Guyana Times Daily - November 20, 2014

Dr Luncheon optimistic Opposition will come to table

– invitations to dialogue dispatched

Failure to strike a compromise, the Opposition would leave the Donald Ramotar Administration with no other choice than to set a date for General and Regional Elections in 2015.

But Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon said President Ramotar and by extension his Cabinet remains optimistic that “dialogue” would lead the country out of this perceived “political crisis”.

On Tuesday, the President issued letters to the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC), inviting them to engage in dialogue with the administration in the absence of Parliament.

Though the Opposition has publicly stated that it will engage the Government

in talks during the prorogation of Parliament, President Ramotar remains hopeful that APNU and/ or AFC would capitalise on this “golden opportunity” to preserve the life of the 10th Parliament.

The Government believes that it should be given another chance, even if it is the last opportunity during this the 10th Parliament to address the matters that were engaging the House at the time of prorogation.

According to Dr Luncheon, there is a general consensus among the people that the issues plaguing the Parliament should be remedied.

“I don’t believe that it addresses the fundamental aspirations of Guyanese people. I think there is a much greater interest in trying to have this problem solved...,” Dr Luncheon opined.

But based on the track record which has been established by APNU and the AFC since the 2011 General Elections, Dr Luncheon disclosed that Cabinet had also analysed the option of “pulling the plug on political dialogue”, resulting in General and Regional Elections.

It therefore means that if the dialogue between the Government and the Opposition fails to bear fruition or it hits rock bottom, President Ramotar in keeping with his promise not to prorogue the 10th Parliament for a second time, would be left him with the option of issuing another proclamation, but this time for the dissolution of the Parliament, paving the way for General and

Regional Elections.

“The issue then essentially becomes at what point in time does a no to talks bite, what point is a no considered irrevocable, binding, at what point?”

President Ramotar took a decision to prorogue Parliament on November 10, thereby allowing for the preservation of the 10th Parliament and the possibilities of dialogue.

Though he acted within the Constitution of Guyana, the President’s decision was criticised by the Opposition.

According to the Opposition, which has mounted protests, the President’s action is an abuse of the Constitution and a threat to democracy in Guyana.

Climate resilient strategy being developed

AClimate Resilience Strategy and Action Plan (CRSAP) is currently being developed by the Government of Guyana through the Office of Climate Change (OCC), to provide a comprehensive framework for addressing climate change adaptation and resilience in Guyana.

The framework will help Guyana to address direct and indirect impacts associated with extreme events, as well as emerging, indirect, slow-onset climate impacts and hazards.

The project is being developed in partnership with Conservation International Foundation Guyana (CIGuyana) with support from the Kingdom of Norway.

Acclimatise, a UK-based consultancy group has been contracted to develop the CRSAP.

According to a release from the Office of the President, the inception meeting for the project was held during the first week of November 2014, and in the following weeks ahead, a “Stocktaking for National

Adaptation Planning” session and other stakeholder sessions will be held.

The CRSAP is especially timely given that Guyana has already begun to feel the devastating impacts of climate change such as hotter days and more intense rainfall.

In recent years, the country has experienced extreme weather events that have resulted in high levels of flooding along the coast and in some inland areas. It was close to a decade ago that Guyana experienced the highest rainfall record since 1888, which resulted in the severe flooding in the country’s history.

In his address at the UN Climate Summit in September 2014, President Donald Ramotar alluded that “as a low-lying coastal state, we are particularly vulnerable to devastating climate change impacts. Adaptation activities and building resilience to improve our ability to cope are indispensable elements of our climate strategy”.

A scene of flooding in Guyana

Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon

BRIDGE OPENINGS

WEATHER TODAY

AFC, APNU square off over

flopped Berbice protest

– Berbicians warned APNU about AFC

The Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) leaders in Berbice have squared off following a flopped protest organised by the AFC on Monday against President Donald Ramotar’s prorogation of Parliament.

The poorly attended protest in front of the Regional Administrative Complex at Fort Wellington, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) was not attended by any APNU supporters even though they were reportedly invited by the AFC organisers.

AFC youth leader Mark Ross was quoted as saying that APNU was invited to participate in the exercise, but “They didn’t come”.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) (the controller of APNU) Region Five activist Carol Joseph on Wednesday expressed displeasure at the comment made by Ross that the party was not invited to participate in the protest.

Joseph said she was sent a text message from Ross about the event. “Can you mobalise some people to come join us for the protest? It’s for 07:45h in front of the RDC office,” the message read.

That message, Joseph said was received at 16:11h on Sunday afternoon.

According to Joseph, she had no information on the purpose of the protest.

Have to consult

“If I had to do anything, I would have to first consult with the party leaders first

and they would have wanted to know what was the exercise about and what sort of banners were going to be displayed.”

According to Joseph, the PNC, the heart of APNU, does not operate in an any how manner, but she acknowledged that she did not pass on the text message to her party colleagues.

The PNC activist was also surprised that the AFC youth leader would seek to get the support of APNU when he had been critical of the PNC.

According to her, Ross on a television programme in Berbice on Saturday night was very scathing of the PNC.

“I was skeptical to mobilise anyone because he was bam basing the PNC on TV,” a very animated Joseph said.

Meanwhile, a Berbician who requested anonymi-

ty said at the recent APNU rally at the Square of the Revolution, only Nigel Hughes of the AFC was prominent.

“… APNU only caters for one ethnic group,” the man claimed, pointing out that APNU not showing up at the Region Five protest should not be something hurtful to the AFC.

Another Berbician Paul Austin said the AFC treats APNU with disdain, even accusing their members of being capable of being bought.

AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan had said that he had information that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is trying to buy out three APNU members for $30 million each.

Austin said, even with these outlandish claims, the AFC still expects the coalition to walk hand in hand with them.

“Look what happen with

Climate resilient strategy...

Making the economy resilient to climate change and reducing Guyana’s vulnerability and exposure to climate change is one of the key goals of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). Climate change adaptation and resilience building were identified as priority under the LCDs projects and a series of measures were identified.

The release said CRSAP supports this vision and will, inter-alia, help to identify current climate risks and determine options for building resilience and adapting to climate change. In addition, the CRSAP will help to prioritise adaptation and resilience projects.

the Local Government thing when APNU was trying to push it in Parliament, the AFC did not support it because they want General Elections. AFC don’t want Local Government Elections because they would not gain anything from it.

“The AFC is only thinking about power and it look like when they get power they gon sabotage the PNC members,” Austin added.

Another Berbician Bibi Lalbachal in an invited comment on the flopped Region Five protest said the AFC should learn to stand on its own and not depend on another group for support.

“If they do it under the AFC, then the AFC will get all the praise or blame. But frankly, I don’t see any sense in what they trying to do. They need to meet with the President and discuss the issues affecting us the Guyanese people.”

this stage, many of the most vulnerable countries of the world are moving towards the development of National Adaptation Plans and Projects to help them to cope with the impacts of climate change – the CRSAP is especially timely in this regard,” the Office of the President said.

This brings Guyana’s total earning to US$150 million since the Partnership started in 2009. These earnings are being channelled in priority investments, like the CRSAP, which aim to help Guyana achieve its long-term developmental goals.

“Climate change is a key defining issue of our time that will get worse if countries do not take action now. At

The CRSAP is a key project that is being funded under the Guyana–Norway agreement. The agreement continues to make significant progress and in October 2014, Guyana earned US$35 million as its fourth performance based payment under the partnership.

At the upcoming, United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Peru in December, countries including the most vulnerable to climate change like Guyana will continue to call for greater global action to address climate change and for increased support for the very important issue of climate change adaptation.

AFC protestors in front of the Regional Administrative Complex at Fort Wellington on Monday

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

The spirit of Parliament

Now that a week has passed since the President prorogued Parliament, the major source of the Opposition’s angst appears to be their claim that the President “didn’t pay fair”.

While they had to concede that the power of prorogation is a Constitutional prerogative conferred on the President, they are making all sorts of arguments as to why he ought not to have exercised it. He violated the “spirit of Parliament”. But the arguments all boil down to the issue of fairness - ultimately a moral question.

But as with all such questions, the context in which the issue is played out is crucial in determining what is “fair”. The institution of Parliament evolved over many centuries in England as the Monarchy was forced to concede more and more powers to the representatives of the people. But those powers did not just devolve to “the Legislature”, but to that body AND the Cabinet.

The power to summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament, however, has been retained in all Westminster-derived governance systems and it was placed in the Cabinet. Even in the UK, where “Parliament is supreme”, the Queen exercises these prerogatives upon advice of the Prime Minister - the Head of the Cabinet. In Canada, the Governor General as the Head of State has never refused the request of the Prime Minister - the Head of Cabinet - to prorogue Parliament.

The reserve powers were retained for a purpose, and a more appropriate question that should have been asked in Guyana today is “under what circumstances” ought the prerogative of dissolution be used by Cabinet, and for what length of time. These larger questions concern the ultimate goal of “Parliamentary Government” to be coterminous to “responsible Government”. This is what the “spirit of Parliament” is all about.

By denying the President, our Head of State, the right of prorogation, the Opposition would abolish the separation of powers, declare Parliamentary sovereignty and assume the powers of the Executive and perchance the Judiciary.

“Absolutism” can be exercised in an institution as much as by an individual. The President exercised his power of prorogation, as he explicitly and repeatedly stated, to offer another opportunity to the Opposition to play a constructive role in responsible Government. He specifically invited the Opposition to participate in a plan of work to implement programmes and pass necessary legislation to move the development of the country.

The President also placed an outer time limit on the period of prorogation, with dissolution and elections even before then, should the Opposition refuse his offer.

In these circumstances it is impossible to agree with the Opposition that the President has “abused” his reserve power. In Canada, where the question has been debated extensively for over a century, the consensus is that the Head of State should only deny a request for prorogation in “the most exceptional circumstances”.

But the Opposition is also being quite disingenuous in invoking the spirit of Parliament and “fairness” to facilitate their assault on the Executive. From the beginning of this 10th Parliament, the Executive conceded that the new Parliamentary dispensation, the country was now in “unchartered waters” and that the Executive and the Legislature should be circumspect in their actions to deliver “responsible governance”.

But it was the Opposition that figuratively kicked sand in the Government’s face. They unilaterally not only appointed their own Speaker, but broke Parliamentary practice to also seize the Deputy Speakership. Refusing to concede that by the rules of the Constitution, which gave them the powers they were flexing, that same Constitution created the Executive and adumbrated its legitimate powers.

The Opposition took over the majority membership and chairs of all Committees in Parliament. They could then or kill every piece of legislation the Government wanted for the benefit of the country - such as the Telecommunications and AML/CTF Bills. Fairness? Spirit of Parliament?

The Opposition should be ashamed to invoke these hallowed principles.

PPP/C weakened but still strong after 2011 elections

Dear Editor,

“In order to understand the legality or the Constitutionality of the President’s proclamation, (to prorogue Parliament) one has to understand the “Constitution in its entirety,” wrote Raymond Gaskin in another section of the media titled, “The Constitution says the Government cannot remain in office if it does not enjoy the confidence of the House of Assembly.”

Further, Mr Gaskin insists that: “There is really no dispute about the NoConfidence and the Vote of No-Confidence is merely the ‘paperwork’ to confirm the reality”. Paperwork is extremely important, we all must agree with Mr Gaskin. But no paperwork exists that any NoConfidence Motion has been debated, rejected or approved. Mr Gaskin cannot conjure or assume such to support any case.

Constitutionality, reality is per written Constitutional law, not by conjecture, supposition or emotional entitlement. In the movie, “Air Force One”, the US President’s plane was hijacked. The plane was designed with a special security pod for him to escape. It was found empty when it landed.

Assumed to be dead the female Vice President (VP) was under pressure

to take control of the US Government. She was very reluctant to do so because of the unprecedented situation.

The AG’s opinion was invoked. It became a classical legal opinion which bears on Guyana.

He said the Constitution does indeed provide for the VP to succeed the President and assume legal control of the Government. But he said this was only legally possible when a majority of the Cabinet signed necessary paperwork declaring the President dead.

With no President alive the VP was then legally empowered to be sworn in. A few signed but she did not. Yes or no to legal paperwork? The NoConfidence Motion was neither debated nor approved in Guyana.

The PPP/C did not violate the Constitution. But theOpposition in contempt of court violated the Judiciary’s decision that they had no legal authority to cut or alter the budget. Must the Indian based PPP/C Government forever be judged by one standard when the ‘majority” black based Opposition blatantly is free to violate the highest laws of the land with impunity?

Lindeners alone are entitled to subsidized electricity, but the entire rest of Guyana, with more black

and poor people must do without. Further, they are entitled to riot, burn, rob and destroy property, even a school, but the Police are not empowered to maintain law and order.

The lawbreakers get monetary compensation, which can never be enough for the loss of life. Further, the Opposition is not found at fault to instigate such mayhem in our country. But the Police, whose duty is to maintain law and order, are blamed.

Why some, however, feel the PPP/C Government is undemocratic is because it is composed of many pagan “little dictators” who have Constitutionally thwarted the Opposition at their own game.

Is the PPP/C Government dangerous because it has survived strong, though weakened by the 2011 elections? If it turns out that it is not strong, then, is it even more dangerous due to its conformity with the legalities of Guyana’s Constitution in following the rules and upholding Constitutional democracy?

What is most bizarre is Mr Gaskin’s letter which advocates: “The Constitution of Guyana clearly and unambiguously demands the resignation of the Cabinet including the President once they have lost the confidence of

the majority of the elected members of the National Assembly.”

Mr Gaskin has clearly locked himself inside, started his business and is without any toilet paper. Not even the Constitution’s ‘paperwork’ can give him any relief or rescue. With high hopes, better judgement will prevail in this predicament.

Mr Gaskin (not sure if he is the same fellow who said he is the man to end all blackouts and then things got worse - up to today?) wrote: “No one, not even the President, denies that the Cabinet has lost the confidence of the house.”

But he provides no evidence which supports that President Ramotar made any such admission. None exists. Press freedom and free speech still allow Guyanese to participate in politics.

The Canadian Prime Minister with a minority Government facing a NoConfidence Motion, with full Constitutional and legal authority prorogued the Parliament. Surely Mr Gaskin admits that the Canadians were practising democracy.

But somehow the PPP/C Government comes under Mr Gaskin’s displeasure.

Sincerely, Sultan Mohamed

Although not as well-known as Kaieteur, Marshall Falls with its rushing, invigorating waters and lush scenery is definitely on the list of must-see places in Guyana. Some 30 minutes from Bartica by boat, on the Mazuruni River, the falls is worth the trip

CCJ seems to be at a standstill; still only three countries

Dear Editor,

Four months ago, I was very optimistic that before the end of this year, at least two more countries would have abolished appeals to the Privy Council and accepted the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), but it seems as if this will not materialize and no one knows when another country will join.

It is unbelievable that although Britain gave the greenlight for Jamaica to abolish appeals to the Privy Council since January and Parliament passed a motion by an overwhelming margin, 18-1, on July 3 last, the Commonwealth of Dominica is still tied to the apron string of the London based Court.

Elections will be held in that country on December 8 and one wonders if there would be a change of heart if a new Administration takes over.

St Lucia, on the other hand, does not require a referendum. A legal opinion in this regard was given by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) several months ago, and although Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony

World

is a strong supporter of the regional court, yet nothing positive has been done to accept the CCJ as the final court.

I was prompted to write this piece because of the latest statement from Jamaican Opposition Leader Andrew Holness, who made it quite clear two days ago that has absolutely no interest in the regional court. He argued that Jamaica must be economically independent and Caricom «must be sorted out».

He emphasized that «mek we build our economy before we start to pretend that we big bad and politically and economically independent».

Jamaica requires twothirds of the votes in order to make the change and although Prime Minister Portia Simpson is all in favour of the change, she cannot do so without the support of the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Over in Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Kamla Prasad Bissessar said two years ago that she was prepared to go half way, that is, to abolish criminal appeals to the Privy Council, but nothing has been done so far,

although opposition leader Keith Rowley had preferred a complete abolishment.

Although only Guyana, Barbados and Belize have abolished appeals to the Privy Council, all Caricom members are governed by the CCJ in its original jurisdiction to determine treaties, including the Treaty of Chaguaramas, hence the reason why the Jamaican woman Shanique Myrie successfully moved to the CCJ when she was harassed at the Grantley Adams Airport in Barbados.

Next year April will be ten years since the CCJ was inaugurated and so far only three countries – Guyana, Barbados and Belize – have severed links with the Privy Council.

It seems as if the powers that be feel that the Court is not as busy as was expected. The vacant position created after the retirement of Justice Desiree Bernard has not been filled since March 3 – more than nine months ago.

Sincerely, Oscar Ramjeet

Hindu conference in Delhi this weekend

Dear Editor,

A World Hindu conference will be held in New Delhi from this Friday through Sunday, attracting some 1500 delegates from about 40 countries, including Guyana. Several Guyanese and other IndoCaribbeans from New York and Toronto are attending the conclave.

The conference will be addressed by leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent Hindu body. The RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama would address the inaugural session.

BJP President Amit Shah and Union Ministers Smriti Irani, Nitin Gadkari and Nirmala Sitharaman are scheduled to address subsequent sessions over the three days. Some 45 sessions are planned at the Ashoka Hotel on disparate themes such as youth, economy, politics, education organisation, women, and media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to deliver a keynote address.

According to the organizers, the international meet seeks to formulate solutions to the «myriad challenges» facing Hindus worldwide. A similar conclave was held in New York in the summer of 1984 at the Madison Square garden where several Guyanese attended, including myself, Pandit Ramlall, Vassan Ramracha, and Dr Baytoram Ramharack.

That conference provided a forum for Guyanese to raise issues of religious and racial oppression in Guyana under the Burnham dictatorship.

The organizers provided support and encouragement to the small group of us from New York who was involved in the anti-dictatorial struggle.

Dr Mukund Modi, one of the conveners of the global conference, was very impressed with IndoCaribbean cultural retention and remained supportive of our struggle for the restoration of democracy in Guyana.

Conference Coordinator Liza Bhansali said the event has gained traction due to the BJP-led NDA being in power. She said people were influenced by the Prime Minster taking pride in his Hindu heritage.

«Because we have a Prime Pinister who has talked of his Hindu identity, people›s mindset has changed a bit. People (of Hindu descent) are happy to acknowledge their Hindu heritage,» Bhansali told Zee TV news.

The conference website said the event intends to serve as a channel for Hindus across the globe to congregate at a common platform and deliberate on ways to strengthen the community.

The conference will help organise the talent of Hindus that remain scattered across the globe and provide an opportunity for

Dear Editor,

The response to my letter by Ivelaw Wittaker, Police Public Relations and Press Officer under the headline, “Aurora Police Station ranks did not treat anyone fairly”, is riddled with abounding lies to deceive and mislead in yet another downright cover up ever so common within the public domain.

From such an action, he is doing more harm than good to the Police Force, as in essence it is an encouragement for ranks to do whatsoever they feel like doing, much to the detriment of the society, and get away with it.

In other words, protection will always be given for any wrong doing. The complaint will be treated like throwing water on duck’s back, as was done here, instead of taking corrective measures for the ranks to do their job in a proper manner.

My letter of complaint was published and I stand by my story with the ranks there being inveterate liars and per-

fect strangers to the truth to provide erroneous information to him without any clarification from me before randomly accepting it.

Since my son was born and on to this day, he has always been living by me and at no time whatsoever did the Police ever visit my home to contact him. It is an absolute fabrication as mentioned in his letter that ranks were unable to get any information concerning his whereabouts.

What was even worse from the fabrication as stated in his letter as well was that the Police learnt that my son was not living by me which is a clear indication that the ranks never went to my home where several persons are always present, and I would have been notified about their presence, but by not going there, this could not have been done.

Mention was also made of my son and another person being charged with damage to property and appearing at the Suddie Court where they were placed on bail in the sum

of $10,000.

the people of the community to network with one another.

The need of the hour was to have a «pressure group» of Hindus just as that of the Jews in the US who stay well connected within their community. They also said the conference will serve as a platform for the less affluent Hindus to connect with those who are in positions of global leadership. .

Bhansal was quoted as saying, «We are a united society. But we are not an organised society. The purpose is to have an organisational structure and institutional framework so that Hindus across the globe can leverage each other».

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram

Dear Editor

The US immigration system is broken. There are over 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the US. An overwhelming majority have US born children, lead crime-free, productive lives and pay taxes.

This includes millions of Caribbean and South American nationals. It is imperative that President Barack Obama immediately implements bold, far-reaching and fair changes to the nation immigration policies.

Under the Constitution he has extant authority, as head of the Executive branch of Government, to use prosecutorial discretion to prioritize and or defer deportations, and to issue employment authorization to eligible foreign nationals.

Everyday that passes, thousands of hard-working, otherwise law abiding immigrants are deported for being out of status. Consequently, thousands of minor children

are tempestuously separated from their parents and thousands of families are recklessly disbanded or destroyed without justification.

It appears that immigrants who have lived here for an extended period, as well as those with US born children, are potential categories who will receive relief under the measures being contemplated by the White House, according to sources.

This would be a winwin situation for the United States. Millions of families will remain united and millions of individuals will become tax payers. This will undoubtedly boost the US economy.

A 2013 White House study showed that Immigration Reform would boost GDP by $1.4 trillion dollars.

Such relief will however be temporary. Ultimately, meaningful and permanent reform will have to be enacted via the legislative process. Republicans cannot hope to

This is yet another lie, as their first appearance in the matter would have been on December 6, 2013.

As a matter of fact, my son passes the station regularly by walking or riding a pedal cycle to and from his work place regularly and he could have been contacted at anytime.

It is neither strange nor surprising to me that ranks who were on duty have denied speaking to me in an unprofessional manner, but what else could be expected from them as this kind of impropriety is a common occurrence?

I will never ever in my life entertain the feeling to make a false complaint against the Police, as it would be of no benefit to me.

But my belief stands firm that only a matter of time will tell that injustice and falsehood maybe live long, but doomsday comes at last.

Yours faithfully, Anita Singh

Protection from wrongdoing will do more harm than good US should implement immigration reform by Executive action

deport their way out of the nation immigration morass. Clearly extremist Republicans in Congress believe immigration reform would not be beneficial to the Republican Party.

This is why they continue to refuse to put the bipartisan Bill that was passed by the Senate to a simple up or down vote in the House and some Republican State and national leaders continue to make a plethora of racist comments about immigrants.

There must therefore be massive, nation-wide mobilization to force Republicans in Congress to act. Republicans are protecting their political interest. President Obama must now act in the nation best interest.

Jevon Suralie Director of Communications New

York-Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy

Where was Red Thread when Kissoon needed rescue from Granger and Clark?

Dear Editor,

Take the parallel of a bad road culture and I think this nonsense regarding endorsing rapist may be put to rest.

It is quite normal to educate and inform about conduct on our roadways; drivers are warned and correspondingly pedestrians are told to be careful. It is quite common too for many radio announcers to ask pedestrians to look out for those who are not looking out for them.

Is this giving impetus to

rule-breakers?

Now the Guyana Police Force, acting in a similar way, is being taken to task. Clifton Hicken, at no time was saying that rapists are blameless or that they should be understood/tolerated.

The man was most caring when he said that women must not play into the hands of rapists. In other words, as much as there are laws against raping and rapists, who in their right mind will dare a rapist?

People do not rape open-

ly – rapists are aware that their crime is serious. That is why they operate very steathily and sometimes even kill their victims. They know that what they are doing is a crime that can lead to being slain, right on the spot, if they are caught.

Worldwide, rape is being fought against and any wise person will seek to implement preemptive measures.

I see a caring Mr Hicken and, if women cannot appreciate this, then they will only be hurting themselves.

If they defy moral codes,

go to the extreme, fight for their rights to dress and do as they please, and expect nasty and lecherous men to be impeded by laws, then they will regret it.

Women, by being careful, or being asked to be so, must not think that they are being blamed for the evil that is being perpetrated on them. Which is better – to be raped and then punish the rapist (even execute him)? Or prevent the rape all together, if this entails some caution on the part of the women?

Page Foundation

Learn about your child’s condition

To understand your child’s behaviour, you have to understand the factors that affect it — including his or her condition. So no matter what challenge your child is facing, try to learn as much as possible about the unique medical, behavioural, and psychological factors that affect his or her development.

Read up on the condition and ask the doctor about anything you don’t understand. Also talk to members of your child’s care team and other parents (especially those with children who have similar issues) to help determine if your child’s challenging behaviour is typical or related to his or her individual challenges. For example, can another parent relate to the trouble you have getting your five-year-old dressed each morning? Sharing experiences will give you a yardstick by which to measure your expectations and determine which behaviours are related to your child’s diagnosis and which are purely developmental.

Use rewards and consequences

Work within a system that includes rewards (positive reinforcement) for good behaviour and natural consequences for bad behaviour. Natural consequences are punishments that are directly related to the behaviour. For example, if your child is throwing food, you would take away the plate.

But not every child responds to natural consequences, so you might have to match the consequence to your

If you’re having trouble finding parents of children with similar challenges, consider joining an online support or advocacy group for families of children with special needs. Once you know what typical behaviour is for your child’s age and health challenges, you can set realistic behavioural expectations.

Defining Expectations

Establishing rules and discipline are a challenge for any parent. So keep your behaviour plan simple and work on one challenge at a time. And as your child meets one behavioural goal, he or she can strive for the next one.

Here are some pointers.

child’s values. For instance, a child with autism who may like to be alone might consider a traditional “time out” rewarding — instead, take away a favourite toy or video game for a period of time.

After correcting your child for doing something wrong, offer a substitute behaviour. So if your child is talking too loudly or hitting you to get your attention, work on replacing that with an appropriate behaviour such as saying or signalling “help me” or getting your attention in appropriate ways such as tapping your shoulder. Active ignoring is a good consequence for misbehaviour meant to get your attention. This

means not rewarding bad behaviour with your attention (even if it’s negative attention, like scolding or yelling).

Use clear and simple messages

Communicate your expectations to your child in a simple way. For children with special needs, this may require more than just telling them. You may need to use pictures, role playing, or gestures to be sure your child knows what he or she is working toward.

Keep verbal and visual language simple, clear, and consistent. Explain as simply as possible what behaviours you want to see. Since consistency is key, make sure grandparents, babysitters, siblings, and teachers are all on board with your messages.

Offer praise

Encourage accomplishment by reminding your child about what he or she can earn for meeting the goals you’ve set, whether it’s getting stickers, screen time, or listening to a favourite song. And be sure to praise and reward your child for effort as well as success. So a child who refuses to poop in the toilet may be rewarded for using a potty near the toilet.

Another strategy: practice “timein” — when you catch your child doing something right, praise him or her for it. In certain cases, time-in can be more effective than punishment, because children naturally want to please their parents. So, by getting credit for doing something right, they’ll likely want to do it again.

If your efforts don’t result in changes after a week or two, ask a social worker or other developmental professional for some help. He or she can help you re-evaluate your behaviour plan, identify triggers, develop a rewards system, or come up with consequences for behaviours you want to eliminate.

(Excerpt from kidshealth)

… experts offer advice that will help you raise a well-behaved child – instead of a brat

By Dulce Zamora

Parenting is no walk in the park, especially on the days when your little angel, whether he’s 6 or 16, decides to act like a demon.

If it’s the temper tantrum in the toy store over the latest video game, or the daily fight over maths homework, or the food fight on Friday night, parents have a choice: To react in a way that will only make matters worse when the bell rings for round two, or respond like the calm, cool, and collected parents we see on TV shows like Nanny 911 – after weeks of livein, televised therapy.

What is the secret to their success, other than public humiliation?

“Overall, with any scenario, the worst thing a parent can do that helps bratty behaviour blossom is to not set clear expectations and not have consequences to a child’s behaviour,” says Jenn Berman, PhD, a psychologist in private practice in Beverly Hills who specialises in family therapy. Experts offer advice on the top 10 parenting pitfalls that will help you raise a well-behaved child – instead of a brat.

The TV Toy

It’s Saturday morning, you’re doing laundry, the children are watching their morning cartoons, and it happens: Your middle child sees the toy of his dreams on TV, starts in with the begging, and doesn’t let up.

Brat-building response: “A lot of kids see things on TV –games, food, or dolls -- and then they start nagging until they get it,” says Berman. “If you run to the store to buy your child exactly what they want, then you’ve taught them that nagging is an effective tool for getting their way.”

Angel-building response: “You can say, ‘It’s a cool toy. Let me find out how much it is, and I can help you save your allowance for it,’” says Berman. “You are teaching your child to work toward a goal –instead of giving in. It helps the child learn about goals, saving money, and it’s a good response for both parent and child.”

The bribes

You’re having your boss over for dinner on Friday night, and while you begged your sister to watch the children for the evening, no such luck. Is it time to start bribing them to be quiet with expensive sneakers or the latest ‘it’ thing?

(Excerpt from WebMD)

Unicomer commissions US$6M distribution centre

Unicomer Guyana Inc, home of the Courts and Lucky Dollar brands, has commissioned a new multimillion dollar distribution centre on Wednesday at Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara.

The 60,000 square feet facility has the capacity to offload 18 trucks or containers simultaneously and can house about 20 containers in the compound.

The distribution centre sits on four acres of land and replaces the warehouse that was located in Montrose, East Coast Demerara.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Unicomer Guyana Inc Managing Director Clyde de Haas said the expansion was necessary to facilitate growth in business as the company had outgrown the previous facility.

He noted that a lot of burden was taken away from management with the establishment of the facility and now they can channel their attention towards providing better services to the customers.

“We are able to focus on our primarily function as a retailer and that is making sure that customers are get-

ting the five-star service and simultaneously with that we have now is proper logistics function. This is not a warehouse anymore, it’s a distribution centre and we have a proper logistics function whereby the planning of the incoming stocks, the planning of the out bond stocks is all being done in a man-

Two Land Court Judges sworn in

Attorneys Priscilla Chandra-Haniff and Nicola Pierre were on Wednesday sworn in as Commissioners of Title (Land Court judges) by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds at the Office of the Prime Minister, Kingston. They will be involved in granting of prescriptive titles.

Attorney Pierre boasts a Certificate of Legal Education at Hugh Wooding Law School, Bachelor of Law studies at the University of Guyana, and 16 years of work experience which includes legislative drafter, lecturer at the University of Guyana (UG) and Attorneyat-law in the Chambers of Oliver Valz, SC. Chandra-Haniff also obtained her Certificate of Legal Education from the Hugh Wooding Law School, a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from UG, and has eight years of work experience ranging from Attorney to lecturer at UG.

Prime Minister Hinds delivered words of advice to the newly-appointed Commissioners, and urged them to be ready for all challenges that lie ahead, noting that operating in such a capacity as this is almost unnatural. He pointed out issues they have to deal with

such as land dispute, which in Guyana is a particularly challenging area.

The Prime Minister also congratulated the Attorneys in their new posts, noting the importance of their job.

“It is necessary that people take up the challenges of offices in a society if it is to do well. I want to commend you for accepting this position in our country, congratulations and thanks.”

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh also offered his congratulations to the Attorneys on this bold step.

An elated ChandraHaniff expressed gratitude for being given the opportunity to serve Guyana. She committed to serving to the best of her ability. “I would like to reiterate my commitment to ensuring that the judiciary remains transparent, fair and highly efficient.”

Pierre reaffirmed that she will do her best to function in her new position as Commissioner of Title. “I will do my best, endeavouring to uphold the office and perform my duties efficiently, confidently, and as the oath said, without fear or favour.”

good corporate citizen in Guyana,” the Vice President stated.

The mega distribution centre currently provides employment for 50 persons and the number is expected to increase in the near future. These persons underwent training sessions in order to effective operate the new stock picking machines and mechanised facilities in the warehouse.

President Donald Ramotar said Guyana has being making significant investments in developing its human capital.

ner that is simple flow and things are not going against each other,” de Haas explained.

The commissioning ceremony was attending by several officials of the Unicomer Group including the Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President Guillermo Siman, who stated that the US$6 million investment in Guyana is reflective of the company’s confidence in country’s economy and expressed gratitude to the Government for embracing the drive of the company.

“We look forward to our continued participation in the development of this country by fostering investments, generating employment and facilitating international trading and commerce by being a

“We have been investing heavily over the recent years. We want to provide for Government and for the investors as a whole, a work force that is highly educated and second to none in the world,” he stated.

The President added that grand partnerships such as these between Government and private sector are crucial in order to transform Guyana to a modern and developed society.

He pointed out that his administration is focused on achieving this as he referred to the billions of dollars that is being plugged into the social sector every year.

The President spoke about the strides made in the education sector, noting that Guyana is on the verge of attaining Universal

Secondary Education.

Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President Lance Hinds recognised the contributions of the company to the local private sector and encouraged it to continue fulfilling its corporate responsibilities.

Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali stated that Unicomer Guyana Inc has played a key role in the development of the private sector.

He pointed out that over the years, Government has invested $10 million to create opportunities for growth and development in Guyana, and this is coming to fruition as more foreign companies are signing up to invest locally.

Against this backdrop, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh said such investments reflect the confidence these companies have made in Guyana’s economy, despite the negative image that is constantly being painted of the country.

He too spoke at length about the developmental projects that Guyana is currently embarking on, highlighting the benefits that it would have not only for citizens and businesses, but foreign investors as well.

The Unicomer Group has been serving Guyanese for the past 20 years.

The 60,000 square feet distribution centre at Eccles Industrial Site

Nicola Pierre receives her document of appointment to her new position as a Commissioner of Title from Prime Minister Samuel Hinds. Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh looks on

Priscilla Chandra-Haniff receives her document of appointment to her new position as a Commissioner of Title from Prime Minister Samuel Hinds

thursDAY, november 20, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

Two in custody for deadly King, Robb Streets fire

Two men are now being interrogated in connection with the deadly fire at King and Robb Streets, Georgetown which claimed the lives of two young girls on Monday morning.

Police sources confirmed that the two men were at the Brickdam Police Station, but they have denied their involvement in the fire. One of the men was arrested on Tuesday about noon and the other was arrested in the evening after he had taken food for his colleague to the Station.

In addition, the source confirmed that the Police are still to take a statement s from Hilrod Randolph Thomas, who jumped from the burning building after it became impossible to save his two young daughters. He is presently in the Burns Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital suffering second- and third-degree burns.

However, Thomas is said to be recovering. Once given the okay by doctors, Police as well as fire officials will

take statements from him which are critical to the investigations.

Operations Officer of the Guyana Fire Service, Compton Sparman confirmed that the fire was maliciously set. From the initial stages, he noted, they had concluded that the fire was purposely set with an explosive.

Theresa Rosario, 12, and Clarissa Rosario, 15, a St John’s College student, perished in the early morning blaze. Their 68-yearold father was taken to the

Georgetown Public Hospital moments after jumping from the burning building.

According to reports, the property is currently the subject of a dispute between Thomas and another individual who has only been identified as “Buddy”.

It was reported that the occupants of a motor car, which was parked outside the building hurled several explosives at the building at approximately 02:00h on Monday and subsequently drove away.

Police Constable slapped with five charges

Police Constable Shawn Roberts, who has been a serving member of the Guyana Police Force for the past nine years, was on Wednesday morning, arraigned on several charges and was subsequently granted $200,000 bail.

Roberts appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before the presiding Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

It was noted that all of

the alleged offences occurred on September 11 at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, in the Georgetown Magisterial District.

The first charge alleged that the Police Corporal unlawfully assaulted Julian Knights. The second charge alleged that he made use of threatening behaviour to Knights. The third charge stated that he discharged a loaded firearm at Leroy

English so as to maim, disfigure or disable him. The penultimate charge alleged that he unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on English, and the final charge stated that he removed spent shells from a crime scene in an attempt to disrupt the course of justice.

The first-time offender pleaded not guilty to all five of the charges. Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield did not ob-

ject to bail being granted to the defendant, but asked that it be a substantial sum.

Bail was granted on the conditions that the defendant lodges his passport at the Magistrates’ Courts and reports to the Brickdam Police Station every Friday. Roberts will make his second court appearance on December 15 at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.

Christianburg Secondary is JOF Haynes debating champion

By Devina Samaroo

CEyew tness Overreacting...

...on Hicken

Suddenly there is a big hue and cry of "GET HICKEN" over some comments made by the Police Commander of "A" Division (Georgetown, East Bank Demerara), while discussing Police efforts to get at rapists, merely suggested that it may be prudent for females to dress a tad more "morally". Well, why did he have to say that??!!

Out came APNU denouncing Hicken for being a male chauvinist pig - and worse yet, a pig who's supposed to be protecting females from rapists. They said Hicken was "blaming the victim" rather than going after the rapists who committed the act. Women should wear whatever they wanted to wear and "rape" they and some feminists insisted, "is not a crime of passion or temptation but of humiliation and hate".

Really?? Totally?? So there're no rapes committed because the rapist became tempted and saw an opportunity to satisfy his lust?

The Police explained that they'd interviewed scads of rapists after capturing them and the answer to the above question was - there are some such cases. And all the Commander was saying to females - be prudent. Now in addition to rape being a major problem in our society - so's robbery of persons with large amounts of cash. It's been going on for years. Certain persons don' use cheques or plastic cards and kept lots of cash around and were routinely targeted by bandits. More, recently, criminals on CG motor bikes would scout the banks, trail persons who made large cash withdrawals and then pounce. Think LBI.

On a battlefield of words, where the pen was mighti-

hristianburg-Wismar Secondary School, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), smashed Queen’s College in the Annual JOF Haynes Memorial Inter-Secondary School Debating Final held at the Theatre Guild Playhouse on Wednesday.

er than the sword, Stephon Gabriel led his team into the debate, proposing the moot “Private Sector polluters have a corporate social responsibility to voluntarily invest resources for environmental

protection” .

His powerful voice set the tone for war, already directing the Christianburg-Wismar team down what promised to be a victorious path. However, caught up in his reign of power, he went over his allotted six minutes.

Similarly, Omari Joseph of the opposition took a confident stance to prove that businesses are compelled to adhere to environmental practices, and it was not a voluntary act, leaving the rhetorical “Is the law voluntary?” ringing in the listeners’ ears as he took his rest.

Moving along, the second speaker for the proposition, Nkase Duke, who was very passionate to continue the war, strongly proved how local companies can still continue their operations and make a profit by being environmentally friendly.

Kadesh Daniels, second speaker of the opposition, gracefully and confidently took the floor to carry on her team’s argument. Even though she became faintly nervous during the fight, Daniels managed to reveal all her facts to the attentive judges and listeners.

With eagerness compelling him to finish off his team’s combat, the third speaker for Christianburg-Wismar, Anthony Jordan, small as he was, took charge in a powerful voice to conclude the argument.

On the other hand, Daniel DeSouza simply and casually concluded his team’s case.

Amid a tense battlefield, the teams huddled as they prepared themselves for the rebuttal round. A quiet audience patiently anticipated the continuation of war.

Now the police have been routinely warning citizens not to walk around with or keep large amounts of cash in their homes. Should citizens retort exasperatedly that they have the right to carry or keep as much cash as they want?? That's not the question, is it? All the Police're saying is like sex, there are persons out there who like money and are willing to obtain it illegally. Of course the Police should be focused on catching robbers but citizens, be real: just be prudent in your affairs!!

To illustrate our point we'll substitute the cash conundrum for "rape" in a recent letter from an outraged civil rights activist:

"Many men and women in Guyana probably think like Commander Hicken does, that ‘persons with cash’ are to be blamed for ‘robberies’ because they have too much cash on them. It is sickening that Mr Hicken is not aware that robberies have nothing to do with how much cash a person is walking around with, or where they were walking.

“Mr Hicken must go if he does not believe and cannot communicate clearly to his officers and to the public that the responsibility for robberies lies with robbers."

There'll always be criminal minds - let's lock our doors. OK??

...on PPP/C's chances

The embittered PPP/C castoff, Henry Jeffrey, snidely observed that a decade ago, at a PPP/C Congress, Clinton Collymore was wildly applauded when he predicted the PPP/C would govern for "1000 years". The erudite Jeffery doubted that Collymore knew the source of his allusion - Hitler's Third Reich - but he didn't mention that he, who knew, cheered as lustily as any of the other comrades. This Eyewitness knows. He was there.

But so it go, na?? Jeffrey claimed the prorogation is just to buy time for the PPP/C. But they'll be booted out anyway. This Eyewitness is willing to wager Jeffrey that the PPP/C will be back - with an outright majority.

Echoing Mark Twain, they'll say, "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

...on slavery

The Australia "Walk Free Foundation" informed us that 36 million persons are enslaved in the world today. Some rather expansive criteria are used to arrive at this figure. In Haiti children sent to live with rich relatives are defined as "slaves".

Not to belittle these efforts to improve the lives of these folks. But isn't this undermining the ongoing reparation efforts for "slavery"??

Passengers slam sale of alcohol on Essequibo Ferry

– captain took wrong turn, boat still in bushes

By IndrawattIe natram

Days after the Essequibo Ferry Sabanto ran aground on Wakenaam, persons utilising the Essequibo Ferry service between Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) have condemned the sale of alcoholic beverages on the vessels. Commuters alleged that many times persons are seen drunk on the ferry and ferry workers are usually intoxicated.

"We are comfortable with the service: it is fast, it encourages business trade, but why employ reckless captain and workmen? We usually feel unsafe seeing them drinking," one passenger said.

The Sabanto, which plies the Supenaam/Parika route along with its sister vessel the MV Kanawan ran aground on Wakenaam Island on Monday around

00:35h, causing approximately 120 passengers and vehicle drivers to become stranded. It is believed that the captain took too narrow a turn and crashed into the island.

Passengers were rescued by speedboats, but had to pay an additional cost of $1000. They are of the view that the entire incident could have been avoided: "Big wide river, the captain didn't see bushes in front of him?" one passenger questioned.

The Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) is currently investigating the circumstances which resulted in the incident.

The vessel remains struck in the clump of bushes with vehicles on board as T&HD officials were unable to extricate it from the forest. This newspaper was informed that efforts were made to haul the ferry out, but to no avail.

The owners of the vehicles that are on board are calling

on the Public Works Ministry to urgently devise a plan so that they can retrieve their vehicles.

Meanwhile, the other Essequibo ferry, MV Kanawan is in full operation along with the Malali, working as scheduled.

As a consequence of the ferry mishap, more persons have been utilising the speedboat service from Supenaam to Parika and vice versa. Speedboat owners have reported that their boats are being filled faster.

"We are not happy the incident happened, but our work is faster, boat loading much quicker as persons rushing to use this service; when the big boat is being loaded; we face it hard to get our boat to load," one speedboat owner said as he summed up the situation.

The T&HD, in a statement released after the incident, said it sincerely regretted the inconvenience caused to commuters.

Guyana eases travel restrictions on West African countries

With effect from Wednesday, Guyana has reduced travel restrictions to West African states following the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus.

In response to the Ebola epidemic which has ravaged sections of West Africa, the Government had placed a total a restriction on West African States.

But on Tuesday, Cabinet took a decision to “ease” the restriction. Head of the Presidential, Dr Roger Luncheon made this disclosure on Wednesday while addressing reporters at the Office of the President.

He pointed out, however, that restrictions remain intact for four countries: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Mali. It was also explained that the decision was taken in consulta-

tion with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

The decision was taken by Cabinet days after Prime Minister Samuel Hinds represented Guyana at a Caricom Ministerial Forum on Ebola.

According to Dr Luncheon, the meeting addressed Ebola and its significance, principally to the region and the comprehensive mechanisms put in place to address its vulnerability.

In September, Guyana placed restriction on the issuance of visas to nationals of Ebola-hit West African countries in an effort to stave off the virus that has killed over 4 000 people. Embassies and consulates abroad were instructed not to issue visas to national from West African countries.

Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea are the three West African nations to have reported the highest number of Ebola cases. According to online news reports, the death toll from Ebola will rise this week to more than 4500 people from the 9000 infected and the outbreak is still out of control in the West African nations.

In recent months, Guyana has beef up public awareness on the deadly Ebola virus. The Government through the Health Ministry has heightened surveillance at the main ports of entry, in particular at the Cheddi Jagan and the Ogle International Airports.

Additionally, some 1600 medical personnel are being trained to combat the disease should an outbreak occur here.

Essequibo Ferry Sabanto remains struck in the bushes it ran into

US-based company expresses interest in Guyana’s oil, gas sector

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud and acting Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission Newell Dennison meeting with the

Ahigh-level team from HESS Corporation on Wednesday met with Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud to discuss collaboration in the oil and gas sector.

The team included Tim Chisholm (Hess Exploration Vice

President), Michael Dalkin (Hess, Environmental Manager), and Mark Johnson (Senior Commercial Manager Exploration International).

The Minister was accompanied by acting Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission Newell

Dennison.

Hess Corporation is a leading global independent energy company engaged in exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. The company has a global portfolio in onshore, offshore and exploration and expertise in deep water drilling ventures.

Discussions were centred on anticipated investment and collaboration with ESSO in their deep water offshore concessions.

Minister Persaud welcomed Hess Corporation’s presence and indicated support for any joint venture effort which could materialise.

Wonder if Green Jah gon getta wuk

Avery sensible letter writer write a letter de other day and seh how Poopnarine done live out he political usefulness. That’s a lotta big words just to tell a man that he is a No-Good. And long ago de old people used to put a “F” word between de “No” and de “Good”.

But Poopnarine is done a old man arready. So old people don’t diss dem mattie old people by usin that kinda language, even though de NFG title fit Poopnarine perfectly a long time now.

Is no wonder Green Jah don’t want Poopnarine poopin around in de AP-NOO set up any more. In fact, not even de W-Pee-Hey want Poopnarine poopin in dem party any more either. Dem know that gon be messin wid pee plus poop.

Wid a man at Poopnarine age, not even a doctor can know how much peein and poopin he capable of. And wid whah tek place at de AP-NOO protest de other day, it look like he capable of a lotta poop.

A reporter seh he see Poopnarine buyin green guava de other day and he did’t know why. Is only after Poopnarine done talk de other night at de AP-NOO rally that he realise why he had need so many small round lookin tings.

Lucky de green guava had wuk in time fuh Rum Jhaat and de Nagga Man. But is a pity it don’t wuk all de time fuh dem. Well, just like how a crab ketcher can’t ketch crab wid out gettin mud pun he skin, is de same way Green Jah he self gettin just as messy as de poopin in he party. Soon dem might end up as a party of poopers wid Poopnarine leadin that section, but only if Green Jah change he mind.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! And was more poop de other day when Green Jah seh if he turn de Prezzi, certain people wid criminal connections gon can’t wuk wid he Guvament. So wonder if Green Jah gon getta wuk?

AWOL GDF rank caught in robbery stable

The second bandit who was run over by a car in his bid to escape following a robbery at La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Tuesday remained under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Kevin David of Agricola, East Bank Demerara, a Guyana Defense Force (GDF) Coast Guard who was Absent Without Leave (AWOL) for more than three months is expected to be charged once he has been discharged from the medical facility.

News of David’s death flooded the air on Wednesday afternoon, but hospital officials confirmed that the man is in a conscious stated and out of danger.

His accomplice, Trelon Munroe of Tucber Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday evening.

He reportedly received a number of injuries after the relative of the robbery victim slammed into him and David with a motorcar while chase after them.

Munroe was reportedly stuck under the motor car while David received injuries and was lying a short distance away.

Both men were picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where Munroe subsequently succumbed and David admitted under guard. When contact-

ed on Wednesday, relatives of the dead man in a telephone interview told Guyana Times that he had left home a while ago and was not keeping in contact with them. They claimed that they were not aware of the activities he was involved in, noting that he was a reserved person.

They only received the news of this death via the Internet. The relatives of David remained tight-lipped on the issue. However, the man’s pregnant girlfriend said she was under the impression that he was working in Georgetown.

Before leaving for Berbice, he reportedly told her that a friend had offered him a job in Georgetown and he had taken up the offer.

The two men were captured around 12:30h on Tuesday after they attacked and attempted to rob Jasdai Persaud of Cheery Field, LBI, ECD and her husband of $750,000 after trailing them from a city bank. According to reports, as the couple arrived home, the husband went to attend to an urgent matter, but it was during this time, a black CG motorcycle with David and Munroe pulled up in front of their house.

The pillion driver reportedly got off the motorcycle and entered Persaud’s yard where one of them held her at gunpoint, demanding the money from her. The woman complied and it was while returning to the waiting motorcycle, he was confronted by the victim’s husband.

The confrontation led to a scuffle between the two men but the bandit discharged a round clearing the way for them to escape. The man with the bag of money then jumped on the motorcycle and sped away from the scene.

In response, a relative of Persaud who was close by gave chase, resulting in a collision between the two vehicles. The robbers fell off their motorcycle with received injuries. According to Police, a quantity of the stolen cash along with a .32 revolver and four live rounds with a spent shell were recovered.

team from HESS Corporation

Injured GDF Coast Guard Kevin David

Queenstown battered by floods

– residents plan protest

By IndrawattIe natram

Cash crop and poul-

try farmers and residents of Queenstown Village, Essequibo Coast are counting their losses in the thousands of dollars due to flooding.

Their gardens and chicken pens have been inundated with about four inches of water for the past three weeks.

Residents said they were not blaming the flooding on rainfall, but the Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) Administration for not heeding their calls for proper drainage and irrigation.

Residents who spoke to Guyana Times said they have

complained to the Region but to no avail.

According to them, in the latest episode, when they woke up on Wednesday morning, much to their surprise, the lower flats of their homes were underwater.

One resident Jocelyn Grant said she lost 35 chickens and over 40 eggs in the flood. Grant said she reported the flooding about two weeks ago, and although she was told that pumping was ongoing, the water continued to rise.

“When the water was seen on my land, it wasn’t raining, I call the Chairman and he told me that pumping is ongoing to help relief the

Christianburg...

Five minutes went by too soon, and the first speaker of the opposition took his stance. While shaky and hesitant in his speech, he produced a strong rebuttal.

But taking charge and full control of his audience was the proposition’s first speaker, who crushed the opposition with a wounding vocabulary and unyielding points, practically burying Queen’s College alive. His attack in the rebuttal period caused an uproar of support from the audience, which clearly identified who the victor would be.

In the end, ChristianburgWismar earned 275 points, while Queen’s College secured 260 points. The students were judged on original ideas, fluency of their speech, proper use of English, and interaction with the audience.

For the JOF Haynes Memorial Inter-Secondary School Debating Competition, the best debating team from a school usually represents that school in the IntraRegional Competition. These competitions are held in each education district. The winning school of the district then gains the honour of representing the education district at the national level.

At the National Competition this year, the districts were represented as follows:

Region One (BarimaWaini) – Santa Rosa

Secondary

Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) – Anna Regina

Secondary

from page 8

Region Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara) –L’Aventure Secondary

Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) – Diamond Secondary

Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) – Bush Lot Secondary

Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) – New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary School

Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) – Three Miles Secondary

Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) – Paramakatoi Secondary

Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) –St Ignatius Secondary

Region 10 (Upper Demerara -Upper Berbice) – Christiansburg-Wismar Secondary

Georgetown – Queen’s College High School

The JOF Haynes Memorial Inter-Secondary Schools Debating Competition is organised annually by the Ministry of Education. The competition was initially started by Joseph Oscar Fitzclarence Haynes himself in 1990. Haynes, born in New Amsterdam, was identified as the most brilliant and eminent lawyer of his generation who could transform a drab courtroom into a place of wonder and enchantment. The competition is part of his legacy.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand and other Ministry officials were present at the event.

water; this morning, things got worse, we need help!!” Grant exclaimed.

The woman said that she bought baby chicks to rear for the Christmas season and due to the flooding, the majority died. She said her ducks have to be in water all the time and her family has to stay indoors.

A cash crop farmer, Coromwell Mentis, said if the rain continued, residents would have to seek refuge elsewhere.

He pointed out if the matter was dealt with at the time residents called regional authorities, the flooding could have been avoided.

“All my vegetables like the celery, cabbage and pumpkin under water. This is my daily income, I depend on this,” Mentis said.

Mentis, who is a member of the Queenstown Development Association, said residents were contemplating a protest: blocking the road, but the Association was trying to calm residents down.

“The people are becoming tired over the constant flooding. We made calls and still nothing is not being done; we have small children in the area, they could get sick”. Outbreak

Housewife Ruth Pittam was forced to move to the upper flat of her house since her downstairs was flooded. Pittam said last year she was faced with a similar situation.

Her kitchen has been under water for the past two days, as have her refrigerator, furniture and television set.

The residents said the flooding was caused by a silted up sluice at neighbouring Capoey. They said if the sluice was cleared, it could have brought some degree of relief to them.

Residents are concerned about water-borne diseases

that could spread due to the flooding. Villagers are facing a further health risk, as some still utilise pit latrines. Meanwhile, Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud said several outfalls in the region have been silted up, thus impeding the smooth drainage of water. He said efforts are being made to desilt the outfalls so that normalcy can be restored. The silted-up outfalls at La Union and Capoey are operating at only 20 per cent of their capacity. Chairman Persaud said an excavator has been deployed to help in the clearing of the area.

Coromwell Mentis points to his flooded kitchen garden

A pump at Lima in full operation

Sheep taking refuge on higher ground

Rice harvest likely to exceed 620,000 tonnes

Harvesting of the current rice crop is expected to end in less than two weeks, but the preliminary forecast is that the country will register a record production of more than 620,000 tonnes, a significant increase over last year’s bumper crop.

Rice production in 2013 recorded 535,555 tonnes, following the 2012 production of 422,000 tonnes.

Production, currently stands at 618,000 tonnes of rice with only “small pockets of areas” in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) remaining to be harvested, Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) General Manager Jagnarine Singh explained.

Singh clarified that these are small farmers who “sometimes go too late”.

In October, the industry broke two records: production, which touched the 600,000-tonne mark and the highest quantity of export. The export volume exceeded 70,000 tonnes, bringing the total number of

tonnes exported by October month-end to over 400,000 tonnes. It is anticipated that Guyana will export over 500,000 tonnes of rice for 2014.

In 2013, export amounted to about 395,000 tonnes, approximately, 58 per cent of which was exported to Venezuela with other significant buyers being Europe, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean countries.

This year’s rice production will be way above the target projected.

“Somewhere down we were talking about less than the 500,000 tonnes, and even in a revised target we would have gotten 607,000 tonnes,” Singh said.

He explained that this revised target was done in August based on what the Board was observing.

The GRDB General Manger noted that the continued increase in production reflects an increase in acreage.

“We would have seen the acreage cultivated growing a little bit; 88,000 acres in the

last two years ago,” he said.

On average, there has also been an increase in yield, from 4.5 tonnes in 2013 to 5.3 tonnes per hectare in 2013, Singh said. Individually, farmers are realising about six tonnes of paddy per hectare.

The continued record production is a result of the new varieties and the technological packages developed by the GRDB and made available to the farmers, Singh noted.

In addition to that, having the new varieties and benefitting from technology transfer packages such as farmers’ field school, and the extension programme, farmers also continue to benefit from the provision of adequate drainage and irrigation.

Government spent a lot in this regard as part of its risk management to protect farmers against losses, Singh pointed out.

Rice, one of the main staples internationally, has been a highly productive crop in Guyana with 2014, 2013 and 2012 being among the highest yielding years. Rice yield for 2013 surpassed the targeted production of 413,031 tonnes, by 28.17 per cent or 116,353 tonnes.

More than 200,000 acres of land was cultivated in 2013, making it also the first time, cultivation acreage exceeded 200,000.

Yield overall was five tonnes per hectare again, for the first time in Guyana’s history. In 2010, the yield was about four tonnes per hectare.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, yield was between two and three tonnes per hectare.

Jonestown Massacre Elder, children were reportedly killed first

Tuesday marked the 37th anniversary of the mass murders and suicides of 918 people at Jonestown and at a nearby airport in Guyana.

Most were followers of People’s Temple founder Jim Jones, or their children — many from the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas — tricked into drinking poison or convinced by Jones’ lieutenants to take their own dose.

The dead included Republican Leo Ryan of Northern California, shot to death at the airport while leaving Jonestown, the only US Congressman assassinated in the line of duty.

Also killed were former KNBC 4 reporter-anchor Don Harris, then a correspondent for NBC News; NBC cameraman Bob Brown; and San Francisco Examiner photographer Greg Robinson.

Tim Reiterman, a reporter for the San Francisco Examiner and later for the LA Times, and NBC audio technician Steve Sung were wounded.

Current Bay Area Congresswoman Jackie Speier, a Ryan advisor at

the time, was also wounded.

James Richardson, a former Sacramento Bee political writer and UCLA Daily Bruin reporter, is now an Episcopal priest in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He argued in a piece for the Washington Post that everyone should immediately stop saying “drank the Kool-Aid”. And not just because the tainted drink may actually have been grape Flavour Aid.

“Some of us knew the victims. I grew up with one of them,” Maria Katsaris.

The first news reports made it sound like those who died in Jonestown did so by mass suicide, drinking cyanide-laced drinks (hence the offensive expression).

“It’s not true. The first murdered at Jonestown were senior citizens, children and babies; the poison was squirted into their mouths. Others thought they were participating in a drill,” she said.

Jonestown was the demented brainchild of huckster Jim Jones, a self-appointed charismatic pastor who founded the Peoples Temple in San Francisco.

The Peoples Temple attract-

ed poor city-dwellers (particularly African-Americans), and young white children from the suburbs, like my childhood friend Maria. By the 1960s, the Temple had become a political force in San Francisco, turning out busloads of volunteers to walk precincts for favoured politicians. Jones was so powerful that Vice President Walter Mondale and first lady Roslyn Carter met with him. Governor Jerry Brown and Willie Brown, who would become the Assembly Speaker and a Mayor of San Francisco, appeared at an honorary dinner. But Jones’s world was about to crash. Reporters began investigating the Peoples Temple over allegations of abuse and intimidation. Increasingly paranoid, Jones fled with hundreds of his followers to Guyana. Relatives of those at Jonestown contacted Congressman Leo Ryan with reports that their loved ones were being held against their will. Ryan went to Guyana, taking with him a small party of aides and journalists, but that fact-finding mission quickly turned catastrophic.

Four in custody for NA shooting

Four men including a teenager are now in custody assisting with investigations into the fatal shooting of Richard Dey, whose body was found in a pool of blood on Saturday evening in New Amsterdam.

Dey, 40, of Mount Sinai, commonly referred to as Angoy’s Avenue, a squatting community located on the eastern suburbs of New Amsterdam, is believed to have been executed as a result of shady activities.

Dey’s body was found with a suspected bullet wound to the head and a laceration to the throat.

Police sources on Tuesday confirmed that new evidence revealed that a cellular phone was removed from the crime scene before the alarm was raised.

A student of the New Amsterdam Technical

Institute was the first person to notice Dey’s lifeless body lying on the ground in a track close to his (Dey’s) home.

The student reported

what he saw to the Police, who responded promptly.

On Tuesday, Police arrested a teenager and another man. The teenager reportedly had a SIM card from a cellular phone which Police believe can provide vital evidence in their investigation.

On Monday, Police arrested two men, one of whom was a close friend on the now dead man.

Sources close to Dey on Sunday told this publication that he had owed large sums of money to persons for an illegal merchandise.

His body was taken to the Anthony’s Funeral Home at Fort Wellington and is awaiting a post-mortem examination by Government Pathologist, Dr Nehal Singh. Dey leaves to morn his wife and two children, ages one and six.

Richard Dey

Victims of the Jonestown massacre in Guyana in 1978

Rice being loaded onto a vessel for export during this year

Berbice Health Expo opens on Friday

The Berbice Health Expo was launched in New Amsterdam on Monday and is set to open on Friday under the theme “Stay strong, live long”.

Project Coordinated, Dr Melissa Ramdeen said the idea behind the expo is to encourage Berbicians to practice healthy lifestyles. The event is the only on its kind in Guyana.

The expo will focus on animal health awareness, environmental and social issues.

“We are trying to educate people in that direction to let them know what are some of the things that they need to caution themselves about and what are some of the necessary steps they need to take for themselves to ensure that they live long in a health manner.”

Among some of the agencies that will be participating are the Guyana School of Agriculture, the Guyana Marketing Corporation, Massay Industries, Sterling Products Limited, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, the Ministries of Health and Agricultural, the Pan-America Health Organisation (PAHO), the Ptolemy Rehabilitation Reid Centre and several Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

“We know many people living with diabetes and some who would have had amputations done, so the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre will be here to educate us and also offer some

advise,” Dr Ramdeen said.

She noted that several fun booths will also be available, including face painting for children who will also be able to receive prizes from the Berbice Regional Health Authority’s (BRHA) kids quiz booth.

There will also be a booth which will focus on Ebola and another on Chikungunya. Suicide will also be addressed at the expo.

“Meditron, they usually sell medical equipment, they will be here displaying some of the equipment because you find that patients prefer to have their own blood pressure apparatus, and just a treat for the public, some will be able to receive free glucomonitors. So I am urging you to come out, be as early as possible to get a hold of those free glucomonitor.”

Dr Ramdeen explained that each of the five hospitals in Region Six (East

Berbice/Corentyne) will have a booth at the expo.

BRHA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Vishwa Mahadeo said the event is returning after a two-year absence.

Apart from agencies that are involved in health-care, some of those that contribute to health of the nation will also participate.

The first year the event was held as a health fair, some 23 booths participated and the number increased to 30 in the second year.

So far this year, more than 60 agencies have signalled their intention to participate. Dr Mahadeo explained that education is key to having a healthy nation.

“A healthy nation cost less on the taxpayers. Health like religion cuts across boundaries -- old, young, disabled, healthy all races -- and it has no politics. We feel that the more educated the population is, the more they will take care of themselves and not only of themselves but also those who are dear to them and in the long run, we will have less people to treat and the better care we will be able to provide.”

Regional Executive Officer Paul Ramrattan said the Regional Administration is proud to once again host the event.

The expo is expected to be opened at 15:00h, and according to Dr Mahadeo, about 19:00h, there will be a cultural presentation at Main and Church Streets.

Berbice murder trial aborted

Amurder trial at the Berbice Assizes was ended in dramatic fashion on Tuesday when Justice James BovellDrakes upheld an application for the court to abort the trial.

On trial for the July 27, 2011 shooting of Shawn Fraser were Krishna, called “John”, 50, of Alness Village, Corentyne and his son, Romel Krishna, 24.

The court had taken a break when Attorney-atLaw Mursaline Bacchus who was representing Krishna, Attorneys-at-Law Kim KyteJohn and Tonya Clements who were representing Romel Krishna along with Prosecutor Renita Singh were summoned to Justice Bovell-Drakes’ chambers.

After a while, the two accused; the foreman of the jury; another juror, who is attached to a commercial bank; and a close relative of the two accused were also called in.

After 14 minutes, they emerged and Bacchus made an application for the trial to be aborted. In his application, Bacchus said the information brought to the

court’s attention would affect a fair trial. As such, he said he was constrained from continuing with the trial. The prosecution also concurred.

Justice Bovell-Drakes, in referring to the application made by Attorney-atLaw Bacchus, said that as a result of information that was brought to the attention of the court, the conference was held.

The trial was then abort-

Cops and Faith Community Network positively impacting youth

The Cops and Faith Community Network (CFCN) as of October 2014, made 88 interventions through the Guyana Police Force with support from members of the religious community.

The interventions involved 46 males and 42 females between the ages of 10 and 17 years old, who were detained for offences such as: assault, assault causing actual bodily harm, throwing missiles, simple larceny, wandering, use of indecent language and threatening behaviour.

According to a press release issued by the Home Affairs Ministry, in all the cases, the youths were counselled by the religious leaders, and following the involvement of their parents/ guardians were warned and sent away.

However, charges were made in two instances, but in one case, the matter was

Follow-up

dismissed after the victims offered no evidence, while the other was sent to the New Opportunity Corps (NOC).

The CFCN was launched by the Home Affairs Ministry last September as a pilot project in 10 identified communities in the Police “A” Division (Georgetown/ East Bank Demerara), “B” Division (Berbice) and “C” Division (East Coast Demerara).

CFCN is another crime prevention measure intended to deal with youths who come into conflict with the law on a first time basis, and involving minor offences, as a preemptive intervention to the NOC.

Discussions between the Guyana Police Force and religious leaders have resulted in three other projects being undertaken. These are the establishment of a Suicide Hotline where depressed persons can call with the

view of receiving counselling; the Force’s Chaplaincy which was the concept of using the CFCN to provide chaplaincy services to members of the Guyana Police Force, particularly those ranks who have had traumatic experiences; and the provision of a liaison between the victims and relative of victims of serious crimes and the Police, specifically in relation to counselling and a feedback on investigations.

Pastor Patrick Doolichand was appointed the Force’s Chaplain and a three-day, Level 1 Community Service Chaplaincy Training Programme was conducted by the Guyana Police Force in collaboration with the CFCN during September The CFCN is therefore now moving forward from being just a crime prevention effort to one of social intervention in society.

meeting on CaricomJapan Summit a success

The just concluded Caricom-Japan Meeting of Foreign Ministers, in which a joint statement of areas of cooperation was issued, builds on the momentum of the successful First CaricomJapan Summit of July 28 in Trinidad and Tobago.

The meeting, held on November 15, in Tokyo, Japan, resolved to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Caricom and Japan. It agreed to cooperate in various areas under three broad pillars: cooperation towards sustainable development, including overcoming vulnerabilities particular to small island states; deepening and expanding bonds founded on exchanges and friendship; and cooperation in addressing challenges at the international community.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida indicated his country’s intention to give “utmost consideration” to Caricom’s concerns on the issue of graduation from concessionary funding based on the narrow measurement of GDP per capita, and to the value of expanding this measurement to include a vulnerability index.

Several Caricom Member States have been graduated from access to concessionary financing based on the use of per capita income as the main criteria for measuring development and Caricom have been arguing that the degree of vulnerability to external shocks, including natural disasters, should be taken into account.

nated the Caricom-Japan Friendship Year to observe two decades of relationship in diverse fields.

ed. The two accused have been remanded and await another sitting of the Assizes to have the matter heard again.

This is the second trial for the two accused. In October last year, a trial was also aborted after it was brought to the attention of the court that a family member of the deceased had contacted a member of the jury.

According to him, the importance of assisting the community from perspectives other than those based on per capita income was recognised; and his country would extend its cooperation towards overcoming these vulnerabilities, utilising Japanese technologies and expertise in fields such as disaster risk reduction, countermeasures against environmental degradation, climate change, renewable energy, waste management and fisheries.

With regard to cooperation in addressing challenges confronting the international community, particular attention was paid to United Nations Security Council reform where the two parties agreed to work together to achieve concrete outcomes during the 70th anniversary of the UN in 2015.

Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in development planning and international cooperation as well as to the Post-2015 Development Agenda, climate change, and international peace and security would also be given attention.

Since 1993, Caricom and Japan have enjoyed friendly relations and this year, 2014, has been desig-

Commenting on what could only be described as a frank, meaningful and results-oriented meeting, Chair of the Council for Foreign and Community Affairs Carolyn RodriguesBirkett, Guyana’s Foreign Minister said, “every expectation” that the dialogue would “lead to a further consolidation and enrichment of a long-standing and much valued Caricom-Japan partnership was met”.

The Community Strategic Plan identifies effective foreign policy coordination as an important enabler in building the Community’s resilience by positioning the Community in the global arena; facilitating cooperation and strategic alliances with like-minded countries and groups; promoting and protecting the interest of Caricom and other small states to reduce vulnerability and to leverage resources for regional priorities.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida

BRHA CEO, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo

Murder accused: Krishna, called “John”, 50, and his son, Romel Krishna

Honduras’ Miss World contestant, sister found murdered

AHonduran beauty queen has been found murdered just days before she was due to compete in the Miss World pageant in London, police said on Wednesday. The bodies of Maria Jose Alvarado, 19, and her sister Sofia, 23, were found buried near a river in the mountainous re-

gion of Santa Barbara in western Honduras, said Leandro Osorio, head of the criminal investigation unit. Alvarado, a student who aspired to become a career diplomat, had been due to take part in the Miss World events that start on Thursday and culminate in the final in London on December 14.

She and her sister had been missing since Thursday, when they were seen leaving a party in a car without a license plate in Santa Barbara, a coffee-growing region where drug gangs are active. Interior Minister Arturo Corrales told Honduran media that Plutarco Ruiz, the boyfriend of the beauty queen’s sister, was responsible for the crime. Police arrested Ruiz and another man on Tuesday, confiscating two pistols and their pick-up truck.

Honduras is the world’s most violent country with a murder rate above 90 people per 100,000. Last April, Alvarado was crowned Miss Honduras World 2014, beating 18 other contestants to the top spot. She could not live without lip gloss or the Web site Wikipedia.org according to her official bio on the Miss World competition page. (Reuters)

Cuban doctor contracts Ebola in Sierra Leone

A member of the 165-member Cuban medical team sent to fight Ebola in Sierra Leone has been diagnosed with the disease, and will be sent to Geneva for treatment, Cuban state media reported.

Felix Baez, an internal medicine specialist, came down with a fever of more than 100 degrees on Sunday and tested positive on Monday, the official website Cubadebate reported on Tuesday, citing a Health Ministry statement. He has not shown complications and his condition is "stable", the statement said.

"Our collaborator is being tended to by a team of British professionals with experience in treating patients who have

displayed the disease and they have maintained constant communication with our brigade," the statement said.

The World Health Organisation decided to transport Baez to a university hospital in Geneva, the statement said.

The agency said last week that 5,177 people had died of Ebola across eight countries, out of 14,413 cases of infection that have emerged since December 2013.

Baez is one of 256 Cuban doctors and nurses in West Africa treating Ebola patients, a commitment that has won international praise as more substantial than contributions from many

wealthy countries.

Some Cuban 165 doctors and nurses have gone to Sierra Leone for a six-month mission, with another 53 in Liberia and 38 in Guinea.

Cuban officials have emphasised the medics' high state of readiness for the mission, saying the doctors, nurses and support staff received weeks of instruction in protective measures and equipment.

Once in Africa, the Cubans got two to three weeks of additional training before heading into the field. They were to be quarantined in Africa for weeks at the end of their six-month mission before returning to Cuba. (Aljazeera)

Over £500,000 worth of cocaine from Jamaica seized in London

More than half a million pounds worth of cocaine was seized at Gatwick Airport, London hidden inside rope.

Border Force officers at Gatwick Airport seized 13kgs of cocaine, concealed within rope netting used to secure a pallet of imported food.

The package arrived at Gatwick on a flight from Jamaica and contained a variety of fruit and produce including yams, sweet potatoes, avocados and soursop. The cocaine, which was high purity and has an estimated street value of more than £500,000, was hidden in the tubular rope packaging surrounding the pallet.

The case has now been passed to the National Crime Agency (NCA) for further investigation.

Border Force South Regional Director Carole Upshall said: “As this seizure shows, smugglers often employ sophisticated methods – this time using the external rope packaging to try to conceal the drugs.”

Border Force officers are the front line in protecting

US called on to increase diplomatic presence in Caribbean

New York Congressman Eliot Engel recently introduced the United States-Caribbean Partnership Act of 2014 in the House of Representatives. This Bill would establish US embassies in the five countries in the Caribbean with which the US has diplomatic relations but no permanent diplomatic presence: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. In an op-ed piece in the Miami Herald, Engel explained that the countries of the Caribbean are of profound importance to the United States and particularly to the millions of Caribbean-American citizens in the US.

“Unfortunately, our sparse diplomatic presence in the Caribbean significantly impedes our ability to engage

more deeply with our partners,” he said.

Passage of the legislation will deepen the relationship between the United States and the Caribbean and build on the Obama administration’s efforts to enhance economic, energy and security cooperation with the region, Engle continued.

He went on to explain that the Caribbean comprises countries where tens of thousands of American citizens travel for pleasure or business; where thousands of American citizens go to school; where there is a constant concern about drug trafficking and the impact of drug-related violence; but where the United States has no US Embassies.

Now)

Jamaica: Robber hacked to death

One of two thieves who were on a reported robbing spree in the Catherine Hall housing scheme in St James last night was hacked to death and his associate left nursing chop wounds in hospital. Reports are that the two men during their pillage stabbed a woman whom they held up and robbed of

her cell phone and handbag and were chased by a mob.

The two robbers were eventually caught and chopped all over their bodies as they desperately attempted to reach safety.

One of the men collapsed and died a short distance from a Seventh-Day Adventist Church in the community, while the other ran into the church where

the choir was gathering for rehearsal.

Members of the choir reportedly locked the church door to bar out the mob until the arrival of the police.

The injured man was taken to hospital in a serious condition. The female victim positively identified him as being one of the two who robbed and stabbed her. (Jamaica Observer)

Antigua Gov’t bans importation of used, reconditioned vehicles

Adecision by Cabinet to ban the importation of used cars older than five years has met strong condemnation from segments of the population.

OBSERVER media received a press release from the Environment Division that read: “Cabinet agreed to the following recommendations: – that used and recondition vehicle(s) be no older than five (5) years for importation in Antigua and Barbuda.”

The communique also noted that the Environmental Levy imposed on imported used vehicles would be raised from $4,000 to $6,000. (The Levy on new vehicles is $1,000).

Cabinet made the decision on September 3, and it came into effect from October 15, 2014.

When OBSERVER media contacted Comptroller of Customs, Raju Boddu, to

ascertain whether the new levy and ban were already being enforced, he said he had not yet received official word from the Central Government.

One motorsports and car racing enthusiast said he was “annoyed” to the point of tears, when he heard the news.

It has also been reported that online Japanese car dealers, through which many residents purchase

vehicles, have been notified of the Government’s decision. The motorsports enthusiast, who did not want to be named, said some of his counterparts were recently blocked when they tried to import a car from Japan.

Meantime, Principal of Antigua Motors, one of the largest car dealers on island, Paul Ryan, described the move by Cabinet as “positive.” (Antigua Observer)

Suriname President to attend UNASUR summit in Ecuador

Lthe country and play a key role in detecting illegal immigration, disrupting serious and organised crime and helping to prevent the threat of terrorism. Border Force also protects the UK’s revenue, contributing to the nation’s prosperity and growth. (The Argus)

ast Friday, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino announced that nine South American leaders have confirmed their attendance at this year's Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) summit and among them will be the President of Suriname Desi Bouterse, who will hand over the Chairmanship to

Uruguay, when the summit begins in Quito on December 5.

Thus far, Cristina Fernandez (Argentina), Nicolas Maduro (Venezuela), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Dilma Rousseff (Brazil), Juan Manuel Santos (Colombia), Donald Ramotar (Guyana), and Ollanta Humala (Peru) are also expected to attend.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa announced a few weeks ago that a 19,523 square meter building located northwest of Quito, which will be inaugurated on December 5, will be named after the late Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, a strong proponent of regional integration and UNASUR’s First Secretary General in 2008. (Caribbean

Maria Jose Alvarado during a beauty contest in San Pedro Sula April 26

Congressman Eliot Engel

News Now)

The cocaine laced rope

Used cars older than five years banned in Antigua

Islamic State: Second French jihadist seen in video

Supporting French media claims, President François Hollande on Wednesday said investigators were expected to shortly “formally identify” a second French national in the execution video of US aid worker Peter Kassig by the Islamic State group.

Speaking to reporters in Canberra, Australia, Holland e said verifications were “under way” to name a second

suspected French militant in the video, which shows the decapitation of at least a dozen Syrian soldiers and the severed head of a man identified as the US Army Rangerturned-aid-worker Kassig.

The French President said that the roles of the two jihadists have yet to be precisely determined.

Hollande also called for vigilance on “how these young people can be indoctri-

nated.” On Monday, officials in Paris identified 22-yearold Maxime Hauchard, a native of Normandy, among the IS militants featured in the video.

But FRANCE 24’s jihadist groups expert, Wassim Nasr, has doubts about the man’s identification. “We know that the Frenchman whose name was given today is in the ranks of IS, but we don’t know whether it is really him we see in their latest video,” Nasr said. Nasr points out that the man filmed at the scene of the mass beheading had black eyes and spoke good Arabic with a Syrian accent, unlike the green-eyed, native French speaker suspected of taking part in the atrocity.

European jihadis have taken an increasingly visible role in propaganda by the Islamic State group, also referred to as ISIL or ISIS, as the militants try to construct an international profile. (France24)

Around the world

London: Student demonstration reaches Parliament Square

Protesters against student debt and fees have broken through barriers to gather on London’s Parliament Square.

The Free Education demonstration is opposing tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year at universities in England. The march was called by groups including the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts. Two demonstrators were arrested when a breakaway group charged the nearby Conservative Party headquarters. BC education correspondent Sean Coughlan said those gathered in Parliament Square earlier were listening to speeches and policing was low-key.

But a breakaway group made their way to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills -- responsible for universities in England and Wales -- where they were faced by riot police.

Demonstration organiser Aaron Kiely said the protest

Ukraine rules out direct talks with separatists

Russia urged Ukraine’s leaders on Wednesday to talk directly to separatists to end the conflict in the east, but Kiev rejected the call and told Moscow to stop “playing games” aimed at legitimising “terrorists”.

Kiev and the West accuse Russia of destabilising Ukraine by providing the rebels with money, arms and reinforcements. The West has imposed sanctions on Moscow over the conflict in which more than 4000 people have been killed since mid-April.

Russia backs the separatists but denies it is directly involved in the conflict in the Donbass region.

“We are calling for the establishment of stable contacts between Kiev and Donbass representatives with the aim of reaching mutually acceptable agreements,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a policy address to the lower house of Parliament in Moscow.

Protesters

was the beginning of a “major wave of action” running up to next year’s general election.

Student groups from universities across the country have joined the march against tuition fees, student debt and spending cuts.

Wednesday’s national demonstration marks the start of a major wave of action between now and the general election which seeks to turn up the heat on politicians and political parties to listen to the demands of the

The march has been supported by groups including the Student Assembly Against Austerity and the Young Greens. A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that university admission figures showed that the current fees system had not deterred disadvantaged students from applying - and that, in fact, numbers of applicants had risen. (BBC News)

4 killed as ‘thunder snow’ slams New York

Buffalo, New York, is no stranger to cold weather, but Tuesday’s lakeeffect storm and its upwards of six feet of snow was staggering for the city.

At least four people were killed in the storm. One of the storm-related deaths was a vehicle accident, said Peter Anderson, a spokesman for the county executive. Three others were cardiac arrests as a result of shoveling, said Peter Anderson, a spokesman for the county executive.

“This is a very, very serious situation. This is a very serious storm ... It’s probably heavier than anything that we have seen in over 40 years, so it’s going to take some time to dig out,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told reporters.

But Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk hit back, accusing Moscow of trying to push Ukraine into recognising the pro-Russian rebels who are fighting Government troops to split parts of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions from Kiev.

Speaking at a Government meeting, he declared Kiev would not speak

Military leader becomes Burkina Faso PM

The selection of Lieutenant-Colonel Isaac Yacouba Zida on Wednesday came just a day after the US and others praised Burkina Faso for pressing ahead with a civilian transitional government.

Zida’s appointment was read out by decree at the presidential palace by Alain Ouattara, the Assistant Secretary General of the Government. The military initially had picked Zida to lead Burkina Faso after it took control in the power vacuum after longtime President Blaise Compaore resigned on October 31, ending a 27-yearrule. Compaore’s resignation was forced by angry demonstrators who set the parlia-

ment on fire to show their displeasure over his attempts to seek another term in office.

The international community urged the military to swiftly hand back power or face stiff economic sanctions. It was not immediately clear whether the African Union would accept an army colonel playing such a pivotal role in the transition, AP news agency reported.

The selection of Zida also comes a day after longtime diplomat Michel Kafando was sworn in as President of the transitional Government to lead the country to elections in a year’s time. Zida, 49, is from the same Mossi

group as Kafando.

directly to the separatists and repeated the phrase slowly in Russian for emphasis, saying: “We will not hold direct talks with your mercenaries.” (Reuters)

Some places have already seen more than 60 inches of snow. And there’s more coming -- possibly more than 90 inches in some areas after another round of wintry weather hits at the end of the week.

The equivalent of a year’s worth of snow is going to pound some areas over a three-day period, Poloncarz said.

While some parts of the city saw only a dusting of snow, South Buffalo was particularly hard hit. Authorities issued a ban blocking unnecessary travel there while crews try to clear the roads.

The snow left people stranded in cars, turned roadways into parking lots and forced some emergency responders to rely on snowmobiles provided by volunteers. It blanketed the area at a rate of three to five inches an hour. (CNN)

‘Human zoo’ exhibition comes to Paris amid racism row

“ExhibitB”, an art show featuring black actors in cages which was cancelled by London’s famed Barbican Centre in September, is set to open in the French capital later this month sparking furious protests. The controversial work, created by white South African artist Brett Bailey, is supposed to be a thought-provoking look at the 19th-and 20thcentury practice of exhibiting people from the colonies in human zoos for public amusement.

The exhibition is due to open at the Théatre Gérard Philipe at Saint Denis, and the Centquatre cultural centre in northern Paris at the end of November. Both venues are in areas with high

non-white populations. Bailey insists “Exhibit B” aims to improve awareness of the racism of Europe’s colonial past, while challeng-

ing viewers to question their role as voyeurs in contemporary human tragedies (one of the “tableaux” features a modern-day asylum seeker

bound to an aeroplane seat with gaffer tape).

A petition has been launched in Paris – mirroring a successful appeal in the UK – for the exhibition to be cancelled on the grounds that it is just as racist as the colonial-era human zoos it purports to condemn.

“The idea that a human zoo of this type ... can be used as a vehicle to reduce racism is ridiculous,” petition organisers – “Contre Exhibit B” – wrote on appeals website change.org. “This exhibition is an insult to the people living in the areas where the exhibition is to be shown who are forced to confront and understand racism on a daily basis. (France24)

student movement.

ethnic

(Aljazeera)

Abdul-Rahman Kassig was an American aid worker who was captured in Syria last year

are angry at raised tuition fees, student debt and spending cuts

Pro-Russian separatists pose with the picture of Joseph Stalin at checkpoint in the Spartak area near the Sergey Prokofiev International Airport in Donetsk November 18

“Exhibit B”, an art show featuring black actors in cages

16 NEWS

thursDAY, november 20, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

Missing schoolteacher case: More delays in DNA results

It has been almost three months since DNA samples were sent overseas to be tested to verify if the skeletal remains found at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown were those of missing schoolteacher Nyozi Goodman.

A senior Police official told the Guyana Times on Tuesday that the results of the test are expected to be collected during this week or early next week. From all indications, the results are ready, but the official could not say why there was a delay in their release. It was also unclear why the findings were not emailed or sent via fax.

The senior rank also indicated that DNA samples from the headless corpse believed to be that of former MFK Trading boss Mohammed Khan are supposed to be taken to the overseas forensic laboratory shortly.

Recently, Crime Chief Leslie James told Guyana Times that the Goodman DNA results were initially supposed to return to Guyana one month after they were sent. He add-

ed that once the results are back, the public will be updated.

This is the first time that the Guyana Police Force has used a laboratory in Trinidad to perform the DNA testing, which is essential in unveiling the identity of the skeletal remains.

The 36-year-old Goodman was last seen on July 6, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, sending off with another teacher her school’s basketball team whom she had accompanied to the National Schools Basketball Championships.

On July 24, a female body suspected to be that of the missing teacher, of William Street, Kitty, was found in an advanced stage of decomposition. As a result, local pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh had to be taken to the scene to perform the postmortem examination, but after more than 30 minutes of examining the remains, he declared the cause of death was inconclusive. However, he reportedly found signs that the woman might have been stabbed.

Owing to the state of the body, relatives could not positively identify the body as Goodman’s, hence DNA samples were taken. One of Goodman’s brothers had told reporters that there was no flesh on the body and the only way the woman could be identified was by a bad tooth in her mouth.

The main suspect in the schoolteacher’s disappearance, Royston Waldron, was shot dead by Police in a shootout a few days ago. The man was also implicated in the disappearance of Police Constable Patriena Nicholson. He reportedly dated both women.

“Victoria’s Secrets” premieres Monday at National Cultural Centre

“Victoria’s Secrets”, written and directed by Ras Leon Saul premieres on Monday night, November 24 at 20:00h in the National Cultural Centre, with a cast of more than 20 actors, singers and dancers.

Tickets are on sale at the National Cultural Centre –auditorium front is $1000 and auditorium rear is $500. Part proceeds go to the completion of a school in Victoria – the Foundation for Real Christian Education (FORCE).

“Victoria’s Secrets” is a dramatic historical re-enactment about sacrifice, love and money in the establishing of Guyana’s first village – Victoria, which is celebrating its 175th anniversary of the purchase of Plantation Northbrook, renamed “Victoria” by 83 free Africans on November 7, 1839.

It was the first of many economic undertak-

ings by free Africans after Emancipation.

The story is recreated with a dab of comedy and a pinch of romance in a triangular love affair between a young woman from the village, who is herself named “Victoria”, “Sam Burke” who can read and write well, and the “Stipendiary Magistrate” Thomas Porter.

Legends tell of “Aunt Bellender” Hopkinson who was brave enough to venture out one night to guard the dam. She was discovered next morning by villagers strangled by her own scarf! She became a martyr and, after this incident, the village was never again flooded.

Victoria’s example inspires generations to pursue the ideal of independence in the face of domination and provocation.

Renamed “Victoria Village” after the then reigning monarch of England –Queen Victoria, the freed

Caricom, Lithuania embark on historic diplomatic relations

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) and Lithuania charted a historic course of diplomatic relations when the first Ambassador of a Baltic country, Raimonda Murmokaite, was accredited to Caricom on Monday.

In welcoming the Lithuanian envoy, Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Manorma Soeknandan described the occasion as “quite an honour”.

“You have been Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) which means that you are familiar with our issues such as climate change; disaster relief and preparedness; energy; tour-

ism; information and communication technologies for education and the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.”

Since Lithuania is a small middle-income country like many of Caricom states, Ambassador Soeknandan said it would fully understand another issue of importance to the Community – ‘graduation’ from development financing. The Community, therefore, looked forward to Lithuania’s advocacy in the European Union on such issues.

Ambassador Murmokaite said that her country had only been back on the world

stage for 24 years, but she wished that the relationship it was now forging with Caricom could have come earlier.

“I wish we could have taken this step sooner, but we are taking this step now and I am happy to be the very first Ambassador of Lithuania to be accredited to Caricom.”

The Lithuanian Ambassador added that she was pleased with the opportunity to work with the Caricom Secretariat and with the Caricom Ambassadors in the UN, noting that she already enjoyed an excellent relationship with them.

AAfricans pioneered the vanguard “Village Movement” and the local government system.

“Victoria’s Secrets” features Max Massiah as “Boss Africa” – the first schoolmaster of the village; Timolyn Barclay as “Dorset Europe” also known as “Victoria”; Wendella Austin as “Aunt Bellender Hopkinson” –the village martyr; Lloyd Thomas as “Sam Burke”; Patrick Chanderbhan as “Judge Thomas Norton”; Paul Budnah as “Governor Light”; Akbar Singh as “Stipendiary Magistrate Thomas Porter Jr and Shawn Budnah as “Brother Tariq Abu Bakr” – a Muslim indentured servant and missionary.

Support has been provided by the Department of Culture, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Colours Boutique and Farley’s Gas Station. For more information call 592-256-0576 or 592-693-6035.

s the country observes Road Safety Month 2014, the E Division (Linden/Kwakwani) Traffic Department has reported a 70 per cent decrease in the number of fatal accidents so far this year.

According to the Traffic Department, there have been six fatalities from 18 accidents, in comparison to six road fatalities and 33 accidents for the corresponding period last year.

The Department also reported that there were no fatal accidents last month.

Subordinate Officer in Charge of Traffic at the Division, Corporal Shawn Massay and Constable

HYPE TV, the Caribbean 24-hour music-driven entertainment station, has expanded to the South Florida region.

The station began transmitting to Broward, Dade

Devorne Semple, however, urged drivers, motorists and pedestrians to be safe on the roadways.

Corporal Massay said the reduction showed that drivers have been executing some level of care and caution on the roadways.

The Traffic Division has a number of activities planned for Road Safety Month, which is being observed under the theme, “The time is now, don’t drink and drive. Stay attentive, drive defensive”.

A series of school lectures commenced earlier in the month at the Regma Primary School in Linden and is expected to

be conducted at various other schools throughout November.

A traffic seminar was also held earlier in the month inside the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) building at Mackenzie, while a number of pedestrian crossings will be painted, the officers said. The Department said several enforcement exercises were also planned in relation to speeding, breathalyser testing, nightly patrols, and action against large vehicles traversing the roadways in Linden, including the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, without proper licence.

and parts of Palm Beach County in South Florida on November 1.

“This is something that has been in the pipeline for a very, very, long time. We began transmission in South Florida and will do the same in New York soon. It is a very exciting time for us,” said George Walker, manager, International Expansion of HYPE TV. HYPE TV was officially launched in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1999. (Jamaica Observer)

Missing schoolteacher Nyozi Goodman

Some of the cast members of “Victoria’s Secrets”. The play premieres on Monday night, November 24 at 20:00h at the National Cultural Centre

Lithuanian Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite accredited to Caricom on Monday. Caricom Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Manorma Soeknandan welcomed the envoy

GPSU meets APNU on prorogation of Parliament

APartnership for National Unity (APNU) on Wednesday met with representatives of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) to discuss President’s Donald Ramotar prorogation of Parliament.

According to a release, the meeting was held at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Hadfield Street,

Georgetown on Wednesday.

The GPSU team was headed by First VicePresident Mortimer Livan, who took the opportunity to brief the APNU representatives on the current strike action by employees of the Guyana Geological and Mines Commission (GGMC), and other matters of importance to the union. APNU expressed support

for the striking GGMC workers.

“APNU calls for a resumption of talks with the GPSU and for all parties to respect the collective bargaining process, by reviewing the conditions under which public servants work and by implementing a strategic plan to improve the public service as a whole,” the release said.

It noted that APNU

also supported the call for the re-establishment of the Public Service Appellate Tribunal.

The GPSU was represented by First Vice President Mortimer Livan, Senior Industrial Officer Dennis English, Executive members Dawn Gardner, Kemton Alexander, Indira Thakurdin and GGMC representative Beatrice Austin-Roberts.

APNU was represented by Leader of the Opposition Brigadier David Granger; Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams; Shadow Minister of Economic Affairs, Carl Greenidge; Shadow Minister of Local Government, Ronald Bulkan; and Head of Communications Mark Archer. Meanwhile, the coali-

tion also reported that its Executive Council had an extraordinary session, called to “deal with the current constitutional crisis brought about by the Presidential Proclamation, proroguing the Parliament of Guyana”. The partners agreed on a course of action to demand the restoration of parliamentary democracy, a separate release said.

Opposition style democracy

Dear Editor,

The Opposition’s woeful cries of dictatorship and being undemocratic by David Granger and his AFC allies are being cunningly used in the streets and the Square of the Revolution to stir up racial strife and hatred to whip up the frenzy of their supporters and to incite them against the PPP/C Government.

Real dictators

President Donald Ramotar should never be compared to the late dictators Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte. They not only became cruel dictators through the massive rigging of elections, but they have condemned us to the level where it became a criminal offence for us to put basic food items on our tables.

They pauperized an entire nation, raped the Treasury, and raped, plundered and murdered those who threatened their evil existence. People fled from this country just to ensure that they were not murdered!

Yet, Burnham’s henchman, Mr Granger never once labelled Hoyte or Burnham as dictators and as being undemocratic. People like Khemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo fiercely fought against those dictators, but now their greed for power and personal aggrandizement has blinded them,

and they are now willing to facilitate the return to dictatorship.

But this time it will be Granger, the man who graduated with honours from the Burnham and Hoyte’s School of Dictatorship. Mr Granger should be ashamed to hold up a placard which spoke about dictatorship and being undemocratic - he is the epitome of such terms!

For 28 years the PNC Government guaranteed that Parliament would follow the dictates of Burnham and Hoyte - they not only controlled Parliament but stifled and killed the will of the people of this country. These people cannot forget their conditioned past. Just listen to Lurlene Nestor and Dr Rupert Roopnarine, the man who is now afflicted with the ‘Burnham touch’!

Ramjattan’s vacillation

Ramjattan and Nagamootoo cannot fool the Indians in this country by sending Nigel Hughes and David Patterson to represent the AFC on the APNU platform at the Square of the Revolution.

The Indians have long realized that soon after the 2011 elections there was a de facto coalition between APNU and the AFC. Nagamootoo’s involvement in the Linden and Agricola unrests, which targeted Indians who were

beaten, sexually assaulted and robbed, remains indelible in our minds and cannot be erased simply by not making a presentation at APNU’s Rally.

Furthermore, Mr Ramjattan has erased all doubts about a coalition with APNU when he emphatically on DTV 8 on November 15 stated that the AFC has entered into an interim coalition with APNU.

So what is the message that Mr Ramjattan is sending to the Indians in Berbice? Ramjattan is effectively saying that Indians should vote for us since we did not go to APNU’s rally, it was Mr Hughes and Mr Patterson - two Black persons - so we have not betrayed the Indians.

On March 8, 2012, I warned Mr Ramjattan about his deceitful behavior in dealing with racial issues in the AFC. When there was a racial problem between Dr Ramayya’s Whim group and Mr Hintzen’s New Amsterdam group (this problem still exists), he sought to send Mr Trotman to deal with the issue.

I wrote to him that, saying his perception that New Amsterdam is Afro-Guyanese based and implied that an Afro-Guyanese should deal with them is erroneous. People must be made to see above race and if you as the leader feel that you should

put a Black person in a predominantly Black area, then you are not doing anything to erase that race-based perception.

Trotman should not be seen as fostering Black people’s interests and Ramjattan should not be seen as fostering Indian interests. If this trend continues, then I envision a bleak future (not unlike what happened to Jagan and Burnham).

I further mentioned the fact that Dr Ramayya did not want Mr Benschop to speak at a meeting at Hampshire, an Indian community, but as Chairman of that meeting I allowed him to speak, much to the ire of Dr Ramayya. (I have the e-mail I sent to Mr Ramjattan.)

On December 4, I sent an e-mail to Mr Ramjattan which reflected my surprise when this same Dr Ramayya thanked APNU supporters for voting for APNU (DTV 8). It is now beyond a shadow of a doubt that internally the AFC is crumbling and that Ramjattan’s spineless leadership is being exposed.

It has long been evident that there are two opposing factions within the AFC, one which is Pro-PNC and one which is Anti-PNC, and they are now moving in diametrically opposite directions. Hence, Ramjattan’s vacillation will only serve to hasten this devastating movement

which will result in the demise of the AFC.

No democracy in AFC

The AFC has long ago proven that on a pro-rata basis , it is the most corrupt political party this country has ever seen, and just like Mr Granger, Mr Ramjattan and Mr Nagamootoo should never talk about democracy and dictatorship.

In 2012, after a long inquiry into the allegations of corruption, cronyism and rigging of elections by Dr Ramayya, the Leader of the AFC pushed the findings of General Secretary Sixtus Edwards under the rug and claimed in a press release that it was about miscommunication and misunderstanding.

On April 19, 2012, I emailed Mr Ramjattan as follows: “Ramayya is a dictator who is afraid of critics and does not want to relinquish power. He is not only unaccountable for Party funds, but he is now alienating hardworking members.”

Mr Ramjattan did not reply to this e-mail and on April 23, 2012, I then e-mailed him thus: “As the Party’s Leader, your silence is deafening on this matter. Where is the transparency and accountability in Berbice? We owe the PPP/C and PNC an apology.”

Then at the AFC’s Conference in 2012, an inaccurate and unaudited finan-

Missing case file shrouded in mystery at Aurora Police Station

Dear Editor,

An unfair situation now faces a woman whose five-year-old son Renel Roberts was killed in a road accident from the direct negligence of the Police, who cannot be exonerated from blame for the missing file, which resulted in the driver being discharged on the offence of causing death by dangerous driving.

It is abundantly clear that the file which was sent to the DPP’s Chambers for advice was returned to the Police in the City, but from then on, it has been shrouded in mystery and where it could be at the moment still remains unknown.

When the matter against the driver, Jageshwar Ragoobar was called in the Suddie Court in November 13, the Prosecutor indicated to the Magistrate that he was still awaiting the return of the file.

The Magistrate then stated that four months was too long a time for the file not to be returned and questioned what was really causing the delay, with the response given that a check was made on November 3, when it was revealed that it was sent back here.

From the explanation given, the Magistrate enquired how long it would take to reach her, with the prosecutor in his reply saying, “Not more than a day”.

But the Magistrate who observed that ten days had already passed asked if any family member of the victim was present and the mother Beverley Roberts Barrow promptly got up.

The woman pointed out to the Magistrate that on November 5, a check was made at the DPP’s Office and the Traffic Chief on the same day,

with both of them confirming that the file had been sent back two days earlier. She could not have controlled her emotions and burst into tears when the Magistrate made his pronouncement to discharge the accused.

According to the Magistrate, whenever the Police get the file, the matter could be re-filed, but from her reaction, the mother was visibly upset and hastily left the court room.

Out of Court, the woman related to me that she is very much disappointed in what she described as an unfair situation now facing her and find little comfort that the matter would ever be re-filed, while elaborating about her concerns in the matter. The victim was in company of his grandfather, Sydney Stephen, pushing their bicycles

when he was hit, slamming him into an excavator track that was in use at the time by the driver of a Toyota wagon at the Good Hope Public Road on August 24, last. The child succumbed four days later at the Georgetown Public Hospital without regaining consciousness.

A statement was submitted by the grandfather who claimed that the driver was speeding and appeared to be heavily under the influence of alcohol.

In my humble opinion, the woman suffered an irreparable loss from the death of her child, but only time will tell whether there was a sinister motive by the Police to deprive her from getting justice, which she well and truly deserves.

Yours faithfully, Baliram Persaud

cial statement was foisted upon the undiscerning delegates. I have written exhaustively on this in my previous letters to the media.

Moreover, it was at this Conference that the Elections were rigged and fixed to get rid of the the Edwards and to facilitate the entry of Hughes and Nagamootoo. Ramjattan and Hughes were selected, not voted, for the positions of Leader and Chairman.

At that same Conference, Mr Edwards spoke about the need for financial accountability within the Party so they got rid of him. I spoke about that and they got rid of me as well. This is AFC’s brand of democracy!

Conclusion

The AFC and the APNU need to do immediate introspection and evaluate their illogical conclusions about President Ramotar and his Government.

He has made the correct decision in light of the prevailing circumstances and democracy is alive and well in Guyana. The learned lawyers in the AFC and APNU should have studied our Constitution well before embarking of such a self-destructive route.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf AFC Councillor Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne)

Where was Red Thread...

Currently, I do not go to Georgetown flaunting money and jewellery. Many are the regrets (too late) for acting in this daring and foolish manner. We have to be cognizant of reality and as much as I have a right to dress and wear and flaunt, I prefer being realistic and staying safe.

Recently, even the Finance Minister was advising that moving around with large sums of money is not the thing to do – I have that right, but I refrain from exercising it.

Let’s go to the scriptures and check – all the books caution women. In fact, any simple reading of almost any religious text gives the impression that woman are the ones at fault. This is crap. There is no excuse for the act of rape – none whatsoever. However, it will help if all of us be wise and mature.

When Vanessa Kissoon needed some rescue from the hands of David Granger and Oscar Clarke, I heard nothing from these said people who are now firing off.

Where was the Red Thread then?

Sincerely

Genevieve Glassgow

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

If your current routine has put you in a rut, consider visiting some friends. It will give you a chance to catch up on old times and resurrect dormant goals.

It’s time to mix business with pleasure. Don’t exclude older or younger relatives in your plans. What you learn will help you make a wise decision about your future.

People will be anxious to help you out with your ideas. You will get the necessary support if you appropriately delegate work. Be a leader in order to reach your goal.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

You will be quite emotional today. Rather than make a fuss, do what’s required to fix what isn’t working for you. Once you take action, you will feel more in control.

Do your best to please others. Spending quality time with the ones you love will give you a better sense of priorities. A family that plays together stays together.

A current partnership will require delicate suggestions. If you act now, you can avoid pitfalls in the future. Don’t allow anyone to distract you from what you should be doing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Share your feelings. Never assume that someone knows what you are thinking. If you care for someone, let him or her know. Be frank and offer workable solutions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Muster up a little selfdiscipline if you want to finish your latest venture. Once it’s complete, reward yourself with treats or something that will ready you to begin your next endeavour.

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Expect to meet with hostility if you haven’t lived up to your end of a bargain. Make a sincere apology and do what you can to rectify the situation.

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

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

You need to face facts. You can’t please everyone, and you will accomplish little if you try. Don’t be afraid to say no if you already have too much on your plate. Put your needs first.

You will find the silver lining in every cloud. Your positive outlook will be contagious, and you will get your way by delighting others with your optimistic attitude.

A partnership will encounter a roadblock. If you have exaggerated or betrayed someone’s trust, now is the time to come clean. Problems will escalate if you ignore important issues.

AQUARIUS

GEMINI

TUESDAY'S WORD

PeanuTs

Calvin and Hobbes

dilberT

arCHie

Lara: Communication the real problem

Brian Lara believes the “real problem” with West Indies cricket is the lack of communication between the board and the players.

“We’re a laughing stock at present,” Lara said here after arriving to play in his new favoured sport, golf, in next week’s pro-am ahead of the Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club.

The champion left-hander, a former West Indies captain and their leading scorer in Tests and one-day internationals during a career from 1991 to 2007, called it “very unfortunate”.

“The real problem is communication,” he said. “I won’t point fingers. I am very biased towards players, because I was a player

and I’ve experienced relationships in the past with the West Indies Cricket Board and I know what they’re like.”

“There is no communication and it escalates into something disastrous,” he added. “Communication is something I have never experienced with the West Indies Cricket Board, as a captain and as a player. I suspect it’s the same thing that’s going on at the moment.”

The world’s double record-holder for the highest score in Test and First Class cricket was referring to the players’ abandonment of the tour of India last month over a pay dispute with the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).

He said he was confident West Indies cricket would survive a po-

tential lawsuit worth upwards of US$42 million from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) but lamented their current standing in the world game where they are eighth in the ICC Test and ODI rankings.

“It’s sad where our cricket has reached,” Lara said. “It’s out in the open. The egos have to get out of the way. It’s very frustrating. It’s not something you envisage from a country that has brought so much joy to their people. I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth and express blame but it’s really sad that we haven’t come to terms with what cricket means to us.

Lara’s view was that the days of West Indies’ domination of the world game in the 1970s and 1980s are over.

“We’ve got to put that into the history books,” he said. “But I honestly believe we have the best talent in the world. When you look at a West Indian when he is 17, a fast bowler or batsman, and what he’s capable of, I still think we have the best talent. We take very good talent and turn them into ordinary talent.”

Lara queried Indian great Sachin Tendulkar’s recent billing of the West Indies as a “dark horse” at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“They will always be a dark horse,” he said. “Yes, they have the cricketers, but are they going to play as a team?” (Trinidad Express)

National School Championships… Garraway smashes 22-year-old record

The old record 10.6s, the new 10.5s and while it might not seem significantly faster, consider the fact that the place was damp and Garraway’s 100 metres would have been more devastating on a dry GDF ground.

Left in the carnage was Quacy Simpson who finished second for East Georgetown (Distrct 12) in 10.7s and a disappointed Kevin Abbensetts of North Georgetown (District 11) 10.9s who was also favoured for the race but was suffering from hamstring issues.

Meanwhile the upset of the day had to come when Carifta 400 metres bronze medalist Jason Yaw slipped in the boy’s under-18 100 metres and could not recover to medal in the event finishing

sixth in the race.

Compton Caesar from Upper Demerara/Kwakwani (District 10) won the event in 10.7s while Travis Belgrave of District 11 finished second in 10.9s. Dequawn Vancooten of East Bank Demerara (District 14) was third in 11.1s.

Jevina Sampson of District 11 ran away with the girl’s under-18 100 metres in a time of 12.3s to equal the record while Eriene Charles of District 10 ran 13.1s for second and Alandia Lindare (District 3) 13.2s for third.

The girl’s under-20 100 metres was won by Ruth Sarmagon (District 11) who clocked 12.6s to win the event ahead of Abiece Heywood (District 3) 13.1s. Mearisha Carter (District 12) was third

in a time of 13.3s.

Onasha Rogers (District) was unstoppable in the female under-16 100 metres blowing the field away in a time of 12.2s which is a new record for the age category.

District 11’s Avon Samuels was third in 12.6s while East Coast’s (District 4) Cassey Tixie was third in 12.8s.

In 800 metres action, triple gold medalist at Carifta Games, Cassey George was in a class by herself clocking 2:20.4s for the first place fin-

800 metres final winning the gold in a time of 2:22s for District Four. Shontel Hinds (District 10) was second with a time of 2:28s while Aennlia Gray was third for Corentyne (District 6) with a time of 2:32s.

District 12’s Samuel Linch won the boys under-16 800 metres, clocking 2:05.4s to finish ahead of District 11’s Jeremy Garrett who clocked 2:06.9s. Nigel Gonslaves (District 10) 2:07.9s was good enough for third.

ish in the girl’s under-16 category. South Georgetown’s (District 13) Claudrice McKoy was second in 2:23.1s while District Five’s Delicia Harper was third in 2:30.1s. Carifta bronze w medalist Andrea Foster was also in top form in the girl’s under-18

In one of the more enjoyable events of the day, Rupununi’s (District 9) Mary Leandiw upset the girl’s under-20 field by outs printing her opponents in the final 300 metres to win the gold medal in a time of 2:37.9s. Sasha James of District 12 fin-

ished second in 2:40.9s while Cassie Kirton of District 10 was third in 2:44.6s.

In field event action, Natricia Hooper jumped to a new girls under-18 triple jump record with a leap of 11.95 metres to smash the old record of 10.60 metres.

Donovan Francis also broke a record in the boy’s under-20 triple jump with a jump of 13.67 metres to erase the old record of 13.54 metres.

District 10’s Kelanie Griffith also broke the girl’s under-18 long jump record with a leap of 5.18 metres erasing the old record of 5.08 metres.

Other winners at the event were; 100 metres; girls under-12, Binka Joseph (District 3) 13.3s (equalled),

under-12 boys, Trevon Prince (District 5) 13.5s, under-10 boys; David Higgins (District 3) 14.4s, under-10, Odessa France (District 14) 14.4s, Under-16 boys; Esan Leitch (District 6) 11.4s, under-14 boys; Darnell McAllister (District 13) 12.1s and under 14 girls; Kenesha Phillips (District 4) 12.7s. 800metres; under-20 boys; Shaquelle Smartt (District 10) 2:01.7s, under-18 boys; Quincy Blair (District 14) 2:03.5s, under-14 boys: Moses Bess (District 3) 2:23.2s and under-14 girls; Tiah Thornhill (District 6) 2:39.1s. The event will continue today at the said ground from 09:30h.

Brian Lara

Cassey George runs away with the girl’s 800 metres under-16

Andrea Foster all by herself to win the girl’s under-18 800 metres

Mary Leandiw upsets the field in the girl’s under-20 800 metres

Nadal to return in New Year

Rafael Nadal says it is his goal to be fully fit for the Australian Open and competitive enough to challenge for a 15th Grand Slam title.

Nadal missed the ATP World Tour Finals in London after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix.

The 28-year-old has also battled knee, wrist and back problems, with doctors confirming his rehabilitation included stem cell treatment.

“I have a month before Australia to get to my best level,” said Nadal.

“I hope to be healthy enough to work as much as I need and want, and if that happens I really feel confident I can come back strong.”

Nadal, who won the the

French Open title in June for the ninth time in 10 years, will begin his comeback in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi on 1 January.

He then plans to play in Doha - defending the title he won last year - before the start of the Australian Open on 19 January. (BBC Sport)

FIFA whistleblower fearful for life

ifa whistleblower

FPhaedra Al-Majid says she will “look over my shoulder for the rest of my life” after making allegations of corruption against Qatar’s successful 2022 World Cup bid.

In a two-year inquiry which cleared Qatar, AlMajid repeated allegations she made and later retracted in 2011.

She told the BBC her accusations introduced her to “a whole new culture of paranoia, fear and threats”.

In response, Qatar said they “stand by the integrity of their bid”.

The country’s World Cup organising body has always “vehemently” denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

They said a series of allegations about their con-

duct had been “over a period of years, investigated, tested, considered and dismissed”.

Al-Majid’s allegations that Qatari bid officials offered to pay for the votes of three Fifa members first came to light in 2011. Later the same year she signed an affidavit saying they were false.

She now says she was coerced into changing her statement. “I had no more legal representation,” she said. “When the Qataris approached me, I was alone. I’m also the single mother of two children, one of whom is severely autistic and severely disabled.”

She said officers from the FBI visited her in September 2011 after they became aware of threats against her.

“They questioned me about the Qatari bidding process and they questioned me about all the threats I had received from the Qataris,” added Al-Majid. “It was decided at that point that I would help them with their investigation and it was planned that I would talk to a senior official at the Qatar bid.

“So when I talked to the official, and the FBI are recording this, he did admit that there was a deal for the affidavit that I would basically say that they had done no wrongdoing.”

Al-Majid, who says she is “tired of Fifa’s culture of secrecy”, provided all her information to Garcia while he was compiling his 430-page report on allegations of wrongdoing in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process.

But judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, who wrote the 42page summary of findings released on 13 November, said her evidence contained “inconsistencies” which prejudiced its credibility.

In contrast, Qatar say they supplied “full and valuable” assistance to the Garcia enquiry.

Garcia subsequently criticised Eckert’s summary of his findings and the pair are due to meet on Thursday. (BBC Sport)

Morning finals to be staged at 2016 Olympics in Rio

The ruling body of world athletics says it will stage finals during the morning sessions of its program at the 2016 Olympics in

The International Association of Athletics

Federations said that morning finals, which have not been held since the 1988 Games in Seoul, will be staged for 13 events. Eight will be track and field, and five will be on the road, with three walk-

NBA Roundup…

Lakers end 4-game skid

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points and the Los Angeles Lakers won for only the second time this season, beating the Hawks, 114-109, Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Bryant’s biggest shot came with 1:11 remaining, when he backed in against Thabo Sefolosha and made a fadeaway jumper despite being fouled. Bryant slapped hands with a fan on the front row and completed the 3-point play, giving the Lakers a 108-102 lead.

The Hawks had a chance to force overtime after the Lakers (2-9) failed to put the game away at the line.

But Los Angeles smothered long-range threat Kyle Korver, leaving Pero Antic to take an open 3-pointer. It clanked off the rim and the Lakers gobbled up the loose ball to seal the victory.

Paul Millsap led Atlanta with 29 points.

Carlos Boozer added 20 points for the Lakers, and Nick Young, coming back from a thumb injury, had 17 in his first game of the season.

Jeff Teague scored 23 for the Hawks, who lost for the first time at home.

In the first half, the Lakers hardly looked like a team that had lost nine of its first 10 games, putting up a season high for points in a half while racing to a 67-52 lead. Bryant scored 19 points and Boozer chipped in with 18, including a tipin just ahead of the halftime buzzer.

Los Angeles shot 61 per-

cent (27 of 44) from the field and outrebounded the Hawks, 22-15, leading to a 10-3 edge in second-chance points.

The Hawks started the second half with a 13-0 run but never could come all the way back from the big deficit. Down the stretch, the Lakers made enough plays to snap a four-game losing streak.

Even after Bryant missed a wild one from the corner, Jordan Hill snatched away the offensive rebound and laid it back in to put Los Angeles ahead, 111-106, with 17.7 seconds remaining.

Bucks 117, Knicks 113 — Ersan Ilyasova had 20 points, and host Milwaukee climbed above .500 for the first time in more than a year by fending off New York.

Zaza Pachulia added season highs of 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks, who improved to 6-5 on the

year. It was the first time the team had a winning record since March 20, 2013, when it was 34-33. Carmelo Anthony had 26 points for the Knicks. Anthony, who is playing with a sore left knee, aggravated the injury after hitting the floor while scrambling for a loose ball. Coach Derek Fisher said he didn’t know if it was ‘‘anything major,’’ and that he thought Anthony would be OK.

Jazz 98, Thunder 81 — Alec Burks had 20 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, and Utah beat visiting Oklahoma City.

Enes Kanter added 16 points and a season-high 15 boards for the Jazz. Oklahoma City has lost three straight and seven of nine.

Pelicans 106, Kings 100 — Anthony Davis scored 28 points and added nine rebounds to lift visiting New Orleans. (Boston Globe)

Reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions Nigeria will not defend their title in Equatorial Guinea after failing to qualify from Group A.

In Wednesday’s final round of matches, Nigeria were held 2-2 by South Africa in Uyo, meaning they finished outside of their group’s top two automatic qualification spots with eight pointsa total that also put them out of the running to be the best third-placed team.

ing races and the two marathons.

On Day 2 of a three-day meeting, the IAAF Council also decided to give provisional membership of the organization to South Sudan. (ESPN)

South Africa had already assured their place at the tournament, which will be played from 17 January to 8 February, and only one spot is still outstanding.

Congo Brazzaville, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Mali

and DR Congo all claimed their tickets to the continent’s showpiece event with their results on Wednesday.

Nigeria went into the game against South Africa with their fate in their own hands - win and they would claim second spot in the table and a place in the finals alongside group winners Bafana Bafana.

But the Super Eagles blew their chance to prevent a troubled campaign from turning disastrous, even though they fought back from two goals down to finish with a draw.

The writing was on the wall for Stephen Keshi’s side, who have been plagued by both on and off the pitch problems, when Tokelo

Rantie scored a goal either side of half-time to put the visitors firmly in control.

Sone Aluko pulled a goal back on 68 minutes and Nigerian hopes were raised further when South Africa’s Renielwe Letsholonyane was sent off.

In added time Aluko levelled the scores but it was too late for the home side and they once more miss out on playing in Equatorial Guinea, as they did when the country co-hosted the tournament in 2012.

Instead, the runners-up spot in the table - and a place in the finals - was secured by Congo, who beat Sudan 1-0. Igor Nganga struck the only goal of the game after 63 minutes. (BBC Sport)

Kobe Bryant

Rafael Nadal

Phaedra Al-Majid

Rio de Janeiro.

Nigeria fail to reach Africa Cup of Nations

Disappointment for Nigeria

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NZ eye big lead after late strikes

New Zealand endured a fruitless morning session, tied Pakistan down after lunch for Younis Khan’s bonus wicket, and struck thrice with the second new ball after tea. Barring the first and the last hours, Pakistan were kept quiet through the day, and were still trailing by 122 runs at stumps with the tail in.

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There were still no alarms for Pakistan, as Azhar and Misbah-ul-Haq added a steady 50. New Zealand took the second new ball five overs after tea. There had been next to no movement for New Zealand with the first new ball, and slight reverse swing as it got old. But the second one swung more, and Trent Boult sent Misbah back on 28 off his fourth delivery with it.

He set the Pakistan captain up with a couple of inswingers before one went across with the angle and took the edge to first slip. It was Boult’s first wicket in his 48th over of the series, and also the first time that a catch had been taken in the slips off a fast bowler for this series and Pakistan’s previous one against Australia.

The legspinner Ish Sodhi was brought on after nine overs from the fast bowlers and he struck immediately, removing the stubborn Azhar Ali. Sodhi had delivered quite a few boundary balls, and gave Azhar a long hop in that over, but the last ball came on quicker and hit the stumps after brushing the pad. Azhar batted over five hours and faced 225 deliveries for his 75, during which he hit his fourth six in Test cricket, the last one having come on the same ground against England in February 2012.

Three overs later, Asad Shafiq shouldered arms to a Boult front-foot no-ball

and lost his bails to an incoming delivery from round the stumps. Shafiq was on 21 then, and he and Sarfraz Ahmed countered with by far the quickest partnership of the match, adding 59 inside 15 overs.

Sarfraz looked to score almost every ball, stepping out against the spinners and also using the sweep. Shafiq played some pleasing flicks, but he threw it away in the penultimate over of the day, slashing Tim Southee to wide slip on 44. It was also Southee’s first wicket in his 53rd over of the series.

Pakistan took 65 runs in the final hour, 50 runs in the first, and managed 132 in the rest of the day. The New Zealand spinners probed away without success in the morning against a positive Younis and a solid Azhar. Pakistan began on a shaky 34 for 2 but barring the odd delivery from the spinners, Younis and Azhar were in total control. There was no movement again for the fast bowlers, despite a change of balls after the second over of the day, with the stitching of the seam coming off.

The offspinner Mark Craig tested Younis from both sides of the wicket, tossing it up, pushing some wide, and varying his pace.

But Younis never allowed Craig to tie him down as he stepped out repeatedly to hit the offspinner for sixes and fours over midwicket. When Craig changed the angle, Younis drove him through cover and kept leaving the crease. New Zealand turned to pace for the first 15 overs after lunch, and Younis and Azhar were kept quiet with tight lines and some reverse swing. The wicketkeeper often stood up to the fast bowlers to prevent the batsmen from standing outside the crease to counter the movement. Barring a couple of runout opportunities, though, New Zealand did not create any chances in that period. However, they conceded only 23 runs in the first hour after lunch, bowling wide outside off at times with a packed infield. It was one such long hop from Neesham that Younis fell to as he looked for some release in the second over after drinks.

The spinners were brought back after Younis’ exit and Azhar and Misbah hit a few boundaries till tea before New Zealand turned it around in the evening. (Cricinfo)

:(b 1, lb 2, nb 1) 4 Total: (6 wickets; 109 overs) 281 To batZulfiqar Babar, Ehsan Adil, Rahat Ali Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Shan Masood, 14.4 ov), 2-32 (Taufeeq Umar, 17.1 ov), 3-145 (Younis Khan, 64.3 ov), 4-195 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 84.4 ov), 5-220 (Azhar Ali, 92.6 ov), 6-279 (Asad Shafiq, 107.4 ov) Bowling: TA Boult 22-8-461, TG Southee 21-3-41-1, MD Craig 24-5-94-1, IS Sodhi 307-65-2, CJ Anderson 7-0-26-0, JDS Neesham 5 -1-6-1

Darren Bravo opts out...

The WICB did not disclose the circumstances behind Bravo’s pull-out. “Darren Bravo wrote to chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd and requested not to be considered for the Test series due to personal reasons,” the WICB release stated. “The WICB extends its best wishes to Bravo as he seeks to address his personal matters and looks forward to his return to the game.”

The signing of player contracts had assumed a critical importance in the aftermath of the West Indies ODI squad pulling out of the India tour last month. That revolt was lead by Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies ODI captain, who said the players felt discriminated against by the actions of the West Indies Players Association, which had gone ahead and signed a combined

business agreement along with the new memorandum of understanding with WICB. Dwayne Bravo insisted the MoU would hurt the players’ payment structure drastically and the WIPA had bypassed them by signing the agreement.

Even as it faced withering criticism from the BCCI, which slapped a $42 million penalty for abandoning the India tour, the WICB did not penalise the players. After their return from India the WICB swiftly moved to alleviate the player concerns by holding meetings which were attended by senior players including Bravo and Test captain Denesh Ramdin, along with WICB president Dave Cameron and WIPA president Wavell Hinds.

But doubts remained about whether the play-

ers would consider boycotting the South Africa tour, which starts in December. The question marks further increased after Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board replaced Ramdin as the captain in the regional four-day competition. At the same time the Jamaica Cricket Association decided to not include Marlon Samuels in the squad for the first-class tournament. Samuels was the only player who disagreed with the pullout from the India tour.

But by signing the contracts for the South Africa tour the players have put faith in the ongoing negotiations with WICB and WIPA. “The WICB thanks the players for their timely and positive responses and looks forward to a successful tour of South Africa,” the WICB release said. (Cricinfo)

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NBS Second-Division 40-over cricket

competition…

D’Edward, Port Mourant, Corriverton through to quarter-finals

D’Edward, Port Mourant and Corriverton have all advanced to the quarter-final stage of the New Building Society (NBS) Limited Second Division 40-Over Cricket Competition in Berbice. Below are the summarised scores from the

matches played recently:

At D’Edward, the home team beat Betsy Ground Triple Star by six wickets. Betsy Ground 195 in 32 overs. (Lawrence Bassant 55, Samuel Sanicharra 40, Heeralall Bridgelall 3-25, Kevon Jawahir 3-36, Navindra Rampersaud 2-45). D’Edward 196-4 in 24.3 overs. (Bridgelall 105, Jaipaul Heeralall 41 not

T20 cricket set for Lusignan on Sunday

The Lusignan Sports Club on Sunday will host a T20 cricket competition for teams in neighbouring villages on the East Coast of Demerara – Mon Repos, Good Hope, Lusignan, and Annandale.

Dubbed the “Ram Slam T20” competition, the oneday event is organised in an effort to rekindle the competitive spirit and rivalry among these four villages.

According to a press release from the Lusignan Sports Club, the club, which has a wide membership stretching across the four communities and beyond,

expects this event to be a truly family affair with side attractions of games for the children, and lots of food, drinks, and music.

out, Devendra Ramoutar 3-39).

At Skeldon, Port Mourant beat Springlands by 60 runs. Port Mourant 168 in 36 overs. (Loyydel Lewis 66, Arif Chan 40, Trishan Ramdass 4-58). Springlands 108 in 32.2 overs. (Samuel Kisnasammy 3-8, Avinash

Wajid 2-25).

At Ulverston, Corriverton beat Big Star by nine wickets. Big Star 109 in 23.5 overs. (Clefron Gray 28, Eric Phillips 6-30). Corriverton 111 for 1 in 9.3 overs. (Jeremy Moore 41 not out, Anthony Seeraj 40 not out).

GNRA Smallbore

championships

to fire off on Saturday

The Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) Smallbore section’s Annual Yearend Handgun Championships will fire off this weekend at Eve Leary, Georgetown, with the first of two days of competition featuring some of the country’s top shooters. The .22 Pistol shoot will take place on Saturday at the TSU range at Eve Leary starting at 14:00h.

Participants will battle for supremacy at three ranges – 5, 8 and 12 metres for an overall aggregate of 166 points.

Several of the top handgun shooters will be in contention, according to Smallbore captain Dale Hing.

The action will switch to the Timehri range on November 30 for the threestage Practical Pistol Championships starting at 09:00h.

Among the leading shooters expected to be in contention are Dr Johan

DaSilva, Hing, Murtland Smith, Ray Beharry, Gordon Richards, and Harold Hopkinson, who have all participated in the recently-held Suriname Open International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) sanctioned Level 111 shooting championships in the neighbouring republic.

Several promising shooters will also be looking to make their mark in the final tournament for 2014. Interested shooters can contact Captain Dale Hing for further details.

Programme confirmed for Kennard’s Boxing Day horse race meet

Organisers of the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) have confirmed a seven-race programme for the club’s traditional Boxing Day horse race meet.

The A3 and Lower race will be the feature event on the day’s card and will run for seven furlongs for a top prize of $1 million.

Other events billed for the day are the D3 with a winning purse of $500,000; the G3 for a $300,000 winner’s purse over five furlongs; and the J3 for $150,000 winner’s take over five furlongs.

The owner of the winning horse for the I1, J1 and G1 races will collect $250,000, $200,000, and $320,000 respectively.

Registration closes on December 20, and no late entries will be accept-

The matches themselves will feature players who have made the villages proud in recent years and include several high-profile players the likes of Emran Khan, Krishna Deosaran and Brian Sattaur; emerging prospects such as Somdat Bharrat, Rajindra Naikbaran, Kumar Bishundial and Vishnu Ramjeet; and young talents such as Steven Ramdass and Tameshwar Motilall.

The matches are aimed at further developing cricket in these communities thereby keeping young people away from illegal drugs, HIV/AIDS, and suicide.

Monies raised will be used to fund participation by the club in various competitions.

Admission is free and action time is 09:00h.

ed. Horses can be entered through Roopnarine Matadial on 325-3192; Ivan Dipnarine on 331-0316; Cecil Kennard on 623-7609, 225-4818 or 226-1399; Dennis DeRoop on 325-3301 or 609-9143; and Fazil Habibula on 657-7010.

Meanwhile, Kennard maintained that the Guyana Cup re-match will not hinder the club’s traditional horse race meet, since preparations have already been on stream for the one-day event.

The Guyana Cup re-match is billed for December 21, at the Port Mourant Turf Club. It is organised by business conglomerate Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Racing Stables. Nine races are carded for that race meet, with the feature being the D1 and Lower race.

(Rajiv Bisnauth)

Pakistan spinner Mohammad Hafeez to face bowling tests

Mohammad Hafeez, the Pakistan allrounder, has been released from the Test squad so that he can undergo independent testing on his suspect bowling action on November 24 at Loughborough University in England.

He was ruled out of the ongoing second Test against New Zealand with a hamstring injury after his action was reported following the opening Test in Abu Dhabi which Pakistan won by 248 runs. An ICC accredited team of biomechanics experts at one of the newly authorised laboratories in Loughborough will assess Hafeez’s action

“Allrounder Mohammad Hafeez is returning back home tonight,” Moin Khan, the team manager said in a statement, “from where he shall proceed to Loughborough University,

the latest of ICC accredited facilities for testing on bowlers with suspect actions, on November 23 for his appointment for tests on November 24.

“After tests at Loughborough, Hafeez shall fly back directly to Dubai from Birmingham on Nov 25. If physically fit, he shall be in contention to regain his spot for the third Test

against New Zealand at Sharjah.”

Hafeez, 34, has become the second Pakistan bowler in recent months to have come under ICC’s scanner. The drive against suspect actions has focused mostly on offspinners with Saeed Ajmal, Sohag Gazi, Sachithra Senanayake, Prosper Utseya and Kane Williamson, all suffering

suspensions.

Bangladesh pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain, whose bowling action was also reported suspect, has found to be legal following testing.

Hafeez, who has been defiant about his bowling action, was initially reported following the Champions League T20 match between Lahore Lions and Dolphins although reports in that tournament did not have international jurisdiction. He was given a warning at the event but was allowed to continue bowling.

Hafeez’s team-mate Ajmal has recently undergone an unofficial re-test at Loughborough following the extensive work on his action which was measured to significantly breach the 15-degree limit. He was found to have made substantial progress but still needed further work.

Loyydel Lewis

Lawrence Bassant

Heeralall Bridgelall

Eric Philips

Dale Hing

Brian Sattaur

Krishna Deosaran

Vishnu Ramjeet

Mohammad Hafeez is the latest offspinner to have to go through the ICC’s testing process

Cecil Kennard

Enterprise ‘Busta’ Sports Club clinch ECCB, Trophy Stall U-19 title

Evantage of winning the toss, and decided to bat. However, their batsmen did not justify the decision, with most of them struggling for momentum.

Cricket Board (ECCB)/ Trophy Stall Under-19 40Over Cricket Competition on Sunday at the Better Hope Community Centre Ground. Enterprise had the ad-

Pradesh Balkishun (30); Vivian Albert (28); Afzal Rohoman (27); Troy Mangal (19); and Zaman Rasheed (14) were the batsmen to reach double figures in a to-

tal of 190 all out in the 38th over.

Bowling for Better Hope Sports Club Chandra Mohan 7(3-30); Kishan Sookram (339); and Silvan Kowlessar (2-40) were the successful bowlers.

In reply, the host batsmen also struggled and were eventually bowled out for 156.

Reaz Mohamed (32); Randy Danraj (28); Prakash Debidial (23); Kishan Sookram (19); and Chandra Mohan (18) were the main contributors with the bat.

Bowling for Enterprise, Bashkar Deodat (4-8) was the chief destroyer. Bashkar Yadram supported with 2-40.

At the presentation ceremony, Better Hope Sports Committee President Jagnarine Singh lauded the ECCB and its President, Bissoondyal Singh for the excellent work in promoting the game on the East Coast corridor.

“While there is nothing to shout about concerning Demerara Board and the Guyana Board, the East Coast Cricket Board is probably the best-managed association in Demerara and what we have seen today is a testimony to this fact,” Singh said.

He also congratulated the Enterprise ‘Busta’ Sports Club for winning the tournament, while encouraging the youngsters to work hard to improve and develop their game.

Meanwhile, the ECCB President commended both teams for reaching the final and congratulated the Enterprise ‘Busta’ Sports

Club for winning the prestigious Trophy Stall competition.

He also expressed gratitude to Ramesh Sunich for sponsoring the tournament and for his continuous contribution towards the development of the youths on the East Coast.

Bashkar Deodat was declared man-of-the-match for his bowling performance.

Nationals open with colourful march past

By TreisTon Joseph

TRamchand, Rohan Auto Spares enter semi-final stage

— Ricardo Adams slams 238 for Wolf Warriors

Opening batsman

Ricardo Adams slams 238(30x6, 7x4) not out as Guyana Softball Cup 4 champions Wolf Warriors defeated Brickery Super Stars by 229 runs in the quarter-finals played at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) Ground last Sunday. Mohamed Karim supported with 88 as Wolf Warriors made 343-2 off 20 overs. Brickery replied with 114-9 in 20 overs. Amir Nizamudin took 3-14 and Narine Bailey 2-10, bowling for Wolf Warriors.

The other quarter-final results in the Male Open stage are as follows: Regal defeated Herstelling by 161 runs. Regal 246 all out in 20 overs. (Safraz Esau 48 (3x6, 5X4); Kasan Joseph 89 (9x6, 6x4); Martin Dutchin 47). Herstelling 85 all out in 13.4 overs. (Martin Dutchin 3-17, Mohamed Arjune 2 -11, Balram Roopnarine 2-15).

Uprisers defeated Challengers by four runs. Uprisers 237-8 in 20 overs. (Ejaz Mohamed 117 not out). Challengers 233 all out. (A Rooplall 57, Harrynarine Dilchand 4-17, E Mohamed 3-16).

Farm defeated Young Guns by 100 runs. Farm 200-7 in 20 overs. (Lennox Marks 96, Patrick Khan 23, Shendon Perch 22, Arjune Persaud 3-29, Amar Jay 2-39). Young Guns 100 all out in 14.1 overs. (Shawn Massiah 36, Wazim Haslim 22, Ameer Khan 2-1, Lalta Karim 2-9, Lennox Marks 2-33).

Results for the Masters (Male 40 years and over): Floodlights defeated Industry Super Kings by eight wickets. Industry

140-9 in 20 overs. (Jagdesh Persaud 31, M Chand 21, Dharam Persaud 4-27, Ramesh Narine 2-26). Floodlights 141-2 in 14.2 overs. (Richard Persaud 51, Imtiaz Mohamed 44, Ricky Deonarain 35 not out).

Wellman defeated Bel Air Rubis by 74 runs. Wellman 254-5 in 20 overs. (Sham Persaud 86, Greig De Franca 46, Kumar 2-48). Rubis 180 all out. (S Budhu 49, Kumar 42, Greig De Franca 3-28, Tony Singh 330).

Parika Defenders defeated Regal Masters by 14 runs. Parika 195-4 in 20 overs. (Oswald Black 74 not out, Hakim Majeed 28, Anil Hardyal 2-40). Regal 181-8 in 20 overs. (Erik Thomas 39, A Hardyal 26, Hassif Ali 3-25).

Slingers defeated Fishermen Masters by 12 runs. Slingers 185- 4 in 20 overs. (D Mohabir 71, Mohamed Rafeek 27, S Hafeez 26, Narine 2-20). Fishermen 173 all out in 19.2 overs. (B Persaud 71, S Kumar 32, Ryan Singh 2-20, S Hafeez 2-32).

Meanwhile, the semifinals will be played this Friday and Saturday.

On Friday from 18:30h at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) Ground: Floodlights will play Parika Defenders on Pitch 1, while on Pitch 2 Mikes Wellman oppose Slingers.

On Saturday from 18:30h, also at DCC Ground, Regal oppose Uprisers on Pitch 1, while Pitch 2 will host Wolf Warriors and Farm.

The two Male/Female finals will be played on Saturday, November 29, starting at 12:00 noon.

dance by the Lodge Secondary School was also a nice addition to the event.

However, on a more serious note, Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) President Mark Lyte, during his remarks, stressed the importance of the education system becoming more serious about physical education and its benefits.

“There is room for more to be done… schools should have access to grounds, it should not be lower level schools doing physical education… there must be a change in the views about physical education,” Lyte stated.

The ceremony saw all 15 districts clad in their colourful zone uniforms doing the march past while defending champions North Georgetown (District 11) lit the games torch. A well-choreographed

he National School Athletics, Swimming, Cycling and Teacher’s Championships officially came on line with a colourful opening ceremony on Wednesday at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Ground, Base Camp Ayanganna.

He noted that the championships played an important role in the life of the young athletes, “The championship has a far way to go, but we must put more emphasis for it to be part of the welfare of our athletes, lest they be lost to the ills of society,” Lyte highlighted.

Deputy Chief Education Officer of the Ministry of Education, Donna Champman, who spoke on

the legacy of the tournament and how it can affect the young athletes, highlighted her short- term goal for the mega event.

“I would like our 2015 championships to be held at the new Leonora Synthetic track,” she quipped.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who declared the event open, in his feature address, mentioned that the championships should be Guyana’s calling card.

“These athletic championships is one of the first instances of fostering our

youth… it is a challenge to do our best in the spirit of competition and excellence.

“I challenge the GTU and the Ministry of Education to make this best national event that represents us as a people,” Hinds urged.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds declares the championships open

A scene from the march past

nterprise ‘Busta’ Sports Club put in a fine all-round showing to defeat Better Hope Sports Club by 34 runs in the final of the East Coast

Reaz Mohamed

The winning Enterprise ‘Busta’ Sports Club with officials from the ECCB and Better Hope Sports Committee

Better Hope Sports Committee President Jagnarine Singh presents Bashkar Deodat with the man-of-the-match award

Nationals open with colourful march past

By TreisTon Joseph

man Darren Bravo has opted out of the tour of South Africa for personal reasons. Bravo is the only name missing from the original squad of 15 chosen last week by the WICB, which had made it mandatory that all players had to sign the tour contracts

before the Tuesday afternoon. The WICB indicated through a media release that it would name a replacement for Bravo in due course. Bravo had also asked the Trinidad & Tobago selectors earlier to not consider him for the regional four-day competition which started last week.