Guyana Times

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

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

Issue No. 2711

Friday, December 18, 2015

PRICE

Khurshid Sattaur sent on 200 days' leave – GRA to undergo int’l audit

WHAT'S INSIDE: State Audits vendettas

Govt shells out $133M to political allies P3

Page 7

– Ram $37M, Hinds $25M, Goolsarran $7M

Railroading of ‘antiCattle farmer Terrorism’ Bill in Parliament found dead ...Govt retreats after Opposition, – after firing employee Page 13

GAWU workers picket for P14 $50,000 taxfree bonus

Page 16

civil society outrage

$80 vat included

amid threats

Square of the Revolution meeting….

APNU/AFC Govt interfaces with GT public Page 10

Police find P7 $20M in cannabis at Strathspey – two arrested

Chinese medical team assisting local doctors P12

President David Granger and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon interacting with members of the public during the Ministry of the Presidency's Public Day exercise at the Square of the Revolution on Thursday

506 new teachers trained Page 16

As crime spirals out of control

Woman chopped during Queenstown robbery – perpetrator nabbed

Presidential convoy car crashes Page 7

– 2 guards injured, Head of State unhurt

Page 8

Farm, EBE man beaten to death P8 “Conflict of interest” regarding P10 Linden ambulatory staff issues

– Health Committee Chairman

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BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, December 18 – 10:00h-11:30h and Saturday, December 19 – 11:30h-13:00h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, December 18 – 09:15h-10:45h and Saturday, December 19 – 10:25h-11:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

State Audits vendettas:

Govt shells out $133M to political allies Ram $37M, Hinds $25M, Goolsarran $7M

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Thundery to heavy rain showers can be expected in the morning, while light rain showers can be expected in the afternoon. Thundery showers are expected to return in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East to East North-Easterly between 4.91 metres and 7.15 metres per second.

High Tide: 09:47h and 22:17h reaching maximum heights of 2.40 metres and 2.37 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 03:13h and 15:46h reaching minimum heights of 0.77 metre and 0.86 metre respectively.

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Following its assumption to office following the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections, the APNU/AFC embarked on forensic audits of a number of state agencies, an exercise which many criticised as “political with-hunting”.

The Opposition has been maintaining that government breached the procurement laws by single-sourc-

Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma, who said government needed to get this underway as soon as possible and if it had to go through the established process, too much time would have been wasted, causing a late start in the audits.

With regards to financial burden the audits is placing on the state coffers,

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

Christopher Ram

BY EDWARD LAYNE

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fter months of dodging questions, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) government has finally buckled to pressure from the political opposition and transparency activists, and for the first time broken its silence on the secrecy surrounding the award of the multimillion-dollar contract to several close allies of the coalition to conduct forensic audits into state agencies.

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Juan Edghill during Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly, bombarded Finance Minister Winston Jordan with questions regarding the audits.

In response to a question regarding the procurement process which followed in the award of the audit contracts, Minister Jordan conceded that government single-sourced the forensic auditors in accordance with the Procurement Act. “In accordance with Sections 28(b) of the Procurement Act 2003, Act No. 8 or 2003, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board awarded the contracts on a single source method. The government decided to use this method for a number of reasons including the fact that there is a limited number of Chartered Accounting firms in Guyana, and not all of them offer forensic auditing services,” Jordan said in his response.

But this statement conflicts a previous position of

Anand Goolsarran

Jordan revealed that some $133 million has been expended thus far which are widely regarded as politically-motivated.

The bulk of the contracts went to Ram and McRae Chartered Accountants who bagged $37 million, while Nigel Hinds Financial Services was handed $25 million, and Anand Goolsarran $7 million.

The remaining $64 million in contracts were awarded to Nizam Ali and Company, Harryman Parmeswar, HLB Seebarran and Company, and TSD Lall Company.

It is important to note that staunch APNU/AFC supporter Christopher Ram is a partner in the Ram and McRae Chartered Accounting firm, while Goolsarran is a former Auditor General under the People’s National Congress administration.

Asked about the legal authority under which the audits were conducted, the Finance Minister noted that it was being done in accordance with the Audit Act of 2004 and a June 2,

2015 Cabinet decision.

Jordon was also grilled on the origin of Terms of Reference for the auditors.

“A generic set of Terms of Reference was prepared by the Ministry of Finance, submitted to Cabinet in May 2015 and approved by Cabinet on June 2, 2015,” Jordan responded.

He was also asked to provide details on the academic, professional and experiential qualifications of the auditors, specifically whether the auditors were certified by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana. He stated that the auditors were qualified Guyanese Accountants and well known in their sphere.

“It is not necessary for the Individuals/Firms to have practice certificates issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana, since the results of such audits do not require the expression of an opinion on the financial statements of the entity being audited,” he stated, adding that only an external auditor of an entity is required to be in possession of such a practicing certificate.

He explained that Junior Minister of Finance Jaipaul Sharma is tasked with coordinating, supervising and reviewing the audits.

Nigel Hinds

ing the auditors, since the contract sum is way above the threshold as prescribed in the Procurement Act. Last August, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo described as a “massive scandal”, the haphazard manner in which the government embarked on the audits, highlighting the fact that there was no public tender.

“This audit will run us probably into $150 million… Imagine if we had handpicked two pro-PPP/C people and give them contract without any public tender that could be $150M,” he had argued, showing the double standards that exist in society.

Jagdeo and his PPP/C have always maintained that the issue was not the audit, but rather the clear bias of those who were conducting the audits.

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Views 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 Syrian civil war

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any believe that Syria’s civil war which is making headlines around the world daily is the worst humanitarian crisis the world has ever seen.

Guyanese are shocked to see images on their TV screens daily of the ravaging effects of war on the Syrian population, especially on women and children who are suffering the most.

Over the past few months, we have seen thousands of them (Syrian refugees) crossing borders into neighbouring countries with the hope of finding comfort and opportunity.

To date, more than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with antiGovernment protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war. It could be recalled that the unrest triggered nationwide protests demanding President Bashar al-Assad’s resignation.

Not long after, thousands were taking to the streets across the country in an effort to step up pressure on the Government.

Opposition supporters eventually began taking up arms, first to defend themselves against Police excesses and later to expel security forces from their local areas.

At present, there are regular bombings in crowded cities, resulting in deaths and injuries beyond imagination, horrific human rights violations are widespread, extremist elements are capitalising on the level of instability to take hold of certain areas and many persons are dying from diseases, malnutrition and the negative impacts of displacement in general.

Unfortunately, from the way it looks, there is no political solution to the conflict in sight. In fact, what we are seeing is a lack of political will among the major players to work towards achieving a nationwide ceasefire and more importantly, lasting peace and development in the country.

For many Syrians, it’s basically about surviving daily. There have been several appeals launched by the United Nations and other agencies for funding to meet the needs of those most affected. The UN estimates that 7.6 million people are internally displaced. When you also consider refugees, more than half of the country’s pre-war population is in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has stated that the organisation’s long-term strategic objective remains a political solution. And the UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura has also proposed establishing a series of “freeze zones”, where local ceasefires would be negotiated to allow aid deliveries in besieged areas. But his attempt to broker a truce in March 2015 was rejected by rebels in the city, who feared the Government would use it to redeploy its forces elsewhere and that IS militants would simply ignore it.

Additionally, some experts have argued that what is required to solve the conflict is for the major powers backing both the Government and Opposition to fundamentally change their long-held self-interested policies and engage in meaningful talks that will see real concessions and compromises made.

The idea is to arrive at some form of temporary powersharing mechanism between the Government and Opposition, which, of course, is acceptable to the majority of Syrians.

Such transitional authority would then be able to tackle the high level of extremism in Syria with the help and support of the international community. There is justification for this approach as over the past months, we have seen how extremist elements are using every opportunity to cause more chaos and confusion among the population, which is also having a severe negative impact on neighbouring countries.

In the coming weeks, the international community will need to step up its efforts to raise the huge sums of money needed to fund the massive humanitarian operation in that country. The UN has said it will take US$$8.4 billion to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable Syrians – and less than half of that aid has been raised so far.

Importantly too, is that while the focus should be on finding a political solution and securing a nationwide ceasefire, the international community must do whatever is necessary to protect innocent citizens against the level of brutality, rape and other forms of atrocities citizens are currently experiencing.

There must be respect on all sides for international humanitarian and human rights laws.

The world must get serious about bringing an end to the ongoing crisis in Syria, not only for the benefit of the Syrian people, but also in the interest of global peace, security, and stability.

As Christmas dawns upon us Regent Street was filled with shoppers as the hussle and bussle of the season erupts

Will Freddie apologise to Jagdeo?

Saying sorry is hard for Freddie too Dear Editor, Columnist Freddie Kissoon pens “Sorry seems to be the hardest word”.

He was calling out prominent PPP leaders to apologise for perceived errors during its tenure in office.

Yes PPP leaders should apologise for all their blunders and unwillingness to take sound (common sense) advice from so many who had the party and its supporters at heart. Unfortunately, several in the party had selfinterest at heart causing the party to be removed from office. But sorry is also the hardest word for Freddie, widely known as a data manufacturer and polling fraudster. Freddie unjustifiably attacked so many people without evidence. And he told so many fibs on others to destroy their reputation. He writes rubbish that can hardly be supported by evidence.

Freddie does not comprehend what he reads.

In Thursday’s column, he slammed Jagdeo for something that the former President did not say.

Jagdeo cited the arrogance of the PPP leadership (news Dec 15) as one reason for the party’s defeat.

Freddie twisted Jagdeo’s words around penning that Jagdeo blamed PPP supporters for its defeat.

Freddie penned: “Jagdeo told his (Success Village) audience that PPP supporters lost touch with the party’s bases”. Jagdeo said the reverse, blaming the party not supporters.

Since Freddie’s writing is not factual, will he apologise to Jagdeo? Or will he continue to peddle lies and misinformation?

In a recent column, Freddie apologised to Donald Ramotar, after he was called upon by several prominent writers for ridiculing Donald Ramotar

who penned a faux pas in his use of a word. Freddie said “sorry” three times to Donald (in a separate column). But at the end of his apology, Freddie lambasted Donald saying, “even a six year old would not have misused the word”.

There was no feeling of contrition and regret for the assault on Donald.

An apology is an acknowledgement of doing something wrong and a show of remorse with the commitment not to repeat the rue. So what was the point of Freddie’s apology when he still chastised Donald for a simple gaffe that anyone of us could have made? Freddie himself made so many indiscretions, gaffes, and blunders including penning incorrect information (as for example on me saying I do not teach anywhere in the world when he was proven wrong when he contacted my place of employment to

verify my status). And he refused to say “sorry”. He also penned countless misinformation on Ravi Dev, Baytoram Ramharack, Devanand Bhagwan, and other Indian intellectuals.

He is yet to apologise to any of us.

Freddie suffers from an inferiority complex; he feels all other Indians are brighter than him and has set to undermine their integrity with outright lies and/or half-truths.

Guyanese refer to him as the ideal description of a “kackman”. He made countless bets with people and after each loss he refused to “pay up”.

To use his own characterisation, Freddie is afraid to admit to mistakes because in doing so it exposes him as an ordinary person whose claims cannot be trusted.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Depression leads to suicide Dear Editor, Our country holds the highest suicides rates in the Caribbean, mainly young people are committing their selves to these kinds of actions, and many would ask the question

why?

The government is trying to battle this and to find a solution that will help to stop this from continuing. Losing talented and educated youngsters are indeed a blow to our

community and our country at large, the young people are leaders of tomorrow, public centres and workshops should be set up in the many villages across Guyana to offer assistance and counselling

to persons who are having these thoughts of committing their selves.

I want to call on all religious leaders to play a vital role within their communities.

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Respect, honour Kissoon’s obsession and love Hindus with himself Dear Editor, In his letter “Pastor added fuel to intolerance”, (Guyana Times 17 December 2015), Pandit Charranlall Nandalall misread or overread my letter, “If we do not have love, our religion is worthless”, which was published on 11 December as an “attack” on Hindus. On the contrary, I undergirded respect, honour and love for the Hindus; I stand by every word in that missive. If ever there is an evangelical Christian who loves and respects Hindus, it is me.

Apparently, the Panditji is indignant because I stated that Christians ought to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ – in a Hindu temple. I’d like to point out that Jesus taught his disciples that they are “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-16; 45).

Because we are all made in the image of God, each of us is blessed with a degree of ‘salt’ and ‘light’. However, these characteristics may be latent – and need come to the fore. Moreover, these traits ought to be manifested and demonstrated in the lives of Christians – especially if they are in a secular or disparate religious environment.

Growing up as a young boy in Guyana, I was enthusiastic and passion-

ate about my Hindustani (Indian) roots, traditions and philosophy; I was not interested in other religions.

However, God confronted me about my relationship with him, and my life was transformed as Jesus Christ came into my heart and life.

Unfortunately, I was conditioned to think that following Jesus meant despising and disparaging my Hindustani culture. Praise God, I now know better – and relish opportunities to express my love for, and faith in God in the Hindustani culture (donning a kurta, singing Hindustani songs, and expressing my faith in the Indian culture) – in every place, including other religious environments.

I would like to address the Pandit’s question of whether I would allow him to sing of “Krishna’s love” to my “congregation” and share “Good News” to them. First, I would dearly love for the Pandiji to elucidate on “Krishna’s love”; this is the first time I am hearing about this concept and would love to know more. Similarly, I would like to know what is the “Good News” that the Pandit would like to share. If I feel that the parameters of his ruminations would attune or relate to my ‘congregation’, I would surely welcome him!

(I conduct “Satsanghs”, and I would not have a problem if Panditji could recite the ageold prayer of “Asatoma Maa Sadgamaya”, for example.

Hindu prayers such as this are deep and profound - and help me to focus on the One who is the Truth, Light and Life.

It is somewhat baffling that the Pandit is incensed that a religious person would sing bhajans (about God’s love) in a Hindu mandir. In Guyana, there is a popular locution among Hindus that proudly proclaims, “Hinduism is not a religion; it is a way of life”.

Does the Pandit subscribe to such a declaration? If not, I have also a simple question that I would like the Pandit to answer: who is a “Hindu”, or how do you define a “Hindu”?

I proudly assert my new life in Christ and express my devotion to him in Hindustani culture; I apologise for neither. For me, it is a case of declaring, “Yeshu Masih ki – jai” (In Jesus Christ, there is victory!)

To the Panditji and all my Hindu brothers and sisters, I joray my hands and salute you with a sincere “namaskaar/pranaam”!

Sincerely, Devanand Bhagwan

Dear Editor, I read, with utter dismay, the attack Freddie Kissoon launched on former president Donald Ramotar.

Kissoon, in his 20 September article, attacked Ramotar for not differentiating between “intention” and “intuition.” What evidence does Kissoon have that this was not a typographical error?

What about the hundreds of errors - grammatical and otherwise - that Kissoon has carried in his column over the years. Are we, the reading public, supposed to be chastising Kissoon for every error he commits? This will be a herculean task! While Kissoon makes mistakes, he holds everyone else to a very high standard.

Vishnu Bisram dealt with this very issue and also pointed out that Kissoon mixed up the President of France with his predecessor among other mistakes.

In his 2 October response to Brendon Mounter, Kissoon states, “If he (Mounter) knows the amount of people that I have argued with.” For your information Kissoon, even common entrance students know that when you can count something you use “number” and

Depression leads to...

Statistics in Guyana indicate that Indo-Guyanese account for 80 per cent of all suicide deaths in Guyana.

The figures for attempts at self-harm vary slightly. The figures also indicate that by religion, Hindus account for more deaths than any other religious group in Guyana, hence I am calling on all pandits to put a hand and let’s play our role that was prescribed to us by the Lord Shri Krishna, defending our culture and our people.

“Action thy duty, rewards not thy concern.”

I think we need to look at the main cause and that is depression, some people describe depression as “living in a black hole” or having a feeling of impending doom.

However, some depressed people don’t feel sad at all— they may feel lifeless, empty, and apathetic, or men in particular may even feel angry, aggressive, and restless.

Once a gentleman came to a doctor complaining that there was something severely wrong with him. He was hurting all over and was very sad but all the tests came out normal. The doctor said, “There is nothing wrong with you. Go to the circus and watch the clown there. He will make you

laugh.” The gentleman said, “Doctor, I am that clown.”

Depression is a major risk factor for suicide. The deep despair and hopelessness that goes along with depression can make suicide feel like the only way to escape the pain. If you have a loved one with depression,

take any suicidal talk or behaviour seriously and learn to recognise the warning signs.

Remember, depression leads to suicide, this is not about the government or the politics of the day, but our young people, they need our help, the key word is

from page 4

love, they need to understand that life is very precious, many are fighting in the hospitals daily to survive, our young people need to understand that life is a gift from the almighty.

Pt Surendra Tiwari Patentia Mandir

not “amount.” My point is simple. If Kissoon holds everyone to a high standard, then he musts also represent this standard.

Kissoon writes in his 2 October column, “But when people cuss you down you can smile because you know the country and people know that the people who gossip and rumour about you will never do for the people and country what you have done.” What good Kissoon may have done, he has destroyed with his obnoxious attacks on people. His vocabulary is dominated with words like “stupid” and “asinine” and many other pungent words. For a man who claims to have 26 years of lecturing at Guyana’s premier tertiary academic institution, his belligerent, crass style of attacking people and institutions, is his greatest limitation. Two examples, among the thousands, will suffice here. Kissoon describes the PPP’s prime ministerial candidate at the last elections as, “stupid” and the PPP, which represents over two hundred thousand people, as “stupendously

stupid.” Are these the best words that a supposedly veteran academic is capable of? If the answer is yes, then we are forever doomed to read crap. Maybe the saying: “you can take a man out of the gutter but not the gutter out of the man,” is very applicable!

Sincerely, Rakesh Singh

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Foundation

5 secrets to parenting Do you swear in front of your as partners children?

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BY SARAH BEAULIEU

hile some highpowered couples do need to think deliberately about which parent will lead on a long-term basis, most two-parent working households are muddling through some variation of partnership. Partnering isn’t easy. It requires constant communication, keeping track of who is doing what, and praying that the next field trip form or snack duty doesn’t fall through the cracks.

My husband and I are by no means experts. We’re only four years into this parenting and working at the same time thing. But we are starting to figure ourselves out, bit by bit.

We both have careers that are meaningful and provide us with a sense of purpose and value. And we both are committed to ensuring our children grow up safe, secure, and attached. That means we have more to negotiate, and can’t rely on traditional gender roles to help us out.

Make your roles equal, not the same. This isn’t about dividing things along gender lines. It’s about leveraging the strengths of your partnership.

I’m a morning person; he’s a night owl. I’m great at organising things and love to cook, so he does the meal planning and preparation. He’s

a technophile and musician, so he makes sure music can stream into every room in the house and that my iPhone isn’t about to crash and burn. If I judged our partnership every morning at 6am, I would be doing far more than him. But later in the evening, I’m chilling on the couch with a glass of wine while he’s cleaning up the kitchen. Equality balances over time, not from moment to moment.

Prioritise things that feed

your soul. My soul needs to write and exercise three to four times/week to be grounded. My husband needs to make music in his studio and find time to mountain bike in the woods. We juggle other things to make all of this happen. When we do, we are much more capable of rolling with the inevitable punches of life. When mama’s happy, everyone’s happy – a phrase that goes for dads too.

Give each other breaks.

(This is also called “Be a Little Bit Divorced.”) Each week, I get a night out without ‘child’ responsibility and so does my husband. On the other nights (except for date night), we split pick-up duty and evening routines. Knowing that I have one night a week that I can work late, go to the gym, and meet up with a friend is heaven. And my husband feels the same way. We each get to hold on to a bit of our

pre-child independence, so we don’t miss it as much. It also allows each of us to develop our strengths as parents, and have extra bonding time with our children.

Don’t micromanage. If your partner is cooking dinner, prepping lunches, or loading the dishwasher, don’t make it your problem too. Will the result of doing it “wrong” be worse than the fight you’ll start by criticising your partner’s

contribution? I’m guessing not.

Too many women complain about their husband’s way of dressing, caring, or feeding the kids. Just let it alone and be grateful you have a partner who is chipping in – even if they are putting the plates on the wrong rack or picked an outfit that makes the fashion diva in you cringe.

Make memories. I didn’t really get this until August when our little family spent a week on the beach. My husband and I were both dreading a week in a twobedroom condo with an active four year old and 18-month-old, but it turned out to be a truly soul-filling week. There were tantrums, stalling, and not nearly enough naps, but these all paled in comparison to watching them get sandy and salty next to the ocean.

When our hectic back-toschool season started, these memories sustained me during tearful good-byes and other rough transitions.

Parenting and partnering are both marathon journeys. We figure things out along the way. We never reach perfection. But when we hone in on our core values and priorities, we can troubleshoot whatever challenges come our way. And I’m really glad I picked someone to spend my life with who shares my desire to redefine parenting and partnering in ways that allow us both to work, grow, and thrive. (Yahoo! News)

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mother gives four reasons for avoiding usage of swear words in the company of impressionable children.

Swear words may not be a taboo subject for you. You might be using these words as endearing terms, without thinking much about the impact of such objectionable language. But, as a parent, you must follow certain decorum when you are in the company of your young children. Remember they may be listening to the word for the first time. Or they might take to repeating it without your knowledge. Here are four reasons why you should avoid use of bad words in front of your children.

Language is a gift Any person expresses oneself through a language.

Therefore, good language is the best gift you can give to your child. See to it that he speaks a language that appeals to everyone around him.

Just imagine your child being alienated at school level due to usage of bad words. Remember your family’s reaction when you had first used a bad word.

Your child might antagonize the peer group at the outset.

Indicates bad breeding Bad words speak of a bad home culture. Although these words do not necessarily indicate the family upbringing of a child, it is quite possible that abrupt use of such words might wrongly imply bad breeding. Why do you want to give wrong signals about your family?

Different environments Life is a changing phenomenon. Your child will have to interact with different types of people, in and out of India. While some may understand the psychology behind the swear words, some may take offence. So it is always better to play safe.

Bad management of emotions Future generations will be highly dependent on their interaction skills for furtherance of their professional activities. Effective inter-personal communication will naturally lead to a higher success rate. Therefore, if you want your child to be successful communicator, it is advisable to check the words he uses now. What if he spoils his track record (as a group manager) only due to bad words used against his juniors.

He might use such words as a medium to vent his anger and frustration. So friends this is the right time to curb your seemingly harmless habit of liberally using swear words. I have known of children telling the school principal, “Why do you stop me from using such words. My mom and dad speak the same language.’’ (India Parenting)

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Khurshid Sattaur sent on 200 days’ leave

Presidential convoy car crashes – 2 guards injured, Head of State unhurt

– GRA to undergo int’l audit

The presidential convoy car involved in the East Bank Demerara accident (Newssourcegy photo)

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GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur

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ead of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur has been sent on 200 days’ leave.

In a statement on Thursday, the governing Board of Directors of the GRA said that it took a unanimous decision to send the Commissioner General on leave with immediate effect.

Acting Deputy Commissioner General Ingrid Griffith will act in the position during the period.

As this is being done, Government will be con-

The Guyana Revenue Authority headquarter

tracting an international firm to undertake a forensic audit of the GRA. The statement on Thursday explained that Sattaur has been Commissioner General for the past 12 years and has accumulated vacation leave of 200 days, so he has been ordered to proceed on them immediately.

However, reports indicate that the Commissioner General is expected to retire before the 200-day period is over.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon had indi-

Police find $20M in cannabis at Strathspey – two arrested

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wo people are now in police custody following the interception of a motorcar with 17 kilograms of cannabis on Wednesday at Strathspey, East Coast Demerara.

According to information, police ranks stopped a car during a road block operation and a search was conducted on the vehicle, which led to the discovery of the cannabis.

At the time of the operation, the man and woman in the vehicle were taken into custody and are assisting with investigations.

The man reportedly told investigators he was transporting the drugs, worth more than $20 million, to a well-known Kitty, Georgetown businessman.

cated previously that the operations of the tax body were under review as part

Acting Deputy Commissioner General Ingrid Griffith

of Government’s efforts to shake up State entities and weed out allegedly corrupt officials.

Sattaur has already reached the age of retirement, but was retained by the former Administration.

car attached to the presidential convoy was on Thursday crashed off the East Bank Highway after the driver of another car failed to adhere to the sirens. The incident occurred at Farm, EBD. President David Granger was on his way to Georgetown after attending a function at Camp Stephenson, Timehri, East Bank Demerara when the incident occurred.

According to reports received, as the convoy was heading to the city, all drivers adhered to the sirens except one man who overtook a minibus that had pulled into the corner of the road to give clearance to the convoy. That driver as he overtook the bus reportedly ended up in

the path of the convoy.

The outriders as well as the first escort and the President’s vehicle avoided the collision; the third car in the convoy came into contact with the car and crashed into a cul-

vert. Guyana Times understands that at least two presidential guards were injured but the president was unhurt.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

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friday, december 18, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Farm, EBE man beaten to death A

father of one was beaten to death after he tried to settle an ongoing dispute between the suspects and his nephew at Farm, East Bank Essequibo (EBE). He died while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Dead is Dennis Martin,

36, of Lot 5 Public Road, Farm, EBE. The man had been clinging to life on a life support machine, but died on Wednesday.

The suspects – two brothers, who are from the same village as Martin and are known to his relatives, are on the run.

According to information received, the suspects and Martin’s nephews had an altercation twice during which the nephews were wounded by the two brothers.

On Tuesday night, while on his way to the shop,

Martin saw one of the suspects and confronted him.

During the confrontation he was brutally attacked and beaten by both brothers.

The Police are investigating.

The totalitarian Woman chopped during beast…

Threatening to chop Queenstown robbery neighbour lands – perpetrator nabbed painter in court

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painter was on Thursday placed on $10,000 bail by Magistrate Annette Singh when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with threatening to chop his pregnant neighbour.

Amin Cumberbatch, 45, of 90 Meadow Brook Gardens, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on 6 October at

Silverbali Street, Meadow Brook, he made use of threatening language to Fareena Forde.

The trial has commenced and Forde has given her testimony.

The matter was adjourned until 7 January, for continuation of trial.

The defendant was released on bail and slapped a bond to keep the peace.

Eyew tness

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woman is now nursing a wound to her hand after she was chopped and robbed by a knife-wielding bandit earlier Thursday morning in Queenstown, Georgetown.

The name of the woman was not immediately available to Guyana Times.

However, this newspaper understands that the woman had just left a city business place when she was confronted by the man who was armed with a knife.

During the confrontation, the man demanded that the woman handed over her bag, but she reportedly put up a fight, so he whipped out a knife and chopped the woman.

As he grabbed the bag, security guards in the area realised what was happening and discharged several rounds in his direction.

The bandit was apprehended and handed over to the Police, who have launched an investigation.

Miner remanded on guns and ammunition charges

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miner was on Thursday remanded to prison when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Denesh Dharamdeo of Lot 1350 Providence Scheme, East Bank Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that on December 16 at Black Water Backdam, Cuyuni River, he had in his possession a 9mm pistol without being the holder of a firearm licence. He was also slapped with another charge, which stated that on the same day, he was found to be in possession of seven live rounds of matching ammunition, when he

was not a licenced firearm holder.

Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick told the court that on the day in question, Police ranks on patrol duty, saw the defendant acting in a suspicious manner, approached him and conducted a search on his person.

The Prosecutor said the firearm was found in his pants crotch.

The Prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the offence and the fact that no special reason was presented by the defence for bail to be granted.

Dharamdeo was refused bail and remanded to prison while the matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for January 7.

Y

…in Parliament

our Eyewitness must compliment the GHRA for issuing a forthright condemnation of the APNU/ AFC highhandedness in railroading three Bills in the National Assembly in one sitting. As the organisation pointed out, two of these Bills, having to do with AntiMoney Laundering and Financing of Terrorism, have grave implications for the personal freedoms of the Guyanese people.

Under these “homeland security-type laws”, folks can be detained, incarcerated and otherwise taken out of circulation under lower levels of scrutiny. For all intents and purposes, once the law says so, it’s so and you’d better fall into the line. Your bank accounts being made available to the GRA to rummage through and figure out new ways to part citizens and their money doesn’t even count!

Additionally, these Bills stretched more than 100 closely printed pages. So when will the Government benches, much less the Opposition, find time to properly brief themselves to represent the interests of the country in general and their constituency in particular? Now as old people say, “You don’t need lamp to see what is clear in broad daylight.”

This is not the first time that this Government is playing fast and loose with the core principle of democracy: the other side must be heard. In fact, it’s now become its default mode. Remember the renaming of the Convention Centre? The Ministries of Home Affairs and Social Services, etc? What about that obscene pay hike for themselves? Or the appointment of “quasi politicians” to bureaucratic posts? We could go on for another 100 pages, but you might just throw up.

When in Opposition, the now governing parties were never tired of reminding us of the sanctity of the parliamentary democratic tradition: “the other side must be heard”. What say they now? That the PPP had done the same on occasions? What a pile of turd!

These people pipped the PPP into office by convincing some 2500 persons they’d do better than the PPP. And now they excuse their traducing of democracy by pointing fingers? What two-facedness by our Minister of Governance, Trotman! Have you no shame, sir?

When our basic freedoms can be traduced so casually, it betrays the mark of the totalitarian beast: Webster’s defines “totalitarianism” as: “pertaining to a centralised form of Government in which those in control grant neither recognition nor tolerance to parties of different opinion.” As adumbrated above, this is only the latest in the litany of governmental totalitarian actions to sideline the PPP. Guyanese should remember that a dictatorship isn’t created overnight or in the middle of the night. It’s constructed brick by brick; excess by excess, until one day we all wake up and find ourselves in chains.

Beware the return of the beast!

…and scare tactics

One of the most popular tactics in the totalitarian tool kit is to drive fear into the minds of the populace. Get them so jittery they’ll go along with any excess – starting with small ones and rising – by the Government that’s “fixing” problems it conjured up all by its lonesome.

Take Clive Thomas. In his dotage, he’s become the go-to guy for the salacious stuff the Muckraker puts out in its fearmongering campaign.

The latest scare tactics are about “Illicit financial flows” out of Guyana. Speaking in generalities, they make it appear this is part of the “siphoning off” they’d accused the PPP of committing. But to show how these jokers play fast and loose with the facts - just to bury the PPP, Thomas refers to some 2010 data that combines US$227 million of “Trade Mis-invoicing” and US$352 million of “Hot Money” to scream that US$579 million illicit funds flowed out of Guyana.

Why didn’t he mention the 2013 figures that’re out there? But that would’ve shown there was ZERO “Hot Money” that year…And we know that doesn’t even occur in heaven, don’t we? So much for “solid statistics”.

But why disturb the fearmongering with facts?

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

9 Police Force working to eliminate corruption – Commissioner news

friday, december 18, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

I

n light of recent incidents of alleged Police corruption, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud has stated that several programmes and initiatives have been implemented in an effort to eliminate dishonesty within the Guyana Police Force.

Responding to a question posed by Guyana Times during an interview with reporters, Persaud said he was very concerned about the prevalence of corruption within the GPF, and has taken steps to rid the Force of such practices.

The Commissioner noted that measures have been put in place to ensure accountability of ranks by preventing and investigating unprofessional behaviour. He added that the Force has been proactive in this regard, but pointed out that corruption was not limited to the Police. He stated that corruption is a global phenomenon that manifests itself in every single sector of society.

“We are very concerned, but we know that there is no way we’ll have a Force of close to 5000 and don’t have people who behave bad.

There is no organisation with that kind of size that everybody will be clean and

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

straight, but it is how we positioned ourselves (to tackle it),” the Commissioner said.

According to Persaud, corruption is a reality that needs to be dealt with collectively. “So we could tell members of the public when the traffic man stop you for a violation and ask you to leave a raise, you ask for your ticket or go to court instead of doing that. Don’t encourage it, but a lot of times, persons are more than often willing to (encourage it). A lot of times, they (the public) are making these offers and so if you encourage a corrupt Police Force that is how they will respond to matters

where you are the victim.

Don’t expect them to be professional when you are corrupting them in the streets,” the Top Cop stated.

Of recent, there has been heightened involvement of ranks from the various law enforcement agencies, including the Police Force, in illegal activities. Earlier this month, a Police Officer was arrested and admitted to robbing an East Coast Demerara taxi driver.

Back in September, a Corporal and three Constables were charged for accepting a $6 million bribe to release a vehicle reportedly carrying cocaine and cash

that was intercepted during a road block in Berbice.

The Police Commissioner revealed that this year the Force has restructured the various divisional headquarters to have better oversight of the ranks as well as to boost efficiency. However, he noted that some commanders are slow in implementing this new structure.

Below each Divisional Commander is an Operational Officer, who is responsible for the Enquiries Office; Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Office; Traffic Department and Community Projects.

There is also a Personnel Officer who looks at performance evaluation, identifying training needs, implementing division training programmes, finding the right man for the right job and other related matters.

Additionally, there is a Divisional Base Information Management Unit in each Division, which does analysis of crime and traffic and later advise the various Commanders during the weekly briefing on various matters. The Unit also monitors and evaluates deployments to see whether they are effective or need to be

changed.

With these steps taken, Commissioner Persaud is optimistic that the Force will operate more smoothly, although it will take some time to fully implement the changes.

“Over time, we will

achieve it, it was introduced this year and we are seeing some level of implementation, but not fully…

All these (are being done) to achieve the level of efficacy that is desired within the Guyana Police Force,” the Commissioner noted.

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friday, december 18, 2015

News

Square of the Revolution meeting….

“Conflict of APNU/AFC Govt interfaces with GT public interest” regarding Linden ambulatory S staff issues cores of persons turned up at Square of the Revolution, Georgetown, on Thursday morning to air their grievances as the Government hosted a “Meet the Public Day”.

The “Public Day” meeting presented a forum for Government Ministers to engage members of the public on issues relating to citizenship, such as passport, birth and death certificates, naturalisation and other related issues.

Additionally, matters of public service appointments, dismissals, supersession, salary adjustments as well as social cohesion, political division and other matters were on the agenda to be heard.

In a brief address to persons gathered at the “Public Day”, President David Granger stated that the hosting of this exercise was reflective of his Administration’s efforts to give Guyanese a “good life”, in keeping with his campaign promise to ‘take the Government to the people’.

“What we are doing here today is what we promised to do last year and the year before; that is, being the Government of the people.

We want to solve your problems; we don’t have a lot of money – you know the situation that we found with sugar, you know the situation we found with our borders, the situation we found with the city, you know the situation that we found with the

– Health Committee Chairman

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A section of the persons who turned up at the Square of the Revolution to ventilate their concerns

economy – but what we are trying to do is solve the problems that are affecting individuals,” the President said.

“A year ago I was on the streets picketing what was then Office of the President, calling for Local Government Elections, but today you are on the streets solving problems. What a difference a year makes and we are here to solve your problems.”

According to the President, the “Public Day” exercise will be become a monthly one and will be held in the various regions across the country. “... The important thing is that at the end of the day, every Guyanese citizen must feel that he belongs to a country; he belongs to a Government, to a community, to a society, which cares about him or her... This is not ornamental. It is not here to catch the press. It is here to deal with you… We

as Guyanese must know that we have a Government that listens,” the President said.

At the meeting, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon led a team comprising departments from the Citizenship, Public Service and Social Cohesion Ministries.

Speaking with reporters, Harmon explained that having experienced various difficulties with meeting members of the public, Government recognised the importance of such an exercise, where they can take the services to the people without the hassle of Government offices.

He noted that while the intention is to resolve public grievances, some of the matters cannot be fully dealt with on site, so arrangements were made to ensure this is done in the near future.

He added that at the end of each public session, he will

meet with the various officers who met with the public and decide on an approach as to how to address and resolve the issues raised.

When he spoke with the media, approximately one hour into the public meeting, Harmon revealed that he had already met with someone from as far as Berbice who had issues with a co-op society, another from West Coast Demerara who raised human trafficking concerns, and persons who were dismissed from the Guyana Rice Marketing Board.

The event was welcomed by members of the public.

After meeting with Minister Harmon, an Albouystown, Georgetown resident, Eston Bowick, who spoke on matters relating to his community, told media operatives that he is positive that action will be taken to address his concerns.

“Discussing my community problems with the Minister of State, there appears to be some positive response and the active part of it is forthcoming. I believe I will see success coming out of the discussion we had,” the man said.

Boswick give kudos to the Ministry for initiating this exercise, while calling on them to make it a regular feature and replicate it to other parts of the country.

egion 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Health Committee Chairman Maurice Butters believes a “conflict of interest” has resulted in years of unsatisfactory working conditions of Linden ambulatory staff.

The St John’s ambulatory employees, contracted to provide transportation services to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) recently protested unsatisfactory working conditions.

Speaking to Guyana Times about the issue on Thursday, Butters who also serves as Regional representative of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) said the matter was discussed at the union’s monthly statutory meeting with LHC on Wednesday.

“Our position is that there is a conflict of interest... we have launched a protest with the management of the LHC because of that... According to the contract signed between St John’s and the hospital, the administrative manager is the person that is responsible for supervising the contract between the St John’s and management.

He is now making decisions on behalf of St John’s and he has been signing cheques for and on behalf of St John’s. We believe that is food for corruption”, he stated.

Butters said the issue is cause for concern since it may be termed as breach of contract and terms, add-

Region 10 Health Committee Chairman Maurice Butters

ing that he will engage Minister within the Social Protection Ministry Simona Broomes on the issue.

The Health Committee Chairman said the terms of condition clearly states that the ambulatory staff should be given a pay increase whenever LHC staff receives such, however, such has not been forthcoming.

“The agreement signed years ago by the Linden Hospital is that every time the hospital staff receives an increase, the St John’s staff should also receive an increase. Also that the staff at St John’s should not be paid less than government’s minimum wage... We (GPSU) do not agree with the arrangement to have the administrative manager oversee these things. The hospital’s administrative manager should not have anything to do with St John’s”, he said.

Staff at the Linden’s ambulatory service downed tools last Thursday over a number of issues they claimed have been affecting them for years.

The issues range from salary, to benefits, and allowances. According to staff, the salary is presently minimum wage, since they are paid $18,000 fortnightly. Apart from that, it is alleged that employees do not receive double and time-and-a-half payments for working on Sundays and holidays in some instances. They are required to work 8 hours for 5 consecutive days, followed by 2 days off.

An employee stated that an increase was given to staff since 2012 and staff was unaware as to the conditions of employment.

They said they kept receiving empty promises regarding payment.

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friday, december 18, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

New approach needed to jump start Region Essequibo rape victim fearful for life 2’s economy – Chairman

By Indrawattie Natram

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he mother of a rape victim is calling for support and assistance from the relevant authorities after her daughter was raped by an unknown individual.

The woman, who hails from the Essequibo Coast, is requesting that Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence launch an investigation into the rape allegations made by her daughter.

According to Persaud, her mentally challenged 30-year-old daughter cannot speak and cannot write.

She related that Friday last, she went to check on her daughter and discovered that the grillwork on her house was removed and her daughter had been raped. She stated that the matter was reported to the Anna Regina Police Station, but detectives said it was difficult to pursue the case owing to the victim’s inability to speak and give a statement. When Police visited the scene, there was evidence of forced entry to the home.

Persaud, who is a single mother, works as a domestic around her community to provide for herself and her daughter. She disclosed that she was also a rape victim, revealing that in 2014 she was raped twice by an individual who threatened

to burn her alive if she ever disclosed his name.

“I usually cook and do things for my daughter, but I don’t be around in the night. I secured my house with grills and still someone broke in and raped my daughter,” the distraught mother stated.

Meanwhile, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) Vice Chairman Nandranie Coonjah, who the woman approached for assistance, has requested that the Commander of that Policing Division implement frequent patrols in the area. Coonjah, who is a Commissioner of the Women, Gender and Equality Commission, revealed that she, along with the Police, recently visited the family and recommended urgent attention for the victim.

“She is afraid of living in her house and although she secured her home with grills, it was still broken into. The woman needs to be put into a safer home for security and better care,” Coonjah posited. During her visit to the family, the Vice Chairman reportedly met with neighbours who said they heard the victim screaming on the night that she was allegedly raped. The Vice Chairman called on persons to be on the alert stating that too often females were abused in the Region and the perpetrators walked free.

opmental works that are needed.”

Some areas that require urgent attention, he added, are the strengthening of the agriculture and extension arms of the Agriculture Ministry, improved internet, landline and cell phone services, strengthening of the management and operations of Guyana Rice Development Board, Guyana Lands and Surveys

BY INDRAWATTIE NATRAM

C

hairman of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) Devanand Ramdatt is calling on the administration through the Business Ministry to conduct feasibility studies within the region to enhance entrepreneurship and investments.

According to Ramdatt, the current situation in the rice industry is having a negative effect on the economy in Region 2. He is therefore calling for new approaches to stimulate regional investments and economic development.

According to the chairman, there is also need for the resuscitation of the Chamber of Commerce.

The chairman is of the strong view that a strategic plan needs to be drafted focusing on entrepreneurship and investments within the region, hence fostering socioeconomic development.

To rectify the deteriorating rice industry, the chairman said that there is need for timely payment by millers, rescheduling of loans and suspension of lease fees.

As such he is calling on government to examine all possible options to positively impact growth and development of the region.

Ramdatt is of the opinion if diversification is one approach, then there needs to be meaningful consultations on fostering an understanding for sustainable avenues for investment.

Region 2 Chairman Devanand Ramdatt

He explained that the previous government had initiated the process of examining new areas for expansion, outlining one such area as the Aurora Land Development Project.

According to Ramdatt, he has already written the Agriculture Minister for an update on the feasibility study of the Aurora Project. A copy of the letter was also sent to Prime Minister Moses Nagamotoo.

Importation

The chairman said also he is very concerned that Region 2 has now began importing crop and livestock produce from other regions while there are available resources for the expansion of such production in the region: “There are huge acreage of lands at Cozier also, these areas require infrastructural work to enhance production since farmers are already working the area. I already communicated this to the Regional Executive Officer regarding some devel-

Commission, Guyana Forestry Commission and GRA. Additionally, improved drainage and irrigation, development and maintenance of access roads, establish agroprocessing facilities; cheaper and reliable power; microfinancing to foster entrepreneurship, and access to reliable markets for export, he said will foster development within the region.

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friday, december 18, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Chinese medical team assisting local doctors

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five-member medical specialist team from the Health and Family Planning Commission of China is currently in Guyana to further strengthen ChinaGuyana health cooperation.

The team, which arrived in Guyana on Monday, and is headed by Dr Shu Yusheng, is here to assist in the training of local doctors as well as doctors from the Chinese Medical Brigade, located at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

During their visit, the specialist team will be performing vascular surgeries, surgical operations for glaucoma, as well as ophthalmology related operations at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The team also consists of

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton meets with the five-member Chinese medical specialist team

a Bio-medical Engineer, who will be performing maintenance and repairs to various medical equipment at the Georgetown Public

Hospital, including the orthopedic C-Arm donated by the Government of China in October 2015.

It has noted that China

is very willing to help train Guyanese doctors in various specialist/post-graduate areas, as well as provide shortterm training to Guyanese medical personnel.

The Chinese team stressed that training in the medical field is crucial in order to develop Guyana’s public health care system and China will continue to extend its offer in this area.

The delegation further stated that the Chinese Government will develop an agreement with the Government of Guyana in 2016, to offer training to Guyanese doctors.

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton in welcoming the doctors said that he looks forward to the continued support from the Government and people of China.

The visiting delegation issued a formal invitation to Dr Norton to visit Jiangsu Province, China, next year.

$10M water wells for Region 1 communities

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ater wells to the tune of $10 million will be constructed in Kamwatta, Mabaruma and Koko, Region One (BarimaWaini) along with the installation of stand-pipes in an effort to improve access to potable water in the Region.

This announcement was made by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Thursday following a visit to the communities by GWI Hinterland Manager Osei Manifold.

According to Manifold, “both communities have significant water supply challenges. In fact, the residents of Koko depend on rain water harvesting for their water supply. Hence, the construction of these new wells is vital to improving the standard of living in both hinterland communities.”

In addition to the construction of the well stations, the programme will involve erecting overhead storage tanks capable of storing in excess of 1800 gallons of water for more efficient water service. The programme will also encompass the installation of standpipes at key locations within Kamwatta and Koko which are easily accessible and convenient for residents to access the service.

“In excess of 400 residents within both communities will benefit from improved access to safe water upon completion of both wells,” stated the Hinterland Manager, “In particular, residents of Koko will be relieved following the installation of the new well station since the community has no water supply system. In the past, residents utilised ‘hand dug wells’, but due to the prolonged dry season this is no longer an option. Every effort is being made to install the new systems in the swiftest manner possible.”

The programme forms part of GWI’s overall Hinterland Water Supply Improvement Programme which has received an investment in excess of $130 million for 2015.

The “Indian” – seen by the “other”

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week or so ago, I had a visit from an old friend from Trinidad, Ravi Maharaj, known throughout that land simply as “Raviji”. He was here to conduct some classes on Ram Lila in Lusignan, where he’d been involved for the last seven years or so. There are many Guyanese who will ask, “Ram Lila? What’s that?” It was a question answered in 1992 by Dereck Walcot when he accepted his Nobel Prize for literature. He had been living in Trinidad at the time the incident he describes occurred, for over 40 years. It illustrates the need for Indian Intellectuals to at least write about what goes on in their community for the “others”.

“Felicity is a village in Trinidad on the edge of the Caroni plain, the wide central plain that still grows sugar and to which indentured cane cutters were brought after emancipation, so the small population of Felicity is East Indian…This Saturday afternoon Ramleela, the epic dramatization of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, was going to be performed, and the costumed actors from the village were assembling on a field strung with different-coloured flags, like a new gas station…

Deities were entering the field. What we generally call “Indian music” was blaring from the open platformed shed from which the epic would be narrated. Costumed actors were arriving. Princes and gods, I supposed. What an unfortunate confession! “Gods, I suppose” is the shrug that embodies our African and Asian Diasporas.

I had often thought of but never seen Ramleela, and had never seen this theatre, an open field, with village children as warriors, princes, and gods.

I had no idea what the epic story was, who its hero was, what enemies he fought, yet I had recently adapted the Odyssey for a theatre in England, presuming that the audience knew the trials of Odysseus, hero of another Asia Minor epic, while nobody in Trinidad knew any more than I did about Rama, Kali, Shiva, Vishnu, apart from the Indians, a phrase I use pervertedly because that is the kind of remark you can still hear in Trinidad: “apart from the Indians”.

It was as if, on the edge of the Central Plain, there was another plateau, a raft on which the Ramayana would be poorly performed in this ocean of cane, but that was my writer’s view of things, and it is wrong. I was seeing the Ramleela at Felicity as theatre when it was faith….

(The performers) were not actors. They had been chosen; or they themselves had chosen their roles in this sacred story that would go on for nine afternoons over a two-hour period till the sun set. They were not amateurs but believers. There was no theatrical term to define them.

They did not have to psych themselves up to play their roles. Their acting would probably be as buoyant and as natural as those bamboo arrows crisscrossing the afternoon pasture. They believed in what they were playing, in the sacredness of the text, the validity of India, while I, out of the writer’s habit, searched for some sense of elegy, of loss, even of degenerative mimicry in the happy faces of the boy-warriors or the heraldic profiles of the village princes. I was polluting the afternoon with doubt and with the patronage of admiration…

Consider the scale of Asia reduced to these fragments: the small white exclamations of minarets or the stone balls of temples in the cane fields, and one can understand the self-mockery and embarrassment of those who see these rites as parodic, even degenerate.

These purists look on such ceremonies as grammarians look at a dialect, as cities look on provinces and empires on their colonies.

Memory that yearns to join the centre, a limb remembering the body from which it has been severed, like those bamboo thighs of the god. In other words, the way that the Caribbean is still looked at, illegitimate, rootless, mongrelised. ‘No people there’, to quote Froude, ‘in the true sense of the word’. No people.

Fragments and echoes of real people, unoriginal and broken.”

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friday, december 18, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Railroading of ‘anti-Terrorism’ Bill in Parliament ...Govt retreats after Opposition, civil society outrage

PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira on Thursday accused Government of defying parliamentary norms and practices

D

espite fierce objections by the Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government was successful in passing a motion suspending Standing Order 54, which allowed for the reading and debate of the Municipal and District Councils and Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2015, and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill 2015.

The Opposition, through its Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira raised concerns calling out Government for what it said was another move to violate parliamentary democracy with the passage of that motion.

However, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo rose and proposed that Standing Order No 54 be suspended to enable the National Assembly to move ahead with the reading of the two Bills.

to railroad Bills. “Within that time, it has happened six times”, she said noting that on every occasion, the ruling Administration has superseded parliamentary conventions.

She said that up until now, Government was unable to explain the reason for Thursday’s motion.

“This is a travesty: the Government cannot state what is the emergency with passing these Bills,” said the Chief Whip, later adding, “We expect the Government will do as they like to do – you got the majority so bulldoze it through.”

According to her, Government had failed to properly publicise the Bill through the Official Gazette or on the Parliament’s website. She said notices of the Bills were only sent out a few days ago, and many parliamentarians, particularly those on the Opposition side, saw them for the first time when they showed up at the National Assembly on Thursday.

PPP/C Member of Parliament Anil Nandlall

The motion was also to allow for the reading of the Anti-Terrorism and Terrorist Related Activities Bill 2015; however, he later sought to have that motion amended, to have the latter Bill deferred to the 19th sitting of the National Assembly scheduled for December 30.

The motion was passed, with a majority by the APNU/ AFC. This, however, did not sit well with the Opposition, which walked out of the Parliament Chambers as soon as the first Bill was about to be read.

PPP/C Chief Whip Teixeira, in her arguments, said since the beginning of the 11th Parliament, Government has been suspending the Standing Orders

Quoting Article 13 of the Constitution which provides for inclusivity in governance and providing opportunities for the public to become involved in decision making, she said Government has disregarded the Constitution.

“We object most strenuously that this Standing Order be suspended; that these bills to go through … we do not support this … we hope that the Minister withdraws the motion,” she said.

Meanwhile, former Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Anil Nandlall said the Opposition has a responsibility to represent the interest of the people, noting that there was no time for it to hold consultations with the people it represented. In fact, he chas-

tised Government for failing to hold consultations before moving ahead with the Bills in Parliament.

“If they don’t respect us; that is ok... But we represent half of the electorate.

The people of Guyana are demanding that they be told what law is that ... governing them,” he said, continuing that the law must be published. “We cannot support this type of approach. When a bill comes to us, we have an obligation to take it to the people. We are being denied this opportunity,” he said.

Driving home the point that there was no consultation on the issue was the fact the Guyana Human Rights Authority (GHRA) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) kicked up a storm a few days ago, claiming that there was a lack of consultation on these matters.

In a statement on Wednesday, the PSC said it was surprised and con-

cerned to learn that these pieces of legislation were about to be tabled and read in Parliament with “no apparent consultation with the business community”.

It said that the Commission was as concerned as the Government that the country should be compliant with international requirements but was equally concerned that all lawabiding stakeholders should be protected.

A PPP/C version of it was tabled in 2013, but to no avail as the then Opposition, APNU and the AFC, used their one-seat majority at that time to prevent its passage in Parliament.

The argument back then was that APNU and the AFC wanted more ‘expansive’ legislation and ‘deeper safeguards’.

As a result of this move, Guyana became blacklisted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF)

Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Basil Williams

and its parent organisation, Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

In October, Attorney General Williams said that Guyana had managed to fully implement five of the eight recommendations made by the FATF in relation to AML/CFT. The other three recommendations have been partially implemented, he had said.

Guyana Times was told that the five recommendations which have been im-

plemented include criminalising money laundering and financing of terrorism; confiscation and provisional measures; financial institutions’ secrecy laws and reporting of suspicious transactions.

Minister Williams maintained that Government has been holding consultations soon after it came into office.

He said numerous emails were sent to several relevant organisations and agencies, including banks, seeking their input on the issue.

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friday, december 18, 2015

News GAWU workers picket for $50,000 tax-free bonus – as Union reiterates calls for $50,000

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Workers picketing at Blairmont Estate on Thursday

ugar workers across Guyana are maintaining their position, refusing to surrender their rights to a wage increase and an Annual Production Incentive (API) award as was done over the past few years.

Earlier this week, workers from the various estates across the country began engaging in picketing exercises outside the administrative offices and pay offices of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

On Tuesday, workers at the Wales, Enmore, Albion and Blairmont Estates picketed the offices, while those at Rose Hall and Uitvlugt Estates started the following day. Then, on Thursday, workers at the Blairmont Estate took picket action.

Some of the slogans carried by workers read: “Why are Sugar Workers targeted for discriminatory treatment?”; “As Gov’t workers, sugar workers must not be denied getting Gov’t Bonus”; “Our struggle continues for 2015 API and

Wage Increase”; “No wage increase and a pittance API – a formula for an unstable future”; “In Collective Bargaining, GuySuCo continues to violate the Law and the Collective Agreement – What a Change!”; “GuySuCo’s stance – no wage increase, almost no API is fresh assault on sugar workers” and “We have produced; Now we perish!”.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has reiterated its calls for Government to extend the $50,000 bonus to sugar workers as well.

Government on Monday announced that all public servants who earn less than $500,000 per month will be getting a bonus of $50,000 for the Christmas holiday.

According to GAWU, the periodic protests are likely to roll over into the new year since the workers remain highly demotivated at this point in time as a result of the treatment they are experiencing by the authori-

ties.

“They feel justifiably that they have been singled out for discrimination notwithstanding the acknowledgement of their hard and dedicated work which has led to the industry breaking new records including the surpassing of the Corporation’s production target for the first time in 11 years,” the Union stated.

Bearing in mind that the pittance API award will be paid until March next year, GAWU wrote to Finance Minister Winston Jordan on Tuesday last, requesting that the $50,000 Christmas bonus awarded to Public Sector employees also be awarded to sugar workers, who are employees of a State-owned enterprise.

After all, GuySuCo and the Government must know that sugar workers have families, including children too, GAWU posited. The Union said it was awaiting a response from the Finance Minister on its proposal.

Guyanese charged for Toronto train station murder

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he woman who viciously stabbed another woman in a train station in Canada has been identified as Rohinie Bisesar, 40, a Guyanese National.

Bisesar was arrested on Tuesday last after a wanted bulletin was issued by Canadian law enforcement.

The Guyanese was caught on camera stabbing the victim, Rosemarie Junor, 28. Investigators believe the two women are not known to each other and the act may have been a random one. The stabbing incident occurred

Rohinie Bisesar

on Friday last in a drug store in the underground path station in the Toronto Financial District.

The victim was hospitalised for a few days but succumbed to her inju-

ries on Wednesday. The suspect was arrested and charged two days before the woman’s demise. She was charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault along with carrying a concealed weapon.

Now with the death of the victim, Bisesar will be charged with the capital offence of murder.

The suspect has been residing in Canada for a number of years and worked in the Toronto area after completing her university studies. She is expected to make her next court appearance shortly.

friday, december 18, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the world

Rival Libyan factions sign IMF chief Lagarde to stand negligence trial in France UN-backed peace deal

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ibya’s two rival factions have signed a United Nations-backed deal to form a unity Government at a ceremony in Morocco.

Chants of “Libya, Libya” erupted as representatives from both Parliaments signed the accord on Thursday in Skhirat, just south of the Moroccan capital Rabat.

The peace deal calls for a presidential council to lead a unified Government, but sections in both factions reject it and questions remain about how it will be implemented.

Libya has been locked in conflict since a NATObacked revolt that overthrew long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi four years ago.

A civil war has seen the emergence of numerous armed groups, forcing several countries to evacuate their citizens and diplomats.

It is hoped the long-de-

Libya has been locked in conflict since a NATO-backed revolt that overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi four years ago [Reuters]

layed peace agreement will end the years of chaos in the oil-rich North African nation.

Anas El Gomati, Director of the Sadeq Institute, a Libyan think tank, said it had been a long journey of negotiations.

“It’s a positive step, definitely. But it’s a very, very

long journey towards sustainable peace,” he told Al Jazeera from Tunis.

Libya’s rivals are mainly split between the General National Congress, based in the capital Tripoli, and the internationally recognised House of Representatives, based further east in Tobruk.

nternational Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde is to stand trial in France for alleged negligence over a €404 million ($438 million) payment to a businessman in 2008.

She was Finance Minister in President Nicolas Sarkozy’s Government at the time of the compensation award to Bernard Tapie for the sale of a firm.

Tapie supported Sarkozy in the 2007 presidential election.

Lagarde’s lawyer described the court’s decision as “incomprehensible”, and said the IMF boss would appeal.

In a statement, she said she had “always acted in this affair in the interest of the State and in respect of the law”, according to AP. Tapie was once a majority shareholder in sports goods company Adidas, but sold it in 1993 in order to become a Cabinet Minister in Francois Mitterrand’s Socialist Government.

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in the region, Police said.

Al-Qaida set up its South Asian operation just over a year ago, saying it brought together militant groups from across the region.

The group has said it was behind the killings of four secular bloggers in Bangladesh as well as several attacks in Pakistan.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Indian authorities said the two arrested men were involved in recruiting young Indians to the group.

They said Muhammad Asif, who is from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested from under a flyover in the eastern state of Orissa on his way to meet a contact.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Argentina’s peso dives after currency controls lifted

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rgentina’s peso has lost about 30 per cent of its value after the country lifted currency controls.

The drop comes after Argentine Finance Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay said he would eliminate the foreign exchange restrictions that have propped up the peso since 2011.

After his announcement, markets opened with one dollar buying 14 pesos.

Analysts had predicted a fall of up to 30 per cent from the previous controlled rate of 9.8 pesos to the dollar.

They said they expected it could fall to 14.5 pesos to the dollar. That is the rate at which the currency has been

Analysts had predicted a fall of up to 30 per cent from the previous controlled rate of 9.8 pesos to the dollar

trading on the black market.

Argentine Finance Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay said that the country’s central

bank had been given the right to buy pesos if the exchange rate fell too rapidly.

But he said the restrictions needed to be removed to improve the country’s ailing economy. Exchange controls would end for all businesses, who would be allowed to buy as many dollars as they needed.

But ordinary Argentines would still face restrictions on the amount of dollars they could buy a month.

Shop owners said consumers could cut spending in the short term as they see their purchasing power reduced, especially when it comes to dollar-denominated imports.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

US, Cuba announce they will resume scheduled commercial airline service

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he United States and Cuba have agreed to restore scheduled commercial airline service between the two countries, the nations said on Thursday, the first anniversary of the Cold War foes’ announcement they would normalise relations.

The deal, the latest step this year to restore US-Cuba ties after more than half a century of hostility, is expected to increase tourism and business on the communist-ruled island.

It will allow US airlines to sell tickets on their websites for flights to Cuba.

However, the move does not lift the US ban on general tourism to the Caribbean island. US travellers still must meet at least one of 12 criteria to visit, such as being Cuban-American or partaking in educational tours or journalistic activity.

Charter flights operated

by US carriers already connect the countries.

“While US law continues to prohibit travel to Cuba for

tourist activities, a stronger civil aviation relationship will facilitate growth in authorised travel between our two countries – a critical component of the President’s policy toward Cuba,” the US State Department said in a statement announcing the deal.

President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced on December 17, 2014 that they planned to normalise relations, following 18 months of secret negotiations. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

(Excerpt from BBC News)

China summons US envoy over sale of warships to Taiwan

India's ‘Al-Qaida’ chief arrested olice in the Indian capital, Delhi, say they have arrested two key members of the “Indian branch” of al-Qaida.

They say the arrests are a significant blow to the group’s operations in the sub-continent.

One of those detained is Muhammad Asif who is a founding member of al-Qaeda

He sued the Credit Lyonnais bank over its handling of the sale, alleging that the partly State-owned bank had defrauded him by deliberately undervaluing the company.

His case was later referred by Lagarde to a threemember arbitration panel which awarded the compensation, causing a public outcry.

Investigators suspect he was granted a deal in return for his support of Sarkozy.

China staunchly opposes the United States’ sale of arms to Taiwan [File: Wally Santana/AP]

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hina has summoned a senior United States envoy in protest at Washington’s announcement that it would sell two warships to Taiwan as part of a US$1.8 billion arms deal.

A Vice Foreign Minister made “solemn representations” with the US Chargé d’Affaires regarding the sale, according to a statement on the Foreign

Ministry’s website on Thursday.

The US State Department said on Wednesday it intended to sell Taipei two Perryclass Frigates, Javelin anti-tank missiles, TOW 2B anti-tank missiles, AAV7 Amphibious Assault Vehicles and a range of other military equipment.

The massive contract comes at a time of recon-

ciliation between China and Taiwan – separated since 1949 – but also as Washington worries that Beijing is militarising part of the South China Sea. “China staunchly opposes America’s sale of arms to Taiwan,” China’s FOREIGN MINISTRY said, adding the country would impose sanctions against any companies involved in the sale.

“China urges the US ... to cancel plans to sell arms to Taiwan and stop USTaiwan military contacts to avoid causing further damage to Sino-US relations and bilateral cooperation in important areas,” it said.

In a statement to Al Jazeera, a Pentagon spokesperson said that “US arms sales to Taiwan are guided by the Taiwan Relations Act and based on an assessment of Taiwan’s defence needs”. “…We support further development of cross-Strait relations at a pace and scope acceptable to people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Brazil Judge lifts WhatsApp suspension

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Judge in Brazil has ordered that a suspension of the popular messaging application WhatsApp be lifted.

Judge Xavier de Souza said the service should be re-instated immediately.

A court had ordered the service be suspended for 48 hours on Thursday for failing to comply with a court order to provide investigators with information relating to a criminal court case.

Judge Souza said it was “not reasonable that millions of users be affected by the inertia of the company”.

Brazilians had complained bitterly on social media about the suspension of WhatsApp, which is a hugely popular app used by many to communicate with family, friends and col-

The service began working again after a suspension was lifted

leagues both inside of Brazil and abroad.

Ninety-three per cent of the country’s Internet population use WhatsApp, according to the TechCrunch website, with many young and poor Brazilians taking advantage of its free text message and Internet telephone service.

Within hours of the suspension coming into force, the hashtag #Nessas48HorasEuVou (#Inthese48hoursIwill) began trending on Twitter, with Brazilians joking about all the things they would do during the suspension. (Excerpt from BBC News)

16 news

friday, december 18, 2015| guyanatimesGY.com

Chronicle staff 506 new teachers trained threaten strike T action over $50,000 bonus

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

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mployees attached to the State-owned Guyana Chronicle newspaper have threatened to take strike action if they are not paid the $50,000 Christmas bonus that was recently announced by Government for all public servants earning less than $500,000 per month.

Guyana Times understands that the company’s Board of Directors held an emergency meeting with the newspaper’s staff late Thursday afternoon, during which the workers were informed that the company was not in a financial position to pay the $50,000 bonus, in addition to the five per cent bonus that is retroactive to January this year, which was already paid.

Furthermore, the employees were told that even though the company is publicly owned, it is not a Government agency and therefore does not qualify as a semi-autonomous agency.

However, this newspaper understands that during the meeting, staff members suggested that the Board put arrangements in place to have the Government Information Agency (GINA) pay its bill of some $70 million owed to the newspaper for the publication of ads.

Guyana Times was further told that at the end of the meeting, the Boards promised to write Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who also holds the post of Public Information Minister, for him to intervene in the matter.

When contacted on Thursday, acting General Manager of the Guyana Chronicle, Moshamie Ramotar opted not to comment on the matter, expect to say that management

Chairwoman of Chronicle’s Board of Directors Jean La Rose

is addressing the concerns raised by the employees.

M e a n w h i l e , Chairwoman of the newspaper’s Board of Directors, Jean La Rose, explained to this publication that in order for the Chronicle staff to be paid the Christmas bonus, there needs to be certain conditions in place.

“Unfortunately, those conditions are not in place (that is) the company has to be financially viable,” she stated. The Chairwoman outlined that the $50,000 bonus was recently announced and not budgeted for, as such, certain measures would have to be in place to facilitate the payments. She noted that this was related to the staff during the meeting.

La Rose reminded that the company she took over was heavily indebted.

“That situation remains, we are trying to get out of that but there is a hefty sum of money owed to Chronicle by GINA for advertising and a number of things,” she disclosed.

Asked whether any steps were previously taken to recover the money from GINA, the Chairwoman responded in the positive but noted that this is still in process.

he graduating Class of 2015 of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) was encouraged to be more than just the driving force of academic enrichment but to strive to become great teachers, who will leave longlasting impacts on the lives of their students.

Five hundred and six students emerged as teachers from the CPCE at the 81st ceremonial graduation ceremony hosted at the National Cultural Centre on Thursday.

The graduating batch was advised on becoming successful teachers through a powerful speech delivered by the Registrar of the University of Guyana (UG) Nigel Gravesande.

Gravesande charged the students to become more than just mundane teachers, but to become true agents of change, and capitalise on this wonderful opportunity before them to mould the minds of the generation of tomorrow: “I want to urge the graduating class to become agents of change in times of economic, social, cultural and even spiritual turbulence… We all have the potential to act as a catalyst for growth development… It is no exaggeration to say that a great teacher can change a student’s life.”

He told the audience of keen listeners that the most influential role-models are teaches who are responsible for more than just academic enrichment.

“If you all want to be great educators, you must connect with your students and reach them on multiple levels because the best teachers are always committed to the stu-

506 graduated from Cyril Potter College of Education

dents’ wellbeing both outside and inside of the classrooms,” Gravesande encouraged.

He urged the young educators to help their students succeed beyond specialised tests and help them in all aspects of life.

“Some students just need an extra push, like the student whose math grade is just a few points shy from an A… others may be going through something troubling in their personal lives and may need someone to talk to… a life changing teacher will be there for them,” he said.

Gravesande estimated that approximately US$8000 is spent to support a single student through a course at the CPCE - and this translates to a minimum of US$590 million in expenses to support the graduating batch of 2015.

Success and Challenges During the academic year 2014-2015, the College extended its teacher training access by an additional four satellite centres at Kwakwani, Kamarang, Moraikobai, and Charity - bringing the num-

ber of active satellite centres to seventeen. These centres are established throughout all ten administrative regions across Guyana.

Region One recorded 6 per cent; Region Two 11 per cent; Region Three 12 per cent, Region Four 27 per cent; Region Five 8 per cent; Region Six 18 per cent; Region Seven 2 per cent; Region Eight 1 per cent; Region Nine 5 per cent and Region 10, 10 per cent.

CPCE Principal Viola Rowe in the presentation of her report, acknowledged that the institution has made great strides through the years, which is evident in the expansion of programmes; improvement in curriculum offerings; provision of access to online library resources and overall improvement in the academic profiles of staff.

Nonetheless, the College is still faced with a number of challenges, especially regarding the recruitment of competent and qualified personnel.

Rowe noted that the recruitment of part-time staff with the right skill mix to supervise distance students on

their in-school practicum attachment has remained a major challenge during the academic year 2014-2015.

Another challenge was the recruitment of qualified staff to facilitate in areas of Physical Education; Music Education; and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

As a result, the College was unable to offer those courses as specialisations.

Instead, students benefitted from general course offerings in those areas.

Meanwhile, of the 506 graduates, 104 registered for the early childhood programme; 196 are primary trained; 192 have been trained for secondary level and 14 are trained as primary instructors.

Further, 24 per cent were trained in English; 18 per cent in Mathematics; 14 per cent in Pure Sciences; 13 per cent in Agricultural Science.

Art Education, Spanish, Industrial Technology and Home Economics each recorded less than 5 per cent.

Cattle farmer found dead

– after firing employee amid threats

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olice are investigating the circumstances, which led to the death of a West Coast Berbice (WCB) cattle farmer in the backdam on Tuesday afternoon.

Dead is Edward Pestano, 61, of Number 40 Village, WCB, Region Five (MahaicaBerbice).

Reports are that Pestano was in the backdam with his 12-year-old grandson when he observed that one of the employees at his cattle ranch was reportedly smoking an illegal substance. The farmer immediately fired the worker and asked him to leave the ranch.

According to information reaching this publication, a heated argument ensued be-

tween Pestano and the fired employee, who demanded immediate pay for the days he had already worked. During the argument, the employee reportedly threatened to harm Pestano’s family and burn the cattle ranch. This newspaper was told that the irate man had also threatened to poison Pestano’s animals.

The fired employee was later seen leaving the ranch, but soon after returned. At the time, Pestano was on his motorbike.

Details of what transpired are sketchy; however, the fired employee was seen riding behind Pestano.

Moments later, his grandson found him lying on the ground with his motorbike

Edward Pestano

resting on him. The 12-yearold tried desperately to remove the heavy bike, but was unable to do so, this newspa-

per was told.

He left the scene and went in search of help, returning within the hour, but by the time help arrived, Pestano is said to have passed away.

The Police were summoned and arrived at the scene before night fall and took possession of the body.

They are on the hunt for the fired employee, who has since gone into hiding.

An autopsy is expected to be performed on the body today.

Meanwhile, Pestano leaves to mourn four children and his wife, Rita Pestano. Two years ago, one of Pestano’s sons died in a road accident while another son died by drowning in 1986.

Residents accuse Kwakwani NDC of illegality

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oncerned residents of Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) are accusing the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (KNDC) of illegally obtaining funds, since the Council has been dysfunctional since last year, they claim.

According to residents, the

Kwakwani NDC continues to collect rates and taxes, burial and market fees in addition to charging for loads of sand obtained by a community tractor.

In retrospect, the monies obtained are not being used to carry out development activities within the community,

“...and still they are claiming that the KNDC has no money. Something is wrong”, one concerned resident told this newspaper.

Residents have also alleged that equipment, including computers and other equipment are being housed at former KNDC members. In

light of the allegations, several residents have called for the authorities to look into the operations of the former KNDC to obtain financial statements.

This newspaper was further told that the 2015 subvention of $3 million has not yet been publicly used.

Friday, December 18, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

M

iss World Guyana Lisa Punch was adjudged the winner of the talent competition in the ongoing Miss World Pageant.

The talent competition took place on Monday in Sanya, China, ahead of Saturday’s finals. The local singer and songwriter captured the audience and the judges as she belted out her original

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s the Miss Universe 2015 beauty pageant picks up steam, Miss Colombia is tipped as the favourite to win the title come Sunday evening in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The 80 delegates from around the world have already participated

song “One Last Time”, which was written in memory of a young cousin who passed away a few years ago.

By winning the talent segment of the show, Punch has secured a spot in the Top 25. It is the first time that a Guyanese delegate to the Miss World pageant has won the talent segment of the pageant.

The 23-year-old’s relative was the first person to encourage her singing career. She said after the win: “This victory means everything to me. This proves that my cousin was right, and I thank him and everyone in the audience for making my dream come true.”

Miss Malaysia Brynn Lovett came second on the night, while Jamaica

beauty Sanneta Myrie was third. The rest who made it into the top five are Latafale Alofa Auva’a from Samoa and Paraguay’s Giovanna Cordeiro Villalba.

The 65th annual Miss World pageant final will take place on December 19 at the Beauty Crown Grand Theatre in Sanya, China. The

country will be hosting the annual event for the sixth time this year. At the coronation night, the current Miss World, Rolene Strauss of South Africa, will pass on the crown to her successor.

The Miss World Pageant will be broadcast live on TVG- Ch 28 on Saturday evening at 21:00h.

in the swimsuit and evening gown preliminary competition and the final rehearsals are underway for the big night. Ever since the delegates arrived in Las Vegas, the judges have had their eyes set on Miss Colombia to win the title.

She is followed by Miss USA, while the third spot is held by Miss France, added to Miss Philippines and Miss Vietnam in the fourth and fifth spots respectively. The top 10 also include Miss Venezuela, India, Brazil, Australia and Great Britain. Peru and Belgium

have been names in the top 20.

However, Miss Guyana, Shauna Ramdyhan who is among the 80 delegates is confident that she will do Guyana Proud. Attempts to get an update from her camp proved futile. The Guyanese beauty was crowned less than

a month away and without hesitation had to prepare for the international title.

Now the question remains, did she have enough time to be prepared?

Nevertheless, the Miss Universe Pageant will be aired live on TVG-28 on Sunday evening at 21:00h.

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guyanatimesgy.com

friday, decEMber 18, 2015

“W

e are experiencing a restoration of national pride at home and in the Diaspora and music, in particular, is proving to be one very important cohesive binder.”

This was the theme of discussions that took place recently when the organisers and performers at the just concluded G-Jazz Festival paid a courtesy call on Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes.

The Minister had been instrumental in securing some funding for the event, the proceeds of which all went to the Lisa Punch and Lisa Insanally Foundations, Joshua House and other charities in Guyana.

The group of visitors was led

by Dr Paloma Mohamed-Martin, one of the Caribbean’s most prolific creative writers of prose and poetry, and Chief Coordinator of the four-day Jazz Festival which came to end that day.

She was accompanied by the US and UK-based jazz singers and instrumentalists David McAlmont and Guy Davies, Courtney Fadlin, Derrick Etkins and Trinidad-based Guyanese Ruth Osman.

This festival, they agreed, was a great start to what they would like it to become – an annual event that showcases and hones the talents of known and unknown Guyanese artistes.

The festival which was held

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from December 11-13, featured unique combinations of Jazz with the sounds of pan, masquerade and poetry (called Flowetry).

Dr Mohamed-Martin noted that for her, it was a labour of love,

its and Jams Entertainment along with the Keem Foundation would like to put a smile on the faces of children from the Sophia, Greater Georgetown area.

You too can be a part of the Entertainment group’s food, toy, clothing and book drive this Christmas, by partnering with them to bring Christmas cheer, through your generous contributions to Hits and Jams office at 206 Lance Gibbs Street, Queenstown, Georgetown.

There will be boxes situated in front of the yard where you may place your donations.

Donations will be accepted between the hours of 09:00h and 16:30h daily.

as she had hoped sponsors from the Private Sector would have added to the funding received from the Tourism Ministry.

She was however amazed at the huge number of local bands

On Sunday, December 20, the Hits and Jams Entertainment family, inclusive of our radio and television personalities; the Boom DJs and office staff; will head to the streets of Sophia with Santa Claus himself to bring smiles across the faces of the little ones.

Your donation to this drive will give you the opportunity to win big in the Entertainment group’s Grand Christmas Draw! With every gift, you are entered into the draw to win prizes like shopping sprees, refrigerators, stoves, and other great products.

Join Hits and Jams in spreading some Christmas cheer and get a chance to win big.

Please design to make it look like Christmas

and undiscovered singers and dramatic artists who entered the various competitions, some just to secure an audition.

Minister Hughes spoke about the plans first expressed by

Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine last June to re-introduce music in public schools and eventually to commission a dedicated school of music in Guyana.

She went on to commend the group for the successful workshops they hosted from Saturday to Monday in electronic music and vocal production, working with wind instruments, writing and arranging music.

The Minister also spoke about the inability of Guyana’s talented musicians to play at bigger venues outside of Guyana, and their inability to access high quality training except when world-renowned artistes and trainers come to these shores.

The group then made a commitment to expand their own networks in the Diaspora (to include high school alumni associations) in order to promote the ‘Guyana connection’.

Guyanese Jazz Singer Ruth Osman, who now resides in neighbouring Trinidad, has given the Tourism Ministry free access to her latest vocal production, “River is Calling”. Her intention is to film the video for the song in Guyana’s beautiful interior locations.

Internationally renowned jazz singer David McAlmont will soon turn his attention to Guyana’s national songs which he intends to recreate to give them a “more contemporary vibe”.

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is the season to be jolly and Rorrey “Gallest” Fenty, the younger brother of international pop star Robyn Fenty, better known as “Rihanna”, will be in Guyana to help spread the Christmas cheer this weekend.

The entertainer is the host of the “Kiss & Fly Wish List” at the Original Palm Court this Saturday, but he is not in Guyana just for the party scene.

Fenty has pledged to do some charity work while he is here, which will involve several children’s homes and will also partner with the Keem Foundation along with Hits and Jams Entertainment at our annual Christmas charity drive.

M a n y Guyanese may not be aware that he is also a musician.

The younger Fenty raps – just last year he dropped his first mixed tape dubbed “Intolerable Cruelty” in hopes of being noticed by the mainstream music industry.

His standout song “Running” has a chilling video which places much emphasis on

Police brutality in America and the rise of fatal shooting of young black men by the Police.

The “Gallest” has dropped music before but this mix tape has made major strides for him in the industry.

Hopefully he gives Guyana a taste of his music this weekend.

Rihanna’s family sure loves Guyana. We’ll take this as a sign that soon, very soon, Rihanna herself will grace us with her presence.

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, december 18, 2015

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ll roads will lead to the Wales Community Centre ground, West Bank Demerara, for the 8th annual Boxing Day Big Lime that is expected to be bigger than the previous years.

This year, there is a lot of excitement added to the list of events that will see persons walking away with cash prizes and trophies.

The first event of the day is a 10/10 Hardball Cricket competition which will see

eight cricket teams competing for $300,000 in cash and trophies. The winners will walk away with $200,000 and the runner-up team will take away $100,000.

This competition starts from 10:00h.

Then beginning at 14:00h is the King’s Dominoes Competition which will see the best player carting off with $100,000 in cash, along with a trophy.

This competition is opened to all and a registration fee

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of $1000 will be charged.

However, as the sun sets, eight music systems will clash for supremacy. It will be one night, eight systems, eight dancehall deejays and only one prize. The sound systems competing are Stereo Sonic, Slingerz Family, Big Life Sound, Power Sonic, TRS, African Vibz, Bullet Proof and Pier I. Each deejay will have a total of 15 minutes to impress the crowd and the judges.

ooking at all the positive changes in his life, this young designer has definitely been inspired to do more with his designs. More so, with the recent restoration of the Garden City, Shan Anthony Seecharan, the designer behind SAS Designs launched a new collection titled “Fresh Blooms”.

The line of clothing was successfully launched at a Fashion Forward held at the El Dorado Inn. The bright colours and flowered prints on the numerous pieces represent a new and beautiful time when anything is possible. These are the sentiments he would like to share through the fabulous and creative pieces.

SAS Designs is committed to creating unique designs that will boost the overall confidence of whoever wears them. Late night sketching and hours of hard work were all worth it after seeing the glow of confidence on the model’s faces as they made their way down the runway.

SAS designs will continue to please its customers to the fullest and to show their appreciation; it will be offering a free photo shoot with every purchase.

There will also be the 5/5 soft ball competition featuring seven teams clashing for $1 million in cash and prizes. These teams are Speedboat, Regal, Trophy Stall, Karibee Boyz, Omesh 11, Farm and Wolf Warriors. With all the excitement, there is no way you would want to miss the action.

Everyone will be admitted free before 19:00h, with an admission fee of $1000 after.

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e v a r Oliver Stennett, p o p u l a r l y known as “Loyal Flames” was born on December 27, 1989 to Olive Ashley and Trevor Stennett.

This upcoming singer/songwriter who hails from St Catherine, Jamaica has a voice with a ‘Heart’, as his songs take on a life of their own.

“Loyal Flames” attended Planters All-Age in St Catherine and Central High school in May-pen, Clarendon, Jamaica.

While attending All-Age, he discovered his passion for writing. He recalls performing in the youth Choir up until the age of 13 and it was then that he discovered music as a means of healing one’s soul.

He was always writing and singing songs for his friends on a “gimmical” level before the full realisation of his potential to do great things in the music industry kicked in. It was at this point that the conscious journey began for this 25-year-old singer/song writer.

From the inception, professional Musician Mark Robinson has been by his side and is without a doubt his mentor. “Mark was there throughout; I used his voice to tune my voice,” he added.

“Loyal Flames’” eldest sister Donnett was the one who approached Dawin “Vikings” Brown with her brother’s Compact Disc in 2006, with the confidence that he could make it all the way in the industry. Brown listened to the CD and requested to meet the then 16-year-old budding artiste.

He was encouraged by Brown to continue writing and to improve his craft. In the year 2011, he was then introduced to Vikings Production team which consists of “Vikings”, Omar Brown, Dyan Pete Foster from Pete Music, Tevin “Jr Brown” and Romain Virgo, the label’s recording artiste.

The first song, titled “Mr Death” and recorded for Vikings Production, was inspired by the death of one of the young artiste’s closest friends.

Follow-up tracks are “Searching”, “Caan Reap”, “Pagon” and “Why so much pressure”. After sometime, Loyal Flames released his mega hit single, “Keep Focus”. During this time as well, he released “Rolling down the Highway” which also took the Jamaican airwaves by storm.

Stennett recently launched his newest single, “Break Free” on the Brighter Days Riddim, produced by German Label Silly Walks. This Producer also produced “Smile Jamaica” for Chronixx’s and Romain Virgo’s “Soul Provider”.

In addition, he released “Joy Again”, produced by Vikings Production and Audio Traxx Production, which is presently creating a major buzz on the airwaves around the world. With all the hits, this young and talented artiste is expected to do bigger things in the years to come.

On that note, “Loyal Flames” will be accompanying Romain Virgo at the Hits and Jams Water World on January 1, 2016.

20

guyanatimesGY.com

friday, december 18, 2015

Full recovery doubtful for Schumacher despite mounting medical bills

T

Michael Schumacher

he exact state of Michael Schumacher’s health condition is currently uncertain as his family continually choose to keep updates about the beloved Formula One champion private. According to reports however, he is undergoing an extensive rehabilitation program but his recovery is coming at quite a slow pace with medical experts saying that he may never have a complete recovery.

It has been close to two years now since Schumacher shocked the world with his horrific skiing accident at the French Alpine Resort. The seven time Formula One champion suffered serious head injuries during the incident. He was later placed

in a medically induced coma to stabilize his condition and only woke up in June of last year.

The Independent reports that Schumacher is rumored to have15 medical experts with him every minute of the day in a medical suite at his mansion in Switzerland. One report pegged his weekly medical cost at an astonishing €143,000. His medical expenses reportedly has cost the family €14million already.

Schumacher’s wife, Corinna has already sold his €34million jet in May and is said to be considering putting their French chalet up for sale reports Christian Today.

Meanwhile, FIA President and close friend

Jean Todt says that he still visits Schumacher regularly and although there have been very few signs of improvement, he wants everyone to know that Schumacher is still fighting.

Todt related how Lewis Hamilton’s recent third championship reminded him of Schumacher during his best. He said, “You saw the figures [for Schumacher]. I was very proud of what Michael achieved. Sometimes you tend to forget what he did.”

According to Yibada, Schumacher’s manager, Sabine Kehm, also remains very positive of the race driver’s health. Kehmsaid in an inteview, “We are happy to say he still does improvement and I say this always considering the severeness of the injury he had. But of course it will take a very long time for everybody involved to fight, and we are happy to take this fight.”

Michael Schumacher is one of the most successful F1 drivers in the history of motorsports racing. At his peak, he won five straight world titles for Ferrari. He retired from the sport in 2012. (Venture Capital Post)

Suarez scores hat-trick as Barcelona stroll into final

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez (R) kicks to score the second goal for Barcelona during their Club World Cup semi-final soccer match against Guangzhou Evergrande

L

uis Suarez scored a hat-trick, including an exquisite second goal, as Barcelona strolled into the Club World Cup final with a 3-0 win over Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande on Thursday.

Guangzhou gave the European champions a couple of scares in the first half but the Chinese side were utterly outclassed by the end of a match that often re-

sembled an attack-versusdefence training session.

Zou Zheng also suffered a horrific injury in the first half, appearing to break his leg as he fell awkwardly to the clear distress of his team mates.

Even without Lionel Messi, who was taken ill just hours before the game, and the injured Neymar, Barca enjoyed more than 70 percent of possession as they

claimed a place in the final against South American champions River Plate.

It was Guangzhou’s first defeat under Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari who took over in June.

Barca needed 39 minutes to break down the defence, Suarez pouncing to tuck in the rebound after goalkeeper Li Shaui failed to hold Ivan Rakitic’s long-range drive.

The Catalans had a lucky escape just before that when Brazilian Elkesen just failed to make contact with Zheng Zhi’s cross.

Javier Mascherano also twice made last-ditch tackles to prevent Guangzhou players having a clear run at goal, firstly on Ricardo Goulart and then Zheng Zhi, while Claudio Bravo made his only save just before halftime to tip away Elkesen’s header.

The game was settled as a contest after 49 minutes when Andres Iniesta sent a beautifully-weighted pass into the area and Suarez caught it on his chest before volleying past Li in one movement.

The Uruguayan completed his hat-trick by converting a penalty in the 67th minute. (Cricinfo)

Windies Coach Simmons sues Zimbabwe cricket

Phil Simmons

W

est Indies coach Phil Simmons is suing Zimbabwe cricket for wrongful dismissal 10 years after being fired by the African team.

Simmons and his lawyers are in pursuit of US$320,000 in damages, with a tribunal ruling expected in the matter soon.

The former West Indies

batsman, initially the head of the national academy, was appointed head coach of the Zimbabwe team in 2004.

Simmons, however, fell out with the board in 2005 and was replaced by late former Zimbabwe player Kevin Curran.

Simmons is owed US$50,000 in unpaid sal-

aries, but is also demanding US$195 000 as damages for the remainder of his contract, which was initially scheduled to expire in August of 2007. The coach’s attorney have calculated a rate of “$1500 per month plus interest from August 2007 to date of full and final payment,” according to court papers.

Simmons also wants an extra $75,000 as six months’ notice stipulated in his contract with ZC. In the court papers, Zimbabwe Cricket admit owing Simmons $50,000 in outstanding salaries and has twice, in 2007 and 2009, offered an out-of-court settlement and full payment of $60,000 which was turned down.

Under his contract, Simmons was to earn $10,000 in his first year, $12,500 in the second year and $15,000 in the third.

(Digicel Sportsmax)

NBA Roundup…

Wade and Whiteside lead Heat past Nets

D

wyane Wade scored 10 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, and Hassan Whiteside had 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Miami Heat beat the Nets, 104-98, on Wednesday night at Barclays Center.

Goran Dragic added 16 points for Miami, which has won three straight. The Heat have also won five in a row against the Nets and 11 of their last 13 meetings on the road.

“Dwyane had a real pep in his step,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said. “This is what he’s built his career on. He had the full pie chart going.”

Brook Lopez scored 25 points, and Jarrett Jack had 22 points and 10 assists for the Nets, who lost the final three games of their six-game homestand.

The Heat took an 11-point lead on a Wade basket with 5 minutes 14 seconds left in the third quarter, but the Nets cut the gap to 8685 on a 3-point play by Donald Sloan with 7:31 left in the game.

The Heat then went on an 11-2 run, capped by another Wade basket with 4:09 remaining.

“You never know,” Wade said. “Last game I got so many great shots in Atlanta and couldn’t knock them down. I told my teammates if I get those same shots versus Brooklyn, they’re going in.”

Thaddeus Young missed a reverse layup on the Nets’ next possession after Wade’s basket. Wade got the rebound, and the Nets did not commit a foul.

“I told them to foul,” Nets Coach Lionel Hollins said. “I mean, come on. You got to foul.”

Miami ran the clock down, Dragic missed a 3-point attempt with 12 seconds left, and Jack did the same with seven seconds remaining.

Dragic closed out the scoring with a free throw with five seconds left.

The Nets made their first five shots and took a 26-16 lead on a Bojan Bogdanovic 3-pointer with 2:49 left in the first quarter.

Miami rallied and took the lead for good at 44-42 on a Gerald Green 3-pointer with 4:58 left in the first half.

The Heat took a 55-50 lead on a coast-tocoast layup by Dragic with less than a second left in the half.

“They are a veteran bunch; they stay

Dwyane Wade

the course,” Jack said. “We hit them in the mouth early, but they weathered the storm.

They still have that championship pedigree in that locker room.”

SPURS 114, WIZARDS 95 Kawhi Leonard had 27 points, and San Antonio subdued Washington to set a club record with its 23rd straight home victory, THUNDER 106, BLAZERS 90 Kevin Durant scored 24 points, and Oklahoma City extending the league’s longest current win streak to six games by rolling over visiting Portland.

BULLS 98, GRIZZLIES 85 Jimmy Butler had 24 points, and host Chicago topped Memphis for its fourth straight win.

PISTONS 119, CELTICS 116 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 31 points in a home victory for Detroit over Boston, which got 38 points from Isaiah Thomas.

PACERS 107, MAVERICKS 81 C. J. Miles had 20 points, and Monta Ellis and Paul George each added 19 as host Indiana beat Dallas.

HAWKS 127, 76ERS 106 Paul Milsap’s 21 points led five Atlanta players in double figures in a win over visiting Philadelphia.

MAGIC 113, HORNETS 98 Channing Frye had a season-high 17 points and all five starters scored in double figures to help Orlando rout visiting Charlotte.

PELICANS 104, JAZZ 94 Ryan Anderson scored 24 points, and Anthony Davis had 17 points and 13 rebounds to power New Orleans to a win on the road against Utah.

(New York Times)

21

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Digicel confirms support for KMTC meet

T

elecommunications giant Digicel has been one of Guyana’s most fervent supporters of sport, and that was once again demonstrated on Wednesday when the company threw its weight behind the annual Boxing Day horse race meet organised by the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC).

KMTC President, Justice Cecil Kennard was present at the entity’s head office in Kingston to receive the sponsorship cheque, and took the opportunity to express sincere gratitude for the sup-

port.

The seven-race card, which is slated to bring the curtains down on the 2015 season, will be held at the KMTC’s track at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne. It will be headlined by the C and Lower race, which will run for one mile and carry a top prize of $1 million.

The second- to fourthplace finishers will receive $500,000, $250,000 and $125,000 respectively.

The main supporting sixfurlong race will be the E and Lower, which will see the top

horse and jockey carting off $500,000 and the runner-up collecting half that amount.

The one-mile race for G1 and Lower and Three and Four-year maidens has a winning purse of $300,000, while the H1 and Lower six-furlong showdown has $250,000 set aside for the champion.

Other races carded for the day include the J1 and Lower and Two-year-old Guyana bred, with a winning purse of $180,000, while the J3 and Lower and the K1 and Lower have a top prize of $140,000

and $120,000 respectively.

Interested jockeys/stables/owners are required to enter their animals on or before December 19, as no late entries will be accepted.

Horses can be registered by calling Roopnarine Matadial (325-3192); Ivan Dipnarine (331-0316); Justice Cecil Kennard (623-7609, 2254818 or 226-1399); Fazal Habibulla (657-7010) or Dennis Deroop (609-9143).

The day’s activities will be in strict adherence to the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority.

CGI Local Franchise League 50-over cricket

Upper Corentyne win playoff to set up all-Berbice final

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U

Jonathon Foo

Assad Fudadin

pper Corentyne defeated Georgetown in the play-off of the Cricket Guyana Inc (CGI) Local Franchise League 50-over cricket competition to set up an all-Berbice final on Saturday.

Playing at the Port Mourant Ground on Thursday, Upper Corentyne whipped the city side by seven wickets, and will now face Lower Corentyne/New Amsterdam/Canje in the day/night final at the Albion Community Centre, starting at 14:00h.

Chasing a modest 143, Upper Corentyne found themselves in a spot of bother at 68-3 with openers Loyydel Lewis (9) and Sharaz Ramcharran (11),

and Jason Sinclair (29) back in the hut.

However, a brilliant, unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 77 between Assad Fudadin and Jonathon Foo sealed the match for the Berbicians.

The in-form Foo scored 40 not out from 51 balls (5x4s), while Fudadin was unbeaten on 38 from 35 deliveries (3x4s, 2x6s) when victory was achieved in 27.2 overs. Andre Stoll, Kellon Carmichael and Devon Lord were the wicket takers for Georgetown.

Earlier, Georgetown, inserted to take first strike, found the going tough against tight bowling, slipping to 57-3 then 100-7.

They eventually managed 142 in 43.2 overs, thanks largely to an even half-cen-

Sherfane Rutherford

tury from Guyana Under-19 batsman Sherfane Rutherford.

Batting at number six, Rutherford played well during his 73-ball knock, which included four fours and a six, after his more senior teammates, including Guyana Jaguars players Leon Johnson and Christopher Barnwell, fell cheaply.

Johnson made two and Barnwell four. Only two other batsmen got into double figures, with opener Jeetendra Sookdeo making 24 (3x4s) and Shemroy Barrington 26 (2x4s).

Bowling for Upper Corentyne, Eon Hooper had 3-20 off 8.2 overs, while Fudadin and Foo had 2-37 and 2-24 respectively.

Sweet Water Aqua Farm /Multi-cultural Sports Club T20 Competition

West Siders La Grange pick up 2 wins

A

ction in the Sweet Water Aqua Farm/ Multi-cultural Sports Club-sponsored T20 Competition on the West Bank of Demerara continued last weekend with two matches.

In match one: West Siders La Grange outplayed Independence A in every aspect. Batting first, West Siders La Grange amassed a hefty total of 219 off their allotted 20 overs, with Budan Baksh hitting a well-played 75 and Troy Benn, 30.They were the batsmen that took the attack to the bowlers.

Bowling for Independence A, G Laka picked up 3-48 off four overs and N Bandoo, 3-28 off four overs.

In reply, Independence B found it difficult to score against a good bowling attack that caused prob-

lems for the batsmen. With wickets falling regularly, Independence A never seemed to recover and were bundled out for 44, with Bandoo and N Sunny scoring 12 and 8 respectively.

Bowling for West Siders La Grange, Benn picked up 5-18 off four overs and Delroy Williams 3-12 off four overs as well.

Match two saw West Siders La Grange having a much easier time against Sports Club Canal #2, qualifying them for the semi-final play-offs. Batting first, West Siders La Grange scored 2398 off 20 overs, David Albert hitting 85 from 27 balls while Benn scored 38 from 18 balls. Bowling for Sports Club Canal #2, Suddik

Sulaman grabbed 3-28 off four overs and Rockey (only name given) 3-48. They were the pick of the bowlers.

In reply, Sports Club Canal #2 only managed to score 81 with Partan and Sulaman being the only batsmen showing some resistance to the bowlers, scoring 55 and 24 respectively. Bowling for West Siders La Grange, Budan Baksh picked up 4-27 off four overs and B Bharat 2-14 off four overs.

Matches will continue on Saturday as the Belle Vue Sports Club take on Independence B at 13:00h. The winner of this match will face off with Rising Star on Sunday from 09:00h. All matches will be played at the MBMR Ground, Canal #2, West Bank Demerara.

22

guyanatimesGY.com

friday, december 18, 2015

Stag Super XVI

West Dem teams dominate opening night

GFF President Wayne Forde does the ceremonial kickoff before the tournament’s first match

T

he Stag Super XVI knockout tournament kicked off with two exciting matches on Wednesday evening at the National Track and Field Centre where teams from the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) looked

in tip-top form.

With teams from the WDFA making their first appearance in the tournament’s history, Uitvlugt Warriors and the Beavers FC made their intentions clear on opening night with impressive wins.

Beavers steam-rolled Herstelling Raiders 6-2 while Uitvlugt needled East Demerara’s BV Triumph United after recently-elected Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde and Vice President Rawlston Adams engaged in

the ceremonial kickoff.

Forde, in remarks to the teams before performing the traditional kickoff, congratulated them for being a part of the competition that involves 16 teams from West Demerara, East Bank and the East Demerara Football

NSC hosts forum to aid development of sport

T

The associations turned out in their numbers

he newly-appointed Board of the National Sports Commission (NSC) held a significant meeting with 30-plus associations last Saturday in order to iron out the issues affecting the development of sport in Guyana.

The forum, which was held at the National Resource Centre at Woolford Avenue as part of continued efforts to strengthen the administration of sport in Guyana, saw the Commissioners informing the national associations of the role of the NSC in developing sport in Guyana as well as identifying some of the core issues that are currently affecting the proper administration of associations.

According to a press release, the forum recorded an impressive turnout from associations, federations and boards. The NSC had invited the President, General Secretary, and Treasurer of each of the 30 plus listed national associations.

The GCB; Guyana Football Federation (GFF); Hockey Board; Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG); Guyana Amateur Power-lifting Federation; Weightlifting Association; Swimming; Judo; Karate; Table Tennis; Cycling and many other associations were present. Also notably in attendance was the Guyana Olympic Association head, KA Juman Yassin.

Director of Sport, Christopher Jones deliv-

ered the opening remarks which were well-received by the associations who commended Jones for being active in sports, the release noted.

However, the associations all agreed that funding was crucial to their overall success. The prerequisite for associations/federations/ boards to receive funding from the Commission, according to the act is that they must have an elected Executive, a Bank Account and proper accounts and records.

The release noted that the Commission is also mandated to provide assistance to any sports organisation in the audit of its accounts or in relation to any other matter where as-

sistance may be required; to this end, the Olympic Association is in receipt of a NSC request to assist with ‘training’ for the administrative strengthening of associations available under the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Solidarity Programme.

With a number of topics deliberated on such as better facilities and anti-doping regulations, the forum was deemed a success.

The Commissioners on the new NSC include: Ivan Persaud (Chairman); Nigel Hinds (Vice Chairman); Edison Jefford; Ramnaresh Sarwan; Seon Erskine; Lavern Fraser-Thomas; Inga Henry; Aliann Pompey and ex-officio member, Christopher Jones.

Junior Whitrite and Esan Nelson

Associations.

Forde made a commitment to assist in the guidance and development of the game both on and off the field.

The feature game of the double header between Uitvlugt and BV Triumph United produced some fast paced action and although chances were created, poor finishing hampered the scoreline of the match.

Nevertheless, the West Demerara number one side through one of its most potent forwards, Sean Bobb, brother of current Golden Jaguar Trayon Bobb scored a beauty with just two minutes remaining in regulation time much to the delight of his teammates and supporters.

Meanwhile the Beavers were led to their emphatic 6-2 win over fellow debutants Herstelling Raiders by Junior Whitrite and Esan Nelson who both netted three goals each. Beavers, a more seasoned unit at this level, took some time to get into the scoring act.

However, even before that, Herstelling had two chances but failed to make them count.

Once the West Bankbased Beavers got going, they made sure Herstelling had no chance of coming back despite the East Bank boys scoring two goals.

Sean Bobb

Whitrite opened the scoring in the 31st minute from the penalty spot. He hit the net again in the 42nd and 75th minutes to seal the fate of the opposition. His teammate Nelson while also hammering home three goals became the first player of the tournament to be red carded as a result of his second bookable offence in the 88th minute.

Nelson scored in the 35th, 39th and 63rd minute. He will now has to miss his team’s next match against the winner of today’s first game of a double header between Anns’ Grove and Eagles at the Victoria Ground; that date will be a quarter-final clash on Boxing Night also at the Victoria Ground.

guyanatimesGY.com

friday, december 18, 2015

National Darts Championships

Fitzgerald, Hiralall retain titles S

Sudesh Fitzgerald

udesh Fitzgerald continued his stranglehold on Guyana’s darts landscape by retaining his national title over the weekend at the Malteenoes Sports Club and the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union Sports Hall.

Fitzgerald was his usual accurate self to easily claim the title as Guyana’s best darts player.

On the distaff side, Rosetta Hiralall continued her excellent form as well

to retain the female singles title.

Meanwhile, the upset of the day came in the ladies doubles where Victorine Chandro combined with Shondell Hyles to take that title. Chandro and Hyles defeated the highly competitive duo of Jean DeSouza and Mary Correia.

The men’s doubles was easily won by Fitzgerald and Nicholas Seetaram as the event capped off the year for darts.

Trophy Stall hands over trophies to Guyana Cup Rematch

T

rophy Stall on Thursday handed over trophies to the organisers of the Guyana Cup Rematch Horse Race Meet set for Sunday, December 20 at the Port Mourant Turf Club.

At a simple presentation ceremony at its South Road branch, Trophy Stall’s Devi Sunich made the presentation to the organisers of the event.

Organiser of the event, Arhshad Mohammed spoke of what the Cup entailed: “It’s one of the events which spins off from Guyana, as some people want revenge from the Guyana Cup so that is why we call it the Guyana Cup Rematch,” Mohammed stated.

Close to 80 entries have

been recorded and most of the top race clubs have registered. Co-coordinator of the meet, Nasurdeen Mohammed Jr highlighted some of the horses that will be on show. “CP Gativan will be there to defend her crown; Just Call Me Boss, Diplomatic Cat from Sheriff Racing Stable and Plump Plump along with 15 horses out of the Jumbo Jet Racing Stables,” Mohammed Jr revealed To pull off a horse racing meet of this magnitude corporate support is needed. And the organisers are thankful for the support received thus far. There are also several side attractions for patrons which will see free toys being given to kids upon entry to the event.

In addition, great appreciation was given to Banks DIH not only for this event but all the years of support, as well as Trophy Stall, Assuria Insurance and Hot and Spicy.

The event is organised by the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Racing Stables, which is one of Guyana’s leading horse racing establishments and auto dealerships, in collaboration with the Port Mourant Turf Club.

Suitably named the Guyana Cup Rematch, the event is expected to see the top horses that featured in the last Guyana Cup horserace meet earlier in the year.

Eight top-of-the-line races are carded for the day with a number of feature events on the programme.

23

Sarwan confirmed as Captain in “Cricket for Unity” T20 match – Pollard, Emrit confirm participation

F

ormer West Indies Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan has been confirmed as a captain for one of the teams in the “Cricket for Unity” all-star match set for January 30 under lights at the National Stadium, Providence.

Sarwan played the last of his 87 Tests against India in Barbados in 2011 and his last of 220 First-Class games for Leicestershire against Worcestershire last year.

The event is being held in collaboration with corporate sponsors and support from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GSCA), and has been approved by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the event, Sean Devers, via a press release, Sarwan has agreed to captain one of the teams and would reunite with some of his West Indies teammates in a game which is expected to have all the fanfare of an International T20 game.

“I will play! The match is not until January 30th, so I have some time to get

Kieron Pollard

some practice,” Sarwan stated.

Kieron Pollard, Rayad Emrit and Sarwan are the latest big name T20 players to confirm their participation in the eagerly-awaited game.

Apart from Sarwan, Pollard and Emrit, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Krismar Santokie and Nicholas Pooran have all confirmed their participation.

Leon Johnson, Rajendra

Chandrika, Chris Barnwell, Jonathon Foo, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Anthony Bramble, Steven Jacobs, Raymon Reifer, Jevon Searles and Shiv Chanderpaul could be names featuring in the match which will see the winning team collecting $1million and the President’s Trophy. The Man of the Match pockets $100,000. Tickets will go on sale by the first half of January.

friday, december 18, 2015

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

Digicel confirms Trophy Stall hands over trophies to Guyana support for Cup Rematch KMTC meet Pg 23

Pg 21

Digicel Sponsorship Executive Louanna Abrams and Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club President Cecil Kennard at the signing on Wednesday at Digicel’s Head Office

Devi Sunich (second right) hands over the trophies to the organisers of the event

NSC hosts forum to aid development of sport Pg 22

Sarwan confirmed as Captain in “Cricket for Unity” T20 match – Pollard, Emrit confirm participation

Pg 23

From left: NSC Board Chairman Ivan Persaud, board members Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lavern Fraser-Thomas and Vice Chairman Nigel Hinds at the forum

Ramnaresh Sarwan

Rayad Emrit

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