Guyana Times Daily - April 11, 2015

babies born to teen moms at GPHC

murders recorded at the end of March

man charged for killing boy, 9

Former

Bharrat Jagdeo

saturday, april 11, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Destitute charged for killing boy, 9

Days after confessing to the murder of nine-year-old Shaquan Gittens of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, the perpetrator was on Friday arraigned with murder at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Ryan Bobb-Semple, 23, a destitute man, was remanded to prison after he was arraigned with the murder of the lad. He appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman and was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that between April 1 and 4, he mur-

dered Gittens at Houston Backlands.

While in the courtroom, Bobb-Semple remained quiet with his head bowed when the charge was read to him. He will make his

nude state floating in a canal.

The suspect was arrested after he was reportedly heard calling the child’s name in his sleep. Upon his arrest, he told investiga-

next court appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on April 17.

The lad went missing on April 1, he was last spotted flying his kite in the area. His body was discovered several days later in a semi

tors that he ‘stick up’ the lad on April 1, took him behind Cane View where he sexually molested him. While doing so, he reportedly strangled Gittens. After committing the act, he reportedly went to sleep, but only realised the child was dead the fol-

lowing morning.

He then had sex with the corpse after which he severed the male reproductive organ from the child’s body and dumped the body in the canal.

On Wednesday last, the suspect was handcuffed and taken to the scene where he committed the act. There, he reportedly showed Police ranks the exact spot and told them how he committed the heinous crime. He was then escorted to the North Ruimveldt Police Outpost.

On the day Shaquan disappeared, he was reportedly left in the care of his 15-year-old brother while his mother was at work. He was reportedly in the area in the morning hours flying his kite. About 12:00h, he returned home to have lunch and later left again to join his friends. That was the last time his brother saw him alive.

Meanwhile, relatives of the murder suspect are holding out that while the man might be mentally ill, he would not harm a child.

42 murders recorded at the end of March – Police

The Guyana Police Force on Wednesday disclosed that 42 murders were committed up to the end of March – an 11 per cent increase over the 38 recorded during the same period in 2014.

The Police stated that A Division (Georgetown) recorded the highest number of murders with a whooping 13 followed by C Division (East Coast Demerara) with eight, E Division (Linden/ Kwakwani) with eight and B Division (Berbice), five. Three murders were recorded in G Division (Essequibo Coast/Islands) and one in D Division (West Bank Demerara/East Bank Essequibo).

Of the 42 murders, five were execution-style killings, three were committed during robberies, 13 were

unknown, 15 resulted from disorderly behaviour, five were domestic related and one based on other means than those identified.

The Police further stated that there has been a six per cent increase in serious crimes when compared to the same period in 2014.

Among the serious crimes policed by the Force are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping.

At March month-end, robbery under arms overall had decreased by 19 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2014. In 2014, 194 armed robberies were committed while up to the end of March 2015, 148

of such offences were recorded.

The statistics indicate a decrease of 24 per cent in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms, and a seven per cent decrease in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, there have been 28 road fatalities from 19 accidents at the end of March 2015 when compared to 28 fatalities from 26 accidents for the same period in 2014. It was pointed out that there have been decreases in all other categories of road accidents – serious, minor and damage.

Passengers in motor vehicles have been the main category of road users killed so far, with 12 such persons having lost their lives at the

end of March 2015. In addition, one pedal cyclist, 10 pedestrians and five drivers also lost their lives.

Speeding has been the major contributory factor to fatal accidents, having been the cause of nine of the 19 fatal accidents unto March 2015.

Traffic enforcement by the Police has resulted in a total of 15,807 cases being made against errant motorists at the end of March 2015. Of this number, 325 cases were for speeding, 433 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 176 for using a cell phone and 465 for failing to wear a seat belt.

The Police also stated that there has been one road fatality for April 2015 thus far compared to three during the same period in 2014.

326 babies born to teen moms at GPHC

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) said some 326 babies were born to teenage mothers at the hospital for the year so far.

In a release, the GPHC said that for the first quarter of 2015 the hospital successfully delivered 1467 babies. In total, the institution delivered 1492 babies; however, 25 of those babies were stillborn. Out of the 1492 deliveries, 326 were born to teenage mothers ranging from under 14 to 19 years old.

During the first quarter of 2015, the hospital saw an increase in deliveries compared to the same period last year. According to the hospital, during the first quarter of 2014 it successfully delivered 1299 babies. In total, the hospital delivered 1325 babies during this period, but 26 were stillborn.

Deliveries in January 2015 surpassed the other months with a total of 565 babies being delivered.

January 2014, which also had the highest number of deliveries for the first quarter of the year, saw a total of 485 babies being delivered. The first quarter of 2015 also saw an increase in teenage mom deliveries compared to last year, which saw 282 babies born to teenage mothers. GPHC’s maternity ward admitted 2373 patients for this period.

Guyana had the second highest rate of ado-

lescent pregnancy in both the Caribbean and South America, with 97 out of every 1000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 giving birth, according to the State of the World Population 2013 report. The report, published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), had said that in South America, Ecuador had the highest rate with 100 15- to 19-year-olds out of every 1000 getting pregnant. The Dominican Republic was cited as having the highest rate in the Caribbean, with 98 teens out of every 1000 getting pregnant.

The Government of Guyana (GoG) back in 2013 had told the United Nations Rights of the Child Committee that some 3000 girls get pregnant each year.

The UN report had said that the GoG had considered the issue a matter “of concern”, The report, subtitled, ‘Motherhood in Child-hood: Facing the Challenges of Adolescent Pregnancy’ stated that the Latin America and Caribbean Region has an adolescent birth rate of 73 per 1000 girls and a maternal mortality ratio of 81 per 100,000 live births. It said motherhood in childhood is an oversized problem that is plaguing the developing world and stripping young girls of their human rights and their physical and psychological health.

Ryan Bobb-Semple at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday

Dead: Shaquan Gittens

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

saturday, april 11, 2015 |

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Saturday, April 11, 2015 – 09:30h-11:00h and Sunday, April 12, 2015 – 11:00h-12:30h

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

Saturday, April 11, 2015 – 08:35h-10:05h and Sunday, April 12, 2015 – 10:05h-11:35h

FERRY SCHEDULE

Ferries will be departing the Parika and Supenaam stellings on:

Saturday, April 11 – 05:00h, 11:00h and 17:00h

Sunday, April 12 – 05:00h, 09:00h and 14:00h

WEATHER TODAY

Presidential debates:

Granger could pull out if demand for PM candidates’ debate not met

...he can run, but can’t hide – Ali

By Vahnu Manikchand

The People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition is insisting that a Prime Ministerial Candidate debate is a prerequisite for David Granger to participate in the Private Sector Commission (PSC) organised presidential debate.

Contacted by the Guyana Times, Housing Minister Irfaan Ali, a member of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) organising team, said bluntly, “Granger is scared of debating President [Donald] Ramotar. It had always been the position that the PSC was organising a “presidential debate”. Granger cannot now unilaterally and arbitrarily seek to change the rules of the engagement. As an old army man, if the rules of engagement by the Geneva Convention forbid use of poison gas, would he suddenly demand that his men unilaterally conduct chemical warfare?”

The Guyana Times understands that the Opposition is pressing for the prime ministerial debate, insisting that not only President Ramotar and David Granger are running for high office.

Speaking to this publication on Thursday, Co-Campaign Manager of the coalition, Raphael Trotman confirmed that the coalition was indeed requesting the additional debate in an effort to have a “complete package”. The APNU/ AFC Co-Campaign Manager said that the coalition wanted a complete package of the top

leaders debating each other so that the Guyanese public can see and know who they will be voting for come May 11.

Minister Ali retorted, “Well, will Granger soon demand that the numbers three, four etc in line for the presidency should also debate or he won’t participate. This is ridiculous. If there are to be other debates, why does he have to tie them on to his debate?? Is he looking to save the face of the APNU/AFC coalition when he loses the debate with President Ramotar?”

The PSC has been tasked with organising the presidential debate between Ramotar and Granger on their policies in front of a televised audience.

Meanwhile, Trotman explained that the APNU/AFC coalition was very “keen and interested” in a presidential debate, but would also like to have a prime ministerial debate along with it. According to Trotman, he sent an email on Wednesday to the PSC and copied the PPP/C members – Youth, Culture and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony and Irfaan Ali.

“I have indicated our interest to have the prime ministerial debate to the PSC and we are now awaiting a response from them,” he stated.

Asked whether the Opposition would go ahead with the presidential debate if its request for the prime ministerial debate was denied, Trotman said the Guyanese people would be “robbed” of the experience, adding that the coalition would have to review its position if such a situation arose.

“The people are calling for the parties to do this (prime ministerial debate) because a Prime Minister can become the President if he gets sick or something of the sort,” Trotman pointed out. He added that the public has the right to see the Prime Ministerial Candidates debate and not only the Presidential Candidates.

Meanwhile, PSC Chairman Ramesh Persaud confirmed that he received the email from Trotman. He told this newspaper that he indicated the same to the PPP/C and was awaiting a response before he could reply to the coalition. Further asked

whether the Commission was prepared to host both debates if the parties agreed, Persaud pointed out that the PSC had only planned and organised to do one debate and that is the presidential one.

Terms and conditions

Nevertheless, the PSC Chairman noted that the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has indicated its willingness to support the Commission by hosting the prime ministerial debate. On the other hand, Dr Anthony told the Guyana Times that it was the PPP/C and President who were invited by the PSC to a presidential debate and had agreed to that only. He declared that at no time during their several meetings did the Commission discuss with him participating in any other debate. “Whether or not the Opposition has asked for a prime ministerial debate is another matter. So far, we have only discussed with the PSC to have the presidential debate and that matter (of the prime ministerial debate) never came up,” he related.

Dr Anthony was asked

whether he had received the email from Trotman and responded that it was not a matter for him. He explained that the Commission was tasked with organising the debate, so it was the PSC that has to deal with the coalition’s request and then discuss it with the PPP/C. Further questioned about whether the ruling party would be interested in participating in the prime ministerial debate, the Minister empha-

sised that he cannot speculate on this, since he did not know what the Opposition really wanted.

“Unless a formal document is presented with what they have in mind and want to do, I cannot comment on this matter of a prime ministerial debate. If the PSC wants to engage us in any other debate, then we will do so at the relevant time, but right now we have only discussed the presidential debate with the PSC and agreed to that,” he said.

As it relates to the presidential debate, Persaud also revealed to the Guyana Times that he had circulated draft terms and conditions, and was awaiting responses from the political parties. The PSC Chairman said the drafts were sent on Wednesday and he was expecting a response from the two parties as soon as possible.

The PSC Chairman noted that he met with Anthony and Trotman separately last week, where they had preliminary discussions. However, he explained that the parties had already signalled their commitment to participate in the muchanticipated debate. Globally, there is much excitement and anticipation surrounding presidential debates. The topics discussed in the debates, particularly in the United States, are often the most contested at the time, and arguably elections have been nearly decided by these debates.

In conclusion, Minister Ali said, “As the old boxer Joe Louis warned one opponent, Granger “can run, but he can’t hide” from President Ramotar.

FRidaY, apRiL 10, 2015

APNU/AFC Presidential Candidate David Granger

President Donald Ramotar

Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Allegations of corruption

Over the past few months, especially since the date for elections has been announced by the President, sections of the media aligned to the Opposition, and Opposition activists themselves, have stepped up their allegations of various forms of corruption amongst government and State officials.

These wild claims, which are routinely made without even a shred of evidence being presented, are now seen as the norm.

When an Opposition-aligned person makes an allegation of a corrupt transaction against a Government official, it makes front page news, most times without the accused party being given an opportunity to respond. Sometimes even when the evidence to prove the allegation wrong is provided, it is ignored or given less prominence compared to when the allegation was first made.

The most recent example of this is in relation to the Marriott Hotel Project. There were several inaccuracies being reported in the Kaieteur News on this particular project on a daily basis inspite of all the facts being provided in relation to funding, etc.

One can justifiably argue that allegations of corruption especially against Government officials are being exploited as a political weapon by the Opposition and sections of the media to achieve political aims. The idea is to thread the corruption line as much as possible, almost on every development project, in order to paint Government Ministers and other public officials as dishonest and corrupt.

It is not our intention to say that corruption doesn’t exist within Government. In almost every country in the world, there are various levels of corruption within Government.

Genuine efforts must be made by the authorities to put the necessary legal, institutional and practical mechanisms in place to minimise it as much as possible. And we are satisfied that the PPP/C Government has, over the years, made some notable interventions to ensure that corruption is kept at a minimum. While there are levels of corruption, no level is acceptable.

Now that Opposition politicians are giving much prominence to the issue, it is necessary that some sort of analysis be done in relation to what existed prior to 1992. For example, there was absolutely no policy on how procurement of goods and services was being done at the level of Government. It was done in an ad hoc way without any transparency whatsoever; no one knew who used to get what contract, by what principles, and by what criteria contractors were selected.

One of the very first things that the PPP/C Government did was to, in 1993, present in the Parliament, a White paper for discussion on the procurement of goods and services at the level of the Government and for government agencies, as well as agencies of the state. The document was thoroughly discussed by the National Assembly and was unanimously approved.

There are systems in place to ensure that public money is spent only after utilising a transparent process. If a contractor feels aggrieved by a decision taken at the evaluation committee, or by any aspect of the procurement process, he has a legal right to challenge the process right there at the Tender Board.

He also has a right to resort to a special court - the Constitutional and Administrative Law Court, which is a court that is established to specifically hear and determine constitutional law and public administration matters.

Unlike when the PNC was in Government, the Auditor General’s Report is tabled in the National Assembly to scrutinise government spending. There are numerous other mechanisms in place to ensure that there is accountability and transparency in government which cannot be ignored.

The PPP/C Government has promised that it will set up a special body to investigate allegations of corruption once the party is re-elected.

While this is an important step, it is also necessary to restate the need to establish the long-awaited Public Procurement Commission (PPC) in the interest of ensuring, there is increased transparency and accountability at every level of Government.

A window to the future for youths

Dear Editor,

The PPP/C released a prelude to its Manifesto and I must say I am excited and very hopeful for the future with this Government. If there is a true example of a Government listening to its people, it is this Manifesto.

The Opposition wants to create the false image that we are not fit to run this country, but by reviewing the language alone in the Manifesto, you will see it reflects Guyana in the truest sense for both the present and the future.

I will take the opportunity to capture a few points from the prelude and show what it means for young people from my perspective.

We understand that by simplifying and reviewing the tax system for purposes of reducing the cost of living and making it easier for businesses to prosper, we are making a direct positive impact to a young demographic that needs this infrastructure to achieve success.

It also shows that by specifically highlighting the need

to foster small scale business through a better tax structure, we are in effect helping to start build our future medium and large businesses. And who will be the leaders of these businesses? We, the young people.

By creating industrial and commercial zones within new and existing settlement areas what would serve as growth poles and provide employment opportunities.

Again we see here that our (Guyana’s) Manifesto is aiming in a direction that has proven successful for the “tiger economies” of Asia and more so in India and China, where these economic zones have multiplied the wealth factor for these countries and raised countless out of poverty into the middle class.

The interest of RUSAL, Repsol, Exxon Mobile and others are solid proof that multinational corporations have confidence in this Government.

Pursuing the development of the Deep Water Harbour with the aim of mak-

ing Guyana a marine hub for South America is nothing short of a visionary stroke of genius that only a competent Government like the PPP/C can bring into reality.

The list of benefits for this is too many to mention, but what young people should know is that this initiative would guarantee lower prices for goods, attract trade partners we have never seen before in Guyana and we will become more competitive, even more than our Caribbean partners, because we are strategically placed on the South American continent and the bridge is already built connecting Guyana to Brazil.

We continue our single parent training programme in areas such as dress making, cosmetology, catering, ICT among other things, because the Government targets the development of young women and men with real life skills that will provide an affordable income and lay the foundation to further improve their livelihoods.

This also ties into providing secondary school dropouts a second chance by imparting skills that will assist national development and aligned to skills demanded by the labour market.

We understand that cultural development is a national priority objective by improving existing culture legislation and highlighting the nation’s cultural resources. Culture is our image of who we are and what makes us unique from the rest of the world. This will almost be single handily led by youths, which means the pride of this country is being entrusted to us. Only a party of the future will empower the youths to lead the growth of our culture. A true and fair Opposition of Guyana would be smart enough to first acknowledge our growth and then dig very deep to find a way of proving to the people of Guyana that they can do better.

Malcolm Watkins

Panama City and security for 7th Conference of the Americas

Dear Editor, Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar is among three Heads of Government who are absent at the Seventh Conference of the Americas now underway in Panama.

The country is however being represented by Foreign Minister, Carol RodriguezBirkett and Ambassador Bayney Karran. Ramotar was however in Jamaica for the meeting between Heads of the Caribbean Government and US President Barak Obama.

The Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of

Dominica and Chile are also absent, but the two countries are nevertheless represented.

Two thousand journalists are in Panama to cover the confab mainly because of Raul Castro´s presence, since it is the first time in five decades that Cuba is participating at such a conference.

The confab, under the theme, “Prosperity with Equity: The Challenge of Cooperation in the Americas is being held at the sprawling ATLAPA Conference Cenre under extremely tight security.

President Juan Carlos

Varela Rodriguez said that the Summit is the starting point for a new process of hemispheric consolidation, in which the countries share experience and good practices so that all the states agendas become synonymous with progress.

Several presentations were made at Friday’s session on Financial Integration and Inclusion, Mobilizing Resources for Social and Economic Development; Economic Enpowermen for Women, Corporate Social Innovaion; Energy: Supplying the Growth of the Americas; Infrastructure;

Logistics andConnectivity. US President Barak Obama and Cuba´s Head of Government Raul Castro are scheduled to address the delegates and observers on Saturday. US Secretary of State John Kerry had informal talks with the Cuban leader on Thursday no doubt concerning the move for a better relationship between the two countries.

Panama City is extremely busy and almost half the city is virtually closed for security reasons.

Oscar Ramjeet

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo and Housing Minister Irfaan Ali met with Guyanese at Friday prayers at the IMO Islamic Centre in Toronto, Canada

Kaieteur News article grossly misleading

Dear Editor,

The Board of Directors of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) wishes to express its deep dismay with a grossly misleading article that appeared in the April 5 edition of the Kaieteur News, headlined, “Management review on GGMC filled with inaccuracies.”

As a result of numerous adverse reports against the Commission, coupled with the recommendations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, the Board of Directors conducted a review of the Management Systems and practices for critical departments/divisions of the Commission. This exercise began in December 2014.

The exercise was aimed at reviewing the operations of the Mines Division, Land Management and Geological Services Divisions of the Commission to determine the coherence of the structures and functions, the adequacy of its staffing, the flow of its operations and to identify systemic problems and other conflicts and deficiencies, which affect the functioning of the organisation.

In particular, the management review would identify the available capacity of the Commission in material, financial, organizational and human terms and isolate those conflicts and deficiencies, which are contributing to an unfavourable image and the non-fulfillment of its objectives. The exercise was not designed to be a “witch hunt” as is erroneously reported in the article.

The review was conducted by Dr. Grantley Walrond, a former Commissioner of the Geology and Mines Commission and a former UN consultant to many Governments and private companies, Dr Linda Heesterman, a Geological Consultant, who spent many years working at the GGMC and in other jurisdictions, and Mr Jerry Goolsaran, a former Senior Specialist on Industrial Relations and Labour Administration of the ILO and currently Consultant/ Adviser to CAGI, with the full knowledge and participation of the Management of the Commission.

The initial report of the Consultants, dubbed the Inception Report, was discussed and examined among the Commission, the GGDMA, Public Service Union and the Consultants to identify the recorded observations and recommendations and to clarify matters that may have been unclear.

There was general consensus that the Inception Report presented significant insights into the areas which may be contributing to the poor image and performance of the Commission and it certainly recommended a number of initiatives which could be taken to reverse the trends. It was decided that with the assistance of the Consultants, the GGMC would seek to engage the changes relevant to the delivery of its mandate.

The Inception Report of the Consultants is an internal report of the Board of the GGMC and it is part of a staged process to pro-

duce a full, representative document of the essential reforms which have to be undertaken in the GGMC. The Chairman also advised that these reforms should be incorporated as gaps in the draft Strategic Plan so that the remedial interventions can be included in the revised program plan.

The dissemination of this Inception Report to the public- at-large was never authorised by the Board of Directors of the GGMC and commentaries from persons within and without the organisation, may at best, be considered as premature and in some cases, misguided.

The Board wishes to reassure the public that it is committed to an ordered and sustainable growth of the mining sector premised on increased capability of an enhanced GGMC to superintend over that development.

The Board and the team of Consultants are of the view that the above-referenced article intentionally seeks to misrepresent the facts and in so doing, mislead the public.

The unfortunate and misguided impression is created that the review was conducted with sinister motives by the Board in collusion with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.

The Board condemns this type of “tabloid journalism” and the failure to seek clarifications on the outrageous claims contained in the article, before publishing.

Board of Directors

GGMC

PPP/C list reflects continuity of change and youth

Dear Editor,

The PPP/C list of candidates for the May 2015 general and regional elections reflects genuinely the continuity of change and youth of our beautiful country despite the unjustified efforts by the combined parliamentary Opposition (PNC/APNU and AFC) to sabotage the developmental agenda of the PPP/C Government misusing its one-seat majority in the 10th Parliament.

In relation to the PNC/ APNU+AFC list of candidates, notables such as Vanessa Kissoon of Linden is not on her party’s list.

Observation was also made of the absence of Sydney Allicock who seem to have been replaced by Jean La Rose of the Amerindian Peoples

Association (APA).

But just like Allicock she too will suffer the same fate of being dumped. But exactly why was Allicock dumped by the PNC/ APNU? Was he ineffective to capture Guyana’s Amerindian sector when he was a Member of Parliament (MP)? Will La Rose do this? I say never. But I am patiently awaiting.

The APA, an NGO and from the inception of its founding boasted that it was entirely non-political.

But this was never believed by the Amerindian communities of Guyana, since the APA never stood up for them when the national budgets of 2012-2014 were being slashed and the voting down of the $1.2 billion ADF by the PNC/

Imam Bacchus is about fairness

Dear Editor, I will confess that I have hit my workers in the past… with bouncers on the cricket field, during the matches that staff and customers in our small community regularly play together.

I will confess that I have seen our managers campaign to change their employees minds…to eat healthier and to stop drinking and other destructive behaviours.

I confess that I have seen supervisors give employees time off to attend gatherings we support… such their children’s PTA meetings.

But we at Imam

Bacchus and Sons have never threatened or bribed anyone to support any political view. Our employees are a diverse mix of ages, genders, races, religions and political affiliations and we enjoy it that way.

This company encourages independence of conscience in all things and at the end of the day we all sit down around the same pot as friends and family, in companionship and peace.

In this small community where anybody knows everybody’s business, the truth of Imam Bacchus’s fairness lives within our community. Our staff and the people they serve are

literally neighbours and family.

The staff and customers all sat together in the same school benches as children. Political coercion just isn’t possible in this environment.

In this election season, we at Imam Bacchus extend to the country the same message we have always given to our employees and customers. Speak as you see fit. Stand as you see fit. Vote as you see fit. We will continue to welcome you to sit around our pot and share our hospitality.

Imam Baksh Personnel Officer

The co-generation plant at Skeldon

Dear Editor,

The AFC Leaders and their acolytes will never see the positive side of anything which the PPP/C Government does. They will only criticise, complain and condemn. The recent statements, made by Robert Badal have only served to confirm this.

If we go back just a while ago he had wanted to invest US$8 million in the Marriott Hotel, but had vociferously attacked the feasibility of this same hotel. When his offer was refused, he then resumed his attack on the feasibility of the same hotel.

Now GPL and NICIL want to make an investment by purchasing the Skeldon co-generation plant but Badal has a problem. He wants GPL to make a loan to GuySuCo instead of buying the plant. Then of course they will criticise that loan as well. Ramayya and Mark Ross had claimed in Berbice that this plant is not generating any electricity.

The injection of this money into GuySuCo will see a drop in the cost of production since the benefits from such cash injection have not been visited by Badal. What he sees is just the cost of electricity that GuySuCo will be paying to GPL.

GuySuCo has been and are making enormous investments in machinery, equipment ( bell-loaders, harvesters) and land conversion, and the many benefits of these will not be seen immediately, or the benefits derived immediately.

Badal needs to make a proper cost-benefit analysis before he can draw conclusions. Mr Brassington and Guysuco has done this and they know that the benefits will far outweigh the costs, hence the move.

Furthermore, Badal has failed to appreciate that Guysuco will also be earning revenue from the sale of the bagasse to Skeldon Electricty Incorporated.

Badal did also deliberately deviated from the factors negatively affecting Guysuco such as the 36 per cent EU price cuts, the climate change which have affected not only the planting and harvesting period but the maturity trends of the sugar canes as well, the poor labour turnout, the lack of funds for capital replacement and expansion and the vicious circle which has resulted, and the severe decrease of sugar prices on the world market.

Guysuco’s management have been working assiduously to improve the industry and it is improving in areas which are within their control but the AFC and APNU can at least contribute by exhorting their members and supporters to leave politics aside and co-operate with management and show some sense of nationalism.

APNU and AFC in the last Parliament which severely affected their development. The Amerindian communities have been vindicated.

But since the APA is now a political front for Guyana’s political opposition what will its overseas financial backers that are NGOs now say? Will they be funding a political front calling itself the APA?

Further, since Jean La Rose is a candidate for the PNC/APNU+AFC in the May 11 elections will she be relieving herself from the position of programme administrator of the APA? I think she should.

A massive victory for the PPP/C at the upcoming May 11 general and regional elections!

Peter Persaud

Badal has pointed out the cost aspect of the deal, but has failed to appreciate the benefits aspect of it. The US$30 million garnered from the sale of the co-generation plant will not only solve liquidity problems, but will also be used to continue much needed capital works.

In addition, Guysuco will no longer have to meet the administrative and operational costs of the plant, nor will it have to concern itself about repairs and maintenance costs. Moreover, labour will not be displaced since the workers at the plant will be retained by Wartsila.

On Thursday even a serious accident caused by a slippery road at Albion Estate was used for political mileage by Ramayya.

Badal is also oblivious of the increase in efficiency of factory and field operations in Guysuco which are not only resulting in increased production and productivity but is giving workers more money in terms of bonus day pay.

Jagdeo, Ali attend large PPP/C fundraising dinner in Toronto

The Committee to Re-Elect the PPP/Civic Government on Friday hosted a fundraiser in Toronto, Canada. The Dinner and Dance held at Elite Banquet Hall, 1850 Albion Road, Toronto, was well-attended and was graced by the presence of former President Bharrat Jagdeo and Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali as well as other party officials. The Committee had urged patrons to come out “to hear the latest update on one of the most important and defining elections in the history of Guyana, from these prominent and highprofile political figures of Guyana”.

In these pictures, Jagdeo and Ali take time for photos with guests at the dinner.

Obama says ‘days of meddling’ in Latin America are past

Cuba’s President Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama are pictured with other leaders during the opening ceremony of the Summit of the Americas in Panama City on 10 April 2015.

US President Barack Obama has told Latin American leaders that the days when his country could freely interfere in regional affairs are past. He was speaking just before the seventh Summit of the Americas was due to kick off in Panama City.

Mr Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro will meet face-to-face for the first time since a December detente. But their much-anticipated meeting could be overshadowed by tensions between the US and Venezuela. Obama told a forum of civil society leaders in Panama City that “the days in which our agenda in this hemi-

sphere presumed that the United States could meddle with impunity, those days are past”.

Bumpy ride

At past Summits of the Americas, which bring together the leaders of North, Central and South America, the US has come in for criticism for its embargo against Cuba and its objection to having Cuba participate in the gatherings. This seventh summit is the first which Cuba will attend and much of the attention will be focussed on the body language between the former foes.

The meeting will be first formal encounter between the leaders of the US and Communist-run Cuba in more than five decades. Mr Obama stressed that he hoped the thaw in relations would improve the lives of the Cuban people. “Not because it’s imposed by us, the United States, but through the talent and ingenuity and aspiration and the conversation among Cubans, among all walks of life. So they can decide what the best course of prosperity is.”

While Mr Obama namechecked Cuba when he was talking about the US’s days of meddling being in the past, the message was equally - if not more so - aimed at Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has not only accused the US of meddling but of fomenting a coup against his government. His open distrust of Mr Obama was only heightened when the US president signed an executive order last month declaring Venezuela a threat the national security of the US.

US officials have since said the wording was “completely pro-forma” but the damage had been done. It had not only incensed Mr Maduro but also Latin American leaders sensitive to what they see as US imperialist rhetoric. The tone of the summit could well hang on whether Mr Obama’s latest assurances sway Mr Maduro and his left-wing allies, who form a powerful bloc at the summit. Mr Obama’s comments came a day after the State

Department recommended that Cuba be removed from the US lists of countries which sponsor terrorism. Its presence on the list has been one of the main hurdles on the way to closer ties between the two countries. The president said on Thursday that all he was waiting for now was a recommendation from his advisers, leaving many expecting an announcement at the summit. The smooth progress made between Cuba and the US stands in contrast to the bumpy ride that have been relations between Venezuela and the US over the past months. The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors for more than six years, but tensions rose last month when the US imposed sanctions on a group of Venezuelan officials it accuses of human rights abuses. A child reads a sign in favour of the US repealing sanctions against Venezuela in Panama City on 10 April 2015.

As part of the sanctions, Mr Obama issued an executive order declaring Venezuela a threat to the national security of the United States. President Maduro has collected more than 10 million signatures demanding its repeal. Their meeting at the summit, while less historic than the one between Mr Castro and Mr Obama, is drawing as much attention for its unpredictability.

Maduro sent out mixed messages

In a clear swipe at the US, he visited a monument to the victims of the 1989 US invasion of Panama just hours after he landed. But he also said that it was “time nor for imperialism, but for peace”. “We’re in a battle of ideas, in a fight so that Venezuela is respected, we’re coming here in a constructive spirit, to make history through respect,” he said. Whether it will be Mr Maduro’s combative spirit or his invocation for respect which will prevail should become clear on Saturday when the ceremonial part of the summit gives way to detailed discussions. (BBC)

The seventh Summit of the Americas is taking place in Panama City

Regions 1, 9 hit by drought

…Govt deploys team to provide water, food

By Vahnu Manikchand

Following extended periods of dry weather, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) has been hit by a severe case of drought, causing all the water wells to dry up and frequent bush fires to break out – the latest of which destroyed several farms at Aranaputa on Thursday.

plained that this was as a result of frequent periods of severe drought experienced in the north-east region of neighbouring Brazil. This region has been experiencing droughts since 2011 resulting in millions migrating to São Paulo. However, even this major city is at risk of ending up without water since the February rains were not extensive.

Commission was mandated to coordinate a response which is being led by the Ministries of Amerindian Affairs; Local Government; Housing and Water; and Public Works along with the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). “A report had been provided to Cabinet on the developments so far and it would seem that the fundamental intervention would

Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr Roger Luncheon told a news conference Friday that Government was continuing to monitor the situation which he said was caused by the low seasonal levels of rainfall in Region Nine and parts of Region One (Barima-Waini). He ex-

Already in Region Nine, residents do not have access to potable water for domestic and agriculture use. The drought has also attracted a resurgence of pests that are attacking the few crops that survived the drought.

Dr Luncheon disclosed that in response to this situation, the Civil Defence

be sourcing water from accessible sources – rivers that still flow and such like – and depositing that water onto tractors and trailers in tanks,” he stated.

The HPS further explained that those tanks would then be transported to the affected households and farmers. Dr Luncheon

Webster resigns as Cabinet Minister

Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster has resigned as a Cabinet Minister effective from April 30, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon has confirmed.

At his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing on Friday, Dr Luncheon indicated that President Donald Ramotar informed Cabinet that he had accepted Webster’s “notice of resignation that would be effective on April 30, 2015”. According to Dr Luncheon, the Minister indicated that there was “a significant lack of improvement on her health situation, whilst conducting the fairly rigorous demand of Minister of Government, particularly of the sector Human Services and Social Security”.

He added that Minister Webster made the decision and opted to pursue getting her health concerns addressed, and this led to her resignation. Webster previously served as Junior Finance Minister and

Human Services and Social Security Minister

Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President.

On Wednesday, Webster had told this newspaper that the reason for her not being on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic List of Candidates was due to her ill-health, but said she remained committed to the work and upward movement of the Party.

Webster was notably absent from the Party’s

went on to say that GWI has reported that wells are all dried up and that the water table was so low that even deeper wells are presently dried up. He added that Government was committed to continuing its efforts until the drought lessened.

He could not immediately say what was the cost of this intervention by Government. “This situation is anticipated to continue as long as rain fall did not take place and the intervention of distribution of water to villages and areas surrounding accessible sources will have to continue for that duration of time,” the Cabinet Secretary pointed out, adding “this low seasonal rainfall will be overcome by additional or the expected levels of rainfall”.

How long?

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, who has oversight responsibility for the Guyana Hydrometeorological Department, indicated to the Guyana Times that he could not say how long the drought was expected to last. “The region is currently experiencing a pattern of dry weather and we are monitoring it,” he said. The Minister added that the Government was doing whatever it could to assist persons in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, a resident of Lethem, Daniel Gajie, said that they currently have limited access to water. He disclosed that since in September last year, the region has not experienced any extensive rainfall. “It is very difficult to cope with because we have limited supply of water so we have to conserve. The place is very dry,” he related to this newspaper.

water is the GWI well, which is about two miles away from his hotel. He noted that persons with trucks would get water from GWI or any other nearby source and sell it for $5000 per tank. The businessman further mentioned that almost all the main creeks in the area are dried up. He said the Moco Moco Creek currently has very little water left and the Kuma Fall is dried up along with the Tabatinga Creek. Gajie pointed out that these usually flow into the Takutu River, but have dried up way before reaching the river. He added that the creeks began drying up about two weeks ago.

Forest fires

Furthermore, the immense drought in the area has contributed to disastrous forest fires which have been sweeping through the Aranaputa Village, North Rupununi for days.

tourism resort is completely ruined, it is burnt to nothing, the logging concession is under fire,” he related in dismay.

Jacobus said residents tried their best to control the fire but the natural disaster has now become uncontrollable. “We are really trying but it has now gone far beyond our control…If you happen to pass through Lethem, the entire area is in smoke, whole day, whole night. When you look out your windows at night, you can just see the fire flickering in the mountains,” Jacobus stated.

He disclosed that no one has been injured so far, but expressed his concern that the excessive smoke might eventually suffocate someone. Additionally, he revealed that one family’s home has already been destroyed as a result of the massive blaze. “Not only that, people who depend on their farms to live, they plant cassava and yam, all of that destroyed, their produce is burnt to nothing,” he said.

71-member list, which was made available to the media after the official presentation to the Guyana Elections Commission’s Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield.

Contacted on Wednesday for an explanation, Minister Webster told Guyana Times that there was no mistake, as she had made the decision to take a break for reasons she will make public at the appropriate time. With a distinguished record in the Public Sector and qualifications in the field of Finance, Jenifer Ingrid Marie Webster was a Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President. In 2006, she became a Member of Parliament with the portfolio of Minister within the Ministry of Finance. Her current portfolio is Minister of Human Services and Social Security. She was recently embroiled in a scandal involving senior Government officials who tapped a statefunded health assistance facility. In her case, the funds were utilised to look after her teeth.

Gajie, who owns a hotel in the area, explained that the only reliable source of

Aranaputa Forestry Society Vice Chairman Anod Jacobus told this publication that the fires were a serious threat to the residents’ lives, noting that they had already destroyed many farms and camps in the region. “The fire is really terrible, people farms are destroyed, the

He noted that the last time a situation like this occurred was some 10 years ago, but it was never to this dangerous extent. Jacobus said he had alerted the Guyana Forestry Commission about the disaster, but to date no help has been administered to the village. “Nothing is being done and we can’t do anything,” he expressed in dismay. He also said that the fire appeared to be threatening neighbouring villages like Annai. “It’s heading in that direction and if nothing is done then I don’t know what will happen,” he worriedly said.

Efforts by this publication to contact the Regional Chairman proved futile.

Jenifer Webster

The scene from a forest fire at Aranaputa Village, North Rupununi

Cabinet Secretary, Roger Luncheon

APNU/AFC says Peace Pact unnecessary

... does not rule out post-elections disturbances

Amid accusations made by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Clement Rohee that the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) is preparing its supporters to disregard the results of the May 11 General and Regional elections should it lose, executive member of the coalition, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine claims that this is not so.

Speaking at the PPP/C’s weekly press conference on Tuesday, Rohee had told media operatives that the Party has taken note of statements made by Roopnaraine at the APNU+AFC Anna Regina

Rally on Saturday. At the rally, Roopnaraine told the crowd which had gathered at Damon’s Square, Anna Regina that May 11 is “Revolution Day” in Guyana. He further went on to urge them to be vigilant and on guard while casting their votes to ensure that the integrity of the system was preserved. “For us in APNU, we have to recognise that after the people vote ,we have to protect the vote because we are dealing with a desperate band. All things are possible so when we cast that ballot on May 11, let us ensure that we make arrangements to secure every single ballot station and every single ballot box in the land because the revolution must succeed,” Roopnaraine had told the Essequibians.

However, Rohee stated that Roopnaraine should remember that it was the PPP/C which had worked and had fought to ensure that democracy, destroyed during the Forbes Burnham era, was reintroduced into Guyana’s political system. According to him, it would seem that the APNU+AFC coalition was already preparing its supporters to retaliate and to not accept the results of the elections, especially if it lost. To this end, he compared the People’s National Congressled APNU+AFC coalition and the PPP/C, making it pellucid

that his party has never and will never be involved in the rigging of elections.

However, speaking to the Guyana Times on Friday, Roopnaraine – who was at the time responding to questions on whether the APNU+AFC was prepared to sign a Peace Pact with the PPP/C to ensure that disturbances do not break out after the declaration of elections results – claimed

that his party has been receptive and accepting of the election results, and this will not change anytime soon. But the record shows that APNU had virtually rejected the results of the 2011 elections and proceeded on marches through the city, which led the Police

to fire pellets at the protesters because they did not comply with the law. Several leaders of the APNU had been injured. Dr Roopnaraine further asserted that the party’s message has always been one of peace and as such, there was no need for a peace pact to be signed.

“Look, let me say this on the acceptance of election results…We will not enter into an election and not accept the results. If we had a problem with the election, we would not have entered into it and to the extent that we have agreed to enter the elections, it means that we are prepared to accept the result,” the WPA leader noted.

He, however, inserted a caveat to this denial of possible disturbances when he related that while the parties have always and will always continue to preach peace and do not foresee any disturbances to the peace, the only thing which can cause a possible conflict is if there are events on E- Day that can lead to “extreme distortion” of facts. The APNU Executive noted that should the Presidential Candidates of the respective parties accept that there was a need for a peace pact and wanted to sign on to one, then full support will be given, since peace was the ultimate goal of the APNU+AFC.

Robbery charge against Colwyn Harding dismissed

Colwyn Harding, the young man who alleged that he was brutally raped by a batonwielding Policeman while in custody for a robbery allegation in December 2013, was on Friday cleared of another charge of robbery with personal violence.

Harding’s case was called before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday for the continuation of the trial, but Virtual Complainant (VC), Sherry Ann Hope again missed the session. Her periodic absence had hampered

prosecution of the matter.

Attorney Adrian Thompson, who represented Harding, addressed the court, requesting that in the circumstances that the initial statements made by Hope against his client be stricken from the record, as her absences indicated an obvious lack of interest in the case.

Thompson further requested that the prosecution withdrew its case against his client, as they had no case without the VC’s statements.

The VC had accused Harding in July 2014 of robbing her of a quantity of cash

and five cellular phones all valued $390,000 in front of Ashmins on Hadfield Street, Georgetown. During the course of the robbery, Harding allegedly dealt several lashes to Hope.

The case had been heard before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in Court One at that time when Attorney Nigel Hughes was representing Harding. Attorney Hughes had submitted to the Chief Magistrate in Harding’s first court appearance that his client could not have committed the robbery against Hope, as there were

witnesses who stated that he was elsewhere at the time. He had told the court that the Police were in possession of three witnesses who could have testified to the latter. However, the defence had no opportunity to prove their case, as the trial was put off continuously owing to the absences of the VC.

Magistrate Latchman ruled that the VC was indeed showing no interest in the trial which has been ongoing for months. She found the defendant not guilty and ordered him cleared of the charge.

Eyew tness

Jimmy Cock bring...

... (Lalloo) Ram Goat

Bharat Jagdeo’s hated by the Opposition beyond belief.

The reasons aren’t hard to see. He was catapulted over the heads of people like Nagamootoo, Ramkarran and Ramjattan (a law firm in the making?) to become the President of Guyana.

At the time, the PNC’d brought out its street elements in for the kill, Jagdeo stood them off like Horatio at the Bridge. He was only 35 and they thought if they’d forced out veterans like Janet, Jagdeo would be a pushover.

But even though they ratcheted up the pressure from “slow fyaah” to “mo fyaah” - which was executed by the Prison Five who launched an all out war against the State and Government - Jagdeo didn’t buckle.

What they didn’t count on was that - unlike wimps like Ramkarran and Nagamootoo who’d advised the Government to bend to the PNC’s blackmail violence and “bring them in”, Jagdeo took his oath to protect the State, with all seriousness. He would defend it “by any means necessary”. No capitulation!! No surrender!

And so it was, against all the odds the Opposition had stacked against him...Jagdeo and his PPP/C Government rolled back the tide of the barbarians at the gate. All those who’d already counted their (“Minister wuk”) eggs before the Buxton chickens had laid, ended up gnashing their teeth. And sharpening their swords and pens against him.

One of the major thwarted ones was Glenn Lall with his Muckraker. Another was Lalloo Ram, the Bookeeper who tried to turn lead to gold by attending law school well into his 60s, after his suspenders didn’t do the trick.

Not surprisingly there’s been very few willing to hire a lawyer who’s learning what’s a “case docket” when senility’s already kicking in. So Lalloo Ram was reduced to horning in as a junior water-boy on cases the Opposition wanted to file to harass the Government. Like when Glenn Lall unleashed a river of tears because he said Nandlall’d “cursed him”!! Anyhow here it is in the middle of the elections campaign, Lalloo Ram - true to his name - has brought a “Jimmy Cock bring Ram Goat story” case against Bharrat Jagdeo.

Claims Jagdeo’s stirring up “racial violence and hatred”. But it was OK when David Hinds personally called him after the Police pulled him up on his letter on Crum Ewing’s murder. Hinds had gratuitously brought race into the discussion, feeling “compelled to appeal to African Guyanese, in this moment of murder, the murder of another Black brother, to remain focused”.

Wasn’t this stirring up “racial hatred”?? To paraphrase Tina Turner, “What’s race got to do with it (Crum Ewing’s murder)?” But don’t tell Lalloo - he’s too consumed with jealousy, envy and anger at Jagdeo.

... (PNC) Ram goat

So Joseph Harmon says that even if Mr 11 per cent Nagamootoo doesn’t bring a single vote (and this is how it’s shaping up!) APNU’s still gonna give the AFC outfit 12 seats???! Don’t worry about the Prime Ministership and VPs and all that jazz. APNU’s gonna lose - with the PNC’s usual 40 per cent while the PPP/C will get its old majority.

But to what length will Granger and his army kitchen cabinet go to run away from the “PNC name”??

Because that’s all the AFC’s worth. And even with that, they’re “cocking de wuk”. They’ve kept their name separate with a “+” sign!! After giving away the store, the PNC couldn’t get them to become “one”?? It’s a “shad shad shituation” as CN used to say. PNC people were already pissed at how much Granger had to give away to those “one man” parties to hide the PNC.

What are they going to say to Granger and Harmon after this debacle??

... (Guyana Stores) Ram Goat

What the heck’s going on over at Guyana Stores and their (lack of) audited accounts?? We’ve heard about “no honour among thieves”. But what about among auditors?? Who just happens to be Lalloo!

PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee

APNU Executive Member Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

APNU/AFC List falls short of gender requirement

…forced to add 2 females, but Kissoon still out

The People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition was forced to add 11 new persons to its Top-Up List of Candidates – two of them females to meet the requirements set out by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The List was checked by GECOM following Nomination Day. The Guyana Times understands that of the 75 persons on the list, only 18 were women. According to the legal requirement, the list representatives must be one third female; as such, the alliance was required to make some adjustments. This was according to AFC General Secretary David Patterson, who was at the time speaking to members of the media on Friday.

The Representation of the People Act says the total number of females on each party’s national top-up list shall be at least one-third of the total number of persons on that list. The law also

states that the total number of females on any party’s lists for geographical constituencies, taken together, shall be at least one-third of the total number of persons on those lists taken together for the geographical constituencies in which that party is contesting.

No big deal Patterson related that while some changes had to be made, it was nothing to be alarmed about. He disclosed that APNU and the AFC each had to add one female to the list while the nine others, were males.

“When GECOM actually examined the list, they said that we needed to add a female from both sides and that was simply that,” Patterson told media operatives.

APNU Executive Amna Ally, speaking to the Guyana Times from Lethem, related that with the addition of the 11 persons, the List of Candidates is now 96 and the coalition has satisfied the constitutional requirement.

Meanwhile, Patterson explained the criteria which were used to select the 11 candidates. “Both parties used the same criterion. The first criterion was membership and then the regions themselves. Each individual region or constituency, because they have the youths and women, they would have discussed internally and shortlist a set of eligible individuals. We had a quota, according to the Cummingsburg Agreement, the 60/40 split so we would have gone through the executive and the regions and arrived at our quota. At all times, we wanted to reflect a rounded and broad list,” Patterson noted.

APNU Member of

Parliament Vanessa Kissoon was evidently not among the 11.

Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, the leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and executive member of APNU, also expounded on the criteria which were used, citing at the top of the list, competency and integrity.

“We wanted to place a great deal of emphasis on competency because part of what we are suffering from at the moment is a high level of incompetence in many areas of state operations and we wanted to ensure that we left the level of competence.

We have a strong insistence on integrity. So we were putting forward candidates, I believe, who could be trusted with political office and we tried to ensure as far as we can that our lists that we had submitted would in fact pass those tests,” Dr Roopnaraine shared.

Patterson declined to provide the names of those who were added to the list while Ally noted that she was not able at the time to produce the names.

PPP/C, APNU/AFC candidates agree to address social issues at forum

Acollaborative effort of civil society organisations led by the Guyana Women’s Roundtable (GWR) and the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC) will host a forum aimed at allowing the Presidential and Prime Ministerial Candidates of the two main political parties a platform to address youth and women issues.

The Forum, to be held at the Theatre Guild (Parade Street, Kingston on April 13 and 16 from 18:00h to 20:00h) will include a brief voters education session before the official start of the event. The format which the session will take encourages the public to pre-submit their questions and also ask their questions directly on the actual days.

The focus will be on issues revolving around crime, justice and violence, health issues and health care, entrepreneurship and employability, education as well as the participation and inclusion of youth and women in issues of governance and democracy.

According to a release

by organisers, APNU/AFC Candidates retired Brigadier David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo will be featured on April 13 and PPP/C candidates, President Donald Ramotar and Elisabeth Harper will be featured on April 16.They will all be asked to briefly present their vision for women and youth in relation to these five areas before answering questions submitted by the public.

Questions will be taken from the floor and can also be sent to cpicmoniques@hotmail.com, gnycteam@gmail. com or posted to the GNYC Facebook page (http://www. facebook.com/guyananyc) by 12 noon on Monday.

Organisers said that at the end of the Forum, candidates will be asked to sign a pledge of commitment to take action on the highlighted issues within the first six months of being in office.

Citizens, especially women and youth, are encouraged to attend this important forum to hear from the individuals who hope to represent citizens’ interests.

The GWR said it comprises a diverse group of women,

youth and community-based organisations and is coordinated by CPIC Monique’s Caring Hands. The membership represents the issues and concerns of many Guyanese families across the country. The GNYC, as a partner agency, represents a collective of youth organisations and individuals. Key to this process are: Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD); University of Guyana Students Society (UGSS); Habitat for Humanity; Blue CAPS; Youth Advocacy Movement; and GUYBERNET, amongst a few others. This is a key component of the Vote Like A Boss campaign which seeks to ensure that youth remain informed on the electoral process.

The Issues Forum seeks to bring together women and youth representing diverse views and interests within the Guyanese community around the theme of women’s and youth advancement with a particular focus on motivating women and youth to engage in all levels of civil society in a cohesive manner.

Friendship lad killed in road accident

Ateenager has become the second road fatality for the month of April after he was reportedly struck by a speeding Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Delivery Truck along the Friendship Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Friday. The truck was at the time returning to the DDL compound at Diamond.

He has been identified as Ezekiel Murray, 13, of Lot 34 Friendship, EBD. He was pro-

nounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre shortly after 18:00h.

According to information received, the lad was in the corner of the road when the driver of the canter took a sharp turn too quickly and hit the child. He was tossed into the air by the force of the impact and landed on the roadway where he reportedly died instantly.

From reports received, Murray might have suffered

Parties’ agents will not vote outside their districts

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has taken the decision to abide by the laws of Guyana and to disallow parties’ polling agents from voting out of their jurisdiction by not providing Certificates of Employment to them.

This was first related to media operatives by Executive Member of the A Partnership for National Unity and the Leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, at the party’s press conference, on Friday. He related that this was a matter of concern to the party. According to Dr Roopnaraine, the party was particularly concerned that the decision was taken by the elections body to not is-

sue certificates of employment to parties’ polling day staff and officials.

Dr Roopnaraine noted that this was a matter of concern since the refusal of GECOM to issue the certificates of employment would mean that its officials and polling day staff will not be allowed to vote if they are posted outside of their districts in which they are registered.

“This certificate is needed if polling agents and our Election Day officials are to be allowed to vote in districts and places they are not registered…,” the APNU Executive related.

He noted that this was a disappointment since it was well in the jurisdiction of GECOM to issue the certificates and to implement measures which will en-

sure that the difficulties in the electoral process are reduced.

To this end, he noted that the party would now be vastly affected since this move by the Commission would limit its ability to put persons in areas it wished, to observe the elections process.

“It is an act of disenfranchisement. GECOM should not be engaged in an act that disenfranchises the electorate. Rather, it should ensure that maximum enfranchisement is enjoyed,” he noted.

Roopnaraine told media operatives that the party would not sit idly and accept the decision and intended to challenge the decision taken by the body.

However, when contacted for a comment on the

matter, a senior official at GECOM told the Guyana Times that the decision was taken on a legal basis.

He noted that the Commission took the decision to abide by the law which does not provide for

the issuance of certificates of employment to any category except for the ones listed under the law.

To this end, the official related that the parties’ agents are not catered for under this law.

a broken neck and other injuries. He was picked up and rushed to the hospital. The driver of the canter, an employee of DDL, has been taken into Police custody assisting with investigations. Attempts to contact the relatives of the dead teenager proved futile. The company in a press release, said that it was saddened by the incident while offering its heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased.

– GECOM

He, however, related that under the law, persons employed by the Elections Commission would be issued certificates of employment to vote on Election Day, outside of their jurisdiction.

AFC General Secretary David Patterson

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

Bartica Regatta lives on!

Despite the ongoing uncertainty in the local economy in Bartica, its much-anticipated Regatta 2015 turned out to be a grand success.

The Bartica Regatta is usually held during the Easter weekend every year in the mining town of Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni- Mazaruni) and features a variety of exciting activities including water sports (main event- -boat racing); cricket, football; boxing; talent shows; musical concerts’ street parades, and an exhilarating Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant.

Throughout the years, the event which has earned itself a place on the National Tourism Calendar has attracted much investment, sponsorship and multitudes of tourists from near and far.

However, this year, due to the changes in the mining economy and the local political atmosphere, the overwhelming support usually received has dwindled.

According to Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford and Bartica Regatta Committee Coordinator Elisabeth Moonsammy, the usual sponsorship, which was sought from companies in the mining industry, was scaled back due to the low

gold declarations in the mining sector.

In addition to the loss of support from the Private Sector, Bradford said the Government also provided minimum assistance to this national event.

Aside from the obstacles endured in the sponsorship aspect, Bradford and Moonsammy highlighted that this year’s Regatta fell in the midst of an elections campaigning season, which usually impacts everything in its path negatively.

Bradford and Moonsammy regrettably related that the organising committee was unable to host the traditional Miss Regatta Pageant due to the lack of sponsorship.

The Regional Chairman disclosed that notices were put out calling on young ladies to participate in the pageant, but there was no support from that end either, which he assumed was owed to the intense political climate.

As a result, the favoured pageant was replaced with a simple fashion show where local talent was displayed.

While very much disappointed in the chain of events, the Regional Chairman and the Committee Coordinator were happy that people still turned out to have a memorable time.

“People turned out, not in the numbers they usually

would, but they came out,” he related.

Meanwhile, the event coordinator also took some blame for the hiccups encountered with Regatta 2015.

According to her, the committee failed to widely promote the event through various advertisements and promotional activities.

She too noted with regret the poor turnout during the weekend.

“We, the committee, did not see the turnout we were expecting, people did come out, but it was not as much as we expected,” she said.

The power-packed week-

end started off with a gospel concert on Good Friday evening featuring local musician Joshua Joe and his band, and then moved on to a Kiddies Fun Day on Saturday morning.

On Saturday evening, the streets of Bartica became festive with the annual “Street Jam” which attracted a reasonable crowd.

There was also an exciting football competition among local teams.

The biggest event was the hotly-anticipated powerboat and jet skis races on Sunday, where an abundance of tourists flocked the Golden Beach

Circuit to be part of the massive celebrations. According to Moonsammy, the turnout was spectacular considering the various constraints encountered during the planning phase.

There were, however, only nine races in the activity this year, when the other years would be packed with some 20-25 races.

Replacing the usual pageant in the evening was the fashion show which received splendid reviews from the few who attended. Local designers including the famous Sonia Noel displayed their collections during the show.

Then, in closing the curtains on the weekend of activities, the organisers successfully pulled off the super concert featuring Chutney singer Ravi B and Soca superstar Nadia Batson on Monday night.

In light of these challenges, Moonsammy said the committee has already started to review this year’s planning process to identify where they went wrong and to develop strategies to avoid the mistakes next year.

MPW spends $4M to upgrade Adelaide Street

Charlestown. Georgetown residents are happy that a roadway within their community has been resurfaced. Ronald Mayers, a resident and food vendor, said that the resurfacing of Adelaide Street, Charlestown is one which was well executed and will alleviate the difficulty vehicles and pedestrians had in traversing the road.

On April 11, 2015, the Ministry of Public Works (MPW), through its Force Account Unit (FAU), surfaced critical sections of the road with asphaltic concrete. The project cost MPW $4 million. “About a month ago, I had spoken to Minister [Robeson] Benn when he passed through here about the deplorable condition of the road,” disclosed Mayers, a food vendor. “He promised to get it done, and I am pleased that he came

through for us because the previous condition of it was really bad. Good job.”

Prior to the upgrade, certain sections of the road were filled with huge potholes. Twenty-six-year-old Ryan Jones recalled that when it rained heavily, the road was virtually impassable to vehicular traffic. “I am really pleased with the change. Everything nice,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Mentise, head of the FAU, stated that the newly resurfaced thoroughfare will also facilitate the easy flow of traffic from the East Bank Demerara during peak hours. Speed humps were constructed on the road to curb speeding. In 2014, the FAU spent $604 million to maintain 359 kilometres of roads in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and All declared public roads.

Vlissengen Road,

Irving Street, Mandela Avenue, Duncan Street, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, Homestretch Avenue, University of Guyana Road, Irving Street, Water Street, Carifesta Avenue, Sea Wall Road, Railway Embankment, Camp Road, Barrack Street, West Coast Demerara, East Coast Demerara and East Bank Demerara roads were some of the roads upgraded. Details of works carried out on the roads included: minor rehabilitation of local failure; pothole patching; crack fill longitudinal/transverse/ edge cracks; levelling and applying thin overlay to rutting; minor rehabilitation of local failure; surface seal block cracking; road safety maintenance (road marking and signs); cleaning or clearing of existing drains; grading and shaping of road shoulders; and revetment installation.

The resurfaced Adelaide Street, Charlestown

By Devina Samaroo

Some of the local designers whose collections were the star of the fashion

Powerboat race winner Dave Scott

saturday, april 11, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

HIV/AIDS prevalence in Guyana on the decline – NAPS

National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) Director, Dr Shanti Singh said that a new report has indicated that HIV/AIDS is on the decline in Guyana.

The Health Ministry through NAPS on Wednesday hosted a consensus meeting at the Regency Suites Hotel that brought together officials representing various in-country partners involved in the multi-sectoral national response to HIV. Partners included Government Ministries; United Nations agencies; the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV & AIDS (PANCAP); Civil Society Organisations; various categories of health care workers; and Persons Living With HIV (PLHIV).

Dr Singh, underscored that the most recent estimate has revealed an HIV prevalence of 1.4 per cent (2013) which shows a steady decline from the 2.4 per cent reported in 2004. Work on modelling of new national estimates for 2014 with projections for future years is ongoing and will be finalised by May 10, with support from technical experts from UNAIDS.

The NAPS Programme Director stated that there were 751 new cases of HIV reported during 2014 while the number of AIDS cases reported was 105. Most affected was the productive age group 25-49 which comprises 61.7 per cent of the reported cases. The proportion of

all deaths attributable to HIV/ AIDS has declined from 9.5 per cent in 2002 to 4.8 per cent in 2012. The estimated male to female ratio for HIV cases was 1.09 in 2014 while that for AIDS was 1.4. The rate of TB-HIV coinfection has steadily declined from 31 per cent in 2012 to 22 per cent in 2014.

In addition, it was pointed out that Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) services was provided at 188 health care facilities and this included routine HIV testing for all pregnant women, which revealed a 1.9 per cent prevalence of HIV among this population during 2014.

Dr Singh noted that at the end of 2014, there was a total of 5041 PLHIV enrolled at the 22 HIV care and treatment sites countrywide of which 4295 were on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). The survivability of patients on ART after 12, 24, 36, and 60 months were reported at 81.2 per cent, 75 per cent, 72.4 per cent, and 63 per cent respectively. Care and support services included home based care provided to 716 patients, PLHIV peer support, and the provision of a total of 3689 food hampers to 937 PLHIV.

Training, assessment

“During 2014, more than 5218 healthcare workers and other individuals were trained in a wide range of subject areas in the effort to increase knowledge and build capacity to sup-

port the HIV response,” she said. Among the major achievements, was the Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (BBSS) conducted among key affected populations (sex workers; men who have sex with men (MSM); transgenders; miners; and loggers). The survey revealed a reduced HIV prevalence among female sex workers from 26.6 per cent in 2005 to 5.5 per cent in 2014, among MSM from 21.2 per cent in 2005 to 4.9 per cent in 2014 and among miners from 6.5 per cent in 2000 to one per cent in 2014. Male sex workers, transgenders, and loggers who were being surveyed for the first time showed a prevalence of 5.1 per cent, 8.4 per cent and 1.3

per cent respectively.

HIV testing was done at 62 fixed sites and a number of mobile sites with a total of 54,816 tests done during 2014. Testing was also done among prisoners and TB patients and blood donors were routinely screened for HIV.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) against HIV was provided to 52 persons who had needle stick injuries and 17 persons who were victims of sexual assault. This latter figure, Dr Singh noted, was an indication that not all assault victims were coming forward to be treated. There was also a disparity in the numbers of males and females presenting for treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections with only 18 per cent of the 5127 reported STI cases being male.

Transitioning programme

In relation to transitioning from donor-funded support to Government, Dr Singh highlighted that this has already commenced and is moving ahead, with already significant staff transitioning to Government. Other areas of transitioning included the absorption of 25 per cent PEPFAR supported Antiretrovirals (ARVs) in 2014 and the commencement of the transitioning of the Global Fund Supported ARVS in 2015. All laboratory supplies in support of the HIV treatment programme, CD4 test, Viral Load, and DNA PCR have been fully transitioned.

During the consensus meeting, NAPS’ Monitoring and Evaluation lead Fiona Persaud spoke about the generation of estimates that formed an important part of the Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting (GARPR). This generation was done through Spectrum, specially designed software that allows for modelling of the HIV epidemic after certain essential country data is inputted. HIV indicators for which draft estimates were developed at a recentlyheld workshop included the HIV population in country, HIV prevalence, the number of persons requiring ART, MTCT rates, and mortality due to HIV.

Whilst listing the successes of the national HIV response, Dr Singh advised that the programme was, however, not without its challenges. She stated that one of the main challenges identified was the interruptions in some service delivery due to the transitioning of human resources from donor-funded to country-funded in the move towards sustainability.

Health Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Joseph Hamilton, in delivering his remarks on behalf of the Ministry, noted that significant progress has been made in providing services to PLHIV, which has now resulted in their living much longer. He pledged the support of the Government in ensuring the continuation of a full-fledged HIV programme in light of the decreasing donor funding.

UG taking baby steps in fixing campus woes

… UGSS heartened, hopeful

By Hema RamcHaRRan

The University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) says the administration of the institution has been taking small steps in fixing the many woes on the Turkeyen Campus.

UGSS President Joshua Griffith told this newspaper in an interview that following the recent strike action he was pleased to announce that there has been full resumption of classes and some of the proposals put forward by the students and lecturers

have been addressed.

For nearly five weeks students, lecturers, representatives from the University of Guyana Workers Union and the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association were on strike on the grounds of the institution, demanding salary increases and better working conditions.

However, the strike finally ended on March 3, 2015 following the signing of a Terms of Resumption agreement between the Unions and the UG Administration. Griffith told this publication that following the resumption of classes, a few of the issues that had plagued the campus were addressed. He highlighted that only recently the University was a beneficiary of 2000 new combinations as part of an arrangement with Gafsons Industries Limited.

He pointed out that apart from that, projectors and fans have been installed in the classrooms, there is free access to the Internet and the surroundings are no longer deplorable. He stated that changes will be made gradually;

however, for now they are trying their best to address some of the issues that can be handled at their level.

While addressing issues that were dealt with, he also noted that there were still some concerns that have not been addressed as yet, pointing out that security was one such. On this note, he stated that on Wednesday evening a student’s car was broken into, stressing that security has been one issue that needs immediate attention since the lives of students and staff are at risk.

Another concern that has arisen from time to time is the maintenance and conditions of the washrooms. He said that he and his team are working on this matter and hopefully it will be resolved soon.

Student welfare division launched

In an effort to address the growing needs of the University students and also to improve the students’ welfare, the UGSS officially launched the Students Affairs Welfare (SAW) division a few days back. Griffith indicated that student welfare was

essential to all aspects of University life in order to guarantee a safe and supportive culture and environment, which will, therefore, ensure enhanced teaching and learning experiences.

As it relates to getting students on board, he noted that there was a Crystal Clean Competition at the Turkeyen and Berbice

clean, develop and improve the facilities.

Griffith is encouraging students to break their silence to ensure that their voices are heard. He said that he wanted them to speak out and he and his team were willing and always ready to support the students in whatever problems they are plagued with. The student lead-

students should seek to get involved in extra studying, since “as they know this semester has been impacted”.

UG Deputy Registrar Theodosius Deloza told the Guyana Times that the University was back to normalcy, as far as he knew, as all classes have resumed and some of the strikers’ demands have

Campuses which will be judged by the end of this month. He stated that it was an inter-faculty competition during which students were mobilised to

er added that their representatives could work with students only if they communicated with them what the issues are.

He emphasised that the

been met. However, he said that he could not give a further comment on the ongoing negotiations between workers and the UG administration.

NAPS Programme Director, Dr Shanti Singh

UGSS President Joshua Griffith

Some of the 2000 new combinations UG received

Bartica booms as Brazilian businesses expand

By Devina Samaroo

Regional Chairman of Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Gordon Bradford has recognised the great influence of the Brazilians have towards the economical development of the mining township.

Bradford, during a telephone interview with the Guyana Times on Friday, highlighted the fact that the Brazilians have been significantly contributing towards the growth and expansion

of the various sectors within the sub-region. According to the Chairman, Bartica has experienced a massive economic transformation, with local businesses flourishing and the transportation sector continuously expanding, as persons pour into Region Seven for mining purposes.

“They brought businesses upon businesses in Bartica,” he exclaimed, pointing out that Bartica now has more business operations than ever before, from hotels and guest houses to food courts and malls, bars and clubs, boutiques and salons, among many others.

As it relates to hotels and accommodations, Bradford noted that Brazilians pay approximately six times the amount an average Guyanese would to rent a room or a house, resulting in the local landlords and landladies earning more money, contributing to an increase in their spending power, which then leads to a greater demand for certain goods and services, meaning the

other businesses would have to maintain the appropriate supply to fulfil that increasing demand.

This economical cycle is just a fraction of how the community of Bartica is prospering under the Brazilian influence.

In addition to the businesses and accommodation suites, Bradford noted that the foreigners have contributed heavily towards the expansion of the transportation sector. Before, there were hardly any motor vehicles operating on the roads of Bartica. But now, in order to meet that high demand for transportation required by the Brazilians, many have found job opportunities in this sector – leading to a gradual growth in the taxi industry.

The Regional Chairman also pointed out that due to the business activities normally conducted by the Brazilians, their taxi fares account to much more than the average Guyanese would pay for a regular short drop. “You see a normal person

Parties reviewing revised

would pay $300 to just go from here to there, but with the Brazilians now, they will go and run about to do their business and sometimes, by the time the taxi man done, he could finish working for the day,” Bradford explained.

The speedboat sector also experienced massive growth as a result of the presence of the Brazilians. Bradford noted that in addition to the boats that ply the Bartica-Parika route, job opportunities were opened up for boat operations within the interior and riverine ar-

Code of Conduct …Roopnaraine wants it to be enforced

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) says a revised Code of Conduct was on Friday sent to the political parties contesting the upcoming Regional and General Elections scheduled to be held on May 11 for them to peruse before they sign onto it by mid next week.

This is according to GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally, who spoke to the Guyana Times on Tuesday. He explained that while the revised Code of Conduct had already been drafted, he was waiting for Nomination Day to be held so that the political parties contesting the elections could have been confirmed before the document was released.

Political parties had signed the document at the last elections, but the Commission had moved to adjust the Code after realising it did not cover some areas that needed to be addressed.

Dr Surujbally said the re-

vised document addressed, among several key issues, the matter of instilling fear in the population, which was not included in the original Code of Conduct.

The new parts of the document will be highlighted in blue for the parties to examine. To this end, he noted that the Commission will be releasing the document to the parties today for perusal after which the Commission would meet with the parties between Monday and Tuesday so that the changes can be discussed and finalised.

Dr Surujbally further related that after this have been done, there will be the officially signing on to the Code of Conduct.

He has hailed the conduct of the parties so far, especially when meeting each other at events such as the Nomination Day list handover, pointing out that they were always civil to each other and never get disrespectful.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and Executive member of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, told the Guyana Times that while the party welcomed a Political Parties’ Code of Conduct to ensure a good election, it desired a Code of Conduct which can be implemented and enforced. “I have seen that a Code of Conduct for the parties is coming out and we welcome it. I notice that there have been some changes to the one from 2011, and while I haven’t seen them, we are interested in signing whatever Code of Conduct there is. Let me say that having a Code of Conduct is a good

thing, but having the capacity to enforce the Code of Conduct is another thing. So we will like a Code of Conduct that is implementable and there are penalties for its violations. You have to effectively have a Code that can be implemented and for which there are penalties for the violations…,” Roopnaraine related to this publication.

The Code of Conduct for political parties is a guide for behaviour in the lead-up to the May 11 General and Regional Elections. Once a political party signs on to the Code of Conduct, that party is expected to abide by the protocols documented in the Code, all in the interest of free and fair elections.

The advantage of having such an agreement in place, according to GECOM, lies in being able to guard against confrontational and vitriolic election campaign meetings/rallies and statements. The ruling PPP/C and the APNU+AFC coalition have not indicated any unwillingness to sign the document

after examination. GECOM also does not anticipate any reluctance on the part of the other political parties to sign on.

eas. Bradford also applauded Brazilians’ contributions through the provision of a variety of Brazilian products on the local market.

Furthermore, he noted that they established two churches in Bartica, which not only benefited the Brazilian community, but saw the participation of Guyanese youth in the various church activities. Therefore, aside from the massive economical transformation, Bradford acknowledged and applauded the Brazilians for their contribution towards the social atmosphere within the Region. In addition to that, Bradford noted that it would be remiss of him not to mention their valuable contributions in the mining sector.

He explained that they brought new and improved mining technologies to the local miners, resulting in better productivity. “The technologies they bring

are better than what the Guyanese were using, because of the techniques, you see the Guyanese find more fruitful areas to mind the gold…,” he said.

Impact

But, the Brazilian influence in Bartica is not all glorious, as highlighted by the Regional Chairman. He noted that their culture and normal demeanour has a negative impact, particularly on the younger people within the community. In fact, he explained that the entire culture of mining does not mix well with a “righteous upbringing”, and therefore, their existence in the community could pose a threat to the accustomed standards set by Guyanese. However, that aside, Bradford said the Brazilians have done incredibly well in changing the Bartica economy for the better. “As far as their influence in Bartica goes, it is definitely a positive one, they have positively impacted the community,” he applauded. However, due to the ongoing crisis in the gold mining industry, the bustling activities are slowly dying down due to the inactivity in the mining sector. While this appears to be slightly worrying for the Bartica economy, Bradford was optimistic that a sudden boost will soon occur to continue to advance the community and its economy.

GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally

APNU Executive, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

Region Seven Chairman Gordon Bradford

An aerial view of Bartica

Obama, Castro discuss ties, to meet at summit as detente takes hold

US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro have talked by telephone about restoring diplomatic ties and will meet informally at a summit this weekend as they seek to set aside decades of hostility between two Cold War enemies.

The historic rapprochement is set to dominate the Summit of the Americas meeting in Panama, less than four months after a landmark announcement by Obama and Castro that they would seek to improve relations and boost trade and travel.

The two leaders spoke by phone on Wednesday before Obama left Washington and discussed the process of resuming formal diplomatic relations and opening embassies, the White House said.

They had separate agendas for most of the day, but were both scheduled to attend the start of the summit along with other regional leaders on Friday evening.

The pair are expected to meet today, said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s Deputy National Security Adviser. “We certainly do anticipate that they will have an opportunity to see each other

at the summit tomorrow, to have a discussion,” he said.

Apart from a couple of brief, informal encounters, the leaders of the United States and Cuba have not had any significant meetings since Castro’s older brother, Fidel Castro, toppled US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista in a 1959 revolution that soon steered the Caribbean island into a close alliance with the Soviet Union.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez held talks at a Panama City hotel on Thursday night, the first meeting between the two countries’ top diplomats

since the United States’ John Foster Dulles and Cuba’s Gonzalo Guell got together in Washington in 1958.

Sitting face-to-face in a room visible through a large glass window, Kerry and Rodriguez talked for over two hours. A senior US State Department official described it as a “lengthy and very constructive discussion” and said they made progress.

The Summit is even more historic, since it is the first time Cuba, which was suspended from the Organisation of American States 53 years ago, under pressure from Washington, has attended. (Excerpt from Reuters)

TT PM concerned about possibility of terrorist threats to the Caribbean

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla PersadBissessar, says she is very concerned of the threat of terrorism, not only for her country, but for the entire Caribbean region.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s meeting of Caricom leaders with US President, Barack Obama, the Prime Minister said Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica both co-sponsored the United Nations resolution last September in New York, to deal with threats in the Middle East.

TT Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar

“We are very concerned and we will do all we can to work in partnerships to deal with narco trafficking, transnational organised crime, which is human trafficking and trafficking in arms, and trafficking in drugs. Now there is another serious threat to the Region

and that has to do with the threats coming from the terrorist groups in the Middle East.

“You may have seen the latest United Nations report and others reports coming in where Trinidad and Tobago, and the region, are being identified as an area from which persons are moving to fight in those terrorist areas.

“For those of us who signed on to the resolution, it gives us great benefits and help in the fight against terrorism, because 1), nationals may be leaving to go, there are others who are coming from other parts of the Region and passing through Trinidad and Tobago as a trans-shipment, if you like.” (Excerpt from CMC)

Bodies washed ashore in Haiti

amid shipwreck fears

At least 17 people are believed to have drowned in a shipwreck off the northern coast of Haiti.

The bodies of 11 men and six women washed ashore

in the coastal town of Le Borgne, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) north of Port-auPrince, the AP reports.

One official told AFP news agency the dead were migrants who were trying

to reach the neighbouring Turks and Caicos Islands, but this is unconfirmed.

No sign of a ship has been found and it is unclear if there were any survivors.

(BBC News)

Normalisation of US-Cuba relations will take time – Cuban Vice President

During a ceremony held in Havana on Wednesday in support of Venezuela, Cuban First Vice President Miguel Diaz Canel pointed out that the normalisation of relations between Cuba and the United States includes a two-stage and complex process.

First is the re-establishment of diplomatic relations, which requires the withdrawal of Cuba from the US list of countries sponsors of international terrorism and solving the financial situation of the Cuban missions in US territory, said DiazCanel.

Along with this, US diplomats must change their attitude in Cuba, since they

have turned the US Interest Section into a centre of political and ideological subversion as they carry out activities that run contrary to international law and the Vienna Convention, he stressed.

According to Diaz-Canel, that first stage includes the opening of embassies in Havana and Washington, the appointment of ambassadors, the official announcement of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations and a permanent high-level dialogue.

After this there would come a period of normalisation of relations, which would be marked by the issue of the US economic blockade, since such a step

forward is not possible without ending a policy that has inflicted human, economic and material damage to the Cuban people.

This second stage would also include the return to Cuba of the illegally occupied territory of Guantanamo, the end of subversive radio and TV transmissions and the consideration of ways to compensate the Cuban people for the damage inflicted by the US blockade.

“The factors in both stages are very complex, since we are talking about a process that we consider positive and we have full intention to advance it, it will take time,” Diaz-Canel said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Brazil Police arrest 3 ex-Congressmen, broaden corruption probe

Brazilian Police arrested three former Congressmen on Friday, broadening their corruption investigation beyond state-run oil firm Petrobras to state lender Caixa Economica Federal and the Federal Health Ministry.

A federal judge in the southern city of Curitiba ordered the arrest of André Vargas, former Congressman for the ruling Workers’ Party, as well as Luiz Argolo and Pedro Corrêa, former lawmakers for the smaller opposition Party of Solidarity.

Though none currently hold office, they were the first politicians arrested in the year-old probe that discovered construction companies had funnelled bribes from Petrobras.

Prosecutors and Police agents said at a press conference that Vargas and his brother had taken bribes in exchange for helping a public relations firm and a biotech lab secure contracts with Caixa Economica Federal and the Health Ministry.

“This was probably repeated in other areas,” said federal police agent Igor Romario.

In dispatches ordering the arrests, Federal Judge Sergio Moro cited evidence suggesting crimes of corruption and money laundering had been committed. Four other people were detained for allegedly funnelling bribes.

Prosecutors have long warned that the multibillion-dollar kickback scheme they uncovered at Petroleo Brasileiro SA likely extended to other state-run companies.

The Congressmen and Caixa Economica are tied to the Petrobras investigation by Alberto Youssef, the black-market money changer in the state of Parana who agreed to reveal beneficiaries of the scheme in exchange for a lighter sentence.

The investigation has led to the indictment of scores of executives from Brazil’s top builders and implicated dozens of politicians, the majority of them from President Dilma Rousseff’s Workers’ Party. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Man crushed to death in mishap

at Carib brewery

Police are investigating the death of a 51-year-old man who was crushed in an accident at Carib Brewery, Champs Fleurs, on Thursday. Police said the mishap occurred shortly after 07:00h as the victim, Calvin Dennis, a loader with a third party contractor delivering goods to the brewery, was directing his driver, who was reversing a container truck into a loading bay.

Dennis, of Mt Lambert,

was already pinned between a trailer and a concrete wall at the edge of the bay by the time staff at the brewery noticed and alerted the driver. Emergency Health Services (EHS) personnel were contacted and Dennis was taken to the nearby Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope. Dennis, who reportedly suffered several broken bones and severe internal injuries, was pronounced dead on arrival.

In a press release,

Carib’s Managing Director Gabriel Faria sent condolences to Dennis’ family as he described the incident as a tragedy. “The company regrets that such a tragic incident has taken place and reiterates its commitment to proper health and safety practices. The organisation sees safety as a top priority and continues to review its policies and procedures to ensure a safe working environment for all,” the release said.

(Excerpt from TT Guardian)

This is the first time a Cuban delegation has attended the summit [Reuters]

A Policeman stands in front of the Petrobras headquarters during a protest in Rio de Janeiro in March

USA TODAY supplement declares…

Guyana an emerging pioneer in green economic policy making

Asupplement to US TODAY, prepared by United World Ltd, has recognised Guyana’s effort to pursue a green economy. The 12-page supplement on Guyana, titled “Why Guyana?”, examines among other things, why the country is “the ideal base to do business in South America and the Caribbean”.

It cites among one of the reasons the fact that Guyana is green and peaceful. According to the supplement, Guyana has emerged as a pioneer in green economic policy making.

It also recognises that the country has taken the lead on important issues like climate change, and is pioneering in green creation, through its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) agreement with the Government of Norway.

According to the supplement, the country’s proximity to markets in North America, South America, the Caribbean and even Western Africa makes the country a natural crossroads of commerce and diplomacy.

Emphasising, the peaceful aspect of the country, the newspaper quoted Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett as saying that Guyana stands in principle, on many internal is-

sues, “whether it has to do with Palestine or climate change, we do not change or negotiate on it”.

“We also believe that we should, and have as many friends and allies as possible. We are a small country, and we do not believe in conflict. There is a large focus on peace and we have been discussing it in the region. That is why is very important especially at this time when we see so many conflicts in the world,” the Foreign Minister is quoted as saying.

It noted that these peaceful attributes of the country have helped it to secure foreign direct investment in agriculture, forestry, mining and petroleum, among other sectors, and that Guyana boasts an enviable array of natural resources including gold, diamonds, timber and bauxite.

It also quotes President Donald Ramotar as saying that “Guyana is also very well situated.” According to the supplement, President Donald Ramotar explained that Guyana acts like a bridge between the Caribbean and South America.

“We see we have the possibility of helping the Caribbean to link up with South America too and

UN chief urges return

Mumbai attack suspect Lakhvi released on bail in Pakistan

Tbroaden their relations. The financial and economic crisis hit the region very hard. If we could develop more of a relationship with the south, we think global impacts could be made a little less,” he explained.

The President noted that “Guyana is a free, open, transparent, democratic society where there are very warm and welcoming people.”

The president called Guyana a place where Americans can do business or can come to relax and see nature at its best.

“I think that our country is very welcoming. Guyana is a multiethnic, multiracial and multicultural country, and in this we are forging a unique Guyanese culture, while at the same time building on, and adding to the famous culture that helps make up our society so the Guyanese may be from different origins, like European, Indian, Native Indian (American,) African, but this culture includes all of them,” he said.

The USA TODAY supplement also examines among other aspects, Guyana as a regional gateway, its prudent policymaking, focus on education, powerful hydropotential and tourism opportunities.

to political talks in Yemen

The United Nations Secretary General has said that two weeks of Saudi-led air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, and the rebels’ advances “have turned an internal political crisis into a violent conflict that risks deep and longlasting regional repercussions”.

Ban Ki-moon on Thursday told reporters that he was urging all countries in the Region to go beyond national priorities and help the Yemeni people, saying “the last thing the Region and our world need is more of the chaos and crimes we have seen in Libya and Syria”.

He has called on all parties to the conflict to allow the delivery of badly needed aid, after the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday that at least 643 civilians and combatants have been killed, and 2,200 injured.

Tens of thousands of families have also been displaced and the WHO has warned that the situation in the Arabian Peninsula nation is critical.

Ban’s comments came after Houthi fighters, backed by supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, entered the provincial capital of the

Shabwa province in eastern Yemen, despite the intense Saudi-led air strikes against the group.

Residents said local tribal chiefs and security officials facilitated the entry of the Houthi forces to the city of Ataq on Thursday, where they took control of the offices of the local Government and security forces compounds.

It was the first time that the Houthis and their allies had entered the city, bringing them closer to the country’s most prized economic asset, the Belhaf natural gas facility and export terminal.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Sudan prepares for elections amid Opposition boycott

On a vast open space next to the Nile, hundreds of people are seated around plastic tables, sipping sweet, milky tea from small cups.

A large screen displays one of President Omar al-Bashir’s last campaign rallies ahead of the country’s general elections, due to start on Monday. From the back of a van, a man campaigning for a little known presidential can-

didate makes a last-minute attempt to garner support. But few of the tea drinkers are paying attention to the political messages, instead chatting along with their friends.

Most of Sudan’s main Opposition groups have vowed to boycott the polls that they said are guaranteed to lead to the extension of the 25-year rule of Bashir.

The vote is being held amid escalating violence in

Darfur, Blue Nile state and South Kordofan and complaints about the strengthening of presidential powers and oppression of political dissent. Anger is still rife over the violent crushing of protests in 2013 in which rights groups said 170 people were killed.

Student Abdullah Abdurahman said he has not registered to vote because the outcome is obvious. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

he suspected mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, has been released on bail from a Pakistani jail, officials say.

Jail officials in Rawalpindi said Lakhvi was released on Friday morning.

India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh has called the release “unfortunate and disappointing”, Indian media reports say.

Lakhvi had been granted bail in December, but was kept in detention under public order legislation.

That detention was declared void by the High

Court, which ordered his release.

Lakhvi still faces trial – along with six other suspects – over the attacks, which left 166 people dead and damaged peace efforts between the two countries.

The Mumbai attacks were blamed on militants of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group (LeT) which Lakhvi was accused of heading.

He was arrested by Pakistan on December 7, 2008, four days after he was named by Indian officials as one of the major suspects.

A spokesman for Jamaatud-Dawa, a charity accused of links to LeT, said Lakhvi

was “free now and in a secure place”. “We can’t say exactly where is he at the moment for security reasons,” the official told AFP.

The prospect of Lakhvi’s release sparked some angry protests in India. Lakhvi had been receiving special treatment during his time in prison.

Jail officers said he, along with six of his comrades, had several rooms at their disposal. They had access to a television, mobile phones and the Internet, as well as dozens of visitors a day. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Morocco bus crash: Children among 31 dead in collision

Schoolchildren returning from a sports competition were among at least 31 people killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck in southern Morocco, officials say.

The bus burst into flames after the crash on Friday morning near the city of Tan-Tan in the district of Chbika.

Nine people were injured and taken to hospital.

Local media said the children had been taking part in an athletics competition and were travelling with their coaches.

Some reports said they were travelling from the capital, Rabat, to Laayoune, which is in the Western Sahara.

“A majority of the victims are children aged eight to 14,” an official from the

Regional Sports and Youth Ministry told the AFP news agency.

Hassan Issengar, a wellknown athlete, was travelling with the children and is among the dead, reports said.

Road accidents have

been on the rise in Morocco as car ownership has nearly doubled over the past 15 years, according to Reuters news agency. Ten people on average are estimated to die every day in road accidents. (BBC News)

India to buy 36 French-made Rafale jets – PM Modi

India will purchase 36 of Dassault Aviation’s French-manufactured Rafale fighter jets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday during a visit to Paris.

The terms and conditions of the contract have yet to be finalised, Modi said at a

joint press conference with French President Francois Hollande.

India’s purchase of 36 French-made Rafale jets unveiled on Friday is not part of a larger order still being negotiated between the two countries, a French Defence Ministry source said.

The value of the larger 126-plane deal being negotiated is estimated to have grown to about US$20 billion from an initial US$12 billion, primarily because of an Indian requirement that 108 of the jets be built in the country (Reuters)

The bus was completely destroyed in the fire that followed the collision

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and French President Francois Hollande (right) shake hands during a news conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, April 10 (Reuters/Charles Platiau)

saturday, april 11, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com

Litigation against Finance Minister unnecessary

... loan proceeds deposited in consolidated fund – HPS

Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr Roger Luncheon on Friday stated that the litigation brought against Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh for unauthorised spending, was wholly unnecessary. The litigation was brought against the Minister by the parliamentary Opposition A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change.

Dr Luncheon told his post-Cabinet media briefing that while the issue was simple “at the end of the day, this issue of public expenditure management and allegations by the parliamentary Opposition of unconstitutional and unauthorised spending by the Minister of Finance contin-

ues to plague our society, our media in this, the electoral season. We strongly suspect, believe that it could be transformed into an electoral issue.”

The HPS explained that

the unconstitutional expenditure of public funds, a claim made by the parliamentary opposition, continues to be the same. “The Government executed a loan agreement with an international financial institution, and that loan provided a certain sum of money. This loan was a policy-based loan.”

He added that such a loan is when Government undertakes to implement certain policies, and in this case it was in the environmental sector, particularly environmental protection. The loan saw Government committing to implement, introduce, and adhere to certain policies on the environment and environmental protection for which Government would receive a certain sum of money.

Dr Luncheon stated that while the board of the international financial institution approved the loan, the funds were disbursed to Guyana. The Opposition then moved to the court to block expenditure of those funds, a move which he indicated was totally unnecessary. “…it was known to be unnecessary at the time the Opposition moved to the court for litigation. I have said it is a totally meaningless allegation because for policy-based loans, funds are not spent,” Dr. Luncheon stated.

The proceeds of the loan were deposited in the Consolidated Fund and remains there. The undertakings which Government had made were being met without expenditure from these proceeds from the interna-

tional financial institution, he added. “Our point is that the Opposition knew that the funds would be 1), deposited in the Consolidated Fund and2), that expenditure would not be incurred, and yet as the AG insists, they sought to abuse the court and take this matter to litigation,” Dr Luncheon added.

Publicity based

He observed that this was a move by the Opposition to gain media attention, as well as keep alive this issue of public expenditure management and the Opposition’s allegations that “Minister Dr. Ashni Singh was indeed unconstitutionally spending funds from the Consolidated Fund.”

Minister Singh gave an

undertaking at Cabinet to provide in the greatest detail the information that supported Dr Luncheon’s disclosure and “indeed to go into greater detail on the handling, not only of policybased loans, but also of project loans, which was not a matter that the Opposition raised in their litigation. They dealt specifically with this policy-based loan in the environmental sector,” Dr Luncheon concluded.

During last week’s media briefing, Dr Luncheon had indicated that the litigation was used as a smoke screen, to continue to bring to the public’s attention the issue of Minister Singh’s spending and issues surrounding public expenditure manner.

Bartica on a journey to township status

… Westford says developments under PPP/C massive

By Devina Samaroo

The community of Bartica, which was once described as a quiet area and the perfect getaway from the bustling activities in the city, is now on its journey to attaining township status.

Speaking with the Guyana Times on Friday, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) Representative of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Dr Jennifer Westford noted that Bartica has experienced tremendous developments under the PPP/C, which thrust the community in the direction of township. Since 2007, Government has been working towards making Bartica a town. But according to Westford, there

In fact, Westford pointed out that the Government has expended millions of dollars towards development, not only in Bartica, but in the entire CuyuniMazaruni district. She noted that the roads in the riverine areas have been upgraded from their deplorable state and were now quite usable. She particularly mentioned the improvements done to the roads connecting various farms to their markets – facilitating easier access for farmers in the area.

Additionally, while the

are still some minor details that needed to be worked out.

Bartica-Potaro road still has problems, Westford assured that the Government was working towards repairing it. It was reported last year that some $25 million was approved in the Ministry of Public Work’s 2014 budget to carry out the necessary rehabilitation works on the road under the Hinterland Road Rehabilitation

Nonetheless, even though the township status has not yet been gained, the community, which was established some 170 years ago, has experienced massive developments in almost all the sectors, with all the required infrastructure for a town – an aerodrome, banks, churches, mandirs, masjids, hotels, hospitals, market, police station, post office, schools, television station, and utilities such as telephones, electricity and water supply.

Programme.

As it relates to schools, Westford took pride in declaring that the Government, once again, succeeded in proving its commitment towards to enhancing the education sector with the establishment of new secondary schools in the region. Not only are the schools fully equipped with the necessary furniture and teaching material, but there are dormitories on the grounds to provide a home for those students who have to travel from afar to obtain an education.

In addition to those developments, the Government’s recent “Because We Care” cash grant benefited thousands of parents in the region with a donation of $10,000 per child to assist in purchasing the necessary material to send them to school.

Also, in December last, 78 young people graduated in several disciplines as part of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme. The areas covered were engineering, building construction, health services,

information technology and home economics. Ten single parents in Bartica also completed training in catering.

New hospitals

Moving along to the health sector, Westford noted that Government has established two new hospitals in the region, one in Bartica and the other in the nearby village of Kamarang. She assured that the hospitals are equipped with modern facilities to ensure the best service is provided to patients. Westford added that there

was also a 24-hour emergency service being provided in Bartica.

Also in the health sector, last year, some $22 million was allocated for the establishment of maternity waiting homes in several communities, including Bartica, to cater for antenatal highrisk mothers.

As it relates to housing, Westford underscored the significant development of that sector in Bartica. She disclosed that Government has developed two new housing schemes in the region,

along with the necessary infrastructure, water supply and adequate lighting to provide ideal living conditions for residents. The two schemes are the Four Mile Housing Scheme and the Five Mile Housing Scheme.

The local economy has also experienced a massive transformation from a rural village to a vast and expanding municipality. Some new establishments that have been set up in Bartica, contributing to its growth, are branches of Macorp, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), Camex Restaurant Inc, among others.

Aside from the notable companies, several local persons have established their own businesses such as night clubs, bars, boutiques, salons, grocery stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Westford also acknowledged the growth of the mining industry in Bartica, pointing out that the Government has contributed continuously towards this development.

She noted that Government has provided lots of assistance to both small and large-scale miners, which directly contributed towards the progress in the economy. In addition, capacity building at the Integrated Tax Office was a core focus of the Government in order to provide a full range of services in the community and other far-flung communities in Guyana.

“All that we can see is that Bartica is moving upwards; of course, there are some areas that need improvements, but, overall, we are keeping going upward, and not downward,” Westford asserted.

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

The $60 million GBTI branch on Second Avenue, Bartica

A well-stocked stall in the Bartica Market

The Macorp Branch in Bartica

Litter Regulations outline offences, penalties, and enforcement

Dear Editor, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wishes to provide some clarifications on an article published on April 9 in another section of the media.

Please be advised that the Litter Prevention Regulations 2013, under the Environmental Protection Act No.11 of 1996, came into force in November 2013. Enforcement activities for these Litter Regulations commenced April 2014 with the establishment of a Litter Enforcement Unit at the EPA.

The Litter Regulations outlines several offences and penalties and provides for Litter Wardens with authority to enforce these Regulations and with special powers of court on convicting offenders.

Under ‘offences’, “A person who, without reasona-

ble excuse, deposits litter in or on any public place… is guilty of an offence”. Also, persons who deposit litter from a moving vehicle unto a public place will be considered an offender.

However, if the person who committed the offence cannot be determined, then the driver of the vehicle will be held responsible. Consequently, any individual found guilty of any offence will be liable to a fine of $50,000, while a corporate body will be issued a fine of $100,000. Additionally, it is an offence not to provide a receptacle for litter in public transportation.

It is expected that the owner of every vehicle for hire provides within his/ her vehicle, a receptacle for the collection of litter.

Failure to satisfy this regulation would result in a penalty fee of $15,000.

The Regulations also outline the institution of increased penalties for persons found guilty of repeat offences. If a person is found guilty of committing a litter offence, the litter prevention warden may instruct that person to place the litter in the nearest receptacle or “remove the litter to the nearest approved site”.

According to the Litter Enforcement Regulations 2013, “where any person is convicted of an offence under regulation three (Special Powers of Court on Convicting Offenders), the court may, in addition to imposing a penalty, order the offender… to clean up and remove such litter deposited in such public place within such period specified in the order”.

The Regulations allow for the appointment of Litter Prevention Wardens

by the EPA, and by virtue of their office, Officers of the Guyana Police Force, Local Authority, Ministry of Health, Harbour Master, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, and the Guyana Forestry Commission, among others are deemed Litter Wardens for the purposes of implementing the Regulations. Persons with such authority “may summarily act to prevent the deposit or attempted deposit of litter in any public place in which they are authorised to act”.

During the lead-up to commencement and actual implementation of enforcement activities, the EPA has consulted and continues to collaborate with several stakeholders including the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (MoLGRD), and the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), specifi-

The plight of a group of

Dear Editor,

In the year 2010, 30 students from Guyana and the other parts of the Caribbean enrolled in the Optometry programme at the University of Guyana and graduated subsequently in 2014. The first batch of its kind to ever graduate as Optometrists from this programme in Guyana.

This programme promised a bright future for the Caribbean but more especially for the optical service in Guyana. However, it is appalling and reprehensible to report that a year after they graduated from this prestigious institution as Optometrists, they are being denied their rights to practice like the other optical providers of Guyana.

What is even more dis-

tressing is fact that measures have been put in place to prevent them from being registered by the medical council, even though they have fulfilled the requirements upon completion of the programme. As such, this dilemma has not only left them in a precarious position, but also has them contemplating litigation if any substantiated justification is not forthcoming. I will even go as far to say that the commencement of this programme at the University was met with fierce opposition by Guyana Optometry Association, which is mandated to represent Optometrists. Is it because they have the monopoly of this service that they want create bottlenecks for others to join the service?

It is very disheartening that after so much unwavering commitment and investment of financial resource into this programme.

The fact that these individuals have complied with all the regulations of the programme stipulated by the University of Guyana, the Government of Guyana and Caribbean Council for the Blind, they still find themselves pondering their future.

It was brought to my attention that (name given), a Former President of the Optometry Association, tried to terminate the Optometry Programme before it even began for fear of potential competition.

It was also reported that this person held several meet-

The co-generation plant...

This increased efficiency will propel sugar production and reduce the costs of production and an increase in sugar prices will definitely give Guysuco the impetus it needs to overcome the final hurdles.

But yet again Ramayya wickedly decries the efforts of management and workers by claiming on DTV 8 on April 4, that this is a political gimmick and bribery by the PPP/C. How can the earning of a bonus day pay be linked to bribery when the target set at Albion is around 2,200 tons per week?

Do Ramayya feel that this is an easy feat to achieve? This man always paints the worst scenario to fulfil his selfish political ambitions.

The AFC+APNU coalition has never supported the sugar industry but since its election times they have changed their tune in order to get the votes of the sugar workers but these workers can read between the lines from what is being said by high profile members of AFC and APNU. It is sad and disappointing that closure of the sugar industry is the only option offered by the AFC and APNU. Granger’s talk about ‘sugar too big to fail’ is just an election gimmick and it is only the PPP/C who is serious about the survival of the sugar industry. Sugar workers need to understand this ‘gimmick’ and do not fall for it. Lastly, and disappointing-

from page 5

ly as well, Badal seems to be unaware that the cost of fuel has risen once again so that his demand for a 30 per cent reduction in electricity is simply ridiculous.

“It is time” that the opposition parties put hypocrisy and politics aside and meaningfully support GuySuCo. That is the change that this country needs. The move by NICIL is a great strategy in divestment and investment and strong evidences are there to support it and the Opposition should give their support. GuySuCo is indeed ‘too big to fail’ as Dr Ramsammy had pointed out a long time ago!

Haseef Yusuf

cally the Town Clerk, the Chief Constable of the City Constabulary, the Director of Solid Waste, and the City Engineer.

These stakeholders were briefed on the contents of the regulations, the offences, and penalties, and were advised that the City Constabulary Officers can bring charges against offenders under these regulations.

The EPA continues to collaborate with these and other stakeholders in executing its litter prevention programme. As part of implementation activities, and the appointment of Litter Wardens to enforce the provisions of the regulations, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE) and the EPA hosted several workshops aimed at appointing persons as Litter Prevention Wardens un-

der the Litter Prevention Regulations (2013).

Officers from the Guyana Police Force, the City Constabulary, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Forestry Commission and the Harbour Masters and Public Health Officers were officially appointed as Litter Wardens.

The EPA’s Litter Wardens have been engaging the City Constabulary in enforcement activities, including and conducting joint enforcement in the City.

In addition, the EPA has and continues to work with and received support for clean-up activities in the city by the Solid Waste and the City Engineers Departments respectively.

EPA

Optometrists

ings with the University of Guyana in an attempt to terminate the programme. It was even reported that she approached NIS with an attempt to have them disallow the new optometrists from signing for NIS vouchers.

How can such shockingly contemptuous action be fair to our younger generation who is making a concerted effort to

build a better Guyana? What message are we conveying to our young people who invest $250,000 tuition fee per year, for four years, only to be denied acceptance to practice upon completion?

No wonder the exodus of young and qualified Guyanese continue to occur at an alarming rate. It is these selfish and vindictive actions that contin-

ue to cause a serious hemorrhaging of our human resources. Therefore, I am exhorting the relevant personnel to look into this matter and derive a favorable solution for us. It is time that this optical monopoly end and everyone be accorded an equal opportunity in this land of ours.

Robin Prasad

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

AQUARIUS

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

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Avoid conflicts. Do your best to listen to and observe what’s going on around you. Elderly relatives will offer interesting insight into your family history. Rethink your strategy.

Take time for relaxation and pampering. Stretching yourself to the limit daily can cause minor injuries and stress. Spend a day doing whatever makes you happy.

You must realise that not everyone will agree with your opinions, methods or decisions. Treat others’ opinions with respect if you wish to avoid conflict.

Consider making a career move. Delve into information that will help you start a business from your home. There are many courses and seminars that could provide you with entrepreneurial strategies.

Someone from your past will return to your life. Plan to take a trip to a nearby place of interest. Romance is looking hot. Emotional clashes are likely if you are not true to your word. You can’t be everything to everyone, so put yourself first. Don’t make promises you can’t keep or plans that are unrealistic.

If you pry into someone else’s business, you will end up regretting it. Joint ventures and gullibility will lead to disappointment and loss. Rely on factual information, not hearsay.

Family members will be difficult or demanding. Make plans to go out with friends or work on a pleasurable hobby away from any turmoil. Creativity and imagination are highlighted.

Don’t spend money thoughtlessly, or you will have trouble meeting your fiscal obligations. Set a strict budget. Let a financial professional guide you. Conservative long-term investments will pay off.

Your emotions will be close to the surface. Think twice before you say something that could damage an important relationship. Reasonable concessions will help solve issues. Prepare to compromise.

Don’t risk your reputation by becoming involved in secretive plots. Pick and choose your partners wisely and abide by your code of ethics, no matter what others do.

Focus on your home. Making personal improvements or redecorating your space will bring you satisfaction and comfort. Take a look at other houses in your area for ideas.

GEMINI

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

dilbert

arCHie

DeFreitas hits unbeaten century Electric Faulkner and Royals sink Kings XI

The 2015 New Building Society Limited (NBS) Second-Division 40Over Cricket Competition, organised by the Berbice Cricket Board, continued with seven matches.

Jorim DeFreitas stroked the tournament’s first century, hitting an even unbeaten hundred against Canefield.

Summarised scores from the matches played are as follow:

At Lochaber in West Canje, Guyana Eagles beat Canefield by 72 runs. Guyana Eagles 184-6 in 25 overs with Jorim DeFreitas making 100 not out, Leon Sunthgolam taking 2-20, Udith Emrit 2-25, and Teelak Singh 2-34. Canefield in reply were bowled out for 112 in 20 overs. Gregory Crandon took 3-15, Kellon Henry 2-15, Vidal LaFleur 2-18 and Michael West 2-20.

At Vrymens Erven,

Angoy’s Avenue Achievers beat Police by nine wickets. Police were bowled out for 78 in 17 overs with Chris Sulker (6-9) and Graham McKenzie (3-9) being the chief destroyers. Angoy’s Avenue Achievers made 79-1 in 12 overs with Glendon DeCunha scoring 43 not out.

At Fyrish, Fyrish beat Number 7 by 67 runs. Fyrish made 254-9 in 35 overs, with Chandra Roopnarine hitting 39 and Javed Mohamed, 25. Ravi Persaud (3-72); Dineshwar Dhanraj (2-33); and Raymond Mohamed (239), were the best bowlers on show. Number 7 were then bowled out for 187 in 23.5 overs, with Orlando Gvirola hitting 71 and Jonathan Bhola, 29.

At Kilcoy Multipurpose Centre, Cheskoy Riders beat Travellers by 79 runs. Cheskoy Riders were bowled out for 200 in 29.4 overs with Sheldon Phillips stroking 45 and Joel Johnson, 33. Brian Algu (4-31) and Gordon Hughes (2-31) bowled well for Travellers, who in reply were bowled out for 121 in 21.3 overs with Sheldon Phillips taking 3-37 and Joel Johnson 2-31.

At Albion Back, Tamarind Root beat Toopoo Rising Stars by five wickets. Toopoo Rising Star made 170 in 26.4 overs, with Majid Khan Mohamed scoring 45 and Surindra Ramdeo, 29. Rajendra Deonarine had 3-47 and Keshwar Ramsammy 3-4. Tamarind Root in reply

reached 175-5 in 24 overs with Michael Ramdihall hitting 47 and Rajendra Deonarine 40.

At Edinburgh, Edinburgh beat East Bank by two wickets. East Bank were bowled out for 112 in 19.4 overs, with Clifton Lindee scoring 29 and Gary Solomon, 25. Compton Wade took 4-13, Shafiq Khan 2-14 and Deonarine Seepersaud 2-22. Edinburgh reached 113-8 in 21.2 overs, with Joseph Giddings making 26. Zaheer Hussain took 4-23 and Gary Solomon 2-25.

At Belvedere, Belvedere Battle Steel beat Belvedere United by seven runs. Belvedere Battle Steel making 110 in 26 overs, with Sudesh Verapen scoring 30. Asif Kamaludin took 2-26. In reply, Belvedere United made 103 in 31 overs. Sudesh Verapen, Dindial Mohan and Ryan Mongal all claimed two wickets apiece.

It is almost as if James Faulkner was built from the ground up with only one question in mind: What would a Finisher need? Power, he has that. Common sense, he has that by the truckload. Percentage cricket, he doesn’t play any other kind. And confidence, he’s won a World Cup. Today in Pune, he walked in after Kings XI Punjab shredded the Rajasthan Royals top order. But 75 for 5 was nurtured through the middle overs to 110 for 5 in the 15th and then Faulkner exploded. His 46 off 33 balls lifted Royals to 162, which proved 26 more than necessary.

Faulkner, with the ball this time, insured that result by the fifth over of the chase when he dismissed Glenn Maxwell for 7. Tim Southee was at the other side of that wicket, falling low to his left to convert a touch chance. He bettered that in the 19th over with a hokey-pokey catch, featuring spectacular assistance from Karun Nair, that will shred Youtube hit counters, crash ESPNcricinfo and break the internet.

And so the Achilles heel of the Kings XI batting line-up was found: a mix of enterprising bowling and electric fielding. And it was on view from

“Another day at the office,” says Green

The national ruggers have arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and will take on the twin-island republic in the Southern Zone Championships of the North America Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) 15’s Championships today from 15:30h.

However, before the team’s departure, at a practice session on Wednesday, Guyana Rugby Football Association (GRFU) President Peter Green expressed confidence in the team’s chances.

“Another day at the office, we are going there to win. It is going to be tough, but we will prevail,” Green stated.

Green also highlighted

“The

looking good and they will contribute,” Green mentioned.

In addition, Green also noted that the women’s squad is looking good for the

ers, noting that the “team cannot be left at home”. Once Guyana is victorious today, they will move on to defend their title against the Northern Zone champions.

the very first ball of the chase - a delicious outswinger from Southee, an acrobatic catch from Sanju Samson and Virender Sehwag was handed a golden duck. Samson produced another gem when he ran Wriddhiman Saha out after the batsman had lazily strolled out of his crease in search of a sneaky leg-bye. A second direct hit from Samson would catch M Vijay, whose 37 was Kings XI’s top score, short and leave the score at 64 for 4 in the ninth over.

With their fielders’ alertness to bank on, the Royals bowlers upped their game. Their lengths and lines were stifling, the scoreboard pressure grew and batsmen were lured into making mistakes. With 71 needed off seven overs, David Miller, the last remaining hope for Kings XI, attempted to manufacture a boundary against a ball that got too big on him. His ungainly pull ended up a leading edge that sailed down to Faulkner at deep third man.

Both teams’ bowlers had made excellent use of a Pune pitch not lacking for grass. After losing the toss and being stuck in first, Steven Smith said he was unsure of how it might behave. Perhaps that’s cricketer-speak for ‘I hope it doesn’t jag all over the place’. His concerns were

well-founded and the Kings XI new ball bowlers were a menace. Sandeep Sharma beat Ajinkya Rahane four times in the first over and was as much a part of the batsman’s downfall in the next over as Anureet Singh who induced the unnecessary slog. The batsmen would be defeated eight more times by the moving ball and the score would read a docile 35 for 3 at the end of the Powerplay. Then came Johnson. There were no snarls, no verbals, but the theatre was magnificent. Nine balls he unleashed that touched no part of the bat, and the first time contact was made resulted in the wicket. And not just any old scalp, this was Steven Smith. This was bragging rights over the future Australia captain. Johnson first two overs yielded only eight runs, and only three times did a batsman make contact and survive.

Faulkner provided two of those instances and racked up many more as he bashed Johnson for two sixes and a four in the 19th over to pull off the star turn. The 51 runs off 36 balls he added with a bold, 19-year-old Deepak Hooda helped Royals reach the final five overs with wickets in hand.

Welcome to the Faulkner zone. Collect your defeat on the way out. (Cricinfo)

Chris Sulker

Jorim DeFreitas

The national ruggers arrive in Trinidad and Tobago

Kohli hurt by critics going personal Masters 2015: Tiger Woods hopeful, Rory McIlroy solid

Virat Kohli, India’s Test captain, has said that he was “disappointed” and “hurt” by the extreme reactions from sections of the media which were critical of him after he failed in the World Cup semi-final against Australia. Not just limiting their criticism to his batting, some even questioned the presence of Kohli’s girlfriend during the World Cup campaign, saying it might have had a negative effect on his game.

According to Kohli, who finished as the third best Indian batsman in terms of runs - aggregate of 305, including a century against Pakistan in the tournament opener - the critics had easily forgotten that he had been the best batsman for India in the last five years.

“Personally I was very disappointed. I don’t think anyone has helped India win as many matches or performed as consistently as I have in the last five years,” Kohli said in Kolkata, where Royal Challengers Bangalore open their IPL campaign against Kolkata

Knight Riders on Saturday.

“After that, to see such reactions after just one poor innings, was very disappointing. What it does is it makes you lose faith in a lot of people. It’s a good thing in a way - you get to know who’s with you and who’s not. It was indeed a very difficult, well, not difficult because it’s not in my control. But the reactions were very disappointing.”

Speaking on the issue for the first time in public, Kohli said the critics should be “ashamed” before going personal. “At a human level, I would say I was hurt. And the people that said things and the way they were said, they should be ashamed of themselves.”

It was clear that Kohli had planned to make his feelings public today. Later on Friday afternoon as soon as the pre-match briefing at Eden Gardens came to an end, Kohli, unprompted, bared his feelings once again.

“The way people reacted towards my personal life and Anushka in particular was really disrespectful. I

Ibrahimovic gets 4-game ban for rant

Paris St-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been suspended for four Ligue 1 matches for a foul-mouthed outburst that was captured live on TV.

The Sweden international lost his temper, criticised match officials then swore when describing France after his side’s 3-2 loss at Bordeaux last month.

Ibrahimovic, 33, later apologised, saying his remarks “were not aimed at France or the French people”.

He will now miss four of the quadruple chasers’ seven remaining league games.

A disciplinary panel said his punishment reflected “the offensive nature and rudeness of his words”.

Ibrahimovic is also banned for the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Barcelona after a red card against Chelsea in the last round.

He can play in Saturday’s League Cup final against Bastia. (BBC Sport)

wanted to put it out there in public because at a human level I was really hurt. I wanted to express that for quite a long time but I wanted to take a break for a few days. It is very important for people to know we are human beings at the end of the day. We don’t aim to become to successful. That is not our aim in life. We are doing what are doing. For people to react that way and to see what they did: blaming her for our loss [World Cup semis] and blaming her for my failure was absolutely hurtful for me. It is shameful to see that people can react like that to one loss. I just wanted to get out there because it is very important for people to know how we feel about these things. And that people should be respected more than they are in these sort of times in our country.”

Kohli also couldn’t grasp what the critics meant by being in form.

“I never know when my rough patch comes or when I am in form. It is for you all to decide - you make the judgements better than I do. It is funny because there are some standards a player sets for himself over a period of time and I like to perform consistently.

“So in my case if I don’t do well in two games it is a dip in form whereas for some of the other players they perform two games out of ten they come back in form. I don’t understand that and I don’t really pay attention to it. It is how you hit the ball on that particular day. In my mind I am really more confident than I have been ever in my life.” (Cricinfo)

Tiger Woods believes he can win a 15th major this week despite trailing leader Jordan Spieth by nine shots after day one of the Masters at Augusta.

The 39-year-old, who last won a major in 2008 and took a break from the sport to work on his game earlier this year ended his opening round one over par.

“I’m still in it. I’m only nine back. We have a long way to go,” the four-time Masters champion said.

“I felt good out there. I hit the ball well enough to shoot three under par.”

In a poll of 103 Tour professionals before the tournament, 68 stated Woods would not add to his haul of majors and the volatility of his bogey-birdie-par-bogey start through four holes offered little confidence.

But despite one threeputt, he scrambled well around the greens to offer at least some response to scrutiny of his chipping prior to his 64-day break from competitive play.

“It’s my strength again,” said Woods, who won the last of his Masters titles in 2005. “That’s why I’ve bust-

ed my butt. That’s why I took time off. That’s why I hit thousands and thou-

said he was “satisfied” with his “solid” first round of one under par at Augusta as he ended the day seven shots adrift of leader Jordan Spieth.

“Anything under par, I felt, was a pretty good score,” said the reigning Open and US PGA champion.

“If I can hit a few iron shots closer and convert on a few of those opportunities, I’ll be right there.”

McIlroy has described Augusta National as a “second shot golf course” and though the Northern Irishman hit 13 of 14 accessible fairways in his opening round, he could not capital-

sands of shots to make sure that it’s back to being my strength.”

The winner of the tournament in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005 drove the ball 261 yards on average, below the 283 averaged by other players in the opening round.

The Rory story

Rory McIlroy is aiming to emulate Woods - one of six men to win a career Grand Slam - by claiming a first Masters title.

The world number one

ise and made just three birdies.

“I just kept telling myself to be patient. It was a tricky day,” added McIlroy. “The wind was swirling a little bit. Pin positions were tough.”

Having won the US Open, Open and two US PGA titles, McIlroy will join Jack Nicklaus, Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen on the list of golfers to win a Grand Slam with victory on Sunday. (BBC Sport)

Opening night produces...

Ryan Jones in the 12th minute and Akeem Sam in the 13th minute were the scorers for Broad Street.

Sparta Boss also came out with a win defeating California Square 4-2 as national striker Devon Millington notched a double in the 28th and 29th min-

ute, while Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson scored in the 30th minute. Travis Grant scored the first goal for Sparta Boss in the 13th minute.

Nash Moe and Vassel Canzelaar got California Square off to a fast start with strikes in the second

and third minutes respectively.

Before the start of play, General Manager Robert Selman of Guyana Beverage Inc, the sponsor under the Busta brand, did the ceremonial kick-off before greeting the first two teams to play.

Busta Brand Manager from Trinidad and Tobago, Christine Kellawan revealed that she expected the tournament to lift the name

of the brand while giving back to the community.

Director of Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca explained that due to the limited contact, players will be able to have some added freedom to showcase their skill.

Games in the tournament will continue on Saturday at the Georgetown Football Club Ground from 19:00h.

Virat Kohli

Tiger Woods

Rory McIlroy

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Guyana Beverage Inc General Manager Robert Selman does the ceremonial kick-off

Busta representatives meet with the players before the start of the game

YELLOW PAGES

saturday, april 11, 2015

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Richie Benaud signs off, cricket loses its voice

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A legspinner and aggressive batsman, Benaud’s 248 wickets made him Australia’s leading Test bowler of all time when he retired in 1964, having also never lost a series in which he was captain.

His captaincy achievements included the return of the Ashes to Australia after a gap of seven years in 1958-59, a key role in the epic 1960-61 home series against the West Indies that featured the first tied Test in Brisbane, and the conjuring of a miraculous victory over England at Manchester in 1961.

Melding flair and pragmatism in a way that would be emulated by successors including Ian Chappell, Mark Taylor and the incumbent captain Michael Clarke, Benaud helped breathe life back into Test cricket after a relatively moribund period for the game in the 1950s.

But Benaud would have arguably as much impact on the game as a broadcaster in England and Australia, a trade he moved into having worked as a police reporter before his playing retirement. His spare, dry style and ability to add to the images on screen rather than talking over the top of them was distinctive.

He also played a key role in the establishment of World Series Cricket as a key organiser of the breakaway competition for Kerry Packer and then the host of Channel Nine’s coverage in 1977. It was a role Benaud would hold for most of the next 48 years, while living an “endless summer” with his second wife Daphne that took in work for the BBC and then Channel Four in England during Australian winters.

Taking strong note of his journalistic training, Benaud was seldom given to expressing fervent opinion nor to hark back to his playing days. A generation of Australian children grew up knowing him only as a television host and commentator, and he was often asked if he had ever been a player.

A preference for cool detachment and observation meant that on the odd occasion he did raise his voice in critique it was extremely resonant - his closing broadcast remarks following Greg Chappell’s ordering of the under arm in a World Series final against New Zealand at the MCG in 1981 provided one such example.

Wally Edwards, the Cricket Australia chairman, spoke of Benaud’s impact on the game. “Our country has lost a national treasure,” he said. “After Don Bradman, there has been no Australian player more famous or more influential than Richie Benaud.

“Richie stood at the top of the game throughout his rich life, first as a record-breaking leg-spinner and captain, and then as cricket’s most famous broadcaster who became the iconic voice of our summer. He was an important influence in the formation of Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket in 1977, a climactic event at the time but one which has left a lasting, positive influence on the game.

“Away from the camera

he was a leader, mentor and positive influencer of an extraordinary number of cricketers. And despite his role as the treasured grandfather of the game, he remained deeply in touch with modern developments, embracing Twenty20 when others of older eras shunned it.

“His passing today marks a profound loss to our nation. Australian cricket and the game’s legions of fans extend deepest sympathies to Richie’s wife Daphne, brother John and the entire Benaud family at this sad time.”

Memorably, Benaud concluded his days as a commentator in England towards the end of the final day of the epic 2005 Ashes series, which also happened to be the last time Test cricket was broadcast on free to air television in Britain. He signed off to applause from around The Oval as England closed in on the Ashes.

In Australia his hosting and commentary duties were gradually scaled back with advancing years, though Nine made every effort to keep him involved as much as possible. Only days before his November 2013 car accident he was glimpsed filming a promotional spot at North Sydney Oval, and after recovering enough to re-appear publicly he was a welcome presence at Nine’s season launch at the outset of last summer.

That day, Benaud spoke of the difficult times he had

encountered, while offering a poignant word of advice about the effects of skin cancer, which emerged following his years of playing the game under the Australian sun, typically with shirt open to the waist and hat seldom worn.

“When I was a kid, we never, ever wore a cap. Not the flash ones,” he said at the launch. “’Nugget’ Miller never wore a cap, so I didn’t. I wish I had. I recommend to anyone: they should have protection on their skin and on their heads. I can give you one good reason for that. Eighty-four-year-olds just don’t seem to mend as well as they used to.”

A few weeks later, Benaud’s voice would be given most emotively to the narration of Nine’s tribute to Phillip Hughes. The fragility of his words suggested that Benaud himself did not have too much time left. He never did get the chance to say goodbye to the Australian television audience, leaving a gulf that Nine’s chief executive David Gyngell described.

“Richie Benaud’s passing has robbed us not only of a national treasure, but a lovely man,” he said. “Richie earned the profound and lasting respect of everyone across the world of cricket and beyond - first as an outstanding player and captain, then as an incomparable commentator, and through it all as a wonderful human being.

“Richie is a true legend not only to all the people who knew him, but to the many millions who didn’t. Which speaks volumes. He’s been part of the Australian psyche.

“We shall miss him dearly, but we’ll forever treasure his indelible memory and all the marvellous values for which he stood. Cricket is very much the richer for Richie Benaud’s lifelong engagement. And so are we all. Our deepest sympathies go to Daphne and Richie’s family.” (BBC Sport)

Jose Mourinho: Arsene Wenger is right to oppose Ballon d’Or

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says the Ballon d’Or prize awarded to the world’s best footballer has a negative impact on world football.

The Portuguese said he agrees with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger that football is concentrating too much on individuals instead of the team.

“He is against the Ballon d’Or and I think he’s right,” Mourinho, 52, said.

“In this moment football is losing a little bit the concept of the team to focus more on the individual.”

Mourinho, who has won seven league titles in four different countries and the

Champions League twice, told the Daily Telegraph that it is the group that wins, not the individual.

He said: “For me, football is collective. The individual is welcome if you want to make our group better. But you have to work for us, [it’s] not [a case that] we have to work for you.

“When the top player arrives, the team is already there. It’s not him who comes to discover the team, like Columbus discovering America. No, no, you are coming now to help us be better.”

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2014 Ballon d’Or ahead of Barcelona’s

Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer.

Mourinho also revealed his first job was as a teacher working with children with Down’s syndrome and mental disabilities, a time when

he discovered the importance of establishing relationships.

“I wasn’t technically ready to help these kids,” he said. “And I had success only because of one thing, the emotional relation that was established with them.

“I did little miracles only because of the relationship. Affection, touch, empathyonly because of that.”

Now he uses that experience when coaching some of the world’s best players.

He said: “Of course you need the knowledge, the capacity to analyse things. But the centre of everything is the relationship, and empathy, not only with the individual but in the team.”

CAR RenTAlS

Richie Benaud

Jose Mourinho

GCB U-19 Inter-County 3-Day Tournament

Demerara made to sweat before tame draw

By Rajiv Bisnauth

The first round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Under-19 Inter-County Three-Day Tournament featuring Demerara and Essequibo ended in a tame draw on Friday at the Everest Cricket Club Ground with the hosts being put under pressure during the earlier hours of the day.

Demerara started the morning with a first innings lead of 35 runs, after Essequibo were bowled out for 226, 10 minutes before the scheduled cut-off time on the penultimate day, but fast bowlers Neiland Cadogan’s twin strikes and Jadewnel Hartman’s scalp of Sherfane Rutherford immediately set the tone for the day’s play.

Demerara were eventually dismissed for 180 during the extended second session, an overall lead of 215 runs.

Essequibo in their run chase reached 71-3 in 18 overs. They lost Satesh Latchana (2) and Nathan Persaud for an attacking 33, inclusive of seven fours and Parmesh Parsotam without scoring in the process.

David Williams and Travis Drakes were the not-out batsmen on 21 and 13 respectively, when the game was called off 13 minutes before the scheduled time.

Rutherford, Basdeo and Akshaya Persaud were the suc-

cessful bowlers for Demerara, with a wicket apiece.

Cadogan gave Essequibo a dream start by providing the early breakthrough when he had Ronaldo Renee caught at backward square for two. Rutherford then had his middle stump uprooted by Hartman without scoring. The hosts’ challenge to limit the damage inflicted by Essequibo became even tougher when Cadogan trapped Tevin Imlack leg before wicket for 16 at 23-3.

Akshaya Persaud was batting on one when he retired hurt after he was hit on the knee by a Hartman delivery.

Captain Travis Persaud and Malcolm Hubbard battled for a short period, but off-spinner Looknauth Khinkoo (3-27) gave Essequibo another wicket when he removed Hubbard (18) on the stroke of lunch.

By the interval, Demerara were 54-4 with the Captain on 15 and Vivian Albert on one.

Soon after the interval, Albert was also forced to retire hurt due to an injured ankle. Akshaya Persaud resumed his innings with the skipper, who was batting with much comfort.

The right-hander recorded his 50 from 117 balls striking five boundaries, but failed to capital-

ise on the solid foundation and was eventually given out leg before wicket to Akinie Adams (2-37) for 51.

Left-arm spinner Keanu Harry’s and Khinkoo’s doublestrikes reduced Demerara to 1579. Ershad Ali after making a brisk 24 was dismissed when he edged a cut behind. After which Harry trapped Albert, who resumed his innings, plumb in front of the wicket for 10.

Persaud and Carlton Jacques added 21 before Adams claimed the wicket of Jacques for 11.

Persaud was left unbeaten on 32. Harry, who was later adjudged Man of the Match, finished with 2-57 and match figures of 9-123. Cadogan ended with figures of 2-18, while Hartman finished with 1-11.

The second round is from April 12 to 14, with Demerara and Berbice clashing at the

removed Daniel Basdeo (10) and Tariq Dharamlall without scoring. The last pair of Akshaya

and Essequibo and a

“every child must...

Director of Sport, Neil Kumar, in promoting Government’s investment in the sport over the past few years, called on those within the fraternity to make maximum use of the facilities being built by the Administration.

Echoing similar sentiments as Dr Anthony, Kumar reminded the gathering of the fitness and health benefits of swimming, noting that it was recommended that sportsmen and women from all other disciplines indulge in swimming as a form of exercise.

Certified coach Sean Baksh, who spoke on behalf of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA), was also explicit in his call for parents to continue to invest their time and energy in the sport.

“I would like to charge you

to have your children continue swimming. There are four clubs in GASA and they all are here [at Colgrain] between Mondays and Saturdays and you can join whichever club you would like based on your availability during the week,” Baksh commented.

The long-serving administrator also stated that he was impressed with the level of talent on show during the two weeks, adding that the future of the sport looks bright. Baksh also used the opportunity to congratulate and express gratitude to Dr Anthony and Kumar as representatives of the Government for the investment in the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

Coach Marcia Rodrigues pointed out that the camp achieved its objectives, as almost all the participants who

came with no previous experience in swimming left having conquered the fundamentals of the sport.

She said continuity was important and necessary if the young participants were to build on their newfound knowledge, adding that it was from this stage that future champions were born. Rodrigues was happy with the progress made during the camp, noting that the support from the parents and the other coaches was the driving force behind the success of the activity.

Top students from the camp will be recommended for the six-week camp in August, also sponsored by the National Sports Commission and the Sport Ministry. Those who have impressed will also be considered for stints at the National Aquatic Centre.

Khinkoo

Georgetown Cricket Club Ground,

select Guyana Under-17 team meeting at the Demerara Cricket Club Ground.

Looknauth Khinkoo took 3-27

Keanu Harry collects the Man-of-the-Match trophy from Junior Selectors Chairman Nazimul Drepaul

Great job! Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony (centre) is all smiles as he shares a moment with the four coaches who conducted the camp. From left are Kewsi Melville, Marcia Rodrigues,

Isabel Maria Cousa Fals and Marisa Wray

from back page

GABF names male and female national squads

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) named its male and female national squads to commence training for the upcoming Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships, scheduled for June 6-21 in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

The shortlisted male squad will be made up of 31 males, while the female squad will have 25 players.

Both squads are expected to be boosted during the training sessions with the addition of overseas-based players who will be coming

to Guyana to try out for selection to the respective national teams.

Darcel Harris is the Head Coach for the Men’s Squad and Julian Haynes is the Head Coach for the Women’s Squad.

Practice sessions are currently underway at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 19:00h to 23:00h and on Sundays from 08:00h to 12:00h.

National men’s squad: Randy Richardson, Neil Wills, Kevin Emanuel, Denyson Fraser, Akeem Kanhai, Terron Welch, Neil Marks, Aminiki Archibald, Shane Webster, Chris Williams, Harold Adams, Keon Cameron, Stephan Tappin, Dwight McKinnon, Dominic Vincente, Travis Burnette, Ryan Stephney, Nikolai Smith, Jason Squires, Rodwell Fortune, Stefon Gillis, Tyrone Hamid, Ryan Gullen, Royston Siland, Jermaine Slater, Rudy James, Kurt Elias, Drumson McCaulley, Fabian Johnson, Dave Causway and Shelroy Thomas.

National women’s

squad: Kristy Roberts, Natasha Andrews, Kean Andrews, Timike JosephDe Rouche, Lowquantor Gibson, Aleea Caesar, Sheeneeza Atwell, Natoila Primo, Amera Alphonso, Ginelle Ifill, Shenne Subrattie, Renika Prince, Jenessa Waithe, Kemika France, Suripa Swamy, Rhonda Fraser, Althea Mingo, Sonia Rodney, Tamara Hunter, Latoya Rodney, Necosia Mitchell, Kenesha Lecock, Jenelle Belle, Shanna Chester and Nichola Jacobs.

ANSA McAL/Carib Beer sponsors GCA T20 tournament

ANSA McAL under its Carib Beer brand has plugged sponsorship into the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) T20 tournament.

The First-Division tournament, which is slated to bowl off later this month, will see nine teams vying for top honours.

At the simple hand -

4R on board for UCCA T20 competition

4R Bearings has thrown its support behind the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA), which will be staging a T20 knock- out competition for the Upper Corentyne area.

At a simple presentation ceremony at Crabwood Creek, Berbice recently, Ricky Deonarain, proprietor of 4R Bearings, expressed his pleasure to be part of the tournament.

The competition is expected to feature over 20 teams from Number 43 Village to Crabwood Creek.

The UCCA made a decision to only allow teams who are financially affiliated to itself to participate in this competition, which is expected to start on June 1.

ing-over ceremony on Friday at ANSA McAL’s Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara headquarters, the company’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Darshanie Yussuf was pleased to be associated with the tournament.

“We have always had cricket at heart – you can see that we are committed to all sports at any level –

this is the cricket season and we are happy that the GCA has given us a chance to help develop our cricketers to reach the next level,” Yussuf noted.

GCA’s Roger Harper thanked ANSA McAL and by extension Carib Beer for their support especially since it was the fourth such partnership of its kind.

Rajasthan Royals player reports IPL fixing approach

ARajasthan Royals player has claimed he was offered money to influence an Indian Premier League game.

The unnamed player said he was approached by a state team-mate, who is not involved in the T20 league, about receiving money for following a predecided pattern of play.

made last month.

“A player was approached and he immediately intimated the BCCI anti corruption unit. Glad that BCCI education policy showing positive results,” he wrote. In a second tweet he added: “Players are alert and they know what is to be done due to our regular education efforts.”

UCCA President Dennis De Andrade thanked the business entity for the much-needed sponsorship.

The UCCA, in an effort to assist its financial members, will set matches at various venues where four teams will play on the same day, allowing the host teams the opportunity to raise funds for the club. The final and third-place playoff is expected to be played at Crabwood Sports Complex.

He also took the opportunity to urge clubs to register with the UCCA no later than May 26, 2015 to be eligible to play in this competition.

liminary rounds will be played on a round-robin basis, home and away.

The competition will be played in four zones with the top two teams in each zone advancing to the knockout stages. The pre-

The final will be played under lights at the Crabwood Creek Sports Complex, with the winner receiving $100,000 and a trophy.

The franchise confirmed the incident had been reported to the Indian cricket board’s (BCCI) anti-corruption unit.

Royals play their first IPL match of 2015 on Friday against Kings XI Punjab.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur confirmed on Twitter that claims were

In 2013, three Rajasthan cricketers - including India paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth - were arrested on suspicion of taking money to concede a fixed number of runs.

Sreesanth denied any wrongdoing but was banned for life by the BCCI. (BBC Sport)

Tamara Hunter

Akeem Kanhai

Carib Beer Brand Manager Nigel Worrell hands over the sponsorship cheque to GCA’s Roger Harper

4R Bearings Proprietor Ricky Deonarain (left) confirms the sponsorship deal with UCCA President Dennis De Andrade. Also in photo are other executives of the UCCA

“Every child must learn to swim”

– Sport Minister tells gathering as annual Easter swimming camp concludes

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

Dubbing the art of swimming a critical life skill, Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Friday underscored the importance of every child learning to swim as he delivered feature remarks at the closing ceremony of the annual Easter two-week swimming camp at the Colgrain Pool, Camp Street.

Addressing a large group of young aspiring swimmers and their parents, Dr Anthony, who also has responsibility for youths, said the Sport Ministry and the National Sports Commission have been investing in such camps not just with the aim of producing future national athletes but also to equip persons with the knowledge and ability to swim and deal with accompanying situations when they arise.

“Every child must learn to swim,” the Minister emphasised. “Now while that

may sound like a very ambitious programme, we feel that if those of you who don’t have access to pools and you can come to these programme at least we’re making headway in the right direction and that’s why programmes like these are very important.”

Dr Anthony urged the parents to not let the camp be the end of the road, but the beginning of their offspring’s journey in the sport.

He commended the coaching team, which was led by Cuba’s Isabel Maria Cousa Fals, and included the Guyanese trio Marcia Rodrigues, Marisa Wray and Kewsi Melville, for a thorough job during the twoweek camp.

A total of 86 youngsters, between ages 6 and 11, graduated from the programme, and many of them never had previous experience of entering a pool. The Minister also congratulated the parents of the participants for being

present at every session.

“We feel from here you [the participants] can graduate and go to the National Aquatic Centre and we have two pools there – the 50-metre and the 25-metre warm-

Synthetic track to be commissioned April 17

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

History will be created on April 17 when the Government of Guyana commissions the country’s first state-of-the-art synthetic track and football facility at Leonora, West Coast Demerara. The announcement of the date was made by Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Friday. The multimillion-dollar facility had been under construction for quite some time, and according to Dr Anthony, all systems are a go for the opening next Friday. According to information reaching this publication, the spanking new edifice will be unveiled by His

Excellency, President Donald Ramotar.

Ramotar is also expected to deliver the feature address, with remarks also expected from Dr Anthony; Director of Sport, Neil Kumar; Permanent Secretary in the Sport Ministry, Alfred King; and representatives of the Athletics Association of Guyana.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the annual Easter swimming camp at the Colgrain Pool on Camp Street, Minister Anthony labelled the commissioning of the facility as “historic” for Guyana.

“And to do that we have a big programme where we will have our national athletes participating in several events, and of course, apart from the track and field events, we will also have football because in the middle of the track, there is a nice football field as well,” the Minister explained.

Dr Anthony added that when the facility becomes functional shortly, there will be an extensive programme to ensure the country’s athletes benefit from coaching, as well as training on a quality surface.

“We will be having coaches there so that we can teach

kids from a very young age, who have the talent and who have the desire to participate in athletics and track and field that you will be able to get the training on a quality surface so you can excel,” Dr Anthony reiterated.

The synthetic track is one of a series of facilities the Government has invested in over the past decade in a concerted effort to provide quality training centres for the country’s sportsmen and women.

Among the other facilities constructed were the National Stadium at Providence, the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal; and the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue.

up. We’ve been working with a number of local coaches and of course, an international coach in Isabel and we feel we’ve been able to improve swimming,” Minister Anthony added.

He continued, “But the only way we can continue to do this is if we have parents being involved, bringing their children, spending the hours with them so that they can train and later on take on competitive swimming. If we can do that, then we’re on our way to making champions and national athletes, but it will take a lot of time, dedication and effort.”

Busta Soft Shoe Tournament

Opening night produces thrilling action

B y T R eis T on J oseph

The Busta Soft Shoe Football Tournament got off to a thrilling start when the opening games were held on Thursday evening at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Ground.

Six games featured in the action-packed opening night of the Tournament being sponsored by the Guyana Beverage Inc and coordinated by the Petra Organisation.

Ballers won their first

game in a thriller against Durban Street as the encounter finished 6-5.

The Ramsay brothers dominated the game with Steffon scoring a hat-trick in the 4th, 23rd and the 26th minutes; Lyliton, a double in the 5th and 22nd minutes and Amos a lone goal in the 12th minute.

Goals for Durban Street came from Jermin Gilbert in the 11th and 29th minutes, Quincy Ashby in the 15th and 17th minutes and Leon Kennedy in the eighth minute.

Three games ended in draws as Leopold Street and Tucville played to a three-all finish, Alexander Village and Charlestown to a four-all result and Holmes Street Tiger and Albouystown to a 1-1 draw.

Meanwhile, Sophia topped Broad Street 4-2, with Dwayne Love scoring a hat-trick in the 6th, 9th and 14th minutes, while Shemroy Arthur scored the opening goal in the second minute.

Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony; Director of Sport, Neil Kumar and officials of GASA pose with the participants at the conclusion of the camp on Friday (Avenash Ramzan photo)

President Donald Ramotar

Sport Minister

Dr Frank Anthony

Steffon Ramsay scores his third goal of the night