Guyana Times Daily

Region 6 RDC P9 passes $7B budget

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Issue No. 2943

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

PRICE

Pharmagate

Govt misleads Nat’l Assembly on Pharma ware “house” rental Page 7

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Pedestrian P10 critical after Parika accident

Govt to move Walter Roth P13 Museum, staff

by December

Venezuelan woman jailed for ammo P8 possession

... pays owner 3 times NEW GPC's charge The substandard bond of Linden Holding Inc, Sussex Street, Charlestown which has not met international standards for which Government is paying a $12.5 million monthly rental

WBD tractor operator stabbed to death Page 2

14-yearold found dead in Hope canal

Opposition to debate APNU’s “militarisation” of the State P16 today

Page 3

US-bound passengers from Guyana to be screened at T&T airport Page 3

Ban on scrap metal trade

Dealers P10 protest outside President’s office …call for intervention

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Region 2 rice farmers affected by paddy bugs WBD tractor … harvesting to commence soon, no help from GRDB operator stabbed to death B y I ndrawattie N atram

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ice farmers living in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) have to spray their rice crops more than usual as a result of the high infestation of paddy bugs invading acres of rice lands. However, despite several reports made to Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), no assistance has been forthcoming to assist with remedying the situation.

Rice farmers who spoke with Guyana Times, vented their frustrations, relating that harvesting will soon commence and there is no help.

They related that under the previous Government, several paddy bug seminars and demonstrations were conducted; however, they explained this has not been happened for quite some time. The infestation has caused rice farmers to spend extra on

A farmer spraying his rice field

their crop.

The farmers said that they are quite worried and if the infestation continues, then their harvest will be affected. One

rice farmer also attested that no one has visited his field or given any advice as it relates to paddy bugs. “Whatever little knowledge I learnt from

the past, that’s what I am practicing,” the farmer related.

In addition to the rice farmers’ complaints, the Region Two RDC has discussed the issue. Head of the RDC and Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt, under the agenda item of correspondence, informed the house on August 9, 2016, that he wrote Agriculture Minister Noel Holder on the issue. He added that he copied the email to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who responded saying that he forwarded the information to the Ministry.

Ramdatt, at the RDC meeting for the month of August, also said that rice farmers are currently frustrated and opined that the rice industry would be significantly affected if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner.

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wedding celebration turned deadly for a Sister’s Village, West Bank Demerara family when an alleged junkie stabbed the groom’s brother-in-law to death.

Dead is 48-yearold Arnold Rampersaud Rattan, a tractor operator at the Wales Sugar Estate.

Reports indicate that about 23:30h on Monday, during the “Kangan” (day after the wedding) celebration at Rattan’s home, the father of two asked the alleged junkie, known as “Soloman” to leave the premises since he began to misbehave.

However, when “Soloman” refused to leave, Rattan opted to push him out of the yard. It was at this point that “Soloman” stabbed him to the left side of his body with a sharp object.

Neighbours recalled seeing Rattan drop to his knees while “Soloman” fled the scene but he was subsequently caught by villagers who gave chase.

The injured man was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. However, according to relatives of the in-

Dead: Arnold Rampersaud Rattan

jured man, when they arrived at the medical facility, the security guard took almost 15 minutes before he allowed them entrance to the facility. Rattan was later pronounced dead.

According to relatives, the dead man’s brother, Deoanand Rattan, was murdered in 2012 and no one was arrested in the matter.

“Soloman” was taken into custody and is assisting Police with investigations.

Welfare issues in Linden alarming – Board of Guardians Chairperson

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hairperson of the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Board of Guardians, Sandra Adams has said there is an alarmingly high number of welfare issues in Linden, which need to be tackled from various angles. She noted that the level of issues in the community is quite surprising when compared to that of other parts of the region.

“At the level of the Board of Guardians... this region, Linden in particular, has a serious issue of welfare matters. We see on a monthly basis, the number of issues coming before the Board for assistance in the area of welfare,” she outlined.

Adams added that it is surprising to see the amount of people that have to be approved for public assistance on a monthly basis, while stating that from reports, the sister body of the Board of Guardians, which is located at Kwakwani (Upper Berbice) does not have as many cases.

“I don’t even know where to start recommending in this region, how do we handle it? But there are some areas that need to be tackled from various points. From health, welfare, education. It’s a

number of teams that have to come together to tackle this situation, but it is not a too pleasant one here in Linden especially,” she stressed.

Adams indicated that there is also a rise in terminal illnesses in the community, including HIV. She also pointed out that there was once a Regional AIDS Committee, which looked into such matters.

“There’s something that has to be done regionally again... We’re in a serious crisis, especially here in Linden,” Adams contended. Speaking on the issue, Regional Chairman Renis Morian said he will be seeking to bring together a group of people who can look into such issues as early as this week.

The issues, he noted, may have to be dealt with in steps.

The local Board of Guardians, which was extended to include SubRegion 2 (Ituni and Kwakwani) was installed at Linden in April 2016.

Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence, during the officiating ceremony said it is a critical body in ensuring that the Social Protection Ministry achieved its objective of reducing the levels of poverty in Guyana.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, August 10 – 09:30h-11:00h and Thursday, August 11 – 10:30h-12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, August 10 – 08:30h-10:00h and Thursday, August 11 – 09:35h-11:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout most of the day, while light rainfall is expected in the later afternoon hours.

Clear to partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening with temperatures ranging between 24 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East South-easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 09:17h and 21:40h reaching maximum heights of 2.29 metres and 2.27 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 02:48h and 15:11h reaching minimum heights of 0.87 metre and 0.96 metre respectively.

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

14-year-old found dead in Hope canal ... after going missing on Monday

By Kizzy Coleman

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he body of a 14-yearold girl was on Tuesday afternoon discovered floating in a canal at Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD), one day after she went missing.

Malika Hamilton of Lot 11 Two Friends Village, ECD, a student of the Hope Secondary School, went missing on Monday.

Reports are the young woman was last seen in the company of two boys late Monday afternoon. However, she failed to return home and her family members launched a search.

The teen’s mother, Latisha Cambridge, told this publication that she last saw her daughter around 06:00h on Monday before she left for work.

Cambridge explained that when she returned home, her daughter was not there, which was not strange as she would usually visit her grandmother, who lived in Hope, a neighbouring community.

The bereaved mother explained that she received a call later that evening from her niece, who told her that the teen did not show up to get her hair done as was scheduled. Then, around 22:00h, her mother called and

The body of Malika Hamilton covered as curious villagers look on

disclosed that Hamilton could not be found.

Guyana Times was told that relatives of the young woman gathered and a search was launched in the neighbouring communities, but they came up empty handed.

“I was really worried, because Malika don’t sleep out,” the distraught mother said.

She further explained that on Tuesday morning, she went to the Police Station and reported the matter.

The grieving mother told this newspaper that she was met by persons who told her that Hamilton was seen in

the vicinity of the canal.

“So we then went over to Hope where the canal is located and we searched but we did not find no body or anything like that, but when I came over back here, that is when somebody call me and told me that they found a body.”

Cambridge said that after the ghastly discovery, she has received different versions as to what her daughter did before her death.

She said she was told that Hamilton reportedly left with friends to go swimming, but she noted that the young

woman could not swim.

She also received reports from the boys in whose company Hamilton was seen that they took the young woman by the canal after she said that she was going to visit her grandmother.

According to the man who discovered the girl’s body, identified only as “Buck”, he was heading up to the Savannah area where the canal ended when he made the discovery.

He noted that earlier in the day, he traversed the very area, but Hamilton’s body was not there.

Wails and screams were heard as family members gathered and Hamilton’s bloated body was pulled from the canal by public-spirited persons. The circumstances surrounding the young woman’s demise are yet to be determined.

However, her family is adamant that her death was as a result of foul play.

Hamilton, one of five siblings, is described as a vibrant young girl who was rebellious at times. She was Queen of the 2015 Ann’s Grove Calabash and second runner-up at this year’s pageant.

An investigation has been launched into her death by the Police.

US-bound passengers from Guyana to now be screened at T&T airport … recent MoU suspended

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assengers heading to the United States (US) from Guyana, and who will be transiting in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), will now have to undergo security screening before boarding their flight to the US, the T&T Civil Aviation Authority has announced.

This new move blanks the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, which was established in 2015 to promote a “One-Stop” security arrangement to improve the processing of passengers transferring at Piarco International Airport and the Cheddi Jagan

International Airport (CJIA) on Caribbean Airlines flights.

According to the T&T Aviation Authority, the direction comes directly from the United States Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security

Administration (TSA), which issued an Emergency Amendment, to the aviation security measures applied at the Last Point of Departure (LPD) for flights to the United States.

TURN TO PAGE 17

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 2310544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Right to Education

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onday, August 9 is the date set aside by the United Nations (UN) as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Guyana has, over the years, observed this international day, in addition to Amerindian Heritage Month, as it pays homage to the indigenous people of Guyana, who according to history – and the most recent empirical, scientific data from carbon dating – were the first persons to inhabit this land of ours.

The Amerindians, historically, were divided into many tribes, nine of which are currently living and could be accounted for in Guyana. The history of the Amerindians predates the history of the other two dominant races living in Guyana, namely the Africans and the Indians. The former being brought here during the dehumanising years of slavery as slaves, and the latter as indentured servants after slavery was abolished.

While the Africans and Indians, post independence, have been able to develop themselves in congruence with the advancement of civilisation as they live predominantly on the coastal plains where the Capital City and transit ports were established. The indigenous peoples, who are more grounded in “traditional customs” and culture, live a more isolated life in the remote regions of Guyana.

Some historians and scholars argue, however, that it was the influence of Great Britain prior to Guyana gaining independence – in the 1800s that led to Amerindians being isolated. It is argued that during colonial rule after the abolition of slavery, changes in export commodities decreased the need for a formal relationship with indigenous peoples. This, the scholars noted, led the British to formulate a policy of isolation and “wardship” in the 19th Century followed by the establishment of a “reservation system” in the 1900s.

With the passage of time, however, many of the Amerindian groups had undergone extensive acculturation, especially those living along the coast.

Whatever the theoretical applications being proffered, the outcome was that the Amerindians, who were the first inhabitants of this land, were clearly stagnated. It was for this reason and more (agreement between Great Britain and Guyana), that proposals to reform the condition of the indigenous people – more so, within the classifications of recognising their rights to autonomy, self-determination, political participation, as well as access to lands, territories and resources – were mandated.

These mandates were effected and embodied in the Amerindian Act, which was established in 1951, and most recently amended in 2006. The Amerindian Act has enshrined in it, inter alia, provisions for grants to communal lands, leases, intellectual property rights, environmental protection, mining and forestry, governance and consultations intended to better the lives of the indigenous people.

Despite the advances being made in the developmental sphere of our Amerindian brothers and sisters, many of them are still trapped in the “isolationist” paradigm due to a host of mitigating factors. Primary of which is their inability to tap into wealth which is centrally located in coastal areas such as towns.

Most of the Amerindians are still living in the remote areas of Guyana and are disconnected from the modalities and benefits of the coastal areas. Benefits such as a proper education.

A proper education is integral towards our economic and social advancement as a people and it is the only vehicle through which the abyss of poverty can be surmounted.

It is probably for this reason that the theme for this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, “Indigenous Peoples' Right to Education”, is being expounded.

According to the UN’s Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, “On this International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, I call on Governments everywhere ... to improve access to education for indigenous peoples and to reflect their experiences and culture in places of learning…Let us commit to ensuring indigenous peoples are not left behind as we pursue the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Improving access to education for indigenous peoples is important now than it was ever before, since there are persons who are of the view that the Amerindians should not be the beneficiaries of their fundamental rights – such as access to communal lands – accrued to them for being the traditional inhabitants of Guyana among other pertinent reasons.

If most of the Amerindians living in Guyana receive a proper education, they would be better informed in the social and economic direction that they would want to establish for themselves and be less susceptible to exploitation and deceit on the part of individuals who are supposed to have their best interest at heart, both at the domestic level and internationally.

Olympic moments

Nikolai Novosjolov of Estonia competes with Park Kyoung-Doo of South Korea in men’s epee preliminary (Reuters/Issei Kato)

Independent engineer evaluation on capital works needed Dear Editor, The Regional Democratic Council of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) debated and approved its 2017 Annual Estimate of $1.1 billion in just over an hour’s deliberation. This speedy deliberation can be solely attributed to the unpreparedness of the Regional Engineer who dismally failed to provide the RDC Councillors with any explanation of the criteria which he used to arrive at the figures he submitted for all the capital expenditures.

It must be borne in mind that this Annual Budget must ensure that the Region makes the best use of taxpayers’ dollars and deliver better services to its residents. However, what transpired in the RDC Boardroom bears testimony to the fact that the budget planning process was improperly done. This process is the core mechanism in the preparation of the Annual Budget and the Engineer should have provided ample evidence to show that such planning was done.

Furthermore, budget planning and preparation should be at the heart of good public expenditure management which should involve the following processes: - Control the expenditure to make sure that the

items in the Budget are affordable, - Allocate the scarce resources to reflect priorities, - Ensure the efficient delivery of what is budgeted for, and - Minimise the financial costs to deliver the items in the Budget.

Therefore, if the Engineer cannot justify the approximate costs of the capital works, then it is highly impossible to control the expenditure. It, therefore, follows that the remaining steps will be difficult to achieve.

Furthermore, it was apparent that the amounts budgeted are highly inflated which means that certain items which should have been in the budget will be sacrificed.

It must be noted also that when the budget is approved

by Central Government, the estimates will provide the basis for the Engineer’s estimate, which can be inflated to ensure that the contractor who eventually gets the contract can afford a reasonable ‘kickback’. This is where the corruption starts and then continues through the tender process and the eventual execution of the contracts. For instance, in the RDC 2017 Budget, the extension of the Amerindian

Hostel at Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, was budgeted at $9 million, but the Engineer could not say exactly what the extension will comprise to justify that amount.

However, it must be noted that the Regional Executive Officer’s job is to oversee the planning and implementation of programmes and policies and that he derives his authority from the Financial Management and Accountability Act 2003. He also has the task of identifying and assigning clear responsibilities for coordinating the preparation of the budget submissions for the Region.

Therefore, the REO is an integral part of the entire budget preparation and should have sought explanations as to the rationale for the items in the Budget. However, it must be recalled that the REO, Dr Ramayya, was on two weeks’ leave and’ therefore’ was absent at the crucial time when the budgetary planning was being done, but Region Six has two Deputy REOs who should have required the Engineer to submit such explanations.

I am fully aware that the Engineer’s estimate will eventually provide the cost details of each capital project, but this will be compromised since that estimate will in-

variably be in close approximation of the figure presented in the Budget. So the burning question is: How come the Engineer cannot provide an explanation at the budget discussion?

In conclusion, the rationale or criteria for the estimates totalling more than $900 million or 79.7 per cent of the Region’s 2017 Budget cannot be provided which points at poor budgetary planning. The remarks columns in the Budget simply speaks about the number of beneficiaries and since the Engineer could not have provided some salient details, then there could not have been a proper insight into the capital works. Figures by themselves say nothing!

I do hope that in the future those responsible for the preparation of the Region’s budget – the REO, the DREOs, the programme heads and the Engineer will provide more details on these capital works.

It is time that the Region employs an independent engineer to advise on the costs of these capital works; too much scarce resources are improperly spent in the Region.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf Regional Councillor – Region 6

Georgetown municipality should have only 1 account Dear Editor, Well, the genie is out of the bottle with the discovery of four secret bank accounts and it will be very difficult for the City Treasurer, Town Clerk or the Mayor of Georgetown to stuff it back into the bottle. To begin, the law stipulates that the Georgetown municipality should have only one account, and I challenge any municipal official to prove this to be false.

So apart from the other four accounts being surreptitious which is a downright disgrace; it is also completely illegal. The fact that they don’t include them in the fi-

nancial statements is criminal and needs to be dealt with as such. The fact that the Town Clerk is preventing a forensic audit from being held clearly indicates that there is much to hide at that institution.

Might I say that the discovery of the four secret bank accounts is the mere tip of the iceberg of what has been, and continues to be, the propagation of massive corruption and wrongdoing at City Hall. When the cover is finally blown at the Council, it will turn out to be the biggest scandal and venality Guyana has ever seen. And could you

imagine the Town Clerk giving us a lecture on corruption of omission and corruption of commission? Unbelievable!

Let me give him some examples of corruption of omission in which they are engaged, including their failure to remit National Insurance Scheme and Guyana Revenue Authority contributions and deductions that they deduct from their employees for months at a time, or when they collect property rates which are supposed to fix roads, or install street lights or to provide humane and hygienic meat processing fa-

cilities to citizens when they don’t.

Examples of corruption of commission one can allude to includes the awarding of contracts of hundreds of millions of dollars to a special friend without tender or procurement procedures and likewise, the well-known and shameful parking meter arrangement. I consider the Town Clerk’s lecture and excuse for failing to pay employees on time to be presumptuous, arrogant and disrespectful to all Guyanese.

Regards, Deodarie Putulall

guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 10, 2016

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate, Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

M&CC is there to serve Disrespect, disregard for vendors citizens, not bully them

Dear Editor, There seems to be two predominant misconceptions prevailing at City Hall. Firstly, they seem to think that local democracy; something that the citizens of Georgetown have been clamouring about for decades now and for which they are entitled to and deserve; begins and ends with the holding of Local Government Elections. They clearly do not understand that this is just merely one pillar of democracy. Why else would they embark on numerous undesirable, unscrupulous and burdensome initiatives without even consulting with the citizens of Georgetown, whom are the ones to be affected and whom these municipal officials work for and are paid by? Have they never heard of Town Hall meetings that are held by cities all over the world, a forum that is used to canvas the support of and consult with the citizenry? Why else would they decide to arbitrarily and unilaterally increase property taxes beginning from the next financial year without consulting the taxpayers? Do property owners have to pursue legal redress in order to obtain justice the way the Private Sector Commission and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce did to get relief for the shipping companies and im-

porters with the preposterous container fee? What is needed is a new valuation of properties in Georgetown, not an arbitrary across the board increase in property rates. This is a lazy man’s method of increasing revenue.

A valuation exercise would ensure that the owners of the new gigantic buildings that have sprung up all around the capital pay their fair share, whilst a capricious increase allows them to continue taking advantage of undervaluation whereas ingenuous taxpayers will be subjected to further financial hardships. Secondly, the Fantastic Four clearly believes that the Georgetown City Council is not a municipality but rather a privately held company for which they are the owners and directors. That could be the only explanation for why they have municipal workers operate daily in conditions akin to those that greedy private sweatshop owners provide for their workers for the purpose of saving costs to increase their profit margins.

Why else would they be flying around the world in luxury utilizing Council’s supposedly scarce fiscal resources, whilst withholding salaries and wages for weeks leaving workers to agonize? Why else would they

abuse their municipal workers by deducting contributions for the National Insurance Scheme and the Guyana Revenue Authority without remitting them to these agencies? This type of criminal behaviour is normally perpetuated by greedy private business owners who convert employee contributions to their own unrelated uses.

Why else would they remove City Constables from protecting municipal properties, including markets, and from patrolling the streets of Georgetown to make them safer, and convert them into drivers and bodyguards for themselves and private security for their residences?

The Minister of Communities has a duty to make the Mayor, the Town Clerk and other errant Councillors and senior officers who are the anchors that are dragging the city down, understand that they are not imperial overlords but rather public servants, that they are there to serve the citizens, business owners, and visitors to Georgetown, not to bully them, over tax and exploit them, that they are there to provide municipal services, not extravagantly spend on themselves.

Yours faithfully, James McOnnell

Dear Editor, The continued reference by the Mayor of Georgetown and the Town Clerk to the jumbled tent city type shantytown arrangement south of Public Building at Hadfield and Lombard Streets where the vendors have been crammed into by the Council as ‘Parliament View Mall’ is pure and simple disrespect and disregard for the vendors and shoppers in our capital city.

These two individuals have been travelling all over the world and know what a shopping mall looks like, which is a large retail complex containing a variety of stores and often restaurants and other business establishments housed in a series of connected or adjacent buildings or in a single large building. Apart from the average mall being simply a place to do some shopping, grab a snack and catch a movie, some malls, such as Giftland Mall, offer a spectacular selection of shopping, entertainment and dining options. To refer to these rows of flimsy and porous tents, most of which are already dam-

aged, under which there are pallets, rickety tables and chairs made from old bits and pieces of wood strapped with scraps of tarpaulin and sling rope with insufficient facilities and conveniences such as poor drainage, non-existent lighting, potable water, and few toilets as a shopping mall is just depraved.

It suggests that they are of the view that Guyanese are unaware of what a shopping mall is, or that we should all pretend that this facility is an acceptable part of the landscape of the city. Do these individuals or their families shop there? I’ll bet not. They will more likely than not shop at the upmarket malls when they frequently travel, and when compelled to purchase items locally go to the real malls with a retinue of bodyguards and other support staff in tow.

It is time for the Mayor and Town Clerk to stop trying to fool the vendors who were forced to occupy that area that they have their best interest at heart, when they don’t, it is time for them to stop coming up with

these foolish and impossible pie-in-the-sky ideas of installing a double-deck at the Bourda Green and extending the Stabroek Market to accommodate these vendors, as they have not the financial resources to do either, but most of all they should stop making these ridiculous pronouncements that they are trying to organise the city that will make it comparable to modern cities and which would allow it to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great cities of the world, which is an insult to the intellect of Guyanese. City Hall with its present human and other resources cannot make good on such a promise.

Lacking within the Georgetown Municipality is the technical and political capacity to provide even the most basic of cultural, environmental, social and sustainable living needs for present and future citizens of Georgetown. Especially when one checks on the background of the Mayor and her Town Clerk.

Sincerely, Debra Gibson

Mental health sector unhealthiness Dear Editor, He posted a heartwrenching appeal, sometime after midnight, a few days ago on the Facebook page of The Caribbean Voice (www.caribvoice.org), asking for help because he was having familiar feelings of the kind that had driven him to attempt suicide once before. Immediately, some members of the group sprang into action. As we engaged him in chat, someone from the Mental Health Unit of the Health Ministry joined in and quickly phone-messaged a counsellor. It took a while, but eventually the doctor called and set up an appointment for him at the Georgetown Public Hospital, at eight am. We continued to engage him until he went to bed sometime after two that same morning, promising that he would do nothing foolish, but instead would keep the appointment the following day.

As daylight chased away darkness, he informed us that he was keeping his appointment, thankful that he was getting professional help. But his arrival at the hospital created confusion and frustration as no one could direct him to the doctor he was seeking.

Frustration was turning to resignation as he texted that he was leaving and going to the seawall to end it all. As one member of The Caribbean Voice (TCV) kept him engaged, the same personnel from the Mental Health Unit, who had put him in connection with the doctor, hurried to the hospital, some two hours plus after the 19-yearold had arrived. Yet it took that person almost another hour before she could connect him with the help he needed.

The young man was given attention, but refused to stay over for observation, as he was under the popular misconception that only ‘mad’ people are held back at the psych ward and he most definitely was not mad. And while he initially agreed to keep the subsequent appointment some three days later, he later changed his mind. So, The Caribbean Voice continues to engage him, as we usually do with regards to all our cases, hoping that we can still persuade him to take the additional counselling.

This experience begs the following questions: 1. Why was it impossible for hospital staff to direct the young man to the psych

ward? Surely this information should be available at reception desks and known by all staff?

2. Why was there no mental health professional to meet with the young man until close to 11:00h even though he had an appointment?

Surely, the staff at the Mental Health Unit knows that delays and consequent frustration can concretise the final act of suicide?

This particular case also brings to the fore the suicide hotline. Empirical and anecdotal evidence indicates that Guyanese are hardly utilising the hotline and we do recall that an appeal last year for figures to be released was met with deafening silence in spite of claims of its success. It is critical that the Ministries of Public Security and Health

embark on an ongoing, national campaign to make the suicide hotline a household item and to encourage citizens to make use of it with the promise of absolute confidentiality every time. As well, statistical and related evidence proving its extensive use and success ought to be made public, as this will bolster widespread confidence in its effectiveness.

After all, it would have been quicker for the young man to call the hotline and get help than to reach out to TCV via Facebook.

On the issue of confidentiality, TCV has also found that too many Guyanese are still sceptical of counsellors and counselling because of claims that confidentiality is not often kept. And perhaps that is why, far too often, those seeking help emphatically refuse

counselling in Guyana and/or

by Guyanese, when we place that on the table for them.

Also, this case and many others that TCV has handled over the last two years make it clear that mental healthcare has to be national in scope and easy to access. Thus TCV reiterates its call for mental health care to be integrated into the physi-

cal healthcare system, per the recommendation of the World Health Organisation, for nations like Guyana. And we urge that a look be taken at the Sri Lankan Model in this respect, as that nation has very successfully implemented this integration.

Sincerely, The Caribbean Voice

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wednesday, august 10, 2016

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Foundation keys to developing children’s empathy

BY KATHY SLATTENGREN

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guyana-times.com

hildren are not born with empathy. They are born with the capacity to have empathy but it only develops under certain conditions. Parents play a critical role in developing their children’s empathy.

In their book, Born for Love: Why Empathy is Essential – and Endangered, Perry and Szalavitz write “The essence of empathy is the ability to stand in another’s shoes, to feel what it’s like there and to care about making it better if it hurts.”

They document numerous cases where children have not experienced adequate empathy while growing up.

These kids’ behaviour towards others also reflects a lack of empathy which often leads to serious problems.

There are three key things you can do to help develop empathy in your children: Key 1: Show empathy when responding to your children’s behaviour.

Children learn to be empathetic by being treated with empathy. This begins when they are babies with loving adults responding to their cries and needs. Soothing young children when they are upset lays the foundation for their own development of empathy.

Older children learn empathy when you respond to their behaviour in a caring way rather than with anger.

Instead of yelling “How could you do that?” or “What were you thinking?” respond in a way that demonstrates you understand what your child is going through. For example,

if your child spilled juice, you might say “Oops! That’s unfortunate. Let me know if you need any help cleaning it up.”

Reflecting your child’s feelings is another way of showing empathy. If your child has angrily thrown her math book down, you could say “I can see you’re

to their problems by saying “bummer”. Instead of feeling genuinely understood, they felt angry because it seemed like she was belittling them.

To see a situation from your child’s viewpoint, it can help to think of a situation where you’ve experienced something similar to what your child is experiencing.

frustrated. I get frustrated too when I’m having trouble doing something.”

Expressing empathy puts you and your child on the same side of the problem.

When you show compassion and understanding, your child is in a better position for thinking about a solution to the problem.

Key 2: Demonstrate genuine empathy.

When using empathy, it needs to come from your heart. If it doesn’t sound genuine, children will quickly see through it as fake empathy.

One mom of two teens complained that she tried to be empathetic to their problems but it only seemed to make them mad. She went on to explain that she would often respond

For example, if you’ve ever ordered a meal at a restaurant and then regretted your choice when the meal actually came, you can understand how your child might feel in a similar situation like the following one.

Pretend you asked your child, “What would you like for breakfast: cereal, pancakes or toast?” Suppose your child chooses cereal but when you place the cereal in front of her she says “I changed my mind.

I want pancakes.” You may be tempted to yell “You asked for cereal; I got you cereal; Now eat it!”

Instead you could show more understanding by responding with something like “Now that you have your cereal you’re disappointed you didn’t chose pancakes.

Tomorrow morning you can

choose pancakes.” If she becomes upset, it’s better to acknowledge her feelings again with something like “I realise you are upset.” instead of “Stop complaining and eat!”

Key 3: Discuss other people’s perspectives.

Reading books can help develop understanding of other people’s points of view.

Perry and Szalavitz talk about the importance of reading to children and discussing the actions and feelings of the characters. “When you read to them or discuss books, ask what they think the characters are thinking and feeling. Point out facial expressions and body language and talk about what these mean.”

You can have this same type of discussion with the events happening in your children’s lives. For example, if a new student has joined your child’s class, you can talk to your child about how it must feel to be a new student in the class and to not know anyone yet. By trying to understand how this new student is feeling, your child may be inspired to find ways to help this new student feel more comfortable.

When you help your children see the world from different viewpoints you help them develop their empathy. When children can feel empathy for others, they are far less likely to engage in behaviours like bullying.

By treating your children with empathy and guiding them to treat others that way, you are helping to build a more caring community for everyone. This is a very worthy goal indeed! (www.pricelessparenting.com)

Science students – not all aspiring medical doctors?

B

eing a science student in Guyana who has about as much interest in medicine as a fish has for walking, I am no stranger to the baffled expressions of fellow Guyanese to whom I mention my interest in Physics. The general idea surrounding science students is that we all want to be medical doctors, dentists or basically something involving biological sciences. While many students do, in truth, want to pursue medical careers, and there is nothing wrong with this, there seems to be very little information circulating of any other jobs. It’s either you’re a doctor, lawyer or businessman.

It’s just that people don’t know what there is to do with a degree in something like Physics or Mathematics. “What are you going to become,” I hear frequently, “a Physics professor?” In the Ashley Anthony Caribbean, there is an outcry for innovation, for us to create our own, to stand shoulder to shoulder, to hold our own with the technology leaders of the world. While this may take many years before it materialises, a change in the mindset of people needs to happen first. It’s time for us to start encouraging and enabling students to explore fields such as geosciences, conservation, chemical engineering, and mathematics to name a few. In this column, I’m going to focus on Physics and Mathematics as these are my areas of interest.

Physicists can enter research, such as Guyana’s own, Dr Suresh Narine – BSc, M Sc in Chemical Physics and PhD in Food Science/Materials Physics. Dr Narine currently resides in Canada as a professor at Trent University. He is the recipient of numerous international awards and is hailed as one of the top per cent of scientists across the globe in bio materials. People tend to view physics as detached from the natural world, but this could not be further from the truth. In fact, using Professor Narine as an example, he has found ways to engineer thermoplastics, a versatile (usually petroleum- based) material, applied in everything from building construction to footwear – from vegetable oils! His background in physics enabled him to analyse his synthesised material so as to determine if it behaved the same or better when compared to traditional thermoplastics in varying conditions. Usually, physicists in research find employment at universities or at companies which are seeking to improve their products.

Physicists can be employed in space and astronomy, where essentially one studies the universe. Jobs are available in this area from museums and planetariums, and some physicists do research whilst teaching at universities.

They collect and interpret data from telescopes, satellites and observatories. They can analyse the possibility of life on far-off planets, and may even be involved in describing the geography of heavenly bodies, depending on their specialisation.

Physicists can enter technology fields, enhancing existing technology, as well as producing new more efficient devices.

They are highly sought after in new fields such as robotics and nanotechnology – which helps our computers and phones (among other things) improve functioning.

One can even become a geophysicist, concerned with the prediction of natural disasters which is accredited to their understanding of the world. It’s easy to understand how important this is, considering that every year; the Caribbean is ravaged by tropical storms.

And if you really, truly can’t let go of the medical field idea, physicists are often hired to help create, review and maintain medical equipment alongside biomedical engineers. They are sought after in radiology and nuclear medicine to test equipment as well.

While it may be difficult to find jobs for physicists in Guyana currently, with the new oil find by Exxon, opportunities might be opening up. Physicists can be concerned with the efficient extraction of fossil fuels, using their understanding of the physical properties of the Earth. They can even branch into renewable energy, becoming involved in research and development of solar panels and wind farms.

In the area of Mathematics, one can enter risk prediction (actuarial science), one of the highest paying jobs in the US. Actuaries advise clients on how their decisions could affect the company financially. It’s possible to enter accountancy, becoming auditors; tax, forensic and management accountants as well as corporate advisers.

So maybe it’s time we start diversifying our ideas of what it means to be in science. Let’s get information out there about different, interesting, and well-paying jobs to our youth!

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Pharmagate

Govt misled Nat'l Assembly on Pharma ware"house" rental ...pays owner 3 times NEW GPC's charge

nouncements the Sussex Street bond was never inspected by the Food and Drug Department, as is required under the laws of Guyana, and does not meet any of the international specifications required for storage of drugs and medical supplies.

Guyana Times visited the Sussex Street building, which sits between two residential homes, in breach of international standards for the location of such facilities given its proximity to external risks.

Dr Norton told the

The Sussex Street bond

G

overnment has opted to pay firearms dealer Larry Singh more than three times the amount asked by NEW GPC for use of its 70,000 square foot drug storage bond to instead rent a facility that is less than 10,000 square feet, which is still to be completed and fails to meet minimum standards for pharmaceutical storage.

The Guyana Government in 2015 terminated its prequalification agreement with the NEW GPC and forked over a $25 million deposit to Linden Holding Inc – a company whose majority shareholder is listed as Larry Singh – for rental of a building in Sussex Street, Charlestown, Georgetown,

Public Health Ministry and GPHC is in fact certified as meeting PAHO/WHO standards by relevant Ministry departments, including the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Administration Department.

Misleading

Investigations by Guyana Times, however, indicate that Minister Norton was being less than truthful in his pronouncements on the matter regarding public funds.

Dr Norton was also found to be dishonest when he told the National Assembly that NEW GPC was asking an exorbitant

T

his publication has learnt that NEW GPC has never received any rent from the Government of Guyana for use of its stateof-the-art storage facility for over a decade, but after the request for rental of the facility was made by the Health Ministry and Georgetown Public Hospital, an invoice was computed at $275 per square foot. The Government later decided to pay Linden Holding Inc more than $1000 per square foot for the Sussex Street property. square foot for the Sussex Street property.

Revelations by Dr Norton have since shown that in addition to a $25 million deposit, Government has begun paying Linden Holding Inc, $12.5 million monthly, for a facility which is conservatively estimated to be around less than 10,000 square feet.

The building in Sussex Street – currently being refurbished – up until recently had been abandoned but was previously used as a residence.

No drugs delivered yet

The disparity in prices being paid to Singh and Linden Holding Inc is in addition to the fact that contrary to Dr Norton’s pro-

to be used as a storage bond for drugs and medical supplies for the Public Health Ministry and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton, in defence of the course of action taken by Government, has suggested that the rental fee asked by NEW GPC was exorbitant and that the new facility was required on an emergency basis.

He said too that the facility now rented by the

fee.

This publication has learnt that NEW GPC has never received any rent from the Government of Guyana for use of its state-of-theart storage facility for over a decade, but after the request for rental of the facility was made by the Health Ministry and Georgetown Public Hospital, an invoice was computed at $275 per square foot. The Government later decided to pay Linden Holding Inc more than $1000 per

National Assembly that Government has begun storing drugs and medical supplies with Linden Holdings Inc – since rental payments would have commenced in March.

But this again has since been proven unfounded since the facility is still being prepared to be used as a storage facility.

Guyana Times was told there have been no deliveries made to the location and in fact, rehabilitation of the once dilapidated building only commenced recently.

Three persons were observed on site Monday laying wires in addition to a single security guard who informed a journalist from this publication that Larry

Singh had instructed that no person be allowed inside to photograph the facility.

Checks at Linden Holding’s Middle Street office in the building which housed Sidewalk Café and is owned by Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes – also proved futile since Guyana Times was informed that no comments would be made to the media based on the instructions of Singh.

Guyana Times has learnt that Linden Holding Inc in March this year filed a Notice of Change of address listing 176 Middle Street, Cummingsburg as

Secretary and was replaced

by Mohamed Samad of 185 Section C Enterprise, East Coast Demerara.

The company had also by way of an internal resolution changed its business address to 198 Camp Street, Georgetown. Singh’s Mandela Avenue address was the originally registered address for the business.

One year after Lawrence Singh incorporated the Company, he was also named the Company Secretary.

There was another change of Directors of the company in 2012 when Larry Singh –who is now the majority shareholder – came on board.

He listed the same Miami address in addition to 198 Camp Street.

its registered office.

This coincidentally is the first month Linden Holding Inc began receiving payments in the form of a $25 million deposit.

Linden Holding Inc was in fact registered as a company in 2009 by Lawrence Singh as the sole director and a chauffeur, Julian George, of La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD) was named the Company Secretary.

Lawrence listed 7041NW 41 St, Miami, Florida, 33166, USA as his address in addition to 4531 Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, Guyana.

George subsequently ceased being the Company

Other Directors that came on board at the time included Linda Singh and Lolita Samuels and both have also listed the Miami and Camp Streets addresses.

Businesswoman Theresa Foster of the same 198 Camp Street address subsequently became a Director in addition to Marine Surveyor Joseph Lewis.

Currently the Directors of the company are Lawrence Singh, Joseph Lewis, Larry N Singh, Linda Singh and Lolita Samuels.

Larry Singh owns 34 per cent of the shares, while Linda Singh and Lolita Samuels each own 33 per cent respectively.

Linden Holding Inc

8 news

WEDNESDAY, august 10, 2016 | guyana-times.com

IN THE COURTS

Venezuelan woman jailed for ammo possession

A

2 8 - y e a r - o l d Venezuelan woman who was sobbing uncontrollably before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, was on Tuesday jailed for three years after pleading guilty to a possession of ammunition charge.

Paz Osmarlyn Siso Piňo admitted to the court that on August 2, 2016, at Aurora Mountain Top, Essequibo, she had in her possession 10 live .38 rounds of ammunition without being the

Paz Osmarlyn Siso Piňo

holder of a firearm licence.

The prosecution’s case

revealed that Police ranks, acting upon information, conducted a search on the defendant and discovered the ammunition.

An immigration officer acted as a translator in the case for the defendant when she appeared in court on Tuesday.

Despite her guilty plea, she kept proclaiming her innocence throughout the matter which prompted the Magistrate to question her understanding of the charge and plea.

On this note the charge

was read to her a second time and she was also allowed to plea for a second time. Before she could have pleaded the second time, after listening to the charge, which was translated by the immigration officer, she enquired what the consequences of the guilty plea were. It was due to her enquiries that Magistrate Daly believed the defendant was fully cognisant of the allegations made against her and continued with her ruling.

Charlestown woman remanded on narco trafficking charge

A

33-year-old woman was on Tuesday remanded to prison after she appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with narcotics trafficking.

Andrea Commiller Vigilance pleaded not guilty to the charge which stat-

ed that on August 6, at Evans Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, she had in her possession 120 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The defendant’s lawyer told the court that on the day in questioned, a woman who apparently heard the sirens of the Police dropped a bag

on the defendant’s step and told her to keep it for her until she returns. According to the lawyer, shortly afterwards the defendant was shocked to see her home surrounded by Police ranks. She later threw the bag through a window and was seen by a Police Constable who was present on the scene.

The defence attorney begged the court for bail for his client claiming the situation was unfortunate. However, his submissions were overruled and Vigilance was remanded.

The case will continue on September 5.

Eyew tness Soul searching... ...on sole sourcing pharma storage

P

rezzie’s got to take a deep breath and a hard look at what’s going on (going down?) in his Administration. For what it’s worth, most folks still don’t think he’s involved in the daily liturgy of hankypanky greeting the citizenry in the newspapers every morning. But the buck does stop with him, doesn’t it?

We don’t even have to regurgitate the past – just consider the revelations that came out in Parliament when the Government requested almost $1,000,000,000 from the CONTINGENCY FUND. That’s a fund for taking care of UNFORESEEN circumstances. Now don’t think what your Eyewitness’s going to describe is from any straightforward narrative from Minister of Health Norton. It had to be dragged out from him like molars being yanked out with a pair of pliers – without any cocaine!

First was an innocuous line item to pay $25M for “storage of drugs”. Now Minister Norton has breathed fire and brimstone for years about the past Government storing pharmaceutical purchases at the warehouse of the company that supplied a large chunk of the drugs – the NEW GPC. But that’d been for free. So the PPP MPs immediately smelled a rat – a big dead rat. And then the sordid story was slowly and painfully revealed.

The $25M was for two months’ “security” on a warehouse that was not even constructed. Emergency??!!!

So in effect the Government was bankrolling the facility – which photos revealed didn’t even have storage racks!! It was in fact a “bottom house” in Albouystown!! Asked why they weren’t using NEW GPC’s warehouse, the Minister blurted out they’d received a bill after the latest prequalification bid for a rental of $19M/month from that company. So it sounded like the Government was saving $6.5M monthly, no?

No!! The NEW GPC’s warehouse’s 74,000 square feet area makes theirs 4 times cheaper per square foot – and WITH tri-level air conditioning that pharmaceutical supply-chain management demands. NEW GPC’s new charge (after years of giving it away for free) also included testing facilities, security, IT referrals for access, etc. But worst of all, in light of Minister Norton’s almost evangelical fervour in the recent past about “sole sourcing” of pharma – the warehouse was sole sourced!!

But the hanky-panky didn’t end there. Quizzed as to who certified the bottom-house facility for the nation’s drugs – where thousands of lives are at stake – Norton grudgingly revealed it was HIS OWN MINISTRY!!!

Incestuous??

And finally there was no answer as to why the Government’s billion-dollar pharma warehouse at Diamond wasn’t tasked with storage – Dr Norton had vehemently insisted.

This isn’t a “sweetheart” deal. It’s a “married couple” deal – who’ve been in bed for a long time!!

...on staffing

A statement by the Town Clerk of Georgetown, Royston King, illustrated to a “t” why Government at all levels in Guyana is in trouble – and taking us poor citizens down with them. Asked by this newspaper why City Hall isn’t paying its workers on time, the #1 member of the Gang of Four revealed the problem isn’t that City Hall is “overstaffed” – it’s just “under financed”!

Isn’t that something?? So all those businessmen facing bankruptcy because sales’ve dried up and their cash registers just aren’t ringing over shouldn’t be worried and make cuts in their staffing or spending.

Naaah!! Not to worry...they’re just “underfunded”!!

And that’s the attitude of the Central Government also, isn’t it? Spend $500M on the Jubilee Park that’ll be used for a day! Spend $400M to widen Carifesta Ave for the Caricom HoG meeting! And then claim there’s no money to give Public Workers a raise.

Hey!! It’s only money. Our money!!

...on reinstatement

Receiving word he’d been reinstated as CEO of the GPHC, Michael Khan uttered the Muslim equivalent of “if God wills it” – Inshallah! But now Minister Norton has reversed the decision of the Board of the “autonomous” institution.

Seems Khan needs the “will” of the Minister, not God! Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

9

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Region 6 RDC City Hall’s employees passes $7B budget warned not to Hidden bank accounts

speak with media

– less money allocated for wages

… Mayor refuses to comment

I

n light of the unearthing of four hidden bank accounts at City Hall, Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Greene has opted to remain mum on the matter.

City Hall is being accused of shrouding corruption in many areas of the Council and so the recent finding of the four bank accounts – which were reflected in its financial statements at the statutory meetings – is causing much tension among the Councillors.

Councillor Bishram Kuppen has stated that at the first statutory meeting, he perused the report and found the discrepancy. He related that when he questioned the City Treasurer on the matter, he confirmed the accounts.

“After a number of attempts, the City Treasurer just blurted it out that there were four additional accounts, and each subsequent statutory meeting, I keep pushing for those additional accounts to be included in the reconciliation of the financial statement. All those accounts should be included,” Kuppen allegedly.

When Guyana Times approached Mayor Chase Greene on the issue and questioned her on where the accounts were, she laughed

and said “they are at a bank”.

However, shortly after she redirected the question to her Town Clerk.

“You know what? I’m not the person that can talk to you about this. You should speak to mister King,” she said.

Nevertheless, all attempts to contact Town Clerk Royston King proved futile. When this publication called his office early on Tuesday morning, he was in a meeting. Three hours later, when his office was contacted again, this newspaper was told that he had “stepped out.” Another two hours later, when the publication called again, his cellular phone was turned off.

This newspaper also made efforts to contact the Public Relations Officer and the City Treasurer on the matter; however, the Treasurer’s Secretary informed this publication that the treasurer was unable to pronounce on the issue, adding that all authorities were warned not to speak with the media on the matter.

“All questions should be directed to the PRO or the Mayor,” the Secretary stated.

It is unknown how much monies are being stored in these accounts and for what

purpose.

“This perception is fuelled by the lack of accountability for hundreds of millions of dollars spent on projects with no public tendering, improper financial reporting, four hidden bank accounts which are not included in any financial reports to Councillors, and financial deficits being reported on a consistent basis every month,” Kuppen said while addressing the issue of skullduggery within the Council.

Of recent there have been calls for an audit to be conducted into the financial affairs of the Mayor and City Council, since there has not been any audit reports submitted for the past 10 years.

Former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran had insisted that 10 years of arrears in terms of financial reporting and auditing was not only a “disturbing trend” but also showed that the Council had no interest in bringing the accounts to order.

He stated that as of August 2013, the last set of audited accounts of the Council was for 2004 and the Audit Office had received financial statements for the years 2005 and 2007. There is no evidence to suggest that any financial statements were produced for 2006.

According to the Municipal and District Councils Act, within four months of the close of the financial year, the City Treasurer is required to prepare and submit to the auditor, financial statements for that year for audit. If the treasurer fails to comply, he/she will be guilty of an offence. It has been over a decade that the M&CC – dominated by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), a main partner in the governing coalition – has failed to make any public presentation of its financial position.

The extension to the Amerindian Hostel at Stanleytown is the flagship project in the 2016 regional budget

T

he Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has approved a $7 billion budget proposal for 2017, with reduced amounts for wages.

Capital projects will amount to $1.1 billion and $5.8 billion will be allotted for salaries, maintenance, minor repairs and administrative costs.

The budget is being proposed under five headings – agriculture, public works, education, health and regional administration.

The RDC met on Monday and approved the budget which will see wages and salaries for the regional administration being cut from $65 million this year to $62 million next year; while for agriculture, it will be cut from $77 million this year

to $72 million next year.

Wages and salaries budgeted under public works are being proposed at $31 million, compared with $35 million this year.

Nurses and those in the health sector will see $473 million being budgeted for salaries in 2017 as against $511 million which was budgeted in 2016. The budget for teachers’ salaries, however, shows an increase for next year. $1.85 billion has been budgeted for teachers’ salaries next year compared with $1.8 billion this year.

The major project proposed in the 2016 regional budget is an extension to the Amerindian hostel at Stanleytown. Regional Chairman David Armogan said $9 million has been budgeted for that project.

The hostel at

Stanleytown caters for children from communities along the Berbice River.

Children of Barakara – a community up the Canje River – who will be attending schools in New Amsterdam, will also be housed there.

Also in the budget proposal is a $9 million SUV for the Regional Chairman.

Currently, Armogan is using a vehicle which is eight years old.

The regional budget proposals will be sent to the Communities Ministry for inclusion in that Ministry’s budget which will then be sent to the Finance Ministry, which is preparing the National Budget 2017. The National Budget is expected to be presented in Parliament in December.

(Andrew Carmichael)

10

guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY, august 10, 2016

News

Ban on scrap metal trade

Dealers protest outside President’s office … call for intervention

S

cores of scrap metal dealers on Tuesday protested the Ministry of the Presidency, calling for an immediate end to a more than oneyear-old ban on the trade.

According to the Secretary of the Guyana Metal Recyclers Association (GMRA) Michael Benjamin, he was informed by Business Minister Dominic Gaskin via a letter that the proposal for the resumption of the trade would be made in November of this year.

However, he argued that the time is too lengthy and will prove to be even more of a financial strain for dealers.

“Minister Gaskin wrote me last week and indicated that we’re looking at November. I responded, because we don’t agree with it in a sense that it is extra burden on us,” he said.

Benjamin highlighted that since the ban on the scrap metal trade, GMRA has been tremendously disadvantaged, adding that the longer the Government takes to resume the trade, the more

Protesters in front of the Ministry of the Presidency

business they will be losing.

“The negative effects of the suspension are that we are deemed unreliable suppliers, the overseas buyers are contemplating on taking legal action against us for advances that we took and can’t deliver because the trade was suspended since June of last year, bank mortgages, rental of scrap metal yards and other financial constrains that is not helping the fraternity,” Benjamin said.

The GMRA President contended that GMRA members are no longer in a financial position to sustain themselves and for them to wait until

November, is unfair, since some 1500 workers have been left jobless.

“The law says you cannot suspend the shipment of scrap metal for more than one year... so it is unlawful. The makers of the law must abide by the law,” he stated.

The dealers are calling on President David Granger to intervene immediately to bring resolution to the matter.

Pedestrian critical after Parika accident

The damaged car after the accident

A

Stewartville, West Coast Demerara resident is in critical condition at the Leonora Cottage Hospital after he was struck by a speeding

motorcar at Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

Injured is Kelvin Wilson, 20. The incident occurred at around 08:00h on Tuesday as the man was crossing the public road.

The driver of the motorcar bearing registration plates PPP 4144, attempted to flee the scene but his car collided with a lorry.

He was apprehended and also rushed to the hospital for treatment after which he was taken into custody.

Investigations into the incident are continuing.

Where house?

S

atiricus gave a wry grin. He was bemused – not amused.

“What’s all this fuss about Govt renting a warehouse to store drugs?” he mumbled to himself as he shook his head. Cappo looked over at him as they sidled into their chairs at the Back Street Bar. He knew his buddy was bothered about something.

“Suh wha’ a badda yuh, Sato?” he asked as the waitress brought over their usual – two ice cold beers. “Yuh start fuh talk to y’uself again!”

“Cappo, I can’t stand the ignorance of the PPCEE people,” Satiricus said as he shook his head.

“Wha’ dem do dis time, padna?” Cappo replied in a solicitous tone.

“You didn’t read the newspapers?” Satiricus said irritably.

“The PPCEE want to know why the Government rented a warehouse to keep drugs.”

“An’ wha’ wraang wid da?” asked Cappo with his interest piqued.

“Jeez Cappo,” replied Satiricus with some impatience. “All these years, the PPCEE never, ever rent a real warehouse...they used a bond.”

“An’ wha’ de difference?” asked Cappo, after finishing off his beer and signalling for another.

“A warehouse has to be in a house, Cappo,” said Satiricus.

“Why you think they call it wareHOUSE?” “Me neva t’ink about da!” said Cappo with eyes opened wider than normal. “Suh de new warehouse de guvment rent deh in wan house?”

“Damn right it is!” replied Satiricus. “Smack in the middle of other houses with flags on Bamboo and so on.”

“An’ all dis time de PPCEE nevah know wha’ wan rail warehouse?” asked Cappo with a twinkle in his eye.

“They always knew, Cappo, but they never cared,” said Satiricus, shaking his head once again. “They played with our lives!”

“But me hear de Guvment na tek bid fuh rent de warehouse,” pointed out Cappo. “Dem na gat wan name fuh da?”

“Sole sourcing,” replied Satiricus knowingly. “But my friend, this is the only warehouse in a house. So nobody else qualify!”

“An’ me hear de place prappa small,” pointed out Cappo persistently. “Da na mek de place mo’ dear?”

“Cappo, that’s why you’re a canecutter,” replied Satiricus smugly. “You don’t know business. You always have to pay more for the real thing!”

“Sato, me fr’en’, me glad yuh know business,” said Cappo as he ordered another beer since Satiricus was buying. “Yuh sound jus’ like de Ministah!!”

“Let’s drink to that,” said Satiricus, as he clinked his bottle with Cappo’s.

wednesDAY, august 10, 2016

guyana-times.com

News

Kitty Market to be completed by November 1

By Ramona Luthi

T

he rehabilitation work on the Kitty Market will be completed by November 1, 2016, Town Clerk Royston King disclosed at Monday’s statutory meeting of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

The rehabilitation of the Kitty Market began earlier this year, and the announced deadline at the time was before Guyana’s

Independence Jubilee on May 26. However, construction halted, causing many persons to speculate that the (M&CC had become cash-strapped and was unable to pay contractors for the restoration.

This was later confirmed by the Mayor, Patricia Chase Green.

During the latter part

1 killed in another mining accident

A Kitty Market prior to rehabilitation

Town Clerk Royston King

11

of June, Guyana Times was informed by City Engineer Colvern Venture that the reconstruction of the Market had already resumed but was delayed because of the rainy weather.

Additionally, upon visits to the Market after this claim was made, this publication was informed

by City Hall officials that construction had indeed been halted but work was to resume in early July.

At the meeting on Monday, King expressed appreciation towards the stall owners who have patiently been awaiting the completion of the Market.

“I wish to express my gratitude to all the cooperation and understanding of the stallholders who continue to wait to restart their businesses in that facility.”

The Town Clerk further highlighted that a total of

Kitty Market currently under rehabilitation

178 new applications for stalls at the Kitty Market have been received by the M&CC to date.

To this end, Mayor Chase Green asserted that until they were certain that there was enough space to accommodate the original stall owners, new applications for stalls would not be accepted.

According to King, he has been informed by the “engineer on site” that the development of just the ground floor of the Market would cost approximately $30 million to$ 35 million to complete.

It was disclosed last week that the Council had already spent an estimated $110 million on repairs.

Initially, restoration of the structure was to cost $240 million.

The Town Clerk further highlighted at the statutory meeting that the rehabilitated Kitty

Market structure would accommodate a health centre on the upper floor, which would be focused on postnatal and prenatal child care.

He said under the previous Administration, the Kitty Market had once housed a health centre, but after the building began to deteriorate, the

space allotted for health care was abandoned with promises of repairs.

King also voiced that the Council was contemplating the placement of a Council Office at the Kitty Market and other municipal buildings located in Agricola and East Ruimveldt among other areas.

man has been killed following a mining accident in Omai Gold Mine in region seven (Cayuni/ Mazaruni on Tuesday, the Ministry of Natural Resources has said late Tuesday evening.

The Ministry confirmed that there was at least one fatality on Tuesday as a result of a mining accident in the Omai area.

While all the facts are still yet to be determined, reports are that an excavator was trying to lower an engine into a mining pit when it toppled and the operator became submerged resulting in the fatality.

There are no details at this time regarding the identity of the person who is reported to have died.

12 news

WEDNESDay, august 10, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Region 10 poised to be next economic hub in Guyana – Chairman

R

egion 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Chairman Renis Morian has declared that the Region is poised to become the next economic hub in Guyana, owing to a number of developments which are set to come on stream.

According to Morian, there are numerous initiatives which have been presented to the Region; however, successful coordination with the relevant Government Ministries is essential to these plans coming on stream, which could result in significant development for citizens in the Region.

“I want to declare Region 10, the new economic hub of Guyana...based on where we are and based on the fact of the kind of opportunities coming our way,” Morian outlined.

Embedded in the plans for areas across the Region, the Chairman said, are initiatives such as the resuscitation of the Linden airstrip, completion of the road from Linden to Kwakwani and nu-

development, Morian outlined.

“We’re in a very good position where the airstrip is concerned...Region 10 possesses one of the best airstrips in Guyana and we’re in such a good position to take this process forward,” he stated.

Road links

Chairman Renis Morian

merous investment opportunities in addition to youth development.

Linden airstrip

The Regional Chairman explained that there was a recent intervention in relation to the Linden airstrip, where recommendations have been made by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to have it operational once again. A proposal has already been set up, which includes plans for its future

After a tender, the contract has already been signed to commence work on the Linden-Ituni/Kwakwani access road, the Chairman related. He added that it was the hope of the Council to have the long-awaited Linden-Lethem road realised.

Investments

Morian also noted that investigators have so far shown interest in areas such as agriculture and business, while stressing the need to work collaboratively with the relevant Ministries in having applications fast tracked.

“My call is that the relevant Ministries – Ministry of Business, Ministry of

the Presidency, Ministry of Communities, we fast track these applications (from investors)...I want to see us on a fast track that Region 10 can really enjoy the benefits, because an investor won’t wait while we pussyfoot...,” he said.

Coming out of the Plan of Action for Regional Development (PARD), which was recently piloted by Region 10, Morian explained that an indoor multipurpose facility for youths has been put into plans for 2017. He said he was looking forward to the Region securing the necessary funding to make sure that the facility was put in place. The Chairman said the Burrowes School of Arts has also shown interest in opening a branch in Region 10. This, he noted, will be of great assistance in development of the arts.

The Chairman further stated that a lot of money was also spent on s new office for the RDC and he was looking forward to collaboration with the Finance Ministry and other relevant Ministries.

Teen on remand for gun, ammo charges

Oniel Nelbert escorted by a police officer

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teenager of Lot 12 La Grange, West Coast Demerara, appeared before City Magistrate Leron Daly to answer to two charges of possession of a firearm along with matching ammunition.

Oniel Nelbert pleaded not guilty to the charges.

It is alleged that on August 2, 2016, at Aurora Mountain Top, Essequibo, he had in his possession a single barrel shot gun along with three live matching rounds of ammunition without being the holder of a firearm licence.

The defence attorney told

the court that on the day in question, the defendant was walking in the company of another who threw the gun and ammunition in the bush after seeing the Police. The defence attorney requested bail on behalf of his client who he said has a fixed place of residence and employment. He added that the defendant is a miner and works with his father who has a mining operation in the interior.

The prosecution objected to bail due to the nature of the matter.

The case will continue on September 5.

NEWS

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wednesday, august 10, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Parking in Georgetown now reduced to $200 an hour – Cush K amau Cush, the Director of Smart City Solutions – the company contracted by the Mayor and City Council to install parking meters in Georgetown – has announced that upon installation, the parking meters will charge $200 per hour.

This announcement was made on Tuesday during a parking meter consultation session held in the conference room of the National Library.

According to Cush, this new figure of $200 for every hour of parking along the streets of Georgetown has “gained universal acceptance.” Prior to this reduced fee, it was reported in the media that the company was seeking to solicit $500 per hour of parking; a figure that did not resonate well with the populace after it was announced. Speaking on behalf of Cush, media personality Mondale Smith highlighted that “special arrangements” will be made with regard to parking in specific areas along the streets of the capital city.

“Based upon where you

will park, there are special arrangements for that,” Smith said.

During the early part of June 2016, Cush shared with media operatives that 3000 spaces would be allocated for parking, with a parking meter attached to every 10 spaces, so a total of 300 parking meters would be installed in busy areas around the City.

He had said that the meters would hold a charge of $125 every 15 minutes, allowing an expected yearly income of approximately $100-$200 million.

However, according to Smith, who was speaking with visible agreement from Cush at the consultation session on Tuesday, there has never been mention of $500 per hour being contemplated.

“We don’t know how $500 an hour came about but it made its rounds in the media.

The Mayor afterwards made it categorical that $500 was never on the negotiation table for parking meters. The Town Clerk iterated that $500 was never on the table,” Smith asserted.

Govt to move Walter Roth Museum, staff by December

The Walter Roth Museum

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he Ministry of the Presidency is planning to remove the Walter Roth Museum and its employees to the National Museum by the end of the year, a source has revealed.

According to the source who is acquainted with the affairs of the museum – which is the oldest museum of anthropology in the English-speaking Caribbean – the administration was informed by the “military” that the staff would be relocated to the National Museum by December on an order from President David Granger.

“We were told that the President wanted the place,” the source said.

When Guyana Times visited the museum on Tuesday, employees also confirmed that they would be relocated.

The employees stated that they were told the President thought it was better for all of the museums to be in one place.

The museum was founded with the collections of Guyanese Archaeologist, Dr Denis Williams and in 1980, the ethnographic collections of Dr Walter Roth, Mr J J Quelch and Sir Everardim Thurn were transferred to the museum from the National Museum. The museum’s collections also include dug up artefacts from all 10 administrative regions.

In an invited comment on the issue, Former Culture

Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, also stated that he heard of the museum being moved. “We have to see what this is all about… it is an institution and instead of dismantling it, we have to be preserving it and growing it because it has a very important role to play in Guyana,” he said.

He stated that he does not think that the President is aware of the space the National Museum has, since it has been overcrowded with its artefacts.

“They cannot display their current holdings because there is a lack of space and to move an entire museum and somehow cram it into the space of the National Museum I don’t think that is possible,” he said.

Anthony added that if it is true that the President wanted all the museums in one place then the Government would have to build another building and he does not believe that they are rebuilding the current museum and “if they are doing that, where are they getting the budget from because there was no budget voted in 2016 for it.”

The Walter Roth Museum was established in 1974 but did not open to the public until 1982. It is located on Main Street, Georgetown. It is famous for its journals in some of the leading universities of the world.

However, during an interview with the Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase Green on Monday, she mentioned that during the Attorney General’s review of the contract for the parking meters, recommendations were made with regard to the rate being charged by the parking meters.

Chase Green also told Guyana Times that the report which was submitted to be reviewed stated the parking meter fee as $500 an hour, adding that this cost was to be reduced.

“There are some issues; we talked about – the pricing because the report went with the $500 an hour. There is to be discussions of a reduction,” she had stated.

Over the past few months, the parking meter contract has come under fire from all sections of the public, but the Government has reassured stakeholders that it has found nothing illegal in the contract which was signed with Smart City Solutions Inc. But the Ministry of Finance, who was also tasked

Kamau Cush

with reviewing the contract and providing Cabinet with a report, had outlined with respect to the financial implications of the contract that “Government procurement practices may have been violated, in that a tender was not advertised and bids were reviewed for acceptance based on certain criteria and as such justifies a revoking of the contract by Government and the re-tendering.” According to

the report from the Finance Ministry, “there are grounds for the contract to be withdrawn and the related damages assessed and paid subject to M&CC producing a feasibility study that provides the national government a clear picture of the demand analysis, financial analysis, socio-economic cost benefit analysis, risk analysis, technological alternatives and production plan, human resources, location plan and implementation.”

The Ministry’s report also unearthed that the concessions granted under the contract were monopolistic in nature since it blocked any form of local competition for the duration of the 49 years of the contract life. Transparency International Guyana Inc (TIGI) is of the opinion that the deal is shrouded in unaccountability and ambiguity.

“TIGI is of the view that the handling of the parking meter project by the Georgetown Municipality and its response to relevant queries exhibit a dearth of democratic principles and disdain

for citizens that would lead to a feeling of exclusion, and alienation from the decisionmaking process. These failures serve as a strong contradiction to the purpose of local government,” TIGI President Troy Thomas had said in a recent statement. He said there was no open tendering for the project and there was “handpicking” of a contractor and Councillors to conduct due diligence in Mexico. “This was perhaps necessary as it was a fool’s errand from the onset against the backdrop of an already signed contract, which positioned it in the interest of the Mayor to find the firm suitable or even exceeding the requirements,” he added.

Thomas stated that there ought to be transparency and accountability in the operations of local government and the views of the people must be respected. He contended that the project being allowed to continue in its current state despite a legal basis for enacting a new and transparent process was a telling blow to “transparency, accountability and good governance”.

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wednesday, AUGUSt 10, 2016

Regional

Trinidad imam rejects ISIS China funding new multimilliondollar Dominica hospital recruitment allegations

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mam Nazim Mohammed has denied suggestions that he recruited Trinidad and Tobago national Shane Crawford to fight for extremist militant group ISIS. In fact, Mohammed said he does not know, nor has he ever spoken to or prayed with Crawford.

Mohammed’s denial comes in the wake of reports that Turkish authorities had thwarted an attempt to smuggle nine Trinidad and Tobago nationals into Syria to join ISIS and an article in the July edition of ISIS online propaganda magazine Dabiq in which Crawford,

under his Muslim name Abu Sa’d al-Trinidadi, was featured and made an appeal to Trinidad and Tobago Muslims to kill Christians, the Trinidad Guardian reported.

Identifying himself as an ISIS sniper, Crawford claimed he and two Trinidad and Tobago colleagues, Abu Abdillah and Abu ’Isa, were the first three Muslims to join ISIS. He admitted to being inspired to jihad by the teaching of Ashmead Choate, a Trinidad-based Muslim scholar who was the purported ring leader of the 2011 assassination plot.

After the report surfaced

there were also reports allegedly linking Mohammed to the ISIS recruitment process in Trinidad and Tobago and of involvement with Crawford. But Mohammed insisted that he had no friendship, association or interaction with Crawford.

“Maybe I saw him (in the mosque) and thing, but I personally don’t know him. I never spoke to him.

All I know him is by seeing his photos in the newspapers.... People (non members) would come from all over to attend Juma’ah,” Mohammed said, defending his position and name. (Excerpt

A model of the new Dominica hospital

Brazil Senate votes to open D Rousseff impeachment trial from Caribbean News Now)

ominica has launched the construction of an EC$40 million (One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) National Hospital that China says represents a new era in relations between the two countries.

China’s Ambassador to Dominica, Li Jiangning told the ground breaking ceremony on Monday evening that the new facility “will bring higher quality medical services to the community in the years to come.

“I am confident that this new facility once it is com-

The Brazilian Senate debate is expected to be a marathon session stretching into the early hours of today, while Rousseff’s supporters have been protesting in various cities across Brazil (right)

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he Brazilian Senate has met to decide whether to try the suspended President Dilma Rousseff for breaking the budget law.

A simple majority will be needed to open an impeachment trial against Rousseff.

The debate is expected to end in the early hours of today.

The Senate suspended Rousseff in May over alleged illegal accounting practices. She says they were common practice under previous Administrations.

A two-thirds majority

will be needed in the final vote after the impeachment trial, due in the week after the Olympics closing ceremony.

Rousseff has been accused of spending money without congressional approval and taking out unauthorised loans from State banks to boost the national budget ahead of the 2014 election, when she was reelected.

Her allies in the Workers’ Party have pointed out that many of the members of the Brazilian congress who have accused her are implicated

in corruption cases themselves.

Rousseff is not facing corruption charges in Brazil’s wide-ranging scandal around the state oil company, Petrobras. But she has been tainted by the scandal, in which her Workers’ Party is accused of lining its campaign war chests with some of the missing money.

If she is removed from office, the interim President, her former running mate Michel Temer, will remain in the presidential chair until the next elections in 2018.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Teachers’ Union wants Govt to ‘put a halt’ on the Cybercrime Bill

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he St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union (SVGTU) has become the second local organisation to call on the Ralph Gonsalves Administration to shelf the Cybercrime Bill, which is now before Parliament.

“The SVGTU is also concerned with the indecent haste with which the Government is seeking to rush this Bill into law,” the Union said in a statement, joining the St Vincent and the Grenadines Human

Rights Association and a growing list of regional and international organisations that have called for revision of the legislation.

In the statement, the SVGTU said it calling on the Government “to put a halt on the Cyber Crime Bill 2016 which is currently before our Parliament.

“We have studied the proposal contained in this Bill and are very concerned about many clauses, particularly those that interfere with our freedom of ex-

pression as embedded under section 10 of our Country’s Constitution,” the union.

Since the Bill was introduced in Parliament two months ago, the International Press Institute, the Centre for Law and Democracy, Reporters Without Borders and the Association of Caribbean Media Workers have all expressed concerns about sections of the bill which they say impinge on freedom of expression and can have a chilling effect on democracy.

(Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

pleted…would enhance the capacity of Dominica to deal with new emerging health issues and challenges as well as current ones. It will contribute to long-term social and economic development of this beautiful country.”

The Chinese diplomat said the new hospital will be “one of the most complicated and challenging project to construct for both sides… thanks to the tremendous efforts put in by both sides”.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said that the new fa-

cility should serve as an impetus for Dominicans to put aside their political differences and unite for the socio-economic development of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) country.

The construction of the hospital by a Chinese firm, forms part of the four-pillar projects agreed to in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two governments when they re-established diplomatic relations in 2004.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

“Please don’t hurt our children” – PM P

rime Minister Andrew Holness is urging Jamaicans to be more loving, caring and understanding towards children. He made the appeal while addressing the Independence Day grand gala at the National Stadium in Kingston on August 6, where he called for an end to violence against children.

“Please don’t hurt our children, protect them from the storm. Help them, encourage them and if you haven’t done it yet, hug them and tell them that you love them,” the Prime Minister said, to loud cheers

from the crowd.

In an interview with JIS News, Holness said violence as a means of correction, control and social interaction cannot be allowed to continue in Jamaica.

“While we are here celebrating our country, we want to deliver a message; a message of peace and love, a message of care and protection for our children, and a message to end violence in our country,” he noted.

The grand gala was staged by the Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Ministry, through the Jamaica Cultural

Development Commission.

The event, held under the theme ‘Youth Arising’, had a strong focus on the youth and included performances by some 1000 children and young adults.

There was a flag display by uniformed groups accompanied by the massed bands of the Jamaica Defence Force, Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force. Several local gospel, dancehall and reggae artistes also thrilled the patrons at the event. (Excerpt from

Jamaica Observer)

Mexico Miss World pageant head Castellanos killed

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he Director of the Miss World Pageant in Mexico, Hugo Ruben Castellanos, has been killed in the city of Culiacan in north-eastern Sinaloa state.

Castellanos was abducted along with two other people from a bar early on Sunday, just hours after he crowned the winner of the Miss Sinaloa contest.

The two other people were later freed but Castellanos’ body was found in a stolen car riddled with bullet holes.

The motive behind the killing is still unclear.

Mexico’s Miss World Director, Hugo Ruben Castellanos

Witnesses said Castellanos first attended a party with the Miss Sinaloa contestants before moving on to the bar from which he was abducted.

Abductions and murders are not uncommon in the state of Sinaloa, the birthplace of Mexico’s infamous drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Sinaloa’s murder rate has gone up since Guzman was recaptured in January.

Analysts say the rise is down to rival gangs trying to wrest control of the region from Guzman’s cartel.

(BBC News)

wednesday, august 10, 2016

guyana-times.com

15

Around the World

Putin mends broken Parents of Americans killed in Benghazi sue Hillary Clinton relations with Turkey’s Erdogan T

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he leaders of Russia and Turkey have patched up a damaging quarrel, pledging to restore close economic relations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian trade sanctions on Turkey would be phased out “step by step”.

“The priority is to get back to the pre-crisis level of cooperation,” he told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in St Petersburg.

Their relations soured last November when Turkey shot down a Russian bomber on the Syrian border.

It is Erdogan’s first foreign visit since an attempted coup last month. He has since launched a far-reaching purge of the armed forces and other state institutions.

Speaking in St Petersburg, Erdogan thanked Putin, saying a call from the Russian leader after the coup “meant a lot psychologically”.

He said “the MoscowAnkara friendship axis will be restored”.

Russian President Vladmir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shook hands warmly after months of angry rhetoric

After Turkey shot down the Su-24 jet Russia imposed trade sanctions and suspended Russian package tours to Turkey.

Now Russia has decided to resume those package tours – an important source of income for Turkish resorts.

On the Syria conflict, Putin acknowledged big differences with Erdogan, but said “we will look for solutions”.

The war of words over

the downed Russian jet delivered a big blow to trade.

Turkey’s exports to Russia in the first half of this year fell to US$737 million (£567 million) – a 60.5 per cent slump compared to the same period last year, Turkey’s Daily Sabah reported.

The dispute put two major joint energy projects on hold – the TurkStream gas pipeline across the Black Sea and the Akkuyu nuclear plant being built by Russia’s Rosatom in Turkey. (BBC News)

“Reinforced” hangars on disputed islands escalate South China Sea tensions

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atellite photographs taken in late July show China appears to have built reinforced aircraft hangars on its holdings in disputed South China Sea islands, a Washington-based research group said.

The hangars on Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs in the Spratly islands have room for any fighter jet in the Chinese air force, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said in a report on the photographs.

The images have emerged about a month after an international court in The Hague ruled against China’s

claims in the resource-rich area, a decision rejected by Beijing. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which US$5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.

The United States has urged China and other claimants not to militarise their holdings in the South China Sea. CSIS said that apart from a brief visit to Fiery Cross Reef by a military transport plane earlier in the year, “there is no evidence that Beijing has de-

ployed military aircraft to these outposts”.

The rapid construction of the hangars, however, “indicates that this is likely to change.”

A US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unlikely the hangers would be used for civilian purposes.

The official added, however, that the Chinese move was seen as skirting around the line rather than crossing it, and there would be increased concern if China actually moved in military aircraft and started using a reef as a forward operating base. (Reuters)

he parents of two Americans killed in a 2012 attack in the Libyan city of Benghazi have sued Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Patricia Smith and Charles Woods, parents of Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, filed a lawsuit against Clinton for wrongful death and defamation.

The suit claims the former Secretary of State’s use of a private email server contributed to their sons’ death.

The parents also accuse her of defaming them in statements to the media.

Islamic militants attacked a US diplomatic compound in 2012 and killed

four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, while Clinton was Secretary of State.

Though a House Republicans committee cleared Clinton of any wrongdoing earlier this year, the issue has dogged her presidential campaign.

The suit was filed on behalf of the parents by the conservative group Freedom Watch.

The parents, who have both spoken out against Clinton, argue her “’extreme carelessness’ in handling confidential and classified information” on her private server may have revealed the location of State Department employees in

Delta cancels 300 more flights after power cut

More than 1000 people spent Monday night at Narita airport outside Tokyo

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S airline Delta has cancelled at least 300 more flights after a power cut on Monday that resulted in the cancellation of 1000 flights and delays for about 2800 more.

The company has not yet given details about the financial damage.

But correspondents say it is likely to amount to millions of dollars.

The meltdown exposes vulnerabilities in Delta’s computer system, which is

over-reliant on IT systems that date from the 1990s, correspondents say.

Although the airline was back online late on Monday, it was still dealing with the knock-on effects a day later.

The Atlanta-based airliner says it will pay compensation to customers affected by significant delays or cancellations.

Its main challenge will be to find sufficient seats on planes during the busy summer holiday season for

I

Irom Sharmila has been protesting against the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act

She tasted honey to symbolically break her fast in front of journalists in the hospital.

Sharmila told the court in the state capital, Imphal, that she was a “prisoner of con-

science” and she wanted to end her fast, be free and fight in local assembly elections.

“I have to change my strategy. Some people are seeing me as a strange woman because I want to join politics.

They say politics is a dirty, but so is society. I want to stand in the elections against the government,” she said.

She told reporters she had decided to “try a different [form of] agitation” because “I have been fasting for 16 years and I have not got anything from it yet”.

Sharmila had been protesting against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives soldiers sweeping powers to arrest without warrants and even shoot to kill in certain situations. (BBC News)

tens of thousands of passengers whose flights were cancelled.

The flight tracking service FlightStats said there were nearly 600 delayed flights on Tuesday, with cancelled flights closer to 330.

More than 1000 people spent Monday night at Narita airport outside Tokyo, with Delta spokeswoman Hiroko Okada warning that more delays were expected. There were similar scenes earlier in the day throughout the US. “We were able to bring our systems back on line and resume flights within a few hours yesterday, but we are still operating in recovery mode,” a Delta statement said on Tuesday.

The disruption was so severe on Monday that at one point Delta warned passengers that information provided by its employees, website and app may be out of date. (BBC News)

Duterte threatens martial law if ‘drug war’ is blocked

Irom Sharmila: World’s longest hunger strike ends ndian activist Irom Sharmila has ended her 16-year-long hunger strike against a controversial security law, in order to compete in local elections.

Her campaign, described as the world’s longest hunger strike, had led to her being detained, and forced fed through a tube in her nose for over a decade.

She was held under a law that makes attempting suicide a crime.

The court in northeastern Manipur state granted her bail on Tuesday and asked her to reappear on June 23.

Sharmila has signed a personal bail bond and is expected to be released from her judicial custody in a local hospital after bail procedures are complete.

Libya.

Those details, the suit argued, could have been obtained by “hostile adversaries” who may have hacked her server and ultimately led to their sons’ deaths.

FBI Director James Comey announced last month that it was “possible that hostile actors gained access” to Clinton’s email server, but added the agency did not find conclusive evidence that it was hacked.

Chris Stevens, the sister of Ambassador Stevens, told The New Yorker earlier this year that she did not blame Clinton, saying it was “inappropriate” to make the Benghazi attacks as a political issue. (BBC News)

At least 564 people killed in anti-drug war since new Philippine president took office on June 30 [EPA]

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hilippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to declare martial law, if the country’s judiciary interferes with his ongoing war on drugs, which has already killed over 500 people since he took office.

“If this will continue and if you will try to stop me, then fine. Would you rather I declare martial law?” a visibly angry Duterte said in a speech on Tuesday, before military troops in the southern island of Mindanao.

“Filipinos are getting

killed. I grieve for so many women raped, men killed, infants raped,” because of drug addiction, Duterte said.

“Please do not create a confrontation, a constitutional war, we will all lose.”

The President was reacting to a letter Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno sent to him on Monday, questioning his decision to release the names of judges accused of being involved with the illegal drug trade.

The head of the Supreme Court said only the court has

the authority to oversee judges.

In her letter, Sereno wrote that while the judiciary shares the President’s sentiment that “dangerous drugs have been destroying Filipino lives and families”, a legal process should be followed before judges are named in public.

The Chief Justice also pointed out that judges have also been targeted by criminals, including drug lords, with 26 reported assassinations since 1999.

Duterte has repeatedly said that he has a “sworn duty” to protect the Philippines from the threats of illegal drugs and creeping narco-politics.

Aside from judges, Duterte also named other government officials including mayors and members of Congress on Sunday.

He was also quoted as saying, “I don’t care about human rights, believe me.”

(Al Jazeera)

16 news

wednesday, august 10, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Opposition to debate its claim of APNU’s Ramsammy’s Ruminations “militarisation of the State” today Silence of good people

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he Opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is set to commence a debate on what the Party deems as the A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) “militarisation of the State”, an issue the Opposition has been expressing concern over since the new Administration took office.

Former Presidents Donald Ramotar and Bharrat Jagdeo, who is also the current Opposition Leader; PPP’s General Secretary Clement Rohee; former Cabinet Secretary under the PPP Government, Dr Roger Luncheon; former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall; and political and economic commentator Ramon Gaskins have been listed as the panelists.

The discussion will be held today at the Sleepin Hotel on Brickdam, Georgetown.

Recently, PPP’s General Secretary Clement Rohee said the Party continues to have growing concerns over the “militarisation” of the State and Government apparatus in Guyana by the coalition Administration.

“This tendency is increasingly manifesting itself under the Granger Administration, coupled with this development, is the steady but rapid progression of our country in the direction of a “Police State”. This dangerous and unwelcomed development

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

has its historical antecedents in the Burnham era of which Mr Granger is a product,” Rohee had said.

He pointed out that what the “pro-militaristic administration” has done by virtue of this practice is to demonstrate its distrust for civilians who are qualified to perform such functions in contradistinction to military personnel. Also by moving in this direction, it seems Government has “outfoxed” the Alliance for Change (AFC), he said, by placing its military confederates in key and critical positions knowing that the AFC would be more inclined to nominate civilians to the said positions which, he asserted, the APNU has absolutely no interest in doing.

“The PPP is of the view that the rise of the APNU/

AFC sponsored Police State will inexorably result in the decline of freedom in Guyanese. Under the PPP/C, Guyanese abided by the rule of law and successive PPP/C Administrations were held accountable for their actions,” said the PPP/C General Secretary, adding that since the election of President Ganger and his coalition in May 2015, several retired Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Officers have been appointed in key advisory positions within the Government.

Additionally, a number of soldiers have been seconded to work in the Defence Secretariat at the Ministry of the Presidency, where they are required to wear their uniforms. The Ministry of the Presidency recently announced that Colonel Nazrul Hussain would head the Department of National Events, after a series of bungled arrangements for Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary. A number of Army officers have also been appointed to a number of State Boards and other civilian positions.

The PPP’s concerns were renewed last week after two Army officers were recently appointed to head two Commissions of Inquiries.

However, while the Opposition is bent on this stance, President David Granger, himself a retired Army Chief-of-Staff, defend-

ed his Administration’s appointments of the military men to the high profile positions.

“These are human beings, these are people with skills, you know. They are not a separate breed of citizens, we can’t deprive them of their rights if they have the talent, the experience, the qualifications,” the President said at a recent forum.

He said his Administration is facing the brunt of criticism on militarisation when the mass appointments of Army officers to senior Government positions began under the Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar led Administrations.

In fact, he disclosed that when he took office in May 2015, there were about 10 Army officers who were appointed under the PPP/C Administration.

The President even listed several of those persons including Major General Joe Singh and Colonel Chabulall Ramsaroop, among others.

Moreover, Granger went on to say that he will not overlook qualified Army officers because of their association with the military. “I don’t discriminate against them and obviously Mr Jagdeo and Mr Ramotar didn’t discriminate against them because I inherited a large number of former military officers who have been appointed by the PPP Administration,” he stated.

Police continue to probe teen’s death, foul play not ruled out

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olice are trying to reconstruct the scene in which 17-year-old Andel Daniel allegedly accidentally shot himself at Cathrinaburg, Canje Creek, last Thursday.

Divisional Commander Ian Amsterdam says the

Police have not ruled out foul play.

According to Amsterdam, the Police were able to get vital information from the man who took the injured teen in a paddle boat to seek medical attention. The man is the only person who allegedly

saw Daniel at the home after he was shot.

“That man said when he saw him, he had the gun in his hand: he was using it like a walking stick. So he was limping with that as a support heading towards the boat.”

It was reported that Daniel, of Caracasville, West Canje, was descending the stairs of a farmhouse at Cathrinaburg, armed with a loaded shotgun, when the stairs collapsed and a round was discharged from the weapon, hitting him in the abdomen. He was rushed to the Barakara Health Centre by a Neighbourhood Police Officer and was transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where a Doctor pronounced him dead on arrival. A post-mortem conducted on the body of Daniel showed that he died of shock and haemorrhage resulting from a gunshot wound.

Commander Amsterdam said several pellets were removed from the body. “What we now have to check is that if the gun itself had the spent shells, so we would now have to take all the pellets to check and see if they came from the spent shell and if that was actually the weapon used. Then we will have to put the pieces together to see how the firearm went off hitting him in the abdomen.”

The Police have so far been able to determine that the firearm, which was recovered, is unlicensed.

“We are talking to the relatives who have their own suspicion and they are all saying that it was as a result of an accident and that the gun belongs to him,” Amsterdam said. (Andrew Carmichael)

promotes the crime of ethnic discrimination

A

couple of weeks ago, there were self-righteous denunciation of Bharrat Jagdeo for highlighting ethnic discrimination against IndoGuyanese by the APNU/AFC Government in a speech made in Queens, New York.

David Granger, in his role of BLOVIATOR–IN-CHIEF, told Jagdeo to “mind his words” and implied that Jagdeo was being Dr Leslie Ramsammy a racist. Not to be outdone, bloviating with spittle, Prime Minister Nagamootoo desperately joined Granger in scurrilously condemning Jagdeo.

There were others that joined Granger and Nagamootoo in attacking the Leader of the Opposition. Even my good friend Ralph Ramkarran joined in the attack. But I know Ramkarran will not deny the facts – the fact that APNU/AFC has dismissed hundreds of public servants since May 2015 and that greater than 95 per cent of those dismissed are Indo-Guyanese and has acted with hostility to rice and sugar, economic areas dominated by the presence of Indo-Guyanese. There are Indo-Guyanese contractors that have been selectively marginalised and only those who fall in the category of political donors are favoured.

Have we seen the make-up of State Boards and the political advisers who are paid salaries often in excess of $500,000 per month? These give the impression that Guyana is made up of a single race.

Jagdeo was stating the facts and called on the Guyanese Diaspora to work together so that the present Government can be voted out of office in the next election. He pointedly asserted that APNU/AFC ignores the imperative of national unity, refuses to disavow discrimination of all sorts, and only talk the talk of social cohesion, but actively promotes ethnic non-cohesion. He insisted that we must be prepared to “throw them out” in the next election.

Last week, MR BLOVIATOR, David Granger, addressed the need for his Government (APNU/AFC) to specifically heed the African-Guyanese interest in Guyana. To be fair, he also spoke of national unity. Dr Hinds and many other Afrocentric advocates insisted that African-Guyanese must hold the Government accountable and that Government must promote the interest of Afro-Guyanese since they overwhelmingly voted for APNU/AFC. These statements are by themselves not harmful and I expect that any government must address the special and particular vulnerabilities of all groups in a diverse country like Guyana. On Emancipation Day and in emancipation month, I accept the good intention of these statements.

But I do question the insensitivity and insincerity of those who attack the messengers that highlight the rampant discrimination that Indo-Guyanese are subjected to and how many of our citizens are being made to feel as though they do not belong to our country or being made to feel like second-class citizens. I find it reprehensible when someone is attacked because he dares to highlight the efforts of APNU/AFC to downgrade and destroy the sugar and rice industries, with the only plausible explanation being that these are economic foci for Indo-Guyanese.

In a diverse ethnic country like Guyana, it is admirable that there are groups like ACDA, IAC, APA and others that focus on the interest and benefits of specific ethnic groups and that advocate for greater resources of Government to be earmarked for development that will see the overall improvement in the lives of people and communities dominated by a particular race. This is not unlike Black Lives Matter in the USA. Where it becomes problematic is when we do so at the expense of national unity and social cohesion.

The truth is that presently it is acceptable to APNU/AFC for advocacy on behalf of Afro-Guyanese. There is recognition of poverty and underdevelopment among Afro-Guyanese. But this Government is overly sensitive to rebuke when it comes to the treatment of Indo-Guyanese and anyone who dares to address poverty and under-development in Indo-Guyanese communities is seen as racist and inciter of hate. It is the reason why Jagdeo was viciously attacked for inciting hate when all he was doing is highlighting the vulgarity of discrimination against Guyanese because they happen to be Indo-Guyanese.

For leaders like Nagamootoo and Ramjattan to acquiesce to those among them who see it as an imperative to advocate for Afro-Guyanese, while simultaneously attacking those who advocate for non-discrimination against Indo-Guyanese is not merely hypocrisy, it is abdicating their responsibility to speak out when obvious wrongs are perpetuated. Remember the words of Edmund Burke – the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to stay silent and do nothing. But people like Nagamootoo and Ramjattan are not just complicit with the ugliness of open discrimination against their Indo-Guyanese sisters and brothers, they promote the ethnic malfeasance by not their silence but by attacking the messengers. (Send comments to doc_ram@hotmail.com)

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News

wednESday, AUGUST 10, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

GRA hunting businesses Bandits rob, terrorise 2 that cheat VAT system separate families

T

he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) tax agents will be hunting down businesses that have been dodging Value Added Tax (VAT), causing billions in losses for the Authority, Commissioner General Godfrey Statia said on Monday at a Finance Ministry press conference.

He stated that the GRA was shifting gears to enforcement activities, and has decided to go after businesses to get compliance with VAT payments. He revealed that there were instances where VAT leakages occurred, costing millions.

“That is why you have to shift emphasis and do more post-clearance audit and more investigations and these things,” he said.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan stated that the GRA had “let the Government down” in the area of VAT refunds and collections.

GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia

“I feel this is an area that GRA has really let the Government down in many ways in aspects of refunds, not paying people their refunds on time, people benefiting from refunds they should not have received,” he bemoaned, stating that in many instances the VAT department of GRA act-

ed like a “post office”.

Jordan said the VAT refunds were one of the heavy financial burdens that the coalition Government inherited. Statia said measures were in place to revamp the criteria for granting VAT exemptions that amount to as much as $20 billion for the first half of 2016.

“What we are trying to do is to tighten it whereby ourselves – the Ministry of Finance, GO-Invest and GRA – we sit down and by which we could grant exemptions rather than being granted on a willynilly basis as I have seen,” he said.

He also indicated that the Authority has started clearing off years of VAT refunds, beginning from 2013.

He stated that the tax collection agency has paid out $2 billion in refunds for the year and that figure was projected to climb to $5 billion by yearend.

US-bound passengers from...

“This Emergency Amendment takes immediate effect. The US TSA Emergency Amendment directs aircraft operators to screen all transfer and transit passengers and their accessible property at the Piarco International Airport as the LPD when travelling to the United States, prior to boarding the aircraft,” the Aviation Authority said on Tuesday.

Consequently, passengers originating from Guyana and other destinations transferring at the Piarco International Airport to the United States must undergo security screening together with their accessible property. It said the Emergency Amendment issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration su-

persedes the Memorandum of Understanding established between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago for the Mutual Recognition of Aviation Security Measures, which allowed passengers originating from Guyana and transferring at Piarco International Airport, Trinidad, to continue their journey without undergoing screening.

“To ensure aircraft operators comply with the United States TSA Emergency Amendment to screen all transfer passengers and their accessible at the Piarco International Airport as the Last Point of Departure into the United States, the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority in collaboration with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority has suspended the MOU between

from page 3

Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago,” the Trinidad agency said.

The suspension is effective immediately. The Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) said it regrets any inconvenience to passengers travelling from Guyana and transferring at the Piarco International Airport, which may have been caused by the suspension of the MoU as a result of the TSA Emergency Amendment.

It assured that it will continue to collaborate with the United States Department of Homeland Security TSA and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority with a view to improving the security processing of passengers originating from Guyana and transferring at the Piarco International Airport to the United States.

I

n less than three days, bandits have brutalised members of two separate families, robbing them and carting of millions in cash and jewellery, leaving their victims distressed and in pain, and vowing to pack up and leave.

The first family which was robbed and terrorised is the Vanpat’s, of Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara (ECD), who bandits assaulted last Thursday evening. In fact, wife and mother, Carol Vanpat, was home with her 14-year-old son when the three masked men struck.

Speaking to Guyana Times on Tuesday, Vanpat said it was only 10 minutes after her husband left around 21:00h on Thursday that two armed and masked men mounted her veranda using a construction ladder. The third bandit entered through the door which was opened for him by one of his accomplices.

Vanpat said her sister had just two days before arrived from Canada with her two young children and had decided to visit a friend in Enmore, ECD. She left sometime around 15:00h that day and it was around 21:00h that her husband left to collect his sister-in-law from the Enmore residence.

“I think we were being trailed,” she said. “Maybe they were trailing us since the day she came,” the frustrated woman said. She explained that upon entering the home, the men gun butted her, causing a huge laceration to her head from which blood oozed.

“The whole house was sheer blood; my son’s jersey was sheer blood and my pants”, she said, as she relived the dreaded experience.

The woman recalled that af-

ter being hit with the gun, she fainted as she “was losing a lot of blood.”

She said she was then held and the bandits turned to her 14-year-old son, who they ordered to go find the money, lest his mother’s throat be slit. She said the child immediately went in search of the money and came out with an undisclosed sum of cash she had withdrawn from the bank to carry out repairs to her house. Her son was also severely beaten by the ban-

robbed and the ordeal was very much similar to that endured by the Vanpat family.

Fifty-two-year-old Bhim Singh, of 17 Block R Sophia, Greater Georgetown, said he and his family had just returned from a wake on Monday evening when they were greeted by three masked men who seemed to have been waiting in the yard.

“As soon as I get out my car, I was confronted by the men”. He said he was gun butted across his fore-

dits.

They bandits also reportedly took CDN$5000 which belonged to her sister, she and her son’s cellphones, cameras and some artificial gold jewellery worn by her niece. The bandits then made good their escape on foot.

Vanpat said the Police were contacted and they immediately went in search of the men, as her son was able to track their location using his computer since the men had his cellphone in their possession.

The frustrated woman, in tears, said she could not stand to live in Guyana any longer with her life and that of her family threatened. She said she and her family will have to leave in order to feel safe.

Meanwhile, another family was on Monday evening

head, leaving a nasty laceration. Before carting off with $48,000 in local currency and CDN$1180 and $300,000 worth in gold, the men reportedly went into the house and “beat up” Singh’s wife and daughter. The bandits then escaped on foot.

Singh said he then summoned the Police who arrived on the scene “less than five minutes after” the call was made.

This is not the first time the family has endured such a tragedy. In July 2013, the businessman said his family was robbed in a similar fashion. He too is tired of the situation and is again calling on the authorities to hasten the issuance of his firearm licences. The Police up to press time were still continuing their respective investigations into the two robberies.

18

guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

ARCHIE

Legal or financial contracts are highlighted. Negotiate on (March 21- your own behalf. An idea you April 19) have will change the way you move forward professionally.

Don’t make the same mistake twice.

ARIES

Do whatever feels right.

TAURUS It’s a good time to turn an (April 20- idea into a going concern.

May 20) Make plans to celebrate with someone you love. Playtime will ease stress.

DILBERT

Proceed with caution. Get GEMINI information firsthand. If you (May 21rely on someone else, you June 20) will be disappointed. It’s up to you to bring about positive change.

The lifestyle changes you CANCER make will encourage you to (June 21- get back to the people and July 22) activities that you enjoy the most. Set the stage for a romantic interlude or a funfilled day with family.

PEANUTS

Emotions will surface, LEO causing problems at home if (July 23you aren’t cognizant of what Aug. 22) those around you want. Do your best to please others without ignoring your needs.

Don’t leave anything VIRGO to chance.

Make domestic (Aug. 23Sept. 22) changes and use your money wisely. Compassion and understanding are sufficient when dealing with outsiders.

Express your feelings openly.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Get your chores out of the LIBRA (Sept. 23- way and make the adjustOct. 23) ments that will ensure you get to do something enjoyable before the end of the day. Don’t divulge a secret.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Set the standard. Share your SCORPIO intentions and move forward (Oct. 24with or without the help of othNov. 22) ers. Trust and believe in yourself and your talents. Romance will improve your relationship with someone special.

Refuse to let anyone guilt SAGITTARIUS you into doing things you (Nov. 23- don’t want to do. Arguing is a Dec. 21) waste of time. If you don’t like something or someone, walk away. Work on self-improvement.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Listen to any tips or sugCAPRICORN gestions being offered in or(Dec. 22Jan. 19) der to find a unique way to deal with a perplexing situation. Your timing will be uncanny. Love is in the stars.

Keep an open mind, but AQUARIUS don’t let anyone use emotion(Jan. 20al manipulation on you. If Feb. 19) something doesn’t feel right, do your own thing. Personal change will lead to interesting results.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

PISCES Someone you have dealt (Feb. 20- with in the past will be March 20) your ticket to a new beginning. Don’t hesitate to reconnect and make an offer that’s impossible to refuse.

Partnerships look promising.

wednesDAY, august 10, 2016

19

Serena Williams knocked Johanna Konta & Andy out of Olympics Murray through in singles O J

ut of sorts and out of answers, defending champion Serena Williams is out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Shanking shots of all sorts, including five - yes, five!

- double-faults in one game alone, Williams lost to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3 in the third round in a real shocker Tuesday, ending the No. 1-seeded American's bid to become the first tennis player to collect a pair of singles golds.

Against an unheralded op-

ponent who at times couldn't seem to miss, Williams had problems right from the start, when she got broken to fall behind 2-1 with a badly missed overhead into the net. That set a pattern.

By match's end, Svitolina had won 63 points, but merely nine came via clean winners of her own doing. The others came thanks to Williams' 37 unforced errors and 17 forced errors.

After winning golds in singles and doubles at the 2012 London Olympics, Williams

heads home from Brazil with nothing. She and her older sister Venus, who sat in the stands Tuesday, lost in the first round of doubles - their first defeat in the Olympics after going 15-0 with three golds.

The 20th-ranked Svitolina, meanwhile, never before played in the Olympics and only once has been to a major quarterfinal. She also entered the night 0-4 against Williams, the owner of 22 Grand Slam singles championships.

US women make history in capturing Rio Olympics gymnastics team gold

ohanna Konta won a dramatic contest against Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the Olympic quarterfinals - after Andy Murray eased into the last 16.

Konta, ranked 13th, converted her fourth match point to beat the Russian eighth seed 3-6 7-5 7-5 after three hours and seven minutes.

The 25-year-old from Eastbourne plays Germany’s Angelique Kerber next.

Murray, the reigning Olympic champion, beat Argentina’s Juan Monaco 6-3 6-1 and next faces Italy’s Fabio Fognini.

Scotland’s Wimbledon champion, 29, has now won 14 matches in a row since losing the French Open final in June.

Konta, who fought back after losing the first set, said she was “lucky and privileged” to get a chance to play in the Olympics.

“If you keep it simple, that’s when you’ll see some of the best tennis,” she said.

Johanna Konta

The draw for the mixed doubles is out and, as things stand, Jamie Murray and Konta will be the only British representatives.

They will play Americans Jack Sock and Bethanie Mattek-Sands in their opening match.

Andy Murray and Heather Watson do not have a high enough combined doubles ranking to qualify, although they are the second alternates.

If two other pairs withdraw before the end of the first

Andy Murry

round, Murray and Watson will get a spot in the draw.

“The plan was always that Jamie was going to play with Jo,” said Andy Murray.

“Obviously Jamie is a way more experienced doubles player than me. And Jo is obviously playing well too.

So they will have the chance to win a medal.” Andy and Jamie Murray are out of the Rio 2016 men’s doubles after losing 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (1614) to Brazilian pair Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa. (BBC)

Phenomenal Phelps wins 20th Olympic Gold

V United States women’s gymnastics team: Aly Raisman, Madison Kocian, Laurie Hernandez, Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles (Getty Images)

I

n what could be best described as a coronation rather than a competition, the remarkable Simone Biles led the United States to its second consecutive team gold in women’s gymnastics on Tuesday by a record margin of 8.209 points.

The depth and brilliance of the Americans were on display throughout, as the team of Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian took a .700 lead on the field after the first apparatus and continued to extend it throughout.

It was up to 4.026 after two and 4.092 after three, as the rout was on. The United States finished with a total of 184.897. Russia (176.688) won silver. China (176.003) took home the bronze.

The previous Olympic record for margin of victory was 5.066 set by the 2012 American team.

Due to a decided advantage in degree of difficulty, the Americans didn’t need to be perfect to win. They were close anyway, though, with no major gaffes and just a few minor mistakes. This was

not an event full of drama, just excellence. The victory was a crowning achievement for national team coordinator Marta Karolyi, who at 73 is set to retire after these Games. Since taking over for her husband, Bela, at the turn of the century, the US have turned into a gymnastics juggernaut, both at the individual and team levels, that has left the rest of the world unable to maintain a competitive level.

Biles was the American anchor, the only member to perform in all four disciplines, batting cleanup on three of them. The 19-yearold from Spring, Texas, and UCLA delivered team-high scores on vault (15.933), balance beam (15.300) and floor exercise (15.800) and showed a level of gymnastics that far exceeds anyone else in the world. Her gold-clinching final performance on floor (where she scored a 15.800) left her teammates bouncing and cheering in jubilation and the gymnastics hall on its feet in appreciation of history unfolding.

Biles is expected to dominate individual competition

in the Olympics, favoured to win not just all-around gold but take first on three apparatus competitions. If she does that, she will become the first female gymnast to capture five gold medals in a single Games.

Raisman, of Needham, Massachusetts, and Douglas, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, were also members of the 2012 gold medal team, returning, in part, for an afternoon like this. Raisman was solid as ever on vault (15.833), beam (15.000) and floor (15.366). Douglas, the all-around champion at the London Games, participated in bars and delivered an impressive 15.766. Kocin, the team’s bars specialist out of Dallas, brought the house down with a brilliant 15.933.

Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Laurie Hernandez, who was bypassed for Douglas for allaround qualifying, proved her overall skill by competing in three events – vault (15.100), beam (15.233) and then floor, where her typically electric performance delighted the crowd and the judges (14.833). (Yahoo! News)

ictory in the men's 200 metre butterfly earned Michael Phelps his 20th Olympic gold medal.

Michael Phelps held off a late challenge from Japan's Masato Sakai in the men's 200 metre butterfly final at Rio 2016 to claim his 20th

Olympic gold medal.

Having reeled in early pacesetter Laszlo Cseh by the second turn, the most successful Olympian of all time looked to be heading for a comfortable victory on Tuesday Despite Sakai's late and unexpected surge, Phelps

clung on for a record-extending gold and his 24th Olympic medal in all.

Chad Le Clos, who famously beat Phelps to gold in 2012, finished outside the medals in fourth, with bronze going to Hungary's Tamas Kenderesi.

(Digicel SportsMax)

King takes aim at Efimova and Gatlin after breaststroke win

A

Lilly King

fter winning the 100 metre breaststroke, Lilly King made no secret of her opinion on Yulia Efimova and Justin Gatlin competing at Rio 2016.

Lilly King once again took aim at rival Yulia Efimova and

questioned Justin Gatlin’s position on the United States Olympic team after clinching gold in the 100 metre breaststroke.

American King triumphed ahead of Russian Efimova in the pool on Monday, having criticised the decision to allow the Russian to compete despite having served a drugs ban.

Efimova was also given a provisional ban for testing positive for meldonium earlier this year, but Swimming’s governing body FINA overturned the decision on advice from the World Anti-Doping Agency.

She was subsequently confirmed as one of the 271 Russian competitors eligible to take part in Rio, and has been roundly jeered during her appearances.

And King re-opened her criticism of Efimova by saying

her triumph is a victory for clean athletes.

“I think, you know, it [my win] just proves that you can compete clean and still come out on top with all the hard work you put in behind the scenes,” she said.

“There is a way to become the best and do it the right way. “I’ve had a lot of support for the most part. I basically said what everybody’s thinking. They were glad I spoke out and I had the guts to say that and I appreciate their support.” Efimova was not the only one singled out by King, though, with the 19-year-old critical of the decision to allow sprinter and compatriot Gatlin to race in the Games despite two previous drug bans.

She added: “Do I think somebody who has been caught doping should be on the team? No, I don’t.”(Sportsmax)

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guyana-times.com

wednesDAY, august 10, 2016

Australia, India, England and Pakistan in competition for No 1

WICB Regional U-19 50-over…

Guyana begins A shot at 3-peat – Paul set to return

R

eigning champions Guyana are set to open their title defence today against the International Cricket Council (ICC) Americas Under-19 team as the limited overs version of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional U-19 tournament bowls off today at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex Ground. Guyana have a chance to redeem themselves and complete a three-peat after a horrendous showing in the three-day version in which they finished in last place after a winless streak. Prior to the team’s departure, it was believed they were strong contenders to repeat their 2014 and 2015 performances; however, that was not the case. They now have a second chance to prove themselves, but a lot depends on their batting and the coach’s input.

Travis Persaud is the skipper of the team and he has West Indies U-19 Vice Captain Keemo Paul as his deputy. The squad is strong on batting and comprises talented all-rounders and quality bowlers.

Sherfane Rutherford, Ronaldo AliMohamed and Paul were expected to be Guyana’s marquee players for the entire tournament, but to date they have all disappointed the Guyanese fans.

Under-17 Captain

Keemo Paul

Bhaskar Yadram

Bhaskar Yadram and opener Ronaldo Renee were the only batsmen to register fifties in the three-day tournament, which concluded last Saturday. All other batsmen have failed to impress.

Left-arm spinner Akenie Adams was the star with the ball in the two games he played before being rested on account of a nagging shoulder injury. He was supported by Keshram Seyhodan, who collected six wickets in the first innings of the second game, but it was his only match as he was excluded from the first match and missed the third owing to illness. The two spinners, along with Paul, who was surprisingly rested for the third match, are scheduled to make a return to the

side for the first 50-over encounter. The players would have to produce a better performance than they did in the three-day version to win the tournament. The other matches in the opening rounds will feature new threeday champions Trinidad and Tobago against Jamaica at Sion Hill, and Barbados will face the Leeward Islands at Park Hill.

Guyana U-19 Squad: Travis Persaud (Captain); Keemo Paul; Sherfane Rutherford; Renaldo Ali Mohamed; Akinie Adams; Ronaldo Renee; Malcolm Hubbard; Keshram Shabodan; Joel Seitaram; Looknauth Chinkoo; Bhaskar Yadram; Joshua Persaud; Sylus Tyndall and Raymond Perez.

ustralia’s series loss to a low ranked Sri Lanka - currently at No. 7 in the ICC Test rankings - has meant that it is highly likely that the No. 1 spot changes hands by the end of this month.

According the ICC rankings methodology, the penalty of losing a series to an opponent that is rated low is more than if the opponent were rated higher. For example, if Australia had been playing a similar threematch series against India (who are at 112 points as opposed to Sri Lanka’s 85), a 0-3 loss to them would’ve robbed them of about six points. A 0-3 loss to Sri Lanka, however, is going to cost Australia nine points, bringing down latter’s ratings to an approximate 108 points. Australia’s obvious weakness in the subcontinent, or Sri Lanka’s relative strength at home, does not have any bearing on how the ratings are calculated since the ICC methodology doesn’t differentiate between home and away conditions.

The erosion in Australia’s ratings gives other teams that weren’t too far behind the opportunity to make a grab at No. 1. England, Pakistan and India are all in with a chance of topping the rank-

Australia have to win the Colombo Test to have any chance of clinging on to their top ranking

ings following their ongoing series. Here is how each of the current top four could end up at No. 1.

Australia: They have to win the Colombo Test to have any chance of retaining their No. 1 ranking.

Either England - with a win in the Oval Test - or India - with a 3-0 margin against West Indies - could topple them. Australia can hang on to their top spot even if the Oval Test is drawn and India don’t win by a 3-0 margin.

India: A draw in Kingston means that India have to win their remaining two Tests against West Indies to take the No. 1

spot. A 3-0 margin will bump them up to the top irrespective of results in the other series.

England: A 3-1 series win against Pakistan will give them the No. 1 ranking provided India don’t win by a margin of 3-0 against West Indies. Even a draw in the Oval Test can give them the top spot if Australia don’t win the Colombo Test and India win only one of their remaining two Tests against West Indies.

Pakistan: They have to win the Oval Test and hope India don’t beat West Indies by a margin bigger than 2-0 and Australia don’t win the Colombo Test. (Cricinfo)

Zimbabwe vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, Bulawayo, 4th day

Late strikes keep New Zealand on course for victory

N

ew Zealand have 90 overs to take seven wickets after they set Zimbabwe a target of 387 runs in a contest that bears an uncanny resemblance to the one these teams tussled in five years ago at the same venue.

Then, Zimbabwe went into the final day having lost two wickets. This time, they are another man down and without Brendan Taylor or Tatenda Taibu.

Worse, the men who will bat in their places are both carrying niggles. Craig Ervine was hit on the knee during his first innings 146 while Prince Masvaure sprained his ankle during Tuesday morning’s warm-ups.

Masvaure may not bat but Ervine should be able to.

Tim Southee and Trent Boult managed to get late movement and prey on the less experienced batsmen but Ervine has showed he has the ability to front up to them. He took Zimbabwe close to avoiding the followon in their first innings. His carefully crafted, careerbest score had its most impressive moments on the third day but he did his best to marshall the tail on the fourth morning. He did not have much support and Zimbabwe lost their last four wickets for 43 runs to concede a deficit of 220, but

Trent Boult dismissed Tino Mawoyo shortly before stumps

Kane Williamson decided New Zealand would extend the lead.

With a license to attack, Tom Latham and Martin Guptill began aggressively but both fell on their swords early on. Donald Tiripano found Latham’s edge in the sixth over to give wicketkeeper Peter Moor his first Test catch. Guptill cut Michael Chinoiya to John Nyumbu in the gully.

New Zealand were 26 for 2 and Zimbabwe had bought themselves some time. Only eight runs came in the next seven overs as Williamson and Ross Taylor treated the opening bowlers with respect.

New Zealand upped the ante against Chamu Chibhabha and Graeme

Cremer.

Williamson brought up his third fiftyplus score in the series and cut loose after tea. The pair smashed 48 runs in four overs and Taylor, with his unbeaten 67, now has 364 runs in the series without being dismissed.

Williamson’s declaration 25 minutes into the third session left New Zealand with 116 overs to bowl Zimbabwe out. They would have thought that was enough when in the third over Chamu Chibhabha had a nibble at a ball that moved away late and edged it. The bowler Southee looked his second slip Guptill, who had to reach to his right but could not hold on.

Chibhabha was a mixture of feistiness and trep-

idation. He had a life in the third over, pulled and drove the aggrieved bowler Southee fours and went fishing in the off-stump corridor against Boult.

As was the case in the first Test, Neil Wagner troubled Zimbabwe most.

His short-ball strategy from around the wicket tested Tino Mawoyo’s defences. The batsman eventually grew comfortable with that line of attack, forcing Wagner to go back over the stumps and he had a close shout for caught-behind.

Mitchell Santner, brought on in the 10th over, found turn and drift to leave Chibhabha particularly puzzled but it was Wagner who got the reward. He got one to move away and take the edge to Guptill at second slip.

Stumps was nine overs away, Southee and Boult returned for their final bursts and Zimbabwe grew tense.

Mawoyo held out until the penultimate over, when an inswinger from Boult had him lbw Two balls later, Southee trapped Raza with a similar delivery to end the batsman’s first Test at No.3 with just three runs to his name.

Zimbabwe lasted 108.1 overs in 2011 against the same team, at the same venue and very nearly beat

them. They’d dream of going a step further tonight, while New Zealand would

prefer a less nerve-wracking experience on the final day. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD New Zealand 1st Innings 582/4 Dec. Zimbabwe 1st Innings

9-60-4, MJ Guptill 1-1-0-0

(305/6 overnight score) TMK Mawoyo b Southee 26 CJ Chibhabha c Williamson b Santner 60 Sikandar Raza c Williamson b Wagner 3 CR Ervine c Wagner b Sodhi 146 PS Masvaure b Santner 2 SC Williams lbw b Sodhi 16 PJ Moor† c Guptill b Sodhi 71 AG Cremer* lbw b Boult 8 DT Tiripano lbw b Wagner 3 J Nyumbu c Santner b Sodhi 8 MT Chinouya not out 0 Extras: (b 12, lb 6, 1-nb) 19 Total: (all out; 143.4 overs) 362 Fall of wickets: 1-65 (Mawoyo, 35.6 ov), 2-83 (Sikandar Raza, 45.3 ov), 3-107 (Chibhabha, 56.2 ov), 4-115 (Masvaure, 62.3 ov), 5-147 (Williams, 74.1 ov), 6-295 (Moor, 114.6 ov), 7-319 (Cremer, 126.6 ov), 8-327 (Tiripano, 134.5 ov), 9-352 (Nyumbu, 141.6 ov), 10-362 (Ervine, 143.4 ov) Bowling : TG Southee 28-1473-1, TA Boult 27-13-45-1, MJ Santner 35-8-105-2, N Wagner 31-8-61-2(1-nb), IS Sodhi 21.4-

TWM Latham c †Moor b Tiripano 13 MJ Guptill c Nyumbu b Chinouya 11 KS Williamson* not out 68 LRPL Taylor not out 67 Extras: (lb 4, w3) 7 Total: (2 wickets dec; 36 overs)

New Zealand 2nd innings

Zimbabwe 2nd innings (target: 387 runs) TMK Mawoyo lbw b Boult 35 CJ Chibhabha c Guptill b Wagner 21 Sikandar Raza lbw b Southee 0 DT Tiripano not out0 Extras: (b 1, lb 1) 2 Total: (3 wickets; 25.2 overs) 58 To bat: CR Ervine, PS Masvaure, SC Williams, PJ Moor†, AG Cremer*, J Nyumbu, MT Chinouya Fall of wickets: 1-45 (Chibhabha, 16.5 ov), 2-58 (Mawoyo, 24.6 ov), 3-58 (Sikandar Raza, 25.2 ov) Bowling: TG Southee 6.2-3-181, TA Boult 6-2-11-1, N Wagner 8-3-21-1, MJ Santner 5-2-6-0

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Former West Indies Captain Darren Sammy

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ers’ performances.” Sammy hardly made an impact during the World T20 in India: he faced 13 balls in his three innings, scoring eight runs, and bowled three overs, taking one wicket. “The selection panel has expressed its thanks to former captain, [Darren] Sammy for his leadership of that for-

both played in the tri-series against South Africa and Australia in the West Indies in June. Narine had finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the series and Pollard scored 205 runs from seven matches at an average of 41. Denesh Ramdin, Sulieman Benn, Ashley Nurse and Jerome Taylor were left out of the T20 squad. Ramdin had recently been dropped from the Test squad too. He scored 135 runs in eight CPL matches recently after the 197 runs he scored during the tri-series at an average of 28.14. Benn took only three wickets in seven matches in the triseries and had an unimpressive CPL with four wickets from seven matches with an economy rate of 9.19. Taylor played four tri-series matches for only two wickets but collected 13 wickets from eight CPL matches, but it wasn’t enough for him to retain his place in the national squad. Nurse played only three CPL matches without any wicket. (Cricinfo)

Athletes to compete in 7 disciplines at Goodwill Games

D

irector of Sport, Christopher Jones has indicated that there will be seven different sporting disciplines in which Suriname and Guyana will compete during the InterGuiana Games which were renamed the Goodwill Games.

This revelation was made on Monday when the National Sports Commission along with the Athletics Association of Guyana officially launched the Track and Field Clinic and Coaching Camp.

This year, the events slated for the competition are: swimming, basketball, table tennis, track and field,

Director of Sport, Christopher Jones

badminton, volleyball and for the first time, futsal.

Participating teams were made aware of the disciplines and on Wednesday last, the list was finalised by

both parties.

The Games will be played in October running from the 20th to 24th in Guyana.

Earlier in the year, it was revealed that French Guiana would not participate in this year’s edition of the Games, so this year’s edition was renamed.

However, it is expected that the 2017 edition, also to be hosted by Guyana, will include French Guiana once more.

Jones extended congratulations to those who were involved in the upgrading of the facilities such as the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall for the Games.

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

wednesDAY, august 10, 2016

DCC trio depart for England with West Indies Under-16 A

talented trio of players from the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) led by left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd, opening batsman Sachin Singh and pacer Qumar Torrington departed these shores on Tuesday to take up the golden opportunity given recently when they were selected to represent the West Indies Under-16 team.

The players will be engaged in matches against some of the top English U-16 teams in a 50-over

invitational tournament, being held from August 10 to 21.

All three of the youngsters have represented their country at the national level and they were the only players selected from Guyana.

Before departure, they were presented with tokens from Chase Academic Foundation via a donation by club mate Orande Chase, son of Henry Chase, principal of the private school.

The fixtures for the tour read:

The U-16 trio receiving their tokens from club mate Orande Chase (left) in the presence of club officials and teammates

WE U-16 vs Hertfordshire PEP at Woollam Cricket Ground (August 14) WI U-16 vs South West England at the Banbury Cricket Club (August 15) WI U-16 vs Hampshire EPP at the Ageas bowl (August 16) WI U-16 vs London Schools EPP at the Shenley Cricket Centre (August 18) WI U-16 vs England’s Barmy Army Colts Stanmore at the Cricket Club (August 19) WI U-16 vs London & East Region at the Merchant Taylor’s School (August 21)

West Indies vs India 3rd Test, day 1

Ashwin and Saha rescue India on testing first day

O

n a day that India made questionable selections, one of the management’s moves, promotion of R Ashwin as an allrounder, rescued them from 126 for 5. In testing conditions India left out Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay in favour of Rohit Sharma, to accommodate whom the batting order had to be rejigged.

While this apparent push for quick runs resulted in a batting failure, West Indies were not behind in making unusual moves. There was

a continuation of a trend for India: on tough pitches in the home season, they recovered from 139 for 6 in Delhi, 125 for 6 in Nagpur, and 102 for 5 in Mohali.

The big comeback, though, was that of West Indies in the series. For the first eight days of the series they were pretty much outplayed. Moral victories and psychology can be terms abused in cricket, but the Jamaica draw might have caused damage in Indian heads that might have played a part in leav-

Alzarri Joseph celebrates after dismissing Virat Kohli

more purpose to their attack, after putting India in, than in the first two Tests, but when the moment arrived to look to finish the innings off, they opted for the patience route, which cut down the runs thanks to a slow outfield but the wickets came only through the batsmen’s impatience. KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane threw away starts with impatient shots, but Ashwin - dropped on 26 and caught off a no-ball on 35 - and Wriddhiman Saha soldiered on to keep India from imploding.

Ashwin and Saha, 46 off 122, added an unbeaten 108 for the fifth wicket. Another lower-order contribution was

ing them in tatters at tea in St Lucia. West Indies won the toss and utilised the conditions efficiently without being sensational, but India helped them out with their selections.

Having survived the Jamaica Test, West Indies mounted a fresh challenge against this unsteady Indian batting line-up - a different top three in each Test by taking wickets when the pitch was fresh and then choking India out with disciplined bowling. KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane, the only specialist batsmen to reach double figures, helped India recover from 19 for 2 but fell in soft manner just before the

two session breaks, Rahane to a full toss to end his slowest Test innings of 10 or more.

The second of the wickets was the highlight. Debutant Alzarri Joseph, who impressed with his pace and his bowling mechanics in only his ninth first-class match, nicked out Virat Kohli with the new ball, a promotion in the order because of the selection of Rohit. West Indies’ resistance and the resultant draw in Jamaica led to three changes for India, two of them expected, Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in for Amit Mishra.

The batting selections were instructive. At the toss, Kohli, who would have batted if he had won the toss anyway, emphasised that Rohit can change a match in a session. Both Vijay, who was fit after missing the Jamaica Test, and Pujara are reputed to be slower scorers. Turns out India might have misread the pitch or underestimated the attack: the situation asked for the patience of Vijay and Pujara. Moreover, Kohli and Rahane had to give up their familiar batting positions.

West Indies were more aggressive to begin with. They added Joseph to the attack, and peppered India with short deliveries at the start.

The moisture in the pitch gave them spongy bounce when they pitched short, and some seam movement when they pitched it up. Shikhar Dhawan wasted little time in falling to a short ball, tickling Shannon Gabriel down the leg side.

Kohli walked in at No. 3, which was a positive sign given some of the past batsmen’s reluctance to change their batting order for the team’s sake. However, the fresh pitch with the new seaming ball was not suited for his style of play: soon he shaped up to cut a Joseph delivery that was neither short nor

Ajinkya Rahane is cleaned up by Roston Chase after failing to connect with a sweep

wide, nor full or close enough to him. Kohli was eventually done in by the extra bounce, but playing such deliveries you get away on pitches like the one in Antigua or against the old ball. A bit of a repeat of his England dismissals brought in India’s most reliable batsman, Rahane.

It was Rahul who weathered most of the initial storm.

After an ordinary start - missing five of the first 11 balls he played at - he punished every error in length. Every time West Indies overpitched, Rahul drove hard, even in the air. Short and wide deliveries were cut away. It didn’t matter that in between the good ones kept beating him. On a day that the rest of the team scored 184 runs, Rahul took 50 off just 65 balls. Having done the hard work, Rahul fell 18 minutes before lunch, trying to whip a shortish delivery from Roston Chase straight to the man who had just moved to short fine leg.

West Indies came back attacking in the second session.

Soon Rohit fell in typical manner, pushing defensively at a Joseph outswinger a set of stumps outside off. After that wicket, though, perhaps because the pitch had settled down, West Indies began to test India’s patience.

It worked: minutes before tea, Rahane, seeing release in a Chase full toss, swept down the wrong line and was

bowled for 35 off 153. That didn’t result in taking off the part-time spin of Kraigg Brathwaite.

The middle session produced just 43 runs for two wickets, and instead of going for the wickets of the lesser batsmen West Indies began with Jason Holder and Chase in the final session.

On another day, persisiting with these tactics might have worked but West Indies made two crucial mistakes.

When Ashwin left the crease in impatience, inside-edging Chase, Leon Johnson missed him at short leg. When West Indies looked to break the monotony, Gabriel bowled a short ball from round the wicket for a catch at point, it turned out he had cut the return crease with his back foot.

Other than that, Ashwin

and Saha showed remarkable patience. Because of the slow outfield West Indies could have a stacked field.

Chase often bowled with a six-three leg-side field, leaving point open and bowling into the pads. Any scoring was now fraught with risk, and if he dropped the ball short the slow outfield cost him just the one run. India were in no state to take risks so the two batsmen put their head down, and kept picking whatever singles or twos were on offer.

Between the fall of Rahul and the claiming of the second new ball, only 111 runs came in 61.3 overs. Against the new ball, having done the hard work, the two batsmen chanced their arms. An edge fell short here, another flew over slips there; a crisp drive was misfielded now, a bowler bowled a loose ball there, and India had 46 in the last nine overs to wrest the initiative a bit. India dropped solid batsmen for quick runs when they should have been weathering the new ball out, then they were forced to bat slowly when they should have been capitalising on the older ball and tired fielders, and finally the lesson of building long Test innings was delivered by the lower order whose first role in the team is not batting. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD West Indies v India 3rd Test Stumps day 1 India 1st innings KL Rahul c Brathwaite b Cha se 50 S Dhawan c †Dowrich b Gabriel 1 V Kohli* c Bravo b Joseph 3 AM Rahane b Chase 35 RG Sharma c †Dowrich b Joseph 9 R Ashwin not out 75 WP Saha† not out 46

Extras:(b 5, lb 2, w 1, nb 7) 15 Total: (5 wickets; 90 overs) 234 To bat: RA Jadeja, I Sharma, Mohammed Shami, B Kumar Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Dhawan, 2.3 ov), 2-19 (Kohli, 5.3 ov), 3-77 (Rahul, 19.3 ov), 4-87 (RG Sharma, 25.6 ov), 5-126 (Rahane, 49.3 ov) Bowling: ST Gabriel 16-2-68-1 (5nb), AS Joseph 14-3-38-2, ML Cummins 14-5-36-0 (1w), JO Holder 15-6-27-0, RL Chase 238-38-2, KC Brathwaite 8-1-20-0

guyana-times.com

wednesdAY, august 10, 2016

Guyana Cup…

23

International horses in last-minute practice W

ith just five days to go before the historic 10th annual Guyana Cup horse racing tournament at the Port Mourant Turf Club, Berbice, trainers are pushing their international horses to get in a few last-minute sessions and become acclimatised.

However, the weather is making trainers’ lives difficult, with frequent showers.

Compton Sancho, who is part of the committee for the horse racing meet, noted that the weather was proving to be unfriendly.

Despite this, the track remains in good condition thanks to the ground

Flashback! Jumbo Jet Stable representatives displaying its silverware in 2015

staff attached to the turf club who have done a tremendous job in combat-

Local basketball clubs set to resume practice at Sports Hall

T

The renovated Sports Hall

he National Sports Commission (NSC) has given permission for local basketball clubs to resume practice at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) after the facility was recently renovated for the country to host the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) U-16 Championships.

The hosting of the Championships meant that the facility was upgraded to international standards; as such, allowing the local

clubs to train at CASH is expected to aid in raising their level of play.

Only days ago, the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) and Youth Basketball Guyana had training sessions for the selection of the team to participate in the male FIBA Centrobasket Under-15 Championship.

The Championship will take place from August 24 to August 28 in Patillas, Puerto Rico.

ing the rains.

Sancho indicated that the likes of US-based

“King’s Knight” has managed to train extensively along with Jamaican bred

“Release the Beast” and “Don’t Blame the Jockey” (USA), all representing the Jumbo Jet Stable.

These horses are looking to lift the name of the stable high and win the Cup. Serious competition is expected from “Call Me Boss” out of Jamaica, running for the Chris Jagdeo Stable; “CP Got Even” (USA), representing Dennis De Roop; Fazil Abibola’s “Big Man Boss”(Jamaica) and “Lady Budapeep” from the USA. But all eyes will be set on the Karibee Rice Stable’s “Brave Sky” and “Golden Blue Echo”, both out of the USA as well as Sheriff’s Stable’s

“Spit Fire” (Jamaica) and “Princess She’s Not” (USA).

The Georgetown contingent will also be in action as “Red Jet” out of the Sundar Stable comes into the competition, while “Red Region” from Mahaica will be representing the Baker Stable.

In action also will be “Liquid Lion”, also from the Baker Stable; “Quiet Dancer” running for the Ellicock Stable and “Blue Lightning” from Shocking Racing Stable.

Over $30 million will be up for grabs, making this the largest payout in the history of horse racing in the Caribbean.

wednesdAY, august 10, 2016

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

West Indies vs India 3rd Test day 1

Pg 22

Serena Williams knocked out of Olympics

Pg 19

Ashwin and Saha rescue India on testing first day Alzarri Joseph receives his maiden Test cap from Joel Garner, West Indies v India, 3rd Test, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Athletes to compete in 7 disciplines at Goodwill Games

Phenomenal Phelps wins 20th Olympic Gold

Pg 19

Pg 21

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