that Guyana is in. Not only that the people are fed up, but they are frustrated at the Minister of Home Affairs and the entire PPP cabal for not doing more to stop or reduce it. Dr. Asquith Rose and Chandra Deollal, Esq.
Monday December 30, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
I agree with Freddie in condemning US Ill-Treatment of Diplomat DEAR EDITOR, I agree with my friend Freddie condemning the illtreatment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade and the wage pittance paid to domestic hands and other lower income workers (KN Dec 29). But I wish to clarify that Devyani (Dep. Consul General) was/is not entitled to full immunity and the US did not violate international law (IL) in charging her for breaking American law. Seizing her passport may be a violation of IL. However, while the grounds given for this very unusual U.S action may be morally and or legally sustainable, it is condemnable as the US could have pursued another angle to resolve a petty violation of US law. From my doctoral studies in International Relations, Consular Generals and their staff, as distinguished from Ambassadors and their staff, do not have full diplomatic immunity according to the Vienna Convention Rules of
1961 and ‘63. The convention states that notwithstanding the several privileges and immunities diplomats and consular officers are entitled to, they must respect the laws and regulations of the host State. Thus, the US could charge violators. But as Freddie states, you don’t apply the rule to representatives of friendly democracies; it is done in a rare case of tit for tat. The US State Dept could have quietly met Indian diplomats and resolve the issue rather than taking action to turn it into a public spectacle that embarrass both governments. It has forced the Indian government to pursue tit for tact actions demanding to know who much Americans are paying domestic servants and workers in India, taxes paid, etc. India also withdrew non-essential privileges to American diplomats (like unlimited duty free items and free passes to all kinds of
events and tourist places, etc). Protection barriers were also removed around the US diplomatic offices making them easy targets of terror. Devyani is charged with lying on a visa application how much she plans to pay for a domestic servant. Every diplomat from third world countries (and some Second World countries) in the U.S and the West has told the same lie, because none of them can afford to pay the local minimum wage when their own pay, even with the foreign allowance, is not even that much. The US knows this fact because it has access to all bank accounts and everyone’s wages. Yet, the US government does not prosecute others for violating the law and if it wishes to enforce the law, then the court system will be tied up with so many prosecutions it will take a century to clear the logs. Let the US try arresting and prosecuting Chinese or Russian diplomats or CGs;
the Chinese and Russians will make the American government heads spin. I am not defending or justifying low pay for domestics; but it is a reality one needs to understand in context and not formulate incorrect conclusions about abuse. Domestic hands in the US are paid more than what they made/make in their home countries. I had dinner at residences of a few Indian diplomats and met domestics; none ever complained of being exploited and or abused and I did not notice any evidence. They get free housing, meals and gifts and at times clothing. Thus, their expenses are almost nil. And on some days, they hardly worked, as for example when the diplomats (families) are
out of town, which is often. Taken all of this into context, the minimum wage is more than the mandated $7.50 an hour. By the way, $7.50 an hour ($1200 monthly or $900 after tax) is woefully inadequate to maintain a person in America where rent goes for $1000 monthly and utilities another $200 plus $300 for food and $100 for mass transit. This helps to partly explain why Americans are in deficit spending – especially among the lower working class. The Devyani matter was taken up by the US court because the domestic, Sangeeta Richard, filed a complaint that she was not being paid her full pay (US $4500 – more than what the highest Indian diplomats make). Reports say she first
asked Devyani to release her from work obligation so she can settle and work in the US. Then she attempted to blackmail Devyani to report her to the US authority for visa violation unless she was paid US$10K. Devyani reported her to the Indian government. Charges were filed against Sangeeta in a Mumbai court relating to her work contract. She absconded and went to the US authority to file a complaint against Devyani. India sought her extradition. When the matter comes up for a hearing, in all likelihood, India will seek her extradition and request the matter be consolidated and tried in Mumbai since the first complaint was filed there. Sangeeta will find herself in trouble; she will have to Continued on page 7
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Kaieteur News
Finance Minister calls on Salvation Army to include women in drug rehab. programme Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, is calling for more involvement by Civil Society to foster and promote social programs aimed at developing Guyana. His call was made at the opening ceremony of the Guyana Salvation Army Dinner and Social which was held Friday night. “Nowhere in the world can government alone confront and overcome all of the challenges faced by a country”, he said. “Responsible social partners and responsible citizens are an absolutely critical pre-requisite if our country is to achieve what we want of it.” The Minister noted that the work of the Salvation Army’s Drug Rehabilitation Center is one to be applauded for reforming persons affected with drug addiction and re-integrating them back into their communities and societies where they are able to contribute to the development of their country. “We want to ensure that each and every one of you get a fair chance to make an optimal contribution to the growth and development of our country,” the Finance Minister told current and
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh former clients of the rehabilitation center. Minister Singh, having noted the contributions and benefits of the program, pledged Government’s continued support once it continues to achieve its goals. Last year, the GoG gave $16M in capital funding to expand the drug rehabilitation program in its effort to accommodate more clients. “At that stage, we were looking to attract female clients too,” explained the Minister. He noted that drug addiction affects both men and women and therefore the facility should also cater to the needs of female clients.
“I wish to urge the Salvation Army to replicate the outstanding success that has been achieved with male clients, to extend the program to include female clients,” he said. Minister Singh also urged the participants to stay with the programme and to maximize the resources and facilities as part of their recovery. “I believe substance abuse has distracted you from your intended calling,” said Minister Singh. “We need you badly to return to the path on which you have been put on this earth to walk.” Chief Councilor at the rehabilitation center Amarnauth Parsad noted that the year has been one of the most successful for the organization as all of their clients have remained in the program, compared to previous years where a number of them relapsed and left. He attributed these developments to a combination of factors, including government support, stronger leadership and the ability of the organization to hire more qualified staff. The Chief Counselor is also looking forward to next year with plans to expand the organization’s building and program, the launch of a prison drug rehabilitation programme and the continuation of a work and skills training program for persons who successfully complete the drug rehabilitation programme.
Monday December 30, 2013
Opposition must be prepared for dialogue - Attorney General The Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall is of the firm belief that the Opposition is forgetting their role, and come 2014, they must be prepared to have more discussions with the government as opposed to disseminating misinformation in the press and not responding to calls for public debates. Nandlall said that The Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity need to dedicate their energies jointly to have compromise with the government on matters of national interest. The Attorney General asserted that matters which affect the livelihood of the people of Guyana require all the political parties to be open and negotiable where there appears to be some amount of gridlock. “These are issues with which we cannot afford to play politics. When you look at the manifestos of the AFC, APNU and the PPP/C, you will see great commonalities in the programmes with regard to what we advocate and want for the country. But what you find is that in some cases when the government sets out to implement the very projects, the Opposition goes ahead and opposes them. For example, all three parties have spoken extensively on the need for affordable and cheap source of energy. All three parties recognized this as the greatest impetus of economic growth. Yet when the government puts forward its proposal for the Amaila Hydro Power Project, the Opposition killed it. Although the Secretary of the company involved with the project was Mr. Nigel Hughes who is an Executive Member of the AFC.” He added, “In terms of APNU, it was the People’s National Congress (PNC) that started the hydro project which failed, so it’s not that they don’t appreciate the importance of the hydro
project or they are not acquainted with it. The AFC and APNU leadership visited the site and were given every bit of information and at the last minute they turned around and murdered it.” Nevertheless, the Legal Affairs Minister reminded that President Donald Ramotar has pledged to continue to explore all available avenues to ensure that the country has a cheap supply of electricity. “This work will continue.” Nandlall also spoke on the controversial Anti Money Laundering Bill. He said, “This was a matter of grave national importance but it is being kicked around like a political football by members of the Opposition. But for the New Year, this attitude must change and there must be a greater degree of consultation and dialogue rather that the spewing of propaganda to the press and the perpetuation of falsehoods. We must be able to sit and talk about the matters of public interest and debate on them and make decisions for the greater good of the people of the nation.” The Attorney General also reminded that in 2012 the government had arranged a series of debates which were televised. The debates focused on allegations of corruption among other matters. But Nandlall stressed that the APNU only turned up to one of the seven debates whilst the AFC was absent for four. “The ones that they turned up to, government officials overwhelmed them with information and I believe they were embarrassed. The topics for these debates were given to them before hand and an independent, non political moderator was used. Yet they did not participate in these debates.” “With regard to the contentious New River Triangle matter, Minister Robert Persaud has invited the Opposition to debate on it but to date they have not accepted the invite. The
Attorney General, Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall AFC’s Leader, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, after he created a massive furor in the press about the distribution of land on the East Bank Demerara to private developers, when he was invited to a public discourse by Minister Irfaan Ali, his lewd response was ‘Haul your ass.’ When the Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh invited the Shadow Finance Minister of APNU, Mr. Carl Greenidge to discuss the 2013 Budget, he was mysteriously out of the country for a long period . The Opposition cannot continue to claim that the government is not consulting with them and whenever government attempts to engage them, they apparently run and hide. They must make a change for 2014. They cannot carry on a one-way conversation with the press about corruption and lack of accountability and when they are invited to a public debate they avoid it at all cost.” He added, “As it relates to the Public Procurement system, they continue to make accusations but in the volume of these very allegations, not once have they ever pin-pointed a government official implicating him or her in any wrongdoing without the government being able to exonerate itself...I hope that the Opposition recognizes that going down the road of falsehoods will get them nowhere.” Nandlall also explained that the Opposition has to constructively engage the government as responsible and nationalistic leaders should. “One can be critical of the government, be opposed to it while still striving to at least be dispassionate, constructive and nationalistic in its approach. Only then will the government and the people regard the criticisms as credible and bonafide.”
Monday December 30, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
Army of working poor continues to swell in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, In Guyana, more people are broke this Christmas holiday season than last mainly because of the regime’s failure to create jobs for the youths and those who want to work. And those who have jobs are living from pay-check to pay-check, that is they earn just enough to cover their basic expenses after turning over an obscene amount, by any measure, to the taxman’s purse. The army of the working poor continues to swell, with the ranks of window shoppers perhaps greater than at any time in the last twenty years. The year 2013 has been bad on the economic front for the poor and the working class, and to make matters worse, their end of the year bonuses are the lowest amount in years. Teachers, nurses, and civil servants are angry at the regime for paying them slavelike wages and treating them like second-class citizens. They are angry with the constant foolishness that emanate from the mouths of several ministers including Home Affairs, Finance, Housing, Education, Natural Resources and the phony
Bishop who changed his name after rape charges were filed against him as well as from the chief “CUSS-BIRD” who disrespected the dead especially the Jagans by cussing down his critics at Babu John every year and at a Pandit’s funeral. But this uncultured brat recently told the truth at a cricketer’s wedding when he said that he had little experience with a wife but much more with many husbands. These are extremely tough times, where if they could, pennies would bleed, given how tightly they are being pinched by the average household and shopper. For this holiday season, trips to visit relatives in the city or to the rural areas of the country have been shelved because many cannot afford it. Others have to pinch the pennies when buying toys for their children or gifts for their relatives. How can the PPP cabal led by the Minister of Finance boast that Guyana’s GDP in 2013 is the highest in the Caribbean and yet the people
are so poor and are struggling to survive? It does not make sense because hundreds of Guyanese are migrating to Surinam and the Caribbean every month. We have been apprised that there are several empty houses in almost every village on the Corentyne due to migration. It is not only the young UG graduates who are migrating, but also middle aged workers and even the elderly. In his New Year’s Day message, the president told the nation that the year 2013 would be better. He did say that the economy would grow and expand, jobs would be created, salaries would increase and crime and corruption would be reduced. The truth is the only growth that many have experienced is the growth in corruption, crime and unemployment and the only increase is an increase in their blood pressure. The present condition means that Guyana has a malfunctioning, uncaring, greedy, selfish and corrupt government. The poor and the working class is so stressed out that it is
Dr. Jagan made sincere... From page 4 and his party had already committed to Sam and could not go back on his word. The WPA decided to contest the elections on its own with Clive as the presidential candidate and Rupert as the number two. At the polls, the electorate voted along ethnic lines and the WPA was humiliated‚ just barely winning one national seat with Clive and Rupert serving half a term each. After the election, I went to Cheddi and asked him to offer cabinet berths and other positions to the WPA. He said he could not offer the Finance Ministry to Clive because he had already committed it to Asgar Ally, who was serving in the position. Instead, he offered the Planning and Development Ministry to Dr Thomas and had left the position vacant for him and asked if I can have a conversation with Clive to accept it. I faintly recall meeting Clive and his gently refusing the position, suggesting other names. I also discussed the matter with Eusi at Rodney House, suggesting the WPA accept Cheddi’s offer. Eusi made a fine distinction of a ministry being offered to Dr Thomas and not to the WPA. It was clear to me that the
WPA was not interested in joining the government with this petty distinction. However, I was told several WPA figures did serve on state boards. As the above illustrates, Dr Jagan did make consistent efforts to unite the opposition to contest the 1992 election as well as to offer it positions in order to create national ethnic unity. But he did not find much co-operation from the WPA and should not be faulted for lack of ethnic unity and the kind of governance that followed his demise. As Ramkarran noted, the political situation in Guyana would have been far different if Clive had accepted the
prime ministerial position. The WPA and other parties paid a heavy price for not being pragmatic and the nation has become victims of those who were unwilling to accept Cheddi as the rightful presidential candidate. Neither the URP nor the DLM were opposed to Cheddi being the presidential candidate. Lionel Peters, Moses Nagamootoo, Tennassee, Wazir Mohammed and Nigel Westmaas among other outstanding revolutionaries are far more familiar with the discussions on the consensus candidate and may wish to add to the issue. Vishnu Bisram
damaging both their mental and physical health and several of them have collapsed under the pressure. Many of them reflect on how hard they have worked over the years, how they have paid their taxes and how they have never been a burden to the State. And yet, in 2013, they continue to struggle for their survival to the extent that hand-to-mouth existence is like a reflex action for them. Needless to say we have not even touched on the plight of the homeless and the
beggars in the streets. It is funny how the regime is always dead on in spending the taxpayers’ money recklessly in the name of economic development but rarely ever right when they promise improvement, job creation, reduction in corruption and crime and the enhancement of the lives of the poor. That is why the people have been subjected to bout after bout of financial hardship, year after year. While many are hoping that things will improve, we expect no change or a change for the
worst. Why? Because we have a cabal that has done nothing to reduce crime, corruption or unemployment or even attempt to implement policies to improve the lives of the poor, but one that continues to sign secret deals, giving away Guyana’s most pristine territory for kick-backs, and using the state resources to enrich themselves, friends and relatives. But the day of reckoning for this corrupt regime is in sight. Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh
I agree with Freddie in... From page 5 stand trial in Mumbai as the US will have to fulfill India’s request to extradite her. In the end, I think Sangeeta will ask that charges be dropped against Devyani in exchange that she remains (perhaps illegally) in the U.S as she will be denied refugee status because there is no fear of persecution in India. It is not clear if the activities (wages of a staff member) of a diplomat’s home fall under the purview of US
law since offices and homes of foreign governments are considered as independent state in terms of international law; that issue was never tested in international court under the rules of the Vienna Convention. The US has been criticized for seeking full compliance of the Vienna rules when it comes to its properties and diplomatic workers overseas but does not adhere to them itself in the US. As I noted, Devyani was at the time of her
arrest not entitled to immunity of violating US law. But she has been transferred to the UN Mission that now gives her full immunity. I doubt she is entitled to retroactive immunity from US charges relating to the visa violation. I believe in the end all charges against her will be dropped and her Indian passport returned to her as it is not the property of US. The US action was unnecessary damaging friendly relations. Name supplied
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Monday December 30, 2013
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SEVENTY AND STILL WORKING Did you know that there are at least two gentlemen who are seventy years or older who hold down important positions within the system of public administration in Guyana where the official retirement age ranges between 55-60 years of age? When a teacher reaches the age of 55, he or she is expected to retire. But yet we can find within the governmental service, persons who are retained
beyond the age of seventy? Now why would any country wishing to provide opportunities for its ever increasing army of young unemployed want to have persons on the government payroll who are above the age of seventy? Did you know that there are many retired persons who have been retained on contract in government jobs beyond the age of sixty five? What signal are we sending to other employees who wish
to pursue a lifelong career in the Public Sector? What are we saying to them? Are we saying that there are no other persons within the country or within the Public Sector who are younger than 55 years old but incapable of replacing these sixty five and seventy year olds? It is one thing to have persons in political positions hold office way beyond the official retirement age. It is another thing for technocrats
A prisoner in police custody was discovered hanging in his cell Saturday evening. The dead man was identified as 31-year-old Vivian La Cruz, of Zeeburg, West Coast Demerara (WCD). His body was discovered at 21:30 hrs in a cell in the Acquero Police Station, North West District (NWD). Police reports reveal that the man was found hanging from a metal bar in his cell by one of the legs of his pants. He was the only prisoner in the lockups at the time. Vivian La Cruz had been arrested by the police the same day following a report made against him of unlawful wounding committed on his girlfriend at Kwebana, NWD. His body is at the Charity
Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post mortem examination. La Cruz’s demise is the latest in a series of recent tragic deaths in Guyana’s hinterland that is engaging the attention of the police there. One week earlier, another miner was discovered dead with a gaping wound to his neck along the Five Star Trail, Port Kaituma, North West District. The dead man was identified as Timothy Adams, 57, of Port Kaituma, NWD. His body was taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital mortuary. Two weeks earlier, Clement David who was suspected to be in his 40s of Baramita, NWD, was discovered dead along the roadway at Baramita with
several marks of violence to his head. According to information, the dead man was seen consuming alcohol at a popular shop in the neighbourhood. A piece of wood was reportedly found in close proximity of the body. Earlier in the month, Terrance France of Oronoque, Port Kaituma, NWD was found by his colleagues in a mining pit at 8 Miles, Port Kaituma, with several chop wounds about the body. Added to this, the decomposed body of Andre Hercules was also found in a mining pit at Long Island, Middle Mazaruni, Region Seven. His feet and hands were bound.
Prisoner found hanging by pants in cell
Dem boys seh
Some people robbing de Salvation Army Sunday is a day of rest but some people wouldn’t get no rest because dem busy studying wha dem got to hustle wid in de New Year. Yesterday, Brazzy create a list of people he want to spend de Old Year’s night wid. He did plan fuh carry d e m t o Vi n t a g e t i l l h e realize that de toilet he got can’t tek off all de crap wha dem who he invite got to release. Then Jagdeo decide that de party gun move to he house. He done send out de list to all dem business place. DDL get a list fuh liquor and crème liqueur; De thriving place send all de food and de music come from Courts. De problem was that Jagdeo still had de nerve to tell dem boys to walk wid a bottle and dem wife must cook a pot. Dem boys seh that over de years he
eye suh big that he got to collect everything. Then Rob de Earth tell dem that de weather forecast seh that dem should be at Gravity, which is high above any flood but dem boys want to know that if dem got a flood, how dem gun drive to get to Gravity. Dem boys seh that dem notice that while dem who got nuff money planning fuh keep demself happy, Donald begging people fuh help de Salvation Army. De money that Jagdeo got would give de Salvation Army forty Christmas and is not that he wuk fuh it. When people add wha he got and
wha de Bees get, dem ain’t got need fuh any Salvation Army in Guyana. One of de Bees got de Salvation Army under he wings. Dem boys seh that he got a heart but he can’t tell he friends nutten because dem gun talk bout de land and business that he tek from other people. Talk half and wait to see wha gun happen Old Year’s Night.
within the system to work way beyond their age of retirement. If I were asked to name the most important issue that needs to be addressed in Guyana’s Public Service it would not be the poor wages. Far more important than annual wage increases is the need to encourage workers to pursue careers within the Public Service. The Public Service has now become a transition station for professionals. Many seek employment in the Public Service in order to gain the necessary experience before moving on when what is really needed to develop capacity within the Public Sector are opportunities for upward mobility. You cannot encourage young, bright professionals in the Public Service if they have little opportunity of reaching the top echelons of the service and do so on meritorious grounds. However, because of the highly politicized nature of our society and the fact that the Public Service has historically been anything but apolitical, what has happened is that workers do not see themselves as being able to work from the bottom to the top without aligning themselves to the ruling party. As such, for highly qualified professionals, the
Public Service has become a stop-gap measure used to acquire experience before moving on to greener pastures which invariably means jobs outside of Guyana. If the local Public Service is to build capacity, those within its service must feel confident that they will be afforded the opportunity to graduate to the top echelons of the service without having to benefit from political favoritism. This confidence will not be h a d when persons are retained way beyond the retirement age when there are capable replacements available. A good gauge of the degree to which the Public Service facilitates upwards mobility is the extent to which persons are promoted. If someone who is a good worker at the bottom of the scale does not gain a promotion at least every three years, it means that the system is not very accommodating to upward mobility. This lack of upward mobility is a far greater disincentive to workers than the annual five per cent increase that is offered each year. Nothing matters more to workers than to know that their efforts are acknowledged and rewarded, and promotion is a means of satisfying both conditions.
To receive a promotion, no matter how small the commensurate pay increase that goes with it, means a great deal to a worker. It says something to them. It says that their efforts are appreciated. It also says that they have what it takes to move higher up and this in itself is one of the greatest satisfaction that any worker can receive. On the other hand when persons as old as sixty five and even seventy are retained on the job, it says to others within the workplace that these persons are being treated as indispensable and since those below know that this is not true since they feel they can also get the job done, it demoralizes the workers at the bottom. A demoralized worker becomes discouraged and production and efficiency suffers. The workers being denied promotion become frustrated in the face of these indispensables being retained on the job. If in the 21st century we are still retaining seventy year olds on contract in the employ of government, then something is seriously wrong with the system and that defect goes beyond inadequate wages.
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Decomposed bodies of Brazilian couple found The bodies of a Brazilian miner and his wife were discovered last Saturday at a checkpoint on the Arimu trail, Region Seven, after they went missing for over a week. The bodies were identified as 42 year-old Joao Veloso do Nascimento and his wife 52-year-old Edilene Fernandes dos Santos. A team of policemen were deployed yesterday to conduct investigations into the deaths of the couple. Reports disclosed that the couple left their camp at the Sand Hill area, Cuyuni, Region Seven a week ago on an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and were heading to Bartica. While details surrounding the circumstances of their deaths were still sketchy up to yesterday, information gathered from a popular Brazilian night spot in the city revealed that the couple left to purchase mining supplies
with the intention of working through the Christmas holidays. However, they never arrived in Bartica. Their bodies were discovered in a decomposed state Saturday just after midday with no sign of their ATV. Police Divisional Commander Courtney Ramsey told Kaieteur News yesterday that he did not have much information since his team of investigators had not returned from the remote area where the bodies were discovered. Meanwhile, other reports suggest that an armed gang operating within the Arimu trail, Region Seven is targeting miners, robbing and terrorising them. Police had indicated that they had beefed up patrols in the interior to cater for miners coming out of the district with their hard earned wages for the Christmas holidays.
Pegasus taxi driver murder…
Surveillance tapes show victim picking up couple - cops say motive may not have been robbery Pegasus taxi driver Rudrinauth Jeeboo picked up two passengers a few hours before he was found murdered and dumped in a garbage heap in Caneview Avenue, South Ruimveldt. A top police official disclosed yesterday that surveillance tapes gleaned from security cameras at the Pegasus Hotel showed the taxi driver picking up a man in the hotel compound. Jeeboo then drove outside the compound and picked up a woman before continuing his journey. Kaieteur News understands that detectives have enhanced the surveillance footage with a view of identifying the passengers. The official said that investigators are working on several leads but are yet to make any arrests. Police are reportedly checking on whether there was a motive other than a carjacking behind Jeeboo’s death. The victim’s recently purchased car, minus the number plates and taxi logo, was found abandoned at the back of Guyhoc Gardens. No attempt was apparently made to strip the vehicle, and aside from a cell phone, nothing was apparently stolen from the slain man. Jeeboo, said to be about 49, had worked with the Pegasus Taxi Service for about 20 years and his colleagues said that he was not in the habit of picking up strange passengers. “I can’t understand how
Taxi driver, Rudrinauth Jeeboo it happened. Is over 15 years that he doing taxi work,” one driver said. “None of us (at the Pegasus) pick up work on the road at night. We got a warning (about this) from the hotel.” Jeeboo’s body, with wounds to the head, neck and chest, was found in a heap of refuse in Cane View Avenue, South Rumiveldt, at around 07:00 hrs last Saturday. Police managed to identify him from documents found on his person. Head of the Guyana Minibus Association, Hilbert Archer, lives a short distance away and was one of the first persons to notice the corpse. He noted that the area where the body was dumped is usually desolate after 18:00hrs and taxi drivers seldom venture there after sundown. Some of Jeeboo’s colleagues said that he left his Lot 25 Delph and Craig Streets, Campbellville home at around 21:00 hrs on Friday to pick up his car, which he had left at the Pegasus. One source said that he was seen at the hotel up to midnight.
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Christmas leftovers
Christmas is a widely observed holiday on which neither the past nor the future is of as much interest as the present. It is that time of the year when you exchange hellos with strangers and good ‘buys’ with friends. There is increasing concern about the lack of religion in Christmas. A recent survey showed that the only time most people mention God is when they check the price tags in the stores. Christmas is when most people get Santamental. In one case, they almost drove
Santa mental. I was working for a large company, with many employees, in Central Trinidad when we decided to have Santa Claus distribute gifts to all the employees’ children. Not content with a sleigh, or even the traditional ox-cart, a vehicle associated with the early days of the organisation, we arranged for Santa to arrive by helicopter. Our Santa was appropriately built and willing to play the part. He had never been in a helicopter before and had, unfortunately, thought it necessary to
imbibe some courage to fortify him for the journey. He may have also eaten a large meal immediately prior to boarding the helicopter. His stomach and the helicopter were not mutually compatible. Santa’s complexion changed from black to green and as the helicopter dipped, swooped and landed, to white, whiter even than the cotton beard that was by now wildly askew. Shaken and shaky he was helped out of the helicopter. As he stood trembling and queasy, sack on back, almost completely disoriented and
trying to get his bearings, he saw in the distance approaching him at speed, a phalanx of parents, screaming wildly, children in tow. He tried to run, seeking refuge in the helicopter that had already departed, wisely as it turned out. Within seconds he was engulfed by the mob, his sack wrung from his weak hands, emptied and looted. His beard was also pulled roughly from his face and sundry adults, assisted by their infants, were starting on his clothing. Fortunately, the police arrived and were able
No “quick fix” to improving education results “Education in the 21st century is no longer about the top tier.” This was the observation of Registrar of the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), Dr. Didacus Jules, as he spoke at a recent press conference held at the Pegasus Hotel. According to Dr. Jules, rather than merely looking at the top performers, there is the need to look at a wider body of candidates. “In the 21st century, success should be measured by the success of the cohort; the extent to which the cohort is making progress,” asserted the Registrar. He however noted that when CXC seeks to highlight the performances of candidates on its website (www.cxc.org), it is usually not what is done in a single particular year but rather a state of affairs that would have occurred in the past. This response was in fact aimed at clarifying damning reports, which suggest that the performance of candidates across the Caribbean, particularly in the areas of Maths and English, leaves much to be desired. “When we present results, what you are seeing there (online) is not something that happened in one year; we are only picking it out...it is like taking the temperature way after the fever has occurred and all of the build up that has led to that fever,” Dr. Jules explained. Moreover, he
- CXC Registrar
CXC Registrar, Dr. Didacus Jules underscored that persons must seek to understand that when it comes to education, there are no quick fix solutions. According to him, education requires not only investments but it warrants a great deal of time before the desired results can be realised. “We have to understand that education is what I call an eco-system. Some of these problems start from the preschool level going up...deficiencies that begin at the early stages of education, if not corrected, become more and more enlarged as you go up the ladder,” noted Dr. Jules. However, in the quest to address what he described as “the immediate problem” at the level of CXC, a number of strategic measures have been implemented. He disclosed
that CXC had designed in 2012 a Regional Literacy and Numeracy Strategy intended to help improve the performances in these subject areas. The Strategy, according to him, was shared with all the Governments of the Region. “That was a fairly holistic plan that involved a number of measures some of which were short-term and some of which were long-term to help address this...you would notice that several Governments have declared literacy and numeracy initiatives,” said Dr. Jules. He pointed out that right here in Guyana, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand has been very keen about some of the proposals that were made by CXC including the provision of instructional support materials to schools as part of the short-term intervention. “That is why for example we are making the syllabus available, free to all candidates, to all schools, to all teachers because part of the problem too is that there is insufficient coverage of the syllabus...if you only cover half the syllabus then how can you reasonably expect to pass the subject?” questioned Dr. Jules. As part of the long-term interventions, he revealed that there are some more strategic things that have
been done that are already beginning to show indications of success. This, he said, includes the replacement of the Common Entrance with the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) which is showing some very useful improvements in students’ core competencies in literacy and numeracy because of the methodology it embraces. “We are encouraging member states to come on board the CPEA because it is not just an exam, it is an integrated methodology of how you teach, how people learn and how you assess,” said Dr. Jules who noted that these are all strategic moves at improving the level of education.
to save him from further indignity. The sack was never found or his beard. Another unique incident also happened one Christmas. There was a perfect man who met a perfect woman. After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life together was, of course, perfect. One snowy, stormy Christmas Eve, this perfect couple was driving their perfect car along a winding road, when they noticed someone at the side of the roadside in distress. Being the perfect couple, they stopped to help. There stood Santa Claus with a huge bundle of toys. Not wanting to disappoint any children on the eve of Christmas, the perfect couple loaded Santa and his toys into their vehicle. Soon they were driving along delivering the toys. Unfortunately, the driving conditions deteriorated and the perfect couple and Santa Claus had an accident. Only one of them survived the accident. Who was the survivor? There are two related options. The first answer is that only the perfect woman survived. She’s the only one that really existed in the first place. Everyone knows there is no Santa Claus and there is no such thing as a perfect man. On the other hand, if there is no perfect man and no Santa Claus, the perfect woman must have been driving. This explains why there was a car accident. That same Christmas, in a
busy bar on Baxter’s Road in Barbados, a reindeer walked in the door, went up to the bar and ordered a rum and coke. Without appearing at all surprised, the bartender mixed and poured the drink, set it in front of the reindeer, and accepted the twenty-dollar bill from the reindeer’s hoof. As he handed the reindeer some coins in change, he said, “You know, I think you’re the first reindeer I’ve ever seen in here.” The reindeer looked hard at his change and said, “Let me tell you something, buddy. At these prices, I’m the last reindeer you’ll ever see in here.” Other very weird things are happening. Someone tried to cross a snowman with a vampire and got frostbite. Someone else tried to cross an archer with a gift wrapper and got Ribbon Hood. A toy company hired a psychiatrist to help them design their new toys and he came up with a neurotic doll that, by the time you get it, is already wound up. Then there was this little girl who wanted to buy her grandmother a handkerchief for Christmas but changed her mind. She said, “I could not work out what size her nose was!” And finally there was the strange case of the dyslexic devil-worshipper. He sold his soul to Santa. * Tony Deyal was last seen asking Santa for a luscious blonde for Christmas. He was quite surprised to hear his loved one promise that he was going to get it.
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2013: A year of lost opportunities for Caribbean countries 2013 was not a good year for any of the 14 independent member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) – not even for three of the four commodityexporting nations Belize, Guyana and Suriname, despite their economic growth. The fourth commodityexporting country, Trinidad and Tobago, had no growth to speak-of. All the countries were beset by high unemployment; there was high debt in 10 of them; decline in inclusive economic growth in 11 of them; unsustainable fiscal deficits and widening trade deficits in goods and services in all of them; and foreign exchange losses in many of them. Additionally, bank lending and private spending tightened in 11 of them causing a contraction in the private sector to which all countries had been looking to lead economic recovery in the wake of cash-strapped governments being compelled to retreat as both investor and employer. Underlying all this in every CARICOM country, there was (and is) an insistence by governments to seek only national solutions, even though there is great bewilderment about what national measures could be taken to improve the economic situation. Bewilderment led to inaction, as governments failed to engage meaningfully with other crucial actors in their countries, such as the opposition political parties, the trade unions, the private sector, and the Universities, to develop an agreed national plan to help take their economies out of a prolonged stagnation. Throughout 2013 there was a pervading atmosphere of “not knowing what to do”. In this climate, those governments in IMF programmes did what the IMF said they should, and so too did the governments whose circumstances brought them to the IMF’s door. But, IMF-inspired measures focus on austerity measures such as job losses and wage freezes that heighten economic contraction. Of course, national solutions must be sought, and they would best be sought within a framework of genuine d i a l o g u e a n d engagement with all the important players in the c o u n t r y ’s economic fortunes. To do this, important hurdles have to be jumped including – and especially
By Sir Ronald Sanders for Guyana where the two opposition parties command a majority in parliament – the sincere and constructive involvement of opposition political parties. It is dangerous for CARICOM countries to assume that their problems will be solved by the full resolution of the economic crisis in North America and European Union (EU) countries. While there is recovery in both places, the proportion of wages in national income in the US and the major EU countries has declined in real terms, leading to contraction in spending. For the Caribbean, this translates into fewer tourists or tourists who spend less. It has also been difficult for investors to locate money in the North American and European capital markets for investment in the Caribbean unless projects are high-yielding, such as gold mining, or they get exceedingly generous tax holidays and other concessions that may not benefit the economies in the long-run. In this circumstance, not only are the benefits in terms of tourism and investment likely to take longer to “trickle down” to CARICOM economies, but the global economic environment is far less favourable than before the recession started in late 2008. As an example of this, China’s economy which grew at an average 9.5% for the decade 2001 to 2011 declined in 2012 to 7.8% and looks likely to be 7.6% in 2013. China’s appetite for commodities is already decreasing, pushing down prices paid to commodityexporting countries, including those in CARICOM. What is more, since loans that CARICOM governments have contracted with China are denominated in Yuan which is rising in value against the US dollar, repayments will escalate, placing a bigger burden on already dwindling
government revenues. CARICOM countries also embraced a full Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU in 2008. A limited review of the EU-Caribbean EPA is said to be taking place now to determine whether it has delivered on its promises. It would have been wise of governments to involve all trade unions, private sector, political parties, and academia in a transparent review that fully advises the public of findings. That has not happened. But, the region should fully review the EPA, which so far, has not delivered promised market access for Caribbean goods and services, and has not realised any significant new investment. Further, the EPA will lead in all Caribbean countries to a reduction in government revenues as a consequence of the removal of tariffs on goods imported from EU countries. To replace such lost revenue, governments will have to increase taxes on their own people at a time when taxation is already burdensome. Caribbean governments, collectively, should be calling for at least the suspension of the terms of the EPA until the countries of the region can restructure and re-align their economies collectively with national plans that are integrated with a regional integration strategy. For it remains a stark reality that none of the CARICOM countries on its own – including those that now benefit from commodity exports – can deliver on a sustained basis the economic benefits, physical infrastructure and social systems their people urgently need. The EU knows this reality very well, but it is most unlikely to suspend the E PA u n l e s s t h e r e i s certainty that national restructuring by CARICOM States will indeed be integrated in a regional development framework. So, while the present difficulties of CARICOM countries require national solutions that are genuinely “national”, such national solutions will not be enough; notwithstanding the unsubstantiated belief by some parochially-minded groups that their small economies can miraculously succeed and thrive on their own. In previous commentaries I have pointed to three critical areas that require regional attention and that could have a beneficial impact on the Continued on page 18
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Ministry of Home Affairs warns against misuse of firearms In light of the recent murders and other offenses involving the use of firearms, the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday in a public missive warned against the misuse of these weapons. In the notification, the Ministry noted with that some firearm holders have been misusing their firearms under circumstances and for purposes other than those for which they were licenced. Moreover, the public note sought to remind licenced firearm holders that their licences were not issued to them so that the laws of the country could be breeched. It said that, “the holders of licenced firearms are expected to be persons of good character, sober-minded and responsible and are not expected to use their weapons for offensive purposes.”
- It takes more than a public missive by the Home Affairs Ministry to stop the wanton use of firearms - Nagamootoo
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee “Citizens are also assured that work is underway to review the laws for the granting of firearm licences with a view to implementing strong measures to ensure that as far as possible, only suitable persons are approved to be licenced to
carry firearms.” Nevertheless, much work is being done at this point in time by the law enforcement officers to “rid the streets of all illegal firearms.” The Ministry of Home Affairs is also urging citizens to report any misuse of firearms. Meanwhile, in an invited comment, Vice Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Mr. Moses Nagamootoo said that while the advisory is welcomed, it is not the only thing needed to stop the wanton use of firearms by irresponsible licenced holders. The Attorney at Law said, “The government needs to do a number of things, one of
Monday December 30, 2013 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): You are in the calm eye of a gathering storm right now, and can sense that things are going to get a lot busier, soon. ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Getting any time to yourself will be extremely difficult today -- your popularity is nearing a record high, and people will want your input on many issues. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Someone has been preaching to you for quite a while, and their sermon is getting a bit tiresome. They think what they have to say is terribly important, while you just think it's just terrible! aking their advice. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Today, you'll have the chance to make connections with unlikely people in some unlikely places. Before you realize what is happening, you might find yourself talking to someone you never would have considered talking to before -- and loving it. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Today you are full of an easy energy that will carry you past any pettin e s s t h a t might erupt around you. Instead of annoying you or testing your patience, the frivolous people you will meet up with today will be a great source of entertainment and fascination. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): Put your personal life goals first, today. Free yourself from having to deal with the dramas in other people's lives.
********************* LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): JSeek out what you enjoy today -- because enjoying life is as good a goal as any. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): Devote one hundred percent of your intense concentration to anything you do today that involves money. This includes something as simple as buying a newspaper and something as complicated as applying for a home loan. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): Whatever confusion your dreams have been causing lately will start to clear up today -- the clues your subconscious has been leaving you each night are starting to add up to something that makes sense. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): You love to live an organized life, but sometimes structure can be overrated. Today, you need to loosen up a little bit! ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18): The new members of your social group or work group are starting to have a big effect on the dynamics, and you're not so sure you're liking it. ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): What was once a casual friendship has slowly been growing into a more deep and meaningful relationship. And tod a y, y o u w i l l b e given an opportunity to solidify it even further by sharing a truth you've been keeping to yourself.
which includes the review of the categories of persons who ought to be given consideration to be licenced and as I understand it, I don’t know if the government has moved away from this but it used to be. Amerindians were given their licences for hunting, farmers for the protection of their crops and businessmen for protection as well, and I believe it was later expanded to accommodate miners. But it appears that those categories have been loosely expanded to include almost all and sundry. We need to get these categories reviewed.” Nagamootoo also suggested that there should also be an examination of the existing licenced holders. This he said is necessary to evaluate where there are persons of questionable character, “who would have been issued with licences and as it is known there has always been a porous
situation where criminals were afforded access to firearms and it is not unknown that bribery played a role.” Further, “The review role must include the classification of people who have convictions either for offences of violence or trafficking in narcotics and other related crimes. This may also require some level of consultation with Parliamentary Security Bodies for a full menu of measures that could be taken and perhaps to consider the establishment of a special body of persons with special skills to undertake the review process.” The Member of Parliament also said that the state ought to take counter measures not only against the illegal flow of lethal weapons but to sanitize the existing register in order to ensure that licences intended for legitimate users have not ended up in the wrong hands.
Moses Nagamootoo “This I would add should have been a periodic and continuous exercise to ensure the citizens of this country are not only protected from banditry and other invasions but that innocent persons are not at risk of wacko types who brandish their weapons in public places under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs.”
Teen douses stepfather... (From page 14) his niece also. “I raise and turn around and I see she trying to throw it again but I block she. By then, I hear my niece screaming, running down the step, so I follow she. I didn’t even realise I geh bun up suh,” Baksh said. Meanwhile, his niece, who is a Grade Two student of the Ketley Primary School, said “I been searching for my slipper when she throw the water. Ah just feel something on top me back burning hot, hot, hot.” The seven-year-old told this publication that “When I reach downstairs, ah jump up and down like a frog, bawling in pain.” Baksh said too that he rushed downstairs to tend to his niece but “As ah raise the jersey off her back, I see she skin peeling off.” Although the two victims were writhing in pain, the teenager was apparently not finished with them. According to Baksh, in an attempt to get some powder to place on his niece’s injuries, he went upstairs but as he was returning to her, his stepdaughter threw the now empty pot at him but it missed him. After receiving treatment at the Georgetown Hospital, Baksh along with his niece’s mother reported the matter to the police at the East La Penitence Police Station. The teenager was subsequently arrested on Friday. She was however released on bail the following day. Charges are likely to follow.
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Kaieteur News
Monday December 30, 2013
Kamarang schools need some attention -- Teachers
The young children of Kamarang, Region Seven. Teachers operating in the small Amerindian village of Kamarang in Region Seven complain of feeling neglected. The community has two schools- the Kamarang Nursery which houses 46 children and its Primary Section with 189 pupils. According to the teachers, the two schools have needs that seem to be
neglected by the relevant authorities. According to one Nursery school Teacher, it is sad that the small and active young minds at her school cannot yet benefit from any outdoor or sport facilities. “The small children need stuff like outdoor swings and sports equipment and so. It is part of the curriculum. We
talk to a couple people but nobody saying anything to us,” the teacher lamented. Another educator explained that teachers in the Region are not motivated to work, especially since stationary and other learning materials are limited. She expressed some amount of dissatisfaction, noting that it appears as
though schools in the far flung areas are being overlooked. During an earlier interview with Kaieteur News, officials of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) called for a level playing field
for schools all across the country, since it was realized that those located in the rural areas are being somewhat ignored, while some are completely “forgotten”. According to General Secretary of the GTU, Coretta McDonald, teachers operating in schools located in the rural areas have been complaining of feeling as though they are being overlooked by the Ministry of Education. McDonald explained that among some of the things that may cause teachers to feel this way, is the fact that in certain parts of the country, teachers have not been receiving supplies which would enable them to execute their duties in an effective manner. The woman added that teachers are, in some cases, faced with the challenges of supplying themselves with cardboards, pens, pencils, markers, chalks, and other materials to conduct their lessons. This, the GTU believes, is unfair, especially since most teachers are not being paid as they ought to be. “We keep in contact with these teachers, and in some cases we ask the parents to assist,” McDonald said. She added too that the schools that are most in need of supplies and attention are the ones that are being particularly disregarded.
She pinpointed a few areas where this is most prevalent. They included Matthew’s Ridge, Paramakatoi, Port Kaituma, and Leguan. It was established that in the case of school counselors, they visit mostly the “fancy” Georgetown schools, despite the fact that those are not the schools that are seriously in need of these visits. The Union said that the particular case of teachers not receiving adequate supplies to conduct their lessons lies with the delinquencies of Regional Education Officers, an issue that the GTU is also seeking to have the Ministry of Education address. President of the GTU, Colin Bynoe, had described these officers as being too attached to their desks and not doing any actual ground work. “If they do more of these ground work, they would know what the teachers need, and they can provide them with these, and things would be better for them, which would then be better for the students,” he said. The GTU head noted also that the schools which are being strongly catered for by the various alumni should be given less preference, since there are those that are dependent solely on the assistance of the government.
Family of missing man cries out for help Relatives of Banalo Motilall, called ‘Dumb man’ of Lot 164 Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, who has been missing since Thursday last are crying out for help to find their loved one. The 76-year-old man who is deaf and dumb was last seen walking on the Herstelling Public Road around 14:00hrs on Boxing Day. He is about five feet eight inches tall, dark in complexion and has a damaged left eye. It is the first time that
the elderly man has disappeared from his home without a trace and his relatives are now fearful that something terrible might have happened to him, since it is unlike him to leave his home for such a long time. Many have assumed that ‘Dumb Man’ might have lost his memory and “wander away.” Anyone who may have information is asked to call Mohamed Shameer on 2654933, 265-5603 or the nearest police station.
Banalo Motilall
2013: A year of lost opportunities... From page 16 economies of all. They are: regional food production and distribution, maritime transportation and energy production and distribution. These are regional solutions that should be addressed on a parallel track with national plans. They are not mutually exclusive. CARICOM governments failed to grasp this reality, and 2013 became a lost opportunity. In practical
terms, this means that CARICOM must go beyond occasional cooperation. The New Year must see a concerted effort to examine how regional action can help national survival. This requires a stronger institutional base for CARICOM than it now has, as well as a change of mindset and a will to act regionally. It is not enough to wait for global economic circumstances to improve; reliance on mere trickle-down
is a fool’s hope. The New Year can be a year of improved prospects if CARICOM governments end the ‘pause’ they applied to economic integration in May 2011. (The writer is a Consultant, Senior Research Fellow at London University and former Caribbean Diplomat) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com
Monday December 30, 2013
PROPERTY FOR SALE VERSAILLES: Furnished 5 bedrooms, self-contained rooms, modern facilities, generator, beautiful landscape, gated community - Call: 592624-8704/ 592-684-9203 One two- storey concrete house, Ave A DiamondTel:643-5161 One two storey business property (Transported) @ Brickery Public Road E.B.D Tel: 660-8128 Two storey business property (Transported). Situated in Tuschen New Scheme EBE - For more information Call: 627-6305/ 668-6858 Property for sale - Call: 6275416 4 Corner property Broad & Charles St – Tel:677-3406 Transported property : House + property for sale by owner @ Lot 153 Sparendaam Scheme - Call: 592-220-8573; 592-672-2348 Princess and Smyth Street, Alexander and Regent Street & Suppy (From Road to River) Tel:667-7659
CAR RENTAL Premio Vitz (NM), Spacio, Rush latest models, best rates with low deposits – Contact: 692-1051; 685-5011 Wings Car Rental- Call: 643-1131 Dolly’s Car Rental- Call: 2257126/226-3693- dollysauto rental@yahoo.com/ www. dolly sautorental.com Premio, Vitz call:347-9339790, 639-4452. Aidan’s Car Rental & Pickup - Call: 645-7981/ 698-7807
Kaieteur News
WANTED Magazine writers needed. Email resume & CV to teshawnalall@gmail.com. Contact: 629-2206 Experienced roti/puri cooks, curry cooks, pastry makers, counter servers, handyboys & cleaners – Apply @ Hacks Halaal, 5 Commerce St. Wanted: contract cars & experience dispatcher @ West Site Taxi - Tel: 6130419; 600-0688 1 Couple or small family to live and work on live stock farm @ New Hope E.B.D 2662711, 609-4594 URGENTLY WANTED: Thirty five (35) Security officers. Apply: SECURITY ALLIANCE Barrack Street, Kingston (upstairs FedEx) Live-in waitress, bartender and going and coming cooks - Tel:643-9007; 6641804 1 Boy to work in interior salary - $80,000 age 20-35 call between 9-5 – Call:6757043; 697-1164 1 Live in maid to work in Diamond – Salary $50,000 Call:675-7043; 697-1164
VEHICLE FOR SALE
VACANCY
2 - 2007 Toyota Avensis - Tel: 698-0674
Writer needed. Web and article copywriting. US$1,000/month. www.capitaltyping.com/gypro for details.
ALYEA AUTO SALE: PREMIO 2004, ALLION 2008 NEW SHAPE & CARINA 212 @ 40 CROAL STREET STABROEK – TEL: 231-7284; 622-3823 Unregistered Toyota Sienta (2004) 1500cc and 7 seater – Tel: 617-5536 1 Toyota NZE corolla, AT192, AT212, AT170, IST, Funcargo, Rav-4, Hilux pickup 4x4 - Tel: 644-5096; 697-1453 AT192, 212, Allion, Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN & RZ & Pitbull buses, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms - Call: 680-3154
We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154 1½ & 2 Ton Canters with power gate, unregistered, $ 2 . 4 M & $ 2 . 7 M - Tel: 617-2891
Girls to work as waitress in bar.Age 18-25yrs – Tel:2564096
Mini-bus BMM – Tel:2202472 or 653-2868 Driven Auto Blowout Sale!!! Unregistered Madza Axela $2,295,000 – Poineer CD, Crystal lights, Remote start alarm – Tel:6436565; 226-9931 Driven Auto Blowout Sale!!! Unregistered Toyota IST $2,295,000 – Bodykit TV, camera, spoiler, fogs, HID, alarm – Tel:643-6565; 226-9931
EDUCATIONAL Learn any Language fast Tel: 662-0001
Canter Drivers from E.C.D, Male Security Guards and Factory Assistants, accommodation available. 266 4427 Car wash attendantCall:694-4148 or 225-6296 Porters, skidder operator, wood mizer, sawmill operator, timber grant manager & chainsaw operator – Call Richard:609-7675/ 233-2614
1- LN 170 Hilux pick-up. Excellent condition! - Tel: 663-3537
1- Toyota E-Touring Wagon. A/C, mags, music, alarm, roof rack. Tel: 618-8040
Live and pluck chicken - Tel: 220-9203; 650-4421
Tibetan Terrier (Fluffy) pups – Call:222-7891; 609-9202 PORK wholesale only, whole half and quarter carcass - Tel: 266-2711; 609-4594
Metal scaffold, size 5"X5" & 6.6"X5"-Call: 267-1563. Price negotiable
Newly built house call:6986496
Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032,647-2943
Two bedroom apartments for rent @ Parafaite Harmonie and Charlestown – Tel:6482685 or 226-7551 Furnished apartments in Bent Street Wortmanville $30US per day – Contact:2263309; 218-1033; 678-4267
Games PS2 $900, PSP $900, X-Box 360 $2600 & PS3 $2600- Call:672-2566 Hifi Sound Connection: Car Audio, Pro Audio, complete sound system generator.Call:610-1230/673-5828 Pekins 4 Cylinder engines (4236 model). Factory rebuilt and beaded with radiator - Tel: 604-5819
FOR RENT Rental of wedding dresses & clothing for sale Phone:6160505
2- Acres cultivated, 2-1 Acres cultivated, 7 Acres cultivated, citrus, house, fish pond, storage at Parika- Call: 226-7968 SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773
One 210 Hyundai Excavator with one complete 6" Dredge and also 4" Dredge Contact: 650-2391
Diving Suites – Tel:265-3449; 613-5158
Fully furnished short term apartments, Eccles call: 347933-9790, 639-4452.
LAND FOR SALE
High Income Land for sale @ Diamond - $5.5M negotiable - Tel: 683-9699
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY $19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
TO LET
Short term & long-term furnished $68,000 monthly Tel: 687-3017
Blankenburg Public Road WCD (38X150) & (39X150) $16M each - Tel:666-3619
FOR SALE Dell computers complete with 20" LCD $69,000, 6 months warranty @ Futuretech- Call:231-2206
12 Pure bred German Shepherd pups – Six [6] weeks old – Tel:638-5778
House & shop at 66 Broad Street Charlestown, Georgetown - Tel: 225-8305; 661-7527
For the BEST RATES, call us on telephones numbers: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491.
FOR SALE
Live/pluck chicken call:6504421, 220-9203 One boat cupeller R-H -24" – Contact:676-8324
1 Madza PPP series-Tel: 668-6329
1-55 Leyland DAF truck, excellent working condition. Price $2.8M, Must Go!Contact:656-8346
Vacant corner lot 58"X30" @ Garnett & Republic Streets, Newtown, Kitty Tel: 645-0616 American pool table - Tel: 277-0578
24 Hour East Coast Guyoil needs night pump attendants, salesgirl & office assistant - Call: 6910894/684-2838
2008 Fielder – unregistered Tel: 617-2891
CANTER DRIVER WITH E X P E R I E N C E , REFFERENCES & POLICE CLEARANCE ALSO SALESMAN WITH CAR FOR WHOLESALE FOOD COMPANY – TEL:2318529
FOR SALE / FOR RENT
Page 19
SERVICES Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call:225-6496,6626045,223-8115 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. U l t r a C o o l , call:225-9032,647-2943 Repairs to Fridge, Freezer, AC, Washers, Stoves: Call 683-1312,627-3206 (Nick) Brains Construction & Rental Services: Excavator, Bobcat, Truck, Tools – Tel:6015024/ 227-4536 (Bobcat & Excavator Operator needed) We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer call:2310655,683-8734 Omar
1 Farm @ Yarakabra 20.1 Acres – Tel:265-2586
Technicians available for appliance repairs – washers, dryers, microwaves, stoves, deep fryers, etc – Tel:6190793; 218-0050
Massey Ferguson 6140 4X4 Turbo – Call:688-6274/6913851
School bus available between Land of Canaan, Grove Georgetown - Tel: 646-5147
Original Games- Call:6722566 1 smoothie machine,2 ice machine- Contact:2310655,683-8734
Kerrin Stanley Immigration Services, Canada, U.S, U.K visa services. Authorized by Government of CanadaContact:645-4789, kerrinstanley@gmail.com
1 Stall @ Stabroek Market – Tel:658-0115; 718-757-8031 Terrier fluffy puppies – Tel:645-0240 1-500 Ton Cargo Ship – Tel:676-6933 Rottweilers puppies $120,000 each – Tel:618-1809 Honda ATV 500 4X4 DBL shocks – Tel:688-6274; 6913851 1- 20" Grizzly Planer 5 HoP’ 1- 62"X9" Wadkin Jointer, 1 Milwaukee mitre saw - Tel: 685-0904
FOR HIRE Large Enclose canter - Tel: 694-5460; 266-5771; 2161146
MASSAGE American Style massage services- Call:678-7499
Page 20
Kaieteur News
Monday December 30, 2013
Suicide bomber kills at least 16 at Russian train station (Reuters) - A suicide attacker set off a bomb in the entrance hall of a Russian train station yesterday, investigators said, killing at least 16 people in the second deadly attack within three days as Russia prepares to host the Winter Olympics. Authorities said the attacker detonated a shrapnel-filled bomb in front of a metal detector just inside the main entrance of the station in Volgograd, a busy hub north of the violenceplagued North Caucasus region on Russia’s southern fringe. Footage shown on TV captured the moment of the blast, as a massive orange fireball filled the hall of the stately, colonnaded station and clouds of grey smoke poured out of shattered windows. The station a Stalinesque architectural monument with a clocktower and spire topped by a Sovietstyle star - was busier than usual, with people travelling home for the New Year, one of the main holidays in
Russia. “People were lying on the ground, screaming and calling for help,” a witness, Alexander Koblyakov, told Rossiya-24 TV. “I helped carry out a police officer whose head and face were covered in blood. He couldn’t speak.” The federal Investigative Committee and other officials initially said a female suicide bomber had blown herself up after a police officer started to approach her near the metal detector because she looked suspicious. A Russian website with ties to security agencies, Life News, posted a picture of what it said was the suspect’s head. It said authorities had identified her as a resident of Dagestan, the province adjacent to Chechnya and now the centre of a longrunning Islamist insurgency, and the widow of two militants who were both killed by Russian security forces. Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin later said a man could have set off the blast, Russian
news agencies reported. Interfax cited law enforcement sources as saying authorities believed the attacker was a man who brought a bomb into the station with a rucksack. Some bombs carried by female suicide bombers have been set off remotely by male accomplices. Markin said 16 people were killed in the attack, including two who died in hospital. A regional government official also put the toll at 16 and said that did not include the attacker. be tightened at stations and airports, with more officers on duty and stricter passenger checks. Yesterday’s attack was the deadliest to strike Russia’s heartland since January 2011, when a male suicide bomber from the North Caucasus killed 37 people in the arrivals hall of a busy Moscow airport. Thirty-seven people were hospitalised, including 15 in grave condition, Health Ministry spokesman Oleg Salagai said.
Investigators work near the body of a victim after an explosion outside a train station in Volgograd yesterday. (REUTERS/Sergei Karpov)
NSA ‘spying on Europe-Asia undersea telecom cables’ Berlin (AFP) - The US National Security Agency has collected sensitive data on key telecommunications cables between Europe, north Africa and Asia, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported yesterday citing classified documents. Spiegel quoted NSA papers dating from February and labelled “top secret” and “not for foreigners” describing the agency’s success in spying on the socalled Sea-Me-We 4 undersea cable system. The massive bundle of fibre optic cables originates near the southern French city of Marseille and links Europe
with north Africa and the Gulf states, continuing through Pakistan and India to Malaysia and Thailand. “Among the companies that hold ownership stakes in it are France Telecom, now known as Orange and still partly government-owned, and Telecom Italia Sparkle,” Spiegel said. It said NSA specialists had hacked an internal website belonging to the operator consortium to mine documents about technical infrastructure including circuit mapping and network management information. “More operations are planned in the future to collect
more information about this and other cable systems,” Spiegel quoted the NSA documents as saying. Der Spiegel has over the last several months reported on mass NSA spying on targets in the United States and abroad using documents provided by fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. A White House-picked panel this month recommended curbing the secretive powers of the NSA, warning that its spying sweeps in the “war on terror” had gone too far. US President Barack Obama plans to address the report in January.
Lawmakers in Chinese city resign in mass bribery case BEIJING (Reuters) More than 500 lawmakers in a Chinese city have resigned after being implicated in a bribery scandal, while another 56 provincial legislators have been sacked, state media said on Saturday, as the government steps up its war on graft. The official Xinhua news agency said the 512 lawmakers in Hengyang city in the poor, landlocked southern province of Hunan resigned after they took bribes from 56 members of the provincial assembly. The total amount of the bribes was more than 110 million yuan ($18.1 million) and the money was used to swing the results of elections, Xinhua said, citing a Hunan government statement. China does not have fully democratic one-man, one-
vote elections but has experimented with a selection process at the grassroots for local legislatures, even if most candidates are Communist Party members and there is rarely more than a single candidate for each position available. “The number of people involved in the Hengyang election case are many, the amount of money large, the substance serious, the effect pernicious; this is a serious challenge to our People’s Congresses system,” Xinhua said. “It must be seriously dealt with in accordance with the law.” The National People’s Congress is China’s parliament. Provinces, cities, counties and other administrative districts all have their own People’s Congresses, and
they all generally act as a rubber stamp for party decisions rather than providing a forum for debate or making policies. The competition, though limited, to become lawmakers in some places has opened the door to corruption, as membership of such bodies brings opportunities to influence decisions about things such as business contracts and promotions. Xinhua said that those found to have broken the law in this bribery scandal would be handed over to judicial authorities for prosecution. President Xi Jinping has launched a sweeping crackdown on corruption since taking power, pursuing high-flying “tigers” as well as lowly “flies”, warning the problem is so severe it could threaten the party’s survival.
Monday December 30, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Erdogan vows Turkish graft affair will fail to topple him ISTANBUL (Reuters) Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan swore yesterday he would survive a corruption crisis circling his cabinet, saying those seeking his overthrow would fail just like mass anti-government protests last summer. Erdogan accused his opponents of trying to sap the power of Turkey, which has seen rapid economic growth and assertive foreign policies under his 11-year leadership, in the service of an international plot cloaked as criminal proceedings. Yet striking a somewhat milder tone, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu appeared to seek common ground with a U.S.-based Turkish cleric whose rivalry with Erdogan is widely seen as having stoked
the controversy. On Friday, thousands of Turks demanding Erdogan step down clashed with riot police in central Istanbul. The trouble recalled protests in mid-2013 which began over development plans for the city’s Gezi park but broadened into complaints of authoritarianism under Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK party. Erdogan, who is touring Turkey to drum up support before local elections in March, defied his accusers over the detention for suspected graft of three ministers’ sons and the head of state-run Halkbank on December 17. “They said ‘Gezi’ and smashed windows. Now they say ‘corruption’ and smash
windows. These conspiracies will not succeed,” he told a cheering crowd in western Manisa province. “Their concern is not corruption, law or justice. Their only concern is damaging this nation’s power.” Erdogan’s government has purged about 70 police investigators involved in the case, while financial markets have taken fright and one AK official said national elections could be brought forward from 2015 if the crisis persists. Although 7 protesters and a policeman were killed in last summer’s protests, Erdogan’s popularity was almost unaffected in opinion polls. Analysts say this was due to his strong support
Saudi royal faces death penalty for murder: newspaper DUBAI (Reuters) - A Saudi prince who murdered a fellow Saudi may be executed, a newspaper reported yesterday, in a rare example of a member of the kingdom’s ruling family facing the death penalty. The English-language Arab News did not name the prince or his victim, but said a senior member of the family and government, Crown Prince Salman, had “cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen”. In a message about the case to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Prince Salman said: “Sharia (Islamic law) shall be applied to all without exception”, the daily reported. Prince Salman’s message followed a statement from the victim’s father that he was not ready to pardon the killer and
he was not happy with the amount offered as blood money. The families of murder victims are encouraged by authorities to accept blood money instead of insisting on execution. The paper quoted Crown Prince Salman’s message as saying: “There is no difference between big and small, rich and poor ... Nobody is allowed to interfere with the judiciary’s decision. This is the tradition of this state. We are committed to following the sharia.” Reuters was unable to reach an Interior Ministry spokesman for comment. The Arab News is part of a media group chaired by a son of Crown Prince Salman, who is also deputy prime minister and minister of defense. The kingdom, which follows a strict version of
sharia has been criticized in the West for its high number of executions, inconsistencies in the application of the law, and its use of public beheading to carry out death sentences. Saudi Arabia had executed at least 47 people as of May 2013, according to Amnesty International’s website, compared to 82 in all of 2011 and a similar number in 2012. Members of the ruling family are only rarely known to be executed. One of the most prominent cases was Faisal bin Musaid al Saud, who assassinated his uncle, King Faisal, in 1975. The family is estimated to number several thousand. While members receive monthly stipends, and the most senior princes command great wealth and political power, only a few in the family hold nationally important government posts.
Saudi Arabia Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Salman bin Sultan (front L), arrives for a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel at the Radisson Hotel in Manama. REUTERS/Mark Wilson/Pool (BAHRAIN Tags: POLITICS MILITARY)
Tayyip Erdogan among pious Turks and wealthy elites, as well as the diffuse nature of those demonstrations. However, the current affair threatens to tarnish Erdogan’s moral appeal and the crackdown on police has provoked a feud with the judiciary. Fretting investors have dumped Turkish stocks and pushed the lira currency to an all-time low against the dollar, a slide which a cabinet reshuffle failed to halt. The case turned more personal last week when Turkish media published
what appeared to be a preliminary summons for Bilal Erdogan, one of the premier’s two sons, to testify. Erdogan, who denies any wrongdoing, said Bilal was named to hurt him. Friday’s unrest did not recur on Saturday or yesterday. Unlike Erdogan’s past confrontations with rivals such as the secularist military, the corruption scandal has exposed an internecine rift among powerful religious Turks. Erdogan’s allegations of a foreign hand in the affair put the focus on Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric who preaches from self-imposed exile in the United States and whose Hizmet movement claims at least a million followers, including senior police and judges, in Turkey. Gulen denies involvement in stirring up the graft case. But he regularly censures Erdogan, a ex-ally with whom he fell out in a dispute for control over an influential network of Turkish cram schools, which prepares students for university exams. In a vaguely phrased
sermon uploaded to Gulen’s website over the weekend, the cleric likened the current situation to dark historical episodes when “the masses were the playthings of demagogues, put to sleep and awoken at will”. He predicted the “funeral of this chaos, and the sacred days when the nation will be on a path to relief, are close”. Erdogan has hinted strongly that Gulen deserved blame in the scandal. Davutoglu was more diplomatic on Sunday, saying Hizmet should credit the AK government for its achievements. “We are praying with hope and understanding that what we did over the past 10 years will be seen, and that our friends, our brothers, will search their souls,” he told Turkish TV. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a thorough investigation of the graft allegations in remarks published in a Sunday newspaper. “In a region marked by crises and conflict we need Turkey as a stable anchor,” he told Bild am Sonntag.
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Kaieteur News
Lobby group urges government to seriously address crime in 2014 KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC – Local Lobby group, Citizens’ Action for Principle and Integrity (CAPI) has urged the Portia Simpson Miller led administration and the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to be more responsive in addressing the problem of crime in the new year. In a statement on Saturday, co- convener of the group, Dennis Meadows said the current dialogue by both parties over Jamaica’s crime situation does not facilitate “well-needed solutions to the problem”. He said successive governments have always taken a short-term and reactive approach to the issue, rather than pursuing sustainable and proactive policies aimed at addressing its root causes. Meadows added that
Portia Simpson Miller crime is a disincentive to economic growth and flourishes in an environment where its perpetrators feel they can act with impunity. “The possibility of them being apprehended within 72 hours of committing a crime is increasingly unlikely. This
is reflected in the barefacedness and brazenness of the crimes being committed. It therefore points to the fact that we must strengthen the capacity of the police to detect and investigate crime.” He also urged politicians to cease giving legitimacy to criminals through the political process. In proposing a crime-prevention strategy, through the setting up of a reserve cohort of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Meadows said this will go a far way in improving the current ratio of police to citizens, which stands at 297 per 100 thousand. So far this year, 1, 160 people have been murdered, and both the government and opposition have been accusing each other of being responsible for the increase in criminal activities here.
Vincentian diplomats in US appeal for urgent relief aid
NEW YORK - CMC – St Vincent and the Grenadines’ diplomats in the United States are appealing for urgent aid to help their homeland in the wake of the Christmas storm that left several people dead and a trail of destruction. In a letter commissioned to nationals in the Diaspora by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Consulate General in New York, Consul General Selmon Walters on Saturday appealed for donations of cash, food, clothing, toiletries, water and medical supplies. Walters, a former government minister in the administration of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, noted that the country suffered estimated damages in the region of EC$150 million as a result of the December 24 storm. He said nine lives were lost, five people still missing, and 64 persons remain in shelters. In addition, the envoy said a number of houses, roads and bridges were destroyed, and that the potable water system is “severely affected.” As a result, Walters said the Consulate General, in collaboration with a number
of Vincentian organizations in the United States, is “spearheading” relief efforts to send much-needed supplies home. He said the first set of supplies, to be transported free of cost by Amerijet, will leave New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, either on Monday or Tuesday night to the E.T. Joshua Airport in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “Please let us do something and do something good for our nation,” appealed Walters to a large audience at the Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center in Brooklyn, New York, the operating center for relief efforts. The Consulate, along with a broad-based committee, comprising prominent groups and influential individuals in the Vincentian community in the US, on Saturday established an account with Chase Bank, where the public can make monetary contributions. Contributions can be made to Chase SVG Community, Inc., account no. 537759511. US Ambassador, La Celia Prince, also appealed to nationals to support the relief effort, stating that the assessors are “still
conducting their work in terms of quantifying the physical and material loss. “We know that we can count on the support of the Vincentian community to respond to these needs; and, as such, we are sharing this information with you to use as a guide,” she said in a letter to her compatriots. “The effort is good,” Laverne McDowaldThompson, president of the Brooklyn-based Council of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Organizations, U.S.A., Inc. (COASGO), the umbrella Vincentian group in the US, told the Caribbean Media Corporation. “I like the enthusiasm of the people and their willingness to help our homeland,” added the former school teacher in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “The tragedy is unfortunate. A natural disaster is unpredictable. It’s very unfortunate what many families have to go through.” Maxwell Haywood, president of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Diaspora Committee of New York, said the situation in his native land is “heart-rendering. But, at the same time, it’s an opportunity for us to relook the way in which we build our society, both infrastructurally and socially,” added Haywood, who is also a United Nations development officer. “So we need to go back to the drawing board to see how we can reduce disaster risk.”
Monday December 30, 2013
Crisis in the Caribbean as the Year Ends Trinidad Guardian Mysterious oil spills over the past 12 days have left the residents along T&T’s southern coastline in a state of upheaval. Nine oil spills in the first ten days left residents battling heavy slicks, noxious smells nd tiring clean-up operations even while the source of the spills has not been determined. But while the residents, members of the Oilfields Workers Trade Union, the state-owned Petrotrin and the US-based Oil Spill Response Ltd have pitched in to assist with the local clean-up, neighbouring islands are still reeling from the massive deluge on Christmas day that left 18 dead, several missing and millions of dollars in damages in St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica. Two containers packed with emergency supplies arrived in St Lucia late Friday night, and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said then that it was the only island to request assistance to deal with the level of damage sustained after the Christmas day storm. But yesterday, the Office of Disaster Preparedness (ODPM) confirmed that St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) also applied for assistance to restore the affected areas. Head of the ODPM Dr Stephen Ramroop yesterday said five containers would be packed and shipped to SVG by Tuesday. Those will contain emergency supplies and hardware items to help with the rebuilding exercises on the island.
Residents of Castries, St Lucia, work together to clean up their area which was badly affected by flooding on Christmas Day. PHOTO COURTESY BILL MORTELY “They are doing a comprehensive needs assessment, which we are waiting for. The ODPM will also issue a press release of the items that they need in case residents want to contribute to the containers or add to our reserves,” Ramroop said. The Sunday Guardian called Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves but was told that he was in emergency meetings and was then expected to tour the western side of the island to better ascertain the damage. But of the three islands hit, Dominica seemed to be the least affected. According to the Dominican-based
Associated Press correspondent Carlisle Jno Baptiste, the island was almost back to pre-storm conditions. “It was a miracle that there were no fatalities,” he said in a telephone interview. “The Government has promised to replace 100 per cent of the lost school books and cover 60 per cent of the rent for those who are now homeless,” Baptiste said, adding that 18 people were left homeless after the storm. H e s a i d t h e island estimated its damage at EC$45 million, most of which includes damage to road and infrastructure.
El Salvador volcano erupts, evacuations ordered SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) The Chaparrastique volcano in eastern El Salvador belched a column of hot ash high into the air yesterday, frightening nearby residents and prompting authorities to order evacuations in the area. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the San Miguel region, where the volcano is located and that is known for its coffee plantations. Civil protection authorities said they would evacuate people from within three kilometers (1.9 miles) of the volcano and set up
emergency shelters. “The evacuations began almost right after the explosion,” said civil protection official Armando Vividor. He said some 5,000 people lived around the volcano. The volcano, which is about 140 kilometers (86 miles) to the east of the capital, spewed ash over a wide area and the smell of sulfur hung over surrounding towns, according to reports on social media. Authorities recommended breathing through moist handkerchiefs. Santos Osorio, a member of a local coffee growers
union, said heavy ash was falling in the area and local coffee plantations would be checked for damage. El Salvador’s crop has already been blighted by an outbreak of leaf rust that has reduced output in all five of Central America’s coffee producers. El Salvador has 23 active volcanoes and the Chaparrastique volcano is considered one of the most active, with 26 eruptions in the last 500 years, the environment ministry said. In a 1976 eruption, lava gushed from the volcano and it shook violently in another event in 2010.
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Lack of customers dooms many Cuban businesses Jamaica Observer - The dented metal pizza trays are packed away, so too the old blender that never worked when it was needed. Gone is the sweet smell of rising dough that infused Julio Cesar Hidalgo’s Havana apartment when he and his girlfriend were in business for themselves, churning out cheesy pies for hungry costumers. Two years on the front lines of Cuba’s experiment with limited free market capitalism has left Hidalgo broke, out of work and facing a possible crushing fine. But the 33-year-old known for his wide smile and sunny disposition says the biggest loss is harder to define. “I feel frustrated and let down,” Hidalgo said, slumped in a rocking chair one recent December afternoon, shrugging his shoulders as he described the pizzeria’s collapse. “The business didn’t turn out as I had hoped.” The Associated Press recently checked in with nine small business owners whose fortunes it first reported on in 2011 as they set up shop amid the excitement of President Raul Castro’s surprising embrace of some free enterprise. Among them were restaurant and cafeteria owners, a seamstress and taekwondo instructor, a vendor of bootleg DVDs and a woman renting her rooms out to well-heeled tourists. Their fates tell a story of divided fortunes. Of the six ventures that relied on revenue from cashstrapped islanders, four are now out of business, their owners in more dire financial straits than when they started. But the three enterprises that cater to wellheeled foreigners, and to the minority of well-paid Cubans who work for foreign businesses, are still going and in some cases thriving. While the sample size is small, the numbers point to a basic problem that economists who follow Cuba have noted from the start: There simply isn’t enough money to support a thriving private sector on an island where salaries average US$20 a month. “Clearly, there is a macroeconomic environment that does not favor the private sector or the expansion of demand that the private sector requires,” said Pavel Vidal, a former Cuban Central Bank economist. Vidal has long called on Communist authorities to adopt a huge stimulus package or more aggressively
Gisselle de la Noval does a client’s nails as her boyfriend Julio Cesar Hidalgo stands behind in their apartment in Havana, Cuba. seek capital from foreign investors. Now a professor at Colombia’s Javeriana University, he says one has only to look at the trends since 2011 to see the private sector economy is nearly tapped out. After a surge of enthusiasm, the number of islanders working for themselves has stalled for the past two years at about 444,000 — or 9 per cent of the workforce. Even in developed countries where entrepreneurs have access to capital, loans and a wide pool of paying customers, startups are risky ventures. According to the US Small Business Administration, about half of all new establishments in America close within five years, and two-thirds are gone within a decade. The failure rate of Cuban entrepreneurs followed by AP was 44 per cent in less than two years, and worse if one considers only those that relied primarily on Cuban customers. “There’s not enough money circulating in the economy in the hands of everyday people,” said Ted Henken, a professor of Latin American studies at Baruch College in New York and author of an upcoming book on private enterprise in Cuba. “You’re all competing for the same customers, most of whom are poor and have very limited disposable income.” Economists have criticized the Cuban government for a series of measures to crack down on what it sees as illegal activities — including banning private movie cinemas, taxing the import of hard-to-get products in travelers’ luggage, and banning the sale of imported clothing. But on Saturday, Castro came down firmly in favor of increased regulation, sternly warning entrepreneurs that “those
pressuring us to move faster are moving us toward failure.” Henken and Vidal said Cuba must find a way to raise state salaries, expand statefunded microcredits and create a functional wholesale market to service the new businesses. They also noted that for a relatively welleducated society like Cuba’s, there are remarkably few white collar jobs on the list of nearly 200 activities that have been legalized. Still, not every entrepreneur is struggling. High-end bars and glamorous new restaurants have become common in Havana, with shiny state tour buses disgorging photosnapping travelers to sample lobster tail and filet mignon at upward of US$20 a plate. Private rooms and homes that rent to foreigners can go for US$25-US$100 a night, less than most tourist hotels. Cubans with the means, and the business sense, to tap into the gravy train can do very well. Chef-owner Javier Acosta sank more than US$30,000 into Parthenon, a private restaurant catering to tourists and diplomats. He struggled at first, telling the AP back in 2011 that there were nights when nobody came in and he and his four waiters just sat around. But the restaurant slowly gained a reputation, in part because Acosta makes a potent Cuban mojito and offers a special suckling pig that can feed up to five people for US$50. These days, Acosta is expanding. He recently added tables in a new room decked out with mosaic tiles and faux Greek pillars, and plans to build a roof deck. He even has started advertising, paying US$300 a year to have his establishment included in a tourist magazine. “I haven’t yet managed to recover my initial investment
and the other money we’ve put into the place,” the 40year-old said. “But in two or three more years maybe I can.” Even more humble operations can do well, as long as they have some access to foreign money. One woman who rents an apartment to foreigners for US$25 a night in the upscale Vedado neighborhood says her business provides a stable income that supports her and allows her to help her son and granddaughter. Two women who sell US$1.25 box lunches to Cubans and foreigners in a building in Old Havana with many international firms and consular offices have managed to stay afloat despite a sharp drop in customers following the departure of several companies, and what they say has been a steady rise in prices of key ingredients like black beans, rice, cooking oil and pork. “This has become difficult,” said Odalis Lozano, 48. “But we’re still here, because we can always make some money.” For those without access to that foreign cash line, the results have been grim. Besides, the failed pizzeria, a DVD salesman, seamstress and street-side cafe owner who allowed the AP to tell their stories shut down after less than a year in business, citing high monthly taxes, a lack of customers and limited resources and business sense. The only two operations that rely on
everyday Cubans for revenue which remain in business are gymnasiums. One is run by Maria Regla Zaldivar, who in 2011 was giving taekwondo classes to children in Nuevo Vedado and dreamed of converting a ruined dry cleaning factory into a proper gymnasium. The factory remains a crumbling shell, but Zaldivar said her business continues. She declined to grant a formal interview, but said in a brief phone call that she had rented a small space near her apartment and continued to give classes. The other success story belongs to Neysi Hernandez, the mother of Julio Cesar Hidalgo’s girlfriend. Hernandez opened a simple gymnasium for women in the courtyard and garage of her home in Havana’s La Lisa neighborhood, charging the equivalent of US$5 a month for membership. Two years later, she has 25 paying clients and ekes out a small profit. Hernandez says her customers are loyal, despite the fact the gymnasium lacks basic amenities like a shower room, lockers and towels. Unable to afford imported equipment, Hernandez uses sand-filled plastic water bottles for weights. Her three exercise bicycles and mechanical treadmill are creaky and aging. “My gymnasium is modest, but they like it,” Hernandez said, adding she has dreams of one day installing a small massage room and sauna. “A little bit at a time.” For the pizza man Hidalgo,
however, the experience with private enterprise has been a bitter one. He says he lost between US$800 and US$1,000 on the pizzeria. He is appealing a US$520 fine levied by tax authorities who accuse him of understating his profits, even though the business failed. He has had bouts with illness, and has been unemployed since the pizzeria closed in April. Hidalgo says he has not given up on the idea of opening a new business one day. But he is also setting his sights beyond Cuba’s shores. “What I wanted was to work and make money so that I could live a normal life, have money to buy myself shoes, eat, and go out with my girlfriend,” Hidalgo said, punctuating each modest desire with a flip of his hand and a rueful smile. “I hope that kind of work materializes in my country, but if the opportunity presents itself to work somewhere else, I won’t turn it down.” Recently, Hidalgo’s girlfriend, Gisselle de la Noval, 25, took out a license to operate a nail salon in the space once occupied by the pizzeria. The salon has been open a matter of weeks and it is too soon to know if it will do well. But she says she is content, charging about 40 cents for a manicure and slightly more for a pedicure. “I don’t miss the pizzeria, but I am sad it wasn’t a success,” she says with a shrug. “But I am young, so whatever. Now I’m dedicated to this.”
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Investors must not finance highway Trinidad Guardian Highway Reroute activist Dr Wayne Kublalsingh is warning investors to refrain from financing the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the Solomon Hochoy highway extension as it is an “economically ruinous project.” His comments came as Finance Minister Larry Howai makes moves to acquire $5 billion from the international money market to finance the $7.5 billion highway. Kublalsingh said based on media reports, some of this money would be used to “offset” the cost of the Point Fortin highway. Questioning whether this included the proposed Debe to Mon Desir Highway, Kublalsingh said corporate investors must be aware that the Inter-American Development Bank refused to finance the project. Saying tendering was flawed and the highway was over-designed and too costly, Kublalsingh noted that while the Point Fortin to San Fernando Highway was essential, “no one has proved the necessity or the economic viability of the Debe to Mon Desir highway.” He said $750,000 was spent to do a review of the project by independent
- Kublalsingh
Dr Wayne Kublalsingh Senator Dr James Armstrong, yet the findings of the Armstrong team were ignored by the government. “The Armstrong report, concluded that the Debe to Mon Desir Highway must be stopped, pending the commissioning of a number of substantial studies. It concluded that the Environmental Impact Assessment for Debe to Mon Desir was flawed. That, in view of the likely significant detrimental social impact of this highway, a Social Impact Assessment must be commissioned. It stated that no costbenefit analysis of this project exists, and that one should be
commissioned. It also stated that a hydrology report of the study area must be commissioned, due to likely significant negative impacts on the Oropouche Lagoon and on flooding,” Kublalsingh said. He added that the report concluded that a number of irregularities and illegalities associated with this project must be rectified. “The Prime Minister and her Government refused to abide by the Armstrong Report. The Minister of Works continues to assert that the total cost of all three highways associated with this project, Debe to Golconda, Point Fortin to San Fernando, and Debe to Mon Desir will be $7.5 billion. This is false. A true economic accounting, comprising a list of items to be costed, published in the Armstrong Report, suggests that the Debe to Mon Desir Highway alone would cost the taxpayer the sum of the bond issue ventured into by Minister Howai,” Kublalsingh said. He noted that the Debe to Mon Desir segment “constitutes an economic, social and ecological hazard for the thirteen communities in the area.
Haiti AIDS research clinic wins top global health prize PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - CMC – A worldrenowned clinic in Haiti that has become a leader in global health while leading the fight against HIV/AIDS has won a top global health prize. The Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections (GHESKIO) has been named a recipient of the 2013 World Health Organization’s (WHO) Stop TB Partnership Kochon Prize in Tuberculosis, according to the Miami Herald. Founder Dr Jean William
Pape was informed of the honour in a December 20 letter from Partnership Executive Secretary Lucica Ditiu, the paper said. The annual prize is given to organizations that have made a significant contribution to combating TB. This year’s US$65 000 prize was designated for fighting TB in conflict and refugee areas. “GHESKIO’s leading work in HIV and TB for the past three decades and more recently for providing treatment services for the 1.5
million people who were internally displaced by Haiti’s earthquake in 2010 were especially commended,” says Ditiu in her letter. After Haiti’s devastating earthquake, four years ago next month, Ditiu noted that GHESKIO sent mobile teams into the newly-erected refugee camps to screen people for TB and opened a field hospital to provide care. Ditiu said the group has continued to work with those affected by the disaster, and a subsequent cholera outbreak. The Kochon prize is funded by the Kochon Foundation, a nonprofit organization, based in South Korea, with winners are selected by the Stop TB Partnership, an international body that is housed at the Washington-based WHO. Pape said the funds will help toward the construction of a TB hospital in Haiti. The award ceremony for the Kochon Prize will take place on January 31 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Monday December 30, 2013
Jamaican rum loses out to competitors Jamaica Gleaner Jamaican rum lost out to competitors from across the region and even from Florida, United States, in this year’s Rum Awards 2013. The competition is a production of the Caribbean Journal, a website founded in 2011 with a focus on news and views from the Caribbean region. The winners were selected from 130 brands of rum from around the Caribbean and elsewhere. The top ‘Rum of the Year’ award went to a spirit produced by Bacardi from Puerto Rico, called Bacardi Facundo Collection Exquisito, according to Caribbean Journal. The two other finalists were Zacapa XO from Guatemala and El Dorado 15 Year from Guyana. The Exquisito rum is named after Barcardi’s founder and sales only started in November 2013. It is considered a new level of premium rum making for the company which is better known for its mass produced white rum. This rum is a blend of spirits which are between seven and 23 years old and finished in sherry casks. It sells for US$90 (J$9,550) per bottle. The award for ‘Best New Rum of the Year’ went to Papa’s Pilar Dark. The rum is named after famed US writer Ernest Hemingway and his fishing boat, The Pilar. Hemmingway, who lived in Cuba for several years before the Revolution in 1959, has been strongly linked with the creation of the daiquiri cocktail as well as for his fondness for another Cuban cocktail, the mojito. The rum is made from spirits from throughout the Caribbean, Florida and Central America, according to the Papa’s Pilar website. “We use multiple rums
Appleton Estate, St Elizabeth, part of the holdings of the Lascelles deMercado Group, is valued for its rums, said to be number four in the world. - File from carefully selected sources based on ages and character and fractionally blend them through our unique solera process” says the website. The website doesn’t say where exactly it sources its rum. According to Caribbean Journal, “some rums are sourced from Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Florida.” It is currently blended in Kentucky, United States “although there are plans to eventually move the process to Florida,” says the Caribbean Journal. The three rum agricole categories were won by rums from the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Those rums are made from sugar cane juice rather than molasses and tend to be dominant in the Frenchspeaking islands including Haiti. Jamaican rum came up for mention in the category for overproof rum. “There are a few natural contenders in this category, mostly out of Jamaica - J. Wray & Nephew and last year’s winner, Rum Fire,” said the Caribbean Journal. But this year, the award for best overproof
went to Sunset Very Strong Rum from St Vincent. The award for best flavoured rum went to Miamibased Uncle Luke’s passion fruit flavoured rum which is made in Grenada. The new brand is named after Luke Campbell, a well-known American rap star and producer. Special consideration was also given to Hawaii’s Koloa Coconut rum and Pango rum, produced by Haiti’s Barbancourt. The award for best spiced rum went to Florida-based Siesta Key. The rum, which is made in Sarasota, also won the award last year. The award for best value rum went to Angostura Single Barrel Reserve which sells for US$18 (J$1,900) per bottle. The rum is currently only available in Trinidad. Angostura is a Trinidadian brand owned by CL Financial, the Trinidadian company which owned majority shares in Lascelles deMercado until it was sold to Campari in 2012. The award for best white rum went to Brugal Especial Extra Dry White Rum out of the Dominican Republic. Best bottle design went to RL Seale from Barbados.
IMF says Jamaican economy shows ‘signs of a gradual recovery’ WASHINGTON - CMC – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the Jamaican economy is showing “signs of a gradual recovery” from the effects of the global financial crisis and Hurricane Sandy. According to the second review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Request for Modification of Performance Criteria, the Washington-based financial institution said on Friday that Jamaica’s macroeconomic developments are “broadly
in line with programme projections.” It said real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2013/14 is projected at “just under 1 percent, supported by improved activity in the tourism, mining, and agricultural sectors.” The IMF said inflation has increased due to the depreciation of the exchange rate, as well as higher administered prices in the context of the recent fiscal package and while international reserves are “in
line with program requirements, they remain low.” Concerning the execution of the 2013/14 budget, the lending agency said the government has “remained broadly on track,” adding that strong implementation of the programme would “lay the foundation for sustained economic growth. Jamaica’s four-year, Extended Arrangement under the EFF was approved by the IMF Executive Board on May 1, 2013.
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Some 20,000 protest in Ukraine’s Kiev sparked the protests have not gone away. “It can’t go on like this any longer. We want a normal life so that we can at least afford basic food,” she said. “I don’t think that people are disillusioned. Nothing has changed. People will keep on protesting, even after the holidays.” Opposition leaders continued to demand the Cabinet’s resignation, but they have toned down demands for Yanukovych’s ouster. Arseniy Yatsenyuk of
Pro-European Union activists shout slogans during a rally in Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine, yesterday. (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov) KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — About 20,000 people protested in Ukraine’s capital yesterday, maintaining more than a month of rallies opposing the government’s decision to shelve a key deal with the European Union. But the turnout on a clear, cold day was markedly lower than at previous rallies, which had attracted hundreds of thousands of people. As it has before, yesterday’s rally opened with speeches by the country’s spiritual leaders, including Christian priests, a rabbi and a mufti who called for a national unity and stressed the protesters’ right to have the government they want. Oleh Tyahnybok, head of the opposition national party Svoboda notorious for his racist rhetoric, emphasized that Ukrainians in the west and the east should unite to fight for their rights. “We are all Ukrainians and want our fair demands to be met,” he said in his speech.
Most demonstrators in Kiev come from western and central regions, while many people in the mostly Russianspeaking east and the south back closer ties with Moscow. The demonstrations were sparked by President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision last month to spike the EU deal in favor of closer ties with Russia. The move angered many Ukrainians, who hoped that closer ties with the EU would help end centuries of Russia’s domination. The protests were galvanized by a brutal police crackdown on Nov. 30, but Yanukovych’s government has since limited the use of force in an apparent hope that protests will fizzle out. Yanukovych also has sought to assuage the protesters’ anger by releasing some of the jailed opposition activists and suspending several top officials regarding the crackdown, but thousands of demonstrators have maintained their vigil
and the crowd has swelled over weekends. After several attempts to clear the protesters by force drew condemnation from the West, the president now appears set on waiting them out. Kiev’s Independence square, or the Maidan, was filled with wood fire smoke yesterday coming from field kitchens and stoves that protesters installed in the tents they have been living at for weeks. The city’s main street, Khreshchatyk, has been barricaded with wooden planks, sacks filled with snow, and car tires since November’s crackdown. At yesterday’s rally, many of the demonstrators wore ribbons in the colors of the Ukrainian national flag and remained confident that their campaign will win. Halina Kalymivska, 58, said the turnout could be lower than hoped because of the holiday season but that the underlying problems that
Anti-Hezbollah coalition wants Lebanon ‘freed’ from group’s arms Beirut (AFP) - A Lebanese coalition opposed to the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah said yesterday the country should be freed from the group’s weapons, as they buried a member assassinated in a bombing. “We have decided to liberate the country of the occupation of illegitimate weapons to preserve its independence, its sovereignty and its civil peace,” said March 14 coalition member Fuad Siniora. The former prime minister was speaking at the burial of Mohammad Chatah, another member of the coalition known for its opposition to Hezbollah and criticism of the Syrian regime. Chatah was killed in a Friday bombing in central
Beirut, along with six others, in an attack that March 14 members have indirectly accused Hezbollah and Syria of carrying out. “We have decided to engage with the Lebanese people in peaceful, civil and democratic resistance,” said Siniora, adding the “peaceful battle” would begin soon but without giving any details. “We call for liberty and justice, we will not surrender, we will not back down, we will not be afraid,” he said. Around him, some members of a crowd of mourners chanted “Hezbollah is the enemy of God,” and “Hezbollah are terrorists”. “We will not become murderers and we will not destroy Lebanon, as they do... we will protect Lebanon, a land of liberty, dialogue and reconciliation.”
Chatah’s assassination revived painful memories of a string of targeted killings between 2005 and 2012 of prominent critics of the Syrian regime. They began with a massive bomb that killed former prime minister Rafiq Hariri in central Beirut on February 14, 2005. Chatah had worked with Hariri and later served as an adviser to his son Saad, who also served as prime minister. Hezbollah and the Syrian government have denied any role in any of the attacks against their critics in Lebanon. Syria dominated Lebanon militarily and politically between 1976, when it intervened in the country’s civil war, and 2005, when it was forced to withdraw in the wake of Hariri’s assassination.
the Batkivshchyna Party said the main three opposition parties that led the protest at the Maidan will work together ahead the next presidential election to build a team “which is capable of making Ukraine a European country.” Oleksandr Turchynov, a lawmaker from the same party, read an opposition manifesto in the square, demanding the government’s resignation and the firing of a riot police force blamed for the brutal November crackdown. Meanwhile, thousands of
opposition activists drove and cycled to Yanukovych’s country residence of Mezhygirya outside Kiev. The protesters were chanted “Down with Yanukovych!” and urged authorities to find and punish the people who brutally attacked prominent civic activist and journalist Tetyana Chernovil earlier this week. Riot police blocked the protesters hundreds of meters (yards) from the residence, standing in a chain with their shields raised.
Thousands of Cambodians rally to demand PM steps down PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Cambodian opposition supporters, backed by striking garment-factory workers, rallied yesterday to demand long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen step down and call an election. The garment workers have in recent days joined the opposition protests to press their demand that the government raise the minimum wage to $160 a month from $95, as recommended on December 24. “Hun Sen and his illegal government can hear us, they can’t ignore us, the people show their will for change,” Sam Rainsy, leader of the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, told the rally in a Phnom Penh park. “We demand that Hun Sen to steps down and a new election,” Sam Rainsy, a former finance minister, told the crowd, some of whom have been camping out in the park since December 15.
Hun Sen’s longdominant Cambodian People’s Party won a July election but with a reduced majority. It has rejected opposition complaints of vote-rigging. Hun Sen, who has been in power for 28 years, has ignored opposition demands for an investigation into the election and says that he will not resign or call a new election. Under Hun Sen, Cambodia has been transformed from a backwater scarred by the “Killing Fields” rule of the Khmer Rouge, into one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing economies, helped by a burgeoning garment industry and g r o w i n g political and investment ties with China. But his authoritarian rule has earned the condemnation of rights groups and that, along with widespread corruption, has alienated many voters. Many of them have now come out onto the street in a
sustained show of defiance that would have been almost unthinkable before the election. Cambodia’s garment manufacturers, meanwhile, have for years enjoyed low wages and relaxed labor conditions. But Chea Mony, president of the country’s biggest labor union, the Free Trade Union, told Reuters that more than 200 of 600 factories had closed because of the strike for higher pay. “The new minimum wage is not acceptable to workers so there must be talks on the demand for $160,” Chea Mony said. Garment and shoe factory representative said the strike was damaging the industry. “The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia would like to inform all stakeholders that our industry is unable to continue operations given the current situation,” association Secretary General Ken Loo said in a statement.
Supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) march along a street during a protest in Phnom Penh yesterday. REUTERS/Stringer
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Monday December 30, 2013
India fight for survival after South Africa post 500 ESPNcricinfo - First session: 96 runs at 2.73 runs per over. Second session: 102 at 7.20. Third session: 73 at 1.91. The vastly varying scoring rates that Test cricket allows were on vivid display as the game meandered in the morning, before South Africa stepped on it post-lunch in search of a declaration, after which India’s batsmen put up a backs-to-the-wall display in the murky light at Kingsmead. Despite the fluctuating run-rates, it was a day on which South Africa progressively increased their advantage, first taking a substantial lead and then prising out the Indian openers. India face a fight for survival on the final day of the series. The morning was all about one man. Jacques Kallis slowly and steadily made his way to an emotional farewell century, his 45th in Test cricket, went past Rahul Dravid to become the third highest run-getter in Tests and gradually pushed India towards an unwinnable position. The sentiments involved were clearly evident early in the day itself, when nightwatchman Dale Steyn hugged Kallis after a miscommunication over a single. No South African wanted to be remembered as
the person responsible for causing Kallis to be dismissed in his final Test, especially not before he reached a century. In that session, it seemed as if both teams were waiting for the other to make the play. South Africa weren’t playing with the intent of setting up a declaration, and India were content sitting back and limiting the runs with an increasingly ragged ball which was used for as long as 146 overs. The bowling was almost entirely about one man too. Ravindra Jadeja bowled unchanged for half the day in a marathon 25-over spell as he provided the control India were searching for. Jadeja also finally broke the stubborn 86run partnership between Kallis and Steyn by getting Kallis to top edge a slog sweep and complete his fivefor. As Kallis walked back, there were poignant scenes. The Sunday crowd saluted him with a standing ovation, the South African team greeted him with hugs outside the pavilion, and the captain Graeme Smith kissed him on his head. There wasn’t too much initiative from South Africa even after that dismissal, but a short rain break after lunch shook things up. Robin Peterson and Faf du Plessis came out looking to play the
Federer, Serena... From page 28 capped her stellar 2013 season by winning the WTA Championships than started plotting what she views as a long overdue sixth triumph at Melbourne Park. ANKLE TWIST Williams pulled out of the Brisbane tournament in 2012 after turning on her left ankle in her second round tie before exiting the Australian Open in a fourth round upset at the hands of Ekaterina Makarova. Last year, she won the Brisbane title without losing a set but, hampered by another ankle twist in her first round match, was knocked out in the Australian Open quarter-finals by compatriot Sloane Stephens. Having missed the 2011 Australian Open after cutting her foot by stepping on some glass in a restaurant, Williams is keen to return to winning ways at a tournament she won five times in eight years from 2003. “I hope to be the one standing up in the end, and it’s for sure my next goal,” Williams said after her tour championships triumph in Istanbul. “Seeing that I didn’t do as
well as I want to there, actually the past few years, so my goal is just to go a year in Australia without twisting an ankle. That’s what I’m going to start with.” The American top seed faces a much tougher draw than Federer, who also has a first round bye, with, if the seedings hold up, Maria Sharapova and Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka standing in the way of her title defence. World number 10 Caroline Wozniacki was removed from that path, however, when she withdrew from the tournament on Sunday as a precautionary measure after hurting her right shoulder. “I wanted to start off the year well,” Wozniacki told reporters. “That’s why I made the decision to withdraw from here, just because I didn’t feel like there was a need to make it worse before going into the Open as well.” Williams will start her campaign in the second round against German Andrea Petkovic, who beat American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4 75 in the opening day’s action on Pat Rafter arena on Sunday.
big shots, and in the first three overs they plundered 29 runs - almost as many had been made in 16 overs leading to lunch. India were clueless against the adventurous batsmen, and the flood of runs continued after the umpires finally forced a ball change midway through the session. Peterson galloped to a half-century off 44 balls, and the highlight of his innings was a stunning switch hit over the righthander’s long-on for six. Du Plessis was marginally slower, playing more orthodox but equally eyecatching strokes - such as a gentle flick over mid-on off Mohammed Shami - and in little time the lead had ballooned past 150. Peterson perished going for another big hit to end a partnership of 110 off 108 balls, and the rains returned to cut the session short, giving time for Smith to mull over whether it was time to declare. The decision was taken out of his hands when play resumed as Jadeja ran to his right and dived to secure Morne Morkel’s leading edge to take six for the match and end the innings.
Jacques Kallis leaves the outfield in Durban with a century to his name in his final Test. (Getty Images)
That left India needing to bat out about two-and-a-half hours on the day. Steyn and Vernon Philander turned in a high-intensity spell with the new ball. Steyn harried the batsmen with the short ball but couldn’t get the breakthrough as he delivered 5-4-1-0. Philander had been ineffective in the first innings
but had more impact this time as he set up Vijay perfectly - a series of short balls, followed by the fuller one which Vijay nicked through to slip after taking only half a step forward. Shikhar Dhawan, who has had a mediocre tour so far, survived the initial examination, constantly
urging himself to concentrate, and leaving as many deliveries as he could. Cheteshwar Pujara was struck on the armpit with a vicious bouncer early on but slowly he gained a measure of the pitch. The light wasn’t great in the evening, but not so poor that they could come off with a significant chunk of the session still left to play. India would have wanted this on the first day when they were dominant, instead of today but Dhawan and Pujara were showing signs that they could make it through till stumps. That feeling grew as the umpires deemed that only spinners could bowl in the fading light. Dhawan though went for a big hit off Robin Peterson, only to see du Plessis at short midwicket pull off one of the catches of the year with a onehanded leaping effort. India’s best batsmen, Pujara and Virat Kohli, were in the middle at stumps, and how long their partnership lasts could determine the course of the match tomorrow. Scores: India 334 and 68 for 2 trail South Africa 500 (Kallis 115, Peterson 61, Jadeja 6-138) by 98 runs.
Table Tennis enjoyed another productive... From page 29 “A”, Bank of Guyana “B”, Ptolemy Reid Rehab “A” and Ptolemy Reid “B”; a total of forth-eight (48) players represented the twelve (12) teams played at the National Gymnasium during May 3-6. NP Electronics won the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Teams’ title, while Stabroek News’ Donald Duff claimed the Singles accolade. Most significantly, Guyana participated in the World Table Tennis Championship in Paris, France. The GTTA had said that Guyana’s participation in this year’s event was critical to establishing world rankings for our national team players. The Guyanese team was Mr. Arron Fraser as delegate, Deidre Edghill manager, Christopher Franklin, Paul David, Idi Lewis, Trenace Lowe and Chelsea Edghill. The GTTA/NSC honoured their top achievers for the 2013 Edition of the Independence Table Tennis tournament at the National Gymnasium on Saturday June 2. Shemar Britton carted off the lion’s share of the awards after winning the U15, U-18, U-21 and Men’s Singles titles in the competition.
The association continued its “Teach Them Young” Summer Camp targeting children 18 years and younger and had sessions running from 9-12 daily from Monday to Friday. The camp was aimed at developing and improving the level of table tennis; to help children with the basic skills; to be better prepared for future tournaments; to increase the number of participants involved in table tennis; create an integrated coaching programme that incorporates the coach’s education and generally develop players. Guyana was successful at the Inter-Guiana Games Table Tennis Championships on August 9 after they comfortably defeated Suriname to retain their titles at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The Eight Caribbean PreCadet Table Tennis Championships was satisfactory for Guyana overall. Guyanese Nevaeh Clarkston copped gold, Selenas Jackman grabbed silver and Abigail Martin took bronze in the singles, while Clarkston and Jackman won the doubles in the Girls Under-11 category. Trinidad and Tobago were crowned overall champions with a haul of
eight gold, four silver and six bronze. Guyana took the runner-up spot with six gold, seven silver and thirteen bronze medals. Dominican Republic was third with two gold and three silver medals. Six countries participated, namely; Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Dominican Republic, Barbados and Aruba, with 83 players. The performance set the tone for the senior competition that followed. However, Guyana finished third place with one gold and two silver medals behind Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago; other participating countries were Barbados, Guadeloupe, St Vincent & Grenadines, St Lucia, Martinique, French Guiana and Aruba. Guyana’s Trenace Lowe fell just short of defeating defending women’s singles champion, Rheann Chung at the end of August on the penultimate night of the 55th Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Championships at the Beausejour Indoor Facility, Gros Islet, St Lucia. The GTTA was also represented at the first South American Youth Games in Lima, Peru with Johnson as Coach along with players, Shemar Britton and Chelsea Edghill.
Both Edghill and Britton were eliminated from the Singles competition after the final preliminary round. The GTTA reported that both players are talented and will continue to be a focus of investment for the association. The association then sent representative national teams to Cayenne, French Guiana and Suriname respectively. In October, the team comprised a mixture of youth and experience in an invitational contest in French Guiana and Goodwill in Suriname. The GTTA in an effort to promote table tennis countrywide coordinated a team’s and single’s tournament involving schools in November. The tournament attracted 20 schools and 150 players from Georgetown, Berbice, Bartica, West Demerara, East Bank Demerara and East Coast Demerara. Table Tennis in Guyana has managed to continue its robust domestic, regional and international programmes, which has led to the development of seasoned players, unearthing of new talents and moderate success internationally. With that, the association can safely say that it recorded another productive year.
Monday December 30, 2013
Kaieteur News
Inclement weather washes out Jumbo Jet, Horse Owners end of year meet Despite all the preparations and precautions taken the inclement weather still had the final say as the planned end of year $11M horserace meet fixed for yesterday, Sunday 29th December, at the Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) and jointly organised by the PMTC in collaboration with the Jumbo Jet Businesses and horseracing entity and a number of Horse Owners, had to be cancelled at the last moment. This is the second horserace meet planned for this week on the Corentyne that had to be called off at the last moment due to the
New date to be announced inclement weather which continues to take its toll on outdoor activities in the country. According to the organisers, over 100 horses had entered in what was expected to be a grand and exciting day of racing, but the continuous overnight rain which lasted way into the new day, put paid to all plans. According to Coordinator Nazrudeen ‘Jumbo Jet’ Mohammed, things were looking purposeful until the day before race day, with all systems in place. The PMTC track which is known for its
resilience was in excellent condition and was being graded and rolled constantly to keep it in the best of shape. A new day will be announced. Persons with queries can make contact with Rajendra’Jin-Jo Jagdeo on 618-7278, C. Ramnauth on telephone numbers 337-5311 or 697-1979, Campton Sancho 690-0569, Ganesh Singh on 600-3626 or 649-3636, Lenny Singh on 642-3172 or Romell Jagroop on 624-1798 or the Jumbo Jet office on numbers 232-9711, 232-0633 for further clarification.
Chico/Kashif & Shanghai Secondary Schools Football Tournament
WARAMADONG ON A MISSION TO SUCCESS Approximately three years ago, hardly anyone knew of Waramadong, a tiny interior village in Region 7, Upper Mazaruni, with a population of around 1200 inhabitants. While most interior communities engage in fishing and hunting as favourite pastimes, the inhabitants of Waramadong are very sports oriented and engage in such activities, with a strong emphasis on football. Before their transition onto the national scene, competing in the Digicel U18 tournament, Waramadong Secondary was literally an unknown entity and engaged mostly in domestic games in their community. They hit the national scene with a bang in the Digicel U-18 tournament but encountered a stumbling block when they were defeated by Christianburg Wismar Secondary two years in a row in the aforementioned tournament. Earlier this year, Waramadong seemed set to avenge the first loss against Christianburg Wismar Secondary and were leading 2-1 as the game dwindled. The latter team then pulled the proverbial ‘rabbit out of the hat’ and scored two quick goals to cart off the honours. Naturally, the region 7 team were disappointed and slunk back home while licking their wounds. They have now returned and are battling furiously for the top spot in the Chico/ Kashif & Shanghai Secondary Schools Football Tournament and have so far defeated North Georgetown Secondary and Charlestown Secondary Schools. This
afternoon, they will face off with St George’s Secondary, while their nemesis will tackle Ash Education. Already, the pundits are predicting wins for Waramadong and Christianburg Wismar Secondary which will propel those teams into the final slated for the National Stadium on January 1 next. Yesterday morning, Kaieteur Sport caught up with the Waramadong players shortly after they had participated in a briefing session at the Windjammer Hotel, Alexander Street, Kitty and the management squad consisting of Louie Thomas (coach), Winford Paul (manager) and teachers, Maureen Fredericks and Lowell Williams, were in an upbeat mood and promised to go all the way to the championship this time around. Mr. Thomas revealed that the team comprises of members that are Christians in the Seven Day Adventist church. He said that their successes can be attributed to hard work and staunch trust in their Saviour. As such, it may not be surprising to see the team huddled in prayer before taking to the field for a match. The briefing session yesterday was used as a morale booster where the coach attempted to inspire the players for today’s game. “We are playing Ash Secondary today but our sights are riveted on the Christianburg Wismar Secondary encounter,” declared Coach Thomas. He believes that his boys have the requisite tools to win the championships and during
the briefing sessions, warned them against complacency. He referred to their demise against the Region 10 team in the Digicel final as a ‘slight error’ and vows to make amends this time around. “After seizing the initiative and scoring first we should have opted to play defensively but we ruined our chances by attacking,” reflected the coach. He said that this time around will be different. Manager of the squad, Winford Paul then chimed in, “We are going for early goals and by the end of the first 15 minutes we want to have at least a 2 goals advantage.” He further stated that his boys have been instructed to mix aggression with defensive skills. The team is well relaxed and rearing to go and as their coach says, “Waramadong is a close-knit community and football is a way of life.” This view was endorsed when one notes that dozens of residents of that village fork out around $50,000 for the return air ticket just to cheer their team to victory. This afternoon will be no different and the fans from the football crazy village of Waramadong will flock the Georgetown Football Club ground to cheer their team into the final (showdown that is). NB: Coach of the Christianburg Wismar Secondary, Delon Peters, has oozed similar confidence of winning this afternoon’s match against St Georges and has agreed to share his thoughts on a Waramadong showdown should the latter team win today’s encounter against Ash Education.
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Michael Schumacher injured in skiing accident in France BBC Sport - Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher has suffered a head injury while skiing in Meribel, France. The German, 44, who retired from F1 for a second time in 2012, was taken by helicopter to hospital in Moutiers before being moved to Grenoble. BBC Radio 5 live F1 correspondent James Allen said: “The injury is serious, but not life threatening.” Schumacher is being examined in hospital, with his wife and three of his children also present. Christophe GernignonLecomte, director of the Meribel resort where he suffered his injury, said: “he was a little shaken but conscious” after crashing. Speaking to Radio Monte Carlo Sport, Gernignon-
Lecomte added: “He was wearing a helmet and banged [his head] against a rock.” Schumacher was skiing with his 14-year-old son and others in an off-piste area between two marked runs above Meribel when he fell on Sunday morning. He was attended to by two ski patrollers who requested helicopter evacuation to the nearby valley town of Moutiers, before he was subsequently moved to a bigger facility at Grenoble. The German is receiving the attention of Professor Gerard Saillant, a close ally and friend of Schumacher and his former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt. Saillant is an expert in brain and spine injury. He oversaw Schumacher’s medical care when the German
broke his leg in the 1999 British GP. S c h u m a c h e r ’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm said in a statement: “We ask for understanding that we cannot give out continuous information about his health. “He was wearing a helmet and was not alone. No one else was involved in the fall.” Schumacher won seven world championships and secured 91 race victories during a 19-year career in Formula 1. He won two titles with Benetton, in 1994 and 1995, before switching to Ferrari in 1996 and going on to win five straight titles from 2000. The German retired in 2006, but returned in 2010 with Mercedes. After three seasons which yielded just one podium finish, he quit the sport at the end of 2012.
Sailing-Wild Oats XI seals seventh Sydney-Hobart victory
The field of yachts led by Wild Oats XI (2nd right) and Perpetual Loyal (left) sail out of Sydney Harbour at the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race, December 26, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Reed SYDNEY - (Reuters) Wild Oats XI secured a record-equaling seventh victory in the Sydney to Hobart ocean classic when it sailed down the Derwent River well clear of its nearest rival on Saturday evening. The 100-foot supermaxi overhauled Perpetual Loyal early on Friday afternoon after losing the lead in stormy weather late in the night on the opening day of the race before romping to the Tasmanian capital on favorable northeasterly
winds. Having claimed line honors in all but two of its nine attempts to win the 628 nautical-mile (1,163km) race, Wild Oats equals the record of Morna, later renamed Kurrewa IV, which won seven times between 1946 and 1960. Light winds for much of the race meant Wild Oats was not able to come close to beating the race record of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds, which it set in winning last year. The supermaxi crossed
the line a shade over 54 hours after the race’s traditional start in Sydney harbor on Boxing Day with secondplaced Perpetual Loyal still some two hours away from Hobart. The smaller boats in the remainder of the fleet are forecast to face winds of 4060 knots and waves of up to 12 meters overnight in the volatile Bass Strait. A repeat of the major storm that sank five yachts and killed six sailors in 1998 is unlikely, however.
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Kaieteur News
Monday December 30, 2013
New Zealand vs West Indies, 2nd ODI, Napier
WET OUTFIELD FORCES Giroud puts Arsenal top with win at Newcastle ABANDONMENT
Jesse Ryder checks the rain intensity. (Getty Images) ESPNcricinfo - The second ODI between New Zealand and West Indies at
McLean Park, Napier was called off after persistent afternoon rain left wet
patches in the outfield. The umpires inspected the ground at 5pm - two-and-ahalf hours after the scheduled start - under sunny conditions, but deemed the outfield unfit for play. The play was finally called off at 5.20pm to boos from the crowd. A drizzle had greeted the teams before the start of the match, but the prospect of play diminished as soon as the downpour increased in intensity around 1.30pm, half an hour before the scheduled start. New Zealand are trailing 0-1 in the five-match ODI series. The teams will travel to Queenstown for the third ODI to be played on the New Year’s day. Result: Abandoned New Zealand v West Indies.
Wozniacki pulls out of Brisbane warm-up with injury (Reuters) - Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki has pulled out of the Brisbane International warm-up for the Australian Open because of an injured right shoulder, organizers said on Sunday. The 23-year-old Dane, currently ranked 10th in the world, was scheduled to
open her season with a first round tie against Dominika Cibulkova and seeded to meet top ranked Serena Williams in the quarter-finals. Organizers said Wozniacki still hoped to take part in next week’s Sydney International to get some match practice before the first grand slam
of the year, which starts at Melbourne Park on January 13. The 2009 U.S. Open finalist had a disappointing 2013 season, winning just one title in Luxemburg and failing to reach the quarterfinals at any of the four majors for the first time in five years.
Olivier Giroud’s header earned a scrappy win over Newcastle. (PA) BBC Sport - Olivier Giroud’s header earned a scrappy win over Newcastle as Arsenal overtook Manchester City to regain top spot in the Premier League. The Gunners created several chances early on but Newcastle almost went ahead in first-half stoppage time when Moussa Sissoko’s shot was saved and Mathieu Debuchy headed against the bar. As the game became disjointed, Giroud nodded in Theo Walcott’s free-kick. Walcott had a lob cleared off the line before Arsenal withstood late pressure. The hosts sent goalkeeper Tim Krul forward in search of a late equaliser, with Hatem Ben Arfa firing
FEDERER, SERENA LOOKING TO GET ON A ROLL IN BRISBANE (Reuters) - Roger Federer and Serena Williams had contrasting 2013 seasons but both kick off their new campaigns at the Brisbane International this week showing no signs just yet of calling time on their illustrious careers. Born just a month apart and each with 17 grand slam singles titles to their name, Federer and Williams could justifiably claim to be the best tennis players of their generation, if not of all time. This year, though, it was American Williams who led the way with 11 titles, including the coveted trophies at the French and U.S. Opens, and winning 78 of 82 matches to regain the number one ranking. Federer slumped to sixth in the world after winning just the one title at Halle and failing to get to a grand slam final for the first time since
Roger Federer and Serena Williams (tennis warehouse.com) 2002. While admitting the season had been difficult at times, Federer said on his arrival in Brisbane that he was
feeling fitter than he had for more than 18 months and was not about to be pushed into retirement. “People are always going
to jump in and say ‘this is it’, and that’s what happened this year,” the 32-year-old told a news conference. “Critics are a part of the game. But they are the last guys to push me out of this game. “Deep down I am doing it because I love the game. And now I don’t want to waste any more opportunities.” Federer, top seed in the absence of double defending champion Andy Murray, will not be joined by the newest member of his coaching team, Stefan Edberg, until he reaches Melbourne. The Brisbane field should not test the Swiss too greatly, though, with big-serving South African Kevin Anderson the only top 20 player in his half of the draw. Japan’s Kei Nishikori is seeded second. Williams had no sooner Continued on page 26
wide from a great position. Yet the Gunners will now be top of the league on New Year’s Day for the first time since the 2007-08 season with a point advantage over Manchester City. That season, their title challenge faded away, but after a run of three games without a win, Arsenal have now earned consecutive victories after a 3-1 triumph win at West Ham on Boxing Day. After a tough festive period, Arsene Wenger ’s team have favourable league games to come against Cardiff, Aston Villa, Fulham and Southampton, sandwiched around a tantalising FA Cup tie against north London rivals, Tottenham. Striker Giroud underlined his importance, ending a seven-game run without a goal, although the Gunners were also fortunate when Wojciech Szczesny’s clearance smacked into Loic Remy’s head and trickled wide. Exactly a year ago, Arsenal crushed Newcastle 73 at Emirates Stadium, but this was a cagier contest, with both sides looking short of their best. The visitors carved out several promising opportunities in the first half but, when they did have space to shoot, they either missed the target or failed to test Krul. Jack Wilshere, who returned after a two-game ban, was wasteful. So too were Tomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla and Per Mertesacker, with Arsenal Position Team 1 Arsenal 2 Man City 3 Chelsea 4 Everton 5 Liverpool 6 Man Utd 7 Tottenham 8 Newcastle 9 Southampton 10 Hull
missing the injured Mesut Ozil. After sustaining early pressure, Newcastle grew into an absorbing first half as Yohan Cabaye, an Arsenal transfer target last summer, dropped deep to collect the ball. And it was Alan Pardew’s side who came closest to taking the lead before the break when, in injury time, Sissoko drew a fine save from Szczesny, before Debuchy hit the woodwork from the following corner. The game became disjointed in the second period but Arsenal took the lead when Cheick Tiote, returning from suspension, fouled Cazorla 30 yards out. Walcott chipped the free-kick into the area, where Giroud nodded his 11th goal of the season. Arsenal almost doubled the lead when Wilshere found Walcott in space but Krul saved his low effort, before Debuchy headed the rebound off the line. With Kieran Gibbs being replaced by Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini moving to left-back, Newcastle began to put pressure on the visitors with Flamini fortunate to survive a penalty appeal after hauling down Debuchy. But, despite the late scare for Szczesny and wastefulness from substitute Ben Arfa, the Gunners defended stoutly to hang on. In other results: Everton 2 - 1 Southampton; Chelsea 2 - 1 Liverpool; Tottenham 3 - 0 Stoke.
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