Guyana Times Daily

Lest we forget: Bishop Andrew Irvin performs a dedication ceremony at the unveiling of the 1823 Monument, designed by Guyanese sculptor Ivor Thom at the monument's memorial site, Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown on Monday (Carl Croker photo)

One dead in accident at Land of Canaan

Amember of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Taxi Association was this morning killed on the Land of Canaan Public Road when his car collided with a sand truck.

Sooklall Rooknarine, 42, of Lot 2, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD), met his demise after he attempted to overtake another vehicle in the Vicinity of F&T Designs, Land of Canaan, EBD, while negotiating a

turn.

According to reports, he ended up into the path of a sand truck, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

The man called “Blinky” or “Suraj” was reportedly pinned in his motor car bearing registration number HB 8254. It took publicspirited citizens about 30 minutes to pull Rooknarine from the wreckage.

He was subsequently placed in a van and transported to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, but succumbed on his way to the medical facility.

Rooknarine reportedly suffered several broken limbs and from all indications, he reportedly suffered a fractured skull.

Sad news

At the home of the dead man, his mother, Iris Latchman, who was holding one of his jerseys, as she wept, told Guyana Times that she was at home when she received a call from someone informing her that her son was in an accident.

Latchman, in tears, stated that a relative collected her, and they rushed to the scene where she saw her son’s damaged car and the truck that was involved in the accident.

Upon enquiring, she

stated that when she arrived at the medical institution, she saw her son lying on a bed; he was motionless and was covered in blood, she cried. She said on Sunday afternoon, her son took off his working clothes

was told that he was already taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre and did not hesitate, but went straight there.

The aggrieved mother

and went to bed.

Latchman explained that he woke up about

01:00h on Monday morning and headed to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to work. She said he normally works various shifts, but that particular morning, the flight arrived at 01:30h.

She noted he might have been to Georgetown to drop off his passengers that came off the flight and on his way to Timehri when the accident occurred. The mother said she did not have all the facts regarding the accident.

Eyewitness account

At the scene, one eyewitness told media operatives that he was driving behind Rooknarine, and as he attempted to overtake another vehicle while going around a turn, the truck was coming from the opposite direction.

Burnel Blair, a soldier said the truck tried to avoid the collision, but it was too late. The car, he said ended up under the front of the truck and was dragged some

50 feet before both vehicles came to a halt.

Several persons ran out to assist, but it was too late. He said Rooknarine was severely injured and his car was completely wrecked.

“It took about 10 persons to get the man out, but by that time, he was probably already dead,” Blair said.

Persons in the area stated that they heard a loud screeching song and when they looked out, they saw the car under the truck and a lot of people around.

The driver of the sand truck with licence plates GJJ 7750 was taken into police custody and is assisting with investigations. The truck is reportedly from Columbia on the Essequibo Coast.

The man’s body was taken to the Lyken’s Funeral Home awaiting post-mortem examination. He leaves to mourn his mother and five siblings. He was not married and had no children.

Foulis woman ingested poison after years of abuse – sister

Dularie Samaroo, 41, of 502 Foulis 13th Street, East Coast Demerara, who drank poison last Thursday shortly after a brutal beating, reportedly at the hands of her husband, lived a very tormented life.

This was according to her sister, Rajdai Singh, who claimed that Dularie never had a happy day in her twoyear relationship with her companion.

The abused woman after being severely beaten thought it was enough, and ingested the weedicide gramoxone.

As investigations continue into the alleged suicide, relatives believed that the woman was forced to consume the poisonous substance.

The aggrieved sister told Guyana Times that she was at home when she got the news that her sister had ingested the poisonous substance and immediately rushed to her home, which is a short distance from where she lives.

At the home, the man with whom she was living showed no remorse and refused to summon a car to take her sister to the hospital.

After realising that the woman was left at home to die, other relatives demanded that she be taken to the hospital. After considering, the man gave permission and went along. On their way to the hospital, the woman succumbed.

Zameer Wazir, Dularie’s second son, told Guyana Times that the frequent abuse his mother received from his father may have caused them to separate.

Wazir said he saw his mother Friday last and they talked for a while and saw the pain in her eyes, but did not enquire. He stated that the police have not arrested the man.

He said he cannot take the matter into his own hands as he is cognisant of the fact that he can get into trouble. He is pleading with the police at Cove and John to bring the man to justice.

Dularie’s reputed husband has reportedly gone into hiding after learning that she died.

Neighbours also related that the dead woman worked as a domestic worker in the area to support her cane cutter husband’s

drinking habits.

One neighbour told media operatives that “as soon as she get she money, she got to go and buy rum fuh he… when he done drink, is one argument and then we does hear screams and sounds like when she getting blows... if she nah cook enough food, he does beat she… if she go out, he does beat she… everything she do, ya beat she”.

On Thursday last, the woman reportedly left home after being physically abused and went to a relative’s home, but later returned. Guyana Times understands that when she returned, she was beaten again.

Samaroo will be cremated today at the Good Hope Crematorium. She leaves to mourn her three children and other close relatives.

The mangled car

Dead: Sooklall Rooknarine

Dularie Samaroo

WEATHER TODAY

Some 35,000 FITUG workers to be affected

– if opposition refuses to approve Amaila project

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has expressed concern that approximately 35,000 of its members will be negatively impacted by the failure of the Parliament, specifically the joint opposition, to pass necessary legislation that will see the Amaila Falls project become a reality.

Monday, August 5, 2013

FITUG in a release said its members are employees in the public and private sectors, who cannot afford to have their salaries and wages consumed by electricity costs that will soon increase if this project does not bear fruit.

“The FITUG bemoans the dreaded potential of higher electricity rates for the present and future generations, loss of employment from new investments and the untrustworthiness Guyana would now be characterised by, due to the opposition’s parliamentary selfishness.

“We are appealing to the joint opposition to put the working class citizens of

Guyana first as Parliament meets over the coming days to debate issues of national importance, including the retabling of the Hydro Electric Power (Amendment Bill 2013) and the Guarantee of Loans (Public Corporations and Companies) Act.”

Every stakeholder, including the political parties, the private sector, local and foreign investors and the humble householder-consumer, accept that there is an overdue need for cheaper, renewable energy.

FITUG is also concerned that jobs for its members will be lost if the international donor and investor communities take a cue from the opposition’s disapproval and not risk any investment or contribution in the future. In addition, hopes for largelocal scale manufacturing will be dashed or put on hold as a result of the opposition’s selfish stances.

“FITUG is reminded that the dream of renewable hydro power from our blessed water resources has been

around long before the advent of the PPP/C administration of 1992 and onwards. FITUG is also aware of government’s openness with the opposition over the past weeks when both foreign and local stakeholders briefed the opposition and made documents readily available. How will the opposition explain their rejection of these needed pieces of legislation when millions are being spent on the access roads to the proposed facility?”

FITUG is hoping that the opposition will engage in introspection since their own constituents, who also feel the brunt of high electricity costs, would appeal to their better judgment by reminders of just why they are in the House in the first place.

“FITUG reminds all concerned that our very own sources of cheaper renewable energy are natural repositories of a guaranteed future of prosperity. Surely our economic sovereignty is way above partisan politics,” the release concluded.

ATM thief returns stolen cash

The Republic Bank account holder, who lost all his income to a dishonest bank customer, was overwhelmed with joy when the culprit agreed to return the cash.

A beaming Deandre Anderson walked into the Guyana Times office on Monday and expressed delight that the stolen cash had been returned to him.

Anderson said he walked into the Brickdam Police Station on Monday, but did not immediately recognise the suspect, who was sitting on the bench.

He explained that after repeatedly being asked by investigators if he was able to recognise the suspect, he turned and was surprised to see the man from the surveillance video at the station.

“I told the officer, ‘yes’, he is in this same room with me,” Anderson related.

He disclosed that the man’s relatives agreed to repay the entire sum and he has decided to drop all the charges in an effort to resolve the matter.

“I prayed last night and I had his image in my head all night. So when I received his name, I went straight to the police station,” the school teacher said.

However, reports are that the suspect’s friends had already alerted him that he was being featured on television and in the newspapers and he turned himself over to police in the company of relatives.

Meanwhile, this newspaper has received information which confirmed that the suspect is a law enforcement official attached to the Tactical Services Unit (TSU). He is under close arrest.

Anderson, as a last resort for justice, sought the

public’s assistance in identifying the suspect who stole his cash after he absentmindedly left the card in the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM).

The hapless man recounted that he visited the bank’s New Market Street branch on July 20 about 08:10h to make a withdrawal. He explained that he collected the cash and left in a haste as his children were waiting in the car.

In his rush, Anderson forgot to end the transaction and left his card in the ATM machine.

The suspect, who approached the ATM immediately after Anderson’s transaction, was surprised when he noticed a card left in the machine and proceeded to make three withdrawals after an initial assessment to ascertain the amount in the account.

He withdrew $63,000 and left a mere $1000 in the account after repeatedly looking over his shoulders to see whether the account owner had realised his error.

According to Anderson, he reported the matter and with the assistance of the police, he was able to acquire from the bank video footage of the suspect, which he distributed to several media houses.

“It showed that it’s a man who I crossed paths with. While I was going out, he was going in,” Anderson had said earlier.

However, while the bank promised to offer assistance, it could not provide a name for the suspect since he had not conducted any transaction using his own ATM card. Anderson was peeved that no further evidence had been garnered, nor any arrest made almost two weeks after the heist.

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) says some 35,000 of its workers will be affected if the joint opposition does not approve the Amaila project

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Democracy in Zimbabwe

The results of, and reactions to, the July 31 election in Zimbabwe raise once again the issue of the clash between procedural and substantive democracy in Africa. This has grave implications for the U.S. project to “export” democracy to the continent.

The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), the party of incumbent President Robert Mugabe, was declared to be the winner by a wide margin – 67 per cent to 31 per cent – over his rival Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Tsvangirai immediately denounced the election as “void” on account of claimed “massive irregularities”.

Observer missions from the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), however, stated that the irregularities of Zimbabwe’s elections did not jeopardise the results. South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma congratulated President Mugabe for his win and urged Tsvangirai, Mugabe’s rival, to accept the result as “election observers reported it to be an expression of the will of the people”. Western observers were not invited to witness the polls and the results were vehemently rejected by Britain, the former colonial power, as well as the U.S. They demanded another poll.

The diametrically opposed positions taken by Western versus African leaders reflect their different perspectives on the institutionalisation of democracy in Africa. Britain had been the ruler of what was then Rhodesia, where white settlers had appropriated 90 per cent of the prime farmlands, while native farmers eked out a desperate subsistence existence.

ZANU-PF, under Mugabe, evolved as a disciplined, cadrebased, guerrilla party locked in a liberation struggle against the heavily armed white colonial state. Britain and the U.S. waged a long rearguard effort to protect the white settlers but in the end, ZANU-PF prevailed.

The party won the elections of 1980 and Mugabe has been ruling ever since, even though he has been accused of a wide range of atrocities against his opponents. The specific issue that brought to the fore the difference that still persists between the reactions of Western and African leaders was Mugabe’s position on land ownership. Mugabe has been implacable in his position that white ownership of Zimbabwean farmlands had to be shared with Africans.

The claim that the latter did not have the expertise to run the farms as efficiently, as the former did not cut any ice with him. His position was that justice had to take priority to economic efficiency and that Africans could be taught to run the farms as productively as the Whites. While the latter group has all but disappeared from Zimbabwe, agricultural production has not recovered. However, the mass of Zimbabweans are positive about the land policies of ZANU-PF.

Mugabe’s position can be contrasted to that of Nelson Mandela over in neighbouring South Africa, where whites have been allowed to retain their agricultural, commercial and industrial dominance over the overwhelming majority of Africans. This situation has raised serious conflicts within the governing African National Congress (ANC) and it is almost certain to precipitate rifts in the near future as the masses of Africans refuse to accept their poverty. President Zuma’s prompt endorsement of Mugabe’s victory could be a move to signal restive members of his own party that he is sympathetic to Mugabe’s position on the indigenisation of Africa’s assets.

The MDC, on the other hand, came together as a coalition of largely urban trade unionists and civil society groups and articulate a view of democracy that focuses more on the procedural rather than the substantive aspects stressed by Mugabe. This, perhaps, is the greatest difference between the two parties.

In the previous elections of 2008, Tsvangirai polled more votes than Mugabe but pulled out of a run-off when 200 supporters were killed by security forces. SADC intervened to form a fractious unity government with Mugabe as president and Tsvangirai as prime minister.

A new variable is China. Its non judgemental willingness to invest in Zimbabwe’s natural resources will help to undercut the West’s definition of “democracy”.

Amaila

will provide low-cost energy that will help fuel Guyana’s economy for generations to come

Dear Editor,

Sithe Global would like to thank the members of Parliament and the members of the Guyanese public that attended our Amaila Falls Hydropower Project information workshops, which were conducted on July 31. We further express our appreciation to all Guyanese supporters and opponents alike, who have a stake in ensuring that the country makes an informed decision about proceeding with the project. The extensive public dialogue was evidence of your vibrant democracy and commitment to a comprehensive understanding of the project.

Sithe Global strongly believes that the project will have lasting and profound benefits for the country by delivering improved electricity reliability and cost savings versus the status quo. The math is simple. In 2012, the cost of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) generating electricity was over 19 U.S. cents/kilowatt hour (kWh). This price is amongst the highest prices paid for generated power in any part of the world. Government subsidies currently reduce the ultimate impact on the tariff paid by GPL customers, but these subsidies come from your tax dollars.

In its first 12 years of operation, the Amaila project is expected to generate savings of 40 per cent or nearly

US$1 billion (G$200 billion) compared to GPL’s 2012 cost, as the project’s tariff is expected to average approximately 11 U.S. cents/kWh.

In years 13 to 20 of operation, the Amaila project is expected to generate savings of 70 per cent or US$1.15 billion (G$230 billion) compared to GPL’s 2012 cost, as the project’s tariff is expected to average approximately 5.5 U.S. cent/kWh.

After year 20, the project is transferred to Guyana for free and will generate savings for Guyanese ratepayers of over 90 per cent or nearly US$15 billion (G$3 trillion) over the remaining 80-year life of the project compared to GPL’s 2012 costs, as operating costs are expected to average less than two U.S. cents/kWh.

All of the above assumes that fuel costs never go up for the next 100 years. If fuel prices do go up, the savings go up further. The analysis further ignores the secondary benefits of cheap, reliable electricity, which will support higher growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Guyana.

The Amaila tariffs calculated above are in accordance with the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between GPL and Amaila Falls Hydro Inc, which is consistent with the project costs presented to the public last week. Our public presentation is available on our website (www.amailahydropower.com) and we encour-

age you to view it. A number of additional questions have been raised subsequent to our workshop. As a result, we have started a question and answer page on the website. If you have a question about the project that has not already been posted, please email it to info@amailahydropower. com.

Sithe Global has spent six years and US$16 million to develop this project because we believe that it will be transformational for Guyana in many ways. In addition to providing reliable electricity and substantial cost savings, the project will generate hundreds of local jobs, having a significant economic impact on the country.

The project has been vetted by numerous thirdparty firms and has been determined to be Guyana’s “least cost” power option. Bids were sought and received in a transparent and fair process by five international construction firms with the lowest cost contractor, China Railway chosen. The technical development of the project is done – design drawings supporting the start of construction are complete and have been reviewed by two independent parties, including MWH Global, one of the world’s leading hydropower design firms, in addition to China Railway. The InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) and China

Development Bank (CDB) are completing due diligence and preparing to seek final internal approvals by the end of October. However, Sithe Global cannot continue its development efforts without the same level of commitment from our partners in Guyana. We can only proceed further if there is uniform consensus in Parliament that you support this project.

Without such consensus, Sithe Global will be forced to withdraw. This is simply an acknowledgement that, after US$16 million and six years of intense effort by Sithe Global to progress the project, the country is not prepared to proceed. The unfortunate consequence is that it would be many years before any similar project could be resurrected and, as such, Guyana would remain saddled with a 19 U.S. cent cost of power and complete exposure to fuel price swings for imported oil.

It would be our honour to work with Guyana to carry through this important public-private partnership, if we have the collective support of our future partners. We hope you are willing to take this momentous step towards securing reliable, low-cost energy that will help fuel Guyana’s economy for generations to come.

With sincere regards, Brian Kubeck President, Sithe Global

A joyful dance: Part of the cultural ceremony on Monday to unveil the 1823 Monument on Carifesta Avenue (Carl Croker photo)

Well done, Limacol!

Dear Editor, I would like to congratulate the organisers, and the amazing local sponsors Limacol for bringing to Guyana these historic cricket matches.

The Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 matches have brought such fun and excitement in the past week to our lives in Guyana that I wish there were more games planned for the Providence Stadium.

I went to all four of the matches at the stadium and enjoyed them thoroughly. The events were organised impeccably, except maybe for some traffic issues at the stadium. But these were fixed on the next game day anyway.

What I really loved was the atmosphere at the stadium, seeing Guyanese people together and supporting the

Guyana Amazon Warriors.

The organisers and the Limacol team worked zealously to ensure Guyana and the Guyana Amazon Warriors were effectively branded all over the stadium for the world to see.

I am excited that the world saw Guyanese rejoicing and laughing and having a great time. It brought a great smile to my heart to see Guyanese in support of Guyana.

Yes, unfortunately we didn’t win the last game, but we represented Guyana so well. We fought like true

warriors to the last ball of the game.

I look forward to other local companies taking such a big leap with investing in Guyana’s economy and sport entertainment in such an impressive way.

Being at the Providence Stadium during the Limacol CPL made me proud to be Guyanese. Well done, Limacol! Well done, organisers! I look forward to more in the near future!

Yours sincerely,

Sharon Dodson-Kippins

Occupational health and safety is everybody’s concern

Dear Editor,

Some simple things can be done where professionalism regarding occupational health and safety order is being addressed. Right now, government is driving towards putting the final touches to a new occupational health and safety order, which will ensure the protection of all categories of workers, especially miners.

This is coming from the labour minister. I gather that he is very serious and I like this kind of attitude. The working landscape in Guyana is changing for better.

Already, the laws concerning the 40-hour per week and minimum wages are kicking in. Now, what should be done, as I see it, are a couple of things in the interim.

The government should send safety inspectors on

construction zones to see what is obtaining. The basic thing to do is have workers “belt up” when they have to be working high off the ground. I slip in here too the use of safety boots. These two are standard requirements when it comes to the construction sector in most countries. We can implement and enforce these very quickly.

I think too that employers must be mandated to inform workers about safety measures and how important these are for them. The idea that workers must get is that it is not about anything else but actual safety, that is, taking preventative actions long in advance.

We must not wait for things to go wrong when we know beforehand what can go wrong and why. Like the use of safety helmets in mines is so easy to comprehend – what is difficult

about this? Working on a ground, where heavy objects are stacked high and have to be constantly taken down is quite dangerous for those without that helmet.

In many countries, this is a must. So that is why I keep saying that we can enforce a few things, even while talks are ongoing. Lots of things are new to Guyana, and it is good that government is very pro-active, where the betterment of workers is concerned.

A good note too is that the workers themselves seek to do some personal guarding and protecting of themselves. They can look into things like why buy an expensive show cap, that cannot protect the head from injuries – invest in a helmet. How about the same kind of thinking for footwear?

Yours faithfully,

Annette Wilson

Men must be made to pay their child support fees

Dear Editor,

When I read that a man, father as such, was in court for child support, I was happy. Men must take care of their children. A recent one had to do with a man who was granted bail, even as he was told that he had been living with the woman whom he owes the money for the past three years.

The thing is he appeared with his reputed wife, told the court that he did owe the money and begged the court for a chance to allow him to have a payment plan.

See how quick he started to beg. I have not known many who can say that the enforcement of the law is not a scary and serious thing.

Good story this is for me and I think that it must now inspire women to press charges for child support. This father has to pay only $3000 monthly and he is having difficulty. He is reconciled with the mother of his children, but it is good to know that the backed-up and accumulated fees will not be written off.

It is grossly wrong for

Cricket, lovely cricket! Like the freshness of a breeze in a bottle!

Dear Editor, On Sunday, the excitement could have been felt throughout the packed stadium. The local support for the Guyana Amazon Warriors was tremendous, almost frightening to the opposing team. The players were all motivated and energised by the thunderous applause that greeted them as they walked to the pitch. Win or lose, they came out to play.

But it is not only crowd support that motivates players to give their all in a tournament that pits quality players from the West Indies in a rivalry with their own, the financial rewards are well worth it. It is evident that a lot of hard work and planning went in to organising these games, and the benefits have not been limited to the players alone.

Guyana, like other venues in the region, stands to benefit tremendously from the spinoff of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament. Tourism will certainly get a major boost from the exposure of these games throughout the cricketing world, as commentators showcase Guyana in all its splendor on worldwide television.

Not since the Australianborn media tycoon Kerry Packer revolutionised the sport by founding the World Series Cricket, has the games generated so much excitement and interest. The six teams in the Limacol CPL tournament are competing for over

US$800,000 in prize money. US$25,000 per match goes to the winning team, with other cash incentives of US$1000 going to the Man of the Match of each game. The two top teams in the final will play off for a winner-takes-all prize of a whopping US$250,000. The big bucks have finally come to Caribbean cricket.

Limacol has also introduced various cash awards for hitting sixes and taking thrilling catches in each match.

In addition, Virgin Airlines, the official airline of the Limacol CPL T20, will be staging the “Virgin Challenge” which encourages batsmen to strike the Virgin red balloon positioned over the stadium, with the chance to win a trip around the world for two.

Money and competition are certainly the main motivating factors that have

brought these teams and franchise players together, but it took vision and courage to risk so much for the greater cause of elevating the standard of cricket played in the region. Guyana has certainly benefited from the return of international cricket to the National Stadium, Providence. Hopefully, the franchise owners will also benefit from their investments.

The stadium is now the pride of Guyana. Built primarily for cricket matches, the stadium is easily converted to accommodate multi-purpose events. It continues to host scores of high-profile concerts attracting popular entertainers from all over the world. Without the capacity of the stadium, this would not have been possible.

Yours sincerely, Harry Gill

fathers not be called up to court for child support. Women must move in this direction. I also feel that the money should be correspondent to what is being earned by the father. No fixed fee should be per child.

As for those non-working fathers, these should be rounded up and sent to jail. This will drive them to being responsible. I am sure they will then find work very quickly.

Yours sincerely, Halley Vangendren

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana National Stadium, Providence

Page Foundation

little ways to encourage kindness 14

BY KRISTINE BREESE

GHappy to help

reat thinkers, from Martin Luther King Jr to the Dalai Lama to my daughter, Addison, all have had something to say about the importance of helping others. The civil-rights leader stated, “Life’s most persistent and nagging question is ‘What are you doing for others?’” The soft-spoken spiritual leader called doing good deeds “our prime purpose.”

And my 12-year-old put it this way: “Helping feels good because it’s nice for the other person and for you.”

Smart words. And as it turns out, children are actually hardwired to be considerate and kind. “The desire to help is innate,” says David Schonfeld, MD, director of developmental and behavioural paediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre. And their sense of doing good develops as they grow. “At first, children like to help others because it helps them get what they want. Next, they do so because they get praise. Finally, they begin to anticipate the needs of others, and it becomes intrinsically rewarding to do nice things for people in their lives.”

Bottom line: Children want to help. And as par-

ents, it’s our job to nurture and guide a child’s natural inclination to pitch in so it becomes a lifelong habit. “It’s important to be a good role model – children learn to be helpful from watching you,” says Dr Schonfeld. Try out a few of these simple ways to nudge your child’s helping gene.

Work as a team

Make helping a family affair. When a friend gets sick or a local family falls on hard times, grown-ups know what to do. They send flowers, bake casseroles, and pass the collection plate at church. Get your children involved in these projects. Ask them what they’d like to do to help out, or suggest arranging the bouquet, layering noodles in the lasagne pan, or collecting cans of food. And when you drive over to deliver the gifts, take your children along. They’ll find out first-hand how good it feels to brighten someone’s day. This is also a great opportunity to talk about being on the other side of the good-karma equation – ask them whether they remember when someone did something nice for them and how it made them feel.

Share the wealth. Teach your children to see the abundance all around them and to think of people to share it

with. When your rosebush explodes in bloom, invite your child to snip a few buds and take them to her teachers. Is his shelf overflowing with books? Suggest he donate a box to the library or a local family shelter. Package up leftover soup or cinnamon rolls, and take them to an elderly neighbour.

Hug a tree

Teach respect for the earth. Never litter. Even if something drops by mistake, make a point to pick it up. And if you see an old newspaper or a used coffee cup left on a park bench, throw it away. It feels good to take care of a mess you didn’t make and weren’t “supposed” to clean up.

Recycle. How’s this for a double whammy of doing good? Have your child collect and take empty cans and bottles to a recycling centre that pays you for what you bring in, then drop the money you make into the donation jar at the supermarket checkout.

The art of pitching in Assign chores. Children should understand that a certain amount of helping is requested and required “just because”: just because they’re members of the family, just because they live under the same roof, and just because

it’s the right thing to do. So show them where the cat food is and how to clear the dinner table and make their beds. And keep a chore chart to track and reward the completion of their tasks. Your children will feel great pride in doing their share.

Teach teamwork. How often have you hosted a play date and been left with what looks like a scene from the movie Twister: dolls and their tiny clothes strewn everywhere, glue and glitter splattered on tables and rugs, juice cups and crumbs all over? When your child is a guest, make sure she helps clean up before she climbs into the minivan. If the host insists it’s not necessary, say, “Let us pick up three things and then we’ll be on our way.” Putting away a few army men or Legos is a great way to practice the art of pitching in.

Perform small acts of kindness. I have a friend who’d had breast cancer. I asked her, “What was the nicest thing anyone did for you when you were sick?” She told me that the mother of one of her daughter’s friends packed lunches for her little girl for the entire month after the surgery. This simple gesture meant my friend could take the time to recuperate minus one daily chore. Plus, her daughter enjoyed some new

tasty treats in her lunch box.

Look on the bright side

Give your children rose-coloured glasses

Sometimes, it can seem as if bad news is all around us.

Point out to your children the good things that are happening and the good people who are helping others. Cut out newspaper articles about student groups who volunteered to build homes or collect clothes after a natural disaster. This makes your children feel better about the world they live in and also gets them thinking creatively about ways they can make a difference.

Don’t criticise their efforts. Yes, you can get the wet towels off the floor faster, sort the laundry better, and pour the milk without spilling it, but if you take over (or critique too much) it leaves your little helpers feeling inept, unskilled – and less likely to offer their services again. If you’re impatient, you can turn a teachable moment into a missed opportunity.

“Children want to help cook dinner, wash the car, and do the dishes, and, sure, they’ll do it slowly and imperfectly at first,” says Dr Schonfeld. You’re teaching them that they can make a difference at home. Just imagine how good they’ll feel when they step out

Do unto others Lighten someone’s load. Send your child out to meet the mail carrier on the sidewalk before he or she has to climb your steps or walk up the driveway. Offer a fellow grocery shopper help to the car with her bags. Let someone with less stuff go ahead of you in line at the supermarket.

Cheer up a stranger (or a friend). If you see that your neighbour’s newspaper is always getting soaked by the sprinklers, toss it onto her porch. If the guy who drives your bus has been gone for a few days, ask him how he’s feeling when he returns. Is a friend sad? Give her a hug. Teaching your children to notice what’s going on in the lives of folks in their own backyard fosters empathy and can inspire them to become keen helpers.

Do something that’s above and beyond the call of duty. If your neighbour has lost a pet, call and ask whether they’ve found their furry friend. If they haven’t, you and your child can offer to hang up more signs and keep an eye out for their pal.

Give thanks. Compliment a stranger on her great sweater, say “good morning” to a neighbour, and thank the pizza delivery guy. Sometimes a simple acknowledgment or expression of appreciation is all the boost someone needs to get through the day. Be a good neighbour

My family lives in an area that was built in the 1940s as a place where returning WWII veterans could buy a first home, settle down, and start a family. Today, many of the houses are still occupied by their original owner, typically an elderly widow. On our street, there are five such women, and a neat thing has happened. Without anyone’s suggesting it, the immediate neighbours of each of these ladies have taken to rolling their garbage cans in and out of their garage and to the curb and back every Monday (trash day on our street).

We recently joined the ranks of the Croydon Avenue trash-can brigade when the husband of our elderly neighbour passed away. The Monday morning after the funeral, Travis, my 10-year old, said, “Maybe we should get Ann’s cans too.” And so now we do. There’s probably a group that needs help or a problem to be solved in your own neighbourhood. So the next time you see something awry, don’t complain. Look at it as an opportunity to get involved. Inspire your children to find ways to make their corner of the world a brighter place. (Parents.com)

into the world.

Community engagements needed to curb violent behaviour – Reverend Gilbert

National Commission for the Family Chairman, Reverend Dr Kwame Gilbert believes there is need for intervention in the form of outreaches to communities, in order to address the upsurge of violent behaviour being played out in society.

During a telephone interview with Guyana Times, Dr Kwame Gilbert said many citizens are publically expressing outrage at the sudden increase in murders taking place in Guyana, due to such violent behaviour.

He believes this tragedy is occurring as a result of mental instabilities, for which early help is needed when detected.

As such, to curb such mental behaviour that can lead to physical abuse, Dr Gilbert said there is need for a continuous national discussion on behavioural change and its consequences.

He said outreaches should be hosted by the relevant authorities, with the help of religious bodies to engage families and communities, with the aim of sensitising them.

Such activities Gilbert noted, would allow family members to seek immediate intervention and for their concerns to be addressed.

Dr Gilbert also emphasised the need for persons to report any suspected violent acts.

With reference to a recent Trinidad report in which president of the InterReligious Organisation Dr Harrypersad Maharaj said that the country needs to stop just praying and start acting, Gilbert said both facets are interrelated.

Maharaj made the statement in response to reports that gunmen in Trinidad had killed seven people between last Friday night and Saturday morning and three more persons between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

However, Gilbert clarified that while more involvement is needed from the religious community in Guyana, more action is indeed important.

Gilbert concluded that the authorities need to explore every possible means

of intervention necessary to control and ultimately eliminate violence in the country.

A number of recent incidents, including murders and robberies, can be summed up as evidence of the recent upsurge in the spate of killings occurring in Guyana.

On July 26, Gregory Elvis Fernandes, 24, of Mandela Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown was shot once to the head and once to his chest during an argument over a vehicle.

Six days after, Richard Lord, 26, formerly of Wales, West Bank Demerara hacked his two children to death at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo and left his reputed wife Nazalena Houston, 26, hospitalised.

The woman reportedly lost her left hand and three fingers from her right hand.

Meanwhile, on August 2, the body of Delon Melville, 26, of Lot 134 Nelson Street, Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara was discovered in a backdam about a mile from the village.

His body bore several stab wounds while at the back of his dead was reportedly shaved and his two legs broken.

And as recent as August 4, an ex-soldier hammered his wife to death in their Jonestown, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara home and then took his own life.

Man arrested in 2.2kg marijuana bust

Aman was arrested on Monday after a quantity of marijuana was found in his car along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

According to police, the car was stopped by police

ranks along the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway about 06:30h and a quantity of seeds, leaves and stems believed to be cannabis was found.

The man was told of the

UGSS president exploring legal options to clear his name

University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) President Ganesh Mahipaul has disclosed that he is seeking legal advice on the way forward to clear his name and to address the ongoing debacle as it relates to the allegations made against him.

Mahipaul has been accused of converting $800,000 of the society’s funds to his own use, but has insisted that the money he spent was a legitimate loan, which was permissible under UGSS’s constitution.

An internal audit on the finances of the society found that Mahipaul failed to provide documents for additional spending of $265,000.

The UGSS president explained that the composition of the $265,000 represents funds for the replacement of a missing laptop computer of a student to the tune of $100,000.

UGSS bills

UGSS office bills amounted to $35,000 while other expenses totalled $5000, a further $100,000 for the return of an HNC system unit and the return of a 17” flat panel monitor valued at $25,000.

However, Mahipaul maintained that all bills and receipts that were in his possession were handed over to the treasurer, who submitted them to the auditor.

As it relates to the return of the system unit and flat panel monitor, the treasurer took the equipment to the chief executive officer of Ultratech Engineering for repairs.

offence and was arrested. The suspect along with the suspected cannabis was taken the police station where it was weighed and totalled two kilograms, 224 grams. Charges are expected to be laid shortly.

“At least, that’s what he told me, he was going to do,” Mahipaul remarked.

He explained that the auditor disallowed $125,720 and concluded that Mahipaul was solely responsible for the amount when the entire council had

approved it.

He pointed out that the composition of the $125,720 is a donation to the VID ($20,000), tuition costs ($32,000), travelling expenses, meals to meet with the business community ($58,720), and trip to Berbice Campus with a donation to the Public Relations Officer Department for Santa’s Helper ($15,000).

“All these expenses were approved by the Executive Council. I do not understand how is it that the auditor can disallow what was allowed by the governing body of the UGSS, when the constitution clearly states under Section 26 (ii) that all monies received or allocated by the university for the use of the society shall be paid over to the Society’s General Account and shall be applied in accordance with the directions of the Executive Council.”

Mahipaul said what was particularly striking is the fact that the auditor found that 62 per cent of the cheques were signed by the treasurer, which means that 38 per cent were signed by the secretary, and he was solely responsible for the $265,000.

Cheques

In percentage terms, this means that Mahipaul is responsible for 64.47 per cent of the cheques, the secretary (who signed 38 per cent) is responsible for 28.33 per cent, and the treasurer (who signed 62 per cent) is responsible for 7.20 per cent.

“This report does not reflect impartiality... Had I been given a hearing, this would have been challenged,” the UGSS president stated.

Mahipaul, who revealed that the report has not yet been accepted by the Executive Council, challenged the auditor to pro-

duce the audited reports for the years 2007-2008, 20082009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.

He said when the vice chancellor requested an immediate audit into the UGSS’s accounts, a memo was sent to him by the chief accountant requesting that he surrender books and documents to the internal auditor.

According to him, he immediately informed the UGSS treasurer while he and the secretary handed over all the books and documents that were in their possession.

Audit

Mahipaul was then sent on administrative leave to facilitate the audit and was subsequently suspended from performing his duties as president.

The student body president said he was extremely disappointed that the council came to a conclusion without a hearing.

Mahipaul said he found it extremely strange that he was castigated for misappropriation when monies were released to him by other signatories of the account, with the knowledge off senior members.

He pointed out that other members from the same administration had borrowed money from the UGSS, which can only be withdrawn with a minimum of two signatures.

UGSS President Ganesh Mahipaul

Dr Kwame Gilbert

tuesday, august 6, 2013| guyanatimesgy.com

Taxi driver found not guilty of fireman’s murder

Thirty-one-year-old Kurleigh Goodluck was freed on Monday after he was found not guilty of a fireman’s murder by a jury panel.

Goodluck of Lot 144 Kuru Kuru, SoesdykeLinden Highway, was indicted with the murder of 30-year-old Patrick Daly called “Ringo” on September 15, 2009, at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara. He pleaded not guilty to the indictment when it was read to him before Justice Dawn Gregory.

The trial commenced two weeks ago before a mixed jury panel. The case was prosecuted by State Counsel Renita Singh, who presented seven witnesses before closing her case last week. The witnesses included the wife and stepdaughter of the deceased, Denise George and Tiffany George, both of whom testified that they saw the accused beating Daly with two other men and subsequently left with them.

Goodluck was then called upon to lead his defence and elected to do by giving an unsworn statement from the dock. The accused said on the day in question, he went to the yard as a peacemaker between the men. He noted that while there, someone threw acid on the deceased and some got on his face, as such, he left and went home. The man added that a few days later, he was arrested and charged for Daly’s murder.

The prosecutor and defence attorney, Peter Hugh, both made their closing addresses to the jury. This was followed by the summing up of the evidence presented during the trial on Monday. After the summing up by Justice Gregory, the panel retired to the jury room, where they spent approximately two hours deliberating on a verdict.

The panel then returned with a unanimous verdict of not guilty to

both murder and the lesser count of manslaughter. Goodluck stood in the dock as he was informed by the trial judge that he was freed. The man immediately ran out of the courtroom.

According to reports, on the day in question, Daly was in the outdoor toilet when his wife heard him calling for her. When the woman went outside, she saw two neighbours, Errol Williams and Oswell Johnson outside of the latrine. Williams had a cutlass in his hand while Johnson had a bottle containing a substance.

Daly called out to his wife and told her to call the police and she did while standing nearby and was calling out to neighbours

for help. Goodluck then joined the two men with a piece of iron in his hand. He then used the iron to open the door of the toilet and Daly ran out. Johnson threw the liquid on Daly and then Williams came from behind and started to chop the man on his neck, back, knee, legs and hands.

The man succumbed to his injuries and a postmortem examination conducted on Daly indicate that he died as a result of shock and haemorrhage due to multiple chop wounds. Goodluck was arrested with several other persons, but Williams and Johnson had managed to evade the police. He was charged and placed before the court.

Scrap metal row sends neighbours to court

Awoman appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after she was charged with abusive language and threatening behaviour.

It is alleged that on August 2 at Sussex Street, Odessa Williams made use of abusive language and threatening behaviour to Melissa Rogers. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.

According to court documents, the defendant picked up a bottle and ran behind the virtual complainant, saying that she will make her just like her husband and threatening to burn her.

The virtual complainant said the situation is a constant “headache”, as the defendant will come and pull scrap metal from her garbage heap, claiming ownership. The husband of the VC who was present in court stood up and said similar incidents have occurred. He also said that if someone steals a piece of metal from the defendant’s yard and brings it over to theirs, she comes over and makes a scene rather than informing the police and bringing them to arrest the person who stole the metal.

There were no objections to bail put forward by the prosecution, and it was set in the sum of $10,000 for the abusive language charge; however the defendant was remanded for the threatening behaviour charge.

However, the virtual complainant had a change of heart when she considered that the defendant has children and decided to offer no evidence against her.

The matter was dismissed.

Eyew tness

The morning after...

...the conversations

Well, the promised “conversations” on “the state of Black African Guyana” got going Sunday. The theme, “Time for Renewal and Empowerment”, as we said before, appeared to signal that minds were already made up about the topic. This conclusion was vindicated when we saw the early reports of the conversations.

The high profile foreign guest – pretty much de rigueur in these gatherings – was the prolific Afro American “scholar activist” Anthony Browder. Browder has focused mainly on the contributions of Egypt to African and world civilisation and reinterprets matters affecting American blacks from an Afrocentric perspective. He’s billed as the only person of African descent conducting an archeological dig in Africa.

Recently, the African scholar Mahmoud Mamdani has criticised the stress of Egypt as the “civiliser” of Africa – a view pioneered by Cheikh Anta Diop. Mamdani points out that while Diop “darkened the complexion of Hamites” by rendering “Egyptians of the Pharaohic period as a black people”, he “left the logic of colonial historiography intact”.

That historiography rested on the so called “Hamitic Hypothesis”, according to which “Africa was civilised from the outside, with light-skinned or fine-featured migrants from the north civilising natives to the south”. While it is obviously true that notwithstanding the efforts of the West to convince us otherwise, Egypt is part of Africa, it’s just as true that their Pharaohic interactions with the rest of Africa was tenuous at best.

But one media house reported that Browder took aim at modern diasporic African culture rather than his archaeological findings. He criticised the tendency of youths to use as their role models rappers and pop singers in their dress and lifestyles. He pointed out that stars like Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and Rihanna “only teach our young women that dressing with short pants and dresses is the only way to win the love and attention of a promising husband”.

It maybe proved his point that conditions in Guyana –and by extension the Caribbean – are dreaded, since two of the three aforementioned “unsuitable” role models are of Caribbean origin. Few would dispute his point, which was first raised some years ago by Bill Cosby, the famous African American television star. In Guyana, even fewer from the African Guyanese community have had the courage to speak so frankly about what has to be a major constraint to the actualisation of the promise of emancipation.

We hope local leaders were taking notice.

...the game

While the above-mentioned conversations were going on near the Atlantic, a little further inland, another event was unfolding that was just as intense – but at a whole different, fantastic level. In case you were stranded on some desert island or the frozen Antarctic for the past week, we’re talking about the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket games rocking the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

We’ve seen Test cricket, we’ve seen One Day Internationals (ODIs) and we’ve even seen T20 games at the venue before. But nothing that preceded it can match the excitement of professional T20 as seen in the Limacol CPL. The crowd was driven to such a pitch of excitement and exuberance about the home team Guyana Amazon Warriors that for probably the first time in cricketing history, a jam-packed stadium of 15,000+ Guyanese, stood at attention, placed their hand over their heart and repeated the National Pledge! It was something to behold.

And talking about role models, the Warriors lost the game last night. But they showed character. They fought back when they were batting to post a defendable score and when it was their time to bowl, they scrapped to the very last over. That’s worth imitating.

...the congress

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) congress is over. Their central committee has been formed. Seems that they also had some intense conversations in which all sorts of topics and challenges cropped up. Let’s see the plan now. And then the execution.

GRDB lab gets recertification

– Dr Ramsammy urges application of highest standards

The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) central laboratory has been recertified in keeping with the GYS:170:2009 standard on general requirements for the operations of a laboratory.

On Monday afternoon, the certificate was handed over by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) in the presence of Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy and GRDB General Manager Jagnarine Singh at the board’s headquarters in Cowan Street, Kingston.

Dr Ramsammy, in delivering the feature address said the recertification is critical for the rice industry, as it seeks to protect Guyana’s market. “We need to protect the export rights for rice in Guyana. And the only way to protect that right, that opportunity, is by ensuring the highest quality of rice and paddy. We export rice into markets that have access to rice and paddy from other sources and therefore to maintain the advantages we have gained over the years, we must maintain the standard and quality of our paddy and rice,” he explained.

Highest standards

The agriculture minister admonished the central laboratory to test and grade paddy, rice and rice products in keeping with the highest standards and not just the minimum requirements of the export market. “That’s how Guyana’s rice will continue to be a preferred paddy, preferred rice in any market that we enter,” he stressed.

In many developing countries, Minister Ramsammy said there was a separation in the quality and sale of rice with the exported rice superior to that which is sold on the local market, but in Guyana there would be no deferential stand-

ards. “Guyana rejects that notion and the Ministry of Agriculture rejects that notion; similarly, the GRDB rejects that notion, we want to make sure that there is one standard for paddy and rice, and that’s the highest standard, so what we sell to others is what is available for our people, because we are not taking second place to anyone,” Dr Ramsammy said.

It was also pointed out that the recertification of GRDB’s central laboratory is not only critical for grading and testing but essential for the enablement of traceability. “Without a certified lab, we cannot have traceability and we will not be able to implement a traceability system,” he said.

Traceability

Dr Ramsammy said Guyana remains committed to issues of traceability, noting that the local rice industry is well on its way to achieving traceability standards on the global arena.

In February, the Haitian government submitted a proposal to facilitate an electronic traceability system during the staging of the 24th Intersessional Meeting of Caricom Heads of Government.

The food traceability system refers to a record-keeping system, which helps to identify the path and the history of an animal and food product or ingredient through the food supply chain.

Meanwhile, the agriculture minister sent a strong message to millers, stating that their licences can be terminated if they fail to comply with the established standards.

“I want to use this occasion to signal to the millers that grading is one of the most important aspects of their business, not only to be fair to farmers but to ensure that we are sending out the

Caricom secretary general urges teachers to place emphasis on standards

Cbest quality of paddy and rice.”

He said the Agriculture Ministry has a zero tolerance for any mill that does not efficiently and effectively grade paddy. The rice board is currently monitoring all mills to ensure that they are grading farmers’ paddy and rice fairly.

Grading system

“We are confident that the grading system works relatively well in Guyana, but not 100 per cent, but that is something we want to achieve, so we are going to hold millers accountable and we have to effectively implement the grading system.”

GNBS Executive Director Evadnie Enniss applauded GRDB for taking the necessary steps to become recertified. “When the reports come, I would look at them and the first thing I would check to see if there were non-conformances, and I am happy to say that GRDB has corrected all their nonconformances, so they are in conformance with the national standard, GYS 170 General Requirements for the Operation of a Laboratory.”

She posited that other laboratories in the country should follow suit, even as she challenged the rice board’s central laboratory to increase its standards by being accredited to international standards. Ennis was referring to International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 17O25 Standards.

GRDB’s central laboratory was first certified in the GYS:170:2009 Standard on July 8, 2011 by GNBS. The certification, which will be done biannually, signals conformity with the required standard and the ability of the rice industry to test and certify rice and paddy with a high degree of traceability.

aricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, has urged teachers gathered in Georgetown, Guyana for the 36th Biennial Conference of the Caribbean Union of Teachers, to place emphasis on teaching standards to meet demands for a competent workforce in the com-

munity.

In a message to the conference, which opened on Monday evening at the Princess Hotel, Providence, Guyana, Secretary General LaRocque said, “Our community needs a workforce that is healthy, competent, and literate with strong basic skills and which can adapt to a rapidly changing labour market and technological world.”

As a consequence, he stated that there was need for “more than passing assurance” that persons functioning as teachers are certified to teach, thoroughly prepared, and maintained performance standards.

“This assurance can be ascertained through the introduction of a set of measures that will enable the regulation and management of quality within a framework of professional teach-

ing standards and, consequently, improve status of the teaching profession,” Secretary General LaRocque stated.

Teacher career policies and programmes stimulating the profession; the provision of incentives to attract the best prospective candidates; established entry-level professional standards; and certification and licensing in accordance with established professional standards were among the specific measures he suggested.

Noting that the principal requirement in the effort to bring teaching more in line with other established professions was a deliberate focus on the quality of teachers and their teaching, the secretary general added that teachers’ quality was a direct outcome of continuing professional education.

Wanted bulletin issued for father who killed his children

Days after relatives told the media that Richard Lord who chopped his two children to death in Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) had committed suicide; the Guyana Police Force on Monday issued a wanted bulletin for him.

This publication was on Thursday told that Lord was found hanging from a coconut tree aback his Wales, West Bank Demerara House, but according to police, the report was actually a hoax to take away the attention from their loved one. This matter has been investigated.

Lord is wanted by the police for questioning in relation to the murder of his children, Kimberly Houston, five, and Ahmad Lord, two, who he hacked to death.

He also chopped his reputed wife Nazalena Houston, 26, who is hospitalised. The incident occurred on July 31, at Zeelugt Squatting Area, EBE.

His last known address was given as Lot 867 Zeelugt North, West Coast Demerara, but he is formerly of Lot 2, Vive la Force, West Bank Demerara.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Richard Lord is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 226-6978, 268-2298, 2682222, 911 or the nearest police station. All information will be treated with strict confidentiality.

Wanted:

On the night of the chopping incident, the two children were rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital and were pronounced dead on arrival, while their mother was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was admitted.

It was reported that the suspect went to work and return home under the influence of alcohol and an argument started between him and his reputed wife when he accused her of being unfaithful.

During the argument, Lord became angry, picked up a cutlass and dealt the woman and children several blows about their bodies.

Persons in proximity recalled hearing screams and when they went to the couple's house, they found the woman and her two children covered in blood. They were picked up and rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital. Immediately after the incident, the suspect fled the scene and has not seen been since.

Richard Lord

Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque

GNBS Executive Director Evadnie Enniss handing over the GYS:170:2009 Standard Certificate to GRDB’s Central Laboratory Research Assistant Marsha Hohenkirk , while Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy and GRDB officials observe (Carl Croker photo)

Pensioner dies days after being beaten by bandits

Days after a security guard received a severe beating from bandits at his workplace on the waterfront of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, he succumbed to his injuries on Monday while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Seventy-nine-year-old Frederick Minty, of Sheet Anchor Village, Canje, Berbice was discovered in a pool of blood by his colleague, Suraj Bootoon on Friday morning. The pensioner suffered broken ribs, a punctured liver, and a fractured jaw.

Times under -

stands that about 08:00h on Friday, Bootoon went to relieve Minty and found him prone in the compound with his face

swollen and bruises about his body.

Upon enquiring, the colleague was told that while Minty was on duty on Thursday evening, he was attacked by two men who dealt him several lashes about his body. They also took his bicycle, a backpack, and other personal items before making good their escape.

Bootoon reportedly raised an alarm, which led to public-spirited citizens rendering assistance to the injured man who was subsequently taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital for treatment. He was later referred to

the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Minty’s daughter, Yonette, had told media operatives that upon enquiring, her father informed her that two men went into the compound on Thursday evening, but he managed to get rid of them. After a while, he said, the two men returned with a piece of wood and struck him mercilessly. He was reportedly lashed to his face, head, and ribs.

According to the woman, her father collapsed on the ground and was left there until he was found Friday morning. “A friend found him lying on the ground at the work site; a friend who would normally go and gaff with him during the early mornings,” she added.

Minty has been working with the construction company for quite some time now as a security guard. Police have not been able to make an arrest as yet, but investigations are ongoing.

Green and Garbage fuh Guyana (GGG)

It got a old-time sayin that one rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch. It simply mean that one person who rotten can mek tings rotten fuh every body else. It can also mean that one person who rotten can mek de whole place rotten. Well, de person who write that proverb is probably a prophet and ain’t even know that. A prophet is some body who does talk bout tings a long time before dem happen.

GT, de garbage town, got a mayor-fuh-life name Green Ham. Every ting bout this mayor does sound good when he talk. But he rotten. Even he name does look good when yuh tink bout de environment. But he rotten. He rotten from a long time ago, since in dem dark days when he was PEE-M. Is now he deeds ketch up wid de and he start lookin rotten too.

Every ting in GT is de opposite of green. Even de public hospital tryin to mek tings look nice and green, and Green who is against every ting green don’t want that. Talk bout one rotten apple! And de rottenness spreadin.

Even dem other town council in de country gettin rotten now. Anna Regina now get problems wid garbage and wid vendors. New Amsterdam gettin de same problems. Talk bout one rotten apple! De rottenness so big it reachin all over.

Even de whole East Coast Railway Embankment full of garbage. So now when people drivin in de countryside, dem does tink dem still in GT. Talk bout one rotten apple! Is every where yuh go, de mayor-fuh-life rottenness tekkin over.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Keep lookin out fuh more rottenness because de mayorfuh-life still headin de GGG party. But de name change from Good and Green fuh Guyana to Green and Garbage fuh Guyana!

Booths for GuyExpo 2013 going fast

GuyExpo 2013 is slated for October 3-6, and though the event is two months away, booths are being booked at a very rapid pace. As it stands now, the international pavilion is almost sold out and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is looking to expand that area to accommodate more foreign exhibitors.

Speaking to the Government Information Agency (GINA), GTA Director Indranauth Haralsingh said that there will be many new events and other changes at this year’s event. This includes the pre-selling of tickets so as to better manage the crowd and avoid congestion at the Sophia Exhibition Site.

He explained that GuyExpo’s partnership with the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) will bring much uniqueness to this year’s event. “The GMSA is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and this event will showcase the accomplishments of the manufacturing and services sector. It is expected to be the largest GuyExpo ever. We will

also be having the themed villages,” Haralsingh said.

Over the years, GuyExpo has grown significantly in the number of patrons, foreign participation, and exhibitors.

At present, the Tourism Ministry, through the GTA, is working to bring many overseas investors and buyers in for the event.

Overseas buyers

The GTA director said, “We want to create the linkages between overseas buyers and the manufacturers and producers here, so that GuyExpo can become a marketplace for negotiations, networking, and sales as well.”

The GTA wants to ensure that local businesses find markets for their products and services at GuyExpo, for without markets, these businesses will not be able to expand, create more jobs or reinvest.

“So the linkages are very critical, that’s why we are focusing heavily on bringing overseas buyers, to have meetings, and do site visits,” Haralsingh said.

GuyExpo 2013 will be hosted under the theme “Advancing Productivity through Innovation Organisation”, showcasing the best Guyana has to offer in the areas of business and commerce.

During the expo, several seminars will be hosted for both investors and buyers. Persons who are interested in showcasing their businesses at this mega event are urged to contact the GuyExpo secretariat. Registration can also be done online via the official GuyExpo website. GuyExpo, a trade fair and exhibition which showcases locally produced goods and services, became an annual event in 2004 having been launched in 1995. It is now the longest sustained exhibition in the Caribbean. This event provides a platform for both local and foreign businesses: importers, exporters, retailers, and wholesalers. It fuses together a wide cross-section of producers of handicraft, furniture, garments, jewellery, horticulture, pharmaceuticals, and tourism and information technology service providers. This ideal setting provides the opportunity for businesses to increase their competitiveness and efficiency and foster growth.

Guyana

Dead: Fredrick Minty

IMF urges concerted policy action to reduce risks to global growth

If the world’s largest economies could make improvements in their policies in mutually reinforcing ways, they would lift global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the longer run by as much as three per cent, says a new analysis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The “2013 Spillover Report” finds that five years after the global financial crisis, the tensions and risks rooted in the “Systemic 5” economies – China, the euro area, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States – have lessened, but these economies are not contributing to global activity as much as they might.

Spillover effects

The report focuses on the Systemic 5’s “spillover effects” – that is, the impact of their policies on one another and on the rest of the world because of the large volume of trade and financial linkages in today’s economy. The challenge for these economies, according to the IMF, has been to find policies that will help them reach their potential output without complicating, through spillovers, economic management in other countries.

The IMF is also releasing its “2013 Pilot External Sector Report”, which examines the evolution of the external sector position – current accounts, exchange rates, capital accounts, reserves, and external assets and liabilities – of the world’s 28 largest economies plus the euro area. The two reports focus on links between developments at the country and global levels.

Global imbalances

The IMF reports say that while global growth has continued to disappoint, much else has gone in the right direction. Global imbalances have continued to narrow –for structural reasons, not just cyclical; exchange rates have moved closer to where fundamentals suggest they should be; and policies of the Systemic 5 have enabled them to avert far worse outcomes. Indeed, concerted policy actions to avert some of the most significant tail risks facing the global economy are estimated to have saved two to five per cent of global output. Global imbalances – defined as the gap between actual current account balances and those estimated by staff to be consistent with fundamentals and desirable policies – narrowed in 2012 to about 0.75 per cent of global GDP.

“External sector developments have been shaped by two key interrelated issues – the implications of policy measures, particularly in the advanced economies, to support growth and shifting risk sentiment,” noted IMF African Department Deputy

Director David Robinson, one of the lead authors of the “2013 Pilot External Sector Report”.

Both emerging markets and safe haven economies, including a number of smaller advanced economies, have seen episodes of significant capital flows, triggering a variety of policy responses. Patterns of reserve accumulation have varied greatly in 2012 –most emerging markets saw little or no change in reserves, while some advanced economies saw large increases. In addition, some oil-exporting countries continued to accumulate reserves, though the pace of accumulation slowed in the second half of 2012 as oil prices eased and domestic fiscal spending rose.

Capital flows

While easy monetary conditions in advanced economies appear to have played some role in exchange rate movements and capital flows, much of the capital flows seen over the last few years were driven by other factors – such as growth prospects, and global risk appetite – these factors will remain key in determining individual country outcomes, the IMF says.

A key issue analysed in the spillover report is the impact of quantitative easing monetary policies deployed by central banks in some countries to revive growth. Here, the IMF finds clear evidence of positive growth spillovers from quantitative easing in the United States so far. In the case of the United Kingdom and Japan; however, the spillover effects to date are more ambiguous. And negative side effects of quantitative easing in any country may emerge over time, and need to be monitored carefully, the reports caution.

Looking ahead, the policy settings of the world’s largest economies pose risks of adverse spillovers in a number of areas. The eventual exit from quantitative easing monetary policies of central banks in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan is one example. The impact of exit from these policies will depend largely on

its timing: too late would risk fuelling asset bubbles and imbalances, while too soon would kill growth. However, even with good timing, market reaction to the policy change could be disorderly, as developments in late May and June attest.

The spillover report notes that Europe and Japan are at risk of getting stuck in a slow-growth trap, and that one of the downside risks for China is an abrupt slowdown in growth. In Europe, structural reforms and financial sector reform will be essential; in Japan, full implementation of the Three Arrows of Abenomics (that is, the economic policies advocated by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzio Abe); and in China, policies to rebalance the drivers of growth toward domestic consumption and liberalise the finan-

cial sector.

The two reports were discussed informally by the IMF’s executive board in July, and their release follows the latest annual assessments of the Systemic 5. For each of the five, specific policy options were discussed to help reduce the probability of these risks materialising.

Global GDP

“If implemented, these policies could raise global GDP significantly over the longer term, and the benefits would be optimised if all five countries implement these packages together,” said IMF Asia and Pacific Department

Assistant Director Isabelle Mateos y Lago, one of the reports’ principal authors. “Still, other countries could face a turbulent few years ahead, and they should do what they can to minimise

their vulnerabilities to sudden changes in market mood and their reliance on demand from the largest economies,” she added.

Surveillance

Since the 2008 global financial crisis, policymakers have become more aware of the risks and potential destabilising effects that policies and shocks in major economies can have on other countries and regions.

As a result, the institution has initiated an effort to strengthen policy analysis by enhancing the assessment of interconnections among the world’s economies. Since 2011, the IMF has prepared spillover reports analysing the impact of economic policies in the world’s five largest economies and providing a platform for discussion of this

outside impact with country authorities. And since 2012, the IMF has prepared a pilot external sector report that presents a broad and multilaterally consistent assessment of the external sector policies of the world’s largest economies.

The assessments draw on results from a new Pilot External Balance Assessment (EBA) methodology, as well as other inputs. The EBA approach builds on and improves previous methods, in linking external balances and exchange rates to country policies, as well as fundamental characteristics, and has been further refined this year following feedback received on last year’s report. Together, the two reports ensure a close integration of the fund’s bilateral and multilateral surveillance.

IMF African Department Deputy Director David Robinson, one of the authors of the report

tuesday, august 6, 2013 | guyanatimesgy.com

Viola Burnham, Dr Roger Luncheon among NA awardees

The late former First Lady Viola Burnham was among a list of 250 persons of African ancestry who were honoured by the Council of Friends of New Amsterdam (COFONA) for their contribution to New Amsterdam and Guyana.

COFONA held its awards and recognition ceremony on Sunday at the Berbice High School auditorium. It was part of the group’s activities to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion and the 175th anniversary of emancipation.

The late Mrs Burnham, along with television station and hotel owner Rockcliff Christie and civil engineer/ contractor Courtney Benn were recognised as business persons and entrepreneurs of New Amsterdam. Persons were selected under 13 categories, including community leaders, uniform service, educators, writers, and trade unionists.

COFONA also honoured persons in the fields of music,

dance, culture, politics, law, medicine, religion and sport.

In the category of community leaders, former radio personality James Sidney and former Deputy Mayor Hyacinth James were honoured. Prisons Director Dale Erskine was among several recognised for outstanding uniformed service. The list of educators included head of Stanford University Dr Ewarth Thomas, Joyce Thomas, and former Regional Educational Officer Catharine Archer.

Journalists

Veteran broadcaster Ron Robinson headed the list of four journalists recognised; the others are Guyana Times’ Andrew Carmichael, Guyana Chronicle’s Juene Van-Keric and Kaieteur News’ Samuel Whyte. Among the writers honoured by COFONA was Edgar Mittelholzer, while Guyana Teachers’ Union President Colin Bynoe and former Chief Labour Officer Norman Semple were hon-

oured as outstanding trade unionists.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon and former Finance Minister Carl Greenidge headed the list of politicians. That list also included Nigel Hughes. Several persons who made their names both at home and abroad were also acknowledged for their sterling contributions to the legal profession. Among them are JOF Haynes, Michael Baird, the late Rupert Trim, Claudette La Bennett, Kim Kyte-John, and Ian Chang.

Dr Royston Anderson and Dr John Austin along with National Psychiatric Hospital administrator Leila Clark-Daniels and Dr Carl Niamatali received awards for their contributions in the field of medicine.

Reverend John Smith, who was credited with fomenting the 1823 Demerara Slave Revolt, was honoured as an outstanding religious leader.

In the field of music, dance and culture, Edith Peters,

Ivlaw “Brooks” James Leon Saul and Shondel were some of the honorees, while former West Indies opening batsman Clayton Lambert headed the list of sport personalities. Also recognised for their sterling contribution towards the development of sport were Desiree Lancaster (table tennis); Jeff Roberts (boxing); Carl Moore (cricket); Roger Alphonso (football); and Sherwin and Petra Ford.

COFONA President Dr Leonard Lewis said the organisation attempted to give recognition to some individuals of African heritage who would have excelled since 1763.

Meanwhile, New Amsterdam’s Mayor Claude Henry, who was also recognised as one of the more influential mayors along with Errol Alphonso, noted that the process to select the awardees started three years ago and involved both residents of New Amsterdam who currently live overseas and those at home.

Man again on trial for hacking baby to death

Calvin Thomas is on trial again for the murder of an 18-month-old baby whom he allegedly hacked to death six years ago.

Thomas, called “Calvin Bailey”, “Mara” and “Coochie” of Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden, is indicted with the murder of Shaquan Neru which occurred between April 4 and 5, 2007, at Lot 1070 Cinderella City, Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

The accused was on trial earlier this year for the said murder; however, the jury could not have arrived at a unanimous decision; hence, a retrial was ordered by the judge.

This second trial commenced last Wednesday before a mixed jury panel and Justice Navindra Singh, who was also the presiding judge at the first trial. State Counsel Tishana Lake, who is prosecuting the case, has called five witnesses so far in the trial and has four more witnesses to present. In the last trial, the prosecution only had five witnesses.

The uncle, Alfred Carrington, and a distant relative, Dawn Henry, of the baby’s mother, Bernadette Neru, had testified seeing the accused committing the act. Henry told the court that on April 4, 2007, she was with Bernadette at a cousin’s house when Thomas went there. She said the man was told to leave and he did, but returned in the evening.

Henry said late that evening, Thomas came and was standing on the steps talking to Bernadette, who was on the landing. She noted that the man was telling Bernadette, “Baby I love you, why you doing me this.”

The woman continued that Bernadette told the accused “rest yuh self, don’t do me anything” then she saw him run up the steps and was apparently punching the woman.

The witness explained that from where she was, Thomas was backing her and it appeared as though he was punching her. She added that she then

heard Bernadette say, “Oh gosh, look what you did to my son.” The woman said she went over to Bernadette and when she got there, she saw the woman holding the baby with blood all over them. She went on to say that they rushed to the hospital where the baby was pronounced dead on arrival and Bernadette was admitted.

Saw the chopping

Then, the uncle testified that he saw the accused chopping the infant, but when Henry testified, she said the uncle opened the door and came out after the accused had already left.

The prosecution is expected to call Bernadette as their next witness. This is the first time the woman will be testifying in the trial. She had migrated to Barbados after the incident and was unable to make it for the first trial.

According to reports, Bernadette had left the Wisroc Housing Scheme home she shared with the

accused, after they had a misunderstanding. She then went to her aunt’s home, where he subsequently visited her. An argument had ensued between the couple and he was put out of the house by the woman’s uncle.

He left, but was apparently lurking nearby and attacked his reputed wife as she was taking her sleeping son upstairs. He was aiming for the woman’s neck when she fell back and the cutlass connected with her son’s neck, instead. The child died at the hospital and a post-mortem revealed that he died as a result of the stab wound to his neck. The mother had also sustained chop wounds to her head and right arm.

Thompson had fled the scene and remained in hiding until July 28, 2007, when, police believed, he emerged from hiding along with an accomplice, Aubrey Laurie, a 33-year-old expoliceman, near the Lucky Spot Ranch at Wismar, Linden.

Caricom holds consultation with media operatives on strategic plan

he Caricom Secretariat

Tmet with senior media operatives, including editors and senior reporters on Monday as it continued its consultation process to finalise its five-year draft strategic plan. This plan will take into consideration recommendations and proposals obtained from several incountry consultations so as to reflect the needs and priorities of member states.

The strategic plan originated after the recent decision by Caricom heads of governments, during their last conference, to have a plan developed to drive the Caricom grouping forward.

The three-day consultation, by a Caricom appointed change facilitation team led by Dr Gwendoline Williams, raised issues such as an apparent lack of coordination among member states, a failure to promote the cultivation and use of crops and foods indigenous to the region, failure to harmonise regional information communication technologies policies and problems with travel between member states due to customs, immigration officials flouting agreements signed by members states and a lack of the perceived relevance of Caricom by the

common Caribbean resident. According to Guyana’s chief diplomat Elisabeth Harper, the consultation is, “Intended to get an idea of how Guyana can contribute to the formation of the fiveyear strategic plan, which is one of the key areas of the Caricom reform process. A key aspect of the process is to examine possible ways in which Caricom can be restructured to meet the new needs of the community’s members and the reformation of various Caricom institutions”.

Ambassador Harper said similar consultations will be conducted with members of Parliament, including the Speaker and government and opposition members, religious groups, civil society representatives, trade unions, youth groups and other stakeholders. She added that interested persons can add their voices to the consultative process after the formal consultations are over.

“Other views will be incorporated into the final report that will be presented to Caricom heads at the upcoming inter-sessional meeting in 2014. That’s when the draft of the five-year strategic plan will be presented for their consideration.”

Watchman murdered at Konawaruk

Awatchman was on July 30 found dead at a mining camp at White Water, Konawaruk, Region Seven, police confirmed in a statement on Monday.

The dead man identified as Darndey King, 64, of Lot 2 Anns Grove Village, East Coast Demerara was found with a swollen face and other injuries to his body. The police in a release stated that they are investigating the murder of King whose body was found at the mining camp with several marks of violence.

No one was arrested, but the police have questioned several employees at the site; however, no useful information was gathered.

An autopsy confirmed that King died as a result of brain haemorrhage due to multiple blunt trauma to the head. The post-mortem was performed by Dr Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary on Monday.

At the home of the dead man on Monday evening, his niece Ashaunda Duke told Guyana Times that they received a call about three days ago from a policeman who told them that King was dead and that they should collect his body at Bartica, and advised that they proceed with the funeral arrangements.

The woman stated that upon receiving the news, they contacted his employers who in turn informed them that he was ill two weeks prior to his death. Not believing this, the relatives initially thought that something fishy went on and this was confirmed when the autopsy was done on Monday.

Upon receiving the postmortem report, the man’s niece stated that it a clear indication her uncle was murdered. She revealed that the police have not told the family anything with respect to the investigations or if they arrested anyone. Duke further stated that after enquiring, she was told that her uncle was paid $2000 a day for duties he performed as a security guard, and that it had been four months since he was not paid.

She said this had created a rift between her uncle and his employers. King was described as a friendly and willing person. He leaves to mourn his three children, two of whom are in the interior and a daughter who resides in Sophia. He will be laid to rest later in the week.

Some of the honorees pose with their awards

Dead watchman: Darndey King

tuesday, august 6, 2013 |

Opposition delay of money laundering amendments unconscionable – finance minister

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh Monday evening described as unconscionable, the move by the parliamentary opposition to delay passage of the amendments for the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, required as a result of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) review process.

In making these comments, the minister was referring to the opposition’s insistence on Monday to adjourn to October the committee examining the amendments, thereby destroying any chance of the amendments being passed before the August 10 parliamentary recess.

Minister Singh emphasised that the bill has been in the hands of the opposition for several months and had benefited from detailed scrutiny in a special select committee that had met nearly 15 times starting from May 8.

Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill in the Special Select Committee has been adjourned to October 2013.

The government has exerted every effort to ensure timely passage of these amendments, Minister Singh stated, and the opposition has frustrated this objective at every available opportunity, the worst example being Monday when they used their majority on the committee to refuse to consider the committee’s report and instead to adjourn the committee to October.

At the meeting on Monday, the APNU said the opposition members (who were all in attendance) objected to the manner in which the committee chaired by People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Gail Teixeira was attempting to conclude the work of the committee, without giving full consideration to serious issues raised by members of the committee and Guyanese citizens in general.

in the life of this committee, the governor of the Bank of Guyana, Lawrence Williams made a firm recommendation that the obligations placed by the principal act, sections eight, nine (three) (a) and 21(d) should be placed within the purview of the Financial Intelligence Unit. This recommendation has not been dealt with in a satisfactory manner by the committee, the APNU said.

broader civil society in the process; or allowed space for the weaknesses of the parent act to be accommodated.

The minister pointed out that the opposition is well aware that in order to achieve the deadline given to Guyana by CFATF, it would be advisable for the amendments to be enacted before the recess.

They are also aware of the consequences of non-enactment, making their actions reckless and inimical to the national interest, the minister stated.

Meanwhile, in a statement of its own, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) said the consideration of amendments to the Anti-Money

A major concern has been the matter related to the appointment and function of the Financial Intelligence Unit. The APNU said it is to be noted that very early

“The opposition also had its own recommendations with regards to the appointment of the head of the Financial Intelligence Unit. We feel that this was too important an appointment to be left in the hands of the minister of finance,” the APNU said.

The APNU feels strongly that the government has failed to address the entire act, and has not allowed for the important input of the

“A Partnership for National Unity has always promised the people of Guyana that it will work assiduously to give them good laws. The government of Guyana has been playing games with deadlines. These deadlines could have been met if the government had been willing to take on board all the issues of concern to the opposition. APNU believes that the anti-money laundering bill is a very important piece of legislation. We believe that the problem of governance is also very important and without a solution to it, non-implementation of the current legislation and the absence of prosecution will continue.”

Historic 1823 Monument unveiled

BY SABATINI DANIELS

The long awaited

1823 Slave Revolt monument was on Monday evening unveiled by President Donald Ramotar at a ceremony that featured a series of pan African rituals and dances.

Two students of the Kuru Kuru Training College assisted the president in the unveiling of the monument, which was witnessed by several government ministers and other officials.

The monument, located along the Kitty sea wall, Carifesta Avenue, opposite the Guyana Defence Force, was designed by Guyanese sculptor Ivor Thom.

Delivering the feature address at the event, President Ramotar underscored the important role the 1823 Demerara Uprising played in securing the freedom of the African slaves.

“The 1823 uprising, given its numerical scale, its economic effect and impact and its social consequences… is credited in influencing the decision to end slavery in all of the British colonies,” he said.

Deeply moved

In light of this, the president stated that he was deeply moved to be part of the unveiling of the monument as he noted the significance in honouring the dead heroes of the 1823 Revolt. He said the monument is a dedication to the country’s historical past and a national recognition of Guyanese ancestors who endured and overcame, to secure freedom for themselves and their descendants.

“In unveiling this monument, we are formalising the honour that we have kept in our hearts and as a united

people, acknowledging an epic contribution of our people’s quest for justice, dignify and liberty… may this monument inspire all Guyanese to join hands in partnership for peace, progress and prosperity.”

Ramotar said 190 years after the famous revolt, the

country still faces many struggles which it needs to overcome. The president said Guyana is a poor developing country which operates in an international environment that is generally not in the favour of poor developing countries.

“There is still many,

sometimes invisible chain, that still try to keep us exploited and this is where we must use the experiences of our ancestors to work with others in similar circumstances to try to improve these conditions for development and end inequality that exist so much in the world.”

Meanwhile, delivering brief remarks, Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony stated that the monument is an important part of Guyana’s history, and if left forgotten, the nation will be robbed of a significant legacy of the struggles of their ancestors.

He explained that after the government decided to build the monument, his ministry established a site Selection Committee and 10 villages were identified on East Coast Demerara and five places in Georgetown, including the Parade Ground and the current location of the monument.

Current site

He pointed out that after examining the various possible sites, the committee identified the current site as the best and it was endorsed by the ministry, which proceeded with preparations to build the monument.

The minister said after work began on the site and was far advanced, a request was received to change the site; however, he added, “we were not able to accommodate that belated request and we regret the controversies that erupted around the site.” Nevertheless, Dr Anthony said it was time the purpose for which the monument was built be remembered and the past controversy forgotten.

He disclosed that more than 30 plantations were involved in this uprising and the Culture Ministry is currently working with historians to identify many of these plantations.

“It’s our intention to create what we might call a battle trail on the East Coast and Georgetown, so that we

can put up markers so people can go and visit these sites and have a better perspective and appreciation of the scope and magnitude of the 1823 Uprising,” the minister promised.

He said the monument now stands as a testimony of resistance against slavery and colonialism. After the monument was unveiled, it was handed over to the National Trust of Guyana.

“We hope the public will work with the National Trust to protect and care this historic site,” Dr Anthony said.

Depicting people

Sculptor Ivor Thom said when tasked with the responsibility of sculpting the monument, he consulted the Internet for information on the rebellion, after which he decided to design three pieces depicting people. One of the pieces portrays a woman moving forward with a cutlass in one hand, with the other hand folded, and her mouth opened, imploring others to join her.

The other is a man moving forward with a cutlass, cross and broken chain. “I thought I would incorporate rebellion, revolution and religion together.” He thanked students from the Sophia Special School and the Kuru Kuru Training College for working with him on the monument.

In 2011, to mark the United Nation’s International Year of people of African Descent, the government undertook a number of activities, among them was the construction of the 1823 Monument.

The project was advertised through an open tender and was won by Thom. The project costs an estimated $26 million.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

President Donald Ramotar cuts the ribbon to unveil the 1823 Slave Revolt Monument. He is assisted by students from Kuru Kuru Training College. Looking on are Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn, junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill, Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran and others

Students of the National Dance Company entertain the gathering at the unveiling of the 1823 Slave Revolt Monument

12 murders recorded over long weekend in Trinidad

At least 12 people were killed during the long weekend in Trinadad, forcing national security officials to meet in an emergency session and a former national security minister criticising the coalition People’s Partnership government over its crime strategy.

Police confirmed that the 12 people were killed over the long emancipation weekend with National Security Minister Emmanuel George describing five of the murders as gang-related.

“The first thing all of us have to say is to express condolences to the families of the respective murder victims. This unfortu-

nate turn of events must, I am sure, be very devastating to all the families in-

volved,” George told reporters after he met with acting Police Commissioner

Stephen Williams, Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Kenrick Maharaj, commanding officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment Colonel Rodney Smart and Deputy Police Commissioner Mervyn Richardson.

“It is precisely because of this kind of spike in the murder rate that the police have been fighting constantly over the last few months. I had been pointing out that the exercise had been proving very fruitful in keeping a lot of guns off the streets over the last couple months, because every gun is potentially a murder weapon. It is the weapon of choice in these murders,” George said. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Forecasters reduce prediction for 2013 Atlantic hurricane season

The Atlantic hurricane season should be slightly slower than initially forecast, Colorado State University climatologists Phil Klotzbach and William Gray said in an updated forecast.

The two experts now estimate that eight hurricanes, including three major ones, will emerge this season. In June, they forecast nine hurricanes, four major, with sustained winds greater than 110 miles per hour.

However, they continue to predict a total of 18 named storms will develop over the entire season, which would represent 14 more over the rest of the season, with four having already formed.

Because waters in the eastern Atlantic near Africa have cooled somewhat, Klotzbach and Gray say the development of some systems could be limited.

Venezuela to hike PetroCaribe interest rates

The Venezuelan government is set to increase the interest rate it charges to finance oil purchases by Central American and Caribbean countries under the PetroCaribe deal.

According to reports from online financial news agency Platts, the increase stems from higher administrative and maintenance costs of the loans.

Platts is a division of McGraw Hill Financial, a leader in credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets.

Since the creation of PetroCaribe in 2005, 17 member countries have enjoyed an annual interest rate between one and two per cent, but as of October that will rise to 2.4 per cent.

The source said the planned increases are permitted under the agreements Venezuela signed with the participating countries.

Under the PetroCaribe agreement, the 17 member countries buy Venezuelan oil at favourable rates and through a long-term financing agreement

He added that no additional increases in rates are being contemplated in the near term.

The report states that Venezuela is unlikely to reduce or suspend oil shipments to the debtor countries given the political value it sees in the oil alliance. Heads of state and government of PetroCaribe member countries are set to meet in September. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Nevertheless, if their predictions are accurate, it would still be a busier than normal year. On average, 12 named storms, including six hurricanes, three major,

develop each season.

They expect above normal activity mainly because El Niño, the atmospheric phenomenon that inhibits storm formation, is unlikely to develop this year.

“Typically, El Niño is associated with stronger vertical shear across the tropical Atlantic, creating conditions less conducive for storm formation,” Klotzbach said.

Also, the Atlantic remains in an era of heightened tropical intensity, the result of a natural cycle, he added.

At least for the next two weeks, tropical activity near Africa should be slow because of a Saharan dust storm, Klotzbach said. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Falklands Admiral Woodward dies

An admiral who led Britain’s task force in the 1982 Falklands War has died after a long illness, aged 81, his daughter has told BBC New.

Sir Sandy Woodward was commander of the carrier force sent by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to retake the Falklands.

He served as deputy chief of the defence staff from 1985 and was promoted to admiral in 1987.

David Cameron said the UK was “indebted” to Admiral Woodward for his role in ensuring freedom for islanders.

“The admiral was a truly courageous and decisive leader, proven by his heroic command of the Royal Navy Taskforce during the Falklands conflict,” said the prime minister.

“We are indebted to him for his many years of service and the vital role he played to ensure that the

people of the Falkland Islands can still today live in peace and freedom. My thoughts and prayers are with Adm Woodward’s family and friends at this difficult time.”

Daniel Allan, founder of the Falklands United Movement, which represents some islanders, said he was a “modern-day hero”.

“We owe him a debt of gratitude and he is in the thoughts of every islander, past and present, today,” he said. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Uruguay’s homosexual marriage law now in force

Two gay men who have been a couple for 14 years have become the first to register to marry in Uruguay, hours after a law came into force allowing same-sex marriages in the country.

Rodrigo Borda, 39, and Sergio Miranda, 45, said it was a day of much joy and emotion, but also of responsibility.

President Jose Mujica signed the legislation in May, but it took 90 days to come into effect.

Uruguay is the second South American nation to pass a gay-marriage law.

The two Messrs said they would celebrate their wedding in September. It would be a “very public affair”, not only because they wanted to share the moment with “all the world”, but also because they wanted “to give an example to those gay couples who may be thinking about getting married but don’t dare to”, the couple added. Three years ago, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to allow same-sex marriages. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Pastor condemns killing of cross-dresser, man at church altar

Head of the Emmanuel Apostolic Church, Bishop Everton Thomas has added his voice to the howls of condemnation of the recent killings of a teenaged cross-dresser in Montego Bay, St James, and a man at a church altar in St Andrew last week.

Seventeen-year-old Dwayne Jones was mobbed and killed by angry residents at a river party on July 21.

Jones, who was dressed in female attire, was set upon and chased by residents who chopped and stabbed him after he was allegedly pointed out by a woman. He was also shot in the attack and his body dumped in bushes. And last week, brazen gunmen shot and killed Chad Telfer at the altar of the Church of God of Prophesy, where he sought refuge while being chased. The shooting happened in full view of several traumatised children who were attending Vocation Bible School at the sanctuary.

A six-year-old girl was also shot in the attack and had to be hospitalised.

Bishop Thomas has called the attacks “barefaced”.

He said, while the church was not in support of homosexuality, no one should die in the manner that Jones did. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Jamaica surprised by reports of huge PetroCaribe interest hike

The Jamaican government appears to have been taken by surprise by reports on the weekend that Venezuela is contemplating a 100 per cent increase on interest payable on oil it exports to the region under the PetroCaribe agreement.

Both Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell and Finance and Planning Minister Dr Peter Phillips were unable to comment on Sunday beyond that they had not received any official information from Venezuela of any such increase.

“Everything is speculative right now,” Dr Phillips told the Jamaica Observer in response to requests for a comment on the development.

Both he and Paulwell have insisted that the government has not been informed by Venezuela of any such decision. The Office of the Prime Minister was also unable to offer a response. However, indications are that a statement was to be released on Monday by the government on the issue. Platt.Com/McGraw Hill Financial, a highly trusted Internet source in energy information, reported that, according to a source with the state-owned Venezuelan oil company, PDVSA, the government will increase interest rate on oil purchases by Central American and Caribbean countries who participate in the PetroCaribe arrangement, starting in October. (Excerpt

Police confirmed that the 12 people were killed over the long emancipation weekend with National Security Minister Emmanuel George describing five of the murders as gang-related

Bishop Everton Thomas

Phil Klotzbach (left) and William Gray

Sir Sandy Woodward

Turkish general jailed over plot

Turkey’s former armed forces chief has been jailed for life for plotting to overthrow the government, after five years of trials involving officers, lawyers, writers and journalists.

General Ilker Basbug was among dozens of people convicted of involvement in the so-called Ergenekon plot.

Critics of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have accused him of staging show trials to eliminate his enemies.

His supporters say the trials have pushed the military out of politics.

General Basbug, who led the military between 2008 and 2010, was among at least five generals to be jailed for life on Monday at a specially constructed courtroom west of Istanbul.

After the verdict, he wrote on his Twitter page: “Those on the side of the truth and righteous, that is on the side of justice, have a clear conscience.

U.S. embassy closures extended over militant threat fears

The U.S. says it will keep a number of embassies in North Africa and the Middle East closed until Saturday, due to a possible militant threat.

Twenty-one U.S. embassies and consulates closed on Sunday.

The State Department in Washington said the extended closures were “out of an abundance of caution”, and not a reaction to a new threat.

The UK said its embassy in Yemen would stay closed until the Muslim festival of Eid on Thursday.

The decision to close the embassies comes as the U.S. government battles to defend recently disclosed surveillance programmes

that have stirred deep privacy concerns.

Security at U.S. diplomatic facilities also remains a concern following last year’s attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, where the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed.

While details of the threats are unspecified, the BBC’s David Willis, in Washington, says members of Congress who have been briefed about the intelligence seem to agree it amounts to one of the most serious in recent years –all pointing to the possibility of a major attack, possibly to coincide with the end this week of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

U.S. in push to end Egypt turmoil

IThat is how I am.”

At least 21 people were acquitted, but dozens of others received lengthy sentences.

The plot allegedly aimed to topple the government led by Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The defendants faced charges ranging from membership of Ergenekon, an alleged underground terrorist network, to illegally possessing weapons and instigating an armed uprising against the AKP.

Prosecutors had demanded life imprisonment for General Basbug and 63 others, including nine other generals.

The court is sitting at the high-security Silivri prison complex, west of Istanbul, where the general is being held. (Excerpt from

French summer drowning death toll nears 100

Some 91 people – including 15 over the past weekend – have drowned in France’s waterways since the beginning of July

Since the beginning of July, 91 people have drowned in French rivers, swimming pools and beaches, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

The toll includes 15 deaths over the weekend, prompting the authorities to call on holidaymakers to “take greater care and to be more responsible”.

The French Alliance Police Union said on Monday that while bathers should take greater care and not swim in forbidden areas, such as city canals, there was a lack of qualified lifeguards patrolling the country’s beaches and swimming

areas.

“In 2002 there were 720 uniformed police lifeguards on France’s beaches for three months over the summer,” the union said in a statement. “This summer there are only 471, and only for two months. The police can only cover a fraction of the country’s beaches.”

In 2012, 497 people drowned between June and September.

According to the National Institute for Prevention and Health Education (INPES), one in five French people (28 per cent of women and 14 per cent of men) cannot swim. (Excerpt from France24)

53 reported killed in flooding in Pakistan

The death toll in the flooding across Pakistan is now 53, the National Disaster Management Authority said Monday.

Flash floods from torrential rains over the past three days have killed 15 people and displaced more than 20,000 others in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, Abdul

Katif Kakar, the director of planning for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, said Monday.

At a news conference in Quetta, Kakar said that in Balochistan, the flooding and rain killed six people in Khuzdar district, four in Turbat and five in Lasbella. He said two people were missing in Lasbella district,

feared to have been swept away by flood waters.

Monsoon rains and flash flooding continue to bring misery to people living in Khuzdar, Jhal Magsi and Loralai districts. The disaster agency says nine districts across Balochistan are heavily affected by floods. It says more than two dozen mud-walled

houses have collapsed from flooding in the Nawan Killi area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.

In Jhal Magsi, one of the worst-affected areas, 27 villages have been overwhelmed, forcing thousands of people to flee to shelter on higher ground in deserted mountainous areas. (Excerpt from CNN)

n an attempt to break through the political impasse in Egypt, U.S. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham were expected to arrive in Cairo on Monday to meet with Egypt’s interim leaders.

The two Republican senators were scheduled to meet with interim President Adly Mansour, Defence Minister, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and interim Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy, said Egyptian Foreign Affairs spokesman Badr Abdelatty.

McCain and Graham are making the trip at U.S. President Barack Obama’s request.

“The Egyptian military must move more aggressively toward turning over control to the civilian population, civilian organisa-

tions,” Graham said when asked about the purpose of the trip on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.

“The military can’t keep running the country. We need democratic elections. The (Muslim) Brotherhood needs to get off the streets and back into the political arena and fight your differences there, and we need to put Egypt back to work. If this continues, it’s going to be a failed state. That’s why we’re going.”

Egypt has been embroiled in chaos since the country’s first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was toppled in a coup last month.

But U.S. officials have refrained from calling the ouster a coup – a term that could be worth US$1.3 billion a year. (Excerpt from CNN)

Spain arrests paedophile freed by Morocco

Aconvicted Spanish paedophile set free from prison in Morocco under a royal pardon has been arrested by police in Spain.

Daniel Galvan Vina was detained in Murcia in southeastern Spain on Monday, a spokesman for the country’s interior ministry said.

Galvan, who once worked at the University of Murcia, will be taken to Madrid “in the coming hours” where he will be brought before Spain’s top criminal court, the National Audience, which will decide his fate, the spokesman added.

The news came as King Mohamed VI of Morocco announced that the country’s director of prisons has been sacked after an inquiry blamed his department for Galvan’s release.

Galvan, said to be in his 60s, was pardoned by the king and freed last Tuesday

from a jail in Kenitra, north of the capital Rabat. He had been sentenced in September 2011 to 30 years in prison for the rape of 11 children aged between four and 15. The release sparked a mass protest in Rabat Friday that was broken up by riot police and led to several reported injuries to demonstrators and journalists. (Excerpt from France24)

Radioactive water at Fukushima an emergency

Highly radioactive water seeping into the ocean from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is creating an “emergency” that the operator is struggling to contain, an official from the country’s nuclear watchdog said on Monday.

This contaminated groundwater has breached an underground barrier, is rising toward the surface and is exceeding legal limits of radioactive discharge, Shinji Kinjo, head of a Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) taskforce, told Reuters.

Countermeasures planned by Tokyo Electric Power

Co are only a temporary solution, he said.

Tepco’s “sense of crisis is weak,” Kinjo said. “This is why you can’t just leave it up to Tepco alone” to grapple with the ongoing disaster.

“Right now, we have an emergency,” he said.

Tepco has been widely castigated for its failure to prepare for the massive 2011 tsunami and earthquake that devastated its Fukushima plant and lambasted for its inept response to the reactor meltdowns. It has also been accused of covering up shortcomings.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

General Ilker Basbug

Daniel Galvan Vina

The U.S. says it will keep a number of embassies in North Africa and the Middle East closed until Saturday, as a result of a possible militant threat

Over TT$8 billion worth of Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited’s (CLICO) profitable business will be transferred to Atruis, a new company that will be owned by the state.

The Trinidad Express reports that the Cabinet approved the transfer as the Finance and General Purposes Committee continues to discuss a letter of intent hammered out by the Finance Ministry and

CL Financial’s 400 shareholders, which envisions taxpayers will recover the more than TT$20 billion government has injected since 2009 to keep CL subsidiary CLICO and other companies afloat.

CLICO financially caved in on itself at the end of 2008 after the investment instruments of major policyholders matured and they wanted hundreds of millions of dollars they were owed.

At its annual general meeting last month, CL Financial shareholders voted to extend the agreement with government until August 25 while cabinet decides on a new framework accord to recover the debt owed to government through divestment of CL subsidiaries, including Methanol Holdings, Republic Bank, Angostura Holdings, CL World Brands and Home Construction Ltd. (Caribbean360)

U.S. Airways and AMR Corp’s American Airlines secured EU regulatory approval on Monday for their US$11 billion merger after promising to surrender slots at Heathrow and Philadelphia airports.

The carriers offered the concession and also commit-

ted to facilitate the entry of a new competitor to allay concerns by the European Commission over the combined company’s monopoly of the route. Reuters reported the imminent EU approval on July 29.

“The decision is conditional upon the release of one daily slot pair at London

Heathrow and of other commitments in order to induce entry on the LondonPhiladelphia route,” the EU antitrust authority said in a statement.

The commission said the carriers would also sign special feed traffic agreements with a new competitor on the route. (Reuters)

Eurozone retail sales back in decline in June, France a bright spot

Retail sales in the euro zone fell broadly for the first time in three months in June, data showed, highlighting the drag of depressed household spending on the bloc’s fragile recovery.

The European Central Bank is hoping for a gradual improvement later this year in the health of the 17-member single currency area, which is likely to be driven mainly by exports and low interest rates.

France bucked the trend

by registering an increase in retail trade, but for the bloc as a whole volumes fell 0.5 per cent on the month, in line with expectations. That followed a revised 1.1 per cent rise in May, the EU’s statistics office Eurostat said on Monday.

The euro zone is in its longest recession since the creation of the euro in 1999, which has led to record high jobless rates and left households with less cash to spend.

Retail sales dropped by 0.9 per cent on the year, against expectations of a 1.2 per cent decline by economists polled by Reuters, following a revised 0.3 per cent increase in May.

“The negative retail sales growth figure in June is probably just a correction after the strong increase in May and not the start of a renewed downward trend,” said Peter Vanden Houte, chief euro zone economist at ING. (Reuters)

The hope for thousands of licensed small-scale miners in the country to get access to over nine billion is drawing closer with the announcement that plans will be finalised before the end of the year.

The government also has plans to provide between 40 and 50 hectares with proven gold deposits to artisanal miners which was previously being hoarded by companies and SACCOS groups would benefit.

“The issue of loans is something very dear to these small-scale miners and their increased pressure is helped in speeding up the process. We have every intention to provide these funds before December,” the Geita Resident Mines Officer and Inspector of Mines and Explosives, Eng Juma Sementa, told the ‘Daily News’.

Earlier in the week he spoke to a team of journalists from Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania who were on

a field trip in Geita as part of their training on oil, gas and minerals, saying the loans would soon be accessed through the Tanzania Investment Bank.

“As the saying goes, seeing is believing. We have been promised these loans for many years but we are slowly getting convinced that it’s only a ploy to get our votes and so we will only get excited when the loans are in our pockets,” Joseph Muara (26), a smallscale miner, said. (allAfrica)

China's service sector growth steadies in July

China’s service sector expanded slightly in July, an HSBC survey showed, indicating that growth in the sector had steadied. The HSBC nonmanufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 51.3, unchanged from June.

A reading above 50 indicates an expansion.

The service sector accounts for nearly 43 per cent of China’s overall economy.

The data comes amid concerns that China’s economic

growth rate may slow further in the coming months.

The world’s second-largest economy has seen its pace of growth slow for two quarters in a row.

“China’s service sector has stabilised at a relatively low level of growth,” said Qu Hongbin, an economist at HSBC.

HSBC said that new business orders recovered from a 20-month low, but warned that profit margins in the sector continue to be squeezed.

“Without a sustained improvement in demand, services' growth is likely to remain lacklustre, putting downside pressures to employment growth.”

A similar official survey released over the weekend showed growth in China’s non-manufacturing sector quickened in July. The government’s nonmanufacturing PMI rose to 54.1 last month from 53.9 in June, the National Bureau of Statistics said. (BBC News)

Arabtec Construction, subsidiary of Arabtec Holding, announced on Monday the appointment of Nabil Al Kendi as chief operating officer for the GCC region with immediate effect.

Reporting directly to Arabtec Construction Group chief operating officer Mark Andrews, Al Kendi will be responsible for “leading Arabtec’s existing subsidiary companies with focus on the company’s operational growth and new ven-

tures”, the company said in a statement.

Al Kendi was the former chief development officer for Abu Dhabi-based Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), where he was responsible for delivering over 60 projects. Al Kendi has also worked for Emaar Properties where he was involved in the master plan for the Burj Khalifa.

“He will play a major role in the successful achievement of Arabtec’s mission

and strategic initiatives by providing leadership, oversight, evaluation and direction for the operational performance of all construction activities,” it added.

Commenting on Al Kendi’s appointment, Arabtec Holding managing director and CEO Hasan Abdullah Ismaik said: “As our construction activities expand both locally and regionally, it is imperative to have the right leadership that complements our ambitious vision. (Arabianbusiness)

What motivates true leaders?

(CONTINUED FROM SATURDAY)

Serving others through empowerment

The above mentioned traits have one thing at their centre: people. And it’s this focus on people that seems to motivate many of the most successful leaders, from athletic coaches to business entrepreneurs. Often possessing an innate ability to see in others what those people may not see in themselves, the true leader cultivates the best in people and genuinely wants to see them succeed.

Also viewed as a mentor, the true leader delivers empowerment by providing resources, enabling others to realise options and possibilities they hadn’t thought of through exposure to external or internal education and development. Within this scenario, the leader is motivated to liberate subordinates rather than control them, thereby generating a more collaborative environment that leads to innovation, competitive edge and overall success.

Though this approach is

impractical for military or law enforcement, where following the orders of an authoritarian leader is necessary due to the often confidential nature of information, on the whole, true leaders in the civilian world strive to help others learn, grow and develop by freeing them from the limitations that hold them back. In doing so, these individuals inspire a natural state of loyalty that, as seen in the 100 Best Companies to Work For leads to unquestionable success. (Business Dictionary)

Ramotar urges lifting of standing

– as Caribbean teachers’ confab opens

BY SAMUEL SUKHNANDAN

The 36th biennial Caribbean Union of Teachers’ (CUT) conference officially opened in Guyana on Monday evening with a grand ceremony at the National Cultural Centre in front of a packed audience, including representatives from across all member countries attached to the CUT.

In giving the keynote address, President Donald Ramotar applauded the work of teachers across the Caribbean, contending that significant strides have been made over the years towards improving the quality of education.

The head of state said teachers cannot be compensated enough for their hard work and dedication in moulding the minds of their country. He posited that while the Caribbean shares common realities in teaching and teachers, the CUT should encourage discussions relating to current challenges, aimed at finding possible solutions to them.

Significant strides

“We have made significant strides in a relatively short time by utilising such unified approach... we have moved from where we were a few years ago when the examination of the models, policies and practices in relation to teacher education and training in the region exposed the fact that for such a relatively small region, we had a multiplicity of approaches in the way we prepared our teachers,” he said.

Ramotar noted that programmes vary widely in relation to entry requirements,

content, duration, expectations of lecturers and understanding of who is the ideal teacher. The president, however, believes the Caribbean has developed a more harmonised approach to teacher education and training, which guides each country in establishing common standards, in promulgating policies in relation to teacher education and training.

Regional teaching standards

Further, Ramotar urged that a regional standard of practice for the teaching profession be established, outlining the academic and professional benchmarks for teachers. In this regard, he said the work of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in creating the condition for these objectives must be implemented and must commence quickly.

This is important, he said, given the fact that it will help to move forward the professionalisation of teaching.

The president did not fail to mention what Guyana has been doing as it relates to improving the standards of teaching. He told delegates at the opening ceremony that Guyana has joined other nations in hosting consultations aimed at establishing teaching councils.

This has been an inclusive process which involved a wide cross-section of education stakeholders, promoting professional development of teachers.

Ramotar said policy formation, regulation and maintenance of competence and standards, evaluation and rationalisation and streamlining are all necessary to move the profession to another level, as it brings about cohesion between training and practice.

“These are all critical elements which when obtained will place our teachers squarely among the top respected professions, where they actually belong,” the president stated.

Key role to play

Ramotar said too that the teachers’ unions across the region have a key role to play, in finding a clear vision for the future of the profession over the coming years and beyond. He suggested that the solid goals be set, which includes the input of every stakeholder, so as to create a road map for effective education delivery.

That ultimate objective, he said is improvement in the quality and professionalism of teaching, noting that this is an urgent necessity.

“Without highly professionalised core of teachers, our children will fail to meet their life potential and this will have disastrous effects on the development of our region.

As such, the challenge is for all stakeholders to begin to orchestrate the change that we need, establishing the necessary mechanisms, devising the right plans, fostering and enabling an environment for these plans to flourish and building strong alliances with important stakeholders.”

During the five-day conference, focus will be paid on violence against teachers, increased wages, marking of school based assessments, among other issues.

The conference is being observed under the theme “Improving the professional status of teachers in the Caribbean”. It will provide an opportunity for representatives of all the CUT members to meet and strengthen their bonds of solidarity.

Vendors protest in front of Sooba’s private residence

– Hamilton Green believed to have been behind action

More than a dozen Regent Street vendors flocked Carol Sooba’s Duncan Street residence late Monday night, as they intensified calls for her to step down as the acting town clerk of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

A public meeting held by Mayor Hamilton Green at City Hall earlier in the day had sparked the protest. The mayor reportedly informed the vendors that Sooba was making another attempt to clear Regent Street, Water Street and other commercial areas of vendors.

When Guyana Times arrived at Sooba’s residence around 20:15h on Monday, loud chants filled the air, as vendors marched in front of her house with lit candles. Religious songs were periodically blended into the chants.

A bunch of red roses was also placed in the middle of the bridge that leads to Sooba’s two-storey house. By then, ranks of the Guyana Police Force had arrived on the scene, but did nothing to prevent the protesters from

engaging in what appeared to be an illegal gathering in front of someone’s private residence.

When contacted on the protest, Sooba told Guyana Times that the protesters should have been arrested, and she expressed disappointment at the police’s inability to detain those who were using indecent and threatening language, singing noisily and disturbing the peace in front of her house.

While she will not condone any form of illegal vending in the city, Sooba said at no point of recent did she venture into the streets to remove vendors. According to her, this recent protest is yet another brazen attack by Green who wants to remain mayor at all costs.

Efforts to contact the mayor were futile and he did not return calls to this newspaper up to press time. There continues to be intense criticism of Green’s lack of proper stewardship at the helm of a city continuously filled with garbage along many major streets.

One passer-by who stopped briefly to observe the

protest said Green should be more concerned with getting rid of garbage in the city and stepping down for his years of mismanagement and alleged corruption as mayor, rather than inciting protests at the acting town clerk’s private residence.

Local Government Minister Minister Ganga Persaud has gone on record as saying that the performance of the Georgetown M&CC is below par when compared to the other five municipalities in the country. He said the capital city continues to be worst managed municipality.

The minister said recently that the municipality has collected just 40 per cent of its 2013 rates and taxes, noting that it continues to be plagued with a series of problems linked to a power struggle between Green and Sooba.

“I am disappointed in the relationship that exists between the council and the administration. I am only hoping that it can be improved because, while that apparent war is existing, and the victims are the citizens of the city,” he added.

tuesday, august 6, 2013

Eid-ul-Fitr greetings from the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex

Allahu Akbar kabira. Wal hamdu lillahi kathira. Wa subhanallahi bukratan wa asila.

Allah is Great, immensely so! And praise be to Allah, abundantly! And glory be to Allah, both early and late.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of a month of fasting and great sacrifice. It is an occasion for rejoicing and an opportunity for Muslims to gather in joy, as well as in remembrance of those less fortunate. It is a Day of Graduation for all those who have faithfully observed the commands of God Almighty and an opportunity for all of us to rededicate ourselves, not only to achieving spiritual growth, but also to the cause of peace between all people of the earth.

Our challenge now becomes one of finding ways to maintain our focus. As the appearance of the new moon brings to a close the holy month of Ramadan, we extend to all Muslims a blessed celebration of the EidAl-Fitr and peace, health, and prosperity in the year ahead. May peace be with you and your families.

Eid finds us more content and happy with ourselves. We have reawakened our faith. We stand at a crossroad today: how shall we continue this journey toward Islam? How shall we remain at peace? The habits that we have established during this month must be nurtured. As we return toward our roles in this society, the world in which we live faces us with difficult choices. Our guidance comes from our willingness to turn toward Allah and to find peace within ourselves. Then and only then, will we feel content in our choices. Our global society could and should be an example of co-existence and cooperation, of mutual benefit and human concern.

Peace and faith

Muslims need to create an inner environment of peace and faith, of tranquillity, non-violence, and security. Then we can hope to find solidarity and to create cooperation by supporting one another, standing by one another in what is good and right and needed for success, growth, and sustainability. We are to let everyone know the true basis of Islam, its real values, its true principles, its way of life based on pluralism, democratic principles, faith, and mutual respect. Muslims today represent an increasingly important element in the tapestry of human society. Because of the growth of Islam, people of all faiths are coming to appreciate the significance of these great Islamic festivals and observances. Muslims the world over are also united in their commitment to be an

integral part of the human family and build a society, rich in diversity and grounded in mutual respect. The world is made stronger by the core values of Islam – commitment to family, compassion for the disadvantaged, and tolerance for other human beings and groups. We must not allow anyone, within or without of us, to destroy that. Islam espouses peace and security and safety for all people regardless of nationality or religion or gender or race.

It is our sincere hope and prayer that we are able to affirm the unity possible among Muslims, and between Muslims and other religions. We face the challenges of living in a globalised world where there is greater alienation and distance between classes of individuals based on economics and education. We must work hand in hand with people who have faith in the essential goodness of humankind. The ethical, social, economic, political, and spiritual challenges before us are enormous and demand mature, sincere, tolerant, open-minded “good people” to meet the growing challenges. We extend to all Muslims a blessed celebration of the Eid-Al-Fitr and peace, health, and prosperity in the year ahead. May peace be with you and your families.

EID MUBARAK

EID MUBARAK EID MUBARAK

Hakeem Khan

President General

The Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman and the Shaheed Boys and Girls Orphanages (Allah is Great, Allah is Great, and there is no God save Him. Allah is Great, Allah is Great, and all praises are for Him)

Eid-ul-Fitr, the greatest festival of Muslims, is being observed by over one and a half billion people worldwide. Every nation has its celebration, and today is our celebration. It is the celebration, which marks the end of a month of fasting and sac-

rifice. It is an occasion for rejoicing and an opportunity for Muslims to gather in joy, as well as in remembrance of those less fortunate. It is a day of graduation for all those who have faithfully observed the commands of God Almighty. It is also an opportunity for all of us to rededicate ourselves, not only to achieving spiritual growth, but also to the cause of peace between all people of the earth. Today, the responsibility is on us as Muslims, to erase the negative stereotype created about Muslims.

Core values

No Muslim is a weapon of mass destruction nor a person who inspires fear! It is our common challenge and our shared responsibility to create a better world for ourselves and our children.

Fasting is a trial of physical endurance and also a way of developing empathy for the poor and destitute. It is a bridge by which Muslims can reach out to the needy in all communities. Muslims today represent an increasingly important element in the tapestry of human society. Civilisation was made stronger by the core values of Islam, we must not allow anyone, within or without of us, to destroy that.

Muslims the world over are also united in their commitment to being an integral part of the human family and building a society rich in diversity and grounded in mutual respect. The world is made stronger by the core values of Islam – commitment to family, compassion for the disadvantaged, and tolerance for other human beings and groups.

As the appearance of the new moon brings to a close the holy month of Ramadan, we all pray that it will usher in a year of reconciliation and peace. We extend to all Muslims a blessed celebration of the Eid Al-Fitr and peace, health, and prosperity in the year ahead. May peace be with you and your families.

Badruddin Hassan President

Eid-ul-Fitr, the greatest festival of Muslims, marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan

SUDOKU

If you’re working on something that you believe has social and commercial potential, do your best to bring many people into the process.

By Bernice Bede Osol

(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

You should be very effective when reorganising things that require a special touch. Instinctively, you’ll know what needs fixing.

If you need to make a purchase of financial consequence today, be certain that you’re getting exactly what you want. Don’t let yourself be saddled with something that’s not perfect. A new endeavour could turn out to have much more potential than even you thought. Give promising opportunities your full attention.

(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)

Although you might have to scout around, there are strong chances that you will arrange something that could produce higher wages for yourself and a colleague.

(March 21-April 19)

Don’t treat your new ideas lightly or put them on the back burner. For some reason, they’re likely to work better at this particular time.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

You happen to be in an excellent achievement cycle, so the last thing you should be worrying about is getting things done. Obstacles facing you will be easily circumvented.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

There are strong indications that you might form a new alliance with someone whose interests and ideas merge especially well with yours. This will be a propitious pairing.

(April 20-May 20) SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Usually, it isn’t smart to depend too heavily on a hunch, especially when it involves your work, yet today could be an exception. Be sure to use all of your assets.

(May 21June 20)

Your chart indicates there is good justification for optimism where your work is concerned. It happens to be one of those days when you can achieve anything.

Instead of just thinking about making some changes that you believe could be advantageous, go ahead and make them. Your instincts will point you in the right direction.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

If you’re in need of a special favour, go to a friend instead of a coworker. The former is likely to help; the latter might resent it.

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Local Govt Ministry hosts training session for RDCs

The Local Government and Regional Development Ministry on Monday held a training session for members of the regional democratic councils (RDCs) at three locations – the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), the ministry’s Kingston office, and the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.

The sessions were conducted by Local Government and Regional Development Minister Ganga Persaud, Minister within the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry Norman Whittaker, and Permanent Secretary Collin Croal.

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make recommendations and suggestions concerning their respective region.

They were also briefed on the Procurement Act and the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA).

At the GICC leg, Minister Whittaker urged the councillors to get familiar with, and make good use of the acts and each councillor was given a soft copy of the two pieces of legislation.

At the end of the workshop, the participants were asked to fill out an evaluation form which was given to them and to have it returned to ministry officials.

The RDC members said they were grateful for the session, because it educated

The sessions touched on the legal framework, committee of councils, conduct of meetings, and procurement and tender administration, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

The councillors were informed about work that is ongoing in their regions and were given the opportunity to share their views and raise their concerns, which were addressed by the officials. They were able to

them on many issues.

This training is another effort by the ministry to ensure the RDCs provide quality service to the communities they serve and to allow them to share their concerns and views, GINA said.

Escaped snake kills two children in New Brunswick, Canada

Asnake escaped from a pet shop and killed two children in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, police say.

In a statement, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they believed the reptile had strangled two boys, aged five and seven, in Campbellton.

The boys were staying overnight at a friend’s apartment above the pet shop.

Police said they believe the snake slipped out of its cage overnight and travelled through the ventilation. The serpent has been captured by police.

Officers were called to the address on Monday morning where the two boys were found dead, said a police statement. The flat was located above the Reptile Ocean exotic pet store.

“The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store sometime overnight, and got

There were conflicting reports on whether the snake was a boa constrictor (above) or a python

into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment,” said the statement.

Post-mortem examinations will be performed on the two boys, thought to be brothers, on Tuesday. No charges have been laid so far.

Campbellton’s deputy mayor, Ian Comeau, said the incident was a “tragedy”.

“The city is in shock,” he added.

In a Facebook message, Reptile Ocean wrote: “Deepest sympathies goes

out to the family of the children. A terrible accident without a meaning.”

The store said it would temporarily suspend its online account because users had posted “demeaning comments”.

Initial reports suggested the reptile may have been a boa constrictor, but officials later said they believed it was an African rock python.

The owner of Reptile Ocean told CTV News that he had had the snake since 2001. (BBC News)

HealtH eDucatiOn

Participants at the Regional Democratic Council training session (GINA photos)

Minister within the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry Norman Whittaker answering a councillor’s question at the regional democratic councillors’ training session at the Guyana International Conference Centre

England retain Ashes as rain forces Old Trafford draw

England retained the Ashes by drawing the third Test as rain ended Australia’s final-day victory push at Old Trafford.

The tourists were in a commanding position, having removed Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen to reduce England to 37-3 in pursuit of an unlikely target of 332.

But recurring showers prevented any resumption of a compelling contest after 14:03 BST, and the captains shook hands on a draw at 16:40.

The result gives England an unassailable 2-0 lead with two Tests to play in the five-match series and en-

SCOREBOARD

England 2nd innings

A Cook* lbw b Harris 0

J Root not out 13

J Trott c †Haddin b Harris 11

K Pietersen c †Haddin b Siddle 8

I Bell not out 4

Extras: (w 1) 1

Total: (3 wkts, 20.3 overs) 37

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-15, 3-27

Bowling: R Harris 7-3-13-2, M Starc 4-2-6-0, S Watson 2-20-0, N Lyon 3-0-8-0, P Siddle

3.3-0-8-1, M Clarke 1-0-2-0

sures they will keep hold of the urn, having triumphed in the past two series.

Cook’s team need to draw only one of the remaining two Tests to win the series and underline their recent domination of one of sport’s oldest contests.

“It’s a great feeling, a strange feeling; it was a bit of an anti-climax today,” said Cook.

“We’ve retained the Ashes and now we want to go and win them. If you’d said that after three Tests I’d have snapped your hand off to be in this position.”

Australia, who won eight consecutive Ashes series between 1989 and 2002-03, will hope to salvage a draw from the series before the return contest down under, starting in November.

The intervention of the weather was a bitter blow to Michael Clarke’s men, who rebounded strongly at Old Trafford after defeats at Trent Bridge and Lord’s.

Bolstered by Clarke’s masterful 187, the tourists piled up 527-7 in their first innings before bowling England out for 368.

Scoring quickly to push for a declaration, they reached 172-7 in their sec-

ond innings on Sunday when bad light and rain ended play two hours early.

Despite most weather forecasters predicting rain until at least tea on Monday, a dry spell allowed play to begin only 30 minutes behind schedule at 11:30, with Clarke declaring on Australia’s overnight score.

In overcast conditions ideal for swing bowling, Australia made the perfect start as Ryan Harris swung one back to trap Cook lbw after a failed review - his first duck in 26 innings as skipper.

With the ground starting to fill up as word spread of the unexpected resumption, Trott survived an lbw shout before tickling Harris to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin down the leg side.

The Australia assault continued as Peter Siddle, in his first over, drew a thick edge from Root which Clarke failed to grasp at second slip.

Pietersen signalled his intention to counter-attack with a pulled four, only to be caught behind playing away from his body for eight in Siddle’s next over.

(BBC Sport)

Davis joins Lara, Tendulkar debate

Port of Spain, TRINIDAD - Former West Indies Test batsman Bryan Davis has joined the growing list of prominent names who are discussing which of the current batting greats — Brian Lara and India’s Sachin Tendulkar, was the better player.

Former Australian captains Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh, as well as ex-WI fast bowler Michael Holding recently gave their perspectives over who was the better batsman in the modern era (1990s and 2000s).

And Davis, in his recent column on the Catholic News, admitted, “comparisons are rather odious but cricket fans can’t get enough of them.

“The Tendulkar fans would tell you that he has more Test runs than anyone ever, while the fan club of the Trinidadian would bring to your attention the remarkable individual totals of their man, who has the highest score in a Test innings (400 not out) and held the record not once but twice. Of course, he’s the only batsman to achieve a score of over 500 in a single First Class innings (501 not out vs Durham 1994).”

The analytical Davis

wrote, “I’ve seen Tendulkar in Test matches both in the Caribbean and India and I thought him a class act, someone with a solid defence which protects him on any type of surface, with strokes all round the wicket.

“The late great Sir Donald Bradman said the solidlybuilt batsman reminded him of when he used to play. He enjoyed a tremendous range of shots and his stroke-play glittered with the gift of the artist. He was magnificent to watch.”

Davis continued, “Lara, on the other hand, was the adventurer, exciting to look at, never dull, with a repertoire of strokes that is almost impossible to define. Bowlers had endless challenges to control him and keep him quiet.

“In a flash he would switch his balance from one foot to the next to execute fearless strokes, not only with power and timing but with elegance and flourish, which is always entertaining for the spectator.”

But the former Trinidad and Tobago opening batsman confessed, “I leave the comparison of who was the better player to the fan, but for me I saw and enjoyed the symmetry with which these great players plundered the bowling, conquering the great-

est bowlers, winning most of their battles against wise and tricky opponents, with a classical array of shots, delighting fans with the beauty in their batting.” He asked, “Lara or Tendulkar? Who am I to say?

“They were superb purveyors of the art of batting and it is not for me to say,” Davis added. “I enjoyed both at the crease but I saw Lara more than I did the righthanded player.

“Thus, the little lefthander would have given me more delight only because of the number of times I would have seen him in the middle, attacking bowlers of all descriptions, from his days at Fatima College and throughout his development, eventually representing Trinidad and Tobago and then the West Indies.

I wasn’t fortunate to be able to follow the trail of Tendulkar, which would have been just as fascinating.

“I wish that those who get involved in comparisons won’t get carried away by statistics but will think more about how enjoyable were the performances, the style and substance of the batting, and the artistic way they both approached the games they played,” Davis pointed out.

(WICB)

Bolt remains beacon of hope says sports medicine expert

Kingston, JAMAICA –Six-time Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt remains a beacon of hope in a sport rocked by elite athletes testing positive for banned substances, a leading sports medicine specialist in Jamaica has said.

Dr Paul Wright says Jamaica would suffer from infinite distress should Bolt’s name fall on the wrong side of any drug test.

“Usain Bolt has been tested more often, I think, than all of the athletes in Jamaica, and he is well aware of his importance to the sport,” declared Dr Wright, the Jamaica AntiDoping Commission (JADCo) doping control officer.

“I remember, and this is a

quote from Usain, ‘if I test positive, the whole Jamaica dead’ and that is true”.

Jamaica’s sprint queen Veronica Campbell Brown, former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell, and Beijing Olympics silver medallist Sherone Simpson are among those who recently returned adverse analytical findings.

All three are seeking to prove their innocence.

“As I told another interviewer, I said I would drop down dead. There is so much on it and he is well aware of his responsibilities,” Wright said while addressing a function in Kingston.

“If Usain tests positive, the whole Jamaica dead, we all know that” Wright repeated.

Meantime, Dr Wright is warning athletes, some of whom he believes are taking undetectable performance-enhancing drugs, that they will be caught.

“We are going to catch everybody. We all know that there are chemists who change around these steroids. All you have to do is change one of the wings of these steroids, it will have the same effect and it’s undetectable,” Dr Wright explained.

“If you are going to detect that in somebody’s urine, the computer has to recognise it and that is where you have to feed standards into the computer that the computer can recognise. If there isn’t a standard, it can’t recognise”.

Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar

Captain Alastair Cook says England have not been at their best despite retaining the Ashes in only 14 days

Usain Bolt

Esref Apak among 31 Turkish athletes banned for two years

The Turkish Athletics Federation has given two-year suspensions to 31 athletes for drug offences, including Olympic medallist Esref Apak.

Hammer thrower Apak, who won silver in Athens in 2004, was one of three athletes listed who competed at the 2012 London Olympics.

Turkey’s doping problems threaten to affect Istanbul’s bid to host the 2020 Olympics.

International Olympic Committee members will choose a winner on 7 September.

Worse could follow for the sport in Turkey when TAF completes its investigations into alleged doping by Asli Cakir Alptekin, the women’s 1,500-metre gold medallist

at the 2012 Olympics, and two other female team members in London last year.

The bans were expected after the International Association of Athletics Federations carried out tests before and during the Mediterranean Games in the Turkish city of Mersin in June.

Apak was one of eight athletes who tested positive following the European Team Championships in Gateshead the same month.

Last week, TAF chairman Mehmet Terzi resigned from the post he had held for nine years in the face of doping allegations directed at Turkish sportsmen and women.

“The athletes were found to be in violation of Turkey’s

strict anti-doping laws following testing undertaken by the Turkish antidoping authority (TADA),”

Ugur Erderner, president of Turkey’s National Olympic Committee and a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) executive board, said in a statement.

“This work is part of a concerted, and much more aggressive, anti-doping policy in Turkey that has been in place for over six months and will be further reinforced with the re-accreditation of the Wada-licensed anti-doping laboratory in Ankara later this year.”

The TAF listed the names of the suspended athletes on its website, without giving details of their offences. (BBC Sport)

BCCI files plea in Supreme Court

The BCCI has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in India’s Supreme Court against the ruling of the Bombay High Court declaring illegal and unconstitutional the board’s appointment of the independent inquiry commission.

The petition has claimed, among other issues, that the rules the board was deemed by the high court to have violated in setting up the commission were not mandatory or absolute.

The original petitioners, the Cricket Association of Bihar, had already filed a caveat with the Supreme Court to enable it to be a part of any appeal filed by the BCCI.

In the 13-page petition, the BCCI has sought to contest the High Court order on various grounds including its decision to entertain the PIL given the board’s status as a private body; it has sought to challenge the petitioner’s right to file a PIL and question the legality of the inquiry panel when it was not even part of the BCCI nor, therefore, subject to the findings of the inquiry commission.

It has also sought to challenge whether the High Court could make a declaration when no relief of any kind was sought.

In their 61-page order delivered last Friday, Justices SJ Vazifdar and MS Sonak had held that BCCI had violated its own constitution - specifically Rule 2.2 of the IPL Operational Rules, which mandated that at least one member of the league’s Code of Behaviour Committee needed to be on

the inquiry panel. Although Sanjay Jagdale, the former BCCI secretary and part of the Code of Behaviour Committee, was on the original three-member commission, the BCCI did not name a replacement once he resigned. “In other words a commission cannot be constituted without at least one member of the IPL Code of Behavior Committee,” the order noted.

However the BCCI’s contention in its petition is that while the High Court had declared that it was the board’s “prerogative” under the IPL Operational Rules 2013 to appoint an inquiry commission and not for the court to pass an order, “it has erred in commenting on and finding that the probe commission as constituted was against the internal rules of the Petitioner.”

The BCCI is also contending that the IPL Operational Rules, which the High Court had said it (BCCI) had violated were not “mandatory” or “absolute” and the board had the authority to modify them. “It is submitted that rule 2 (1) of the said rules specifically states that ‘all complaints and/or breaches of the Regulations or charges of misconduct under the Regulations and any dispute between a player and franchise in respect of such player contract shall (unless BCCI in its absolute discretion decide otherwise) be decided by BCCI in the manner set out below’,” the SLP said.

The Bombay High Court’s ruling, issued last week, was in response to the CAB’s Public Interest Litigation that the two-member panel set up to investigate allegations of corruption in the IPL was constituted illegally. The court had raised questions on the manner in which the panel was constituted, stating that the BCCI had violated its own constitution in the process.

The court’s findings came two days after the BCCI’s probe panel comprising retired justices of Madras High Court - T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian had cleared Gurunath Meiyappan, one of the top officials at Chennai Super Kings, the franchise owner India Cements, Rajasthan Royals’ co-owner Raj Kundra and Royals’ parent company Jaipur IPL Pvt Ltd of “wrongdoing”.

“It is submitted that the manner of setting up commission/panel as set out in the Operational Rules are not mandatory since they can by the express terms of the Rules themselves be altered by the BCCI.” It also stated that the High Court had failed to appreciate that the inquiry commission comprised two “independent” members. “It is submitted that the committee that was appointed comprised of two retired judges of the Madras High Court, who in fact are outsiders and no way can be said to be interested persons. While so, a Commission consisting of outsiders of the Petitioner (BCCI) with no office bearer or member of the Petitioner itself, being a member of such Committee would in fact be laudatory and give rise to greater transparency,” the SLP said.

yankees star alex Rodriguez in baseball doping ban

Baseball’s highest paid star, Alex Rodriguez, has been suspended for 211 games, along with 12 other athletes, in the wake of a doping investigation.

Major League Baseball banned the 38-year-old New York Yankees slugger until the end of the 2014 season.

Rodriguez is one of a few players linked to a closed Florida clinic, Biogenesis, which allegedly supplied banned performing-enhancing drugs.

Rodriguez, who is popularly known as A-Rod, said he would appeal the penalty.

He can continue playing while his challenge is being heard.

Cover up

“I am disappointed with the penalty and intend to appeal and fight this through the process,” he said in a statement which observers noted made no protestation of innocence.

On Monday night, he was expected to take to the field for the first time this season after hip surgery. The Yankees played the Chicago White Sox.

Other players suspended on Monday include the Texas

Rangers’ Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta of the Detroit Tigers, and Everth Cabrera who plays with the San Diego Padres. They each received a 50-game ban. They are the latest players to fall foul of the doping allegations which have plagued the sport.

Only last month, Milwaukee Brewers’ Ryan Braun was banned for the 2013 season. The third baseman was accused of breaking drug rules and accepted a 65-game

ban.

But Rodriguez is the most high profile star to be snared by investigators. His current 647 home runs places him at fifth for the all-time record.

Major League Baseball, the organisation governing the sport, said Rodriguez had been suspended for “his use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human

growth hormone, over the course of multiple years”.

The statement also accused the player of “attempting to cover up his violations” by obstructing the investigation.

Rodriguez was accused of interfering with the Major League Baseball investigation into Biogenesis, resulting in a harsher penalty, correspondents say.

Challenges

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said on Monday: “Despite the challenges this situation has created during a great season on the field, we pursued this matter because it was not only the right thing to do, but the only thing to do.

“We continue to attack this issue on every front.”

Rodriguez previously admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs while playing for a Texas team between 2001-03. He has denied using steroids since.

He was named Most Valuable Player in baseball’s American League three times.

The divorced father of two’s earnings this year total over $30m (£19.5m) according to Forbes. He

stands to lose an estimated $36m if the suspension is upheld through the entire 2014 season.

The accusations against him emerged from a major investigation into a Florida drug clinic that is suspected of distributing performance-enhancing drugs to several professional baseball players.

After years of inflated batting statistics - and arm muscles - during what has become known as baseball’s “steroids era”, the extent of doping in the sport was laid bare in a 2007 report by former Senator George Mitchell.

Policies

The sport subsequently strengthened its drug-testing policies and created an investigative branch to prosecute such offences.

Many had hoped the changes would usher in a new, “clean” era for the sport.

Baseball legends such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were previously both accused of lying about alleged steroid use.

Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice, while Clemens was cleared of perjury. The allegations left a cloud of suspicion over both stars’ legacies. (BBC Sport)

Esref Apak

Baseball’s highest paid star, Alex Rodriguez,

All systems in place for Digicel horse racing classic

By Rajiv Bisnauth

With over 80 horses entered, the principals of the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) have put all systems in place for Sunday’s Digicel’s horse racing classic, scheduled to be staged at the club’s Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, venue.

The event, in its third year, was originally scheduled for August 1, Emancipation Day. However, in the wake of concerns by several African Guyanese organisations, Digicel and the KMTC decided to reschedule the annual event for Sunday.

“We have all systems in place; we did some upgrading to the track and the facility itself so overall the track is in an excellent condition, according to President of eth KMTC, Cecil Kennard on Monday.

Organisers have put together an impressive eightrace programme for the meet which will be the biggest horse race meet to date; over $12 million is for grabs.

All the big names are set to be on show for what is expected to be a competitive day of racing.

The feature race is classified for horses in the B Class category with the win-

ner taking away $2.5 million and a trophy. The one mile event will see the likes of Score’s Even, Donut Prince, C.P Got Even, Grande De Roja, Elle’s Vision, Got to Go, The Message, Funny Factor, Miss Karina, Zee Bomb, Swing Easy and Marathon Man battling.

In the co-feature, Guyana and West Indies bred horses for Three-year olds, the winner will receive $1.3 million and trophy.

Another event on the day’s card is the D3 and Lower for a winning purse of $900,000 and trophy over six furlongs. There is also an event for Two-year-old Guyana and West Indies animals for a top prize of

$700,000 and trophy over five furlongs.

The G1 and Lower will be a one mile affair with the animals running for a winning purse of $600,000 and trophy.

The I1 and lower event is a seven-furlong contest for a winning purse of $325,000 and trophy. The J1and Lower class match-up will see the winner pocketing $300,000 and a trophy over six furlongs.

The final race for the day is for animals classified J3 and K over five furlongs and has 16 horses slated to compete for a winner’s prize of $200,000.

The meet will be run under the rules of the GHRA. Horse owners are also reminded to get their horses properly registered with the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. Those horses not properly registered will not be allowed to participate in the day’s proceedings.

Race time is 12:30h and admission to the venue will be $1200 for adults; children under 16 will pay $600 while children under 10 will enter free.

Car passes and programmes will be sold at $300 each.

P&P Insurance Brokers supports GTTA

P&P Insurance Brokers has come onboard to assist the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) to host the eighth Caribbean Pre-Cadet Table Tennis Championships, scheduled for August 10-15 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

P&P Insurance Brokers is no stranger to table tennis, having sponsored several tournaments hosted by the GTTA.

In brief remarks, Account Executive Samantha Singh said P&P Insurance Brokers was happy to come onboard and wished the association the very best in hosting the tournament.

President of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe, thanked P&P Insurance Brokers for its continued support,

He outlined that P&P Insurance Brokers has consistently supported the activities of the GTTA and the sport of table tennis over the years.

Munroe said P&P Insurance Brokers has dem-

onstrated and exemplified what fulfilment of corporate responsibility truly is, noting that it is an example other organisations should emulate.

“The sponsorship is truly significant given the impact and critical role it plays in the development of the game in terms of moulding of the new and emerging stars in Guyana and the Caribbean, in addition to the ability it gives the GTTA to lobby the international table tennis federation support for grants among other benefits,” Munroe said.

ULSC stages fundraising raffle draw

The Unity Lancaster Sports Club (ULSC) held the draw for its fundraising raffle on Emancipation day with Gomattie Harricharran copping the top prize of a 100cc motorcycle.

Harricharran, with the lucky ticket number 2124, received the bike from officials of the club during the small ceremony at the club’s location at Unity on the East Coast of Demerara.

William Wahid (ticket #3502) won the second prize of a trip for two to the majestic Kaieteur Falls, while Amanda Jaisingh (#0347) won a trip for two to Arrowpoint Nature Resort.

Other winners were Amar Nauth (#1656) – a ‘rocking chair’; P

Habbibullah (#2423) – a DVD player; N Garbarran (#1947) – Nalini’s gift certificate; Balo (#1625) –Nalini’s gift certificate; Amanda Jaisingh (#0946) – a pot set; and Nasir Khan (#1885) – a blender.

According to a release from the club, “The ULSC will use the funds accrued to further enhance the pavillion in preparation for the introduction of karate classes due to commence early this month. There is already an existing boxing programme and the club is currently awaiting an improvement in the weather condition to resume its under-15 and under-19 cricket academies. The club also has functional senior and over-40 cricket teams.”

The ULSC is grateful for the support of all the individuals and companies who contributed to making the raffle a success.

Among them are Jailing, Buddy’s Pool Hall, Air Services Limited, Dipchand Trading, Roraima Airways, Regal Stationery, Quality Seafoods, IMK Auto Spares, Giftland OfficeMax, NDS Furniture Store, Nalini’s Hairdressing Salon, F&H Printing Establishment and Nauth Construction.

During the presentation ceremony on Thursday last, the ULSC also used the opportunity to hand out bursaries to the top two students of Gibson Primary School at the just concluded National Grade Six Assessment.

Demerara U-15 to play T&T club on Wednesday

Demerara Under-15 team will clash in a 50-over match against an Under-15 club team from Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday at the Everest Cricket Club ground, from 09:30h.

The Demerara team will be led by national Under-15 captain, Bhaskar Yadram with Gavin Nedd and Nazimul Drepaul performing the duties of coach and manager respectively.

The other members include: Ronaldo Mohamed (vice-captain), Raymond

Perez, Darshan Persaud, Richie Lucknauth, Timothy McAlmont, Ashmead Nedd, Vickram Talmukund, Kelvin Shewpersaud, Andrew Clifford, Stephan Campbell, Collin Barlow, Dhanram Samroo and Paul Thamas.

Meanwhile, the selected players are asked to assemble at the Demerara Cricket Club ground at 14:30h today to meet with the coach and manager.

Afterwards there will be a brief training session in preparation for Wednesday.

Gayle not sweating...

On Sunday, Gayle, usually a swashbuckling batsman, spent 20 deliveries for his 11 against the Hawksbills; an approach he said was in keeping with the team’s plan.

He added, “These things do happen; we have a great bunch of players, [and a] good batting line-up, but we lost a key wicket early so the best thing for me was to spend some time in the middle. Most times when I’m in the middle the opponents

find it a bit difficul to utilise the bowlers so it actually worked [on Sunday]. I’m not worried at all about my batting. Time will tell as we go ahead in the tournament.”

Gayle believes the ones who should really worry about his current form are the opposing teams.

“Chris Gayle is fine; timing the ball very well. Getting wins is key for us, so they [the opposing teams] should be worried about Chris Gayle.

from back page

Chris Gayle is not worried. Chris Gayle never worries about anything. He just plays the game according to the situation…if it doesn’t come off, it doesn’t come off,” the Jamaican related.

Gayle’s next outing in the Limacol CPL is on Wednesday when the Jamaica Tallawahs face off with home team Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel at the Queen’s Park Oval at 20:00 hours.

Cecil Kennard

Account Executive of P&P, Samantha Singh hands over the cheque to president of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe

Gomattie Harricharran receives the keys to her 100cc motorcycle from members of the ULSC, while other winners look on

Bhaskar Yadram

PMTC win Rick Sakawat memorial volleyball competition

Port Mourant Training Centre emerged victorious in the Rick Sakawat memorial volleyball competition played Sunday last at the Guysuco Port Mourant Training Centre venue.

The round robin competition attracted five male teams and two female teams.

Three Doors Strikers placed second while Port Mourant Training Centre 2 finished third in the male category.

Prior to the start, participants, officials and spectators observed one minute of silence in honour of the late Rick Sakawat.

Brief remarks were delivered by overseas-based spon-

In the female category, Berbice Under-19 won the title.

sor, Devo Girdhari and former president of the Guyana Volleyball Federation Reggie Bhagwandin who enlightened those present about the life of Rick Sakawat and his involvement with the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO).

Manchester United reject fresh Chelsea bid

Manchester United have rejected an improved offer from Chelsea for England striker Wayne Rooney.

The bid, made late on Sunday, was £25 million plus add-ons but United maintain the 27-year-old is not for sale.

Rooney, who remains intent on leaving United, has been left out of their squad for Tuesday’s pre-season friendly in Stockholm with a shoulder injury.

It is understood the striker picked up the knock during a behind-closed-doors match against Real Betis on Saturday.

Chelsea had an initial bid for Rooney, of about £20 million, turned down by United in July and have again been

knocked back, despite upping their offer.

United manager David Moyes has continually stressed that Rooney will stay with the Premier League

champions but Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho remains determined to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Rooney has been left angered and confused by recent

messages coming out of Old Trafford, most noticeably the suggestion from Moyes that Robin van Persie is the preferred option up front.

The situation could come to a head later this week with Rooney giving serious thought to handing in a transfer request in order to force a move away from Old Trafford.

In October 2010, Rooney said he wanted to leave the club because of concerns over the strength of their squad, but signed a new fiveyear contract just days later.

He flew home from Thailand in July with a hamstring injury and has not played for the club since a substitute appearance in the 1-0 defeat by Chelsea on May 5.

Clarke says Australia can draw Ashes series

Captain Michael Clarke says Australia can recover from failing to regain the Ashes by drawing the series.

England drew a rainaffected third Test at Old Trafford to take an unassailable 2-0 lead and retain the urn.

But Clarke believes Australia can win the remaining two Tests and carry the momentum into the return series down under this winter.

“If we can level the series we will take a lot of confidence back to Australia,” he said.

Australia need to win the fourth Test at Durham,

starting Friday, and the final Test at The Oval, on August 21, to draw the series.

“I’m confident if we play the type of cricket that we have through the four days here that we will give it a real good shake.

“We’ve got some work to do over the next few days to make sure we are as well prepared as we were leading into this Test match. We need to play with the same attitude, intent and I’m confident we can have success.”

Australia bounced back from defeats in the first two Tests to outperform England for the first four days at Old Trafford.

On the final day, they reduced the hosts – chasing 332 to win – to 37-3 in their second innings when rain washed out the rest of the match to give England the draw they needed to keep the urn.

“It’s unfortunate from an Australian perspective and all the boys in the room are quite disappointed with not being able to get over the line today,” Clarke added.

“But I certainly don’t want to take any credit away from England. They outplayed us in the first two Test matches, especially at Lord’s.

“You know when you

come to the UK there is a chance that rain is going to play a part throughout the series. Getting ourselves into the position of being 2-0 down – it was always going to be tough coming back from that.”

Australia tinkered with their batting order in the second innings at Old Trafford, promoting David Warner to open and dropping Shane Watson to number four.

Clarke hinted that Watson, who averages 24.33 from six innings in the series, may have to accept a role down the order in the Durham Test, which begins on Friday. (BBC Sport)

Sakawat was a former secretary of the PYO, an organiser for the People’s Progessive Party (PPP) and a volleyball player for Port Mourant. The event was also graced with the presence of President Donald Ramotar.

At the conclusion of the competition, trophies were presented to the captains of the first, second and third place teams.

Quacy Matheson of PMTC received the trophy for being the Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Drug officials target Jamaican athletes ahead of world champs

Montego Bay, JAMAICA – Jamaica’s 44-member contingent preparing to participate in the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, starting this weekend, has been tested for illegal drugs, the Observer reported on Monday.

Agents from the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) swooped down on the camp earlier Monday

to conduct drug tests on the Jamaican athletes ahead of the August 10 to 18 games.

Team officials confirmed to the Observer that all members of the team were blood tested, the paper reported.

Athletes and officials are based at the Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel and Business Centre.

Jamaica’s track and field programme has been under siege this year with six athletes testing positive for banned substances. They include multiple Olympic Games and World Championships gold medalist Veronica Campbell Brown, World championships bronze medalist Asafa Powell and Olympic Games silver medalist Sherone Simpson.

Campbell Brown tested positive for a stimulant at the Jamaica International invitational in May while Powell and Simpson tested positive at the National Senior Championships in June.

President Donald Ramotar with players of the winning Port Mourant Training Centre team

President Donald Ramotar posing with the Berbice Under-19 female team

Veronica Campbell Brown

Wayne Rooney

Gayle not sweating over form

By Avenash Ramzan

Chris Gayle is going through a prolonged patch of poor form, but the Jamaican refuses to enter a debate about his performance, noting that his approach has always been team success over individual brilliance.

The left-handed opener had an unforgettable Indian Premier League (IPL) season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this year, hitting a sensational 175 off 66 balls against the Pune Warriors, but his returns for the West Indies and Jamaica have been meagre of recent.

Since his unbeaten 75 against Australia last October, Gayle has appeared in five T20 Internationals,

scoring a total of 23 runs with the highest score being eight.

For Jamaica, the 33-year-old has managed scores of six against the Guyana Amazon Warriors and 11 versus the Antigua Hawksbills in the current Limacol Caribbean Premier League.

Speaking at the postmatch conference after the Jamaica Tallawahs trounced the Antigua Hawksbills by seven wickets on Sunday, Gayle was positive a slump in form had not befallen him.

“I’m definitely not struggling; I’m playing according to the situation,” Gayle suggested.

Ogle smashes first century as Guyana beat Dominica

St George’s, GRENADA – Opener

June Ogle smashed the first century to setup a convincing 209 run victory for Guyana against Dominica as the West Indies Women 50 overs tournament opened at four venues across Grenada Monday.

Ogle powered her way to an unbeaten 104 as Guyana amassed 268 for three from their 50 overs at the Tanteen playing field in St George’s.

Dominica was bowled out for a paltry 59 runs in 28.1 overs with Pearl Ettiene scoring 15 and Annica Andrew 12.

Ogle anchored the Guyanese innings and was merciless on the Dominican bowlers hitting five fours and facing 135 balls.

She consolidated the innings by teaming up with

Shemaine Campbelle who hammered eleven boundaries to reach 85.

The Guyanese bowlers combined to dismiss their opponents cheaply – Tremayne Smartt picking up three for 15, Hasena Mohamed three for four and Trishanie Cort two for 22.

At the La Sagesse playing field in the central parish of St David’s, Jamaica humbled St Lucia by nine wickets.

The Jamaican bowlers restricted their opponents to 74 runs in 33.4 overs largely through the efforts of Karla Cohen three for 22, Stefanie Taylor two for 13 and Roshana Outar two for five.

Jamaica coasted to victory losing only the wicket of Natasha McClean bowled for 17 runs while Jodain Morgan and Stefanie Taylor were not out on 25 and 14.

At Beausejour playing field on the outskirts of the capital, Trinidad and Tobago defeated Barbados by two wickets.

A half century from Pamela Levine and help from Shaquana Quintyne hoisted Barbados to 134 all out in

38.3 overs.

Levine struck seven fours and six sixes to top score on 58 while Quintyne scored 44 runs which included four fours.

Barbados’ difficulty in reaching a bigger total was as a result of the persis-

tence of Kirbyina Alexander who bagged five for 38 while Stephanie Ramcharan and Alisa Mohammed snared two wickets apiece.

Trinidad stumbled a bit on the chase but the batting of Captain Merissa Aguilleria and Sheenelle Lord 34 carried them home.

Lord returned a top score of 34, Aguilleria chipped in with 24 and Alexander 13 as TT reached 135 for eight.

Pamela Levine three for 18 and Deandra Dottin two for 12 were the pick of the Bajan bowlers.

At Progress Park in the eastern parish of St Andrews, Captain Juliana Nero led St Vincent and the Grenadines to a comfortable 59 run win over host Grenada.

Nero stared with the bat to score an unbeaten 86 that lifted the visitors to a compet-

itive 227 all out in 48.3 overs.

She received support from Terisha Lavia and Cordell Jack who contributed 34 and 23 runs each.

Grenada suffered defeat despite an impressive all-round effort from Afy Fletcher, the pick of the Grenadian bowlers with four for 45. Rackel Williams picked up three for 39.

Fletcher also top scored as Grenada struggled on the chase, losing wickets quickly and being all out for 168 in 43.4 overs.

Fletcher hit three fours and faced 86 balls while Anesha Thomas scored 21 and Debbie Ann Lewis 19.

The best Vincentian bowlers were Lavia and Roschelle John three for 24 and three for 34 while Sheree ann John picked up two for 39.

Australia 527-7 dec (Clarke 187, Smith 89, Rogers 84, Swann 5-159) & 172-7 dec draw with England

(Pietersen 113, Cook 62, Bell 60, Siddle 4-63) & 37-3

Gone! It has not been all smooth sailing for Chris Gayle so far in the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League (Limacol CPL photo)

June Ogle

Shemaine Campbelle