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KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
Women need to push for equality Political accountability for women begins with an increase in the number of women in decision-making positions. It is a fact that wherever women’s voices are heard, policies will better reflect their concerns. The many concerns which affect their lives such as, ‘equal pay for equal work’; reproductive rights, gender equality, gender based violence and rape, are more likely to be better heard, expressed and dealt with by women working with men to formulate policy, parliamentary process and law. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between women’s empowerment and the growth of national GDP. How can we not afford to give women, and men equal participation in the building of stable and peaceful societies? Today, there are 21 women representatives in the National Assembly however; there are more than 200,000 women outside the National Assembly who do not subscribe to any form of abuse by any person in our society. This view permeates every class, colour, and age group and does not vindicate those who would use their status, office, or wealth to abuse our women. Today, women have broken the gender barriers which once existed within the labour market. We have shown that we can hold positions at every stratum, be it at an executive level, in the laboratory or in the factory. Notwithstanding our achievements, there is a growing concern that work is equal, but pay is not. This behaviour is more prevalent in the private sector and we must guard against it and stamp it out whenever and wherever it is found. This undoubtedly calls for more women to get involved in the Trade Union Movement. Women must not see themselves merely as benchwarmers but must seek to run for higher office within these organizations. With women in leadership positions in our Trade Unions, equal work will equal pay and the resurgence of sexual harassment in the workplace will be more adequately addressed. The time has come for a more radical step to be made on Domestic Abuse and all other forms of abuse. No more stamp it out, and no more black and blue. I call on this Government to get radical and address this scourge in our land. Today, it is without reserve that I call for those in our midst who believe they can abuse other persons go to jail and spend time on tax payers’money. Guyanese, irrespective of where they reside would have heard about the campaign to stop all forms of violence in our society, especially Domestic Violence. Every organization: religious, social and educational, have spoken out against violence. Yet this reckless behavior continues unabated in our society. The time has come now for us to address this issue in a comprehensive manner taking into account modern social work intervention techniques, including, counseling by trained professionals. Sooner rather than later, some organization will report negatively on Guyana’s continued breach of the International Labour Organization’s Convention 182. The Laws of Guyana provide that no child under 15 years must be employed and that persons 15 to 18 years can work, however, this work must not be injurious to the health and safety of the worker. Today as you traverse the streets of Georgetown and those areas where there is a high degree of economic activity, you would observe a great number of children who ought to be in school working as shop attendants, porters, vendors, with entertainment bands, restaurants and on construction sites to name a few. The depressing reality is that in most instances the parents or guardians are well aware of the child’s working life and benefit from the rewards. Apart from breaching the Conventions, many of these children become uncontrollable and find themselves in conflict with the law, bringing undue pressure to the already choked social system. While it is the belief that no representative of the Parliament would condone such infringement on the Rights of the Child, it does not in any way release them from taking action whenever they come into contact with such situations. The Ministers responsible for both Human Services and Education must act to remedy this situation.
Sunday May 11, 2014
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The PPP cried foul when it realised the opposition will benefit from the project DEAR EDITOR, Clement Rohee has once again made Guyana a laughing stock. The first t i m e G u y a n a s u ff e r e d s i m i l a r embarrassment with this gentleman was in his capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs at an international forum where his inability to differentiate between the Dominican Republic and the Commonwealth of Dominica caused Guyana support to the wrong country. Today he continues his notoriety, comforted in the fact that President Ramotar will protect him even though he continues to embarrass himself and Guyana. This is the level to which
political leadership has sunk, and unfortunately, this is the quality of representation the workers’ hard earned tax-dollars pay for. While growing up, our teachers instilled in us the principle, “when in doubt find out.” Some admonished “it is better to be thought the fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” Rohee would have been exposed to the same teachings. The PPP and government’s use of terms like laws, sovereignty and national interest, fronted by Rohee in his capacity as Minister of Home Affairs and PPP General Secretary to justify the revocation of the work permit
of an international worker on the US Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Project and agreed suspension are embarrassments to all of us, and the once enviable reputation this country had that was nurtured in the generation Rohee and I grew up in. Had Rohee followed his teachers’ advice and checked a dictionary he would have been educated. Guyana’s sovereignty on the LEAD Project could not be under threat as claimed by the PPP because the project document was signed in 2009 by the Minister of Finance Ashni Singh on behalf of the (Continued on page 6)
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LAWRENCE WILLIAMS was harassed in his job
Where were the initiators of this project when the trampling on our people was going on?
DEAR EDITOR, When people die, we owe it to history to record what they tell us. Their words have importance for the further enrichment of history. I am still at a loss to understand why President Ramotar doesn’t understand what is meant by “the poetic essence of history,” but let us leave that for another moment and continue with Mr. Lawrence Williams, who died last week while serving as Governor of the Bank of Guyana Obviously, we cannot publicly reveal what people tell us when they are alive if it can harm them. Last week in this newspaper, the venerated freedom fighter Moses Bhagwan published a letter in which he mentioned that just before his death, he had a developing relation with PNC stalwart, Winston Murray, and Murray admitted that the obligation of apologizing for wrongs committed while in power, is an attitude that they PNC will not adopt. After his death, I did print part of a conversation with Mr. Murray on the nature of Mr. Corbin’s politics. Lawrence Williams was from a long line of fine, professional, apolitical, middle class public sector employees. Urbane, wellmannered and uncorrupt, he had belonged to a school of professional state servants that served their country with distinction without falling into the temptation of graft and political partiality. This country will miss this class of people when they are gone. Their weakening started under the Burnham presidency, though Forbes Burnham was a strong
nationalist who knew that his government needed such a dedicated group of state employee whose only motto was to serve professionally. Despite the tyranny of Burnham’s rule, Mr. Burnham purposely cultivated this school of public servants and Burnham not only allowed them to do their work but intervened when party officials tried to take the authority of this professional class Two brief examples will suffice. Under the paramountcy of the party, the PNC would have a party official in many top state institutions. In one case in Demerara Distillery Limited, the general manager was being hindered in his work by a party official. The GM went straight to Burnham and the party official was given a severe dressing down. One suspects that Burnham put the lower apparatchiks in state institutions for security purposes. But the intention was never to interfere with the administrative and technical functions of the professional people The second example occurred during the construction of the President’s College. One of the party officials was just malingering day after day on the job. Burnham went himself. He stayed on the construction site and summoned the apparatchik. When he came up to Burnham, he was asked to identify his car. When he did that, Burnham with worked up decibels, ordered him to go into his car, drive away and never put in back an appearance at the site Under Burnham, there is
no way a Kwame McKoy, Nirmal Rekha, Kellawan Lall and hundreds like them would be tolerated, much less be allowed to retain their job. Hoyte continued the tradition of an apolitical civil service but it was completely destroyed, first by Cheddi Jagan after 1992 and then by Bharrat Jagdeo. We must not forget, Jagan took party boy Roger Luncheon and made him the Chairman of the NIS Board. Jagan put his chauffeur on the Coop Bank Board. Lawrence Williams told me the political interference and harassment he faced as Governor of the Bank of Guyana was both subtle and open. He said a particular party man, high up in the Bank, who is a member of a PPP party group up the East Coast, was openly defiant of his decisions. At public events where the media was present, this party official literally took over the press briefing as if Williams was his underling and deliberately set out to humiliate and embarrass him In speaking to Williams, I honestly felt deep sympathy for what he was going through at the Bank. This is the type of philistine leadership we have in power. And this sheepish nation allows these depravities to climb and climb to greater extremes. I repeat what I wrote in one of my columns. I was certainly horrified at what Samuel Doe did when he came to power in a coup in Liberia. But sometimes power can be so abused that those who overthrow dictators lose all rationality when they retaliate. Frederick Kissoon
DEAR EDITOR, I believe that, if we remember the history of our country’s struggles towards independence and thereafter, we would be better able to judge whether our government’s resistance to any interference in our national affairs and any violation of our sovereignty is justifiable. When the British government established the Waddington Constitution under two leaders who represented the vast majority of our people, our country seemed at last headed towards true unity, independence and progress on all fronts. But matters developed in a manner that threatened the influence of the two major western powers, and I am sure that is it now universally accepted that the suspension
of this constitution and the “Divide and Rule” solution that they imposed on us have been almost wholly responsible for the problems that we have encountered in all aspects of our development to this day. This imposition resulted in the advent of the most infamous period in our history when rigged elections and dictatorship became the norm for nearly 30 years, effecting a retrogression in our affairs that nullified all the gains we had made as an aspiring nation and people. The burning questions since then, which have become more intense now that this project to “strengthen democracy” has been conceived, are: Where were the initiators of this project when this blatant
trampling on our people was going on, and why did they not try to intervene in this same manner as before? I will always remember the words of maybe one of their most simple-minded presidents who said in cowboy-like language that people should understand that whenever his country intervened anywhere it was to protect his country’s interests. Some letter-writer wrote of his perceived hypocrisy of one of our more balanced feature-writers who had supported intervention when democracy was clearly being trampled upon, and I wonder whether he has the integrity to accept the same of the people he seems to be defending. R. Paul
This can only be the work of sick and depraved minds DEAR EDITOR, The kidnapping of close to three hundred female students by the notorious Boko Haram cult in Nigeria must be condemned by all. This can only be the work of sick and depraved minds who under the guise of religion are creating mayhem in the Nigerian society. It is sickening that a small group of Islamic fanatics could be allowed to get away with such acts of barbarity. The international community in particular the Organization of African States (OAU) must moblize all the resources they have at their disposal to bring an end to this insanity which has already claimed the lives of hundreds of people not to
mention the destruction to property worth millions of dollars. The Islamic community should not only disassociate themselves from such ungodly and uncivilized behaviour but also condemn in the strongest possible
language such actions. This will help to isolate the cult and send a clear signal to those responsible that such actions will not be tolerated nor condoned by Islam and the Islamic community in general. Hydar Ally
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The PPP cried foul when... A man loved by the masses will From page 4 Government of Guyana. My concern on this issue is not about the LEAD Project but the obvious denial by the PPP and government of the workers/citizens’ right to information and their freedoms. Not once from 2009 did the government reject this project or claim that it was signed under duress. In July 2013 the PPP sent Minister Frank Anthony and MP Indra Chandrapaul to participate in the project launch. This event was also attended by members of the political opposition. The question should be asked, why did the PPP sign the agreement in 2009, participate in the launching in 2013 to cry violation of laws, sovereignty and national interest in 2014? Surely from the utterances of Rohee this is a replica of the Dominican Republic and Commonwealth of Dominica fiasco. The PPP began to feign concern and cry foul when the party realised the political landscape is no longer tilted to its numerical advantage and the opposition political parties and NGOs they cannot control will benefit from the project. A party that has conditioned itself to see governance as a right and not a privilege is still finding it hard coming to grips with the fact that 2011 elections did not bestow to it what it has come to see as an entitlement. As customary with this type of thinking the fault is not theirs but others. The independent media “carrion crows” were blamed for carrying out their watchdog duty, which is today seeing the government efforts to curtail this by calling for media oversight. The will of the electorate and their political representatives continue to be disrespected. The independent trade union has come under attack in the form of withdrawal of subvention to the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), denial of the right to collective bargaining and recent attempt to control the GTUC’s educational arm, the Critchlow Labour College (CLC) by tying the workers’ subvention to having the PPP aligned FITUG sit on the board. In the instance of the CLC there seems to be a campaign to wrest the college from its owner as uttered by Rohee in his Monday ramblings with the media. Contrary to his be-
lief my ego is immaterial to the business of the college which is written in statute and guided by the policy position of the owner. That Carvil Duncan, President of FITUG sought to use the May Day platform to make known FITUG’s readiness to bring its members to the Board, followed by a letter from the CCWU’s president in the Guyana Chronicle, all are put on notice to look else-place. The National Assembly is expected to respect the laws of the land and is reminded it has no authority to determine who sits on the CLC’s board. The GTUC and CLC refuse to be dictated to or to compromise their rights. The GTUC shall not allow FITUG representation on its CLC’s board to be the appendage of the PPP and participate in the mis-education of workers/citizens. If the CLC and GTUC are the last standing in the fight to make real the struggles, dreams and aspirations of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow for the right to self-determination and respect for workers/citizens in the nation’s body politics we shall not shirk from our responsibility or baulk from the fight. Had Rohee taken the time to familarise himself with the terms laws, sovereignty and national interest, he would have understood the importance of enforcing/respecting rules and guidelines across the board, the authority of the State to govern itself rest with the people, and national interest is guided by the Constitution. Where our Constitution has bequeathed to us the guarantee to participate in periodic elections (national, regional and local) with stipulated timelines, requires autonomy of local government, mandates involvement in decision-making that affect wellbeing and the separation of power/branches of government, the people will work to achieve these. Man has an innate desire to be free, treated with respect and dignity. Obstacles put in the way only serve as temporary setback; the people will regroup and come again. The PPP are poor students of history. Nothing, absolutely nothing will prevent the enslaved, indentured, colonised or oppressed from rising up and demanding what’s rightly theirs. As day follows night, so too will freedom follow oppression. Lincoln Lewis
become India’s Prime Minister
DEAR EDITOR, This is in response to “Finally someone from the masses will rule India” (KN May 10 by Sase Singh). I was in India for the ongoing general elections (nine phases with the final phase on Monday) and was also there in December for a series of state elections including in the capital state of Delhi. Polling there is extremely difficult . Nevertheless, based on informal surveying, my own analysis, and exchanges with scholars and media personnel, Modi’s party (BJP) of which he is the Prime Ministerial candidate, will win the most seats unless something goes wrong. And in fact, concerns about fraud have been raised. India uses electronic computer machines to vote and there are concerns that the chip in the computer could be manipulated. The Election Commission assures that outside manipulation of the voting machine is not possible. Based on my analysis and pre-election surveys by other pollsters, all indications are the BJP will win the most seats and the President will ask Modi to form a government. I do not think BJP will win a majority (273) of seats but will get over 200 seats and more likely to get around 240. The party feels it will get 250 seats. With its alliance partners, Modi will cross 300 seats enough to win a vote of confidence as the President will set as a condition for appointing him P.M. Modi is enormously popular, pulling crowds of tens, if not hundreds, of
thousands at campaign stops. Everywhere I went, it was Modi fever. There was hardly mention of Rahul Gandhi, the standard bearer of the Congress party and scion of the Gandhi clan. As Sase Singh noted, Rahul does not demonstrate that he is someone of outstanding intellect and he does not speak with authority and confidence. In Addition, he lacks the charm and charisma of his grandmother (Indira) and great grandfather (Jawaharlall Nehru). His nemesis, Modi, on the other hand, speaks confidently and unscripted. Modi has displayed an ability to address the media and huge crowds extemporaneously without any hiccups and difficulties. There are no gaffes. But there are a lot of laughs as he pokes fun at Rahul and the Gandhi family. Modi is from the masses. He is loved by members from the higher and lower castes; many Muslims and Christians also support him for security, protection and development. This was much in evidence on Thursday when hundreds of thousands showed up for a motorcade for Modi in the constituency of Varanasi where Modi is contesting. It is a make or break contest for him. If he wins, he becomes P.M. If he closes, all bets are off as it will be untenable for someone who can’t win a seat to be appointed as P.M. Varanasi is a complex constituency with some 30% of the electorate Muslims and Modi’s opponents are urging Muslims to vote as a bloc against Modi to bring about his defeat. Varanasi is a
critical seat for BJP as it is one of the holiest sites for Hindus and is central to the state of Uttar Pradesh where most Indo-Guyanese trace their roots. The BJP is banking on winning 50 out of 80 seats in UP. The party is likely to win the most seats there as well as in Bihar where the largest number of Indo-Guyanese their roots. Arvind Kejriwal, the anticorruption campaigner, who is from Delhi, set up camp for a month in Varanasi, is Modi’s main opponent. Rahul Gandhi also showed up in Varanasi on Saturday urging voters to vote as a bloc to defeat Modi. Rahul did not pull much of a crowd as the Congress is weak in Varanasi. Kejriwal has been pulling huge crowds daily for the last month and the outcome of the election hangs in the balance. Modi applied for permits to hold two rallies in Varanasi but the District Administrator denied him permits saying effective security could not be arranged. The Election Commission endorsed the administrator’s decision though one the commissioner said it was a mistake to deny him a permit. Permits for Rahul and Kejriwal to hold rallies were not denied. The parties are ganging up against Modi but in the end based on people I spoke with, Modi should prevail. Voters are convinced that Modi will transform India the way he has changed Gujarat that has been experiencing rapid development leading the way for the rest of India. Yes, a man loved by the masses will become Prime Minister. Vishnu Bisram
Sunday May 11, 2014
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Ex-CEO of BVI oil and gas company indicted NEWARK, N.J. – The former co-chief executive officer (CEO) of PetroTiger Ltd. – a British Virgin Islands oil and gas company with operations in Colombia and offices in New Jersey – was indicted for his role in a scheme to pay bribes to foreign government officials in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and to defraud PetroTiger. U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman of the District of New Jersey, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Marshall Miller of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford of the FBI’s Newark Division made the announcement. Joseph Sigelman, 43, of Miami and the Philippines, was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Camden, N.J., with conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and substantive FCPA and money laundering violations. Gregory Weisman, 42, of Moorestown, N.J., the former general counsel of PetroTiger, pleaded guilty on Nov. 8, 2013, to conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to commit wire fraud. Sigelman’s co-CEO, Knut Hammarskjold, 42, of Greenville, S.C., pleaded guilty to the same charge on Feb. 18, 2014. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Sigelman and others paid bribes to an official in Colombia in exchange for the official’s assistance in securing approval for an oil services contract worth roughly $39 million. To conceal the bribes, they first attempted to make the payments to a bank account in the name of the foreign official’s wife for purported consulting services she did not perform. Sigelman and Hammarskjold provided Weisman invoices, including her bank account information. The conspirators made the payments directly to the official’s bank account when attempts to transfer the money to his wife’s account failed. Sigelman and his conspirators took steps to conceal the bribe payments from PetroTiger’s board members. In addition, Sigelman and others attempted to secure kickback payments while negotiating an acquisition of another company on behalf of PetroTiger, including on behalf of several members of PetroTiger’s board of directors who were helping to fund the acquisition. In exchange for negotiating more favorable terms for the owners of the
target company, two of the owners agreed to kick back to the conspirators a portion of the increased purchase price. To conceal the kickback payments, Sigelman and others had the payments deposited into Sigelman’s bank account in the Philippines, created a “side letter” to falsely justify the payments and used the code name “Manila Split” to refer to the payments amongst themselves. Sigelman and Hammarskjold were charged by sealed complaints filed in the District of New Jersey on Nov. 8, 2013, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to violate the FCPA, conspiracy to launder money and substantive violations of the FCPA. Hammarskjold was arrested Nov. 20, 2013, at Newark Liberty International Airport. Sigelman was arrested on Jan. 3, 2014, in the Philippines. The charges against Sigelman, Hammarskjold and Weisman were unsealed on Jan. 6, 2014. Today’s indictment consolidates the complaint’s conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to violate the FCPA charges into a single count, and adds one count of transacting in criminal proceeds. The conspiracy to commit wire fraud and violations of the FCPA count carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice the value gained or lost. The three substantive FCPA counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice the value gained or lost. The conspiracy to commit money laundering count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. The transacting in criminal proceeds charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was brought to the attention of the department through a voluntary disclosure by PetroTiger, which cooperated with the department’s investigation. The department has worked closely with and has received significant assistance from its law enforcement counterparts in the Republic of Colombia and greatly appreciates their assistance in this matter.
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POWER FOR DANA’S SISTER RAMADHAR: More legal teeth for FIU headed by Susan Francois to go after criminals Trinidad Express - The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), headed by Susan Francois—sister of slain Dana Seetahal SC—will be given more powers to go after the criminals, Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar has said. He disclosed this during his contribution to the Administration of Justice Bill, 2014 at the Parliament sitting Friday at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain. Ramadhar, Congress of
the People (COP) political leader, said the Legislative Review Committee (LRC) was working on modernising the legislation to give the FIU more teeth. He said the irony is that Francois heads this unit that will work towards clamping down on the criminal activities in this country. Seetahal, 58, was gunned down in Woodbrook last Sunday while on her way home. Said Ramadhar: “You know the irony, you spoke
Woman dies on Caribbean Airlines flight BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC — An elderly woman died while on a Caribbean Airlines flight from Trinidad to Barbados early yesterday. A passenger on board BW456 told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the woman complained of chest pains, following which
flight attendants made an appeal for a medical professional. However, the woman was pronounced dead by the doctor who was on board. According to the eyewitness, the woman who lived in Trinidad, was going to St Martin to visit her daughter for Mothers’ Day.
about the death of Dana, you know who heads that FIU, her sister. The reason I make that connection is this, sometimes the stars align in the most evil of things, the most heinous of experiences for change to come and if Dana’s life is to mean anything, and I worked with her for 25 years, she always sought justice.” Government, he said, has given resources to all institutions to restore justice in society. “And if evil is really founded in the love for money and we give them that power to go after the money, whether you are a tax evader, whether you are a money launderer, whether you are involved in gangland activity, kidnapping, murder and all these things, we are going with a modern approach to it,” said Ramadhar. He took issue with what he said was a “mockery” of Government’s $2.5 million reward for information leading to the conviction of Seetahal’s killers. “History is replete with examples of bounty being put to ensure that crime is solved.
In the great United States, Osama bin Laden, you know how much the bounty was? Even the member for Diego Martin North East would have sell himself for that US$25 million,” said Ramadhar. Opposition MP Colm Imbert immediately objected to Ramadhar ’s statement saying “this member likes to parade himself as holier than thou” and his “disgusting” comment must be withdrawn with apology. Ramadhar withdrew the remark adding, “I apologise to have offended your conscience, Sir.” Imbert said Ramadhar was insulting the House with his “half baked” apology and asked for another apology. Without complying, Ramadhar continued saying the $2.5 million bounty was a “responsible effort” on Government’s part. “If we could solve this crime we could solve any other and that is the message that has been lost in the society, and that is why there is the belief that one can do
STARS ALIGN: Susan Francois, sister of murdered senior counsel Dana Seetahal. Photo: CURTIS CHASE all the evil things that you wish and in particular the most heinous of murders without any consequence and we need to reset the equation on that,” said Ramadhar. He said something has gone wrong in this country where there is an action without a reaction. La Brea MP Fitzgerald Jeffrey, who spoke on the heels of Ramadhar, expressed
his deep sympathies to Seetahal’s family over her death. “I look forward for the early apprehension, conviction and sentencing of those perpetrators who took the life of this great legal luminary and so to for the other 160 persons who would have lost their life in Trinidad and Tobago for this year,” said Jeffrey.
Sunday May 11, 2014
Dem boys seh
Enjoy Mother’s Day Friday a li’l boy get shoot after he thief. He daady give one story how he been to buy cigarette. He mammy give another version. She claim how she send she son to collect pictures to send abroad. She then go on fuh claim how he beg she fuh cook split peas cook-up. She seh that he can’t eat anything now. That story mek dem boys remember de fat crook, Brazzy and de Jagdeo. It mek dem remember Bobby and de rest of dem. Dem tell so much story that people don’t know how much right from how much wrong. Dem boys ain’t able to name all dem story now. Some too dutty and stinking. Dem was just like de thief man mammy and daady. People ketch nuff of these people thiefing and dem ain’t thief li’l bit. Dem ain’t snatch nobody bag. De difference is that none of dem get shoot. And dem do nuff thing to de Guyanese people. Today is Mother’s Day. Dem boys know that most of de mothers sweet and special. Nuff of dem crooks mooma talking how dem wish dem did push pin in dem pickney mole. One of Jagdeo sissy didn’t have nutten nice fuh seh bout he. But dem boys hear how Bobby mooma seh she shoulda push pin true he navel. As fuh Brazzy he grandmother tell dem boys that she wish she did push de pin in Brazzy grandfather mole to mek sure that Brazzy did never come on this earth. And de thing is that nuff of dem scamps and crooks gun carry expensive gift fuh impress dem mooma today. Rob de Earth mooma seh she na want none gift from he because she nah able leh de tears of de nation fall pon she in these olden days. Irfaat father tell dem boys that he mother wish that she did abandon he. Is every day she got to read something in de paper and by de time she done read she get headache. De boss man fuh de Waterfalls paper, he mooma did regret she get he, too. She never use to tek he Mother’s Day gift. She always thought that he use to get it from Jagdeo. But when she see wha he tun out to be, later on, she die a very happy and peaceful woman. To dem mothers who encourage dem children to thief, rape rob and scamp de poor people of this country, dem boys wish you change and get you children fuh change in time fuh next year. To all de rest of happy, sweet, honest, decent, pretty and sexy moms, a happy Mother’s Day. May de next Mother’s Day be even better and happier for you. And we give you this Mother’s Day laugh. Four brothers left for UG, and they became successful doctors and lawyers. One Mother’s Day dem discussed the gifts dem send fuh dem 95-year-old mommy. The first seh, “I build a big house in Diamond fuh she.” The second seh, “I had a large TV room build in she old house.” The third seh, “I had a new car deliver to she.” The fourth seh, “You know Mama love reading and you know she can’t read anymore because she can’t see good. “I meet a preacher who tell bout a parrot who could recite the whole Bible. It tek ten pastors almost 10 years to teach him. To get the bird, I had to mek a donashun of $50,000 a month for five years to the church, but it was worth it. Mama only has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot will recite it.” The other brothers were impressed. Mama sent out her “Thank You” notes. She wrote: Bharrat, the house you built fuh me is so big that I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house. Thanks anyway.” “Bobby, I too old to travel. I stay home and get all me ration deliver home, so I never use de car. But the thought was good. Thanks.” “Boyah, you give me an expensive TV room with nice and fancy sound system. It can hold 50 people, but all me friends dead, I don’t hear good anymore and I half blind. I’ll never use it. Thank you for the gesture, just the same.” “Dearest Brazzy, you were the only son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken was delicious. Thank you so much.” And dem ten pastor? None was Edghill de Ten. Love, Mama
The Quest for Knowledge refreshes the mind, recreates the spirit, and motivates the body. It creates enthusiasm and desire to live an exciting and full day in spite of the routine.
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Fallout from non-passage of Anti-money Laundering Bill…
Banks, Cambios reporting shortage of foreign currency Members of the local cambios, banks and even the private sector have said that Guyana’s current regional blacklisting status due to the non passage of the anti money laundering Bill is leading to a shortage of foreign currency. They predict that if this continues, Guyana could see an increase in its inflation rate. Former President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCCI), Clinton Urling, explained that the consequences of Guyana’s current blacklisting status continue to take its toll on its members who are now finding it extremely difficult to source foreign currency. Urling said, “The business community, especially the private sector, is feeling the effects of this blacklisting. I do hope that this situation is not brushed aside and given the immediate attention it needs by our policy makers.” “If it is one thing businesses know to do is to adapt, and that adaptation comes at a price. As businesses feel the squeeze, so will its customers. And if our policy makers don’t try to set things right then we could definitely see inflation rate rising in the near future.” The former GCCI President said that one worrying effect of the current blacklisting status is that foreign currency has become “extremely difficult” to obtain. “The Guyana dollar has been weakening and importing purchases have also increased. Remittances will also be affected; it will be harder to get forex because the cost to send money will also increase. If we continue to not be reactive then for sure we will see inflation rate increasing. “We are being begged by our members to do something to combat the effects of this situation but ultimately the way forward lies in the hands of our leaders.” Also commenting on the situation was Ramesh Persaud, newly appointed
- predicts inflation if situation continues
Dr. Gobind Ganga, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Guyana
Ramesh Persaud, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission
Clinton Urling, Former President of the GCCI
Chairman of the Private Sector Commission. Persaud said, “Everyone is concerned about the consequences if the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill is not passed by its May 29 deadline. International payments have become more burdensome due to the amount of paper work needed to be done. “There is a difficulty in acquiring foreign currency and we are concerned about the current high exchange rate. It is having an impact on businesses. It is an issue of much concern for us but we are unable at this time to link the shortage of foreign currency to Guyana’s current blacklisting status. We are still in the process of doing some more research.” Local cambios contacted yesterday said that there was a shortage of foreign currency in the system but at this point the situation seems stable. A representative of L. Mohabeer and Sons Cambio said, “There was a huge shortage in the earlier months but now we are experiencing a peak period. A peak period refers to when we would have an increased flow of foreign currency in our system. “If we have a lot then we can afford to sell the US dollar
at a cheap rate. If there is not enough in our system then the price would obviously increase. Now a peak period usually lasts for a while, maybe from June to August but with the rate at which things are going, that is if we take into account Guyana’s current regional blacklisting status, our peak period may be short lived. “That is not usually the case. Foreign exchange rates fluctuate for a number of reasons. There is a shortage of currency in the system because of the effects of Guyana’s status and that is slowing down the rate at which the foreign currency enters the economy. “Currently we are selling the US dollar at $206 and
that’s only because of the peak period.” Acting Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Gobind Ganga, told this publication yesterday that there is a shortage of foreign currency in the system but it is due to a number of reasons. He said, “There are a number of reasons why there is a shortage. You have the elements of people hoarding money and then there are the effects of the AML fiasco. It is essentially slowing up the rate at which the currency enters our system but what I can say is that on behalf of the Bank of Guyana there is enough foreign currency in the system for circulation purposes. We are managing with it.”
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Anti-Money Laundering Bill...
Local businesses brace for hike in foreign currency rates The non-passage of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill by this month-end would see financial hardships threatening Guyana’s economy. This view was expressed by Nazar Mohamed, General Manager of Mohamed’s Enterprise, yesterday. According to Mohamed, there is currently no shortage of foreign currency on the local market. He assured that there is no problem in customers getting money transfers or cash from commercial banks to conduct business. There may be instances where a customer would be asked to wait a day or two but there is no lengthy delay. However, a matter of concern is the hike in exchange rate for US dollar as against the Guyana dollar. “If the politicians in the National Assembly don’t pass the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill this month…I predict three months later the country would shutdown. “We would probably have to pay $300 for US$1. Essentially people would have to pay whatever rate is being demanded,” he added. Since the beginning of
the year, foreign currency rates have been varying with one commercial bank, as recent as last week, selling the US$1 for $219. Guyana cannot escape its high dependency on foreign currency since not much goods is manufactured locally. The country is dependent on exports including gold, sugar, and rice; foreign investment; and remittances. These economic activities allow foreign currency to enter the country. But, with the absence of the relevant legislation in place and Guyana continues to be a blacklisted country by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, local banking institutions, businesses, and individuals would have difficulty in accessing foreign currency. Mohamed said that even his enterprise would be affected since the overseas company that does business with him would more likely stop. In fact, all businesses are facing similar threats. Another city businessman, who prefers to remain anonymous, expressed similar sentiments like Mohamed. The businessman said, “If the Bill isn’t passed there would be massive smuggling, hike in foreign currency rates, prices for commodities would go up… Parliament has to pass this thing.” He emphasized that the international financial system is designed in such a way that any wire transaction to any part of the world must pass
through a US corresponding bank. As such, there is no telling how difficult it would be for Guyana to conduct business in the near future. Commenting on the hike in foreign currency rates, the businessman explained how commercial banks arrive at the rates. Nonetheless, he was stern that Guyana has a free market environment and so every organization would buy and sell foreign currency to make a profit. According to the businessman, daily the Central Bank calls cambios to get an idea as to what foreign currencies are being bought and sold for on the market. The Central Bank arrives at an average that would help to determine what rates commercial banks could sell. The man noted that currently commercial banks are selling US$1 for $210. He said that the Guyana Gold Board also uses a similar pattern to base the price for gold. The prices paid by licensed gold dealers are fed to the commercial banks that would utilize the same payment pattern. The businessman said that in January when the economy experienced a slump, gold dealers played an important role in keeping foreign currency in circulation. Gold dealers sold their foreign currency to commercial banks at an affordable rate so that customers would not be affected. He said in short, cambios regulate the sale of foreign currency based on local demand and supply. And, gold dealers sell foreign currency to commercial banks, which allows customers to conduct overseas transactions.
Sunday May 11, 2014
Court grants order to remove “sexually abused” girls from NOC By Latoya Giles A High Court Judge has granted the Child Protection Agency (CPA) a court order to have four teenage girls removed from the New Opportunity Corps (NOC). Head of the CPA Ms. Ann Greene told Kaieteur News that the Agency had moved to the courts to have the girls removed as to continue the investigation into allegations of abuse. Greene said that the girls will remain in protective custody. She noted that the Child Protection Agency is obligated to investigate every single report of abuse against a child. “We have to be very careful with the issue,” she told Kaieteur News yesterday afternoon. On Wednesday evening Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, said that she had asked the Child Care and Protection Agency to investigate the alleged sexual molestation of female inmates of the New Opportunity Corps. Minister Webster told Kaieteur News, yesterday, that her Ministry received reports from the parents of the alleged victims on Tuesday. “I have asked the Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency to conduct an investigation. We are currently conducting an investigation,” Webster said. Minister Webster ’s comments came amid reports that several teenage girls have alleged that a senior government official was among individuals who had sexual intercourse with them at the New Opportunity Corps. Within the last week several allegations have been emanating from the NOC about caregivers and senior ministry officials engaged in sexual acts with teenagers. Parents of teenagers have come forward and told harrowing stories about sexual abuse.
- as Child Protection Agency moves swiftly to investigate sex allegations One mother told Kaieteur News on Thursday that she was being denied a “one-onone” visit with her daughter. According to the woman, while visiting her daughter recently, the 16-year-old managed to slip a note in her pocket, which detailed accounts of sexual abuse. Kaieteur News was told by the woman that her daughter was initially sentenced to two years at the NOC. “When she get that two years I say okay….she gon go there and learn a trade and get counseling,” the woman said. A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Parliamentarian Chris Jones had told Kaieteur News that his Party was in the process of preparing a dossier which would be sent to various international organizations. “One dossier will be filled with statements of the children and the Government of Guyana’s inaction to deal with these matters,” Jones explained. Opposition Leader Brig. David Granger had said that his Party had no confidence in the capability of the Ministry of Culture, to administer the New Opportunity Corps. Granger had proposed that the responsibility of the Corps be transferred to
another Ministry or agency that possesses the requisite personnel and skills and is better prepared to tend to the lives of juveniles sympathetically. He stressed, “It is evident that a new approach and a new agency are needed to curb the perpetuation of abuses and interpersonal violence which are still occurring in the Corps. “APNU is concerned that the worst incidence of violence in the entire history of the Corps occurred in August 2012 and involved about one-third of the juveniles in the Corps.” The Minister however, has been unable to present the report of the Commission of Inquiry to the National Assembly after over 20 months. “The absence of the report clearly has resulted in the Ministry’s inability to comprehend the problem and to prevent the recurrence of abuses similar to those that are alleged to have triggered the August 2012 events.’ “The last escape occurred between March 22 and March 24, this year. It involved 11 juveniles.” Granger had said that APNU has been disturbed, particularly by the new reports of sexual harassment and exploitation of juvenile girls by male staff members and older males.
Convicted prisoner nabbed with drugs in jail An alert Prison Officer saw a convict crawling on his hands and knees and subsequently chased and nabbed him with a bag of ganja and other substances. According to Prosecutor Sergeant Godfrey Playter, the prisoner Sunil Tahal, 39, of Lot 19 Pope Street, New Amsterdam, who is serving a three-year sentence on a charge of possession of narcotics, was nabbed with the drugs while he was incarcerated at the New Amsterdam Prison. The court was told that around 16:10 hrs on Thursday June 17, 2013, the prisoner was seen by a Prison Officer crawling through a fence heading towards the fowl pen. The man was placed under surveillance and was subsequently seen with a black bag. He was challenged and ran into the baker shop hotly pursued by two Prison Officers. He proceeded to hide the bag among some charcoals. The bag was retrieved and Tahal was arrested. The bag was checked and found to contain 229 grams of cannabis sativa, one cell phone and 10 packets of cigarettes. He was handed over to the police and was charged. He was granted bail in the sum of $200,000. However due to the fact that he is a convicted prisoner he will have to remain in jail. His next court date is set for July 31.
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Kaieteur News
Guyana – Brazil Hydro... The Opposition must examine this deal the PPP has signed with Brazil to develop hydropower near the GuyanaBrazil border. This is the contention of letter writer M. Maxwell in a letter to Kaieteur News captioned “Did the PPP sign a deal similar to the BrazilParaguay Itaipu hydro ripoff?” Maxwell was making reference to the US$45 Million pre-feasibility study between the Guyana Government and a Brazilian consortium to determine the potential of hydropower in the Upper and Middle Mazaruni. This was announced at a Prime Ministerial press conference last March. Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett who was present at the press briefing said that in 2009 at the commissioning ceremony of the Takutu Bridge, both countries saw hydropower as an important part of the agenda. Discussions on hydropower commenced the next month. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Guyana and Electro Braz, the agency to look at the Mazaruni/ Potaro Basin, she said. “We were approached by a consortium of Brazilian companies and after months of negotiations Prime Minister (Samuel) Hinds signed an MOU in October 2011. Thereafter, we decided that whichever company we used must come under the Guyana/Brazil Cooperation,”
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Government not negotiating in the best interest of us - Harmon
the Minister had outlined. Maxwell said that the PPP “must publicly produce the details of this deal to the nation.” He drew a parallel with the Guyana-Brazil prefeasibility study and that of the agreement between BrazilParaguay in the development of a hydroelectric dam (Itaipu) located at the Parana River on the border section between the two countries. According to Maxwell, “The world’s biggest hydropower dam is shared by Brazil and Paraguay. There is a joint entity that owns it but in reality, Brazil controls and dominates it. Paraguay must sell its entire half of the power generated by this hydro project to Brazil, and to no one else. “When this type of arrangement exists, then the buyer dominates the seller.” “Paraguay is forced to sell its hydropower at rock bottom prices and dirt cheap to Brazil or have that power go to waste. Sometimes, it has to sell below production cost, which is selling at a loss. “Brazil gets the cheap energy it wants to accelerate faster to economic liberation and greatness while Paraguay faces spiraling debt to fund this debacle. The Paraguayan president, Fernando Lugo, had to threaten taking Brazil to the International Court of Justice to force Brazil to offer increased compensation under the deal.” Maxwell is of the view that the PPP Government with its poor track record “proven by
APNU’s Executive Member Joseph Harmon their near-disastrous saddling of this country with US$1 billion in debt over a dried-up Amaila Falls hydro project or their enslavement of this country to a hostile neighbour
in Venezuela through Petrocaribe, will make the same atrocious errors they have consistently made and will continue to make. “They will sell this country short.” He said that “the PPP has shown a frightening propensity to sell this country down the river to the highest bidder without careful analysis of the risks of these politically expedient endeavours.” “Guyanese need to know the details of these deals on hydro development with Brazil, for we will not become another Itaipu where the power we generate is made worthless by the recklessness of those sitting in the seat of government” said Maxwell. A Partnership for National
Unity (APNU) Executive Member and shadow Minister of Public Works and Transportation Joseph Harmon said that the Opposition has been insisting that they be part of the agreements and studies that Guyana enters into bilaterally. “We are not the government but at least we should be in those negotiations so that we can bring another perspective to it.” “We have entered into some agreements with Suriname for the building of a bridge across the Corentyne River. The government does not see it fit to lay that agreement in Parliament so that we can make an input in it but has gone to allocate monies in the Budget for construction of certain aspects of the bridge.”
Harmon said that Maxwell had given a good example as to what can happen when you don’t have your agreements properly negotiated upfront and the country tends to lose at the end of the day. “We should not disregard that advice from those people who are observing and putting forward sensible recommendations” he said. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds had said in the press briefing that quite a lot of power would be sold to Brazil. He explained that there will be money paid to Guyana for producing the electricity utilizing waterfalls. At a later stage there will be financial engineers working through questions as to who will earn revenue sold to the countries.
Private farmer given permission to disrupt drainage facility The disruption of the main canal (high level) dam at Anna Regina Red Lock is fueling agonizing concerns among the rice farmers and residences of Red Lock and surrounding areas. They are experiencing massive erosion and the inability to obtain water. They also cannot access proper drainage, especially in the housing communities. The main canal dam in question has been cut to facilitate ongoing construction works by a businessman, who was given
acres of land and has since ventured into the fishing/ farming area aback of Red Lock. The businessman is attempting to access drainage from the Savannahs. Mary Williams, a resident of Mainstay is condemning the work, citing massive erosion and flooding in the area. Williams, who is calling for the project to be halted immediately is imploring the officers from the Environmental Protection Agency to visit the Region to see what would be the effects.
The former PNC/R Regional Vice Chairman has indicated that the Mainstay reserve would be affected as well as residents who are living on the Western half, in areas such as Bamboo Landing, Mc Nabb and Lima Sands. Williams said that in the dry season those residents would not be able to access water for the purpose of washing and in the rainy season massive flooding would result. Alliance For Change Regional Councillor, Naith
Ram, along with APNU councillor, Prince Shepherd, who visited the site on Saturday, said that draining the reservoir in the Red Lock area which acts as a reserve to assist farmers in times of need of water, would have serious complications. Ram further argued that at the same time the current disruption of the main canal dam would cause Government to have to drain the water that would be emanating from the savannahs. He added that the Continued on page 64
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‘Sprinkles’ being developed Govt. has shifted Guyana to an ill-advised import-based economy for children up to five ...Nutrition programme rated overall success The Ministry of Health is looking to develop a formula of micro-nutritional supplements that would be provided to children up to age five, the country’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud says. The supplement is currently given to pregnant mothers, and once they deliver, the supplement is provided to their babies from the age of six months to two years. Dr Persaud said that the programme has been successful in fighting back anaemia, and achieving overall goals of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. Since 2002, the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) has supported the effort of the government to reduce early childhood malnutrition. The Bank has said that malnutrition in Guyana is high by international standards, particularly among children between six months and two years old. Low birth weight and stunted growth are relatively high in Guyana compared to other countries, the Bank stated, noting that this is especially true in rural Amerindian communities,
where rates of chronic malnutrition are higher. The infant Sprinkles contain iron, vitamin A and vitamin C, while Sprinkles for pregnant women has folic acid, iron and vitamin C. The supplement is provided to all pregnant women who sign up for services at primary health care facilities across Guyana. “Using the sprinkles prevented me from becoming anaemic during my pregnancy and after breastfeeding Aneisa for six months, I began mixing the sprinkles with her porridges,” said Bibi Ramcharran, who was interviewed by the IDB for a report on the success of the programme. She said the sprinkles “opened up the appetite” of her baby and that her baby is very active and healthy because of this. Dr Persaud said that a draft micro-nutrient study has been completed. It shows that the programme has resulted in overall success. The IDB had suggested that use of the “sprinkles” reduced overall cases of anaemia by around 30 percent among pregnant women and children under five years old. He said the final report
could be released soon. As a result, he said a supplement is now being developed that could be given to children up to age five. The “sprinkles” programme is currently being funded by the IDB under the Ministry of Health’s Basic Nutrition Programme. When the programme was launched back in 2004, then Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy said that there are certain micro-nutrient deficiencies when babies move on from consuming breast milk to solid foods. The Ministry of Health had noted that children between the ages of six months and two-years show signs of anaemia as do pregnant women. The ante-natal and infant sprinkles are distributed free of cost and pregnant women are automatically enlisted in the programme. The sprinkles are produced locally by the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation. Dr. Persaud said that even if IDB funding for the project expires, because of the success of the programme, the government will continue funding it. (Neil Marks)
Pensioner succumbs after burning self A 77-year-old pensioner died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday, one day after he reportedly set himself on fire at his home. Dead is Harry Rukhnarain of Lot 124 Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara. According the dead man’s wife, she was at church on Friday when she received news that her husband had burnt himself and was taken to the hospital. The woman claimed that
what happened on Friday was not the first time the 77year-old had tried to kill himself. “He was sick for a year now. He had stroke and the stick that he uses to walk, he does take it and hit himself. I does gotta hide the cutlasses and knives from him. He asked me to buy rat poison but I tell him I am not buying anything,” Mrs. Rukhnarain said. She added that when she left home to go to church her husband seemed normal. She
Dead: Harry Rukhnarain had no idea he would kill himself.
By: Kiana Wilburg The country’s debt and its ability to repay what it owes is everyone’s problem. In a published commentary, “Smoke and mirrors: A closer look at Guyana’s looming debt crisis” published on April 14, by Avinash Pulchan, the economist makes some startling revelations. He explains why every citizen should take the country’s debt status seriously. Pulchan holds a Masters in Financial Mathematics, Fundamentals in Quantitative Finance and Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Minnesota. He is now preparing to pursue a PhD in Economics. After extensive research, the economist asserts that Guyana’s current Debt to GDP ratio is at a very unhealthy state. GDP refers to the monetary value of all goods and services produced in a country within a specific time. Pulchan said that according to World Bank data, Guyana’s external debt (monies owed to creditors outside of the country) has raised over 117%, US$850M in 2008 to US$1.8B in 2012. Personal remittances have increased by a whopping 34% from US$278M to US$373M during the last four years. The economist said that a common problem that lesser developed countries (LDCs) face, and Guyana is one of them, is that of too much reliance on foreign nations and entities. Guyana’s debt to GDP ratio increased from 44% to 64.7%. A country’s debt-to-GDP ratio compares what a country owes to what it produces and is an indicator of the country’s ability to pay back its debt. The Guyanese economist said that currently Guyana’s debt-to-GDP ratio of 64.7% is very unhealthy and that its external debt leaves it at the mercy of its debtors. As such the government
- Current Debt-to-GDP ratio very unhealthy- Economist has shifted Guyana to an illadvised import-based economy. He said, “Guyanese need to realize that the country’s debt is their debt. They need to ask the government how they plan on repaying the debt; what percent of GDP will be used towards debt repayment? What are the interest rates on loans? Are these rates fixed, variable, capped? Are the loans hedged to the US dollar or Guyanese dollar? How will the government combat inflation in face of a growing external debt?” Pulchan said that the opposition should also critically analyze the balance of payments account for Guyana and see why there is a budget deficit. This, he said, would lead to better allocations of funds over the long term and curtailment of inefficient macroeconomic policies. The economist highlighted too that Guyanese should keep in mind that Guyana’s debt has increased by117% over the last four years. He said that citizens should now ask the government what this increase has translated to for the development of Guyana. He said, “If the national debt ceiling is increased to allow the Amaila Hydro Power development initiative, how long will it take for the benefits to reach all Guyanese people? Has an independentneutral party done a costbenefit analysis on the feasibility of this undertaking? If differences arise from various feasibility studies of this project can they be reconciled? What are the terms of the financing of such a project? What are the positive/negative externalities of the Amaila Project? Will it create jobs for Guyanese? What are the environmental impacts?” The economist said that much has been carped on about the economic progress Guyana has made in recent years. Pulchan asserts that GDP growth rate is not a true reflection of the economic health of a nation. He pointed that that is why the United
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Economist, Avinash Pulchan Nations Development Programme (UNDP) developed the Human Development Index (HDI), which is used as a holistic measure of living levels. Pulchan added that Personal remittances increased from US$278.4M to US$373.1M a 34% increase. “Now an observer will say those numbers are great, but if he/she delves deeper, the numbers tell a sad tale. Personal remittances as a percentage of GDP were 13.09% in 2012. What happens to personal remittances?” “These remittances are pumped into in economy via consumption and investment and these artificially inflate GDP growth rate. Thus the government of Guyana should not take too much credit for the GDP growth rate since some of it is due to remittances… Guyana’s 4.8% GDP growth rate is misleading and it hides the social and macroeconomic problems plaguing the country” “The government in Guyana needs to stop copying what it sees happening in industrialized nations because Guyana is still a developing economy that has different initial conditions of modern economic growth than those experienced by already developed nations.” “The Guyanese people need to know that they will have to shoulder the burgeoning debt of Guyana and should always examine and scrutinize any government projects that require more national debt because a continuous budget deficit, trade deficit, barely existent local economy, an unskilled labour force, high unemployment rate resulting in social ills, etc. are all ingredients of a concoction that will result in a vicious, self-perpetuating cycle of “growth without development” in Guyana.
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Our Caribbean: The political party and the elected government By Oliver Mills (Reprinted from Caribbean News Now) Gordon Lewis, in his book “Main currents in Caribbean thought”, states that different European colonising groups put their distinctive mark upon different Caribbean colonies, and this is shown by the fact that, in the British islands, abolition by parliamentary edict made possible the future development of a constitutionalist politics, in a context where the colonies were governed by a metropolitan system in which a liberal bourgeoisie was in effective control of the state. He adds that in colonial systems therefore, the character of the overseas dependency is shaped, for good or ill, by the character of the ruling class of the mother country. A metropolitan system therefore shaped and determined the development of constitutionalist politics in the English-speaking Caribbean, based on ideas of liberal democracy, reflected in party politics. This further manifested itself through the formation of constitutionally elected governments. We in the Caribbean have therefore experienced the imposition of a political system of party and parliamentary politics, and the accompanying merits, or demerits resulting from it. Some allege that this system brought stable governments, the rule of law, and the sovereignty of parliament, along with periodic changes in government through the ballot box. Others argue it has resulted in social divisions, mistrust, unstable and uneven economic growth, and a bureaucratic process. But this idea of the political party and the elected government has led to confusion as to their meaning and function even in independent Caribbean countries. The political party represents sectional interests,
With the number of guns around the police are going to keep reaping a harvest of illegal guns. Two young men are going to tempt fate when they attack a businessman. Gunshots would erupt but the young men would be too nervous to be effective. One of them would be pounded and the other would seek escape in a criminal enclave, but his freedom would be shortlived. ** The rivers are not
and special interest groups. It formulates policies which reflect the will of its constituents, and its elected officials must operationalize these concerns. The political party itself does not make policies, but when in power, after winning a majority of seats, puts its philosophy into practice. Parties work to participate in, and influence the government by having its members elected. The leader of the party in power with the most elected members becomes the prime minister or premiere, and forms the government. The prime minister or premier is the head of government, the first among equals, and appoints ministers who head individual government departments. This official has extraordinary powers, which the opposition party leader does not have. But although the political party with the most seats forms the government, the party itself is a political machine and not the government in the strict sense. The government consists of those elected members given ministerial responsibilities by the former party leader, now the prime minister. When people say their party is in power it means it has won the election. When they say their party is now the government, what is meant is that the party has formed the government. This means that the newlyformed government comes from the party, but is not the same as the party. It has to operate in the interests of all citizens, not just those that have elected the party to form the government. A political party is divisive and ideological, and concerns a sector of the electorate that supports it. A government should have no preferences. It treats its supporters and those who voted against it with the same level of fairness and respect. A government does not victimise, or deprive those who voted against it but should create an atmosphere
where everyone gets equal opportunities. There are cases in Caribbean politics where members of the electorate who support the opposition party recoil from supporting the programmes of the government, even though they benefit from them. They see nothing that the government does as positive, and some even withdraw from society, until the next election when they hope their party wins. They see any support of the government as helping it, and betraying their own party. And we have some governments that undo the projects of the previous government even though they serve a social good. Sometimes they change the names of programmes to put their own stamp on them, but keep others because they are popular. In other instances, when a new government comes to power, many persons it suspects did not support it are made redundant, and its supporters assume their posts. This should not be the case, since any government formed by any party should be politically correct, and ethically responsible towards its citizens. Government should seek to unify, bring about solidarity, and not create dissention among its own people. When a government causes divisiveness through its policies, or the opposition seeks to belittle and devalue the policies of the government to score political points, this is not civilised political behaviour on the part of either party. And when people say ‘my party is in power now’, it suggests they should be giver greater preference over opposition supporters. This is unwholesome. In one Caribbean country, it is said that the civil service supports a particular party whether it is in power or not. Here, party and government are equated with each other, when they should be
always the best place to be when there is too much activity. A boat travelling to a location in the western portion of Guyana would encounter another heading in the opposite direction. A
head-on collision would be averted, but there will be contact, causing one of the boats to suffer extensive damage. Passengers would end up in the water but they would be rescued. ** How can one explain the accident that would be caused by a speeding motorist who is approaching a blind turn? Approaching at the same time would be another vehicle. People in both vehicles would be hurt.
technically distinct. When they are equated, it results in tensions, mistrust, anxiety, and insecurity, since some supporters with a militant attitude could cause issues, by calling for some opposition supporters to be dealt with. This is not democracy, and reflects an unenlightened view of the political process. Recently, the leader of the opposition in a Caribbean territory complained about the irregular operations of the House of Assembly as it is managed by the current government. The opposition leader stated that, instead of conducting regular parliamentary sessions, the current government has avoided holding them, despite pressing issues facing the territory. The opposition official noted further that House sessions, which must be held every six weeks, have been infrequent, and when held, have been cut short numerous times, and written questions have gone unanswered. Further, when parliament is convened, the government has failed to give adequate notice to the opposition. These charges reflect the helplessness of the opposition as a political party. It possesses fewer elected
members than the government, and does not control policy, but can influence it. The government, however, does not have to heed to its requests. It is the government that makes and executes policy. If the opposition party feels as it does about how parliamentary business is conducted, it should address these issues with the political directorate, to smooth out differences. If it sits on the periphery and trades punches, it could exhaust itself, while the government uses its political capital to make things happen, and because it is the government it is perceived as having the capacity to deliver. But the opposition party in such cases appears unable, and incapable of meeting even the minimal needs of the populace, since it lacks the resources, while the government possesses the resources of the state, and the private interests that support it. This is another instance where the
government dominates, and the political party with little influence barks, but lacks bite. Parliamentary politics in this instance, and others, seems not to be living up to what it promised, and constitutional politics appears to be a myth, since both can be manipulated and interpreted to mean different things at different times. So could it be that we have all been deceived into accepting without critique, the merits of parliamentary democracy, and are now experiencing the consequences? Further, is this what is meant by stating that in colonial systems, the character of the overseas dependency is shaped for good or ill by the mother country, and that different colonizing groups put their distinctive mark upon different Caribbean colonies? (Oliver Mills is a former lecturer in education at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus)
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Sunday May 11, 2014
Who will guard the bodyguard? - Gary Sinclair was watching his boss’ back…but no one was watching his… By Michael Jordan Even after 18 years, Gary Sinclair’s relatives are still apprehensive about talking about that night when the gunmen came for him; are still imploring me not to raise up a sleeping murder that can’t be solved; are telling me that they dread that the men who ambushed the bodyguard might now feel a need to come for them. At the time when this story began, 30-year-old Gary Alan Sinclair was living at Springlands, Upper Corentyne, with his reputed wife, Devi Kowlessar. You could say that he was a kind of jack-of-all trades….writing a few stories for a small newspaper from Berbice and working as a discjockey at a bar. He was also the close friend of a wealthy remigrant. After returning from overseas, the remigrant, along with two other Guyanese, had reportedly invested $250M in a sawmill at Springlands, Corentyne. But the investment soured. The remigrant, it is alleged, became embroiled with some of his partners over
the ownership of the sawmill. Threats were allegedly made, and it is even alleged that a US-based man was murdered. Five men were allegedly charged in connection with that case. Gary Sinclair found himself in the middle of the feud. A loyal employee, Sinclair reportedly became not just the businessman’s employee, but also his bodyguard. In late January, 1996, Sinclair reportedly wrote a letter to a close associate. The letter stated: “Amidst
the clutches of danger and fear, Corentyne remigrant and businessman (name of his employer given), who returned from America and invested $250M along with two other Guyanese in a small sawmill complex..has disclosed in an exclusive interview with me that he is presently living under extremely dangerous conditions where the safety of his life is concerned. “- -stated that his entire sawmill company is in dispute and is before the High Court
in Georgetown. Since 1992, several attempts had been made on his life but none had involved the services of hired gunmen. “ The businessman disclosed that on the evening of October 9, 1995, an armed assailant with an automatic weapon made entry into his yard and tried to kill him. The assailant’s weapon malfunctioned and so the attempt failed. “The informant disclosed that he (Sinclair’s boss) had to hire two armed guards from (name of security service given) from Corriverton and two of his own private security who keep vigil 24 hours. “A frustrated Mr.-pointed to November 5, 1995,
when four gunmen visited his premises and again on November 15 an 17, 1995. The gang…opened fire at the security guards hired by-“Mr.--described the movie-style shootout at his Princeton premises as acts to eliminate him so that his lion’s share of the disputed sawmill would be posthumous and uncontested. Mr.--reiterated that for some time now he cannot leave his home, since he is afraid that they will assassinate him, as they had done with another contesting shareholder, who died under questionable conditions. Mr.--is appealing to the Police Commissioner and the Home Affairs Minister to help safeguard his life s he could continue with future investments in Guyana…” But Sinclair then received word that the men who were trying to kill his boss also wanted him out of the way. The bodyguard took precautions to protect himself; reportedly buying a 9mm pistol in Suriname. On Old Year’s Night in 1995, he reportedly expressed fear for his life. On the night of Monday, January 15, 1996, residents of Springlands, Corentyne, where Sinclair resided, were startled by the sound of several gunshots. On eventually venturing outside, they found Sinclair’s bullet-riddled body outside his apartment. He had been shot at least eight times, apparently ambushed as he was entering his home. A shirt was left at the scene. Rumours surfaced that hit-men, hired from Suriname, had been paid a million guilders to execute Sinclair. According to reports, boat allegedly owned by a Suriname-based Guyanese who was said to be associated with the suspects,
was spotted in the area earlier in the day. It was claimed that the killers and a woman were ferried illegally into Guyana on the morning of Jan 15, 1996. And residents claimed to have heard someone trying to start a boat engine in the area shortly after the shooting. Sinclair’s boss described his murdered employee as “my manager, my adviser my friend and brother.” Two men who had lived in an apartment near to the slain bodyguard were detained briefly but eventually released with any charges. The bodyguard’s boss is said to have returned to the US. He had also alleged to Kaieteur News that he was in danger of former associates. Gary Sinclair ’s fate reminds one of the old Steel Pulse song. “Bodyguard I wouldn’t like your job Snakes in the grass say they know not God Polytricksters drinking human blood Concrete heart can hold no love I just can’t sorry for the bodyguard Bullet-proof vest strap to your chest Under your collar is getting hot whoa Who got a gun Who got a bomb Who got a knife Who’s gonna lose their life…” If you have any information about these unusual cases, please contact us by phone or at our Lot 34 Saffon Street location. We can be reached on telephone numbers 2258465, 22-58491, and 2258473. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s mjdragon@hotmail.com.
Sunday May 11, 2014
Kaieteur News
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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
The genes of an aging dinosaur Ethnic solidarity is perhaps the worst instinct in Homo sapiens. Ethnic solidarity is dangerous in the sense that though a person feels that he/she should support the race that he/she belongs to, there is very much alive the danger that this racial support could lead to the approval, acceptance and emotional embrace of the worst acts of depravities. Humans don’t have to look far from their eyes for the two most graphic examples – slavery of African people by the Caucasian race and Germany’s support for Hitler’s insane nationalism. Would it not be a fascinating study to probe the mind of someone like Rickey Singh or David Dabydeen and thousands of Guyanese East Indians that are like them? How could a Guyanese Indian who lived under the rule of the PNC Government beg American icon, Jimmy Carter, to come to Guyana to help bring democracy and he came and was accepted by the President of the PNC Government, but they support a PPP Government that has vilified the US Ambassador because he
brought a project to foster democracy in Guyana? Only two words can explain this – ethnic solidarity. For many Guyanese Indians like Rickey Singh, David Dabydeen and others, it was right for Carter to come and throw out a government that was predominantly African but it is wrong for the Americans to come today, to encourage democratic thinking because it is an Indian Government that is in power. Racial support blinds humans from seeing the immorality and ugly minds of those that belong to their own race group. This is certainly an evil fault of civilization. It is not only in the Jimmy Carter episode in Guyana that we see the evil of ethnic embrace, but in countless other sins of the PPP as an organization. How can any Indian Guyanese look at his/ her self in the mirror and pronounce the PPP as a better government than the PNC? The evidence that the two governments are identical is overwhelming. But this writer takes the view that the PPP is a greater evil than the PNC. This is my belief as a Guyanese citizen who has
decades of experience as a political activist, and decades of experience as a trained academic studying the politics and sociology of his country. What goes through the mind of someone like Rickey Singh or David Dabydeen who can criticize the PNC for rigging elections but look at the PPP’s attitude to elections in today’s Guyana? Almost every section of Guyana wants local government elections except the PPP. Wasn’t this the organization that cried for over twenty-five years for free and fair elections in Guyana? Look at the PPP’s attitude to free elections in today’s Guyana! It openly supported the retention of the then serving Chief Elections Officer when the proof against him as a fair administrator of national elections was as obvious as the greenness of the grass. After coming to power in 1992 and being in office for twenty-one years now, the world has seen the genes of this sixty-year-old dinosaur named the People’s Progressive Party. And the genetic blueprint is the flawed structure that philosopher
Arthur Koestler so beautifully described in his work. To the eyes of any decent human in or out of Guyana, this party is just sick with the pursuit of naked and absolute power. It would take an entire column (which is forthcoming) to describe the situation with Roger Luncheon. An ailing administrator who is physically burdened in major ways because of his prolonged illness, this man refuses to step down. Only one explanation is valid – the quest to continue in power. This columnist believes that in no other country such an anomaly would exist. In which other country would five or ten persons, behind closed doors, appoint
the leader of a political party rather than democratic voting in a free membership election? It doesn’t happen in the 2ist century. Only in Guyana. Only in the PPP. Mr. Ramotar was chosen as leader of the PPP and presidential candidate by appointment. Mr. Ramotar’s successor, Mr. Clement Rohee, was also appointed rather than elected. Where are the eyes of people who stood with the PPP from the time Jagan lost power in 1964 right up to 1992 when the PPP came to power? Surely they cannot be blind or stupid in that they cannot see that genetically the PPP is not an outfit that believes in some of philosophy’s sacred concepts like freedom, justice,
Frederick Kissoon liberty, equality, dignity of the human person, etc. Every day in Guyana we see policemen, party apparatchiks, party leaders, party supporters, families of party leaders committing the most heinous crimes that the PPP is unapologetic about. This would never be accepted in other countries. The PPP is genetically defective. The result is evil.
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Sunday May 11, 2014
Book Review… Tales of raw intensity hit the mark Book: Haiti Noir 2: The Classics Dr Glenville Ashby, Contributor Just when you thought you have read it all and have experienced the best of literary brilliance, there comes along an unrivalled work of narrative intensity, penned with a spellbinding authenticity. Haiti Noir 2 is just that work of art. An anthology of existential exigency, “Noir” probes into the soul of a people and nation like no other offering.... except with the exception of Marc Jacob’s “What a friend we have in Jesus.” Unlike the latter, though, this is a compilation offering a litany of woes on a personal and national level. Noir bleeds lust, violence, resistance, failed insurrections, greed,
angst, desperation, duplicity and even some wry and twisted humour. Every class strata is touched by despair, and every writer is the consummate griot, tugging away at the reader’s emotions with colour and realism. The stage is already set for an explosion with the opening salvo, “Preface to the life of a bureaucrat”, staged in the 1930s in an uppercrust setting that is riddled with shadism, colour and bloodline. The protagonist, though, wishes to ride the wave of his own creativity, but fails. Despair sets in and he must decide if he must surrender his pride and his personal ambition to
patronage and fall into the ranks of the entitled and wellheeled. It is a decision that preys on his conscience. Suicidal thoughts are not too far in the distance. And what is Haiti without its mystique, mystery and magic. ”A Strange Story,” The Enchanted Second Lieutenant,” “Oresca,” and “A white House with Pink Curtains in the Downstairs,” intrigue and dance to the other worldly imaginations of the hougan (obeah woman) and villagers who are steeped in superstition. But the very loins of this compilation are narrated in “Children of Heroes.” It is unmistakably wrenching and a tale that trumps all comers for its high voltage emotion and rawness. Here, the author tackles a domestic pathology
that is wrought with imminent death. It is told through the words of a frightened child, a witness to the deserved death of his father - at the hands of his sister. Was he an accomplice, equally culpable? Did his father die from the blow delivered by his sister or the fall made possible as he had clung to his son’s legs? In a twist of fate, Corazon was felled by the daughter he favoured. “Despite what people say we didn’t go out looking for it. It wasn’t cooked up in advance. Violence attracts more violence and when Mariela lifted up that wrench, she had become a kind of robot handpicked by Providence......The brutal end to a man who pummelled his wife ceaselessly seems almost a fitting end. A jolt of disturbia is painfully felt in “Things I know about Fairy Tales.” In “Heading South,” carnality is drenchingly erotic, with an energy that is almost tactile. But this is no mere tale of unbridled passion. There is an occult message. A gigolo named after the loa, Legba (known as the Trickster), unleashes a sexual volcano of unimaginable magnitude on a Christian woman, an encounter nudged on by her Christian husband who later is unable to resist Legba. Beneath the veneer of unbound lust, there is a religio-spiritual message. Is it a collision between Haiti’s Vodun and Christianity with the latter proving futile against the atavistic energy of the loas. And in the oral tradition of Haiti, the pride and revolutionary ethos of a people is forever present, etched in the cosmos and in something far more tangible. This is a unique artistry. In “Reve Haitien,” weapons are bough to ignite an insurrection against a dictatorial oligarchy. The “mulatoo,” conjuring images of Che is convinced that a small cache of weapons in the hands a determined army of
resistance will wrestle the levers of power from the few. “Honour and courage count for nothing...those people in the palace are cowards, okay? When the real fighting starts I assure you they will run. They will pack their blood money in their valises and run.” In the end, Che’s fate becomes his. Other failed revolutions in “The Mission,” and “Dame Marie” with its transcendental overtones characterise the indomitable spirit unmoved by ruthlessness. The struggle for the soul of Haiti simmers and boils, an ebb and flow of revolutionary fervour that arguably flies in the face of reason. The Haitian spirit is formidable, sacred at times but also incorrigible and rooted in the profane. Despair does the unthinkable. For authorship and narration, Haiti Noir 2 is a rare gem, the result of a team of
writers that display an enviable range of talent. Tone, colour, cadence, words and structure all cascade with goose-step precision. “Noir” is a pulsating sociopsychological commentary of an island-nation entwined in a paradoxical struggle to fulfill a historical will. But, alas, Haiti still buckles under its own weight, always. Some argue that it is a nation poisoned and enslaved by the very hands that liberated it centuries ago. Who knows? The jury is still out on this perplexing case. Feedback: glenvilleashby @gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby Haiti Noir 2: The Classics Edited by Edwidge Danticat Publisher: Akashic Books, New York, 2014 ISBN - 13: 978 -1-61775193-6 Available: amazon.com Rating: Highly recommended
Sunday May 11, 2014
Kaieteur News
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MY COLUMN
Many of us would be pretending today Today is the day when those of us who still have our mothers with us are going to join with the rest of the world to show our mothers that we love them. Some with money are going to pull out the stops for the poor woman who would not even know what to do with some of the things we are going to give them. There would be those who would try to keep up with the Joneses by forcing the old woman to dress up and accompany them to some restaurant where the food would make the old woman frown, because she knows that in her kitchen she could do so much more. Like most mothers who never had much to begin with, she would keep an eye on the tab, because she knows that on any other day her son would not give her a cent, because he would complain that he recently had some expenses and that he would get some money to her within a few days.
When it is all over and the smiles come out because the neighbours have seen a demonstration of love, life would continue until next year. When my mother lived in Guyana and I was a young man working away from home, I would ensure that I send her ‘small piece’ with a reminder that it was for Mother’s Day. My mother always wanted money, because feeding eight mouths and a husband who worked when he got the inclination, was not an easy task. Of course, things got better as we, the children, became older and began to contribute. My sisters were not too much about taking the old lady out, but there I was, having been indoctrinated by the middle class in Guyana, taking my mother out to lunch. I wanted her to eat in a restaurant, something that she never did for a series of reasons, one of them being a lack of finance.
Another reason was that the cost of the meal was enough to allow her to provide meals for eight, so being forced to be frugal she could never understand the rush to eat in restaurants. I remember taking her to Sand Hills one year. I was trying my best to impress her, so I ordered the soup as an entrée. “This soup is sheer water,” my mother told me. The chicken dish that she ordered followed. Then came the ice cream. “Boy, you know me and dem sweet things, but I glad you bring me. De only thing is that all that money that you spend we coulda really cook up something at home and everybody would have enjoyed it.” I had already left money for my sisters to really cook up a storm, but that was because I had the money to do it and because my ex-wife loved the family and she too loved to cook. However, I never took my mother out to lunch or dinner again. The
feast was always at home and the family got together for a day of skin-teeth, old fashioned tantalise and love, lots of it. She enjoyed the Winfield James show, so each year, whether I was there or not, I ensured that there were tickets for her and those of my sisters whom she wanted to take along. She is 90 now and living with a sister in Staten Island. She is going to get phone calls from all of us, not because we think that this is a special day because every day has been special; it is because we recognize that each day that we have her is Mother’s Day. I also reach out to those mothers who want to enjoy the day but cannot because there is no companion to help. I know three mothers who would make a pilgrimage to the Camp Street jail with something special for their sons. And they are going to cry, then beg their sons to change their ways.
One mother, Karen, would be crying unceasingly because her son was killed on Main Street, Cummingsburg, on Friday. She made a lot of children and she knew what it was to have a member of her household coming under the gun. During the crime wave, she had Axel Williams going after her husband, Lloyd. I remember doing the interview and Lloyd saying that this was the second time that they had “written on him” and that he was no slate. Karen walked the streets until she found Axel and she had a discussion with him and got his assurance that her husband would not be attacked again. She was that kind of woman who is a Mother Hen. I ran into some young women who have decided to spend the day cleaning their mothers’ tombs. That is nice, but I always say that my children would not have to do that. When I am gone I want to be cremated. No earthly
Adam Harris monument for me-no tombs to clean on Father’s Day. My employer is also good to poor mothers and he is going to attract a crowd around him today. But there is another thing. I do not see the flurry when Father’s Day comes around. A few times I got a special meal and on two occasions I got pedicures. These days I treat myself as I would today. I am going to cook myself something nice, drink a few shots of Vodka, then visit a relative who loves to make mothers special.
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Sunday May 11, 2014
What a hazard...that Environmental Tax (An edited, modified version of Khemraj Ramjattan’s address in Parliament on the Customs (Amendment) Bill 2013 – Bill No. 2/20130) Thank you very much Madam Deputy Speaker. The repercussions of not having this Bill passed ought to be understood by the Government, but apparently it does not want to. In that context then, when an Opposition, and a majority at that, requests a deferral, and the Government persists in pushing ahead with the Bill, it indicates that the Government does not appreciate the necessity for consulting, and the necessity for us and the public understanding all the issues. Now they are pleading with us, “Please, the passage of the Bill has implications for Guyana under the Treaty of Chaguaramas, and rights and obligations under the Caricom regime”. Also, they plead, ad terrorem, to us that they have litigation presently in the Caribbean Court of Justice that might very well jeopardise this country financially if we do not pass this Bill. I want to let this Parliament know that we in the AFC understand and
appreciate those arguments. But the Alliance for Change says that a tax is a tax! That is what this Bill is all about. This Government only wants to tax its people making us the most taxed country in the Englishspeaking Caribbean. The tax with which the principal Bill here is concerned is extraction of a $10 import duty for every bottle of beverage that comes into this country. There were and are implications in relation to this tax. These implications have been brought to the fore now that certain beverage companies in Suriname and Trinidad, being affected by this tariff, have instituted legal proceedings in the CCJ. This Government well knew that it was violating treaty obligations when it caused this $10 per bottle tariff to apply to and affect non-Guyanese manufacturers in Caricom. But it was glad for the billions it brought in to its coffers and did not care about the legality. The Government, instead of completely repealing this $10 per bottle environmental tax, runs here to fast-track a solution which now has an implication for our Guyanese manufacturers of bottled beverages. And, I daresay, further implications for
consumers here in Guyana who would want to purchase these bottled beverages. What this Government now wants to fast-track will jeopardise our local manufacturers. This it does by deviously stating an argument that goes thus: “Look, instead of the $10 per bottle we now extract as an environmental tax from the foreign manufacturers, we are now going to charge those people from outside $5 and our local manufacturers will have to pay the other $5”. This is what this Amendment is all about! That is not how I view how an investment climate should be fostered for our local manufacturers. I view it that if indeed there is a need for the environmental tax, let us drastically reduce it from this $10 per bottle and let it be applied across the board. But it has to be low enough to, firstly, be accommodating to our local manufacturers; and, secondly, not to disgruntle the CARICOM manufacturers. I spoke to a number of our top local businessmen and they are not in support of this Bill. They are saying that it is an additional tax of $5 on every bottle. This Government will say nothing about the sentiment of the local businessmen
concerning this Bill. In this case it will hide all that. But it will abundantly use NCN to say how the private sector feels about the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill though! I want to ask the question: “Where have all the monies gone which were collected thus far since the introduction of this environmental tax amendment under this Customs Act?” This Government collects $1.1 B almost every year since the tax was imposed. When we see what is happening in Georgetown, all that garbage and all that environmental hazard, we wonder whether what was collected is ever used. A little rain fell the other day and the whole, cursed city stinks! The businessmen who we spoke to, the manufacturers in the Private Sector Commission, and those in the Chamber of Commerce, and even in other places, privately and at social events such as cocktails ask: “Where is that money going to, Mr. Ramjattan?” I say to them, “I really do not know where it is going. But why don’t you ask President Ramotar when next you engage him on the AntiMoney Laundering Bill?”
Khemraj Ramjattan The discussion abruptly ends, invariably. The trouble is that we now have this kind of pitiful argument coming: “Oh, we are going to breach our treaty obligations if we do not get this National Assembly to pass it.” Utter nonsense! Treaty obligations have already been breached! I want us to understand that as a party on this side of the House, the Alliance for Change, we will not be induced or pressured by those arguments at all. We will bring the entirety of the issue to the public of Guyana at the appropriate time when it will matter. But let the ordinary canecutters and rice farmers and workers know what this Bill
means to them. Let me tell you, Honourable Attorney General, what it means to them. When you put that $5 per bottle on the Guyanese manufacturers it is the consumers that will have to pay more. But you do not want to tell them, the canecutters and the consumers, that. You do not want to indicate how significant that is an implication. No, this Government does not want to say that. Manufacturers do not like to take increased costs. They like to pass increased expenditures in production on to others. So this $5 a bottle will go down to the consumers. Consumers will have to pay more. Every little school child who wants a bottled beverage for his enjoyment or nutrition will have to pay more on the passage of this Bill. For these reasons then, this Bill is not going to get AFC’s support because as I said, a tax by any other name remains a tax. And this is what this Government loves to impose on its people, more taxes to cause them to suffer from higher prices as a result. For the sake of the people out there, the consumers and the manufacturing class, we are not going to support this Bill. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
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Kaieteur News
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SUNDAY SPECIAL MEDIA HOUSES RADIO LICENCES… UNTHINKABLE APPLICATIONS IGNORED FOR DECADES – US AMBASSADOR United States Ambassador, D. Brent Hardt has chided the Government of Guyana over what he calls the “censorship of the media”. The ambassador at a reception on May 2 to celebrate World Press Freedom Day criticized how Government has failed to properly address several pressing media problems. According to Ambassador Hardt, back in 2012 he had expressed his surprise at knowing that Guyana alone had complete state monopoly of the radio. He said that in other countries with their ubiquitous “call-in shows” was a vital public forum, but in Guyana there is no such counterpart. “Two years later it’s certainly disappointing that radio in Guyana still falls short of offering an open public square for debate and discussion,” Hardt told invitees. He stressed that the International Press Institute (IPI) report made it clear when they said that “attempts to diversify the sector have been consistently stonewalled…a number of independent media outlets…have had their broadcast applications denied or ignored in some cases for more than 20 years”. According to the Ambassador “it’s unthinkable that the licence applications for certain media have been delayed or ignored for nearly two decades”. Ambassador Hardt made a further call for the newlyconstituted Broadcasting Authority to immediately undertake a speedy and fair review of any outstanding
licence applications and to ensure that all applicants are subjected to independent review. Hardt said that IPI also raised an issue he has long found perplexing, which is the use of the term “opposition media” to describe any media institution that is not controlled by the government. INTERNALAUDIT MAY SERVE TO COVER UP CORRUPTION For years, the political opposition has been critical of the fact that some Government Ministries have been slow to act when it comes to complying with the recommendations of the Auditor General in relation to financial irregularities. The Ministry of Finance established last year, an internal auditing department to ensure compliance by Ministries with the said recommendations. While just a few of the opposition members believe that the move is a commendable one, some question whether the division, while being under the wings of the Ministry of Finance, would be allowed to operate without interference. It is also feared that the Internal Auditing Division may only serve to protect weak systems that encourage
corruption. Last week, Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, explained that while the Ministry of Finance would have made this move with seemingly good intentions, he is very much opposed to the “internal auditing system” which is housed in the Ministry of Finance. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, during his 2014 budget speech, explained that the internal audit capability continues to be strengthened with a highlevel oversight committee, the Internal Audit Division. The centralized internal audit staff will be tasked with reviewing findings in the Audit Office’s annual report and followingup with Government Agencies to ensure compliance with the relevant laws and regulations.
US. Natasha George, 36, her friend, Simone Pryce, 36; Pryce’s reputed husband, Alex Blair, 42 and their son, six-year-old Jahaquel Blair, all succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), after frothing at the mouth and collapsing with agonizing stomach cramps. The couple’s 12-year-old son, Jamal Waterman, who also ingested the substance, was admitted in a critical but stable condition at the GHC). It is believed that he may have survived because he spat out the substance and also drank some fruit juice afterwards. Kaieteur News was told that ranks from the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit tested the substance and confirmed that the ‘tonic’ contained cocaine “in the purest form.” TUESDAY EDITION
MONDAY EDITION TRAGEDY ROCKS EAST LA PENITENCE…CHILD, THREEADULTS DEAD AFTER CONSUMING COCAINE-LACED TONIC A six-year-old boy and three adults from East La Penitence died last Sunday after unwittingly ingesting the contents of a bottle of SSS tonic, which was laced with liquefied cocaine and was to have been smuggled to the
PPP ACCUSES US AMBASSADOR OF MEDDLING IN LOCAL POLITICS Tensions between the government and the US Embassy escalated last weekend with the ruling party labeling the US Ambassador as a meddler in local politics. This was following criticisms by Ambassador D. Brent Hardt, on Friday, of Government’s hand in
censoring the local media. The ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in a statement late Saturday night titled “Journalists must recommit to Guyana’s developmental agenda”, was harsh in its assessment of the diplomat. “US Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Brent Hardt, a known meddler in local politics, must be rebuked for his assertion that censorship of the media is practiced by the government. At the same time he purposefully ignores the Opposition slashing of the budgetary resources for NCN and GINA. This exposes the political duplicity of this individual.” The party insisted that it is supportive of fair and objective journalism and “demands an end to the callous, personalised attacks which are most times riddled with libel and defamation against the President, his cabinet Ministers and public officials.” The relations between the US and Guyana have been strained in recent times, over a controversial democracy project that is being implemented in the National Assembly. One of the objectives of the project is to bring more awareness of the need for local government elections which were last held almost two decades ago. TALKS ONGOING WITH NBS OVER $15M CEILING APPLICATION – FINANCE MINISTER Government is in continuing discussion with the New Building Society (NBS) over an application to raise its lending ceiling. Over the weekend, Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, said that the Ministry has indeed received an application for the ceiling to be hiked from $12 to $15M. The statement did not immediately indicate when the application was made. Recently, sources of that premier mortgage institution expressed concern over the application that they said remained in limbo for over
three years. According to the Minister, he has been in contact with the relevant stakeholders. “The Ministry has, and maintains an open line of communication with NBS. It has enjoyed a professional working relationship with the society. Since the matter is pending and discussions are ongoing, it would be inappropriate and premature for my office to disclose the details of such.” Dr. Singh said that NBS should “seek clarification” on the pending application. “Since your publication cannot name the person who you claim speaks on behalf of the NBS, I am left to assume that this phantom character does not have the authority to represent NBS, but instead that this “source” aims to disrupt current talks between my Ministry and the Society for ulterior reasons.” With a dramatic increase in lending in recent years because of a major housing drive, applications for mortgage financing have seen a sharp spike. The commercial banks and NBS have been reporting increased profits. WEDNESDAY EDITION WORK PERMIT REVOCATION…IT MEANS MR. BRADBURY IS TO LEAVE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT– ROHEE “The letter that he received, I think mentioned with immediate effect, so if Mr. Bradbury remains here and continues to work here, he is obviously violating the immigration laws of Guyana and he must be aware of that.” This was the assertion of General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, as he spoke in favour of Government’s decision to revoke the work permit of Glenn Bradbury. Bradbury is the Principal Official of the International (Continued on page 45)
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The pursuit of truth and the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry The Commission of Inquiry now in session is set to miss the chance to pursue the truth about Dr. Walter Rodney’s death. There has always been widespread support for the establishment of a commission of inquiry. The stated objective: “To inquire into and report on the circumstances surrounding the death in an explosion of the late Dr. Walter Rodney,” that occurred on 13th June 1980 in Georgetown, is uncontentious. The Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry was established on the authority of the President of the Republic on 6th February 2014. The three Commissioners - Sir Richard Cheltenham, Queen’s Counsel, of Barbados (Chairperson), Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, Queen’s Counsel, of Jamaica and Seenath Jairam, Senior Counsel, of Trinidad and Tobago – were sworn in on 25th February. The Commission’s first Term of Reference – TOR (I): “To examine the facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of, and
subsequent to, the death of Dr. Walter Rodney in order to determine, as far as possible, who or what was responsible for the explosion resulting in the death of Dr. Walter Rodney,” is uncontroversial. The Inquiry’s main aim should be to find out what happened and how it happened. The general view is that the purpose of an inquiry should not be to ascertain civil or criminal liability or to determine blameworthiness of any person or agency involved in the event being inquired into. That is the task for a court of law. Objections have therefore been raised to TOR (IV). This required the Commission: “to examine and report on the actions and activities of the state, such as the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana National Service, the Guyana People’s Militia and those who were in command and superintendence of these agencies to determine whether they were tasked with the surveillance of and the carrying out of actions
and whether they did execute those tasks and carried out those actions against the Political Opposition for the period 1st January 1978 to 31st December 1980.” The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) also raised objections to that TOR in particular. The Association expressed the view that the proposed Terms of Reference had “greater potential for reviving, rather than healing, ethnic division in Guyana. In this respect, the clause [TOR (IV)] provides an opportunity…for generating a stream of horror stories from that era into the work of the Commission, with rich potential for stirring up Indo-Guyanese resentment against the PNC.” TOR IV, therefore, is tendentious, malicious and incongruous with TOR (I). It is a deliberately diversionary smokescreen which would obscure “the circumstances surrounding the death” of Dr. Walter Rodney and it is likely to constrain the Commission’s pursuit of the truth. The PPPC administration, in drafting the terms of
reference in this peculiar manner, opened the floodgates to ‘hearsay’ evidence. Human memory, after 34 years, can be contaminated by political propaganda, prejudice and partiality. Human memory is capable of playing tricks with the recollection of past events. It will be difficult, as has already been shown, to separate fact from fiction and ‘premonition.’ The President has been urged to consult with interested parties to re-draft appropriate Terms of Reference which are more likely to be widely accepted. This has not been done. The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), as a consequence, declined to ‘cooperate’ with the Commission of Inquiry under the present Terms of Reference. It did nominate a legal team, however, and started and will continue to participate in its proceedings. PNCR leader Brigadier David Granger wrote both President Donald Ramotar and Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry Sir Richard Cheltenham to that effect. The People’s Progressive Party Civic administration seems to be more interested in seeking to gain a political advantage by unashamedly provoking resentment
against the PNCR rather than in pursuing the truth about Dr Rodney’s death. The PPPC over the past 20 years has made several sensational but superficial and insincere gestures. These included awarding Dr. Rodney a posthumous ‘Order of Excellence,’ establishing the Walter Rodney Chair of History at the University of Guyana and designating the National Archives as the ‘Walter Rodney Archives.’ The PPPC has deliberately ignored the facts that the PNC administration initiated and concluded an inquest in 1988. The PPPC refused to acknowledge the recommendations of the International Commission of Jurists in 1995. The PPPC, the original authors of a Motion in the National Assembly that called for the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to investigate Dr. Rodney’s death, hid under a specious excuse and abstained from voting on its own Motion in 2005. The PNCR and the Guyana Action PartyWorking People’s Alliance (GAP-WPA) supported that Motion. The PPPC has now deliberately waited on the onset of local government
elections with the intention of diverting public attention from the prevalent problems of crime, corruption, incompetence and conflict within the PPP itself. The Commission was actually sworn in only in February when it was given the unrealistic deadline to “render its report, findings and recommendations to the President within four months…” This timeframe is aimed, theatrically, not at thoroughness but at the observance of Dr. Rodney’s death anniversary in June, now less than five weeks away! Guyanese should be aware that these contrivances – the timing of the Inquiry 34 years after the incident; the four-month deadline for the submission of the report; the relaxation of the rules of evidence; the insertion of TOR (IV); the live streaming of testimony over stateowned radio and the hysterical headlines in the state-owned media – are all part of a planned political propaganda programme. The entire performance is aimed at seeking to damage the reputation of the PNC administration and to impugn the character of public servants who served our country at the time of Dr. Rodney’s death. The PPPC has no interest in the pursuit of the truth!
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‘Iron Lady’ and community stalwart…
Edith Bynoe
EDITH BYNOE IS A ‘SPECIAL PERSON’ By Leon Suseran
Throughout her career, Edith Bynoe née Telford has been an ‘Iron Lady’ in the political arena, and has helped to shape that landscape. She says she loves to challenge men and champion the rights of women. And she always wins. She has dutifully represented the interests of a wide cross-section of Guyanese and can be duly considered a role model. EARLYYEARS This proud Berbician has her roots in Canje—-New Forest to be specific. Edith was born to educator Susan Moriah and Moses Theophilus Telford, a boat captain of the S.S. Tarpon (which plied the GeorgetownMabaruma route). She attended St. John’s Anglican School after which she received her secondary education in New Amsterdam. After school, she taught briefly at St. John’s, assisting her mother, the Deputy Head Mistress. Her father died when she was only four, leaving her mother to care for two children. The couple was just about to get married. Young Edith grew up close to an aunt, Marianne McKenzie, who ensured she had a very strict upbringing. She admits that this was priceless later in life. After studies at the Adult Being sworn in as a Parliamentarian in the presence of Speaker Sase Narine, Clerk Frank Narine and the Deputy Clerk.
“I like to fight battles-with men-at organizational levels. When it comes to organizations, I like to see things go right!” Education Association, she was successful at the Senior Cambridge Exam. She then ventured into volunteerism for awhile. Her initial stint was as Secretary of the Parent-Teacher Association of St. John’s Anglican. The Guyana Federation of Women Institute, an organization for rural women, funded by the Government, was formed under her stewardship. That group led the way for her, so to speak. She assumed the Presidency, following which she was elected at the Regional and Executive level in the late 1950s. She enjoyed working with the groups of women, learning skills such as icing cakes, home-making, conducting conferences, etc. POLITICALCAREERAND COMMUNITY WORK At the age of 21, Edith worked as a Poll Clerk during the very first elections in British Guiana for Universal Adult Suffrage, and embarked on what would be a very exciting and fulfilling political career. Young lawyer Forbes Burnham was in New Amsterdam working on a case, Benfield vs Leelawattie, she recalled, and everyone
was anxious to see him. She then became associated with both Cheddi Jagan and Burnham and joined the People’s National Congress (PNC) after the split in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). She recalled walking long distances campaigning in those days. Then her community work began as she was vociferous in acquiring things for the communities of Canje and other areas, such as drainage and infrastructure. As if that workload was not enough, Edith joined the Guyana Prison Service in the 1960s. She was also an active member of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and Rice Farmers’ Association, visiting far-flung communities. “When rice farmers complained—I made it my duty to make representation for them—tractors, etc and they used to get it—For example, I got drainage for them at a place called ‘Speculation’.” “Many times when I came from the fields and from meetings, I had to rush in to the prisons to get to work…I was tired but yet I felt I was doing something for people,”
she reflected. Mrs. Bynoe was instrumental in the formation of a Prison Officers’ Credit Union (still in existence today), and became the first woman to hold the office of President of the Berbice branch of the entity. Additionally, she was a member of the Executive body and “I fought a lot of issues especially in them getting their uniforms on time.” She, too, suffered in getting uniforms and challenged her superiors, including the then Director of Prisons. She “rebelled” and wore civilian wear with psychedelic colours one day to work. The Director and members of the Visiting Committee visited the prisons on that day and after seeing and speaking with Bynoe, they all got their new uniforms soon after. They wanted shoes during another year, “so we decided to let the media to know about it”. She got into a bit of trouble with her superiors again, but got what she wanted. Mrs. Bynoe was instrumental, through her community activism to then Minister of Education, Mrs. Winifred Gaskin, to get the Zorg Primary School at her
home village of New Forest, built via self-help in 1966. She also made representation to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for a piece of land in Canje where cotton was being planted and not being utilized, so that farmers could plant “and every soul there had a piece of land to plant…Whatever I did was in the interest of everybody, because they were my people! I always liked challenges; I always used to look after the people in Canje…I was like a mother of the ‘bad boys’.” ‘“I like to fight battles-
with men-at organizational levels!” “When it comes to organizations, I like to see things go right,” she asserted. She also fought for the men at the Berbice Mining Enterprises and was instrumental, through Prime Minister Burnham, in letting the workers who had to walk long distances, have buses take them to work. The Mayor & Town Council of New Amsterdam was next in line to benefit from the determined voice of Mrs. Bynoe calling for a car for that (Continued on page 30)
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EDITH BYNOE IS A ‘SPECIAL PERSON’ From page 29 entity’s Mayor. “Georgetown, Linden, Rose Hall, and Corriverton’s Mayors all had cars and the Mayor of N/A Anthony Johnson used to ride a bicycle. So I asked at a General Council meeting, how is it that N/A was the first town of Guyana and they hadn’t a car….And that’s how the town got a car.” PARLIAMENTAND OTHER PURSUITS In 1974, she entered the National Assembly. Her village-folk, friends and families (of all political persuasions) in East Canje, threw her a big celebration. “The people in New Forest— all who were PPP, PNC or The United Force (TUF), all had a big function for me.” “I worked so well, maybe, in the Ministry of National Development, that I was appointed Member of Parliament.” In 1975, she was appointed Junior Minister within the Ministry of Trade, with specific responsibility to consumer protection. She was later appointed to Junior Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister in 1979. She worked under the then Prime Minister, Dr. Ptolemy Reid.
Mrs. Bynoe was also a member of the Women’s Revolutionary Socialist Movement (Congress of Women). She represented women in different countries such as Cuba and Mexico. While in politics, she took courses in Effective Communication and Public Relations at the University of Guyana Extra Mural Arm at Ogle. “I always try to set examples. You cannot tell people to do something and then you are not making an attempt to do it. That’s not nice. When you are a leader, you do not live your own life. Many times you will wonder what the community will say or what they will think about you, so you have to live a life that’s pleasing to the community.” Mrs. Byone was also involved in Co-ops. She was instrumental in the operation of the Tucber Housing Co-op, and as Secretary, did a lot of work in overseeing houses that were built and that contractors gave homeowners their money’s worth. She also visited Canada and represented the Co-op there. “It’s amazing that we (in Guyana) are far ahead!” Today, she still voices concerns about her community, especially
Taking the Oath of Office as Junior Minister within the Ministry of Trade, before President Arthur Chung
regarding the roads. “Right now I am hawking for the roads to see how much can be done… I am hoping the Regional Administration will do a little bit every year… the bad parts of the road.” Edith is married to Mr. Prince Bynoe, and they have five lovely children: Walsham aka Prince, Jr.; Penelope,
Paulette, Lorraine and Byran, with eleven grandchildren and six great-grands. “I have lived a good life,” she asserted. “I have helped people in many ways, even those whom I did not know.” She is insistent that women need to continue to stand up for their rights. She has represented them at different forums. In fact, in Parliament, she even successfully advocated for the banning of one of the Mighty Sparrow’s songs which said about women,
“Black up dey eye, bruise up dey knee, then dey love you eternally!” “I banned it! I said, ‘no’, we cannot tolerate a song like that when we want to give women confidence in themselves…and then a man coming and sing a song like that. What message is that sending? That song was banned since the seventies.” “Women need to assert themselves…have confidence in themselves, and believe in who they are.” During her leisure time,
Edith dances quite a bit. “I also enjoy writing…I love reading and I love to travel, as well as baking.” It should be noted that among other significant achievements for this remarkable lady include being the first woman on the Berbice Bauxite Board and first woman, too, on the National Land Selection Committee in the then government. Having spent over 55 meaningful years in the political arena, Edith Bynoe can surely be deemed a ‘Special Person.’ Another busy morning at the office for Minister Bynoe (1980)
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THE ETHICS OF JOURNALISM It is a known fact that reporting or journalism is, among other things, geared towards being a watchdog entity over the state as well as keeping account of the historical timeline of occurrences. These two functions are very important, since on one hand there is preservation of history and on the other, there is the need to keep those entrusted with power within the public and private spheres accountable. Some might ask the question while we watch over the world who watches over us? And this is where the journalistic code of ethics comes into play and the imperative need for journalists to always operate within its guidelines. Since journalists are trusted with the role of keeping others accountable, it is only fair that journalists carry themselves in such a manner so as not to bring disrepute in the production, assimilation and execution of the work that they do and the organization that they represent. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) holds firmly to the belief that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. “The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility.” The SPJ has outlined four primary functions that reporters and journalists should live by, those being to seek the truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently and be accountable. In seeking the truth, according to the SPJ, journalists should test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent errors. According to the society “deliberate distortion is never permissible” and one should “diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them
the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.” Further, the SPJ says, journalists should identify sources whenever feasible since “the public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources’ reliability” and “always question their sources motives before promising anonymity as well as clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information”. Journalists should “make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context. Never distort the content of news photos or video but image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.” Additionally they should “avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story.” Moreover journalists should “never plagiarize and tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when
it is unpopular to do so. Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others,” says the journalistic body. “Stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status should also be avoided.” (ibid) According to the SPJ, journalists should “support the open exchange of views, even views they find repugnant, give voice to the voiceless and while official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid, they should distinguish between advocacy and news reporting.” In the pursuit of truth they should also “distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two as well as recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection.” (Ibid) The SPJ very importantly outlines that journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public’s right to know and as such they should “avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived and remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage
credibility.” Furthermore, they should “refuse gifts, favours, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.” (Ibid) They should also be “vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Deny favoured treatment to
advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage. Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news,” says the SPJ. According to the SPJ, journalists are also accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other hence the reason why they should “clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.” Journalists should “encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media. Admit mistakes and correct them promptly. Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media and abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.” In the minimization of harm, journalists should show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage says the SPJ. They should “use special
sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects and recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort.” (Ibid) The SPJ states that journalists should recognize also that the “pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance and recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention.” “Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.” Moreover, the SPJ says that journalists should “show good taste and avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.” (Ibid) It is within those confines that journalists should operate so that they can give credence to the important and imperative profession that they represent.
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IMMIGRATION INFO: Attorney Gail S. Seeram, Gail@GailLaw.com Through this “Question & Answer” column, our goal is to answer your immigration questions. We appreciate your comments and questions. If you have a question that you would like answered in this column, please email: Gail@GailLaw.com. Question #1: Recently (in May) my husband and I along with his grandfather applied for a non-immigrant visa to visit the USA. Our interview was held on the 4th
Sunday May 11, 2014
Immigration News For Our Community
June 2013, however only my husband’s grandfather got through with his visa. My husband and I are married almost a year now and we never travelled before and we don’t have kids as yet, I am wondering if that could be the cause for our rejected visa application. I need some advice on what we should do before reapplying, because we want to spend Thanksgiving this year in the USA with our relatives. Answer #1: To be eligible for a B-1/B-2 tourist visa, you have to prove that you have strong financial, employment and family ties to your native
country and will not emigrate to the destination country. If you have a pending immigration petition, such as an I-130, this will show you have the intent to leave your native country and your application for a tourist visa may be denied. Question #2: I sponsored my son who is over 21 years in January 2008 while being a permanent US resident. He has a common law wife from a religious marriage in February 2006 and together they have a son born in October 2007. I became a citizen in February of this year and the Visa centre has
since upgraded the status to the F-1 category upon my request and informed me that my case is being processed and they would inform me through a package of the next step. Having said this, I would like to know if he can get married legally now so that so that his family can travel with him, if not, please advise what is the best possible option. Answer #2: If your son marries his common law wife, then the petition will change from F-1 (unmarried child of a U.S. citizen) to F-3 (married child of a U.S. citizen). Currently for F-1 category petitions, visas are available for petitions filed on or before March 2007. For F-3 category petitions, visas are available for petitions filed on or before September 2003. So, if your son marries, he would have to wait five more years, verses one more year for his immigrant visa (green card). He should not get married now. When he enters the U.S. and gets his green card, then he can return to Guyana and get married. Once married, then he can file an immigrant petition for his wife and child and the wait will only be 1-2 years. Question #3: I have a daughter who was born in the USA but we both live in Guyana with her father, my husband. She is seven years old, we all go for vacation in the summer and return to Guyana where we live. I would normally purchase a round trip ticket - from Guyana to the US and back to Guyana but someone told me that I have to purchase a return ticket for her showing that she is returning to the US. This would mean me buying for her a round trip ticket and one for her returning back to the US. Is this a law? Also, we her parents, are just holders of US visas.
Answer #3: You do not need to buy a single trip ticket for your daughter. As a U.S. citizen, she is permitted to live outside the U.S. if she chooses without any penalty to her U.S. citizen status. So, she is not in jeopardy of losing her U.S. citizenship. Question #4: I would like to find out about my common law husband of 19 years who has been sponsored by his mother in the F-1 category, and my two daughters age 7 and 14. What will be my part in the immigration law if I marry him and want to go with my family? How long will it take? Answer #4: See Answer #1 – He can only marry you if his mother is a U.S. citizen. A permanent resident (green card) cannot file for a married child over age 21. If his mother is a U.S. citizen and he decides to marry you then the wait for the visa will be 34 years longer. ******** ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE RECORDSAVAILABLE ON-LINE FOR PAST FIVE YEARS If you are a non-immigrant U.S. visitor seeking access to your I-94 arrival/departure record for any point within the past five years, on May 1, 2014, Custom & Border Protection (CBP) launched a new webpage that will allow you to retrieve this information. The portal will provide you access to the date and port of entry of your arrivals and departures from the United States for the past five years. When you visit https:// i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/ request.html you can retrieve your I-94 arrival/departure record number and five-year travel history by entering your name, date of birth, and passport information.
Gail S. Seeram Clicking on “Get Travel History” will return a fiveyear travel history based on the I-94 records, which you also can print. Clicking on “Get Most Recent I-94” will return the I94 number, most recent date of entry, class of admission and admit-until date. Please note that the system does not reflect changes of status, extension of stay or adjustments of status granted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. You then have the option to print the record. WHAT HAPPENS AT THE PORT OF ENTRY WHEN I ENTER THE UNITED STATES? Upon arrival, a Custom & Border Protection (CBP) officer stamps the travel document (passport) of each arriving non-immigrant traveler with the admission date, the class of admission, and the date that the traveler is admitted until. WHAT HAPPENS AT THE PORT OF ENTRY WHEN I DEPART THE UNITED STATES? CBP will record the departure electronically via manifest information provided by the carrier or by CBP. So, non-immigrant travelers are no longer required to surrender the previously issued paper Form I-94. The current processing time for entering foreign visitors’ travel information into the I-94 database is 30 days or more. Our office recommends all travelers to access their digital Form I-94, review and print the information for accuracy upon their arrival into the U.S. As with any process that is electronic, there may be errors and you want to ensure that your arrival and departure records are correct so you have no problems or issues with your next entry into the U.S. and with future adjustment of status. The new automation process for Form I-94 only applies to passengers entering the U.S. with a nonimmigrant visa – it does not apply to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card holders).
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LBI Secondary-an institution on a mission to make a noticeable impact
Displaying some of the coveted trophies won at national competitions By Sharmain Grainger The notion that there are only a few schools that produce the best performers or have the best teachers has long become a thing of the past in Guyana. And a number of schools, at various levels, have been producing the needed results to substantiate this laudable development. Among them is a school that certainly isn’t listed among the ‘top bracket’ schools, but has a population (both teachers and students) that is intent on ensuring that its performance is firmly etched in local academic history. That school is La Bonne Intention (LBI) Secondary, situated on the East Coast of Demerara. In 2012 the school attained secondary status and is currently classified as a Grade ‘C’ school with just under 500 students and a teaching staff of 26. But this institution has in a matter of years proven that it is a force to be reckoned with. This was particularly evident when a team headed by ‘Sir’ Reyon Frederick, Head of Science at the School, participated recently in both the regional and national science fairs, which were held under the theme ‘Providing Solutions for the 21st century’. Moreover, the students with the keen guidance of their teacher embarked on a project which defined their view of a solution that has the potential of being worthwhile and long-lasting. Explaining the project to this publication recently was ‘Sir’ Reyon, who disclosed that three Grade 10 students Narayan Sikandar, Nandanie Makhanlall and Nadia Mangra - together came up
with the idea for the project. And so with the theme in mind, they concluded that their project must not only emphasize sustainability but also cost effectiveness. Moreover, the team members soon had their eyes trained on one of the most common materials around – plastic. Having accumulated enough to make a miniature walkway, the students, with the support of their teacher, were able to highlight how a person could easily build a durable walkway. The project entitled ‘Paving the way using plastic’, was brought into being simply by cutting plastic bottles into strips and gluing them together using a paste made of styrofoam and gasoline. The idea behind this invention, ‘Sir’ Reyon explained, was to create a walkway that was cheaper than the customary concrete walkway. “Plastic bottles could take as much as 450 years to biodegrade; I’ll be gone, my children will be gone, my grandchildren will be gone and that plastic bottle walkway will still be there,” the Science teacher confidently asserted. He pointed to the fact too that the project is one that takes advantage of recycling, since it was done by utilizing waste materials from around the environment. “This doesn’t require you to invest too much money; it is cheap and it is also sustainable because 100 years from now plastic bottles will still be around,” he emphasized. With the completed project, the school was able to participate in the Ministry of Education’s Region Four Science fair which was held
at the Diamond Secondary School, East Bank Demerara. The fair saw schools from across Region Four showcasing various innovative projects in the quest to compete for favourable recognition. At the end of the fair it was LBI Secondary that was able to take away the first place prize for the environmental science category of the competition as well as first place prize for the best overall project in the secondary division. The school also secured the first place prize for its project booklet which clearly explained what the project was all about. And so understandably they were afforded the opportunity to head to Anna Regina, in Region Two, to participate in the National Science Fair with schools from across the country. And although they were required to ‘face-off’ with students from some of the country’s top secondary schools, Narayan Sikandar - who was deemed the project engineer of his team - insisted that he was in no way intimidated. In fact he simply described the experience as “awesome.” But is wasn’t merely experience that the LBI Secondary School team walked away with at the end of the national fair, as their project was again adjudged first place in the environmental science category. The outstanding achievements have given the LBI School confidence that “just about anything is possible once you put your mind to it.” And according to ‘Sir’ Reyon, the next move for the school is to participate in the Sagicor Visionary Challenge later this year, a
regional Science competition aimed at promoting Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subject areas. The challenge, which is done in collaboration with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), targets secondary school students who are encouraged to identify a challenge facing their respective school, a school of choice, or community, and using STEM to develop effective, innovative and sustainable solutions to the challenge identified. This challenge will see the winning school being able to secure enormous benefits, including a trip to Tampa Bay, Florida, United States. “We are confident that we will be on that flight to Florida…It would be a great joy to achieve that,” said an
understandably optimistic ‘Sir’ Reyon. He disclosed that although the school hasn’t a Science Department, since becoming a secondary level institution more efforts have been directed towards encouraging students to indulge in the sciences. In fact, the school has for the first time this year enlisted students to write science subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level. According to Head Master Sir Nardeo Persaud, there is no doubt that the students of the LBI Secondary School have the potential to reach higher heights, even as he predicted that the school will yield outstanding results when the CSEC results are unveiled this year. As such, he noted that he
and his teaching staff, with the support of the ParentTeacher Association (PTA), are prepared to do everything possible to ensure that the performance at LBI Secondary does not go unnoticed. “In this school we don’t see ourselves as individuals, but as a family, and so we work together for the common good of all our children and these achievements have given us a further push to strive to do even better,” noted ‘Sir’ Persaud. And since getting the school to a better standing is not merely the work of the teachers, PTA President Edwin Orford, highlighted that he and the other PTA members have been nothing but supportive to every achievement that the school (Continued on page 43)
Teachers of the LBI Secondary School in the company of PTA President, Edwin Orford, at extreme right.
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Sunday May 11, 2014
The future of education: Technology in the classroom By Rabindra Rooplall It is clear that the technology landscape continues to evolve and bring new opportunities for schools and educators. With the advent and widespread adoption of tablets, mobile devices, mobile applications and digital content, students will expect more technology in classrooms and more interaction via software and digital content as they learn. Guyana will be following many countries that have implemented the “smart classrooms”. Neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago for instance will be rolling out a pilot programme in 20 schools this year for the smart school project. Local Tech giant STARR Computers and a Samsung team have met with President Donald Ramotar who has endorsed the initiative to the fullest and promised to work to set up Guyana’s first Smart School. The pilot project will be launched shortly and can take up to 100 days to become operationalised. All installations will be done by Starr Computer and powered by Samsung tablets, smartphones and phablets. Most modern classrooms are now connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi or wireless
broadband. The expectation is that today’s students should be prepared not only for success in deploying tomorrow’s technological skills, but for an interactive learning environment. Samsung said it was piloting Smart Schools in 24 countries. The most advanced projects include schools in its home city of Seoul, South Korea, in Sydney, Australia, and in Memphis, in the United States. (Last year, Samsung USA made a YouTube video about its school.) It has now started a pilot in the United Kingdom. In its Smart School pilot projects, Samsung has been supplying teachers and some whole classes with their own personal devices. The Smart Classroom Solution is a complete digital education package consisting of Samsung tablets, a server and software, according to Samsung’s Head of Enterprise Division Marco Osio, while he was in Guyana. As such, using this Android-based system, teachers can watch their students’ screens remotely and lock them if necessary. They can also display students’ screens on an interactive whiteboard. The Samsung team also
A classroom in one of the ‘Smart Schools’ noted that given the potential benefits of solutions like the Samsung Smart School solution, educators cannot afford to shy away from these new technologies and their impact on student achievement, classroom management, and overall school performance. Education investments need to focus on tools that provide value by motivating students to be active participants in their own education. “Education today must include a technology
strategy for the classroom and school-wide learning environment. Technology provides the means to help keep students engaged, foster a positive learning experience, provide more personalized attention, improve classroom management, and mitigate the digital divide by providing access to technology at school for those students who may not have access at home. Educators cannot ignore the potential benefits of tablets and the opportunities afforded by bringing an integrated set of hardware and software solutions in to the classroom,” Samsung’s Manager, Regional Solutions, Arsenio Ramos Leguizamon said when he was in Guyana recently. “Education investments in technology will continue to morph from investments to connect and deliver content
to tools that actually provide educational value by securely improving student collaboration and motivating students to learn.” It was underscored that the youths of today are so technologically savvy that statistics show that participatory learning and interactivity in a “Smart Classroom” increased learning retention of materials from interactive teaching. Indeed, Internet access has substantially changed the nature of education. Classrooms are no longer learning islands; they can be global collaborative learning centres. The growth of Internet access and connectivity in schools, coupled with digital content development and learning management systems, has enabled the start of real-time communications between students, teachers and parents. Online course development and
instructional design, learning management systems, interactive multimedia-based learning, individualized selfpaced learning, and online communities of excellence afford the opportunity for all schools to access the tools and information needed for effective student learning. The expectation is that today’s students should be prepared not only for success in deploying tomorrow’s technological skills, but for an interactive learning environment. According to President of Starr Computers, Michael Mohan, Samsung’s Smart School solution represents an important part of continued effort to deliver the classroom of the future, today and the innovations offer added value by giving instructors the tools they need to engage students, elevate learning and foster a truly interactive classroom learning environment.
This happens only once every 823 years! Wonder who figures these things out. How cool is this? This will be the only time you see this phenomenon in your life.
August 2014
August, this year, will have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens only once every 823 years. The Chinese call it ‘Silver pockets full.”
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GNCPP expresses concerns over government’s response to LEAD project By Zena Henry The public policy think tank group, the Guyana National Council on Public Policy (GNCPP) has expressed concerns over what it believes could be, “the negative impact that the Political System’s actions, over the United Statesassisted Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Project, could have on Guyana’s civil society status and empowerment.” “Under the Constitutional provisions guaranteeing the rights, roles and responsibilities of Guyana’s Civil Society, the GNCPP hereby argues that to deny non-Government and Civil Society Organizations’ access to international assistance in the interest of
fostering their own political idealism and party politics is to emphatically trample upon citizens’ rights to use lawful, democratic means to independently assist the political system with respect to the governance of the Guyanese society. Surely this is crass interference and spiteful over-reaching by those whom have been given charge of managing and governing this country,” the organization stated. The fairly new civil grouping posited further that the Articles of the Constitution, which provide specifically for “inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens and their organizations in the management and decision-
making processes of the State, must not be overlooked or debased in this issue of such foreign-funded assistance programmes as the LEAD project or other funding from the European Union, Canada and others”. “Further, for the government to argue that some procedural matters intrude upon Guyana’s sovereignty could be its case to advance the concept of supreme in power or authority or power to govern without external control. To that, the GNCPP would remind the political system that sovereignty belongs to the people. Not exclusively to an Executive or Parliament which, in this case, is charged to collectively represent the well-being of the populace at
LBI Secondary-an institution on a mission to make a...
The ‘Paving the way using plastic’ project that attracted first prize in the Environmental Science category at the Ministry of Education’s Science Fair. From page 41 has realized. “We are looking for growth at this school and so we support everything that has to be done for our children here,” he assured. The support of the PTA was not only instrumental in the school’s participation at the recent science fairs but a number of other activities, including Mashramani competitions, where the school was able to claim prizes for various outstanding performances. Just last week the school was the recipient of trophies having participated in yet another Education Ministrycoordinated competition that was designed to highlight hazards present in the school environment. The Art and Essay competition embraced the theme ‘Safety and Health in the use of chemicals at work’. Spearheading three projects in this regard for the LBI Secondary School were teachers Nathalie Hemraj and Nandanie Singh who worked
with Seven Grade students Bryan Clayto, Dinesh Latchman and Yogita Dhaniram. One of the projects completed examined the danger of stray animals in the school compound while a second considered how improperly placed instruments could be dangerous, and a third looked at the abuse of technological devices by students during classes. “We decided to observe some of the things right in our school’s environment and it was those things that was applied to complete the projects,” the teachers disclosed. With the use of informative collages, complete with informative details, the LBI Secondary school was able to secure first, second and third place prizes for its contributions to the Art and Essay competition, an achievement that has helped to further boost its competitive confidence.
GNCPP Chairman Dr. Philip H. Mozart Thomas
large. Those representatives and much of Civil Society, as does the GNCPP, welcome most aspects of such projects as the LEAD programme.” Chairman of the GNCPP D r. P h i l i p H . M o z a r t Thomas, while acknowledging the political s y s t e m ’s role in safeguarding their own status in government, in opposition, and in parliament, asserts that their mandate does not include, “the political system’s unconstitutional interference, meddling and overreaching to the extent where their actions affect c i v i l s o c i e t y ’s r i g h t t o accept legitimate assistance from approved sources. Thomas said that never should any administration use its temporary status and agencies for “politicking or revocation”, of documentation of officials in friendly contribution to Guyana’s democratic wellbeing. “This $300M (G)
Leadership and Democracy project has components to strengthen Parliamentary independence, deepen w o m e n ’s a n d y o u t h ’s involvement in relevant issues and to promote vitally-needed local government election education. It is therefore frightening to witness the political system’s dogged opposition to assistance that will ultimately benefit the citizenry at large, through their representative organizations,” Thomas suggested. “The GNCPP welcomes the high ground taken by American Ambassador Brent Hardt in that willingness has been indicated to suspend the project’s activities already generated, in order to accommodate a resumption of dialogue. The public policy body also cautions the political system to consider carefully the repercussions that could be activated if the donor’s principals ever decide to behave in the
irrational manner of which it (the government) is currently guilty.” The contentious USAIDbacked Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Project was on Thursday put on hold in order to facilitate talks with the Guyana Government with a view of coming up with a mutually agreed position. US Ambassador D. Brent Hardt and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon in joint press briefing had expressed both sides’ concerns and the contentions that led to the miscommunication between the two agencies. The matter had escalated to the revocation of the LEAD Project Coordinator, Glenn Bradbury’s visa, and an exchange of words between the two sides. The government claims that the project infringes on Guyana’s sovereignty while the US Ambassador in defence said that he was unaware that the project was operating outside of what was decided upon when agreements were made in 2009. “We always felt comfortable that the programmes we were developing were part of programme activities that had been discussed in our agreement…It never seemed to me that we were operating outside of our traditionally agreed framework.” The government said it was peeved over the fact that while it was not comfortable with clauses of the project, the Ambassador seemed bent on going ahead with it. Its contention was that the project directly engaged political parties instead of civil society. Talks are ongoing and a way forward on the project is pending.
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Three days in May, woven into our national psyche From page 34 hearing my parents talk about my uncle, Dr. T.T. Nichols and the part he played in the establishment and operation of something called the League of Coloured People or LCP. I read of his efforts as a social activist, hosting the Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey when he visited Guyana, and working alongside trade unionist, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow. From what I heard and read, both of them were proponents of the upliftment of Black/Coloured people in Guyana. That would have been in the nineteen twenties and thirties. My mother also told me of earlier stories relayed to her by her father (a Sergeant-Major in charge of the Immigration Depot at Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast in the early 20th century) concerning the arrival of East Indians there. I recall her telling me her father’s stories about the huge ‘coppers’ in which rice, curry and dhal were cooked for the new immigrants, and the hustle-and-bustle to have them accommodated in the logies prepared for them after their arduous journey across the ‘Black Waters’ with the accompanying traumatic loss of identity it entailed. I would have read about the harsh reality of their
Two East Indian women, newly-arrived immigrants in British Guiana indentureship which for many was a kind of glorified slavery. According to columnist Ravi Dev, his ancestors were ‘ridiculed and scorned for being uncivilized, illiterate and heathen’, insulted by the ‘massas’ and fed poor diets that no doubt festered to produce the ‘rampant diseases that made us die like fleas’. For my part, the East Indians I knew as a child at Highdam on the East Coast of Demerara, and later in Georgetown, were simply friends, classmates and neighbours. Much later I would be exposed to other aspects of Indian lifestyle, including how some of them ‘saw’ Black people, and vice
versa. It was enlightening, and often not in a negative way. However, racially-charged episodes between Blacks and East Indians are also an undeniable part of our growth as a nation - something almost all Guyanese are aware of, and which I need not elaborate on, except for these few incidents I remember from my childhood in the early sixties - Babu, an East Indian man who sold ground provisions from his Princes Street home, whom we bought and credited stuff from, and whose wife had to be ‘rescued’ by a Black neighbour after being taunted and chased by a
group of Black youths; a relative of mine telling of his own rescue on the Mahaicony River from a group of East Indian men, by an East Indian woman, who hid him under her voluminous skirt. And a friend of mine, of mixed parentage, getting lashed with a bicycle chain simply for being of whatever ethnicity he was perceived to be. Were I to go further back in time, I would have been witness to the most savage and dehumanizing era in our history, a period when Africans were stripped of nearly everything discerned to make them human and/or equal to their European ‘masters’ except their collective spirit and will to survive; a period when some of them were counted as part of the estate ‘stock’ along with mules and oxen, chatteltraded and disposed of often whimsically, and forced to adopt alien names. Historian Dr. Winston McGowan described it as ‘a cruel institution under which the victim suffered serious disabilities’ including ‘severe, often sadistic punishment … and sexual exploitation of females’, adding that they could escape from servitude only by one of three means successful rebellion, legal manumission or death. Add to these chapters,
the history of the Amerindians - our country’s first people the dispossession and displacement of a traditional way of life, exposure to a ‘hostile’ European culture that brought death from diseases to which they were unaccustomed, and their retreat to hinterland safe havens. Further add the input from our immigrant Portuguese and Chinese labourers, who later became merchants and entrepreneurs, and you have a pretty clear picture of a colonial society in the nineteenth and early twentieth century that was in need of a unifying theme. Enter Cheddi and Janet Jagan, Forbes Burnham, Joseph Lachmansingh, Jocelyn Hubbard, Ashton Chase et al, and with them, the first notion of independence from Great Britain. For the past 48 years, this notion has been a reality, even as our relatively young sovereign state still experiences the ups and downs of adjusting to selfgovernment and validating our national motto of ‘One People; One Nation; One Destiny.’ On May 26th 1966, as I said earlier, I stood and watched the exchange of flags that announced the birth of our nation. Bleary-eyed but inexplicably excited, I
trembled as the sound of fireworks reverberated across the night air and burst into a thousand points of starlight just after midnight. From somewhere nearby, the voice of Terry Nelson blared out, “We welcome independence to Guyana.” At that time I doubt if I’d ever heard of Labour Day or had the vaguest notion of when and how the first East Indians came to this country; I would later learn about the pain and the pride historically associated with these events. Separated more by time than by significance, Arrival Day, Labour Day (first observed in the 1930s) and Independence Day, are linked by so much more than the fact of their occurrence in the same month. In what they represent and in the broadest sense of how they are commemorated, they seem to possess the capacity to make Guyanese more conscious of the things that keep us connected to each other ,past and present, than those which tend to drive a wedge between us. This month with its symbolic theme of renewal and change, imaginatively captures the meaning and essence of its first, fifth and twenty-sixth day – three days in May woven into our national psyche.
Sunday May 11, 2014
From page 27 Republican Institute (IRI) which is contracted by USAID (United Sates Agency of International Development) to implement the Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project. In a statement, the United States Ambassador to Guyana, D. Brent Hardt, had outlined that the LEAD project is designed to benefit the Government and people of Guyana, through the promotion of understanding and consensus-building within the National Assembly; greater citizen engagement with Parliament; civic education on local government; and greater civic engagement among women and youth. The government, which had initially signed on to the LEAD project, later reneged, citing through its Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon that four components of the project were analyzed by Cabinet and one contained major activities that captured a relationship between USAID and individual political parties in Guyana. TOWN CLERK LOCKS MAYOR OUT OF OFFICE - FORCES COUNCILLORS TO HOLD MEETING IN COMPOUND The meaning of extraordinary was perfectly exhibited last Tuesday as City Hall’s Mayor and Councillors sat in the blazing afternoon sun to host their extraordinary Statutory meeting when acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba locked them out of the Council’s Chambers. The extraordinary meeting was set to deal with three motions, one of which is to remove the acting Town Clerk from her post and another, to remove the Council’s Finance Committee Chairman Junior Garrett. The Councillors voted unanimously to remove Sooba, the Finance Chairman, and then, to discipline all those who took part in the illegal sale of Easter spots at the seawall two weeks ago. The Council’s regular statutory meeting was adjourned by Mayor Green last week as the Town Clerk (ag) decided that the meeting was unconstitutional because she was not allowed to say the prayers. She ordered all Council officers to leave the meeting before she walked out. Mayor Green had requested that the Town Clerk call an extraordinary meeting two Fridays ago after what had transpired, but Sooba refused. Despite her office accepting another letter to
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convene an extraordinary meeting Tuesday, when Councillors arrived at the chamber, they were left lingering as windows and doors were tightly shut. Determined to hold their meeting, Councillors quickly started to set up chairs and desks in the agency’s parking lot, braving the hot afternoon sun. Some Councillors described the development as “madness”. Members of the police force had also visited City Hall, but left after Councillors convened their meeting in the parking lot.
AMBASSADOR OVER PRESS FREEDOM – LUNCHEON Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr. Roger Luncheon says the recent comments made by the US Ambassador to Guyana, Brent Hardt, over the state of press freedom in Guyana, point at a double standard on the envoy’s part. At his weekly postCabinet media briefing Wednesday, Luncheon said “the Ambassador inveigled against the Government of Guyana for not respecting
immediately put the contentious USAID-backed Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Project on hold in order to facilitate talks with the Guyana Government with a view to coming up with a mutually agreed position. The announcement came Thursday at the Office of the President, when Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon and US Ambassador to Guyana, D. Brent Hardt, held a joint briefing. In a mutually agreed statement that was read by Dr
TO REPAY US$6M TO ‘THRILL’DRINKS IMPORTER …FOR UNJUST ENVIRONMENTALTAX Guyana has been ordered to pay back a whopping US$6M ($1.2B) for an environmental tax it took over time from the importers of the ‘Thrill’ brand soft drinks. Rudisa Beverages and Juices N.V. and its local distribution company, Caribbean International Distributors Inc. (CIDI) had taken Guyana to the Caribbean Court of Justice
THURSDAY EDITION
freedom of the press and among other things intimidating the media,” at the recently held celebration recognizing World Press Freedom Day 2014 hosted at the residence. The HPS described the US Ambassadors’ claims as “preposterous and outrageous”, adding that Cabinet’s response instinctively is understandable. “Cabinet was outraged at the Ambassador’s outbursts, particularly when the very actions of the US authorities in the White House, with regards to their own media, houses projects and insight that the Ambassador does well in concealing not highlighting,” said Luncheon. He said that the Attorney General was present at the event and represented the views of the Government concerning “the Ambassador ’s studied impertinence and double standards”. Luncheon also singled out the Kaieteur News and Stabroek News, saying that these agencies’ “excesses” are legendary and open without apology and regrets.
Luncheon’s Personal Assistant, Azeem Khan, media operatives heard that, “the Government of Guyana and the United States of America have agreed that the implementation of the activities of the USAID LEAD project would be put on hold temporarily during the reengagement on the design of that project which the two sides have agreed would commence immediately.” Dr Luncheon subsequently expressed the notion that the opportunity was welcomed, “for us to move on in a structured way with regards to the USAID LEAD project.” He noted that there were considerable expectations in relation to a mutually beneficial outcome. Ambassador Hardt in his opening remarks said that the US welcomed the willingness of the Guyana Government to reengage on the matter of democracy and governance. He reminded that the project was proposed and designed to benefit the Government and people of Guyana, “and we certainly think that its objectives for which the government’s participation is vital, can be of lasting benefit to the people.” He said that the US delegation looks forward to a constructive dialogue with the Guyanese Government which will begin “immediately.” CCJ ORDERS GUYANA
(CCJ) which announced its judgment on Thursday. Rudisa argued that the legislation violated the trade policy contained in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), in particular the free movement of goods and the prohibition on import duties on goods that are of CARICOM origin. Both Guyana and Suriname are part of CARICOM. Rudisa, through CIDI, has been in Guyana since 2007. According to the CCJ in its judgment, Rudisa’s application was based on the provisions of the Customs Act of Guyana which imposes an environmental tax on all imported nonreturnable beverage containers. The legislation does not contain any exemption in relation to CARICOM goods. The environmental tax in effect caused Rudisa to pay $10 on each imported container. The Surinamese company claimed that no similar tax is imposed on local producers of non-returnable beverage containers and, by the definition of “Import Duties” laid down in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), the levy must be regarded as an import duty. The issue of the environmental tax was first raised with the Council on Economic Trade and Development (COTED), the
TOPGOVT. OFFICIAL FINGERED IN SEX SCANDAL AT NOC - HUMAN SERVICES MINISTER ORDERS PROBE Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, has ordered the Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene, to investigate the alleged sexual molestation of female inmates of the New Opportunity Corps. Minister Webster told Kaieteur News on Wednesday that her Ministry received reports from the parents of the alleged victims on Tuesday. “I have asked the Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency to conduct an investigation. We are currently conducting an investigation,” Webster said. Minister Webster’s comments came amid reports that several teenage girls have alleged that a senior government official from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport was one of the individuals who had sexual intercourse with them at the New Opportunity Corps. This new revelation comes on the heels of several other allegations made by the teenage girls. DOUBLE STANDARD EXHIBITED BY US
FRIDAY EDITION US HALTS LEAD PROJECT TO FACILITATE TALKS WITH GOVT. The United States Embassy has agreed to
trade arm of CARICOM, by the Government of Suriname in a series of meetings spanning the period 20012012. COTED concluded that in so far as it applied to CARICOM goods, the levy was in breach of the RTC which governs how the member countries would operate in a trade environment. SATURDAY EDITION TEENAGEGUNMAN KILLED DURING ROBBERY Loud cries, expressions of anger and calls for vengeance characterized the scene at the Lot 87 Hill Street, Lodge residence of Lloyd Hazel Junior who died on Friday afternoon in a hail of bullets. According to the police, Hazel was one of two men armed with firearms and on a motor cycle who held up a salesman attached to the Fix It Hardware Store who was in a motor vehicle waiting at a traffic light at Main Street, Georgetown,. The perpetrators took away a bag containing close to $600,000 during which they were confronted by an armed private security guard in the vicinity. An exchange of gunfire ensued during which Hazel was fatally shot, while his accomplice managed to escape. All the stolen money was recovered along with an unlicensed Luger 9mm. pistol and the motor cycle. According to a senior police source close to the investigation, Hazel’s accomplice stood next to a CG motorbike which was parked in Tiger Bay just off Main Street, Cummingsburg, while Hazel walked onto Main Street and pointed his weapon at an approaching car occupied by the employees of the hardware store. The rank recalled that the car stopped and a licenced firearm holder, who was in the vehicle, came out and confronted Hazel. Hazel reportedly opened fire but his assailant used the car door to block the shots. He then rose up and returned fire, fatally wounding the 19-year-old. Hazel was shot first to the leg then received another seven shots about his body, mostly to the chest and abdomen. Hazel’s lifeless body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The source said that the licenced firearm holder also shot the unidentified accomplice who managed to flee the crime scene, escaping into Tiger Bay.
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Diabetic Neuropathy (Nerve Damage) By Dr. Kumar Sukhraj, BSC, MBBS Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complications that diabetics may experience over time. Neuropathy is damage to nerves, and diabetic neuropathy is damage to nerves that occurs as a result of diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy can affect different parts of the body, and symptoms can range from mild to severe. High blood sugar over a prolonged period of time is the most common cause of neuropathy in diabetics. There are four types of diabetic neuropathy: peripheral, autonomic, proximal, and focal. PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY This type of neuropathy commonly affects the feet and legs. Nerve damage in the feet can result in a loss of foot sensation, increasing your risk of foot problems. Injuries and sores on the feet may go unrecognized due to lack of sensation. Patient may experience signs and symptoms as follows: · Numbness or tingling of the feet and lower legs · Pain or burning sensations to the feet · Loss of sensation in the feet or lower legs · Sometimes, but less commonly, symptoms can
occur in the hands or arms In most cases, early symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy will become less when blood sugar is under control. To help prevent the complications of peripheral neuropathy: Examine your feet and legs daily, apply lotion if your feet are dry, care for your nails regularly (Go to a podiatrist, if necessary), wear properly fitting footwear and wear them all the time to prevent foot injury. DIABETICAUTONOMIC NEUROPATHY Diabetic autonomic neuropathy most often affects the digestive system, especially the stomach, blood vessels, urinary system, and sex organs Patients may present with signs and symptoms of diabetic autonomic neuropathy depend upon the organ system that is involved and can include: · Nausea and/or vomiting · Diarrhea · Constipation · Dizziness · Fainting · Feeling full after eating a small amount · Erectile dysfunction in men · Incontinence of urine · Inability to empty the bladder completely · Decrease in vaginal lubrication in women
· Profuse sweating, for example when eating or at night · Bloating · Difficulty swallowing · Low blood pressure upon standing up suddenly (orthostatic hypotension) FOCALNEUROPATHY Diabetic focal neuropathy can also appear suddenly and affect specific nerves, most often in the head, torso, or leg, causing muscle weakness or pain. Patients may present with signs and symptoms of diabetic focal neuropathy and depends upon the location of the affected nerve. The symptoms can appear suddenly. It usually does not cause a long term problem, and symptoms often improve over weeks to months. Symptoms can include: · Chest pain · Eye pain · Changes in vision · Bell’s palsy (paralysis on one side of the face) · Pain in a localized area of the body PROXIMALNEUROPATHY Diabetic proximal neuropathy causes pain (usually on one side) in the thighs, hips, or buttocks. It can also lead to weakness in the legs. Treatment for weakness or pain is usually needed and may include medication and physical therapy. The recovery varies,
Even beautiful music may pose hearing-loss risk to pros Whether playing in a symphony orchestra or a rock concert, professional musicians may have almost four times the risk of hearing loss as their audience does, according to a new study. Based on medical records, German researchers found the workplace hazard of hearing damage for musicians, conductors and others in involved in musical performance is significant enough to warrant protective measures. “I have heard many, many famous musicians say that they would give back all of their success if the ringing in the ears and hearing loss would improve,” said Rick Friedman, a professor of otolaryngology and neurosurgery at the USC Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. Hearing-related complaints are common among the many musicians he sees in the clinic, Friedman, who was not involved in the new study, told Reuters
Health. Tania Schink at the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology-BIPS in Bremen, and her colleagues looked at data from three German insurance agencies to compare diagnosed hearing problems among musicians and the general population. Of the more than 3.3 million people ages 18 to 66 insured by the companies between 2004 and 2008, more than 2,000 were identified as professional musicians by federal employment data. Of the 2,227 musicians in the study, 238 had some type of hearing loss. Their issues included hearing loss caused by noise, ringing in the ears and hearing difficulties due to problems in the inner ear or in the brain. About 280,000 of the 3.3 million non-musicians also suffered from a loss of hearing. Overall, the musicians were 1.45 times as likely as
non-musicians to have any type of hearing problem. But they were 3.6 times more likely to have noise-induced hearing loss, which was also the most common problem they reported. Schink’s team writes in the British medical journal BMJ that noise-induced hearing loss – which is the kind also suffered by workers in heavy industry or other jobs that regularly expose people to high decibel levels – is influenced by several factors. For musicians, these include the number of years of exposure, whether they play amplified instruments and for orchestra musicians, their position in the orchestra relative to other players. “Given the number of professional musicians and the severity of the outcome, leading to occupational disability and severe loss of quality of life, hearing loss in professional musicians is of high public health importance,” they write.
depending on the type of nerve damage. Diabetic neuropathy is usually presumptively diagnosed clinically by the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and physical exam. While diabetic neuropathy cannot be cured, there are treatments available to help manage some of the symptoms. Another treatment goal is keeping blood glucose levels under good control so that the neuropathy does not
worsen. Talk to your doctor about optimizing your individual diabetes treatment plan. *** Please feel free to send an email to kumarsukhraj@ yahoo.com or call 6228032 for further enquiry and discussion on the topic. Patient education plays an important in the diagnosis and management of diabetes and any other illness. Please look forward for a
continuation of the discussion on diabetes in the next publication.
Multiple sclerosis discovery may explain gender gap
A key difference in the brains of male and female MS patients may explain why more women than men get the disease, a study suggests. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in the US found higher levels of protein S1PR2 in tests on the brains of female mice and dead women with MS than in male equivalents. Four times more women than men are currently diagnosed with MS. Experts said the finding was “really interesting”. MS affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, which causes problems with muscle movement, balance and vision. It is a major cause of disability, and affects about 100,000 people in the UK. BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER Abnormal immune cells attack nerve cells in the central nervous system in MS patients. “We were very excited to find the molecule as we wanted to find a target that didn’t involve targeting the immune cells” There is currently no cure, although there are treatments that can help in the early stages of the disease. Researchers in Missouri looked at relapsing remitting MS, where people have distinct attacks of symptoms that then fade away either partially or completely. About 85% of people with MS are diagnosed with this type. Scientists studied the blood vessels and brains of healthy mice, mice with MS, and mice without the gene for S1PR2, a blood vessel receptor protein, to see how it affected MS severity. They also looked at the brain tissue samples of 20 people after they had died. They found high levels of S1PR2 in the areas of the brain typically damaged by MS in both mice and people.
The activity of the gene coding for S1PR2 was positively correlated with the severity of the disease in mice, the study said. Scientists said S1PR2 could work by helping to make the blood-brain barrier, in charge of stopping potentially harmful substances from entering the brain and spinal fluid, more permeable. A more permeable barrier could let attacking cells, which cause MS, into the central nervous system, the study said. UNDERSTANDING ‘CRUCIAL’ Prof Robyn Klein, of the Washington University School of Medicine, said: “We were very excited to find the molecule, as we wanted to find a target for treatment that didn’t involve targeting the immune cells. “This link [between MS and S1PR2] is completely new - it has never been found before.” Prof Klein said she did not know why the levels of S1PR2 were higher in women with MS, adding she had found oestrogen had “no acute role”. She would be looking at taking her findings to clinical trials in the “next few years”, she added. Dr Emma Gray, of the MS Society, said: “We don’t yet fully understand why MS affects more women than men, and it’s an area that’s intrigued scientists, and people with MS, for many years. “A number of theories have been suggested in the past, including the influence of hormones or possible genetic factors - and this study explores one such genetic factor in further detail, which is really interesting.” She said understanding the causes of MS was a “priority” for the MS Society in the UK, and could be “crucial” in finding new treatments.The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. (BBC)
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‘FROZEN’ soundtrack ices A Minute With: Ziggy Marley on music, maintaining Bob’s legacy competition again on Billboard 200
It is 35 years since the Grammy-winning musician Ziggy Marley started following in the footsteps of his famous father Bob. The eclectic style on his new album “Fly Rasta” shows that at 45, Marley is now keen to forge his own path. “I wanted to create what I call ‘epic reggae’, with a little futuristic tinge to it,” Marley said, speaking to Reuters ahead of a headline show in London. “I wanted to do it with a standard of quality that is not compromised in any way.” He only breaks reggae tradition on the album’s lead single, “I Don’t Want to Live on Mars”, where his distinctive vocal is placed over a rock-influenced pop production. Other parts of the release are classic, upbeat reggae, making it clear that representing his father comes naturally to Marley’s first born. “I am his son and we share a certain way of life; the foundation of Rasta. We share a philosophy of what this music is,” he said. However, he admits to being conservative when it comes to the business of being a Marley. As an independent artist on his own label, Tuff Gong Worldwide, he says he is more concerned with making an impact with his music than making money. “We’re lucky because my father left us with some money and we can sustain. But we still have to pay bills; we still have to work, obviously. We grew up with a mindset that money wasn’t the first, primary thing and that is what makes our music different.” It is also the reason why he has mixed views about how his father’s legacy has been handled in the past. “The business side of it is something we have to be very careful with; the profiting
off of his name and likeness and things like that,” he said. “There’s a fine balance with me and the rest of the family who might have other ideas or another way of thinking about it.” Marley is focused on developing his own projects to keep his father’s name alive – and this includes a followup to his pro-environmental graphic novel “Marijuanaman”, selling organic hemp products and producing other artists through his label. “(My father) was an entrepreneur, he was a businessman – but a conscious one. Again, it wasn’t money, money, money – things have to be done for the right reasons and the right purposes, so we have to continue that legacy in that entrepreneurship way.” Here are some other comments: Q: Are their disadvantages to being a Marley? A: Everything comes with a positive and a negative. If people don’t like you or didn’t like you, it’s worse that your name is Marley (laughs). With the name Marley, they say, “Well because you’re a Marley you won a Grammy” and it becomes that thing. But most of all, really, it’s love. That’s the greatest advantage that being a so-called Marley gives us, based upon what my father has done (and what) my mother has done. People give a lot of love. Q: In the past, you’ve done albums specifically for children. Why does reggae music appeal to them? A: It’s really frustrating speaking to adults through music every time because adults’ minds are usually made up; they’re usually set in their ways. So the philosophy is speak to children too, because
children’s’ minds are open. For the next generation, there must be something that changes, that makes the world a better place. So children are a real deal. You have to speak to children. Q: You support the legalization of marijuana in California, where you live. Why? A: I just support the plant in all its aspects. Marijuana side is one thing, smoking, medical, recreational. But then there’s the hemp side of it, which is industrial, biofuel and nutrition. It’s an environmentally friendly way to make products. (Plus) we don’t drink alcohol, we’re not like some guys who, when they have a hard day, they can go and get a pint. I don’t drink pints. So what does the earth have for me? What can the planet give me? I don’t do hops so the planet must have something for me too! Q: It would have been your father’s 70th birthday next year – do you have plans to celebrate it? A: We never grew up with a big celebration of birthdays because it’s kind of selfish. I guess we grew up in such a way. So for the 70th we might do something musical for the people. But personally? I just give thanks every day.(Reuters)
“Frozen,” the soundtrack to Disney’s $1 billion-grossing animated film, on Wednesday earned its 13th nonconsecutive week atop the Billboard 200 album chart, selling nearly twice the number of copies as its nearest challenger. The soundtrack, which has ridden on the success of the film and its lead single “Let It Go,” sold 106,000 copies last week, according to figures compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The album has sold 2.6 million copies since its release in November. Classical crossover violinist Lindsey Stirling’s “Shatter Me” debuted on the chart at No. 2 with 56,000 in sales. Singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne’s “Supernova” landed at No. 3 with 40,000 in sales on its first week on the chart, followed by Christian collective Passion’s live album, “Passion: Take It All,” which sold 30,000 in its
debut week. Australian rapper Iggy Azalea’s “The New Classic” dropped two spots to No. 5 with 23,000 in sales in its second week. New entries in the top 10 of the chart include pop duo Timeflies’ “After Hours” at No. 8 with 20,000 in sales, and U.S. metal band Whitechapel’s “Our Endless War” with 16,000 in sales at No. 10. Nickelodeon TV star Ariana Grande’s song “Problem,” featuring Azalea, topped the digital songs chart in its first week. Its 438,000 downloads marked the largest opening week for a song this year, according to Billboard. Total album sales for the week were 4.4 million, a 14 percent decline compared with the same week last year, while sales for the year so far total 84.8 million, off 16 percent compared with the same period last year, Billboard said.(Reuters)
Agents of Shield gets second series and new spin-off Despite struggling in the ratings, Marvel’s Agents of Shield has been renewed for a second series. US TV network ABC also ordered a new spin-off show, Marvel’s Agent Carter, based on Hayley Atwell’s Captain America character. Both series tie into the Marvel film series, which includes star-studded titles like Iron Man and Thor. They add background to events on the big screen, providing an overarching story to the so-called Marvel Universe. Agents Of Shield was created by Joss Whedon, who scripted the Avengers Assemble film, and previously created Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly. The drama resurrected the character of Agent Coulson, who was killed in Avengers Assemble, with his character ’s miraculous recovery the central mystery of the opening episodes. Played by Clark Gregg, the character took charge of a team of law-enforcement agents, tasked with investigating super-human individuals and unusual
events. Eventually, the plot of the series overlapped with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, in which the SHIELD organisation was brought down from within. When the series debuted in the US in September 2013, it garnered 12.12 million viewers, marking the biggest network drama debut in four years. Audience figures fell by nearly 4 million between the first and second episode,
while figures for recent episodes average 5.5 million. In the UK, where it is shown on Channel 4, the show’s audience has also plummeted - from 4.5 million in September 2013 to 1.1 million last week. However, the series plays well with young men, a much sought-after demographic with advertisers, and its ratings tend to recover once time-delayed viewing is taken
into account. Agent Carter, which follows the story of secret agent Peggy Carter, is being hailed as a “bridge show”, which will be screened during Agents Of Shields’ mid-series hiatus. Meanwhile, Marvel comics is preparing another four series - Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage - via its partnership with Netflix.
Sunday May 11, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 61
Police barbarity and a complacent Guyanese public accepting it By Ralph Seeram . “When they came out (of yard), the Indian police put me to lie down, take the gun, take out all the bullets, put in back one, spin it, aim the gun at my mouth and tell me “Boy, you sure you don’t know who rob that girl?’ “He pull the trigger, the gun go ‘crix’ one time. Then he shoot again and the gun go off. I taste one set of gunpowder in my mouth; my ears all start ringing, ringing… then they pick me up and put me in a van and they drive me to the hospital and they go away and left me at the hospital.” That’s the level of police brutality in Guyana. Could it get any more depraved than this? At what point would the Guyanese public say to the police - enough is enough. These excesses by the police will go on, because the Guyanese public allows them to do it. Most of you might have heard of a teenager shot in the mouth after being held for questioning by the police. The teenager, Alex Griffin, gave that account of the extreme brutality he suffered at the hands of the police. Here was a police officer playing Russian roulette with the life of a teenager. That is how arrogant and depraved the Guyana Police Force has become. This is one more case of police brutality that is reported and will fade away, like the Colwyn Harding case, like the teen who got his genitals burnt some years ago. Remember the women and children who got whipped by a police in the interior some time ago? Remember the countless number of police assaults on the public that have gone and forgotten. You want to know why? Read this response by Chief of Criminal Investigations, Senior Superintendent Leslie James. He said the Cadet Officer was no longer under close arrest and was reporting to the Guyana Police Force but “not on active duty. He is just within reach in case he has to be taken to court.” Doesn’t this remind you of a policeman who was facing a potential murder charge? The police can’t find him and he was “under close arrest”; within reach. This police officer should have already been before the court facing attempted murder charges. The police charge people and oppose their bail for lesser offences, but when it comes to one of their own, “they are within reach”. Have you ever wondered why these crimes
are committed by the police? Because they can get away with them. Do you think the policeman who pushed the gun in the teenager’s mouth and played Russian roulette would have done so if he believed the other police present would report it to his superiors? Was he afraid of his superiors’ actions? The police protect their own, and this goes right up to the higher echelons of the force. Those in charge by their SILENCE, by turning a “BLIND EYE” to these atrocious acts encourage that type of behavior. The police should return the new Automated Fingerprint Information System (AFIS) to the US. That’s too sophisticated, and calls for some thinking. Brawn is better; you get better results the old fashion way by placing a gun barrel in a teenager’s mouth, burning their genitals or sticking a baton up their rear end. The problem with police brutality lies not with the police force alone, it lies with the Private Sector organizations, Chambers of Commerce, it lies with the Trade Unions, it lies with
those NGOs that keep quiet; it lies with the churches and other religious organizations. It lies also with the press, who treats it as just another news item. Everybody has the mentality. They say, “It’s not me so it is not my business.” When you become the victim then it’s only you left to face it alone because you kept quiet when it was the other guy. So today by their silence and inaction to police BRUTALITY I condemn the President and the entire PPP Cabinet. I condemn the business community. I condemn the Trade Union Movement. I condemn the religious organizations. I condemn those NGOs that remain silent I condemn the media that allow these brutalities to fade away instead of keeping a running dossier and lastly I condemn the Guyanese public for being complacent in tolerating police brutality; sitting on your rear end is not going to stop it. Why the Guyanese public? Some months ago the people on the Corentyne
protested what they perceived as collusion between police officers stationed at the Number 51 Police Station and criminals. The people came out in their numbers. The result was that the police changed the personnel at that location, PROTEST my friends PROTEST. If 5000 people converge on Eve Leary or Brickdam, don’t you think you will get the police attention? If 5000 peaceful protesters turn up at Office of the President or the Home Affairs Ministry and register their disgust, don’t you think you will get their attention? You may not agree with his politics, but let’s be honest, the only person in Guyana that shows some
“guts” in these situations is Mark Benschop. The guy would be there alone most of the time with his banner, protesting injustices and police brutality. There are reports already that those involved in the shooting of this kid are trying to buy their way out of this, as they did when they burnt the other child’s penis. I would hope the family remains firm that this policeman goes to jail. They can still receive compensation in the process. Let him go to jail where he can also experience something being placed in the other entrance, his rear end. For those who think I am prejudging the situation, there
is no question that the teenager was shot. There is no question that he was shot in the mouth; there is no question that a gun was placed in his mouth; there is no question that he was in police custody at the time of shooting. You try shooting a policeman in his mouth and see if the police and the current Director of Public Prosecutions will allow you to be “within reach”. There seems to be two kinds of justice, one for the police, the rich and powerful, and the other for the poor and downtrodden. Being poor can be a bitch. Ralph Seeram can be reach at email: ralph365@hotmail.com
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FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Pure bred Rottweiler puppies, 8 weeks old – Call:682-2148 or 618-2903 Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Pork - $380, Pork Chops $650, leg pork - $480lb, salted pork -$450 (8 Lbs pails) @ Geroge & Hadfield Sts. Suites, beds, desk, guitars, divider, radio set, table –Tel: 226-2284 Honda Welder, 270 Amps, 2002 Tundra – Call:611-5114, 220-4495 PORK WHOLE SALE, WHOLE, HALF & QUARTER CARCASS. NO HEAD! NO TROTTERS! – CALL:2662711, 609-4594 1-CAT 320 excavator, 1-22 RB long boom dragline, 1helmet & hammer, 1-120G motor grader -D4H CAT bulldozer- Good conditionCall:660-4021/275-0578 1 Playstation3 with games $65,000, 1 – XBOX360 with games - $60,000, Used XBOX360 - $25,000, PSP $15,000, DS - $15,000 – Tel:621-7497, 603-8643 Canadian rebuilt Perkins Duetz engine, Lincoln generator welder, model M with winch, 320 excavator – Call: 691-2921 1 Leyland Daf dump truck with HIAB, excellent condition – Call: 671-1608 Pure bred pit bull, 6 weeks old – Call: 661-1601 Two stalls for sale at Port Kaituma – Contact: 684-6428, 618-7983 PVC Ceiling Panels, PVC Mouldings, Medallions. American Standard!!! – Call:614-8564, 680-0862 Cold Storage Facility: freezing & cold storage facilities. Affordable price @ BM Enterprise Inc., Houston GFL Wharf Call: 227-8176/77. 40Ft round bottom boat, 40HP Yamaha outboard engine, 350Lbs 5" Nylon anchor seine – Call:604-0038, 601-4585 Canadian Used 75 Yamaha 4stroke outboard, asking $900,000 – Tel: 693-9455 One Long Base mini bus, BJJ Series – Tel:667-6045
Kaieteur News
FOR SALE Toyota Forklift - Excellent condition, 4,000lbs capacity, 117" Lift, Solid Wheels, Automatic Transmission, 4 Cylinder LPG Motor. Call: 604-6108. 1 MF290 Tractor, 1 Toyota Tacoma, STIHL chainsaws, tractor parts, STIHL blower, STIHL paint sprayer, pressure washer, etc – Call: 689-8884 100% Pure Bred pit-bull pups 8 weeks old, Father blue & mother red nose – call: 6953813/whatsapp pictures/ dogsrus@facebook Brand new 6,500 watts power fist gasoline generators on wheels & Led torchlight – Contact: 617-2205, 681-1032 Property for sale at South half of 111 Bagotville, West Bank Demerara -Phone: 267-0117 Loving, fluffy puppies – Call: 645-0240, 685-0942 One Toyota Carina 170 PGG series recently spray, price negotiable – Tel:680-4718, 600-5418 Pure Rottweiler pups, parents are imported pure breed dogs – Call: 264-2870 or 672-6402 after 6pm 665-9140 or 6391431 16 GB I-pad with retina display, WI-FI & cellular capacity - $70,000, 16GB IPod Nano touch - $30,000 – Call: 686-7579, 231-7537 One 4 month old female pure breed German shepherd – Contact: 638-5778 One female pure bred German shepherd puppy, fully vaccinated & de-wormed – Call: 629-1471, 220-2277, 2208904, 629-1419 One full size American Maytag washer/dryer – price $59,000 – Tel: 602-2407 Well established auto parts store. Fully stocked with all used Japanese Parts, serious inquiries only – Call: 619-2090 Mercury 99.99% pure element lab grade. This is USA Quality, not Chinese. $1M per flask – Call:592649-5376 Food warmer and Deli case – Call: 696-9999 Cheap earth delivered to spot E.C.D and E.B.D- Call:6279977, 698-0182 Clean Garden Earth & builders waste our service also includes Bobcat rental, excavating, clearing & leveling - Call:6160617, 663-3285 DRESSMAKING Jean is offering courses in dressmaking, curtains, floral & cake decoration @ 153 Barr Street Kitty – Call: 670-2653, 618-1706
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale.Call:627-5416 Double lot with house at East Bank Demerara, one block away from Public Road – Call: 621-1766 1 – 2 storey wooden & concrete house with 5 bedrooms, upper flat & lower flat 4 apartments located@ Shell Road, kitty - $38.9M – Tel: 642-7898
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 One upper flat @ 6th Street Cummings Lodge ECD – Call:622-3580 BRAND NEW 3 STOREY modern building. Located on North Road, between Oronoque & Albert St – Tel:629-0037, 626-6909 Lower flat, 3-bedroom apartment, fully grilled with mesh windows & parking facilities – Call: 654-0533 A shop to rent at 40 Norton Street Wortmanville, price $50,000 only serious persons interested call: 667-1268
One commercial property located at Broad St, Charlestown, close to the Public Road – Call:615-7526, 661-9885 Lot 81 Lamaha Street. No Agent! – Call: 673-5882 One house for sale at Covent Garden Island – Call: 265-3586 Kitty - $32M, Atlantic Garden -$50M, Lamaha Garden - G.T TOOLS RENTAL: $35M, AA Eccles -$55M CONCRETE SAW, Contact Diana: 227-2256, 626- RANDSOM & MORE. 9382 EVERYDAY SPECIALS – CALL:675-0767 OR 627Large two flat house at 5098 Richmond Hill Linden – Phone: 226-9424 or 662-0094 BRAND NEW 4 STOREY or 609-6327 or 673-7516 modern building. Located on 2 Storey concrete property in Regent Street, between light Parfaite Harmonie, size and Cummings St. Call:62624’X57’, Price: $16M – 6909, 629-0037 Call:622-1782/658-5803 One nails table – Call:602House at lot 97 Fourth Street, 5469 or 628-9297 Pearl East Bank Demerara – Apartment to rent – Contact: Call:223-9362 223-2157 1-3 storey business property House for rent & household @ Middle St. G/Town, 2 articles for sale. Call Tele # business properties @ Whim 269-0959/617-8905 Public Road, price negotiable Now Open! Grooming Palace – Call: 619-7134, 225-6481 Barber Shop & Hair Salon station to rent – Above Royal Castle in South – Call: 6216738 One newly built 2 bedrooms apartment semi-furnished @ 40 Stanleytown Berbice – Call: 602-2407 CAR RENTAL Dolly’s Car Rental - Call: 2257126/ 226-3693 dollys autorental@yahoo.com/ www.dolly sautorental.com Progressive Auto Rental - carsCall: 643-5122 or 225-8711, LAND FOR SALE Email:pro_autorental@yahoo.com Wings Car Rental- Call:643- 100FtX50Ft High Income land at La Parafaite Harmonie; 1131 light, water & road exist. Aidan’s Car Rental, Canter Prime location – Call:675-7292 & Pickup- Call: 645-7981/ At Eccles Housing Scheme – 698-7807 price $6.5M – negotiable – FOR SALE/RENTAL Call:616-6000 American Pool Table – Call:277-0578
CATERING Roxy’s Catering: We cater for any special occasion, also available daily breakfast, lunch & snacks – call: 2230092, 223-0095
MASSSAGE The Gents Spa: Be pampered by beautiful masseuses. New masseuses Amanda and Crystal – Tel: 657-5979 Classes & Services in massage therapy & reflexology “Healing Naturally” by N.Y State Professional! For enrollment & services call: 670-3399,651-0128 FOR HIRE Large enclosed truck – Call: 694-5460, 266-5771 SERVICES Cybertron Online Shopping at Vreed-En-Hoop, Call: 261-3057
Sunday May 11, 2014
SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773 Natural beauty salon & spa: Grove Market Street EBD Tele: 265-4138, 652-5800. We specialized in everything for women.
VACANCY General managers to work on land dredges in the interior with popular mining firm – Tel:226-9768, 615-6172 Model ‘M’ truck drivers to drive into the Interior, must be sober headed & ability to service – Call:226-9768, 6156172 Surveyor/Ranger to monitor mining lands. Must have vast knowledge of G.P.S & riding ATV bikes – Call:226-9768, 615-6172 One live-in housekeeper between the age 30-35yrs to care for infant, long term employment – Contact: 6978797 Male Cleaners Needed, Skilled Machinist. Apply @ Technical Services Inc. 18-23 Industrial Site, Eccles E.B.D MANAGER/SUPERVISORS at Xenon Hotel Charity / EBo. A C C O M O D AT I O N PROVIDED. Attractive Salary is offered – Contact: 223-5273/4 One female clerk – Call: 2315171
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.–CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. COOL TECH : Repairs Services & Installation of all types if homes appliances: Air Condition & Refrigeration units - Tel: 233-2008; 675-4959 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer Call Omar:2310655,683-8734 Accounting, taxation, compliance, business proposal Contact Ragnauth & Associates – Call:2253070,667-2048, 669-0423
VEHICLE FOR SALE First Class Auto: Premio, Allion, Spacio, Raum, 212, Allex, Runx, IST, Fielder, Bluebird, Axela – Tel:6098188, 638-3045 Unregistered Toyota Raum Year 2004 , black interior, HID lights, power door, TV navigation – Tel:617-5536 Smart Choice Auto Sales: Unregistered: Premio, Spacio, Allion, Allex, IST, 2 1 2 , F i e l d e r, Vo x y – Call:652-3820; 665-4529 Toyota Avensis, PRR Series, immaculate condition, leather interior, alarm, A/C, TV, 18" Rims, HID - $3.250 Neg. – Call: 609-7257, 6025794 Toyota Spacio – TV/DVD/ CD, body kit, reverse camera. Never registered $2.1M. Call:617-2891 One Toyota Land cruiser Prado, PMM Series Call: 225-0188, 223-7500, MonFri 8:15-4:15pm, Sat – 8:15-1:15PM Toyota Raum, Spacio, AT212, AT192, NZE ,LTouring wagon, Fun Cargo, IST, Nissan E24 Caravan – Tel: 644-5096; 697-1453 Seinta and Noah with Body Kits – unregistered and top notch condition with terms available – Call:641-8647 One mini bus BGG series – price: $550,000, excellent condition – Call: 628-4886 One new Madza Axela car, low mileage, never registered – Call: 663-0819 or 618-3575 One AT192, PKK Series, mag rims, spoiler, $800,000 negotiable – Tel: 671-5792 or 681-9297 New Model Hilux Surf and RX8 – Very clean vehicles. Terms available – Call:6418647 Stick gear and automatic Pitbull and RZ buses at the best prices around – Tel:641-8647 Nissan Cube PMM1088, any reasonable offer won’t be refused – Call: 662-4307, 2261629 STAR CARS AUTO SALE: Premio, Spacio, Allion, IST, Feilder, Altezza, new Raum, Axela, Carina 212 – Call: 679-3140, 615-1199 Pre-order: AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 2 Ton freezer canter, GRR Series – Call:658-3209 One Toyota 212 stick gear, $750,000 good working condition. First come first serve – Call: 664-0825 (Continued on page 63)
Sunday May 11, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 63
Anti-Money Laundering Bill
Local businesses brace for hike in foreign currency rates The non-passage of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill by this month-end would see financial hardships threatening Guyana’s economy. This view was expressed by Nazar Mohamed, General Manager of Mohamed’s Enterprise, yesterday. According to Mohamed, there is currently no shortage of foreign currency on the local market. He assured that there is no problem in customers getting money transfers or cash from commercial banks to conduct business. There may be instances where a customer would be asked to wait a day or two but there is no lengthy delay. However, a matter of concern is the hike in exchange rate for US dollar as against the Guyana dollar. “If the politicians in the National Assembly don’t pass the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill this month…I predict three months later the country would shutdown. “We would probably have to pay $300 for US$1. Essentially people would have to pay whatever rate is being demanded,” he added. Since the beginning of the year, foreign currency rates have been varying with one commercial bank, as recent as last week, selling the US$1 for $219. Guyana cannot escape its
high dependency on foreign currency since not much goods is manufactured locally. The country is dependent on exports including gold, sugar, and rice; foreign investment; and remittances. These economic activities allow foreign currency to enter the country. But, with the absence of the relevant legislation in place and Guyana continues to be a blacklisted country by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, local banking institutions, businesses, and individuals would have difficulty in accessing foreign currency. Mohamed said that even his enterprise would be affected since the overseas company that does business with him would more likely stop. In fact, all businesses are facing similar threats. Another city businessman, who prefers to remain anonymous, expressed similar sentiments like Mohamed. The businessman said, “If the Bill isn’t passed there would be massive smuggling, hike in foreign currency rates, prices for commodities would go up… Parliament has to pass this thing.” He emphasized that the international financial system is designed in such a way that any wire transaction to any part of the world must pass through a US corresponding bank. As such, there is no telling how difficult it would be for Guyana to conduct business in the near future.
Suriname parliament... From page 14 consultations.” During the talks, the news agency said, matters concerning the purchase of equipment for the Dutch army also surfaced. The Minister however held fast that the disputed territory belongs to the Dutch nation and the request for discussions relating to the matter to be held in camera was granted. Only last month, the Natural Resources and Environment Minister rejected the invitation to attend Suriname’s first ever International Mining, Energy & Petroleum Conference and Exhibition. Minister Persuad said that Suriname had included the New River Triangle on their map, reaffirming their claims to the area. Minister Persaud said that nothing had changed since Guyana registered its objection to the disputed triangular shaped area being included on Suriname’s map;
the country therefore remains firm that it will not be participating in the conference. Prior to that, additional concern was raised when permission was given to a mining company to commence survey work in the said area. Several issues were raised internally and externally. The New River Triangle, known in Suriname as the Tigri, is a triangular shaped area to the south west of Suriname. Guyana and Suriname have been at odds over the matter since the 1800s. Suriname considers the location as part of the Coeroenie area of District Sipaliwini, while Guyana considers it part of the East Berbice-Corentyne region. The area has been under Guyanese control since it was claimed by local military forces in the later 1960s. The conflict had since quietly simmered.
Commenting on the hike in foreign currency rates, the businessman explained how commercial banks arrive at the rates. Nonetheless, he was stern that Guyana has a free market environment and so every organization would buy and sell foreign currency to make a profit. According to the businessman, daily the Central Bank calls cambios to get an idea as to what foreign currencies are being bought and sold for on the market. The Central Bank arrives at an average that would help to determine what rates commercial banks could sell. The man noted that currently commercial banks are selling US$1 for $210. He said that the Guyana Gold Board also uses a similar pattern to base the price for gold. The prices paid by licensed gold dealers are fed to the commercial banks that would utilize the same payment pattern. The businessman said that in January when the economy experienced a slump, gold dealers played an important role in keeping foreign currency in circulation. Gold dealers sold their foreign currency to commercial banks at an affordable rate so that customers would not be affected. He said in short, cambios regulate the sale of foreign currency based on local demand and supply. And, gold dealers sell foreign currency to commercial banks, which allows customers to conduct overseas transactions.
PEN PAL Lifelong partners, friends, companions- Call: 223-8237/ 648-6098 (8:30am-5pm) both phones same hours. Confidential rules apply. NOTICE Flambouyant Restaurant & Bar has reopened its doors to the public Located: 271 BB Eccles H/Scheme E.B.D –Call: 233-2849, 678-4470
For our advertising rates call: 225-8491, 2258465, 225-8452.
From page 62 EDUCATIONAL Balloon Decorating Classes – 31st May 2014 – Call: 2253133 or 613-7513 for more information and to register. Computer classes for all students who completed 2014 CommonEntrance Examinations @ Micrographics, Vreed-EnHoop, Call: 264-3057 Earn your Diploma in Computer Studies: 9 courses @ Micrographics Technology, Vreed-En-Hoop, Call: 264-3057 FREE! FREE! FREE! Sessions of one week: Phonics, reading and spelling classes for all ages –Tel: 691-8699 WANTED One live in maid – Call: 2533336, 675-5256 Attractive Live-in waitresscall:228-5129/604-8277 1 honest & trustworthy caregiver to work in Canal No.1, W.B.D, age 45-50, 2 references are required – Call: 683-8758, 218-0082, 2262677 Contract hire cars & male dispatchers to work at Flambouyant Taxi Service – dispatchers preferably from E.B.D- Tel:678-4470, 233-2322 Experienced hair/nail person at Parika E.B.E location – Call: 260-4737, 661-0019
VEHICLE FOR SALE 2008 Blue Bird - $3.0M, 2005 Spacio - $2.1M, 2006 Premio - $2.3M. ALL VEHICLES FULLY LOADED & UNREGISTERED- Call:6427295 1 -1RZ, 15 seater, automatic mini-bus, BNN 3760 - $1.5M Negotiable. Good condition, never used for public transportation – Tel:628-0310 ; 672-5429 Toyota Camry SV40 PJJ series with rims/alarm $850,000 – Call: 617-1300 Mini- bus super custom, 3sunroofs, DVD player, reverse camera, DC outlet, price negotiable – Call:6724423, 682-0157, owner leaving country One big Toyota Dina freezer canter, hardly used in La Grange – call:611-9297 4 Wheel TM Bedford with Winch – Call: 674-4649 Reg# PNN 2034 Toyota Corolla fields wagon, navy blue, magrims, CD player, alarm system, roof rock – Call:621-0045
WANTED SERVICES Experienced roti/puri cooks, SERVICES House plan drafting from- $10,000 curry cooks, pastry makers. electrical works and estimates Apply at Hack’s Halaal, Lot services available – Tel: 667-2189, 5 Commerce Street Live out domestic babysitter 646-6572,629-8750 Repairs, sales & spares air and live in babysitter – conditioning, microwaves, Call:225-0188, 223-7500 washer, fridges & stoves. (Monday to Saturday ) Ultra Cool, call: 225-9032, (8:15am-4:15pm) 647-2943 Skilled carpenters to work in Linden- Contact:625-0930; Permanent & Visitors Visa 668-9863 Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Home tutoring in Diamond, Room D5 Maraj Building Call Children 7 and 8, Time:3Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045 5:30pm- Contact: 657-8732 Repairs to Fridge, Freezer, AC, Land to buy in La Parafaite Washers, Stoves: Call 683- Harmonie, Eccles & 1312, 627-3206 (Nick) Herstelling. All low income Drafting of house plans 3D land – Call:675-7292, 218-5591 realistic and 2D view Cars to work at GR Taxi comprehensive estimates. Service – New Base at Sheriff Free approval processing- St, Opposite Survival Call: 674-0725/266-2154 Supermarket. Base Fee Brian Moe @ 642-3543; $6,500 – Contact:614-6202 computer technician; Live in small family – husband FB:Brian.Moe165; home and to labour, wife – domestic. office visits at your Good accommodation/salary comfort.!!! – Tel:227-1830 Od’s Health Club gym: Urgently needed, live-in Areobic, Zomba, etc – waitresses to work in Bar. Mother’s Day Special, Above Reasonable salary offer – Tel: Royal Castle – Contact 259-0574 Odella: 697-5270 Republic Park Family needs live-in aid/domestic. Alternate week off - $12,000. Police clearance needed – Call:627-5098, 675-0767 Live in domestic & waitresses – age 18-25yrs, must be honest & courteous – Salary $50,000, boarding & TO LET One newly built 2 storey lodging free – Call: 610-5043 concrete house, 2 bedroom Do you need an excavator for short or long term Bartica operator for the interior? 12 – Call:685-2707 years experienced in mining Top flat for rent in Diamond, – Call:254-1874, 698-6819 E.B.D – Call: 678-9835 Workers to work on farm – 2-bedroom apartment @ 2290 Call: 265-3586 Section C Block X Diamond 2 persons to clean. Evening & New Scheme – Tel: 673-8128 Saturdays. Industry area, full time Campbellville - $60,000- housekeeper, Kingston Area – $80,000, Ogle- $60,000- Call: 226-2829 $120,000, Atlantic Gardens - RZ minibus driver, Route 41 – US$850, AA Eccles - $1200US Tel: 628-2918 or 690-6385 – Contact Diana: 227-2256, Experienced Machinist and 626-9382 gear cutter at E&N Beck, Lot Two bedroom unfurnished 3 Princess & Ketley Street apartment for rent in Charlestown, GeorgetownAlbouystown – Tel: 689-5877. Call: 225-6272 Fully furnished two Drivers: Apply at Wieting & bedrooms apartment for rent Richter Ltd. in South with TV, Airconditioned, hot & cold, Experienced male sales representatives. Apply at cable – Call: 689-5877 Wieting & Richter Ltd. TWO BEDROOM Maid to work on lower East APARTMENT in Charity Bank Demerara- Call: 671-7878 Housing Scheme – Contact: between 6pm to 9pm only 771-4180, 687-5814 Experienced hire car drivers Furnished and unfurnished and contract vehicles at two bedrooms apartment in Buddy’s Transportation Eccles, for short or long term Service – Call: 645-0025 – Tel: 643-1131 1 Cook for the interior Rooms – Tel:225-9223 Tel:681-3801
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Government ready to discuss CJIA contract document with Opposition The government has been making moves to sit and negotiate with members of the Opposition with the aim of winning support in the National Assembly for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project. Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, told Kaieteur News that he has hopes that the Opposition will act in accordance with national interest. He pointed out that the Opposition had before supported allocations set aside for this project. Benn added, “I am sure, at some point, when we would have clarified and gone over the details as we work this out with the Opposition, they would only act in accord with what would be of national interest. This maybe an optimistic position but this is my position on the matter.” The Minister said that it would be a “sad day” if they decide to continue withholding their support. A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister of Public Works, Joseph Harmon, said that talks have not yet begun but should commence in the near future. The politician said that he made it clear to the Government that there are
We still have no faith in Brassington - APNU As the contract stands, Govt. will be paying $424,212 for each bowl but the one in picture is available for $30,000.
APNU’s Joseph Harmon certain measures that are preconditions for his party’s support. The first stated precondition was for the Government to find a “proper relocation plan” for the people who reside at North Timehri. Harmon told Kaieteur News about his understanding that there are movements in that direction “but everything has not been finalized.” The other is that the contract “must” be revisited based on the APNU’s observation that it is inadequate. Harmon said that the APNU still has no faith in Winston Brassington especially with regard to his
Private farmer given... From page 11 Government would have to further expend monies to pump water in the dry season. Rice farmer Feroze Mohamed said that the disruption of the dam would not only seriously affect drainage in the Region but also the two high level dams that secure water for farmers. When questioned, a senior Region Two officer said that he has no knowledge of the project currently being executed by the businessman. He added that the Ministry of Agriculture may have more knowledge of the acres of land given to the businessman.
Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn skills in negotiating contracts. “He is a poor negotiator. Invariably, in the contracts he writes, we are the losers,” he stated. The Member of Parliament said he understands that China Harbour has a “deep interest” in seeing the project completed and is willing to sit with the Opposition to see how best this can be achieved. Harmon noted that the APNU is not willing to budge unless the two preconditions are fulfilled. According to the contract signed between Government and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) on November 10, 2011, the new airport wanted 69 toilet bowls costing
US$2,121.06 each. This worked out to US$146,353.14 or over $29M and therefore translated to $424,212 for each bowl. In defending the contract price, the Ministry of Public Works said that the stated costs of the bowls included the costs of the sewer lines, cubicle doors and other materials. However, in the same Bill of Quantity listed in the contract, there are line items for vertical washbasins, urinals costing US$1,488.47 each; sink sets costing US$620.19 each and shower sets at US$387 each. It also included pipes, corrosion
holders for pipes and butterfly valves. There are no explanations as to what were included in these prices. The Ministry also argued that the airport expansion contract pricing is “very competitive and reasonable when compared to other airport contracts.” According to the Ministry, the costs for CJIA’s expansion are comparative in terms of square meters. It listed Chicago Midway US$281; Denver Colorado US$284; Washington US$353 and JFK Blue US$1,000 as against CJIA’s US$300 per square meter costs.
However, it has been pointed out that the CJIA project may be difficult to compare to others as there are tax concessions unlike the others. Government is obligated to supply sand and other filling materials. The government has also waived all duties, taxes, royalties and fees for which the contractor would have been obligated. Conservative estimates has placed the expansion’s costs at US$250M, taking into account the waived taxes and sand filling and other expenses that the Guyana government will have to undertake.
Guyana to attend regional shipping... (From page 60) Shipping Association, terminal operators in the Demerara Port and the local community of importers and exporters have been advocating for the dredging of the Demerara Navigational Channel to remove over three meters of hardened silt that prevents large cargo vessels as well as cruise ships from coming to Guyana. The adverse effects on
the business community and the end users of all imported products could not be overstated. According to the association, a public/private sector working group was established in 2012 to source funding and facilities for the complete modernization of the Demerara Harbour with new navigational aids, security accessories and the acquisition
of a fire boat. This issue is likely to be discussed at the CSEC in May. Also on the agenda are panel discussions on the new marine gas, the impact of the United States Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), and Maritime Domain awareness, and Guyana stands to benefit significantly from the proposals for advanced level maritime training for member coun-
tries of the CSA. Shipping industry executives and key decision makers from Europe and North America, the Caribbean and Latin America are expected to attend and establish connections with Terminal and Port Operators, owners of NonVessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs), Freight Forwarders, Shippers and Shipping Association administrators.
A strong willed woman of the local... From page 59 Being exposed to a working environment before owning a business slightly prepared me for the life of an entrepreneur; it enlightened me as to how demanding a business can be.” “Understanding that making a profit and being successful does not happen automatically once you invest was a concept to adjust to. The work and details that go into to creating a business after having the idea was also areas that made me rethink at times but I knew early on quitting was not an option so I had to learn and expose myself to people who could have guided me with the
details not shown in my dreams. I have also learnt that to stay in the game requires constant attention and effort once all the work is done initially it does not stop there, to ensure that the business achieves its potential requires daily work and continuous hard work.” “It is still believed by some that being an entrepreneur best suits a male; women have been working earnestly and are showing that this thought is one to be challenged by their success in different arenas. There are business sectors that women populate; shipping is not one as yet.
So venturing into this sector was not just facing head -on the challenges of making the business a successful and thriving one, but withstanding the test because of who I was as a person. When I started DHL Express I was told by the authorities that this form of business cannot be accepted in Guyana because it was in direct competition with the Post office which is government owned. Thankfully this decision was overturned and 27 years after we are still here and have paved the way for our competitors to enter the market too.” In advising young women
who would like to be in business but lack the resources, she says, “It is ok to dream but more importantly is to act on the dreams, work hard and have goals, and ideas that they strive daily to achieve. A good thought to be guided by is “If you haven’t failed a lot, you probably aren’t going to win a lot.” Hence if you were born facing a lot of disadvantages then you already have some of what it takes to win; so utilize that and not waste it. Most of all put Christ first in every aspect of your life; let Him direct your path and nothing good will He withhold from those that walk upright with Him.”
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Nigerian army posts two divisions to hunt for missing girls ABUJA (Reuters) Nigeria’s Army has posted two divisions to hunt for 200 schoolgirls abducted last month by Islamist rebels in an attack condemned globally including by U.S. first lady Michelle Obama yesterday. The soldiers are stationed in the border region close to Chad, Cameroon and Niger to work with other security agencies, said General Chris Olukolade, spokesman for the Defence Headquarters. The government of President Goodluck Jonathan has faced criticism for its slow response since Boko Haram militants stormed a secondary school in the village of Chibok, near the Cameroon border, on April 14, and kidnapped the girls, who were taking exams. Fifty have escaped but more than 200 remain with the insurgents. “The facilities of the Nigerian Army signals as well as all the communication facilities of the Nigerian Police and all the services have been devoted into coordinating this search,” Olukolade said in a statement. “The major challenge remains the fact that some of the information given here turned out in many occasions to be misleading .... Nevertheless, this will not discourage the collaborative efforts that are on-going,” he said. The air force has flown
more than 250 sorties, a signals unit and the police are involved and a multinational task force has also been activated and surveillance equipment is deployed in support of ten search teams, he said. The United States, Britain, France, China and international police agency Interpol have all offered assistance. Jonathan on Friday said he believed the schoolgirls remained in Nigeria and had not been transported into Cameroon. It was the first indication he has given of their whereabouts. The attackers were based in the Sambisa area of Borno state, a Boko Haram stronghold near the school from where the girls were abducted, he said. Michelle Obama took the rare step of delivering her husband President Barack Obama’s weekly radio address on Saturday to express outrage over the kidnapping. “Like millions of people across the globe, my husband and I are outraged and heartbroken over the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school dormitory in the middle of the night,” she said in the address. “This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep
these girls from getting an education - grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls,” she said. Boko Haram’s fight for an Islamic state has killed thousands since it erupted in mid-2009 and has destabilized swathes of the northeast of Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, as well as neighbors Cameroon and Niger. The global outrage over the attack has shone a spotlight on the rebellion and institutional challenges faced by the government and military just as Nigeria’s economy has overtaken South Africa’s as the biggest on the continent. Earlier this month, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau threatened to sell the girls “in the market”. The kidnappings and a broader militant threat overshadowed the World Economic Forum held in the Nigerian capital this week that showcased investment and opportunity in the country of 160 million people. Human rights group Amnesty International said in a statement, citing multiple interviews with sources, that the security forces had been warned more than four hours in advance of the school attack but did not do enough to stop it. Olukolade dismissed the report as baseless.
Egypt charges 200 Islamist militants with bombings, other violence (Reuters) - Egypt’s public prosecutor charged 200 suspected Islamist militants yesterday with “founding, leading and joining a terrorist organisation” and launching bomb and rocket attacks across the country. The accused belong to Ansar Bayt alMaqdis, or Supporters of Jerusalem, a group that has claimed some of the deadliest attacks of the last nine months and is listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States. The prosecutor’s statement said 102 of those charged were in government custody with the rest on the run. Militant violence has spiralled in the Sinai Peninsula, Cairo and other cities since the army toppled Islamist president Mohamed Mursi last July after mass protests against his rule. The army-backed government accuses Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood of perpetrating violence. The group says it is committed to non-violence. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former army chief
who led Mursi’s ousting and is widely expected to win a presidential election this month, has said the Brotherhood would cease to exist during his presidency. The prosecutor’s statement said the charges related to 51 attacks that killed 40 policemen and 15 civilians, including a car bomb at a security compound in central Cairo in January and an attempt to kill the interior minister in September. According to government figures, around 500 people have been killed in such attacks, mostly policemen and soldiers. Saturday’s statement called Ansar Bayt alMaqdis “the most dangerous terrorist organisation” and said it had collaborated with al-Qaeda and Palestinian group Hamas. It said investigations of the suspects showed Mursi had struck a deal with the group to refrain from attacks during his presidency in exchange for pardoning any members of the group. Mursi, in government custody since his ousting, is charged in several cases including one in which he is accused of conspiring with Hamas to break out of jail in 2011 during the uprising against Hosni Mubarak. An Egyptian court sentenced more than 1,000 Brotherhood supporters to death in two cases this year on charges including inciting violence that followed Mursi’s overthrow. Foreign governments and human rights groups have expressed alarm over the rulings.
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Kaieteur News
Romania queries Moscow after deputy PM sends bomber jet tweets BUCHAREST (Reuters) Romania asked Moscow for an explanation yesterday after Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin, reacting to being barred from its airspace, tweeted he would return in a TU-160 strategic bomber. Rogozin, one of the senior Russian officials sanctioned by the European Union and United States after Moscow moved to annex Crimea, was turned away when his plane tried to fly to Moscow from Moldova’s breakaway Transdniestria region. According to his tweets in English, Rogozin, who oversees Russia’s powerful arms industry, was also blocked by Ukrainian interceptor jets as he tried to fly home from the Russianspeaking region of Moldava bordering Ukraine. “Upon U.S. request, Romania has closed its air space for my plane,” he tweeted. “Ukraine doesn’t allow me to pass through again. Next time I’ll fly on board TU-160.” The supersonic Soviet-era TU-160 is Russia’s largest strategic bomber. The Romanian foreign ministry asked Moscow to clarify whether Rogozin’s comments represented “the
Dmitri Rogozin Russian Federation’s official position towards Romania as an EU and NATO member”. It said it “believes the threat of using a Russian strategic bomber plane by a Russian deputy prime minister is a very grave statement under the current regional context.” It added that “the Russian Federation has broken Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty ... while proRussian separatists are violating public order in the neighboring state.” The statement said Romania was abiding by the sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia. Rogozin, an avid user of social media, posted on his Facebook page the Romanian
message to him citing the relevant European Council decisions. Travel bans are among the limited sanctions Western states have imposed on some Russian and pro-Moscow Ukrainian political and business leaders, including Rogozin. Rogozin was on a visit to Russian-speaking Transdniestria, a long narrow strip of Moldova bordering Ukraine that broke away from the rest of the Romanianspeaking country in 1990 as the Soviet Union was beginning to collapse. Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries and Romania’s eastern neighbor, is seeking closer ties with the EU, which last month said Moldovans would no longer need visas to travel to most of the bloc. In another tweet sent one hour before he was turned away, Rogozin said: “this morning I met with the Command of the Joint Staff of Russian Forces in Transdniestria.” In other tweets, Rogozin said he attended celebrations on Friday in Tiraspol, capital of Transdniestria, to mark the anniversary of the 1945 Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.
Search for Flight MH370 heads to site of first ‘ping’ HMAS STIRLING NAVAL BASE, Australia (Reuters) - An Australian naval vessel carrying an underwater drone involved in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 left port yesterday on its second mission to scan part of the Indian Ocean where the longest sonar “ping” was heard over a month ago. The Ocean Shield is heading to the area where a signal was first located and heard for some two hours on April 5, about 1,600 km (1,000 miles) northwest of Perth to launch the Bluefin-21 submersible. More than two dozen countries have been involved in the hunt for the Boeing 777 that disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing with 239 people, mostly Chinese, on board in one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries.Weeks of daily sorties have failed to turn up any trace of the plane, even after narrowing the search to an arc in the southern Indian Ocean. Batteries on the black box voice and data recorders
have gone flat. The search had been centered on a 314-square-km (121-sq-mile) area around the second “ping” located and monitored for about 13 minutes on April 5, and which search authorities identified as their strongest lead. With the search of that area complete, the focus is shifting to the area where the first, and longer, signal was detected the same day, U.S. Navy Captain Mark Matthews told journalists at a naval base near Perth. “What you do is you go look at your best indications and you pursue them until they’re exhausted,” he said. “These things don’t happen fast. These searches don’t happen on the hours or days cycle. These happen on the weeks and months cycle.” Australia, China and Malaysia earlier this week pledged not to give up searching for the plane, even though air and surface searches for debris have been abandoned. The Ocean Shield returned to Stirling Naval Base south of Perth earlier this
week after more than a month at sea to resupply, change crew and perform software modifications and maintenance on the Bluefin. The submersible has dived to a maximum depth of 5,005 meters in its daily 20hour missions to scan the ocean floor using sonar, despite being only designed to dive to 4,500 meters, Matthews said. With just three weeks left on loan from the U.S. Navy, the pressure is on about how to proceed and who will pay for the next phase of the search. The Ocean Shield, which will take three days to arrive at the search location, is due back in port by the end of the month. Last week, Malaysia released its most comprehensive account yet of what happened to Flight MH370, detailing the route the plane probably took as it veered off course and the confusion that followed. The officials have said the focus will be on 60,000 sq km (23,000 sq mile) of seabed in the Indian Ocean that could take a year to search.
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New GPC gets lion’s share of US$185M After almost 20 years Supreme Court spent on drugs since Jagdeo took office New GPC, which was purchased from Government by former President, Bharrat Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop’s Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII) would have been handed the lion’s share of the $37.4B that Government would have spent over the years in drugs and medical supplies. Of that $37.4B just over $5B is earmarked for spending this year. During the recent Budget debates, Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran responding to a question from the opposition benches, confirmed that this year New GPC will get the largest slice of that allocation. This occurs despite New GPC being flagged over the years by the Office of the Auditor General over several discrepancies including the late supply of drugs despite advance payments. The Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) was privatized by Government in 1999 and renamed New GPC. This is also compounded by the fact that when New GPC gives an invoice it is
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo
Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop
assessed as a package which allows for significant overpricing on selected items in the list. SALE AND SUPPLY Bharrat Jagdeo took Office in August, 1999. Two months later in October, Cabinet approved the sale of 60 per cent of GPC to Ramroop’s QAII. In 2001, Ramroop purchased another 30 per cent of the company. This was again approved by Cabinet, at a reduced price. Two years later, Cabinet still headed by Jagdeo, approved a waiver allowing
the Ministry of Health to bypass the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, and to sole source drugs and medical supplies from New GPC. When the pressure mounted on Government over this arrangement the Ministry of Health reviewed and modified the criteria for companies to be prequalified. The new conditions further consolidated the position of New GPC as the sole source. Further solidifying New GPC’s run to be prequalified to supply drugs is the fact
Murder accused beaten after setting mattress alight Child-murder accused, Calvin Bailey, was hospitalized yesterday after he was badly beaten in the Georgetown Prison. Prison sources said that the inmate, who is on retrial for the 2007 murder of his 18month-old son, was beaten by prison warders around 07.00 hours after he set his mattress alight. He was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, while a prison warder was treated for minor burns to his hand. Kaieteur News was told that Bailey and another inmate were placed in the ‘strong cell’ (solitary confinement) a few weeks ago after prison officials were
Calvin Bailey informed of a suspected escape plan by some inmates. The other prisoner was eventually removed from the ‘strong cell’, while Bailey was
left in solitary. Around 07.00 hrs yesterday, prison warders came running to Bailey’s cell after he set his mattress on fire. When they opened the cell, Bailey reportedly ran outside with the mattress. He was subdued and reportedly badly beaten before being taken to the GPHC. Bailey is facing retrial for the murder of 18-month-old Shaquan Nero, who was slain after Bailey allegedly attacked the child’s mother, Bernadette Nero in April, 2007, at Amelia’s Ward, Linden. In his defence, Bailey has claimed that his reputed wife had stabbed him and the child during an altercation.
that two of the local companies vying for prequalification status are in murky waters. Meditron Scientific Sales, according to the records, is a ‘legally inactive’ company. It has not renewed its Business Certificate which expired on February 22, last. Telcom Solutions (Guyana) Inc, which has also submitted a bid to be considered for pre-qualified status, has not submitted its annual returns since 2010. This would mean that the company currently runs the risk of being struck off the Registrar’s list of companies. This would mean that the only other locally based competitor to Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop’s companies is International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA). The other local company that has submitted a bid is Global Healthcare Supplies Inc. which is also owned by Ramroop, in addition to the New GPC’s bid. Under the new rules for pre-qualification, local companies that meet the criteria would be favored above overseas bidders. Of the seven companies that have submitted bids, two are Trinidadian companies, ANSA McAL and Western Scientific Company. Under the revised criteria for the prequalification of suppliers of drugs and medical supplies the companies that bid must demonstrate a gross turnover of $1B (US$5M) and net assets of $500M (US$2.5M). The Ministry’s criteria said that a maximum score will be awarded to applicants which have paid $50M in corporate taxes annually. The company with 50 or more employees, and warehousing capacity of 30,000 square feet in the city, will also gain an edge. Ramroop, former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s best friend, is the only supplier, locally with a bond of that size.
advertises for Senior Counsel positions By Latoya Giles After almost 20 years, the Supreme Court of Guyana has finally signaled its move to accept applications from lawyers who are desirous of being elevated to the position of “Senior Counsel.” The last set of Senior Counsel appointments was done in 1996. Those appointed at that time were Justice Ian Chang, S.C, now the acting Chief Justice; Ralph Ramkarran S.C., former Speaker of the National Assembly; Charles Ramson, former Attorney General; Richard Fields, Moen McDoom, and Samuel Brotherson (deceased). In an advertisement yesterday the Supreme Court stated that persons wishing to apply for the position should have at least 15 years of active practice at the bar. Applicants must also have expert up to date legal knowledge with records of accurate and relevant applications of such knowledge. It was noted further that applicants must have records of written and oral advocacy, along with a reputation for appropriate deportment, decorum and interpersonal relationships with professional colleagues befitting a member of the inner bar. The prospective applicants must also have a reputation of honesty and integrity, particularly with respect to professional dealings with the court, clients and all other parties. The applications must be supported by endorsements from at least two referees who are able to positively state that the applicant satisfactorily meets the required criteria. Applications should be sent no later than May 30, 2014 in sealed envelopes
addressed to the Office of the Chancellor, Court of Appeal, 60 High Street, Kingston, Georgetown. Attorneys-atLaw who previously made applications need not reapply. Former president of the Bar Association, Teni Housty, had suggested that politics should be removed from the appointments. In the past, he said, many lawyers had called for the introduction of a more transparent process of appointments. Housty had told Kaieteur News that the failure to appoint Senior Counsel can be seen as a disservice not only to the legal profession in Guyana, but also to the State and society as a whole. In his explanation, he said that the failure operates at both philosophical and practical levels. From a philosophical standpoint, according to Housty, the non appointment of Senior Counsel comes at a point when most Guyanese are asking, “Where are the role models?” The failure to appoint, he says, is yet another wasted opportunity to recognise role models not only in the profession but also in society as a whole. The appointment of Senior Counsel is one chance for the State and the legal profession to act together in support of the administration of Justice in Guyana. At a practical level, Housty said that the appointment should recognize those professional attributes which the practitioner has accomplished and the respect he/she gets from the public. Housty stated that those factors would contribute to the strengthening of the administration of justice in Guyana.
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Ukraine warns of ‘abyss’ as rebel South Africa’s Zuma dedicates east approaches self-rule vote election win to Nelson Mandela
Election commission worker Vera Pozhidaeva demonstrates the readiness of a polling station for Sunday’s referendum in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lugansk yesterday. REUTERS/Valentin Ogirenko M A R I U P O L / SLAVIANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukrainian leader Oleksander Turchinov warned pro-Russian eastern regions they would be stepping into the abyss if they voted for self-rule today in a referendum that has raised Western fears of a slide to full civil war. Barricades of tires and scrap metal blocked streets in the port city of Mariupol and in Slaviansk, centers of an uprising that has unleashed the worst crisis between the West and Russia since the Cold War. There was a clash between army and rebels near Slaviansk late on Saturday, but fighting had largely abated. For a vote on which so much hangs, the referendum in the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, which has declared itself a “ P e o p l e ’s Republic”, seems a decidedly ad hoc affair. Ballot papers have
been printed with no security provision and the meaning of the question - asking voters if they support state ‘self-rule’ for the People’s Republic of Donetsk - is, perhaps deliberately, unclear. Some see in it endorsement of autonomy within Ukraine, some a move to independence and others a nod to absorption by Russia in the wake of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in March. Annexation is favored by the more prominent rebels, but the ambiguity may reflect their fears a full break would not garner enough support. The eastern uprising followed the toppling in February of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, whose pursuit of ties with Moscow stirred mass protests by pro-Western activists in Kiev. Rebels seized government and police buildings in the east with very little resistance from security forces Kiev says
had been undermined by years of neglect and corruption under successive leaders. But in recent days, Ukrainian forces have been striking back with shows of force especially in Mariupol, an important industrial and shipping centre. The interior ministry said 20 rebels were killed in fighting on Friday, while hospitals put the number of dead at seven. Russia denies Western and Ukrainian accusations it has fostered the rebellion. It portrays the Kiev government as hostage to violent antiRussian nationalists, intent on rooting out the culture and language of the Russianspeaking east. Acting president Turchinov is attempting to bring eastern political forces into a round table to discuss federal devolution, but says he will not deal with rebel leaders with blood on their hands.
Johannesburg (AFP) South African President Jacob Zuma yesterday dedicated his ANC’s landslide victory in this week’s elections to Nelson Mandela, 20 years to the day of the late liberation leader’s inauguration. “We dedicate our victory to Madiba’s memory, and pledge to continue taking forward his legacy and that of his peers and forebears,” Zuma said, using Mandela’s clan name The party’s 62.15 percent share of the vote meant an “overwhelming mandate” for a fifth term in government since the end of whiteminority rule, said Zuma, speaking publicly for the first time on the vote results. Nostalgia for the father of the nation, who died last December, helped support for the ruling party in Wednesday’s polls despite a series of corruption scandals, galloping unemployment and economic doldrums. Marking two decades to the day Mandela became South Africa’s first black president, Zuma said: “The victory also reaffirms that the ANC remains the only true hope for the majority of our people, particularly the poor and the working class.” The results assured the ruling party 249 seats in the 400-member parliament, while main opposition the centrist Democratic Alliance’s (DA) 22.23 percent gave it 89. New radical left-wing party the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) came third with 6.35 percent, propelling its inflammatory leader Julius Malema into parliament. Anti-apartheid veteran
Mamphela Ramphele, a former World Bank managing director, garnered two seats for her Agang party after a disappointing performance. Over 73 percent of the 25.4 million registered voters cast their ballot. A few thousand ANC supporters gathered in a square next to the party headquarters in Johannesburg on Saturday night for a victory party. Zuma danced on stage with party leaders while local artists performed amid flags and branding sporting the ANC’s green, black and gold. Speaking at the main election tallying centre in Pretoria before dashing to the victory rally, Zuma set the tone for the incoming administration. He pledged to continue programmes to improve the delivery of basic services to millions of South Africans and roll out massive new infrastructure projects. Zuma, 72, is assured of a second five-year term despite $23 million in state-paid upgrades to his private home and personal friends flying wedding guests into the
country via a military air force base. But the ANC’s support fell slightly from the 65.9 percent it won in 2009 elections, as opposed to the DA’s improvement on its previous tally of 16.66 percent. The DA also strengthened its position in the Western Cape province, the only governed by an opposition party. The ANC’s share of the vote also plunged in economic heartland, Gauteng province, from 64 percent to 54 percent, where personal scandals surrounding the president have been a liability for the party. Results trickled in last for Gauteng, which also has the highest number of voters, raising allegations of voterigging from the EFF and historical ANC rival the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). The military deployed overnight Friday in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township and police arrested 59 people for public violence after residents burnt tyres and barricaded streets over alleged voter fraud. Police reported no casualties.
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West Indies cricket needs fast bowlers desperately! Colin E. H. Croft West Indies starts its 2014 home international series with a Test against New Zealand in Jamaica on June 08 next, and the team’s greatest problem, and need, is for new fast bowers. When former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop gave that excellent interview to ESPNcricinfo a week ago, he outlined generally what it really took to be a good, even great, fast bowler. It is not easy at all! Many, including me, have said that had Bishop not had serious lower back injuries, he probably would have been the greatest and best West Indies, and world, fast bowler ever. There must be a quick caveat here. “Real fast bowling” is anything over 90 miles per hour;
145 kilometers per hour. That allows about 0.2 of a second for deliveries to get to batsmen from the bowler’s hand! Anything below that is simply “medium dobblers”, even though some who never got to those high speeds have been successful. But this is about real prime time fast bowling! Incidentally, my all-time five world fast bowlers, selections that are subject to change, discussions, and conjecture, are Dennis Lillee, Joel Garner, Wasim Akram, (Sir) CurtlyAmbrose and Malcolm Marshall. That I had to omit such luminaries as (Sir) Wes Hall, Jeff Thompson, Fred Truman, Mike Holding, Alan Donald, Mike Proctor, Waqar Younis, Glen
Colin E. H. Croft says:
From left Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner. (the guardian) McGrath, Brett Lee, Shoaib Akhtar and Andy Roberts, is bitter. Also, if I had to pick a West Indies all-time cricket XI, five faster bowlers would be included – (Sir) Gary Sobers, who could bat and catch brilliantly, bowl real
Sunday May 11, 2014 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): Don't let another person's small, thoughtless comment ruin your entire day, Aries. People may be a bit stingy with everything from money to emotions to time spent with loved ones. The more you tell someone else that they're wrong, the more that person is going to reject your advice. ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): You may be feeling a bit tired and worn out lately, Taurus. Don't push yourself to do things when you know that your body needs rest. It could be extremely tempting to roll with the crowd and participate in all the fun. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Don't fritter away your time with a person who isn't going to change his or her mind about something, Gemini. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): More than likely there is a person in your world who desperately wants to get closer to you, Cancer. Conflict is apt to arise tonight if you don't open up and let this person in a bit closer. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): It may be easy for you to show up at a party or answer the phone when you know that it's your best friend calling with good news, but where are you when the going gets rough, Leo? ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): Realize that your inner state of mind is quite apparent to people just by the look on your face, Virgo.from others, especially today.
LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): Your opinions are apt to be strong today and you may feel on top of the world, Libra. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): TRealize that you may be controlling other people's actions without even consciously knowing it, Scorpio. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): Beware of unexpected circumstances today, Sagittarius. The good news is that your flexible attitude is perfectly suited to deal with the twists and turns that this day is likely to offer. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19): Come out of your shell today and try not to be so aloof, Capricorn. You will never find the exact path you want to be on until you explore the different options. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18):You may be wondering why everyone is getting so touchy when you see this as being just a normal day, Aquarius. Cut other people some slack when you think they aren't wearing as big a smile as you are. ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): It could be that you don't feel as if you can begin your day until you've made it clear to someone that you have an issue that needs to be dealt with, Pisces. You have a greater amount of emotional strength than usual, and you'll find that it's important that you hold on to this feeling against all odds.
fast too, then bowl orthodox and un-orthodox left-arm spin, (Sir) Wes, (Sir) Curtly, Marshall and Garner; for their dynamism and production. The rest of that all-West Indies team, at their prime form, would be Lance Gibbs, George Headley, (Sir) Everton Weekes, (Sir) Vivian Richards, Brian Lara and (Sir) Clyde Walcott, as wicket-keeper/batsman. Hey, I know that you are cursing me, as is normal, when you read this. No sweat. Selecting an all-West Indies
team is hard work, but it also stimulates craniums and always gets tongues wagging! Yes, I know that there are no real ‘opening’ batsmen here, but I will not de-select anyone to make space for specialists. As Rohan Kanhai once said, “If you can bat, then you can bat anywhere!” Indeed!! Kanhai, Roy Fredericks, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Bishop, Chris Gayle, Shiv Chanderpaul, Courtney Walsh, Holding, Roberts, Jeff Dujon, even maybe yours truly, might make a 2nd XI! But this is about fast bowling, right, but what a delicious diversion into the real pearls of our cricketers! So, when Clive Lloyd came to West Indies captaincy, and decided to go for an all-pace attack, after that beating West Indies got fromAustralia in 1975/ 6, and then India making 406 in a 4th inning to win a Test, with three spinners in West Indies team back then, he had great fast
bowling riches at his finger-tips: Holding, (Sir) Andy, Garner, Croft, Wayne Daniel, Marshall and Norbert Phillip were available, seven guys who could all make batsmen hop, skip, jump and duck when they were “smoking” with after-burners on! Those were replaced by Patrick Patterson, Walsh, (Sir) Curtly, Bishop and the two Benjamin’s – Kenny and Winston. Immediately succeeding them were Nixon Mc Lean, Merv Dillon, Franklyn Rose, Cameron Cuffy and Reon King, but these were, quite disappointingly, severely inconsistent and, generally, not successful overall. So, fast forward to West Indies last Test, also against New Zealand, December 2013, where West Indies faster bowlers were Tino Best and Darren Sammy. “Macco” Marshall must be turning in his grave! In that same Test squad to NZ were Sheldon Cottrell, Jamaica’s left-armed fast-medium bowler, and Trinidad & Tobago’s right-hand fast bowler Shannon Gabriel. In 3rd Test of three, with West Indies losing that series 20, three front-line spinners in Veerasammy Permaul, Sunil Narine and Narsingh Deonarine were used. None were impressive. Best was fast but so erratic that his usefulness was never fully realized, while Sammy was a regular “medium dobbler.” It is safe to say that Best will not play Tests again for West Indies. For Test No. 1 v NZ in Jamaica, Jerome Taylor will probably return to the team, after a severely long lay-off, but after doing a very good job for Jamaica this year in regional competitions. To date, Taylor, who will be thirty in June, has played 29 sporadic Tests, for 82 wickets, at 35.64 average. Gabriel too has done a reasonable job for T&T in the 2014 regional competitions. After a good start against England at Lords in May 2012, he was also injured and has only played six Tests for thirteen wickets at 38.84 average; nothing to be excited about. But, worryingly, that is where the fast bowling actually stops. Ravi Rampaul’s name keeps cropping up, but his production, 49 wickets from 18 Tests, is simply poor. Jason Holder, Barbados’ young fast bowler, has not yet played a Test, so this could be his debut year. In this façade, West Indies fast bowling is in a deep mire. New fast bowlers are needed, right now! Enjoy!
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Diamond Mineral Water key to hockey’s indoor success - Fernandes President of the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB), Philip Fernandes, in an invited comment on Guyana’s recent bronze medal success at the Pan American Indoor Hockey Championships, cited the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Festival as one of three specific factors that contributed greatly to the team’s result. The other two worthwhile factors in Fernandes’ opinion were the upgraded local indoor facility at the National Gymnasium and the commitment, perseverance and guidance of the coaching and management team. The Guyana national men’s indoor hockey team created history with their first ever defeat of Argentina en route to another first, a Pan American indoor hockey bronze medal. According to the GHB President the Guyanese contingent almost missed out on participation as, with just days to go, they found themselves short of the required funds to make the long trek to Montevideo, Uruguay where the championships were being held. Fortunately, the opportunity was not missed and our local players got the well-deserved chance to showcase their skills to the entire region and the world in producing their successful results which were topped off by their receipt of the Fair Play Award. GHB President Fernandes was animated in his description of the Diamond Mineral Water Festival, indicating that it was the launch pad for Guyana’s indoor hockey. “By exposing local players to regular top class overseas competition, the Festival had moved Guyana’s clubs from accepting mediocre performances to having to constantly develop their training and game tactics,” Fernandes said. He was high in praise of Joseph ‘Reds’ Pereira from whom the idea and initial formula for the Festival came. He also singled out the first Festival Coordinator, Troy Peters, and former GHB honorary Secretary, Gregory Sills, as two of the key persons involved in the introduction and early evolution of the event. “This competition allowed Guyana to compete with many national players from Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, including PAHF Indoor MVP, Jonathan Roberts who, although initially from Guyana, is now among the top national strikers for PAHF indoor champions, Canada,” Fernandes noted.
No less than seven of the current Canadian national indoor team which won gold in the recent championships have come to Guyana to compete in the Diamond Mineral Water Festival, and several have done so on multiple occasions. Fernandes indicated that the Festival is now among the top indoor competitions in the region for clubs and will continue to give Guyanese players that vital exposure to high level competition. While the Festival began in 2004 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Fernandes indicated that it was the change of venue afforded by the laying of a new surface acquired by the Guyana Volleyball Federation that has catapulted the competition into the top tier by attracting better quality players and teams. “Hockey has been able to access the Gymnasium for training and competition more regularly than they could the Sports Hall and can better prepare its players for competition as a result. The Ministry of Sport has been a key ally for hockey as they have rewarded our efforts to sustain and develop the game by accommodating us whenever possible at this facility. In addition, the Ministry of Sport and the Guyana Volleyball Federation has played its role in recommending ways in which the new floor can be shared among sport disciplines to their mutual benefit.” Fernandes considers this new floor and its availability to hockey as a great significance in being able to prepare teams to a higher standard for international competition. Despite the high value placed on vital international competition and adequate facilities to train, the Hockey Board President spared no words in his praise for the Management and coaching staff of the recent men’s indoor national team, in p a r t i c u l a r H e a d C oach Robert Fernandes. “Without Robert’s absolute commitment to this projec this team would not have made it to Uruguay, and certainly would not have been able to compete at the level at which they did,” the GHB Head said. Robert Fernandes honed his coaching skills on the squash court before transferring his tactical and analytical coaching skills along with his dedication to the coaching task, to the hockey field. The GHB President went on to indicate that while firstworld nations can often afford a large professional contingent in their coaching staff, in countries such as Guyana, the coach is required
to spend countless hours, preparing practices, implementing them, analysing match video, modifying tactics over and over again. This according to him takes many hours and real commitment in addition to the expertise required to make the correct decisions and corrections. As the GHB President pointed out, the coaching staff not only got the team to Uruguay prepared enough to compete, but made wise decisions when it mattered most to produce their successful result. The challenge now to the GHB and the local hockey fraternity is to build on the momentum of this success and hopefully continue the fine form and results in the years to come. Regular international competition would require substantial funding which poses the major hurdle at this juncture. While the team made a great effort to raise funds to participate in Uruguay, the exorbitant cost of travel along with living expenses for a team saw them fall shy of their target when the travel dates arrived. The team management was able to secure the necessary funds for the trip with the commitment from the players to continue their fund-raising efforts upon their return to make up the shortfall. They will certainly need the support of all stakeholders, including the private sector and general public in the coming months as they continue these efforts. The team has received an informal invitation to compete in a four-nation tournament in Toronto, Canada against Pan American Champions Canada, Australia and South Africa, all of whom are top ranked hockey nations and would provide an invaluable opportunity for the local players. While it is hoped that the team can finalize the plans with Field Hockey Canada and participate in this event, their ability to acquire the necessary funds will remain the determining factor. Meanwhile, Fernandes informed that the Guyana National Women’s Hockey squad is scheduled to have a meeting shortly to discuss their plans for the upcoming years. The GHB also has set tomorrow for the resumption of the John Fernandes Insurance Services Ltd second division league with the Hikers facing Saints and will be holding its first indoor hockey tournament of the year, the Brydens Super Classic early in June.
Sunday May 11, 2014
Rising Sun Turf Club goes racing on Sunday 25th May The Rising Sun Turf Club in collaboration with the People’s Progressive Party will be staging a grand horserace meet slated for Sunday 25th May at the Rising Sun Turf Club, Arima Park, West Coast Berbice. Seven races are listed for the day with competitors set to vie for close to $4M in prize money which will be available in cash, trophies and other goodies. The day’s programme includes events for A and lower; E and D maiden and lower, the 3 yr old classic for horses born and bred in the Guyana and the West Indies. There is also the F class event and the race for G3 and lower horses. The A class event over
1400M will see the horses galloping for a first prize of $1M. There is a newly introduced event for horses classified D3 and lower nonwinners for 2014 and E and lower for a winning take of $500,000 and trophy over 1400M. Three year Guyana and West Indies Bred animals will be racing for a top prize of $400,000 over 1400M. Incentive for the winner in the F1 and lower 1400M event is also worth $400,000. The G3 class 1100M race will see the winner taking away the $300,000 first prize and trophy. Racing fans will see the top ‘I’ class horses racing for a winning take of $200,000 and
trophy over 1100M. The J1 class horses 1100M sprint has a winner’s prize of $180,000 and trophy. With so much on offer, a scintillating and action packed day of racing is anticipated. The top individual performers will be presented with accolades compliments of Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Bourda Market. Interested persons can contact Fazal Habibulla on Telephone No 232-0232 or 6577010, Inshanally Habibulla on tel No 623-4495 or 2323295, or Donald or Zaleena Lawrie on telephone no 2254530, 2254565 or Dennis DeRoop on 6099143 for any details. Race time is 13:00 hrs (Samuel Whyte)
King’s Jewellery softball to commence on Tuesday King’s Jewellery softball tournament is set to commence next Tuesday at Thirst Park with action in Zone A starting at 18:00 hrs. The competition will see teams from the private and public sectors matching skills in their
respective zones. Zone A includes Dynamic Security, Trading and Distributing Inc, Farm Export and Ramchand Auto Spares. Zone B consists of Stockfeeds, Princess Hotel, Diamond Import, and Brickery Co. Ltd. Zone C is
made up of Omesh Variety, Hill Foot Loggers, Banks DIH and Cheddi Jagan International Airport XI. Regal XI, Frontline, Better Hope and Super Star are the teams expected to battle in the over-35 category.
Ramdin promises levelheaded leadership as captain
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — New West Indies Test captain Denesh Ramdin has promised to bring a “level of calmness” to the position, when he takes over for the New Zealand tour starting next month. The 29-year-old wicketkeeper, who has led Trinidad and Tobago in recent years, was Friday announced to replace Darren Sammy who led the regional team since November 2010. “I am taking over from Darren who did a good job while he was at the helm. He is a very humble and hardworking cricketer and during his time at the helm we won (eight) matches and gave his all to the job,” said Ramdin. “My first assignment will be against New Zealand at home and this promises to be a very exciting series. I am a very calm individual and I will bring that level of calmness to the job and to the team as we look to move forward and build a winning Test team which will make the people of the West Indies proud.” Ramdin has already captained West Indies in one
Denesh Ramdin
One-Day International and three Twenty20s, but has never led the squad in a Test. He has, however, served as vice-captain on several occasions and comes to the role with significant knowledge. He averages 27 from 56 Tests with four centuries — the highest being 166 against England five years ago in Barbados. Ramdin’s glovework remains his outstanding quality, and has taken 156 catches and pulled off five stumpings. Sammy, who is currently plying his trade in
the Indian Premier League, offered his support to Ramdin on the appointment via online social network, Twitter. “Congratulations to Ramdin on being named Test captain. God’s speed brother as you look to take us forward. Thanks to all for the support,” Sammy tweeted. The St Lucian all-rounder led West Indies in 30 of his 38 Tests, winning eight, losing 12 and drawing 10. New Zealand’s tour of the Caribbean bowls off with the first Test in Jamaica on June 8.
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PG and SC are GPF Inter Top female shooter is division dominoes champs Jamaica’s Karen Anderson
Presidential Guard (PG) and Special Constabulary (SC) won the male and female category of the Guyana Police Force inter division dominoes tournament played recently at Special Constabulary headquarters. Presidential Guard marked 80 games to beat B Division with 77 and A Division on 67 in the male segment. Anatoly Moti made the maximum 18 games while Ransford Liverpool scored 17
and Jaichand Jarkaran 14 for the winners. Quincy Calder chalked 16, Pitamber Sukrah and Rajpaul Singh supported with 14 each for the runner up team. Dwayne Mingo scored the maximum 18, while Edmond Cooper made 15 and Dwayne Roberts 14 for A Division. Moti received the most valuable player award. In the female category, Special Constabulary posted 85 games to finish ahead of
Headquarters with 73 and C Division on 67. Clare Benjamin made 18 games; Andre Lewis registered 16 and Pamela Phillips 15 for the victors. Head Quarters leading players were June Edwards with 17 and Beverly Smith, 14 while Denise Sobers recorded 15 and Cecilia Garnette 14 for C Division. Benjamin collected the most outstanding player prize and also shared the first love in the final.
Media XI to face Umpires in T20 affair Following a heated discussion between several umpires and members of the Media f r a t e r n i t y, both organizations decided to settle the score on the field of play on Monday May 26 at the Georgetown Cricket Club gro u n d , w h e n t h e Media XI will oppose t h e C r i cket Umpires and Scorers Association in a T20 encounter. Several prominent business entities such a s Star Party Rentals, Trophy Stall of Bourda M a r k e t a n d H a d i ’s C i t y
Mall Inc. Regal Stationery and Computer Supplies and P&P Insurance Brokers have been approached to sponsor this event. Wi t h p l a y e r s i n t h e caliber of Zaheer Mohamed, Nigel Duguid, Shannon Crawford, Trevor Hossein, Arleigh Rutherford, Daniel Richmond, Clifton Ross, Rajiv Bisnauth, Daniel Singh, John Ramsingh, Sean Devers and Calvin Roberts, will be on show during the day, with the action promising to be
exciting and enthralling. With the aim of leaving no stones unturned i n their quest to attain victory, the Media XI will be conducting a rigorous training exercise under the watchful eyes of GCC c o a c h M o n t y Ly n c h a t the venue next Wednesday, from 14:00hrs to 16:00hrs. Members of the Media f r a t e r n i t y, who are interested in being a part of the team, are asked to take note of the training time, since no exceptions will be given.
GCB Inter County U-19 3- day tourney
Demerara poised for first innings honours By Zaheer Mohamed Demerara are in a comfortable position to take first innings points from the President’s XI when their final round game of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter County U-19 3-Day tournament continued yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda. In reply to Demerara’s mammoth first innings score of 407-7 declared in 127 overs, the President’s XI closed the penultimate day on 152-7 after 61 overs with Damion Waldron on nine and Ronaldo Mohamed on six, trailing by 255 runs. Demerara resumed on 253-3 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 113 and Deonarine Seogobin on four and built their innings in rapid fashion despite losing Seogobin who was bowled by off spinner Waldron playing back to a straighter ball for five in the first session. Kemol Savory joined the level headed Chanderpaul and featured in a fifth wicket stand of 109 to further frustrate the opposition. Chanderpaul brought up his 150 with a savage pull off Avishkar Sewkarran to the
Chanderpaul slams167, 50 for Savory mid wicket boundary. He attained the milestone off 250 balls. Savory, whose fine form in the competition continued, reached the boundary five times and cleared it once before he fell to Ryan Shun for 66 at 369. Shun then had Chanderpaul caught and bowled for a well played 167; he faced 344 balls and cracked fifteen fours and one six. Demerara lost Steven Sankar (08) before they declared at lunch leaving Ramnarine Chatura unbeaten on 18 and Keon Morris on five. The impressive Waldron was the pick of the bowlers with 4-128 off 45 overs while Shun ended with 2-46 from 15. The President’s XI lost Ryan Shun early caught at slip flashing at a wide ball from pacer Morris with the score on 18. Sunil Singh and Kareem Mentore steady the innings somewhat with a second wicket stand of 51with sensible batting on a flat surface under blue skies. Mentore was then run out for 18 before Singh threw his bat at a wide delivery from Chanderpaul and was caught by wicket keeper Savory who
also had good day behind the stumps. The left handed Singh faced 94 balls and slammed five fours. Nick Ramsaroop and Sewkarran then put together 36 for fourth wicket stand to take their team past the tripple figure mark. The duo was hardly troubled by the opposition bowlers as they middled the ball well until Sewkarran missed a quicker delivery from Sankar and was LBW for 15. Ramsaroop smashed Sankar to the mid wicket boundary then drove him along the ground for another four, but was smartly caught by Sherfene Rutherford the very next delivery attempting to go over the in field. He departed for 36 (4x4). Morris removed Michael Shalim (14) while Rutherford sent back Vishwantal Ramlakhan (00) before the stumps were drawn. Morris and Sankar have so far taken two scalps each, while Chanderpaul and Rutherford have one apiece. Today’s play resume at 10:00hrs and Demerara will need a further eleven points to win the tournament overall.
Top female shooter in the Caribbean, Ms. Karen Anderson of Jamaica, won the O Class at the 2014 West Indies Fullbore Rifle Shooting Championships at the Twickenham Ranges, Jamaica. Ms. Anderson, who was also a National Squash player before taking up the rifle, defeated 27 other competitors including Guyanese Sigmund Douglas and Leo Ramalho who had to settle for second and third respectively, overall. The sharp shooter also won the Long Range Aggregate and has promised that she will be coming even stronger next year.
Karen Anderson
Senior athlete Llewellyn Gardner continues to aim for the stars At 55 years most persons are dubbed old and relegated to menial tasks rather than rigorous activities. Llewellyn Gardner falls among the first category; he is 55 years old, but certainly refuses to subscribe to the second as he continues to light the track afire with sterling performances. Gartner has participated in the Telesur 10K meet in neighboring Suriname Thursday May 1 last and continues to defy the critics when he outran two other competitors in his category to capture the honours in the 5560 years category in 41:48secs. A member of the Rising Stars Track and Field Club, Gardner said that he is now ready to continue his winning ways when he returns for the second leg of that race slated for Nickerie May 18 next. Further, the senior athlete has his sight riveted on the Independence Day race scheduled for May 26 and he is confident of replicating his first place achievement in the same event staged last year from Paradise ECD to the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports Main Street headquarters. Gardner said that 10 veterans had competed in that event and he had prevailed; two others out of Holland were among the competitors in the Suriname race and he had also romped home ahead of them. Gardner had also distinguished himself as a top athlete when he won the 5K event staged March 2 last, organized by Wartsila Company and commenced at the Ocean View Hotel ECD. Out of five senior participants, Gardner once again dominated the field. He
Llewellyn Gardner
said that Minister Frank Anthony and Director of Youth and Sports, Neil Kumar have indicated that the Independence race would have been a yearly feature and he (Gardner) currently has his sights set on participation in the meet. Further, Gardner has his eyes set on participating in another marathon event to be sponsored by Star Party Rentals and slated for June. He said that proprietor of Star Party Rentals, Lennox Cush, had supported his efforts in the past and he is very grateful for the help. The veteran athlete said
that he has been running from the tender age of thirteen and is married to Desiree who hails from the Barima/Waini region. He also said that he has lived in that region for more than 31 years. He was scheduled to meet with other veteran marathon runners in the National Park yesterday afternoon to discuss the modalities for the establishment of a masters club that would focus on athletes of his ilk. Otherwise, Gardner continues to defy the conventional theory that relegates senior citizens to the backburner of sports activities.
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West Indies Fullbore Rifle Shooting C/ships – Short Range Match
Guyana reclaim WIFSC trophy from Jamaica; are undisputed KINGS of the ranges again By Franklin Wilson in Jamaica Compliments of Queensway, Fazia’s Collection, Crown Mining Supply and Fitness Express On another testing day, as a matter of fact, the most testing of all the days here in Jamaica at the Twickenham Ranges, Guyana’s riflemen wrested the Short Range trophy sponsored by the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council (WIFBSC) from their hosts when the curtains came down on the 2014 edition of the WIFBSC Individual, Long and Short Range Championships. Like they did in 2000, 2005 and 2008, the Guyanese ended with both the Long and Short Range championships and also won the Individual title in the X Class through Lennox Braithwaite, back to back winner. Host, Jamaica, went into the day full of confidence as defending champions having defeated Guyana last year in Barbados, but even their home advantage did not work as the lads from Ring Bank country outshot their fierce rivals from Reggae Island by 14 points to take sweet re-
venge. With the winds blowing from left to right and switching the other way; sometimes stopping abruptly, the Guyanese Coaching staff and shooters had to once again pull out all the stops to emerge victors. Guyana’s combined score at the end of the three ranges, 300, 500 and 600 was 1119 points and 75 V Bulls, leaving Jamaica behind on 1105 points and 58 V Bulls. Trinidad and Tobago occupied the third place with 1068 points and 44 Vs, Antigua and Barbuda placed fourth 1050 points with Barbados bringing up the rear on 1022 points and 25Vs. Like they did for the Long Range match, the Guyanese pulled together as a single unit as they supported each other in very humid but windy conditions. It was a smooth flow of shooters changing over and assisting each other when they finished in order to remain ahead of the 90 minutes for each range for the eight shooters. There was no change to the winning Long Range combination and like they did on Friday, they delivered in style. Caribbean Individual
Furniture giants Courts Guyana Inc once again join hands with the BCB/ BCC&DA to host Independence T20 Cup 2014 to be held on Sunday May 25, 2014 at the historic Albion Cricket Ground. This is the third edition and promises to be the biggest ever. It is expected for the first time to be played under international quality floodlights, the same as the Guyana National Stadium. There will be two semi-finals with Berbice ‘A’taking on Berbice ‘B’ from 11:00am followed three hours later by Georgetown Cricket Association vs East Coast Jaguars. The winners will battle in the finals from 7:00pm under lights. Preceding the final will be a feature softball match between archrivals Memorex and Universal DVD. Proceeds from this event will go to several charitable organisations. The two cricket clubs identified for assistance this year are Blairmont Cricket Club and Upper Corentyne Cricket
Association. Last year Albion Cricket Club and Bermine Cricket Club were assisted with one hundred thousand dollars each. Three orphanages, two schools and the host venue Albion Cricket Ground are earmarked to gain from this year’s mega event. For the first time, funds will be budgeted for health reason. The new shelter for homeless kids at Babu John, Bal Nivas has been added to the list of recipients. The BCB and BCC&DA will share the balance equally to fulfill their respective mandates. This gala event will form part of the Region’s celebration for Independence. At a simple ceremony held recently at the New Amsterdam Branch of Courts Guyana Inc., Mr Stanley McKenzie, Branch Manager handed over sponsorship cheque to Alisa Moonsee, one of the tournament secretaries in the presence of other staff members and Cosmatia Lindee. He said that his company was very happy
champion, Lennox Braithwaite led from the front with an overall total of 146 points and 9 Vs with Vice Captain Dylan Fields who was the last shooter to leave the 600 bank, totaling 144 points and 13 Vs, the same points as Leo Ramalho who pierced the target for 11 Vs. Captain, Mahendra Persaud and Ransford Goodluck had identical scores of 140 points 9 Vs. All the shooters applied themselves and were attentive to the Coaches, Retired ACP Paul Slowe, Ins. Dane Blair, Persaud, Braithwaite, Fields and Goodluck who all led from the front. Persaud again shared that the key to the team’s overall success was the high emphasis on team work and respect for each other on and off the ranges. “We could not have achieved what we did were it not for us banding together as one. It was a lot of hard work that was put in over the past months. We invested in brining Mr. Ian Shaw from Scotland to assist us and that investment has paid off in a big way. The entire team would like to publicly acknowledge Mr. Shaw for his guidance in shaping the way
we have performed.” Persaud also thanked the many sponsors who have stuck with the GNRA over the years and the others who have come on board noting that their partnership would be recognized at the appropriate time.
“As a team we have been doing Guyana proud over the years and this time it is no different. The corporate community has been very supportive of us. We want to also recognize their efforts and role in helping us be victorious.” “We would also like to
take this opportunity to thank God and our respective families for their support which has been vital to our success. Let me also extend a happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers in Guyana and wish them God’s continued blessings.”
Courts Guyana Inc joins list of sponsors for BCB/Berbice Chambers Independence T20
Mr Stanley McKenzie, Branch Manager hands over sponsorship cheque to Alisa Moonsee in the presence of other staff members and Cosmatia Lindee (left). with what they saw last year and readily renewed their sponsorship for 2014. He indicated that the furniture giants believe in quality and saw quality in the way the
tournament was conducted. McKenzie wished the tournament success and was happy to learn that so many charitable organisations will benefit from this event. He said
that the addition of the new shelter for kids at Babu John to the list of organisation to benefit is timely. He added that abuse, child abuse in particular is very prevalent and is a
serious social issue. Receiving the cheque on behalf of the tournament, Alisa Moonsee, thanked Courts Guyana Inc. for their sterling contribution to charity in Berbice and Guyana as a whole. She thanked them for coming on board once again and assured them that they will be satisfied with the mileage and the way the tournament will be conducted. Transparency and accountability has been the hallmark of the first two tournaments and this year will be no different. Other sponsors so far are: Demerara Bank Limited, Hand In Hand Insurance Company, Raffik and Sons Construction, Sunshine Supermarket, Furniture World, Balram Shane and Jayzee of the USA. The tournament is set for May 25, 2014, the Sunday before Independence Day. Incentives close to one million dollars will go to the players. The patrons will have the opportunity to win fabulous gate prizes.
Sunday May 11, 2014
Kaieteur News
GCB Inter-County U-19 cricket
Baldeo’s unbeaten 177 spurs B’ce to innings victory over E’bo
Balchand Baldeo drives yesterday during his magnificent unbeaten 177 for Berbice at Everest
By Sean Devers A magnificent unbeaten 177 from opener Balchand Baldeo spurred Berbice to an emphatic innings and two runs victory over Essequibo with over a day to spare in the GCB under-19 three-day final round inter-county cricket contest at Everest yesterday. Scores: E’bo (122-9 inns closed & 215), Berbice (339) Watched by a handful of fans on a day blessed with brilliant sunshine Berbice resumed the second day on 168-5 with Baldeo on 65 and Hakeem Hinds on two. The pair took the score to 247-6 with a wonderfully constructed 95-run sixth wicket stand before Hinds was run out for 41. Baldeo, a correct righthander from Albion played several elegant shots before he was left high and dry 16 short of the highest score by any batsman at this level (193 by Leon Johnson) when the Berbice innings ended on the stroke of Lunch. Baldeo faced 225 balls, reached the boundary 12 times and cleared it five times in the highest score in
this year’s tournament. Offspinner Akil Wallace, who finished with 14 wickets in the competition, followed up his 10-wicket haul against the President’s X1, with 4104. When Essequibo began their reply they were given a solid 57-run foundation by Ricardo Peters and Avenash Persaud, who both made 24. Shivendra Himraj (5) was run out as Essequibo slipped to 63-3and then 76-5. By Tea, Essequibo, who have blown hot and cold in this tournament, were 100-5. However, second round centurion Kemo Paul continued his fine form with the bat and along with Travis Drakes, who slammed seven fours in 35, took the score to 158 before Drakes fell to Baldeo. Nobody else offered any support to Paul who was ninth out for 76 from 113 balls with nine fours and two sixes. Keanu Harry, who did not bat in the first innings due to exams, was struck on his finger while fielding and batted last yesterday. David Latchya took 4-8, while Arif Khan took 2-13 for Berbice.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 11, 2014
GCA’s Carib Beer t20 cricket
Police arrest DCC & GCC beat GNIC to book place in Final next weekend By Sean Devers Police and GCC will clash in next weekend’s final of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Carib Beer t20 cricket competition after
registering victories in yesterday’s semi-finals at the DCC ground. Had it not been a sporting event, a letter to the Police Complaints Authority for Police
harassment would have surly been sent by the DCC cricketers yesterday after they were brutalized on the field with the Cops finally arresting the host in a thrilling finish to the second
semi-final after GCC had earlier deposed of GNIC in the first game. A large and raucous crowd including a sizeable Police support group shouted and screamed as
the match when down to the wire with crucial errors by DCC saw the Lawmen triumph by five wickets with 13 balls to spare. Essequibian Ricardo Adams first limited DCC to what appeared to be a challenging 161-8 with 2-9 from four suffocating overs of left-arm spin before returning with the bat with a brilliant unbeaten 68 to spearhead Police to 162-5 off 17.1 overs to keep DCC in the jailhouse while they commence preparations for the final. In sweltering heat the hyper active Trevor Benn removed Jahron Byron (2) at 7-1 on a two-paced track before Denver Greaves (15) was stumped playing an irresponsible shot off Adams at 40-2 and when Trevon Griffith (29) skied pacer Seon Daniels to cover DCC were 52-3. Former IPL player Christopher Barnwell and Dennis Squires added 52 for the fourth wicket with positive batting before Squires, who hit three sixes and three fours in a 14-ball 37, fell to Adams at 104-4. When Barnwell was dismissed by Jason Heyliger for a well compiled 42 from 33 balls with three fours and two sixes and Andre Stoll who hit two sixes in a quick-fire 14 from just six balls was run out by a direct hit from the bowler Benn on his follow-through, DCC had slipped to 160-8 but their must not been too worried at that point. Daniels (2-25) and Heyliger (2-39) supported the miserly Adams for Police, who began badly, losing Rawle Browne (1) to off-spinner Kevin George and Yatesh Dhanpaul (1) to Squires to be 16-2. Royan Fredericks (19) was then bowled by leftarm pacer Stoll at 42-3 but Adams was packing heavy artillery and along with Troy Benn (24) took the score to 101 before Benn was removed by Stoll. Heyliger (9) fell to Griffith at 133-5 and the DCC fans were already celebrating but they were soon silenced by a brutal onslaught by Adams
who came out with all guns blazing and the game was in the balance when Adams was caught on 52 off a noball from Griffith after George had wandered outside the 30-yard circle. Adams, with support from Jermaine Reynolds (10*) tore into the much vaunted DCC attack with a clinical exhibition of clean hitting to see Police to an exciting win with a flurry of boundaries on the small ground to spark wild celebrations among their fans who invaded the field when Reynolds ended the match with his second boundary which went right through Squires at long-on. In the first match, GNIC were all out for 130 from 20 overs with Ranole Bourne leading the way with five fours in 40 after Mark Nichols (20) and Assad Fudadin (11) had put together 32 for the first wicket to give their team a good start. Chairman of the National Selectors Rayon Griffith (17) also contributed towards the end of the innings as Bernard Bailey (3-17) and Leon Johnson, watched by a crowd with included his wife, took 2-13 to ensure GNIC never got the type of total they would have hoped for. In reply GCC reached 131-4 from 19.2 overs with a talented Robin Bacchus entertaining the spectators by ripping Royston Simon to shreds as he played an array of glorious shots and smashed the pacer for five consecutive fours. Bacchus, who added 53 with Martin Pestano-Bell (24) and lofted veteran offspinner Clyde Butts for an effortless six, was soon deceived and left stranded as the wily Butts drew him out of his crease for Dexter Solomon to complete the stumping. But the fluent Johnson with an accomplished unbeaten 34 and Gavin Singh (15) got their team over the line as the penultimate over from Butts cost 12runs and with five required from three balls, a no-ball passed the Keeper to end the contest.
Sunday May 11, 2014
Kaieteur News
National ruggers heighten preparations for B/dos NACRA clash A strong 23-man squad with a mixture of experienced and fresh and talented prospects has been named to represent Guyana i n i t s N A C R A 1 5 ’s Championship clash against Barbados on May 17 at the Garrison Savannah in Barbados. The players named are: Ryan Gonsalves (Captain), Richard Staglon (Vice Captain), Chris Singh, Ronald Mayers, Claudius Butts, Rondell McArthur, Rickford Cummings, Grantley Williams, Jason
Tyrell, Dwayne Schroeder, Filon Thompson, Clive Powell, Avery Corbin, Theo Henry, Ryan Dey, Delroy Gordon, Jacques Archibald, Jamal Angus, Kevon David, Cyon Kitt, Carl Lewis and Leon Greaves. Head Coach is Clinton ‘Stiffy’ Clarke of GDF, while the Manager is John Lewis, and PhysioBarrington Browne. The nationals were involved in a practice game yesterday against a Rest team as they heighten preparations for the
‘Nuff cuff injection’ GBA card set for Buxton May 31 The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) ‘Nuff cuff injection’ amateur boxing card will move to the Buxton ground, tentatively set for May 31. That’s the word according to GBA President Steve Ninvalle. Ninvalle told Kaieteur Sport that the last event in East Ruimveldt was a tremendous success based on the attendance and the performance of the boxers and he is positive that it will get better. Ninvalle and the GBA executives had decided to shift programmes to the communities as they sought to inject more impetus in the development of the sport and whip up more support from Guyanese for the young boxers. The large crowd that came out in East Ruimveldt brought back memories of the former glory days of the sport where amateur boxing attracted a large following, similar to the pro fighters. Of recent cards did not have the attendance level and support they should, hence the GBA’s move to take the sport to the people. Ninvalle disclosed that the permission will be sought from the Buxton Friendship Playfield Committee, with a letter being dispatched to Chairman Collis Wills tomorrow to get the necessary permission to use the venue. Buxton has been known to support sporting events and with a champion in the last tournament hailing from that community, they are expected to come out in their numbers and the fans in the East Coast Village are
Steve Ninvalle promised much excitement as the young boxers seek to outdo each other. Gyms from around the country will be represented and it is expected that the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), who participated in the East Ruimveldt event, will be present again as the ‘new kids on the block’. The GBA will be looking to get the backing of sponsors for this and other events. Many including Ansa McAl and Demerara Distillers Limited have lent tremendous support in the past and the association is hopeful for that continued assistance as they seek to develop boxing, unearth new talent and plot a bright future course for the fortunes of Guyana in the sport. The GBA Boss noted that they are looking to head to Golden Grove in the next edition following May 31 in Buxton and will be putting systems in place for that event shortly as the spread the sport around the country with the ‘Nuff Cuff injection’ programme.
NACRA engagement. The release added that once Guyana defeat Barbados they will then play last season’s Southern Zone winners Trinidad and Tobago on home turf on June 17 in what will be considered as the virtual final. The squad is scheduled to wing out to Barbados on two flights on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the selection committee Mike McCormack will join Head Coach, Captain and Manager to answer questions at a Press Conference which will be held at the GOA building, before departure.
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t r o Sp Guyana reclaim WIFSC trophy from Jamaica; are undisputed KINGS of the ranges again
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Undisputed Kings! The victorious Guyana Short Range Team pose with the traditional board and National flag after receiving the official announcement as Short Range champions.
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The national men’s 15’s rugby team seen in a practice game yesterday at the National Park.
National ruggers heighten preparations for B/dos NACRA clash
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