Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
Edghill must be condemned for preventing questions from any stakeholder Junior Finance Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, should be condemned for seeking to prevent questions from any section of society, particularly the media. And further, the National Stakeholders Consultation was nothing but a charade meant to elicit a statement of support for the US$840M Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project. This is according to Joseph Harmon who holds the Shadow portfolio for the Public Works and Transportation Sector within A Partnership for National Unity. “Edghill cannot arbitrarily decide who they will be taking questions from when you invite stakeholders…The media is a stakeholder.” Harmon said that the Junior Finance Minister cannot at such a forum decide where the questions come from but rather deal with the questions put forward and that the media has a
…APNU’s Harmon calls forum a charade to elicit a statement of support legitimate right to ask questions at such a forum. Harmon said that Edghill and the People’s Progressive Party have been too entrenched in making such arbitrary decisions. During the National Stakeholder forum held at the International Convention Centre, Minister Edghill at the beginning of the second round of questions said, “I would not be taking questions from the media.” He has since sought to d i s t a n c e himself from preventing questions from the media during the forum. Asked about the rationale behind the forum, Harmon told this publication that it has now become a well documented tactic of the PPP to hurriedly gather a group of persons
Timehri North relocation plan lacks socioeconomic life The absence of a socioeconomic plan for Timehri North residents in Government’s relocation plan for the community to Yarrowkabra is troubling, said Daniel Fraser, Chairman of the Timehri North Development Council, during a press conference on Friday at Sidewalk Café. Fraser said that Government is offering Timehri North residents, who are squatting on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIAC) property, 350 acres of land aback of Yarrowkabra. “If you look at the plan it doesn’t speak of the social and economic life of the people,” he said. After occupying Timehri North for numerous years and with blessing from a Government department, residents have built proper houses, established businesses and even built churches. Many are gainfully employed at the same airport whose runway expansion is dependent on their relocation.
According to Fraser, Government is extricating residents from an area where they have developed their social life and economic (continued on page 50)
together and without presenting any documen t a t i o n t o b e s t u d i e d p r i o r, m a k e presentations and issue a statement of support. He said that this obtained just prior to the Budget Cuts when the administration gathered up a number of persons at Office of the President and subsequently issued a statement in support of, and rejecting the then proposed cuts. According to Harmon, “You can’t take 10 persons and get them to write a statement and say that this represents the views of 300 persons.” He was referring to the statement issued following the consultation on the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project. On Thursday last when the President exited the forum, during the question and answer segment, a number of the persons in attendance at the Conference also exited the meeting. It was subsequently proposed from an individual in the audience remaining that there should be a statement of consensus. At this point Bishop Edghill requested from the
remaining persons in the audience that wanted to be a party to drafting the statement to come together in a group and assemble in a side room to draft the statement. The group of persons that volunteered included representatives of Community Policing Groups, the Religious Community, the National Toshaos Council and FITUG among others, including Kit Nascimento, who represented the Private Sector Commission. That statement read, “We, the stakeholders in attendance at the National Stakeholder’s Forum held on the 25th July, 2013, at the Guyana International Conference Centre, representing umbrella organizations, active networks and groups of civil society, declare our unequivocal support for the Amelia Falls Hydroelectric Project. We appeal to all policy makers to engage in constructive, sincere and meaningful dialogue in order to urgently conclude the realization of this project. We so declare.” The media representatives present did not contribute to that statement.
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The Touchstone When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers. The book wasn’t very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the “Touchstone”! The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold. So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold – throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea. The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about midafternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away. So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it’s easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it’s just as easy to throw it away.
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox
KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
Debt and Development In the course of the debate on the Amaila Falls HydroElectric Project (AFHEP) the question of debt sustainability has been raised. This is somewhat ironic since the special purpose vehicle used by the government to handle the project was supposed to be organised on the Build, Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model which is designed to reduce risks, and increase the sustainability of the lesser quantum of debt the government is now responsible for. It is now accepted by the government that it will be borrowing approximately US$584 million to fund the AFHEP project, for which it will be personally liable. If this is added to the US$1.7 billion debt we had contracted up to the end of 2012, this will bring our debt up to US$2.284 billion, which is 81 per cent of our present GDP of US$2.8 billion. On comparison, the ratio for Jamaica, concededly in crisis, is 140 per cent. The critics of the government’s decision to proceed with AFHEP under the present arrangements, in addition to questioning the need for the government to borrow so much for the project, is also claiming that the overall debt level might be unsustainable. From one perspective, one cannot blame the critics for being wary about our debt levels: as the government itself invariably points out, the PNC had contracted a debt burden of US$2.1 billion by 1992 which had proven unsustainable to service. After great effort on the part of the present administration more than half of the debt was eventually qt cancelled by the international community. The critics might be worried whether we would return to our pre-1992 predicament. However the real question is whether the debt being contracted is “sustainable” - the buzzword of the present era. Essentially this means whether the government will be able to sustain the servicing of the increased annual payouts. To a large extent the answer lies in the use to which the debt was put and whether it resulted in growth of the economy and increased government revenues. With all things being equal, the growth of the economy should result in the government collecting increased revenues from which it could service the higher debt payments. For instance, the government raked in US$637 million last year, compared to the US$141 million in 1992. Debt and growth then must be considered in tandem with each other. Ironically, just a few months ago there was a very intense and extensive debate in the press and in economic academic circles over the connection between the two terms. That debate does not appear to have informed the ongoing one in Guyana. It is a pity. In the midst of anaemic or negative growth in the developed countries, there were strident calls for governments not to incur more debt to fund stimulii and engender growth. In fact the calls were for “austerity”. Two eminent Harvard economists, Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, reviewed data linking public debt to economic growth and concluded that growth turns negative (that is, economies tend to collapse into recession) when public debt rises above 90 percent of GDP. This gave a fillip to the “debt cappers”. But Reinhart and Rogoff’s computations were wrong, and average GDP growth in very-high-debt nations is around 2.2 percent rather than a negative 0.1 percent. Overall, however, while there is evidence that public debt is negatively correlated with economic growth, there is no demonstrated causal chain in either direction. In Guyana, therefore, we must recommend that while we cannot simplistically assume that because we could not sustain high debt levels in the past, we cannot do the same in the present. We call on all participants in the present debate to utilise more empirical data in their support of either position on debt. In the absence of such data, it may be best for them to observe the caution of Wittgenstein: “whereof one cannot speak thereof one must be silent.” That is, if you don’t know what you’re talking about, be silent.
Sunday July 28, 2013
Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
Henry Jeffery replies to Freddie Kissoon DEAR EDITOR, From the many public correspondences between Mr. Freddie Kissson and I on the issue of primary school placement between 2001 and 2004,I request that you republish one of the last from me, which was written on 15/ 11/04, and which is reproduced below. I wish however to draw attention to some assertions in Mr. Kissoon’s “In the Ministry of Education, an evil injustice goes on:” (KN:26/ 07/13). 1. Contrary to what Mr. Kissoon says, the PNC did leave a six-points placement system in place with defined
primary school areas, which I continued to use. 2. Whatever the Ombudsman may or may not have told Mr. Kissoon, the ministry did respond to him. 3. The student referred to was not given a school “ten miles away” from West Ruimveldt as Mr. Kissoon claimed. The absurdity of that suggestion needs no comment, but demonstrates his reckless disregard for both the facts and his readers. The student was given St. Pius, which is no more than a mile away but in the adjacent school area where places were available. Here is the letter
published on 15/11/04: I have read absurdities and foolishness from Mr. Frederick Kissoon before, but his latest contribution on the issue of school placement takes the cake. Who has ever heard of a school system that places students based upon whether or not persons are living or working “near the school”? (“The child was wrongly removed from here school”: K N 12/11/04) No one in the Ministry seems able to find the document to which Mr. Kissoon referred, but I hope that, since the issue under discourse took place in 2001, his document is from that period. In any
case, surely, rather than accept such nonsense, Mr. Kissoon should have taken such people to task. I can visualize an army of placement officers, busying themselves with measuring tapes, attempting to determine the children who live nearer to a given school. Had this idea of Mr. Kissoon not had the potential to cause more than the usual confusion that takes place at placement periods, it would simply be laughable and I would not have felt constrained to respond. It is quite clear that the many philosophy books Mr. (Continued on page 6)
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Instead of getting more prepared for floods, we may be getting less
Global Trading should be prosecuted for littering
DEAR EDITOR, One is hard-pressed to understand why in our floodprone coastland we still construct a public building flat down on low ground. I am writing this with the justcompleted BV Nursery School in mind, built in the north-western corner of the BV playfield on the East Coast (see photos). By now, one would have thought our designers would raise the lower floors of these buildings several feet off the
ground to ensure they can still function on rainy days. Not only that. But also to ensure such buildings can serve as shelters or storage bonds should another major flood event, such as those in 2005 and 2006, visit us. What about all the talk about global climate change and sea level rise and increased rainfall intensity? And as I watch the drainage and storage capacity of the canals along the East Coast
highway being converted into narrow gutters to make the road wider, I wonder what informs these big decisions. Maybe, editor, your journalist can seek explanations from the Minister of Public Works. But back to the school. Our toddlers are going to have a neat and comfortable structure come September. Maybe, some believe that’s all that matters. Yours truly, Sherwood Lowe
The Parliamentary Committee should make unannounced visits at this hospital DEAR EDITOR, Quite recently, there has been a host of articles published about the successes of the Ministry of Health. However, what I find most amusing is the article in today’s Stabroek News which shows a photo of the Cuban doctors mopping the floor at the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital. What is so remarkable about that? This was such a staged piece for the cameras! On a serious note,
reporters need to delve deeper – question how many cases were treated at the ICU at that Hospital. The answer, if truthful, should cause eyebrows to raise. The Diamond facility should e relabelled as just a transit centre where patients go just to be referred. In future, the Parliamentary Committee should make unannounced visits and face the true picture of what obtains at that Institution. If they do not do
it that way then they are failing the people by being party to this standard betrayal. Totop off my comments, Editor, I must say that the Ministry of Health under the current management is way off the trail. The only people will suffer from this are the poor because those in high offices travel overseas for their medical interventions. Candida
DEAR EDITOR, For quite some time Global Trading, situated on Robb Street, has been operating as an irresponsible corporate citizen with the storage of garbage on the roadway taking up an entire parking space and making the environment look like a dump almost daily. I recall one rainy day my husband needed to park our vehicle on Robb Street and the only parking space “available” was the one occupied by Global Trading’s trash. Mind you, it was not in a bin but dumped on the roadway. I approached one of the staff and requested the
garbage to be removed but instead I was told that was not possible. I was told to park somewhere else. My husband was forced to park on King Street a corner away while the garbage enjoyed a parking space. About an hour later, while I was standing on the verandah of Celebrity Hair Salon I observed two street dwellers removing garbage from the dump and taking it to another location on Robb Street. Although neighbouring storeowners and customers have talked to employees of the company about their unsanitary behavior, they continue their atrocious
practice. This company is guilty of being a litter bug and should be prosecuted for its nastiness. The City Constabulary shouldn’t just apprehend individual litter bugs but also target big businesses. No one should be untouchable. The Mayor and City Council needs to stop this company in its tracks. If it fails to act appropriately I would want to believe the Council is condoning this filthy habit I wonder if the Council used to charge a fee for parking if it would have allowed Global Trading to “park” garbage for hours daily. Keeran Danny
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Bartica health sector needs urgent improvement and modifications
Henry Jeffery replies to Freddie...
DEAR EDITOR, There are a number of issues affecting the medical sector in Bartica that need to be urgently addressed. Among the issues are the need of an ambulance to provide better emergency attendance to the community. Mr. Editor I was advised by some medical workers of the Bartica Hospital that when they depa r t f r o m t h e hospital by boat with an emergency patent, when the boat arrives at the Parika stelling, sometimes they have to wait for hours before an ambulance comes to transfer the patent to the Georgetown
hospital, The hospital also needs to be provided with more drugs since a lot of residents stated that they have to buy the treatments at private pharmaci e s , since sometimes the hospital doesn’t have the medication. The hospital needs to be re-built and transform into a state of the art institution with more medical staff. Over the years a number of persons were taken there with critical injuries, but were then take the rough speedboat journey to Parika and then transferred to the
Georgetown Hospital because of the lack of facilities at Bartica. A number of mothers said that they joined the Bartica Hospital clinic but would head for private hospitals in Georgetown for delivery because of the poor quality of . I am calling on the leaders of this region to make the necessary recommendations to the Ministry of Health to immediately put systems in place to have this matter corrected. Yours faithfully Micah Williams
(From page 4) Kissoon has read have not contributed one iota to his lucidity. He wrote: “Who gets left out at the hospital after the doctor leaves his surgery is not a random process. People got there before the doctor left. If you wanted to be treated, you would have been there on time and have been part of the wait.” Of course, this is imprecise gibberish. Whether or not you have been treated fairly by the doctor would depend on what the doctor promised. Did he say: “I will treat everyone who arrives at my surgery before 3pm.” If so,
without treating you, you were treated fairly, and so on. Thanks to those who existed at the Ministry of Education long before Henry Jeffrey, the placement system, with well defined environments (school areas) and criteria, is more precise and operational. The boundaries and criteria were published in 2001and are still operational. For example, the boundaries of the West Ruimveldt Primary School’s environment are: · East: by the Fire Station – upwards of Lots 401; · West: Public road La
point. At the time of the West Ruimveldt discussion the above was what the Ministry promised and one should not change that promise retrospectively. So let me repeat my 2001 statement: “… if a school area has more children than there are places at the school, since each applicant has an equal right to a place, only a process that gives each member of the group an e q ual chance of being selected can justifiably be utilized to select those who should be placed at the School. Yes gentlemen, if we all have equal rights or are equally qualified to have a
and you arrived before 3pm and he did not treat you, then you would have been treated unfairly. Did he say: “I will treat people on a first come, first served basis, up to 3pm.” If so, and you arrived before 3pm but based upon the first come first served principle, 3pm arrived an d h e l e f t
Penitence Lots 1-18 Middle Road La Penitence Lots 1-150 · North: Independence Boulevard Lots 1-50 & upwards of Lots 296 · South: Riverview, Alexander Village, D’Aguiar’s Park & Meadow Bank. The placement criteria are: (See Table) The Ministry’s promise is that each child in a given category has an equal right to a place at the given school. The child that lives on the street opposite the school has the same right as the child living on the border of the boundary. Whether this is fair or not is simply not the
seat in a bus, … and all of us cannot be accommodated, the random method, which gives each of us an equal chance to the available seats, … is the most fair.” Yours truly Henry B. Jeffrey Minister of Education Editor, for some considerable time I recognized in Mr. Frederick Kissoon not only a general megalomania but also the incapacity to properly follow and present an argument and a penchant for distortion and sensationalism that others are only now beginning to discern.
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Corrective heart surgery for child delayed While, two-year-old Sayeid Phillips’s health continues to deteriorate, his relatives are of the view that they have been treated inequitably by the Three Rivers Foundation. The foundation is a c h a r i t a b l e organisation dedicated to helping sick children in Guyana whose parents are too poor to afford medical care. Most times, the foundation affords families the opportunity to travel overseas to undergo surgery. In Sayeid’s case, relatives have lost hope of acquiring help since the toddler was diagnosed with Teratology of Fallot (a congenital heart) at birth. His mother was told by doctors that the boy would need to undergo a corrective heart surgery, which is only performed overseas. Their faith has dwindled as the Three Rivers Foundation, the premier and possibly only Care foundation that can assist them is refusing to do so. However, in a correspondence to Kaieteur News, Head of the Foundation, Jeanette Singh, explained that the child Sayeid Phillips was supposed
Sayeid Phillips and his mother, Shenaz Iqbal
to be travelling to India within the next two to three weeks with another patient. She said that problems arose during the documentation process. Singh, who resides overseas, said that “Phillip’s family was showing up whenever they felt like.” “The other patient could not wait on that family to “show up” whenever they
felt like. Hence the reasons for taking the child off the list for now.” Several months after his diagnosis, Sayeid’s family, in dire need for help, turned to the Three Rivers Foundation. There, the ailing child’s mother and grandparents learnt that the surgery the child required would cost US$6,500, travel allowances excluded.
- As charitable Foundation and relatives clash over issues But several months after acquiring the necessary finances, and documentation, Sayeid’s relatives say that they have been denied the assistance of the foundation to travel overseas. The boy, accompanied by his mother, was scheduled for New Delhi, India, this August. “It is a most discouraging feature that I have come across in my life, one of anxiety and one of tears. I am moved to believe that poverty is curse… Sayeid has holes in his heart, needs help; his condition is getting worse by the day,” one relative stated. The boy’s mother, Shenaz Iqbal, said that she sought the assistance of several organizations, including the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG), and the Ministry of Health (MOH). Iqbal said that Rita Guyadin, a staff attached to Three Rivers, initially promised to assist her. In time she became insensitive to the issue. “She de promise fuh help but when we done get the
estimate and the cheque then she start going around in circles. Is how many days now we going fuh meet she and getting excuse that she gone out …She say how we miss the appointment,” a confused Iqbal related. Iqbal said that Ms Guyadin finally told her the family will no longer be traveling to India for little Sayeid to undergo the surgery he needs. “She just say that she can’t help we and that we must come fuh we documents.” Singh recalled one instance where relatives were scheduled to sign the necessary visa applications but “never showed up”. “There were numerous phone calls to the child’s mother and grandfather to have them come in and sign the necessary visa applications. They never returned the phone calls nor did they come to the office to sign the necessary documents. They were asked to come to our Guyana office on the week of July 8…they never showed up.”
The following week, Singh said the mother of Sayeid went to Ministry of Health, Georgetown to collect a Government draft from Bibi Seeraj at the Ministry of Health. “Ms Seeraj gave her the draft and a copy of the Max Hospital estimate and she informed the mother to drop the documents to Three Rivers. The mother never showed up. Seeraj tried to get in touch with the mother without any success. We have reasons to believe (information given to us by other organisations in Guyana) that the family has been collecting funds with the hospital document which they got from Bibi Seeraj for their own use.” “I believe that the family does not have the child’s best interest at heart,” the correspondent said. “We require cooperation, honesty and trust from families we take to India. This family has demonstrated a ‘care free attitude’.” As such Ms Singh suggests the intervention of the Child Protection Agency in Guyana to “see what is going on with this child and how best he can get the help he so desperately needs.”
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 28, 2013
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
Sithe Global in breach of interim licence … should be given the boot
Artist’s impression of the Amaila Falls Hydropower plant Sithe Global Amaila Holdings Inc should be booted out from the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project f o r f a i l i n g t o m e e t its licensing conditions, says Christopher Ram, Chartered Accountant. According to Ram, the various contracts to execute the hydropower project had not been conducted in accordance with the constitutional and statutory framework of the Constitution and the Procurement Act. As such, the project should be revisited in its entirety. Ram said that the government cannot enter into any valid contract that is in breach of any law. “No party such as Sithe Global can come into our courts and attempt to enforce such contracts,” he added. Providing a background to the project Ram said that a study done in June 2002 for the Government was based on the Amaila Falls being developed as a private sector project, on the principle of a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT). Synergy Holdings Inc was granted an Original Interim Licence on July 29, 2002, almost 11 years ago, for the development of a Hydroelectric power station and reservoir and the construction of a transmission to the coast to sell electricity. Following some extensions, Synergy went to Sithe Global Amaila Holdings Inc., a company incorporated in Cayman Islands, a tax haven, as the proposed investor for the project. By a series of further extensions a Tenth Supplementary to Interim Licence was granted to Amaila Falls Hydro Inc. Apparently for flipping the licence, Makeshwar ‘Fip’
Motilall, Office Manager of Synergy was paid around US$10 million. According to Ram, perhaps the most important provision of the Tenth Supplementary stated, “Such amendment shall alter only paragraph 5 of the Interim Licence. All other parts, conditions, and provisions of the Original Interim Licence … shall remain in force and effect.” He said the Interim Licence required the completion of 10 very specific activities to be completed by Amaila Falls Hydro Inc. during the term of the licence to obtain the final licence. And, also sets out what constitutes default. One of these is if the provisions of the Interim Licence are breached. From all indications the only thing Sithe Global did that was required was to form a Guyana Company. Seemingly, partially completed, is obtaining all environmental and other statutorily permits. Meanwhile the status is unknown for “finalize and survey all lands to be occupied for construction, maintenance and operation of AFHEP, including the access road and transmission line routes,” he said. According to Ram, it was announced that Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract was signed with Government undertaking a number of obligations which should have been borne by the company. Ram, also an Attorney-AtLaw, said it appears that financing and pre-closing activities for the development of the hydropower plant are incomplete. “Again, the Government of Guyana has had to undertake a number of
financial obligations which should have been borne by the company,” he said. Another requirement for the final licence is the completion of initial developmental works related to the construction of the proposed access road from Pamela Landing to the project site and the airstrip at the project site. This is incomplete and the cost of the road works is being borne by Guyana, he said. He stated it is unknown if the company collects additional hydrological data on an ongoing basis to verify the levels of firm power during dry seasons. According to Ram, it is unknown whether the company prepared and submitted to the Minister responsible for energy, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, a business plan and a framework for an operating and maintenance plan describing the intended approach to operation and maintenance, the proposed operating standards and likely costs. “It is unlikely that this could have been completed in the absence of the financing
being put in place and a Power Purchase Agreement approved by the Public Utilities Commission,” he said. According to Ram, “Sadly, it seems that the company has not only shown complete disregard for the Licence but has asked for the exclusive control of lands well beyond what the Licence provides.” He believes that the company formed to inherit the Licence from Mr. Motilall, Amaila Falls Hydro Inc. has not met the conditions for the issue to it of a Final Licence. “But the Government too has been careless in this regard. It has been months since I raised the matter of the Licence with the Prime Minister and I did so again on Thursday. Significantly, he and the rest of the Government team avoided my question. The company was aware of its obligations under the Licence,” Ram said.
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Dem boys seh
Brazzy and Ash Knee doing things in secret Brazzy and Ash Knee gone to Washington. Well dem boys laugh when dem see de two men boarding de plane. One man ask if is Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Another one ask if is Mutt and Jeff. Dem tek de plane and dem gone to Washington to meet wid anybody who gun listen to how de opposition bad. De truth is that dem blame de IDB fuh everything. Dem tell de opposition that de IDB want Guyana to sign certain documents and to pass certain Bills. De IDB people don’t like when anybody tell lie pun dem suh dem get vex and call de two people who start de lie in Guyana. Kit is another one who mek de IDB get vex. Donald called a forum fuh complain to de whole nation how de opposition bad and how dem want kill Amaila. When de big man done talk Kit call everybody and tell dem that dem got to issue a statement supporting Donald. Dem had some reporters in de crowd and Kit run to beg dem to sign. Well dem boys hear when one of dem tell he that let One Edghill sign because he was one who seh that reporters can’t talk at de forum. Well if dem can’t talk dem can’t write. Chris Ram didn’t write no statement either. He get vex. He want to know wheh Fip and de people money deh. He seh that he know when Fip was selling Gilbakker and that is de man Jagdeo tek he out fuh build road. De next thing is that dem gun tek a garbage collector and put he fuh build four-lane highway. But is Cathy de Huge girl. She run and big up Fip. She claim how he can do this and do that. Well when dem opposition people question de government in parliament bout Fip Ah Kneel tell dem fuh ask Cathy. Cathy is wid de AFC. She and Fip had a secret deal just like how Bharrat and dem Chinee had a secret deal and how Brazzy and Ash Knee gone to Washington in secret. De opposition gun have to question she secretly about Fip. Talk half and avoid all dem secret.
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Kaieteur News
AG, Greenidge clash over Fip Motilall By: Kiana Wilburg “Why was Makeshwar “Fip” Motilall awarded the contract when he has never built a road or hydro plant?” This was one of the questions raised by Carl Greenidge, the shadow Finance Minister of a Partnership for National Unity (APNU). Attorney General, Anil Nandlall responded that Synergy, owned by Motilall, was only awarded the contract on the basis of being the lowest bidder. “If Synergy Holdings was not awarded the contract, the government would have been accused of awarding the contracts to friends and cronies and ignoring the lowest bidder. Yet when the contract was awarded to Synergy, the government was still criticized,” said Nandlall. However, Greenidge responded, “A contract cannot be awarded solely on the basis of being the lowest bidder. One must meet certain technical and financial requirements, possess the necessary expertise and exhibit professional competence.” Nandlall told this publication that the road contract for Amaila Falls Hydro Project was advertised publicly by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board. Three bids were subsequently received from Synergy.Inc, BK International and one from China Railway First Group Co. Ltd (China Rail) and those by China Rail and BK exceeded Synergy’s by several million US dollars.
‘AG spends more time on propaganda rather than doing his real job,’ says Greenidge “Indeed one of the bids was almost twice the value of Synergy’s bids so the differential of the prices of the bids were tremendous.” In addition, Synergy completed a substantial amount of the most difficult works on the road. Nandlall indicated that Synergy breached certain conditions of the contract and as such, the contract was terminated. He said that the matter is now before the courts and the government is claiming compensation from Synergy. He continued, “Synergy, as per the contract. lodged a performance bond to the tune of US$1.5million. Upon termination of the contract, the government has taken steps to recover the monies due under the performance bond .When one takes into account the monies to be recovered from the performance bond there is a possibility that the state will come out the net winner in this equation.” The Minister of Legal Affairs stated that the procurement process allows for objections to be made and appeals to be lodged against awards. Why was this facility not used if Mr. Greenidge had any contention with regard to which company was awarded the contract? Is it that the Rip Van Winkle of the opposition has now awakened from his intoxicated slumber?” The Shadow Finance Minister said that the procurement process allows for little to no justice. “I don’t think anything was done with most of the complaints that are made to the tender board. It is a political contract so what is the use in submitting complaints?” “The Attorney General seems to be spending more time doing public relations
work for the government rather than his own work. The fact that Synergy is before the court is no surprise. Before one can even look at the financial part of a contract, one must first ascertain whether the company is competent. “Motilall had no track record. He has never delivered but was still given eleven extensions so what is Nandlall talking about? His business seems to be more propaganda rather than executing his responsibilities as an Attorney General.” With regard to questions surrounding why the Chief Executive Officer of Synergy Holdings, Makeshwar “Fip” Motilall, was awarded the contract despite allegations about his competence, the Attorney General said that the Public Relations Officer of Synergy who was Ms. Cathy Hughes, Member of Parliament, is the best person to answer that question. “Mrs. Hughes, who is an executive member of Synergy, disseminated all the information about Motilall’s suitability for this project and I wonder why didn’t, Mr. Nagamootoo or Mr. Greenidge ask Mrs. Hughes then or ask her now about his suitability.” Greenidge firmly responded to Nandlall’s comments, stating that he is not concerned with whether Mrs. Hughes was the CEO or the Public Relations Officer. “It is not germane to the question posited. Nandlall is paid to give advice on the law but he behaves in a way that is above reproach and is always bending information to make propaganda for the government. “He is the only Attorney General that spends most of his time on propaganda rather than doing his real job.”
Sunday July 28, 2013
Mandela Avenue shooting…
Cop’s friend was slain after he attacked bus conductor - eyewitness Police investigations into Friday’s fatal shooting on Mandela Avenue indicate that Elvis Fernandes and a friend had attacked the occupants of a minibus shortly before Fernandes was shot. The investigation also indicates that Fernandes and his companions were the aggressors. Kaieteur News had received conflicting accounts of the shooting. While a police statement indicated that Lloyd Britton, an occupant of the bus, was wounded by a police rank after shooting Fernandes, Britton is alleging that he was unarmed when the rank shot him. The police release had also stated that Fernandes was shot in the chest, but hospital sources said that he was shot at the side of the head. Kaieteur News understands that the car in which Fernandes and the police rank were travelling is owned by a Mandela Avenue businessman. According to one report which was given to the police, a Norton Street resident who drives a minibus struck the car and shattered the left side mirror around 18:30 hrs on Friday. An argument ensued between Fernandes and one of the occupants of the minibus. However, ranks from a police patrol reportedly intervened and advised the men to report the accident. The two drivers reportedly then went their separate ways. However, it is alleged that the minibus driver was heading down Mandela Avenue shortly after when the same car, which was occupied by Fernandes and a police rank, blocked their path.
Lloyd Britton
The driver of the car allegedly exited and began to attack the bus driver with a cutlass. Fernandes, meanwhile, also emerged from the car and was reportedly attacking the minibus conductor when a front seat passenger shot him. The police rank who was with Fernandes allegedly then discharged three rounds at the passenger who had shot Fernandes. Fernandes was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, while Britton was admitted under police guard. Yesterday, Britton denied shooting Fernandes. The handcuffed man told Kaieteur News that he boarded a bus on Mandela Avenue around 18:30 hrs to return home in Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. “I been in the front seat of the bus and I see a speeding car drive pass we and stop in the middle of the road”, Britton said.
“I see these men come walking with the cutlass towards the bus forcefully and I get out the bus fuh run and the one with the gun open fire,” Britton said. He added that the shooter, who identified himself as a police officer, discharged three rounds, one of which struck him in the chest. He also alleged that Elvis Fernandes was coming towards him with a cutlass and one of the bullets fired by the police rank also struck Fernandes. “Three shots he fire off because he see me running and he shoot he own partner and then tell the policemen them that I shoot the man,” Britton claimed. Britton said that during the gunfire, passengers in the minibus jumped out of the vehicle and ran for cover while he lay near the bus crying for help. Britton said that he later learned that the men had an altercation with the driver of the minibus earlier in the day.
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
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“Cuffy” - a symbol of struggle and freedom Dr. David Hinds at the Square of the revolution explaining the symbols
By Rehanna Ramsay The 1763 monument, popularly known as “Cuffy”, and situated at Square of the Revolution, Georgetown, stands 15 feet tall and weighs two and a half tons. The statue was erected by renowned local artist Dr Phillip Alphonso Moore (now deceased) in 1976 and was unveiled on May23 that same year by Guyana’s late Prime Minister, Linden Forbes Burnham. The statue sits on a plinth, and showcases a fountain that creates a picturesque effect. Five plaques surround the plinth, each representative of an aspect of revolution from slavery. The plaques represent seeking inspiration, uniting the people, destroying the enemies, ‘control and praise’ and thanksgiving. But what’s so special about this statue as we observe 175 years since the abolition of slavery? What are some ideals that can be drawn from our ancestors, in particular Cuffy? How is this symbol relevant to modern Guyanese of African ancestry and to the wider society? Two hundred and fifty years after the fact, the legend of Cuffy continues to impress, inspire and impact the lives of locals and tourists alike. “Cuffy is a spirited monument …it was inspired from a dream the original artist Dr Phillip Alphonso Moore had. The sculpture embodies who we are as a people; he represents our struggles, resilience, defiance, and resistance against every form of slavery. A symbol of struggle and freedom …Cuffy is testament to unity in action,” Dr David Hinds of
The 1763 monument “Cuffy”
the Caribbean and African Diaspora studies said. HISTORY The enslaved Akan Akomfo and Kofi Badu, aka “Cuffy” – from Ghana, West Africa, (the African State that will be featured during this year ’s emancipation celebrations), were brought to the Dutch colony of Berbice, in Guiana. In 1762, slaves on plantation Magdalenburg on the Canje River rebelled and protested harsh, inhumane treatment by colonial rulers. Cuffy, a house slave for a barrel maker at Lilienburg, another plantation on Canje, led an uprising of approximately 3,833 slaves on February 23, 1763. Cuffy is said to have organized them into a military unit. The revolution lasted until 1764 and although Cuffy had a sad end, he is still remembered as a national hero. The Berbice rebellion led the way for several other revolts across the country, the Caribbean and North America. MODERN DAY SLAVES Although slavery was abolished nearly two centuries ago, the struggle of the African people continues. Today they face a different adversity, and struggle, a struggle for ethical unity as well psychological and systematic independence. According to Dr Hinds, the African descendants continue to struggle although physical slavery no longer exists … “Although Africans survived as a people we are severely damaged.” Dr Hinds said that the ideals of white imperialists continue to exist among African descendants, bringing division just as in olden days where the house slaves were given certain privileges over field slaves.
“The idea of racism that dark skinned people are inferior to light skinned people came from slavery …the system was designed to make us think and act that way.” Dr Hinds also agreed that the issue is widespread, hence the systematic practices of racism in modern societies. Many believe that although it is no longer common for racism to be practiced openly, it is subtle. Dr Hinds believes that these are some of the issues that need to be addressed. Many times young people of African descent often face stereotypical characterization of crime and negativity. “Society today, in several cases an African is presumed
guilty until found innocent while others are presumed innocent until proven guilty.” THE SOLUTION Dr Hinds will host discussions on the theme: “The state of African Guyanese…A time for renewal and empowerment.” The forum will be held on August 4, 2013 at the headquarters of the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA). Dr Hinds said that the 1763 monument “depicts Africa’s response to slavery …it shows that the human spirit finds a way to overcome …We first have to unshackle ourselves from the ideals that we have been enslaved because we are not slaves.”
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Sunday July 28, 2013
10 kilos cocaine The day I resigned from the PPP intercepted at CJIA - Ralph Ramkarran
Approximately 10 Kilos of Cocaine Agents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) yesterday intercepted over 10 kilograms of cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). The drug was destined for JFK international. The substance was found in a bag that had already been placed on the trolley. It was found at the back of the terminal building in the baggage area. Kaieteur News understands that the substance was to be loaded on Caribbean Airlines flight BW 526 destined to the John F Kennedy (JFK) airport. The flight was scheduled to depart at 15:50hrs, some two hours after the find. This publication understands that Caribbean Airlines (CAL) security first spotted the bag. Agents of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit were informed and they, in turn, requested the involvement of anti narcotics police agents also attached to the airport. Investigators believe that the bag, which carried a false tag, might have been there since Friday night. No arrest has been made.
Former Central Executive member of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Ralph Ramkarran, has detailed his final moments as a member of that party, saying that the last straw was when he was accused of being untrustworthy. In his now weekly article posted last evening on his w e b s i t e , conversationtree.gy, the former two-time Speaker of the National Assembly also said that hours after his resignation, on June 30, last year, senior officials of the PPP were more concerned about the negative publicity rather than his departure. Next weekend, the PPP is heading to Berbice to hold its first national Congress without the presence of the any of the Jagans. It will also be the first time that Ramkarran, and his wife Janet, will be absent too since 1974. The party, which lost its voting majority in the National Assembly in the November 2011 General Elections for the first time in its 20-year reign, has been facing one crisis after another, including cuts to the National Budget and blocking of a number of major projects, including the flagship Amaila Falls hydro-electric and expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. Last week, in response to a number of stinging criticisms, the party said that Ramkarran never raised the issue of corruption while he was making a bid to become the Presidential Candidate in the lead-up to the 2011 elections, a charge that the lawyer has denied. Ramkarran, in the article titled “The Day I Resigned From The PPP”, disclosed that shortly before that last meeting, he had written an article on pervasive corruption in Guyana. On
June 29th, there was a Party Executive meeting where he was met with hostilities from party members which appeared planned “by willing and practised hands”. UNTRUSTWORTHY It was at the end of that meeting that he was “gratuitously and irrelevantly accused of being untrustworthy. After forty years in the leadership of the PPP, such an accusation was about as much as I could bear.” “Not after two decades, the 1970s and 1980s, during the most frightening political conditions in our country, discussing ultra sensitive matters in the ultra secure group of the leadership, in ultra secure conditions, given the most confidential information and (legal) tasks by that group and never found wanting. I erupted and there was loud talk. I left the meeting after a refusal to withdraw the accusation.” The meeting so badly affected him that he remained silent after returning home and his family thought he had suffered a stroke. Immediately after breakfast, on June 30h, he made the decision to quit the party. “I knew that the time had come for me to sever my fifty-year formal connection with the PPP, which went even further back into childhood.” Ramkarran said that his connections included not only the Executive and the Central Committee, but from the Party itself. “I did not speak to or consult anyone but realised that I could take no more of the years of hostility, abuse and torment that had been heaped upon me, starting in 1997, subsiding for a few years, then recommencing with
studied vindictiveness and renewed venom in 2005 at the Essequibo Congress, lasting I later learnt, up to shortly before President (Donald) Ramotar was sworn in.” He said that he had thought that the hostilities would change with the elections being over. However, matters got worse. “A Cabinet had been appointed, but I was to learn that my exclusion was demanded by some, ostensibly because I did not campaign, but in reality because of the lingering hostility and vindictiveness.” He returned to writing for The Mirror, the party’s newspaper and even did outreaches. “I even allowed my name to be put up for Speaker, which I advised was a losing proposition.” OUTSPOKEN Ramkarran, who said earlier this week that the party grew increasingly intolerant to criticisms of corruption, believed that it was not merely his “alleged contrariness” that got him into trouble, but his outspokenness too. “My presence, my independence, the fact that I spoke up and disagreed sometimes, and when insulted did not take it quietly, these could not be tolerated. It dawned upon me that I had completely alienated myself from the ruling cabal and had ceased to be seen as a team player among that group because I was not obsequiously compliant.” Ramkarran steered away from naming the party officials who felt that way but indicated that the “new” ruling group had imposed a culture of implacable hostility to internal or external views contrary to those of its own. After sending his resignation in, there were calls from a number of friends but none who were at the executive meeting. “No one would have been asked to call if the draft press statement was not included with my resignation,
Ralph Ramkarran indicating my intention to go public. They could not have cared less about my resignation and would have welcomed it, if done quietly. Their only concern was the negative publicity.” He said that later that day, he sent a copy of the press statement to a private newspaper. On his resignation, Ramkarran said he was not merely forced to leave a room. “I was degraded so often that this time it could only mean that I was being kicked out of a treasured life of shared commitment and endeavour, achievements and setbacks, joys and sorrows, arguments won and lost, great debates in the Cheddi Jagan era, playing a role in the direction of the country, great friendships and fraternal comradeships.” Snatching this life and these memories away in such a vulgar manner was a punishment more cruel than any that could have been devised, and devised it was, awaiting only the opportunity to spring it.” Despite an apology from the party, it was obvious that it was a limp one. “The limp attempt at an apology in my absence, too little too late, could not disguise and did not address the real problems as outlined above. The steps which could have stopped my impending resignation, or reversed it even after it became public, were not taken.”
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Kaieteur News
GCCI urges independent, international inquiry into hydropower project ...Ramotar says no President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Mr. Clinton Urling has urged the government to have an international body examine and analyze the controversial Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project. He made the appeal at the opening of the Ninth Annual Berbice Expo and Trade Fair Friday evening at Albion, Corentyne. But President Donald Ramotar has said no to such an activity. It would only be a time-waster, he added. It is the only way, according to Urling, in which the stalemate between the Government and Opposition can end. Urling said that if the opposition parties do not have confidence in all the presentations and studies done so far that shows the viability and feasibility of the Amaila Falls Project, it is suggestible that President Ramotar “appoint an independent and credible international firm which will be acceptable to both government and opposition so that a speedy inquiry and assessment of the project could be done.” He believes that this will settle the issue once and for all, and “ensure there is national buy- in.” “I believe it is a small price to pay to end the current stalemate that surrounds the project.” Improving Guyana’s competitiveness also means lowering electricity costs. “Our firms simply cannot compete globally with the high costs of electricity, hence
our unequivocal support in the private sector for GPL Modernization project and Amaila Falls Hydro Project....our policymakers must put aside differences and band together for the completion of this national developmental project.” “Critics of the project say that the project is shrouded in secrecy, they seem to have insufficient information to pronounce on the demerits of the project.” “If you genuinely believe that the project is sound, you should support it without conditions; and if you believe it is flawed, oppose it.” Ulring said, too, that the time has come for businesses in Guyana to come forward and promote more exhibitions. For too long the Guyana business sector has wittingly taken a back seat in promoting expos and exhibitions...”The common lament and carping is that the private sector is in its embryonic stage; that it is inadequately recognized, unappreciated and not empowered, thus incapable of taking the lead in organizing major trade and industry exhibitions.” Urling debunked those “notions.” He did state that GO- INVEST and Government retain their primary roles “in galvanizing and catalyzing expos of different types to promote exports and showcase domestic market capacities and products.” Urling commended the Central Corentyne Chambers of Commerce (CCCC). The Berbice Expo “offers a unique opportunity for businesses to
President Donald Ramotar showcase products and services that stand the test of domestic and international acceptance and competitiveness,” he said. He added that the Berbice Expo is the event that is poised to spur trade that is so crucial in leveraging Guyana’s economic growth. “I could not hope for anything more apt and transformational than this path- breaking event...” The GCCI President commended the Ministry of Tourism for collaborating with the Guyana Manufacturers’ and Services’ Association (GMSA) for hosting the Guyana Expo which is going to be held later this year. Urling said that a threatening political environment which Guyana has been experiencing over the past seven years has been affecting businesses here. He urged both government and opposition to continue to dialogue on issues that have significant national implications and arrive at positions that are in the best interest in Guyana. (Leon Suseran)
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Sunday July 28, 2013
From Laurie Lewis to Leroy Brumell…
Confidential Secretary Debbie Vaughn is a Special Person By Dale Andrews Not many people are familiar with the name Debbie Vaughn. For 21 years she has stood in the background providing unwavering support to some of Guyana's most prominent and controversial figures. Since 1991, Debbie Va u g h n h a s b e e n a Confidential Secretary in the office of the country's top lawmen, from Laurie Lewis to Leroy Brumell. And this is no ordinary feat, for while most CEOs will usually replace incumbent staff with “their own people”, Vaughn is that special person who the past five Commissioners of Police felt comfortable with and trusted to be the leader of their secretariat. Imagine setting appointments and receiving correspondence for a man like Laurie Lewis, who was involved in literally everything, or Henry Greene, a man of many friends. Vaughn admitted this was no easy task, when we sat down last Thursday in an attempt to chronicle her
career in law enforcement that started way back in 1982. Originally from Number 78 Village on the Corentyne, Berbice, Debbie Vaughn is the second of two children born to a Postmaster father and a Seamstress mother. Early in her life, her father's job brought him and his family to the city, where young Debbie was enrolled at St. James-the-less Primary
hardworking husband and young children that Debbie frowned upon such a vocation. “My mother used to work hard, really hard. Sometimes we were at home and she wouldn't even eat. When my father came home he would quarrel, because she was just on the sewing machine. I didn't want that,” she declared. Like most young girls at
“In terms of the work, you couldn't apply one man's style to another. In your quiet moments you just had to sit down and figure out how to adjust.” School (now F.E. Pollard) in Kitty. Her secondary school years were spent at the North Georgetown on Woolford Avenue. Even though she grew up around seamstresses (her grandmother, mother and aunts were all in the profession) she never set her mind on sewing. Perhaps it was because she saw her mother toiling away all day and way into the night at the sewing machine while still having to care for her
tha t time, Debbie Vaughn dreamt of becoming an Air Hostess (Flight Attendant) but when that did not materialise, she set her sights on the banking field. That too did not materialise since it required having some accounting knowledge and by chance her working career started as a teacher at the St Paul's P r i m a r y a n d Tr i n i t y Methodist Schools. “Even in those days when you sent out an application, you had a problem. So by virtue of that, you take up what came first, and teaching came up first.” Although she did not immediately undertake the trained teacher's certificate at the Cyril Potter College of Education, she harboured thoughts about remaining in the profession. But she adapted to the task and even did the in-service teachers' training, which was done in
the afternoons at St. Stanislaus College. Maybe, Miss Vaughn would have continued in the teaching profession, and we even joked that she might have been a headmistress by now, but the massive retrenchment of the early 1980s put paid to that Vaughn was one of the victims. Out of work, she had to find something to do since ambition was the order of the day for the young women of that period. In those days, many young girls went to “commercial” classes where they learnt secretarial skills. Vaughn had already secured certificates in shorthand and typing, and considered herself an expert in shorthand, reaching up to 80 words per minute. As it turned out, that training was to serve her in good stead in her subsequent career. Did she ever think of becoming a policewoman? “No!” she said emphatically. “Never, never, never, never, ever,” she declared But she became the only person in her family to emulate her maternal grandfather by enlisting in the Police Force in 1982. And she never had any trepidation about joining the organisation. “I told myself that I didn't want to do the general policing, I wanted to do the secretarial work. That was in my mind. But when you came and did the interview
Through the years
Debbie Vaughn
and you knew you had to do the training, you resigned yourself to policing and hoped that the break would come. But you had to tell yourself that whatever they put you to do, you had to do your best,” she reflected. In 1982, Lloyd Barker
was the Commissioner of Police, and Debbie Vaughn, who was part of Course 124, only had glimpses of him. She never thought that the time would come when she would spend more than two decades serving the office (continued on page 47)
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NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS ARE NO DOORMATS
T
he media may be a national stakeholder but it is not a constituent member of the National Stakeholders' Forum, and rightly so, because it would find itself in a conflict of interest, if and when called to take a position, be it through editorial comment or otherwise, on issues deliberated on by that body. The presence of the media at a national stakeholders' consultation held last Thursday at the International Convention Centre was to report on proceedings which were considered both by the government and the media as a matter of public importance. The government was there to consult with the stakeholders who were free to ask questions and make comments, which they did. The role of media was to report on these proceedings, not to be a participant. The media knows this all too well. It knows what its role is supposed to be in these and similar events. If, for example, there is a conference or training session taking place to which the media is invited, its role is usually confined to the opening session after which the proceedings of the conference or training programme are restricted to participants. At the National Stakeholders' Conference, the media was supposedly allowed to stay throughout the entire consultations. But the media should never interpret this as incorporating it as a participant, or granting the licence to ask questions during the actual consultations. The media however has the luxury during breaks to approach the participants privately and to solicit their views. The government used this consultation to galvanize support for the proposed hydroelectric project which they see as being under threat from the parliamentary opposition. But why they need to do so this is baffling and why the consultations were called at this unholy, however, is even more perplexing. For one, the opposition has not expressed its disagreement with the construction of the hydroelectricity project. They are not even at this stage questioning the price
or the technical details. One of the opposition parties, APNU, is on record as saying it lacks the technical capacity to analyze projects of this size, and another, the AFC, has deferred to the IDB. If they lack the capacity to do the analysis, how then can they be critical about the technical or financial merits of this project? The reason for the opposition voting down a Bill to raise the debt ceiling of the country and to amend the hydroelectric laws has to do with horse-trading. The opposition wants concessions from the government on other matters. The government, however, is adamant, and rightly so, that such major projects should not become the subject of political horsetrading. There are other areas where this should be taking place. In this context, it is hard to see why the government would need to be explaining technical details to the national stakeholders. They never thought about doing this since the last elections, but now that support for this project is being made conditional on other political considerations, they are reaching out to the national stakeholders. There are some issues over which politics should have no part. After the Lusignan Massacre a few years ago, the opposition was presented with the opportunity to use a stakeholders' forum that was called in the wake of that terrible event to wrest concessions from the government in return for lending its condemnation to the terrible tragedy. The opposition, under Mr. Corbin, did not do this. I n s t e a d , i t unconditionally joined with other national stakeholders in condemning this atrocity. It did not use this opportunity to wrest concessions from the government, because it recognized that this was a national tragedy and there was a need for everyone to unite in its condemnation and rejection of such a terrible incident. The PNCR could have refused to take the stance, as it did. It could have questioned why national stakeholder forums are only be convened when the government has a crisis on its hands. But it did not.
T h e P P P C administration has continued to treat the national stakeholders' forum like its doormat, bringing it out when it needs to wipe its feet on some issue. This is unacceptable and should be rejected. The government should not be selective in consultations with national stakeholders. These stakeholders should refuse to be treated this way. This makes a mockery of these
sessions, with the stakeholders' own concerns not being dealt with. It is always about what the government wants to discuss. This situation should cease and be replaced by more regular and structured consultations, with an agenda set by both the government and the stakeholders. These forums are an insult to the national stakeholders, because they are being convened only at
the whim of the government and only when the government needs some support. The media, in insisting that it should be allowed to ask questions, is only dignifying this charade which passes off as
consultations, apart of course from the fact that not being a participant, the media enjoys no such prerogative.
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SUNDAY SPECIAL PPPATTACKS FORMER SPEAKER …HE NEVER RAISED CORRUPTION DURING PRESIDENTIAL BID- SAYS STATEMENT The ruling party last week Saturday went on the offensive against outspoken, former Central Executive Member and party stalwart Ralph Ramkarran, questioning the timing of accusations of corruption in Government. The statement by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) came just two weeks before the party’s all important first National Congress in five years. The choosing of new leaders will be one of the highpoints of the party which took power in 1992 but failed to secure a Parliamentary majority for the first time in its reign, in the 2011 elections. Ramkarran, a prominent lawyer who served as Speaker of the National Assembly for two terms and was set to return following the 2011 elections, lost that position to Raphael Trotman, an opposition-nominated candidate. He resigned last year June from the party, a few weeks after penning a critical note on corruption. Ramkarran has since been writing on his website, conversationtree.gy, penning among others, one piece entitled “The Kleptocratic Republic of Guyana” in which he accused the government of corruption. Ramkarran and his family have been around for decades in the party’s hierarchy. He has been with the party since 1962, becoming a Central Committee member in 1974 and a member of the Central Executive in 1975.
PLANE CRASH Attorney-at-Law Melvin Duke says that a statement of claim has been sent to Air Services Limited (ASL) on behalf of two clients seeking compensation for inconveniences caused following a plane crash in Matthew’s Ridge last week. Clinton Campbell, 30, and Troy Henry, 25, are seeking to be rewarded for minor injuries sustained and trauma endured as a result of the accident. Campbell is a father of two and has a pregnant wife. He said he is unable to work because he received injuries to his hand. Henry also received injuries. The men were on board the Cessna Caravan 8R-AMS when it went down in the North West District last week Monday. Campbell told Kaieteur News that he and the other persons had joined the flight at the Ogle Airport and were on their way to a place called ‘Fine Gold’ outside Matthew’s Ridge. They are miners working on a land dredge operating in the area. As a result of their injuries, Campbell said his employer contacted the Attorney to discuss the legalities of the matter. Duke told Kaieteur News that so far his office is awaiting a reply from the ASL in relation to the claim letter. According to the information his clients have related, he said the the air service company might have to take some responsibility. He said that his clients mentioned irregular occurrences before the flight took off, but still it made the journey to the interior. The client also told the lawyer that even before the plane crashed, there were some inconsistencies.
PASSENGERS SEEK COMPENSATION FOR MATTHEW’S RIDGE
MONDAY EDITION BODY FOUND IN BURNT CRABWOOD
CREEK HOUSE,ARSON SUSPECTED IN SOESDYKE BLAZE The body of a man was retrieved Sunday from a house at Crabwood Creek, Corentyne which was ruined by fire. Police said that the wooden house at Grant 1780, was destroyed at around 01: 40hrs Sunday. The cause of the blaze was undetermined. “The remains of a man known as ‘Martin’ and who lived alone in the building was subsequently found among the debris,” police said. The fire was one of three that occurred Sunday. At around 02:00 hrs Sunday, a woman and her three daughters were left homeless after a fire destroyed their two-storey house at Lot 204 Soesdyke. The family had only recently moved in to the building. According to reports, the property belongs to an American-based Guyanese whose name was given as Ty Rambarose. BOGUS BUSINESSMAN STRIKES AGAIN - VICTIM CLAIMS COP HELPED SUSPECT ESCAPE A notorious confidence
Sunday July 28, 2013
trickster known for his visa scam, car importation scam and several others has pounced on another victim. Only this time, the victim fooled the trickster into meeting him at a location where he was captured by the police. But William Ross, the victim, now claims that a police rank helped the suspect escape. It all started a little over a month ago when Ross handed over $200,000 to the alleged fraudster. The money was to secure rent for part of a building located at a “hot spot” in Diamond. Ross told Kaieteur News that he wanted to rent space from the trickster for the purpose of having a game shop. He said that he initially inquired about the place from a woman who posed as the con-man’s mother.
CHARADE Former senior executive of the ruling People Progressive Party (PPP), Ralph Ramkarran, hit back at criticisms over the weekend that he remained silent on corruption while he was a member of the party. Ramkarran, a former Speaker of the National Assembly and long-serving party member, accused the PPP of fostering an atmosphere of intolerance to criticism from the early 2000s with members afraid to speak out, fearing repercussions. He went further. The issue of corruption was even one that was taken off the party’s agenda and never of importance. “Several comrades courageously raised the issue of corruption again and again but were always overwhelmed by hostility or the next best thing - silence. This was not the only reason. The leadership cabal ensured that the issue of corruption was taken off the Party’s agenda.” According to Ramkarran, the intolerance to criticism, especially criticism of corruption, was more pronounced after 2006. “No one, and that means no one, including Mrs. (Janet) Jagan who was publicly ridiculed by then President (Bharrat) Jagdeo, who attempted to denigrate her as a private citizen when she criticised the withdrawal of government ads to Stabroek News, dared to raise any criticism or negative issue unless one was prepared for a tongue lashing.”
TUESDAY EDITION RAMKARRAN: PPP LEADERS SHOWED HOSTILITY TO MEMBERS CRITICIZING CORRUPTION - INTOLERANCE GREW UNDER JAGDEO’S RULE - PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS A
LIAT MAKES INAUGURALFLIGHTAT OGLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Regional Airline, Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT) completed its inaugural international flight at the Ogle Aerodrome, Monday. The Regional Carrier LI 521 made
its first landing at Ogle around 2:00 pm. The flight landed on schedule bringing in 33 passengers from Barbados. Most passengers seemed thrilled to be a part of the memorable event; some recounted their landing experience while others said that they were able to clear Immigration in less than 15 minutes. WEDNESDAY EDITION IRRESPONSIBLE BORROWING, ABSENCE OF ESTABLISHED DEBT POLICY TROUBLING - FINANCIAL EXPERT Government’s propensity for irresponsible borrowing and the likely absence of a demonstrated debt policy are troubling factors that legislators should consider before significantly increasing the external debt ceiling from $1B to $150B, say financial experts. Within recent weeks, more so since the developments in the National Assembly two Thursdays ago, increasing the debt ceiling to allow Government to guarantee loans for public corporations and companies has been topical. In early June, it was reported that Government was looking to increase the limit on total guarantees that can be issued under the Guarantee of Loans (Public Corporations and Companies) Act. According to the Ministry of Finance, the proposed increase in the guarantee limit follows on the commitment to the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project, which will cost at least US$840M. The increase seeks to guarantee that the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) honours its financial commitments under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to be entered into between the Power Company and Amaila (Continued on page 37)
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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
CARICOM at 40: The power of colonialism The birth of a dream to make the English-speaking West Indian islands and Guyana into an integrated region is forty years old this month. Its current manifestation is the formation named Caricom. One house separates my home from the Caricom Secretariat. My bedroom window overlooks the Secretariat. My study window also overlooks the Secretariat. Every day and every night, millions of times, my eyes gaze onto the Caricom Secretariat. There is no coruscation from the Caricom structure in the evening because they turn off all the lights t o s a v e m o n e y. T h e ubiquitous illumination comes from the Caricom Secretariat’s neighbour, the Convention Centre. Outside of the Secretariat and the Convention Centre is a huge black hole – there are no lights on the street where the Secretariat and the Centre are sited. It is the juxtaposition of primitiveness and modern thought. It brings into sharp focus the contrast between the birth of the integration dream and the miserable life it lives in the 21st century.
There are times as my eyes look upon the Secretariat, I think of the permanent damage colonialism has done to is subjects – whether in Brazil, the US, Franco-Africa or throughout the former British Empire. Of course apart from having to look at the Secretariat daily, I must drive past the building several times in each day. The employees cause you to strain your eyes. Men from all parts of the Caribbean can be seen driving in with their sober suits and designer neck-ties with expensive briefcases. The women too are in the same genre. If you see the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada,” then you get an insight into female fashion at the Secretariat. The Italian label is conspicuous next door from my home. But what do the men who wear Calvin Klein and the women who wear Prada and who drive fancy SUVs with tinted windows do at the Caricom Secretariat? This is the mystery about Caricom forty years on. Caricom hardly functions and achieves very little when the year is done. Another mystery
of Caricom is that its reality should have made it a role model for the world. Unlike the European nations where more than two dozen societies are culturally and linguistically distinct, thirteen of the fifteen Caricom units are uncannily similar in culture and history. Yet the EU is a very tight and close integration movement, while the word “failure” may not be too harsh a word to judge Caricom’s record. Do the leaders and peoples of the Caricom want integration? No survey has been done, but a no answer may be right. We can start with Jamaica. This small island is a phenomenon. If you put twenty countries on a piece of paper and ask billions of ordinary people around the world to name those that they know as countries, apart from the big powers and small but internationally known states like Israel and Cuba, Jamaica will be among those they point to. A poll a few years back revealed that Jamaicans preferred to stay with British rule. Jamaicans will vote to opt out of Caricom if the ballot is put to them. Trinidadians
consider themselves a first world territory and look down upon the islands as backward places. Trinis will vote along the lines of Jamaica. The small islands are burdened with a colonial mentality and will never integrate. They each want to be leader in their own sandcastle. The Bajans jealously guard their stability which they attribute to the preservation of the image and symbol of ‘little England’ and will never agree to expand the CSME. Guyanese attitude to Caricom is no different. Guyanese feel that Caribbean people never liked them and don’t appreciate them. Once power-sharing comes to Georgetown, they will have little interest in
Caricom. In fact, one influential high school in Guyana does not offer CXC examinations, but went back to the British GCE. To think that Caricom, which has the CXC certificate, could allow that is extremely shocking. But a Freudian preference was at work. Time to ask the question – what has Caribbean integration achieved in its forty years of life? One answer easily comes from Trinidad. It spends billions of American dollars buying food that can be obtained from within Caricom. It will not stop doing so. It wants to buy foreign foods. Another answer comes again from Trinidad. It built another university to compete with UWI.
Frederick Kissoon I end with the Herdmanston Accord. It was a Caricom document that the Guyana Government agreed to implement and has stubbornly refused to do so. Caricom has remained silent. Caricom couldn’t be bothered. Caricom couldn’t be bothered with integration at all. The legacy of colonialism is the explanation.
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Book A gritty saga of the Review: Caymans hits mark BOOK: A Gathering of Old Men by J.A. Roy Bodden REVIEWER: Dr Glenville Ashby From the recollections and conscience of Caymanian griots, historian and academic, J.A. Roy Bodden, repaints his country with a deep rich colour of unquestionable truth. We are all familiar with the Cayman Islands, the British Overseas territory and the tourist haven. But the social enigmas, the dissociation and the complexity of identity in Bodden’s authentically driving oeuvre, we are not. Bodden, for the most part, disrobes academically, preferring oral tradition and the anecdotal approach to existential issues besetting his native land. It is penned with imaginative depth and a searing understanding of the Caymanian archetype. Bodden well understands the challenge of such an undertaking. He risks losing his mission statement under the lassitude of dialogues laced with dizzying colloquialism and vernacular prose. But, then again, this is what makes ‘A Gathering of Old Men’ unique. He is willing to take that chance, but not
before a prolegomena that details and elucidates his wrenching sociological concerns. The social discord, the racial crucibles, classism, greed, and a mélange of peoples with varying interests have diluted the Caymanian identity. Who or what constitutes a Caymanian is the searching question. Interestingly, Bodden’s canvas resembles that of every other Caribbean nation. Ironically, the Cayman Islands is forgotten in a pack of Caribbean cards that bear the same insignia. Why? There is no one answer. What matters is that Caymanian troubles mirror those of its Caribbean neigbours - many that have fortuitously battled colonialism and imperialism, and have redefined their identity despite blaring shortcomings. Booden’s nation deserves no less. A Gathering of Old Men is exemplary and artistic, probing us to reflect. It challenges us to find more principled solutions to nation building and personal responsibility. The stories are riddled with that whimsical, comedic Caribbean spirit. The tenacity, struggles, simplicity and rhythms of the seafarer and
maritime life are well chronicled. Some tales haunt, mesmerize, viz., “The Death of Artimetra Johnson.” Here, Bodden captures the sheer evil of greed; the hubris and godless conniving of Dr Alexander Evans who plots the murder of a widow to seize property that sits on a potential “gold mine.” The piety, the spiritual surrender of Mrs Johnson encapsulates the lionized faith of the West Indian Negro. It is unswerving, instructive and captivating. So too is the hyporeligiosity of Tom’lijah, whose wanderings and oratory can be likened to the fakirs of the East and the apocalyptic preachers of the West. Battle lines are drawn: good against evil; the word of God against the wiles of Satan personified. “The Death of Artimetra” is a reflection of a much bigger problem in the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean. It spells out the economic rape of disenfranchised peoples. But the “Caymans” has had its share of freedom fighters in the vein of ‘Buzz’ Butler, Cipriani, Bishop and Manley. And the “Caymanian” has struggled, protested and fought valiantly against the colonial master. If only we knew.
Righteous indignation defines “The Advocate” where the resilience, intelligence and pride of the so called natives are embodied in Wilfred Conrad McFarlane, who, despite his genteelism and UK academic grooming, never forfeits his responsibility to defend the downtrodden and challenge the judicial improprieties of the islands’ colonial oligarchs. But the struggle for justice shouldn’t be “capsuled.” It’s ongoing. In “How Pearly Lost Her False Teeth,” race and colour rear their heads in tandem. It is a tale clothed with vintage Caribbean folklore. Here, the Caribbean psyche is steeped in the metaphysical and the Obeah man is adjudicator and pontiff. Here, protagonists Pearly and Hazel, of different social and racial backgrounds vie for the love of a white American naval officer, opting for the occult arts to capture their prize. Never has there been a more loaded sociologically statement: “Pearly, my daughter, listen to me, this is just not an ordinary wedding. A white American sailor is getting married to a poor coloured Caymanian girl. Do you grasp the importance of what this is about?” So much for self-worth. And in “Incident at Old Krawl,” the jagged and sometimes tragic maritime experiences of Caymanians are vividly depicted with a spattering of levity courtesy of the frenetic Jamaican argot of migrant worker, Joe Riddah. Disaster looms, but the reader is more transfixed by Riddah’s rich patois. “Yuh mean yuh went to school in
New Yawk an’ yuh askin’ a poor sailor like Joe Riddah, wha’ ‘im mean by dat? Air meh when me sey ‘wha tan bad inna de mawnin’, cyan cum good ah evening,” he tells a befuddled colleague. His words lost in translation. Fittingly, Bodden ends with “A Gathering of Old Men Guard House, Bodden Town, circa 1953.” It “freezeframes” the dialogue of Cayman’s griots. Theirs are words of counsel - prophetic, sagacious, prescriptive and foreboding: “......Now is the time to go in for planed development, to strengthen the legislation in regard to immigration and aliens....Don’t sell your land to foreigners...His birthright...his land. Some fool will sell his land to a rich white ‘merican....,” and so forth. These are fighting words against cultural
dependency…against mental enslavement. In this seminal work, history and politics come alive and the social and psychological fabric of a people is laid bare. For sure, “Gathering” transcends time and culture. It is nothing short of a historical diary and precognitive script that will touch the nerve of oppressed people wherever they might be. Feed back: glenvilleashby @gmail.com/ Follow him on Twitter @glenvilleashby A Gathering of Old Men by J.A.Roy Bodden Ian Randle Publishers, 2012 www.ianrandlepublishers.com Kingston, Jamaica ISBN 978-976-637-617-8 Available: amazon.com Rating: Highly Recommended
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MY COLUMN
The rush to accuse and to deny My classmate, friend and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon told the media at his post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday that with the plethora of recording equipment it is impossible for someone to make a statement that is not documented. His comments came in the wake of accusations leveled against President Donald Ramotar. The state-owned Guyana Chronicle and the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported that President Ramotar described the action of the parliamentary opposition as terroristic. Of course, the objects of the attack were incensed and they walked away from the very forum that is intended to ensure that Guyana is not sanctioned by the international community for a failure to pass anti-money laundering legislation. These parliamentarians took as gospel what the Chronicle and the Government Information Agency said that President Ramotar said. I happened to see that the Alliance For Change said that President Ramotar was happy to ride on the comments by
GINA and the Chronicle. In fact, I was at a press conference hosted by the People’s Progressive Party. At that press conference senior party officials actually said that they endorsed President Ramotar’s claim that the opposition were akin to terrorists when it came to their vote on the two Bills pertaining to the Amaila Falls. There are two things that I recognize in poor countries like ours. Some of these things I warn young reporters about. For one, the opposition parties should have secured a final transcript of the president’s statement. I was familiar with advance copies of speeches by both President Forbes Burnham and President Desmond Hoyte. On every speech there was the admonition to check against delivery. When President Barack Obama delivered his inaugural address following his accession to the Presidency of the United States, the draft speech was posted on the internet. My colleague Nigel McKenzie was reading it as Obama was delivering his address on television. Lo and behold, there were subtle
changes. In one case the issue was race. Obama’s actual delivery was a joy to behold. The political opposition should have checked against delivery. They did not; they say that President Ramotar should have sanctioned GINA; I do not agree, although he is the Minister of Information. But then again, perhaps he did, but the sanction was not made public. I listened to the recorded message, and in all fairness, President Ramotar never describes anything as terroristic. And so I come to the other episode. On Thursday, President Ramotar hosted a stakeholders’ forum on the Amaila Falls project. The moderator was Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill. Everyone had an interest and they all had questions. Most of all, the media which represents the vast majority of stakeholders would be asking questions. Edghill simply said that he would not entertain any question from the media, but this was after Stabroek News had asked the first question. Needless to say, Kaieteur News headlined this fact; Stabroek News reported the
same thing in its pages. The next day Edghill denied ever putting a clamp on the media. He might have escaped with the denial, but he proceeded to cuss out Kaieteur News. I am aware that Kaieteur News is the target for any Government official who wants to cuss. As I know, in this day of recording at the drop of a hat using a telephone, an electronic recorder and even iPads and iPods, Edghill had to know that his words would have been captured and possibly kept for posterity. His actual words were placed with his denial. Whether he is embarrassed is another matter. Like my advice to the political opposition, he should have sought out the recording. There are other things that I cannot ignore. The Amaila Falls project is in the news. No one can deny
that Guyana needs hydroelectricity, but the big question has to do with the cost being levied on the project. Another has to do with those things that need explanation, for example, the deadline for the road leading to the dam site. The government took some reporters to the site of the Amaila Falls road and offered answers to some questions. One piece of information that was fed to keep hope alive was that Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall had completed 40 per cent of the road. It turned out that he had merely completed 28 per cent of the road in the two years that he had the project. He should have completed the project in less than a year. But it is the Parliament that really grabbed my attention. The government side did not want to discuss
Adam Harris something, so it remained silent through every question. The opposition did the same thing when it was time to debate the Amaila Bill. The government reacted that they were spiteful for not offering a reason for their vote. Old people have a saying “Do so nah like so.” The British say tit for tat. I say childish and petty because while the political parties continue to be at each other’s throats, the nation is going nowhere and people like me get disgusted.
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Government’s attitude an obstacle to progress By Dominic Gaskin AFC Treasurer Given our abundant natural resources, good climate and small population, it is difficult to understand why we continue to languish so far down the tables on almost any measure of wellbeing. This lament has been expressed for many years, in many ways, by many Guyanese. Solutions have been debated, deployed and discarded – in abundance – yet the situation remains largely unchanged. Compounding this is the argument by some that great progress has been made over the past two decades. The crux of this argument
invariably centres on a comparison between what prevailed in the year 1992 and what is now in place, the underlying message being that the Guyanese public should be grateful to the PPPC government for what has transpired since. This argument undermines the urgent need for transformation. There can be no doubt that prior to the Hoyte administration the private sector was over-regulated; and stifled by a hostile bureaucracy, foreign exchange controls and financing constraints. Precisely when all this changed is irrelevant to the people of Guyana, today.
However, a massive free-forall has now replaced the economic stagnation of that era. This has indeed put more cars on our roads and more buildings on our land, but there has been no real transformation, and our situation today remains unsatisfactory. New thinking is required if we are to transform this country from third-world to developed nation status. We must first of all know that this is possible and then begin to treat it as urgent. The political leadership, across the board, must support a broad longterm vision that highlights our national priorities; and in doing so must understand that this full support is as
important as what is actually prioritized. Major infrastructural investments such as the Amaila Hydroelectric Project or the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion project should never be embarked upon without that full political support. What could Former President Jagdeo possibly have been thinking when he took it upon himself to impose upon the people of this country his own priorities for our country’s development? The lack of prior consultations with the political opposition on the Amaila Project and the disgusting haste with which the airport contract was signed have placed both projects in jeopardy and may see billions of taxpayers’ dollars washed down the drain. In any modern democracy the likelihood of a change in government within the shortterm is a constant factor, which a responsible government ought to take into account when contemplating long-term projects. The sudden discovery on the part of the PPP-C government that the political opposition needs to support these projects comes way too late, and is a sign of the gross disrespect it has for the majority of our country’s citizens. Perhaps a lesson can be learned from this and governments from now on will see the sense in working with all stakeholders when
crafting plans for our country’s future. The unusual arrangement created by the results of the 2011 national elections, which sees the executive branch governing without its customary parliamentary majority, is perhaps the most significant political development in Guyana’s post-colonial history. For better or worse, it forces a partnership between political parties or risks stalemate. So far, a reluctant common sense has prevailed, albeit with a great deal of hostility and highly charged political rhetoric. The Alliance For Change understands that for transformation to take place, differences need to be set aside and much work needs to be done. On the economic front, the effort must be driven by an independent, legitimate and competitive private sector that allows expansion on the basis of quality and efficiency and not on the basis of political connections and financial inducements. Real investor confidence comes from knowing that the investment climate encourages, supports and protects investors across the board, and not from preferential treatment doled out at the discretion of Ministers, or the bribing of public officials. The current climate needs to be refreshed if our private sector is to become competitive both inside and outside of Guyana. This government’s knack for turning friends and party loyalists into billionaire businessmen has done untold harm to the local business community and needs to be checked if we are serious about developing our economy. Many measures to improve governance in developing countries are aimed at strengthening the institutions that protect those societies from abuse by those in power. It is fairly elementary – to run a country one has to have certain powers, and these powers can be misused, unless systems are in place to check them. Guyana has existed for way too long without two very important systems in place to check the excesses of central government: proper local government representation, and proper public procurement practices – both of which continue to
Dominic Gaskin be dominated by Central Government. Political domination is not a desirable outcome of the democratic process, and there can be no doubt that the endemic corruption and shoddy public works that plague this country today are a direct result of weakened institutions caused by a domineering central government. The AFC’s urgent call for local government reform and the holding of these elections, along with our insistence that the Public Procurement Commission be established without further delay, are not without justification. These are prerequisites for transformation. Some may wish to maintain the status quo, either out of self interest or out of fear that political disagreement may lead to economic disruption, but unless we begin to take principled positions on matters of national importance, we cannot hope to enjoy the status of Developed Nation. The swelling Guyanese populations in various North American cities clearly indicate our people’s yearning for the way of life available in the developed world. While it would be foolish to overlook straight economics as a major factor influencing migration from Guyana, it would be equally foolish to assume that our overseas-based sisters and brothers do not appreciate the security, comfort and ease of living that they can take for granted in their new homelands. So much of this could be possible right here in Guyana, and as a people we share a collective responsibility to make it happen. The PPP-C Government’s actions over the last two decades indicate that they are content to remain a ThirdWorld Government. Their refusal to hold local government elections and to establish the public procurement commission confirm this. If this is the extent of their ambitions then they are an obstacle to progress and need to go.
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Why problems persist in the PPP The People’s Progressive Party is facing a plethora of persistent problems. The Party was forced to mount an intense campaign to convince its constituents that it’s twice-postponed 30th Congress, now due to be held at J.C. Chandisingh Secondary School, in Port Mourant, Corentyne, from 2nd-4th August, will deal with the numerous, serious issues which its critics have raised. It seems certain that, whatever happens, General Secretary Donald Ramotar’s regiments will emerge bleeding and badly wounded from the battlefield. Ralph Ramkarran, former PPP Central Committee member, has emerged as Donald Ramotar’s main critic over the past year. The question is, how many regiments does he have? His campaign has been confined largely to weekly comments in the media but they were enough to force the PPP hierarchy to respond. Ramkarran continues to
accuse the present leadership (read Ramotar) of destroying the Party and tarnishing its image. Ramkarran warned: “The leadership of the PPP has lost its will, its creative and dynamic impulses and the capacity of constructive discourse. It is suffering from incumbency fatigue. It has grown tired”. Ramotar, however, is far from tired. He is an accomplished apparatchik. He started his working life as an adolescent at the Party’s commercial arm – the Guiana Import-Export Company. He then moved to the Party’s labour arm – the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union and worked in communist Czechoslovakia for several years. He has been a member of the Party’s Central Committee and Executive Committee and then became the Party’s General Secretary. He is, in short, a ‘Party’ man to the bone. Ramotar, despite Ramkarran’s attacks, is still
personally popular. He received 637 votes – the fourth highest score – for election to the Central Committee at the last Congress. He was unanimously reelected to the general secretaryship and, if he chose, could certainly be elected Leader at the forthcoming Congress. Another ‘Ralph’– Ralph Seeram – has been complaining about the Party’s problems. He suggested that the PPP decided to return to Port Mourant for its congress because it was the birthplace and memorial site of its founder-leader, Cheddi Jagan. Returning there is an attempt to recapture Cheddi’s charisma. He wrote, “There was a time when you dare not say anything “bad” about the PPP to the people of Port Mourant. Now the people of Port Mourant are speaking “bad” of the PPP. That’s how far the PPP has declined. The evidence became very clear at
the elections in 2011, where the AFC made inroads in the PPP stronghold…the PPP has been losing votes consistently at each election culminating with them losing the House at the 2011 election.” The PPP’s problems go beyond the criticisms of Ramkarran and the complaints of Seeram. They are much more profound than is commonly supposed. The Party finds itself being rejected by some of its members because it has repudiated the very institutions and structures of society itself. The PPP’s socialism was never about creating autonomous collective structures to empower individuals, regardless of their circumstances and to enable them to prosper. Its socialism was always a means of social authoritarianism. The PPP, essentially, is a statist party. It perceives society as a collective guided perpetually by a vanguard party – itself. The Party’s present policy dilemma is its historic adherence to the Sovietstyle, Leninist, statist authoritarianism and its failure to practice internal
democracy and adapt to external political change. The most recent problems have arisen out of the Party’s pact with a new form of comprador capitalism. There has been a consequent and persistent failure to address the core issues and needs of civil society, of the labour movement and of the masses in general. This is evident in the restlessness of the usually party-friendly Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union and its systematic attempts at the degradation of the Guyana Public Service Union and the Guyana Trades Union Congress. The post-2001 PPP has come to treat the state as the domain of certain individuals -but only certain individuals. This inexorably led to what Clive Thomas calls “the criminalisation of the state”. This, in turn precipitated a grave, seven-year security crisis. The post-2001 rampant individualism that is now prevalent has been built on the foundations of the post1992 statism and is different in character. The PPP set out to reinforce state
authoritarianism by the debilitation or deformation of important institutions. It weakened the National Assembly. It undermined the independence or impartiality of the Public Service, the Security Services. It emasculated the constitutional commissions set up to safeguard the integrity of those very institutions. Important constitutional organs such as the Ombudsman and the Public Service Appellate Tribunal, which provided assurances to the public and protection from executive lawlessness, have virtually vanished. The Government Information Agency and the state media have excluded dissenting views and have increasingly become not organs in the public interest but agencies of the ruling political party – the PPP. Cronyism and bad governance are at the root of the problems the Party’s confronts. The PPP has been unable to move beyond sectional interest and selfinterest. Worse, it does not intend to do so. That is why its problems will persist long after its 30th Congress this week.
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Housing and You…
Applying to build a shop or additions for commercial activities By Leonard Gildarie
T
oday we want to talk just a little about what happens when you are applying to build a shop or additions for any commercial activities. You have to get planning permission from both the local Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).
The idea behind this is essentially to ensure things are built in the right place. You are mandated to apply for planning permission once your home or property cannot be used any longer as merely a private residence. Once you have finalised what you are building, you will need to purchase a planning application form from your local authority or t h e C H & PA . Yo u r application must be accompanied by a site
location plan, detailed plans of proposed works and a copy of the documents showing ownership – including title or transport. You will be required to submit at least three copies of the proposed drawings or plans. Upon submission to the NDC, the Public Health Inspector there will have to assess and give his/her approval. The application is then forwarded to the NDC's Work Committee which approves building
constructions and other developments in the community. The NDC will then submit the application to the CH&PA. Regarding the time at the NDC, the application process can go up to a month, but in some cases if you know someone…you know how it goes in Guyana. CH&PA will send a letter of acknowledgment that the application is being processed. Now, having firsthand
knowledge of the process has proven valuable. While it is hardly ever likely that CH&PA overturns the application, I think one should wait. However, the application can take a while because of the checks that have to be followed by the Authority. Some NDCs will advise you to proceed. It is your call. I think you should wait. The CH&PA is saying that it will send a letter notifying you of the decision. Works can only begin when the building permit is granted by the NDC. Once you have received permission to build, you have two years to do so or the process with the NDC and the CH&PA will have to start all over again.That is the process in a nutshell. Since starting to write on housing again, I have been swamped with numerous questions. But there have been some that had nothing to do with housing. One man asked me to address what he described as deliberate ripoffs by private hospitals and some questionable activities at the public ones. I will attempt to speak on the concerns raised. I would want to say that first-off, the idea here is to engineer some kind of debate and maybe ask our medical fraternity to take a hard look at some of the private practices. About two weeks ago, a prominent businessman told me that a friend of his was in a private hospital. Because of his condition, the patient had to get oxygen to assist him with breathing. The businessman was picking up the tab. The final bill was to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, he was not too concerned about that. It w a s o n e item…oxygen…that was the charge that caught his eye. For a few hours of oxygen, the bill was over $100,000. With a bottle under $20,000, the businessman was angry, knowing that his friend could not have used even half a bottle. I understand that hospitals, like any other business, have to factor in overheads, among other things when it comes to tallying the final bill. In other countries, like the US, it is unthinkable to get ill without some form of medical insurance. It is that expensive. But the oxygen issue seemed to have been a
glaring case. On the actual bill, there were costs for swabs, needles and gloves, among other things. The businessman said he was not too mindful of the costs of these. It is the principle, he says. I wish I could say the same. R e c e n t l y, s o m e o n e complained about going to a regional public hospital because of a pain in her throat. The medical personnel, after listening to her, diagnosed acid reflux as the problem. She was recommended some medicine linked to indigestion. Two weeks later, same problem. She went to another public hospital. The doctor there examined her throat, using a flashlight. Her tonsils were inflamed and had been like that for awhile. He ordered monthly antibiotic shots for the next six months. Normally, I understand, one cannot receive the shots until tests are done to ensure your body would be okay to accept the treatment. The tests were waived. I have also been told that at least one private hospital has an extremely high rate of C-Sections. This is extremely worrying if true. We have no data to make comparisons. However, while a natural delivery can cost around $50,000 and a CSection up to $300,000, the implications are eyeopening. The doctors at the private hospital are the ones that make the call for a CSection. For those who don't know, a C-Section operation changes a woman's life for a number of years. I do know for a fact that public hospitals would only go for a C-Section if there are significant risks involved in the natural birth that can threaten that mother. I would sincerely hope that someone in authority check the statistics. I hope that the reports we have been receiving are totally false and that those in the medical profession, particularly in the private practice, have been adhering to their sacred oath of protecting the sick. From a reporting perspective, I will be making some calls to the private hospitals this week to see if some data would be made available for publication. Enjoy the weekend and don't forget as usual to drop your comments at gildarie@yahoo.com.
Sunday July 28, 2013
From page 22 Falls Hydro Inc. (AFHI). Under the PPA, GPL commits to purchase the power fromAmaila for an average annual capacity payment. OPPOSITION DEMANDS PRESIDENT WITHDRAW “TERRORIST” STATEMENT - WALKS OUT OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE President Donald Ramotar’s tag of the Opposition as terrorists, over the weekend, sparked a walkout Monday by Opposition members from a key Parliamentary Select Committee on anti-money laundering legislation. The Parliamentarians are threatening now to not participate in future committee meetings unless the President withdraws the statement. This latest incident underlines the growing divide between the Government and the Opposition in the lawmaking National Assembly. It also raises questions as to whether an August 26 deadline, for Guyana to submit critical documentation on what changes the country has made to its anti-money laundering measures, can be met. The Opposition, which controls the National Assembly, had voted to send the anti-money laundering legislation to the select committee. Failure by Guyana to submit the documents and be reviewed in a positive manner in November by an international panel could attract financial and other penalties. THURSDAY EDITION AMAILA PROJECT SHOULD BE RETENDERED OR SCRAPPED -GASKIN, RAM Financial analysts Christopher Ram and Ramon Gaskin believe that in its current format, the proposed Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project (AFHEP) should immediately be retendered internationally, or scrapped in its entirety. The two on Wednesday met with several stakeholders, inclusive of representatives of the diplomatic corps, private sector and politicians among others, including the media and said, not only will the project in its current configuration saddle the nation with a huge debt, but there is no guarantee that the cost of electricity will be reduced. In fact it is believed that the cost of electricity could very well increase, given the high levels of risk and uncertainty associated with the project. “We do not reject hydro as a proposition,” cautioned
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Gaskin “but this Amaila deal, we have to reject it.” He said that the project will not cost the US$840M being touted by Government, but accumulatively, will run well over US$2.2B over the initial 20 years. Both Ram and Gaskin during the engagement held at the Georgetown Club, questioned the ownership ratio of the project. It was explained that while Sithe Global will only be investing US$150M in the project, it will own 60 per cent and further receive a whopping 19 per cent interest. BABY’S DECOMPOSING BODY FOUND Police were called in Wednesday after some residents reported that the decomposing body of a baby was found on top of a septic tank. Kaieteur News was told that a mother of eight was in police custody after she allegedly admitted to throwing her newborn baby into the septic tank at the back of her home in Victoria Street, Albouystown. According to police sources, a neighbour’s dog dragged a rotting hand out of a septic tank. The sight alerted residents. The hand was found on Hunter Street, about 20 yards away from the woman’s house. The police were quickly called in. This newspaper was told that the woman told investigators that she drank “something” and later disposed of the baby’s body after it came down. It is unclear if the woman would be charged, investigations into the incident are continuing. FRIDAY EDITION MEDIA BARRED FROM ASKING QUESTIONS AT STAKEHOLDERS’ CONSULTATION ON AMAILA Government on Thursday sponsored a national stakeholders’ consultation at the International Conference Centre to attempt to win support for the US$840M Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project. Inexplicably, the media was barred from asking any questions. “This is quite strange since the media are stakeholders. They also represent the interest of the wider society. “The media are more privy to information on the issues which they help the people to understand,” said Kaieteur News’ Editor in Chief Adam Harris. “It is the media that reported on the many issues that today form the subject of debates nationally. When the government secretly signed the Cheddi Jagan International Airport deal, the local media made the
Protestors raise their placards outside Parliament Building
public aware. And that is only one,” Harris said. President Donald Ramotar, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, and Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali were the main presenters. Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill, who was the forum’s moderator, barred the media from asking questions. Also present were representatives of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Private Sector Commission, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association and other stakeholders. None of these objected to the barring of the media. PYO TAKESAMAILA PROTEST TO APNU H/Q Projecting the outlook that concerns of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project do not only concern those politically inclined were members of the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO), who turned up in their vast numbers outside Parliament Building on Thursday. The youth-based group staged a spirited picketing exercise to voice their concerns with the Parliamentary Opposition’s stance on the development of the hydro project. The action included a staging in front of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. However, the group’s members claimed to have been forced to move by “elements emerging from the compound”. Lining the pavement east of the Parliament building, the youths waved their placards with statements of “Youths need development, not cuts” and “APNU/AFC trying to steal the future of our youths”, while heartily chanting “We want hydro power, Opposition slowing the progress”. Romel Roopnarine, member of the National Steering Committee/ Public Affairs Officer of the PYO, described the active protest as joining the chorus of
Guyana’s citizens in coming forward in support of the project. He said that the group has always been supportive of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, and as such, they are concerned about the message that the Opposition has been sending. “The first issue that they raised was the issue of corruption and transparency in this project. Suddenly, that position has been shifted to the feasibility of the project”, Roopnarine said. SATURDAY EDITION RECORDING EXPOSES EDGHILL’S DECEPTION Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill, has denied barring media from asking questions during last Thursday’s ‘stakeholders’ forum of the Amaila Falls hydro project. But recordings revealed that Edghill actually said, “I would not be taking questions from the media. The media has sufficient and enough opportunities to field all their questions. It would be improper for me to have three hundred-plus stakeholders at a forum and then I am taking questions from the media which they have opportunities -three, four, five times a week-to do.” Only one question was allowed and it came from Stabroek News before Edghill as Chairperson stepped in. Yesterday, in a statement from Minister Edghill, he denied barring the media from asking questions. “I merely advised the media to make use of the several opportunities that are available to them on a weekly basis to ask their questions. This was purely to allow for fuller participation by all. To ascribe a motive is simply being mischievous. No one present listening to the tone and content of what was said could have concluded that the media was being barred. It was never an issue.” He said that Kaieteur News, in a “shameless
attempt” to hide the positive results of the consultation held at the Guyana International Conference Center, has concocted a headline story titled “Media barred from asking questions.” “This is a total misrepresentation and a twisting of the facts to achieve a predetermined agenda best known to the Kaieteur News.” ONE SHOT DEAD, ANOTHER CRITICAL IN GUNFIGHT A 24-year-old man was shot dead and another badly wounded around 18:45 hrs yesterday on Mandela Avenue, West Ruimveldt, during a gunfight between the occupants of a minibus and the passengers of a car. Elvis Fernandes, of Lot 101 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, was shot in the head while sitting in a car, and succumbed before reaching the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. However, police stated that he was shot in the chest. The alleged shooter, identified as Lloyd Britton, 20, of Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, was shot in the stomach by a police rank who was in the car with Fernandes. He has been admitted to the GPHC. A police release said that the incident stemmed from a previous grievance between
the two parties over a damaged vehicle. Kaieteur News understands that the mirror of one vehicle was broken. “Initial investigations have revealed that the driver of a minibus and the driver of a car had an argument earlier at Mandela Avenue as a result of a damage accident involving the two motor vehicles,” the release said. According to the release, the two drivers later crossed paths again along Mandela Avenue as the minibus stopped to put off a passenger, and another argument arose between Fernandes and the minibus driver. Police said that a passenger in the bus shot Fernandes. It is alleged that the policeman who was in the car, and who was making efforts to pacify the men then returned fire from his service firearm and wounded the shooter in the bus. “He has been admitted a patient under guard at the GPHC,” the release said. Elvis Fernandes was pronounced dead on arrival at the GPHC.” Fernandes’s grief-stricken relatives told Kaieteur News that they had no information as to what had transpired. However, one relative said that a friend who owned a car picked him up at home around 17:30 hrs and that they later heard that he had been shot.
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Kuwaitis head to the polls for sixth time since 2006 KUWAIT (Reuters) Kuwaitis voted for the sixth time in seven years yesterday in a parliamentary election boycotted by the main Islamist and populist opposition, which may help liberals and independents win seats. Turnout was expected to be low in summer temperatures hitting 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and as Kuwaitis become fed up with voting in short-lived parliaments. The opposition boycott may produce a parliament more willing to cooperate with the government on economic development than some of its predecessors in a country where political infighting has held up investment. “Voting is a national duty,” said Mohsen Dashti, a 40-year-old doctor who was casting his vote in a coastal district south of the capital. “We need reconciliation between the parliament and the government as well as a focus on development.” The oil-producing U.S. ally has the most open political system in the Gulf
A voter casts his ballot yesterday. (Reuters) Arab region. While it has witnessed sizeable street protests in the past two years over local issues, its generous welfare system and relative tolerance of dissent have helped to shield it from Arab Spring-style unrest. But parliaments have been dissolved time and again, usually for getting too
bold in challenging government ministers. The snap election was triggered by a ruling from the top court in June, which said the process leading up to the last one in December was legally flawed. Almost constant political upheaval and entrenched bureaucracy have held up
major parts of a 30-billiondinar ($105-billion) development plan announced in 2010 to build a refinery, airport, hospitals, housing and highways. Kuwaitis say they face housing shortages, clogged roads and an old-fashioned airport despite living in one of the world’s richest countries per capita. They point out that other Gulf states, such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have pushed ahead with bold modernization projects. “It is very difficult and it is very depressing for us to have so many elections in such a short time,” said lecturer Wasmeyah al-Abbad after casting her ballot in an upmarket district close to Kuwait City. Abbad, in her 50s, said the issues important to her were women’s rights, inequality and the dominance of powerful families in politics and the economy: “Men get houses, but women don’t, we don’t get to choose our careers, and some names are dominating positions.” Campaign themes have included corruption, loan relief and concern over a $4
billion aid package to Egypt after the military overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. Yesterday Kuwaitis on Twitter vented frustration at the aid promise, saying the money could be better spent at home. Kuwait and other Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were glad to see the back of Mursi because they are fearful of Islamist influence in their own conservative, dynastically ruled countries. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (0500-1700 GMT) and results are expected early today. The mainly Islamist and populist opposition is boycotting in protest against a new voting system announced last October, which cut the number of votes per citizen to one from four, and which it says would prevent it forming a majority in parliament. In a country where political parties are banned, the old system helped opposition politicians to form alliances by offering reciprocal backing from their supporters.
“The election will lead to a sham parliament that the government will control,” said Mohammad al-Dallal, a former Islamist MP who joined the boycott. He said many Kuwaitis believed the parliament would not last long and be invalidated by a court ruling or by the emir, like previous assemblies. “Electing such parliaments is a waste of time,” he said. The government says the voting changes brought Kuwait into line with other countries and will ensure stability. Yesterday’s vote will elect a 50-member assembly which can pass legislation and interrogate government ministers. But the 84-year-old emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has the final say in state matters and can dissolve parliament. The emir courted groups unhappy about the new voting system and encouraged several powerful tribes to endorse the election. That led to splits in the opposition, with liberals deciding to run as well as Salafi Islamists, who support the austere form of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia.
More than 1,000 inmates escape Libyan prison TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — More than 1,000 detainees escaped from a prison near the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi in a massive jailbreak yesterday, as protesters stormed the offices of political parties in Libya’s main cities. It wasn’t immediately clear if the jailbreak at the Koyfiya prison came as part of the protests or if inmates received outside help. Protesters had massed across the country angry over the killing of an activist critical of the country’s Muslim Brotherhood group. Those who escaped either
face or were convicted of serious charges, a security official at Koyfiya prison said, confirming the jailbreak. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to speak to journalists. There also was confusion initially about how many prisoners broke out, with numbers of escapees ranging as high as 1,200, Benghazi’s security situation is among the most precarious in post-revolution Libya. Last year, the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed in an attack there.
Meanwhile yesterday, hundreds gathered in the capital Tripoli after dawn prayers, denouncing the Friday shooting death of Abdul-Salam Al-Musmari. They set fire to tires in the street and demanded the dissolution of Islamist parties. The two incidents highlighted Libya’s precarious security situation and the challenges the North African country faces as it tries to restore security nearly than two years after the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. In Tripoli, protesters
appeared to be inspired by events in neighboring Egypt, where millions took to the streets Friday to answer a call from the army chief, who said he wanted a mandate to stop “potential terrorism” by supporters of the country’s ousted president, Mohammed Mursi, who hails from the Brotherhood. “We don’t want the Brotherhood, we want the army and the police,” Libyan protesters chanted, repeating a slogan also used in Egypt. Libya’s nascent security forces are struggling to control the country’s militias, most of whom have roots in the rebel groups that overthrew Gadhafi in 2011. Al-Musmari, who used to publicly criticize the Brotherhood, was killed by unknown assailants in a drive-by shooting in Benghazi. Some protesters stormed the headquarters of a Brotherhood-affiliated political party and another Islamist-allied party in the capital, destroying furniture. Witnesses say a Brotherhood party office was also stormed in the eastern city of Benghazi. Protesters angry with the Libya’s weak central government also targeted the liberal National Forces
Alliance (NFA), ransacking its headquarters. The party came on top in Libya’s first free parliamentary elections last year. Security forces in Libya have been unable to impose their authority on the country since Gadhafi’s ouster. Militias, many made up of former rebels who fought in the civil war that toppled Gadhafi, have grown in the strength and in many areas rival the security forces in their firepower and reach. The armed forces also rely on militias for help securing the country in some cases. Yesterday, a colonel was killed by unidentified assailants in Benghazi. Another three security members were killed a day earlier when gunmen opened fire on them. Security members are frequently targets in the country. In a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Ali Zidan said that an investigation was launched into the circumstances around al-Musmari. He said a foreign criminal investigation team will join Libyan investigators in Tripoli and Benghazi tomorrow. He did not offer further details about the investigation.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch urged the Libyan government to “conduct a prompt and thorough investigation” of alMusmari’s death, believed to be the first targeted killing of a political activist. “Libya’s fragile transition is at stake if political killings go unpunished,” said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “This makes investigating alMusmari’s murder all the more urgent.” Libya’s top religious figure, Grand Mufti Sheikh Sadeq al-Ghariani, warned his countrymen earlier in the week against copying Egypt and bringing down the Libyan government. Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, was ousted by the military on July 3 after millions took to the streets demanding his removal. Al-Ghariani’s warning was posted Wednesday on his official website against unspecified parties “trying to create crises in electricity and gas, and those taking advantage of tribal loyalties to the ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi.” Long hours of blackouts and the severe shortage of fuel contributed to Mursi’s unpopularity.
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Egyptian forces kill dozens of supporters of ousted Islamist
Fireworks are set off near police and anti-Mursi protesters by supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi during clashes in Nasr city area, east of Cairo yesterday. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih CAIRO (Reuters) Egyptian security forces shot dead dozens of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi yesterday, witnesses said, days after the army chief called for a popular mandate to wipe out “violence and terrorism”. Men in helmets and black police fatigues fired on crowds gathered before dawn on the fringes of a round-theclock sit-in near a mosque in northeast Cairo, Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement said. The bloodshed, near the military parade ground where President Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981, plunged the Arab world’s most populous country deeper into turmoil following two turbulent years of transition to democracy since veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak was swept from power. Activists rushed bloodspattered casualties into a makeshift hospital. Some were carried in on planks or blankets. One ashen teenager was laid out on the floor, a bullet hole in his head.
Brotherhood spokesman Ahmed Aref said 66 people had been killed and another 61 were “brain dead” on life support machines. More than 4,000 were treated for the effects of tear gas and gunshot or birdshot wounds, he told reporters. “Innocent blood was spilled,” he said. “We have gone back 10 years.” A Reuters reporter counted 36 bodies at one morgue. The Health Ministry reported a total of 65 dead. “They are not shooting to wound, they are shooting to kill,” another Brotherhood spokesman, Gehad ElHaddad, told Reuters early on Saturday. “The bullet wounds are in the head and chest.” Haddad later said the vigil of thousands would continue until Mursi is reinstated. Egypt’s Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim accused the Brotherhood of exaggerating the death toll for political ends and denied that police had opened fire. Ibrahim said local residents living close to the
Rabaa al-Adawia mosque vigil had clashed with protesters in the early hours after they had blocked off a major bridge road. He said that police had used teargas to try to break up the fighting. Well over 200 people have been killed in violence since the army toppled Mursi on July 3, following huge protests against his year in power. The army denies accusations it staged a coup, saying it intervened to prevent national chaos. Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians had poured onto the streets on Friday in response to a call by army chief General Abdel Fattah alSisi for nationwide demonstrations to give him backing to confront the weeks-long wave of violence. His appeal was seen as a challenge to the Brotherhood, which organized its own rallies on Friday calling for the return of Mursi, who has been held in an undisclosed location since his ousting and faces a raft of charges, including murder.
Egypt’s Mursi likely to go to same prison as Mubarak: minister CAIRO (Reuters) Egypt’s deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, who has been accused of murder and other crimes, is likely to be transferred to the same Cairo prison where former leader Hosni Mubarak is now held, the interior minister said yesterday. Mohamed Ibrahim also said pro-Mursi sit-ins would “God willing, soon ... be dealt with” based on a decision by the prosecutor, who has been examining legal complaints by citizens about the protests that have blocked major Cairo thoroughfares.
“God willing, it will be broken up in a way that does not cause losses,” he said referring to sit-ins that have lasted about a month. “But, God permitting, it must end. We hope that they come to their senses ... and join their political process.” “With regards to the timing ... to disperse the protesters, there is complete coordination between us and the armed forces,” the minister told a news conference. “There are still meetings going on to set the appropriate time to implement that plan according to the
complaints submitted to the prosecutor on transgressions of the law by the protesters.” The minister, who accused the pro-Mursi camp of exaggerating the numbers killed in clashes, said security forces used teargas to disperse demonstrators on a bridge because of concerns they could cause the bridge to collapse by lighting vehicle tires. But he said the security forces had not used any live ammunition, but had instead suffered buckshot wounds and injuries from live rounds fired by protesters.
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Pope calls for dialogue to end Brazil protests RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Pope Francis yesterday said leaders must address the issues raised in protests in Brazil, and in a message to priests worldwide urged them to leave their comfortable surroundings to serve the poor and needy. In a talk to Brazil’s cultural and business leaders in Rio’s municipal theater, Francis, in his first direct mention of the protests, said constructive dialogue was “essential for facing the present moment.” Latin America’s largest nation has been rocked by protests against corruption, the misuse of public money and the high cost of living. Most of the protesters are young. “Between selfish indifference and violent protest there is always another possible option: that of dialogue. Dialogue between generations, dialogue with the people, the capacity to give and receive, while remaining open to the truth,” he said. He urged leaders not to remain deaf to “the outcry, the
call for justice (that) continues to be heard even today” and, in an apparent reference to corruption, spoke of “the task of rehabilitating politics.” Francis met on stage with some of Brazil’s indigenous people and donned a feathered headdress. The pope began his penultimate day in Brazil by prodding priests to get out of their comfort zones and go out to the streets and slums. “We cannot keep ourselves shut up in parishes, in our communities, when so many people are waiting for the Gospel,” he said in the sermon of a Mass in Rio’s cathedral. Since his election in March as the first nonEuropean pope in 1,300 years, Francis has been prodding priests, nuns and bishops to think less about their careers in the Church and listen more to the cries of those hungry to fill both material and spiritual needs. “It is not enough simply to open the door in welcome,
Pope Francis but we must go out through that door and meet the people!” he said.
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Parliamentary committee to summon China Harbour - JDIP sub-contractors complain about delays in payment Jamaica Gleaner - A PA R L I A M E N TA RY oversight committee has said it will summon China Harbour Engineering Company Limited to its next meeting in September to determine why there are protracted delays in payments to sub-contractors under the Jamaica Development Infrastructure programme (JDIP). The decision to invite China Harbour to appear before the committee in September comes against the background of alleged complaints by subcontractors that they have not been paid, in some instances, for up to eight months. Member of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC), Audley Shaw, on Wednesday complained bitterly that sub-contractors have had to wait for extended
periods before being paid for work done. “A contractor has done work and has had to wait for eight months to be paid. What kind of foolishness is that,” Shaw charged. At the same time, the executive of the National Works Agency (NWA) vehemently denied claims that the agency contributed to delays in the payment of subcontractors. Chief executive officer of the NWA, E.G. Hunter, told members of the PAAC that his agency has honoured its 15 per cent obligation under the US$400 million JDIP project. Under the contractual arrangement, China Harbour, through the China Ex-Im Bank, is responsible for paying out 85 per cent of the cost of the project while the Road Maintenance Fund finances the balance of 15 per
Audley Shaw cent. “What we have learnt certainly in the last nine months or so is that as the contract winds down, the time forpayment, particularly for the small contractors, the times become enormously long,” Hunter said. He said both the junior and senior ministers in the Ministry of Transport and Works have had dialogue with the main contractor in an attempt to resolve the issue.
CCJ to deliver judgment in case against Barbados government on October 4 PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) says it will in three months deliver a judgement in the case involving Shanique Myrie the Jamaican accusing Barbados immigration officials of sexually assaulting her in March 2011. A brief statement from the CCJ said that the ruling will be delivered on October 4 at
10.00am (Trinidad and Tobago time) via video conference. Myrie claimed that she was sexually assaulted and subjected to derogatory remarks by a Barbadian Immigration officer at the Grantley Adams International Airport on March 14, 2011. She has asked the CCJ to determine the minimum standard of treatment applicable to CARICOM
citizens moving around the region. The CCJ, established in 2001 to replace the Londonbased Privy Council, also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the treaty as well as deciding disputes between CARICOM nationals and regional countries concerning issues with which the treaty deals with including the free movement of nationals within the grouping.
Sunday July 28, 2013
No reckless economic strategy BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC – Prime Minister Freundel Stuart says his administration will not adopt any short, sharp response to the challenges being faced by the Barbados economy. “I am not reckless. We will make the decisions we have to make, but within the context of proper consultation, taking into account the vulnerabilities of our households, the fragility of our businesses and of course the challenges faced by the Government, in terms of the need to provide certain basic amenities in the areas of health, education, sanitation, water, law and order, and so on, for the people of this country,” Stuart told a special meeting of the
Sub Committee of the Social Partnership. Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Chris Sinckler made a presentation to the meeting outlining some of the options being considered to help the country reduce its deficit and increase revenue. Earlier this month, the Central Bank of Barbados (CBB) said the local economy had contracted during the first six months of the year with the main foreign exchange sectors also suffering a decline. The CBB said that the local economy grew by just 0.6 per cent and among the priorities for the future will be to reduce spending “in t h e e c o n o m y s o as to balance the inflows and
Freundel Stuart outflows of foreign exchange “and also “to revive economic growth led by tourism, international business, agro processing and alternative energy”.
Phillips confident as Jamaica gets ready for IMF test Jamaica Observer MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Finance and Planning Minister Peter Phillips says the Government is confident that Jamaica will pass the first quarterly performance review, to be conducted by an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Team in August. The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) reported Phillips as saying the team is expected on August 14, and the review would be done under the new US$932.3-million, four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreement with the IMF. “We feel very satisfied about the June 30 performance review, and we expect that when the Fund Mission visits, that their review will confirm our review that June 30 targets were all on track,” Phillips told a Manchester Chamber of Commerce forum at the Mandeville Hotel on Thursday. “We expect, also, that there will be a similar performance for the future targets,” Phillips added. In underlining the Government’s confidence, Phillips said, “We have established our own Co-
Finance and Planning Minister Peter Phillips engages Manchester Chamber of Commerce President Wendy Freckleton in a light conversation during the organisation’s Biz Clinic 2013 Forum, held at the Mandeville Hotel on Thursday. (PHOTO: JIS) ordination and Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Finance to track our performance.” The finance minister said progress had been made in implementing key components of the country’s Economic Reform Programme (ERP), a prerequisite for concluding the EFF, as well as “important and positive signs”, from these efforts. Several components of the programme have either been implemented or are currently being embarked on, in an effort to reduce Jamaica’s debt from the current 145 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), to 96 per cent by 2020. These include: attainment of a 7.5 per cent primary budgetary surplus target; implementation of a National Debt Exchange (NDX) programme; tax reform; and public sector reform,
restructuring of salaries to reduce ratio to GDP from 10.6 per cent, as at March 31, 2013, to nine per cent by 2015/16. Consequent on these and other key measures, Phillips said business investor confidence has improved. He noted that a Jamaica Chamber of Commerce survey indicates that “business confidence has been up... for the first time in two years and that businesses thought that this was a good time to invest”. While pointing out that there are “some important legislative changes still to come”, aimed at advancing tax reform and improving “our tax collection arrangements”, the finance minister was, nonetheless, satisfied that the administration had performed creditably in fulfilling its obligations under the EFF, which was approved by the IMF’s Executive Board in May.
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OUTRAGE - 1990 ‘coup’ victims denounce Bakr march approved by top cop Trinidad Express - The sheer brazenness of the action. This was the prevailing sentiment among victims of the 1990 coup attempt, as they strongly condemned Friday’s march by insurrectionist Yasin Abu Bakr. Yesterday was the 23rd anniversary of the coup attempt — an event which saw 114 Muslimeen storming the Parliament and other places, shooting the former prime minister and former national security minister, holding them and others hostage for six days, leaving a trail of death and destruction in the capital city. “Unprincipled!” former minister Gloria Henry declared. “They were traitors to the country. What they did was all wrong. It was treason. It was unlawful. You can’t just allow them to celebrate and glorify it!” she stated. In deference to the entire country, in deference to people who lost their children and children who lost their parents, in deference to people whose businesses never woke up after 1990 and all those people who suffered, the Muslimeen does not have the right to make people feel they (the Muslimeen) did something that was in any way justified, she said. Former finance minister Selby Wilson, who was one of the targets of the Muslimeen’s brutality and who had been pistolwhipped inside the Red House, said if there was any nexus or association between the march and 1990, then “they (the authorities) have no right to condone that kind of action”. Wilson said for years people in authority have been condoning actions of Abu Bakr “and that has empowered him. And this is just a continuation of that attitude. It is a continuing pattern of behaviour which empowers Abu Bakr and makes him feel invincible— that he can get away with
TO THE STREETS: Surrounded by followers and passers-by, Jamaat-al-Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr, centre, walks across Independence Square in Port of Spain yesterday during his march from the Red House to the Parliament at Tower D, Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre, in commemoration of today’s 23rd anniversary of the 1990 attempted coup, which he had led. - Photo: CURTIS CHASE anything and he can get his way when he wants. And that is what I object to”. “I think the police should not have permitted it, especially in this kind of environment where people are tending to glorify crime and corruption,” he added. Wilson said Abu Bakr was “celebrating what he thinks is a victory” and that fact that no commission, court or any other secular autho-rity appeared to be able to stop him. “Now he picks up himself to march and tell people they don’t know that whole truth. Brazen man!” Wilson said. Former minister Jennifer Johnson, who was also held hostage, said she was appalled. “How could you be granting permission for people who have committed such an atrocious crime against the Parliament and the people of this country, to march in honour of what? Unbelievable!” she said. “But we have become a society where anything goes, so that’s where we are,” she said. Johnson said the Muslimeen were the protagonists in 1990, they committed the acts, they were responsible for the deaths of so many people in
1990. “The agency responsible for gi-ving that permission should have thought again,” Johnson advised. “Look at the history, look at what the entire thing was about and
ought to have reviewed it (the decision to allow the march),” she added. She said people may have forgotten. Johnson said it was the third year the Parliament was having no commemoration. “Where else (in the world) would that happen against our Parliament, and we are not having the smallest ceremony to commemorate and remind people of what happened?” she said. Journalist Raoul Pantin, who was one of some two dozen hostages held at gunpoint in Trinidad and Tobago Television by Abu Bakr and his men for six days, said he found it incredibly difficult to believe the authorities would give Abu Bakr permission to stage a march, “the 23rd anniversary of that criminal outrage”. “Other than commemorating one of the vilest criminal onslaughts against democratic rule in the country’s history, what is the purpose of such a march?” he asked. “Bakr and his cohorts can certainly celebrate the fact that they have escaped the full brunt of the law for
their heinous crimes, but why should the authorities collaborate in this? Have the authorities taken leave of their senses? “Frankly, I think the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, whose soldiers put down that insurrection, should stage their own public march to commemorate their victory over the forces of evil. And they should be joined in this by all law-abiding citizens,” Pantin said. Wendell Eversley, who was a hostage the Red House and who saw Lorraine Caballero bleed to death, said he was surprised Abu Bakr was given permission to march. He recalled that Caballero had a six-month-old daughter at the time. Eversley lamented there was nothing being held by the Parliament to commemorate the event. He said he spoke to two Government officials about at least having the internal flame lit in time for today. He said he would be walking from the Arima Dial to the Eternal Flame, and would then be sitting in front of the Red
House from about noon to 6 p.m. and laying a wreath today, together with the leader of the Congress of the People Prakash Ramadhar. He said he wrote to the Prime Minister, the Opposition Leader and the Independent Liberal Party leader about commemorating the event. Every September 11, public officials go to the US Embassy to pay their respects to those who lost their lives, he added. “We have a by-election. What that have to do with 1990 and its commemoration? Send somebody in Government (and Opposition) to represent. It is only every five years they recognise those who lost their lives,” he said. Major General Ralph Brown, who played a key role in the military putting down the insurrection, said he did not like the idea of Abu Bakr’s march, but once it was a peaceful march, he did not see how the police commissioner could deny permission. “But he (Abu Bakr) is very insensitive. I don’t know what there is for him to celebrate in that (event),” Brown said.
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GPHC works to restore quality image World Bank backs Caribbean’s steady poverty reduction
A group of GPHC staffers who completed a session on Friday flank Ms Yolanda Renville (sitting). With a view to restoring its image, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has commenced a venture aimed at improving its staff-customer relations capabilities. Spearheading the ambitious undertaking is the public health facility’s Quality Improvement Manager, Ms Yolanda Renville. Speaking to this publication on Friday during the close of one of the many planned sessions, Renville said that the intention is to target every level of the hospital, from the doctors to the cleaners. This move, she explained, is not only geared at improving the quality of care offered by doctors and nurses in the various departments but rather from entry to the facility patients must see a pleasant attitude portrayed by each staffer they encounter. Already three two-day sessions have been held in this regard with different groups of staffers. “We have planned eight weeks of customer service training and we will complete them in the first week of September and then start on
some other topics.” The sessions are designed to zero-in on attitude, tone of voice, mode of dress, the spoken word and how to make it professional, non-verbal communication and the perception sent out by staffers, not only to patients but to their colleagues as well. Facilitating the sessions is Mr Nicholas Corbin of the Gamaliel Academy, who, according to Renville, has tremendous experience in the area of customer relation training. She said that he was recommended by name by several organisations including the Passport Office and the Public Service Ministry, both of which have already utilised his expert service. “I was calling around to see who would be best for this type of training because we recognised that we needed somebody who was fresh and aware of what is happening in our health care setting, even to the extent of our challenges,” Renville said. Ahead of formulating the strategic sessions, Corbin was provided with the needs assessment of the hospital
and the findings of its satisfaction survey which aided his efforts to structure an ideal training programme. But although the programme has been fully engaged, Renville noted that its impact is not expected to be fully realised just yet. According to her, there are plans for a subsequent focus group session, a process which will also be facilitated by Corbin. “We are going to be assessing each participant but it’s not like we are going to be at a desk calling them and asking what you did...While we are going to be there monitoring them we will not be policing them to make them think that they have to behave in a certain way when we are around.” She said that the introduction of suggestions boxes around the hospital is expected to aid the assessment process. “We will be using them too to measure staffers’ performance therefore patients themselves will be helping us monitor the quality of the services offered by letting us know what needs improvement and what they actually like,” mentioned the Quality Manager.
Timehri North relocation plan lacks socioeconomic life The absence of a socioeconomic plan for Timehri North residents in Government’s relocation plan for the community to Yarrowkabra is troubling, said Daniel Fraser, Chairman of the Timehri North Development Council, during a press conference on Friday at Sidewalk Café. Fraser said that Government is offering Timehri North residents, who are squatting on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIAC) property, 350 acres of land aback of Yarrowkabra. “If you look at the plan it doesn’t speak of the social and economic life of the people,” he said. After occupying Timehri North for numerous years and with blessing from a
Government department, residents have built proper houses, established businesses and even built churches. Many are gainfully employed at the same airport whose runway expansion is dependent on their relocation. According to Fraser, Government is extricating residents from an area where they have developed their social life and economic earning abilities and want to place them “in a strange location that has no electricity, no water, no telephone, and no drains. The basic infrastructure is not there.” Fraser said that Government has made no attempt in contacting residents to discuss the relocation plan. As such,
residents are peeved and puzzled about their future. He recalled that since last year, Ministers of Housing and Water and Transport and Hydraulics, Irfaan Ali and Robeson Benn respectively were expected to setup a Multi-stakeholder Committee to deal with the relocation. “Now if you are dealing with relocating persons then you need to have interactions with those persons to know what’s going on. We have a document that has been circulated by CJIAC as to the relocations. It is one that falls short of the social aspects of the relocation plan,” he added. Fraser stressed that residents did not have an input in the relocation plan even though they are the main
The World Bank has committed US$11.8 billion in the 2013 fiscal year to support Latin America and the Caribbean resilience in the midst of global turmoil. The Washington-based financial institution said this includes resources from its International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The World Bank said it maintained its strong support for the region, approving US$5.2 billion in new loans in the fiscal year, nearly US$4.8 billion from IBRD and US$435 million from IDA, the bank’s fund for the poorest countries. “Support was aimed at
generating opportunities for all through public and private sector projects that expand public services, improve regional productivity, competitiveness and integration, create new quality jobs and assist those most in need,” it said, disclosing that Latin America and the Caribbean received the largest share of IBRD’s total global new lending at 32 percent, and 16.5 percent of total IBRD/IDA lending. IFC, which focuses on supporting the private sector, provided a record US$6.5 billion to 129 projects in L a t i n A m e r i c a a nd the Caribbean in FY13, the World Bank said. In the region, IFC clients support about two million women through jobs, education and entrepreneurial opportunities. It said one in eight people
in the region benefit from infrastructure projects supported by IFC, adding that its financial sector clients provided 29 million loans valued at US$217 billion to micro, small and medium enterprises. The World Bank said supporting smaller economies continues to be a priority for IFC, with US$1 billion invested in Central America and the Caribbean.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 28, 2013
My take on Davis Casavis’s “Thomas Carroll Affair” By Ralph Seeram Sometime in the late nineties a friend of mine here in the United States asked me to loan him US$8,000. I had known him from boyhood days so if he was in a “jam” I
would not have had any hesitation to loan him the money with just a “handshake”. I was agreeable to loan him the money, until he told me the reason. He wanted to give the money to his sister in Guyana,
who in turn will use it to buy a visa in Guyana to come to the USA. The idea did not appeal to me. First I doubt anyone in the US Embassy in Georgetown will sell a visa. Secondly I did not like the repayment method. His sister will work when she comes here and repay me. I told my friend I had just made some other investments. Last Sunday I spent the entire day reading “The Thomas Carroll Affair” about a rogue US visa Officer at the Georgetown embassy. Only then I fully understood that the visa was being sold at the Embassy. Unlike others I did not find the book “utter nonsense” but rather fascinating, informative and confirming events that were only rumors in that period. The book demonstrates that corruption is not limited to poor Third World countries like Guyana; it was a multimillion-dollar industry conducted right inside the U S Embassy in Georgetown. “The Thomas Carroll Affair” is basically about a rogue U S visa officer who conservatively pulled in over US$12M in bribes selling visas during a period of less than a year. At its height it was having a profound effect on the Guyanese economy, because Carroll had to be paid in US dollars. The demand for
US dollars was high hence the exchange rates went up. On the flip side Carroll had to launder his money out the country. One method was buying diamonds over the market price. This hurt the diamond industry and local diamond merchants and one merchant, Joe De Agrella, decided to do something about it. His action set in motion a chain of events that eventually lead to Carroll’s downfall. It also demonstrates that the Embassy was prepared to “hush up” a little corruption to protect its image. It is unbelievable what Thomas Carroll achieved in his short stay in Guyana. He established a network of criminals, visa brokers, money launderers, drug traffickers and enforcers. The latter is very disturbing as Carroll recruited late Police Officer Leon Fraser and members of the then Target Special Squad, more known as the “Black Clothes Police” as his enforcers, even suggesting they may have committed murder on his behalf, killing two “Rasta men” whom they believe stole some of the visa money. The book is revealing in many ways. There are some ironical if not comical moments, like when diamond merchant Joe De Agrella went to meet with then American Ambassador, Jack, to complain about the
visa selling and how it was hurting the local diamond industry. The Ambassador was instructed to meet with Joe after Joe had initiated some contacts in Washington. Joe was complaining about an unknown embassy official selling visa. Guess who was sitting with the Ambassador listening to the complaint; no other person than Thomas Carroll, the “unknown officer”. Then as a follow up the Embassy security officer recruited Patrick Mentore, a former senior police officer, then working at the US Embassy to spy on Carroll in order to build a case, but Carroll was a step ahead. According to the author Carroll had Mentore in his pay, so Mentore’s reports basically cleared Carroll. The book goes into details of a number of Guyanese players in the affair— Paul James from “Fix It Hardware”; visa broker Halim Khan who was lured to the USA, convicted and jailed for three years in federal prison for his role; and Linden London more known as “Blackie” who was killed in a shoot of with the army and police. If the author is to be believed there is a veiled suggestion that “Blackie” was murdered by Leon Fraser during the shootout. The allegation is Blackie was
having an affair with Fraser’s wife. The book which is some 287 pages long is a must read for Guyanese. Some may not like his writing style, but as the book unfolds everything comes together. I believe it could have been shorter but then it is the author’s prerogative to write his book in his style. Greed is always the weakness of humans and Thomas Carroll was no different. At the end of the day it was greed that did him in. He wanted another million dollar payday, and recruited his replacement to get him his million dollars by showing him the “ropes” to sell visas. What Carroll did not realize was his replacement recruited him. I think what disappointed some reviewers was that they were looking for a PPP government connection in the affair. Except for one or two minor government employees there was nothing incriminating. However the author did point out that the Guyana Government failed to follow through on evidence in the Thomas Carroll case to arrest local persons involved. Carroll spent eight years in Federal prison. I highly recommend reading the book. Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com
Sunday July 28, 2013
Woman fraudster jailed A woman who was caught with a quantity of counterfeit currency in her possession was on Friday sentenced to six months in jail by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh when she appeared before him and pleaded guilty at the Albion Magistrate’s Court. The woman, Jasodra Sundar, 54, of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara was caught with 500 counterfeit Euro notes in her possession on July 18, in New Amsterdam. Prosecutor Corporal Sherlock King told the court that on the day in question the woman travelled from East Coast Demerara to defraud some unsuspecting customer. The police were informed and quickly set up a dragnet and arrested the woman with the currency in her possession. She was arrested and charged.
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All suspects released in arson probe All of the previous suspects held in relation to the fire that destroyed the sixbedroom guest house at Charity have been released and police investigating the incident are still gathering statements that they hope will lead to apprehending and charging the main suspect. Three persons were initially held in relation to the fire. Officers attached to the
Guyana Fire Service, who investigated the fire, have determined the fire to be the work of arsonist/s. The last suspect to be released was hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital, nursing severe burns to his face and hands. Police were told that the man who is called “Chungie”, used gasoline to set the guest house alight with a lighter.
Burley Burnett, the owner of the Guest House said that she is convinced that Chungie was behind setting her business place alight. He said that he didn’t act alone, that he was coerced into carrying out the act. Burnett said that the evidence is glaring. She acquired the building some three years ago for her son, Forbes Sampson
Melville aka “Forbes”. The building was insured. Repair works to the building have not been started as yet.
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
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ACDA opens Emancipation Celebrations with “Libation” The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and Museum of African Heritage on Friday, opened the celebration of Emancipation 2013 and Exhibition at the 1763 Information Centre. There was a libation ceremony. The event also marked the 250th anniversary of the 1763 Rebellion. The ceremony, which started two hours late, saw a number of cultural performances and folk story telling performed by some prominent Guyanese of African ancestry. To begin the programme, member of the IFA’s House of Santeria, Bishop Andrew said that the libation ceremony is paying homage to the ancestors. During the ritual, the bishop lit three candles and filled three calabashes with liquid which were all placed around a plant. The element or God of Fire, “Baba Shango” was being honoured. This element signifies energy, which is needed for the survival of all living things and is represented by red and white. Figuratively, fire is used to destroy obstacles that keep persons from being successful.
Sunday July 28, 2013
ImmigrationINFO Immigration News For Our Community
Same-sex marriages – more questions & answers Attorney Gail Seeram,
The libation ceremony Assistant Director of Culture at ACDA, Col Linden Ross, said yesterday that 68 groups across Guyana under ACDA received the total sum $7.6M from the Ministry of Culture to stage their Emancipation celebrations. Ross added that Friday’s event honoured Guyanese heroes who sought to see freedom come to people who were once in bondage. He added that thus persons who
are descendants must now respect the sacrifices and hard work done by their ancestors. “We must teach the younger generation about the sacrifices of our ancestors for us to be here today,” Ross said. He added that a recent survey he conducted revealed that more than five out of ten youths are not aware of basic information on emancipation.
As a follow-up to our previous article discussing the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court decision granting federal benefits to same-sex marriages, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the following questions and answers addressing how they will apply this new mandate to pending and new immigration cases that involve same-sex marriages. Q1. Do I have to wait until USCIS issues new regulations, guidance or forms to apply for benefits based upon the Supreme Court decision in Windsor?( A1. No. You may apply right away for benefits immediately for which you believe you are eligible. Q2. My Form I-130, or other petition or application, was previously denied based on my same-sex marriage. What should I do?( A2. USCIS will reopen those petitions or applications that were denied solely because of same-sex marriage. If such a case is known, please notify USCIS. Q3. What about immigration benefits other than for immediate relatives, family-preference immigrants, and fiancés or fiancées? In cases where the immigration laws condition the benefit on the existence of a “marriage” or on one’s
Gail Seeram status as a “spouse,” will same-sex marriages qualify as marriages for purposes of these benefits?( A3. Yes. Under the U.S. immigration laws, eligibility for a wide range of benefits depends on the meanings of the terms “marriage” or “spouse.” Examples include (but are not limited to) an alien who seeks to qualify as a spouse accompanying or following to join a family-sponsored immigrant, an employmentbased immigrant, certain subcategories of nonimmigrants, or an alien who has been granted refugee status or asylum. In all of these cases, a same-sex marriage will be treated exactly the same as an opposite-sex marriage. Q4. Can same-sex marriages, like opposite-sex marriages, reduce the residence period required
for naturalization?( A4. Yes. As a general matter, naturalization requires five years of residence in the United States following admission as a lawful permanent resident. But, according to the immigration laws, naturalization is available after a required residence period of three years, if during that threeyear period you have been living in “marital union” with a U.S. citizen “spouse” and your spouse has been a United States citizen. For this purpose, samesex marriages will be treated exactly the same as oppositesex marriages. Q5. I know that the immigration laws allow discretionary waivers of certain inadmissibility grounds under certain circumstances. For some of those waivers, the person has to be the “spouse” or other family member of a U.S. citizen or of a lawful permanent resident. In cases where the required family relationship depends on whether the individual or the individual’s parents meet the definition of “spouse,” will same-sex marriages count for that purpose?( A5.Yes. Whenever the immigration laws condition eligibility for a waiver on the existence of a “marriage” or status as a “spouse,” samesex marriages will be treated exactly the same as oppositesex marriages.
Sunday July 28, 2013
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The Abigail Column Is my wife telling the truth?
DEARABIGAIL, A few weeks ago, my wife returned from a meeting from work. After unpacking, she took a bath. I happened into the bathroom just as she finished drying off. When she saw me, she grabbed a towel and held it
over her shoulder and breast, but not before I spotted a hickey and bruise on her chest. When I asked her about the hickey, she said she had no idea what had caused it. After that, she refused to discuss the matter. The hickey faded and disappeared after two or three weeks. After she agreed to take a test, but how do we go about arranging one? Troubled Husband
Dear Troubled Husband, If your marriage is on such thin ice that you need a l i e d e t e c t o r test to determine if your wife is telling the truth, you may need the services of a law specialist. You asked my opinion, and here it is: From my perspective, you and your wife could benefit more from some truth sessions with a marriage counselor than with a polygraph examiner.
Sunday July 28, 2013 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Today is all about the communities you live and work in. Your place in the world will be something you'll be questioning today, and that is totally normal and wonderfully healthy. Do you take the same role in every situation? Are you always the leader, always the follower, or do you take turns in this role? ****************** TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): This is a good time to take in more information -- you don't know enough to make a good decision yet. Even if your business partner or mate is glaring at you impatiently, take all the time you need. ******************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Your friends have friends, and one of those connections plays an important role in today's big drama. If you don't see anything unusual happening, that may mean that you're a big player in their drama! ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): You are not so sure about your position -- but that doesn't keep you from speaking up when the time is right. You may not be able to defend yourself as well as you'd like, but things get better tomorrow. ******************** LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Your opinions are generally pretty solid -- but every now and then someone comes along to shake things up. It's not a bad thing; in fact, you may find that you are much more confident afterward. ********************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): You feel liberated and energized -- you may find that you've got a new sense of right and wrong, or a sense of what you want to do with your life. Things are starting to get real, so open your eyes! ********************** LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22):
If things seem to be going your way today, just roll along and enjoy the ride. If not, you need to adjust your attitude. Things are not likely to keep going this way forever, but you can affect the course you take. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): It's one of those days when you need to make sure that you're doing what you do for the right reasons -- though it shouldn't be hard to judge. You may not have to adjust much, but if you do, make it quick! ********************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): If you are about to go on a trip or long overdue vacation, your excitement is growing to a fever pitch. Today, it will hit such heights that it might be difficult for you to get any real work done. ***************** CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): The activities throughout the day will create a lot of different possibilities, and it may be hard to decide which opportunity you want to explore. You have so few things limiting your options, and that is a blessing, but it is also a burden. For the first time in a long while, you don't need to ask anyone for permission about what to do. *********************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): You long for new worlds -- and you make a big discovery today that should get you where you need to go! Things are looking up for sure, but you may need to deal with extra time on your hands. *************** PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): You can't quite figure out what's real today -- it's like reality is wearing a veil. The good news is that you love a good mystery more than most, so confusion can be a great comfort to you.
DTV CHANNEL 8 09:25hrs. Sign On 09:30hrs. Turning Point 10:00hrs. Kickin’ It 10:30hrs. Lab Rats 11:00hrs. The Amazing Spider-Man 12:00hrs. Movie: The Eleventh Victim 14:00hrs. Movie: The Resident 16:00hrs. Movie: Obsessed 18:00hrs. Catholic Magazine (Faith in Action) 18:30hrs. Know Your Bible 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:30hrs. DTV’s Summer Movie Fest 00:00hrs. Sign Off
MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 06:30hrs Teleview Ramadan 07:00hrs Toolsie Persaud Ltd. Bhajan Hour 07:30hrs Vickram’s Religious segment 08:00hrs Christ for the Nation 08:30hrs Puran Brothers: Shiva Bhajans 09:00hrs Muslim Melodies with Al Madina Exclusive 09:30hrs Quaseeda 10:00hrs Indian Movie:Dil 13:00hrs Garam Geet 14:00hrs The Variety Show with WR Reaz 15:00hrs Local Hour 16:00hrs Bollywood Sensation with Kavita
17:00hrs Birthdays & Other greetings 17:15hrs Death Announcements/ In memoriam 17:30hrs CNN News 18:00hrs Entertainment Buzz 18:30hrs DNA TV Show 19:00hrs Phillips General Store Music Break 19:30hrs Interview with GPL Management 20:00hrs Sangeet Mehfil 21:00hrs Indian Movie: Lajja Sign Off
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WOULD YOU REMARRY? Husband: Honey, if I died, would you get remarried? Wife: Well, I suppose so. Husband: Would you and he sleep in the same bed? Wife: I guess we would. Husband: Would you make love to him? Wife: He would be my husband then, dear. Husband: Would you give him my golf clubs? Wife: No, he’s left handed..... THE END IS NEAR! A man is driving down the road when he spots 2 priests on the side nailing signs into the ground. The first sign says, “The End is Near!!” The man turns to look at the other mans sign and it reads, “Turn back while you still can!” The man then sticks his head out his car window and yells, “Leave everyone alone, you religious nutcases!” as he drives by. A few seconds later the two priests hear a splash. The first priest turns to the second and says, “Maybe we should just put up a ‘Bridge Out’ sign.” GOD VS SCIENTIST God was sitting in heaven one day when a scientist said to Him, “God, we don’t need you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing - in other words, we can now do what you did in the beginning.” “Oh, is that so? Tell Me...” replies God. “Well,” says the scientist, “we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of you and breathe life into it, thus creating man.” “Well, that’s very interesting...show Me.” So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil into the shape of a man. “No, no, no...” interrupts God, “Get your own dirt.” AUTHENTIC BLONDE A blonde went into a pet shop and asked the owner if he had any parrots. The owner replied, “Sorry, I don’t have any at the moment.” “Damn and blast!” said the blonde, “I have been invited to a fancy dress party for the first time in my life and I want to go as a Pirate, and I have been told to be as authentic as possible, hence the need for the parrot,” explained the Blonde. “Well,” said the owner, “if you come back here next week, specifically on Thursday, I am expecting a shipment from South America and I’ll be able to supply you with a parrot, guaranteed.” “Damn and blast!” said the blonde, “I can’t come on that day or for some time after.” “Why not?” Asked the owner. “Because that is the day I’m having my leg amputated!” DON’T MESS WITH BIKERS! A man died and went up to heaven where he was greeted by St. Peter. “And who are you?” asked St. Peter. “My name is Steven Richards.” “And what did you do for a living?” asked St. Peter. “I was unemployed.” “Unemployed, hmmm?” mused St. Peter. “And have you ever done anything good in your life?” “As a matter of fact I have. I was walking along the street once and I saw a group of bikers who were threatening to beat up a defenceless girl. So I rushed to her rescue, pulled the ringleader off his hair, kicked him hard where it hurts and told him and his gang to clear off.” “That’s highly commendable,” said St. Peter flicking through the man’s file, “but I can’t see any report of this incident. When did it happen?” “About five minutes ago.” ****** Teacher: Maria please point to America on the map. Maria: This is it. Teacher: Well done. Now class, who found America? Class: Maria did. ****** When I was young I didn’t like going to weddings. My grandmother would tell me, “You’re next” However, she stopped doing that after I started saying the same thing to her at funerals.
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VACANCY Experienced Female bartenders & cleanersCall:225-8572 WANTED Live In Live Out Babysitter Domestic - Call: 225-6070 Wallaba Round Posts MakersCall: 683-2575/218-3399 Office Clerk: CXC English/ Mathematics- Call:225-0188/ 225-6070 Urgently wanted one large yard space to do mechanic work- Call:639-3134 One live-in domestic. Call 617-1679 Two Experience carpenter/ masonry: One Welder Fabricator-Contact the Office @ 265-3586 Experienced machinist, at least 3 years experience apprentice: E&N Beck Welding & machinery, lot 3 Princess & Ketley St. Charlestown- Call:225-6272/ 225-5273
Live in Maid/ Domestic, must know to cook: Age 25-40 years- Call:671-9715
24 Hour East Coast Guyoil needs night pump attendants, salesgirl & office assistant- Call:688-9611/6842838
Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943
Canter drivers $25,000: Porters $15,000: Must be from the W.C.D- Call:684-8231
Refrigeration, A/C Technician. Call 231-0655/ 683-8734
Maid & Internet WorkerCall:231-8421/223-9725
Male & Female Sales manager & drivers @ #7 Bakery, W.C.B. Call 3302399/623-5920
Experienced Sales Representative for electronic store. Apply @ 38 Cummings & Middle Sts, Nut Centre (new location). Carpenters, Painters, A/C installation Technician, House Electrician & Laboures with own tools. Apply @ 38 Cummings & Middle Sts
One Handy Boy to work around yard in InteriorCall:666-6836
Four experienced Welder/ Fabricator- Call:676-7226/ 613-7006
One general domestic between the ages of 35-45 years old: Preferably on the East Coast- Call:663-4866
One female/ male to sell Ice Cream Cones. Call 613-3091
One general worker (House Keeping) Shift system and one handyboy at Land of Canaan, E.B.D- Call:266-5243-5 1 live in domestic from the interior- Call:644-8290 Wanted to work in New Salon: Barbers, Hairdressers, Nail Technicians & Tattoo Artist- Contact:644-5362 Bartenders, waitress at least 2 years experience and food handlers certificate: Security with reference & police clearance- Call:616-2902
Eddie’s Auto Parts: Just arrive Japanese used partsCall:227-2835
500 Ton Cargo Ship with Contract- call: 687-6174
One general domestic 30-40 years & one waitressCall:233-5450/650-3680
Attractive live in waitress. Call 327-0252/674-4665
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY M E R C U R Y (QUICK SILVER) 9 9 . 9 9 9 9 5 % PURITY - $15,000 PER POUND CALL:604-6108
One Upholster & two JoinersCall:219-1342/610-7005
1 Family to work on Farm in Trinidad- Call:621-9828 or 698-8367
General domestic, must be able to cook: Age 25-45 yearsCall:226-1877/641-3687
Experienced Drivers & Contract Cars needed for taxi service. Call 699-1522
FOR SALE
2007 R1 MotorcycleCall:623-4045/689-4864
WANTED 2 Cooks needed to work in Trinidad- Call:621-9828 or 698-8367
Bond Supervisor (over 35yrs) & Data Entry Clerk (over 25yrs) @ Survival Shopping Complex 173 Sheriff St. Call:227-5286-90
Experienced Roti/Puri cooks, Pastry Makers, Curry Cooks, Cleaners & Handy boy. Apply@ Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce St.
FOR SALE
Pump Attendant @ Shell Service Station Providence, E.B.D: Must be able to work shift-Tel:265-7305 Email: shellramsburg@gmail.com
Salesgirl: requirements Computer Literate, English & Mathematics, & Porter: Apply @ Best Buy Food Supplies, Dennis & Middleton Street Campbellville.
Urgently needed land to buy in Parfaite HarmonieCall:675-7292
Sunday July 28, 2013
City Taxi Service: Contract Cars Needed- Call:6601100
Drivers for (Corentyne) & 1 Accountant (Rosignal), RA Soda Factory. Call 330-2399/ 623-5920 Sewing girls, cutters for custom made clothing & cleaners. Call Roxie’s Fashion, 622-4386 One Canter driver: Apply @ Avinash Water streetCall:226-3361/227-7828 Can you cut, can you sew? Either way- Call Roxie’s Fashion 622-4386 DRESSMAKING Classes in Designing and Sewing. Call Sharmela (Canadian-Trained) @ 6410784/626-2629 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool TableCall:277-0578
Porters for a Warehouse and Handyman @ Building Material Depot- Call:2318529 Dispatchers and one cleanerCall:644-2819 (Between the hours of 8:00am-4:00pm) 1 Gas Asselstine welder: No Equipment needed: Living accommodation free call:628-1756/228-5655 1 Apprentice Mechanic for Bedford lorries: Living accommodation providedCall:228-5655/628-1756 Night & day Jet men and cook needed- Call:684-6356 (11:00am to 1:00pm and 4:00pm to 6:00pm) One experienced shop assistant to work in InteriorCall: 666-6836 Urgently: a Stand or Workshop within the vicinity of Orange Walk and Bourda Street. Call 604-6690 or 6909512
Pure Bred Rottweiler pupsCall:650-8496 Empty Fuel Drums. Contact Nicky @ 226-7948/697-9610 or 646-6000 S & N Mining Inc. Large Quantity Of Virgin Mining Mercury: Best In Guyana: $14,500LB, Wholesale Negotiable- Contact Carol: 649-8505
Working female to share apartment- Call:694-0689 One experienced Carpenter/ Mason to work at New Hope, E.B.D. Call 266-2711/ 609-4594 Domestic & Handyman to clean yard. Call 227-5500/ 227-2027 Sewing machine operators with factory experience. Call 626-2629. Live in waitress; must be honest & courteous. $50,000 monthly, accommodation free. Tel 610-5043
5 Cylinders Duets, 4 cylinders Cummins & 4 cylinders Forde Turbo. Call 226-9076 (Between 8:00am to 5:00pm) Elegant & beautiful wedding dresses available, call now to get that special dress: Fantastic prices!! Tele:6631397/643-4725
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman & Sons Driving School , First Federation Building Call 225-4858, 6445166,622-2872,615-0964
32" Coby LED TV $90,000: 4 piece DVR security cameras $45,000: Playstation3 games from $2000- Call: 600-3038 Ducklings- Call:617-9300
FOR SALE
150KW Genset, 12" Moulder, 7 Head Moulder, Resaw & Crosscut Saw. Call 616-5595
22" Chrome rims with tyres, 6 holes fit most vehicle $400,000 cash- Call:621-4000
1 Honda Fit with Rims, Spoiler, Kit, PMM 4223 series: Immaculate condition $1,600,000 Neg. Sofa SetCall:618-5140
73" Mitsubishi TV- DLP, bulb needs checking, sold as is - $425,000 (2 to choose from). Call 621-4000
40 HP Yamaha Engine, Good Working Condition. Tel 2253557
1 Apple desktop computer, 1 Epson printer, 1 Whirpool Dryer & 1 baby swing. Call 662-6045
3D 73" HD Mitsubishi DLP television, multiple input/ output built in surround sound $1M. Call 621-4000
1 Pontoon, dimension 200×50×12, 1-500 Ton cargo vessel haul both as is where is- Call:623-4045/689-4864
Order Now!! Any parts for Timberjack/ Clarke Ranger Skidder, Rubber track for mini excavator etc. Call:613-6795
50" Panasonic Plasma TV, multiple input/output, next to new: $225,000. Call 6214000
1- 215 BLC Excavator, 1 German double steel wheel roller, 1 low bed (hauler & trailer)- call:681-2995/6471615
One used Caterpillar forklift & two 3500 watt Hundai generator- Call:613-6795/2655921
Electric Snow Cone machines. Call 266-2711/ 609-4594
853 Bobcat & Massey Ferguson Tractor: Reasonably Priced, No time wasters. Call 442-4325/667-5292
Massey, Yanmar Ford 5000 Logging/ Agriculture Tractors, parts, Loader & Ford Truck. Call 615-1578/ 694-3595. Tools & Chainsaw, 668-2831
Male & Female English Mastiff dogs: $300,000 for both- Call:678-2814/699-2322 Uni-float Pontoon 56’×21’, 27 Pieces. Interested persons please contact 667-2934
1-2007 Honda Rincon 680cc 4×4 in excellent condition. 11- Lengths of 6"×50’ canvas fire hose- Call:654-6167 WANTED Urgently, one bedroom apartment: Preferably from East Coast of Demerara $10,000-$15,000- Call:6046690 or 690-9512
Zack’s Lumber Yard Georgetown: Millcut form board $115 per BM, Softwood & H/wood $180 per BM- Call:687-5361/674-0013
CAKES & PASTRIES Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery, Call: 670-0798. Also Wedding dresses for sale
WE HAVE ANY SIZE AND AMOUNT OF PALMS: #1 PLANT SHOP, 70 SHERIFF ST. CALL:227-8094 1 Cummins diesel nt-285HP & 1 Rolls Royce Perkins 330HP- Call:654-6167 Makita Jackhammer (brand new)- call:653-1822 1- 20HP Mercury outboard engine. Call: 651-4699 or 686-0895 1 Ransom, price negotiableCall:265-7306 10.7 Cubic feet Ultrachef Freezer- Call:227-5421 Dell laptops & desktops complete computers from $55,000 Futuretech call: 231-2206 Pure Rottweiler Pups. Call 220-6879
2 Perkins 6 cylinders engines: Offers in the region of $650,000 each consideredCall Stephen 666-3080 Timber Harvester Sawmill just arrived from U.S.A with setter, sharpener and extended frame- Call:2612553/625-4393 Potted Plants, antiques and brass-Call:673-5882 Mix breed pups, Rottweiler and German Shepherd: Both male and female- Call:222-0410 Generac generator 15KVA, in perfect working condition, $850,000. Call 621-4000/ 6906000 Asphalt Roofing Shingles, pig feed, duck feed & shrimp meal. Call 266-2711/609-4594 Iphone5 $180,000, iphone 4s $105,000, Samsung Note2 $180,000, Playstation2 $50,000, wii system with games $65000. Call 225-4631
Generator 28KVA silent with storage tank SDMO Mitsubishi engine, need repairs, $500,000. Call 6214000/ 690-6000 Generator 10KVA Lister Pitter (English) with exhaust system: $750,000. Call 6214000/ 690-6000 22" Chrome rims with low profile tyres, $425,000. Call 621-4000 50" Motorcycles Harley Davidson style, gas; as cheap as $45,000. Guyana Variety Store & Nut Centre Desktop Computers complete, Windows7, 80GB $40,000. Call 223-1719/6000036 One complete Snapper Boat. Any reasonable offer considered. Call 611-9297 Household appliances, Generator 7500 watts, music set, etc. Call 269-0959 Garden Earth and Builders waste; also Bobcat rental, excavating clearing and leveling done. Call 616-0617 or 663-3285 (Continued on page 62)
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 61
Ravi Dev Column
For “Race Conversations” (The following was first offered in 2005) From the beginning of its work in Guyanese society in 1988, the Jaguar Committee for Democracy –JCD and its successor ROAR located themselves in the Indian community and insisted that they speak as “Indian Guyanese”. This position has earned the ire of most political commentators even though we have, on umpteen occasions, explained the rationales for our stand. We want to revisit the issue, as another “first principle” because we believe that the socio-political conditions that demanded our approach still exist. Back in 1998, during an exchange of letters in the press, we cited a 1970 quote from Dr. Walter Rodney that gave a remarkably similar rationale to our own for organising in specific ethnic communities. Elder Eusi Kwayana said at the time he was unaware of the quote. We believe it would be very instructive for all of us to hear some more of what Dr. Rodney thought of how best to organise for change
Who expects the unthinkable? What is the unthinkable? For some people the unthinkable will come in the form of a road accident, something that is fast becoming all too common in this country. There will be a lot of entertainment in the coming days and very young people are prone to excesses at this time. A car with some inebriated young men will plough into a concrete structure because too much fun can lead to some irresponsible behaviour. The parents are going to raise their voices in anguish
in a racially divided Guyana. Dr. Rodney said, “Let us take the fact that, over the last decade, Indians and Africans, in Guyana, have been at one another’s throats, for a variety of reasons, internal and external, and that there is a tremendous amount of ill-will and suspicion, on both sides; let us take that fact. Now some people deny this and talk about racial harmony, but it is not so. It may be submerged, but it is there; it has to be there: the system ensures that. But what can we do about it? I feel that there are at least two levels at which one must try to organise against the prevailing condition of racial antagonism. One must organise within the African community, within the Indian community, too, to build different forms of consciousness, different types of social bases, which will ultimately be the form of a new State, and simultaneously, one must begin to find effective revolutionary integrative mechanisms, both organisational and ideological, in terms of people, purely and simply, people,
you know, as contributors to the new concept of group consciousness, group power, as for example, like putting six persons... three Africans, three Indians, not just in form of a symbolic show (they have, of course, to be ideologically consistent and so on), but putting them in a meaningful, nationallypowerful position of leadership, and as a unit. Now, you have at the second level, to begin to indicate what you would like the society to be like, what that unit should be about, because, if you organise separately, this may well be construed by each group as something exclusive and hostile. So, you have, at the same time, while doing that bringing together, which is historically necessary, to produce the integrative mechanisms, and act in the kind of fashion, and use the kind of language which makes it clear to the other group (let’s say the African and the Indian are the main groups) what the national aims are, what the country’s Socialism wants to achieve, in spite of race. We have a number of
but to those looking on, there will be more of the same in the coming days. ** The rivers are busy with people heading to and from the hinterland. Of course the likelihood of accidents becomes more pronounced. One boat will hit a submerged
object with such impact that its occupants will end up in the water. Rescue will not be too far away, but the trauma will be around for a long time. ** There are so many guns in young hands that a shooting is never far away. Two young men have already been victims of gunshot wounds because for them a gun is the extension of their bodies. A simple quarrel in the hinterland would escalate. One of the men would then disappear to lay in ambush. The world will hear of the result.
other people, including the Amerindians, the original inhabitants of the country, who are the most neglected. Our integrative mechanisms must be organised to include that group….As we move towards Socialism, we’ll also be, in the process, contributing to the total eradication of racism, in its most violent forms, a racism which has arisen through the slave trade, slavery, indenture, class and colonial oppression. What we must try to understand (and this is a point I’m always trying to make very clearly) is that there is no contradiction between saying that, at this particular point in time, a man needs to assert his given identity, so that, at another point in time, he won’t need to assert it. It would be taken for granted, the whole business of identity, because people will respect that fact, in the changed society, where race will have no marks of identification, whatsoever, on which anybody can lean for support, or for whatever. But it is a respect which no group has, at the moment, at the moment, in the present system, in Guyana. And I think that within our community of Guyana, different ethnic groups need to assert their identity, need to put themselves together, to pull themselves together, and when they have and when they can operate on the basis of mutual respect, which they are not now doing, now, then I think the way will be clear
for building a new society, a society of a mixed unit through Socialism. But, first, the various groups must be built up, made conscious of their own potential, their own dignity, their own power, as Guyanese.” How much has since changed, from 1970, 1988 or 1998? Of course, the metanarrative of Marxism (and all one-shoe-fits-all approaches) has since been abandoned by most intellectuals and the question of the hegemonic constructions of identities has come to the fore. On the question of identity, we agreed with Dr. Rodney, who, unlike the vulgar Marxists did not reflexively dismiss race/ ethnicity as “false consciousness”. We disagreed with him, however, that Marxism was anymore free of racism than Liberalism. As products of the Enlightenment, both ideologies were complicit with the production of race and racism of the modern era - the racism arising with African slavery. These racist structures are deeply inscribed in most of the ideas and practices of the world view that surrounds us – and while they affect most non-white peoples negatively – they are most extreme to African peoples. The descendants of African slaves especially, and Africans generally - should be very wary about those who
Ravi Dev
would still blithely treat “race” as just another stratification or segregation. We continue to be amazed by African leaders who, in their rush to be under the “one-love-banner” imposed by the dominant paradigm, refuse to accept that the African condition is qualitatively different from that of other groups in the society and demands different programs. Even more than any other group, Africans should refuse to accept that anyone who has not experienced what it is to be an African should speak for them. It is from that standpoint that ROAR at this time is honestly saying that it cannot speak for those whose experiences they have not lived. We have announced, however, from the moment we arrived in Guyana, that we are willing to work with anyone who could also state that they also work authentically within other communities. We are still so willing. We hope that there will be some dialogue on this most important issue - the approach to organising in present-day Guyana - as per the proposals put forward by Dr. Rodney and supported by ROAR.
Page 62
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 28, 2013
(From page 60)
VEHICLE FOR SALE 2- 2007 Toyota Avensis. Call 698-0674 1 Hilux Surf: Excellent condition: Price $1.5 millionCall:697-1849 1 Nissan Frontier 4×4 fully loaded, GPP series: Immaculate conditionContact:697-1849/227-4856 Sale! Axio: TV, DVD $3.1M Neg: Pre-order Premio $2.5M Neg- Call: 655-3400 One black Titan (2005) 4 wheel drive, fully loaded: $4.2M negotiable- Call:6782814/699-2322 1 Leyland DAF 60 single axle & dump- Call:613-6615/ 216-1315 2 Ford F150: Price $4.5M & $3.5M- Call: 643-5249 / 2654979 1 Toyota Raum 2000 model, late PPP series $1.850MCall:626-9590 1 Toyota Land-cruiser Prado PMM series- call:225-0188/ 225-6070 1-F150 (Ford) in Excellent Condition, 1-AA 60 Carina. Tel 690-6520/642-0110 One Mitsubishi Canter, GRR-5201- 15ft tray. Call 254-0247/613-2150 Stanley’s Auto Sales: New models Raum $2,150,000; Spacio $2,350,000; Premio $2.6M: Unregistered: Call Now @ 264-2644 or 641-6516 Mitsubishi Galant $1.1MCall:645-3605 1 Toyota Harrier $3M: Excellent conditionCall:231-7831 205 Mercedes Benz C180 compressor: PPP series: Navy Blue- Call:613-5955 1 Toyota AT170, AT192, AT212, Ceres, Vitz, EP 71 Starlet, Hilux Pickup Solid DEF. Call 644-5096/697-1453 New Raum, Premio, Fielder, Alex and Vitz: Never registered- call:269-0432/ 686-0323 Raum 04, Nav $2.4M; Fielder Nav, SP $2.5M; Spacio 03 $2.4M. Call 609-8989/6165595 1 Toyota Corolla: PHH 8906, $650,000. Call 602-0354/6786896 1 Toyota Vios (black) PMM series; owner leaving. Call 681-7792/694-4550
VEHICLE FOR SALE
MASSAGE
PROPERTY FOR SALE
(1) Jialing JL 100-3 Motor Cycle in excellent condition, minimal usage. Prices negotiable. Call 220-0890/ 691-5952 or 657-3682
American Style massage services- Call:678-7499
House and Land @ D’Edward, W.C.B.- Call: 689-2973/698-3703
Cherokee Jeep, automatic, 4 doors, projection & LED lights, 15" mag wheel, good condition $1.7M cash. Call 621-4000/ 690-6000 Quantum Auto 2004 silver Spacio & Silver Premio with Alloy wheel & dark interior, excellent condition. Call: 6247684/617-2378 Axio Special- 2007, TV/DVD & Reverse Camera $2.950MCall:617-2891 Stretched Limousine Lincoln Town car, automatic, seats 12 persons, perfect for rentals. Call 621-4000/ 690-6000 Mitsubishi 3000GT sports car, 5 speed, CD player,18" rims, HID lights, $2.8M cash; excellent condition. Call 6214000, 690-6000 Mecedes Benz- 190E, automatic, flair kits, mag wheels, need repairs, sold as is $400,000. Call 621-4000/ 690-6000 Mercedes Benz S300 armored luxury Sedan, full leather seats, CD player. $3.2M cash. Call 621-4000, 690-6000 1 Toyota Tundra (new model) Bubble back, automatic, fully loaded, 4×4, price $3.1M. Contact Rocky, 621-5902 or 225-1400 Toyota extra cab pick-up (22 R engine) manual, (EFI) 4×4, (GPP series) price $2.5M. Contact Rocky, 621-5902/ 225-1400
The Gent’s Spa: Let beautiful sophisticated masseuse pamper you: New masseuse available- Call:657-5979
Charlestown corner property with business potential $40M- Call:6735882 FOR RENT One bedroom apartment @ ‘B’ Field Sophia. Call 661-3801 Two Bedrooms house to rent @ Haslington- Call:663-9816/ 642-0466 Complete two bedrooms House- Call:265-4867 1 Bedroom house, street Charlestown: Very clean & grilled $30,000- call:226-2856/ 604-1788 BUSINESS PROPERTY, suitable for supermarket, hardware store, restaurant etc. W.C.D public roadCall:609-8132/672-8569 Business Spot at 14 Peter’s Hall E.B.D- Tel: 233-5110/ 668-0309 Rooms to rent in Prashad Nagar. Contact: 227-2993 Newly constructed apartments, with & without A/C; Parking & security available, LBI East Coast. Call 628-8008/603-0000
Mitsubishi Pajero (Immaculate condition); automatic, fully loaded, 4×4, price $2.8M. Contact Rocky: 225-1400 or 621-5902 New Arrival! Unregistered Toyota Sienta: Bodykit, TV, Camera, Spoiler, Fogs, Remote start & Mags $2,450,000- Call:643-6565/ 226-9931 ALYEA’S AUTO SALE PREMIO 03 $2.7 NEG, PREMIO 02 $2.6 NEG, AXIO 08 $2.950 NEG: 40 CROAL ST G/TOWN- CALL:6223823/231-7284 Toyota Altezza, PNN, tiptronic. Call 622-0108
1-Going Business Property at Bloomfield Public Road, Berbice. Tel 690-6520/642-0110 2 Storey concrete house at Charlotte St. next to Office of the President: Asking $32M- Call:614-0335/6260017 One three-bedroom house and land located at Better Success, Essequibo Coast. Call 268-2481 West Bank $18.5M; Diamond $40M; Campbellville $30M; Bel-Air $55M. Call Diana @ 227-2256/626-9382 100ft×45ft 2-storey building located at Bourda Market area. Call 626-7765 BB Eccles H/S concrete 2 flat 4 bedrooms, G$32m. Call 6092302, 609-6516 Nandy Park concrete 2 flat, ground floor, 2 bedrooms; top floor 3 bedrooms G$34m. Call 609 2302, 609 6516 Eccles: concrete 2 flat, ground floor 1 bedroom apt & office; top floor, 3 bedrooms - G$32m. Call 609 2302, 609 6516 Two storey house, six bedrooms & two kitchen @ Block ‘8’ Tushen, E.B.E. Call 650-2982
AT212 Carina (private), automatic, fully powered, A/ C, CD player, price $1.375M. Contact Rocky: 225-1400 or 621-5902 AT170 Toyota Carina (private), automatic, fully powered, mags, CD player, price $675,000. Contact Rocky: 225-1400 or 621-5902
North East La Penitence concrete 4 apartments, ground floor 2X2 bedrooms top floor 2X2 bedrooms G$36M. Call 609-2302, 6096516
VEHICLE FOR SALE One G-Touring Wagon: HB series. Call 674-8982 1 Toyota Rav4 PLL 9804, $2.8M cash. Excellent condition. Call 686-5083/6119646 Mercedes Benz A-140 PMM series, automatic, fully powered, need repairs, sold as is - $2.3M. Call 621-4000/ 690-6000 Cheapest- Premio, Spacio, Hilux, Stick Gear Buses. Call 616-7635 Kingston Commercial 4 floors, each 55’X17’ US$4,000 mthly. Call 609 2302, 609 6516 Republic Park, Residential: 2 flat, 4 bedrooms, fully furnished, US$2,000 mthly. Call 609 2302, 609 6516
CAR RENTAL Progressive Auto Rental - cars from $4000 per day. Call 643-5122, 225-8711; email www. progressive autorental. com
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. Ultra Cool. Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 House Plans, estimates and construction- Contact T.Boodhoo 625-9883 / 675-9296 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer. Call:2310655, 683-8734 Omar HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING FOR ONLY $10,000CALL:694-9843/227-2766 General Desktop & Laptop Repairs: Installation & Configuration of Security Cameras: Linking Security Cameras to the internet- Tel: 699-3615 We Refill HP cartridges for $1800 call: 650-7699 Repairs to Fridge, Freezer, AC, Washers, Stoves: Call 683-1312,627-3206 (Nick) ONLINE SHOPPING ZERO COMMISSION, WEEKLY SHIPMENTS,AFFORDABLE RATES, FREE PRIVATE MAILBOX.CALL: 2315789, 225-9030
Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773 Now Offering Nail Course $10,000- Call:604-3002 Natural beauty salon & spa: Grove Market Street EBD tele:265-4138,652-5800 specialized in everything for women & children
3 Acres land @ Parika Main Dam, Farm Land- Contact: 617-4837/650-0402 House lot for sale: Friendship EBD & drafting of house plans call:223-0733, 223-0730 2- Acres cultivated, 2-1 Acres cultivated, 7 Acres cultivated, citrus, house, fish pond, storage at Parika. Call 226-7968 Large land, great for farming/ residence @ Bagotville, W.B.D. Call 6000036/223-1719 Gold & Diamond land, Berbice District (1). Call 6000036/223-1719 32 Acres for sale, Lot 5 Content Mahaicony, E.C.D: US$175,000. Call 813-3194219. rpooran@tampabay. rr.com Transport Land; Land for Sale at Craig Public Road. Contact 695-6641/ 223-3120/ 690-8571/ 666-9972, Price Negotiable. House lots 50’×118’ New Hope, E.B.D: Serious enquires only. No prices on phone. Call 266-2711/609-4594
WE FILL OUT VISA FORMS:USA, UK & CANADA & CREDIT CARD SERVICES CALL: 231-5789 Ram & Sons Mechanic Shop: Specialist in all types of Japanese vehicles & Volks Wagen. Eccles. Call 233-3072/ 656-2506 Brian Moe @642-3543: Computer Technician, Home and Office visits at your comfort!! Nankishore’s Electrical Contracting: Electrical Installation, air condition installation & repairs, cold room repairs & maintenance. Call Kumar 647-3937/643-9448 Unique Designs: Security grills, steel, gates & metal furniture made to order. Call Sharaz 617-4160/643-9448
SALON
LAND FOR SALE At Blankenburg W.C.D: 50ft×350ft- Tel: 265-6019, 696-3505, 261-6501, 718-7571106, 718-629-5141
It’s finally time, Sewing Competition! Think you qualify? Call Roxie’s Fashion, 622-4386 Free sewing class starting August 2. Call 622-4386 Are you interested in learning to sew? Are you free from 8am-5pm? Call Roxie’s Fashion, 622-4386 Do you need someone to cut for you, to sew for yourself? Call Roxie’s Fashion, 6224386
PEN APL 25-year- old female seeking female friends, ages 18-30. Call 684-6615
SERVICES TV repairs, DVD, Microwaves, Amplifiers, Stereos, Washing machines etc. Call 693-2683 Do you need a Car/Van Driver with over 5 years experienced? Call 615-5609 Computer Repairs, custom built PC, surveillance cameras and more. Call 6648660 Creative Constructs: Professional Caribbean to International Construction; Specialized in General Construction, from startfinish. Call 613-7964/675-1510 (Continued on page 64)
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 63
“After 50-overs disappointment, T-20s offer redemption and excitement for West Indies players!” Colin E. H. Croft Everyone expects West Indies to do infinitely better in T-20’s against Pakistan this weekend at Arnos Vale, St. Vincent, than in the 50-overs games. Not only should West Indies play with more fervor, they must. After all, the home team are proud defending World Champions in the game’s shortest format! Having lost the 50-overs series to Pakistan, 3-1, West Indies’ pride and performance must come through to beat the excellent tourists. Expect mercurial cricket from both teams! As I mentioned before they started their tour here, all world teams must always beware of Pakistan! Encouragingly, West Indies has not lost a T-20 game since excitingly winning ICC WT-20 in Sri Lanka last year. Hopefully, that knowledge will bring them through, but it will not be easy at all! Also, as a final preparation preamble for inaugural Caribbean Premier League, franchised and fringe players will want to demonstrate that they actually deserve their individual selective statuses! Realistically, as aptly shown over the last several months, in Champions Trophy 2013, then in the series featuring India and Sri Lanka, and now also in this very recently concluded series v
Chris Gayle took his shirt off today to beat the heat during training at Arnos Vale. (WICB Media Photo/Randy Brooks) Pakistan, West Indies team personnel are easily more adaptable and effective in T20’s than in any other form of the game! Why that is so is obviously quite debatable, but that is simply pure fact! Disappointingly, West Indies have really struggled to come to terms with the attitude and fortitude required for longevity at the crease and focus required over 100 overs of a normal One-Day International! Ironically, England, where T-20 cricket was initially encouraged and popularized,
if not altogether invented, but whose major players do not fully engage as often or as extensively as other teams’ personnel in T-20 cricket, is showing such longevity and effectiveness in Tests v Australia. England seems unbeatable! Conversely, Australia, already 2-0 down in that fiveTest series, like West Indies, is also suffering quite badly from its deluge of 20-overs cricket! If Australia’s batsmen do not up their game considerably, immediately re-
adjusting thinking and batting for lengthy periods at the crease, they could really lose 5-0! International Cricket Council has openly suggested that its premier tournament, the one they consider a true test, at least until the real Test Championship takes shape in two years, is the 50-overs World Cup. West Indian supporters, though, recognizing their players’ relative abilities, aptitude and attitudes, have grudgingly come to understand, appreciate and accept too, that our representatives’ forte is T-20 cricket! Reviewing the recent 50overs series, adaptable Pakistan, especially its much admired and touted captain, Misbah-Ul-Haq, has been quite special in that last 50overs series. They played so very well! Misbah has, justifiably, been named “Man of the Series,” and has been so impressive that he has also been incorporated in CT-20 2013 for the team based in St. Lucia, “The Zouks.” Not bad for a player whose real strength is his eternal presence at the crease, more eking out runs over time than blasting boundaries helterskelter. Misbah has shown great adaptability in the 50overs series. That Marlon Samuels scored a century in that 2nd
Colin E. H. Croft game at Beasejour, ODI #4, pleased me personally, as most would know that I consider him the best West Indies batsman presently playing. Unfortunately for him and team, and West Indies supporters, that was not enough to even produce a win! More disappointingly is that in five games v Pakistan, West Indian batsmen scored only two fifties – Darren Bravo, 54 in ODI # 2, and Lendl Simmons, 75 in ODI # 3 – to go with Samuels’ losing effort of 106 no. West Indies batting, overall, was abysmal, with Kieron Pollard and Devon Smith the worst failures. Pollard made 33 runs in three games, while Smith, whose continued presence is quite confusing, made 15 in two! On the other hand, Pakistan scored nine half
centuries in the series; Shahid Afridi, Nazir Jamshed, Umar Akmal, Mohammed Haffeez and Ahmed Shehzad each scoring one, Misbah alone scoring four! Misbah might have been named “Man of the Series”, but in no way was Pakistan a one-man team! Except for Afridi’s stunning 7-12 when West Indies were bowled out for 98 in ODI # 1, no Pakistani bowler had more than three wickets in any other innings, thus indicating a team-focused bowling performance. West Indies bowlers Jason Holder had 4-14, ODI # 1, and Sunil Narine 4-26, ODI # 2. Captain Dwayne Bravo, three times, had two wickets, and Kemar Roach, once. In the last game Tino Best had three wickets. But Bravo as bowler was ineffective, and so expensive, his 29.5 overs costing 201 runs, for seven wickets; economy rate (RPO) 6.8 and avg. 28.7. His use of normally more frugal Darren Sammy was quite poor. Captains must be flexible for momentous decisions, not playing from a paper plan, as was aptly displayed by Pakistan. Misbah changed his bowlers around admirably when, at times, he found them under par! Anyway, with Chris Gayle returning to the T-20 team, and his recent failures, expect him to fire. Also, expect the enterprising Pakistanis, perhaps Afridi, to do similarly too. Enjoy!
Sprinter Gay’s B sample positive, fails another test
Tyson Gay of the U.S. checks his time after the men’s 100m round 1 heats at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 4, 2012. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Former world sprint champion Tyson Gay’s ‘B’ sample from an out-ofcompetition test in May has been confirmed positive for a banned substance, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said on Friday, while adding he had returned
another positive test. “We can confirm that the ‘B’ sample analysis of a sample collected from Mr. Gay has been completed and that the ‘B’ sample analysis has confirmed the ‘A’ sample findings,” USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said in a statement to Reuters.
Tygart added an additional sample collected from the American sprinter had also returned “an adverse ‘A’ sample finding”, though he did not identify the location of where the second test was taken. “The results of these tests were expected given Mr. Gay’s acceptance of responsibility for the substances found in his body as soon as he was notified of the ‘A’ sample results,” Tygart added. A tearful Gay said in an interview on July 14 that his ‘A’ sample from the out-ofcompetition test in May had returned a positive result for a substance he would not disclose. “I don’t have a sabotage story. I don’t have lies ... I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down,” said Gay, who added he had
never knowingly taken a performance-enhancing drug. “I made a mistake,” added the 30-year-old, who is jointly the second fastest 100 meters runner of all-time at 9.69 seconds. Gay’s confirmation of the first positive test occurred on the same day that Jamaican athletics was plunged into crisis. Former world 100 meters record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic 4x100 meters relay silver medalist Sherone Simpson said they had both tested positive for the stimulant oxilophrine at last month’s Jamaican championships. Three other athletes failed tests at those championships. Two-time Olympic 200 meters champion Veronica Campbell-Brown had earlier tested positive for a banned diuretic at a May meeting in
Kingston. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Gay, the 2007 world double sprint champion, withdrew from the U.S. team for next month’s world championships in Moscow after notification of May’s positive ‘A’ test. “We appreciate Mr. Gay voluntarily removing himself from competition prior to the World Championships while we evaluate the circumstances surrounding his adverse analytical findings, and work towards achieving a fair resolution of his case in accordance with the rules,” Tygart said. Gay, the U.S. record holder at 100 meters, sped to what were then the year’s fastest times in winning the 100 and 200 meters at the U.S.
championships in late June and had been considered a strong challenger for Jamaican world record holder Usain Bolt at the August 1018 world championships. He had recorded the year’s three fastest 100 times, topped by his 9.75 at the U.S. meeting. Only Bolt has run faster than Gay’s 19.74 seconds in the 200 this year. “It has been tough for me,” said the softspoken Gay, sobbing throughout the July interview. “I have always been a drugfree athlete.” He had never previously failed a doping test and had participated in a USADA program in which athletes undergo additional testing to prove they are drug-free. Neither he nor his management team could be reached on Friday.
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(From page 62)
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CPL Franchise System BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Barbados’ only living National Hero, the Right Honourable Sir Garfield Sobers, has hailed the emergence of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League as crucial to the development of cricket in the Caribbean, and has also given the thumbs up to Kieron Pollard leading the Barbados Tridents. Sir Garry, arguably the finest cricketer the world has ever seen, said Twenty20 is important to the commercial survival of the game and lauded the fact that the Caribbean now had its own league of which to boast. “I think it is wonderful from the point of view that all around the world you have the Twenty20 game and it would be nice to have it in the West Indies,” said the legendary 76-year-old. “You
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need it. You need Twenty20. If you didn’t have Twenty20, do you know how many counties in England would have gone out of cricket? When you look at the four-day games of cricket in England you don’t have anybody there at all. When you look at a Twenty20 game, the ground is actually full so they are making the money from that format of the game to help the four-day cricket.” The Limacol CPL is set to bowl off at Kensington Oval in Barbados on 30 July with a glitzy opening ceremony, followed by a super clash between host team Barbados Tridents and St Lucia Zouks. Tridents will then turn their attention to Antigua Hawksbills on 1 August before rounding off the tripleheader with a much anticipated clash with Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel on 3 August. Sir Garry, who led West Indies in 39 of his 93 Tests
during an illustrious career, said he believed the franchise system would help to strengthen the bonds of regionalism. “Let’s look at it from this point of view: they say that West Indies cricket is the only thing in the Caribbean that unites us. We’re all together,” he noted. “If you have a Trinidadian playing in Barbados, [that’s ok]. You can have Trinidadians playing for Barbados, you can have Jamaicans playing for Barbados, you can have Barbadians playing for Jamaica because there are no rules or limit on how much time they have to spend in an island before they play.” To this end, Sir Garry was quick to endorse Pollard’s appointment as captain. “If Pollard is playing for Barbados and he is the captain, I don’t see anything wrong with it. He is a Trinidadian who is playing for the Barbados franchise,” Sir
Garry contended. “If it was like the inter-territorial games [in the past] and he was playing for Barbados, well then he became a Barbadian because he was playing for Barbados and that is a similar thing that is happening right now. I don’t see the big argument about it and all the fuss that is being made. All that matters is that he is a good enough captain and once he is good enough to captain I don’t see any arguments.” The Limacol Caribbean Premier League will feature an array of Caribbean and international stars contesting
24 matches, played across Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago, from 30 July to 24 August. Ninety players have been contracted to play in the CPL, with each of the six franchise teams comprising 15 players. Barbados Tridents comprises Pollard, Shoaib Malik, Shakib al Hasan, Umar Akmal, Dwayne Smith, Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Rayad Emrit, Ashley Nurse, Carlos Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Kyle Mayers, Devendra Bishoo, Kirk Edwards and Raymon Reifer.
MACAU (Reuters) Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao has predicted an all out slugfest with American Brandon Rios on November 24 as he looks to get back to winning ways and silence retirement talks after two consecutive losses. Pacquiao 54-5-2 (KO 38) makes his first return to the ring since a brutal knockout
defeat by old advisory Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas in December, a loss which many predicted would close out the 34-year-old’s career. Undeterred, Pacquiao has lined up a non-title welterweight battle with the aggressive Rios for his first fight in eight months and first in Asia in seven years. “It’s going to be a good
fight because Rios, he loves to fight toe-to-toe and he loves action in the ring,” Pacquiao told reporters in Macau on Saturday. “So what we have to do is to train hard and prepare a hundred percent physically and mentally. And of course we always praying to God that nobody gets hurt,” the world champion at eight
different weights said. Rios 31-1-1 (23 KOs) is also coming off a defeat, a points loss to Mike Alvarado at light welterweight in Las Vegas in March. The 27-year-old former lightweight world champion was confident, though, of claiming victory over Pacquiao and moving back into title contention.
Sir Garry Sobers chats with Marlon Samuels at the launch of the CPL in February 2013.
Pacquiao predicts toe-to-toe battle against Rios
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GUYANA TO FACE JAMAICA IN BOTH FINALS AT CARIBBEAN SQUASH TOURNEY Guyana booked their place in both finals of the team events with hard fought victories over Trinidad & Tobago. Guyana played Trinidad first in the Boys semifinals. First on court was Shomari Wiltshire in the Boys Under-13 tie. He was just too good for his opponent Kobie Khan winning easily three games to nil. Next on court Ben Mekdeci destroyed Jonathan Blanc three games to nil. The match up of Under-19 number one strings saw Jean Claude moved out to an early nine points to four lead in the first game against Caribbean Under-19 runner up Mandela Patrick, but he lost the game and eventually lost the other two easily thus losing three games to love. The match of the
afternoon was the rematch between the two Under-17 finalists Nyron Joseph and Nku Patrick and it went down to the wire. Nyron won the first and Nku won the second. Nyron won the third and at ten four match ball, it seemed all was lost for Nku and Guyana was in the final but Nku dug deep and clawed his way back to take the fourth and then the fifth. It then came down to the decider between Steven Xavier and Chad Salandy. Steven held his nerve and was a comfortable winner by three games to nil. In the girls match first on court was Madeda Harding against Amiee De Verteuil in the Girls Under-13 tie. Makeda played a controlled game and was an easy winner three games to nil.
The Girls Under-15’s were on court next and Rebecca Low played a fantastic match against Marie Claire Barcant. Rebecca went up two games to nil and at ten nine match ball in her favour in the third it seemed as if Guyana’s place in the finals was more certain, but it was not to be as Marie Claire managed to win the third and the won the fourth and fifth games fairly comfortably. The Girls Under-19 number one strings were next on the court and this again featured the two finalists in the division, Victoria Arjoon and Charlotte Knaggs. Victoria again played quite well in the first game but Charlotte was much too quick to the ball and won the match three games to nil. In the girls Under-17 tie Akeila Wiltshire played Faith
Marion Gillezeau and was a comfortable winner by three game to nil. Again like in the Boys tie it had come down to the Under-19 number two tie to determine which team would move forward to play in the final. Gabby Fraser, who had finished third in the Girls under-17 division, was pitted against Talia Abdool who had finished fourth in the Girls Under-19 division. Gabby won the first game quite easily but Talia came out more focused in the second, but once Gabby was able to win the second game eleven points to eight, it seemed to take all the fighting spirit out of Talia and Gabby won the third to win the match by three games to nil. Guyana will play Jamaica at 12:00 noon in the Girls final and at 1:00 pm in the Boys final.
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Cementing legacy versus revenge in today’s final
2013 Digicel nationwide Schools Football Football C/ship Schools Championship comes to a By Rawle Welch Despite the lop-sided scoreline in last year’s final between eventual champions Wismar/ Christianburg and Waramadong, fans went away satisfied that the two combatants had treated them to a scorching exhibition of football. The two teams are once again set to do battle in a repeat of last year’s final and judging from the their impressive showings so far in the competition, another rivetting contest is anticipated today, at the Police Sports Club ground as the 2013 Digicel Nationwide
climax. The defending champions Wismar / Christianburg has looked everything like champions since the tournament commenced last month, putting away opponent after opponent with consumate ease, while Waramadong, who started the competition with convincing wins over Three Miles and Bartica managed to maintain their quality until the semi-final where they were made to fight against Covent Garden, before coming away with a penalty kicks triumph. However, they are known to be a very efficient side with a lot of trickery and ball handling skills and are also
- Third place playoff is a battle for pride very efficient in the passing game so despite a few lapses here and there it would be silly to right them off as undeserving opponents. On the other hand, Wismar / Christianburg have performed as worthy champions and should start the game as firm favourites to retain their crown, especially judging from their imposing display against Georgetown champions St. George’s in their semi-final clash which they won 6-1. Many of the experts have labeled the matchup as good organization versus stylishness and it has all the trappings of pure excitement
from the start. Both teams will not be short of fan support since they are both known to have followers everywhere they play and Digicel has already consented to provide some amount of transportation for the respective band of supporters. It is clear that one team will be looking to cement their legacy, while solidifying a dynasty when the match commences and in this case it is Wismar / Christianburg, while Waramadong will be aiming for revenge, having lost 5-2 to them last year. Marmarlique Davidson, who netted a helmet trick in
last year’s final and was named top goalscorer, will once again lead his team’s charge for supremacy and his support is expected from the likes of Shane Luckie, the prolific Jashawn Moore, Nigel Caesar and Donavan Francis. Conversely, Whazir Bascombe, who started a bit slowly, but has gradually found form and who scored in last year’s final will spearhead their quest with assistance anticipated from Kevon Richmond, Fernando Hunter and Kenton Browne, all deadly players on their day. The third place playoff should also be an interesting
affair with St. George’s down to play Covent Garden. This game is about which team is more determined as they rely on their doggedness rather than panache and technical superiority to generate wins. Reeling from their semifinal capitulation, St, George’s will look for an improved collective output as they aim to finish the tournament on a relative high note, while Covent Garden should be feeling confident after their semi-final display against Waramadong. Pride is at stake here and in addition to wanting to treat the fans to an exciting brand of football an open and high scoring contest is predicted. Kick off time is 16:00hrs.
Sensational knockout, action packed duels as GBA/DDL U-16 boxing commences Keion Williams (PRBG) delivered a wicked flurry of punches, merely 9 seconds into the first round in his 115119lbs duel with Anthony Miguel (YA) and sent his man to the canvas, writhing in pain, and eventually for the full count when the curtains went up on the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA)/ Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL) U-16 boxing tournament at the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Boxing Gym (ALBG) yesterday morning. The fight was so brief that few actually saw the killer punch but the effects were apparent as Miguel tumbled to the canvas and vainly attempted to assert himself but his legs were rubbery and simply refused to cooperate. Eventually, the ringside nurse attended to him and sent him off to the hospital for a more detailed examination. There were no other knockouts but several bouts
had the small but appreciative crowd on its feet as the Simon Pures really showed off their wares. The 60-64lbs duel between Jakeel Codogan (HE) and Orwane Harris (FYF) was indeed a thriller as both boxers strove to clinch the verdict. The former pugilist was a busybody even as he attempted to evade his opponent’s stiff jabs and right crosses. Harris would have none of it and kept him at bay with several ramrod shots. The pattern continued up to halfway of the second round when Codogan got into stride and a delightful battle ensued with each pugilists giving as much as he received. In the end it was Harris who proved the more determined after landing several combinations that earned his a points verdict. The 80-84lbs clash between Roy Samuels (HE) and John Moore (FYF) was
Hamilton scorches to third pole in a row BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A stunned Lewis Hamilton scorched to his third pole position in a row for Mercedes in searing track temperatures at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday. The 2008 Formula One world champion, a triple winner in Hungary with McLaren, lapped the circuit with a best time of one minute 19.388 seconds to deny Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel the top slot. “Are we on pole?,” the Briton shouted over the
radio on his slowing down lap at the Hungaroring. “Yeah, we’re as surprised as you,” came the reply. Triple world champion Vettel, who leads Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in the standings by 34 points after nine of 19 races, could manage only 1:19.426 with the track temperature hitting 50 degrees earlier in the session. He starts second. Hamilton had never before in his stellar career taken three successive poles and his fourth of the season took his overall tally to 30 -
another thriller. The two boxers went after each other in a no holds barred encounter that sent the spectators wild. Samuels swung to Moore’s head but the FYF representative took it like a man and responded with several bombs of his own. The two gladiators threw caution to the wind and unleashed vicious salvos that had their fans going wild. The support was evenly divided as the chants went up nearing the end of the bout. Buoyed by the support, both pugilists lashed out and when the bell sounded they were engaged in a nice little flurry in the red corner. It was indeed a pity that one had to lose but Moore was declared the winner. In the other results: 5559lbs Kevin Mullin (HE) proved too good for Equancy Wrights (ESSQ) but he returned later in the night to concede a points decision to Moses Oxford (HE). Malrick one more than the late Argentine five-times champion Juan Manuel Fangio. “With the temperatures, it was pretty tough. I was really surprised when they said I got pole. I didn’t feel like that was a great lap,” Hamilton told reporters. “I was expecting Sebastian to get it,” added the Briton who won from pole last year in Hungary but has yet to win a race since leaving McLaren at the end of the 2012 season. Frenchman Romain Grosjean qualified third for Lotus with Hamilton’s German team mate Nico Rosberg fourth. Alonso, who has not started on pole for more than a year and turns 32 on Monday, will start fifth.
Jakeel Cadogan (left) ducks out of range of an Orwane Harris attack but the latter boxer went on to win the bout Walcott (ESSQ) also lost to Jaimi Kellman (YA) in that division while in the 75-79lbs category, Shemar Bumbury (FYF) won on points from Ansol Wolfe (HE). Kevon Mullin (HE) also defeated
Delroy Elcock (ESSQ) in the same division while in the 8589lbs category; Deshon Elcock (ESSQ) defeated Monthel Johnson (CBG). The 133-140lbs bout between Akiel Mounter
(ESSQ) and Andre Waldron was a championship bout and the former boxer prevailed. The boxers return this morning at the same venue from 10:00hrs for the finals.
Zaman hits half century as Melville take Independence Cup - Wakenaam Zameer Zamaan stroked a fine half century as Melville defeated Belle Plaine by 1 wicket to the win the Independence 20-over softball cricket competition last Sunday at Sewram’s Tarmac in Belle Plaine Wakenaam. Belle Plaine batted first and posted 185-6 off their allotted overs with Keval Chulai top scoring with 55 while Satrohan Shiwnanand supported with 50, Prem Shiwcharran contributed 40 and Satnarine Sahadeo 35. Gewan Persaud Snr and Zaman claimed two wickets each. Melville responded with 186-9 in 17.5 overs with Zaman leading the way with 51. Jairam Ramadeen chipped in with 40 as Tamesh Persaud took 3-21 and Gunraj Kawal 3-30. Both teams received trophies while Sahadeo and Kawal collected the most outstanding batsman and bowler prizes respectively. 17-year-old Ganesh Mohabir of Rest of the Island and 11-year old Mahase Ramnarine of Good Success were given prizes compliments
of Satnarine Singh for showing promise. The competition was sponsored by the Wakenaam NDC. Meanwhile, Banks DIH Xtra White 5-over tournament will commence today at the said venue. The fixture in the preliminary round reads; Noitgedacht vs Rest of the Island, Good Success vs Melville, Zeelandia vs Maria’s Pleasure, Rest of the Island vs Belle Plaine, Melville vs Sarah, Maria’s Pleasure vs Sans Souci, Noitgedacht vs Belle Plaine, Good Success vs Sarah and Zeelandia vs Sans Souci. The top three teams will go through to the finals which will be played on a round robin basis. The wining and runner teams will receive prizes while the man-of-the-match in the final, best bowler and batsman in the preliminary round will be rewarded along with the fielder taking the best catch, batsman hitting the biggest six, batsman hitting the most sixes and the most expensive bowler.
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Bolt does it... again! No stopping Usain, but Team GB lacklustre in relays... Winners (left to right): Mario Forsythe, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Usain Bolt and Warren Weir. (PA)
Daily Mail - Usain Bolt completed another triumphant appearance at London’s Olympic Stadium as he led the Racers Track Club team to success in the 4x100 metres relay in the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games. The sprinter was one of the stars of last summer’s Olympics, collecting three gold medals, and he returned to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Friday night to charge to 100m success. Yesterday he added victory in the relay, running the last leg as he and teammates Mario Forsythe, Kemar Bailey-Cole and Warren Weir streaked to victory. The quartet recorded a time of 37.74 seconds with France finishing second and Canada third. Great Britain’s first team, which included Dwayne Chambers and Adam Gemili, failed to get the baton around successfully, while the second quartet finished fifth, while Bolt talked up the inner belief required to win on a consistent basis. ‘For me personally I’m always just focused and it is all about how mentally strong you are,’ he said. ‘I go out there and I’m always positive when I’m in great shape so that is the key thing. ‘You can’t get carried away and you have to be aware and you still have to finish the race. Sometimes it might not be a world-class field and you still get beaten, so you have just got to be focused at all times.’ Bolt ran the last leg for the Racers Track Club team, which was made up of fellow Jamaicans Mario Forsythe, Kemar Bailey-Cole and Warren Weir, and was happy with their collective display. ‘It was good running with my team-mates especially the guys I see every day, so it was nice,’ Bolt said. ‘We haven’t run a lot of relays together,
but just being around each other everyday we can understand each other and we know how fast we are personally, so it worked out really well.’ The 26-year-old Bolt, whose double success this weekend could prove to be his swansong at the Olympic Stadium if the tax laws which almost scuppered his appearance this time around are not relaxed, feels he has grown into a good leader for the team. ‘It depends on what the tax laws say and if they said it is okay I will be here next year,’ he said when questioned about future meets. ‘I think I’m getting older now so I’m the team leader. I try to keep them focused and give them my wisdom and stuff like that.’ Bolt could be back in Britain as early as next year for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but his thoughts at the moment have turned to the World Championships in Moscow next month. He said: ‘I would love to go to the Commonwealth Games but we will see. It will be determined by what the coach says. ‘We have two weeks to go [until the World Championships] and a little bit of work to do. ‘It will be a little bit different and we are looking forward to it. We are sure we can do better.’ Britain’s latest baton error came on the change between Adam Gemili and James Ellington as it was understood that the team had planned to push their handovers to the limit in preparation for Moscow. Gemili was also at fault as Britain did not progress through the heats at the Olympics last summer, when he set off too early and was out of his box before Danny Talbot could complete the
handover. Dwain Chambers, who was on the team on both occasions, has said he will talk to Gemili about the error after the teenager was drafted into the line-up at late notice to replace the injured James Dasaolu. ‘It is a tough occasion,’ Chambers said. ‘This is almost the equivalent of the Olympic Games all over again and whatever issues there are we just have to try and review them and improve. I will speak to Adam and try and console him as best I can. ‘It’s a team effort and its about what we think on an individual basis. We have to pull together and just work and build from it. ‘We’ve got a great team, we’ve been training really well and we’ve had fantastic relay performances throughout the summer. It’s just unfortunate on this occasion we didn’t get it round.’ Gemili, who won the men’s 100m B-race Friday evening and will run in the 200m in Moscow, was left despondent but is hopeful of improving at the World Championships. ‘Its disappointing,’ he said. ‘We’re in good shape to do something good today and unfortunately it didn’t click. ‘Let’s go back to the drawing board, reset and push on to Moscow.’
Sunday July 28, 2013
Digicel/KMTC Horserace classic shifted to August 11 The much anticipated Digicel/Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) one day Horserace Classic has been pushed back from August 1st to August 11th at the club’s Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne Berbice venue. The change of date has come about because of a number of reasons, but mainly because of the protest of a number of African groups in the ancient count, who were upset that the multimillion dollars event was slated for August 1st (Emaciation Day). The sponsor and organisers after being appraised of the uneasiness of the various groups decided that the best thing was to push back the activity. The programme however remains the same with over $12M up for grabs. Eight races are slated for the days programme. So far most of the top horses in the country have taken entry for one of the biggest horserace meet’s on the racing calendar so far and with so much on offer an action packed day of racing is anticipated. The additional days have given some of the horses an opportunity to put in more training time. The feature event is for B class horses over One Mile. The winner will gallop away with a whopping first prize of $2.5M, with the top three finishers collecting decent rewards. The top Guyana and West Indies Bred three years old horses in the country are expected to be in action as they battle for $1.3M also over One Mile. The D3 Class event also has a tantalizing first prize of $900,000 with the distance set at six Furlongs.
In the race for two year Guyana and West Indies Bred horses the animals will be competing for a first prize of $700,000 over five Furlongs. Horses classified G1 and lower will be competing for a 600,000 winner’s money in another One Mile event. The I1 and Lower 1200M race will have $325,000 going to the winner over Seven Furlongs. A handy $300,000 is at stake for the winner in the race for J1 and lower horses over Six Furlongs. The final race for the day will be for the animals classified J3 and K over Five Furlongs for a winner’s money of $200,000. All the winners will be presented with trophies compliments of the sponsors. There will also be rewards for the outstanding individual performers which will include top jockey, trainer, stable and horse compliments of Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and Digicel. The race meet will be run under the rules of the GHRA and those interested in entering their animals can do so by contacting Secretary Niketa Ross on 66204668, Campton Sancho on 690-0569 Roopnarine Matadial on 325-3192, Justice Cecil Kennard on 226-1399, 225-4818 or 623-7609,club, Ivan Dipnarine 3310316, Isabella Beaton 693-7812 or Dennis DeRoop on 609-9143. Horse owners are also reminded to get their horses properly registered with the Guyana Horse Racing Authority, as those horses not properly registered will not be allowed to participate in the day’s proceedings. Race time is 12:30hrs. (Samuel Whyte)
Florida -based Club, Jian Wu Martial Arts join TT Karate Federation Kick Source Allegiance (KSA) of Orlando, Florida is the latest USA -based club to join the Trinidad and Tobago Karate Federation (TTKF). Chief instructor is Sensei Kert Christopher. He has been practicing for over forty years and holds a 4th Dan in Shotokan Karate, 4th Dan in Kick boxing and aAAAreferee with the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA). He is also pursuing officiating with the WUKO and working on his coaching certifications with the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) His students are known for winning at major tournaments including the annual US
Sifu Ronald Ramlogan Open Martial Arts Championships which takes place every July in Orlando. Meanwhile, Jian Wu Martial Arts (JWMA ) headed by Sifu Ronald Ramlogan is the latest club to join the Trinidad and Tobago Karate
Federation (TTKF). Sifu Ramlochan, who has over twenty-two years martial arts experience, holds a 5th Dan in Jian Chuan Fa and an Instructor certificate in Wing Chun - Kwok lineage. He is also the founder of the UWI Kung Fu Club and the General-Secretary of the T&T Wu Shu Association. He will be pursuing his coaching certification with TTKF via the American Sport Education Programme (ASEP). JWMA is located at UWI campus El Dorado and Las Lomas #2. For more info call 348-2263 or email ronald.ramlocham@gmail.com. The main styles taught are Jian Wu Chuan Fa and Wing Chun.
Fireworks anticipated for GBTI 40-miler in Berbice Fireworks is anticipated today as all the top cyclists in Berbice are expected to don their cycling gear and head to the road in the Upper Corentyne area where the action will be, in what is expected to be stiff competition for the 8th Annual Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) 40-mile cycle road race which is organized by the Flying Ace Cycle Club. The event will see the
cyclists riding off from in front of the Bank at around 10:00 hrs and journey to Nand Persaud and Company Limited on the Corentyne Coast before returning to its place of origin. The race, which is once again only for Berbicians, will be different this year with cyclists from The Trojan Cycle Club joining the other two in what is expected to be a keenly contested event. Dwight Holder is the
defending champion, however this year, Holder will be donning Trojan colours and with top Berbice cyclist Neil Reece seemingly getting back into top form and the other cyclists all showing promise, a grueling encounter is anticipated. Reece came back with a bang to sweep the Grenville Felix meet last Sunday. Prizes, which will include trophies cash and other incentives, will be awarded to
the first six finishers in the open category. The top three finishers in the junior category, the first three females and first veteran riders will all be awarded while 10 prime point prizes will also be up for grabs. The race will be started by officials of the bank who will also be on hand to present the prizes. They event is being coordinated by Coach Randolph Roberts. (Samuel Whyte)
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Hearts of Oak Masters ‘Teach them Young’ football summer camp progressing smoothly The female footballers going through their paces
The 16th Annual Hearts of Oak Masters Football Club ‘Teach them Young’ football summer camp is progressing smoothly according to Coordinator Neil ‘Grizzly’ Humphrey in New Amsterdam. The camp which is being held at the Scot Church ground, Princess Elizabeth Road and the nearby Prison Officers Sports Club New Amsterdam, began on Monday 15th July and is expected to conclude on Friday 16th August 2013. It is being held five days weekly from Monday-Friday
from 09:00hrs -12:00 hrs. Over 100 youths ranging from four to 20 years are participating in the activity. The youths are being taught the finer points of the game which include both theory and practical. The practical sessions entails showing the youngsters the various ways in receiving, passing, shooting, taking, dribbling, goalkeeping and throwing the football among other points. The youths are also being schooled in discipline, etiquette, good table manners
and general education with physical fitness also being an integral part of the sessions. According to Humphrey the main aim of the programme is to have the youths better able to appreciate the rules and regulation of the game, improve their knowledge and skills and understand general sportsmanship and have a better human relationship with others and improve their discipline generally. At the end of the camp the youths will be involved in exchange visits and will be presented with certificates
and other memorabilia, while the more outstanding players will be selected to participate in a tour to other parts of the country where they will participate in a number of goodwill games. Apart from Humphrey, other personnel and coaches that are involved in the sessions are former national players Adrian Forde, Kendrick Bowry, Randy Sears and Nigel Felix among others that are being incorporated to impart their specific knowledge during the programme. (Samuel Whyte)
21 Players to contest Banks DIH Premium Beer National Pools finals Twenty-one players will contest the Banks DIH Limited sponsored “Premium Cues Showdown” National pools finals today at Stabroek Sports Bar on Brickdam. The players were selected following seven zone tournaments in West Demerara, Essequibo, Linden, Berbice, East Bank Demerara, East Coast Demerara and Georgetown.
Banks/Premium Beer Manager Brian Choo-Hen said that the top three players from each zone were selected to contest the national finals. Colin Carr, Anthony Rajkoomar and Nicholas Dhanesar will represent West Demerara, Vishwannauth Persaud, Ramesh Ramsaroop and Rameshwar Seeraj will represent East Coast Demerara, Sean DeSouza,
Part of the action at the Georgetown finals held last weekend at Buddy’s Pool Hall.
Shem Haripersaud and Bhisham Dharundhar will be East Bank Demerara representatives. Dwayne McAlmont, Nandalall Persaud and Ganesh Roopnarine will represent Linden, Brijmohan Ramsahai, Andy Persaud and Bisram Balaram are the Essequibo representatives with Amadat Singh, Feroze Khan and Tameshwar
representing Berbice while Ryan Rambalak, Troy Soodoo and Bernard Bagot will represent Georgetown. The winner will receive $125,000 and the Premium Beer Pools Championship trophy with the runner-up securing $70,000, while the third place finisher will collect $35,000. Starting time is at 11:0 hours.
>>>Letter to the Sports Editor<<<
DCB rebukes insolent East Coast Cricket Board DEAR EDITOR, The DCB wishes to record its extreme disgust at the continuous disrespectful attitude of the East Coast cricket administration towards its cricketers and the cricket structure. The DCB urges this and any other Cricket Board to desist from playing politics with the lives and careers of our youths. The DCB has always made every effort to have representative teams selected to represent our County and country and has had to bypass the ECCB several times whenever they have refused to select a representative team from their area. The ECCB can only blame itself if they feel that the best team was not selected from their area or some talented youngsters were overlooked or discriminated against. If the DCB had totally ignored that area, no one from that area would have been selected, so why blame others for your own delinquencies. Why complain after refusing to do your job? The DCB was represented at the proposed meeting on Monday by its President, one Vice President, its Competitions Committee Chairman and its Administrator and not 2 persons as reported by the ECCB. That says a lot about the credibility of the group that represented the ECCB and reported back to its hierarchy! The DCB has since received complaints from other East Coast Clubs that the notice period for our scheduled meeting was too short and that some of the Clubs were threatened by Executives of the ECCB had they attended. Please be advised that the DCB is committed to ensuring that
cricket is administered properly in all of its areas and will take whatever steps that it considers necessary to have same done. The DCB is prepared to assist clubs on the East Coast of Demerara and any other area in Demerara that are serious about developing their structure and cricketers. Those who are interested can contact our Administrator at 227-7130 and register your interest. We will continue to engage those persons and clubs to ensure that another generation is not lost because the powers on the East Coast decide not to play any cricket. All clubs in this sub association are invited to participate in our competitions with assistance from the DCB. Do not let a few troublemakers on the ECCB speak for you and your kids. The DCB wishes to advise that the Honorable Minister of Sport, Frank Anthony, has duly recognized the administrations of both the DCB and the GCB and has supported the works of these 2 administrations despite the careless actions of these few disgruntled persons. The DCB calls on the ECCB to immediately halt its delinquency and inactivity and sincerely commit itself to working together for us to develop cricket in the County of Demerara. The cricket controversy is being addressed in the court of law and whichever grouping comes out victorious, then so be it. In the meanwhile, cricket should not suffer. Let us work together for the development of our youths and stop playing politics with the game of cricket and the politicians on both sides of the divide. The public has had enough of this! Administrator- DCB
U.S. COACH KLINSMANN SUSPENDED FROM GOLD CUP FINAL (Reuters) - United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been suspended for the CONCACAF Gold Cup final for showing dissent on the sideline following his side’s 3-1 semi-final victory over Honduras. The suspension was announced on Friday by the CONCACAF disciplinary committee after it reviewed a report from the referee of the match on Wednesday. Klinsmann, who had been unhappy with a series of what he perceived as non-calls and hard tackles against his team, was asked to leave the technical area after “showing dissent towards the referee by throwing the ball in a violent manner”. The U.S. will seek its fifth Gold Cup title when it faces Panama on July 28 in Chicago. The decision cannot be appealed, CONCACAF said.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 28, 2013
Babar takes Pakistan Guyana to collide home off last ball with Americans in All-star game
ESPNcricinfo - You get a chance to play international cricket at 34, becoming the second-oldest debutant for your country. You are hit for six second ball. What do you do? You dismiss three key batsmen for just 23 runs. You are then called on to finish the game. With the bat. Understandably, you are tied down. But with six needed off six, you loft over extra cover for four. You think you have more than pulled your weight as a debutant. You have, but it is not over yet. It comes down to the last ball. One run needed. Everyone is in the circle. No sweat. You go big over midoff, so big that you clear the rope. Zulfiqar Babar, welcome to international cricket. It should not have come down to the last ball the way Shahid Afridi sensibly steered the chase from 86 for 5. After
that became 116 for 6, he did it with the tail for company. He made 46 off 27, but barring the 27th delivery, he hardly hit a desperate, reckless stroke. With eight needed off 11 though, he tried to seal it with a straight six, and mishit to long-on. West Indies sensed a chance. Babar played out a few dots. Despite that early boundary in the last over, Saeed Ajmal was run out off the fifth with the scores tied, before Babar roared one final time. The way they bowled and fielded, West Indies were lucky to have taken it down to the last ball. Shannon Gabriel took three wickets, but he crumbled under pressure each time he was called upon to deliver. Umar Amin, who played a blinder on T20 debut, took three fours off Gabriel’s first over, with a flick and two pulls.
Amin then took Samuel Badree apart on a turning pitch. Never giving the ball a chance to spin, he repeatedly stepped out to loft Badree down the ground. When the bowler dropped it short, Amin pulled. When he overpitched, Amin drove. Even as Amin was toying with West Indies, the hosts were striking at the other end. The Pakistan top order fell to miscalculated hits, but Amin’s brilliance meant the asking-rate was always under control. That still didn’t stop Amin from walking out to Samuels and getting stumped to make it 86 for 5. Afridi took over now, striking Samuels first ball for six over long-off and drilling the third to the extra cover rope. Thereafter, he settled down into cruise mode, rotating the strike, picking the odd boundary and also lofting Sunil Narine to become the first man to reach 400 international sixes. He did everything right except the stroke on the ball he got out to, but then, it was to be the debutant’s day in the end. Babar, and the other Pakistan spinners, had shocked West Indies initially on the turner but the hosts recovered and then took apart the fast bowlers to post a challenging total. Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard came together at 42 for 4 and put on 56 before Darren Sammy cracked 30 off 14. Pakistan’s slow bowlers did their job, taking 5 for 74 in 14 overs but the fast bowlers, missing the yorkers too often, disappeared for 1 for 73 in six. Mohammad Hafeez, who opened the bowling and dismissed the openers, gave himself just two overs. Babar squared up and bowled Lendl Simmons with his fourth delivery and in his next over, found himself in the way of a powerful hit from Samuels, but managed to hold on. Samuels had been cutting Mohammad Irfan for boundaries amid all the wickets. Bravo and Pollard, although not always in control, rotated the strike, a refreshing thing coming from a West Indies pair. Bravo was quick to hit with the turn through the off side, and Pollard made sure he put away the rare half-volleys for boundaries. Sammy went after the fast bowlers as he and Pollard looted 53 in four overs. As Sammy said after the game, 152 should have been defended on that pitch, but Babar was to have the perfect debut.
The Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) in collaboration with the Partners in Christ will host one of the most anticipated evenings of basketball in recent times when the American under-17 and 19 and over team will tangle with some of Guyana’s top young players this evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH). The International All-Star night will see the teams battling for pride and bragging rights. Coach of the USA based teams, Kevin Johnson, said his teams are ready for the impending contests. “Well this is the first time we are being able to practice with everyone at once so we have been on the go for the past four days while implanting our system but it’s an opportunity I think is great for us to come here and play because some of these guys have Guyanese parents but have not been here, so it’s a new challenge for them,” Johnson stated. Johnson has worked with players from the NBA’s Miami Heat with women’s division two college sides. Johnson promised that his team is prepared to handle the Guyanese all-stars, “We went to Linden and we played against their under-17 and we beat them by 40 points and we played their 19 and over team
and won by 15…I haven’t had a chance to see all the Guyanese All-stars, I have seen some of the them play and we know what to expect but from the practices we have seen they look like a disciplined bunch and like they can pass the ball well,” Johnson revealed. Meanwhile, Guyanese Allstar over-18 player Travin Dryden assures that the Guyanese side will go all out in tonight contest. “Well, practice has been simple but great, we are jelling as a team and we have been going through the paces to go out there and give it our all we are happy for the opportunity and I will come out playing my A game,” he said. National player Nikkoloi Smith noted that the training should pay off. “Training has been intense, we did a lot of work and you know for sure I will give me best,” Smith stated after a training session at the CASH. Co-director of the YBG weighed in saying, “It is important for youth basketball and it is important for basketball in general not many time you will have the opportunity to rub shoulders will players from America and I hope our young players understand this and I think all the youth players should be out there on Sunday. “Basketball is an American
Kevin Johnson
Travin Dryden sport, it is in their DNA and our youngsters will learn a lot form this as we look to give them more exposure,” Bowman noted. It’s all to play for and Bowman noted that the game will tell the real tale, “Well really we don’t know, we have to wait and see and I know that the under-17 American players are skilled and talented and our players will learn that watching such high level players play against playing with them on the court are two totally different things,” Bowman stated. Meanwhile, gates at the CASH open at 17:00hrs and the under-17 contest is set for 18:00hrs, with the 18 and over sides battling in the nightcap.
Regional 3 day U-19 tourney...
Half centuries by Chanderpaul, Homraj put Guyana in comfortable position Half centuries by Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Akshay Homraj put Guyana in a comfortable position at the end of the first day in the third round of the Regional U19 Three day tournament which commenced yesterday in St. Kitts. Guyana closed the day at 266-6 with Homraj 58 and Captain Shawn Perreira on 33. They were given a bright start by Shimron Hetymer and Tagenarine Chanderpaul after they were inserted by the Windwards Islands at Conaree. The pair added 47 for the
opening stand before Hetymer, who was once again asked to open the batting instead of Brain Sattaur, was trapped leg before to Gabriel in the 23rd over for 19. Chanderpaul was then joined by Sattaur the pair batted sensibly as the y took the score to 111 before Sattaur after looking well set for a half century was dismissed for 46 in the 29th over. Kamesh Yadram soon followed for 4 as Guyana slipped to 138-3, but Chanderpaul continued to bat positively and soon reached his fifty. Ricardo
POINTS STANDINGS POST ROUND II Team Matches Win Loss Draw Jamaica 2 1 0 1 Barbados 2 1 1 0 Leewards 2 1 0 1 T&T 2 1 0 1 Windwards 2 0 1 1
Points 19.3 18.7 18.1 16.1 7.1
Tagenarine Chanderpaul Adams was then bowled by Martin for 15 at 154-4 in 42 overs. Chanderpaul and Pereira added 38 for the fifth wicket before Chanderpaul was dismissed for 66. Guyana lost Romario Shepherd a duck; both fell to Lewis 2-20. Pereira and Akshay Homraj then frustrated the opposition with a seventh wicket stand of 90.
Sunday July 28, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Cementing legacy vs revenge in today’s final P. 59
The large gathering of football fans who came out to witness the final of the Digicel Nationwide Schools Championship last year, at the Police Sports Club ground.
- Third place playoff is a battle for pride P. 62
Zulfiqar Babar picked up three wickets on debut (WICB).
Babar takes Pakistan home off last ball
Kieron Pollard drives powerfully (WICB).
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