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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 2932 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

July 31, 2016

PRICE

‘Sluggish economy’ worries local banking sector

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Hindu Body concerned over delay in approval of marriage licences P7

Page 3

… early National Budget fails to deliver – Stoby

APNU/AFC Govt overspends on National Budget

…now moves to Parliament for billions more

Page 11

$120 vat included

Bandits rob Eccles CPG member, neighbour Page 8

P15 Armed bandits rob East Canje businessman

Govt pushing P9 agroprocessing for employment Vulnerability analysis needed before building P10 houses – Joe Singh The Amazon Warriors send the Tridents packing with a knockout punch. In composite photo, a fan holds up a sign in support of the Warriors during the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) between the Barbados Tridents and the Guyana Amazon Warriors at Central Broward Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Also in photo: Jason Mohammed and Chris Lynn celebrate the Warriors to victory (Photo by Ashley Allen/Sportsfile)

Corbin, Gopaul tipped for Procurement Commission Page 7

… Anand Goolsarran, Chris Ram unsuccessful

Diplomatic appointments

Presidents says it is difficult to find qualified persons without political links Page 2

…Govt touts 3-year rotation system

UN representative Khadija Musa finishes stint in Guyana P13

2 news

SunDAY, july 31, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Diplomatic appointments

President says it is difficult to find qualified persons without political links … Govt touts 3-year rotation system

P

resident David Granger expressed that it is quite a challenge to find qualified persons without links to political parties, as he defended the appointments of certain diplomatic appointees perceived to have critical ties to the coalition government.

During an interview on “The Public Interest”, Granger accused the previous administration of appointing party hacks in key diplomatic posts and in this regard, he pledged that his administration will forsake that practice.

“The last administration inherited a core of professionals, people who were qualified and they were removed…(But) in fullness of time, we will have a purely professional foreign service…

So this is what we’re aiming at and I am very confident we will be able to achieve

“It’s difficult in Guyana to find persons who have not had links with political parties or who have not expressed political opinions in public… Everyone is biased in a way but we try to suppress that bias when you are performing your functions.”

President David Granger giving his charge to the new diplomats on Monday evening

the goal of having a professional foreign service,” the President said, emphasising that the Administration will transform the way the Foreign Service operates.

But when it was pointed out that his administration

is also accused of spearheading political appointments, the Head of State conceded that it is difficult to find experienced persons to fill the posts.

“It’s difficult in Guyana to find persons who have

not had links with political parties or who have not expressed political opinions in public… Everyone is biased in a way but we try to suppress that bias when you are performing your functions,” Granger explained.

Clarissa Riehl

On this note, he emphasised the importance of developing a professional foreign service: “They don’t represent any ethnic group, any political party and they are not being appointed as a reward for past services, they are there to serve the national interest.”

Some of the persons believed to be political appointees are David Pollard, High Commissioner to India; Dr Shamir Ally, Ambassador to Kuwait and Clarissa Riehl, High Commissioner to Canada, among others.

Reports also indicate that Ambassador Ronald Austin is tipped to be Director of the Foreign Service Institute.

Furthermore, a rotation system for diplomats to spend a maximum of three years in one position is being developed in order to elude situations of complacency and loss of effectiveness in the country’s foreign policy.

President Granger disclosed that officials are currently looking to ensure the rotation system takes effect as soon as possible, as his administration charts ahead to establish a fully professional foreign service.

“We are looking now to ensure there is a system in place in which people would spend no more than about three years…If diplomats are kept in their positions for too long, they tend to lose

Ronald Austin

Dr Shamir Ally

their effectiveness and this has been a fault of the previous administration,” the Head of State remarked.

He expressed that the approach by the previous administration to keep diplomats in positions for extended periods garnered poor results and this is something his government intends to change.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge had explained also that the rotation of ambassadors is in keeping with international standards.

Greenidge had also justified the move to recall diplomats appointed under the previous administration, pointing out that it is obvious that a President would appoint persons whom he trusts, has faith in, and who will work with his initiatives.

Events promoter slapped with wounding charge

A

special events promoter of Industrial Site, West Ruimveldt, was placed on $80,000 bail when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Leron Daly.

Earlson Murray, 34, pleaded not guilty to the offence which alleged that on Tuesday 14 June, 2016 at Benn Street, Wortmanville,

Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Easton Pyle.

Defence Attorney Fiola Richards told the court that her client is the primary caregiver of his mother, who recently underwent surgery and with whom he resides.

On these grounds, the lawyer requested bail.

Murray will return to court on September 19.

NEWS

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SunDAY, JUly 31, 2016 | guyana-times.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, July 31 – 14:30h-16:00h and August 1 – 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, July 31 – 14:50h-16:20h and August 1 – 15:45h-17:15h.

…early National Budget fails to deliver – Stoby

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

WEATHER TODAY Heavy rain showers with sunny intervals are expected to prevail throughout the day and into the late afternoon hours, while clear skies can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East South-easterly between 2.23 metre and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 02:10h and 14:47h reaching maximum heights of 2.48 metres and 2.41 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:16h and 20:36h reaching minimum heights of 0.70 metre and 0.80 metre respectively.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

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‘Sluggish economy’ worries local banking sector

11 16

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

T

he local financial sector is reporting lower-thanexpected earnings and despite Government’s assurances, the effects of a progressively worsening economy has forced local banks to revise their projections for the remainder of the year to accommodate a continued bleak performance.

At least three local operated major financial institutions over the weekend released their Financial Statements, namely Republic Bank, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), and Hand in Hand Trust Corporation.

GBTI Chairman Robin Stoby has since criticised the performance of the economy as ‘sluggish’ in face of an early budget that has since failed to deliver on its expectations.

According to Stoby, “in spite of the exceptionally early presentation of the National Budget in January of this year, the expectations and confidence that usually follow and flow out of the fiscal policies of such a budget have not been manifested in this instance so far…As a result, the economy continued to display a sluggishness throughout the first half of the year.”

He cited among the reasons for the poor economic performance, the loss of the Venezuelan market for Guyana’s rice, which has since been compounded by unfavourable world market prices.

The bleak performance of the sugar industry - another of the traditional economic pillars - has also been factored into Stoby’s report on the bank’s performance.

According to the chairman of the GBTI board of directors, “sugar production was just marginally below its target for the period, but with the world market price for sugar being less than the cost of production, its contribution to GDP has not improved.”

Additionally it was found that the housing sector, which provided a stable lending opportunity for the banking sector in recent years has also levelled out, no longer providing the buoyancy it once engendered.

Stoby spoke too to other external factors that will also

GBTI Chairman Robin Stoby

tentatively affect the banking sector in the near future, such as the loss of its correspondent bank - The Bank of America - and Brexit, among other factors, which, taking local circumstances into account, “require us at GBTI to exercise more dexterity than ever before, in navigating the bank’s path to continued growth and stability.”

The board has since approved the payment of dividends to its shareholders at $6 per share, on the basis of a net profit after tax of $961 million for the first half of the year.

Meanwhile, such was the performance at Republic Bank, its Chairman Nigel Baptiste in his statement to shareholders has indicated “…there are no extraordinary gains expected for the remainder of the year.”

Republic Bank has in fact recorded an after-tax profit increase of less than US$1 million for the first half of 2016.

According to Baptiste, the bank recorded an after tax profit of $2.1 billion. This, he said, represents an increase of only $188 million over the corresponding period in the previous year. The bank had earned some $3.3 billion but had to fork over $1.2 billion in taxes.

The Hand in Hand Trust Corporation over the weekend also released its financial statements for the year ending June 2016.

According to Chairman Paul Chan-a-Sue, that institution while holding some $7.6 billion in deposits, managed to rake in an operational profit of $79 million.

Republic Bank Chairman Nigel Baptiste

It was reported too that Hand in Hand Trust Corporation’s total expenditure for the period was $330 million out of its gross income of $409 million.

The corporation had earned in excess of $650 million last year while its total expenditure exceeded $330 million.

According to the World Bank figures, between 2005 and 2013, the Guyana economy grew by 4.7 per cent on average each year.

This, however, decelerated to 3.8 per cent in 2014 and to 3.0 per cent in 2015, as commodity prices collapsed for Guyana’s major exports.

The World Bank in a recent assessment of Guyana’s economic performance had

Hand in Hand Trust Corporation Chairman Paul Chan-a-Sue

found that uncertainty surrounding the 2015 elections also contributed to slower growth.

It was noted that the increased production of gold (two new mines opened in 2015), rice, and sugar compensated for lower global prices and balanced out contractions in construction, forestry and bauxite production.

The economy is expected to grow by around 4 per cent in 2016 and 2017. The World Bank has since projected that most of 2016 growth is expected to come from continued rapid growth of gold production and rebounding performance in construction and wholesale and retail trade industries.

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SunDAY, JUly 31, 2016

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Ethnic demographic changes

E

ven though the last census was conducted in 2012 and "preliminary" figures were issued two years ago, the most sought-after statistic - the ethnic breakdown of the population - was not included.

Voting in Guyana had always been correlated with ethnicity (elections here were routinely dubbed "ethnic censuses") and the citizenry's interest was always piqued with censuses since they felt they were getting a preview of the next elections.

With the combined Opposition parties APNU and AFC garnering a one-seat majority at the 2011 elections, interest was even more intense about the ethnic composition of the preliminary total count of 747,884 announced in 2014.

Exactly two years later this month, the "final" figures, including the ethnic breakdown of the 746,955 count were revealed. The loss of the Presidency by the PPP confirmed what the results of the 2015 elections had suggested based on the historic correlation between ethnicity and voting: the trends in earlier censuses continued inexorably: East Indians, who traditionally voted en masse for the PPP had decreased by almost 100,000 since 1980 - from 394,417 to 297,493 and in percentage terms from 51.93 per cent to 39.83 per cent.

Africans, who traditionally supported the PNC - now in alliance with some paper-parties as APNU - had also decreased, but not nearly as much as East Indians. They dipped from 234,094 in 1980 to 218,483 or 30.82 per cent to 29.25 per cent.

Significantly, the "Mixed" category - a large majority of who traditionally voted for the PNC continued its rapid growth: from 84,764 in 1980 to 148,532 or from 11.16 per cent of the total populace to 19.88 per cent. When these two groups are combined they now form 49.13 per cent of the population of the country - almost an absolute majority.

The other large ethnic group in the country - the Indigenous Peoples - who are still labelled by the Statistical Bureau as "Amerindians" - also increased significantly, like the Mixed category: from 40,343 in 1980 to 78,492 or 5.31 per cent to 10.51 per cent. The Chinese, Portuguese, White and "other" comprise merely 0.53 per cent down from 0.69 per cent in 1980.

Many commentators have remarked on the political implications of these demographic changes of which the most significant has been the loss of an absolute majority by the East Indian population and the near achievement of that status by the combined African and Mixed categories.

While on paper the East Indians combined with the Indigenous Peoples comprise a wafer thin majority, by 2010, when the next elections are scheduled, this advantage would have disappeared with the accelerating exodus of the former group.

There are those that claim the percentage of votes secured by the PPP at elections between 1992 and 2006 were in excess of the numbers of East Indians in the population and this might have been due to a significant ethnic "cross-over" vote. While there was some of this occurring - especially from the Indigenous Peoples vote due to patronage politics - a more significant factor that became evident when the votes at polling stations are disaggregated, was the PPP's formidable party machinery brought out a higher percentage of their constituency.

In 2015, APNU overtly courted the AFC to secure a percentage of the East Indian vote - touted at 11% before the elections.

With the changing demographics, and the wherewithal to now practice patronage politics among the growing Indigenous Peoples, it would appear that if APNU can continue the work it did in 2011 and 2014 with ex-military personnel bringing out the votes in its traditional African/Mixed constituency, it would not need to coalesce with the AFC to secure a majority on its own.

This scenario suggests a reason for the talk of "shared governance" from APNU quarters disappearing: why share the pie when they can have it all? While the PPP will still retain a significant percentage of the vote if they retain only their traditional East Indian constituency, they are in no position in or out of Parliament to influence APNU's policies.

They will have to court voters outside of that constituency for 2020 and beyond.

Giant panda triplets Mengmeng, Shuaishuai and Kuku eat bamboo shoots and carrots at their second birthday party, in Guangzhou, China (The Telegraph)

Back to the past practices Dear Editor, The People’s National Congress (PNC), when it was in government during 1964-1992, had mastered the art of diverting attention from negative socio-economic and political news. It is the same party that now leads the APNU+AFC regime. We have now seen them returning to this practice.

In the Kaieteur News last week, they commented on the economy. Unable to match the performance and record of the PPP/Civic in office, when our economy boomed and our country was transformed from being a Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) to now, according to the IMF, an upper level middle income country, the regime and the press that supports it have gone on a spin.

In an article published in Kaieteur News of 25 July 2016, positive of the regime’s hatchet auditors, Anand Goolsarran, is reported to have said that the growth of the economy under the PPP/C was due to money laundering and drug trafficking.

Clearly, Goolsarran has cast off all pretence of being

professional and has decided to come out openly as a political hack of the PNC-led APNU+AFC regime.

He made that statement without offering a shred of evidence to back up his claim. This has been the modus operandi of the AFC+APNU ever since those parties were in the opposition. The approach is to tell a big lie and keep repeating it so that people will believe it.

It is a Hitlerite tactic developed by the Nazi Goebbels.

Goolsarran chose to conveniently ignore the fact that the PPP/C continued its relationship with the World Bank and IMF even after Guyana exited their programme.

Those bodies had an overview of Guyana’s economy and this idea of drug money fuelling growth never arose. Guyana’s economy, and the society as a whole under the PPP/C administration, was an open one.

Therefore, the statement of drug money and money laundering is an insult to the hard working people of Guyana. It is a slap in the face to our private sector, which grew their businesses

in a conducive climate under the PPP/C administration.

Goolsarran seems to have forgotten that it was the PPP/C that introduced the Anti-Money Laundering Bill and measures taken to identify sources of income; it was the APNU and AFC that used their one-seat majority in the National Assembly to vote it down. Now in government for more than a year, they can’t get it rectified.

Since he has put himself forward as a champion defender of the regime, he must tell us why the APNU and AFC members of the National Assembly voted against a motion of the PPP/C to have all MPs publicly declaring their assets, including overseas holdings.

False declaration was to be punished by compulsory jail sentence.

If they are interested in a clean government, why reject such a motion? If they want to expose the members of the PPP/C government, why not accept the motion?

If they truly want to find out about corruption under the PPP/C administration, why have they refused the suggestion of the Leader of the Opposition to bring in

reputable forensic auditors from abroad to examine the records and pronounce on it? They would be objective and not use political hacks who have disregarded the ethics of their profession.

Talk is cheap. The regime continues to throw mud and false accusations, but have refused to take credible steps to clarify these issues.

It must not be forgotten that it was the PPP/C government that established the CANU and that organisation made an outstanding contribution to the fight against drug trafficking, both locally and internationally.

The fact is that the regime knows that the PPP/C ran a tight ship and corruption was nowhere near to what they have been saying. However, that does not serve their purpose. They prefer to continue with disinformation and downright lies.

This is to hide their incompetence and poor management of our economy, just like the PNC of the past.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

Priorities of City Hall Dear Editor, I would like to know the exact reason why the Georgetown City Council is refusing to rehabilitate and maintain the “Pergola Promenade” the national monument located on the Merriman Mall the construction of which was financed by the six institutions under the umbrella of the Cooperative Financial Administration during the

80s, and which was dedicated to the sterling performance of the late Shirley Field-Ridley, a former minister of the government and former wife of the immediate past Mayor of Georgetown.

For the last 21 years during the Mayorship of Hamilton Green, this memorial was left to become a haven for vagrants of all sorts, and was subjected to

all types of solid waste deposit, including human excrement. Was this deliberate? Is there some sort of agenda to denigrate the memory of Shirley FieldRidley? Does someone wish to have her contributions erased from our memory?

I have noticed that in the recent sprucing up and major construction activities going on at the Merriman Mall, this structure seems

to have been deliberately ignored by the ruling cabal at City Hall, with brush and other unsightly garbage still can be seen desecrating this edifice.

Rather than rushing off to build a Presidential Park shouldn’t the Town Clerk have considered rehabilitating this monument first?

Sincerely yours, Nadine Jerrick

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SunDAY, JUly 31 , 2016

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Duncan should be aware of falling trap No human being has the right to to narrow-minded, disrespectful racism take another’s life

Dear Editor, Deputy Mayor of Georgetown Sherod Duncan showed such promise and now he is about to waste it all and become at a young age an irrelevance to Guyana’s discourse on unity in diversity.

Stabroek News gave his letter disavowing diversity pride of place and that might stroke Duncan’s ego enough for him to continue in the vein of his letter of July 29, 2016 that Guyana’s diverse peoples are to be ignored for the Trump-like racism of “oneness” which disavows differences.

I want to believe that this was not Duncan’s intent, especially since his letter shows that he does see race – a fact of humanity’s diversity – when he speaks of his family being Naraine, Singh, Panday, Cheong, Portuguese and African.

Duncan missed the point that despite all his disavowal about race being irrelevant, he does see it. He however makes the illogical leap that seeing race automatically makes him a racist and he goes on to state that thinking about race would make him “at odds” with his fellow Indian City Councillors.

This simple-minded notion is at the heart of the confusion over race in Guyana. It is not seeing race or thinking about race that makes for racism, Duncan, but disrespect for people who are different.

On the next page after Duncan’s letter, SN published a photograph of Toshao Lennox Shuman showing a group of white American university students how to use a bow and arrow while dressed in loin cloth and feathers.

Notwithstanding the Toshao’s decision to showcase his skills, I think this is the most disturbing picture about race in Guyana ever published in a long time. It is in perfect sync with the ethos of SN’s colonial view of race in Guyana, that being the superiority of European culture, values, etc. In SN’s view, we need to either become mimic European men or stand about as exotica to be gaped at.

The idea of respecting ourselves and others are anathema to their push for “oneness”. To be accepted into their fold, you have to denigrate yourself enough and Duncan is in the precarious position of being praised and promoted as a role model for their racism.

The Africans and Indians who have submit-

ted curse their own vociferously to show their loyalty to the masters who still hold sway at SN. The submissive Africans would not be seen dead in a dashiki or anywhere near the Emancipation celebrations honouring their ancestors. Like Duncan, they have made not only every other race and culture but even their own invisible.

However, if Duncan is still African enough to honour his heritage, I ask that he think clearly before he falls into the trap of becoming part of the narrowminded, disrespectful racist that the colonial masters encouraged and that he becomes his own proud AfroGuyanese man who respects every other Guyanese citizen.

Sincerely, Shanie Jagessar

The true meaning of emancipation Dear Editor, Emancipation 2016 is here. And 2016 is Guyana’s Jubilee year. There is much to reflect on. The Guyana Reparations Committee wishes all Guyanese a wonderful Emancipation holiday and hopes there is much reflection during the day as we seek a “just society” which is socially cohesive and which is underpinned by economic, political, cultural, ethnic and social inclusion.

It was the great James Baldwin of “Notes from a Native Son” and “The Fire next Time” fame, and whom was born on 2 August 1924, who wrote: “The past is what makes the present coherent and the past will remain horrible for exactly as long as we refuse to assess it honestly.”

James Baldwin was actually speaking to Guyanese whose history has been manipulated and distorted for political and economic reasons, and to justify slavery.

The crime against humanity (African humanity) will never be forgotten as its legacies of racism and social inequality will be around for a very long time.

In Guyana, we particularly need to pay attention to the “truths” of our history: We have too many narratives of our history.

The distortions are many and purposeful.

The enslavement of Africans did not begin in Guyana in the 1600s or when Columbus came to these parts in 1492 (the beginning of Indigenous genocide in these parts although Guyana’s tribes did not suf-

fer such a fate.)

The enslavement of Africans began when Portuguese seamen first landed in Africa in the fourth decade of the fifteenth century. From the outset they seized Africans and shipped them to Europe.

In 1441 ten Africans were kidnapped from the Guinea coast and taken to Portugal as gifts to Prince Henry the Navigator.

In subsequent expeditions to the West African coast, inhabitants were taken and shipped to Portugal to be sold as servants and objects of curiosity to households. In the Portuguese port of Lagos, where the first African slaves landed in 1442, the old slave market now serves as an art gallery.

In 1442, Pope Eugene IV gave the Portuguese the right to explore Africa.

The Portuguese attempted to protect their findings from the Spanish, who were beginning to explore Africa contemporaneously.

At that time, Spain was occupied by a Muslim power and the Catholic Church felt threatened.

Protecting the church, Pope Nicholas V in 1452 gave the right to enslave anyone who was not practicing the Christian religion, known as the Dum Diversas.

Emancipation was fought for with blood and tears.

Witness the Monuments of Defiance of the 1763 Slave Rebellion; the 1823 Demerara Rebellion; and Damon in Essequibo.

Emancipation is why

Guyana is celebrating itself as a Nation of six Peoples.

Without the humanisation of the swamps of the Guyana coastlands for over 200 years and with the loss of 450,000 African lives, there would be no Guyana of six peoples.

As a matter of fact, if the British had treated the freed Africans with dignity and fairness in 1834, the Guyana of 1966, the year of Independence would have seen a nation of three peoples and with a fundamentally different ownership of the economy.

In essence, Guyana today would be essentially a Nation of Amerindians and Africans who would have owned most of the businesses and whom today would be the inheritors of oil and all the wealth in this beautiful nation of ours.

This is why denying the descendants of Africans in Guyana their just reparations in terms of lands is simply another “crime against humanity” by those who came after them and by those who disproportionally benefit today from the murder of 450,000 Africans.

Morality would indicate that those in Guyana against reparations are indeed perpetuating the “crime against humanity” by opposing reparations.

Our Parliamentarians need to check their consciences when this is placed in front of them. History will record their votes and “We the People” will know them by their votes.

The Guyana Reparations Committee has sent its

claim and a request for a Parliamentary resolution to the Attorney General Basil Williams. We await his action and a debate in Parliament.

I do hope that this Emancipation period will help our historians to present Guyana with a correct narrative of our history. There should be a Committee, perhaps led by Professor Clem Seecharan to perform this very necessary task.

The Father of the Nation designation should not be desecrated by ethnic needs.

History has recorded the facts in blood, sweat and tears.

The Father of the Nation is an Afro-Guyanese. Politics or racial incitement will not change this historical fact.

This and other truths need to be settled with honour, dignity and historical facts.

Those who want to prevent Guyana from moving forward must be rejected.

Emancipation is the most important holiday on the Guyanese calendar. It is the nexus of all of us being in Guyana.

Emancipation is about the idea of freedom, inalienable rights and justice.

Emancipation is about Nationhood and about the fundamental rights of economic, political, ethnic, cultural, religious and social inclusion.

Sincerely, Eric M Phillips Chair The Guyana Reparations Committee

Dear Editor, It is to me a ludicrous situation in this “civilised” age that we should even have a debate about the justification of a system by which the death penalty is administered by those who purport to have the power to enact and enforce the laws that control our societal affairs.

With the benefit of so much scientific knowledge, extensive research and historical experience at our disposal, and the wisdom and reason which should have resulted from these, it is only logical to assume that human beings would have become so enlightened as to have already rejected this barbaric practice in the administration of justice.

Added to this, the oft-quoted truism that “violence begets violence” seems only to be applied when it suits our purpose at getting others to adopt a culture of peacefulness.

I proffer now that, unless we believe and act accordingly that no human being has the right to take another’s life, war, murder and other forms of violence would always be there to blight our existence and obstruct any other efforts at creating a world of peace and justice.

Unless we accept that love and respect for the life of every other human being, with the concomitant qualities of

empathy and desire to help, inform the response to all our problems, then we shall continue to live in imbalance and strife, no matter what progress we make in economic and all other areas of our living.

Is it not reasonable to accept that the justice system must be naturally more reformative than punitive? The persons who perpetrate murder and other criminal acts, are they not products of our own society to whom we owe at least the obligation to assist them to reform themselves into useful human beings? Does anyone or any society have the right to condemn any of its own without giving them the opportunity for this reform?

Are we as a result saying that we do not possess, especially when we have criminals in our total custody for any period of time, the will and the means to facilitate such reform?

In this effort to expedite the solution to this brutal practice, which I feel was simply inherited from the more “advanced countries”, please let us use our natural qualities of love, fairness and empathy. Our humanity and Guyanese bigheartedness would be severely marred if we don’t.

Yours faithfully, Roy Paul

Is this city planning?

Dear Editor, When works began by the contractor on the Merriman Mall, visitors were so happy that they joined in to help with this restoration initiative and the creation of a play park. However, like everything else the City Hall does, they dropped the ball.

It is clear that City Hall does not have a viable, realistic and integrated plan for this area. Rather this initiative is just a hotchpotch of uncoordinated activities resulting in the area becoming a jumbled mess, or a heterogeneous mixture of activities and structures, that now makes the area look more of a squatter settlement of improvised structures and interests.

We start off with the Indian Immigration Monument bordered by Church & Alexander Streets, North Road and Camp Street, which is a remarkable reminder of our nation’s history, with a magnificent replica of the SS Whitby, the first ship which arrived on Guyana’s shores with the first batch of East Indian immigrants, which is sculpted of bronze and surrounded by low walls, which are layered with calligraphic and other symbolic scenes, its outer surface has murals and carvings which give insight into the lifestyle and culture of sugar cane labourers.

Of course this was an initiative of the private sector.

However, moving a little east of here one enters the City Council, where we run into rows and rows of little ugly square, concrete buildings from which every conceivable item is sold, a most unattractive shopping area.

But moving further east it gets even worse as we encounter rows and rows of what appears to be dog kennels, probably initially designed for the proposed petting zoo, but which is now being rented to wholesale vendors at astronomical amounts.

But if you think you had seen it all, moving along in the same direction, one encounters a most unhealthy situation, not to mention how dreadful a picture it presents of dozens of flimsy tents occupied by barbers, hairdressers, cosmetologists and tattooists.

There could be no greater public health violation than this, with hair and nails flying all over the place whilst there is no running water or other hygienic resources. One wonders how these persons became licensed.

And finally we run into the Presidential Park, a white elephant that seems to have been abandoned. Is this city planning?

Sincerely, Deodarie Putulall

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guyana-times.com

Foundation

Emancipation

Teaching your multicultural children “Those who deny freedom to others, deserve about their heritage it not for themselves” – Abraham Lincoln

T

Anu Dev

omorrow, August 1 is Emancipation Day! Slavery was abolished 182 years ago. One hundred and eighty-two years!

That’s almost 10 times the number of years that I’ve been alive! But yet oftentimes I wonder what has happened to the promise of that seminal event.

Studying Caribbean History, we spent a lot of time learning about conditions on the sugar plantations during slavery and after emancipation. It was a descent into horror. We learnt about plantation society, about sugar manufacturing and we even had to build models of a typical plantation.

Most horrifyingly, we learnt about the slave trade, and about the terror of the Middle Passage which, when contraposed against the societies from which the slaves were snatched, becomes an object lesson of “man’s inhumanity to man.”

I loved reading about the

societies and culture that was already established in West Africa, about the Kingdoms like Dahomey and Ashanti and about the Oyo Empire. There was so much rich culture, religion and art. I got lost in the stories and legends of the Akan religion.

Yet when the Africans were brought to the Caribbean, they were told they had no culture so what was there to practice? Any “savage” African practice brought b r u t a l

retribution.

They weren’t even allowed to have families. After slaves were forced into Christianity – when it was conceded they MIGHT be human – they had to give up their own “pagan” religions.

They were forced into a European social structure, where they would always be inferior striving to be what they could never be – white men and women. Never mind that they already had their

own well-organised social structures for hundreds of years. I really can’t imagine what it would’ve been like living like that, being treated as being less than human. As chattel – someone’s property.

One of my favourite heroes in WI history was Toussaint L’Ouverture. To have a man – born a slave – take on the full might of one of the greatest European powers of t h e day, for the right to be free, was awe inspiring.

He was indeed

an “Opening”: the eventual independence of Haiti showed the path that every other colony had to walk. But yet we are regaled ad nauseum about the American and French Revolutions, but never about the Haitian Revolution.

Some people have the notion that you have to jettison your past completely in order to have a future.

But that idea completely

disregards the point we are our past: we are, in a word, our consummated past. And this is not just the past of our own short lives, but the past that has been transmitted to us.

History shows how families, countries, laws and institutions are formed, how they evolved and why certain ones have survived while others ‘bit the dust’. If a nation is just defined by its present – how shallow is that? Look at how much of our country and our people have survived and suffered through and yet we’re still afloat. We need to be aware of our past. We need to be aware of our heroes, of the adversities we overcame. We need to remember our heroes like Cuffy and Quamina who came before and after emancipation.

Think about how those who came before you struggled and fought for their freedom and how lucky we all are now to be living free. We’re not enslaved, we’re not indentured: we’re living free, so it’s inexcusable if we don’t work hard to give ourselves the future we want – the shackles are off.

As our Caribbean’s prophet Bob Marley sang, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.”

Happy Emancipation Day!

– with a little creativity and some insight from older generations, you can embrace and celebrate your rich ethnic history while creating your own family traditions

BY JENNIFER CHIDESTER

M

y husband and I often joke that our children are a virtual United Nations. Our ethnic backgrounds are a mix of what we lovingly call LatAsian-Caucasian.

Between the two of us, our two boys are Thai, Chinese, Colombian, Irish, English, Scottish, Dutch, Welsh, French and German. As much as we embrace being American, we also want our children to appreciate where their family came from and all of the cultural traditions that come with their diverse heritage.

There are so many fun ways you can celebrate your multicultural family and encourage your children to embrace their blended family.

Engage with your elders

The elders in your family are the perfect place to start when you want to learn more about your culture. If you’re not already sure, invite them to share with you and your children the traditions they celebrated growing up, the food they ate, the games they played and the holidays they celebrated. You can even interview them on video, so you and your children will have a wealth of first-hand insight about your family’s culture that can be shared with future generations.

Cultural festivals and holidays

Attending cultural festivals and celebrating holidays are great ways to learn about and celebrate your culture. We’ve taken our children to annual Colombian festivals, where they dance to Latin music, eat empanadas and get lessons in

their second language with their Spanish-speaking relatives.

They’ve also joined my family at a local Irish festival where they savoured traditional potato leek soup, stomped around to Irish music and were captivated by parades of kilted men playing Uilleann bagpipes. We also celebrate St Patrick’s Day with an annual morning routine of traditional food at our favourite Irish pub and celebrate each Chinese New Year, including gifting our children with traditional red paper envelopes.

Cultural vacations

If you would love to expose your children to their family’s history with a first-hand look, consider a cultural vacation.

Gather your family and research the possible destinations.

Discuss which landmarks you’d like to visit, like museums and historical sites, or cultural events that you can participate in while you’re there. While visiting whichever country you pick is the best part, the research your family will do to plan the vacation will hopefully be half of the fun!

Home immersion

While one of the best ways to immerse your children in their cultures is to have them visit the countries where your families came from, you can always help them soak in their cultures right from home. One way you can do that is by dedicating days of the week to celebrate each culture, like a weekly Spanish night, where you can create and eat customary foods, watch movies, sing traditional songs and speak only Spanish. (www.sheknows.com)

news

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sunDAY, JUly 31, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Corbin, Gopaul tipped Hindu body concerned over delay in approval of marriage licences for Procurement S Commission

… Anand Goolsarran, Chris Ram unsuccessful

T

Nanda Gopual

Emily Dodson

Sukrishnalall Pasha

he establishment of the long awaited Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is now one step closer to becoming a reality since the Parliamentary Committee tasked with the responsibility of recommending the members for the President’s approval has completed its job.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by opposition Member of Parliament Irfaan Ali, has shortlisted for President David Granger’s approval Emily Dodson, Carol Corbin, Sukrishnalall Pasha, Ivor English and Dr Nanda Gopaul.

The Guyana Constitution stipulates:

“The Public Procurement Commission shall consist of five members who shall have expertise and experience in procurement, legal, finance and administrative matters and the President shall appoint the members of the Commission after such members have been nominated by the PAC and approved by not less than two-thirds of the elected members of the National Assembly.”

The recommendations by the Public Accounts Committee, is expected to come up for debate on Thursday, when Ali presents the recommendations to the Full House for a debate on the suitability of the persons identified.

Guyana Times has since learnt that the Committee during the course of its deliberations did in fact establish a sub-committee to shortlist the candidates vying for the available positions on the PPC. Among the persons that did not make the list to be recommended to the President were Balwant Persaud, Devan Khemraj, Brindley Horatio Robeson Benn, Cecil Jerrard Jacques, Lance Carberry, Dr Anand Goolsarran and Christopher Ram. With the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission, the role held

by Cabinet in awarding Government contracts will be phased out.

Disorderly behaviour lands man in court

A

34- year-old man of Lot 1936 Festival City, Georgetown was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to two counts of disorderly behavior.

The man, who appeared mentally unstable, appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh.

Timothy Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on June 1, 2016 at Waterloo and Lamaha Streets, he behaved in a disorderly manner.

Additionally, Johnson pleaded not guilty to the second charge, which al-

leged that on May 29, 2016 at Lamaha Street, he made use of threatening behavior towards Christina Comacho.

Magistrate Singh told the defendant, who has appeared before her previous-

ly on charges of a similar nature, that she was in receipt of the doctor’s report which stated that he is mentally fit to stand before the court. As such Johnson was remanded and the case will continue on August 5.

ome eight pandits, who have been waiting since last year for approval of marriage licences, are growing concerned over the delay in the process.

Vishnu Bandhu, President of the Guyana Central Arya Samaj, a major Hindu umbrella organisation in Guyana, has expressed annoyance over the push around his organisation is getting from Government in its efforts to secure the marriage licences.

During an interview with Guyana Times on Saturday, Bandhu explained that applications to legally conduct Hindu weddings were submitted to the Public Security Ministry since October 2015 but to date no progress has been made: “The Guyana Central Arya Samaj made several followups with Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and the ministry staff since last year. Mr Ramjattan’s Ministry acknowledged receipt of the application but there was no action, saying it was working on the request.”

In March, Bandhu said his organisation was eventually informed that the processing will take place at the Citizenship Ministry.

However, the organisation was required to resubmit all documentations: “The Ministry however said it “lost” all the applications and supporting documents and asked for a re-submission of same. The organisation again expeditiously resubmitted all the requested relevant supporting documents with attachments.”

Vishnu Bandhu

The religious leader registered concerns over the push around his organisation has been receiving from the Citizenship Ministry, too.

He alleged that another Hindu organisation, which has close ties with the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition administration, also made submissions for marriage licences around the same time his organisation did and they were successful.

“Clearly, the more things change, the more they remain the same. The Guyana Central Arya Samaj is urging the Government to act in the best interests of all Guyanese and the nation at large,” Bandhu stated.

He also expressed that his involvement in politics could also be a factor for the slothfulness in the application process. Bandhu had contested as the presidential candidate for the United Republication Party (URP) in the General and Regional

Elections 2015.

One of the pandits, who is waiting on approval for his marriage licence, told this publication that it is rather inconvenient not having the licence: “I am a practicing pandit. I am doing all the rituals. So people would approach you. For example, I had to turn down a wedding offer a few weeks back because I wasn’t a marriage officer so I had to point him to somebody else,” Doodnauth Bowan from Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara (ECD) stated.

Nonetheless, he expressed that he has enough patience to wait until the process is completed: “I was told that the applications got misplaced and we reapplied.

I am not that frustrated but I am still on the lookout for the licence. I have patience.”

Another pandit who spoke to this publication also noted that he is in no hurry to get his licence but is concerned about the runaround the organisation is receiving.

“The negligence on the part of the Ministry is worrying. We had a meeting with the Minister in his office, you know. After that, we got a message that they lost all the application and then they asked us to reapply which we did. Since then, to date, we haven’t heard anything,” Muneshwar Rup from Charity, Essequibo Coast, stated.

The organisation is calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter and ensure the applications are processed swiftly.

8

news

SunDAY, JUly 31, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Bandits rob Eccles CPG member, neighbour

T

wo residents of the Young Professionals Housing Scheme, in Eccles, on the East Bank of Demerara – one of whom is the Vice Chairman of the Community’s Policing Group – were robbed in broad daylight on Friday by four gunmen.

Reports are that on Friday morning at about 11:00h, Eon Wills, a resident of the community, was perusing the streets in his motor vehicle, when he noticed four men vacating a home in the area that was known to be unoccupied. He told Guyana Times that his curiosity arose, so he drove closer to the home, hoping to “get a better look” at what was

Eyew tness Gaming the system...

O

Eon Wills

Vice Chairman of the Eccles CPG, Balram Seopersaud

transpiring.

However, he was spotted by one of the men, who then began calling out to him. Wills relayed that he did not respond to the calls and instead drove away and opted to stop at a neighbour, who resided two houses away from him.

His neighbour, who is the Vice Chairman of the Eccles Community Policing Group, Balram Seopersaud, told this publication that when he noticed Wills parked in front of his home, he went out to greet him but before he could speak, a gun was pointed to his head and he was being ordered by a gunman to lie face down on the parapet.

“It happened around 11:30h. I usually work my bus in the mornings, and I just came in and I parked and saw a black car reversing and I knew it was my neighbour, so I went out to see what was up. By the time he took his windows down and I duck, I saw a white car pull up at the side and a gunman came up and put a gun to my head and I saw an-

other one had a gun to his (Wills) window and the gunmen told us to go on the ground,” Seopersaud related.

Seopersaud and Wills highlighted that they both followed the gunmen’s instructions and the four men began to search them and rid them of over $300,000 in cash and jewellery, well as the keys to their respective vehicles.

The gunmen then instructed Wills to accompany Seopersaud into his house and began to search and remove all valuables, including four cellular phones, jewellery and one 42-inch flat screen television.

According to the duo, the four men who had their faces covered throughout the entire robbery, then vacated the home and drove off in a white Toyota Allion.

The Police arrived subsequently after, and it is reported that the Allion, which was utilised by the gunmen, was found abandoned. Investigations are ongoing.

...in American politics

ne of the extraordinary things that struck your Eyewitness as he was drawn into the vortex of the US Presidential nomination sweepstakes – not just because of the media saturation, but also of its implications for our dinky, little, suddenly “oil rich” country – was how everyone and their uncle just brushed aside the Democratic National Committee gaming the system for Hillary Clinton’s “victory”!

Isn’t that something? We natives have all been lectured ad nauseum about the “openness” of the American primary system for selecting their uber leader – who, they insist, can be a rank outsider. In recent history, think Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. But reflect upon this folks...after they got in...didn’t both of them become consummate insiders when it came to the interests of the financial sector that ultimately calls the shots in the US? But Bernie Sanders was a horse of a different colour, wasn’t he? He made it clear America needed a “root and branch” change in the neo-liberal order that delivered 40 per cent of the national wealth to the top one per cent of the country. Now the powers-that-be knew Bernie wasn’t just mouthing off. As an old line Brooklyn progressive – who’d fought the good fight all the way back in the civil rights struggle of the 1960’s (he was born in 1941) – he’d entered the Senate from Vermont since 2007 as an INDEPENDENT. The longest serving one in the history of the US of A! His record in Congress demonstrated he wasn’t going to be co-opted by the system – whether on domestic or foreign policy. And this couldn’t stand. But we have to ask now, if Hillary Clinton cheated Bernie – and her hiring of the woman with the smoking gun proved she approved of the cheating – what does it say about the US democratic standing when they’re more concerned about who did the hacking (the Ruskies?) than the stealing of the election?

Whatever we may say about Trump and his boorishness, he’s actually taken on the Wall Street Masters of the Universe – from their mega trade deals to reversing the outsourcing of America’s manufacturing base. Just the fact that the Koch brothers and their billionaire club hasn’t cozied up to Trump shows how much of an outsider he is. He might be a Joker, but he is certainly a wild card.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, is so much an insider it’s hard-wired. And that’s why it’s not just her plastic smile, opportunistic flip floppings and smug certitude that have turned off even democratic voters.

It’s because even she’s admitted she’ll continue with the policies that crashed America.

...in oil

Trotman’s “Environment” portfolio’s just been stripped – following “governance” last year. Jagdeo did say Trotman was way out of his depth after COP 21 in Paris, no? While the Government didn’t give much shrift to Jagdeo’s knowledge in this area - the FAO just did by appointing him as an ambassador on the said subject.

With everything else stripped away, it’s hoped Trotman will demonstrate a more nuanced understanding of his rump portfolio – now down to “Natural Resources”. But his latest utterance on our oil prospects shows he’s still frantically threading water. Remember when he claimed he’d have EXXON make “advance payments”? Har de har har!!!

Now he predicts oil will flow BEFORE the five-year timeline Exxon’s insisted on! And even here, the oil giant’s being optimistic. Right now it’s capital – and number of oil rigs – that’s driving oil production – not demand. And prices will soon become sub-US$40/barrel because of overproduction.

Five years down? It might still not pay to bring out our deep-sea oil to break even at US$54.

We’re just reserves, baby!!

...by Trump

Vying to run a world power, US Presidential candidates like to burnish their foreign policy credentials by prefacing policies with the word “strategic”.

With Trump it’s “Strategic ignorance”. Don’t know; don’t care.

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

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9

SunDAY, JUly 31, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Govt pushing agroprocessing for job creation

President David Granger

W

ith Guyana said to have the highest unemployment rate in the Caribbean, Government is looking to tap into the agro-processing sector to generate employment opportunities throughout the country.

Speaking on the weekly televised programme - The Public Interest - President David Granger pointed out that one of the biggest impediments to job creation is the high rate of school drop-outs.

“Job creation is essentially based on education and when you have a situation where 4000 young people are dropping out of primary school and secondary school every year, it’s difficult for some of them to find jobs,” he pointed out.

The Head of State noted that steps need to be taken to ensure that young people stay in school so that they can acquire necessary qualifications for job opportunities in various fields. However, another option the President outlined was that persons can consider that would guarantee them employment is to become self-employed.

According to Granger, job creation does not have to depend exclusively on government. He explained that when persons are educated and have been trained in various fields, then they are able to create jobs for themselves.

The President stated that this is the direction he wants Guyana to take.

On this note, he remarked that one area government has recognised with the potential to push self-employment is the agro-processing sector.

“We have abundant possibilities for agro-processing…In most of the communities, rural communities in particularly, there are opportunities for agro-production even if it’s making pepper sauce or guava jam or guava cheese or plantain chips. These are commodities which can be sold in our own restaurants,” the President stat-

ed.

The Head of State recalled a few weeks ago when he visited the Rupununi, Region Nine, with Prime Minister of Barbados Freundel Stuart. He recognised the Barbadian firm operating there, producing and exporting rice to Brazil, noting that Guyanese have begun to do the same.

Moreover, the President posited that Guyanese with access to capital have the choice of investing in

coastland and hinterland, noting that government has already taken the first step with the establishment of three new towns: Mabaruma, Bartica and Lethem, and with a forth one at Mahdia imminent.

“The idea is that these towns should become the economic foci for development,” he posited, adding that previously, a businessperson in Lethem had to travel all the way to Anna Regina to register the business.

Furthermore, Granger noted that with the creation of the new towns, policies are being unfolded so that each region will soon have an economic capital.

These capitals, he said, will be responsible for promoting better economic development so that services like electricity, commercial banking and public services like National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will be present there.

“So (shifting focus) is in accordance with Government policy. The idea is to move people

“Job creation is essentially based on education and when you have a situation where 4000 young people are dropping out of primary school and secondary school every year, it’s difficult for some of them to find jobs” any industry within the country, but with agroprocessing the variety is abundant. He recounted a recent trip to East Bank Essequibo, where there are two major industrial enterprises that were established there but are not in operation.

“One is the packaging plant and if you go there, you will think it’s a cemetery and the other is a cassava plant, which was several years ago sold to Banks DIH. There have been attempts in the past to stimulate agro-processing but for some reason or the other, they have failed and I have asked the Ministry of Agriculture to explain the failure of the agro-processing plants,” he noted.

According to the President, Guyana should capitalise on the commodity markets available in the Eastern Caribbean: “They want our stuff, they want our pineapples, our avocadoes and our fish and other commodities.”

To this end, the Head of State pointed out that the Administration is working with villages to generate more employment in those communities but it is focusing on agro-based job opportunities.

In this vain, he remarked that there is the need now to be rid of the disparity between the

away from the centre so that the regions are stronger and they can prevent people from drifting from the rural areas to the urban areas and at the same time providing a good life for them in the regions in which they are living,” he remarked.

However, the President explained that he will not shift coastlanders to the hinterland but will create such an atmosphere that they themselves would be compelled to move to interior locations. “(People on the coastland) are going to be attracted by the opportunities there. Right now people going there to mine gold because they feel it’s profitable to them. If people feel it’s profitable for them to trade in Mabaruma they will go there, if they feel it’s profitable for them to go Lethem, they will go there. So it will be a natural migration from urban to rural area,” he stated.

The Head of State further mentioned that currently most countries are suffering from the reverse – people from the rural areas drifting to the cities. However, he noted that government is hoping to reverse that cycle, and people will start pioneering new industries in the new capital towns to be established. (Devina Samaroo)

10

sunDAY, JUly 31, 2016

guyana-times.com

News

Vulnerability analysis needed before building houses – Joe Singh

I

n light of low-lying areas being susceptible to flooding, Major General (Rtd) Joe Singh is urging residents with flat houses on the coast and flood-prone areas to raise their foundations. Singh is head of a task force Government has established to address the flood situation.

Singh stated that in the past, houses were built on stilts as a preventive measure against flooding, while their crops were planted on mounds.

Recently, the coastland has been hit by severe floods which resulted in massive losses. Poor drainage and non-functioning pumps were some of the factors for the floods.

The government has engaged Dutch experts from The Netherlands to assist in fixing the situation of flooding and drainage in Georgetown and other coastland areas. They have made numerous recommendations—one of which is increasing flood resilience among the people.

A report released by the experts, recommended that people construct two-storey houses, with the main function being the upper flat.

Major General (Rtd) Joe Singh

This recommendation, it stated, should be mandatory for all project developers.

Singh posited that persons who already have flat houses in the low-lying areas should raise the foundation. He stated that persons should install stilts on their wooden flat houses while those with concrete houses should raise the perimeters of the house.

However, in the case of new construction, he stressed the need for the implementation of a building code, which would enable

persons to conduct a vulnerability analysis before creating a house plan.

He stated further that livestock and crops could be saved in flooding if persons would also raise the foundation of their pens and plant their crops in boxes and pots: “For example, areas like the Rupununi, where there is flooding, residents are planting their cassava on mounds to prevent it from being damaged.” He stated that the drip irrigation shade agriculture technique should be promoted among farmers and residents as a measure to prevent flooding.

The Dutch report also recommended that squatting – without sanitation – in flood-prone areas should be eliminated in order to reduce health risks. It stated that flood-proofing sewage infrastructure should be developed.

The report emphasised

that while flooding will remain an issue in Guyana, and particularly Georgetown, it is important to communicate this to the people and as such a communication strategy should be developed and implemented to explain the principles of living with water.

It noted that the plan has to be clear that the flood risk will never be reduced to zero.

It said further that an inundation probability map of Georgetown should be drafted and used to explain to the people why it is important to build their houses and businesses flood-proof.

“Most people will be aware of flood threats when it happens and forget about it soon after. This loss of awareness influences their behaviour regarding the existing water management infrastructure,” it said, adding that living with water is not just about threats and flood damage but is also extremely economically valuable.

It indicated that “people who are aware of the benefits of living with water tend to understand better the constraints that space for water puts on them as well. Flood risk maps are an example of a specific way of communication to the people. It shows the probability of floods and the consequences of floods.”

It also stated that there should be simple presentations available nationwide on how the drainage system works, why water needs space, and why it is important to keep the drainage system free from constructions and solid waste.

Overseas Guyanese patriotism

S

atiricus’ heart swelled with pride. The Bannuh now in charge of “Citizenship” – including deciding who’s allowed in and who’s deported or who gets passports and such like – had just announced he was receiving more than 100 applications weekly from New York alone for Guyanese passports.

“Cappo! What patriotism!” Satiricus exclaimed to his best buddy Cappo as they quaffed their first beer of the day at the Back Street Bar. They had waited patiently for the minute hand of the clock to pass 12. The forms had been observed.

“Ah wha’ yuh talk about, Sato?” inquired Cappo, who was used to Sariricus’ speaking as if people saw subtitles on what went on inside his head.

“Didn’t you read our Immigration department’s receiving more than 100 requests from New York every week for passports?” demanded Satiricus. “These are Guyanese Americans who feel so patriotic after our Jubilee they want to exercise dual citizenship!”

Cappo looked carefully at Satiricus as he ordered another beer. It was very hot. “Suh wha mek dem want abee passport? Dem can still come back ah Guyana wid dem American passport and show dem patriotism w’en dem want.”

“That’s the point, Cappo,” said Satiricus patiently. “They just want to show they are Guyanese to the bone!”

“Maybe the Bannuh in charge ah passport want dem fuh come back and vote fuh de Pee-an- Cee?” asked Cappo with a smile, as he continued looking at Satiricus closely.

“C’mon Cappo!” sputtered Satiricus. “Is why you bad minded so? You need an ID card to vote, not a passport. Our overseas Guyanese brothers and sisters just want to identify with our beautiful Guyana!”

“OK! Sato...leh me ask yuh some’ting,” said Cappo as he leaned over the table. “Yuh know me gat wan Aantie in New Yark?”

“Yeah...Aunty Dularie,” agreed Satiricus. “She applied for passport too?”

“Yep!” answered Cappo. “But yuh know wha’ mek she apply?”

“Because she want to show how much she love Guyana!” insisted Sariricus smugly.

“Nah...she jus’ want fuh collect de $18,000 Old Age Pension she hear ‘bout w’en she come back fuh Jubilee!” chortled Cappo as he slapped the table.

“What?” exclaimed Satiricus, as his jaw fell.

“Yes Budday! She tell me wife she ah come back when she get de passport fuh put abee address like she live yasuh!” explained Cappo with satisfaction. “Patriotism me foot!”

guyana-times.com

SunDAY, JULY 31, 2016

11

News

APNU/AFC Govt overspends on National Budget … now moves to Parliament for billions more

T

he coalition A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government has increased its expenditure to the point where it now has surpassed budgetary allocations for some of its programmes and has had to resort again to the coffers.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, is slated to present for consideration, the coalition’s first Financial Paper for supplementary spending from the Contingencies Fund, on Thursday when the National Assembly meets.

The additional spending totals in excess of $930 million, covering January 1, 2016 to July 28, 2016.

Under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMA) of Guyana, a sitting Government is allowed to withdraw monies from the Contingencies Fund, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, or in the event of emergencies.

The Contingencies Fund was established as a subfund to the Consolidated

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

Fund, commonly referred to as the Treasury.

Under the FMA, “The Minister, when satisfied that an urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen need for expenditure has arisen – (a) for which no moneys have been appropriated or for which the sum appropriated is insufficient; (b) for which moneys cannot be reallocated as provided for under this Act; or (c) which cannot be deferred without injury to the public interest, may approve a Contingencies Fund advance as an expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund.”

While in Opposition, the APNU/AFC coalition had consistently criticised the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration for its resort to the Contingencies Fund, as being reflective of bad budgetary planning in addition to an abuse of the fund.

Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran – a vocal supporter of the APNU/AFC coalition Government – on Saturday conceded that the practice of resorting to the fund, can in fact be seen as indicative of bad budget planning but in the absence of any details with respect to the financial paper to be presented by Jordan, it would be too early to come to such a definitive conclusion.

The Financial Papers detailing a breakdown of the expenditure (capital and recurrent) will be presented to members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public on Thursday when the House convenes.

Goolsarran told Guyana Times while the law does make provision for the Government of the day to

access the Contingencies Fund, this must be done within the confines of the law.

Jordan is also listed on the parliamentary order pa-

der the hand of Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, had resorted to extra-budgetary measures to the tune of $4.5 billion; monies the then APNU/AFC had la-

in arguments in favour of the passage of a NoConfidence Motion against the then Donald Ramotar Government.

Ramjattan had also la-

belled ‘illegal spending.’

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, now Vice President and Public Security Minister, had in fact made an official report to the Guyana Police Force against the PPP/C’s Finance Minister. The issue had also been used as one of the sticking points

belled the practice as deceitful, since the then PPP/C Government annually misrepresents the budget by billions, since one amount would be approved as the national budget for the year, but this is nearly always supplemented through the use of extrabudgetary provisions.

Pariament Building

per for this week’s sitting of the National Assembly to present a second Financial Paper, this time making a request for in excess of $2 billion. Goolsarran again adopted a ‘wait and see’ position before speaking definitively on the matter.

During 2014, the then PPP/C Administration un-

12 NEWS

SunDAY, july 31, 2016 | guyana-times.com

New Opportunity Corps

Housing minor, serious offenders together raises questions

T

he current state of the New Opportunity Corps (NOC), especially that of the housing arrangement is now being questioned, not only by the administrator and teachers of that facility, but also parents of children who are housed at the correctional facility for delinquent youths.

According to recent reports Guyana Times received, the current arrangement is one for worry, as children who are taken to the facility for minor offences are being housed with those that committed serious crimes.

According to information received, youths who

were placed at the facility for offences such as wandering and stealing are being housed with those that committed offences such as murder.

This arrangement according to officials at the facility is not conducive, since youths who are there for minor offences are being easily influenced, thus leaving the facility “worst” than when they arrived.

Officials at the facility told this publication that several reports of this were sent to the Government and a visit was paid to the facility by officials who promised to have the situation looked into; however, that promise is still to be fulfilled.

A teacher at the facility spoke of firsthand experiences of the effects “delinquents” have on “non-delinquents”.

“NOC is not equipped nor are there trained individuals at this facility to reform the children,” said the teacher, who has been at the facility for a number of years.

However, chief among the teacher’s concerns is the fact that these non-delinquents are being moulded by the other children because of constant association with them.

A person who asked to remain anonymous, noted that this is an issue that needs to be addressed ur-

gently as parents send their children to the facility with the hope of them being reformed; however, the results in many cases are the opposite.

“It is a sad situation there, NOC needs more attention… the place needs to be better handled. It is the desire of the administrator to do better but things are out of his hands. How sorry I am for the children, we really need better facilities here,” the teacher complained.

There have been a number of instances where youths escaped from the juvenile holding facility, including few years ago when they set fire to one of the dormitories.

Late last year, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement that NOC should be a last resort for children having minor brushes with the law.

The organisation said back then that the correctional facility needed urgent attention before it could be capable or carry out the duties it was established for.

Efforts to get a response from Minister within the Education Ministry Nicolette Henry under whose purview the NOC falls were unsuccessful as calls to her mobile phone went unanswered.

Public Infrastructure Minister visits WCD residents

F

ollowing the many cries of residents on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson on Thursday visited the area, with the aim of addressing their many concerns.

During the visit, residents were able to voice their concerns directly to the Minister. Among the issues raised were poor condition of roads and the lack of street lights.

Previously, numerous calls were made by residents for attention to be given to various roads in their communities; however, most of those calls went unanswered.

Residents of De Kendren, Zeelugt, Meten-Meer-Zorg, Tuschen and Uitvulgt all made calls for attention earlier this year.

Some residents were for considerable periods, left without potable water, while others were being affected by flood waters, due to heavy rain falls. Other residents

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

called for their garbage woes to be urgently addressed.

Minister Patterson in response promised residents to address their issues urgently.

He stated that the “first order of business” would be to have the roads fixed.

He added that better days are ahead for them, promising his Ministry’s support in providing a better life for them.

NEWS

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SunDAY, JUly 31, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Lessons from slavery

By Ryhaan Shah

T

he world must always learn from the past if we are to make sure that the mistakes, and the horrors of man’s inhumanity to man are never repeated. The transatlantic slave trade falls into this category of holocausts which has important lessons for all of us.

The trade that brought millions of Africans in shackles and chains to the West by European colonisers was done purely for economic profit. Slaves were property; they were owned and were stripped bare of their very humanity to ensure their Ryhaan Shah owners’ absolute control of not only their physical selves but of their emotional well being and spirituality, as well.

Over 36,000 slaving voyages were made and over 12 million African men, women and children brought forcibly to colonies in North and South America, and the Caribbean between the 16th and 19th centuries. It was their labour that laid the foundation for modern capitalism, generating immense wealth for business enterprises in America and Europe, and it is no surprise that the most developed countries in the West are those whose progress is rooted in the slave trade and plantation slavery.

The African slave was a commodity and a cheap source of labour in the cotton fields and sugar plantations but reaping the huge profits meant keeping control of the slaves through punishing brutalities that were cruel, exploitative, and dehumanising.

The African slave trade and plantation slavery represent one of the longest and most sustained assaults on the life, integrity, and dignity of human beings in history.

Denied their languages and culture, the Africans created new ones and made much with what they had created. Their cultural achievements in the West in literature and music are phenomenal, and have made indelible marks on world culture. In the Caribbean, of course, they created the calypso, reggae and soca and gave us the sound of the steelpan which has become synonymous with island life.

Many historians have stated that the indentureship scheme that followed the abolition of slavery and brought labourers from Madeira, China and India to the Caribbean was just slavery dressed up in different clothes since much of the same conditions obtained in the sense of the tasks required, the repressive working conditions and the rudimentary housing arrangements. The important difference, however, was that indentured labourers, who earned a meagre wage, were never owned as a commodity that could be traded.

The African-Caribbean call for reparations from the European colonisers is just and forces those nations to face their disturbing past; it is part of the process of trying to correct a catastrophic global mistake. Slavery devalued African lives, and reparation, while it could never undo or ever repay for the pain and suffering, could go some way to acknowledging that value and making recompense.

By acknowledging the crimes and agreeing to reparations, European nations would allow the much-needed healing process to begin.

That slavery happened at all forces every one of us to question what it means to be human and Dr Beverly Mitchell, Professor of Historical Theology at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, writes that the history of slavery “can help us to see more clearly our interconnectedness to each other despite all the lines of division that we erect between us. It is through our capacity to recognise and honour our common humanity that we can embrace the commitment to safeguard the human dignity of others.”

Dr Mitchell’s statement encapsulates the most important lesson of all. The world has witnessed the horror and because of that experience it is imperative that everyone, including the descendants of that history, commit to ensuring that no such violence, brutality, or injustice is ever to be meted out to others again.

Those who have emerged from that brutal history are in the unique position of having an understanding about the world and a compassion for the humanity that we all share.

They more than anyone else can stand foremost in making sure that such inhumanity, pain and suffering are never again visited on any other human - not for profit, gain, or any other reward.

As much as the world bears the shame of the legacy of slavery, that past must continue to stand as a vital life lesson for a future that is structured to proceed with dignity and justice for everyone.

Tomorrow, on Emancipation Day, we must join with our African brothers and sisters to commemorate their history and to celebrate the triumph of the human spirit that has helped the descendants of that past to overcome the worst and to strive for better.

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

UN Rep Khadija Musa finishes stint in Guyana P

resident David Granger bid farewell to outgoing United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Guyana and the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, Khadija Musa, who he said has served Guyana with distinction over the last four years.

The President was at the time addressing attendees at a farewell reception for Musa, held at the Pegasus Hotel.

“She came not as a novice but as a hard-headed, though not hard-hearted, veteran of complex situations in over 20 countries.

Her work in Africa, especially in Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, Tanzania and Uganda;, in Asia, during the South East Asia tsunami catastrophe; in Afghanistan, in the Middle East; and in Europe more than adequately prepared her for the final [and] fulfilling assignment here in Georgetown.

Guyana has benefited from her more than 25 years of experience as an international public servant in the United Nations system. We thank her for superintending the delivery of tangible benefits to the Guyanese people,” President Granger said.

Guyana acknowledges the wide-ranging support and assistance provided during the ‘Musa quadrennium’, he said, noting that there was no area of governmental activity to which she did not lend her energy, expertise and experience.

Her portfolio ranged from Amerindian land titling, to climate change,

UNDP Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Khadija Musa, makes a point to President David Granger, at the farewell reception held in her honour on Friday evening

democratic governance, the environment, interfaith harmony, Information and Communication Technology, the media, occupational health and safety, poverty reduction, public health, social cohesion, social protection and solid waste management among others.

Meanwhile, in her address, Musa said that Guyana has great potential and a great future. The outgoing diplomat said that Guyana has rich mineral resources and a diverse heritage, which, with good governance, can see the country taking off on an upward trajectory. “…when I read the newspapers and I read that a lot of young Guyanese are graduating and heading North, I think they are misled and there is much greater potential here. So I think

it is important to learn how these young Guyanese, who are flying North, can be enticed to stay and be a part of the future of this country.

I think there is huge potential here and I can see that.

Every morning I got up and I thought about the potential of this country, it made me work harder and harder to at least help in our small way as a UN team, to contribute to improvement and going forward…” she said.

She noted that while there are differences, cultural and otherwise, these should not cause separation or discrimination but rather, must foster camaraderie.

“I wait also for the day when Guyanese are united; become one and start thinking as Guyanese. I know cultural differences are important but those are cultural and one can enjoy them and admire them and still live

together or visit each other, but everyone should pitch in and enjoy it as a country and not let it divide you. Think to be Guyanese first then enjoy your cultures, whether it is Afro-Guyanese, IndoGuyanese or Portuguese Guyanese. It is really important to be one. Don’t let politicians divide. If you do that, you will not grow. I think you have a wonderful, wonderful country and you have great resources so demand good governance,” she said.

The UN envoy called on Guyanese to work together for good of country.

First Lady Sandra Granger, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence, members of the diplomatic corps and the United Nations affiliates in Guyana also attended the reception.

14 news CCJ affirms G$5M award for Younge’s Take injuries in road accident case Standing by Jagdeo’s NY statements T SunDAY, july 31, 2016 | guyana-times.com

he Caribbean Court of In 1998 Dukhi brought Justice (CCJ) on an action in the High Friday dismissed Court and claimed the appeal in Guyana special damages Sugar Corporation in the amount of (GuySuCo) versus $2,794,000, general Tulsieram Dukhi, damages and interthough it increased est, while GuySuCo the Court of Appeal claimed that it was award of damages for Dukhi who negligentpersonal injuries to ly rode his bicycle into G$5,743,000 in allowthe path of the picking the cross appeal in up truck and caused part. the accident.

CCJ affirms $5M award for This appeal arose out injuries in road accident case Seven years of a road traffic accident later (December which occurred 19 years 2005-January 2006) ago (1997) on the Ogle Airstrip Road, the case was heard. More than three East Coast Demerara, Guyana. years went by until, in 2009, the triTulsieram Dukhi was standing al judge awarded $850,000 in damagwith his bicycle on the road when es along with costs and interest, but he was struck by a pick-up truck be- failed to give reasons for her decision longing to GuySuCo, which was be- and subsequently went into retireing driven by GuySuCo employee ment.

Michael Thakoordin.

Dukhi appealed this award to the Dukhi suffered fractures to his Court of Appeal, arguing that it was left leg and was hospitalised on three wholly inadequate and inordinately occasions for treatment and surgical low and that the trial judge failed to procedures, and suffered permanent take into account that the evidence incapacity and loss of earning capac- in support of the alleged special damity. ages was uncontradicted and unchal-

lenged.

There was no cross appeal, but GuySuCo argued that the absence of written reasons from the trial judge precluded appellate review of her reward.

The appeal was heard between June and November 2014. In January 2015, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, setting aside the trial judge’s award and increasing the quantum of damages to $5,446,000.

GuySuCo appealed to the CCJ, complaining that the Court of Appeal erred in setting aside the trial judge’s award and re-assessing the damages without written reasons from the trial judge.

Dukhi cross appealed on the quantum of damages.

The CCJ stressed the importance of the duty of trial judges to provide written reasons for their decisions but held that given the circumstances of the case the Court of Appeal was correct in allowing the appeal and reassessing the award of damages.

The CCJ merely adjusted the award for obvious errors in their calculation, the adjustments increasing the award to $5,743,000.

P

olitical events in Guyana took an interesting turn this past week after the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change Government took Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to task for some allegedly “spurious” comments he made at an event held in New York City recently.

So incensed was the government’s response that it accused Jagdeo of “race baiting”, peddling “malicious fabrications” and “sowing seeds of division” while strongly condemning his utterances and complete track record when he served as President from 1999 to 2011.

From the tone of the Michael Younge statement released by the Government, it was clearly shocked, outraged and caught off guard by Jagdeo’s internationalisation of the concerns of the opposition People’s Progressive Party with regards to the widening of the racial divide in the country since the May 11 elections, and to a larger extent the tricky employment politics of the new Government coupled with its anti-poor and largely unpopular socioeconomic policies.

At this point, it is hard to understand why the Government responded the way it did in the first place because Jagdeo said nothing new, and he certainly said nothing in factual.

The truth is, there is a growing concern in the country among a majority of Guyanese that the coalition Government has failed miserably so far to identify and clearly define policies, activities and methodologies for the advancement of a strong social cohesive agenda in the country.

Instead, the Government’s actions have left much to be desired in this respect and most times run counter to any attempt to bridge the racial divide and create an ethnically inclusive society.

Just look at the breakdown of the geopolitics surrounding the initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry of Social Cohesion to get a better understanding.

Similarly, any search or investigation into the episodes of government dismissals and the surge in its employment drive will reveal that more East Indian Guyanese have been fired since May 2015 when compared with African Guyanese while citizens belonging to the latter group will account for the bulk of those recently hired or elevated to various senior posts in the public service. That aside, the Ministries of Communities, Presidency and Indigenous Peoples Affairs appeared to have hatched a plan that is seeing communities where the PPP won electoral support at both the Local and General Elections being stifled of adequate resources, deliberately scorned and kept under siege unless they rebuke the PPP. Just look at the fiasco brewing in Regions Five and Six, one and other rural areas where there are more IndoGuyanese reside.

Additionally, crimes and robberies are being committed left, right and centre with a major of the complainants and victims being Indo-Guyanese. The witch-hunting and undue attention being paid to former and current PPP executives, supporters and ministers is also cause for concern, with media reports surfacing which suggest that attempts are being made to access bank account information and other data about their assets etcetera in order to pursue political motives regardless of the denial by Government and its commentators.

There are countless examples of decisions taken – most of them prematurely and because of lack of proper advice and a lack of experience – that could see the decline of the country’s democratic bill of health.

In fact, over the past six months the government appears to be displaying higher levels of intolerance and indifference whenever concerns and objections are made publicly about its posture, decisions and the perception that different ethnic groups are being treated in a discriminatory and unfair manner even if it is not as a result of the administration’s deliberate and premeditated plan.

Also, the President’s rhetoric and policy positions appear to be different from those of his coalition partners. He rarely talks about “jailing” people or “going after the PPP”. To his credit, President Granger still maintains the posture of a Statesman even if he is adopting a hardline position on issues related to crime and security, corruption and political criticisms. Others under him, and State Minister Joseph Harmon, especially those linked to the Alliance for Change continue to spew divisive, bitter and vengeful lyrics which only fuels race hate, a feeling of haplessness, insecurity, and disunity.

If anyone believes that Jagdeo was out of place to make the comments which he did or that he was not being truthful about the state of affairs in Guyana, then a serious reality check is needed. All one needs to do is approach the courts for records of the amount of cases filed since May 2015 in relation to discrimination, harassment, unfair dismissals, illegal repossession of private property and leased public property and unfair government practices – the picture will become clearer too if one were to ask for the names of the plaintiffs and an ethnic breakdown.

news

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SunDAY, JUly 31, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Armed bandits rob East Canje businessman By: Lorraine Ince-Carvalhal

The influence of an outstanding coach

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he recent win of the Guyana Junior Squash Team in the Caribbean Squash Championships in Grand Cayman was the 12th consecutive win for the team; an unprecedented feat. The continued success of the squad can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of the players, their families and the management team. There is true family spirit amongst the players and their families which is evident whenever they go on tour. However, the one constant throughout Guyana’s success of all 12 teams that have reigned victorious is the phenomenal, notorious Junior National Squash Coach Carl Ince.

Over the years he has been recognised for his contribution to Sport on various occasions and the success of the teams has been the reward for his hard work, dedication and talent. It is clear that the calibre of his coaching is unparalleled in the Caribbean and indeed further afield, but what is the real secret to his success? It’s time to take a look at why he is such an outstanding coach from a sports psychology perspective.

There are a few people in a child’s life outside their family members that have a truly significant, lasting effect on them.

One who makes a positive difference and whose actions impact in countless ways. The role of a sports coach can provide an opportunity to build a relationship that can be motivational not only in a child’s sporting career but also in their lives beyond sport.

The quality of the relationship between coach and athlete has been recognised in the field of sports psychology as being the fundamental reason for performance success and personal growth.

Apart from Coach Ince being qualified to the highest standard of Elite Level 4 England Squash Certification, the underlying key to his success is the Coach-Athlete relationship he builds and nurtures with each of his athletes; supporting and encouraging them to reach their full potential.

The guidance, instruction and support Coach Ince offers leads to the building of mutual trust, respect, belief, cooperation and understanding; all of which contribute to continued motivation, willingness to train and confidence in information transfer culminating in performance success and satisfaction.

Performance enhancement and psychological wellbeing lie at the heart of the productive coach-athlete relationship. Coach Ince’s ability to support the development of personal growth by giving the athletes responsibility, questioning and reflecting on performance and involving them in the coaching process by negotiating personal and performance goals is a real contributing factor to athletes feeling of self-actualisation and a realisation of their talents. He increases their confidence with his empathetic approach and guides them through both sport and non-sport related difficulties with wisdom and understanding.

This has a positive effect on their psychological wellbeing and in turn allows him to cultivate the four areas research highlights as the key to success; closeness, commitment, complementarity and co orientation. In other words he creates an environment in which himself and the athlete, like and respect each other, are committed to maintaining the relationship and its outcome, understand what each requires of the other and have a consensus on goals.

Through nurturing Coach Ince is able to evoke commitment, trust and positive responses to instruction. His way of thoughtful and respectful communication, stability, appropriateness, dependability, clear expectations and interest in aspirations provides young athletes with a solid, reliable mentor who they are confident in being guided and lead by. He takes time to understand need and finds innovative ways to meet the individual needs. He explains and he listens. So much so that his advice is sought and respected beyond the realms of sport.

Both his students and their families give heartfelt accounts of the impact he has had on their sporting careers, their academic achievements, their work ethic and their lives in general. Coach Ince has touched the lives of many and played a pivotal role in some outstanding performances from our athletes. His contribution to Guyana Squash is immeasurable. The longevity of his continuing success is a testament to his own ability to develop, adapt and endure. Guyana has been fortunate enough to have had the services of such a unique, wonderful man who has not only been the driving force behind historic success within the field but also a mentor to the players who have passed through his tuition as juniors and remain his friends into adulthood.

He has come to mean a great deal to the sport and its development in Guyana and this has much to do with his outstanding ability and knowledge of the game, but equally his outstanding ability to coach, mentor and care.

With his grandson from the UK now living in Guyana and under his coaching he may be around the sport for a little longer yet, despite his advancing age. Guyana is proud to have claims to such a sporting Legend and will no doubt celebrate his lifetime achievements in a manner befitting this all time great.

Businessman Yadram Doorsammy

A

n East Canje, Berbice, businessman was early Saturday morning gun-butted and his family robbed of cash and jewellery by armed bandits who broke into his home.

Reports are that two masked men, one armed with a shotgun and the other with a cutlass, entered the home at Lot 139 Gangaram, East Canje, by smashing a window with a piece of wood.

The businessman, Yadram Doorsammy said he and his wife, along with their four-month-old baby were in a bedroom when he was awoken by the sound of the crashing window.

“That’s 2:30 this morning, a loud noise, and before I could get up is two men in the bedroom…Them man bruk the window and come in de house and ask we for where the money deh and the gold,” the man stated.

The young businessman said he told the intruders that he had no money and gold, but they insisted.

His wife attempted to turn on the light in the bedroom but was prevented from doing so, as one of the bandits took the baby from her mother and pointed his gun to her head, demanding that they hand over their cash and jewellery.

The bandits ransacked the small grocery shop and carted off some $45,000 from the previous day’s sale, along with some $190,000 worth in jewellery. The entire ordeal lasted about

The smashed window

eight minutes.

The men then escaped on two bicycles.

The police were contacted immediately and have since launched an investi-

gation The community has a policing group, however the group ends its patrols at 22:00h.

Over 5000 suspected cases of Chikungunya in Guyana – PAHO

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he Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) ZikaEpidemiological Report has stated that there are over 5300 suspected cases of Chikungunya in Guyana in 2016.

The report released earlier this year, stated that when the virus was first detected in Guyana, there were a total of 76 confirmed cases in 2014.

However, although people might believe that the vi-

rus prevalence has been on a decline, the figures for 2016 differ.

PAHO indicated that a total of 5310 suspected cases and 29 confirmed cases were reported with an incidence rate of 661.6 cases per 100,000 population.

However, as of epidemiological week of 25 of 2016, no information is available on the circulation of the virus.

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the infected a. ae-

gypti mosquito and causes fever and severe joint pains.

Other symptoms include muscle pain, headaches, fatigue and rash.

According to the World Health Organisation there is no specific antiviral drug treatment for chikungunya. Treatment is directed primarily at relieving the symptoms, including the joint pain using anti-pyretics, optimal analgesics and fluids. There is no commercial chikungunya vaccine.

Prevention and control relies heavily on reducing the number of natural and artificial water-filled containers that support breeding of the mosquitoes.

This requires mobilisation of affected communities.

Insecticides may be sprayed to kill flying mosquitoes, applied to surfaces in and around containers where the mosquitoes land, and used to treat water in containers to kill the immature larvae.

16 news

SunDAY, JUly 31, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Govt determined to ‘stamp out’ TIP – Lawrence

Anna's

... “look out, speak up and take down” Ramjattan urges

A

s Guyana joined the world in observing World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (TIP), Government has reiterated its commitment to eradicate this societal scourge from the country but underscored the importance of having a collaborative effort.

To this end, Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence stated that the Administration, through its various arms, is determined to stamp out human trafficking.

“We are determined to fight trafficking in persons vigorously and we will join, therefore, with all forces, likeminded persons, organisations and regional and international governments to end this illegal practice,” she stated moments after a commemorative walk on Saturday.

The march held under the theme “I give hope”, began at the Promenande Gardens and culminated at Durban

Amerindians are proud peoples, not a destitute minority

I Some of the activists who took part in the ‘TIP Walk’ on Saturday

Park, where remarks were delivered by key speakers.

In her presentation, the Minister pointed out that trafficking in persons is modern day slavery and the fight against it is often a dangerous one because of the risks faced by the victims and the frontline workers, who seek to rescue them.

She posited that with the Ministry being tasked with the responsibility of the psycho-social welfare of TIP victims, it is intimately exposed to the harrowing experienc-

es of human trafficking survivors.

According to Lawrence, in order to defeat TIP traffickers, citizens will have to play a greater role since activists and law enforcement depend on them to report all suspicious cases.

Meanwhile, local “champion” in the fight against human trafficking, Junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Broomes, related a story of a 13-year-old from a Region One Amerindian village, who was taken away

8 to vie for Miss Linden Emancipation

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Delegates vying for Miss Linden Emancipation 2016

ight talented beauties from across the mining town of Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) are set to take to the stage, as they vie for the title of Miss Linden Emancipation 2016, slated for the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, on August 6.

The contestants are Dalika Wills, Joanne Profitt, Lynesha Barclay, Shelacy

Whittaker, Raynel Rogers, Talitha Daniels, Makela Richmond and Talisa Smith.

The eight delegates who will be representing various African nations, were sashed last Friday during an introductory ceremony held at the L&L Social Club in Linden. Leading up to the official event, a live intelligence segment will be broadcast on local tele-

vision on August 4, where various African attire will also be showcased by the contestants. The delegates who are being trained by Lindeners Tomicka Pellew and Shellain Barker on Friday paid courtesy calls to the Linden Mayor and Town Council as well as the Regional Democratic Council, followed by several social meets.

from her family and forced into prostitution.

Broomes, who has many successful TIP rescues under her belt, pointed out that human trafficking is a crime that has to be persued.

“I know trafficking, I’ve witnessed slavery in the 21st Century and my call in talking about the four pillars – prevention, protection, partnership and prosecution – it is because of the highest level of this government, we intend to team, to collaborate to bring about and really implement those four pillars we talk about in trafficking in persons,” she posited.

To this end, she called on the Police to up their ante, take the lead in fighting against the crime of trafficking in persons and go after those victims who are left behind.

This plea was take up by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, who called the scourge of trafficking in persons the most reprehensible and despicable.

However, he posited that the public has a crucial role to play.

“It is not only a crime that has taken on mammoth proportions worldwide, it is also something that is creating its own other sub-set of other crimes. But most important of all is the fact that we can play a role, like against any other crime in the world, we can play our role to bring it to a halt,” he stated.

According to the Public Security Minister, society itself is sometimes responsible for such acts, noting that when they see or know of cases of human trafficking, which are at times encouraged by family of young girls and boys, they fail to inform the authorities. This, he noted, is a culture that needs to change.

Ramjattan went on to urge citizens to “look out, speak up and take down – that is what we would wish of our citizens in (fighting) trafficking in persons. Be that policeman yourself,” he stated.

Meanwhile, United States Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway congratulated the country for moving from the Tier Two Watch List, which means the country was likely to move to Tier Three (the worst tier meaning not cooperating and not doing very much at all), to just the Tier Two List.

In essence, Guyana was removed from the watch list that was prepared by the US Department of State, which the Ambassador say is a very positive development.

n a previous edition, I addressed the stigmatisation of Amerindians which commenced since colonial times, and the efforts under the former administration concentrated into restoring the image of our first peoples.

Attempts to curb stigmatisation included initiatives such as Amerindian Heritage Month, anthropological and linguistic research investments. Policies geared toward increased access to land and to social and economic rights were Anna Correia also integrated into the development plans for Amerindian communities.

Amerindians progressively regained that prime position of the nation’s pride.

But the policies of the young Allicock administration are weak and disoriented, reflective of a significant lack of understanding for development, growth and governance. The Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry has to date, despite being in office for 14 months, been unable to produce sound and sustainable policies for the development of Amerindian communities. Perhaps the only longterm investment worth mentioning that the administration came up with on its own, is the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS), which was implemented some months after the coalition fired 1972 Amerindian Community Support Officers (CSO) from the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP). Perhaps the seat Minister Allicock now occupies came with a dose of amnesia, for the Minister and his squad of advisors can hardly come up with an innovative idea in response to their once bilious criticisms of the former government. Instead, they have simply proceeded to rename already existing policies. This must be particularly embarrassing for the staff of the Ministry, being portrayed with equal levels of incompetence at providing sound solutions for Amerindian development.

However, what’s more curious is Allicock’s eagerness to accept charity from civil society organisations which all of a sudden are displaying particular interest in Amerindian development. The coalition has repeatedly expressed its penchant for distributing hand outs and an uncanny and increasing dependence on charitable donations.

Even the First Ladies “shoes that grow” and the President’s sparse distributions of bicycles were partly funded by the Private Sector. Things became a bit more disgraceful when the Ministry was found signing an agreement with the Guyana Foundation to distributing 28,000 pieces of clothing to Amerindians.

This warranted criticisms from Village leaders who found it disrespectful to assume that Amerindians cannot “afford to buy their own clothes”.

Unsurprisingly, the Allicock administration is deaf to voice of its own people as recent events in the Rupununi have proven.

Another organisation called Hope for the Nation has also endeavoured to donate some $63 million worth of clothing and medical supplies among others, to Amerindian communities, through the subject Ministry.

During the handing over, the Minister was quoted as saying that “in looking forward for a fruitful relationship [with the foundation] the indigenous peoples are given an equal opportunity will be able to make a significant contribution to national development”.

However, while a healthy civil sector is necessary to ensure an effective counterbalance to the government during a country’s development, it is the role of the government to grant that equal opportunity for Amerindians to have increased access to their social, economic and political rights, through tenable and durable policies designed to shape the future of generations to come. Only then can Amerindians fully exercise their rights to participate on the same grounds as any other Guyanese in the development of this country.

Yet, Allicock has turned his back on several cases in which Amerindians are being denied their rights, in particular the petitioners of Region Nine who are being discriminated against by political appointees, and the Akawaios of Region Seven; some of whom are still without ownership to their land while a Natural Resources Minister mines on it. The inhumane treatment meted out to Amerindian patients coupled with the growing deficiencies of the health care system, is another area which highlights this government’s inaptitude in guaranteeing basic indigenous rights.

Distributing medical supplies, clothing and other ephemeral handouts will not suffice to guarantee the wellbeing and economic security of Amerindians. Instead, what the government is doing, is contributing to the stigmatisation of Amerindians as a people who are a destitute minority, unable to buy their own clothes.

Amerindian leaders who see this as “disrespectful” are not expressing “ingratitude” but instead are emphasising the need to be recognised as proud peoples, with rights. Send comments to sundayarrow@gmail.com

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, july 31, 2016

17

Around the World

Tunisia Parliament votes St Kitts-Nevis still hampered by to sack PM Habib Essid

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unisia's Parliament has passed a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Habib Essid, effectively dismissing the Government of the US-trained economist.

A total of 188 MPs voted to sack Essid, with only three supporting him.

Essid, who has been in office less than two years, has faced criticism for what his opponents say is his failure to push through economic reforms.

President Beji Caid Essebsi last month called for a national unity Government to break months of economic turmoil.

Unemployment has worsened since the 2011

The government of PM Habib Essid is now expected to resign

revolution, when President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted. More than a third of young people in Tunisia are without work.

Tunisia's uprising was the first of the Arab Spring,

and often hailed as the most successful with the country now functioning as a parliamentary democracy.

The confidence vote came after a month of wrangling over the fate of

the prime minister, following pressure on him from the country's president to resign. Essid refused to step down, citing respect for the constitutional process and instead called on the Tunisian parliament to decide his fate.

In the end, an overwhelming majority of MPs voted to oust him from office. Most lawmakers accused him of failing to deliver on economic reforms needed to ease the country's high unemployment rates.

In June, the Tunisian president proposed the formation of a new unity government, arguing that the country needed a leadership that could carry out bold reforms. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Luxury en-suite cell found in Paraguay prison

P

olice in Paraguay raided a drug lord's prison cell, only to find he was living a life of luxury. In the three-room cell, they found a conference room, plasma screen television, library and kitchen.

The interior of the cell, which was occupied by Brazilian drug lord Jarvis Chimenes Pavao, has now

been destroyed, media in Paraguay report.

Police had learned Pavao was planning to escape by using explosives to blow a hole in the wall of the prison.

Pavao was due to complete his sentence for money laundering next year, at the end of which he was likely to face extradition to Brazil.

He has now been transferred to a special unit away from his luxury cell in Tacumbu prison, near the capital Asuncion. An investigation is now under way to see which officials had allowed Pavao to set up his life of luxury.

Prisoners at Tacumbu told Agence France-Presse that anyone wanting to

stay in the luxury unit had to pay Pavao a one-off fee of US$5000 (£3,778) and a weekly rent of US$600.

The cell also had air conditioning, comfortable furniture, an en-suite bathroom and a DVD collection.

Among the DVDs were a TV serialisation of the life of Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar. (Excerpt from BBC News)

drought conditions

T

he Water Services Department (WSD) in St Kitts is calling on citizens to conserve water, saying that the drought situation affecting the twin-island Federation has not improved significantly.

“Water consumers are asked to note that we are still experiencing low rainfall totals for this time of year. Rainfall up to the end of July this year is still below the long term average.

As a result, inflows from our surface water sources continue to be low and abstraction from our well less than usual,” the WSD said in a statement.

It said the recent rainfall, though encouraging has only improved the situation slightly. “The good news is that the forecast is for above average rainfall during the fourth quarter of this year”.

The WSD which said it has been engaged in several water system improvements projects, said that with the favourable rainfall forecast it is now in a position to suspend water rationing in some areas from today.

It said there should be no washing of vehicles with water hoses, no watering of grass and that there will be no water available to cruise vessels.

The WSD said that it would monitor the situation and persons caught violating the measures could face a fine and or disconnection of their service.

“The Water Services Department apologises for the inconvenience due to the interruption of your service and thank you for your tolerance and understanding during this period,” the statement added. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Hundreds in Canada protest death of black man, demand change

CCJ President to give Emancipation lecture

P

resident of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron, will deliver the 2016 Churches Emancipation Lecture. The lecture, which is open to the public, will be held today at 16:00h at Webster Memorial United Church in Kingston, under the theme ‘Emancipation and Justice Reform’.

Long-standing member of the Emancipation Lecture organising committee, Professor Hopeton Dunn, explained the choice of speaker

Caribbean Court of Justice President, Sir Dennis Byron

for the lecture, which is in its 23rd year.

"Sir Dennis Byron is one of the region’s most eminent

jurists and someone who is able to provide insight into the question of justice for people in the Caribbean, in the context of Emancipation,” he said.

The presentation will provide a regional context to the recent Brexit vote in the United Kingdom as well as an update on regional progress in adoption of the CCJ. Professor Dunn also provided some background on the genesis and history of the Churches Emancipation Lecture.

“The lecture is meant

to give the public exposure to some in-depth analysis about the impact of slavery and emancipation on the Jamaican and Caribbean people, and it comes as part of the ‘Emancipendence’ celebrations every year,” he said.

Professor Dunn explained that after the removal of Emancipation Day as a holiday from the national calendar in 1962, several theologians used the lecture to advocate for the restoration of the day as a public holiday and a period of serious national reflection. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Texas hot-air balloon crash Hundreds rally in Australia over juvenile 'torture' footage leaves 16 people dead

T

exas state Police have confirmed that 16 people died when a hotair balloon crashed in central Texas on Saturday.

Witnesses said that the balloon struck power transmission lines and burst into flames before plunging into a pasture.

Emergency responders in Texas said the fire hit the basket portion of the hotair balloon. In a statement emailed to the Guardian, Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said the balloon caught fire in flight at about 07:40h local time. The balloon crashed near Lockhart, about 30 miles south of Austin.

Caldwell County sheriff Daniel Law said in a state-

ment provided by his office.

A spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety later confirmed that 16 people were dead.

Lunsford said investigators from the FAA and the NTSB were en route to the scene. He declined to give any details about the scene or to hypothesise on how the crash might have happened, saying investigators from the agency as well as local and federal authorities including the FBI’s evidence response team would help analyse the scene.

The balloon crashed in an area of farmland and open fields of corn crops and cattle, and Police held press back at a far distance from the dirt road where emergency vehicles gathered. (Excerpt from

The Guardian)

H

undreds of people have rallied in cities across Australia following allegations of abuse against boys in juvenile detention.

Demonstrators gathered in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to express shock at footage showing indigenous boys being tear-gassed.

The video also shows a boy wearing a "spit hood" while cuffed to a chair.

Australia's Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has called for an investigation.

However, he rejected calls for a broader national inquiry. Around 700 people rallied in Melbourne and 300 in Sydney, according to Reuters.

Footage of the abuse first emerged on national broadcaster ABC's Four Corners programme.

Filmed at the Don Dale youth detention centre in the Northern Territory, the programme focuses on the treatment of Dylan Voller, who was assaulted, stripped naked and kept in solitary confinement aged 13 and 14.

At one stage he was strapped to a restraint chair while wearing a hood for almost two hours. He was also among a group of six children who were subdued with tear gas.

The United Nations Human Rights Commission said it was shocked by the footage. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Protesters march in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada July 30, 2016 for Abdirahman Abdi, a mentally ill black man who died following his arrest by police

M

ore than 500 people rallied in Canada's capital on Saturday to protest the death of a mentally ill black man following an arrest, marching against what they see as race-based police brutality in a country that prides itself for being tolerant.

Abdirahman Abdi, 37, died on Monday after being hospitalised in critical condition following his arrest.

Witnesses told local media he was beaten by Ottawa Police Officers who responded to calls of a disturbance.

His death echoed events in the United States, where a string of killings of black men by police and allegations of brutality and racial bias have sparked protests.

Protesters chanted "Black lives matter!" as they started marching, a

reference to the US-founded anti-police brutality movement, which has an official chapter in Canada.

"They murdered him!

Enough is enough!" the protesters chanted as they approached the Ottawa police headquarters, where the march ended in the late afternoon.

Organisers had said they would respect the wishes of Abdi's family for the event to be peaceful, and while some protesters were so angry that others had to calm them down, none crossed the police barricade.

Police said there had been no arrests.

The family held Abdi's funeral on Friday, which was attended by at least 600 people, including Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and other local politicians. (Excerpt from Reuters)

18

SunDAY, july 31, 2016

Digicel’s Schools Football Championships...

Rematch of old foes to decide champs today

By Akeem Greene

I

t is game on, as the curtains draw on the sixth annual Digicel’s Schools Football Championships today at National Stadium, Providence. The expected mouth watering rematch between four-time champions Christianburg/ Wismar Secondary School and Chase Academic Foundation by all means will excitement those in attendance.

The Linden side who are sixth consecutive final, chasing their fifth title on the trot, were pushed to their limits to reach this stage by a spirited Sir Leon’s Lesson; a match where they had a miraculous come from behind 2-1 win. In that match a spectacular header by Shaquille Campbell

and a composed penalty kick by star forward Omar Brewley got them over the line after the opposition had the dominated majority of the proceedings.

Coach Delon Peters in speaking after that victory, bluntly stated that “we are here for the fifth title” and with four titles already under their belt, the Lindeners have showed they certainly know how to win.

On the other half of the equation, Chase Academy will be full of confidence and favouring their chances after disposing of Bush Lot Secondary 10-0 in their semi-final last Wednesday.

The team which has a strong composition of the city’s top youth football players show that are able to adopt when in difficult conditions, clinching a win

against Annai Secondary on home turf.

Captain Jeremy Garrett is wary of the defending champions, positing that he expects a tough challenge and that his team will be bringing their “A-game” in their title bid.

The history between these sides, sees both of them having a win against each other but with the Christianburg team having the victory, where it most matters, the final.

At last year’s final, the Linden side won 2-1 but in recent exhibition match at the stadium, Chase returned the same score line in their favour.

In the third place-off, Sir Leon’s Lesson will seek to give themselves a consolation win after narrowly missing out on the finals; the Bush Lot side

are certainly going to be want to redeem their team spirit after a humiliating loss.

The third place play-off between Sir Leon’s Lesson and Bush Lot Secondary will kick-off at 16:00 hrs while the final will commence at 18:00 hrs.

The winning team of the event is slated to receive $1,000,000 toward the funding of a school project and the championship trophy while the second-place unit will receive $700,000 and the runnersup accolade.

The third and fourthplaced unit will walk away with $400,000 and $350,000 and the corresponding trophy.

Similarly, $100,000 will be awarded to each zone winner.

Admission is free.

Ibrahimovic: Man Utd have “something big on the go” Z

latan Ibrahimovic believes Manchester United have “something big on the go” after scoring a bicycle-kick on his first Red Devils appearance.

Ibrahimovic, 34, met Antonio Valencia’s cross with a typically athletic volley as United beat Galatasaray 5-2.

The Turkish side then bossed the remainder of the half and led thanks to goals from Sinan Gumus and Bruma.

But a much-changed United side turned the match around through Wayne Rooney (2), Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata.

And Swedish striker Ibrahimovic believes the future is bright for the Red Devils, who continue to be linked with a £100m move for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogoba.

“There is something big on the go, it’s going to be very interesting this year,” he said.

“Let us say that if Pogba comes too, it’s going to be very interesting.

He added: “I’m going to help the team as much as I can and do what I’m good at, creating chances and scoring

goals.”

Jose Mourinho used 22 players and will leave Gothenburg with as many questions as answers as he ponders his starting XI for next Sunday’s Community Shield match which sees his FA Cup winners face champions Leicester at Wembley.

Ibrahimovic led the line in the first half, with Rooney behind him and Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan either side.

But half-time replacements Marcus Rashford, Ashley Young and Jesse Lingard looked far sharper and led to United’s revival after a sleepy first 45 minutes.

Rooney equalised with a clean volley from another Valencia cross before Rashford won a penalty with an individual run from near halfway, and captain Rooney converted. Valencia then made another goal as Fellaini drifted a header into the corner and Mata - who was sold

by Mourinho at Chelsea - collected Michael Carrick’s clever ball to slide in.

World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger – one of nine players reportedly told that

The Championship trophy being held by Christianburg/Wismar Secondary Captain Keyshwan Dey (left) and Chase Academic Foundation Captain Jeremy Garrett

Fraser-Pryce to carry Jamaica flag at Rio Olympics opening ceremony

O Zlatan Ibrahimovic

they can leave the club this week - did not feature.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho: “If the players were not in my plans I would not give them one single minute, I would not keep them in my squad. “The squad is very competitive, the squad is very important for the season.

“We have 38 matches in the Premier League, we have the possibility of 15 matches in the Europa League, plus domestic cups, we are going to play 60 matches. So with 60 matches we cannot do it with 11 players.

“To be in the squad you

have to understand that the squad is more important than the individual, the club is more important than all of us, and to be in the squad you have to be ready for this, to play, not to play, play a lot, play less, play 90 minutes, play one minute, not be selected, everything is part of a squad life.”

Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Shaw, Schneiderlin, Herrera, Mkhitaryan, Rooney, Martial, Ibrahimovic. Subs: Johnstone, Romero, Darmian, Jones, Rojo, Fellaini, Carrick, Lingard, Mata, Young, Memphis, Rashford.(BBC)

lympic champion Shelly-Ann FraserPryce is expected to carry the Jamaican flag at the opening ceremony for the Rio Games next week.

Fraser-Pryce a decorated two time Olympic 100m gold medalist will receive the honour for the first time in her career. The 29-year-old has been selected ahead of sprint superstar Usain Bolt, who many expected to lead the Jamaican contingent.

It may have been felt by the Jamaica , however, that with Bolt being awarded the honour at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, it was time for Fraser-Pryce, who sprinting achievements in the 100m event have mirrored the world’s fastest man, to be similarly recognized.

The duo will be looking to become the first athletes to claim the 100m title at three consecutive Olympic Games.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

The pair have, however, both been hampered by injuries heading into the Games, particularly Fraser-Pryce who has struggled to recover from a toe injury.

Bolt arrived in Brazil for the event earlier this week, but Fraser-Pryce is yet to join the rest of her teammates in Rio. (SportsMax)

sundAY, july 31, 2016

guyanatimesGY.com

19

Herath spins Sri Lanka to memorable win over Australia R

angana Herath claimed four Australian wickets to spin Sri Lanka to a remarkable 106-run victory on an intriguing final day in the weather-hit first test in Pallekele on Saturday.

A hamstrung Steve O’Keefe and Peter Nevill tried to delay the inevitable with nearly 30 overs of dogged resistance but could not deny Sri Lanka only their second test win over Australia which put the hosts 1-0 up in the threematch series.

Chasing 268 runs for victory, Australia eventually folded for 161 in Steve Smith’s first loss as their test captain.

Australia set a new record as the last 154 deliveries of their innings did not produce a single run.

O’Keefe and Nevill also featured in the slowest partnership in test cricket among those that lasted at least 100 balls.

It was a remarkable win for Sri Lanka, who were shot out for 117 in the first innings and were reeling at six

for two in the second before Kusal Mendis made an epic 176, which earned him the man-of-the-match award.

“Credit to Kusal, the way he played and scored 176 which certainly turned this game. It was tough to come back from there,” Smith said at the presentation ceremony.

“We were sure 268 on this wicket on day four and five was going to be difficult and it turned out to be that way.”

Herath, who claimed 4-49 in the first innings, took 5-54 in the second and fittingly sealed the win by bowling O’Keefe, who is unlikely take part in the remainder of the series, towards the end of the afternoon session.

“I don’t have words to explain after a very hard few months. We regrouped, trained really well and prepared to the best,” Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said.

He praised Mendis as a “special talent” while also praising Herath and left-arm Chinaman bowl-

SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka 1st Innings 117 Australia 1st Innings 203 Sri Lanka 2nd Innings 353 Australia 2nd Innings (83/3 overnight score) J Burns b Sandakan 29 D Warner b Herath 1 U Khawaja lbw b MDK Perera 18 S Smith* lbw b Herath 55 A Voges c & b Herath 12 M Marsh lbw b Herath 25 P Nevill† c †Chandimal b de Silva 9 M Starc c & b Sandakan 0 N Lyon lbw b Sandakan 8 S O’Keefe b Herath 4 J Hazlewood not out 0 Extras 0 (all out; Total 88.3 overs) 161 Fall of wickets 1-2, 2-3, 3-63, 4-96, 5-139, 6-140, 7-141, 8-157, 9-161, 10-161 Bowling: Pradeep 6-316-0, Herath 33.3-1654-5, Perera 13-3-301, Sandakan 25-8-49-3, D de Silva 11-7-12-1

Sri Lanka players are delighted after securing their second ever Test win over Australia

er Lakshan Sandakan, who claimed seven wickets on a memorable test debut.

“He is a brilliant find for us,” Mathews said. “We looked at the wicket and knew it was going to turn.

So we thought playing another spinner would be ideal and he responded brilliantly.”

The weather-hit match got off to another delayed start following steady morning drizzle and Sri Lanka attacked with spin from both

ends to unsettle the visitors who resumed on 83 for three.

Herath ripped the heart out of Australia’s middle order with three telling strikes in the morning session.

The left-arm spinner sent back Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh before dealing the biggest blow when he trapped Smith lbw to end the Australian captain’s spirited resistance.

Smith hit just one boundary in his gritty 55 which

was only the second 50-plus score in the bowler-dominated match.

O’Keefe and Nevill, aided by luck and Mathews’ struggle with reviews, blocked everything, frustrating the hosts in a partnership that lasted 29.4 overs and yielded only four runs.

Nevill faced 115 balls for his nine runs while O’Keefe scored four off 98 balls.

The second test starts in Galle on Thursday. (Reuters)

Stars converge Trinidad assumes resounding CMRC lead to celebrate -Bhola takes over Gp2 lead; Vieira stretches Gp3

T

rinidad and Tobago has stretched the gap on the rest of the pack as it continues in the hunt for its maiden Caribbean Motor Racing Championship country title.

Following the second round at the Frankie Boodram International raceway at the Wallerfield on Sunday, the Trinidadians have moved a clear 334 points off its nearest competitor Jamaica.

They sit on 799 points after the second round with Jamaica on 465, defending champions Guyana third on 276 and next leg hosts Barbados on 276.

The Cayman Islands have 60 and newcomers CAMS have four points.

At the group two level the battle is heating up with Luke Bhola now assuming the lead with 93 points after defending champion Marc Gill suffered mechanical problems. Gill has dropped to fifth with his countryman Mark ‘doc’ Williams taking over second spot with 75 points.

Third place belongs to Jamaican Sabastian Rae with 55 points while Guyanese Shan Seejattan is fourth on 54.

At the group three level Paul Vieira has a commanding lead of the field in his title defence with 125 points while his

nearest competitor and Guyanese Danny Persaud has 66 points. Jamaica’s Alan Chen is third with 63 points while Barbadian Steve King, who joined the party for round two, has 50 points and the Cayman Islands Gary Barrett has 42.

Jamaican Doug ‘Hollywood’ Gore retains the lead in the Group four all-wheel drive division with 136 points while second in that list lies his countryman Kyle ‘Speedy’ Greg with 43 points . Defending champion Kristian Jeffrey is yet to score a point after two rounds due to mechanical failures.

There is a three way battle on for the two wheel drive end of things with Mark Maloney of Barbados currently leading with 118 points. However, Jamaica’s Peter ‘Zoom Zoom’Rae is just 10 points off Maloney and Trinidad’s Franklyn Boodram a further six points adrift.

On the super stock front, the lead currently belongs to Stephen Vieira with 122 points with Countryman Matthew Vieira, who swept round two in second spot on 105 points. Jamaica’s Robert Mc Donald (45 points) is third with defending champion and Guyanese Elliot Vieira (43 points) fourth.

Trinidad’s Keil Abraham is fifth with 38 points.

Round three is set for Barbados on Sunday September 4 at the Bushy Park raceway in Barbados.

Country Points standing: Trinidad and Tobago: 799 Jamaica: 465 Guyana: 276 Barbados: 202 Cayman Islands: 60 CAMS: 04 Bikes Point Leaders at Round 2: Matthew Vieira, Triumph Daytona 675, Guyana: 75 Stephen Vieira, Kawasaki ZX6, Guyana: 54 Kiel Abraham, Trinidad and Tobago: 38 Group 2 Point Leaders at Round 2: Mark Williams, Honda Civic, Trinidad and Tobago: 75 Shan Seejattan, Honda Civic, Guyana: 54 Luke Bhola, Honda Civic, Trinidad and

Tobago: 45 Group 3 Point Leaders at Round 2: Paul Vieira, Mazda RX7, Trinidad and Tobago | Steven King, Toyota Starlet, Guyana: 50 Alan Chen, Toyota Starlet, Jamaica: 45 Danny Persaud, Mazda Miata, Guyana: 39 Group 4(2WD) Point Leaders at Round 2: Mark Maloney, Mazda RX3, Barbados: 75 Franklyn Boodram, Renault Megane, Trinidad and Tobago: 51 Peter Rae, Mazda RX7, Jamaica: 43 Group 4(AWD) Point Leaders at Round 2: Doug Gore, Audi TT Quatro, Jamaica: 68 Kristian Boodoosingh, Mitsubishi Evolution, Trinidad & Tobago: 30 Gregory John, Mazda RX7, Trinidad and Tobago: 24. (trinituner.com)

Garry Sobers

A

galaxy of former West Indies stars converged on Kensington Oval for a celebrity game here Thursday night, to mark the 80th birthday of cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers.

Thousands of spectators turned up to witness the contest that saw the Sir Garry XI defeat Brian Lara’s XI by ten wickets, in a Twenty20 affected by rain.

Sir Garry, Barbados’ only living National Hero, is considered the finest cricketer to have played the game.

Lara, a former West Indies captain and widely considered the best batsman of his generation, joined the likes of Sir Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Carl Hooper, Collis King, Ottis Gibson along with Sri Lankan great Arjuna Rantunga, in paying tribute to Sir Garry.

Sent in, Lara’s XI rallied to 156 for seven off their 20 overs, with Lara top-scoring with 41 and Combined Campuses and Colleges’ Aaron Jones chipping in with 40.

The 47-year-old Lara unfurled some vintage strokes on both sides of the wicket in a knock that lasted 35 balls and included five fours and a six.

He put on 49 for the second wicket with former Barbados and West Indies opener Philo Wallace (19) and added a further 24 for the third with Jones.

Lara was dismissed in dramatic fashion bowled

by West Indies Women leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne. He blocked the first three deliveries of Quintyne’s opening over before dragging on the fourth.

In reply, Sir Garry’s XI were dominant as they chased down a revised target of 92 off ten overs, to win with 11 deliveries remaining.

They were propelled by former West Indies batsman Dale Richards who slammed an unbeaten 59 from 28 balls, while Hooper finished 27 not out off 21 deliveries.

Richards, who played three Tests and eight ODIs, hammered six fours and four sixes as Hooper opted for the supporting role with two boundaries and a six.

The affair, attended by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and fast bowling legend Sir Wes Hall, featured a cultural display including dance and stiltwalking which depicted the life and exploits of Sir Garry. (CMC)

20

guyana-times.com

sundAY, july 31, 2016

West Indies vs India, 2nd Test, Kingston, 1st day...

Ashwin and Rahul floor West Indies B

atting isn’t easy at Sabina Park. In 20 years, no ground has been quite as stingy in giving up Test match runs.

Ask the local boy Marlon Samuels, who had to wait nearly 10 overs to get off the mark. Or the five Indian bowlers, who excelled after they were gifted first use of a pitch with live grass and considerable moisture. West Indies chose to bat and crumbled to 196 all out. Side note, R Ashwin secured his 18th five-wicket haul in 34 Tests.

Batting is not impossible at Sabina Park. It is the venue that gave cricket the number 365,with a little help from Sir Garry Sobers.

It was where Brian Lara proved he wasn’t just the Prince of Trinidad but King

a year.

The West Indian quicks pitched too full or too short or too wide. Their legspinner Devendra Bishoo began with three long hops.

If there was a plan, its last step possibly read “execute at your own peril.” It didn’t help that when they did fool the batsman, luck wasn’t with them. Dhawan drove lazily outside off stump, twice, but neither carried to the fielders. Rahul, anxious to get the four runs he needed for a fifty, hit offspinner Roston Chase against the turn and was dropped by Darren Bravo at short midwicket. That both batsmen felt no need to temper themselves was perhaps an indication of what they thought of the opposition’s ability to pose a threat even on a

drive away in such conditions, but Ashwin, Ishant and Shami constantly put the ball at a fullish length on middle and off stump.

Kohli had an even spread of close catchers - three for the outside edge and three for the inside edge. And West Indies were asked play shots they knew could get them out.

So Jermaine Blackwood began by leaving his second ball; it only barely bounced over off stump. Later he lunged forward to defend Ashwin, but he couldn’t reach it on the half-volley and was struck on the chest. Samuels was tempted into a driving on the up by Ishant on 0 and was nearly done in when the ball leapt up at him. Shane Dowrich was caught behind trying

Jermaine Blackwood during his counter-attacking inning of 62

of the World. West Indies do not have players of that caliber willing to play Tests at the moment, but with a little more conviction they could have been batting when the conditions were at their best for it. Instead they were all out in 51.3 overs and the final-session bounty went to KL Rahul, who was unbeaten on a brisk 75 off 114 balls. A fine knock from India’s back-up opener, marking his return to Test cricket after nearly

helpful pitch.

Virat Kohli had said it had been “damp” at the toss.

The ball swung and seamed.

It came to the batsman at a pace he couldn’t trust, and bounced inappropriately.

All of that was the result of the moisture not entirely out of place in the first session of a Test match, especially at a ground where batsmen have only averaged 25-odd in Kingston since 1996.

Batsmen had to stow the

to leave the ball. It seemed like West Indies were in a dark, cramped tunnel and even the light at the end of it was India celebrating around a bonfire.

Ashwin was having fun once more. While his first wicket may have come in fortunate circumstances an lbw against Blackwood shown by HawkEye to only graze the outside of leg stump - the next one exemplified the confidence he has in himself. Samuels had

Darren Bravo fell for a golden duck to Ishant Sharma, who was brilliant in the morning session

just torched a six straight down the ground. He was invited to do so again, this one tossed up even higher.

Halfway down the pitch, however, Samuels realised he would never get close enough to the pitch of the ball. Ashwin’s dip had taken care of that. A hastily executed flick resulted in an inside edge that was safely caught at short leg. He had Dowrich was caught behind, Holder and Bishoo were beaten in flight, the five-for was rather academic.

India had to grit their teeth through a few stages: the sixty-two balls that Blackwood batted for his half-century, the two balls that Bishoo nicked to the keeper and was not given by umpire Ian Gould, the 38 balls that debutant Miguel Cummins - playing in place of Carlos Brathwaite - and Shannon Gabriel swung around for and the one that consumed Shikhar Dhawan to give Chase his first Test wicket with less than an hour to stumps.

Everything else, however, went their way. Kraigg Brathwaite, stout of defence and temperament, fell to a simple trap. Two men were put under helmets at forward and backward short leg. Ishant bowled a short ball angled towards the batsman’s ribs - predictable considering the field placing - and Brathwaite promptly fended to Pujara in front of

square.

Darren Bravo fell to a simple trap too, but through no fault of his own. Ishant went around the stumps to make sure the left-hander would feel he has to play more than he could leave.

India were aiming at his weakness outside off stump, with a bowler known for straightening the ball off the pitch. Ishant pitched it full on fifth stump, drew Bravo into a block, claimed the edge that was caught by second slip. Shami had Rajendra Chandrika nick-

ing off to gully.

Blackwood walked out with the score at 7 for 3.

West Indies hadn’t seen such dire times against India since the Port-ofSpain Test in 1983. He was in the middle of dire times himself, having bagged a second pair in five Tests and was a prime candidate to be dropped to accommodate an extra bowler. The selectors kept faith in him, however, and his counterattacking half-century was the only high point for West Indies.

SCORE BOARD West Indies 1st innings K Brathwaite c Pujara b Sharma 1 R Chandrika c Rahul b Shami 5 D Bravo c Kohli b Sharma 0 MSamuels c Rahul b Ashwin 37 J Blackwood lbw b Ashwin 62 R Chase c Dhawan b Shami 10 S Dowrich† c †Saha b Ashwin 5 J Holder* c Rahul b Ashwin 13 D Bishoo c Dhawan b Ashwin 12 M Cummins not out 24 S Gabriel c Kohli b Mishra 15 Extras: (w 2, nb 10) 12 Total: (all out; 52.3 overs) 196 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Brathwaite, 2.4 ov), 2-4 (Bravo, 2.5 ov), 3-7 (Chandrika, 5.1 ov), 4-88 (Blackwood, 25.3 ov), 5-115 (Samuels, 29.3 ov), 6-127 (Dowrich, 35.1 ov), 7-131

(Chase, 36.4 ov), 8-151 (Bishoo, 43.3 ov), 9-158 (Holder, 45.5 ov), 10-196 (Gabriel, 52.3 ov) Bowling: Sharma 10-1-532, Shami 10-3-23-2, Ashwin 16-2-52-5, Yadav 6-1-300, Mishra 10.3-3-38-1 India 1st innings K Rahul not out 75 S Dhawan c Bravo b Chase 27 CA Pujara not out 18 Extras: (b 4, lb 1, nb 1) 6 Total: (1 wicket; 37 overs) 126 To bat: V Kohli*, AM Rahane, WP Saha†, R Ashwin, A Mishra, Mohammed Shami, I Sharma, UT Yadav Fall of wickets: 1-87 Bowling: Gabriel 6-1-18-0, Cummins 7-0-31-0, Holder 8-2 -23-0, Chase 11-2-28-1, Bishoo 2-0-13-0, Brathwaite 3-0-8-0

Guyoil wins Ministry’s domino competition

T

he Guyana Oil Company battled five other teams and emerged victorious in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sports Committee, after an action packed night of aggressive domino competition at the Ministry’s Protocol Division on Friday.

Guyoil walked away with the first place award, earning the Ministry of Citizenship Award, six medals and $20,000 cash prize for their 79 wins for the night.

Sugrim Singh was the most outstanding player, representing Guyoil with 17 wins to his name.

Guyana Prison Service fought valiantly with three wins short of first, managing 77 wins to take home the Ministry of Communities Trophy along with $10,000.

Ministry of Public Infrastructure finished in third while the other teams in the competition included Metro Office Supplies, Noble House, and Guyana National Bureau of Standards.

Coordinator of the event, James ‘Uprising’ Lewis extended congratulations to the Guyoil team and commended every participant for their sportsmanship-like conduct.

James added that this is an achievement for the sporting world as well as the workplace environment as it aims to achieve cohesion throughout the country. He indicated that some 18 teams registered but only the first six were selected for the competition.

Based on the overwhelming support the tournament has received to date, it is also aiming to expand and include a lot more teams as the tournament grows.

He added that corporate Guyana has already expressed an interest in being a part of this imitative.

Representatives from the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Noble House and Metro Office Supplies locked in battle

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21

3rd Fitness Paradises Gym Expo on tonight

T

he 3rd edition of Fitness Paradise Gym Expo is slated to be held tonight from 19:00h at the Ramada Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

This event will see members of Fitness Paradise Gym contending against each other for bragging rights and a special occasion with the largest number of female participants going head to head for the Miss Expo Best Legs, the Miss Expo Bikini.

The ladies will be looking to make an impact on the big stage with all making their bodybuilding debut.

Addis Castello, Vanessa Small, Delice Adonis, Adiola

Frank, Sharon Mohan and Xamara Kippins are the female competitors while their male counterparts, Dwane Chung, Jamaul Tinnie, Onai Vasconcellos, Paul Meusa, Carlos Oviedo, Vickram Jhailu, Darrin Noble, Jaleel Weekes and Jaryl Moore will be in contention for the Mr Expo Hot Body, the Mr Expo and Mr Expo Best Abdominals.

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Abiola Frank training for the Expo

Headquarters surge to another Police Inter-Division athletics title

A

dominance which dates back to 1998, when they lost the championship, Headquarters retained the Guyana Police Force Inter-Division Athletics title on Friday at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.

The formidable unit amassed 624 points to win ahead of ‘A’ Division, which had 337 points and Country Division on 195 points.

Julio Sinclair was deemed Champion ‘A’ Class Male Athlete with 30 points, while Marvin Tinnis was runner-up on 28 points. On the female side, Shion Boyer copped the local Champion Athlete with 28 points while Kizia Bess was runner-up on 26 points.

In the “B”Class, Headquarters’ Tevin Garraway was the Male Athlete with 30 points while Keon Spellen came in second. Tyrell Peters got the Male Youth Club top athlete award with Joanna Archer taking home the female prize.

In the overseas action,

Julio Sinclair

Trinidad and Tobago’s Che Hart ran 10.6 seconds to win the ‘A’ Class 100m ahead of Tinnis (10.8s) and Trevor Scotland (11.2s) respectively.

Compton Caesar won the male youth club 100m in 10.6 seconds.

Guyana Defence Force’s Davin Fraser blasted to the invitational 100m in 10.2 seconds ahead of team-mate, Akeem Stewart (10.6s) and Terron Montfort (11.0) in that order.

Deshaun Skeete won the youth club girls 100m.

Hart won the ‘A’ Class race for Trinidad in 22.1 seconds ahead of Tinnis

(22.6s) and Keith Roberts (23.0) in that order. Hart also won the 400m in 46.0 seconds with Suriname’s Gilberto Gittens (46.2s) second and Simon Francois (1:08.3) third.

Bess won the female race in 1.00.2 ahead of Tanisha Isaacs (1:10.5) and Nadia Cox (1:13.3).

Dummett took home the ‘B’ Class gold medal in 49.4 seconds ahead of Kareem Purch (50.6s) and Linton Mentis (51.4s) respectively.

‘A’ Division won the male 4x100m race ahead of ‘B’ Division and Headquarters respectively, while Headquarters took home the female honours ahead of ‘A’ Division and ‘B’ Division in that order.

Headquarters swept the women’s 200m with Onika Eastman winning in 24.9 seconds and Jevina Sampson (25.4s) second and Bess (26.6) third. Garraway won the male race in 21.4 seconds ahead of Kevin Abbensetts (21.5s) and Winston Dummett (21.7) respectively.

HS Masters looking to stun undefeated Regal Masters

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he Wolf’s Challenge Cup Softball Competition will continue today with six exciting matches at the Malteenoes Sports Club Ground and Tuchen Ground.

Among those clashes include the HS Masters taking on Regal Masters who remain undefeated in the tournament after two matches.

The Regal Masters team will be looking to inform batsmen Mahendra Hardyal, Eon Abel and Mahase Chunilall to score big if they are to overcome HS Masters.

In the bowling department, HS Masters will be watchful of Abdul Gamal

Mahendra Hardyal

who has already picked up two hatricks.

Regal Allstars will also go into their match against Tropical Springs with high spirits, having only lost

one match.

Both Regal teams travelled to the Big Apple and emerged victorious in the New York Cup. The Malteenoes Ground will have Regal Masters playing HS Masters on Pitch One from 10:00h and Regal All Stars go up against Tropical Springs at 13:00h.

Pitch Two will see Superior Woods battle Albion Masters at 10:00h and Wolf Warriors Masters contest against Fisherman Masters from 13:00h.

Tuschen Ground will come alive with Floodlights going up against Savage Masters at 10:00h and Wellman playing Parika Defenders from 13:00h.

22

guyana-times.com

sundAY, july 31, 2016

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2016…

Amazon Warriors send Tridents packing with knockout punch their seventh victory and 14 points to once again go to the top of the Hero Leaderboard.

Mohammed ended the match with his fifth six, a massive hit into the VIP stand to end on 57 not out from 41 balls while Barnwell hit a confident 16 from nine balls with a four and a six.

Pollard tried his best but was expensive in picking up one wicket while Imran Khan took the valuable scalp of Maddinson to end with 1-16 from his four but the pick of the bowlers was

By John Ramsingh at C entral B roward Regional Park, L auderhill F lorida

A

Man of the Match performance from Jason Mohammed and a match saving knock from Chris Lynn send former Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Champions Barbados Tridents packing as the Guyana Amazon Warriors romp to their second straight victory over the Tridents in Florida.

In match 28, Tridents Captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and decided to bat but after 20 overs he was left reconsidering his decision. Pollard tried his best to get his team to a competitive score but fell at 131/4 at the start of the 18th over for a top score of 47 (36 balls; 5x4; 1x6). Steven Taylor was brought in for the match in front of his home

Reifer with 2-22 from four.

The Warriors are guaranteed a top two finish and will next play the Jamaica Tallawahs in St. Kitts on August 3 for a place in the final while the St. Lucia Zouks and Trinbago Knight Riders will battle in the next play-off on August 4.

However, the tournament continues at midday with the Trinbago Knight riders taking on the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots while the Tallawahs meet the Zouks again at 16:00h.

Jason Mohammed enroute to his 57 not out

crowd and made 37 from 21 balls with seven fours while Shoaib Mailk also got among the runs with 35 (33 balls; 1x4; 1x6).

The 81-run third wicket partnership between Malik and Pollard was the best of the innings

after their team was reduced to 50/2 in the eight over.

Warriors Captain Rayad Emrit rotated his bowlers beautifully with Sohail Tanvir 2-24 once again the best of the lot while Dwayne Smith,

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo was in the grand stand at Lauderhill for the Guyana Amazon Warriors vs the Barbados Tridents match

A sold out crowd of mainly Amazon Warriors fans flocked the Central Broward Regional Park on Saturday

Teams

Mat

Won

Lost

Pts

Net RR

Guyana Amazon Warriors

10

7

3

14

+0.120

Jamaica Tallawahs

9

6

2

13

+0.902

St Lucia Zouks

9

5

1

10

+0.275

Trinbago Knight Riders

9

4

5

8

-0.218

Barbados Tridents

10

3

6

7

-0.267

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots

9

2

7

4

-0.717

SCOREBOARD Barbados Tridents innings (20 overs maximum) Ahmed Shehzad c Jacobs b Smi th

6 SR Taylor c Lynn b Zampa 37 Shoaib Malik c Lynn b Emrit 35 KA Pollard* c Mohammed b Sohail Tanvir 47 N Pooran† c Lynn b Sohail Tanvir 9 D Wiese not out 13 RA Reifer run out (†Bramble) 4 Extras: (lb-2, w-5)

7 Total: (6 wickets; 20 overs) 158 Did not bat; AJ Hosein, R Rampaul, I Khan, M de Lange Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Ahmed Shehzad, 3.2 ov), 2-50 (Taylor, 7.2 ov), 3-131 (Shoaib Malik, 16.6 ov), 4-131 (Pollard, 17.1 ov), 5-153 (Pooran, 19.2 ov), 6-158 (Reifer, 19.6 ov) Bowling: Sohail Tanvir 4-0-242 (w-1), SA Jacobs 1-0-10-0, DR Smith 2-0-17-1 (w-1), V Permaul 4-0-28-0, A Zampa 3-0-17-1 (w-1), RR Emrit 4-0-34-1 (w-1),

CD Barnwell 2-0-26-0 (w-1) Guyana Amazon Warriors innings (target: 159 runs from 20 overs) DR Smith b Reifer 0 NJ Maddinson c Ahmed Shehzad b Khan 16 CA Lynn c Pollard b Reifer 57 JN Mohammed not out 57 A Bramble† lbw b Pollard 1 CD Barnwell not out 16 Extras: (lb-2, w-12) 14 Total: (4 wickets; 19.3 overs) 161 Did not bat; Sohail Tanvir, RR Emrit*, SA Jacobs, A Zampa, V Permaul Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Smith, 0.1 ov), 2-43 (Maddinson, 5.1 ov), 3-112 (Lynn, 14.5 ov), 4-119 (Bramble, 15.6 ov) Bowling: RA Reifer 4-0-22-2 (w3), R Rampaul 3-0-39-0 (w-1), AJ Hosein 3-0-16-0 (w-6), I Khan 4-0-16-1, D Wiese 1-0-14-0, M de Lange 1-0-200 (w-2), KA Pollard 3.3-0-32-1

Adam Zampa and Emrit himself had one wicket each. Tanvir is still the leading wicket taker with 18 scalps.

In reply, the Warriors were pegged back with the first ball of their innings when Smith was bowled by left arm seamer Raymon Reifer for a duck to set the cat among the pigeons and silenced the huge Saturday afternoon crowd.

Nic Maddinson was joined by his Australian mate Chris Lynn and they took the score to 43/2 when Imran Khan got Maddinson to hit to Ahmed Shehzad at deep midwicket for 16 at the start of over number 6. The Warriors were in a spot of bother with the required run rate climbing but Jason Mohammed and CPL’s leading run scorer added 69 for the third wicket to put the

run chase back on course.

At 112/3 in the 15th over, Lynn hit Reifer his head looking for his fourth six or his fifth four but found the safe hands of Kieron Pollard at long off to go for 57. Lynn is now two runs short of 400 runs and is the leading run scorer this year.

Anthony Bramble horrid run with the bat continued when he was out leg before wicket to Pollard for one at 119/4.

However, Chris Barnwell with new energy stuck around with Mohammed to see the Warriors to

Keiron Pollard hits out

Minister of State Joseph Harmon was enjoying the Guyana Amazon Warriors match from the stand in Lauderhill

guyana-times.com

sundAY, july 31, 2016

23

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2016…

Impressive Zouks claim Hero CPL qualification after defeating Tallawahs

By John Ramsingh at Central Broward Regional Park, Lauderhill

T

he St Lucia Zouks continued their excellent run of recent form with a 63-run win over the Jamaica Tallawahs at the Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida in match 27 of the Hero Caribbean Premier League.

A terrific 74 not out from Andre Fletcher was the foundation of the Zouks 206-3.

the brakes to the scoring.

Only four runs came from his first over, and when his second brought the much-needed breakthrough as the wellset Charles chased a ball into the hands of Rovman Powell the Tallawahs began to grow in confidence as only twelve runs came from the next three overs.

The thirteenth, however, saw the Zouks find their feet again as 19 runs were scored, Shane Watson hitting six,

Delorn Johnson (left) David Miller (centre) and Darren Sammy of St Lucia Zouks celebrate the dismissal of Chris Gayle

It proved too much for the Tallawahs as they never recovered from the early losses of Chris Gayle and Kumar Sangakkara to finish well short of their target. The victory also secured the Zouks qualification for the Hero CPL play-offs for the first time in their history.

The Zouks got off to a flying start with 60 runs coming without loss in their best PowerPlay performance of Hero CPL 2016 so far.

Johnson Charles dominated the early exchanges, hitting two Hero Maximums together with six boundaries on his way to his third fifty of the tournament off 29 balls. At the other end Andre Fletcher showed similarly aggressive intent, sending a six back over of Powell as the Zouks opening pair kept up a strike rate of more than ten per over.

The introduction of the slow left-arm of Shakib Al Hasan temporarily applied

four, six off successive deliveries from Powell.

Watson continued to deal mainly in Hero Maximums, hitting two more off Russell to move ahead of his partner as the Zouks reached 148-1 at the end of the 15th over.

Although Watson fell next ball, caught by Walton near the backward point boundary off the bowling of Kesrick Williams, momentum had been re-established, and David Miller quickly settled in and provided good support to the accelerating Fletcher.

The opener, having earlier become the fifth batsman to score his 1000th run in the Hero CPL, brought up his fifty with a crunching Hero Maximum off the bowling of an apparently struggling Andre Russell who was having a game to forget with the ball, finishing with 0-64 off his four overs.

After Miller fell in the penultimate over to an ex-

SCOREBOARD St Lucia Zouks innings (20 overs maximum) ADS Fletcher† not out 74 J Charles c Powell b Shakib Al Hasan 59 SR Watson c Walton b Williams 43 DA Miller c †Sangakkara b Williams 13 DJG Sammy* not out 11 Extras: (w-6) 6 Total: (3 wickets; 20 overs)206 Did not bat; GD Elliott, GD Pope, MEK Hussey, DE Johnson, S Shillingford, JE Taylor Fall of wickets: 1-89 (Charles, 9.3 ov), 2-148 (Watson, 15.1 ov), 3-187 (Miller, 18.2 ov) Bowling: Imad Wasim 4-036-0 (w-1), KOK Williams 4-0-28-2, AD Russell 4-0-640, R Powell 3-0-39-0 (w-3), Shakib Al Hasan 4-0-25-1 (w-2), JL Jaggesar 1-0-14-0 Jamaica Tallawahs innings (target: 207 runs from 20 overs) CAK Walton c Johnson b

Shillingford 54 CH Gayle* c Sammy b Johnson 13 KC Sangakkara† run out (Charles/Shillingford) 18 R Powell c & b Sammy 2 AI Ross c Hussey b Taylor 23 AD Russell c Miller b Johnson12 TP Allen c Pope b Taylor 8 Shakib Al Hasan b Johnson 0 KOK Williams not out 3 JL Jaggesar not out 0 Extras: (lb-5, w-5) 10 Total: (8 wickets; 20 overs)143 Did not bat; Imad Wasim Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Gayle, 1.6 ov), 2-57 (Sangakkara, 5.4 ov), 3-63 (Powell, 8.1 ov), 4-115 (Walton, 15.5 ov), 5-123 (Ross, 17.1 ov), 6-139 (Russell, 18.1 ov), 7-140 (Shakib Al Hasan, 18.3 ov), 8-142 (Allen, 19.4 ov) Bowling: JE Taylor 4-0-342 (w-2), DE Johnson 4-030-3, SR Watson 3-0-24-0 (w-2), S Shillingford 4-0-171, DJG Sammy 3-0-24-1 (w-1), GD Pope 2-0-9-0

cellent one-handed catch by Sangakkara to give Williams his second wicket, some last over hitting from Fletcher and new batsman Daren Sammy took the Zouks to an imposing 206-3, their highest team score of Hero CPL 2016.

The Tallawahs reply got off to an eventful start as Chris Gayle, having struck successive Hero Maximums, caught the shoulder of the bat as he pushed at the next ball from Delorn Johnson into the hands of Sammy at slip. Kumar Sangakkara arrived at the crease in good touch, striking several beautifully timed boundaries as he and Chadwick Walton comfortably kept up with the required rate.

The sixth over, however, brought disaster as Sri Lankan Sangakkara, backing up at the non-strikers end, was run out for 18 going for a quick single which Walton was slow to respond to. A PowerPlay score of 57-2 had kept the Tallawahs in the

Chris Gayle of the Jamaica Tallawahs out for 13 runs during Match 27 of the Hero Caribbean Premier League between the St Lucia Zouks and the Jamaica Tallawahs at Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida, USA (Photo by Randy Brooks/Sportsfile)

hunt, but when Powell skied an outside edge to Sammy, who completed the catch off his own bowling, they began to struggle as the required run rate began to rise.

Walton tried to maintain some momentum, reaching his fifty in the 14th over, but boundaries were in short supply in the face of an excellent

performance in the field from the Zouks. Shane Shillingford bowled particularly well, and was rewarded with the wicket of the opener, caught by Johnson at long-off for 54.

Despite some big hitting from Andre Russell, there was too much to do and wickets fell regularly as the innings drew to a close. It was an excellent

team performance from the Zouks who will go into the play-offs high on confidence after such an emphatic victory. The Tallawahs, their qualification already assured, will look to gain some revenge when the teams meet again tomorrow.

SUNDAY, JULY 31, 2016

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

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