Guyana Times Daily

Iran's P12 presidentelect calls for stronger ties with Guyana Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 1832

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Guyana renews bilateral ties with France See story on page 9

PRICE

$60 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Police P7 stumped by Monday's robbery spree – business community urged to boost security P11 Stop dithering on hydro project!

– govt urges opposition

Queenstown mosque P11 opens for Ramadan Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, French Ambassador Joel Godeau, acting Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy and Major General of the French Guiana Armed Forces, Bernard Metz making a toast in observance of France’s National Day

Japan signals intent to strengthen cooperation with Caricom GECOM votes PSC presses against renewing parties on Boodhoo’s contract hydro project See story on page 10

See story on page 14

See story on page 3

...Boodhoo was not dealt with fairly, – warns of consequences of established procedures were not non-support of legislation followed – Jaya Manickchand

…but building not fully completed

Education Ministry P12 lays down rules on registration fees

Brazilian nationals P13 on cannabis charge

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana participates in Caricom- UK aid for trade Singapore high-level meeting helped pave way for EPA implementation – CARIFORUM head

G Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett along with her Caricom colleagues at the Singapore exchange

F

oreign Affairs Minister Carolyn RodriguesBirkett, along with foreign ministers of Caricom member states and Caricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, is currently in Singapore at a CaricomSingapore high-level ministerial exchange under the theme “Governing in a complex world”. The exchange is being held over the period July 15 to 19.

There has been a signifi-

cant increase in engagement and cooperation between the Caribbean Community and Singapore and the high-level exchange will provide the opportunity to discuss the strengthening of these relations as well as to share experiences on methods to better manage common and complex challenges facing small states, a release from the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

Apart from discussions with their colleague, the

foreign minister and other officials of the Singapore government and the ministers will also visit several locations including the Singapore Aviation Academy, the Singapore Air Traffic Control Centre, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore as well as the Urban Redevelopment Authority City Gallery.

The governments of Guyana and Singapore established diplomatic relations on September 19, 2002 and enjoy

close collaboration at the international level in fora such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the World Trade Organisation and the Non-Aligned Movement.

In recent years, Guyana has benefited from several offers of training, particularly in the areas of aviation, agriculture and information technology from Singapore. The two countries are exploring enhanced cooperation in the areas of technical assistance and capacity building.

reat strides have been made in strengthening national capacity in the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM), regarding the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).

The United Kingdom’s Caribbean Aid for Trade and Regional Integration Trust Fund (CARTFund) has distinguished itself, in this regard, providing much-needed aid for trade resources in order to buttress institutional structures with responsibility for coordinating EPA implementation in some of the smallest regional states, all of which face stark capacity constraints.

The outgoing director general of the CARIFORUM Directorate in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat, Ivan Ogando Lora, expressed this view against the backdrop of CARTFund EPA public sector capacity-building support projects that are winding down in five states.

According to a Caricom Secretariat report, grant agreements governing the projects in each of the five countries had come on stream at varying points, since 2009.

Antigua and Barbuda was the first state in which the capacity building project was rolled out, followed by Grenada.

Project closures have since been set in train for these two states, as part of the first wave of closures, of which St Vincent and the Grenadines is also a part. The second wave is set to take place in relation to Belize and St Kitts and Nevis, in the coming months.

These states have benefited from CARTFund financial support to their National EPA Implementation Units, each of which is tasked with coordinating the implementation of the complex, far-reaching accord in the given state.

Turning point “The rollout of the CARTFund in the region, in support of public sector organisations spearheading EPA implementation, has reached a turning point,” Ogando noted. He added, “The CARTFund has been vitally important to EPA implementation, not least, because it has provided a fillip to institutional structures that are at the vanguard of the coordination of EPA implementation in a sub-set of regional states.”

The director general said of authorities in those states, “with the support of the CARTFund now, at its end, they have a sound basis upon which to build further EPA implementation actions, which is especially important considering that institutional structures that received CARTFund support will play a crucial role in EPA implementation in the short-, medium- and long-term.”

These five states are among eight regional states that elected to pursue National EPA Implementation Plans, in close collaboration with the Caricom Secretariat-based EPA Implementation Unit.

Respective national institutional structures with responsibility for EPA implementation are expected to be at the forefront of efforts to give effect to these plans, once they are approved by government. The Regional EPA Implementation Unit, also a recipient of CARTFund resources, will continue to be integrally involved in lending technical support to national counterparts’ efforts in this regard.

The provision of this type of support is of the highest priority for the unit, given that it is mandated to assist CARIFORUM states in the implementation of the provisions of the EPA. Ogando called attention to the critical role played by partner institutions in bringing the CARTFund on stream, including the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

The bank is the fund administrator. He said regional states are especially grateful to the United Kingdom government, “which in providing the funds bridged the difference between words and deeds, at an especially critical juncture in EPA implementation”.

Aid for trade

The United Kingdom is one of only two EU states that have provided aid for trade resources in support of EPA implementation, to date, notwithstanding that during EPA negotiations the EU side had indicated that such resources would be forthcoming as a significant means of support to CARIFORUM states.

“With the exception of two states, EU member states have not lived up to their promise of extending bilateral aid for trade support to regional states grappling with the implementation of an unprecedented trade accord in the face of challenging capacity constraints, which have been made more severe by the downturn in the global economy,” Ogando underscored.

The CARTFund portfolio comprises regional and national projects, with public and private sector-oriented initiatives. The CARTFund was established in March 2009, with £5 million in funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID). This amount doubled to £10 million, in early 2010. The stated aim of the programme is to generate momentum with respect to the implementation of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA and the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). The 15 signatory CARIFORUM states to the EPA are the independent Caricom member states and the Dominican Republic.

News

3

wednesday, july 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Wednesday, July 17 from 11:30h to 13:00h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Wednesday, July 17 from 10:30h to 12:00h.

WEATHER TODAY

Countrywide: Heavy rain showers are expected during the day, with clear skies in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly at 4.02 to 3.12 metres per second.

High Tide: 11:17h and 23:46h reaching maximum heights of 2.31 metres and 2.41 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 04:44h and 17:11h reaching minimum heights of 0.82 metre and 0.91 metre respectively.

saturday, July 13, 2013

LOTTERY NUMBERS G 03 15 02 23 25 01 27 FREE TICKET

B

TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013 Daily Millions

11 25 08 12 13 LUCKY 3

8

9

7

Draw De Line 04 16 03 02 07

08 12

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

PSC presses parties on hydro project – warns of consequences of non-support of legislation

A

mid the uncertainty over the fate of two pieces of legislation key to the advancement of the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) on Tuesday urged both government and opposition to work together to have them passed.

Government has tabled amendments to the hydroelectricity act and a motion to increase the debt ceiling – both critical to the project.

The items will come up on Thursday when Parliament convenes.

In a statement, the umbrella business grouping said the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric project has reached the stage where two critical pieces of legislation require parliamentary approval for the advancement of the project and to obtain Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approval for the IDB portion of the project funding: the Guarantee of Loans (Public Corporations and Companies) Act and the Hydro-Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2013.

The latter piece of legislation, the PSC said, which creates a protected area for

biodiversity conservation, is a prerequisite for IDB board approval of the project.

“July 30 is, we understand, the deadline by which final project documentation must be available for submission ahead of the October meeting of the board.”

“The Private Sector Commission wishes to stress the critical importance of moving the Amaila Falls project forward as swiftly as possible. Competitive energy pricing is essential to attract new investment in the economy particular for diversification and value-added industries that will reduce dependence on the vagaries of commodity priced exports such as sugar, gold and bauxite.”

Paramount priority

The commission said with rising fossil fuel prices, less expensive, alternative renewable energy sources such as hydroelectricity is crucial to the survival of many businesses, especially those in the manufacturing sector where growth is stymied by existing energy prices, “and we are appealing to all the parties responsible for the passage of the necessary legislation to have

effect, serve to wipe out the struggling manufacturing sector.

“The country would also forego significant savings and would have lost a major private sector investment project, which would create jobs and have a positive trickledown effect on the economy. “

Major investment

PSC Chairman Ronald Webster

the national interest as a paramount priority”.

According to the PSC, from the data it has gathered on the true cost for generating and distributing electricity, it is important that the public and all the parties involved be aware of the certain consequences if the Amaila Falls project is not approved this year. Among those consequences is the fact that the cost of electricity for end users could rise to a true cost of approximately US$0.40 per kilowatt hour. The PSC said apart from visiting untold hardships upon the people of Guyana, this would, in

Duo accused of illegal firearm possession

A

Brazilian duo appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with possession of an illegal firearm.

It was alleged that on July 12, at the Takutu River Bridge, Lethem, Central Rupununi, Don Vera, 28, was found in possession of a single-barrel 20-gauge shotgun without being the holder of a firearm licence.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge read against him.

Dosantos Vera, 28, was also charged

separately with the same offence; he too pleaded not guilty.

The two men needed the help of a translator, Andressa Alives Ferrira, who is attached to the Brazilian Embassy, to respond to the questions in court. Don and Dosantos Vera were represented by Attorney Latchmi Rahamat.

Rahamat made applications for bail on the grounds that both individuals were charged with the same offence, but in different case jackets. She went on to say that the firearm in question

was not found in the defendants’ possession nor were any ammunition. She said the police do not know who is the owner of the gun, and made a request for reasonable bail.

Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt objected to bail on the grounds that no special reasons were given and the defendants did not give any local addresses, so if granted their pre-trial liberty, they may not return to court.

Bail was refused and the men were remanded. They are set to return to Court One today at 09:00h.

The PSC said if the project does not go ahead this year, the cost of attempting it in the future would rise significantly and potential investors in other areas for major investment would be unwilling to take investment risks.

In addition to these consequences, all other large public-private partnerships projects would be put at risk, since its failure would lead to a lack of confidence in the country’s ability to realise these projects.

“We, therefore, appeal to both the government, the parliamentary opposition and the attorney general’s office to work together, regardless of time to ensure the smooth passage of the required legislation before July 30.”

4

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013

Views

Adventurous 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

Need for a broader response to malaria

A

ccording to official statistics, globally, an estimated 3.3 billion people are at risk of malaria, with populations living in sub-Saharan Africa having the highest risk of acquiring the disease: 80 per cent of cases and 90 per cent of deaths are estimated to occur in the World Health Organisation (WHO) African region. Children under five years of age and pregnant women are most severely affected. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that with an allocation of US$6.7 billion for the global malaria response over three years, at least three million lives can be saved for the period 2012-2015.

Malaria is a disease associated with lack of socio-economic development, poverty, marginalisation and exploitation. It is also widely considered an obstacle to economic development. To combat the disease consistently, malaria-endemic countries and their development partners agreed to the 2008 Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP), which aims to reduce malaria deaths to near zero, reducing cases by 75 per cent, and eliminating the disease in 10 new countries by 2015. It is expected that the plan will be revised for the period of 2016-2025.

Here in Guyana, while there is still a far way to go, this country has made significant progress in the malaria fight. Since Guyana signed onto the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), overall records indicate steady progress towards the sixth MDG which relates to combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

And the government and other stakeholders, such as the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)/WHO must be given some credit for this success.

The prevalence of malaria has decreased from 5084 per 100,000 persons in 2005 to 1541 per 100,000 persons in 2008.

This improvement can be attributed to successes in prevention efforts, as well as in the detection and treatment of contracted cases. The priorities include improving compliance with treatment, and overcoming the logistical difficulties associated with detection, treatment and monitoring of interventions.

We should point out that insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) have been shown to be highly effective vector control interventions in preventing malaria morbidity and mortality among children in malariaendemic settings. Additionally, in 2010, the Health Ministry introduced a new alternative, the BTI bacteria, to reduce the mosquito population. The initiative not only focuses on the malaria mosquito, but on all vector-borne diseases.

However, experts are now stepping up their call for malaria to be looked at more holistically, since the disease impedes efforts to tackle poverty and advance both economic and human development. There is need for a broader response to malaria and expanded work to address the social and environmental factors that perpetuate it.

Rebecca Grynspan, UNDP associate administrator, was quoted as saying that it was not through bed nets and better medicine alone that Northern Europe and North America eliminated endemic malaria. It was also through progress on broader health determinants – such as improved living conditions, declines in household size, smarter agricultural practices, and more robust health systems – which helped to ensure that malaria transmission was curbed and treatment reached those who needed it.

UNDP has underlined the fact that malaria, which is considered to be one of today’s –and history’s – great health challenges, the factors that make people vulnerable to it lie to a great extent beyond the health sector, such as housing, education, urban planning, agriculture, transport, and mining, all contribute to making people more, or less vulnerable to infection.

Just last week, experts from government, academia, civil society, international financing institutions, UN organisations and the private sector were convened in Geneva by Roll Back Malaria (RBM) and UNDP to assess what contribution they could make in expanding the fight against malaria beyond the health sector. The experts developed an action framework, which will be reflected in the discussions on the Sustainable Development Goals, the next Global Malaria Action Plan for 2016-2025, and national malaria strategies.

Fifty countries have successfully eliminated malaria since 1948. During the past decade alone, a majority of malariaendemic countries have managed to reduce their malaria burden.

However, like WHO and UNDP, we believe that while coverage with vector control interventions remains crucial, a more robust effort that integrates all relevant development sectors will enable malaria to be controlled and eliminated in a sustainable manner.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is seen through the glass of C-Explorer 5 submersible after a dive to see the remains of the naval frigate “Oleg”, which sank in the 19th century, in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, July 15 (Reuters/Aleksey Nikolskyi/RIA Novosti/Kremlin)

Vagrants are a cause for worry Dear Editor, Recently, a vagrant managed to escape with a bag belonging to a patient who was at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The man raised an alarm and informed the nurses on duty.

What are vagrants doing

there? They are known and yet nothing has ever been done about it. How about hospital safety and hygiene?

Where are the police and hospital security?

I have also seen too many times when exploitation of vagrants leads to all kinds of trouble. Just like any society, the vagrants do have

a class culture. The better looking ones are more favoured by people, who normally use them to run little errands.

I was at the East Coast park and a similar incident took place. I was reliably informed that the stolen pouch of one customer was taken away by the very va-

grant who usually runs errands for the seller. There is always a price to pay when these kinds of things are happening. If these at the hospital are tolerated, then we must find out why and do something about it.

Yours truly, Tony Johnson

Two small but good things to note in Linden Dear Editor, I congratulate the For The Children Sake Foundation (FTCSF) and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for combining to do good work in Linden. The town recently went through a difficult period, but it feels good to know that many can move forward and not linger on the past.

Seven women from Linden are now equipped with sewing skills. They re-

cently graduated under the third and final phase of a project, which actually came on stream as a result of concern over some truant children in the community.

Since that time to now, a lot of things have happened, namely, that participants were provided with equipment such as sewing machines, electric irons and cloth. This initiative must be commended.

The academic-learning

venture was quite another good initiative for Linden, as part of which there was a debate and speech competition organised by the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry and the FTCSF. The exercise saw youths from various social clubs around Linden researching and participating in a number of topics: drugs and alcohol abuse, violence against children, HIV and its effects on the community, and corporal punishment.

A few nights ago, some old friends and I were talking about how hard it was a few decades ago. We had to fight to get reading materials of any sort. Now the abundance and availability of information is often taken for granted. This should not happen. What just took place in Linden must be duplicated elsewhere.

Yours sincerely, Debra Hinds

Desperate measures are needed to stop armed robberies Dear Editor, These days there are often several headlines on the same day about armed robberies, including murder in some instances. Clearly, we have a problem where guns are concerned. At the social level, it means that we have career criminals in abundance. Something has to be done.

Let us spare ourselves the details of these incidents and try to alleviate our present fearful situation. In Jamaica, a red alert was

announced as regards certain places and times where criminal activities are concerned. The citizens were asked to cooperate by staying indoors and the police flooded the area with their presence. Good people do not see this as harassment of any sort. They actually welcome these kinds of things.

Here, we hear about patrol officers intercepting guns at all kinds of hours and this is the kind of thing we need.

There must be more officers and they must be helped as

much as possible. A curfew is definitely in order and the community must be good liaison officers. Suspicious and strange people and actions must be quickly exposed and reported. It is time to chase these robbers off the streets.

Recently, a few of them got off after exchanging fire with policemen. Hopefully such luck will not favour them too often and for long.

People want safety and they deserve it too.

A few years back in Nigeria, bold were the op-

erations of armed robbers, creating a nightmare in certain sections of the country. The army had to come to the rescue. This very year, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sent some 3000 troops into the streets of the capital of Caracas to crack down on rampant crime.

Is there a lesson here for us? I think so and I hope for a turn around. We need desperate measures urgently.

Respectfully, Karen Sommerset

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, july 17, 2013

5

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

We need to utilise our land The cassava drive is truly on

Dear Editor, We have good land all over Guyana and we must maximise. According to the junior agriculture minister, a foreign company is likely to invest in an agricultural venture at Akawini, Lower Pomeroon.

When the deal is finalised, some 30,000 acres of land will be put under cultivation in the Amerindian community, investing in crops like pepper, cabbage, rice, beans, watermelons, and pumpkins.

I was in Berbice a few weeks back and in a small plot of land, like a normal yard space, I counted pumpkins beyond a dozen, as well as bora and pepper. I was so pleasantly surprised.

This is where the Agriculture Ministry comes in, and it plans to continue

to spend millions of dollars to improve drainage and irrigation in the Pomeroon. I believe that this is where we must focus. Shoring up the system will significantly aid agricultural expansion and production for the Pomeroon people. If the villagers are assured of some kind of protection from any type of natural disaster, then in no time at all, that entire district will become a food zone.

The government, as we all know by now, is so serious that it has also invested in the establishment of a branch of the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) on the Essequibo Coast, and more and more persons are being trained in the various areas of the sector.

If I add the Aurora

Development Project, then the scale is even bigger – the Agriculture Ministry is currently developing lands for agricultural purposes which seeks to open up some 5500 acres of land for cultivation.

This is awesome.

If we can continue to carefully plan, weigh the pros and cons, then we are good to go big. All that we have to do is guard against complacency and leaving drainage and irrigation to chance, we just have to be doubly careful.

If we can be vigilant, people from afar off will come here for food. Indeed, we can quickly become the food zone for so many of our neighbours.

Respectfully submitted, Quincy Morris

Smoking laws must be enforced in Guyana Dear Editor, Second hand smoke causes heart disease. It also actually causes thousands of premature deaths from heart disease each year. Nonsmokers who are exposed to second hand smoke at home or at work also increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25-30 per cent.

It gets worse, as it has immediate adverse effects on blood and blood vessels, increasing the risk of having a heart attack. When it comes to an asthmatic attack, children with asthma who are around second hand smoke have more severe and frequent attacks. A severe asthmatic attack can put a child’s life in danger.

Children whose parents smoke around them get more ear infections. They also have fluid in their ears more often and have more operations to put in ear tubes for drainage. Put in very simple terms, exposure to second hand smoke is not good for anyone’s health.

In Jamaica, smokers who light up in public spaces are

headed for trouble from now on. Jamaica is joining fellow Caribbean Community (Caricom) members Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, as well as countries in Europe, Canada and the United States, in instituting a ban on smoking in enclosed and specifically prescribed public spaces.

Since smoking is dangerous to the smoker and also because it spells so much trouble for those within the vicinity of the smoker, Guyana must also enforce smoking laws. There must be a concerted effort from everyone in this regard.

I have seen bus drivers asked to put their cigarettes away and they simply would hold the cigarette outside the bus. This is not good enough.

We have laws regarding smoking in Guyana and unless the public help with the campaign, they will eventually suffer from second smoking ailments and they will not even know why.

I call for some emphasis in this area. Let us not wait until we are deluged by the problem.

Yours faithfully, Lloyd Williams

Dear Editor, It is good to know that the locally produced farine is gaining popularity with its own niche market outside of its traditional users. I always thought that we needed to push more of our local specialties. In this vein, government in sensing an economic pull is set to build a full phased factory operation for the processing of this item made from cassava. If all goes well, this will take place later in the year, with the first facility to be installed in Region Nine.

This is something to really look forward to. This translates into more cassava production, as manual effort in making the farine, even now, is sometimes a deterrent in any cassava drive.

In fact, cassava is the third largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava

is also a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. Guyana then has no excuse in terms of investing in this crop. So whether it is for farine or not, just plain cassava, cooked and eaten, is a positive step.

Many hinterland residents depend on cassava, not only for food, but for a livelihood. I am really buoyed by this idea and initiative from the Agriculture Ministry. It makes so much sense to set up the facility, since labour will not be a problem anymore. The Guyana farine, produced almost exclusively in the hinterland, is becoming very popular outside of the country.

Brazil produces it own farine, but still the local one is becoming a niche mar-

ket there. What is also very heartening is that the local product is now gaining attention in the Caribbean market. This then means that we have to be ready for the semi-industrialisation of the cassava industry in order to seize the market.

It is common knowledge that farine production is traditionally done by indigenous women, who use their hands to harvest, clean, peel and squeeze the tuber to make the product. The Agriculture Ministry has already assisted several communities by providing grinders to ease this physical task, but this must be built upon, and the ultimate is the factory.

We need to think big – produce plenty, provide quality stuff, and then sell both locally and overseas

Yours truly, Maria Isabella

6

wednesday, july 17, 2013

Page

guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

How to prepare your child for surgery

BY JENNIFER HEISLER

Preparing your child for surgery and anaesthesia

P

reparing a child for surgery emotionally is one of the most important things parents can do when their child is facing a surgical procedure. Surgery, without proper explanations and preparation, can traumatise children.

Preparing a child for surgery is not difficult, but it is essential to understand that many children will adopt their parent’s attitude about healthcare and surgery. If the parent is frightened or hysterical, the child is much more likely to be frightened or hysterical.

It is also important that your body language matches your words. If a parent is saying, “It’s going to be OK,” but their body language says, “I’m terrified”, the child will usually adopt the attitude of fear. This may be easier said than done, as most parents do feel fear when their child needs surgery, but being aware of the issue can be helpful.

The worst thing a parent can do before surgery is to not prepare the child at all, so surgery is a surprise and they are completely unaware of what is happening to them.

Children who are shocked by the fact they are having surgery often act out, crying,

screaming, and attempting to bite, kick or hit staff and family members. These children can be left with a fear of hospitals, surgery, doctors, nurses and health care in general.

Children traumatised by surgery have been shown to regress in the weeks and months after surgery. Pottytrained children may begin wetting the bed, or they may want a bottle after having moved on to regular foods.

In these cases, patience is essential, providing affection and support while the child works through the experience.

”I don’t know” is preferable to providing information that is wrong, which can cause significant distress for the child when their expectations are different from what they are experiencing. Just remember to obtain the correct answer, especially if your child asks the same question repeatedly while waiting for an answer.

• • • • •

be able to be present?

Do you have any suggestions regarding preparing my child for surgery?

Will my child be given sedation prior to surgery?

Are there any shots my child will be given before surgery?

Where will my child wake from surgery? Can I be present?

What kind, if any, pain

Obtain accurate information about your child’s surgery

Giving your child accurate information when preparing him for surgery is essential to their being calm before and after surgery. Explain the procedure to your child as accurately as possible, telling your child “I don’t know but I will find out” if you do not know the answer to a question. For example, don’t tell your child that you will accompany them to the operating room if you are not sure this is possible.

A normal part of surgery like saying goodbye in the pre-surgery area can be traumatic when the expectation was that goodbyes would occur after being escorted into the operating room.

•

•

•

Important questions to ask before your child’s surgery

What type of anaesthesia will be used? Will my child be asleep during surgery?

While my child is awake will they receive medication through a breathing mask, an IV or both?

Will I be able to escort my child to the operating room? Will both parents

•

• • •

will my child have after surgery?

Can my child eat or drink before surgery? Will my child be able to eat or drink after surgery?

Will my child be able to have overnight visitors after surgery?

Is a tour of the facility available, including the operating room?

Will my child have IVs, devices or a breathing tube after surgery?

• • •

What kind of recovery can my child expect to have?

Will my child be in the hospital after surgery?

For how long?

How quickly will my child be discharged after outpatient surgery?

Things your child should know about surgery

Children are very wary of surgery, and may have questions or concerns that they never mention. These are important topics that you may want to address before your child has surgery, depending upon their age.

• Anaesthesia prevents pain during surgery.

• You are not having surgery because you were bad, surgery is not a punishment.

• If there is pain after surgery, medication is available to make it better, so you have to tell your parent, doctor or nurse when you hurt.

• Your surgery is not the same as ____’s (grandma, brother, friend, person on TV) surgery.

• Your ____ may hurt more (or less) after surgery.

• After surgery your _____ (body part) will have a (cast, bandage, IV, stitches) • We will see you when you (wake up, leave the OR, surgery ends, you

•

• •

•

are back in your hospital room) The doctors and nurses will be dressed in hats and masks and some even wear funny glasses to see better during surgery.

Surgery in real life is different from surgery on TV. You will get special medicine to make you sleep during surgery, the medicine makes sure you don’t wake up before the surgery is over.

You will wake up after the surgery when the doctor is completely finished.

Things to avoid saying to your child before surgery

Children are very sensitive to the words used to explain what surgery is, what will happen and how surgery is performed. These are some key phrases to avoid using, as children are prone to misinterpreting what is being said.

• They will give you “gas” – To children, gas is something that we put in cars or a rude substance that comes from one’s bottom.

• “Anaesthetise” – This word sounds like euthanise and can cause problems if your child knows the word euthanise, searches the Internet or hears the word euthanise used in another setting.

• They will give you medicine to “knock you out” – To most people, being knocked out means being hit hard enough to be rendered unconscious.

• “The doctor is going to make you take a nap” or “It’s just like bedtime” – Try to avoid confusing surgery with a normal daily ritual at home.

If your child is afraid of surgery, they could become afraid of naps at home. It could also lead to fears of waking prior to the end of surgery.

• “You will be put to sleep” – Many children are aware that when we put animals to sleep they die and may assume they too will die.

• “You won’t wake up” – It is important to stress that they will sleep through the surgery without feeling pain, but that they will wake after surgery is completed.

Children fear both never waking and waking during the procedure.

• “Be a big boy and don’t cry” – Children need to be encouraged to talk about their fears prior to surgery and their pain after surgery. Surgery is scary and children need to be encouraged to discuss their fears so they can be discussed and alleviated. (www.surgery.about.com) TO BE CONTINUED

News

7

wednesday, july 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

VSP to host human rights/gender forum

T

he Volunteerism Support Platform (VSP) is discussing the establishment of a National Youth Council in collaboration with a volunteer representative associated with the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP).

The two sides have teamed up with the aim of forming the council and to participate in future efforts regarding the National Youth Policy, which still in the drafting stages.

The proposal was made at the last Action Learning Network (ALN) session held at the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry last month.

Project Officer Pere DeRoy told Guyana Times that representatives from various organisations at the working session have indicated an interest in the youth policy.

She disclosed that the network will be hosting its fifth session on July 26, featuring Youth Challenge Guyana’s gender trainer/adviser, Samantha Rice.

Civic engagement

It will be held under the theme, “Exposing Privilege – Understanding the Role of Human Rights and Gender in Your Work”. The last action learning network session was conducted by Dr Janice Jackson, who spoke on civic engagement and active citizenship.

Dr Jackson explained that civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make

Project officer Pere DeRoy

that difference. “It also means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes,” she stated.

Dr Jackson said the action of citizens and organisations can range on a spectrum from being highly disengaged to highly-engaged. Individuals in the session were asked to suggest and discuss examples of activities in Guyana where they fit on each spectrum and they listed littering, improper road use, violence, effects of the tax system, including VAT as highly disengaged.

Activities listed under the “highly engaged” spectrum included protests in Linden and women protesting mining activity in Aishalton.

Dr Jackson remarked that active citizenship requires people challenging the current status quo and way in which things are being done. She explained that this type of activism requires becoming critical citizens who challenge the structures of governance in order to have the system work in their favour and for the better-

ment of their communities.

“This entails support for and motivation of empowered and empowering citizens who understand how things work, who feel able to get involved, to challenge people and existing mechanisms and structures to be more inclusive and open,” Dr Jackson noted.

She added that it is everyone’s responsibility, not just that of government, to ensure that civil rights are granted and that the responsibilities which accompany them are accepted and carried out.

According to Dr Jackson, active citizenship requires being informed, trained and knowing how and where to participate. Among the barriers to civic engagement and active citizenship are the existing structures, cultural beliefs and practices, attitudes, fear of reprisals, lack of information/access to information and community fragmentation and disharmony.

Overcoming barriers

She stressed that overcoming barriers to civil engagement include challenging one’s self and others to become active citizens, ask questions, debating issues, building individual knowledge and self-esteem and building collective identity and self-confidence. It also involves promoting learning for literacy and financial, health, political and legal empowerment as well as building leadership and followership capacity in organisations.

Forms of civic engagement include individual voluntarism to organisational involvement to electoral par-

ticipation and examples of actions include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of a representative democracy.

Some of these activities include working in home construction, serving in a community-based organisation, writing a letter to an elected official/newspaper, participating in a rally, public debates on policy issues and voting.

Dr Jackson emphasised that the role of the media and of political and institutional leaders should also be taken into consideration.

Networking

The Action Learning Network was established for the purpose of sharing and networking available resources with the aim of improving the services which the voluntary sector delivers. The network creates a setting where organisations and individuals can gather, share best practices or resources; share experiences with other organisations and individuals; create and expand networks; examine issues within their respective service sector; and to explore solutions, with the aim of facilitating organisational sector development.

The Action Learning Network is expected to snowball into a structured body that will provide the scope for organisations and individuals to tap into a pool of existing and documented Guyanese resources and approaches to forward the development of the voluntary sector.

Man charged with abusive language

A

50-year-old man was brought before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday for two counts of abusive language.

It is alleged that on July 12, at Stabroek Market, Faheed Hamid used abusive language to Sheik Mobin

Samad. The defendant pleaded not guilty.

It is further alleged that on the same day, Hamid used abusive language to Osean Scott, the defendant again pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defendant was represented by Attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat, who stated

that his client is a computer programmer who lives in Toronto, Canada, but stays with his wife and children in Irving Street when he is in Guyana. Fung-A Fat also requested reasonable bail.

There were no objections to bail and it was granted in the sum of $10,000 for each offence. The defendant is set to

return to court on August 16.

Samad had previously appeared before the court charged with threatening behaviour against his ex-wife Fazeeda Hamid on June 5, at Vlissingen Road. He pleaded not guilty to that charge and was put on a bond to keep the peace. He was also granted bail in the sum of $30,000.

Police stumped by Monday's robbery spree

S

tumped by Monday’s gun-toting robberies and murder, police on Tuesday said that they have made little progress in arresting the perpetrators. They also played down suggestions that the attacks were coordinated, noting that the robbers were not part of the same gang.

There was a total of five robberies; one resulting in the death of a man by armed bandits across Georgetown and along East Bank Demerara.

During the mayhem, two of the bandits were shot and are in police custody, but millions of cash was stolen, victims brutalised and one man lost his life.

In a statement, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) urged all businesses to take precautionary measures to ensure that they have adequate security infrastructure and procedures in place to reduce the likelihood of robberies and invasion of their premises.

The chamber said it will be releasing security advisories aimed at raising awareness and educating the business community on the dangers in the forthcoming weeks.

The business community has expressed alarm over the frequency with which businesses have come under attack from robbers and bandits in recent times. On Monday, several business owners were robbed including a dentist, an auto dealer, a grocer and a fuel service station. The chamber said it is unsettled at the number of robberies being perpetrated on city businesses and businesspersons and the lack of proper preventative measures to curb this growing trend.

“There is a spike in armed and violent criminal acts that is directed towards the business commu-

nity in the past few months and which has intensified as of late,” the chamber said in a statement. The business grouping called on the Guyana Police Force to mount a vigorous and effective respond to the daunting threat by implementing measures to apprehend those perpetrating the heinous crimes.

It added that even more important is the need for the police to dedicate additional security resources towards businesses to prevent robberies from occurring and also to respond promptly when crimes are reported to the various police stations.

The GCCI stated that failure on the part of the police to put these systems in place would only result in the emboldening of criminal thugs to intensify their assault on businesses.

“Also, we encourage businesses to consider the use of private security services when transporting huge sums of cash and also for advisory services on the design and implementation of an effective security system and strategy.”

The chamber is also expected to host a planned security seminar on August 13 to sensitise the private sector on strategies and best practices on securing and protecting their businesses. The GCCI has since extended an invitation to the police to participate in the seminar so as to share its strategy for addressing the recent upsurge in violent crime that is calculated towards the business community.

Meanwhile, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) expresses its horror at the high rate of armed robberies and the state of insecurity and lawlessness. The APNU calls attention to just a few of the published incidents of armed robbery and violent crime committed over the last 48 hours.

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013| GUYANATIMESGY.CO2

Siblings in court after fracas

A

man was remanded to prison on charges of abusive language and unlawful assault when he appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Wyclef Halley, of 81 Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to both offences. It is alleged that on July 13 at Freeman Street, East La Penitence Georgetown he verbally and physically abused his sister, Sharon Howell.

According to Howell,

she and her brother share the same yard, so she asked Halley to move out.

The magistrate ordered the defendant to relocate pending the determination of the matter.

Halley begged for leniency, telling the court that he had nowhere to go; as such, the magistrate refused him bail. However, upon hearing that he was denied bail, the accused broke into tears, stating that he would look for some place to stay and he was sure that he would find a place if granted bail, but his entreaty was to no

avail.

Meanwhile, Howell was faced with a charge of threatening behaviour to which she pleaded guilty with an explanation. Howell explained to the court that she did not commit the offence and the defendant told her that he would put her in the burial ground where she belongs, so she told him to do it.

The magistrate then changed Howell’s plea to not guilty.

Howell was placed on self-bail and both parties are to return to court on July 22.

Simple larceny suspect granted bail

A

man charged with simple larceny appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Ricardo Fernandez, 40, of Lot 611 East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on July 13 at Hope Street, New Thriving he stole two truck batteries, valued at $64,000, property of Josh

Charles.

The defendant told the court that on the morning in question he was in the vicinity and Charles came and accused him of the said act. According to Fernandez, Charles, along with others, beat and tied him up. The accused then proceeded to Main Street and passed out from the pain. Fernandez added that he woke up an hour later and was taken to a police mobile outpost.

“When I got to the station, they didn’t take me to get a medical. I only got to see a doctor yesterday,” Fernandez alleged.

The prosecution objected to bail, citing the value of the items and court documents which indicate that the defendant has no fixed place of abode.

The magistrate granted Fernandez bail in the sum of $50,000. The defendant will return to court on July 31.

Eyew tness

Ominous rumbles... ...from the crime front

There’s an eerie resemblance of the recent upsurge in crimes to the situation prevailing just before all hell broke loose with the jailbreak of 2002. Robberies in the city are now a daily occurrence and becoming bolder by the minute. Very few are solved – like the murders that routinely become “cold cases”. We’ve had the case of a police officer gunned down in the busiest street in Georgetown – practically under the gaze of Queen Victoria gracing the High Courts. If this doesn’t show contempt for law and order, what will?

Maybe we’re getting skittish...but then it’s not like we don’t have good reasons. Back in 2002 we also had a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Congress slated for Port Mourant...and look what happened. A military-style operation was mounted by gunmen on PPP delegates and several were murdered. This was an attack pregnant with symbolic force.

Port Mourant is the home of the founder of the PPP and to attack them there is to send a message that the PPP, like other citizens in their homes, is also not safe. Once again we have a PPP Congress scheduled for Port Mourant and once again the attacks are increasing.

Coincidence?

What’s certainly not coincidental are the attacks on A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) – the successor to the People’s National Congress (PNC) – by the Working People’s Alliance (WPA)-remnants just because David Granger’s not taking a harder line against the PPP. Back in 2002, it was such a PNC line that gave ideological succour to the gangsters to dub themselves “freedom fighters”. The WPA has dwindled to a few bitter old men, who seem to be determined to replace the PNC by providing the ideological justification for extreme action against the government and the state.

The robberies, we saw from the first go around, were to provide the funds for training and weapons procurement. We exhort the police and other law enforcement agencies to nip this incipient threat in the bud. And we ask citizens to note the direction into which some

party leaders are pushing this country when they call for “street protests” during a criminal upsurge, as Nigel Hughes just did.

We call upon the entire country to be vigilant in the next month and not to allow our country to be plunged into the horrors of the post-2002 years, when every day the question on everyone’s lips was, “How many more have been slaughtered?”

....in Egypt

Seven more pro-Mohamed Morsi protesters were killed by army forces last night in Egypt. It was always clear that supporters of Morsi weren’t going to accept the army coup that ousted the democratically and legitimately elected president. If the army doesn’t reverse its stance, it’s just as clear that the violence will escalate until Egypt becomes as chaotic as Iraq or Afghanistan.

But the army won’t reverse gear unless the U.S. says very clearly that it will not accept a government that comes out of a coup. And this, the U.S. refuses to do...for the simple reason that once it does this, it’ll be compelled by its own laws to cut off the US$1.3 billion it funnels to the Egyptian army annually. In fact the U.S. explicitly endorsed the army coup when its Deputy Secretary of State William Burn said Washington was committed to helping Egypt succeed in its “second chance” at democracy.

What happened to the first chance?

But Burns still insists the U.S. isn’t taking sides!!! So civil war it’ll most likely be.

...from Internet

As has happened through the ages, once a communication technology emerges, it’ll be exploited to pander to man’s dark urges.

It wasn’t long before Johannes Guttenberg Invented the printing press that pornographic books flooded the markets. Today, on the Internet, porn gets the largest number of hits.

And now we have international “sexploitation” – children blackmailed on chat rooms and social networks to share pornographic images. Progress?

NEWS

9

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

changing the lives of Guyana renews bilateral WAD teenage mothers ties with France T

Guests interacting at France’s National Day celebrations at Duke Lodge

P

rime Minister Samuel Hinds and Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy, who is performing the duties of foreign affairs minister, joined French Ambassador to Guyana Joel Godeau Monday evening at the reception in honour of France’s National Day – La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day) on Sunday.

Speaking at the event held at Duke Lodge, Kingston, Prime Minister Hinds, on behalf of the government and people of Guyana, extended best wishes to France. “In celebrating the country’s history, the government of Guyana wishes to applaud the accomplishments of the leading player in the development of the 21st century.

The government has made contributions to Guyana in the economic programme and police cooperation,” Hinds said.

He highlighted the relationship shared by the two nations over the years, especially France’s contribu-

tions to Guyana’s military, and welcomed the visit of the French army which has strengthened the bilateral relationship with regards to environment and security, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

“I am confident that France will continue to make meaningful contributions to Guyana. We’re looking forward to strengthening that bilateral relation,” Prime Minister Hinds stated.

French Ambassador Godeau also spoke of the relationship between the two countries, and noted that France shares a common geographic space and environment with Guyana.

The French diplomat highlighted the cooperation of the French and Guyanese police forces, and expressed satisfaction in this regard.

He added that the training sessions done by the French will be continuous, as more local police officers and firefighters will benefit.

He lauded the two countries’ bilateral relationship which he hopes will deepen in the future. This celebration was also attended by French and Guyanese officials and citizens, as well as members of the diplomatic corps.

Bastille Day is considered the beginning of the French Revolution. The capture of the Bastille Prison, a symbol of the Ancien Régime, on July 14, 1789, marked the end of King Louis XVI’s absolute and arbitrary power and the transformation of France’s revolution in the name of Liberté, Égalité, and Fraternité (Liberty, Equality and Fraternity).

Bastille Day is celebrated as the day France took its first steps to becoming the First Republic of France in 1792.

There are popular celebrations in the streets of France along with political events, military parades, public speeches and fireworks. Every town in France and its colonies commemorate Bastille Day, with excitement and pride.

he Women Across Differences (WAD) organisation has been helping to reintegrate teenage mothers into society since its inception in 2008. More than 200 teenage mothers have benefited from the oneyear programme.

WAD Coordinator Clonel Samuels-Boston told Guyana Times during an interview that the organisation’s comprehensive empowerment programme has been able to attend to adolescent and teenage mothers in many ways.

“We have reintegrated some of our girls back into school. Some went back into our formal school system, some went to the Guyana Technical Institute; we also had girls going to Carnegie School of Home Economics.

Those were some of the institutions in which our girls were reintegrated, so that they could be well developed to continue their lives,” she noted.

The WAD coordinator noted that the organisation has invested in the lives of teenage mothers to boost their self esteem, instil personal developmental training, and other life skills to ensure they have well rounded lives.

“It is also an ongoing programme, because some of the very girls come back to the programme; every year we start one so they come back to be big sisters to the other girls and we have plans to con-

tinue working with the older girls who passed through the programme,” SamuelsBoston added.

Upon completion of the programme, the mothers are given certificates of participation. However, while successes have been recorded and authorities have announced a reduction in the prevalence of teenage pregnancy, WAD said the teen mothers are getting younger.

“When we started the programme, our target was the age group between 15 and 19, to date, that has changed. So that’s saying to us how deep the problem of teenage pregnancy is because our age group now is ages 12-16.”

Tackling teenage pregnancy

The WAD coordinator said, as such, aside from helping those who are already pregnant, the a holistic approach is needed to stamp out teenage pregnancy.

She believes a multistakeholder collaboration among government, international agencies and non-governmental organisations is necessary.

“We feel there’s a breakdown maybe in family values so we have to go way back to our families to try to address the issue of adolescent/teenage girls becoming pregnant and the collaborative effort of all our necessary stakeholders is needed.” she outlined.

One beneficiary of the

WAD programme, Tiffiney Tyrrell, who became pregnant at the age of 15, said the programme has allowed her to develop a new attitude and to return to complete her schooling.

“I’ve grown now ‘cause I’m able to speak to young people and let them know my experience, so that they would prevent themselves from becoming an adolescent mother, because it’s a challenge,” she explained.

Speaking on how the programme has opened doors and enabled her to share her experience, Tyrrell added, “I’ve represented WAD and UNFPA [ at a world youth conference in Mexico in 2010 and Santa Domingo in April this year where they had a sexual reproductive health programme and I was there to represent teenage mothers.”

Another beneficiary, Tiffiany Lovell, said “Since I came here, I learned to control my anger. I went back to school to write my CXC, now I’m working. It helped me to build a better relationship with my partner.”

While WAD started out working with a baseline study, visiting communities, Samuels-Boston said, adolescent mothers are now referred to the organisation by health clinics, the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Child Care and Protection Agency and other entities.

10

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013

News

Japan signals intent to strengthen cooperation with Caricom

A

s the Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom) and Japan look forward to the celebration of the 12th anniversary of cooperation in 2014, Japan has signalled its intent to deepen cooperation relations with the region even further.

This indication came from Ambassador Akira Yamada, director general of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Japan at the opening of the 16th Caricom-Japan consultation, Tuesday at the Georgetown, Guyana headquarters of the Caricom Secretariat.

Ambassador Yamada, who co-chaired the meeting along with Sir Edwin Carrington, ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago to Caricom, noted that Caricom-Japan cooperation has accelerated recently with Japan paying increased attention to its development agenda.

He said Japan’s increased interest had been manifested in its participation in the ministerial meetings of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), in May, last, and further deepened through a visit to Japan in December 2012, by Haitian President Michel Martelly.

Those engagements, Ambassador Yamada said, were testament of an acknowledgment by Japan

Ambassador Akira Yamada

of the importance of the Caribbean Community in the global community.

Sir Edwin in his remarks underscored the value of the long-standing friendship Japan and Caricom forged since 1993. Noting that the fruit of the friendship had been evident in a number of cooperation initiatives and technical projects in a wide range of areas that have redounded to the benefit of the governments and peoples of the Caricom and Japan, he said that Tuesday’s consultation presented an opportunity not only to reaffirm the community’s high regard of its relations with Japan, but also to explore avenues in which cooperation can be enhanced.

In this regard, he stated that the future of CaricomJapan relations must take account of the current situation within the community

and the thrust of Caricom heads of government to pursue a development path that engendered inclusiveness of all stakeholders, which would lift knowledge base, innovation capability, and the entrepreneurial capacity of Caricom nationals.

“The community is now to focus on developing the modalities for a framework to generate sustainable economic growth and development in the Caricom region.

In this regard, we look forward to collaborating with our development partners in the international community, such as Japan,” Sir Edwin said.

Against the backdrop of the devastating effects on Japan posed by the global financial and economic crisis, and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Sir Edwin said that the community was heartened by the commitment of the Japanese government to “drastically increase assistance” to the region.

Given the new impetus to the Caricom-Japan partnership bolstered by a “a new framework for JapanCaricom cooperation for the 21th century” in 2010, Sir Edwin said the community was looking forward to advancing discussions to help promote and increase mutual awareness through people to people exchanges and activities commemorative in their nature in diverse fields such as culture, trade,

and tourism.

The 20-year friendship between Caricom and Japan has been marked by technical cooperation in the areas of disaster risk reduction, education and capacity development, health and medical care, improvement of key industries such as tourism, fisheries and agriculture, promotion of trade and investment, and Information and Communication Technology and the environment and climate change. Those areas of cooperation have been benefiting the region through the mechanism of Caricom-Japan Friendship and Cooperation Fund (JCFCF) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Caricom and Japan consultations are convened at the level of senior officials to give direction to further political and economic relations, to review the progress of technical cooperation activities and to resolve impediments to the implementation of such activities. A significant part of Tuesday’s consultation included a discussion on initiatives to celebrate Japan-Caricom Friendship Year 2014.

The community boasted wide representation at the meeting which included The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Caricom Development Fund (CDF).

The founder-leader

S

atiricus breathed a deep sigh of relief. Professor Dumbledeen had been found. More importantly, with the speeches of the founder-leader. On two separate days, the professor had been missing. But he’d given a very succinct reason as to why he’d been missing in action, so to speak. It was all due to a “cock up”, he told the prim and proper clerk of the Parliament.

This excuse the clerk had passed on verbatim to the gathered members of the party of the founder-leader – albeit with a sheepish look. The faithful did not appear to have bought the story – short as it was. They said it sounded “cooked up” more than a “cock up”. The professor had already let on that he was particularly fond of “disreputable” rum shops. With the surfeit of those establishments in Guyana, it wasn’t hard to figure out where the good Don had been detained.

However, knowing what went on in those places – Satiricus was a man of the world, if nothing else – Satiricus had been scared witless that the professor might’ve been relieved of the precious tomes. Knowing too the way Parliament operated, Satiricus was sure they’d passed on their only copies of the founder-leader’s speeches to Professor Dumbledeen. What would the faithful do if the speeches were lost forever?

But anyways, here was the Speaker – and an ex-member of the founder-leader’s party to boot – mustering every member of his staff to collect the speeches. So what if the legislative ship was adrift for a while? It was worth it. While Satiricus was disappointed to hear that only 100 copies of the first volume of the founder-leader’s speeches had been published up to now (Satiricus was sure this would’ve been a best seller in Guyana, surpassing Gruel Johanson’s “Dictions”), he was happy to hear they could be downloaded from the press’ web page.

But Satiricus was sorely disappointed once more when he went to the site. Nothing on the founder-leader....Now, Satiricus had to speculate on what the founder-leader had said in the 1950s. Satiricus was sure he’d explained why he’d stabbed Jadan, the original leader of the PPEE, in the back to grab the leadership. Satiricus was sure it was for the good of the people, but the founder-leader would’ve put it so much more eloquently.

And he would have explained exactly what the British told him to back him against Jadan. After all, the founder-leader had received his training from the British themselves. They spoke the same language. Unlike Jadan, the founder-leader knew that with the British, you had to read between the lines – and not on the line. The founder-leader could tack and turn with the best of them!

Ahhh...thought Satiricus, how faithfully had his successors followed the path he’d blazed. Satiricus wiped a tear discretely from his eye.

news

11

wednesday, july 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Queenstown mosque opens for Ramadan – but building not fully completed

T

he historic Queenstown mosque has reopened its doors to worshippers for the month of Ramadan, although the new building is just about 60 per cent completed.

This is according to one of the members of the board of trustees, Amnat Baksh.

“Construction has ceased for the month of Ramadan, but we have not officially opened as yet. We are using it for prayer sessions for the month of Ramadan, because as you can see the prayer areas are usable,” he said in an interview with Guyana Times. “Anybody can come and pray or visit and it is opened, but just not officially because works are yet to be completed.”

He explained that the old mosque was a central mosque and the old building could not have been repaired, so the structure was condemned by the City Council, since the lumber had started to rot and was termite infested.

Muslims taking part in the midday prayers as part of Ramadan observances

Baksh said further “a bigger mosque was needed, since the previous structure could not cater for the rapid growth of the Muslim community”, so the decision was made to demolish the old building and rebuild.

“We decided to build the biggest one that we can get, so

that future generations will be able to benefit from it ... rather than adding to a structure, which will change the feature of the building,” the trustee explained.

The Queenstown Jama Masjid was dismantled in early 2007. Before it was demolished, there were calls for it to

be preserved as a part of the country’s architectural heritage.

The entrance of the new mosque is at Church Street and the front of the mosque is slanted to the east, as the building is obliquely set on the lot to ensure worshippers, when praying, turn towards

Stop dithering on hydro project! – govt urges opposition

By Whitney Persaud

I

n lobbying the opposition to support the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project, government said the parliamentary opposition parties needed to put their “votes where their mouth is”, so that it becomes a reality.

The joint opposition have been dithering on their support of the Amaila Falls project and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said this will send a negative signal to the international partners and investors. The minister made this comment while addressing the People’s Progressive Party/Civic press conference on Monday where he noted that the opposition needs to act more responsibly.

Dr Singh added that such a project should be a national priority and every effort must be made towards its realisation. To this end, he said, the amendments to the Hydro Electricity Act and a motion to increase the debt ceiling will both directly impact this project.

Support

Dr Singh explained that the project should come to a financial closure by the third quarter of this year. The Alliance For Change (AFC) had said in Parliament that it will support the Amaila Falls project only if the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) approves it. The minister said these financial institutions will look to the Parliament and the national stakeholder community for a response, and questioned why there is not unequivocal support. According to Dr Singh, it is difficult to understand the position taken by the AFC. The minister said the AFC has recognised that the Guyanese people want the Amaila Falls project to happen urgently and it should quickly try to link the party to the project.

“So they’re making public pronouncements that they are in favour of Amaila, but yet, they are not putting their votes where their mouth is.”

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

The minister said he is concerned that the project will be at risk, if it is not supported by the opposition parliamentarians. Only a few days back the minister issued a statement saying that urgent deadlines are intimidating and expiration dates are nearing, as it relates to the project.

PPP/C’s secretary Zulfikar Mustapha said the party is concerned by the snail’s pace in which the opposition is bringing its support to the table. Mustapha said this is in light of the impending parliamentary deliberations on two critical pieces of legislation to advance Guyana’s goal of attaining self-sufficiency in the energy sector, specifically in the area of renewable energy.

Promise

He said the hydro project is keeping with the party’s promise to the Guyanese people to provide reliable, lowercost electricity. This will, no doubt, bring measured relief to all, particularly the poor.

“It will also spur on economic growth in several sectors, particularly manufacturing; ultimately creating more jobs, and contribute to increased competition for our labour force thereby improving benefits for the working class,” he said.

The secretary said it was easy to understand why such a project should be a national priority, since it will see a number of major developments happening, while

boosting the country’s economy.

“It is, therefore, cause for concern that one of the opposition political parties has already signalled their intention of not supporting these amendments when they are presented in the National Assembly. This is despite the many publicised efforts by government to engage the political opposition on this project,” he argued.

The PPP/C member said such irresponsible actions no doubt send mixed signals to the other stakeholders in this project, including the financiers and potential financiers such as the IDB ,as to how serious the people are as a nation of realising this initiative. At the Thursday, July 18 sitting of the National Assembly, the motion to in-

crease the debt ceiling and amendments to the Hydro Electric Act will be up for discussion. (whitneyp@guyanatimesgy.com)

Mecca where the Kaaba – the house of God – is located.

There are two towers – minarets – at the top of the structure (from which the call to prayers is sounded). “There will also be a dome at the top of the mosque,” mosque secretary Muntaz Ali, another member of the board of trustees, noted. He revealed that the board of trustees include the imam of the masjid, Shaheed Mohamad, himself, Amnat Baksh, and Shahabudeen Ahmad, the other members are deceased and are yet to be replaced.

Building committee

Guyana Times was told that there is also a building committee, which is responsible for construction and fundraising, while the board of trustees is responsible for management of the mosque.

Chairing the building committee is Sattaur Gafoor of Gafoors Huston Complex, who recently told another section of the media, the building has not been fully completed due to the lack of funds to purchase things like air conditioning units, carpets, and tiles. However, he said these will be installed upon acquisition of additional funds.

Gafoor disclosed that while construction of the mosque was initially budgeted at US$2 million, it is expected to cost approximately 25 per cent more owing to the rise in cost of building materials.

Accommodation

The construction of the mosque began about two years ago, and when completed, it will have the capacity to accommodate approximately 1000 persons. The building is 120 feet by 80 feet, and the funds for its construction were donated by the Muslim community in Guyana and overseas.

This publication was told that the males and females will worship separately with the ground floor being used by the men and the top floor being used by the women. The original mosque, Queenstown Jama Masjid, was built more than 100 years ago and was one of the first to be built by Muslims in Guyana and the first built in Georgetown, back in 1895.

The newly-constructed three-storey building will house a section for worshipping and a teaching complex, while the ground floor will be used for medical outreaches.

12 news

wednesday, July 17, 2013 | guyanatimeSGY.com

Iran’s president-elect calls Essay competition held to for stronger ties with Guyana mark Linden protests

I

President-elect Hassan Rohani

n response to a congratulatory message from Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar, Iran’s president-elect, Hassan Rohani, expressed his desire to expand regional and international cooperation between Iran and Guyana during his presidency.

Rohani’s announcement of expanded ties with Guyana came after Guyanese presidential envoy George Hallaq’s visit to Tehran last week, where he personally delivered Ramotar’s congratulatory message to Rohani, who re-

cently won the Iranian general election.

Hallaq delivered a written message from Ramotar to outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling for closer ties with Iran. Ahmadinejad said relations between Iran and Guyana will never be weakened or severed despite the long geographical distance between the two countries, according to the Iranian news agency Fars.

The Iranian president noted that the two countries “are on the same front”, and urged officials from both countries to explore areas of cooperation. Ramotar visited Iran as part of former Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo’s official visit to Iran in 2010. At the end of that visit, Iran promised to map Guyana’s mineral resources, which came under heavy local and international criticism. This was followed by several visits from Iranian officials to Guyana, but the promise never materialised and there was speculation that Guyana caved in to pressure and ended the proj-

ect. But that has been dismissed by Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.

In related developments, Argentina’s state prosecutor Alberto Nisman has accused Iran of setting up “terror cells” in Guyana, but Guyana is awaiting specific facts to back up such allegations. “The Argentine government has not submitted in any official way that they have evidence of terror cells set up here by the Iranians,” Guyana’s chief presidential spokesman Dr Roger Luncheon said.

Dr Luncheon said Caricom also demands answers from Argentina.

“Those disclosures were the first that had been brought to our attention, indirectly, because I know for a fact that the Argentine government and international bodies have not submitted to the government of Guyana in any official way that they have evidence or they have concerns about the setting up of terrorist cells by Iran in Guyana,” he added.

(Caribbean News Now)

From left to right: Tamara Smith, Tonza Ward and Niossi Alsopp with their certificates

A

s part of the commemorative week of activities to observe the July 18, 2012 protests in Linden, the Region 10 Democratic Council (RDC) on Monday held an essay writing and speech competition which saw various secondary schools around the community participating.

With the moot of the competition being “The struggle of July 18, 2012 represented the quest of self-determination based on constitutional rights and the rule of law”, students of

the Mackenzie High School, Christianburg Wismar Secondary School and New Silvercity Secondary were involved in lengthy dramatic speeches centred around the topic.

One of the coordinators of the event, Vanessa Kissoon said the competition was geared at improving students’ participation and testing their knowledge and skills on the particular topic.

“Today’s activity was aimed at getting young people involved because we were all affected during the

July 18, 2012 ordeal, all were affected in some way or the other, even the school children. Our idea was to get their feel or the impact that the struggle had on their lives.”

Kissoon noted that the event is expected to be an annual one, in which the moot or topic will be expected to change annually. “We would also like to have a debate competition involving nursery, primary and secondary, and if possible, even the tertiary level. I would also like to see teachers coming on board,” she said.

Niossi Alsopp of the Mackenzie High School was awarded first place in the competition, while Tonza Ward also of Mackenzie High and Tamara Smith of New Silvercity Secondary tied in the second spot.

All participants were awarded certificates.

Others who participated included Latesha Fordyce, Whitney Henry, Sherina Mayers and Tiffany Barnes.

Judges of the competition included Charis Joseph (chief), Vibert Cummings and Joel Holder.

Education Ministry lays down rules on registration fees T

he Education Ministry said it has noted with concern that some school administrators have been re-

questing significant sums of money for the registration of new students to nursery, primary and secondary schools

under the pretext that such sums were previously agreed upon by the parent teachers association.

The ministry said in a statement that it has given great consideration to the needs of schools and outlined guidelines for non-budgetary costs. These include no student must be denied registration to any school due to their inability to pay; children have a right to schooling and must be registered.

Further, it stated that the parent teachers association of each school has been authorised to conduct fundraising activities to support school administration to offset nonbudgetary costs. (badges, PTA dues, report booklets, miscellaneous etc). Such activities, the ministry said must be promoted to strengthen the partnership between schools and the

community.

If the activities planned and executed by the PTA do not generate the income to offset non-budgetary costs, then the following guidelines should be followed: For all nursery schools, not more than $2500 should be charged per year; primary schools not more than $3000 and secondary schools, not more than $5000. For national secondary schools which include Queen’s College, Bishops’ High, St Stanislaus College, St Rose’s and St Joseph, the limit is $8000.

According to the ministry, these sums were carefully considered for all non-budgetary costs, as such, no additional request must be made from parents. There must be

no compulsion for students to purchase physical education clothes, aprons for home economics, lab coats, tie-pin inter alia from schools. Parents of nursery school children should not be issued with any list of supplies to be purchased.

“You are hereby reminded of the following: The sums mentioned are the maximum limits for each level and can be lowered. No child must be denied schooling as a result of inability to pay.

“You are also to ensure that the membership of your PTA is also made aware of this circular, which is crucial to its functioning. The executive committee members should also affix their signature as having seen and read.”

news

13

wednesday, july 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Seawall goers made 16 trained in malaria care S to pay to lime

Seawall limers paying to walk past the barricade

R

A motorist is asked to pay to continue his journey

oad users journeying to the Seawall Band Stand on Sunday night encountered more than they bargained for when they were forced to pay a fee to complete their destination to the Band Stand area while walking that route on the public road, or change their plans.

This development came as a surprise and discomfort to both pedestrians and motorists since that road is the only one in the vicinity that allows straight access along the

sea wall.

A visit to the area by this newspaper revealed a long line of backed up traffic and a number of vehicles making u-turns after being informed of the fiasco.

There was loud music emanating from a set erected at the band stand and what appeared to be police barricades were placed across the road just opposite the Pegasus tennis court.

Two men stood at opposite ends of the barrier demanding money from unsuspecting folks, forcing some of them to reluctant-

Brazilian nationals on cannabis charge

T

wo Brazilian men will be appearing in Court One today on a charge of possession of cannabis after being remanded to prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Dasilva Dasouza, 20, and DaSilva Dios, of Bom Fim pleaded not guilty to the offence, which allegedly occurred on July 13 at Takutu Bridge, Lethem. The men were found with 468 grams of cannabis in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.

According to reports, Dasouza, the father of one, has a grandmother who lives in Georgetown and has been in the ‘bush’ mining for one year.

Dios, a contractor, has relatives here and frequently travels from Georgetown to Lethem.

Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt objected to bail, stating that special reasons were not given. The prosecutor added that the defendants have no proper local address and if granted bail, may not return to court.

Mason charged with threatening language

M

agistrate Faith McGusty granted bail to a mason charged with threatening language when he appeared before her at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Sherwin Johnson, 39, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on July 11, he made use of threatening language to Sharon Jacobs, causing a breach of the peace.

Reports state that the defendant previously resided at the home of the virtual com-

plainant, the mother of his child, at Lot 11 Durban Street, but his current place of abode is now F Joseph Pollydore Street (the upper section of Durban Street), Lodge.

Jacobs indicated to the court that she would not be going ahead with the matter, and the prosecution had no objections to bail.

Johnson was granted bail in the sum of $15,000, and the parties were placed on a bond to keep the peace until the conclusion of the matter.

The defendant will be returning to court on July 26.

ly turn away. On intervening in the situation, one of the men proceeded to verbally and physically abuse a photographer, nearly damaging his camera in the process. Luckily, a crew of the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) ranks who were also in the queue to get pass the blockade, intervened and rebuked the attacker who appeared to be a police officer in civilian clothes.

The TSU ranks then instructed a halt to the activity and had the music turned off, after which persons were allowed normal access. The Sunday evening lime on the sea wall has been problematic in recent months.

Government took a decision earlier this year to ban the lime that was previously held along the Rupert Craig Highway, owing to constant overtopping. The vendors and limers were shifted to the area between Camp and Vlissengen Road.

ixteen senior microscopists on Tuesday completed a two-week seminar held at the Georgetown Public Hospital Reference Laboratory.

According to the Health Ministry, the end of the workshop marks the beginning of improved services. Medical Engineer Truus Derks, who hails from Holland, but has a long history in Africa, Indonesia, Suriname and Guyana, said the seminar, which focused primarily on screening for malaria, sought to strengthen the capacity of microscopists. According to Derks, in the past, the local microscopists experienced difficulties in reading and counting malaria slides.

Vector Control Service Director Dr Reyaud Rahman posited that the Health Ministry is anticipating major improvement in the reading of malaria tests.

“Basically, it’s very important for us to always be updated in terms of our microscopy, simply because the diagnosis that we make is very important. It is important because when we treat a patient, we want to ensure that the pa-

Vector Control Services Director Dr Reyaud Rahman

tient is treated correctly.”

In addition to the seminar, Dr Rahman disclosed that the Vector Control Service continues to dispatch teams across the country to boost the operations of vector control departments. Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine have been visited with more than 3500 smears executed in each region.

“It’s an uphill battle, but we must maintain the fight,” he lamented.

During the staging of the inaugural Malaria Conference in February, it was disclosed that a high percentage of persons residing in

high-risks communities were turning to the traditional form of medicine for healing, while others fail to complete the prescribed treatments to avoid prolonged illness. In an effort to break this trend, Dr Rahman said his department is beefing up its sensitisation campaign.

“We have actually increased our sensitisation campaign by educating highrisks communities through the distribution of pamphlets and posters... because many of them don’t understand the importance adhering to prescribed medication.”

Additionally, the Health Ministry has distributed more than 44,000 Long Lasting Insecticide Impregnated Nets to high-risks regions. The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Forestry Commission and Regions Seven, Eight and Nine are among the main beneficiaries. Next in line to benefit are Regions One and 10.

It is estimated that the Health Ministry will surpass its 50,000 distribution mark by year-end.

14

wednesday, July 17, 2013

guyanatimesgy.com

News

GECOM votes against renewing Boodhoo’s contract ... Boodhoo was not dealt with fairly, established procedures were not followed – Commissioner Jaya Manickchand

By Michael Younge

G

uyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally on Tuesday afternoon broke a tie which existed among commissioners after he voted against the reappointment of Gocool Boodhoo as the entity’s chief elections officer.

The decision made by the constitutional body now paves the way for GECOM to advertise and recruit a new substantive chief election officer as soon as possible, bringing to an end several weeks of dialogue, deadlock and controversy over the issue.

Surujbally reportedly asked the commissioners to vote either “yes” or “no” on the matter of Boodhoo’s reappointment, but several commissioners opted to offer for the record the reasons why they voted the way they did, before stating whether they were for or against his reappointment.

Closure

GECOM Public Relations Officer Vishnu Persaud, when interviewed on Tuesday evening, told Guyana Times that the matter was brought to a closure as there was “nothing prohibiting the commission” from voting on the issue following the move by the acting chief justice to discharge the case brought by Boodhoo.

Boodhoo had moved to the High Court to challenge any attempt by GECOM to vote against his bid for reappointment as he had a legitimate expectation, but the case was

dismissed on technicalities.

“The way is clear now for the commission to advertise the post... as soon as tomorrow a letter could be dispatched to Boodhoo informing him of the official decision on his reappointment,” Persaud said.

He emphasised that the next step would be for the commissioners to draft the new terms of reference for the position of chief elections officer. This, he said, was a critical pillar in the scheme of things relating to the recruitment of the new officer.

Challenge

Asked whether Boodhoo could still challenge the matter in the courts, Persaud stated that “that was his constitutional right”. He also explained that nothing prohibits the commission from continuing its work in the meantime.

Commissioners Sandra Jones, who filled the void that was left when opposition-member Robert Williams died, Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin voted against Boodhoo’s appointment.

When contacted, Dr Surujbally declined to comment, since he was driving at the moment. He pointed this publication in the direction of Persaud who was authorised to speak to the media on the issue.

Commissioner Jaya Manickchand, who along with Commissioners Dr Kishav ‘Bud’ Mangal and Mahmood Shaw voted in favour of Boodhoo’s reappointment, did not feel that the matter was dealt with fairly from the onset.

Manickchand, an attorney, when contacted, said she is concerned that

Gocool Boodhoo

justice has not been served in the case of Boodhoo’s request to be reappointed as chief elections officer.

She disclosed that at no time was Boodhoo ever appraised during his 13-year stint at the constitutional body. She said surprisingly despite requests made for any information that could prove him unworthy of reappointment, such as warning letters and disciplinary memorandums, none were provided.

“I don’t believe the commission as a whole dealt with the entire proceedings of the Gocool Boodhoo matter fairly. The established protocols were not followed... He was never appraised... and never given a hearing,” she explained.

Manikchand said she found it surprising that Commissioner Alexander would seek to make comments which sought to undermine the reputation of Boodhoo, while publicly accusing him of deliberately changing formulas and other malpractice at this point of time, since Alexander, as far as she knew, never brought the matter to the commission’s attention

after the 2011 elections.

“The commission has never written Boodhoo on the accusations made by Mr Alexander. It has never asked him to explain his conduct during the last elections. No official commission meeting discussed Boodhoo’s style or alleged wrongdoing”, she reasoned.

The commissioner said what was clear is that until Boodhoo’s contract ended, praise was heaped on him by the said commission, and regional and international entities, as he continued to represent GECOM and Guyana with distinction at several high-level electoral functions.

She believes that from the time Boodhoo signalled his intention to retain the post, the matter was deliberately dragged out before any decision could be reached until he was without a contract.

on this matter or any other matter relating to his stewardship of the country’s free and fair elections.

She recalled that Surujbally himself deemed the error that appears to be the centre of the opposition’s gripe with Boodhoo “a human error”, and added that she too shared the same sentiment.

“The Carter system worked,” she noted, explaining that the mistake was detected and corrected by the said commission before the declaration of the official elections results as the Jimmy Carter Mission intended. The attorney maintained that the commission had enough time following the last elections to discipline or write Boodhoo if it felt that he acted in bad faith before his contract ended.

Appraisal

‘That would have given him an opportunity to be heard,” she said. Surprisingly too, according to both Persaud and Manickchand, the sensational statements made by Alexander in the press of late were not discussed at the critical meeting to vote on the controversial issue.

“Every employee should be treated with dignity as it relates to their contract of employment,” she ended.

GECOM, as a commission, has also remained silent despite the consequences Alexander’s late revelations will have on its own image and those of the other commissioners who graced it with their presence for years.

“He knows his stuff. He has nothing on his file,” she argued before revealing that in the past, GECOM automatically renewed and approved Boodhoo’s contract without an appraisal and ahead of the expiration date.

“In the past, he never gave the full three-month period as is stated to renew his contract as is expressly required on his contract,” she said, informing that Alexander and some of the others who voted against Boodhoo used this as a reason to deny him further employment with GECOM. The commission’s chairman, too, according to Manickchand, never wrote Boodhoo any letter

Sensational

Guyanese Khalil Alli elected ICAC secretary F ormer Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana (ICAG) President Khalil Alli has been elected secretary of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean (ICAC).

Alli is a partner with the firm of Jack A Alli, Sons & Company and served as president of the local arm of the accounting institute from 2008 to 2011.

Alli told Guyana Times on Tuesday that he was optimistic about the new post and looked forward to serving with pride and professionalism. The senior accountant noted that his task would be to promote the practice of sound accounting, while maintaining highly professional and good work ethics in all territories.

Alli said the ICAC is responsible for ensuring national chartered accounting institutes comply with international standards in accounting and auditing. “I will use the opportunity to maintain the already high standards of accounting carried out in Guyana and in ICAC member states, while pushing for more opportunities,” he stated.

Newly-elected ICAC President Frank Myers (right) with other newly-elected executive officers of the ICAC – Vice President Jasmine Davis (second left); Secretary Khalil Alli (left) and Treasurer Vintoria Bernard (second right)

The accounting professional told this publication that while the board of the ICAC meets every four months, the executive who entails the secretary, the president, vice president and treasurer meets more regularly to carry out the main functions of the organisation. This is aimed at keeping the affairs of the in-

stitute in compliance with international standards and professionals, fully up to date with changes taking place.

Alli qualified as a chartered accountant while working with the London headquarters of UK and global accounting powerhouse PricewaterhouseCoopers.

He studied econom-

ics at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels at the London School of Economics. He joined the ICAC Board as alternate director for Guyana in 2008 and has been a director since 2011. He has also served as the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) representative on the ICAC board

since 2008.

Meanwhile, Frank Myers, an assurance partner with KPMG Eastern Caribbean, was elected president of the regional accountancy body. Myers, who was first appointed to the ICAC Board in 2001, has been playing a key role in the development of the accountancy profession regionally and internationally.

The ICAC said Myers has served as secretary for the period June 2010–2011 and vice president from 2011 to 2013. He also served as the representative for the Caribbean and the Americas on ACCA’s International Assembly (2006 –2009) and is the current president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Eastern Caribbean (ICAEC), a position he held since 2006.

The ICAC said as its newly-elected president, Myers has affirmed his commitment to continue advancing the goals of the ICAC for the benefit of the accountancy profession and to strengthen the role of the profession, regionally and internationally. His vision is to have the accountancy profession in the Caribbean

recognised and accepted as a key player in the development of the economies and markets of the region.

“To do this, we need to change the perception of our profession among business leaders, internal and external investors, regulators, and the political directorate that we are mere historians.

As accounting professionals, we must demonstrate that we have a clear understanding of the issues and challenges faced by our nations ,and that by dint of our training and experience, we have a valuable role to play and can make a significant contribution to businesses and to the development of the region,” he added.

Myers is supported in his new role as president by Alli as secretary, Bahamian Jasmine Davis as vice president; Jamaican Vintoria Bernard as treasurer. Jasmine Davis is the current president of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA), while Bernard was elected president of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ) in July 2011, and appointed alternate director to the ICAC Board in June 2011.

15 Around the world

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, July 17, 2013

Panama seizes North Violence in LA over Zimmerman Korean ship

U

Trayvon Martin supporters take to the streets

nabated anger over the acquittal of George Zimmerman played out Tuesday in violent protests on gritty California streets and some other cities across the nation, as well as on social media sites.

In Los Angeles, where police were forced onto emergency footing by sometimes violent protests for the third night in a row, authorities said they would adopt a “much stricter posture” in

handling the protests beginning Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, the rights of the many have been abused by the actions of a few,” police chief Charlie Beck said late Monday night after protests turned ugly.

Thousands of people turned to social media and online protests to voice their opinions, signing online petitions calling for civil rights charges against Zimmerman and posting pictures and es-

UN says 5000 people dying a month in Syrian conflict

F

ive thousand people a month are dying in the Syria war which has now thrown up the worst refugee crisis since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, UN officials said Tuesday.

A host of top officials called on the divided UN Security Council to take stronger action to deal with the fallout from the 26-month-old civil war in which the United Nations said up to 100,000 people have died.

“The extremely high rate of killings nowadays – approximately 5000 a month – demonstrates the drastic deterioration of the conflict,” UN assistant secretary general for human rights Ivan Simonovic told a council meeting on Syria.

Nearly 1.8 million people are now registered with the United Nations in countries around Syria and an average of 6000 people a day are now fleeing, UN High commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres added.

“We have not seen a refugee outflow escalate at such a frightening rate since the Rwandan genocide almost 20 years ago,” Guterres said.

“This crisis has been going on for much longer than anyone feared with unbearable humanitarian consequences,” he added.

UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said the international community may have to consider cross border operations to get aid into Syria. (Excerpt from France24)

Deadly clashes strike Egypt as new government takes shape

H

ours after Egyptian state media reported Tuesday that at least seven people died in overnight clashes across Cairo, interim President Adly Mansour swore in a new Cabinet.

The unrest and changes in power follow President Mohamed Morsi’s removal from power in a military coup on July 3. Earlier Tuesday, Health Ministry official Khaled Al-Khatib was quoted by EgyNews, the nation’s state news agency, as saying that 261 additional people were injured in violence in the capital.

Meanwhile, 401 Morsi supporters were arrested overnight in Ramses Square, according to state-run Nile TV. Cairo has seen repeated protests since Morsi was deposed. The official website of

Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood party said four people were killed and more than 300 injured in the clashes in Ramses Square and near a downtown Cairo mosque, and that police opened fire on Morsi supporters while they were taking part in Ramadan prayers at Al-Fath mosque.

The continuing violence comes as Egypt’s interim government starts to take shape, its members chosen by the country’s military leaders.

Mansour, head of the country’s Supreme Constitutional Court, was sworn in as interim president on July 4.

Hazem El-Beblawi has been appointed the interim prime minister, while reformer and Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei was sworn in as the country’s interim vice president for foreign relations. (Excerpt from CNN)

says discussing their dismay.

The Hispanic neighbourhood watch volunteer had been accused of wrongly killing 17-year-old AfricanAmerican Trayvon Martin in a highly charged case that inflamed impassioned debate over race relations. A Florida jury voted Saturday to acquit Zimmerman, a decision that has enraged protesters who believe the killing – and the verdict – reflect a double standard in American society and justice that puts an extra burden on AfricanAmericans.

Meanwhile, CaribbeanAmerican congresswoman Yvette Clarke has joined members of New York City Congressional Delegation in calling on the United States Department of Justice to conduct a “thorough” investigation and possible prosecution. (Excerpt from CNN)

P

anama’s president said his country has seized a North Korean-flagged ship carrying “undeclared military cargo”.

President Ricardo Martinelli said the ship, stopped in the Panama Canal as it sailed from Cuba, contained suspected “sophisticated missile equipment”.

He posted a photo of what looked like a large green object inside a cargo container on his Twitter account. The president said the 35-strong crew had resisted the search and the captain had tried to kill himself.

The U.S. “commended” Panama for its actions, and said it strongly supported a full inspection of the ship.

Footage appears to show inside the seized ship

The ship, the Chong Chon Gang, was stopped near Manzanillo on the Atlantic side of the canal last week.

It had left Russia’s far east in April and travelled across the Pacific Ocean before entering the canal at the start of June, with

Cuba as its stated destination.

The ship had crossed the Pacific without its automatic tracking system switched on – a move described by the BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner as highly suspicious. (Excerpt from BBC News)

16

wednesday, july 17, 2013

guyanatimesgy.com

Africa

Caribbean

Panasonic deepens commitment to ATL

E

lectronic appliances giant Panasonic is deepening its commitment to the Appliance Traders Limited (ATL) Group, a relationship that goes back over 40 years. The Japanese company is now partnering with the ATL Group, founded by Gordon “Butch” Stewart, to offer energy-efficient solutions. Last week, ATL signed a deal with Panasonic which sees it providing solar panelling for

ATL's Audi and Volkswagen showrooms housed on Kingston's Oxford Road.

“With the continued increase in fuel costs worldwide, a solar transformation at this time is our best option as it will drastically reduce our cost of energy, thus saving us some money,” said ATL's CEO Adam Stewart at the signing ceremony at ATL Eco-store in Manor Park.

In an exclusive interview, Panasonic Latin

America President Hiroki Kaji said: “From the bottom of my heart I would like to extend my thanks to ATL and in particular Butch Stewart and his successor Adam Stewart. We have a long history of business with ATL that goes back over 40 years. Both Butch and Adam always trust our product quality which has helped us build a good brand image in Jamaica and boost our sales.” (Jamaica Observer)

Washington.

They have 30 days to pay the fine. Barclays has said it will fight the charges.

“We are disappointed by the action that FERC took.

We believe the penalty assessed by the FERC is without basis, and we strongly disagree with the allegations made,” said Barclays in a statement.

“We intend to vigorously defend this matter.” In addition to the company fine,

Barclays traders Daniel Brin, Scott Connelly, Karen Levine and Ryan Smith – who are accused of manipulating an index relating to electric energy prices in the western part of the U.S. – were ordered to pay substantial sums.

Connelly must pay US$15 million, while Brin, Ms Levine and Smith were told they owed US$1 million each. The FERC had initially levelled the charges against Barclays in October 2012. (BBC News)

Russia to invest in Zimbabwe

A

seven-member Russian delegation that included celebrated former world chess champion Grandmaster Garry Kasparov was in the country last week to explore investment opportunities. The delegation held meetings with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Investment Authority officials and Zimbabwe Chess Federation officials. Head of delegation Robert Hersov said his team was looking for investment opportunities in

Zimbabwe in all aspects of the economy.

“Zimbabwe has potential for investment because it has a lot of resources. We are interested in the food, real estate, energy and mining sectors. “Our visit is, therefore, motivated by this desire and that is why we have embarked on this tour of Africa as we seek to consolidate on other investments that we have on the continent,” he said.

ZIA chief executive Richard Mbaiwa expressed

optimism that the visit will result in deals being sealed with locals. He added that the visit was a welcome development as it shows the confidence the delegation had in the country.

“This is welcome because as ZIA we strive to harness investment by ensuring we offer a conducive environment for potential investors, so when visitors show interest in our economic activities we encourage them to look at all sectors as they all present investment opportunities,” he said. (allAfrica)

ed as Labour Party leader last month. Since the leadership change Labour has seen its poll figures – which were low under Gillard – rise significantly. Gillard had set an election date for September 14. Rudd has indicated he will change the date but has not specified to when. Opposition leader Tony Abbott, who had looked on course to defeat

soon as possible.

Speaking in the Queensland city of Townsville, Rudd said he wanted to end the fixed price on carbon emissions a year early on June 30, 2014 and to bring forward a switch to a European-style emissions trading scheme.

The plan can only be legislated after the general election is held. (BBC News)

Australia North America Australian PM Rudd sets out carbon Barclays fined US$435M in U.S. over tax shift cost he Australian govern- duced by Rudd’s predecessor, Gillard in the election, has energy market-rigging ment says its plan to Julia Gillard, whom he oust- called on Rudd to set a date as

U

.S. regulator the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has fined Barclays US$435 million (£287 million) for manipulating energy markets in California and other states from November 2006 to December 2008.

Barclays and four of its traders must also pay US$34.9 million to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Programmes of Arizona, California, Oregon, and

Europe

OECD jobless rates forecast to remain stubbornly high

U

nemployment will remain high in developed countries next year, with young people and the low-skilled hit hardest, according to the OECD, a club of mostly rich nations. The OECD’s annual employment outlook said average jobless rates would fall only slightly over the next 18 months, from eight per cent of the workforce in May 2013 to 7.8 per cent at the end of 2014, leaving 48 million people out of work in

its 34 member countries.

Disparities between countries will widen, the OECD said. It forecast that unemployment in the U.S. will fall from 7.6 per cent to 6.7 per cent and in Germany from 5.3 per cent to 4.7 per cent.

But in much of the rest of Europe, it forecast that joblessness would remain flat or increase. Unemployment is predicted to grow to 11.2 per cent in France, 12.6 per cent in Italy and close to 28

Market statistics Cambio Rates

per cent in Spain and Greece.

The UK rate is forecast to rise slightly from 7.7 per cent to 7.8 per cent. “The social scars of the crisis are far from being healed,” said Angel Gurría, OECD secretary-general.

“Many of our countries continue to struggle with high and persistent unemployment, particularly among youth.”

Losses of jobs and earnings have been concentrated in low-skilled, low-income households. (CNN)

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana

Fixed as at June 18, 2013 Calculated at 94% purity

Buying

Selling

U.S.

GBP

$308.74

$312.62

Cambio

CAN

$196.43

$198.69

Gross

$260,585

USD

$204.49

$206.92

Net

$242,344

Selling

$268,875

Cur

$1366.75 $202.83

Indicators as on July 16, 2013 Live Spot Gold Bid/Ask

$1291.50

$1292.50

Low/High

$1286.60

$1297.00

+8.30

+0.65

Change July 16 USD GBP EUR July 15 USD GBP EUR

London Gold Fix AM

1286.00 853.24 983.03 AM

1281.25 850.65 983.08

Indicators

USD Per Once

Crude Oil Price Silver Platinum

US$ per barrel

Change %

$109.09

+0.12

USD per Ounce

Change %

$20.01

+0.08 +3.00

$1422.00

PM

1291.50 856.15 985.13 PM

1284.75 851.11 984.71

T

scrap an unpopular carbon tax will cost A$3.8 billion (US$3.5 billion; £2.3 billion).

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the move – first signalled on Sunday – would be funded by alternative savings and would mean that families were better off. It comes ahead of elections which must be called before the end of November.

The carbon tax was intro-

Middle East Qatar’s QNB set to launch Indian operations in Q3

Q

atar National Bank (QNB) Group has announced that it has received all regulatory approvals to establish a fully owned subsidiary in India. Under the name of QNB (India) Private Limited, the new unit is expected to start operations during the third quarter of 2013.

QNB (India) will take the role of extending consultancy and advisory services in the field of investment and finance for the Middle East

companies that are willing to establish businesses in India or invest in India. The acquisitive Gulf Arab lender last month posted a 6.7 per cent jump in first-quarter net profit on the back of strong loan growth in the Gulf state. QNB, which completed the purchase of a majority stake in Societe Generale’s Egyptian arm for US$2 billion in March, posted a net profit of QR2.1 billion (US$577 million) for the first three months of 2013.

Investors' guide

The India move is part of an aggressive overseas expansion

by QNB which has seen it grow to be the largest bank in the Middle East and North Africa.

QNB, which has snapped up several banking stakes as part of a regional expansion strategy, already has stakes in lenders in countries such as Indonesia, Jordan and Tunisia and wants its international business to contribute around 40 per cent of profit and 45 per cent of total assets by 2017. (Arabianbusiness)

Common legal issues faced by businesses (CONTINUED FROM SATURDAY)

Immigration audits

You should make sure that all your company’s employees can legally work in the United States. Do top down sweeps off your company’s staff, using background checks, to identify illegal immigrants with falsified documents. The U.S. government has been known to conduct extensive surprise immigration audits that can cripple a company if it is found to be using illegal labour.

Copyright and patent issues

Cutting edge companies in the tech industry often face aggressive patent litigation.

Companies often sit on patents for years, hoping that another company inadvertently violates them, to get easy money through patent and copyright lawsuits.

In the product development phase at your company, make sure your research and development teams thoroughly research the patents and copyrights of your current product, to avoid a messy legal battle should you step on a competitor’s toes.

Dissatisfied customers

Customers who are dissatisfied can file class action lawsuits against your company, in which they gather in large consumer groups and attack your company over faulty products, services or promises. With enough dissatisfied customers, class action lawsuits can do more damage than any individual or corporation and irreparably tarnish your brand’s image.

Again, be proactive and

keep a finger to the pulse of your customers through tech support, online message boards and emails. Promptly issue recalls for flawed products and be prompt to address customer issues.

Other legal issues

These are only some of the most common legal issues facing small businesses today.

Other ones include tax litigation (a whole other topic) and legal disputes with competitors and contractors. Make sure you are proactive in solving these problems before they start, and make sure you have a solid legal team to back you up should you get sued. Good communication in the workplace and a hands-on approach to management is the best deterrent to legal issues. (Business Dictionary)

Business concept – General ledger

Last: 15451.85

Changes: -32.41

% Change: -0.21

Open: 15485.03

High: 15498.16

Low: 15415.11

% YTD: +17.92

52Wk Hi: 15542.40

52 Wk Lo: 12035.09

Central repository of the accounting information of an organisation in which the summaries of all financial transactions (culled from subsidiary ledgers) during an accounting period are recorded.

Also called the book of final entry, it provides the entire data for preparing financial statements for the organisation.

news

17

wednesday, july 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Lusignan massacre trial

Plan presented to Hyles admitted to killing modernise zoological park

victims – witness by

Vahnu Manikchand

O

n the first day of the trial into the 2008 Lusignan massacre, a witness testified that James Hyles, one of the two men charged for the horrific incident, had admitted that he committed the killings.

The witness Durwin Wright, who is also a murder accused, but for another matter, was the fourth person to testify on Tuesday when the trial commenced before Justice Navindra Singh and a jury panel at the Georgetown High Court.

Hyles, called “Sally”, is indicted along with Mark Williams, called “Smallie”, for the murder of the 11 persons, who were killed in the wee hours of January 26, 2008 at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

Prosecution

The prosecution is being led by Senior State Counsel Judith Mursalin and State Counsel Tishana JamesLake. Williams is being represented by Attorney Roger Yearwood while Hyles is represented by Attorney Nigel Hughes.

Wright testified that he is living at Company Road, Buxton, ECD, and identified Williams, whom he said had a relationship with his sister. He also positively identified Hyles, whom he said he knew about a year before the incident and that they used to go to Friendship Backdam, ECD, to meet “Fineman” (Rondell Rawlins).

He stated that on January 26, 2008 about 06:30h, he was at home with a “mentally ill” friend when he heard “Sally” calling for him. The witness said he looked through the window and saw the accused at the door wearing a white vest and three-quarter pants with mud on his feet. The man said he opened the door and let in the accused, who told him to turn on the television.

Wright said he asked the man why and was told to turn on the television and “see what happening in the country” so he complied and turned it to Channel 11, where he saw an East Indian man sitting on a chair and a female stooping on the ground with a child on her back. The man said he then asked “Sally” if he was there and the accused replied in the affirmative.

“He tell me if I went there, I woulda get the chance to kill somebody so I ask if he kill anyone and he say ‘yes’ and he start laughing,” the witness stated.

Under cross-examination by the defence attorney Yearwood, Wright admitted that he did not tell the magistrate during the preliminary inquiry that he knew Williams. Meanwhile, under cross-examination by Attorney Hughes, Wright

was questioned about a murder charge he is currently facing and when asked about his whereabouts for the past six months, he said he cannot disclose that since he is in protective custody and has been so since he was arrested and charged in February 2008 for the murder of Kumar Singh called “Mango man”.

Wright disclosed that he did not request to be taken into protective custody nor did he hear the magistrate order that he be placed there and that he was the only one of the four persons charged to be placed in protective custody. However, he admitted that he told an officer in a statement that he was fearful for his safety, but cannot recall which officer he told.

No deal

Wright, under cross-examination, also disclosed that he never made any deal with the police to testify against the accused nor does he know if his attorney had done so.

The attorney continued to question the man about his association with Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins and how well he knew the accused, Hyles. Wright told the court that he and Hyles never had any discussions about politics or race and the morning of January 26, 2008, was the first time the accused talked about anything relating to race.

The defence attorney then put to the witness that the police had questioned him about his involvement with “Fineman” and after realising that he was too involved, he implicated persons who had nothing to do with the matter. Wright denied these suggestions by the attorney.

Survivor, Gomattie Thomas, of Lot 30 Track ‘A’ Lusignan, said in January 2008 that she was living with her husband, Clarence Thomas, 48, and their five children. The woman recalled that on January 25 of that year, about 20:30h, she and her family were “gaffing” and later retired to bed.

She continued that about 02:00h, the following morning, they heard gunshots and her husband got up and left the room. The woman said she heard footsteps on the stairs and persons using indecent language ordering that they open the door.

Thomas noted that she heard the door kicked-in and gunshots were fired all over the house. She noted that she stayed in bed while shots were being fired for about two to three minutes after which she came out of the room and saw her husband lying on the floor next to the front door. He had a wound on his face, back and left side abdomen. “I put on the lights and I saw Ron (her 11-year-old son) lying on the bed with his guts out

and then I look again and I saw my (12-year-old) daughter, she was on the other bed with her hands slashed and a wound on her right side,” the woman recalled.

She added that two of her other children then came out; one of them was wounded on his left hand and the other on his right side. The woman said that they were all crying and screaming and after persons came, her two injured sons were taken to the hospital. She noted that her husband and two children were buried on January 31.

Loud explosions

Meanwhile, Nadir Mohamed, of Lot 26 Track ‘A’, Lusignan, took the stand to testify about the night he lost his 22-yearold son, a month before the young man, Shazam Mohamed, would have celebrated his 23rd birthday. The man said that he, his wife and three children went to bed sometime around 20:20h to 20:30h.

He went on to say that they were awoken by loud explosions and they all got up and gathered in the “hall” of their house where they heard kicking and banging at the front door and voices saying “Y’all open up! Y’all open up! Y’all ain’t opening!” The man noted that his son told them something and that was the last word he heard from him.

Mohamed told the court that he slowly went back to his room and saw his son going towards the kitchen.

He disclosed that gunshots were being fired around the house and at the time he was sitting on his bed when a bullet passed through the wall and hit him on his right foot, passing through, entering his left foot. The man continued that after the ordeal, which lasted about five to six minutes, a neighbour came over and assisted him to the hospital.

The man recalled that he saw his son lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. He said the young man was shirtless and had a

wound on his back. He went on to say that he was hospitalised later the said day and was discharged a few days after to attend his son’s funeral after which he was re-admitted to the medical institution.

Then, Bibi Zulika Baksh of Lot 24 Track ‘A’, Lusignan, testified that she and her husband, Shameer Baksh, 52, were sleeping in the lower flat of their two-storey house when they heard gunshots sometime between midnight and 01:00h on January 26. The woman said they both ran upstairs, collected their 13-year-old daughter and sought refuge under a bed. She recalled that persons went in the room and pulled her husband out from under the bed, after which she heard gunshots. She said about 30 to 45 minutes later she heard people screaming on the road and came out from under the bed. The woman stated that she saw her husband on the floor in a pool of blood and began screaming.

Cross-examination

Under cross-examination

by Attorney Yearwood, all the witnesses admitted that they never saw any of the perpetrators. Attorney Nigel Hughes declined to cross-examine the three survivors.

The trial will continue today at the High Court.

The Lusignan massacre in 2008 resulted in widespread fear and anger throughout Guyana and beyond. On that faithful morning of January 26, gunmen carrying AK-47 assault rifles invaded several houses in Lusignan Grass Track where they carried out the bloody 20-minute long attack, killing 11 persons in their homes, some of whom were sleeping.

Those who were also killed are Seecharran Rooplall, 56, his wife Dhanrajie Ramsingh, 52, and their 11-year-old daughter, Raywattie Ramsingh; Mohandai Gourdat,32, and her two sons, Seegobind, four and Seegopaul Harrilall,10. (vahnum@guyanatimesgy. com)

Protected Areas Commission (PAC) Commissioner Damian Fernandes explaining what the modernised zoological park should look like

B

ased on a number of consultations with regional and international partners, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry along with several bodies drafted a master plan for the restoration, modernisation and upgrade of the zoological park of Guyana.

On Tuesday evening, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, speaking at the event hosted to launch the master plan for the zoo under the Three Parks Initiative, said government has been struggling to upgrade and modernise the zoological and other parks around the country to suit the satisfaction of the people.

“In the urban setting in Georgetown, one of the prides we would want to keep clean would have been the zoological park and some of the other parks in the country… we have been struggling to upgrade and modernise and we have been able to come up with this master plan under the Three Park Initiatives,” Persaud admitted.

Under this initiative, the minister said it is his hope that through direct and indirect influences, the plan would move forward.

Persaud said government has invested some $150 million for the development of the zoological park, which has been neglected over the years. turn to page 19

18

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, july 17, 2013

thursDAY, march 11, 2010 | guyanatimesGY.com

archie

By Bernice Bede Osol

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) You are likely to get an opportunity to develop a relationship with someone whom you’ve long desired to know. This person will be able to open doors for you that are currently locked.

dilbert

(June 21July 22) There is a strong probability that a new arrival will show you how to circumvent a problem that has been blocking your path for far too long. It’s about time!

AQUARIUS

LEO

(Jan. 20Feb. 19)

(July 23Aug. 22)

Through an unusual set of circumstances, something might transpire that will stimulate your ambitions. You’re likely to realise that you can follow someone’s example and achieve something big.

Calvin and Hobbes

CANCER

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) The main reason companions give credence to what you say is that you clearly follow your own advice, and it works. Keep doing what you’re doing.

You’re likely to get an opportunity to help a good friend by showing him or her how to see the good in people instead of just the bad. It’s counsel your pal has long needed.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) People who know you well respect the fact that your word can be relied upon. You might get some proof of this faith today.

Peanuts

SUDOKU

ARIES

LIBRA

(March 21-April 19)

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Much-needed changes in your domestic life will at last take place. Even though things may not end up exactly as you wished, it’ll be close enough. Don’t sweat the details.

Even though a reward you receive might be small in terms of dollars and cents, the respect and acknowledgement that it signifies will be worth much more in the long run.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) A friendly interaction with a knowledgeable person should turn out to your liking. This person will have a steadying effect that will be extremely constructive.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22) You’ll be adept at handling your personal affairs as well as good at advising friends and associates on how to handle their own complicated lives. Don’t hide your light under a bushel.

Tuesday's solution GEMINI (May 21June 20) Generally speaking, you should be rather lucky when it comes to matters pertaining to money. This will include not only your primary earnings, but income from a second source as well.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21) If you have to make a decision between being practical or compassionate regarding something involving a close friend, choose the latter.

Everything will work out, and you’ll feel good about yourself.

news 19

YELLOW PAGES

13 new archaeological sites discovered in Region Nine

wednesday, july 17, 2013

car rental Journey Inn Apartments & car rental. Rooms & car to rent from $3000 Premio, Vitz. Phone: 6896668, 639-4452.

dentistry Dentures provided in 72 hours from as low as $4500. Contact Dr B Stuart, 209B Charlotte Street, Lacytown. Tel: 225-5034

EDUCATION WHERE CAN YOU GET A BOOK FOR $40? THE MASSIVE BOOKSALE, NOW ON AT BOOKLAND, ABOVE MATTS RECORD BAR (226-2874).

BOOKLAND, ON A SALE MISSION “ TO GET BOOKS IN EVERY HOUSHOLD”.

flowers Available: Fresh long-stemmed roses, fresh dried and silk floral arrangements, gift items, bridal boutiques and wreaths. Nesha’s Flowerland. 78 Church Street (opposite St George’s Cathedral). Tel: 227-3553/225-3315

FOR SALE Garden earth and builders waste also bobcat rental excavating clearing and leveling done phone:616-0617, /663-3285.

Duckling phone:617-9300.

All models of engines (Perkins, cummins, lister, deuez, john dere etc) enclosed and open air any size of KVA. Call Ram on 619-4483 or 226-6325 German Shepherd pups for sale.

Phone: 619-6086, 699-7077.

health Healthworld Holistic Centre: Psychotherapy available for all types of abnormal behaviors – addictions, emotional, suicidal, anger, relationship and sexual problems. Treatment of stress disorders, depression, fear, low self-esteem, insomnia, trauma, psychosomatic sicknesses, and children's disorders. We also conduct IQ evaluations and behavioral assessments. By appointments only. Clinic hours: 11:00 – 17:00h. Tel: 592-621-0552.

Email:healthworldhc@gmail.com Are you pouring on pounds? Then call Raul /Carol Wilson: 660-6818, 641-5923, 216-3016, 216-3601 for your healthy eating package.

immigration Immigration & Visa Services We handle all Canadian, USA and UK, Immigration and Visa matters. Self Sponsorships, Holiday/Visitor’s Visas, Work Permits, Students Visas, Family, Class, Immigration Forms, Embassy Enquiries, Appeals for Refused Cases, U.S Green Card Lottery, Business Class Waivers, Pardons etc. Get your Visa approved. High Success Rate. Balwant Persaud & Associates. Certified Immigration Consultants 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings & Lights Sts.) Tel: 2251540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@yahoo.ca

KEY CUTTing Professional Key Shop, 125 Carmichael Street, Georgetown.

Phone: 225-3923, mobile: 6213249. We cut any type of key, service and repair all types of locks.

Get your extra key today.

optician Da Silva’s Optical. For Your Eyes Only, Look Better See Better. Phillip A Da Silva OD, Shannon L Da Silva OD, Natalie Da Silva OD. 248 South Road, Bourda. Phone: 227-3529, Linden: 444-6376, Corriverton: 339-3536, Meten-Meer-Zorg: 275-0322, Grand Cayman Islands: (345) 943-1515 for the perfect trendy touch.

AVAILABLE. DEO MARAJ AUTO SALES, 2 CHIMNEY ROAD, CHATEAU MARGOT, ECD. 624-0762 , 220-5177. A NAME AND A SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST. Honda CRV, lady-driven. Phone 657-0482 SOLD AS IS.

WANTED Wanted kitchen cook, helper, server and bartender. Call: 231-5857

PENPAL INDIAN GUY NEEDS FEMALE COMPANION PHONE: 644-2306

services Laptop & desktop repairs & programme in homes &services virus cleaning, ink refilling phone:218-5591, 675-7292.l J. Eastman and Associates Chartered Accountants, services, taxation, financial services, VAT preparation, auditing, income tax, vehicle and building compliances. Phone: 2232105, 662-7467, located 190 Church Street, Georgetown (opp Pet Shop).

From left to right: Trevon Baird, Nankumarie Singh, and archaeologist Dr Mark Plew

A

rchaeologist attached to the Boise State University, Dr Mark Plew on Tuesday disclosed that 13 new archaeological sites have been found in the Rupununi Savannah, Region Nine.

At the time, Dr Plew was delivering the feature presentation during a public lecture organised by the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry and the Walter Roth Museum of Anthology at the Umana Yana, Kingston.

Dr Plew disclosed that the discoveries were made in the past weeks during a field visit to the Karanambo Ranch, Region Nine.

According to the archaeologist, previous surveys only produced four or five sites at once as he tagged the latter the most successful in recent times.

On the 13 sites, several habitats or villages were discovered. “So we found habitation sites where in the past they would have had structures and pottery. So these people were cooking,” Dr Plew explained.

spirituality Suriname astrology palmist and Djuka healer, the most powerful spiritualist in the world, are you suffering from the following problems - (any religions) love, marriage, family, health, business, husband and wife relationships, property, court, children, promotion, visa, pregnancy, education, depression, job, sexual, jealousy, enemy, money, drinking, also you can have all evil forces destroyed such as black magic, witchcraft, voodoo, obeyah, etc, and gives powerful protection. Private and confidential. Phone: 601-5947.

Dutch Spiritual work. Unite lovers, get rid of evil, enhance prosperity, good luck baths and charm bowu guards, etc. Phone: 220-0708, 6126417, 687-5653 Divinations and cleansing of spiritual problems of all kinds. Powerful Ifá and Khemetian spiritual guards, pendants, crystals, and rune stones to help you overcome problems with love, relationships, legal, sexual, pregnancy, business, sickness, jobs, enemies, work, money and many more. Call 10:00-16:00h on: +592-690-1824. Email: anew-life@ live.com

Plan presented to...

TO let

Office space 349 East Street , North Cummingsburg. No agents please.

Phone: 226-6551, 225-0391.

7-bedroom family/students/ individuals. Bungalow for long & short term rental (local & overseas guests), facilities included, vegetarian meals available. Contact BG Real Estate Agency on: 622-7071, Isha 624-7111/220-2130.

VEHICLES FOR SALE JUST ARRIVED: TOP QUALITY RECONDITIONED VEHICLES; TOYOTA PREMIO; TOYOTA SPACIO; TOYOTA VITZ (NEW SHAPE); TOYOTA NOAH; SUZUKI SWIFT; MERCEDES BENZ C200 COMPRESSOR; BMW 318 I; COROLLA AE100 WAGON; LAND CRUISER (FULLY LOADED); MAZDA PROCEED 4WD EXTRACAB PICKUP; TOYOTA HILUX; 3RZ AND 5L; 4WD EXTRACAB PICKUPS; HIACE PITBULL 19 SEATER; MITSUBISHI CANTER TRUCKS 3; 3.5; TONS OPEN TRAY; 3 TONS WITH TAILGATE HOIST; 2 TONS 4WD; 3 TONS DUMP TRUCK. PREORDER YOUR UNITS EARLY AND GET THE BEST PRICES. FULL AFTER SALES SERVICE AND FINANCING

However, the most shocking of the 13 sites was the discovery of a huge plot of land where people were making stone tools.

“So there were stone hoes and stone knives, we have never found anything like this in the Rupununi and as large as those. Some of them were three or four times the size of the Umana Yana, really large area and the raw material is really dense, it’s really a lot of it, so there were a lot of activities. I have never seen anything like that,” he further explained. According to the archaeologist, the stone tools and habitats date back to 300 years ago.

The recent discoveries will now be housed at the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology at the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry, Main Street facility. “We have already cataloged all of them, all of them have been processed and already photographed and they are being stored at the Walter Roth Museum.”

In addition to the recent discoveries, the Walter Roth

Classified Ads

$5+VAT per word

Call: 226-9921

“Financial resources would not be enough we have so far and funding is still needed,” the minister told this publication during a separate interview, but noted that the deputy Mexican ambassador has given her assurance that the Mexican government will assist Guyana in this regard.

He noted that a number of other private organisations have signalled their interest to invest and support the initiative. The minister admitted that while monies have already been injected into the project and a lot more is still needed, and the ministry has not gone on a “funding spree”, but rather will be hosting consultations to educate and showcase the master plan.

According to him, through these consultations, stakeholders can now be part of the initiative by signing on and having ownership and shares at the zoological park.

Persaud asked that citizens be alert always to the

developments being made and desist from defacing and destroying the facilities, as government and the private sector seek to enhance the appearance and tourist hubs around the country.

“I want to urge that persons care these facilities, I urge persons to stop littering, we have been working with the rotary clubs and other groups to develop these facilities for children, but yet persons continue to vandalise them,” he lamented.

The minister said the aim is to connect the coastal population and showcase biodiversity and if citizens continue to play a part in destructiveness, this would not be possible.

Protected Areas Commission (PAC) Commissioner Damian Fernandes said the aim is to connect the country’s interior and bring it to the people. He said the zoological park is very important and the management is commit-

Museum of Anthropology trained seven students, with two persons from Georgetown and the remaining five from the Rupununi Savannah. Trevon Baird, an aspiring archaeologist who is among the recently trained, said his journey to the Rupununi was truly fulfilling.

“At lot of things have been learnt in terms of survey methods, identifying artefacts and all these things empower us to tell people about the vast archaeological sites.”

Baird and his colleague Nankumarie Singh were presented with certificates for their participation in the training programme. The trainees from the Rupununi will be presented with their certificates on a later date.

In 1974, the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology was established from a collection of the late Guyanese anthropologist Dr Denis Williams. It was the first museum of anthropology in the English-speaking Caribbean.

From page 17

ted to developing and upgrading the facilities on a “step by step basis” through the newly-developed master plan.

Some of the changes which will take place include the restoration of the Dutch koker that was once present in the park, and the transformation of some of the existing cages into walkthrough exhibits.

According to Fernandes, from the major consultations that were held and after meeting with the PJ Architecture coming out of Australia, it was said that there is a need for more exhibits and the need for more of an educational focus from the park.

The zoological park when completely modernised will have a coastal wetland for aquatic animals, a savannah area for the deer, tapirs and other related animals, mountainous highland for the small cats and rainforest for the harpy eagles.

20

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013

Mickey Arthur's legal claims leaked F ormer Australia coach Mickey Arthur has reportedly claimed in legal documents that Michael Clarke described Shane Watson and his faction as “a cancer” on the national squad, while also alleging he was the victim of racial discrimination during his time with the team.

The Seven Network has reported the documents tendered to the Fair Work Commission in Sydney, which form part of Arthur’s claim for up to A$4 million in compensation from Cricket Australia or his job back after his sacking last month, two years before his contract was due to expire. The network reported that the documents claimed “major tension” between Clarke and Watson, and that Arthur felt he was “the meat in the sandwich” between them.

Arthur has released a statement on the leaking of the documents, describing his distress at their details becoming public. “I am extremely upset and disappointed that confidential

documents appear to have been given by others to the media,” Arthur said. “The matters raised in my application to the FWC concerning issues within the Australian cricket team are very sensitive, which is why I was at pains to keep them confidential, especially at this time.

“I have kept them confidential,unfortunately others have now made them public. I want to stress how important to me the members of the team were, and still remain to me. The welfare of the Australian cricket team is upmost to me.”

Arthur’s legal representation confirmed allegations of racial discrimination and scapegoating. “We can confirm that last week Mickey Arthur filed proceedings on a number of grounds in the Fair Work Commission (FWC) Sydney for being sacked and scapegoated,” a spokesperson for Arthur’s law firm said. “The grounds include racial discrimination. This legal action was filed confidential-

Mickey Arthur has reportedly made explosive claims about the Australian camp (Getty Images)

ly with FWC as Mickey was at pains to resolve this issue privately.”

Speaking at Lord’s on Tuesday, Clarke said the airing of the team’s dirty

laundry would not be allowed to derail their preparations for the second Ashes Test.

“First I’m not going to get involved in it, the most im-

portant thing is that we as a team are as focused as we can be on Thursday,” Clarke said. “We’ve obviously got a huge game in front of us, the boys are feeling great, as we showed in the last Test match we’re here to fight and do as well as we possibly can in this Test series, and I think we showed that the other day.”

Arthur also allegedly reported in the documents that Watson had told him about David Warner’s punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham pub during the Champions Trophy, which led to Warner’s suspension.

Watson previously stated that he was not responsible for passing the information on to Arthur.

The Seven Network also reported that in the documents Arthur claimed Cricket Australia did not support him over the decision to suspend four players on the tour of India over the so-called homework incident. Arthur alleged that he was discriminated against because he was South African and did not under-

stand the Australian way.

“We’re disappointed it has come to this position but Cricket Australia is confident in its position on this matter and I’m sure it will get resolved in an appropriate fashion,” CA lawyer Dean Kino said.

Paul Marsh, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, said he was “extremely disappointed by the allegations” and the timing of their release ahead of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

“At Mickey’s departing press conference he talked about taking responsibility for the team’s performances and leaving the job with dignity,” Marsh said. “I fail to see how this course of action is consistent with his words and I am disappointed that this has been released two days before such an important Test match.

“Whilst I have genuine sympathy for Mickey’s current situation, I hope he can deal with his issues with Cricket Australia privately.”

(Cricinfo)

Woods primed for Trinidad down Honduras Muirfield challenge to seal Gold Cup quarter-final place

T

iger Woods is unconcerned by a recent elbow injury as he attempts to win a fourth Open title and first major for five years at Muirfield this week.

The world number one hurt his arm in his Players Championship victory in May and aggravated it at the U.S. Open at Merion last month.

Woods, 37, has not played competitively since to allow time for it to heal but insists “everything is good to go”.

“I feel very good about my game,” he told a packed news conference.

Woods has won four times this season and said he was still confident of adding to his 14 major titles as he chases Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18.

“Even though I haven’t won a major in five years I’ve been in a bunch of them where I’ve had chances. I just need to keep putting myself there and eventually I’ll get some,” said the American.

Woods, who won his last Open at Hoylake in 2006, was tied third at Royal Lytham last year.

He was in contention during the second round of this year’s Masters at Augusta before his approach to the 15th hit the pin and bounced back into the water.

He made a bogey six and was then penalised two shots for an illegal drop, finishing in a tie for fourth.

He slumped to a share of 32nd at Merion after struggling with his elbow in the thick rough.

Since his last major victory, the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, Woods has

Tiger Woods

played in 16 majors and finished inside the top six eight times.

“It’s just a shot here, a shot there,” he added.

“It’s making a key up-anddown here or getting a good bounce there.

“For instance, this year at Augusta I really played well and a good shot ended up having a bad break. It’s not much. It could happen on the first day or the last day.

But it’s turning that tide or capitalising on an opportunity. That’s what you have to do to win major championships.”

Woods was bidding for the third leg of a Grand Slam – after winning that year’s Masters and U.S. Open – when the Open was last held at Muirfield in 2002, but a severe storm on the Saturday blew him off course with an 81.

This year the hot, dry conditions and favourable forecast could make Muirfield play similar to Hoylake, when Woods hit only one driver all week as he negotiated his way around the fast-running

links with irons.

“It’s playing really fast out there,” he said. “The golf course is set up perfectly.

I’m looking forward to a fantastic championship at one of the best venues.”

Woods refused to be drawn into the debate on Muirfield’s male-only membership policy and the R&A’s decision to use the club to host the Open.

“I don’t make the policies here. I’m not a member, so I’m not going to speak for the club,” he said.

Woods did tangle with management when he was prevented from practising before 07:00h BST on Monday. Woods’s preference is to go out very early and practise with few people watching, but he says he understands the reasons why he was stopped.

“Peter [Dawson, R&A chief] was explaining that he’s having the grounds crew cut it from number one through 18 as a routine to get them accustomed to that pattern for the championship. I totally understand that,” said Woods. (BBC Sport)

Kevin Molino (centre) celebrates his goal against Honduras

H

OUSTON – Trinidad and Tobago clinched a place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals, defeating 10-man Honduras 2-0 on Monday at BBVA Compass Stadium. Kenwyne Jones and Kevin Molino scored second-half goals in the triumph.

Despite the setback, the Hondurans still finished at the top of the Group B table with six points. Even though they Trinidad and El Salvador finished level on points at four apiece and goal difference, the Caribbean side took second due to scoring more goals (4-3).

With a spot in the knockout phase already assured, Honduras (2-0-1) opted to rest regulars Andy Najar, Rony Martinez, Roger Rojas and goalkeeper Donis Escober against the Soca Warriors. Alajuelense strik-

er Jerry Palacios saw his first action of the tournament.

Trinidad also made changes of its own, presenting a more attack oriented team with Molino and Cornell Glenn being named in the starting eleven.

Kenwyne Jones was handed the captain’s armband in place of Densill Theobold and took the responsibility to heart, playing with vigor and a sense of urgency.

The Stoke City forward was in the thick of things as Trinidad looked for an early goal. In the first 20 minutes Jones had two chances that went close, heading over the crossbar and shooting the other just wide of the target. His best opportunity came in 33rd minute, when he was in alone on advancing goalkeeper Kevin Hernandez, but failed to

push the ball past him.

Palacios thought his 29th minute volley had given Honduras the lead, but he was adjudged to be offside.

The odds for Trinidad got even better in the 37th minute when Jose Velasquez was sent off for his tackle from behind on Cornell Glen, reducing Honduras to 10 men.

Two minutes into the second half, the Soca Warriors took advantage of the extra man as they were awarded a penalty kick. Glen was pushed down in the penalty area and Jones stepped up to power the ensuing spot kick past Hernandez to give Trinidad a 1-0 lead.

Molino doubled Trinidad’s advantage in the 66th minute, collecting a cross from Jones inside the six-yard box and placing past Hernandez. (CONCACAF)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

21

U-15 routed for 53 Rui Costa wins stage Guyana

by Windward Islands 16 after breakaway S

Rui Costa

R

ui Costa produced a confident ride up Col de Manse to win stage 16 of the Tour de France on Tuesday as Briton Chris Froome retained his place as overall leader.

Costa climbed the summit and raced home alone to finish 42 seconds clear.

The Movistar rider was part of a 26-man breakaway and the Portuguese moved into the lead with 17 kilometre left, holding off the chasing pack to claim victory.

Froome almost came to grief chasing Alberto Contador on the final descent, but stayed upright to finish 29th.

The Briton is well on course to succeed compatriot Sir Bradley Wiggins as the race winner, with his overall lead remaining at four minutes 14 seconds over his nearest challenger, Bauke Mollema, with Contador third another 11 seconds back.

“I think Alberto Contador was a little careless to attack like that round the corners,” said Froome, 28.

“He went off in front of me and I had to go off and

unclip.

“There is never a quiet day on the Tour; if they are not attacking on the climbs, they are attacking on the descents.”

Running off into the roadside gravel was a rare moment of drama for Froome, who was expertly marshalled at the front of the peloton by his Team Sky colleagues.

With Spain’s David Navarro, who began the day more than 23 minutes adrift in the general classification, the best-placed rider among the early escapees, the British-based outfit could afford to allow the breakaway to stretch clear.

Instead they were focused on maintaining a solid pace and then marking Contador and his Saxo Bank team-mate Roman Kreuziger’s late surges on the final climb up the Category Two Col de Manse.

Sky’s resources have been stretched by Edvald Boasson Hagen’s withdrawal through injury and Vasil Kiryienka being timed out on stage eight, but Britons Ian Stannard and Geraint

Thomas did long stints at the front of the main pack, before Richie Porte came into his own late on.

The Australian, closely followed by Froome, chased down a succession of breaks

by Contador to deliver his team’s lead rider over the crest of Col de Manse in contact with the Spaniard.

Contador pushed too hard attempting to pull clear on the final descent, though, leading Froome into trouble in the process.

Both men fell behind Netherlands’ Mollema in the incident, but made good their losses by the finish line with the help of Porte.

By that time, Costa’s solo break had been rewarded with his second Tour stage win. French pair Christophe Riblon and Arnold Jeannesson were second and third respectively.

Another home favourite, Thomas Voeckler, and world road race champion Philippe Gilbert were among the breakaway riders who failed to organise quickly enough in the wake of the Portuguese’s acceleration.

(BBC Sport)

Hingis comes out of retirement for Carlsbad doubles

F

ormer world number one Martina Hingis will come out of retirement to play her first match on the WTA Tour since 2007. The 32-year-old has accepted a wildcard to play doubles with Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova at the Southern California Open in Carlsbad later this month.

Hingis, who won five Grand Slam singles titles including Wimbledon in 1997 at the age of 16, was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.

“My competitive spirit is still very much alive,” the Swiss said.

“I feel in good shape at the moment after playing World Team Tennis. I love

Martina Hingis

being out on court.

“I am very much looking forward to making a return to competitive play at the Southern California Open.

I remember winning the

singles and doubles here in 1997 and winning the singles again in 1999.”

As well as winning Wimbledon in 1997, Hingis also won the U.S. Open and the first of three successive Australian Open titles that year. Hingis retired in 2003 at the age of 22 after a series of ankle injuries, but returned to the WTA Tour in 2006.

She quit the game for a second time in November 2007, revealing she had tested positive for cocaine at that year’s Wimbledon.

Hingis, who has won 43 WTA singles titles, said she had “never taken drugs”, but did not appeal against the two-year ban she was given. (BBC Sport)

t Elizabeth, JAMAICA – An unbeaten secondwicket partnership between Grenadians Johann Jeremiah and Emmanuel Stewart steered the Windward Islands to a ninewicket victory over Guyana in their second round match of the West Indies Under-15 cricket tournament being played in Jamaica.

Set a target of 54 runs for victory, the Grenadians set about the task after Jeremiah lost his opening partner in Vice-captain St Lucian Nick Elibox with the score on 19. He was joined by his skipper Stewart as they reached their target safely.

Jeremiah and Stewart were unbeaten on 27 and 17 respectively in the Windwards’ total of 55 for one off 15.4 overs.

Earlier, the Guyanese failed to pass 100 runs yet again as they were bun-

Johann Jeremiah

dled out for 99 in their second innings with another Grenadian Narun Singh taking three for 20 off nine overs to finish with match figures of six for 34 off 14 overs including five maidens.

Alic Athanaze from Dominica also took three wickets, with St Lucian Johnell Eugene – the son of former Windward Islands player John Eugene – and

Shane Roberts of St Vincent finishing with two wickets each.

Timothy McAlmont was the only Guyana batsman to provide some resistance in their second innings in a knock of 41 which included five fours off 73 balls before going LBW to Athanaze.

“The boys showed a lot of character in coming back after the defeat in the first round,” said Dwain Gill, coach of the Windward Islands.

“We planned well for the Guyanese and the boys executed. We are looking forward to the next match against Barbados.”

The diminutive Stewart was adjudged Man of the Match for his inspiring 54 in the Windwards’ first innings of 124 for eight.

The Windward Islands will next play Barbados in the third round of competition, starting on Friday at the same venue.

ICC defends umpires, DRS

Australia suffered when they could not review an incorrect not-out decision against Stuart Broad

T

(Getty Images)

he ICC has defended the performance of the umpires and the DRS after criticism following the Trent Bridge Test between England and Australia, whilst also admitting to errors in cases involving Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad.

The ICC has taken the unusual step of revealing its assessment of the umpires and the DRS analysis from the Test, arguing that the figures vindicate both. Some mitigation was provided for the errors that did occur, the ICC suggesting the “added intensity” of a first Ashes Test had increased pressure on the officials.

According to the ICC, the umpires made a total of 72 decisions, which is well above the average (49) for a DRS Test match. The umpiring team, made up of Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus, was assessed to have made seven errors during the match, out of which three were uncorrected decisions and four decisions corrected using the

DRS. As such, the correct decision percentage before reviews stood at 90.3 per cent but climbed to 95.8 per cent as a result of the use of the DRS. This represented an increase of 5.5 per cent in correct decisions, which was the average increase from DRS Test matches in 2012-13.

The three decisions that were marked as uncorrected errors included one against Trott when a correct lbw decision (not out against the bowling of Mitchell Starc) was overturned. The others involved Broad, both the edge that carried to slip via Brad Haddin’s gloves and a leg-before shout where he did not offer a stroke, but neither but these could be corrected as Australia had no reviews available.

“When coupled with the conditions, with reverse swing and spin playing an important role, and the added intensity of the first Ashes Test, it was a difficult match to umpire,” read the ICC statement.

The ICC’s chief executive,

David Richardson, added: “The umpires did a good job under difficult conditions.

This reflects the calibre of umpires Dar, Dharmasena and Erasmus who have consistently performed at a high level. Like the players, umpires can also have good and bad days but we all know that the umpire’s decision, right or wrong, is final and must be accepted.

“While the ICC has complete faith in the ability of its umpires, our confidence in technology is also strengthened by the fact that there was an increase in the number of correct decisions in the Trent Bridge Test through the use of the DRS. “Technology was introduced with the objective of eradicating the obvious umpiring errors, and to get as many correct decisions as possible. If it can help increase the correct decisions by 5.5 per cent, then it is a good outcome, but we must continue to strive to improve umpiring and the performance of the DRS.” (Cricinfo)

22

wednesday, july 17, 2013

guyanatimesGY.com

Back in business!

“Trini posse” joins the party as West Indies draw level with Pakistan

Gotcha! West Indies opener Johnson Charles is stumped by wicketkeeper Umar Akmal

By Avenash Ramzan

T

he crowd may not have been large as Sunday, but patrons certainly left the Guyana National Stadium on Tuesday afternoon dancing, waving and shouting the names of those who came in for much condemnation and criticism just 24 hours prior to the coin toss.

After being bamboozled by Shahid Afridi’s all-round heroics in the first ODI, crumbling for 98 and losing by a whopping 126 runs, the West Indies promised to bounce back, and that they did, beating Pakistan by 37 runs to level the series, which now heads to St Lucia for the remaining three games.

When the home side lost Chris Gayle in the opening over to the towering Mohammad Irfan, a repeat of Sunday’s capitulation seemed in the making, but the mystery came back in Sunil Narine, who led a performance headlined by a Trinidad and Tobago quartet to give West Indies a moraleboosting win.

A target of 233 was always going to be tricky on a surface offering some assistance to the bowlers, and when Pakistan were dismissed for 195 with 13 balls to spare, it proved that West Indies had put enough on the tins to reverse their fortunes in the series.

Cautious start, late flurry Moisture

on

the

wick-

et caused by early morning showers encouraged Misbahul-Haq to bowl first and his decision paid dividends almost immediately.

Gayle, for the second match in a row, fell to Irfan, edging a full delivery outside off-stump to wicketkeeper Umar Akmal at the end of the first over.

On either side of a 45-minute rain interruption, opener Johnson Charles and Darren Bravo, West Indies’ most productive batsmen in ODIs this year, repaired the early damage with a fighting partnership of 79 in 17.2 overs.

In the face of some tight bowling, the pair scored the occasional boundaries, but found rotating the strike a difficult proposition as they consistently picked out the fielders within the 30-yard circle.

With runs being at a premium, Charles opted to charge down the wicket to Afridi, but completely misread the spin and was stumped by Umar Akmal for a cautious 31.

Marlon Samuels, one of a band of West Indies senior batsmen who have struggled for runs this year, again looked a shade of the player who dominated in 2012.

In partnership with Bravo, he added 42, making half of those runs, but it was not smooth sailing as three from 22 balls and 12 from 54 balls at two stages of his innings would indicate.

At the other end, the left-

handed Bravo notched up his fifth half-century and sixth score over fifty for 2013, but just when he seemed destined to bat through the innings, he was deceived by a Saeed Ajmal’s doosra, which shattered the stumps as he launched forward for the drive.

Samuels’ misery ended soon after, when he took a few steps down the track to Ajmal, backed away and looked to steer the ball past point, but missed it completely at 137-4 Lendl Simmons became Afridi’s second victim, as he top edged a sweep, and with the score at 150-5 in the 39th over, the innings was poised for an interesting end.

Skipper Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, who like Samuels, have done little this year, conjured up a partnership of 70 for the sixth wicket to give the Windies impetus at the halfway break.

It took the TT pair a mere 9.4 overs to swing the momentum, as Bravo anchored the innings with a solid 43 not out, while Pollard slammed two fours and a six in 30 from 27 balls.

Wahab Riaz leaked 18 runs in the 47th over, as the Windies packed 50 runs in the last five overs, to post 232-8, a total that included 38 extras.

Spills, thrills and skills

With the Bravo/Pollard partnership giving the bowl-

Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed pulls during his innings of 54

ers a total to defend, speedsters Kemar Roach and Jason Holder were parsimonious in their opening spells with Roach bowling four maidens on the trot.

The first five overs produced just five runs, all from wides, as openers Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad found scoring difficult.

In the seventh over, Holder found the edge of Jamshed’s bat only for Dwayne Bravo at second slip to spill the catch with the left-hander yet to get off the mark.

It was the first of four chances Jamshed would ride on, being later dropped by Sammy at first slip on 19, by Gayle running from mid-on on 32 and a mis-stumping by Charles off Samuels when on 45.

While he did go on to topscore with 54, the task was getting tough for Pakistan as wickets fell regularly. Akmal was the only other bright spot with an even 50 towards the end of the innings, as the tourists again struggled.

Narine, who had an ordinary game on Sunday, conceding 32 runs from three overs, snuffed out four key wickets, including two in his final over, to finish with 4-26.

Dwayne Bravo, who belatedly came into the attack in the 46th over, claimed the final two wickets off successive balls and will start his next game on a hat-trick. Pollard also capped a good day, remov-

ing Jamshed during an ecomonical opening spell.

The two teams now head

to St Lucia for the remainder of the ODI series, with match three set for Friday.

SCOREBOARD West Indies innings C. Gayle c wkp Umar Akmal b Mohammad Irfan 1 J. Charlesst wkp Umar Akmal b Afridi 31 D.M. Bravob Saeed Ajmal 54 M. Samuelsb Saeed Ajmal 21 L. Simmonsc wkp Umar Akmal b Afridi 10 D.J. Bravo not out 43 K. Pollardb Asad Ali 30 D. Sammy run out (wkp Akmal) 3 K. Roach run out (wkp Akmal) 0 S. Narine not out 1 Extras: (b-5, lb-11, -21, nb-1) 38 Total:(for eight wickets, 50 overs) 232 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Gayle, 0.6 ov), 2-81 (Charles, 18.2 ov), 3-123 (D.M. Bravo, 32.1 ov), 4-137 (Samuels, 35.3 ov), 150-5 (Simmons, 38.5 ov), 6-220 (Pollard, 48.3 ov), 7-226 (Sammy, 49.2 ov), 7-226 (Roach, 49.3 ov) Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 100-38-1 (1-nb, 2-w), Asad Ali 6-1-35-1 (2-w), Saeed Ajmal 10-0-45-2 (4-w), Mohammad Hafeez 7-0-32-0, Wahab Riaz 7-0-37-0 (3-w), Shahid Afridi 10-0-29-2 (1-w) Pakistan (Target: 233 from 50 overs) Nasir Jamshedc Roach b Pollard 54 Ahmed Shehzadc wkp Charles

b Roach 19 Mohammad Hafeezc Simmons b Narine 20 Misbah-ul-Haqb Sammy 17 Asad Shafiqc Holder b Samuels 10 Umar Akmalc Simmons b D.J. Bravo 50 Shahid Afridist c wkp Charles b Narine 5 Wahab Riaz b Narine 3 Saeed Ajmal c Sammy b Narine 0 Asad Ali c Pollard b D.J.Bravo 2 Mohammad Irfan not out 0 Extras:(lb-3, w-11) 14 Total:(all out, 47.5 overs) 195 Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Shehzad, 10.4 ov), 2-64 (Hafeez, 17.1 ov), 3-103 (Misbah, 28.4 ov), 4-122 (Shafiq, 33.1 ov), 5-137 (Jamshed, 36.2 ov), 6-151 (Afridi, 39.5 ov), 7-162 (Riaz, 43.1 ov), 8-163 (Ajmal, 43.4 ov), 9-195 (Akmal, 47.4 ov), 10-195 (Ali, 47.5 ov) Bowling: K. Roach 6-4-14-1, Holder 7-2-30-0 (3-w), Narine 10-1-26-4 (1-w), Sammy 100-46-1 (1-w), Samuels 7-032-1 (2-w), Pollard 6-0-351, D.J. Bravo 1.5-0-9-2 Result: West Indies win by 37 runs Position: Five-match series level 1-1 Man-of-the-Match: Sunil Narine

GBTI Open serves off today

Victor Demchenko

T

he local tennis fraternity will be engrossed in action from today when the GBTI Open gets under way at the GBTI Recreational Sports Club, following an opening ceremony at 17:00 hours.

The competition will run until August 3.

This year’s tournament will miss top rivals such as former Men’s champion Jeremy Miller and Shawna Gentle, who are both pro-

Grantley Crandon ceeding on academic careers through tennis. However, this still leaves defending champions Anthony Downes and Carol Humphrey exposed to strong challengers.

With a look into the Men’s draw, defending champion and top seed Anthony Downes will have his work cut out, as he is slotted in the top half of the draw, which is loaded with potential counter punchers in his quest to regain his title as Men’s Champion.

Seanden David-Longe, Oswin Coggins, junior sensation Daniel Lopes and Johnathan Christie from Texas, all are capable of upstaging the odds on their day.

Downes will meet his doubles partner Jason Andrews in the second round only if Andrews gets past junior player Craig Campbell in the first round. Andrews is known for his powerful serve to compliment his ground strokes.

In the bottom half, second

Gavin Lewis seed Leyland Leacock, who is not known for winning the big tournaments, has a knack of pushing top players to the brink of elimination, but not being able to complete the task at hand.

He too will face tough competition from up and coming players with the likes of eighth seed Bishan Dalip who is seeded for the first time in a tournament.

He is the first player who is more likely to challenge sec-

Khalif Gobin ond seeded Leacock and that would be an intriguing quarter-final match up that could go the full distance, as both players are known for their booming serve and ball retrieval skills.

Also lurking in the bottom half are seeded junior players Khalif Gobin and Gavin Lewis who have transitioned quickly to the open category. One dark horse in this year’s bottom half is Kester Abrams.

Abrams is known for

his creative style of play with a double fisted forehand and backhand. In the Ladies Singles draw, returning player Effani Doobay is the only obstruction in the way of Berbician champion Carol Humphrey to meet the young and talented Nicola Ramdyhan in the final.

Matches will be played weekdays from 17:00 hours to 21:00 hours and on weekends from 08:00 hours to 21:00 hours.

wednesday, july 17, 2013

guyanatimesGY.com

23

Sprint legends clash Prior judgement keeps England lucky over Tyson Gay O and Asafa Powell

Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell failed drugs tests

F

ormer world 200 metre champion Ato Boldon says he has sympathy with athletes who fail drug tests because of supplements.

But former 100 metre Olympic and world champion Donovan Bailey insists there can be no excuses for athletes who take banned substances.

After sprinters Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell tested positive for banned drugs , Boldon said: “An athlete does not have a degree in pharmacology.”

But Bailey said: “Athletes must know what is on the ‘banned’ list.”

The Canadian added it could be time to consider life bans for those caught taking banned substances.

Bailey, who will be a BBC Radio 5 live summariser for the Anniversary Games and World Championships, said: “Ultimately it could be the new false start rule – it doesn’t matter who you are, if you false start out of the blocks, you’re out.”

It is not known which substance Gay, the fastest man in the world this year after running 9.75 seconds, has tested positive for. That information should be made public once the result of the American’s B sample is known.

Powell, who has clocked 9.88 this year, was tested at the Jamaican trials in June and returned an adverse finding for oxilofrine (methylsynephrine), a stimulant that boosts fatburning.

Boldon said it was important to make a distinction between blood-doping and “people trying to push the envelope with their supplements”.

The former Trinidad

Ato Boldon

Donovan Bailey

and Tobago athlete added: “An athlete is trusting of the person he is buying the supplements from, or the coach, or whoever is providing these supplements.

“When you listen to Tyson, he is saying he put his faith in someone and they let him down.”

Bailey, who won Olympic and world 100 metre gold medals and has held the 100 metre world record, has a zero-tolerance policy on drug-taking.

The 45-year-old said: “Every single athlete is given a banned list and they should look carefully down it.

“When money is involved, you are going to have cheats, people who push the envelope. We are in a sport where one thousandth of a second can be the difference between success and failure.

“Athletes who take drugs tend to be insecure.

They don’t believe they have the physical and/ or mental capacity to do great things so they take another route – the pharmaceutical route, if you like.”

On Gay claiming he was let down by someone he trusted, Bailey added: “You don’t go to an athlet-

ics meeting to watch the trainer, coach or masseur run a race. The onus is 100 per cent on the athlete to take responsibility for any substances going into their body.”

Boldon suggested stimulants and supplements are here to stay and said it was naive to think they could be banned.

He added: “I think the problem is in trying to push the envelope and get to the edge, several of the top names in the sport are falling over the edge.”

Lord Sebastian Coe reacted to the positive tests by insisting that athletics will intensify the fight against drug-taking.

Lord Coe, vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and chairman of the British Olympic Association, said: “The most important thing for me is that the testing system is working.

“For the sake of clean athletes, it is very important we do not flinch in our efforts.

“This is not a war we can afford to lose and it is important for any athlete to know that if they want to risk cheating that they are going to get caught.”

(BBC Sport)

n the face of things, it might seem Matt Prior endured a modest first Test of the Investec Ashes series. England's wicketkeeper performed ably with the gloves, but he scored only 32 runs in the match.

But Prior's role extends far beyond batting and keeping.

He is also the key man when England utilise the DRS in the field and as such played a huge role in their victory.

It is no exaggeration to state that use of the DRS split the sides at Trent Bridge.

While Australia squandered their reviews in moments of over-excitement and emotion, England demonstrated a little more calm and utilised the reviews far more effectively.

It was not just luck that resulted in England, having retained both their reviews, using one of them to clinch the final wicket of the match. It was not just luck that resulted in Australia squandering theirs so that Stuart Broad, on 37, survived a thick edge to slip that umpire Aleem Dar failed to spot.

Broad went on to make 65 and, in partnership with Ian Bell, took the game beyond Australia.

The earlier decision to call for a review against Jonny Bairstow when the ball was clearly heading down the leg side suddenly appeared rather reckless. "If I had used my reviews better then I would have had an opportunity to use it when there was a howler like that," Michael Clarke admitted afterwards.

For Prior, the key to making good reviews is to take the emotion out of the moment. While he admits that there were times, when the system was first introduced, England employed it in a speculative fashion, they now have a formula which is proving far more effective. And, so much does England captain, Alastair Cook, trust Prior's judgement on the issue that he has never overruled him.

"The mentality of it is very important," Prior said.

"The biggest thing is keeping the emotion out of it and just trying to make as measured a decision as possible with what you have seen.

"We have a process now where the bowler, myself and Cooky will have a chat about what we have all seen.

Every now and then someone square of the wicket may have an opinion about

how high did the ball hit on the pad when there's an lbw and we go from there basically. Cook hasn't overruled me yet, but never say never. It is a responsibility, yes, but you want to make sure you get them right.

"When it first came in, players thought this was great because they thought they could burgle a wicket here and there. 'Let's just review it because it might be out.' That's not actually the point. DRS is to make sure that if a mistake has been made you have an opportunity to right it. Once you look at it you realise that with a lot of the lbws the right decision has been given. It has to be a blatantly obvious one before you actually review it."

It is interesting to contrast Prior's attitude to that of his Australia counterpart Brad Haddin. While Haddin agreed that it was important to take the emotion out of the decision, he had a less sophisticated attitude to the process as a whole.

"There's no hidden tactic to DRS," Haddin said. "You go on feel. If you think you can use it, use it. If not, don't.

It's not actually a big thing, the DRS." Haddin may need to review that attitude, because it was one of the factors that cost Australia the first Test.

Despite a couple of setbacks, Prior remained adamant about the positive impact of DRS on the game.

While he suggested one potential improvement – sides not losing a review if they had only been denied by an 'umpire's call' verdict on DRS – he also felt the general impact on the game was overwhelmingly positive.

It is worth reflecting for a moment on the possible outcomes had DRS not been in operation in this match.

Would the Broad decision have been different? No. He was given not out by the onfield umpire. Would Brad Haddin have been given out to the last ball of the game?

No. He was given not out by the on-field umpire. The DRS could not be blamed for either error. Even the dismissal of Jonathan Trott, perhaps the most contentious DRS moment of the Test, was more the result of human errors – both the TV umpire Marais Erasmus' error and that of the Hot Spot operator – than a failure in the system.

That Haddin decision

Youngest player in...

Commenting on this remarkable young man, David Williams, assistant coach for the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel team noted, “… he is a tremendous player. He is also a very young man, so I think we would want to watch him closely, and make sure he does the right things. With that talent, (I am sure) he has places to go.”

This Naparima College

student, who plays for Clarke Road United in the domestic Premier League, understands the expectations that he has to live up to and does not plan to disappoint.

“I want to prove to people that the selectors have made a right decision in picking me.”

Pooran’s first opportunity to play will come on July 31 when the Red Steel face the

might be the most pertinent.

Had the DRS not been in operation, the match might have been decided by an error. Hot Spot and audio evidence showed an edge and Haddin later admitted he had hit it.

Still, Prior did concede that the margins between success and failure could be tiny. After suggesting England utilise a review for a leg-before decision against Phil Hughes in Australia's second innings, Prior admitted he had more than a few second thoughts before the TV umpire and Hawk-Eye eventually vindicated his judgement.

"When I first saw the replay without Hawk-Eye I turned to Cooky and said 'sorry mate'," he said. "It just shows how these margins are so small."

Prior also confirmed, despite rumours to the contrary, that he was fully fit.

"I'm absolutely fine," he said.

"My Achilles feels better than it has done for a long time."

He also added that he has faith in Steven Finn despite a disappointing display at Trent Bridge. "Everyone can have a bad day or a bad game," Prior said. "That happens. But we expect Finny to come back stronger than ever and come steaming in bowling with good speed like we see in training. We know how good Steve is and we know he'll be coming back fine."

While Finn was trusted to bowl only 10 of the 110.5 overs in Australia's second innings, his Test record at Lord's - his home ground with Middlesex – where he has taken 29 wickets in five Tests at an average of 20.65, will surely count in his favour when it comes to selection.

The groundsman, Mike Hunt, said he had been given no instructions from the England camp as to what type of wicket to prepare. Certainly the pitch at Lord's does not look as dry as that used at Trent Bridge but it will remain a bat-first wicket for whichever side wins the toss.

In an attempt to retain some moisture, the groundstaff have kept a layer of grass on the pitch, which may help bowlers in the first hour of the game but, with the sun baking the outfield and several used wickets on the square, the ball will run quickly to the boundary and reverse swing is likely to play a part. (Cricinfo) From back page

Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence Stadium.

The inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premiere League begins on July 30 with 24 matches to be played across six Caribbean countries: Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Queen’s Park Oval will host seven matches, including the two semi-final and final matches. (CPL)

T S

“

n m

c h

a t s T m a l t e

a a A t T r f t a

5 i s f u r s d

i e i C t a o e b l m a

f t C v b j L i e s P I P t

W r m h

wednesday, july 17, 2013

TOP SCORES

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

West Indies 232-8 (Darren Bravo 54) beat Pakistan 195 (Jamshed 54, Akmal 50, Narine 4-26) by 37 runs

Back in business!

“Trini posse” joins the party as West Indies draw level with Pakistan See story on page

22

West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine receives his Man-of-the-Match award from Sport Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony

INSIDE TODAY'S SPORTS

Prior P23 judgement keeps England lucky

Darren Bravo guides one past wicketkeeper Umar Akmal during his topscore for the Windies

Youngest player in Limacol CPL out to prove his worth P ort of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – Most 17-year-olds in Trinidad and Tobago are either preparing for, or hoping to soon celebrate the completion of A level exams; others are considering which university to attend, while some youngsters’ concept of forward planning consists of organising whatever fete is scheduled for Friday night.

Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Pooran however, doesn’t have time to think about any of these things as he is too busy working on achieving some major career breakthroughs. One of these is representing his country’s team at the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League alongside cricket talents such as fellow Trinidadian Dwayne Bravo and franchise player Ross Taylor.

“Any 17-year-old who has been given an opportunity such as this would grasp it with both hands and that’s what I plan to do,” says the

Nicholas Pooran

ambitious young wicketkeeper batsman.

Truth be told, Pooran is always ready to make Trinidad and Tobago proud, whether it is playing against other West Indian players like Chris Gayle or his fellow countryman Kieron Pollard. The Limacol CPL is Pooran’s opportunity to make his mark on the cricket arena under the watchful eyes of people around the region and the world.

Although he is the youngest player in the tournament, Pooran is no stranger to regional competition. He has represented his country in the Regional Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 competitions and was also a member of the Trinidad

and Tobago school boys’ Under-18 squad which won the International School Cricket Premier League Twenty20 competition.

He also emerged from the 2012 Under-19 competition in Barbados as the leading glove man, snaring 14 dismissals in five matches during the three-day format.

More importantly, Pooran announced his arrival on the senior stage earlier this year with a handsome unbeaten 33 on Regional Super50 debut for Trinidad and Tobago in a 14-run victory over Windward Islands, and while he had only meagre returns in his remaining three games, his promise remained evident.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, Tel: 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230, 223-7231, Editor - 225-5128 Fax: 227-0685 SALES AND MARKETING: - sales@guyanatimesgy. com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

C ( o ( G C U P p ( W a s S v