Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
Hope for genuine change?
DEAR EDITOR, With the Granger administration in its early stages, Guyana seems to finally have hope for some genuine change. Still, we have a far way to go towards developing a culture of holding public officials accountable. This has the potential to negating many of the potential gains of this new regime, as has happened under previous ones. I realise that one of the things that we have to be committed to, going forward, is education on the role of the citizen within a democracy, particularly the right of reasonable dissent. As I took pains to explain on a programme the night before elections, governance has to be informed by continuous participation by citizens using their voices to express both agreement and disagreement with their government. Political leadership and public service are two sides of the same coin, and that coin is held in the hands of every citizen. We need to end the idiocy of abdicating our rights and duties as citizens to some pseudo-monarchical sense of government. I can be both one of the leading champions of the Granger administration and one of its sharpest critics, just as I can love my son and discipline him when he errs - there is no conflict in that position. Ruel Johnson
A narrow vote DEAR EDITOR, There is a lot of jubilation as it related to the coalition’s victory at the poll’s on May 11. I doubt that anyone realized that the margin of victory was narrow. There was a distinct possibility that the coalition could have won the popular vote but lost the elections. Hence there is hardly much reason to be over joyous. I know some may want to argue that a win is a win; but we cannot feel, should not feel, comfortable with such a win. We have much work to do to ensure that the margin is wider. I am referring to Region Eight. Contemplate the fact that had the PPP had got four more votes at the National elections then it would have been a different story. The PPP would have got the Regional seat which would have taken their tally to 33 seats. So although we would have won the popular vote, we would have lost the elections. I would therefore purge our supporters to work harder to win the next election decisively. We have four years to achieve that goal. The fifth year should be spent consolidating our gains. Despite the above I wish the new government every success and urge every patriotic citizen to throwing their support behind the government. It is for the general good. Carl Parker
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL BROTHER ADAM, “From President to Protester”....beautiful...just beautiful. Dave Martins
Strong, quality leadership made the difference in 2015
DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me to extend my congratulations to the winners of the 2015 General elections APNU+AFC. It was indeed a long journey that many spend without rest and sacrifice their family time and resources. Many fought the fight with and a burning desire to see Change, while some would not accept the Change. But this is Guyana and we have a new Government in place. This fight was not only about sacrifice but mostly of wise, strong, quality and dynamic leadership that saw this Change. Many will say that voters had the biggest say, but for
me leadership of quality is what makes this coalition happen and because of that strong and quality leadership, we see the dawn of a brand new day in Guyana. Many, especially my Indian brothers and sisters, moved away from the AFC because on February 14, 2015 they joined hands for a better and brighter Guyana with the APNU. My Indo brothers and sisters was taught in the few weeks, that the AFC is no good and that they had joined hands with a party that is no good. My brothers and sisters tend to believe this race game and that is why they moved away from the AFC. While the majority stayed
the course as they demanded change, thanks to all my AFC brothers and sisters for staying the course and making the change. The AFC had hard times leading up to the coalition. We sat and thought hard as to what is best for Guyana and our people. We had to ask ourself, should our leader who put Guyana first and want this unity between APNU+AFC to happen look ashamed because of us not wanting the Coalition? It was a hard decision to make. At the end, the leader of the AFC who stands by his words at all times and always put Guyana first had asked one of the most selfless
questions two minutes before the deadline to make the decision at our NEC meeting. The question was, Do you want to put the agenda of the AFC first or put Guyana First? This selfless politician is Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan. He makes us all realize that Guyana “is we own” and we need the best for Guyana. He is unlike some politicians in the now opposition who thinks that Guyana belongs to them alone. So a partnership for national unity between the APNU (which is made up of several parties) and AFC was the wisest thing that ever happened to Guyana. Abel Seetaram
The PPP never provided a credible... From page 4 denied on the ground that the verification process did not reveal any basis for such recounts, generally, and in the case of District Four, where objections were made, there were noevidential documents produced to justify the objections. It should also be noted that a PPPC delegation also met with GECOM and argued the same case that had been argued at the level of District Four. On that occasion, they presented their spreadsheet with information extracted from 21 of their statements of polls and 21 falsified results, which they claimed were used by GECOM to tabulate the results in the stead of what was recorded on the original statements of polls. GECOM verified that it had not used the falsified results and that there was no difference between what GECOM used and what was recorded on the
statements of polls presented by the PPPC. This finding was shown to representatives of the PPPC. I am also still to be advised of the legal provision that provides for GECOM to undertake recounts after recounts would have been requested at the stages prior to, and after, the ROs’ declarations. None of the above negates the need for the ongoing determination of the abandoned system that was corrupted. That process is ongoing and I eagerly await the findings. The above, however, explains why the exclusion of reports, emanating from IT, became essential, since IT was a segment of the corrupted pathway. To insist on its involvement would only have established bases for discrediting an otherwise sanitized system. For all intents and
purposes, the CEO produced electronic results based on the uncorrupted and verified information, which he obtained from the ROs; and the manual report in the form of the actual district reports. It should be mentioned that the previous CEO did not present two reports (electronic and manual) in 2011. There was no objection from at least one commissioner, who is now demanding that of the new CEO, although the CEO has fulfilled that requirement. It should also be noted that the information requested on May 20 is immaterial to the declaration. Similar requests in 2011 were denied the Commissioners, by the then CEO, pending the Chairman’s approval, which approval was granted weeks after the declaration and the swearing in of the former President. Even those, when provided, were riddled with errors and
subsequently withdrawn and reissued well into a month after the declaration and swearing in. I am also reminded that the PPPC or, as a matter of fact, any contestant has only one recourse at this time, which is to the court. In 2006 the AFC actually identified an error in the allocation of District 10 seats; brought it to the attention of the then CEO, Mr. Boodoo, who acknowledged, accepted and undertook to make amends, which he never did, thus forcing the AFC to approach the court. The matter was subsequently thrown out on procedural grounds while the PPPC for fivr years benefitted from a seat illegally allocated. Mr. Editor it is my sincere hope that equal prominence is given to this letter as was given to the PPPC nominated Commissioners’ press release in Chronicle and Guyana Times. Vincent Alexander
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Wednesday May 27, 2015
Code of Conduct for candidates needs to include serious sanctions By Kiana Wilburg The behaviour of some political candidates during the 2015 election campaign period has led Commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Vincent Alexander, to the conclusion that the Code of Conduct signed by political parties needs to go beyond moral persuasion. Alexander insists that it needs to include serious sanctions to ensure that those in breach can be held accountable for their actions. He recalled that just a few months ago, he experienced a situation in Bolivia when that country was conducting its elections. He said that a set of candidates were disqualified because of the inappropriate behaviour of one. “This happened when I was there and as such, I would recommend that the Code of Conduct has sanctions,” the GECOM Commissioner added. He did not venture to say
- GECOM Commissioner
GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander specifically which political party would have been in serious trouble were such a system in place for the election. Alexander did contend, however, that there were apparent cases of infringement of the Code. “I saw for example an election ad which asked the question ‘how was the $50M stolen from the post office spent?’ So it could have only been the other major political party it was speaking to. It was the dirtiest and most
malicious thing someone could think of,” Alexander opined. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was responsible for that advertisement. It was alluding that its major threat—A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU + AFC) was the beneficiary. Alexander expressed, too, that there is a need to change the situation surrounding the issuing of Certificates of Employment and the highly politicized process of choosing the commissioners. Alexander, who has served since 2007 as a Commissioner, said that it is a topic that needs to be discussed or debated. The GECOM Commissioner also said that the election body’s status as a budget agency has to be changed. He opined that it should be allowed with the Executive to determine its own budget, and the Executive should not intervene in the release of its funds. Alexander noted that the campaign financing legislation needs to be revised as well as the drafting of relevant laws to address the use of state resources during the election campaign period. Asked if he felt that the slothfulness of the voting
process allows for manipulation, the GECOM Commissioner answered in the negative. He said that the tardiness of the voting process did not allow for that, but reflected rather, an attempt by officers to be effective and avoid making errors. He said that he felt the process of counting the votes was done expeditiously, but he admitted that delays did occur from the time of compilation of ballots to the declaration of results. The GECOM Commissioner stated that there may have been a period where mischief-makers could have attempted some things, though there are safeguards in place. He qualified that this “period” could have been during the movement of ballot boxes and SOPs from one place to the other. Alexander said that once you have these things in transition, “who knows what physical intervention could take place, notwithstanding the efforts of GECOM.” Some of these efforts he said allowed for the various party officials to accompany the boxes from one place to the other, but there were instances where transportation was not available for everyone. He said that the human
system is as good as it could be. While the Commission has not earmarked any international system that could be more useful than the one currently in place, Alexander noted that there are electronic systems for transmission and compilation of votes which would eliminate the human intervention. The GECOM Commissioner said that while there are pros to the electronic system, he said that there are concerns that even that could be hacked. He opined that the political parties have not gotten to the point of confidence in those systems so as to grant GECOM the permission to go ahead with it. Even though General and Regional Elections recently concluded, Alexander posits that the Commission can handle this year, the holding of Local Government Elections. “In fact, we were prepared for Local Government Elections even before the General and Regional Elections. Much of what delays GECOM’s delivery has to do with statutory dates. For example; the list of Candidates for the Local Government Elections must be submitted to us within 21 days before elections, so you start off knowing you need almost a month already. And, we require at least three months’ notice for the holding of those elections.” Alexander explained that the key function of the Guyana Elections Commission is essentially to conduct national elections, in addition to conducting national registration and maintaining a record of registrants. He said that the Commissioners are like
members of a board where they can monitor the operations of the organization. The Commission comprises seven commissioners, one of whom is the Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally. Three are appointed by the President and three by Leader of the Opposition. The Chairman is appointed from a list of five persons. Alexander said that the electoral process is really intended to administer a system that seeks to have elected, 65 members of the National Assembly - 25 elected through regional constituencies and 40 through the top up list. For the purpose of elections, Guyana is divided into 10 districts. The seats for those electoral districts are allocated based on the process of proportional representation. Asked if there were there more or less challenges in the 2011 elections as opposed to 2015, Alexander said that he was more challenged in 2011, mainly because he was a freshman. “But in 2015, I was more confident about what to expect. This year, there were some attempts to do some things to improve the system. For example, in 2011 the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) when he brought the results to GECOM did not specify the working of the translation of absolute votes into seats.” The GECOM Commissioner said that this year, it was indicated to the CEO for that to be done. Among other efforts, Alexander highlighted that there were greater attempts at training staff for the 2015 elections. He concluded that the electoral process, despite its hiccups, was free, fair and credible.
Teen killed as boat slams into tree Police at the Charity Outpost Police station are probing a boat accident which has left a Pomeroon teen dead and his friend traumatized. The accident occurred Monday night at Grant Burn Bush, Lower Pomeroon River. According to reports, 18-year-old Trevon Benn and his friend Jamal France were travelling to Akawini, in the Lower Pomeroon River sometime between 9 and 10 p.m. on Monday when the boat in which they were travelling collided with a tree. Benn was manning the vessel. Added reports indicate that the tree fell, pinning Benn in the process. Benn’s friend was flung out of the boat. He was reportedly unhurt. The report added, sometime yesterday, passersby noticed the accident scene and rushed to the rescue. Benn’s body was recovered around 1p.m. yesterday. Police have since recovered the broken 40horsepower engine boat and transported Benn’s body to the Suddie Funeral Parlour. His friend has submitted a statement to the investigative ranks.
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Alleged Libor ringleader motivated by greed, trial hears Tom Hayes, a former trader on trial for allegedly conspiring to rig benchmark interest rates, has admitted to being motivated by greed and was fired by U.S. bank Citigroup (C.N) in 2010, prosecutors told a London court on Tuesday. Hayes is the first person to be prosecuted over manipulation of the London interbank offered rate (Libor) after a seven year, global inquiry that has led to banks and brokerages paying around $9 billion (6 billion pounds) in fines and sparked an overhaul of how financial benchmarks such as Libor are policed. Opening the case for the prosecuting, Serious Fraud Office (SFO) senior lawyer Mukul Chawla told the court that Hayes, 35, was at the centre of a conspiracy to rig Libor and had admitted during 82 hours of interviews with prosecutors that he had put his trading book and pay above other concerns. “In his own words, he was greedy,” Chawla told the jury, alleging that between 2006 and 2010 Hayes set out to
manipulate Libor at his bank and others on an “almost daily basis”. The former yen derivatives trader is charged with eight counts of conspiracy to defraud between 2006 and 2010, a criminal offence that carries a maximum jail sentence of 10 years. He has pleaded not guilty and his defence team has yet to respond to the allegations in court. Hayes earned around 4.8 million pounds ($7.4 million) working at UBS and Citigroup from 2006 to 2010, but almost two years into a legal battle he has been granted legal aid, state funding for those unable to afford lawyers. The high-profile trial is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks and the courtroom was packed with members of the media taking seats in the dock usually reserved for the accused. Hayes, diagnosed with mild Asperger’s, a form of Autism, was given leave to sit with his solicitor so he could more easily instruct his legal team. He sat making notes and occasionally shook his
Tom Hayes head and frowned at comments by the prosecutor. HIGHLYINTELLIGENT The SFO alleges Hayes was a central figure in a conspiracy with staff from at least 10 banks and brokers to rig Libor, an average interest rate used to price an estimated $450 trillion of financial contracts from derivatives to loans for households and individuals worldwide. Prosecutors allege Hayes conspired with others to request or make false or misleading submissions to benefit his own trading book,
Queen Elizabeth to unveil EU referendum plans as parliament opens The Queen will set out the government’s plans for a European Union membership referendum on Wednesday as Prime Minister David Cameron faces pressure to explain when it will be held and what changes to the EU he wants before then. Cameron, who says he would prefer to stay inside a reformed EU but isn’t “ruling anything out” if it fails to change, was re-elected on May 7 on a pledge to reshape ties with the bloc before allowing Britons to vote on whether to stay or leave. Queen Elizabeth, 89, will detail the plans in a speech written for her by Cameron’s government as she opens parliament with an annual display of pomp. She will say the new Conservative government plans to pass a law in its first year that would allow the referendum to occur by the end of 2017. In a gesture meant to underscore Cameron’s seriousness, the law will be introduced into parliament just a day later, on Thursday, as Cameron embarks on a European tour to try to charm sometimes reluctant counterparts into backing EU reform. It will include talks with French President Francois Hollande in Paris and German Chancellor Angela
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth Merkel in Berlin. Cameron has said he would be ready to hold the referendum before 2017 if he completes the renegotiation e a r l y, something some pro-EU campaigners advocate. But he is under pressure from some Eurosceptic MPs who want him to ask for more and to take his time. “I think we need a proper grown-up debate – it’s the most important constitutional issue of my lifetime. It’s something that we should properly take our time over,” Liam Fox, a senior Conservative and a former defence secretary, told BBC radio.
Some EU politicians have complained they don’t know enough, beyond what they say are broad and nebulous goals, about what it is Cameron wants to change. He says he wants to decouple Britain from the EU’s aim of “ever closer union” and to be able to restrict EU migrants’ access to Britain’s welfare system. Cameron is adamant that such changes would require re-opening the EU’s founding treaties, something countries such as France are opposed to. In a potential setback for the prime minister, a FrancoGerman paper seen by Reuters shows the two countries have agreed plans to strengthen cooperation among the 19 countries using the euro, without changing existing treaties. The blueprint would bolster the euro zone, of which Britain is not a member, by holding more regular summits of its leaders and strengthening the Eurogroup forum of finance ministers. Other laws the queen will outline on Wednesday include plans to replace existing human rights law, a crackdown on illegal immigration, more powers for Scotland, and a bill preventing any rise in key taxes before 2020.
deliberately disregarding the proper basis for making submissions and prejudicing the economic interest of others. Hayes, the prosecution said, was a highly intelligent and successful trader, with a degree in mathematics and engineering, who earned around $300 million for UBS (UBSG.VX) while trading for the Swiss bank in Tokyo. Prosecutors alleged Hayes started attempting to manipulate Libor from his very first day of trading for UBS on Sept. 29, 2006, when he contacted a broker to ask for higher Libors, according to computer chats read out in court. In one audio tape played to the court, Hayes tells SFO investigators UBS probably realised in early 2007 how valuable he was because of his contacts with London brokers. The prosecution alleged he used brokers’ relationships with traders at other panel banks to seek to influence others and increase his trading profits by cajoling
and even begging them. In return, he raised broker rates and put additional trades through brokers so they could earn additional fees. He also allegedly incentivised them with kickbacks and bribes such as “wash” trades, which have no legitimate purpose apart from generating broker fees, the prosecution alleged. In one online chat, a broker discussed a 50 pound curry with Hayes. He responds, “Seriously, whatever it takes. Bill me.” FINANCIAL REWARDS By September 2009, however, Hayes became dissatisfied with his financial rewards at UBS, resigning to join Citigroup in Tokyo. He started trading at Citi in February 2010 and reconnected with his “web of contacts” to continued his “dishonest rigging of Libor”, the prosecuting lawyer alleged. But after a complaint in June, he was sacked in December 2010, the lawyer said, without giving details. Hayes then returned to the
United Kingdom and was arrested two years later. Hours of subsequent interviews with the SFO might appear oppressive, Chawla said. But he alleged this was because Hayes volunteered he had acted dishonestly and offered evidence “against a large number of other people”. The court heard Hayes implicated traders and interdealer brokers including his half-brother, Peter O’Leary, a former trader at HSBC (HSBA.L). Reuters was unable to reach O’Leary for comment. “He named others and he set out precisely what he had done with them,” Chawla said. But despite the evidence, documents and admissions, Chawla said Hayes was in court because he “now claims what he was doing ... was not dishonest.” A number of those listed in the indictment had been charged with offences and were awaiting trial. But Chawla said Hayes stood alone in court because “his actions stood apart from and above all others”.
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Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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STANDING IN THE DOCK At the onset, let me make it clear that I am not commenting on the merits of the private charges that have been filed against the former President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo. These charges, I wish to remind our readers, were filed before the elections, and therefore are not a product of the outcome of those elections. They were filed by attorney at law, Christopher Ram, in his capacity as a private citizen. They were not filed by the incoming government. As with all such charges, they can be reviewed and recalled by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The charges relate to something that the former
President is alleged to have said at a political rally. There is a presumption of innocence, as in all matters. I am also not in this column engaging in any discussions about the evidence that supports the case or, for that matter, any possible defence that is likely to be offered in the case. Today, I am more concerned with an important principle that the case represents: equality before the law. This case reminds us that no one is so powerful as to avoid being subject to the laws of the country and to appear before the judicial authorities. It is true that the immunities granted to the President do not allow the
office holder of the seat of the Presidency to be subject to prosecution for offences committed while in office. Burnham had enjoyed immunities for acts committed while in office and while out of office. But during the Constitutional Reform Process of 2001 under the Jagdeo regime, these powers were pared. The immunity from prosecution is now only permissible in relation to offences committed while in office. The law allows for former Presidents to be brought before the Courts for offences committed while out of office. There were many who had felt that Presidents should not
Dem boys seh...
Donald couldn’t get no more Guysuco truck People never celebrate independence like how dem celebrate this anniversary. Was a time when dem use to go and watch a flag-raising ceremony, couple soldiers march and then dem go home. This time dem see drills, display, watch dem best people sing and then dem hear dem president talk real powerful. Donald refuse to celebrate wid dem people and decide to go to Port Mourant to keep a parallel ceremony. He couldn’t get dem truck from Guysuco, because he don’t control dem anymore. And de few minibus people who help he out during de elections disappear, because all of dem want to show Soulja Bai that dem supporting him. De result is that a few people tun up. Dem boys couldn’t hear what was going
on, because long time de Chronicle and GINA and Hen See Hen woulda deh reporting pun even de spit that fall from Donald and Jagdeo mouth. Now dem mek an about turn. All of dem run behind Soulja Bai who really put on a spectacle. Jagdeo put on a spectacle too. He cry like a baby when he hear that he got to ask permission to lef de country, because he is a man who does get bored when he spend more than two weeks in Guyana. He didn’t have to go to court when he sue Freddie but he had to go when Chris Ram charge he. Dem boys seh that Ram was waiting fuh he day. When Jagdeo hold a forum at de Cultural Centre and when
Ram get up fuh talk, Jagdeo holla pun de man and tell he sit down, that he can’t talk. Ram wait five years. He smile when de magistrate tell Jagdeo that he can’t talk. When de case done Ram ask Jagdeo if he remember de day at de Cultural Centre. Jagdeo was shame. That was when he start to cry. Berry Berry didn’t go to de court because de last time he was there he get into problem wid a woman and lost he wuk. Donald knock he off. Berry Berry get spiteful and he pray fuh Donald get knock off. So said; so done. De people knock off Donald. Talk half and watch how Jagdeo got more to cry about.
enjoy any immunity from prosecution. The argument was made that indeed it is while in power that politicians may be prone to excesses. As such, it was contended, that for any leader to be guaranteed immunity from prosecution would only encourage malfeasance and excesses. It was further argued that the very idea of immunity for acts committed while in power is in contradiction with the principle of equality before the law, which asserts that everyone should be afforded the protection of the law and be subject to that law. Indeed throughout Latin America, solid-cast presidential immunities are being overturned by the
judicial authorities. The case at Whim is not about testing the constitutionality of immunities enjoyed by the President. This columnist had disagreed with those who were proposing constitutional changes to remove the presidential immunities in Guyana. I had argued that to do so would expose our President to all manner of frivolous charges by private citizens. This would demean the highest Executive Office in our land. In fact this was one of the principal reasons why the immunities for acts committed while in office were retained during the constitutional reform process.
The appearance of former President Bharrat Jagdeo in a courtroom to answer private criminal charges filed, not by the State, but by a private citizen, like himself, is a powerful statement that equality before the law is alive and well. It is something that we should preserve, regardless of the outcome of the proceedings. The sight of the former President standing in the dock of the Courtroom reminds us of that powerful principle that subjects us all to the law and to its protection. May it be preserved!
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Wednesday May 27, 2015
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Jagdeo in the dock: Power goes one day The first thing that came to my mind when I read that Bharrat Jagdeo, which this column will emphasize was the former strongman, was summoned to appear in court or face arrest were the words of President Jagdeo to striking air traffic controllers. The strike began while President Jagdeo was out of the country and on returning to Guyana from New York agreed to a request by the strikers to meet with them. He told them that he heard that on deplaning, they had planned to picket him and if
that was done he would have fired all of them. This was the strongman at the pinnacle of power. Now power is gone. If the magistrate had ordered a prominent citizen to appear in court it would have been unthinkable for the commentator to use the word “humiliating.” There isn’t anything humiliating about being summoned to court when your appearance is compulsory and you are not there. The word, however, can apply to Jagdeo’s court case
in the context of what he once was – the authoritarian, allpowerful oligarch of Guyana, 1999-2011. Three dimensions of the court case last Monday can justify the use of the word. First, he was not in court at the time the case was called up. Threatened with an arrest warrant, he obviously received an urgent directive from his lawyer to be there and he complied. Some emphasis should be placed on the word, “complied.” Has Jagdeo ever complied with any moral or legal requirement from 1999 to 2015? The answer is no. Even during the election campaign in 2015, he treated society’s condemnation of his resort to the worst instincts of racial tribalism with contempt and contemptuously brushed aside GECOM media monitors’ findings against him. Secondly, Jagdeo was instructed where to stand in
court and it was right in the dock where arrested prisoners have to be sited. Thirdly, Jagdeo cannot leave Guyana without the permission from the court which must be applied for. These three dimensions fit the application of the word “humiliating.” It was surely a hard pill for Jagdeo to swallow. This was the fall from power if ever there was one. How is Jagdeo going to cope mentally with the thought that he has to ask the court’s permission to leave Guyana? History is replete with examples where strongmen cannot accept that they have become a fallen failure. The most recent example is former Pakistani dictator, Pervez Musharraf. Forced to flee Pakistan, he returned in 2014 to contest national elections, pompously assuming that no one can touch a former president. He was promptly arrested and charged for treason. Two former CARICOM leaders were sent to jail after losing power. Could Jagdeo be the third? George Walters of Antigua lost power in 1976 and was charged for
corruption and sentenced to prison. In Trinidad, Basdeo Panday was sentenced to hard labour in prison after being found guilty of corruption. In the case of Panday, it was the Integrity Commission that brought the charges after it investigated Panday and found that he received money that was not declared. So Jagdeo has been charged with racial incitement, a charge that his attorney, Bernard De Santos, tried to get thrown out at the first hearing. It brings into focus the libel writ filed against me in September 2010. Jagdeo sued because I referred to him as an ideological racist. In May 2015 Jagdeo was charged with racist instigation but far back as 2010, I saw racist attitudes in him. However you want to look at it, the events in the Whim courthouse tell the world that Mr. Jagdeo has fallen. He never thought he would. The entire nation must have flocked to the newspaper stands, their internet news sites and their television sets to see if Jagdeo actually turned up in court. He
Frederick Kissoon did and for once in his life since 1999, his existence was one of ordinary status. Mr. Jagdeo cut an ordinary figure entering the court house, an ordinary figure standing in front of the magistrate, an ordinary man leaving the court yard. There were no sirens, no school of bodyguards. Power had left Mr. Jagdeo. The man who once told striking air traffic controllers that he would fire them if they picketed him, had to comply with the magistrate’s decision to attend court, and must adhere to the magistrate’s edict to seek permission before leaving Guyana. One suspects that an ocean of headaches await Mr. Jagdeo. I doubt he can avoid and will escape criminal investigation into his twelveyear rule. Mr. Jagdeo has many more court appearances.
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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PPP/C FAILED TO PRESENT EVIDENCE THAT WOULD HAVE ALTERED RESULTS The 2015 General and Regional Elections are over and a new Government is in place. It was determined in the hours leading up to the final declarations that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) had to deliberately disregard several documents from its own Information Technology (IT) department. This was because of emerging evidence that all was not right with those IT results and that some fake statements of poll (SOPs) somehow entered GECOM. Breaking his silence yesterday in light of accusations from the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C)-nominated commissioners - Arun Mangar, Mohamood Shaw and Sase Gunraj Commissioner Vincent Alexander in a letter to the editor insisted that the results were above board and it was based on verified figures signed off by officials present at the polling stations. The former ruling party and their three commissioners are calling for a recount, claiming that the elections were rigged. The elections have been cleared by local and international observers, with major donor countries- the US, Britain and Canadacalling on the PPP/C to respect the results. A new Government from the Opposition coalition led by Brigadier (Ret’d) David Granger has been sworn in. According to Alexander, who was nominated by the former Opposition, some 2299 results were to be determined at the places of poll and documented on statements of poll, copies of which were to be made available, immediately after the count, to the Presiding Officer, the Assistant Presiding Officer, the Counting Officer and the parties’ agents. Also, a copy was to be posted outside of the related polling station and enveloped copies sent to the Returning Officer (RO) via the Deputy Returning Officer and
- Vincent Alexander
GECOM’s Commissioner, Vincent Alexander likewise a copy sent to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield. The Commissioner said that this process was followed and that he is unaware that of any complaints in that regard, from any quarter. “The most critical point to note is that the three most relevant authorities (ROs, the CEO and the parties) should have been in possession of the original and identical statements of polls.” Two parallel counts were to be conducted: a count at the level of each RO, for the purpose of ten district/ regional/constituency declarations and a count by the Information Technology (IT) unit after the statements bound for the CEO would have been delivered to GECOM, signed off on by at least two present Commissioners and transmitted to IT for tabulation, after which they should have been transmitted to the CEO‘s office for custodial purposes. INDEPENDENT TABULATION “The CEO informed the Commission of his intention to conduct an independent tabulation, once the statements were delivered to his office, thus allowing him a comparator relative to the IT tabulation and the, eventually submitted, 10
Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield
PPP Commissioner, Sase Gunraj
declarations.” According to Alexander, the ten declarations were to be used as the basis for the CEO‘s summative count; the calculation of the allocation of seats; and the presentation of a report to the Commission, for its approval, prior to the final declaration of results and allocation of seats. The Commissioner made it clear that there has been no evidence or complaint that the SOPs, which were delivered to the ROs, were corrupted. “Each RO conducted a verification that involved the political parties and in no instance did the statements of polls used by the RO and those in the possession of the parties not correspond.” He said that it is true that the PPPC sought to question approximately 34 statements in the case of District 4, but in no instance did they present original statements of polls as the basis for their contention. “They presented a spread sheet, which purportedly reflected the statements of polls in the PPPC`s possession. In the specific case of District 4, they made those objections on Thursday through Friday and were requested to produce the evidence by Saturday May 16. They returned to the verification process on May 16 without the original statements of polls, thus leaving the RO
with no alternative but make the declaration since the objection was not based on concrete evidence.” FAKE STATEMENTS Alexander said that it was the CEO, Lowenfield, whose SOPs went through three different sets of officials before they got to him, who discovered the corrupted/ fake statements. “Those statements were supposedly received, opened and recorded by Logistics; were signed off on by Commissioners; and data entered by IT before being delivered to the CEO. The CEO discovered documents that were not original documents.” Some of those fake documents showed the votes cast were in excess of the divisional electoral rolls. “To his credit, the CEO brought this discovery to the attention of the Commission where it was decided that a two-prong approach was to be used, in the circumstance. On one hand, it was decided that he would abandon the use of statements of polls that were directed to him through Logistics, Commissioners and IT, in that sequence and that he would have resorted to using the information from the ROs, which information would have been subjected the stakeholder scrutiny, primarily that of the political
PPP Commissioner, Arun Mangar
PPP Commissioner, Mohamood Shaw
parties, for the purpose of determining the results.” Alexander stressed that it was agreed that the CEO would investigate the apparent corrupting of the system, but not at the expense of delaying the production of credible results. “It is on that basis that the CEO produced credible results that I and others felt comfortable with and approved. The aforementioned responses to the, central, critical and fundamental, concerns raised by the three Commissioners in their press release and clears the air on the question of the credibility of the results, since the statements of polls originating from the ROs and eventually used by the CEO were not compromised or invalidated.” The Commissioner also noted that the PPP/C requested partial recounts in four districts even before the CEO made his revelation about corrupted statements. “Those recounts were done in the presence of stakeholders, including the PPP/C’s representatives and no differences with the recorded results were found. Subsequent requests for recounts, throughout the country, were denied on the
ground that the verification process did not reveal any basis for such recounts, generally, and in the case of District 4, where objections were made, there were no evidential documents produced to justify the objections.” Alexander disclosed that a PPP/C delegation also met with GECOM and argued the same case that had been argued at the level of District 4. NO EVIDENCE “On that occasion, they presented their spreadsheet with information extracted from 21 of their statements of polls and 21 falsified results, which they claimed were used by GECOM to tabulate the results in the stead of what was recorded on the original statements of polls.” He said that GECOM verified that it had not used the falsified results and that there was no difference between what GECOM used and what was recorded on the statements of polls presented by the PPPC. “This finding was shown to representatives of the PPPC. I am also still to be advised of the legal provision that provides for GECOM to undertake recounts after Continued on page 27
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 27, 2015
National Awardees announced (From page 3) contributions in the fields of Law, Legal Education, Literature, Human Rights and in Community and Public Service. DONALDASHLEY BEVIL TROTMAN, FORMER JUDGE OF THE SUPREME COURTAND COURT OFAPPEAL 9. For his involvement and outstanding contributions in religious and community work, especially among the poor and needy. ELSWORTH QUINTEL WILLIAMS, APOSTLE, FULL GOSPEL FELLOWSHIP GOLDEN ARROW OF ACHIEVEMENT 1. For long and dedicated service as Captain, Pilot Coast Guard Commander and Marine Surveyor. EDGAR WRENSFORD ADAMS FORMER TRANSPORT AND HARBOURS DEPARTMENT, MINISTRY OF WORKS AND GUYANA DEFENCEFORCE OFFICER 2. For long and outstanding service in the public sector, in the field of politics and in business. IVORALLEN BUSINESSMAN/ CONTRACTOR 3. For long and dedicated service to the indigenous peoples of Guyana. JEANNE SHARON ATKINSON PRESIDENT,AMERINDIAN PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION 4. For long and dedicated service in the Maritime Sector. BASIL BRENTNOL BLACKMAN, FORMER COAST GUARD OFFICER, GUYANADEFENCE FORCE
5. For her outstanding contribution to environmental education, training, research and the development of national policies on natural resource management issues. PAULETTEEURANIE BYNOE, SENIOR LECTURER, DIRECTOR OF THE EARTHAND ENVIRONMENTALSCIENCE UNIVERSITYOF GUYANA 6. For long service with exceptional dedication in the public and private sectors and in social work. MITZY GAYNOR CAMPBELL, OFFICEADMINISTRATOR KIDNEYFOUNDATION OFGUYANA 7. For long, dedicated service and outstanding service in the field of aviation. MALCOLM CHAN-A-SUE, MS, FORMER CHIEFPILOT, GUYANAAIRWAYS CORPORATION, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,AIRCRAFT OWNERS' ASSOCIATIONAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THEART WILLIAMS/ HARRY WENDTAERONAUTICALENGINEERING SCHOOL 8. For his outstanding service in the field of medicine, for surgery in general and neuro-surgery in particular. IVOR WINSTON CRANDON, PROFESSOR OF NEUROSURGERY, UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES 9. For long and dedicated service as a teacher and as a community worker in Region 2. DOREEN PATRICIA DUNCAN, RETIRED HEADMISTRESS. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
10. For outstanding service in the printing industry for over thirty-five years FAZILSHAHIBBDEEN IBRAHIM HAKH, PROPRIETOR, F & H PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT 11. For long, dedicated and outstanding service as a Public Servant. MARUICE BERT WINSDEL HENRY FORMER DEPUTY CLERK OFTHE NATIONAL ASSEMBLYAND PERMANENT SECRETARY MINISTRY OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTAND MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS 12. For long and dedicated service in regional administration, in the Cabinet Secretariat and in the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana. SHERLOCK EWART ISAACS, CLERK OF THE NATIONALASSEMBLY 13. For long and outstanding service in the Guyana Book Foundation. LEILA JAGDEO FORMERGENERAL MANAGER, GUYANA BOOK FOUNDATION 14. For long and dedicated service in indigenous rights activism. JEAN BENEDICTA IMELDA La ROSE, PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATOR, AMERINDIAN PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION 15. For her extensive and exceptional contributions in education and culture at the national and international levels. DR.. PALOMA RAMONA FRANCIS MOHAMED, SENIOR LECTURER, FACULTIES OF SOCIAL SCIENCESAND MEDICAL SCIENCES 16. For long, dedicated and outstanding service in the field of local government
and in politics. PRINCEALBERT POMPEY COUNCILLOR WOODLANDS/FARM NEIGHBOURHOOD COUNCIL
MEDAL OF SERVICE 1. For long and dedicated service in the field of politics. MABELBAVEGHEMS FORMER MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
17. For long and meritorious service to the People of Guyana and as a Minister of the Anglican Diocese. EVAN BREWSTER BRIDGEWATER SEMPLE CANON, CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURAITON
2. For long service, with exceptional dedication, in the Guyana Public Service. GORDON CHASE SPECIALASSISTANT, MINISTRY OF THE PRESIDENCY
18. For long and dedicated service as an educator in nursing and for her pioneer role in the establishment of the degree nursing programme at the University of Guyana. GWENDOLIN AGATHA TROSS, RETIRED LECTURER, UNIVERSITYOF GUYANA 19. For service of an exceptionally high quality as a water resources and hydropower engineer in the Ministries of Works and Energy and Mines. MAURICE WILFRED VEECOCK SENIOR LECTURER, UNIVERSITYOF GUYANA GROUPAWARD 20. For its outstanding service to the community in the West Demerara area. ANNACATHERINA ISLAMIC COMPLEX POSTHUMOUS 21. For long and dedicated service in the field of education. OLGA BONE FORMER HEAD OF THE EXAMINATIONS DIVISION, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND ASSISTANT REGISTRAR OF EXAMINATIONS, UNIVERSITYOF GUYANA 22. For long, dedicated and outstanding service to Guyana, especially for his research and celebration of Guyana's cultural heritage and as a broadcaster. WORDSWORTH McANDREW BROADCASTER/FOLK RESEARCHER
CHAIRMAN, REGION 10 MILITARY SERVICE STAR 1. For service of an exceptionally high quality and beyond the normal call of duty in the Guyana Defence Force. BRIGADIER MARK ANTHONY PHILLIPS CHIEF OF STAFF, GUYANA DEFENCEFORCE
3. For long and dedicated service in the field of education ROYLANCE PATRICIADAVID EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ADULT EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
MILITARYSERVICE MEDAL 1. For distinguished service beyond the normal call of duty as an officer in the Guyana Defence Force. WILBERTARLINGTON LEE COLONEL (RET'D), GUYANADEFENCE FORCE
4. For long and dedicated service in the Public Service and more recently in the Parliament Office. JAITUN HANIFF-PERSAUD CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY TO THE SPEAKER
2. For distinguished service beyond the normal call of duty as an officer in the Guyana Defence Force. WALTER LEYLAND FRANCIS MORRIS LIEUTENANT COLONEL (RET'D), GUYANA DEFENCEFORCE
5. For long and dedicated service in the field of nursing. NOSHELLA LALCKECHARAN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, NURSING SERVICES, GEORGETOWN PUBLIC HOSPITAL CORPORATION
DISCIPLINE SERVICES MEDAL 1. For sustained and dedicated service of a high order in the Guyana Police Force. CAROLAUDREY LEWIS-PRIMO FORMER ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, GUYANA POLICE FORCE
6. For long and dedicated service as a Forest Officer. GODFREY EMERSON MARSHALL ADVISOR ON FORESTRY, GUYANAFORESTRY COMMISSION 7. For long and outstanding service in sustainable tropical forest management, wood utilization and marketing of forest products in the development of Guyana's Forestry Sector. SHEIK SHAKUR NIAMATALI MANAGING DIRECTOR, VARIETY WOODS AND GREENHEARTLIMITED 8. For long service in the field of women's affairs and in politics. DIONYSIA NIEWENKERK CHAIRPERSON, WOMEN'S GROUP, LETHEM 9. For service of a consistently high quality to the residents of Region 7. AMRITATHOMAS VICE-CHAIRMAN, REGION 7 POSTHUMOUS 10. For his long and outstanding involvement in the field of culture and in politics. BURNELL LANCELOT THOMAS BETTER KNOWN AS ACKU FORMER VICE-
2. For sustained and dedicated service of a high order in the Guyana Police Force. DAVID KENNETH RAMNARINE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, GUYANAPOLICE FORCE 3. For sustained and dedicated service of a high order in the Guyana Prison Service. CARL VONLUDWIG GRAHAME DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PRISON, GUYANA PRISON SERVICE 4. For sustained and dedicated service of a high order in the Guyana Prison Service. WELTON CUTHBERT TROTZ DIRECTOR OF PRISON, GUYANA PRISON SERVICE 5. For sustained and dedicated service of a high order in the Guyana Fire Service. DESIREE D'SANTOSMOORE RETIRED STATION OFFICER, GUYANAFIRE SERVICE 6. For sustained and dedicated service of a high order in the Guyana Fire Service. PETER WILSON RETIRED STATION OFFICER, GUYANAFIRE SERVICE
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Capacity crowd defies rains for Presidential Inauguration
President Granger inspects the Guard of Honour at the National Stadium yesterday. By Desilon Daniels When Guyanese woke up on Independence Day, many were disheartened to see the overcast, gloomy sky that met them; the day was meant to be one for celebration and, more importantly, one for the inauguration of Guyana’s new leader, President David Granger. However, Guyanese are not known to be easily deterred; nothing, they said, especially a bit of rain would keep them from witnessing such a historic occasion. For many, being able to participate in such an event could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So, with umbrellas in hand – and in some cases rain boots
on feet – they packed into their vehicles and headed to the National Stadium to witness the inauguration ceremony. It was hard to believe that many Guyanese could be in such a good mood even after waiting for hours in traffic on the East Bank of Demerara. In fact, only bright, smiling faces could be seen among the thousands who converged at the National Stadium at Providence. Equally bright were the colours worn yesterday by patrons; though a spectrum of colours were seen, the most popular were clearly red, black, gold, green and white, the colours of the Golden Arrowhead.
A section of the thousands who braved the rains to witness the Inauguration.
Many of those who weren’t openly going for colours from Guyana’s flag, sported outfits created from the APNU+AFC flag, while others went so far as to dye their hair in multiple colours. Though the focus was largely on the new president, David Granger, it was still a day for all Guyanese and people of all races were seen in the packed stadium, standing shoulder to shoulder as they sheltered under umbrellas together. Though the official inauguration ceremony had been slated to begin at 5:00pm, countless persons had turned out hours before to patiently await the arrival
of the President. Fortunately, President Granger’s arrival was a timely one and the inauguration programme got underway promptly. Those who defied Mother Nature were not disappointed, even with the intermittent showers, and the cultural performers were clearly cognizant of the great responsibility they had in delivering a stellar show; whether they were singing or dancing, the performers gave it everything they had; they sashayed their hips, stamped their feet energetically, and grinned broadly to the cheering crowd. Particularly vibrant were the 550 dancers who were a
part of a display by the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport of the Ministry of Education. In flamboyantly coloured outfits, they made their way on to the field to perform a vigorous piece which focused largely on unity in Guyana and the importance of working together. The hundreds of dancers ranged from nursery school right up to adulthood. Even with the rain drizzling, they smiled brightly and the crowd reciprocated with bellowing roars of approval. Though other items, including the military bands display, received tumultuous applause, no item was more
appreciated than the address given by His Excellency, Brigadier David Granger. Before he spoke, President Granger was officially inaugurated by the First People of Guyana. He stoically stood on an erected podium as three dancers circled around him, a small smile playing on the corner of his lips. The smile grew when he was officially inaugurated. In his remarks, President Granger spoke at length on the importance of a unified Guyana and rebuilding a proud nation. Though for the most part a hush fell over the audience as the president spoke, joy was evident on the faces of countless persons. There was little movement as he spoke save for the swaying Golden Arrowheads perched around the stadium. The attention shifted only briefly from President Granger when the fireworks began; with eyes glued to the sky, Guyanese “oohed” and “ahhed” as the bright colours exploded into view. Even President Granger seem captivated as he hoisted his young granddaughter in his arms and smiled along with her as she marveled at the beauty of it all. Beside him stood his wife, Sandra, who whispered and smiled proudly with her other grandchildren. As the events came to an end, it was clear that the day had been a successful one. “It is time!” persons called out to one another as President Granger hopped into his vehicle and prepared to leave. And though no one could specifically say what it was time for, there seemed to be a general understanding that a new beginning was underway. (See other related photos on centre pages)
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Wednesday May 27, 2015
Forensic audit to be done on $1B ‘clean up my community’ programme By Jarryl Bryan Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan has promised that a forensic audit will soon be conducted into the $1B ‘clean up my country’ programme which was launched last year under the previous administration. The reason for this, according to the Minister, is due to evidence pointing to the mismanagement of the allocated funds by the previous Local Government and Regional Development Ministry. According to Bulkan, the central Government had granted the allocation without meaningful consultation with the municipalities, something Bulkan has long spoken out against. Bulkan went on to note that taxpayers did not get value for their money out of this initiative and that the new administration would do things differently, with regard to holding meaningful consultations with the municipalities. He also pledged the full backing of the present central Government for municipalities in initiatives meant to improve the state of the communities. The former administration had touted the $1B initiative as an effort that would have
Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan resulted in the capital city, as well as other towns, and rural villages implementing a ‘Clean Up My Community’ action plan. Under the initiative, $500 million was proposed to be spent on the capital city, while the rest was to be granted to various regional bodies, towards the same goal. The plan was to facilitate the collection and removal of garbage as well as the reporting of residents who irresponsibly disposed their garbage. Citizens, businesses and institutions were also tasked with ensuring that their garbage was properly discarded in the appropriate receptacles. The $1B allocation, as
Flooding in downtown Georgetown yesterday after a few hours of rain
well as the other capital and current expenditures, was approved by the Parliamentary Supply Committee. During the course of the six-month campaign, in which areas such as Le Repentir Cemetery were tackled, with very little rainfall still responsible for heavy flooding in the city, a situation that was evident as recent as yesterday. To date, there has been little accounting from the Government for how the $1B was utilized, since parliament was subsequently prorogued on November 10th by former President Donald Ramotar. Since the election of the
This was reportedly the scene recently at the Board Room of the Ministry of Communities (formerly the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development) in Kingston. The items were bought as part of the $1B countrywide cleanup under the previous administration and left there. new Government, President David Granger and his respective ministers have promised to conduct several audits into controversial projects. In the latest of such proposed reviews, Finance Minister Winston Jordan has promised a forensic audit into the Petrocaribe fund, in view of the “secrecy” that enshrouded the deal
under the previous administration. The Petrocaribe deal was an alliance of several Caribbean member states, including Guyana to purchase oil from Venezuela on the conditions of preferential payment. The payment system allowed for the purchase of oil at a market value for five percent to 50 percent up front,
with a grace period of one to two years. The remainder could have been paid through a 17-25 year financing agreement with one percent interest if oil prices are above US$40 per barrel. In return, Guyana had agreed to supply rice, as well as using some of the outstanding oil monies to pay local farmers.
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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We have a duty to transform Guyana into a united Nation - President Granger By Abena Rockcliffe Equipped with their umbrellas and other rain gear, thousands of patriots braved inclement weather yesterday to get a glimpse of the early morning wreath-laying ceremony and hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead at the Independence Arch on Brickdam in the capital city The event was in observance of Guyana’s 49th Independence anniversary. This year marked the first time in recent memory that the Independence celebrations were held at the Arch. In previous years the ceremony was held at the National Park and later Parliament Buildings. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and his wife Seeta Nagamootoo arrived yesterday morning ahead of His Excellency, David Granger and his wife, First Lady Sandra Granger. When President Granger arrived, he was given the Presidential Salute, which was followed by a two -minute silence for those who struggled for Guyana’s Independence. As he delivered remarks President Granger dubbed the day “a good one” when Guyana celebrates the Independence it gained on 26th May 1966 after 350 years of Dutch and British colonisation. As he acknowledged the lives and labours of “our
heroes” Granger said that it is important to pay homage to those who agitated for decades to achieve national Independence. “We are their heirs. We have a duty to actualise the vision of our nation’s founding fathers who fought to create the new state. We have a duty to continue the work they started to transform a divided colony into a united Nation.” Granger noted that Independence was not the work of one person or one party; it was the product of a movement of the Caribbean people. The Head of State said it was a process that took place over a long period of 50 years and workers were the true pioneers. “It was they who rebelled against British Colonialism first, during the distress after the First and Second World Wars in 1918 and 1945, respectively. During the ‘Labour Rebellion’ of the 1930s, 29 workers were killed and 115 injured throughout the West Indies and British Guiana. We pay homage to the workers for their sacrifice.” Being the historian he is, President Granger noted that, “Theophilus Lee, the first President of the British Guiana Trades Union Council – BGTUC – a ChineseGuyanese and a member of the Legislative Council, moved a motion there that led to the establishment of the
President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and senior members of the Disciplined Forces during the raising of the Golden Arrowhead.
Waddington Commission which, in turn, led to the introduction of universal adult franchise. This is the same franchise which we exercised 15 days ago. The C o m m i s s i o n ’ s recommendations also led to internal self-government and, finally, Independence. We pay homage to our legislators for their leadership.” However, the President said that it was the “ordinary
Prisoners threaten riot at Mazaruni over treatment All is not well at the Mazaruni Prison and both inmates and prison officers are calling for major changes in the management of the facility, which they say has deteriorated to unprecedented levels within the past few months. At the centre of the concerns are two senior officers who have been at the facility for a considerable length of time and who, according to inmates and wardens, are laws unto themselves. An inmate, who asked not to be named for obvious fear of victimization, told this newspaper that bad treatment and torture of prisoners are the order of the day at the Mazaruni Prison. He described instances where prisoners actually commit suicide after enduring hours of torture and humiliation. “The prisoner that hung himself during last month when it was reported that he was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, that was
not so. The prisoner was beaten and tortured by (named officer) before he hung himself around 11:30 midday. He was left in the cell and only taken to the hospital hours later where he was pronounced dead at about 16:30 hours,” the inmate informed. He said that a lot of what takes place at the Mazaruni Prison goes unnoticed, simply because there is not much supervision from higher authorities, “and the officers here could get away with murder.” This newspaper was told about a coal pit where prisoners work and the coals are reportedly sold by the officers in charge of the Mazaruni Prison to businesses, without the knowledge of the prison authorities in Georgetown. “The gas that is given to run the generator at the prison is being sold to outsiders and the prison only gets electricity at nights,” the inmate said.
His observation was confirmed by more than one prison warden at the location. According to sources at the facility, about 30 prisoners work on the prison farms, but the produce is being sold in Bartica and there is hardly any left for the prison itself which is supposed to be self sufficient in these commodities. “The food that the prisoners eat at Mazaruni is really bad. The fish and some other meat smell real bad. Money that the prisoners work for is being gambled out by the officers,” a prison warden disclosed. “There is a lot more going on (at Mazaruni) that the administrators don’t know about,” he added. He said that the situation is reaching boiling point and there is already talk of action to be taken by inmates to arrest the situation. He appealed on behalf of his fellow inmates for an immediate investigation to be carried out there, so that a major riot could be avoided.
people” who bore the brunt of destruction during the ‘Disturbances’ of 1964. President Granger recalled that the government-of-theday employed “every devious device – including arson and murder – to delay elections under the proportional representation system. This is much the same system which installed a new government 10 days ago. We pay homage to the more than 176 persons who were reported to have been murdered in that awful year during the struggle for Independence”. “Independence came in 1966 after decades of distress and distrust. Let us not now dwell on the pain of the past but look with faith to the future. Let the sacrifice of
those who struggled and died inspire us today and guide generations to come tomorrow and beyond. As he zeroed on the prize of gaining Independence, Granger said that it meant change; “Change from colony to nation; from subject to citizen; from subjugation to liberation and from discrimination to dignity and equality.” Granger recalled the “wise words” of Guyana’s first Prime Minister Forbes Burnham who said:
“Independence is a means towards an end. The end must be the changing of our society and the revolutionising of the economy”. Granger then reminded that change is a never-ending process “and we must not cease. Let us resolve to work together, therefore, to change our society into one of greater equality. Let us strive to change our economy into one of greater prosperity.” (See related photos on pages 19 and 22)
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Kaieteur News
Were it possible, teachers would be best paid workers “If I had my own way and we had an infinite amount of money I would make the teachers the best paid workers in the country,” said newly-appointed Minister of Education, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine. He is of the firm conviction that teachers are tasked with one of the most valuable jobs around. “We can have the most glorious projects and dig as many tons of gold out of the earth, but in the end if we don’t set about educating the Guyanese citizens and turn them into citizens of real quality, sophistication and experience and all of that, we would have failed,” the Education Minister asserted. In fact he intimated that he has long been convinced that there are, at least, two categories of very important workers in Guyana who are hugely underpaid. These, according to him, are teachers and nurses. Moreover, Dr Roopnaraine is of the belief that the salaries of the aforementioned categories of workers must be hugely improved. When asked what percentage increase would be ideal for these workers, Dr
– Education Minister
Education Minister, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine Roopnaraine added, “I can’t sit here now and give you figures; obviously this is a matter that I have to go into close consultation with my colleagues in the Ministry of Finance”. His remarks in this regard were forthcoming during a recent interview with this publication during which he was asked to share his opinion on a suitable remuneration package for teachers. According to him, “we don’t live in an ideal world (and) there is a limited amount (of money) to go around but I believe that teachers must be adequately
paid, they must be able to live lives that permit them a certain amount of dignity.” “You can’t have teachers selling plantain chips at break time to top up their salaries; that is simply not acceptable,” said the new Education Minister, as he assured that examining the remuneration package of teachers is definitely an issue on his priority agenda. “We have to look at remuneration, we have to discuss this with the Union and I don’t want to just say what percentage I think we should increase teachers’ salaries by.” He added, “I do believe that teachers deserve to live good lives to essentially leave the classroom satisfied and earn a living that is commensurate with their importance in society”. But as it relates to the payment of the debunching monies, which the Guyana Teachers’ Union organised industrial action for, Dr Roopnaraine was not (Continued on page 27)
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Enough thought did not go into Port Mourant Eye Centre If newly elected Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, is to have his way, the Port Mourant Ophthalmology Centre will be a transformed tertiary level institution. The Centre, which spawned from collaborations between the Governments of Guyana and Cuba under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic administration, was designated a facility to offer specialised eye care. According to Dr. Norton, who ahead of his recent ministerial appointment was the Head of Ophthalmology at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), and at one time was the Head of Ophthalmology of the Ministry of Health, while he has no problem with the collaboration with Cuba, he was troubled by the way that the Ophthalmology Centre was implemented. “I am going to be frank, blatant, blunt...I studied in Cuba, I have no chip on my shoulder for Cuba; Cuba is great, but I could not imagine that Cuba could come into Guyana, develop a so-called tertiary level ophthalmic centre, and not one day was I ever invited by any of the authorities to either visit or to be told about the actual administrative running of that centre,” Dr. Norton reflected. It wasn’t too long after the Centre became operational, the Health Minister said, that he learnt that patients were being referred to the GPHC on a regular basis. “As far as I am concerned it was not something better than the Georgetown Public Hospital Eye Department. “It might have been complementary in the sense that what they couldn’t deal with they sent down to us.” The Health Minister said that it was worrying, too, when he became aware that
very expensive equipment was procured for the Centre and was not even being utilised. He intimated that of concern was the fact that there was a lack of Guyanese doctors who were trained specifically to serve there. “We needed to have Guyanese doctors trained under the Cuban doctors there...and I don’t think that we ever had that,” speculated Dr. Norton. Moreover, Dr. Norton has said that his only hope for the facility at this point is for it to function as a tertiary level Eye Centre. According to him, one of the early problems of the facility is in fact its location. He is convinced that Georgetown, the capital city, might have been a suitable location for this facility, since it has the majority of the population and is more easily accessed, even for those persons coming from hinterland communities. Aware of the travelling challenges, the former administration had put in place transportation arrangements to support persons seeking the eye care service at Port Mourant. But this was no answer to the problem, as seen by Dr. Norton. “The situation became ridiculous to the point where patients were searched for in Georgetown, in front of Fogarty’s, to be taken to the Port Mourant Hospital...somewhere along the line, enough thought was not placed into that institution.” But while he intends to pay some keen attention to the facility, Dr. Norton asserted that it may not be realistic to sustain the travelling arrangements. “I don’t know how much it is going to function, because it takes a lot of
money to take patients up to Port Mourant and bring them back...” Dr. Norton shared his conviction that the travelling arrangement was reduced to a mere mockery by members of the now parliamentary opposing side. At the time he was alluding to the fact that “one (former) Minister stood up in Parliament and said that after they take the patients up to Port Mourant and their eyes are operated on for cataract, they bring them over the Berbice River Bridge so that they can sightsee.” “That is making a mockery of the situation, because if you operate on a person with cataract, patients can’t remove their bandages (from their eyes);” explained Dr. Norton as he added that “if that is the approach to eye care then something is wrong.” Even as consideration is given to improve the Port Mourant facility, Dr. Norton said that he envisages some very interesting things for eye care. He was at the time making reference to a piece of equipment at the GPHC that can do both postcataract and glaucoma surgeries. As part of the evolution of eye care, he disclosed that already diabetic retinopathy is being offered at the GPHC.
Residents in proximity to a popular night club on Cummings Street, Georgetown, are at their wits’ end to end the noise nuisance which has overwhelmed them for months. It all started sometime last year when the residents signed a petition to ban the loud noise and disturbance emanating from the establishment. Amongst the residents in the area is a centenarian who finds it very hard to cope with the ruckus at the night club in the wee hours of the morning. At 104, the denizen is forced to sleep during the day because of what
neighbours call the “extended version of the party” kept on the roadway, even after the club has closed. The club is active every day of the week. Various residents protested that apart from the loud noise during party hours, even after the club has closed, patrons remain outside and are extremely rowdy. “Sometimes after the club closes the people does be outside partying for hours, sometimes they even fight and exchange gunfire, but luckily no one was ever injured. These people have no respect for the police. We even made a petition and took it to Mr Hicken, along with other police reports, but
nothing is being done. We even asked the club owners to just install sound proof things, but up to now they can’t do it,” one disappointed resident said. The Alberttown Police Station confirmed that a report was filed and “measures are in place to have the problem resolved”. Attempts were also made by this publication to contact the night club owners for a comment on the matter, but these efforts proved futile. Residents of the area are now pleading not only with the owners of the night club but also with the relevant authorities to heed their reports to take action on the matter.
- new Health Minister
Public Health Minister, Dr. George Norton
Noisy night club frustrates Cummings St. residents
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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NAMILCO to invest US$8M in storage, transport facilities Over forty individuals from bakeries around Guyana were educated Monday on improving quality with good baking practices when the National Milling Company of Guyana Inc. (NAMILCO) hosted its ‘Future of Baking’ seminar at Doolsie’s Bakery, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara. At the opening of the event which was scheduled to span over a two-day period, CEO of the entity, Bert Sukhai, declared that while the company has never actually seen a shortage of wheat in the past 21 years, the company is however to invest in excess of US$8M to add more storage space and a spanking new jetty to make operations even smoother. Sukhai noted that the venture was the third of its kind in five years and being hosted under the theme, ‘Enhancing Your Products, Maximising Your Profits’. He indicated that while it is the trend of most Guyanese to
wait and watch the success of others before venturing on such projects, he advised attendees to refrain from such practices, since each of them had the opportunity to obtain their own niche, by adopting what was presented at the seminar to maximize their profits. On bread making, he noted that times are changing and with it customers’ tastes and needs, assuring that bakers can earn more by producing the five types of bread that were discussed and eventually baked in the practical session of the seminar. Attendees to the seminar were allowed to participate in the mixing, dividing, baking and tasting in the Corona Dulce, Ciabatta, Multigrain, Wheat Germ, FlaxSeeds, and Raisin Breads. The CEO noted that while they were not asking bakers to stop making their traditional products, they were however suggesting
Presenters Didier Rosada (centre) and Miguel Galdos provide a demonstration to participants at the recent ‘Future of Baking’ Seminar. that they introduce a variety of breads to their product line that would cater for everyone. He emphasized that in the process of introducing new products, effort and cash must be inculcated in the process. He added that proper
marketing techniques and suitable packaging are the keys to success. In updating the gathering on the present happenings at NAMILCO, Sukhai explained that while his company’s products are used far and
Drug bust lands several persons in court Four persons were on Monday remanded to prison after the police conducted a search on a minibus destined for Mahdia and found a large quantity of marijuana. Appearing before Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry were David Cole and Faith Jones. Cole of Parfaite Harmonie, West Coast Demerara, and Jones a businesswoman of Mahdia, are accused of having 850 grammes of cannabis in their possession on May 22, at McKenzie, Linden for the purpose of trafficking. They pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to them at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Police Corporal, Shawn Gonsalves, told the court that on the day in question, about 09:15hrs, police from the anticrime unit at the Linden Police Station were on patrol in the Washdam area, when they stopped a minibus. The police instructed the driver to take the bus to the station. Upon arrival, the defendants were ordered to collect their belongings and exit the vehicle. A shiny ‘salt bag’ that the defendants had in their possession was searched and the illegal substance was found in the bag. They were cautioned, told of the offence and arrested and charged. Jones’ attorney, Gordon Gilhuys, in an unsuccessful bail application told the court that several persons were inside of the vehicle when the drug was found. The lawyer also informed the court that his client has two children.
Winston Scotland
David Cole
Meanwhile, a gold miner was also remanded to prison after he was found with 65 grammes of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. Jerry Thomas of 209 Middle Road, La Penitence, is accused of having the illicit substance in his possession, also on May 22. Thomas, who denied the allegation, was also an occupant of the minibus that was stopped and searched. The drug was allegedly found in a haversack he was carrying.
The defendant, who was unrepresented by an attorney, told the court that he was never convicted by a court of law. Police Corporal Shawn Gonsalves objected to the defendants being released on bail because no special reasons were provided to satisfy the court. The magistrate instructed the prosecutor to have both matters sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. Both matters will be called again today.
Similarly, another gold miner was also remanded to prison on a drug trafficking charge. Winston Scotland of 274 Oronoque Street, Retrieve, Linden, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on May 22, at McKenzie Linden, he had 134 grammes of cannabis in his possession, also for the purpose of trafficking. The defendant, who was also unrepresented by an attorney, was found with the drug in his haversack, around 12:15 hrs, at the Linden Police Station. Scotland was also an occupant of the mini bus that the police stopped and searched. This matter was transferred to the Linden Magistrate’s Court for June 2.
wide, it takes detailed and expert processing to eventually arrive at the excellent quality of flour that is distributed to consumers. He added that his company has been investing large sums to ensure that they provide quality products in line with their ISO mandate. The CEO indicated that at present his company is equipped with some of the latest technology, even as they are in the process of replacing some of their machinery. He said that their wheatcleaning system is all computer controlled, ensuring accurate blending, and tempering of the wheat to arrive at the highest quality of flour. He further noted that new ‘state-of-the-art’ machinery has been added to the company, to ensure less package bursting, and to prevent quality levels from being compromised. He said that while the company has never actually had a shortage of flour, they were however faced with a few close calls, citing last year when icy conditions in
Canada caused a vessel to become stuck, forcing the company to hurriedly facilitate the need with a rushed shipment from the USA to avert major shortage. He said that to ensure this does not happen again, the company is adding more storage facilities to their present 14,200 metric tonnes, and will in the near future tender the construction of a new jetty which should be completed early next year. This, he said, will allow them to take larger vessels in to their port and give them more flexibility. The total they have spent and are projecting to invest will amount to more than US$8 M. In closing he noted that while there seemed to be a minute shortage of flour during the elections, his company tried its best to meet demands even though employees were reluctant to work at nights during the General Elections period, even though the company offered triple payment on holidays. He said that because of these constraints and high demand, there was a minor shortage at the mill, which he suspects saw retailers hiking their prices. In conclusion, he said the company nevertheless did not shrink from its commitment to ensure that consumers get their flour on time. The seminar’s presenters, Didier Rosada (Red Brick Consulting), and Miguel Galdos of the Engrain Entity, took the bakers through their paces, educating on topics like fermentation, its advantages/disadvantages, dough processing, polishing, sponge theory, and tendencies in the baking world. Other topics discussed included bread consumption, demand and formula/recipes for the five new bread types.
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Barbadian PM pays courtesy call on Guyanese counterpart
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo (right) meets with Prime Minister of Barbados, Freundel Stuart, at his office
Former soldier on attempted murder charge A former soldier has been charged with the attempted murder of his colleague ten years ago. Cleon Douglas, who was 19 at the time, is on trial before Justice Franklyn Holder and a jury in the Berbice High Court for the attempted murder of fellow soldier Wilton Hazel. The court alleged that on Saturday June 25, 2005, at Camp Jaguar, New River, Corentyne, with intent to commit murder, caused grievous bodily harm upon Wilton Hazel, whom he allegedly set on fire following an altercation. After the jury was sworn in and the indictment read, attorney at law Charrandas Persaud, who is representing Douglas, asked for an adjournment until today, since he was only recently retained. State Prosecutor Attorney-at-law Natasha Backer read the indictment after which an adjournment was taken. The accused is being represented by Attorney at law Kim John-Kyte. The matter continues today.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 27, 2015
ONE KILLED, SEVERAL INJURED IN BERBICE BUS CRASH A female passenger was killed and at least 15 persons were reportedly injured after a route 50 minibus travelling towards Georgetown ran off the road in the vicinity of Number 42 village, West Coast Berbice, after one of its tyres burst. According to information, the bus BNN 7615, which was filled with passengers, including an infant, suffered a blowout and veered sharply off the thoroughfare, turning over in the process. The name of the dead woman was given as “Juliet” of Lovely Lass, West Coast Berbice. The surname of the driver of the bus was said to be “Porter,” also of West Coast Berbice. He was said to be the nephew of the dead woman. The injured persons were rushed to the Fort
The bus suffered a blowout before running off the road. Wellington Hospital. While the baby’s condition was listed as critical, the other
occupants were conscious and stable. Four persons were transferred to the
Georgetown Hospital while two remained at the Fort Wellington Hospital.
It is time for closure to Jaden’s case - Mother - “I expect compensation and investigation of my son’s case to come hand in hand with each other”
Natalie Caseley
Natalie Caseley, mother of Jaden Mars, continues to press for closure to her son’s case. The child died sometime after being given an overdose of anesthetic after being rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital in December 2013 with a cut on his tongue. The mother is positive that the practitioners who were entrusted to give medical care to her son were responsible for his demise. She is adamant that they should receive the requisite disciplinary action “so that others will not believe that it is okay to slip up and just walk away freely.” Responding to what the Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton had said about meeting a compromise with
her, Caseley said that there is no way she is going to accept monetary compensation without practitioners being held accountable for her son’s death. “I expect compensation and investigation of my son’s case to come hand in hand with each other.” “When they (APNU+AFC) were out of power they had said that they will pick-up the case. Now that they are in power I want to see how they will deal with the case,” said Caseley. Caseley is hoping that Dr. Norton’s “settling in” does not take a prolonged period as she is expecting closure of her son’s case sooner rather than later. She lamented on the
Corruption benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Say no to it.
procrastination over her son’s case as did the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) sometime last month. And only recently Dr. Norton shared their sentiments. He said “I’m disappointed in the manner in which the matter was dealt with. The investigations took too long and the mother was being faced with an injustice because she wasn’t getting answers about her son’s case”. Dr Norton said that he understands her plights as a mother, but he is hoping to be able to make a monetary compensation to the mother
instead of going through with the court hearing. “We are not hiding negligence, but rather we are more interested in finding out how the incident occurred and to make sure it does not happen again.” Norton witnessed the post mortem. A very optimistic Caseley has shown indications of persistence, as she maintains that she will continue the fight for her son’s justice. “If I didn’t go to the court, my son’s death was going to be just another one. I would never allow that to happen; I love him too much.”
Report of missing teen was “a misunderstanding” Stacy Marshall who was reported missing on Monday last, apparently came home after overstaying at a friend’s house. The teenager who resides at Canal #1, West Bank Demerara was allegedly at an undisclosed location, but was reported safe by her mother who described the situation as “a matter of misunderstanding”. The 17-year-old was reportedly at a friend’s house but “overstayed her time and became afraid”. She had left home around 5 pm on Saturday to go and receive some items from a cousin and said she would be back in two hours, but did not return. The young woman was reported missing by her father on Monday morning. However on Monday evening her mother contacted this publication informing that her daughter was at home and safe. The mother, Jenny Henry, confirmed that her daughter is safe and in the custody of her parents, and asked that the public be notified as to the development. She subsequently visited the police station in which the report was initially made, whereas the teen was questioned and sent home in the care of her parents.
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Kwebana Village ready Cuba to help salvage to work with new Govt. Guyana’s sugar industry Toshao of Kwebana Village, Region One, Godfrey Wilson, has expressed willingness in working along with the newly appointed government. In a recent interview, Wilson said that he is going to allow the new government “time to settle in”. He explained that his village is faced with many problems, but they are hoping that the roads and land reservation projects would be undertaken soon. “We are waiting on the new government to see how they are going to approach the road issue, the roads are very bad”, he said, while adding, “I know it is going to take some time to get these projects running”. He went on to say that the village was promised a $5M grant from the Community Development Plans (CDP) to start a cassava project. However, they are still awaiting the funds. Wilson revealed that his village had applied for a land reservation extension some nine years ago, but they are yet to receive approval. He explained that Chinese logging company Bai ShanLin was contracted to have the same reserve the village had applied for. But Wilson is hopeful that the reserve will be granted to the community since they “really need it”. As it relates to other problems, the Toshao pointed out that although the entire community does not have ready access to light and water, they are satisfied with the little they have now. Wilson has affirmed that even though the community is still divided, he is eager to work along with the Government through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs for the
betterment of the village. A few weeks ago he had condemned what seemed to be acts of discrimination displayed by the then Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, against non-supporters of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), after several solar panels and a tractor were handed over to a committee that consists of mostly PPP/C supporters. The Toshao said that the Village Council which comprises himself and other councilors, is tasked with the responsibility of handling the affairs of the village, and as such, the equipment should have been given to the council. According to Wilson, although the tractor was given to the committee, it will not be able to function, since it can only be operated in a programme designed by his council. At present, the equipment is still in the possession of the committee, since Regional Chairman, Paul Pierre, has not amended the problem. He had also condemned what he described as “disrespectful and insulting remarks” made by the Regional Chairman and the Community Development Officer (CDO) Zola Rodrigues. The comments were made at a public meeting held by officials of the then Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, at the village’s playground about two weeks ago. He stressed that at the meeting the Regional Chairman and CDO accused him, as well as other village Toshaos and Councillors of not carrying out their functions. However, Wilson said that the remarks are not true. Wilson opined that he and his councilors are being victimized by the Chairman and CDO.
PPP/C failed to present evidence... From page 11 recounts would have been requested at the stages prior to, and after, the ROs’ declarations.” The Commissioner disclosed that GECOM is carrying out an investigation of how the fake SOPs entered GECOM. “That process is ongoing and I eagerly await the findings. The above, however, explains why the exclusion of reports, emanating from IT, became essential, since IT was a segment of the corrupted pathway. To insist on its
involvement would only have established bases for discrediting an otherwise sanitized system.” He said that for all intents and purposes, the CEO produced electronic results based on the uncorrupted and verified information, which he obtained from the ROs; and the manual report in the form of the actual district reports. “It should be mentioned that the previous CEO did not present two reports (electronic and manual) in 2011. There was no objection
Were it possible... (From page 16) prepared to comment on that. He however stated that “I believe that we should honour all commitments that we can, given the circumstances, given what is available. We must do our best to essentially honour maximum commitments to our teachers”. Meanwhile, Dr Roopnaraine speaking directly to the quality of teachers in the system acknowledged that this understandably varies from teacher to teacher and school to school. He however noted that this is going to be something that will be gaining his attention. And this is particularly important, he noted, because “children deserve to be taught by the most highly qualified and motivated teachers that we can produce; and motivated teachers in the classroom will produce the best teachers. So we have to look at that.” While he hasn’t yet embraced a fixed position on the quality of teachers in the system, Dr Roopnaraine said that “a lot will depend on what I find when I go through and make an assessment and a lot of that will depend on the reports that I am receiving, but I don’t want to start out with conclusions. I want really to always make evidence-based judgements.”
from at least one commissioner, who is now demanding that of the new CEO, although the CEO has fulfilled that requirement.” Alexander argued that information requested on May 20th is immaterial to the declaration. “Similar requests in 2011 were denied the Commissioners, by the then CEO (Gocool Boodoo) pending the Chairman’s approval, which approval was granted weeks after the declaration and the swearing in of the former President.” Even those, when provided, the information was riddled with errors and subsequently withdrawn and reissued well into a month after the declaration and swearing in. “I am also reminded that the PPP/C or, as a matter of fact, any contestant has only one recourse at this time, which is to the court. In 2006 the AFC actually identified an error in the allocation of District 10 seats; brought it to the attention of the then CEO, Mr. Boodoo, who acknowledged, accepted and undertook to make amends, which he never did, thus forcing the AFC to approach the court.” That matter was subsequently thrown out on procedural grounds while the PPP/C for five years benefitted from a seat illegally allocated, Alexander said.
- PM Nagamootoo
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo greets Cuban Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Sugar and Agriculture, Ulises Rosales del Toro during a courtesy call. Cuban Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Sugar and Agriculture, Ulises Rosales del Toro who is currently in Guyana as a special guest in the country’s 49th Independence celebrations, yesterday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo. According to a Government statement, the Prime Minister pointed out that part of their discussion was centered on areas of interest, particularly in the field of agriculture. He added that Cuba will work with Guyana in a joint effort to “help salvage our sugar industry.” Further, he noted that Guyana will continue to work with Cuba to complete ongoing projects and programmes. “He also thanked the Vice President for all the assistance that Guyana has been receiving from the country over the years since 1976, primarily in the area of medicine. In addition, PM Nagamootoo expressed his joy over the fact that the tension between Cuba and the United States of America (USA) is finally “thawing” out.” Nagamootoo added that he has met many dignitaries of Cuba, but it is an honour for him to meet a hero of the Cuban people. Meanwhile via his interpreter, Vice President del Toro said that the two countries will seek to strengthen the relationship which they have established and improved greatly over the years. He added that he was delighted to be in Guyana and share in the country’s
independence celebrations. The Minister described the relations between the two countries and their people as magnificent. Guyana is facing major problems with its sugar industry with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) telling its union Monday that it has no money to pay junior and senior staffers for this month. Government has expressed surprise, saying it was not officially apprised of the situation. GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Raj Singh, a candidate on the list for the former administration during the campaign of the May 11 elections, reportedly told the unions that if no help comes from the Government, the industry will be forced to close operations at its Demerara and Berbice estates
by Sunday. GuySuCo’s flagship US$200M Skeldon estate, just five years old, has failed to perform and the industry has been recording a two decades low of production in recent years. GuySuCo’s efficiency, low world prices and migrating workers, coupled with poor agricultural practices and little cash, have all been contributing to the industry’s plunge from being the top foreign currency earner to falling behind rice and gold. Sugar, the largest single employer in Guyana, has been a major embarrassment for the previous administration which insisted that it is too big to close. The new David Grangerled Government has also vowed to keep the industry alive.
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SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Advertisements; Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206 Your Dream Yard Today! Stunning designs, Assortment, colourful plant choices, Professional Landscapers Tel: 219-0468/ 648-1821 Balloon decorating for birthdays, weddings, anniversary etc, make your event extra special! Tel Maya: 642-6664 R E PA I R S AT L O W COST: FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS - CALL: 6294946 OR 225-4822 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building visadocumentsgy@yahoo.comCall: 225-6496, 662-6045 Mahadeo Construction for all construction, carpentry, masonry, pluming, painting etc. Free estimates and plan Contact # 669-7376 FOR SALE/RENTAL 1 Three Storey building, established business- Call: 227-1042; 601-3369 3 Bedrooms house for rent or sale @ Anna Catherina W.C.D –Tel: 687-2299 or 616-3664
Kaieteur News
WANTED 1 Maid, 40years and older to work in SurinameContact: (+597) 322-5442; (+597) 651-6666 Live in waitress between ages 18-25yrs- $60,000 monthly, boarding & lodging free. Tel: 610-3974 Female worker wanted sound secondary education, computer literate- Tel: 612-1607 Farm workers male only – 3045 years old –Call: 265-3586 Diesel Mechanic to work in Georgetown-Tel: 218-5105 1 Mechanic to work in the Interior must know about Cummings & Perkins Engine. Tel: 691-6260 Need an advisor to help with setting up a new Private School, email details to mozatart@yahoo.com 1 Maid to wash and clean in the interior-Tel: 691-6260
FOR RENT
SALON
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal and Sacha cosmetics. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
1 complete House @ 5th Field Cummings Lodge, 1-2 bottom flat @ 99 CC Eccles – Contact:625-2685 12 Offices @ 220 South Road G/Town –Tel: 227-1042, 6013369 Two bedroom apartments available- Call: 663-5960, 6814275 One four storied building at Lot 14, Croal and Longden Street Georgetown. Call: 6631876 Five bedrooms house, 107 Lamaha Gardens & Large Parking; AC Rooms Hot & Cold, Purified Water System – Call: 661-8908, 335-3590 Unfurnished 1 bedroom apartment with AC & washing machine $50,000 in Granville Park ECD Call: 6813660 2 Bedrooms apartment on E.C.D –Call: 684-8906
One experienced cook preferably from the EBD, mature person 35 yrs & up Call: 660-7790 (after 5pm Mon-Fri & 8am-5pm weekdays) Live in waitress to work in a bar –Call: 604-6606 Waitress to work at bar, East Coast –Tel:612-2522 Driver for mini bus route 42Tel:690-6385; 628-2918 Washbay Attendant Tel:646-8748
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VACANCY
LAND FOR SALE Commercial lots available at Eccles E.B.D $14M - Tel:592227-2913 or 592-689-3033 Gated luxury community: mall, pool, underground irrigation, swipe card entry$6USD per sq. ft.- Call:6090783 Omai Quartz Hill Mining Block, 303 Independence Boulevard land size 3489.16 sq ft Call: 622-9998 10 Acres Kuru Kuru, High Way Roadside for Resort Business –Tel: 601-3369 or 227-1042
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Security guards, desk staff & male supervisor- Call:2250198 or 233 South road, Lacytown
New model Allion: TV reverse camera, low mileage -$3,300,000 negotiable –Tel: 655-3400
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Wednesday May 27, 2015
2 Ford F350 2006 model, extended cab 4X4, 6" lift kit, 35" tyres, diesel, auto, excellent condition - Tel: 610-5370 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 V8 Titan (2005) KIA SPORTAGE 2003 - Call:2751230
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Toyota AT212, good condition Call: 652-5762, 624-3686
Accounts Clerk send application and resume to rtilak@adamantiumholdings. com I N T E R N AT I O N A L EMPLOYMENT: NURSE, TEACHERS,CARPENTERS, ELECTRICIANS, COOK, WAITERS, BELL BOYS, HOUSEKEEPERS, STOREKEEPERS, SECURITIES. CONTACT: 231-6296; 650-9880/ www.plzrecruitme.com Customer Service Representative for food court apply in person to Dixielee, Lamaha Street. Sales Clerk to work in a Bond send application to rtilak@adamantiumholdings. com Accounts Clerk must have CAT level 2/CXC-Maths and Accounts apply rtilak@adamantiumholdings. com One female clerk – Call: 2315171
One Toyota Alteeza, silver. PNN series. Immaculate condition. Tel: 649-9647 D. Persaud Auto Deal 03 Toyota Premio $2.3M, 03 Toyota Allion & Spacio $2.1M Tel# 681-7117, 2275950 Noah and Voxy Unregistered. Call: 668-0000, 603-7900 1 Toyota Raum, Excellent condition –Contact: 6801903 170 Carina PFF Series recently overhauled, needs some work, asking price $420,000 negotiable. Call: 6677337 Cheapest: manual & automatic buses, Rush, Hilux, canter, Model M Truck, front veiw property in Bougainvillea Park – Call: 616-7635 1 Toyota Prado & Toyota Hilux both in excellent condition, owner migrating – Call: 601-0053; 691-8079
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LEARN TO DRIVE Soman, Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 Continued on page 29
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 29
President vows “inclusionary democracy” moving forward also affirmed the country’s conviction in cooperating with its allies in securing regional security. He said that under the APNU+AFC administration, the country will build stronger ties with members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), along with its South American neighbours. As he neared the conclusion of his address, Mr. Granger thanked the over 400,000 voters who participated in the country’s electoral process. He was also grateful for the encouragement of his supporters and the hard-work of his allies in the lead-up to his election. “You did not let me down, and I will not let you down,” the new President promised.
President David Granger during his inauguration speech at yesterday’s Independence Day celebrations at the National Stadium.
By Nicholas Peters Following his symbolic inauguration by Guyana’s First Peoples, President David Granger reaffirmed his commitment to an inclusionary democracy as the country moves forward in an era of “national unity”. As the newly-appointed Commander-In-Chief addressed the packed National Stadium at Providence, he also paid homage to the “workers, legislature and leaders” who guaranteed the country’s Independence 49 years ago. “We cannot become a united nation if we are divided,” was the message the President delivered to the thousands amassed yesterday for his inauguration which marked the culmination of Independence Day celebrations. “I affirm as President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, my determination to continue the task of working to achieve national unity and towards making Guyana one nation,” said President Granger. He said that as this new administration is a combination of six parties, the country is ready to move forward in an inclusionary
manner towards a common destiny. President Granger added that it was the intention of the nation’s newly-elected leaders to put an end to the “winner-take-all approach” of the political process. For this year’s anniversary, the President was keen to highlight the “desire” of the Guyanese populace for an inclusionary democracy as was evidenced in the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) securing the majority of seats in the National Assembly. “We are determined (to liberate) our people from oneparty domination, by thwarting the threat of dictatorship, by protecting our Parliament from the threats of premature prorogation and disillusion,” said Granger, while the stadium erupted in thunderous applause. He said that moving forward the country must now focus on the “real enemy” crime, disease, ignorance and poverty, which he regarded as “the four horsemen of Guyana’s Apocalypse”. The President said that the key to fighting this enemy
lies in educating the country’s youth. He emphasised that the nation’s young people face monumental challenges such as high rates of unemployment, suicide, school dropouts, teenage pregnancy and a growing prison population of 75 percent. He revisited his reasons for pardoning 60 convicted prisoners, between the ages of 18 and 24, yesterday. “Our young people should be learning in colleges, not languishing in prisons. That is why (yesterday), Independence Day, I granted amnesty to several dozen young men and women who have been sentenced to short terms of imprisonment for petty, non-violent offences,” said the Head of State. He related that he did not want them to rot in prison; instead he believes that they should return to their families, return to educational institutions and be part of society as citizens. President Granger added that he will release more young people who have committed petty offences, every year for Independence Day, so that they can receive formal education and “get back into
society”. “We shall promulgate a plan of action for youth empowerment in order to give youths faith in the future,” he vowed. Likewise, the Head of State pledged his commitment to women’s empowerment as he saluted the country’s “women folk”. Furthermore, he commented on the disparity between the rich and the poor. “Guyana cannot become one nation if gross disparities existing between the Hinterland and the Coastland, between the rich and the poor,” he said, as he pointed out that the country’s greater challenge is poverty. The Head of State said that too many of the country’s citizens, young and old, are still classified as extremely poor. He stressed that poverty in Guyana can be reduced and that it can be eliminated through good governance and sensible policies. “There is no reason for us to be poor!” he said emphatically. Through national unity, the President reaffirmed, the country can overcome the problems which hinder its development. “National unity will bring national benefits including
the elimination of one-party domination. It will lead to the enhancement of local municipal and parliamentary democracy.” He added that this will lead to the enlargement of multi-ethnic faith, the elimination of ethnic insecurity, the expansion of economic enterprise, the enrichment of cultural identity and the deepening of national and patriotic consciousness. Granger stressed that under his leadership his administration will infuse the spirit of inclusionary democracy into every municipality, every neighbourhood and every region as well as in the National Assembly. “We shall together resume our work, both in the legislative branch and the National Assembly and the country at large, to engage every section of society, including other political parties, trade unions, the private sector, and civil society, so that together we can realize our common steps for a national programme to move our beloved Guyana forward.” Moreover, as he reiterated his commitment to the development of Guyana, he
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Kaieteur News
Police chase nabs bandit after Canje robbery Police in Berbice on Sunday afternoon responded in a timely manner and were able to capture one of three bandits who had moments earlier robbed the occupants of a grocery shop at Fort Ordnance, East Canje, Berbice. According to information at around 13:30 hrs the bandits entered the business place of the Sayaranges, whose living quarters are on the upper flat and a grocery
shop on the lower flat, and removed an undisclosed sum of money before escaping The police were informed and responded promptly. While scouring the area the cops spotted s o m e m e n fitting the description of the bandits. As the cops made advances towards the suspects the men made a run for it with the lawmen in hot pursuit. The chase was lively, with
the bandits leading the cops over trenches, though bushes, swamps and pastures, before one was captured in the vicinity of the Canje Bridge and taken into custody. He is assisting with investigations. The unmasked men had earlier beaten and robbed Somattie Sayarange and her mother Mahadai Sayarange in a 30-minute ordeal. According to information, the elder Sayarange was in the shop when two of the men entered the shop under the guise of buying items. One of the men quickly opened the inside door and slipped into the inner part of the shop. There the woman was overpowered and threatened. It was then that the third bandit entered and helped to remove the sales for the day. As the daughter heard the commotion and went to investigate she was also taken captive. Investigations are continuing as the hunt continues for the two other thieves who are said to be well known.
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Family feud leaves one dead
A mentally-ill man was found dead in a flat in the gated community of D’Aguiar Park, East Bank Demerara, at around 20.00 hrs yesterday, after going berserk and attacking his brother-inlaw with a knife and hammer. Amrindeo Singh, a 32year-old Indian national, was found in a room in the bottom flat of the Trisket Square, D’Aguiar Park home with his body bearing multiple stab wounds. While a sister who witnessed the attack suggested that he took his own life, police say that they are treating the incident as a murder. His brother-in-law, identified as 38-year-old Harkirat Singh, sustained stab wounds to the neck and face, and also suffered a laceration to the back of the head. His condition is listed as stable. Police recovered a hammer and a knife near the front door. The slain man’s sister, who witnessed the first stages of the attack, said that her brother was schizophrenic, and that he had recently threatened to kill family members and take his
own life. She blamed staff at the Georgetown Public Hospital for ignoring pleas to have him admitted for psychiatric treatment. According to reports, the sister was feeding the couple’s small son, while her husband sat at a dining room table, when the mentally-ill man sneaked up behind his brother-in-law and struck him with a hammer. He reportedly then began to stab the injured man. Neighbours were alerted to the attack when they heard the wife’s screaming and saw her run out of the house with her small son. “She was saying help me…help me…Ashook (the brother) and Harry fighting,” a resident said. On entering the yard, residents reportedly saw Harkirat Singh, the husband, sitting at the front door entrance, and bleeding profusely from wounds to the neck and face. A resident remembered staunching the blood and then assisting in taking the injured man to the hospital. Residents said that the
family has been living in D’Aguiar Park for some six years. According to one report, Amrindeo Singh became mentally unstable in India, after sustaining on-thejob injuries. He was reportedly recently employed at an East Coast Demerara location. But his sister said that his mental condition recently deteriorated and he began to threaten family members with violence. She alleged that the brother, while armed with a knife, had jumped the fence about a week ago and threatened to kill everyone in the family and take his own life. She said that relatives took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital and begged a staffer at the Emergency Unit to have him hospitalised. However, family members were reportedly told that Amrindeo Singh’s condition did not warrant him being admitted to the Psychiatric Ward. Residents who lived in D’Aguiar Park for several years said that they could not recall any other such violent occurrence in the community.
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Floodwaters deepen in Houston after city gets more rain
HOUSTON (AP) — Floodwaters deepened across much of Texas on Tuesday as storms dumped almost another foot of rain on the Houston area, stranding hundreds of motorists and inundating the famously congested highways that serve the nation’s fourthlargest city. Meanwhile, the search went on for at least 13 people who were still missing, including a group that disappeared after a vacation home was swept down the river and slammed into a bridge. Several more fatalities were reported — four in Houston and one more in Central Texas. That brought to 14 the number of people killed by the holiday weekend storms in Texas and Oklahoma. The water rose sharply overnight as about 11 more inches of rain fell, much of it in a six-hour period. By Tuesday evening, most rivers had receded back within their banks. The floodwaters affected virtually every part of the city and paralyzed some areas. Firefighters carried out more than 500 water rescues, most involving stranded motorists. At least 2,500 vehicles were abandoned by drivers seeking higher ground, officials said. “Given the magnitude and how quickly it happened, in such a short period of time, I’ve never seen this before,” said Rick Flanagan, Houston’s emergency management coordinator. The drenching weather threatened to linger. National Weather Service forecasts called for a 20 to 40 percent chance of thunderstorms through the rest of the week
in Houston. The flooding closed several highways, and the ones that stayed open became a gridlocked mess. Interstate 45 near downtown was backed up for miles on Tuesday morning, and a handful of motorists traveled the wrong way on the highway to retreat from high water. The small cars weaved between massive 18-wheelers as other drivers stared at them in disbelief. With no end to the backup in sight, some drivers got off the freeway, only to be held up again by water covering nearby access roads. In the Heights neighborhood about 5 miles from downtown, groups of people roamed the streets after escaping their stalled cars, and police cruisers blocked some dangerous roads. Some motorists were stuck on I-45 all night, sleeping in their cars until the backup was cleared about 8 a.m. NBA fans at the Toyota Center, where the Rockets hosted a Western Conference finals game against Golden State on Monday, were asked with about two minutes left in the game not to leave the arena because of the severe weather. The game ended before 11 p.m., but about 400 people remained in their seats at 1:30 a.m., choosing to stay in the building rather than brave the flooded roads that awaited them outside. A spokeswoman for the flood district of Harris County, which includes Houston, said up to 700 homes sustained some level of damage. Officials in Hays County, about 180 miles west of Houston, said 30 people who
had been reported as missing were accounted for by midafternoon Tuesday. Crews were also searching for victims and assessing damage just across the TexasMexico border in Ciudad Acuna, where a tornado killed 13 people Monday. Some of the worst flooding in Texas was in Wimberley, a popular tourist town along the Blanco in the corridor between Austin and San Antonio. That’s where the vacation home was swept away. The “search component” of the mission ended Monday night, meaning no more survivors were expected to be found, said Trey Hatt, a spokesman for the Hays County Emergency Operations Center. Eight of those missing from the destroyed house were friends and family who had gathered for the holiday, said Kristi Wyatt, a spokeswoman for the City of San Marcos. She said three more were members of another family in a separate situation. An unrelated person was also missing, Wyatt said. Young children were believed to be among the missing. The Blanco crested above 40 feet — more than triple its flood stage of 13 feet. The river swamped Interstate 35 and closed parts of the busy north-south highway. Rescuers used pontoon boats and a helicopter to pull people out. Hundreds of trees along the Blanco were uprooted or snapped, and they collected in piles of debris up to 20 feet high. The deaths in Texas included a man whose body was pulled from the Blanco; a 14-year-old who was found with his dog in a storm drain; a high school senior who died Saturday after her car was caught in high water; and a man whose mobile home was destroyed by a reported tornado. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management also reported four fatalities between Saturday and Monday after severe flooding and reports of tornadoes. In Ciudad Acuna, Mayor Evaristo Perez Rivera said 300 people were treated at local hospitals after the twister, and up to 200 homes had been completely destroyed in the city of 125,000 across from Del Rio, Texas. Thirteen people were confirmed dead — 10 adults and three infants, including one that was ripped from its mother’s arms by the storm.
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Bouterse wins general elections in Suriname PA R A M A R I B O , Suriname — President Desi Bouterse (69) and his National Democratic Party (NDP) won the general elections held on Monday in Suriname. With over 80 percent of the votes counted preliminary results indicate that NDP won 27 of the 51 seats in parliament. V7, a coalition of six parties, secured 17 seats. Five seats go to Alternative Combination of former guerilla Ronnie Brunswijk, while the remaining two seats went to DOE and PALU respectively. It is the first time in Suriname’s political history that a party that participated on its own has won the election. Final results were expected yesterday and an official declaration of the results in at least two weeks. “Our social programme and the determination of our supporters has paid off,” said NDP’s campaign leader and former minister of public works, Ramon Abrahams after it was clear that his party had a comfortable lead. Highly controversial due to his military dictatorship during the 80s and a drug sentence in Holland, Bouterse, who is also the main suspects for the murder of 15 opponents in 1982, remains popular due to his social policies. After he came into power in 2010 by forging a coalition with several parties, he embarked upon an ambitious program to increase old-age pensions and other social
Suriname President Desi Bouterse holds a baby after casting his ballot in Monday’s general elections in Suriname. benefits. In 2014, parliament also passed the Minimum Wage Act, a basic health insurance scheme and introduced a general pension. Bouterse also cancelled school tuition fees for elementary education, while his administration built numerous new schools and affordable housing for scores of citizens. For the last two years government has been paying for the health insurance of nationals from 016 years and senior citizens from 60 years and up. Meanwhile, several leaders of the V7-block have conceded defeat. “We did what we had to, but the Surinamese people have spoken and we have to accept that,” said Gregory Rusland, one of the leaders of the opposition.
A disappointed former minister of police and justice, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, said that although the NDP is set to win the elections he is still waiting for the official results. While the NDP has secured a 27-seat majority, the president must be elected by at least 34 legislators. If parliament fails to elect the new head of state and vice president, these officials will be elected by the People’s Assembly – parliament and local councils combined – by a simple majority. The formal process to have a new government in power could therefore take several weeks. After the elections on May 25, 2010, Bouterse was inaugurated as president on August 12, 2010. (Caribbean News)
TIVOLI ENQUIRY: DCP says ‘Dudus’ ran ‘surrogate government’ KINGSTON, Jamaica Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenmore Hinds, who took the stand on the resumption of the Tivoli Enquiry yesterday morning, testified that Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke ran a surrogate government in Tivoli Gardens. He said that he provided telephone services to the residents in the mid to late 90s and that he operated an illegal cable company in the community. Hinds disclosed that very few residents in Tivoli Gardens paid utility bills to utility companies, adding that the money was paid to Coke at a discounted rate, thereby bypassing the utility companies. The DCP also spoke about Coke’s ‘Champions in Action’ stage show, saying that corporate companies were coerced into sponsoring
it. Though he would not identify the corporate companies, Hinds said that major corporate entities had to sponsor the event and that top entertainers had to perform on the show for free. Proceeds from the show was used to fund back-toschool activities or help with back-to-school expenses for children of the community, Hinds testified. According to the DCP, ‘Dudus’ also operated his own criminal justice system inside the community. He described the former Tivoli Gardens strongman as the “don of all dons” and said that his rule was unchallenged. Hinds said Coke had subfranchise leaders in communities like Denham Town and Fletchers Land, and that he provided protection for gangs across the island, including the One Order gang
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Concern over Jamaica’s human rights record Jamaica Observer Despite Jamaica’s Insistence that its laws already provide adequate human rights protection for all citizens, several countries, including some major trading partners, appeared disappointed that it has not taken on recommendations regarding gay rights, police violence, child labour, and trafficking in persons, among other issues. Jamaica’s minister of justice, Senator Mark Golding, who led the country’s delegation to the 22nd session of the United Nations’ working group’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of its human rights record, pointed to “a long and cherished history of promoting and protecting human rights”, during his address to the committee on May 15. Senator Golding told UN member states that Jamaica’s Constitution of 1962 “guarantees the protection of the human rights of all Jamaicans”. He noted that those rights “have been further addressed through the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms”, which replaced Chapter Three of the Constitution in 2011, covering fundamental rights and freedoms including protection from discrimination. Golding, in a statement to the Senate on Friday, said that while Jamaica was prepared to accept more than half of the recommendations from members, it had a difficulty accepting others, including repeated calls to repeal buggery legislation, acknowledge samesex marriages, and introduce additional legislation to protect the rights of the LGBT community. The minister instead gave the assurance of protection available under the
Mark Golding constitution and current laws, and assured the member states he would maintain open communication with the LGBT community “to identify and find ways of addressing the main concerns”. However, Golding’s response obviously did not satisfy a number of Jamaica’s friends at the meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The US, for example, recommended that Jamaica “decriminalise consensual same-sex conduct between adults”. The UK recommended the “introduction and implementation of fully comprehensive antidiscrimination legislation to include sexual orientation and gender”. Canada, however, appeared less demanding, suggesting effective measures “to investigate and prosecute all incidents and acts of violence targeting individuals based on sexual orientation”. It was Sweden, however, which seemed most disturbed by Jamaica’s responses on the gay rights issue. According to Swedish Minister-Counsellor Josefin Simonsson Broden: “Despite the fact that more LGBT people are reporting acts of violence and discrimination to
the police (in Jamaica), many incidents still go unreported. “Sweden recommends the Government of Jamaica to repeal the legal provisions making same-sex intimacy among men - described as ‘gross indecency and buggery’ - illegal,” he said. Incidentally, Australia was content to acknowledge the current review of the Sexual Offences Act, the Offences Against the Person Act, and the Child Care and Protection Act, which is being undertaken by a joint select committee of both Houses of Parliament, and chaired by Senator Golding, and was willing to await the outcome. However, Australia had some strong words on the level of police killings in Jamaica, although welcoming the establishment of the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) in 2011 to investigate these killings. “Australia recommends Jamaica give INDECOM the power it needs to investigate criminal acts committed by the police,” said the Australian mission to the UN. Canada suggested strengthening INDECOM, in line with international standards, by amending the Coroner’s Act to include the commission as an interested party to an inquiry into a death, and reforming the INDECOM Act to settle challenges from the police to its jurisdiction and mandate. The US also had a recommendation for the Jamaican Government regarding “excessive or unlawful use of force” by both the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force. Its representatives suggested intensified efforts to investigate those allegations, as well as to ensure prosecution where appropriate.
Authorities says drones under watch in Barbados Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke in Spanish Town, St Catherine. According to DCP Hinds, Coke’s affiliations stretched beyond the shores of Jamaica, as he testified yesterday that Coke had affiliate gangs in Tampa, Florida and Cleveland, Ohio in the Untied States, as well as in London, England. (Jamaica Observer)
Daily Observer - Barbados aviation authorities say they have taken note of the increasing use of drones on the island. Director of Civil Aviation Kingsley Nelson said the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), as they are referred to, present some security, privacy and safety concerns. But he said there are safety and security guidelines which currently exist to regulate the use of such vehicles and to which persons should adhere. Nelson said that the drones were becoming increasingly available and that guidelines and processes for importation and use of these unmanned aerial vehicles were currently being reviewed by the relevant agencies. A government statement said the Division of Defence and Security, Prime Minister’s Office, The Barbados Civil Aviation
Department, Barbados Defence Force, Royal Barbados Police Force, Telecommunications Division and Customs and Excise Department are among several government agencies examining the issues posed by the use of these vehicles. Nelson said the flying of drones in no-fly areas by their operators could pose potentially severe security and safety threats. The government statement said that people wishing to operate UAVs outside of the designated areas or on a commercial basis are required to make an application to the relevant authority. “Operators of all Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are also required to be in possession of a valid Telecommunications Radio-controlled licence; Maintain visual contact “Visual Line of Sight” with the RPAS at all times,” the statement added.
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Suruj: Nobody paid to attend PP’s rally Trinidad Guardian Nobody was paid to attend or forced to come to PP’s “renewal” rally at Macoya last Sunday, says Works Minister Suruj Rambachan. Rambachan, whose portfolio includes CEPEP/ URP, was asked about statements from various people wearing UNC T-shirts who spoke during interviews at the rally and confirmed they were employed with CEPEP. Several said they were bona-fide UNC members but some were non-committal. One man, who confirmed he worked with CEPEP in the northeast, said he was not coming to work yesterday following his attendance. Sources have claimed some CEPEP workers were promised yesterday off for attending the rally. But Rambachan said: “Every person who attended came voluntarily. Nobody was paid to come or forced to. “It was a public event and if people wanted to come, regardless of what state agency — from ministry to otherwise — they work for they were free to attend. “It was the greatest mobilisation we had done. I would say the crowd was bigger than 2010. Security forces estimated the crowd around 40,000 due to the number of people who were outside the venue and could not get in. The partnership on Sunday showed its strength to those who had doubts and has launched its election campaign.” Asked about jersey distribution at some entrances on Sunday, Rambachan said: “Everyone distributes jerseys and other things at rallies. The amount of people we had to give jerseys to after they asked (for it), was amazing,” Asked if the PP might be
Suruj Rambachan overreaching in believing that all CEPEP/URP workers who were wearing UNC jerseys might really vote for the PP, Rambachan said the PP believed in its members. “Dr Rowley has become desperate and his comments indicate that he is setting the stage for a series of complaints — to Caricom and elsewhere — about the election to stir up feelings against this government,” he added. Rambachan claimed some
PNMites, but didn’t say who, “didn’t attend the PNM family day last Sunday in Portof-Spain and have gone to the middle ground.” He claimed La Brea, Fyzabad and Point Fortin were being abandoned by PNM groups. On whether UNC or COP officials had talked to COP MP Winston Dookeran who attended the rally, or whether he will contest Tunapuna again — after some COP officials complained they hadn’t been able to contact him — Rambachan said: “I’m sure Mr Dookeran will make up his mind in time.” Rambachan said small (unmanned) drones which had been circling the Macoya grounds during the PP rally had been taking pictures. He said the PP would now be moving across T&T once a week at constituency level to detail further its manifesto. Meanwhile, PNM holds a walkabout and public meeting today in Valencia supporting its Toco candidate.
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Colombia Farc rebel leader Roman Ruiz ‘killed in raid’ A commander of Colombia’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), was among five rebels killed in a bombing raid on Monday, the Colombian military says. The rebel, known as Ramon Ruiz, led the 18th division of the Farc, which operates in north-west Colombia. The bombing was the latest in a series of attacks on the Farc by Colombian security forces. The two sides are holding peace talks but have not agreed a ceasefire. The Colombian air force said it bombed a rebel position near the town of Riosucio in north-western Choco province on Monday. Sources in the security forces later told local media that among those killed in the raid was Alfredo Alarcon Machado, better known by his alias, Roman Ruiz. Last year, sources in the security forces announced he had been killed, only for the
Roman Ruiz head of the police to deny it later. Ruiz is believed to be the right-hand man of Pastor Alape, who is part of the Farc team negotiating with the Colombian government at peace talks in the Cuban capital, Havana. About 40 Farc rebels have been killed since the security forces resumed their bombing raids. President Juan Manuel Santos gave the order for the resumption after 11 soldiers were killed on 15 April in a Farc ambush in south-western Cauca province.
The attack on the soldiers caused outrage in Colombia, with many questioning the rebels’ commitment to the peace talks. The Farc had declared a unilateral ceasefire in December as a sign of its commitment to the talks. It argued the ambush in Cauca had been a “defensive measure” taken by its rebels as they came under pressure from the security forces. When the peace talks officially began in November 2012, President Juan Manuel Santos ruled out a ceasefire, arguing that the guerrilla had used them during previous negotiations to re-group and re-arm. In March of this year, he did however order the suspension of bombing raids. The peace talks have been going on for two and a half years during which the two sides have so far reached agreement on three topics on their five-point agenda. An estimated 220,000 people have died in a half century of armed conflict in Colombia.
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Wednesday May 27, 2015
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Contador survives Astana CBC2015 - Caribbean Cup onslaught to extend Giro lead arrives in Tortola, BVI
Reuters - Alberto Contador survived an onslaught from rival team Astana to move closer to a second Giro d’Italia title as he finished yesterday’s queen stage in Aprica in third place. Spain’s Contador started the day with a 2:35 lead and now has an advantage of four minutes two seconds over compatriot Mikel Landa (Astana), who won the 16th stage 38 seconds ahead of Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk. Contador also ended the
punishing 177-km mountain stage 38 seconds behind. Astana leader Fabio Aru of Italy finished 2:51 off the pace and dropped to third overall, 4:52 behind Contador, who is looking to achieve a rare Giro/ Tour de France double this season. As Contador appeared to suffer a mechanical problem in a descent, Astana upped the pace and opened a gap of almost one minute, but the move backfired. At the foot of the
penultimate climb, an intimidating ascent to the Passo del Mortirolo, Contador was lagging 45 seconds behind but went solo and soon caught a small group featuring Landa and Aru. He attacked them and only Landa could follow as Aru cracked, thus limiting the damage until the finish line. The last rider to achieve a Giro/Tour double was the late Marco Pantani of Italy in 1998.
Wednesday May 27, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may solve a problem at work through sheer willpower, enabling you to turn a sticky situation to your advantage. However, you also realize your small victory is part of a larger issue for which there’s no fast and easy fix. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) There’s no need to make a quick decision about an ongoing project today because the more time spent in the revision process, the deeper you can go in reassessing your resources. And although you have something practical to learn now, it’s still tempting to take the easy way out in order to end an unpleasant conflict. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You’ve had more than your fair share of doing exactly what others expect from you. You are eager for more fun and games in your life, even if you have important obligations to meet today. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Simmering relationship tension raises uncomfortable issues today, even if everything appears copacetic on the surface. Although you may do your best to avoid confrontation, you can’t help but notice there’s a showdown brewing. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) The rapid pace of events makes you believe that your schedule is out of control today, but it’s not too chaotic for you to effectively manage your affairs. However, you might feel overwhelmed later in the day, especially if you’re already thinking of everything you must do tomorrow. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You are doing your best to keep the lid on your emotions, but you might have a minor meltdown today, revealing your doubts about your ability to handle your current workload.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Just because you’re not talking about your feelings today doesn’t mean they are nonexistent. But, your silence won’t necessarily improve your chances of reaching your goals, either. Although your thoughts may be flying all over the place, it’s still hard to turn any of them into concrete reality now. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your self-criticism continues to grow lighter day by day. In fact, you might even take a tentative step and acknowledge that you did a great job, even if it didn’t turn out exactly as expected. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You can experiment with letting down your guard today, even if you recently had to hold a position of authority longer than you wanted. If your command was successful, you will be able to relax and allow events at work to run their course. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You might be so intent on reaching the top of the mountain that you could trip and fall if you don’t watch where your feet are going today. You must turn your vision into something concrete, but this can be tricky business if your mind is wandering so far off into the future that you’re no longer interested in engaging in the present moment. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Complications keep popping up now no matter how hard you try to get your schedule under control. It’s not that you long for simplicity; in fact, you enjoy the creative buzz when there’s a lot happening around you, as long as you can figure out where you fit into the picture. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You can usually rely on your intuition to steer you in the right direction, but something is slightly off center today, challenging you to make healthy choices.
Tortola, British Virgin Islands - In January 2015, the Executive Committee of the CBC decided to create a unique trophy cup for the CBC Championships which will bear the name “Caribbean Cup.” CBC’s Vice President of Finance and Marketing, Mr. Patrick Haynes from Georgetown, Guyana, designed the trophy for the 2015 CBC Senior Championships for Men and Women. The CBC Caribbean Cup will be presented to the Caribbean Men and Women Champions for the first time following the Finals on June 12th for women and June 21st for men in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The top part of the newly created Caribbean Cup trophy has a gold plated metal cup in the form of a chalice with two handles. The base is made of a Dark Emperador Marble that measures 15.25 x 15.25 cm and sits on a 3-tier Oak mantle that measures 38 x 38 cm. FIBA, CBC and the
CONCACAF Secures Strategic... From page 37 integrity. “It is a sign of hope that, anywhere in the world CONCACAF and CONMEBOL strengthen our goodwill to work and progress together,” said CONMEBOL President, Juan Angel Napout. “We honor our commitment towards CONCACAF and will work towards the same objectives of promoting football and helping it become a tool of development.” “This agreement crystallizes the closer relationship that AFC has been building with our friends at CONCACAF, and the work that we have already started, for example in the area of club licensing,” said AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. “The two Confederations have many common features, and we look forward to working closely together with a focus on competitions and knowledge-sharing.” The benefits of the existing MoUs have already made a positive difference, with members of each Confederation having participated in exchange programs to assist in regional tournaments and obtain firsthand knowledge in their respective areas of expertise. (CONCACAF)
Championship logos and the name Caribbean Cup are engraved on the front of the trophy. The top of the cup has
a circumference of 80 cm and the trophy stands 82 cm in height and weighs a grand 11.5 kg.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 27, 2015
French Open 2015: Serena Sloane Stephens eliminates Venus Williams in first round at French Open Williams secures straight sets win
Sloane Stephens (AP Photo/Michel Euler) On Day 2 at the French Open, the oldest woman in the draw took on one of her youngest compatriots. It was the much awaited first matchup for Venus Williams, 34, and Sloane Stephens, 22.Stephens was once considered the girl who would take over the Williams sisters’ reign if they ever retire, but she has struggled since making the semifinals at the 2013 Australian Open. The 15th-seeded Williams is far from the peak form that helped her win seven Grand Slam titles. On Monday,
neither looked like a dominant star. They battled in the first set, with Stephens eventually winning the tiebreak. In the second set, it was all Stephens. The only hiccup came at break point in the second game, with Williams serving. Her serve startled a pigeon, which in turn startled Stephens. She shrieked. It could have been an ace for Williams, but the point was replayed. Stephens got the break. She went on to close out the match, 7-6, 6-1. Stephens
had 14 unforced errors; Williams had 30. Williams’ forehand was falling flat throughout. Williams issued a statement rather than showing up to the post-match press conference. “When you arrive at any tournament, you hope you will have a chance to work your way into the event, but I didn’t have that opportunity - she just played better than me today,” the veteran wrote. This is the second time in three years that Williams is out after the first round. This is also the fifth time in the past 13 Grand Slams that she is out this early; before that, she was only ousted this early once in 37 Grand Slams. Stephens, ranked 40th, has reached the fourth round at Roland Garros the past three years. With Monday’s win, she becomes only the second woman to defeat both Williams’ sisters in Grand Slam tournaments. The other was Lindsay Davenport. She’ll face Heather Watson of Britain in the next round. Watson has won their four previous meetings, including once earlier this year. (Yahoosports)
BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award: Asisat Oshoala wins Nigeria and Liverpool forward Asisat Oshoala has been named as the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year. The 20-yearold forward is the first player to win the new award from the BBC World Service, voted for by football fans around the world. She beat Spain’s Veronica Boquete, German Nadine Kessler, Scot Kim Little and Brazilian Marta to the honour. “I would like to say thank you to the BBC, to my fans around the world and to everyone who voted,” she said. The award is the first of its kind hosted by a global broadcaster. Oshoala, who was the youngest player to be shortlisted, was the leading scorer at the Under-20s World Cup in Canada last summer and was voted the tournament’s best player. Her performances led Nigeria to the final, where they were narrowly beaten by Germany, and she was also a major influence in the senior Nigeria team who won the African Women’s Championship in October. That ensured their qualification for this summer’s World Cup in Canada, which begins on 6 June with full coverage on the BBC. Oshoala said the honour was a big lift for Nigeria before the World Cup and would help inspire young players in her homeland. “It’s a really good thing for us as a team because we now know that we have something great and now we want to go at the trophy,” she said. “We can do it, we did it in 2014 we can also do it this year as well. “There is going to be a lot of motivation for women’s football in Nigeria now because of this award because there are a lot of fans out there. “Support for women’s football in Nigeria is now growing very high. “I know my Liverpool Ladies coach is
Serena Williams Top seed Serena Williams made swift progress into round two of the French Open on day three but last year’s semi-finalist Eugenie Bouchard was beaten. Williams, the champion at Roland Garros in 2002 and 2013, beat Czech Andrea Hlavackova 6-2 6-3. But Canadian sixth seed Bouchard lost 6-4 6-4 to France’s Kristina Mladenovic, the world number 44, her eighth defeat in nine matches. Men’s 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov lost 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 6-3 to American Jack Sock. Men’s title favourites Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal won in straight sets. Seventh seed David Ferrer saw off Lukas Lacko 6-1 6-3 6-1 to record the 300th claycourt win of his career, while women’s fourth seed Petra Kvitova survived a scare before beating New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-4 3-6 6-4. Eugenie Bouchard was
unable to explain the spectacular loss of form that has seen her win just three matches since reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals in January. The 21-yearold now heads into the grasscourt season knowing she has lots of ranking points to defend having reached last year’s Wimbledon final. “I feel like I have been trying to work on what’s been going wrong, and I feel like I have been making progress, so to still have matches like this is actually disappointing,” said the Canadian. “But at the same time it’s just a tennis match and, you know, I need to not worry too much. Life is still good. Everyone has highs and lows in their career. This is a little bit of a low point for me.” Rafael Nadal has confirmed a story that appeared in last week’s Telegraph saying he had requested not to have
Brazilian Carlos Bernardes umpire his matches. The Spaniard fell out with Bernardes at the Rio Open in February, with the player claiming he was not allowed to change his shorts after putting them on the wrong way around without incurring a time violation. “It was my request, and the ATP talking about it,” said Nadal. “I asked if it’s possible, but nothing personal against him, 100%. I respect him as an umpire, I respect him as a person, and I consider him a good person more than that. “I would love to have Bernardes on the court again. It will happen, but I think for both of us it is better to have a break. We had some problems. For me he was not enough respectful with me in Rio de Janeiro. That was my feeling when I put my shorts the other way.” The three remaining Britons in the singles draw will not be in action again until Thursday as the schedule evens out following the three-day first round in Paris. Andy Murray has at least learned that he will face Joao Sousa after the Portuguese beat Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 yesterday. The Briton has won all five of his previous meetings with Sousa in straight sets, although they have yet to play on clay. Heather Watson will take an impressive 4-0 record in against Sloane Stephens, while Kyle Edmund trails fellow 20-yearold Nick Kyrgios 2-0, the first of which was the Canadian Open junior semi-finals in 2012.
Malik’s ton, Riaz aggression give...
Oshoala signed for Liverpool Ladies in January 2015. going to be happy right now. Before I left the UK he called me and said to me ‘don’t worry I hope you win the award and we’re going to celebrate it when you come back’.” Oshoala signed for Liverpool Ladies in January 2015, becoming the first African to feature in the Women’s Super League, with manager Matt Beard calling her “one of the world’s top young footballers”. Mary Hockaday, controller of BBC World Service English, paid tribute to Oshoala. “At still only 20, she’s proved herself a formidable talent on the pitch,” she said. “I’m proud BBC World Service is supporting the women’s game and thrilled with the interest in the award.” (BBCsport)
From page 38 looking at how Malik and Sohail went he must be wishing he hadn’t. It was Malik in this partnership that made a slow start, but from the moment he skipped out and lofted Sikandar Raza for a straight six in the 33rd over, he galloped along. With Malik looking in rare touch, Sohail could take it easy and settle in. As with Hafeez and Azhar, it was more about clever placement and missing the infielders rather than manic hitting for Malik. Forty-one came off the Powerplay, and at 263 for 2 in 40 overs Pakistan were set to break the Lahore record of 357, what with 10 an over in the last 10 almost the norm in modern ODI cricket. Except Pakistan are one of the teams that usually buck the trend. Not here. In Malik
and Sohail they had right amount of placement and power, in Zimbabwe they had a flat attack, and the two carried the party on. Clean hits cleared the fence, mis-hits fell to ground, Zimbabwe missed quite a few yorkers, the fielding was poor, and 112 came off the last 10. In the 49th over Malik raised the first international century in Pakistan in six years. Sohail, who relied on some power hitting over the leg side in his 89 off 66, ran out of time, but time was a bigger problem for Zimbabwe who were about 40 minutes behind schedule in finishing their 50 overs. They didn’t show much more urgency in the chase, looking for the most part content with batting out the 50 overs of their own. Chigumbura and Masakadza added 124 for the third wicket,
but they did so in 20 overs, which meant the asking rate had reached 14.5 for the last 17 overs. Chigumbura, who survived a plumb lbw shout and benefitted from two dropped catches, brought brief interest to the chase, racing away to his first ODI century, in the process hitting Sami for a hat-trick of fours and then for 22 in another over. Riaz, though, proved too good for him, troubling him with bouncers before cleaning him up with a quick Yorker, also ending the game in the process. Pakistan, though, will be worried at how ineffective their second string of bowlers were. Pakistan 375 for 3 (Malik 112, Sohail 89*, Hafeez 86, Azhar 79) beat Zimbabwe 334 for 5 (Chigumbura 117, Masakadza 73, Riaz 3-47) by 41 runs. (ESPNcricinfo)
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Houston Rockets: Basketball fans Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic trapped for hours by flash floods win French Open first-round ties
Hundreds of basketball fans in Houston were trapped inside an arena hours after an NBA game because of flooding. Nearly five inches of rain have fallen on the city since Monday evening. Fans were advised to stay in their seats overnight because of the weather following Houston Rockets’ win against Golden State Warriors in the NBA Western Conference Finals on Monday. Many were in the Toyota Center for almost 11 hours, until the early hours of Tuesday morning. The game had finished at 22:45 local time on Monday but many fans were left stranded as the city’s freeways were heavily flooded. Lauren Finkelstein, 33, a DJ on Houston radio station Mix 96.5, spoke to BBC Sport from inside the arena midway through the evening. “There are a couple of hundred fans still left now. Thank goodness the Rockets
won or I think it would have been a different atmosphere,” she said. “Everyone seems OK, the Rockets won and we are safe, no one is too upset about it. “The bad weather started just as the game did and did not stop until an hour ago. The thunder was so loud you could hear it inside the stadium. “The freeways around the city are all flooded so no one can get around town. Houston has had a lot of rain recently, it had been a gorgeous day today but we knew the bad weather was on the way. It just rained solidly. It is the worst it has been in quite some time, I have never known people to be stuck in the arena before.” Rockets centre Dwight Howard stayed with the fans, but has since moved to a nearby hotel. “I don’t think it’s smart for anybody to try to be out in this weather,” Howard told the Houston Chronicle.
Finkelstein added: “People have just stayed here, sleeping in parts of the stadium and they have given us refreshments, snacks and drinks and stuff. I even got a tour of the locker rooms. “A few people went home before the end of the match because they had seen the alerts and other chanced the freeways, but they have been stuck in traffic because the water is still so high.” The Houston Chronicle added that fans congregated on one side of the arena as staff cleaned ahead of a scheduled Neil Diamond concert last evening. The BBC Weather Centre said heavy rain began in Houston at about 21:00 local time and there have also been thunderstorms, while more heavy rain and tornadoes are forecast for Friday. At least five people have died and hundreds of homes have been destroyed in flash flooding in the southern US. (BBCsport)
Rafael Nadal began his quest for a 10th French Open title with a straight-sets victory over teenager Quentin Halys. Frenchman Halys, an 18-year-old wildcard, had the Roland Garros crowd on his side but was not consistent enough to trouble the champion. And sixth seed Nadal, 28, won 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Spaniard is in the same half of the draw as top seed Novak Djokovic, who beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 7-5, 6-2. Djokovic has now won 23 matches in a row as he attempts to claim his first title at Roland Garros and become the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam of Wimbledon and the Australian, French and US Opens. He was given a useful workout by Finland’s Nieminen, the 33-year-old
taking a surprise 5-2 lead in the second set. That merely served to bring the best out of Djokovic, who won the next nine games in a row to effectively seal victory. “I always feel a lot of emotion when I get back on this court,” said Djokovic, who won the Australian Open at the beginning of February and was runner-up to Nadal in Paris last year and in 2012. “This year I’m playing very well and I hope I will get the confidence I have had since the beginning of the year.” The 28-year-old could meet Nadal - who has slipped down the world rankings during a disappointing claycourt season by his standards - as early as the quarter-finals. Nadal took the first step in that direction, and improved his record at Roland Garros to 67 wins and one defeat, with a solid opening effort. There were a few
worried glances to coach Toni Nadal in the stand when one service game went against him in a scratchy first set, but the nine-time champion made just one error in the second. Halys, the US Open boys’ runner-up in 2014, showed enough flashes of talent to engage his home crowd with his forehand, drop shot and willingness to attack the net. Nadal was restricted to a single break of serve in the second and third sets but it was all he needed to earn a second-round meeting with compatriot Nicolas Almagro. “When I’ve had some up and downs during the season, it’s normal that can happen here,” said Nadal. “I am trying to avoid that. I am here to try to play good tennis and give myself a chance to play well and compete for everything. “My mentality and my goal is the same always.” (BBCsport)
Rafael Nadal
CONCACAF Secures Strategic Alliances with other Confederations MoU with AFC and CONMEBOL to promote dev.
CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb greets AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa following the signing of a MoU on May 26, 2015.
Zurich, Switzerland - The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) yesterday signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) in Zurich. The signing ceremony, which took place ahead of the FIFA Congress, formalizes the ongoing cooperation between CONCACAF and these football governing bodies. It also establishes a framework to provide and receive technical and administrative support.
In addition to MoUs with four regional football Confederations, CONCACAF has also signed agreements for mutual collaboration with INTERPOL, the European Sports Security Association (ESSA) and the University of the West Indies. CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President, Jeffrey Webb, has always been an advocate of forming partnerships in the quest to develop the sport. “It is our priority to ensure that everyone has access to the game of football, and it is therefore vital that we all embrace the spirit of collaboration and pro-activity within the football family to achieve this important goal,”
said Webb. “Historically, we have built solid partnerships with other Confederations and today we are pleased to share our vision and strategies to advance the sport within the CONCACAF region and globally.” Having already signed MoUs with CAF and UEFA in 2013 and 2014, CONCACAF aims to add the strength of CONMEBOL and AFC in order to develop football in its region and contribute to football’s overall global growth. Areas highlighted in the agreements include Refereeing, Coaching, Competition Development, Media & Marketing, Women’s Football and Sports Continued on page 35
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Malik’s ton, Riaz aggression Montego Bay United edges Don Bosco for SCCL spot give Pakistan big win
Elton Chigumbura celebrates his maiden ODI ton. AFP The return of international cricket to Pakistan might have been fraught with threats of violence, but the first ODI in the country in six years brought about the most nonviolent 375 you could imagine, setting up a 41-run win. In an incredibly cool and calculated innings, hardly a shot was hit in anger as Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Haris Sohail chipped and chopped an innocuous attack to the highest total in Pakistan. However, the thinness of Pakistan’s attack, the flatness of the pitch and the fact that Zimbabwe’s batting is much stronger than their bowling, became apparent in the chase with only Wahab Riaz looking like taking a wicket. Elton Chigumbura scored a chancy century, Hamilton
Masakadza a fifty, but the chase only kicked into life towards the end, by which time the asking rate had reached 15 an over, a task too tall with four Wahab overs to contend with. Considering Mohammad Sami and Anwar Ali’s struggle with the ball, Pakistan will be thankful their batsmen posted the total they did. This was the first time all of their top four scored fifty or more, and the first Pakistan innings to feature two 150-run stands. Malik’s 112 off 76 was his fastest century. Pakistan hit 35 fours and 10 sixes in all, but that masked the lack of frenetic hitting and powerful strokes you associate such big scores with. Azhar and Hafeez began sedately before opening up in a 170-run stand, Pakistan’s third-highest opening
partnership at home. The duo missed out on what looked like certain centuries, falling within eight balls of each other, but Malik and Sohail took over from where they left, and added some more intent as you would expect after a strong opening. Playing for the first time in two years, Malik posted his first score of more than 43 in five years, at once reminding you why he had been dropped and why quite a few have been disappointed with an unfulfilled career. Azhar and Hafeez were Pakistan’s fourth opening combination in their last five ODIs, and the tentativeness showed in their start - eight runs in five overs on a pitch that never misbehaved. In the sixth over though, Azhar, the captain playing his first international at home, took the first risk, playing across the line of a ball outside off, placing it wide of mid-on for three. That shot was the release as he raced away to 21 off 24 with Hafeez labouring to five off the same number of deliveries. Zimbabwe’s attack didn’t have the necessary threat to hold the openers back. Hafeez got going with pick-up shots for four and six off Tinashe Panyangara in the ninth over. Azhar reached his fifty first, and Hafeez was on his heels and when he hit the remodelled Prosper Utseya now bowling little legrollers for successive fours in the 22nd over, Pakistan’s run rate had crossed six an over never to come back down again. Those two shots summed up the touch play this partnership relied on: first a mere push between mid-off and extra cover, and then waiting for the expected flatter delivery and back-cutting it between point and short third man. Utseya managed to get both the openers out, but Continued on page 36
Shoaib Malik laces a drive through the covers.
Action from the match between Don Bosco FC and Montego Bay United. (Photo: Allan Crane)
Couva, Trinidad & Tobago – Owayne Gordon scored in the second half to lift Montego Bay United to a 1-0 win over Haiti’s Don Bosco FC in the third place match of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship on Sunday at Ato Boldon Stadium. As a result of the victory, the Jamaican champion also qualified for the 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, its firstever berth in the annual continental club competition. Second-half substitute Gordon netted the lone goal in the 70th minute, unlocking a defense that had been nearly impenetrable throughout the tournament. The outstanding Dino Williams won possession on the right in Don Bosco’s end,
turned effortlessly and sent a diagonal pass on the ground into the box. Gordon ran onto the ball, slotting it past goalkeeper Jaafson Origene, who came out his net to cut down the angle. Prior to that strike, Don Bosco had crafted the more solid scoring opportunities. The main cause of Montego Bay’s concern was Dumy Fede, a lightning-fast forward with an uncanny ability to exploit channels and outrun defenders. In the 12th minute, the 21year-old broke away from the pack for a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett, only for the imposing custodian to leave his line for a key save. After Williams’ right-footed rocket from distance was tipped over the crossbar by Origene, Fede
was at it again. This time, in a 26th minute breakaway down the middle, he beat Barrett, but missed wide of the left post. If not for the goal-line intervention of Cordel Simpson in the 59th minute, Fede would have equalized, as his shot from the left side of the box appeared destined for the net. Jean Schwetzer SaintHubert tried to get Don Bosco on the scoreboard in the 76th minute with a rightfooted effort from 23-yards out. Barrett leaped high to grab the ball out of the air and thwart the threat. Montego Bay United is the third Jamaican club to earn a SCCL place, following in the footsteps of Harbour View (2008/09) and Waterhouse (2014/15). (CONCACAF)
Players doing more work on the... From page 41 their contracts. So now, maybe motivated by the money, there are doing a lot more work on their own time which means their fitness level has improved a lot this season” Yisrael said. He informed that he and Kirenia worked with the batsmen and spinners on Monday with their agility and strength areas while Head Coach Esuan Crandon put the fast bowlers through leg work sessions which included skipping, squats and jogging. “Today’s (Monday) sessions went well. The guys are putting in the effort and defiantly improving” Yisrael, who first trained the 2010 National Cricket team on the recommendations of former Guyana and West Indies pacer Reon King, concluded. Crandon, who took 90 wickets in 38 First-Class matches including a best of
7-125 against a T&T side that included Brian Lara in South Trinidad, praised the efforts of the pair of trainers who worked on the player ’s weak areas. He informed that sessions continue today and tomorrow at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence which houses the GCB indoor facility and Hostel. Commenting of the sacking of veteran Guyanese left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul from the West Indies team to face Australia in a two-Test series next month, the Guyana Head Coach he was surprised at the decision by Clive Lloyd and his selectors. “I was surprised and disappointed that someone who has done so much for West Indies cricket for such a long time would be dropped in that manner,” Crandon, who made his First-Class debut in 2001, disclosed. The Berbice pacer said that if he were a selector he
would have given Chanderpaul a farewell game in which he could raise his bat one last time to thank his fans for their support over the last two decades. “I would have picked him for the Dominica Test, especially since he was the first batsman to a Test century there and is an Honorary Citizen there because of that feat. Plus that would have given him the chance to pass (Brian) Lara’s record of most Test runs by a West Indian” opined Crandon. “It is not about the record it’s about giving to bat for his fans one last time knowing this would be his last innings regardless if he got the runs or not to pass Lara’s record. But to deny him a farewell could send the wrong message to other players at a time when many of them are blamed for not having commitment to West Indies cricket,” Crandon ended.
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Kaieteur News
Ramnarine blasts Lloyd’s selection panel over Chanderpaul’s dropping Port of Spain,s Trinidad (CMC) - Former West Indies Players Association (WIPA) President Dinanath Ramnarine has blasted the Clive Lloyd-led West Indies selection panel for dropping veteran batsman Shiv Chanderpaul ahead of the Australian series. Ramnarine has criticised Chanderpaul’s exclusion from a 12-man squad released on Saturday as “disgraceful” and said the manner in which the Guyanese cricketer was dropped was unbecoming. “It was most unfortunate that the West Indies selectors would treat yet another great West Indies cricketer who has been a loyal servant in the most disgraceful manner,” Ramnarine told the Express. New West Indies head coach Phil Simmons told a news conference on Sunday that he does not believe the 40-year-old Chanderpaul was treated shabbily and that selectors did not see it fitting to pick him simply to offer him a farewell series. But Ramnarine has insisted that Chanderpaul’s axing is in line with how
Dinanath Ramnarine WICB has been treating great West Indies players. “When I saw recently the president of the WICB Dave Cameron say that Chanderpaul would be given a special send-off, I was waiting to see what would be done to celebrate his longstanding and successful career,” said Ramnarine. “But then I saw the team and Chanderpaul was left out, it is so consistent with the WICB, how they have treated great players in the past including Brian Lara, Sir Vivian Richards, Desmond Haynes”. Ramnarine recalled that other top cricketers like Steve
Waugh, Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar were given the opportunity to play their final game in front of home crowds. He also cited the example of English Premier League footballer Steven Gerrard of Liverpool whose fans got an opportunity to say goodbye recently. “The WICB missed an opportunity to make this (Australia) series a send-off for Chanderpaul, lost another opportunity to build back trust with fans and to celebrate Chanderpaul career for being the dependable batsman that he was,” Ramnarine stated. “What is important is that he came from humble beginnings and achieved and the WICB should have used that as a motivating factor to the younger players to show that if Chanderpaul was able to make it at highest level and succeed then everyone can”. West Indies and Australia play two Tests, the first starting at Windsor Park in Dominica on June 3 and the second bowling off at Sabina Park in Jamaica on June 11.
Tense talks on Israel expulsion vote at FIFA
Zurich (AFP) - FIFA leaders yesterday stepped up efforts to head off a vote called by Palestine to expel Israel from football’s world body claiming unfair treatment of its players. “Negotiations are still going on but they are very complicated,” a top FIFA official told AFP. “There may not be a solution until the final hours,” added the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has held talks with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in a bid to prevent the politically charged vote at a FIFA congress on Friday. FIFA would not discuss the
talks. But a spokeswoman for the governing body said “only Palestine can withdraw the demand to suspend Israel from the agenda.” Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub has so far refused to withdraw the motion that will require the backing of three quarters of the 209 member federations to pass. “Our asks are clear, just and fair: Freedom of movement, end of racism and expulsion of all teams from illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine competing in the Israeli league.” Rajoub said Monday as he left for Zurich. He said that if the conditions are not met “we will push for our resolution to be voted in the FIFA congress to suspend the Israeli Football Association.”
Bolt wins 200 meters... From page 41 Olympics where the Jamaican won three gold medals. Bolt is the favorite to retain his world 100 title but knows he will have to be at the top of his game and fully fit to hold off the challenge of 2004 Olympic champion Gatlin. Czech Zuzana Hejnova won the 400m hurdles, returning after a foot injury which had kept her out for most of last season. Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski claimed the 1,000 meter race in a world leading time of 2.17.25. American Sharika Nelvis set a meet record of 12.55 seconds in the 100 hurdles, just missing her personal best of 12.54 set in Doha. World record holder David Rudisha of Kenya dropped out halfway through the rarely-run 600 meters holding his right thigh, and limped off the track. The race was won by Poland’s Adam Kszczot in one minute 16.02 seconds. (Reuters)
Palestine, which has been a FIFA member since 1998, wants world football’s governing body to bar Israel from international competition over its restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players. It also opposes the participation in the Israeli championships of five clubs located in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Blatter told the FIFA executive committee on Monday about his trip to the Middle East last week to meet Netanyahu and Abbas. But he did not report a deal. Blatter’s main talks have been with Rajoub and Israel Football Association President Ofer Eini who says restrictions on Palestinian players are a security question. “The FIFA president will report to the Congress on this dossier later this week with the aim of providing a framework for strengthening the development of football in the region,” said a FIFA statement. Blatter strongly opposes the vote saying it is bringing politics into football and that Israel has not breached FIFA’s statutes. “The executive underlined that a FIFA member association should not be suspended if it has not violated the FIFA statutes,” said the statement.
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President: Wickets should favour Windies Kingston, Jamaica - West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president, Dave Cameron, says work to improve the state of the region’s pitches is ongoing, but insists that those pitches must also provide the West Indies with the opportunity to do well against quality rivals. Regional pitches came in for some criticism during the recently concluded series against England that ended earlier this month, with commentators and players alike describing some of the surfaces as graveyards. Still, there were outright results in two of the three matches played between Antigua, Grenada and Barbados. The first Test in Antigua ended in a tame draw, but England won the second Test in Grenada by nine wickets, before the West Indies stormed back to level the series by beating the English by five-wickets inside three days in Barbados. It is against that background that Cameron believes the pitches, while in need, are an improvement, having proven to be good enough for now. “Kent (Crafton) continues to go around, and we are focused on making those pitches better, but the interesting thing is we say we have graveyard pitches, but we lost the game in Grenada for one bad session, otherwise, we could have had a very good outcome there, but all of the wickets, if we play bad cricket on them, we will lose,” he said. Australia arrives in the West Indies for a two-Test series beginning June 3, and Cameron said we have to be careful what we wish for when it comes to pitch preparation. “We have to give ourselves opportunities to at least get a good result while we are in the rebuilding stage,” he said.
Coach Graeme West overlooks a fielding drill with Leon Johnson. Photo by WICB Media/Adriel Richard “I hear all the pundits say we should have faster tracks, but we have to be mindful who we are playing against, and for us to get back up the rankings, we have to use our own advantages.” OPPORTUNITIES TO BE COMPETITIVE With that in mind, Cameron said the pitches being prepared at Windsor Park and Sabina Park will give the West Indies the best opportunities to be competitive against the everimproving Australians, who boast some of the world’s best
bowlers. “The instructions are clear. Prepare fair wickets, and if we do well, credit should go out to our bowlers,” the WICB president said. “They are swinging the ball around now, and Michael Clarke has commented that they are looking at our opening bowlers, and they are looking well; so for me, it’s less about wickets. We want to give them fair wickets to bowl on, but we also want to ensure that we give the West Indies team a chance to do well against these better teams.” (Jamaica Gleaner)
HISTORIC! Eight Elite Clubs... From page 43 federation is allowed to increase the criteria a little bit. So for example Costa Rica has increased a little bit that criteria and its working well for them because their clubs are much more advanced than the average club in the CONCACAF region.” Jamaica has also been visited and they have been doing well according to Portabella with regard to embracing the system. Zooming in on CONCACAF’s Mission Statement: “To develop, promote and manage football
throughout the region with integrity, transparency and passion in order to inspire participation in the game” Portabella stated that inspiring participation is key: “So we want to inspire more clubs, we want to inspire more leagues, more administrators, and more coaches to take their organization o the next level.” Also established by CONCACAF is a new set of guides for leagues and clubs. The confederation is also doing documentaries on leagues, clubs and infrastructure throughout
the region; case studies on different clubs and leagues with a view to providing examples and best practices from the region and to share this information to clubs. “If we are able to share knowledge we’re doing our job the right way. We’re becoming a sort of information facilitator at CONCACAF. It will allow someone in Bermuda to learn what somebody in Nicaragua is doing and somebody in Nicaragua to learn what somebody in Canada is doing.”
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Kaieteur News
Mocha overcome Agricola to take DOY Independence Tape ball
Wednesday May 27, 2015
Central FC holds off nine-man W Connection for CFU title
Mocha defeated Agricola by 10 runs to win the final of the Department of Youth (DOY) Independence tape ball tournament held recently at Guyana National Service ground. Batting first, Mocha posted a respectable 95-2 off their allotted 10 overs. Jason Sampson struck 31 and Alwin De Mattos 26 not out. Agricola responded with 85-8 in 10 overs. Tuen Hicks scored 25, Sheldon Chapman 15 and Marlon Darell 10. Sampson returned to take four wickets while De Mattos had two. Agricola overcame Plaisance by nine wickets in the lone semi final game. Plaisance scored 31-4 taking first knock while Agricola replied with 32-1. Plaisance won the seven-a-side football and the basketball competitions; Mocha placed second and Agricola third in the football while Agricola took the runner up spot and Mocha third in the basket ball. At the presentation ceremony Director of Youth Julian Frank congratulated the winners and thanked the other participating teams.
Boxers still seek funds for Pan American trials The team of boxers chosen to attend the Pan American boxing championships scheduled for Tijuana Mexico June 4-9 are still facing a challenge to raise adequate funding to make the trip. While some funding has been trickling in, the bulk of the money needed is still to be sourced. It was indicated by Guyana Boxing Association official Terrence Poole that they are facing crunch time and are calling on corporate Guyana and government to assist. The team scheduled to travel to Mexico include Dennis Thomas (middleweight) of Police, Delon Charles of Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) and
Jason Phillips (Bantamweight) of Young Achievers, Diwani Lampkin (FYF) and America based super/heavyweight, Quincy Small. Cuban coach, Francisco Hernandez Roldon will travel with the team as the coach with able assistance from Sebert Blake who will also double as the team manager. Local boxers are also down to compete in the AMBC Junior tournament in Costa Rica in July and a referee/judge is also down to attend that tournament. The team is currently encamped under the tutelage of several coaches including Terrence Poole, Roldon, Blake and Wencell Thomas.
Tennis Association looks for closer ties in congratulatory message to new government The Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GTA) is extending hearty congratulations to His Excellency President Brigadier (ret) David Granger on his victory in the 2015 National Elections. Best Wishes also go out to our Honorable Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. This achievement marks the commencement of a new chapter in the Cooperative Republic of G u y a n a ’s p o l i t i c a l a n d economic history, which the sport fraternity welcomes as we work in unity toward creating a more structured, vigorous and healthy population of youths. The GTA is committed and remains steadfast in our
professional approach to development as we feel obligated to provide life changing opportunities for youths in Guyana through (lawn) tennis. Against this backdrop, we are anxious to share our reflections on our accomplishments during the last decade and engage in a new period of professional discourse with our Honourable Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, and the new sports administration that will serve to enhance and support our goals. Our commitment and passion for lawn tennis fuels our expectations that this new bond can help to catapult tennis into a higher realm of accomplishments.
Central FC celebrates after defeating DirecTV W Connection in the final of the CFU Club Championship on May 24, 2015. (Photo: Allan Crane) Couva, Trinidad & Tobago – Central FC won its first-ever Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship title, defeating nine-man DirecTV W Connection 2-1 in an all-Trinidadian final on Sunday at Ato Boldon Stadium. Both sides previously earned places in the 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League by prevailing in CFU semifinal encounters two days earlier. The victory underscored the meteoric rise of Central FC, founded only three years ago. It was the second major honor in a matter of weeks for the Sharks, who also captured the 2014/15 TT Pro League crown, outdoing runner-up W Connection by six points in the final table. In this international edition of the “Couva derby,” Central FC would come out on
top again, taking a 2-0 lead before the 70th minute and managing to hold on despite having a two-man advantage for most of the second half. Under rainy conditions, Jean-Luc Rochford opened the scoring in the 27th minute. The 24-year-old reacted quickly to a loose ball, slotting in from close range after goalkeeper Julani Archibald could not hold on to a shot by Jason Marcano. Shahdon Winchester’s attempt at an equalizer from the left side of the box looked goal bound in the 35th minute, but goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams got a fingertip to the curling ball at full stretch for a crucial save. After the break, Central’s Nathaniel Garcia became the focus of some unwanted W Connection attention. The tricky left-sided midfielder was brought down twice
during a five-minute stretch, resulting in the dismissal of two Savonetta Boys. Maurice Ford was shown a second caution and Gerrald Williams was issued a straight red in the 61st and 66th minutes, respectively, for committing hard fouls against the 22-year-old. Three minutes following Williams’ sending off, the Sharks doubled their lead as the influential Marcano, positioned on the right, found Jamal Jack streaking down the middle of the field with a pass to the edge of the box. Jack took the feed on the bounce and chipped over Archibald for a delightfully crafted strike. From that point on, though, W Connection attacked with urgency and efficiency, making life difficult for the presumptive champion. In the 80th minute, a right-
sided free kick by Hashim Arcia skidded to the left post, where Jerrel Britto and Christian Viveros were waiting unmarked. Viveros was the one to make the attempt, but missed wide from very close range. A minute later, Arcia connected with Britto, only for Williams to thwart the subsequent effort. With six minutes left in normal time, Britto provided service with a left-sided cross for Arcia, whose header may have clipped the top of the crossbar before going out of bounds. The high levels pressure and energy exerted by W Connection paid off in the first minute of stoppage time, when Neil Benjamin capitalized on a defensive error to drill a shot into the net from 12-yards out. (CONCACAF)
Webb to be installed as CONCACAF President at FIFA Congress Miami - After a successful reelection, Jeffrey Webb will be officially installed as the CONCACAF President at the 65TH FIFA Congress in Zurich on Friday, May 29. Webb was reelected unopposed by member associations from North, Central America and the Caribbean to the role of CONCACAF President in the Bahamas in April. “It is an honour, I am humbled yet so very excited to continue my service to the global football family,” Webb said. “The last three years have been rewarding but not without challenge. On this platform as CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President, I have the opportunity and will do my best to address issues of racism, match fixing and integrity, which threaten the future and beauty of our game.” Webb assumed office in May 2012, following a tumultuous period in
CONCACAF football, which saw the removal of then President Austin Jack Warner. In the three years since, Webb undertook a daunting and very ambitious task of taking CONCACAF on a different trajectory by instituting substantial reforms in the game’s administration, governance, competitions and oversaw an extensive list of player development initiatives, primarily focused on youth. As Webb observed, “It was the game that brought me here, that I must respect and do my best to leave intact for generations to come.” During that time Webb was also appointed Chairman of the FIFAAnti-Racism Task Force, to develop and implement changes that tackle incidences of racism in the game globally. “Tackling racism and creating an effective and sustainable approach to dealing with this issue has been
one of the biggest challenges of my tenure,” Webb said, “The Anti-Racism Task Force has created policy, educational campaigns and trained personnel to address this scourge that blights the game. The outcomes of this engagement we hope will be long term and significantly contribute to the removal of incidents of racism from football once and for all.” Webb has invited prominent members of the Cayman Islands community, including Premier Alden McLaughlin to witness the ceremonial installation on May 28. While in Zurich Webb will unveil the logo the logo for the 2nd CONCACAF Under-15 Boys Championship to be held in the Cayman Islands and Jamaica in August. Thirty-seven teams including specially invited guest teams from Brazil, England and Vanuatu will participate in the tournament.