Kaieteur News

Monday May 02, 2016

Kaieteur News

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CAROL JOSEPH MUST APOLOGIZE Tracking that US$5 million from the OR FACE A LAW SUIT DEAR EDITOR; I wish to specifically respond to the allegation made by APNU+AFC Councillor, Carol Joseph, that I assaulted her. But first, I wish to admit that I wrongfully accused her of being the one that was verbally abusive to me after I instructed the PPP/ C Councillors of the Woodlands/ Bel Air Local Authority Area to walk out of the kangaroo proceedings held at the NDC office at Number 8 Village, WCB. The person who in fact shouted at me from the top of the stairway as I left the NDC office was APNU+AFC Parliamentarian Jennifer Wade who was wigless at the time. For this only, I apologise to Councillor Carol Joseph. But in a letter recently published in the media citing her participation and the behavior of the protestors, Carol Joseph wrote that “the picketing exercise was very peaceful.” This is a barefaced lie that could not be further from the truth. The entire thugish behavior of the APNU+AFC “protestors” was recorded on cameras by journalists from various news organizations, and witnessed by several police officers attached to the nearby Fort Wellington Police Station. Understandably, the Guyana Chronicle was the only newspaper that did not report the hostility that took place that morning, but focused instead on the

Regional Chairman of Region 5 not attending a ceremony to hand over two school buses earlier this year. Even the mouthpiece of the ruling APNU+AFC Administration did not report on an alleged assault on the APNU+AFC Councillor, Carol Joseph, because it never happened. Kaieteur News (April 23) reported, “The Regional Chairman was refused entry into the boardroom compound to conduct the statutory meeting by the hostile crowd who began standing in front of his vehicle blocking entry and chanting, “Chairman must go”. The police were subsequently summoned to disperse the hostile crowd when they began banging on the Chairman’s vehicle motioning him to exit.” The photograph that accompanied this article did not describe Carol Joseph as lying in pain in front of the Chairman’s vehicle from an assault by Harry Gill, instead itwas appropriately captioned “APNU/AFC Councillor Carol Joseph sits in front of the Chairman’s vehicle.” I have photographic evidence of this. Stabroek News reported, “When Ramphal’s vehicle approached the compound on Thursday, the APNU+AFC protestors stood in front of the vehicle and refused to move. (Carol) Joseph threw herself on the ground, lying in front

of the chairman’s vehicle, in an effort to stop him from entering.” Similarly, the explanation given by Stabroek News for Carol Joseph lying on the ground, was not because she felt a sharp pain which caused her to fall in front of Chairman’s vehicle that she is claiming, but that she deliberately, “threw herself on the ground, lying in front of the chairman’s vehicle, in an effort to stop him from entering.” Editor, if there was any truth in Carol Joseph’s allegation that I hit her with my elbow on her breast, all of the news outlets that published articles of this event would have had a bold sensational headline on the front page that reads, “PPP Parliamentarian assaults APNU+AFC Region 5 Councillor.” But in none of the reports that I’ve seen was my name ever mentioned, even as being allegedly accused of assaulting the APNU+AFC agitator. I can assure you that newspapers in Guyana are not reputed for making such a serious omission. With such a massive press presence, surely Joseph is politically savvy enough to seize the opportunity to give a statement to the press, she did not because it never happened. I applaud the decision by Commander of Police B Division, Assistant Commissioner Ian

THE MEDIA MUST NEVER BE HINDERED DEAR EDITOR; There is a saying that the pen is mightier than the sword. While this is not meant to be taken literally, it does point to the enormous power the written word can have in terms of influencing public opinion one way or the other. This is why I am strongly opposed to any attempt to censor or in any way to interfere with the free flow of information. The days when the so-called independent press was denied permission to import newsprint and when journalists were victimised because they dared to write stories that were considered not politically correct should never be allowed

to once again rear its ugly head. I believe that the best way to kill a bad idea is not through censorship or threats but by coming up with a better idea. In the marketplace of ideas, let a million ideas bloom! The more the merrier. In the final analysis, it is the public that determines which from among competing ideas really makes sense. The media have an important role to play as the watchdog of society and therefore should be allowed to carry out its role unfettered. This is a necessary condition for democracy to flourish and for the intellectual and cultural development of any society. Hydar Ally

Amsterdam, to institute charges against Carol Joseph for disorderly conduct, and I hope there will be no political interference in this matter. It is ironic that while Carol Joseph insists that the Regional Chairman apologise for “disrespecting” the President, she demonstrates that she is untouchable and above the law by blatantly ignoring repeated commands by senior police officer, Inspector Charles Hook, to get up from the ground, and allow the Chairman’s vehicle to enter the RDC compound to conduct the people’s business. I am reminded that this was the same strategy employed by hostile PNC/ APNU protestors who stubbornly blocked the McKenzie Bridge at Linden a few years ago, despite repeated demands by the police to clear the bridge, that cause the tragic death of three Lindeners and millions of dollars in damages to private property. Carol Joseph can lie all she wants, but I am in possession of video footage that shows this woman energetically motivating the crowd into a frenzy shortly after I allegedly elbowed her. Then I have more footage of her sitting in the path of the Chairman’s vehicle, and not once did she rub the spot where she was allegedly elbowed. Neither did she once accuse me on video or at any other time of hitting her. Anyone that knows Carol Joseph would testify in the typical Guyanese idiom that “her mouth don’t have cover.” She is loud, rude, warlike and very disrespectful. There is no way I could have even breathe too hard on this woman without risking serious injuries at the hands of angry protestors she controlled. Editor, I am a respectable citizen; a Member of Parliament; Justice of the Peace; and Commissioner of Oaths to Affidavits. I have resisted a lot of temptation and avoided lots of potential conflicts over the years to keep my impeccable reputation intact. I will never do anything to bring shame and disgrace upon myself nor my family. For this reason, I am very protective of the image that I present to others, and will not allow Carol Joseph to impugn my character. Continued on page 23

Chinese company

DEAR EDITOR; I write in reference to the Stabroek News’ article titled, “NICIL says has not received outstanding US$5M for GTT shares” (April 29). To use President Granger’s summation of the situation, this “fiasco” is beginning to look like a comedy of astronomical proportion. Since the government is saying that the monies were received, is it really that difficult for it to figure out whom or which entity received the outstanding balance? Moreover, the government sure must have a smoking gun for it to pronounce definitively that the monies were received. An Attorney representing NICIL accompanied Minister Harmon to China to investigate the status of the remaining shares. I’m assuming that she must have advised (why then would she have gone on the trip?) both Harmon and NICIL Chairman Odle on her findings. She must have advised both gentlemen that NICIL, being the contracted entity with the Chinese firm, did not receive the remaining balance. Additionally, she must have advised both gentlemen, based on the evidence she saw and the government says it collected on the trip, that some entity or person other than NICIL received the monies. If this is the case, then NICIL should still try to recoup the monies contractually owed from the Chinese firm and also commence judicial prosecution for fraud against the entity purported to have received the remaining balance. The fact that the Chinese firm paid the balance to a noncontracted entity is no business of NICIL, except that NICIL can use that evidence in court to show that the monies was not received by it. Now that we know that NICIL was not paid. The ball is now in the government’s court to present its evidence to the public as to why it felt the monies were received and by whom. Clinton Urling

WHERE IS THE TRAFFIC PLAN FOR THE INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS? DEAR EDITOR; The persons planning the routing for traffic seem to be unaware that they are responsible for how the traffic flows in many areas and take steps to alleviate any problem areas either by education or by changing the flow to make it easier for all users of the roads. It is time that a vision is put to the travelling public for discussion. The working public should be given the opportunity to have some say in their daily frustration and possible solutions. I have been waiting to hear what the plans are dealing with traffic during the upcoming celebrations and find it amazing that “mums the word”. By now everyone travelling during that time should have been told where will be the congestion areas and thus make arrangements to avoid that area if possible. Is it possible that those planning the festivities have not thought that you can plan so that you lower the numbers using that area at that time by telling them in advance the times of the congestion so that alternative routes or times can be suggested or/ taken. Putting extra traffic policemen is not the only solution. Information is key and I am sure that if everyone was told in the media and elsewhere well in advance they could make the necessary preparations. During the celebrations people will still be working and your first concerns should be the people who have to travel daily, so you have to cater for those persons as well as the additional folks visiting so that everyone gets to their destination in the quickest possible time.I hope my suggestions will be taken seriously. Denise Boodie

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Monday May 02, 2016

Kaieteur News

GNBA finally decides to grant Hundreds defy rain in Vidya Lewis her court-ordered historic Labour Day Rally Broadcast Licence By Feona Morrison

Since last October, former Chief Justice Ian Chang had ordered that businesswoman Vidya Lewis be granted a Broadcast Licence by the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) but to date the woman remains unlicensed. This however will not be for too long as the GNBA said that it has finally poised itself to grant the woman her licence. Director, Anthony Vieira told Kaieteur News that the Board is only left to finalize on which zone she will be placed in. Lewis, the proprietor of Vidya’s Enterprise of Lot 220 South Road, Lacytown, Georgetown, had been embroiled in a court battle with the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), since 2012. That was during the life of the previous Board that was appointed under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/ C) government. However, even the new Board had qualms with granting Lewis her licence. The businesswoman, who is known for broadcasting religious programmes, had taken the Broadcasting Authority to court following its refusal to grant her a licence under the National Broadcasting License Act of 2011. She was forced to halt broadcasting, leaving her equipment worth millions of dollars idle.

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

Anthony Vieira Former Chief Justice Chang had ordered that the businesswoman is and was at all material times entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms set out in Article 40 of the Constitution and therefore entitled to be issued a Broadcasting Licence. According to court documents, Lewis had been operating a radio frequency prior to the introduction of the new legislation, but was denied a licence when she was asked to apply to the new authority which came into being in August 2012. The body had requested that all existing broadcasters reapply and satisfy the requisite criterion for fresh certification under the new laws that were in place. But according to Lewis, her application was denied without adequate reason, resulting in a contravention of her fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 40, 142 and 146 of the Constitution of Guyana. In her affidavit, Lewis noted that the GNBA had sent her a correspondence acknowledging receipt of her application. Lewis was represented in

court by Attorney-at-Law, Abiola Wong-Inniss. Wong-Inniss currently sits on GNBA’s Board of Directors. Kaieteur News understands that when Chang issued his ruling, some members of the new GNBA Board wanted to appeal the matter. However, consensus was not reached and so the Board decided to deliberate further. Both Wong-Inniss and Vieira told Kaieteur News that the lawyer had recused herself from such deliberations. The radio licences issue has been a burning one for the nation since it was revealed that former President Bharrat Jagdeo during his final days in office in 2011, gifted several licences to close friends of the party. The beneficiaries of radio licences included the sister of former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud. Five were given also to the publisher of The Mirror, the PPP newspaper. His close friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, was the beneficiary of five frequencies. But independent media entities which had applied were sidelined, and were requested to submit fresh applications. This resulted in widespread condemnation of the allocations as several media houses, including Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, Capitol News, CNS 6 and HBTV 9, were all overlooked by Jagdeo. There had been days of protests by the media houses whose applications were not considered by Jagdeo. Members of the international community and Diplomatic Corps had also condemned the actions of the former Head of State. (Abena RockcliffeCampbell)

It was indeed an historical and peaceful Labour Day Rally as hundreds of workers and activists hit the streets of Georgetown yesterday to highlight poor wages and call for better working conditions. This year’s May Day rally was deemed historic because it was the first time in history that the Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) set aside their differences and collaborated for rights of the working class. Despite a persistent drizzle mixed with intermittent showers persons from across the length and breadth of Guyana came out in their red and white from as early as 07:00hrs to assemble at the Parade Ground. There, they made final preparations for their bands to proceed along the parade route. This proved to be a challenging task since the rain showed no mercy. However, this did not hinder the high spirits of the dedicated workers and spectators who arrived well equipped with their umbrellas and rain coats. Contingents were taken from several Trade Unions as well as Government Ministries, including the Ministry of Social Protection; The Ministry of Education; GTUC; FITUG; The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU); Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) among others. The GTU and the Ministry of Education were two of the largest contingents. The procession kicked off from Parade Ground and headed west into Main Street where it was met by Prime Minister Honourable Moses Nagamootoo who gave warm greetings to members of the various groups.

Nagamootoo then joined Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence and together, the two led the way for the Ministry of Social Protection group into Church Street, where the Prime Minster departed. Nevertheless, the day’s event continued as demonstrators held up their placards and banners, some of which called for the removal of Carvil Duncan, President of the FITUG and General Secretary of the Guyana Labour Union (GLU). Other placards highlighted more demands of the workers including better wages and salaries with most of them making appeals for a fifty percent increase. There were also placards calling for a halt to the closure of sugar estates. The walk continued up Durban Street, where a large number of spectators both young and old took to the parapets with their cameras or just to look on. The Golden Arrow Head was undoubtedly a spectacular symbol of nationhood that was also being waved by many. The little raindrops apparently did not bother the marchers some of whom were already soaked. A huge crowd gathered at the 1763 monument landmark. It was at this location that many of the bands stopped for photos to be taken by the media. From here on it was smooth sailing and no disturbances from the rain. The rally turned west into Regent Street then north into Albert Street, where a group of women protested for equal rights for domestic workers and women and children. These women also held up banners and placard, some of which read “Domestic workers must have the same rights as other workers”, “Trade union support domestic workers for better

working condition” among others. In an interview with Kaieteur News, Joy Marcus, a representative of Red Thread said that domestic workers should be paid wages that can properly sustain them. “..We are saying that we want a living income too, and what we are getting at the moment is not a living income… And yes, we want fifty percent too. And we want the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 189, which was ratified by the former government to be implemented.” Marcus continued, “So that domestic workers can enjoy the rights as other workers because the ILO Convention demands that domestic workers must have rights as other workers.” The walk to the National Park was enjoyed by many as they pulsated to Soca vibes by some of the Caribbean’s best artistes. Proceedings came to an end at the National Park, where a planned programme of activities kept the audience lively. This was followed by addresses by Prime Minister Nagamootoo; PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee; President of GTUC Leslie Gonsalves; General Secretary of the GTUC Lincoln Lewis and others. A significant part of the programme was when the leaders all stood holding hands in unity as they sang the Trade Union Anthem “Solidarity Forever”. Most of the speakers were well accepted by the crowd except for Rohee who was heckled from the time he took to the podium until he uttered his last word. The Prime Minister’s speech was well received as he spoke about government’s plans for the workers.

Monday May 02, 2016

Kaieteur News

May Day rallies in Los Angeles carry strong anti-Trump theme Reuters - Hundreds of people marched through Los Angeles yesterday in May Day rallies that took aim at Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump for his anti-illegal immigration platform that includes building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. The rallies in America’s second most populous city, which has a large immigrant population, came just days after protesters smashed the window of a police car and blocked traffic outside a Trump campaign event in Costa Mesa, California, 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Los Angeles. On Friday, demonstrators blocked the entrance of a hotel hosting the California Republican convention in Burlingame, south of San Francisco, forcing Trump to halt his motorcade and go

Donald Trump through a back entrance to deliver his speech. Protests have become common outside rallies for Trump, 69, the New York billionaire businessman. He has aroused criticism for his pledge to deport all the country’s illegal immigrants, even as it helped propel him

in the race for the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama. He has accused Mexico of sending drug dealers and rapists across the U.S. border and has promised to build a wall along the southern border and make Mexico pay for it. Three separate marches were planned in Los Angeles yesterday and began peacefully around noon, with several hundred people championing a variety of causes, including immigrant and worker rights. Members of the boisterous crowd carried a large blow-up effigy of Trump holding a Ku Klux Klan hood, along with signs that read: “Dump Trump.” Others waved Mexican or U.S. flags or signs that called for immigration reform and an end to deportations.

Egyptian police raid press syndicate, arrest two journalists Reuters - Egyptian police yesterday raided the press syndicate in Cairo and arrested two journalists critical of the government, a syndicate official and reporters said in what an opposition party called an unprecedented crackdown. The interior ministry denied officers had stormed the press labour union building, a traditional spot in downtown Cairo to stage protests, but confirmed some of its members had arrested the journalists inside the syndicate. Security forces have sought to quell dissent since thousands took to the streets on April 15 to protest a decision by President Abdel Fattah Sisi to hand over two islands to Saudi Arabia. Police dispersed smaller protests two weeks later. Yesterday, journalists held a sit-in inside the union when officers arrested two of them working for the opposition website Bawabet Yanayer including its editor, state newspaper al-Ahram said. “The incident is true and at the very least the interior minister has to be fired and there needs to be an apology,” Khalid al-Balshy, a syndicate board member told Reuters. Ahram quoted another union official as saying 50 officers had raided the building but the interior ministry denied this. “The syndicate was not broken into. A limited number of officers, not more than four

or five, went in and took them (the journalists),” Interior ministry spokesman Major General Abu Bakr Abdel Karim told the CBC channel. One security guard was wounded in one eye when police raided the union, Mahmoud Kamel, another member of the syndicate board, told Reuters. “There was an arrest warrant for the two journalists issued a week ago but the syndicate was negotiating with the interior ministry over the matter,” he said. “This is unprecedented, no president or prime minister or interior minister has ever dared to do something like this,” Kamel said. Under the law only a prosecutor is allowed to search the union in the presence of its chairman or deputy, he added. Dozens of journalists later held a new sitin at the syndicate to protest against the arrest, a reporter said. “The Egyptian Social Democratic Party denounces the storming of the press syndicate by security forces in an unprecedented move that is the first in the history of trade unions,” the opposition ESDP said in a statement. Sisi faces criticism for putting the uninhabited Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir in Saudi waters and a faltering economy though there are no signs that his rule is under threat.

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Monday May 02, 2016

Kaieteur News

IRAQI PROTESTERS END GREEN ZONE SIT-IN FOR NOW AFTER ISSUING DEMANDS BAGHDAD (Reuters) Protesters camped out in Baghdad’s Green Zone for 24 hours left the heavily fortified government district yesterday after issuing demands for political reform but they pledged to return by the end of the week to keep up the pressure. Iraq has endured months of wrangling prompted by Prime Minister Haider alAbadi’s attempt to replace party-affiliated ministers with technocrats as part of an anticorruption drive. A divided parliament has failed to approve the proposal amid scuffles and protests. Deep frustration over the deadlock culminated in a dramatic breach Saturday of the Green Zone by supporters of powerful Shi’ite Muslim cleric Moqtada alSadr. Sadr wants to see Abadi’s proposed technocrat government approved, ending a quota system blamed for rampant corruption. Powerful parties have resisted, fearing the dismantling of patronage networks that sustain their wealth and influence. Abadi has warned

Followers of Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr leave the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani continued turmoil could hamper the war against Islamic State, which controls large swathes of northern and western Iraq. The Green Zone protesters issued an escalating set of demands, including a parliamentary

vote on a technocrat government, the resignation of the president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker and new elections. If none of the demands are met, a spokeswoman for the protesters said in a televised speech that they would resort

to “all legitimate means” including civil disobedience. Hundreds of protesters peacefully exited the Green Zone moments later. The peaceful defusing of the crisis came after Abadi convened a high-level meeting with Iraq’s president,

parliament speaker and political bloc leaders who called the breach of the Green Zone “a dangerous infringement of the state’s prestige and a blatant constitutional violation that must be prosecuted”. They said the high-level

meetings would continue in coming days “to ensure radical reforms of the political process”. A politician who attended the talks said Abadi had faced accusations of mishandling the crisis. Another said the conflict had become an intraShi’ite battle over who will run Iraq. Two suicide car bombs claimed by Islamic State killed at least 32 people and wounded 75 others on Sunday in the center of the southern city of Samawa, police and medics said. The Green Zone, a 10square-kilometre district on the banks of the Tigris River which also houses many foreign embassies, has been off-limits to most Iraqis since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. In an unprecedented breach yesterday, hundreds of people pulled down and stormed over concrete blast walls, celebrating inside parliament and attacking several deputies. Many protesters, including some women and children, had spent yesterday in the square, taking refuge inside event halls from 37 degree Celsius heat, while others lay on the grass or cooled off in a large fountain topped with a military statue.

Monday May 02, 2016

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Kaieteur News

If you coming for the Jubilee… People are coming home for the jubilee. They are coming from east west, north and south. They are coming from near and they coming from far. The Peeper has some advice for them. Listen up: If you are coming home for the jubilee, please walk in the corner. Dem mini bus and hire care travelling like if they on the circuit. Stay in the corner and remember your road safety rules: look left, look right and then look left again. Then cross the road while continuing to look left and right. If you coming for the jubilee do not expect the place to be clean. This is the rainy season. There will be lots of mud. There will be lots of slush. The grass will be green but in many places it will be high. So please do not bad mouth yuh country if you coming home for the jubilee. If you coming home for the jubilee make sure you label your suitcase properly and pick up the right suitcase

at the airport. The flights are packed and there will some confusion. So be careful and ensure you get your luggage. If your flight arriving 10 o’clock, ask your family to be at the airport for 9 o’clock. The roads will be busy with traffic. The traffic cops will be out in their numbers looking for speeding vehicles. So ensure that your family dem pun time. If you coming to Guyana for the jubilee make sure you do not wear all them imitation jewelry that you foreigners like to show off with when you come here. We have an organization named SOCU, which might want to question you to see if you are exporting real gold. Long ago they used to have people coming in with the fake jewelry and leaving with the real Mc Coy. But do not try that this time. SOCU watching closely! So please make sure you leave your jewelry behind, both the fake one and the real

one. You will avoid a lot of hassle by doing so. If you coming to Guyana for the jubilee make sure that you walk with your long boots and your rain coats. It is only the towns whose drainage have been cleaned and de-littered. There are many areas that have not been cleaned and it might well be one of those areas to which you are going. It is rainy season and the land drains slower than moving molasses. So walk with your raincoat to shelter from the rain drops. And walk with your long boots to wade through the flood waters because the rains will fall for the jubilee. If you coming for the jubilee make sure you walk with your credit card. Dem bandits on the prowl. They are looking for people with nuff cash. Avoid walking with plenty money. Walk with your credit card. If you coming to Guyana for the jubilee make sure you

have good protection in Guyana. Dem young criminals have no respect for big people. So take precautions. Careful where you walking! Make sure you do not walk too late. Taxi cheap in Guyana, so try not to walk too much when it is late! Use a taxi! If by chance you should get attacked do not try to play a hero. Dem young criminals have no respect for anyone. If you coming for the

jubilee and you are attending one of those public events make sure you get your tickets early in advance. Do not believe that you will arrive in Guyana a few days before the event and still be able to get tickets. Ask yuh family or yuh friend to buy the tickets for you because dem Guyanese people already lining up for the tickets and they flush with money so do not believe they are waiting on you to come to

buy tickets for the big concerts. If you coming for the jubilee remember that the partying ends at 2 am. Do not turn up at 1 am and expect to party until dayclean. Those days are over! Party dun at 2 am. Jump in you taxi, go home and sleep.

Dem boys seh...

SOULJA BAI GOT SERIOUS PROBLEM Give a man an inch and he gun tek a mile. Because Soulja Bai is so decent people think he stupid. Some people now talking bout legalizing ganja. Is alright if dem was only talking but dem decide to approach Soulja Bai wid de action. One of dem even offer de big man a spliff so he can see how nice de thing is. Soulja Bai watch him and tell him don’t mek a mistake and light it. Dem reporters like to ask questions and of course dem ask Soulja Bai wha he think. De paper got de story. But de people who talking bout legalizing ganja should realize that all dem gunmen gun fail a drug test if de police only test dem. Uncle Freddie seh that de conclusion is that ganja smoking is wha does create criminals. That is why de Waterfalls boss man don’t tolerate dem people round him. Dem boys remember de time when he send he entire press team to get test. One of dem

think he smart. He send he small brother. Then he carry de result to de boss man. He get a surprise when de boss man tell him that he just get fired. De test show that he use cocaine. He didn’t know that he brother smoke cocaine. Dem boys seh that Soulja Bai got other problems. Saturday night one of he Ministers go to Pegasus. De man couldn’t lef pun he own steam. He security had to lift him out de place. Is a good thing no gunman didn’t attack de place. Is a good thing de Minister get drunk before two in de morning because de police woulda have problems arresting him. He couldn’t stand up and he didn’t even know he name. Soulja Bai ain’t get de news yet because fuh sure he might think about banning likker. Talk half and keep an eye pun de Minister round you likker.

Monday May 02, 2016

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Kaieteur News

AFC bashes WPA member for “unwarranted” criticisms The Alliance For Change (AFC) strongly disagrees with recent criticisms that it has lost its political conviction and has become an opportunistic faction within the coalition administration. These accusations were leveled against the Party by Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance, (WPA) Dr. David Hinds. The WPA is also one of the parties which forms part of the coalition administration of A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change. Dr. Hinds had documented the said criticisms in one of his recent

writings. In an interview, Kaieteur News had asked the University Professor to explain why he had made such a deduction. The Executive Member of the WPA had explained, “I think they are driven less by the principles which they articulated at their birth and more by what is politically correct. I get the sense that, for them, government has become an end rather than a means to achieve the objectives they originally articulated.” The political activist had also said that his conclusion is grounded in the fact that the AFC has not tried

hard enough to balance governing with a commitment to reform the broken political process. Dr. Hinds commented, “My party, the WPA is also not without blame. We have not asserted ourselves enough. We have allowed our junior status to dictate the extent to which we try to influence the direction of the government.” The WPA Executive Member said that he has no doubt that the government has the capacity to do well but the individual parties that make up the coalition have to play their respective roles, assert their principles but reach for consensus.

Millers, Farmers’ Reps. have little say on Rice Board - GRDB Director - INSISTS BOARD MUST SCRUTINIZE ALL CONTRACTS DONE IN GRDB’S NAME

Head of GREMA, Rajindra Persaud Directors on the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) are speaking out against what they say are due processes not being followed in the signing of contracts. According to two Directors, they were not consulted on at least two million-dollar agreements which have been made since the Board was installed. One of the agreements relates to the deals which were signed between the GRDB and two Jamaican companies - the Jamaica Rice Milling Company Limited and Musson (Jamaica) Limited. Both companies had agreed to import a total of 80,000 tonnes of rice from Guyana during 2016. The other agreement is the deal for urea fertilizer, which was brokered between GRDB and HDM labs Inc. HDM Labs was slated to supply the fertilizer in a deal valued at over $400M but in the wake of withering criticism locally, the deal reportedly collapsed. Co- Chairman of the Guyana Rice Producers Association- Action Committee (GRPA-AC) Jinnah Rahman stated that there is a marked lack of consultations. According to Rahman, a Director on the GRDB, neither he nor the Board saw the Jamaican or fertilizer contracts until it was too late. He said that those contracts must go to the Marketing Committee of the GRDB, but neither GRDB General Manager Nizam Hassan nor Chairman of the GRDB Board, Claude Housty had been calling

GRDB General Manager, Nizam Hassan

GRDB Director, Jinnah Rahman

meetings. “The Terms of Reference of the Marketing Committee have been consistently violated by Hassan,” Rahman stated in a recent interview. “The two miller’s representatives and three rice farmers (representatives) on the Board have little say on the new Board.” “Hassan has also breached the regulation of the Rice Board, which clearly states that the Board of Directors must scrutinize all contracts for the sale of rice abroad and other agreements done in the name of the Guyana Rice Development Board.” Meanwhile President of the Guyana Rice Exporters and Millers Association (GREMA), Rajindra Persaud, also stated that both the fertilizer contract and the rice export contract to the Jamaica companies were not brought to the Board for consultations beforehand. Persaud, who also sits on the GRDB Board of Directors as one of two representatives of the millers, noted that in the past, when an agreement was reached between rice officials in Guyana and Venezuela, it was a Government to Government agreement. He noted that he has nothing against this. However, he pointed out that the two Jamaican companies are the ones which would get preferential prices and this is a situation that can

give rise to a monopoly and even corruption. The Board of Directors is comprised of Dr. Peter De Groot and Rajindra Persaud, both of GREMA; Jinnah Rahaman, co- Chairman of the Rice Action Committee; Naith Ram, of the Essequibo Paddy Farmers Association; Leakha Rambrich, of the GRPA; George Seales, of the Consumers Association; Dr Oudho Homenauth of National Agriculture Research Institute; and John Tracey, of Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI); Rajdai Jagernauth and Cecil Seepersaud. This board was announced by Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder last year and it has a life span from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. The new Board was installed at a time when the GRDB was facing a barrage of criticism. In response to the current criticism about the fertilizer contracts, the GRDB had stated that discussions were started with suppliers overseas and a contract was entered into with HDM labs, because of the “perceived urgency” in the industry caused by the loss of the Venezuelan rice market last year. With regards to the Jamaica deals, GRDB’s response was that the agreements would organize the supply of rice to the Jamaican market.

But his comments did not find favour with the AFC. In fact, that Party said that it disapproves of the regular and unwarranted attacks by Dr. Hinds and stressed that it remains fully committed to Guyana’s change and transformation. The AFC reminded that it has worked for a peaceful revolution that brought down the former corrupt regime on May 11, 2015 and is still making strenuous and honest contributions towards transforming the society. The AFC said, “David Hinds has elevated himself to the status of a self-proclaimed critic who sits in judgment of others and shelters under the new freedom which our Coalition Government has afforded and guaranteed him and others like him to express themselves, even as we are informed, in the Editorial columns of the state-owned newspaper.” The AFC asserted that it is of the view that these criticisms, whether with “hindsight or not”, are unjustified and without any basis whatsoever. “While we agree that there are still some issues in the Coalition that must be addressed, the AFC would do so in a disciplined and principled manner. We insist that our criticism must be constructive and balanced,” it said. The AFC stated that it continues to play a pivotal role in Guyana’s politics and has gone down in history on two scores: the tabling of a No-confidence Motion in the National Assembly that was the precursor to political change and, teaming up with A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) in a prodemocracy coalition. The AFC admitted, however, that as a fledgling political movement, it ought to do more at the grassroots to build itself into

WPA Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan a m a s s - b a s e d p a r t y. I t a l s o acknowledged that it suffers from both financial and organizational weaknesses. In spite of these challenges, the Party said that its resolve to help take the Coalition Government forward remains undiminished.

PAGE 12

GNBA mulls amnesty for TV broadcasters, reduced fees The Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has announced plans to grant amnesty to all television broadcasters. At the recently held inaugural first press conference since the new GNBA Board was appointed, Chairman, Leonard Craig said that “with regard to television, we are recommending that an amnesty be offered for all outstanding fees due to the Authority.” Craig said that the Authority is owed $121M outstanding fees. He also indicated that a new commercial zoning system is recommended, namely primary, secondary and tertiary zones with a special category for community stations. Craig said that Region Four is considered the Primary Zone. This includes Georgetown and environs and will attract a $1.2M fee, yearly. Berbice, Bartica and Essequibo are considered Secondary zones and will attract a $600,000 yearly fee.

Monday May 02, 2016

Kaieteur News

Leonard Craig The Tertiary Zones will be Linden, Lethem and Mabaruma and Broadcasters operating in that zone will only pay $300,000 while Community TV Stations will pay $150,000. As for Radio licence fees, the GNBA has decided to retain the existing $ 2.5M for the Primary zone while operators in the Secondary Zone will have to pay $ 1.25M. Broadcasters in the Tertiary Zone will have to pay $625,000

and Community Radio Stations will pay $312,500. The fee for each zone is 50% less than the preceding zone. Nevertheless, Craig said that the policy of 3.5% of gross income whichever is greater, will still stand. The Chairman said that all operators who desire their signals extended to more than one Region will, on the approval of the Authority, be a l l o w e d t o e x t e n d to additional zones but will be required to pay the annual fee applicable to the additional zone/s. Recognizing the varying levels of earning potential in different areas, Craig said that the Board has placed considerable emphasis on Community broadcasting, particularly for marginalized and Hinterland areas. Craig told the media that those decisions emerged after careful consideration of the frequency allocations in existence in the industry for the past 15 years. He said that members of the Licensing Committee also examined the marketplace, including the annual accounts of the state-owned broadcast entity, NCN, all of which clearly indicate that income for radio exceeds television and operational expenses costs are less. As a result, the fees for television were also reduced in keeping with the ability of broadcasters to pay.

CADVA calls on police to re-investigate Babita Sarjou’s disappearance Having your child vanish from the face of the earth is every mother’s worst fear. There’s one mother, Champa Seonarine who has been living this nightmare for almost six years. She is the mother of Babita Sarjou. The mother of one disappeared on November 04, 2010 after telling her mother that she would be meeting with her estranged husband and four-year-old son at the Kitty Seawall to view the annual Diwali Motorcade. Sarjou was expected back at her mother ’s Timehri residence around 21:00 hrs that night but almost six years later, the mother is still waiting on her daughter’s return. In an effort to assist the missing woman’s family to get some sort of closure, Caribbean American Domestic Awareness Organization (CADVA), a Human Rights Organization has been working closely with the woman’s mother. The organization works with the abused and families of murdered women in the Caribbean and has been working with Seonarine since Sarjou disappeared in 2010. Every little clue they get, the organization would forward the information to the police. However, the organization’s representative, Dianne Madray has claimed that ranks from the Guyana Police Force have not been helpful in any way with the investigation. During a press conference two weeks ago, the woman lambasted the police for conducting a substandard investigation into Sarjou’s disappearance. “When she disappeared, we gave her phone to the police where she was threatened by her estrange husband, we showed them Facebook messages but none of those things can be found now,” the woman said. Kaieteur News was told that the police never checked with the phone company to get a printout of all the calls made to and from Sarjou’s

Dianne Madray

Disappeared without a trace: Babita Sarjou

phone. Madray believes that some of the detectives who were working on this case know more than they are offering the public and the family of the missing woman. “This case has appeared to have gone cold or I would say freezing on a cold winter’s night,” the woman told reporters. Like Madray, there are people – especially those who are familiar with the woman’s story – who believe that if investigators had conducted a thorough investigation when the woman disappeared, there might have been some form of closure. It is believed that Sarjou’s disappearance is a case of deliberate miscarriage of justice or mere negligence on the part of concerned authorities who should take all the necessary steps to ensure that justice is served, especially when precious human life is involved. Madray said that in 2012, CADVA had appealed to the Director for Public Prosecution, Shalimar AliHack for assistance. On January 06, 2012 they were informed in writing by the DPP that further investigation was recommended to clarify certain issues. “The DPP had advised that a sample be taken from the bone tissue of the skeletal remains of a female that had washed up at the Weldaad foreshore less than a year

after Babita disappeared,” the woman said. Kaieteur News was told that upon completion of all of the investigations recommended, the file should have been returned to DPP for further advice but as of April 2016, that file was never returned. “I had a meeting with Mrs. Hack and Assistant DPP Ms. Mursalin on March 18 (last) and was again informed that the Guyana Police Force responsible for this investigation has not sent the file since her first request in 2012.” Madray said. She said that her request in March last was her third request to have the case reopened and reinvestigated. “On March 21, last, the DPP informed me that they will request the file once again and up to my second meeting at the DPP office on April 1 last, no file had returned,” the woman claimed. Kaieteur News tried to contact the office of the DPP for a comment but this was unsuccessful. Madray said too that she sent a letter to the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan and on March 29, last, she received a response that her request will be passed on to the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud. The woman is pleading with the relevant authorities for Babita Sarjou’s case to be reinvestigated so that her loved ones can finally get justice.

Monday May 02, 2016

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Kaieteur News

The plight of a qualified Guyanese woman in Trinidad The entire Caribbean, all our diaspora people and cricket fans everywhere, even in England despite their team losing, were all ecstatic about the West Indies victory in the T20 World Cup. My wife, Indranie, who was born in Guyana, sat with me during the last over with the West Indies needing 19 runs to win and I told her that with Carlos Brathwaite in the wicket, we still had a chance. She cheered; my Barbadian son, Zubin, on a Facebook video-phone, called from Cave Hill, shouting and raving as the fourth six was struck. We are the West Indies. Last Wednesday, Indranie was in tears. We were married in Trinidad in 1999. She applied for residency and Immigration ‘lost’ her documents. We re-applied again in 2003 and paid the mandatory fee and got a receipt as proof. She was told that until she got the permit, she could show immigration the receipt whenever she travelled. We left for Belize in 2003, moved to Antigua in 2006, and then I had some consultancy work in Trinidad and she came to visit in December 2014. The immigration officer at Piarco

refused to look at the receipt and was intent on packing her back to Antigua or maybe to Guyana. Indranie was supposed to have a return ticket, but since tickets are not issued again and we had booked online, she did not realise that she had to print the ticket and have it with her. Caribbean Airlines could not find the booking. The Immigration Officer refused to speak to me, although I was outside and had an email with the ticket booking and payment information on my cell phone. Indranie joined me full time last year and we tried to resurrect her application. The building housing the files was closed for health and safety reasons and nobody was sure when it would reopen or the files shifted to another location. So why the tears? She had been told that it would be better and take less time if she re-applied and, at the same time, as a professional journalist, get CSME certification. She went into a depression from which she still has not recovered. While she is very grateful to the Immigration Officers who have been trying to help, her despondence is from the system in Trinidad and Tobago, which punishes the

poor and those without sponsors. Thousands of people from outside the Caribbean have easily got residency status, but not my wife, and after 13 years, she is still in limbo. She is so down and out that she might not be able to get to her feet, even when she passes beneath the limbo stick. Some people never get the opportunity to enter into the dance. Most of them are Jamaicans. They are stopped at the airport, given a raw and rough ordeal, and then deported not just unceremoniously but with extreme prejudice and pain. In October 2014, then National Security Minister Gary Griffith said there were 110,000 illegal immigrants in Trinidad, with the highest number being Guyanese (25,884) and Jamaicans (19,500). What Griffith was saying is that about one in every 15 people in T&T is an illegal. In other words, in every classroom, there are two illegals, in every minibus or ‘robot’, there is one, and if they are not there, then they are somewhere, perhaps in the forest - all 110,000 of them. The figure is patently false, but mockingly so, since in every nightclub or brothel,

US State Dept. report highlights “ineffective” anti-corruption mechanisms By Rehanna Ramsay A 2015 US State Department report has weighed in on Guyana’s stalled progress in establishing key mechanisms to combat corruption in the hierarchy of governance. The report on Guyana specifically highlighted the law which provides for c r i m i n a l penalties for corruption by officials and the government. According to the US State Department, the APNU- AFC administration has responded to isolated reports of government corruption during 2015 but there remains a widespread public perception of corruption involving officials at all levels, including the police and the judiciary. The report further outlined that the law provides for criminal penalties for corruption by officials, however, the government did not implement the law effectively. “Although the law requires public officials to

declare their assets to an Integrity Commission, the Commission has not been constituted.” the report stated. In 2012, the then Prime Minister Samuel Hinds stated that members would soon be appointed to this Commission.

The document outlined that “members were not appointed, however, and the Commission remained inoperative.” Additionally, the Department said that the law sets out both criminal and administrative sanctions for non-disclosure by public officials but no such publication or convictions occurred for the year. “If a person fails to file a declaration, that fact can be published in the daily newspapers and the official

Gazette. Failure to comply with the law can lead to a summary conviction, fines, and imprisonment for six to 12 months. If property is not disclosed as it should have been, the Magistrate convicting the defendant must order the defendant to make a full disclosure within a set time.” Commenting on the public access to information, the S t a t e Department noted that the law provides for persons to secure access to information under the control of public authorities and for the appointment of a Commissioner of Information. “In 2013 the government appointed a Commissioner, but the government has not issued implementing regulations. Requests to the Commissioner were infrequent.” the document stated. Earlier this year, US Ambassador Perry Holloway reaffirmed his country’s commitment to help fight corruption in Guyana. His comments came following the (Continued on page 24)

you will find women from South American countries and the Dominican Republic who ply their trade without let or hindrance until their traffickers and owners slip up in their payments to the police and immigration officials. T&T has always blown hot and cold towards its neighbours. The former Prime Minister, Kamla PersadBissessar’s opening salvo at her first-ever CARICOM Heads of Government meeting right after being elected in 2010 was: “... We cannot continue like Trinidad and Tobago is an ATM card ... you come in, you put the card there, and you come back out with cash.” Is it that the T&T people believe that the dependence operates at both the macro level of governments and the micro level of individual visitors from Jamaica and elsewhere? Or were specific instructions given by the Ministry of National Security immediately after Griffith’s spurious figures to give all Guyanese and other visitors a hard time so that my wife’s experience coming into Trinidad two months after Griffith’s revelation placed her in the Lion’s Den with a name like Indranie and not Daniel. To illustrate the hate-love relationship, it is believed that in the 1950s, Dr. Eric Williams encouraged thousands of people from the neighbouring islands, especially Grenada, to come into Trinidad illegally to offset the political power of the East Indian majority. Then when there were too many of them, paradise became hell, and as Lord Blakie sang, “Wait let me get mih share/ They beating Grenadians down in the square ...” and the chorus went, “.. The police tell one to say ‘box’ ay you stupid man/ And as he say ‘bax’, licks inside de van.” The case of the 13 Jamaicans who were not

allowed entry recently demonstrates the different sides of a never-ending story. From the perspective of the travellers, they were treated like savages and worse by the T&T immigration authorities. It was unexpected as it was undeserved. From the viewpoint of most Jamaicans, it was just another episode in a general drama of disrespect and discrimination. Some businessmen called for a boycott of Trinidad goods and services. In Trinidad, there are people who support the immigration officials and believe the questionable stats put out by a Minister who used it the way a drunken man leans on a lamp post - not for illumination, but for support. Many Trinis get paid for not working through a number of free-money, makework projects and their unavailability for anything that looks like “hard” work swells the demand for unskilled labour. Despite the recession, the number of jobs that Trinis will not take or do is growing. The new Government is behaving worse than the old and the new Minister, Dennis Moses, did not try to part the sea of troubles but exacerbated them by siding with the immigration department and legitimising the view that since they could not support themselves, the Jamaicans created an additional burden on the state’s resources. Nobody in Barbados, especially the Minister in charge of immigration, and the government as a whole, believed Shanique Myrie. Barbados immigration added insult and vilification to the initial issues. Despite the ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice in Myrie’s favour, some people - not just Barbadians - believe “she look for dat”. But where are the voices that shouted for Gayle and

Bolt? Where are the voices of Caribbean organisations like One Caribbean Media (OCM), which is in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and elsewhere and makes huge profits from the same islanders? Where are the voices of the Regional Chambers of Commerce and other business organisations and those like Massy and Grace that do business in the region? Their silence might be good politics for them, but poor examples of the regionalism they exploit but do not expound or support. There are even Regional Public Service and Immigration Officers Associations, but they, too, are conveniently quiet. What does the West Indies Cricket Board have to say? I cannot and will never be silent or silenced. My wife is Guyanese, my children are Barbadian, I have also lived in Belize and Antigua, and in my different jobs for PAHO, The World Bank/CARICOM, and the WICB, I have been to the entire English-speaking Caribbean many times. We have much more in common than we have differences. To me, my family and many of my friends, we are one people. I think it is the power of the stamp that each Immigration Officer carries that pounds us into submission. Let us stamp out not just T&T immigration requirements for other Caribbean people, but everywhere else in the Region. I have been to Jamaica countless times in the past 35 years and Jamaican immigration might be less publicised, but it is not much better, different or less arbitrary than anybody else’s. - Tony Deyal is a syndicated columnist and communications specialist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.

PAGE 22

SERVICES

WANTED PLANNING AN EVENT? One experienced salesgirl for BIRTHDAY PARTY, snackette. Call: 666-3569/ 698GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, 4288 ANNIVERSARY,ETC.–CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216- Joiners- Call: 619-9966; 6999671 1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Repairs to LED, Plasma, LCD and all other electronic equipment. Ordering of circuit boards. Abdul Electronic- Call: 225-0391 Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:6294946 or 225-4822 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar Stunning designs with largest variety of plants by experienced landscapers! Call: 219-0468 / 648-1821 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING OF “ANY PLAN” $15,000CALL: 694-9843/225-1972

LEARN TO DRIVE So m a n S o n & O u t a r Driving School at Maraj Building- Tel:644-5166; 6222872; 615-0964; 689-5997

Workers for land dredge-Call: 694-2310 FOOD DISTRIBUTOR COMPANYLOOKINGFOR SALES PERSON WITH CAR FOR BERBICE, ESSEQUIBO, BARTICA & GEORGETOWN. CALL: 231-8529 OR 231-8344 Experienced cashier, counter servers, roti/puri cook, curry cook, waiter boys. Apply at Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce St.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

FOR SALE

VEHICLE FOR SALE

- Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257 Earn certificate in: cosmetology, nails, wig designs or hair cutting, etc. Register Now! Call Abby: 666-5241; 619-7603

Flat house in Grove, (corner property) 1 Block from main road, price negotiable. Call: 1905-6262572

LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

Very low prices on unregistered cars: Allions, Bluebird, Mazda, Fielder, used Rav4. Call: 626-7478; 676-8876

WANTED One maid. Should be good in cooking & house care. One helper/maid needed for beauty spa. Call: 231-0734, 653-4537. One Arc welder must know to do grill work with limited supervision. Call: 613-3879 Kitchen Cleaner to work in the interior, ages 23-40. Call: 670-8182

One live in domestic, age 2240yrs, serious person onlyCall: 225-6571; 644-6905

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Assistant to work in kitchen (both male & female), age 2535 @ Annadale E.C.D, next to modern graphics. Call: 6873640

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One Field supervisor for night shift, road sweeping work & basic mechanical experienced & license is an asset. Call: 227-1717 NANNY for 20 month old baby boy. Relevant experienced & police clearance mandatory; handsome salary & incentives. Call: 655-6766 One live in female housekeeper, over 35years old and from outside of Georgetown. Call: 223-0654

Republic Park family needs an experienced caregiver, age 42-55; live in, 1 week on 1 week off-$13,000 ag. Call: 6672535 House Lot to buy in Leguan by the Seashore. Call 6241737

1 Cleaner to work in snackette & bar. Must know to cookbetween ages 20-35 -Call: 6477432/ 223-5798

Transported property @ Grove $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461 Newly built @ Craig E.B.Dland size 91X50 feet; house 40X28 – 3 rooms- 1 self contained. Call: 718-2136496; 617-7691 Transported property, prime, furnished liquor restaurant & bar, 2 freezers, 1 pools table, double lot @ E.C.D- $24.5M neg. Call: 600-7228 Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities –Call: 662-9335; 612-3244 Property @ Block 8 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara -$16M. Call: 654-4312; 6575330 Transported Property @ Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo. Call: 639-7903

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Sale! Sale! 3116 Cat Engine$1,150,000; 3208 Cat Engine$850,000; 3406 Cat Engine$1,250,000- Contact# 6500402/260-4988 House Lots for sale $3.9M @ Boodhoo’s Housing Scheme, Blankenburg. Contact#650-0402/260-4988 Unbeatable Prices!!! Spacio$2,095,000; Ist-$1,995,000; Fielder-$1,995,000-Contact# 650-0402/260-4988 Unbeatable Prices!!! Audi A4-$3,750,000; BMW 318i$2,750,000; Premio 2008$2,850,000- Contact#6500402/260-4988 1-Cat 928 F Wheel Loader$7.3M; 1-Light Tower$850,000; 1-Perkins Welding Plan-$850,000- Contact#6500402/260-4988 14.5 Ft. Fibre glass boat with tilt trailer and 35 Horse power, mercury motor. Call: 678-9536 Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc. Call:225-9032;647-2943;6045198

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SALON

Male and female to work interior shop assistant, salary -$80,000 monthly. Call: 6741767; 664-5199; 685-8780

Domestic needed to work from 8am to 3pm, attractive salary –contact: 685-1403 between 12pm & 4pm FOR SALE/RENT A complete hair dressing salon located in Alexander Street Kitty (Opposite Seepaul’s Bar). Call: 623-5960

Monday May 02, 2016

Kaieteur News

PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494

1 Week Sale! Dell/HP computers with 19" flat screens -$45,000, lap tops $55,000 -(6 months warranty) @ Future Tech. Call: 2312206; 644-6760 One 125CC XR for sale $270,000 –Call: 699-7870; 698-8503 One AE110 XE Limited sprinter, very good condition; female driven. Call: 223-0654

1-Old model Raum in excellent condition, price $900,000 negotiable-Call: 6424416

1 Generator 40KVA Cummings Engine, ice-cream machine, 1pc AC -48,000 BTU, 2pcs 36,000 BTU, 380Volts. Everything ½ price! Call: 6176088 Empty Drums for sale contact 223-5273

Unregistered Allion: 2004, fog, dark interior, TV DVD, CD. Price: $2M- Call: 617-5536 Toyota Hilux Surf, 3Y engine 1998 cc 4wd, power windows, sunroof, AC, AM/FM/USB Stereo. Call: 678-9536 Toyota Fun Cargo, AT212, AT192, AT170, Tundra, LTouring, Wagon, VVTZ, 4X4 Solid DEF pick up & Nissan Pickup unregistered. Call: 644-5096; 697-1453 One Toyota Spacio 2002$1.2M. Call: 668-7988 1- Backhoe, JCB-Call: 6631372 Nissan X-Trail 2013 model, fully loaded, 2500 cc cut 31000KM -$8.9M negotiable, serious enquiries only. Call:685-3069; 644-9141 1 Nissan Titan for sale; fully powered, 4 wheel driveprice negotiable- Call: 6437195; 220-9883

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1-6ft wood lathe, 1-4ft wood lathe; prices negotiable $420,000. Call: 646-4416 2 Pools table (slate) –Call: 616-0398; 687-1757 1 Toyota 2004 IST, PKK series, HID lights, Led Bar, AC, 16" rims, gunmetal grey -$1.3M negotiable-Call: 6047998 Stamps! Valuable Stamp collection -12,000 and over for sale. Call: 624-7341; 2276817

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Apartments for rent @ Nandy Park with free WiFi, recently renovated, 2 bedrooms - $70,000. Call: 6413318 Fully furnished apartment for rent-Call: 682-9021 Two bedrooms bottom flat @ lot 6 Drysdale St Charlestown -$50,000 monthly. Call: 6775031; 231-9334 Second floor for rent at 26 Sheriff Street C/Ville. Call: 628-7953 Apartmemts for rent @ Boodhoo’s Housing Scheme by the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Call Steve: 670-4623 Three bedrooms flat on 347 East Street for rent, residence or business. Call: 223-4565; 672-3161 (Continued on page 29)

Monday May 02, 2016

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Kaieteur News

Awaiting a great speech from President Granger DEAR EDITOR; I like to listen to or read great speeches. To me, Errol Walton Barrow of Barbados was a great speaker: Linden Forbes Samson Burnham was a great speaker: Antony “Tony” Lyndon Blair of England is a great speaker: Kamala Persad-Bissessar ’s acceptance speech when she won T&T’s Prime Ministership, was a great speech. Tafari “Haile Selassie” Makonen also gave a great speech in 1963 at the UN, in New York. It was then and there that he said, “Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned…until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regards to race…the

dream of lasting peace…will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained.” Barrack Hussein Obama is a great speaker. One of Obama’s best speeche was the one he gave in 2008 when his mentor and Pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright, put him in a very uncomfortable racial bind. Reverend Wright had suggested that the crumbling American economy and its social infrastructures were as a result of the White man’s proverbial, chickens coming home to roost. He said that the 911 attacks were as a result of God Damning the “White man’s” America. Obama, who is called Black but is neither Black nor White; he is both, had to wrangle out of his comfort zone to speak directly to

America’s racial issue and to right Dr. Wright’s wrongs. No one has heard from the Reverend Wright since. Present Granger will have such a speech to make come Independence Day, next month. And he too will have to distance himself from the founders of this nation. It would take a very intellectually challenged and a grossly ethnically blinded person to not undeniably conclude that Guyana’s nemesis, our Achilles heel, is our racial problem. And one would have to be a complete negator of the truth to not also unambiguously admit that it was our founding fathers who have done this to us. And Present Granger possesses what it takes to speak to this issue.

Another take on the driving force behind the rising crime rate DEAR EDITOR; It is with unmitigated anguish and profound concern that I read the article by Pastor Wendell Jeffrey, Stabroek News April 27, aptly titled, “Government needs to know what is driving these criminals to be so violent”. Unless I am hopelessly misled, I think that this enigmatic question is embedded in the cranium of every sane civic minded Guyanese, whether residing at home or in the diaspora. The problem of evil has plagued humans for millennia. Why do some of us grow up to become criminals, thieves and murderers when others do not? Can we assume that there are forces at work that can inspire one individual Are there unseen forces at work that can inspire one person to become Rondell”Fine Man”Rawlin and the other Martin Luther King. Permit me from a humble standpoint to make some degree of light entry through a slight crack in the egg of understanding. I recall a powerful quote from Victor Hugo the French playwright and human rights activist wherein he stated, “Where there is darkness crimes will be committed. The guilty one is not merely he who commits the crime but he who caused the darkness.” The darkness that produces crime is somewhat of a historic occurrence based on the economic deprived citizenry of our nation that just so happens to be of a particular ethnic group. It is this lack or loss of opportunity that expedites the “I will get mine even at the expense of yours mentality. No it is not guns, but instead the reality of the environmental circumstances in which again we see such an alarming percentage of youths unemployed- a rate which is extremely high and snowballed downhill when Guyana had its first change of government in two decades or more. At the recent graduation of police recruits, The Commissioner of Police charged the graduates with the reading of the book Understanding Human Behavior for Effective Police Work by Harold

Russell & Alan Biegel. This well- written and recently updated book has been hailed the world over as the foremost guide for officers on the force and the classroom recruit. It is used in police training institutions throughout the United States of America. At the selfsame graduation there was also a call by a retired Police Commissioner for the installation of a Behavioral Science Unit in Guyana. A much needed call that would have already provided some insight towards a response to the question at hand. Better late than never I guess. Part of the problem in Guyana is the absence of the usual, causing proliferation of the unusual. Why wait until the crime has been committed, to visit the criminal to inquire why? What response would you be expecting? The FBI has garnered crime solving success since the creation in 1972 of its Behavioural Science Unit, during investigation of the increasing wave of serial rapes and homicides that swept across the U.S. Examined were four pivotal aspects of the behaviour of suspected criminals such as antecedent tendencies, manner of crime, body disposal method and post-crime comportment. Do you see how far behind we have been and the amount of darkness through which light should now shine? On the subject of understanding the why’s of certain criminal behaviour, especially since Pastor Jeffrey pointed out that the government needed to construct and empower an outfit aimed at ascertaining the causative factors for the dastardly crimes committed and the antisocial behaviours displayed by our youths. Let us now take a look from another angle or an altered perspective, at the material from which the outfit should have long been measured, cut, sewn and on its way to being well worn. While new types of crimes have become more prevalent in our society, very little has changed in the legal system or the approach in

dealing with crime. As a consequence crime continues to invade every aspect of Guyanese lives, criminal court dockets and prisons become deadly and oppressively overcrowded, and recidivism rates continue to escalate. On a cautionary note we must not overlook an already overlooked or missed factor—that of choice. In another book of interest “Inside the Criminal Mind” written by Stanton Samenow, a clinical psychologist who has worked over four decades with law breakers/ criminals, documents his discovery, that all criminals share a particular mind-set—often evident in childhood—that is disturbingly different from that of a responsible citizen. According to Samenow, race has nothing whatsoever to do with an individual becoming a crime statistic: plainly put it is the character of the individual and the choices he makes. An individual with a criminal personality thinks in a particular way. Errors in his thinking result in physical, emotional, and financial injury to others on a large scale. In addition, due to his forty plus years of working with criminals Dr. Samenow reaffirms that factors such as poverty, divorce, and media violence do not cause criminality. In conclusion permit me to return to my opening quote, that the guilty one is not he who has committed the crime but the one who has caused the darkness, for therein lies our answers. No need to re-pose the question. We know who the criminals are, where they are, and how and why they act differently from other citizens. So with resolute steps let us approach the darkness walking in the direction of the light. We will fail if we seek the answers from the jail, no point in trying to get the facts long after the acts. Let us start right by finding the light. From this understanding can come up with reasonable, compassionate and effective solutions to the question(s) currently plaguing our minds. Yvonne Sam

For 28 year of the PNC’s rule, Blacks in the majority, forged on by their leader, did everything, legal and illegal (rigging is illegal), to keep the PNC in power. And for the 23 years of the PPP rule, Indians in the majority, forged on by their leader, did everything, legal and illegal (corruption is illegal), to keep the PPP in power. And in both instances these behavious were enimical to the development and prosperity of Guyana. Also, they were enacted at the expense of the racial harmony in Guyana. Then came 2015 and President Granger, with his Amerindian wife. David Granger is the first President in Guyana’s history to have a wife, or a house mate, who is of a different racial ethnicity than him. That is a significant reality. Then President Granger did another significant thing. He established the Ministry of Social Cohesion. It is obvious that Mr. Granger has long harbored sentiments of a racially harmonious Guyana. I would want to think that neither of the founding fathers would have thought to establish a Ministry dedicated to fostering racial harmony in this divided nation. And this is sad, because they were the ones who created this racial mess! Editor, what I would also like to think is that there are some former Presidents and established politicians alive today, on both sides of the isle, who would like to abandon this Social Cohesion Ministry if only because their desires and intentions are to keep this country racially divided and to perpetuate the evils of our founding fathers. So now we are on the verge of our 50th anniversary as an independent nation. It should be noted that it is the 50th anniversary – any 50th anniversary – which connotes the “jubilee” designation. And not that we in Guyana have anything much to be jubilant about. Indeed we have a sordid and vexing history of racial strife, protracted poverty, endemic and systemic white and blue collar crimes, political incestuous-ness and a general sense of a national blight. Nonetheless, time and fate have pushed us to 50 years, and to President Granger and to the speech of his life. And I await with nostalgic excitement the President’s speech. What will he say? Indeed, what can he say? He has to paint a picture that will revert to the behavious and actions of our founding fathers. What will he say of them, or about them? How will he paint Dr. Jagan?

What will he say of the Attorney Burnham? He cannot talk nice of one and nasty of the other. However, somewhere in this pivotal speech, he has to ask the listening nation to move away from the past that these two men have created. He has to ask us to reject the practice of apan-jat. He has to say to us that if Guyana will ever move out of the doldrums of crime, poverty and infrastructural decay, and if we will ever become the pride of the Caribbean and the envy of the world, we will have to stretch our patriotic hands across the racial divide and hug each other. He will have to finally and publically admit that the reason he set up a Social Cohesion Ministry is because he is determined to distance himself from the racial misdeeds of our founders and to right the wrongs of the past 50 years. Like Obama in his convention speech in 2004, President Granger has to say to this divided nation that there is no Indian Guyana, or Amerindian Guyana, or Black Guyana but that there is one Guyana; the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Editor, let me digress. I have been noticing the beautiful commemorative stickers but will you also notice with me that they are mostly being displayed on Black businesses and Black people’s vehicles, or on Black people’s homes and clothes. It is as if the 50th anniversary, inadvertently, will be a Black people’s event. This is not President Granger’s fault. He has inherited this racial divide. However, come May 26th , when he steps up to that podium, in what will be the speech of his life time, Mr. Granger will have the single most available opportunity to distance himself from the racially divisive behavious of our founding fathers. He will be given the platform to magnanimously woo this nation, to speak to our collective consciousness, and to chart a course forward for us, away from the demon of rascality that has haunted us. Like President Obama, if ever there was one President who has the credibility to appeal to our sensibilities on racial inclusivity in this nation, it is Mr. Granger. Selassie continued in his speech by noting, “We must act while we can, while the occasion exists...lest time run out and resort be had to less happy days.” Editor, I anxiously await another great speech, this time from President David Arthur Granger. Wendell Jeffrey

Carol Joseph must... From page 5 I was advised by my lawyers that the content of the letter written by APNU+AFC Region 5 Councillor, Carol Joseph published recently in the media is libelous, and I’m advised to pursue legal action against her. I am giving her an opportunity to redeem herself by retracting the libelous statement she gave to the police at Fort Wellington, and made in her letter to the press. Failing which I will be left with

no other recourse than to file a civil lawsuit against her. Her apology should take the form of another letter in the local newspapers, in which she will admit making a false report to the Fort Wellington Police Station against me. If this is done, the matter will be considered closed. And if, in the spirit of social cohesion, the police chooses not to prosecute her for making a false report, I will have no problem with that. Harry Gill, MP (PPP)

Monday May 02, 2016

Russia says talks to extend Syrian lull in fighting to Aleppo

A Red Crescent aid worker inspects scattered medical supplies after an airstrike on a medical depot in the rebel-held Tariq al-Bab neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail Reuters - Russia said yesterday talks were taking place to include Aleppo in a temporary lull in fighting declared by the Syrian army in some western parts of the country, a sign of intensified efforts to halt a surge of violence in Syria’s former commercial capital. The United States said stopping the bloodshed in Aleppo, which has been at the centre of an escalation of violence that has all but destroyed a wider ceasefire deal and broke up peace talks in Geneva, was a top

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priority. Nearly 10 days of bombardments by both the government side and insurgents in the city of Aleppo has killed more than 250 people, a monitoring group said, confounding hopes of an end to five years of war. Rebels shelled government-held areas yesterday, killing several people, and government warplanes carried out more than a dozen air strikes later in the day, the monitoring group said. Moscow and Washington brokered the Feb. 27 ceasefire deal, which applied to western Syria but excluded al Qaeda and Islamic State fighters. World powers and the United Nations have been trying to

salvage that truce. Syria’s army announced late on Friday a “regime of calm”, or lull in fighting, which applied to Damascus and some of its outskirts, and parts of northwestern coastal province Latakia. But it excluded Aleppo. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who arrived in Geneva yesterday for discussions on Syria with the United Nations and his Jordanian and Saudi counterparts, said a ceasefire was needed throughout Syria and hoped to be able to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities after talks in Geneva. A senior defence ministry official in Moscow, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said

yesterday negotiations were taking place to “establish a regime of calm also in Aleppo province”, Interfax news agency reported. The official did not say who was negotiating on Aleppo. He said the lull in fighting had been extended around Damascus for another 24 hours. In Latakia province, it still applied through today without need for an extension. It had been respected in both areas, the Russian official said. Syria’s army confirmed the extension of the lull around Damascus but did not mention Aleppo. A number of rebel groups late on Saturday rejected the partial “regime of calm” in Damascus and Latakia, saying any truce must include all areas where the government and main opposition were fighting, as under the February deal. “We will not accept under any circumstances... regional ceasefires,” they said, adding they would respond as “one bloc” to attacks in any area of the country. The U.S. State Department said Washington wanted R u s s i a t o p u t pressure on Assad to stop what it called indiscriminate aerial attacks in Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city before the war, and which has long been split between governmentand opposition-held areas of control. “These are critical hours,” Kerry said, adding: “We look for Russia’s cooperation, and we obviously look for the regime to listen to Russia and to respond.”

Labour candidate favourite for London mayor after racially charged campaign Reuters - Sadiq Khan of opposition Labour Party is the strong favourite to w i n L o n d o n ’s m a y o r a l election on Thursday after a contest marked by religious tensions and accusations of racism. Polls show Khan, the son of a bus driver, is as much as 20 percentage points ahead of rival Conservative Zac Goldsmith in the race to run one of the world’s top financial centres. If he wins, he will succeed current Conservative mayor Boris Johnson to become the first Muslim to head a major Western capital. London’s population of 8.6 million is among the most diverse in the world and it is rare for identity politics to enter British campaigning. But Goldsmith, with the support of Prime Minister David Cameron, has for weeks focused on Khan’s faith and past appearances alongside radical Muslim speakers, accusing him of giving “platform, oxygen and cover” to extremists. Former human rights lawyer Khan says he has fought extremism all his life and regrets sharing a stage with speakers who held “abhorrent” views. He has accused Goldsmith, the elite-educated son of a billionaire financier, of using Donald Trump-style tactics to divide Londoners along faith lines, as well as being part of an out-of-touch wealthy elite. “There’s a chance that there are people who are almost subconsciously put

Sadiq Khan off (voting for Khan) by the dog-whistle racism ... people who wouldn’t like to say ‘I’m not going to vote for Sadiq Khan’, but will have a wobble at the ballot box,” said Anthony Wells, director of political and social opinion polling at YouGov. The impact was unlikely to be enough to allow Goldsmith to pull off a surprise victory, he said. “The only effect of the Zac Goldsmith campaigning is probably just to entrench all those long-standing issues the Conservative Party have got with appealing to ethnic minority voters,” he said. Last week the campaigning took a new twist as Kahn’s party was accused of failing to stamp out antiSemitism in its ranks amid a row over comments by another lawmaker on her Facebook account saying that Israel should be moved to the United States. Khan condemned the comment and distanced himself from former London mayor Ken Livingstone, who on Thursday was suspended from the Labour party for supporting the party member at the centre of the controversy.

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Hooded youths clash with police in Paris over labour law Reuters - Hooded youths clashed with police in Paris yesterday during a May Day rally against planned labour reforms, while the government insisted it would not withdraw the bill which is due to be debated in parliament later this week. Police, who said they clashed with a group of about 300 youths and detained three of them, responded with tear gas. The reforms would give employers more flexibility to agree in-house deals with employees on working time, a move the government says is needed to bring down unemployment now above 10 percent. Critics say the reforms will lead to poorer

working conditions and more sackings. “The draft bill is fair and necessary for the country,” Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri told Europe 1 radio, Le Monde and iTELE in an interview. More than 80,000 people marched throughout France yesterday, including up to 17,000 in Paris, police said. That is far fewer than in the first rallies against the reform which started two months ago. The CGT labour union said there were 70,000 protesters in Paris alone. Three days ago, over 100 protesters were detained country-wide in another series of marches against the reform.

No door open for samesex marriage in Bahamas - ATTORNEY GENERAL NASSAU, Bahamas — Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson last week dismissed the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association’s (GBHRA) claims that the door is already open for samesex marriage in The Bahamas and insisted that there are no legislative or constitutional grounds for such a union. GBHRA president Fred Smith said on Wednesday it is fear-mongering to suggest the June 7 referendum would open the door to same-sex marriage in The Bahamas, as the door has been open for decades. Maynard-Gibson said there are absolutely no provisions in the law to provide for same sexmarriage. “The point about whether or not our law provides for gay marriage, I want to say unequivocally beyond a shadow of a doubt that the law of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas does not provide for gay marriages, same-sex marriages,” she said. “Our law is very clear and it was saved in our constitution that a marriage is a union between a man and a woman, male at birth and female at birth. The case law is also very clear on this matter.” The issue of same-sex

marriage has been repeatedly raised by those who oppose question four of the referendum. Bill four would make it unconstitutional to discriminate against someone based on sex - defined as male or female. Government officials have repeatedly denied that the bill would open the door to samesex marriage. “In my view, and I say it very respectfully, it’s not an issue so far as this referendum is concerned,” she said. “This referendum is not about gay marriage. “It is solely about ending the discrimination in our constitution and making sure that we rid ourselves of women as second class citizens and we enshrine in our constitution a bright future for our sons and our daughters.” In a statement released by the human rights organization on Wednesday, Smith, who expressed full support for all four bills, insisted the referendum has nothing to do with same-sex marriage, but has everything to do with ending discrimination against Bahamian women, and in some instances Bahamian men, on the basis of their gender. Despite his clashes with

1,800 lose insurance coverage Daily Nation - More than 1 800 civil servants and retired public officers will be without medical insurance coverage at the end of the month. Their medical insurance carrier, the Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited (ICBL), has dropped the workers who are members of the NUPW Insurance Agent Inc. (NUPWIA)managed plan and unless they can find another carrier in a hurry, would be forced to foot the cost of any medical care they require. Officials of the trade union said they were notified by ICBL that it would not renew coverage of the medical plan when the group policy came up for renewal on May 22.

Allyson Maynard-Gibson the government, in and out of court, Smith commended the Christie administration for following through on what he said is a crucial issue. He said the GBHRA will do all that it can to encourage Bahamians to support the bills, calling on them to “unite and send a clear message to the world that The Bahamas is a country, which believes in fundamental human rights for all”. Maynard-Gibson praised Smith for his support of the bills. “What I particularly noted was that members of the human rights association, and most especially Mr Fred Smith, urged citizens to vote yes for all four bills,” she said. “So they agree with those who are on the Constitutional Commission, who made this recommendation, with Bahamians with whom the Constitutional Commission consulted before they made the recommendation and with Lady [Sharon] Wilson and Mrs [Lynn] Holowesko.”The four bills were passed in the House of Assembly and Senate last month. The bills are intended to institute full equality between men and women in matters of citizenship and will eliminate discrimination in The Bahamas based on sex. (Caribbean News)

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Cuba and Jamaica to Duprey’s plan caters $10B for policyholders sign multi-destination agreement Daily Observer - Jamaica and Cuba will sign an agreement for multidestination tourism between the two countries. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, speaking at the opening of the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) Friday night, said that he and his Cuban counterpart will sign the agreement on Friday of this week. A similar agreement will be signed with the Dominican Republic in June, Bartlett said, noting that Jamaica will finally be in the timeshare business from yesterday. “Timeshare registry will open from the yesterday and we will then be open for business to bring new demographics and to bring in new arrivals into the destination, “he told the audience at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, which included the president of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association Nicola MaddenGreig, his predecessor Dr Wykeham McNiell and travel

Edmund Bartlett agents. Bartlett also announced plans to aggressively target new markets, including South America and Eastern Europe and to increase market share in North America. This includes doubling the growth rate in the US market to five per cent this year over 2015 and working towards achieving double digit growth in the Canadian market. JAPEX is the largest tourism trade show in Jamaica, bringing together a range of buyers and suppliers. There are 232 suppliers and 94 buyers for JAPEX 2016. This year’s show runs until May 1.

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood.

Trinidad Guardian - The plan by CL Financial (CLF) majority shareholder Lawrence Duprey to repay the group’s “bailout” debt to Government involves the creation of two Clico entities, one of which should have a total asset base of $10 billion and focus solely on meeting the obligations of traditional policyholders. Duprey detailed the proposal in a March letter to the Central Bank governor and Finance Minister Colm Imbert. It’s part of current moves to try and regain control of his former companies following the 2009 CLF collapse and subsequent government bailout and in the face of current government consideration to dispose of Clico assets, and possibly CLF’s, to recoup the bailout funding. In an exclusive Guardian report last Thursday, Duprey confirmed that he was heading to legal action to block any asset sale since there had been no word from the Central Bank or the Ministry of Finance on his proposal. Compounding the situation, the United Policyholders Group, comprising Clico policyholders, subsequently on Friday demanded attention from the Central

Bank and Government on issues they also have. In Duprey’s letter to Central Bank, he said: “The outline of the plan I have presented addresses the obligations of Clico and has not addressed the TT$2 billion injected into Clico Investment Bank. Having taken the decision to liquidate the institution, my team and I are ready to explore potential alternatives which can enhance the payout to the remaining institutional creditors without a liquidation of the valuable assets. “In addition no attempt has been made to collect from defaulting obligors. Nevertheless we remain committed to settling all obligations. “The plan outlined herein to repay (i) Preferred Shares (ii) All EFPA outstanding over a ten year period, and in the case of the preferred shares— five years represents a reasonable base for discussions between the Central Bank as regulator and my team of advisors...I hope we can put the two teams together that will result in a contractual and full payout of all government outstandings.” Duprey said he had appointed Dr Brian Harry and Steve Bideshi, his financial advisors, to meet with Central Bank Governor Alvin Hilaire to discuss the proposal. Harry is a consultant and former president of the defunct Tourism and Industrial Development Company (TIDCO), while Bideshi is a retired Citibank executive who served as the CEO of CL

Lawrence Duprey Financial between July 2009 and January 2010. In the letter to the Central Bank, Duprey said his proposal is based on Clico’s audited 2013 results and subsequent media releases. “My financial advisors and I have also met with executives of Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citibank to understand the terms and conditions of leverage to be provided to the group, which is essential to the effectiveness of the repayment programme. “We’re of the opinion that the optimal solution to maximising free ‘cash flow’ to repay the Government lies in the adoption of the good bank/bad bank concept utilised in the global banking industry to resolve state bailout repayments. The most applicable one is the Citigroup model where the bank continues to present annual financial statements for Citi Holdings—(bad bank) & Citi Corp (good bank).” Duprey proposed creating

two legal entities—Clico traditional and Clico nontraditional. He said Clico traditional will retain sufficient assets to support traditional insurance legacy liabilities. “Based on 2013 audited results, this entity should have a total asset base of approximately TT$10 billion and should be completely compliant with the new insurance act and will focus solely on meeting the obligations of the traditional policyholders and the redemption of the preferred shares owned by Government amounting to TT$4.9 billion.” He added: “We believe that Clico, after the receipt of proceeds from the sale of Methanol Holdings can repay a further TT$3 billion (TT$4 billion was made in Fiscal 2014) towards the retirement of EFPA, thus leaving an estimated balance of TT$4.5– 4.8 billion to be serviced on terms and conditions agreeable to both Government and our group of companies over a 10 year period. “We’re of the opinion that Clico may not need 10 years to fully redeem the $4.9 billion preferred shares but by year five should be in a position to execute a local capital markets solution for TT$2.5 billion to fully repay Government the balance outstanding.” Duprey said the present process of “selling” Clico’s traditional portfolio erodes the financial base for the full repayment to the Government. He asked Government to halt the process immediately.

Rousseff says opponents plotting to water down Brazil labour laws SAO PAULO (Reuters) Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff yesterday accused her opponents of plotting to water down existing labour legislation and cutting social stipends for the poor if Congress puts her on trial for allegedly breaching budget rules. Rousseff, speaking at a Labour Day rally in São Paulo, said her ouster from office would open room for a dismantling of labour rules that have protected millions of workers in Latin America’s largest economy. In her speech, she did not name the opponents she was referring to. A Senate committee is currently discussing whether a request by the lower house to initiate proceedings to impeach Rousseff are valid and should go to a plenary vote. Recent polls showed that senators would back putting

Dilma Rousseff Rousseff on trial for using state banks to fund government programs - an offense that violates the country’s fiscal responsibility law. Apart from watering down the labour code, she said her ouster would weaken social programmes that have kept her Workers Party in power since 2003. Efforts to help

local manufacturers actively participate in a massive offshore oil exploration plan could suffer too, she noted. “This is not only a coup against a democratically elected government, but also a coup against the hard-won rights of the workers of this country,” Rousseff said. Businesses have for decades complained of the so-called CLT labour code for excessively raising the cost of hirings and dismissals, and stimulating unnecessary litigation between employers and workers. In recent days, local newspaper reports have said that Vice President Michel Temer, who would replace Rousseff, would be willing to revise some aspects of the legislation to resuscitate an economy that is braced for a second straight year of contraction.

Monday May 02, 2016

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Rosberg makes it seven wins in a row with Sochi finish S O C H I , RUSSIA (Reuters) Formula One championship leader Nico Rosberg chalked up his seventh win in a row at the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday with team mate Lewis Hamilton fighting back from 10th on the grid to seal a Mercedes one-two finish. In a race that started with chaos, and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel being shunted into the wall by Red Bull’s Russian Daniil Kvyat, Rosberg had an untroubled afternoon from pole to chequered flag for his 18th career win. The German equaled the achievement of compatriot Michael Schumacher in winning seven successive races, with only Vettel (nine in 2013 with Red Bull) and the

late Italian Alberto Ascari ahead of them. Only champions Schumacher, Britain’s Nigel Mansell and Brazilian Ayrton Senna had won the first four races in a season before Rosberg joined them. “It felt very special out there,” said the happy winner, who led all the way and also set the fastest lap, after being congratulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Triple world champion Hamilton was 25 seconds behind Rosberg with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen finishing third after winning a battle with fellow Finn Valtteri Bottas, who started on the front row, in the Williams. The podium was Ferrari’s 700th since the championship

Mercedes F1 driver Nico Rosberg of Germany drives during the Russian Grand Prix. (REUTERS/MAXIM SHEMETOV) started in 1950. Rosberg, who won the last three races of 2015 and now the first four of 2016, leads Hamilton by 43 points in the standings with 17 races remaining and the Briton facing an increasingly daunting challenge.

Draymond Green leads Warriors to Game 1 rout

Draymond Green lead the Warriors to Game 1 semifinal victory. (Photo: MONICA M. DAVEY, EPA) (USA Today) OAKLAND – A week earlier, everything in the NBA world had been up for grabs. With Stephen Curry down, the odds of the next title winner being different than the last were drastically up. And the Golden State Warriors, those charmed champs who stole the spotlight all season long with an unprecedented 73-win season, seemed headed for infamy. Or, as their 118-106 win against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday at Oracle Arena showed, perhaps not. As if the prospect of dominating without the reigning MVP wasn’t good news enough for coach Steve Kerr and his group, it is quickly becoming apparent that Curry won’t likely be out for nearly as long as they once feared. The second-quarter spill in Houston

From page 22

on April 24 was nasty from every angle, but the diagnosis – a Grade 1 MCL sprain – left all kinds of wiggle room open in terms of a timeline. Because his leg and the ligaments therein had remained structurally sound, this then became a case of an elite athlete and the challenge of mounting a faster-than-expected comeback. Cue Curry to ESPN’s Lisa Salters on Sunday, when asked about his chances of possibly playing in Game 3 in Portland on Saturday: “To me,” he said, “they’re pretty good.” In turn, so is the likelihood that we’ll see the same Western Conference Finals series that so many suspected all along: Golden State v. San Antonio. Anyone who watched the Spurs dissect the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their second round series on Saturday would bet their mortgage that San Antonio moves on. There may be Thunder adjustments between now and then, to be sure, but the smart money, so to speak, is with Gregg Popovich & Co. And as they already knew and as the Blazers were reminded in the series opener, this harmonious hoops team known as the Warriors goes well beyond Curry and his transcendent talent. Klay Thompson, Curry’s fellow Splash Brother and one of the most understated stars in today’s game, had 37 points to lead the Game 1 win. He scored 18 in the first quarter that Golden State led 37-20, burying seven three-pointers by the time it was over (on 14 attempts) as the Warriors led by as many as 26 points. Fellow All-Star Draymond Green was stellar again as well, logging man-sized tripledouble (23 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists) against a Portland team that doesn’t match up well against these Warriors even with Curry out of action. Oakland native and Blazers point guard Damian Lillard struggled, misfiring on 18 of 26 shots, as did his backcourt mate, second-year guard C.J. McCollum (five of 17 shooting). The Warriors, who have the long and versatile Shaun Livingston in Curry’s spot, have taken their defense to a new level in these past few weeks. In this one, they held Portland to 40.2% shooting overall while winning the battle of the boards 55-40 (Green, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut combined for 37 rebounds).

“Lewis is going to come back of course, he’s on it and as motivated as ever,” said Rosberg. “We’ll just take it race by race.” Hamilton had reduced the gap between him and Rosberg to seven seconds by the 36th of the 53 laps but his challenge was then slowed by a water pressure problem. “There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I could win it, I had the pace, but then I had a problem with the engine again and had to back off,” said the champion. Mercedes switched the power unit in his car after it failed in qualifying, flying parts out from Britain overnight by private jet to avoid a penalty that would have forced Hamilton to start from the pit lane. Starts have been the Briton’s big weakness this season, despite two pole positions, and he had yet to get through the opening lap without problems but he

stayed out of trouble as those around him collided. Vettel, starting seventh, was hit twice from behind by Russian Kvyat’s Red Bull into turns two and three while Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg and Manor’s Rio Haryanto both retired. As Rosberg sped away, Raikkonen seized second place with Hamilton fifth as the safety car was deployed to allow debris to be cleared. Brazilian Felipe Massa was fifth for Williams with Fernando Alonso sixth for McLaren, who had their first double points finish since Hungary last year when Jenson Button crossed the line in 10th place. Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen took Renault’s first points of the season in seventh place with Frenchman Romain Grosjean continuing his remarkable form with newcomers Haas in eighth place. Force India’s Sergio Perez was ninth.

Ja’s men’s team upset USA in sprint relay Jamaica Observer PENNSYLVANIA, United States — The Jamaican men’s 4x100 metres team snapped a four-year winless run after upsetting the field to win the event in the USA vs The World series at the 122nd Penn Relays Carnival Saturday at Franklin Field. The team of Jermaine Hamilton, Julian Forte, Rasheed Dwyer and Oshane Bailey clocked 38.70 seconds to record Jamaica’s only win in the six-race series. It was the first win by the Jamaican men sprint relay team since 2011 and fourth overall in the 16-year history of the competition. The men’s team beat the USA Blue team 39.02 seconds with St Kitts third in 39.49 seconds. A USA Red team of Mike Rogers, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Isaiah Young did not finish as the baton fell on the last exchange. The Jamaican women’s

team of Gayon Evans, Elaine Thompson, Kerron Stewart and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce clocked 42.90 seconds for second behind the USA Red (42.61 seconds) with Trinidad and Tobago third in 43.43 seconds. The women’s 4x200m team ran 1 minute 31.34 seconds for second behind the USA (1:31.17) with Nigeria third in 1:34.01. The men’s team failed to finish after lead-off runner Jason Livermore pulled up with a leg injury.

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CAKES & PASTRIES Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery; also edible images and Wedding dresses for sale. Call: 670-0798

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Kaieteur News

Monday May 02, 2016

Release the Beast eats them up at Bush Lot United Turf Club Jumbo Jet stable sweeps four of five victories

Amazon Warrior of the Jumbo Jet stable winning the L1 event from Confusion. Lead by Release the Beast the Jumbo Jet stable was in devastating mood as it ran away with four of the five events held when the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and racing stables in collaboration with The Bush Lot United Turf Club held a one day horserace meet at the

Bush Lot United Turf Club, Sea View Park, West Coast, Berbice. Release the Beast ridden by Randolph Richmond was released with ferocity as it continues to show that it will be a burden on its opponents when the racehorse moved up

The Jumbo Jet stable team collects the winning trophy after Settling Star victory in the three year old event.

Small crowd; big action as... From page 33 aggression forced Enniss to infringe the rules when he ducked a mite too low to evade his opponent’s jabs and straight rights. A wicked attack shortly before the end of the second round resulted in Enniss tasting canvass. He was seen clutching his tummy but on closer examination it was discovered that he had sustained an injury to his arm. The medical personnel, headed by ringside physician, Shawn Legall and members of the Guyana Defence Force medical team quickly assessed the situation and rendered the requisite assistance to the Jamaican pugilist. Otherwise, the other bouts were contested among locals with the following results; Schools 60-64lbs: Seon Graham won from Dwayne Kellman, 65-69lbs: Shaquancy Wright defeated Deron Williams. Wright was later voted Best Boxer in the schoolboys’ category.

75-79lbs: Jakeel Codogan defeated Travis Ivervary, while in the 85-89lbs division Leon Moore prevailed over Marlon Sukra. Kevin Mulling also continued his winning ways with a lopsided points verdict over Shakiem Jones one bout prior to the Isaiah Moore/Delroy Elcock 100-104lbs shindig where the former boxer prevailed. In the juniors category, in the jnr/flyweight division. Omar Pollard won from Herman Whyte and bantamweight, Keevin Allicock outpointed Shaquiel Wright. Pollard was later adjudged Best Boxer. Jnr/welterweight pugilist, Duel Augustin proved to be too much for Brian Harris and won their bout moments before female boxer, Akea Lamazon was gifted the jnr/welterweight title after her opponent, Rianna Rogers, failed to show up for their bout. In the final fight of the night, Akiel Mounter had his hands raised after engaging Michael Edwards over three rounds.

in class to devour all and sundry to take the feature D1 and lower event. Classified G1, Release the Beast ate up the track for an easy gate to pole win despite the wet and soggy conditions. Keep On swinging and Settling Star placed second and third. Other winners on the day were Isn’t She Charming in the event for 3 year old West Indies Bred Horses. She So Special in the H2 and lower race,

Amazon Warrior in the L1 and lower event all of the Jumbo Jet stable. The other event for J and K class horses was taken by Massiquita Dr of the Selso Crawford stable. The F3 and lower event was not staged. The Jumbo Jet stable was adjudged the champion stable, while Randolph Richmond was the champion jockey on show. (Samuel Whyte)

Monday May 02, 2016

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Kaieteur News

Andre Berto floors Victor Ortiz in 4th round.

LETTER TO THE SPORTS EDITOR

Does Playing Inter-Association Football Signify Development DEAR SIR, To the best of my knowledge, the coordination of Inter-Association Football, have been ongoing for over two (2) decades on maybe longer, at the behest of the nation’s governing authority, Guyana Football Association (then) and the Guyana Football Federation (now)! H o w e v e r, f o r w h a t e v e r reason t he current administration is continuing with this outdated and nonproductive mode of play which isn’t conducive for development, leaves much to be desired; moreover, when it’s taken into serious consideration that within its employ the GFF, have a “Technical Development Officer”. Editor, almost ten (10) years ago, in a private discussion with the TDO, I implored that: “Guyana maybe the only country in the world that plays football at the Inter-Association level, albeit, Inter-Constituency, Parish, State et.al”. How can this format seriously develop the nation’s football, when some Associations have clubs devoid a well structured nursery programme! Further, selecting an InterAssociation squad to pursue

training, enables room for “skullduggery”, since the appointed coach due to time constraints for preparation, would be more comfortable coaching the nucleus of the squad from his club. While not foregoing paying attention also to his club that at the same time maybe in pursuit of championship honors, in another competition! In the final analysis if the powers that be are seriously committed to meaningful development, then it must be compulsory that each Association submits its “Calendar of Activities”. Wherein General Council Meetings, Workshops, Seminars and Competitions (various divisions) are all documented for submission within a specific time-frame, thereafter the onus is upon the GFF to coordinate the relevant competitions, at all divisions (age limits). National Club Championships must always take precedence, over InterAssociations Football Competitions, with the winner and runner-up from each of the eight (8) Associations participating in a roundrobin/knockout format. Apart from attracting

sixteen (16) participants, in excess of two (2) - four (4) months in preparing for a competition uninterrupted, is more meaningful. While within the eight (8) Associations structure one (1) month of preparation may well be problematic, since travelling by some players would be significantly curtailed i.e. Mahaicony Plaisance. It would be more prudent for an Inter-Regional bi-annual game featuring various sports disciplines, under the auspices of the NSC, having the GFF, coordinating the football activities. Editor, with an under-17 InterAssociation Tournament scheduled to commence on 07. 05. 16, How many Associations would have played any under-17 competition domestically for the year? While the traditional May-June rainfall is seemingly already upon us, earlier than anticipated! Therefore, preparations would be significantly curtailed, owing to the nature of poor drainage for grounds. Whose foresight, or lack of it, chose May, to start the tournament anyhow? Respectfully Yours, Lester Sealey

2016 Tenelec Inc Under-15, Two-innings Cricket Competition in Berbice

Marvan Prashad’s (120) and Nigel Deodat (108 and 5 for 9) lead Blairmont CC to victory A magnificent century from national under-15 selectee Marvan Prashad and an outstanding all round performance from another national under-15 selectee Nigel Deodat led Blairmont CC to a massive innings and 356 runs victory over the hapless Bush Lot New Generation in the latest round of the 2016 Tenelec Inc Under-15, Two-innings Cricket Competition organised by the Berbice Cricket Board and sponsored by Tenelec Inc, a Telecommunications Firm out of Washington, USA. The match played at the Blairmont Estate Ground saw the home team winning the toss, took first strike and amassed a mammoth 390 for 6 declared. Prashad led the way with 120 and got support from Deodat with 108, another national under-15 selectee, opener Fawaz Gaffoor 68, Shahid Baksh 23 and Romel Ross 20 offered support. Bowling for the visitors, R. Bhola and K. Evans took two wickets a piece for 68 and 74 respectively. In reply, Bush Lot New Generation were bundled out for a disappointing 34. Left arm spinner Deodat came back with the ball to take 5 wickets for 9 runs off 5 overs and got support from Baksh who took 3 for 19 off 4 overs. To avoid further embarrassment, the visitors failed to bat in their second innings after the follow on was enforced, forfeiting the game. Blairmont leads the points table in their group.

Marvan Prashad

Nigel Deodat

Andre Berto stops Victor Ortiz in 4th round, avenging loss CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Andre Berto spent five years regretting his inability to land the punches that would have finished off Victor Ortiz during his first career defeat. With a second shot at his rival, Berto didn’t miss. Berto stopped Ortiz with two knockdowns in the fourth round Saturday night, avenging his loss in the welterweight stars’ first bout five years ago. Berto (31-4, 24 KOs) rebounded ferociously after Ortiz knocked him down in the second round of their rematch. Berto floored Ortiz the first time with a right uppercut, and Ortiz went down again moments later from a series of big punches. “I told myself, ‘I’m not going to let him recover from this one,’” said Berto, who knocked down Ortiz twice in their first bout. “That was my mistake in the first fight, letting him get back up.” Ortiz crawled back to his feet and barely beat the count, but didn’t respond when asked if he wanted to continue. Referee Jack Reiss stopped the bout 1:14 into the fourth. Berto returned to the ring in style after his one-sided loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year in the pound-forpound champion’s final fight. Berto lost his WBC welterweight title and his unbeaten record to Ortiz in their 2011 bout, and he went 3-3 in his six fights since. “I think it’s one of the most satisfying wins of my career, just because he gave me my first loss, and it’s been looming for years,” Berto said. “I just felt like it was something I had to do, and it was something the fans wanted as well.” Ortiz and Berto knocked each other down twice in their wild first fight in 2011, each flooring the other in the sixth

round alone. Ortiz hung on for a decision despite losing a point for hitting behind the head in one of the most entertaining high-level fights of this decade. The loss was the fourth in six fights for Ortiz (31-6-2), who has struggled with injuries and inconsistent performances ever since his title-winning victory over Berto. After getting booed in the ring, Ortiz was grabbed by a fan on his way to the dressing room, setting off a brief fracas in the crowd of 7,760 at StubHub Center’s famed outdoor ring south of downtown Los Angeles. “It’s one of those punches that you don’t see coming, you know?” Ortiz said about the uppercut that led to the first knockdown. “He is not a guy that hits soft. Every punch he throws is 100 miles an hour so he is one heck of a champ for a reason.” Still, Ortiz was booed by fans who have a tumultuous relationship with the former champion fighting out of Ventura, California. Ortiz has been criticized throughout his career for the endings to his fights, particularly losses to Marcos Maidana and Josesito Lopez in which fans hoped he would continue. Berto might have earned a shot later this year at Danny Garcia, the WBC welterweight champion who watched from ringside. Both fighters are

represented by Premier Boxing Champions. “I think it was a great fight,” Garcia said. “(Berto) is a great potential matchup, and it’s an easy fight to make. It’s all about the handlers now. As far as me, I’ll fight anybody in the division.” Thomas Williams Jr. also stopped Edwin Rodriguez in the second round of a light heavyweight bout. Earlier, featherweight Jorge Lara remained unbeaten with a frightening first-round stoppage of veteran Fernando Montiel, whose fourth trip to the canvas ended with him senseless and face-down on the canvas, his eyes open. Berto and Ortiz opened the rematch a bit more cautiously than their first fight, but Ortiz got a dripping cut on his hairline from head contact in the first round. He then dropped Berto with a straight left hand in the waning seconds of the second round. Berto was more angry than hurt, and he responded with tactical punches. “I fell asleep in there for like two seconds, and it threw me off, because he was boxing,” Berto said. “It threw me off my game plan because I didn’t think he was going to try to box. My feet were tangled, actually. I just fell on my butt. It wasn’t no shot that hurt me.”

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Monday May 02, 2016

Kaieteur News

BOWLERS, ROHIT FIRE MUMBAI INDIANS TO FIFTH WIN

Rohit Sharma provided Mumbai Indians with a brisk start, Rising Pune Supergiants v Mumbai Indians, IPL 2016, Pune, May 1, 2016. (BCCI)

ESPNcricinfo - Mumbai Indians brought the curtains down on Maharashtra Day with an eight-wicket win over Rising Pune Supergiants at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Rohit Sharma’s fourth halfcentury in a successful chase this season - an unbeaten 60ball 85 - helped make light work of a 160-run target and sealed Mumbai’s fifth win with nine balls to spare. Rohit merely completed the job that was set up by Mumbai’s bowlers, who clawed back to concede only 66 in the second half of Supergiants’ innings after Steven Smith and Saurabh Tiwary had clobbered the ball all over the ground in a swift, second-wicket stand of 84. A flurry of boundaries, misjudged catches and poor fielding formed the crux of the first 10 overs of the Supergiants innings after they were put in to bat. Ajinkya Rahane was

Jasprit Bumrah celebrates after dismissing Steven Smith, Rising Pune Supergiants v Mumbai Indians, IPL 2016, Pune, May 1, 2016. (AFP) dismissed early but Smith, who offered a tough chance to Parthiv Patel on 1, was quickly into his stride, hitting three successive boundaries off Tim Southee in the third over.

Axar hat-trick helps Kings XI topple Lions ESPNcricinfo - Axar Patel took four wickets in five balls, including the first hat-trick of the season, to pave the way for Kings XI Punjab’s 23-run win against table-toppers Gujarat Lions in Rajkot. Axar’s burst reduced Lions to 57 for 6 in their chase of 155, setting up the side’s second win of the season. Both sides suffered batting collapses but Lions were poorer as they stuttered to their second loss of the season. Kings XI’s defence of 154 got off to an ideal start with the early wickets of Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina, as both batsmen missed straight balls from Mohit Sharma. After a slow Powerplay, Axar was brought on in the seventh over, his second of the innings. Off the third ball, Dwayne Smith muscled a lofted drive and found Gurkeerat Singh at long-off. Two balls later, the left-arm spinner got one to skid through and Dinesh Karthik’s inside edge clattered into leg stump. Dwayne Bravo chopped the first ball he faced onto his stumps and the over ended with Lions at a shaky 39 for 5. Brought back in the 11th over, Axar then got his first ball to dart past Ravindra Jadeja’s outside edge. It seemed like bat had hit pad, but the umpire raised his finger. This was Axar’s first T20 hat-trick, and the 14th of the tournament. Thereafter, Lions were always behind the climbing asking rate. Kings XI’s new

captain M Vijayrotated his bowlers continuously. Ishan Kishan and James Faulkner added to Lions’ score but the slide had taken much of the game out of their hands. At the halfway stage, however, it did not seem like Kings XI had enough. Despite a flying start from Vijay and Marcus Stoinis, Kings XI collapsed to 154. Vijay’s sweetly timed drives and flicks off Lions’ seamers, Dhawal Kulkarni and Praveen Kumar, helped the side score 34 off the first four overs. Vijay contributed 31 of those. Stoinis, then, cut loose and Kings XI plundered 59 off the Powerplay, their highest this season. In the seventh over, Stoinis ran past a slider from Jadeja and the wicket sparked

another Kings XI collapse. Chinaman bowler Shivil Kaushik’s whippy action forced Kings XI to look for pushes and nudges. Shaun Marsh could not keep one of those flicks down and found midwicket. On a pitch with a bit of grass, Kaushik found no turn, but his quick-arm action caused the ball to skid off the surface. One ball after Marsh was dismissed, Glenn Maxwell missed an attempted a cut off Kaushik and the ball snuck under his bat. Dinesh Karthik belted out an appeal and the umpire raised his finger, much to Maxwell’s bewilderment. Kings XI’s situation worsened when Gurkeerat Singh, one of four changes for Kings XI, was run out after an acrobatic effort from James

Axar Patel ripped through Gujarat Lions’ middle order, Gujarat Lions v Kings XI Punjab, IPL 2016, Rajkot, May 1, 2016 ©AFP

Faulkner at point. Kings XI stuttered from 65 for 0 in the seventh over to 73 for 4 in the ninth. David Miller and Wriddhiman Saha, though, found the boundary regularly in their 39-run stand for the sixth wicket. They tried to build a platform for a late surge but that did not come as Dwayne Bravo and Praveen Kumar brought out their slower balls to flummox Kings XI’s lower order. Lions conceded one four off the last three overs and picked up five wickets to bowl Kings XI out. Scores: Kings XI Punjab 154 (Vijay 55, Saha 33, Kaushik 3-20) beat Gujarat Lions 131 for 9 (Faulkner 32, Kishan 27, Axar 4-21, Mohit 3-32) by 23 runs.

The confidence of a century in the previous game showed in Smith’s intent to dominate. One moment, he was pulling in front of square. Next he swiftly used the depth of the crease to cut and ramp the ball over third man. He raced to 33 off 14 deliveries as Supergiants brought up their fifty in the sixth over. Smith was not the only Supergiants batsman to ride his luck. Tiwary should have been dismissed for 4 by Mitchell McClenaghan but Jasprit Bumrah fluffed a regulation chance at mid-on i n t h e f o u r t h o v e r. Galvanized by the let-off, Tiwary raced from 6 off 11 deliveries to 34 off 22 balls. He was eventually dismissed for 57 off 45 balls, his first halfcentury in the IPL since the 2013 season. His modus operandi was simple: staying deep inside the crease, he cleared his front leg and used his broad shoulders to repeatedly find the leg-side boundaries. He was severe on left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya, who was hit for two sixes and a four in his second over that went for 20. Bumrah was brought back with Supergiants at 91 for 1 in nine overs, and he struck off his second d e l i v e r y a s S m i t h ’s attempted dab down to third man resulted in a deflection to MS Dhoni. From there on, the innings stuttered like a two-stroke engine running out of oil. Peter Handscomb was dismissed quickly and those wickets not only allowed Mumbai to apply the brakes, but also brought about hesitancy in Tiwary’s game. MS Dhoni, who walked in to bat at No. 5 in the 13th over, also struggled to bring out his big hits. While McClenaghan hustled the batsmen with

pace, Bumrah varied his lengths effectively with yorkers and cutters. Harbhajan Singh, too, kept a lid on the runs by darting the ball and cramping the batsmen for room. The squeeze meant that Supergiants scored only three fours and a six in their last 11 overs. Mumbai had the momentum going into the break and Rohit made his intentions clear when they came out to bat. Happy to swing at the length balls, he got away with two thick edges that flew towards third man i n t h e t h i r d o v e r. Parthiv was in sparkling form, driving Ashok Dinda for three successive boundaries before nicking the fourth ball to Dhoni. By then, Mumbai had wiped out 39 in four overs. Ambati Rayudu played a typical innings, quietly nudging the ball, picking singles and hitting the odd boundary. He switched to attack in the eighth over, Ashwin’s first, by stepping out and lofting the offspinner for a six over long-on. There was little pressure to contend with and Rohit effortlessly reeled off the runs, a majority of which came in the arc between deep midwicket and long-on. Rayudu’s wicket gave Supergiants a brief respite but an equation of 67 from eight overs allowed Jos Buttler enough time to find his range. At the other end, Rohit brought up his fifty off 38 balls and ensured that Supergiants’ campaign was left in disarray with their sixth loss in eight matches. Scores: Mumbai Indians 161 for 2 (Rohit 85*, Buttler 27) beat Rising Pune Supergiants 159 for 5 (Tiwary 57, Smith 45, Bumrah 3-29) by eight wickets.