Monday November 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
The PNC did not embrace the blatant massive corruption that exists today
DEAR EDITOR, We continue to be extremely disappointed by the rabid and in some cases untrue statements coming from the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. In his latest release, he stated “If we examine the facts, during the 1970s and most of the 1980s, the PNC destroyed and decimated Guyana’s private sector. They expropriated the private sector’s assets, intimidated and effectively banished the entrepreneurial class, and completely destroyed the environment for doing business. Their attitude today reveals that, although they are attempting to hide behind the thin veil of a new name, their hostility towards the private sector is much the same, and they remain diametrically opposed to private sector led development.” For the Minister to say that the PNC had decimated the private sector is stretching the truth and he ought to know better. We will not allow the minister or anyone else in the PPP to distort the record of the PNC in order to score cheap political points or to spread their barefaced propaganda to distract the nation from the massive corruption that is taking place daily in every government department and high crime that they are unable to solve. We would like to inform the minister that the PNC did not embrace the blatant massive corruption that exists today in every level of the PPP government and no minister in the PNC government has built mansions like those in Pradoville one and two. The PNC under the late President Forbes Burnham did not approve a pension of $3 million per month and an unlimited number of security and other personnel for a President after he demits office. The PNC did not squander US$230 million of the taxpayers’ money on the white elephant sugar factory at Skeldon and billions more on the idle Enmore sugar packaging plant and on the unfinished Marriott Hotel and the dried up Amalia Falls. The PNC did not give contracts to friends and relatives to build or paved roads that washed away three weeks after construction or sold state lands and properties to friends for a far cheaper price than the market value. In
building the Demerara Bridge, the PNC put the interest of the people first by charging them the cheapest toll possible whereas, the PPP built the Berbice Bridge and put their friends first by allowing them to reap hundreds of millions in financial profits and not the people who have to pay the highest toll in the world to cross the bridge. This is more than enough evidence that the PPP has abandoned the poor and the working class in Guyana for their wealthy friends. Furthermore, it was the PNC Government and in particular Mr. Carl Greenidge and President Hoyte who saved this country’s economy under the Economic Recovery Program (ERP). The foundation for the period of continued growth under Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Dr Asgar Ally was laid by Carl Greenidge in 1989 which saw growth in GDP under a PNC
Government in 1991 and 1992 of 6 percent and 7.8 percent respectively. In terms of history, the Minister of Finance in his selective mind has ignored these solid achievements of the PNC by using the PPP play book to spread propaganda. We want Dr. Singh to know that these high growth rates did not happen by accident or not by state intervention but by an active buy-in from the respectable private sector which invested billions into the Guyanese economy under the post proprivate sector Government ever in the history of Guyana – the Hoyte Government. But Dr Singh quite skillfully chooses not to remember these facts in his rabid propaganda campaign. Dr. Singh also chooses not to remember that as a result of the solid economic work of Carl Greenidge, Dr. Jagan’s Government saw an average
From page 4 the government of the day that shapes one’s life with the decisions ‘we’ as a people allow it to make. When as a people we fail to act and demand these elected ‘servants’ of government to carry out their respective constitutional mandate, it only empowers them to not heed to the demands of the people. Government’s relentless pursuit to forcefully have the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Amendment Bill to be just accepted by the opposition, which represents the majority of the people’s interest, is nothing but ridiculous. Is this government serious? The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh is arguably one of the best debaters in parliament, and I would match him with the likes of former M.P Aubrey Norton, Winston Murray, Khemraj Ramjattan, to name a few. He posits that the (AML/CFT) Bill is of such importance, that it should not be made a ‘subject of political bartering’. Isn’t this what politics embodies, compromise, negotiation, cooperation, give and take, finding the common ground and even bartering? His pigeonholing of the time span the opposition had from May 2013 to make their contributions as reckless
behavior is shocking and outrageous. I wonder how he would categorize the several years his government’s had. This critical piece of legislation is one that requires the time for careful and insightful scrutiny so the possibilities of loopholes are non-existent or very minimal. All stakeholders who have vociferously ventilated their positions on the importance of having this bill passed, should also express the same level of concern and aspiration for the already passed bills in the national assembly to be given the president’s assent, more specifically the Public Procurement Commission. This bill will certainly reduce the extremely high level of corruption on a national scale. Is this not what the people want? Isn’t a government’s foremost desire to honor the request of the people who elected them to serve their interest? When we the people of this land fail to recall government, elected and appointed officials to the mandate to ‘serve’ the interest of the people, then the dream and the essence of the words carved in our motto, of one people, one nation, one destiny, would never be attained. It would be nothing more than a fleeting illusion, a present fantasy. Jermaine Figueira
We the people...
growth in the economy between 1993-1997 of 7.4 percent. Dr. Singh and the twisted minds in the PPP are selective in what they want the people to know about the PNC achievements, but facts are facts and the truth must be revealed to the public, hence the debunking of the PPP propaganda, distortions and untruths. These are the hard facts, but as every day goes by, Dr. Singh and others in the corrupt PPP regime continue to ignore the truth as they clothe themselves in the illusionary world of political deception and subterfuge, just like how they believe there is no corruption and no conflict of interest between the Office of the Minister of Finance and the Audit Office, even though one is the spouse of the other. It is quite sad that supposedly ministers who are sworn to uphold the constitution and tell the truth can reduce themselves to such fabrication and “mud marching” politics in the 21st century. Dr. Asquith Rose and Chandra Deollal, Esq.
PETTING ZOO AN EXCELLENT IDEA
DEAR EDITOR, In your edition Nov 01/13 I read Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission Damian Fernandes is planning to have a petting Zoo in the compound of the National Zoo and that most of the animals housed will be rescued animals. I thank Damian and his team for that. In these times we need people who are not only focused on earning money but also have some compassion in their hearts for animals. This is an excellent way of teaching kindness and compassion to our future generations. I think we all can play a part in helping Damian Fernandes make his team’s plan a reality by contributing money, equipment and supplies. I am a big fan of the Zoo and have donated four large cages/kennels for temporary housing of animals and will continue to donate time and supplies when called upon. I would also like to mention that the Zoo has an excellent supervisor. Amerissa Spelling is very approachable and kind. Syeada Manbodh
We want ideas from anyone that will work to make Georgetown beautiful again DEAR EDITOR, With disgust I write this letter about the City Council’s saga. This type of abuse that the local government ministers are putting Ms. Sooba through makes her look very unqualified for her job. She is not seeing it, but the country is, and its women see it and want it no longer. We do not want power struggle, we want ideas from anyone that will work to make the city clean and beautiful again. Such input should not be and must not be treated with contempt. This is the first time this kind of attitude is displayed by a Town Clerk of City Council and it is ridiculous. My family and I voted for the ruling party, and we will never do this again... (We’re sorry). S. Glasgow
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Minister to be blamed if Guyana Misappropriating funds at loses US$20M from Norway NDCs would not be tolerated - all matters will be placed with the police The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development has warned that misappropriation of public funds by Regional authorities will not be tolerated. This is according to Norman Whittaker, Junior Local Government Minister, who related that leaders of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and Municipalities would be placed before the court once monies are misappropriated. He said the Ministry is intensifying its programme of monitoring and checking records at NDCs and Municipalities. Currently, focus is being placed on the NDCs to ensure systems are being followed, proper record keeping and accountability. “Since we can’t do all the NDCs at the same time, we do take decisions as to which ones we would ask our officers to target. In the process we have encountered some irregularities, where Overseers would have misappropriated what were essentially public funds,” he said. Making reference to
Minister Norman Whittaker several instances where funds were found to be misappropriated, he said at Unity NDC, Mahaica, the overseer, Mohamed Shahabudeen, was dismissed for misusing funds. “We did indicate to him that it did not mean that we could not take other recourse. In fact, that matter has been put in the hands of the police.” In September last, the Overseer reportedly misused $1.5M belonging to the NDC and was placed in the Cove and John lock-ups almost immediately after an audit revealed that the money was missing. The man had admitted taking the money and had planned to replace it before the audit exposed his plan. Meanwhile, the Overseer of Beterverwagting/Triumph NDC, who did not acknowledge misusing funds, was suspended, Whittaker said. However, that matter too
is in the hands of the police. One of the most tiring misappropriation cases the Ministry encountered was that of the Grove/Diamond NDC. The Minister emphasized that that was a case he inherited when he first came to the Ministry. He said that the person a c k n o w l e d g e d misappropriating the funds at a very early stage of the investigations, saving the Ministry a lot of time and resources in carrying out various checks. The money was repaid and essentially, the Ministry was very concerned about being repaid. “What we wanted was the funds back. But, since that time, all matters of misappropriation that we have discovered, we have summoned the Auditor General to do a further checks and place it in the hands of the police,” he said. The Minister did not mention the fraud at Eccles/ Ramsburg NDC, which also engaged the attention of the police. In March 2013, Minister of Local Government, Ganga Persaud told reporters that attempts were made to contact the overseer, Raul Kissoon, with police even turning up at his city home. Kissoon disappeared in January after just a few months on the job. He allegedly misappropriated $4.5M, representing rates and taxes paid by residents of Eccles, Bagotstown, Nandy Park and Republic Park, Peters Hall and Providence. The Office of the Auditor General was called in after NDC officials could not make contact with Kissoon and were forced to break into his office.
- APNU MP The government this past week admitted that it could lose an estimated US$20M from its forest-saving deal with Norway and according to A Partnership for National Unity’s Joseph Harmon, Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud is to be blamed. The possible loss of the funds comes as a result of increased deforestation in Guyana. In laying the blame at the feet of Minister Persaud, Harmon said that it is his Ministry that is responsible for the issuance of the various licences to log and mine in Guyana’s vast forest. According to Harmon, it is Persaud’s responsibility to ensure that lawful mining and logging activities are kept within sustainable and agreed criteria. He said too that when it comes to illegal mining or logging, it is also Persaud’s responsibility to ensure that the laws are enforced and measures put in place in order to curb it, “so, yes, it is his fault.” Under the five-year forest-saving deal with Norway, Guyana needed to monitor the amount of the forest cut down, and to keep it at a level agreed to by the two countries. Once Guyana kept its end of the deal, it would bank US$250 million, but now a chunk of that could be lost.
APNU’s Joseph Harmon
Minister Robert Persaud
The reason is that under the agreement with Norway, the number of trees being chopped down, or what is called deforestation, was set at 0.07 per cent, but a monitoring and evaluation exercise found that last year, the level of deforestation was 0.079 per cent, more than allowed under the agreement between the two countries. When that percentage is converted into actual forest loss, it means that more than 36,000 acres of forests were cut down in 2012 and that was about 9,000 acres more than that cut down the year before. In announcing the possible loss of money from Norway, Persaud said, “If what we have is accurate…somewhere in the range of about US$20M or thereabouts could be lost.” The Minister said that a
University contracted by the Guyana Forestry Commission, plus an independent team from Norway has to verify the report and the increased level of deforestation has to be confirmed before it could be said with certainty that the Norwegian funds could be lost. Jagdesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission, said that those two verification processes could be completed by the end of this month. The new deforestation figures are contained in Guyana’s third national report on deforestation rates under the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system – a mechanism under REDD+, the UN programme for saving the world’s rainforest.
Magistrate orders SKYE programme for 20-year-old After listening to the plight of a desperate 20-yearold, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry subjected the youth to training under
the USAID Skills Knowledge and Youth Employment (SKYE) Project. Rawl DaCosta, on Tuesday appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where he faced a fraudulent conversion charge, to which he pleaded guilty. It is alleged that on October 23, at Hyme Backdam, North West District, DaCosta, being solely entrusted with 25 pennyweight of raw gold by Malita Craig to deliver to Nigel Knights, fraudulently converted almost half to his own use. Police Prosecutor Sergeant Bharat Mangru told the court that Craig handed over the gold to DaCosta so that he can deliver it to her husband. The court heard that after the youngster delivered the precious metal, the recipient recognized that the amount was short, he questioned him about the balance. When he could not give a
proper explanation, a report was made to the police station which led to the defendant being arrested and charged. When the Magistrate enlightened the young man that the penalty attached to this offence is five years, DaCosta proceeded to explain the circumstances which led him to commit the act. DaCosta, in open court stated, that he is a gold miner who had entered the ‘bush’ for about one week when he received word that his grandmother had passed away. DaCosta stated he did not have enough money to purchase clothing nor pay his passage and that it was under those circumstances that he converted a portion of the gold which was entrusted to him. DaCosta told the court that his grandmother who died in Canada will be buried in Pomeroon. When asked by the Magistrate whether he can repay Craig, DaCosta (Continued on page 23)
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Shanique Myrie may have to wait four months for CCJ award Jamaica Observer - The Government says that a four-month wait could be considered the outer limit for Jamaican Shanique Myrie to receive the J$3.6 million that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) awarded her in her suit against Barbados. Minister of justice, Senator Mark Golding, who was responding in the Senate Friday to questions tabled by Opposition Senator Robert Montague, said that there is very little guidance, generally, as to the exact meaning of “prompt compliance”. However, he said that it is generally taken to mean “without delay”, or “within a reasonable time”. “Based on the jurisprudence of the CCJ, this must be less than four months,” Golding said. “However, the Government will not, at this stage, presume to doubt the readiness of Barbados to comply with the judgement promptly. As a state party to the agreement and the Treaty of Chaguaramas, Barbados has assumed an obligation to comply with all the judgements of the Court promptly. It would be premature for the Government of Jamaica to speculate on this matter, or to express any doubt about a fellow member state’s willingness to assume its obligation to comply with the Court’s orders,” he added. In a ruling issued on October 4, the CCJ awarded Myrie a total of Bds$75,000 or J$3.6 million after it found that the Barbados Government had breached her right
Shanique Myrie to enter the country under article 5 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. Myrie took the Barbados Government to the CCJ, alleging that she was discriminated against because of her nationality when she arrived in Barbados on March 14, 2011. The 25-year-old also said she was subjected to a dehumanising body-cavity search and placed in an unsanitary cell before being deported the next day to Jamaica. The Barbados Government denied the claims and argued at the trial that Myrie had been untruthful to Immigration officials. Myrie wanted the CCJ to determine the minimum standard of treatment for Caricom citizens moving within the region under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. She asked the CCJ to award her almost US$500,000 in punitive damages for the treatment she received on her visit to Barbados. She also wanted the regional court to award costs and special damages.
On Friday in the Senate, Montague asked what plans the Jamaican Government had to ensure that the other provisions of the judgement are enforced. Golding responded that the judgement regarding the right of entry is binding on all Caricom states still participating in the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). He said that measures to ensure its implementation, at the Caricom level, would therefore be pursued through the Legal Affairs Committee of Caricom and other relevant bodies and organs of the regional
body. “A meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee was scheduled for the end of October, but is being rescheduled. It is anticipated that the meeting may be held in November,” Golding explained. “Therefore, while there is no mechanism within the court to enforce compliance, either through contempt proceedings or the imposition of fines, the Government of Jamaica will engage in dialogue at the diplomatic level and in various organs and bodies of Caricom to ensure that appropriate decisions are taken so that the free movement
regime, as interpreted by the court, is fully implemented,” he stated. He said that Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and its high commission in Port of Spain, Trinidad, has consistently encouraged Jamaica nationals to come forward with their complaints. However, he said that unless Jamaicans file reports with the relevant Jamaican High Commission or, on return, with a local immigration officer, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government would not be aware of incidents, unless they are reported in the media.
US to curtail offshore tax evasion in the C’bean WASHINGTON - CMC – The United States Department of Treasury says it is taking steps to curtail offshore tax evasion in the Caribbean and other places. The US Treasury Department along with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have issued a notice for foreign financial institutions (FFIs) to comply with information reporting and withholding tax provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The department said the FATCA is “rapidly becoming the global standard in the effort to curb offshore tax evasion.” According to the Treasury Department, to date it has reached 16 agreements “in substance and is engaged in related conversations
with many more jurisdictions.” “The notice, which is the next step in implementation, previews proposed guidance and provides a draft agreement for participating FFIs directly engaging in agreements with the IRS and those reporting through a Model 2 intergovernmental agreement (IGA),” the statement said. “It provides FFIs with advance notice prior to the beginning of FATCA withholding and account due diligence requirements on July 1, 2014,” it added, stating that the FFI agreement will be finalized by year’s end. Robert B. Stack, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs, said the Agreement and forthcoming guidance have been designed to
“minimize administrative burdens and related costs for foreign financial institutions and withholding agents.” He said the latest preview “demonstrates the Administration’s commitment to ensuring full global cooperation and a smooth implementation.” In 2010, the US Congress enacted FATCA as “a way to identify US citizens using foreign accounts to evade their US tax responsibilities.” FATCA requires US financial institutions to withhold a portion of payments made to FFIs that do not agree to identify and report information on US account holders. The US Treasury Department said it has taken a global approach to the exchange of tax information in its implementation of FATCA.
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GUYANA IS A FREE-FOR-ALL A few days ago, I noticed some school-aged children looking very excited in front of a vendor’s stand. The school children were rifling through scores of pornographic movies that were being sold openly at around US$1 per copy. The children were buying the material. When I asked my escort why undercover cops were not identifying those that pedal such material in public, he showed me a man who was deeply engrossed in going through the sex tapes. “That man is a policeman and even he is buying the movies.” I asked what about his superiors; surely they ought to be told of what is taking place and take action. My escort looked at me and nonchalantly asked, “Who do you think owns that stand?” But what about the religious organizations? Why are they not demanding that sexually explicit material not be sold in public? Again my escort asked, “Who do you think are some of the biggest customers of these stands? And then, answering his own question, he continued, ”The same persons who go to these
religious organizations that you seem to feel should be speaking out against the sale of pornography in public.” There is a free-for-all in Guyana; whatever you can think about, you can get it and at next to nothing too. On September 14 last, Floyd Mayweather Jr. comfortably defeated Saul Alvarez in their world championship boxing match. The fight was watched by millions throughout the world; in the United States boxing fans paid as much as US$60 for the opportunity to see the fight at home via Pay– per-View cable television. In Guyana, boxing fans got the fight free compliments of both local cable operators and television. It is just one of the benefits of living in Guyana. We get all these major sporting events free of cost, unlike those who live in the richest countries in the world and have to pay to view these events. There is, however, a downside to all this freeness. It can bring good material to local viewers but it can also bring a lot of bad stuff such as pornography. Parents are often derided for not taking measures to
prevent their children from watching sexually explicit or highly violent material on television and over the internet. But how successful can parental supervision be exercised when there are cases in which sexually explicit movies are shown during the daytime on local television and when certain internet sites which display sexually explicit material are freely available? Children are now receiving their first lessons in sexual education not at home nor in school but on the internet and on the streets. There are internet sites which can be accessed without inhibitions in Guyana by any person of any age. When the PPP/C first came to power in October 1992, the internet companies operating in Guyana had installed a special firewall that prevented their clients from accessing certain material that was deemed offensive to morals. The PPP/C decided to pull down the firewall because in their estimation it represented a restriction on freedom of information. They seemed to have overlooked the fact that freedoms are not absolute
Dem boys seh
Robeson set up a deck of cards Robeson been to de North West to inspect some works and he fall down. He is not de first person to fall down but he was de most famous to tek that fall in de North West. He knock he back and he groan. Dem boys seh that is a good thing a man who does fix up Caterpillar engines been nearby. He pick up Robeson and put he fuh sit down. Dem mek a phone call to Donald who ask dem if dem want a plane to medevac de Minister but Robeson heself tell Donald that dem got more serious thing to do. He seh that if people hear bout de fall then instead of calling he de hammer man dem gun call he de fall guy. Well things get bad because de people at de airport did hear bout de fall and dem was crying. In fact, dem boys seh that dem was crying so much that dem didn’t see two plane heading to one another. And one of dem had Robeson. De pilot dem manage to dodge one another and that was when one of de people pun de plane tell Robeson that if a man come fuh bun he can’t drown. Well whole day Diwali day Robeson been looking fuh a good obeah man to get a read. He want to know how he gun
end up. And while he was doing that dem had some people close to Donald who been walking round wid money to pay people to vote fuh de anti-money laundering Bill. Khemraj tell dem boys that de people come to he and he chase dem. De same two meet wid Granger people and now people waiting to see who tek
because dem got to vote when Thursday come. De money come from de set that some people trying to launder before de hammer fall pun Guyana. Things starting to fall like a deck of cards. Is not by accident that all of a sudden people building some big edifice. De money don’t mean nutten. Talk half and watch how things gun fall into place soon.
and there are always restrictions on morally offensive content. Today, with the firewalls down, all manner of sexually explicit content can be seen online. But access can still be restricted through configuring individual firewalls for users, which is what many parents do. The problem, however, is twofold. Firstly, not many parents actually know how to block offensive material by configuring their individual firewalls. Secondly, pornographic tapes are widely and openly sold in public in Guyana; they are even available in video stores.
Outside of religious and moral considerations, there is a need for local agitation to bring order to what takes place in Guyana regarding the sale of sexually explicit material. Teenagers are especially at a high risk and vulnerable to the influences of pornography. They are at a stage of their lives where their body and their moral values are sending conflicting signals to their brain and therefore there is a need for them to understand their hormones and the effects this is having on their bodies. This understanding is the best form of sex education
that can be made available in homes and in schools. But this is not happening because most teenagers, compliments of pornography and the internet, now receive their sexual education outside of the home and outside of the classrooms. The results are going to be tragic because the material that is online and in the streets do not teach sexual respect; they promote sexual rage, sexual promiscuity and sexual perversion.
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APNU not concerned about Public Magistrate orders Radio Announcer Procurement Act now - Granger to do 53 hours of community service A partnership of National Unity (APNU) has said that contrary to what Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon announced about APNU’s support of the Alliance for Change’s (AFC) position that a Public Procurement Commission (PPC) must be established before the Anti Money Laundering and Countering of Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) bill is supported, is not the same position APNU shares. Opposition leader David Granger at his press briefing on Friday, said that while the establishment of the PPC is important, it is not a concern that his party shares at this time, more so with respect to tying it with the passing of the AML legislation. “The concerns about the Public Procurement Act have nothing to do with APNU at this point in time or our attitude towards the AML/ CFT Bill. APNU does not see the need for the PPC to be established before the passing of the AML legislation, since the party believes that there is no connection between the two. Granger said, “They are two different matters, there is no nexus between the two, we want a good anti-money laundering Bill and whether or not the Public Procurement Commission comes along is a different matter and we will deal with that when the time
Leader of APNU David Granger
Leader of AFC Khemraj Ramjattan
comes” Granger posited. According to the Opposition Leader, “Right now our focus is on ensuring that the people of this country get AML legislation which will actually prevent the laundering of money and the enforcement to go with that. “Right now we have no confidence that the bill as it stands should be approved and that is why we recommended that it go in a special committee in the first place.” The Alliance for Change (AFC) position is that for them to assent or give support to the AML/CFT bill, a Public Procurement Commission must be established, since they both operate synonymously. That party’s position is that you can’t have a money laundering legislation passed without having the PPC
established, since most of the money is laundered through corrupt public contracts that Government has power and control over. The PPC, an independent autonomous body which is constitutionally mandated, is needed to go along with the money laundering legislation, said the AFC. AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan said, “While antimoney laundering measures are needed, passing the Bill without having the Procurement Commission in place is akin to locking the barn door while the fattest pig is still out in the yard.” Leader of the Alliance for Change Khemraj Ramjattan during his recent press briefing articulated that “in direct and indirect ways, the absence of the PPC has resulted in why so much substandard infrastructure work has been done regionally and nationally, why public servants and workers generally cannot have better wages and salaries, and why a sultanate of extremely rich persons has been created.” According to Ramjattan, “People want us to pass the AML Bill without the Procurement Commission. He said two of them came to my chambers to offer monies to me personally to have it passed without the Procurement Commission pleading that I change my position. “I literally had to chase them out my office. That is not how Ramjattan operates or how any leader operates in the Alliance for Change.” The AFC leader made his position clear that his party will only support the AML/ CFT Bill if the PPC is established as it was intended to be without the amendment that the government wants to make which would place power back into the hands of Cabinet to have control over large contracts. “Guyanese are entitled to and must have both the Public Procurement Commission and Anti Money Laundering legislation. One is not enough,” he pronounced.
Police Constable gun... (From page 2) the injured man to the hospital since he was bleeding from the head. But instead of being taken to the hospital, the injured rank was taken to the Kitty Police Station, where he had to wait for about an hour before he was actually taken for medical attention. It was while he was at the Kitty Station that a senior officer confirmed that the injured man was indeed a member of the Guyana Police Force.
Popular NTN Radio Announcer Ossie Rogers, who, according to Magistrate Alex Moore, thought he was above the law, was on Friday last found guilty on two of three charges. Rogers was fined $100,000 and ordered to do 53 hours of community service by the Magistrate, who found him guilty of resisting arrest and failing to obey a lawful direction by a police officer. He was also charged with driving a vehicle with a tinted glass without a permit. However, that matter was dismissed by the Magistrate because the police officer did not use a tint meter. The court heard that Rogers, who hosts a morning show on radio, committed the offences on August 12, on
the Sparendaam Public Road, within the vicinity of the Sparendaam Police Station. Court documents revealed that the radio announcer was stopped by the police officer, who informed him about the tinted windows of his vehicle. However he became abusive and subsequently resisted arrest. He was finally subdued and taken to the Sparendaam Police Station where he was charged with the said offences. When he was brought before Magistrate Moore, he had pleaded not guilty to the charges. On Friday last, before the decision was handed down, Magistrate Moore told Rogers in a stern manner that if he were to be brought back to the court for the similar
Ossie Rogers charges, he would be “jailed.” While Rogers has up to January next year to pay the fine, his community service is expected to start today at the Sparendaam Police Station and has to be completed by December 5.
Guyana looking to sustain academic performances with more trained teachers In light of the fact that trained teachers are an important pre-requisite to the proper delivery of quality education, strategic moves have been engaged by Government through the Ministry of Education to plug more of the into the education system. Moreover, efforts have been made to introduce satellite teachers’ training centres across the country with a view to allowing greater access to training for trainee teachers. And this ambitious undertaking, according to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, is intended to replicate a situation that already obtains in the Region 10 community of Linden. Hinds, who himself hails from the mining town, disclosed that currently, Linden has almost 100 per cent trained teachers and he noted that Government is fervently working to have similar accomplishments countrywide. The Prime Minister ’s remarks were forthcoming during his address at the Ministry of Education’s 17th National Award Ceremony on Thursday last. According to Hinds, Government has not only recognised the importance of improving the conditions under which education is delivered to the nation’s children but also the need to constantly train more teachers. “We see this evenhanded approach to education paying dividends...we see the fruits in our young ones. Children all over this country can do
Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds exceptionally well at exams and at extra-curricular activities,” asserted the Prime Minister. At a recent press conference, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, disclosed that currently, the education sector is furnished with about 70 per cent trained teachers, a development which reflects a move from 30 per cent some two decades ago. In fact, the Minister disclosed that in the quest to improve the delivery of education, efforts have also been made to ensure that teachers are paid more than they have ever been. “The investment over the years has produced things that we can count, tabulate and celebrate...does that mean we don’t have work to do?...we have a lot of work to do,” asserted the Minister. And according to Hinds, since Government’s investment has already been yielding excellent
performances at various points – developments that must be celebrated – the areas of shortcomings must therefore be carefully noted and addressed. He underscored that while there exist the noticeable challenge of unsatisfactory passes in the areas of Mathematics and English, it is also known that this state of affairs is not unique to Guyana. “This is a Regional problem; but a problem nevertheless for us,” said Hinds even as he mentioned that the Ministry of Education has not only recognised the problem but has crafted a number of interventions aimed at addressing it. “I trust that the entire nation will give its wholehearted support to our Minister of Education as she rolls out these initiatives. This Government would like to see all relevant stakeholders involved in this task of improving educational performance across the country,” said Hinds. Moreover, it is the expectation of the Prime Minister that the celebration of this year’s top performers will motivate all to redouble their efforts and pave the way for good performance becoming the standard in the not too distant future. Achieving this though, Hinds noted, would require that people be ready and willing to learn from each other so that the ways of success would become well known and practiced by all.
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Monday November 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Thirteen-day-old Cane Grove Bridge sinks Recently completed bridge constructions at Strathaven, Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara have begun to raise the eyebrows of villagers. This comes even as one of the recently constructed bridges, leading out of the western side of the community, almost caved on Saturday, less than two weeks after its completion. Residents explained that the community hosts three gateway bridges, two providing access to the western side and one leading into the eastern side. They said that only recently, works were undertaken by authorities to rebuild some of the bridges, as they were visibly aged, after having served the community for approximately two decades. As it turned out, however, and much to the villagers’ dismay, the two bridges on the western side were the only ones to undergo reconstruction while the bridge leading into the eastern half remains untouched. More than that, it was one of the gateway bridges on the western side of the
community that sank under the weight of an excavator. Fortunately, villagers on that side have the option of using the second bridge as the other “cannot serve its purpose anymore”. This has now become a cause for worry among the villagers as some expressed concern that “a bridge that cost millions of dollars did not even last two weeks”. One resident, stationed close to the site, noted that “sloppy work” is to be blamed as reconstruction works were completed in “only a day and a half”. Moreso, the resident noted that while arguments of the excavator “being too heavy for the bridge” were used to defend the substandard construction, bridges in that area ought to be built to hold heavy vehicles. He informed that the community houses primarily families engaged in agriculture and, as such, the use of heavy vehicles to traverse the roadway and bridges would be a norm. In further discrediting the recent construction works, the resident noted that the
The 13-day-old Cane Grove bridge that sank after an excavator used it as pathway. previous bridges have served comfortably for more than two decades, with minimal maintenance. He said that had the previous bridges undergone regular maintenance, they would have “lasted longer”. “What’s the sense repairing two bridges on one
side? Rebuilding a bridge on both sides would have been the common sensical approach to the situation,” one resident posited. Residents noted that in order to upkeep the bridge on the eastern side of the community, residents had taken to conducting repairs
through self help. It was noted that the Cane Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) had provided materials while the residents contributed labour to repair the bridge temporarily. Still, the “patches” are not enough. They are therefore calling
on the authorities to adjust their plans to accommodate the rebuilding of the eastern bridge as well as conducting repairs to the new bridge that almost caved in. According to residents, the contractor responsible for the “sloppy work” should “face the consequences”.
Safeguarding staffers on Infectious Airport taxi drivers contemplate action Diseases Ward high on GPHC’s agenda as concerns increase over new system Through its Quality Improvement Department, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has been seeking to safeguard its workers from infectious diseases, with immense focus being directed to Tuberculosis (TB). This is according to Quality Improvement Manager, Ms Yolanda Renville, who disclosed that all staffers attached to the hospital’s Infectious Diseases Ward are enrolled in a vibrant programme intended to ensure their wellbeing. This is done in light of the fact that infectious diseases, the likes of TB, are very rampant, Renville disclosed during an interview with this publication. She divulged that the disease, which can be lethal, can be easily transmitted when persons with active TB sneeze, cough or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air. In fact, according to Renville, who has been a nurse for the past eight years, just about one in four persons fall victim to the disease. In recognition of the fact that a staffer attached to the Infectious Diseases Ward can be exposed to the disease anywhere, extra precautions are taken to safeguard them in every sphere of their lives. Currently, the Infectious
Yolanda Renville Diseases Ward is manned around-the-clock by a total of 17 staffers, including doctors, nurses and cleaners, all of whom are subjected to a treatment programme which affords them preventative medicines. “Each staff member who works on the Infectious Diseases Ward, where TB cases are, we ensure that we give them things like vitamins...they have to be high on vitamins, especially Vitamin C, on a daily basis.” Added to this, the GPHC also seeks to ensure that the nutritional intake (food) of all staff members on this ward is optimum. These individuals, Renville explained, are required to inform the hospital when their nutritional supplies are depleted. “They are a well taken care of team of people,”
disclosed Renville, who insisted that so efficient has been the programme to safeguard staffers that there hasn’t been a single reported instance where a staff member has contracted TB, or any other infectious disease, on the ward. However, there have been staffers who have contracted TB elsewhere and were required to be relieved of their duties in order to be properly treated. “If we find a staff member has contracted TB...depending on their condition, sometimes we have to send them home for about nine months and we ensure that they are treated before they come back because TB is curable,” asserted Renville. “They stay off work until we know that it is safe for them to come back,” stressed the Quality Improvement Manager, even as she explained that this precautionary measure is essential to ensure that no other staff member or patient is exposed. According to Renville, a similar programme to safeguard patients is also in place at the hospital although efforts are ongoing to enlighten patients that some interactions with other patients and other individuals could prove to be a risky situation as well.
Taxi drivers operating at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, are contemplating their next move against what they say is “bullyism” in relation to new Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) being imposed. Several taxi drivers expressed dissatisfaction with the new measures which they say will have a negative impact on their smooth operations. Early last month, airport management, in a bid to improve safety and operating procedures, announced several changes. The operators said, however, that without proper consultation and representation, they are being forced to adhere to rules that are not in their best interests. The disgruntled drivers said that for more than five years, they have been operating without a taxi
association, since the airport management had it dismantled. They said from Tuesday, November 5, a strict rotation system among other things will be implemented. The drivers said that they are being asked to work in groups, while no outside jobs are being permitted. The drivers said that as contracted workers with no benefits or representation, any rules implemented by the airport should reflect the views of the operators. Drivers argued that they are being ordered to stay away from the arrival section: “We have to park and wait under a big tree whether rain or sun.” The drivers continued that they are also being ordered to leave the job at age 60, despite having to pay a monthly operation fee of $6,500. The drivers argued further that with all the new
implementations, the airport has failed to secure a favourable work environment since they are constantly competing with ‘pirates’, and have been functioning without a taxi dispatcher for the past four years. The drivers added that acceptance of special customers and outside jobs are now being met with penalties. According to a letter to the drivers dated October 30, airport management said that the dispatch of vehicles is now based on a turn system and passengers wishing to travel with a particular driver would have to wait until it is that driver’s turn. No soliciting of passengers is permitted, in any form. According to the letter, the first breach will be met with two weeks’ suspension while a driver will be dismissed for a second breach.
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Kaieteur News
Monday November 04, 2013
Trotman wants to secure independence of Parliament By Abena Rockcliffe
Speaker Raphael Trotman, sitting at the helm of the National Assembly, has expressed a deep desire to secure the complete independence of the Parliament Office. Trotman learnt, at the recently concluded 16th Biennial Regional Conference of Presiding Officers and Clerks of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, that a prior conference paved the way for Regional Parliaments to become financially independent and to have legal counsels. This he became aware of as he submitted a resolution for each Parliament to have a Legal Counsel department and become independent and autonomous from the Executive in terms of management of its own budget. Trotman told Kaieteur News that he was advised that the matters were already considered as part of the benchmark when the conference was held in Cayman Islands two years ago. He said that it is now his duty to take up that benchmark and have it enforced. The Speaker said that his predecessor, Ralph Ramkarran was pushing for the aforementioned to be put in place and he now plans to echo the calls made. Trotman also pointed to the “Office of Clerk of the National Assembly Bill” that was tabled by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Volda Lawrence. That piece of legislation seeks the establishment and administration of an independent Office of the
- Pushes for lump sum budgetary allocations and legal counsel
Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman Clerk of the National Assembly. It was rejected by the government and sent to a Special Select Committee and is now deemed by Trotman as “hanging.” He said, however, that he sees the pertinence of that “hanging piece of legislation”. But what Trotman is essentially pushing for is for Parliament to get lump sum budgetary allocations and of course a legal counsel. What is apparently most important is the lump sum allocation, as with that, it will be Parliament’s prerogative to appoint a legal counsel, once equipped with the finance. Trotman said that he will be “pushing” and speaking to all Parliamentary political parties about the matter. APNU’s Leader, David Granger told Kaieteur News on Friday that his party is in full support of the establishment of a Parliamentry office of budget and a legal counsel. He said that he didn’t know about the resolution and what provisions were
made but “what I do know is that it is necessary for Parliament to be fully independent”. However, not too long ago, at PPP press conference, Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford said she prefers to increase the number of staff of the Ministry of Legal Affairs who provide legal support to Parliament than for the Public Service Ministry to create a new structure within Parliament Office for a Legal Counsel. She said, currently, there is no establishment or position as a Legal Counsel in the structure of Parliament. Westford added that what exists is a Chief Parliamentary Counsel and his Deputy, who are attached to the Attorney General Office, Ministry of Legal Affairs. Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs had told Kaieteur News that in July, a letter was dispatched to the Minister requesting approval for the appointments of a Legal Counsel, Researcher, and Typist, which would have led to the creation of a Legal Division within the Parliament Office. An acknowledgement receipt of the letter was not received and a reminder letter was subsequently sent. Isaacs enlightened that the request for the creation of the post of Legal Counsel was based on a decision taken by the Parliamentary Management Committee. He said the Minister’s decision now puts him in a
tighter spot, since he has no legal background and would be tasked with reading the Bills before and after they are approved in the National Assembly. Much controversy had surrounded the delay in the assent to the four Local Government Bills which were unanimously passed in the National Assembly and which are necessary for the holding of elections. Nineteen years after the last Local Government Elections were held in Guyana, the National Assembly, on August 7, approved a suite of legislation to pave the way for a fresh round of elections. The House approved the Fiscal Transfers Bill, the Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) Bill, the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and the Local Government Commission Bill. This was after a 12-year period of attempting to reform the process. The Bills attracted some amount of “drama” in the National Assembly as the Government and the
Opposition went head-tohead with differing opinions. As the Bills were eventually passed, it was sent to Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Cecil Dhurjon, whose office is stationed at the Ministry of Legal Affairs. The Bills are still there some four months after being passed. Several stakeholders kicked up a stink at the hold up and Isaacs had come under fire. He sought to make it clear that he didn’t just dump the Bills at the Ministry of Legal Affairs and not look back. “I continuously checked and checked.” Isaacs stated categorically that “until such time that a legal hand is appointed to handle the affairs of these complex Bills, I will continue to send them to the Ministry of Legal Affairs” He said that he takes his chances with the Bills coming from Private Members (Members of the Opposition) because, as he claimed, those are pretty straightforward. However, Isaacs was adamant that he cannot take chances with the contentious Bills. Both the Alliance For Change and APNU believe the non-inclusion of a Legal Counsel within Parliament
Office structure is a violation of Parliamentary democracy. Parliamentary counsel is usually a body of lawyers who prepare legislation that is proposed to pass into law. The job of a parliamentary draftsman is to draft the detailed form of proposed laws, in a way that will accurately reflect the intentions of the politicians who are promulgating them, without leaving loopholes or producing perverse results. The National Assembly, in simple terms, can be described as the highest decision making body in a democratic society. It is referred to as the bastion of democracy and is supposed to be independent. The National Assembly, in most cases, is made up of executive and opposition. The president is not officially a part of the National Assembly but can choose to address it at any time. In most cases, the President only addresses the National Assembly once every five years. Only during this address is Parliament in progress; unless he is there the body is referred to as the National Assembly. The executive administration is supposed to be answerable to the National Assembly.
GTA launches inaugural Leguan Night The Ministry of Tourism has launched the inaugural Leguan Night, an event which is billed for November 9th, and which also includes a cultural pageant. The Planning Committee has promised that both islanders and visitors alike can expect an event that is by far the best that the island has ever hosted. During the launching, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh lauded the organizers for their vision and steadfast efforts towards ensuring that the activity will be staged successfully at the Greens Park Ground, Blenheim. Organizers are anticipating that thousands will flock the small island. He explained that among other things, the night of events will focus on cultural attractions such as beach activities, island tours, and opportunities for camping. It would commence with the beach sports such as volleyball and cricket, and will culminate in the evening with the much anticipated pageant where nine delegates will be competing for the title of Miss Leguan
- Cultural pageant on agenda
The St. Peter’s Anglican Church which has been in existence since 1855 2013. Their platforms range from Pollution, Peer Pressure, Domestic Violence, Teenage Pregnancy, Juvenile Delinquency, Women Empowerment, Rights of the Child and Child Abuse, to Unemployment in Leguan. Musical satisfaction will
be provided by the Shakti Strings Orchestra. Food and drinks would be on sale at Greens Park Ground, and the other attractions would include an exhibition of the products made on the island. Another highlight will be (Continued on page 23)
Monday November 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 21
Now, that’s insulting Liam Gallagher is an English musician, singer and songwriter known for his erratic behavior. When he heard that Victoria Beckham was planning to write a book his immediate reaction was, “She can’t even chew gum and walk in a straight line, let alone write a book.” This quip was first used to belittle the mental acuity of former US President Gerard Ford who got that way because “he had played too much football without a helmet.” Ford once occupied the post of Vice President which, according to John Nance Garner, the 32nd Vice President of the US, “is not worth a bucket of warm (urine)” and “was the worst damn fool mistake I ever made.” Johnny Carson, the king of Late Night comedy joked, “Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn’t grow up can be vice president.” Calvin Coolidge, the 29th Vice President, was noted for his taciturnity. In fact, when Dorothy Parker, the famous
wit, told him, “Mr. Coolidge, I’ve made a bet against a fellow who said it was impossible to get more than two words out of you”, Coolidge replied, “You lose.” Coolidge after hearing an opera singer’s poor performance was asked, “What do you think of the singer’s execution.” He replied succinctly, “I am all for it.” This is like Mahatma Gandhi’s response to the question, “What do you think of Western Civilisation?” His reply was, “I think it would be a good idea.” The Gallagher quip is tenth on the list of the Independent’s poll of history’s funniest insults. Number nine comes from the American comedienne, Bette Midler. Commenting on Princess Anne’s looks she said, “She (Princess Ann) loves nature, in spite of what it did to her.” Groucho Marx, perhaps the quickest comedian with a retort, said of an aging actress, “She got her good looks from her father. He’s a plastic
surgeon.” According to the website, “drmardy.com”, another actress ran into one of the best insults of all. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1944 film “Lifeboat,” a drama about eight survivors of a freighter sunk by a German U-Boat, was one of the most popular films of the year (it was also nominated for three Academy Awards). While posing for publicity photographs for the film, actress Mary Anderson approached the director and asked, “What is my best side, Mr. Hitchcock?” His reply which was soon circulated all around Hollywood was, “My dear, you’re sitting on it.” While Groucho and Hitchcock were not complimentary to actresses, Elizabeth Taylor did not think too highly about the ability of male actors. Coming in at number seven in the best insults list was her comment, “Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses.” Mamie van Doren was not too appreciative of them either. Her view of Warren Beatty was, “He’s the
type of man who will end up dying in his own arms.” Ronald Reagan, himself an actor, had this to say when he heard that Clint Eastwood, star of “Every Which Way But Loose” was running for the post of Mayor of the town of Carmel in California, “What makes him think a middleaged actor, who’s played with a chimp, could have a future in politics?” This was ironic and deliberately funny since one of Reagan’s early hit was also a monkey movie, “Bedtime With Bonzo.” Not every male actor is complimentary about his brother actors. Number six on the Independent’s poll is Frank Sinatra. He clearly did not like Robert Redford about whom he said, “Well at least he has found his true love – what a pity he can’t marry himself.” Redford had other critics, like Pauline Kael, perhaps the best movie critic of all time. She said, “He has turned almost alarmingly blond - he’s gone past platinum, he must be plutonium; his hair is coordinated with his teeth.”
Winston Churchill who came first in the poll also got the fifth spot. He was on the toilet and was told that the appropriately named official, the Lord Privy Seal, wanted to speak to him urgently. Churchill’s forced by forceful response was, “Tell him I can only deal with one s**t at a time.” Fourth was musician, Noel Gallagher, whose biting comment on Robbie Williams really stung, “You mean that fat dancer from Take That?” Liberace, the pianist, came third with his retort to a critic, “Thank you for your very amusing review. After reading it I laughed all the way to the bank.” Surprisingly, Barack Obama took second place with his comment on Sarah Palin. She had said that the only difference between a pitbull and a ‘soccer mom’ was lipstick. He replied, “You can put lipstick on a pig… it’s still a pig.” First was the man who, for me was the greatest
of them all- Winston Churchill. In 1912, at a dinner party in Blenheim Palace—the Churchill family estate— Lady Astor became annoyed because Churchill was drunk. Unable to take any more, she hissed, “Winston, if you were my husband, I’d put poison in your coffee.” Without missing a beat, Churchill replied, “Nancy, if you were my wife, I’d drink it.” However, what won him the prize for the best insult was his response to Bessie Braddock who, like Lady Astor, accused him of drunkenness. Churchill said, “I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.” *Tony Deyal was last seen saying that while the golden age of insults may have passed, this modern one, though coarse, is still good, “Your family tree is a cactus because everybody on it is a prick.”
Sisters of Mercy successfully host second Men’s Health Fair An elderly man benefits from Blood Testing
Two men receiving massages at the Health Fair With hopes of encouraging a healthy lifestyle and promoting health awareness, the Sisters of Mercy on Saturday hosted its second annual Men’s Health Fair in the compound of the Saint Joseph’s Mercy Hospital on Parade Street, Georgetown. The activity provided about 300 men with practically free health services. The medical professionals of the hospital performed blood group and pressure testing as well as sugar, cholesterol and HIV tests. They also did counseling, massages and physiotherapeutic sessions.
The fair offered free consultations with the Emergency Room doctors and also 5% off of all medications. Patrons also benefited from free eye testing. The Health Fair housed information booths which exhibited posters and distributed information brochures and flyers on relevant health issues. Medical personnel present at the booths, were prompt in answering questions and offered medical advice to those in need of relevant knowledge. Ms. Adrian Anderson, Associate Administrator of the hospital and Co-
Coordinator of the Health Fair stated that many people (mostly men) only visit health facilities when they are ill; so the administrators of the hospital were leaning towards encouraging patrons to practice prevention as opposed to leaning on medicine only for cures. The Men’s Health Fair was an effort to particularly make men aware of the importance of health. When asked why the Sisters of Mercy chose to focus on men, Co-Coordinator Anderson, indicated that traditionally, men are less willing to seek out medical care. She stated that they (men) have a greater tendency
to wait until it becomes evident that their body requires medical attention before they subject themselves to medical services. Anderson stated that the objective of the health fair was to provide an opportunity for men to step out, become aware of what is going on with their health/ bodies and to discover ways in which their health can be improved. She further highlighted that one of the particular goals of the activity
was to raise awareness of the importance of testing. Anderson told Kaieteur News that “The event was pretty successful. Anything organised that actually get men to come out, become aware of their health and get
tested, we consider a success. As long as people become aware of their health, we are successful. We achieved that. Even if it was one person, we would still consider that a success. Health is something we should all be aware of.”
Page 22
WANTED Female worker needed, 3 CXC subject or sound secondary educationCall:612-1595 2- Waitresses & 2 Bartenders - call: 698-0977 / 679-5112 Contract cars- Contact City Taxi Service- 660-1100/2267150 Attractive live in waitress Call:228-5129 Jet man, marak man operator, baheir – Call:671-5149 Attractive live in waitressCall:327-0252; 674-4665
Kaieteur News
WANTED Labourers/ painters/ carpenters with own tools to work with limited supervision - Tel:225-6070 Hotel receptionist; Restaurant cook – age 25+ (shift systems) – Contact: 223-6284 Urgently needed 1 plot of land to buy in Parfaite Harmonie - Tel:675-7292; 2185591
Smart Choice Auto: Premio, Allion, IST, Runx, FielderCall:652-3820/665-4529
1 Live in experienced waitress (18-25 years) & 1 experienced cook ( Salary $50,000 monthly) – Call:698-7172
Axio -$2.9M, Premio - $2.6M, Spacio registered PRR $2.2M; Trade- in available for Axio – Tel:697-0294
PENPAL
2 Handy men to work in the interior. Free meal and accommodation – Call:6276416; 226-3799 (8am-4pm), (Friday - Monday)
One Toyota RZ minibus, BHH series. Price negotiableCall:668-5180 First Class Auto: Premio, Axio, Passo, Runx, Allex, IST, Fielder, Raum – Call:609-8188; 602-6307
Two guards for a marine company; one manager for a mining company. Attractive salaries. Call 2237165; 226-8645; 223-5180
MASSAGE American Style massage services- Call:678-7499
One domestic, live in & live out babysitter from 12pm8pm- Call:225-4492 TRUCK DRIVER WITH EXPERIENCE, MUST HAVE POLICE CLEARANCE, 3 REFERENCES OF LAST JOBS & ALL PROPER I.D’S & LICENCE. TEL:231-8529 HOUSE KEEPER/ NANNY: MATURE WITH EXPERIENCE, POLICE CLEARANCE & 3 REFERENCES. FLEXABLE HOURS – TEL:231-8529
Toyota Raum PRR, 16 mags, music, Tv, $1.4M – Tel:6622569; 670-3775. White 2008 Tacoma 4x4 lift kit, off road tyres. Excellent condition- Call:610-5370
Toyota Allion PNN 7620, green – Contact: 669-2650, 677-5559. New RX8 (Red) rotary 7 speed engine, new rims, tires, music kickers, lambo doors – Tel:680-2095
Skilled experienced carpenters – Apply to Alabama Trading Georgetown, Ferry Stelling Stabroek. Urgently needed land to buy - Tel:675-7292; 2185591.
Office Clerk: CXC English/ Mathematics- Call:225-0188/ 225-6070
ONE MITSUBISHI FUSO CANTER (ENCLOSED) PLEASE CALL 619 9000
Two Toyota Tacoma 2006 unregistered: 4wd $3.9M & 2wd $3.1M- Call:662-1396/ 678-0573
2 Attractive waitresses @ Mombo’s Barr, Kitty – Call:622-7201
One cook to prepare one meal a day. Call 223-7165; 644-4284. Attractive salary offered
One RZ minibus – Contact number:664-9936
Toyota Primo Late PNN Series – Tel:624-6471; 2254741
Porters- Apply to Alabama Trading, Georgetown Ferry Stelling Stabroek.
Urgently upholsters, joiners, spray painters ( Furniture) handyman Contact S. Khan: 225-6810
F150 Tundra, chevy cargo van – Tel:227-8519; 653-4287
One female cleaner- Apply to Alabama Trading, Georgetown, Ferry Stelling Stabroek.
Wash bay attendant – Contact:694-4148 or 2256296
Worker wanted for restaurant and roti shop in Trinidad; accommodation provided. For more information contact - 0011-866-760-1426.
We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154
Super heavy duty Tubo Diesel F350 (very powerful), owner migrating - Tel:2278519
Toyota RAV 4, PMM 1072 with body kit. Price $3.4M negotiable – Call:610-1230; 673-5828
Experienced and attractive female waitress to work at bar must be able to work late hour - Call: 649-1105. Housekeeper required on the E.B.D must know how to prepare a Variety of dishes Phone: 690-9233
One salesgirl to work in shop. Age 17-24, text or call: 615-8121
2007 Toyota BB, fully loaded, unregistered special price $2.350M – 617-2891
VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota Hilux, 2L Turbo – price $2.5M – Tel:609-3426
AT192, 212, Allion, Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN& cheap RZ buses, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 C r a s h To y o t a Vi o s . Asking $750,000 as isCall:617-7113 ALYEA’S AUTO SALE: PREMIO 2002/2003, AXIO 2008. ALL PRICES ARE NEG. 40 CROAL STREET STABROEK- TEL:2317284/622-3823
GREENHEART AND PURPLE HEART LUMBER - TEL: 653-9752
Professional painters and carpenters – Telephone:6224899
VEHICLE FOR SALE One Skid Steer Thomas with Japanese Kabota Engine Call:259-1370, 650-3447
Monday November 04, 2013
One Toyota RZ mini-bus BJJ series – Call:678-5887 EDUCATIONAL CXC/CAPE classes for students and adults. Highly qualified teachers & CXC examiners - Call: 683-3887 Institute Academic Supremacy; East Street, 4 building before Balwant Singh Hospital – Forms 1-5, CXC, adults/classes – Call:226-8468, 690-5008 Christmas Computer Courses Deal: 9 courses (Diploma in Technology) $30,000. Micrographics Technology, Vreed-En-Hoop – Tel:264-3057 Now open! Christmas Shopping just got easier. Shop online, cheap shipping. Cybertron Vreed-En-Hoop Tel:264-3057
3-Ton Canter excellent condition – Model M.Bush truck for interior – Tel:2318417; 231-6560; 231-1238; 624-0443 GRR 573, long base RZ minibus, automatic. Excellent Condition Tel:687-5657; 652-0709 1 Nissan – Virgo mini van PKK series, E24 Caravan – Tel:644-5096; 697-1453 1 Toyota Ipsum; fully powered; AC & music – Tel:223-6948; 642-4379 One AT192 PLL966 $1.1M; with DVD player – Tel:6399528 1 Toyota – Hilux Off Road pick-up, AT212, AT192, AT170, Ceres, Caldina Wagon, IST, Tundra – Tel:644-5096; 697-1453
Businessman in Trinidad seeks Guyanese woman for friendship & marriage between ages 30-40; email:ramphal mahadeo@ live.com – Tel:0011-868-7243155; 0011-868-4681075
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY $19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call:225-9032,647-2943 Potting Soil and quality cow mould- Call: 656-1326/678-0058
Vacancy exists @ Survival Shopping Complex; 173 Sheriff St - For cashiers & drivers. Apply with written application & passport photograph Contact: 227-5288-89 Vacancy exists @ Survival Shopping Complex; 173 Sheriff St - For IT Technician. Apply with written application & passport photograph & CV - Contact: 227-5288-89 Operators: Apply in person to BM Enterprise Inc, Guyana Fisheries Limited Wharf, Houston, East Bank Demerara - Tel:592-227-8176/7
Honda welders; 270 amps 15,000 watts generator Tel:611-5114/220-4495 Massey, Yanmar Ford 5000 Logging/ Agriculture Tractors, parts, Loader & Ford Truck- Call:615-1578/ 694-3595: Tools & Chainsaw-668-2831 One stall @ La Penitance Market; $600,000 – Tel:6900437.
Tundra ‘Woman Driven’ Tel:627-1983 Cheapest Online Vehicles!!! - Tel:626-2771
Pure breed 7 weeks pitbull pups for sale – price negotiable – Contact: 6565412; 661-4112; 234-1460.
Dachshund & Terrier mixed pups for sale – Contact: 6800192; 216-3408
Clearance Sale: greenheart lumber, slabs, strips & firewood. Toolsie Persaud Ltd, Lombard St. Georgetown – Tel:226-4920; 226-4071-5
1 Pool table cloth, ball , cue stick, pokets, rubber , coins, shoot, chalk, springs, rocks call:669-9927 Pre-painted and unpainted corrugated zinc sheets at affordable prices- Call Tel: 226-7054 Houses & house lots Contact: 223-8479; 647-3768; www.spaceseek.gy.
VACANCY Two sales representatives between ages 18-25 contact number:227-1042
FOR SALE
1- Caterpillar D5 Bulldozer and 1- Caterpillar engine 3406 Contact number 650-0402 Whole sale: Pluck Chicken - Tel:676-0931 One popcorn machineCall:639-241 6 months pitbull pups – Tel: 650-3327; 670-7206 1 Pajero JR Roof Rack – Tel: 233-2182
Land! Land! Land! – 6600 SQFT to 1500 acres: Providence & Berbice Contact: 223-8479; 6473768; www.spaceseek.gy . Large vacuum cleaner wet & dry (for cleaning or car wash), stereo sets& speakers. Tel:227-8519 Games PS2 $900, PSP $900, X-Box 360 $2600 & PS3 $2600- Call: 672-2566. Toyota Hilux LN 172 diesel, extra cab pick up 4x4, manual ( 5 speed transmission)Tel:623-0425; 609-2876 1 Three storied building centrally located down town in Thomas Street South Cummingsburg, G/town Tel:623-0425 or 609-2876. Original Games- Call: 6722566. Generators, welding sets, compressors, power washers, drill - migrating, must see! - Tel:227-8519
CAKES & PASTRIES: Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery, Call: 670-0798. Also Wedding dresses for sale
Chefs, cooks, waitress, bartenders, cashiers - Apply in writing: 89 Robb & Oronque Sts; stlago7@ yahoo.com 1 Maid - must be good in Indian cooking & experienced in housekeeping - Call: 2235451/ 227-4799
LAND FOR SALE
Pump Attendant at Shell Service Station Providence, E.B.D. Must be able to work shift (5am-3pm & 3pm-12pm)Call:265-7305
At Blankenburg Public Road, W.C.D. 38x150 & 39x150 $16M each- Call:666-3619 5 Acres, 3 lots $15M @ Canal #2- Call:227-7734
2 white female and 1 brown male fluffy dogs - contact: 699-6006 One taxi service for sale Tel:683-7400 One 8000 Ford tractor & one Ford 450 2005 Towing truck – Call: 689-1864 (Guru) / 6945599 (Floyd). Sawmill Located at Linden Equipped with planner, ripsaw & one portable mill for more information - Call: 687-6844/ 649-6837 Hifi Sound Connection: Car Audio, Pro Audio, complete sound system generator.Call:610-1230/673-5828 (Continued on page 23)
Monday November 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 23
Sodomizing of two-year-old…
Private medical report clears prime suspect Little Kimanie and her mother in happier times.
(From page 22) SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale- Call:6275416 One –Two storey business property (transported) @ Brickery public road, E.B.DCall: 660-8128
Dianne Graham A report from a private medical practitioner may clear the main suspect in the sodomizing of two-year-old Kimanie Watson, which resulted in her death two weeks ago. The medical report, which was seen by this newspaper yesterday, has revealed that the 15-year-old suspect, under whose care little Watson was left prior to her death, had no recent or old bruises on his penis. This is even as police are in the process of preparing a report on the matter which will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. On October 21 last, Kimanie Watson of Lot 46 South Haslington, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). A check of her body revealed that she had a grossly enlarged anus.
Her 15-year-old uncle was immediately taken into police custody but was subsequently released on $25,000 bail after five days. Yesterday, the teen’s mother and the grandmother of the dead child, Dianne Graham said that ever since Watson died, she has been receiving numerous telephone calls from unknown callers, threatening to kill her son. “My son didn’t do anything and I don’t know why they are not leaving my son alone. I can’t go by my house because I am scared and I had to send my son far away because someone might just come and kill him,” Graham said. The woman explained
that she has to accompany her son to school daily and wait for him until 15:00hrs. “This is too much. He is writing CXC next year and it is not easy for me to go and sit at the school every day for hours.” According to Graham, her daughter, Venice Phillips, the dead child’s mother, had threatened to kill her on many occasions. “She run me with a cutlass the wake night and she would still talk nonsense even though I contributed financially to the funeral.” Kaieteur News understands that the Child Protection Agency is also investigating the circumstances that led to the child’s death.
Magistrate orders SKYE... (From page 6) indicated that due to the lack of finances, he cannot at the moment. It was revealed that the young man, who had no prior convictions or charges, does not have any close relatives in this Region and as such has never been visited by anyone since his arrest. The Chief Magistrate considered the facts of the matter which indicated that
the mitigating factor outweighed the aggravated circumstances. In addition to the SKYE programme, the youth will also have to undergo supervision by an officer of the Probation and Welfare Service of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. She then warned the young man that if he should fail to cooperate with the aforementioned sentence, he
will be imprisoned for five years. The Magistrate called both the Probation Officer and the SKYPE coach and explained to the young man that it is imperative for him to cooperate. The Chief Magistrate made orders for reports from the two services to be submitted to the court by November 21, which is the date DaCosta is also expected to return to the court.
GTA launches inaugural Leguan... (From page 12) the island tours which will showcase the rich cultural facets of Leguan, including the St. Peter ’s Anglican Church which has been in existence since 1855. Haralsingh noted that the Ministry of Tourism is planning to lend continuous support to community based activities, with the intention of creating sustainable events which will benefit not
only the economy of the communities, but the country as a whole. “We continue in our efforts to promote domestic tourism and afford all Guyanese the opportunity to see their country and experience the various cultural nuances that define each community,” Haralsingh emphasized. Leguan is a small island in the Essequibo River
constituting primarily rice farming and cattle rearing communities, and is home to approximately 4,000. The neighbouring island of Wakenaam held its fifth event last year. T h e G u y a n a To u r i s m Authority is hoping that the Leguan Night would garner the interests of people from all walks of life who would want to return to the island, boosting its tourism.
VERSAILLES: Furnished 5 bedrooms, self-contained rooms, modern facilities, generator, beautiful landscape, gated community- Call:592-6248704/592-684-9203 111 Collinswood Avenue, Nandy Park, EBD – Contact:616-9775;687-0835 Agriculture Road: 2 Storey 3 bedrooms house; land 600x36Ft - $17.5M – Tel:6122522 Prime Property for sale Light Street, Alberttown Contact: 639-3619, 619-7299 House and Land by owner De Edward W.C.B – Tel:6892973. One (1) 2- storey 5 bedrooms recently built house, $25M; Mon Repos E.C.D (Transported) – Tel:6179316,220-0818, 651-0744 Diamond -$6.5M, Kitty $30M, Alberttown - $33M, Queenstown – $23M, call Diana:227-2256; 626-9382 Prime 2-storey concrete building 80x23, 6 bedrooms, 2 master bedrooms @ Leonora next to Primary School - call: 652-0709, 268-3572
FOR RENT
TO LET
One 3 bedroom house for rent - $45,000 monthly Parafaite Harmonie WBD Tel:622-1782; 658-5803
Furnished self contained studio apartment @ Eccles with: Cable, internet, A/C, etc – Tel:233-2770
1 Two bedroom apartment at Samatta Point Grove - Tel: 613-7596 ($40,000)
Harmony Inn: Apartments fully furnished, airconditioned apartments: As low as $5000 per night- Call: 668-0306/602-8769/ 694-7817
Hairdressing salon station; Rushelle - Tel:684-3384 Wedding dresses – Tel:6893910
Fully furnished short term apartments, Eccles call: 679-7139
V/Hoop Junction: Office, clinic, taxi service, salon, barber shop, internet, canteen, classes, day care/ school – Tel:680-9905
Paradise (furnished house) -$38,000, Atlanic Gardens – US900, Kitty - $120,000 Call Diana:227-2256; 626-9382
Coolers and Call:657-0424
Scaffold-
Apartments, houses & land – Contact: 223-8479; 6473768; www.spaceseek.gy.
Fully furnished Vacation home with all amenities- Call during working hours- 2271218 One bedroom house; Lusignan E.C.D - Tel: 662-9043
Bond space: recently constructed bond with house and office space on the same lot – Tel:6230425;609-2876 Semi furnished 4 bedrooms house, available for rental starting from January 1st , 2014 – Tel:611-5110 1 Barber, hairdresser, $5,000 weekly cosmetology course. Everything 6 month cheap. Telephone:602-7960 Top flat for rent Diamond Scheme – Tel:678-9835 LEARN TO DRIVE Soman & Sons Driving School , First Federation Building Call 225-4858, 6445166,622-2872,615-0964
SERVICES Professional and affordable landscaping and tree trimming services. Budram’s Landscaping ServicesCall:656-1326/678-0058 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call:2259032,647-2943 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer call:2310655,683-8734 Omar Persons desirous in exporting scrap metal, ferrous & non ferrous – Please contact:681-1631
29 Silver City, Wismar Linden: 3 bedrooms property - Tel: 685-2005; 682-9930
Thick infestation yard spray – Tel:650-3327; 670-7206 CAR RENTAL Premio, vitz call: 679-7139 Dolly’s Car Rental- Call: 2257126/ 226-3693dollysautorental@yahoo.com/ www.dollysautorental.com Aidan’s Car Rental & PickupCall: 645-7981/ 698-7807 First Choice Car Rental: Cars as low as $5,000 per day- Call: 668-0306/ 694-7817/225-6337 Wings Car Rental- Call: 6874116 Untouchable Car Rental Tel:621-6827; 226-9668
Christmas cleaning: Power washing for homes & commercial buildings – Tel:648-1544 Repairs to Fridge, Freezer, AC, Washers, Stoves: Call 683-1312,627-3206 (Nick) HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING FOR ONLY $10,000CALL:694-9843/227-2766 We Refill HP cartridges for $1800 call: 650-7699. Kashmir make-up studio & spa: Specialized airbrush artist/ esthetician for an exceptional lookContact:665-5979/698-0114
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Kaieteur News
Monday November 04, 2013
Human Rights Association expresses concern over potential Chinese fishing licences The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has expressed grave concern over government’s consideration and possible granting of multiple fishing licences to Chinese nationals. The organization on Saturday described the Agriculture Minister ’s consideration of licences for Chinese fishing vessels to operate in Guyanese waters as “yet another example of Guyana’s natural resources being bartered away to Chinese interests without any reference to the people most directly affected, or the environmental effects.” The Association noted that in the context of the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) being instructed to limit their fleets in order to protect species and prevent over-fishing, the intended licensing to Chinese vessels is another example of Guyana’s biodiversity being sacrificed to Chinese profits. The organization charged that Guyanese labour is taking second place to Chinese labour. “If the current limits imposed on the number of trawlers allowed to fish in Guyanese waters are to be lifted, Guyanese fishermen ought then to be the first to benefit.” It was noted that Guyana already had bad experience of factory ships. “Some thirty years ago factory ships servicing the US market carried out exactly the same strategy. Although illegal, captains of Guyanese trawlers would sell half of their catch to these factory boats, and then bring the rest ashore in Guyana. Not only will this practice be re-introduced, but the voracious appetite of these new vessels will encourage over-fishing on a grand scale.” GHRA has viewed the Minister’s wait on technical details in the absence of a meeting with fishing stakeholders as “another instance of the local politics of the issue being sacrificed to technical considerations. The views of GATOSP are evidently a low priority since their President has complained that he cannot get responses to his letters nor an interview with the Minister.” Assurances that the Chinese will not be allowed to fish for species currently assigned to GATOSP members is a subterfuge, since the Ministry has no way of effectively monitoring what is taking place on the high seas, the Association continued. “The Minister’s
Guyanese fishermen offloading their catch complacent attitude to the labour, environmental and food price consequences of this matter is disturbing. If it had been an isolated example, it might be viewed as an oversight. However, his position conforms to a clear pattern of priorities in which Chinese interests are privileged over what is good for Guyanese bio-diversity, Guyanese labour and Guyanese standard of living. This would be an intolerable
state of affairs even were China an example of good governance, environmental integrity, and human rights. Unfortunately, China is more often associated with exactly the opposite set of values. Does the Government of Guyana believe these characteristics are set aside in China’s dealings with Guyana? If the Government has a case to make why Guyanese interests should be sacrificed in this manner, the
Guyanese people have a right to hear it.” Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has, however, reiterated to the media that Chinese stateowned fishing vessels will not be given licences to fish within the 12-mile Guyana territorial limit or in the 200-
mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and will not be allowed to fish the same species as locals. It was first announced that some 40 fishing licenses were being considered for Chinese fishing vessels, but the idea was met with great resistance by local operators who said that they are being asked to reduce their fleets in order to save the environment and depleting stocks. The Minister told reporters that no licences have been granted to the Chinese since the initiative is under consideration. This response also came when rumours surfaced last week that the Minister had already signed off on a “letter of intent” to have the Chinese operate here. The GATOSP had raised concerns as news of the potential licences circulated. Concerns increased for the fish operators’
representatives when they received no response to a letter sent more than a month ago to the Agriculture Minister expressing their worry over the development. The Minister has explained, however, that the local fishing industry will not be hurt by the initiative, and has indicated plans to meet with the GATOSP. The rising contention comes when tensions are rising over the granting of huge contracts to Chinese State-owned companies, which in some cases allow for only Chinese employment. Contracts such as the construction of a 197-room Marriott Hotel, which sees the employment of only Chinese nationals, and the $150M airport runway expansion project at the country’s international airport, have also come in for criticism as putting Chinese interests before those of Guyanese.
Monday November 04, 2013 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): This is not the time to leap outside of your comfort zone! If you are not comfortable right now, you will not be happy. ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Focus on your close friendships and family relationships today -- your social energy requires a bit of intimacy to really get going. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): It's a better day for observation than for action. You need to make sure that you've got all the facts before you take on anything new or weird, and that could mean waiting for quite a while. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Your optimism is a little out of control right now -- so give it some time off. Look skeptically at anything you've got to sign, and make sure you get all the facts before agreeing to anything. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Focus inward today -- your social energy is ebbing a bit, and you may feel more at home considering personal issues and problems. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): Your communication skills are peaking now, so put them to work for you! It's a good time for you to step up and deal with people who are either causing problems or just not getting it.
********************* LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): You find it easier to make purchasing decisions today, so it's a good time to go bargain hunting or make a major acquisition. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): You've got to make good use of this power -- it's flowing right through you, so you have to do something with it rather than storing it up for later use. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): Your imaginative side is out in force, though you may not be able to make much practical use of it. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): You're fairly well organized, which really comes in handy on an intense day like today. You may have to deal with more than one crisis, but you can turn the biggest into an opportunity. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18): You are feeling quite exposed today -- it could be that a recent mistake has come to light, or maybe you're finding that things are just harder to take than usual. ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): You can't quite get a grasp on today's big news -- but you don't have to! Things are looking up overall, and the specifics don't really matter.
Monday November 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
WHITE HOUSE, LAWMAKERS:
No clemency for Snowden WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House and the leaders of the intelligence committee in Congress are rejecting National Security Agency-contractor Edward Snowden’s plea for clemency. “Mr. Snowden violated U.S. law,” White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer said yesterday about the former systems-analyst-turnedfugitive who has temporary asylum in Russia. “He should return to the U.S. and face justice,” Pfeiffer said, adding when pressed that no offers for clemency were being discussed. Snowden made the plea in a letter given to a German politician and released Friday. In his one-page typed letter, he asks for clemency for charges over allegedly leaking classified information about the NSA to the news media. “‘’Speaking the truth is not a crime,” Snowden wrote. Snowden’s revelations, including allegations that the U.S. has eavesdropped on allies including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have led to calls by allies to cease such spying, and moves by Congress to overhaul U.S. surveillance
Edward Snowden laws and curb the agency’s powers. But head of the Senate Intelligence Committee said if Snowden had been a true whistle-blower, he could have reported it to her committee privately. “That didn’t happen, and now he’s done this enormous disservice to our country,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. “I think the answer is no clemency.” The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, called clemency for Snowden a “terrible idea.” “He needs to come back and own up,” said Rogers, RMich. “If he believes there’s
vulnerabilities in the systems he’d like to disclose, you don’t do it by committing a crime that actually puts soldiers’ lives at risk in places like Afghanistan.” Rogers contended that Snowden’s revelations had caused three terrorist organizations to change how they communicate. Both lawmakers addressed word that President Barack Obama did not realize Merkel’s personal phone was being tapped. Rogers implied that he didn’t believe the president, or European leaders who claimed they were shocked by Snowden’s allegations. “I think there’s going to be some best actor awards coming out of the White House this year and best supporting actor awards coming out of the European Union,” he said “Some notion that ... some people just didn’t have an understanding about how we collect information to protect the United States to me is wrong.” Feinstein said she didn’t know what the president knew, but said she intended to conduct a review of all intelligence programs to see if they were going too far.
Britain scraps immigration bond plan after outcry, coalition split LONDON (Reuters) Britain has scrapped a plan to force people from certain African and Asian countries to pay a cash bond in return for a visitor’s visa after it caused an outcry at home and abroad and exposed a rift in the governing coalition. In a move that political rivals said showed Prime Minister David Cameron’s flagship immigration policy was in disarray, a government spokesman said a pilot scheme which had been due to start this month had been canceled. “We have decided not to proceed,” the spokesman said yesterday, declining to explain why. Under the plan, visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana seeking a six-month British visa would have been obliged to pay a refundable 3,000-pound ($4,800) cash bond to deter them from overstaying. The government chose those countries because they were “high risk” sources of illegal immigration, it said. Polls show that immigration is one of the most important issues for voters in
David Cameron Britain, where Cameron’s Conservative party faces the threat of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) siphoning off support ahead of a parliamentary election in 2015. Concerns have been fuelled recently by warnings in the right-leaning media about “hordes” of Romanians and Bulgarians moving to Britain next year, when European Union freedom of movement restrictions lapse at a time when Britons face rising competition for jobs. UKIP, which campaigns for Britain to leave the EU and for a halt to “open door” immigration, made sweeping
gains in local elections in May, winning almost one in four votes, mostly at the expense of the Conservatives. Most opinion polls regularly give it a support base of around 10 percent of the electorate. The U-turn on the visa bonds underlines deep policy rifts in the alliance between the Conservatives and their junior partner, the center-left Liberal Democrats. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg initially said the bond plan was an idea worth exploring, but changed his mind after some in his party called it discriminatory. Two weeks ago, the government said it was abandoning an idea for a nationwide advertising campaign urging illegal immigrants to “go home or face arrest”. A pilot scheme in London had sparked accusations of racism from some politicians. The government’s decision to drop the plan also reflects tension between two of its core policies immigration reform and expansion of trade and investment.
Page 25
India throws rings of protection around divisive candidate Modi NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian security forces are preparing for one of their most challenging assignments in decades, protecting prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in a country with a grim history of political assassinations. A series of small bombs killed six people at a rally the Hindu nationalist leader held in the city of Patna on October 20. Authorities said the home-grown Indian Mujahideen (IM) group was responsible. While Modi was not in the immediate vicinity of the explosions, the message was clear. “Narendra Modi is way above everyone else on their hit list,” said an officer in the Intelligence Bureau, who declined to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media. “The IM cadre say he is actually 1 to 10 on their list. The rest come after that,” said the officer, citing confessions of captured militants. Modi will lead his Bharatiya Janata Party into a
Narendra Modi general election due by May and his enemies will almost certainly be looking for another opportunity to strike. The militants hold Modi responsible for riots in 2002, during his first term as chief minister of Gujarat state, in which at least 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed. Modi denies any role in the riots or bias against minority Muslims. Communal animosity has led to several high-profile assassinations in India, beginning months after independence when a Hindu
fanatic gunned down Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of a non-violent struggle to throw off British rule. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was not related to Mahatma Gandhi, was killed by Sikh bodyguards in 1984 and her son, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was killed by an ethnic Tamil suicide bomber in 1991. The election is shaping up to be a highly charged clash with Modi and his aggressive Hindu nationalist supporters facing off against their Congress-led rivals, who say the vote is a fight to preserve India’s secular foundations. Much of the battle will be waged at public gatherings. Even in these days of 24-hour news channels and the Internet, Indian election campaigns hinge around rallies. Modi will address countless throngs in coming months in his race against the Congress-led coalition which is expected to put up Rajiv Gandhi’s son, Rahul Gandhi, as its prime ministerial candidate.
Page 26
Kaieteur News
Monday November 04, 2013
Mursi faces trial in Egypt in test of democracy (Reuters) - The first freely elected Egyptian president, Mohamed Mursi, goes on trial today, the second time in just over two years that a deposed president has found himself in court in Egypt, a pivotal Arab nation some fear is sliding back into autocratic rule. The trial raises the fear of deepening instability in the Arab world’s most populous country, as Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood has said it would defy a security crackdown and press on with street protests to pressure the army, which toppled Mursi on July 3, to reinstate him. A popular uprising that
ousted Hosni Mubarak in 2011 raised hopes that Egypt would embrace democracy and eventually enjoy economic prosperity. Instead, the struggle between the Brotherhood and the army-backed government has created deep uncertainty. The trial of Mursi and 14 other Brotherhood officials is likely to be the next flashpoint in their confrontation. They face charges of inciting violence relating to the deaths of about a dozen people in clashes outside the presidential palace in December after Mursi enraged his opponents with
a decree expanding his powers. The Brotherhood had won every election since Mubarak’s fall and eventually propelled Mursi into power after the Islamist movement endured repression under one dictator after another. But millions of Egyptians who grew disillusioned with Mursi’s troubled one-year rule took to the streets this summer to demand his resignation. The army, saying it was responding to the will of the people, deposed him and announced a political roadmap it said would lead to free and fair elections. But the promises have
Mohamed Mursi not reassured Egypt’s Western allies, who had hoped the stranglehold of Egyptian military men would
be broken. Mursi is due to appear in court at the same Cairo police academy where his autocratic predecessor Mubarak also faces trial. The defendants could face a life sentence or death penalty if found guilty. On the eve of Mursi’s trial, Egypt’s Al Watan newspaper released a video on its website of what it said was him speaking to unidentified individuals during his incarceration. Dressed in a tracksuit, Mursi described his ouster as “a crime in every way”. The newspaper did not say when the video was made. The Brotherhood has
called on its supporters to stage mass protests on Monday, but the size of their demonstrations has shrunk dramatically in the face of an onslaught by security forces. Riot police crushed twoMursi protest camps on August 14, and hundreds of Islamists have been killed and thousands arrested, including the Brotherhood’s top leaders. Egypt’s oldest and most influential Islamist group has also been banned and its funds seized. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who toppled Mursi, has become immensely popular. Few doubt he would win if he runs for president.
BAHRAIN CHARGES TOP OPPOSITION LEADER
General Secretary of Bahrain’s main opposition party Al Wefaq Sheikh Ali Salman speaks during an anti-government sit-in organized in the village of Sitra, south of Manama. (REUTERS) MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain’s public prosecutor has charged the head of the main Shi’ite opposition group with insulting the interior ministry, state news agency BNA said yesterday, in a move that could further unsettle the Gulf island state. Sheikh Ali Salman, secretary-general of the al-Wefaq Islamic Association, was the most senior opposition figure charged since majority Shi’ites began protests in 2011 to demand political reform and a greater role in running the country. The U.S. Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain, a key regional ally of the West, which is ruled by the Sunni Muslim Al-Khalifa dynasty. Minister of State for Information Affairs Samira Rajab said the Wefaq leader was suspected of “denigrating and disparaging the interior ministry” by
alleging human rights violations by the police against protesters. Ali Salman was released yesterday after five hours of interrogation about an opposition display which Bahraini authorities closed down last week, saying it was illegal and incited hatred. The Arab kingdom, strategically located between Saudi Arabia and regional rival Iran, has been dogged by unrest since security forces quelled the 2011 protests. “After questioning Ali Salman, secretary general of the al-Wefaq society, the general prosecution decided to release him ... after filing charges of insulting the interior ministry,” BNA said on its website. Sheikh Salman said the questioning centered on a speech he made at the exhibition opening.
Monday November 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 27
Syria opposition lays preconditions for peace talks CAIRO (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition set terms yesterday for attending peace talks to end the Syrian civil war, in a move that throws the proposed conference into further confusion after the international envoy said there should be no preconditions. The long-delayed talks known as Geneva 2 - are meant to bring Syria’s warring sides to the negotiating table, but have been repeatedly delayed because of disputes between world powers, divisions among the opposition and irreconcilable positions of Assad and the rebels. Syrian National Coalition President Ahmad Jarba said the opposition would not attend unless there was a
clear timeframe for President Bashar al-Assad to leave power. He also said they could not accept the presence of Iran. “We have decided not to enter Geneva talks unless it is with dignity, and unless there is a successful transfer of power with a specific timeframe, and without the occupier Iran at the negotiating table,” Jarba told an Arab League emergency meeting of foreign minister in Cairo. Lakhdar Brahimi, the international envoy for Syria, has said he hoped the conference could still be held in the next few weeks despite obstacles. Though he had in the past said he thought Assad
Ahmad Jarba
Bashar al-Assad
would not be part of a transitional government that Geneva 2 would attempt to install, he said on Friday that his opinions had no bearing on the parameters for the
conference. There is also discord among world powers over whether Iran should be invited to the talks. Tehran has said it is ready to come and Brahimi says the U.N. preferred that Iran attend but there had been no agreement on that yet. A senior State Department official, speaking ahead of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Cairo and Riyadh, said the top U.S. diplomat would make clear to the Saudis that
French public want Hollande to change policies: poll PARIS (Reuters) - The vast majority of French people want President Francois Hollande to change his polices or reshuffle his government, an opinion poll suggested yesterday, a day after thousands protested against tax hikes and rising unemployment. Hollande, the most unpopular French president on record according to a previous poll, has been hit by public anger over his economic methods, rows over immigration policy and repeated gaffes within the government. Riot police fired water cannon to disperse protesters in Quimper in northwestern France, an agricultural hub, on Saturday after a peaceful demonstration turned violent. Three people were arrested and five slightly injured during the demonstration. According to an IFOP poll for newspaper Journal du Dimanche, 91 percent of French people want Hollande to change his policies or his government before March’s local elections. The survey also showed a deep discontent among supporters of the Socialist president’s own party with 85 percent of those on the left polled also demanding change. “There is a real doubt over the government’s method and that is shared equally and in a way not seen before between supporters of the left, right and far-right,” said IFOP’s Frederic Dabo. Jobless claims rose in September by the highest
Francois Hollande margin since the depths of the financial crisis in early 2009, undermining Hollande’s pledge of reversing a rise in unemployment, which currently stands at 11 percent. The government is also experiencing a growing backlash from voters and businesses after it imposed 30 billion euros (US$40.46 billion) in tax hikes this year, seeking to honor a promise to its EU partners to bring its budget deficit below the bloc’s target ceiling of 3 percent next year. Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll defended the government’s track record, saying its main problem was explaining to the people its policies, which he said would eventually bear fruit. “There is an explanation problem and coherence in how all of the government expresses itself,” he said on Europe 1 radio yesterday. The IFOP telephone survey of 1,009 people, between October 31 and November 2, came a day after
between 10,000 to 30,000 people took to the streets of Quimper in the Brittany region. The protesters accused the government of abandoning Brittany, the heartland of France’s pork and poultry sectors, where there has been several factory closures since last year. Hundreds had already taken to the streets last week in the region, protesting against a planned “ecotax” on heavy goods vehicles. Despite the government suspending the tax during the week, they took to the streets again wearing red caps and carrying anti-government banners, including one reading: “Hollande, Brittany will be your cemetery.” “Brittany trusted Hollande,” said one protester who gave his name only as Mikael. “We thought by voting left it would change something, but I’m rethinking that now.” The region voted 56 percent in favor of Hollande during last year’s presidential elections. The tradition of wearing red caps date back to protests in Brittany in the 17th century when the king at the time increased taxes to fund a war. The caps also became an official emblem of the 1789 Revolution. Hollande’s government is struggling to bring down the public deficit without killing a fragile economic recovery. Although it has shifted the burden towards spending cuts rather than tax hikes in the 2014 budget, business leaders and voters have expressed mounting discontent.
Iran would not be welcome to attend the Syria peace talks unless it endorsed a past agreement that would see Assad give up power. “Iran has not done that, and without that even we couldn’t consider the possibility of their participating,” the official added, stressing: “It is a question of just making sure they understand the details of how firm our position is.” In Cairo, an Arab League draft communiqué called on the Syrian opposition to attend the conference. “It (Arab League) decided to call on all sides of the Syrian opposition under the leadership of the Syrian National Coalition ... to accelerate the formation of the negotiating delegation”. In Cairo, Jarba urged world powers to supply Syrians fighting Assad with weapons in the conflict that has so far claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people. “We demand a clear decision on supplying the Syrian people with weapons to fight the hostility which
gets worse hour by hour ... We guarantee that these weapons will not fall into the wrong hands.” The growing influence of radical Islamist fighters and the disarray of rebel forces have made Western powers wary of intervening directly in the civil war by supplying weapons or troops. While some rebel tensions stem from contrasting ideological outlooks, most infighting centers around rival claims over the control of territory, smuggling and other spoils of war. Arab and Western officials have said that international powers were unlikely to meet their goal of holding the conference in November. Even if Jarba were to attend the Geneva 2 meetings, he has no authority over the rebel brigades battling to overthrow Assad. The main rebel brigades have announced their opposition to the conference if it does not result in Assad’s removal.
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Kaieteur News
Monday November 04, 2013
Five killed daily in clashes with police in Brazil
Govt. & Opposition find common ground
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) Five people were killed on average daily in clashes with police in Brazil last year, according to a survey cited by the daily O Globo yesterday. The report from the Brazilian Forum on Public Security found that 1,890 people in 23 Brazilian states were killed in such circumstances in 2012, including 1,322 just in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. This compares with the deaths of 89 civilian and military police in the line of duty nationwide during the same period, or one police officer for every 21 civilians killed in police clashes, it noted. “In the United States, with a population 60 percent bigger than that of Brazil, 410
Jamaica Gleaner National Security Minister Peter Bunting says some major stakeholders in the society appear to be more enthused to criticise tough anti-crime bills than to support social intervention programmes. “I am disappointed that in our effort to engage wider society around those social interventions and to engage NGOs, the private sector and the church, there has not been the same enthusiasm to participate and get involved as there seems to be to criticise the anti-gang bill and other pieces of legislation,” declared Bunting last week. His comments were made after the Norman Manley
people were killed in a confrontation with police in 2012,” according to the report. The Forum, a network of experts and police officers working on improving policing standards and security policy, argues that while all democratic countries have strong police forces, having these “means following operational standards and protocols and having oversight mechanisms to monitor them.” It blamed the high fatalities on a variety of factors, including police forces beset by “a culture of violence” and nonexistent controls. Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state, recorded the highest number of deaths in clashes with police — 563 last year. Yet the mere replacement of Sao Paulo state security chief led to a 64 percent drop in the number of such fatalities from January to May this year compared with the same period last year, the survey said. “In Sao Paulo, around 20 percent of homicides are committed by the police ... What is the most appropriate policing standard to reduce this?” Renato Sergio de Lima, secretary general of the Forum, noted in a recent interview. “It is very, very complicated, because Brazil is a very violent country. We have around 50,000 homicides per year, which translates into 22 to 23 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants,” he added. The Forum’s report is part of the 7th edition of its Yearbook on Public Security which will be released tomorrow.
- Bunting/Chuck agree on need for tough crime-fighting measures Law School made a submission to the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, which is considering the antigang bill. The law school stopped just short of describing the bill as unnecessary and called for the Government to create opportunities and training for the nation’s youths. Nancy Anderson, who presented on behalf of the law school, told the committee that suppression strategies should be the avenues of last resort in dealing with gangs and criminal organisations. “While many may feel that the bill is necessary, it is hoped that the other avenues to deal effectively with organised criminal
Peter Bunting organisations are also instituted with similar prominence,” Anderson said. But Delroy Chuck, the opposition spokesman on
SIMPSON MILLER OFF TO JAPAN ON OFFICIAL VISIT
Portia Simpson Miller
KINGSTON, Jamaica —Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller left the island on Saturday (November 2) for a three-day official visit to Japan. The Prime Minister is accompanied by Minister of Science, Technology, Mining and Energy, Philip Paulwell; Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Onika Miller; Ambassador Paul Robotham, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, her support staff and security team,. During her visit, Prime Minister will meet with His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino, as well as the Prime Minister of Japan H E Shinzo Abe, the Office of the Prime Minister said. According to the OPM Simpson Miller will use this opportunity to further strengthen friendship and cooperation between Jamaica and Japan. Simpson Miller will also attend and address the Inter American Development Bank’s Japan — LAC (Latin American and the Caribbean) Conference —Shaping the future between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean.
national security and justice, said Jamaicans should perish the thought that social intervention programmes are enough to cure the country of criminality. “It nuh work,” said Chuck. “I have heard it from persons who believe that the problem of crime is a social one and if you put in enough social reform and enough social intervention you can curb the crime problem. It nuh work,” added Chuck. Social intervention needed The opposition spokesman agreed with committee chairman Bunting that the approach to crime fighting has to be a multidimensional one. Said Chuck: “I am not saying social intervention should not be done; it must be done.” “But at the same time, we can send a strong signal, especially to the area dons, that if they try to recruit members into gang warfare we are going to lock you up. “And send a message to sisters and mothers and girlfriends that if you don’t keep your young men out of gangs, you will have to visit them in prisons rather than at their homes then we are not going to solve some of the major conflicts in the innercity communities.” Meanwhile, Bunting said the anti-gang bill is not to be seen as the principal type of crime-fighting intervention. He said the bill is one aspect of crime control.
Monday November 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
TENDULKAR MANIA GRIPS KOLKATA
‘Salute Sachin’ - the CAB’s week-long celebration of Tendulkar. (Associated Press) ESPNcricinfo - “There is no Diwali festival. This is Sachin festival,” says Biswarup Dey, the Cricket Association of Bengal treasurer. “This is officially ‘Salute Sachin’.” That, of course, is the name CAB has given to a week-long celebration of Sachin Tendulkar. Nobody does the dramatic better than Kolkata. Next to Dey stands a man with a huge bouquet of flowers with “199” inscribed on it. Dey himself holds a basket full of roses. He is waiting for Tendulkar to arrive in Kolkata, where he will start his final Test series, and his 199th Test. Soon the word spreads - about a 1000 people gather outside Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport to await Tendulkar’s arrival. About a 100 of them must be the media. Inside, across the glass partition, Dey and other officials wait as the flight has been delayed. Across the glass partition there is another concrete wall. From behind the wall, Tendulkar sees the crowd, knows the commotion his exit there will cause, and starts moving towards the other gate. A
surreal scene ensues: Tendulkar is moving behind the wall, but the 1000-odd gathered run along with the invisible Tendulkar. After a huge chaos, Tendulkar finally - and safely - manages to get into his car to join his other team-mates who played the ODIs against Australia and have arrived from Bangalore. This welcome, right here in Kolkata, is the official start of Tendulkar’s farewell series. Wonder what Tendulkar makes of it. If he takes time out and explores the city, he is likely to find cut-outs of himself, big hoardings with different people’s quotes on him - the one where Don Bradman says he saw a bit of himself in Tendulkar is the most common - and finally bigger cut-outs when he reaches Eden Gardens for practice on Monday. Now all this might not come to pass - there is a Test match against West Indies to be played - but the plans in place are ambitious and elaborate. Today, the CAB president and the state sports minister launched a music album by Piloo Bhattacharya, which contains seven Bengali and four Hindi songs about Tendulkar. They will be
played the moment Tendulkar enters Eden Gardens for practice. On Monday, a photo exhibition of 100 Tendulkar photos will be unveiled. The CAB had invited former Test captains Sunil Gavaskar and Sourav Ganguly to inaugurate this at Bhawanipore Club, but both are in Colombo on a charity walk. It hasn’t deterred the plans. On match eve, the CAB plans to get BCCI president N Srinivasan to unveil the coin for the toss in the Test, with Tendulkar on one side, and Eden Gardens on the other. Wonder what heads and tails will be. The CAB is hoping Tendulkar will attend, and personally receive a silver banyan tree with gold leaves from the CAB. The groundsmen will gift him a replica of Eden Gardens. Tendulkar ’s face has already been printed on the match tickets. “Never ever have we seen anybody’s face on an Eden Test ticket,” says Dey. There is something or the other planned for all five days of the Test. With the first day’s ticket comes a souvenir - a book. More ambitiously, 70,000 Tendulkar masks are reportedly going to be handed out to the spectators. If the CAB can pull this off, it will be quite a sight. On day two, every seat is expected to have a placard, and when all the placards are held up together it is set to form a huge Tendulkar face. Day three is likely to feature a release of 199 balloons with Tendulkar’s face on them. Day four could bring the West Bengal chief minister to felicitate Tendulkar. This was supposed to be a mega event after the fifth day’s play - with Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, who will be here for the Kolkata film festival, supposed to join the West Bengal chief minister - but the government is not so sure the match will last the five days. Advancing the event into the fourth day needs the ICC’s clearance. On the fifth day, an aircraft is scheduled to hover over Eden Gardens and shower 199 roses. It is going to be an interesting week to see how much of this actually materialises, and if it does how Tendulkar handles it all. He must already have enough on his mind with this being his last series.
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ENGLAND’S EDWARDS LAUDS WINDIES RISE Charlotte Edwards
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The West Indies Women’s team has been hailed as the biggest success in women’s cricket over the past five years. Charlotte Edwards, captain of England’s women’s team, made the statement recently as she showed respect to the success and dedication of the regional side. She said no team had made as much progress as the Merissa Aguilera-led Caribbean side. “For me they have been the biggest success in women’s cricket in the last five years,” said Edwards, who has played 174 ODIs, 64 T20 Internationals and 20 Test matches since her debut back in 1996. “The way they have played their cricket and the performances of their two outstanding players in [Deandra] Dottin and [Stafanie] Taylor, who are real stars of the game now, and for me to see those young players coming out and expressing themselves in this form of the game is testament to where they
are at the moment.” Edwards added: “I think there are highly exciting times ahead for the game and I think that the West Indies have brought a lot to women’s cricket in the last five years.” Recalling back in 2008 when the two teams met for the first time, and England pounded a then inexperienced West Indies team, Edwards jokingly acknowledged that that treatment had now come full circle. In response, Aguilera praised the West Indies’ tremendous determination and perseverance, along with a strong work ethic for helping to propel them among the best women’s team in the world. She admitted that after having been “treated roughly” by England, the players knew exactly what was required of them if they wanted to be competitive against the elite teams such as Australia, New Zealand and the English side. “It has always been a roller coaster ride for the West Indies women’s cricket team. But no matter what we have been through, or what has been thrown at us, we have been able to stand firm and continue to work hard towards what we wanted. “Our main goal is to obviously reach to number one and obviously we know that it isn’t just going to come like that,” Aguilera explained. “But we have to continue to work hard, be dedicated and be disciplined in all areas. It’s a real struggle…everything in life is challenging, but as long as we continue to put God first in whatever we do, then everything becomes easier.” The two teams are presently playing a three-match ODI series at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. The first match abandoned after three overs due to rain. England won the second match on Friday.
Kanpur to host final West Indies ODI
Cricinfo - Mumbai, India - International cricket will return to Kanpur after a fouryear gap as the BCCI picked Green Park stadium to host the final ODI between India and West Indies scheduled for November 27. In the original itinerary released on October 15, the BCCI had listed both Baroda and Kanpur as likely venue for the game. It is understood that the a team of BCCI officials, including its game development manager Ratnakar Shetty, operations manager Suru Nayak and, initially, along with West Indies team manager Richie Richardson, had conducted a recce of Green Park and were satisfied with the facilities and the ground.
Taposh Chatterjee, the central zone member on BCCI’s ground and pitches committee, is expected to visit Kanpur early next week to finalise the pitch preparations for the match. Even though Green Park is equipped with floodlights, the decision about whether the match could be played under lights would be taken later. It is not entirely clear exactly why Kanpur was picked ahead of Bardoa in the absence of any official media release from the BCCI. A team of BCCI officials had visited Baroda to conduct an inspection, but Sanjay Patel, the Bardoa Cricket Association secretary, who also is the BCCI
secretary, could not be reached for a comment. The previous time Kanpur played host to an international was in 2009, for the second Test of Sri Lanka series in November. Green Park is the only Test venue in India not to be owned by the concerned state association (Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association) - it is owned by the state government. The last time Green Park came close to hosting an international match was in December 2012 when it was a favourite to host the Test match against Australia but was ruled out after Cricket Australia was dissatisfied with the dressing room as well as the team hotel following an inspection.
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Kaieteur News
Monday November 04, 2013
76ers rally by Bulls to extend TRAIL BLAZERS HAND stunning unbeaten start SPURS FIRST LOSS
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Forget tanking. Rookie Michael Carter-Williams and the Philadelphia 76ers can’t lose. Pegged in the preseason to be one of the league’s worst teams, the Sixers continued their stunning start to the season, beating the Chicago Bulls 107-104 on Saturday night behind 26 points and 10 assists from Carter-Williams. Evan Turner had 20 points and Spencer Hawes added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the supposedly rebuilding Sixers (3-0), who have already defeated the Washington Wizards and two-time defending champion Miami Heat to rise to first place in the Atlantic Division. “We understand what everybody has said and written about us,” first-year coach Brett Brown said. “Our guys have put in the day-today stuff, which has always been our message. I’m lucky I’ve found a group that enjoys each other’s company and they enjoy playing together.” Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 22 points and 10 rebounds and Luol Deng had 20 points. Still dealing with neck soreness, Derrick Rose finished with 13 points and six assists for Chicago, shooting 4-for-14 from the field and committing eight turnovers. “I would blame tonight on me,” said Rose, who wore tape around his neck for the second straight game. “Turnovers, missed shots, miscommunication — I just couldn’t get in my groove.” After trailing by as many as 18 points earlier in the second half, the Sixers took a 100-99 lead with 3:29 left after Carter-Williams picked up a loose ball and calmly laid it in. It was the Sixers’ first time in front since they led 11-10 midway through the first quarter. Rose buried a 3-pointer with 2:12 left to put the Bulls in front 104-102, but the 2011 MVP committed turnovers on the next two Chicago possessions, allowing the Sixers to tie the game on a layup by Turner and then take a 105-104 lead when Turner made one of two free throws with 1:30 remaining. With 5.9 seconds left, Hawes made a jumper to put the Sixers ahead 107-104, and Deng missed a potentially game-tying 3-pointer on the other end. “At the end, they got to almost every loose ball and hit almost every shot they needed to win the game,”
Michael Carter-Williams had 26 points and 10 assists for the unbeaten 76ers. (Photo: Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports) Rose said. Carter-Williams, the Sixers’ prized first-round draft pick out of Syracuse, said he relished the chance to play against Rose, just one night after going toe-to-toe with Washington’s John Wall. And Rose, who sat out the entire 2012-13 season with a knee injury, looked at times unable to slow down CarterWilliams, who drove the lane with the kind of fearlessness and determination usually seen in veterans. The rookie was 10-for-22 from the field and had three steals. In the first half, the Bulls looked like one of the NBA’s premier teams, as they’re supposed to be. Dominating the inside and outrebounding the Sixers by a wide margin, Chicago closed the first quarter on a 24-11 run before increasing the lead to 20 late in the second quarter. But a 3 by Hawes followed by a driving layup through traffic from CarterWilliams cut the Bulls’ lead to 79-74 with just under five inutes remaining in the third quarter, getting the crowd back into the game. And the Sixers had a chance to take the lead after three quarters,
but a pull-up jumper by Darius Morris rolled around the rim and out. “In this league, no lead is safe,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I know you get tired of hearing that. But in one minute, a team can make up 10 points very quickly.” Five Bulls ended up scoring in double figures, with Taj Gibson getting 12 and Joakim Noah adding 10 points and nine rebounds. Kirk Hinrich was effective spelling Rose with nine points and six assists. But Thibodeau knows his team won’t be able to start churning out wins until Rose starts playing like he did two seasons ago. Brown, meanwhile, doesn’t have too many concerns about his team, as his young players are flying high and putting all talk of a high pick in the 2014 NBA draft to bed for now. On Saturday, Brown played all 11 players available, with 10 of them scoring. Thaddeus Young finished with 13 points and Tony Wroten added 11 for the Sixers, who shot 48.8% from the field and 50% from 3-point range.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nicolas Batum hit a 3pointer at the buzzer and finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 115-105 home-opening victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. Damian Lillard had 25 points, seven assists and seven rebounds, and LaMarcus Aldridge added 24 points for the Blazers, who led by as many as 13 points. Tim Duncan sat out the Spurs’ 91-85 win Friday night against the Lakers after bruising his chest in Wednesday’s seasonopening victory over Memphis. He had 24 points in the first loss this season for the Western Conference champions. Portland has won five straight home openers. Marco Belinelli hit a 3pointer that pulled the Spurs to 104-100 with 1:24 left. After Lillard made two free throws, Duncan had a short jumper. Wesley Matthews dunked for Portland but Belinelli hit another 3 to make it 108-105 with 19 seconds left. Lillard and Batum made free throws before Batum hit a long 3-pointer for the final margin and the triple-double. PACERS 89, CAVALIERS 74 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Paul George and Lance Stephenson combined for 43 points and Indiana remained unbeaten in the young season with a victory over Cleveland. Stephenson scored 22 points, including 10 in a 14-4 run midway through the fourth quarter that gave the Pacers a 79-61 lead with 7:46 to play. George had 21 points and 13 rebounds and scored all the points in a key thirdquarter run for Indiana (3-0).
Dion Waiters scored 17 points, Kyrie Irving had 15 and Anderson Varejao 14 for Cleveland (1-2), which dropped both ends of a twonight road trip after beginning the season with a homecourt win. Stephenson began the final surge by hitting a 3pointer from the left side, scored on a layup, drove the lane, then finished the run by knocking down a 28-footer from the left side. PELICANS 105, BOBCATS 84 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis had 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists to lead New Orleans over Charlotte, its first win since changing its nickname to Pelicans. Tyreke Evans added 15 points, Jrue Holiday had 14 and Brian Roberts 13 for New Orleans (1-2), which made the name change from Hornets in the offseason. Ramon Sessions had 22 points and Kamba Walker added 14 for Charlotte (1-2). The Pelicans set a franchise record with 18 blocked shots, including a career high six by Davis. Jason Smith tied a career high with five blocks. MAVERICKS 111, GRIZZLIES 99 DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points to lead Dallas’ balanced offense over Memphis. Shawn Marion had a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds for Dallas, while Monta Ellis had 18 points. Jose Calderon broke
out of a shooting slump with 15 points, Samuel Dalembert didn’t miss a shot in scoring 14 and Vince Carter added 11 in a reserve role. Zach Randolph had 21 points and 14 rebounds for Memphis. Calderon had made just 1of-15 shots from the field in the first two games. Last season’s NBA leader in 3point percentage had been 1for-8 from beyond the arc before going 3-for-7 on Saturday. Dallas missed its first seven shots before Nowitzki banked in a 3-pointer 2:20 into the game. The Mavericks went on a 13-0 run over 2½ minutes to take a 16-6 lead they never lost. RAPTORS 97, BUCKS 90 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Rudy Gay had 18 points and 15rebounds, DeMar DeRozen added 17 points, and Toronto spoiled Milwaukee’s home opener. After losing a 12-point lead, DeRozen helped Toronto hold on down the stretch. His step-back jumper put the Raptors back up 8985 with four minutes left. Then after missing two free throws, DeRozen was fouled again after corralling the rebound, making both this time with 2:09 left for a five-point lead. O.J. Mayo had 16 points off the bench for the Bucks, including a 3 that tied the game at 85 with 5:53 left. The Raptors controlled the paint early and outrebounded the Bucks 6038.
Vettel chalks up seventh... From page 31 that one,” said team principal Christian Horner. Red Bull were fined 25,000 euros ($34,500) for failing to instruct Vettel to return directly and park his car in the pit lane in India. SPLENDID ISOLATION Watched by his parents, Vettel led every lap of the Abu Dhabi race, beating polesitter Webber into the first corner and disappearing into the night. So dominant was the German that the television cameras soon tired of following him in his splendid isolation, focusing instead on
the battles being waged behind him in the hope of extracting some drama from a race with only one outcome. Germany’s Nico Rosberg was third for Mercedes, 33.6 seconds behind, with Frenchman Romain Grosjean ending a run of three podium finishes with fourth place. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, crossing the finish line more than a minute after Vettel, came fifth although the Spaniard was under investigation for allegedly gaining an advantage by breaching the track limits while overtaking. Stewards decided to take
no further action, ruling that the Spaniard had no choice in his actions. Britain’s Paul Di Resta took sixth for Force India, ahead of compatriot Lewis Hamilton - whose Mercedes mechanics raced against the lock to resolve a brake problem on the grid before the start - and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. The points allowed Mercedes to pull further clear of Ferrari in second place in a constructors’ championship already won by Red Bull for the fourth year in a row. Mercedes have 334 to Ferrari’s 323 and Lotus’s 297.
LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots over Tony Parker (9). (Photo: Steve Dykes, USA TODAY Sports)
Monday November 04, 2013
Kaieteur News
Bangladesh chase 308, sweep series 3-0
Shamsur Rahman set up the chase with 96. (AFP) ESPNcricinfo Bangladesh banked on a string of partnerships and two fine knocks by Shamsur Rahman and Naeem Islam, as they swept the ODI series 30 after chasing 309 in the final over in Fatullah. The fourwicket win matched the 2010 clean sweep at home, which New Zealand lost 4-0. This was also Bangladesh’s second successful chase of a target of 300 or above in ODIs. The home side took full advantage of the new ODI rules that allow only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle during the non Powerplay overs, continually chipping the ball over the infield, and making sure they used the shorter, straight boundaries. New Zealand’s 307 for 5 was the highest score at this ground at the innings break, but it wasn’t enough in the end. Ross Taylor shored up an inexperienced batting line-up with his eighth hundred, but his efforts went in vain. Mahmudullah and Nasir added 35 for the sixth wicket before Mahmudullah was given out caught behind in
the 48th over, although he wasn’t fully convinced and neither were the replays conclusive. A few dot balls afterwards added to the tension among the nearcapacity crowd but Nasir released the pressure with a thump over midwicket at the end of the 48th over, bringing down the chase to a run-a-ball. Nasir kept his nerve, just as he did last year in the deciding fifth ODI against West Indies in which he also guided Bangladesh to a close win. Sohag Gazi completed the win with an upper-cut boundary off the second ball of the last over. Shamsur Rahman missed out on his maiden century, but his contribution, particularly in the absence of the ill Tamim Iqbal, was valuable. He started off briskly with Ziaur Rahman, as the new opening pair added 50 in the seventh over. Ziaur acted as a pinchhitter, hammering two sixes and two fours in his 22 before getting out in the eighth over. But that didn’t stop Shamsur from going after the bowlers, hammering Mitchell McClenaghan for two sixes in
Pakistan’s proposed tour... From page 34 were cut down to three, the three-Test series brought down to two, and the two-match T20 series was scrapped altogether. India will begin their tour of South Africa on December 5, with the first ODI. CSA was expected to lose R200 million (US$ 20m approx.) owing to the curtailed India tour, with the proposed home series against Pakistan expected to help recover some of those costs. Pakistan are scheduled to return to the UAE on December 6 to take on Sri Lanka in two T20s, five ODIs and three Tests. The second half of November is the only period in which both Pakistan and South Africa have no other commitments.
one over. He and Mominul Haque added another quick 65 runs in 11 overs to maintain the pace of the chase. Mominul, however, fell to a soft dismissal to Anton Devcich, for 32 off 33. The captain Mushfiqur Rahim however failed to contribute, pulling to Taylor at square-leg for 2. But Naeem made sure there was no collapse as he and Shamsur added 75, at more than five runs an over. Naeem matched Shamsur with his timing, particularly through the off side as reached his fifty off 53 balls. When Shamsur fell in the 35th over, Naeem managed to put together another crucial half-century stand with Nasir Hossain. New Zealand had an opening when Naeem was run out in the 43rd over for 63 off 74 balls, but Nasir and Mahmudullah brought the equation back in Bangladesh’s favour. Earlier it was Taylor’s hundred that gave New Zealand much-needed impetus, mainly in the last ten overs. After he had added 130 runs for the fourth wicket with Colin Munro, he made sure he took full advantage of Bangladesh’s pace bowling in the slog overs, one of their biggest weaknesses. In the last five overs, Bangladesh conceded 73 runs, after they added just 25 between the 40th and 45th over. Taylor blasted three sixes and nine fours in his 93-ball unbeaten 107, his second hundred against Bangladesh and his second this year. It was an innings that befitted the only experienced batsman in the line-up, helping the team recover from 101 for 3. Secondly, he let Munro dominate much of their partnership and only cut loose in the end overs. He was severe on anything that was bowled on the stumps, playing his favoured slog-sweep. Munro forced Mushfiqur to think hard while setting fields. He mixed conventional shots with reverse hits, one of which was a pulled six off Abdur Razzak. Playing his first match on tour, but he showed little signs of difficulty to adjust, as the others in his line-up have shown. He cracked two sixes and seven fours in his 77-ball 85, the sort of innings that one could have been expected from Brendon McCullum, who had left the country to treat his sore back. Scores: Bangladesh 309 for 6 (Shamsur 96, Naeem 63, Nasir 44*) beat New Zealand 307 for 5 (Taylor 107*, Munro 85) by four wickets.
Page 31
16th Troy Humphrey Memorial Cycle Meet
Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams demolishes star studded field in feature 30-lap contest By Franklin Wilson Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams showed glimpses of his old vintage self when he stormed to an emphatic win in the feature 30-lap race of the 16th annual Troy Humphrey Memorial Cycle Meet held at the Seawall Bandstand yesterday. With 28-riders facing starters orders in the feature race, Williams did not leave anything to chance as he took command of the contest early in the piece, his teammates ensuring that he was kept untouched at the helm, tactics which would have been lacking in the past but very encouraging for the future of the sport in Guyana. Such was the dominance of Williams who led from lap five, that he took nine of the ten sprint prizes on offer, the other going to Roraima Bikers Club (RBC) teammate, Alonzo Greaves. At some points during the race, Continental Cycle Club’s Geron Williams looked threatening but Williams’ teammates ensured that
Geron was kept in check. RBC dominated the feature contest, sweeping the top three spots, Williams being followed to the line by Alonzo Greaves and the veteran Raymond ‘Steely’ Newton. Geron Williams was fourth with the United Bike Shop duo of brothers, Orville and Delroy Hinds closing out the top six spots in that order. Apart from the attractive prizes that were on offer, close friend of sponsors, the Humphrey’s Bakery and Farm Products family, Gordon Gilhuys rewarded the top four finishers with $5,000 each. Owner/Manager of Humphrey’s Bakery, George Humphrey expressed gratitude to all the competitors and officials for turning up in their numbers to make the 16th Memorial Meet for his son Troy, a resounding success. The Special BMX race was won by Sherwin Sampson with Gem Harrison and Alexander Leung second and third respectively. Top honours in the BMX
Open went to Jamal John followed by F. Jackson and Deeraj Garbarran in that order. The Team Time Trials went to Continental Cycle Club in 8 Minutes 03.27 Seconds ahead of Roraima Bikers Club (8: 05.25) and United Bike Shop (8:05.76). Hosea Macullay topped the field in the Mountain Bike contest winning from Richard Charles and Stephano Husbands. Talim Shaw was a winner all the way in the Veterans Undert-50 event, Junior Niles had to settle for the second pace and Ian Jackson, third. The Over-50 showdown went to US based Joelyn Joseph who was trailed by Linden Blackman and Virgil Jones. The Junior 20-Lap event saw Mario King emerging the winner with Shaquille Agard and Michael Anthony holding down the second and third places. Agard also won three of the six prime prizes with one each for Anthony, King and Slivio Inniss.
VETTEL CHALKS UP SEVENTH WIN IN ROW
Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany drives during the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit on Yas Island, November 3, 2013. (REUTERS/Steve Crisp) ABU DHABI (Reuters) Sebastian Vettel won the floodlit Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by a massive margin on Sunday to chalk up his seventh successive victory and equal the longest winning streak in Formula One’s modern era. Red Bull’s four times world champion was in a league of his own, 40 seconds clear at his second pitstop and then taking the chequered flag half a minute ahead of second-placed Australian team mate Mark
Webber. “The car was absolutely brilliant,” he said after the race which started in daylight and ended in darkness. “Not much more to say. I was flying at some stages. At least it felt like it. Massive gaps...” The 26-year-old German has now won 11 races this season, 37 in his career, and his seventh success in a row equaled the single-season tally racked up by fellow German Michael Schumacher in 2004. The all-time record of
nine was set by Italian Alberto Ascari, although that was over two seasons in 1952-53, and nobody would bet against Vettel matching that feat before the year is out with races in Austin, Texas, and Brazil to come. “I remember when I was a small kid watching Formula One and Michael was with Ferrari and dominating...if you look back, you feel like he won every second race. “To equal some of the stuff that they managed to achieve is very, very special.” To celebrate, Vettel pulled over on his slowing down lap and performed more of the smoking ‘donuts’ that landed him in trouble last weekend in India where he captured his fourth successive championship. “Just bring the car home into the garage,” race engineer Guillaume ‘Rocky’ Rocquelin told him, probably knowing already the futility of his words. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what I’m doing,” replied Vettel, echoing the famous words of Kimi Raikkonen on his way to victory in Abu Dhabi last year in response to unwanted advice from his Lotus team. “You can pay the fine on Continued on page 30
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Kaieteur News
Former national footballers take a swipe at non-functioning BFA, suggest office be closed
Neil Humphrey (left) and Ike Bowry (right) pose with some of their charges at the end of a recent tournament. By Samuel Whyte Former national players Neil ‘Grizzly’ Humphrey and Ike Bowry among others have come out hard against the defunct Berbice Football Association (BFA). The players, who are members of the Hearts of Oak Masters Football Club (HOMFC) of Berbice, which arguably is the most active football organization in Guyana, were speaking on the eve of the presentation and awards ceremony of the recently concluded HOMFC Inter Ward football competition in Berbice. Humphrey a member of the well-known Humphrey family that represented Guyana in a number of sports discipline including, athletics, basketball and lawn tennis and Bowry, stated that they
have thrown cold water on what is happening with football in Berbice. The former national players stated that due to the dormancy of the Berbice Football Association (BFA) their organisation, which is made up of a number of former national ball weavers the likes of Adrian and Sherwin Forde, Phillip Carrington, Sam Jones, Ike Bowry and the Alphonso siblings among others, are doing their utmost to keep the game active in the Ancient County. They took a swipe at the BFA for not doing anything to help the game in Berbice. “The organization is dormant and is only interested in fighting and dominance. People are only going and coming and
talking, but nothing doing,” the former national ball weavers stated. “The BFA has not organised a proper competition for the past six years and no proper financial statement was presented, yet they occupy an office with staff. A waste of financial resources,” Humphrey retorted. What is more alarming the men pointed out, is that the former president of the BFA, Keith O’Jeer somehow found himself as an executive member of the Guyana Football Federation. He immediately resigned from the BFA after that appointment. They suggested that the BFA office should be officially closed and the funds channeled to doing
something tangible, like helping the many underprivileged youths in the county. They also want former BFA president, now GFF senior executive member, Keith O’Jeer, to explain what happened to the association’s funds during his tenure among other things. The HOMFC is presently conducting the second Annual Wilber Hope Memorial Inter School football, tournament. The organization is also presently training a number of teachers who are presently doing Physical Education at their various schools in refereeing and coaching, conducting youth camps and has a nursery among other football related activities.
2013 Norman Singh Memorial 2nd Division 20-Over Knockout Cricket in West Berbice
Lakeraj Sookra slams competition’s highest 93 for D’Edward The 2013 Norman Singh Memorial Second Division 20Over Knockout Cricket Competition for teams in West Berbice continued recently with opening batsman, Lakeraj Sookra, registering the highest individual score of the competition when he slammed 93 for D’Edward against Shieldstown. Shieldstown posted a fairly challenging 140 for 5 in their 20 overs, thanks to 66 from Kumar Bridgelall who featured in an opening stand of 65 with Omesh Arjune (15)
and then he put on 70 for the second wicket with Devendra Lalsa (21 not out), spearheading D’Edward to victory with 4.4 overs to spare and into the third round. His knock included 8 fours and 9 sixes. Bath also advanced to the third round after they had an easy 6-wicket win over Rainbow Generation thanks mainly to Ravi Gossai’s 53 not out. In the summarized scores: At D’Edward, D’Edward beat Shieldstown by 8
wickets. Shieldstown 140 for 5 in 20 overs with Kumar Bridgelall 66 not out, Heeralall Bridgelall 31 and Devendra Lalsa 2 for 22. D’Edward 141 for 2 in 15.2 overs with Lakeraj Sookra 93 and Devendra Lalsa 21 not out. At Bath, Bath beat Rainbow Generation by 6 wickets. Rainbow Generation 102 in 13.4 o v e r s w i t h Wayne Fraser 27, Narvin Ramnauth 2 for 15, Hardat Ta r s o n 2 f o r 1 7 a n d Parmesh Ramjattan 2 for 26. Bath 105 for 4 in 18.5 overs
Monday November 04, 2013
Preparation almost complete for fourth BCCDA Inter Agency cricket in Berbice Preparations are moving ahead for the eagerly anticipated fourth annual Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association Inter Agency Corporate Business in Sports (CBIS) 10/10 cricket competition, Exhibition and fun day, which is slated to be held on Saturday November 9th at the Albion Community Centre, beginning at 09:00 hrs. The organisers have release the rules of the competition which will be known as the Berbice Chamber CBIS 2013 Cup. Each Team is permitted two guest players (no national player). Employees spouse and children can register as staff of the Company if there are not enough employees to make up the team. The games will be played as a 10/10 encounter with 16 participating teams (8 overs in the preliminary round and 10 overs from the semifinal stages). Wides and No Balls will be counted as runs. Front Foot “No Ball” will be counted as runs and will earn a “FREE HIT”. Runs earned as a result of overthrows will be counted as legal runs. Each bowler will be allowed two overs during the preliminary stage and three overs during the semifinals and final. During the preliminary stage of the competition, bowling will be permitted from one side only so as to conserve on time. For the semifinal and final, batting and bowling will be done from both sides. In the event of a tie a ‘super over’ will be bowled. An over should not exceed three minutes. Therefore a game should not exceed 60 minutes. The competition is set to begin at 09:30hrs and teams are asked to assemble at 08:45 hrs with the list of players of their respective squads. This list should also be emailed or handed to the organisers by today, November 04, 2013. Third place winner will be the team that loses the
semifinals with the higher score. One team will draw the bye into the semifinals or the team that lost the qualifiers with the highest score. Attractive prizes will be at stake for the top teams and outstanding individual players, which will include cash and trophies. The winning team will walk away with the BCCDA trophy, $50,000 and medals. The Runner-up will take home Trophy, $30,000 and medals, while third place will collect a trophy and $20,000. The Man of the Match in the finals gets $10,000 and a medal. The bowler with the most wickets also gets $10,000 and a medal as well as the batsman with the highest score in the tournament. The fixtures, which will see two matches being played simultaneously, are as follows - Regional Chairman’s eleven verses the Guyana Hindu Dharma Sabah, Karibee Rice taking on Hand in Hand Insurance, Demerara Bank playing Banks DIH Ltd, Oldendorff Carriers matching skills with Guyana Power and Light, Metro Office and Computer Supplies meeting Neal and Massy, Berbice Bridge colliding with New Building Society. The final two matches will bring together Republic Bank Ltd against Ansa McAl Stag Boyz and Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports taking on Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company for a place in the quarterfinals. The final, which will be a 10 over affair, will be played under lights. A feature 20/20 cricket match involving Berbice Titans against either Trophy Stalls or Regal eleven, will precede the final. The day’s proceedings will be spiced up with performances by a One Man Band and Cheer Leaders. The presentation ceremony will follow immediately after the final. Teams are also encouraged to walk with Dominoes, for the domino tournament that will be held simultaneously.
Johnson wins Airborne Sonics 5k race in Trinidad
Lakeraj Sookra with Ravi Gossai 53 not out and Wayne Fraser 2 for 10.
Kelvin Johnson followed up on his third place finish at the South American 10km Road Race Classic in Guyana last weekend when he won the Airborne Sonics 5km race in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago Saturday. Johnson ran 15:45 to win while Lionel D’Andrade, another Guyanese who participated in the UWI Half Marathon for the first time last Sunday, placed second in Airborne Sonics 5k with a time of 16:07; Trinidad’s Curtis Cox (16:13) was third. Both D’Andrade and Johnson are gearing up for three upcoming 5k races and will be using those as training for the Suriname Marathon on November 23.