Monday March 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news...Letters... Where your views make the news
Churches can lead the way in racial and national unity
DEAR EDITOR, In the Will Smith movie, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” Will’s son in the movie told the story: There was a man who was drowning, and a boat came, and the man on the boat said, “Do you need help?” and the drowning man said “No, God will save me.” Then another boat came and he tried to help him, but he said “No, God will save me,” then he drowned and went to Heaven. Then the man asked God, “God, why didn’t you save me?” and God said, “I sent you two boats, you dummy!” In 2011, Guyana entered into a political impasse. The government became a minority government and instead of getting the message of the electorate that the electorate wants the parties to work together, the government in power for 23 years, continued with more of the same. Every new day revealed a new scandal, secret deal, or episodes of the “Fleecing of Guyana.” Instead of listening, the government’s counteroffensive accused the APNU and AFC of “obstructing” progress. The combined opposition said it’s not against progress, it’s against scams, secret deals and lack of accountability, and that it would not support projects until there is full disclosure. The Opposition won credibility by exposing the Amalia scams, the Surendra scams, the fiber optic problems, the Marriott scams, the Skeldon factory scams, and problems in the laptop program. It was clear the Opposition was looking out for the interests of Guyana and not simply wanting to stop development. That’s the accountability we
want as a poor nation. Many in our churches have prayed for Guyana for decades that our country will move forward as one people, one nation, and one destiny. Since democracy was restored in 1992, despite some progress, we have not entered into the fullness of our blessings. Our people still flee to tiny Caribbean islands with virtually no natural resources eking out a living. To those of you who have been praying, God has sent us two ships – The APNU and the AFC. They are sailing as one Coalition force. Please do not let Guyana die. In the life of nations, there are critical moments, and in Guyana, this is one such moment. Never before have we had two parties willing to risk so much in forming a Coalition so that Guyana can move forward as a nation. We are at a tipping point. All the churches in Guyana need to seize this moment in time and take a position. Now is not the time for pseudo neutrality. I call on all churches – all the historic
churches, the Lifespring Ministries, the Assembly of God, the Full Gospel Fellowship, and other Pentecostal and evangelical churches to hold national unity prayer meetings and consider Guyana’s future. I also invite our brothers and sisters in the temples and mosques to do the same. As religious people of faith, we are driven by values of love and forgiveness. We do not hold anger, envy and bitterness in our hearts, or else we will never heal. We do not drive by looking in the rear view mirror all the time; we look forward in faith, and hope. Forgetting those things which are behind, we press towards the mark of something new, something better and different. We are led by our faith, not by our fears. In 1992, we were ready for a change, and the mood of the nation in 2015 is the same. Let’s pray and work for change. Guyana’s salvation is at hand. The people in the churches can lead the way in racial and national unity. Dr. Jerry Jailall
The Opposition has not responded to my concerns about the Voter’s List
DEAR EDITOR, The Independent Party (IP) is extremely concerned that the leadership of the APNU/AFC have taken a questionable position on the issue of the voters list being heavily padded in what is believed to be in favor of the PPP. In fact, the leadership of the APNU/AFC have only pronounced (reluctantly) on said matter after it was brought to their attention by experts who have shared the evidence with the IP of said list being padded in almost every region. We are deeply troubled
by the APNU/AFC position to deal with the issue of the list being padded after the elections, and not confront it now. Such a position by the ‘Coalition’ ought to raise eyebrows across the country (particularly amongst their supporters) as it is a recipe for major disaster on elections day. We are once again calling on the APNU/AFC to take a more pro-active approach in confronting the issue, and not leave it up to their supporters to deal with. In closing, I wish to make it known that I (on behalf of the Independent Party) have
spoken directly to Mr. David Granger on the matter. However, it is rather unfortunate that one week has since elapsed without the courtesy of a return call from the APNU’s General Secretary, Joseph Harmon to set up a meeting in order to share further evidence of the list being padded. Mark A. Benschop Independent Party
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Kaieteur News
Guyana gearing to implement Science and Technology policy - as part of national advancement approach With the advances in Science and Technology, it has long been recognised that a country’s development, Guyana being no exception, is dependent on such innovations. And Guyana is very much on course to embrace this very necessary need, according to National Science Coordinator, within the Ministry of Education, Ms Petal Punalall-Jetoo. In fact she has revealed that Guyana has come a long way in this regard as it is currently preparing to conduct a Gap Analysis on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) needs. A seminar to discuss the pending analysis will be convened today at the East Coast Demerara Grand Coastal Inn. The facilitators will include a number of experts selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which has been playing an integral role, along with the Education
Ms. Petal PunalallJetoo, National Science Coordinator Ministry, to advance Science and Technology here in Guyana. The strategic move towards embracing Science and Technology started back in 2009 when the Science Unit of the Education Ministry, the National Center for Educational Resources Development (NCERD), in collaboration with the Office of the President coordinated (Continued on page 24)
Monday March 30, 2015
Govt. should be sued for poorly awarded contracts - Harmon In the wake of several multimillion dollar projects being stalled due to defaulting contractors, A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) executive member Joseph Harmon has blasted the Government for its role as a third party, holding them fully culpable for the financial losses that the nation has to bear. According to Harmon, who is also the APNU’S Shadow Minister of Public Works, the contracts were going into default because they were badly negotiated in the first place by the Government, who created conditions favourable to the contractors. “We are paying for bad contract negotiations and we are paying for a slack government that has allowed these things to take place. Because in many instances there is a kick back involved in this, so they overlook basic issues such as protection for the Guyanese people.” Harmon highlighted the importance of negotiating contracts with persons capable of delivering. He also blasted the role the Attorney
General played in the negotiations. “The Attorney General has to be involved. In the case of the Mariott, where there was no provision for Guyanese labour, he said that he was not involved. Purely Chinese labour was used. You have to have better negotiations, and a National Procurement Commission where complaints can be made and dealt with.” He explained that the contracts which were cancelled due to defaulting contractors were the Government’s fault in the first place, since the Government bears responsibility for negotiating it. According to him, the Government has put itself in a position whereby it has to take it up in court. He also cited Surendra Engineering as one of the more notorious cases of voided contracts. “It was a laughable thing when the Government said it is going to sue Surendra Engineering. Because they are the ones who defended Surendra Engineering. They gave millions of dollars upfront. So when they talk about suing the companies,
they should be sued because they did ‘piss poor’!” In September 2012, the Government first entered into a contract with Surendra Engineering for the construction of a specialty hospital at Turkeyen, ECD, to the tune of US$18M. The Government advanced 20% of the contract price– approximately US$3.6M and in November 2013 an additional US$649,440 was paid. Surendra Engineering, a company with no experience in constructing specialty hospitals, was awarded the contract ahead of Fedders Lloyd, a reputable Indian company that had constructed specialty hospitals around the world. The contract was finally terminated following attempts by Surendra to issue fraudulent performance bonds purported to come from ‘World Bankers Re Company Ltd’, which in fact was a bogus company. Following the termination of the contract, Government moved to the Commercial Division of the High Court with Surendra being named as the defendant. Government was claiming damages in excess of G$100M, as well as special damages amounting to over US$4M. Surendra had by then flown the coop and vacated
APNU’S Executive Member Joseph Harmon its local office in Berbice when court officials visited to serve the Writ, so when the matter was called twice, on January 21st and 23rd of 2013, and no one appeared on behalf of the company, the court awarded judgment in favour of the Government of Guyana. Surendra Engineering has however filed for bankruptcy and the Government is still to receive the court awarded judgement. The firm is also facing questions over a US$4M contract for the supply of fixed and mobile drainage pumps that would have significantly boosted the capacity to help reduce flooding. It is still unclear whether all the pumps have arrived.
Monday March 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Iran, powers explore nuclear compromises, Israel alarmed
Iran and six world powers tried to break an impasse in nuclear negotiations yesterday. (Reuters) - Iran and six world powers tried to break an impasse in nuclear negotiations yesterday, but officials cautioned that attempts to reach a preliminary deal by a deadline in two days could yet fall apart. The two sides explored compromises in areas including numbers of centrifuges used to enrich uranium that Iran could operate, and its nuclear enrichment work for medical research. But Israel, which feels especially threatened by the possibility of a nucleararmed Iran, said details of a possible framework agreement emerging from the talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, were even worse than it feared. Foreign ministers from the six countries will hold ýthe first full meeting with Iran’s foreign minister this morning. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said there had been “some progress and some setbacks in the last hours”. “I can’t rule out that there will be further crises in these negotiations,” he told reporters in Lausanne. The United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China want more than a 10-year suspension of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear work. Tehran, which denies it is trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability, is demanding an immediate end to international sanctions that are crippling its economy. A Western diplomat said duration could be traded off if there were real efforts on some key parameters. “We all want it to be 15 years, but there will be different durations for various aspects of the deal,” the diplomat told reporters. Iranian negotiator Hamid Baidinejad said “15 years is out of question for Iran but 10 years is being discussed”. Officials warned that deep disagreements remained on several points but said the two sides had been closing in on a preliminary deal that could be summarized in a brief document which may or may not be released. Several officials told Reuters that Tehran had indicated a willingness to cut the number
of centrifuges it uses to fewer than 6,000, thereby slowing its programme, and to send most of its enriched uranium stockpiles for storage in Russia. Senior Iranian negotiator Abbas Araqchi told reporters dispatching stockpiles abroad “was not on Iran’s agenda”. Western powers were meanwhile considering allowing Iran to conduct limited and closely monitored enrichment-related work for medical purposes at an underground facility, the officials added on condition of anonymity. Iran had originally insisted on keeping in operation all the nearly 10,000 centrifuges it currently uses, but said in November that Washington had indicated it could accept around 6,000. Iranian officials say they have been pushing for 6,500-7,000. Baidinejad said cutting the number of Iran’s centrifuges to 6,000 “was one of the proposed ideas by the other party”. All parts of an emerging nuclear deal are interrelated. “Everything could still fall apart” before Tuesday’s self-imposed deadline for a framework agreement, a Western official told Reuters. Araqchi said he believed a deal was possible but that serious decisions remained to be taken. One concerns Iran’s demand to continue with research into a new generation of advanced centrifuges that can purify uranium faster and in greater quantities for use in nuclear power plants or, if very highly enriched, in weapons. Another question is over the speed of removing United Nations sanctions on Iran. A senior U.S. official said there were other unresolved questions but expected those would fall into place if the big sticking points could be worked out. The U.S. official said negotiators were working towards something that would be called an “understanding” rather than a formal agreement, which would form the basis of a comprehensive deal, including all technical details, to be tied up by June 30.
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Kaieteur News
Monday March 30, 2015
Monday March 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
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I AM NOT BURNHAM It is not often that the Peeper is stumped. But I must confess when someone approached me recently and asked me what was meant by the words, “I am not Burnham”’, the Peeper was flummoxed. I really did not know the answer to that question. As hard as I tried, a satisfactory answer evaded me. Literally, of course, if someone says he or she is not Burnham what that person is saying is that he or she is not the person who is publicly known as Forbes Burnham. Each person has his own unique fingerprint and each person is therefore distinct and different from others. I am me. I therefore cannot be Burnham. But that is an obvious fact and therefore the statement, “I am not Burnham” could not have been said to correct any case of mistaken identity.
I suspect that there is some deeper meaning to the statement, “I am not Burnham.” To attempt to unravel that deeper meaning, I have employed the Socratic Method. The Socratic Method is associated with the Greek philosopher, Socrates, even though he himself never laid claim to ownership or the development of any such method. However Socrates had a way of questioning a proposition or claim until such time as a contradiction emerged. This was his way of calling into question the views of others. This method of questioning views and propositions is what is known as the Socratic Method. The objective of the Socratic Method was however not to find flaws or loopholes in an argument but
rather to arrive at the truth by putting under scrutiny a held or accepted proposition or viewpoint. At the deeper level, when someone says to others that he is not Burnham, what does it suggest? Is it someone trying to say that he or she should is not associated with Burnham? Is it a way of saying that person is not going to do the things that Burnham did? Or it is saying that the person is not going to employ the methods of Burnham? In other words, is it a form of disassociation from the later Founder Leader of the PNC? I don’t know. In his lifetime, Burnham would have done some good things and he would have done some very bad things. To say that I am not Burnham cannot be an attempt to distance oneself from the good that the Founder Leader
Dem boys seh...
De politicians always promise and don’t keep none Every time election come round all dem political party does promise de moon, de stars, de sun and some of dem does even promise de whole earth. Just like when Janet get Jagdeo fuh marry Varshnie she promise that she gun see that he tun president. Dem boys seh that Jagdeo always like ruling people suh he jump at de opportunity and he run and marry de woman. Janet keep she promise but Jagdeo never keep he promise. He promise to live wid Varshnie promise till death separate dem. He nah keep that promise. One week after he married she he kick she out de bedroom and put she fuh sleep pun de sofa. Is nah dem boys seh suh; those words come from de woman mouth. He did promise to go and fix de Skeldon factory wid he bare hands. Saturday when a reporter remind he, de same Jagdeo tell de media that he can’t remember saying suh. But dem boys seh that he remember everything bout Greenidge, de old Finance Minister under de Pee Hen See nearly 30 years ago. Jagdeo think that he alone got brains and that everybody stupid. Donald is de same thing. He adopt all Jagdeo scampish attitude. Last elections before he even get elect Donald Dumb Dum promise that he gun change de VAT. He ain’t do that up to now. He promise that he gun review dem radio
frequencies that Jagdeo give away; de words still floating in de air. He even promise fuh review de pension wha Jagdeo give heself. Now that he hear he gun get de same pension he forget de promise. He promise fuh deal wid corruption, de biggest disease in Guyana, like Ebola in Africa. Three year pass and he ain’t do nutten. All de promises fall down just like when Chris Ram suspender buss and he pants fall down. Is because he ain’t keep none promise mek de opposition force he to cut he five year to three. Dem boys seh that he gun go down in history fuh that. Other politicians did mek serious promise, too. One man did promise fuh electrocute de whole country.
De new election is around de corner and de campaign is in full swing. Is more promise, this time is not only from de Pee Pee Pee but also from dem who want get in de Pee Pee Pee seat. Is a lot of promise. Granger promise fuh jail Jagdeo, Brassington and Ashni. That is a very big promise. Moses promise to part de Atlantic suh people can walk out of Guyana to anywhere dem choose. According to de Pee Pee Pee ad, every minute on dem family, friends and party radio stations, Donald now promise a strong, reliable and secure Guyana. Dem boys seh that if dem couldn’t do that in 23 years, who gun believe dem now. Talk half and better secure yu self.
did, can it? It can only mean to distance oneself from the bad things that the Founder Leader did. It is difficult to see why anyone would want to disassociate oneself from the good of another. Therefore if the statement, “I am not Burnham” is an attempt to only disassociate oneself from the bad of Burnham, then this means that Burnham did do bad things and there are things to be disassociated from. So what are these bad things that Burnham may have done that is to be disassociated from? Is it rigging of elections? Is it bringing hardships on the Guyanese people? Is it pressuring civil servants to march in the Peoples Parade in order to save their jobs? Is it having senior professionals within the State sector having to attend the Congress of the ruling party,
and having to pledge loyalty to the ruling party? Is it the banning of food items? Is it the compulsory acquisition of private lands? What really is, if at all, being disassociated from Burnham? Another possibility is that the statement, “I am not Burnham” simply means that it is time to move beyond the past of the PNC and to embrace a new future. That could well be the meaning of the statement, “I am not Burnham.” Let us try the Socratic Method here also. Now if on the balance, that is the good minus the bad, one had a positive record in the past, or even a glorious record in the past, one that one could be proud of and hold up to public
admiration, there would have been no need to argue that one should move beyond that past. If the past was something that one could be proud of then there is no need to argue that we should not dwell on this past. We should not have to put it aside and press forward into the future. So is there on balance a past to be ashamed of? Is there a past that is better forgotten than remembered? Or is there some deeper philosophical meaning to the statement, “I am not Burnham.” Quite honestly, I do not know.
Monday March 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Baby punched in head during parents’ brawl - nursing fractured skull at GPHC
The infant, Reshma An official from the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) has confirmed that the agency is investigating a case where a seven-monthold baby girl sustained a fractured skull after being punched in the head by her father, a punch that was intended for her mother. The infant has been identified as Reshma Deodat of Lot 222 Ordnance Fort Land, Corentyne. Little Reshma allegedly sustained her injuries late last year when she was only two months old. She is currently a patient in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Paediatric Ward. Her father was arrested when the incident was reported but was subsequently released. The baby’s grandmother, Bibi Shakira Alrasheed in an interview with this newspaper two days ago has confirmed that the child underwent four surgeries so far and still has to undergo another to drain excess fluid from the brain.
Since the tragedy, little Reshma has been spending her time in and out of the aforementioned hospital. According to information received, the baby’s mother was feeding her when the father approached and started punching the infant’s mother. During the incident, the baby was punched to the head. She was taken to the hospital almost a week after she sustained her injuries and this was only after her body started turning blue and getting stiff. The grandmother explained that the infant was living in a “very” unstable home with her abusive parents. She said that when Reshma was born, she pleaded with her daughter to stay with her since it was her first child and she knew nothing about caring for the newborn. “I begged my daughter to stay by me but she and her husband were determined to take the child by them,” the grandmother said.
She told this newspaper that her daughter gave different versions of how the child sustained her injuries and it was as if she was trying to cover up. “Two months later, while she was taking the baby to clinic, she passed by me and I see the baby head swell up and her eyes and face black and blue. When I asked, she said the baby fall off the bed so I tell her the baby too small to move around, then she said that she was feeding her and she (Reshma) fell out of her hands.” According to Alrasheed, after interrogating her daughter, she admitted that her husband was beating her and mistakenly punched the baby in the head. The woman said that she advised her young daughter to take the baby to the hospital but she refused, fearing her husband would get into trouble with the law. “They only take the baby to the hospital when she started getting fever and her body started to get blue and stiff,” the grandmother related. It was while at the hospital, Alrasheed said, they were informed that the baby’s skull was fractured and needed urgent surgery. “The doctor said that she (infant) had leakage in her brain and the surgeries they have done so far was to remove the fluid,” the grandmother related. The woman added, “I am taking care of the baby now. She would spend a few days in the hospital and then they would discharge her. She is still being treated for the fractured skull.” Kaieteur News was told that while the seven-monthold is nursing her injuries, her mother is pregnant with her second child.
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Recalled food items…
Analyst Dept. warns local distributors about proper documentation Director of the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department, (GAFDD) Marlon Cole has warned local distributors about the dangers of not having adequate documentation which will allow traceability of goods circulated to the marketplaces, in the event of a product recall. The issue came to the forefront following the recall of boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, recently. Last week, some 242,000 cases of the brand (6.5 million boxes of original flavour Kraft Macaroni and Cheese) were recalled, after the US –based Kraft Foods Group issued a statement indicating that some were being voluntarily recalled due to possible metal contamination. These boxes were sold throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, Caribbean and some South American countries, the company said. However, none was shipped or sold in Canada. The recalled batch has been labeled “best when used by” dates ranging from Sept. 18, 2015 through Oct. 11, 2015 and is marked with the code “C2. According to Kraft Food Groups, the boxes are each 7.25-ounce in weight and some of the products were also packaged in multi-pack units with a range of different code dates and manufacturing codes on the boxes. Kraft had indicated that eight consumer complaints had been logged about the product, but there
have been no reported injuries. Subsequent to the announcement, the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department, (GAFDD) launched investigations within the local markets. However, the GAFDD official has said that investigations thus far indicate that recalled products has had little or no effect on local consumer. Cole explained that within the past week, the department has teamed up with Toucan Industries; the sole authorised distributor of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in Guyana to carry out an adequate probe into the issue. He said that investigations have revealed that about 4% (976 cases) of the affected products were imported and distributed to local buyers last November and December but the quantity which would have been in high demand during the Christmas period has been already consumed. The GAFDD official said too that as a result, Toucan Industries has received no returns or complaints about the product which is said to have been contaminated with small pieces of metal. Cole noted however that although one issue seems to have been resolved, the issue of distributors acquiring the proper documentation for which items they intend to import for marketplace consumption is being underlined since it allows for adequate traceability, should
a product be recalled. In this regard, the official noted that Toucan Industries has a foolproof system, given that the company buys directly from the makers of Kraft Groups which allows for the product to be accompanied with certification of the relevant food safety authorities such as the New York State Department of Agriculture. This, he said coupled with the information released from the company, allows for proper traceability of items. Cole held that all legitimate importers should deal directly with the makers of products. “Some persons would buy on the open market but they would not to get the relevant documents to allow for traceability ... If you are going to import any item, particularly food items, it should be accompanied with the health certificate free sale certificate from the competent regulatory departments,” the official explained, adding that further steps are being taken by the department to enforce these requirements. Traceability and adequate documentation, the official held is of utmost importance in terms of safeguarding the consumer as well the distributor since it allows for the latter to adequately make claims for reimbursement when there is an issue with the product. He concluded that checks made to sellers of product outside of the official distributor have so far unearthed none of the recalled item.
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Kaieteur News
Monday March 30, 2015
Guyana must resolve to have a viable source of renewable energy by 2020 - Minister Persaud - as Guyana observes Earth Hour Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud is hopeful that Guyana’s economy will become green, as more alternative energy sources are utilised in the future. The Minister was at the time addressing the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and other partners’ ‘Light-Out Concert’ at the National Park to mark Earth Hour 2015 on Saturday evening. The event held under the national theme, ‘Put Your Best Carbon Footprint Forward’ and featured songs, poetry, dances and the symbolic Lights-Off (from 8:30 to 9:30pm,) symbolised Guyana’s continued commitment to reducing climate change effects and its dedication to reducing its own carbon footprint. Minister Persaud noted that Guyana has already been demonstrating a high level of consciousness and awareness, in terms of what needs to be done to manage
the environment. As Minister Persaud pointed out, at the national level, the country has its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS,) which sets out the road map for ensuring its development is done in a low emission and low carbon pathway. Guyana is one of a few countries that have adopted a low carbon strategy as a national development model. “This indicates political commitment and buy-in by the population that we will proceed in this direction,” Persaud said. He said that the country is also an example because it continues to demonstrate to the international community and the many skeptics, who believe that once “you talk environment and you do the things to protect the environment that you will not have economic opportunities and jobs”. “We have proven you can pursue sustainable development, that you can do the things that are climate
As the National Park is plunged into darkness for an hour to mark Earth Hour 2015, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud and others gathered at the observance, enjoy light from alternative source. friendly and at the same time you can grow the economy and create opportunities for our people,” he said. Minister Persaud also pointed out that Guyana is the only one of two countries around the world that is receiving payment for ecoservices. “We have been able to put dollar figures on those concepts that many people doubted and have been skeptical about,” he said.
He said that the Earth Hour initiative is important to lift awareness and consciousness, and reaffirm a commitment, that in moving forward, more is done locally that will have an international impact. To this end, he challenged that the country resolve to end its dependency on fossil fuel for energy, and in so doing become one of a few countries to have done so.
“Before 2020, Guyana should be proud to stand up and say to all that our energy source comes from renewable sources and particularly hydro,” he said. Such a move makes sense, not only in terms of having an impact on climate change and reducing the emission, but is one that makes strong economic sense, the Minister noted. He pointed to the fact that the country will save the
US$200M it currently spends on fuel importation. It will also gain because it will create a green economy that will lead to new industries and green jobs. Cities across the world were plunged into darkness for an hour to mark Earth Hour 2015. The initiative was established in 2007 in Australia by WWF and is now celebrated in over 1000 countries. (GINA)
Women should speak against “slaughter” of City Hall clerk Mayor Hamilton Green has called on all right minded women to condemn the “slaughter” of a young City Hall clerk who is being denied her salary nine months after she was employed by the Mayor and City Council. Twenty-year-old Nnesha Hinds was employed as a Clerk Two staff with the Mayor’s office since July of last year but has not been paid for services rendered. Town Clerk (ag) Carol Sooba has stated that the
young woman is unqualified for the post and is offering to pay her only if she accepts a lower post. However, City Councilors who were required to vote on the woman’s appointment agree that Hinds has satisfied requirements and should be paid. Mayor Green, during a recent press conference again condemned the actions of the Town Clerk since this is not the first time she has denied legitimate Council employees their salary
without offering a proper explanation. Mayor Green said that he is flabbergasted that the various women’s organizations have said nothing of “this slaughter of the young woman, particularly at a time when this country and the world were celebrating womanhood. Where are those who claim to speak up for women’s rights?” the Mayor questioned. He noted that Sooba’s actions, “would lead an ordinary person to tears. For nine months this young Guyanese woman, who through no fault of her own was employed as a Clerk Two at the office of the Mayor but has not received one cent.” He referred “to the deceit, dishonesty and the evil response that came from the mouth of the Town Clerk weeks ago when she suggested that it was the Mayor who identified the
person to work in his office.” The Mayor while denying the statement said “even if so be the case, how does that saddle with the fact that the young lady has the requisite qualifications, was interviewed and passed the interview of the Personnel and Training Committee and is in receipt of a letter from the appropriate officer; the Personnel Officer, appointing her from the first of July 2014, as Clerk Two officer.” He said it is a bizarre situation that the Town Clerk “in an effort to avoid reality even though at Statutory Meeting, she gave the assurance-after every Councilor, without exception, expressed disgust and dismay that the young lady had not been paid. She said she would pay the next day.” That assurance was given last Monday, but the young woman has still not received her pay. “Except she tried to
subterfuge; the Town Clerk wrote the woman appointing her as a Class One officer and calling her, clearly in an effort to intimidate the young woman, hoping that she is so badly off that she would accept the importuning of Ms Sooba to accept the job as a Clerk One staff -with a letter that she (Sooba) signs. Letters are always signed by the Personnel Officer.” “So you have a tissue of deception and crassness, unbelievable events that I have never seen in my three generations in public life,” the Mayor told media workers. When Kaieteur News asked Sooba about the matter involving Hinds, she accused media workers of harassing Hinds and putting words in her mouth. The Guyana Local GovernmentOfficersUnion(GLGOU) and the Labour Ministry have promised to go further with the matter after both bodies were unable to
Nnesha Hinds encourage Sooba to pay Hinds. While the matter was also brought to the attention of the Local Government Minister, Norman Whittaker who promised to see that the young woman is paid, he later wrote the Mayor saying that Hinds was unqualified for the post because she possesses Grade Four passes. The salary of the Council’s Communications Officer Royston King was “arbitrarily” slashed in half when the Town Clerk decided that he should not receive full pay for being before the court. In December last, two nurses also protested the Town Clerk when she withheld their salary for several months. The women were hired last August, but were only paid last January after much public display.
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PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.–CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc -Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Brand New, Power fist, 6,500 watts gasoline generator (on wheels) 110/240 volts AC/ DC – $145,000 -Contact: 6172205; 681-1032 Great Deals on video games and all gaming consoles – Call: 672-2566; 265-3232 Cargo Boat; double ribs: 54ft length, 11ft width, 6ft depth, price negotiable Tel: 694-9782
Advertisements; Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535.
Toyota Prado, Price$4.7M Neg. Call: 643-2403 Smart Choice Auto: Premio, Allion, Bluebird, Spacio, Fielder, Carina 212, Sienta, IST – Call: 652-3820/665-4529 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma - Call: 680-3154
Senior Accounts Clerk, 5yrs experienced, CAT or equivalent. Email: snow198390@hotmail.com Business/Economics Writer, email application to snow198390@hotmail.com Office clerk: CXC English, mathematics. Live in, live out babysitter/domestic - Call: 219-5354 Welder to work in Georgetown – Tel: 218-5105
1 OFFICE ASSISTANT: Must have motorcycle, car/ van license, able to work flexible hours, from E.B.D. Email: snow198390@hotmail.com 1 Live in maid to work in Georgetown - Tel: 691-6260 1 Cook for home in the interior – Tel: 691-6260 1 Cook for interior locationCall: 669-2678 Two general workers @ Land of Canaan E.B.D Tel: 225-6337
TO LET One apt to let to a female tenant. Newly constructed. Rental $15,000 per month. Call 610-9493 for Deon. One upstairs & downstairs 3 bedrooms house in South Ruimveldt Gardens -$130,000 – Call: 610-5087 between 11:30-14:00 hrs, Mon – Sat. Three bedrooms upper flat in Diamond New Scheme Section “A” 3rd Avenue – Tel: 623-2795 Kitty 2 bedroom apartment; cable TV, internet, parking, security cameras - $100,000 monthly – Tel: 645-0247 Kitty one (1) fully grilled three (3) bedrooms downstairs Tel: 641-2939 Kitty Dowding Street, 2 bedrooms apartment $55,000 Call: 652-8970 or 674-3735 Fully Furnished vacation home with all amenities- Call during working hours – Call: 227-1218
Urgently needed live-in waitress - Tel: 693-4154 One Company Secretary for Greenfield Rice Milling Company. Call 610-9493 Hauler for rent monthly for interior, 6 months contract Call: 612-6090
LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
TOURS Suriname Easter Weekend Tour: 2nd – 6th April, shopping, site seeing & dolphins etc - Tel:639-2663; 665-5171; 644-0185 PEN PAL Indian male seeking female; reply with picture & phone # to M.D 7475 Gorewau Drive #47 Mississauga on – L4T-3T3 Canada
Experienced counter servers, roti/puri cook, pastry makers, cleaners, apply Hacks Halaal, Lot 5 Commerce St. One driver at Bettencourt’s Homestyle Diner, submit written application in person at 22 ZZ Durban St. Tug captain, engineer, must gave knowledge of Quarry areas - Tel: 227-2027; 227-5500 One handy boy to work in interior - Tel: 691-6260
MASSAGE Relaxing massage therapy – Tel: 674-8147
2003 unregistered IST fully customized, must see. Pure bred Doberman pincher pups Tel: 609-2815 Cheap! Cheap! CCTV Security Surveillance Kit, 8 Channels DVR with built in Hard Drive, 8 bullet cameras Tel: 621-4740 Brazilian hair, Easter Sale, 100% human, top grade: 22", 24", 26" straight @ extremely low prices – Tel: 644-6028 32 Feet boat, 15 Yamaha Engine, seine 4½” and 5" catguts – Tel: 668-9077 1 Mitsubishi Canter GNN 722 Tel: 228-5655 or 628-1756, Good working condition PS2 $15,000, Nintendo DS $12,000, PSP $15,000, XBox360 $30,000, PS3 $50,000, plastic barrel $6,000 - Call: 603-8643, 621-7497 Red 5 piece sectional chairs, good condition - $60,000. Phone: 231-2146
LAND FOR SALE 50 Acres titled farm land @ The Belle, Upper Dem, River Front - $100M Negotiable, serious enquiries only! Tel: 669-8152 Blankenburg, 3 lots 75X76 each, $15M, all 3 lots, Parika, Peter Street, lot size 38’X150' - $7.9M-Contact # 650-0402/ 260-4988 Houselot: Parcel No: 100, Block XV, Granville Housing Scheme, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. Call: 227-1907
One mining block in Puruni District - Contact: 650-8289 One Toyota Tundra in excellent condition, mag rims Contact: 650-8289 37.5 Acres farm land @ High Way, one stall @ Stabroek Market, serious calls only – Tel: 679-1151; 225-7794 One Mazda Demo – Contact: 600-0241 Frigidaire ($150K), Nissan pickup ($800K), prices negotiable-Tel: 624-4076
Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 6626045 Mahadeo Construction for all construction, carpentry, masonry, pluming, painting etc. Free estimates and plan Contact # 669-7376 Accounting & Taxation Services: tax returns, compliances, financial statements. Avinash Persaud Tax Consultancy, 163 Parika, EBE - Call: 260-4762. Exchange your empty HP & Canon printer ink cartridges for a full one & pay only $2,000 & $2,500 - Call:6507699 Eagle’s fridge re-gas $8,000 & washing machine repairs. Phone: 697-2969, 646-0966 Your Dream Yard Today! Stunning designs, Assortment, colourful plant choices, Professional Landscapers Tel: 219-0468/ 648-1821 Staying in your own home…. We assist seniors with meal preparation, personal hygiene, grooming etc – Call: 609-1981 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS- CALL:6294946 OR 225-4822 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer Call Omar: 2310655, 683-8734 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING AND ESTIMATES FOR ONLY $15,000- CALL:6949843/227-2766
White Dachshund pups for sale @ Barr Street Kitty – Tel:2269548; 618-1706, 670-2653
Live in domestic or couple to in Mahaicony River – Tel:225-6571; 644-6905 1 general domestic maid, ages 25-35, must have police clearance, 2 references from previous jobs – Tel: 665-1029
Monday March 30, 2015
PROPERTY FOR SALE Parfaite Harmonie, West Minister, Onderneeming, Cornela Ida, Tushcen, etc Contact: Pacific Development Inc # 223-6035; 231-8480
One Noah Van - $1.4M negotiable – Tel:641-2763; HL2 Hilux - $6.4M negotiable – 641-2763 First Class Auto: Allion, Premio, Bluebird, Sienta, Runx, Axio, Verossa, Mark 2-Call : 609-8188; 638-3045 Toyota Avensis $2.550M negotiable – Tel:645-0078; 603-0078 Toyota Tacoma 2010; Price $4.5M negotiable - Call: 6727709 Unregistered 2003 Toyota Spacio front & back camera, TV/ navi / CD player 52000 KM - $2.250M – Contact: 682-5117 Toyota Pit-bull 2008 Model BSS - $3M negotiable, TV, Navigator, A/C, excellent condition – Tel: 690-4373; 639-4165 Toyota Hilux Vigo GSS series – Tel:656-3561; 6976510 New Model Allion $3.300, 2004 Spacio $2.050, Registered Spacio $1.7M Call: 655-3400 Leyland Truck, DAF GSS 6715; GNN 5366, Toyota IST PMM 755 – Contact: 6135212; 664-1030 One registered 2006 Tacoma, Silver, crash bar, alarm, alloy wheel, price $3.9M negotiable - Call: 695-6461 or 639-7758 Unregistered 2008 Nissan XTrail fully loaded -$5,550,000 negotiable- Tel: 611-1833 Blow Out Sales @ Star Cars Auto Sale- Premio, Spacio, Bluebird, IST, Benz, Alteeza, free alarm- Tel: 679-3140 L-Touring with original skirts, excellent condition, 15" rims, DVD, Alarm Call: 694-6609/233-2538 1 Toyota Dyna 2 1/2 tons truck, 16 feet flay bed tray, GKK 5500 in excellent condition - Telephone: 3335825.
Fluffy pups. Call: 642-6664
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property @ Lot 63 West Ruimveldt, Estate Housing Scheme Georgetown – Contact Mark: 618-9744
AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154
VEHICLE FOR SALE Cheapest: Rush, Hilux, manual buses, goods van, Model M Truck, Property in Bougainvillea Park – Call: 616-7635
Truck in excellent condition, 1 Ivaco E cargo 5 tons dump truck, GSS 1096 Year 2006 Telephone 333- 5825; 6173233 Continued on page 23
Monday March 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 23
GWR plans to take issues affecting women... (From page 3) address all these cold cases…” Wade then recalled an encounter she had with the police, which she acknowledged to be common police reaction to instances of domestic violence. “I went to the police, and was told that it was a private matter, and “when y’all two done, come back to me”. And I never did go back to them. But thank God that I was able to get out of that situation with my ex-husband.” She explained that women in violent relationships are often left to fend for themselves, because the ones who are supposed to protect them refuse to interfere. She went on to address what the organisation referred to as
poor education system and unemployment (priorities number two and three), and posed various questions, about how the candidates intend to deal with the school dropout rate, and creating jobs for women over 30, and youths. These were regarded as major issues, since even qualified persons are finding it hard to secure jobs. GWR plans to question candidates on how they intend to govern so that people can afford to pay rent, electricity, phone bill, water, and support their families. Teenage pregnancy and what GWR judged to be poor healthcare system were identified as priorities four and five. Wade said
that women in the society are concerned about the instances of maternal deaths, and the long wait at Accident & Emergency Unit of the main health institution amongst other things. In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, GWR senior member Dr. Dawn Stewart assured that putting these issues to the candidates is not where the organisation’s vision ends. “We plan on asking the leaders to address these issues that have been affecting women for the past 30 years, and then after elections we have an election campaign scorecard that we will use to keep abreast with whether or not the issues are being addressed…
Then after a government is elected, we will have follow-up campaigns and meetings to ensure that these issues are being addressed. So it’s continuous, and it is going to help with the accountability and visibility of these issues that are occurring.” Dr. Stewart added that the onus of ensuring that these prevailing issues in the society are adequately address rests solely on the people. “We are the watchdogs, we are to hold them (government) accountable, we are supposed to be able to advocate for whatever it is that we want, while protecting the lives of all the people in Guyana. This is the type of power that voting holds.”
Letters... Where your views make the news
How many more Guyanese have... From page 4 the citizens, most of whom are afraid to walk the streets and have to hide behind metal bars in their homes? It is easier for those in power to blame a race, political party or sector of society, than to examine the structures and laws that have failed the people and have emboldened the criminals to operate without detection. There should have been structured police patrols in certain crime ridden areas and zero tolerance for such lawlessness. Almost every day the nation is told of another armed robbery which is not uncommon. Citizens almost on a daily basis wake up to armed robberies, rape and murder. How many more citizens must be robbed and murdered, families held hostage, children raped and homes invaded before the government does something?
Criminals know about the inefficiencies in the Police Force and the incompetence of the Minister of Home Affairs and they have exploited these to their advantage. We can go on and on with strategies for improving security, but who is listening? Not the PPP cabal. The leaders of the PPP know that they do not have to do anything about the crime issue or prevent any other illegal activities because regardless of what they may say or do there are large numbers of PPP supporters who are willing to support and defend their actions simply because of race. For almost six decades, many PPP supporters have either ignored or just do not care about the consequences of racial voting which has divided Indo-and-AfroGuyanese, retarded economic growth and have marginalized a large section
of the population, among others. With that in mind, there is no motivation for the PPP regime to consider solutions to solve murders, reduce crime and the trafficking of illegal drugs and end domestic violence against women and children. The PPP regime does not care about the poor or whether the economy improves, as long as they have unfettered access to the state finances and resources. They are not interested in good governance, better wages and working conditions for workers and improving the lives of the poor. Their motivation is to continue to feed their blind supporters with empty promises and seeds of subliminal racism to ensure that in Guyana’s multi-ethnic, semi-literate society they can use the race card in this and future elections to defeat
their opponents at the polls as they have done in the past. Until the people, especially supporters of the PPP, realize that their leaders are pulling wool over their eyes and rise from the ashes of ignorance, hatred and b l i n d p o l i t i c a l l o y a l t y, Guyana will continue to experience an increase in corruption and crime such as armed robberies and murders, poor healthcare, a failing education system, low wages, and the consequential inefficiencies, incompetency and vulgarity associated with poor governance as practiced by the Jagdeo/Ramotar regime. May 11, 2015 is the day the people are hoping to see the end of race-based voting and will work together with the new coalition government for solutions to the many problems that face Guyana. Asquith Rose, Chandra Deolall, Dr. Merle SpencerMarks
(From page 22)
VACANCY Work from home: Earn $5,000 - $20,000 daily, 9am - 5pm, Monday to Saturday - Call: 233-6517/ 638-0595 or www.jobfairworldwide.com Exists for: Chef & Assistant Cook- to work & live- in with new business in TuschenContact:660-6099, 644-3338 Vacancy exists at Confidential Cabs for experienced dispatcherCall:231-4000, 231-8601 Hotel attendant, porters, driver, salesman office clerk Call: 227-7714; 223-3448, 2310951 (no calls on Sunday) SECURITY GUARDS, CANTER DRIVERS, SALESMEN, MARKETING ASSISTANT with Drivers Licence. Accommodation Available. Tel. 266 4427 Floor Supervisor, Bond Supervisor, Delivery Clerk, apply with written application & passport size picture @ Survival, 173 Sheriff St., Campbellville –Tel: 227-5286-9 Cashier @ Shell Service Station Providence E.B.D shift work – (6am-3pm & 3pm12pm) email:shellramsburg@gmail.com; submit to name above International Cruiselines, receptionists, cooks, waitresses, carpenters, cleaners, storekeepers, electricians, welders Contact Professional Recruitment Agency - 231-6296, 650-9880 Experienced Accounts Clerk, apply in person with hand written application @ Alabama Trading Georgetown Ferry Stelling Stabroek. 1 Person to operate a super bet machine – Tel: 618-3575 Experienced hauler driver, porters, rip saw & plane operator @ Eccles Industrial Site E.B.D - Call Richard: 6097675; 674-1705; 233-2614 PROPERTY FOR SALE Houses & land available for sale in Non- Pariel, Enmore, Providence & Diamond Contact: Pacific Development Inc # 223-6035; 231-8480 2 Storied concrete house, 3 bedrooms upstairs; Land 95X65, House 65X32 @ Vieira H/Scheme, Land of Canaan E.B.D – Tel: 6420867; 644-6479 One 3 bedrooms 2 storied concrete house @ Parfait Harmonie; size 25X57 feet – price: $13.5M negotiable- Call: 622-1782; 658-5803; 269-0642
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 One 2 bedrooms apartment @ 35 Howes Street- Contact Pet Boy Shop, between the hours 11am-6pm - $40,000 monthly Business spaces for rent @ West Shore Plaza Building, Ruimzeight, W.C.D, Public Road – Tel:269-1524; 6563561 GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, , JACK HAMMER, CONCRETE SAW & MORE - CALL: 675-0767, 627-5098 2 Bedrooms to rent located at D5 Wallers Delight W.C.D Tel: 674-4929; 662-0187 Concrete 3 bedrooms upper flat house fully grilled, parking available @ Agricultural road Mon Repos, E.C.D- Call:687-1050 One fully furnished apartment located in Campbellville - $1300US, preferably overseas guest. Contact: 650-8289 Refurbished 2 bedroom apartment @ Liliendaal (between Bel Air & Turkeyen) parking space – Call: 910-551-4109 (whatsapp & viber) Two (2) bedrooms apartments, Close to G.P.H.C East Street -$50,000 each – Tel: 226-6592 1- 95X50 business place for rent located at Mon Repos Public Road E.C.D –Tel: 6276789 Semi furnished lower flat $50,000 per month @ Uitvlugt W.C.D – Tel:2773743; 626-0150 PROPERTY FOR SALE Two storied concrete house, two bedrooms upstairs, two bedrooms downstairs $20Million @ Block “8” Mon Repos, E.C.D- Tel:625-1514 House and land for sale (business spot) – Contact: 696-0705; 276-3552 Property situated in East La penitence, Georgetown, 2 storied concrete buildings in need of repairs, price negotiable –Tel: 662-6173
Monday March 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
We will survive…
Vasant says Vernella will not be fired; it’s no scandal Trinidad Express - Rape statements under the protection of parliamentary privilege and the public outcry which followed it are not enough to remove Minister of State in the Ministry of the People and Social Development Vernella Alleyne-Toppin from her post. For now, Communications Minister Vasant Bharath says AlleyneToppin will retain her portfolio despite a call from former independent senator Martin Daly SC, Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner and the Women’s League of the People’s National Movement (PNM) and others that she be fired. Bharath told the Sunday Express Saturday the only person who can fire AlleyneToppin is Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Persad-Bissessar Saturday did not respond to texts from the Sunday Express on whether she would accede to the public outcry and fire Alleyne-Toppin. On Wednesday, AlleyneToppin, in her contribution to the no-confidence motion against Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley in the Parliament, claimed Rowley was a child of rape and a rapist himself. On Thursday, AlleyneToppin, the Member of Parliament for Tobago East, apologised for her comments about Rowley being a child of rape but called on him to answer questions about a teacher who fathered a child with a pupil in Tobago.
Vasant Bharath In an exclusive interview with the Express the next day, Roselyn Alleyne, the woman Alleyne-Toppin referred to but did not name in
Parliament, said the Tobago East MP’s statements were all lies. Roselyn Alleyne, the mother of Rowley’s son Garth, further claimed she was offered a bribe to sign an affidavit stating Rowley had raped her. Bharath denied the claim of bribery. Questioned Saturday whether he thought the Government could survive the fallout from the statements so close to a general election, Bharath answered: “We can survive this. I don’t think it’s a scandal. The remarks are regrettable and many people are appalled. But I am sure we will be judged on our track record of performance in office,” he said.
St. Kitts-Nevis and Brazil sign visa waiver accord Daily Observer - The St. Kitts-Nevis government says the signing of a visa waiver agreement with Brazil is part of the initiatives to boost economic growth as well as promote trade and investment in the twin island Federation. The government said that the accord signed on January 20 went into effect earlier this month. It allows for citizens to be exempt from “visa requirements to enter, leave, transit through and stay in the territory of the Federative Republic of Brazil, for purposes of tourism or business, for a period not exceeding 90 days”. The waiver is renewable for an additional period of up to 90 days, provided the total length of stay shall not exceed 180 days per 12 month period, from the date of first entry,’ the government statement said. “This agreement augurs well for the bilateral relationship between both countries and it forms part of the ongoing initiatives of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to boost economic growth, promote and increase trade and investment and facilitate travel,” the statement added.
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Kaieteur News
Monday March 30, 2015
Code of conduct doesn’t Suriname denies nationals stop ‘dirty political games’ involved in supporting ISIS Trinidad Guardian Despite political parties having twice signed the Code of Ethical Political Conduct, their war of words has been marked by dirty political games in the lead-up to the 2015 general election. The code, which sets out to regulate the behaviour of political parties, was signed last September and again on Wednesday but has done little to stem the venom. As the mudslinging reached a new level, one MP is forced to defend himself in the face of accusations that, if proven, could lead to criminal charges. While another is promising to resign if allegations against him are found to be true. Independent Liberal Party leader Jack Warner found himself on the defensive after a video recording was produced by the People’s National Movement in which Roselyn Alleyne, mother of Dr Keith Rowley’s son Garth Alleyne, stated that she was offered money to say Rowley raped her years ago. In the video, though
Jack Warner certain names were edited out, Warner could hear what sounded like his name being called as the alleged financier willing to pay Alleyne for her testimony against Rowley. Warner immediately distanced himself from the allegation. Warner said he did not make any financial offer to Alleyne. Warner could hear what sounded like his name being featured in the video recording of Alleyne refuting allegations that she was raped by Rowley some 46 years
Closing down CLICO ‘best option’ Daily Nation - That essentially, is the advice to policyholders of CLICO International Life Insurance Limited (CIL) from two financial experts. Asked which was the better option – liquidation as recommended by the judicial manager (JM) Deloitte Consulting Limited acting
through Patrick Toppin, or creation of a new company to take over CIL’s assets – both professionals concluded liquidation was the way to go. Chartered accountant and driving force behind the Barbados Association of Corporate Shareholders, Douglas Skeete, said the public would have little confidence in the new company as “Barbadians would say no to anything with a whiff of CLICO. The alternative then would be liquidation because you cannot continue to run the company.”
ago. The video was released by the PNM Women’s League to defend Rowley against allegations made by Minister in the Ministry of the People and Social Development, Vernella Alleyne-Toppin, during a motion of censure debate brought against Rowley last Wednesday. Though Alleyne-Toppin has since offered a qualified apology, the PNM continues to call for her resignation. In the video recording, Alleyne (Roselyn) claimed a “very close relative” and AlleyneToppin visited her family offering money for her to sign an affidavit in which it was claimed that she was attacked by Rowley and it resulted in the birth of his son. There was an attempt to edit out Warner’s name, but Alleyne (Roselyn) could be heard saying that she was told (what sounded like) Warner had money and was willing to pay.
Daily Observer - The Director of the Bureau for National Security (BNV), Melvin Linscheer, has denied reports that Surinamese nationals are among Caribbean people fighting in support of the militant group Islamic State (IS). “There is absolutely no reason for panic. The threat of terrorism in our country remains low,” said Linscheer. Earlier this month, a top United States military general said the militant group could infiltrate the US through the Caribbean and South America. Marine General John F Kelly, chief of the Miami-based US Southern Command, known as SOUTHCOM, told the US Senate Armed Services Committee that about 100 people have joined the militant group from the region. Kelly said that while the number of fighters coming from the region is relatively
small, Caribbean and other countries don’t have the capability to monitor those returning. He said foreign fighters have gone to Syria from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean, and Suriname and Venezuela in South America. But in an interview with the De Ware Tijd daily newspaper, Linscheer said it was “regrettable” that Kelly had made the statement. Linscheer, a former Suriname army colonel said that no one from Suriname has left the country to join IS training camps in the Middle East. “As far as we know there are no Surinamers there,” he said, adding if it did happen he would expect the authorities that are aware of it to inform Suriname security officials. Linscheer said it could be that people who have Surinamese roots but hold
Melvin Linscheer Dutch passports and who live in the Netherlands traveled to IS training camps in Syria and Iraq. “That is a problem that concerns the Netherlands, not us,” he said, noting that the Desi Bouterse government has focused heavily on anti-terrorism in recent years, establishing his department, as well as the counter terrorism and terrorism prevention units.
Senior tourism official “embarrassed” over long delay over airport opening KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent - CMC - The chief executive officer of the Tourism Authority, Glen Beache, says changing dates for the completion of the EC$700 million (One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) Argyle International Airport is proving to be a challenge for negotiating with airlines. “Honestly speaking, it can be embarrassing. (I’m) not going to lie about that, because obviously airlines make their itinerary at least a year in advance,” Beache said. The Argyle International Airport, which was initially scheduled to open in 2011, has missed several completion deadlines and
Glen Beache Beache, a former tourism minister, told a news conference that the latest
operational date given to him by the state-owned International Airport Development Company, which is building the airport, is October this year. Beache said that over the past three years British Airways has sent at least two teams for first hand visits regarding the completion of the airport. “We’ve been on their radar for a while,” he said, adding that Virgin, which also services the United Kingdom market, “has sought us out on a few issues that they would like to see taken care of and see how we can help then and so on”. He said Virgin has
changed its marketing strategy, trying to fill the front, rather than the rear of their aircraft and that the airline is more interested in attracting high-end passengers which suits the Vincentian destination. “Since they have done that, they have shown a lot more interest in St. Vincent and the Grenadines than previously,” Beache said. “I mean, it hinders, because they have to push back where their planes have to be and how they want to do it,” he said of the impact of the delays in completion of the airport on airlines interested in flying to the new airport.
POLISH PRIEST JAILED FOR ABUSING BOYS IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WOLOMIN, Poland - Wojciech Gil, a former priest convicted of abusing minors in the Dominican Republic and Poland, was sentenced to seven years in jail by a Polish court last week. The court in Wolomin found Gil guilty of abusing six minors in the Dominican Republic between 2009 and 2013, as well as two in Poland in 2000 to 2001. Possession of child pornography and illegal possession of a firearm were also included in the charges. Gil, 37, could have faced up to 15 years behind bars if he was convicted following full court proceedings. Instead, after initially pleading not guilty, the former priest sought a settlement and a seven-year prison term, which avoided a full trial. That was accepted by prosecutors, who represented the Dominican and the Polish victims. Gil was also ordered to pay a total of 155,000 zlotys (about US$41,000) in atonement to the victims.
The former priest was defrocked last month at his own request. Gil has been in custody since February last year, and the time he has spent in prison will be deducted from the sentence under Polish law. His trial was conducted in Poland because that country has no extradition agreement with the Dominican Republic, making a trial there impossible. It was not immediately clear how the verdict would be received in the Dominican Republic, where prosecutors revealed the case and requested a severe punishment. Gil’s case is reportedly related to that of former Holy See ambassador to the Dominican Republic, former Polish archbishop Jozef Wesolowski. The Vatican has defrocked Wesolowski – the harshest punishment under canon law – and is weighing whether to indict him on allegations that he paid Dominican boys to masturbate while he recorded them with his mobile phone.
Monday March 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Fighting and air strikes across Yemen Houthi fighters ride a patrol truck outside Sanaa Airport. Reuters/Khaled Abdullah
(Reuters) - Yemeni fighters loyal to the Saudibacked President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi clashed with Iranian-allied Houthi fighters yesterday in Aden, the absent leader’s last major foothold in the country. Hadi loyalists in the southern port city reported a gunbattle in the central Crater district in which three people were killed, and said they recaptured the airport, which has changed hands several times in recent days. The Health Ministry, loyal to the Houthi fighters who control the capital, said Saudiled air strikes had killed 35 people and wounded 88 overnight. The figures could not be independently confirmed. The Houthi fighters, representing a Shi’ite minority that makes up around a third of Yemen’s population, emerged as the most powerful force in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country last year when they captured the capital Sanaa. Saudi Arabia has rallied Sunni Muslim Arab countries in an air campaign to support
Hadi, who moved to Aden in February and is now in Riyadh after leaving Yemen in the past week. The fighting has brought civil war to a country that was already sliding into chaos and which had been a battlefield for the secret U.S. drone war against al Qaeda. While the Houthi fighters and their army allies continued to make gains after the air strikes were first launched early on Thursday, they appeared to suffer reversals yesterday on three fronts — in Aden’s northern suburbs, in Dhalea province north of the city and in the eastern province of Shabwa. A Saudi military spokesman said the coalition it leads would step up pressure on the Houthis and their allies in the next few days. “There will be no safe place for the Houthi militia groups,” Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri told reporters. Coalition warplanes struck military targets at airports in the capital Sanaa and in Hodeida, the main Red Sea port. However, Asseri said operations over Hodeida
were halted for two hours to allow the evacuation of 500 Pakistani nationals. Saudi Arabia’s military intervention is the latest front in its widening contest with Iran for power in the region, a proxy struggle also playing out in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Iran denies accusations from Sunni Gulf rulers that it has armed the Houthis, who follow the Zaidi branch of Shi’ite Islam. Zaidi Shi’ites led a thousand-year kingdom in Yemen until 1962. Former leader Saleh himself is a member of the sect, although he tried to crush the Houthis while in office, only allying with them after his downfall. Across the country, there were heavy clashes in seven southern and eastern provinces between the Houthis and pro-Saleh army units on the one hand, and Sunni tribesmen, pro-Hadi loyalists and armed southern separatists on the other. Forces loyal to Hadi said yesterday they had recaptured Aden airport.
Cameron’s Conservatives four points ahead of Labour – poll
David Cameron
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives have taken a four point lead over the opposition Labour Party on the eve of the start of official campaigning for a May 7 national election, a poll showed late yesterday. The poll, by ComRes for ITV News and the Daily Mail newspaper, gave the Conservatives their largest lead in the polling series since September 2010. It put them on 36 percent, up 1 point from last week, Labour on 32 percent, down 3 points, the Liberal Democrats on 9 percent, UKIP on 12 percent, and the Greens on 5 percent. “While this is bound to be a volatile election with both Labour and the Conservatives running each other close, the longer term trends points towards the Conservatives beginning to dig in and strengthen their position,” Tom Mludzinski, head of political polling at ComRes, said in a statement. Underlining how volatile the election is, an earlier poll yesterday showed Labour Party has taken a four point lead over Cameron’s Conservatives after the first TV encounter of the campaign.
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Kaieteur News
Germanwings crash co-pilot may have had detached retina – newspaper (Reuters) - The co-pilot suspected of crashing a passenger jet in the Alps may have been suffering from a detached retina but investigators are unsure whether his vision problems had physical or psychological causes, a German newspaper said yesterday. Bild am Sonntag also reported how the captain of the Germanwings Airbus had screamed “open the damn door!” to the co-pilot as he tried to get back into the locked cockpit before the jet crashed last Tuesday, killing all 150 on board. Another German newspaper, Welt am Sonntag, quoted a senior investigator as saying the 27-year-old copilot Andreas Lubitz “was treated by several neurologists and psychiatrists” and that a number of medications had been found in his apartment. Police also discovered personal notes that showed Lubitz suffered from “severe subjective overstress symptoms”, he added. Lufthansa, the parent company of the budget airline, said the carrier was
Andreas Lubitz unaware of a psychosomatic or any other illness affecting Lubitz. “We have no information of our own on that,” a Lufthansa spokesman said. A spokesman for state prosecutors in Duesseldorf declined to comment yesterday on the various media reports, adding there would be no official statement before today. The mass circulation Bild am Sonntag said investigators had found evidence that Lubitz feared losing his eyesight,
apparently because of a detached retina. However, it was unclear whether this was due to an organic failure or psychosomatic illness, when physical problems are thought to be caused or aggravated by psychological factors such as stress. Investigators have retrieved cockpit voice recordings from one of the A320 jet’s “black boxes”, which they say show Lubitz locked himself alone in the cockpit, before causing the jet to crash in southern France as it headed to Duesseldorf from Barcelona. Bild am Sonntag reported that the voice recorder data showed that the locked-out captain said to his colleague inside the cockpit: “For God’s sake, open the door.” The pilot can then be heard trying to smash the door down. Even when he yells: “Open the damn door!” Lubitz does not give an answer as passengers’ screams can be heard in the background just seconds before the fatal crash, the paper said.
Monday March 30, 2015
Egypt lists top Brotherhood leader, 17 others as terrorists - state media
Muslim Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie (R) looks on during his trial at a court in Cairo, May 18, 2014. Reuters/Al Youm Al Saabi Newspaper (Reuters) - Egypt’s public prosecutor has listed the Muslim Brotherhood’s leader and 17 other top members of the group as terrorists, state media said yesterday, part of a sustained crackdown by the authorities on Islamists. Egypt has already listed the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation and jailed thousands of its supporters since the army removed Islamist president Mohamed Mursi from power in July 2013 following mass protests against his rule. The Brotherhood’s General Guide Mohamed Badie and Khairat El-Shater were listed alongside other members of the group’s leadership, state news agency MENA said. The move by public prosecutor Hesham
Barakat was the first application of a terrorism law passed this year that requires the authorities to identify and list terrorist individuals and entities, MENA said. Most members of the Brotherhood’s leadership in Egypt are in custody and have already been given lengthy jail sentences or the death penalty. Badie has already been sentenced to death several times and Shater to life in prison. The government blames the Brotherhood for attacks on Egyptian security forces that have killed hundreds of police officers and soldiers since Mursi’s ouster. The Brotherhood denies it is responsible for the attacks by suspected Islamist militants and says it is committed to political change through peaceful means.
ARAB LEADERS AGREE JOINT MILITARY FORCE
(Egypt) (AFP) - Arab leaders agreed yesterday to form a joint military force after a summit dominated by a Saudi-led offensive on Shiite rebels in Yemen and the threat from Islamist extremism. Arab representatives will meet over the next month to study the creation of the force and present their findings to defence ministers within four months, according to the resolution adopted by the leaders. “Assuming the great responsibility imposed by the great challenges facing our Arab nation and threatening its capabilities, the Arab leaders had decided to agree on the principle of a joint Arab military force,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told the summit in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. The decision was mostly aimed at fighting jihadists who have overrun swathes of Iraq and Syria and secured a foothold in Libya, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said ahead of the summit. Yesterday, Arabi told the meeting the region was threatened by a “destructive”
force that threatened “ethnic and religious diversity”, in an apparent reference to the Islamic State group. “What is important is that today there is an important decision, in light of the tumult afflicting the Arab world,” he said. Egypt had pushed for the creation of the rapid response force to fight militants, and the matter gained urgency this week after Saudi Arabia and Arab allies launched air strikes on Huthi rebels in Yemen. Arabi, reading a statement at the conclusion of the summit, said yesterday the offensive would continue until the Huthis withdraw from regions they have overrun and surrender their weapons. Several Arab states including Egypt are taking part in the military campaign, which Saudi King Salman said on Saturday would continue until the Yemeni people “enjoy security”. Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi at the start of the summit called for the offensive to end only when the Huthis “surrender”, calling the rebel leader an
Iranian “puppet”. However, UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon urged the leaders to find a peaceful resolution in Yemen. “It is my fervent hope that at this Arab League summit, leaders will lay down clear guidelines to peacefully resolve the crisis in Yemen,” he said. James Dorsey, a Middle East analyst with the Singapore-based S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said that despite support for a joint-Arab force, “it would still take months to create and then operate on an ad-hoc basis. “I don’t think we will get an integrated command anytime soon, as no Arab leader would cede control of any part of their army anytime soon,” he said. “Today we will have a formal declaration that would be negotiated every time during action.” Sisi said in a recent interview that the proposal for a joint force was welcomed especially by Jordan, which might take part alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Monday March 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Brazil sink feisty Chile to continue winning run Reuters - Roberto Firmino’s goal gave Brazil a 1-0 victory over Chile in a feisty friendly at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium yesterday, their eighth successive win since last year’s disappointing World Cup campaign. Firmino, a 61st-minute substitute, burst clear after 73 minutes and expertly rounded Chile keeper Claudio Bravo before dispatching a simple finish into the empty goal. Brazil forward Neymar and Chile’s Alexis Sanchez were the standout players for their sides but were often wasteful after dazzling build-up play in a full-blooded game punctuated by a host of fouls and heavy challenges. Brazil, who beat France 31 last week, have won all eight matches under coach Dunga since finishing fourth in last year’s World Cup on home soil and they have now lost just seven times in 70 games against south American rivals Chile. Brazil dumped Chile out of the World Cup’s last-16 with a 3-2 victory on penalties in their last meeting and horns, flags, balloons and a fervent carnival atmosphere greeted kick-off in north London. The mercurial Neymar — long burdened with the hopes of a nation — cut a frustrated figure in the opening stages as he was hounded by Chile’s rugged defence. At the other end A r s e n a l ’s e ff e r v e s c e n t
Brazil’s Neymar in action. (Action Images via Reuters/John SibleyLivepic) talisman Sanchez, a former team mate of Neymar’s at Barcelona, flicked, tricked and turned his way through Brazil’s midfield but rarely had a clear sight of goal. Neymar was left writhing on the floor midway through the half after an apparent stamp by Gary Medel in an incident which encapsulated a fractious opening that had simmered rather than sparkled. Neymar’s teasing free kick evaded desperate lunges from Souza and Miranda before Douglas Costa blazed
over. In a more open start to the second half Sanchez twice went close with speculative free kicks as Chile began to assert their authority on proceedings. But largely against the run of play Firmino was released to nervelessly score the game’s solitary goal. Hoffenheim forward Firmino snatched at a chance for his second and Brazil goalkeeper Jefferson had to be alert to parry Matias Fernandez’s free kick for Chile who are hosting this year’s Copa America.
Skerritt - Simmons right man, right time
Trinidad Guardian - La Romaine, Trinidad - Phil Simmons as coach of the West Indies cricket team, has been described as the right man at the right time to take West Indies cricket out of its present state. This is the view of former manager of the West Indies team Ricky Skerritt, who was actually one of a two-man committee that was set up by the WICB to recruit a coach. The West Indies team has been without a head coach after they lost to New Zealand in the Caribbean last year. Assistant coaches Stuart Williams, Andre Coley and bowling consultant Curtly Ambrose were the men taking care of the duties with assistance from manager Richie Richardson. Skerritt said: “I was one of two people who were chosen by the West Indies Cricket Board to recruit a coach. I am extremely optimistic about Phil Simmons taking over the reigns of coaching at this point in time. “Being involved in the process and discussions it tells that Simmons is the right man at the right time for West Indies cricket. “While I cannot divulge the exact content of the discussions, I can say that with the support from the WICB and with Simmons saying exactly what is needed to take the standard up, I am optimistic.” Skerritt said he was is not saying that one man can do it alone but having listened to
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Letter to the Sports Editor
Where is the respect for the National Women’s Basketball squad Mr. Harry? DEAR SPORTS EDITOR, I am not puzzled or surprised by Mr. Harry’s effort in his letter dated March 28, 2015 in Stabroek News, where Harry tries to justify the disgraceful conduct of his assistant Mr. Bashir Khan who instructed the security guard to take the lights off while the Guyana Women’s Basketball squad were practicing at the Sports Hall on the evening of March 24, 2015. Mr. Harry was responding to a heavily edited letter published in the Stabroek News on March 26, 2015 and captioned “Lights turned off at CASH while female basketball team training”. The mentality displayed by the Gervy C. Harry, Admin Officer of the National Sports Commission (NSC) is indicative of the lack of a sports culture in Guyana; as noted by the great Caribbean sprinter, fourtime Olympic medal winner and NBC sportscaster Ato Bolton; when at the Sports Management workshop held in Guyana during June 2014, Mr. Bolton emphasized the need for a “culture of sport” if Guyana is to develop and reap success in sports. Also, we have Presidential Advisor for Youth Empowerment, Mr. Odinga Lumumba noting in a letter carried by Stabroek News dated March 28th, 2015; that “sports lack basic support in Guyana”. I believe the conduct of Bashir Khan and the support given by Gervy Harry is a clear indication that there is no culture of sport in Guyana
and that sports do lack basic support in Guyana. I will not try to dismantle the hollow arguments made by Mr. Harry who seems to use waffle arguments, as he attempts to defend the conduct of his assistant Bashir Khan by referencing a plethora of letters and dates. Suffice to say, letters written to the NSC for permission to use the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) are invariably subject to change/s. Also, most of the arrangements to use the Sports Hall are done by a phone call or some nonwritten agreement for a recorded or unrecorded fee. Harry in his letter notes “It is known by all that the CASH is the only facility of its kind and is in constant use, seven days a week, for various sport disciplines and other activities”, however, when the lights were turned off to prevent the Guyana Women’s National Basketball Squad from practicing; no other activity was scheduled for that evening. And, the National Sports Hall where the first major event was held in 1980, when G u y a n a h o s t e d the CARICOM Basketball Championships is still the only facility of its kind in Guyana; this underlines in bold, both the lack of a sports culture and that “sports lack basic support in Guyana”. Having myself spent a few thousand hours practicing basketball at the Sports Hall; I can say without fear of contradiction that lights
were never turned off while I trained with the National Basketball Squad or Team to represent Guyana. In fact, players were encouraged to stay on after formal practice hours - to work on areas that would improve their game. In responding to Harry’ statement from his letter “Respect from all, for all is necessary”, I ask Mr. Harry where is the respect for the ladies who were training in the Guyana Women’s Basketball Squad? Guyana Men’s Basketball team recently concluded a three game basketball series against Bermuda and the training sessions went on past 10:00 PM on several nights. The magnificent performance of the Guyana Panthers and the enthusiastic support from the Guyanese fans came about partly as a result of the extra hours of training that went beyond 10:00 PM. The shameful and appalling support given by Mr. Harry, is in of itself a disgrace and is par asinine with the reprehensible instructions given by Mr. Khan to turn off the lights at the National Sports Hall while the Guyana Women’s Basketball squad were still practicing. I close with the following quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night. Yours Faithfully, Nigel Hinds GABF President
Kenyans sweep World Cross Country Championship gold Ricky Skerritt (left) endorses Simmons involvement with WI cricket. (WICB) Simmons, he believes he has make a big difference. “I am not saying it is a situation where one man alone can change the fortunes but Simmons will make a big difference and he would take the team forward. “I am not expecting overnight success but I am looking towards success in the medium term and obviously in the long term he would be able to take West Indies cricket back up the ladder. Let me say and what I am saying is loaded with meaning, Simmons is the right man at the right time for West Indies cricket.”
(Reuters) - Kenya strode to gold in both the men’s and women’s races at the World Cross Country Championships in China Saturday with 19-year-old Agnes Tirop and Geoffrey Kipsang taking their first titles. Tirop produced an impressive start-to-finish victory over the 8,010-metre course in Guiyang in a time of 26 minutes and one second, leaving behind Ethiopian Senbere Teferi in the final 200 after a head-to-head battle between the 19-year-olds. Her five-second victory on an old horse racing
track in southern China against an impressive field, that included twice world cross champion Emily Chebet, provided the 300th medal in the discipline for the East African country. “I am very happy to have won Kenya’s 300th medal,” Tirop told organizers, the IAAF. “I was trying to push the pace from the start. I had no fear, I was just trying to run my own race. “The Ethiopian tried to overtake me and tried to push me to get away, but I was strong and managed to hold on.” Kipsang, a half-marathon
specialist, also had a duel in the men’s race as he overcame compatriot Bedan Muchiri to win in a time of 34:52, eight seconds ahead of his rival. There were some cheers for Ethiopia, though, as they took gold in both the junior races, with Yasin Haji winning the men’s race after a blistering sprint finish ahead of Kenyan duo Geoffrey Korir and Alfred Ngeno. Letesenbet Gidey led the Ethiopians to a sweep of the medals in the junior women’s race, her first international event outside of her homeland.
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Kaieteur News
GCA/Brain Street U-15
GNIC, MSC register victories
Dwayne Dick
Thameshwar Permaul Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) Sports Club and Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) recorded victories when the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/Brain Street U15 limited-over
tournament commenced on Saturday last. At GNIC, the host beat Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) by nine wickets. Batting first, GCC were bowled out for 95 in 21.1 overs. Thameshwar Permaul scored 20; Jeremiah Benjamin claimed 3-45 and Daniel Paul 2-15. GNIC replied with 97-1 in 15 overs. Dwayne Dick scored 42 not out (7x4) and Ravi Ramnauth 17 not out. At Muslim Youth Organisation ground, MSC overcame Diplomats by three wickets. Diplomats batted first and scored 90 all out in 23.3 overs. Orin Moore cracked 25 as Mark Wong grabbed 5-25 and Mel Rodrigues 3-23. MSC responded with 93-7. Wong made 17; Mini Permaul and Darian Dickson captured two scalps each. The competition continues today with GYO hosting DCC (Randolph Rose and Linden Matthews), Everest playing St. Stanislaus at GNIC (Heuvel Cunha and Deon Feassal), Malteenoes SC entertaining GNIC (Daniel Richmond and Trevor Velaidum) and Transport SC challenging Diplomats at MYO (Leyland Liverpool and Reginald Grant). On Tuesday, DCC will journey to Everest (Richmond and Rose) and GYO will host Bel Air (Grant and Liverpool).
Monday March 30, 2015
Grace McCalman re-elected to head GLTA
From left: Scheherazade Khan, Oswin Coggins, Elizabeth Persaud, Ramesh Seebarran, Grace McCalman, Samuel Barakat, Tandy Primo, Ileana Boodhoo, William Spangler and Jamal Goodluck after the AGM. The Guyana Tennis Association (GLTA) elected its 2015 Executive during its Annual General Meeting held on Friday March 27th 2014 at the Georgetown Cricket Club Pavilion on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive in Bourda. Grace McCalman has been reelected the President for a second term. Captain John Flores, President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation performed the duties of the Returning Officer. Seven tennis Clubs were financially affiliated and represented at the meeting and these were Georgetown
Cricket Club, Roraima Tennis Club, Diamond Tennis Club, Le Ressouvenir Tennis Club, Non Pariel Tennis Club, Park Players Tennis Club and the recently established Rebel Tennis Club. The full Executive Committee with elected and permanent members are listed below showing the clubs that made their nominations: 1. President – Grace McCalman (Roraima Club) 2. Life Member - Fritz McLean 3. 1st Vice-President– Samuel Barakat (Le Ressouvenir Club)
4. 2nd Vice-President – Ramesh Seebarran (Diamond Club) 5. Secretary – Elizabeth Persaud (Park Players Club) 6. Treasurer – Illeana Boodhoo (Park Players Club) 7. Assistant Secretary/ Secretary - Oswin Coggins (Roraima Club) 8. Committee Member – Tandy Primo (Non-Pariel Club) 9. Committee Member – Scheherazade Khan (Park Players Club) 10. Committee Member – William Spangler (Park Players Club)
11. Committee Member CharlesAdams (Non-Pariel Club) 12. Public Relations Officer – Jamal Goodluck (Rebel Club) After welcoming the new clubs and requesting their support for the development of the sport here, McCalman stated, “I promise to do my best for my final year as President but I also need to know that my entire executive committee will do the same.” Despite the lack of facilities the association was able to run off several events and will look to keep their players active during this year.
ECC rewards U-13 team
Mel Rodrigues (left) and Mark Wong
Race for top spot... From page 33 into extra time and it was during this period that Pele distinguished itself after Manning and Fraser drove in the final nail in Winners Connection’s coffin. The tournament is now in the semifinal stages and this Wednesday Slingerz will attempt to extend its winning streak when it opposes Rhythm Squad just before Pele throws down the gauntlet on Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United. Those matches will be contested at the very DCC Ground and will determine which two teams will compete for the prestigious championship trophy and the two million dollars first prize package when activities conclude at the National Stadium, Providence on Sunday April 5. The runners up will win half that amount, while the third and fourth place winners will collect five hundred thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand dollars respectively. There will also be trophies which will be presented for individual and team performances.
Members of the victorious ECC U-13 team display their accolades with president of the club Stephen Lewis (left) and coach Shaheed Mohamed (far right). The Everest Cricket Club (ECC) has rewarded their U-13 team for winning the Georgetown Cricket Association/ Banks Malta Supreme U-13 tournament. Everest defeated Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) by 40 runs to capture the title recently at Malteenoes SC ground. At a ceremony held at the club’s pavilion on Friday night last, the players were presented with plaques and medals for their efforts.
President of the Everest Cricket Club, Stephen Lewis urged the youths to take the game seriously and also focus on their education. He also spoke well of the players and noted that consistency, focus and commitment are required to achieve greater heights. Lewis stated that the club will ensure that their players are involved in more cricket so that that they can continue to improve.
Monday March 30, 2015
Kaieteur News
Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015
Guyana Ruggers lose to Tonga
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Port Mourant Training Centre Yellow win BVA Inter-School Competition
Guyana’s Rugby players suffered their third loss in the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015 tournament Saturday. The Green Machine went down to Tonga 36 – Guyana 24. This follows earlier losses to Zimbabwe 36 – 0 and Spain 50 – 5 as they finish bottom of their pool. Pool G P W D L DIF PTS 1 Spain 3 3 0 0 77 9 2 Zimbabwe 3 2 0 1 67 7 3 Tonga 3 1 0 2 -51 5 4 Guyana 3 0 0 3 -93 3
Ferrari’s Vettel storms to Malaysia win The captains of the top two placed teams and the MVP.
Vettel (centre) holds up his trophy as Hamilton and Rosberg applaud the German for his impressive victory. (AFP/Getty Images) SEPANG, Malaysia (Reuters) - Sebastian Vettel showed again that form is temporary and class permanent when the fourtimes world champion put in a faultless display to record his first victory for Ferrari at the Malaysian Grand Prix yesterday. The triumph ended a long drought for Formula One’s most successful team, whose last win was at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2013, and was the 40th of the German’s career. Starting from second place on the grid behind Lewis Hamilton’s seemingly unbeatable Mercedes, Vettel and Ferrari produced a tactical masterclass to overhaul the Briton and cross the line 8.5 seconds ahead of the double world champion. “Numero uno is back, Ferrari is back,” Vettel was told over the team radio as he took the chequered flag. “Grazie, grazie. Forza Ferrari” he shouted in reply as he celebrated his fourth win at Sepang, a circuit that has favoured the Italian team over the years with seven victories in 17 editions since 1999. Hamilton’s team mate
Nico Rosberg finished a distant third while 17-year-old Max Verstappen claimed seventh place for Toro Rosso to become the youngest ever points scorer in Formula One history. After Mercedes dominated last season and looked further ahead of the pack when Hamilton led a one-two in Australia two weeks ago, the rest of the field appeared to be even further behind in the second year of the V6 hybrid engines. Vettel had cut a forlorn figure in his last season at Red Bull in 2014, unable to record a victory and way off the pace of the front runners. He agreed to join a stuttering Ferrari last year, replacing Spin’s double world champion Fernando Alonso, and the union appears to have revitalized both of them. Third in Australia but some way behind M e r c e d e s , Ve t t e l a n d Ferrari showed their real potential in practice and qualifying and were able to carry that momentum forward into the race. When the lights went out at the start, Hamilton pulled away from Vettel but the race turned in Ferrari’s
f a v o r w h e n S a u b e r ’s Marcus Ericsson spun off at the start of lap four to bring out the safety car. While Mercedes pulled both their cars into the pits to put on hard tyres, Vettel stayed out on the medium compound and made the lead stick until the end of the race as Mercedes scrambled around trying to outsmart the leader but unable to rein him in. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen overcame a tough qualifying session and an early puncture to finish fourth, well clear of Valtteri Bottas in a Williams and Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa. Vettel, who finished fifth in the standings last year after four successive titles, has now won races for three separate teams — Toro Rosso, Red Bull and Ferrari. McLaren put a positive spin on a poor day as both Fernando Alonso, back in action after missing the season-opener following a pre-season crash, and Jenson Button pulled out of the race. After two races, Hamilton leads the driver’s standings on 43 points, Vettel sits second on 40, with Rosberg on 33 and Massa on 20.
Fielding more than one team -The Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC) Yellow on Thursday last played unbeaten to win the first place trophy when the Berbice Volleyball Association held their Annual Inter- School Volleyball Competition at the Port Mourant Training Centre Court on the Corentyne. The competition, which was postponed on several occasions due to rain and other constraints was played in blistering sunshine in a two best of three 20 points format and attracted four teams. The PMTC Yellow and J.C Chandisingh (JCCSS) reached the finals with PMTC emerging victorious winning 2-0 with the scores being 20-15, 20-16. In the preliminary matches JCCSS defeated Corentyne Comprehensive High School (CCHS) 20-14, 15-20,20-8; PMTC Red lost to JCCSS 10-20,18-20.PMTC Yellow defeated PMTC Red 20-11,20-14 and CCHS 20-8,20-15 while CCHS defeated PMTC Red 20-19,20-19.
At the presentation ceremony held after the final, BVA Vice President and Competition Co-ordinator, Godwyn Allicock congratulated the winners and thanked all the teams for participating in the competition. He however expressed his disappointment with the response of schools but emphasized that volleyball must be promoted. He urged the players to continue to practice in order to improve their basic skills. Allicock also thanked the Management of PMTC for making their facilities available. Trophies and medals were presented to the top two teams, while and the outstanding individual’s players. The first place trophy donated by the National Sport Commission was presented to PMTC Yellow, while second placed JCCSS received a trophy from the BVA. Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy went to Joshua Jagmohan of PMTC Yellow, while Ravi Rampertab of PMTC Yellow received the Best Setter medal and Videshwar Mangroo of JCCSS received the Most Promising Player medal.
Aussies roll over insipid New Zealand
MELBOURNE,Australia, CMC – Australia crushed New Zealand by seven wickets yesterday to claim their fifth ICC Cricket World Cup, in a hugely lopsided affair at the Melbourne Cricket Ground that had been hyped as blockbuster. Opting to bat first, the Black Caps slumped to 39 for three in the 13th over and despite a brief recovery, could only muster a disappointing 183 all out off 45 overs. Middle order batsman Grant Elliott top scored with 82 off 83 deliveries and Ross Taylor got 40 from 72 balls but they were the only batsmen to pass 15 as the much vaunted Kiwi batting juggernaut faltered badly. Left-armer Mitchell Johnson (3-30) and fellow seamer James Faulkner (3-36) both finished with three wickets apiece while another left-armer, Mitchell Starc, claimed two for 20, to pick up the Man-of-the-Series honours. Left with a paltry target to
chase in front their home crowd, the Aussies made light work of the task, cruising to victory in the 34th over behind half-centuries from captain Michael Clarke and the inform Steve Smith. Clarke hit a top score of 74 from 72 balls while Smith was unbeaten on 56 from 71 deliveries, building on opener David Warner’s earlier 45 from 46 deliveries. Seamer Matt Henry was the best New Zealand bowler with two for 46. Australia set the tone for victory from early, removing talisman and captain Brendon McCullum without scoring with the fifth ball of the match, undone by a full length delivery from Starc which rattled his stumps. Opener Martin Guptill (12) and Kane Williamson (12) followed cheaply leaving Elliott and Taylor with the task of repairing the innings in a 111-run fourth wicket partnership. Elliott struck seven fours and a six and Taylor two
boundaries, and had provided the platform for a late innings acceleration when things fell apart. Taylor fell to a catch at the wicket off Faulkner and two balls later in the same over, the dangerous Corey Anderson was bowled without scoring. Their dismissal sparked a slide that saw the last seven wickets perish for a mere 33 runs. Left-arm seamer Trent Boult then raised New Zealand’s hopes, albeit briefly, of a come-from-behind victory when he removed Aaron Finch without scoring to leave Australia on two runs for one wicket in the second over. However, Warner and Smith put on 61 for the second wicket before Clarke joined Smith to add a further 112 for the third wicket, to erase any thoughts of an upset. Scores: Australia 186 for 3 (Clarke 74, Smith 56*) beat New Zealand 183 (Elliott 83, Johnson 3-30, Faulkner 3-36) by 7 wickets.
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Kaieteur News
Deonarine was hard done by selectors
Narsingh Deonarine
Assad Fudadin
Kenroy Peters
Says Sean Devers Picked for the Test series in South Africa during the last five-day cricket played by the West Indies, 31-year-old Guyanese left-hander Narsingh Deonarine was expected to automatically make the 20-man squad which was named last week to pick the Regional team to battle England in the three-Test Series, starting in Antigua next month. But the Berbician, who has played 18 Tests and 31 ODIs, was surprisingly ignored by the Clive Lloyd led West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) selection panel despite the fact that he scored centuries in the first two matches of the WICB FirstClass Cricket Franchise and followed that up with a magnificent 90 against Barbados to help Guyana, for the first time in history, win four consecutive games ‘on the road’ and ultimately the title. Deonarine scored 514 runs at an average of 42.8 and captured 14 wickets with his off-spin and became only the third Guyanese to score a century and capture a fivewicket haul in the same match. He scored 139 and took 527 against the Windwards in the second round and was the first Guyanese to achieve that feat since Carl Hooper made 105 and took 5-52 against Barbados at Bourda 17 years ago. To compound the confusing non-selection for the England series, Deonarine was picked as recent as this year in the West Indies Test squad which toured South Africa but missed the opportunity to impress due to no fault of his. Deonarine told Kaieteur Sports that a day before getting the news of his selection as a replacement for fellow Guyanese Assad Fudadin, he applied for his United Kingdom and South Africa Visas and his Passport, along with the relevant documents were sent by
FEDEX to be processed. “I told the Board If I had my Passport, I could have travelled through the US since I am a green card holder. I was told that I would get back my Passport in 15 working days and that there was nothing that could be done to fast track my UK Visa application,” Deonarine had disclosed. But disappointment is nothing new to Deonarine, who was forced to miss the fifth round match against Jamaica because of the ‘flu’ a day after being bought by the Jamaica Tallawahs Franchise at the CPL draft in Kingston. The flamboyant Deonarine, who has played eight T20 Internationals and 38 T20s overall could also bowl decent off-spin but was overlooked by the Amazon Warriors, while Fudadin and Shiv Chanderpaul, far less attacking with the bat and less useful with ball, were both selected for a format which better suites Deonarine and paid higher salaries than him. Deonarine was reportedly offered less than half of what he was would be paid by the Jamaica Franchise. “I am looking forward to continue making runs in the four-day tournament and I am confident that if I do that I can get back into the Test team to play England,” Deonarine had said after missing the game against Jamaica. “I am delighted to be picked by Jamaica since I was ignored by my home team last year. Good performances in the CPL could open up lots of opportunities for me since the CPL will be seen by millions around the World on TV,” Deonarine stated. “When you get picked for any team it becomes your team and this year I feel Jamaica has a really good side which can win this tournament and I intend to play my part in that. When I come up against Guyana I will
play as hard as I do for any other match even though it is not really a Guyana team but a franchise team is made up of different players from all over,” Deonarine added. The elegant Berbician said he was not surprised to picked for the South Africa tour due to his back-to-back centuries and wickets in the first phase of the Franchise tournament. Deonarine, surprisingly was given a ‘B’ class contract by the Jaguars, had not been selected for the West Indies for two years, but was the first to score 1000 runs in a Regional four-day competition (2007 in 2008) and was recalled for the England tour in 2009. After a horrible time early last year he again rebounded with a Championship winning season for Guyana and should have been in the 20, especially since Devon Smith has again been recalled on the back of a highly successful Regional FirstClass season. One can also feel for Fudadin, who was picked for the South Africa Test series but broke his finger on opening day of the first Test. However, he recovered and played in Guyana’s last three games. If there was uncertainty about his injury he should have been picked in the 20 for the selectors to assess his batting. The selection of Shannon Gabriel (13 wkts) ahead of leftarm Vincentian pacer Kenroy Peters, who captured 37 to be the leading pacer in a tournament dominated by spinners, also raised eyebrows. The omission of Imran Khan (56 wkts), also a top order batsman, seems nonsensical if the Chairman of the WICB selectors is guided by what he says that the selectors will reward players for their performances at Regional level as they did with Devon Smith. What goes for one must go for all!
Monday March 30, 2015
Barnwell’s 148 vs Windward is highest score by Guyanese fast bowling all-rounder Statistician Charwayne Walker this week notes Christopher Barnwell’s recent ton in Regional cricket as an historic feat. When DCC’s pugnacious stroke maker, Christopher Barnwell, past 120 vs the Windward Islands at Windsor Park Roseau Dominica, he surpassed the previous best by a Guyanese fast bowling all-rounder at the regional first class level. Barnwell’s 148 eclipsed Charlie Stayers 120. Stayers, who held the record made 120 against Barbados in a losing cause at the Mecca, Kensington Oval 58 years ago. The other Guyanese fast bowling all-rounder century makers at the regional first class level are: C.R Browne Winston English William White Garfield Charles Guyanese fast bowling all-rounders with a century at the Regional First Class Level C.R. Browne 102 vs Barbados1925, GCC Bourda. Result: British Guiana won by 8 wickets. Scores: Barbados 230 all out. E.L.G Hoad 79, P.H Tarilton 48, L.A. Walcott 40. Bowling for British Guiana: C.R. Browne took 5 for 77 from 37 overs, R.L. Hunte 3 for 51 from 21.4 overs. British Guiana’s first innings 374 all out. C.R. Browne 102, Maurice Fernandes 89, J.F. Dare 446, E. A .Phillips 30. Bowling for Barbados: E.L.G Hoad took 5 for 84 from 28.3 overs. Barbados’ second innings 62, P.H. Tarilton 37. Bowling for British Guiana: C.R. Browne took 8 for 58. British Guiana’s second innings 62 for 2, W.M. Green 40 not out. Charles Stayers (deceased) 120 vs Barbados 1959, Kensington Oval. Result: Barbados won by 121 runs. Scores: Barbados 539 for 8, declared Peter Lashey 200 not out, Seymour Nurse 131, G.L Wood 53, Cammie Smith 52, A. Holder 37 not out. Bowling for British Guiana: Charles Stayers took 4 for 117 from 32 over, A.N.V
Christopher Barnwell
Slinger 2 for 99, N.D Wight 2 for 110. British Guiana’s first innings 316 all out, Glendon Gribbs 1223, Charles Stayers 120. Bowling for Barbados: A. Atkins took 4 for 28 from 15.2 overs, W. A. White 3 for 86 from 32 overs, Skipper Dennis Atkinson 2 for 46 from 19 overs. Barbados’ second innings 175 for 4, declared Cammie Smith 80, Seymour Nurse 32. British Guiana’s second inning 277 all out, Ivor Mendonca 69, Skipper Clyde Walcott 49, S. Moonsammy 36, Leslie Amsterdam 24. Bowling for Barbados: O. Downes took 3 for 70, Peter Lashley 2 for 24, Dennis Atkinson 2 for 34. Winston English 118 1969 vs Trinidad &Tobago, GCC Bourda. Result: Match drawn Scores: Guyana’s first innings 436 all out; Skipper Winston English 112, Leonard Baichan 72, Leslie Stewart 72, VibertD’Urjan 46, Geoffrey Murray 39, Rex Ramnarace 33. Bowling for Trinidad & Tobago: Pacall Roberts took 5 for 118 from 52 overs, Prince Bartholomew 3 for 73 from 22.4 overs. Trinidad & Tobago 383 all out, Alvin Corneal 123, G. Asgarali 75, Willie Rodrigues 40 not out. Bowling for Guyana: Philbert Blair took 5 for 63 from 17 overs, Lloyd Cornelius 3 for 105 from25 overs. Guyana’s second innings 276 for 7, declared Alvin Kallicharran 99, Lloyd Cornelius 45, Lall Munilall 40, Leslie Stewart 40. Bowling for Trinidad & Tobago: Skipper Willie Rodrigues took 3 for 69 from 17 overs. Trinidad &Tobago’s second innings 351 for 7, Richard De Souza 106, Prince Bartholomew 60 not out, Deryck Murray 58, Ron Faria 49. Bowling Guyana: Philbert Blair took 3 for 104 from 23 overs. William White 103 1984 vs Jamaica, Sabina Park Result: Jamaica won 6 wickets. Scores: Guyana 411 all out, Andrew Lyght (deceased) 122, William White 105, Andrew Jackman 78, RavindranauthSeeram 37, Kamal Singh 25, Clyde Butts 25. Bowling for Jamaica: Kenneth McLeod took3 for 49 from 17 overs, Marlon Tucker 3 for 80 from 39 overs .Clement Thompson 2 for 64 from 26 overs. Jamaica’s first innings 347 all out, mark Neita 133 Odelmo Peters 72, Skipper Basil Williams 34, Cleveland Davidson 32, Robert Haynes 26. Bowling for Guyana: Ray Joseph took 6 for 114 from 33 overs, Suresh Ganouri 2 for 67 from 23 overs. Clyde Butts 2 for 104 from 46 overs. Guyana’s second innings 134 all out, Andrew Lyght 42, Andrew Jackman 31. Bowling for Jamaica: Courtney Walsh took 6 for 35 from 9 overs, Clement Thompson 3 for 40 from 11 overs. Jamaica’s second innings 199 for 4, Terrence Corke 62, Mark Neita 61. Bowling for Guyana William White took 2 for 16 from 10 overs. Garfield Charles 101 vs Trinidad & Tobago Guaracara Park 1991 Result: Match drawn Scores: Trinidad & Tobago’s first innings 220 all out. Philip Simmons 55, Skipper Augustine Logie 55, Brian Lara 23, Anthony Gray 22. Bowling for Guyana: Carl Hooper 2 for 24, Garfield Charles 2 for 35 Lynden Joseph 2 for 44, Clyde Butts 2 for 67. Guyana’s first innings 419 all out, Garfield Charles 101, Carl Hooper 79, Nolan McKenzie 52, Mark Harper 38, Clyde Butts 36, Lyden Joseph 33. Bowling for Trinidad & Tobago: Anthony Gray took 3 for 77, Rajendra Dhanraj 3 for 96 Eugene Antoine 2 for 70. Trinidad & Tobago’s second innings 395 for 6, Augustine Logie 116 not out Philip Simmons 92, Brian Lara 61 David Williams 44. Garfield Charles took 3 for 71 from 23 overs.