Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 2064 guyanatimesgy.com

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Leadership failure costing Caricom – Basdeo Panday

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Nandlall P2 rejects GHRA outburst on Rodney CoI

See story on page 9

GMSA honours outstanding businesses See story on page 18

Canal Number Two man P7 brutally chopped

Father of 11 drowns in BeehiveP canal

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The awardees of this year’s Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association Award Presentation and Dinner on Thursday evening at the Pegasus Hotel. Standing among them (eighth from left) is guest speaker, former Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Basdeo Panday alongside Guyana’s Prime Minister Samuel Hinds (Carl Croker photo)

Guyana closing gender inequality gap – Webster See story on page 3

Police shoot man during arrest See story on page 7

AFC Councillor P10 urges opposition to support AML Bill P15 Edghill: APNU afraid of people prospering

2 news Nandlall rejects GHRA outburst on Rodney CoI saturday, March 8, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

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ttorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlal said government is flummoxed at the outburst from the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) in relation to the Walter Rodney Inquiry. According to the Attorney General, great doubt exists in the minds of a wide cross-section of the Guyanese society in respect of whom now constitutes this organisation, what causes they prosecute and upon whose behalf they act, are all matters, which though germane, will be put aside on this occasion. The mysterious facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Dr Walter Rodney have hovered over Guyana like a dark cloud since June 13, 1980. “Over the last 34 years, calls have come from many parts of the world for a credible Commission of Inquiry

(CoI) to be conducted into the death of Dr Walter Rodney. Shortly after the incident in June, 1980, the PPP, the WPA and indeed, the then newly-formed vibrant and focused Guyana Human Rights Association, echoed similar requests. When the PPP assumed government in 1992, those demands were renewed by many, including, the immediate family of Dr Rodney and the WPA.” Tragic Recently, Dr Patricia Rodney, the wife of Dr Rodney and their daughter Asha Rodney, made an appeal to President Donald Ramotar to commission such an inquiry so that this tragic chapter in the life of their family can enjoy some closure. They specifically indicated that should the government accede to their request, they would like to participate in settling the

the Rodney’s CoI must be viewed. The GHRA directed their attack to the terms of reference which they, bewilderingly, believe may have “rich potential for stirring up Indo-Guyanese resentment against the PNC”. This belief is irrational at best and ludicrous at worst.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall

terms of reference of any such inquiry and that these terms of reference and the composition of the inquiry must not be made subject of a political process. President Ramotar acceded to the request and agreed to respect the wishes of the Rodney family. It is against the backdrop of that historical tapestry that terms of reference and composition of

Truth Like every Commission of Inquiry, this one is intended to bring forth the truth regarding the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Dr Rodney. The terms of references were carefully constructed to navigate the Commission to that destination. Dr Rodney was a politician who openly challenged the governmental regime of the day. It is a matter of public notoriety that political opponents of that regime were subjected to various forms of violence, intimi-

dation and surveillance by different groupings. The terms of reference are designed to permit, as far, as possible, the inquirers to form a clear picture of the political situation, atmosphere and environment in which Dr Rodney operated at the time of his demise. “There is nothing ulterior about them,” Nandlal said, noting that it appears as though the GHRA accepts as factual that IndoGuyanese were terrorised and targeted by the People's National Congress (PNC). “Assuming that this is so, why a human rights organisation would not want such information to be made public through whatever forum, speaks volumes of the credibility and agenda of such organisation,” the Attorney General said. “The contention advanced by APNU’s Basil Williams, in a statement made on March 6, that because Seenath Jairam,

SC appeared in a singular case in association with and for the Attorney General, infects Jairam with such a bias which renders him unsuitable to act as a Commissioner on the Walter Rodney’s CoI, is hereby rejected as wrong in both principle and law. That it emanated from a lawyer is even more unfortunate. The principles concerning bias in judicial and quasi-judicial tribunal are well known. For the record, neither the government nor Jairam SC, as far as I am aware, has an interest in the outcome of this inquiry,” the Attorney General said. Jairam has a long distinguished legal career at the practising bar of many jurisdictions in the Caribbean and at the Privy Council, London, appearing for citizens, and governments alike. He has served on numerous tribunals. He acted as a High Court Judge in Trinidad and Tobago.

PPP/C hails women’s contribution to Guyana’s development

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he People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has hailed the contributions of all Guyanese women in the development of Guyana on the occasion of International Women’s Day, which is being observed today. The PPP/C in a statement said it is proud of the sterling contribution Guyanese women have made and continue to make in all facets of national life, including politics, culture, sports, administration and several other disciplines. The party has noted with great pride the fact that a woman in the person of the late Janet Jagan had risen to the highest political office of the land, that of Executive President. The party commended the ruling administration for putting measures in place both at the legislative and administrative levels to protect and further ad-

vance the rights of women. “Women today enjoy the same rights as their male counterparts. The adage ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ is no longer applicable in our context as an increasing number of women are taking advantage of educational and training opportunities and are entering the world of work. Many of them are trailblazers in their respective areas of competence and performing with grace and distinction. “The party has taken note also of the fact that Guyana is one of the few countries in the region where it is constitutionally mandated that women comprise at least one-third of the list of candidates for national and regional elections. This is an indication of our evolving political maturity and our recognition of the contribution women can and do make to national development,” the release concluded.

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Saturday, March 8 from 08:35h-10:05h The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Saturday, March 8 from 08:35h-10:05h

WEATHER TODAY Countrywide: Light rain showers with sunny intervals can e expected during the day and into the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius. Wind: East north easterly between zero and 3.05 metres per second. High Tide: 09:11h and 21:5h1 reaching maximum heights of 2.27 metres and 2.12 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 02:43h and 15:18h reaching minimum heights of 1.00 metre and 0.98 metre respectively.

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Guyana closing gender inequality gap – Webster H

uman Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster said Guyana has come a long way in mainstreaming gender equality and the empowerment of women in national policies. According to Webster, access to productive resources including land and enhanced opportunities for political participation at all levels, including local, regional and national, is critical to addressing the inequalities faced by women, complementing and reinforcing the achievements in health and education. Addressing the 58th session of the Commission of the Status of Women at the United Nations headquarters, New York, on the “Contribution of Women, the Young and Civil Society to the post-2015 Development Agenda” on Thursday, Webster said, “We look forward to the transition from the MDGs to the post-2015 development agenda, Guyana joins Caricom in advocating for a stand-alone goal for gender equality and the empowerment of women as well of the integration of this objective in the post-2015 agenda.” She said it is imperative that violence against women remains a top priority in this context. It is hoped that once this is realised, the lessons of the MDGs and their implementation will provide a solid basis for the real and meaningful contribution of women and girls within our societies. This model, she said should also be replicated for a structured framework for the participation of wider society, inclusive of the young in developmental planning, demonstrative of an inclusive approach built

Human Services and Social Security Minister Jennifer Webster

on ownership of the process to achieve tangible gains. The role of men and boys is important as part of a comprehensive approach to these challenges.

Steady progress

The Minister said Guyana has maintained steady progress towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. “We have advanced in our efforts to reduce hunger, increase access to social services and benefits, improve enrolment in and completion of primary education, increase empowerment of women and achieve environmental sustainability. However, some of the areas that pose particular challenges include those that have a direct impact on the situation of wom-

en and children. Maternal and child mortality, though somewhat reduced, remain unacceptably high in relation to MDG targets. “The prospects of achieving our developmental objectives will be vastly improved with sustained economic growth and its effects on household income, revenue generation and public expenditure outlays. Improved data systems remains a challenge to measure progress in future years. The broader political and civil climate will remain critical in creating a conducive environment to encourage greater capital investment in the country and slow down the outward migration of professional and technical skills.”

Coordinated effort

In this regard, Webster said Guyana understands that it cannot achieve development objectives without resource inputs, supported by concerted and coordinated efforts by all stakeholders. By working together, the public sector, private sector and non-governmental organisations can increase effectiveness of the collective drive towards attaining sustainable development. “A well-developed civil society widens the democratic space and provides opportunities for the participation of citizens in the political and social life by giving voice to their views and concerns.  An active and informed civil society has a vital role to play in supporting enduring democra-

cies, underpinned by good governance practices of the challenges and constraints that governments face in implementation of policies,” the minister said. She added: My Government firmly believes that young people are the best architects for promoting their own development and solving their own problems. The inter-relatedness of education, health, labour and other social sector areas require a system for youth mainstreaming, the development of collaborative multi-sectoral strategies and the coordination and harmonisation of the efforts of the public and private sector, civil society and development partners. The challenges our youth face including high rates of unemployment, exclusion from the decision-making process and drugs and violence which impact upon security at the regional and national levels. These challenges need to be addressed in a holistic manner in the post-2015 agenda.” Initiatives at the national level have sought to improve the capacity of youth leaders at the community level to become change agents for good governance practise, building on their existing talent by way of training, mentoring, networking and implementing community projects, so that in the end, the selected regions will have a cadre of young leaders with enhanced skills to participate in and influence the governance processes at the community level.

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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

Women’s equality T

oday, for over the 100th time, the world once again commemorates “International Women’s Day”. The theme is “Inspiring Change”. From its shaky and tentative beginning in 1911, some might echo the old Virginia Slims tag line, “You’ve come a long way, baby!” But what is the reality? Like with every human phenomenon, there are no simple, snappy answers. By many criteria, one could assert that the lot of women have indeed improved. But in the end, that improvement has to be evaluated from a comparative perspective. Let us take the metric of education. In the Caribbean in general and Guyana in particular, girls are now outperforming boys in educational achievement across the board, even at the tertiary level. From the ethos of the Swettenham Circular, which excluded Indian girls from compulsory schooling, to the reality of today, girls are on top even in enrolment – though only marginally so in the universities. It is asserted, however, in what seems to be a dubious backhanded compliment, that the success of girls in education is because they are more passive than boys, and so are more amenable to the rote methodology of imparting education. But “education” is not, and was never, seen as an end in and of itself: it was supposed to deliver the better jobs in the economic sector that would, in turn, deliver the wherewithal for the “good life”. But when we look over in the job sector, we find that women are still vastly underrepresented in key sectors of the economy and over represented in the “homemaker” category. While on one hand, apologists would assert that the latter profession is a very “vital and valuable” one, it is pertinent to note that that “value” does not translate into “money”, which still remains the currency of exchange for valued goods. It is possible that the job of a homemaker might one day be a paid position, but if women are not being paid equally even for jobs as professionals, that day is certainly very far off. One of the reasons for the disparity of earning potentials between men and women might go back to the claimed passivity of women. Are they willing to agitate for “equal pay for equal work” which has been on the social agenda for more than a half a century? More than half a century ago, Kwame Nkrumah declared, “Seek ye first the political kingdom and all else would be added unto it!” He recognised the primacy of politics – at least in the modern world he found himself. The women of Guyana (and in the wider world) have evidently not discovered Nkrumah’s dictum, or if they have, have not pursued it. Even though half of the world’s population, and voters in democracies, women are still terribly unrepresented in politics. At the time of the reform of the Constitution in 2000, in what was considered a very enlightened and magnanimous approach, it was mandated that one-third of all legislators be women. The political parties have been hard put to match that proportion, so that one can only wonder when women might have an equal shot at the very top rungs of the political directorate. From the experience of the developed countries where the struggle for women’s equality has been conducted much longer, but they are yet lagging by every metric of equality, it is clear that there are powerful structural factors at work that keep the so-called “glass ceiling” in place. One of these, paradoxically, is the early conditioning for girls to “not rock the boat”, which facilitates their positive performance in the education sector. The answer to the conundrum of finally delivering equality to women might therefore have to come from the hand that “rocks the cradle” – women themselves. They will have to finally rear both their daughters and sons to see themselves of being equal in all respects.

Acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali being presented with the President’s Award by Mrs Doreen De Caires for his ministry’s sterling contributions in facilitating partnerships with the business sector to spur growth of entrepreneurship in manufacturing, services, engineering and construction (Carl Croker photo)

The GTUC dictatorship is ruining the CLC Dear Editor, The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is aghast that Lincoln Lewis, on behalf of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), would denounce the National Assembly which unanimously voted to restore the subvention to the Critchlow Labour College (CLC), once the GTUC amended the labour component on its board to have an equal number of representatives from the two umbrella labour organisations – the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and GTUC. For the past six years there have been calls from many quarters, especially the political opposition and anti-government public figures, to restore the subvention which government had suspended, citing that there must be accountability and democratic governance within the CLC. The rejection by the GTUC of the National Assembly’s unanimous motion is a clear indication that all the hullabaloo they made about the restoration of the subvention, had nothing to do about money and the students, but was merely about politics.  The GTUC leadership has stood steadfast that it would prefer to “rule over ruin”, a sick philosophy of many in the People’s National Congress (PNC), rather than come to a consensus that would be in the

interest of all stakeholders of the CLC and the national labour movement as a whole. Recently, in the National Assembly, there was that consensus – every one of the Members of Parliament registered their vote for reform in the governance of the CLC, by ensuring that the collective voice of the organised labour movement is represented on its board.  The swift and complete rejection by the GTUC is not only a slap in the face of the Alliance For Change (AFC) which brought the motion and the amendment, but it also reflects on the labour aristocracy which has hijacked the CLC.  A dictatorship that is not intent on managing the CLC for the development of our youth and the unity of the labour movement, but to achieve the objective of making the PPP/C government look bad.  It is this dictatorship that is hurting the CLC and preventing the unification of the labour movement. Labour Minister, Dr Nanda Gopual, in his contribution to the debate, said that it is inconceivable that one of the smallest unions in the country, with under 200 out of an organised labour population of 50,000, could hold the Presidency and General Secretary positions of the GTUC and for so long.  The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in all of its conventions and

policy statements speaks to the state and stakeholders consulting with the “the most representative organisations of labour”. The GTUC, and certainly the composition of the board of the CLC cannot and does not, pass this litmus test of the ILO. At least two former CLC principals, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and the late Godwin McPherson, wanted to ensure that the CLC would revert to being an institution of education rather than a vehicle of politics.  Dr Roopnaraine, who is also Deputy Leader of APNU, in his contribution to the motion, acknowledged that there was need for the broadening of the labour representative on the CLC board.  Dr Roopnaraine, who spoke his heart that night, had worked hard toward bringing the financial records of the CLC up to date and to deal with the accountability aspects of the CLC.  He was at that time providing for the requirements which were asked of the CLC by Education Minister Priya Manickchand.  This angered the GTUC dictatorship, who began to put pressure on him, and even threatened to fire him, causing him to quit in disgust, saying that the CLC was being run like a “cakeshop”.  McPherson, for all his efforts to put education first and politics behind, was padlocked out of his of-

fice when he was Principal. It is this bitterness and stubbornness of the GTUC dictatorship that is now turned on the National Assembly.  The PPP/C notes that both the GTUC leadership has now zeroed in on the character assassination of Dr Roopnaraine and Dr Gopaul. True to form, the leadership of the GTUC would oppose all initiatives to bring democratic governance to the CLC. The PPP/C, a party of workers, feels vindicated that it has all along correctly spoken about the leadership of the GTUC’s efforts to keep out democratic governance from being the norm. This has been the plague of the GTUC since the days of the PNC dictatorship, when at one time even two ministers of the PNC regime sat on the GTUC Executive – another element which is against all of the ILO conventions.  This refusal to bring democratisation to the GTUC has also been the cause of the split in the labour movement and the formation of the FITUG. Last week’s unanimity in the passage of the motion in Parliament was a rare show of consensus where the CLC was concerned. However, these hopes are once again being dashed by the minority that calls itself the GTUC. Respectfully submitted, Public Relations Unit PPP/C

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

The President must ensure racial balance in SWAT Dear Editor, Does anyone really believe Eusi Kwayana actually wants an answer when he inquires: “Will someone say whether the MPs know that at the last general elections, the President’s party polled under 50 per cent of the votes, won under 50 per cent of the seats and yet appointed 100 per cent of the ministers from his own narrowly defeated party? And does anyone believe that all the present (sic) unfairness and (sic) abuse of power and discrimination could be possible with a mixed Cabinet?” What’s brewing? Could the recent poke at the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) by the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), via Dr Clive Thomas, for its failure to pass the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) Amendment Bill be revealing confirmation that their “brother” Dr Rupert Roopnaraine will soon transform from their agarbatii incense stick into a mosquito destroyer still smoking? Can anyone recognise any mischief afoot to inject confusion or will we genuinely find some crossing the floor changes? No doggie has been able to catch its tail even if its spinning velocity is given more gas but they are welcome to try. “The eye sees not itself but by reflection,” says (Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar). To let Kwayana imbibe his own words, as a late blooming constitutional expert to comprehend the legalities by Guyana’s democracy is governed. It was Kwayana who himself wrote: “The PPP has a lawful minority President because of the 1980 Constitution (which) they had no part in making…. But the same constitution has a balance, whether some want to accept it or not, to the minority Presidency. It is the power of the same President to restore balance.” Has anyone now in the WPA, Alliance for Change (AFC) or APNU even the Buxton saga ever consistently advocated the racial balancing of the armed forces and civil service all exclusively funded by taxpayers as their official policy? Both President Donald Ramotar and the Home Affairs Minister Clement

Rohee are certainly also under eyewitness scrutiny regarding the finality of the racial balance of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. Such type of balance or equality does not concern Kwayana or the AFC which was to make the biggest difference. “The fault lies not in our stars but ourselves that we are underlings” makes Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar such an excellent Guyanese prophet. In his legendary rush to defend kith and kin, Kwayana’s excoriates both sides of the National Assembly for requirement of Federation of Independent Trade Unions in Guyana (FITUG) board membership at the Critichlow Labour College (CLC) in return for taxpayer funding. He writes: “I don’t excuse whatever faults the unions have. But it seems quite easy to reach a consensus to bully the unions.” Yeah right! Nice try. It would seem Kwayana arrogantly feels he is anointed with Papal power to excuse or ratify sins and faults like the Catholic Church selling of indulgences. With his extraordinary cunning method of madness, how quickly Kwayana changes his camouflage to swiftly lambast the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government and dagger APNU, whom he is behind. In the initial termination of taxpayers funding for CLC, Kwayana charges: “The denial was a selfish, heartless act and a breach of what Parliament, that is the

National Assembly and the President, had approved in the Appropriations Act.” Furthermore, he rails how now, without hearing the affected trade union body, the National Assembly has imposed a condition larded with phrases of reconciliation and labour unity. Why does Kwayana find it so repulsive even when the combined National Assembly makes a tiny step to advance anything to do with reconciliation and unity? As if the current political gridlock is not stultifying enough, Kwayana prefers moving it up by his agenda into the cabinet to be hidden from public eyes. With the Trojan horse safely within, Kwayana would like us to believe he will permanently have sailed away to imperialist America. Kwayana’s Brer Anancy-like efforts to get political power has reenergised his expired relevance of doom division and disaster of which he is an accomplished expert. He knows enough but fails to fully comprehend even as he admits: “I know that my letter writing watchmen will be answering this letter and especially the rest of it.” Educated in the last century he has bravely adjusted to the reality that the members of the National Assembly can all count, one, two, three. Most of them have calculators, an educational aid unknown in his time. For those in the opposition promising they will dish out lavish goodies when in government control of the country’s treasury they must really be delusional to believe by

illegal reductions (count one, two, three now) they can, like Jesus Christ, feed more than a multitude of both believers and unbelievers with fewer loaves and nonhalal fishes. If less is more, shouldn’t it apply to the Cabinet as well? Such Kwayana-type recalibrations to piggyback onto others to achieve his kind of equality involves imposing guilt, entitlement, division, abuse, and traditionally always demanding a change of the rules in the middle of the contest. The PPP was split in 1955, the electoral system was changed in 1964 from first past the post to pro-

portional representation. Overseas and proxy voting became the norm in 1968, rigging elections, changing the constitution in 1980 and forcing Guyana’s best brains to leave has all been done. In 1964, when the PPP got the largest amount of votes and with the imposition of proportional representation which allowed the PNC-United Force (UF) coalition to become the new government, could Kwayana explain what prevented him from advocating the inclusion of that party in a national front government or equality only matters when it serves his permanent in-

terests? Has Guyana’s political mess been cleaned up by their solutions? Kwayana last demanded a fixed permanent election date on the calendar a la the U.S. No Commonwealth country has such a feature, but these demands by “any means necessary” are all designed to destroy the PPP/C and their supporters. It’s either his way or the highway to extinction. Federalism can make a difference to ensure the permanent distribution of political power. Sincerely, Sultan Mohamed

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Foundation

The many benefits of teaching children a second language BY WILL NOBLE

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A head start in life

he world is changing fast. One of the greatest of these changes is the way in which it’s shrinking due to travel and improved communications. The Internet, multinational businesses, gap years, and overseas placements and internships are just a handful of reasons why having a second language capability is not to be underestimated. Important, too, is the advantage of picking up a second language early on. From a very early age, many children now speak more than their native language alone. In many countries, monolingualism is becoming the exception to the rule. And yet Englishspeaking children continue to be slow off the blocks. Teaching your children a second language will earn them a head start in life that

simply can’t be overestimated.

Confusion? What confusion?

One whopping great myth about teaching a second language to young children is that it will confuse them. But let’s be realistic; in their first few years on the planet, children are bombarded with information yet still manage to process and understand the majority of it. Don’t take just anyone’s word for this; here’s what the U.S. Multilingual Children’s Association has to say on the matter: “Rest assured that your child’s little brain has more than enough horsepower to cope with two languages or more without affecting the dominant language.” Indeed, the Multilingual Children’s Association goes on to say that a child only really starts to show signs of confusion if he or she is being taught more than four languages. And you’re prob-

ably not planning on going that far.

What’s school for then?

School plays a vital part in any child’s upbringing, and that includes teaching multilingualism. A second language in Western schools (notably Spanish, German, French, and increasingly, Mandarin) features as part of the curriculum, and rightly so. The issue here is that this teaching isn’t necessarily soon enough. To be anatomical about it for a moment, the brain’s synapses peak before the age of two, and during that time, gray matter is more flexible. That means a very young person is in peak physical condition to absorb another language. Says language expert Caryn Antonini: “In the first six months of life, babies babble using 70 different tones; however, they start discarding sounds and words they don’t hear in their everyday environment.”

Even if you decide not to teach your children until they’re actually learning at school, extra-curricular learning at this stage will help strengthen their language skills, not to mention their resolve to do better in class. There are some unexpected benefits of parentchild learning too, notably the bonding that emerges from learning sessions.

Where to begin?

As a parent or guardian, teaching your child a second language can seem a daunting prospect, especially if you don’t speak that language yourself. Help, however, is at hand. And plenty of it, too. The sheer amount of language learning aides available to parents is near-overwhelming. Says Antonini: “There are so many resources these days to help your child learn… DVDs, television shows, books and magazines can all be very helpful.”

The Internet is another invaluable mine of language learning, particularly with its wealth of games. Sites like Learning Games for Children, Digital Dialects, and Chilloa provide fun and effective tools for children, which they can use with minimal supervision. Of course, the more you integrate yourself into your child’s learning, the more you’ll get out of it too. So if you’ve always wanted to be able to count to 100 in Spanish, now is the ideal opportunity for you to learn.

The pay-off

Where to begin with the benefits of teaching your child a second language? There is a whole host of payoffs, which can be witnessed early on, that will likely continue right through your child’s adult years. In language lessons at school, your children will hit the ground running. If they take lessons in the lan-

guage you’ve started teaching them at home, there’s every chance they will progress more quickly, and be able to study at a higher level. If the language is a different one, those gray matter muscles will be in prime shape to tackle another. As Sophie Spyrou says: “Children who have been able to master two languages by the time they have started school will be able to take on a third language. Bilingual children notice differences in expression, cultural influences and they can sometimes even see the origin of some commonly used words.” The benefits at school are not purely linguistic either. For one thing, bilingual children are prone to have a well-formed cultural awareness of the world around them, especially about the countries in which their second language is spoken. Research also has shown that children who already have a second language in hand by school age often prove themselves to be more selfconfident, self-regulated, and adept when it comes to other subjects, in particular English. Projecting further ahead, signs point strongly to the fact that multilingual candidates are also those who weigh up as favourites in various situations. Say your child’s university has a handful of year-long placements at a top Spanish university: candidates with the more advanced language skills stand in better stead to secure a position. Say a German company in the States is looking to hire someone for an exciting new role: the candidate who’s been speaking German since age four stands a superb chance of being awarded the position. Korn/Ferry International, the world’s largest executive search firm, noted that 64 per cent of executives spoke two or more languages, certainly no random chance. Start teaching your children a second language today, and it might just mean the extra advantage for their getting that CEO position 30 years down the line. (pimsleurapproach.com)

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Canal Number Two man brutally chopped

Sultan Eshack

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father of five who was allegedly living with another man’s wife was on Thursday afternoon brutally chopped by the woman’s husband. The incident occurred at about 20:00h. Sultan Eshack, 40, of Lot 419 Belle West, Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara was reportedly chopped at least five times to his upper body

and head by a man who has been identified as Ricky Manickchand also called “Candyman”. The injured man was admitted to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, but was subsequently discharged. The suspect also received injuries but did not visit the medical facility to seek medical attention. The police have not visited the house where the chopping incident occurred as the cutlass that was used was seen in the trench in front of the injured man’s house. According to information received, the suspect and his wife had separated about three months ago, and in turn, the woman went to live with Eshack at his house. Ever since that happened, the two men were at constant loggerheads. The woman reportedly separated from her husband, complaining of frequent abuse. The separation was mutual, but Manickchand would track down the woman’s every move.

Lisa Eshack, the man’s daughter told Guyana Times that on the night of the incident, her father was not at home, but upon his return about 20:00h, he was attacked by Manickchand, who was hiding behind the gate to their yard. The woman stated, that the man jumped the fence; screwed off the electricity bulb and waited on her father. Her stepmother, she added might have been the main target, but her father faced the blunt of the attack. “When my father reached home, he called out to Kavita and as he opened the gate, the man run out and start chop… after he realised he get chop, he fight back and by then neighbours run to assist.” She said that the man made good his escape. Her father was taken to the West Demerara Hospital where he was admitted. The woman recalled that ever since her father took home the woman, Manickchand would appear in front of their home and threaten to kill him and burn down his house.

24 murders recorded in two months − Police

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he Guyana Police Force on Friday reported that there were 24 murders between January 1 and February 28, a 20 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period last year. Of the 24 murders, four were of the disorderly type; five were committed during armed robberies; and three were domestic-related, while the other 12 are so far undetermined. Again, most of the murders occurred in A Division with eight; B, C and F divisions recorded five each while one was recorded in G Division. However, 642 reports of serious crimes were made between January 1 and February 28 compared to 637 for the same period in 2013. Some of the offences monitored were murder,

robbery under arms, robbery with violence, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping. With respect to robberies under arms, there has been an overall increased by 42 per cent with 206 reports, compared to 145 for the corresponding period in 2013. Nevertheless, statistics indicate an increase of 62 per cent in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms; and a 12 per cent decrease in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators. Statistics relating to traffic revealed that there has been 19 road fatalities recorded from 18 accidents at the end of February 2014 when compared to

19 deaths from 17 accidents for the same period in 2013. Pedestrians continue to be the main road users affected with eight of them losing their lives at the end of February. In addition, six motorcyclists, four pedal cyclists and one passenger of a motor vehicle have also met their demise. Speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents and was the cause of 12 of the 18 fatal accidents recorded at the end of February. Traffic enforcement by the police during January resulted in a total of 13,321 cases being made against errant motorists at the end of February, of which 3418 cases were for speeding. There has been one fatal accident thus far this month.

Father of 11 drowns in Beehive canal

Police ranks taking the body of Eburn Halley out of the backdam on Friday

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search for “sweet broom” turned detrimental for a father of 11 on Friday after he suffered a seizure of epilepsy and fell into a canal and was unable to get out. One month shy of his 48th birthday, Eburn “Buddy” Halley of Lot 39 Beehive Village, East Coast Demerara was found in a canal aback Beehive by his employees. He is suspected to have drowned. He was found with the sweet broom bush in his hands, along with his radio and mobile phone. There was no mark of violence about his body. Emeline Halley, the man’s mother, told Guyana Times that her son left home just after 05:00h for the backdam. She recalled packing his lunch bag and as he was leaving, she reminded him to collect some sweet broom bushes, which had to be sent for a relative over-

seas. In return, he promised not to forget the bushes and he left. However, while at home about 13:30h, she received a telephone call from one of his employees who informed her that her son was found in the canal and it seems as though he is dead. She was then asked to contact the police, but out of frustration and panic, she raised an alarm and the neighbours rushed to her house, and as such, related the news to them. The police was contacted and they went into the area and brought out the body. His body was pale, but there were no sign that foul play was involved, she added. The distraught woman told this publication that her son would work in the interior, but whenever he is at home,

he works with a group of people in the area. He has been working with them for the past 18 years. Upon inquiring from them, she was told that Buddy left the worksite claiming that he was going to collect some sweet broom bushes for a relative, but after some time elapsed and he did not return, they went in search of him. As they approached the canal, they saw him floating in the water in a motionless state. At that time, she was told that they contacted his mother. She said that the possibility exists that he might have suffered a seizure of “fits” or “Blackout”. The aggrieved mother recalled that after he came out of the interior in December last, he had an injury to his finger and she took him to see a doctor. The doctor advised him not to drink and smoke since he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. The woman added that after he came off the medication, he would intermittently consume alcohol and smoke “he lil cigarettes”. This, she added, might have contributed to his demise. Halley leaves to mourn his 11 children and seven siblings, along with his mother. His body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home and is awaiting a post-mortem.

Police shoot man during arrest

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man was on Thursday evening shot in his legs by police ranks who claimed that he resisted arrest after a firearm was found in his possession. Police spokesman Ivelaw Whittaker in a release stated that about 23:15h, on the night in question, ranks of a

police mobile patrol stopped and searched two men on a motor cycle at Plum Park, Sophia. During their search on the two men, the police alleged that an unlicensed 9mm. pistol with one round and a .38 revolver with six rounds were found on their person.

The release added that during efforts to arrest one of the men, he was shot to his legs by the ranks. He was then taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted under guard. The other is in police custody. The police are continuing their investigations.

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U.S. committed to advancing the cause of women

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he U.S. Embassy in Geogetown said International Women’s Day is more than a moment marked on a calendar. The embassy in a release said the occasion is not just to renew determination to make the world a more peaceful and prosperous place − but to recognise that a world where opportunities for women grow is a world where the possibilities for peace, prosperity, and stability grow even more.  Countries that value and empower women to participate fully in decision-making are more stable, prosperous, and secure.  “The Obama administration has made advancing the status of women and girls a

central element of U.S. foreign policy, and the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown will continue to reach out to the Guyanese community to support and recognise women who are making a difference,” the embassy said.  In its early years, International Women’s Day honoured the women’s rights movement, including advocating for the right to vote and hold public office, and for ending discrimination in the workplace.  Efforts to ensure equal rights and access for women have achieved notable success.  Throughout the world, more girls are in school today.  More women are in the workforce.  More women serve in public office.  And more countries have passed

laws recognising and en- worked diligently to achieve suring women’s equality. these noble goals.    Despite this progress, the The Department of State struggle continues.  Women has multiple and wide-rangare still more likely to be ing global initiatives to proamong the world’s poorest, tect women and girls from most prone to sickness, and violence, promote women’s most likely to be lacking in social and economic develnutrition.  opment, and enhance women’s full participation in civic and political life.  Time to reflect “Our Embassy is dediToday, International Women’s Day is observed as cated to supporting the dea time to reflect on progress, velopment and empowerto advocate for even more ment of women and girls change, and to celebrate in Guyana.  Through the acts of courage and determi- President’s Emergency Plan nation by women who have for AIDs Relief, pregnant made a difference in their HIV positive mothers are communities and countries.  assured to know their status This year’s Department and receive necessary preof State theme is “Women, ventative care so as to prePeace, and Security”, and vent infecting their unborn women in Guyana, and babies,” the release said. throughout the world, have

Exchange programmes

The embassy continues to send women and girls from Guyana to the U.S. for special exchange programmes so that they can network with other women and girls and develop their leadership and professional skills. “Some of our exchange programmes of the past include themes such as:  women’s leadership and political participation, combating trafficking in persons, women’s entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment.  To date, our Youth Ambassadors Programme has sent 15 girls to the United States for a leadership and service development programme, and we continue to send women to be active participants in our International Visitor Leadership Programme. The U.S. Embassy has also helped to establish shelters for victims of domestic violence and its youth programmes have helped young women, and men, to develop skills that strengthen their qualifications for better economic opportunities.  Last year, the embassy hosted a Women’s History Month film series with themes focusing on women’s empowerment; many of the films were also directed by women.  Peace Corps Guyanasponsored Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) Camp in August − a camp with activities focused on teamwork, building self-esteem, goal-setting, decision-making, and creating healthy relationships and lifestyles.  It was an extraordinary event that helped to foster self-esteem and build support networks for Guyanese girls and young women.  “No country can succeed unless every citizen is empowered to contribute to its future.  So today, we mark the miles women have traveled around the world − but more importantly − we commit to working together with members of the Guyanese public and private sectors to continue on the journey,” the U.S. Embassy said.

Eyew tness Sideshow... T

...by GHRA he GHRA’s a funny organisation? Not “ha ha” funny... but “strange” funny. You’d think an organisation’s name would at least give a hint of what they do, wouldn’t you? Not the Guyana Human Rights Association! In over a decade, we’ve never seen them take up a human rights issue. Not one. But when it comes to politics, the GHRA’s there before you can say “Burnham”! Not “Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham”...just “Burnham”. If Guyana had a “Truth in Labelling” law, Mike McCormack – the GHRA’s leader-for-life – would be jailed for the rest of his miserable life. Now don’t tell me about McCormack (and it’s always McCormac...the GHRA is the ultimate one-man show) picking up cases like the kid whose genitals were burnt by some cops. He’ll jump on the bandwagon of these cases only because its one the opposition have already placed on their agenda. Talk about the ordinary human rights violations of people in Lodge or Lesbeholden...and the GHRA is stricken dumb. So we weren’t surprised in any way, shape or form when the GHRA issued its usual prolix “press release” on the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into Dr Rodney’s killing. We didn’t even ask “whose human rights are being violated”. We knew that was a non sequitur when the GHRA and McCormack are involved. As usual we looked for the political angle – which would have to be about bashing the PPP/C Government. The latter orientation is built into the GHRA’s genome...they just can’t help themselves. But before we even got into the political angle, we were struck at how warped McCormack had become with his hatred of the PPP/C: he didn’t even do his homework to back up the allegations he’d hurled. “Further efforts (after 1995) to mount an inquiry generated much acrimony and were resisted by the government, the most persistent being in 2008, following a much publicised picket of the government by Dr Rodney’s son Shaka Rodney.” Fact of the matter is that Shaka’s fast and vigil was back in late 1993-early1994 and led to the PPP/C appointing Doodnauth Singh as Special Prosecutor to prosecute Gregory Smith. That process fell through, even the GHRA conceded, because of extradition technicalities. But in dishonestly mixing up the time sequence, McCormack the old hustler, tries to rub doo doo on the PPP/C’s behind. Plus a change... ...on retribution In making his political move, McCormack then proceeded to tie himself further into a pretzel. He claims that three of the terms of reference suggest a “criminal investigation”, but the fourth, in guaranteeing “absolute pardon(s)” contradicts this. Now we don’t know where or when McCormack got his law degree, but maybe he could tell us how else you’d word the directive to inquire into an act of death by violence. And why should McCormack be surprised that the premises of the PPP/C-designed inquiry is based on restorative and not retributive justice? Does McCormack believe the quality of mercy, when strained, couldn’t drop on the PPP/C, but only he and his kind? The GHRA, like so many others, have been clamouring for Guyanese to “move on”. Do they think we’ll do that by going the “eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth route”?? Your Eyewitness never thought he’d see the day when “the cold, callous, totalitarian PPP/C” (according to the GHRA) would be accused of being too “soft”. And by a “human rights” group at that! ...on forgiveness McCormack contends the PPP/C couldn’t possibly want peace and harmony because surveillance activities against “the political Opposition” and not just the WPA was made the remit of the CoI. Since this would include activities against the PPP/C, this might just rile up all those Indian supporters of the PPP/C! But wouldn’t it also prove the Opposition’s (and the GHRA’s) claim that the PPP/C was a “toothless poodle”, which didn’t need surveillance then?

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Leadership failure costing Caricom – Basdeo Panday F ormer Trinidad and Tobago (TT) Prime Minister Basdeo Panday on Thursday said the failure in leadership among member states will be the downfall of the Caribbean Community (Caricom). Panday was at the time delivering the feature address at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) annual award presentation at the Savannah Suite, Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Geogetown. The former TT Prime Minister also pointed out that there are several problems hindering the survival of Caricom; however, he pointed out that to say the integration movement has been a total failure is unfair. Panday highlighted the imports and export figures of the region, which he said reveals that the benefits of integration have been onesided. He noted that this uneven development has been

lack of harmonisation statistics,” he stated According to the former TT Prime Minister, the harmonisation of statistics necessitates that there is common data which can be compared among the member states. He pointed out that this is a crucial concern at the regional level, especially with the implementation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Former TT Prime Minister Basdeo Panday

one of the constraints to the deeper integration process. Other factors that militates deeper integrations include the fact that the area is not contiguous. “It is only united by what divides it – the Caribbean Sea, therefore, transport is a major problem,” he said, pointing out that though several attempts have been

made to address this issue, there has been no progress. Panday also said that the absence of contiguity and the issue of transport contribute to the problem of decisionmaking. “Decision-making has been made difficult not merely because of the absence of contiguity but because of the structure of Caricom and the

CSME

Panday noted that the monitoring of the CSME’s performance, (which he is lacking), can only be possible if there is a core set of statistics that are accurate, comparable and reliable. He pointed out that another constraint to the development of Caricom is the failure to implement decisions; hence, there is dire need for serious mechanisms to be in place for the enforcement of

decisions. “The view has been expressed that the misunderstood concept of sovereignty and the ambition of some leaders contribute to the problem of implementation,” he contended. Panday noted that Caricom has failed to address the issue of unequal development in the region, saying: “There has been almost a total failure to help one another develop their economies.” There have also been questions of Caricom’s survival in the global economy. On this note, Panday highlighted that the entity faces two difficulties in its fight to survive, namely, completion of the interregional integration scheme and the interregional trade policy. “There is need for systems to deepen functional co-operation and to improve efficiency in the delivery of public services,” he explained. Panday further stat-

ed that with the expiration of trade arrangements with perhaps its two largest partners, the U.S. and the Europe Union (EU), Caricom leaders have failed to implement strategies to embed Caricom economies into a dynamic and competitive global economy. He quoted several regional leaders who spoke about Caricom’s downfall in the near future, ending his impactful speech with the advice that key Caricom member states should advance independently. The former TT Prime Minister advised that TT, Guyana and Suriname may find it beneficial to further integrate their economies and to jointly pursue trade arrangements with Brazil, Venezuela and other Latin American countries. “I have always maintained that the destiny of Trinidad and Tobago is continental not Caribbean,” he contended.

WPA: Inquiry should stick to death of Rodney – says to go outside is to open Pandora's Box

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he Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has called on government to remove a paragraph from the terms of reference (ToR) into Dr Walter Rodney’s death, saying that it had nothing to do with the politician’s killing. In a letter to President Donald Ramotar raising a number of concerns regarding the inquiry, the WPA said “on the terms of reference proper, we have grave concerns that paragraph (iv) strays a considerable distance from the precisions of paragraph (i) that properly tasks the Commission with examining the facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of, and subsequent to the death of Dr Walter Rodney… how does the time period defined in paragraph a (iv) – 1 January 1978 to 31 December 1980” – qualify as being immediately prior, at the time of, and subsequent to the death of Dr Walter Rodney”? the WPA asked. The party, which is a plank in the coalition, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) says: “We are of the view that the scope of paragraph (iv) goes well beyond what is required for the determination of responsibility as expressed clearly in para (i). Instead, para (iv) runs the risk of opening a Pandora’s box that will guarantee an unwelcome poisoning of the political environment which, you will agree, is already toxic enough. We urge that paragraph (iv) be removed from the terms of reference,” the WPA said in the letter signed by its leader, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Executive Member, Professor Clive Thomas. Guyana Times tried unsuccessfully to clarify some issues in the WPA’s letter, but Dr Roopnaraine was later quoted in one section of the media as questioning what the activities against

Dr Walter Rodney

the then People's National Congress (PNC) administration of then President Forbes Burnham had to do with Rodney’s death.

Fishing expedition

“It seems to me a fishing expedition and I don’t see what there is to be gained from it other than propaganda value against the PNC,” he said. Dr Roopnaraine reiterated that the aim is to get an inquiry that would arrive at a credible conclusion. “Had we been consulted on the terms of reference, I believe we would have had much to say about that paragraph,” he was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, the WPA in its letter told the President that in its initial observation, there is a marked departure from the process that generated the Government Motion laid in the National Assembly on June 25, 2005, the present arrangements have not benefited from any consultation whatsoever with the opposition political parties in the National Assembly. “You may recall the efforts that went into the attempt to forge a parliamentary consensus on that 2005 motion. In the end, what was achieved was something

WPA Leader Rupert Roopnaraine

less than a consensus since, as you know, the government abstained on the WPA amendments and on their motion as a whole. While the PNC and the WPA supported the amendments and the motion, the government withheld its support for its own motion based on its insistence that the word “assassination” not be replaced by the word “death”, as was proposed in the amendments. Now, nine years later, the government seems to have come around to acknowledging its earlier error as the Commission is properly charged with inquiring into the death of Walter Rodney.”

Unswerving misgivings

Additionally, the WPA said it has grave and unswerving misgivings over the appointment of Senior Counsel, Seenath Jairam as a Commissioner on the three-man panel. “As you must be aware, Mr Jairam was the lead counsel representing the Government of Guyana in the recent budget cut case before the Chief Justice Ian Chang. While Mr Jairam is indisputably a highly placed and respected member of the Trinidad and Tobago bar whose pro-

fessionalism is not in question, we are of the view that, in these highly charged political issues, his past representations may not free him from the appearance of bias.” The WPA added: “As you are well aware, proper due process cannot ever entertain the slightest appearance of a conflict of interest. We urge therefore that the appointment of Mr Jairam be revoked and a more suitable Commissioner be appointed in his place.” Finally, the WPA said that granting of an absolute pardon to all persons “in respect of, or incidental to all acts of things done, including offences commit-

ted in connection with or in relation to the death of Dr Walter Rodney” would seem to have the Commission of Inquiry tip-toe in the direction of a Truth Commission, even while the ToR and the prevailing conditions fall far short of the complex requirements of a Truth Commission. Although not outrightly objecting, the WPA said: “Perhaps it is enough, at this stage and in our conditions, that it pins the flag of reconciliation on its mast.” President Donald Ramotar recently swore in the three-member Commission headed by Barbadian Queen’s Counsel

Richard Cheltenham. He will serve alongside Jamaican Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, and Guyanese-Trinidadian Senior Counsel Seenauth Jairam. Dr Rodney was killed on June 13, 1980 while sitting in his car on John Street outside the Georgetown Prison. His brother and other WPA activists at the time had accused former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) electronics expert, Sergeant Gregory Smith of giving Rodney a walkie-talkie to test against the metal fence of the jail. A bomb was planted in the communications device.

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AFC Councillor urges opposition to support AML Bill

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lliance For Change (AFC) Region Six Councillor Haseef Yusuf on Thursday tabled a motion at the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC) statutory meeting, calling for all to support the passing of the anti-money laundering bill. Yusuf said parliamentary approval of the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) (Amendment) Bill is urgently important to protect the image of Guyana, the business community and ordinary Guyanese. In his motion, the AFC Councillor said the bill is compliant with the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and should be supported hands down. He argued that the non-support of the legislation by the AFC and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) says much of the two parties and how they foresee Guyana. However, fellow AFC Councillor Donna Mathoo said Yusuf is speaking for himself and not the party.

AFC Councillor Haseef Yusuf

Another AFC Councillor Rohan Jagasshwar said: “As leader of the AFC, I am surprised at what I just heard. We will not be supporting that motion.” But Michael Hintzen, also of the AFC, said he is in full support of the AML/ CFT (Amendment) Bill but stopped short of saying he fully supports the motion. People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Councillor Zaman Hussain contended that democracy is fast becoming an alien concept to the AFC, while describing Yusuf’s motion as

sound and historic. “When a Councillor can come out and speak his mind and speak truth regardless of the views of his colleagues and what they may think; that is democracy,” Hussain said. APNU Councillor Jevughn Stephens told the meeting that government should consider the amendments to the bill the coalition has proposed. APNU wants the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to be appointed by the House and not the Finance Minister and for the police to stop and search persons with cash in excess of $10 million or jewellery, once there is reasonable suspicion of money laundering. “We were suggesting $2 million, now we’re suggesting $10 million because the government said that $2 million was too low. All we are asking for is better accountability.” When the motion was put to the floor for a vote, four councillors disappeared from their chair. In all, 22 voted in support of the motion, two against, while five councillors refused to vote.

Free Link Shows in town

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s not very often yuh does get a chance to see and hear so many jokers around in any one place fuh so much of de time. But Guyana is a place that got nuff a dem. And GT de garbage town got most a dem. Yuh does have to pay to see de Link Show jokers and dem does be actin. But from de Parliament to de rum shop to de car park to de pavement – is every where does have a lil Link Show goin on. And yuh ain’t got to pay fuh see that. And dem people in this Link Show ain’t actin either. A reporter seh de Link Show attendance drop this year. That is exactly why. Yuh don’t have to watch Robbin Son alone to get a good laugh. Just walkin round GT de garbage town is good enough. Better yet, as yuh walkin around, drop in by S*ity Hall some time. As soon as yuh drop in, yuh gon drop down and laugh till yuh belly buss. Is sheer real life jokers in deh. That is a different kinda Link Show. No body ain’t actin in deh. That is business as usual. Any meetin is just like watchin de Link Show. Starrin Green Ham, Green Case and Roy Stone. Next year, if Robbin Son wanna mek more money, he ain’t gon have to pay any actors and he ain’t gon have to pay any rental fuh a run down Hen-C-C. He could just announce a fee and charge people to enter de S*ity Council. De S*ity Council can’t even do a proper budget. De Mayor-fuh-Life wanna bring more jokers pun de wuk. But dem ain’t payin dem any jokey money. And de garbage whah dem gon leff in GT de garbage town ain’t no joke. Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! A few steps down de road does be another Link Show whenever Parliament in session. That is also free, starrin Green Bridge, Rum Jhaat and Donkey Man. Best actor is Rum Jhaat, who does also give free shows at 7-Owe-4.

Women empowerment must start at community level – GHRA

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he Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) said there is clear evidence that rights of women are being progressively realised in Guyana at the legal level, but, alarmingly, are more unpredictable and insecure in their implementation. Over the past two decades, human and women rights activists have been successful in securing modern legislation on a number of women’s issues. “We can tick off the gains: Equal Rights Act (1990), Medical Termination of Pregnancy (1995); Domestic Violence (1996); Prevention of Discrimination (1997); Electoral Reform (2001); Combating of Trafficking in Persons (2005); Age of Consent (2005); Sexual Offences (2010). These progressive acts compare favourably with what pertains in the rest of the Caribbean,” the GHRA said in a statement to mark International Women’s Day today. However, it noted that the more pertinent question then becomes, what is preventing vigorous implementation of these laws? The GHRA said the easy targets for criticism are bodies such as the police and the courts, but the problems may also relate to their ca-

pacity rather than their willingness to embrace change. “This then calls for different strategies on the part of civil society. Naming and shaming remain effective tactics for generating emergency responses to individual cases of victims of trafficking or police brutality, but leaves the inefficient implementing legal or administrative machinery largely intact,” the human rights body said.

Frequently overlooked

It noted that a point frequently overlooked is that every case of abuse that attracts national attention takes place in a locality or neighbourhood and the lack of institutional capacity to address it is usually located in local police stations, health centres, magistrates’ courts and village councils. “Our original question needs, therefore, to be further re-stated in terms of what is required to promote more efficient implementation of rights and status of women in neighbourhoods and local communities. The obvious first response is that a far larger number of women need to be encouraged to become active. A second consideration is that since women spend more time than men in their neighbour-

hoods, their activism will also be predominantly based in the communities.” These, the GHRA said, point in the direction of greater involvement of women in local government and administration. This is the most sustainable and effective starting-point to secure women’s security, rights and status. “The major challenge of such an approach is that neither the current image nor the reality of politics is attractive to women: dominated by men, by discord and distrust and stuck in ethnic division and corruption. “Moreover, females currently in public life at the national level are not yet sufficiently numerous to impact on this unappealing image. Thus, most dynamic and creative women remain largely outside of formal politics and those in a position to exercise real power are few and fractured between various parties. "The options seem to come down, on the onehand, to non-party activism from the sidelines and, on the other, restricted but real inside influence. However, the time has perhaps come when this situation has to be addressed more openly,” the GHRA said.

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saturday, march 8, 2014 | guyanatimesGY.com

project Edghill: APNU afraid Shadehouse for Wednesday launch of people prospering T

Minister within the Finance Ministry Juan Edghill during the anti-money laundering consultation with residents of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara

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inister within the Finance Minister Juan Edghill said the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) must explain to the people of Guyana, why they are afraid of people prospering, and enjoying a better life. He issued the call during a town hall meeting on the Opposition’s posture on the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) (Amendment) Bill at the Lusignan Community Centre ground, East Coast Demerara on Thursday. “I thought in their campaign (elections campaign) they said that they wanted a better life for Guyanese. Well, it would appear that if you try to make a better life, you will become the subject of their hate and the subject of their scorn and the subject of their ridicule,” he said.

Unconscionable

Minister Edghill told the residents that APNU’s amendments to the bill are unconscionable and will have major impact and effect on the people of Guyana. Initially, the coalition had proposed to empower police and customs officers to seize currency and jewellery to the value of over $2 million if they suspect that the said currency is the proceeds of crime. Recently, the party amended this proposal to allow for seizure cash and jewellery in excess of $10 million. “Whether it is $2 million,

$10 million, $2 or $10, it is something that we should look at very carefully because money is not contraband. In no part of the world would a man or woman be jailed just because they have money,” Minister Edghill pointed out. Noting that money launderers are not people who walk around with cash and are in fact people who are seeking to convert their cash into other means, Minister Edghill said that the amendment could not really be targeting money launderers.

Target

Minister Edghill said therefore APNU must be called upon to say who exactly they are targeting by making cash contraband. “A man who has a cambio has to have money because he has to buy money, a person who has a business has to have cash on them, a rice farmer who just cut his rice and is going to pay off his loan for his combine has to have money on him… so who are they targeting?” Minister Edghill asked. “People who have hard earned cash must not be made to suffer and be exposed to abuse by the authorities because of this amendment that the APNU is making,” he said. Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall noted that all stakeholders including the diplomatic community have spoken out on the matter, calling for the bill’s passage, cog-

nisant that if the country is blacklisted, the world will assume Guyana is a country of money launderers, of criminals and of drug traffickers and terrorists. The Lusignan community was the latest targeted by government in a continuation of its series of public outreaches and consultations with the public as it relates to the nonpassage of the bill. Government has been reaching out to the citizens, urging them to speak out against the Opposition holding the bill hostage and as a consequence, putting the economic future of the country and the people in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Lusignan residents are calling for street protests and elections over the Opposition’s posture on the AML/CFT (Amendment) Bill.

"We mean business"

During the meeting, one resident pointed out that while the town hall meetings were all well and good, what must happen is for “people of all walks of life to go out in their numbers, in the streets and make these people (the Opposition) know we mean business,” the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. GINA added that another resident expressed the view that for too long the Opposition has held the country at ransom. “They continue to cut the budget… we need to stop it, even if we have to go back to snap election,” she said.

he Sustainable Livelihoods and Community Economic Growth through Hydroponic and Organic Vegetable Production and Marketing Project, will be launched on Wednesday. The feature address is scheduled to be delivered by Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy. There would also be a tour of nearby shadehouses at the conclusion of the official launch. This project is funded by the Inter- American Development Bank / Japanese Trust Fund and is being implemented by Partners of the Americas (Guyana Chapter) and the Caribbean Self-Reliance International. The general objective is to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for lowincome households in rural and coastal communities in Guyana by engaging small -scale producers in hydroponic and natural/organic cultivation of vegetables for domestic and export markets.

Hands-on training

Homeowners, kitchen garden operators and farmers can all benefit from hands-on training in hydroponic or natural vegetable production in shadehouses or in containers. Topics include compost production, natural pesticide production, planting in containers; what is hydroponics; the use of soilless media for growing vegetables; the use and mixture of plant nutrients; and

The Sustainable Livelihoods and Community Economic Growth through Hydroponic and Organic Vegetable Production and Marketing Project will be launched on Wednesday

care and management of a hydroponic garden. The launching will be held at 09:00h at St Stanislaus College Farm, 69 Sophia Backlands, Greater Georgetown. Partners of the Americas, which was founded in 1964, links U.S. states with Latin American and Caribbean countries in partnerships that use the energy and skills of citizen volunteers, their institutions and communities to address shared concerns of social, economic and cultural development. The local chapter in Guyana, linked with Mississippi, works on projects in diverse areas including health, reproductive rights, emergency preparedness, agriculture, and cultural and educational exchanges. Partners of the Americas is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organisation with international offices in

Washington, DC. Caribbean Self-Reliance International (CASRI), a Canadian-based international development organisation was founded in 1999 and began work in Guyana in 2003. CASRI actively works with partners to promote self-sustaining and equitable development in the Caribbean and link with others in the developing world. The core of CASRI’s work is the nurturing and development of community and local government leadership for community capacity-building and transformation. In doing so, CASRI ensures the involvement of the younger generation, their families and the communities where they learn, work and live. In addition to its current work in Guyana, CASRI will be launching its Youth Entrepreneurship and Leadership Programme in Guyana in 2014.

Wauna Bridge commissioned

Transport Minister Robeson Benn puts a life jacket on a Mabaruma Secondary School student during his recent visit to the school

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Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall on the floor during the meeting

ublic Works Minister Robeson Benn recently opened the Wauna Bridge in Region One, linking the main access road to the rest of the region. The bridge, which was under rehabilitation for the past three months, will now make it easy for residents and vehicles to traverse the area freely.

Meanwhile, while in the area, the Minister Benn distributed 60 children’s life jackets to students of the Mabaruma Secondary School and more specifically to those who usually traverse to school using the waterways. Minister Benn has continually stressed the need for persons to be safe on

the rivers, and in so doing, distributed the jackets as a means of promoting safety. The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has so far distributed some 235 children's life jackets in Regions Three, Seven and 10. This gesture will continue countrywide as the department promotes the message of safety at sea.

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saturday, march 8, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

LaRocque underscores gender equality on Int’l Women's Day

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aricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque has saluted Caribbean women, pointing out that they have an important contribution to make not only in Parliament, but as movers of skills, knowledge and capital across the region. In a message to mark International Women’s Day today, he said this opportunity, is presented through the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) as it creates an avenue for a better quality of life. LaRocque also noted that the principles of equity and access can only be achieved if the arrangements are respected and applied fairly and without favour. Particularly important for women and children is the strengthening of the legal and institutional environment to ensure contingent rights which will ensure unimpeded access to education, health and other social services, he said. This year, he said the

community will be bestowing the 11th Caricom Triennial Award to an outstanding Caricom woman whose work has made a significant contribution to the socioeconomic development of the Caribbean. The award has been granted to 10 exceptional recipients to date, most recently in 2011 to Professor Violet Eudine Barriteau, born in Grenada and a citizen of Barbados. He said, this year’s United Nation’s theme “Equality for Women is Progress for All”, is one the region embraces as it examines progress toward meeting the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and, in particular, goals three and five relating to gender equality and maternal health respectively. “On this day, we unite to celebrate the empowerment of women and advancements made toward gender equality. We also reflect on the gaps to be filled to achieve our regional vision

– a Caribbean Community where all citizens actively participate in and benefit equally from the economic growth and sustainable development of our countries. This achievement is very much a collective task, and effective change can only be realised when women are equal players in the governance of our region. If we limit the potential of some, we limit the benefits to all.

Great courage

“The women of our community have shown great courage and strength as catalysts for change in the pursuit of justice, equality and peace. Caricom member states have responded by ratifying international conventions and making national and regional commitments to fulfil their obligations. This has been most marked in the areas of legislation and policy, increased participation of women in the labour market and improved access to public resources such as tertiary edu-

Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque

cation and health care.” LaRocque said with the upcoming conclusion of the MDG Framework in 2015, it is a critical time to increase efforts toward the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment. “We recognise that there have been both challenges and achievements in the implementation of MDG measures, particularly for women and girls. This is to be ex-

pected as we strive to accomplish the aims of the new international agenda to tackle the causes of poverty, exclusion and inequality to ‘leave no one behind’. “In our region, economic circumstances and, in particular, persistent and acute poverty and inequalities have continued to render women and girls vulnerable to violence. Without responsive social protection programmes, women can be trapped in violent home situations that are increasingly threatening to their personal security, and that of their children. In addition, sexual violence magnifies their risk of early pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and negatively impacts on their physical and emotional health.” He said as the communi-

ty plots a path towards economic growth and sustainable development for the region, the eradication of poverty is viewed as a central objective. A peoplecentred approach has been articulated to promote the welfare and well-being of people; contribute to social inclusion, gender equality and the empowerment of women. “Special efforts need to be increased to involve young women in leadership and decision-making roles to gain experience and confidence so they can, in due course, aspire to and gain political office. At present within the community, women’s participation in parliaments continues to be less than optimal, falling short of the target of 30 per cent,” the Caricom Secretary General said.

Women still being rated below men – First Lady

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irst Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar said as Guyana Observes International Women’s Day, it is important to reflect on the advancement women have made worldwide since the day was first celebrated in the early 1900s. The First Lady in a statement said since then, the struggle undertaken by countless ordinary women has allowed women today to live in a country and a world with greater gender equality.  The sacrifice and efforts of many make it a norm today in many countries, including Guyana, for women to vote, to have access to education, to be leaders of countries and industries to name a few.  “While these are achievements which must be celebrated and which should inspire us as we continue to strive to make our world a gender equal place, it is important that we realise that the struggle for gender equality is not yet over.  In fact, it is a sad reality that it is not yet a norm for women to get equal pay for equal work, that in some parts of the world it is believed that it is not worthwhile to educate young girls, that female infanticide still continues and here in Guyana mental and physical abuse of women appear to be a daily occurrence.” 

Most appropriate

The United Nations is observing this year’s International Women’s Day under the theme of “Equality for women is progress for all”. The theme, Mrs Ramotar said, is appropriate since it has been proven that when women have access to employment, it is indeed progress for all because the entire family is able to benefit since more of the income is reinvested in the home. “In Guyana, we are quite fortunate that it is a norm for women to be attending

First Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar

schools – in fact, a large percentage of women are graduating from the university and in fields of engineering that were once considered male-only sectors – it is also a norm for women to be participating in the workforce and hold high offices, both in the private and public sectors.” Sadly, however, she noted, notwithstanding these achievements, in their private lives, some women are subjected to mental and physical abuse.  This is a serious cancer in society that is fundamental violation of women’s rights, and shows that despite the advancements, women are still not seen as being equal to men, the First Lady lamented.  “While I know that the various ministries and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) have programmes that are attempting to combat violence against women, it is important that there be more education and involvement at community level to eradicate this disease.  “Once more, my hope for all Guyanese women is that we reflect on our achievements as women in this society and recommit ourselves as we go forward striving for greater equality.  I wish you all the best for International Women’s Day 2014,” the statement concluded.

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saturday, march 8, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

Time to stop treating Islamic Awareness Week women unfairly – WPO being observed T he Women's Progressive Organisation (WPO) said there is much to reflect on since International Women’s Day has assumed a new dimension for women throughout the world – developed, or under-developed societies. It has become the focal point for the evaluation of the coordinated efforts of women to secure women’s rights and equal participation in all aspects of life. For many, women in various parts of the world, their dream of having the basic rights to make choices for themselves in a variety of ways is virtually impossible. Societal norms, traditional and religious beliefs have left millions of women without any recourse to their basic human rights. “As we reflect and observe this day we need to recognise that the journey has just begun for some while others have advanced. As we reflect on the journey of 100 years and more, it is necessary to assess the tremendous achievements made the world over for the right to vote, to be elected and to participate in the development of society. It was only two countries of the world prior to 1902 where women had the right to vote.   By the end of the 20th century, women in 66 countries won that right. Over that century, women had reached posi-

tions of head of state or government in 93 countries,” the WPO said in a statement. However, even though there are remarkable strides, a serious economic and social imbalance remained. Women own only one per cent of the world’s property and earn only 10 per cent of the world’s income but perform 66 per cent of the work and produce 50 per cent of food.

Appalling

A WHO study revealed that 20 per cent of women worldwide experience sexual abuse as children. There are 5000 honour killings per year; in South Africa, one woman is killed every six hours by an intimate partner. In India, 22 women are murdered each day in dowry-related incidents. Some 80 per cent of the world victims of human trafficking are women; 100-140 million girls have been the victims of female genital mutilation; 60 million girls per year are forced into marriage as child brides; and worldwide 25 per cent of pregnant women are subjected to physical or sexual abuse. Clearly, the WPO said, the world needs to do much more for women based on some of the statistics presented. “We in Guyana are indeed fortunate since wom-

en activism has been on the front burner since the early 40s. A vibrant women’s movement has prompted many positive actions in propelling legislations and policies to advance the empowerment of women. “Let us all work together to reduce the incidence of violence against women and children while ensuring at the same time that poor and single parents are given the necessary guidance and leadership to take charge of their lives positively. “We in the WPO believe that the women of Guyana have a lot to celebrate while acknowledging at the same time that we have a lot more to do. “We must collectively walk the talk so that the struggle by the garment workers who led the way for better conditions in 1857 must continuously inspire and energise the women who are in the forefront of the drive for increasing women’s empowerment,” the release said. The WPO said it salutes its own stalwarts as well as those who have consistently championed the struggle for women’s equality; the foremost among them being late President Janet Jagan. Today at 15:00h, there will be an official activity organised by the WPO to celebrate International Women’s Day. 

GAWU salutes womenfolk

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he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) said as the world celebrates International Women's Day today, serious attention needs to be paid to improving the status of women and for them to have their rightful place in society. According to GAWU in a release, some 81 million women globally are unemployed, and more women are employed with “flexible” working arrangements/ part-time jobs. “Today, women represent the majority of the poor and illiterate population and millions of them have no access to education, healthcare, food, clean water and other basic needs. Millions of women lack maternity protection; thousands of women die from pregnancy and lack of medical care; millions of women are forced to emigrate; and millions are victims of violence, abuse, human trafficking and sexual exploitation during armed conflicts and military interventions. “GAWU, Guyana’s leading workers bargain-

ing agent, for hundreds of Guyanese female workers, has recognised the efforts made in our country on behalf of our women and especially our working women. The setting of a minimum wage, women are right to abort difficult or unwanted pregnancies, their protection from sexual offences with the law prescribing very harsh, commensurate penalties for such offences, to us, are significant measures which will impact positively on the lives and wellbeing of Guyanese women.” However, the union said it has also recognised that there are issues still to attend, to address more comprehensively. “This is the issue of domestic violence. While laudable efforts are being made by government and various organisations and individuals, it remains as an issue in our midst and, we hold the view, that its final eradication will very well require greater efforts from all of us. “On this International Women’s Day, the GAWU is pleased to salute all working women, in the sugar industry and elsewhere, all

housewives, indeed, all our womenfolk in Guyana. We recognise their contribution to Guyana’s development, in the upbringing of our present and future generations, in the political, economic and social spheres of society and in the homes. They are invaluable to society and family,” the release concluded. As we celebrate International Women’s Day in 2014, we should rejoice and reflect on the progress made over recent times. But we need to also recognise that there is need for our women to continue the struggle not only around those questions peculiar to women but also see the bigger picture. We must see the need to join with progressive forces to ensure a world of peace, economic justice, equality, and end to all forms of exploitation and for social progress. Greetings on this International Women’s Day to all Guyanese women! Solidarity to the women of the world! Long live International Women’s Day!

Islamic scholar Mohamed Awal (second from right) and Guyana Islamic Trust (GIT) acting head Abdool Aleem Rahaman (third from right) with President Donald Ramotar and other members of the GIT

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slamic Awareness Week is being observed in Guyana and several activities are being held to create a better awareness of Islam and its contributions to development locally and worldwide. Islamic scholar Mohamed Awal, who is currently visiting Guyana as the guest of the Guyana Islamic Trust, will host a series of activities around the country aimed at spreading awareness. On Thursday, the United States-based scholar of comparative religion paid a courtesy call on President Donald Ramotar. Awal was accompanied by the acting head of the Guyana Islamic Trust, Abdool Aleem Rahaman and other officials of the organisation, which has organised the activities to inform and educate persons about the various contributions made by followers of the religion, viewed as the fastest growing on the planet. Rahaman said there are 10 days of activities planned which are aimed at “dispelling misconceptions about Islam, and so as part of these activities we have our international guest, Mr Awal, from Ghana who resides in the United States…. our visit to the President is also part of how we establish and maintain that relationship that we have with the leaders of our communities.”

Speaking to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Awal noted that if there was any religion that needed explaining today, it was Islam. “Around Islam, there are too many misconceptions and too many misrepresentations, this is the time that we have to step up and do it…. and the Guyana Islamic Trust has invited me to spearhead these efforts and bridge the gap and uplift the youngsters who would eventually be the leaders of tomorrow”. The contributions of Islamic adherents in the fields of technology, science and other areas, he said, will be examined during a series of lectures at institutions such as the University of Guyana, communities such as Albouystown, and schools including Queen’s College. Awal departs Guyana on March 10.

Qaseeda competition

Meanwhile, the Annual National Qaseeda Competition will be hosted at the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex, for the 12th consecutive year, on Saturday and Sunday. The best of Guyana’s qaseeda singers will converge there for the competition, which is part of activities to mark Eid Milad un Nabi 2014. The event is being hosted by the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex

and the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman. It is sponsored by the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T). The competition is divided into four categories – male senior and junior, and female senior and junior. The female competitions will be held on Saturday at 19:00h, and the male competitions will be held on Sunday at 09:00h. The closing ceremony and presentation of awards will commence later that day, at 13:00h. The winners of each category will represent Guyana at the International Qaseeda Mehfil to be hosted in Suriname in August. Expected at the competition are overseas guest artistes as well as representatives from other Muslim organisations. Prizes and awards will be given to successful contestants. The singing of qaseedas is a form of showing love, respect and honour to the Beloved Prophet of Islam – Prophet Muhammad (SAS). The tradition of qaseeda singing was brought to Guyana in the traditional Urdu language. However, the songs can be rendered in any language and in present-day Islam, qaseedas exist in every language Muslims speak.

Pomeroon fire leaves couple homeless – suspect in custody

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Friendship Canal, Lower Pomeroon couple are now homeless after their house was gutted by fire of unknown origin late Tuesday evening. Beverly David and her husband, David, who is presently in the interior working in the gold mines, are counting their losses. All their household articles were de-

stroyed in the blaze. David said she was visiting her parents next door when she heard a cracking sound as if something fell on her house and as she looked outside, to her horror, she saw her home engulfed in flames. She and her parents tried assiduously to put out the fire, but their efforts were in vain. David is now staying

with her parents. A suspect is presently in police custody assisting with the investigation. This is the second fire in recent weeks on the Essequibo Coast. Dhaniram Chattergoon and his wife, Gomattie Ramroop, of Devonshire Castle, are also homeless after fire destroyed their home Friday last.

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GMSA honours outstanding businesses

Former TT Prime Minister Basdeo Panday and Guyana’s Prime Minister Samuel Hinds greet each other at the GSMA award presentation

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everal companies were honoured when the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) held its Annual Awards Presentation and Dinner at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Geogetown on Thursday. The event was attended by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and addressed by former Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Basdeo Panday. Also in attendance were representatives of the country’s top manufacturing companies, other senior government officials and diplomats. Presenting the yearin-review report, GMSA President Clinton Williams said that while Guyana’s economy is constantly growing, there are a lot of problems hindering the smooth flow of development in Guyana. He noted that the GSMA have nevertheless played a major role in the development of the private sector. The GMSA President also made several recommendations, which he said if

implemented, will pave the way for the manufacturing and marketing of high quality, value added products and services; substantial enhancement of productivity and production capabilities; introduction of new markets and the expansion of current market share; and the trans-

formation of the manufacturing sector would raise its contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product to a level even greater than the 16 per cent as was recorded over the years. Meanwhile, the presentation ceremony saw nine entities being honoured by

Doreen De Caires receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from Dr Faith Harding

the GMSA with plaques for their contributions to the private sector. The companies honoured are the NEW GPC INC in “recognition of unprecedented investment in sports and culture at the regional and international levels”; Gafsons Industries Limited for “continuous in-

Former TT Prime Minister Basdeo Panday delivering the feature address at the GMSA awards ceremony and dinner on Thursday

Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali, former TT Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, NEW GPC INC Marketing Manager Trevor Bassoo and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds at the awards ceremony

vestments in extending the range of building materials and maintaining high standards in manufacturing for more than 60 years”; and TCL Guyana Inc in recognition of its contribution to infrastructural development in Guyana.

Positive impact on tourism

While Air Services Limited was recognised for its “drive to develop the aviation sector which has impacted positively on tourism, forestry and mining”; Brass Aluminum and Cast Iron Foundry for its “innovativeness with production of metallic products, and sustaining markets within the ambit of the CSME”; Caribbean Containers Inc for the company’s “contributions to sustained waste recycling for a greener environment”; and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph for its relentless pursuit of improved technologies that positively influence the conduct of business. The Dutch Bottle Café was given the Empretec Award for “exemplifying the spirit of entrepreneurship

through persistence and commitment, resulting in continued business balance” while the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry was recognised for facilitating partnerships with the business sector to spur growth in manufacturing, services, engineering and construction. In addition, Gafsons Industries Limited, John Fernandes Limited, Toolsie Persaud Limited, Brass Aluminum and Cast Iron Foundry, Banks DIH Limited, Edward B Beharry Group of Companies and the Demerara Oxygen Company, all received special longevity awards for their stability and growth over the past decades. This year’s Executive President’s Award was given to Pritipaul Singh Investments Incorporated for penetrating the international market with its sea foods products. Local business icon Doreen De Caires was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her long and dedicated service, and for promoting the development of the private sector.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds presenting the Executive President’s Award to Pritipaul Singh Jr

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Let’s celebrate the achievements of our women – GRPA

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he Guyana Responsible P a r e n t h o o d Association (GRPA) salutes all women in Guyana and joins the rest of the world to celebrate the achievements of women, recognising their work for women’s empowerment and gender equality. The GRPA in a statement said it is also a time to reflect critically on the barriers that continue to impede women’s progress and society as a whole. This includes sexual and reproductive health and rights, which is elemental to the health and well-being of women and men, and essential to a fit and productive society. “Women and girls need to be empowered to exercise control over their sexual and reproductive lives if Guyana is to advance in attaining its goals of sustainable, equitable development. “Guyana has come a long way in its struggle for gender equality, particularly in relation to legislation, access to education and parliamentary representation, among others. However, the impact of these achievements on the lives of women, the community and the nation as a whole is still lacking. The current situation of gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy,

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poverty, HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality and morbidity, and a whole range of societal issues are affected by gender inequality,” the GHRA said. It noted that patriarchal power is still pervasive in every unit of society – from Parliament to the home; from temples, churches and mosques to the street corners, perpetuating sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other related forms of intolerance. Women also imbibe and use patriarchal power, exerting control, based on their status, class, race, political affiliation and religion.

Man dies after punching window

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GRPA Executive Director, Reverend Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth

“It is important that we seek to transform our very mindset as women who are co-opted by patriarchy and estranged from the realities of the burdens borne by our sisters, especially those in vulnerable situations. Only then can we inspire the much needed change in Guyana. “The GRPA recognises the efforts of women in Guyana who have inspired change for the betterment of women and the advancement of the Guyanese society. The organisation is a product of this work, having been established in 1973 through the work of the Guyana Women’s League of Social Services led by Olga Byrne, it’s first Executive Director. GRPA has since grown in strength and scope. It is a Member Association of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and is now a leading provider of sexual and reproductive health in Guyana, combining medical services with counselling, education and advocacy. “The GRPA salutes all women in Guyana with a pledge to join in the struggle for a better Guyana where women and men can live in true partnership with mutual respect, love and responsibility,” the release concluded.

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Call: 226-9921 Dead: Dennis Harris

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domestic dispute between a man and his common-law wife at their West Bank Demerera home ended tragically on Thursday evening after he allegedly injured himself. Dennis Harris, 44, of Lot 1525 Onderneeming Housing Scheme, Parfait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara took his last breath about 01:00h on Friday morning while receiving medical treatment at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. The circumstances surrounding his death are sketchy, but according to reports gathered, his common-law wife Yonette Gumbs has been taken into police custody and is assisting with investigations.

Based on reports received, the couple had a heated argument at their rented home when he reportedly punched a window after he was put out of the house. This would have resulted in him receiving injuries to the hand. After calling out for Gumbs in an attempt to tell her that he was injured and there was no response, he reportedly walked to his cousin’s home a short distance away but collapsed. He was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he succumbed. While at the hospital, Guyana Times understands that he was reluctant in receiving treatment for his wound. However, he eventually got himself settled but died while receiving treatment. Quarrel At the home of the dead man, his foster daughter Sabrina Wray explained that it was a norm for her mother and Harris to argue, but explained that as they left home to attend a family function, they were quarrelling. She disclosed that Harris was drunk since he was consuming alcohol and smoking marijuana earlier in the day. The young lady said that they left home about 17:00h to attend the function and re-

turned about 11:10h, and as they entered the home, they were still arguing. She said that during the arguement, Harris told her mother that he was going to leave her and as normal, she told him that he was free to leave at anytime. “He was cutting up a joint and the same scissors that he was using to cut up the weed, he pointed it to my mother’s face and saying, ‘I gon kill all ah you all’… ‘I gon kill all you all’”. At this time, she explained that her mother grabbed him and took him outside and locked the door. Wray explained that after he could not have gotten into the house, he went to the window and punched it, resulting in blood spilling in the house. She said that they were fearful for their lives and did not open the door, claiming when he was drunk and looking dangerous. It was after he sustained the injury, he went to his cousin’s home, four houses away and collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital where his last words before he died reportedly were: “Yonette and she children do this to me”. The young woman said that it is very strange that he would die in that manner, while stating that they are still in state of shock.

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President Putin opens Winter Paralympics

SL in contracts standoff again

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he 2014 Winter Paralympics have been opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a spectacular ceremony. The ceremony at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi was themed Breaking the Ice and featured music, dance, special effects and fireworks. The GB team were led by 15-year-old visually impaired skier Millie Knight. “I call upon all those who experience these Games to have barrier-free minds,” said International Paralympic Committee president Sir Philip Craven. “Dreams do come true and, since winning the Games seven years ago, this part of Russia has undergone a monumental transformation. “The Paralympics will surprise you, tremendous skills will excite you and examples of human endeavour will inspire you. The sport you witness here will change you. Not just for now, but forever.” The Ukraine team only confirmed on Friday morning they would take part in the Games after fears they would boycott the event following Russia’s occupation of Crimea.

Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya is a key figure in the negotiations between the players and the board

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) declared the Games open

Ukraine Paralympic Committee president Valeriy Suskevich warned that any escalation of military conflict would result in the team leaving Sochi. The Ukraine team were only represented in the athletes’ parade by their flagbearer Mykailo Tkachenko, with a number of his teammates opting not to take part though they were elsewhere in the stadium. The scenes of the ceremony were linked by the journey of the firebird, a mythical bird from Russian

folklore said to be a symbol of wealth and happiness. Featured performances came from 25-year-old Yulia Samoylova, the runner-up in the Russian version of the X Factor, Faktor A, who has been in a wheelchair since childhood, and blind accordionist Alexey Levchuk. The show culminated in a huge ice scene, featuring an Icebreaker ship crashing easily through blocks of ice, before a spectacular lighting of the flame. Sir Philip added: “If London 2012 has its Games

Makers, then you the Sochi 2014 athletes, volunteers, officials and staff will be the Change Makers.” Action starts today and runs until March 16 and the Games will feature 547 athletes from a record 45 countries, with 72 gold medals up for grabs across the five sports - biathlon, crosscountry skiing, alpine skiing, ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. The event is taking place less than two weeks since the Sochi Winter Olympics closed. (BBC Sport)

De Villiers tipped to succeed Smith

A

B de Villiers is the most likely candidate to succeed Graeme Smith as South Africa’s Test captain, but if he is to assume the additional responsibility it might mean a change in team structure. Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock called de Villiers the “natural choice,” but warned he would have to stop wicketkeeping to accept the leadership. De Villiers is presently the Test team’s vice-captain, wicketkeeper and No. 5 batsman, and Boucher does not think he can take on any more. “I don’t think it’s viable for him to captain, bat in the top five and keep wicket,” Boucher said. “The ask is a lot. Maybe he can do it for a small period of time while South Africa look for another keeper but in the longer term, he’ll need to give up one.” There is recent evidence to back that argument, dating back to de Villiers’ appointment as ODI captain when Smith stepped down after the 2011 World Cup. That was de Villiers’ first leadership role, having not led at school or domestic level before, and his inexperience showed. With a strategy of a flexible batting line-up - which has since been scrapped South Africa were a disorganised ODI unit for the first few months under de Villiers. He struggled to keep up with the pace of captaincy, quite literally, and was suspended for two matches against New

Zealand in January 2013 for a slow over rate. That was de Villiers’ fourth series in charge, by which point he had already relinquished the Twenty20 captaincy to Faf du Plessis, and was meant to hone his skills in the job. The wicketkeeping gloves were taken away from him as well and at the time de Villiers said he felt he had more time to “communicate with my bowlers and get the field right.”

Sharper

De Villiers briefly resumed keeping, while Quinton de Kock was given time at his franchise to mature into a domestic player, but currently does not keep wicket in either T20s or ODIs. During that time he also developed into a sharper captain, particularly after the 2013 Champions Trophy, and led South Africa to an away series win over Pakistan, followed by a defeat to them at home, and a home victory over India. It was regarded as no coincidence that the improvement in his tactics came after he was unburdened from a treble-role. If the same logic is applied to the Test team, it will likely be de Kock who will take over as wicketkeeper. De Kock was recently contracted by CSA and made his Test debut in Port Elizabeth. He’s only 21 and has played only 21 first-class games but Pollock was not worried by his inexperience.

“If they decide they want to go the de Kock route, they’ve got six Tests for him to settle into his role,” he said. Before the 2015 World Cup, South Africa will play two Tests against Sri Lanka in July, one against Zimbabwe and three at home against West Indies. The first of those assignments is the most challenging, given that Sri Lanka was the last place South Africa lost in, so de Villiers may be retained as gloveman for that. If South Africa want an alternative for Test captain, they won’t have to look much further than du Plessis. He captains T20 team, has led from school level, enjoys being in charge and has shown he has the ability. His has only played 14 Tests, but already boasts a batting average over 50 and the temperament to bat for days.

Candidates

Beyond de Villiers and du Plessis, South Africa don’t have many other candidates. Hashim Amla was vice-captain of the limited-overs sides but gave that up last February and said his decision was based on not wanting to take on the main role if needed. Alviro Petersen, who leads the Lions franchise, only has one hand on his spot as an opener and none of the fast bowlers have ever been considered captaincy material. Makhaya Ntini believes JP Duminy could captain in shorter formats because, “he has been playing and per-

forming for long enough and he deserves it.” But Duminy is only settling into a more all-round role and it may prove too much to expect from him. South Africa’s options are limited to giving one of the shorter-format captains the Test job and Pollock thinks it could bring a breath of fresh air. “A lot of the tactics over the last 10 years have mainly been from Graeme’s head,” he said. “Even when he stepped down in shorter formats, the bulk of the strategies come from his thinking. It will be nice for someone to come with a new approach.” The Smith-era and all that came with it - the presence of Boucher and Kallis as seniors and the consistency brought by having the longest-serving captain - is now over. South Africa remain the top-ranked Test team but these major changes may make it tough for them to stay there for as long as they would like. They have a 12-point cushion over their nearest rivals, Australia, and Kallis hoped it was enough to tide them over until the new crop settle in. “There’s quite a bit of a gap between us and the rest so hopefully we can just hang in there for a little while,” he said. There won’t be as much experience in the side but it’s by no means a weak side. The guys coming in are just as talented, they might just need some time but they’ll be there and there abouts.” (Cricinfo)

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ri Lanka’s national cricketers and their board have squared off over player income for the third year running, with the players steadfast in their rejection of the new annual contracts, a week after their previous agreements had expired. Debate on key issues within the board means the standoff is less likely to escalate to a full-blown crisis this year, although the players have dug in on their demands. As in 2013, the players’ defiance is driven by the board’s refusal to share its income from ICC events with the cricketers. The players had received 25% of SLC’s income from global events until March last year, when SLC culled that payment from the 2013 contracts. On that occasion, the players had eventually agreed to sign their ICC event fees away after a 24-hour lockout, but had conveyed to the board that they would seek a reinstatement of that payment in future years. SLC’s annual earnings are expected to be significantly higher in 2014 than it was last year.

Key figure

Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya is a key figure in the negotiations between parties, having been the mediator that ended last year’s standoff. This year, the players had given Jayasuriya a letter detailing their requirements from the fresh contracts, before leaving for Bangladesh in late January. It had been Jayasuriya’s assurance to the players that ICC event fees may be reintroduced in coming years, that persuaded the players to sign in 2013.   “I could not hand over the letter to SLC but I very clearly informed all officials and CEO Ashley de Silva of the players’ wishes,” Jayasuriya told Daily Mirror. Jayasuriya had been among the group of players that had initially campaigned for SLC’s ICC events income to be shared with players in 2003, and as such has been sympathetic to the players’ demands. Most international boards pay the players either a portion of their income from global events or a fraction of their overall income, in order to compensate players for the use of their images, which are used to promote the tournament. Players are largely un-

able to secure corporate sponsorship for the duration of ICC events.? “After all SLC gets all that income because of the cricket the players play,” Jayasuriya said. Opposition to reintroducing the ICC events payment to players is led by secretary Nishantha Ranatunga, who had been central to removing that sum from players’ contracts last year. Ranatunga has had a frosty relationship with some senior players over the past year, due in small part to his role in 2013’s contracts standoff.

Bonuses

“The players in the top category of contracts will earn more than 55 million rupees [approx. US $425,000] within the next year on contract fee and match fee alone,” Ranatunga said. “If that is not enough, I believe they should pursue something else than playing cricket. In addition to the contract and match fees mentioned above, they also get prize money and winning bonuses. “We are also paying their insurance, we look after their practice and training facilities and infrastructure, we provide them coaches, physiotherapists, trainers, masseurs. We have also given them a performance-based pay increase, which came to 7% this year. “Even the last time, the executive committee was not in favour of the demand by players. Last year we have paid 58% of SLC income to the players. So, it is obviously very difficult to consider such a payment.” Several members of the SLC executive committee, including president Jayantha Dharmadasa, are believed to be more sympathetic to the players’ concerns, particularly given less than 15% of the board’s 2014 expenditure is expected to be consumed by player payments, as the contracts presently stand. Dharmadasa had been similarly sensitive to players’ interests in his previous presidency, from 2005 to 2007. Dharmadasa, Ranatunga, Jayasuriya and de Silva all flew to Bangladesh on Thursday. They are ostensibly in the country to view the Asia Cup final on Saturday, but some dialogue is believed to have begun on resolving the impasse. (Cricinfo)

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WICB Regional Four-Day Tournament‌

Barbados reach 138-6 at tea against Guyana

Kevin Stoute after a mid pitch mix-up with Roston Chase was eventually run-out without scoring (Photos: Rajiv Bisnauth)

By Rajiv Bisnauth

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oston Chase hit his maiden half-century to help Barbados reach 138 for six at tea on the opening day in the second round West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Four-Day game against hosts Guyana on Friday evening at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara. The right-handed Chase made a patient 55 and Shane Dowrich a solid 35, as Barbados struggled in the first two sessions after winning the toss.

Carlos Brathwaite was unbeaten on 13 at the break with Ashley Nurse, four. Chase, playing only his seventh First-Class game, put on 59 runs for the fifth wicket with Dowrich after Barbados were precariously placed at 58-4. Watched by a handful of spectators, including students from the Success Primary School, debutant Raun Johnson provided Guyana with an early breakthrough in his second over, having Rashidi Boucher (1) caught by Christopher Barnwell at short extra cover at 6-1.

The 23-year-old Johnson, who hails from the West Berbice area, bowled a nagging line and length on and around off stump, and was unlucky not to remove fellow opener, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite, when he induced a genuine edge that passed between Sewnarine Chattergoon at first slip and Assad Fudadin at second slip at catchable height.

inroads, removing Chase, caught behind at 132-6. Johnson has so far claimed 2-22, while Joseph, Bishoo and Deonarine have a wicket apiece. Meanwhile, Guyana omitted batsman Chanderpaul Hemraj and leg-spinner Amir Khan, while Barbados omitted Shai Hope and Kenroy Williams.

Disappointment

SCOREBOARD

Neither Chattergoon nor Fudadin made any attempt to take the catch much to the disappointment of Johnson. Both Brathwaite and Chase, who replaced Boucher, survived a superb new-ball bowling spells from Johnson and Keon Joseph. The pair bowled six overs apiece for just 28 runs. The duo, with intent of staying at the wicket took the score to 47, before Brathwaite (19), who was seemingly set for a big score, was caught behind off legspinner Devendra Bishoo. Narsingh Deonarine, then trapped Jonathan Carter (5) leg before three deliveries before lunch, to leave the visitors at 57-3. Upon resumption Chase and Kevin Stoute ended in a mid pitch mix-up resulted, with the latter being run-

Johnson, Bobb defy Mohammed to wreck T&T

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he Windward Islands, led by pacer, Delorn Johnson, dominated hosts Trinidad & Tobago on the opening day of their Round 2, Regional 4-Day match at the Queen's Park Oval. The hosts managed to get past 200 on a slow day of scoring but are merely just hanging on to this match in the first innings. They were sent in to bat first when Liam Sebastien won the toss in the morning. Their batting was always a bit suspicious. Within the first ten overs, it was confirmed. With just eight runs on the board, Evin Lewis' leave alone off Delorn Johnson, cost him his wicket. He had the sympathy of many watching. He was struck outside off-stump but the ball hit him above the knee-roll. Next to follow was Darren

Bravo, who has been struggling for runs. He stuck around for a little while but then nicked one to Lindon James and he was gone for just one. At the other end though, Adrian Barath, was looking solid. He was one of the potential walking wickets for T&T. But he batted with purpose, seeing out the first session with the help of Jason Mohammed. They batted slowly, failing to turn over the strike frequently. Things got a little bit easier for both batsmen after Lunch though. They started with a flurry of boundaries each. However, on 39, Barath went after a wide ball from Johnson and got a thin edge through to James. Mohammed then linked up with wicket-keeper, Steven Katwaroo, as both put on 55

SCOREBOARD Trinidad & Tobago 1st Innings A Barath c James b Johnson 39 E Lewis LBW Johnson 2 Darren Bravo c James b Pascal 1 J Mohammed c Currency b Bobb 73 S Katwaroo+ st James b Bobb 20 I khan c James b Bobb 4 A Hosein c Lesporis b Bobb 7 Y Cariah c James b Johnson 24 R Emrit* b Johnson 28 M Richards c James b Johnson 15 S Gabriel not out 2 Total: (85.4 Overs) 222 Extras: (3nb, 1w, 3lb, 0b) 7 Fall of Wickets: 1-8, 2-17,

3-85, 4-140, 5-141, 6-150, 7-153, 8-204, 9-207, 10-222. Bowling: N Pascal 9-1-271, D Johnson 17.4-5-48-5, K Peters 16-6-34-0, A Bobb 22-2-53-4, L Sebastien 155-39-0, D Polius 6-1-18-0. Windward Islands 1st Innings D Smith not out T Theophile not out Total: (no wkt, 2 Overs) Extras: Bowling: S Gabriel 1-0-80, M Richards 1-0-4-0.

8 4 12 0

runs together. They too, batted quite slow. Katwaroo batted 67 balls for his 20 before he advanced down the track looking for a single, only to miss the ball and be stumped. Mohammed had batted well for T&T. He struck ten fours during his 164ball stay at the crease, and looked T&T's best batsman. However, he would be the first of Alston Bobb's four victims. He was out for 73. At 141/5, T&T lost two more quick wickets. Skipper Rayad Emrit and leg-spinner, Yannic Cariah, combined in a 50-run partnership to add some steel to the hosts' innings. Both rotated the strike much better than their colleagues. Emrit hit three fours and a six in his knock of 28 before he was beaten for pace by Johnson. Not long after, Cariah would follow his skipper back to pavilion, becoming Johnson's fourth victim. Marlon Richards played a few shots in his knock of 15 but he would be Johnson's fifth and final victim as T&T were bowled out late on Day 1 for 222. It left the visitors with just two overs to see out and it was safely negotiated by both Devon Smith and Tyrone Theophile. The Windwards finished Day 2 on 12/0, trailing T&T's 1st Innings score by 200 runs with all 10 wickets still in hand. Day 2 starts at 10am Eastern Caribbean Time tomorrow. (windiescricket.com)

Raun Johnson was impressive on debut

out without scoring. Shane Dowrich joined Chase and calmly set about rebuilding the innings. The pair batted with extreme care and coupled with a few boundaries posted the Barbados 100 in the 50th over, after which Chase registered his first half-century at this level. Chase’s half century came off 131 balls in 163

minutes, inclusive of six boundaries. Joseph was then re-introduced for his second spell and broke the promising 59run partnership. He had Dowrich, who showed decisive footwork and a positive frame of mind for 35. Brathwaite partnered Chase, but the lively Johnson made further

Barbados innings (First two sessions) K Brathwaite c wk Bramble b Bishoo 19 R Boucher c Barnwell b Johnson 1 R Chase c Bramble b Johnson 55 J Carter lbw b Deonarine 5 K Stoute run out (Joseph) 0 S Dowrich c Permaul b Joseph 35 C Brathwaite not out 13 A Nurse not out 3 Extras: (nb-3, lb-3) 6 Total: (for six wickets; 66 overs) 138 Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-47, 3-57, 4-58, 5-117, 6-132 Bowling: K Joseph 13-0-481 (2nb), R Johnson 10-0-222 (1nb), C Barnwell 7-0-9-0, D Bishoo 17-0-28-1, V Permaul 9-0-20-0, N Deonarine 9-0-9-0

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Gayle calls for “drastic Chattergoon looking to stamp authority at Florida Cup improvement” W W est Indies opener Chris Gayle has pronounced himself “99 per cent fit” at the start of the three-match Twenty20 series against England in Barbados and admits that West Indies need to up their game drastically in time for their World T20 title defence in Bangladesh. “We’ve had some poor results in the last few games on the limited overs front but both teams are going through some challenging times,” Gayle said. “Personally, I’m feeling really great, having rested my glutes. “I haven’t really been doing much in the way of playing, or even watching, cricket to be honest. But as long as my body’s feeling fine, I can’t wait to get out there. I owe the people some big runs and I think with home support for us, this is the time and place to deliver,” he said. Gayle stressed that following England’s 2-1 ODI series win in Antigua, West Indies needed to address

their sub-par batting and added that this series was ideally positioned for them to garner some momentum going into Bangladesh. “It’s been rough recently. I think we need to be more steady in the crease but we do have the batting capable of getting big runs and more importantly, the wins. We also have disciplined players like Sunil Narine and Ravi Rampaul to deliver on the bowling end of things.” Alongside Gayle’s hitting prowess, the return of Marlon Samuels to the fold will help to offset the loss of Kieron Pollard, which Gayle labelled as “a huge blow to the team”. He was nonetheless pleased to see the core of the title-winning unit from 2012 in Sri Lanka back in the mix. “We have Marlon back but we all know how dangerous ‘Polly’ can be and it’s devastating when you lose a player like that. But, even with as many talented individuals as we have, we have to go out there and play as a team to win. “We also have one or two

new faces to add a fresh dimension to our side.” Gayle did not escape the obligatory question about Kevin Pietersen’s enforced retirement from the England side. He suggested that England were substantially weaker without Pietersen and regarded England’s treatment of him as “disrespectful”. “KP is one of the best. Any team would love to have him in their ranks. I think it was disrespectful how he was treated and the way he went out but you never know what happens behind closed doors. I’m glad I won’t be facing him on the field. He’s a tremendous asset and someday I hope he gets back into the England mix if the door ever re-opens.” He remained adamant that the losses of Pietersen and Root would be detrimental to England’s T20 aspirations but his own resolution of his long-standing personal spats with the WICB encouraged his belief that there was a chance Pietersen could make his return someday. (Cricinfo)

Busta Champion of Champions semi-finals billed for today

Gudakesh Motie

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he semi-finals of the 10th edition of the Busta Champion of Champions tournament will take place today at the Area “H” ground in Rose Hall Town and the Port Mourant Cricket ground. Port Mourant and last year’s losing finalist Albion will clash at the Port Mourant ground, while defending champions RHT Gizmos and Gadgets will meet Young Warriors at home. Port Mourant will be spearheaded by Andrew Lyght Jr, Joshua Ramsammy, Yudendra Harrinarine, Devindra Thakurdeen, Manoj Looknauth and Robert Moore, while the Albion team, while missing five senior players due to na-

Royston Crandon

Andrew Lyght Jr

tional duties, will have Jonathan Foo, Kandasammy Surujnarine, Gudakesh Motie, Sharaz Ramcharran,

Shimron Hetmyer

David Latchaya and Balchan Baldeo. Defending champions RHT Gizmos and Gadgets will have players of the caliber of Delbert Hicks, Rajiv Ivan, Dominic Rikhi, Jason Sinclair, Shawn Pereira, Shailendra Shameer, Troy Mathieson, Khemraj Mahadeo and West Indies ODI player Royston Crandon. Young Warriors will depend heavily on West Indies Under-19 opener Shimron Hetmyer, Kevin Ramdeen, Ishwar Singh, Balram Samaroo, Shanguille Williams, Linden Austin and Suresh Dhanai. Both matches will start at 09:30h. The winner of the 10th edition will receive $100,000 and the Busta trophy.

By Ravendra Madholall in Toronto

hen he first started to play softball cricket, Ramnarine Chattergoon was very erratic with the ball and he immediately began focusing thoroughly on batting. Since then, his average speaks volume. Having cracked a double-century two years ago in a South Florida tournament, Chattergoon has rapidly developed into an excellent softball batsman. He wants to do well in his second appearance at the 2014 Florida Cup 25-over competition, which bowls off on Friday at the Brian Piccolo Park, Ford Lauderdale. His optimism is strong as he is set to showcase his talent in the three-day tournament that has teams from North America and Guyana vying for championships. He stated that a large number of top softball players from Guyana are expected to grace the occasion and that should subsequently make it exciting again. “I [am] indeed looking forward to the tournament; obviously one of the biggest softball competitions and I am also confident I will do well for my team this year. Last year was a great outing even though my team didn’t make it to the top,” Chattergoon related via telephone from his home in Miami.

Big impression Broward All Star is certainly ready to make a big impression, emphatically mentioned by Chattergoon, a former Guyana Under-19 player. He assertively stated that the side is loaded with talented softball cricketers, while their warm-up match victory over Hurricanes last weekend further enhanced their confidence. “We have to be prepared for the competitions; you have got great softball players on show so we looking to make a big impact this season; the competitions are always challenging and that is why we want to play positive cricket,” Chattergoon, the former Combined, Colleges and Campuses (CCC) player, reckoned. The 31-year-old Chattergoon, who is one of the four brothers to have represented Guyana at different levels, also played for the University of Guyana during the intercollege tournament in 2005 in Barbados before he went on to feature in the CCC’s team

Ramnarine Chattergoon

at the senior West Indies Cricket Board regional one-day tournament for two successive years. His other siblings are discarded West Indies opener Sewnarine Chattergoon, former West Indies Under-19 opener and Canada batsman Hemnarine Chattergoon and the youngest Harrinarine Chattergoon, who also played at the youth level for Guyana. Ramnarine turned out for Vikings Cricket Club at the Toronto and District Cricket Association elite competitions for three consecutive years before he moved across to United States of America permanently. He said the softball competitions there are of high standard and players have continually shown eagerness to participate. He emphasised the importance of regular cricket season in which the game will ultimately benefit. “Looking back at the structure of softball tournament in Florida is certainly admirable and as I said the competitive nature is absolutely vital for the continuation of proper cricket and definitely I am enjoying the game,” Ramnarine, who has been very consistent over the past two years in the softball arena, declared. In this version of the game, East Coast Cricket Club of New York is the defending champion.

Change in venue for Gittens’ birthday domino

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opular domino promoter Lyall Gittens, on Friday announced that the venue for his annual three-day birthday domino competition, set for March 15-17, has been changed. Games were initially slated for Freeman Street, Tucville, with action starting at 15:00h, but due to unforeseen circumstances, Gittens said the venue will now be the Girl Guide pavillion on Brickdam. Registration per team remains $9,500 and interested teams can register by calling Gittens on 6972929. The champion team will receive $150,000,

Lyall Gittens

while the runner-up, third and fourth placed finishers will collect $80,000, $40,000 and $10,000 re-

spectively. Trophies will accompany the cash prizes, while the Most Valuable Player is guaranteed $5,500 cash. There will also be a take away lunch from 12:30h to 18:00 hours on the opening day of the competition. The activity has received corporate support from Strikers Sports Club, Kaieteur Spring, Boom Town DVD, Gobin and Sons, Becks Lumber Yard, Big Boss Transportation Service, All Season Racing Service, Trophy Stall, Stream Café and HJ Boom Station. Musical entertainment will be provided by Blue Flame Sound System.

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Quarterfinal to light Road to Mecca afire By Treiston Joseph

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he lights of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall will be shining brightly on Sunday evening when the quarterfinal of the Road to Mecca National Club Championships continue from 18:00h. The first round which included 16 teams is now down to eight, with some of the top clubs in Georgetown and Linden set to collide while all the Berbician clubs have been posted back to the ancient county. However, what is guaranteed for the public is a Georgetown versus Linden match-up, as the quarfinal round will see Georgetown teams battling against each other while the remaining teams from Linden will face off until the final. The first game will see the Bounty Colts going against the Pepsi Sonics in a game expected to be filled with speed. The Bounty Colts is the only team after the first two nights of action to record a team total over 100, which speaks of their strong offensive line up with the likes of Dave Causway, Shelroy and Sheldon Thomas, Steve Mars and Nikkloi Smith, all of whom can drive the lane or hit the outside jumper, which make them hard to guard. The Colts also have one of the leading scorers in tournament in Shelroy Thomas, with 26 points after the first round as the guard was unstoppable in driving the lane. Pepsi Sonics also has

Akeem ‘The Dream’ Kanhai

Travis Burnett

Jason Squires

Shane Webster

one of the leading scorers in the tournament in Jason Squires, who also has 26 points and can definitely find his stroke from the beyond the arc. The Sonics, however, will be looking to turn their defense into offense, as they rely most on their transition game to set the momentum for the team, while Colts uses their guards to blow by defenders and either score or set up teammates. Meanwhile, the featured game of the evening will be another Georgetown matchup, as the red hot Dyna’s Ravens Basketball club will go up against the number one club in Georgetown in the Trinity Grid Holding Pacesetters. It is presumed that whoever wins this match-up will win the tournament as both teams are skilled with the ball and tough on defense. The Ravens club is a scrappy bunch that plays with heart and physicality unmatched to the other teams in the tournament. Their ability to rebound

the basketball on both ends of the floor, producing second chance points, is an important aspect of the game that no other club can match, which could be the downfall of the Pacesetters in their encounter. However, the Pacesetters can score and score well, once players such as Stephon Gillis, Travis Burnett and Randy Richardson become hot from the field. What will make the dif-

ference is how Pacesetters can cope with the likes of Akeem ‘The Dream’ Kanhai, and Ryan Gullen and the speed of Rodwell Fortune. On the Linden side of things, Linden’s number one club the Kashif and Shanghai Kings (KSK) will face off against the Retrieve Raiders basketball club in a clash of the titans, as both teams like to throw the ball in the post to their big men. KSK had a tough start

to their campaign despite winning, as the team could not find a rhythm, but made the right moves to pull off a low scoring win against Republic Bank Nets 56-45, which is the lowest scoring game in the tournament thus far. KSK will have to do a better job of moving the ball if they are to move on in the tournament, as the Retrieve raiders seemed bent on reaching the finals, scoring

Young Warriors, Number 71 clash in NBS final Sunday

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he Berbice Cricket Board has scheduled the previously postponed final of the 2013 New Building Society (NBS) second division 40-over cricket competition for Sunday. The final, which was first called off because of rain since November last year and a few other times since, is fixed for the Cumberland ground in Canje and will be between Young Warriors and Number 71. Young Warriors will be led by two former Guyana Under-15 off-spinning allrounder, Kevin Ramdeen and Sanjay Khan, former Berbice Under-19 wicketkeeper/batsman Ishwar Singh, Berbice Under-17 off-spinner Kassim Khan, as well as a triumvirate of experienced veterans, former Berbice all-rounders Anil Beharry and Hubern Evans, who also represented Guyana, as well as Rudolph Baker. Number 71, on the other hand, has the prolific batsmen Soomdat Singh, who has so far scored the most uns in the competition: 500,

Hubern Evans

including two centuries. He will be backed up Khemraj Sugrim, Manouram Vincent, Nazim Mohamed and Andrew Seamber and bowler Navin Vincent, Deoprakash Ramdar and Lionel Seegobin. The umpires are Zaheer Moakan and Clement Brusch, with Orwin Archer the standby. The match is expected to start at 11:00h.

a team total of 85 in their win. The Raiders also play well on the glass and will look to dominate with their offensive and defensive rebounds, while their players such as Louis James and Dwayne ‘Brown Suga’ Roberts will look to get the offense going. The final match-up of the evening will see the Ameila’s Ward Jets (AWJ) taking on the Victory Valley Royals (VVR) in a match up that should feature well set plays. Both teams can pass and both teams like to utilize the post, especially with big man Shane Webster for AWJ who is the third leading scorer in the tournament with 24 points. More importantly VVR has explosive guards that can out run AWJ in the open floor. The match-up will whet the appetites for the fans before the featured game of the evening.

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Former cricketer among CIDI 11-race cycling on today golfers in L action today A

Former West Indies cricketer and selector Joe Solomon will hit the greens today

keen fight is expected for the Maurice Solomon and Company Chartered Accountants golf tournament today at Lusignan Golf Course, East Coast Demerara. With good conditions for the past month, golfers are getting to play more and finding their form as witnessed in last week’s competition with numerous scores coming in around par.   Today’s event is a 3/4 Stableford which will award points for each hole depending on how well the golfer plays it.  There will be four top prizes, a Nearest-tothe-Pin and a Ladies Best Prize should none make the top four in the general category.    In an invited comment, Maurice Solomon, who has been a member of the club since the early 1970s, said he had committed since last year to sponsor a tournament and hoped for a good turnout. In addition, his brother, West Indian cricketing legend, Joe Solomon, will be competing. Tee off time is noon.

ocal riders will test their preparedness for Sunday’s highly anticipated Berbice leg of the Cheddi Jagan memorial cycling road race by competing in the inaugural CIDI sponsored 11-race programme at the inner circuit of the National Park today. The event will pedal off at 09:00h and will be sponsored for the first time by CIDI, under its Thrill soft drink and Blue Life Water products. National coach and organiser of the day’s activities, Hassan Mohamed, told this publication during the week that the company has willingly come on board, joining a long list of sponsors that have supported cycling over the years. As usual, the programme will conclude with the gruelling 35-lap School Boys and Invitational race, which will feature the leading senior

Hassan Mohamed

riders and the up and coming talents. Other events planned for the day include the BMX Open, 6-9, 9-12 and 12-14, mountain bikes, veterans under-50, over-50 and over50. Representatives of CIDI are expected to assist in the presentation of prizes at the conclusion of the races.

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