Guyana Times Daily - May 30, 2015

CJ quashes Magistrate’s decision

Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Mark Phillips and Major Eon Murray giving

Granger a tour of the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officers’ Cadet

Trotman handed Natural Resources Ministry

...visit to Exxon Oil Rig was tip-off

Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, who was sworn in as Minister of Governance has been handed the coveted responsibility of overseeing the natural resources sector, a release from the Natural Resources Ministry has said.

Trotman’s appointment as a Minister more so with the governance portfolio had come as a surprise, since based on the Cummingsburg Accord signed between the APNU and AFC such a Ministry should have gone to APNU.

offices on Upper Brickdam and has already met with the staff of his Ministry.

According to the release, the Minister has commenced scheduled familiarisation meetings and visits to the several agencies under his portfolio. During the coming weeks, the Minister also intends to meet with international, donor and Private Sector organisations; other development partners and stakeholders of the governance and natural resources sectors.

of the National Assembly he told this newspaper in an interview that he would have campaigned with the AFC in the recent elections, but was uncertain about an official role should the coalition wins. He had claimed to be more inclined to focus on uniting young people across race and political parties.

Trotman is one of the founders of the Alliance For Change (AFC). There were reports prior to the elections that Trotman had fallen out with the hierarchy of the AFC and had taken a backseat role. He was, however, made Co-Chairman of the elections campaign. Sources said that he was not picked for a ministerial post by his party, but was snapped up by Granger. Trotman; Amna Ally, Minister of Social Cohesion; and Winston Felix, Minister of Citizenship were all appointed Ministers within the Ministry of the Presidency.

sector has fallen under the Ministry of the Presidency, but according to the release Trotman has taken up his post at the Ministry of Natural Resources’ office on Upper Brickdam.

The natural resources

The release from the

Ministry said apart from responsibility for governance issues, Trotman is also responsible for overseeing the management of the nation’s natural resources, which form part of the patrimony of Guyana. He now occupies

World Environment Day will be observed in Guyana and around the world on June 5, 2015 and it is expected that the Minister will be out and about supporting the efforts at restoring the image of Georgetown, the “Garden City”, and that of communities outside of the city.

Early sign at Exxon

An early sign that Trotman would have been angling for the natural resources portfolio was revealed when he surprisingly accompanied President Granger on a visit to ExxonMobil’s deepwater drill ship in the offshore Stabroek Block just over a week ago. While in Opposition, the natural resources sector was shadowed by Dr Rupert Roopnaraine who one day after President Granger was sworn in was still covering that portfolio at which point it was widely reported that he would have been confirmed in that ministership.

Further reason to believe this would have happened was in evidence when Dr Roopnaraine was dispatched to Mahdia following the collapse of a mining pit which killed 10 miners. However, when the announcement of ministerial appointments was made, Dr Roopnaraine was assigned the education post and the natural resources portfolio was retained by the President.

Trotman cuts a very enigmatic figure: back in February while still Speaker

Trotman had struck a similar note some years ago in the National Assembly, when he asserted that he needed time off to deal with an undisclosed illness and hinted that he was fed up with the divisive politics. However, he campaigned with the AFC in 2011 and later accepted the position of Speaker after Granger, then Opposition Leader, nominated him over the AFC’s nominee, Moses Nagamootoo. There was also speculation on the political future of Trotman.

He said then in the interview with the Guyana Times that the focus was not on positions and roles, disclosing his immediate plans were to campaign by way of management for the party he helped form in 2006. “I am Speaker, I am not likely to be Speaker after the elections, if the coalition loses, of course, I will not be chosen; if the coalition wins, I will not be chosen; so at least I know that for certainty that I will not be the Speaker,” he said.

The practising Attorney had then expressed confidence that he could function in several capacities which the coalition would identify when the time came. “Right now, the greatest or preeminent objective is running a good campaign and of course, winning an election and not to become bogged down with or distracted by positions or offices,” he further stated.

Trotman entered the field of politics in 1994 as a People’s National Congress (PNC) Councillor for the City of Georgetown and was later a Member of Parliament up to 2006 at which time he parted ways with the party after unsuccessfully vying for the leadership position against Robert Corbin. Trotman teamed up with Khemraj Ramjattan, a former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament and Sheila Holder from the Working People’s Alliance to form the AFC; and contested the 2006 elections as their Presidential Candidate.

His public life took a beating earlier this year when Johnny Welshman accused him of sexually molesting him when he was just 12. The matter was investigated by the Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled that there was insufficient evidence to charge Trotman, who had said that he had come out of the ordeal stronger and his faith in God renewed.

Raphael Trotman taking the oath as Minister of Governance

saturday, May 30, 2015 |

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, May 30 – 14:30h-16:00h and Sunday, May 31 – 14:30h-16:00h

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, May 30 – 14:10h-15:40h and Sunday, May 31 – 14:55h-16:25h

FERRY SCHEDULE

Ferries will be departing the Parika and Supenaam stellings : Saturday, May 30 – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h Sunday, May 31 – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h

WEATHER TODAY

Thunderstorms are expected in the morning, with heavy showers dominating in the afternoon. Thundery showers are expected to prevail in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 4.47 metres and 5.36 metres per second.

High Tide: 02:04h and 14:29h reaching maximum heights of 2.42 metres and 2.40 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:03h and 20:19h reaching minimum heights of 0.78 metre and 0.79 metre respectively.

Granger: Forensic audit of results a waste of time

– Nandlall says President’s position preposterous

By Michael younge

President David Granger appears not inclined to support calls being made by the former ruling party, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), for a recount and forensic audit of the results of the May 11 General and Regional Elections.

President Granger, speaking during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Times, said that the main opposition party was “wasting time” by seeking a recount of the ballots cast and was being dishonest about the events which led to the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition becoming Government.

“They are wasting the public’s time…trying to fool the population,” he asserted during the interview, as his posture made it absolutely clear that he was not willing to entertain the PPP/C’s request or join their calls for a recount which could also give further legitimacy to his presidency and his Government’s entitlement to govern the affairs of the country over the next five years.

The PPP/C, through its leader and Presidential Candidate former President Donald Ramotar, is holding firmly to the view that there was widespread mas-

sive electoral rigging of the votes cast in various electoral districts during the May 11 elections. The party has taken the position that the elections were also manipulated and incorrectly tabulated, deliberately to cheat it out of office and give a majority of the votes to Granger’s coalition.

However President Granger maintained that, “It was not just local persons who said that the elections were free and fair; the international observers said that it was free and fair.” The President, who was swornin after the declaration of the results by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), does not believe that the results were tampered with and therefore entertaining a recount, in his opinion, would have no new impact on the creditability of the results as declared.

“There is no evidence that says that there was any fraud…there was any manipulation of the votes…so the PPP/C is trying to assure its supporters that it is on the right side, and I do not think the PPP/C is going to succeed in this effort,” the Head of State remarked. Noting that he is aware that the People’s Progressive Party has taken the matter to court, President Granger said, “…And we will await the court’s ruling but we are confident that the results, the results that formed the basis for my elections to the presidency, were the correct results”, he contended.

Since the PPP/C launched its public appeal for a recount and elections data, the Guyana Elections Commission has been silent and has not responded to the party’s request. The Guyana Times understands that the Commissioners have not met to address issues arising as a result of the announcements since the declaration of the results was made.

When contacted former Attorney General and

Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, said that he found the position adopted by President Granger as simply preposterous for many reasons. He argued that from the results declared, even if we are to accept them, Granger’s party won by a mere one per cent of the votes, explaining that in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) the APNU/AFC party only won by one vote.

“There have been widespread allegations of irregularities especially in the populous Regions Four and 10, coincidentally strongholds areas for Mr Granger’s party. No one can dispute that there was mayhem at Sophia where several vehicles were burnt, two buildings that housed a PPP/C command centre were put on fire,” Nandlall said.

He explained also that no one can deny that there were crowds of people at dozens of polling stations intimidating persons, especially at APNU strongholds around the time of close of polls and when counting was being done. “No one can dispute that the Returning Officers (RO) refused to count the ballots when requests were made for them to do so after the ROs would have declared results. This request is right at law, which the RO has no

Man remanded for alledgedly breaking champagne glasses

A22-year-old man was refused bail on Thursday when he appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for breaking champagne glasses. The accused, Omadeli Grant, who is a Labourer and resides at 1259 Festival City, North Ruimveldt,

Georgetown, could have been saved from being remanded if he had responded to the Magistrate’s questions and thus convinced her of his wish to return to court to see the matter resolved. However, Grant remained silent for most of the hearing. He was charged for unlawfully and malicious-

ly damaging a quantity of champagne glasses valued $5000. The glasses were the property of Virtual Complainant (VC) Samantha Sawh. The accused was remanded to prison and a not guilty plea was recorded on his behalf. He is expected back in court on June 5.

discretion to refuse. No one can dispute that the Chief Elections Officer and the Chairman of the Elections Commission disclosed, publicly at a press conference, that fake Statements of Poll penetrated the GECOM machinery,” Nandlall remarked during the invited comment. He made it clear that three of the six Commissioners did not sign on to the results which were declared by the Elections Commission.

Nandlall went to say that no one can dispute that over 200, 000 Guyanese, whether rightly or wrongfully, genuinely believe that they were cheated, as he expressed the view that no one can dispute that “at these elections, unlike every other election over the last 20 years, GECOM has refused to furnish the parties with a disaggregation of results by polling divisions and copies of the SOPs, which they have used to tabulate their results”.

“Against that backdrop, how can Mr Granger contend that a forensic audit is unnecessary? In 1997, political supporters of PNC (People’s National Congress) wreaked havoc in Georgetown, buildings were burnt, businesses looted, people beaten as they demanded a forensic audit of those elections, which did not have a fraction of the irregularities which tainted the 2015 General Elections,” he maintained.

He argued strongly that “President Granger is on record as extending an olive branch to the PPP/C to cooperate with his Government. He said that he is interested in national unity and bringing all the people together. “How can he make those lofty declarations and at the same time callously disregard and disrespect the views of 200,000 people, half of the electorate who genuinely believe that they elections were not fair.”

President David Granger

Former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall

FRidaY, MaY 29, 2015

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

The Incheon Declaration on Education

Education is certainly the solution to many problems we face in the society today. If persons are educated or have a good skill they are in better position to contribute to the development of themselves, their families and their community as a whole.

In a recent UN survey, education was ranked top of the list among major priorities that citizens of the world believe would make their lives better. International organizations and governments around the world are therefore always occupied exploring ways in which they can improve the quality of education and access in general to all students.

Recently, at the World Education Forum held in Incheon, Republic of Korea, a transformative vision for education over the next 15 years was adopted. The Incheon Declaration was welcomed by the global education community, including government ministers from more than 100 countries, non-governmental organizations and youth groups. It encourages countries to provide inclusive, equitable, quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all.

Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova was quoted as saying this Declaration is a huge step forward. “It reflects our determination to ensure that all children and young people gain the knowledge and skills they need to live in dignity, to reach their potential and contribute to their societies as responsible global citizens.

It encourages governments to provide learning opportunities through life, so that people can continue to grow and develop. It affirms that education is the key to global peace and sustainable development,” Bokova said.

The Incheon Declaration builds on the global Education for All (EFA) movement that was initiated in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990 and reiterated in Dakar, Senegal in 2000. EFA – and the Millennium Development Goal on Education – resulted in significant progress, but many of its targets, including universal access to primary education, remain unfulfilled.

At present, 58 million children remain out of school – most of them girls. In addition, 250 million children are not learning basic skills, even though half of them have spent at least four years in school.

We can safely say that this country has made tremendous gains in the education sector, and this is largely due to the many bold and sensible policy decisions implemented by the PPP/C administration.

The necessary investments were made to improve education delivery in every regard, and we are now seeing the results of these interventions. This country has achieved universal access to primary education and is well on its way to achieving universal access to secondary education.

We have seen tangible improvements in schools’ infrastructure across the country, a drastic increase in the number of teachers being trained, increases in enrolment ratios across all levels, improved results at national and international exams, interest and attainment in the sciences, and improved access to technical, vocational and tertiary facilities.

The new Government has inherited a progressive education sector which has come very far way since 1992. Guyana is leading its Caricom neighbours as it relates to results at the CSEC and CAPE levels. The new Administration must therefore continue to build on these gains by making the right policy decisions to continue moving the sector forward.

That aside, the Incheon Declaration will be implemented through the Education 2030 Framework for Action, a roadmap for governments to be adopted by the end of the year. It will provide guidance on effective legal and policy frameworks for education, based on the principles of accountability, transparency and participatory governance.

UNICEF and others have rightly stated that effective implementation of the initiative will require strong regional coordination and rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the education agenda. It will also require more funding, especially for the countries furthest from providing inclusive, quality education.

Education is essential to achieving all of the new Sustainable Development Goals. It is necessary to eradicate poverty, boost shared prosperity and broad-based economic growth, and build peaceful, tolerant societies.

The Incheon Declaration demonstrates the common commitment to deliver this vision. It shows how education can transform lives.

I strongly condemn this politically motivated case against Jagdeo Pilgrimage to the mountains

Dear Editor,

Let me waste no time in expressing my strongest condemnation of this politically motivated case made against former President Bharrat Jagdeo by Christopher Ram.

I am calling on every right-thinking Guyanese and organisation to also condemn this vileness of Ram, a man who has an unhealthy obsession, like Freddie Kissoon, for Jagdeo. I have listened to the former President’s speech at Babu John and there was absolutely nothing racially inciting about it.

I am unconvinced about Ram’s farcical “shock” at the statement. I’m more convinced the man is out of touch with reality. The MMU was totally out of place in its assessment as well.

The MMU is clearly biased and is carrying out an agenda. It has shown its ineptitude by failing to not only listen to the speech properly and in its entirety, but to interpret it correctly within its context.

How can you take one part of a speech and interpret it without consideration to the entire speech? If the MMU and Christopher Ram were decent and honest they would honestly interpret the statement in its context.

If Ram was a preacher we all will be going to hell because of his constant misinterpretation of words. He would be interpreting words out of context and giving us the wrong doctrines to believe. It would be an eternity of wailing and gnashing of teeth for us as a result of people like Ram.

Sadly, Guyana has become so entrenched in vileness that no matter how

carefully you choose your words, they will always ended up being twisted by others. Twisted especially by twisted minds like Christopher Ram’s.

It is no secret that ever since the campaign started Ram and his political opposition cohorts have been scheming ways to muzzle Jagdeo. Why? Because Jagdeo speaks the truth.

The truth scares them. He has a right to freedom of speech and expression. Or does Ram feel that only he has those rights?

Editor, I live in Guyana and I know that what the former president said at Babu John was spot-on true. I agree wholeheartedly with Jagdeo. As a matter of fact, thousands of Guyanese echo the same sentiments of the former President.

The former President merely highlighted a problem in our society and stated that the PPP/C does not tolerate such things.

Ram needs to stop daydreaming and get back to reality by taking a walk around the country to see the depth of racial behaviour, words and practices being spewed against Indians in this country by APNU supporters.

Jagdeo understands this. Ram doesn’t, which is why he can’t understand Jagdeo’s words. Well, I understand the former president’s words, so please allow me to help Ram in understanding the issue from my experiences and knowledge. I wish to ask Ram a few questions also.

You see Editor, certain folks don’t just beat drums and chant racist words early in the morning, they do more than that in more blatant

ways, and I and many people know of this as the fact!

If Ram is man enough he will answer these incidents, although I suspect he will not reply since he lives in self-denial.

1. What has Ram to say about the racial, verbal attack on Swami Aksharananda several days ago? Did this incident go against the gist of what Jagdeo was trying to help people to understand or does it testify to the truth of what he said? Speak up, Ram!

2. What has Ram to say about APNU supporters that went into Chinese stores, terrorising and taunting the shop-owners, spewing racist remarks to the Chinese and telling them to go back to China that “this is black people” time? Even little AfroGuyanese children were witnessed doing this. Does this go against what the former president said or does it indicate the truth?

3. What has Ram to say about APNU supporters going into Indian stores, picking up groceries, and escaping, laughing and shouting that “APNU will pay y’all!”

4. What has Ram to say to the innumerable insults Indians get daily and the derogatory names they are being called daily by APNU supporters?

5. What has Ram to say about the fact that every time Indians speak out about their plight they are called racist but this is not so for Afro-Guyanese?

6. When Freddie Kissoon and others engage in racist writings, always raising hostile feelings against Indians, why doesn’t Ram bring his charge against them?

It is people like Freddie

Kissoon that countless times write in such a way to not only degrade Indians in Guyana, calling them all kinds of names, but raises antagonism against them because they support the PPP/C.

Kissoon hates Indians for supporting PPP/C and writes to raise hostility against such people! Freddie Kissoon is the one to be charged for racial incitement. But Ram won’t do it. He is selectively blind and deaf and his target is the former president, not the rancorous Kissoon. Christopher Ram needs to start reading some holy books to cleanse his dark soul. Jagdeo was right to highlight the problem in society, call for an end to it and for people to not engage in such actions.

People support his words as the truth because we live and experience the truth he spoke of daily. Perhaps Ram is not out of touch with this society but in fact, he’s like the ostrich that sticks his head in the sand not wanting to see the truth. Because the truth does not support his wickedness and schemes. Only such a person is foolish enough to bring trump up charges against the speaker. Charges we all know is politically motivated.

Secondly, I have every cause to believe that the former president’s political opponents seek to humiliate him. I am encouraging Jagdeo to stand strong. The people are solidly behind him, supporting him all the way. These wicked men will not prevail; rather the snare they set for him will entrap them (the schemers).

High up in the Peruvian Andes, Qoyllur Rit’i – the Snow Star Festival is celebrated. Tens of thousands of pilgrims attend the Catholic celebration which is infused with pre-Christian traditions and is held under a full moon a week before Corpus Christi (Timothy Allen photo)

Guyanese should hang their heads in shame at the treatment of Jagdeo

Dear Editor,

I write to express my disgust at a court case brought against the former President Bharrat Jagdeo. This case smacks of maliciousness and political innuendos aimed bringing down one of Guyana’s finest and most honourable men. A great statesman with an international profile none can match.

It is a downright shame upon a nation and speaks further to the decay in Guyanese society that the man who shaped Guyana into what it is today, a man who brought Guyana from nothing and made it into something, could be so illtreat today.

I always admired Jagdeo for being a great statesman and visionary. He is one leader who is ahead of his times. He is a great visionary that saw things like none could. No doubt this made many envious of him.

His vision for Guyana encompasses great things for the nation. He brought Guyana to a point of discovering oil. He brought wealth to the nation through his vision with the LCDS. I remember well that when Jagdeo pushed the LCDS, he endured many curses and criticisms from certain people and the media.

Yet, these are the people today who are enjoying the benefits of this man’s vision. They should hang their heads in shame.

Jagdeo protected this country from thugs, who we all know were politically affiliated, when they sought to destroy citizens and the country. He used his international stature for Guyana’s benefit. Guyana is now known international-

ly not because of people like Christopher Ram or anyone, but because of Jagdeo.

Which political leader in the history of Guyana did so much for his country? Yet today this very man is targeted and humiliated by the most wicked men in society.

What has Christopher Ram ever done for Guyana’s development? Nothing! What has Christopher Ram ever done for any Guyanese anywhere? Nothing! What was Ram’s contribution to moving Guyana from poverty and dictatorship to progress and democracy, from insecurity to security?

Nothing! Where was Ram all these years when Guyana was a next-to-nothing country? He wasn’t out there dedicating his life to bring betterment to the Guyanese people. No. He was pursuing matters of self-interests and personal ambitions.

Now today, he acts as if he’s given the greatest development to Guyana. He fools no one but himself.

There are those who worked tirelessly every day, enduring curses and criticisms to build a country and then there are those whose sole purpose is to destroy.

The latter sleeps peacefully at nights without a care for anyone in this country. Then they wake up the next day, scheming how to attack those who seek to help and develop a nation. Ram is a waste. He is not a contributor to society. He has never done one good thing for this country. He is the beneficiary of the progress and development of the country that Jagdeo built. In fact Ram has benefited so much that he has become destructive and ungrateful.

It is a sad day, a shameful day to see that the leader who did so much for his country is today so viciously attacked and belittled by non-entities like Christopher Ram who never did one thing to develop Guyana.

The Lord God is neither blind nor deaf. Those who attack and continue to attack this good man and those who are today ungrateful and unrecognising of the works of this good man, will pay this ingratitude.

Nowhere have I ever seen ungrateful people rewarded. Nowhere, from history to current, have I seen the wicked and ungrateful prosper.

Guyanese should hang their heads in shame that today this is the treatment they dish out to a great visionary and a great leader. It is a sad day in Guyana’s history and speaks how greatly we have degenerated in our morality and virtues.

We have become a thankless and selfish society. We honour those who never did anything for the country and attack those who dedicated their entire life to making Guyana into the great and prosperous country is it today.

I condemn this vile case against Jagdeo and I wish to encourage this great man: do not be discouraged. God will see you through. Your vindication will come. Your enemies will be crushed. Soon you will be exalted to even greater heights than before.

You have the undying love, support, and prayers of thousands of people. We are standing by your stand.

J Dayal

I strongly condemn this...

I read the issue as it relates to Jagdeo’s court appearance. So let’s see this. His lawyers informed the magistrate that no summons was ever served to him and he was advised that his presence was not required in court; that the court date was set specifically for Ram’s attorney to respond to their submission; and there should be a ruling from the court before any further steps are taken in the proceedings.

The magistrate then announced for the first time that she is overruling the preliminary objections and submissions made and that the defendant must appear before her.

What sort of high-handedness is this coming from the judiciary personnel? Is the magistracy no longer bound by consideration or decorum or is there a new wave in town where everyone is now flexing his/her muscle and belittling others?

When no summons was

served for the defendant to attend court and even if the magistrate overruled and wanted the defendant present, she could have been a little more considerate to the defendant and perhaps postpone the matter to the next day to allow the defendant enough time to make an appearance rather than be so high-handed and wanted the defendant appear now or an arrest warrant will be issue.

Whose fault was it in the first place that no summons was served? Why does the defendant have to be hurried and harassed into getting down to the court, when the court itself was undecided on whether it was needful for the defendant to appear?

Is this any way to treat human beings by the magistracy or is this the normal attitude and behaviour of those who preside over the matters of human beings?

The shortcomings of the court ought not to result in the high-handed treatment of any person with a mat-

Condemn public ridicule of Indians

Dear Editor, This letter was sent to other media houses, but it was not published.

I condemn the public ridicule of Indians relating to the change in government. Ridicule of Indians (dem coolie people, as some referred to us) was expected in hushed tones, but one did (does) not expect it to be said publicly.

Some people felt (feel) it necessary to put “dem coolie” in their place. Whether in private in hushed tones or public, the jeering of Indians relating to the ousting of the PPP/C government must be condemned.

There are too many reports of incidents of supporters of the new government (APNU really) mocking, insulting, laughing at and jeering Indians since the PPP/C has been removed from office.

I am told that “coolie lost power”, is oft repeated everywhere including in the diaspora. In New York, non-Indians asked “how I feel now that coolies have lost power”? I was also told by some young minds “you all out of power. It is we time now”.

Those snickering remarks are unacceptable. There is nothing wrong with celebrating a victory, but it must be tempered by reality of the ground situation and the need for respect of members of other ethnic group in a racially divided nation.

When I was in Trinidad over the extended holiday weekend, Guyanese and others I interacted with at various events and in polling were interested in an explanation and analysis of what happened in the elections.

They did not make nas-

ty or crude comments about Indians in Guyana. That should be the behavior of all in Guyana as well – no place for nasty jokes about Indians.

It matters not to me about which party won the elections and I never viewed governance since the restoration of democracy in 1992 as being of one party or of one race over another.

I am interested in fair and inclusive governance regardless of which party is in control of the instruments of power.

Guyana is a divided society and every race and every party (minor parties as well) should be included in governance. I have consistently advocated that position and have met stiff opposition even from friends.

No race has a right to govern another race. There must be multi-racial governance. We are too small a country to exclude anyone from participating in development initiatives.

Whichever party wins a free and fair election should and must be allowed to govern preferably in partnership with others. It should be the lead party in a national unity government.

The elections were not about the victory and defeat of one race over the other. It was about choosing a government that will rule in the best interests of the population. The outcome of the election was shrouded in controversy. It is difficult to say that one party won convincingly.

The opinion polls I conducted showed a very close election and the actual results bore that prediction.

Thus, no politician and supporter of the ruling party should be overly euphoric about the results. No party really won when the outcome is almost 50-50. Thus, celebrations must be subdued. In a situation where one side charges fraud and refuses to recognize “the victor”, everyone should be invited to participate in governance. I read President Granger saying he wants a multi-party government though I have not seen proposals of how this would occur.

One race should not jeer the other race. Whoever engages in such acts must be condemned and ostracized. It is the responsibility of politicians from the ruling party to control the euphoria of their supporters. The APNU+AFC should dissociate from outrageous snickering comments and other public utterances against Indians.

In fact, the leadership of both parties should condemn and prosecute those who engaged in such prejudicial remarks. Where is Chris Ram on this matter? Will he file a public interest litigation case against the perpetrators?

And how about those prominent business people who funded the election – do they think it is okay to jeer Indians?

There is no place for public ridicule against anyone regardless of ethnicity. Such behavior must be condemned. No race is superior to another race and government must not only serve the interest of its own (racial) supporters.

Vishnu Bisram

GECOM’s Chairman must immediately resign

Dear Editor,

from page 4

ter before the court. It’s that simple. Manners maketh man. It is not beyond our judiciary personnel to show consideration, respect and humility in the dispensation of their functions.

Such actions of the magistrate leave a lot to be desired. The country is watching on to see who are the players in this politicallymotivated case.

My fellow Guyanese, we are about to see whether schemers can get away with trumped up charges or justice does prevail in the land, whether the three branches of government (judicial, executive and legislative) are separate as they ought to be, or whether the new de facto government is now influencing the judiciary to carry out its orders and agendas. There is much to see.

Again, I condemn this politically motivated case against Jagdeo and call on everyone to do the same.

Victorine Budhan

Twenty-three years (19922015) after democracy was restored to Guyana, we have once again returned to the ugly and dark days of elections rigging and dictatorship which will slowly lead to social and economic collapse.

It is a national and international disgrace for a government to manage

Guyana’s affairs for the next five years as a result of the massively rigged May 2015 general and regional elections in Guyana. The government will be setting a date to hold local government elections. No local government elections must be held until there is a recount of all the ballots in the ten electoral districts to verify

the winner of the 2015 general and regional elections.

Also GECOM’s Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally must immediately resign from the commission.

The PPP/C was cheated, not defeated at the May 2015 general and regional elections.

Otto Okundji

Gov’t boldly honours its supporters

Dear Editor, I write to applaud the PNC (APNU)-led government for recognizing its supporters and party affiliates in the independence celebrations national honors list.

The PNC boldly gave out honors to its supporters, unconcerned about what the nation thinks. Some who contributed to the party’s electoral victory were honored.

Few Indians were honored similar to what took place during the dictatorship between 1966 and 1992. Those who were viewed as non-supporters were not even considered for any honors.

The PNC showed the

PPP/C how to recognize one’s own. The PPP/C government never developed the courage to recognize those who were truly deserving of honors.

There were so many outstanding Guyanese (within Guyana and in the diaspora) who were deserving of national honors for their contributions in various fields – those who fought for independence and those who fought for the restoration of democratic rule as well as those who contributed to several other fields of endeavor.

There are so many who are more worthy of recognition than those honored. But such is the nature of our politics that critics and non-

supporters are never deserving of honors no matter how much are their contributions to the nation and to the diaspora.

Nothing much has changed with a change in regime. It is politics as usual. Look at the list again! Really, are some of those persons truly deserving of an award?

If you murder, rape, plunder, and engage in other infamous acts like election rigging you are honored.

If you live a life of integrity and decency, and if you help to uplift the lives of others, no honors for you.

Vishnu Bisram

Page Foundation

Free-range parenting: balancing protection with the dignity of risk

By AnnA StewArt, FAmily AdvocAte

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “free-range” parenting? Many people picture extremely lenient parents who impose few rules and fewer consequences. However, as with many stereotypes, that’s far from the truth.

Free-ranging parenting, like all parenting, takes a lot of hard work – and for the children, being free-range is a hard-earned privilege. As a mother of teens, I expect them to make their own choices and be responsible for those choices. But, before I ever allowed them to walk alone to a friend’s house, or talk to their teacher when their math grade slid, I spent hours teaching my children the skills they needed to independently tackle such challenges.

Rather than being “spoiled” (as many might imagine), a successful free-range child is one who knows how to problem-solve, ask for help, assess risks and benefits, and be flexible. They’ve learnt from experience that they are capable and can rely on themselves. And while they may know firsthand the sometimes high cost of making mistakes, they’ve also learned how to take responsibility for their actions.

Life experiences come with risk. As parents, our job is to prepare our children to make their own choices and support them in experiencing both success and failure.

Free-range parenting can be harder for us as parents than it is for our children. Talia, a mom in one of my parent groups, has an 11-year-old son, Jake, a brilliant but controlling boy. She came to our group frustrated and worried that her son would need her to manage his life forever. He pushed away peers and didn’t have any friends. His teacher spent a lot of time redirecting

him and prompting him to finish his work. Talia’s heart ached for Jake: life seemed so hard for him.

Out of love, she kept him close. She arranged her schedule to be there after school and set up activities for them to do together. Talia wanted to protect him from any more suffering or pain. When Jake asked for more autonomy, Talia dug in; she was sure she knew what was best for him and just how he should do things. She couldn’t see that she was the one who needed to change.

Our parenting instinct is to protect our children. And protecting them in their early years is critical and natural. As they grow, we gradually give them

some control, like letting them choose what to wear and what to eat. But when our children struggle, instinct kicks backs in. When our children are bullied or have difficulty learning, we often tighten our management of them out of a desire to protect them from more failures and more harm. But what if our instinct is potentially harming them?

I asked Talia to tell us one chore she’d like to see Jake learn to do. I asked if she could let him do it his way

and not fix it, judge it, or belittle it. I asked if she could give her son the dignity of risk.

What does that mean, dignity of risk? Life experiences come with risk. As parents, our job is to prepare our children to make their own choices and support them in experiencing both success and failure. By protecting our children from life’s inevitable setbacks, we reduce their opportunities to learn things for themselves; by sheltering them from failure, we also get in the way of their chance to succeed. If we want our children to become thoughtful, independent, flexible, selfaware adults, we have to be willing to let them make mistakes and take a fall sometimes. When we protect them, we are teaching them that they are not capable of making and dealing with their own decisions.

Talia slowly changed her habits and gave Jake the chance to both make mistakes and to succeed through his own efforts. This was one of those times when it was about the parent changing in order to give her child the experiences that belong to him.

My son is about to graduate from high school; he felt prepared to fill out and send in college applications, decide upon his yearbook picture and quote (I will find out what he sent when the yearbook comes out), deal with ordering the cap and gown, and choosing new shoes to wear to the prom.

I don’t always agree with his timing, his choices or his decisions, but he feels capable of making them—and understands that he will also deal with the consequences. When he walks across the stage next month, he will know that his graduation belongs to him: it was through his hard work, his mistakes (like flunking pre-calculus and having to repeat the whole year), and his choices that he is heading off to college. I trust that he will continue to learn through the dignity of risk. (Excerpt from empoweringparents.com)

Skills to teach ‘free-range’ children

So how do we go from vigilantly protecting our children to giving them opportunities to experience the dignity of risk? Use the Three-Ts: Teach, Think and Time.

Teach problem solving. Come up with some “low-risk/high return” things you want your child to learn, like making cookies, cleaning the bathroom, or making their bed. (Avoid high-stakes situations at first, such as things that are school-based, as they likely involve other people who may not be ready to give your child a chance to try and to fail.) Give your child the choice of which task they’d like to learn first. Also give them a choice about when to start (now, tomorrow, or on a defined date).

When you are both calm and have time, teach the skill. Be prepared for resistance. If your child has internalised a feeling of not being capable, they may be reluctant to try.

And their resistance may be loud and clear,

leaving you to wonder if the attempt is even worth it. Don’t give up! Try bringing some novelty to the situation, like making a video of you practising the skill together. Novelty opens our brains to new ideas. Some parents find it easier for everyone if they are not in the room when their child is trying out a new skill.

Children won’t do a perfect job at first. Resist the urge to fix or criticise. Praise their efforts and intentions. Remember, this is also about dignity. Slowly, begin giving your child the chance to come up with their own options and ideas and gradually begin increasing the stakes (aka, the risks).

Think ahead. If you are struggling with finding the balance of protection and risk, it can help to think through likely scenarios, both in the near and more distance future, where there is an element of risk involved such as riding their bike to the store, taking the bus alone, or learning to drive. Remember, risk is essential to learning and is a part of life for everyone. Think about the healthy risks you took when you were young and how you learnt and grew through experiencing those risks. Your children need that too. Controlling too much removes the opportunity to experience and solve problems. Our children need to know how to handle life’s situations when we aren’t there. They need to get cold when they decide not to bring their coat, or to ask someone out and get turned down, or to misjudge the time and miss the bus. Take time. There may be times when you wonder if you can deal with the risks. Ask yourself, is this your edge or your child’s? Who is taking the bigger risk emotionally? What can you do to take care of yourself? How are you going to respond when they do make a mistake, or refuse help, or just really want to try it themselves? Give yourself time to be clear about these issues. (Empoweringparents.com)

CJ quashes Magistrate’s decision

lifts travel ban on Jagdeo

By Vahnu Manikchand

Chief Justice Ian Chang, on Friday, quashed an order given by the Magistrate presiding at the Whim Magistrate’s Court and lifted a controversial travel restriction which was imposed on former President Bharrat Jagdeo when he entered a court appearance this week.

Jagdeo moved to the High Court with the request, challenging the decision of the Magistrate via a “humble petition” which was filed by Attorney Murseline Bacchus at the High Court on Friday morning. The matter was fixed for hearing before acting Chief Justice Ian Chang, the said day, during which it was granted.

Jagdeo is currently facing a private politically motivated charge filed against him by political activist and social commentator, Christopher Ram.

Filed under Section 139D 1A of the Representation of the People Act, the charge stated that, on March 8, 2015 at Babu Jaan, Port Mourant, Jagdeo said, “The Opposition consistently shouts about racism of the PPP, but they practise racism. The Opposition beats drums at six in the morning and say let us throw the coolie people out.”

The former President was at the time on the campaign trail for his party, the then ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Ram, an outspoken critic of the Government, contended that the statements made can result in racial or ethnic hatred among

the people.

At the second hearing of the case on Monday, Magistrate Charlyn Artiga read the charge to the former President. However he was not required to enter a plea.

After listening to mitigation pleas from his list of attorneys, the Magistrate released Jagdeo on his own recognisance, but on the condition that he does not leave the jurisdiction without her court’s permission.

In the petition, it was pointed out that the former President holds an Honorary Doctorate and because of his actiities he was named “Champion of the Earth”. As such, his international obligations requires him leave Guyana regularly, but always returned.

The legal documents further detailed that the condition imposed by Magistrate Artiga would cause “an onerous duty and grave hardship on your petitioner since he resides over 75 miles from Whim Magistrate’s

Court, and he can only seek permission to leave the jurisdiction on the days that the case would be called.

At the moment, it is fixed for the 22nd day of June, 2015. Further, the Magistrate sits at Whim only two days of the week”.

Furthermore, it was pointed out that when the Magistrate placed Jagdeo on self bail he had to sign the recognisance, but no conditions were written on the document.

The attorney noted that the Magistrate wrote the travel restrictions only on the “case jacket”. On this note, it was argued that the condition written on the case jacket is null and void.

The court document detailed that the Magistrate in placing the Jagdeo on self bail, acted unreasonably, capriciously and without any proper grounds, in declaring the condition in open court and recording it on the “case jacket”.

In addition, the attorney argued that the Magistrate failed to take into consideration the possibility that the former President may need medical attention overseas and his overseas obligations.

“Your petitioner is aware of his legal responsibility to appear in court on whatever dates the case may be fixed for, and he has no intention of absconding.

“Therefore, your petitioner humbly prays that this honourable court would be pleased to remove the condition that he seeks the Magistrate’s permission before he leaves or can leave the jurisdiction,” the petition detailed.

Boyce sisters in court for disorderly behaviour

The Boyce sisters were obligated to be in court on Thursday after being charged for disorderly behaviour by officers attached to the Kitty Police Station.

The women, 31-year-old Natasha Boyce and 33-yearold Sorina Boyce from Campbellville, Georgetown, showed up in court to answer to the charge that they allegedly behaved disorderly at the Kitty Police Station. The women pleaded not guilty to the charge which was read before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry. They both denied they engaged in disorderly behaviour at the police station.

They were bonded to keep the peace, being told that a breach of this can land them in prison. Their matter was transferred to Court 11, where Magistrate Annette Singh presides. They are expected to return to court on June 17.

Teen robbed, beaten at bar in NA –

1 in custody

Ateenager is now nursing wounds he sustained at the hands of one of the two men who robbed him at a bar in New Amsterdam where he and his friends were drinking.

Ritesh Saywack said the incident occurred at the bar during the day. According to the 18-year-old, of D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), the robbers relieved him of his valuables before one of them used a weapon to beat him.

Saywack said he left his home to purchase a cellular phone in New Amsterdam and, along with his three friends, decided to have a drink at a bar situated along Republic Road , New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). He said it was when he

went to the washroom, the robbery occurred. “When I go in the washroom, two banna come in the washroom and say you get weed on you and they collect me phone and say they going an call Police and take me $27,000 and one of dem

walk out and the next one go and sit down on a bench.”

Saywack said he immediately reported the incident to his friends who approached the robber who had remained in the bar. “An he start behaving bad and chuck up me and then run inside and bus two bottle and cut me on me hand.”

According to Saywack, while this was occurring, the proprietor made contact with the Police who responded promptly. The robber was still on the scene when Police arrived and was taken into custody, while Saywack sought medical attention at the New Amsterdam Hospital. The unemployed teen underwent surgery on both of his arms. The Police investigation continues.

Duo cross charged for assault released on self-bail

Two men from Alboustown were brought before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday where they were cross charged for assaulting each other.

Rudolph Thom of Lot 64 James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, was brought to Court One on Thursday morning to answer to a

charge of assault that had been lodged against him by the Virtual Complainant (VC) Fedil Clarke. The charge detailed that on May 18, while on Holmes and Hunter Streets in Albouystown, he unlawfully assaulted Clarke. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, informing the court that he works as a vendor at Stabroek Market.

Clarke too was read the

same charge as Thom. He is also alleged to have unlawfully assaulted Thom on the day in question in Albouystown.

Both men were bonded to keep the peace by the Chief Magistrate and released on self bail.

The matter was transferred to be tried by Magistrate Annette Singh in Court 11. The men were ordered to return to court on June 23.

Former President Bharrat Jadgeo

Ritesh Saywack

Man remanded for attempting to escape Police custody

Arobbery accused made an appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on Friday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with attempting to escape lawful custody.

Dexter Ray, a miner of 9576 Agricola, Greater Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on Saturday, May 23, at the Golden Grove Police Station, he attempted to escape Police custody. Additionally, he pleaded not guilty to a charge which read that on the said date, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged the northern wall of the Golden Grove Police Station.

According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves, Ray was arrested and kept at the Golden Grove Police Station, along with five others. On the day in question, Ray and the five other arrestees were placed in the bathroom area of the police station. It was

the allegation, claiming the officers are attempting to pin falsified charges against him.

The Prosecutor objected to bail based on the seriousness and prevalence of the offence. He also made reference to the fact the defendant has several pending matters in court and, as such, if granted bail it is unlikely that he would return to court.

Goat theft accused placed on bail

revealed that some time later the officers heard a loud bang emanate from the area and when they rushed in to check, they found a large hole in the northern wall of the bathroom and an iron pipe. The information obtained from the other five prisoners present indicated that Ray had initiated the act. The defendant denied

On May 4, Ray was charged with robbery under arms. That charge read that on April 15 at Agricola Housing Scheme, he robbed Thakur Mohabir of a cellphone and a sum of cash valued at $23,000, while being armed with a dangerous weapon; a gun. Additionally, he faced charges of unlawful possession of a .38 revolver and matching ammunition.

The Magistrate refused bail and Ray was remanded to prison. The matter was transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court for June 8.

Man remanded on 5-year-old murder charge

Aman was on Friday remanded to prison by Magistrate Ann McLennan on a murder charge, five years after the incident occurred.

Steve Alicock, 33, of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, was not required to plea to the indictable charge which read that on Wednesday, December 21, 2009, he murdered Wendell Tappin. Tappin of 88 James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown was 23 at the time of his death.

Police had revealed that on the day in question, at about 16:00h at Hill Street, Albouystown, Tappin was involved in an argument with another man over a cellular phone, who inflicted stab wounds to his chest before escaping. He was taken

to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones revealed that two men – Randolph Alicock and Leonard Alicock –were previously charged for the murder, while the defendant has been evading capture for the past five years. It was further revealed that investigations are complete and as such, the preliminary inquiry is set to begin on June 17.

Apensioner was on Friday placed on $20,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he was charged for stealing two billy goats.

Vijay Singh, an elderly farmer of 207 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that between November 1, 2014 and May 27, 2015 at Number Seven Village, Berbice, he stole one goat worth $80,000, property of Philander Pooran. Additionally, the defendant pleaded not guilty to a charge which read that between January 1 and May 27, at Prophet Village, Berbice, he stole another goat valued $45,000, property of Lloyd Sahadeo.

The prosecution revealed that the man has no previous convictions, nor does he have any pending matters. The Magistrate placed the man on $10,000 bail on each charge and transferred the matter to the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court for June 8.

Eyew tness

When to call it a day...

...in teaching

The septuagenarian (that means someone in their 70s, OK? Nothing scandalous!) new Minister of Education says he doesn’t see any problem with folks in the profession remaining beyond the present stipulated 55 years max.

Now before you snidely suggest Dr Roopnarine’s statement’s self-serving, we should examine the suggestion, shouldn’t we?

After all, teachers are passing on knowledge and it’s highly likely that with the passage of time they’ll pick up more of the latter commodity as well and hitting on more effective ways to accomplish the “passing on” alright?

But one problem this Eyewitness has with this proposition is that in this fast paced world - where information is spewed out at such outrageous speedscan the 55+ old teachers keep up?

Another problem we have is the inability of the teaching profession to impart the said information to boys. Boys are dropping out at an alarming rate and those that remain in the system just can’t seem to keep it with the girls.

Surely we don’t believe that girls are genetically superior to boys in having superior little grey cells to soak up information, do we? Are the older teachers regurgitating more of the same ole, same ole, in the same ole, same ole way, going to stop much less, reverse this trend? Should there be more male teachers in the system?

Your Eyewitness happens to agree with the eloquent Minister that teachers should get the highest salaries among Public Servants. Stands to reason, doesn’t it? Here we are - placing in their hands those who will be running the country in the future. This generation can be all geniuses and masters of the universe, but if it’s can’t pass on the know how to carry on, to what use is it all?

The threshold question, your humble Eyewitness suggests, is whether the training for our teachers is adequate for equipping them with both the substance and methodology for imparting RELEVANT knowledge to our next generation. It would be very strange indeed if those teachers from the present crop who are over 55 might qualify.

Take for instance the fact that since 2000, we knew that there was oil under “them waters” off our Atlantic a Coast. Do we have any teachers who can prepare our young people for all the thousands and thousands of jobs that’ll be opening up?

And if we follow what’s been the experience in other jurisdictions that struck black gold, it’s really be jobs for “the boys” - but this time in a positive sense. Two birds with one stone?

Let’s not be fixated on old questions. The answers aren’t wrong - they’re irrelevant.

...in sugar?

After carping from the sidelines at the last administration’s travails in sugar, the new government has the opportunity to get it all right - as they’ve been trumpeting. They’ve had both local sugar experts (Tony Vieira, et al) and foreign sugar experts (Sase Singh) pontificating on various and sundry “solutions”. Well, now’s the time to roll these out!

The sugar mavens stressed “diversifying” the industry into ethanol as “bio-fuel” and such like. But they should read a letter-to-the-press from an oldster with actual experience in sugar.

Fella pointed out a fact that’s ignored by all the “sideline experts”: before you move on to all the wonderful products from sugar cane, you first have to produce the sugar cane!

Whether we fix the Sheldon Factory or not, if we don’t have cane, we don’t have an industry. And as the old fella posted out, there will be no cane in Guyanese conditions if we don’t have a hell of a lot of bodies to throw into the fray.

And those bodies just ain’t there.

...sequestering polling counts

All right. GECOM can’t say the Carter Centre has it in for them. So why not take its advice and cough up the count?

Dexter Ray, the robbery accused who attempted to escape from the Golden Grove Police Station

Murder accused Steve Alicock, who managed to evade capture for five years

Murdered: Wendell Tappin

Vijay Singh was charged for stealing two goats

Mahdia pit cave-in

Cops awaiting statements from survivors to prepare file

Following the recovery of the bodies of 10 miners from the mining pit, which collapsed two Sundays ago at Mowasi Backdam, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), the Police are still to compile a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers, seeking advice on whether to institute criminal charges against the owner of the operations.

The May 17 incident claimed the lives of 10 miners while injuring seven others. The survivors include Sheldon Adams, Andrew Lazarus, Henry Xavier, Regan Greene, Alex Greene, Shawn Xavier, and Collymore Lewis.

According to Commander of the F Division (Interior locations), Senior Superintendent of Police Courtney Ramsey, law enforcement is yet to obtain statements from three survivors on the incident. He told the Guyana Times on Friday that the men were recovering from their injuries and were still traumatised.

However, he noted that the owner of the operation, Imran Khan, was cooperat-

ing with Police and was facilitating the process. “Only yesterday (Thursday), he sends one of the survivors to us to get his statement so we are working on it,” he told this newspaper.

Commander Ramsey could not say how much longer it would be before investigators wrapped up their probe and submitted the file to the DPP to find out whether they should go ahead and institute the charges. Khan, of Grove, East Bank Demerara, had breached several aspects of the Mining Rules and Regulations with his operations.

Despite this incident claiming the highest number of casualties of any accident in the sector, the regulatory body, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), could not have done anything to interfere. According to the Commission, it was made aware of the illegal operations since August 2013, but Khan had obtained an injunction from the High Court, barring it from taking any action against him and his mining activities.

In light of this case, the GGMC was looking at

ways it can reverse or override similar court actions.

Following the incident, an intense search was conducted and all 10 bodies were pulled from the mud during the next four days.

The dead men were identified as Bobby Brian Errol Brittlebank of Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden; 17-year-old Raymond August of Dartmouth, Essequibo; Michael Moore Gardener, 26, of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara; Esmond Martin of Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara; Leyland Jones; Jason Trotman of Samatta Point, Grove, East Bank Demerara; Trevon Phillips of Old Road Stewartville, West Coast Demerara; and Nomar Cort, Dick Frank Bernard and Glenn Bernard, all of Nappi Village, North Rupununi, Lethem.

The bodies were all flown to Georgetown and the autopsies were conducted by State Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh on May 22. Dr Singh found that the men died from asphyxiation compounded with multiple blunt force trauma about their bodies.

Several persons charged, fined for littering

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it has successfully prosecuted several businesses for littering.

In April, the EPA recorded successful prosecutions against popular city businesswoman Bibi Anderson of Fazia’s Collection and Zahir Hack of Success, East Coast Demerara. Both individuals were charged for illegal dumping in March 2015. Anderson was ordered by the court to pay $100, 000, while Hack was fined $50,000 as prescribed in the Litter Regulations.

A fixed penalty of $15,000 was offered to Feroz Khan of Craig Village, East Bank Demerara after he accepted liability for illegal dumping at Old Road, Craig.

Litter removal and clean-up orders

Litter removal and clean-up orders were issued to the following individuals and businesses during April 2015:

Morna Brazilo Vryheid’s Lust, ECD

Mr Narine New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, WBD

Deanysh Lumber Yard Industrial Site, Eccles, EBD

Dalip Trading Industrial Site, Eccles, EBD

Flamboyant Supermarket Eccles Park, EBD

James Correia Eccles, EBD

Technical Service Eccles, EBD

Dynamic Engineering Company Eccles, EBD

Ms Leela Lot 21 Middle Street, Vryheid’s Lust, ECD

Mr Kurt Hazelwood New Housing Scheme, Eccles, EBD

To report cases of illegal dumping, contact the Litter Enforcement Unit on 600-0620, 219 2630, 225-0506, or email greenguyana@gmail.com.

Leguan, Wakenaam benefiting from improved drainage

TLeguan Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) believes that there is a correlation between the enhancement of communities on the island by the Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) and the increase in rates and taxes collected for 2014. This notion was expressed by Albert James, Chairman of Leguan NDC during a meeting with staff of CIIP. James said he was satisfied with the delivery of the project and stressed that effective drainage was critical for cultivation and residential areas.

According to James, assistance provided by CIIP to improve residential drain-

age networks allows the NDC to place more emphasis on the cultivation drainage network. This, he noted, has contributed to increased economic activities on the island. “With CIIP focusing on residential drains, we were able to divert resources to cultivation drains … we were able to build and rehabilitate more bridges and kokers which helped our farmers … as you are aware farming is Leguan’s major economic activity,” he said. James stated that besides the financial benefits, CIIP has helped to enhance the appearance of the island. “Just look around at the trenches and parapets and the difference is visible,” he said. The Chairman said he

was disappointed that some residents do not find it important to clean their front drains and parapets.

Drainage enhancement works are also being executed on the neighbouring island of Wakenaam. Like its neighbourhood, Wakenaam depends heavily on farming and as such, effective drainage is critical during this rainy season. Communities including Sarah, Melville and Good Success have benefited from improved drainage and parapets. Community Enhancement Workers have also helped to clean and clear Marias Pleasure and Caledonia Burial Grounds. The team is currently enhancing the Sana Souci Burial Ground.

The mining pit that caved in killing 10 miners and injuring seven others

Community workers cleaning the drains

President to study parliamentary report on reconstitution of ERC

An early reconstitution of the Ethic Relations Commission (ERC) does not seem likely as newly elected President David Granger said he will have to study the report that was sent to his predecessor during the life of the 10th Parliament.

Granger as Opposition Leader then would have had knowledge of the report. In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, President Granger explained that while the 10th Parliament saw the approval of the names for the ERC, he is yet to see and peruse the report, and as such, he cannot comment on when the Commission will be functioning. “When I study the report, I can come to conclusions and discuss with my Cabinet,” he told this newspaper. According to the President, his newly swornin Administration is expected to have its first Cabinet meeting during the course of next week.

The ERC plays an integral role as a constitutional entity which serves to protect and preserve the interests of all stakeholders as far as creating an atmosphere of tolerance and harmony among the different races and ethnic groups in Guyana’s diverse society. The Commission ini-

tially comprised of representatives from seven different constituencies but this was later increased to 10.

The 10 ERC members represented the three main religions in Guyana –Christianity, Hinduism and Islam – as well as members from the labour force, the Private Sector, youth and women’s affair. The three new representatives included persons from Amerindian groups, Indian groups and African groups. In July last year, then Chairman of the Committee on Appointments, Dr George Norton, disclosed to the National Assembly that the Committee consulted the approved list of entities for nomination to the ERC; and those entities met, and later submitted their nominations between April 30, 2014 and June 6, 2014.

Among those chosen by the Appointments Committee were: Pastor John Smith from the Christian community, Rajkumarie Singh from the Hindu Community, Sheikh Moeen-ul-Hack from the Muslim community, Norris Witter from Labour, Ravindra Dev from the Private Sector representative, Gomattie Kalicharran for youth organizations, Ruth Howard for women’s organizations, Peter Persaud

for Amerindian groups, Barrinngton Braithwaite for African groups and Neaz Suban for Indian groups.

These Commissioners were expected to be sworn in since July 2014 according to former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon. After the 10 Commissioners are sworn in by the President and they take the Oath of Office, a meeting will then have to be convened by the Speaker of the National Assembly as he or she presides over the election of a Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

The ERC is a constitutional body established under the Herdmanston Accord which works with persons and agencies to promote harmonious ethnic relations. The Commission also deals with complaints, promotes training in racial harmony, and fosters a sense of security, among all ethnic groups. The Commission has been virtually dysfunctional since 2011, when then Opposition Leader Robert Corbin secured an injunction against the body, barring the Chairman and two Commissioners from taking any decision, recommendation or issuing any direction on behalf of the Constitutional body.

EU Ambassador meets new Foreign Affairs Minister

... ahead of CELAC summit in Brussels

With the summit between the European Union (EU) and the Caribbean and Latin American Countries (CELAC) around the corner, Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana, Ambassador Robert Kopecký, took the opportunity to acquaint himself with Guyana’s new Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge. Ambassador Kopecký met with Greenidge, who is also a Vice President, at his South Road, Georgetown office on Thursday, where the two discussed a number of areas of mutual interest between the EU and Guyana. The Head of the EU Delegation also took the opportunity to congratulate Minister Greenidge on his appointment and to express his gratitude for good cooperation with previous Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. Both parties welcomed the upcoming summit that is scheduled for June 10-11,

2015 in Brussels, Belgium as an occasion to further reinforce cooperation at the biregional level. They also confirmed their commitment to further strengthening the cooperation covering the full spectrum of activities ranging from foreign policy to development assistance.

During the meeting,

views were exchanged on some of the main international challenges, EU –CARIFORUM cooperation and other specifics of bilateral relations in the areas of support to the sea defences and broader coastal management, sugar sector, civil society programmes and cultural heritage, among others.

Canal Polder pensioner finds bandit in bedroom

On Thursday evening, the home of a 72-year-old pensioner of Canal Number One Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was invaded by bandits who escaped with an undisclosed sum of cash and other household items making it the fifth robbery since last year.

Narain Dyal of Anna Catherina, Canal Polder, WBD, and his wife were awakened by strange sounds emanating from their bedroom. As the couple woke, they saw a man staring at them but soon after he rushed out of the bedroom and out of the door that he had pried open to gain entry.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Friday morning, the pensioner told this publication that the robbery occurred at about 22:30h. He explained that his wife woke up and saw the man tumbling the items in the wardrobe and immediately

woke him. The man, he stated, had already collected a quantity of money from the wardrobe.

As the man made his escape, he dropped a torn piece of his clothing in the yard. The elderly couple quickly alerted neighbours who rushed to assist but the man had already disappeared. As they looked around the premises, they realised that one of the windows on the flat concrete house was broken and the locks to the door were pried open.

The elderly man was not sure if the bandit had an accomplice but from all indications, it appeared as if he did, be since several other household items were missing. The Police were summoned but up to the time Guyana Times conducted the telephone interview with the elderly couple, the Police were yet to arrive on the scene.

Dyal recalled when

his house was robbed in December last. He stated that two men were arrested for the break and enter but after some time, the case was dismissed against the men. He stated that he never knew the two men were charged in the first instance since the Police never informed him or his wife about the court matter.

It was only last week that he saw one of the men and was told that the case was dismissed. He is furious at the way the Police have been handling the cases of robbery at his home. “This is the fifth time I get robbed and the Police seem not to care anything… It’s now 10:30h in the morning and the Police ain’t come yet when this robbery happened since last night”, the man stated. It is Dyal’s contention that the Police are dragging their feet on the matter and is calling on the relevant authorities to get involved.

City clean-up to continue in earnest

The Mayor and City Council has said it will continue its cleanup exercise in different sections of the city.

Several stakeholders have come on board and have supported the activity with manpower, tools and equipment, City Hall said in a release. The Council said it remains grateful to all those who are participating in this effort.

On Friday, Scotia Bank donated a quantity of equipment to the Lodge community group. This group will

continue clean-up exercises in the Lodge area, starting on Sunday. This activity will involve the cleaning of drains, alleyways, and parapets.

The North Ruimveldt Community Development Group will also commence the cleaning of the drains in that area, while the Block F North Sophia Community Group will clean up that area on Sunday. On that same day, stallholders operating at Stabroek Market will work with the Georgetown City Council to

clean the Stabroek Market and its immediate environs. The Council is calling on all citizens, businesses and community groups to join this ‘clean-up the city movement’. Council is imploring citizens and businesses that are engaged in wanton disposal of garbage to desist because their action of indiscriminate dumping will only compromise the hard work and effort by those who desire to see Georgetown regain its status as the “Garden City”.

Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana Ambassador Robert Kopecký (left) and newly sworn-in Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

Suspected bandit shot dead by Police

Asuspected bandit was shot dead by Police ranks in the wee hours of Friday morning while another was arrested as they were seen attempting to gain entry into a store on Regent Street, Georgetown. The incident occurred at about 03:30h.

According to information received, the man who is yet to be identified was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital after he sustained a gunshot injury to his neck.

Guyana Times understands that the man was seen trying to scale a fence and Police discharged a round in his direction as a warning but he allegedly advanced towards the officers with a chopper in his hands, forcing the Police rank to retaliate.

The Police rank discharged another shot, hitting the man who then ran into Robb Street, Georgetown where he reportedly collapsed. Police gave chase and found him lying on the roadway. He was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The chopped was retrieved

and taken into evidence.

However, the Police in a statement confirmed that they are investigating the shooting incident that occurred at about 03:30h while Police ranks were responding to a report of an attempted larceny being perpetuated on a Regent Street store.

Investigations revealed that upon arrival at the scene, they managed to arrest one of the men. During this, another suspect who was in the process of climbing over the fence to the compound, jumped down and attacked the ranks with a chopper.

“The Police was forced to resort to the use of force and the suspect was shot to his body. He was pronounced dead”, the Police stated.

The unidentified man is of African descent, appears to be in his mid-thirties, is brown in complexion and is five feet, two inches tall. The body is at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary awaiting positive identification.

Meanwhile, following the incident, the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) has launched an investigation.

Minister Broomes to workers:

Govt to look into health, safety concerns of Enmore Sugar Estate workers

During a visit to the Enmore Sugar Estate, East Coast Demerara on Friday by Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes, serious health and safety concerns for the workers were highlighted.

“…the condition that they have to work under is really bad and definitely we are going to deal with management. I am going to sit down with the other Minister and we are definitely going to be back here,” Minister Broomes said, following an inspection of the estate’s operations.

According to Minister Broomes, prior to touring the facility, a meeting with the manager had given the impression that “they were on top of the ball with health and safety”, but coming out and talking to the workers showed a different situation, she said.

“Workers being here for three years and not being permanent staff, these are some issues that we have to deal with immediately, and I have asked the senior officer to take some of the genuine concerns and

we will prioritise them, we are going to investigate and we are going to come back to the managers and ensure that these requirements will be met,” she said.

Of particular concern for the new Minister was the fact that the men who work in the boiler room were not outfitted with the proper safety and health gear. “...

They cannot be facing all that heat like a fireman in a cloth overall, that is very dangerous,” she said.

The Minister noted that these men are boiling water mixed with chemicals and must be properly protected as they are faced with all kinds of danger.

“They (management) need to tighten on that ... the

safety,” the Minister said, adding that, “it is so overwhelming, with the number of complaints, the staff are pleased that now they have a new government and a government that will approach the people and listen to them and not only listen, but definitely find solutions to their problems.”

Minister in the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes addressing a group of workers at the Enmore Packaging Plant

India pledges to assist Guyana’s agriculture sector

The Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam, on Friday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. Nagamootoo took the opportunity to invite Agriculture Minister Noel Holder to be present during the meeting with the High Commissioner.

The Prime Minister ex-

plained that the meeting was a “very fruitful exchange of views”, and focused on some of the existing arrangements between the Indian and Guyanese Governments. He also stated that talks focused on “a variety and wide field of assistance that could be rendered, technically and otherwise, to the sugar industry in Guyana.”

Mahalingam noted that

during the friendly meeting, most of the discussions centred on what assistance India could offer Guyana in terms of agriculture, specifically in the rice and sugar industries. He said he was looking forward to working together with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture in “furthering relations between India and Guyana, particularly in the field of agriculture.” (GINA)

4 new towns for Guyana within a year – Bulkan

The Ministry of Communities will be responsible for preparing four communities in Guyana for township status. These will complement the existing six towns: Georgetown, the capital; New Amsterdam, Corriverton and Rose Hall in Region Six; Anna Regina, Region Two; and Linden, Region 10.

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan

This was told to the Government Information Agency (GINA) by Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, during an interview on Thursday. The towns are going to be made out of the communities of Mabaruma in Region One, Bartica in Region Seven, Mahdia in Region Eight, and Lethem in Region Nine. Minister Bulkan noted that the communities will be upgraded to township status, each

with its own Mayor and Councillors. The new towns will then be able to provide all the services that other municipalities offer. He explained that services would include sanitation, banking, and other governmental services such as provision of passports and driver’s licence.

The Minister added that this would enable residents of the new towns to remain within their township, thereby precluding them from having to travel all the way to Georgetown to access such services. Minister Bulkan expects that the four new towns would be operational by the time Guyana observes its 50th Independence anniversary on May 26, 2016. (GINA)

Obama declares June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month in US

With the United States (US) being home to over three million immigrants from the Caribbean, President Barack Obama has declared the month of June as National CaribbeanAmerican Heritage Month in the US.

A release from the White House disclosed that the proclamation was made by the President of the free world on Friday. “I, Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2015 as National CaribbeanAmerican Heritage Month. I encourage all Americans to celebrate the history and culture of Caribbean Americans with appropriate ceremonies and activities,” he declared.

President Obama noted that Americans are united with the Caribbean, not just by friendship and economic cooperation, but also by common values and ties of kin. He added that immigrants from the region have brought their enormous spirit, unique talents and vibrant culture into the United States. According to the US President, Caribbean immigrants have contributed to the enrichment of the country as well as the strengthening of deep bonds amongst its people.

“This month, we celebrate the Caribbean Americans whose legacies are woven into the fabric of our nation, and we reaffirm our belief that throughout the region, we all share a stake in one another’s success. As partners, our nations have reached for progress together; and in our diverse cultures and complex histories, we see a common trajectory towards a more free, equal, and prosperous community,” he highlighted.

The US President reflected on the history of the Caribbean, stating that its courageous peoples man-

aged to throw off the yoke of colonial rule, seizing the right to chart their own destinies. They have also overcome the stains of slavery and segregation to widen the circle of opportunity for all, he added.

In addition, President Obama pointed out that in the US, Caribbean Americans have followed in the footsteps of their ancestors, joining their voices with the chorus of patriots and are carrying forward the baton of justice – from the battlefield and the outfield, in places like Selma and Seneca Falls, and through powerful song, poetry, and prose.

“Just as our nations’ pasts are shared, our futures are inextricably linked. As millions of Caribbean Americans continue to innovate and thrive in the United States, my administration is committed to lifting up hardworking individuals throughout the Caribbean and partnering with Governments to build the foundation for the next century of progress and prosperity. We are investing in young business leaders and civil society activists working to expand what is possible for the next generation of Caribbean leaders, and supporting entrepreneurship, student exchanges, and more effective job training,” outlined the President.

President Obama went onto say that, with new partnership, the US is helping to move the region towards using cleaner, more affordable energy. He noted that with the US reconciling its relationship with Cuba, he is hoping that this would end the legacy of mistrust in its hemisphere.

Furthermore, he stated that his administration is working to ensure that the US remains a magnet for the best and the brightest around the world. On this note, he referred to his 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, as a results of which thousands of dreamers from the Caribbean have been able to live up to their potential.

He revisited his announcement last year of intentions to pursue actions that would allow more highskilled immigrants, graduates, entrepreneurs, and families to contribute to our economy, including by expanding the existing DACA policy, and creating a new policy to provide temporary relief to certain undocumented parents of American citizens and lawful permanent residents. In a 2009 US survey, it was disclosed that there are some 3.5 million immigrants from the Caribbean and they account for 9 per cent of the total foreignborn population.

8-year-old boy sexually assaulted by neighbour

Aman is now in custody assisting Police in Berbice with their investigation into an allegation of sexual assault of an eight-year-old boy. The incident is alleged to have been committed in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). Reports are that the alleged victim is mentally challenged.

According to the boy’s mother, she was out on Thursday, leaving her two children at home. She said when she returned she was told by her daughter that they visited a neighbour who lives alone. “She said that she come back home and call him, but he didn’t come, and when she see him coming he had on a different jersey,” the moth-

er said, reporting what she was told by her underage daughter.

She said her son did not report the incident to her on Thursday, but on Friday when she was out, a friend reported what she heard. “I go straight home and ask him and he say that (name given) had sex with his bamsie and I carry him straight to the Police

Station and report it.”

The young boy was later seen by a doctor who confirmed that the incident did occur. Police were able to arrest a man who reportedly said that he did commit the act. The man in custody has on several occasions sought psychiatric treatment from the National Psychiatric Hospital at Fort Canje.

The incident comes on the heels of a similar act which left the victim dead. On April 2, Shaquan Gittens was sexually molested aback of Cane View, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown. After committing the act, the accused, Ryan Bobb-Semple, reportedly slept with Gittens but realised the child was dead the following morn-

ing. He then had sex with the corpse after which he severed the male reproductive organ from the child’s body before dumping it in the canal.

When the accused was taken to court for the crime, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry ordered a psychiatric evaluation for the 21-year-old.

US President Barack Obama

(From left) Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam; Prime Minister of Guyana Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder, and an officer of the Indian High Commission to Guyana

Granger to reintroduce National Cadet Corps

... harkens back to his school days

Newly sworn in President David Granger has announced his intentions to re-introduce the National Cadet Corps in Guyana for young boys and girls. The Head of State made the announcement on Friday when he declared the 48th Guyana Defence Force’s Cadets Training Course open at the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School, Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri, East Coast Demerara.

President Granger, in telling the soldiers that they must remain professional, public service oriented, loyal and honest in their roles and responsibilities, declared that “I intend to reintroduce a National Cadet Corp in this country.”

He noted that the mission of restarting such a programme, one which he said had existed during his time in school, was in an effort to not only promote public service, service to the country and leadership, but one which can enlighten the young minds of teenagers to the beauty of the country, through the provision of travel allowances and to make an informed choice in joining the Guyana Defence Force.

“I do believe in secondary schools, that youngsters should be exposed to the leadership skills, to team work, to sport, to travel which can prepare them and by the time they come to the force, if they do the skills they learn can stay with them throughout their career. Public service is a peculiar requirement. You have a motto in the school which says “I will serve Guyana”. It is very important. It means that you don’t serve yourself. It means that you don’t serve your race, it means that you don’t serve your village or your community, it means that you serve Guyana and that is what we must work towards,” he said.

With the President’s announcement come questions regarding the institutional support for such a programme, given that Granger himself back in 2009 had written in a fea-

ture in the Stabroek News ‘The Queen’s College Cadet Corps: its rise and fall’ that Clarence Trotz, in his ‘The History of Queen’s College’ wrote that the Cadet Corps was “summarily abolished” in 1975 but explanation for this act is difficult to find.

Recognising the value of the cadet corps, the Guyana Defence Force established the Army Cadet Company for boys from 12 Georgetown secondary schools, including Queen’s College, in February 1982. This flourished for a few years and cadets of the Company attended camps at Tacama and Timehri. The Company, unfortunately, was transferred to the Guyana National Service to be administered as part of the National Cadet Corps and there it disappeared. An attempt was made in 1993 to resurrect the old Cadet Corps with an orientation towards expeditions and touring, but this also collapsed.

The President said that he runs a democratic state and as such, the programme will never have a feature of coercion and militarisation but would be one that is voluntarily joined and accepted. “This is not about militarisation, this is about young people who want to see this country, who want to explore, who want to come together to see this beautiful country. It is to be a voluntary scheme. No compulsion, no coercion. It is for young people between the ages of 12 to 18. It is for them to become Guyanese, for them to understand the bounties of this country. As I said, to learn leadership, to learn team work, to travel and most important, to learn public service,” the Head of State told the members of the Army.

Meanwhile, President Granger sought to point out that while there is need for trained officers and the importance of training, there was an even greater need for officers to uphold the maxims of the Army, all of which, he said, would be expounded on during the training.

Reference was also made of the 2009 incident where

several Army ranks were charged with the murder of a gold miner, an incident, which the President said, will always remain difficult for him and should never again happen in the course of the history of the country. “You are here to use these arms and weapons to protect the territorial integ-

rity of this country. While the material factor is needed, what is more important are the moral forces,” he expressed.

The Guyanese leader reminded the Officers that de-

determination and the education of all ranks that will determine the outcome of any military operation in addition to the material forces. “In my view, the moral forces, the non-mate-

on your shoulder, but it’s what is in your head that will determine the outcome of any military operation.” This was even as they were reminded that their mission would not be accomplished

fence is conducted by human beings, and it is the attitudes, beliefs, conduct,

rial forces are more important, so I want you to remember that, it’s not what’s

individually, but collectively as a platoon or a force.

Head of State and Commander of the Armed Forces, David Granger and senior officers of the Guyana Defence Force along with participating officers of the Standard Officers’ Course Number 48

President David Granger during his address to officers participating in the Standard Officers’ Course Number 48 at the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School, Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri

US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

The United States has removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The move eliminates a major obstacle toward restoring diplomatic ties. The change allows Cuba to conduct banking in the United States, among other activities.

President Barack Obama announced a historic thaw with Cuba in December, but the US trade embargo against the country remains, and may only be ended by Congress.

The removal has been one of Cuba’s key demands, as leaders from both countries have repeatedly met to negotiate the details of restoring diplomatic relations, including the opening

of embassies in Washington and Havana.

The action comes as signs of difficulty were seen in recent talks between US and Cuban diplomats. Last week, diplomats met in Washington, but failed to come to an agreement on opening embassies.

The BBC’s State Department Correspondent Barbara Plett Usher says the removal will give Cuba greater access to sources of international financing that were previously denied.

“The United States has significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba’s policies and actions,” the State Department said in a statement. But those concerns, it said “fall outside the cri-

teria relevant to the rescission of a State Sponsor of Terrorism designation”.

Obama ordered a review of Cuba’s presence on the list as part of his major policy shift announced on December 17, 2014. The department said that Obama notified the US Congress of his intent to remove Cuba from the list on April 14.

Lawmakers had 45 days to take issue with his decision – a period that lapsed on Friday. The US Government had maintained that Cuba has sheltered members of the Basque separatist group ETA and the FARC guerrilla group in Colombia, according to a government report. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Venezuela blocks Latin American expresidents from seeing detained leaders

Venezuela blocked two former Latin American Presidents on Friday from visiting Opposition leaders jailed a year ago for their roles in deadly protests against the Government of socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

Andres Pastrana of Colombia and Jorge Quiroga of Bolivia, both political conservatives, were not allowed to meet Opposition Leader Leopoldo Lopez and former Mayor Daniel Ceballos.

“This is the second time they did not let us through... but we will be here again,” Pastrana told reporters, referring to a prior visit in January when he attempted to see Lopez.

Lopez is being held in the Ramo Verde military prison outside Caracas, while Ceballos is in a civilian prison in the central state of Guarico. The Presidents, in the company of family members, attempted to visit both sites.

“Once again, you are witnesses to the fact that Leopoldo Lopez has been kidnapped,” his wife, Lilian Tintori, said. “The order not to let us in came from above.

Lopez is on trial for in-

citing protests that sparked three months of violent demonstrations against Maduro during which 43 people died, and of being responsible for damages to government property.

Ceballos, who was mayor of the western city of San Cristobal near the border with Colombia, is accused of supporting street blockades and calling for violence during those same protests. His trial is also continuing.

International rights groups and human rights organisations have called on Maduro to free politicians

jailed on charges of trying to destabilise the country. Maduro has responded that the country’s justice system is autonomous and that the people in question are criminals.

State ombudsman

Tarek Saab said the former Presidents were part of an “international campaign” and a “media war” against Venezuela. “They have come to give our country human rights classes,” Saab said during a news conference. “No foreigner, even if they are an ex-president, has the moral authority to carry out any (such) campaign.” (Reuters)

Charlie Charlie presents challenges for Caribbean schools

Several Caribbean countries are reporting that school children have been rushed to hospital after playing the “demonic” game “Charlie Charlie”.

The game is said to be a simplified version of the ‘Ouija Board’ and summons a Mexican “demon” by the name of Charlie. The ‘Charlie Charlie Challenge’ as it is being called entails placing two pencils on a piece of paper in the shape of the cross with the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ written in each quadrant.

Participants then repeat the phrase “Charlie, Charlie

can we play?” in order to connect with the demon. The ‘demon’ is then asked specific questions and the top pencil moves in response.

In Antigua and Barbuda, emergency medical services were kept busy after a group of students attending the Jennings Secondary School fainted and had to be rushed to hospital after allegedly playing the game

“Children started fainting and having seizures. Children were fainting while walking home, and some of them were trying to jump out the bus,” one student told the Antigua Observer newspaper.

In St Lucia, the Education Ministry is being called upon to issue an official alert after a student began having unpleasant experiences after playing the game. “My daughter came home crying and shaking after reporting that she saw desks floating,” the mother of the student, told a website.

“We are Christians and so when she saw what was happening, she began to pray. We also prayed with her and counselled her. She has faced other experiences like that in the past, so she is aware of what this thing is about. (Excerpt

Warner released from jail; promises to expose Trinidad’s PM

Just hours after being released from jail on Thursday, Jack Warner attended a meeting of his Independent Liberal Party (ILP) where he accused Government of trying to get rid of him and warned Prime MInister Kamla PersadBissessar that his “gloves were off” and he intended to reveal everything he has on her.

And while PersadBissessar said she received no money for either internal party elections or general elections from Warner when he was a member of her United National Congress (UNC), the 72-year-old politician – who is facing corruption charges related to his 15 years as Vice President – has insisted she is not telling the truth.

Warner threw down the gauntlet last night at a meeting in Chaguanas, after ending a 24-hour stay behind bars. While he was granted TT$2.5 million (US$394,601)

Jack Warner, seen here at last night’s ILP meeting, has told Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar that the gloves are off

bail on Wednesday when he appeared before a Magistrate in relation to a United States request to extradite him to face the charges, Warner was unable to leave the prison because the deed he supplied to cover his bail was not approved. However, that

was resolved yesterday and he was released in the evening. Last night, Warner accused the government – and Persad-Bissessar in particular – of having a hand in his imprisonment. “Kamla having jailed me, as of tonight the gloves are off!” he declared. “Everything I have against Kamla I will bring it out. I have kept it back too long and I will bring it out.”

Warner told supporters that he felt his life was under threat and he would therefore give video tapes with information to four lawyers.

“I will give one to a PNM [People’s National Movement] lawyer, one to a ILP lawyer, one to a MSJ [Movement for Social Justice] lawyer and one to my lawyer. They believe they could walk all over me because I have remained silent, but Jack is alive and kicking,” he said. (Excerpt from Caribbeab360)

Jamaica’s Police Commissioner calls for partnerships to fight crime

Police Commissioner, Dr Carl Williams, is calling for more partnerships with Jamaicans at all levels of the society, to assist the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to fight crime.

Speaking at a Town Hall Meeting at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in Sam Sharpe Square, St James, on Thursday, the Commissioner said these partnerships will play a vital role in mending broken fences between the Police and the public and will also give members of the JCF a clear indication of the people they serve and

protect.

The Commissioner said members of the JCF’s Community and Security Unit will be playing a lead role in the efforts to bring the communities and the Police together in addressing crime and violence.

“The police must go out in communities as they have been doing. The police must interact with citizens, develop their trust and develop the confidence. Partnership is the only way that we can achieve this,” Dr Williams emphasised.

He noted that in the building of partnerships,

there will be criminal elements who will continue to resist, but that can be countered by the law abiding majority who desire peace and violent free communities.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner hailed the efforts of Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the St James Division, Steve McGregor, for the staging of 33 community meetings since taking over command seven weeks ago. This, he said, will assist greatly in bridging the gap between the police and members of the public.

(Excerpt

Presidents Obama and Raul Castro shook hands on 11 April 2015 at the Summit of the Americas

Bolivia’s former President Jorge Quiroga (R) speaks next to Colombia’s former President Andres Pastrana during a news conference in Caracas May 28

China tracking nearly 200 for possible MERS infection

China is trying to track down at least 193 people who may have come in contact with a man with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the country’s first confirmed case of the virus.

The alert came as South Korea announced it had two more MERS cases, bringing the total within the country to nine. The outbreak has been traced to a South Korean who visited the Middle East. The World Health Organisation says there has so far been no sustained human-to-human spread of the MERS virus.

Chinese media reported on Friday that the un-

named 68-year-old man had flown into Hong Kong’s Chep Lap Kok airport on Asiana Airlines Flight OZ 723, then took a bus through the busy Shenzhen crossing to Huizhou in the southern Guangdong province. He also stayed in a hotel.

He later went to a Huizhou hospital and tested positive for MERS. Guangdong health authorities warned that it was likely the disease would spread as he had been in busy or crowded places.

He Jianfeng, Director for the Guangdong Provincial Centre for Disease Control, told reporters that the possibility of MERS transferring

to others in the area was “very high”.

So far 38 people who came into close contact with the man have been tested and have not showed any signs of illness. However, a Hong Kong woman who was on the same flight was rushed to hospital on Friday after showing symptoms, said The South China Morning Post.

MERS comes from the same family of viruses as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) which originated in China in 2002 and infected thousands worldwide. There is no known cure. (Excerpt from BBC News)

New Nigerian President seeks to crush “godless” Boko Haram

New Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari promised on Friday to eradicate the “mindless, godless” militants of Boko Haram and rescue hundreds of women and children held captive, including 200 girls taken from the town of Chibok a year ago.

In his inaugural address as elected leader of Africa’s most populous nation and biggest oil producer, Buhari also painted a picture of an economy in crisis after a collapse in the price of crude, which accounts for the bulk of state revenue.

“The armed forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko Haram,” the 72-yearold former military ruler announced. “We cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage,” he said. “This Government will do all it can to rescue them alive.” Hundreds of other Boko Haram captives have been

freed by the military in recent weeks, but the Chibok girls, whose capture caused a global outcry, have still not been found.

Friday’s handover, following Buhari’s election victory in March, was Nigeria’s first democratic transfer of power. He inherits a host of problems from his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, whose five-year tenure was marked by aimless security and foreign policy-making, as well as corruption scandals. Depleted foreign re-

serves, vastly reduced oil revenues, corruption and the escalating cost of servicing debt had left the economy in “deep trouble”, Buhari said.

He held out an olive branch to his opponents in the oil-producing Niger Delta, saying his Administration would continue to invest heavily in projects in the region that have underpinned an amnesty for militant groups there. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Chinese nationals accused of taking SAT for others

The United States (US) Department of Justice has charged 15 Chinese nationals with developing a scheme to have imposters take university entrance exams. Prosecutors said suspects used fake passports to trick administrators into allowing people other than legitimate test takers to sit the exams.

The scheme took place between 2011 and 2015 mostly in western Pennsylvania, authorities said. Those charged could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The defendants, who are both males and females and range in age from 19 to 26, are currently living in several cities – includ-

ing Blacksburg, Virginia, and Boston, Massachusetts – where major universities are located.

The counterfeit test takers sat for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), a major university entrance exam in the US, as well as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (Toefl) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Justice Department said.

The scheme’s beneficiaries “fraudulently obtained admissions to American institutions of higher education,” said US Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania David Hickton. The Prosecutor said that the students also

Around the World

Spain to host rapid reaction US military force

Spain has agreed to host a United States (US) rapid reaction military force to deal with crises in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The deal will allow 2200 United States troop members and 500 civilian staff to be permanently stationed near the city of Seville. They will be able to launch missions to protect their embassies, rescue US citizens and intervene in military conflicts and humanitarian crises.

The Moron air base in southern Spain already hosts 850 US troops. “The aim is to contribute to the stability of the region and common security in Africa, Europe and the Middle East,” said Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria. She stated that the number of United States aircraft that could be deployed from the base would increase to 26.

US Secretary of State John Kerry will be in

Madrid on Monday to sign an amendment to the 1988 Defence Partnership Agreement. The amendment needs to be approved by Spain’s Parliament, and the agreement must be renewed annually. Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister added that the United States would still need permission for missions from Moron. The base has been used jointly by Spanish and US air forces since 1953. (BBC News)

India’s economy surges by 7.5%

India’s economy grew 7.5 per cent in the three months ending in March, higher than the previous quarter and above expectations. It means the country has outpaced China’s economic expansion for two quarters out of the last three.

Forecasts for growth were of about 7.3 per cent for the period compared with a year earlier. However, the country adopted a new way of calculating growth, which some experts say distorts the real picture. The country’s annual growth for the year 2014-15 was 7.3 per cent.

Despite the robust growth numbers, India’s

cheated student visa requirements by using counterfeit Chinese passports.

Special Agent in Charge John Kelleghan for Homeland Security Investigations of Philadelphia said, “These students were not only cheating their way into the university, they were also cheating their way through our nation’s immigration system.”

The defendants could face up to 20 years in prison, a fine of US$250,000 or both for each of the wire and mail fraud counts they face. Additionally, they face five years on top that for the conspiracy charges. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Government and its businesses are hoping the country’s central bank will move to cut lending rates again soon to give the economy a further boost. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has already cut its benchmark lending rates twice this year, but left its rates unchanged in April.

The Government revised down India’s growth for the period October to December 2014 to 6.6 per cent, compared with the 7.5 per cent from the same period the year before.

Economists have warned that the data needs to be treated with caution since changes were made to the way in which the Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) figure was calculated. The country’s new way of calculating GDP has baffled analysts since its release earlier this year. India said the new formula is closer to international standards. But analysts have said the new data do not correlate with other economic indicators.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who won last year’s general elections, promised to reform and revive the economy and to attract much-needed foreign investment. But many say the country is yet to see any of the “big bang reforms” he promised to deliver. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Italy rescues 3300 migrants in one day

Italy rescued a total of more than 3300 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean on Friday, May 29, the country’s Coast Guard has said. In one operation carried out by the Coast Guard, 217 people, who were on board, were rescued from one boat; however 17 dead bodies were found on another three vessels. The Coast Guard said distress calls were made from 17 different boats on Friday, to which the Coast Guard responded and rescued 3300 migrants.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says at least 1826 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean so far in 2015. It represents an

almost 30-fold increase on the same period last year, the IOM says. The United Nations estimates that at least 40,000 people tried to cross the Mediterranean between the start of the year and late April.

On Thursday, the charity Medecins sans Frontieres reported that a 98-year-old Syrian man had been rescued from a boat, having travelled by sea from Egypt. He was taken to Augusta in Sicily. (BBC News)

New Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari

Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria (left) said the move was for the “stability” of the region

Some of the migrants rescued on Friday

saturday, may 30, 2015|

GDF Flagship off to St Kitts for military exercise

The Guyana Defence Force Flagship, the GDFS Essequibo, has departed with a team for St. Kitts/ Nevis to participate in Exercise Trade winds.

Food For The Poor donates to youth group

Food for the Poor (FFP) Guyana Inc recently donated one large industrial 6-burner gas stove to the Festival City Youth and Parent Organisation, as they continue to carry out their mandate. The presentation was done at FFP’s head office at 19992002, Blue Mountain Road, Festival City, North Ruimveldt.

The team comprises 4 Officers and 36 Other Ranks from the Coast Guard, and 3 Other Ranks as supporting staff drawn from across the Force. The team on board the vessel will participate exclusively in the Maritime phase.

Commanding Officer of the vessel, Lieutenant (Coast Guard) Adrian McLean explained that,

Exercise Tradewinds is a United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) sponsored training exercise held annually in the Caribbean and has two phases –Maritime and Land Operations, the GDF said in a statement. The Maritime Phase is scheduled to be held in St Kitts Nevis from May 30- June 9, 2015 and the Land Operations Phase is scheduled to be held in Belize from June 14-24.

ranks will be exposed to several aspects of training during the period. He also noted that additional ranks will join the exercise to conduct small boat operations training, and the maritime phase will culminate with a 2-day exercise. The aim of Exercise Tradewinds is to help Caribbean nations to be better able to counter land and maritime security threats such as human smuggling and trafficking in illegal weapons and ammunition.

Guyana to open Consulate in French Guiana – President Granger

Guyana is keen on opening up a Diplomatic Consulate in French Guiana, President David Granger told French Television.

“I will ensure that there is a consulate in French Guiana to look after the interest of the Guyanese there”. It was noted that French Guiana has a large migrant population of Guyanese and such a facility would help to service their needs, and assist in the building of closer ties between the two nations. According to the Head of State, many of Guyana’s diplomatic representatives have been serving overseas for 22 years or more and “this is unacceptable”. Many countries rotate or change their diplomats every three or four years. Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge has already indicated that those who were political appointees to the Foreign Service will be asked to step down.

With regards to the Diaspora, and Guyanese in general who reside overseas, President Granger said that while many departed this country, “in the 1980s and 90s, to the present time” due to mostly economic reasons, he is optimistic that as Guyana begins to improve economically, this trend will be reversed. “I think they love their homeland and I’m confident that they will like to make a better future for

themselves and their children, right here in Guyana so they would return home. I expect migration to be reduced, the Diaspora will come home, they love their country”.

The president was told of a negative perception that is given to many Guyanese in French Guiana, notwithstanding the fact many who have migrated to the territory are hardworking, law abiding citizens. He responded that as with any community, “You will find that the good people outnumber the bad people. We are aware that many fugitives from justice and many persons from poor economic conditions go to neighbouring countries to seek a better life. Some of them might be criminals, and we hope that when we establish a consulate, we’ll be

able to ensure that persons who are identified as criminals in their homeland will be indentified to the authorities in Cayenne, and we will be able to extradite persons who are wanted for criminal offences”.

He added that it is not his government’s intention to export crime, but rather offer protection to law abiding citizens. “I am very confident that in the long- term, you will be very confident of Guyanese who seek employment in your country. We have economic problems and what you are seeing may be a consequence of that but we are not a criminal state, we are not a rogue state”.

The question of whether he would support the efforts of French Guiana to become a member of Caricom was met with a positive response from President Granger. He explained that while the Caribbean Community was launched initially with English speaking countries, Haiti and Suriname which are not English speaking are now members.

The president said, “We feel that the Caribbean Community has as its objective the alleviation of poverty and the provision of a good life for all its citizens so I would welcome the citizens of French Guiana although it is the smallest of the Guianas. I would welcome it in to the Caribbean family

Richard Taylor, Chairman of the Festival City Organisation, who collected on behalf of the group, said that the entity was established after the 2011 General and Regional Elections under the theme, “Take back your community and empower your youths”. In collaboration with Habitat for Humanity and Builders Beyond Border, a community centre was built for members to conduct their work. He further stated that they approached FFP for assistance and received a large quantity of tiles and paint, among other essentials, to enhance the building.

Caribbean

In closing Taylor said that the stove would benefit the community in many ways, “providing meals for the children when they attend the Saturday educational programmes, and assisting with hot meals for pensioners and the elderly”. He had high praises for

FFP’s benevolence. Public Relations Manager of Food for the Poor, Wayne Hamilton, said that FFP is not just about providing food and clothing, but also to help and improve the living standards of communities where there is a need.

first region to reach both international hunger

Latin America and the Caribbean has taken a huge step towards the total eradication of hunger by reducing both the percentage and total number of undernourished people to less than half, says FAO’s latest report, the Panorama of Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean 2015, released on Thursday.

According to the report, in 1990-92, Latin America and the Caribbean began the challenge of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with 14.7 per cent of its population affected by hunger: in 2014-16 this prevalence has fallen to 5.5 per cent, so that the region achieved the hunger goal of the MDGs.

The region also met the goal of the World Food Summit (WFS), having reduced the total number of undernourished people to 34.3 million. “The region’s success story is based on the positive macroeconomic situation during the past two decades and the solid and continued political commitment of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean with the eradication of hunger,” said Raul Benitez, FAO’s Regional Representative.

The FAO report notes that regional progress is mainly due to the success of the Southern Cone countries, but the commitment to hunger can be seen throughout the region: 17 countries achieved the hunger goal of the MDGs (more than in any other region of the planet) and 11 reached the WFS target.

Benitez said that thanks to economic growth, increased public spending on social matters and public policies focused on the most vulnerable, Latin America

and the Caribbean today represents a smaller share of global hunger. According to the FAO publication, the region pioneered the proposal to not only decrease but fully eradicate hunger, through the Hunger Free Latin America and Caribbean Initiative, which has been endorsed by all countries in the region since the year 2005.

Many agreements and alliances have been formed to work towards the same goal, such as Hunger Free Mesoamerica and the Hunger and the Hugo Chávez Hunger and Poverty Eradication Plan in the countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA, in Spanish) and Petrocaribe, as well as outstanding national projects and policies such as Zero Poverty in Brazil and the Mexico without Hunger Crusade.

The culmination of this process of political commitment over the past two decades was the adoption by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC, in Spanish) – the main regional integration body– of its Plan for Food Security, Nutrition and Hunger Eradication, in January 2015. This plan seeks to promote and boost regional efforts and has set 2025 as the deadline for regional hunger eradication.

“The CELAC Plan represents a one a kind commitment and can be one of the factors that may lead the current generation to be the last to live with hunger,” said Benitez.

The Panorama report notes that the approach in the fight against hunger has changed from a sectoral look to a cross-sectoral ap-

goals

proach. This allowed countries to meet the needs of their populations both in the short and medium term, addressing the various causes of hunger with the participation of all stakeholders.

Differences

Although the region as a whole has been the first in the world to achieve both goals hunger, progress has been different in each subregion and at country level. South America is the subregion that made the most progress both in reducing the number of undernourished and its prevalence. However, it should be noted that the largest number of undernourished people live in this subregion, whose population amounts to 65.9 per cent of the regional total.

Central America has succeeded in reducing hunger from 12.6 million in 199092 to 11.4 million in 20142016, a reduction from 10.7 per cent to 6.6 per cent of the population in the same period. However, it is important to note that hunger reduction in absolute terms has stagnated since 2013. The Caribbean is the region which has made the least progress: currently 7.5 million people suffer undernourishment in this subregion, little progress since 1990-92, when hunger affected 8.1 million people. The prevalence of undernourishment fell only 7.2 percentage points, from 27 per cent in 1990-92 to 19.8 per cent in 2014-16. This is due, in large part, to the situation of Haiti: the country accounts for 75 per cent of the undernourished population of the Caribbean and faces the most critical situation in all Latin America and the Caribbean.

Commanding Officer of the Vessel, Lt Coast Guard Adrian McLean from right with team

President David Granger

Richard Taylor, Chairman of the Festival City Organisation, received the donation from Public Relations Manager of FFTP, Wayne Hamilton

Diver drowns in Quimenang River

Two weeks after a mining pit cave-in claimed the lives of 10 miners at Mowsie Backdam, Mahdia, Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), another miner lost his life on Friday while on the job at Quimenang River, Upper Mazaruni.

Dead is Thomas Anton, 64, a diver from Kamarang, Region Seven (Cuyuni Mazaruni). According to the Police, they are investigating the death of the diver who met his demise while he was under water at about 11:45h on Friday.

Police investigations revealed that Anton was operating equipment under water, when it is suspected that he drowned after being trapped under a quantity of loose earth. His body was pulled from the area and taken to the Kamarang

Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His body is awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Two Sundays ago, 17 men were working in the pit when the walls came crashing down. The area had been experiencing extensive rainfall over the last few days, resulting in the earth becoming moist and loose. Seven of the men survived, while 10 perished.

Following the incident, an intense search was conducted and five bodies were initially retrieved on Monday and flown to Georgetown the following morning. Meanwhile, during searches conducted over the next three days, the remaining five bodies were pulled out from the mud.

Some of the dead men have been identi-

fied as Bobby Brain Errol Brittlebank of Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden; 17-year-old Raymond August of Dartmouth, Essequibo; Michael Moore Gardener, 26, of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara; and Esmond Martin of Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara. The other causalities are Leyland Jones; Jason Trotman of Samatta Point, Grove, East Bank Demerara; Trevon Phillips of Old Road Stewartville, West Coast Demerara; and Nomar Cort, Dick Frank Bernard and Glenn Bernard, all of Nappi Village, North Rupununi, Lethem.

The seven who survived are Sheldon Adams, Andrew Lazarus, Henry Xavier, Regan Greene, Alex Greene, Shawn Xavier, and Collymore Lewis.

Businessman robbed of $1.6M in GRA parking lot

Moments after being parked in the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) parking lot along Camp Street, Georgetown, on Friday, the car of an auto dealer was broken into and a bag containing $1.6 million stolen.

The young businessman, Nigel Ranah, 33, was left in a state of shock after he returned to the parking lot only to find the locks of the car tampered with and the bag containing the money missing. The GRA has since refused to take responsibility for the incident, claiming that the young man ‘bullied’ his way into the parking lot claiming to be a staff member.

Speaking with the Guyana Times, Ranah explained that he arrived at the parking lot about 10:30h and gave the guard a ‘raise’ to park for a short time. He explained that he rushed to

the remission department to conduct some inquiries and within five minutes he went back to the parking lot.

As he returned and attempted to open the door to his car, he realised that the lock was broken. He immediately raised an alarm and the security rushed to the car. They claimed that they did not see any unusual movements not did they heard the alarm of the car when it was triggered.

“The only thing they told me was that two GRA drivers left the parking lot without any bag … so I told them to search all the GRA vehicles that the bag with the money must be in one of them … I believe that it had to be GRA staff in collusion with the security,” he added. That request, however, was denied.

The frustrated man stated that he was referred to the Alberttown Police Station where he lodged a report af-

ter which he was accompanied back to the parking lot and an investigation was launched. He went on to say that he withdrew the money from Republic Bank, Camp Street after finalising a deal in Japan.

The young entrepreneur believes that business people are not safe in the country anymore, making reference to the recent announcement by President David Granger to release 60 convicts back into the streets.

He also challenged the GRA Commissioner General: “If he thinks I am lying about the money, let him call Republic Bank and find out … another thing, once you give the guards a lil raise to park in the parking lot, you can park … so Sattaur needs to get real… it is real world out here...”.

The Police are continuing their investigation into the matter.

Surveyor remanded on narcotics charge

ALand Surveyor was on Friday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on charges of narcotics trafficking.

Graham Telford of 55 Cross Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on Friday, May 29 at Cross Street, Werken-Rust, he was found to be in possession of 34 grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Additionally, he pleaded not guilty to a charge which stated that on the said occasion, he was found to be in possession of 840 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves, on the day in question at approximately 04:00h, ranks of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) went to the defendant’s place of abode and conducted a search on the premises. It was related to the court that during the search, a quantity of narcotics (840 grams of cannabis) was found in an external bathroom that is only accessed by the defendant. It was also revealed that the bathroom is secured by a padlock which the defendant has the key to.

Prosecutor Gonsalves further related that during

further checks in the house, a container was found, in which a white rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine was discovered. Tests conducted on the substance confirmed that it was indeed cocaine. The prosecution stated that in his caution statement, the defendant admitted ownership of the narcotics, telling officers that he normally sells the drugs.

Magistrate SewnarineBeharry refused bail and remanded the defendant to prison. The matter was transferred to Court Two where Magistrate Ann McLennan scheduled his return date to June 16.

saturday, may 30, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Human rights body supports Granger pardoning of convicts

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) said it supported the initiative of President David Granger in pardoning 60 convicted prisoners as part of Guyana’s 49th Independence celebrations.

In an interview, GHRA Co-President Mike McCormack explained that he was in full support of the humanitarian approach towards treating the nation’s people. “We must seek to find penalties which are more humane,” he said.

Adding to this, it was explained that in accordance with the constitutional laws there was need for a revised system that will address the various legislations and ensure that they are in full compliance with the actions of the detained.

Regarding the condition of the prisons across the

country, it was indicated that these detention centres were in most awful states; hence, there was need for investigation.

The GHRA Co- President is of the belief that the prison population will decrease as the country seeks to find ways of diminishing the many challenges faced by society and ensure that persons receive the mandatory levels of education which will in turn address the issues of unemployment and creating a balanced society which will be free of abuse and violence.

Transforming lives

He said with the releasing of these persons, they would be able to get a chance to rectify their past mistakes and at the same time if they engage themselves in community services and other humanitarian aid practices, their mindset will eventually transform as they progress towards reintegrating themselves back into society and have a better life.

The GHRA, over the past years, has been committed to supporting the implementation of democratic policing within communities. All aspects of policing investigations, arrest procedures, use of force, recruitment and relations with communities are proposals which have been made as it relates to the reviewing of the new perspective of democracy and human rights. McCormack is of the view that a democratic country will contrib-

ute to its successful operations.

President David Granger, in his feature address to the nation after being officially inaugurated on May 26, 2015, said that he was determined more than ever to refashion society. He highlighted that the pardons were expected to be granted to those prisoners who were convicted for minor offences such as common assault, assault causing actual bodily hard, possession of narcotics and larceny cases.

Earlier this week, the President told media operatives that the initial plan was to grant pardons only to females; however, there were not enough such prisoners to meet his criteria. “I particularly asked for females, but apparently the females haven’t been misbehaving at the same rate as the males… It turned out that there were a very small number of females who had actually committed minor offences,” he stated. According to the newly inaugurated President, this pardon gesture is expected to be a yearly feature. The President has the constitutional powers to issue pardons to convicted criminals in accordance with Article 188 of the Constitution.

Under Article 188 1 (A), the President has the power to grant any person concerned in or convicted of any offence under the law of Guyana a pardon either free or subject to lawful condition.

Pastor’s statement gets illegal firearm suspect remanded

In Court One of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts Thursday afternoon, a suspected illegal firearm holder was almost granted bail; however, the statement of a Pastor from his home village of Karasabai proved decisive.

The defendant, Shaun Cartwright, of the South Pakaraimas Village, was arraigned on a charge of illegal gun and ammunition possession after being found with a 20-gauge single-barrel shotgun and a live cartridge on May 25 at Mango Landing, South Pakaraimas.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and his Attorney, Jerome Khan, argued for the release of his client, stating a special reason why he may not be guilty of the charge.

Attorney Khan informed that his client was a simple man who had never left the South Pakaraimas previously. He is 40 years old, has five children, is a livestock farmer who occasionally works with the Agriculture Ministry and has never had a problem with the law.

He explained to the court that jaguars have been attacking Karasabai Village residents livestock. Khan said there were only two li-

censed firearm holders in the area, including a Pastor Winston Clinton. The lawyer said that the Pastor had agreed to go on a hunting expedition with his client to catch the jaguar that has been a problem for him and his livestock lately, as the defendant had lost cattle to the wild animal.

However, Pastor Clinton did not show up on the day as planned, so the defendant and others went in search of the jaguar on their own and came back around 17:00h the same day. When they returned, they were greeted by the Police who volunteered their assistance when told of the problem.

Thus the Police went with Cartwright to his home

and found the Pastor’s shotgun out in the open. Khan told the court that the Pastor had left it at the defendant’s home the day before when the plans were made, adding that his client did not take the gun with him, but went with his bow and arrow. He asked the court for reasonable bail for his client as he believed this was good enough reason for his client to be released.

However, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry threw the attorney a curveball when she read the full details of the case from the court’s jacket, including the statements of the mentioned pastor who had stated that he had lent the defendant the gun to hunt the jaguar. The gun was to be returned Monday, June 1. With this, the Chief Magistrate objected to bail and transferred the case to Lethem Magistrate’s Court for June 1.

The defence Attorney expressed his dissatisfaction with this to Guyana Times The lawyer said that he believed he has a solid case and will prove this in the upcoming trial against his client.

GHRA Co-President Mike McCormack

Accused, Shaun Cartwright

SUDOKU

Thursday's solution

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

Reduce your stress level by staying active. Make changes at home that will increase your comfort level. Insurance, legal or personal documents need to be updated. Strive for efficiency and convenience.

Unsettling matters should be put to rest so that you can enjoy a little personal time doing the things you like most. Evading issues will lead to worry, stress and ill health.

Your status will increase if you put in overtime. Willingness and positivity are important factors in any business venture, and they will be recognised and rewarded handsomely.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

People from all different walks of life share the same trials and tribulations, and compassion and understanding come in all shapes and sizes. Listen to the advice of a caring friend.

You will receive false information. Do your research and find out what’s going on behind the scenes. Once you know the facts, you will feel comfortable moving forward.

Realise that you cannot do everything on your own. Lessen your workload by soliciting help and calling in favours. You will not be disappointed, and the resulting alliances will lead to good fortune.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

The more you do for others, the greater the rewards. You may not get paid, but you will receive recognition and admiration. You will be recommended highly for an interesting position.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Financial gains are in the picture. Get involved in something that you have been considering for a long time. Don’t sit on the sidelines, hoping for the perfect moment. Act now.

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Your budget will be stretched. Resist the spiel of a scam artist offering instant wealth. Carefully considered investment and saving strategies will pay off.

(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Don’t allow boredom to sour your mood. Enhance your routine by joining in a local sporting or cultural event. Your efforts will be appreciated and new friendships will evolve.

AQUARIUS

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Emotional matters will interfere with your career. Keep your mind on the job at hand. A close friend will be able to shed some light on a problem you face.

Romance is in a high cycle. Let someone you love know your intentions and plans for the future. Sharing will bring you closer together. If single, get out and mingle.

GEMINI

PeanuTs

Calvin and Hobbes

dilberT

arCHie

Azhar ton seals first series win in two years

Azhar Ali began his captaincy career with three straight defeats to Bangladesh, but it couldn’t be put down to his batting. Now needing a win in each of the ODIs against Zimbabwe to maintain their ICC ranking,

ing at close to a run a ball, walking down the wicket to chip the ball every time he needed to score quick runs.

A key moment came in the 23rd over when Chibhabha dropped him at short cover. Azhar had reached 53 off 54 already, but losing

Azhar followed up a 79 in the first ODI with his second ODI hundred - both as captain - to seal only their third successful chase of 250 or more in the last four years. This was Pakistan’s first series win in two years.

A target of 269 on such a flat pitch with an innocuous attack might look an underwhelming one, but Sikandar Raza with his unbeaten 100 and Chamu Chibhabha with 99 would have thought they had got Zimbabwe into competitive territory given Pakistan’s chasing record. However, there was nothing in the pitch for the bowlers, nor any genius in the Zimbabwe attack to rise above the conditions. Azhar anchored the chase patiently, with support from almost every other batsman: all batsmen reached double figures, and Zimbabwe could never manage a double breakthrough.

Pakistan’s chase began on an undesirable note: Mohammad Hafeez had injured himself in the field, thus breaking the opening partnership that added 170 in the first ODI. Sarfraz Ahmed joined Azhar at the top, and the two got off to a swift start. Azhar kept dropping the ball into the gaps, and Sarfaraz began to sweep the new-ball bowlers, a shot that consumed him with the score 46 in the ninth over.

Despite Mohammad Hafeez’s fall at the score of 68, Azhar kept scor-

him with the score just 109 would have put Pakistan under severe pressure. Instead Zimbabwe had to wait close to 10 overs for their next wicket, with the same bowler Graeme Cremer producing a leading edge to get Asad Shafiq at short cover. By then the two had added 86 for the third wicket, and Pakistan now needed just 116 off 18.2 overs.

It is a walk in the park

in modern cricket, but with Pakistan you never know. Against this Zimbabwe attack, though, they continued batting without panic. If there were any nerves, some excellent chips over extra cover by Haris Sohail settled them. Sohail’s urgency allowed Azhar the inconspicuousness you love when you are nearing a hundred. By the time Azhar fell - a soft square cut straight down backward point’s lap, which should annoy him - the equation had come down to 60 required off 59.

Out come Shoaib Malikonce upon a time a cool finisher - to join Sohail, who Pakistan hope will become a cool finisher, to make sure the hosts cruised through without any dramas. It was an un-Pakistani chase in that it was neither a quick burst nor nervous. It was calm and achieved just what was required.

The bowling effort of their fast bowlers, though, would have left them unsatisfied. Albeit on a flat pitch, this was the fourth straight time against a Pakistan attack that Zimbabwe had added at least 56 for the opening wicket.

It was the spinners who inflicted major damage. Yasir Shah got two including the dangerous Sean Williams, Shoaib Malik

accounted for Chibhabha and along with Mohammad Hafeez, the three spinners conceded only 86 runs in 19 overs for four wickets.

Chibhabha, making his comeback after missing the first ODI, could have done with a more urgent opening partner. As he struck at a run a ball, Vusi Sibanda got stuck, scoring only 13 off 47 in an 83-run opening stand. Damningly for the Pakistan quicks it took a spinner to break the stand.

Chibhabha, on the other end, didn’t need to become desperate. Pakistan kept feeding his cut, and he moved sweetly along even though Yasir took two big wickets in his figures of 100-40-2.

Before Williams lobbed one back at Yasir, standin captain Hamilton Masakadza fell caught by the keeper on the reversesweep although there wasn’t conclusive evidence to support umpire Shozab Raza’s decision.

The umpire would be involved in another dubious call, in the 35th over, with Chibhabha looking for a single to bring up a maiden century and then set up for the Powerplay. From round the wicket Malik pitched outside leg, with the ball turning further down, and with the limited technology available pictures

weren’t clear with regards to any contact with the bat or glove. Chibhabha’s reaction, though, and the painstaking walk back suggested this should have been called a wide.

With Richmond Mutumbani scoring a Sibanda-esque 7 off 26, Zimbabwe were in real danger of being kept to a tame total. Except that Raza found good touch against

the team from the country of his birth. He made room, peppered the cover boundary time and again, including scooping a near-yorker over short third man for four.

Despite Raza’s hundred off 84 balls, Zimbabwe enjoyed little support from the other end, and took only 112 off the last 15 overs. It proved to be too little in the end. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Zimbabwe innings (50 overs maximum)

V Sibanda b Mohammad Hafeez 13

CJ Chibhabha c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Shoaib Malik 99

H Masakadza* c Mohammad Hafeez b Yasir Shah 18

SC Williams c & b Yasir Shah 5 Sikandar Raza not out 100

R Mutumbami† c Asad Shafiq b Anwar Ali 7

CK Coventry c †Sarfraz

Ahmed b Wahab Riaz 10

AG Cremer c sub (Ahmed Shehzad) b Wahab Riaz 2

T Panyangara not out 4

Extras (lb 5, w 4, nb 1) 10

Total (7 wickets; 50 overs; 228 mins) 268

Did not bat: T Mupariwa, BV Vitori

Fall of wickets: 1-83, 2-114, 3-122, 4-156, 5-209, 6-238, 7-258

Bowling: Mohammad Sami 9-1-53-0, Anwar Ali 9-055-1, Wahab Riaz 10-0-552, Yasir Shah 10-0-40-2, Mohammad Hafeez 6-0-33-

1, Hammad Azam 3-0-140, Shoaib Malik 3-0-13-1. Pakistan innings (target: 269 runs from 50 overs) Azhar Ali* c Williams b Mupariwa 102 Sarfraz Ahmed† lbw b Chibhabha 22 Mohammad Hafeez c Coventry b Cremer 15 Asad Shafiq c Sikandar Raza b Cremer

Sohail not out

Shoaib Malik not out

Extras (lb 2, w 1)

(4 wickets; 47.2 overs; 210 mins) 269 Did not bat: Hammad Azam, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Sami Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-68, 3-153, 4-209 Bowling: T Panyangara 8.2-042-0, T Mupariwa 7-0-48-1, BV Vitori 8-0-52-0, CJ Chibhabha 2-0-10-1, AG Cremer 10-0-52-2, SC Williams 100-53-0, H Masakadza 1-0-50, Sikandar Raza 1-0-5-0.

Federer, Sharapova into French Open fourth round

SIvanovic secured a 53-minute 6-0 6-3 win over Donna Vekic.

Sharapova trying the best that she can

Sharapova was unusually emotional after her win over Sam Stosur, bearing in mind it was a third-round match, and her on-going battle with a cold was part of the reason.

The second seed has been coughing and spluttering her way through the draw, and said: “I’ve never felt like that on the court playing a Grand Slam, so that’s kind of new.

“I’m just trying to do the best that I can with the circumstances.”

No end in sight for Federer

Grand Slam would extend his career.

econd seed Roger Federer reached the French Open fourth round for the 11th year in a row with a 6-4 6-3 6-2 win over Damir Dzumhur in Paris. The Swiss, who won the French Open in 2009, will play France’s Gael Monfils after the 13th seed beat Pablo Cuevas in five dramatic sets late in the day.

Defending women’s champion Maria Sharapova beat Australia’s Sam Stosur 6-3 6-4 to reach the last 16. Former champion Ana

And the Russian said that her French-style, longsleeved top was helping. “I like the top and it’s keeping me warm and it’s keeping me healthy. That’s the most important thing,” she added.

The 28-year-old, who also won the title in 2012, will play Czech 13th seed Lucie Safarova in the last 16.

With his game in good shape and a relatively good draw, Federer has every reason to be hopeful of adding to his Grand Slam haul next week.

It is three years since he last won a major, when he beat Andy Murray at Wimbledon, but the Swiss does not know himself whether claiming an 18th

“I may stop the following day or I may go for another five years, I don’t know,” said the 33-year-old.

“What I can tell you is that if I win Wimbledon or a Grand Slam, I’ll be very happy, extremely happy. So it won’t make a difference. I don’t know the answer myself.” (BBC Sport)

Azhar Ali scored his second century in three ODIs

Roger Federer

Maria Sharapova

Blows traded on action-packed day

Before the start of the second Test, Brendon McCullum wondered whether England were comfortable playing aggressive cricket or if a “conservative brand” was “more authentic” to them. McCullum also suggested Alastair Cook’s side may have stumbled upon their performance at Lord’s but, if so, they kept going headlong through the first day of the second Investec Test at Headingley. New Zealand, with their two-year undefeated record on the line, were in no mood to take a backward step either.

Following on from a rollicking Test at Lord’s, the teams tore into each once again, even though the Yorkshire weather appeared to shrug its shoulders at the new mood of optimism pervading English cricket. New Zealand, too, were disinclined to believe the hype. Only 65 overs were possible, as rain and a wet outfield put paid to the morning session, but the tourists still managed to score at more than 4.5 runs an over after

being inserted. If this Test is to be a battle of the brands, New Zealand edged the first day, despite James Anderson taking two wickets in his second over to become the first Englishman - and 12th bowler overall - to pass 400 in Tests. Tom Latham’s gutsy 84 dragged New Zealand up from 2 for 2 and 144 for 5 and his century stand with the 34-yearold debutant Luke Ronchi threatened to take them off into a watery Leeds sunset. Both fell within three balls from Stuart Broad, as England throttled things back a touch during an extended evening session.

Latham began the New Zealand counterattack with a sprightly half-century, reached from 72 balls, before steeling himself for a more substantial stay at the crease; his next 34 runs took 108 deliveries. His innings involved some luck, as he was dropped twice in an over from Moeen Ali, but he struck several crisp cuts early on and was strong off his pads. He was also a DRS

magnet, once using a review to overturn a caught behind decision off Broad and twice being spared lbw decisions against Moeen.

Ronchi could have fallen first ball, fending Mark Wood over the slips for four, but tucked in whenever given the opportunity - and sometimes when he wasn’t. Three times Moeen was put into the stands and Ronchi was on course to break Shikhar Dhawan’s record for the fastest debut hundred when he pulled straight to fine leg. His fifty, reached with a six off his 37th ball, was the second-fastest by a Test debutant and he had accelerated past his partner when both fell in quick succession.

New Zealand recovered admirably after Anderson took his 400th and 401st Test wickets within three balls of each other to give England a wonderful start. Latham put on 66 in 12.2 overs with Ross Taylor, who fell lbw to Broad not offering a shot, and then 55 in 10.1 overs with McCullum. New

Zealand’s captain muscled 41 off 28 deliveries before tea, which included slapping his first ball for six, only to then miscue another drive to mid-off immediately after the resumption. BJ Watling was then removed by a snorter from Wood that straightened to shiver the top of off stump before Latham and Ronchi forced another shift in momentum.

England’s bowlers found plenty of assistance throughout the day but were regularly punished as they went in pursuit of wickets. There was also some sumptuous strokeplay, particularly from Latham, McCullum and Ronchi, though England were guilty of not converting their opportunities. A frantic period during the evening saw Latham dropped at square leg sweeping - a simple chance to Woodand then missed at leg slip by Gary Ballance next ball; in the following over, Broad found Latham’s outside edge only for Cook to grass it as he dived to his left.

Earlier on, play was interrupted by rain showers sweeping in from across the Pennines and it was a Lancashire wind that initially boded ill for New Zealand, as Anderson blew through Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson, both without scoring. The players were forced from the field even as Anderson was celebrating becoming the 12th bowler to the 400 mark, Guptill having been dismissed in classic fashion as Ian Bell held a thick edge above his head a second slip.

They were back on a few minutes later and Williamson was duped by an even more subtle outswinger before further rain caused another, more lengthy delay. Anderson’s record at Headingley before this game

Qatar organisers insist World Cup bid met ‘highest ethical standards’

Despite the FIFA corruption scandal that has rocked football, organisers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup insist their bid was ethically sound.

The organisers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have reiterated that their bid was conducted in an ethical manner.

Following the indictment of nine FIFA officials on corruption charges on Wednesday, the bidding process for the World Cups in 2018 - awarded to Russia - and 2022 have come under renewed scrutiny.

An investigation into the awarding of the tournaments has been launched on allegations of criminal mismanagement and money laundering.

Despite the opening of that probe, FIFA insists there will be no re-vote to determine the hosts of the events.

A statement from Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy read: “Our aim through hosting the FIFA World Cup is to utilise the positive power of sport to unify people and demonstrate the passion for football in our region to a global audience.

“We share FIFA’s vision that football has a unique power to unite. We believe that an event of this magnitude can and should serve as a platform for accelerating positive change

read 15 Test wickets at 43.13 and he had never before taken more than three wickets in an innings; he now had two in his first two overs.

The toss had been delayed until 1pm and England were encouraged to bowl when a greenish pitch emerged from under the covers. There was a suggestion that the surface was already quite dry and a run from the mower left it looking a decent surface to bat on but Headingley is as much about the overhead as underfoot and the scudding clouds provided a helpful backdrop for the glowering Anderson. When the sun shone in the evening, New Zealand made hay.

It is twelve years since Anderson burst on to the

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand 1st innings

MJ Guptill c Bell b Anderson 0 TWM Latham c Root b Broad 84

KS Williamson c †Buttler b Anderson 0 LRPL Taylor lbw b Broad 20

BB McCullum* c Wood b Stokes 41

BJ Watling b Wood 14 L Ronchi† c Anderson b Broad 88

MD Craig not out 16

TG Southee c Lyth b Wood 1 MJ Henry not out 14

Extras (b 4, lb 14, nb 1) 19

Total (8 wickets; 65 overs) 297

To bat: TA Boult

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-68, 4-123, 5-144, 6-264, 7-265, 8-281

Bowling: JM Anderson 13-343-2, SCJ Broad 14-0-83-3, MA Wood 14-4-62-2, BA Stokes 134-43-1, MM Ali 11-3-48-0.

scene, with blonde highlights in his hair and five wickets in Zimbabwe’s first innings at Lord’s. Now, with the sides of his head close-

ly cropped and a bouncy quiff on top, he looks a little like another Lancastrian with a mournful mien, Steven Patrick Morrissey. Even when he’s at his best, Anderson tends to look miserable. “Heaven knows he’s miserable now,” Morrissey might have said after Anderson reached another landmark.

When Anderson broke Ian Botham’s England record of 383 in the Caribbean, the look on his face was one of relief. As “Oh Jimmy, Jimmy” flashed up on the Headingley scoreboard, he cracked a broad smile, which threatened to become a genuinely joyful expression when he tempted Williamson to nick his second ball through to Jos Buttler. The fast bowler’s perma-frown later returned as he was twice taken for consecutive fours, by Latham and Taylor.

Headingley pitches can be on the capricious side but bowling short and wide will get you hit in most parts - Wood, in particular, was guilty of easing Latham into his innings with some hittable fare. McCullum is capable of treating good and bad balls with equal disdain and he crunched his first delivery, from Broad, over the rope at deep cover. Several more boundaries followed - confirmation, if any were needed, that he was sticking to his aggressive approach - and he survived a gloved pull down the leg side that flew over Buttler.

That was just another half-chance in a day of fast-forward cricket, which tried to pack a quart of entertainment into two-thirds of a pint pot. Headingley may not have been quite full to capacity but it felt like it was bursting at the seams. (Cricinfo)

and our beliefs in these principles remains steadfast.

“We are continuing to implement our plans with the goal of delivering a successful FIFA World Cup in Qatar that leaves behind a positive legacy beyond 2022.

“We wish to reiterate that we have fully complied with every investigation that has been initiated concerning the 2018/2022 bidding process and will continue to do so, should this be requested.

“We conducted our bid with integrity and to the highest ethical standards.”

The awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar provoked much controversy due to the allegations of corruption, concerns over the country’s human rights record and the soaring temperatures in its summer months, when the World Cup is held.

FIFA has since moved the tournament to the winter months, with Secretary General Jerome Valcke confirming a start date of November and that the competition would run for 28 days at the FIFA Congress on Friday. (Digicel SportsMax)

Anonymous ‘bomb’ threat received at FIFA Congress

Police were called in after an anonymous threat was received at the FIFA Congress.

An anonymous threat forced police to step in and search the premises during the FIFA Congress on Friday.

The Congress is being held at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, and will be the scene for the presidential election between incumbent Sepp Blatter and challenger Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.

However, rumours of a bomb threat were sparked while delegates were on a lunch break.

Police were required to assess the venue following the receipt of the threat, although clearance was subsequently given for the Congress to continue.

Addressing the situation, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said: “An anonymous threat against the FIFA congress was received. FIFA and the local authorities immediately evaluated the situation.

“In consultation with FIFA, the local authority decided to search the premises during the lunch break.

“The premises have been cleared now by the authorities. The Congress can start again.

“Thank you for being patient, thank you for all being here, and we can move on now with the Congress.”

The Congress is taking place against a backdrop of controversy after nine FIFA officials were named among 14 people indicted on corruption charges on Wednesday. (Digicel

James Anderson gets congratulated on his 400th Test wicket

The World Cup trophy

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Figo calls on re-elected Blatter to resign after ‘dark day’ for football

Sepp Blatter won a fifth term as FIFA president on Friday, but former candidate Luis Figo has already led the calls for his resignation.

Luis Figo has described Sepp Blatter’s re-election as FIFA president as a “dark day” for football, and called on him to resign if he truly cares about the sport.

Blatter was handed a fifth term as head of the world governing body when sole challenger Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein withdrew before the second round of voting at the FIFA Congress in Zurich on Friday.

The Swiss subsequently vowed to leave a “strong” body for his successor, after damaging allegations of corruption have rocked the organisation over the past week.

Nine past and present FIFA officials were among 14 people indicted on charges of racketeering, conspiracy and corruption by United States authorities on Wednesday.

Former Portugal international Figo withdrew as a candidate to face Blatter prior to the Congress, but he believes that the 79-year-old should not have the opportunity to rebuild FIFA’s damaged reputation.

“It was another dark day in Zurich,” Figo posted in a statement on Facebook. “FIFA has lost,

but above everything, football has lost and everyone who truly cares about it has lost too.

“Mr Blatter had a very cynical reaction when he said that he couldn’t control everyone. It offends everyone’s intelligence. These persons, whom Mr Blatter has promoted through years, turned, with him, FIFA in to a decadent organisation.

“If Mr Blatter were minimally concerned about football, he would have given up on re-election. If he has a minimal of decency, he will resign in the next few days.”

UEFA president Michel Platini had backed Prince Ali’s campaign and was also among those to call for Blatter to step down in the aftermath of Wednesday’s arrests.

UEFA had also stated that its member nations could boycott all FIFA competitions – including the World Cup – should Blatter be re-elected.

Following the vote - which was decided only after neither candidate had gained the required two-thirds majority in the first round of voting - Platini praised Prince Ali’s efforts, saying: “I am proud that UEFA has defended and supported a movement for change at FIFA. Change which in my opinion is crucial if this organisation is to regain its credibility.

“I congratulate my friend Prince Ali for his admirable campaign and I take the opportunity to thank all the national associations who supported him.”

English Football Association (FA) chairman Greg Dyke was also vocal in his belief that FIFA required change and he questioned whether Blatter would remain in office for the full four years of his term.

“The idea Blatter could reform FIFA is suspect. I’d be very surprised if he was still in this job in two years time,” he told Sky News.

“The events of this week were so dramatic for FIFA, but I cannot see FIFA reforming itself under Blatter. He’s had 16 years to reform it but he hasn’t done it.” (Digicel SportsMax)

England FA chairman says World Cup boycott possible

English FA chairman Greg Dyke said England would support a possible boycott of the 2018 World Cup if Sepp Blatter was re-elected president of FIFA.

However, his Dutch counterpart Michael van Praag said his federation had never discussed a boycott.

Dyke, speaking to BBC radio before Friday’s presidential vote in Zurich, said England would not go it alone but would consider joining a wider European boycott.

“If the whole of UEFA said that, and all of the countries were willing to do it I think that is right,” Dyke said.

“There is no point in one or two countries saying we are not going to take part because they will carry on with the tournament without them and that is then pretty unfair on the fans.

“But if UEFA as a group said ‘look unless we get this sorted we are not going to be in the World Cup’ then I think we would join them.”

Dyke’s comments followed a similarly veiled threat from UEFA president Michel Platini after the Frenchman revealed that he personally asked Blatter to stand down for the good of football.

Europe has overwhelmingly spoken out in favour

of change and while Platini stopped short of saying a World Cup boycott was inevitable, he did say “all options were open” if Blatter retained power.

But Blatter has refused to withdraw from the ballot, saying he would stand for a fifth term and pledging to introduce reforms in the wake of the latest corruption allegations that have engulfed FIFA.

“The events of this week are significant,” Dyke said.

“Mr Blatter’s statement yesterday in which he basically said ‘look, leave it to me I will clean this up’, nobody is going to believe that.

“And I think that it is quite ominous for him when the attorney general in America says this is only the beginning not the end.”

Blatter is strongly favoured to win Friday’s vote against Jordanian Prince

Ali bin Al Hussein but Dyke said change was now inevitable regardless of the outcome.

“I think the odds are still on him (Blatter) winning but they are nowhere near where they were. There has certainly been a shift during this week,” Dyke said.

“I think it is all over for Blatter anyway, I don’t think it matters if he wins or not.

“I hope he doesn’t win but if he does I think the events of this week have turned him into a diminished figure and I can’t see him lasting more than a year or two.” Van Praag, who pulled out of the presidential race last week and put his support behind Prince Ali, played down the possibility of a boycott as he arrived at the FIFA Congress in Zurich.

“We never talked about pulling out of the World Cup, and we are part of UEFA and we agreed yesterday that if Sepp Blatter wins, we have a new situation,” he told reporters.

“We happen to come together in Berlin for the Champions League final (June 6) so that is good opportunity to sit and look at the new situation, it’s absolutely no use speculating on that. “We can do a lot (without boycotting the World Cup).” (BBC Sport)

Luis Figo

Greg Dyke

All bets are on as CPL announces Unibet as official betting partner

– Unibet also announced as sponsor of St Lucia Zouks

The Limacol Caribbean Premier League is today delighted to confirm a partnership with Unibet, which will see the multi award-winning sportsbook become the Official Betting Partner of the CPL.

The deal will also see Unibet become an official sponsor to the St Lucia Zouks franchise, which includes international stars such as Kevin Pietersen and Ross Taylor, and inspirational captain, Darren Sammy.

As Official Betting Partner, Unibet will offer an unrivalled range of betting markets on the CPL, from superb in-play ball-byball betting, through to even betting on who will win the coin toss before the game. There will also be fun bet types such as betting on the number of sixes in the CPL, the length of the longest six and even head-to-head bets on who will score more runs between big hitters Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen.

The news demonstrates the continued growth of the CPL, hailed as the ‘Biggest Party in Sport’, which continues to grow in prominence in its third year.

Unibet is one of the largest online gambling companies in the world, with over 10 million customers

in over 100 countries. It is the chosen betting partner for a multitude of high profile sporting events, boasting former world number one ranked bowler, Graeme Swann, as an ambassador, and can now add the CPL to its roster.

Pete Russell, Chief Operating Officer, Limacol Caribbean Premier League, said:

“CPL continues to go from strength to strength, and partnering with a renowned international brand like Unibet, with its strong cricketing credentials, speaks volumes for our growing reputation. This collaboration will give our fans and

our viewers at home even more ways to enjoy the excitement of what promises to be the most gripping CPL season yet.”

Unibet UK Country Manager, Phillip Manzi, said: “We are passionate about Cricket at Unibet, and as The Biggest Party in Sport, the CPL perfectly matches our friendly, passionate and expert brand values. As official betting partner, we look forward to providing CPL fans with a variety of exciting and innovative bet types while allowing people to bet live in-play, with ball-by-ball betting. We are delighted to be involved and to ensure Unibet is THE place to go for all bets on the CPL 2015.”

Global superstars including Kevin Pietersen, Jacques Kallis and Shahid Afridi will join the Caribbean’s finest cricketers, like Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard alongside Dwayne Bravo and exciting up-andcoming local talent.

Last year’s tournament attracted a global audience in excess of 65 million and this year is set to be even higher as fans across the world continue to be drawn to the high quality action on the pitch and the unique party atmosphere off it. (CPL Release)

Gayle’s magical 92 powers Somerset to last-ball win

West Indies superstar Chris Gayle marked his Somerset debut with a typically stroke-filled 92 as the visitors beat Essex by three wickets off the last ball, in the English T20 Blast here Friday.

Set 177 to win, Somerset reached their target when Max Waller and Lewis Gregory scampered a single off the final ball of the game sent down by medium pacer Ravi Bopara.

However, victory was set up by the mercurial Gayle who slammed eight fours and six sixes off 59 balls, to give Somerset a powerful start.

He lost opening partner Marcus Trescothick for 20 as Somerset slumped to 49 for two in the ninth over but he proceeded to singlehandedly mastermind the victory with a superb exhibition of hitting.

Firstly, the left-hander posted 43 for the third wick-

Dowrich,

Chase press selectors with consecutive half-centuries

Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase reminded West Indies selectors of their talent with their second half-centuries of the contest, as the three-day game against Australia finished in a tame draw on the final day here Friday.

Playing at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, Dowrich hit 53 not out and Chase, 55 before retiring, as the West Indies President’s XI finished on 161 for four.

They had earlier secured a lead of 132 on first innings after producing a top effort to claim the last four Australian wickets for 45 runs, and dismiss the tourists for 250.

The effort was inspired by fast bowler Marquino Mindley who picked up two of the wickets to fall to finish with two for 42 while seamer Carlos Brathwaite accounted for opener Shaun Marsh before he added to his overnight 118 not out, to claim three for 39.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican did not add to his three-wicket tally from day two, and ended with three for 93.

As the wickets fell, number 10 Josh Hazlewood resisted 1-1/2 hours for an unbeaten 31 with five fours, to rally the lower order.

Seamer Hazlewood then blew away top order of the President’s XI, accounting for opener Rajindra Chandrika, captain Leon Johnson and Shamarh Brooks, all without scoring, to leave the hosts in tatters at 25 for three.

in the fifth over to give Hazlewood his third wick-

et.

Tyrone Theophile struck 26, crunching six fours off 34 balls but was bowled by fast bowler Peter Siddle pushing forward, as the President’s XI slumped to 41 for four.

However, Dowrich and Chase arrived to repair the innings, putting on exactly 100 for the fifth wicket, before Chase retired.

The right-handed Chase, who has played 19 first class games, faced 103 balls in nearly two hours at the crease and struck six fours. He made 76 in the first innings.

Dowrich, meanwhile, who top-scored with 78 in the first innings, counted five fours off 126 balls in a knock lasting a shade over 2-1/2 hours.

West Indies selectors are now expected to select a 14-man squad for the first Test against Australia starting next Wednesday, with two players from the President’s XI expected to join the 12 currently in a training camp. (CMC)

SCOREBOARD

WI PRESIDENT’S XI 1st Innings 382

AUSTRALIA 1st Innings (overnight 205 for six)

C Rogers c Brathwaite b Cummins 2

S Marsh c Theophile b Brathwaite 118

*M Clarke c Brooks b Brathwaite 15

A Voges lbw b J Warrican 52

M Marsh c wkp Dowrich b Brathwaite 8

+B Haddin c Cummins b Warrican 1

P Nevill c Johnson b Warrican 5

et with James Hildreth (18) before putting on a further 67 for the fourth wicket with Jim Allenby (19).

Gayle started tentatively, gathering a mere six runs from his first 18 deliveries but after he exploded, required only 23 more balls to reach his half-century.

He took 19 from off-spinner Tom Westley’s second over, the tenth of the innings, before reaching 50 with a six off Bopara in the 14th over.

Gayle then ripped into 21-year-old left-arm seamer Reece Topley, taking 21 from the bowler’s third over and also clipped seamer Graham Napier for a pair of sixes in the 17th over.

He was out to the second ball of the penultimate over but by then Somerset required 13 from 11 deliveries, and managed to squeeze over the line.

Chandrika, who got a half-century in the first innings, sliced a drive to Mitchell Marsh at gully in the opening over with five runs on the board while Johnson played across a straight one and was lbw.

Brooks, who also failed in the first innings, then played back and across

The Georgetown Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association (GCUSA) will commence its annual training for umpires on Tuesday at the Demerara Cricket Club. Classes will continue on Thursday and will be held on every Tuesday and Thursday from 17:00h to 19:00h thereafter.

P Siddle c wkp Dowrich b Mindley 6

N Lyon run out 8

J Hazlewood not out 31

F Ahmed c Mohammed b Mindley 0

Extras (lb1, nb3) 4

TOTAL (all out, 104 overs) 250

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-25, 3-141, 4-166, 5-178, 6-203,

7-205, 8-217, 9-246, 10-250. Bowling: Cummins 14-3-421 (nb1), Mindley 17-5-42-2 (nb1), Brathwaite 21-5-39-3, Warrican 41-12-93-3, Chase 6-1-33-0, Mohammed 5-5-0-0.

WI PRESIDENT’S XI 2nd innings T Theophile b Siddle 26 R Chandrika c Marsh b Hazlewood 0 *L Johnson lbw b Hazlewood 0 S Brooks lbw b Hazlewood 0 +S Dowrich not out 53 R Chase ret. hurt 55 J Mohammed not out 11 Extras (b3, lb12, nb1) 16 TOTAL (4 wkts, 48 overs) 161 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-13, 3-25, 4-41, 5-141. Bowling: Hazlewood 4-3-4-3, Siddle 6-2-29-1, Marsh 4-0-170, Ahmed 13-2-31-0, Lyon 121-38-0, Rogers 1-1-0-0, Voges 7-0-20-0, Marsh 1-0-7-0.

Earlier, Westley topscored with 68 from 56 and opening partner Jess Ryder got 54 from 28, in a first wicket stand of 90, which set the stage for Essex’s 176 all out off 20 overs, after being sent in. (CMC) GCUSA training set to commence on Tuesday

The sessions will be facilitated by former international umpire Eddie Nicholls, current international umpire Nigel Duguid, Colin Alfred, Shannon Crawford, and Matthew Kissoon. Both males and fe-

Pete Russell

Roston Chase

Eddie Nicholls Nigel Duguid

Chris Gayle

Kendall, Deonarine and Hinds highlight latest round

The 2015 New Building Society (NBS) SecondDivision 40-over cricket competition for teams in Berbice continued recently with several players turning in outstanding individual performances.

Michael Kendall scored 116 with nine fours and eight sixes to steer his team Number 52 Survival to 242-6 in 30 overs against Number 48 Challengers who were bowled out for 105. Kendall, bowling off-spin, then took 3-19 from six overs to crown a good all-round performance.

Tucber Park’s opening batsmen, Berbice Under-17 cricketer Steve Deonarine with 92 (8x4s, 1x6) and former Berbice Under-19 wicketkeeper/batsman Hakeem Hinds with 79 (10x4s) put on 165 runs in an opening stand for their team against Guyana Eagles.

However, after both departed in quick succession, Eagles’ left-arm spinner Gregory Crandon picked up five wickets to see Tucber Park scraping to 210 all out, which in the end was 48 runs more than the Eagles could make.

Elsewhere, replying to Rose Hall Community Centre’s 143 from 33 overs, Canje Pathfinders were shakily placed at 32-6 before Keishar Gangaram came in and blasted 81 (5x4s, 3x6s) to lead them to a narrow

one-wicket win.

After Crabwood Creek Rising bowled out Number 69 Red Rose for a paltry 67 in 18 overs, they romped to a 10-wicket win in just 4.2 overs, with Naresh Deo hitting 50 not out with five fours and three sixes.

Below are the summarised scores from the games:

At Number 52: Number 52 Survival beat Number 48 Challengers by 137 runs. Number 52 Survival 242-6 in 30 overs (Michael Kendall 116, Balram Persaud 2-51); Number 48 Challenger 105 in 21.2 overs (Michael Kendall 3-19, Vikash Ramjaewan 2-26).

At Cumberland: Tucber Park beat Guyana Eagles by 48 runs. Tucker Park 210 in 40 overs (Steve Deonarine 92, Hakeem Hinds 79, Gregory Crandon 5-38, Kellon Henry 2-25); Guyana Eagles 162 in 37 overs (Kishan Ramsarran 47, Marlon Sheppard 26, Brandon Stewart 2-15, Niall Smith 2-20, Omar Weatherspoon 2-26).

At Rose Hall Canje: Canje Pathfinders beat Rose Hall Community Centre by one wicket. RHCC 143 in 33 overs (Sanjay Badal 3-9, Videsh Singh 2-28); Canje Pathfinder 144-9 in 25.4 overs (Keishar Gangaram 81, Andre Grant 4-28).

At Number 69: Crabwood Creek Rising beat Number

69 Red Rose by 10 wickets.

Number 69 Red Rose 67 in 18 overs (Satesh Baldeo 4-32, Quadir Khan 3-3); Crabwood Creek Rising 68 without loss in 4.2 overs (Naresh Deo 50*).

At Number 70: Number 70 MYO beat Young Royals of Crabwood Creek by six wickets. Young Royals 94 in 20 overs (Imran Khan 3-15, Salim Khan 3-23, Mohamed Azarudeen 2-25) ;Number 70 MYO 96-4 in 13 overs (Mohamed Azarudeen 33*, Jaspal Smith 4-26).

At Number Five in West Berbice: Monedderlust of Number Five beat Bath Spartans by 18 runs. Monedderlust 172 in 30.5 overs (Kevon Rabindranauth 48, Colvis Sam 28, Elvis Rutherford 25, Navin Ramnauth 3-23, Kapildeo Armogan 2-23, Vinoor Ramjattan 2-29, Vishal Bejai 2-40); Bath Spartans 154 in 25.2 overs (Chetram Anandchand 28, Colvis Sam 4-20, Gladwyn Johnson 3-28, Dial Misir 2-12).

At Bush Lot Farm: Kennard’s Memorial beat Yakusari Caribs by four wickets. Yakusari Caribs 87 in 16 overs (Naipaul Ayana 42, Devindra Sydney 3-10, Andrew Persaud 2-11, Karamchand Ramnarine 2-19); Kennard’s Memorial 88-6 off 15.2 overs (Suraj Seelall 30, Thomas George 29, Ramesh Ayana 3-23).

Guyana Lottery Company supports GBA

Company’s head office on Lamaha Street.

Managing Director of the Guyana Lottery Company, Tracy Lewis highlighted that the lotto company was proud to support the local boxers, noting that such a venture “can bring glory to our nation”.

GBA Assistant Secretary Keisa Chase thanked the Lotto Company, noting that the Association was in the process of improving boxing and the sponsorship would give the boxers the exposure to gain invaluable experience.

The GBA hopes to send five boxers to the Pan American Championships slated to box off In June.

Knights easily topped West Side Warriors 59-41 in a FirstDivision game when the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) “King of the Hard Court” League continued on Wednesday at the Burnham Hard Court, Carmichael and Middle Streets.

Solid defence by the Knights against a West Side Warriors side that were labouring to put the ball in the basket allowed the Georgetown side to pick up the easy win.

Owan Walton was the top scorer for the winners, with 19 points while Lloyd Bart supported with 11 points.

Devon Murray scored a game-high 21 points in the losing effort to be the only West Side player in double figures.

In the opening U-23 fix -

ture, Plaisance Guardians routed the Pepsi Sonics 9369 with Terrence Daniels leading the way with a game-high 27 points in the win, while Akeem Johnson was the next best scorer with 21 points.

Completing the win with 10 and nine points respectively were Malcolm Powder and Andrew Johnson.

Daniel Haynes topscored with 17 points, while Quincy Wright supported with 16 points in the losing effort for Pepsi Sonics.

The action is slated to continue over the weekend with another round of matches from 18:00h.

GBL Softball Open tournament to begin July 1

The Guyana Baseball League (GBL) is preparing to host a series of matches for the 2015 season via a Softball Open tournament, which will be contested at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Ground, beginning July 1.

The tournament is open to teams made up of 10 to 16 members, and a grand prize of $200,000 will be up for grabs. Participants can be of any age, sex or nationality, and a league registration fee

of $1000 per player is mandatory for participation.

Special night matches are slated for July 3, while the semi-finals will be played on July 8. The final will be slugged out under lights on July 11. As with all GBL events, all equipment will be provided by the League, while the League will run practice sessions for teams on all three weekends before the tournament.

Rules and regulations for the tournament will be giv-

en to all team captains upon payment of fees. Apart from the basic rules of softball, innovations include a designated hitter, player transfers upon payment of league transfer fees and free hits (no strikeout) for any player deemed special by league officials before the game. Registration can be done by emailing admin@baseballguyana.com; sending a text to +592-614-4862 or contacting the nearest GBL coach.

Owan Walton

Steve Deonarine Michael Kendall Hakeem Hinds

GBA Assistant Secretary Keisa Chase (right) receives the sponsorship cheque

ANSA McAL answers the call

– ready to roar with the Jags

By TreisTon Joseph

ANSA McAL under its Stag Beer brand

is now the first corporate sponsor to join forces with the Golden Jaguars National Football Team for their Round Two World Cup qualifier against St Vincent and the Grenadines, starting June 10.

At a press conference on Friday at the beverage giant’s board room at Beterverwagting, ANSA McAL displayed why it was one of the leading corporate sponsors for sport in Guyana by supporting the Golden Jaguars’ bid for a World Cup berth.

Head Coach of the national outfit, Jamaal Shabazz noted the significance of the substantial sponsorship, while sharing his profound gratitude for the major beverage company, “by ANSA McAL stepping up at the start not in the middle or when we have

won a few games, speak of something profound”.

“On this occasion, we see a company that has held hands with us and come on board at a time when we need it the most … this is an example many should fol-

low, because we need partnerships in sport and we are representing Guyana as whole not as the GFF and the feeling the country gets when football is doing well transcends the whole nation and I want to extend my

Blatter re-elected as FIFA boss…again

Sepp Blatter

Sepp Blatter was reelected president of FIFA for a fifth term on Friday after his only challenger conceded defeat in an election overshadowed by allegations of rampant corruption in world football.

Blatter’s victory came despite demands that he quit in the face of a major bribery scandal being investigated by U.S., Swiss and other law enforcement agencies that plunged football’s governing body into the worst crisis in its 111-year history.

Neither Blatter nor Jordanian opponent Prince Ali bin Al Hussein got the necessary two thirds of the

ballot in the first round, with Blatter securing 133 votes against 73 for Prince Ali. However, Prince Ali swiftly conceded.

“I congratulate you if you voted for Prince Ali, he was a good candidate, but I am the president now, the president of everybody,” the 79-year-old Blatter said in his victory speech.

FIFA, ruled over by Blatter since 1998, was rocked this week by the arrest of seven senior officials in a pre-dawn police raid at a luxury Swiss hotel as part of an investigation into widespread financial wrongdoing stretching back for

years.

Blatter has batted away the furore, relying on his network of friends to hold onto power at FIFA, which he joined in 1975.

“At the end of my term I will give back a strong FIFA to my successor. You ask me about age. Age is not a problem. You have people who are 50, they look old,” he said to huge laughs.

Prince Ali, in his pitch for votes, had pledged an open, more democratic FIFA, saying: “We have heard in recent days, voices which described our FIFA as an avaricious body which feeds on the game that the world loves.

“There are no easy answers. And no blame that can be cast that will wash away the stain that marks us all,” he said.

While Asian, African and Latin American states had been expected to rally around Blatter, Europe, which accounts for all but three of the countries that have ever made it to a World Cup’s final match, had been keen for him to step aside.

(Reuters)

heartfelt thank you to ANSA McAL,” Shabazz noted.

ANSA McAL Managing

Director Beverly Harper was pleased to have the opportunity to support the team and urged all Guyanese, especially fans of Stag, to sup-

port the national side.

“I am grateful that we were given this opportunity to be on board with this team … all we can ever do is ask them to do of their best and just like Tuesday, I want the whole of Guyana to come

out and lift these guys – we can do this, I know we can do this,” Harper stressed.

Captain of the team, Christopher Nurse thanked the beverage giant for its support and highlighted that such faith in the team was enough impetus to do well.

“I would just like to say thanks on behalf of the players and this sponsorship is critical to our success because what it does is to help us focus solely on football and I know we will go out and do our best in order to give back to the persons that have given to us,” Nurse stated.

The Golden Jaguars squad will face host St Vincent and the Grenadines on June 10 before facing the same side on June 14 at the Guyana National Stadium.

The national squad will depart Guyana on June 8 for St Vincent and the Grenadines.

GFF “dismayed and disconcerted” by global football crisis

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has added its voice to the outrage over the ongoing global football crisis that has marred world governing body FIFA and regional confederation CONCACAF. In a statement issued on Friday, the GFF said it was “dismayed and disconcerted” by what was transpiring in global football.

Below is the full text of the GFF message.

“The GFF is dismayed and disconcerted with the events of the past few days that are occurring in global football and in particular in our confederation CONCACAF. While CONCACAF is still a strong organisation, those members who have brought the credibility of the organisation into disrepute have disappointed us.

As a country and a region, we must ensure strict governance and transparency in football administration at home, regionally and at FIFA. The Normalisation Committee has started this process and has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards any unethical and

GFF: “It is important that all FIFA members ensure sound financial oversight and transparency systems to discourage corrupt practices”

improper act at the GFF. We will continue to work towards improving our systems of transparency and accountability and to ensuring that all our stakeholders adhere to those rules.

Allegations of corruption have always dogged the sport at the global level and it is important that all FIFA members ensure sound financial oversight and transparency systems to discourage corrupt practices.

It is our hope that the US Department of Justice indictment and investigations will act as a deterrent going forward, serving as a stern lesson and reminder to those who might be tempted to en-

gage in unscrupulous and venal acts in the future.”

FIFA has been dogged by scandal, but faced a fresh crisis on Wednesday when bribery and racketeering charges were laid against several top officials by authorities in the United States.

A total of 14 people were indicted, with seven senior football officials arrested in dawn raids at a Zurich hotel. All seven now face extradition to the US.

In a separate development, Swiss officials opened criminal proceedings into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid processes.

Some of the national players along with ANSA McAL Managing Director Beverly Harper (third from right); ANSA McAL PRO Darshanie Yussuf (fourth from left); and Golden Jags Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz pose for photos after the press conference