Kaieteur News

Saturday Edition

Online readership yesterday 89,963

November 10, 2012 - Vol. 6 No. 42 - Price $80 kaieteurnews@yahoo.com Website:http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

US shuts EZjet down - thousands stranded, seek refund Police called in to calm stranded passengers

Following clash with BK International...

Willis axed as Haags Bosch Project Manager

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Kaieteur News

Friday November 09, 2012

Following clash with BK International...

Willis axed as Haags Bosch Project Manager G overnment’s Chief Engineer Walter Willis has been sacked as Project Manager of the Solid Waste Management Programme.

The sacking becomes effective this afternoon. The letter under the hand of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Collin Croal, stated that “this decision would provide an opportunity to return to the Ministry of Works.”Croal said that the government has not severed ties with Willis.

The decision to sack Willis sprang from the clash between Willis and BK International. A few weeks ago, following claims by BK International that it had imported US$3 million worth of machinery, Willis released photographs of disused and unsalvageable machinery believed to be the US$3 million consignment.

A Government source said that Willis and Kaieteur News exhibited gross indiscretion by publishing the photographs. The source said that it was not Willis’s duty to make such a statement—it was a foolish thing.

The source said that given the disclosure of the photographs it would not have been in Willis’s best interest to remain as Project Manager of the solid waste programme. His removal was seen as the worst thing that could have happened since he was playing a

Walter Willis

crucial role to ensure the successful execution of the solid waste project. It was in the government’s interest for Willis to remain there, the source said.

BK International had earlier moved to the courts to challenge a report submitted by Willis on the performance of BK International on the Haags Bosch Landfill site. Willis has since procured his own legal team for his defence. In the report, Willis claimed that BK International was noncompliant in relation to the project specifications. Minister Robeson Benn asked (Continued on page 19)

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

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US shuts EZjet down - thousands stranded, seeking refunds In a move that was sudden, but not unexpected, the US government has suspended the operations of EZjet Air Services, leaving thousands of Guyanese passengers stranded between Trinidad, Canada and the US. The suspension is related to huge sums of monies that EZjet allegedly owes to Swift Air, a US-based company that conducted the charter flights. Passengers also turned up for flights yesterday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) but were told the flight to New York was cancelled.

Scores of passengers later descended on the Airline’s Brickdam offices yesterday, demanding their refunds. Meanwhile, the Guyana Government says it is talking to a number of airlines to provide relief.

According to the Guyana government, it was notified of the US Department of Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n ( D O T ) suspension yesterday and this triggered an automatic response of suspension here by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Since starting its flights last year, there have been questions about EZjet; its source of financing and whether its financing structure would have allowed it to survive.

Government and EZjet accused Kaieteur News and Opposition politicians of scaring away passengers.

But, the fact is that the Guyana Government had ignored the obvious questions about the airline and, instead of conducting necessary inquiries, had backed the company.

Recently, its Chief Executive Officer, Sonny Ramdeo, resigned after a US

healthcare company sued EZjet and the official for allegedly stealing over US$5.4M and passing some of the monies through the bank accounts of the airline.

Ramdeo had vowed to defend the charge and to return as CEO. Just two weeks ago, Acting CEO Rosalinda Rasul had said that the airline was in a healthy financial position and was not indebted to anyone.

In a statement posted on its Facebook account yesterday, EZjet blamed mismanagement and financial hardship for its woes.

However, the financial difficulties leading to the collapse of the charter flights has been in the forefront of public concern for a number of weeks now.

The company said that it has “temporarily suspended its operations due to financial hardship created by its vendors and agents owing EZjet, as well as some mismanagement.”

Total lies!

EZjet, in its defense, accused Swift Air and another service provider, Dynamic Airways, of abandoning passengers on Wednesday in Trinidad.

“Swift Air also forced EZjet to cancel its flight scheduled for November 2 and November 3 due to the fact that they abandoned passengers at the JFK airport and took another job flying for the Boston Celtics while inconveniencing EZjet’s passengers.”

EZjet said that Swift Air owes it US$800,000 which includes charges relating to using a substitute aircraft, ground services, hotel stays for passengers, food and other amenities during delays. “While EZjet has

invoiced Swift Air for reimbursement of these charges, the Company has not paid any of EZjet’s invoices.”

In its Facebook statement, EZJet accused the previous aircraft operator, Dynamic Airways, that helped it start the charter, of owing over US$1.5M which included a US$800,000 cash

Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn

Ezjet’s CEO (ag), Rosalinda Rasul

Founder/former CEO, Sonny Ramdeo

Police were called in to quell an angry crowd at EZjet’s Brickdam office

security deposit.

“EZjet is in the process of seeking legal action against Dynamic Airways for recovery of the sums owing. These outstanding balances, coupled with the poor collection of ticket sales from the travel agencies, have left EZjet in a financial strain.”

New investors needed EZjet said that it is in the process of seeking new investors with the hopes of restarting its Guyana services.

In a statement, yesterday, the Ministry of Trade and Tourism said that there may be some 25,000 to 30,000 advance bookings for the

months of November and December 2012.

However, while this claim of 25,000-30,000 bookings sounds impractical, such reservations, if true, could not spell financial trouble unless, as Rasul said, there was mismanagement. Such charge however is new but not unexpected given everything else that has been unearthed recently.

Government disclosed that it has commenced talks with Caribbean Airlines to assist with extra flights. A team from that airline is expected in Guyana today to meet with government.

“This meeting will focus

on finding solutions that would result in stability in airfares as well as availability of additional capacity to fill the void that would be created by the exit of EzJet.” Benn said yesterday that the government was “unhappy and disappointed” that its efforts to bring low cost air fares to Guyana have not worked well.

While EZjet had deposited US$200,000 ($40M) security deposit with government, it is still too early to determine whether this would be enough for the reported thousands of passengers who would have booked

flights for the Christmas season.

Minister Benn insisted that background checks or due diligence, similar to what the US would have carried out, were conducted on EZjet.

Benn disclosed that his ministry became aware last week that EZjet was experiencing a situation after local suppliers start demanding cash up front.

A stranded passenger said, “Benn and the Government should have seen these signs and warned us of the dangers to our hard earned finances.” This sad comment may be the epitaph to the entire episode.

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Ignoring conventions In Guyana we seem bent on fashioning our own methods.

We often ignore conventions or better, we adopt conventions when they suit out purposes. For the first time we have a minority parliament and while there have been minority parliaments all over the world we still behave as though this is a novelty. In the end we are unable to proceed with the business of the National Assembly because the government benches say that there are conventions that should be followed.

The first issue had to do with the appointment of the Parliamentary Select Committees. Because there has always been a majority government certain appointments followed quite logically. This would have given rise to a tradition.

But things become confrontational with the minority parliament. The majority opposition insists on certain numbers and appointments to the Parliamentary Select Committees. The government, however, believes that tradition should prevail. Never before have so many parliamentary matters been taken to the courts.

This now is the trend of the minority parliament.

When opposition rulings are made the government feels duty bound to challenge those rulings in the court. However, the courts simply direct the litigants to what one would consider a basic—matters of parliament are for resolution by parliament. The first inkling that the things would always be confrontational was when there was to have been the election of the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Again the government benches contended that since the speaker was always from the party with the largest bloc of votes in the House then the government should elect the Speaker. This was not the case because the majority opposition decided that it should have control of the National Assembly. In the heady moments of parliamentary control the opposition made forays into areas that were the preserve of the government. It sought to modify the national budget when that is the preserve of the government.

Since then, it has been seeking the removal of a Government Minister. The opposition passed a motion of no-confidence against the Minister and the refusal of the government and its Members of Parliament to heed the noconfidence vote now appears to have brought about a stalemate. The opposition is simply refusing to allow the Minister to utter one word in parliament. Parliament, like the Executive, is an independent arm of the constitution.

The third is the Court. None can dictate to the other.

Since the Minister was appointed by the Executive it is left to the Executive to remove the Minister. This has not happened. The result is that matters of national interest cannot be proceeded with under the name of that Minister.

The government insists that there are conventions and there must be. If the National Assembly passes a no-confidence motion against a government then that government must step down and call elections within six months. The opposition feels that having passed a no-confidence motion against a Minister that Minister should step down.

Legal purists have told the Speaker of the House that the Parliament cannot enforce the no-confidence motion and indeed this is the case because Parliament cannot dictate to the Executive. However, one British Member of Parliament has said that in other jurisdictions having failed to negotiate a no-confidence motion the Minister would have resigned.

He said that there is ca convention that supports such a move. Obviously, in Guyana conventions only apply top special purposes and this alone would suggest that this country would remain backward until Eternity. It would seem that the opposition is rooted in the convention of opposing just about everything that the government does. And the government has adopted a principle of fiercely resisting anything that the opposition proposes once the proposal does not find favour with the government.

There is no middle ground. In this day and age, for leaders to be playing a game of tit for tat, and for them to be opposing for the sake of opposition, will not do the country any good.

Therefore for the sake of the nation perhaps we should head back to the polls.

Saturday November 10, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

The past is now haunting the present DEAR EDITOR, I write in relation to the Stabroek News article of November 8, 2012 captioned “Rohee’s ‘no confidence’ vote unenforceable”.

The article states that Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Raphael Trotman, has been advised by a “senior legal practitioner” that “President Donald Ramotar is not bound by the passage of the motion of no confidence against Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee” and that “Rohee can continue to perform his functions as the motion does not bind either the minister or the Prime Minister to obey it”.

To many, this legal opinion is not a surprise.

The present constitution, implemented in 1980 and often referred to as “the Burnham constitution”, is a hybrid of the British and the American models, and a product of some of the most brilliant legal minds in the country at that time, including Mr. Burnham, himself a Guyana Scholar and brilliant lawyer.

This constitution, which replaced the one in place for Guyana’s Independence in 1966, was designed to give absolute powers to the President and curtail the authority of the National Assembly. Interestingly, the legal opinion notes that “in other jurisdictions he (Rohee) would have been forced by convention to resign as a Minister”.

Enforcement of this legal opinion by the Speaker has now created a furore, with the Opposition members of both APNU and AFC in a rebellious mood, and a sitting of the National Assembly had to be adjourned prematurely to November 22. And once again the country is in a state of uncertainty and distress.

The irony of the situation is that the PNC, the major constituent of APNU, the staunch opponent of the Speaker’s ruling, was the party that voted-in the current constitution under which Minister Rohee cannot be forced to resign, despite the passing of the ‘no confidence’ motion against him.

As I look at the political situation in Guyana, I am reminded of the book titled “For the Love of my Name”

by Trinidad-born writer, Lakshmi Persaud.

In his review of this book, John Mair wrote “it fictionalises and satirises the Burnham years very elegantly. Guyana is thinly disguised as an island called Maya and LFS as a dictator called Augustus Devonish. ..

Her research has been thorough and wide, her contacts drawn from all sides of the Guyana divide. High, low, black, brown, yellow, white. “ What I find extremely interesting and relevant are the reflections of the character, President Augustus Devonish, as he

nears his end, in indicting the many who supported him in his quest for absolute control.

Of the western powers he observes “I was perceived by the Western democracies (no mean feat on my part) as a bulwark against Emmanuel Potaro and communism.

When one is skilled, the misconceptions and exaggerated fears of the powerful can be harnessed to pull one’s own cart”.

Regarding the neighbouring islands, he questions “Why should the democracies of this Maritime Region, knowing that I was disenfranchising more than half the citizens of Maya through ballot-rigging, choose to look the other way?”

Guyanese and West Indian academics have generally shunned any major critical review of the Burnham years.

However, Lakshmi Persaud’s fictionalized history is very telling and a few more excerpts are worth quoting.

In relation to the region’s academics, Augustus Devonish notes “These are a group of men and women who speak continually of academic independence and integrity, yet found it all too easy to keep silent when I had to do things w h i c h , l e t u s s a y, brought real politik into conflict with the niceties of human rights... I marvel at these comrades amoebic

flexibility”. Regarding his supporters, Devonish reveals “My supporters on every rung of the ladder are happy when I make space for them to climb upwards, by facilitating the departure of others”.

In stressing the support he received over the years, Devonish notes “do not for a moment think I was alone in my pursuits.

Sportsmen, literary and other professional men and women from within and without Maya came to my assistance.

A stream of learned men knocked at my door to support the direction I had taken. Such a wide personal support from the intelligentsia gave me the assurance and hand I needed when, at times, in the privacy of my study, I would reflect on the path along which I had taken Maya and wondered and wondered.”

I do not support the absolute power of the President under the constitution.

Regrettably, the past is now haunting the present and, to many, L a k s h m i Persaud’s fiction may be right on the mark, making it difficult for the Opposition parties to gain support for change.

Yet, it is disappointing that since the last election, the Opposition parties have not made even a token move in parliament to change the constitution.

Harry Hergash

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

US Elections - Some random views

DEAR EDITOR, The US elections are over.

After a protracted and gruelling contest, President Obama has won re-election by a comfortable majority in what was projected to be a much tighter race. The results of the elections, despite the millions of dollars spent, have not in any significant way shifted the balance of power in Washington, with the Republicans once again in control of Congress and the Democrats retaining their majority in the Senate. One striking feature of this election was the huge sums of money spent by both campaigns which will go down as one of the most expensive presidential election in US history.

According to conservative estimates, roughly 2.5 billion dollars have been spent on the elections, thanks to the unrestricted sums spent by the so-called Super PACs (political action committees) on both sides of the political divide.Now that the electoral dust has settled, there are some harsh realities that the re-elected Obama administration must seek to address, namely, that of creating momentum in the economy and in the process, generate employment opportunities for the vast

army of unemployed and under-employed. The polls showed that the economy was the overriding issue faced by the electorate, a situation that was exploited to the maximum by the Romney campaign, but which did not gain the anticipated traction in terms of voter behaviour.

One would have thought that with the economy in such bad shape and the unemployment rate hitting record levels, the electorate would have given the nod to Mitt Romney, who marketed himself as a business guru and one who knows what it takes to turn the economy around. This incidentally was the trump card of the Romney campaign, but it failed to resonate with the majority of voters, in particular those from the swing states of Ohio and Florida, both of which were carried by President Obama. The economy aside, there were a number of countervailing factors which tipped the scales in Obama’s favour. The first had to do with the dismal Bush legacy, which was characterized by reckless spending on the military following the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. These wars and the continuing military presence in these two countries have proven to be

DEAR EDITOR, The legal profession has lost an outstanding Senior Counsel in Clarence Hughes.

He was not only a brilliant corporate and commercial attorney, but was a gentleman.

He was one of the three founding partners of the law firm of Hughes, Fields and Stoby, along with Richard ‘Dickie’ Fields and Robin Stoby.

Hughes was not in Forbes Burnham’s good books, and as such, he was not appointed Senior Counsel under the Burnham administration. He had to wait until Desmond Hoyte took over the government in August 1985 before he was appointed along with six other lawyers. Among them was Doodnauth Singh, who also was not a Burnham favourite. Director of Public Prosecutions George Jackman, Solicitor General Julian Nurse, and two Solicitors Eric Clarke and Sase Narain, also received silk at the same time. It was the first time in the history of Guyana that Solicitors were admitted

to the inner bar, and this was done because the profession was fused in 1979 when Barristers and Solicitors were known as Attorneys at law.

Clarence’s death would be a tremendous blow to his son, Nigel, who lost his fatherin-law, Hugh Cholmondeley, a few months ago, and his mother-in-law Elizabeth ‘Betty’, who passed away a week ago. Nigel is one of the leading lawyers in the country and it seems as if he is suffering the same fate as his now dead father, because former President Bharat Jagdeo said that he would never be given silk under the PPP/C regime.

The senior Hughes was not enjoying health for quite some time, and when his friends asked him how he was doing he would say “well boy, I am at the departure lounge waiting for my flight to be called” Well, his flight was called Thursday morning.

Condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace.

Oscar Ramjeet Florida

Senior Counsel Clarence Hughes was a gentleman

a significant drag on the economy and a major contributory factor to the high fiscal deficit faced by the country.

Both sides to their credit indicated their intention to withdraw troops from Afghanistan next year.

However Romney was in favour of beefing up the military as opposed to Obama, who promised to reduce spending on the military and reallocate resources to more critical areas, including social welfare and infrastructural development, a stance which earned him some political capital.

There were other significant

areas of divergence between the two candidates which in the main were more ideological in nature, such as the role of government in the economy. Romney favoured an approach which entailed downsizing of government and a corresponding greater role for the private sector. The recent hurricane Sandy on the eve of the elections, which devastated parts of the United States, brought into sharp focus the critical role of government in relief operations and disaster mitigation and the centrality of strong and decisive leadership, which earned President Obama high marks on the way he handled the

situation.

A second major area of divergence had to do with the source of funding for development, with Democrats favouring more taxes on the rich and those who can afford to pay as opposed to Republicans who argue for tax breaks and other incentives to the rich in order to stimulate business and hence employment opportunities which have not proven successful and have resulted instead in greater inequity in income distribution and rising poverty.

A survey done revealed that high income disparities are a major concern to a great

number of Americans, giving rise to protest movements across the United States under the so-called “Occupy Wall Street” movements.

Another factor which influenced the voting behaviour in the United States is the changing demographics and the rise of Hispanic and Latino voters, who by and large are more supportive of the Democrats, especially in important battleground states such as Ohio and Florida. These categories, along with AfroAmericans, are in the main lower income groups, who tended to take a class approach to political (continued on page 6)

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Kaieteur News

Saturday November 10, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

Contemptuous utterances, US Elections tones of shocked horror and Some random... forms of political protest DEAR EDITOR, Over the last three months I’ve listened with outrage to the condemnation by PPP/C spokespersons of Lindeners blocking the Wismar/ MacKenzie Bridge on July 18th.

In part, I feel outrage because their utterances are contemptuous of Guyanese who are not in a position to know that civil disobedience has been a key strategy of Guyanese political actors in the past, including the PPP and (yes, Manzoor Nadir), the United Force.

You really ought not to fool young people in particular, by using tones o f shocked horror to condemn what you yourself did when you were not the government.

Civil disobedience in street protests has to be the subject of another letter. For now I want to make a quick response to the tones of shocked horror the same spokespersons are using to discuss the Opposition strategy of drowning out the

Minister of Home Affairs on the last two occasions that he rose to speak in Parliament.

I’m not sure what I think of this strategy. It’s not clear to me that in our unaccountable political culture, this is the right way to achieve the goal of holding Ministers responsible for the failures and crimes over which they preside.

Ministerial accountability is so foreign to us that some have argued indignantly that Mr Rohee can’t be held responsible for the shootings at Linden since he wasn’t “on the spot”, and Mr Rohee himself has suggested that in between elections, only the Cabinet and the Government can judge him.

I wish I had understood when we were fighting for “democracy” in the 1970s and 1980s that all democracy meant to the PPP was a once-everyfive-years vote. But on the

question of the Opposition’s recent conduct in Parliament vis-à-vis Minister Rohee, as on the question of the Linden

protestors’ blocking the bridge on July 18, the sanctimoniousness of members of the PPP/C leadership who are old enough to remember and who themselves participated in the events of the 1970s and the 1980s, is ugly. So, for the benefit of younger people looking at them on the TV screen, as they shake their heads as if asking “What is the world coming to? - here is an incident that was recently recounted to a group of us by a Guyanese in the Diaspora and verified by another member of the group who was in Parliament during the incident: “In the 1980s in Parliament, I happened to be in the Public Building, in the course of my job duties, to get the then Minister of Finance’s signature to complete a banking transaction.

I witnessed the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Sase Narain, ruling in Parliament on an intervention by the Leader of the Opposition …, Dr.

Jagan, with the words, ‘The Honourable Member is out of order.’ Drama unfolded as Jagan, in a fit of passionate conviction, retorted, verbally, that the Speaker was out of order and physically, by tossing a set of law books on the desk before him in a helterskelter fashion on the Parliament floor.

That led to the Speaker describing Jagan’s action as disrespectful, indecent, ill-disciplined and unbefitting of justified his conduct by stating that it was a form of political protest which he had a democratic right and duty to perform against an act of injustice.”

The person writing this account then added, “In 2012, the ruling elite’s posture on this right is indeed ironic.

Perhaps the current rulers should be reminded of that historic episode.”

Incidentally, I’m not sure that he approved of Dr Jagan’s actions. I did.

Andaiye

From page 5 participation, not unlike a significant number of blue collar workers right across the ethnic spectrum. And not to be outdone is the manifest superior organizational and logistical structures the Democrats had on the ground to influence voters, in particular the undecided, and get them to the polling booth.

There is also a growing constituency of liberals who are not constrained by religion or culture and take independent positions on issues such as abortion, gay rights and same-sex marriages, which are frowned upon by Republicans who tend to be more steeped in religious orthodoxy. A recent survey found that an increasing number of Americans now consider themselves non-religious and are therefore not constrained by religious orthodoxy.

The election results in my view are suggestive that race, class, gender and cultural orientation are significant variables in the determination of political and electoral outcomes, as the recent elections in the United States so forcefully highlighted.

Republicans cannot continue

to rely on their traditional support base but must find new ways to reach out to minorities and the liberals if they are to remain competitive in electoral politics.

President Obama, for his part, demonstrated that he still enjoyed the confidence and respect of a wide-cross section of the American people, even though there is still a fair measure of polarization in the American society. His major challenge is to now reach out across the political divide and try to build bridges in Washington in order to further his agenda of improving the lot of the American people. Mitt Romney has graciously conceded defeat and urged both Democrats and Republicans to work together for the good of all. One hopes that his colleagues on Capitol Hill will give him a listening ear.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar has extended congratulations to President Obama on his reelection and expressed the hope that relations between the two countries will be strengthened in the years ahead.

Hydar Ally

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Amended Sexual Offences, Business Registration Bills tabled Although the National Assembly was abruptly suspended on Thursday following moves by the parliamentary opposition to prevent Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, from moving the second reading of the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, two new Bills were successfully tabled.

These were the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill and the Business Names (Registration) (Amendment) Bill. The first reading of the Sexual Offences Bill was moved by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall.

According to the explanatory memorandum, Clause three of the Bill seeks to amend section 74 (3) of the Sexual Offences Act 2010.

The amendment provides that if a statement is written on behalf of a child, the child may make a mark in circumstances where the child cannot sign.

Clause Four on the other hand speaks to the amendment of the first schedule of the 2010 Act with a view to giving the accused

Parliament in session on Thursday the right to lead evidence or submit written statements in every instance. This will also allow for the prosecution to have the right to lead evidence or submit written statements.

According to the explanatory memorandum it would now become prejudicial to the accused if

the accused does not have this right as well.

It was noted that the passing of the Bill is expected to allow for a level playing field as regards to submission of evidence by the prosecutor and the accused.

The explanatory memorandum detailed, too,

that Clause Five of the Bill is intended to provide that the new committal procedure applies to legal proceedings pending the commencement of the Act and legal proceedings instituted on or after the commencement of the Act. The Business Names (Registration) (Amendment)

Bill was read for the first time

by Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh. It seeks to amend Section five of the Business names (Registration) Act, Chapter 90:05.

This, according to the explanatory memorandum, will cater to the annual date for registration of business

names of firms or persons to be staggered to no later than 15 days after the anniversary of the date of registration of the firm or person instead of no later than January 15 of each year.

The staggering move is expected to help reduce the customary long lines and delays to facilitate the registration renewal process.

Following the reading of the two Bills an attempt was made by the Home Affairs Minister to move the Firearms (Amendment) Bill which is aimed at inserting a new section 17 A to create the new offence of trafficking in firearms and ammunition.

According to the explanatory memorandum for this Bill if any person knowingly imports, exports, acquires, sells delivers, moves, diverts or transfers any firearm or its parts and components or ammunition to or from another country as the case may be without the proper authorisation, he shall be guilty of an offence.

It also states that if any person purchases, acquires or has in his possession any firearm or its parts and components, or ammunition for the purposes mentioned earlier (subsection 1), he shall be guilty of an offence.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday November 10, 2012

BK Int’l justifies high bid for Providence water well Justifying what appears to be an extremely high bid to construct a well, BK International said that in addition to construction, the company has to also design the structure and maintain operations of the well for two years after completion of works.

According to BK International in a press release yesterday it is required to design, build, deliver and maintain an operating well for two years after works are completed, at a minimum efficiency of 85 percent, inclusive in the cost

of the tender.

BK International stated that it is far from overpricing on government contracts, frequently and significantly delivers contracts at costs well below competitive bids.

On November 6, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board opened a single bid under Guyana Water Incorporated for the supply and construction of potable water well at Providence, East Bank Demerara. The engineers estimate was $107,443,715 while the lone bidder BK International submitted a bid

for $174M. The huge disparity in the engineer’s estimate and the bidder’s submission attracted the attention of Member of Parliament and Leader of the Alliance for Change, Khemraj Ramjattan, who questioned which entities had the correct cost for the project.

Ramjattan had said that it is either the government engineer is lackadaisical and does not know his job or there is something seriously wrong with the specification in the contract which made a bidder place such a high bid for the construction of the well.

“These things need to be investigated and the Procurement Commission needs to be implemented,” Ramjattan had noted.

BK International expressed surprise and disappointment by Ramjattan’s comments.

“BK International is surprised and disappointed by the wholly uninformed, irresponsible and unacceptable comments by the leader of the AFC, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, reported in the Kaieteur News of Thursday 8th November, with regard to BK International’s

tender for the construction of potable water well at Providence, East Bank Demerara,” the release stated.

According to the company, Ramjattan needs to open his eyes and ensure that he is properly informed before making accusative and defamatory public comments on matters of which he appears to have little or no knowledge.

The company also expressed disappointment that Kaieteur News published comments about the well in its “Dem boys seh…” column without consulting the company to obtain facts.

According to the release, it is the contractor’s knowledge that this is the first occasion that the contractor is required to design, build and then further maintain the well for an operational period of two years after its delivery.

“It has been the practice

in the past, at least within the last 25 years, for the contractor to be responsible only for the construction of the well, with the resultant failure of a large number of wells in the country,” the release stated.

The contractor is required, within the cost of the contract, to drill pilot holes to a depth of at least 365metres, supply all logging information and analysis of water bearing formations and test pump the well, prior to construction.

The company will be constructing a well with a cast concrete and steel foundation, building to a much higher standard than otherwise employed in the construction of wells in Guyana and it prides itself on being the only Guyanese contractor employing the specialist expertise necessary to construct this type of well.

YCT calls on Rohee to do the honourable...

From page 11 remove Minister Rohee from the post of Home Affairs Minister.

He said that if Minister Rohee truly respects Guyana’s maturing parliamentary democracy and cares for this country as he would have said publicly, then he would send in his resignation letter.

The people of Guyana deserve better and the democratic will of the majority must be respected and adhered to.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, was on Thursday forced to adjourn the sitting of the National Assembly because the opposition parties maintained that they will not allow Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee to “utter any word in the House”.

Trotman had earlier announced that the President of Guyana was not constitutionally or legally obliged to adhere to the opposition motion of no confidence in Minister Clement Rohee. “I have re-

ceived the categorical and unequivocal opinion that His Excellency the President is not constitutionally or legally obliged to adhere to the motion and similarly, that the member, Mr. Clement J. Rohee, is not restricted from performing the duties of the office of Minister of Home Affairs,” The Speaker said that he had sought legal advice and opinions from lawyers here in Guyana and abroad. He said that this was in keeping with a promise he made at the last sitting that he would have sought legal guidance on the issue.

According to Trotman, he consulted Senior Counsel Rex McKay, Attorney Steven Fraser and London-based lawyer Ulele Burnham.

During a recent visit to the United Kingdom, Trotman and Parliamentarian Odinga Lumumba approached a British Member of Parliament on the issue of the opposition’s no confidence motion.

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

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SHOULD THE HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER GO? I

n the public interest, we republish a column which first appeared on July 29, 2012 in the wake of the decision by the joint parliamentary opposition to move a motion of noconfidence in the Minister of Home Affairs.

The motion tabled and presently being debated before the National Assembly, calling for noconfidence in the Minister of H o m e A ff a i r s , i s i l l conceived and misguided.

The opposition parties that put forward this motion should have it withdrawn immediately before they hold themselves and the parliament up to further ridicule.

The motion follows closely on the heels of calls by the Alliance for Change (AFC) for the resignation of the Minister of Home Affairs. When the Minister sought to explain that he did not give any instructions that led to the shooting of the Linden protesters, it was said by the AFC that the Minister did not have an understanding of the concept of ministerial responsibility.

As will be explained here, it is the AFC and APNU who need to enlighten themselves on this concept, so as to avoid them continuing to delude themselves into believing that through a motion in parliament they can force the minister to resign. They further need to disabuse themselves of the idea that the concept of ministerial responsibility is a democratic concept intended to promote greater accountability of public officials and ministers to parliament. Nothing could

be further from the truth.

Ministerial responsibility has two parts. The first is collective responsibility, which aims at having the government speaking with one, unified voice. Thus, a minister is required to support decisions of his government, even if he is not in agreement.

If the minister disagrees, he is required to stifle his disagreement. If the decision is of such that it affects his conscience, the minister may resign as an act of conscience, but once he is part of the government he is obligated to uphold the principle of collective responsibility.

The concept of collective responsibility also holds that if parliament expresses a motion of no-confidence in the government, then the government has to resign.

This is a parliamentary convention which has now been enshrined in our own written constitutional provisions. The government has to resign en bloc if there is a no-confidence motion against the government.

When it comes to individual ministerial responsibility – which is the second part of ministerial responsibility – a minister cannot be compelled to resign because of a motion of noconfidence by parliament.

If that were the case, then parliament would hold a Sword of Damocles over the entire executive, in that it could virtually cause the entire Cabinet to resign, one by one, because of criticisms and no- confidence motions.

The concept of individual responsibility in theory holds that ministers may resign because of the policies and actions of their

Dem boys seh...

A bee sting Walter De Bees powerful. When people trouble dem de people does end up in trouble. De waterfalls paper trouble de Bees and every day it getting some lawsuit. Dem boys notice this and dem know that trouble in de corner. But Walter Willie didn’t tek notice. He pick up a big wood and drop a lash pun one of de Bees.

Well he get a lash in return. Dem tek way de wuk he had at de dump site and all because he tek out some photo of de equipment that de Bee buy fuh do some wuk. Was scrap iron but this man who pay good money fuh dem ain’t in de scrap iron business.

De instruction come from high up and Walter Willie got to give up de wuk. But as dem boys seh, dead nah done cry nah done. Walter know that he been pun de right trail and he plan fuh stay pun this particular Bee. He seh that de man can run but he can’t hide. Dem still got de roll on roll off ferry and de sea defence and some other project.

But poor Walter gun lose some of he pension and all because he trouble a Bee. He get sting. He claim that he got methylated spirits. He seh that he also know that when a Bee sting it does dead. Is only a matter of time.

Talk half and wait fuh de next round.

departments. In practice, however, this is a myth, because the minister cannot be held responsible for the operational and administrative actions of his subordinates, especially these days when government departments are complex organizations comprising hundreds of individuals.

Surely by no stretch of the imagination can the Minister of Home Affairs be expected to be held culpable for the actions of every person in his department. If this were the case, it would mean that every time the police make a mistake or omit to do something, the minister has to resign.

There have been cases where ministers have resigned due to policy failures, but it is hard to find a single case in Westminster jurisdictions where a minister resigned because of operational or administrative mistakes. Lord Carrington, the head of Britain’s Foreign Office, resigned in 1982 because he failed to predict the Argentinean invasion of the Falklands. This was a failure of policy prediction, and Lord Carrington resigned.

When it comes to the mistakes of persons within his departments, the minister cannot be held culpable. As was noted in ‘Constitutional and Administrative Law, 4th Edition’ by David Pollard, Neil Parpworth and David Hughes, it is impossible to argue that a minister is completely responsible, in the sense of culpability, for everything done by every official within the departments that fall under him.

Quoting Brazier, the authors noted that “ the further the minister was geographically or hierarchically, from the people or events complained of, the less he will be generally be expected to take blame for mistakes and resign.”

Patrick Weller, writing in Cabinet Government in Australia 1901-2006, noted that in practice the convention of individual responsibility never meant that ministers should resign if departments fail in some r e s p e c t o r t h e o t h e r.

Ministerial responsibility means the minister answers questions (to parliament) about his department and take remedial action to correct any deficiencies.

Weller also pointed to a former Attorney General of New Zealand who addressed this issue of cases where the minister is not personally involved. He argues that the minister is:

“Responsible yes, in the sense that he may have to answer and explain to parliament, but not absolutely responsible (that is liable to censure) for everything done under his administration… There is no absolute vicarious liability on the part of the minister for the ‘sins’ of his subordinates.

If the Minister is free of personal, fault and could not by reasonable diligence in controlling his department have prevented the mistake, there is no compulsion to resign.”

Stuart Weir and David Beetham in Political Power and Democratic Control in Britain pointed out that in Britain no minister in that country was forced to resign because of mistakes and misconduct of their officials.

Parliament cannot compel a minister to go. In their book ‘Parliament, Policy and Representation’, Harold Clarke, Colin Campbell and Arthur Goddard, argue that a minister goes because of the judgment of the prime minister who has to weigh the cost of letting the

minister go as against the cost of keeping him.

Hilaire Barnett writing in ‘Constitutional and Administrative Law 8th Edition’ goes much further.

He argues that the acceptance of responsibility does not lead to the resignation of a minister for failures of his department.

He contends that there are no hard and fast rules as to whether and when a minister should resign, and accordingly it cannot be said that resignations form part of the convention of individual ministerial responsibility itself. He further says that the decision on resignation depends on the minister, his Prime Minister and his party.

APNU and the AFC are

therefore engaged in an exercise in futility and as they continue it will bring our parliament into disrespect, because the present motion before the House is based on a false understanding of the concept of ministerial responsibility.

The real debate as to whether the Minister of Home Affairs should resign should really be taking place within the conscience of the Minister, at Robb Street or in New Garden Street. Not in parliament.

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Kaieteur News

UG graduates four new dentists

Saturday November 10, 2012

Fire strikes Bartica NDC office

The graduates with Minister of Health, Bheri Ramsarran

M

inister of Health, Bheri Ramsarran, yesterday congratulated four women after they would have successfully completed their Bachelors Degree in Dental Surgery at the University of Guyana (UG).

The new dentists are Zoe Perreira, Rehanna Ali, Sulan Fung and Jamaican, Simone Brady.

The UG Dental

Programme started since 2006 and according to the Minister of Health, it is a successful Guyanese programme.

He said every year there are a number of dentists who are graduating from the programme. Some five persons graduated last year. “The University of Guyana Dental Programme is young, it is one of the programmes that we are

proud of and it will allow young people coming out of the secondary school system, to directly go to UG and be trained for five years to become a dentist,�

Ramsarran said.

He added that the programme is seeing a rapid number of new admissions every year. Currently there are 40 students at various stages of the programme to become dentists.

The fire blazes inside the NDC building

F

ire of unknown origin broke out at the Bartica Neighbourhood Democratic Council building located on First Avenue Bartica , Essequibo River around 18:15 hours yesterday evening. Residents rushed to the scene upon hearing the wailing siren of the fire tender and seeing thick smoke emanating from the

building.

Electrical power was immediately shut off around the location, to allow the firemen , and public spirited citizens to contain the blaze which was confined to the inside of the building.

The fire was observed burning in the area of the building where records and other documents are known to be kept.

Electrical power was restored to the entire Bartica about an hour later when the fire was eventually put out.

The N.D.C. compound has been cordoned off and is now under Police Guard. An investigating team from the Guyana Fire Service headquarters will be coming to Bartica to ascertain the cause of the Fire. ( Edward A Persaud)

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Second Providence accident victim succumbs

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he horrific crash which occurred T h u r s d a y evening at Providence Public Road, East Bank Demerara has claimed a second life.

According to reports, 18year-old Christopher Chung of 136 Cato Street, Agricola, succumbed to his injures while being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital around 03:00 yesterday. His friend, Corwin Lambert, 16, of Brutus Street, Agricola, who was also involved in the accident died almost instantly.

The two other persons who were injured, are 18 year-old Stephen Fraser of 136 Cato Street, Agricola, and Mathilda Gittens, of Mocha Arcadia. Up to press time the two were being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Fraser’s mother, Myrna Fraser, who is unable to move around because of an injured leg, said that she learnt of the accident from a relative who related the news via telephone. The woman said that she immediately contacted the hospital but was told that her

son hadn’t arrived.

“Later, somebody called back and tell me that he still in the crashed car and fire fighters trying to get him out, but they said he was alive”.

When this publication visited the woman’s home yesterday she still wasn’t able to leave the house to go visit her son but noted that other relatives were with him at the hospital.

“Up to this morning they told me that he was out of surgery and recovering, he had to do surgery on his two legs, both are broken.”

Recounting the last time she saw her son, Mrs. Fraser said that she was very hesitant about him leaving the house to go out so late.

“He don’t normally go out so late but he come home hurrying to bathe and I go to the bathroom and ask him where he was going? He didn’t answer and I say ‘Boy, in these times you should stay off the road’ and he still didn’t answer,” Mrs. Fraser said. The woman added that they still haven’t broken the news of his friends’ death to him but he keeps asking about them.

As it relates to the

YCT calls on Rohee to do the “honourable thing”

P

resident of the Youth Coalition for Transformation, Jermaine Grant, yesterday said that the refusal of President Donald Ramotar to dismiss Clement Rohee, as Minister of Home Affairs is doing more harm than good to the security of the Guyanese populace.

Grant said that it was evident in the National Assembly today when the combined opposition protested as Minister Rohee presented the Gun License Bill to the National Assembly despite a Motion of no-confidence that was passed against him.

According to Grant, the government is well aware of the opposition’s intention to not entertain any presentation by Minister Rohee before the Assembly yet they proceeded to stymie the business of the House.

Grant said that he strongly believes that the government’s intransigence to not terminate the service of Clement Rohee as Minister of Home Affairs will see a degeneration of the August Assembly where the will of the majority if not respected will undermine parliamentary democracy in Guyana.

“The continued and deliberate attempt to foist Clement Rohee on the populace when a majority has no confidence in him is contemptuous,” Grant asserted. He further stated that with the majority of the populace having no confidence in Rohee through the votes of their democratically elected representatives, the tenure of Clement Rohee as Minister hereon will become more difficult and the nation’s security interests may be compromised.

Grant said that any President would consider how this particular matter is affecting the country and would take steps to remedy the situation. But, instead, the government is standing behind Minister Rohee compounded with provocative commentary of “let’s get ready to rumble.” This is not boxing. The national security of Guyana and safety of all Guyanese is paramount.

Grant said that the organization is calling on President Ramotar to do the right thing, the honourable thing and (Continued on page 8)

accident the woman said she only knows what she saw in the newspaper about how the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, relatives of 18-year-old Christopher Chung said that his death came as a shock to them.

One of his cousins, Onika Gilkes, said she was told that Chung left with some friends for a birthday celebration and to collect a friend (Mathilda Gittens) from Mocha and were returning when the accident occurred.

Gilkes said that she was

Injured: 18 year-old Stephen Fraser

Dead: 17 year-old Corwin Lambert

Dead: 18 year-old Christopher Chung

told that the driver of the car, her cousin, tried to swerve to avoid hitting a pedestrian and crashed into a utility pole. She said that the driver had borrowed the car to

make the trip to Mocha.

Initial reports are that the car was seen speeding around 23:30 hrs, heading north along the western carriageway when the driver

lost control. It was unclear who was driving but drivers who stopped to render assistance reported seeing one man hanging from the driver’s side.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday November 10, 2012

If this was not so serious, we would have been amused MUSE or AMUSE? Follow the leader, leader, leader!

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to the new General Secretary of the PPP: Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo. Based on what we have seen on the ground and heard from the field, it seems like Bharrat has taken over from Donald as the head of the party.

When he was President, Bharrat had wrested control of the Government from Donald. There was a time when the Party stalwarts were questioning the direction of Bharrat as he divorced himself from the PPP in order to carry out his agenda. That was in the past.

Today he has wrested control of the PPP from Donald and the Party stalwarts are again wondering what is slapping them so hard.

The new leaders of the PPP are the usedup boys of the Jagdeo administration – one previous Regional Chairman and a host of other used persons. Is this a move toward a renewed push for another Jagdeo presidency?

Will we hear new-term instead of third term?

Whatever it is, his total lack of management and professional ethics cannot be good for that party. We will be looking on. The Party needs to think about the respect factor.

Bullyism and cronyism will continue to erode the popular base of the PPP. And, we are not even addressing corruption here!

Meanwhile, while the PNC has clearly supported David Granger as its leader, the lifespan of the APNU is shaky and will only last as long as there is this parliament. Granger has brought a new leadership style to the PNC and with it, a breath of fresh air that will do well for the PNC, provided Granger himself maintains his mantle of dignity and professionalism. Granger’s challenge is to stay relevant in the fast-paced angry-syndrome-type

supporter and his danger is to fall into the sad fire-and-pestilence mode of Hoyte when frustration eventually gets to him.

With Greenidge, Harmon and others in the periphery, the PNC/APNU will continue to play the political games with the PPP which will squeeze the PNC/APNU’s single ally in parliament, the AFC. But, while Granger will be negotiating and settling some matters with the PPP, he is closing the door on his own fate and that of a combined majority in parliament.

As for the other two has-been Parties, we know that the WPA’s death was stark with its last rites read during the last election and the TUF’s last rites reached its nadir of history.

The AFC, however, seems to be attracting new blood in the political battleground and now-and-again gains some good momentum - but is badly lacking in terms of vision and proactive approach. Sandwiched between PPP and PNC (oops APNU), the AFC can only try to remain relevant as the PPP and PNC/APNU tries to set it up.

Unfortunately, it sees itself in the adopta-protest mode and may be in danger of digging its own grave of immaturity.

It is a sad fact that the political leaders (PPP, PNC, AFC) of tomorrow may have no tomorrow left in them. Granger, Bharrat, Moses. One can see the PPP allowing itself to have Bharrat oppose Moses, but, Moses needs to realize that he looks at AFC’s new leader every time he looks at Hughes. One can accept that Granger is needed at the present time. But, none of the current leaders give us hope.

The recycling of the used and abused will continue to haunt us. This is almost laughable, yet an indictment on Guyana’s future.

Until the future leaders are introduced, we will continue to live in the past.

SEAMAN GETS FOUR YEARS FOR COCAINE SMUGGLING Dave Gavin Welcome, 42, a seaman of Lot 655 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown was jailed for four years and fined $30,000 after he pleaded guilty to having 2.662 kilograms of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The man was nabbed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, early yesterday morning while attempting to board a Caribbean Airlines Flight destined for the United States.

The man made his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrates Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

According to the CANU

Prosecutor, Oswald Massiah, Welcome was listed as a passenger on a flight bound for the United States when his luggage which was padlocked passed through the scanner and a strange object was detected.

When he was contacted the defendant accepted that the suitcase was indeed his and produced the keys to have it opened. The defendant’s personal items were packed at the top of the suitcase while a black plastic bag containing the suspected illegal substance was found hidden beneath the clothing.

When told of the offence,

Welcome admitted to CANU officials that he was paid US$400 as an advance to have the drugs delivered. He said that he was reassured that everything would be alright and once the delivery was made he would be given US$8000.

After pleading guilty to the charge and begging for leniency the man told the court that he decided to take a chance to aid his family.

“I took a chance to help my family because of financial difficulties, so I am asking you, my honour, for leniency because I don’t want to waste the court’s time.”

Man remanded for attacking GPHC security A lumber yard operator was yesterday refused bail by Magistrate Judy Latchman after he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court charged for assaulting a female security guard with intent to rob her.

Sean Wilson, 30, of Lot 12 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, denied the allegation that he assaulted Gloria Mc Gregory, in an effort to rob her of her bicycle. According to

information, Wilson allegedly attacked the virtual complainant who is a security guard attached at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) while she was in the hospital’s compound.

The defendant allegedly attacked her with a piece of wood and choked her in an attempt to take away her bicycle. The woman raised an alarm and was rescued. The man was subsequently arrested and charged.

The prosecution objected to bail based on the

prevalence and seriousness of the offence and whilst there is likelihood that the accused may not attend trial if given his pre trial liberty.

The court was also told that Wilson has a history of infractions with the law and was convicted for stealing. He was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment.

As such, the Magistrate ordered that the defendant be remanded until November 14.

The matter was transferred to Court 10 where it will be presented for trial.

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 13

ImmigrationTALK: Questions & Answers By: Attorney Gail S. Seeram Through this “Question & Answer” column, our goal is to answer your immigration questions. Many of you have questions on backlog time and eligibility – we seek to clarify these issues and more. We appreciate your comments and questions. If you have a question that you would like answered in this column, please email: Gail@GailLaw.com.

Question #1: My father was recently denied a ‘waiver of grounds of inadmissibility’ so he’s more or less placed on a 10-year ban. I don’t know what the reapplication process is like after the 10year ban or what forms I have to fill out or documents I would need. Would you kindly point me in the right direction?

Answer #1: The 10year ban may not be a result of the denial of the waiver.

The 10-year ban may have resulted from one of the following: (i) accumulated unlawful presence if he was in the U.S. illegally and returned to his native country, (ii) removal/deportation proceedings in the U.S. and

he returned to Guyana voluntarily or involuntarily, or (iii) commit fraud or misrepresentation to gain an immigration benefit.

The denial of the waiver could have been appealed to the Administrative Appeal Office in the U.S. Another waiver could be submitted with greater evidence of hardship if another I-130 interview is scheduled at the Embassy through a pending family based petition.

Question #2: My wife petitioned for me and my daughter and we are at the affidavit of support step in the process. How long will it take for me and my daughter to get an interview date knowing that my wife is a permanent resident?

Answer #2: Currently, visas are being issued for petitions filed on or before August 22, 2010 for spouses and children under age 21 of a permanent resident. An interview at the Embassy will be scheduled when a visa is available.

Question #3: I would like to know if a common law wife of 19 years would get to go with her kids aged 8 and 14 and common law husband

for petition filed by the U.S. brother of common law husband.

Answer #3: I n response to your question, you need to be legally married for common law wife to benefit from the visa petition.

While petition pending, you all should marry and advise the petitioner to notify immigration of the marriage by sending the marriage certificate.

Under F4 preference category (filed by brother/ sister of U.S. citizen) marriage would not change the

processing time of the pending petition.

Question #4: I am a green card holder in USA. I got married last year. My wife is in India. She doesn’t have any visa. She tried for student visa twice, but she was rejected both the times.

Which visa should she apply for? What would be the easiest way to bring my wife to USA? Answer #4: You as a permanent resident should apply and it takes two years processing time for her to get the immigrant visa (green card).

Gail S. Seeram

Senior Counsel Clarence Hughes passes on Senior Counsel Clarence Hughes passed away yesterday at his Subryanville home following a period of illness. He was 77.

Hughes celebrated his birthday last Saturday, November 3. He attended the University College of London, graduating with an LL.B (Hons) degree.

He was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in the United Kingdom in February 1958, being appointed a Senior

Counsel in 1985.

Mr. Hughes was Senior Partner and Head of Chambers of Hughes Fields & St o b y, w h i c h w a s founded in September 30, 1972.

A former head of the Guyana Bar Association, Senior Counsel Hughes practiced throughout the Caribbean.

He participated in several landmark cases, notably the Maurice Bishop murder trial, in

which he represented the accused in October 19, 1983. He also led attorneys in challenging the changing of the Guyana Constitution by then President L.F. S. Burnham.

Hughes celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary this year. He is survived by two sons (one being a t t o r n e y - a t - law Nigel Hughes) and a daughter, who, like their father, all attended the University College of London.

Senior Counsel Clarence Hughes

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Kaieteur News

Saturday November 10, 2012

Nation not benefiting from US$6B natural resources deposit - APNU R

egion Ten and by extension, the nation, is currently being robbed of natural resources valued at some US$6B, a state of affairs which has been deemed a “backward step” by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Executive Member, Lance Carberry.

He pointed accusing fingers to RUSAL, which has been operating out of Region Ten, having assumed control of alumina reserves which were previously fully exploited by BOSAI. According to Carberry, it was some time ago that it was announced that BOSAI was transferring its control of the reserves to RUSAL, a move which was never officially done. This undertaking, he explained, should have been carried out with the understanding that RUSAL would enter into the alumina business.

The alumina reserves, according to him, in fact represent the national

patrimony which is to be used for the development of Guyana.

“If you allow a single company to tie-up most of those reserves without any serious commitment in terms of production, it means that the nation is being robbed of the opportunity to benefit from those resources and that is precisely what we see developing in the case of RUSAL,” Carberry warned.

He explained that in most countries the modern approach to the management of natural resources, particularly with mining resources, is that a company is asked to present its developmental programme for over a period of 20 years.

On the basis of an agreed programme reserves are then made available, Carberry said.

According to the Executive Member, RUSAL has in fact made a number of promises which should have already seen it building an aluminium plant, an

undertaking which has not yet been realised.

Carberry was at the time speaking at a press briefing, held at the party’s Hadfield Street, Georgetown, headquarters, intended to highlight the budget experience of APNU controlled Regional Democratic Councils.

RUSAL has been the beneficiary of large deposits at locations such as Ituni and Kwakwani and has more recently acquired deposits at Block 37, Carberry announced yesterday.

However, according to Region Ten Chairman, Sharma Solomon, Block 37 has remained in the possession of BOSAI with the understanding that it would’ve completed a feasibility study detailing the viability for investment in alumina production in the Region. Thus far a report on B O S A I ’s s t u d y h a s suggested that alumina production is no longer feasible which should have seen the entity seeking to

From left: Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon and APNU Executive Lance Carberry relinquish its hold on Block 37 based on an agreement.

Solomon added that the Region has in fact taken an interest in Block 37 in terms of its budgetary discussion stressing that “it will always take an interest...it is a deposit that is worth about US$6B...”

According to Solomon, the Region reserves the right to be involved in discussions concerning the reserves with a view of “fashioning and shaping how we budget in the Region as we believe that a portion of anything that comes from those deposits...must go towards

the development of the Region and be in the interest of the people.”

Such discussions, according to Solomon, have already been had with BOSAI, RUSAL and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 15

Skeldon Co- Gen plant out of operation, blackouts hit Skeldon

T

he generating equipment at the Skeldon Sugar Factory were down for maintenance over the past couple of weeks and this has resulted in heavy blackouts for the residents of the Upper Corentyne area.

Several letters expressing disgust over the electricity issue in that heavilypopulated area appeared in the newspapers recently whereby writers were seeking answers into the blackout problems being faced there.

Regional Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan, told Kaieteur News that Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), Bharat Dindyal, was asked by President Donald Ramotar to visit the Skeldon Sugar Factory Generating section.

He did so on Friday last.

“One of the big problems at Skeldon is that Skeldon had gone out—It came off completely from the system—in the sense that it was doing major repairs and

was not able to supply any electricity to the grid and as a result, there were long blackouts in Skeldon”.

The rest of Berbice is also experiencing blackouts frequently due to a damaged 69kV transformer at the Canefield Power Station.

Armogan has expressed disgust over this situation, “because people were calling me to find out what was going on and I, myself, had no answer for them. So I got in contact with the CEO and he came down here last Friday and was able to put a few things in place that has brought some relief to the situation”.

Skeldon Power Plant, he said, “was doing maintenance to its machines that were offline for a couple of days and not supplying any power to the grid”. The problem was compounded

by Onverwagt being down.

It is back online, he stated.

Armogan said, however, that some more work is being done at the West Berbice Onverwagt Power

Skeldon Sugar Factory Co- Generation Plant station, “because Onverwagt is connected to the Skeldon grid and these two stations supply electricity to the Upper Corentyne area. Once Onverwagt comes on stream and Skeldon comes back on stream, the situation is going to be abated at Corriverton”.

Dindyal, he said, has

assured him that they are working around the clock “to get the transformer back in place”.

Area Manager of GPL, Mr. Ayube Bacchus, had asked Berbicians to bear four more weeks with the company until this crucial transformer is put back

online but Dindyal has committed to cut this time by half. “Hopefully, the entire situation should come back to some degree of normalcy, I am assured, before the Christmas season starts”.

Armogan was cautious and said that the situation needs to be monitored

because only promises of better electricity supplies are being made. “Then we go back to the same old situation, so I am hoping that this time, the situation would become stable for a very long time and the people would not have reason to complain”.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday November 10, 2012

Skeldon Health Centre commissioned

T

he new Skeldon Health Centre was recently commissioned at N u m b e r 7 8 Vi l l a g e , Corriverton by Chief Executive Officer of the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA), Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo MP. “It is more spacious and affords more privacy; more counselors here and away from the hustle and bustle of the hospital setting”, said the Senior Health Visitor of the Berbice area.

It is more centrally located in the town of Corriverton as well; it is more accessible to a wider range of the Upper Corentyne population.

In 1975, the Skeldon Health Centre moved from the St. Margaret Anglican Church at Number 79 Village to the lower flat of the Skeldon Hospital. As the Clinic population increased, the Health Centre became overcrowded; seating accommodation was inadequate; mothers and babies were forced to stand in the corridor and babies could be heard crying.

Last year, the BRHA decided to hand over the GMO Building that served the residents of the area. It had to be renovated and is now the health centre. “Here we have our own space, our own facility and we can expand as needed!” proclaimed one of the nurses who spoke at the commissioning function.

Skeldon Health Centre’s catchment area is from Number 72 Village Side Line Dam to Black Water Canal, Crabwood Creek.

The facility also intends to serve the population of local and foreign nationals from Orealla, Siparuta, Kaow- Falls and further up r i v e r . Vi s i t o r s f r o m Suriname and French Guiana also use the facility.

The Skeldon Health centre boasts one visiting doctor, two midwives, two nursing assistants, one visiting nurse, visiting Voluntary Testing and Counseling Staff (VCT), as well as a caretaker. The facility will provide child health care, pre-natal services, a post-natal clinic, family planning services, home visits, and open- door services to members of the public as well as cervical inspection.

For the period October 2011 to September 2012, a total of 283 women enrolled at the clinic. Some enrolled

Cutting of the ribbon to open the new facility as soon as their pregnancies were confirmed. The Skeldon Health Centre provides Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission, a service where antenatal and serology tests are being done and the result is prompt. All our mothers were seen by a GMO at least once during their pregnancy and they were also examined by the dentist!

Ante- Natal women received iron supplements in the form of Sprinkles or tablets. They also received Diphtheria Tetanus Vaccine to protect their unborn child.

High Risk mothers and mothers with problems are seen at the Clinic.

Chief Executive Officer

of the Berbice Regional H o s p i t a l D r. Vi s h w a Mahadeo, in his feature address, noted that the main idea of these centres and all primary health care facilities in the country is prevention, since “prevention is better than cure”.

Mahadeo urged the community to take control of the facility. Resources for health in the region have to be spread “and everybody has got to have a share…so we have to work together” and get the business community to come on board and assist with the running and operation of the facility.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was followed by a tour of the facility.

Taxi driver faces charge

A

p o p u l a r Devonshire Castle hire car driver is soon to be charged for causing the death of 17-year-old Muzib Sabar. Richie Bishop, of Devonshire-Castle, Essequibo Coast, will remain in police custody to appear at the Charity Magistrate’s court on Monday.

Reports are that Bishop, a hire-car driver, who was previously involved in an accident, plied the Anna Regina to Supenaam route.

He was making a trip to Anna Regina, on Thursday morning when it was reported that he collided with motorcyclist, Muzib Sabar, who was proceeding north, on the Hoff -EnAurich Public Road.

Both individuals were said to be negotiating a turn when the collision occurred.

Sabar was struck off of his motorcycle CG4021 and landed some distance away.

Muzib Sabar The phone vendor, sustained severe head injuries and was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital and was subsequently air dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday night. He never regained consciousness.

While no passenger in Bishop’s vehicle was hurt, the vehicle, a Toyota Allion sustained extensive damage.

Sabar, of Vilvoordeen, Essequibo Coast, lost his father a few years ago. He too, died in an accident.

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Saturday November 10, 2012

Saturday November 10, 2012

Willis axed as Haags...

Kaieteur News

Sophia resident on $100,000 bail for assaulting neighbour Cedric Dash, 61, of Block T North Sophia was yesterday placed before the court for assaulting his neighbour, Felicity Benjamin.

It is alleged that on November 6, at Sophia he assaulted Benjamin, so as to cause her actual bodily harm.

Dash denied the allegation.

Benjamin was also slapped with an assault charge which she too denied.

She contended that she was just defending herself against her abusive neighbour.

The woman told the court that Dash hit her in her face with his fists causing damage

From page 2 to comment on the issue would only say that Walter Willis has always been and remains Technical Adviser to the Works Minister.

Willis would say nothing on the issue. He did say that he will have his day in the courts in the BK International suit.

Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon, when asked about Willis having to seek his own legal representation, said that Willis never informed the administration. But Willis said that he did inform his immediate superior but no response was forthcoming.

In order to avoid any penalties he had to seek his own lawyers.

The Haags Bosch landfill is not the only facility that will bring him into contact with BK International. There are still some road projects, sea defence projects and the roll on-roll off ferries all being executed by BK International.

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to her teeth. She explained that the grudge between them stemmed from a dispute over land. “This problem is ongoing with me and Mr. Dash. He also threatened my husband and my son.”

Benjamin claimed that she was attacked while she was on her way to purchase bread.

“This man cuff me in my face and my mouth until my front teeth nearly fall out” She explained that this is not the first time that her neighbour had assaulted her.

Benjamin told the court that her neighbour had been charged for assaulting her

with a steel pipe causing her severe injuries.

The court heard that Dash has several matters in court. He however, claimed that he is also made a victim in the matter as he was beaten with a cutlass.

While the prosecution did not object to bail, based on the history of violence between the two parties, they requested that bail be set at a substantial amount. The court asked that the two opposing sides be placed on bond to keep the peace until the determination of the matter.

Dash was granted bail at $100,000 while Benjamin was ordered to post $40,000 bail.

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Saturday November 10, 2012

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Mexico charges 14 federal police in attack on CIA officers MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico charged 14 federal police officers yesterday with the attempted murder of two CIA operatives after the U.S. agents’ vehicle was sprayed with bullets in a brazen daylight attack that security officials suspect was ordered by a drug cartel.

The ambush was initially blamed on a case of mistaken identity, but Mexican security sources said the fact that police officers used AK47 assault rifles and were not wearing uniforms suggested a gang-orchestrated hit.

The August incident, in which the CIA operatives tried to escape the hail of semi-automatic gunfire in a dramatic car chase, was a major embarrassment for the government of outgoing

President Felipe Calderon, who has staked his reputation on taming the cartels.

The CIA officers’ diplomatic vehicle was peppered with 152 bullet holes. Their injuries were not life-threatening and they were quickly moved out of the country.

The attorney general’s office said it charged the 14 federal police officers with attempted murder. “We’re not discounting any theory, including that they could be involved with organised crime,” an official said on condition of anonymity.

The 14 police officers come from the southern Mexico City district of Tlalpan and were already in police custody, the statement

Jamaica Gleaner Describing the trade relationship between Jamaica and his country as “underdeveloped”, South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies says he is looking to turn things around to have the two countries engaging in active trade in short order.

Davies, who was in the island Thursday on a business trip, said following the visit of South African President Jacob Zuma in August, there was consensus to strengthen trade ties between the two countries.

According to him, “there are opportunities” for Jamaica in the South African market but the issue of trade is being hampered by several

factors.

“Some of them are for our business people to get to know each other and we are proposing that we will bring a business delegation to the Caribbean sometime next year,” Davies said.

“Also, we’ve been looking at matters of transport logistics because currently it takes 53 days for a product to come here and it goes on three ships, one to the United States, one to Panama and then from Panama.”

He added: “If we can improve those logistical matters and we can bring our business people into contact, I think there are opportunities both ways for trade to increase by very large amounts very quickly.”

South African trade minister wants better relations with Jamaica

said.

Drug cartels often take advantage of low pay for Mexican police to infiltrate their ranks and put officers on the payroll.

“The reputation of our police was already at rock bottom, and this doesn’t help one bit,” said Maximiliano Moyano, a criminal lawyer who works on police corruption cases.

The incident was the worst attack against U.S. officials in Mexico since drug-gang assailants killed a U.S. immigration agent and wounded his colleague in a highway attack in early 2011.

The August attack took place near the town of Tres Marias on a road south of Mexico City, and came as

increased cooperation between U.S. and Mexican forces seemed to be yielding results in Calderon’s six-year offensive against the bloody cartels.

Since 2009, government troops have caught or killed more than 20 major drug lords.

But that has led to cartel infighting and fragmentation, and recent drug war victories have been offset by humiliating cases of corruption and bungled operations.

A June shootout between federal police and corrupt fellow officers at Mexico City’s airport killed three officers.

That was followed by last month’s killing of Zetas cartel leader Heriberto Lazcano, a significant victory for

Calderon that was undermined by the late-night theft of Lazcano’s body from a funeral home, fueling rumors the kingpin was still alive.

About 60,000 people have died in drug violence during Calderon’s term, and the bloodshed hurt his party’s candidate in the presidential election in July.

President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto, who takes office on December 1, says his priority will be to reduce violence and focus first on tackling crimes like extortion and kidnapping.

But Pena Nieto, who is leading the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, back into power after a 12year hiatus, has rejected negotiating with the gangs, mindful of the PRI’s past

reputation for cutting deals.

“Calderon hands over to Pena Nieto a very problematic situation, but with one main advantage: it seems that violence at the national level is starting to trend downwards,” said Eduardo Guerrero, a security analyst with Lantia Consultores in Mexico City.

Despite the Tres Marias attack and a new government taking office, analysts do not expect drug-fighting collaboration between Mexico City and Washington to change drastically.

“Mexico’s relationship with the United States is very institutionalized,” said Alejandro Hope, a security analyst at the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness.

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Saturday November 10, 2012

Criminal investigation launched against former CLICO executives P O R T- O F - S PA I N , Trinidad – CMC - More than two years after the insurance giant, Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited (CLICO) collapsed because of financial problems, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Roger Gaspard, has announced that a criminal investigation has been launched against former executives and several corporate entities aligned to the collapsed insurance company.

In a statement released late on Thursday, Gaspard also warned the media amount against publishing or broadcasting “anything

which might jeopardise, hinder or otherwise prejudice the investigation or any possible proceedings which might result from it.

“I remain mindful of competing public interest factors including the fair trial rights of potential defendants, the freedom of the press and the requirement of open justice,” he said.

The DPP said that the investigation is being conducted by a special team of police officers, comprising members of the AntiCorruption Investigations Bureau and the Fraud Squad.

The criminal probe, which began late last week and

followed a recent statement by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan in the Senate that the Central Bank had spent TT$305.5 million (One TT dollar US$0.16 cents) in legal fees between October 2007 and July 2012, for investigations relating to the collapse of CL Financial Ltd group of companies, which involved an international team of forensic experts to track multi-million dollar transactions in several jurisdictions.

The Central Bank probe took place even as the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration appointed a Commission of Enquiry,

chaired by Sir Anthony Colman, to probe the same issue in November 2010.

Ramlogan told reporters on Thursday night that he was aware that a criminal investigation has been launched and that he has been kept abreast of all of the developments relative to the ongoing inquiry.

“I pledge my fullest support for this important investigation and shall commit to providing the necessary resources to facilitate it,” said Ramlogan.

“The investigation represents the ongoing process as the unravelling of the collapse of a once great

financial institution that dominated the landscape with tentacles that extended into every nook and cranny of the country,” he told reporters.

The Patrick Manning government injected seven billion Trinidad and Tobago dollars into CLICO in 2009 to keep the collapsed insurance firm running and protect policy holders. Last September, through the passage of legislation in the Parliament, the Kamla Persad Bissessar led coalition People’s Partnership Government committed a further TT$13 billion (US$2.01 billion) to keeping the floundering insurance company afloat.

Roger Gaspard

Sandals takes over new property in Grenada

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – CMC - The Jamaica based hotel chain, Sandals, says it has acquired the 100-room La Source Grenada hotel that closed its operations here earlier this month.

“It’s invaluable to us and will be investing US$100 million in the coming years as we turn this property from 100 rooms to 265,” said Gordon “Butch” Stewart, owner and founder of the Sandals Brand.

“The additional development will be the Tahiti Village,” he told a ceremony here on Thursday night.

The property on Pink Gin Beach will be renamed Sandals La Source Grenada Resort & Spa, and is due to re-open in the first quarter of 2013.

“We will have like to open sooner but the upgrade will take a lot more than what was originally intended.

We are sparing no expense

for this resort, it’s a world class, it is top notch and it will be new for Sandals, said chief executive officer, Adam Stewart.

The Grenada acquisition brings to 14, the number of properties owned by Sandals in the Caribbean. La Source hotel was heavily damaged when Hurricane David struck the island in 2004 and re-opened four years later.

But on October 16, the hotel announced that it was closing putting an estimated 100 workers on the breadline.

Tourism Minister Dr. George Vincent said then while he regretted any inconvenience caused by the closure of La Source, his ministry was committed to working with all parties concerned in the best interest of the tourism industry.

No figures were released regarding the sale of La Source hotel.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A Haitian government official says up to 10 people have died in the northern part of the country following a night of heavy rainfall.

Jean Henry Petit of Haiti’s Civil Protection Office said yesterday most of the Haitians died in the port city of Cap-Haitien when flood waters crashed through their homes and swept them away.

One person died after his

house collapsed. The fatal rains come just two weeks after Hurricane Sandy’s outer bands led to widespread flooding. Officials said the storm killed 54 people and destroyed 70 per cent of the crops along the southern coast. Stormy weather in Haiti often brings catastrophic results. The impoverished country is heavily deforested, which causes flooding and deadly mudslides.

Up to 10 die in heavy rainfall in Haiti

Saturday November 10, 2012

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New York rations gasoline; storm victims still in the dark

People wait in line for gasoline at a Hess station in Brooklyn. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) NEW YORK (Reuters) New York City began rationing gasoline yesterday for the first time since the energy shortages of the 1970s, seeking to ease a fuel crisis brought on by Superstorm Sandy.

The former hurricane hammered the U.S. East Coast

on October 29, killing at least 120 people and causing an estimated $50 billion in damage or economic losses.

It also disrupted the fuel supply chain, creating hourslong waits for gasoline that led officials first in New Jersey and now New York City and Long Island to

impose rationing. Cars with odd- and even-numbered licence plates will be able to buy gas and diesel fuel on alternate days.

“This is worse than the oil crises of the 1970s,” said Ralph Bombardiere, executive director of the New York State Association of Service

General David Petraeus

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama yesterday accepted the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus, praised him as one of the most outstanding generals of his generation and expressed confidence that the intelligence agency would continue to thrive.

Petraeus, a highly decorated former combat commander who took over at the CIA in 2011, said earlier in a message to the CIA

workforce that he was stepping down because of an extramarital affair.

“I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission, and I have the utmost confidence in Acting Director Michael Morell,” Obama said in a written statement.

Obama said his thoughts and prayers were with Petraeus and his wife. “I wish them the very best at this difficult time,” he said.

CIA chief Petraeus resigns, reportedly over affair

Stations and Repair Shops.

“Back then there was just a perceived shortage of supply in New York, when there was plenty of gasoline around.

Now we’re having real distribution problems.”

The long lines at the pump have added to the frustration of commuters, who must choose between driving and enduring seemingly interminable waits for buses and trains with parts of the transportation network still damaged.

In addition, some 434,000 homes and businesses in the Northeast lacked power as of yesterday afternoon, creating more misery for the thousands forced to flee their storm-damaged homes or for those who have hunkered down in the dark with freezing overnight temperatures.

Protesters took to the streets in the Long Island town of Oceanside on Friday, chanting, “Where is LIPA? Where is LIPA?” referring to the Long Island Power Authority, a state-owned utility.

A snowstorm blasted the region on Wednesday,

knocking out power to some homes just as they were getting back on the grid after Sandy. Warmer and sunny weather was forecast for the weekend, providing some relief to disaster victims.

N e w Yo r k G o v e r n o r Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at first resisted gas rationing, saying fuel supplies should return to n o r m a l o n c e N e w Yo r k Harbor reopened after the storm and tankers started sailing again. But many gasoline terminals - which transfer fuel from tankers at s e a to trucks on land sustained damage from the storm that created a record surge of seawater and flooded low-lying areas.

Because of long lines at terminals, gasoline trucks were only able to make two trips on Friday, when normally they would make six, Bombardiere said. The oddeven rationing “should help cut down on panic buying,” he said.

But despite the new measure, long lines at gas pumps in New York City and Long Island continued

yesterday. Some 28 percent of gas stations in the New York metropolitan area did not have fuel available for sale on Thursday, down from 38 percent on Wednesday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.

Gas lines were considerably shorter in New Jersey, and Governor Chris Christie said he expected power to be restored to 100 percent of the state by Saturday night. But Christie, who toured the New Jersey shore on Friday, said the rebuilding effort for vacation towns would be “long, expensive and hard,” and said it would not be completed in time for next summer. “This is our Katrina,” he declared.

In the Rockaways, a hardhit area of Long Island, New York, a group of military veterans known as Team Rubicon helped residents shovel sand away from their homes, remove rotted drywall from basements and haul large items to the sidewalk.

At the sidewalk, New York sanitation officials used huge tractors to scoop the debris into dump trucks and hauled it away.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday November 10, 2012

EU 2013 budget talks end in failure

BRUSSELS (Reuters) Talks on the European Union’s 2013 budget collapsed in acrimony yesterday, denting hopes of a swift deal later this month on the bigger issue of the bloc’s long-term spending for 2014-2020.

Negotiators for EU governments and the European Parliament walked out without even discussing next year ’s spending blueprint, after 8 hours spent

squabbling over a request for 9 billion euros in extra cash to fill a funding gap in 2012.

“Under these conditions, we felt that negotiations which hadn’t really begun by six o’clock in the evening couldn’t reasonably be expected to finish during the night,” said the parliament’s lead negotiator, French lawmaker Alain Lamassoure.

Sources in the meeting said the talks ultimately failed because lawmakers from the

European Parliament refused to discuss the 2013 budget before an agreement on the extra funds for 2012, while governments wanted to negotiate both as a package.

Asked whether the parliament took the decision to walk out of the talks, Lamassoure said: “I would say rather that it was the ministers who didn’t walk in.”

Before yesterday’s talks, negotiators warned that failure could affect the

outcome of an EU summit on November 22-23, where leaders will try to agree plans for the bloc’s next long-term budget worth roughly 1 trillion euros ($1.27 trillion).

“If we succeed in these negotiations now, we will create a better atmosphere for convergence and agreement in the (summit) negotiations,” said Cyprus’s deputy minister for EU affairs, Andreas

Mavroyiannis.

“If not, I suppose this will poison a little bit the atmosphere,” he told Reuters ahead of the meeting.

The failure w i l l also delay about 670 million euros of EU aid funding to the Italian region of Emilia Romagna, which was hit by a series of powerful earthquakes earlier this year, but negotiators said there was agreement that the funds should be paid.

A fresh round of talks is expected ahead of a November 13 deadline for a deal. If the deadline is missed, the European Commission will have to draft a new budget plan in a Last-ditch bid to get an agreement before the end of the year.

The European Commission said its request for additional money this year was needed to avoid cutting off EU funds for education, infrastructure and research projects.

The request was based on government estimates of claims for EU funds that they expected to submit before the end of this year, it said. But net budget contributors including

Germany, Britain and the Netherlands questioned the figures.

“We take the view that implementation of the budget in 2012 is not a basis for the claims made by the Commission,” Germany’s Permanent Representative to the EU Peter Tempel said.

“These extra needs mentioned by the Commission should be met above all by redeployment, and we expect the Commission to react to that point,” he told EU colleagues during the meeting.

But EU Budget Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski said any unused funds in this year’s budget had already been moved to fill the gap, leaving no room for further redeployments.

“What I can confirm... is that we need 9 billion,” he told reporters after the meeting.

“But for sure it cannot be redeployment - we are at the limit.”

If no deal is reached on the 2013 budget before the end of the year, the budget for 2012 will be divided into 12 equal parts and paid monthly into the EU’s c o ff e r s , leading to disarray in the bloc’s spending in areas such as agriculture.

(Reuters) - Britain will stop giving financial aid to India by 2015, the government said yesterday, marking a shift in ties between the one-time imperial power and its fast-growing former colony.

The move follows anger at handouts to an economy which is Asia’s third largest and has a space programme, at a time of spending cuts and economic gloom in the United Kingdom.

“It’s time to recognize India’s changing place in the world,” International Development Secretary Justine Greening said in a statement that estimated savings of GBP 200 million by 2015.

Existing programmes will be completed by that date and Britain will make no new cash commitments.

India became independent from British rule in 1947. It is now the third largest investor in Britain and its companies

own flagship brands including Jaguar Land Rover.

Despite India’s rapid economic development over the past decade it suffers deep pockets of severe malnutrition and extreme poverty.

The move is unlikely to anger the Indian government, whose former finance minister described Britain’s aid contribution to India as a ‘peanut.’ In 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a $5 billion aid credit line for Africa.

Controversy over the aid program flared after former International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said last year the GBP 280 million annual assistance was partly about “seeking to sell the Typhoon.”

India later entered into exclusive negotiations with France’s Rafale fighter, rejecting the British-backed plane for an estimated $15 billion contract.

Britain ending financial aid to emerging power India

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Obama insists on tax hike for rich as part of fiscal deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Newly re-elected President Barack Obama said yesterday he was prepared to compromise with Republicans to avert a looming U.S. fiscal calamity but insisted a tax increase for the rich must be part of any bargain.

Obama reminded Republicans that his approach to avoiding steep tax hikes and spending cuts due in January, which could trigger another recession, had just won the backing of Americans at the polls. His spokesman said he would veto any deal which did not include an extra contribution from the wealthiest.

Obama invited congressional leaders to the White House next Friday to discuss the issue, the most pressing challenge as the president starts his second term in office.

Earlier yesterday John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, repeated his party’s commitment not to raise anyone’s tax rates as part of a deal to address the crisis.

He too claimed a mandate from the elections, in which voters gave Republicans continued control of the House.

The statements showed the two men, who have been divided on this issue for two years, were still far apart, leaving doubts over whether the so-called “fiscal cliff” could be averted. Congress is expected to address it when it reconvenes next week for a post-election lame-duck session.

The automatic acrossthe-board budget cuts due in January were scheduled in August, 2011 as part of a deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling.

Barack Obama Aimed at cutting the federal budget deficit, the planned measures could take an estimated $600 billion out of the economy and severely hinder economic growth.

In his first event at the White House since beating Republican Mitt Romney in Tuesday’s election, Obama called on Congress to work with him to produce a plan.

Iran, U.N. nuclear agency to resume talks in December VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran will return to talks with the U.N. nuclear agency next month, both sides said yesterday, the latest push to seek a peaceful end to a dispute that has raised fears of a new Middle East war.

The news came days after U.S. President Barack Obama’s re-election, which some analysts say may give fresh impetus to efforts to end a decade-old standoff with a country the West accuses of working towards a nuclear weapons capability.

In a reminder of how tensions could escalate, the Pentagon said on Thursday that Iranian warplanes had fired at a U.S. drone in international airspace last week and Iran said it had chased off an “unidentified”

aircraft that had crossed its borders.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it hoped the talks in Tehran on December 13 would produce an agreement to allow it to resume a longstalled investigation into possible military aspects of Iran’s nuclear programme.

The agency says it has “credible information indicating that Iran had carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device” and wants Tehran to give it access to sites, officials and documents to clarify the issue.

Iran denies it wants nuclear bombs and has repeatedly ruled out stopping its atomic activities.

A series of meetings since

early this year, the last one in August, failed to make concrete progress.

Israel, assumed to be the Middle East’s only nucleararmed power, has threatened military action if it looks like Tehran is close to getting nuclear weapons capability.

Washington gave the news of the new talks a cautious welcome.

“We will see how this round goes. In the past Iran has been unwilling to do what it needs to do despite the best efforts of the IAEA. But we commend the IAEA for keeping at it and we call on Iran to do what it needs to do to meet the international community’s concerns,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told a news briefing.

“I’m not wedded to every detail of my plan. I’m open to compromise. I’m open to new ideas,” he said. “I’m committed to solving our fiscal challenges, but I refuse to accept any approach that isn’t balanced.”

“If we’re serious about reducing the deficit, we have to combine spending cuts with revenue. And that means asking the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more in taxes,” he said.

Obama said the majority of Americans believe those making more than $250,000 a year should pay more taxes, “So our job now is to get a majority in Congress to reflect the will of the American people. I believe we can get that majority.”

“I was encouraged to hear Speaker Boehner agree that tax revenue has to be part of this equation,” he added.

While striking a conciliatory tone toward the Republican House majority, Obama said voters supported his ideas, including raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

“I just want to point out, this was a central question during the election. It was debated over and over again.

And on Tuesday night we found out that the majority of Americans agree with my approach,” he said.

Tax cuts for people of all incomes enacted under President George W. Bush are due to expire in January and Obama said he was willing to

extend them for those making less than $250,000 immediately but not for those making more. His spokesman Jay Carney said Obama would veto any bill that extends cuts for the top two percent of wage earners.

Worried that U.S. growth might stall if the fiscal cliff becomes reality, financial markets at home and abroad are paying close attention to the political wrangling.

U.S. stocks cut gains yesterday after Obama spoke.

Britain’s top shares fell yesterday, as worry over the U.S. fiscal cliff overshadowed robust U.S. consumer sentiment data. The FTSE 100 index closed down 0.1 percent.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday November 10, 2012

Quarterfinals on today in Courts Pee Wee Football

Petra Co-Director Marlan Cole (2nd left) hands over the vacuum to Josephus Charles in the presence of other supporters.

The Quarterfinals of the Courts Petra Pee Wee InterSchools Football tournament, which is being organised by Petra Organisation, will be contested today when the top eight teams battle to see who moves one step closer to the coveted title.

After three weeks of round robin action at the Thirst Park Ground, parents, teachers and supporters of the teams will witness a two stage knockout tournament. The top eight teams will battle for first place to eighth place, while the bot-

tom eight teams will compete for ninth to sixteenth.

The action kicks off today from 10:00 hours with the first half of the day being the 9-16 playoff as St. Pius faces Success Academy, while Sophia battles with South Ruimveldt, simultaneously.

Following that, FE Pollard meet St. Sidwell's while Enterprise goes up against Green Acres with both matches expected to start at 11:00 hours.

At noon the quarterfinal

action gets underway as West Ruimveldt clash with Ketley Primary and North Georgetown battles St. Gabriel's. Finally, the day wraps up with the Marian Academy versus St. Margaret's match and Tucville against Redeemer.

This week, three more parents or teachers will win gate prize compliments of the sponsors. Last week a Coby DVD Player, 4GB MP3 Player and a vacuum were won by three parents.

Saturday November 10, 2011 ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) Emotional situations could bring out your stubborn nature. You can receive recognition for the work you've done.

You should be looking at ways to spoil yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Someone you care about may not be too pleased with you. Your tendency to overreact could get you into trouble.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) Real estate investments will be profitable. You will drive your emotional partner crazy today.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Avoid any confrontations with colleagues. Travel may be confusing. You may be upset if someone has borrowed something that belongs to you.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) Avoid purchasing expensive items. Someone you care about may not be too pleased with you. Self improvement projects should be your key concern.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) You should be traveling to that exotic destination you've been dreaming about. If you take on too much of a financial burden you may make yourself ill.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) You can learn a great deal if you listen to those who are older or more experienced. It might be best to work on your own; if possible, do your job out of your home today.

You will encounter those who can help you further your goals if you attend functions that attract prominent people. Romance may be likely if you travel.

SAGIT (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) Try to be understanding. A new image can be the result if you change your look. Avoid boredom by being creative in your endeavors.

CAPRI (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) You can make changes to your living quarters that should please family members. Don't get involved in other people's private doings.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19)

Do whatever your mate wants; it really doesn't matter as long as you're together.

Hobbies will be good for your emotional well being. You can make moves, but they won't be settling.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Be prepared to jump quickly if you wish to stay in the forefront of your industry today.

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

Durant helps Thunder rally past Bulls (Reuters) - Some late game heroics from three-time all-star Kevin Durant powered the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 97-91 victory against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago on Thursday.

Trailing by six at threequarter time, the Thunder rallied late with Durant making a couple of clutch baskets in the final minute to help his side pull away and improve to 3-2 early in the NBA season.

Having made a nice fade away jumper just seconds earlier, Durant iced the game with an off-balance one foot fade-away basket with 35 seconds left.

Durant led the Thunder with 24 points, eight of them coming down the stretch and

was helped by Serge Ibaka with 21 and Russell Westbrook added 16. “My teammates played so well tonight,” Durant told reporters.

“Serge was good, K Martin was good, Russ (Westbrook) was good at setting everybody up so I just kind of flew under the radar for the first three quarters.

“But then I knew it was winning time so I just tried to be aggressive.”

The Thunder turned the ball over 22 times in a scrappy game but where helped by the Bulls who committed 20 turnovers of their own and now sit at 3-2 following the loss.

While Kevin Martin played well, the Thunder are

still adjusting to life without James Harden having traded the reigning Sixth Man of the Year to Houston right before the start of the season.

“It was a sloppy game, I can’t have six turnovers, I’ve got to do better,” Durant added. “But I’m glad we came here and got a win against a really good team.”

Chicago forward Luol Deng top scored with 27 points and Richard Hamilton added 20 points and eight rebounds but it was not enough to get the home side over the line.

Having come into the game ranked second in the league in defensive points allowed per possession, the Bulls allowed the most points against them all season.

The Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) sponsored by Mike’s Pharmacy, Ariel Enterprise, Trophy Stall, Ramchand Auto Spares, Survival, Motor Trend, and Petama Enterprise, continues tomorrow at several venues following a break for the Guyana Cup 2 tournament.

Fixtures are as follows: Education ground: 9:30am-Regal X1 vs Country Road. 11:30am-L.B.I Top Gun vs Trophy Stall B. 1:30pmWinners to play.

Cyril Potter College ground: Pitch 1: 9:30amSuccess Masters vs Park Rangers. 12:30pm-Front Liners Masters vs Savage Masters. Pitch 2: 9:30am-El Commandante vs Challengers. 11:30am-Trophy Stall A vs One Love. 1:30pmWinners to play.

Everest ground: Pitch 2: 9:30am- Trophy Stall Angels

vs Lady Jaguars. 10:30amFloodlight vs Bedi Ramjewan Masters. 1:30pm-Wellwoman vs Fazal Kayume Angels.

2:30pm-Regal Champs vs 4R Lioness. Pitch 3: 9:30amYoung Guns vs P. & P. Vipers.

11:30am-Farm vs Super Stars 40. 1:30pm-Winners to play.

Pitch 4: 9:30am-Success Warriors vs Herstelling.

11:30am-Desperados vs Rockaway. 1:30pm-Winners to play.

Tuesday Nov. 13 th : Education ground: 11:00amRegal Masters vs Enterprise Champs.

GFSCA Softball continues tomorrow with knockout games

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Saturday November 10, 2012

Action envisaged in Berbice Table Tennis Open championship today

By Samuel Whyte All systems are in place and a day of smashing action is anticipated as the best Table Tennis players in Berbice are expected to be in action today at the Berbice High School Auditorium Queenstown, New Amsterdam for “the Berbice Table Tennis Championship”, one day Open Knockout tournament organised by the Berbice Table Tennis Sub Association.

Throughout the past week the ancient county was a buzz as racquet wielders sharpen

their skills at all available venues for the big day. The tournament is being sponsored by overseas based G u y a n e s e , Berbician Souvenir Ramdyal of 2009 Hall of Fame Realtor of Queens NY. The competition is open to persons living and working in Berbice for the last three years and play is expected in both the male and female categories.

Over 75 entries have been received and the latest check showed that in the U13 category there are some eight

entries, the U15 has 16 entries, in the U18 category there are 22 entries with the rest slated to participate in the open division. Some six females have entered. Serve off time is expected to be 09:00hrs.

Incentives will be presented to the top three finishers in each division, while prizes will also be awarded to the most outstanding player, most promising, and most improved among others.

Among some of the players expected to be in action are Gibran Hussein,

Floyd Conway, Richard Bacchus, Levi Nedd, Omraj Singh, Lakeram Sanichar, Dave Mangra, Rono Joseph, Ryan Alexander, Michael Newland, Brentnol Richards, Sherwin Sahadeo, B r i t o n M urray Joshua Lalbachan, Jadon Conway, Julian Haniff, Nicolas Lawrence, Stephen Sankar and top female players Desiree Lancaster and Petal Bennet among others.

Snacks will be provided and the sponsor is expected to be on hand to meet the players, declare the

competition open and distribute the prizes at the end of the competition.

Mr Ramdyal has planned to make the competition an annual affair.

President of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Godfrey Munroe and a delegation from the association is expected to be on hand to assist with conducting the tournament

and help with the distribution of the prizes.

Interesting persons can still make contact with - Floyd Conway No 623-8481, Gibran Hussein 628-4248, Richard Bacchus 673-9112, Johnny Persaud 333-2869, Stanley 686-6431, Levi Nedd 641-9592 and J. Murray on 619-2107.

From back page practice session today.

“We obviously have to get a feel of the track since this is our first time here, but we are confident that afforded the seat time we will be able to make the nece s sary adjustments,” he

stated.

He said he is hoping to do his best and climb up the points standing, adding that providing the car stays reliable, there is no reason why he cannot do that.

Summerbell was not available for comment.

From page 21 bowl straight and be consistently in good areas,” he said.

“You need to be very patient because the pitches are slow already and if you try to experiment too much, you may lose control and leak runs. “In the batting, it's the same thing. You have to be very patient and keep your eyes on the ball, since you can't play too early because the pitch is too slow.”

Permaul is the latest graduate from the inaugural squad of the Sagicor WIHPC to make the senior West Indies side. He follows Brandon Bess, as well as current team-mate Kieran Powell and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel.

“The Sagicor WIHPC helped me to develop my all-round game,” he said. “It helps to shape you into becoming a complete cricketer – batting, bowling, fielding, in your mental preparation, everything suits a young player going into the programme.”

He said his time spent at the Sagicor WIHPC also helped him to take his batting far more seriously. “I have been working hard over the last few years on my batting,” he said. “When I was part of the Sagicor WIHPC squad

last year, I started working on it. As a bowler, I think batting is very important, so that you can make valuable contributions to the team in the lower order.”

West Indies continued their preparations for the series on Friday with fitness training under the eye of Strength & Conditioning Coach Hector Martinez.

The visitors were due to start a two-day, tour match against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI on Friday, but the BCB announced that the contest was shelved due to unplayable conditions at the BKSP Ground in Savar, a town about 25 miles north of the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.

This followed an inspection of the venue by BCB and West Indies management officials early on Thursday, following steady rain over the last week in the country. The match was originally scheduled to be played over three days from Thursday.

West Indies will use the additional time to get extra practice sessions on Saturday and Sunday ahead of the first Test.

This is West Indies' third full tour of Bangladesh, following trips in 2002 and last year.

- Over 75 entered

Auto Fashion Store...

Permaul looks to make...

Saturday November 10, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Boxers sign contracts as Friday Night boxing cards resume this month end After a short break to facilitate the staging of the Wa y n e ' B i g T r u c k ' Braithwaite/Shawn Corbin Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) cruiserweight title fight, the Friday Night Fights return to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) and come Friday November 30, Iwan 'Pure Gold' Azore will put his CABOFE welterweight belt on the line against Mark Austin in what is anticipated to be 12 scorching rounds of boxing.Richard Williamson, the up and coming Berbician star, will match skills against Rudolph Fraser in a six rounds featherweight contest in what is definitely the most challenging encounter of his fledgling career. Junior/welterweight, Gladwin Dorway will also be required to dig deep when he faces veteran boxer, Lindener, Cassius Matthews

over 6 rounds while another Berbician, Kishawn Simon will face off with Patrick Boston in a 6 rounds catchweight affair.

Williamson should be in reasonable shape following preparations for a recent bout against Jamaican, Rudolph Hedge but the fight was cancelled after flights out of Jamaica had to be suspended due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy.

On that same card, Rudolph Fraser had squared off with former bantamweight champion, Dexter Marques and surrendered a lopsided verdict.

Naturally, Fraser will be out to reinstate himself in the eyes of his supporters. He is more experienced and could pose problems for Richardson. However, the latter boxer will be out to

correct a blunder when he fought Charlton Skeete recently and was disqualified after blatantly breaking the rules. The Hedge fight was to have been a redemptive one and since that fight was called off Wi l l i a m s o n w i l l n o w transfer his ambitions to the Fraser bout.

The boxers convened at the offices of Insurance Brokers, Abdool and Abdool, Avenue of the Republic Georgetown, Thursday afternoon to consummate the deal with the signing of their respective contracts and once again divulged that they have begun training sessions.

Dorway is a relatively young professional with 2 fights against David Thomas and Anson Green while Cassius is a veteran of 16 fights. He lost 6 of them

Board official, Howard Cox presides over the contract signing ceremony Thursday while 3 ended in drawn decisions. Austin started his professional career on a successful note, chalking up several wins before marring his record with a draw against Clive Atwell.

Subsequently, he surrendered losses to

Simeon Hardy, Barbadian Miguel Antoine (twice) and Barbadian based Guyanese, Revlon Lake. This bout marks a return to the ring after he would have made some adjustments to his training system.

There will also be the

usual 4 amateur bouts but the organizers are awaiting those names from the officials of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA). The admission price remains at $1000 for adults while children will pay $500.

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Kaieteur News

Banks DIH presents cheques to motor racers Beverage giants Banks DIH yesterday made a significant contribution to four local drivers preparing for tomorrow's big showdown in the Caribbean 'Race of Champions' Meet scheduled to be staged, at the South Dakota Circuit.

The presentation ceremony which was conducted at Buy Me Auto

Sales on Garnett Street, Newtown saw in attendance Banks Beer Brand Manager Brian Choo-Hen, Premium Beer Brand Manager Geoff Clement, Marketing Officer Saskia Wyngaarde and drivers Danny Persaud, Afraz Allie and Afo Harper.

Persaud was sponsored under the Banks Beer

product, Allie received his support under Power Stout and Harper's assistance came under Powerade.

All three drivers extended thanks to the Company officals for their contunued support for them a n d t h e s p o r t .

Ace Driver Andrew King is part of the team, but he was unavoidably absent.

Marketing Officer Saskia Wyngaarde hands over the cheque to Afo Harper yesterday.

Banks Beer Brand Manager Brian Choo-Hen presents the cheque to Danny Persaud yesterday.

Premium Beer Brand Manager Geoff Clement (left) hands over the cheque to Afraz Allie in the presence of Saskia Wyngaarde yesterday.

Saturday November 10, 2012

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Kaieteur News

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Preparations progressing steadily as Mark Interior Communications supports K&S football

Rubiane Pinheiro (extreme left) and Ana Rita Pinheiro (2nd right), hands over the sponsorship package to Aubrey 'Shanghai' Major (extreme right) and Kashif Muhammad As the clock ticks away the days to hours, to minutes and then seconds, organizers of the nation's best football tournament, the Kashif and Shanghai football extravaganza, is busy putting the modalities in place to stage the 23rd edition of the tournament which gets underway from December 16 to January 1 next at several venues.

As is the trend, several business entities have donated various sums to ensure that football buffs enjoy a tournament of quality as has always been t h e c a s e . Ye s t e r d a y morning, another business enterprise, Mark Interior Communications of Light Street, Lacytown, donated a sizeable sum towards the success of the tournament.

This marks the third year that the business organization has acquiesced to financial support and two members

of the management staff, Rubiane Pinheiro and Ana Rita Pinheiro, two Brazilians investing in Guyana's economy, were on hand to make the presentation to the K&S duo, Aubrey 'Shanghai' Major and Kashif Muhammad.

Rubiane endorsed the tournament as the best on the local football calendar and said that the management of the business was impressed by the organizing skills exhibited by both K&S principals.

She further feels that over the years, the tournament has benefited numerous Guyanese footballers and it is through such input that Mark Interior Communications has renewed the sponsorship deal.

Ana Rita reminisced on the visit of Brazilian and world football icon, King

Pele a few years ago, and said that it was made possible through the innovative skills of the K&S group. She said that it was indeed a momentous occasion and worthy of praise. “Mark Interior Communications is always keen to invest in the development of young people and we feel that the K&S tournament gives us the opportunity to give back to the Guyanese community even as we contribute to football, a national sport in our mother country,� exhorted Ana Rita.

Meanwhile, Mr. Muhammad expressed gratitude to the management of Mark Interior Communications for their chivalry. He said that activities to ensure that the tournament delivers the usual excitement are moving steadily apace.

Unity Lancaster SC to host Pre-Diwali Softball Cricket tourney tomorrow The Unity Lancaster Sports Club of Mahaica will host a Pre-Diwali Sixa-side Softball Cricket tournament tomorrow at their ground starting at 9:30am.

The Six-a-side event is

open to all teams and they can turn up at the venue from 9:00am to register and join in the action.

Cash incentives and Trophies will be on offer for the outstanding performers.

Seven Curry will also be

on sale at the venue and the fans are invited to come out and support the club.

This is the same Club and Village that produced West Indies star batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Sixteen teams comprising the nation's best footballers will engage in intense warfare and the eventual winner will cart off a beautiful trophy and four million dollars, while the team finishing second receives one million dollars.

The third and fourth places will cart off $750,000 and $500,000 respectively.

Additionally, the Most Valuable Player will win a luxury motor car while coaches will be compensated for their hard work when the best among the lot receives one motorcycle.

One lucky patron will a l s o w i n o n e 11 0 C C motorcycle after a draw is conducted at the Buxton fixture.

The organizers have also organized an U-13 tournament that will be played simultaneously with the main tournament.

t r o Sp

Auto Fashion Store extends facilities to visiting teams It was a bonding that has never been witnessed before in the Caribbean, rival teams sharing mechanics and even ideas about the setting up of their cars.

It all unfolded yesterday right before Kaieteur Sport eyes when the newspaper visited Auto Fashion Store on Garnett Street, Campbellville where members of the Jamaican, Cayman Islands and Guyana teams were seen working feverishly to conclude the final touches on their respective cars

ahead of today's time trials and tomorrow's final showdown in the Caribbean Motor racing Championship scheduled for the South Dakota Circuit.

Rupee Shewjattan, who drives a Mitsubishi Evolution 5 speaking with the newspaper, said that his team has worked overtime to get the machine in prime condition for tomorrow's Meet and he is confident that they will be rewarded for their commitment to the car.

The ace driver, who has been in and out of the sport

over the past few years informed that they recently, installed a new gearbox and even though they were unable to do any testing before today, they've tested the reliability and were confident that the car will be competitive.

He extended thanks to the Jamaican, Guyanese and Cayman Islands team of mechanics Justin, Garrett, Carl, Bobby, Sunil and all the others who put their expertise together to help prepare the cars.

Among the other cars at the garage were point's

leader David Summerbell Jnr Mitsubishi Evolution 8 and Cayman Islands Junior Hydes, who is competing in Guyana for the first time.

Shewjattan expressed

gratitude to sponsors Allied Manufacturing, his own Auto Fashion Store, Palm Court, Buddy's and Blue Magic Lounge for their support.

Hydes in his remarks said his preparations for the Meet have gone well and he is now looking forward to a solid Continued on page 20

Group 4 driver Rupie Shewjattan poses next to his Mitsubishi Evo 5 car yesterday.

Mechanics seen doing the final touches on points leader Jamaican David Summerbell Jnr car yesterday.

Cayman Islander Junior Hydes stands next to his car yesterday.

Synthetic Track construction reaches second phase - Phase completion projection: mid next year

By Edison Jefford Against the backdrop of a previous admission that there is not enough emphasis on engaging the media on various aspects of construction of the Synthetic Track and Field Facility, Deputy Permant Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport,

Steve Ninvalle hosted a briefing yesterday at the facility's Leonora site.

Ninvalle had committed to regular media updates on the progress of the facility.

He was happy to report that Phase I of the project, which was awarded to Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited, was

completed and works are ongoing on Phase II. Director of the oversight company, D e s i g n and Construction Services Limited (DCSL), Patrick Pitt, accompanied Ninvalle. “We don't want the Media to be 'ifing' and Continued on page 22

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