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Rapes up by 19% guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 2646

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

PRICE $80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

1 in custody for death of Pomeroon P7 mother, child

Page 3

...serious crimes climb by 10% – Police AFC junket to Canada Ministers’ super

Jobs for the “foreign boys” Page 12

…no report of any investment

salary increases…

Move to P7 fatten Govt Ministers self-serving ...Govt has not demonstrated commitment, sacrifice – GAWU President

As economy plummets…

Ali to new Agri Minister: Address Leguan, P10 Wakenaam rice woes

Thousands participate in Navratri observances

Page 17

Page 16

13-year-old No weapons gang raped linked to crime – Crime Chief at Westbury

Foreign Minister Page Page to attend high16 13 level meeting on food security, climate Page – APNU/AFC Councillor Naithram calls 3 ...Police never expected criminals adaptation to turn in their weapons – Seelall for Probation Officer’s intervention Gun amnesty ends today...

US funds P17 new US$750, 000 project ...to promote democratic values like LEAD

Corentyne biker rides into horse and kills P19 himself

2 news

wednesday, october 14, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

25 grass fires occurring in Berbice daily – Fire Department

T

he Fire Department in Berbice is being challenged to respond to an average of about 25 grass fires on a daily basis.

According to Acting Officer-in-Charge of the Fire Department in New Amsterdam, Kalamadeen Edoo, this is as a result of the current dry weather conditions Guyana is experiencing.

Edoo said it was a very tough period for the Fire Department.

“El Niño is causing us to have to respond to about six or seven fires daily at all of the stations.”

The Guyana Fire Service has stations at Corriverton, Rose Hall Town and New Amsterdam in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne)

Acting Officer-in-Charge of the Fire Department in New Amsterdam, Kalamadeen Edoo

and at Onverwagt, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

Edoo explained that the Department did not have the resources to take care of the large number of grass

fires that were been reported.

“What we have to do is when we go, if we see that the fire is not a threat to any building then all we will do is monitor it because if we attempt to put it out, while we are doing that, we may get another call and have to respond. Now, all of the canals are drying up with this El Niño we are experiencing and so there is not enough water around, so we have to be very cautious how we operate.”

This is compounded by the fact that several ranks from Berbice have been encamped since Sunday in preparation for the Joint Service Games which commence today.

“I will like to make an appeal to citizens not to

A grass fire

burn bushes and if they have to, then they must put measures in place to ensure that the fire does not spread and get out of control, ” Edoo said, Edoo, who was speaking with Guyana Times on the occasion of Fire Prevention Week, which is being observed from October 9 to 16 under the theme, “Building a safer nation through citizens’ participation in fire prevention”, explained that observance activities include visits to schools where fire drills and talks to students are being conducted.

On Sunday, a church service was held at the Corner Stone Brethren Church in New Amsterdam and on Friday, a public fire

drill will be held next to the New Amsterdam Fire Station at Post Office Road.

So far for the year, there have been 255 fire calls in Berbice compared with 249 for the entire 2014. Twentyfour buildings were completely destroyed by fire in Berbice so far this year, while in 2014, 42 buildings were completely destroyed.

Nine were severely damaged as against 15 for last year and 18 slightly damaged as against seven for the entire 2014.

So far this year, 55 persons were rendered homeless as a result of fires in Berbice as up to Sunday, compared with 61 during the previous year, while there have been two deaths compared to three last year.

Since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls. Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871.

According to legend, the fire broke out after a cow – belonging to Mrs Catherine O’Leary – kicked over a lamp, setting first the barn, then the whole city on fire.

Region 2 Chairman raises concern over DREO's performance

– failure to host regional remembrance event

R

egion Two ( P o m e r o o n S u p e n a a m ) Chairman Daveanand Ramdatt has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the current Deputy Regional Executive Officer Sunil Singh.

Region Two Deputy Regional Executive Officer Sunil Singh

As a result on Tuesday, Ramdatt complained to Councillors at the statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

He said that Singh, who was the former REO, has failed to execute his duties or represent the people, explaining that on many occasions he has failed to deal with scores of complaints from residents which fall within his remit.

Explaining one instance, Ramdatt said that the DREO failed to host the Devonshire Castle Monument Remembrance Day ceremony on September 29.

The Chairman openly told Councillors that he was blaming the DREO for not hosting such a significant event.

The DREO has the responsibility of planning national and regional activities and yet he had failed to host the activity, the Chairman said.

Ramdatt said the Devonshire Castle Martyrs activity was included in the Region’s calendar of national activity and for three years the activity was not held under Singh’s leader-

Regional Chairman Daveanand Ramdatt

ship. Ramdatt, therefore, is calling for Singh to be investigated.

He said that there were many wrongdoings occasioned under Singh’s stewardship as REO. The commemorative activity at Devonshire Castle is held each year to mark the death of five sugar workers who were gunned down on September 29, 1872 during a protest at Devonshire Castle Cabbage Dam.

news

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wednesday, october 14, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, October 14 – 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, October 15 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, October 14 – 17:00h-18:30h and Thursday, October 15 – 05:15h-06:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Sunny intervals with light rainfall can be expected in the morning, with cloudy skies and sunny intervals in the afternoon. Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening. Temperatures can range between 25 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East to East North-easterly between 3.57 and 4.01 metres per second.

High Tide: 05:00h and 17:10h reaching maximum heights of 2.68 metres and 2.73 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:48h and 23:07h reaching a minimum height of 0.56 metre and 0.46 metre respectively.

Rapes up by 19% ...serious crimes climb by 10% – Police A

fter months of reporting overwhelming increases in the number of rapes across the country, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has now stated that it has been releasing incorrect figures, revealing for the year up to the end of September there has been a 19 per cent increase.

In its monthly statistic report, the Police issued an apology for the “incorrect statistics” that were published on rape. It was previously reported that up to June, there was a 74 per cent increase with 207 reports, while at the end of July, a 68 per cent increase was recorded with 243 reports of rape. By the end of August, the Police reported 164 cases of rape representing a 65 per cent increase.

“Following advice received from the Police Legal Adviser, it was recognised that there was a recent flaw in the recording process for the offence of rape,” the Police stated in a summary report of last month’s statistics.

The Police have since adjusted the figures and outlined an increase of 19 per cent in the number of reports of rape, with some 224

reports recorded at the end of September this year compared to 188 for the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the Police have reported a 10 per cent hike in the number of serious crimes recorded at the end of September when compared to the figures for the same period in 2014. Among the serious crimes policed by the Force are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping.

Murders

As it relates to murder, the Police said a total of 114 cases were recorded at the end of September, in comparison to 109 murders during the same period in 2014.

This represents an increase of five per cent. However, as of October 12, three additional murders were recorded. A Division (Georgetown/ East Bank Demerara) saw the highest toll during this time, accounting for 41 of the 114 cases.

Additionally, it was reported that 45 of these murders were disorderly; 21 were committed during rob-

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum

beries; 13, domestic-related; 26 of unknown nature and one case was filed under the “Other” category.

On the other hand, the overall robbery under arms figures increased by three per cent, with 896 cases recorded for the year up to September 30, compared to 874 cases recorded during the same period last year.

According to the Police, robberies involving the use of firearms saw a four per cent increase, while there was a one per cent hike recorded in the number of armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the per-

petrators.

As it relates to Break and Enter and Larceny and Burglary, an overall increase of 14 per cent was recorded by the Police in comparison with the figures obtained from the same period in 2014.

Further, the Police have reported that at the end of September, a total of 89 illegal firearms were recovered.

These include one sub-machine gun, 47 pistols, 24 revolvers, 10 shotguns, six rifles and one pen-gun. These figures are compared to a total of 60 illegal firearms that were recovered up to this time last year.

Traffic statistics

As it relates to the traffic statistics, the Police Force has disclosed a total of 90 road fatalities from some 76 accidents have been recorded at the end of September, in comparison to 101 fatalities from 93 accidents for the same period last year.

This represents a decrease of 18 per cent.

They also reported decreases in the serious and minor categories of road accidents, and a six per cent increase in damage accidents. turn to page 12

Foreign Minister to attend high-level meeting on food security, climate adaptation

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oreign Affairs Minister and Second Vice President Carl Greenidge is set to represent Guyana in Milan, Italy, at a Ministerial Meeting, on Food Security and Climate Adaptation in Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), scheduled for October 14 to 16.

This meeting will offer SIDS Ministers and Ambassadors the opportunity to explore the implications of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, as it relates to food security and nutrition and climate change adaptation, with the

overall objective being that of enhancing food security, and health and well-being in SIDS. The meeting will focus on five major areas: Sustainable Agriculture and Fisheries; Nutrition; Livelihoods, especially for women; Access to Food, inclusive of global and domestic trade (with regard to price volatility of food imports and commodities, as well as reliability of transport networks); and Resilience of Agriculture and Fisheries to climate change, ocean acidification and disaster sessions.

The format of the meetings encourages a high level

of interaction and networking to ideally allow SIDS delegates to learn and exchange ideas, as well as develop and pursue possible partnerships, to advance food security in SIDS. A Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)-led forum on food and nutrition challenges facing SIDS will be featured on the first day, as called for in paragraph 61 of the SAMOA Pathway. The Milan Expo, with its theme of “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” will provide an excellent backdrop for raising the profile of SIDS issues and relat-

ed food security challenges.

Ministers and Ambassadors would have space to share experiences and present initial plans for national and regional level implementation, and to articulate areas where further support and capacity development are needed.

Perspectives from leading experts in the field of food security, and from representatives of Rome-based United Nations entities, other relevant regional and global bodies, the Private Sector and partner Governments will be included as well.

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, october 14, 2015

Views Editor(ag): Michael Younge 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

Mental illness and the elderly G

uyana joined with the rest of the world in observing International Day for Senior Citizens on October 2.

The country’s First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger utilised the opportunity to visit a few elderly homes in the city and distribute hampers. Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence also made the rounds visiting and greeting a few seniors. These were indeed laudable initiatives undertaken by the First Lady and the Minister to show the nation’s appreciation to elderly folks and by all means must continue.

However, citizens were expecting to see Government doing much more in relation to making our elderly population lead more comfortable and secure lives. It would have been a perfect occasion for the Administration to outline its plans and programmes for the country’s senior citizens over the next five years. For example, what are its plans in relation to addressing the issue of mental illness among the older population, or what legislative framework the Government plans to put in place to ensure the needs of older folks are met in terms of their health and social protection, and so on.

It is believed that there is a high percentage of senior citizens living here with some form of mental or physical disorder. If this is true, these persons must be given the kind of care and attention they deserve. Many of our seniors are placed in ‘homes’ which more often than not, lack both the capacity and resources to deal with mental health problems.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health problems are under-identified by healthcare professionals and older people themselves, and the stigma surrounding mental illness makes people reluctant to seek help. Many older adults are at risk of developing mental disorders, neurological disorders or substance use problems as well as other health conditions such as diabetes, hearing loss, and osteoarthritis.

As well as the typical life stressors common to all people, many older adults lose their ability to live independently because of limited mobility, chronic pain, frailty or other mental or physical problems, and require some form of long-term care.

Mental health has an impact on physical health and vice versa.

The WHO has offered some useful advice in relation to providing effective and efficient care for the elderly which Guyana should consider adopting as part of its national plan for the elderly. This includes training for health professionals in care of older persons; preventing and managing age-associated chronic diseases including mental, neurological and substance use disorders; designing sustainable policies on long-term and palliative care; and developing age-friendly services and settings.

The WHO has stressed that promoting mental health depends largely on strategies which ensure the elderly have the necessary resources to meet their basic needs, such as: providing security and freedom; adequate housing through supportive housing policy; social support for older populations and their caregivers; health and social programmes targeted at vulnerable groups such as those who live alone or who suffer from a chronic or relapsing mental or physical illness; programmes to prevent and deal with elder abuse; and community development programmes.

Good general health and social care is important for promoting older people’s health, preventing disease and managing chronic illnesses. Training all health providers in working with issues and disorders related to ageing is therefore important. Effective, community-level primary mental health care for older people is crucial. Also, it is equally important to focus on the long-term care of older adults suffering from mental disorders, as well as to provide caregivers with education, training and support.

Inspite of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliacen For Change coalition campaigning on the slogan of providing ‘a good life for all’, we have not heard anything substantial since the Government took office on its plans and programmes for the elderly. This is quite unfortunate as our senior citizens have made the Guyana we enjoy today what is it is. They have laboured in every field of endeavour and certainly their needs must be taken into consideration as part of national development planning.

While simply giving them (senior citizens) hampers is needed to show appreciation for their efforts over the years, there is much more that can be done in terms of establishing certain policy mechanisms that would allow older folks to live a more happy, comfortable and productive life.

The Ursuline Convent chapel on Camp Street gets a facelift (Carl Croker photo)

Studies link Hinduism and Rastafarianism Dear Editor, The video https:// vimeo.com/76819259,titled “Dreadlocks Story”, produced and directed by Linda Ainouche, makes for an interesting viewing (and a quick source of knowledge) for those studying the Rastafarian Movement that has a wide following in Guyana and the Caribbean.

Ms Ainouche links Rastafarianism to Hinduism, with the latter influencing the former. It is a documentary about the influence of Indian culture in the Caribbean with spiritual links between Jamaican Rastas and Indian Sadhus (spiritual figures who dress like Rastas going back for centuries in ancient India). The rasta movement in Jamaican, made popular by reggae sensation Bob Marley, spread to the Region and embraced in Guyana by many Afros.

The video trailer shows an Indian female and a black dreadlock Rasta performing art on the God Krishna and Goddess Sita in a mandir in Jamaica.

Several Afros who live among Indians practice Hinduism in Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean.

Last week at the Trinidad Sudama Mandir in Richmond Hill on the occasion of the observance of Pitri Paksh paying homage to the souls of the ancestors, a black female Rasta, dressed in traditional Indian attire of shalwar kameez, performed aarti on the Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

A written advert says “Dreadlocks Story is the first and only documentary to explore the spiritual links between Jamaican Rastas and Indian Sadhus.”

A form of self-expression

born from colonialist oppression, dreadlocks are a symbol of perseverance from an often misunderstood cultural movement. ‘Dreadlocks Story’ not only reminds audiences of the rich cultural and ethnic heritage of Jamaica’s people, but also speaks to the similarities between the experiences of Africans in the transatlantic slave trade and Indian labourers forced into servitude”.

Jamaican society has a heavy dose of Indian influence. Some 40,000 Indians were taken to Jamaica between1845 and 1917 to rescue the depressed sugar plantations, working as indentured labourers in what was essentially slave like conditions. A Wikipedia report says Indian workers were “actually paid less than the former West African slaves and were firmly at the bottom on the social ladder”. Also, the Indians were not granted religious freedom, forcing them to embrace other faiths. “During the70 years of Indian immigrant labour, little consideration was shown for their religious beliefs and cultural practices. For example, non-Christian unions went unrecognised until 1956 and many were therefore forced to accept Christianity for recognition of their marriages and to obtain jobs.

However, many Indians still practice Hinduism joined by a sprinkling of Africans and Rastas.

Professor Ajai Mansingh who taught at the University of the West Indies (Mona campus), wrote about the connection between Hinduism and Rastas over two decades ago.

He explained how Rastas were influenced by vegetarianism, spices and dreadlocks (worn by many Sadhus in India since ancient times) –

all of which are not primary features of the West African tradition.

Spices are an essential part of the Jamaican cuisine. Jerk spices are at the heart of Jamaican seasoning and was influenced by Indian spices brought by indentured Indians.

The writer, Jean Lowrie Chin, in an article in the Jamaica Gleaner, paid tribute to Professor Mansingh’s writings, pointing out that he explored the theme of national unity between Indians and Africans in Jamaica.

In his brilliant book, Home Away From Home – 150 Years of Indian Presence in Jamaica,” Mansingh made reference to “the rescue of the Indian indentured servants by former African slaves after they had been thrown off the estates, and left to starve, because the owners said they were not strong enough for the work in the cane fields”. This was not dissimilar to when Africans were thrown off the estates after the end of slavery and left to fend for themselves.

The freed Africans and indentured Indians learnt from each other, and the Africans embraced aspects of Indian culture. According to LowrieChin, Professor Mansingh explained that “the Africans, who had been attending Christian churches, observed the Indians gathering under trees to conduct their ethnic religious (Hindu) ceremonies”. This, Mansingh, felt “inspired them to return to their African forms of worship” though they remained influenced by Christianity.

Hindus in Jamaica were similarly influenced by Christian practices. And Indian Christians were also influenced by Hindu practic-

es, such as flower and food offerings as carried out at Mandirs or Kutiyas.

Mansingh wrote about Hindu influences at Christian ceremonies “including the central table laden with food and flowers” as is the custom at Hindu ceremonies.

Mansingh discovered in his research that “There is still a Christian revival group in August Town that serves dahlbhat (rice and dhal) at their ceremonies”. Mansingh promoted and encouraged interfaith services and celebration of diversity.

‘Dreadlocks Story’ honours the Rastafarian culture and its global influences and how it is influenced by other cultures. It is highly recommended for viewing to dispel misrepresentation of the Rasta community, as well as to promote cross cultural understanding, showing Hinduism and its influences other faiths. As a Jamaican inter-faith group stated, people should celebrate, not desecrate, each other’s differences.

Guyana and the Caribbean region are repositories of rich cultural traditions; the various faiths are part of these traditions influencing one another. It is not surprising, therefore, that Hinduism which has been practiced in the Caribbean since the 1840s has influenced aspects of the Rasta way of life. The Region is richer in its cultural practices as a result of the presence of Hinduism that migrated from India through the Indian Diaspora and it should be welcomed. As Professor Mansingh advised, people should “celebrate diversity and open their hearts to each other’s divinity”.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, october 14, 2015

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Govt should review Ralph Ramkarran has salary increase got it all wrong

Dear Editor, The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government is planning to reward itself with a substantial 50 per cent salary increase, amid funding cuts for children (Government voucher – $10,000), low wages for teachers, ultra low pension payments and sky-high joblessness.

The majority of Guyanese are barely surviving under harsh economic conditions with no relief in sight. Out of despair they are resorting to drugs, crime and soliciting hand-outs among other means of survival. Those who cannot make it are often sucked into suicide. No one deserves a life like this.

Government’s actions can only be described as wild, selfish, unpatriotic, unkind, uncaring and shameless.

Pension payments this low is a serious violation to the rights of seniors, but Government bluntly refuses to address this problem.

Instead, it is focusing on its own welfare. How can this ever be morally right?

Editor, our country runs on donations and remittances for the most part. Just recently, our Prime Minister was publicly begging for international donations to buoy an agency. It is our responsibility as an independent nation to provide for ourselves. Most of our agencies have gone bankrupt, or are on the verge of becoming so, because we do not have a proper attitude for development.

Development comes with hard work and delayed gratification. Can we take pride in our actions when we beg for money to support our life style? This should not be a way of life. How long will the world continue to shoulder our burden? Government’s actions are typically authoritarian. We all know that this Government forcibly pushed its gigantic Cabinet down our throats

and we were forced to digest it. We had no choice but to dig deep into our pockets to support their salaries. This seemed not to be enough to satisfy Government’s insatiable appetite. Government is still hungry.

Again, it has its eyes like a hawk sharply focused on our pockets. This time it is eyeing a fat salary increase to shoulder the cost of its gigantic Cabinet. Assaults like these have destroyed our country and have eclipsed the lives of innocent Guyanese. Dollars allotted to pamper Government can be meaningfully redirected to pay school teachers a decent salary, so as to attract and retain the best in providing a quality education. This will guarantee us a path out of poverty. I am sure if Government were not beneficiaries of this salary increase, it too would have condemned it.

This story gets even more ridiculous when one realises that Government has only been in office for less than six months and the country is on a downward spiral. How can a salary increase be justified under these circumstances? It seems that we have jumped from the frying pan, escaping the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, right into the fire under the APNU/AFC Government. We did not expect unpatriotic behaviours to be markers of change.

Is this what Government meant by change? Every indicator points to further erosion of our fragile country under this new Government.

The economy has gone further South, crime has jumped, tourism has plunged, health care remains poor and joblessness is at an all-time high.

Government has failed to deliver anything of benefit to the Guyanese people and a strong case can be made that the development of our country is weighted down

by its policies. Government knows that its actions will attract criticism but yet it is pressing ahead with it.

Why? Mr Joseph Harmon wasted no time spinning propaganda that this salary increase is an anticorruption strategy. Who does Mr Harmon thinks he is tricking? No Guyanese will believe him. If he is not careful, he can earn himself the nick name of Slick Joey.

We all know the current Government’s Cabinet is built on a foundation of corruption – composed mainly of friends and family. To Slick Joey, this is not corruption but to the rest of the world it is nothing less.

Under no circumstance can a 50 per cent pay hike be justified, given the length and breadth of poverty.

As citizens, we need to kill this idea of a pay hike by all means. It is not good at all, especially not for social cohesion.

This is another lie this Government is peddling. If the Ministers want to enrich themselves, then this is not the job for them. Guyana has better qualified candidates who are willing to serve even without monetary incentives but are bullied out of the work force. They are treated with scorn. Job opportunities for the most part are unjustly reserved for friends and family. In short Government’s actions cannot be part of the essential ingredients required for nation building.

A nation cannot build under such a closed system which is run largely by friends and family.

Government needs to be tamed. We need to strip away its power in the next presidential election. This I am sure will send a loud and crystal clear message that abuse on our country will not be tolerated.

Sincerely, Dr Cecil Dilipkumar

Bureaucratic madness

Dear Editor, I could not believe my eyes when I read in the October 3 edition of the Official Gazette that the Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

Surely the persons making the recommendations and appointments of persons to State boards must realise that this is a clear conflict of interest.

How could the Mayor who chairs statutory meetings of the City Council also be the Chairman of the CH&PA? When one wishes to erect a building, he or she has to submit three copies of the plans to the Mayor and City Council to begin the application process.

After the Mayor and City Council, chaired by the Mayor, approves this plan, it is then forwarded to the CH&PA for its approval. Here again, it will run into Green who will be

this time wearing the hat of the CH&PA Chairman as it seeks to get its secondary approval. Where will the checks and balances be? There is no separation of powers. Hamilton Green can approve a faulty plan at City Hall and then go over to the Central Housing and Planning Authority and approve it a second time.

This madness has to stop.

Regards, Nadine Jerrick

Dear Editor, Recently, Mr Ralph Ramkarran, in one of his weekly ruminations at Conversation Tree dot com, stated that one of the reasons “why the US got upset with the PPP [People’s Progressive Party] was because the Party did not support a resolution on Syria”.

In his reference to the resolution, Mr Ramkarran conveniently forgot to mention a very important call in the resolution viz; support for the Opposition in Syria.

For Mr Ramkarran’s information and guidance, Guyana could not support the resolution in that form since there was no indication who was the “Opposition”.

The PPP/Civic Government was eventually vindicated since it

eventually came to light that the “Opposition” is part, if not in toto, the infamous Islamic State (IS).

Further, it should be noted that other Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries as well as non-Caricom countries abstained. The question to Mr Ramkarran is; should these countries be considered enemies of the West?

In respect to the visit to Iran where an understanding was reached to map our mineral deposits, this never occurred, since the PPP/C Government told the Iranian officials that the details will have to be worked out. That is where the matter ended.

However, soon after details of the visit became public knowledge, the PPP/C Government received offers from the

“West” to work with Guyana on oil and gas.

Mr Ramkarran must know that the PPP/C’s foreign policy has always been associated with diplomatic activism and engagement. It certainly does not make sense to be enemies with those who are not friends of some of our friends.

Mr Ramkarran must ponder over the possibility that it is resistance to the resolution on Iran pushed by certain countries, that resulted in the parties becoming convinced of the need to sit together and negotiate eventually resulting in the Accord between the US and Iran.

Sincerely, Clement Rohee General Secretary People’s Progressive Party

Water woes in Parfaite Harmonie

Dear Editor, I write this letter out of sheer exasperation, hoping that the powers that be at Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) read it and do something urgently to alleviate an existing water problem affecting residents of Schoonord, Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.

Informatively, I live at 329 Schoonord, Parfaite Harmonie, which is situated immediately North of the new access road linking the West Bank Demerara main road with Parfaite Harmonie. The problem is that for the past four weeks and counting, households within my community have not been receiving any potable water, except on a few isolated occasions when it trickled at ground level, at hours after midnight, and lasting for about an hour, or thereabout.

For most, if not all of us, this situation occurring in the midst of the current dry season, has resulted in our black tanks and other reservoirs of water running dry from the reductional process of constant usage and non-replenishment.

The short of it is that we are now at our witsend trying to determine what to do next to counter our predicament, since no help seems to be forthcoming from GWI. Talk about praying for rain!

Editor, practically all the affected residents that I’ve spoken to claim they have called GWI’s office at Pouderoyen, WBD, and reported the matter, but to no avail. I, myself,

called on many occasions.

Individually we were given a plethora of varying reasons for the extant situation. Some of us were told that the problem lies with Guyana Power and Light (GPL), while others, including myself, were informed that it is a pump problem.

The point here is that officials at GWI’s Pouderoyen office are aware of our plight, yet there is a palpable indifference towards resolving the issue.

Of note, is that the problem affects just about 30 to 40 households in the Schoonord area, since I’m aware that residents in other parts of Schoonord and indeed the remainder of Parfaite Harmonie are not in any way afflicted by the daily non-supply of potable water similar to what we are currently experiencing. It means, therefore, that the problem is localised to just the section of Schoonord where I live. Another point of note is that ever since this situation arose, GWI has not seen it fit to alleviate the situation by sending in water trucks to deliver water to residents. But they found it fit to send estimated water bills for the very period during which they knew we were not receiving any water. How more cynical or ridiculous can one get?

Editor, on Saturday, September 10, as I was jogging through the community around 05:30h, I saw a few residents drawing water from the stagnant drains in front of their homes to do their house-

hold chores. Here I am talking about decent, proud, middle-class citizens living in well-appointed houses, who have been reduced to scavenging for the precious commodity in unhealthy places, because of the prevailing circumstance; notwithstanding it’s a practice that can have dire health consequences. Incidentally, the sight of my fellow residents foraging in the gutters for water transported me back in time to the year 1985, when I vividly recall collecting trench water on one occasion to carry out ablution and other household cleansing duties. Surely, it begs the question as to whether we have made any measurable progress as a nation in terms of quality of life between then and now.

Finally, as we all know, part of GWI’s slogan reads “Water is Life…” but it seems that only some lives matter in this country. I am not a betting person, but I’m willing to make an exception in this instance to wager that if the problem outlined above was located in Prashad Nagar, Bel Air, Pradoville, or any of the other upscale communities in this country, it would have been fixed pronto after the first phone call. The optimist that I am however, I’m hoping that the publication of this letter will move GWI to sort out in a timely manner whatever problem there is that is preventing us from getting water in our homes.

Yours thankfully, Remington Eastman

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Foundation

Teaching Teaching children decision-making skills childrenthe Part 2: "upstairs brain, "downstairs brain" art of selfT control

he human brain wants to discover patterns – and while this is helpful where patterns exist, it can derail us where they do not. Understanding the potential for error should motivate us to question how we think; and the more we do this, the better we learn when it is appropriate to listen to our gut feelings and when we should examine them against concrete evidence.

Unfortunately, some of the biases and errors filed away in our emotional memory are difficult to root out, particularly those that have formed during long-term trauma or abusive experiences.

Recurrent trauma can programme us to be hypervigilant to threat and negativity, and repeated unsuccessful attempts to change our condition may imbue us with a sense of helplessness. If we lack sufficient resilience, these emotional programmes can become so deeply ingrained in our brain’s structure that we ignore even the most concrete evidence that contradicts our experiences.

Our negative gut feelings in these cases contribute not only to bad decision making but to a variety of mental illnesses, which in turn contribute to more bad decision making. “For many psychiatric disorders,” observes Salzman, “patients that are symptomatic are frequently making poor decisions about numerous things throughout the day, such as how they handle their anxiety and other emotional states. If you’ve ever had a friend or family member with depression, you can see they are not making decisions the way they normally do.”

Clearly, then, experience can misinform our gut feelings to the point that they can drag our decision-making ability considerably off-track.

On the other hand, when we

have trustworthy experiences that are interpreted accurately, our emotions can become a valuable asset to logical thinking.

But experience takes time to accumulate, which is why children and adolescents need guided practice in making decisions, along with instruction about how to think about how they are thinking. This is an important role for parents, because even as children begin to develop these metacognitive abilities, they may still lack the disposition on their own to put these skills to work.

In addition to metacognition, David Moshman, Professor of Educational Psychology, sees a second important foundation for good decisionmaking skills: a sense of identity, the foundations of which, he says, “might be expected to develop as we formulate our beliefs, values, and commitments.” As these values (presumably taught by parents) are internalised, they will become the primary informant not only for children’s logical thinking but also for their

emotions, which are crucial to making moral decisions.

This has been clearly seen by neuroscientists studying patients with brain lesions affecting the region responsible for emotions.

Such patients retain their ability to make solid logical decisions based on the letter of the law alone (such as, “Is it okay to murder someone?”), but in moral scenarios that require a more complex judgment call – such as whether it is okay to kill a baby if it would save nine adults – findings have been chilling.

People bereft of their emotional capacity see no complex dilemma.

Without hesitation they choose the utilitarian response: “Sure, smother the baby.”

Parenting good decision makers Seeing how important it is for logical and emotional processes to work together, a high priority for parents must be to help children learn to integrate these functions.

This is often described as integrating the right brain versus left brain, with the understanding that the right hemisphere functions as the seat of emotions and intuitions and the left controls logic and language.

In children the right hemisphere of the brain is at first dominant. Infants communicate through their emotions; we know when they are hungry or uncomfortable, because they cry.

Almost instinctively, engaged parents respond by trying to put their child’s feelings into words.

“You’re cold, aren’t you?” they might ask, following up by verbalising their physical responses: “Let’s get

you a blanket.” The left brain, always the logical interpreter, tries to make sense of experience, a process that is aided by language.

As parents help their infants and toddlers put their experiences into words, they are not only teaching them language skills but they are also helping their children order events into a literal sequence, and both are fundamental to integrating their emotional and logical processes. But good decision making also requires that we integrate impulses and control processes; that is, it requires selfregulation.

UCLA Professor of Psychiatry Daniel Siegel refers to this as integrating the “upstairs brain” and the “downstairs brain.” “A parent’s goal,” he says in his 2011 book, co-written with child therapist Tina Payne Bryson, “should be to help build and reinforce the metaphorical stairway that connects the child’s upper and lower brain so that the two can work as a team” (The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind). However, Siegel and Bryson also point out that the upstairs brain isn’t fully mature until we reach our mid-twenties, and possibly beyond. This is important, they note, because it means that “the behaviours and skills we want and expect our children to demonstrate, like sound decision making, control of their emotions and bodies, empathy, self-understanding, and morality – are dependent on a part of their brain that hasn’t fully developed yet.” This is why “children are prone to getting ‘trapped downstairs,’” say the authors, “which results in them flying off the handle, making poor decisions, and showing a general lack of empathy and selfunderstanding.” (www.vision.org)

T

(Part one)

he breathtaking joys of parenthood are inextricably linked to its immense responsibilities. When these are not met, the joys are diminished for all concerned – often for generations to follow.

Of the responsibilities parents tacitly accept when they bring a child into the world, perhaps the most important is teaching how to regulate thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Children who reach adolescence without developing this ability are more likely to fail academically, exhibit aggressive behaviour, abuse substances, engage in high-risk sexual behaviour and – as a result of any or all of these – generally experience negative life events. Unfortunately, many parents who struggle in this area themselves are ill-equipped

“Close, trusting relationships between adults and children are strongly linked to the development of emotional control and positive social behaviours.” – Martha B Bronson, Self Regulation in Early Childhood: Nature and Nurture (2000) to pass these skills down. Yet some researchers will go so far as to suggest that most if not all major problems that plague individuals of all ages in our society, including a number of health problems and mental issues, can be traced in some way to an inability to appropriately control aspects of the self.

While this crucial skill is often legitimately referred to simply as self-control, a broader term, selfregulation, unites overlapping ideas related to and in some ways inseparable from goal attainment.

When a discrepancy arises between our current state and our desired state, we’re motivated to alter our thoughts, emotions or behaviours.

The term self-control describes the conscious effort to change behaviour and thus reduce this discrepancy, while self-regulation encompasses this as well as more automatic processes – and both are important in human development.

For the purposes of this article it could be said that self-regulation includes conscious, purposeful decisions to direct emotional responses, attention or behaviour by replacing an unconscious, automatic action with one that requires thought and effort, such as in delaying gratification or controlling anger, but this does not tell the whole story. And while the whole story may not be crucial for parents to understand in detail, for context it does help to grasp some basics about how automatic as well as conscious processes of selfregulation work in adults. Rather than considering these concepts only as something to instil in the next generation, parents must consider how self-regulation skills apply to their parenting approach even as they teach them to their children. (www.vision.org) TO BE CONTINUED

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wednesday, october 14, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Ministers’ super salary increases

Move to fatten Govt Ministers self-serving ...Govt has not demonstrated commitment, sacrifice – GAWU President M

any persons in various fields of employment are displeased with the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government’s decision to award its Ministers mega salary increases while hardworking public servants recently received a measly five per cent increase from the Administration.

As such, outrage has been sparked among those in the public sector as well as the ordinary man on the street as the APNU/AFC continues to come under fire for such a decision.

That act of the Government is now being noted as one which depicts the Administration failing to demonstrate commitment and sacrifice.

This is according to Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) President Komal Chand who told Guyana Times on Tuesday that as a result of the massive increases gifted to the Ministers, there was general resentment among the populace.

One major objection that a number of persons have been raising is that the newly-appointed Government

officials have only been in office for a mere four months and have not yet established themselves in their new portfolios.

“I mean, even if they had established that they are able and capable, one cannot justify them having this huge hike in pay than the other workers which you have merely granted a five per cent increase. And for the first time in over two decades you have it retroactive to September 1 and ... always the increases have been retroactive to January 1 … so you have this massive increase, very disproportionate and there is no justification,” the GAWU President noted.

He explained that the APNU/AFC coalition has now created a very bad image of itself and the justification given for the huge salaries was unacceptable to many.

“You said that well, you don’t want them to steal… that means that they are capable of stealing and that is why you did this. And secondly, you are not increasing the public servants’ pay similarly, so you are saying from using that same logic, well then they will steal and you will have to under-

1 in custody for death of Pomeroon mother, child

A

male who shared a common-law relationship with 22-year-old Attica Sukhai of Grant Experience, Lower Pomeroon, who was discovered dead in the Pomeroon River is presently in Police custody assisting with the investigation.

Sukhai was found, along with her two-yearold daughter Xolani Sukhai floating in the Pomeroon River in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), on Sunday morning by church members.

Surviving the ordeal was her younger daughter ninemonth-old Alica Sukhai whose foot was stuck between two boards at the stelling.

According to autopsies that were conducted by Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh on Tuesday the mother of two died as a result of an incise wound to her neck and the toddler died as a result of drowning.

The Police, however, have not decided if the matter is going to be treated as a murder and the investigation continues. A senior officer from G Division (Essequibo Islands and Coast) also revealed that the mother could have sustained injuries during a fall.

According to information reaching Guyana Times the mother, along with her two-year-old daughter, were

Dead: Attica Sukhai

discovered around 09:00 Sunday by neighbours who were heading to church.

Residents heard the nine-month-old crying and upon checking noticed the child’s foot hooked between two boards in the stelling which prevented her from rolling overboard. After the discovery, the baby was taken in by relatives.

When the Police arrived on the scene, the body of Attica was turned over and her face had been completely eaten by piranhas. Her two-year-old daughter who was found nearby had no marks on her. The bodies were wrapped and transported to Charity then to Suddie Mortuary.

Sukhai was said to be living alone at the time of the incident.

GAWU President Komal Chand

stand and accept that …

Having not given the workers any increase then you accept that they could steal,” Chand emphasised.

During the past few weeks, several independent commentators have added their assessment that the raise was way too “excessive”, given the fact that public servants were given a miniscule five per cent increase.

They have stated that in addition to earning high salaries, the Ministers also get a host of other benefits that would rack up to over $1 million per month each including a duty-free waiver for vehicles, electricity subventions, insurance and

travel allowances.

Guyana Times was earlier told that when all of these benefits were added to the salaries, the monies being granted to the Government officials were “way too much” and presently there were too many Government Ministers.

The major concern in this regard would be if the country would be able to afford making these payments of huge increases to so many Ministers.

Many persons opined that it was too early for any person to get such increases, since before any increase can be given a certain amount of time needed to pass and then an evaluation should be undertaken.

This newspaper was further told that such an evaluation should be conducted by an independent Committee and not by the Cabinet itself.

The Official Gazette, published on September 25, 2015, stated that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo would be benefiting from a whopping $20,580,000 per annum, while the other Vice Presidents would each receive $11,135,064.

Under the APNU/AFC Government, a Cabinet

Minister will be given a hefty sum of $10,439,124 – annually – more than $300,000 over previous Ministers. and a Junior Minister or a Minister within a Ministry will be paid $8,346,492 per annum.

The Attorney General will receive the same amount of money that the Chancellor does and the Speaker of the National Assembly is slated to benefit from $10, 439,124 every year (the same salary which a Cabinet Minister will be paid).

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition will be given $10,439, 124 on an annual basis, but former President Bharrat Jagdeo has said he will not be accepting this salary.

In addition to the increased salary for Prime Minister Nagamootoo of $1.7 million monthly, an increase of over $200,000 each month, he will be drawing vacation benefits and perks totalling more than an additional $500,000.

Guyana Times understands that the Deputy Speaker is to get $2, 702,880 per annum, while the Chief Whip will be paid $2, 682,360 annually.

Additionally, every other member of the National

Assembly is to be paid $2, 402,532 each year.

Guyana Times further understands that the three other Vice Presidents – positions which did not exist under the PPP/C Administration – Sydney Allicock, Carl Greenidge, and Khemraj Ramjattan will earn some $1.13 million, double the $579,000 which they would have earned as Ministers. In addition, the vacations and other benefits are also $500,000.

The Cabinet Ministers, who are the 15 senior Ministers in Government, will now benefit from $1 million – an increase of over $400,000 or 74 per cent each month.

It must be noted that the 12 Ministers within the Ministries (Junior Ministers) will each earn $700,000 monthly and like their senior Ministers will be entitled to the $500,000 in benefits.

In addition to their huge salaries, all 27 Ministers will each be receiving a duty allowance, an entertainment allowance, $45,000 housing allowance, chauffeur allowance of over $100,000 and annual vacation allowance of $420,000. (kristenm@ guyanatimesgy.com)

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wednesday, october 14, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Eyew tness Wife of murdered block maker, hitman jointly charged for murder

Dead: Nathan Persaud

T

he wife of murdered Herstelling block maker Nathan Persaud and the alleged hitman, whom she reportedly hired to carry out the heinous act, were on Tuesday jointly charged for

the man’s murder.

Oswald Yaw, 21; and Beverly Persaud, 46, a shop keeper – both previously appeared separately to answer to the murder charge.

However, on Tuesday they made their second appearance and were jointly charged. The duo appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, and during the proceeding Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Neville Jeffers made an application to the Magistrate for the separate charges to be withdrawn so that the duo could then be charged jointly.

The Magistrate granted the application and the two were slapped with the in-

Oswald Yaw

Beverly Persaud

dictable charge which read that Yaw on September 10, 2015 at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, murdered Persaud while pursuing an arrangement whereby money was given to him by

Beverly Persaud to murder her husband.

The duo was remanded to prison and the matter was adjourned to October 20.

Granny jailed for four years for narco trafficking

A

60-year-old woman was sentenced to four years in pris-

on on Tuesday after she tried smuggling a quantity of narcotics out of

Guyana.

Catherine Ross, of Lot 701 East Ruimveldt,

Georgetown, appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court to answer to two counts of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

She pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to her by Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul.

The charges detailed that Ross was in possession of 3.826 kilograms of marijuana and 4.612 grams of cocaine on Sunday while at the Ogle International Airport (OIA).

According to Police reports, Ross was an outgoing passenger at the Airport heading to St Kitts when ranks of the Police Narcotics Branch conducted a search on her luggage and unearthed the narcotics. The bust was made sometime around 14:40h. It was reported that four bricklike objects wrapped in brown tape were first found and when further examined, were found to contain marijuana.

Additionally, the anti-narcotics ranks found some 200 pellets of a white powdery substance in three plastic bags. Ross was arrested and subsequently charged.

She was unrepresented by an Attorney-atlaw in Court on Tuesday but pleaded for leniency.

Magistrate Ally-Seepaul imposed the four-year sentence along with a fine of $30,000 on each count against the 60-year-old woman. However, the sentences will run concurrently.

Still campaigning… …after winning the elections

O

ne theory about why the government folks keeps shooting themselves in the foot – even as those feet regularly end up in their mouths, is because they haven't disengaged from “campaign” mode – must less campaign mood. The first giveaway, it’s claimed,, is the travel schedule of the top leaders. Quick now…since the elections, has Pressie spent more time in or out of Guyana. No prize for saying “OUT!!” – that was a no-brainer.

And then there’s the PRIME Minister, who just returned (hopefully) from a trip in which he landed in NY, sashayed over to New Jersey, moseyed down to Texas then looped north to Toronto over in good old Canada! Now if this isn't giving Donald Trump’s campaign itinerary a run for its money, what is?

And this is the Man from Whim’s fifth foreign trip in four months! And we won't even get into his local trips using the $22M + $63Duty Free SUV purchased specifically to visit constituents .

So you have the Pressie kissing babies, handing out awards, being draped with shawls and zipping down to Linden to reassure the base adding credence to the campaign theory. The PM’s visit to his native Berbice where he rewarded the “quasi political” fellow villager, Ramayah a bureaucratic job with a car and a chauffeur – all while lambasting Jagdeo and his old comrades in the PPP - didn't do anything to challenge that theory.

But your Eyewitness has an additional take on the matter. Yes they’re in campaign mode…but its not because they WANT to…it's because they HAVE to.

Thing is.., they haven't the foggiest notion as to what it takes to run a free enterprise economy. Remember that brass-bedecked Military strata around Pressie?

They believe that for them to get all of that in a “donkey cart” economy, money has to be growing on trees. That Jagdeo got the Norwegians to give us US$250M for our trees remaining in the ground, was the clincher! . And this is why Pressie’s aide de camp can justify the massive salary increase as he did.

So those who expect this lot to get out of “campaign mode” is asking for the impossible. So get used to another 41/2 years more of uplifting speeches and parties.

Including next year's big “independence” bash.

…on high tech

There’s a lot of talk being spewed about Uplinking and TV and Educational TV and fibre optics and e-governance and most of all about ICT. Makes you believe that things are happening to get us into the 21st century, no? No! It’s all campaigning hot air that’s doing more damage to our climate than carbon dioxide – which only produces its hot air with the help of the sun.

Thing is, these politicians in the government can't even fix markets for rice and they’re going to teach our kids STEM subjects, generate investments for hi tech factories, produce computers and suchlike and then ship them abroad? So if they can't find markets for rice, which everyone and their uncle in Asia (2.5 billion of them!!!) eat and we’re going to compete with them in electronic manufacturing?

What a bunch of wankers! But that's what campaigners do, no? Wank our chains!

…with Diaspora

Imagine the AFC fobbing off their “thank you” party in Toronto as an official “government” bash.

And trying to justify their all-paid travel and hotel money - as an “investment forum since they “met in back rooms”. So where was Winston Jordan?

Shouldn't he be advised about all these investments.

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

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wednesday, october 14, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Agriculture Minister ignoring House Speaker to Region Two rice farmers lead delegation – RDC wants President Granger to reexamine his appointment

T

he Region Two ( P o m e r o o n Supenaam) Regional Democratic Council on

slow.

On a daily basis, he explained, that he is receiving complaints from farm-

Rice harvesting begins in Region Two

Tuesday expressed severe concern over the economic downturn that has engulfed the region, as rice farmers continue to decry the poor prices they are being offered for a bag of paddy, with calls mounting for the removal of Agriculture Minister Noel Holder who is said to be ignoring their cries for help.

Region Two Chairman, Devanand Ramdatt reported to the Council that the negative economic meltdown has resulted in less money being available for persons to spend and those who have the spending power are on a wait and see exercise.

The Chairman told Councillors at the statutory meeting for October, that due to poor prices being offered to rice farmers for a bag of grade A paddy, business all over the region is

ers who are protesting the current posture of the new Government on the issues affecting them.

“Let me make it clear, after the discussion I had with farmers and recent Councillors, I wrote to Minister Noel and to date, there is no feedback… I have moved along the coast reaching with rice farmers, I have never been part of a crisis, this is a negative economic meltdown,” Ramdatt said.

The Chairman called for the Government to look at the paddy price, indebted farmers and high fuel price and to come up with a solution. “I feel for rice farmers… everyone complaining. We are having dark days, everyone is bitterly complaining about economic situation,” Ramdatt pointed out.

Gillian Thomas Reading Challenge 2015

T

he National Library is set to commence its annual Gillian Thomas Reading Challenge in the month of October.

With registration beginning on October 12th, the competition itself begins on the 19th and will conclude on November 20th.

It is open to members of the National Library in two categories –young adult, which features persons from ages 14 to 19, and adult for persons over 19 years.

Participants will be required to read four books selected by the Library.

The Reading Challenge was a regular programme of the National Library,

but was only renamed the Gillian Thomas Reading Challenge in 2014 in honour of Chief Librarian Gillian Thomas, who died in a motor accident in 2013.

Thomas was killed after a car slammed into a bus belonging to the National Library at the corners of North Road and Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.

Thompson, who was in the front passenger’s seat of the minibus, suffered serious injuries and died almost immediately after the impact sent her through the windscreen of the minibus.

She then got stuck between the vehicle and the concrete bridge.

Supporting the Chairman’s comments, People’s Progressive Progress/Civic (PPP/C) Councillor Showkat Ali said despite the Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA) staging several picketing exercises, no one from the Agriculture Ministry noted their concerns or even give a comment.

Ali said that in the farmers’ quest to gain attention, the picketing exercise was also conducted in front of the Minister’s office and there too, they were ignored.

“Where are the people that were protesting last crop under PPP/C Government? Where are those people? Essequibo is a predominately rice growing area if this present Government don’t look at the rice industry then this industry will fail,” Ali added.

Ali said that the situation is very disturbing and millers too are owed from the Venezuela market. Ali questioned why is it that Agriculture Minister Noel Holder is not focusing on the rice industry, even though it is the backbone of Essequibo’s economy.

Ali reported that many farmers in his area have already abandoned their lands due to the lack of representation. Rabindra Mohan, another PPP/C Councillor called on President David Granger to re-examine the appointment of the current Agriculture Minister, with a view of giving a younger and more vibrant person to opportunity to serve in that capacity.

No Councillor from the coalition Government commented on the current situation of the rice industry.

to Suriname

H

ouse Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland is expected to lead a delegation to the Parliament of Suriname from Tuesday, October 13 to Sunday, October 18.

A release from Parliament Office on Tuesday confirmed the four-day visit which comes on the heels of a commitment given by former Speaker Raphael Trotman to return a visit to Suriname after a team from that country led by Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Suriname, journeyed here.

The Surinamese team had visited from October 24 to 26, 2013 and were engaged in a number of activities aimed at building cooperation and better relations between the two

Parliaments.

Guyana’s 14-member team will include the Clerk of the National Assembly, Members from both the Government and the Opposition and supporting staff from the Parliament Office.

Guyana Times understands that the purpose of the visit is to compare the two parliamentary systems to see how both Parliaments could learn from each other and adapt best practices where applicable, inter alia, create a structured “contact programme” between the Parliaments of Guyana and Suriname; and to create a formal relationship between the two Parliaments and peoples so that the many similar issues faced can be better understood and dealt with among other things.

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wednesday, october 14, 2015

News

As economy plummets…

Ali to new Agri Minister: Address Leguan, Wakenaam rice woes T

he islands of Leguan and Wakenaam in Region Three (Essequibo Island-West Demerara) are at a breaking point with no possible solution or intervention being pursued to tackle their rice woes.

This is according to People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Irfaan Ali. Ali said close to 500 families in these two islands have direct investment in rice cultivation and Government needed to address the situation, which has been taking a toll on the economy.

“Using an average household size of four, more than 2000 persons are directly dependent on rice for their survival,” Ali told this publication on Tuesday.

According to Ali, an average family in Wakenaam plants about seven acres of rice while a family in Leguan plants approximately nine acres.

“Production costs in these two islands average out at around $90,000 per acre. The total investment an average family make every crop in Leguan is about $810,000 while in Wakenaam it is about $630,000.

Put together these 500 families invest

PPP/C MP Irfaan Ali

more than $720 million every crop in these two islands,” Ali posited.

With the halting of rice shipments to neighbouring Venezuela – Guyana’s largest supply market – the economy is going downhill and farmers across the country have begun tugging at Government for answers.

Government has pointedly noted that it is not in a position to assist farmers, particularly because the industry rests solely within the Private Sector.

Speaking particularly to the situation in Leguan, Ali said that the worrying thing is that Government has been silent regarding

this issue.

“When dealing with the livelihood of close to 90 per cent of the population on these two islands, it becomes public business.

Immediately, at a minimum, the Government could have helped out the farmers with the provision of free transportation or subsidised charges to transport their paddy especially from Wakenaam. With fuel prices down and electricity charges relatively at the same rate, give the millers a subsidy rebate that they must pass on to the farmers”, the former Minister posited.

His recommendation was for Government to immediately launch a fund that would provide credit at low rates to allow farmers to get back to the next crop.

“With the present signals it is clear that the private commercial bank with be cautious or even negative in lending to this industry. If Government is not desirous of intervening and helping the farmers, then tell the people of these islands what their alternatives are. We in the [People’s Progressive Party/Civic] PPP/C believe in keeping this industry whie we supplement the income of the rice farmers with infrastructure invest-

ments that would have created new economic opportunity, an example is the chip factory we pursued in these two islands”.

Ali said any help in this regard would be accepted by the farmers, who are all in a state of desperation.

“Can the farmers expect any help in the form of seed paddy and fertiliser? Any subsidy at the household level in electricity charges?

Similar to what obtains in Region 10. Can the farmers expect the establishment of a revolving fund to assist them? Can these small farmers with an average of seven and nine acres have access to the low interest small business fund? Would there be any formal Government intervention with the commercial banks on behalf of the farmers? These are not my questions, they are what the farmers are asking and answers must be provided and action must be taken as the farmers and people of these islands are most deserving of,” the former Minister lamented.

He said considering the figures, farmers are asked to take this crop which is $1700 per bag in Leguan – the average loss per family would be approximately $381,600 while the situation will worsen in Wakenaam with farmers having to spend $400 out of the $1800 they are receiving to transport their paddy to Essequibo. Their final price, he reckoned, would be $1400 with an average net loss $476,000 per family.

“The total loss these 500 families would face at the end of this crop is approximately $210 million which is approximately 30 per cent the size of the industry in these two island”, Ali noted.

Green jacket S

atiricus was amused by all the snickering at the green jacket Rum Jhaat unveiled at the KFC’s thanksgiving bash up in Toronto. What did these shallow local reprobates know? They were just hicks!

The KFC heavy hitters were giving thanks to the fellas who’d forked over foreign money for the campaign.

So the Jhaat was in staid old Canada, where the most excitement generated is to watch grass grow and every male is decked out in deadly variations of grey and black.

And this is where Rum Jhaat stood tall by standing green. So what if he looked like he just won some golfing tournament? Or as if he was a pimp from the hood? That wasn’t the point was it? The Jhaat wanted to inspire Guyanese in the Diaspora to remember their “green” land of Guyana. Leave the dull sackcloth and ashes for the real Canadians who never experienced the tropical green.

Satiricus thought, “It took a brave man to stand out like a sore thumb – but it was a “green” thumb”! But the Jhaat had a bigger mission. Back in the day, Jagan and Burnham had tried to educate Guyanese to dump their colonial mentality by adopting the “Shirt Jac” for official wear. For a while in the 1970’s, every male Guyanese ran around in shirt jacks – especially if they wanted a job. But that died off and no one was willing to lead the masses in a display of our native sartorial style and splendour.

Until the Jhaat’s unveiling of the Green jacket in Toronto, that is. The fella was so modest he didn’t even point out his trailblazing role to the gaping, shellshocked crowd. “Look at the thought he put into the details,” thought Satiricus. “And the devil’s always in the details, isn’t it? Who would’ve thought to put gold lapels of a green suit? Devilish! And then to wear it over a black pair of pants!! OOOOh” squealed Satiricus, who was so in love with haute couture.

Satiricus was impressed also that Rum Jhaat was showing some solidarity with our challenged gold industry by wearing all that bling with the Green suit.

Imagine if every red-blooded Guyanese followed the Jhaat’s example and decked out their green suits with gold bling! “Why! In a jiffy gold prices will be heading skywards!! And “I is” Broomes would have to haul more working girls from Bartica!”

Satiricus could not wait until Rum Jhaat returned to Guyana to show Guyanese men what sartorial nuance and nous was all about. Guyanese men were going to be like peacocks…let the colonials be like peahens!

And just in time to show what REAL independence is all about after 50 years!

Pomeroon farmer died from multiple injuries – after hit-and-run accident

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he autopsy conducted on the body of a father of seven who was killed in a hit- andrun accident in the Upper Pomeroon in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) revealed that he died as a result of multiple injuries.

The autopsy was conducted on Tuesday by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh at the Suddie Mortuary. Police are continuing their investigations and to date, no one has been held in connection with the accident.

The body of 58-year-old Nicholas Jacobus surfaced on Sunday after he went missing Friday. Jacobus was last seen on Friday drinking at a nearby shop at Kabakaburi by residents in his neighbourhood. His boat was discovered on Saturday with the front damaged.

Jacobus’ widow, Rita, is calling on the Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. She told Guyana Times that she was in Georgetown with her daughter when she re-

ceived a call on Sunday around 10:00h informing her about the incident.

She said when she went to identify her husband’s body, she realised he had sustained severe injuries.

Jacobus related that her husband was a farmer in the community of Kabakkaburi, but would sometimes do joinery or carpentry work to provide for them. He was described as a loving father by his children. Relatives are currently preparing for his funeral.

wednesday, october 14, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

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News

Agriculture Month activities…

Produce more sheep, goat meat – Minister Noel tells farmers – calls on them to stop importing from New Zealand, start exporting to Caricom

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griculture Minister Noel Holder is calling on livestock farmers to up their production of sheep and goats, with their focus being the Caribbean community (Caricom) market. The call was made on Sunday when he made an address at the West Berbice Sheep and Goat Farmers Association’s (WBSGFA) Eighth annual ‘Sheep and Goat Exhibition’ held at the Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club at Number Six Village, West Coast Berbice, Region Five

He said there is a challenge for farmers to match that demand with supply.

“This is a great trade opportunity for our producers and processors, if only we could increase production and productivity.”

The WBSGFA comprises of 78 members, with 60 per cent being women.

Minister Noel said the fact that so many women are a part of the organisation is commendable. Through the Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Development Project (READ), the Association benefited from

production of sheep and goat from villages extending from Profit to Rosignol, in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice).

Meanwhile, the animals on exhibit were categorised and judged according to breading, exotic and replacement rams, ewes, bucks and does. Referring to the exhibition, Minister Holder said it was an important event which has the potential not only to market livestock to consumers in and around the community, but also as an important vehicle to educate persons beyond Region Five and encourage them to join in the production of livestock. “Sheep and goat rearing is not only tradi-

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

tional for Region Five, but it is an opportunity to earn additional income; more importantly there is a demand for the product in the

market. I have noted with pleasure the range and quality of the animals being exhibited, this is testimony of the potential of our country to become a major player in production, consumption and trade of livestock.”

The Agriculture Minister said he is also aware of some of the constraints facing the livestock industry which include inadequate grazing pastures and cattle rustling. “I know efforts have been made in the past collaborating with the Guyana Police Force to have this addressed. I’m announcing today that efforts will be intensified to have a Praedial Larceny [the theft of agricultural

produce or livestock] Bill taken to Parliament very shortly.”

As it relates to inadequate grazing pastures, the Minister said the GLDA is under new management and is currently looking at several potions of land at Onverwagt to have allocated to the WBSGFA. “Another constraint affecting you is the quality of breading animals. This is something we are vigorously working on. The Ministry of Agriculture will be boosting its artificial insemination programme and will be looking available additional Texana breed of animals to farmers, Minister Noel added.”

Merriman’s Mall vending controversy…

Vendors given until month-end to become uniformed

– register of regularised vendors to be completed

BY AKEEM GREENE

Kunti Deolall of Number 7 Village poses with her trophies and animals – Best Breading Buck and Best Breading Doe

(Mahaica-Berbice).

Minister Holder noted that there is plenty of scope for the sale of sheep and goat meet within the Caribbean. He said livestock farmers must view what they do on a larger scale and not just the sufficiency of domestic production. “We must look at Caricom and regional consumption of sheep and goat meat. The Region is highly dependent on imports from New Zealand and Australia with imports approximately 75 per cent of our consumption. A regional study in 2006 estimated the total value of this industry with respect to meat alone being US$30-$40 million; majority being sheep meat.”

tools and equipment which has realised a 15-25 per cent increase in income, the Agriculture Minister noted. “I must commend the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) on its collaboration with the West Berbice Sheep and Goat farmers Association, and instruct that this model be scaled up throughout the country, especially as we reshape livestock development and focus on rebuilding the national herd.”

The WBSGFA is one of the Associations which recently benefited from READ that produces a variety of non-traditional agricultural products with a comparative advantage in

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ersons plying their trade on the Merriman’s Mall have been given until month-end to get their acts together, become more uniformed and organised if they want to continue the lucrative trade.

Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, speaking with Guyana Times on Tuesday, said that a delegation from the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) visited the area where the Council was experiencing difficulty in its quest to transform the area into a parking lot. The visit was to listen to the concerns of the vendors who would have been adversely affected by this move.

“We visited the area and noticed that the vendors were spread out, occupying unnecessary space and we sought to compress them to

Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green

create more space for parking”.

The area which spans from Cummings Street to Orange Walk is usually a place for fruit and vegetable vendors, but Deputy Mayor Chase-Green said that she asked vendors to become

standardised as the Council is currently undertaking a beatification process of the city and the stalls needed to look more presentable.

Throughout the city, a major beautification process is being conducted, with many of the drains being desilted and areas such as the Merriman’s Mall being turned into play grounds.

Chase-Green further said that “the Clerk of Markets will present a list of names of all by November 1 and we have asked the vendors to chose their own design, size and uniformed colours”.

She explained that the Christmas season is soon arriving and the city usually becomes congested and the Council is beginning to make provisions to deal with such issues when they arise.

Several vendors were

disrupted from their daily routines on Tuesday last at the Merriman’s Mall – which runs parallel with Church Street and North Road – when City Council officers arrived to move them, dismantling and damaging their stalls.

There seemed to be confusion over whether the vendors should be there as City Constabulary members arrived to move them, breaking some stalls in the process.

However when they visited the Mayor, they were told to return to the site and continue plying their trade.

Guyana Times was told that moving the vendors is part of an effort by the M&CC to properly demarcate the size of the various stalls but based on interactions with the outraged vendors, this information was not properly conveyed to them.

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wednesday, october 14, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Keeping it real Jobs for the “foreign boys” AFC junket to Canada

Political devolution as power-sharing

… no report of any investment

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n what was a carefully planned manoeuvre to combine just enough “official business” with personal and party affairs, an Alliance for Change (AFC) delegation went on a junket to Canada where they rewarded four veteran members of the AFC overseas chapters in New York and Toronto as “Ministerial Advisers on Diaspora Affairs” .

This was the assessment of former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Tourism, Industry

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First Vice President and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan addressing the gathering

and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali in an invited comment by this newspaper. Ali, during his term of office was been able to attract billions of dollars of foreign direct investment into Guyana from the Guyanese Diaspora and other foreign investors. Ali in questioning why no investments have been announced, added “It is more than passing strange that all of the Government officials are from the AFC. Surely someone like Finance Minister Walter Jordan or one of the several economic advisers to President David Granger should have been there.”

The AFC delegation consisted of Leader of the AFC and now Vice President and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan; AFC General Secretary and present Infrastructure Minister David Patterson; and AFC Treasurer and now Business Minister Dominic Gaskin.

They met with a number of individuals said to be investors at the offices of a Toronto law firm on Friday, October 9. turn to page 16

Rapes up... from page 3

Pedestrians were named the main category of road users affected in road fatalities, with 31 such persons having lost their lives at the end of September. In addition, 8 pedal cyclists, 23 persons in motor vehicles, 13 motorcyclists, 11 drivers, 3 pillion riders and 1 person who was being towed on a bicycle also lost their lives.

Further, the Police noted that speeding has been the major contributory factor to fatal accidents, causing 36 of the 76 fatal accidents unto September.

Meanwhile, traffic enforcement efforts by the Police have resulted in a total of 43,071 cases for this year being made against errant motorists at the end of September 2015. Of this, a total of 17,582 cases were for speeding, 1666 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 489 for using a cell phone while driving and 1156 for failing to wear a seat belt.

he current controversy regarding the jawdropping salary increases for Government Ministers, a story broken

by Guyana Times, has not surprisingly diverted attention from the powersharing discussions initiated

by Granger’s invitation to the Opposition Leader to discuss "unity" talks. But it has emphasised the question of "trust" before real power sharing can be Dr Baytoram Ramharack implemented, raised by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C). How can the People’s National Congress-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) be trusted, the PPP will ask, when it betrayed even its own supporters on salaries?

As shown by the said salary fiasco, politicians love power and are more than happy to be in a position of influence over their fellow countrymen. This has never been truer of Guyana, where competition for political power often segues into electoral violence and intense political campaigns have led to clearly drawn boundaries between the majority African and Indian populations. As I said, “executive power-sharing” will not get us anywhere, particularly since both the ruling coalition and the Opposition PPP/C parties feel they have an equal chance of winning the next election.

In the traditional sense of the term, power-sharing is rooted in the work of Arend Lijphart, a Dutch Political Scientist who argues that for power-sharing to work, it has to be based on a number of existing principles, all or most of which must be present. One, meaningful political power has to be shared among legitimate ethnic leaders who represent their constituents. In our context, this would include legitimate leaders from the African, Indian and Amerindian communities joining hands to form a “grand ruling coalition” or the creation of “big tent” politics. These leaders can “caucus” from time to time to ensure that legitimate community interests are addressed, including those of ethnic organisations (IAC, ACDA, TAAMOG, APA, GOIP, etc).

Two, there has to be a recognition that power-sharing must be transformed from the Executive to the lower level, where group autonomy or segmental authority is given to the various ethnic groups. Transferring power from the top to the bottom will reduce competition at the national level and promote intra-ethnic competition at the local level. In other words, a devolution of power across geographical space (be they counties or regional areas) would reduce the significance of “abe on top” politics.

Three, it is suggested that ethnic political leaders must also be given a special kind of power, namely a mutual veto power when it comes to exercising their support or disapproval over policies and issues most germane to their survival. This principle has the potential of creating political gridlock. Four, a central feature of power-sharing is the institutional changes that reflect some level of proportionality base on the makeup of the national population. This would no doubt include a balancing of the main institutions of power, including the military, Police Force and the civil service. The rationale is that a more diverse ethnic community within these institutions would assure a sharing of the burden of running the country while providing an environment that fosters cultural appreciation and understanding, thereby avoiding a situation where one ethnic group can dominate political power through “kith and kin” politics.

Perhaps what Guyana needs is a combination of all or some of these principles. But I would add that a more popular strategy that has been tested and which represents a growing trend today is the notion of a devolution of political power (federal structure). Such a transformation would move us away from majoritarian rule and closer to a winner does not take all politics.

A federal structure would do well to alleviate our racial problems. This means the abolishing of winner take all politics will give way to local policing, local taxation and spending and local politics would serve as a laboratory for training leaders who want to rise to the challenge of national politics.

Essentially, national politics will become less than zero sum competition where there are winners but no real losers.

In addition, coalition politics, if genuinely pursued will establish a bridge across the racial gap. The change in demographics has accommodated for this. The Indian population has shifted from 51.5 per cent to 43.5 per cent from 1994 to 2002, according to the Bureau of Statistics figures, while the African population remained stable at 30.5 per cent over the same time period. The “mixed” population, who generally do not vote for the PPP/C, increased by about seven per cent (16.8 per cent) and Amerindians increased by five per cent. In other words, the PPP/C on its own cannot win elections based on ethnic support alone. Coalition politics must be encouraged.

news

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wednesday, october 14, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

GMC stands resolute in 13-year-old gang raped at Westbury serving stakeholders – APNU/AFC Councillor Naithram calls – willing to help in facilitating export of non-traditional crops

for Probation Officer’s intervention

he Agriculture Ministry through the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) will remain firm in facilitating and coordinating the development of quality non-traditional agricultural produce for both local and overseas markets.

This was the pronouncement of Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, who said the GMC will continue to offer support to any individual or group that wishes to export agricultural commodities, both regionally and extraregionally.

Minister Holder, speaking to dozens of exporters, prospective exporters and other stakeholders on Tuesday, at the GMC’s second Export Facilitation Workshop, at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, pointed to the essential role of marketing in agriculture.

“The Government of Guyana has recognised the need for increased production, transformation and economic diversification of the agricultural sector. We are cognisant of the fact that we have to increase our exports of agricultural commodities to ensure sustained growth of the economy,” Minister Holder told dozens of stakeholders.

Export is a key aspect of economic development and the GMC has over the years supported and promoted the export of non-traditional agricultural commodities through its marketing information centre, export brokerage service department and packaging facilities.

The GMC also provides assistance and support to boost exports through trade

13-year-old who was gang raped by several males at Westbury, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) recently was still to receive aid from regional officials who appear to be dragging their feet on the matter.

According to information reaching Guyana Times, the 8th of May Secondary School student, was approached by several young men and an older man while she was walking home one evening.

The child was then taken to a house where she was allegedly gang raped by the men. After hours of being abused, the men left the child after which she sought help. She was then taken to the Suddie Public Hospital for a medical examination.

The matter was reported to the Police and to date seven persons have been charged.

The matter was raised by an A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance

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A section of the stakeholders at the Export Facilitation Workshop at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre

facilitation to exporters and potential exporters and commits to increase non-sugar, non-rice exports by 25 per cent by 2020.

The Agriculture Minister however, noted that agricultural development involves shifts. “We need to move from subsistence survival level to high return commercial investment as changing market conditions and policy requirements contribute to the success or failure of our agriculture policy specifically marketing,” he said.

“We will continue to avail our service for use at a subsidised price to ensure that commodities are transported and stored at the required temperature through the use of our refrigerated trucks, refrigerated containers, thereby maintaining the cold chain after post-harvest,” Minister Holder stated.

It is anticipated that collaboration will be strengthened with other Governmental agencies, such as the Guyana Office

for Investment (GO-Invest) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to expedite the export documentation process.

Meanwhile, in her remarks, GMC’s acting General Manager Ida Sealey Adams, stated that, “we at the GMC are mindful of the current role marketing plays in truly realising the vision of an agricultural sector, we are cognisant of the role that marketing plays in being the medium for economic and social prosperity in Guyana. We also recognise the important role of all the other stakeholders.”

Adams outlined the specific roles of the GMC with regard to marketing and export of Guyana’s agricultural produce. The corporation has been assiduously working to achieve its mandate of promoting the cultivation and export of Guyana’s non-traditional agricultural crops, and is constantly evaluating market behaviour and trends, and guiding stakeholders accordingly.

Popeye’s employee charged for stealing $180,000 from restaurant

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n employee of Popeye’s fast food restaurant was on Tuesday placed on $30,000 bail by Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after she appeared before her charged with stealing money from the fast food outlet.

Niketa Wilson, 25, of 11 Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara, denied the allegation which stated that on Saturday, October 10 at Camp Street, Georgetown, while being employed by Popeye’s restaurant, she stole $180,000 property of the said restaurant.

The particulars of the

charge were not revealed in court. Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones made no objection to bail which was granted in the sum of $30,000.

The matter was transferred to Court Five for October 25 when it will appear before Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

Street, Georgetown, stole one cellular phone and $10,000 cash, property of the Virtual Complainant (VC) Odessa Fraser.

The particulars of the charge were not revealed in court; however, it was stated by Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones that

the items were not recovered. The accused was however positively identified during an identification parade. After reviewing the particulars of the charge, the Magistrate remanded the accused to prison and adjourned the matter until October 29.

Plaisance man remanded on simple larceny charge

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Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, resident was on Tuesday remanded to prison by Magistrate Ann McLennan after he appeared before her charged with simple larceny.

It is alleged that Anthony Charles, 25, of 110 Lombard

GMC has moved away from its traditional role of selling on a large scale, agricultural products countrywide. Now the focus has been shifted to providing the kinds of services and support to agro-processors, exporters and farmers that would aid in the viability and sustainability of the

A

For Change (APNU/AFC) Councillor Naithram at the RDC meeting on Tuesday.

He called for a thorough investigation from the Police in the matter. Naithram added that the Probation Officers within the Region failed to give the child support she need.

The Councillor said the terrified child and her relatives needed to be given more attention in terms of counselling and to date no one from the Social Security Department in the Region has visited the family. The child told investigators that she was assaulted by several men, including an elder.

Region Two Chairman Daveanand Ramdatt said he has received several complaints that probation workers within Region Two were not doing their job.

Ramdatt said he was totally against child abuse in all of its forms. He called on the Police to conduct an investigation into the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, october 14, 2015

Regional

US ‘will not press for FARC St Lucia to promote extraditions’ from Colombia business and tourism

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he US Ambassador to Bogota, Colombia says the US will leave it up to Colombia to decide how to deal with demobilised Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels who have committed crimes.

Ambassador Kevin Whitaker said the US would not press for the extradition of left-wing FARC guerrillas. A number of FARC rebels have in the past been extradited to the US to serve long sentences for drug trafficking.

The FARC and the Colombian Government are engaged in peace talks and recently reached a deal on transitional justice.

Speaking to Colombia’s Caracol Radio, Ambassador Whitaker said the agreement the Colombian Government and rebel negotiators had reached on September 23 was “historic”. Under the deal, rebels

in Saudi Arabia

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The Farc leadership has been fighting the Government from the mountains of Colombia for decades

who have committed political crimes as part of the conflict will be granted an amnesty.

Only those who refuse to own up to crimes committed will be sent to ordinary prisons while the others will undergo “alternative forms”

of punishment. FARC negotiators have in the past said they would not accept any agreement which could see their members deported to the United States.

They have also been pushing for the release of the senior FARC rebel

known as Simon Trinidad from US custody. Trinidad, a senior FARC rebel, was deported from Colombia to the US, where he was sentenced to 60 years in prison for plotting to hold three Americans hostage. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Trinidad MP apologises All eyes on the Jamaica Senate’s CCJ debate this Friday after “stink mouth” outburst in Parliament T

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pposition Chief Whip, Dr Roodal Moonilal has apologised for telling a Government MP to shut his “stink mouth”, while Attorney General Faris Al Rawi was making a contribution in Parliament on Monday morning.

And he sought to clarify that it was not Al Rawi, but Laventille West MP Fitzgerald Hinds he was addressing, suggesting that Hinds had provoked him.

“Mr Hinds is himself quite provocative, so in the heat of the Parliamentary banter I may have said something that I regret, so I quickly withdrew the statement and apologised properly,” Moonilal said in an interview with CNC3, although not indicating what

Hinds had said to set him off.

Moonilal’s “shut your stink mouth” was heard clearly in the background as Al Rawi was on his feet. The reaction from Government benches was immediate, as seen and heard in the video, with Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley expressing his objection to the comment. That was followed

by Speaker of the House Bridgid Annisette-George warning parliamentarians to be respectful to each other.

“I have heard the comment from this chair and I would like all members to be guided by the Standing Orders and at least show each other some respect,” she said. (Caribbean360)

he Senate will start debating the three Bills which have been tabled by the Prime Minister in the Government’s search for parliamentary support to replace the Privy Council in England with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as Jamaica’s final court of appeal.

What makes the Senate debate more interesting than the debate in the House of Representatives, which ended on May 12 with the Government’s twothirds majority safely carrying the Bill across that threshold, is obviously the fact that there can be no two-thirds majority in the Senate unless one of the Opposition members votes with the Government.

All eyes have been on

Brazil’s Rousseff gains time to avert impeachment

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Supreme Court injunction on Tuesday won President Dilma Rousseff more time to muster votes in Congress to block Opposition efforts to impeach her on charges of manipulating Government accounts.

Opposition parties had planned to force a vote in the lower house that could have opened proceedings to impeach the President as early as this week.

But a Supreme Court justice suspended the manoeuvre with an injunction sought by lawmakers of the ruling Workers’ Party.

Brazil’s worst recession in 25 years and a huge corruption scandal at state-run oil company Petrobras have pushed

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff speaks during a news conference after the bilateral meeting at the Narino Palace in Bogota, Colombia October 9

Rousseff’s approval ratings into single digits and put

her political survival at risk.

Nine months into her second term, polls show two thirds of Brazilians want to see her impeached.

The Supreme Court’s decision gives her some extra time to line up her supporters in Congress, although the speaker of the lower house Eduardo Cunha insisted on Tuesday he would continue to review impeachment requests despite the injunction.

“The decision on impeachment requests is a constitutional prerogative I have and it is not being questioned. I continue to have this prerogative and I will use it,” said Cunha, a former ally of Rousseff’s who recently broke away and joined the Opposition. (Excerpt from Reuters)

the two Opposition senators who were returned to the Senate in February, after a Supreme Court ruling, as candidates for reversing their positions.

However, speculation is that it is a very unlikely outcome, considering that these are not senators without strong, traditional loyalties as were the people who had temporarily replaced them during their temporary absence from Parliament.

An inside informed assessment suggests that the Opposition might have been more vulnerable to a reversal of support, had they kept the two senators who had replaced them and whose political loyalty has been less tried and tested in the political arena. (Excerpt from Jamaica

Observer)

he Government of St Lucia is expanding its business and tourism profile in the Middle East, with the establishment of the Office of the Honorary Consul in Saudi Arabia, and it has appointed Halla Walid Al Juffali as Honorary Consul based in Jeddah.

Juffali undertook a tour of the island and met with Government officials, major national institutions and Government agencies to familiarise herself with business and life in St Lucia, in preparation for her responsibilities as the representative in Saudi Arabia.

The Office of the Honorary Consul will

commence operations on November 1.

The Government stressed that the establishment of the office comes at no cost to the taxpayers of St Lucia.

A major training workshop with travel agents in Saudi Arabia will be organised as the first activity of that office. Other activities will include investment and business promotion.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the largest economies in the Middle East and is the largest producer and exporter of oil in the world. It is the only Arab country to be part of the G-20 major economies.

(Caribbean360)

St Vincent PM tries to head off teachers strike

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Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves

rime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves has issued another appeal to teachers and public servants in St Vincent and the Grenadines not to withdraw their services on Tuesday.

The Public Service Union and the Teachers Union, the two main trade unions representing public servants, said that they still intend to stage a one-day strike to press the

Government to pay workers one month’s salary tax free.

Addressing supporters at a Unity Labour Party rally on Sunday night, the Prime Minister urged teachers and public servants to rethink their decision about the strike action.

The Prime Minister also said that he is willing to meet with the executive of the trade unions for further discussions on the issue.

(Caribbean News Now)

Antigua: Hundreds of HIV positive persons still not receiving treatment

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undreds of HIV positive people in Antigua and Barbuda are still not receiving treatment according to the country’s HIV Clinical Care Coordinator.

Dr Maria Pereira gave the latest statistics which show about 563 people known to be HIV positive are not getting treatment. “Since the end of June 2015, the number of persons who have tested positive in Antigua and Barbuda 1078.

About 264 have died and 251 are in treatment. There are quite a number of persons who are HIV positive and are not in treatment.

So for everyone who knows their status, I recommend they immediately into treatment. It might be something that is difficult to accept because sometimes in small societies there is a lot of stigma and discrimination associated with the virus. I suggest persons come into the clinical care coordinators office and get their treatment”.

Meantime Dr Pereira says the country is not following a new policy issued by the World Health Organisation last month – which calls for everyone who has HIV to be offered antiretroviral drugs as soon as possible after diagnosis.

The HIV Clinical Care Coordinator says the WHO’s advice has been constantly evolving and says the country is still following older policy guidelines from the organisation.

“Now the new thinking is that once a person is diagnosed HIV positive the medication is started immediately because the research has shown that it gives the person the best outcome. Here in Antigua we adhere to the policy of the WHO”. Dr Pereira however expects the local policy to change in line with latest WHO advice but says it will be costly for the country. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

wednesday, october 14, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the world

Dutch Board says Russian-made Mumbai ink attack: India Police missile downed MH17 arrest six Shiv Sena workers

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Two hundred and ninety eight people – most of them Dutch and including 80 children – died in the crash on July 17, 2014 [FILE - AP]

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alaysia Airlines flight MH17 was hit and downed by a Russian-made surface-toair BUK missile over eastern Ukraine last year, the Dutch Safety Board said.

“Flight MH17 crashed as a result of the detonation of a warhead outside the airplane against the left-hand side of the cockpit,” the Chairman of the Dutch Safety Board, Tjibbe Joustra, told a press conference on Tuesday.

“This warhead fits the kind of missile that is installed in the BUK surfaceto-air missile system.”

While he insisted in-

vestigators had not pinned down the exact location of the missile’s launch site, maps shown to reporters clearly showed the area near Donetsk held by pro-Russian separatists.

Even before the highlyanticipated release of the official report on the disaster, Russian officials were disputing the findings which are sure to further degrade strained ties between Moscow and the West.

Joustra also hit out at the Ukrainian authorities for allowing civil aircraft to continue to fly above the eastern part of the country despite the raging conflict

between Kiev’s forces and pro-Russian separatist insurgents.

“We have concluded as a precaution there was sufficient reason for the Ukrainian authorities to close the air space above the eastern part of their country,” he said.

Relatives earlier emerged visibly shaken after being privately briefed by Joustra in a conference centre in The Hague about the fate of the Boeing 777 which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it went down on July 17 last year.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

olice in India’s Mumbai city say they have held six members of a Hindu right-wing group for dousing the head of a think-tank in black ink.

The Shiv Sena party inked Sudheendra Kulkarni on Monday. Kulkarni was organising the launch of a book by former Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri.

The party described the ink attack as a “peaceful protest” against Pakistan.

It later cancelled a planned protest at the launch of the book.

“We have arrested six men, they are all Shiv Sainiks and have been released on bail,” Mumbai Police Deputy Commissioner Dhananjay Kulkarni told AFP news agency.

The ink attack coincided with the book launch of ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri (right)

Sudheendra Kulkarni, who was admitted to hospital to have the ink removed, has condemned the incident as an “assault on democracy”.

However, the launch of Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account

of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy was carried out without incident after the party cancelled a planned protest at the launch.

The Shiv Sena party is a junior coalition partner in the Maharashtra State Government. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Four killed in Israeli violence

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hree Israelis have been killed and more than 20 injured in shooting and stabbing attacks in Jerusalem and central Israel, Israeli Police say.

Two were killed when two assailants, who were identified as Palestinian, shot and stabbed passengers on a bus in Jerusalem before being shot by Police.

Another Israeli died after being run down and stabbed elsewhere in the city.

Later, a Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, medics said.

Near-daily stabbings by Palestinians have left dozens of Israelis dead and wounded over the past fortnight. Several attack-

ers and at least 17 other Palestinians have also been killed.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Government planned new security measures that would “settle its accounts with the murderers, with those who try murder and with all those who assist them”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Clinton and Sanders to face Iran Parliament passes bill off in first Democratic debate approving nuclear deal

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illary Clinton is preparing for the first Democratic presidential debate, seeking to mix her mastery of policy with a more personal touch.

For chief rival Bernie Sanders, the debate is a chance to reach a broader audience after months of appealing to the party’s most liberal voters.

But unlike recent Republican debates, Tuesday’s Democratic outing is expected to be more substance than slugfest.

Analysts expect a heavy focus on economic issues like income inequality.

The three other, mostly unknown, candidates – former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee – will be seeking a standout moment after months of languishing in the polls.

And Vice-President Joe Biden, who is still considering a run for the White House, will loom large despite not actually being on stage.

The debate organisers at CNN have set aside a lectern just on the off-chance Biden decides to enter the fray at

the last minute. The debate is set to start at 17:30h local time (00:30 GMT).

Mrs Clinton – long seen as the presumptive frontrunner – has seen her support wane amid questions about her trustworthiness.

She has been criticised for using a private email account when she served as US Secretary of State, a move she now calls a mistake.

Some Republicans say Mrs Clinton put classified information at risk by using the private account – a charge she denies. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Guinea election: Poll valid but disorganised – EU monitors

G

uinea’s presidential election on Sunday was valid, but there were severe logistical difficulties, according to European Union election observers.

This comes after the Opposition called the vote fraudulent and demanded a re-run. They also threatened to protest, something the observers urged against.

The final result is expected in the next few

days.

It was the country’s second democratic presidential election since it gained independence from France in 1958.

The EU’s chief observer, Frank Engel, said he hoped Guineans remember this as a “milestone” in their “young democratic institutions”.

But he also said there were many shortcomings, including problems with voter registration.

Engel added that the lack of transparency had led him to lose confidence in the electoral commission, and that he would be watching to see the results were announced in a suitable way.

The EU observers have asked that any grievances are directed at the courts, not aired on the streets.

Several people were killed in clashes during the election campaign. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

The deal calls for limiting Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for lifting economic sanctions [AP]

I

ran’s Parliament has passed a bill supporting a nuclear deal with world powers, amounting to a victory for the Government over conservative opponents of the agreement and clearing the way for it to be implemented.

Many legislators strongly opposed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that President Hassan Rouhani’s Government reached with world powers on July 14, and Tuesday’s vote removes an obstacle to putting the agreement into practice.

“Members of Parliament made a well-considered de-

cision today showing they have a good understanding of the country’s situation,” Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, Government Spokesman, said in a televised news conference after the vote.

The bill was passed with 161 votes for, 59 against and 13 abstentions, State news agency IRNA said.

It had passed a preliminary vote on Sunday by a smaller margin, and will now be submitted to a clerical body for final approval and passage into law.

The bill stipulates that inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, need approval

from a top Iranian security body before visiting military sites, leaving the possibility that disagreements could still arise.

Western diplomats said last month that IAEA inspectors, who are tasked with verifying member states are not developing nuclear weapons, will have access to military sites where Iranian technicians are taking swipe samples.

The bill also says Iran should resume its nuclear activities, which it is curbing under the JCPOA, if international sanctions are not lifted as agreed. (Excerpt from

Al Jazeera)

16 news

wednesday, october 14, 2015| guyanatimesGY.com

Police continue to build Ramsammy’s Ruminations APNU/AFC talk of closure relationship with society and privatisation of sugar is irresponsible and dangerous I n order to strengthen its relationship with society, the Guyana Police Force is continuing efforts aimed at crime prevention through its Police-community partnership programme, along with other social crime prevention interventions in the various Policing Divisions, with special emphasis on empowering youths.

During the month of September, the President Youth Award Programme of Guyana (PYARG) came on board in a partnership with the Force’s A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) in its social crime prevention activities and youth development. Through the PYARG, training programmes focusing on moral values, self-esteem and leadership were held with over 150 youths from the Police Youth Clubs in the Division.

On September 7, officials

of the Food For The Poor (Guyana) Inc donated musical instruments for a complete Marching Band to the Police in A Division which in turn was presented to the Berea Seventh Day Adventist Church, Albouystown, Georgetown. The instruments will be used for the Marching Band and also for a Musical Training Class for youths of the community.

Then on September 26, the Police donated a fourburner gas stove and a quantity of rice to the Heavenly Light Temple in Albouystown in order to assist with its feeding programme as well as a Baking and Cake Decorating Course that is open to residents of the community.

Interaction with young persons, attached to the Police Youth Clubs in the Police Division, continued with educational talks on healthy lifestyles and drug resistance,

and training sessions in first aid, Information Technology, karate, hollow block making and auto mechanics.

Additionally, school supplies were distributed to a number of youths in the Alberttown Police Station District.

Meanwhile, in B Division (Berbice), the Police, in collaboration with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, donated footwear, school bags and educational materials to a number of less fortunate students of the community and also donated a quantity of medical scrubs to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.

In collaboration with the Health Ministry in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), a medical outreach in the form of a dental clinic was held for students of the Woodley Park Secondary School as well as a substance abuse seminar at the Fort Wellington

Secondary School. A Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programme was completed with a number of students from the Canje Secondary School. With assistance from medical personnel of the Skeldon Public Hospital, the Police in that Division also conducted an empowerment lecture focusing on HIV/AIDS for youths of the Skeldon community.

During September, the Police in D Division (West Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) also conducted a DARE programme for students attached to the Vreeden-Hoop Secondary School and six young women graduated from a six-week cooking programme that was organised by the Police and facilitated by the management of the Madina Restaurant at De Willem, West Coast Demerara (WCB). turn to page 19

Gun amnesty ends today...

No weapons linked to crime – Crime Chief ...Police never expected criminals to turn in their weapons – Seelall

P

olice Commissioner Seelall Persaud says the Police never expected criminals to turn in their weapons during the amnesty programme which was organised by Government to get illegal guns off of the streets.

The amnesty programme comes to an end today. The Commissioner, addressing the issue on Tuesday at Number 62 Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) during a public meeting held at the Tagore Memorial Secondary School, said with only today left, a total of 171 firearms have been turned in. “It was not our expectation that the thieves who go around earning their living by robbing people would hand in their guns, we never expected that. The man on the Corentyne who waited until blackout and shot his wife; guns in the hands of people like that, who has no criminal intent can be used in that moment of anger or can

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

get into the hands of persons with criminal intent.”

Meanwhile, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said none of the firearms received during this amnesty period has been traced to a crime scene.

According to the Senior Superintendent, of the 171 firearms turned in, already 90 per cent have been processed. “None of them have been linked. The spent shells that we have been re-

Jobs for...

Earlier in the month, Patterson had explained that after President Granger’s visit to Canada, he had been bombarded with requests for investments from businessmen and the trip was accordingly arranged. He specifically mentioned the proposed Demerara Harbour Bridge (which the British Ambassador suggested later that Britain might build for free), the development of four new townships, alternative energy sources, and security services for the Cheddi Jagan Iinternational Airport. It is said that these projects in addition to mining prospects were discussed. However there was

trieving from crime scenes, predominantly they are not from shot guns. They are 9mm and a few instances we get AK47, only one AK47 has come in so far.”

Blanhum said the figure of 171 firearms turned in was taken of the period ending Monday evening. Of that number, 146 are shot guns, with an excess of 1800 rounds of ammunition. In efforts to curb the number of gun related crimes and rid the streets of unlicensed weapons, the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition had outlined in its election manifesto that it will be implementing an amnesty programme for the surrender of illegal weapons which will be backed by a “voluntary weapons collection” programme.

Seelall’s position supports the position taken by the main Opposition, People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) on the amnesty programme. Even

before it commenced on September 1, the PPP/C said it would fail. Former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said that Government is wasting its time in this regard, as no success will be had from this crime fighting initiative. “The gun amnesty touted by Ramjattan is bound to fail. Similar programmes were tried in various forms and fashions in various parts of the world, with various levels of success. In most cases, the programme did not reach the anticipated success”, Rohee argued.

However in its election manifesto, the coalition said that the amnesty programme will be accompanied by a special fund to provide alternative opportunities for training, development of generating projects, credit, etc, for youth at risk, and sport, scouting and other cadet like schemes for youth in schools and religious organisations,” the manifesto detailed.

AFC Executives, joined by AFC Executive and present Prime Minister and First Vice President Moses Nagamootoo, whose first class airfares and hotel accommodations were paid for by the Government , presented Certificates of Instruments, appointing four North American AFC members as “Ministerial Advisers on Diaspora Affairs. These were Dr Rohan Somar of New Jersey, Accountant Tameshwar Lilmohan of Toronto, and Earth Marshall and Ron Alert of the US. The overseas AFC members were extravagantly praised by Ramjattan and Nagamootoo for their contributions to their party. The lat-

ter took the opportunity to tell the 200 odd guests that the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition had fulfilled their campaign promises to the Government workers and that the extravagant salary increases for Government Ministers and Vice Presidents, including himself, were merely “trying to correct the deficiencies of the past.”

Nagamootoo and his wife arrived in Toronto via New York, New Jersey and Texas after departing Guyana on “leave” mere hours after President Granger returned from his foreign trip.

from page 12

no announcement of any of the “investors” present at the meeting making any commitment towards any investment.

There was another meeting at the Riverstoen Golf Club in Brampton where the four Ministers were accompanied by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, with more than 26 Diaspora owned companies. No investments were also announced.

Junket and awards

But at an extravagant event, dubbed the “Alliance For Change Appreciation Dinner and Dance” at the Woodbine Banquet Halle in Brampton, Ontario the four

F

ormer President Donald Ramotar posited recently that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and sugar still have a meaningful future and successes to come. Former President Bharrat Jagdeo has always maintained that sugar has a successful future ahead.

As Agriculture Minister, I often declared that the glory days of GuySuCo are not over and the best days are ahead. One can say, as they say in the investment world and in Wall Street, that we are bullish on GuySuCo. I suspect we can say that the Dr Leslie Ramsammy People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is bullish on sugar in Guyana.

We will be burying our heads in the sand if we cannot concede that GuySuCo has had troubling and disappointing times in the last several years. Production has fallen, yields of cane from the fields and sugar yields from cane have significantly dropped, Skeldon Estate has not performed as expected and costs of production has skyrocketed to unprofitable levels. At the same time, GuySuCo has not maintained its Caribbean markets and prices have plummeted.

Its troubles necessitate subsidy from the Government. The PPP Government had provided subsidies of over $20 billion in the last several years. The A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) has been reluctant to provide needed subsidies and have done so “kicking and screaming”. The same Government that has been reluctant to provide support to GuySuCo was generous in paying a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) that is at least one month late in presenting its findings to the Cabinet. The Commission is likely to rack up a bill of over $75 million to tell them what GuySuCo already knows.

We are awaiting its findings with suspicion that APNU/AFC is setting the stage for some privatisation and closings. They have already indicated that they want to close at least two estates and I suspect that the CoI will make this recommendation. This will be a big mistake.

I concede that GuySuCo has had and will continue for some time to experience bad times. But GuySuCo has exceeded 10,000 tons of production at least twice this crop. It had one of its best first crop production this year after at least five years of difficulties meeting its first crop production targets. Skeldon Estate has exceeded the 2000 tons per week target at least twice this crop and is performing closer to expectations. Yields at the factory level have been closer to expected yields and targets.

It is no coincidence that every time GuySuCo has had good weeks of production in the last five years, the successes have coincided also with good weather. If we examine every crop, during extended periods of dry weather, GuySuCo has done well.

The production of 10,000 tons per week has periodically been recorded in the last several years during dry weather periods.

As Agriculture Minister I pointed out many times that among the problems GuySuCo faces is the weather. The weather pattern in Guyana in the last several years has changed. This is one of the climate change consequences. The adaptation of GuySuCo to mitigate the impact of climate change has not been fully thought out and until GuySuCo is able to find an answer to how it will reengineer and re-orient its business to take into consideration climate change and changing weather patterns, GuySuCo will continue to have problems.

This in no way means that the weather is GuySuCo ‘s only problem. But the changing weather pattern is a major part of the problem and a weather response is critical for the future of GuySuCo. Consider that in the past two weeks and in other periods in the last several years when the sugar corporation was able to meet and surpass its targets, it is the same factories, the same workers and the same managers.

This demonstrate that the potential for success in sugar remains high and any knee-jerk response for political reasons will jeopardise sugar and the economic and social development of Guyana as a whole. Closure is not the answer, privatisation will kill GuySuCo. We must be able to develop a program that allows GuySuCo to work alongside weather changes, increase cane production by improving our agricultural practices to increase field yields to greater than 80 tons per acre, attain a minimum of 75 per cent mechanisation by 2020 and continue to focus on value-added production, such as energy and packaged and processed sugar.

These were the major initiatives that the GuySuCo ‘s turnaround plan addressed. These remain the major initiatives that GuySuCo must continue to work on. If we can do these things we will preserve a critical industry for our country, but also secure the glory days for sugar in Guyana. Talk of privatisation and closure are not just premature, they are absolutely irresponsible, dangerous and counter-productive. The People’s National Congress (PNC) once destroyed sugar and left it at death’s door. Today, APNU/AFC seems determined to complete the unfinished agenda of the PNC – close sugar. Cheddi Jagan’s response remains our response – over our dead bodies.

17

news

wednesday, october 14, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Sharad Navratri 2015…

“Be enlightened, make positive decisions” – Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha tells Hindus

A

s the Hindu brothers and sisters in Guyana continue to observe the auspicious season of “Navratri” the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha is urging that all be enlightened to make rational and positive decisions and be guided to act in accordance with the Dharmic values.

According to the organisation, this period dedicated to the worship of ‘Shakti Ma’ which commenced on October 13 will last for nine days/nights and concludes on October 21.

Guyana Times understands that this festival allows the Hindu society to appreciate the significance

of worshiping the divine as ‘Shakti’ or the feminine aspect, ensuring that in present day society there is a continuous fight for the upliftment, protection and empowerment of women.

In a press release from the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha on Tuesday, it was stated that as women, just as ‘Durga Ma’ has a multitude of dimensions, so too must all women recognise their abilities and inherent divinity as well as never to allow others to raise doubts as to capabilities and potential.

Guyana Times was told that the emergence of Durga Devi took place in the context of a cosmic crisis. The well-

US funds new $US750,000 project

... to promote democratic values like LEAD

W

ith the United States (USAID) L e a d e r s h i p and Democracy (LEAD) Programme out of the way, the US Government has announced a new aid programme valued at some US$750,000 that will be used to fund the young political leader programme.

While no specific details about the programme was communicated, new United States Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway said the programme will get underway very soon.

The new programme will replace the controversial LEAD project, which was implemented under the Donald Ramotar Administration some two years ago, and which came to an end earlier this year.

Chargé d’Affaires Bryan Hunt told Guyana Times recently that his Government remains committed to working with the new Government to find ways of supporting democracy and governance.

He had indicated that discussions on the parameters of possible future programming were at the time on stream. The LEAD project had as its main focus, supporting stakeholders’ efforts to promote effective and responsive democratic institutions and the strengthening of political and consensusbuilding processes and skills through programmed components.

Last year, Chief of Party of the LEAD Project Glen Bradbury held a numer of consultations including town hall meetings across Guyana.

There, Guyanese were said to be a part of the advancement of democracy; the objective of the International Republican Institute (IRI) which was at the forefront of the LEAD project.

The IRI has also been instrumental in offering assistance to the National Council of Youth, carrying out numerous training sessions with youth groups across the country. The other aspects of the LEAD project included women and gen-

US Ambassador Perry Holloway

der groups, local government and the National Assembly.

The US embassy had reported late last year that the USAID and IRI had held dialogue with a wide cross-section of stakeholders to implement the programme’s activities in key areas.

The implementation process was said to be undertaken in active partnership with a variety of national institutions, including the National Assembly, the Guyana Elections Commission, the Women and Gender Equality Commission, various youth organisations and civil society. Consultations were also held with Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that which had indicated an interest in information on civic education and Local Government Elections.

Prior to its ending, the LEAD project had last year come under fire from the Guyana Government which had publicly chastised the US for pursuing the programme, despite its strong objections. The Government had posited that the project’s design and implementation were unacceptable and that the action taken by former US Ambassador D Brendt Hardt was a clear departure from protocol and conventions governing inter-state relations, and deserved full condemnation.

known account of the origin or Durga Devi is tied to the demon Mahisasur who was granted a boon which made him invincible to all his opponents except a woman.

It must be noted that Durga Devi is the embodied strength of the Gods. The fiery energies of light and strength emitted from Shakti creating Durga Devi whose splendour spread throughout the Universe.

“She received the trident or ‘Trishul’ from Shiva, the Sudarsan Chakra or discus from Vishnu Bhagwan, and bow and arrows from Vayu, etc.

Fully equipped, she roared mightily, causing the earth to shake. She defeated Mahisasur,” the release said.

According to the Dharmic Sabha, the Devi Bhagwatam records two other major divine interventions of Durga Devi, the battle with Madhu and Kaithab and ‘Shumbh’ and ‘Nishumbh’ whom she conquered and on each occasion restored stability and

peace on earth.

As such, Navratri then is a time when all Hindus adore that power in the form of the universal Mother called by many names – Durga, Kali, Ambika, Jagdamba, Uma, Gauri, Lalita and Chamundi and these are different aspects of the single Shakti or power.

This newspaper was further told that the nine night period is divided into sets of three, during which time the Universal Mother is worshipped in her three principal forms, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.

As Durga, she is known to have conquered all her foes and is portrayed as the source of power and force.

Hence, persons pray to her and she is invoked in this aspect to destroy all negative tendencies.

“The power aspect of the Mother is to protect the devotee from its many dangers, disappointments and pitfalls. In the divine form of

Lakshmi, she is symbolic of prosperity and abundance.

Devotees pay homage and pray that their lives may be filled with every happiness and abundance,” the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha noted.

It was further stated that the idea is not only to pursue material prosperity but also spiritual exaltation and peace or ‘shakti.’

“We seek the manifestation of Maha Lakshmi Devi to assist us in our transition from the dark recesses of ignorance unto the sublime, indeed to cultivate the nobler sentiments, the inner wealth of our hearts. The final phase of Navratri is dedicated to the Goddess Saraswati who is the giver of intelligence. In this aspect, worship is necessary to achieve knowledge, consciousness and self-illumination and having invoked Durga and adored Lakshmi, one is fit to enter the temple of Saraswati – Goddess of learning,” the press statement also read.

This publication understands that the observance of Navratri at this time, with the strictest spiritual discipline, yields immense material and spiritual gains.

“The festival concludes on October 22 in Dusshera or Vijayadasami which celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over the wicked demon Mahishasura and commemorates the killing of the great demon king of Lanka, Ravan,

by Bhagwan Rama. Both Mahishasura and Ravan were demons and their execution is a symbol of the destruction of the evil that resides within our mind. Navaratri then represents the triumph of good over evil.”

Hindus are invited to attend Navratri Satsangh at the Shri Krishna Mandir, Campbelville at 19:00h on Wednesdays and the Rama Krishna Dharmic Mandir in Kitty every evening at 18:00h.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, october 14, 2015

ARCHIE

Joint ventures and other collaborations will be suc(March 21- cessful. It will be the perfect April 19) time to take your romantic relationship to the next level.

An unexpected expense will make a dent in your savings.

ARIES

You will have to do some TAURUS digging to get to the bottom (April 20- of a personal dilemma. Don’t May 20) assume to know what anyone

dilbert

else wants. Resolution is possible once the facts are clear.

Minor problems at home GEMINI (May 21- will result in creative inspiraJune 20) tion. You can make substantial improvements, but don’t get too carried away or your budget will suffer and your entertainment fund will be limited.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

Deal with small matters that seem to be constantly dragging you down. Once your schedule is clear, you will be able to find time for friends and recreational activities.

Love and romance should LEO be high on your agenda. Your (July 23appeal will bring favorable Aug. 22) recognition and compliments.

Make the most of your popularity by accepting any invitations you receive.

Calvin and Hobbes

Don’t miss out, because VIRGO your stress level and past (Aug. 23regrets are keeping you Sept. 22) from enjoying your success.

Material gains will be yours if you take advantage of a tip that comes your way.

Be a participant, not an LIBRA (Sept. 23- observer. Put your networkOct. 23) ing skills into action whenever possible, and present what you have to offer. Participation will pave the way for valuable connections and information.

SUDOKU

Someone you depend on SCORPIO will let you down. Don’t blame (Oct. 24yourself or be bitter; just be Nov. 22) more cautious in the future.

You will be a magnet in SAGITTARIUS the social scene. Make the (Nov. 23most of your popularity.

Dec. 21) New relationships will develop with people from diverse backgrounds. Share honestly with others and excel on all fronts.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

CAPRICORN Business matters will be (Dec. 22- easier to handle than personJan. 19) al issues. Emotional turmoil will cloud your judgment.

Avoid confrontations, and direct your energy toward obtaining financial security.

AQUARIUS It’s important to bolster

(Jan. 20- your personal relationships.

Feb. 19) Strive to be a better partner, friend, colleague or confidant. A family member will seek your opinion on a private matter.

Keep your plans under PISCES (Feb. 20- wraps for now. Promises March 20) made to you will not be kept.

A business or pleasure trip will bring unforeseen benefits. Romance is on the rise.

NEWS

19

wednesday, october 14, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Corentyne biker rides into Another Poonai gets admitted to the Bar horse and kills himself

A

Corentyne motorcyclist is now dead after riding into a horse on the Corentyne highway on Sunday evening.

Dead is 20-year-old Anthony Persaud of Number 57 Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

According to a Police press release, the accident occurred at about 21:30h on the Number 58 Public Road, Corentyne, which resulted in the death of the motorcyclist. The Police said investigations have revealed that Persaud collided with a horse that was on the roadway.

He received injuries and was taken to the Skeldon Hospital and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he succumbed on Monday.

According to the dead man’s sister, Marianna Persaud, she and her brother along with other family members and friends had gone to a duck curry competition at the Number 63 beach during the day. She said the family returned home but her brother stayed on the beach with his friend. “He came home and went out about seven in the night and then he come in and go back out to carry home his friend and on his way home, he hit the horse,” she related.

According to Marianna, the family received word about

Dead: Anthony Persaud

the accident and rushed to the scene. “He was unconscious all the time and right where the accident happen, a ambulance was passing going back to Skeldon Hospital and we stop the ambulance and put him inside and carry him to the hospital.”

At the hospital, arrangements were being made to have the injured man transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

“They had we waiting for about four hours. They tell we that the ambulance don’t have gas, well we volunteer to put the gas in the ambulance for it to go to New Amsterdam but they refuse and say that it is a new ambulance and they cannot do that and they had issues with

that. So we had to wait until they send for a ambulance from Port Mourant. In all is about four hours we wait.”

Persaud did not regain consciousness and was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital early Monday where he was placed on life support but later succumbed.

Residents of the community have identified a fellow villager as being the owner of the horse. They say after the accident, the animal fell and then got on its feet and limped away. Police however say that there has been no confirmation as to which animal it was but only speculations.

At the time of the accident, Persaud was wearing a helmet but still received massive head injuries. Police sources close to the investigation told Guyana Times that speeding was the cause of the accident. While acknowledging that Persaud had been at a festive event with friends, they say the friend that he dropped home moments before the accident was not under the influence of alcohol.

Marianna could not say whether her brother had been consuming alcohol during the day. He was the youngest of four and leaves to mourn his parents. Police continue to investigate.

Naresh Poonai (second from left) along with Justice Rishi Persaud (centre), father Rajendra Poonai (second from right) and other family members

Y

oung Naresh Poonai became the latest Attorney-at-Law to be admitted to the Bar on Tuesday in a simple ceremony at the High Court. The recent Hugh Wooding Law School graduate’s petition was made by Senior Counsel Robin Stoby and was heard

by Justice Rishi Persaud.

The young third-generation lawyer expressed his excitement over his admittance to the noble profession. Poonai graduated from the Law School

with the Legal Education Certificate (LEC) Principal’s Roll of Honour (six or more A Grades out of 11 Courses) and was awarded the Sandra Paul Alternative Dispute Resolution Prize.

He graduated from the University of Guyana with a distinction in Bachelors of Law before entering Hugh Wooding. The former Queen’s College student did his Cambridge International AS and A Levels studies at School of the Nations.

Poonai’s father, Attorney-

at-Law Rajendra Poonai who leads the firm Poonai and Poonai felt proud of his son’s achievements, saying that it was a momentous occasion and he hoped his son continued to do well.

Senior Counsel Stoby said Poonai was among a new breed of attorneys who will help move the Justice system forward.

Young Poonai plans to practise both criminal and civil law before making a final decision as to which one he wants to practise fully.

Increase in break and enter, larceny City Council concerned over offences in some areas in Linden number of derelict buildings – residents urged to be vigilant

A

T

he Mayor and City Council of Georgetown on Tuesday expressed concern with the number of derelict buildings in the city.

The Council at its Statutory Meeting Monday decided that final written and verbal notices would be communicated to owners of buildings that were in a ruinous state in Kingston, Albouystown, Newtown/ Kitty and Cummingsburg. The Council is giving the owners the opportunity to take the necessary action before the Council takes action.

Mayor Hamilton Green previously said that the abandoned buildings were havens for criminal activities and take away from the beauty of the City.

Such buildings also pose a serious threat to life and limb to those who occupy them and passersby. There has been growing concerns among residents in the City about the

One of the many derelict buildings around Georgetown

risk they are exposed to as a result of building that are in a state of disrepair.

It is the view of the Council that some homeowners have left their homes to deteriorate to a point where they are no longer fit for human habitation. It is a contra-

vention of the city by-laws to have a building kept in such a state as to be injurious to the health of others. The Council is calling on homeowners who have derelict buildings to visit the Council so that discussion can be conducted on the way forward.

Police continue to build...

Over in the E Division (Linden-Kwakwani), young persons attached to the Police Youth Clubs benefited from a series of educational talks that focused on healthy living, leadership, moral values, conflict resolution, peer pressure, etiquette and teenage pregnancy among other issues. Sport gears and food hampers were also distributed to residents of several communities.

Community outreach

In addition, the Divisional Commanders also held a number of community outreach meetings where issues

raised by members of the public were addressed.

Meanwhile, in September, there was a total of 18 interventions supported by the religious community in the Force’s Cops and Faith Community Network, which treats with juvenile first offenders for minor crimes as a preemptive intervention before the New Opportunity Corps.

Since the launch of the Cops and Faith Community Network in September 2013, there has been a total of 228 such interventions. In all cases, the youths were counselled by the religious leaders and

from page 16

following the involvement of parents and/or guardians, and the victims where necessary, the majority of them were warned and sent away.

As it relates to the’ family liaison for victims of serious crimes and domestic violence project’, which is also under the Cops and Faith Community Network, there were 11 interventions by members of the religious community in response to attempted suicides and other serious crimes including armed robbery and murder, where the affected persons, victims and relatives, accordingly were counselled.

s complaints continue to mount by residents of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) of an increase in the number of break and enter and larceny committed on the homes in the Wisroc ‘New Scheme’ area, residents are being urged to be more vigilant and report any suspected activity. Speaking on the issue, E Division (LindenKwakwani) Commander Calvin Brutus confirmed some recent cases of break and enter, larceny and burglary. “… What we’ve noticed is a shift in operations, because it was predominantly in Amelia’s Ward. It has subsided in that area since we haven’t had any (break-ins) in a long time. It has shifted now to the Wismar shore.

We’ve noticed some areas where this has been popping up – Wisroc ‘New Scheme’, Block 22, Canvas City area, and to some extent, at the back of Blueberry Hill and at the One Mile/Half Mile areas. Not in alarming numbers, but we see the shift.”

Brutus added, “What we are doing is that we are incorporating the station patrols during the early hours of the evening. We have some persons being charged for these offences, while some are still undetected.

As information comes in, we keep updating and carry out our investigations”, he stated.

The Commander further stated that some perpetuators have not been charged due to lack of fingerprints, eyewitnesses and confessions, adding that there may be persons charged with other offences who may have been involved in those unsolved break and enter and larceny cases, but due to lack of evidence, they may not have been charged.

However, he assured that thorough investigations are being carried out.

Additionally, Brutus stated that there has been an increase in armed anti-crime unit patrols in the evenings, since it has been observed that most offences are committed in the wee hours of the morning while persons are asleep. “We are interviewing persons as we bring in suspects. We are profiling them. We’ve interviewed some persons.

We’ve had some people being charged for these offences already.”

Juveniles implicated

Brutus said presently there is a juvenile on the run for the offence of break and enter and larceny while another was apprehended last month. A third was also recently charged for robbery under arms.

“Then there were two youths, twins, one was found with an unlicenced .32 semi automatic pistol in a school bag as recent as week before

last, right there on Wismar.

We’ve had one juvenile also being charged for break and enter and larceny and we’ve had five being charged for simple larceny. All are below the age of 16”.

Brutus said in cases where juveniles are found to be loitering on the streets at nights, his Division lacks the capacity to deal with that situation on its own; however, in such cases, the Social Protection Ministry would have to become involved.

Citizens’ involvement

“What I would encourage persons in the community to do is whenever they notice strange activities, they should report it to the Police.

During the day I am here at the office (Mackenzie Police Station)… Let us know so that we can respond. All information about crimes in the community, they should share it”.

Brutus made reference to the recent shooting to death of Lindener Shevon Gordon at her home in Block 22, Wismar, whereby he noted that the perpetuators were seen lurking in the area days before. He said that this was not reported until after the crime was committed. The Division Commander assured that should residents report such incidences; the information would be treated with the strictest level of confidentiality.

20

wednesday, october 14, 2015

Bakewell Junior Tennis championships…

McDonald, Gentle, Kalekyezi triumph on final day

The top performers with ITF Regional Development Officer for the Caribbean, John Goede (left), and Chief Executive Officer of Bakewell, Rajindranauth Ganga (right), at the National Racquet Centre

I

t was unmistakable that Mark McDonald had lots to prove in Saturday’s Boys Under-18 final against Hemraj Resaul, after being defeated by Resaul 2-4, 4-0, (104), the previous day in the Boys Under-14 final at the GBTI Recreational, Bel Air. Competing in the Boys Under-18 final of the Bakewell Junior Tennis championships, McDonald had his revenge against Resaul, winning 2-6, 6-2, (10-6) to claim the title, to go along with his 2015 GBTI Boys Under-18 winner’s trophy.

It is clear that McDonald

fought to set himself apart from his new rivalries, as both players showed signs of nerves as the battle started for the prestigious title.

McDonald started off shaky with tentative ball placement, which gave Resaul confidence to pounce on every opportunity to take the first set easily.

However, at change over it was an energised McDonald that proceeded on court and he raced to a quick 4-1 lead in the second set. It was over for Resaul who appeared under the weather as McDonald stepped up his aggression, took the second set and

transferred the momentum into the tiebreaker, never relinquishing the lead.

In the Girls Under-14 final, Shivani Persaud tried her best to force the match against Afruica Gentle. The tiny Persaud matched the powerful hitting by Gentle, but came in as runner-up after Gentle displayed her thirst for the win and secured the championship title at 4-1, 4-4 (7-5).

It was a second title for Gentle, who had also secured the Girls Under-14 competition. In the Boys Under-12 championship game, the promising Joshua Kalekyezi emerged

as champion over Viraj Sharma in straight sets, winning 4-0, 4-2 to take the title.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of Bakewell, Rajindranauth Ganga, was able to witness the last match of the day. He recognised that the tournament was bigger than 2014 when it was first held, and congratulated the Guyana Tennis Association on its effort to make tennis a prominent sport and the tournament a greater success.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) Regional Development Officer for the Caribbean, John Goede, who was present, emphasised that the development of tennis in Guyana is not exclusive to the executive of the GTA, but there is heavy dependency on parents, players, sport administrative bodies and the wider Guyana.

He posited, through that partnership and hard effort among those stakeholders, Guyana can “attain and get to a quality that is an irresistible product, like Bakewell.”

He highlighted to the players after watching them play that there needs to be a strategy or a plan in life and this should also ap-

ply to playing a match on court. Aggression and fitness, he pointed out were key areas to be worked on.

He said for tennis to take off in Guyana, there needs to be more courts. “These two courts are not enough.

Probably we need about 24 courts in Georgetown with lighting. We need about three hundred players.”

This, he said, would improve the quality of competition and players in general. President of the GTA, Grace McCalman, on that note, announced plans to

develop tennis in Berbice, Linden and outlying regions.

This would significantly contribute to a bigger tournament by expanding competitions and drawing entries from a wider cross section of players.

The ITF Regional Development Officer will be meeting with the stakeholders and parents, and will also be conducting clinics with players during his visit to Guyana.

Mark McDonald (left) won the Boys Under-18 title

Gold Cup Tournament sees impressive display by players

Winners from the various categories pose with their trophies along with President of GTTA Godfrey Munroe ( first from left)

By Akeem Greene

T

he Titans Table Tennis Club Anniversary tourna-

ment which was held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall over the weekend saw some exciting action. National Player Shemar Britton was

certainly a standout copping two victories in two different categories.

In the Under-18 final Britton faced a challenging

Kyle Edghill, in the first two games Edghill won 11-9 on both occasions before in the third game Britton redeemed himself with an 11-8 victory. Edghill responded with a 13-11 score line but then Britton demonstrated his experience and sauntered to victory in the next three games. His next victory came in the Boys Under-21 by defeating the same Kyle Edghill. Earlier in the night Britton defeated Miguel Wong 3 games to none while Edghil defeated Nicholas Romain 3 games to 1. Other victories of the night saw Traiq Saunders copping victory in the boys 15 and under category. In the final he defeated Brandon Jaikaran 15-13, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 14-12.

Priscilla Greaves won the female under-18 category after defeating Navaeh Clarkston. Senior Pro Nigel Bryan copped victory in the Men’s open by virtue of defeating Joel Alleyne.

The event saw the presence of Director of sport Christopher Jones who disclosed that there are discussions to further the development of the sport country wide. President of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Godfrey Munroe said he was pleased that tournament such as these are helping as it gives more playing to players on the local circuit and arguer well for the development of the sport overall. Category wins received a wide range of trophies. The event is set to become a yearly feature. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy.com)

Shemar Britton

sports

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Milo Jumpstart Sports Camp to begin this month end

wednesday, october 14, 2015

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T

he Milo Jumpstart Sports Camp, catering for youths between the ages of seven and 16 as well as their parents and guardians, will begin on October 31, with the first in a series of free sport

Jumpstart is a continuation of its efforts to nourish and support the nation’s youth through sport and as it has been doing over the years.

Consumer Marketing Manager for Milo, Geysha Thomas Davis said, “As the

and nutrition clinics at the Demerara Cricket Club.

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Milo is a longstanding supporter of activities which promote nutrition, health and wellness, especially when it comes to youth development. As such, Milo

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The Jumpstart programme is centred on four pillars – proper nutrition, teaching healthy eating habits to aid in the prevention of lifestyle diseases; exercise, promoting an all-

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21

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Playing spin is key for...

Their only outing in the whites was the recent threeday tour match against a select Sri Lankan XI where young Carlos Braithwaite made 54 not out and opener Kraigg Braithwaite made 46 facing 102 balls. Not surprisingly off-spinner Suraj Randiv took five wickets against the Sri Lankan side.

When it was the Windies turn to bowl, they leaked runs and allowed three batsmen to score hundreds, one of which is likely to make a debut in the first Test. While this is just a tour match, it seemingly begins to set the script of events that might occur during the short Test tour.

Playing spin key In the last three Test matches in Sri Lanka against India, spinners took 65 wickets.

Left-arm-spinner Rangana Herath and off-spinner Tarindu Kaushal took 28 of those wickets and both are expected to play today. An astonishing fact is that Windies is the only Test playing team that Herath has not taken five-for against. West Indies batsmen will need to be positive against the Sri Lankan spin arsenal, they must not allow themselves to be tied down, as such rotation of the strike is vital.

Likely openers Kraigg Braithwaite and Guyanese Rajendra Chandrika have to lay a platform at the top to give more freedom to the middle order to be more positive against the Sri Lanka spinners who will do the bulk of the bowling in the spin friendly conditions. Windies top run getter in the side currently, Marlon Samuels averages a horrific 10.58 against Sri Lanka and with the absence of veteran left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul,

Samuels will be vital for the visitors especially with his ability to bowl useful off-spin.

Darren Bravo, having made an encouraging start to his Test career during that rainy 2010 series, returns as one of West Indies’ most experienced batsmen but has had modest run this year, hitting two fifties in 10 innings. The team will be expecting plenty from him on this tour, particularly as he is one of West Indies’ better players of spin.

During the last tour by India, the Sri Lankan top order failed on many occasions as the Indian seamers took early wickets which allowed for the spinners to put more pressure on the middle order. With the retirement of two great Sri Lankan batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the middle order has lost tons of experience. Therefore, the new ball bowlers Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach need to find their lines and lengths early and they can expect some amount of swing in the first session considering the overcast that is predicted and the rainy build-up to the match.

The use of Devendra Bishoo needs to be more efficient. Bishoo returned to Test cricket with figures of 6-80 against Australia in June this year, but missed the second Test match due to a bruised finger. The legspinner bowled 33 overs in the first innings with some extremely long spells. While Bishoo is seen as one of the side’s more attacking bowlers, using him for extremely long spells will not augur well for the young man in the long run. A more strategic way needs to be administered to how Bishoo is used in this series as he is extremely vital

round active lifestyle; teamoriented learning, promoting team work, social and communication skills necessary for higher education and the world of work; and academics, underscoring the importance of education as a catalyst for future success, which will be reinforced via intellectual sports and career guidance talks for both the children and parents.

At the sport and nutrition clinics, these four pillars will manifest in the various activities and work together to help prepare youth for their future roles as active members contributing positively to society.

Parents and guardians are invited to bring their children out to the GDF ground from 11:00h to 17:00h where they will have the opportunity to be engaged in a range of sporting disciplines, with the opportunity to win prizes. The entrance fee is one 400g pack of Milo per child.

For more information on the Milo Jumpstart Programme one can call (592) 638 -6809. (akeemg@ guyanatimesgy.com)

from back page

for any chance of a Windies victory.

Sri Lanka and West Indies ranked at seven and eight respectively in the ICC Test rankings will be hoping for inspiring performances as they continue to rebuild their teams. The home team will start as favourites despite losing four test matches in 2015 on home soil, the most ever in a year. History does not give the West Indies much confidence as they have never won a Test match in their last previous games, losing five.

This will be Jason Holder’s first series at the helm and he said in his media briefing on the eve of the Test match “that we are hoping we can start well and win these series… we are looking to put some early pressure on Sri Lanka”.

The final XI needs to have balance, considering the conditions, West Indies should go into the game with two front line spinners.

Considering Captain Jason Holder’s constant improvements with the bat, they can play five bowlers which will give a debut for Barbadian left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican who is no mug with the bat. Tall Barbadian allrounder Carlos Braithwaite could be in line for a debut also, but finding a place in the final eleven could be difficult. Preferred XI: 1 Kraigg Braithwaite, 2 Rajendra Chandrika, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Jermaine Blackwood, 6 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8.Jomel Warrican, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Jerome Taylor, 11 Kemar Roach.

The first Test starts today at 12:30h (Guyana time). (akeemg@guyanatimesgy. com)

22

guyanatimesGY.com

wednesday, october 14, 2015

Franchise 4-Day Samuels stars in NG’s Guyana Practice Game… zone 2 Inter-schools Late wickets put Johnson’s X1 in championships control after day 2 – St John’s College capture zone 2 track title

Avon Samuels runs away with an easy sprint triple for Christ Church Secondary School. (Treiston Joseph photo)

By Treiston Joseph

egory with both Leon O’Brien and Shania Liverpool winning male and female sprint triples respectively in the 100, 200 and 400 metres events.

Table Tennis star Shemar Britton also was a part of the action winning the boys’ Under-20 100 metres while finishing second in the 200-metre race.

Meanwhile, St John College won the track title while Bishops’ High School finished second and Christ Church third.

The action in North Georgetown’s zonal Inter-

D

efending champions of the National Schools Championships North Georgetown (NG) held their second of three zonal Inter-Schools Championships on Tuesday, with sprint ace Avon Samuels having a dominant outing at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.

It seemed like a training session for Christ Church’s Samuels who easily won the girls’ Under-18 100, 200 and 400 metres events to make it to Friday’s Inter-zones final.

Another outstanding athlete at the event was Under-14 sprinter Deron Roberts out of Christ Church who ran away with the 100, 200 and 400 metres events.

Catyann Jones ruled the roost in the Under-16 cate-

Deron Roberts was in top form in the under-14 category for Christ Church with wins in the 100, 200 and 400 metres.

(Treiston Joseph photo)

gory by winning a sprint triple for St John’s College with wins in the 100, 200 and 400 metres.

Bishops’ High School dominated the Under-12 cat-

Schools Championships will continue today with zone three schools at the said venue from 10:00h.

Leon Wiggins’ 5-a-side football…

Rose Hall Town B beat A team in final L ed by brilliant goals from Anthony Ronaldo and Shaquille Batson, Rose Hall Town “B” defeated Rose Hall Town “A” 2-0 to lift the first-ever Leon Wiggins Tribute Trophy, organised by the Rose Hall Town Pepsi Under-19 cricket team.

Playing in front of a large crowd on the hard court at the Area H Ground, the B team displayed discipline, team work and good ball control to emerge victorious in a keenly contested final.

Earlier in the day, RHT A cruised past RHT D by two goals to nil, as former Guyana Under-19 cricketer Clinton Pestano showed some football skills to score both goals. RHT B defeated RHT C on a sudden death penalty kick, which was scored by Trevor Simpson.

The two teams had played to a closely con-

tested 1-1 draw and later the penalty kickout was tied 3-3, forcing the referee Benjamin Harry to call the sudden death penalty.

Leon James scored the goal for the C team, while Trevor Simpson was the scorer for the B team.

At the presentation ceremony, the winning team was presented with the Leon Wiggins Tribute Trophy by Wiggins himself, a former Treasurer and football coordinator of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC).

Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RHTY&SC, Hilbert Foster hailed the tournament as a success and praised the footballers for displaying a high level of discipline.

“The RHTY&SC is interested in promoting football, but would only do so if the

footballers form themselves into a properly organised body, be disciplined, hard working and committed,”

– Singh completes composed century

Vishual Singh

By Rajiv Bisnauth

A

flurry of late wickets left Shimron Hetymer’s XI facing a huge challenge to remain competitive after Day Two of the Guyana Franchise FourDay practice game at the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground on Tuesday.

At stumps, Hetymer’s XI were 140-6 in their first innings, replying to Leon Johnson’s XI’s 344.

Off-spinner Steven Jacobs did the damage with three final session wickets (3-36), while left-arm spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Anthony Adams along with seamer Raymond Reifer all collected a wicket apiece.

Skipper Hetymer hit a solid half-century, while Kevon Boodie was unbeaten on 41. Barbadian Jevon Searles is the other not out batsman on seven. The pair will resume today with a huge task at hand, trailing by 204 runs.

Earlier, Vishual Singh stroked a chanceless 123, before Johnson’s XI were eventually bowled out just after lunch.

Resuming on 238-5, the 26-year-old Singh and Christopher Barnwell continued their characteristically disciplined innings to take Johnson’s XI to 303, be-

Steven Jacobs

fore the partnership of 105 was broken.

Both batsmen exploited the slowness of the Bourda pitch which refused to stand up for the second day running.

Singh, who resumed on 76, fashioned his century with consecutive boundaries off left -arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. His century came off 195 balls after 280 minutes at the crease.

On the other hand, Barnwell, who resumed on 16, was dropped on 36, but his innings came to an end a short time later when he edged seamer Raun Johnson (3-29) to wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach for a 117-ball 43.

Johnson then trapped Anthony Bramble leg before wicket for six, and three balls later claimed the wicket of Steven Jacobs, who was unfortunately given out without scoring at 313-8.

At the interval, Johnson’s XI were 317-8, with Singh unbeaten on 113, and Veerasammy Permaul yet to trouble the scorers.

Permaul (0) was trapped leg before wicket to Keon Joseph (2-60) just after the interval, before last man Ronsford Beaton stroke consecutive boundaries off Joseph.

However, Joseph wrapped up the innings by removing the centurion,

Singh, who was caught at second slip by Kemo Paul.

Singh batted for 234 balls, an innings that spanned 338 minutes.

In their run chase, openers Shimron Hetymer and Kandasammy Surujnarine started in a watchful manner.

However, Raymon Reifer produced a ball that angled across the righthanded Surujnarine (6), who was eventually beaten by the swing and edged the left-arm seamer into the hands of Assad Fudadin at third slip.

Tevin Imlach, the Under-19 right-hander, joined his skipper with the score on 31-1, and the two added eight more runs to the total at tea.

The two Under-19 batsmen trudged along at a decent pace after the break, with the 18-year-old, Hetymer, who overcame some early anxious moments, but remained in control of the proceedings, going on to his half-century off 66 balls.

However, two balls later, Hetymer squandered his chance of scoring some more runs on a good strip. He was caught at square leg off Permaul for 53 (9x4s).

Robin Bacchus joined Imlach, but his stay at the crease was short after he was trapped leg before wicket to off-spinner Jacobs for one.

Soon after, Imlach, along with Keom Paul, was removed by Jacobs for 26 and 0 respectively at 99-5. The introduction of the left-arm spinner claimed the wicket of Dexter Solomon for two.

Boodie and Searles then killed off any hopes Johnson’s XI may have harboured of remaining competitive, as they batted out the remainder of the session.

Play resumes today at 09:00h.

the long-serving sport official stated.

More tournaments will be organised by the RHTY&SC and the Pepsi Under-19 team in the future as part of their “Say No to Drugs and Yes to Sport” programme. The main aim, Foster stated, will be to lift football to the same standard as cricket in Rose Hall Town.

Wiggins expressed gratitude to his former club for honouring him and praised the RHTY&SC for the outstanding work it is doing for youths, the elderly and less fortunate. The winning team received the winnertake-all prize of $20,000 and the Leon Wiggins Trophy.

Members of the champion team pose with Leon Wiggins (right) and coach/referee Benjamin Harry

guyanatimesGY.com

wednesday, october 14, 2015

23

KMTC release provisional Joint Services Sports… programme for Boxing GDF close gap after 1st day of track and field Day horse race meet – sea defence works on schedule for completion, says Kennard

Cecil Kennard

T

he Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) has released a provisional programme for its annual Boxing Day horse race meet slated for the Club’s facility at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice.

According to KMTC Honorary President Cecil Kennard, preparations for the event have already begun, as it is one of the major activities of the Turf Club.

Seven races are carded for the day, and jockeys, stables and horse owners have

until December 19 to register to participate in the event.

The feature attraction will see horses in the A3 & Lower category battling for over one million dollars in cash, over a distance of one mile.

Additionally, turfites will be entertained with the G1 and Lower event, also over a distance of one mile.

Other races carded for the day include the J1 & Lower and Three-year-old, H1 & Lower with the West Indian bred animals, I & Lower, E & Lower and the K1 & Lower.

Enquiries could be directed to Justice Kennard on telephone number 623-7609 or Roopnarine Matadial on telephone number 326-3192.

Meanwhile, Kennard assured that the ongoing sea defence works opposite the Club’s Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne race track will be completed in time for the December race meet.

Recently a multi-dollar contract was awarded for the upgrading of that section of the sea defence. (rajivb@guyanatimesgy.com)

From left: Jemoul Chisholm, Cleveland Forde and Tyshon Bentick sweeps the men 5000 metres.

(Treiston Joseph photo)

By Treiston Joseph

T

he Guyana Defence Force (GDF) made up some ground on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in hope of retaining their Inter Services Athletics and Swimming Championships when day one of the track and field championships was held on Tuesday at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.

The GPF, who pulled ahead with 47 points after the Swimming Championships on Sunday, finished with 315.5 points when the first day of the track and field championships concluded, while GDF

Sentinel supports RHTY&SC tribute to cricketers’

S

entinel Security Limited has officially joined the National Sports Commission as a cosponsor of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) tribute to its 25 greatest cricketers from 1990 to 2015.

The programme to honour the cricketers is slated for October 25. Sentinel Regional Manager for Berbice, Priya Rampersaud recently hand-

al Gregory Gaskin memorial Berbice Sports Award and also co-sponsors the annual Christmas charity programme organised by the Club’s eight cricket teams.

The security company also supports the RHTY&SC “Say Yes to Education and No to Suicide” campaign.

The Club, under the upcoming programme, will be honouring its 25 greatest cricketers as part of its Silver

ers to be honoured include Esaun Crandon, Khemraj Mahadeo, Renwick Batson, Ravi Narine, Inderpaul Mohan, Abdel Fudadin, Shawn Grant, Eon Hooper, Clinton Pestano, Jason Sinclair and Erva Giddings.

The RHTY&SC will also use the opportunity to honour its top 25 executive members and cricket officials for their service to the organisation.

Sentinel’s Berbice Manger, Priya Rampersaud, hands over the sponsorship cheque to Secretary/ CEO, Hilbert Foster, in presence of Deryck Taylor and Sandra Andrews of the company

ed over a cheque to the value of $100,000 to RHTY&SC Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hilbert Foster at the company’s New Amsterdam office.

Foster expressed gratitude to the management of Sentinel Security Limited, especially its Managing Director Noreen Gaskin for its continued investment in the activities of the RHTY&SC. Sentinel Security Limited sponsors the Club’s annu-

Jubilee Anniversary celebration.

The players were selected by the general public and the Club’s Cricket Development Committee, based on performance for the Club, Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies, along with the personal discipline, loyalty to the Club and role model status.

The list is headed by Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Neil Williams, James Fraser and Shemaine Campbelle. Other cricket-

Several others donors have already come on board and they include Alistair Parris of Len’s Craft, Dr Jose Da Silva of Modern Optical Service, Vice President and Public Service Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, businessman Johnny Carpenter, Alfred Mentore of Lifetime Real Estate and Gafoors.

They also contributed financially and the Club would like to express gratitude to them for their cooperation.

closed in and finished on 304 points.

The Guyana Fire Service was a distant third with 35.5 points, while the Guyana Prison Service finished fourth with 26 points. City Constabulary brought up in the rear with 20 points.

The GDF swept the top three spots in the men’s 5000 metres final, with Guyana’s distance king Cleveland Forde winning the event in 18:05.2s. Tyshon Bentick was second in 18:05.5s, while Jemoul Chisholm was third in a time of 18:07.5s.

GDF continued their dominance with a top two finish in the women’s 3000 metres, with World Championship representative Andrea Foster winning the event in 11:42.6s.

Ashanti Scott was second in 11:54.0s, while Police’s Shion Boyer finished third in 12:02.8s.

The men’s long jump saw national rugby star winger Patrick King dominating the event with a winning leap of

6.85 metres topping Police’s Yoel Benjamin who finished second with a jump of 6.70 metres. GDF’s Doman Williams was third with a jump of 6.60 metres.

Meanwhile, in preliminary action, Olympian Winston George out of GPF’s camp easily won his men’s 100 and 400 metres heats with times of 10.0s and 48.8s respectively.

GDF’s Rupert Perry ran the fastest qualifying 100

metres heat with a hand time of 9.9s to finish ahead of Tevin Garraway (10.2s) and Davin Fraser (10.4s).

GPF’s Deja Smartt won heat two of the women’s 100 metres with a time of 12.1s ahead of GDF’s Letitia Myles who finished with a time of 12.4s, while GDF’s Aniqua Powley looked in tremendous form with an 11.7s win in heat one of the women’s 100 metres.

King won his heat in the men’s 400 metres in a time of 48.9s to finish ahead of training partner Wayne Harlequin who clocked 49.2s.

In the women’s 400 metres prelim action, GPF’s Tiffany Carto ran away with heat one in a time of 1:02.3s, while training mate Jevina Sampson ran the fastest heat with a time of 58.6s.

Action in the event more commonly known as the Joint Services Sports will continue today from 10:00h at the said venue with the 200 metres prelims as well as 1500 metres action.

Jevina Sampson easily runs away with the women’s 400 metres heat. (Treiston Joseph photo)

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

wednesday, october 14, 2015

Joint Services Sports…

GDF close gap after 1st day of track and field

Pg 23

Patrick King finished ahead of Wayne Harlequin to win heat one of the men’s 400 metres. (Treiston Joseph photo)

Playing spin is key for Late wickets put Johnson’s WI against SL Guyana Franchise 4-Day Practice Game…

X1 in control after day 2

– Singh completes composed century

Shimron Hetymer pulls seamer Raymond Reifer for a boundary

Devendra Bishoo

By Akeem Greene

Pg 20

Raun Johnson appeals successful for a leg before verdict against Anthony Bramble.

A

s the Caribbean side begins their first test tour to Sri Lanka since 2010 today, their ability to combat the Sri Lankan spin armory will be severely tested during the two test matches.

When the West Indies last toured Sri Lanka in

Marlon Samuels

2010 widespread rainfall marred any productive results from the test matches as all were tamely drawn. The only highlight was Christopher Gayle who served himself to a mammoth 333 and Darren Bravo’s presumably bright start to test cricket.

The Windies last outing in test cricket was since

June in the Caribbean where they lost against the touring Australian side. Since then they have not played any first class cricket as they were exposed to the annual gala twenty overs tournament, the Caribbean Premier League.

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