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May 05, 2015 - Vol. 08 No. 18 - Price $80
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Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Bhena’s Footwear employee released hours after daring abduction - two in custody
Berbice man dies in three-building fire Ayube Hamid
APNU+AFC blasts Shaik Baksh’s BaiShanLin for failure to son writes off honor promises to Guyana gov’t. vehicle KN Publisher draws Former boxing champ, the line, calls for end to inciteful ads ‘Six Head’ Lewis, dies - declared - Nobody is going to use Knews to incite violence and disrespect
in accident dead twice
Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday May 05, 2015
Tuesday May 05, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Bhena’s Footwear employee released hours after daring abduction
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27-year old staff member of the popular Bhena’s Footwear on Regent Street was released yesterday afternoon after being held captive by abductors who hours earlier had grabbed him outside the store. Xanier Waaldjik turned up at the Brickdam Police Station just after 15:00 hours in good health, even as police were questioning two of the suspects. Waaldjik was snatched just before 08:00 hours as he was about to report for work. The incident occurred in the full view of members of the public, a few minutes before the store opened its doors for business. From all indications the abduction stemmed from a family issue that originated over the weekend. According to reports, Waaldjik was accused of being involved in the disappearance of a quantity of raw gold from a house he had visited a few days ago. Kaieteur News understands that the owner of the gold solicited the help of the abductors who made moves to recover it. Camera footage showed the abductors waiting near a parked car outside the store for their victim to arrive for
- two in custody work. They then pounced on him as he was crossing Regent Street and forced him into the bronze coloured Toyota Corolla PLL 9811, before driving away, leaving onlookers, including other staff members shocked. An employee of the store told this newspaper that she and Waaldjik were standing on the opposite side of the road waiting for the store to open. They did not have the slightest clue that the men, who were waiting outside the store, actually mingling with the other staff, would pose any danger. “While we were crossing the road, a man come up to Xanier and grab him and pushed him into the car. I couldn’t do anything but scream,” the woman, who identified herself as a supervisor, told members of the media. A security person attached to the store trailed the abductors along Regent Street and caught up with them a few corners away at Orange Walk, Bourda. “I approached the vehicle with caution and say, ‘Man, y’all can’t do things
like this, y’all can’t kidnap the man and carry the man away.’ De driver in de front seat tell me is a family matter and ask if I could stay away, but I say, ‘Man hear wha happen, I can’t stay away fuh something like this, y’all gat a staff in the car and I want the staff come out’,” said the store’s security. Just then one of the abductors tapped the car window and when the security saw the barrel of a gun staring him in the face, he backed off. “De window roll down and a man knock pon de glass and I recognize de nozzle of a firearm, so I backed off and I continue making a set of noise,” the security said. The abductors then sped off with their victim while the store’s security man made his way to the Brickdam Police Station where he reported the matter. The police immediately went into action and by midday they had located the car used in the abduction along with the driver. They were at a house on West Coast Demerara. The driver claimed that
after picking up Waaldjik, he dropped him and the other abductors off at a house at La Parfaite Harmonie and left. Investigators then zeroed in on the relative who claimed to have lost the gold and placed her in custody. A police source told this newspaper that the relative admitted losing the gold but insisted that she had nothing to do with the abduction. However, investigators did not believe her story. They were in the process of questioning the two suspects further, when Waaldjik turned up at the Brickdam Police Station. He told a tale of being taken to a house where he was beaten and questioned about the missing gold. “When they grab me and put me into the car, there was another guy inside and they ask me if I know him. They drive to Diamond and then they got a phone call and they turned back and headed over the Demerara Harbour Bridge,” Waaldjik recalled. He said that after crossing the bridge, his abductors blindfolded him and took him into a house where they locked him in a room and began beating him. “All I know was that they locked me in a room and started to slap me. They told me that I wasting their time,”
Shaik Baksh’s son writes off gov’t. vehicle
The tray of this wrecked pick-up broke off The son of the Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Water Inc. Shaik Baksh is now hospitalized after writing off a Toyota Hilux double cab pick-up that is attached to the state owned utility company. The young Baksh was reportedly heading towards the mining town of Linden
when in the vicinity of Yarrowkabra, the vehicle he was driving clipped an oncoming car before turning turtle several times and then land in the nearby bushes. The impact caused the tray of the pick-up to separate from the cab. The driver reportedly suffered a fractured foot and
hand and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was admitted. According to a source, the young Baksh was not authorized to drive the vehicle, since he was not carrying out the official business of the GWI. “That vehicle belonged to the GWI and was not a
Baksh family vehicle,” the source said. Kaieteur News understands that the elder Baksh, who once held at least two Cabinet posts in the Bharrat Jagdeo Administration, was out of the country at the time of the accident. He flew into the country early yesterday morning after learning about the mishap.
Xanier Waaldjik
Waaldjik said. He stated that his relative who lost her gold also came to the house where she spent 10 to 15 minutes questioning him and talking to the abductors. “She keep telling me, ‘find de gold, you know about it’,” Waaldjik said, adding that he kept denying the allegation against him. It was after the relative left the West Demerara house that police managed to arrest her. When the abductors learnt that the relative was arrested they quickly released Waaldjik. They realised that the police were
closing in on them. “Although the abduction was daring, these people are a pack of amateurs,” a police source said. He vowed to get the other persons involved in the act, so that justice could prevail. Up to late last night a traumatized Waaldjik was trying to obtain a medical certificate from the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday May 05, 2015
Former boxing champ, ‘Six Head’ Lewis, killed in accident - declared dead twice
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Family members and others with the body in the Diamond Hospital compound after removing it from the hospital.
he local boxing world was thrown into grief yesterday after news that former Guyanese and World Boxing Association (WBA) Welterweight champion, Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis, was killed in a car accident along the East Bank Demerara Public Road. Lewis, 44, whose career peaked in February 2001 after defeating James Page and becoming world champion at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, was declared dead twice by doctors yesterday. There was confusion and a brawl at the hospital with grieving relatives forcibly removing his body from the Diamond Hospital, believing that he was still alive. Doctors at Woodlands Hospital, in the city, where he was later taken, declared him dead also. According to the reports, Lewis, a father of six, left his Hutsonville home, Hope, East Bank Demerara and was riding a bicycle south towards Friendship, a
neighbouring village. It was around midday. His only sister, Loren, who lives with him, was inconsolable at the Diamond Hospital. Several shocked family members, including two daughters and his siblings and friends were seen openly weeping. Loren, who has been living with Lewis for the past 15 years at Hutsonville, said she was called by a neighbour who told her to come quick. “I saw my brother lying down on the roadway.” An ambulance from the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital rushed the badly injured man to the Diamond Hospital. He was later declared dead there. Loren said she has been living with her brother for years now and has attended all his fights. He has been more than a brother to her. Police sources said that from initial indications, Lewis was struck from behind as the rear wheel of the bicycle was badly (Continued on page 23)
The damaged bicycle at Grove Police Station, EBD.
Police ranks with the driver and the damaged car.
Tuesday May 05, 2015
Kaieteur News
T&T Chamber president: Look to Guyana for food security Trinidad (Trinidad Guardian) - President of the Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce, Liaquat Ali said T&T should consider looking to Guyana for increased food security. He was at the time speaking with reporters at a prize distribution for Old Mac Agro Supplies Limited and Trinidad Parboil Limited’s Lenten competition in Couva Ali said that rice is one heavily consumed commodities imported into the country. T&T is capable of producing only 10 per cent of the white rice needed, so all of the parboiled rice and 90 per cent of white rice is imported. The figure is more than 40,000 tonnes annually and continues to rise, he said. Ali said more T&T businessmen should take advan-
Liquat Ali tage of agricultural opportunities in Guyana. He said Old Mac Agro started diversifying its operations into Guyana in the last decade and has now established a rice plantation and a mill in there to ensure the company gets a steady supply of product for
T&T consumers rather than having to depend solely on middlemen. He said there is a large local demand for beans and animal feed products such as corn. In 2013, Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Guyana’s Agriculture Ministry for T&T farmers to access 10,000 acres of arable land for cultivation. Six commodities were identified for development, including corn, citrus fruits and soya beans. Contacted for an update on that plan, Maharaj said the process is ongoing and Government will act as a facilitator to encourage private investment.
Cop kills cop then himself - Two young men were best friends, deaths shock St Ann (Jamaica Observer) Police Constables Keemo Walsh and Andualy Smith were best friends. Those close to the two said they went everywhere together. In fact, persons close to the dead cops said they were out celebrating a friend’s birthday on Saturday, May 2 while anticipating celebrating Smith’s birthday on Sunday, May 3. It was therefore a shock for colleagues and friends when they heard that the two were dead in an alleged case of murder/suicide that shook the White River community near the tourist resort town of Ocho Rios, St Ann in the dead of night, about 2:00 am Sunday. Smith, stationed at St Ann’s Bay, allegedly shot Walsh, who was stationed in Ocho Rios, while they were at the Grass Hoppa Bar and Grill in White River. He is reported to have then turned the gun on himself while in a vehicle transporting Walsh to the hospital. The news appeared to have devastated the St Ann police who were trying to come to grips with the tragedy when the Jamaica Observer visited at sunrise Sunday. “The mood in the division is very sombre” said head of the St Ann Police, Superintendent Steve Brown, his own face a mask of grief. “The two police officers who died were very very well-known and very popular. They were best friends; you never see one without the other. Two talented, two bright young
Andualy Smith (left) and Keemo Walsh men. It’s a really really sad mood in St Ann,” he said. However, he said he was unable to say exactly how the incident unfolded as investigations are on-going. “We can only confirm that two policemen from my division are dead and they died under very tragic circumstances and the information we have is that one shot the other and shot himself afterwards. The investigators are carrying out in-depth investigations at the moment,” Brown stated. However, while the police have not been able to confirm what exactly unfolded, persons who allegedly witnessed the first incident have their version of what happened. Some persons have stated that the two were arguing when Smith shot Walsh. However, one patron at the bar and grill said the two were actually playing when Walsh was shot. There are unconfirmed reports that Smith after shooting Walsh called for ‘backup’
informing colleagues that Walsh had been shot. Police officers reportedly went to the rescue not knowing that Smith was the one who had shot Walsh. Hence, he was not relieved of his firearm in the hurried process to get Walsh to the hospital. Smith who was said to be driving in the back of the service vehicle shot himself while on his way to the hospital with Walsh. A policeman close to the two said Grass Hoppa was a regular hang out spot for the two who were fast friends. “Smith is not that kind of person,” the policeman said. “No one expected it.” Another policeman commented: “He does not let anything bother him, he was always smiling.” Walsh, the leader for the Content Gardens Police Youth Club was also described as an outstanding individual. Trevor Grier, president of the youth club said the death of the club’s leader has shocked members.
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Tuesday May 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Holding Formation Moses and company are correct. There are fundamental flaws in the contract signed between the Government of Guyana and DAX, in relation to the rehabilitation of the ICT cable. Indeed, a strong argument can be made that the agreement itself lacks one of the principal elements of any contract: consideration. Unlike what one legal luminary is contending, the provision of fiscal incentives to the company does not constitute consideration. These incentives are not being provided to underwrite the provision of services. They are incentives intended to facilitate the agreement but they do not constitute the element of consideration. If you carefully read the wording of the contract you will appreciate that the rights given to DAX to use the cable do not constitute consideration for the rehabilitation- remedial and maintenance- works that have to be undertaken. The government may well have intended for the contractor to be paid for his services via usage and rights to the cable, but the language of the agreement does not
suggest that these rights of uses of the cable constitutes consideration for the services that are to be provided. The issue of consideration is so vague that the contractor is likely to find serious difficulties in securing a Joint Venture partner to allow for the contractor to be able to benefit from rights to usage of the cable. No joint venture partner is likely to commit to such a vaguely worded contract. Neither should anyone fear that ownership of the cable will be handed over to the contractor. In fact, if there is anything about which the contract is not vague it is on the question of ownership. The agreement makes it clear that government retains ownership of the cable. This may seem perplexing but it is not. It is rather like someone owning a piece of land but lacking the funds to pave the said land. So the owner enters into an agreement with a wash bay service to use the property for washing cars. The wash bay company is free to enter into an agreement with a third party to provide
car washing services on the property. But the ownership of the property does not change. The property still belongs to the owners. It is a similar arrangement with the ICT cable. The contractor is required to repair and maintain the cable. He can use the cable to provide services, but the cable itself belongs to the people. Ownership has not been handed over to anyone. What has been handed over is the usage of the cable. But the contract is so loosely worded that one does not know whether the contractor has full rights to the cable or whether these rights are limited. In this context, one has to question why the PPPC would write such a contract that is liable to be challenged on so many grounds. Why would the government not have indicated the scope of works and the actual work to be done? It cannot be that the PPPC lacks negotiating skills or cannot draw up a valid contract. This is the same PPPC that has been able to draw up a contract for the construction of the Marriott Hotel and for the branding of
After fighting for his life at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), motorcyclist, Quincy Greene, 26, of 116 Sideline Dam, Mocha Arcadia succumbed to the Injuries he sustained in a smash up Sunday night. He was involved in an accident in the vicinity of the Princess Hotel, Providence,
East Bank Demerara. According to reports Greene was struck off his motorcycle by a car allegedly driven by a doctor who remains unidentified. Dexter Greene, the dead man’s brother, said that the anonymous doctor played a disappearing role on family members and the taxi driver
who had initially taken the injured man to the GPHC. Greene explained that when he saw the doctor at his brother’s hospital bed the night of the accident he had no idea that this was the person who was involved in the accident with his brother. He said that he asked the Continued on page 29
Motorcyclist succumbs after Providence accident
Dem boys seh...
Vulgarity and lawlessness must stop Everybody, man or woman, got a right to vote fuh who dem want. Dem boys hear people cussing one another in dem minibus because somebody seh he voting fuh a particular party. People who is friends don’t even want to sit down next to one another. Family stop talk to family because of politics. At de end of de day de country belong to everybody and all of we got to live. Dem boys remember an old saying in life, ‘Yuh win some and yuh lose some.’ That is de real life. People got to learn to lose and anybody who think dem can win and don’t lose is a fool. Elections deh round de corner and dem boys don’t want no ill will and animosity or hate among each other. Nobody want violence and most people don’t be comfortable spewing hate. But dem got some people can spew hate whole day, whole night. Dem want to inflame. Dem boys see a ad and it upset dem. If de Waterfalls boss man did see it before he woulda never tek it. He seh that he will not publish it again, even if dem come wid ten times de cost. It lawless
and vulgar. De ad got a woman who pull she panty and peeing pun a piece of cloth wid couple colour that dem seh is a flag. Dem boys seh that such an ad design to inflame and to incite one another. De last people who should do this is de leaders of de country—de politicians. Fuh a very long time Guyana never feel suh disappointed wid de wanna be leaders. If you don’t like a party, and you not voting fuh a party keep away from de people. Let de people do dem thing. Keep you children away from big people business. It is more lawless to send you children to behave like thugs. What message you teaching you children as parents? Shame at all-you. If you-all want to lead, then behave like leaders. When you see you followers, plus you children do stupidness pull dem up. Dem boys got to move Guyana forward; ignorance, stupidity, violence and lawlessness will not take de country anywhere much less develop de country. Talk half and stop de vulgarity.
that hotel. The government therefore clearly has the capacity to draw up a proper contract. Why then would it make such a questionable contract for the rehabilitation of the ICT cable and the granting of rights to the contractor? I want to suggest that this agreement is merely a form of insurance that the PPPC is taking just in case it loses the election. I do not believe that the PPP will lose the elections. Indeed it seems as if they are going to win the elections. But no chances are being taken and what the agreement could represent is a form of insurance. If by chance the PPPC loses, the new government will try to annul the contract and even go as far as not proceeding any further with
this cable. This would be a major blow to the oligarchs who are interested in securing rights to this cable so that they can be able to monopolize a wide range of services, including telephone services. It is therefore my suspicion that what the government has done is to assign tenuous rights to the contractor who has to rehabilitate the cable. If a new government gets in, that new government will move to rescind the contract. There will however be a legal challenge by those to whom the rights are assigned. Those holding the rights will sue for deprivation of property. The case will take in excess of five years. In the meantime, fresh elections can be held, and
who knows the PPPC can be returned. There is no way that the PPPC is going to hand over ownership and full control of this cable to contractor. The contractor is not a member of the powerful economic oligarchy in whose interests these projects are designed. When it suits the PPP, it will privatize the cable to one of its cronies. By the way, this is yet another example of something that the opposition parties did not see coming. The PPPC remains as always one step ahead of the opposition.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday May 02, 2015
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
The ontological rejection of African headship of the Guyana Government Ronald Bulkan wrote that he has been transfixed at the transmogrification of a number of Indian Guyanese who just months ago found the PPP regime to be characterized by cascading incompetence, corruptibility, unpleasant functionalism and other unacceptable motifs. Bulkan listed a few-Ralph Seeram, Shaun Samaroo, Peter Ramsaroop, Asgar Ally, the ousted PPP mandarin from years back and Leon Suseran. These names are in the same category with people like Dolly Hassan, Immigration Lawyer in Richmond Hill. They have been joined by some huge
surprises. The line-up includes Hindu priest, Aksharanandan who stayed away from politics for a long time; literary figure, Ryhaan Shah; Varshnie Singh, former common law wife of Bharrat Jagdeo, and the good friend of Eusi Kwayana who is in advanced age and lives in the United States, P.D. Sharma The sudden transformation of these people is no puzzle at all. Once Bulkan had looked hard enough he would have seen the philosophical foundation for the attitudinal departure – election time and the strong likelihood that Indian rule would end.
There have been millions of statements throughout the past sixty years in Guyana that Africans and Indians appreciate each other, see the kindness in each other, desire the continuation in the warmth of the relationships but at election time, ontology takes over. Since elections are racial competition for the administration of Guyana, racial instincts take over and Guyanese vote for politicians who belong to the same ethnicity they do. A break with this tradition first came in the 2006 elections when substantial numbers of African Guyanese defected from the PNC edifice and voted for the overtly multiracial Alliance For Change. The Indians did emulate their African counterparts in 2011 and gave Moses Nagamootoo a vote of confidence but the numbers were much smaller than what the African Guyanese gave the AFC in 2006 and the emulation was confined to Berbice with input from middle class urban Indians in Region Four.
The May 11 elections will decide whether the Guyanese nation, particularly Indians, have finally accepted that the PPP is not synonymous with the Indian race in Guyana. But there will always be an Indian mind-set whose ontological make-up prevents them from accepting African leadership and control of the state in Guyana. What is important to note is that character wise, these are not bad people and in fact, may be decent humans who probably are not racist in the sociological sense; (though philosophically they are but that is a complexity, a discussion of which space constraint will prevent). If you look at these people’s perception of the PPP’s tenure before the prorogation of Parliament, it would include severe condemnation of some of the terrible forms of PPP’s misbehaviour. In fact, Bulkan did cite some of those condemnations and identified who made them. Even after the announcement of the date for general elections, these folks were still irritated with the
corrupt and depraved nature of many of the PPP’s monarchs. The reason for this is because they felt their criticism would not harm the PPP’s election chances because in another three-way race, the PPP will still win the presidency and the government. Once an Indian government was in place, the Indian names cited above feel that they could take the liberty of castigating the PPP’s misbehaviour. All hell broke loose and paranoia took over after the opposition parties entered into a coalition and its image and its political capital expanded phenomenally. For the Indian names cited above, the control of the state by an Indian party was about to end and an African presidency is likely to happen. It is important to understand that the substance of the fear is not loss of power by the PPP. All the names mentioned above couldn’t be bothered with the current PPP leadership many of whom they despise or dislike. The coalition is likely
Frederick Kissoon to remove an Indian party and by extension, Indian hegemony over state and society in Guyana. The Indian personalities identified above would probably have voted for a Nagamootoo/Ramjattan ticket and dump the PPP. But a victory for the coalition is going to bring a Blackman into the presidency and other African Guyanese will have strong control over the state machinery. This Indian mindset has an ontological aversion to Black people in control over the total governmental machinery even though there will be an AFC input into the governance of the country. This explains the unexpected ideological embrace of the PPP. I hope this short analysis puts an ends to Bulkan’s bewilderment.
Tuesday May 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Some teachers unaware about industrial action - GTU anticipates all schools will be on board by tomorrow Double session at Central High School yesterday was not as a result of industrial action planned by the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU). This publication understands that the early dismissal of the school was to allow teachers and students to attend the funeral of a Science teacher who recently lost her battle with
cancer. When asked if the school will be participating in the industrial action, which commenced yesterday, a senior teacher said that the Union had not yet communicated its plans to the school. This teacher along with a few others disclosed that they only learnt of the industrial action plan through the media.
“The Union can’t operate like that. I believe that they needed to tell their members first before going to the media,” one teacher said yesterday. At a press conference, at the Union’s Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, headquarters last week, GTU President, Mark Lyte, announced that the Union had decided to institute industrial action to retaliate Government’s
Businessman flown overseas for medical treatment after accident Popular Berbice businessman, Roy Hanoman, 65, of Industry, East Coast Berbice, has been flown overseas for medical treatment after the vehicle he was driving was involved in a serious accident at Industry, East Coast Berbice, on Saturday. The accident occurred as Hanoman was turning off the East Coast Berbice Public Road to enter his compound. According to information Hanoman a large scale cane, cattle and rice farmer among other things, was driving his jeep GFF 8081 with one of his employees, Mohan Autar, 41, of Lot 27 High Reef, Albion,
Corentyne, in the tray when it was hit by a speeding car. It was reported that around 06:50 hrs on Saturday, both vehicles were heading in the direction of New Amsterdam when Hanoman tried to turn into his compound and was broadsided by the Silver gray 212 motor car driven by Satyanand Hemraj, 37, of Race Course Corriverton, Corentyne. The speeding car reportedly overtook another vehicle and in the process of doing a double overtake he struck the vehicle being driven by Hanoman. Both vehicles ended up in the trench in front of Hanoman’s residence. At the time of the accident
the hire car had one passenger, Dharmendra Hemraj, 37, of Race Course, Corriverton, Corentyne. All passengers were taken out and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where they were admitted with various injuries. Hanoman was subsequently rushed to the Georgetown Hospital and later transferred to a private hospital for further treatment. He was subsequently flown overseas to Trinidad for further medical intervention. Reports are that he suffered serious head injuries and other abrasions. The other victims remain hospitalized in the New Amsterdam hospital.
non-payment of debunching monies. He said that teachers were informed through their respective Union representatives but efforts were also made to inform them by email as well. However, he has since learnt that an internet problem at the GTU’s office had resulted in some teachers not receiving the written notification. He noted that the Union has instead decided to print the associated correspondences and hand deliver them to all schools. He is optimistic that by tomorrow the industrial action will be fully embraced by all of its members. Lyte nevertheless noted that while some teachers had expressed reluctance to participate in the planned industrial action, more than half of the Union’s 7,000 odd members had indicated their willingness to work-to-rule. Work-to-rule is characterised by teachers doing their assigned task and no more, and possibly even returning home if their working environment is not conducive enough. This publication was unable to locate a school in the city that participated in the industrial action yesterday. But according to Lyte based on information reaching the Union a number of schools, mainly in Berbice, did participate.
He informed that among the schools that participated yesterday were the Lancaster Secondary School at Mahaica; Port Mourant Secondary School, Tutorial Academy, All Saints Primary and Rose Hall Primary, all in the Berbice locale. The industrial action move was initiated after Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, during a meeting with Union Executives, said that Government was not in a position to honour the promised debunching payment. According to the Union officials, Dr Luncheon revealed that absolutely no money was ever budgeted for the payment of debunching monies. The debunching payment is intended to cater to the salaries of teachers, whereby, those with the same status will be paid based on their years of experience. This, for example, would ensure that a senior teacher who was trained 10 years ago will not be placed on the same salary scale as a senior master or mistress that was subsequently trained. According to Lyte, the debunching payment is one that has been included in the multiyear agreement package for teachers along with salary increases, land for teachers, among other benefits. The most recent multi-year agreement will
GTU President Mark Lyte come to an end this year end. And according to the GTU President while some of the commitments in the package have not be fulfilled, among the most pressing is that of the debunching payout which is designed to benefit all teachers. And the GTU President has asserted that the industrial action which will continue indefinitely, could have a significant impact on the education system as preparations are being made to conduct the National Grade Two, Four and Nine Assessments, but also, the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday May 02, 2015
APNU+AFC blasts BaiShanLin for failure to honor promises to Guyana - As furor against Chinese company continues to rise
Financial Analyst Ramon Gaskin A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC)’s Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine and Khemraj Ramjattan have both condemned the alarming rate at which concessions are being handed to BaiShanLin. They say that this is being done at the expense of local businessmen. They also point to the company’s failure to honour its commitments to provide Guyanese employment. These issues recently came to the fore with the revelations of the large tax concessions granted to the Chinese-owned company.
BaiShanLin has been under scrutiny for its large scale extraction and export of Guyana’s timber using a primarily Chinese workforce. Though the Government of Guyana has protested that BaiShanLin’s export level remains within the parameters of the law, the Chinese company has not created jobs within Guyana’s sector for Guyanese or made any serious attempt to give back to the Guyanese people. Despite the fact that the company has been in Guyana since 2005, BaiShanLin is yet to honour its commitment to Guyana to establish a wood processing plant, instead exporting all of the extracted timber almost instantaneously. Roopnaraine expressed his dismay at the entire situation, stating that the local private sector and the small miner and forester were the ones whose livelihood suffered the most, but that Guyana was also deriving no benefit in the entire process. Roopnaraine stated that it was necessary for the government to implement a more consistent tax regime and to provide more incentives and a level playing
field for local miners and foresters, who have long complained of the domination of BaiShanLin on the country’s timber market. The politician nevertheless noted that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) was just caught up in the imbroglio, being mandated to fulfill the Government’s policies. Any change in the tax policy towards foreign investors must come from the Government itself, Roopnaraine said. Ramjattan was critical of the company, noting that the non-implementation of the timber processing plant in Linden, was a fundamental violation of the company’s agreement, when they would have had to lay out a proposal upon approaching the Government of Guyana. He also cited the huge amounts of logs being exported as another violation that the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) was tacitly allowing. Financial analyst Ramon Gaskin had blasted the government’s “sweetheart deal” with BaiShanLin in the latest Thursday night broadcast of Nation Watch with Christopher Ram. He stated that the Chinese company’s continued presence in Guyana was doing nothing more than harm to the economy. Added to this was the fact that BaiShanLin was in a virtual ‘tax paradise’ not having to pay any royalties or applicable value added taxes (VAT) among other concessions.
Gaskin had described it as Guyana having to subsidize the Chinese economy. China is currently rated as the world’s second largest economy, far ahead of Guyana’s. The company is reported to have benefitted from billions of dollars worth in tax concessions, remissions and tax holidays, but when enquiries into its failure to honour its commitment to build the wood processing plant started last year, it blamed the Guyana Office for Investment (Go- Invest) for delaying its application for the factory. Within the last week, however, it has shifted the blame to “hostile” media reports in 2014 for discouraging financers, singling out Kaieteur News as the leader of the “hostile campaign”. It also claimed that the newspaper had no evidence to support many of its claims. BaiShanLin, in its statement, insisted that it is a privately-owned company and does not receive capital from the Government of Guyana. Kaieteur News at no time contended that BaiShanLin receives funding from the Government of Guyana. But even in its response to the article, BaiShanLin does not deny that it was approved ‘US$70M’ for certain activities. With regard to the wood processing plant in the Linden area that was to be constructed, BaiShanLin, one of the largest exporters of the country’s prime species of
wood, complained that it has indeed suffered major setbacks in completing its wood processing facility that will create hundreds of jobs for Guyanese. It claimed that these “setbacks” directly relate to lack of adequate funding from its financiers, who, since last year “when these sustained attacks began,” became concerned about the “soundness of investing further in what appeared to be a hostile environment.” It would contradict what the company said in August last year when local media reported on the extent of BaiShanLin’s operations in Guyana. Back then, the company failed to mention in its published advertisements that “financiers” were scared to invest. Instead, back then BaiShanLin sought to throw the blame on GO-Invest for the delays. In one of its advertisements, the company stated that in 2008, it applied to the “Government of Guyana through the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and other agencies to lease lands to set up a factory to process logs and engage in value-added production, such as the making of furniture, craft and hardwood flooring.” It had said then that it was experiencing delays. Kaieteur News later reported that GO-Invest had had no such application. BaiShanLin had nothing to say when this was revealed. T h i s c a u s e d m a n y, including the opposition, to challenge the government to make public the investment agreement it signed on to with the Chinese logging company. To date, this is yet to be done.
APNU+AFC Khemraj Ramjattan Further, on the note of logging, BaiShanLin said that as it relates to operations, it has consistently remained well within the regulations governing the forestry sector. It has been reported on extensively, by insiders and other well-informed critics, including Dr. Janette Bulkan, a forestry specialist, that BaiShanLin practices landlordism. The Timber Sales Agreement (TSAs) which governs logging does not allow that. BaiShanLin also sought to justify its great access to the mining sector. The regulations stipulate that only Guyanese can participate in auctions and bid for mining lands. It said that the company’s owner in Guyana, Mr. Chu Hongbo is a naturalized Guyanese and that he is entitled to benefit from that clause. He did not say whether all the statutory requirements for naturalisation were met. BaiShanLin failed to point out that it has been granted hundreds of millions of dollars in duty free concessions and other breaks and therefore has an unfair advantage when it comes to competing with local operators.
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Wage increases will come from ‘diverted’ funds – Granger Convinced that a ‘substantial portion’ of government revenue has been systematically diverted from the consolidated fund, the APNU+AFC coalition plans on increasing wages for public servants by redirecting these monies. This is according to Presidential Candidate for the Coalition David Granger who further emphasized, that an efficient government could only be achieved if there is an effective public service. Granger made the assertions during a broadcast of the radio programme Hard Talk which was aired on Sunday afternoon. During his interview, Granger opined that huge sums of money had been kept out of the consolidated fund and was instead being paid into funds that are not directly under control of the National Assembly. Granger went on to specifically call out the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Lotto Fund and said, “These funds run into billions and the funds are so
lucrative that the government could have embarked on the construction of a multi-billion dollar hotel with funds which are really state funds; they’re public funds.” He further said that the coalition, if voted into power, intends to divert these funds from “non-legal sources” back into the consolidated fund. Hence, Granger said, public servants will be better
“Indicators are that maybe as much as 20% of the budget is being diverted into these funds that are not under control of the National Assembly,” Granger said. He continued, “In addition to that, a more efficient public service would lead to more efficient revenue collection, the enforcement of fines by the police and courts and will lead to generally greater
plan…but the point I’m making is that, precisely we won’t know the condition of the treasury, the condition of administration, the condition of revenue and tax collection until we go into office.” Nonetheless, Granger maintained that wage increases will still be high on the coalition’s agenda. He further explained that the plan for salary will be the
“We believe that to have an efficient government, there must be an effective public service and there’s no point in keeping the public service merely surviving. It’s like they are on life support: they are not getting any better but they’re not getting any worse.” paid. Granger maintained that the coalition “knows funds are being diverted” though they would best be able to say how much when they get into power. The coalition had previously received criticisms from the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) for making plans to spend revenue rather than plans to garner it. Questions had also been raised on how the coalition intended to increase wages without fully knowing whether funds were available.
efficiency. When we have a lot of money being siphoned off, it means money is not being paid into the consolidated fund.” He emphasised that once systems are put in place to effectively collect revenue, the country would be better administered. He added that the coalition must wait and see how much money there is and how programmes are being administered when it gets into power. “We cannot go into office without a plan; we have a
implementation of a mechanism by which unions consult with employers. “We are not going to intervene between the unions and the employers. If there is a Guyana Public Service Union, that union will deal with the government,” Granger said. He went on, “Given the present cost of living and the present problems facing the public servants, there will be a minimum of 10%. But we have not set the ceiling and I’m sure that the GPSU is not going to be satisfied with
GECOM pleads: Desist from conducting exit polls The duty of declaring the final official results of the 2015 General and Regional Elections rests exclusively with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Any other information provided by any source(s) other than GECOM must not be considered as legitimate or valid by the citizenry. GECOM wishes to advise the public that only official elections results announced by GECOM are to be accepted. Any other claims to results would be spurious and unofficial. GECOM will be conducting free, fair and transparent elections on May 11, 2015, and would like to appeal to all stakeholders to peacefully accept the final official results of the 2015 General and Regional Elections. GECOM is also calling on all individuals and/or groups purporting to conduct exit polls and announcing their ‘findings’, to desist from this potentially dangerous and
reckless practice, since their utterings may serve to stir unrest and create further uneasiness in an environment which is already tense. Moreover, extant electoral laws and guidelines mandate only GECOM as the sole legal authority to announce official election results in Guyana. In addition, it must be recognized that while there may be no specific Laws making Exit Polling an offence, there are Laws relating to the molestation of voters entering and exiting Polling Stations. The secrecy of the Ballot must remain sacrosanct. In any case, the reliability of results emanating from an Exit Poll is dubious, unreliable and very possibility inaccurate. GECOM is currently working unremittingly to ensure it delivers elections that are free, fair, credible and transparent. Every area of elections management is being competently and professionally managed by committed men and women,
led by an experienced group of Commissioners. Therefore, all political parties and their supporters must be cognizant and supportive of GECOM’s efforts to submit results that are accurate, and not contribute to any act that will stymie and undermine this process. The integrity of the electoral process must be measured by the professional, efficient, effective, and transparent electoral management best practices being exercised by GECOM. Further, the electoral
processes are being managed by a cadre of trained professional staff, and are being monitored by a combination of renowned international and local observers. As a consequence, political parties and their supporters must uphold GECOM’s demand that the May 11, 2015 election is conducted in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere, and that the final official results announced by GECOM are treated with respect and accepted by all stakeholders. (GECOM)
10%; Ten percent must be regarded as relief but I am sure when we sit down with the public services unions…there will be more precise negotiations, but we support the right of the workers organisations to negotiate on a collective bargaining agreements with their employers, and right now that’s the government.” Granger further opined that the current administration has been treating public servants with contempt. “The present administration has treated the public service generally in a very contemptuous manner; they wait until Christmas time and someone comes around and gives them 3 or 4 or 5% but by that time, the cost of living has risen by 3 or 4 or 5%. The public aren’t foolish people; they realize they are being kept at the same level as they were in the previous years and it’s also contemptuous to not sit with the representatives and discuss salary increases and the condition of work.” He further said, “We believe that to have an efficient government, there must be an effective public service and there’s no point in keeping the public service merely surviving. It’s like they are on life support: they are not getting any better but they’re not getting any worse.” Meanwhile, Granger reiterated that the coalition’s
APNU+AFC Presidential Candidate David Granger manifesto was a “people manifesto” that had been well received during its launch last week. He said the party had deliberately chosen to launch the manifesto at the Stabroek Market rather than the “airconditioned comfort of a hotel”. He said too, that the people of Guyana “understood what we were trying to say, they understood that it was a document and a plan that was going to transform their lives.” The APNU+AFC coalition has promised a “comprehensive review” of the workings of the public service sector. This review includes the current taxation policy, salaries increases, remuneration and union action among other areas.
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Granger wages war on illiteracy, unemployment, violent crimes in Berbice With E -Day mere days away, the ‘unity train’ driven by the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) on Saturday once again made its way to the ancient county. This time, it came to a halt at Stelling Road, New Amsterdam which was by 18:00 hours packed with thousands of party supporters from all walks of life. The coalition party said the town has for years been treated as an ‘outcast’ but come May 11 this will end. The party related its vision of transforming the ancient county into a modern one. They told their Berbice supporters that their vision was also to see Guyana unified and that their coalition of six parties will see that the six peoples of this land stand as one. They were told that voting for the ‘cup’ equates to voting for ‘friend, family and favourites’. The time, the party leaders said, for corruption, cronyism, ‘punishment,’ abuse of women, abuse of resources, ‘barefacedness’, extortion, bribery, bullyism, disrespect, poverty and pilfering from the national coffers will come to an end. The coalition presented a vision of economic and social
transformation and as the large gathering listened to their party leaders headed by Presidential Candidate, David Granger and Prime Ministerial Candidate, Moses Nagamootoo, it was clear that they were in support of it. Performances by various artistes like Basil Bradshaw saw commentary on the ‘punishment’ endured through the People Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) rule. By the end of his performance, the crowd, some of whom waved flags seemed ready “to send the PPP leaders straight to jail with no option of bail.” Show stealer, Sean Carmichael ‘rapped’ on some of the burning issues affecting the Berbicians and cases of injustice in Guyana at large. The rapper took the former Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran to task over his ‘slap and strip’ remarks much to the crowd’s pleasure. The alleged “rotten vegetables” at New Amsterdam and the Magistrate who was sent packing the day she was set to sentence the current Prime Minister’s son were also points of contention. Already hyped and chanting “It is time,” when the Presidential candidate took to the stage, the crowd went ballistic.
A section of the large crowd of APNU+AFC supporters. He took to task several areas in which the region was lacking. Granger told the crowd that in 1997 the PPP/C had won 52,000 votes in Region Six, in 2001, 47,000, in 2006 they copped 42,000 but dropped to 32,,000 in the 2011 elections. “The PPP/C is losing it... It’s losing its right to speak for the people of Region Six. They have taken this region for granted for too long,” Granger lamented. He said that the PPP regards Berbice as a vote farm and “they believe that no
matter what they do, you are going to vote for them. Things have changed now. The lights change from red to green and yellow.” Granger said that although the PPP won in the past, this time the coalition will win and bring real development to the region. Granger highlighted the importance of Region Six, stating that Guyana is the only country that shares a border with another Caribbean state. He highlighted that the border was in the Region Six. “You are the commercial cutting edge of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana,” the Presidential hopeful said adding that the economic potential of the region could only be unleashed by an APNU+AFC led government. He pointed out that Regions Five and Six are responsible for 75 percent of rice production in Guyana. “You produce our fish,
you produce our coconuts, you produce our cattle, you produce our milk,” Granger said, noting that sugar is also produced on a large scale in the Berbice region. “But the PPP has not been able to unleash your potential and I want to tell you tonight that the only government which is interested in releasing that economic potential is an APNU+AFC government. We care about you and we have a plan to make Region Six economically powerful,” Granger revealed. The Presidential hopeful spoke on the level of illiteracy in Guyana. He said “What I want to tell you is that unless Region Six embraces education and unless we eradicate ignorance we would not be able to move this country forward. Too many people are dropping out of school in Region Six.” Granger said every year 6000 boys and girls become school drop outs and many
of them are from Region Six. “Some of them can’t read, write, count or spell and we have to change that but when they drop out of school, even if they don’t do well we must give them a safety net.” Granger reasoned that not being able to read and write would greatly affect the way they progressed. He said the APNU+AFC, cognizant that Berbice is an agricultural region, will seek to establish an Agricultural Institute at Corentyne aimed at enabling youths to find employment in the field of agriculture and agroprocessing. The Presidential candidate said the milk, sugar and rice produced can be turned into products such as yogurt, candies and cereal respectively which could be sold to markets countrywide and abroad “You don’t have to export raw sugar and raw rice or coconuts,” Granger lamented. Continued on page 27
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Berbice man dies in three-building fire T
ragedy struck the Hamid family in B e r b i c e yesterday, when businessman Ayube Hamid, 59, perished in a fire. The father of two of Lot 35 First Street, Canefield Village, East Canje, Berbice, was the owner of the billion-dollar Home Line Furniture establishments in Berbice. The blaze completely destroyed his home, furniture factory, and a storage bond located in the yard. The man who occupied the house with his wife, Jameela, exited the twostorey building but for reasons still unknown, he rushed back into the building. The man who has a number of other multimillion-dollar businesses in Berbice, sells furniture and all electrical appliances at various locations, including the Home Line Complex in Rose Hall Town, the Home Line Furniture Stores at New Amsterdam and Reliance, East Canje among other locations. The fire also completely destroyed the nearby residence of Hamid’s eastern neighbour, John Bahadur, an electrical repair and serviceman who resided in the two-storey wood and concrete house with his wife Debbie, four sons, a daughter-in-law and grandson. The fire erupted around 07:15 hrs on the lower flat of the two-storey wood and concrete building which housed the living quarters of the complex. A shed which is also used as the main area of the factory separated the house from the two story concrete bond which extends from First to Second Street. Up to press time the origin of the fire was unknown. According to two of his employees, they had arrived for work around 07:00 hrs and were in the process of taking furniture outside. The two youthful employees stated that usually on Monday not many employees would turn out to work. Only three of them were there and they had already taken about three wardrobes outside. About the said time, a resident came to beg for some varnish. When they went into the building to get the varnish they saw fire in a pail used to mix paint under the shed. They informed their boss who told them to get sand and threw on the paint, which they did. However it
did not out the fire. They went for more sand but by then the fire had spread. As it got out of the pail and spread to the many combustible materials around. According to a resident, someone had apparently lit a fire to burn some materials and the fire got out of control and quickly spread to the paint and other combustible material. According to lawmen, all angles are being looked at to determine the cause of the fire. The place stored a large number of combustible materials which helped the fire to rage quickly and get out of hand, including paints, thinners, tar, gasoline and sponge among other materials. During the time of fighting the fire, loud explosions could be heard coming from the buildings as some of the materials exploded. The businessman’s burnt body was located around 11:05 hours among the rubble by ranks and villagers. The Guyana Fire service responded with three tenders, while the nearby Rose Hall Estate responded with a Land Rover. During the time, dozens of residents from near and far flocked the scene to get a glimpse of what was going on. The main source of contention of the residents was the time it took the Guyana Fire Service to arrive on the scene. According to Bahadur he lived at his Lot 36 East Canefield location for the past 13 years, his home is his repair shop and he repairs all kinds of electrical equipment. He stated that he had just exited his yard and was in the process of taking his kids to school when he saw Hamid. Hamid, he said, told him to call the Fire Service because there was a fire. He added that an alarm was raised and neighbours started running towards the building. He and others called the Fire Service informing them of the fire. Meanwhile Hamid had run back into the building for something. His wife had already exited the building. They started a bucket brigade which was no match for the fire which spread rapidly. The man, fighting back tears, said that he lost everything in the fire including equipment and appliances belonging to persons who had taken them there to be repaired. His house was well furnished.
He could not estimate his losses. Jameela Hamid was too distraught to speak. She was sitting under the house of a neighbour, being attended to by Dr. Ganesh. She stated loudly that she was not interested in speaking to anyone; her only wish was to know where her husband was. Millions of dollars which were burnt were removed from the scene of the fire while a few chests and vaults with money, gold and other jewelry were also removed. Residents were certain that (Continued on page 23)
The body being removed from the scene
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Presidential term limit court case postponed
W
hile most of Guyana will be caught up in the buzz of General and Regional elections next Monday, the Georgetown High Court will have its own showdown as the constitutional challenge to interpret Guyana’s twoterm limit for the presidency is set to continue. The May
11 continuation will see the second respondent to the case, Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman, making his submissions into the matter. Ye s t e r d a y i n t h e chambers of Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang, the submissions of the applicants and one respondent was laid over.
Berbice man dies... From page 17 had they arrived in a timely fashion, the blaze could have been contained. The house belonging to Bibi Isha Shamshudeen a vendor at the New Amsterdam market was badly burnt. Seven persons occupied that residence. Up to press time lawmen and fire fighters were still at the scene trying to quell the fire which was still erupting simultaneously. The lawmen were also trying to locate the m a n ’s f i r e a r m . T h e magazine for a .32 revolver was found. Members of the Regional Administration including Chairman David Armagon, Vice Chairman
Bhoopaul Jagroop and former Member of Parliament, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo were on the scene. An angry resident stated that instead of building a Marriot Hotel and wasting billions of dollars on a number of failed projects, they should have invested money on proper equipment. Hamid who is the nephew of A. Ally of the A. Ally and Sons Business establishment and the brother of the proprietor of the Imran and Sons and Daughter Business establishment in Rose Hall Town, leaves to mourn his wife, two daughters and numerous other relatives.
Former boxing champ... From page 6 damaged. His body apparently struck the windscreen of the black Toyota Premio Sedan, PNN 596. The windscreen was badly damaged. There were also dents to the back of the vehicle, suggesting that Lewis’ body also hit there before falling onto the road. The driver, who was detained by police, reportedly claimed that the bicycle made a sudden turn in front of him and he was unable to stop. At the Diamond Hospital, pandemonium broke out after a relative reportedly said she saw the former boxer’s eyes opening. Relatives pushed their way into the hospital as staffers stood by helplessly. There were several minutes of ‘brawling’ between a female staffer and a close family member of Lewis’. As wide-eyed staffers watched, the body of the boxer was wheeled from the hospital room to outside. Relatives were angry and accused the hospital of doing a poor job. A wagon-type taxi was summoned and Lewis was placed along with the stretcher in the vehicle. He was taken to the Wo o d l a n d s H o s p i t a l Emergency Department
Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis in his prime
where doctors also declared him dead. T h e b o x e r ’s e l d e s t brother, Samuel Kellman, said that Lewis was the third of six brothers. The boxer grew up in Albouystown and is considered a hero. Boasting a record of 23 knockouts with four losses and two draws, his last fight in 2008 at the National Stadium saw him losing to Howard Eastman. He was gifted a house lot in Eccles by Government, following his world championship win in 2001. A few weeks ago, Lewis made headlines for another reason. He came out openly and denied that he was backing the ruling PPP/C as was being portrayed by a photograph. He then stated his support for the Opposition coalition.
According to Prithima Kissoon, who is representing Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Justice Chang is planning to give his decision into the case on May 12. Nandlall had been named as the other respondent along with Trotman. The AG has already filed an affidavit in response to the challenge. The matter will commence on Elections Day at 11:00am. The motion was filed in early February by Attorneysat-Law Oneidge WalrondAllicock, Emily Dodson and Coleen Sparma on behalf of Georgetown resident, Cedric
Richardson. The application by Richardson was seeking an interpretation of the provisions in the constitution regarding the two-term limit for the Guyana presidency. According to details emerging from the case, Richardson said that he is a qualified elector and he argued that Act No. 17 of 2001 which was passed by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly unconstitutionally curtails and restricts his sovereign and democratic rights and freedom as a qualified elector to elect former President Jagdeo as the
Executive President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Richardson indicated that he wanted the court to determine whether that act of 2001 was unconstitutional and in compliance with Article 164 (2) (b) of the Constitution. He further questioned whether it restricted and curtailed the democratic rights and freedom of the electorate by eliminating Jagdeo from participating in elections as a presidential candidate. F u r t h e r m o r e , Richardson also wants the court to answer the question
whether a referendum should not have been held, instead of the National Assembly having the powers to decide to limit the number of terms of a president to two. In 2000, the Guyana Constitution Reform Commission recommended a maximum of two terms in office for a President. The laws of Guyana were changed in 2001, and assented by former President Bharrat Jagdeo himself, making it clear that “A person elected as President after the year 2000 is eligible for re-election only once.”
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Bandits escape with $2M in cash, Granger wages war on... jewelry from Mahaica business
Bandits escaped with over $2M in cash and jewelry from this Mahaica business place yesterday in an early morning attack. Armed bandits escaped with over $2M in cash, jewelry and phones in an early morning attack on a Mahaica business place. According to Orlando Samdeo, who was running Jai’s General Store, at Lot 6 Public Road, Helena Number 2, the bandits also tied him up before escaping. Samdeo said that around 07:30hrs, shortly after the business opened, two men walked in. “They wanted to buy a bicycle.”
Samdeo, 21, said he opened the counter and was about to leave the secured area to show the men the bicycles when one of the men whipped out a gun and held him up. They forced him into the enclosed area and gathered up cash and jewelry. The business also has a jewelry section. The bandits emptied the glass case, gathering up chains and hand bands. They also took a Samsung S5 smart phone and two other mobile
phones. According to Samdeo, his family is out of the country and he was managing the business alone. The men using a drop cord, tied up the businessman on the bed that was downstairs. They also demanded the car keys and went with these. Samdeo said that a report was made to the Mahaica Police Station where investigations were being carried out.
From page 14 He said through these fields, employment can also be had. Granger told the thousands of supporters that there is also a fight against dictatorship. “Many of you may not realise it because many people in Berbice have been voting over and over for the PPP but you have been encouraging those people (of the PPP) to build a dictatorship in this country.” “Donald Ramotar has not convened the National Assembly for ten months. This could not have happened anywhere else in the western hemisphere. That is dictatorship. Donald Ramotar has failed to assent to bills which have been passed by the majority in the National Assembly. That is dictatorship.” Dictatorship, he explained, was also evident is the President’s refusal to hold Local Government Elections despite demands from the Opposition and promises to do so last August. Continuing, the Presidential hopeful said that APNU+AFC have also waged a war against disunity. He told supporters that the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic uses disunity “to divide this country.” He said they dominate the radio waves in order to create disunity. An APNU+AFC
government will bring an end to that, Granger said as he called on Guyanese to remain united. Explaining the history of the formation of the coalition, Granger told supporters that the six parties are together to achieve this end. “There is nothing to be afraid of in coalition, you must be afraid of dictators, you must be afraid of people who still believe in winner-takes-all government,” the party’s Presidential candidate said adding that the APNU+AFC believes in consensus, cooperation and collaboration, not confrontation. “Together we are going to form a government of national unity that represents every one of you.” Granger promised to lead the battle against violent crimes. He noted that Berbice has for years been gripped by brutal murders and banditry. “You need a warrior to destroy the monster of criminality in this great region,” he said as he added that the past Home Affairs ministers of the PPP, Gail Teixera, Clement Rohee and Ronald Gajraj had not achieved this. According to Granger, the worst crime is that against women. “This killing must stop. There are bandits right here in Region Six who are doing the killing... We must put an end to banditry and murder in this region.” He explained too the
woes of the fishermen who are constantly plagued by piracy. “All over this country our fishing ships are being held up but it is one of our most vibrant industries. We have to protect our fishermen.” He said the people needs a government which will ensure safety and said that his party will deliver in this regard. The Presidential candidate affirmed that there was a need to declare war against corruption. “Corruption is sucking the oxygen out of our economy,” he said. “The monies that ought to have been spent on developing roads in New Amsterdam, East Bank Berbice, establishing Agricultural institutions and getting children in school is being pinched by officials,” he explained. He told supporters that on May 11 they will be taking their country back. “You are not looking here at a president who will prorogue and dissolve Parliament. You are not looking at a president who will allow the fishermen to be pirated, to be killed. You are not looking at a president who will see your wives and daughters murdered. You are looking at a president who will protect you and make this region safe and make this region economically viable: the cutting edge of commerce in Guyana,” Granger said.
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The People’s National Congress Reform The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) joins all like-minded groups, here at home and in the Diaspora, in celebrating the 177thanniversary of the arrival of East Indians in Guyana. This occasion offers the opportunity for the nation as a whole to recognise the important role that our East Indian ancestors and fellow compatriots have played in the development of Guyana.
The Party also believes that this is also an opportunity for the nation to understand that we all share a common destiny and that racial harmony, tolerance and understanding are essential to the further and overall development of this country. The development of Guyana can no longer be deferred. It is, therefore, essential that all stakeholders, especially political parties, and all relevant social groups and organisations make a firm
commitment to exercise honesty, maturity and good judgement in order that this nation can put an end to racism, which has often stymied the development of our society and nation. The PNCR, therefore, calls on all our citizens to reflect on the significance of this occasion and to take to heart the lesson that racial harmony and understanding are the keys to our survival and long term development.
Dr. Vindhya Persaud, Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha Every year on May 5th, Guyana celebrates the arrival of East Indians to this country. Guyana, a former colony in which the British sugar plantations dominated the economy, recruited East Indians from India to have a reliable, sustained labour force. Between the years 1838-1917, two hundred and thirty-nine thousand, nine hundred and nine Indian workers arrived in the then British Guiana. Indentureship opened a new chapter for Guyana, unfolding
the brilliant Indian culture, which was maintained, sustained and practiced. The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha has been integral in the promotion and sustenance of numerous facets of that glorious culture. Over, the years, our annual arrival celebrations have reflected on the traditions of the past while celebrating our achievements. Indentureship is an integral part of our history and the occasion ought to be celebrated with a national outlook. The arrival of Indians to Guyana brought with it a culture, a way
of life and religion. These have contributed to the cultural richness of this land and must be guarded and zealously preserved and should never be seen as divisive. As we celebrate the 177th anniversary of our forebears, it is mandatory for us to reflect and contemplate on the significance of this historic occasion. On the 5th of May, we shall remember them and applaud their unparalleled contributions to this land and the legacy they bequeathed to us. Happy Arrival Day!
Motorcyclist succumbs after... From page 9 doctor what had happened to his brother as he was still trying to make sense of what had transpired but was greeted with silence. It was not until the doctor disappeared that the taxi driver informed the family that his customer, the doctor, was the driver of the car that struck the motorcyclist. He said that he was liming at a barber shop in Mocha when his brother joined him. After sometime of “chilling” he suggested that they leave for home because of work the following morning, but his brother opted to remain at the location a little longer. He recalled that shortly after arriving home, a friend of his
brother’s came to the house and broke the news of the accident. The family immediately rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where they saw their relative in a critical state. His condition was beyond what could be treated at the Diagnostic Centre. He was subsequently transferred to the GPHC. At the GPHC, doctors informed the family that they had to pay for a head scan, which they did. The surviving brother said that the family arrived at the hospital sometime after 11:00 pm and left about 3:00 am and his brother who suffered severe head injuries was still in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Ward waiting to be thoroughly
attended to. He said that about 5:00 o’clock yesterday morning, his mother was heard fretting about why Quincy was not taken to do the scan after so many hours. When the family arrived at the hospital they were told that they needed to pay an additional sum of money to have the scan done, which they once again did. Yesterday at the GPHC, family members swarmed the GPHC compound just outside the A&E unit as doctors broke the news of the youth’s demise. Loud wails were heard as the mother and other relatives had to console each other. Quincy Greene the second of five siblings is survived by his four siblings and parents.
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Mr. Sharma Solomon, Regional Chairman -Region 10 On this day the opportunity is taken to say “All hail to Guyana.” Arrival Day has significance for every Guyanese, some whose ancestors have pleasant memories, while others scarred with pain and suffering. In the 21st Century we must be students of the past and not held captive by the past. The past must serve as lesson to build the present and guide the future. The present must be used to build on the strengths of our
ancestors and learn from their mistakes. Our future must see us striving to bequeath a better country to our children. The presence of our arrival today must be marked by putting systems in place to make real the dream and aspiration of One People, One Nation and One Destiny. This can only be achieved in an environment that respects the equality of all, regardless from whence we came and the circumstances under which we arrived. Together as One People we must assiduously work to
eschew division by respecting our diversity, in that no matter the historical circumstances, Guyana belongs to all of us. We must recommit in the words of Valarie Rodway in ‘Guyana the Free’ that “We pledge every effort, we’ll cherish this earth. And make here a paradise - Land of our birth. “ It is our duty to make Guyana the home for all Guyanese to feel welcome, respected and the beneficiary of the nation’s resources. Happy Arrival Day to all!
The Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) congratulates all Guyanese as we mark another Arrival Day. For we, more than most, can truly celebrate the diversity of The People Who Came. GTUC commends the idea of identifying a day where the various racial groups can together reflect on their arrival and contributions in the building of this nation. Arrival Day offers this nation the opportunity to continue forging a Guyanese culture built on our motto of One People, One Nation, One Destiny.
Notwithstanding ugly historical experiences to sustain an economic system of exploitation and oppression, Guyana’s various inhabitants have forged alliances in that today we can celebrate six peoplesAmerindian, African, Chinese, European, East Indian and Mixed- and the wonderful mixed of cultures commonly known as the Guyanese way. In 2015 as we reflect on the road we have travelled since the Arrival Day proclamation there exists efforts to put race against race, uncaring to the
need that our collective wellbeing is reliant on forging a culture guided by spirit and intent to make Guyana a land where all-regardless of how we arrived- can proudly call home and work in a spirit of national unity and nation building. GTUC calls for the preservation of the spirit and intent of this holiday less this nation be robbed a glorious opportunity for all groups to see themselves and be treated as equals in society. GTUC in congratulating the nation urges every group to safeguard what unites us.
The Guyana Trades Union Congress
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Kaieteur News
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Tuesday May 02, 2015
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Tuesday May 02, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Jagdeo’s ghosts have come back to haunt him DEAR EDITOR, It is often said that the truth will set you free and it often does. In the case of the Jagdeo, the truth has and continues to be his political nightmare, especially in this election campaign. His most recent statements about exsoldiers “kicking the doors of PPP supporters,” if the APNU+AFC Coalition is elected, are absurd and patently false. Even worse, his remarks that during the last election he heard Afro-Guyanese at Den Amstel were beating drums at six o’clock in the morning, urging the supporters of APNU to vote the “coolie party out of office” is dishonest, deceitful, and is a fictional imagination of his mind. No decent individual would make such evil statements; such utterances could only come from someone who is vile and irrational. These statements along with his character assassination of the leaders
of the opposition have exposed his depravity, which has caused a significant political meltdown for the PPP. Jagdeo continues to fool himself into believing that he is loved by the people, but this is an illusion that is further from the truth. He is a leftover who uses race-bait politics to convince East Indians of all ages to vote for the PPP on May 11. Again, he is not truthful because he is fully aware that the population census conducted by the PPP in 2012 and which they have refused to release to the public shows the East Indian population at 38 percent, a five percent drop from previous years due largely to migration. Since 2011, it is estimated that four out of every five migrants are East Indians and this has caused grave concern in the PPP camp. In spite of this, there has been an increase of 95,000 of the voting electorate since 2012 which could very well be good for the APNU+AFC Coalition, because the vast majority are youths who are
clamoring for change. As the election campaign winds down, the PPP is panicking and Jagdeo is fearful of the party losing the election. Its internal polls are showing that the numbers are not there for the PPP to win the election. But there is nothing fearful about the actions of the leaders of the Alliance, who have intensified their campaign, not with insults or abuses against the PPP, but with promises to lower the toll on the Berbice Bridge from $2200 to $1000 for cars and mini-buses and free for motor cycles, increase the pensions of senior citizens from $12,500 to $15,000 per month, a ten (10) percent across the board increase in wages and salaries, a reduction of VAT by two percent, and lower price for gasoline at the pumps, to name a few. More importantly, the leaders of the Coalition have promised to take legal action against the racketeers and the masterminds of corruption and the awarding of inflated
DEAR EDITOR, It is quite encouraging to know that many countries around the world that Guyanese long to visit, or even work, are being run by coalition governments. On Sunday, I noticed an advertisement in your newspaper which pointed out some of the thriving countries worldwide that are being governed by political parties that coalesced. I hope that my fellow Guyanese took note that countries such as India,
Britain, Germany and the twin island of Trinidad and Tobago are being run by coalition governments. It is my belief that Guyana is getting ready to step into the league of such jurisdictions if citizens can only see the wisdom in electing a government that is so structured that scrutiny will be the name of the game. According to what I h a v e read in the daily newspapers, the Alliance For Change vows to keep A Partnership for National Unity
in check, and vice versa. How can we go wrong if we choose the path of a coalition government? It’s all in the hands of Guyana now. Amala Peters
How can we go wrong if we choose the path of a coalition govt?
Pensioner struck down on pedestrian crossing Moments after collecting his pension at the Agricola Post Office, Cedric Boyce, 63, of 130 Cato Street, Agricola, was struck down by a minibus whose driver could not wait for a feeble old man to cross the road. Yesterday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the man’s granddaughter, Jamacie Boyce, told Kaieteur News that she was in the city when she received a phone call about the accident. She related that she was told that her grandfather had just come out of the Agricola Post Office and was attempting to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing. Kaieteur News understands that a bus driver had given the man the right of way to cross the road and signaled others to wait.
But there was one bus that came in a rush and hit the elderly man down. The injured man was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre and was subsequently referred to the GPHC due to the severity of his injuries. After arriving at the GPHC, Boyce who is said to have sustained spinal injuries and a fractured neck, was left unattended for a prolonged period in the Accident and Emergency Triage area. Family members present at the hospital expressed their disgust at what they claimed to be the slothfulness of nurses and doctors at the hospital, as they could not understand why the elderly man was left unattended for so long. It is unclear if the errant driver has been apprehended.
and bogus contracts. Also, they have exposed Jagdeo for his vulgar and abusive behaviour as well as his disgraceful political campaign, mismanagement of state funds, incompetence and his opulent lifestyle. Even some members of the PPP Jagdeo have ridiculed Jagdeo for his vitriolic remarks and damming statements, including his comparison of his extravagant lifestyle to that of the modest lifestyle of the Jagans. Not only was his credibility questioned by the children of Dr. and Mrs. Jagan, but also his loyalty to the people and the country. The truth is, Jagdeo is loyal to no one but himself,
and he is known for making statements which have caused an unprecedented divisiveness within the PPP. In the eyes of many, he has become a liability and an embarrassment not only to the PPP, but to the nation. In this election campaign, the opposition has exposed Jagdeo and the PPP for presiding over the second most corrupt and vindictive government in all of the Caribbean. He has propagated what many view as the spoils of power as no other president has done. This was his type of politics. He has left a tainted legacy and a veil of secrecy, especially in awarding
questionable contracts such as the construction of the ‘white elephant Skeldon Sugar Factory, the doomed Specialty Hospital and the discredited Marriott Hotel. Today, Jagdeo has become bewildered, as his ghosts have emerged to haunt him in the campaign. So much so that many supporters of the PPP have moved away from the party. These negatives have definitely hurt Jagdeo’s credibility among the majority of the hundreds of thousands of registered voters who will elect a new government on May 11. 2015. It is time for change. Dr. Asquith Rose
From page 4 moment in laundering our taxes on uneconomic projects, the object of which is to transfer these to their friends. In the case of the fibre optic ýcable, the explanation by Roger Luncheon to the local media is even more absurd. This apart, where was the justification to spend US$30M on such a project in the first place when current local capacity far exceeds local demand? By what process was Dax selected? Why the need to rehabilitate recently installed cables before being put to use? Isn’t Dax, as the Contractor, liable for such corrective works in the first place? What is the financial ca-
pability of Dax to insulate the Government of Guyana from legal liability and cover maintenance cost? Would Roger Luncheon publish Dax’s balance sheet from its last GRA filing to show its financial capability? Wouldn’t much needed legislation (delayed by the administration) to liberalize the telecommunication sector combined with fiscal incentives for private investments have been a better option? And why does an entire nation have to wait until its Government makes up its mind on the timing of such legislation when Digicel has for more than five years justified this by promising more than 60% reduction in current rates
for local and international calls and other benefits to us and our economy? Isn’t it a shame that despite massive public spending on this sector Guyana is the only country in the region whose telecommunication operates on two G networks instead of 4G.This shows the motivation of the Government and those whose interest it serves by compromising the interest of the masses. This gifting of taxpayers’ assets is unpatriotic, corrupt and criminal. Guyanese must spare no effort in removing this corrupt Government and review transactions like the one with Dax. Robert Badal
Guyanese travel the world to sustain...
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday May 05, 2015
KN Publisher draws the line, PPP calls on supporters to resist calls for end to inciteful ads provocation, maintain decorum Nobody is going to use KNews to spread hate, disrespect and incite Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall, took the first step among Guyanese media to put an end to gutter politics in Guyana when he pulled a political advertisement and refused to ever publish anything of that nature again. “It’s time this country matures and returns to some decency and dignity. Whomever we support we have to do it in a way that respects everyone’s right to freedom of association and their opinion. “This paper fights every day for this. I will not stand by and see anyone’s right in this nation trampled, disrespected and demeaned. This is a recipe for big trouble. Guyana can do without it!” Lall made these remarks upon making the decision not to re-publish a whole-page political advertisement which appeared in his paper over the weekend. The ad shows several photographs which depict despicable acts being performed on the flag of the party placing the advertisement purportedly by members of another party and particular race. “It is not that we are saying that if such acts actually happened they should not be
reported upon. We would be the first to do it”. In a political season where tensions are high, parties need to be much more responsible with the messages they send to their supporters. “They need to distinguish which material will fall squarely in the area of “political advertisements” which state concrete facts, figures, track records, failures and promises as against those which are designed to defame, and inflame people’s passions and cause them to act destructively and irrationally. Lall says, “If I see someone doing a thing like that to my flag, it might really get me crazy you know. On the other hand, if I see women of my ethnicity being depicted in this derogatory way, it would have the same effect. “So we have to help them to rise above this kind of thing. Nobody is going to use my paper to spread hate, disrespect and incite people’s baser passions. I just won’t print it!” Conversely, Lall notes that all parties whose followers could be perpetrating acts of intimidation and disrespect should announce zero tolerance for such behavior. “This is a free country! Guyanese are guaranteed un-
der the constitution of this country, freedom of association! You could vote for whom you want and nobody is to tell you or do you anything! You could say what you want. Same thing!” The paper is calling on the public to ensure that respect for each other and everyone’s right to choose freely is not compromised in any way, shape or form, Lall said. The general public has been indicating concern over the tone of some campaign advertising and the vicious nature of personal and other attacks appearing on social media as the Guyana election draws to a close. There have been reports of paraphernalia being removed or destroyed, heckling, and some physical intimidation. However, the biggest concerns have been over the things being said about other Guyanese by some political parties. Analysts believe that these are exactly the ingredients which if not snuffed out now, in the pre-election run up, could combust to the detriment of the entire nation. Lall says his paper will be on the lookout for any materials of an incendiary nature coming in from any source, including political. “I guess those letter writers who have been expressing concern and worrying about the rise in tension that all this below the belt political advertising I could be causing will be happy now. Kaieteur News is again leading the way. I hope other media will follow!
With elections merely five days away, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) has implored its supporters to resist provocation and maintain proper decorum at all times. Speaking to thousands who gathered for a massive rally on Sunday at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, Prime Ministerial candidate of the PPP/C, Elisabeth Harper, urged party supporters to refrain from engaging in confrontations. “I encourage us all not to be drawn into any confrontation or be tempted to respond to any taunts in a way that would go against the principles of our party and the code of conduct which we have signed,” Harper said. Harper added, “Let us show everyone that we as a party can conduct ourselves with dignity and self-respect. Let us make history the right way as a country that can be respected in the eyes of the international community; a
country that fully respects and upholds its democracy with a record that can stand up to the highest standards of international monitoring of holding a peaceful elections in an environment that is free and fair of intimidation.” The Prime Ministerial candidate’s call for peace comes at a time when the PPP/ C is claiming disrespect from A Partnership for Unit and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) supporters. The former had accused the coalition of carrying out planned attacks during public meetings. The latest of these accusations came after a PPP/ C public meeting in Warlock, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, on Wednesday evening, when persons reportedly threw rocks and bottles at the speakers, including Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon. On the other hand, there have been counteraccusations hurled at the
PPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate, Elisabet Harper PPP/C for acts of intimidation and abuse as well as the hanging of effigies of APNU+AFC Prime Ministerial and Presidential Candidates. Both parties have since moved to engage the police in these matters. Just last Thursday six parties contesting the elections signed onto the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Code of Conduct vowing to be on their “best behaviour.”
TEENAGE PREGNANCY— A SOCIAL ISSUE Poverty, violence, unemployment and lack of opportunities are just a few influences that drive teenagers engage to early sexual activities. Guyana has been recorded as having the second highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the region. Ninety-seven out of every 1,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19, according to the State of the World Population 2013 Report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), become pregnant. Each year, roughly 7.3 million girls below the age of 18 give birth, and two million of those are younger than 15. The overwhelming majority lives in developing countries. A joint syllabus was developed with United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Guyana in 2010 to strengthen parliamentary capacity to play a role, including mainstreaming of children and women’s issues into its work. The Child Protection Agency developed a programme to help young teens stay in school even after they have given birth. The Country Programme 2012-2016 has three multisectoral Programme Components (PCs) that define its structure. Strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation which focus on upstream work and will support the production of disaggregated data and critical analysis and knowledge affecting children and women. In Guyana, the Ministry of Health has put in place many services to help young teen mothers. “We try to provide a strand of antenatal services, testing and counselling screening of blood groups and distribution of sprinkles (post-natal nutrition supplement) and health care vouchers to our young mothers… an adolescent health unit has been developed to educate our youths and also try to eradicate this dilemma”, said Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health. He also noted, “In 2012, a total of 13,057 live births were delivered for the under 17 age range…while between the ages of 18 and 19 was a mere 17.5 per cent, the Rural and Hinterland areas are more prevalent to this dilemma and as such, we are trying to expand our focus to these areas and make it a community effort”. Guyana’s most recent case is a 13year-old student of Wakapoa Secondary School, who gave birth to twins at the Suddie Hospital Complex, in Essequibo, recently. The teenager who hails from the community of
Wakapoa, Region Two, was left in the care of her aunt, Norma James, for almost five years, after her mother along with her husband, Trevor Abrams, were charged with the murder of 54-year-old Wilfred Williams, a/ k”Willo”, of Grant Friendship Canal. The couple is currently on remand. Teenage Pregnancy is not the symbol of a broken society, as claimed by many politicians, but can be a positive force for good. Research describes how teenage parenthood has been linked by politicians and the media to “moral and cultural breakdown”. It says that it should be seen as “more opportunity than catastrophe”. “Extra after-school programmes and activities are lacking in our schools…Sports facilities, playgrounds and other facilities must be upgraded and introduced…our teenagers must have more alternatives daily,” said a UN representative addressing the issue of teenage pregnancy. In 2010, a sexual offence law was established to enhance the fight against sexual violence. A constitutional commission on the Rights of the Child was inaugurated, though it was yet to become fully functional and make its existence a reality. All boys and girls in Guyana have access to essential health care and educational services to ensure a good start to life, and completion of a basic education in a protected and child friendly environment by 2011. This should delay teenage pregnancy. According to the Child Survival and development programme, a total fund of US$944,250.37 was donated by Thematic; US fund for UNICEF; UK fund for UNICEF; Canadian UNICEF committee to enhance this said programme. Violence, abuse, and neglect are damaging to all aspects of child and adolescent development. Preventing and responding to violence and abuse is essential to ensuring children’s rights. UNICEF works in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, and with all parties to prevent violence and advance the protection of children throughout Guyana. There are five programme areas that align with the PCs. These include Child Survival, Child Protection, Learning and Development, Adolescent Development and Participation and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
Tuesday May 05, 2015
Kaieteur News
JUSTICE DENIED - Murdered senior counsel’s one-year death anniversary observed (Trinidad Express) The bells of the Trinity Cathedral tolled the notes of the hymn Amazing Grace yesterday as the one-year death anniversary of murdered senior counsel Dana Seetahal was observed with renewed calls for justice. Dana’s sister, Susan Francois, was surrounded by scores of people who turned up outside of the Hall of Justice to not only remember a woman who served country, but to urge the nation to not forget her and to speak out against a criminal justice system that has failed to apprehend her assassins and those who conspired to have her killed. Seetahal, a former State prosecutor and Independent Senator, was brutally murdered on May 4, 2014 as she made her way home to One Woodbrook Place. Police reports had stated that upon reaching HamiltonHolder Street, Woodbrook, a Nissan Wingroad drove ahead of Seetahal’s Volkswagen SUV and then pulled in front of her, blocking her access as another vehicle, described as a panel van, pulled alongside her and shots were fired directly at her from the occupants of that vehicle. The bullets struck her in the head and about her body. Both vehicles thereafter fled the scene and to date no one has been held for the heinous crime t h a t g r i p p e d n a tional and international attention. Gillian Wall, head of Powerful Ladies of Trinidad and Tobago (PLOTT), who organised the candle vigil yesterday together with security consultant Paul Daniel Nahhous noted that at Seetahal’s funeral the crowd stretched onto the roads but at her memorial service at the very church last Saturday the crowd barely filled half the church. Yesterday just over 50 persons including former government minister Mary King and Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) leader David Abdulah turned up at the vigil. ”As a society we forget too quickly,” said Wall as she reminded the nation that Seetahal loved and served her country and her death must not be forgotten. She said it should be of great concern to all that Seetahal’s murderers are still walking around freely. Wall said that a call for justice for Seetahal was a call for justice for everyone in this country. ”The parties that continue to roam free continue to be
Murdered senior counsel Dana Seetahal left to their sinister activities and it’s not God alone who knows how many have been killed at their hands,” she said. ”We are not speaking deeply and openly, meaningfully about what is happening with this case,” she said adding that the implications of Seetahal’s murder must be addressed.” This is accomplished, well revered senior counsel that was assassinated, a woman who fought tirelessly, passionately, gave her life for the reform of our criminal justice system, Dana fought for you Dana fought for me, she fought to her death,” said Wall. Nahous said that people must not forget that Seetahal was nick named “Lady Justice” as she served well in the courts and it was untenable that no new information has been found a year later. ”It is despicable that the Commissioner can go on TV and he could recycle old information as if it something new to us and treat us as idiots,” he said. ”I would like the officials and I not just saying higher officials, it could be officials high in Government, in whatever office, someone needs to get involved in this, not interfere in police work, but get them to do their damn work on this case, it is time we take this seriously, it is time that something happens,” he added. ”There is no sense of justice in this country, the State has failed, the system has failed and right now we are lying down in filth of their failure,” Nahous said further adding that it was frightening that there was local terrorism by way of gang culture taking place daily in the absence of justice. Dennise Demming, a
PLOTT member and runner, said Seetahal’s death had a painful effect on her. ”I’m a runner and I see Dana every Saturday morning around the Savannah and her death affected me in a real different way because it just highlighted our vulnerability and a year later no one has been called to account. This happened under Anand Ramlogan’s watch and he has a responsibility I hope that he whether in or out of office that he do something to ensure that we bring closure to the death of one our sterling citizens” she said. ”There must be consequences for wrongdoing, we cannot develop and build a strong society if we do not have consequences and this is an example of a total dereliction of duty....WE must not forget this and our society forgets things too quickly and that’s why PLOTT has continued their advocacy and call for justice,” she said. Savitri Maharaj said she if there was no justice for Seetahal who was an outstanding member of society, what message does that send to the ordinary person in this country. Vision on a Mission head Wayne Chance said met Seetahal when he came out of prison and she was always very helpful to the group, lending advice. He said he stands with the cause and call for justice and as she was a person who was always willing to help others. Members of Seetahal’s family opted to not say anything but strangers shared their concern and respects. A woman sat next to Francois with candle in hand and said “I didn’t even know her (Seetahal), but I know of her, and I am appalled at the lack of justice.”
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NATO starts anti submarine exercise in North Sea as tension with Russia rise (Reuters) - NATO launched one of its biggestever anti-submarine exercises in the North Sea yesterday, inviting non-member Sweden for the first time, amid increasing tensions between Russia and its northern neighbours. More than a dozen vessels from 11 countries are participating in the “Dynamic Mongoose” exercise. NATO will simulate detecting and attacking submarines in one of the most hostile seas, with rugged but shallow underwater canyons, rapid currents and unusually high sound pollution from freshwater pouring in from Norway’s fjords. Tensions have run high since Russia annexed part of Ukraine last year, with the three small Baltic states, who also rely on the Nordics for defence, fearing they may be next as they are home to big Russian minorities. Finland detected an unidentified submarine along its coast last week, firing depth
charges at the vessel, while NATO-member Latvia, a former Soviet state, last month said it detected a Russian submarine near its waters. Russian aircraft have also repeatedly approached and even violated Nordic and Baltic airspace in recent months, challenging air defences and triggering allied responses. “Russia has a right to be at sea, just as we do,” Rear Admiral Brad Williamson, the commander of the exercise said. “But the incidents we have seen are not in line with international regulations... and that’s been the cause of concern.” “This is not a response to that... but provides relevance to the exercise,” Williamson said on board the USS Vicksburg, the lead vessel in the exercise. Nordic defence ministers issued a strongly worded condemnation of Russia last month, calling it the biggest threat to security, prompting
Russia to say that Finland’s and Sweden’s closer ties with NATO were of “special concern”. “The Russians have increased their activity a lot and so have we,” said Kai Nickelsdorf, the commander of Germany’s U33 submarine, which is playing the role of an enemy in the exercise. The four submarines involved, including a Swedish one, will be tasked to approach and target the ships undetected, simulating an attack on surface ships. Although Norway shares a long maritime border with Russia in the Arctic, it played down the recent increase in activity. “We saw a drop in activity level a few years ago and it’s now back to where it was, the normal level,” Ole Morten Sandqvist, the commander of the Norwegian fleet said. “The number of ships, aircraft in the air and so forth…has become more frequent than it used to be.”
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Tuesday May 05, 2015
Gunman in Mohammad cartoon attack in Texas monitored for years
Elton Simpson (L) and Nadir Soofi (Reuters) - Federal agents for years monitored one of the two gunmen who were shot dead after opening fire with assault rifles at a heavily guarded Texas exhibit of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad. Two government sources who asked not to be named said the shooters were roommates Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, of Phoenix. Court documents show that Simpson had been under surveillance since 2006 and was convicted in 2011 of lying to FBI agents over his desire to join violent jihad in Somalia. FBI agents and police searched the two men’s home at the Autumn Ridge Apartments in north-central Phoenix, cordoning off the complex and evacuating residents for several hours in the early morning. The shooting incident in the Dallas suburb of Garland was an echo of past attacks or threats in other Western countries against images depicting the Prophet Mohammad. In January, gunmen killed 12 people in the Paris offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in what was said to be revenge for its cartoons. The Texas incident unfolded on Sunday, when a car drove up behind an indoor arena in Garland, where 200 people were attending an event featuring caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad. Such portrayals are considered offensive by Muslims. Two men jumped from the car and fired at a police car that was blocking an arena parking lot entrance. A Garland police officer and an unarmed security guard were in the squad car and began to exit as the vehicle approached. The gunmen wounded the security guard, and the police officer returned fire, killing both assailants. Those inside the Curtis Culwell Center, who had gone through heavy security to
enter the event, were not aware of the attack until afterward. “At this point it does seem clear that an officer of the Garland Police Department acted quickly and decisively and thereby likely saved a number of innocent lives,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement. Police and federal agents had planned security for months ahead of the event, organized by American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), a free-speech organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has described as a hate group, and which paid $10,000 for extra protection. The event, the “Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest,” offered a $10,000 prize for the best artwork or cartoon depicting the Prophet. Artist Bosch Fawstin won for a depiction of a sword-wielding Prophet in a turban shouting, “You can’t draw me.” The AFDI has, among other activities, sponsored anti-Islamic advertising campaigns in transit systems across the country. The shooters wore protective gear and had extra ammunition in their car, Garland police spokesman Joe Harn said. Police feared that there may have been explosives in the vehicle, but no bomb was found. “Obviously they were there to shoot people,” Harn said at a news conference. A bomb squad, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a SWAT team and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had been involved in preparations for security around the controversial exhibit, Garland police said. In Phoenix, policed searched the men’s apartment and a white van parked outside, with its side windows broken.
WANTED TO JOIN JIHAD Simpson was charged in 2010 with lying to FBI officials over discussions he had with an informant about his desire to travel to Somalia to engage in violent jihad and waived his right to a jury trial. U.S. District Judge Mary Murguia in 2011 found him guilty of making a false statement. She found insufficient evidence to conclude the false statement involved international terrorism. Simpson was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay $600 in fines and penalties. The court documents say federal authorities began monitoring Simpson in 2006 because he was associated with an individual the FBI believed was trying to set up a terrorist cell in Arizona. At one point, according to the documents, the FBI tried “unsuccessfully” to put Simpson on a U.S. government no-fly list. Simpson’s father told ABC News his son was “always a good kid” but said they had “some very serious differences.” “We are Americans and we believe in America,” Dunston Simpson told ABC News. “What my son did reflects very badly on my family.” U.S. government sources close to the case said investigators are scouring electronic communications sent and received by the dead suspects for evidence of contacts between them and militant groups overseas, most notably the Syria-based Islamic State. Social media posters claiming affiliation with the group, including a British Twitter user who has been described as one of Islamic State’s top computer experts, have praised the attackers, though experts warn that militant groups have been known to claim credit for attacks with which they were never involved.
Tuesday May 05, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Stoby wins Virgin Gorda Blackwood, Holder make big leaps in rankings Half Marathon Tune Up With most regular runners either running as individuals or were on teams tackling the grueling 50km Tortola Torture, British Virgin Islands based Guyanese Sports Journalist Ruben Stoby led a small band of runners in the second Dive BVI 10K Series race on the toughest segment of the course for the upcoming Virgin Gorda Half Marathon. Stoby, undefeated so far this season, led the charge up to Gorda Peak and Nail Bay unchallenged, to win in 42 minutes and 57 seconds, as part of familiarizing himself for a run at the top prize when the event goes off on May 9. Stoby said the course was
tougher than he thought. “I always heard it was a tough course, but that wasn’t the true story—it’s tougher— much tougher,” he pointed out. “At one point I wanted to walk. My legs were screaming. I’m glad I was able to finish in a reasonable time. I actually wanted to run under 40 minutes—but I had no idea what the course really was like.” The race Stoby said, gave him a better idea of how to plan his run and conserve, as the first half of the race takes in the steepest climbs on Virgin Gorda. “Going is definitely tough and I’ll have to keep something in the legs for the sec-
ond half, which is nothing compared to the first segment of the course,” he explained. Nadine Leslie was the women’s winner in 56:17. Final results; Men: 1. Reuben Stoby, 42 minutes and 57 seconds. 2. Alan Cundall, 49:51. 3. Ezron Simmons, 53:33. 4. Joseph McIvor, 56:08. 5. Jermain Abrams, 59:23. 6. Scott Butz, 1:13:07. Keith Williams, 1:17:29, Zoltan Birinyi 1:30:30. Women: 1. Nadine Leslie 56:17. 2. Kay Reddy 58:40. 3. Sarah Hayes, 1:00:54. 4. Rhiannon Junes, 1:04:42. 5. Becca Knight, 1:06:24. 6. AJ Syrett, 1:08:41. 7. Eva Askulv, 1:10:20. 8. Tara Murphy, 1:14:19. 9. Chris Yates, 1:38:34.
Tuesday May 05, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Spiritual and metaphysical concepts may seem murky to you today, Aries. Ideas that friends accept as matters of course might feel strange. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A strange, bothersome feeling could plague you today, Taurus, as if you can't remember something you need to do. Don't drive yourself crazy over this. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Is a romantic partner having trouble communicating with family, Gemini? If so, be prepared to hear about it today. Be a good listener. Your understanding and objectivity will be greatly appreciated.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Don't listen to gossip today, Libra. Any rumors that are spreading are likely to be based on false assumptions and totally outside the realm of reality. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) A luxury you've been craving could seem very tempting today, Scorpio. Make sure you're really ready, willing, and able to spend the money to get it. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Emotional turmoil may overwhelm your usual objectivity and good sense today, Sagittarius. Family problems could weigh on your mind, as communication between you and family members may be lacking.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Listen carefully when you receive instructions today, Cancer. Your mind may not be as sharp as usual. If you aren't careful, you could get on the wrong track and end up having to start all over again.
CAPRI (Dec.22–Jan.19) Your imagination should fly high today, Capricorn. Whether you're into writing, music, or dance, make the most of your creative inspiration.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A heightened sense of idealized romance could hit you today, Leo. If you aren't currently involved, beware! That wonderful new person you've just met may have a well-hidden side.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Doubts about a friend may plague you today, Aquarius. Did this person borrow money? Promise to do you a favor? Can you depend on this person? The best way to judge is by their track record.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Something you feel you desperately need right now is missing, Virgo, and it's very well hidden. You may search the house for it and drive yourself crazy in the process.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Confusion might get in the way of anything you hope to accomplish today, Pisces. You may feel like you're walking around in a daze, uncertain of your actions.
KINGSTON, Jamaica — West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood has made a dramatic jump in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, following scores of 85 and 47 not out versus England in the third and final Test held in Barbados recently. The 23-year-old leapt 31 places to 37th spot, his highest- ever position in the rankings. Blackwood enjoyed a match-winning 108-run fifth-wicket partnership with
Darren Bravo, whose second innings contribution of 82 has put him up three places to 29th, propelling West Indies to a five-wicket win over England to level the three-Test series at one-all. In the bowling rankings, there were significant gains for three West Indies bowlers. Jerome Taylor has moved up 13 places to 36th after claiming match figures of six for 69, Shannon Gabriel’s match tally of three for 63 has
vaulted him seven places to 50th position. The biggest mover, however, is Jason Holder whose five for 49 in the match has launched him 30 places to a career-high 51st position. Meanwhile, England has slipped one place to fourth in the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings following its fivewicket defeat in the Barbados Test, while the West Indies, after gaining three points, has reduced its gap with seventhplaced India to 14 points.
St. Roses off to hot NSBF start St. Roses High School got off to a hot start in two categories in their 2015 campaign in the National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF) Georgetown Conference which got underway at the Marian Academy Hard Court on Friday. St. Roses defeated Bishop’s High School 35-21 in the Under-14 Category of the competition with Kwesi Roberts pouring in 11 points and seven rebounds. Roberts received support from Colson Richards, who had eight points. For Bishop’s, Stefan Hamilton had 13 points and eight rebounds. St. Roses then returned to dish out a thrashing for Saint Stanislaus College 78-15 in the Under-19 Category with
Beresford (114) and Byass (63) propel... (From page 36) with Akash Persaud 68, Akram Razack 3 for 22, Trishan Ramdass 3 for 29, Nasrudeen Persaud 2 for 49. Springlands 155 in 34 overs with Akram Razack 45. Trishan Ramdass 29, Naeem Yacoob 2 for 24, Omesh Khemraj 2 for 28. 7. At Bush Lot Farm, Kennard’s Memorial beat Kildonan by 8 wickets. Kildonan 164 for 7 in 20 overs with Orin Jones 45, Chunnilall Mankarran 4 for 53, Karamchand Ramnarine 2 for 26, Somesh Mangroo 2 for 26. Kennard’s Memorial 165 for 2 in 14.1 overs with Somesh Mangroo 50 not out, Seeraj Seelall 40. 8. At the Albion Primary School Ground, Albion Community Centre beat Toopoo Rising Star by 8 wickets. Toopoo Rising Star 97 in 22.1 overs with Balchand Baldeo 4 for 11, Asif Ally 3 for 32, Daniel Lewis 2 for 29.
Pacesetters junior star guard, Nathan Saul dumping in 27 points. Anfernee Jervis supported with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. For Saints, Kadeem Bowen was the only player in double figures with 11 points. Government Technical Insti-
tute (GTI) then secured a onepoint 37-36 victory against Bishop’s High in the U-19 group. Terrence Daniels scored 12 points and six rebounds for GTI while for Bishop’s Timothy Thompson had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Tuesday May 05, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Sports Ministry, APNU +AFC offers GCB and CGI strongly rebuke Guyana Times for its continuous reckless reporting condolence on ‘Sixhead’ Lewis passing The Executive and Directors of the Guyana Cricket Board and the Cricket Guyana Inc are extremely disturbed at the continuous hostile and reckless reporting that emanates from a specific reporter employed with the Guyana Times newspaper. This said reporter has been reported numerous times to the management of the Guyana Times newspaper but seems hell bent on his agenda to embarrass and/or destroy these entities with his careless and negative style of reporting against the GCB, the CGI and its officials. “Our latest complaint arose from an article appearing in today’s issue (May 4th) captioned ‘Second-string Demerara beaten by six wickets’ that he reported upon regarding the games organised by the ‘Friends of PPP’ at the Albion Community Center on Saturday, May 2nd. The reporter accused the GCB of not issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the Demerara players and further went on to recklessly accuse our Secretary of threatening the players. This style of reporting is wholly unacceptable to administrators and has only served to incense an already very hostile political environment along with the possible endangerment to the lives of our Honorary Secretary and the entire Executive of the GCB and the Directors of the CGI. The GCB and CGI strongly rebukes these wanton accusations against our officials and wish to advise
that we have consulted with our attorneys on the best course of action to protect the integrity and security of its officials. The GCB had received an application from a group calling themselves ‘Friends of the PPP’ who intended to host a series of matches on May 2nd which they dubbed as May Day Cup 2015 as a fund raiser for the PPP/C political campaign. The GCB met on April 17th and successfully considered the application and have reproduced a full copy of its response to the group which clearly outlined the full terms and conditions under which the permit was granted and clearly outlined the responsibilities and procedures to be followed by those players that may be selected to participate in the matches who may be contracted to the WICB, employers, Territorial Boards and other franchises,” a release from the GCB stated. It should be further noted that CGI, which is the body that these players are contracted to, had its appraisals’ sessions following the completion of the 2014/15 cricket season with these players conducted on April 28th& 30th. During this process, the CGI officials present at the interview took the opportunity to provide each franchise player with a copy of the approval letter granted to the “Friends of the PPP” so that they could be guided on the correct procedures for the CGI to issue NOCs. Up to the day before the
event, only 2 players from Berbice had made individual applications as required and the NOCs were duly granted. On the actual day of the event, frantic calls were being made to several officials of the CGI for NOCs by all and sundry. An accommodation was made by CGI to have all players sign a single application letter which was done for 6 additional players from Berbice and were duly granted with their NOCs to participate. No application for a NOC was ever requested nor received from any contracted player from Demerara. The Chairman of the May Day Cup 2015, Anthony Ameerally was very apologetic when he called the CGI Chairman, Mr. Rajendra Singh, about an hour before the event and all efforts by officials of the CGI were made to facilitate their requests within the short time frame given. At no time was Mr. Sanasie, the GCB Secretary, in contact with any player from Demerara reference and NOC as no contracted player for Demerara expressed an interest in participating in the games. The GCB and the CGI remain very concerned and perturbed by these reports in view of this highly charged political environment and will be taking all steps as advised by their counsel for their protection and well being as Mr. Rajiv Bisnauth and the Guyana Times continues to attack our entities. Here the GCB response letter:
“22nd April, 2015 Mr. Anthony Ameerally Chairman Friends of the People’s Progressive Party Mr. Ameerally, RE: PERMISSION TO HOST CRICKET GAMES. Please be advised that the GCB Executive Committee Meeting of 17th April 2015 granted your request to host Cricket Games on the 2nd May 2015 at the Albion Community Centre. This permit was granted under the following terms and conditions: 1. That the GCB is not responsible for any loss of income of players due to injuries sustained in these games. 2. All overseas players participating in the games are granted no objection certificates from their Territorial Boards to participate. 3. All West Indies Cricket Board’s contracted players are granted no objection certificates from that entity to participate. 4. All players understand that they are responsible to seek individual no objection certificates from their employer, Franchise, agents, territorial boards or West Indies Cricket Board before participating. 5. Payment to any Player, Team, Association or Cricket Board participating in the games shall be the responsibility of the organisers. 6. That this permit is valid for the date 2nd May 2015 only. 7. That the games do not affect any planned tournament by the West Indies Cricket Board, Cricket Guy. Inc., Guyana Cricket Board or the County Boards. 8. Only cricketers and entities established under the official GCB structure can participate. The organisers agree that a breach of any of the terms and conditions set out above will deem this permit null and void. .......................................... Mr. Drubahadur President Guyana Cricket Board”
In a release, The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport said it is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of one of Guyana’s greatest athletes in the boxing ring. We at the Ministry expresses sincere sympathy to the Lewis family on the untimely passing of Andrew “Six Head” Lewis. “Six Head” as he is well known to us is one of our professional boxers in the middleweight division and was the former WBA World Welterweight Champion in 2001. After that bout and his notable exciting style and power in both hands, Lewis quickly became a popular fighter on HBO. The nickname “Six Head” tells a fascinating tale of Lewis’s strength and agility in the ring. He got the nickname “Six Head” after knocking out an opponent and all he saw was six heads; therefore the name stuck. Lewis’s rise to fame as the former Guyana and International Boxing Champion, placed us on the international scene in terms of boxing. After turning pro in 1993, with 8-0-1 in his first nine bouts (all by knock out) under his belt; Lewis moved to the USA where he continued his knock out record. “Six Head” was one of the first Guyanese boxers to headline at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and as can be expected
QC day of sports set for today Queen’s College Allied Arts department will be hosting a day of sports today starting from 09:00 hrs at Ministry of Education ground. Participants will be involved in softball cricket, 5-a-side football and athletics. Among the schools set to take part are Queen’s College, Mae’s, Tutorial, American, Marion and Bishop’s. At stake are trophies and medals sponsored by Sports Minister Dr. Frank Anthony, Roysdale Forde, Samuel Hinds and Joseph Harmon.
he did not disappoint in that fight against former welterweight champion James Page. It was in the seventh round that Lewis delivered his winning punch which saw him earning a World Title. For many of us that was the fight of the century because we were seeing one of our own in an international boxing ring. Following that win, the Andrew “Six Head” Lewis boxing gym located at Callender Street, Albouystown was opened in his honour. We are grateful for the foundation laid by Andrew Lewis for young Guyanese boxers. It is our hope that Lewis’s legacy will be honoured by all Guyanese boxers in and out of Guyana. May his soul rest in peace. Meanwhile, yesterday, the APNU+AFC Coalition expresses condolences at the loss of Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis. In a statement the said, “The APNU+AFC Coalition expresses deep sadness on the tragic passing of national boxer Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis. Lewis, the former WBA World Welterweight Champion passed following a motor vehicle accident this (yesterday) morning at Friendship on East Bank of Demerara. “Sixhead’s untimely passing has shocked us all. We
Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis express deepest condolences to his family, relatives, friends and fans and commit to ensuring that his legacy as a world champion is suitably acknowledged and honoured. He was a friend of the Coalition and endorsed us for the upcoming elections,” CoChairman of the ‘It Is Time’ Campaign Raphael Trotman said. “His tragic passing reminds us that road fatalities is a national crisis which requires urgent remedial action and it is part of the APNU+AFC’s manifesto to address this scourge,” Trotman added. ‘Sixhead’ died tragically yesterday after being involved in a road accident on the East Bank. He was struck down and pronounced dead at the Diamond Hospital.
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Tuesday May 05, 2015
NBA-Warriors’ Curry Balchand Baldeo takes 6 for 13 for Albion wins NBA’s Most – half centuries for Narian, Subadar and Persaud Valuable Player award
2015 Raffik and Sons Construction Second Division 20-Over Cricket Competition
As the 2015 Raffik and Sons Construction Second Division 20-Over Cricket Competition, specially organized by the Berbice Cricket Board for teams in the Lower Central Corentyne area, continued recently. Guyana Under-19 player Balchand Baldeo took 6 for 13 from 4 overs to bowl his team, Albion Community Centre, to a narrow 6-run win over Tamarind Root. His performance is the best by a bowler so far in the competition. Led by 52 (5 fours) from Bedeshwar Narian and 46 (2 fours and 2 sixes) from Majid Mohamed, Toopoo Rising Star made 157 for 6 in 20 overs against Belvedere Battle Steel, who in their reply could only muster 103 for 9 in their 20 overs despite a fine knock of 51 (3 fours and 3 sixes) from opening batsman Michael Subadar. After Ravindra Persaud scored 50 (4 fours and 4 sixes) and Joseph Kamaludin 44 (6 fours) to steer Fyrish Strikers to 181 against Belvedere
Balchand Baldeo
Joseph Kamaludin
Bedeshwar Narian
United, off-spinner Ghanesh Bharrat took 5 for 7 from 2.1 overs to see Belvedere bowled out for 87 in 18.1 overs in their response. In summarized scores: 1. At Albion, Albion Community Centre beat Tamarind Root by 6 runs. Albion Community Centre 122 for 5 in 20 overs with Retesh Umroe 25, Adrian Sukhwa 22, Pream Deonarine
2 for 23. Tamarind Root 116 for 7 in 20 overs with Dilip Rangasammy 30 and Balchand Baldeo 6 for 13. 2. At Albion Primary School Ground, Toopoo Rising Star beat Belvedere Battle Steel by 54. Toopoo Rising Star 157 for 6 in 20 overs with Bedeshwar Narian 52, Majid Mohamed 46 and Michael Subadar 2 for 20. Belvedere Battle Steel 103 for 9 in 20
overs with Michael Subadar 51, Altaf Approo 3 for 15. 3. At Kilcoy Long Dam, Fyrish Strikers beat Belvedere United by 93 runs. Fyrish Strikers 181 for 9 in 20 overs with Ravindra Persaud 50, Joseph Kamaludin 44, Nazeem Samed 3 for 32, Ramnarine Permaul 2 for 32. Belvedere United 88 in 18.2 overs with Ghanesh Bharrat 5 for 7.
(Reuters) - Sharpshooting guard Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, who set a single-season record for three-pointers made, won the NBA Most Valuable Player award for the 2014-15 campaign, the league said on Monday. Curry led the National Basketball Association’s top regular season team in scoring, assists and steals, becoming the second Warriors player to take the honor, joining Wilt Chamberlain, who won it in 1959-60 when the franchise played in Philadelphia. The 6-foot-3 Curry captured 100 of 130 first-place votes, from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, as well as the fan vote on NBA.com. Curry, whose Golden State team posted a leaguebest 67-15 mark in winning the Pacific Division, triumphed over a group of worthy can-
didates. Rounding out the top five in the voting were the Houston Rockets’ James Harden, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James, the Oklahoma City Thunder ’s Russell Westbrook and the New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis. Curry averaged 23.8 points (sixth in the NBA), 7.7 assists (sixth), a career-high 2.04 steals (fourth) and 4.3 rebounds a game. The 27-year-old guard made 286 three-pointers, breaking his own NBA record of 272 set in 2012-13, sinking 44.3 percent from long range while shooting 48.7 percent overall from the field. Curry also led the NBA in free throw percentage (91.4), converting a career-high 52 consecutive free throws from March 9 to April 4. A strong defender as well, Curry registered the highest plus/minus for any NBA player this season.
Busta Soft Shoe Football Competition
Blockbuster affair anticipated between Sparta Boss and West Front Road -Weavers collide with Queen Street for third place By Rawle Welch A blockbuster affair is anticipated when Sparta Boss and West Front Road ‘Gold is Money’ clash in the
final of the inaugural Busta Soft Shoe Football Competition tonight, at the GFC ground. However, before this game occurs, Kitty Weavers
and Queen Street of Tiger Bay square off in the third place playoff and this too promises to be a scorching encounter after both teams produced solid performances in their semifinal matchups against Sparta Boss and West Front Road respectively. In the feature game, Sparta Boss despite their offensive firepower will know that their opponents are no pushovers and that their prolific goalscoring ability which has seen them register 21 goals so far in the tournament, will be matched by the rigid defensive mindset of West Front Road. Sparta Boss search for victory and become the first team to inscribe its name in the tournament’s history book will be led by former national strike twins Devon Millington and Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, while another national player Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant, who has been the calming factor in the equation will once again be requested to perform a stabilising role in the midfield. However, the most influential player has been Sheldon ‘Saddle’ Shepherd and his ‘Libero’ role is key to the team’s success. This
nippy defender, who frequently overlaps has scored some spectacular goals in the tournament at crucial times and West Front Road will no doubt be aiming to keep him in check throughout the night. Sparta Boss goal production is so impressive that the record will show that five of their players have scored three or more goals in the competition with Richardson and Shepherd leading the way with five apiece followed closely by Millington and Grant. Another player of much influence is Denis Edwards, his coolheadedness is always key, while he too can be lethal at times, having netted three goals to date. The one grey area for them is consistency in their backline which has looked porous on occasions and will need to be bolstered to repel the rampaging West Front Road marksmen such as Randolph Wagner, Michael Oie and Michael Pedro, all of who are always willing to come back and defend. Their defence has been the hallmark of their determined performances to date with Hubert Pedro being the rock of Gilbraltar, but with the offensive talent of their opponents he will
definitely need huge support. National player Colin Nelson was recently added to their lineup and he immediately showed his class, netting the lone goal against Queen Street to help book their place in the final. Their backline has looked impregnable so far, but Richardson, Millington, Shepherd and company will fancy their chances of breaching it consistently. An intriguing game is predicted and fans are being urged to make it a date to be there to witness the culmination of a tournament that promises to take off, especially within the
communities that support Busta products. The winning team will collect the championship trophy and $600,000, while second, third and fourth placed finishers take home $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively. The most discipline team will be awarded $25,000, while the Most Valuable Player (MVP) collects $50,000 and Highest Goalscorer will win a gold chain. Apart from the Guyana Beverages Inc, the other sponsors on board are Lucky Dollar, GT&T, Star Party Rentals, Junior’s Jewellery & Gift Shop, Nigel’s Supermarket, 2Js General Store and Mendonca Creole.
DCC to hold wake for Roberts The Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Lance Gibbs and New Garden Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown will be holding a wake at 19:00 hrs tomorrow night in memory of the late Calvin Roberts – a past member who performed pro-bono duties as Honorary Public Relation Officer. Members, Friends, Colleagues and Business Asso-
ciates of the late Roberts are invited to contribute either in “Cash or Kind” to this occasion. Donations can be forwarded to the sister of the Late Calvin Roberts, Sherisa King who can be contacted on telephone Nos. Mobile 603-1337, Home – 223-2305. Your generous support will be graciously accepted and faithfully applied.