Guyana Times International

Guyana-born Felicia Persaud

A voice for Caribbean immigrants in the U.S.

INTERNATIONAL

Page 19

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

for FRee distribution guyanatimesinternational.com

You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com ISSUE NO. 184

week ending March 16, 2014

Guyana’s land offer to help push regional food security still on – Ramotar I See story on Page 17

Heads of Government at the 25th Intersessional Meeting of the Conference in St Vincent and the Grenadines

Missing Guyanese granny found dead in NY cemetery Page 17

Gov’t welcomes CARICOM Statement on Anti-money Laundering Legislation n a recent press release, the Government of Guyana says it welcomes the statement made by CARICOM Heads of Government following their recent meeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on the Anti-Money Laundering Legislation before the Parliament.

In the Statement, the regional body stressed the negative impact which the failure by Guyana to enact the Bill would have on its national economy and the consequential implications for the wider region.

The CARICOM statement recognises the grave perils that loom before Guyana and the Caribbean should the CFATF recommendations not be enacted and should Guyana find itself blacklisted as a consequence. In doing so, the statement has vindicated the concerns expressed by the Government of Guyana over the past year, and the call by Government and by the multitude of other national stakeholders for the National Assembly to proceed with passage of the Bill submitted by Government in response to the CFATF recommendations.

The release added; “The call by CARICOM for enactment of the legislation is a welcome one. It is the hope of the Government of Guyana therefore that the Opposition Parliamentary Parties will heed the call of our regional partners and allow Guyana to proceed with the Bill with the required urgency, and not procrastinate any further thereby placing the country and the Region in jeopardy”.

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3 Granger says not afraid of Rodney inquiry NEWS

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- says “I was in Belgrade when Rodney was killed”

By Alexis Rodney

F

ormer Commander of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and now Opposition Leader, David Granger said he was not fearful of the outcome of the Commission of Inquiry into the killing of Dr Walter Rodney, stating that he was on travel duties overseas when the incident occurred.

Granger, the leader of the People’s National Congress (now Reform) under whose administration Rodney was killed, is seen as a key witness in the incident. It was widely alleged that then President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham used GDF Sergeant Gregory Smith to hand Rodney a bomb which exploded in his lap while he was sitting in a car outside the Camp Street Prison.

In an interview with Guyana Times International on Wednesday, Granger said the establishment of the Rodney Inquiry may very well be a political move by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to tarnish the

reputation of the PNCR, a few years before the general elections.

He deemed the timing of the inquiry’s establishment subtle, pointing out that the government, which has been in office for more than 22 years, had previous opportunities to set up the Commission.

Granger said the PPP/ C’s decision to establish the inquiry, apart from what has been fed to the public, may have stemmed from its realisation that “the tide of public opinion is turning against” the administration.

However, he maintained that he was not afraid of the truth.

“What I’m afraid of, however, is a tendentious Commission of Inquiry, which seems to have determined guilt even before evidence has been collected,” he told GTI in the interview.

Granger believes that the alleged plan by the Government to stain the political movement will eventually backfire. “If the Commission of Inquiry does its work, it may arrive at conclusions, which might be contrary to what they

Opposition Leader, David Granger

(the PPP/C) Granger said.

expect,”

In Belgrade

Reflecting on Rodney’s assassination, the retired Brigadier explained that he was on travel duties in Belgrade, Yugoslavia at the time. He said he was made aware of the incident through the news.

Granger said the PNCR and now A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) never had any qualms

over the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry. What the coalition is concerned about, he reiterated, was the appointment of Guyanese-Trinidadian Senior Counsel Jairam Seenath, which has been described as contentious.

Jairam, along with Jamaican Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Chairman of the Commission, Richard Cheltenham, was sworn

in before President Donald Ramotar on February 24, to examine the facts surrounding the death of the late Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Co- Founder. The party’s claim surrounds Jairam’s apparent ties with the PPP/C, since he was among the key players in a recent matter involving the government.

Granger said his presence on the Commission would be prejudicial.

Like the WPA, the PNCR has also raised concerns about sections of the Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the Inquiry Commission.

Granger zoomed in on ToR Number Four, which directs the Commission “to examine the report on the actions and activities of the State, such as, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the National Service….

To determine if they were tasked with the surveillance of and carrying out of actions, and whether they did execute those tasks and carried out those actions against the Political Opposition, for the Period January 1, 1978 to December 31, 1980”.

He said the content is very much unfair and prejudicial as it suggests that persons within the disciplined forces at that time were involved in Rodney’s assassination. The APNU leader explained that the ToRs should be primarily concerned with finding out the truth about Rodney’s intention during the time he died.

Asked if the party has received an invitation from the Secretariat to participate in the investigation, Granger responded in the negative; however, the party was invited to meet with the Commissioners. He pointed out that if there was no redress of the ToRs, the party will recluse itself from participating in any way in the inquiry.

President Ramotar had told the gathering at the swearing-in ceremony at the Office of the President that the main reason behind the establishment of the Commission was the requests made by the political activist’s widow, Patricia Rodney, other individuals, and organisations.

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INTERNATIONAL

Happy Holi to all our readers and supporters!

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EDITORIAL

For 200 years a slave

A

week ago, the film, “12 years a slave” won the Best Picture award at the Hollywood Academy Awards – the highest accolade in the industry and one that will guarantee the film cinematic. But it will do more than that: it will for the very first time, tell the story of a slave from the point of view of the slave. Solomon Northup was a free citizen of New York who had been sold into slavery in Louisana and endured the 12 years of slavery, he wrote of in harrowing detail, in 1853.

The fore parents of Director of the film, Steve McQueen, a Black Briton of Grenadian descent, had been slaves. He was the first man of African origin to have won the Oscar for directing the Best Picture. All of this publicity is rather serendipitous since today, Hilary Beckles, the historian who is Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies in Barbados, will be presenting the specific demands for reparations for the horrors of slavery to the Heads of Government (HoG) of Caricom against several European nations – including the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

In an ironic historic twist, the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, playing the role of a plantation owner in “12 years a slave” is descended from the family that owned the plantation in Barbados to which Beckles’ ancestors had been enslaved. The HoG had already approved the plan for reparations last year, which has now been distilled into 10 demands and are almost certain to be approved unchanged. Since last year, there have been meetings by the several national teams on reparations in the various territories of Caricom.

One of the demands expected to be most contentious would appear to be on the surface, the most innocuous one: an unqualified apology for inflicting the institution of slavery on people shipped across from Africa. There is not a European nation mentioned that can deny their involvement with either the slave trade or slave ownership, nor can they deny the horror of slavery.

Yet there are fears that an apology would lead to an acceptance of “guilt” from which monetary reparations would flow. The contention that restorative justice for the descendants of the victims would at last be given does not seem to be persuasive.

Some of the other demands would be to provide diplomatic help to persuade countries such as Ghana and Ethiopia to offer citizenship to the descendants of people from the Caribbean who “return” to Africa. Some 30,000 have made such a journey to Africa and have been offered generous settlement packages, but lack of citizenship rights for their children is causing difficulties.

Specific to the Caribbean would be proposals designed to change the structural factors inherited from the days of slavery and which have conspired to keep the Caribbean in a state of underdevelopment. One of these calls upon the European nations to craft a development strategy to help improve the lives of poor communities in the Caribbean. This development strategy, for instance, would have to take into consideration the question of capital for development since during slavery the slaves received no money they could save.

There is also the demand that cultural exchanges between the Caribbean and West Africa be fostered to help Caribbean people of African descent rebuild their sense of history and identity.

Without this strong sense of identity, they will always remain defensive. In tandem with the preceding, there would have to be support for literacy drives designed to improve education levels that are still dire in many Caribbean communities.

Even more specific, the plan calls for medical assistance to the region that is struggling from high levels of chronic diseases, such as hypertension and Type two diabetes that have been linked to slavery. The claims are being channeled through the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Holi is a festival brought from India to Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean from where it has been transplanted to parts of North America. The festival heralds the advent of spring and symbolises the spirit of youthful exuberance, vigor and vitality. This “playing” with each other represents the cleansing of the mind of the feeling of bitterness, enmity and jealousy.

Major preparations are currently under way for Holi celebrations in New York. (Photo – a scene from last year’s Holi celebrations in NY)

Women must lead the debate on post 2015 development agenda – ECLAC

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omen cannot be absent from making decisions to help define the development agenda after the year 2015, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena said.

She expressed the view at the commemoration of International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8.

In a process led by the United Nations, the international community aims to establish a new agenda for sustainable development to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which countries agreed upon in 2000 and committed to achieving by 2015.

Bárcena explained that it is not about “including” women in this new development agenda, but rather “building a development model that is based on equality between men and women and on the eradication of all forms of discrimination”, which is what ECLAC proposes.

“In all areas of debate of the Post-2015 agenda, women should participate at parity with men, which represents an important challenge for Latin America and the Caribbean,” said the highest representative of this regional United Nations organisation.

According to data from ECLAC’s Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean (OIG), six Latin American and Caribbean countries will be governed by women in 2014: Argentina (Cristina Fernández), Brazil (Dilma Rousseff), Chile (Michelle Bachelet), Costa Rica (Laura Chinchilla), Jamaica (Portia Simpson) and Trinidad and Tobago (Kamla Persad-Bissessar).

Low representation

Nevertheless, women represent no more than 26 per

ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena

cent of lawmakers, high court justices and Cabinet ministers in the region. They account for 25.6 per cent of City Council members and just 11.7 per cent of mayors. Thirteen Latin American and Caribbean countries had implemented gender quota laws by 2012. In the last three years, only El Salvador (in 2013) joined that group, which demonstrates that there is still a significant number of nations that have not adopted measures to improve the participation of women in electoral politics.

On another point, Bárcena said “the Post-2015 development agenda can’t be limited to reducing poverty, and instead must be seen as a comprehensive process that covers both productive and reproductive arenas”.

This implies, among other things, changing the current patterns of production and consumption – which are not environmentally sustainable – and collectively taking on issues such as unpaid work and the so-called care economy that today mainly falls to women, affecting their development.

According to OIG data, no Latin American country has women in a parity situation with men in terms of economic participation. Five of every 10 women are still outside the job market and unemployment among women is two percentage points higher than among men (7.8 per cent versus 5.9 per cent).

Women’s autonomy is a key factor for guaranteeing they can exercise their human rights in a context of full equality, said ECLAC, underlining three main pillars: physical autonomy (control over their bodies), economic autonomy (the capacity to earn income and generate their own resources), and full participation in making decisions that affect their lives and their group.

The need to strengthen women’s autonomy and their voice inside the debate on the Post-2015 development agenda was highlighted in the Santo Domingo Consensus, approved in October 2013 at the XII Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, organised

by ECLAC in Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic.

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GECOM picks Lowenfield as new Chief Election Officer

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eith Lowenfield, a former Guyana Defence Force Officer, was unanimously appointed Chief Election Officer on Wednesday, replacing Gocool Boodhoo who was let go by the Elections Commission when his contract expired nearly two years ago.

The substantive Deputy Chief Election Officer, Calvin Benn, who had also applied for the post, earlier this week withdrew his application, virtually clearing the way for Lowenfield.

In a statement, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said Benn was not interviewed because he tendered a letter dated March 10, 2014, regretfully informing the entity that he was no longer interested in the post and, by way of said letter, was withdrawing his application for the post. “Benn submitted in his letter that he had engaged in some serious reflection during a recent period of illness and has concluded that it would be unwise for him to compete for the position of Chief Election Officer,”

Newly-appointed GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

the GECOM statement read. Further, he also expressed regrets to the Commission for any inconvenience which might have been caused by his change of heart.

GECOM said its full membership on Wednesday “decided unanimously to the appointment of Mr Keith Lowenfield to the position of Chief Election Officer and Commissioner of National Registration”.

The decision was taken at a special meeting of GECOM in the Commission’s Boardroom.

The Commission’s decision has brought to an end a very lengthy and

meticulous process: (i) advertising the vacancy locally and overseas; (ii) shortlisting suitable candidates from the 14 applications received; (iii) determining procedures for the interviews; and (iv) conducting the interviews, GECOM said in its statement.

Of the 14 applications received, four were deemed by the Commission to have met the criteria and were shortlisted to be interviewed. They were from Danville Davidson of Jamaica; Savitri Singh of Washington, U.S.A.; Benn; and Lowenfield.

Davidson and Singh were interviewed via Skype.

Well wishes

Immediately following the Commission’s decision, Lowenfield was summoned to the meeting and was informed accordingly.

GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally took the opportunity to congratulate Lowenfield on being appointed to head the Commission’s Secretariat and expressed his confidence in his ability to honour the responsibilities of the po-

sition of Chief Election Officer, the GECOM statement read. “All of the Commissioners also took the opportunity to congratulate Mr Lowenfield and wish him well in his new position,” the statement added.

Responding to the sentiments expressed

by Dr Surujbally and the Commissioners, Lowenfield thanked them individually and collectively for the confidence that the Commission has placed in him through its decision to appoint him to the position. In so doing, he undertook to carry out the relevant duties to the best of his abilities without fear, favour, and discrimination, the GECOM statement said.

Meanwhile, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) congratulated Lowenfield even before GECOM made an official announcement of his appointment. “APNU is confident that during Mr Lowenfield’s tenure as Chief Election Officer, there will be non-controversial and properly administered elections,” the opposition coalition said in a terse statement.

AFC and APNU have betrayed sugar workers – Ramsammy

T

he Alliance For Change (AFC), led by Khemraj Ramjattan, has betrayed sugar workers, Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said as he lashed out at both the AFC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) over talks to shut down the ailing sugar industry.

In a press statement late Wednesday night, Dr Ramsammy said AFC’s move to endorse APNU’s position on the closure of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), is a clear indication of AFC’s betrayal.

“The AFC and APNU see a future for Guyana without sugar and if they are given an opportunity to determine Guyana’s future, they will close down GuySuCo and deprive thousands of a job and of a living,” he said.

Minister Ramsammy said prior to the 2011 General Elections, both the AFC and APNU told sugar workers that they would have increase their pay by 20 per cent once given the opportunity to govern the country. He said this proposal

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

was made at a time when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was offering six per cent.

Despite the opposition’s position, the Agriculture Minister made it clear that the PPP/C sees a Guyana where sugar is still playing an integral role in the country’s economy.

“The PPP/C will stand firmly behind GuySuCo and with the sugar workers of Guyana. We have, and we will continue to invest resources as much as we can to ensure that GuySuCo is a major part of Guyana’s development. This was our position yesterday; it is our position today, and will be our position tomorrow.”

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Sugar industry can be saved, but needs sound leadership – Union

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he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) believes that the ailing sugar industry could be rescued, but it must be given sound professional leadership, which is badly lacking.

The union also said that the recommendation put forward by the opposition to stop the bleeding of the industry may not have been well thought-out as it does not look at how a shutdown will impact the lives and livelihoods of more than 16,000 people.

In a statement on the renewed calls by A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) for the country to exit the industry, GAWU said a turnaround in the industry’s fortunes can be achieved with the appointment of a new Board of Directors with an able chairman.

Professional leadership, the union said, is a crucial element needed for the industry. “With such measures, in addition to others, we see no reason why the industry’s output in under three years’ time cannot be once again significant and the industry becoming via-

ble,” GAWU said, noting that between 1992 and 2004, the industry demonstrated its resilience and ability to come out of the doldrums.

Peak periods

In making its case for the saving of the industry, GAWU said during its peak periods the sugar industry employs approximately 16,000 workers in addition to facilitating about 1500 cane farmers. “One way or another, tens of thousands of Guyanese depend on the industry’s operations. It is the nation’s largest net foreign exchange earner and a large proportion of the industry’s multibilliondollar revenue is circulated locally thus enhancing many business enterprises.”

The union further pointed out that many villages and communities in close proximity of sugar estates also depend heavily on the industry’s expansive drainage network. From this standpoint, the union is calling on the coalition to reconsider its position, emphasising that the livelihoods of the sugar workers and, by extension, their fami-

GAWU President Komal Chand

lies should be seriously considered. GAWU expressed the hope that the political party changes its approach to one that is more positive, which would help to create a positive environment that would help the industry to return to its glorious days, thereby fostering socio-economic development.

It was People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Executive Member Anthony Vieira, who suggested on Tuesday a switch from sugar to ethanol and/or aquaculture, considering the challenges facing the industry.

But, according to GAWU, Vieira’s position on the

industry is one of major contradiction. Although the former Member of Parliament of PNCR, the major partner in the opposition coalition, had thrown in his support for the production of ethanol as against sugar, he opined that Guyana would not be able to competitively produce the former. Therefore, the union is asking, “Why must we plunge into ethanol, which would require capitalisation and then back out of it shortly afterwards because it (ethanol) would not be competitive?”

Shelved programmes Further, GAWU is asking why the sugar industry should be purposefully destroyed or drastically miniaturised and replaced by aquaculture. While acknowledging that aquaculture can aid in boosting Guyana’s economy, the union remains firm on the position that it should not be done at the cost of the sugar industry. In addition to calling for a shift from the production of sugar to ethanol and/ or aquaculture, APNU had also accused the Agriculture Ministry of starving the industry.

Rodney Commission to soon meet stakeholders

Walter Rodney CoI Chairman, Sir Richard Cheltenham

T

he Secretariat of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry seems to be making progress, as the three-member Commission that was set up to investigate the death of the political activist, will be returning to Guyana during the course of the new week, to meet with stakeholders.

Chairman of the Commission, Queen’s Counsel Sir Richard Cheltenham, Jamaica Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline SamuelsBrown and Trinidadian Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam had all depart-

ed to their homelands a few hours after meeting with the Commission’s Secretariat some two weeks ago.

Minutes after the meeting, Cheltenham had told Guyana Times International that the limited time available had made it impossible for the Commission to meet with individuals and organisations as was intended.

“However, arrangements are in place for this to be completed in the near future,” he promised. He said that the Commissioners would have kept continued on page 7

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Buxton man brutally chops wife, commits suicide T

wo days after brutally chopping his wife about her body over her alleged infidelity, a cane harvester was found hanging from a tree in a farm aback Buxton, East Coast Demerara, on Wednesday morning.

The dead man was subsequently identified as Dexter Yaw, 38, of Lot 74 Sideline Dam, Buxton. His wife, Yonette is nursing several chops to her breast and arms. Based on reports received, the man went berserk on Monday evening after his wife told him that she had applied for a job and that she was due to start on

Tuesday. He was reportedly against her going to work based on past experiences, and an argument ensued during which he picked up a cutlass and chopped her.

When his wife fell to the ground, Yaw thought she was dead, so he left the house. He was not seen alive again.

Speaking from her bed, Yonette told media operatives that on Monday about 22:00h, she told her husband that she had gotten a job and was starting the following day. He became annoyed and subsequently repeatedly chopped her about the body.

The injured woman said he then left the home, and as she laid in a pool of blood, hoping someone would come to rescue her. After some time, she heard a voice calling out to her, but she refused to answer thinking that it was her husband returning to finish her off.

She managed to pull at the wardrobe and manoeuvre it behind her bedroom door, to prevent the man from gaining access. She said after the person continued to call out, she realised it was her son and she started to scream.

He reportedly forced his way into the bedroom

Dexter Yaw

only to find his mother lying on the ground with her breast slashed and hand badly chopped.

He raised an alarm and members of the community came to his moth-

er’s aid.

The woman was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was treated. She was released on Wednesday.

Yonette disclosed that this was not the first time her husband attempted to commit suicide. Guyana Times International was told by members of the community that the woman was constantly accused of infidelity.

Meanwhile, after Yaw did not return home, his family thought that he had gone into hiding, until his daughter who operates a shop in Buxton on BlackBerry Messenger saw a photo-

Rodney Commission to soon meet... in contact with the Secretariat, to ascertain its readiness for the commencement of the inquiry.

Cheltenham said that based on information received from the Secretariat, over 90 individuals and agencies were identified to testify at the inquiry. However, those persons were not yet approached. “There is a list of persons who may be of interest in

helping us, but many of them have not been contacted,” Cheltenham had said.

GTI was unsuccessful in its attempt to find out from the Secretariat, the amount of persons and organisations that have responded to its invitation to come forward, and the number of individuals and organisations that were approached to participate in the investigation.

Head of the Secretariat Hugh Denbow speaking to this publication said such information could not be released without the consent of the chairman.

A few days after the consultation with the Commission, the Secretariat began placing advertisements in local newspapers, inviting persons wishing to testify before the Commission, to submit

their statements containing the nature and substance of their proposed evidence. It said persons who wished to tender books, plans and documents were also invited to submit same.

The newspaper advertisement contained a section of the Terms of Reference (ToR) which include the examination of facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of, and

graph of a man who appeared to be her father hanging from a tree.

The young woman, upon seeing the photograph, reportedly locked her shop and rushed home, but in the process, she saw the hearse coming out of the dam and thought the best thing to do was to stop and enquire. Upon doing so, she was given a chance to view the body, which she positively identified as her father’s.

Yaw leaves to mourn his three children and wife, among other relatives. His body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home to await a postmortem examination.

from page 6

subsequent to the death of Dr Walter Rodney; to enquire into the cause of the explosion in which Dr Rodney died, whether it was an act of terrorism, and if so, who were the perpetrators; and the issue of persons being granted absolute pardon irrespective of, or incidental to all acts or things done, including offences committed in connection to the death of Dr Rodney.

Dr Walter Rodney

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Wanted bulletin IAC to re-enact Indian issued for Cuyuni arrival with boat cruise murder suspect T

T

he Guyana Police Force on Wednesday issued a wanted bulletin for Natton Anthony Stoute of Helena, Number Two, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara for questioning in relation to the murder of Bibi Shaneeza Bhola.

The murder took place on February 26 at Rock Creek, Cuyuni River, Region Seven.

Stoute, who is of mixed race, is one of two men, who were last seen at the woman’s shop at Rock Creek.

The wanted bulletin comes almost one week after Crime Chief Seelall Persaud revealed that police are in possession of surveillance footage of the murder suspects.

Stoute and another are believed to have left the area after robbing and stabbing the woman to death.

Bhola, 35, of Parfait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara was on Thursday last found dead in her shop at Rock

Natton Anthony Stoute

Creek, Cuyuni River.

Based on reports, Bhola operates a shop in the area, and about 02:30h on Thursday morning, a relative left the premises after the woman closed the business place.

Investigations revealed that the relative went back to the woman’s shop later in the morning where he recognised that the door was locked from the outside and thought that something was amiss.

The relative upon gaining entry into the house; saw the woman’s

Dead shopkeeper, Bibi Shaneeza Bhola

motionless body. Her abdomen bore a stab wound. When checks were made for the two tenants, there were no signs of them and their belongings. It is believed that the men carted off cash, jewellery and other valuable items.

The woman operated the shop while her husband worked in a mining camp. Her husband was not around at the time of the incident, but was later contacted. The woman leaves to mourn her husband and two children.

he Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) has rolled out activities and events planned for 2014 as the organisation continues to foster the development of the rich cultural heritage brought by East Indians on their arrival to then British Guiana.

The IAC will be introducing its first ever boat cruise to re-enact the arrival of East Indians in Guyana. The boat cruise will be held on April 27 along the Demerara River.

“It is intended to reenact aspects of the historic arrival East Indian ancestors from India 176 years ago, and to provide the opportunity for Guyanese to symbolically relive that journey which has impacted and shaped our nation in many ways.”

IAC is encouraging persons who are in-

Neaz Subhan

terested of being a part of the cruise to be attired in outfits similar to those that were worn by their foreparents upon their arrival in an effort to make the event more surreal.

Symposium on suicide

At a press conference on Wednesday, IAC Executive Member Neaz Subhan disclosed that the organisation will also

be holding several other activities, including a national symposium on suicide. The IAC calendar of activities kicks off next Monday as the organisation will be hosting its annual Phagwah Mela “Rang Barse” at Bath Tarmac, Bath Settlement Public Road, West Coast Berbice.

With Indian Arrival Day just a few weeks away, the IAC will once again be holding its Indian Arrival Day Mela.

Subhan in a statement said the organisation began with just one mela; however, over the years, it has expanded its melas to Berbice and Essequibo.

On May 3, the first mela will be held at the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground and the other will be held at the Albion Community Centre Ground on May 5.

Caribbean countries can tap IDB US$8M initiative

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he Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has launched the 2014 call for proposals of the Initiative for the Promotion of Regional Public Goods in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

The initiative is based on the premise that the countries of the region share challenges or opportunities for development that can be addressed or seized upon more effectively and efficiently by means of regional cooperation.

In 2014, the initiative will provide up to US$8 million in grants to finance regional public goods (RPGs) that are produced collectively by a group of IDB borrowing member countries.

Even though the initiative is open to the promotion of RPGs in any development area covered by the IDB, alignment with the IDB’s operational priorities is a selection criterion.

The other two selection criteria are the value added of a regional (vs national) approach to addressing a development challenge or opportunity, and the prospects of sustaining the benefits of regional collective action beyond the support of the Initiative.

The initiative is the bank’s most prominent grant instrument to support intra-regional cooperation and the collective design of development solutions in

LAC. Demand for its resources has intensified in tandem with the increasing importance of multi or bilateral South-South cooperation (SSC) in the development agenda of most LAC countries.

The interest in SSC among the bank´s borrowing members is a reflection of the fact that the region is a source of innovative development solutions that can be shared and replicated by other countries in LAC and in other parts of the developing world.

Since 2004, the RPG initiative has financed 92 projects, investing a total of US$73 million in promoting RPGs. An additional 13 projects for US$10 million selected under the 2013 CFP are in the last stage of the approval process.

All proposals must be presented in accordance with the call for proposals guidelines and must be submitted online before April 24.

Meanwhile, in another initiative, the bank is urging Caribbean countries to participate in a project that would finance projects and research studies to improve financial and private sector development policies in the region. The IDB said on Monday that the deadline for receiving proposals for the initiative being undertaken in collaboration with the Spanish General Trust Fund is May 15.

Financial risk management

The IDB said that proposals should be for activities that fund specific interventions aimed at improving financial risk management in the agricultural sector in order to reduce price volatility, improve productive capacities and fiscal stability.

“These may include activities related to derivative market development, portfolio insurance, credit scoring techniques for rural and public banks, agricultural value chain financing schemes, among others,” it said noting that at least Euro 100,000 (US$131,237) would be provided for “activity grants” for implementation of activities that include impact evaluation methods and generate lessons learned.

The IDB said that research grants of Euro 20,000 (US$26,250) would go towards diagnostics, impact evaluations, comparative studies or case studies, and other applied research leading to policy recommendations.

“Projects will be evaluated on innovativeness, ability to generate and empirically document impact, and overall quality of the proposal. The IDB will publish the results of the MAP grants as part of its research publications.

Ideally, activities and research grants will be implemented in less than one year,” it said.

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times International, Industrial Site Ruimveldt Georgetown, Guyana or guyanatimesint@gmail.com

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Govt has invested heavily in sports development Dear Editor, February 21 marked another memorable day for all Guyanese and especially for the Culture Youth and Sport Ministry/National Sports Commission and the sport fraternity. The National Sports Resource Centre was commissioned by the Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony.

This Gy$55 million project adds to the ambience of the National Racquet Centre which accommodates the tennis and squash courts. The commissioning of this important and necessary facility marks a new beginning for sport in Guyana.

The resource centre will create the opportunity for athletes to be exposed to information, via print and electronic media, which will take them and the various sports disciplines to the highest level.

The resource centre is the forerunner for a

national sport institute which is an essential necessity if Guyana is to continue with positive development in the world of sport.

This aesthetic and educational facility is expected to give guidance training and certification to the stakeholders in sport – athletes, coaches, umpires, referees, scorers, journalists, managers, chaperons, technical persons and even the general public.

The facility houses a library of books covering various sports disciplines which will guide all involved for the proper preparation and effective management, a section for online researchers and a conference room which will be used for theoretical training and presentations.

To complement the impressive commissioning ceremony, which was attended by a large number of Guyanese, was the lecture, enti-

The Sports Resource Centre, located in the compound of the National Squash Court, Woolford Avenue, Georgetown

tled, the “History and Development of Cricket in Guyana and the West Indies (1860s-1960s), which was conducted in the conference room.

This historic educational talk was done by the eminent Professor Clem Seecharan, Professor of Caribbean History, Head of Caribbean Studies, London Metropolitan University.

Dr Seecharan is a Guyanese writer and historian of Indo Caribbean experience, as well as a historian of West Indies cricket. Among his alma maters are Sheet Anchor

Anglican School, Berbice Educational Institute, Queens College (Guyana), MacMaster University (Canada) and the University of Warwick (London).

In 2002, Clem was awarded a Professorship in History at the London Metropolitan University where he is now Emeritus Professor of History. He was also in 2002, awarded a Certificate of Distinction by the Guyana High Commission (UK) for his “achievement in his profession in the United Kingdom”.

Lessons from the Ukraine conflict

Dear Editor, Kindly allow me some space to share my views on the Ukraine situation and how it relates to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

The conflict in Ukraine is about ethnic and hemispheric security which has moved past what is right and wrong. It is similar to what Indian people face when elected democratically in the Caribbean.

Confronted by some Africans, they operate on the belief that Indians must only play a supporting political role.

Some in Trinidad and

Guyana who reject the democratically elected government, cannot really believe that this time around, it will not have dire consequences similar to the Ukraine.

Unlike India, which turned a blind eye to the slaughter of the Tamil ethnic minority in Sri Lanka, Russia had no hesitation to actively protect its own.

Those advocates in Trinidad, Guyana and even Suriname who habitually ‘kick’ people around politically are certain to recognise the details unfolding in Ukraine which is split-

ting it apart.

Trinidad’s calypsonians and Indian creolised political writers in Guyana routinely advocate and promote street riots to overthrow the elected government because they do not count on any backlash.

All Ukrainians are paying the price where politicians get power, but it’s the ordinary people who constantly pay the price and suffer.

Unless the leadership of Guyana’s two major political parties become resolved to address and deal with our current problems all Guyanese

Local democracy is important

Dear Editor, The vast majority of the population want an early election. At present they are looking on from the outside, since no local government elections were held for the past 17 years.

The existing Constitution says that local government elections must be held every three years for councillors, mayors, deputy mayors, chairmen and vice-chairmen for the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), and every year there must be election for mayors, deputy, chairmen and vice-chairmen among the councillors.

We feel, however, that no local government body is likely to be viable without the provision

for the establishment of an early election. This national body must consist of persons elected by members of local democratic organs who are themselves to be elected by voters in their areas.

Thus, in a very real way, the councillors will be the elected representatives of the people themselves.

The councillors will therefore consist of people taking an interest in local government matters on a basis which definitively relates to their selection to the people’s will.

The councillors will have an electoral mandate from the people themselves to discuss and to handle local governmental matters from a national perspective.

And it was therefore none of the business of the government to call an early local government election so as to give every taxpayers an equal starting chance to elect their representatives, but as I understand it, the position taken by the Local Government Ministry is to rubber stamp the people’s wishes.

To resolve this issue, it is necessary to hold an early election. The people must be able to see themselves as being not merely limited to casting a vote on elections day.

They must be able to see themselves as a continuing part of the dayto-day processes of their townships and villages.

Yours faithfully, Mohamed Khan

are likely to similarly lose.

I repeat again for emphasis, since it will be easily forgotten: both Indians and blacks de-

As a distinguished historian, he is the author of a number of publications. Professor Seecharan’s most successful, respected and admired lecture attracted the attendance and attention of many recognised Guyanese in the calibre of Dr Frank Anthony, Dr James Rose, Dr Ian McDonald, Dr Rupert Roopnarine, Dr Tota Mangar, Doreen De Caries, Hector Edwards, Conrad Plummer, Alfred King and foreign diplomats, among others.

The impeccable lecture generated much interesting and inspiring discussions from the cadre of highly trained minds who were present.

It is anticipated that the lecture will set the stage for monthly occurrences which will attract large attendance of persons of various levels.

The Government of Guyana over the last decade invested heavily in the construction of world

class sport facilities.

The Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, the Aquatic Centre, the Racquet Centre, the Synthetic Track at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, along with the tremendous development of Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and the National Gymnasium, are all proud achievements.

With the resource centre, preparation for the future of sports in Guyana will ensure better performances of our athletes and officials.

The time is now when Guyana must develop a pro-active approach to the advancement of sport. The development of our human resources is imperative. The government must play the lead role in the new challenge of sport in this country.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar Director of Sport

serve their fair share.

So do our minorities.

But I will be prepared to take a lesser share, not speaking for others of course, so our less fortu-

nate can get a little extra. It is important for us all to THINK before we ACT. Sincerely, Vassan Ramracha

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week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Housing agency turmoil

Jamaican gov’t sacks HAJ board T

he entire board of the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) was Tuesday evening told to resign as the government moved to pull the state-run agency from sinking deeper into crisis and controversy.

The order was issued

by Transport, Works and Housing Minister Dr Omar Davies, a day following Managing Director Carl Bennett's resignation after a mere three months in the post.

Bennett was the third managing director to leave the job in the past eight months and his departure was the latest in a raft of resignations of senior managers since April 2013.

Workers and their union have claimed that the resignations are the end result of a politically motivated housecleaning aimed at removing staff members with whom the board was not comfortable.

The board was chaired by Maureen Webber, a former deputy general secretary of the ruling People's National Party, who HAJ sources say has been a source of discontent among staff.

"It had to be cleared up before it caused any further embarrassment," a senior member of the government told Jamaican media Tuesday night.

"The chairman be-

Board chair Maureen Webber (Jamaica Gleaner file photo)

came too much of a muddling chairman, blurring the line between having responsibility for policy direction and day-to-day administration," said

the government member, who opted not to be named.

"It was either a deliberate act or an ignorant act in believing that as

chairman you also have day-to-day operation of the agency. That is not the role of the chairman," the government member added.

Tuesday, the opposition spokesman on infrastructural development Dr Horace Chang, questioned the cause of the more than 40 resignations from the HAJ as he took the government to task on its housing policy. Chang said that with the National Housing Trust's commitment of Ja$11 billion per year to handle national debt payments, it is imperative that there are no hitches in the operations of its sister agency, the HAJ, towards meeting

the government's delivery of housing solutions.

"This bungling at the HAJ must be linked to an insensitive, uncaring response to the mandate of the people of Jamaica to deliver housing solutions," Chang said in a news release.

"The sooner this turmoil at the HAJ is resolved, it will signal a capability of the government to respond, at a time where with scarce resources, the imperative must be, to be strategically efficient in order to negotiate the delivery of responsive programmes to meet the housing needs of our citizens," Chang said.

(Jamaica Observer)

gov’t minister mounts Guyanese die in St Former ‘naked’ protest in Trinidad Vincent cargo vessel T A

Guyanese crewman is dead and another critical after falling ill on a St Vincent-registered vessel which left Guyana for St Lucia last Thursday.

In a statement, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) said the St Vincent and the Grenadines registered ship – MV LADY ZAI departed Georgetown on Thursday, March 6. On board were 10 Guyanese crew members and a consignment of cargo in bulk, with its destination being the island of St Lucia.

According to MARAD, when the general cargo vessel, which reportedly belongs to KB Enterprise of Guyana,

arrived in St Lucia on Sunday, a crew member had already died and another was ill. Prior to the ship’s arrival in St Lucia, the port health officials were informed of the situation, thus the vessel was quarantined.

According to the Health Ministry in St Lucia, the deceased was taken off the vessel and an emergency post-mortem examination was done. St Lucian media quoting officials say the death reportedly occurred Saturday, hours before the cargo ship entered St Lucia’s waters.

The other crew member was simultaneously taken to the St Jude Hospital where he is being treated.

The other members of the ship’s crew were or-

dered to remain on board where their condition is being monitored, until the exact nature of the illness has been determined.

This is a normal precautionary measure to protect the local population from contracting any communicable disease.

St Lucian health officials say they are working with the St Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority, the police and the St Lucia Fire Service to contain the situation and address the health concerns.

Officials from MARAD in Guyana are in contact with their colleagues in St Lucia on the matter, and similarly are the health officials from the two countries.

Venezuelan state-owned airline increasing flights to Guyana

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he Venezuelan state-owned airline, Conviasa, will be increasing its flights to and from Guyana, Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira said.

Speaking at a postCabinet briefing last Friday, at the Office of the President in Georgetown, Teixeira disclosed that Cabinet has approved the airline’s request to upgrade its non-scheduled air services on the Puerto Ordaz-

Georgetown-Puerto Ordaz routes.

The non-scheduled flights are to occur twice a week to Guyana, arrangements for which will be worked out by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Presidential Advisor said.

The airline began flights to and from Guyana at the end of 2013, with a once weekly flight between Georgetown and Puerto Ordaz.

The Venezuelan air-

line on November 24, 2013 made its inaugural flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, starting a direct service from Puerto Ordaz to Georgetown, Guyana.

The airline, located at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Venezuela is the largest airline in that country, operating services to domestic destinations and to destinations in the Caribbean and South America.

T’s former Child Development Minister Verna St Rose-Greaves says the current government has failed the children of Trinidad and Tobago, and is attempting to cover up the truth about the cause of death of a newborn baby after a C-section.

St Rose-Greaves walked to Tower D, Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain, shortly before the scheduled 1.30 pm start of the Senate sitting Tuesday to protest. She carried a placard that read: “Another baby dies, another mother cries.” The police stationed outside monitored St Rose-Greaves as she walked around in front of the building for more than 30 minutes.

Agriculture Minister Devant Maharaj and Local Government Minister Marlene Coudray hailed her out as they entered.

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan, who was in the Senate to answer questions on the order paper about other matters, later told TT media: “This is a democratic country still and Verna is doing what she does best.”

Moments later, on leaving the building, Khan passed within inches of St Rose-Greaves in silence as she hummed a song. Later she said they passed each other “like the missing Malaysian aircraft.” In response to questions about her protest, St Rose-Greaves said the baby boy was “butchered.”

She said: “I cannot understand a woman going to a hospital to have

Activist and former government Senator and minister Verna St Rose Greaves Tuesday staged a one-woman protest in Trinidad over the botched C-section surgery which claimed the life of a seven-month-old male foetus (TT Newsday photo)

a baby and her child is butchered and there is a move to cover it up. We have to stand up and demand justice, not just for this one child (but) for all the children who go through our hospitals and die because of negligence.

“Our delivery rooms are now morgues. You go in to come out joyous and you emerge missing a part of you,” St RoseGreaves said.

There was a history of abuse in hospitals, she added, saying the nurses had the

information but were afraid to release it. “The truth must be told and we cannot continue like this,” she stressed.

Recalling several disparaging public statements about homosexuals and about women being lewd at Carnival, she said there had been no public comments on the death of the child.

“This is not important.

They are there to moralise and not to recognise what is happening to our children,” she complained. (Excerpted from TT Guardian)

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Caricom Chairman intervenes in Guyana law students’ debacle

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aricom Chairman, Dr Ralph Gonsalves is to write the University of the West Indies Council for Legal Education on the impasse over Guyanese law students being accepted at the Trinidad-based Hugh Wooding Law School.

The move comes days after the Council for Legal Education stated that it will not be guaranteeing any of the 25 places usually offered to Guyanese students at the end of the degree programme at the Turkeyen Campus of the University of Guyana (UG).

As part of an ageold agreement between the Council and UG, every year, 25 automatic places were reserved for UG students at its Hugh Wooding Law School.

The Council, however, recently took the decision that UG’s 2014 batch would not be guaranteed places.

It was understood by this publication that the original agreement had initially expired in November 2012, but,

Attorney General Anil Nandlall

at the request of the Government of Guyana, it was extended until 2013. Negotiations were scheduled to take place to facilitate the 2014 batch of students.

However, this discussion never took place until the matter arose one week ago.

Review

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who is attending the Caricom Heads meeting primarily to deal with this issue, said Dr Gonsalves would be writing to the Council requesting that the 25 students be admitted

while a review is being swiftly undertaken of the provision of legal education in the region with regard to the increased need for legal services in the Caribbean.

Dr Gonsalves noted that a similar review was undertaken more than 40 years ago and things would have changed radically since then, hence provisions for legal education needed to be reviewed as early as possible for all to benefit.

Just before leaving for the summit, Nandlall stated that Government will spare no effort in

21-year-old man succumbs to gunshot injuries

Inshan Ramlakhan

A

Good Hope, East Coast Demerara family was plunged into sadness and mourning on Monday when 21-yearold Inshan Ramlakhan succumbed to his gunshot injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Ramlakhan was shot last Thursday during a robbery in the vicinity of Conversation Tree, just outside Georgetown.

He was shot to the left chest just above the heart; however, the bullet travelled through his body causing damage to his spine and lung. The perpetrator managed to relieve the injured man of his cellphone before making good his escape.

Inshan’s brother,

Ravi, had told Guyana Times International on Sunday that the young man was in critical condition and had to be placed on life support. He said his brother could not talk, but used gestures to communicate and was unable to move his feet.

When contacted on Tuesday, the grieving brother said he had gone to visit Inshan during the lunch break on Monday and was told that he had died. The man noted that this news has left the entire family in shock and despair. “Everybody just confuse right now, and nobody ain’t know what to do next,” he stated.

On Thursday around 05:15h, Inshan, in company of a younger relative, was on his way to work when in the vicinity of Conservation Tree, they were confronted by a man armed with a handgun. The perpetrator tried to relieve the 21-year-old of his haversack, but he resisted, causing the gunman to fire a round at him.

The relative, who witnessed the entire ordeal, rushed to a nearby relative with whom Inshan works for help,

and the injured man was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The police took someone into custody on Saturday, the slain man’s brother had said; however, they needed to conduct an identification parade before any further action is taken.

Caricom Chairman, Dr Ralph Gonsalves

resolving the issue.

“Government considers this as a matter of priority because… it jeopardises the entire law programme at the uni-

versity and it jeopardises the future of students….” “ T h e r e f o r e , Government will spare no effort in ensuring that this impasse is revolved

in a manner that is beneficial to our students at the university,” he said.

UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, said he was pleased that Government and Caricom have chosen to intervene in the matter, with the Chairman of Caricom writing to the Council. “Our students are not just Guyanese; we have students from outside of Guyana who come and study with us, so our interest here is to fight for the rights of our students so that they can become professionals. If we deny them the opportunity to have a professional education, we will not be able to move on as a country,” he added.

12 news Guyanese Simona Broomes leading the fight against TIP “W

week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

hen we help countries to prosecute traffickers, we are strengthening the rule of law. When we bring victims out of exploitation, we are helping to create more stable and productive communities. When we stop this crime from happening in the first place, we are preventing the abuse of those who are victimised as well as the ripple effect that caused damage throughout communities into our broader environment and which corrupt global supply chains.”

These were the words of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, minutes before he recognised Guyanese Simona Broomes as one of the 2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Heroes on June 19, 2013 in Washington, DC. One day later, the U.S. embassy said Broomes has demonstrated extraordinary bravery and leadership in raising awareness of human trafficking in Guyana.

Challenges

After 25 years as a miner, the intrepid Broomes established the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) in 2012 to empower

addressing social ills in the mining sector and confronting modern-day slavery in the form of Trafficking in Persons (TIP).”

There is no doubt that the GWMO has led the way in confronting this scourge in Guyana. “I am honoured to be here in this country, at this time, and as part of an organisation that will generate a wave of change against TIP while joining the chain of resistance around the world,” its head said.

Approximately 46,000 victims of trafficking were brought to light worldwide in 2012, compared to the 27 million that already exist, the U.S. TIP report revealed.

GWMO President Simona Broomes receiving her award from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry

women miners and address unique challenges women face operating in remote areas. The organisation then proceeded to rescue several young women from sexual slavery in the interior to international acclaim, highlighting the appalling situation of women in Guyana’s gold fields.

Today, Broomes continues to brave the weather, rescuing victims of modern-day

Woman detained for husband’s death released

Exploitation

slavery despite many challenges. Since the start of 2014, GWMO has rescued five teenagers who were trafficked to Cuyuni, Region Seven. In 2013, the organisation rescued 29 women and girls, including one Trinidadian national. Of the 29, 16 were under the age of 18.

In the GWMO 2013 Report, released recently, Broomes said: “To date, our biggest achievement has been

According to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the most common form of human trafficking (79 per cent) is sexual exploitation.

Victims of sexual exploitation are predominantly women and girls.

“Many governments are still in denial. There is even neglect when it comes to either reporting on, or prose-

cuting cases of human trafficking.”

Broomes has been a major critic of the Home Affairs and Human Services Ministries as well as the Guyana Police Force, owing to their apparent failure to rescue TIP victims, particularly women and girls who continue to be sexually exploited. Because of this, Broomes has been accused of “fighting for space in the newspaper”. She was even arrested on one occasion, after a shopkeeper before the courts for TIP accused her of theft and assault.

On August 26 2013, the GWMO President was placed on Gy$10,000 station bail for the incidents which allegedly happened at Puruni four months earlier during a TIP operation. Broomes told the press minutes after being released from police custody: “I know that it’s deliberate and I know it’s to send a message to me that I should stop. I expect it, I expect more and this is what I have to go through as a woman and a miner for standing up for children who are innocent.”

However, Broomes and her team have pledged to never give up.

U.S. bank sponsors women forum on mentorship

- autopsy proves he bled to death

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he woman detained by police for the death of her common-law husband was on Monday evening released, after an autopsy on his body proved that he died as a result of shock and haemorrhage due to incised wounds caused by self-inflicted injury.

Yonette Gumbs, of 1525 Onderneeming, Parfait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, had been detained after her spouse, Dennis Harris died minutes after injuring himself on Thursday evening.

The woman’s release came hours after the post-mortem examination performed by Dr Nehaul Singh at the Ezekiel Funeral Home on Monday.

Speaking with this newspaper, the woman’s daughter, Samantha Wray, said after the post-mortem proved that Harris bled to death, the police sought advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, and her mother was subsequently released.

She reiterated that the family knew her mother was innocent from the inception, but allowed the police to conduct their investigation. She revealed that when they went to examine the man’s body on Friday, they discovered a puncture to his el-

Dead: Dennis Harris

bow and several other scratches on his hand.

Harris, 44, died on Friday morning about 01:00h while receiving medical treatment at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Based on reports received, the couple had a heated argument at their rented home and he reportedly punched a window, causing him to sustain injuries to the hand, after he was put out of the house.

After calling out for Gumbs in an attempt to tell her that he was injured and receiving 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. GTI understands that Harris had been reluctant to receive treatment for his wound.

However, he eventually acquiesced, but died while receiving treatment.

A section of the participants during the walk

G

uyanese women last Saturday joined together for the seventh annual Vital Voices Global Mentoring Walk, part of a global movement to inspire a rising generation through mentorship.

Held on International Women’s Day and sponsored globally by Bank of America, the mentoring walk convened established women leaders and emerging women leaders to walk together in their community.

According to a U.S. embassy release, the event in Georgetown was one of more than 40 mentoring walks taking place around the world, as part of a global movement to highlight the importance of women’s leadership and to accelerate the impact of women leaders through mentoring. As they walked, women discussed their professional challenges and successes to establish a mentoring relationship.

Global Mentoring Walk The

Vital

Voices

Global Mentoring Walk provided an environment for aspiring women professionals to gain the support and guidance that they need to fulfil their goals. Mentoring is proven to be one of the most important steps to establishing a successful career.

It is a particularly effective support system to help overcome the obstacles to career growth that women commonly face in corporate and professional environments, such as experiencing the “glass ceiling” effect.

Equipped with the advice and support of a mentor, female professionals are better able to navigate the professional challenges they face.

Naturopathic practitioner and entrepreneur Barbara DublinPeterkin organised the Global Mentoring Walk in Guyana and served as the flag bearer. Several high-level participants were invited to make remarks, including representative for Human

Services and Social Sector Minister Jenifer Webster, Empretec Guyana Inc Programme Manager Karen Raphael, Management Consultant and Entrepreneur Sheree Baron, and Women Entrepreneurs Network (WEN)Guyana Co-Chair and Entrepreneur Lucia Desir.

Last March, DublinPeterkin and Lucia Desir launched the Guyana Chapter of WEN. Desir is the Managing Director of D & J Shipping Service and Dublin-Peterkin is the CEO of B’s Beauty & Naturopathic Centre and Visions of Excellence Personal Development Centre.

Desir and Dublin-Peterkin represented Guyana at the Caribbean Women Entrepreneurship Forum sponsored by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC in March 2012. Following the Forum, they joined with Caribbean counterparts to establish the Women Entrepreneurs Network Caribbean

(WEN Caribbean).

The Guyana Chapter is now part of this broader regional network.

Dublin-Peterkin and Desir have since been working to develop a network to share their experiences and knowledge to empower more Guyanese women entrepreneurs committed to growing their businesses at the small and medium level.

U.S. President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton originally launched the Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) initiative at the Summit of the Americas in April 2012. WEAmericas leverages public-private partnerships to increase women’s economic participation in Latin America and the Caribbean by reducing barriers women often face in starting and growing small and medium enterprises. These barriers typically include access to training, networks, markets, and finance.

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week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

No VAT exemption for City Hall – Sattaur G

uyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur has lashed out at the request made by Mayor and City Council Finance Committee Chairman Junior Garrett seeking VAT exemption from the city’s expenses.

Last week, during the council’s Gy$2.5 billion 2014 budget presentation, Garrett had claimed that the council was losing millions of dollars by having to remit all of its money in VAT to the GRA, and had called on government to excuse the entity from paying the required consumption fees.

However, when contacted on Monday, the Commissioner General said that the entity cannot be exempted, since

GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur

there is no provision in the law for such.

Garrett had reiterated that the council was in no position to offset its many expenses and thought that the good deed by the government would assist in alleviating expenditure incurred.

He said that council

City Hall Finance Committee Chairman Junior Garrett

pays in excess of Gy$40 million yearly to GRA, noting that if that money was redirected; much improvement would be had in the city.

He related that the council pays close to Gy$112,000 in VAT each month to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), while

Top Cop orders probe into police assault on civilian, reporters

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o l i c e Commissioner Leroy Brumell said the recent case of alleged assault committed on a former Miss Guyana Universe contestant by a policeman is currently under investigation and the officer named has been removed from his post.

The Commissioner further stated that, for quite some time, he has been receiving complaints from persons about the rank’s behaviour, hence the decision to remove him from his post pending the outcome of the investigations.

He said once the investigation into the claims made by the young lady is complete, based on the findings, charges may be instituted. Ali Williams is claiming that while visiting the Providence Police Station to lodge a complaint last Saturday, she was manhandled in the presence of her children by the policeman.

In a statement , the advertising and marketing executive said while driving to work on Saturday morning, she was involved in a minor accident when another car collided with hers, causing damage to the car’s bumper.

Hence, she decided to visit the Providence Police Station on the East Bank of Demerara with the intention of filing an official report with law enforcement, which would possibly ensure that the delinquent driver pay all expenses to repair her motor vehicle.

Ali Williams

She added that she arrived at the police station and after being made to wait some 30 minutes for a police officer to take her report, she inquired what was holding back the process.

She contends that her inquiries caused a reaction from the police officer who thought that she was not in authority to question the conduct of their work.

The woman added that after some time had elapsed, the report was eventually taken but upon completion, the policeman who took the report informed her that her vehicle had to be lodged at the police station for the night and further demanded that she hand over the keys to the car. Williams said she went into the station and was followed by “Officer Tracey”, who instructed her to sit on the bench and told her when she was ready to hand over the keys, she should inform him. She again refused to do such, telling him he needed to give a reasonable explanation for keeping her vehicle overnight. She then took out her mobile phone

and contacted a family member and began to relate her ordeal.

“Officer Tracey then grabbed me by my arm, pulled me up from the bench, dragging me more than 10 feet while wringing my hand to take away my personal phone, then chucking me to sit on the station bench like a common criminal in the presence of my two crying children,” she related in her statement.

Recently, media operatives from two media entities were allegedly assaulted by police ranks. One of them was Guyana Times/ Television Guyana/ Radio Guyana journalist Bhisham Mohammed.

Brumell noted that in the case of the media operatives, the complaints are being investigated and he will issue a statement at a later date.

over Gy$300,000 is paid for fuel.

The chairman posited that the situation may not be that strenuous on other entities since it may be possible for them to reclaim their taxes. He said the council depends primarily on the payment of rates and taxes by citizens and for it to reclaim tax would require that those rates and taxes be increased by 16 per cent. That, he said would add an additional burden on the cit-

izenry since rates and taxes were not raised for the past 16 years.

Urgent calls

The new development came on the heels of the Council’s apparent cashstrapped situation, and the urgent calls being made by the entity for stakeholders to pay up their taxes.

Among much bickering between the Mayor and Town Clerk’s offices, the much anticipated budget was presented to acting Local

Government Minister Norman Whittaker, a few weeks ago. However, it was rejected on the basis of it being deficit. The minister had also pointed out that the financial estimate did not have the signature of City Mayor Hamilton Green.

The minister had noted too that there were provisions in the budget for local government elections, among other things, which according to him should not have been there.

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Malaria desk established First Lady honours elderly women at Ogle Int'l airport

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First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar with two senior citizens at the Zeelugt Primary School

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The Health Ministry has set up a Malaria Desk at the Ogle International Airport in a bid to contain the transmission of the disease

he Health Ministry has set up a Malaria Desk at the Ogle International Airport (OIA) in a bid to contain the transmission of the disease.

Vector Control Services Director, Dr Reyad Rahaman said the initiative is a part of the department’s 2014 master plan to reduce malaria cases in Guyana.

He noted that the desk will become operational in the coming weeks and praised the support of the OIA management, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud and Health

Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsarran in making the project a reality.

Dr Rahaman said given the fact that the airport has international status, it is necessary for passengers coming to Guyana to be screened and receive treatment.

Also, given the mining sector has been rapidly expanding, persons going to certain interior locations will receive medication while those coming out will be screened.

Meanwhile, malaria personnel attached to the Malaria Centre at the Georgetown Public

Hospital will visit the homes of Georgetown residents to sensitise them on the causes, symptoms and treatment for the virus.

In the next few months, the Malaria Department will also improve radio service/contact to receive valuable and up to date information from remote areas in Guyana.

Guyana has seen a five per cent reduction in malaria cases from January 2013 to present. This is due to effective smearing campaigns and continuous education programmes.

irst Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar and members of the First Lady’s Foundation visited and delivered goodies to approximately 100 Region Three senior citizens who would have made significant contributions to Guyana’s development.

The gesture was in observance of International Women’s Day on Saturday.

The presentations were done at the Patentia Secondary School, West Bank Demerara and Zeelugt Primary School, West Coast Demerara, while visits were made to the homes of five senior citizens who were unable to travel to the venues.

International

Women’s Day which was launched in 1911 is celebrated each year on March 8. It is a day when organisations, religious communities, and governments engage in the quest for peace, democracy and equality, to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

During brief remarks, First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar stated that government continues to honour women who would have contributed to the country’s economy, and each year the foundation has been moving to different locations to ensure that every community benefits from this gesture.

The First Lady noted that International

Women’s Day is a day to observe the contributions of women and no woman must be forgotten.

“They have contributed in many ways to the development of Guyana, in helping their families and communities, and so we think they deserve the acknowledgement,” the First Lady said.

In Guyana and the Caribbean, the background to the observance of International Women’s Day differs from that of their sister countries in the Western World.

They developed an early tradition of struggle and activism born out of their experiences in shaking off the shackles of slavery and indentureship.

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Greenidge accuses govt of “fishing for investors” for Marriott project

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hadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge said the government of Guyana might be on a “fishing expedition” in an effort to bring financial closure on the estimated US$58 million Marriott Hotel (Guyana) Project.

On September 19, 2013, Atlantic Hotel Incorporated (AHI) Chairman Winston Brassington had boldly stated that AHI would have achieved financial closure at the end of that year.

At the time, the company had already spent US$20 million on the project. But to date, Brassington has been tight-lipped on the matter.

Brassington had announced that Republic Bank would have invested US$27 million in the project, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), US$19.5 million and a collective US$12 million would have been garnered from two private investors.

But although this financial plan was outlined, there was no financial

The estimated US$58 million Marriott International Hotel being constructed at Kingston, Georgetown (Treiston Joseph photo)

closure on the part of Republic Bank.

Deadline

Greenidge told this publication that with the August deadline approaching, there is a possibility that government might be “fishing for investors to finance the project”.

He said there was also a possibility that the project could be completed using mostly state funds.

If this occurs, he said,

it will be a very unfortunate situation, with statistical reports indicating that the occupancy levels of hotels around the country remain below 30 per cent.

Though the financial status of the project remains largely unknown by the public, when GTI visited the hotel site at Kingston, Chinese labourers were working on the exterior and interior of the building.

Romesh Budhram, an

official at the construction site, declined to answer when asked for a progress report, stating that permission must be granted first from the AHI Chairman.

Currently, NICIL is partnering with a private investor to acquire the required equity. The investor will be injecting US$8 million, while NICIL will invest US$12 million. The two parties have struck a shareholders' agreement.

Additionally, the debt is coming from three areas. It was explained that US$27 million is being syndicated from Republic Bank, US$4 million will come from the investor who will be operating the entertainment complex of the hotel, and NICIL will put one-third of the debt – US$15.5 million.

However, AHI still requires financial closure on the multimilliondollar first-class hotel.

“All we are waiting on is conclusion of the legal paperwork with Republic Bank, we have every confidence that we will conclude the financing and within a short period, we hope to close the entire transaction, the equity investor and the Republic Bank financing,” Brassington had stated.

Despite vehement criticism, the government and Marriott signed an agreement in June 2010, paving the way for the hotel to be operated by Marriott.

Government has executed a number of agreements with Marriott, starting in 2009 to operate the hotel for up to 30 years. These include the Management Agreement, the Licence and Royalty Agreement, the International Services Agreement, and the Technical Services Agreement.

Marriott Guyana is anticipated to feature 197 rooms, a restaurant, a bar, a lounge, an outdoor pool, a spa, a fitness centre, a business centre, and roughly 12,800 square feet of conference and function space.

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NEWS

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Guyana’s land offer to help push regional food security still on – Ramotar

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uyana’s President Donald Ramotar has maintained that the country’s position in the call for political, entrepreneurial, and popular will to achieve food security in the Caribbean Region still stands.

This was made clear by the President during the closing press conference after the 25th CARICOM Heads Inter-Sessional Meeting in St Vincent and the Grenadines in which Chairman of CARICOM and Prime Minister of the host country, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves; Prime Minister of Barbados Freundel Stuart and Secretary General of CARICOM Ambassador Irwin LaRocque participated.

President Donald Ramotar speaking at a press conference after the 25th CARICOM Heads Intersessional meeting in St Vincent and the Grenadines

Guyana has been described as the potential food basket of the Caribbean, and former President Bharrat Jagdeo who held responsibility for regional agriculture had made an open offer to all CARICOM countries to take advantage of Guyana’s bountiful agricultural resources. Agriculture remains one of the pillars of development in Guyana and the country has about 3.3 million hectares of available agricultural lands.

About 500,000 hectares is being used for rice, sugar and cash crop cultivation.

President Ramotar stated that, “the offer is still on the table.” He described the new Santa Fe project in Region Nine as a large investment by

Barbados, in which rice is being planted on a large scale. He added also that the Trinidad and Tobago Government has been showing more and more interest in that regard and indicating that they will take up the offer in order to go into agricultural products.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two countries whereby land will be made available to investors and farmers for agriculture development The Head of State also outlined Guyana’s plans for looking at new investments for big crops in the southern part of the country, and for building new schemes.

Missing Guyanese granny found dead in NY cemetery

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he lifeless body of 62-year-old Guyanese Shirley Caesar was found on Wednesday afternoon in a New York cemetery, exactly one week after she was reported missing.

The elderly woman who has been living in Brooklyn, New York for the past 10 years was last seen alive when she left her Brooklyn apartment last Wednesday to

Shirley Caesar

visit a commercial bank in Queens, New York and a tax office to file her taxes. When she did not return home on the same day and could not be contacted, her brother and other relatives became worried and alerted law enforcement authorities.

Caesar lived in New York with her young son and a brother. Her other four children live in Guyana. Relatives were

given the news of the woman’s death early on Wednesday evening. A post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted on Thursday to assist the investigators with her cause of death.

Relatives say that police investigators believe that the woman may have been robbed and murdered and her body dumped in the cemetery. Investigators

are expected to probe surveillance video at the bank she left home to visit to ascertain whether she ever made it to the bank.

Family members say that they knew something was wrong when the woman did not return home last Wednesday. They said it was never like her to stay out of the house and to miss a church service on a Sunday morning.

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AFC insists local LIAT to axe unprofitable routes govt polls must be as part of financial shakeup held by August 1 T

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he Alliance For Change (AFC) is insisting that local government elections must be held on, or by August 1, as approved by legislation in the National Assembly last month.

In a statement last week, the party commended the diplomatic community and civic/social organisations for what it described as their forthright position in support of holding these elections by August 1. “Everywhere, from our cities to our villages, our communities are in shambles and suffer from gross neglect. We call on the Chairman of the Elections Commission to pronounce on GECOM’s readiness to hold these elections and not allow to pass the ambivalence of the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall when he asserted that GECOM was preparing for National Elections; or the Home Affairs Minister to cast doubts on whether or not this body charged with con-

ducting elections could hold these polls.”

Red herrings

The AFC noted that new red herrings are being thrown into the pool of misinformation and doubt such as a 180-day timetable after the date for local government elections is announced by the relevant Minister, demarcation of new local government area boundaries, and public education.

“The AFC urges the holding by August 1 of elections, as a viable start, in the existing NDCs [Neighbourhood Democratic Councils], which need no further demarcation and in the towns, including Georgetown. We are against any political, bureaucratic and administrative humbugs that have jettisoned elections, due since 1997.”

The AFC also urged the completion of the constitutional mandate for fully monitoring the integrity of persons in public life, by having a fully composed and functioning Integrity

Commission.

The party then turned its attention to the establishment of the hotly-debated Public Procurement Commission. “We say that the Executive is in breach of the Constitution that commands the establishment of a Public Procurement Commission.

The Executive is in breach of the law that says that the role of Cabinet in procurement shall phase out after the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission. The PPP/C [People’s Progressive Party/Civic] has, for too long, paid lip service to the need for good governance, with full accountability and transparency in Guyana, which is why the floodgates of corrupt practices have been open wide.”

Last week, the ABC [America, Britain and Canada] countries, along with a number of civil society organisations, reiterated their call for the holding of local government elections this year.

he regional airline, LIAT, says it will take “decisive action” to deal with unprofitable routes as the Antigua-based airline seeks to make its operations financially variable.

“We have been trying, before going the harsh route, to persuade people to invest. We have met with a number of governments and prime ministers…we have expressed to them that we will have no other option but to cut the service,” LIAT chairman Jean Holder told a news conference last Thursday evening.

“I think we have reached the point, after a lot of challenges, where we need to do as we say that we will do. That may after all be more effective than the persuasion route,” Holder said after a meeting of the shareholder governments.

“We’ll have to take a very hard look at our current schedules and the profitability of our current routes. We have brought in some experts to assist us in looking more deeply into the route analysis issues, but it is clear that LIAT cannot continue to provide essential social services to 21 countries in the Caribbean on a daily basis, offering close to 1 000 flights weekly, and only four countries put any funds into this operation,” said Holder.

Holder noted that this would involve reshaping the routing system in a way that would ensure there is no longer an abundance of social routes at the expense of commercial operations.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines' Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who is also chairman of LIAT shareholder governments

In October 2012, then chief executive officer of LIAT, Ian Brunton, had warned that the cashstrapped airline would soon be dropping at least eight routes deemed to be consistently unprofitable.

He said that the situation would only change if the airline, whose major shareholders are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was able to secure some kind of support from affected governments.

Holder stated that the company has taken the stance that it needs to be more professional and implement the changes needed to keep the airline on an even keel.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who is also chairman of shareholder governments, told reporters he had been putting public pressure on his counterparts across

the region, particularly from those countries that benefit considerably from the operations of the airline.

“We’ve not been putting the same pressure on Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada because I know he has just come into office…and is trying to sort himself out...We give him a break, but he too has to come to the table,” said Gonsalves.

He said that the existing contributing countries were not immune to the ravages of the global economic meltdown but, since 2008, had been demonstrating their commitment to the region.

“Despite the stresses and strains, we have come up with significant monies and I am sure that that is a factor which some governments, who have not put in, will bear in mind.

“But I also think that because some governments have [received] a free ride for such a long time... it’s always better for someone to have a free ride that for them to pay for the ride,” Gonsalves said.

The prime minister said Holder and acting chief executive officer Julie Reifer-Jones had made presentations to the meeting which outlined a plan for sustainable recovery of the airline, as well as an immediate programme for implementation.

LIAT said it would employ an expert to assess the unprofitable routes which would not only entail cutting, but rescheduling or reviewing them. (CMC)

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here are numerous persons living in the United States who have deep roots and close links to the Caribbean. They are Caribbean-Americans and among them can be found many success stories.

Take for instance Guyanese doctor Dr Deborah Persaud, who copped a spot on Time Magazine's world list of the top 100 most influential people for 2013 when she and her colleagues announced the first functional cure of HIV in an infant.

Aside from the medical field, some Caribbean Americans have been drawn into the entertainment industry and work in Hollywood, some play in the NFL and the NBA while others have climbed the corporate ladder, occupy top positions on Wall Street, own businesses or are entrepreneurs like Guyanaborn Felicia J Persaud, founder of the awardwinning digital media solutions company, Hard Beat Communications Inc that partners with companies aiming to

reach the Caribbean diasporas in the U.S. and Canada.

Persaud broke the glass ceiling as a Caribbean-born woman doing business in one of the toughest places--New York City.

Persaud has been living and working in the U.S. for the past 19 years. She's not only a businesswoman; she's also been a staunch advocate for the rights of Caribbean Americans with particular focus on immigrants.

they don't share it---completely unlike what the hispanic immigrants do, they're sharing, they're talking about their stories, they're lobbying, we don't do that in our community enough so I have taken up the mantle whether it's writing about it, whether it's rallying across Brooklyn Bridge and standing out there and saying Caribbeans too need immigration reform. I think that's something you have to do because the voiceless are too afraid to do it in our community," she said.

Voice for immigrants

"Immigration became a personal thing for me because I myself was an immigrant in a new country. I started hearing stories from other people who were immigrants who were having just a hell of a time," Persaud explained.

"Some were undocumented, some were in church trying to get help and they were being sexually harassed by pastors who took advantage of them and threatened to report them to the authorities, there were kids who were in school and were so brilliant, but

Lobby group

Guyana-born Felicia J Persaud

couldn't go to college or accept a scholarship because they were here as an undocumented immigrant. Just heartwrenching stories and that was what really led me to focus on immigration."

Persaud soon discovered that many immigrants were not willing to speak out about their experiences so she became determined to

speak for them, advocating for immigration reform, participating in protest rallies and writing letters to President Barack Obama. "'Especially in the Caribbean community people are just afraid and we have this culture "oh it's my business I don't have to talk about it" so they're going through this trauma but

Even as she enjoyed success and accolades after starting her own businesses, Persaud became even more aware of sticking points that needed attention. She founded Carib ID---a lobbying group that secured bills in 2008 in the U.S. Congress and Senate urging for Caribbean nationals to be accurately counted and to have their own origins census category on U.S. census forms. This was by no means an easy task, it was made even more dif-

ficult since the Caribbean American community is not adequately organised to take on such tough issues that require substantial financial backing.

The bill that would push to provide an origins checkbox on census forms to allow Caribbean nationals and those with Caribbean ancestry to 'check' that category was introduced in the U.S. Senate and in Congress which was a huge milestone.

"But we did not have the financial resources to actually move it to the level it could have gone‌" she noted.

"Without economic numbers we can't tell our stories, we can't impact any progress significantly‌so we're just in a big mass, we know we're out there, we know we have the numbers and the power but we're just not counted in the places that matter."

Persaud is working tirelessly to change that and she's using her entrepreneurial skills and media expertise to do so. (Excerpted from TT Express)

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Losing patience: Essequibians calling for snap polls S cores of Essequibians are calling for a snap election if the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) (AML/ CFT) Bill is not passed by the opposition in Parliament.

The calls were made at a public forum held at the Anna Regina Town Council on Friday.

Persons from both public and private entities voiced their opinions on the Bill, and said the opposition is using its one-seat majority in Parliament to slow down development in Guyana.

Essequibians who attended the forum said they believe the delay in the passing of the Bill will significantly affect Guyana’s economy. As

A section of the gathering at the forum on the AML Bill in Anna Regina, Essequibo

such, many suggested a snap election. Others called for picketing exercises against the opposition to hasten the passing of the Bill, which

will mean change for Guyana.

Speaking on behalf of women in Region Two was Juliet Coonjah, who said if the Bill was not

passed, women in particular will suffer. Coonjah said most Guyanese depend on the extra money received from their families overseas to assist

them. She stressed that the opposition should not bring politics into the passing of the Bill, but rather should think of Guyanese welfare.

Former PPP/C Member of Parliament Farouk Khan told the gathering that Guyana is advancing and if the Bill is not passed, it will send the country back into the “dark days”.

Representing farmers from the Pomeroon was Vilma Da Silva, who also called for the passage of the Bill. She said many farmers in the Pomeroon are in the business of exporting and are earning money from overseas investments. She noted Guyana being blacklisted will hamper foreign investment.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh explained in detail the Bill and cautioned Essequibians of the consequences of not passing the legislation. The Minister said the opposition parties in Guyana continue to employ delaying tactics by proposing three amendments to the AML/CFT Bill that the National Assembly’s legal drafters had difficulty drafting. Government had proposed that the Bill be passed in its current form, and the opposition amendments be considered later.

Hardship

The opposition refused to accommodate this suggestion and voted against proceeding with the clauses on which there is agreement and which would have addressed the Caribbean

Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) recommendations.

Instead the opposition insisted that the committee be adjourned until the drafters could produce a draft of the Bill based on its instructions, thereby effectively making it impossible for the Bill to be passed by the recommended deadline.

This refusal by the opposition to proceed, Singh said, continues to frustrate passage of the Bill far beyond the deadline, thus jeopardising Guyana’s economy and bringing hardship to the Guyanese people.

The Finance Minister noted that money laundering is an issue that should be put above politics. “This Bill if it is not passed will not just affect PPP, it will affect Guyanese at large.”

Dr Singh said Essequibians have a voice and a duty to support the Bill. He urged the opposition councillors who were present at the meeting to advise their leaders about passing the Bill.

Examining the consequences for Guyana if the Bill is not passed in a timely manner, the Finance Minister said the country will be sanctioned. He called on Essequibians to pause for a minute to think about the impact on the economy if the international banks refused to conduct business with Guyana. The CFATF blacklisting is already taking a toll on Guyana’s financial sector.

Foreign buyers demanding ‘cheap rice’ – Singh

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mid reports of a lack of markets for the bumper rice crop being harvested, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) is reporting that foreign buyers are demanding low prices owing to the surplus on the local market.

GRDB General Manager Jagnarine Singh told Guyana Times International on Monday that samples of the various rice varieties have been sent to several different markets as the board seeks alternative export markets for the surplus rice being produced this year.

These markets, he explained, include Holland, England, and Portugal.

He said although the

countries currently import rice from Guyana, the board is looking to significantly increase the quantities.

In an earlier interview, Singh had indicated that they are in talks with other countries which want to buy rice from Guyana.

Among those nations are African countries; England; Colombia; and Caribbean territories such as Haiti, Belize, and Jamaica. Noting that importers are aware of the surplus on the local market, Singh said, many are taking advantage of this by demanding low prices. Farmers have been complaining about the low prices they are being offered for continued on page 23

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rime Minister Samuel Hinds urged party supporters on Sunday to bring in new members to the fold as the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) sets its sights on regaining the majority in the National Assembly.

Hinds made the comments while addressing a gathering at Babu John as the party paid tribute to its late founding leader, Dr Cheddi Jagan on his 17th death anniversary.

Absent at the ceremony was President Donald Ramotar, who was at the time attending the Caricom Heads of Government meeting in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Guyana’s third Executive President, the late Dr Jagan was remembered by his party as a man who gave his life for the betterment of all Guyanese.

Acting President Hinds in a brief address said the annual pilgrimage to Babu John should be used as a time for supporters to re-commit themselves to serve the

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee laying his wreath

Guyanese people.

“Cheddi was committed towards the growth and development of the Guyanese people.” He said some may see the former President as a “master of seeking assistance”. “The world sees him as a fighter of debt relief…. There was a great need to have the debt of Guyana written off and he led the way,” Hinds said, adding: “Building the nation and uniting the people was one of Dr Jagan’s fore-

most goals.”

The acting President urged youths to see a good example in the late President and to serve the people of the country well. “We lost quite a lot when Dr Cheddi died in 1997,” Hinds noted, but added that he has left a good example for all to follow.

“We must ensure that we do the best we can, whether we are young or old, we must provide the best service to Guyanese.”

Invite

Hinds encouraged party supporters to invite others to join the party so that the party can secure a majority at the next general elections.

Meanwhile, reading a message by the President, First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar said her husband regrets being unable to attend the event. Noting that 17 years have already gone by since Dr Jagan died, the President in

his message said almost on a daily basis, he looks at Dr Jagan’s work and methodology for guidance.

Ramotar said that the joint opposition in the 10th Parliament has made life difficult for Guyanese. The opposition has created havoc on the proposal to increase electricity subsidy for Linden, which resulted in riots and loss of life. The President said that he engaged the opposition in almost every national project in Guyana since he took office. “I am determined that the Amaila Falls Project will be built so that all Guyanese can have a better standard of living.”

Recommitment

Meanwhile, PPP General Secretary and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee called on those in attendance to remember what the Jagans stood for.

He said Dr Jagan has left the party a rich legacy which is still relevant today. “He has taught us to fight against all forms of dictatorship.

He has taught us to fight against political bullyism in whatever form it may take,” Rohee said.

Earlier, party officials and family members, along with members of the diplomatic corps, laid wreaths at the monument at the Babu John Crematorium.

Dr Cheddi was described as a man who promoted the arts and in reflection of that, the Central Delight Dance Troupe of Corentyne and other groups performed.

Dr Jagan suffered a heart attack on February 15, 1997 and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital before being flown by a U.S. military aircraft to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. later that day.

He died in Washington on March 6, 1997.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds succeeded him as President and declared six days of mourning, describing Jagan as the “greatest son and patriot that has ever walked this land”.

Five charged in Trinidad with Cabinet reviewing multi-million dollar bank heist Education bill

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Navin Juteram charged for TT$4.5M Republic Bank heist in Trinidad (TT Newsday photos)

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ive men, who appeared Tuesday before a Sangre Grande magistrate in connection with the TT$4.5 million heist at the Sangre Grande branch of Republic Bank, were each granted TT$1 million in bail to cover the charges.

The five, who appeared in the First Court before Magistrate Ejenny Espinet, include Chaitram Mohammed, 27, of Toco Road, Sangre Grande; Navin Juteram, 32, of Mohammed Drive, El Repos Road, Sangre Grande; Kumar Narine, 23, from Ramlogan Drive, Uquire Road, Freeport;

Jason Villafana, 42, from Guaico Village, Sangre Grande and Sateesh Boodram, 33, who hails from East Dinsley Gardens, Tacarigua.

Mohammed, Juteram, Narine and Villafana were all charged with breaking and entering and stealing more than TT$4.4 million, plus various other currencies including U.S., British pounds sterling, Euros and Eastern Caribbean dollars.

Juteram and Boodram received separate charges of receiving TT$46,800 and TT$2.1 million respectively, knowing the money to

Chaitram Mohammed, another of the five men charged for the bank robbery

be stolen. The charges were all laid indictably which means trial before a judge and jury if so ordered by the magistrate.

Attorney Shivan Jadoo appeared for Boodram while attorneys Dinesh Naraine and Shivanand Doobay represented Juteram and Villafana respectively. The lawyers told the court their clients were all “very cooperative” with the police.

There was no objection to bail and it was granted to all the accused men on the condition that they report and sign in at a police station twice weekly.

Mohammed was granted TT$1.3 million bail, Juteram received TT$1 million bail, Villafana was granted TT$900,000 bail, Narine received bail of TT$1.24 million and Boodram was granted TT$1 million in bail.

Juteram, Mohammed and Narine were also charged for a separate incident—robbery with violence and breaking and entering the Republic Bank Limited on January 17. They will reappear at the Mayaro Magistrates Court on March 24 with two co-accused in relation to that matter. (Excerpted from TT Newsday)

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

everal bills including one to radically revamp the education sector are currently in draft format before Cabinet for review, Presidential Adviser on Governance, Gail Texeira said.

According to Teixeira, the bills in varying stages of draft are expected to be tabled before the National Assembly in the near future. These include the highly anticipated Education Bill.

Teixeira, who was speaking to media operatives at last Friday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, noted that the other bills include the Solid Waste Management Bill and the Hire Purchase Bill.

Speaking with Guyana Times International, Education Minister Priya Manickchand noted that

the education legislation when comes it into force will repeal the current Education Act and allow the Education Ministry to adopt a more modern and hands-on approach to various issues impacting the education sector.

The Bill, among other things, seeks to address issues such as private schools licensing, requirements for persons to be employed as a teacher and students admission age at the nursery level.

She noted too that the current Education Act does not have much regulation as it relates to private schools. She noted that there are clauses in the Bill that will stipulate how private schools should function and be managed.

The Minister also related that the Bill will continued on page 25

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Caribbean leaders end Speaker lauds women’s contribution to society successful Caricom summit in St Vincent S

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CARICOM Chairman Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines greets Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica before the opening session of the 25th Intersessional Meeting of the Heads of Government at Buccament Bay (Caricom photo)

a r i b b e a n Community (Caricom) leaders say they have had a “very successful” twoday inter-sessional summit in St Vincent, completing a 20-odd agenda and implementing policies and strategies that would ensure the future socio-economic and political development of the region.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who is also the Caricom chairman, told reporters Tuesday night that the summit dealt with several matters.

High on the agenda was the ICT sector, which regional leaders agreed “should take place in tandem with the reform process of the region for the years 201419”.

The meeting received a presentation

by Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell, who has lead responsibility for ICT within the quasi Caricom cabinet, and Gonsalves said it was agreed that there should be a sustained effort over the next two years for building a single ICT space in the region.

He said a road map would be presented to the leaders when they meet for their regular summit in Antigua and Barbuda.

The Caricom chairman noted that the ICT development comes at a time when the region is developing its human resource potential.

Economic woes

The two-day meeting took place against the background of the continued economic problems facing the region and the need to fashion a framework for regional growth and develop-

ment.

“We welcomed the preliminary report from the Caricom Commission on the Economy established last September to advise on a sustain growth strategy for the community. We accepted the report as a work in progress which would be refined and supplemented with an implementation time table for consideration by member states at our July meeting in Antigua and Barbuda,” he told reporters.

He said the preliminary report outlines the scope of the Commission’s work programmes and specific initiatives that comprise the basis for both joint and or country specific immediate action in respect of financial sustainability including debt management, private sector stimulation, business regulatory environment and resource mobilisation.

On the issue of climate change, he said a task force had been established to help the region coordinate its strategies as it moves to enhance its engagement in the climate change negotiation process “so as to increase the region’s access to available climate change financial resources”.

It will also provide guidance to climate change negotiators.

The meeting also discussed the ongoing situation in the Dominican Republic with regards to the last September Constitutional Court ruling that has had the effect of making thousands of persons born of Haitian descent, stateless.

Legalisation of medical marijuana

On the issue of the decriminalisation of

marijuana for medicinal and religious purposes, Gonsalves said there had been “intensive” discussions among the leaders on the issue. “…we explored the economic benefits that might be derived from marijuana cultivation in a structured sense,” he reported, noting that various concerns about health issues had also been raised.

He said the leaders recognised the need for in-depth research of the methods being contemplated and mandated the establishment of a regional commission “ to address the issues identified and others which are deemed relevant in order to provide clear guidance to the community with regards to the decision to be taken”.

The commission is expected to report to the regular Caricom meeting in July.

Gonsalves said too the summit spent “a great deal of time” on the proposed CanadaCaricom trade and development agreement.

“We have to try and conclude this agreement by the end of June. We will not talk about our negotiating position in public…but we spent a lot of time on it…and we are planning a number of imitative in this regard to see how we can successful conclude this pact on behalf of our people in the region,” he added.

The summit has also agreed to back TT as the headquarters for the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, with Gonsalves stating that Caribbean countries played a very important role in the conclusion of the Arms Trade Treaty that addresses the question of small arms. (CMC)

peaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman said women have made contributions to all spheres of life, as he lauded their contribution to society on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Trotman in a statement said the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana joins women the world over and particularly in Guyana, to commemorate this day.

This year’s theme, “Inspiring Change,” could not have come at a better time, especially when Women are playing pivotal roles in leadership capacities all across Guyana, Trotman said.

“Guyanese women have registered successes, both at the regional and international levels, in achieving gender equality, empowering women and elevating them politically, economically, socially, and

Former Deputy Speaker and MP Deborah Backer

Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai

culturally.

Guyana’s maintenance of a high ranking in the Global Status of Women in Parliament is a testament to this. These outstanding contributions of Guyanese women to the political, social and economic life of the country through the years cannot be ignored.”

The National Assembly, he said, salutes the services of several long-serving women parliamentarians.

These include

Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai with 20 years of service; People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) MP Shirley Edwards who served for 18 years; PPP/C MP Philomena Sahoye-Shury who served for 15 years; former Deputy Speaker and MP Deborah Backer who served for 14 years; and Parliament staff member Eleanor Coddett who has 30 years of dedicated service to the public service.

Infrastructural development must be a priority for Guyana – Ramsammy

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Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

takeholders involved in the Conservancy Adaptation Project (CAP) met last Saturday to discuss the results and future investments for the 2008-2013 project.

The project results include enhanced government’s knowledge and capacity to manage the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) and the coastal drainage systems as well as a US$123 million package of investments critical for flood management.

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy in his remarks to the gathering at the Regency Hotel, Hadfield Street, Georgetown, noted the importance of the project since Guyana’s development, he said, is largely dependent on, and is driven by agriculture.

“If we are to look at it this way, we should look back at the 2005 flood when we saw how people’s lives were disrupted and livelihood were threatened, and we also saw how agriculture and therefore the overall development of our country was affected.”

Minister Ramsammy alluded to the fact that because of the 2005 flood, more than 60 per cent of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product was affected. To this end, he noted that Guyana must as a priority now focus on infrastructural advancement for sustaining its developmental path, but importantly for accelerating that path.

Achievable

“Guyana has ambitions to be a high middle income country. I remember a long time ago in 1991 listening to Dr

Jagan as he outlined his own vision for Guyana that it is not impossible for Guyana to become a developed country, and that within the lifetime, we can in fact emerge as a high middle income country.”

Today, the Minster said, Guyana is well on its way to reaching that ambition, but reiterated that the development of the country’s infrastructure is critical in the pursuit of that ambition; hence, the CAP is a good example of ensuring continued development.

The Agriculture Minister also pointed out that the CAP also ties in well with the Ministry’s 2013-2020 Strategic Plan that will include components to build capacity for the use of technologically advanced equipment and methods for flood control management.

Another component of the Ministry’s 20132020 Strategic Plan will include modelling the prediction of flood, which is an important area for developing agriculture, and developing the infrastructure of Guyana.

Minister Ramsammy said it is his hope that all these components can be achieved as they will all aid in taking the country into a different direction to accelerate development.

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Govt will continue to pursue development in a sustainable manner - Persaud N atural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud said the government will continue to pursue development that is free from environmental destruction.

He made the comment at an environment stakeholders’ workshop at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (Red House), Kingston, Georgetown on Friday.

The forum brought together participants from several state agencies as well as the private sector and was geared towards creating new partnerships for the development and protection of the environment.

Persaud said the government will spare no effort to advance in this regard. “The Natural Resources and Environment Sector has been consistently operating within the ambit of existing national policies and strategies. These include the Low Carbon Development Strategy, the Poverty Reduction Paper, the National Development Strategy and the National

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud addressing the gathering at Red House on Friday

Competitiveness Strategy. All of these documents profited from extensive consultations and emphasise the importance of protecting the environment to ensure a long-lasting prosperity for the country’s future generations.”

Minister Persaud also spoke of working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“The Ministry has been collaborating with vari-

ous NGOs at the international and national levels to effectively carry out its mandate. Collaboration and coordination with international and national environmental stakeholders such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Conservation International is producing unprecedented benefits. There is a renewed focus on striking a balance between natural resources growth and

environmental management.”

Comprehensive legislation

The Minister also noted that, “we have one of the more comprehensive legislation in terms of managing the environment” as he made reference to the good work that has been done by the agencies, in terms of creating regulations for the preservation of the natural environment.

He also touched

on the United Nations Development Programme, stating that this agency will be directing the Ministry’s actions for the next five years.

The Minister also highlighted that while there are victories, there are also challenges, and the path to overcoming these challenges is through partnerships.

“How do we correct those issues in terms of going

forward? One is developing the strategic partnerships,” he stated.

The workshop was attended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Presentations were also made on several projects being undertaken by these agencies, including on a progress report on the Urban Parks (Three Parks) Initiative,

by PAC Commissioner Damian Fernandes.

He appealed for the private sector to come on board and further support the project.

This appeal was responded to by PSC member Kit Nascimento, who acknowledged that the commission would be happy to be onboard with this transformative initiative and proposed a meeting between the PSC and the commission to further discuss the matter.

APNU demands complete re-evaluation of nurse training Committee working

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he A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is demanding a complete re-evaluation of nurse training in order to improve patient care.

The coalition in a release said public concerns have been expressed over recent and repeated reports of mismanagement in hospital wards, mistreatment of patients and mistakes leading to maternal deaths.

The Guyana Nurses Association (GNA) has pointed out, however, that the problems facing the health care system are chronic, and the

most serious being the conditions and quality of nurse training.

The Health Ministry manages three nursing schools – the Georgetown School of Nursing, the New Amsterdam School of Nursing and the Charles Roza Nursing School – all of which have experienced major problems.

The results of the most recent professional nursing examination were evidence of deeprooted difficulties and deficiencies in training.

Results of nursing students who participated in final examinations in October 2013 were

released last month.

Reports indicated that, of 120 student nurses from the Georgetown School of Nursing, only 19 were successful. A total of 255 student nurses entered the three-year Professional Nursing Programme in April 2010 but just over 120 persevered to write the final examinations.

Senior officials from the Georgetown Public Hospital and Guyana Nurses Association executives expressed alarm at the high failure rate of the last cohort of student nurses from Georgetown, Linden and New

Foreign buyers demanding... their paddy.

Also commenting on the issue, Rice Producers Association General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj noted that the recent price drop has a lot to do with supply and demand. He said the farmers need to understand that as a result of the surplus crop, there will be a decrease in the price for paddy. While noting that the current crop is the largest in the history of rice farming in Guyana, Seeraj contended that since the Venezuelan market is

Amsterdam. The main problems cited in the three schools were overcrowding, understaffing, insufficient training materials, inadequate infrastructure and indiscipline.

APNU pointed out that Guyana spends about Gy$600 million on nurses’ education annually but is losing too many graduates through migration to foreign countries.

APNU demands an immediate and intense investigation into nurse training in order to stop the haemorrhaging and rectify the problems in the health care system. from page 20

A rice field ready for harvest

not on-stream, farmers are worried about their livelihood. He further

told this publication that the Venezuelan issue would soon be resolved

as “only a few more documents have to be signed and processed”.

to appoint PSC members – Dr Norton

Commissioner of the Guyana Police Force, Leroy Brumell

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ith the imminent retirement of recently-appointed Commissioner of the Guyana Police Force, Leroy Brumell, there is need now more than ever for the establishment of the Police Services Commission (PSC), Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Appointments, Dr George Norton has said.

In an interview with Guyana Times International, Dr Norton said the establishment of the PSC is integral now, particularly with the

pending retirement of Brumell and the vacancy in several other high ranking posts.

The Police Services Commission came to an end late last year; however, it was rendered inactive since November 2012 with the death of its Chairman Dennis Morgan. With the absence of a fully-constituted PSC, the effective operation of the Police Force has been hindered, particularly as it relates to promotions, appeals from officers for redress, and applications for cadetship.

The Appointments Committee is tasked with reconstituting the Commission and appointing a new Chairman; however, the Committee is currently taxed with bringing up to date all the commissions and is yet to deal with the PSC. Dr Norton explained that while he was cognisant that they are behind time, the Committee is making headway. He noted that the Committee will be looking into the PSC in due time and there should not be many difficulties.

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Guyana has made steady Small-Sonoram progress in achieving MDGs is Designer-of– Webster tells UN forum

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uman Services and Social S e c u r i t y 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

Human Services and Social Security Minister Jennifer Webster

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 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 enrol-

ment 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 women and children.

Maternal and child mortality, though somewhat reduced, remain unacceptably high in relation to MDG targets.

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 de-

velopment.

“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 democracies, 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.”

Police still to arrest cambio dealer’s killers

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lmost two weeks after Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said the police are on the lookout for two suspects linked to the gunning down of Eccles, East Bank Demerara money changer Bridgelall Persaud, there has been no new development.

With the evidence at their disposal, the police are still searching all corners for clues that will crack the case, but this is not likely anytime soon. A police rank said that while they are in possession of the descriptions of the alleged gunmen, locating them is another issue.

The police are reportedly looking for a “high complexion” man while the other might have been sporting dreadlocks. According to reports, the armed men disembarked a white motor car which was reportedly trailing the businessman.

Bridgelall “B Boy” Persaud

These men might have already absconded to the interior or even out of the country, the official stated. Bridgelall’s death is being treated as a robbery/murder, but relatives and close friends think otherwise.

Darren Persaud, a son of the dead man, said his father was the pillar of his family and with his loss; it has left a void that cannot be filled.

Tight-lipped

He said the police remain tight-lipped with

respect to investigations, while noting that the car in which his father was executed was handed over to the family.

Persaud added that his family is coping with his father’s death and much emphasis is being placed on his younger siblings. The 42-yearold businessman was gunned down in the vicinity of the lumber yard, and the gunmen escaped with a bag containing Gy$1 million.

According to information received, the man was in his blue Toyota Raum, and as he approached the truck park at Lombard Street, two men armed with handguns exited a white car that was parked some distance away, walked up to his vehicle and opened fire. He was shot once in the head and once in the abdomen.

At the time of the shooting, traffic was moving at a snail’s pace

due to the frequent congestion in the area. After shooting the businessman, one of the robbers reportedly reached into his car and removed the bag containing the money.

They then made good their escape in a waiting vehicle which went through a cross street, then into Princes Street and vanished. The businessman was rushed to the Georgetown Pubic Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The businessman was operating in the vicinity of America and Water Streets for the past 20 years.

Pathologist, Dr Vivekanand Brijmohan has confirmed that the businessman was shot twice. Police are yet to say what type of weapon was used in the shooting since ballistic tests are still to be conducted on the two warheads recovered at the scene.

the-Year again

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Olympia Small-Sonaram

uyanese designer Olympia SmallSonaram captured the Designer-ofthe-Year title for the fifth time when the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry hosted its annual award ceremony at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown.

Hard work and determination led to another success for the well known Guyanese designer.

Small-Sonaram was the designer of the Digicel float titled, “Arabian Night” which has also been named best Full Costume Band during Guyana’s 44th Republic Anniversary celebrations.

An elated SmallSonaram, who has been eyeing the title from the inception, was excited to have been given the award. She noted that it has been a long road but she kept her focus and was able to complete the costumes and float way ahead of the Mash parade.

She thanked Digicel Guyana Inc for having confidence in her and more so her 12-member staff who have worked tirelessly to get things on track for the big day.

While it has not been a case of sleepless nights, Small-Sonaram explained that her team started early and had their priority in order.

With a little giggle, the five-time designer of the year said that she has already started to plan for Mash 2015, but will not let anything out of the bag, just yet.

Now that less atten-

tion is being placed on designing floats, SmallSonaram will be busy designing evening gowns for the delegates in the Miss World Guyana, Miss Guyana Universe and Miss Guyana Earth pageants slated for later in the year.

D i g i c e l Communications Manager Vidya Sanchara also reiterated her elatedness to have Small-Sonaram on their team, claiming that since the talented young lady joined the team five years ago, the company has copped the Best Band prize, among others.

Sanchara said Digicel always contributes to the Guyanese culture and will continue to do so. She added that for the last five years, they have gone all out to please Guyanese as they take to the streets. She reiterated that the concept of Arabian Night was all Small-Sonaram's idea and immediately after reviewing the proposal, they quickly got on board.

The official said it was a great accomplishment for her company to have been named Best Full Costume Band for yet another year, and hopes that the winning streak can continue.

Digicel Guyana Inc also copped the prize for Semi-Costume Medium and Male Individual, and according to the Communications Manager; there is no way that they are letting go of Olympia Small-Sonaram.

News from page 21

Cabinet reviewing...

address the highly contentious issue of corporal punishment. The Bill was drafted after extensive stakeholder consultations countrywide.

The Minister added that the regulations governing the Bill are expected to be tabled at the same time.

Hire purchase

As it relates to the equally anticipated Hire Purchase Bill, earlier this year, acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali had said when this legislation comes into force, consumers will no longer be at the mercy of hire purchase schemes, noting that the current system that prevails is disadvantageous to consumers.

“We are working on having the hire purchase legislation laid in Parliament before the recess,” he said, adding: “I know we have been having a lot of problems with the repossession in the automobile industry and now also with the gold miners… we have persons paying as much as 80 per cent and just because of the remainder not being paid, they lose the items and the money they would have already paid.” This, he explained is a grave disadvantage to consum-

ers.

Ali also added that the bill is not only being drafted with the protection of the consumer in mind, but also that of the companies which offer hire purchase plans to consumers. As it stands right now, consumers who would have failed to complete payments on items bought on hire purchase would have their items repossessed by the stores.

This would be done even though the consumers have paid a large part of the total amount of monies owed for the item.

With regards to the Solid Waste Management Bill, acting Local Government and Regional Development Minister Norman Whittaker early last month said government is very close to tabling the Bill in the National Assembly.

The Finance Minister was asked to have a second look at the section of the bill that deals with the issue of financial arrangement.

The Solid Waste Management Bill seeks to, among other things, bring order to the way in which solid waste is managed, primarily by the way of a Solid Waste Management Authority.

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Trinidadian doctor suspended - as authorities probe C-section death

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he doctor who performed the Caesarean-section surgery on Quelly Ann Cottle, which resulted in her baby boy’s head being cut from ear to ear, instantly killing him, has been suspended with immediate effect from the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital pending an investigation.

Cottle, 38, went to the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital last Saturday to have a Caesarean-section operation done after being transferred from the Sangre Grande District Hospital.

The North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) board decided to suspend the doctor around 1 pm last Friday and also instructed him to co-operate fully in the probe, hospital sources said.

The suspension was done in accordance with the regional health authorities’ terms and conditions, which stipulate suspension with basic pay, ranging between TT$12,000 and TT$14,000. The doctor was suspended to ensure the investigation was fair and transpar-

TT’s Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan

ent.

TT media reports indicated that questions have been raised over why the surgery was deemed necessary when it was reported the baby was already in position to be delivered naturally.

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan confirmed last Friday that a full probe had already begun, adding there were preliminary findings which raised serious concerns and adding that the matter must not be swept under the carpet.

“We will be putting together a comprehensive and independent team, which would comprise not only doctors and nurses, but executives from the various areas. I have to deal with this issue in a very serious manner,” Khan said.

NCRHA response

When contacted last Friday, NCRHA Chairman Dr Shehenaz Mohammed agreed with Khan that the preliminary report raised a significant number of questions and concerns. She

said it was discussed by management, senior clinical management and the health ministry. Asked how many medical personnel would be questioned, Mohammed said between 20 and 25, all of whom attended to Cottle from the time she was admitted to being discharged.

“Basically there were three units involved.

There was the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, which comprised one consultant, one registrar, two house officers and two interns. There was the anaesthetic team, of a similar composition, as well as nurses in the neonatal ward, the operating theatre and the postnatal ward. “These are the people involved in the management of the patient. We are, however, not saying that they are guilty,” Mohammed said.

She said the hospital administration had offered counselling to Cottle’s family and also to the doctor in question.

“An employee assistance programme has also been made available to the doctor,” Mohammed said.

(TT Guardian)

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New GPC honoured for making huge investments in sports and culture

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everal companies, including the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (New GPC) were honoured when the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) held its Annual Awards Presentation and Dinner at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown on March 7.

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 GMSA have nevertheless played a major role in the development of the private sector.

Meanwhile, the presentation ceremony saw

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

nine entities being honoured by 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 investments

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

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.

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-US-based Guyanese philanthropist is on a mission to eradicate poverty

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aring For Others, Inc. (CFO) is a human services organisation, established in November 2001, which provides meaningful improvement in quality of life and economic opportunity for low-income individuals and families.

Founded by Eslene Richmond-Shockley, from Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, the organisation is on a mission to help eradicate poverty around the world by feeding, educating, clothing and housing one family at a time.

Richmond-Shockley was motivated to start such an organisation to help those in need because of her personal experiences while growing up in poverty as a child.

As a result, she wanted to give back and restore hope to others.

Through the orgnisation, the philanthropist has mobilised prominent individuals and leading

furniture, clothing and other household goods.

Offering an advanced model for human services, CFO strives to prevent the familiar cycle of poverty many people face today. The organisation helps stabilise lives by meeting immediate basic needs of food and clothing, and then provide support to help clients become more selfsufficient. Additionally,

Caring For Others' CEO and founder, Eslene RichmondShockley

American Corporations to assist the needy in many countries – including Guyana. CFO has also provided distributions in Belize, Antigua, the Philippines, Nigeria and small gifts to Jamaica and Dominican Republic, as well as throughout the United States.

Recently in Guyana, Caring for Others completed a large distribution with the United Nations Association of Guyana and with former

Chief Justice Donald Trotman at Enmore, Haslington, Golden Grove, Nabaclis and Coven John. This was the first large distribution CFO has done in Guyana.

CFO seeks progressive solutions across the entirety of its platform, including developing a unique and more sustainable business model with ‘Care Mart’ – a store that generates income through the sale of discounted items such as

it provides personal and financial support during turbulent times including individual counseling, money management training, job retention and job placement services.

Initially focusing on communities within Atlanta, US, in recent years Caring For Others has expanded its reach of hope and dignity by developing partnerships

with over 110 agencies in the US. With their assistance, CFO provides services to the economically-disadvantaged in rural communities.

Caring For Others maintains: “We do not work for ourselves or even for one another; we work for the greater good.”

For more information, visit Caring for Others on Facebook.

Volunteers handing out boxes of shoes

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S

The Mole

atiricus was impressed. These big powers didn’t just plan for one year or two years: they were always prepared for the long haul. And so to make sure they remained “big” they didn’t leave things to chance. “Take the British,” thought Satiricus. “After they were laid low by WWII, they knew things had to change in their Empire on which the “sun never set”. But by Jove!! They just couldn’t let all those natives mess things up, could they?”

But how the heck to keep the facade of “independence” while keeping control?

“Hey!!” remembered Satiricus, “One way would be to pay off the fellas who were willing to play the game. Like BurntHam.” Only thing BurntHam had gone to school right there in Britain and had learnt his lessons well. And not only Latin and Greek. Machiavelli wasn’t in the curriculum but it was in the library – and BurntHam made that book his Bible. He soon turned on his erstwhile paymasters. “Ah…What a rogue that BurntHam was,” reminisced Satiricus fondly.

But the British had been around for a while and had other cards up their sleeves. One of the most popular would be to insert moles in the society that could steer things their way, if the “bought native” became restless. As an old newshound, Satiricus knew you didn’t just have moles hanging out in street corners. The never-say-die big powers created new centres of power that these fellas could burrow into. One of these was Human Rights Groups.

“This was a master stroke,” marvelled Satiricus. “Imagine denying for hundreds of years some people were even humans when they were ruling, now convincing those same people they had to keep their own leaders on their toes about “human rights”!!!” And who would run these Human Rights groups? “Why people who had human rights to begin with – or were blessed by those people,” Satiricus answered himself.

And so as BurntHam started to act up after reading too much Machiavelli, Satiricus remembered this rat-like fella from Britain who suddenly turned up in Guyana to form a Human Rights Group. He’d originally been posted in Peru where he helped to make sure the copper mines kept sending their precious ores up North. Fella’s name was MookKoomak.

Funny name, but then those Scottish names were all funny. While there were also Irish MookKoomaks, Satiricus knew this fella didn’t drink, so he couldn’t possibly be Irish.

Trouble was MookKoomak just couldn’t keep his nose out of politics – and so in the process, blew his cover. It was an open secret to Satiricus and all the other newshounds that the ferret-like, squeaky voiced, MookKoomak was being paid by MI 12. That was the top secret outfit in Piccadilly Circus that handled “assets” who’d made the ultimate sacrifice by going native so deep, they actually picked up native spouses and ate strange things like cassava bread.

Satiricus sighed as he read MookKoomak’s latest missile, sorry missive, against the PPCEE government. “Fidelity to a cause, defined these chaps,” thought Satiricus. “And a stiff upper lip.”

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The interviewer and host of the series, Mr Mark Beaumont, indicated that the selection is done in London and he is not sure about the criteria, but the idea is to select restaurants throughout the relay tour, which have a rich history and serves popular local dishes.”

Urling added that the three-member video crew sampled a bowl each of the cow-heel soup. The restaurant’s owner revealed that the crew “seemed a bit reserved and hesitant at the thought of eating cow heel, but they all drank an entire bowl once they tasted the first spoonful”. He also mentioned that they thought it was “rich and flavourful and enough to feed a whole family. The thickness of the soup was not something they were used to”.

“It is a tremendous compliment that German’s was selected as the only non-baton feature for the Guyana leg of the relay. The restaurant has for 54 years consistently been serving up great Guyanese cuisine and it is an honour to see that achievement recognised in such a global way,” Urling declared.

The feature is expected to air in the last week of March 2014 and can be viewed on BBC World News or on its website.

T

German's Restaurant

he world will soon know about German’s Restaurant’s healing cow-heel soup when it will be featured on the BBC World News.

As part of its coverage of the Guyana leg of the Queen's Baton Relay, ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, BBC World News selected German’s Restaurant for a video feature.

On 3 March, a camera crew and interviewer from the world-renowned media outlet recorded footage of the restaurant and conducted interviews with employees, customers and management of the restaurant.

Owner of German’s, Clinton Urling recounted the restaurant’s 54-year-old history and also did an on-

camera demonstration of how the famous cow-heel soup is prepared from scratch.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Urling said: “The decision was made to select German’s Restaurant by the producers of the BBC’s coverage of the Queen’s Baton Relay-Commonwealth Games 2014 in London.

BBC crew (left) interviewing persons in the restaurant

FEATURE

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T

he mission of the Orchid Foundation is to empower individuals, especially women, to become independent and improve their lives through vital life skills programmes.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Indra Constantine noted that the foundation is a non-profit organisation registered under the Friendly Societies Act. She added it was officially opened in 2009 by herself and husband, Mark Constantine (a pastor who has a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology).

to expand our efforts to other communities and also welcomed men who needed counselling. This is where my husband was able to contribute because of having a PhD in Psychology,” Indra pointed out.

A member of the Guyana Relief Council since 2005, Indra is passionate about giving back to her community, which also contributed to her starting the foundation.

Initially, according to Indra, the foundation offered craft courses and hosted a medical outreach, which is still ongoing, in collaboration

efforts and offers skills training in the fields of cosmetology, nail and hair, cake and pastry, sewing, floral arrangements, and computer literacy classes.

Classes are held throughout the week in a separate building housed in the Constantine’s yard.

“Initially, the organisation focused and tailored its programmes to help single mothers and school dropouts.

However, we later saw the need to get men involved as well. The ongoing medical outreach is not restricted to women alone: everyone is wel-

Nail technician programme held at the Orchid Foundation

“The foundation initially served the community of Parfaite Harmonie. It started off as a women’s group but later we saw the need

with the Mercy Hospital Mobile Outreach Clinic and sponsored by Medicines for Humanity.

Notably, the foundation has since increased its

comed. One of our main accomplishments is offering recognised certificates to those who have successfully completed the programmes.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

A

professional designer, Nelsion Andre Nurse is known for his stylish collections, showcasing his flair for fashion, and capturing the beauty of fabrics.

Nurse, who has been designing since age 13, did not sit on his laurels since his debut winning collection 'Patches' (2010) at Guyana Fashion Weekend 4. He has been consistently active, working in various facets of the creative industry since that hallmark introduction.

Also an interior designer, Nurse has been designing costume art for children and adult bands set designs for public and private sector entities, and has worked closely as production assistant for Caribbean Fashion expert, Richard Young; for GFW and Guyana Model Search and Designers Portfolio. With children, he works with different

Orchid Foundation's founders, Indra and Mark Constantine

Two years ago, we approached the Adult Education Association (AEA) for accreditation of our programmes. AEA accepted and we now hand out certificates on their behalf,” Mark outlined.

Additionally, Mark explained he saw the need to educate people on societal issues. As such, he has conducted numerous training programmes on psychology, conflict resolution, counselling – just to name a few- and quite a number of persons benefitted. These programmes are not restricted to just Parfaite Harmonie, but have been extended to groups in and out of Georgetown.

Currently, the foundation is engaged with the Partners of the Americas organisation promoting a project – Hydroponics Agricultural Planting.

Consequently, the foundation now has its own shade house and has helped many persons to start their own vegetable gardens, from which they make a living.

“My husband and I

love to give back and help others. That is why we were motivated to start this foundation. The name ‘orchid’ was chosen because it is a beautiful sight to behold when it blooms and also it survives in harsh conditions.

Additionally, my mother always taught me to be independent and I wanted to help women to realise the same. Notably, many women have completed the courses offered and are now successfully self-employed,” Indra disclosed.

Presently, the foundation has 70 persons signed up for various programmes - a number that is increasing. Indra stated that the foundation has helped hundreds of women since its conception.

Through the foundation’s intervention, Mark mentioned, couples, experiencing domestic problems, have significantly improved their relationships.

Success stories include past students returning to share their knowledge with others. These ones also operate successful businesses.

Indra expressed her gratitude for the assistance the foundation receives from the Bernice Mansel Foundation and the Guyana Relief Council.

However, she said the foundation needs more funding in realising many of its goals. Her husband also encourages churches to give back in whatever way they can to their communities. He revealed that the foundation was started as a result of his church’s outreach programmes.

“My current plan is getting a separate location for the foundation.

We are thankful to the Stabroek Rotary Club, which is currently helping us with our sewing programme. When that programme is completed, we will need sewing machines to continue. We have reached out, but many expressed that they are already committed to other projects.

We encourage those who would like to give back to join us,” Indra urged.

For more information, visit Orchid Foundation on Facebook or call 6518204.

Nelsion Andre Nurse Designer

schooling groups to teach movement and craft.

Notably, he has won various Best Gown awards, including Miss Guyana Universe 2011, Miss Guyana Talented Teen 2010 and Miss Orealla Amerindian

Hertiage 2011.

His first major collection, ‘Mystic Fury’, Nurse described as “a dialogue with his spirit, telling his own journey through fabric selection, style, and silhouette”. The designer crafts designs that speak volumes about his own metamorphosis in the fashion industry.

Nurse’s greatest influence is his mother, Joan Woolford - a person whom he uses to bounce off many of his ideas and plans; not necessarily for sanction, but for motivation.

Through his fashion company, Nandre's Creations, Nurse aims to “tell life stories in his designs and to add his touch of class to the local fashion industry”.

The young professional has also inspired and paved the way for young creative energy, mentoring fashion and set designers, and always finding a way for them to pursue their passion.

Nurse's most recent designs

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the shaping of guyanese literature

Part Three

By Petamber Persaud

C

ultural Folklore will always be a significant part of our lives whether we believe or not, whether we subscribe to it or not, whether we depart Guyana for other lands or not and whether it is substantiated or not. One way or the other, we are affected because we live in a society where people hold fast to folklore.

These elements of belief and unbelief contribute enormously to the fascination of this subject.

This fascination, from time to time, is manifested in intriguing fashion. What Mashramani 2014 did was to heighten the awareness and appreciation of our cultural folklore using different forms in art and craft. This overall manifestation was very effective in that people who witnessed the various portrayals could relate to the oral tradition from which emerged tangible forms.

Our literature is replete with varying treatments of our cultural folklore. There is one longer short story which attempts the improbable – attempting to portray a huge portion of our folklore in one sweep of the pen. The name of that story is Samaan written

by Doris Harper-Wills.

In the story, Samaan,

Mash float showcasing various folklore characters

we would find or rediscover Fowl Mamma, a woman who is fat and rounded “bearing a burden of fat arms, fat legs, fat mangoes or fat grapefruit”. Additionally, we would find or rediscover Old Man Papee, a beggar, or sometimes a bogeyman shuffling about with “a curved back and a curved stick and holding a curved calabash”.

Then there is the Baku, who lives in the trunk of the samaan tree counting money all the time. Baku is sometimes referred to as the “Dutch baccoo” and the Dutch is associated with buried treasures of estate managers/owners.

The other major characters in this story include Ole Higue and Ole

Samaan.

Some minor character include Moon – “scandalmonger” who intrudes in people’s privacy and takes pride in knowing everyone’s business; the Nugget King - the famed El Dorado; Woman of the River; Spirit of the Fall; Father Mist; Rapid Water; and Ven – a fierce looking warrior and leader of a feared tribe.

Interestingly, this story is about a ‘Guyana Day’ similar to ‘Republic Day’ with a moral – people working towards one destiny.

Now to put the pieces together: Harper-Wills is a consummate storyteller who in Samaan focused on one object and all else revolve about that one object – the tree.

Ole Samaan tree was “the last tree planted by the first Dutch settlers who came to Demerary”.

It was a stout tree with monstrous branches that offered protection from the elements, but most importantly offered shade and succour to the needy.

One day, long long ago, Ole Samaan and Ole Higue became very close friends and they will exchange stories whenever they meet. Ole Samaan was stationary forever on one spot at D’Urban Park while Ole Higue uses to fly off mostly at nights on her bloodthirsty ventures (sucking the blood of newborn humans). However, one of her trips took her into space to another planet

and the separation of the two friends was extended and quite palpable. A reunion was anxiously awaited. The time of the reunion was ill-fated.

As Ole Higue was returning in the form of a ball of fire, the country was alive with people preparing to go a great tramp from Berbice, through Demerara, through Essequibo unto the El Dorado who promised the people of Guyana a great fortune if they get to him without fighting or bickering over small things.

As it happened, Ole Higue couldn’t find her skin which was in the hands of the crowd. So Ole Higue, who could not put on her skin, which was peppered and salted, could not return to her human form and communicate with Ole Samaan.

Eventually, Ole Higue died and Ole Samaan became lonely. The atmosphere became gloomy and people stayed away, except some children who came to torment her for befriending Ole Higue, Ole Man Papee and Baku. The children would carve bad words and names on her trunk and would scrape away at her toes until the pain became unbearable.

Ole Samaan decided to burned herself to death.

Just as this self-immolation was happening, “six strange children” came to her for rest and

shelter; these were good children, speaking kind words about their cultural folklore.

Ole Higue Dead?... we’re sad...

Even though she’s not in fairly tales, She’s the greatest witch we ever had...

We’ve looked in books on all the library shelves Poor us, we have no fairies of our own.

And now the one we’ve found, we killed This was the first time Ole Samaan ever heard anything kind said about Ole Higue. She was happy there were still thoughtful children in the world; children that needed a tree for shade especially in time of climate changes. So she gave birth to Young Samaan with her dying breath.

Responses to this author should be sent to email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com or call (592) 226-0065.

What’s happening: Coming soon, the first reprint of An Introduction to Guyanese Literature. It will be available from the author at the above contacts, Austin’s Book Service (226-7350) and at the National Library (226-2690).

Backslider, a novel by Terry K. (Julia Kanhai) is now available.

Star of the week

A

n indomitable squash champion is what Ashley Khalil constantly focuses on being. From a tender age, Khalil’s parents involved her in various sporting activities. Developing her athletic capabilities, Khalil became highly competitive. Intrigued by squash, the athlete invested much of her resources perfecting her skills in that sport. Now a Level Two squash coach and Level One referee, Khalil is determined to be the best squash athlete she can possibly be. The squash pro enjoys the sport because it keeps her fit and believes it is an ideal sport for teaching young people about tactics.

In order to be a squash champion, Khalil feels one must possess “mental toughness, strategy, discipline and dedication”. For the squash champion, the sport provides opportunities to meet people and travel to different places to compete. Some of Khalil’s major achievements and biggest competition wins include: National Under 15, 17 and 19 Champion in both squash and badminton; two-time Junior Caribbean Champion; Junior Sportswoman of the Year (2008); Pan am Junior and Senior medals; South American Games medals; CAC Games medals; North American Open medal; Canadian Open medal. Other than squash, Khalil’s hobbies are playing badminton and table tennis with her family, cooking (mainly baking), watching television and spending time with family and friends. Her advice for fellow youths is to find a sport they enjoy. Her belief is that squash is a great way to stay healthy and minimise stress. Playing sports, according to the squash champ, ensures a rounded individual and instills a spirit of self-confidence, self-reliance, discipline, justice, fair play and patriotism.

fashion

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F

ashion collection First Resort, under the Mariska's Designs label by Sonia Noel, certainly was a showstealer at the recently held “Colours of Fashion” event in Barbados.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Noel said her caftan designs are very sophisticated, versatile and timeless and are suitable for all body types.

The designer has done well with the collection as it is now available in Haiti, Suriname, Barbados, St Lucia and Tobago.

“I hope to add more locations very soon where my collection will be available. I am happy with the response to my first Resort Line and I feel good about the future of my brand,” Noel expressed.

For more information on the collection, call 226-3099.

(Photos by Shane Collymore)

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fun time

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This week's Crossword

J k es

Peanuts

A man visits his aunt in the nursing home.

It turns out that she is taking a nap, so he just walks into the room quietly and sits down in a chair, flips through a few magazines, and munches on some peanuts sitting in a bowl on the table as he waits for her to wake up.

Eventually, the aunt wakes up, and her nephew realizes he's absentmindedly finished the entire bowl of peanuts. "I'm so sorry, auntie, I've eaten all of your peanuts!"

"That's okay, honey," the aunt replied. "After I've sucked the chocolate off, I don't care for them anyway."

Flying high

Three men and one woman are stranded on a boat for several days. Finally after days of hardship, a helicopter spots the people and pulls down a rope to have them climb up into it. All four people begin climbing up the rope. The pilot of the helicopter yells down at the people. "There is only enough room for three people. Somebody is going to have to let go." All the men immediately refuse to let go of the rope.

The woman bravely says, "My entire life the men in my life had had to sacrifice for me. My father had to work hard to put a roof over my head, my brother had to protect me from bullies and my husband has always been there for me. This time I am going to sacrifice for the men and I am going to let go." The men were so touched by this speech that they all clapped.

Daddy’s trick

A little boy greeted his grandma with a hug and said: "I'm so happy to see you, Grandma. Now maybe Daddy will do the trick he has been promising us."

"What trick's that?" she asked.

"Well," said the little boy excitedly, "I heard Daddy tell Mummy that he would climb the walls if you came to visit us again."

This week's Puzzle

In memoriam

Seeing her friend Sally wearing a new locket, Meg asks if there is a memento of some sort inside.

“Yes,” says Sally, “a lock of my husband’s hair.”

“But Larry’s still alive.”

“I know, but his hair is gone.”

A dime a dozen

While visiting a retirement community, a man and his wife decided to do some shopping and soon became separated.

"Excuse me," the man said, approaching a clerk. "I’m looking for my wife. She has white hair and is wearing white shoes."

Gesturing around the store, the clerk responded, "Take your pick."

Hold the presses!

Misadventures in headline writing from around the world: City Unsure Why the Sewer Smells — The Herald-Palladium (St. Joseph, Michigan) Case of Innocent Man Freed After Spending 18 Years in Prison Proves Texas System Works —Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (Texas) At Last Singer Etta James Dies — Daily Mail Suspected Beer Thief Leaves Liquid Trail Charleston Daily Mail

Drawing God

see solution on page 46

A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing.

She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.

The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

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Undigested rabreye seed

F

A black caiman having its stomach pumped by the research team

or the entire month of February, researchers at the Caiman House Research Station in Yupukari, North Rupununi, have been pumping the stomachs of black caimans to learn about what they eat during the dry season.

The research team - led by Dr Adam Rosenblatt of Yale University in the United States, Fernando Li of Caiman House and Leanna Kalicharan of the University of Guyana - captured and sampled the stomach contents of 30 black caimans and found some very interesting results.

In total, 57 per cent of the black caimans contained evidence of fish, 7 per cent consumed other black caimans, and crabs, agoutis, and snails had been eaten by only one individual each. Ten of the black caiman had empty stomachs, which is not particularly surprising since crocodilians are cold-blooded and therefore can go for long periods of time without eating anything. Also, the occurrence of other black caimans in the diet was expected because cannibalism is common amongst crocodilians.

However, the researchers were surprised by two of the items found inside the black caiman.

First, one of the individuals had consumed the seed of a tree locally called ‘rabreye’, which indicates that black caimans may not be strict meat-eaters as most people assume. In fact, recent research by an international team of

crocodilian experts has found that 70 per cent of crocodilian species regularly consume seeds and fruits, though this behaviour has never been observed in black caimans before.

Second, two of the black caimans had porcupine quills stuck in their tongues.

Porcupines are not common in the Rupununi, so it was surprising to find that black caimans attempt to eat them every once in a while, but no evidence of porcupines actually came out of the stomachs. This suggests that the black caimans bit the porcupines but did not actually swallow them, which was probably a wise decision since the quills likely could do some serious damage to the black caimans’ throat and stomach.

Another interesting finding was that black caimans in different areas eat prey at different frequencies. Only 44 per cent of black caimans in the main channel of the Rupununi River had consumed fish. In the nearby Simuni Lake, 82 per

cent of the black caimans had consumed fish.

This finding likely reflects differences in fish availability and abundance between the two areas - a fact that local Amerindian fishermen know very well.

The Caiman House research team is now preparing to conduct more research on black caimans’ diets during the wet season and future dry seasons to find out if black caimans have consistent diets across seasons and years. Additionally, the team would like to find out how much overlap there is between the diets of black caimans and the humans living alongside them.

Ultimately, only time and more studies will enable the researchers to fully understand the mysteries of these fascinating creatures.

People who are interested in the black caiman research, both Guyanese and foreign visitors, are encouraged to contact Fernando Li, managing director of Caiman House,

Bones of an agouti found inside a caiman

on Rupununi Learners Facebook page with any questions or to schedule a visit to learn about and participate in the black caiman research project. (Text by Dr Adam Rosenblatt. Cover photo by verawoodhead.wordpress.com)

Porcupine quills found in a caiman's tongue

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R

icher women often have better access to education, jobs and wardrobes, and now the experts suggest that they are having much better sex lives than those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.

According to the recent analysis of the first Spanish Sexual Health Survey that was carried out by researchers at Barcelona's Public Health Agency, socioeconomic factors do affect sexual satisfaction.

"People of a lower socioeconomic status claim to be less satisfied sexually, which especially applies to women who seem to be more influenced by these factors," the study's main author Dolores Ruiz was quoted as saying

by Science Daily.

In the Jamaican culture, the ‘ghetto’ woman has often been glorified as having more sexual prowess and skills than the one who lives uptown, and songs such as ‘Slam’ by Moses

The Spanish study found that those with lower socioeconomic status were less likely to use contraception and had more experiences of sexual abuse

'Beenie Man' Davis have helped to cement this general belief in the minds of many.

H o w e v e r , Sociologist and Social Commentator Dr Orville Taylor says there is no empirical evidence to support this. In fact, he believes that if the same study was conducted in Jamaica, it would yield a similar result to what was obtained in Spain.

"One would imagine that if women have higher socioeconomic status, they would be in a better position to make decisions about their own sexuality and sexual agenda. A woman who has high economic status is likely to be able to dictate what she may or may not want to put up with.

You find that women with low socio-economic status become less in

control of their sexual destinies," he said.

Belief

Of the belief that poorer women have better sex, he said there is no real evidence to support that.

The Spanish study found that those with lower socioeconomic status were less likely to use contraception and had more experiences of sexual abuse.

They also had more

challenges in getting access to the organisations that could provide help for them. On the other hand, wealthier women were found to have a greater awareness of their own sexual needs and greater control over their use of contraception.

It is believed that women with greater access to contraceptives generally have more satisfying sex lives be-

cause they don't have to worry about unplanned pregnancies. The use of condoms, for example, also helps to minimise concerns about contracting a sexually transmitted disease, and so sex is more pleasurable.

Dr Taylor said one observation is that women and men from the lower classes do tend to portray themselves as being more sexually capable than those in the upper classes.

However, Dr Taylor was keen to point out that having a high socio-economic status doesn't necessarily mean that a woman is independent of the influences of the man in her life. It could be, for example, that her husband is still earning more than her and uses this wealth to dictate to her, so that sexual intercourse is more of a chore rather than a mutually fulfilling experience. (Excerpted from Jamaica Observer)

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he Environmental C o m m u n i t y H e a l t h Organization (ECHO) unites with other advocates against poor environmental practices; to protect communities; and develop Guyana in this era of climate change.

The mission of ECHO is to increase the ecoconsciousness and social responsibility of members by providing them

for low-income schools.

Additionally, the EcoSchool Projects support and fund eco-enhancing classroom and club needs. The Youth ECHO Leadership Training offers workshops, seminars, and conferences to develop and train children involved in EchoClubs nationwide, focusing on developing the next generation of environmental leaders.

Recently, ECHO

the conservation of environmental resources.

Last year, the organisation launched 25 EchoClubs in Region Five, West Coast Berbice.

Notably, the clubs are increasing in number throughout the country. The objectives of the clubs are to raise awareness on environmental issues; to provide ‘Green Education’ for children and young adults; to organise children in struc-

ing issues in their communities, such as water conservation, habitat restoration, energy efficiency and air quality improvements, but also national and global issues,” King outlined.

He added that the special media platform will reach and help youths to learn about ways to protect the environment. It will expand the collective environmental awareness

Tree-planting exercise in Region Three

ECHO hosted a conference to observe World Environmental Day 2013 at the Guyana International Convention Centre

access to the natural world, state-of-the-art social media, innovative educational programmes and resources.

The organisation’s programmes include On-Campus EchoClubs, which supports afterschool and classroom clubs on the campus of lower, middle and high schools, involving children in environmental projects.

The Volunteer Match programme connects schools and clubs with volunteers that support ECHO’s mission and vision. The Eco-Field Trips support and fund ecoeducational field trips

successfully concluded a four-day nature camp held on Soesdyke Highway. It was attended by children from various regions. The camp’s objectives were to raise awareness of the importance of the natural environment to human society; to encourage children to explore and interact with nature; and to provide a forum of exchange of information on approaches to environmental issues.

The camp’s activities included nature walks, constructing a nature table, swimming, outdoor and indoor nature games, and talks about

tured groups to take leadership on environmental issues; and to improve the aesthetics of school yards and local communities.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, founder Royston King said a unique aspect of the EchoClubs is the united curriculum and integrated social media platform that will link clubs and classrooms across the country.

“Clubs will initiate and share information about environmental projects and events at their schools to address not only the most press-

Launching clubs in schools in Bartica

of countless youths by giving them access to notable volunteers, sci-

entists, conservation artists, engineers and more.

ECHO anticipates that the social media site will be available in June 2014.

Through diverse collaborative partnerships, ECHO plans to develop the next generation of leaders, who will have the knowledge, passion and skills to promote and work toward environmental sustainability.

The vision of ECHO is to be the largest and most widespread and comprehensive organisation for youth environmental education, connecting the community with youths, offering expansive programmes, and providing resources for schools nationwide.

For more information, visit ECHO Guyana on Facebook.

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Times Notebook

A

bolition of the death penalty is a controversial subject. The United Nations (UN) says the world must abolish the death penalty and the trend in the last 30 years has been towards abolition of the death penalty. Which country do you think will be the last to abolish the death penalty?

To think that Guyana might want to, and to even contemplate which country might be the last to end judicial death penalties might not have been a reasonable question to ask 20 years ago.

But Guyana must now decide whether it will

The death penalty

continue to use the death penalty and Guyanese and people around the world can now contemplate such a question.

The UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) has mandat-

ed Guyana to review its laws and abolish the death penalty. Several other countries in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) must do the same. Presently, 97 countries have com-

pletely abolished the death penalty, eight others have abolished it for ordinary crimes, and 36 have implemented a moratorium and are not sentencing people to death, making the total

141.

In 1970, only 16 countries had abolished the death penalty. On an average, about three countries abolished the death penalty per year since.

Today, only 57 countries are allowing death sentences and allowing judicial executions. Last year, 682 persons were executed in 21 countries.

There were 1722 death sentences in 58 countries in 2013.

No place for capital punishment

Guyana has about 30 persons on death row. In 2012, five people were sentenced to death. But while we have not abolished the death sentence and persons could still be sentenced to death in Guyana, persons are not being executed. Even though Caricom countries still retain the death sentence, only Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have utilised death sentences in recent years, the last being in 2012.

But there have been no executions for some time in Caricom.

By the time the world celebrates the 66th anniversary of the UN’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on World Human Rights Day on December 10, the tide would have turned irreversibly in the long battle against the death penalty, an inherently cruel and deeply flawed punishment that has done incalculable damage to countless individual lives and whole societies. Globally, we are now on the trajectory of abolishing the death penalty.

Experience and evidence demonstrate that the death penalty is cruel, irrevocable and a violation of the right to life.

It damages and poisons society by endorsing violence, and by causing injustice and suffering.

It has no particular deterrent effect on violent crime, and in fact, abolitionist nations often have lower murder rates than those that still execute.

Increasingly, the world’s community of nations is sending a clear, collective and powerful political message that there is no place for capital punishment in humanity’s future. In December 2012, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly and de-

cisively for a global moratorium on the death penalty. This was the fourth such vote since 2007 and on every occasion the number of nations supporting a moratorium has risen.

Backpedalling

This latest UN call was supported by a record 111 countries, with Central African Republic, Niger, South Sudan and Tunisia all voting in favour for the first time. Meanwhile, several nations – including Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia – moved from a negative vote to abstention. Guyana abstained.

Some countries have backpedalled and have resumed executions or death sentences after de facto moratoriums in countries such as India, Indonesia, Kuwait, and Nigeria. A major stumbling block is the behaviour of a small group of hard-core executing states such as China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., and Yemen. The U.S. is the only country with active judicial execution in the Americas. But the U.S. is slowly drifting toward abolition.

In December 2013, former President Jimmy Carter called for a nationwide moratorium on the death penalty in the U.S. and for the U.S. Supreme Court to reintroduce the ban on capital punishment it had imposed between 1972 and 1976. In 1976, when the ban on the death penalty in the U.S. was removed, it was governors like Jimmy Carter that fought to bring back the death penalty. But today, Jimmy Carter has joined in the campaign to abolish the death penalty.

Guyana must not be one of the last countries to ban judicial death penalties. As Times Notebook shines a spotlight on this ultimate abuse of human rights, we ask that Guyana’s Parliament demonstrate its courage by moving the process in the Special Select Committee to immediately suspend use of the death penalty as a step toward full abolition of judicial death sentences.

Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times.notebook@gmail. com.

ARTS & Culture

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I

n honour of the death and life of former President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, the National Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, hosted a photographic exhibition entitled “Chavez Was Here” at Castellani House.

The exhibition has on display pictures of the former president interacting with his people, and his visits to Guyana.

Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana, Reina Arratia Diaz, in her remarks not-

exhibition also highlights his visits to Guyana in 2004 and 2010. Additionally, the exhibition captures the late president’s life with his people and his relationship with Guyana. President Hugo, although not with us, continues to live in the hearts of his people,” expressed Diaz at the opening of the exhibition on 5 February.

Diaz also explained that the photographic exhibition highlights social programmes implemented by Chavez, which sought to improve the lives of his people.

Photo shows Prime Minister Samuel Hinds welcoming Chavez to Guyana

ed that 5 February marks one year since the death of Commander Hugo Chavez.

“This exhibition pays tribute to President Hugo – who still lives between us. The

Also in attendance were Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony and Minister of Foreign

Free Link Shows in town

I

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.

Affairs, Carolyn RodriquesBirkett.

“I believe this exhibition is the first of its kind in Guyana. It celebrates the life of a friend to Guyana who extended his help to South America and the Caribbean, and has worked for the betterment of his people. He has left an indelible legacy, which is known around the world,” Minister Anthony declared.

The minister also lauded the policies implemented by Chavez, which opened up numerous opportunities for persons to become literate and access adequate health care.

“I am very happy that we have collaborated with the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to celebrate the achievements of a great man. Notably, this type of exhibition is held world-

Chavez's interaction with his people, especially with children, was admirable

wide and is a reflection and introspection into the life of the late president,” Anthony pointed out.

Minister Anthony also took the opportunity, during his speech, to point out another great leader lost in March - for-

mer president of Guyana Dr Cheddi Jagan who died on 6 March.

The National Gallery hours are 10am to 5pm from Monday to Friday and 2pm to 6pm on Saturday; the gallery is closed Sundays and holidays.

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travel & tourism

week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

L

ocated in Region Nine on the banks of the mighty Essequibo River, Fairview is the only indigenous community within the Iwokrama preserve.

Also known as Kurupukari, Fairview is an Amerindian village whose residents are mostly from the Macushi tribe that live mainly by hunting or fishing, or working at the Iwokrama Field Station.

Fairview villagers are now part of Iwokrama, working on every aspect of the project; cooking meals and looking after guest rooms, guiding hikers as rangers, and sharing in the profits from lumber felled in their part of the forest.

Palms in the sunset

Swimming at Kurupukari Falls

Break time at the Kurupukari Primary School in Fairview (Photo by Skye Hernandez)

Making cassava bread in the village

feature

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week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

The ruins of Arnos Vale – the once thriving sugar estate of Tobago

By Desiree Sampson

L

ocated on the north-western side of Tobago, the Arnos Vale plantation was once a thriving sugar estate powered by a massive waterwheel.

It was established by the British in the 1700s after they took control of the land from the early Amerindian settlers.

The estate fell into ruins after sugar production ceased on the island in the 1960s. It was later restored into a tourist facility that housed a museum, restaurant overlooking the waterwheel and sugar factory machinery in the late 1990s.

Today, the place is back to a state of ruins.

Still, it has some charm; primarily for those who like an adventure with a slight element of fear to add to the thrill. Upon first arriving at the sight, it was clear that this is not a place to visit on your own. After exiting the taxi on the main road to Les Couteaux, you walk down a rather lonely trail where leaves of tall plants on either side of the driveway, reach over to almost touch each other. It is off this driveway that you find the entrance that leads to a long wooden walkway with railings straight ahead.

To the right just as

Some of the buildings that once formed part of the restored facility, now dilapidated (TT Newsday photo)

you enter lies what was once an Amerindian museum, that housed artifacts discovered during the restoration of the site. The museum has been vandalised with

health corner

By Tisha Boston

T

hroughout history, from ancient to modern, fasting has been an important part of many religions and cultures. For instance, the Lenten season has begun and many Christians have already begun fasting. Fasting is mainly the act of abstaining from solid food for a period of time, but sometimes only certain food or drink may be excluded from one’s diet.

Some fasting practices have also included abstinence from certain activities such as sexual intercourse smoking, and use of technology, but for the sake of this article let’s only consider the former.

Although many people partake in fasting for spiritual purposes, it also has an effect on one’s physical health.

Fasting was and still is a topic of intense medical debate because there are both health complications and benefits associated with it. The health-related outcomes of fasting may depend on one’s age, medical condition, and fasting diet.

Fasting benefits

Studies have shown that fasting, especially intermittent fasting can have positive effects on people. Both animal and human trials show that it may help improve one’s physical and mental health. For example, results from a 2007 review by Varady and Hellerstein from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that alternateday fasting may lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It may also improve energy and concentration,

as well as protect against some effects of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

F a s t i n g Complications However, some have argued that the transition from fasting to one’s regular eating habits can also be a disadvantage of this practice. For instance, during fasting, one’s metabolism slows down to conserve energy.

However, when one returns to his or her usual diet, the lowered metabolism causes one to store more food, leading to weight gain, possibly more than there was before the fast. Also, fasting reduces one’s appetite, but once it stops, appetite hormones will kick again causing the individual to feel much hungrier. This can sometimes lead to binge eating.

In addition, longterm fasting can be harmful. The body needs a certain amount of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to remain or achieve a healthy state.

Lack of these nutrients during fasting may lead to fatigue, dizziness, constipation, dehydration, gallstones, and the inability to withstand cold temperatures. This is because some fasting practices only allow certain liquids, like water, to be consumed.

Whether or not fasting is long-term or short-term, most medi-

cal professionals do not recommend fasting for pregnant or lactating women, children, or for people with certain health conditions such as severe gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), type I diabetes or any type of chronic disease.

These restrictions are consistent with some of the religious restrictions on fasting. For example, during the month of Ramadan, all healthy Muslims are required to partake in fasting. However, Muslims who are sick, travelling, pregnant, breastfeeding, menstruating or debilitated are not required to fast.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that if one chooses to undergo fasting, it must be done sensibly and in moderation.

many of the glass cases that housed historic artifacts broken and some of the artifacts destroyed.

Venturing down the walkway is quite precarious as the wood is rotting in some places and the roof overhead caving in others.

The towering water-

wheel and other machinery from the old sugar factory lie ahead (albeit in derelict condition).

However the less than structurally sound walkway can make the venture a dangerous one.

With bats finding homes in the ceilings and the sheer desertedness of the place, the site has an eerie feeling that could thrill some while sending others fleeing as fast as their legs can carry them. It is said that even locals avoid going there.

Indeed, it is quite easy to jump out of your skin at the slightest sound and this is not a place to visit by yourself.

Even though the place has a ghostly feel and is a mere shadow of its former glory, it is a good spot to visit with a group. Apart from the

bats that have taken up residence, there are species of birds and small animals that can be spotted. Along the walkways, the many bamboo trees and other greenery make it a place some nature lovers would find appealing.

Furthermore, the site shows glimpses of what the sugar-mill and plantation was like back in the 18th and 19th centuries as well as points to the wonderful work that was done in restoring it into a tourist sight.

Sadly though, it also shows how little we tend to value and preserve our environment as so many other sites of our natural and architectural heritage remain in a state of degradation and decay. (Excerpted from TT Newsday)

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week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Getting the balance …in sugar

As old Charles Dickens complained, the best of times can also be the worst of times. And as we look at the situation in the sugar sector, Dickens could very well be speaking about us here in Guyana.

After languishing in the doldrums for years, the world market price for sugar headed for the skies – and then stayed there for the past five years or so.

So you’d think our folks in sugar would be dancing in the streets, after their “profit sharing” and higher salaries, wouldn’t you?

If you said, “yes”, you’d be wrong. Problem is, after suffering the 10 lean years, we had no sugar to take advantage of the 10 fat years. What happened? Guyana became too successful economically, that’s what. Right now the sugar estates just can’t get enough people to work in the cane fields to cut canes. We know the work is hard and all that… but when a cane-cutter can take home Gy$80,000 a week, and you can’t get cane-cutters, it means that cane-cutters can make more money elsewhere. And that’s the bottom line.

We don’t know what the Opposition’s carrying on about, bitching and moaning about “unemployment”. There are thousands of jobs available in the sugar industry. We know that labour isn’t completely fungible…but Jeez, can’t some of these underpaid Public Service workers and unemployed Social Science graduates, for instance, turn up at the sugar order line? The pay is great as mentioned above, the hours are even better and transportation is free. What more can you ask?

C’mon, your country needs you. Imagine we are producing at least 100,000 tonnes below what we can produce without the “troubled” Skeldon Factory. At US$550 per tonne, we’re talking about raking in a cool US$55,000,000…$11 billion in our money. And it’s this kind of realism we’d been expecting from the Opposition after the new dispensation, when it came to development of the country.

Rather than seeking to score cheap political

points and harping on a “failed sugar industry”, as Clive Thomas is doing ad nauseum in the Stabber News, why don’t they tell all Guyanese – not just their constituents – that there’s nothing wrong with good, old, honest labour. But this will never be.

Of course, it could be that Thomas, realising the WPA’s down to four or five doddering supporters, figures his exhortations are of absolutely no use.

But what’s APNU’s and AFC’s excuse?

…in rice

Whatever we’ve said about challenges to the production of sugar, the opposite’s true for rice… yet we’re hearing moans of gloom in this sector.

What’s going on here, pray tell? Well, it’s a variant of the old “too much of a good thing”. Last year we crossed the half-a-million tonne mark and are well on the way of exceeding that. So that’s good, no?

Well, not when you haven’t anybody to have the extra rice sold to. When this happens, you have the case they teach you in primary school: supply exceeds demand and the price falls. Whether it’s with tomatoes, or rice or whatever…this will happen when you haven’t arranged for sales. And so you get the headline as in our newspaper of yesterday: “Plenty rice, no market…Berbice farmers fume over prices being offered.”

But what bothers us is why have we come to this stage? Didn’t we know since last year as to how many acres will be planted this year? We darned well did. Somebody in charge of marketing our rice has been sleeping at the wheel…and our Agriculture Minister better wake them up.

…on elections

The AFC’s demanding the government schedules Local Government Elections by August 1, even though GECOM is adamant they need a six-month lead time. Has Ramjattan forgotten GECOM’s an autonomous entity? Or is he still imbibing, uninterruptible, since Mash?

Some people woulda never survive under Burnt ham

I

n de good book, one man sell out he soul fuh a few pieces a silver. Since then, no body ever wanna take that man name fuh dem self. And no mummah and daady would ever name dem pickney by that name.

That is how shameful it is when a man sell he soul fuh a lil small change.

Nowadays people does still sell dem soul fuh a lil small change, although dem does never wanna accept that dem behaviour is just like de man who name begin wid “J” in de good book. Or sometimes even wuss than that.

It got some people in de town who got some real stupiddy people around dem. Some a dem is even de boss man. Burnt Ham never used to like stupiddy people around he, and every body know that. If some a dem stupiddy boss men was around Burnt Ham, dem woulda never survive.

It got one poticlar boss man around de town. If he had ever come across Burnt Ham, he woulda get knock down right away. Some people used to try hard fuh tolerate this boss man, but dem couldn’ta tek it no more.

Wid Burnt Ham, yuh coulda never have stupiddy people around de place. If yuh tink that is lie, ask people nowadays who wuk wid he. At least one man deh round still. Yet some a dem same people doin any ting fuh a lil small change, includin toleratin stupiddy people and sellin dem soul.

Some even got dem as dem boss man. Well, that is another story! Just when yuh tink slavery done, it still got house slaves around. Fuh some people, is every phrase does have to start and end wid “boss man”.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! And some times it does have to end wid “ow boss man”, especially when de boss man in a vex-up mood, which is nuff time. But fuh a lil small change, some people gon do any ting, just like de “J” man in de good book.

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history

week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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annons like guns, came with the arrival of Europeans to the West Indies who brought these instruments to terrify the people into subjugation and a new way of life. For the Europeans, cannons were the tools of survival: for the people of the colonies they were symbols of oppression.

Mounted in the forecourt of many of the nation's public and civic buildings, these cannons are representative of an

era inextricably linked to various phases of European occupation and colonization.

To date there are approximately 30 known cannons scattered throughout the country, with origins from England to Sebastopal in the Ukraine.

The 4.7 MK11 cannon located at the entrance of the Police Officer's Mess was manufactured in Britain, circa 1890. It is believed that this cannon was issued to the

Standing guard at Fort Zeelandia, is a 9-pounder Finbanker cannon (Photo by Marco Basir)

colony of British Guiana in 1916 to be used for coastal defense during the First World War. Gracing the main entrance of the Parliament Buildings is a pair of 8-inch German Trench Mortars, which were taken as trophies of the First World War 19141918.

Standing guard at

late 17th or the early 18th century.

On the lawns of State House, the official residence of President Donald Ramotar, is a 4-pounder Swedish commercial gun, which was most likely cast in the late 18th century.

Mounted on the lawns of the Manager's House, located at

Taken as a trophy of the First World War, this cannon still stands at the entrance of the Parliament Building

Cannon at Plantation Skeldon, Berbice

Fort Zeelandia, a national monument, which was once the administrative centre of the colony of Essequibo and Demerara, is a 9-pounder Finbanker measuring 7 feet 4 inches. This cannon which overlooks the Essequibo River was most likely cast in the

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

St George's Cathedral (British Guiana)

The High Court (British Guiana)

Plantation Skeldon, is an 18 or 24-pounder cannon of French/Dutch Carronade. Used in the Napoleonic wars, this cannon was most likely cast in the late 18th or the early 19th century. (Text from National Trust of Guyana)

The Lighthouse located in Kingston, Georgetown (n.d.)

47

International Women’s Day

By Anu Dev

“Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good.

Luckily, this is not difficult.”-Charlotte Whitton

S

aturday, March 8, was International Women’s Day, commemorated under the theme, “Inspiring Change”.

And though respect for women has come a long way from the days when women were confined to only domestic duties, it’s still proof that we still have a long way to go if there still needs to be a massive global event to remind the world of the achievements of the women in society. Not to mention the need to treat them equally.

We need to reach the point where we don’t need to have events like International Women’s Day to inspire women that they can achieve greatness. Women should never question or be questioned whether they deserve to be educated, to have jobs, to make their own decisions.

Queen’s College, the premier secondary school in Guyana, has a population of mostly girls. We outperformed the boys at Common Entrance or NGSA, to earn a place at QC. And then went on to excel there.

But even after all of that, when we’re done with school and ready to have jobs, we’ll be working in a ‘man’s world’.

A world where women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts. A world where women have to work doubly hard: first do their job, and simultaneously work to prove to the doubters that they’re good enough to deserve to be where they are.

But we’ve come a long way. Women can vote now.

Women attend college. There are female doctors, astrophysicists, astronauts.

The feminists of the 1970’s era made great strides towards shifting society’s attitude in the direction of women’s equality. But unfortunately, now, years later, when many of the big battles have already been won by the feminists of old, younger women take some of the rights that they have now for granted. They truly believe that they owe nothing to feminism.

And we’ve begun to backslide. On TV, in movies, on social networking sites, there’s just so much exposure, so many females dressing ‘provocatively’. I mean sure, you can wear whatever you like, that’s the point, equal rights and all of that. But why do they choose those particular pieces of clothes? Mostly to appeal to males. So the “male gaze” still dictates what females wear, or in most cases, not wear. And what we strive to be.

Women might have the right to vote. They might be elected President. But how many are? Why? They might make brilliant discoveries, like Marie Curie, the only double winner in the Nobel Prizes. But what women really need, and what all the battles have essentially been all about, is respect. Women need to be respected. They deserve to be respected. But first, they need to start respecting themselves.

Dress however you like, you have that freedom, but always think about your reasons for dressing the way you do. Because in the long run, respect is worth a whole lot more than a couple of opportunities to wear skimpy clothes. We have to be seen as more than ‘meat”. This is not trivial because it defines much of our orientation in other aspects of life.

So until women are accepted for the great things that they do every day, until they are respected every day, we need to march in the streets for International Women’s Day. Women deserve more than one day of the year to be appreciated, so let’s remind the world every other day of the year.

Because women, house babies within them for nine months, they basically create life. Every one of us has a mother, even males, the ones who ‘run the world’.

The all-powerful males with their air of superiority need to remember something – their mothers could’ve had abortions. Their mother – A WOMAN – made the decision to keep them. A woman, decided to keep them in their wombs for nine months, to put up with morning sickness and all the torture of childbirth for them.

So what kind of a repayment to their mothers is it when those same boys grow up to treat women as being lesser to them? Or even beat them like animals?

week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Simply the Truth

The Anti-money Laundering Bill

I

n the Wild West in the U.S.A., there was a thing called horsetrading. Of course, it was not restricted to the Western U.S.A.; it was in many places. Even in Calgary, Canada. The modern-day version of horse trading occurs mostly in politics.

In America, Republicans trade this for that with Democrats, and vice versa. They tend to work it out eventually.

But there are some things, however, that are not up for trading – like when the nation is or could be in peril. In those times, the lines are clearly drawn.

In Guyana, we lack even basic kinds of political sophistication. There are no discernable lines; or if there are, no one seems to care. This whole ping-pong about the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Amendment Bill is but one recent example.

We are told that if the Bill is not passed by the National Assembly by certain deadlines, then Guyana will be placed in jeopardy by being subject to sanctions. These deadlines are established by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and its regional arm in the Caribbean.

There is such consternation in the government that ministers have fanned out to parts of the country to make a case and to get people to come on their side and pressure the opposition parties to get the Bill passed. It is all reminiscent of the mess during last year’s budget “debate”. So, HOW is Guyana in potential jeopardy? WHY are “regular” Guyanese not alarmed?

WHAT are the opposition’s justifications for not passing the Bill?

Guyana in jeopardy

Guyana is in jeopardy because the non-passage of the AML Bill will affect negatively all our international financial relationships. Non-passage will affect bilateral financial arrangements with other countries, impact multinational financial relationships, and every other financial transaction: loans and grants to Guyana will suffer; money transfers in and out of Guyana will suffer; trade deals will be much more difficult, as will import and export of goods. If my sister in Toronto wants to send me a “small piece”, it will be more difficult for her to do so and more difficult for me to get it. None of this is good!

Importantly too, our diplomatic relations will

suffer since Guyana’s image will be blemished. If the national image is blemished, every one of us will bear the stain. This blemish could well make travel more difficult, for instance.

Visas will be more difficult to obtain. A citizen from a suspected “drug state” will be subjected to much closer scrutiny. All of this affects every single one of us in one way or other. None of this is good.

Why are “regular” citizens not alarmed? Simple, really. Justifiable or not, we have become so fed up with our politicians that we don’t believe anything they say. They tell us to walk in this direction, we take a jet plane and fly in the exact opposite direction. For a great number of Guyanese, politicians are simply not capable or willing to speak or write simply the truth.

But I believe that our government has failed to communicate clearly the gravity of the non-passage of the bill and has allowed the opposition propaganda machinery to dominate the discourse. We should all be very worried. What are the members of the opposition parties’ justification for not passing the Bill? Here goes: 1. The Bill is “danger-

Professor Daizal Samad

ous” because it places too much “enforcement powers” in the hands of two ministers (Take a day and water down those powers, nuh!).

2.

The Executive Branch (government) does not “respect” the Legislative Branch; the former “are not doing us a favour, they have an obligation to treat [the latter] respectfully. (Ok. I respect you. I do! I respect you bad bad. Pass the Bill now nuh!)

3.

The Executive Branch did not “facilitate the passage into law of some measures approved by the Legislative Branch.”(Talk about apples and antelopes! And poor priorities!).

4. The Bill must be “cleaned up.” (No details, of course! And these ge-

niuses had almost a year to clean this fireside!).

5. “This matter ONLY came to the National Assembly IN APRIL LAST YEAR.” (emphasis mine – I could write a book in that time, I tell ya!).

6. The PPP/C “has had legislation for 14 years” but “not a single prosecution.” (Pass the thing and use your one-seat story to ensure effective implementation then! Apples and antelopes).

7. It was the PPP/C’s “duty to ensure that the Special Select Committee did its work thoroughly without being rushed.”

(Hey, we is big people!

Why do I have to make sure you do well and in timely fashion that which you are SUPPOSED to be doing? Get out of Grade Two, chaps!).

And all of this in ONE press interview! More than SEVEN excuses! NONE of them holding water! Just for ONE day, shelve all ego, put aside all hurt little feelings, forget power and small-time bickering! For one day, remember that you are all supposed to be there for the people of this nation!

We will all be better for it, chaps! We should all worry. Do the work, and get this Bill passed.

48

Bollywood

week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

When Deepika Padukone cried for Ranbir Kapoor

B

ollywood diva Deepika Padukone has never hidden her relationship status. She recently admitted that she cried a lot after her break up with her former boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor. However, she is not sure if she wants to get back with him.

Speaking to Mid-Day, the leggy lass said that both Ranbir and she have moved on in their lives. However, she said the breakup taught her many things and made her realize that she should not be very attached to anyone or anything in life. She finds herself to be a better and more mature person and thanks Ranbir for that.

However, she admits that she does not want to rush into things with her

current beau Ranveer Singh. She wants to give it time to know him better as a person. (TOI)

'Few people have guts to say what they feel' - Aamir Khan

A

amir Khan believes there are only a few people who dare to speak their mind, but personally, the actor-filmmaker prefers to be prudent with his words to avoid hurting people "for no reason".

Recently, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah was upfront with his views on the Farhan Akhtar-starrer ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’. He said he didn't like it.

Asked if Aamir can be so straightforward with his views on films or stars publicly, he said: "Few people have the guts to say what they feel. In general, there are a few artists who say what they feel.

"What they say must not necessarily be right, but at least they are free to say what they want to."

However, Aamir is careful.

"Most of us keep quiet...publicly I might not say (anything), but I feel shy that he or she (any person) may feel bad. Thinking about the relationship, I may not say it...It's the emotion that stops us as for no reason, it (the comments) will be taken personally." (TOI)

Salman Khan wants Juhi Chawla's brother Bobby passes away children, but not the mother! A

B

ollywood's bad boy Salman Khan adores kids and admits that he misses not having them.

However, the thought of commitment with the mother surely gives him jitters.

A Mid-Day report says that Salman admits that he misses not having his own kids. However, he quickly says that with the kid comes the mother and he does not want a mother. The star, who was in a jolly mood at an event in Delhi, said he would have been a grandfather by now if he committed and stuck with his first girlfriend.

While the star admitted he is a bad boyfriend, he said that he is very good as a friend. He also shared some se-

crets of his six pack abs and opened his shirt to give Delhi babes a chance to ogle at him. (TOI)

Tabu refuses to play Priyanka Chopra's mother

B

ollywood actress Tabu, who is known for her impeccable acting abilities, reportedly turned down a significant role in Zoya Akhtar's film as she did not want to

play Priyanka Chopra's mother.

A Mid-Day report says that the director asked Tabu (42) to play Priyanka's (31) mother. Since Tabu was not comfortable playing an older woman, she refused to be a part of the film.

The talented actress has a wide choice of roles offered to her. Her performances have been liked by both masses as well as critics. Further to reports, since she was getting better roles, she refused to play the mother of a grown-up woman.

The actress was last seen as Salman Khan's sister in 'Jai Ho'. She will soon be seen in Vishal Bharadwaj's film ‘Haider’. (TOI)

Abhishek Bachchan to speak at London School of Economics

I

t’s always an honour for a Bollywood actor to be invited to talk at top educational institutions across the world—Shah Rukh Khan addressed students at Harvard University last year, while in 2011, Amitabh Bachchan visited Oxford for a lecture. Now, the veteran star’s son, Abhishek Bachchan, is also set to travel to the London School of Economics for a similar reason. He has been invited as a keynote speaker at the university’s Economic Forum for India 2014 conference.

A source says, “Abhishek will travel to London for the event that will take place on March 15. He will be talking about the entertainment industry.”

The actor will address the audience at the function that will take place in

ctress Juhi Chawla's brother Bobby Chawla, who was in coma since 2010 at the Jaslok Hospital, died Sunday morning.

Bobby, whose condition was serious for a long time, died at 7 a.m.

He was in coma since April 2010 after suffering a massive stroke while having a dinner at a restaurant.

Juhi, who has been getting rave reviews for playing a negative role with aplomb in her recently released ‘Gulaab

Gang’, tweeted: "This is the perfect screenplay... look at how my brother timed it…He gave me the biggest gift of my lifetime...saw its release... And..."

Film writer Ombar

Qureshi condoled Bobby's death. "Bobby Chawla - always smiling always affable. You will be missed. Heartfelt condolences to Juhi and all the family. Strength be with you." (TOI)

acting institute 'Actor Prepares'.

"I love teaching more than I love acting. It's great to give out than to take from others. There is no syllabus for acting and it's a great feel-

ing. I also get to learn a lot from the new generation," said Anupam.

From serious role in ‘Saraansh’, villain in ‘Karma’ or funny man in ‘Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin’, the actor proved his versatility in the beginning of his career and he maintained it in his over three decades long career. In the last few years, he was seen in different kinds of roles in ‘Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara,’ ‘A Wednesday’ and ‘Total Siyappa’.

He said: "I always wanted to be different. I even broke the myth of getting typecast. I did all kinds of roles. My competition was with myself."

(TOI)

Anupam Kher loves teaching more than acting

H

e is a versatile actor and successful too, but Anupam Kher says he enjoys teaching more than acting.

The actor, who turned 59 last Friday, runs

Sunny Leone refuses to go topless for shower scene the Holborn area of London. The forum will also have other influential speakers discuss the various facets of India. Bigwigs from the corporate sectors, too, will conduct an open dialogue on the economic and social challenges in India, as well as the opportunities that are emerging in the country.

(Hindustan Times)

A

lfred Hitchcock had to shoot and re-shoot the shower scene in his 1960 horror-thriller 'Psycho' over seven days to get the right impact. 'Ragini MMS 2' will have a similar scene featuring Sunny Leone and Karan Mehra. And it

apparently took director Bhushan Patel over six hours to shoot.

The scene required the actress to go topless, but she refused.

A source from the set reveals, "Sunny wasn't comfortable shooting bare-breasted and conveyed her reservations to the key production

team and to Bhushan.

After some discussion, it was decided to use skin-coloured pasties with matching silicone for a nude effect and these allude to Sunny shooting the scene without a bra. She was okay with this as opposed to actually shooting topless." (TOI)

Hollywood

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week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Khloe buys Bieber's Calabasas home Alec Baldwin's daughter

R

eality TV star Khloe Kardashian has bought pop star Justin Bieber's Calabasas home in California.

Bieber decided to move out of the massive house in January after a number of run-ins with the local residents and the police. He finally found a buyer in Khloe, reports mirror.co.uk.

According to tmz.com, Bieber has made a profit of $1 million on the property. Bieber bought the house in 2012 for $6 million and is selling it for $7.2 million.

After filing for divorce from her former husband Lamar Odom in December, Khloe sold her Tarzana property to 'Big Bang Theory' star, Kaley Cuoco.

It seems she's got some cash to

splits from beau

A spare after selling her former marital home for $5.49 million, and putting in an extra $1.72 million to buy Bieber's house. (TOI)

lec Baldwin and Kim Basinger's daughter, Ireland, has brokenup with her surfer boyfriend Slater Trout.

While confirming the split, a source told Us Magazine that the 18-year-old model's life has gotten crazy in the past year.

Ireland is really trying to keep her momentum going as a model and she can't do that and go to school and have a beau at the same time, the insider asserted.

The source added that Ireland is young and always knew that the relationship wouldn't last forever.

The couple, who had started dating in 2013, made their first red carpet appearance in January 2014. (TOI)

Lindsay Lohan tells Oprah Charlie Sheen refuses to sign she's done with partying pre-nup with porn star fiancée

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indsay Lohan has told Oprah Winfrey that she is done with partying after she reportedly partied for 48 hours straight.

The ‘Mean Girls’ star said that there’s no party that she hasn't gone

to, there is no person that she hasn't hung out with and there's no situation that the actress hasn't been exposed to, the Mirror reported.

The 27-year-old actress insisted that there was nothing left in having a drink for her.

It was further reported that Lohan started partying last Friday night at the cocktail bar at the Beverly Hills hotel, before moving on to the Chateau and she was out in the garden until early in the morning after which the group moved on to a house party in the Hills.

Lohan was back in the party mode at the Chateau again after few hours.

(TOI)

Liam Neeson turned down James Bond role to marry Natasha Richardson

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iam Neeson has revealed that he turned down the offer to play James Bond because his late wife Natasha Richardson wanted to get mar-

ried.

The ‘Schindler's List’ star confessed that his wife, who had died tragically after a tragic ski accident in 2009, had given him a choice of either taking the role of the spy or marrying her, the Huffington Post reported.

Neeson added that he had to choose tying the knot, as he did want to marry Richardson. (TOI)

Eva Mendes' LA home shared with ex-George Gargurevich up for sale

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va Mendes has put up the house she shared with former boyfriend George Gargurevich for

sale.

The 40-year-old American actress shared the three-bedroom, two-bathroom pad with the Peruvian producer-filmmaker from 2002 to 2010, when they split, and has finally listed it on the market for 1.2 million dollars, Contactmusic reported.

Mendes is reportedly dating

Canadian actor Ryan Gosling now.

(TOI)

Nicole Kidman may be next victim of 'princess curse'

F

ollowing her friend Naomi Watts' illfated role playing Princess Diana, could Nicole Kidman become the next victim of the princess curse, as her new film ‘Grace of Monaco’ is now stuck in limbo.

While the film is scheduled to open the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, Kidman's friend, Hollywood producer

Harvey Weinstein, has effectively dropped the project, taking it off his company's slate of North American releases for this year after having a dispute with the movie's director, Olivier Dahan, the Syndey Morning Herald reported.

The film has already been delayed twice; it was originally intended to be released last November.

Dahan told French newspaper Liberation last year that The Weinstein Company, which owns the film's U.S. distribution rights, had been demanding a ''sanitised'' final cut and referred to two versions of the film---“Harvey's and mine”.

A p p a r e n t l y , Weinstein's version chopped 22 minutes off Dahan's version. (TOI)

C

harlie Sheen has refused to sign a pre-nuptial agreement and is ready to risk losing half of his 75 million pounds fortune to his porn star fiancée Brett Rossi, it has been revealed.

The ‘Two and a Half Men’ star believes that pre-nups poison marriages, the Daily Star reported.

A pal of the 48-year-

old actor said that Sheen is besotted and wants the marriage to happen as soon as possible, but just about everyone around him, including his family, think he's nuts not to sign a prenup.

Although the actor has had a history of failed marriages, he's believed to be happier with his current fiancée than seen in years. (TOI)

Liz Hurley ‘left humiliated and hurt’ by ex-Shane Warne

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lizabeth Hurley has reportedly been left "humiliated" by her former fiancé Shane Warne.

Sources revealed to British magazine ‘Closer’ that the 48-year-old English model has told her friends that she was extremely hurt by the 44-year-old Australian former international cricketer and she wants

nothing to do with him, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Sources added that Warne's alleged fling with the boss of underwear giant Ultimo, Michelle Mone, was the final straw and Hurley is upset over his actions.

According to reports, she was hopeful that they would patch things up and the sportsman's comments about being

single came out of the blue. (TOI)

Gerard Butler hasn't found 'the one'

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he ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ actor admitted he is ''sadly'' single, explaining while he has ''met a lot of princesses'', he hasn't found someone he wants to spend the rest of his life with yet.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday newspaper, he said: ''I have not met the one princess yet. ''That doesn't mean I have not met a lot of prin-

cesses along the way, but not the one and only yet.

Or maybe I have and she might come back into my life at some point. You should never rule out anything. But am I seeing the one now? The answer, sadly, is no.''

The 44-year-old star also admitted he would love to have children in the future, but conceded building a long-term relationship can be difficult in the acting industry. (TOI)

‘One more surgery left’ - Angelina Jolie

H

ollywood star Angelina Jolie, who underwent double mastectomy last year, says she is yet to get another surgery.

The 38-year-old actress had announced the news of her double mastectomy in May last year, reported Ace Showbiz. "There's still another surgery to have, which I haven't yet. I'll, you know, I'll get advice from all these wonderful people who I've been talking to, to get through that next stage," Jolie said. (TOI)

50 Sport Limacol CPL expands to St Kitts and Nevis T week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

he Warner Park in St Kitts and Nevis has been chosen as the host for six group phase matches, the semi-finals and final of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2014 tournament.

The venue, which was originally built for the 2007 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup, with an 8,000 seating capacity, is set to welcome the Limacol CPL for the very first time, giving the people of St Kitts and Nevis the chance to experience the thrill of the tournament.

The people of St Kitts and Nevis will also be able to enjoy a week of celebration and entertainment put on to support the final, ensuring that the tournament lives up to its reputation as being the “Biggest Party in Sport”, a release from Limacol CPL said.

In addition to the arrival of world class Twenty20 cricket, the local community of St Kitts and Nevis is set to reap the economic and social benefits created by the tournament.

A recently released report from the Mona School of Business,

Glenn Phillip

Pete Russell

University of the West Indies (UWI) revealed that last year’s competition contributed to the gross domestic product (GDP) of all six host countries, with a combined impact of US$105 million generated across the region.

Warner Park has undergone recent developments to enable it to host Limacol CPL matches with the construction of state of the art lighting facilities. In addition to being awarded the games, the investment is set to be key to the development of local grassroots projects, with the country’s Sport Ministry planning to utilise Warner Park’s new capabilities to hold afterschool programmes for

local students.

“We cannot wait to bring the big-hitting excitement of the Limacol CPL to Warner Park,” said Pete Russell, Chief Operations Officer. “By awarding these prestigious matches to St Kitts and Nevis, we are demonstrating that the whole of the Caribbean can celebrate and enjoy the successes of this global tournament.”

Rusell said the renovation of the stadium was a key factor in the bid succeeding. “The new facilities are second to none, and we’re keen to provide show-stopping cricket to match,” he said.

St Kitts and Nevis Sport Minister Glenn Phillip said his govern-

ment is delighted to welcome some of the biggest stars in cricket to Warner Park during this year’s competition.

“Carnival cricket has always been synonymous with the Caribbean, and we’re looking forward to showing an audience of millions around the globe that St Kitts and Nevis can host a party like no other,” he said.

Over 100 Caribbean players have thrown their hats into the ring in the hope of earning a contract to take part in the “Biggest Party in Sport”, alongside a host of international stars.

This year’s tournament will give cricketers from across the Caribbean the opportunity to play alongside or against some of the best players in the world.

A total of 107 players in the region, from up-and-coming youngsters to established West Indian international players, will go into the draft alongside big name stars from 11 nations, including Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and, for the first time,

England.

Australia will have the largest overseas group in the Draft with 30 names, including 15 international cricketers, while the vast majority of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad have also signed up.

New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka are also well represented and the Draft will include several current and former international captains, leading Test

turns in July and August 2014 where Jamaica Tallawahs will defend their title against the Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St Lucia Zouks and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.

Meanwhile, Limacol CPL has confirmed that an impressive 228 players have registered for the 2014 Draft, which will take place in Kingston, Jamaica, on

Warner Park, St Kitts and Nevis has been chosen as the host for six group phase matches, the semifinals and final of the Limacol CPL 2014 tournament

stars, T20 specialists, and limited overs legends.

The full list of players will be announced to the public next week.

The tournament re-

April 3.

The number includes 121 overseas players, more than five times the number that entered the 2013 Draft.

Guyana’s contingent all set for South American Games

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Winston George

he Guyanese contingent currently in Chile for the South American Games – with the athletics aspect set to commence on Thursday – has been putting in hard work to get acclimatized to the conditions in the Spanish speaking nation.

Guyana Times International Sport was able to speak exclusively interview with Coach Lyndon Wilson, who believes the team is looking sharp.

“So far, so good. We had a few sessions and they are looking good.

The good thing is the place is sunny, despite being cold. It’s kind of like our weather,” Wilson noted.

Wilson also noted that the athletes are very confident ahead of the games and believes that Guyana can come

Lyndon Wilson

Cleveland Forde

Alisha Fortune

be among the medals too.”

Focusing on George, who is an Olympian, and Alisha Fortune, whose age was a concern going into the meet, Wilson indicated that both athletes can achieve after the few days of training.

“Everybody knows that George is always positive and he is looking good in his build up to the competition.

“With Fortune, she is always a hard worker when it comes to performing; she has the experience so she will give account of herself,” Wilson told this publication.

Meanwhile, when the competition begins on Thursday, George, Wayne Harlequin, Cleveland Thomas and Fortune will be in action in their respective first rounds.

away with some medals at the event.

“They are all on the high and are willing to do Guyana proud,” he told GTI Sport. “And I should think we have medals in the making, because we have with us two seasoned campaigners in (Cleveland) Forde and (Winston) George, and if the others hold their own, they should

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Should Guyana aim for Gold Cup?

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ecently, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) announced a talent pool of 50 young players to begin training for impending national team call-ups with the 2016 Olympic Qualifiers and 2018 World Cup Qualifiers being stated as the priority for the team.

While this is certainly a positive step from the GFF that is looking to move forward from a horrendous 2013, a year in which the national team failed to play one single game, a look at the list of players reveals that they are mainly under the age of 23 and no technical director, manager or coaching staff members have been named, posing the question….what direction are the Golden Jaguars heading in?

Firstly, there seems to be a prioritised agenda of looking at qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games and 2018 World Cup, with no mention being made by the GFF about the upcoming Caribbean Cup, which begins qualification rounds in May this year.

There have been rumours that Guyana may not even enter the Caribbean Cup this year, due to the issues facing the administration, although nothing has been confirmed as of yet by GFF President Christopher Matthias.

Caribbean’s centre piece

The tournament is the centre piece for Caribbean foot-

ball; it is held every two years and aims to exhibit the best in Caribbean talent. Importantly, it is a competition which sends the top four teams into the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, a tournament which would be the first ever FIFA tournament the men’s team in Guyana has ever qualified for, and would represent a landmark achievement for Guyana’s football.

If the GFF wants to be taken seriously, they need to firstly enter the national team in the Caribbean Cup and duly ensure that all the correct measures are taken to see that the team has the best possible chance of winning the competition.

Had backroom issues such as pay disputes not hindered the team in qualifying for the 2012 Caribbean Cup (five senior players decided not to play after being offered only US$12 for a win or draw per person and $1.50 for a goal by the GFF), it is very likely, based on talent available and results achieved that year, that Guyana would have finished in the top four and qualified for the Gold Cup, which took place last summer, receiving global coverage from the media as a result of participation.

Qualifying for the 2015 Gold Cup would be a fantastic and realistic achievement for Guyana if they target it in the right manner, after which,

there could be a focus on qualifying for the 2018 World Cup with a sense of confidence, it seems as if the GFF has jumped ahead and not formulated a realistic plan.

Best team

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is a tournament designed to find out which exactly is the best team in North America.

Usually, the tournament is dominated by major footballing nations USA and Mexico, but the month-long tournament is covered by media around the world and gives a rare chance for four Caribbean nations to pit their skills against worldclass opposition.

In 2012, Martinique finished in the top four of the Caribbean Cup and consequently played in the 2013 Gold Cup, held in the USA, where they faced Mexico, Panama and Canada in front of crowds numbering 56,000.

This experience proved invaluable to the development of the team, and is something Guyana can achieve if they place emphasis on developing the national squad.

This year, the Caribbean Cup qualifiers will be held on FIFA-allocated dates, so European-based players such as Leon Cort and Trayon Bobb, will be allowed time away from their domestic clubs to put on the Golden Jags jersey.

As it stands, Guyana has not played a game since

November 2012, and as such the team has dropped from 86 to 154 in the world, meaning the top players in Guyana cannot play in Europe and use their experiences to subsequently help the national team.

Guadeloupe is an example of a country that has developed sensibly: they focused on the Caribbean Cup and used it as a stepping stone to qualify for the 2007 Gold Cup, where they remarkably finished fourth.

As a result of finishing fourth in the highly regarded tournament, players received offers from clubs in Europe, defender Miguel Comminges joined English side Swindon Town and striker Loïc Loval earned a move to Dutch Premier League team FC Utrecht. The opportunities the Gold Cup provides for Caribbean players is priceless; a Guyanese player successful in the tournament could earn a move abroad and secure a good salary for them and their families, whilst also inspiring the next generation of Guyanese players with their journey abroad.

In the case of Guadeloupe, they used their experience to plan and qualify for the next two Gold Cups, meaning the team became used to playing North America’s top teams on a regular basis and developing immensely as a result.

Experience

However, the GFF has made it clear they are looking to youth by naming a 50man development squad made up pre-dominantly of players aged under 23, but one has to wonder why they would not include players such as captain Christopher Nurse, Leon Cort, Carl Cort and Trayon Bobb, all of whom played against Mexico in 2012 in the historically volatile Azteca Arena; surely their experience of such a game and their knowledge of the sport would benefit the younger, inexperienced players.

The players chosen for the development squad are all of a high standard, excelling domestically for clubs ranging from Slingerz FC to Alpha United and many represent the future of the Guyanese national team.

However, the fact remains that in international tournaments, teams need a blend of young and experienced players to strike the right balance and garner success, as teams have shown throughout time. With a full-strength team sticking to this formula, Guyana can win the Caribbean Cup, they undoubtedly have the talent to be one of the best teams in the region, and if the team can consequently qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup as a result, it could be the first of many major tournaments for the Golden Jaguars.

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Santokie eyes permanent place in Windies set-up

Barbados wooing top quality horses for Sandy Lane Cup

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Presentation at the Sandy Lane Gold Cup in Barbados Saturday (Barbados Today photo)

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RIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Jamaican seamer krishmar Santokie says he hopes to become a permanent member of the West Indies cricket team after an impressive bowling performance that inspired the regional side to a five-wicket win over England in the second T20 International on Tuesday.

Santokie claimed four for 21, his best T20 figures, as West Indies beat England to secure the series with one match remaining.

"I've only played four games so far, but let's hope after this performance, I can be a consistent performer in the

krishmar Santokie team," Santokie said.

"I bowl wicket-towicket as most batsmen like to free their hands so I keep it close to the batters, not giving them any width. Making my debut (against England) a couple years ago, it was good to come back and play them again and win the Man-of-theMatch. It was fantastic."

Santokie's haul, which included two frontline batsmen, helped restrict the visitors to 152 for seven before a blistering unbeaten 30 from Captain Darren Sammy re-energised the chase and carried the homeside to their second win following Sunday's opening victory.

He said he spent a

lot of time assessing the pitch conditions and also studying footage of the England batsmen.

"I wouldn't say there's extra pressure (on me) because we have a good all-round team," he said.

"All our players have their part to play and so do I, if given the opportunity. I just need to remain confident and be positive at all times.

After watching the first game on Sunday, I got a few ideas and watched some videos of the batters so I have an idea of how to bowl to them — the areas they like and the areas they don't. I just made sure I bowled in the right areas today (Tuesday)."

ttracting top quality horses is the key to the continued success of the Sandy Lane Gold Cup. That is the view of Barbados’ Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy, who said that once horses of similar class to that as the American-owned bay gelding ‘Major Marvel’ – which stormed to victory in the 33rd running of the prestigious race on Saturday at the Garrison Savannah – continue to take part in the event, it would garner even more attention.

Last weekend’s race was not only one of the most talked about in recent history, but attracted a field highly regarded as one of the best in the last decade.

And even though ‘Major Marvel’, the overwhelming favourite ridden by ace jockey Patrick Husbands, raced away to a comfortable three-

and-a half lengths victory, the minister maintained that the presence alone of the Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey-owned bay gelding raised the profile of the race.

“We have to work with the Barbados Turf Club to see that they can continue to bring in topquality horses.

“Just the presence alone of ‘Major Marvel’ in the race, brought a sense of excitement and intrigue to the event, because everyone came to see how he would perform against a very high-class field,” Sealy told Barbadian media just moments after making the Gold Cup presentation.

“It is clear that the interest is there and I know from the tourism end that visitors from the UK are still very sweet on this event.

“They are planning their vacations around

it and either coming in earlier or staying later to make sure they can take in the Gold Cup, so we just have to leverage it.”

And with the event having grown to become the most prestigious horse racing event in the Eastern Caribbean, the acting prime minister said that the industry was extremely important to both the tourism and sporting sectors.

“We cannot underestimate the importance of horse racing as an industry,” Sealy insisted.

“We talk about our jockeys, but even our groomsmen, who go to Woodbine and work, all play a part in helping to promote Barbados as an ideal tourist destination.

“A lot of people are employed around this industry both here and abroad so we cannot forget that.” (Barbados Nations)

EACA President Rudy Persaud re-elected to sixth term

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he Eastern American Cricket Association Annual General meeting was held on February 22, 2014. The main item on the agenda was the election of office bearers for the 2014 season, and Mr. Rudy Persaud of Richmond Hill Cricket Club was re-elected unopposed as President for his sixth term.

The other members elected to serve on the executive were: • Sabi Rafeek – East Side Warriors Cricket Club – Vice President • Johnny Sanasie – Big Apple Cricket Club – Secretary • Zamin Amin – Everest / ACS Cricket Club – Treasurer • D. Sewanan (Raj) – NY-Centurion Cricket Club – Asst Secretary/ Treasurer

Rudy Persaud

With the exception of the presidency post, the 2014 elections marked changes for all other posts. Danesh Deonarain (Secretary) and Anubhav Chopra (Treasurer) held their respective positions for the previous three years and chose not to run for reelection.

Courtney LeGalle (VicePresident) and Zaman Juman (Assistant Secretary/Treasurer)

had previously held their position for the last two years and were not reelected.

Speaking after the election, Mr. Persaud thanked the delegates for their support in the past and encouraged them to remain committed and supportive. He promised that the new team would be committed and would work towards improving communication with the clubs and all other stakeholders in the new term.

The other members of the executives also introduced themselves and thanked the delegates for the confidence shown in electing them to serve for the new term. They indicated their willingness to work towards improvement of cricket, not only in the Association, but the region and USA as a whole.

Sport

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‘Feels like I have never won gold before’ - Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce says of World Indoor 60m gold

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amaica’s ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce continued to accumulate global gold medals, as she added the IAAF World Indoor Championships 60m gold on Sunday’s final day of the event at the Ergo Arena in Sopot, Poland.

Fraser-Pryce, who won Olympic and World Championships gold medals in the 100m in outdoor action and took triple gold last year in Moscow, ran a personal best and world-leading 6.98 seconds to win Sunday.

Her debut win in Poland represents a third consecutive gold medal for Jamaica at the World Indoor Championship after Veronica Campbell Brown had won the previous two in Doha in 2010 and Istanbul two years ago.

Fraser-Pryce is also the fourth Jamaican woman to win the event after the legendary Merlene Ottey had won in 1995 in Barcelona, Spain.

On Sunday’s final day of the Sopot games, Jamaica picked up two additional medals--a silver in the women's 4x400m relays and a bronze in the men's 4x400m. Both were done in new national indoor record times to finish the three-day championship with five medals, equalling the haul in 2004 in Budapest, Hungary.

That haul falls behind the six medals earned on two occasions -- Paris, France 1997 and Lisbon, Portugal 2001.

The five medals, including a silver by Kaliese Spencer in the women's 400m and a

Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce celebrates with her nation’s flag after winning the Women’s 60m event at the IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships in the Ergo Arena in the Polish coastal town of Sopot, Sunday (PHOTO: AFP)

bronze in the triple jump

by Kimberly Williams, saw Jamaica place fifth overall behind the USA with 12 medals (eight gold, two silver and two bronze), Russia with five (three gold and two silver), Ethiopia with five (two gold, two silver and a bronze) and Great

Britain with six medals (one gold, two silver and three bronze).

Last appearance

Sunday, FraserPryce who earlier won her semi-final in 7.08 seconds, beat pre-championships favourite Muriel Ahoure of the Ivory Coast, who ran a

season's best 7.01 seconds for her second straight silver after losing to Campbell Brown in Istanbul, while American Tianna Bartoletta took the bronze in 7.06 seconds.

Fraser-Pryce was fast out of her blocks and propelled her diminutive frame to the head of the field and remained through the finish line on the bright blue track at the packed-out Ergo Arena.

But she warned, however, that her appearance in these world indoors could realistically be her last.

"The next world indoors are in the Olympic year (in Portland, in 2016 before the Summer Games in Rio), so I am not sure if I will do any more," Fraser-Pryce said.

"Winning this gold medal feels like I have never won it before, like it was my first gold. That is why I always try to do my best. I'm very excited for the gold because it is very tough at 60m," said the Jamaican.

Campbell Brown, who was racing for only the third time this season after being cleared of doping charges by the Court of Arbitration for Sports two weeks ago, finished fifth in a season's best 7.13 seconds.

Jamaica's women's 4x400m team set a second national record, running 3:26.54 minutes after clocking 3:29.43 in the semi-finals on Saturday for second behind the USA, who ran a world-leading 3:24.83, while Great Britain were third in 3:27.90.

(Jamaica Observer)

Guyanese sprinters bow out at World Indoor semis Canadian U-17

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Adam Harris

uyanese Adam Harris, who is based in the U.S., crashed out of the World Indoor Championships held in Poland on Saturday in the semifinal round of the men’s 60 metres dash.

Harris, who finished second to Dwain Chambers of Great Britian in his heat, had the slowest reaction time of 0.161s out of the blocks on his way to a third place finish in a time of 6.59 secs.

Marvin Bracy of the U.S won the semifinal in a time of 6.52, as Harris was unable to match his personal best of 6.55 secs that would have seen him make the final. Newcomer Melissa Caddle, who is also a U.S.-based Guyanese, could not move past the first round of the women’s 400 metres at the championships, finishing fifth in her heat with

cricketers in Trinidad for practice matches

T Melissa Caddle

a time 54.56 secs.

Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas was the winner of the heat in 52.10 secs.

Meanwhile, despite the disappointment for

Harris, he is rated as ninth in the world in the 60 metres dash for 2014, while being the fastest South American across the distance for the year.

Fraser-Pryce heads list of confirmed stars for JII meet

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amaica’s Olympic, IAAF World Outdoor and Indoor gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, heads a list of 12 athletes who were Tuesday confirmed for the Jamaica International Invitational (JII) meet to be held at the National Stadium on May 3.

Fraser-Pryce, who last Sunday added the IAAF World Indoor 60m gold to her growing list of global achievements, has been confirmed for the meet, which is an IAAF World Challenge event.

The Jamaican stop is the second in the series of 15 meetings, and the first one will be held in Australia on March 22.

The JII has become popular since its inception just over 10 years ago and has attracted a number of top athletes, and this year promises to continue the tradition of quality competition.

Fraser-Pryce won the 200m at last year's staging, beating Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson in a Jamaican clean sweep of the medals, while American Allyson Felix finished fourth.

Olympic and World Championships gold medallist, Jamaican-born Sanya Richards-Ross will return, as well as Felix and LaShawn Merritt, all of the United States, and Francena McCorory, who won the World Indoors 400m in Sopot, Poland, last weekend.

Nigerian World Championships 200m/long jump medallist Blessing Okagbare and Americans Curtis Mitchell and Briana Rollins are also named.

Jamaican Kaliese Spencer is also confirmed for the meet (Jamaica Gleaner file photo)

Jamaicans Kaliese Spencer, the silver medallist in the 400m in Sopot behind McCorory, World Championships 400m finalist Stephanie McPherson, the defending champion for the JII meet, World Championships 100m bronze medallist Nesta Carter, and relay gold medallist Nickel Ashmeade, who won the 200m race last year, ahead of Warren Weir, have also been listed as confirmed for the meeting. (Jamaica Observer)

he Ontario Cricket Academy & Club (OCA&C) Under-17 squad is currently in Trinidad and Tobago for an 11-day tour in an effort to further develop Canadian talent in the rapidly growing sport.

Based in Mississauga, Canada, the youthful OCA&C outfit is solely focussed on elevation of competitive image by playing seven practice matches against some of TT’s prolific youth teams.

The friendly tour bowled off Tuesday when the team met PowerGen’s Under-17 team at Vijay Sports Grounds, Avocat, for a Twenty20 matchup.

During its stay, the visiting team will lock horns against the likes of both South West and South East Under-17 squads along with several other top local club sides.

The OCA&C is recognised as the leading cricket academy in North America boasting several national team products over the last 11 years of its existence. The group of touring Under-17’s have a few top Canadian youth prospects in the team.

This trip marks the academy’s fifth international tour to date, having previously visited the twin-island republic in 2009, 2010 and 2013.

In 2011, OCA&C created history by being the first North American

youth club to tour Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Cricket, the governing body of the sport in the country, gave their support for the initiative by scheduling key matches at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.

The tours to Trinidad have helped to develop local Canadian talent, according to founder and head coach Derek Perera. He stated, “The depth of high level opposition and amazing infrastructure for the sport in Trinidad has made it an automatic choice for us when it comes to touring and player development.”

Many of the players who have visited TT on the tours have graduated to Canadian national teams at all levels.

OCA&C’s Tour coordinator, Trinidad-born Surren Ramsingh, who migrated to Canada many years ago, has utilised his contacts in the island to ensure the Canadian youngsters face top level competition.

One of the highlights of the tour is a three-day Twenty20 tournament featuring the visitors, top club PowerGen and a South West Regional team. The tournament will see teams competing for the Ramsingh Cup and numerous sponsored prizes, all of which will be played under floodlights. (Excerpted from TT Newsday)

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Blake for Adidas Grand Bopara, WI duo fined Prix in New York

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ngland’s Ravi Bopara and West Indies’ Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels have been fined for a Level I breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first Twenty20 International (T20I) in Barbados on Sunday.

The three players were found to have breached Article 2.1.8 of the code, which states: “Where the facts of the alleged incident are not adequately or clearly covered by any of the (above) offence, conduct that either: (a) is contrary to the spirit of the game; or (b) brings the game into disrepute”.

All the three players pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the sanctions proposed by Andy Pycroft of Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

The incident took place in the 12th over of England’s innings when Bopara, while taking a single, made insulting comments towards Samuels, who responded. West Indies captain Sammy joined in, also trading insults with Bopara. The exchange only ceased with the intervention of the on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Peter Nero.

For their involvements in the incident, Bopara was fined 25 percent of his match fee, while Sammy and Samuels were fined 20 and 10 percent

Yohan Blake

A

ccording to the AFP, reigning Olympic champions Sally Pearson and Jenn Suhr and former 100-metre world champion Yohan Blake will compete in June's Diamond League athletics meet in New York.

The 10th Adidas Grand Prix on June 14 will also feature the US debut of reigning world high jump champion Bohdan Bondarenko of Ukraine.

Australia's Pearson, 27, is the reigning Olympic 100m hurdles champion. She also took silver in 2008 at Beijing, won the 2011 world title

and was the 2012 world indoor hurdles champion.

Suhr, 32, took women's pole vault gold at London and silver at Beijing. Last year, the American outdoor record holder broke the world indoor record by clearing 5.02m and she will seek her sixth victory at the New York meet.

Jamaica's Blake, 24, missed most of last year with an injury after winning the New York 100m title in 2012 before taking silver medals in the 100m and 200m behind countryman Usain Bolt at the London Olympics.

Blake, the 2011 world

100m champion, has a personal best of 9.69 seconds, second only to training partner Bolt.

"After not being able to run in New York last year, I can't wait to get into my blocks," Blake said. "The opportunity to compete against international athletes in front of New York's Caribbean community just gets my adrenaline pumping."

Bondarenko, 24, twice last season jumped 2.41m, the highest outdoor clearance in the world in the past 20 years. He won 14 of 15 competitions in 2013.

(Excerpt from AFP)

Darren Sammy (Jamaica Gleaner file photo)

respectively.

Besides the on-field umpires, the charge was also laid by third umpire Gregory Brathwaite as well as fourth official Nigel Duguid.

All Level I breaches for this offence carry a penalty of a warning/reprimand and/or the imposition of a fine up to 50 percent of the applicable match fee.

U.S.- based Guyanese JossiahTanner defends 5k title

U

.S.-based Guyanese Euleen Jossiah-Tanner keeps racking up the wins with yet another victory in the Dental 5 Jossiah-Tanner clocked in at 15 mins 54 secs to defend her title in the event, despite the 30-degree temperature which faced the athletes.

“I feel great, I used it as a recovery run and it feels great to defend my title. There was some competition and there were heavy wind gusts, but I would like to thank my coach (Kenrick Smith) for the time he is putting in to prep me, as we begin phase two of our programme,” Jossiah-Tanner told Guyanese media.

Meanwhile, Jossiah-Tanner’s next competition will be on March 23 in the Publix ING 5k Road Race.

Euleen Jossiah-Tanner

Young Trini sends warning ahead of Canadian Open

L

ittle Nicholas Elliot Jr sounded a stern warning at the start of his 2014 international competitive circuit when he bagged silver at the Youth Under 36kg Elite Black Belt Division of the Canadian Taekwondo Open, which was recently held in at the Complex Sportif Claude Robillard in Montreal.

In the final, the budding fighter went down to the host nation in a hotly contested encounter.

In the previous rounds however, Elliot Jr won his first fight 7-4 over Canada and went on to defeat USA 11-4 in the semi-final stage.

The youngster’s re-

cent achievement was hailed by his coach, Master Ivan Petrovic of KickStart Canada. Elliot Jr was prepared by a strong team of local and international coaches including TT tutor Master Shurland Flores, Danish National Junior Team coach Master Farooq Rashidand and threetime Canadian National Fin Weight National champion Master Kael Pinto.

This tournament was rated G1 by the World Taekwondo Federation and hosted 1,500 athletes from 42 countries. Some of the world’s best athletes competed including several Olympic, World and Grand Prix champions. (TT Newsday)

Sport

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week ending March 16, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Team manager confident Guyana will bounce back from defeats

– Shiv Chanderpaul returns after injury

By Rajiv Bisnauth

G

uyana’s Team Manager Alvin Johnson remains positive his side can bounce back in the current West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Four-Day Tournament, despite two consecutive defeats.

He, however, was unable to explain the cause of the poor batting displays, but called for a show of maturity and concentration, particularly from his senior players.

“It’s a tough one to explain,” he said. “Ultimately, there are guys who need to put in some big performances. They know that there will be some questions asked about their form over a period of time.”

“It’s important that they put their hands up and put in some match-winning performances going forward,” Johnson said on Tuesday, after Head Coach Esaun Crandon refused to speak with this publication at the conclusion of the squad’s net session.

“We’ve certainly got to bat better, we’ve got to get better at batting full stop,” Johnson said.

In contrast, Johnson praised the bowlers for their decent performances, adding that the bowlers have been outstanding so far.

The current tournament

Shivnarine Chanderpaul in action during Tuesday’s net session (Photo: Rajiv Bisnauth)

has shown in no uncertain manner that there is a lack of commitment on the field among some of the current crop of the Guyanese players.

The Guyanese have shown major weaknesses in several areas of the game and have looked like amateurs just learning the game.

Their running between the wickets has been poor, and the overall batting is well below what is expected at this level.

They were beaten by hosts Jamaica by seven wickets last

week before being humbled in their own backyard by 131 runs by Barbados inside three days on Sunday.

Boost

Meanwhile, veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul will return to the Guyana’s lineup for the third round game against the Windward Islands, beginning from Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara from 10:00h daily.

The evergreen left-hander missed Guyana’s first two

Alvin Johnson

Ronsford Beaton

games because of an injured thumb, is the only change to the 13-man squad. He replaces fellow left hander Chanderpaul Hemraj, who was called up for the last game against Barbados, but did not make the final eleven.

Chanderpaul will take over the leadership role of the side from stand-in captain Christopher Barnwell and will definitely boost the Guyanese batting line-up that was severely depleted for the first two games.

Further, Johnson disclosed that batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan and Leon Johnson are still unavailable because of in-

juries.

According to Johnson, fast bowler Ronsford Beaton, who missed the last game against Barbados because of a side injury, has recovered fully, but he has not been included in the final squad.

The Guyana squad for the third round reads: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (captain), Sewnarine Chattergoon, Assad Fudadin, Narsingh Deonarine, Tagnarine Chanderpaul, Anthony Bramble, Christopher Barnwell (vice-captain), Amir Khan, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Raun Johnson, Keon Joseph and Vishaul Singh.

guyanatimeSinternational.com

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

week ending March 16, 2014

228 players confirmed for CPL 2014 Draft T West Indies Team for Women’s World T20

Stefanie Taylor

S

T JOHN’S, Antigua – The West Indies selectors announced the 15-member West Indies Women’s squad for the upcoming ICC World T20 Tournament in Bangladesh.

The team will again be led by inspirational captain Merissa Aguilleira, who has been at the helm since 2008.

The squad includes several members who featured in the ICC World T20 in 2012 when the Windies reached the semi-finals – Stafanie Taylor, the two-time ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year; Anisa Mohammed – one of the most successful wicket-takers in women’s cricket history; and Deandra Dottion – who holds the world record for the fastest century in a T20 match.

FULL SQUAD:

Merissa Aguilleira (captain/wicket-keeper) Shemaine Campbelle Shanel Daley Deandra Dottin Chinelle Henry Stacy-ann King Kycia Knight (wicket-keeper) Kyshona Knight Natasha McLean Anisa Mohammed Subrina Munroe Shaquana Quintyne Shakera Selman

Tremayne Smartt Stafanie Taylor

MANAGEMENT

Sherwin Campbell (Head Coach) Pat Greenidge (Manager) Ezra Moseley (Assistant Coach) David Bernard Sr (Trainer) Oba Gulston (Physiotherapist) Trent Sargeant (Analyst) Ayana Cooper (Player Relations Officer) Philip Spooner (Media Manager)

SCHEDULE

Warm-ups March 18: vs South Africa at Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Prothistan, Savar March 20: vs Australia at Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Prothistan, Savar

he Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has confirmed that an impressive 228 players have registered for the 2014 Draft, which will take place in Kingston, Jamaica, on Thursday, April 3.

The number includes 121 overseas players, more than five times the number that entered the 2013 Draft.

Over 100 Caribbean players have thrown their hats into the ring in the hope of earning a contract to take part in the "Biggest Party in Sport" alongside a host of international stars. As well as the massive global appeal of the tournament, illustrated by the huge surge in applications from overseas players, another ringing endorsement for the CPL is the fact that the list boasts a fantastic 98 percent retention rate of players who played in the 2013 edition of the competition.

CPL 2014 will give cricketers from across the Caribbean the opportunity to play with and against some of the best players in the world. A total of 107 players in the region, from upand-coming youngsters to established Windies internationals, will go into the draft alongside big name stars from 11 nations, including Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and, for the first time, England.

Australia will have the largest overseas contingent in the Draft with 30 names, including 15 internationals, while the vast majority of

Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad has also signed up.

New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka are also well represented and the Draft will include several current and former international captains, leading Test stars, T20 specialists, and limited overs legends. The full list of players will be announced to the public next Monday.

Tom Moody, CPL director of cricket, said: "The quality and quantity of players registering for the Draft, in particular the huge surge in overseas players signing up, is testament to the great success of last year's competition. The high standard of cricket and the unique Caribbean carnival atmosphere have made CPL the competition that everybody wants to play in."

The CPL launched last year to sellout crowds, with over 250,000 spectators attending matches across Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Lucia, whilst a global TV audience of 36 million was entertained by the skills of international stars including Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Ricky Ponting and Muttiah Muralitharan.

The tournament returns in July and August 2014 where Jamaica Tallawahs will defend their title against the Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St Lucia Zouks and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel. (Jamaica Observer)

The CONCACAF Gold Cup offers Guyana an opportunity to potentially lock horns with Mexico again

Tournament Matches

March 24: vs England at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium March 26: vs Bangladesh at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium March 28: vs Sri Lanka at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium April 1: vs India at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium April 3: 1st Semi-final at at Shere-Bangla, Mirpur April 4: 2nd Semi-final at Sher-eBangla, Mirpur April 6: FINAL at Sher-e-Bangla, Mirpur

Should Guyana aim for Gold Cup?

Guyana Times International - (Guyana Office) email: guyanatimesint@gmail.com, Tel: (592) 227-0704, 227-0709, Fax: (592) 225-8696, 227-0685 (NY Office) email: guyanatimesnyint@gmail.com, Tel: 718-658-6804 PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INTERNATIONAL INC.; AVAILABLE AT ALL MAJOR WEST INDIAN STORES.

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