Guyana Times Daily

NA Hospital neonatal unit now operational P11

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 2026 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

PRICE

New ranks to bring down crime

$60 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Banks DIH Essequibo branch records increased sales

P7

– Brumell assures Corentyne residents

Another suicide on the Essequibo P7 Coast

See stories on page 16

...Berbicians don’t trust certain police – Seeraj

Canadian support group donates P12 to CIOG

Residents came out in large numbers at a meeting with Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell as he sought to address security concerns following a spate of armed robberies in recent weeks

Govt firm on ganja ban See story on page 3

Women P17 miners want level playing field in industry GECOM still to appoint new CEO P17

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News

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wednesDay, January 29, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Wednesday, January 29 from 14:30h to 16:00h The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Wednesday, January 29 from 15:10h to 16:40h

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Thundery showers are expected during the day with lighter showers in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius.

Wind: North easterly between zero and 3.61 metres per second.

High Tide: 03:14h and 15:33h reaching maximum heights of 2.57 metres and 2.74 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 09:04h and 21:35h reaching minimum heights of 0.63 metre and 0.44 metre respectively.

saturday, january 25, 2014

LOTTERY NUMBERS L 03 07 21 27 13 24 9 FREE TICKET

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Daily Millions

09 14 16 17 24 LUCKY 3

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Draw De Line

01 07 11 12 15 19 21 DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

Govt firm on ganja ban

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mid calls for some limited legalisation of marijuana here, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee on Tuesday reaffirmed the government of Guyana’s zero-tolerance policy on all drugs that are deemed illicit, including marijuana.

There has been a global debate regarding the legalisation of marijuana, with even United States President Barack Obama saying ganja was less dangerous than alcohol.

Rohee made the comment as he launched the National Drug Report for 2012, compiled by the Task Force on Narcotic Drugs and Illicit Weapons, at his Brickdam Office.

The report is produced annually by the Home Affairs Ministry through support from the task force, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU); the Narcotic Branch of the Guyana Police Force; the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA); and the Financial Intelligence Unit.

Multi-sectoral approach

It highlights the actions taken by the government through the various agencies to curb both the demand and supply of drugs. It also reviews policies and results achieved from a balanced, multi-sectoral approach in dealing with challenges of trafficking and substance abuse.

Minister Rohee said that far too often, the constant fight against the drug trade is taken for granted and due recognition is not given to the relevant agencies in the security sector who continue to wage war against drug cartels, and battle with this scourge on behalf of the government and people of Guyana.

He lauded all the operatives from the various agencies and the task force for coordinating and combining those efforts. “This document shows the extent to which national efforts are being made in this direction,” the minister said.

Recognising that this is a global fight, Guyana has been partnering with various countries and organisations.

The country has, over the years, developed close cooperative relations with neighbouring Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname (formal agreements have been entered into with all three countries).

At the multilateral level, the country is cooperating with the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) which has resulted in the establishment of the container control programme at the ports of entry.

There is also ongoing cooperation with the InterAmerican Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) at the level of the Organisation of American States (OAS).

Additionally, there is also regional cooperation at the level of Caricom and at the continental level through the Union of South American States (UNASUR).

“Our global, continental, and regional reach is quite satisfactory, but like everything else, there will always be room for improvement and the government is committed to carry to the international level, Guyana’s support and solidarity with the international community in their contribution to deal with this issue,” the minister stated.

Peculiarities

He added that as a country, Guyana continues to be challenged by its own peculiarities, such as its extensive borders and limited resources (both human and otherwise) to effectively prevent the penetration of illegal drugs and firearms into the national territory.

Meanwhile, coordinator of the task force, Major General (retired) Michael Atherly said drug abuse and illicit trafficking are global occurrences which indiscriminately affect individuals, families, and all segments of society.

Apart from being a major public health concern, illicit narcotics are key generators of crime, including domestic abuse, theft, driving under the influence, other violent crimes, and money laundering.

He noted that unfortu-

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee

nately, Guyana is located within the hub of the transshipment routes from the cocaine-producing countries in South America to the North American and European markets.

“Drug cartels operating there seem to feel that profits gained from the North American and European demand far outweigh the risks associated the illegal production and trafficking. Guyana is not spared the devastating consequences of this threat,

in response to this threat and in keeping with the overarching development plans, the government has initiated a series of measures to combat the twin problem of demand and supply,” Atherly stated.

According to the report, based on the seizures, cannabis and cocaine continue to be the two main types of illicit drugs trafficked and consumed locally. However, the confiscation of small quantities of ecstasy, heroin, and hashish over the past two years has been a new development.

During 2012, CANU made seizures amounting to 103.66 kilograms (kg) of cocaine (with a value of $93,600,000) and 111.564kg of cannabis (with a value of $20,160,000).

During this period, 33 cases were made out and 36 persons were charged.

Meanwhile, the GRA’s enforcement unit seized 561.78kg of cocaine (valued $504,900,000) for which two cases were made out and two persons were charged. In total, 151 people were charged for cocaine trafficking and/or consumption, in a total of 139 cases.

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Views Editor: Nigel Williams Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134 Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

The police and Berbice I

n the beginning of last December, this paper launched the first edition of the “Berbice Times” as a weekly Monday supplement in the newspaper. Reacting to the dominant and gravest concern that faced Berbicians, the first editorial was about “Crime in Berbice”. In light of the mass outrage by Berbicians on the same subject, we reprint the editorial in its entirety. The police cannot say they were not forewarned.

“Crime has perennially been a major concern of the residents of Berbice and during the previous three months, with four murder/robberies committed, nothing has been done to lessen that concern. During the middle of November, the police commander of B Division, which covers the entire Region Six geographical span, announced figures that purported to show serious crime in the region had actually decreased in absolute numbers. He also outlined the strategy the police would execute to deal with the expected upsurge of crimes in the Christmas season. ''The quoted statistics might very well be correct but they have done very little to allay the fears of Berbicians who are still on edge. In addition to the acknowledgement that crimes will increase in the near term, it has been said, with a great deal of truth, that “there are lies, dammed lies and statistics”. In the case of the Berbice, the statistics on crime hide a crucial element in the citizens’ evaluation of the effectiveness of the police in fighting crime: the number of serious crimes that are solved versus the ones that become ‘cold cases’. ''The people of Berbice are in the main convinced that the police are not vigilant or aggressive enough in pursuing the perpetrators of serious crimes – even when they are given ample warning during the commission of the said crimes.

The responses are invariably late and lax and result in the just as invariable criminal escape. But what compounds the problem of police slackness in the minds of the populace is the subsequent dealings of police with the victims of crimes or their relatives. ''As if in a defensive manoeuvre to cover up their slow or tardy or nonexistent response, when the police eventually arrive at the crime scene, they adopt a hostile and aggressive attitude to the people there. Very short shrift, if any, is given to the grief and fears of the victims or their survivors. They are harassed and bullied to provide information to buttress preconceived theories the police might have conjured up. ''In two recent instances, the son of one of the murder victims was made to appear as a suspect and humiliated, without a shred of evidence. In another, a prominent businessman had his gun seized by the police, after he was shot in his right hand and right leg. In the meantime, the perpetrators of both crimes walk free – and in a position to repeat their depredations on a hapless populace. ''The Berbice police commander has also asserted, in the police’s defence, that his division is seriously undermanned.

This is an indictment of the police force in general and the Berbice division in particular. Why was this shortage of manpower not highlighted and made a central feature of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) budgetary requisition? It confirms the perception of the populace that to the Berbice police hierarchy, they are simpletons who are taken for granted by that institution. The government of Guyana has over the years increased the funding for the GPF by a factor that has to have reached double digits. How much was allocated to Berbice and where has all this money gone? ''We believe that the police administration must do some serious introspection on their approach to policing in Berbice, both substantively and procedurally. More locals ought to be recruited so that there will be less temptation to see Berbicians as victims to be fleeced and harassed and for those who are brought in from outside the region, they ought to be better trained in community relations.”

Members of the Tunisian parliament celebrate after approving the country’s new constitution in the assembly building in Tunis, January 26. Tunisia’s national assembly approved the country’s new constitution in one of the final steps to full democracy three years after protests erupted into an uprising that toppled autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali (Reuters/Zoubeir Souissi)

The murder of a security guard Dear Editor, The management and staff of RK’s Guyana Security Services whose security guard Chandrabhan Persaud of Whim Village, Corentyne was murdered, express deepest sympathies and love and support to the widow and relatives of the Persaud.

This is a most heinous, dastardly and cowardly act, typical of the criminals who have lost their souls, and who prefer not the work and/or smell their sweat.

As a result of his murder by these social misfits and rejects, obvious drug addicts, a family has lost a husband and father, who has chosen to work to benefit himself and his family.

We know the police are conducting serious investigations in the matter and have already effected arrests. We know they will be successful not only in apprehension, but also in prosecuting and having the killers sentenced to death.

We believe they do deserve the death penalty.

The management and staff of RK’s Guyana Security Services are calling on the government of Guyana to reactivate the death penalty.

Particularly for those involved in conspiracy to steal, leading to death, or conspiracy to kill, armed robberies leading to death,

etc, or at least attempted murder to be linked to all armed robberies, once it is possible with the slightest violence, the aim must be to put them away for life or at least until they are too old to be a menace to society. I even believe they can be fixed never to commit crimes again.

For too long the current government of Guyana has been recalcitrant in instituting the death penalty, and hence, can be accused of aiding or fostering the committal of murder against innocent people.

While this is definitely not this government’s intention, they can be accused of it.

As a citizen of this country, and as the employer of Persaud, I am annoyed and disappointed, and therefore utilise my right to speech. The people of this country need to rise and order the government to take the lives of those who take innocent lives by conspiracy or robbery.

Those caught in a frenzy as a ‘crime of passion’, the system can show some leniency, but for them to live most of their lives in confinement, working to benefit of the state, and even to compensate the survivors of those whom they killed The people hire the government by voting for them, and paying them as

contracted employees, and hence, they have the right to order the government to do what is right for their protection, or the citizens of Guyana have the right to fire their government, according to the dictates of democracy, a system to which we subscribe here in Guyana.

As for the wife and relatives of Persaud, while he has no children, we have already contributed to assist them, and will ensure they get all monies to which he is entitled.

As per our system and discipline, we ensure all employees are fully covered under the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). If he has parents or any other dependents besides his wife, they are all entitled to dependents’ benefits, and we will work tediously to ensure they get their due quickly and fully.

But we also have a special $1 million dollars insurance with a popular insurance company, which after police investigations and their reports, they usually pay quickly so that dependents may survive in decency.

This insurance policy for each employee in RK’s system is paid entirely as a gift to each employee in our service. This insurance covers them for death or disability on the job or off the

job.

The security industry like any another also has it risks. We have seen the kidnapping and murder of taxi-drivers, gold miners, their employees, and transporters of gold and valuables from the interior, minibus operators and conductors in accidents, fishermen and trawler operators in drowning and pirate incidents, drivers of hire and personal motor cars or motorcycles in accidents on the road, even pedestrians and bicycle riders, pilots and passengers of large and small planes, local and international.

There truly is no industry in which human activity can be guaranteed riskfree. But here we have seen, a man prepare for his work, going to work, working for a living having his life snuffed out by the lazy, the evil, the wicked, the damned.

This death is by conspiracy. The killers need death, we join the Guyanese people in calling for reactivation of the death penalty, now!! Once again we assure the family and friends of the deceased, our sympathies, and support forever.

Roshan Khan, Chief Executive Officer/Founder RK’s Guyana Security Services

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wednesday, January 29, 2014

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

A tribute to Karl Hudson Phillips Dear Editor, Well known attorney Karl Hudson Phillips, a Queen’s Counsel, passed away a week ago in London and will be interred this weekend in Trinidad and Tobago.

I met the eminent lawyer several times in Trinidad and Grenada and had some memorable exchanges on legal issues and politics in the region. He was opposed to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), saying he did not feel Caribbean judges would be free of political interference.

Phillips was a legal luminary, unique in his knowledge of law. He knew Guyanese politics and prominent political figures quite well and was a colleague of the late Doodnauth Singh in prosecuting in Grenada, after the 1983 bloody coup. He was even considered, at one time, to prosecute criminals in Guyana that fraternised with the opposition.

Phillips served as president of the Trinidad Law Association, maintaining extremely high standards and would not hesitate to speak out when things were not going right when he was not president.

He chastised our own Guyana-born brilliant Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam when he held the position for taking a government brief.

You bet he would have criticised some controversial Guyanese lawyers for forming conclusions without evidence.

Karl, as he was called in Trinidad, courted controversy during his stint as attorney general for Eric Williams and his association with the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) – he left around 1978 to form his own party, the Organisation for National Reconstruction (ONR), which contested elections in 1981.

As a lawyer, he represented his clients with integrity, not like some of our

lawyers in Guyana. Karl was among the best in the courtroom and his fee was not cheap. But clients were glad to have him. People felt if he did not have a good case, he won’t take it and in fact, he lost few cases.

He had an engaging presence in the courtroom and judges and opposing lawyers appeared intimidated by his brilliance. His argument or position in the courtroom was well thought out and intellectually argued and he had a reputation for tying up witnesses to poke holes in their testimony in order to discredit them.

It was most difficult for people (even clients) to get an appointment with Karl, but he never turned me away whenever I showed up at his office in Trinidad for a political exchange. He would say: “You know I am busy”, and I would say, “Ok, some other time”, and he would respond “No, don’t go”.

He always entertained me with tea while putting off clients wanting to know my views on political issues and the latest findings of opinion polls on Trinidadian politics.

When I said I had taken up enough of his time, he would respond, “Don’t go”.

I learnt so much from him about legal issues and the politics of Trinidad going back to Williams’ days. He also talked a lot on the state of jurisprudence in Trinidad and the Caribbean.

He always told me: “Young man, your brain is more fertile than mine at this age. Keep learning!” His insightful ripostes to arguments would open up my brain.

He understood Guyanese politics quite well and had much dealing with legal minds in Guyana, but lacked respect for those who served Forbes Burnham’s authoritarian state, describing them (some prominent names in the legal establishment who

went on to hold international positions) as “crooks”.

But Karl was not without controversy over racial and legal issues in Trinidad.

He supervised the state of emergency during the black power struggle, locking up many people over simple violations. Critics accused him of being against too many Indians in the PNM when he was still a member.

Karl resigned as attorney general and withdrew from politics. But when Williams announced that he would step down as leader of the PNM, paving the way for Kamal Mohammed as successor, Karl returned and made a play for leadership.

Williams was distrustful of Karl and rescinded his resignation as leader. Karl’s political career in the PNM was over. He formed the ONR with some prominent Indian intellectuals and contested elections in 1981, receiving a lot of votes (from Indian middle class) but got no seats.

He entered into an alliance with Basdeo Panday, defeating the PNM in the 1983 local elections. In 1986, the alliance became the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), decimating the PNM 33-3. But Karl was not trusted with leadership and so was deprived of the prized prime minister’ position.

He also talked a lot about Panday and the collapse of the NAR government, saying he knew once Panday left the NAR, the party was finished (indeed it was wiped out in Trinidad, never to recover).

Karl gave up politics saying it cost him a lot of money and time. When I asked to become involved to rescue the country, as others were calling on him to rescue the country from failed politicians, he responded, “I gave up too much of my life in politics without people’s appreciation. I am done with that.

I am now concerned with my family.”

He maintained a huge estate in Carriacou and I met him a couple of times at the airport in Grenada. Karl’s parents are Grenadians and one of his grandmothers is Indian, about whom Karl spoke fondly.

Karl learnt a lot of Hindi words from her and he surprised me by using them in our conversations, chuckling with delight that I was amazed at his usage of Hindi.

Karl believed in law and order and strong family and education values. He told me that “families should make sure their children are brought up right and disciplined – brush their teeth, hair short and combed and that their nails were groomed and that they shower daily”.

He lamented the weakening of the African family in Guyana, Trinidad and elsewhere in the region. Critics described him as arrogant and egoistic, even bombastic, but I found no evidence in our interactions. He was a charmer and was a delight to have a conversation with.

I remember his trademark chuckle whenever I flattered him.

I will miss those conversations, the friendly banter and his unique smile.

Current Attorney General Anand Ramlogan aptly described Karl as the “legal grandmaster”, noting that “Karl is to law what Lord Kitchener is to calypso”.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Guyana has been denied a world-class sports complex Dear Editor, The political opposition through it main mouthpiece, a local newspaper, have succeeded in denying Guyana’s aspiring sportsmen, women and all Guyanese a worldclass sports complex in the heart of Georgetown. This leaves me to wonder, with what face they are now going to talk about youths and sport, youth empowerment, youth violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and other issues affecting youths.

I guess it is with their usual straight and expressionless faces! This latest action by the opposition through that newspaper also means that the opposition now have no moral authority whatsoever to make any statement on behalf of Guyana’s youths.

Any further attempt by the opposition as of now, to speak on behalf of Guyana’s youths would simply be a clear case of pure hypocrisy, speaking from both sides of their mouths. To the best of my knowledge, neither Khemraj Ramjattan, David Granger nor any other opposition leader, who ever so often loves to play the ‘youth neglect’ card against the government, had any comment on the newspaper’s nasty and successful campaign against the project’s investor and his eventual withdrawal.

This is a clear indication as to the opposition’s priority – grab power at any cost.

Never mind the fact that the future of Guyana, the youths are being made to pay the

price. Their narrow political objectives are far more important than the dreams and aspirations of Guyana’s youths, especially our young and aspir ing sportsmen and women.

This is how they intend to ensure that young Guyanese, especially young aspiring sportsmen and sportswomen realise their dreams and aspirations. This is how they expect Guyana to one day have its own Usain Bolt.

It is my hope that every Guyanese, especially the younger generation would finally see that the opposition’s words and actions are always in the opposite. The name of the game they are playing with the future of Guyana and its youths is called ‘power at any cost’.

It is therefore, only logical that the opposition will now stop being hypocritical and permanently abstain from speaking on behalf of Guyanese youths, stop deceiving them and insulting their intelligence with rhetoric and lies about having their welfare at heart. Their actions have so far proved otherwise. After all, we all know that actions speak louder than words.

Does the owner of that newspaper and the opposition have something better to offer our youths, now that they have succeeded in killing yet another multimillion dollar development project?

Yours sincerely, Faruk Mohamed

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Foundation

How to write a research paper:

Eight tips that’ll help you write the perfect paper

BY HOLLY ASHWORTH

N

eed help writing a research paper that’s just been assigned to you? (Or maybe it was assigned to you weeks ago, and you’re staring the deadline in the face?

Whoops.) Never fear, research papers aren’t as scary as they sound. Follow these tips on how to write a research paper and you’ll be well on your way before you can even say “thesis statement.”

Your paper shouldn’t just be a string of facts – it should end up proving something. Pick a statement that you actually believe, and one that you personally find interesting.

Step three: Find the facts that prove your thesis Find some (reliable) sources on your topic and dig in. To organise your notes, buy a stack

Step one: Learn a little about your topic The most important step to writing your research paper is creating a good thesis statement, and that can’t be done until you know a little about your topic. Once you’ve decided on your topic (if your teacher hasn’t assigned one to you), do some light research to figure out what makes it unique and interesting. A good place to start is the related Wikipedia page.

Step two: Find your thesis statement As mentioned in step one, finding your thesis statement is the most important step, because what you pick can make or break your research paper.

of index cards and write down one interesting fact or quote, along with its source and page number, on each card. If you find something that you’re not sure is important, make a card for it anyway –

you can always trash it during step four.

Step four: Make an outline Now that you’ve got your index cards, lay them all out and figure out the best order to insert them into your research paper. Then use that basic order to create your outline. Don’t forget to start your outline with an “introduction” section and end it with a “conclusion” section. If you’re a visual person, it might help to build your outline with text boxes. Text boxes let you jot down the most important sections of your paper, then click and drag them to find the best order.

Step five: Add meat to your outline Think of your outline as a skeleton: it’s just the bare bones of your research paper. Now it’s time to add some meat to those bones. Next to each bullet point on your outline, add a couple of facts and sentences (being careful to include your sources) until it looks something like this.

Step six: Write your first draft Now that you’ve got your outline, it’s time to flesh out each of those bullet points into actual sentences and paragraphs. Writer’s block is pretty common during this step, but don’t let it stop you in your tracks. If you’re having trouble with a paragraph, skip it (or throw in some notes) and move onto the next one. You’ll probably find that coming back to it later will help you shape your thoughts into sentences.

Step seven: Get some feedback Your first draft won’t be perfect, and it shouldn’t be! After all, it’s only a draft.

Sometimes teachers provide feedback on first drafts, so students will know exactly what stands between them and a finished product. If your teacher isn’t one of those, have a parent or older sibling read your research paper and give you some feedback. Listen to their advice! A second set of eyes is important for finding holes in your paper’s argument.

Step eight: Lather, rinse, repeat Take the feedback you’ve gotten from step seven, along with your index cards (to look for new facts and quotes you can add), and polish up your research paper. And then work on it some more. Every draft you write will be a little bit better than the last one, so the more times you get through it, the greater your chances will be of scoring an A. (About.com)

Student tips: How to prepare a questionnaire on any topic

BY JENNIFER VANBAREN

Q

uestionnaires are common tools used for many different topics to obtain feedback. Questionnaires are used by businesses, organisations and students to collect information which is used to make improvements in the organisation or to assist in the findings of a research paper.

When preparing a questionnaire for any topic, it is vital to understand what information you really want.

Purpose The purpose of a questionnaire is to gather useful information. This information is analysed and studied and then used to make important decisions. Questionnaires help you understand areas that are working well and areas that need improvement.

Preliminary Prior to preparing a questionnaire, the student or group creating it must narrow down what information they really are hoping to obtain through the questionnaire; this should become the focus of the questionnaire. Once the focus is established, start developing pertinent questions.

Each question should offer useful feedback to the student or group. Prior to preparing the survey, the team must also decide how many people this questionnaire will be distributed to and how the questionnaires will be distributed, as well as encouraging people to participate in it.

Details A questionnaire should begin with demographics information.

Almost every questionnaire for any topic asks particular demographic related questions.

This includes asking what age group the person is in, gender, income category and ethnicity.

When the questions begin, use multiple-choice questions. This helps narrow down the results by placing them in easy-to-read terms. If using a rating scale on the questionnaire, keep it consistent throughout the entire survey. For example, if there are three sections in the survey, and the first section asks the person to answer the questions by rating them one through five, keep the rating scale identical for the other two sections of the questionnaire.

Considerations When preparing a questionnaire, keep it as short as possible. Narrow down the questions to provide only the information you need. Some other aspects to remember are to keep the questions easy to understand and keep the questions in a systematic, logical order. When using multiplechoice questions, avoid offering an answer of 'other'. Many test takers will avoid trying to find the closest answer and will simply mark this option. (eHow)

News

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wednesDay, January 29, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

Banks DIH Essequibo branch records increased sales B anks DIH Limited’s Essequibo branch recorded a $65 million increase in product sales last year, the company’s chairman, Clifford Reis told shareholders in the area on Tuesday.

Giving a detailed report on the company’s progress and future plans, Reis said he was proud to say that the Essequibo branch was able to sell 853,292 cases/units of products as compared to 830,387 cases in 2012.

This, he said, represents an increase of 23,000 cases or three per cent. The chairman, speaking to directors, executives, shareholders, dealers, special invitees, and employees, at the Essequibo branch, congratulated branch manager Munniram Singh and staff for their sterling contributions towards the success of the branch.

Efficiency

Reis said in the financial year 2014, emphasis will be placed on making stocks available to the Essequibo branch in an effort to obtain more efficiency from the distribution fleet, hence controlling operational expenses.

Singh, in his presentation, said the performance in Essequibo for the financial year ending September 2013 reflects an increase of 5.6 per

audience that the success of the company was a result of comprehensive planning and prudent management of resources.

He noted that the overall performance of the group improved, with an operational profit before taxes of $5.340 billion compared to $4.966 billion in 2012, a seven per cent increase of $374 million.

Profits

Banks DIH Chairman Clifford Reis presenting a cheque to a pupil of Martindale Nursery in the Pomeroon. Also are picture is Banks DIH Essequibo Branch Manager Munniram Singh and other officals

cent or ($65 million) over the previous year. Singh complimented his 30 “hard-working staff”, and thanked shareholders, dealers and customers for their support. He said he is looking forward to similar dedication this year.

At the event, two schools, Martindale Nursery from the Pomeroon River and Taymonth Manor Primary were also presented with cheques. The cheques were presented to the children

Another suicide on the Essequibo Coast

Dead: Sukhdeo Persaud

S

ukhdeo Persaud, 76, of Cotton Field Village on the Essequibo Coast ended his life tragically on Monday evening.

Persaud’s body was discovered by his son Kneelkhan Persaud around 05:30h Tuesday morning hanging from the roof at a shed in his yard. The pensioner was last seen by relatives around 22:30h on Monday night.

According to a daughter of the deceased, Devika Persaud, her father always used to talk about suicide.

She said she thinks her father premeditated to end his life, noting that in the past, she was forced to hide poisonous substances from him.

When asked why her fa-

ther would want to end his life, the daughter said he would often say he was fed up living. Sukhdeo recently underwent minor surgery and was recovering.

After the discovery of the pensioner’s body, an alarm was raised and police were subsequently summoned to the scene.

They took photographs of the man and the scene.

An autopsy is expected to be performed shortly. There was no mark of violence on the pensioner’s body. He leaves to mourn his reputed wife and two children.

Sukhdeo is the third suicide victim for the year in Region Two. The first suicide case for 2014 was Leo Rodriquez, 28, who was discovered dead on January 14 by relatives at his mother’s residence at Suddie, Essequibo Coast.

The man was found hanging at his mother’s house in the backyard, mere hours after he allegedly killed his 16-year-old lover and dumped her body in a trench at Kuru Kururu, along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway, not far from her home.

The other victim, Edward Bradford, 77, of Bounty Hall, also ended his life by hanging.

and teachers of the respective schools by Reis and Singh. Each year, the com-

pany contributes to the improvement of two schools.

Reis had earlier told his

Profits after taxes for the group attributable to shareholders grew from $2.812 billion to $2.930 billion, an increase of $118 million or four per cent.

Reis said it was the company’s desire to provide quality products to its customers. The chairman said Bank DIH is committed to manufacturing “fresh Banks beer”.

He noted in the continued battle to maintain market share and brand visibility, there must be an ideal strategic model to make Banks beer visible. “Every Banks

beer leaving the company must be fresh and of quality, there must be attractiveness,” Reis said.

Shareholders

He said the impression that one is entering a Banks' Country must, at all times, be maintained. Reis told the audience that over the 58 years of its existence, Banks’ focus has always been to create value for shareholders.

In updating shareholders on the operations of another member of the Banks DIH Group, the chairman revealed that business at the Charity branch of Citizens Bank has been quite favourable since its establishment.

He said the bank operating out of the complex of Alfro Alphonso Supermarket in Charity has earned success as well.

For the financial year thus far, the bank earned revenue of $25 million, with $170 million disbursed in loans and advances.

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wednesday, January 29, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

ECLAC unveils economic report at Cuba heads meeting

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conomic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena presented on Monday a report entitled “Economic and Social Panorama of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States 2013” during a meeting of foreign affairs ministers from the member states of that community, known by the acronym CELAC, which was held in Havana, Cuba.

The document is based on extracts from some of the main annual reports published by ECLAC during 2013 and includes five chapters dedicated to the economic outlook, foreign direct investment, the social panorama, the population and gender equality.

With this study, ECLAC aims to contribute to the debates taking place within CELAC, and it hopes to turn this into an annual and permanent publication released at all of the organisation’s summits.

ECLAC’s top official is accompanying the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who is on an official mission to attend the II Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC. “CELAC is the most im-

portant political achievement in recent times in the region and ECLAC, through these contributions, reiterates its commitment to the consolidation and success of this community,” Bárcena, said while presenting the document.

During the meeting, the United Nations (UN) official expressed ECLAC’s commitment to giving technical support to CELAC to define the agenda post2015 – in reference to the objectives that will be set next year when the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) passes – “to strengthen the region’s influence in the process of its formulation and global implementation”.

Bárcena also presented the foreign affairs ministers with another ECLAC report called “Natural resources: status and trends towards a regional development agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

In this publication, the UN organisation poses the need to promote the governance of natural resources to maximise their contribution to development with sustainability, as well as to encourage long-term structural change associated with innovation and technological advances.

Eyew tness Fiddling... ...while country crashes and burns here’s the old story of Emperor Nero fiddling while his capital Rome was burnt to the ground.

It’s become THE object lesson for talking about misplaced priorities. If the opposition keep up with the nonsense they’re going on with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) Bill, it’s highly likely they’re going to bump Nero off the list of champion thumbtwiddlers.

With every business group in sight explaining how the sanctions have already begun to bite on financial transactions, you’d think the opposition might get the hint that they can’t be playing Russian Roulette with the nation’s economic health, wouldn’t you? But not with this opposition, which have delayed the bill that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – a world body sponsored by G-20 – requires. Let us count the ways.

First, they said they hadn’t been informed about the request for tightening up our legislation by the Caribbean reps of FATF. So, they were informed. Then they said they had to study the legislation. Then they said it had to go to a select committee. Then they said they had to consult their “stakeholders”. And by the time, the matter came back to the floor before the deadline, they said they needed more time.

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So the sanctions kicked in. Then we were given some more time to get our house in order before the real big-time sanctions were unleashed. “Back to the select committee!!” the opposition thundered! But then came the holidays (got to have that specially “spiced” black cake, don’t we?) and that was that for a long while. But the deadline loomed closer.

Now that we’re back with parliamentary business (apart from the dinners that set us back $1.7 million every sitting – these fellas can put it away!) but the opposition’re still “consulting”. And we have no meetings and no proposals from the opposition as to what they find objectionable with any part of the legislation. But the leader of the opposition still says the February deadline, before the guillotine drops on our collective necks, can still be made.

Guyanese, in general, and the business community, in particular, have to stop treating these guys with kid’s gloves. If the opposition can’t appreciate how important the speed of completing financial transactions is important in today’s globalised world, then they’ve got to be told in no uncertain terms. We suggest giving them a dose of their own medicine: protests!!

Your Eyewitness respectfully submits that the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, all the various other chambers of commerce and any citizen whose

remittance has been delayed, sashay down with their pickets in front of the Office of the Opposition. ...while cricket is strangled When you talk about fiddling, the people who’ve insisted that they represent the interests of West Indian cricket can give the Guyanese opposition a run for their money in challenging old Nero. Here it is, the ICC, which controls world cricket is about to be hijacked by the three Witches in it, who’ve concocted quite a foul-smelling brew in their cauldron. Nothing wrong about this ...it’s standard operating practice for witches.

What’s most troubling, however (not disappointing...we never expected anything better) is the supine position of the WICB – our representative on the ICC. “Supine”, in case you’re wondering, means the WICB’s lying flat on its back... waiting for the ICC big wigs to “do wha yuh want wid me”. The ICC big wigs are India, England, and Australia.

India, which pulls in the big bucks nowadays, wants to flex its muscle. It conveniently forgets when it had to lie supine for England. ...a different tune We must say that Cricket South Africa has been the only board to show some spunk or cojones when it came to the big-wig pipers trying to call the tune.

Bravo!!

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EU continues to help region Bring out the soldiers to solve crime – Corentyne chambers urges combat natural disasters

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entral Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC) President Lakha Rambrich said the upsurge of crime in Berbice, particularly Rose Hall Town, is cause for serious concern, and is calling on Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee to bring out soldiers to help solve the problem.

Rambrich told Guyana Times in a recent interview that despite the lack of manpower in the police force, the authorities have no plausible excuse for the current situation.

“Send some of those soldiers that we are paying and are sitting down as reserve,” he said, as he called for peace to return to the Corentyne.

He also related that the recent spate of events is a major deterrent for current and prospective investors in the region.

The CCCC president fur-

ther called on business owners to take additional security measures to protect their investments.

On Saturday, a security guard at the Lucky Dollar store on the Corentyne was killed during a robbery.

Rambrich’s call comes on the heels of Corentyne residents expressing a loss of confidence in law enforcement officials to carry out their duties.

Loss of life

In a release, the chambers lamented the grave loss of life as a result of the upsurge in violent criminal activities in the region.

On Sunday, Corentyne residents took to the streets in protest after some policemen were accused of robbing a grocery shop.

Scores of residents blocked the public road to register their disgust with law en-

forcement officials.

The residents had claimed that some of the lawmen are responsible for some of the crimes being perpetrated.

One resident had alleged that a police vehicle was used in one incident.

The protest on Sunday almost escalated into a riot after an explosive was thrown at a police car even as they try to maintain some form of crowd control.

Rohee had told journalists at a recent press conference that he had instructed Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell to transfer all the ranks stationed at the 51 Village Police Station.

Minister Rohee also appealed to the force to change the perception the public have of them and work with communities to solve crimes.

The police, he said do not know it all, and need the assistance of the public.

No date set for talks on LEAD project

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon

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o date has been set for the United States/ Guyana talks on the stalled Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project, which has been mired in controversy, U.S. Ambassador D Brent Hardt has revealed.

In an interview with Guyana Times on Sunday, the U.S. ambassador said he was waiting on the Donald Ramotar administration to set a date for the meeting to discuss the way forward on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project, making it clear that he was ready for talks.

In 2013, Guyana rejected the $300 million USAIDfunded project, contending that the project did not reflect the input of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration.

The local U.S. embassy had signalled its intention to go ahead with the project despite the rejection, setting off a firestorm of controversy.

In recent days, Guyana and the U.S. agreed to meet about the controversial project, but when Presidential

Adviser on Governance, Gail Teixeira was contacted on Tuesday for an update on the status of talks, she said: “I have nothing to report.”

According to Teixeira, President Donald Ramotar is not in Guyana and as such, she is unable to give further details. The president is currently attending the second summit of leaders of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Havana, Cuba.

No change

However, on Friday, the president told reporters, “Things are more or less the same; we have not agreed with the project and we are saying that the project should be halted.”

In a previous interview, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon had said that if discussions were held in a mature bilateral spirit, there was no reason the negotiations could not end in a bilateral agreement.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC); the Georgetown Chamber of

Commerce and Industry (GCCI); and the opposition have been calling for the talks to begin.

The private sector bodies had indicated their support for the objectives of the LEAD project, but emphasised that the government’s concerns should be addressed.

The GCCI had said it “believes that its implementation will strengthen political institutions and enhance citizen understanding of how individuals can engage in the larger civic and political discourse in their communities and throughout the country.”

At the time, government said it will not move to the negotiating table under duress.

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) had criticised the government for rejecting the project, contending that the PPP/C administration has allowed several international programmes to go downhill.

APNU alluded to the Security Sector Reform Project with the United Kingdom, which collapsed in October 2009, following differences between the two countries.

At the time, the then administration contended that the project came to an abrupt end after the UK was not given permission to execute a live firing exercise in the west of Guyana.

But reports indicated that the project landed in hot water after the Guyana government objected to certain preconditions which were thought to include the stationing of foreign law enforcement professionals within the police force.

EU Ambassador Robert Kopecký

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he European Union (EU) has reaffirmed its commitment towards disaster risk reduction in the Caribbean, allocating 8.5 million euros to its Disaster Preparedness (DIPECHO) Action Plan.

Up to the end of 2014, a total of 14 projects in 11 countries will work to reduce the region’s vulnerabilities in the face of natural hazards such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis, and to improve communities and authorities’ preparedness to respond to emergencies.

Recent events like the low level trough system which left serious damage in the Eastern Caribbean, especially in Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, are a reminder of the need to invest in interventions that can make a difference in determining whether or not a natural hazard becomes a disaster.

The EU has also supported the emergency response in those countries with 300,000 euros.

“Preparedness measures can be taken to reduce the impact of natural hazards.

A community’s response to disasters depends on their preparation,” European Commission’s Department of Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), Caribbean head of office Jocelyn Lance said.

“DIPECHO projects help communities at risk to anticipate, face, adapt and to recover quickly from disasters.

The fact that communities strengthen their capacities and modify their attitudes towards disasters can save

lives,” Lance noted.

An estimated 654,000 people will benefit from ongoing projects in Haiti, The Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

Relevance

Disaster preparedness projects funded by ECHO have demonstrated their relevance and success to improve the response capacity of communities in the Caribbean.

Testimonies from countries where these projects are carried out indicate so, after their improved response was tested in the last years by extreme phenomena such as tropical storm “Chantal” or “Hurricane Sandy”.

In 2013, heavy rains and landslides caused by tropical storm “Chantal” in several Caribbean islands resulted in the activation of early warning systems installed in previous DIPECHO projects in The Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica.

The preparedness, the level of organisation and the necessary equipment (radios, shovels, loudspeakers, raincoats, etcetera) allowed the population to be alert and to evacuate on time towards shelters rehabilitated in the framework of these projects.

More positive experiences come from previous years. During the emergency caused by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, the communities which had been part of DIPECHO projects responded quickly and effectively.

In Jamaica and Cuba, having prepositioned stocks such as cooking, household and hygiene items enabled relief to address from the onset of the emergency the most pressing needs.

In addition, local authorities responsible for disaster management in Jamaica and The Dominican Republic put in practice the data collection training sessions received in the framework of DIPECHO projects.

According to their testimonies, these trainings were of great help to determine the extent of the damages caused by Sandy and to respond more adequately to the needs of the affected population.

“Humanitarian aid does not start after the disaster, but before it happens, so that its possible effects can be mitigated. That is why DIPECHO interventions are important.

"They promote measures such as the structural evaluation of health facilities to verify if these can withstand a disaster, emergency plans and seismic vulnerability and flooding studies,” explained the head of ECHO Caribbean Office.

Mitigation

“Small mitigation works, such as bridges or retaining walls to avoid communities from being isolated or flooded and the rehabilitation of shelters to protect people displaced during a crisis are all examples of DIPECHO contributions to disaster risk reduction,” concluded Lance.

All actions are conducted in close collaboration with the national disaster management systems and with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDEMA).

The current programme incorporates innovations such as working on volcanic risk and integrating people with disabilities in disaster risk reduction.

Since 1994, ECHO has allocated over 290 million euros in humanitarian assistance in Haiti and 147 million euros to the rest of the Caribbean region.

Of those sums, 25.9 million euros went to disaster risk reduction and preparedness in Haiti and 29 million euros to the rest of the Caribbean.

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24 soldiers benefited from overseas training in 2013

– 10 completed local programmes

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he knowledge-base and professional capabilities of 34 Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officers and other ranks were enhanced, as a result of professional training they gained at external institutions during 2013.

Twenty-four officers and ranks benefited from training overseas, while the remainder took advantage of education offered at local post-secondary institutions.

The officers and ranks who received enhanced training overseas, attended military institutions, including the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and completed studies on courses embracing, but not limited to, hydraulic systems and equipment, patrol craft hull maintenance, comprehensive security responses to terrorism, CID special agent, physical training and education for instructors and inspection of ammunition.

Locally, officers and ranks completed professional studies in areas including mechanical engineering, public management, carpentry and joinery, auto mechanics, catering and hospitality

Cricket apartheid S

Acting Sergeant Monique Skeete completed the diploma in catering and hospitality management at the Carnegie School of Home Economics

Sergeant Royston Liverpool completed the CID special agent course at the Military Police School at Fort Wood, U.S.A

management, accounting, agriculture, nursing, industrial relations and social studies.

A GDF officer has served as an instructor on the Caribbean Junior Command and Staff Course in Jamaica while three other ranks served as support staff.

maintenance of law and order within the nation’s borders,” Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips said.

He added: “Our remit is unique among organisations across Guyana. In this regard, the education and training of our troops across several academic disciplines and skill sets is of critical importance, for the force to continue the professional and effective conduct of its mandate. Each year, we invite young men and women from all across the nation to join our ranks to dedi-

Sacred mandate “The Guyana Defence Force is a professional organisation and possesses the most sacred of national mandates; that of protecting Guyana’s territorial integrity and aiding in the

Coast Guard Sergeant Bornsford Wray completed the hydraulic systems and equipment management course at the Coast Guard Training Centre, Newport, Maine, U.S.A

cate themselves to giving a high quality service to the nation. They come to us with varying degrees of knowledge and skills and it is critical that we enhance their knowledge and skills in order that they not only function effectively and efficiently within the GDF, but also make positive contributions to the nation, even after they depart the force.”

The chief-of-staff emphasised that the GDF does not simply “talk the talk” but also “walks the walk” when it comes to offering opportunities for professional development to its members.

It is widely known that the army provides basic training designed to transform ordinary citizens into soldiers. This occurs on the standard officer cadet and basic recruit courses.

However, both officers and other ranks are exposed to mandatory military courses such as the junior and senior command and staff courses and the junior leader, platoon sergeant and senior leader courses.

In-house training Additionally, the force conducts several “in-house” specialist courses in all arms, skill at arms, drills, paratrooping, driving, catering, ordnance, military policing, medical assistant, ordinary seamans rating and riverain boat operations, to name a few.

In 2009, the force launched its restructured Academic Education Programme (AEP), which was designed to aid its troops to pursue, through self-study and guided tuition, the enhancement in academic subjects including mathematics, English Language and social studies in particular.

atiricus was upset. The source of his angst was the arrogance being displayed by some of the boards that controlled world cricket. Now cricket was a subject near and dear to the heart of Satiricus.

Never mind that he’d never gotten the hang of connecting bat to ball – or maybe precisely because of that – he was a cricket nut. And here it was that South Africa, of all the cricketing nations in the world, declaring war against the ICC. What arrogance!

“Seems like they’ve forgotten that ICC stands for ‘Imperial Cricket Council’,” fumed Satiricus.

“How dare they question those esteemed gentlemen who calls the shots in cricket?”

“Well, could it be because the ICC want to create a new system of apartheid – this time in cricket?” replied Suresh as he took a swig of beer. They were hanging out at the back-street bar. “South Africa had a bit of experience with apartheid, you know.”

“What you mean ‘apartheid’?” replied Satiricus hotly.

“They only creating two groups in the cricket world.”

“Me agree wid Suresh,” chimed in Cappo. “If India, England and Australia gon always be in de top group...dat is like how dem white people in South Africa use to always live in de good places. Apartheid!!”

“Cappo, is what wrang wid you?” jumped in his partner Bungi. “Look at de shelf over dere. You see big bottle mix wid lil bottle?”

“But suppose big bottle England become lil bottle, wha gon happen?” pointed out Cappo. “Deh must still deh pan tap shelf?”

“Ha!!” smirked Suresh. “That is why it’s apartheid.

Look how Australia trash them just the other day!”

“Nah only da,” chipped in Cappo. “Look how lil bottle New Zealand lick up big bottle India last week!”

“Listen, fellas,” offered Satiricus. “Look at my hand. Are all my fingers the same size?”

“No!” was the unanimous reply.

“Well, all the cricket countries can’t all be equal. Some got to be bigger than others,” Satiricus explained.

Teacher Samad had been listening quietly to the gyaaf but he now burst out, “That is the biggest piece of ashiness I ever heard!! Cricket countries can’t just be born bigger!”

“What you mean?” demanded Satiricus.

“OK! Let’s say if India starts playing the way they used to play when it took them 30 years to win a Test match... they must still not be put on the second shelf?”

“Aha! Now I see what you fellas talking about,” exclaimed Satiricus. “You all talking about who play good or bad cricket?”

“And wha you a talk about?” demanded Cappo.

“I talking about what cricket is today,” replied Satiricus.

“Is about who bringing in the money.”

The AEP is also geared toward aiding soldiers to study for and sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

Demonstration of proficiency at AEP subject levels while pursuing “in-house” military and specialist courses is now mandatory in order to secure passes on such courses.

The GDF continues to provide a stable environment for persons who choose to become professional soldiers. As such, anyone who chooses a career in the military, is assured that, his/her dedication, perseverance and determination to succeed

will gain positive benefits in professional and personal development.

Seventy-three soldiers are currently being trained on the junior leader course, 17 on the senior leader course, 28 on the leader sergeant course and 27 on the platoon sergeant course.

Additionally, there are other officers and ranks who are continuing their education at post-secondary institutions locally and overseas. Of note, is the fact that state-to-state and military-to-military cooperation agreements provides the basis upon which officers and ranks gain training in the U.S., Brazil, China, and Jamaica.

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NA Hospital neonatal unit now operational try our utmost to keep that down at an acceptable standard and with this training, I am absolutely confident that we will continue to work to keep our statistics down,” she asserted.

Little Travis Lashley, weighing approximately one kilogram, born to 18-year-old Sherry Hack of Williamsburg Village, Corentyne, was Tuesday morning placed in the NICU. Staff of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the New Amsterdam Hospital

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he multimilliondollar Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the New Amsterdam Hospital is now fully functional and the first baby was placed there on Tuesday.

The coming on stream of the facility was made possible through an intensive four-day training of 30 health workers attached to the hospital, inclusive of doctors and nurses under the auspices of the Health Ministry and Guyana Help the Kids (GHTK).

Speaking at the conclusion of the NICU care training programme last Friday, Dr Precious Sonia Jensen, a paediatrician of Nationwide Childrens Hospital in the U.S., said the overall objective of the training is to reduce infant mortality in Guyana by implementing sustainable changes through education and technology.

She said based on her overall assessment, the persons trained are now well-equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to fully execute their duties.

“The reception of these physicians and nurses are exceptional, they have been really, really smart and incredibly impressive,” she claimed, while noting that the health workers have definitely made tremendous strides regarding the effective care of premature babies.

“I have extreme confidence that the trainees and the NICU at the facility can handle this effectively,” she posited.

Meanwhile, New Amsterdam Medical Superintendent, Dr Vishyala Sharma thanked the facilitators for taking the time to train her staff, and assured that the knowledge imparted will be fully utlised.

“Neonatal care and mortality is one of the key indicators of a hospital's performance and we at the New Amsterdam Hospital

The New Amsterdam Hospital’s NICU was formally commissioned in May 2013, but due to the necessity of training needed, it could not have been functional until now.

The project is a joint venture between the government of Guyana and Canadian-based Guyanese paediatrician, Dr Narendra Singh, who initiated the NICU programme in Guyana.

Little Travis Lashley resting in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the New Amsterdam Hospital

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wednesday, january 29, 2014 | guyanatimeSGY.com

Canadian support group donates to CIOG

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he Canadian Support Group of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) has donated clothing, stationery, books (Islamic books, school text and children stories), toys and a wheelchair to the local body.

A CIOG release said the initiative supports the organisation’s efforts to promote educational opportunities to the less fortunate youths in Guyana, and assist the poor and needy in community.

These items from the Canadian Support Group were distributed to children attending the Al Ghazali Islamic Academy, in Georgetown and the Meten Meer Zorg Islamic Academy, West Coast Demerara.

Approximately 200 students have benefited from this distribution.

The physically-disabled have also benefited from this timely donation. This is

American University to roll out anti-suicide programme in Essequibo

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Students of the Al Ghazali Islamic Academy displaying the books received

one of several distributions to these schools. These institutions provide educational programmes to orphaned

children from different religions, race, and ethnic backgrounds.

“May Allah bless all

those who are responsible for this gesture, providing for the needs of our people,” the release said.

U.S. backs move to strengthen civil society

n an effort to reduce the number of suicide cases in Guyana, the American University of Research will be embarking on an initiative to promote self-awareness as a solution.

At a press conference on Tuesday, university president, Dr Eton Simon, explained that if persons are aware of their mental state, they can make a better choice than choosing the easy way out. “We are embarking on this initiative due to the urgent need for a solution to suicide in our country,” he said.

Dr Simon said members of the university, along with other counsellors, will be sharing knowledge with individuals in interactive workshops over the next month so that they would process challenges in a more positive way in various areas across Guyana.

The first area targeted is Essequibo, as the most recent suicide case occurred there.

“We chose this area first because of our observation on low self-esteem in that region in 2013,” he noted.

Choices

Members of the Guyana National Council on Public Policy with U.S. Ambassador D Brent Hardt following their meeting at the U.S. embassy on Friday

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he Guyana National Council on Public Policy (GNCPP) recently engaged U.S. Ambassador, D Brent Hardt on the strengthening of civil society here.

According to a release, the 90-minute meeting was held at the U.S. embassy Kingston, Georgetown, on Friday.

The discussion included Guyana civil society’s emerging status and responsibilities in the governance of the country and management of its resources as provided for in accordance with Article 13 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Led by GNCPP founderchairman, international corporate attorney and civil society advocate, Dr Philip H Mozart Thomas, the 10-member high-profile team enjoyed a fruitful interactive session with Ambassador Hardt and his Political and Economic Chief Michael Fraser.

After outlining GNCCP’s vision, mission and objectives, Dr Thomas described the proposed 2014 national conference intended to give real effect to the status and

responsibilities of Guyana’s non-government organisation, leading to the establishment of the first Guyana National Civil Society Council (GNCSC).

After inviting each GNCCP team member in attendance to introduce themselves and their background in relation to their work in civil society and their role in the GNCPP, Hardt welcomed the organisation’s past and current initiatives to empower all like-minded patriotic groups.

Role

He outlined the role of the embassy and its related agencies in assisting local Guyanese civil society (NGOs) to initiate and or sustain their activities.

Hardt knowingly responded to the specific emotional appeal from one of the younger members as he detailed some of his experiences with Guyana’s young people eager to avoid the adult legacies of racism, in favour of true inclusive national development.

Dr Thomas illustrated the quality and extent of civil so-

ciety’s ethical social capital, but highlighted the need for capacity, in terms of varied and vital resources, to effect and implement civic education programmes that usher in a new dispensation of sustained fundamental changes, which will provide for a vastly improved quality of life for all Guyanese.

Reform

Dr Thomas further explained that essential to these fundamental pathways of reform is the need to structure a new covenant in the form of a social partnership by way of a referendum.

Contributions from the team also raised issues surrounding the civic component of the proposed United States Agency for International Development (USAID), International Republican Institute (IRI) administered Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project, which has attracted recent contention; the duty of the international community to support the work of local civil society; and the history of discriminatory governance which spawns ethnic nationalism, cultural racism

and fear.

As GNCPP continues coordinating its international outreaches, Ambassador Hardt assured Dr Thomas and his team that the mission will explore immediate avenues to lend support to the GNCPP 2014 programme of activities, inclusive of the mid-year conference, which is poised to attract some 400 local and international civil society activists and organisations as well as very prominent guest speakers.

To this end, representatives of the embassy and GNCPP will convene for a planning session, within one week.

Friday’s GNCPP delegation, was comprised of Dr Philip H Mozart Thomas, Attorney Clarissa Riehl, GNCPP Attorney Adrian Thompson, Reverend Dexter Sansulotte, veteran trade unionist Norris Witter, Amerindian Rights Advocate Patricia Phillips, civil society advocate Shabakie Fernandes, law student Tracy Chan-Smith, advertising executive Vic Insanally and public relations advisor Allan Fenty.

Dr Simon pointed out that a person’s environment can have a positive or negative impact on one’s life and decisions. Additionally, he explained that these workshops aim “…to educate people to shift their focus from suicide and focus on the bigger picture”.

He noted that people have choices; however, they sometimes get caught up in the moment and react irrationally to life’s challenges.

The university president explained that every person has a mind, and before one can act in a negative way, one will first think about it, “we are the source”.

Speaking from a psychotherapist’s point of view, he stated that everything starts in the mind and when persons are aware of that, they are better able to make rational decisions, looking at the bigger picture. Dr Simon

American University of Research President, Dr Eton Simon

said one of the major areas his team will be working extensively on is the root causes of suicide.

Often times most people look for the easy way out, because they feel pressured by their circumstances.

“While suicide may seem to be the way out for you who are going through your turmoil, it is NOT! There is always better, and you need to move away from that thinking and consider the consequences of your actions of which you’re thinking of,” he said.

The psychotherapist explained that nothing is wrong with one’s mind in these situations, just the way in which it is being used. “Everything is about behaviour, the way one reacts to a situation.”

The president noted that someone needs to take a stand against suicide, and with the launching of this initiative he hopes that both local and international partnerships will be made. The self-awareness workshops will seek to reduce the number of persons with low selfesteem and attempts to selfharm by the end of 2014.

This initiative is sponsored exclusively by the American University of Research, an institute of research, analysis and consultancy. Its focus is to conduct scientific research studies on social issues to find the root causes.

Taxi driver granted bail for abusive language

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28-year-old taxi driver of Lodge Housing Scheme, Georgetown was on Tuesday placed on $25,000 bail after he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry charged with using abusive language.

Osafo Yarde pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on January 25 at Lodge Housing Scheme, he used abusive language against Christine Mullings.

The man’s Attorney Dexter Todd told the court that the virtual complainant does not wish to pursue the matter. He added that his client

is willing to relocate, so as to ease the possibility of a future reoccurrence.

Mullings, who is the mother of the accused, was however unsure as to whether she wanted to pursue the matter against her son when asked

by Magistrate SewnarineBeharry. The magistrate subsequently placed the accused on bail and instructed him to report to Court Six for a date on fixture.

In February, 2013, Yarde appeared in court before Magistrate Leron Daly, after it was alleged that he had attempted to murder his younger sibling Samuel Sealy. In that matter, Yarde was granted $150,000 bail.

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wednesday, January 29, 2014

Regional

Stuart convinced Barbados can Boy, 16, critical as dump truck rams school bus reverse current economic slump A P

rime Minister Freundel Stuart has reiterated his conviction that Barbados will get out of the economic slump it has fallen into over the past few months.

“This is not the first occasion on which we’ve had to traverse this treacherous terrain. Between 1973 and 1975 on the occasion of the first oil crisis, Errol Barrow was prime minister and we faced one of these same economic downturns – unemployment in Barbados was 22.5 per cent in 1975 and inflation was running at 40 per cent,” Stuart said at the St Luke Anglican Church, where members and supporters of the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) gathered for the Errol Barrow Memorial Church Service.

He told the congregants that while the country was facing some challeng-

Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart

ing times, “as Christians it is important that we rely not only on our work, but our faith”.

The government has already indicated that it would retrench as many as 3000 public servants as it seeks to reverse the ailing economy and Prime Minister Stuart recalled that in the 1980s, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had to be called in with the country facing a fiscal deficit of nine per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and a five-fold increase in the current account.

“Thousands of people had to be laid off, but Barbadians got out of that. If we got out of that, we are going to get out of this,” he said.

He said the IMF also had to lend support to Barbados in the early 1990s when the island had to deal with the global recession, recalling that the country held only two weeks of foreign reserves cover. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

16-year-old school boy remains in a critical condition while 16 other students were injured after a loaded dump truck collided with a school bus on Monday.

The accident happened on the busy South Trunk Road, La Romain, and workers from the nearby Damus Limited and Constructora OAS abandoned their work site to assist the injured students out of the bus.

According to parents who were at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the San Fernando General Hospital, most students received bruises and cuts to their heads and upper bodies.

However, Varune Doon, a form five student of ASJA Boys’ College, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit after his skull was fractured in the crash.

Students said Doon, who is preparing to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations this year, was sitting where the truck struck the bus.

Nine-year-old Naya Maharaj, a pupil of Grant Memorial Presbyterian School, was also warded for head injuries. Naya, who was sitting in the front seat of the bus, is the daughter of bus driver Vishnu Maharaj.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Mexico captures drug cartel leader Nicaragua: Ortega allowed to

run for third successive term

T

Mexican troops have been patrolling streets of major towns in Michoacan

M

exican forces have captured one of the country’s most wanted drug lords, officials say.

Dionicio Loya Plancarte, known as “El Tio” (The Uncle), was one of the leaders of the Knights Templar drug cartel in western Michoacan state, officials say.

The government had a 30 million peso (US$2.2 million; £1.3 million) bounty on his head for drug and money-laundering crimes.

Troops were deployed to Michoacan earlier this

month after vigilantes clashed with gang members.

The vigilantes accuse the government of not doing enough to protect locals from extortion and violence.

Armed with high-powered weapons, they have pushed out the Knights Templar from some of their strongholds in the Tierra Caliente region.

The army was sent in to restore order and disarm the so-called self-defence forces.

However, many have refused to lay down their weapons until the cartel’s main leaders are captured.

Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong lauded the arrest of Loya Plancarte.

“He was detained thanks to the work of our intelligence team, the work of our federal agencies which have shown that you can achieve results when you work this way.”

Referring to the self-defence groups, he said: “It is not through violence that you can stop [gang members] and detain them, but through the institutional work of the Mexican government, to restore peace to the Mexican people.” (Excerpt from BBC

News)

Jamaica's opposition leader calls for CCTV in crime hotspots

O

pposition and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Andrew Holness said he supports plans by the government to have police officers wear body cameras, but has pointed to an even greater need for closedcircuit television (CCTV) and the registration of all Jamaicans to better address crime.

Last week, National Security Minister Peter Bunting announced that officers assigned to select police units would soon be required to wear body cam-

eras in light of increasing allegations of extra-judicial killings and professional misconduct.

On Sunday, Holness told attendees at the party’s Area Council One meeting at the Olympic Gardens Civic Centre in Kingston that the use of technology to minimise crime is something that he and members of his team have been examining.

“I believe that one of the tools that we must bring into crime fighting is technology. So, on that basis I am not going to pour cold

water on the attempt of putting in cameras, because it is our view, that greater technology, greater infusion of cutting-edge technology, must be brought into the whole business of crime fighting,” he said.

However, he said he was more interested in seeing the installation of CCTV in critical hot spots in the urban areas.

“That one don’t have any discretion, that when I am going to commit the crime, I turn it off. That one is always on,” he said. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

he Nicaraguan National Assembly has approved changes to the constitution that would allow President Daniel Ortega to run for a third successive term in 2016.

The bill scraps limits to the number of terms Nicaraguan presidents can serve.

The opposition says the changes are a threat to democracy in the impoverished Central American nation.

Ortega’s Sandinista Party argues that Nicaragua needs long-term stability to deal with its problems.

Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the region.

Its main export is being threatened by coffee rust, a fungus affecting plantations across Central America.

“This constitution is not the solution for our problems – poverty or coffee rust – but it allows us to move forward,” said the Sandinista leader at the assembly, Edwin Castro.

The constitutional changes were approved by 64 votes to 25. One independent lawmaker and 63 Sandinistas voted in favour; only three members of the assembly missed the vote.

The National Assembly had approved the bill on a first vote on December 10.

The reform also scraps the current rule, which says

that the winning candidate needs to receive at least 35 per cent of the vote to be appointed president.

Opposition legislator Maria Eugenia Sequeira, from the right-wing Independent Liberal Party, said the reforms “were designed to serve the interests of the current president”.

“It is more of the same in the history of Nicaragua,” she added.

Ortega, 68, is a former left-wing guerrilla who led a successful revolution against the dictatorship of the Somoza family, who ruled Nicaragua for four decades. The Cuban-inspired Sandinistas seized power in 1979. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Antigua-Barbuda capitalises on arctic blast in U.S.

A

mid some of the worst weather conditions, Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism team has intensified promotional efforts throughout the U.S., to reinforce the destination’s marketing message and incentivise travellers who are in search of a sunny escape.

Capitalising on record breaking frigid conditions that have plagued most of the U.S. in recent weeks, the team has developed a calendar packed with promotional activities in upcoming weeks.

Last weekend, the U.S. tourism team joined over 150 exhibitors at the Philadelphia Enquirer Travel Show, the largest travel show in the state of Pennsylvania. Held on January 25-26, Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism product was rolled out with flair, showcasing accommodations, cruise, yachting, land and sea adventures and weddings and honeymoon

Amid some of the worst weather conditions in the U.S., Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism team has intensified promotional efforts to incentivise travellers who are in search of a sunny escape

packages.

Against a backdrop of whiteout blizzard conditions, long lines of Pennsylvania residents looking to cope with arctic blast conditions, ventured to the travel show in search of special offers to escape some of the worst winter conditions forecast for this season.

“We cultivated a strong marketing message by pre-

senting show attendees with a range of offerings and special savings to help plan their sunny escape.

With 365 beaches, a range of award winning accommodations and attractions, we outlined a myriad of options to help lighten visitors’ moods and lift their spirits,” said U.S. tourism director Derede Samuel-Whitlock.

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

15 Around the world wednesday, January 29, 2014

guyanatimesgy.com

Ukraine’s PM and government quit U kraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych has accepted the resignation of the prime minister and his cabinet amid continuing anti-government protests.

Mykola Azarov had offered to step down as prime minister to create “social and political compromise”.

The move came after the Ukrainian parliament voted overwhelmingly to annul a controversial anti-protest law.

The protests have spread in recent days across Ukraine, even to President Yanukovych’s stronghold in the east.

Official buildings in several cities have been occupied.

Tuesday saw the Interior Ministry report that three protesters had stabbed and wounded three policemen in the southern city of Kherson, one of whom later died.

In total, at least five people have been killed in violence linked to the protests.

Parliament – holding an

Deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi

E

Protesters in Kiev say they are in no hurry to leave, despite the protest laws being annulled

emergency debate on the crisis – voted by 361 to two to repeal the protest legislation, which among other measures banned the wearing of helmets by protesters and the blockading of public buildings.

The law had helped fuel the demonstrations which began in Independence

Square in the capital, Kiev, after Yanukovych pulled out of a planned trade deal with the EU last November in favour of a US$15 billion (£9 billion) bailout from Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at an EU-Russia summit, said all the agreements reached with Azarov would remain

in place despite the resignation.

Members of parliament applauded as the result of the annulment vote was announced.

There was a similar response in Kiev’s Independence Square, which remains the focal point of the demonstrations. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Mladic slams “satanic” UN court

F

ormer Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic refused to testify Tuesday at the genocide trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic in the Netherlands and denounced the UN-backed court as “satanic.”

Both men are on trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, or ICTY, for their role in the conflict that followed the breakup of the former Yugoslavia two decades ago.

But Mladic said he does not recognise the court in The Hague and rejects it as satanic. “It is not a court of justice, and it is trying us because we are Serbs and are trying to protect our people from you,” he said.

The former army chief, who was arrested in May 2011 after a decade on the

nearly 8000 Muslim men and boys in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995. (Excerpt from CNN)

Ratko Mladic appears at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on May 16, 2012

run, is being tried separately from his former ally, Karadzic, but was called Tuesday as a defence witness in latter’s trial.

Mladic agreed to answer only the first of six questions put to him – on the positions

held during his military career – arguing that his testimony could harm his own case.

Karadzic faces two counts of genocide, among other charges, one of which relates to the massacre of

Concern as Malala book launch halted

A

n event in north-west Pakistan to launch activist Malala Yousafzai’s memoir was cancelled after pressure from local officials, organisers say.

Tuesday’s book launch in Peshawar could not go ahead after “direct intervention by the provincial government”, Dr Khadim Hussain told BBC Urdu.

Police and provincial officials said it was halted over security concerns.

But Imran Khan, whose PTI party runs the province, said he was at a loss to understand the decision.

On Tuesday morning the former cricketer tweeted:

Morsi faces court over Egypt prison break

“Am at a loss to understand why Malala’s book launch stopped in Peshawar. PTI believes in freedom of speech/debate, not censorship of ideas.”

Khan’s PTI party heads the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of which Peshawar is the capital.

Malala Yousafzai was 14 years old when she was shot in the head by the Taliban in the north-western Swat valley in October 2012 because of her campaign to promote girls’ education.

She and her family now live in the British city of Birmingham where she has

been receiving treatment.

She was not expected to attend the launch.

Malala has described the memoir, I am Malala, as her own story – and that of millions of others denied the chance to go to school.

The book launch had been organised by Peshawar University’s Area Study Centre in collaboration with the Bacha Khan Education Trust (BKET), a non-profit education network set up by the secular Pashtun ANP party, and a civil society non-government organisation called Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO). (Excerpt from BBC News)

gypt’s toppled president, Mohamed Morsi, has appeared in court in Cairo to face charges linked to his escape from prison in 2011.

Morsi was shown on state television on Tuesday dressed in a white jumpsuit and inside a metal cage in the court, being held in Cairo’s police academy complex.

Morsi, referred to as defendant 83, shouted at the judge: “Who are you? Do you know who I am?”

The judge responded, “I’m the head of the criminal court.”

The MENA agency report said Morsi flew by helicopter from Borg al-Arab prison in Alexandria, while some 130 others were driven to Cairo.

The trial opened the day after General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who led the army’s removal of Morsi last year, was

cleared by the military to run for the presidency later this year.

The case against the defendants is rooted in the 2011 escape of more than 20,000 inmates from Egyptian prisons – including Morsi. Also charged are members of the Palestinian group Hamas and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Morsi was accused, just before his removal by the army last year, of colluding with “foreign forces”, allowing him and others to break out of a high-security prison near Cairo.

He was being held in custody after a roundup of Muslim Brotherhood supporters during the uprising against the regime of Hosni Mubarak. A lawyer has said the trial is aimed at “denigrating” Morsi and his Brotherhood group.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

16 news

wednesday, January 29, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

New ranks to bring down crime

Berbicians don’t trust certain police – Seeraj

– Brumell assures Corentyne residents

By Andrew Carmichael

P

olice Commissioner Leroy Brumell told residents of several Corentyne villages on Tuesday that the new ranks who have already been assigned to the Number 51 Police Station will have to crush the criminal network there that has caused enmity between villagers and the Guyana Police Force, owing to the slow response to some of the crimes.

Following through on a ministerial order, Brumell on Tuesday met with residents of the troubled Corentyne villages in the wake of a standoff between residents of the Number 46 and 47 Villages and police Sunday evening, which saw them blocking the road in protest over allegations that police officers were the perpetrators of a robbery committed on a shop owner earlier that evening.

The commissioner while noting that it was wrong to block the road, promised to investigate the allegations and put in place some immediate measures which should bring some calm to the situation.

“Persons have a right to protest… you are protesting for your rights, but then I don’t think we should do it by blocking the road because it will affect other persons…” he told the more than 500 persons who packed the Number 48 Primary School building.

New ranks

Acknowledging that there has been a series of robberies that have been reported on the Corentyne, Brumell said the community is too sensitive to have that frequency of robberies.

“When I hear about robberies on the Corentyne, the first thing I think about is young persons who want to disrupt…. Berbice is a closely knitted community and so many of the perpetrators are known by some of us but because of fear of retribution,

many of us remain silent… I am not saying all of them will know but some of them will know what is happening.”

Most of the ranks carrying out duties at stations along the Corentyne are from Berbice.

“We have police ranks who born in Berbice, grew up in Berbice, attended school in Berbice, joined the Guyana Police Force and are stationed in Berbice.

“So by tomorrow today you will be seeing some new ranks in this area who are not from Berbice,” Brumell said to thunderous applause.

He, however, noted that the new ranks will have to quickly get themselves acclimatised and must get the work done. “And make sure that those persons who are creating havoc in this place that we get them.”

Community support

Brumell said police officers cannot do the job of crime-fighting alone and need the assistance of the community.

He urged persons to come forward when they have information which can assist the police. Members of the crowd then shouted that they have no confidence in the officers at the Number 51 Police Station.

The commissioner assured them that the new ranks will be willing to work with them. He pointed out that the Number Two Sub Division (Whim to Moleson Creek) will now be headed by Deputy Police Superintendent Thali Parsram.

“I am not hearing anything about community policing in this area and that is something that we have to look at… there may be groups that are inactive, so we need to reactivate them, get persons, get them sworn, get them trained, so that we can look at security for this village.”

Meanwhile, the police chief told the gathering that when ranks are transferred, it is for the good and betterment of the police force.

MP Dharamkumar Seeraj seated with (book in hand) said he spoke with victims of robberies who are willing to testify against police

By Andrew Carmichael

M

ember of Parliament Dharamkumar Seeraj is calling on the Guyana Police Force to launch a full investigation into the allegations by Corentyne residents that some police ranks have been involved in criminal activity in their villages.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the police at the Number 48 Primary School building on Tuesday, the parliamentarian noted that the visit of Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell to the Corentyne is an indication that the spike in crime has caught the attention of the police. He said people in Berbice do not trust certain police officers.

“We have to nip this problem in the bud to ensure that it does not escalate,” he told the gathering. Seeraj said that the commissioner should not take the reports from the residents lightly. Earlier, the commissioner mentioned that some members of the community who were making allegations against the police were under the influence of alcohol.

However, Seeraj noted that “where there is smoke, there is fire”.

He said he had met with some of

the residents and is convinced that there is some truth in some of the allegations against some members of the force.

“There are persons in this school who are prepared to give statements on what they saw… one man was coming out of the back dam and his gate made a noise and shots were fired at him, when he came around he saw that car that was identified driving slowly along with one person inside.”

Full investigation

He added that the man reported that when he later saw the car, there were four persons inside. “The only way that we can deal with this matter is for the police to carry out a full investigation. In order for them to carry out that investigation we have to give them that information,” Seeraj said.

According to Seeraj, Sunday’s protest was as a result of several incidents in the community. “There are reports of calls being made to the Number 51 Police Station and no one answering the phones.”

He said most of the time this occurs when serious crimes are being committed. “There are reports that when you have petty crimes, the phone is answered and there is

quick reaction.”

Seeraj said he had also met with the Chamber of Commerce and received the same information from them.

Expanding on what was earlier hinted, Seeraj, who also is the general secretary of the Guyana Rice Producers Association, zeroed in on a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officer attached to the Number 51 Police Station.

“He is in the habit of not dealing with members of the public in the way they should be dealt with. There are serious allegations against this officer which implicate him in some of these robberies.”

The commissioner said the force will not condone such behaviour. He noted that some officers have been transferred, some are before the court and others are in prison for illegal activities.

“I need to get to the bottom of what I am hearing. The Guyana Police Force is 75 years old and we cannot allow a few ranks to tarnish the reputation of the Guyana Police Force,” Brumell said.

He added that the CID rank will be investigated, and arrangements were made to have statements taken from residents on Sunday night’s incident.

Contract signed for Guyana’s first petting zoo to serve the interest of the society. The initiative also seek to ensure that due attention is given to environmental issues. “We have a population that is quite aware and quite au fait with our rich biodiversity… and not everyone can go out and have that rich rainforest experience. From a very early age, we bring our people and community to this green richness of our country”.

The work, which is expected to last between four and five months, will be executed by contractor Alvin Chowarmootoo.

Complete facility

An artist’s impression of the petting zoo

T

he Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, through the Protected Areas Commission, on Tuesday afternoon signed a $32 million contract for the establishment of the country’s first petting zoo, the newest feature of the Guyana zoological park.

The upgraded facility will give children and animal lovers an op-

portunity to access a “true rainforest experience”.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud said the zoological park is part of the three parks initiative, which seeks to develop a few popular public parks in the city.

He said among the many concepts behind the upgrading of the zoo is the modernisation of the facility

Protected Areas Commission Commissioner Damian Fernandes said the new zoo will significantly strengthen the school-zoo educational programme, and will serve as a complete and effective facility for youth-focused education.

Fernandes admitted that persons, when visiting the zoo, often complain about the absence of particular species of animals. While the zoo is in dire need of additional

Protected Areas Commissioner Damian Fernandes

animal species, the commission is caught between a rock and a hard place. “You ask yourself a question, what do I do first, do I get the animal and put it in a cage and then wait for money to get a proper cage or do I build a proper cage and then get the animal and put it in?”

The commissioner added that the zoo is inundated with aban-

doned pets, adding strain on the already struggling facility. “There’s a constant flow of these animals into the zoo and we’re trying our best basically to function as a rescue centre for these animals.”

He said he hoped proper systems could be put in place so that exhibits could be established for the animals of the zoo and others that might find themselves there.

According to Fernandes, the new facility will be based on a roughly circular design with an allweather walkway of paving stones around a semi-aquatic space. The walkway will be open to a series of enclosures which will feature docile animals, allowing persons to interact with the animals. Because of the 2005 flood, the ground floor will be raised three feet higher, allowing for the quick draining of water, should there be excessive rainfall. The facility hopes to partner with volunteers from animal rights groups to assist in its day-to-day running, while raising awareness about the cruel treatment meted out to animals.

news

17

wednesday, January 29, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

M&CC budget Damaged cables affecting Revised to be presented soon 600 GT&T Bartica residents C

T

he telephone services of more than 600 customers in Bartica has been affected by damage caused to several Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) cables in the mining district by a third-party contractor.

It will require extensive excavation works (including concrete) and replacement of a section of 900, 600 and 200-pair cables for a conduit crossing, to repair the damage. In a statement, GT&T said it has repeatedly appealed to contractors to consult the company before carrying out excavation and construction work to avoid such damage and disruption.

“The telephone plant fa-

Evidence of the damaged GT&T cables

cilities are most vulnerable to damage and degradation by contractors' activities,

but, more importantly, hundreds of customers associated with the telecommunica-

tions provider are adversely affected insofar as they are unable to communicate during periods of service disruption.”

“GT&T wishes to apologise for the inconvenience caused as a result of these disruptions.

We have a vested interest in keeping our customers happy and wish to assure them that the company will continue to collaborate closely with all stakeholders with a view of ensuring care and caution in the execution of works and ultimately reduce telephone service disruptions. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and are sparing no efforts to restore service at the earliest opportunity.”

GECOM still to appoint new CEO

A

lmost six months after Gocool Boodoo was let go as the chief elections officer (CEO), the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is still to appoint someone to fill this post.

According to reports, the entire panel of commissioners is in the process of finalising plans to conduct inter-

views based on a shortlist it has come up with. However, there is no clear indication as to when this process will be completed.

The post remains a contest between now acting CEO Calvin Benn, who was previously deputy chief elections officer, and Keith Lowenfield, another senior GECOM staff.

In response to reports that GECOM is sidelining Benn for the post, the commission’s public relations officer Vishnu Persaud denied this, explaining that the choice of CEO is collectively made by all commissioners.

According to reports, Lowenfield could get the support of the three opposition members of GECOM. A

Women miners want level playing field in industry

T

he Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) said a level playing field is what is needed in the industry.

With a growing membership base of more than 400 persons, the GWMO, over its two years of existence, has helped to change the perception of women in the mining industry, but its president Simona Broomes said women miners are still being treated unfairly. She made the comments at the organisation’s anniversary dinner Friday at the Pegasus Hotel.

In the presence of Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, Broomes said Cabinet had offered the GWMO a seat on the Guyana Mining School’s board; while expressing gratitude for the position offered, she asked “are we only fit to sit on the board of the mining school?”

According to the GWMO president, the body should have a representative on the board of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Broomes has been advocating for this since the formulation of the organisation in 2012. “We don’t want you to tell us, we are saying we want our voices to be heard on that board, changes must come for women in mining.”

Additionally, she said the mining commission should

return to the map and locate mineralised areas in which women miners can operate.

“We women are calling on the minister to look through, if there are any for mineralised area and here with gold, and say to the poor and average small, medium-size scale miner ‘this is an area, we are going to open a syndicate, we are going to do some exploration and give you the opportunity to make money".

Exploitation

Broomes said the organisation is not looking forward to the provision of blocks that were given back to the GGMC and do not have gold in the lotteries.

“We women condemn the way in which we are treated…we are exploited right through the sector.”

With the little provided, the GWMO president said women are made to mine in the interior with little or no security, poor health facilities, and an uncertain future.

“Is that fair that we women must go in the bush and toil with no security and with no health, and we go to work in an area and when we bore a piece of gold, we got to move and we have to spend millions of dollars and leave our kids?”

“We want to make money, we all broke… we are broken women; broken, broken, broken women.”

Broomes encouraged the

natural resources and environment minister to remedy the problems affecting women miners.

In an interview with Guyana Times, Minister Persaud said the lottery is a very open and competitive process. “These lands are mapped and located in a base area that is known before, so when people participate in the lottery, GGMC would provide geological and geographical information that is available.”

It was, however, explained that Guyana lacks “up to date” in-depth geological maps. According to Persaud, the issuance of the Permission for Geological and Geophysical Survey (PGGS) to Muri Brasil Ventures Inc would have aided in the provision of more geological information. The garnered information would have allowed for the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to make more informed decisions.

He admitted that owing to the lack of information on possible mineralised areas, there are, at times, inadequacies. “There are instances when people would have returned and then being given or offered alternative [sites]…. it is a process that is ongoing and I don’t dispute the fact that sometimes the areas that you get may not be productive as you may want.”

statutory meeting was held on Tuesday to discuss the appointment of a CEO. The post of chief elections officer became vacant after GECOM refused to renew the contract of Boodoo over concerns by the opposition about a computing mistake made in the allocation of seats in the 2011 elections.

ity Mayor Hamilton Green said the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is expected to receive a revised proposal for the 2014 annual budget soon.

The revised budget is expected to be presented during the course of this week for the council’s approval. The budget was first presented to the council late last year by Finance Committee Chairman Junior Garrett and his team.

The budget was compiled for $2,055,467,116 for this year.

The mayor described that budget as “unrealistic” and said it does not cater for the duties and responsibilities of the municipality. He said the budget also did not cater for the Ratings Appeals Panel to ensure citizens’ redress and to further reduce excuses for the non-payment of taxes.

However, Green said if all goes well, the revised budget will be debated further and passed on to the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry as early as this weekend, once approved by the council.

The revised budget proposal will be presented to the local government minister for his approval. The first budget was not approved by the council, as the finance committee did not take into consideration various issues.

Among of these are the upgrade and rehabilitation of all municipal departments and funds for the daily clean-up

Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green

exercise of the city. They also looked at the council’s liabilities, making special reference to the M&CC’s huge Guyana Power and Light (GPL) deficit, among other expenses.

It was reported that there were some issues between Town Clerk Carol Sooba and councillors. According to reports, Sooba has not attended attended any of the statutory meetings held by the M&CC over the past few months, after the budget was rejected.

Mayor Green said protocol must be followed and the budget must be approved by the council, before it could be passed on to the ministry.

Green has himself come under intense criticism for Georgetown's garbage collection, the overall management of the City Council, and what appears to be internal political grandstanding over many decision-making processes.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, january 29, 2014

thursDAY, march 11, 2010 | guyanatimesGY.com

archie

By Bernice Bede Osol

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) Self-deception may cause problems for you.

Reflect carefully on a situation that you may be misjudging.

One-sided romantic infatuations are evident.

dilbert

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19) Avoid having secret affairs or getting sucked in to dealing with other people’s problems. You should work quietly tucked away somewhere – preferably in the privacy of your home.

Calvin and Hobbes

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Co-workers may be unusually challenging to deal with today. Don’t be naive. Someone you’d never suspect may be after your job or just trying to get you out of the way.

CANCER (June 21July 22) Take full advantage of any business opportunities that are available to you. You can make professional changes now if you so desire. Your winning attitude will vastly improve your chances for advancement.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22) Romantic opportunities will develop if you attend a social event.

You stand to gain financially by participating in a group venture. Time spent in the company of children will be fulfilling.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) New love connections will develop through friends or relatives.

Completing a home decorating project that you’ve been dreaming about will yield wonderful results.

Peanuts

SUDOKU

ARIES

LIBRA

(March 21-April 19)

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Travel or educational pursuits will foster romantic opportunities. You will be in the mood to get out and socialise with friends.

Mental stimulation will be important to you at this time.

Special relationships will evolve through pleasure trips or participating in sport activities. You will feel passionate and be quite capable of using your charm to get whatever you may want.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Minor health problems will arise if you haven’t taken the necessary precautions. Do not get involved in joint financial endeavours, and avoid lending money to friends or relatives.

Tuesday's solution GEMINI (May 21June 20) Travel and romance will go together perfectly. You will enjoy unfamiliar destinations that will further amplify the sentimental mood that is overtaking you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Your innovative moneymaking ideas may well pay off. You will approach your pursuits with creativity. Refrain from going overboard spending on your lover. Instead, wisely invest your money into your own business.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21) You may be confounded by the state of your finances all of a sudden.

Avoid spending money on any unnecessary items.

Unanticipated bills may crop up and surprise you.

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Baton rape allegations

wednesday, January 29, 2014

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olice Complaints Authority (PCA) Chairman, retired Justice Cecil Kennard on Tuesday said he will not be recommending criminal charges against the police officers who allegedly batonraped 23-year-old Colwyn Harding unless there is sufficient evidence.

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“Unless the evidence is very clear, I’m not going to recommend criminal charges, because prosecution has to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt… I have to be satisfied before I recommend criminal charges against the policeman,” said the PCA head, adding that some criminal offences may be disclosed, but it may not be of the nature that people are contending.

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Kennard says strong evidence needed for criminal charges P

No assertions yet

Phone: 227-0704,

Kennard noted that he has not yet fully perused the report, so he cannot make any assertions whether criminal charges were recommended or not.

However, the PCA head stated that the benefit of the doubt has to be given to the person against whom the allegations were made; as such, he will have to examine and take both sides into consideration when making his final decision.

“It will be most unfair to say it will be or it will not be (instituted) until I have gone through those statements in the report, then I will have to go through the medical reports and statements made

Retired Justice, Police Complaints Authority Chairman Cecil Kennard

by all participants, including those that tend to support the victim as well as those that tend to support the police,” he said.

For the public to get a better idea of how the process works when investigations of this nature occur, he explained that when criminal charges are recommended against police officers, the cases go to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.

However, the process differs as it relates to disciplinary breaches and recommendations.

“If it relates to disciplinary charges, the allegations against the ranks from sergeant down will have to be sent to the commissioner of police for him to do a departmental inquiry; if it’s above the rank of sergeant, that has to go to the police service commission for them to deal with that departmental charge,” he stated.

He further disclosed that a case file comes to him for analysis on whether the investigations conducted were up to par and if not, he sends the file back to the OPR for further work to be done; otherwise, he will sent it over to the necessary body with his recommendations.

Kennard said he expects to complete the Colwyn Harding file by the end of

Colwyn Harding

this week, as the report is bulky and contains numerous statements.

Harding left the country for Jamaica on Sunday to seek medical attention for injuries he sustained after he was allegedly baton raped last November by ranks of the Guyana Police Force.

He departed Guyana early Monday morning as family and close friends gathered at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport to see him off.

His attorney, Nigel Hughes, on his Facebook page, posted on Saturday that the young man was examined by a private doctor and it was revealed that he was still bleeding in the upper rectum area.

Political football

At the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) weekly press conference, the party’s general secretary and home affairs minister, Clement Rohee said he was saddened by the fact that politicians and naysayers have used Harding’s allegations as a “political football”, kicking them around to gain political mileage. ”They have already passed judgment on this matter, they have already condemned police ranks, they have already calculated compensation and are demanding the state to pay millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money; all of this they did having heard only one side and in the absence of any credible, impartial investigation or indeed any investigation at all,” said the minister.

Nevertheless, Rohee commended all who played a part in ensuring that the Harding matter was dealt with professionally. In particular, he congratulated the doctors and nurses who treated the man for their excellent work even though their professional opinion was undermined.

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Silva ton powers SL into lead The unluckiest bowler of the morning was Al-Amin, who was let down by a combination of poor catching - his captain one of the culprits and the misfortune of his back foot hitting the stump on his delivery stride. Silva had his first life on 39 when he was

squared up by Al-Amin's probing line outside off and edged to the keeper Mushfiqur Rahim who grassed a straightforward take. Silva added one more to his score when he edged Al-Amin again to Rahim, who took it cleanly. (cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Kaushal Silva was let off thrice on his way to a maiden Test hundred

S

ri Lanka strengthened their grip on the Test through steady accumulation, aided by a series of let-offs that allowed Kaushal Silva score his maiden Test century. Bangladesh needed to grasp all opportunities given their first-innings score of 232 that appeared inadequate after the opening day, but their performance in the field failed to complement the efforts of their seamers, particularly Al-Amin Hossain, who toiled with little luck. Sri Lanka stretched their lead to 143 and focused on grinding out the opposition to a position which would give them the luxury of batting just once.

Silva displayed one of his

biggest strengths - patience, and his ability to occupy the crease would have been deflating enough for Bangladesh, if the three let-offs weren't bad enough. Silva's stint could have ended on 39 - he went on to add exactly 100 more, by which time he had already shared two century stands, with Dimuth Karunaratne and Kumar Sangakkara.

Bangladesh picked up only one wicket over the first two sessions, that of Karunaratne, but they ought to have seen the back of the other opener as well. To Bangladesh's credit though, they created opportunities in an overcast morning session that assisted their seamers.

Bangladesh 1st innings Tamim Iqbal c Lakmal b Eranga 6 Shamsur Rahman c Perera b Eranga 33 Marshall Ayub lbw b Mathews 1 Mominul Haque c Vithanage b Lakmal 8 Shakib Al Hasan lbw b Herath 55 Mushfiqur Rahim*† lbw b Lakmal 61 Nasir Hossain c †Chandimal b Eranga 4 Sohag Gazi c Eranga b Lakmal 42 Robiul Islam c Perera b Eranga 5 Rubel Hossain b Herath 2 Al-Amin Hossain not out 6 Extras: (lb 4, nb 5) 9 Total: (all out; 63.5 overs ) 232 Fall of wickets 1-35 (Tamim Iqbal, 9.1 ov), 2-40 (Marshall Ayub, 10.4 ov), 3-40 (Shamsur Rahman, 11.4 ov), 4-59 (Mominul Haque, 17.2 ov), 5-145 (Shakib Al Hasan, 40.1 ov), 6-150 (Nasir Hossain, 41.4 ov), 7-203 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 57.4 ov), 8-219 (Sohag Gazi, 59.3 ov), 9-222 (Rubel Hossain, 60.5 ov), 10-232 (Robiul Islam, 63.5 ov) Bowling: RAS Lakmal, 18.1-3-

66-3, RMS Eranga, 17.4-2-49-4, AD Mathews 6-3-18-1, MDK Perera 11-2-45-0, HMRKB Herath 11-1-50-2 Sri Lanka 1st innings FDM Karunaratne c Robiul Islam b Shakib Al Hasan 53 JK Silva lbw b Shakib Al Hasan 139 KC Sangakkara c Nasir Hossain b Al-Amin Hossain 75 DPMD Jayawardene not out 42 LD Chandimal† b Shaki b Al Hasan 40 RAS Lakmal c Nasir Hossain b Sohag Gazi 0 Extras: (b 8, w 12, nb 6) 26 Total: (5 wickets; 108.2 overs) 375 To bat: AD Mathews*, KDK Vithanage, MDK Perera, RMS Eranga, HMRKB Herath Fall of wickets 1-118 (Karunaratne, 37.2 ov), 2-273 (Sangakkara, 86.6 ov), 3-302 (Silva, 91.5 ov), 4-374 (Chandimal, 107.1 ov), 5-375 (Lakmal, 108.2 ov) Bowling: Robiul Islam 14-1-430, Al-Amin Hossain 25-2-871, Rubel Hossain 17-0-74-0

Registration closes on Friday for GSCL tourney

– launch and draw set for February 11 at GNIC

T

eams desirous of competing in the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc (GSCL)organised pre-Mashramani tournament, which will be played in two categories Open and Over-40 - are being reminded of the closing date for registration, which is this Friday.

The tournament, which was set to bowl off on January 25 and culminate the following day, was pushed back to February 14, due to unforeseen circumstances, hence the renewed closing date for registration.

The launch and draw will take place on February 11 at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation Sports Club on Woolford Avenue from 17:00 hours.

The winning team in the Open category will pocket $1 million, a trophy and 15 medals, with the runners-up collecting $200,000, a trophy and 15 medallions.

In the Over-40 category, the winners will receive $600,000, a trophy and medallions, while the secondplaced team will take home $200,000 a trophy and medals.

The Man-of-the-Series for both categories will receive a three-piece living room suite or cash equivalent and the Man-of-theMatch of the final $10,000 and a trophy.

Teams desirous of com-

peting in the Open category are asked to pay an entrance fee of $140,000, while those who wish to do battle in the Over-40 segment will have to pay an entrance fee of $120,000.

Overseas teams

Meanwhile, the invitations, which were sent to the teams from Suriname, Canada, Florida and New York, were well received but due to work commitments, players were unable to acquire the requested time off to come and compete.

However, several teams from overseas have given a commitment to the GSCL Inc, as it relates to future competitions of this kind.

On the local scene, teams such as Wolf’s Warriors, Berbice Titans, Regal XI, Memorex, Bartica Challengers, Cotton Field Wild Oats and Trophy Stall will seek to capture the first prize in the Open category, while Regal XI, Savage Masters and Industry Super Kings, Floodlights XI and Mike’s Wellman are some of the teams that will be among the list of competitors in the Over-40 segment.

Also listed to compete in the tournament, which to date has received sponsorship from Five Star Minerals and Ryan and Reuben General Store out of Bartica, is the new softball team on the block, known as

Sparta.

Preliminary matches are expected to be played at Everest Cricket Club, Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, and the Ministry of Education ground, with the semi-finals and finals being contested at Everest Cricket Club. The Open final will be

held under lights, with live radio commentary.

Some other sponsors include National Sports Commission (NSC), Everest Cricket Club, Memorex Enterprise, Regal Stationery and Computer Supplies and Romaine Car Wash among others.

Letter to the

Sport

Editor

An open letter to the WICB

Dear Editor, Much has been said and written about the recent International Cricket Council (ICC) proposals for reorganization. It is my understanding that the voluminous document is wide ranging in nature and requires careful study with regard to the benefits to individual ICC members.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will seek to best serve its own interests as will the other ICC member organizations.

There is no doubt that the tours of Indian cricket teams to their respective territories is of paramount financial importance and many, including the WICB, are sustained by the windfall gains which are used to offset the non-profitable or loss inducing tours such as those of Bangladesh or Zimbabwe.

In all these considerations, however, it must be said that the loser in any form of this proposal, regardless of amendment, is the sport of cricket.

Never before in the history of world sport has such a vile, selfish and arrogant a proposal been put forward!

The very nature of this proposal goes against the grain of every sporting endeavour. It is patently unfair to use financial blackmail to retain your position atop a sporting league of any kind. Performance on the field of play applies to all other sporting disciplines, many of which are much larger revenue earners than ICC cricket.

Consider, if you will, FIFA suggesting that Brazil, Italy and Spain (today’s flavour) must always be in the World Cup, regardless of the current ability on the field of play.

Or FIA stipulating that the front row for all Formula One races be designated to the Ferrari team, as they are the most recognizable brand in motor racing.

These examples are merely to show the foolishness and lack of morality that has affected cricket administration.

Greed cannot and should not be the motivating factor of any sporting administration, much less one charged with guiding the development of the game globally.

I strongly urge the WICB to take the moral high ground and stand fast against this tyrannical move by a few greedy, foolish and shortsighted men.

What you may gain financially cannot be replaced by the loss of morality. In ending I leave with a quote from Sir Winston Churchill: “And do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.”

Sincerely, Robin Singh

Beach volleyball workshop begins today

T

he Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) and the South American Volleyball Federation (CSV) beach volleyball workshop will get underway today at the Carifesta Sports Complex, Georgetown, at 15:00 hours.

According to a release from the GVF, “Those registered for the workshop can look forward to a rewarding and a very memorable learning experience. Participants are asked to take note of the necessary adjustments.”

The workshop will last until Sunday.The workshop promises to be a very informative and exciting one, the GVF said.

“Participants will benefit tremendously from this workshop. They will be exposed to theory and practical sessions. The course is designed to certify and register local coaches in order that they can participate in inter-

Two GVF officials putting the finishing touches to the beach volleyball facility at the Carifesta Sports Complex

national matches,” the GVF release added.

“The Chief instructor Fernando Costa and his assistant Rodrigues Roberto are both from Rio De Janiero, Brazil, and they both anticipate a very good workshop.”

Costa and Roberto have both represented Brazil at the highest level, competing at the Summer Olympics and the World Beach Volleyball Championships.

“The Guyana Volleyball Federation is very elated and

privileged to be the proud hosts to its Brazilian counterparts from the CSV.The venue is ready and is putting all other measures in place to ensure a very successful and fun workshop,” the GVF statement concluded.

wednesday, january 29, 2014

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Confident national cricketers off to T&T for Super50 – matches to be streamed live on ESPN Caribbean

By Avenash Ramzan

E

yeing their 10th regional 50-over title, a confident bunch of senior Guyana cricketers departed these shores on Tuesday to compete in the West Indies Cricket Board’s NAGICO Super50 competition, which bowls off on Thursday.

Led by the hard-hitting all-rounder Christopher Barnwell, the 14 players, coach Esaun Crandon and manager Alvin Johnson left for Trinidad and Tobagowhere all matches in the competition will be hosted- a fit and enthusiastic group, eager to swing into action on Friday against ICC Associate side Ireland in a day/night fixture at the Queen’s Park Oval from 13:50 hours.

Prior to their departure, the players and officials were treated to a farewell dinner by the Guyana Cricket Board on Monday night at the Windjammer Hotel in Kitty.

It was announced at that function that Banks DIH Limited through its Malta Supreme brand has come on board as the team’s official sponsor for the duration of the tournament of the January 30 to February 15 tournament.

“We chose Malta Supreme because it is a non-alcoholic beverage with vitamins and honey added to provide instant energy. We wish the team all the best and hope they are good ambassadors for not

From left: GCB Secretary Anand Sanasie, Director of Sport Neil Kumar, left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, all-rounder Royston Crandon, wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble, leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo and Banks DIH Non-Alcoholic Brand Manager, Clayton McKenzie strike a pose after the farewell dinner on Monday evening

only the brand, but for all Guyana,” Banks DIH NonAlcoholic Brand Manager, Clayton McKenzie, said.

Looking forward

Barnwell, speaking to the media prior to leaving Guyana, said the players are eagerly looking forward to winning the competition after last tasting success way back in 2005.

The energetic cricketer is adamant that the last month of intense preparations will serve them well in Trinidad and Tobago as they are fully focussed on the task at hand.

Apart from a rigorous training camp, the players were led through highintensity sessions with Guyana Defence Force

trainers, Patrick King and Carl Stephenson.

Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, who dominated the Inter-county competition which was used to select the team, said he “feels very comfortable with his game at the moment” and will be using the tournament to work his way back into the West Indies team.

Ace batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, who has been overlooked by the West Indies selectors of recent, said he is keen on helping Guyana win the tournament, but will also look to impress those in authority as he seeks to regain his spot on the regional side.

Barnwell, Bishoo and Sarwan apart, the likes of Shivnarine Chanderpaul,

Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Veerasammy Permaul, Leon Johnson and Royston Crandon have all represented the West Indies at the senior level and are expected to play crucial roles should Guyana land the title.

Back in 2005, Guyana defeated Barbados in near darkness in the KFC Cup final at the GCC ground, Bourda, on the strength of a Sewnarine Chattergoon’s career-best hundred.

Guyana’s 14-man squad reads: Robin Bacchus, Trevon Griffith, Leon Johnson, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (vice-captain), Narsingh Deonarine, Christopher Barnwell (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Royston Crandon, Assad

Fudadin, Anthony Bramble (w/k), Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton and Paul Wintz.

Live stream

Meanwhile, ESPN Caribbean will present live, exclusive coverage of the tournament from January 30 until February 16. The matches held in Trinidad will air live from 13:50 hours (Eastern Caribbean Time) on the ESPN Caribbean and ESPN 2 Caribbean television networks and on ESPN Play (www.espnplay. com) – ESPN’s multiscreen live and on-demand broadband service.

The competition is the West Indies Cricket Board’s premier limited-overs

event. Defending champions, Windward Islands, head Zone A along with Jamaica, Guyana and foreign guests, Ireland. Zone B consists of last year’s beaten finalist, Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC), as well as the hosts, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Leeward Islands.

Matches will be played at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Shaw Park in Tobago as the teams vie for the coveted Clive Lloyd Trophy, named after the revered batsman and former West Indies skipper.

The top two teams will advance from each zone into the semi-finals. These will be held on February 12 and 13 with the finals slated for February 15. ESPN Caribbean will also air ESPN Cricket Report during this knockout phase, hosted by Barry Wilkinson and analyst, West Indian legend Colin Croft. They will cover pre-match (13:30 hours ECT) and mid-innings (17:30 hours ECT) analysis, as well as ESPN Cricket Final, a half-hour post-match recap (22:00 hours ECT) following each eliminator.

This tournament serves as a prelude to the Windies’ limited-overs home series against England prior to their title defense of the International Cricket Council’s World Twenty20 trophy, which will be broadcast exclusively by ESPN Caribbean in March 2014.

BCB, RHTY&SC aid set-up of six mini-libraries ers benefits from them. At least 10 other mini-libraries would be established at other clubs during the Diamond Jubilee year.

First vice-president of the BCB, Anil Beharry, stated that clubs in Berbice should be proud of the outstanding work of the board as it was making a positive difference on and off the cricket field.

He urged the club to

Representatives of the six clubs pose with BCB president Keith Foster and other officials of the board

T

he Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) in conjunction with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) last weekend donated $500,000 worth of books to six cricket clubs in Berbice under their “Say Yes to Reading” programme.

The presentation was done as the BCB launched its Diamond Jubilee celebration. The clubs which benefitted were Bush Lot, Blairmont, Young Warriors,

Whim, Chesney and Rose Hall Canje.

Secretary/CEO of the RHTYSC and chairman of the Special Events Committee, Hilbert Foster, stated that the BCB and his club were determined to make sure that every cricketer in the Ancient County develops a love for reading, as it was the best way to produce an educated mind.

“Too many young cricketers are only interested in

playing the game alone,” Foster said.

He added that with all the technologies involved, along with dealing with the media and sponsors it was very important that all players be educated and well informed.

He challenged the administrators of the different clubs to make sure that the mini-libraries are established as early as possible and that the young cricket-

place special emphasis on improving the educational background of everyone of their membership.

President of both the BCB and RHTY&SC, Keith Foster, stated that both organisations which he had the privilege of heading would continue to make massive investments into education as it was the key to success. The BCB, the

proud president stated, was one of the few cricket boards in the Caribbean, which invests heavily in every aspects of its cricketers’ development.

Representatives of all the six clubs expressed gratitude to the BCB and all pledged that the mini-libraries would be established shortly and would be open to youths in their areas as well.

22

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wednesday, january 29, 2014

Scotiabank Kiddy cricket is back!

– thousands of students to benefit

By Avenash Ramzan

A

fter a two-year hiatus due to “unforeseen circumstances”, the exciting Scotiabank Kiddy cricket is back on local shores with thousands of students from across the country set to benefit from expert training.

The 2014 programme was officially launched on Tuesday in the boardroom of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) with key officials of the various stakeholder bodies present to share their views on the concept.

Marketing Manager of

main sponsor Scotiabank, Jennifer Cipriani, said the company is “happy to relaunch Kiddy cricket in Guyana and I know the children participating in the programme are even more excited than we are.”

Cipriani noted that the programme started in 1999 with just 87 schools, but over the years it has grown tremendously.

“This year over 2400 students are expected to participate in the Scotiabank Kiddy cricket festival preliminary and county festivals, while more than 4,000 students will be involved in

the coaching education programme,” she related.

Cipriani added, “While Scotiabank is a global entity, we believe in building relationships locally and supporting the communities where we live and work.

This is why we continue to be such a strong supporter of West Indies cricket.”

“As you can see, our sponsorship and commitment go beyond just distributing cricket equipment of organising a competition. It also involves education and positively shaping young minds, while at the same time, laying a founda-

tion for the future of cricket in Guyana and the West Indies.”

Territorial Development Officer of the GCB, Colin Stuart, said the Kiddy cricket programme “is an integral part of cricket development” as it gives players an early insight into the intricacies of the game, while also teaching teamwork.

Director of Sport Neil Kumar said he is proud that young persons are being introduced to the game through the programme, noting that Scotiabank and all the other stakeholders should be commended for their efforts.

“This is certainly the reservoir for the future of Guyana’s cricket,” he noted.

Secretary of the GCB, Anand Sanasie, welcomed the restart of the programme after a two-year break, noting the GCB will play its part by part-

nering with Digicel for the Grassroot programme later this year, followed the GCB’s schools competi-

tion.

G u y a n a Teachers Union (GTU) president, Colin Bynoe, urged the students to pay keen attention to the coaches, even as he challenged them to aim for lofty heights in their academic and sporting pur-

suits.

Regional Administrative OfficerDepartment of Education (Georgetown), Shenaine ChritsianHenry, implored on the youngsters to use the programme to grasp as much knowledge as possible, as their ultimate aim should be to become well-rounded individuals.

The programme, which is being hosted across the Caribbean, started on Tuesday afternoon with coaching sessions at the world famous Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda.

The actual competition will commence soon with the top four schools in Demerara and the leading two from Berbice and Essequibo moving forward to the National Skills Programme later this year.

Rodrigues is new part time technical director of GFF

By Treiston Joseph

M

ark Rodrigues was introduced as the new part time technical director of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) on Monday at a specially organized press briefing held at the GFF’s headquarters in Campbellville.

Rodrigues, who helped to form the female national football side in 2009 that had some success in 2010 during their world cup run, revealed what the coming days will entail.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to here and to be associated with the gentlemen at this table and soon to meet the coaches that are involved and are in the field and many others that I have made contact with and I plan to make contact with to do an overall assessment of where Guyana football is.

“I have my thoughts and my ideas of where we were, what has happened, where we need to be and these individuals and coaches are the ones I hope to engage,” Rodrigues stated.

Long term goal

He also revealed what his long term goal for football in Guyana is: “There will always be a process of seeking the best Guyanese talent around the world, but as time progresses if we utilize this approach and we build

Mark Rodrigues

from the bottom and really establish more leagues for our youth at the various age groups, understanding what needs to be thought within these ages in the four various areas of football, I think we’ll be on the right path.

“We’ll only strengthen that area of still searching outside and eventually that search outside will come from inside and that is the goal, long term,” Rodrigues pointed out.

However, to achieve such a goal will take maximum effort from all involved in the process as Rodrigues pointed out.

“We need to lay the ground work, we are the ex-

perts but we need to come together as one and really work as a unit to make sure we get it done,” Rodrigues said.

Meanwhile, Rodrigues who currently resides in Miami, Florida noted that it is imperative that Guyana continues to build its stature in football.

“Our men… our women had very good success leading up to 2010 in the world cup, we achieved history for this country something that I’m very proud of for Guyana, we created a legacy…our men have another legacy with what they have done, we need to build on that and it’s something we have never really capitalized on.

Maximum

“We really need to embrace what our women and our men have done and time is of the essence in terms of making sure that we get the maximum out of what they have done for us, because as things age, we all know they fall by the wayside and they become a fading memory,” Rodrigues stated.

Rodrigues who noted that most of the women abroad that were a part of the female squad in 2010 are willing and eager to rejoin the national side as he prepared to meet with the executives and coaches in the next few days to prepare a structured way forward for Guyana’s football.

wednesday, january 29, 2014

First day of ICC Board meeting concludes with unanimous support for key principles

T

he first day of the International Cricket Council’s Board meetings concluded in Dubai today with unanimous support for a set of principles relating to the future structure, governance and financial models of the ICC.

The ICC Board unanimously supported the following principles: • There will be an opportunity for all Members to play all formats of cricket on merit, with participation based on meritocracy; no immunity to any country, and no change to membership status.

• A Test Cricket Fund paid equally on an annual basis to all Full Members (except the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board) will be introduced to encourage and support Test match cricket.

• A larger percentage from the increasing Associate Members’ surplus will be distributed to the higher performing nonFull Members.

• Mutually agreed bi-lateral FTP Agreements which will be legally binding and bankable and will run for the same period as the ICC commercial rights cycle (2015-2023).

• Recognition of the need for strong leadership of the ICC, involving leading Members, which will involve BCCI taking a central leadership responsibility.

• A need to recognise the varying contribution of Full Members to the value of ICC events through the payment of ‘contribution costs’.

• The establishment of an Executive Committee (ExCo) and Financial & Commercial Affairs Committee (F&CA) to provide leadership at an operational level, with five members, including BCCI, CA and ECB representatives. Anybody from within the Board can be elected to Chair the Board and anybody from within ExCo and F&CA can be elected to Chair those Committees.

With the ICC undergoing a transitional period that includes a new governance structure and media rights cycle, this leadership will be provided for two years from June 2014 by: a BCCI representative to Chair the ICC Board, a CA representative to Chair the ExCo and an ECB representative to Chair the F&CA. • A new company will be incorporated to tender future commercial rights for ICC events. There will be three major ICC events in each four-year cycle, including the ICC Champions Trophy which will replace the ICC World Test Championship.

• ICC will utilise a more

efficient operating model for all ICC events, with a simplified accounting model across ICC income and expenditure to help better manage ICC administrative and event costs.

ICC President Alan Isaac said: “This is an important time for world cricket and it is extremely encouraging that the ICC Board has unanimously supported a set of far-reaching principles that will underpin the long-term prosperity of the global game.

“These principles emphasise the primacy of Test cricket and that for the first time in cricket’s history participation will be based entirely on meritocracy, giving everyone powerful incentives to play better cricket and develop better cricketers.

“There is more work to be done by the Members in developing their schedules of bilateral cricket while at the ICC we need to work through the detail of the manner in which these principles will be implemented.

“Extensive work will now be undertaken in advance of a follow-up Board meeting next month.”

Mr Isaac also expressed his disappointment with the misconceptions that had been created as a result of a draft position paper produced by three ICC Members being leaked.

“Several months ago I encouraged BCCI, CA and ECB to enter into a constructive dialogue together to help resolve some of the key commercial and governance issues facing the game. These leading cricket nations have worked tirelessly to produce a document which provided the basis for the past few weeks of extremely constructive discussions.

“It is obviously very disappointing that a draft position paper from these Members was leaked as this prompted a debate that ignored the ongoing negotiations between all Members and led to unwarranted criticism of many of those involved in the process.

“The principles agreed today provide clear evidence that through the course of further discussions over the coming weeks we can be increasingly confident in achieving consensus.”

David Richardson, the ICC Chief Executive, added: “An enormous amount of effort has gone into developing a comprehensive set of proposals that include input from all Members.

“The Board has held some very constructive, inclusive, wide-ranging and far-reaching discussions and I am looking forward to bringing to fruition some of the principles that have been proposed and accepted in relation to the cricketing structures of the global game.” (Cricinfo)

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wednesday, january 29, 2014

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