Guyana Times

Govt to compensate Elections Day violence victims P2

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 2727

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

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Authorities mum on controversial death of GDF Sergeant, wife

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

No new P2 suspected cases of swine flu in Guyana

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...chase was unauthorised – source

Fire ravages Canje home

– 2 homeless

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$289M Lima Pump Station commissioned

Meten- P12 Meer-Zorg residents condemn garbage build-up

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PPP rubbishes claims of internal power struggle P7 “Goldilocks” burglar

Tells court he fell asleep P8 and woke up in VC’s bed The $289 million Lima Pump Station was commissioned on Monday. Inset, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder flips the switch to turn the pump on at the facility

Belize court New mayor rejects Guyanese rice must be importation “young and LGE 2016

Page 17

Procurement scandal

GPL’s CEO stonewalls calls to able” – Green step aside Page 7

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Programme to target delinquent youths being crafted P13

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tuesday, january 5, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

No new suspected cases Govt to compensate Elections of swine flu in Guyana Day violence victims

The destruction of property in C Field Sophia on Election Night

No other suspected cases of swine flu in Guyana

T

here are currently no other suspected cases of the deadly swine flu virus (H1N1) in Guyana following the confirmation of one infected person.

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton told Guyana Times that authorities have carefully examined healthcare workers and family members, who were in contact with the infected patient and they have not developed or displayed any symptoms of the disease.

They are still being monitored.

After spreading in other countries, including neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, the virus was recently confirmed in

Guyana, with one infected person.

He is currently seeking medical attention in the United States after being transferred from a private city hospital.

Guyana Times understands the man had travelled from China to Guyana via the United States but had in-transited in Trinidad and Tobago.

The H1N1 is transmitted in the same way as the seasonal flu. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing.

Symptoms include coughing, fever, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, headaches, chills and fatigue.

Persons who appear

to have the symptoms are urged to use a swab and get a sample of their body fluid sent to the National Reference Laboratory, located at Thomas and New Market Streets, which has already been placed on high alert.

The minister had explained that the National Reference Laboratory will run preliminary tests to determine whether or not persons were infected with the H1N1 virus. If technicians suspect this is the case, then the sample will be sent to the advanced Caribbean Laboratory for confirmation.

Meanwhile, the Minister cautioned that there was no need for public panic.

Daycare owners benefit from capacity training

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n a push for greater oversight of unregulated daycare providers, the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) in 2015 began laying the groundwork for their registration.

It also catered for the provision of capacity building training for the daycares’ staff.

This is in preparation for the Childcare and Development Services Act, which is soon to be approved by the National Assembly. This Act sets out the standards and guidelines for the operations of daycares locally.

CCPA Head Ann Greene, in a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), explained that the Agency worked in 2015 on licensing these homes, and had set a target of 300 daycare facilities which it

CCPA Head Ann Greene

should find. “To date we have found 280, and we have done the preliminary work for the requirement for the application and getting them up to the minimum standards,” she said.

During 2015, the agency, with support from the United Nations Children’s

Fund (UNICEF), conducted several sessions with daycare managers and administrators in Georgetown, Linden and Berbice, she said.

“There are minimum standards for the operations of these centres, so the sessions were to make them aware of the minimum standards, what is required of them, how important ... a daycare service is for a child. They must have these early childhood experiences lasting in a child development,” she explained.

The registration and licensing of local daycares is keeping with international standards and is part of a push to ensure the protection of infants and toddlers placed in daycares, through the implementation of several key Early Childhood Development Programme strategies.

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overnment will soon be reaching out to the traumatised persons who became victims of the violence that flooded several communities on Election Day, May 11, 2015.

This is according to a parliamentary Order Paper seen by Guyana Times.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Joseph Hamilton put forward the motion in the recent sitting of the National Assembly.

Hamilton argued that the victims were, among other things, psychologically abused, physically assaulted, robbed and had their properties severely damaged or completely destroyed.

Government conceded with the proposition and will accordingly compensate the victims.

According to the Order Paper, “be it resolved that the National Assembly confirmed the principle of Government’s compensations for victims of speci-

Kwame McCoy

fied forms of Election Day Violence as occurred on May 11, 2015.”

Government will also meet and consult with the victims.

The violence took place at a number of polling stations along the East Coast of Demerara and Georgetown and at least one victim required expensive emergency surgery.

Former Information Liaison Kwame

McCoy was attacked so badly that he had to be hospitalised. McCoy was confronted by an angry mob as he was about to exit the polling station at St Sidwell Primary School at Hadfield Street and Vlissengen Road, Georgetown.

Another notable incident was the unrest which occurred in C Field Sophia for over 12 hours during which Police Officers were unable to control the riotous crowd which had gathered in front of a home and began to engage in the looting of personal property. The home and outbuildings as well as several vehicles were subsequently set lit.

In other areas, persons were hauled out of their vehicles and received several blows about their bodies for merely making an appearance in villages that were predominately occupied by supporters of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition.

Corentyne stabbing

Manchester murder accused on remand

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he man accused of killing one of the two men who were stabbed to death at Manchester Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) has been remanded to prison.

Bhiron Robertson appeared before Magistrate Charlyn Artiga at the Whim Magistrate’s Court on Monday charged with the murder of Mark Simon.

Robertson was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on December 27, 2015, at Manchester Village he murdered Simon, 28, of Liverpool Village, Berbice.

The case will continue on February 1.

Meanwhile, a man has

Dead: Mark Simon

been arrested for the death of Kempton Gray, the other fatality.

According to reports, the two men were killed after a fight which started in the vicinity of a Guinness Bar at Manchester. Robertson and others were injured during

the said fight and subsequently hospitalised.

Meanwhile, cattle owners along the central Corentyne are breathing a sigh of relief following the deaths of the two men who on many occasions they have accused of stealing their animals. The now dead men were known to Police and had been convicted of robbery in the past and appeared before the courts on cattle rustling charges. At the time of their deaths, they had matters pending before the courts.

A close friend of theirs, Samuel Fraser who is also known to the Police and was injured in the Manchester brawl, remains hospitalised.

news

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BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, January 5 – 14:00h-15:30h and Wednesday, January 6 – 14:00h-15:30h The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, January 5 – 13:15h-14:45h and Wednesday, January 6 – 13:55h-15:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Sunny conditions interrupted by cloudiness and light rain showers in the early afternoon. Clear to cloudy skies are expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East to East North-Easterly between 4.02 metres and 5.36 metres per second.

High Tide: 13:05h reaching a maximum height of 2.30 metres.

Low Tide: 06:33h and 19:08h reaching minimum heights of 1.00 metre and 0.91 metre respectively.

Authorities mum on controversial death of GDF Sergeant, wife ...chase was unauthorised – source

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aw enforcement officers refuse to officially divulge any information about the circumstances surrounding the death of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant Robert Pyle, even as numerous conflicting reports emerge about the covert operation he was involved in at the time of his demise.

Guyana Times understands from sources that Sergeant Pyle was called out to duty on the night of December 30 to engage in a stakeout operation in relation to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) investigation into the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

At the time, he had just picked up his wife, Stacy, from her workplace at the Davis Memorial Hospital and was heading home.

Dead: Robert Pyle

with Brassington entering a vehicle. The Police team reportedly began to tail the vehicle – against orders – after it took off.

According to the sources, Sergeant Pyle was never ordered to engage in a highspeed chase.

The chase led to Carifesta Avenue where

A source revealed to this newspaper that there was a third person in Sergeant Pyle’s car and following the collision that person was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to a city hospital.

Sources say that Sergeant Pyle immediately took a detour and headed in the direction of NICIL Executive Director Winston Brassington’s Kingston home where another team of special officers were already stationed.

A source explained that Sergeant Pyles was required to report on the movement of any documents or suspicious figures in and out of Brassington’s home. While staking out the property, the Police team noticed a suspicious figure believed to be affiliated

the GDF Officer’s vehicle slammed into a canter, resulting in the death of three persons.

The source revealed to this newspaper that there was a third person in Sergeant Pyle’s car and following the collision that person was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to a city hospital.

Guyana Times has made several attempts to contact senior Police officials for clarity on the matter but to no avail.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, when contact-

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ed, referred all questions to SOCU Head Sydney James.

When contacted, James’ office informed this newspaper that he was otherwise engaged and would return the call. After several minutes elapsed without receiving the return call, Guyana Times called again, but the calls went unanswered.

GDF Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips, when contacted, said he did not have any information.

“I cannot confirm anything. It may sound like I am not cooperating with the media, but I am not, I am

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum

not in a position to confirm anything. We are still doing our investigation to get down to the bottom of this whole issue,” he said, noting that once the necessary information became available, it would be disseminated to the public.

A Division (Georgetown) Commander Clifton Hicken, when contacted, explained

Dead: Stacy Pyle

sparked much controversy and brings to the fore many unanswered questions within the public domain.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee, during the party’s weekly press conference on Monday, demanded that the relevant authorities come out with a statement on the matter. The Party also demanded to know why there was surveillance on Brassington’s private residence; who authorised the GDF rank to conduct surveillance; who gave political direction to SOCU to conduct surveillance; and who instructed the GDF to assist SOCU in any investigation among other questions.

Further, the PPP expressed that this particular incident resembled several during the Burnham era when the misuse of the security and intelligence community for political purpos-

The wrecked car that was driven by Robert Pyle

that he was charged with investigating the accident and nothing else. He stated that the initial investigation has been completed and the file would soon be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

This incident has

es was rampant.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Pyle and his wife, along with the driver of the canter, Linden Eastman, were killed following the smashup on Carifesta Avenue.

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Views First day of school Editor(ag): Michael Younge Tel: 225-8697, 225-6695, 225-5634, 225-8696, 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

The Guyana People’s Militia

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he Chief of Staff of the Guyana Disciplined Forces is reported to have confirmed that the Guyana People's Militia (GPM) was relaunched on December 1, 2015, as had been mooted two months before by the new APNU/ AFC administration.

Back in 1976, the GPM had been launched in the midst of widespread fears that the country was under threat by forces opposed to its socialist thrust. The latter would have included continued relations with Cuba and nationalisation of the bauxite and sugar industries as well as all banking institutions in the country.

After initially offering support in a show of “antiimperialist” unity, the PPP and its ally in the sugar industry, GAWU, soon condemned the GPM as another “PNC front”, especially when some of the GPM’s members acted as “scabs” in the GAWU’s 135-day strike for recognition.

Another complaint was that contrary to one of the then government’s rationales for launching the GPM (as is also the present government’s) the army which was now “freed up”, was never in the main posted to the troubled border regions. The GPM was now an additional militarised force that regularly paraded in civilian areas.

As was adumbrated by the Chief of Staff again, the GPM was supposed to be a recruitment reservoir for the GDF, GNS and the Police Force and to supplement these forces in their respective duties. This role was played by the 2nd Infantry Battalion but this was deemed insufficient and needed to be independent and independently funded.

Its officer corps was employed full-time but the ordinary members were given basic training and were called up for monthly service. There were ammunition dumps and arms catches throughout the country to which the GPM had access.

The GPM were not just weekend warriors and a disciplined framework for the rest of society. They supported the PNC and routinely reported on those who criticised the party, and generally threw their weight around to intimidate the non-party faithful.

Their orientation was articulated by then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, who in 1971 announced to the first batch of GDF soldiers: “I do not share with the British the concept that the army is separate and distinct from everything else and loyal to the Government of the day. As Prime Minister, I expect you to be loyal to the Government. If there is any other Government it is a matter for you to decide about that, but so far as I am concerned I don’t want any abstract loyalty. It must be a straightforward loyalty from the top down, and it must also be based on an appreciation of the philosophy of this Government.”

In August 1997, the PPP Government had the role of a reserve revert to the 2nd Infantry Battalion.

Reports that a serving GDF officer was involved in conducting surveillance operations against Winston Brassington, a civilian head of an autonomous government entity— NICIL – on the “request” of an entity (SOCU) outside the ambit of the Guyana Defence Force, makes the formation of another military force that will be operating in civilian areas extremely troubling.

This becomes even more so because unlike 1976, there is no external threat that is imminent and the civilian action harks back to activities against the opposition in the 1970s.

Interagency operations have clearly defined Standard Operating Procedures and many of these had to have been breached in this Bond-like operation.

The officer appears to have been persuaded he had the licence to pursue and apprehend targets by any means necessary. That the officer could be accompanied by his wife is proof conclusive that he had no qualms about violating his SOP’s to serve the government of the day.

We need to take a deep breath and re-evaluate the role our Disciplined Forces are expected to play in our civilian affairs and in particular the GPM, which has now been launched.

As schools reopened after the Christmas holiday, students turned out in their numbers. These students of St Margaret's Primary were not left out as parents collected them after a long day (Marceano Narine photo)

India fans want decent send-off for Chanderpaul Dear Editor, In my travels in India for the holidays, a cricket crazed nation, fans queried me why Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been treated so badly by West Indies management and selection committee. They love his obdurate batting style and describe him as the mainstay of the West Indies batting line up. Indians adore Chanderpaul as they do Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine and a few other West Indians.

They feel Chanderpaul should be allowed to retire from the game on his own time (which should be soon) and be given a decent send off in much the same way that Sachin Tendulkar (India’s superstar) was allowed to play his last test on his own term on home soil in front of a home crowd.

But Clive Lloyd, the head of the selection committee will not allow Chanderpaul to play his final test at home or even away. Lloyd has called an end to Chanderpaul’s career although management hinted it was not opposed to Chanderpaul continuing to play in two tests played at

home last June.

West Indies missed Chanderpaul on the tour to Australia. The team was humiliated at Hobart.

And during the second test match played at Melbourne Cricket Ground, recently, the Aussie commentators asked Chairman of Selectors Clive Lloyd about Captain Jason Holder’s ability to lead the team.

The commentators noted some of the blatant errors Holder made during the first and second test and during the two warm-up matches.

Lloyd’s response was there are no senior players on the squad to help guide the young captain address West Indies woes on the field and in the bowling and batting departments. But it was Lloyd who was primarily responsible for selecting the team, and as such, he must accept blame for the team’s poor performance.

Lloyd left out experienced players, saying he wants a young team. He said there is no room for an experienced reliable batsman and former skipper like Shivnarine Chanderpaul who rescued the team on countless occa-

sions.

Lloyd has made his intention clear that he does not want Chanderpaul to break Brian Lara’s record of scoring the most runs by a West Indian. Chanderpaul needs less than 100 runs to best Lara’s score. Lara said he has no objection to Chanderpaul breaking the record. But Lloyd would have none of it. Lloyd prefers West Indies be humiliated than bring back the experienced Chanderpaul to give some respect to the squad.

Chanderpaul would have strengthened the batting and give confidence to the overall squad to fight rather than submit meekly as it has done so far since Chanderpaul has been excluded from the squad.

The batsmen made so many mistakes and there were so many fielding errors that the team could have used Chanderpaul’s talent to boost its overall performance.

Lloyd should be removed since he has identified the problem facing the team but has refused to resolve it.

Fans in India feel West Indies should bring back

Chanderpaul! They say he would have done much better than the others who have consistently failed the team.

There are West Indian critics who feel Chanderpaul’s feet motions are slow and he gets out of the box late to face fast deliveries. But the others have moved even slower than Chanderpaul.

What does that say about youth selection? The team’s fielding from the youths have been pathetic. The old men would have done better than these bunch of youths.

And in batting, Chanderpaul would have done no worse. It is time for Lloyd to rethink his position on Chanderpaul and on his own presence in the selection committee since his team has performed abysmally.

He should accept responsibility for failure and resign.

West Indies management and selectors should listen to fans around the globe and bring back the great Chanderpaul so he can end his career with dignity and honour.

Dear Editor, I wish to draw the attention of the government to the plight of the farmers in Leguan. It is a known fact that most rice farmers are not being paid for last crop paddy despite the fact they suffered a lost.

Presently they are unable to plant this crop because the weather condition is not suitable since the rain is not falling.

As I write the island is surrounded by salt water

which is having a telling effect in the agriculture sector. Hardship for the farmers is prevailing on the island. They are wondering where the next dollar will come from.

The PPP government in their vision was putting things in place to deal with any eventuality that would have impacted negatively on the rice industry on the island, by establishing a plantain chip factory.

Thus, giving the farm-

ers an alternative to other means of income.

It appears this project is neglected by the present government or the Minister of Business does not have any idea how to move this project forward. Since the government distanced itself from the rice industry the residents are calling on them to make the plantain chip factory operable as early as possible so they can have an alternative to rice cultivation.

At the same time the rice farmers are asking that the government give them some financial assistance (grant) so they and their families can survive for the next year.

As I speak this is also the plight of farmers on the neighbouring island of Wakenaam.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Plight of Leguan farmers

Yours sincerely, Sheik Inshan Ayube Vice Chairman Region 3

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Government must act with a sense of responsibility Dear Editor, Dr Hinds commented, “President David Granger’s recent plea for patience and suggestion that they have not yet accumulated the evidence needed for prosecution makes some sense. But, politically it puts a damper on the expectations of Government supporters.”

The above is an excerpt from a news item published in Sunday’s edition of Kaieteur News. Dr Hinds is also reported in that news article to have said that the lack of prosecution of alleged

wrongdoers under the previous government could negatively impact APNU/AFC’s success in upcoming local government elections.

Is Dr Hinds suggesting that thorough investigations, fairness, honesty and due process must be sacrificed at the altar of political expediency? Is he suggesting that persons should be charged even without sufficient evidence so as to satisfy the expectations of supporters and to influence the results of local government elections?

Let me make it clear.

I am of the view that persons against whom there is a preponderance of evidence of corruption should be charged and have their day in Court. David Granger, prior to becoming president, had said that a government led by him would not embark on a witch-hunt and he is apparently keeping his promise. He obviously wants to avoid any criticisms about witch-hunting by ensuring that when someone is charged there is enough evidence to win a

conviction, rather than have cases thrown out for lack of evidence which would then serve as testimony to witchhunting.

APNU/AFC is not merely a coalition, it is the Government of Guyana and must act with the sense of responsibility, fairness and commitment to due process that is required of a government. While pursuing investigations and commissions of enquiry the government should also set up a truth and reconciliation commission that would bring to

Practical National Movement running in LGE Dear Editor, I note with much trepidation the constant and widespread coverage given to my Brother Mark Benschop in his run-up to the Local Government Elections. It appears that whenever Mark speaks, the media is pleased and obliged to listen.

Since my return to Guyana I have observed that Mark Benschop has been very vocal on matters both of the country and more recently, Georgetown. I applaud him and wish him well in his desires.

However, Benschop is not the only candidate who will be competing in the LGE. I have gotten my family’s blessing and I too will be attempting to get involved in helping to move my country forward. I think that I possess the nationalistic and patriotic wherewithal to ask the constituents of the 8th constituency: StabroekWortmanville -Werk-enRust division, for their support.

There is much unemployment, drugs abuse, vagrancy, crime and other so-

cial and infrastructural ills in my community. I would like the opportunity to aid in the reduction and alleviation of these chronic and endemic realities. In this regard, I have begun the process of qualifying as a candidate for the LGE, under the banner of the Practical National Movement (PNM).

What I would hope, Editor, is that equal coverage be given to all the candidates seeking election. The new electoral format allows for

all and sundry to participate.

Many of the big-guns and some of the political parties are planning to enter the race.

If the privately owned media do not allow for fair and balanced reporting, those with deep pockets and national recognition will consume the average candidate. This LGE will be a test of the fairness and balance of the media houses’ reporting.

Now that the average citizen could contest this election, the voters will have a rare chance of deciding who they want to lead the developments within their communities. If the media does the right thing, Guyana might well be on its way to grassroots, democratic, apolitical, governance.

Sincerely, Pastor WP Jeffrey Practical National Movement

light many of the wrong-doings of the previous administration while at the same time providing amnesty and giving some of the wrong-doers an opportunity to atone.

Ours is a small society rife with factionalism and factionalism based largely on race and political affiliation and with the flawed thinking of many of our poli-

ticians that “s/he who is not for me is against me.” The APNU/AFC government has a great opportunity to work towards engendering social cohesion and racial harmony, if not unity. It must not squander this opportunity.

Regards, Wesley Kirton

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Foundation

A fateful first act

– the action-packed days a baby spends in utero influence (Part 1) emotional and physical makeup for years to come

By Emily Laber-Warren

I

prided myself on being low-key about my pregnancy. I didn’t read What to Expect When You’re Expecting – OK, so I bought a copy, but I only used it as a reference. I travelled, I socialised, and I worked full-time until five days before giving birth, even though I was carrying twins. I did not want to believe that anything essential about me had changed.

That is, until the night I shook my husband from sleep, sobbing hysterically, convinced that by eating a few pieces of feta cheese I had irreversibly damaged our babies.

I had read that some cheeses could harbour a bacterium called Listeria that causes birth defects. But I rebelled. All these prohibitions directed at my most innocent pleasures! I’d already cut out wine, coffee, su-

guyanatimesgy.com

shi, bike riding, and countless other things I enjoyed.

When I was six months pregnant, I got sick after gorging on a cheese plate at an office party. In the midst of my ensuing panic – would my children suffer their whole lives for one dumb, piggy move of mine? – something clicked: These foetuses weren’t veteran humans. They were different, and painfully vulnerable.

Everyone knows by now that it’s bad for women to smoke or drink while pregnant, but a large body of research is revealing that much more subtle influences, such as being anaemic, feeling perpetually stressed, or simply getting the flu, can also harm a developing baby. “It’s a new understanding of what causes vulnerability to disease,” says Vivette Glover, a perinatal psychobiologist at Imperial College London.

Until recently, doctors believed that the journey from fertilised egg to baby followed unwavering genetic instructions. But a flood of new studies reveals that foetal development is a complicated duet between the baby’s genes and the messages it receives from its mother. Based on those signals, the foetus chooses one path over another, often resulting in long-term changes – to the structure of its kidneys, say, or how sensitive its brain will be to the chemical dopamine, which plays a role in mood, motivation, and reward.

This new science of foetal programming, which investigates how in utero influences cause physiological changes that can linger into later life,

is producing clues to mysterious disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, as well as evidence of the very early effects of stress and toxins.

Scientists still don’t know all the hows and whys of these foetal cues, but the when is very clear: earlier than we ever thought.

A delicate project

Our first nine months resonate for the next 70 or 80 years because the foetal enterprise is so enormously ambitious. In just 270 days, a single cell becomes trillions of diverse and specialised cells –that’s more cells than there are galaxies in the universe. As in any construction project, events unfold in a highly coordinated sequence. Each cell not only has its own job to do, it spurs other cells to action –sending out chemical signals that tell its neighbours to divide like crazy or to self-destruct. So when something goes wrong, it can set off a domino effect.

Cells might not travel to their intended destination, or they might stop multiplying too soon, or, in the case of brain cells, they might fail to establish the right interconnections.

“We pass more biological milestones before we’re born than at any other time in our lives,” says Peter Nathanielsz, director of the Centre for Pregnancy and Newborn Research at the University of Texas Health Science Centre at San Antonio. “If we do not pass them correctly, there is a price to pay.”

Pregnancy is a dynamic process; the foetus is attuned to its mother in many ways.

It learns about the day-night cycle from her rhythm of sleep and activity. It knows her voice: A classic 1980 study showed that immediately after birth, infants prefer a recording of their own mother reading a book over that of another woman reading the same story. The foetus even comes to appreciate its mother’s taste in food after swallowing gallons of amniotic fluid tinged with those flavours. “The foetus is already a learning organism,” says Christopher Coe, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

By the same token, if its mother fails to provide vital nutrients, the foetus prepares for a world of scarcity, adjusting its metabolism so that it can wring the most out of every calorie. Such a baby might be born with a liver and pancreas that have less capacity to process fats and sugars, predisposing the adult to high cholesterol levels and diabetes. If the mom’s stress hormones are high, her baby prepares to enter a harsh world – recalibrating its brain and nervous system to be on high alert for potential threats.

As the years pass, the alterations that took place in the womb – especially when coupled with an unlucky genetic inheritance, a troubled upbringing, or an unhealthy lifestyle – may lead to problems: Heart attack.

Diabetes.

Osteoporosis.

Depression. Schizophrenia.

(Excerpt from Psychologytoday)

Affluenza kid only a symbol of parenting culture gone wrong

By Naomi Schaefer Riley

And, though it may be exhausting, you are also their disciplinarian. It’s clear that Ethan Couch’s parents are the extreme example, but it doesn’t take much time hanging out with moms to realize that many of us have lost control. I know

Continued from Monday

better comparison than a group of too-tightly corseted 19th century ladies who dropped at the slightest deviation from accepted speech and behaviour.

What’s particularly galling, though, is that their parents, those wild-and crazy Gen-Xers, are so intent on protecting their children’s delicate sensibilities

The notion that your child is your friend or your equal, let alone your protector, is something only a parent in the past few decades would believe

mothers who cannot have a three-minute conversation because their 5-year-olds are hanging on them, demanding attention, even hitting them.

There aren’t many parents these days who believe children should be seen and not heard.

But maybe they could be heard a little less.

If it were ever going to be clear what spineless helicopter parenting has wrought, this past year should do it. The college-campus protests have comprised people who are supposed to be young adults — people old enough to serve in the military — withering over Halloween costumes, running to safe rooms when a dissident speaker appears on campus, demanding the purging of professors, books and even dining-hall food that irritates their sensibilities.

Christina Hoff Sommers calls this trend “fainting-couch feminism.” And there’s really no

that they are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars while their children protest the free exchange of ideas. That these kids are illprepared for the real world is obvious to anyone with eyes to see.

I have met children who do not suffer from affluenza.

But they are too rare. Where do you find young men and women who do not take their comforts for granted? The first place, obviously, is the military.

To realise the importance of sacrifice in the name of a greater good before you have reached the age of 25 is downright countercultural these days.

But there are others. Several years ago I met young men had transferred from Deep Springs College – a two-year school where kids study Great Books and do work on a farm instead of paying tuition. These boys among the most independentminded I have ever met and least concerned with the views of their peers or winds of popular culture. Something about the combination of manual labour and difficult reading.

I started interviewing homeschooled kids about 15 years ago. Back then the assumption was that these boys and girls would be socially stunted because of their lack of exposure to their peers. It turned out to be the opposite.

They were better able to interact with adults and quickly found themselves leaders among their peers.

What these kids have in common, along with others I have met in religious communities, are parents who don’t care what the rest of the world thinks. They are completely unconcerned with the broader messages of the culture. They aren’t interested in whether other kids have iPhones or boyfriends or watch some television show.

Some of these parents are strict but, more importantly, they let their kids fail. They do not stand on the soccer field demanding more playing time for junior. They do not storm into the principal’s office when their child is not invited to a birthday party. They set high expectations for their children.

And they always remember that there is a difference between children and adults. (New York Post)

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tuesday, january 5, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

PPP rubbishes $289M Lima Pump Station commissioned claims of internal H power struggle

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has once again dismissed rumours of an internal power struggle following a difference in opinion expressed by its General Secretary, Clement Rohee and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

The political party is maintaining that there is absolutely no conflict among its senior members and there is no fight for power within.

Over the weekend, concerns again arose about internal problems after Rohee and Jagdeo expressed opposing views on the deferral of Police promotions.

Asked to respond to this presumed conflict at the Party’s weekly press conference, Rohee expressed, “When I speak. I speak as General Secretary of the PPP when Bharrat Jagdeo speaks, he speaks as the holder of a constitution

post, which is the Leader of the Opposition.”

He added that there was really no contradiction in the two statements.

On the other hand, PPP Executive Neal Kumar who was chairing the press conference, chimed in to make it “clear to all and sundry” that there was no internal power struggle as was widely speculated.

“I can assure you that the PPP is as solid as a rock and that there is no division…we are together,” he stated firmly.

Meanwhile, Jagdeo only recently dismissed claims of a rift between himself and Rohee following another difference of opinion between the two on the Members of Parliament salary increases.

He had noted then that while they may have their individual views on many matters, he and Rohee share the same perspective regarding the direction they want to take the PPP.

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LHC to get new Board

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newly-constituted Board of Directors will soon be officially put in place at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC).

This is according to the Hospital’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Reycia Nedd, who indicated that members have already been selected to serve in this regard. While she did not disclose the names of those selected, Nedd said the newly-appointed members of the Board are soon expected to be formally installed by President David Granger. She said since the Board members have not yet been officially placed, they have not commenced any duties.

Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Health Committee Chairman Maurice Butters had recently voiced concerns over the absence of a legal body to run the affairs of the health institution and had even cited several instances of “corrupt” practices, which he said he believed were due

to the absence of a “legitimate” Board. The Health Committee Chairman has several times over the past years questioned the legitimacy of the previous LHC Board and recently stated that Hospital employees were enquiring about the re-establishment or re-constitution of the Board. He said that a clear direction was lacking at the institution, which he noted should have been incorporated years ago.

Butters said the present Administration had made calls for all Boards across the country to be constituted; however, he had expressed worry after no action regarding movement in such a direction was taken after some time.

When contacted by Guyana Times on Thursday, Butters, who has also served as a past LHC Board member, said he “heard through the grapevine” that a new Board was expected to be constituted and he would not be part of it.

undreds of rice farmers in Essequibo, Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are expected to benefit tremendously from a multimillion-dollar pump facility in Lima Village, which was officially commissioned on Monday by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

The station was constructed by Doodnauth Samaroo Investment at a cost of $289 million and the project was supervised by E&A Consultants.

The Prime Minister in his address posited that the project was initially conceived by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration but was completed under the current Government.

Nagamootoo stated that although the pump “took some time to complete” it would serve its purpose of enhancing drainage and irrigation within the region.

He explained that 20 per cent of Guyana’s economy lies within the agriculture sector as he outlined that agriculture is considered the “backbone” of Region 2’s economy.

As such, he reiterated that agriculture cannot exist without “proper drainage and irrigation” and therefore it is hoped the installation of the pumps serve to fulfil this need.

According to the PM, he recently commissioned pumps in Canje and Black Bush Polder, Berbice, noting that those areas would be protected from flooding due to these investments.

He also said that the

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Agriculture Minister Noel Holder cutting the ribbon for the opening of the new pump

pumps that were ordered under the “India Line of Credit” for rice farmers and cane farmers had “taken some time to reach Guyana” hence delaying the installations.

Meanwhile, chief of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Fredrick Flatts, boasted that the newly installed pump has the capacity to pump 200 cubic feet of water per second or 90,000 gallons of water per minute.

It is anticipated that over 450 rice farmers within Lima, La Belle Alliance, Coffee Grove, Hampton Court and Richmond would be the direct beneficiaries, Flatts said.

This pump is one of eight that were solicited

by the PPP\C Government under the India Line of Credit.

Region 2 Chairman Daveanand Ramdatt also stated that drainage and irrigation requires “much more attention” from the government.

The chairman noted that the project was a “very wise decision made by the PPP/C” to provide proper drainage and irrigation to those farmers who were previously affected by severe flooding.

Ramdatt called for proper accountability, monitoring and maintenance to be done regularly by the Regional Administration ensuring that the millions invested are being safeguarded.

The Regional head fur-

ther said that for the project to be successful it will require excavation and revetment works to be executed on the trench leading to the pump as well as the strengthening of the sea defence where water is being pumped out.

In addition, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder during his address said the project will enhance the drainage network within the region.

He explained that the project is the first step in providing better drainage and promised that monies will used to clear outfall channels, construct concrete and timber revetments as well as maintain drainage and irrigation structures along the Coast.

LGE 2016:

New mayor must be “young and able” − Green

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s the time for Local Government Elections (LGE) draws near, Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green has officially announced he is no longer interested in the Mayorship ever again, but will still be contesting in the upcoming elections in a different capacity.

Speaking with Guyana Times Monday, Mayor Green said he is hoping the person who is elected as the next mayor of Georgetown is “young and able” to serve in that capacity especially with respect to the restoration of the City.

Green refused to divulge the area in which he will be contesting at the upcoming polls.

When asked whether he was proud of the legacy, Green shared he is only proud of what he has been able to accomplish over the past few months when the new government took office.

Mayor Hamilton Green

He added that he had to endure over 20 years of frustration under the previous administration.

Green who is in his 80s has served as Mayor of Georgetown since 1996.

For years City Council has failed to address the many issues facing the capital city Georgetown.

While the Council had continuously blamed its inability to deal with the problems confronting the capital on the lack of financial resources, then Local

Government Minister Norman Whittaker always contended otherwise.

Whittaker had previously stated the Council lacked the “political will” under the PPP Government to actually commit to responding to the changing dynamics of the city and to provide improved services to residents.

Meanwhile, groups keen on contesting the upcoming Local Government Elections on March 18 are required to present

their Lists of Candidates to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Nominations Day, January 26.

On that day, each participating party must submit its List of Candidates to the respective returning officers in the 71 local government organs.

These groups can include political parties, voluntary organisations, and individual candidates who wish to run for leadership of their respective municipalities or neighbourhood democratic councils.

All parties desirous of participating are required by law to submit a symbol for approval by GECOM before Nominations Day. Applications for symbols, which must include printed and electronic versions, must be submitted to GECOM no later than January 5 (today). This stage is critical as failure to do so could result in disqualification.

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tuesday, january 5, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

"Goldilocks" burglar

Tells Court he fell asleep and woke up in VC’s bed

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man who was brought before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Monday to answer to a burglary charge told the Court that he fell asleep outside the home of the Virtual Complainant (VC) and woke up in the VC’s bed.

Shawn English admitted that on January 2 at Georgetown, he broke and entered the house of Mark Niles and stole a cellular phone valued at $70,000 and $160,000 cash, a total

Burglary accused: Shawn English

value of $230,000.

The defendant told the

Magistrate that on the day in question he was imbibing alcohol in the vicinity of the VC’s house.

“I was high and I tek’ knock out. When I wake up back, I was lying inside on the bed,” he stated. “Me ain’t tek the thing. I ain’t want no story. I would work and pay him back just fuh done the story,” he further stated. Upon hearing this, the Magistrate recorded a not-guilty plea on behalf of the defendant.

The VC related to the

court that he grew up in the same neighbourhood as the defendant, who upon hearing that broke down in tears.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne had no objections to bail. The Prosecutor informed the Court that the phone was recovered and the family of the accused had opted to compensate the VC. The Magistrate placed the man on $65,000 bail. He was given until February 4 to fully compensate the VC.

Man accused of Kitty man remanded burning mother’s on drug charge lover

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man who reportedly burnt his mother’s lover over a land dispute has been slapped with an attempted murder charge.

Michael Robertson was on Monday charged when he appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The 27-year-old man was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on December 30, 2015 at Orinduik, Port Kaituma, he unlawfully and maliciously inflicted griev-

ous bodily harm on Joseph King with intent to commit murder.

Defence Attorney Peter Hugh related that his client was an Orinduik Village farmer. Attorney Hugh revealed that the altercation stemmed from a confrontation between the defendant and his mother after she brought her lover into their home and attempted to put her son out. It was further divulged that King was still hospitalised.

Bail was refused. The case will continue on January 7.

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29-year-old labourer was on Monday remanded to prison by Magistrate Fabayo Azore when he appeared before her at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with narcotics possession.

Brian Barker, of Lot 5B Dowling Street, Kitty, Georgetown, denied the allegation that he was found with 30 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The details surrounding the charge were not divulged in Court; however, Police Prosecutor Simone Payne

revealed that Police ranks approached the defendant and saw him throw a package away.

They then retrieved the package and it was discovered to be cannabis. He was then arrested and slapped with the charge.

His Attorney, Peter Hugh, in a bail application, told the Court that the Camp Street Prison where his client would be held was “overflowing”.

His application was unsuccessful and the defendant was remanded. The case will continue on January 28.

Hell Hill murder accused remanded A resident of Heaven Hill, Matthews Ridge, North West District (NWD) was on Monday remanded to prison for the stabbing death of Peter James.

Twenty-three-year-old Leonard Fredericks was not required to plead to the in-

dictable charge which stated that on December 26 at Hell Hill, he murdered James.

He was remanded to prison

by Magistrate Fabayo Azore when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne told the Court that

the accused and the victim were involved in an argument prior to the incident.

She explained that on the day in question, Fredericks saw James drinking at a shop and dealt him several stabs about the body with a knife. He was subsequently arrested and admitted to the

offence under caution.

The murder accused was represented by Attorney Dexter Todd who related that his client had no antecedents. The Magistrate remanded the man to prison. The case will continue on January 7 before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Taxi driver slapped with robbery charge

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n Albouystown man was on Monday remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’

Courts after he was slapped with an armed robbery charge.

Thirty-six-year-old Mark Prince, of Lot 169

James and Curtis Streets, Albouystown, Georgetown, denied the charge which stated that on November 23, 2015 at Bel Air Park, while

in the company of others and armed with an offensive weapon – a gun, he robbed Nicola Coats of a cellular phone valued at $50,000.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne objected to bail, telling the Court that the taxi driver has been charged for a similar matter in the past.

She cited the seriousness of the charge and the penalty that it attracts in her objection, noting that additional charges were expected to be laid against the father of four.

In response to the Prosecutor’s submission, Prince pleaded for bail, telling the Court that his reputed wife was pregnant with their fifth child. Bail was refused. The case will continue on January 28.

Eyew tness Paying the piper…

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…in media

he President graciously hosted the Guyana Media Association (GMA) for the New Year. In a not-so-subtle reprimand to his Prime Minister Nagamootoo, who was present, he averred that the media has every right to be critical of the government. Not long into the new regime, during the budget debate, Nagamootoo took it upon himself to publicly upbraid a Guyana Chronicle reporter for stating the government had “blundered” in its presentation.

After drubbing the reporter’s conclusion of “blundering”, the Prime Minister - who was denied the “governance” portfolio promised in the Cummingsburg Accord and left with the “Information” duties - later said, “I had expected better from a government-owned newspaper.”

The Chronicle subsequently wrote a very obsequious editorial announcing that the Chronicle “is owned by the State, and is, therefore, expected to editorially support the general thrust of the government of the day.”

The GMA to its credit, immediately rejected the position of both Nagamootoo and Chronicle and pointed out that a clear distinction needed to be made between the “state” – which owns the newspaper – and “the government” –which happens to be running the state for the next five years.

The latter it pointed out – by the tenets of the free press - should be open to criticism when in the opinion of the media they’re off course. The GMA opined that the old authoritarian mindset of controlling the media might be manifesting itself in Guyana once again.

So Pressie’s promise to stay off the backs of the media sounds good and must be complimented. Even though he didn't specifically mention whether the State media was included in his charge – this Eyewitness will take his use of the plural “media” to understand that “all are involved” – including the Chronicle. But he did allude to editors who might be pressured by those above them. He could have been referring to the General Editor of the Chronicle, who was fired summarily.

But even though Pressie promised a hands off approach, the money he promised the GMA for “training” is worrisome.

Taking the present Chronicle’s slavish pandering to the government in its coverage of the government (voluntarily, in its words, because of who’s paying the piper), aren’t there going to be doubts in the minds of the citizenry that GMA operatives might also self-censor themselves so as not to derail the new gravy train?

This Eyewitness for one remembers the words of Martin Carter about “the mouth is muzzled by the hands that feed it”.

He wrote this after quitting as Information Minister in the first PNC government back in 1971. He knoweth of what he spoketh!

…but not the citizens

A sad pattern is visible when the government’s actions are scrutinised from a macro-standpoint. It begins with saying all the politically right things to ordinary folks. It’ll raise their salaries “substantially”, it’ll raise pensions, it’ll promote women etc…etc.

In each of those cases it either doesn't deliver – or it gives with the right hand and takes away even more with the left hand. And we know who sits on the left hand… don't we?

How about the cruel joke played on senior citizens when it “raised” their pensions by $4000 and then took away the subsidy of electricity and water - which amounted to at least twice that?

The latest outrage was revealed by this newspaper – but the rest of the media’s been studiously avoiding the issue.

Nowadays, almost every family has a car or some vehicle using gasoline. With the world price of oil plummeting by more than half, how come ordinary citizens aren’t benefitting – as is other countries?

Simple… while the government boasts of reducing the Berbice Bridge’s toll by $300, it’s pocketing more than that on EVERY GAL OF GASOLINE SOLD!

…on obfuscation

After boasting during the budget debate that the PPP growth rate would be maintained, the Finance Minister sheepishly conceded that it even didn't amount to half of that.

And the govt still hadn't “blundered”?

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

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tuesday, january 5, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Presidential powers yet Fire ravages Canje home − two homeless to be reduced – Rohee F By: Devina Samaroo

ollowing numerous occasions of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo speaking extensively about the need for the presidential powers to be reduced, seven months have elapsed since the new administration took office but to date nothing of this commitment has been realised.

People’s Progressive Party General Secretary Clement Rohee appears keen on holding Nagamootoo to his words, calling on him to expose his “testicular perspicacity” and make a move to clip President David

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee

Granger’s wings.

“Not a single initiative has been taken by Nagamootoo to humble the powers of the President and the excess of the Executive… Let’s see if he has the testicular perspicacity to do so in the upcoming review of the constitution,” Rohee posited.

Though he is advocating for the coalition to fulfil its promise in this regard, Rohee declined to comment on the PPP’s position about the lessening of presidential powers.

“That’s not for me to determine. Nagamootoo is the man who said that and that he would humble the powers of the President… Let the com-

President David Granger

mission that will meet subject to parliamentary approval make that determination,” Rohee said.

Rohee also pointed out that it appears as though tables have turned for Nagamootoo who had intended to lessen the powers of the executive.

“Nagamootoo has abandoned and his highsounding and ambitious reform objectives and instead of his ‘humbling’ Granger’s presidential powers, Granger, for his part, has humbled Nagamootoo’s ambition by refusing to allow him to chair Cabinet meetings, and has limited his portfolio responsibilities to that which was administered by Kwame McCoy under the PPP/C administration,” he explained.

Soon after being sworn in as Prime Minister, he again stated that he wants to “start on humbling the powers of the President, the excess powers of the Executive, and to bring about inclusion within the government system.”

At a campaign rally in Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, Nagamootoo declared that part of the problem in Guyana is that too much power is concentrated in one person’s hand and that this needed to be changed in order for Guyana to move forward.

Also, in the coalition’s

manifesto, it promised to, within the first 100 days, establish a Constitutional Reform Committee to amend the Constitution including the rebalancing of powers and responsibilities of the President and Prime Minister in a manner meant to reduce abuse, avoid conflicts of interests, and facilitate the more efficient execution of state functions.

However, Rohee reminded that the committee is yet to be convened.

Government had established a Constitutional Reform Steering Committee that was tasked with setting up the framework for sub-

East Canje house destroyed by fire

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Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

stantive constitutional reforms and to define the scope of the actual reform process and the establishment of terms of reference and mechanisms for consultations to establish a Constitutional Reform Commission.

This report was recently submitted to the Prime Minister for review.

Rohee contended however that the Steering Committee is nothing but farcical since it consists mainly of pro-government officials.

He also asserted that the establishment of the committee without any consultation with the parliamentary opposition is a mark of utmost disrespect.

Boxing Day murder

Gold miner charged

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miner was on Monday remanded to prison by Magistrate Fabayo Azore for the Boxing Day murder of Ryan Simon.

Elvis Felix, 28, was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge which stated that on December 26 at Ichie Rock Landing, Pakaraimas, he murdered Simon.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne told the

Court that the accused and the deceased were known to each other. She disclosed that on Boxing Day, the two had a misunderstanding which led to a scuffle.

The accused reportedly left the scene and later returned with a cutlass with which he dealt Simon several chops to the head. He then made good his escape but was later apprehended in Mahdia, Region

Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and handed over the murder weapon to the Police.

According to reports, the father of two had accused the now dead man of “talking his name”, and in a fit of anger armed himself with a cutlass and chopped Simon about his body.

The matter will continue on January 7 before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

fire of unknown origin has left a grandfather and his granddaughter homeless at Canefield, East Canje, Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Reports are the blaze completely destroyed the two-storey building at Lot 1103 Canefield, East Canje, owned by Chunilall Basdeo, 61. The man and his granddaughter, 10, occupy the lower flat.

This newspaper was told

the fire started at about 11:00h in the upper flat, currently unoccupied.

Basdeo told this newspaper he is confined to the lower flat because of his medical condition. He said he smelled something burning and upon investigating saw smoke coming from the upper flat of his house.

“I don’t know how the fire started because nobody does go upstairs or live there, me just smell some-

thing burning and like it happen so fast,” he said.

He said the New Amsterdam Fire tenders responded and managed to contain the fire.

Basdeo and his granddaughter are hoping to find a place to relocate. He says he plants a small kitchen garden, which sustains himself and granddaughter.

The fire department has since launched an investigation.

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tuesday, january 5, 2016

News

Dysfunctional hydrants a worry to Region 10 Council T he issue of non-functioning fire hydrants in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) continues to engage the attention of regional officials, who have made calls for a return of a functioning hydrant system.

Recently, Regional Councillor Gordon Calendar said the issue arises when there are fires in the community. He stated that he wishes to see the hydrants put back into operation.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Station Officer at the Linden Fire Station Chris LaRose on the occasion of the observance of Fire Prevention Week, who said fire hydrants have become almost non-existent and is a major disadvantage for effectively fighting fires.

Similarly, Councillor Douglas Gittens during a recent meeting of the Regional Democratic Council said the council had learned that none of the fire hydrants in Linden are connected to water mains.

“Three years ago we asked the question to GWI (Guyana Water Incorporated), ‘what is the

One of the dysfunctional hydrants

situation with the new pipelines and the hydrants that are here?’, and if there are things in place to put new ones on the system...we asked the CEO what is the situation and he was appalled that none of the hydrants are connected to anything running in the region.

So that was one of the emergency things for him to look at”, he stated.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman Renis Morian said the council will have an information officer engage the relevant authorities in relation to the situation moving forward.

“It’s not a case whereby some are connected; none are connected to the pipelines on the ground”, he said.

In an effort to have the issue sorted out he stated: “We are working to have our communication officer present here five days a week, Monday to Friday so we can have all the information...”

This newspaper learnt that many residents are of the opinion that the hydrants were just a part of the landmark and were uncertain as to if they would prove useful in an instance of fire.

Brazilian robbery/killing: Lindener slapped with murder charge

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Lindener was on Monday remanded to prison when he appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with murder.

O’Neil Griffith, 26, of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on December 30, at Puruni he murdered Razz DeSantos.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne stated that on the day in question, Griffith robbed several Brazilians at a mining camp. During the said robbery, he shot DeSantos to his neck.

After killing the miner, Griffith allegedly escaped with a quantity of raw gold, a boat and an engine.

However, he was captured at Itabali. The stolen vessel and some of the gold were recovered, she told the court.

According to Payne, after his apprehension, the accused admitted to killing the Brazilian. It was alleged the accused disposed of the firearm but was nonetheless positively identified by one of the victims of the robbery.

The accused was remanded to prison and will make his second Court appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday, January 7.

Review of Khalil Rahman Ali, Sugar Sweet Allure, London: Hansib Publication, 2013.

I

n 1838, the British and colonised Indian governments permitted sugar planters in British Guiana to bring Indian indentured workers from India to their plantations.

This labour movement was expected to satisfy a labour demand precipitated by slave emancipation.

Indentured Indians were required to provide their labour services to the plantations, while the planters looked for a more permanent Dr Lomarsh Roopnarine labour force.

However, the solution to the latter was never found, and Indians continued to provide indentured labour until 1917, when the system was abolished. By the 1860s, the labourers were encouraged to re-indenture for another five years after their contracts expired. By the early 1870s, they were given a small parcel of land to settle in exchange for their entitled return passage to India. The settlement scheme was very successful, and by the 1900s, Indians had become a majority population in British Guiana.

Khalil Rahman Ali situates his novel within the context of Indian indentureship in British Guiana. The story begins when a young male Muslim labourer, Mustafa Ali, from Uttar Pradesh, India, falls in love with a young Hindu woman, Chandini Sharma, from a well-to-do background in the same region. Both characters share a mutual love and respect when they meet secretly.

But when it is revealed that both characters are in love with each other, it becomes a bone of contention between the families.

Nineteenth-century India did not allow for affection between people of different religions, and so Mustafa is forced to run away with the expectation that he will come back for Chandini. In his escape for a different life, Mustafa ends up in Calcutta where he is duped into signing a labour contract that takes him across the Indian and Atlantic Oceans for over three months to British Guiana.

Mustafa is a witty individual who is able to acquire positions of leadership while on the depot, during the voyage, and on the plantation. He eventually comes in contact with almost every aspect of indenture. He is exposed to other ethnic groups like Africans and Chinese, who are also working and living on the plantation on which Mustafa is indentured.

During the first five years of indenture, Mustafa has the opportunity to meet and marry someone else but remained faithful to Chandini, even though he fails to make contact with her through letters and messages. When his contract expires he is torn between going back to India and staying in British Guiana. He eventually stays in British Guiana for another five years.

While he never dismisses his love for Chandini, he marries another indentured Muslim indentured woman, and together the couple has two sons. The story becomes more interesting when Mustafa is able to break out of his plantation environment to start his own business and when his sons are ready to get married. At this stage of the plot one is in suspense as to whether Mustafa will ever meet Chandini.

The characters do not meet in India but in British Guiana when they are middle-aged. Their meeting is accidental. In India, Chandini’s family plantation is ruined by disasters and other hardships, and so, like Mustafa, she is forced to look for employment and eventually is indentured to British Guiana on a plantation not too far from Mustafa. But neither character is aware of each other’s presence. However, Chandini is no longer single.

She marries, mainly for protection, a gentleman whom she meets on board the sea voyage to British Guiana. They eventually have two daughters.

In maintaining the match-marriage customs of nineteenthcentury India, Mustafa is looking for two young women to marry his two sons and is told of a couple who has two daughters on a nearby plantation. It is within this context Mustafa and Chandini meet after thirty years apart. They acknowledge and respect each other’s different routes in life. One of Mustafa’s sons is eventually married to Chandini’s daughter, something Mustafa and Chandini were not allowed to do in India.

The novel is rather interesting in that it covers so many themes in Indian indenturship not often seen in literary works. The author examines the relationships during indenture from the position of the labourers and not from the power holders of the plantations.

The end result is some surprising gender, religious, and ethnic relations that are not always tragic.

But the novel also provides a balanced perspective on Indian indenture in British Guiana. One learns about how these individuals were uprooted from their homes, and how this rupture affected them in the depot, during the sea voyage, on the plantations, and in their isolated communities. Yet, over time and through determination, they were able to develop a new homeland in a foreign country without dismissing their past. It is a classic case of cultural continuity and change.

Finally, one gets the sense that despite hardships in British Guiana, it was a better place than India, at least for the working class and social relations. The descendants of indentured Indians in Guyana will find this novel useful in understanding their past. First published in the Journal of Caribbean Literatures (2015). (lomarsh.roopnarine@jsums.edu)

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tuesday, january 5, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Procurement scandal

GPL's CEO stonewalls calls to step aside

By Kristen Macklingam

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s investigations are expected to proceed into the allegations of corruption surrounding Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Colin Welch and his involvement in a multimillion-dollar prepaid metering contract, he insists he won’t step aside while the inquiry takes place.

Meanwhile, the administration, though it has come under fire for failing to send the CEO on leave to facilitate the investigation, has declared that there is no need to send Welch on leave pending the investigation into the matter.

As a result of this decision the government is being accused of portraying “double standards” since it has justified sending other heads of departments on administrative leave pending investigations but refuses to take action with Welch who is being accused of tampering with the procurement process.

The CEO on Sunday told Guyana Times the accusations levelled against him are ‘baseless’ and he is embarrassed the media would “blow things out of proportion”.

When questioned as to whether he thinks the moral thing to do would proceed on leave for duration of the investigation, Welch rhetorically asked: “Why would you step aside for something that is baseless?”

According to him, when persons issue statements about others and their credibility, it is not always the truth or in some cases there can be exaggeration or fabrication of details.

Hence, he maintains he is innocent of the allegations against him and as such does not plan to go on leave while the investigations take place.

It was expected since December last, that Welch would have been sent on administrative leave to allow for the commencement of an investigation into allegations of massive misconduct, fraud and corruption that had surfaced recently.

Guyana Times had been told that although government had been in receipt of complaints about Welch’s involvement in the tendering for about 28,000 prepaid meters being supplied to GPL worth over US$4 million, for months no action had been taken.

Late December, State Minister Joe Harmon told this publication the matter involving the GPL CEO and whether or not he will be sent on administration leave is out of his jurisdiction.

He said such issues

GPL CEO Colin Welch

come under the Public Infrastructure Ministry but that to date the matter has not been presented to Cabinet for any deliberation on the way forward.

Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI) in a media statement had also denounced the ‘cavalier treatment’ by the APNU/AFC coalition on the most recent matter where Welch was fingered for his involvement in the procurement of these meters.

It stated that as a result of non-action by the administration the CEO is being given the chance to “correct himself in future, if not completely absolve him from any consequences of his actions.”

In less than four months after being controversially appointed Welch found himself in hot water after evidence surfaced about his interference in this multimillion-dollar contract.

Last April, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) closed the bids with Tesco PLC, a British company that won the contract and undertook to supply the prepaid meters to Guyana.

Tesco was going to procure the meters from Shenzhen Clou Electronics Company Limited of China.

Subsequently, one bidder raised objections about the evaluation and award, claiming that Tesco’s supplier, Shenzhen, does not manufacture the 100amp meters required by GPL. This resulted in the tender board writing both Tesco and Shenzhen, seeking clarifications.

It was during the waiting period for responses that the controversially appointed Welch allegedly contacted the Chinese company, stating that it must lie about having the 100amp prepaid meters available in other countries. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

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tuesday, january 5, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Police deferred promotions:

Commissioner’s statement "political" and "unbecoming" − Rohee

G

eneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee on Monday took to task Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud for his recent statements regarding the tenure of Rohee as Home Affairs Minister in relation to the promotion of police ranks.

According to the former minister, the sentiments expressed by Seelall are nothing short of being ‘political’ in nature.

Following Rohee’s suggestion at a PPP media briefing on Monday last, that the promotions of police officers for 2015 should be put on hold until certain disciplinary matters are completed, Seelall expressed his displeasure about such a move.

At the PPP media briefing Monday last, the Party’s General Secretary had declared that there was not much known about the number of disciplinary matters which have been before the Police Service Commission (PSC) for some time to date.

“Several disciplinary matters are before a disciplinary authority headed by former Senior Magistrate Cecil Sullivan,” Rohee had said.

The Police Commissioner in his statement to the media disputed this suggestion, stating it would have a

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

negative impact on the morale of the officers.

However, on Monday at yet another PPP media conference Rohee said the commissioner’s statement was ‘political’ and having such a post, Seelall should know he should be ‘non-political’.

“I saw that and I thought the commissioner was being very political saying that statement. Commissioners of Police is expected to be a professional, non-political person, but reading that statement he became overtly political… in the recent past I have never seen Henry Greene or Brummell make statements of that kind,” Rohee declared.

He posited that this move by Seelall is “unbe-

coming of a Commissioner of Police.”

Meanwhile, with regards to him playing an active role in the promotions of ranks over the years when he was Home Affairs Minister, Rohee emphatically denied this, stating that these promotions are within the sole purview of the PSC. He however said if there is evidence to say otherwise in relation to his alleged involvement in police promotions in the past, then the evidence should be brought forward and publicised.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) are at loggerheads over the recent decision of putting a hold on police promotions for 2015.

The ‘blame game’ has begun with Police Commissioner Persaud saying the PSC, in deferring the promotions, has acted in a manner which supports what the PPP General Secretary Rohee had urged at a recent media conference.

However, the PSC, not taking such accusations or insinuations lightly about political or any form of outside interference has stated that the reason for the promotions being put on hold lies with the GPF. The PSC in a statement said it had recognised there was no submission of a promotion list at the end of November 2015, and during its statutory meeting it was decided a letter

would be penned to Police Commissioner querying if there were promotions slated for 2015.

However, it was not until December 11 that Commissioner Persaud forwarded recommendations for the promotions, the PSC stated.

Guyana Times understands that at a special meeting the PSC observed many “inconsistencies” on the list provided and after careful consideration the PSC sought more time to scrutinise the information.

However, the GPF in a release stated the PSC had written Commissioner Persaud sometime in October 2015 requesting personal files of Officers, Inspectors and Sergeants.

According to the GPF, the PSC never asked for recommendations for the promotions until December and this was acted upon in a timely manner.

Guyana Times further understands that in January 2015 the Police Commissioner had written the chairman of the PSC asking for information pertaining to the criteria used by the commission to promote ranks.

This was to provide guidance in submitting recommendations for promotions but to date no response has been received in this regard, the police stated.

Meanwhile the promotion of ranks has been placed on hold until sometime next month.

Meten-Meer-Zorg residents condemn garbage build-up

By Kizzy Coleman

R

esidents of MetenMeer-Zorg East, West Coast Demerara, continue to complain about the intolerable condition of the area, as several other residents and businesses persist in dumping waste at various locations within the community contributing to an unbearable stench.

Several residents told Guyana Times that as a result of the dumping there has been an infestation of rodents, insects and centipedes in their homes.

They also voiced concerns over the stench of the garbage being hazardous to the health of those living in proximity of the dumpsites.

When Guyana Times visited the area on Sunday it was clearly evident that residents were indeed facing a huge problem as throughout the area piles of garbage could be seen along the streets, in the sideline trench, and nearby gutters.

According to reports reaching this newspaper, individuals are using the sideline trench as a dumpsite for carcasses and it was visible that the most recent carcass to be dumped in the trench was a cow.

Rueben McIntosh, a resident living in the area for many years who is being affected by the garbage buildup told this newspaper that this problem has been going on for years now.

“For more than five years now some residents and some businesses that are located on the public road of MetenMeer-Zorg East have been throwing their waste around the area” he complained.

He told this newspaper there is a particular set of ‘rich people’ in the area who dump their waste there, stating they do it at night because they are aware of the complaints of residents affected.

He added that because of

Garbage build-up in Meten-Meer-Zorg

the garbage and the carcasses stench, the health of his family is at risk.

‘My eldest daughter is asthmatic and this place always smells horrible; this has been contributing to her having to be rushed to the hospital on a regular basis. Also I am tired of buying rat poison as there is always rats in my home and on one occasion, I killed eight centipedes in one day and all of this I have to go through because of persons who dump their waste having no regards for those that will be affected by their actions” the irate resident explained.

He further said he has personally logged numerous complaints about the issue to the Neighbouring Democratic Council (NDC) of the area but that on only one occasion did the NDC give assistance.

“They sent a truck which removed most of the garbage but then the residents went back to throwing garbage again and for years now nothing is being done”.

He posited that several calls were also made to

the police to either arrest or warn the wrongdoers but to date the police have not responded.

An elderly resident of the area (name withheld) stated that not only is garbage being thrown but also the waste of fish and shrimp, as there are many fishers living around the area.

“They throw their unwanted fishes and also the waste from the fishes and the odour is foul. As an elderly person this is too much for me; we really need someone to look into this issue” she stated.

Yet another resident told this newspaper that her home is being infested by flies as the stench and the garbage breed flies.

“You can’t even sit outside for too long because this place is usually full of flies because of the garbage” she explained.

Guyana Times made contact with the NDC in Kastev where the residence had lodged their complaints and was told that it is against public service rules for them to speak to reporters.

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tuesday, january 5, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

to target delinquent Essequibians urged Programme youths being crafted to renew fight against S inequality, division E ssequibians on Sunday who turned out in their numbers to celebrate the “Supenaam/Good Hope Unity Fest” were urged to renew their determination in the fight against inequality and division.

This event, which is a first in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), was organised with the aim of fostering unity among youths and young adults as well as the various communities in the area.

Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally, while reiterating her government’s commitment of ensuring that all benefit from a “good life” in Guyana, stated that such an event is necessary for the continued development of young people in the country.

“You have demonstrated a will to be organised because in many communities we have young people who are not organised.

Guyana is in good hands, the hands of the young people because you are the ones who are going to help to chart our destiny,” she said.

The minister implored that every citizen should ensure they participate in rebuilding of the nation since the ministry will be playing a crucial role in making certain that division and segregation are wiped out, thereby contributing to the improvement of all Guyanese.

Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally

She told those gathered that in Guyana there are differences which affect the development of individuals and the nation at large, particularly ethnic differences.

“We have a lot of inequalities, poverty, some people enjoying a better life than others... this Ministry was established to bridge the gaps between the rich and the poor, to reduce inequalities, to reduce poverty, to give you a better life. You must be able to enjoy what people in Georgetown are enjoying and this Ministry is going to work with you to bridge those gaps,” Minister Ally promised.

She maintained that not considering race, religion or gender, persons must learn to “live together” and “work together” so as to allow each individual to build themselves and their communities.

As a result of this goal which is to be achieved, the

Social Cohesion Ministry has already begun implementing tangible programmes that will vastly improve the lives of those in the region, especially the children, she posited.

Meanwhile, Manager of Cosmos Promotions, Jennifer Jeffery stated that the “Supenaam/Good Hope Unity Fest” was organised with the aim of fostering unity.

“This event seeks to bring together persons from various ethnic groups and not ruling out religion, since my community is a diverse one, in the exhibition of cultures and talent, local produce and more. I believe this is a tangible way to reduce division among the people and to restore the pride of my community. This is an opportunity to… consolidate national unity and strengthen commitment to a more cohesive society,” Jeffrey said. (kristenm@ guyanatimesgy.com)

pecific emphasis will be placed on empowering delinquent youths this year, as the Social Protection Ministry is developing a programme that will seek to prevent them being institutionalised.

The ministry will also delink the Probation Department from the Social Services programme and a Youth Service Section was created within the Social Services department to deal with issues relating to delinquent youths.

During an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Chief Probation and Social Services Officer, Gavin Munroe, said there has been an increase in social issues, and the ministry wants to ensure it has a comparable response from the department in dealing with them.

He explained that the Youth Services section will focus specifically on youth

empowerment and development. The intention he said is to prevent delinquent youths from being institutionalised, and create programmes for those who are already in institutions such as the New Opportunity Corps (NOC).

“We have a situation where a lot of juveniles are being placed at the NOC and we recognise that institutionalising children often times is not the better thing, but it should be the last resort, and so that section of our department as it relates to youth services is working on that. We are working towards reducing the amount of children who are placed in the NOC, and even for those who are placed there,” Munroe explained.

Efforts will also be placed on developing strong family units, since this has a great role to play in dealing with the issue of juvenile delinquency.

In this regard, Munroe noted that the Social Services Unit has been reaching out to communities and organising sport events and other activities to target men.

“We recognised that you just cannot divorce issues relating to children with the family. So while we deal with delinquent children, we want to ensure that we look at the conditions in which children are nurtured, and we want to ensure that those conditions are conducive for the positive development for our children,” Munroe further emphasised.

These issues will be addressed collaboratively with other institutions, groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). He said the ministry has been actively involved in the drafting of the National Youth Policy, and has been raising some of these concerns.

Nothing new about 6-month security deposit – GPL head

C

riticism has began mounting over the move by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Incorporated to increase the fee for reconnection to the utility, but acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Colin Welch said the move was nothing new.

During the latter part of December 2015,

households, but the power boss said the company was not doing anything illegal.

Speaking to Guyana Times on Sunday, Welch related that the system has been in existence since 2010, noting that he could not see the reason for the reaction. He said GPL has over the past couple of years been

pany has never before charged a disconnected customer the six-month deposit, but maintained that it always had the right to do so, according to its terms and conditions.

He said the only time this policy was exercised was towards persons caught stealing electricity or first-time customers.

Meanwhile, the Public

publishing the same notice. He said, however, that the power company has not been enforcing the policy, although it has been in existence.

“It is like within the law, a man could get up to five years’ jail sentence, it does not mean that he will get five years: he could get up to five years,” Welch related, seeking to explain the reason why the policy was never implemented earlier.

He said the power com-

Utilities Commission (PUC) said that the GPL Licence which was amended in 2010 provides for this.

The Commission’s Corporate Secretary Vidiahar Persaud said that the Licence was issued by the then Government. According to him, this is nothing new and he recalled that back in September through October 2014, a similar advertisement was placed in the media.

GPL to minimise operational costs – Patterson

T

he Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Incorporated will soon minimise its operational costs as the Vreed-en-Hoop wharf which was constructed by BK International to the tune of $242 million will begin to serve its purpose.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, who has ministerial oversight of the agency at a recent press conference, indicated that trucking of fuel to the Vreed-en-Hoop Station is expected to cease by midJanuary, in favour of the more economical method of discharging fuel at the wharf.

“On December 16 last, an initial attempt was made to use the constructed wharf which saw 15,000 barrels of fuel being discharged … however, the tide changed which resulted in the vessel being grounded off …

Maritime Administration (MARAD) was contracted to execute emergency dredg-

Guyana Power and Light

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

ing in front of the area… the dredging should be finished by mid-January,” the Minister is quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying.

He added that because 15,000 barrels of fuel were discharged, the number of trips the fuel truck needed to make to deliver fuel to Vreed-en-Hoop was reduced from 14 to eight per day. In

so doing, this minimised operational costs.

To improve efficiency in its services to customers, GPL constructed a new power station at Vreed-en-Hoop, which has a demand of approximately 1000 barrels of fuel per day. Recognising this fuel need, a wharf with fuel lines was constructed to allow fuel vessels to berth and offload into the lines.

the power company announced, through advertisements that should any customer’s electricity be disconnected, they would be required to pay a reconnection fee of some $3200.

Added to this, they will also have to pay a security deposit which will be equivalent to six months of the average monthly bill.

This announcement was met with fierce objection from the public, particularly members of poor

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, January 5, 2016

Regional

Venezuela Congress Haiti first round vote “stained by irregularities” leader chosen

A

V

enezuelan Opposition lawmakers have chosen a veteran politician as the new head of the country’s legislative body.

Henry Ramos Allup, 72, will be the first Opposition politician to lead the National Assembly in 16 years following a landslide victory in legislative elections on December 6.

Ramos said he would ensure the Assembly would act “as an autonomous power”.

The newly elected lawmakers will take up their seats today.

Ramos Allup was chosen

by Opposition lawmakers in a secret ballot with 69 votes out of 111 cast, defeating 46-year-old Julio Borges of the Justice First party.

He is expected to be formally confirmed in the post when the lawmakers take up their seats.

Ramos Allup is the Secretary General of the social-democratic Democratic Action party, which has long been opposing the socialist Government of President

Henry Ramos Allup is a veteran politician of the Democratic Action party

Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor in office, Hugo Chávez.

The Government says Ramos Allup is a member of Venezuela’s “old guard”. His Democratic Action was one of two parties that alternated in power for four decades before President Chávez was elected President in 1998.

But his supporters say the 72-year-old has the experience and political savvy to turn the National Assembly into a counterbalance to President Maduro’s

executive branch.

Ramos Allup said the MUD Opposition coalition, which won a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, would show Venezuelans “a more democratic way forward”.

Known for his sometimes confrontational style, he struck a surprisingly conciliatory note after his election.

“We represent an alternative. We are not going to be anti-establishment, rather an autonomous legislative power,” he said. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Committee to review petrol trade in Jamaica after tainted gas discovered

F

ollowing the discovery of contaminated fuel at gas stations across the island, Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell has appointed a Private Sector-led committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the petroleum trade in Jamaica and make recommendations to ensure the integrity of the trade.

The committee is mandated to examine and review the protocols and regulations governing the trade, act as an impartial arbiter in the investigations being undertaken to identify the source, nature and suscep-

tibility of the locally distributed petrol to contamination and illegal activity.

It will provide the Minister with its first report within 30 days.

The committee to be chaired by Engineer and Business Executive Noel Da Costa with membership comprising Howard Hamilton; President, Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA), Metry Seaga; Dolcie Allen – CEO, Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC); Leonard Green – President, Jamaica Gasoline Retailers Association (JGRA) and

Kent LaCrois President, New Car Dealers Association of Jamaica.

Last week, Paulwell ordered 17 gas stations across the country to shut off their pumps after tests showed they had been selling contaminated gas, and instructed the Major Organised and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) has been instructed to investigate further.

The Minister said that legal counsel had advised that the names of petrol stations and suppliers implicated in the investigations should remain classified. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

commission investigating disputed presidential and legislative elections in Haiti says the October vote was “stained by irregularities”.

But it has recommended that a second round runoff go ahead as planned on January 17.

The people of Haiti are choosing a president to succeed Michel Martelly.

Martelly postponed the run-off vote that was due to be held on December 27 after street protests against fraud in the first round turned violent.

President Martelly is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election.

The candidate he backed, banana exporter Jovenel Moise, won 33 per cent of the vote in the first round on October 25.

In the run-off, he will face ex-state construction company head Jude Celestin, who came second with 25 per cent.

The Opposition alleged widespread fraud in the presidential and legislative vote in October.

The commission assigned last month to look into the

allegations said there were widespread irregularities.

It recommended legal action against poll workers and other people involved in fraud, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Whoever wins will face a daunting task when taking over from Martelly in February. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Americas.

Since it was devastated by an earthquake in 2010, the country has relied largely on international donations and foreign aid from the United States and other countries. (BBC News)

CTO declares 2016 “Year of Romance in the Caribbean”

T

he Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has launched “2016: The Year of Romance in the Caribbean”, an initiative that promotes the Region as a top romance destination.

Through the campaign, the CTO and its member countries and hotels will highlight the Caribbean as the leading choice for a romance vacation for consumers and travel planners selling the Region.

“With over 30 destinations to choose from, the Caribbean Region provides the perfect backdrop for a romantic getaway highlighted by pristine beaches, secluded accommodations, an abundance of land and water activities, top-notch spa services and personalised attention that meets the needs of the most discerning traveller,” said CTO Secretary General Hugh Riley.

“The Year of Romance in the Caribbean will spotlight the romantic features of our Region beyond the traditional times of year such as Valentine’s Day. A romantic theme is easily em-

The Year of Romance in the Caribbean will spotlight the romantic features of our Region

braced by all of our member destinations 365 days a year,” Riley noted.

Throughout the year, the CTO in cooperation with its Private Sector partner, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), will assist member countries with ideas that can be implemented around the romance theme.

Ideas will be developed around: first-time or sec-

ond-time marriages and the renewal of vows; the most romantic locations to pop the question or say “I do”; inviting celebrity couples to get married in the Caribbean; return visits by couples who were married or honeymooned in the Caribbean; couples celebrating milestone anniversaries; and gift registries of romantic vacations in the Caribbean. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Colombia bullfighting: At least 25 injured in Turbaco Mexico Mayor shooting: Morelos

A

t least 25 people have been injured in an amateur bullfighting event in the northern Colombian city of Turbaco.

Four of the people gored by the bull are in a serious condition.

The traditional festival, known locally as “corraleja”, is held as part of New Year celebrations.

Dozens of people try to tame a wild bull in a ring especially set up for the occasion. Only some of those taking part in the five-day event are experienced bullfighters.

Most are amateurs trying their luck.

“People really enjoy it”, Turbaco resident Wilman Alcala told EFE news agency.

“This is a tradition of the

Governor takes over local Police

T Many of the people who enter the ring have no experience of bullfighting

Turbaco people that must be encouraged, because it is a party, it is part of our culture and it doesn’t involve cruelty to animals,” he added.

Bands play traditional

music throughout the festival, which is also popular with tourists.

Turbaco lies just south of the seaside colonial town of Cartagena, a major tourist destination. (BBC News)

he Governor of Mexico’s Morelos state, Graco Ramirez, has taken command of Police services in 15 towns and cities following the murder of a newly-elected mayor on Saturday.

“The Government will not be intimidated by organised crime,” he said.

The Mayor, Gisele Mota, was shot dead at her home less than 24 hours after taking office in the town of Temixco.

She promised to try to clean up the city, where problems associated with drugs and organised crime are rife.

Her murder “is a mes-

sage and a clear threat for the mayors who recently took office to not accept the Police coordination scheme that we have supported and that is being built at a national level”, said Graco.

Mota, a left-of-centre former federal congresswoman, was shot dead on Saturday morning.

Police shot two of the attackers and arrested two others.

Several Mexican mayors were killed last year by alleged drug traffickers.

Mota was one of many politicians backing the Governor’s proposals to remove powers from local Police.

Temixco, 85 kilometres (52 miles) south of the capital Mexico City, is one of the cities included in the “single command” scheme.

Police will also come under the control of the state authorities in the capital, Cuernavaca, and 13 other municipalities.

But many of Morelos’s politicians oppose the scheme.

About half of the state’s Mayors have refused to sign up and will remain in full control of their local Police Forces.

Drug trafficking and extortion gangs have turned Morelos into one of Mexico’s most violent states. (Excerpt from BBC News)

tuesday, January 5, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the world

Allies back Saudi Arabia Global stock dive on in showdown with Iran markets China worries

S

audi Arabia’s regional allies have stepped up diplomatic pressure on Iran, breaking or downgrading relations with the country following an attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, which followed executions in the kingdom.

Bahrain announced on Monday that it was closing its Embassy in Iran, and called upon Iranian diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours.

Bahrain frequently accuses Iran of being behind protests among its majority Shia population.

Within hours of the announcement, Sudan also said it was cutting off diplomatic relations with Iran “in solidarity with Saudi Arabia”.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said it was downgrading its ties with Iran, replacing its Ambassador with an embassy officer-in-charge.

The latest developments come as Saudi announced on Monday that it was also

W

Observers say relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran are at their lowest point. It is not the first time diplomatic relations have been cut between the nations

cutting commercial ties with Iran and cancelled all flights to and from Iran, according to Reuters.

In an interview with the news agency, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir also said that it was banning all its citizens from travelling to Iran. But he added that Iranian pilgrims were still

welcome to visit Saudi and Mecca, Islam’s holiest site.

Abdul Latif bin Rashid alZayani, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, also condemned the attacks against the Saudi Embassy, saying that Iranian authorities bear full responsibility for failing to protect the diplomatic mis-

sion.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced it was cutting relations with Iran and urged its allies to follow its move after the attack, following the kingdom’s decision to execute Shia religious figure Nimr al-Nimr along with 46 other mostly Sunni convicts on terrorism charges. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

all Street has continued the rout on global share markets, with the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes all opening more than two per cent down.

It followed sharp falls in China, where trading on the main stock markets was halted early after indexes tumbled seven per cent.

A survey indicating China’s manufacturing sector contracted again last month was blamed for the falls.

Other Asian markets also fell, while in Europe, the FTSE 100 closed down 2.6 per cent and Germany’s Dax index dropped 4.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, news that Saudi Arabia had broken off diplomatic ties with Iran sent oil and gold prices higher.

On Wall Street, all 10 major S&P sectors were lower, led by the 2.4 per cent fall in the technology

sector. Bank stocks were also hard hit, with Goldman Sachs down 3.2 per cent.

Earlier on Monday, trading on China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges was halted for the first time under new “circuit breaker” rules, which are designed to curb market volatility.

The share price falls came after more signs of trouble in the world’s second-largest economy.

The Caixin/Markit purchasing managers’ index slipped to 48.2 in December, marking the 10th consecutive month of shrinking factory activity in the sector. A reading below 50 indicated contraction.

Some analysts also attributed the decline in share prices to the imminent end of a six-month lockup period on share sales by major institutional investors, a policy implemented to shore up indexes.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Denmark and Sweden tighten Quake strikes northeast India, Bangladesh; 11 dead, nearly 200 hurt border controls

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A

powerful earthquake struck northeast India and Bangladesh on Monday, killing at least 11 people and injuring nearly 200, with efforts to reach remote areas where people may be trapped hampered by severed power lines and telecommunication links.

The US Geological Survey said the 6.8 magnitude quake was 57 kilometres deep and struck 29 kilometres west of Imphal, capital of Manipur, which borders Myanmar.

The pre-dawn quake killed six people in India and five in neighbouring Bangladesh, officials said, while shockwaves were felt in Nepal and as far away as the Myanmar city of Yangon, about 1175km to the south.

The quake struck while many people were asleep,

People look at damaged residential houses after an earthquake in Imphal, India, January 4, 2016

and roofs and staircases of some buildings collapsed in Imphal, a city of about 270,000 people.

“It was like being tossed around in a frying pan,” said Joy Thanglian, a 33-yearold employee of state energy firm Bharat Petroleum.

Police and hospitals in

Imphal said the death toll had reached six with 100 people injured, 33 of them seriously.

Officials in Bangladesh said as well as the five people who died of heart attacks as they fled buildings, about 90 people were injured. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

enmark has introduced temporary controls along its border with Germany, just hours after Sweden took similar measures to check the flow of refugees.

Sweden began checking documents of travellers from Denmark on Monday for the first time in half a century, causing delays of trains and frustration among travellers.

Those without valid ID documents cannot board buses, trains and ferries bound for Sweden, but cars are exempt from checks.

Denmark’s Prime Minister said Sweden’s move gave his country no option but to impose its own border controls. He appealed to the European Union to take “collective decisions” to better protect its external

Candidates call for halt in Central African Republic vote count

T

wo thirds of the 30 candidates standing for President of the Central African Republic on Monday demanded the authorities halt the vote count because of what they said were irregularities in the ballot.

Many voters hoped the December 30 poll would restore peace to a country where thousands have died and around one million have fled during three years of conflict, but with such dissent from the 20 or so candidates, that may be a forlorn hope.

Results have trickled out slowly, but with 34 per

cent of the vote counted, former Prime Minister Faustin Archange Touadera was leading with 139,498 votes, followed by another former Prime Minister, Anicet Georges Dologuele, with 96,728 vote.

The most prominent candidate at the candidates’ news conference was Bilal Nzanga-Kolingba, son of a former President, who was running fourth with 50,332 behind Jean Serge Bokassa, the son of a late dictator, who had 66,229 votes, said Julius Rufin Ngouade Baba, national election authority spokesman.

Voters queued to cast their ballots at a polling station set up at the Hotel De Ville during the presidential election in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, December 30, 2015

Mainly Muslim rebels from a group called the Seleka seized power in the majority Christian nation in early 2013, provoking reprisals from Christian anti-balaka militias. Leaders have since fuelled a cycle of religious and

inter-communal killings.

A United Nations peacekeeping mission and French forces are active in the impoverished country whose resources of cotton, gold, diamonds and uranium are under-exploited. (Reuters)

Travellers have their IDs checked in Denmark before boarding trains to Sweden [Reuters]

borders against the tide of migrants and refugees.

“The Swedish ID checks can increase the risk of a large number of illegal immigrants to accumulate in and around Copenhagen,” Lars Lokke Rasmussen

said in Copenhagen, justifying the new controls on the German border.

Last year, about 163,000 refugees sought asylum in Sweden, the largest number for any EU country relative to its population. (Excerpt

from Al Jazeera)

Chemistry: 4 elements added to periodic table

F

our chemical elements have been formally added to the periodic table, completing the scheme’s seventh row.

They are the first to be included in the table since 2011, when elements 114 and 116 were added.

The first true iteration of the table was produced in 1869 by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev.

The new additions were formally verified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on December 30, 2015.

IUPAC has now initiated the process of formalising names and symbols for these elements temporarily named as ununtrium, (Uut or element 113), ununpentium (Uup, element 115), ununseptium (Uus, element 117), and ununoctium

(Uuo, element 118).”

IUPAC awarded credit for the discovery of element 113 to a Japanese team at the Riken Institute.

The teams responsible for the discoveries have been invited to come up with permanent names and chemical symbols for the now-confirmed elements.

“The chemistry community is eager to see its most cherished table finally being completed down to the seventh row. IUPAC has now initiated the process of formalising names and symbols for these elements,” said Professor Jan Reedijk, President of the inorganic chemistry division of IUPAC. New elements can be named after a mythological concept, a mineral, a place or country, a property or a scientist. (BBC News)

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tuesday, january 5, 2016| guyanatimesGY.com

GPHC Maternity Ward to be completed by April

Maternity Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital

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ork on the new wing of the Maternity Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), which commenced in February 2015 is expected to be completed in April 2016.

This is according to Public Health Minister Dr George Norton, who made the announcement at the ministry’s yearend media conference Thursday last to address issues affecting hospitals across the country.

Works on the remodelling and extension of the ward is being made in light of shortage of space in the present Maternity Ward which has seen the sharing of beds by patients.

Some $236 million was slated for the remodelling and extension and this new wing will house offices, a neonatal clinic, “doctor-oncall” rooms, two operating theatres, a birthing room, and a remodelled ground floor with training rooms, as well as a Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit on the top floor.

Minister Norton stated he is concerned about Maternal Health and Maternal Mortality and because of this; he has giving top priority to the completion of the new Wing.

“In the campaign trail, I made a commitment that overcrowding in the Georgetown Hospital should be something of the past, the doubling up of beds and the negligence that would’ve happened before causing babies and mothers to die, all should be a thing of the past,” he explained.

He added that it is because of this promise his ministry has decided to look immediately into the interest of the Maternity Ward as well as into the interest of Diamond Diagnostic Centre and Leonora Hospital to see what can be done there to help the issue at the GPHC. “We paid a visit to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre

as well as the Leonora Hospital to see what can be done there to help with the situation at the Georgetown Public Hospital. What we found is that the Leonora Hospital has a fully functional Maternity Ward with wards, birthing room, neonatology unit that is not in use and we are going to put that in use as early as possible to try to reduce the overcrowding at GPHC” he stated.

‘We are working in the direction of creating neonatology units in all these different hospitals, we have one in New Amsterdam, GPHC has the main one, there is one in the West Demerara Regional Hospital that we

hope to start functioning by at least Wednesday, there is one in Linden, we are creating one in Bartica and there is also one in Suddie. This is all to avoid the deaths of babies” he explained.

He also addressed the issue of unprofessionalism, stating that it is unacceptable for a doctor to say to a mother that lost a child ‘that you are not the first and you would not be the last’.

“All these issues have been happening for too long and so the Public Health Ministry will do everything in its power to ensure that professionalism is exhibited in all levels of the health institution”.

Marian Academy enters “twin agreement” with school in China Marian Academy, a local private school, has formally entered in to a twinning agreement with the Fuzhou Jinshan High School in the City of Fuzhou in the Fujian Province of the People’s Republic of China.

A statement from Marian informed that the principals of both schools have committed to making this new relationship not merely an ostensible one, but rather an affiliation that is tangible and mutually beneficial to the students of both educational institutions. The affiliation has been designed to create, establish and encourage linkages between the two schools with plans for them to learn from each other’s best practices and to promote educational, sporting, and cultural exchanges through the attachment of the students and teachers at each other’s schools.

The initiative to twin these two schools was undertaken as part of a raft of projects and programmes being undertaken by the Global Friendships Foundation, a non- governmental, non-profit organisation that works to create and strengthen partnerships between Guyana and international communities around the world.

The Fuzhou Jinshan High School, which is a junior middle school and senior high school with 53 classes and 2544 students, with the motto “Inspiration, Diligence, and Practice”, has been practising the essential

Tyler Orderson, a Grade Seven Student of the Marian Academy, receives on behalf of his Principal, Sister Marie Harper, OSU, a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding from the Principal of the Fuzhou Jinshan High School in Fuzhou, People’s Republic of China

concept of “people-oriented, sincerity first and carrying out happy education”.

The school has remarkable accomplishments winning among other things the title of the provincial school with the best physical and subject characteristics. The entire campus is well-equipped with firstclass facilities, with over 50,000 square meters for buildings, complete with a 400-meter long track and sports ground, an Olympic sized swimming pool, a wellequipped library and stateof-the art information tech-

nology resources.

The Marian Academy correspondingly is known as a school of excellence in Guyana with outstanding academic and co-curricular programmes that provide its students with the knowledge, skills and interests that will give them broad and rich life choices in a complex and changing world. Its students following the motto “In the Light of Wisdom” have truly shined both academically and in extra-curricular pursuits in Guyana.

“No basis for protecting Watershed under existing regulations” ‒ Consultant

BY UTAMU BELLE

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ith no move by relevant authorities to make the Dakoura Creek Watershed at Linden declared a “Special Environmental Area”, consultant of the management project Samuel Wright said considerations are in place to petition Parliament.

Also, the consultant has revealed plans of making appeals to the Office of the President and Cabinet in an effort to save Dakoura Creek from “threats”.

The Dakoura Creek will be the sole source of water for the Western sub-section of the rehabilitated Linden Water System which is now in the commissioning stage.

Wright said an important part of the process is to have the Dakoura Creek Watershed declared a Special Environmental Area under the Forestry Act, noting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can declare an area as such, provided it is considered an important one for water supply or protecting water resources.

“That is what we had intended to do, one of the agencies advised us that since we have Protected Areas Act, that Regulation under the Forestry Act is no longer valid. Also they’re recommending that maybe we can apply to the National

The Dakoura Creek in Region 10

Water Council, but that is not active right now. We were also advised by a major agency that maybe the Dakoura Creek Watershed may be too small to be considered under the Protected Areas Act. So right now there is no basis for protecting the Watershed under any existing Regulation,” the consultant related.

There has been an increased level of human activities around the Watershed, as many are utilising the land surrounding it as farmland as well as for building homes. An in-

crease in activities such as slashing and burning makes the area vulnerable for elements of pollution.

“People are grabbing lands around the Watershed, waste is being dumped, people are cutting trees, so some of the very things that we’re concerned about that would probably be easier to handle under the designation of the Dakoura Creek Watershed declared a Special Environmental Area is not being done because we cannot move forward on it. It’s been going on for a long time, we’ve been

on this project two years-and-more and certain issues remain, certain things are not being done”, Wright lamented.

Presently, the completion of the Watershed Management Plan which is being implemented in response to perceived potential threats to the sustainability of the Dakoura Creek as a major water source is being prepared.

The consultant said a major disadvantage may be due to the fact that the area does not actively fall under the jurisdiction of the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) and the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Democratic Council (RDC). As such, he opined that the Watershed is not at a high level of importance to either agency.

Wright noted that agencies such as Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) under the Environment Ministry can assist.

Action from these agencies will be important upon completion of the Management Plan, he stressed.

“The last Cabinet in 2014 passed a decision about the agencies working to support the Dakoura Creek Watershed Management Plan, but not much has come out of that. So I think there’s an attempt to approach this new Cabinet in dealing with that”, he said.

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tuesday, january 5, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Belize court rejects Guyanese rice importation

By Aaron Humes

S

upreme Court Justice Sonia Young has declined to grant leave to Jack Charles to file for judicial review of a decision

by Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) to decline to allow him to import the three containers full of Guyanese rice sitting at the Big Creek Port.

Presiding in chambers, Justice Young ruled that Charles had proceeded without obtaining an import permit in violation of the law. She found that the Court was being asked to intervene on the side of a lawbreaker which it would not do.

Charles has also been ordered by the Customs Department to send the rice back or risk it being destroyed.

Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay, representing the rice producers, dismissed Charles’ gambit as a “sob story” and an insult to those working in the rice industry and consumers, who would have no protection had Charles been successful and imported his rice, then changed prices or attempted to command a larger share of the market.

Whether Charles tries again remains to be seen as he said nothing to reporters leaving court.

Breaking Belize News

Jack Charles

But he says he has not given up on trying to get Guyanese rice into the country.

Charles spoke of other plans which he declined to elaborate on at this time; however, he told us that when those plans come on stream, he would be sure to update the media.

In response to Attorney Courtenay’s suggestions that he is trying to get rich from the scheme and that he has offered no guarantees that he will keep his

Charles says he calculates that he personally will make about $8 per bag of rice sold, while the retail shops make about $9, and this is calculated in the price. Charles had also promised a special rate of 50 cents per pound for school feeding programmes and other charitable causes.

Charles also told us he has no communication from the Customs and Excise Department warning him about re-export-

P

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller

The Big Creek Port, Belize, where the rice shipment is being held

spoke with Charles by telephone and he said that he was “disappointed” in the ruling, because all he wanted was to help the Belizean consumer.

promises, Charles told us he will keep his word – if and when the Guyanese rice hits shelves in Belize, it will be sold at 69 cents per pound.

ing the rice; as far as he is aware, the rice remains at Big Creek Port and he is paying storage for it. (breakingbelizenews.com)

CDC issues travel warning as Zika Virus reported in Puerto Rico

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he US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a travel warning following the first reported case of Zika Virus in Puerto Rico.

The outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus began in Brazil last May, followed by outbreaks in several Central and South American countries, according to the CDC warning.

A “locally transmitted” case was seen in Puerto Rico in December, which means, the CDC says, that Puerto Rico’s mosquitoes have been infected with the virus and can spread it to humans.

Puerto Rico’s Health Secretary Ana Rius confirmed on Thursday that the unidentified patient, who lives in the island’s eastern region, had not travelled recently.

The CDC consequently advises tourists headed to Zika-affected areas in South

Jamaican PM says greater synergies needed between prosecution, defence counsel

America, Central America, the Caribbean or Mexico to protect themselves from mosquito bites, according to a TravelPulse report.

or red eyes”.

Zika Virus was linked to microcephaly by Brazil’s Ministry of Health, per the CDC warning.

No vaccine or medicine exists to prevent Zika Virus infection, the CDC says, and advises seeing a doctor or nurse if you “develop a fever with a rash, joint pain,

According to CNN, microcephaly is “a neurological disorder that can result in incomplete brain development in newborns”.

The news network said ba-

bies with the disorder are “born with abnormally small heads that cause often serious developmental issues and sometimes early death”.

Brazil’s 2015 Zika breakout coincided with more than 2400 suspected microcephaly cases in 20 states, versus just 147 cases in 2014, CNN said.

Doctors found that most mothers of affected infants had Zika-like symptoms early in the pregnancy, the news network added.

In addition to Brazil and Puerto Rico, other countries in the Americas reporting confirmed cases of Zika include Chile, Colombia, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Suriname and Venezuela.

None except Brazil have found any indication of corresponding birth defects, according to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). (Caribbean 360)

rime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has committed the Government to continuing the implementation of a wide-ranging programme of reform of the Justice System during 2016.

This process, she has noted, requires a change of the culture and approach of key stakeholders, supported by significant public investment.

Despite taking place during a period when Jamaica is continuing on a path of sustained fiscal discipline and economic reform, the Prime Minister says key changes in the justice system must be made to ensure the swift, efficient and effective delivery of justice for the people of Jamaica.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for the new President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Dennis Morrison QC, at King’s House on Monday, Prime Minister Simpson Miller said the required culture change also places absolute primacy on greater synergies between prosecution and defence counsel to achieve the timely disposal of cases.

She emphasised that justice is essential for the existence and maintenance of peace, while peace is required for prosperity.

“A cohesive society is the fundamental platform on which investments are attracted and sustainable economic growth is built. A cohesive society requires that our people believe in their hearts that the system provides them with access to justice when they require it,” the Prime Minister said.

She added that the Jamaican people have been crying out for justice from the time of the arrival of our ancestors on slave ships hundreds of years ago, and that cry continues in various

ways today.

“It echoes in almost every sphere of life whenever our people feel that they are being treated unfairly. It is therefore quite appropriate that justice is mentioned explicitly in the Jamaican national anthem, in the emphatic proclamation – justice, truth, be ours forever,” the prime minister noted.

She pointed out that her Administration continues to pursue Jamaica’s national development goals on the premise that our justice system must be treated as a central area of development policy action. “That is why we are determined to invest in justice for our people, and build a justice system that is efficient, accessible to all, and of the highest quality.

So while all other sectors are important, justice must be at the heart and centre of the society. It stands tall as the essential D-N-A of all that Government seeks to achieve for our people.”

The prime minister acknowledged the challenges faced by those who administer justice in Jamaica including the complexities of the laws and the large volume of cases that come to the courts every day.

“With the awesome volume of their work, which forces the appellate judge to work late into the night and invariably on weekends, we cannot over-emphasise the gratitude and appreciation we have for our nation’s judges,” Simpson Miller said.

She expressed confidence that the Justice C Dennis Morrison fully understands the issues and challenges.

She said his numerous contributions to the improvement of the justice system provide ample and evidence that he is suitable for the job. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, January 5, 2016

ARCHIE

Call in favours, set up meetings with people you (March 21- have worked with in the past April 19) and present what you have to offer with confidence. Love is on the rise and a commitment is apparent.

ARIES

Make a contribution to TAURUS a cause and speak up about (April 20- your concerns. Helping someMay 20) thing you believe in will raise your confidence and popularity.

dilbert

If you aren’t happy with GEMINI (May 21- what’s happening in your life June 20) or the direction you are heading in, do something about it.

Don’t wait for someone else to make the first move.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

Share your thoughts and feelings with someone you want to spend more time with. You’ll gain interest as well as worthwhile suggestions that will help you excel.

Don’t falter when it comes LEO to making your New Year’s (July 23resolutions a reality. Step up Aug. 22) and move forward if you want to be one step closer to living your life your way. Romance is encouraged.

Calvin and Hobbes

You’ll face problems at VIRGO home if you cannot come to (Aug. 23an agreement with someone Sept. 22) you share responsibilities with. Express your feelings, but don’t let an argument lead to a stalemate.

Don’t make assumptions or LIBRA (Sept. 23- sign up to take on unrealistic Oct. 23) responsibilities. You have to be realistic and have enough time for your personal needs and important relationships.

Don’t give in to demands.

SUDOKU

Listen to what others have SCORPIO to offer, but don’t underes(Oct. 24timate what you are worth.

Nov. 22) Negotiate fiercely and be prepared to walk away if your needs aren’t met.

Too much of anything will SAGITTARIUS lead to problems. Live within (Nov. 23- your means and don’t overDec. 21) react if someone doesn’t do things your way. Tolerance and mindfulness will encourage peace.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

An investment will prove CAPRICORN to be worthwhile. Professional (Dec. 22- changes will help you expand Jan. 19) your interests and raise your standard of living. Prepare to push hard and play hard.

It’s up to you to bring AQUARIUS (Jan. 20- about change. If you wait for Feb. 19) someone else to make the first move, you’ll end up being left behind. Focus on forward motion and personal gain.

Refuse to let what others PISCES (Feb. 20- think cause you to secondMarch 20) guess your goals. Gravitate toward the people who want to collaborate and help you excel.

tuesday, january 5, 2016

19

Laxman’s Kolkata epic voted best Test performance V

VS Laxman’s batting feat against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 has been voted the greatest Test performance of the last 50 years by a 25-member panel of cricketers, writers, broadcasters, historians and statisticians assembled by the Cricket Monthly.

Laxman scored 59 and 281 in a match where India trailed by 274 runs, in a series they trailed 0-1, against a team on a record winning streak and widely acknowledged as one of the best to have ever played the game. India went on to win the match and the series.

In his tribute to Laxman’s performance, Shane Warne recalls: “I was bowling in the foot marks and Laxman was hitting the same ball through cover or whipping it through midwicket. It was so hard to bowl then.”

Ricky Ponting remembers that Laxman’s “work through the leg side in particular was a source

VVS Laxman

of wonderment to many of us...

Ultimately we bowled for near

enough to two days at him without even looking like getting him

out.”

Zaheer Khan, his roommate during the series, recalls how Laxman slept on the floor through the match because of a bad back. “Everyone could see that he could not stand straight.”

The Cricket Monthly’s “50 from 50” exercise looks at batting, bowling and all-round performances in Tests played between 1966 and 2015.

Brian Lara has four entries the list of 50, the most by any player. One of those, the nerveless 153 not out versus Australia in Bridgetown in 1999, has been voted No. 4. Ian Botham, with three entries in the 50, has two in the top five: the dazzling allround shows in the Headingley Ashes Test of 1981 (No. 2) and the Golden Jubilee Test in Bombay the previous year (No. 5).

Michael Holding’s 14 wickets with supreme pace on a batting track at The Oval in 1976 is at No. 3, and performances

by Richard Hadlee, Bob Massie, Muttiah Muralitharan, Graham Gooch and Garry Sobers round out the top 10.

West Indian players have as many as 14 entries in the 50, the highest by any team. These include the two earliest performances on the list: Sobers at Lord’s and Headingley from the 1966 series in England. The most recent performance is Kevin Pietersen’s 186 in Mumbai in 2012.

The panel, drawn from all Test-playing nations, includes Greg Chappell, John Wright, Tony Cozier, Mark Nicholas, Sanjay Manjrekar, Mike Selvey, Ramiz Raja, Scyld Berry, Osman Samiuddin and Gideon Haigh.

The special issue of the Cricket Monthly, now online, has brief write-ups on all 50 entries, full features on the leading performances, a graphical breakdown of results, essays and much more. (Cricinfo)

Stoke’s Arnautovic a big threat Rain sets in after Brathwaite’s quick 69 to Liverpool, says Klopp

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est Indies’ hopes of avoiding his first two Tests.

Brathwaite upped the ante in a 3-0 series result were boosted significantly on the second Pattinson’s next over, lifting him over day in Sydney, where only 68 deliver- extra cover for six and two balls later ies were bowled due to persistent rain. clipping another six over square leg, Further rain is expected on the third with 15 runs coming from the over after day and a draw now looms as the most Denesh Ramdin started it with a three.

But Pattinson had his revenge in likely outcome, with West Indies still batting in their first innings on 7 for his third over of the day when he pro248 after Carlos Brathwaite complet- duced an excellent fullish outswinger ed an entertaining 69 during the short that beat Brathwaite, who was bowled for 69 from 71 deliveries. periods of play possible on day two.

It was the end of an 87-run partnerIt was a day of frustration for players, spectators and match officials. ship between Brathwaite and Ramdin, The start of play was delayed by 10 who quietly moved along to 30 not out minutes after morning rain, and when from his 103 balls. He had just struck Nathan Lyon was finally able to take two runs off Josh Hazlewood, whose the ball he sent down only three deliv- previous three overs in the day had eries before the rain returned to the all been maidens, when the afternoon ground and the players to the dressing rain arrived and set in. rooms. An 80-minute delay was folPlay was eventually abandoned for lowed by 3.3 overs of spin before fur- the day with Ramdin on 30 and Kemar Roach yet to score, West Indies havther rain ended the session early.

The weather cleared enough for ing added 41 to their overnight total.

(Cricinfo) play to resume after lunch and the 7.2 overs that were then bowled at least provided the crowd Total (7 wickets; 86.2 overs) 248 West Indies 1st innings with some entertain(2.87 runs per over) KC Brathwaite c Smith ment as Brathwaite To bat: JE Taylor, JA Warrican b Lyon 85 went after James Fall of wickets: 1-13, SD Hope c †Nevill b 2-104, 3-115, 4-131, Hazlewood 9 Pattinson with the 5-158, 6-159, 7-246 new ball.

DM Bravo c Khawaja b Bowling: JR Hazlewood 15.2Pattinson 33 He brought up his 5-37-1, JL Pattinson 16-3-67-2, MN Samuels run out half-century from exNM Lyon 35-12-78-2, MR Marsh (Hazlewood/†Nevill)

4 actly 50 balls with 4-1-15-0, SNJ O’Keefe 16-5-45-1.

J Blackwood b Lyon

10 the first of two conAustralia team: DA Warner, D Ramdin† not out 30 secutive fours off JA Burns, UT Khawaja, SPD JO Holder* c Burns b O’Keefe 1 Pattinson, and beSmith*, AC Voges, MR Marsh, CR Brathwaite b Pattinson 69 came the first West PM Nevill†, SNJ O’Keefe, JL Pattinson, JR Hazlewood, NM KAJ Roach not out 0 Indian since Darren Lyon Extras (b 5, lb 1, nb 1) 7 Bravo in 2010 to score a fifty in each of

SCOREBOARD

J

uergen Klopp picked out Stoke City top scorer Marko Arnautovic as a player to be wary of when Liverpool take on their Premier League rivals in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals at the Britannia Stadium on Tuesday.

The Austrian striker, who the former Borussia Dortmund manager knows well from Arnautovic’s time in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen, has scored seven league goals this season to help Stoke into a mid-table position.

“Arnautovic was young player in Germany who had some problems but he has a big talent. He’s scoring goals, making runs behind lines,” Klopp told a news conference on Monday.

Klopp has been impressed

by Stoke’s recent displays, which have included home wins over Manchester City and Manchester United.

“We know about the quality of Stoke, of course,” he said.

“It’s the team I know most about because I know most of the players.

“This cup is important. We have to go for it. Our target is to win it. It will be tough because Mark Hughes has done a brilliant job.”

Klopp was fuming after Liverpool’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at West Ham United on Saturday in which he accused his players of not

Stoke’s Marko Arnautovic in action (Reuters photo)

giving 100 percent.

“You have to react to defeats in the right way,” he said.

“We were passive. That’s not good in life or in football.

We have to be more aggressive.”

Klopp believes Liverpool have shown vulnerability at defending crosses with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet appearing shaky.

“We have issues with crosses. Before that we had issues with set-pieces. We need to solve that. We’ve been clear with the words,” he added.

Mignolet has come underfire for a number of mistakes but Klopp dismissed speculation linking the club with Barcelona goalkeeper MarcAndre ter Stegen.

“Our goalkeeper situation is absolutely okay,” he said.

“Simon Mignolet is a really good goalkeeper.”

Injury-plagued striker Daniel Sturridge is still not available as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Sturridge has made just a handful of appearances this season and has not featured since early December.

“Daniel has had some little problems. When he’s had a row of sessions, I will pick him,” Klopp said. “We have to be patient.”

Captain Jordan Henderson, sidelined since August after breaking his foot in training, will not be rushed back.

“We have to wait. What’s happened with the tendon is painful. There is blood around heel. We can’t rush it.” (Reuters Sport)

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tuesday, january 5, 2016

Just Call Me Boss wins Serene Amla steers season’s final race SA towards safety

Chris Jagdeo receiving the Banks DIH trophy for Just Call Me Boss’s win in the feature D Class race

J

ust Call Me Boss of the Jagdeo Stables saved the best for last and won the feature event of the inaugural Mohammed “Nankoo” Shariff Memorial one-day horse race meet at the Rising Sun Turf Club, Arima Park, West Coast Berbice on Sunday to claim the top prize of $700,000 and the Banks DIH Trophy.

Running in the D Class race, Just Call Me Boss, ridden by Jockey Nicholas Patrick, used stablemate Goodwill Boy to full advantage to win the race.

Pre-race favourite Spit Fire of the Shariff Racing Stables was out of the starting gates late, while Unsettled moved to an early lead as the animals got into full gear around the first two turns.

Diplomatic Cat, Lady Budapest, Just Call Me Boss, Unsettled, Storm Mark, Goodwill Boy and Storm Bird all watched Spit Fire move further ahead, but as they moved into the

third turn, Unsettled made a move just in front of Just Call Me Boss.

With Just Call Me Boss increasing the pace, Unsettled started to fade allowing the fast-finishing Diplomatic Cat to move into third place.

With a few strides to go, Just Call Me Boss running on the outside pushed her nose ahead of Spit Fire’s to win the race.

Seven races were carded for the day which saw Red Region of the Baker Stables emerging as the top horse after winning the K Class and L Class races.

In the K Class race, Red Region won handsomely against Fit to Fight, Mystic and Blue Lightning in the 1100 meter race to take the $150,000 purse and Robin Persaud trophy, while in the L Class race, the animal won against Blue Lightning, Fit to Fight and Turn About to take the $100,000 first prize and Kalim Goolab Meat Centre

trophy.

Other winners were Precise Gold in the D3 maiden ahead of Storm Bird, Appealing Harvest and Bigman Bas. The top prize was worth $400,000.

The H2 event over a distance of 1400 meters was won by Quiet Storm and had a top prize of $220,000.

The other places went to Cat Messiah, Weekend Surprise and Princess Maya in that order. The J Class race was won by Affinity ahead of De Gump, Massaquada Drive and Red Jet. The first-place prize was $180,000.

Settling Star was the winner of the 1400 meter G Class race to take the $300,000 purse. The other places went to Royal Empire and Campador.

The event brought an end to the 2015 racing season. Animals will now have a rest before starting to prepare for the 2016 racing season. (Andrew Carmichael)

BBL condemn Gayle for ‘disrespectful’ interview

M

e l b o u r n e Renegades opener Chris Gayle has been criticised by Big Bash bosses for his comments to a female Ten Network reporter on Monday.

Chris Gayle will be spoken to about his future conduct over controversial comments made during Melbourne Renegades’ Big Bash League victory over Hobart Hurricanes.

The West Indies opener launched the Hurricanes’ bowling attack all over the Bellerive Oval on Monday as he plundered 41 runs off just 15 balls.

His runs along with 60 from Aaron Finch helped the Renegades reach their 141-run target with six overs to spare, but Gayle

put himself in hot water in an interview following his dismissal.

Speaking to Mel McLaughlin of Ten Network, Gayle said: “Hopefully we can win this game and you and I can have a drink after. Don’t blush, baby.”

His interview prompted an on-air apology from the game’s on-air commentators, with BBL chief Anthony Everard also condemning his comments.

“I heard Chris’ comments and they’re disrespectful and simply inappropriate,” he said in a statement. “We’ll certainly be talking to him and the Renegades about it.

“This league is all about its appeal to kids, families and females.

“There’s just no place in the BBL – or for that matter, cricket anywhere – for that sort of behaviour.”

Renegades chief executive Stuart Coventry echoed those views and vowed to speak to Gayle about the incident.

He said: “I heard Chris’s comments and we agree with both Cricket Australia and Channel 10 that they’re disrespectful and simply inappropriate.

“We’ll certainly be talking to him in association with Cricket Australia about it.

“The Melbourne Renegades is all about its appeal to kids, families and females. There’s just no place for that sort of behaviour.” (Digicel Sportsmax)

I

Hashim Amla recorded his 24th Test hundred (AFP photo)

t was a good day for batting so Hashim Amla did just that. He was in situ all day, an elegant figure bringing repose to South African cricket. Everything will be fine, he soothed as he repelled England’s attempts to force victory in the second Test.

England were persistent, but the pitch was placid, and Amla entirely selfpossessed. By the close of the third day, he was unbeaten on 157, a poor 2015 put behind him not by stirring deeds but with a sheen and grace that reasserted his quality. A deficit of 276 insists that much work remains to be done, but there are seven wickets intact to do it.

South Africa made 212 on an attritional day. They made it very quietly. It was all a striking contrast to the fun of the fair on the previous day when Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow rattled up 196 in the morning session alone. Test cricket’s appeal lies in the fact that it is a game of many moods - and this was quite a jolt. No matter: South Africa’s captain had served his side admirably in times of need.

England will recall Amla’s triple-century at The Oval in 2012 and fear what may still lies ahead. But the artist is painting slowly. He made 93 in the day, only 25 in a final session where England became footsore and interest waned. You will find some of the travelling supporters traipsing around Table Mountain on Tuesday.

At least England were spared a wicketless day, their optimism stirred just once when AB de Villiers fell 20 minutes before tea. De Villiers departed on 88, pulling a short ball to midwicket where James Anderson held a head-high catch at the second attempt. England, who dropped three and reacted

slowly to another, had finally clung on.

That breakthrough fell to Steven Finn, whose bounce and hostility in unfavourable conditions made him comfortably the most dangerous component in an attack which held South Africa in check, but struggled to find solace.

There was no turn for Moeen Ali - 37C is forecast for Tuesday and it remains to be seen if the bowlers will crack up before the pitch does - and the ball failed to swing or reverse, perhaps too blustery for the latter. South Africa were conscientious in defence and, when the batsmen did err, England’s fielding was found wanting.

Amla and de Villiers dutifully set their sights on a long haul to safety, poring like senior librarians over a stand of 183 in 69 overs.

South Africa failed to file away a single century stand in 2015 as they rarely justified their No. 1 Test ranking.

In the first innings of the New Year, they addressed that shortcoming.

England will rue those three dropped chances, evenly spread like fumbled water bottles on a marathon. De Villiers was spared on the second evening on 5 when Joe Root spilled an opportunity engineered by Anderson; Amla allowed a let-off on 76 half an hour before lunch when this time Anderson flapped down a

quick edge off Root.

That left them evens, although a bit more sulking had been evident when Root dropped the edge from Anderson. Part-time bowlers are not allowed such liberties: for them, every wicket is a bonus.

Amla also escaped on 120, Nick Compton failing to hold an acceptable chance to his left at backward point as Finn’s insistence forced another opportunity.

De Villiers passed 8000 Test runs in the morning, becoming the third South African alongside Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith to achieve the feat when he struck Moeen down the ground, one of the most adventurous moments in a session characterised by sober defence. There were only 20 runs by drinks, and only 58 in the session at two runs per over, as South Africa’s third-wicket pair concentrated on watchful defence.

Anderson’s morning salvo was a stalemate, largely delivered outside off stump to packed off-side fields.

Moeen gazed forlornly at cracks that failed to widen.

Broad’s hot spurt was nowhere to be seen. But Finn caused discomfort from the start, his extra bounce unsettling de Villiers who produced an uneasy edge, cut and pull in quick succession, all of which fell short of expectant fielders. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD England 1st innings 629 South Africa 1st innings D Elgar c Compton b Stokes 44 S van Zyl run out (Compton/†Bairstow) 4 HM Amla* not out 157 AB de Villiers c Anderson b Finn 88 F du Plessis not out 51 Extras (lb 3, w 6) 9

Total (3 wickets; 130 overs) 353 To bat: Q de Kock†, T Bavuma, DL Piedt, CH Morris, K Rabada, M Morkel Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-85, 3-268 Bowling: JM Anderson 24-8-530, SCJ Broad 20-4-54-0, MM Ali 31-9-80-0, ST Finn 26-3-82-1, JE Root 5-2-12-0, BA Stokes 21-3-67-1, AD Hales 3-1-2-0.

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21

Foo’s snub disappoints Berbice club T he Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Selection Panel’s decision to overlook all-rounder Jonathon Foo for the Guyana Jaguars squad for the upcoming NAGICO Super50 tournament has not gone down well with another Berbice club.

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) issued a statement, expressing its disappointment with the omission of the talented cricketer, days after his own club, the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club, made public similar views.

“Foo was – without doubt – one of the leading performers in the recent Guyana Cricket Board 50-over tournament and his performance is the watchword for selection. The young Albion player has every right to be disappointed. Our club and the Albion Club have a long-standing rivalry, but as every cricket fan would be aware, the RHTY&SC has always put the game of cricket first and Jonathan Foo deserves to be selected – full stop,” the RHTY&SC said in a statement.

The Club also felt aggrieved by the non-selection of two of its players.

“We would also like to condemn the treatment of our own Clinton Pestano and Eon Hooper, who both performed well throughout the tournament. Both of them were belatedly called for the second trial match after the Club was informed less than

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Assad Fudadin

Royston Crandon

24 hours before the game by an individual, who has no proper record as a cricket administrator.

Hooper and Pestano deserve to have been in the training squad and both trial matches on their performances and not on the whims of a few,” the statement continued.

On the flip side, the Club reserved special congratulations for Assad Fudadin and Royston Crandon, who were selected as part of the 14-man squad, which left Guyana on Monday for St Kitts for the initial stage of the competition.

“Royston Crandon’s selection has a special feeling for all of us at the RHTY&SC, as he continues to dedicate himself to the game of cricket despite severe challenges and disappointments, and we are confident that like in the 2015 tournament, he would be an asset to the team,” the Club said.

It added, “Assad’s selection is just a reward for

a disciplined and extreme hardworking player and completes a full circle of selection to the Four-day, 50over and Amazon Warriors 20/20 cricket teams.

We would like to remind the players of the Club’s formula of success – sheer hard work, discipline, faith in the God we serve, honesty and a steel determination to succeed against all odds.”

Guyana Jaguars squad reads: Assad Fudadin; Kevon Boodie; Shivnarine Chanderpaul; Leon Johnson (Captain); Vishaul Singh; Christopher Barnwell (Vice Captain); Raymon Reifer; Anthony Bramble; Steven Jacobs; Veerasammy Permaul; Gudakesh Motie; Paul Wintz; Romario Shepherd and Royston Crandon.

Devendra Bishoo and Rajendra Chandrika are on duty with the West Indies team in Australia. As soon as they are available, they will replace two players.

Destructive Gayle fires Renegades to five-wicket win

M

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e l b o u r n e Renegades opener Chris Gayle hit 41 off just 15 balls as they beat Hobart Hurricanes by five wickets in the Big Bash League.

Chris Gayle was at his destructive best on Monday as Melbourne Renegades picked up their second win of the Big Bash League campaign against Hobart Hurricanes.

The West Indies opener struck 41 off just 15 deliveries for the Renegades as they comfortably reached their 141-run target with 36 balls to spare, completing a five-wicket win.

Gayle sent the ball flying to all parts of the ground in his quick-fire cameo at the top of the order, Shaun Tait (0-38) feeling the brunt of his attack with two huge sixes in successive balls in the third over.

Melbourne’s charge to victory came after Hobart stuttered through their 20 overs, the hosts grateful to all-rounder Dan Christian (58) for another explosive display.

He was ably supported by opener Ben Dunk (37) early on, but Christian was

Chris Gayle

the aggressor as his quick feet and unorthodox shot selection produced three sixes and four boundaries.

Jonathan Wells’ unbeaten 26 added more late impetus for the Hurricanes, but they could only reach 1405 as the Renegades kept it tight and took regular wickets to stem the flow of runs.

Any hope the Hurricanes had of doing the same were quickly dashed as Gayle and Aaron Finch set about their bowling attack, the former

producing an array of sensational big hits that easily cleared the ropes.

Not to be outdone Finch was also able to find the boundary on at will, the captain smashing 11 fours on his way to 60 before being caught in the deep by Wells.

With both men out the Renegades only needed 22 more to win, and Cameron White (15 not out) took them to their target in the 14th over with a four through the covers. (Digicel Sportsmax)

22

guyanatimesGY.com

tuesday, january 5, 2016

DCC recognises outstanding players Guyana Jaguars off to St Kitts ahead of National and WI Under-19 duty for NAGICO Super50 campaign

Tevin Imlach receives a pair of gloves from DCC President Alfred Mentore

Kevon Boodie receives a bat from Brian Gladsford, a representative of Caribbean Clothing

T

he Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) continued its tradition of recognising members who have performed credibly and have gained selection to the Guyana and West Indies teams with a simple ceremony last weekend in the Fred Wills Pavilion at Queenstown.

Kevin Boodie, Keemo Paul and Tevin Imlach will be leaving for various cricketing assignments overseas and were recipients of gifts from the Club that nurtured their talents.

Boodie is on his maiden trip with the Guyana Jaguars team that will take

part in the West Indies Cricket Board’s Professional Cricket League 50 Overs Tournament and received a bat from Brian Gladsford on behalf of Caribbean Clothing, a longstanding sponsor of DCC. Imlach and Paul had outstanding performances in the Regional Under-19 tournament last year in Jamaica where they helped Guyana retain the Under-19 title. They will be heading off to Bangladesh with the West Indies Under-19 team as they compete in the International Cricket Council’s Under-19 World Cup from January 22 to

February 14.

Paul has played with the West Indies U-19 team before while Imlach is on his maiden tour; both were recipients of batting gloves and US$100.

Among the attendees at the simple ceremony were Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, Member of Parliament Trevor Williams, DCC President Alfred Mentore and other executives and members, including former P=Test player Travis Dowlin and current Guyana Jaguars 50 Overs Vice Captain Christopher Barnwell.

Minister Gaskin said it was an honour to be at the “Home of the Legends” with such rich history in Guyana’s and West Indies cricket.

Gaskin commended the Club for preparing and producing players for the national and international teams and he took the opportunity to congratulate the young players.

Gaskin also noted that they must be honoured to represent the respective teams and be motivated to do well.

Williams, Dowlin, Barnwell, Lynden Lyght and Mark Griffith all wished the players well and reminded them not to be complacent while having fun and representing the Club, the country and themselves proudly.

In response, Imlach said he was thankful for the support and would do his best in Bangladesh after putting in the hard work to reach so far. The soft-spoken Boodie said that this was the first time he was being acknowledged, in such a way and said he would do his part to take Guyana to the title this year along with Chris Barnwell and the rest of the squad.

By Akeem Greene

C

onfident in returning home with the NAGICO Super50 trophy, the Leon Johnsonled Guyana Jaguars departed for St Kitts and Nevis on Monday to begin their campaign in the West Indies Cricket Board’s regional oneday competition.

It has been 10 years since Guyana last won a regional 50-over title, but from all accounts, it seems that the upcoming NAGICO Super50 can bring different fortunes for the side.

Guyana Cricket Board President Drubahadur, in delivering the charge to the team, urged them to return home with the title. “2015 has been good for us and we also want to take that 2015 into 2016; we did exceptionally well that last time and we just need to cross that final hurdle.”

Captain Leon Johnson is looking to lead from the front with his own performance.

He expects the Jaguars to

T

Gregory Samuels hands over some of the gear to UG sport coordinator Lavern Fraser-Thomas

lost last year’s final by 135 runs to Trinidad and Tobago, play their first game against Windward Volcanoes on Thursday at the St Paul’s Sports Complex, Basseterre.

The latter part of the tournament will be played in Trinidad and Tobago. The other teams in the group are Leeward Islands, Combined Colleges and Campuses.

Guyana Jaguars squad reads: Assad Fudadin; Kevon Boodie; Shivnarine Chanderpaul; Leon Johnson (Captain); Vishaul Singh; Christopher Barnwell (Vice Captain); Raymon Reifer; Anthony Bramble; Steven Jacobs; Veerasammy Permaul; Gudakesh Motie; Paul Wintz; Romario Shepherd and Royston Crandon. The Coach is Esaun Crandon and Manager/ Assistant Coach, Rayon Griffith Devendra Bishoo and Rajendra Chandrika are on duty with the West Indies team in Australia. As soon as they are available, they will replace two players.

Griffith clears air on Foo’s omission

Jonathon Foo

By Akeem Greene

UGSF presents institution with gear C he University of Guyana Soccer Fraternity (UGSF) donated gear and balls to the sports department of the University of Guyana (UG) to aid in the institution’s football programme.

The donation, which was made last Thursday at UG’s sport department, was well received by the coordinator of UG’s sport activities, Lavern Fraser-Thomas.

The newly-formed UGSF organisation is made up of old students in and out of Guyana who wanted to give back to the development of the sport on campus.

Fraser-Thomas was grateful for the gesture and thanked the UGSF for seeing the need to specifically aid in the development of the sport.

Gregory Samuels, who made the presentation to Fraser-Thomas, simply noted that the body was formed with the aim of helping to improve the sport and noted that several other activities were planned for 2016.

do well, but noted that they must focus on one game at a time. “I’m looking to lead from the front, my form in the Four-Day has been a bit indecent, so I’m looking to lead from the front not only batting wise but tactically as well,” he said.

Johnson has scored seven half centuries in List A cricket and has certainly been a key player for the batting department.

One of the three newcomers to the squad, fast bowler Romario Shepherd is elated to be in the team and believes he can execute all his plans once given the opportunity.

When Guyana Times Sport quizzed the player about the role he intended to play, he revealed: “I will just look to swing the new ball and look to take wickets and return at the depth and do a good job.”

Opener Kevon Boodie and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie have been selected for the 50-over format for the first time.

Guyana Jaguars, who

hairman of Selectors, Rayon Griffith has addressed the issue that has been a hot topic in the local cricket fraternity – the omission of all-rounder Jonathan Foo from the Guyana Jaguars squad for the upcoming NAGICO Super50.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport, the Chairman of Selectors explained that “when you’re selecting a team, you have to select 14 members and we selected our best 14 members”.

Man of the Match in the 2010 Caribbean T20 final against Barbados, Foo scored 42 runs from 17 balls to help Guyana to victory. He is trying to make his way back into the national set-up.

“Jonathan Foo has been playing well in the franchise cricket, which is good and I want him to continue playing that way and focus on his cricket instead of listening to the media on why he should be in…,” Griffith said.

He added that “as a sportsman sometimes you may think that you should be in and when it is there that you’re not, you just have

to show us that you’re strong enough to be back in the Guyana side”.

Foo cracked a blistering unbeaten 67 from just 35 balls with eight fours and four sixes in the Guyana Jaguars simulation match during training. Playing for Upper Corentyne in the Local Franchise league, Foo scored the most runs and was one of six batsmen with centuries in the League in which he also bowled impressively.

The cricketer has also been playing in the Hong Kong Premier League OneDay Tournament in China and has gotten some good scores under his belt. Playing for the Independents, Foo cracked a 69-ball 111, inclusive of nine sixes and five fours.

Two games before, he scored another century and returned with the ball to take 2-15 from 10 overs.

The Chairman of Selectors, who also plays for GNIC in First-Division cricket, said when selecting a team, you must find one with balance as well in player roles. “It is all about the makeup of the team; it is a balanced side you looking for and you have to know what role each player plays.”

Griffith singled out Royston Crandon as a much improved cricketer who has been a great asset to the team. “Royston Crandon had a good tournament last year… he has been a senior campaigner for years for Guyana and has been bowling well and just needs to bring more to the table with his bat,” he said.

Crandon has played one One-Day International (ODI) for the West Indies in 2009 against South Africa and currently averages 23.70 from 30 List A games, scoring one century and one half century

Rayon Griffith

to date. With the ball, he has taken 33 wickets at an average of 24.78 with an economy rate of 3.97.

Commenting further on Crandon’s performance, the selector said: “He showed some improvement last year and he showed some improvement in the Local Franchise League; he showed some improvement in the warm-up game as well.”

In the last edition of the NAGICO Super50, the allrounder’s most notable performances were 45 not out, when he also picked up 1-38 in the semi-final against Jamaica. In the match before against Combined Campuses and Colleges, he made 39 and then picked up 1-30 with his off-spinners. In the final of the Local Franchise League, he made an entertaining 75 from 94 balls, including three sixes and four fours, and returned with the ball to take 6-26 to lead Lower Corentyne, New Amsterdam, Canje to the title.

Griffith is confident that the current squad will do and certainly has the ability to bring home the title after some 10 years. (akeemg@ guyanatimesgy.com)

guyanatimesGY.com

tuesday, january 5, 2016

23

EBD/UDA honours top RHTY&SC to receive Medal of League performers Service award

F

Executives of the EBD/UDA share a moment with the top players at the awards ceremony

ormer national youth player Danny Narayan copped the best batsman prize, while Ershad Ali was adjudged best bowler when the East Bank Demerara (EBD)/Upper Demerara Association (UDA) held its first awards ceremony recently.

The EBD/UDA failed to win a match in the just-concluded Cricket Guyana Inc Local Franchise League 50over competition, but the executives felt it was a great idea to get the players socially together and reward some of the outstanding performers at the same time.

In a simple ceremony held at the Sumintra Singh Players Pavilion of the Farm Community Centre Ground, EBD, all of the players from the EBD/UDA League team, with the exception

of Captain Shivram Singh, were present. The skipper was ill and excused from the proceedings.

Narayan scored an even century and accumulated 169 runs from six innings and was given the prize for the most runs, while Lindener Leonard Caleb, with 106 runs from seven innings, received the best batsman prize for a superior average. Shivram Persaud, with 87 runs from seven innings, was given the trophy for the third highest aggregate.

In the bowling department, the lanky Ershad Ali, who took 5-37, was given the best bowling performance prize and Shivram Persaud, with five wickets in the competition, copped the prize for outstanding bowling performance. Bhojnarine Singh, a highly talented 15-year-old

all-rounder, was deemed the most improved player and received a trophy.

In offering brief remarks, President of the Association, Anand Kalladeen, urged the players to work to improve themselves in the various departments to do better as a team. Kalladeen said that the executives were looking for sponsors and grounds to have cricket played continuously on the East Bank of Demerara.

Chairman of the Herstelling/Little Diamond Sports Committee, Lloyd Ramessar, was a special guest and said he was happy to see cricket returning to the East Bank of Demerara, especially at Farm. The softspoken Ramessar said he would do his part to ensure that the Farm Ground was the perfect home of cricket for the East Bank team.

Coach of the EBD/UDA, Clive Grimmond, was also in attendance and said that “there are lots to be done, but the social event for camaraderie among the guys is a good start”.

The experienced Coach recognised that the League team had little preparation going into the competition, but it was not an excuse for the performance and urged the players to see the bigger picture of being one step closer to the national team.

The Association’s First Vice-President, Rohan Sarjoo, who was the team manager, told the players that they needed to have discipline, attitude and self-belief to reach higher heights.

Sarjoo said that the EBD/UDA has retained the services of Grimmond for 2016, and although the Association was not doing well financially, he (Sarjoo) would pay for the services of the Coach for the first and second months on the job to develop the cricket talents along the East Bank of Demerara and in Linden.

Sarjoo said that the Association had a bowling machine that needed utilisation, and he is more than pleased to have Grimmond and the EBD/UDA League team make full use of it at the Farm Ground for cricket to improve.

The executives of the EBD/UDA, who came out in their numbers, also presented a thigh pad to Ershad Ali, a pair of batting pads to Stephan Browne, and a pair of batting gloves to Danny Narayan to help with their cricketing development.

– Club describes national recognition as best moment in its history

T

he Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Guyana’s leading youth and sports club, has hailed its award of a Medal of Service from the Government of Guyana as the best moment in its 25-year history.

The Government of Guyana on January 1, 2016, announced that President David Granger has recognised the outstanding service of the RHTY&SC in the fields of sports, education and community development over the last 23 years.

The announcement was made as part of the launching ceremony for Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebration.

The RHTY&SC, along with 11 other organisations/ groups, will receive the Medal of Service award as part of the nation’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Among the others are ACDA, ER Burrowes School of Art, Roadside Baptist Church and Central Islamic Trust.

Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RHTY&SC, Hilbert Foster, described the announcement of the award as a special moment in the short history of an organisation that was founded in 1990 by three-time Guyana and Commonwealth Youth Service Awardee – the St Francis Community

Crawford wins 50th Independence Anniversary cycle road race

R

omello Crawford of Trojan Cycle Club in a time of 1h 40m 14.58s won the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) 40-mile 50th Independence Anniversary cycle road race on Sunday, claiming the first win of his 2016 cycling season.

Crawford out-sprinted Marlon “Fishy” Williams and Alonzo Ambrose in the last half mile of the race to comfortably win the event.

Williams, Ambrose, Juban Crawford, Junior Niles and Andrew Hicks finished in that order to round off the top six spots.

The event pedalled off from outside Lewisons’ Auto Parts Cycle and General Store at Rose Hall Town and proceeded to Number 51 Police Station before returning to the point of origin for the finish.

The Crawford cousins, Juban and Romello, along with Alanzo Greaves, Clement Doris and Niles were out to the front as soon as Director of Regional

A relaxed Romello Crawford crosses the finish line well ahead of Marlon “Fishy” Williams to the enjoyment of Berbicians

Health Services, Jevaughn Stephens downed the flag.

The five, however, only enjoyed a four-mile lead as the peloton, which included several national riders was with them thereafter.

On the return to the finish line, Crawford tried on numerous occasions to get away, but Williams and Greaves kept attacking the race as well.

In the end, Crawford’s fi-

nal move was too sweet for Williams and Greaves who simply could not keep up with his sprinting power.

Ambrose took three of the eight sprint point prizes, while Niles and Hicks had two each with the eventual race winner only claiming one.

Of the juniors, Crawford was the first to cross the finish line ahead of Andrew Hicks and Denraj Giabaran

finishing in that order.

The event was organised by FACC Coach Randolph Roberts and sponsored by Lewisons’ Auto Parts, Cycle and General Store of Rose Hall Town, Peter Lewis Construction, overseas-based Guyanese Kenrick Taylor of Canada, and Sherwin Photo Works among others.

The first FACC rider to cross the finish line

was Curtis Dey ahead of Clement Doris and Syborne Fernandez.

In the U-16 category, Zamal Khan was the winner with Chureshwar Dhamic second and Devantie Anthony third.

This race was the first of two organised by the FACC in observance of Guyana’s milestone 50th Independence Anniversary.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Hilbert Foster

Developers.

Foster, who has served as Secretary/CEO of the Club since 2000, stated that every member of the Club, especially the executives, has been inspired by the award and has recommitted to continue the efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of youths, the elderly and less fortunate.

The RHTY&SC, since its formation, has successfully completed over 5000 programmes/activities, and for its Silver Jubilee anniversary in 2015, executed a record 302 programmes, the most for a single year.

The Club would like to express gratitude to all of its official sponsors, donors and numerous supporters over the years who have supported its work.

These include GTT, Courts, Bakewell, Farfan and Mendes Limited, Windies Sports Bar, Gizmos and Gadgets, Metro Office Supplies, DDL/ Pepsi, John Fernandes Limited, Guyana Beverage Company, ANSA McAL Trading, Mings Service Products, Sterling Products Limited, Republic Bank, GBTI, Sentinel Security, Western Union, Modern Optical Service, Trinidad Cement Limited, NAMILCO, NEW GPC Inc, HA Snacks Company Limited, De Sinco Trading, Food For The Poor Guyana, GTM, Hand-in-Hand, Lens Craft, P&P Insurance, and Goodwood Racing Service.

“We would also like to thank our friends in the media for their support – NCN, DTV-8, TVG, LRTVS CH10, Guyana Chronicle, Guyana Times, Kaieteur News and Stabroek News.

We share the Medal of Service Award with each one of them, as without their support, it would not have been possible.

The RHTY&SC recommits to maintain the high standards it has set itself over the years and to always remain in Pursuit of Excellence,” the Club said in a release.

tuesday, January 5, 2016

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

Guyana Jaguars off to St Kitts for NAGICO Super50 campaign Pg 22

The Guyana Jaguars 50-over team along with GCB President Drubahadur before the team departed (Marceano Narine photo)

BBL condemn Gayle for Rain sets in after ‘disrespectful’ interview Brathwaite’s quick 69

Pg 19 Chris Gayle

Pg 20

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