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All set for ‘Jubilee Week’ in NY ISSUE NO. 295

WEEK ENDING May 29, 2016

See story on page 8

- State dinner, Independence parade among events planned Ex-husband, Welcome home!

accomplice charged with Babita Sarjou’s shallow grave murder

Page 3

On Wednesday, United States-based Guyanese student, Kelly Hyles (extreme right) paid a courtesy call on U.S. Ambassador Perry Holloway. Kelly, who has been accepted into twenty-one universities around the United States, including eight Ivy League schools is currently visiting Guyana which is celebrating 50 years of Independence. Ms. Hyles was accompanied by her mother, Ms. Anetta Seaely.

Darell Punton, called ‘Yankee’

Sharadanand Narine called 'Anand', the reputed husband of Babita Sarjou

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 3

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Ex-husband, accomplice charged with Babita Sarjou’s shallow grave murder

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haradanand Narine, called ‘Anand’, the reputed husband of Babita Sarjou, and his alleged accomplice, Darell Punton, called ‘Yankee’, were charged and remanded to prison for murdering the woman almost six years ago.

Sarjou’s skeletal re-

mains were discovered buried in the yard of her 39-year-old reputed husband on Sunday last.

Narine and Punton made their first appearance at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning where they were not re-

Babita Sarjou's mother in tears outside the court this morning

quired to plea to the indictable charge. The duo is expected to make their next court appearance on June 21.

Almost six years had passed since Sarjou was reported ‘missing’ by her mother and the case had been reopened recently.

It was during intense questioning and continuous interrogation of the duo that Punton had reportedly ‘cracked’ and confessed to helping the man murder his reputed wife and burying her body in the backyard of Narine’s lot 51 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown property.

The accomplice allegedly took investigators to where the skeletal remains were buried and upon unearthing the bones police ranks arrested the duo for the crime.

On November 4, 2010 the then 28-year-old

Darell Punton, called ‘Yankee’

Sarjou had left her mother’s Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) residence to meet her estranged husband and son (four years old at that time) to view the annual Diwali motorcade at the Kitty Seawall, Georgetown.

She was never seen again by her mother or other relatives and despite repeated telephone calls to both of Sarjou’s cellular phones on that night and

Sharadanand Narine called 'Anand', the reputed husband of Babita Sarjou

after, every attempt to contact her proved futile.

Her mother Champa Seonarine made a report at the Timehri Police Station, EBD, and then another one at the Kitty Police Station about her daughter being missing.

She, at that time, also indicated that she was fearful that Narine had played a part in her daughter’s unexpected disappearance.

Shortly before the woman’s disappearance she had filed a harassment case against Narine but the case was later dismissed.

Babita Sarjou's reputed husband had been accused of pasting numerous copies of a nude picture of her on the walls and fence of her workplace at BK International and even on electricity posts around the environment.

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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EDITORIAL

The technological frontier

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uyana is celebrating a milestone of 50 years of Independence, and much reflection has to be done on where we are as a developing country and where we would like to see ourselves another 50 years from now.

Surely, the ubiquitous affirmation would be for us to transcend our status of a “developing” country and through prudent, holistic micro and macro governance, collaborations with the Private Sector and international financing institutions ascend to the ranks of “developed” countries.

One of the definitive pillars that would invariably assist in the promulgation of our country from “developing” to “developed” is the proliferation of technology.

Information from the 2014 Brookings Blum Roundtable report on Advancing Technological Diffusion in Developing Countries asserts that for developed countries “marginal productivity gains depend on the discovery of new technologies that push the technology frontier further out. In contrast, poorer countries are positioned some distance back from this frontier. Poor countries’ opportunity to make use of proven technologies without having to develop them from scratch is one factor that allows them to grow faster than rich countries under the right conditions, and thereby accelerate closer to the frontier”.

Currently, while we are on par with most of the developed world as it relates to our Internet speeds (4G) and access to technological products through imports, we are still lagging behind from an institutional perspective.

In Guyana’s case, more institutional investment is needed in pushing tech in the education sector. Significantly more impetus should be given to the University of Guyana via funding to support Research and Development (R&D). More alliances and being part of a network of universities, academic institutions, research laboratories and firms are also necessary to exploit the technological frontier.

Additionally, more specialised courses such as programming/ coding should be implemented within our curriculum from primary up to tertiary, so that Guyanese can tap into the ever growing market for software developers, support technicians and systems analysts that are needed. Experts have posited that employment in all computer occupations is expected to increase by 22 per cent in the next four years.

According to Stanford.edu in its article “Technology in Developing Economies”, “in order to participate in a high-tech marketplace, developing nations require individuals with technical expertise. Problems arise when nations attempt to make overly rapid advances in education, producing graduates without a satisfactory infrastructure to support the education system. Namely, families must be able to afford to send their children to school, educational institutions need resources such as current textbooks and electricity, and educated individuals require incentives to remain in their home nations”.

From an incentive standpoint, once the human resources component is there, tech firms will come looking to establish footings in developing countries that have the educated human capital and cheaper labour to increase their profits. The local economy will invariably benefit from this relationship. In fact, this foreign investment is a given, since the demand for technology is expected to increase as the world becomes “hyper-globalised”.

Guyana is not the only developing country looking to advance itself, so the longer we wait to start the process, the longer we will take to further develop in this particularly lucrative sector.

Stanford.edu posits that “the adoption of technology by developing countries has had profound effects on their economies, such as reducing the national costs of production, establishing standards for quality, and allowing individuals to communicate from a distance…the rapid spread of technology fuelled by the Internet has led to positive cultural changes in developing countries. Easier, faster communication has contributed to the rise of democracy, as well as the alleviation of poverty. Globalisation can also increase cultural awareness and promote diversity.”

Our biggest detriment so far is that our telecommunications sector is not yet liberalised; thankfully, this will soon be addressed as a bill is currently before the National Assembly that should soon see the opening up of the sector, allowing other local and international players the opportunity to competitively offer increased technological services to Guyana.

Numerous business places, public buildings and even private homes are all currently decorated with the colours of the national flag as part of Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations.

(Photo: Giftland Mall, Plantation Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, Guyana, by Girendra Persaud)

Procrastination in addressing the abolition of death penalty has no advantage for Guyana Dear Editor, The Attorney General Basil Williams is absolutely mistaken about the death penalty being a requirement for FATF compliance. During the PPP time in Government, with the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill in the Parliament, the then APNU and AFC Opposition made many demands that they claimed would address deficits in the Bill, and the death penalty was not one of them. They knew then, as they know now that the death penalty was not a FATF requirement.

When the amendment bill for the Anti-Money Laundering Bill was passed last year, the former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, objected to the death penalty being one of the penalties for offences and Basil Williams never pointed out that the death penalty was included because it was a FATF requirement. Incidentally, all of Europe is FATF compliant and they all have abolished the death penalty.

Suriname last year abolished the death penalty. Is Mr Williams saying that Suriname will never be FATF compliant? In insisting that FATF requires Guyana to include the death penalty for offences, is Mr Williams telling us that FATF has a double standard, having requirements for nations like those in Europe different from the requirements Guyana must meet?

The onus is now on the Attorney General to prove to citizens by pointing out the FATF instrument where the death penalty is a requirement for compliance. I am certain he and APNU/AFC must have good arguments why they favour the death penalty for offences under the Anti-Money Laundering legislation. But using FATF as an excuse and a shield demonstrate that the AG does not feel confident that he could justify inclusion of the death penalty. But even a poor justification for inclusion of the death penalty would be better than lying.

It is absolutely a scurrilous effort to smear FATF. FATF is a global organisation that nations under the UN established to stem the growing tide of money laundering and terrorism. These same countries that agree to establishing FATF also, under the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), insist that countries abolish the death penalty. Guyana is one country that has not yet complied with the UNHRC’s mandate and Guyana is, in fact, one of the countries under review for flouting this significant global human rights mandate.

The 10th Parliament had established a special select committee to ensure Guyana comply with the global requirement to abolish the death penalty. I was a member of that committee. So were the present Prime Minister and the present and past Attorneys General. The 11th Parliament has so far turned its back on moving Guyana towards compliance and now the AG is trying to justify, through a complete misrepresentation, why Guyana is not making any meaningful effort to reach compliance on the global agreement to abolish the death penalty.

Truth is; APNU/AFC seems to be on a pathway of maximum administrative delays to defy the UN’s instruction to abolish the death penalty. The 11th Parliament and the APNU/AFC Government appear

disinterested in addressing the non-compliance issue with the global movement to abolish the death penalty.

When the Attorney General ingeniously informs us that Cabinet has not discussed the death penalty and taken a position, how truthful could this be?

Did Cabinet not approve the amendment bill for the Anti-Money Laundering Act that the AG and his colleagues railroaded through Parliament in 2015?

That amendment bill, included the death penalty for several offences, under the Anti-Money Laundering Act. Surely, they had to have discussed the death penalty and had to discuss reconciling this action vs meeting the UNHRC mandate!

After being placed on the UNHRC’s list of countries under review for human rights deficits, specifically to eliminate laws permitting the death penalty, corporal punishment of children in schools and laws discriminating against LGBT, Guyana established a special select committee of the 10th Parliament to ensure recommendations for Guyana to be in conformity with the UN human rights platform. Extensive hearings were held to discuss the way forward in dealing with the death penalty.

A year into the 11th Parliament, Guyana has compounded the problem by further adding to the penalties that require the mandatory death sentence.

Guyana, in fact, worsened its non-compliance with the UNHRC mandate when it included the death penalty in the Anti-Money Laundering Act for an additional eight offences, the most anywhere in the world.

But there is really no reason for Guyana to continue to have a law that allows the death penalty, particularly since it is rarely ever used anymore and for those on death row, the death penalty has been honoured in the breach. Guyana’s last judicial execution occurred in 1997, almost two decades ago.

As of May 2016, 102 countries have abolished the death penalty all together, including Suriname, which abolished the death penalty in 2015, and Haiti, which abolished it in 1987. Six other countries have abolished it, but retained the death penalty for exceptional or special circumstances, such as wartime crimes.

Guyana must not wait to be one of the few “hard ears” countries. The writing is on the wall, the time has come for Guyana to do the right thing and abolish the death penalty. The 11th Parliament must act in haste to bring Guyana in conformity with international laws.

It places the judiciary between a rock and a hard place: the laws of Guyana call for the death penalty, but the Constitution demands that judges take into consideration Guyana’s obligations under global treaties, conventions and agreements. As a member of the UN and under the mandate of the UNHRC, our judiciary must give cognisance to these international conventions.

Procrastination in addressing the abolition of the death penalty has no advantage to Guyana. Lying about why we continue to legislate the continuation of the death penalty in Guyana demeans us and makes us a rogue nation.

Sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

NEWS 5

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Govt touts ‘coordinating committee’ to tackle judicial backlog … part-time judges, voice recording systems still in pipeline

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he establishment of a special ‘coordinating committee’, comprising representatives of the judicial system is being touted as the answer to Guyana’s decades-old judicial backlog.

This committee, according to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams, will meet regularly and give directions to varying offices in order to improve management of the various cases and ultimately reduce the mounting accumulation of cases, which is said to be mainly responsible for overcrowding of the country’s prisons.

During a recent news conference, Minister Williams explained that there needs to be a holistic approach in dealing with the judicial backlogs, and the introduction of such a committee, along with other measures that are currently underway, the problem should be effectively addressed.

“This entire legal system basically needs to be coordinated because what happens on one end affects the other. So we cannot resolve the prison issue unless we deal with the Police Superintendent… he deploys prosecutors… if they’re not properly supervised they can be responsible for a lot of backlog.

“You need to have a committee so that persons representing all aspects of the justice system would sit regularly and coordinate problems

that they would understand…

Magistrates should know that they should not remand people on offences that are ‘bail-able’ because you are going to overcrowd the prisons unnecessarily,” Williams posited.

As part of the efforts to address the age-old issue of backlog of cases, legislation was enacted introducing committal proceedings to fast-track preliminary inquiries. At the Magistrate’s Court, an accused had to wait four to five years for his trial to be completed then a similar period before a judge and jury in the High Court, all the while languishing in prison.

According to the Attorney General, when the paper committals were introduced, magistrates started applying them, but it was recognised that you were basically transferring the problem from the Magistrate’s Court to the High Court.

The paper committal proceedings saw the prosecutor handing over the evidence against the accused to his attorney. If, after examination, it was determined that a prima facie (based on the first impression) case existed, in the interest of not wasting the court’s time, parties then consented to committing the accused to stand trial in the High Court.

“It meant that trials kept climbing and the figures kept increasing rapidly… a judge would take about three to four

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams

trials per session which takes three months… so we still have that problem right now and it has to be addressed,” Williams pointed out.

Voice recordings

Williams disclosed that moves are afoot to seek funding to install voice recording systems in the criminal courts (Magistrates Courts and High Courts) in an effort to speed up trials and ultimately reduce the backlogs.

Currently, judges have to take hand-written evidence during hearings.

“One of the things to determine if the witness is speaking the truth is that they look at the witness and judge the demeanour and veracity… how does the judge get to do that

when they are busy writing down,” the Attorney General explained.

He disclosed that US$327,000 is budgeted for this undertaking.

Under the previous administration, the voice recording systems were installed in the Court of Appeal, the Courts of the Chief Justice and the Commercial Court of the High Court.

The Legal Affairs Ministry, under the stewardship of Attorney Anil Nandlall, had intended to replicate the concept in the other courts to start the process of transformational change in the speed of litigation in Guyana.

Part-time judges

Another initiative aimed at addressing the problem is the introduction of part-time judges, Williams indicated.

The ministry has allocated a budgetary estimate of US$49,020 to employ six parttime judges for a six-month period.

According to the Attorney General, the exercise is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and it is still in the pipelines.

“Once they approve the sums, we will start incurring expenses,” Minister Williams stated.

Night court

The reintroduction of night courts is another measure on the cards to tackle the issue of

backlog of cases.

Approximately Gy$25 million was allocated to facilitate night court sessions.

Initial reports had suggested that there would be five temporary Magistrates appointed to handle the night court.

Presently, Magistrates open their courts from 09:00h and close at 14:00h, Monday to Friday.

According to reports, the night courts would be opened from 16:00h to 20:00h, Monday to Friday.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh had suggested that this initiative would last for six months.

Law reform

Guyana has partnered with the IDB to implement the New Justice Sector Programme which is designed to consolidate justice sector improvements.

The programme will see the establishment of a Law Revision Office and a revision of Guyana’s laws, updating them to 2015.

Additionally, a Permanent Law Reform Commission with a Secretariat will focus on continuously examining Guyana’s laws and making recommendations on areas of reform.

Judges, magistrates and prosecutors will also be trained in sentencing and the writing of decisions as part of a holistic approach to ensure efficiency within the judicial sector.

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Commemorating Independence Exciting T20 cricket in New York on 26 May is also celebrating to celebrate Guyana’s the Wismar atrocities Independence Dear Editor, The independence anniversary of any country is a major landmark, not to speak of its golden jubilee, and currently there are widespread signs of celebration and enthusiasm, clearly evident in, at least, one section of our population.

We now know of the duplicity and machinations of the American and British governments along with the connivance of the PNC to overthrow the PPP and to deny Cheddi Jagan an opportunity to lead the nation into independence. This is now commonly accepted history.

In many parts of the then colonial world independence came after long, bitter and often bloody struggles, but in our case the bloodshed, in the 1960s, that heralded our independence was that of the two principal ethnic groups since by that time our politics had already become irremediably split along ethnic lines. I know that much energy has gone into establishing who started the killings and who merely retaliated as if this, in and of itself, would absolve any group of its complicity and involvement.

The fact of the matter is that by the time independence finally came we had experienced one of the bloodiest periods in the country’s history occasioned by ancient ethnic insecurities and fears and fuelled by the dominant international powers that had a control of the hemisphere and their indigenous collaborators. The wounds were still fresh in 1966.

Given the ethnic political polarization of the country, the jubilation and triumphalism in one section of the population contrasted with the sense of loss, foreboding and humiliation in the other, May 26, 1966 was seen not only as initiating freedom from Britain, but also as one ethnic group triumphing over the other.

In most countries political parties

that lose elections quickly get reconciled with their loss and continue with their business. In the case of Guyana, however, there was a prolonged struggle to “oppose, expose and depose” the PPP after the general elections of 1961.

Racial tensions prevalent during the elections campaign worsened in the years immediately after engulfing the entire nation.

One of the places in Guyana that became the deadliest theatre for the conflict was Wismar, later to become Linden. A staggering number of more than 1600 Indians were forced to flee the town in the biggest refugee movement, with the usual atrocities, ever seen anywhere in the Caribbean. The climax and culmination of this dreadful episode was 26 May 1964.

It was to commemorate this day of victory that 26 May was chosen as Guyana’s Independence Day. The brutality and humiliation that was inflicted on the Indian population on those few fateful days in Wismar in May 1964 was our first successful attempt at ethnic cleansing. But far more dreadful things have happened in other parts of the world, and broken and dehumanised people have been able to pull themselves together and move on, and even triumph in the end.

Given the more than fifty years that have intervened since our hour of shame, we too could have transcended those dark days. But by selecting 26 May as the date for our independence, when alternative dates were suggested, the powers that be wanted to ensure that Indians never forget their collective humiliation and their tenuous place in this society.

Commemorating Independence on 26 May is also celebrating the 26 May Wismar atrocities against Indians.

After all, wasn’t this what was intended, a perennial reminder of what can happen again?

Swami Aksharananda

Nascimento fires back at Gouveia Dear Editor, I have seen a letter to the media from Mr Gerry Gouveia seeking to personally denigrate Mr Michael Correia and his family which can only be described as self-centered, self-serving, self-indulgent and narcissistic.

I respond only because Mr Gouveia has insulted both myself and Captain Chan-A-Sue by claiming that Mr Correia, at Board Meetings, shouts us into silence. Anyone who knows Captain Chan-A-Sue, to say nothing of myself, and reads this nonsense is bound to find it laughable. It, however, demonstrates the extraordinary low level to which Mr Gouveia is prepared to descend in public to express his ire.

My company has provided professional public communication consultancy services to a very large number of highly regarded companies and corporations here in Guyana, in the Caribbean and, from time to time, internationally. My company has also represented Ogle Airport Inc. for over 15 years. I can say without hesitation that Michael Correia is one of the finest CEO’s I have been privileged to work with.

In the course of these years, I have witnessed, under Michael Correia’s leadership, the extraordinary growth of what is today the Eugene F. Correia International Airport from a light air-

craft facility with a tiny airstrip built mainly for the purpose for accommodating Guysuco’s crop dusters, to a first class Regional International Airport.

It cannot be gainsaid that, though the idea and original commitment came from five local aviation companies, including Gouveia’s company, to form Ogle Airport Inc. to bid for the privatisation of Ogle Airport in 2001 when the Airport was ruled as unsafe by the International Civil Aviation Authority and threatened with closure, it was Correia’s company and Correia’s determination to stay faithful to the commitment when the others balked at the investment. It is mostly Correia’s money that has built the International Airport from which Gouveia’s company and the others operating out of the Airport and, indeed, Guyana, benefit today.

For me, it is unthinkable that Gerry Gouveia, whose company’s contribution to the investment in the Airport is 2 ¼ per cent, should attack the Correia family in this ugly public fashion. What has been achieved at Ogle, it is worth reminding Mr Gouveia, when he makes self-serving comparisons with his own achievements, has never depended on political patronage for its success.

Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento Managing Director

Dear Editor: The Co-operative Republic of Guyana will on May 26th, 2016 celebrate its Golden Jubilee of Independence. Jubilee celebrations are planned for Guyana as well as the various Diasporas.

The New York City celebration will take place from June 4 – 12, 2016. It would be an unprecedented display of Guyana’s illustrious history, rich culture and national pride. The activities in the New York City area from June 4 – 12 include a unity concert, soccer match for youths and a parade on June 12th to conclude the celebration.

This celebration will be graced with the presence of many dignitaries from Guyana and the USA; including the President of Guyana, His Excellency, Brigadier David Granger and Prime Minister, Hon. Moses Nagamootoo However, a celebration of Guyana’s culture would not be complete without cricket, which is Guyana’s greatest pastime. There will be a President’s Cup, T20 tournament among the three counties; Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo.

Time is of the essence; hence, there will

be only 2 games. There will be a draw to decide which team will automatically play the final match against the first game. .

The games are schedule to be played on Saturday, June 4th, 2016 at Idlewild Park, located at: 223rd Street and 147th Avenue in Rosedale, Queens NY, starting at 9am.

The organising committee therefore takes great pleasure in inviting everyone to participate in this 50th Independence Anniversary celebration cricket match.

Additionally, anyone who wishes to get involved and be a part of this celebration, please contact the game coordinator, Rudy Persaud (917-682-6142) or the Chair of the Sports sub-committee of the NYC Jubilee Committee, Omotola Goulding (347) 564-3659.

Yours sincerely, Rudy Persaud Member, Cricket Organising Committee Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration Committee (NY) 917 682 6142

Hidden agenda in Govt’s actions

Dear Editor, I was in a conversation with my PNC friend the other day when I asked the pointed question, look at how yuh Boy Granger treat the Stabroek Vendors? The reply was “don’t get tie up, Granger gat to do that for the 50th anniversary, but dem people going back right deh.”

In fact he gave me a specific date, he said, “everything was going back to normal by May 28 after the celebrations.” Now I could not fathom the logic of his statement, reasons being, why should the City Council go through all the pain, shame and publicity to remove those vendors only to have them go right back there?

I could not figure this out. So, the investigative spirit in me caused me to spike the conversation on a little further by asking another question.

I said, then, what do you think is going to happen with the squatters at Timehri when the airport is to be expanded, there are a number of squatters there in the direct line of the airport’s improvement and modernisation? My friend answered “With that, he is going to find place for them before he move in on them… so there wouldn’t be anything like Stabroek.” He continued, “Granger like the people, yeh and he aint going to do anything to hurt them.”

Now, when you carefully analyse my friend’s statement, the following scenario readily comes to mind: The Wales Estate closure that is set for this yearend, and if my recollection goes further, the LBI Estate is on that list also.

At the announced closure of Wales I vividly remember when those workers protested in Georgetown some of those same displaced vendors were sent there to break up the protest. Those vendors hurled expletives at the protesters, in one instance even assaulting a worker. She did this to show her ardent support for Granger and the PNCled Coalition.

So where am I going with this? The

point is Wales would be shut down – no doubt about that – and Granger is hoping that the public does not use this as an act of racism or partiality.

You see, most of the workers at Wales are mainly of a particular race and presumed to be PPP/C supporters.

So, brutally throw them out of a livelihood then turn around and say that you are an even-handed administration, you have done a fair job at governance, when we all know that this is not the case.

There is a hidden agenda in all of this government’s actions, be it the rice industry, sugar, forestry, gold mining, in education, you name it and there is that hidden agenda of crass partiality written all over it. The real aim is to decimate, and when I use the term I am using it in its truest sense, they are out to decimate the PPP/C. Break up the party’s support base and rule unhindered.

This is their real objective. This is not really a new phenomenon when discussing the various moves made by this government.

The pattern of their fabric that they are cut out from is old PNC tactics, Burnhamite in creation and perpetuated by his acolytes in the PNCdominated Coalition. But before I get carried away by this narrow, myopic and backward move by this administration let me get back to the main idea.

I hasten to a close by saying this: no government will ever succeed if its agenda is to neutralise its opposition.

We have seen this foolishness manifesting itself right here in Guyana in the 28 years reign of the PNC and in other backward states of the world.

We have seen the catastrophically dire consequences derived from such moves, some of which are already here in Guyana.

Simply put, it will not work. It will only result in the retrogression of the entire nation we call Guyana.

Neil Adams

news 7

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘You are not alone’ - Baroness Scotland says Commonwealth supports Guyana in border controversy with Venezuela

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ecretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Baroness Patricia Scotland, on Wednesday morning, during a courtesy call on President David Granger, at the Ministry of the Presidency, said Guyana is a diamond in the Region and that the Commonwealth stands resolutely behind this country in the face of Venezuela’s claims on its territory.

According to GINA, Baroness Scotland, who is in Guyana to participate in the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Independence celebrations, held discussions with the President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge, on the on-going Guyana/Venezuela

Border controversy. The Secretary-General said that the Commonwealth stands behind Guyana and is willing to lend whatever support is required.

“The Commonwealth has always stood resolutely by Guyana’s side and I think that it’s easy to forget that we represent 2.3 billion people and 53 countries; so Venezuela understands absolutely that if they decide to single out one of our sister countries then it is singling out all 53. So it is really important for Guyanese people to know that one third of the world’s population stands with you and you do not stand alone and you never will. Once I am Secretary-General, I am going to remind the rest of the world that you

President David Granger presents a token to Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Baroness Patricia Scotland, during a courtesy call, on Wednesday morning, at the Ministry of the Presidency.

are not on your own,” Baroness Scotland emphasised.

Minersv body calls for Broomes to be reassigned

– cites clear conflict of interest

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s conflict-of-interest concerns continue to rage over Minister within the Natural Resources Ministry Simona Broomes’ mining concessions and her oversight of the industry, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has now joined the call for the Minister to be reassigned to another Ministry, since her presence in the current Ministry was a clear conflict of interest and posed a threat to impartiality.

Minister Broomes has been at the centre of a raging debate after this publication reported that she was granted a new mining permit on March 4, 2016, just about two months after she was transferred to that Ministry and handed responsibility for the mining sector.

However, the Minister, who has said she transferred her mining interest to her two children, has since denied this and stated that the documentation which was ‘leaked’ was for her daughter, who was also named Simona Broomes.

This publication, however, was able to confirm that the National Identification (ID) number on the application is that of the Minister and

Minister within the Natural Resources Ministry, Simona Broomes

not her daughter.

The GGDMA, in its strongly-worded statement, said that the subsequent “spin” by the Minister that the permission was her daughter’s hinted at the Minister’s “inability to deal impartially with mining matters and the facts”.

Such actions, it said, threaten the entire industry. The GGDMA recalled that prior to becoming Minister, Broomes had both positive and negative interactions with members of the mining community.

As such, the Association is arguing that when these pre-existing relationships and “bridges that may have been burnt in the past” within the sector are considered, it would be difficult for the Minister to

operate in her post “impartially and without personal bias”.

“No existing miner, in good sense, can refuse a request from the sector Minister for her to be given permission to take gold from their land,” the GGDMA said, adding that it must be recognised that such permissions and all future requests or permissions rest in the hands of the agency under her direct preview.

Calls for transfer

The GGDMA said it supported the call for the Minister to be reassigned to another Ministry.

“The GGDMA, therefore, is heartened by the comments of His Excellency, President David Granger that he will reassign the Minister if a conflict of interest arises. We declare that there is a clear conflict of interest and call on the President to honour his words. Minister Broomes can serve well in any other Ministry,” the release stated.

Miners concerned

The GGDMA said that it is being bombarded with calls from miners who have expressed concerns about the clear case of conflict of interest involving the Minister, but are reluctant to voice their concerns publicly for fear of victimisation.

Baroness Scotland’s visit comes at a time when Guyanese are preparing to celebrate 50 years of Independence, but May 26 will also mark one year since Venezuela issued Decree 1787, which claimed a significant portion of Guyana’s territorial waters. The new Decree was followed by a mili-

tary show of aggression on September 22, when Venezuela’s army deployed over 200 troops with missiles, machine guns and a military boat on Guyana’s frontier between San Martin and Ankoko Island.

Nevertheless, the Secretary General said that Guyanese have much to celebrate and

should use this momentous occasion as a time of reflection even as they look back with pride on their accomplishments to date.

“I think we need to rejoice. This is a golden anniversary. Guyana is a beautiful country and it has some of the most beautiful people in our region because it is a mix. I think if you look at the faces of the Guyanese people, you’ll see our history… I think that it is an opportunity for us to celebrate because Guyana has always been one of the diamonds of our region; a small state but with real beauty. So I am here to celebrate, I hope in real Guyanese style and I know that it will be fabulous so I want to say to all of Guyana, happy anniversary. Be proud of your nation; be proud of all the wonderful things you have achieved over the last 50 years,” Baroness Scotland said.

The SecretaryGeneral noted that while there is still work to be done, Guyana has indeed come a far way.

8 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

All set for ‘Jubilee Week’ in NY - State dinner, Independence parade among events planned G

uyana’s 50th Independence Celebration Committee (New York) has announced final plans for its oneweek “Guyana Jubilee Celebration NYC” from June 4–12, 2016, to commemorate the country’s 50th Anniversary of Independence in the New York Tri-State.

Guyanese in the TriState area are very excited about participating in the upcoming events as this is expected to be the largest celebration outside of Guyana.

The celebration kicks off on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 1:00 P.M., with an Interfaith Service at the York College Performing

Arts Theater, 94-45 Guy R Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, Queens NY 11451. An inter-county cricket match at 9:30 a.m., at the Idiewild Park Springfield Blvd & 149th Ave., Rosedale, Queens will precede the Service.

A Symposium on Guyana’s Independence journey is planned for Sunday, June 5, at 9:00 a.m., at the York College Large Lecture Theater: 94-20 Guy Brewer Blvd, Queens.

On Monday, June 6, there is an Exhibition of Guyanese Art at 10:00 a.m., at Aljira Center for Contemporary Art: 591 Broad St, Newark, NJ..

A live Radio broadcast from the famous Sybil’s

Restaurant at 13217 Liberty Ave, Jamaica, Queens, takes place onTuesday, June 7, at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, June 8 is Guyanese Volunteer day. Guyanese Medical

doctors, nurses and lawyers will provide free medical and legal services at various locations in Brooklyn, Queens & New Jersey.

Locations are listed on the Committee’s web-

site: www.celebrateguyana50thinnyc.com. On Thursday, June 9, is the official Flag Raising Ceremony at Newark City Hall Square, 920 Broad St, Newark, NJ 07102. This will be The

Mayor of Newark, Hon. Ras Baraka.

Friday, June 10 is “Invest Guyana” Business & Investment conference at 9:00 a.m., at the Harvard Club of New York: 35 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036.

Speakers include: Guyana’s Ministers of Business, Finance, Natural Resources, Public Infrastructure, Tourism, Public Security, Social Cohesion and Agriculture.

Saturday, June 11, is the President Cup Soccer tournament at the South Shore High School Park: 6565 Flatlands Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11236, (Corner of Ralph & Flatlands Avenues) at 10:00 a.m.

Barbadian PM to be bestowed T&T malls tighten security after reported ISIS threat the 'Order of Roraima' (Trinidad Guardian)

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Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart presents a gift to President David Granger for the people of Guyana, during a meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday morning. Guyana's Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge looks on.

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resident David Granger, on Wednesday, received a courtesy call from Prime Minister of Barbados, Honourable Freundel Stuart, Q.C, M.P., at the Ministry of the Presidency in Georgetown, Guyana.

Prime Minister Stuart is in Guyana for the observance of the nation’s Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Independence.

President Granger will, on Thursday, bestow upon the Prime Minister the Order

of Roraima at an Investiture Ceremony to be held at State House.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge also attended the meeting.

The Hon. Freundel J. Stuart, Q.C., M.P., has been described as a ‘true friend’ to Guyana. He stands resolute in support of the preservation of our country’s territorial integrity in face of Venezuela’s continued threats to Guyana’s sovereignty.

espite mixed emotions about an ISIS threat to detonate bombs at a mall in T&T, mall management teams yesterday went ahead and increased security measures in a bid to protect their tenants, shoppers and visitors.

At The Falls at West Mall, Westmoorings, a source told the T&T Guardian all delivery doors were tightly shut and locked and each tenant was given special contact numbers to call when their respective delivery vans came to drop off goods. This was one type of security measure that was immediately implemented.

Attempts were made to speak with the general manager Heidi Alleng

but she was said to be at a meeting with other officials for most parts of the day when the T&T Guardian visited the mall.

However, speaking with the T&T Guardian, Janet Sabga-Elias, who was at her son Peter Elias’ store, said she was not easily threatened and believed if the militant group ISIS wanted to attack they would do so without having to give any warning or hint.

“It would be after the attacks that they would come out and claim the responsibility. I think the message is trying to instill fear to cause havoc in the economy,” Sabga-Elias added.

She, however, confirmed that security was beefed up at the mall by management following the online release of the messages.

Speaking on behalf of premier malls — Trincity Mall and Long Circular Mall — corporate secretary Roxanne Husbands said since the message was posted in the public’s domain on Monday night, their security personnel had begun heightening security measures, including carrying out extensive searches of the compound.

“We cannot disclose what all our security measures are but we have done and will continue doing it

to ensure that our staff, tenants and shoppers are safe,” Husbands said.

Asked if the message had hampered the flow of shoppers to the malls, Husbands replied: “No. There is a constant flow.

We have not had any adverse comments but we are maintaining all precautions.”

Also contacted, Derek Chin, of MovieTowne, said he was currently in Chicago on business but was notified of the messages via his son. He also confirmed that as a precautionary measure he had contacted his head of security and gave certain instructions to keep the premises safe and to report any unusual activity.

Shopper Carla Phillip, of Petit Valley, who was at The Falls, said she received the message via her cellphone on Monday.

“I’m not paying any mind on it because I do not think that it is an actual threat. I pray it is a hoax but I think that security should be beefed up,” she said.

Another businessman, who wished not to be identified, said he strongly believed it was a hoax but added that should be a warning and an alert for the nation’s security services to “get their act together.”

NEWS 9

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

President Obama’s 'No new vendors permitted within representative meets Georgetown' - M&CC declares with President T David Granger

President David Granger and Mr. Juan Gonzalez, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, United States Department of State having discussions.

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Juan Gonzalez, D e p u t y Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, United States Department of State, on Wednesday met with President David Granger at the Ministry of the Presidency.

He was accompanied by United States Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Perry Holloway, Commander Michael White of the United States Embassy in Guyana, Captain Robert Landolfi, US Coast Guard and Ms. Dawn Leavitt.

Mr. Gonzalez is in Guyana for the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Independence Celebrations.

In an invited comment, Mr. Gonzalez said that it was an honour to be in Guyana for the cele-

brations as he noted that it is a beautiful country with beautiful people, which shares cordial and friendly relations with the United States.

“I am happy to be here representing the United States. The first thing the President and I discussed [was]the amazing reservoir of goodwill that exists between the United States and his government and the people of Guyana and our commitment to working towards advancing the prosperity of not just Guyana but the rest of the Caribbean. There are a lot of Guyanese in the United States so there is a familiar relationship between the United States and the people of Guyana, so coming here, even though it’s my first visit to Guyana, it is almost like a homecoming,” he said. (Ministry of the Presidency)

Security guard nabbed with ganja at Moleson Creek

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security guard attached to a city security firm is expected to appear in the Springlands Magistrate’s Court, Corriverton, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) today on a drug trafficking charge, after he was nabbed at Moleson Creek, Berbice with a quantity of marijuana Tuesday morning.

Members of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), in Corriverton, arrested Gordon Xavier, 48,

at Moleson Creek as he was attempting to board the MV Canawaima, which plies the GuyanaSuriname route.

Reports are that CANU officers observed that Xavier was operating in a suspicious manner and conducted a search on his person during which they found concealed in a transparent plastic bag in his pocket, 16 grams of the illegal drug.

He was told of the offence and arrested.

he Mayor and City Council (M&CC) today reiterated that "no new vendors are permitted within the city".

The M&CC in a statement said "it was recognised that new persons are applying to become vendors, while others seem to be taking advantage of the relocation situation".

Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, in her announcements during Monday’s Statutory Meeting, informed Councilors that the Municipality had received numerous complaints from vendors about new persons occupying spots where they once vended before their relocation.

She said that new persons are also turning up to say that they want vending spots or that they “used to” vend. In other cases, persons were found to have more than one operation on the street and when relocated sought separate spots for each operation.

She pointed out, for example, that where some barbers, cosmetologists, and other groomers have

Mayor Patricia Chase-Green

been located on Merriman’s Mall, the Council’s registration noted 20 persons, but some 52 made claims.

Some persons who had more than one station around the city were claiming separate spots.

She explained that if a hairdresser had five stations and three assistants, then all three come to register. “This is not fair,” she declared. “It is not the responsibility of the city to find shops or busi-

ness locations for these persons.”

She said, “While we (Council) would want to be sensitive and put a human face to it, it is still illegal and should not happen. If we have to find place for everyone we would not have money to manage the city.” The Clerk of Market was urged to convene meetings to address all the matters noted.

In a bid to clean and reorganise Georgetown, Town Clerk Royston King had stated that the wanton vending practices had to be brought under control. He said while the Council defended those very vendors when they were being evicted without alternate solutions, “it is time to seriously address the situation, with the aim of bringing as little difficulty to those affected.”

More than 130 roadside vendors were relocated to the recently opened Parliament View Mall on Hadfield and Lombard Streets, while others were placed at Merriman’s Mall. They will remain for three months.

10 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MAY 29 , 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Time to go plastic’ – Gov’t should send Ramjattan urges citizens strong message against as robberies increase corruption – David Hinds

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n light of a number of armed robberies that involved victims who would have just exited commercial banks, the need to carry less cash and more credit or debit cards is again coming to the fore.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan as the most recent public official to call for more persons to ‘go plastic’.

Minister Ramjattan made the call

as he was responding to questions about the role of citizens in the crime fight. The Minister, while speaking at the Golden Jubilee National Symposia Series on Monday at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, said many robberies involving large sums of money would be reduced if business people and others made the switch to plastic.

He noted that some business people “walk around with millions and millions of dollars,” according to GINA. Ramjattan explained that most of the big robberies that have occurred happened because some persons have “inside information of some car or bag got 10 mil-

lion, five million or three million dollars.”

As such, he reiterated previous calls for Guyanese to go plastic, but noted that a lot of people don’t want to do this because they seek to avoid tax payments.

The result, he likened to a double whammy, “you’re avoiding taxes, plus you’re getting robbed.”

The Public Security Minister stated his Government will continue to do its part in the fight against crime and touted tools such as surveillance cameras as important. However, he highlighted that the employment rate must be increased as another way “to get the crime rates down.”

In July 2013, following a spate of armed robberies, then Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell urged members of the business community to be more security conscious, noting that it’s time to do less liquid cash transactions and utilise ‘plastic’ to transact business.

He had explained that the maximum use of ‘plastic’ will definitely impact on robberies and the violence associated with armed robberies.

Also, in August 2014, then Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh had sought to discourage his fellow countrymen and women from carrying large and bulky amounts of cash.

The Minister had said there is no compelling or legitimate reason for a citizen to be walking around with large volumes of cash to do financial transactions as he pointed to the many alternative options available, including going plastic.

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olitical commentator Dr David Hinds has said while he agreed with President David Granger that it might be difficult to persecute every person found culpable in the reports of the recently concluded State Audits, Government should go after some instances of corruption to send a very stern message.

Speaking with Guyana Times International in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, Hinds, an executive of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), one of the partners in the coalition Government, said there have to be some cases of “blatant corruption”, carried out by some former Government officials, and the new Administration should use some of these instances to hint that it was totally against corruption.

“Having gotten the results of the audits, I agree with the President that you should not jump at everything, because not every malpractice is corruption, but I think that from the best of my knowledge, there are some instances of blatant corruption. I think the President has to go after the instances of blatant corruption,” Hinds told Guyana Times International.

He said it would be a good move; however, before Government “jumps before the courts”, the audits should be carefully studied. “You have to get a set of fresh eyes and legal people to look at it. But I refuse to believe [based on] what I have read in the newspapers that there are not two or three or four instances of blatant corruption that should be brought before the courts.”

According to Hinds, should Government fail in this regard, it will send a message to those from the previous Administration who remain, to continue down this path, thus, driving a continuous process of undetectable corruption.

“We live in the type of society, if you do not do it, there are still others who are in office from the old regime, because the top officers may have gone, but the people at the second, and third level of Government are still there and so, if they can see that these things can be uncovered and people can get away,

Dr David Hinds

then that give them the incentive to continue.”

Hinds said for him, it is not about punishing the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and their officials; it is simply putting a brake on blatant corruption and setting an example for future Governments.

President Granger late last week said that while Government has received the reports of the so far completed State Audits, it may find it challenging to persecute persons who have been found culpable.

He insisted that the main objective behind audits and the reports was to ensure that no improper or corrupt practices recur. He said too that he was not willing to use the audits and the reports as tools for “witch hunting”.

The President had previously said the audits were being used as “guides for corrective action to ensure that there is no reoccurrence”.

Hinds expressed the view that the State Audits were an absolute necessity, since there had been an “abuse of State resources throughout our post-independence”.

“It did not start with the previous PPP, it started before. But I think it escalated under the PPP and we have to put a stop to that, because, if it escalated under the PPP, the logic is that if nothing is done, it will continue with this audit. So I think the audit was very important.”

M e a n w h i l e , Hinds, speaking on Government’s decision to use independent auditors, as against officials of the State Audit Department, said he totally supported the use of independent officials.

“I think if you were

to use State Auditors to audit the State, whether it was the past or present Government, it is the same Government.

I don’t think that the State should be asking State Auditors to audit it. So I do agree with the move to have an independent audit,” he explained.

Hinds said it was understandable that persons have had some qualms about the independent auditors; however, he was quite sure that an excellent job was done.

“I know some people have questioned whether the auditors themselves were independent as many of the auditors, some of them were associated with the Opposition. That is the difficulty with politics in Guyana. But professionals need to be given a chance to do their professional work…To the best of my knowledge, I think they have done a professional job.”

He continued there were always going to be subjectivity and one has to make allowances for that. “I still do think that the independent auditors would give more nuances and a more dispassionate review of the audits as against the State Auditors.”

Hinds said in all of this, it would be a good thing if Government could be a little clearer about what was being done about official corruption. He said while the audits were fine, Government still needed to be clear about where the lines should be drawn.

“There is not really a clear line drawn.

There are still vestiges of the old order still in place that should not be there,” Hinds told this publication.

NEWS 11

WEEK ENDING MAY 29 , 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Gov’t tables Rohee urges Gov’t to look at Telecoms, PUC Venezuela refugee situation Bills in Parliament in a holistic manner

Minister Cathy Hughes

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fter much anticipation and expectation, Government has finally taken the Telecommunication and Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Bills to the National Assembly.

The Bills were tabled

by Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes on Tuesday. They were read for the first time.

Earlier this month, Minister Hughes told Guyana Times International that she intended to have the proposed legislation presented to the National Assembly before the end of the month. However, at the time, the Bills were with the Attorney General (AG) Chambers for legal vetting.

The Bills were then handed to Cabinet for final review before presentation to Parliament.

GTT currently holds a 20year plus monopoly over the telecommunication sector and stakeholders, particularly Digicel, have long been calling for this control of the telecoms market to be broken.

The Telecoms Bill, which was first introduced in 2011 and revised in 2013, was with a Special Select Committee in the 10th Parliament and was near conclusion when Parliament was prorogued in 2014. The Bill is among 12 others that were recalled in the 11th Parliament.

Meanwhile, under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration, the Telecoms Bill underwent a new set of consultations with the two main players in mobile service and other stakeholders including the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and several Non-Governmental Organisations before it was submitted to Cabinet for review.

Government had even appointed two overseas consultants – Janice Brendman and Geeta Ragubir – to complete the work on the Bill. The Telecommunications Bill seeks to create a compet-

itive regime in the telecommunications sector.

It provides for an open, liberalised and competitive sector that will be attractive to new market entrants and investors, while preserving the activities of the current participants.

By creating this competitive environment for telecommunications, the Bill is expected to result in greater choice, better quality of service and lower prices for consumers. The Bill also specifically addresses the expansion of telecommunication networks and services into unserved and under-served areas, through the institution of a new universal access/ universal service programme, in an effort to further national and regional social and economic development.

At the launch of Digicel’s 4G Internet service earlier this month in Bartica, the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kevin Kelly urged the immediate passage of the Bill, noting that a liberalised telecommunications sector in the country will stimulate competition, which will in turn result in better services for customers.

Kelly added that once the Telecommunications Liberalisation Bill passes, Digicel will take immediate steps to introduce cheaper services such as Internet rates and international calls as well as the possibility of landline services.

Meanwhile, in a more recent interview with Guyana Times International, CEO of GTT Justin Nedd said his company is ready to relinquish its hold on the telecoms sector. He pointed out that this will provide a level playing field for all the players in the sector.

“I believe that the sector is already liberalised, though not formally, but once the Bill is passed and assented to law, everybody will have to play by the same rules, report to the same regulator, pay the same taxes and I believe we are ready for that because we have been doing it for decades,” the CEO stated.

When asked about the impending competition that will follow the break of the 20-plus year monopoly that the company has over the sector, Nedd posited that GTT has been competing with its main opponent Digicel for several years on many fronts and so customers can expect only better things.

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s Guyana continues to closely monitor the crisis situation in neighbouring Venezuela, former Home Affairs Minister and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee has advised that Government consider all factors when making a decision on the matter particularly as it relates to the refugees.

Speaking at the Party’s weekly press conference on Monday, Rohee said that Government would have to take a holistic approach in addressing the matter.

“We have to be careful that we don’t press a panic button into convincing ourselves that we are going to see a flood of persons coming across the border from Venezuela, in whatever shape, form or fashion,” he stated.

According to Rohee, Government will have to bear in mind firstly, that there was a time when many Guyanese left the shores of this country and went to settle in bordering towns of Venezuela. He explained that there were thousands of Guyanese still living in that part of Venezuela who have since made their lives in the Spanish-speaking country without little or no interference from the Venezuelan Government.

“I don’t recall instances where the Venezuelans have actually chased them (Guyanese) out from the country or prevent-

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee

ed them from coming in. Somehow, it has always been that culture of cross-border movement between ourselves and Venezuela,” he noted.

The PPP General Secretary went on to say that while the ‘cross-border culture’ as it relates to movement of Guyanese to Venezuela and Venezuelans to Guyana is prevalent, Guyana has to take into consideration the situation currently in Europe with respect to refugees and immigrants from Iraq and Syria going into Europe.

“So in the present-day context and the historical context, we have to exercise great care and caution in relation to addressing this issue,” he remarked.

Moreover, the former Home Affairs Minister outlined that the issue with refugees was never as “black and white” as it seemed. He pointed out that Guyana was not a member of the United Nations High Commission of Refugees or Convention of

Refugees, and that had its own implications.

Last Thursday, when asked whether Government would be willing to accept refugees from Venezuela, President David Granger told Guyana Times International that his Administration has not considered this issue as yet.

“We do not have any agreement with Venezuela about other refugees (coming here) and that is not something that we have considered… (but) we have an obligation to accept returning Guyanese if they want to re-enter the land of their birth,” he told this newspaper.”

Moreover, the Guyanese Head of State pointed out that the situation in the neighbouring country was cause for concern, given the territorial controversy between the two countries.

He said too that the issue would also affect the wider Caribbean as well.

“I am deeply concerned about what is taking place in Venezuela;

plus Guyana has a special interest because of the territorial question, but I think the whole Region is concerned about what is taking place in Venezuela and we hope that there is not going to be a resort to lawlessness… I hope that a legal and orderly approach is taken for the security of the whole sub-region because it will have an impact on the Caribbean as well,” Granger stated.

With the Venezuelan economy deteriorating, it is expected that there would be a refugee crisis in the Region as persons from the Spanishspeaking country were likely to flee to neighbouring nations.

Meanwhile, Chiefof-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Mark Phillips is reported as saying that he is monitoring the situation in Venezuela and is prepared to protect Guyana’s border if the need arises.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro recently declared a state of emergency as the country experiences economic turmoil following the decline of oil prices on the world market over the past months. Reports coming out of the Spanishspeaking nation reveal that there is a massive food shortage and limited access to basic healthcare and amenities such as electricity.

Reports of rampant outbursts of looting and violence are also emerging from the neighbouring country.

12 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Is there a shortage of medical Gov’t formulating plan to address supplies at present?

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ublic Health Minister, Dr George Norton is maintaining that there is no major shortage of drugs and/or medical supplies within the public health sector as is being peddled by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Opposition.

Norton was at the time responding to a motion tabled by PPP/C’s Member of Parliament and Shadow Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony. In the motion, the Opposition parliamentarian is calling on the Public Health Minister to launch an immediate investigation into which drugs and medical supplies were not in supply and those that were in short supply (name of the items and the quantities by region) in the public healthcare delivery system.

He also wants the Minister to say what measures have been, and are being taken to rectify this ongoing crisis; the projected timelines for an improvement in the delivery system across the country; and the budgetary implications of these emergency measures, if any; as well as to report on the measures put in place to prevent a reoccurrence.

Addressing the National Assembly, Dr Anthony outlined the importance of many basic but essential drugs and medical supplies that are needed on a daily basis, but are not available at the country’s main medical facility, Georgetown Public Hospital and many other hospitals across the country.

He noted that instead of providing free medication to the public, doctors within the public health system are now writing prescriptions and asking patients to buy them. He said this was putting additional strain on the citizenry who were now burdened with the cost of drugs and medical supplies because of poor management.

Moreover, the Opposition

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton

MP outlined that antibiotics were among those common medications that have been regularly “stock out” over the past year. In addition, he stated that in some hospitals where there were antibiotics available, there were no syringes to administer the dosage.

“For example, at New Amsterdam Hospital (Berbice), there’s a shortage of two ml (millilitre), three ml, five ml and 10 ml syringes.

This is a basic, basic requirement so even when they have some antibiotics, intravenous antibiotics, they cannot use it because they don’t have syringes and this, Mr Speaker, is only an isolated case, but in many of the regional hospitals you can find similar situation existing,” Dr Anthony disclosed.

The Opposition frontbencher went on to highlight the shortage of basic drugs to treat common illnesses in Guyana such as “worms”, diabetes, malaria, tuberculosis, epileptic seizure (fits), as well as mental health, pregnancy care and women’s and men’s health.

“This shortage is a chronic shortage and is as a result of bad management and poor management… something is definitely wrong with what is going… how will you fix this? We are not hearing any-

thing,” the MP asked of the Government.

Anthony further remarked that Government needed to pay more serious attention to the Zika Virus, noting that it was a major public health risk.

The PPP/C parliamentarian also mentioned the controversy with LILAC milk, asking the Health Minister whether the product was recalled and what is the loss incurred from having done so, among other queries.

“The shortages of drugs and medical supplies have serious consequences for the people of this country and we need to put systems in place to ensure that these things do not reoccur and I’m sure the Ministry will tell us what systems are put in place so far,” Dr Anthony stated as he concluded his presentation.

However, in response, Minister Norton posited that while the sector was facing challenges with the new procurement system put in place, there is no drug shortage crisis within the public health sector.

“I want to say, Mr Speaker, that categorically, there is no crisis in the health sector so far as it relates to medicine and medical supplies… I do concede, however, that we have had shortages of a few medical supplies, but not essential medicines as stated before and steps are being taken to remedy this situation,” the Minister stated.

According to Dr Norton, Government is experiencing teething challenges with the new method of procurement put in place by the coalition Administration. Additionally, he stated that during visits to the various regions across Guyana, he would have interacted with regional health officials as well as medical personnel, none of whom complained of such any drug shortages.

Furthermore, the Public continued on page 14

unemployment – Jordan

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overnment is currently in the process of formulating a definite plan to create job opportunities to address the unemployment situation in Guyana, according to Finance Minister Winston Jordan.

During a news conference on Monday, Jordan indicated that he was aware of the high rate of unemployment in the nation and would be working to have this addressed in the near future.

Jordan disclosed that the Government had requested the support of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) in facilitating an official survey on unemployment.

He said there were no exact figures on state of the labour force in Guyana.

However, Jordan confirmed that it was the aim of the Government to have the survey completed so that a strategy could be crafted, which would efficiently address the state of the labour force.

“Not for many years have we had an official unemployment rate, all along we have been dealing with proxies. The last Government wasn’t interested in letting anybody know what the official rate was, there have always been proxies about it. But an official internationally accepted calculation, this is what we will be going for as soon as the IDB finishes with its technical assistance,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Head of the Statistics Bureau, Lennox Benjamin admitted that the rate of unemployment from the last census had been recorded at between 10.7 and 11 per cent.

In order to strategise on what can be done by the Government to reduce the rate of unemployment, Benjamin said a labour force survey was essential, but this has not been carried out for almost a de-

cade.

He related that in 2008, they had done rigorous work with the US Bureau of Census to derive exact figures on unemployment, but at the time of implementation, permission was not granted to go ahead with the process. As a result, the two entities were unable to have the national survey commenced without the aid of the government or funding agency.

“Let me just qualify this by saying that when a national survey is put in the field, the first thing that has to happen is that the approval of Cabinet has to be given. When the approval of Cabinet is given, the funding has to be secured either by Government or by funding agencies, or a combination of both. So, we have not had a full-blown labour force survey for several years, possibly touching on a decade and in the interim what is used is what we call proxies,” he explained.

Benjamin disclosed that they have just completed intensive work with the IDB consultant team and they were looking to have a labour force survey completed.

According to him, the survey is set to begin in January of next year. This will be conducted, along with a living conditions survey that is expected to commence in August of next year.

Over the past month, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) along with other unions, has been calling on the Government to reintroduce job creation programmes, which had been eliminated.

The Union had indicated that letters had been sent to the President, the Opposition Leader and the Speaker of the National Assembly to have their appeals heard for more emphasis to be placed on creating jobs for Guyanese.

Gov’t backpedals on VAT reduction promise T

he Guyana Government appears to be dragging its heels on its long-delayed manifesto promise to significantly reduce the rate of the Value Added Tax (VAT) on consumer items – within 100 days of taking office.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, during a press conference on Monday, posited that the Administration had practically done all that was possible in relation to alleviating the burden of VAT and any more changes would require extensive consultations and possible repercussions.

Jordan pointed out that Government has already implemented an

extension to the zero-rated VAT items in both Budget 2015 and Budget 2016. “There is virtually nothing more left to reduce on,” the Minister declared.

Further justifying the Government’s decision to not keep its campaign promise, Jordan also insisted that the Private Sector Commission (PSC) advised against VAT reduction during the budget consultations.

The Finance Minister conceded, however, that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) coalition did indeed promise a significant reduction in the VAT rate, but indicated that there was a slim likelihood of this occurring without

any consequences.

“This is a commitment that we intend to uphold, but it’s a commitment that we want to be sure when we do it, we won’t have to hastily pull it back … We cannot reduce VAT on existing base, we have to broaden the base to recoup revenues that will be lost…

We want to do it in a careful manner so that when we do it, we won’t have to go back and increase it or something,” he explained, though this was never disclosed on the campaign trail.

Jordan highlighted that there were various options for reducing VAT, one being a charge on consumer items like electricity and water as a trade-off for an across-

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

the-board reduction.

“What we would want to do is have the widest possible consultations ,because some of the options that you have is putting the VAT on some things that could cause trouble and then you will hear, you know, I

said it the last time that you have to bring into the mix, things like water that doesn’t attract VAT at the moment, electricity that doesn’t attract VAT at the moment…If you remember in Trinidad and Tobago, when they reduced the rate, they broadened the base …They removed all the exemptions, so even baby food attracted VAT…We have to be prepared for what is doable and what may not be doable,” he stated.

Nonetheless, he assured that Cabinet was discussing the matter and any changes to the VAT system were likely to come on stream in 2017.

Providing assistance to Guyana in this re-

gard is the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to the Finance Minister, a mission will be dispatched to Guyana to conduct an assessment of the VAT structure in the country and make recommendations on how to proceed to implement changes.

The Tax Reform Committee was established by Government to conduct a similar assessment, but, according to Jordan, the members probably did not perform an adequate task.

Nonetheless, he lauded the work done by the Committee and noted that the other recommendations made were before Cabinet for discussions.

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Gov’t cancels Jubilee housing promotion – many left disappointed

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housands of persons living in Guyana are now very frustrated and disappointed having learnt that the 50/50 Jubilee housing promotion announced by Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Sharpe- Patterson, in March month has been cancelled.

Reports are that the Board of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) which is currently being headed by former city Mayor Hamilton Green has cancelled this ‘special payment plan ’ this month for persons who are beneficiaries of government house lots in residential areas that are priced at Gy$3M and lower.

CH&PA Chairman, Hamilton Green

Initially, the deal would have allowed persons who had completed payment of at least 50 per cent of the cost of their house lots by May 1, to receive a 50 per cent

discount on the remaining balance.

Minister SharpePatterson had also explained that the balance should be paid off by the end of this month.

However, Green has announced that the CH&PA Board has now cancelled the deal stating that there were some “lapses” in the arrangement inclusive of the junior Minister ‘failing to consult’ with the Board before making such an announcement.

According to Green, the CH&PA Board is presently examining this deal and giving consideration to “all possible financial implications”.

Meanwhile, former Housing Minister and PPP Member of Parliament (MP) Irfaan Ali is calling on the government to honour its commitment and allow allottees the opportunity of benefiting from the deal.

Ali said the problem

Former Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali

with the APNU+AFC administration is that it has continuous conflicting policy direction and therefore this does not bode well for the future of the country and its citizens.

Ali, under whose tenure as Housing Minister saw a massive boom in the housing sector across Guyana, argued that the government of the day should not and cannot back away from this public announcement/commitment especially since the lives of thousands of Guyanese and the future of many will be adversely

affected.

“I know many persons who were saving over the last few months to cash in on this deal and the minister must have made an assessment of financial implications, management and administrative implications…you can’t make an announcement that is blank to achieve political mileage…The Chairman of the CH&PA is out of line because he is not an executive chairman...I am calling on the government to honour its commitment,” Ali added.

(Kristen Macklingam)

Is there a shortage of...

from page 12

Health Minister went on to point out the issue of drug shortages was not new but had been prevalent under the PPP/C regime, as he recalled speaking about the issue in the National Assembly while in Opposition. He outlined too that the previous Administration wasted millions of dollars when significant amounts of drugs would expire.

Nevertheless, Minister Norton disclosed that his Government has taken steps to ensure that there was not a repeat of this situation. “The situation as it stands, where shortage of medical supplies is concerned is a dangerous situation, it is something that we came and met. It is something that we made a commitment that we will change,” he remarked.

According to Dr Norton, among the measures that the coalition will be hoping to achieve are: creating a system where access to medicine and medical supplies will be in sufficient quantity and quality; the issue of expired drugs will be a thing of past, and put in place a system of procurement that will not

PPP/C MP Dr Frank Anthony

favour the sole-sourcing process.

The Minister noted that these measures are already becoming reality. On this note, Norton said that the Administration could not support the motion since it would be based on sensationalism and speculation.

Among other speakers on the motion were Jennifer Westford, Yvonne Pearson, Alistair Charlie, Joseph Hamilton, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo and Dr Bheri Ramsarran from the Opposition side, while those from Government’s side included Junior Public Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings and Jaipaul Sharma.

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Mother of 2 raises questions about circumstances surrounding death of husband drowning. She, however, noted that the captain of the boat explained that her

The reputed wife, Fay Torres and children of the now dead man

A

mother of two is now left with more questions than answers after the body of her 26-yearold reputed husband was brought back from sea on Saturday last.

The dead man was identified as Sherwin Wilson of Lot 8 Riverview, Ruimveldt, Georgetown. From information gathered, the father of two left his home two Sundays ago with four other men on a fishing boat with the aim of raising money to properly take care of his family.

However, the boat returned to Georgetown on Saturday last with Wilson’s body wrapped in a sheet without any proper explanation given to the family about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Reports reaching Guyana Times International suggested that the young fisherman might have fallen overboard but this is yet to be confirmed.

Nevertheless, at the house of the dead man, his reputed wife, Fay Torres explained that he left two Sundays ago in good spirits and told her that when he returned, he would get money to look after their children and to fix the kitchen area.

She noted that while he was in Georgetown, he hardly worked on “anything” substantial to properly finance the family; hence, the decision to go into fishing. That was the second time he went to sea.

The woman further stat-

ed that on Saturday, she received news that the boat in which her husband left had returned. “I deh cooking so I say ‘oh God, I got to hurry up, because he must be hungry… so as I continue to cook, a neighbour call out to me and ask me if I hear the boat come out… she ask me if I hear anything else and is then, she tell me that my husband dead.”

She noted she responded with a disbelieving giggle, but was convinced to check at the Ruimveldt wharf.

She said when she arrived at the wharf, she was told by the guards that everyone who went on the trip had returned.

According to Torres, as she and another relative were about to leave, she saw the owner of the boat and questioned him about the rumour – which turned out to be reality. “He tell me that he hear someone dead and that is why he come to check… is when I see a friend who went on the boat with Sherwin, he start cry and tell me that Sherwin dead,” the woman stated.

By this time, a hearse had arrived and her reputed husband’s body was taken away. She noted that she had the opportunity to see the body, and confirmed that it bore no marks of violence.

Agnes Johnson, the mother of the dead man, told this publication that the post-mortem performed on her son’s body proved that he died as a result of

son “catch cramp” and fell overboard. That is all he tell me… he nah tell me who

saved meh son nothing, but meh son skin full ah mud,” the woman added.

She too is of the opinion that something “fishy” went on while her son was at sea.

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Independence Eve... Scenes from Georgetown, Guyana

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Colombian national Crime Chief lauded for fined for illegal entry successes in crime fighting G

eneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee believes the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is finally paying heed to the public’s advice in the fight against crime and that may very well be responsible for the recent successes the force has been enjoying when it comes to solving a number of cases in recent months.

Rohee, a former Minister of Home Affairs, told the weekly news conference on Monday that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) seems to be finally listening to civilians and not believing that they know it all.

He said there was a time when civilians were ignored and disregarded to the detriment of successful investigation and prosecution.

“Making effective use of human intelligence and civilian common sense is the way to go,” Rohee said, adding that, “dispersing CID sleuths to areas where useful information can be obtained is proving to be productive and effective.”

He said making judicious and selective use of informants with well-established networks and connections is importance in crime fighting.

The former security minister, who up to recently, criticised the force for not being able to tackle the country’s spiralling crime situation, said also closer collaboration between Special Branch

Crime Chief, Wendel Blanhum

and CID has always been on the agenda and expressed satisfaction that this has finally been accomplished.

“Special Branch is the main intelligence-gathering unit of the Guyana Police Force. Their work must be fused with criminal intelligence if continued success is to be assured,” Rohee asserted.

He however warned that police investigators must uphold the ethics and rules of good professional policing.

Rohee in commending Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum for his success urged that the Senior Superintendent of Police be promoted to Assistant Commissioner immediately, a rank commensurate with that of the position of

Crime Chief.

“However, Blanhum must at all times refuse instructions and directives of a non-professional and political nature,” Rohee warned.

Over the past few months, the department has been praised by the public for its efforts in solving a number of crimes, including cold cases.

Among some of the major successes are a breakthrough in the February 2008 murder of 76-yearold businessman Habiboodean for which the man’s 50-year-old daughter Bibi Habiboodean and the hit-man have been charged.

The most recent success was on Sunday when investigators made a quantum leap in solving the 2010 disappearance of former BK International employee Babita Sarjou, as they dug up her skeletal remains in the Seaforth Street, Campbellville, residence of the woman’s estranged husband.

Sarjou, who at the time of disapperance lived at Timehri Public Road, East Bank Demerara, left her desk and computer unattended at work in November 2010 but never returned.

Her family and police have since been seeking her whereabouts. The police have also managed to solve a number of recent crimes, including robberies and murders. Only recently the force boasted of a 19 per cent reduction in serious crimes thus far for 2016.

A

Luis Torrez

Colombian national on Tuesday appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts slapped with fraud and illegal entry charges.

Forty-eight-year-old Luis Eugenio Marcia Torres of Colombia made his first appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. Torres through a translator pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on May 20, at Moleson Creek, Springlands, Corentyne, with intent to defraud, he uttered to a Police Constable, a Colombian passport in favour of himself.

The passport contained a forged arrival and departure stamp, having being granted a Republic of Guyana tourist and business visa of the said pass-

port purporting to show that it was issued by the Central Immigration and Passport Office, knowing same to be false.

Torres however admitted to the other charge which read that on April 14, at Charity, Essequibo, he entered Guyana by sea and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer.

The foreigner was represented by Attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat, who told the court his client arrived in Guyana on April 14 on vacation. The lawyer stated that Torres passed through immigration when unknowing to him, a forged entry stamp was placed on his passport. According to the lawyer, it was not until Torres attempted to leave Guyana via Moleson Creek that he realised the error.

Fung-A-Fat told the court that his client acknowledged his guilt for overstaying his time in Guyana. However, due to his lack of knowledge of the English language, he fell prey to scammers. Torres was granted Gy$50,000 bail for the fraud charge and fined Gy$20,000 for illegal entry.

He is scheduled to return to court on June 1.

Queenstown man fined Gy$45,000 for wounding father, threatening mother

G

a n e s h Ramanand, also known as “Tractor”, a labourer from Queenstown Village, Essequibo Coast, was on Tuesday

mother, Dhanpat Pitam and wounding his father Ramanand Pirtam. He pleaded guilty to both charges.

It is alleged that on April 16, 2016, at Queenstown Village,

He pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined Gy$30,000 or an alternative of six weeks imprisonment. The second charge alleged that on May 21, he threatened to kill his mother,

slapped with a wounding and threatening language charge.

Ramanand made his first court appearance before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court where he was charged for threatening his

he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Ramanand Pirtam.

Pirtam is 80 years old.

The Prosecution’s case stated that the labourer took a piece of wood and hit his father to his right hand causing injuries to his finger.

Dhanpat Pitam.

He has previous convictions where he was jailed in the past for similar offences against his parents.

For the threatening language charge, he was fined Gy$15,000 or an alternative of two weeks imprisonment.

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Forensic audit recommends major overhaul for frequency unit F

ollowing a forensic audit conducted at the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), it was recommended that a series of revamp measures be undertaken to enhance the functioning of the Unit.

Among the recommendations put forward by independent auditing firm, Ram and McRae Consulting, were revamping of the organisational structure, enhancing the technical capabilities, ensuring that current organisational objectives are met and preparing for the passage and operationalising of the Telecommunications Act. The report, which was released on Friday by the Finance Ministry, said in addition to appointing a Board of Directors, the NFMU needs to establish a proper reporting line with the subject Minister; that is, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

“It is therefore rec-

ommended that pending the passing of the Telecommunications Act, the Prime Minister and the appointed Board should establish clear lines of authority, communications and reporting with and within the Unit,” the auditor stated.

On the issue of the Telecommunications Act, Ram and McRae urged that the Unit prepare for the passage and operationalising of the new legislation since when enacted, the NFMU will be absorbed in the new Agency and subject to that authority.

This will require new regulations and orders to ensure that the functions are performed and to maximise revenue collection, the report stated. In addition, it outlined that as the telecoms sector is on the verge of being liberalised and modernised, next generation mobile networks will need more spectrum, which would result in increased revenue. On this note, the Unit is advised to reduce and regularise the num-

ber of unlicensed spectrum users.

This now brings the issue of outstanding debts and debt management. Ram and McRae said during the review, it was revealed that a number of issues were unearthed primarily in the areas of managing revenue and receivables, and illegally meeting expenditures of other agencies and projects.

The accounting department should implement standard procedures for the invoicing of users and the following up and collection of receivables. These procedures should include the specific timeframes for letters, telephone calls and suspension of licences for hard-core defaulters.

Furthermore, it was observed that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the NFMU’s Accounts Department saw invoices being prepared a minimum of six weeks prior to the anniversary data.

However, a number of li-

Christopher Ram

cences were not invoiced in accordance with the SOPs. Also, with regard to payment tracking, the SOPs highlights that accounting staff should execute phone calls to the licensee two weeks before the anniversary date, on the anniversary date and two week after the anniversary date to ensure payments are received but these responsibilities were not properly conducted, the auditors posited.

Moreover, Ram and McRae went on to talk

about the “close connection” between the NFMU, which is charged with the responsibility for allocating frequencies, and the Guyana Broadcasting Authority (GBA), the agency responsible for issuing radio, television and cable licences.

The report went on to detail that during the years 2012 to 2015, the NFMU met payments on behalf of the GNBA amounting to Gy$28,877,267.

These payments included di-

rectors’ fees, employees’ salaries, and fees for the GNBA’s Monitoring Committee and other operating expenses.

In December 2014, the GNBA reimbursed the NFMU for the entire sum advanced as such no further action was required.

However, Ram and McRae outlined that while the head of the NFMU is a member of the GBA, given the corporate sole status of the NFMU the GBA has no formal role in that body.

“Ram & McRae also strongly disagrees with the current status as a Corporation Sole,” the auditor remarked.

Additionally, the auditing firm recommended that the NFMU establish relationships with institutions or authorities outside of Guyana in the area of radio frequency spectrum management and develop technical standards and engineering support facilities necessary or appropriate in relation to the functions.

President defends decision to pardon criminals F ollowing confirmed reports that one of the persons, who were pardoned by President David Granger last year was recently charged for a spate of robberies on the Corentyne, concerns have been raised about the initiative adopted by President Granger.

However, the Head of State recently admitted that while government cannot totally prevent a pardoned individual from relapsing, he maintained that he was not reckless in releasing those 40 prisoners.

“It wasn’t reckless, I’m not a reckless person… I am advised that it’s not a reckless plan, there are criteria concerning their age and the possibilities of that person rejoining society and there is a scheme they can do some form of rehabilitative training or education but in the final analysis, it is impossible for the State to guarantee there will be no relapse into that criminal behaviour,” Granger asserted in response to a questione posed by Guyana Times on the weekly televised programme – The Public Interest.

The president further pointed out that the initiative cannot be judged based on one individual, highlighting the success of the other 39. He went on to say that the criteria used to select the beneficiaries are strict, hence only 11 of the 20 females were released in December and only 40 of 60 in May last year. This,

Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan

he explained, supports the fact that tight rules are applied when selecting the pardon beneficiaries.

Nevertheless, the Head of State said his focus will continue to be on mothers and young persons who are not involved in violent crimes and cocaine trafficking.

“So anybody involved in manslaughter or murder is not going to receive a pardon from President Granger… One of the things I said is that people should be in school, in colleges and not in jail,” Granger stated.

The President is expected to pardon another set of criminals on Independence Day. When the initiative was announced last year, it had caused great uneasiness among Guyanese, especially business owners, since the country’s crime rates were high at the time. Persons were also calling for the identities of these convicts to be publi-

cised but government explained that this would have hindered the reintegration process of these people into society.

However, Kelvin Bates, 19, one of the pardon beneficiaries, appeared in Court three weeks ago facing several charges of robbery under arms, larceny from persons and possession of illegal firearms and ammunition that occurred earlier this month.

According to court documents, he was reportedly on bail for another armed robbery when he committed these offences.

In light of this revelation, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan recently told this newspaper he will consider releasing the names of this new set of prisoners.

“Of course if asked, we will released the names of all those who will be pardoned. It is an obligation in the name of transpar-

ency that the Minister released all the names of those who are on parole and pardoned,” he pointed out.

Ramjattan had conceded that government erred in selecting Bates as a candidate to be pardoned but noted that they were given the opinion that he was of very good character whilst in the prison hence he was released. He added too that the teenager only had four more months of his sentence to serve and this was taken into consideration was well.

“It is not exclusively the President that makes these releases. He has to get some advice from the Director of Prisons, the Prison Officers who would have dealt with him directly and also after I would have sorted the record out,” the minister explained.

“I had a role to play because the fellow just had a short term more left and he was of good character in the prison. We have to release our young people, jail is not necessarily for young people but if we make a mistake even like

that by virtue of the fact that he started stealing again, what do you do?” the minister questioned, while adding: “You simply now have to ensure that when he gets back in there (prison) that he will never again get pardoned.”

Nevertheless, the Public Security Minister went on to say that his administration is looking at strengthening the rehabilitation programme that the pardoned criminals undergo as part of their reintegration to the society.

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Travel Span CEO calls for more support for Aviation sector - says Govt has important role to play

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he withdrawal of major airlines from the local market over the years has left devastating impacts on the economy, yet the government seems unbothered by the risks and concerns existing in the aviation sector, Chief Executive Officer of Travel Span Nohar Singh indicated.

During an interview with Guyana Times International on Saturday, Singh pointed out that though many credible airlines abruptly pulled out from the market after making huge investments, no action has been taken to examine the reasons or circumstances behind those bold decisions, and to determine what preventive or remedial measures could be put in place to address the situation.

“Guyanese have seen airlines come and airlines go. We have lost several really major airlines in this country.

North American Airlines was a very reliable service; Delta. We were literally blessed to have Delta in this country.

Someone could get on an airplane in India or any part of the Middle East or Africa and check in

just once with their bags and then in Guyana.

We lost that airline,” he highlighted.

Singh contends that the question that must be asked but not being discussed is, “why are we losing these airlines, why are they coming in and then going out? We need to talk about that, we need to look at the reasons why and understand the airline business in a bigger context,” he urged.

The concerned stakeholder explained that the airline business is not a “one man” show but rather, all players including government must contribute significantly to ensure stability in the sector, especially in light of the fact that the sector contributes tremendously to the economy.

“The benefits from the airlines spread from so many different areas. We did a study of the 1038 passengers who came into Guyana in 2015, and of every passenger who comes in, they bring in an average of US$1500 into the economy, and for the diaspora market, it’s even greater because they build their homes and

Chief Executive Officer of Travel Span, Nohar Singh

they take care of their families,” he noted.

“But just using that figure US$1500, this is a very important part we need to look at… that in itself brings approximately US$172 million into the economy, and who benefits? You have that VAT that comes out of that, you have the taxi drivers, you have the hotels, you have the restaurants, you have the stores, everyone benefits,” he explained.

Reinforcing his statements, Singh argued that in real economic sense, for every dollar that is spent in the economy, its impact is usu-

ally about six times the initial amount.

“So if you take US$172 million from 1038 passengers and you multiply that by six… so the point I am trying to make is that there are so much benefits that come in from the airline, then why are we not looking at the airline from a different perspective where it is not the airline alone that should take the risk and there is the perception that the airline makes all the money,” he posited.

The Travel Span CEO asserted that the perception is wholly incorrect, simply because if the

airlines were pocketing all the profits then they would stay in Guyana and continue to operate for greater revenue.

Singh pointed out that the only airline that has been able to stay in Guyana is Caribbean Airlines, because it has the support of its government.

“Every year their government gives them over US$100 million and the government sees it fit to give them the support because their government understands the importance of the airline and they understand the economic benefits of it,” he explained.

According to reports, Caribbean Airlines used to receive hefty fuel subsidies from the government of Trinidad and Tobago, however, it no longer does. Despite losing its fuel subsidy, the state-owned company was still listed in budget documents to receive a $400.7 million subsidy from the government.

Commenting on the situation, Singh observed that Guyanese always talk about wanting stability and reliability in airline services however, decision-making stakeholders pay little

attention to the circumstances under which the airlines operate to determine how best these demands can be met.

“We also need to play our part and understand the benefits of the airline whereby the government, tour operators, and all the beneficiaries need to be able to work with the airlines to be able to share and mitigate some of those risks then you will see longevity and then you will see growth,” he stated.

Singh explained that by creating an environment that fosters permanency among airlines, arrivals will eventually increase and so will the money flowing into the economy.

The CEO outlined that the first step is for the key players in the field, particularly the government, to understand the benefits of the airline sector in order to be better informed when developing policies and incentive packages to encourage investments.

In this jubilee year and looking ahead to the next fifty years, the Travel Span CEO said it is time Guyana looks at aviation in a greater context.

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PM underscores importance of community radio stations in bridging gaps

- as Radio Lethem commences broadcasting

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adio Lethem went officially on air Sunday in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo), with its inaugural broadcast being its opening ceremony, the Government information Agency (GINA) has said.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo officially switched on the station and extolled the importance of community radio stations. “It is important for the people of the hinterland to have a radio station, so they can communicate with themselves in the region and the rest of Guyana, and for them to know what’s happening,” he told the gathering.

The Prime Minister who has government’s oversight of the Broadcast Sector, said the establishment of community radio stations is part of his government’s efforts to connect Guyanese despite geographical locations.

The establishment of the radio station, he stated, is one way of bridging the gap and closing the communication divide.

Nagamootoo, speaking of the involvement

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and other officials pose with young volunteer broadcasters at the official launch of Radio Lethem (GINA Photo)

of all Guyanese in the country’s advancement, stated that all indigenous communities must be part of the process.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo reminded those gathered that his Government promised Guyanese that the coastland and the hinterland will be integrated and the radio station is one of the ways of achieving

this.

Regional Chairman of Region Nine Brian Allicock told the gathering that it is always good to know what’s happening on the inside, but most importantly, on the outside.

“I am so happy to tell you that we are on the right path of communication as this is critical.

I thank this Government

very much for that radio station and in time to come a television station,” he said.

He called on fellow residents to continue to work for the further development of the region despite their political differences.

In his remarks, Mayor of Lethem Carlton Beckles expressed appreciation to the Prime

Minister and team for the establishment of the radio station and promised it will be used for its intended purpose.

“This is historic; this is a jubilee within a jubilee,” the mayor said.

Meanwhile, National Communications Network’s (NCN) chief executive officer Lennox Cornette said the state broadcaster is reorient-

ing its Georgetown operations in an effort to extend its reach by moving from a central focus to communities to promote values in Guyanese citizens.

“This is the first expression in a community radio model so we can disseminate information from the region to central and from central to the region,” Cornette stated.

Meanwhile, 12 young persons from within the region were trained as community broadcasters.

Minister of Public Telecommunications Catherine Hughes, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock and Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan also attended the opening ceremony and were among the first to be interviewed on the station.

The ceremony was also attended by representatives from neighbouring Brazil including the Mayor of Bonfim.

Radio Lethem is one of two hinterland radio stations to be established.

Radio Mabaruma is scheduled to be officially commissioned shortly.

Nandlall says death penalty not a FATF requirement

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ontrary to claims made by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams, his predecessor Anil Nandlall is contending that the death penalty is not a requirement under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) regime.

Despite the fact that Guyana signed on to join worldwide efforts to abolish the death penalty, Williams argued that having the capital punishment enshrined in the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) legislation is a strict requirement of FATF. He contended that the death penalty along with hefty fines will definitely deter terrorists from launching terrorist activities in Guyana.

Weighing in on the discussion, former Attorney General in a Facebook post highlighted that in other countries deemed FATF compliant, the death penalty is abolished.

He pointed out that in France, where FATF

Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

is headquartered, the death penalty had been abolished decades ago; and the country is still FATF compliant. “So is the UK and many leading countries in Europe and elsewhere, and these countries do not have the death penalty,” he emphasised.

Nandlall, who is also a People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, reminded that during the debate on the AML/ CFT Bill in the National Assembly last year, he objected to many aspects

of the content of the Bill, including the death penalty clauses.

“I pointed out that the Bill created 12 offences which carried the death penalty as their sanctions – the most death penalty offenses in a singular Bill in one hundred years of criminal jurisprudence in Guyana.

“I asked if the Coalition Government is certain whether this is the posture they wish to adopt and the signal they wish to send on the issue of death penalty in the year 2016, having re-

gard to the international climate on this vexed question.

“I pointed out that if Guyana is to pass a Bill containing so many death penalty Offences, it will invoke the ire of the international community and the United Nations and that it will put Guyana on a collision course with positions Guyana has adopted on this issue in the Region, Latin America and at the United Nations,” he expressed in his social media post.

Nandlall wondered whether the Attorney General comprehended his presentation, given the fact that his objections were wholly rejected.

The former Attorney General lamented that the country will only suffer, having the death penalty still enshrined in its laws while standing in solidarity with the worldwide movement to abolish the capital punishment, which has been deemed inhumane and completely ineffective in deterring crime.

Given the circum-

stances, Guyana appears to have found itself in a diplomatic dilemma.

Williams alluded to the apparent conflict during a recent news conference as he was fielding questions from the media on the possible reinforcement of the death penalty to deter criminal activities locally.

Williams justified the inclusion of the death penalty in the AML/CFT Act on the basis that it dissuades individuals from launching terrorist activities here.

Asked then if the same rationale could be aptly applied in rela-

tion to other horrendous crimes, the Attorney General provided an ambiguous response.

Foremost, he explained that Cabinet has not discussed the issue and therefore he does not want to make any pronouncements on the matter.

However when further prompted, the Attorney General indicated that it may not be correct to claim that the government wants to abolish the death penalty. “I’m not sure you can probably say that ‘we’ don’t want the death penalty,” he opined.

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Trotman fires back at miners body

… says collaboration needed to strengthen mining industry

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inister of N a t u r a l Resources Raphael Trotman has lashed back at executives of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), who recently called for more concessions to be granted to its members.

The organisation had also requested last Friday that government lay out a blueprint that it would use to move the mining sector forward.

However, on Saturday Minister Trotman in a strongly worded statement said he was still seeking to understand the motive behind the calls of the GGDMA executives, noting that the recent attack, having taken the ministry by surprise, suggests that the GGDMA prefers to see itself as a pressure group rather than as a committed partner, working alongside the Ministry of Natural Resources to regulate an industry that was previously governed in a very unregulated and biased manner.

The minister said his ministry has been having cordial engage-

ments with the organisation, the most recent on May 10, 2016, when the Ministers of the Ministry, the Chairman and Commissioner of the GGMC and others, sat with the executive of the GGDMA and held discussions on issues affecting miners and the ways to tackle them together.

“No statements about a crisis or absence of a policy were uttered at that meeting and beg the question whether the meeting was a sham.

Interestingly, the GGDMA has also declined to share a comprehensive review of the sector, sponsored by the IDB, on its behalf, even though conceding that the findings would benefit the Government’s efforts at reform and be useful in refining its policies”, the statement from the minister said.

The GGDMA executives, at a meeting last Friday said there seems to be an unclear policy for the mining sector along with increased production costs. They were also clamouring for an audience with President David

Granger.

All these had occurred even after Minister Trotman announced that there had been an increase in gold production.

“You go to a meeting with one person

and they tell you this is what they are going to do… you go to another meeting and they tell you something else.

It is very confusing,” President of the organisation Trevor Adams had said.

Trotman in his statement said government firmly believes that it was only through collaboration that, “we can truly tap and exploit the mineral wealth in a sustainable and environmentally friendly

manner.”

He said recent statistics about high gold declarations contradict the GGDMA’s utterances about the industry being in a crisis and devoid of any policy to give it direction.

26 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Army rank killed in Soesdyke crash A

young member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) died on Tuesday morning after the motor vehicle he was driving crashed into a parked truck. The accident occurred after 08:00h in the vicinity of the Soesdyke Junction, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Dead is 21-yearold Quee Brotherson of Section C Sophia, Greater Georgetown. He was a soldier attached to the GDF Special Forces and stationed at Base Camp Stephenson in Timehri.

According to reports reaching Guyana Times International, at the time of the accident the young man was driving an army vehicle bearing registration number DFB 1454. Information received stated that Brotherson was heading to the army base when he reportedly lost control of the vehicle and slammed head on into the parked truck.

The young man was picked up and rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre in critical condition. He succumbed to

Dead: GDF rank Quee Brotherson

his injuries while receiving medical attention.

There was another GDF rank in the vehicle at the time of the accident, but he escaped without any serious injuries. He remains at the Georgetown Public Hospital for treatment.

M e a n w h i l e , Brotherson’s father, Troy, told Guyana Times International that when he received the news, the family rushed to the medical facility but learnt that the young man had died. He told this newspaper that based upon information received, his son tried to swerve from another vehicle and lost control of

the pick-up.

“The road was wet and he was driving going back into work when he pulled out from behind a car to overtake it, but another vehicle was coming (in the opposite direction) and as he was swerving from that vehicle, he lose control and slide right into a parked truck,” the man said he was told.

The grieving father could not say exactly what injuries his son sustained, but noted he was bleeding profusely from his nose.

After he succumbed, the body of the GDF rank was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour, where relatives, friends and colleagues gathered as the news of his death spread. They were inconsolable as they came out of the parlour after viewing his body.

Brotherson was described as a humble and disciplined individual by both his father and a senior GDF rank under whom he worked.

The young man leaves to mourn his father, brothers and other relatives and friends.

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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28 news

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There is evidence to prove public sector dismissals based on race, politics – Jagdeo - cites termination of staff at NYC Consulate as example

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ontending that the majority of dismissals under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) administration are based solely on political and racial persuasions, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is demanding that a general review be conducted on all those terminations, and to correct all errs.

During a recent news conference, Jagdeo challenged President David Granger to practice what he preaches, reminding him of his pristine promise to protect public sector professionals. Indeed, upon assumption to Executive Office, President Granger

Bharat Dindyal

made it clear that public sector workers should have no reason to fear losing their jobs once they acted professionally.

He emphasised that

political hacks and appointees however will be at risk of being dismissed. Pointing to several incidents as evidence, Jagdeo asserted that the President did not keep his word: “The exclusion based on politics and race has never been as bad as this and we have tons of cases to prove that,” he posited.

Providing one example, he made reference to the situation involving the dismissals at the New York City (NYC) Consulate.

Earlier this year, the government got much criticism following the decision to send home five employee of the Guyana Consulate in New York.

Khurshid Sattaur

Jagdeo contended this is one of the most glaring cases that points to the political and racial discrimination being meted out to professionals in the

public sector and Foreign Service.

He pointed out that MR Khan, one of the IndoGuyanese employees sent home, has more than 40 years of diplomatic service with various Guyanese governments. Yet on the other hand, B Evans, who is Afro-Guyanese and a political appointee under the previous government, was retained.

“Mr Evans has been a member of the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) for ages and he is a political appointee and he is still there. The career officer Khan who is removed and five other persons, four of Indo-Guyanese origin and one an AfroGuyanese, who was seen

Philomena Sahoye-Shury

former Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Ministry Collin Croal; Guyana Water Incorporation Chief Executive Shaik Baksh; CEO of the Guyana

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

President David Granger

as sympathetic to us was removed from the office,” Jagdeo exclaimed.

He contended that there are many other situations where this incongruity is being practiced, and in this regard he lambasted the government for hiding behind the rhetoric of “social cohesion”.

“The rhetoric must match practice for it to be believed,” he stressed, calling on the government to lay out a clear pathway to social cohesion, particularly in view of the country’s 50th year as an Independent nation.

“I hope the president does not miss the opportunity to have a review of all those people who were terminated for political reasons, if they are black and they support the PPP/C or because of their race. He should have a review of this to say ‘I am going to correct this because I want my word to match the practice in my government’,” he expressed.

Among those who have been fired or forced to resign since the coalition’s assumption to office are the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Permanent Secretary Nigel Dharamlall; the former Head of the National Toshaos Council, Yvonne Pearson;

Sugar Corporation Dr Raj Singh and other members on the board of directors, Geta SinghKnight, Shaik Baksh, Badrie Persaud, Keith Burrowes and Dindyal Permaul; Go-Invest CEO Keith Burrowes; several Regional executive officers including Nigel Fisher – Region One, Ashford Ambedkar – Region Five, Paul Ramrattan – Region Six, and Yolanda Hiliman – Region 10, Region Nine’s (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) REO Claire Singh; political advisor and former Local Government Minister Clinton Collymore; acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba; Guyana’s Ambassador to Mexico Bayney Karran and Guyana’s Ambassador to Brazil Merlin Udho were recalled from their posts; national director of the Community Development Council (CDC) Philomena Sahoye-Shury; CEO of Guyana Power and Light Bharrat Dindiyal; Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission Rickford Vieira; Commissioner General of Guyana Revenue Authority Khurshid Sattaur, among many others.

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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ove and John/Victoria Mangrove Reserve, located on the East Coast of Demerara, is a scenic nature location for researchers and birding enthusiasts.

Four of the seven mangrove species known to Guyana grow at the reserve: Avicennia germinans (Black mangrove), Rhizophora mangle (Red mangrove) and Laguncularia racemosa (White mangrove) and Conocarpus erectus (Buttonwood).

The 2km long reserve provides excellent opportunities for education,

travel & tourism 29

awareness and scientific research.

Additionally, birding enthusiasts can get spectacular views of some lesserseen birds, such as the Blue Heron.

The reserve is also a community effort as the area is maintained by residents of Victoria and Cove and John.

Cove and John/Victoria Mangrove Reserve possesses a combination of ecosystems, natural aesthetics and man-made infrastructure that speak well for recreation and communitybased ecotourism.

Various species of birds make the reserve their homes

A bird nestles between the mangrove Scenic path along the mangrove reserve

A boat moored among the mangroves

This swamp is a sanctuary to wildlife and plants

Another section of the path on the mangrove reserve

A section of mangrove along the coast

30 art & culture

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uyana became an independent nation in 1966, but its artists had already, from a generation before, begun to show independence of thought, action and vision. The artistic ferment in Georgetown in the decades between 1930 and 1960 is a yet l a rge ly - unr e c o g nised intellectual and philosophical development in Guyana. The early part of this period laid the foundation for an art which lacks nothing in richness, complexity and ideation.

Samuel Horace Broodhagen (1883-1950) is identified as the earliest-known local artist.

He was a painter of landscapes and portraits, but not much is known about his work. So was Cedric Winter (1902-1974), a sculptor, who created the altar screen for St James-the-Less Church in 1945. But the first decades of the 20th century were lean years for art in Guyana.One expatriate, Golde White, wrote to a friend that “[t]here has been no Art Exhibition for some time in this col-

"Gulf Watch" (1992) by Ernest Van Dyke

ony, and very little is done to encourage artistic talent”.

From the end of the 1920’s, White and other expatriates, along with the British Council, encouraged and supported the local men and women of talent. The colonials helped to found the British Guiana Arts and Crafts Society in 1931, and the British Council

sponsored lectures and gave scholarships. This impetus produced our first formal artists such as Vivian Antrobus, R. G. Sharples, E.R. Burrowes, Reggie Phang and Sam Cummings.

On the other hand, Evelyn Williams argues that the colonial establishment “contextualised and controlled the models of cultural expres-

sion in the perpetuation of the systematic self-interest…imposing the imprints of a European consciousness”.

Here is where the pioneering local artists began asserting their independence: they soon broke away from the official influence, and began organising their own art groups and art classes. They formed the Guianese Art Group in 1945 and the Working People’s Art Class in 1948, which existed up to as late as 1961.

They attracted young people such as Denis Williams, Hubert Moshett, Marjorie Broodhagen, Enda Harte, Basil Hinds, and later on, Stanley Greaves, Ron Savory, Aubrey Williams, Donald Locke, Emerson Samuels and many others. The pioneers started a great line of artists who wouldtake Guyana’s art into the next three decades and beyond.

On the surface, it seems that Guyanese art copies western art. But this is only superficially true. While our artists draw from the wide range of art approaches, styles and techniques, what they create is truly Guyanese. The pioneer artists broke away from the influence of the British School of landscape painting and used more investigative styles and techniques to delve into, rather than depict, Guyanese life.

They explored a broader range of themes and subjects.

Apart

from the landscape, they painted our people, pass-times and activities.

Artists such as George Bowen (Jorge Bowenforbes), Alvin Bowman, Patrick

diced look at our life; it is a humanely-progressive art which propounds the richness and dignity of life. Even in the conflictridden 1960’s, Guyanese artists quietly asserted

'Backyard Pere Street' (1970) by Leila Locke

Barrington, David Singh picked up this tradition from the pioneers and it continued in the works of Eddie Fredericks (our first indigenous painter), Basil and Angold Thompson, Cletus Henriques, Maylene Duncan, Winston Strick, SeunarineMunisar, Merlene Ellis, and a host of other artists right down to the present day.

Our art is a nationally-cohesive influence because of its democratic nature: it is not an elitist art; it takes an unpreju-

the common humanity, struggle, and worthiness of the Guyanese people through their landscapes and depictions of the life of the country in scenes of life and landscape.

In another discordant period, the 1990’s, artists such as OheneKoama, Betsy Karim and Desmond Ali bandedtogether as “The Guyana United Artists”; they and various other artists made a call through their many exhibitions for unity and peace. But continued on page 38

feature 31

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ments were ceremoniously handed over to Burnham by the Duke of Kent at the Parliament Buildings, to formally confer Guyana’s independence.

Former Colonial Governors Sir Charles Woolley and Sir Ralph

Independence Float Parade (Stabroek News file photo)

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Ceremony held at the Guyana Independence Arch on May 22, 1966 to unveil the plaque on the base of the Arch

ay 26, 1966 was Independence Day in Guyana: the day the country officially received self-rule.

From May 22 to 29, it was called Independence Week, and it was a week of many celebrations, dances, dinners and sporting activities.

The first day of Independence Week was called a “Day of National Reflection and Intercession”, and there were prayers services all across the country in mosques, temples and churches.

In Georgetown, the British Guiana Volunteer Force gave a farewell parade and “laying-up of colours”. They would give way to the Guyana Defence Force, our national army. By mid-morning, there was the official ceremony for the unveiling of the Independence Arch on Brickdam.

While the official flag-raising service was conducted with much

pomp and ceremony at the National Park in Georgetown, many villages, towns, and communities created their own independence memories during independence week and on Independence Day. Witnessing the historic occasion at the National Park in the city were the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Sir Richard Luyt, the first Governor-General of Guyana, along with Minister of Overseas Development Anthony Greenwood and other dignitaries, and more than 60 delegates from 47 countries.

A spectacular pyrotechnic display was one of the highlights of the occasion, thanks to the services of the Brooks Brothers Ltd. of London, who also provided the firework images of a map of Guyana, the Guyana flag, Kaieteur Falls, and a portrait of Prime Minister Forbes Burnham.

Then on the morning of May 26, the Constitutional instru-

Grey were present for the occasion.

Besides flag-raising in the capital, there was also a week of private and open parties, Float Parades, tramps around the city, and pageantries throughout the country.

One of the high-

lights included the Water Pageant on the Demerara River, and the Historical Pageant at the National Park.

At Kabukari in the Pomeroon, the new Guyana flag was raised at 10 am on May 26, continued on page 40

32 Feature

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A place in our nation

Cheddi Jagan (1918 -1997) The portrait of Dr. Jagan was unveiled in the National Assembly at the Parliament Buildings, March 22, 2005 (Jagan.org)

“I

longed for some form of identification…I wanted to identify myself with the real hard world around me.”So began Cheddi Jagan’s journey into politics in Guyana that ultimately led to the country’s independence from Britain and a widely held perception of him as the “Father of the nation” among many

Guyanese.

Jagan’s life’s journey began March 22, 1918 on a sugar plantation in Port Mourant, Berbice as the son of Indian indentured sugar workers.His mother, Bachoni, and father,Jagan, had arrived as infants with their mothers from Basti in Uttar Pradesh, India to what was then the colony of British Guiana.

Jagan, the eldest of six boys and five girls for his parents, attended primary school and two years of secondary school in the Port Mourant area, often absent from school to help in the rice and cane fields.

However, at 15 he was sent to the Georgetown to attend Queen’s College, the premiere educational institute on the colony at the time.There he excelled as a student, debater and batsman.

Lodging with families while in the city, Jagan graduated from Queen’s College but was unable to get a well-paying job, particularly within the civil service. Under colonial rule, only Christian school teachers were accepted.

His parents strongly rejected any notion of his conversion from Hindu or returning to work on the plantations, so his father sent him to the US to study dentistry.

Cheddi Jagan left Guyana at age 17 and lived in Washington, D.C for two years, attending Howard University for a pre-medical program, majoring in dentistry. At the universi-

ty, his early grades enabled him to receive a scholarship for his second year there.

Having to provide his own finances while studying, Jagan worked two summers in New York at various jobs then entered Northwestern University Dental School in 1938,under a four-year scholarship.

Interested in worldwide events, Jagan also took courses in social sciences.

He graduated from Northwestern University in 1942 with his degree in Dental Surgery (DDS), and his Bachelor of Sciences (B.Sc.) degree.

Not long before returning home, he married Jewish-American Janet Rosenberg. The marriage took place without the consent of both of their parents, but in October 1943 he returned to Guyana, and Janet arrived just before Christmas of that same year. They would have two children.

He immediately began establishing a dental clinic and after a few hiccups, his practice soon spread by

British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU), established in 1922, would on behalf of workers, speak in the planter class-dominated legislative Council that administered the colony.

In 1945 he became treasurer of the Manpower Citizen’s Association, but was removed after a year when he objected to the union not defending sugar workers’ interests.

In 1946, Jagan formed the labour-oriented Political Affairs Committee (PAC) with H.J.M Hubbard, at the time general secretary of the British Guiana Trades Union Council, Ashton Chase, assistant secretary in the BGLU and Janet Jagan then in the Clerical Workers Union.

In 1947, the first elections in the colonial legislature since World War II were held, and Jagan ran as an independent labour candidate on the East Coast of Demerara. At only 29-years-old,he won a seat in the legislature to become the youngest member of the council.

bondage and exploitation.”

He formed the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in January 1950, with LFS Burnham its chairman, Janet Jagan its general secretary and himself as leader of the PPP. It was the first modern political organization in the colony.

Soon, the PPP’s persistent legislative, political and industrial activities led to more workers awareness of their ability to agitate for improvement. This led to gains such as an increased daily minimum wage, industry concessions, and success at its first Municipal Elections in Georgetown where the party won three of nine wards.

For Jagan, the party’s biggest triumph up to that time was constitutional as it had managed to achieve a recommendation by the Waddington Constitution Commission, which visited late 1950, for universal adult suffrage and a ministerial system.

His achievements brought even more pressure on him by the ruling class, and Jagan soon

A meeting with US President John F Kennedy in 1961 to discuss independence and other issues affecting the colony (JFK Library archive)

word-of-mouth, partially due to his low fees, which brought him into conflict with the colony’s Dental Association.

Interacting with many sugar workers while in his practice, Jagan soon earned a reputation as a doctor who listened to ordinary people. On many occasions he would be invited by workers to speak and advise them on industrial matters on various sugar estates and in communities.

Due to his increased contact with workers, he became involved in the two trade unions in the sugar industry, one of them the Manpower Citizen’s Association. At the time British Guiana had no political parties, though the

He later described his seat in the legislature as “…an end of sorts, yet in fact only the beginning of the long, hard struggle ahead.”

The following years saw Jagan practically alone in his struggle to break the stranglehold the planter class had on the legislative council and thus on the administration and economy of British Guiana.

But it was the June 16, 1948 Enmore killings that greatly affected his path in Guyanese politics. In his formative book “The West on Trial” (1966), he reveals that while at the funeral of the victims he “… made a silent pledge – I would dedicate my entire life to the cause of the struggle of the Guyanese people against

found himself banned from certain places in British Guiana, banned from making public speeches and also banned from entering some British West Indies territories.

Not long after, colonial authorities sought to ban what they termed “subversive” literature and, under the guise of a lack of relevant import licences, several crates of books he had brought from England were seized and burned.

Jagan also attended a Caribbean Conference as a representative of the British Guiana Legislative Council and proposed a motion calling for independence of all colonial territories so that “the will of the people shall be the basis continued on page 39

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A place in our nation

Into Independence L

inden Forbes S a m p s o n Burnham was independent Guyana’s first prime minister (19661980) whose 21 years of rule (1964-66 as premier of British Guiana; executive president from 198085) has been the subject of often contentious debate. His legacy has meant different things to different people, with the only agreement being that not everyone can agree on his true legacy.

Forbes Burnham was born Feb. 20, 1923 in Pike Street, Kitty, then a village just outside Georgetown, the capital city. The son of James Burnham, a schoolmaster, and Rachael Burnham, Linden Forbes would include his

He was called to the Bar in 1948.

Burnham returned to Guyana in 1949 to form the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) together with Cheddi Jagan, which was established Jan. 1, 1950 and was agitating for self-rule. He was appointed chairman and Jagan PPP leader. He had also been to Jamaica in 1949 to study the work of the Jamaican People’s National Party (PNP), which had largely influenced his and Jagan’s formation of the PPP. Together in 1953 they won 18 of 24 seats in the first election sanctioned by the colonial government. Burnham served as education minister while Jagan became pre-

ral speech as premier, Burnham noted that the attainment of independence was one of the most important tasks of his government, while acknowledging the divisive population, which he claimed was a result of colonialism, years of “mismanagement and misrule”, and “racial cleavage and racial antagonism”.

A year later, in the midst of discussions for independence from Britain, Burnham retained a state of emergency as countrywide unrest over perceived injustices by some sections of the population steadily occurred.

Discussions for independence had begun Nov. 2, 1965 between

Burnham and US President LB Johnson at the White House July 21, 1966

mother’s maiden name (Sampson) in his title, and become known also as LFS Burnham.

One of three children, he attended the Kitty Methodist School(later renamed the JE Burnham Primary School after his father who taught there for almost 40 years), Central High School and Queen’s College (1935) in pursuit of an education that saw him excel to earn government scholarships, including the British Guiana Scholarship (1942).

However, the Second World War prevented him from attending university abroad,which led to external tutorage for a degree from the University of London.

He obtained his law degree from Gray’s Inn (London) after the war.

While in England, Burnham added more accolades to his educational endeavours, including president of the West Indian Student Union and the recipient of the Best Speaker’s Cup (Gray’s Inn) in 1947.

mier. However, according to Jessie Burnham in an article entitled ‘Beware my brother Forbes’, Burnham’s goal was to become “…Leader or nothing” of the PPP. Whether this goal, dishonoured promises or the political direction of the PPP caused the split between Burnham and Jagan remains a matter of intense dispute between his supporters and opponents, but in 1955 Burnham left the PPP, though some scholars say he was expelled, and founded the People’s National Congress (PNC) that became the Opposition, contesting the 1964 general elections.

At the Dec. 14, 1964 elections, held under a new constitution, the PNC won with a coalition government comprising the United Force (UF). Burnham became premier and UF leader, Peter D'Aguiar, was named minister of finance, one of four UF cabinet ministers out of 12.

In his inaugu-

the PNC-UF coalition government and Britain, boycotted by the Opposition PPP. On Nov. 7, it was declared that Guyana would be granted independence on May 26, 1966.

Burnham returned to a hero’s welcome in Guyana by his supporters, though his critics suggest his coalition government had flip-flopped on its policy towards independence when it came into office, since it had opposed Independence when in Opposition. The PNC-UF Opposition had held the position that independence not be granted under a PPP government.

It was also in 1965 that, with massive grants from the US and European Community (EC), the coalition began focusing on improving infrastructure with the construction of roads and an improved airport.

The Linden/Soesdyke Highway, begun in 1966, was officially opened in 1969.

After independence, and at the helm of a new-

Attending discussions for Guyana’s independence. From left: Neville Bissember, Winifred Gaskin, Llewelyn John, Forbes Burnham, Eugene Correia and Mr. Hugh M.E. Cholmondeley (1966) (Caribbean Elections)

ly independent state, Burnham, who then took the title of prime minister,immediately embarked on what he called “participatory democracy” which entailed excursions to communities and neighbourhoods where he is said to have hoped to instil a spirit of peace, patriotism and cooperation among Guyanese.

His calls for self-help led to a self-help movement that saw many villages and communities develop themselves by building their own homes or buildings of importance to their community. This later led to the notion of self-reliance, where communities responded to the Burnham government’s “Feed, clothe and house ourselves” and “Be local, buy local” campaigns.

Burnham also officially declared several religious holidays to honour the different religious groups in Guyana, some previously disregarded by colonial authorities.

This it is claimed was a result of his efforts to establish national respect for religious and cultural differences.

That the Burnham government leant toward a Socialist ideal was evi-

dent by the following year of independence, and it has been suggested as one of the reasons for the eventual dissolution of the PNC-UF coalition government, so that by the time of the 1968 elections it was the Burnham-led PNC alone that went to the polls.

At the 1968 elections, widely regarded as fraudulent by mostly non-supporters, the Burnham-led government was re-elected and Burnham’s previous economic policies were transformed to the widely socialist ideology of collectives and cooperatives, as well as the need for state-control in order to more efficiently serve the masses.

A common phrase attributed to Burnham is the desire of his to make “the small man the real man” by implementing state oversight of all industries to ensure social and economic equality.

This idea of cooperatives led to the adoption of the name “Cooperative Republic of Guyana” in a 1970 Constitution of the Republic.

Burnham began to establish social transformations such as increased construction of housing schemes and

the construction of cultural edifices such as the Umana Yana. His resolve to boost national pride led to the commissioning of national monuments such as the 1763 Monument.

Burnham also introduced government institutions such as the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) in 1969 and several cooperative banks.His era saw the construction of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Canje Bridge, McKenzie/Wismar Bridge and the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary (MMA) water control pump station and sluice.

He declared free education from nursery to university, and established Cyril Potter College of Education, National School of Dance and Burrowes School of Arts. He also introduced multilateral and community high schools, and, just before he died, established President’s College.

By 1980, Burnham had created a new constitution which, among other things, made him Guyana’s first executive president; a title he maintained up to his death. continued on page 34

Forbes Burnham receiving the constitutional instruments designating Guyana an independent nation at a mid-morningThursday, May26, 1966 ceremonyin the Parliament Chambers (Caribbean Elections)

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Into Independence...

As some 80 - 90 per cent of the Guyanese economy was under state rule by the late 1970s due to Burnham’s socialist policies, by the early 1980s an economic crisis that had begun in 1973 increased and variously created and led to unpopular measures decreed by Burnham, which included banning many essential imported items.

Burnham regarded their importation as a restriction to promoting and encouraging his “Be local, buy local” initiatives, thus making Guyanese more reliant on foreign-made commodities.

By banning importation of some items, Burnham sought to encourage local industries and capacity building, to attain self-reliance for soaps, flours, toothpastes, oil (from rice bran) and school books, to name a few.

This was never achieved, and his political determinations became more unpopular as the economic crisis deepened and more Guyanese began migrating en masse in the 80s to escape what many considered his increasingly dictatorial and draconian mea-

sures.

His alleged manipulation of elections in the 70s and what was to be his last election of 1980 – still disputed today by his supporters – did not improve his critics’ perception of his rule.

Guyana’s insufficient exports of rice and sugar left little foreign exchange to provide vitally needed commodities, adding to the perceived economic stagnation.

Burnham, at what was to be his last press conferencefollowing the 6th CARICOM Summit Meeting, had argued that it was a result of the reluctance of Caricom states to purchase Guyana’s surplus sugar, albeit at a higher cost, that helped harm the Guyanese economy.

When he died following a heart attack while undergoing throat surgery on Aug. 6, 1985 at the age of 62,Guyana was generally regarded as among the poorest nations in the southern hemisphere, with a crumbling infrastructure, social services and education system, despite a World Bank report of a 5 per cent real growth in 1984.

He remained however, an im-

from page 33

portant figure among many political leaders of his time, due to his significant presence within political organizations such as CARICOM and the Non-Aligned Movement.

To his supporters, Burnham has carried Guyana forward since the days of colonialism with his achievements, helping to lay a foundation for modern Guyana and earning himself a place in our nation’s hall of heroes.

Forbes Burnham was married twice; first to Sheila Bernice, with whom he had three daughters: Roxanne, Annabelle and Francesca, then to Viola Victorine, with whom he had two daughters: Melanie and Ulele. He and Viola also adopted a son, Kamana.

A Methodist, Burnham also enjoyed swimming, horseback riding, billiards and chess. He was entombed Aug. 11, 1985 in the mausoleum at Seven Ponds, Place of Heroes in the Botanical Gardens, after a state ceremony at the National Cultural Centre, one of his other contributions to Guyana’s cultural edifices.

Spillover… …from Venezuela o the maxim, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”, the famous American wit WC Field added tersely, “…then quit. There’s no point being a damn fool about it!” But obviously when it comes to effecting regime change in Venezuela, the present crop of American leaders don’t think that much about Fields. Starting from their first coup attempt against Chavez in 2002 they’ve stuck to their guns (pun intended!) and shown they’ll leave no stone unturned to control the largest oil reserves in the world.

Now don’t get your Eyewitness wrong. The folks in Africa say whether the elephants are making love or fighting, the grass still gets it in the end.

In more ways than one. And when it comes to Venezuela and the US we are GRASS! The bottom line is, there’s absolutely nothing Guyana can do about what’s playing out on our western border.

Last time we tried, Jagan was Premier, Castro was busy exporting revolution to Venezuela after the 1961 Bay of Pigs humiliation of the US, and look where it got him. Or more importantly, where it got us!

The irony is, in the last go around we became strategically more important than the speck on the globe we are, just because of our proximity to Venezuela, which was firmly in the US camp.

Supplying oil and iron ore and such like. The Venezuelan government was only too willing to raise the border controversy gambit in case the British lost their nerve to finagle out Jagan electorally. The Americans always thought the British had a soft spot for Jagan.

Today, the shoe’s on the other foot. We’ve gotten strategic notice because the US’ old friends were ousted by Chavez and company and maybe, just maybe, we can be of some use in case the economic crisis and the Opposition’s capture of Parliament doesn’t result in Maduro’s fall and get them back in office. Incidentally, if the Chavistas were rigging all the elections they won before, did they rig the Opposition to win?

But while there isn’t much we can do, we ought to know what might be in store for us with regime change. First there will be some 40,000 GuyaneseVenezuelan refugees heading back to Essequibo.

Secondly, the right-wingers who’ll take over will push that border controversy to the top of their agenda – to bring the disaffected Chavistas into their nationalist line.

Either way, things aren’t looking so rosy for us when we look westwards. And with the left in trouble in Brazil and the rest of South America, we might as well cozy up to the Americans. …from confused overseas Guyanese This Eyewitness has a soft spot for his brothers and sisters in the Diaspora. Hey… without their remittances imagine what’ll happen to us!

Especially since Minister of Finance Winston Jordan warned us of the economy collapsing now that drug smugglers are on the run. We’d be reduced to eating rice flour from all the rice we can’t sell.

In fact there’s this “Overseas Guyanese” Mike (hereinafter OG Mike) who did advise us to start eating rice flour when we first lost that Venezuelan rice market. The fella’s always thinking of his homeland (he’s from Leguan, he informed us). But we’d really like him to pay closer attention to the news from back home.

In OG Mike’s latest letter to the press, he worried about pensioners because of NIS money invested in the Berbice Bridge. Blamed all the “owners” of the bridge for getting “guaranteed” returns.

He should know that NIS has “preferred shares” – that gets “dividends” BEFORE the common stock shareholders!

Who haven’t received a dime since the bridge opened! ….from solving cold case The best news this Eyewitness has received since all the hoopla about Jubilee Independence is cracking the Babita Sarjou case. Let’s give a big shout out to that determined Mom, the social worker.

And, yes, the police!

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Traditional ethnic dishes were served after the concert

tudents of Yupukari Village nursery and primary school in Rupununi, Region 9, on May 5 staged an Arrival Day concert to mark the 178th anniversary of Indian arrival to Guyana as indentured workers for the many estates on what was formerly the colony of British Guiana.

The concert not only commemorated Indian arrival but also featured the various peoples who likewise arrived in what is now independent Guyana. Students dressed in various ethnic clothing to represent the various cultural groups, and performed traditional dances of each group.

The Indians, Africans, Chinese, Portuguese and British were all represented in popular or traditional dances from each group, performed in ethnic costumes. The first peoples, the indigenous, were also

represented at the concert.

In addition, some traditional foods of each group were on display and enjoyed by students, teachersand the small but appreciative audience.

Curry and roti, cook up, chowmein, cassava bread and macaroni and cheese were some of the traditional cultural dishes on display and sampled by everyone in attendance.

The largely impromptu concert was put together by retired teacher Mrs Li,staff and students of Yupukari nursery and primary schools who had earlier viewed several videos to inform themselves about the traditional dance and dress of the groups, and had a short time to put together the different dances and costumes.

Their research was done at the Yupukari Library at Caiman House which is also

Students performing a Chinese dance at the concert

Commemorating the Africans who came to Guyana

Students dress in traditional Indian wear at the Arrival Day concert. Mrs Li is first from left

equipped with an internet service.

Speaking just before the start of the event, Mrs Li, a native of Yupukari who returned to her home village after retiring from teaching in the capital city, explained the significance of

Indian Arrival Day and the aim of the concert to also highlight Guyana’s different ethnic groups.

Yupukari village is primarily recognised for its Caiman House, a part guest lodge,

part research and education centre, assisted by Rupununi Learners Foundation (RLF), a US-based non-profit organization, and run by Rupununi Learners Incorporated (RLI), a Guyanese non-profit corporation registered in 2007 and composed of Rupununi village residents.

Caiman House is known for hosting international and local scientists and researchers in extensive study of Black Caiman,jaguars, and Yellow Spotted Amazon River turtles, as well as ethnobotany (the study of how people of a particular culture and region make use of native plants).he Makushi Ethnobotany Project being carried out in the area is supported by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

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This week's Crossword

This week's Puzzle

see solution on page 47

Questioning… …identity eems there was a symposium at the Convention Centre to answer the question, “Who are we?” Now this had to’ve been a very high powered session since the five presenters mentioned in one report were all “Doctors”. Not medical doctors since they weren’t discussing “HOW are we”. Most likely doctors in the various “social sciences” – psychology, anthropology, sociology etc… that specialise in matters of identity and such like.

Another clue the symposium was high octane was the newly-installed Vice Chancellor of UG, Ivelaw Griffith vouchsafing that the panellists would be “interrogating old questions”. Now the moment you hear about “interrogating” anything and the words don’t come from the mouth of Police squeezing confessions from unwary suspects, it’s a dead giveaway you’re dealing with heavy intellectual hitters.

The final confirmation of grey matter in abundance was when your trusty Eyewitness couldn’t get a report on what was actually said from the press reports that’re his daily manna.

Presumably the reporters from the various media groups are still digesting the nuggets of wisdom – and gold, as we all should know being Guyanese, is a VERY HEAVY metal.

Anyhow, your Eyewitness has already been bombarded for over 50 years – there, you now know! – with a very definitive answer to the question as to “who are we”. Namely the national motto we adopted at independence that allows no ambiguity – we are “One People, One Nation…with one destiny”. That threw out the old notion we used to run around with, that we were “the land of six peoples”. No baby! We were now one people.

It was like one day you’re living in sin – drinking, carousing and generally carrying on – and the next day you’re baptised. You are now saved and the old you has been exorcised forever. And if we’re one people, we have to be one “nation”, don’t we? So what exactly did these eggheads over at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre “interrogate”?

The fact of the matter is this Eyewitness thinks Government should just get the heck out of the business of “interrogating” who we are. The moment Government gets involved is the moment when inevitably someone’s gonna cry “FOUL”!!!

Pointing out that one group or another’s getting the inside track to the funding from the Government.

“Who we are?” is a question best answered by “we the people”…and since the Government’s always run by ONE section of the “people”, COMPARISONS WILL INEVITABLY ARISE. That some folks might be better funded and better equipped to influence the answer to the question, must be countered from within the resources of the “others”.

State “help” doesn’t really help – just infantilises. ….digital books One letter writer took objection to a telephone company exulting in 4G freedom and splashing over some billboard, “Goodbye Library… Hello World!”. Point the company was making, of course, was we can now download books off the internet so fast, we might as well have the world’s library at our fingertips. And we, therefore, don’t need to sidle into stuffy libraries with musty “paper” books.

Evidently, the writer recently chanced into the New York Public Library and found it chock full of all sorts of bibliophiles. And so, ipso facto, the day of paper books isn’t over! If he’d ambled over from the library at 42nd Street over to Central Park at 59th Street, he’d have seen bigger worthies getting into the horse buggies there. But that doesn’t mean the car industry is dead…is it? The bottom line is there’ll always be innovations in every area of life.

And we have to just adapt if it pushes the envelope in a positive direction. …roadworks Your Eyewitness wants to know why Carifesta Ave’s being widened and given a median. It certainly can’t be because of the high traffic density…enough vehicles just can’t get to it.

Is it because they’re planning more SOCU highspeed chases?

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Eternal glory to the torch bearers of our struggle for freedom in 1966

By Isahak Basir, CCH

T

he British government took our Guyana from Dutch occupancy in 1803 and established three colonies. These colonies were governed by separate Governors appointed by the British Colonial Office. Guyana, until 1950, was a territory for enslaved semi-slave labourers who were taken unceremoniously from Central Africa, China, Portugal and India.

Under this colonial rule, the means of pro-

wrath of some progressive minded people, one of whom was the son of an indentured labourer, the late Dr Cheddi Jagan.

Jagan, an Americantrained dentist, is regarded as the icon of our independence struggle for Guyana’s independence. But this was not a one man struggle, as such Janet Jagan, Aston Chase, Joycelyn Hubbard, Sydney King, E.M.G Wilson and trade unionist Hubert Nathaniel Critchlowcame on board

First Prime Minister of an independent Guyana, L.F.S. Burnham (right) and Guyana's first Governor GeneralSir Richard Luyt shake hands after the Union Jack was taken down and the Golden Arrowhead raised on May 26, 1966

duction, distribution, exchange and infrastructure were executed by British personnel.

Guyana’s population was used to produce sugar, molasses, rum, cotton, coffee, gold, bauxite, balata and cattle for British’s super profits. Nothing was left for Guyana’s political, economic, social and cultural development. With a special elite group, Guyana was under the servitude of the British Empire. With this episode of semi-slave society, culture invoked the

and set the spark for freedom that spread like wild fire across the terrains of Guyana.

The contingent grew stronger when a British trained Barrister entered the road march for freedom. This intellectual icon was Linden Forbes Burnham, whose power of using the English language, caused an uproar in the British Parliament, that he was ordained the best orator in the Caribbean.

By 1950, the political party People’s Progressive Party (PPP)

was promulgated under the leadership of Jagan.

This organization, with its emissaries in all the districts, mountains and rivers, created this mindset for genuine social political and economic freedom to build a society free from discrimination and want.

However, Jagan’s working class ideology and vision for a free Guyana met with some strong opposition from the British and local lackeys and the philosophy of 1823 Monroe Doctrine. Jagan’s struggle led to the right of one man vote at the age of 21 years for the first time in Guyana in 1953. Prior to that time, only the upper class had the right to vote.

Forbes Burnham became the first elected Prime Minister of Education in the People’s Progressive Party led Government in 1953. His vision for free education for all is a manifestation of privilege of this present Guyanese society.

The young and vibrant lawyer, Forbes Burnham, took a new approach in a new direction to end up at this “same goal” for independence, and Guyana’s vision for a socialist-oriented society. His political counterparts were Peter Stanislaus D'Aguiar, Winifred Gaskin, Rupert Tellow, Dr P.R. Reid,Llewellyn John and Lionel Luckhoo.

However, between the periods of 1957 to 1964, the PPP Government set the pace for paid changes in education, transport, health, housing and communication. Some of these were land development schemes, new ferries, electrification, secondary schools, health centres and roads from sugar slavery, logies,

Crowds watch a parade celebrating independence (May 29, 1966)

punt trench water, calabash utensils, mud floor house and ward mentality implicated by freedom to a new vision of hope.

The bell has trolled and a new day has come, it was the May 26, 1966, when the garland of freedom was bequeathed to Burnham on behalf of the Guyanese nation.

On that historical day, the father of our political emancipation, Cheddi Jagan stood side by side with Forbes Burnham and very ceremoniously addressed the nation in glorious terms, while the Union Jack was replacedby our Golden Arrowhead – our National Flag. Our national anthem also replaced the Queen’s Anthem, and our motto remains a building force of our multi-ethnic society – never to be divided by those who choose to tarnish our real zeal for freedom and unity.

The pre-independence struggle saw the covert work of the American Central Intelligence Agency in Guyana to undermine an elect-

Isahak Basir, CCH

ed Government under Cheddi Jagan’s administration. The Burnhamled Government invited the wrath of a privilege religious group in the Rupununi in 1968.

By 1976, the Venezuelan threat and Cabana Air Disaster were desperate efforts to destabilise Guyana.

The visionary and political patriot, Jagan, saw the agents of destabilization. As such, in 1975, in the interest of our Sovereignty, he led his majority party to po-

sition of “critical support”, knowing the history of Goebbels’ Formula - where all are involved or all is consumed.

The independence collaborations took different aspects in Georgetown, the sugar belt, the interior regions and the claiming of Mt Roraima to install our National Flag.

In Essequibo, much was done being directed by the ADC office in Suddie, churches, civil-minded persons and various schools; many innovations depicted the celebrations with traditional bad cows masquerade,tassa drums and saxophone music from Danielstown Village was noticeable.

The ferry MV Malali was decorated and served free mauby drinks donated by Francis Shurland. A baker shop from Suddie donated corn bread to all the nearby schools.

In central Essequibo, the Reberios, Maharajs, Khans and Brittons had community sports between the villages. continued on page 42

38 art & culture

Exploring... our artists are not just parochial: they have responded to international conflicts such as the Gulf War, and champion international movements for global peace and liberation from oppression.

Our art is one of innate concern and responsibility. Right from the beginning, our artists showed a responsibility to the development of the nation through their social commen-

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

from page 30

tary. In 1961, Burrowes presciently offered his “Land of the Dolorous Guard” as a warning about developments in the country.

Stanley Greaves became famous for his “People of the Pavement” series in the 1950’s, and he continued his trenchant examination of our politics and culture in his “There’s a Meeting Here Tonight” (1990’s) and other artwork.

'The Vendor of Animals' (1992) by Josefa Tamayo

Just after the elation of independence, CyrilKanhai’s sarcastic “Green Land of Guyana” pointed to the disjunction between political promises and reality.

Bernadette Persaud bravely confronted authority with her “Gentleman in the Garden” series as economic and political pressures developed in the 1980’s.

From the 1990’s, Desmond Ali in his innovative, massive sculpture enlarged our thinking about Guyana’s political condition by expounding on the history of colonialism and the struggle for independence in the wider American region.

Our art gives Guyana root and substance: a hallmark of our art is how it draws from the well of our intrinsic cultures and experiences.

By doing this, our artists give recognition to the inherence of the ancestral in the construction and existence of the Guyanese identity.

From the 1960’s, Stephanie Correiabrought the forms and spirit of the first peoples of the country into formal art in her ceramic work. Eddie

"Fifty Years Ago" (1975) by Lancelot Burton

Fredericks depicted the rhythms of indigenous life; George Simon delved into his indigenous heritage to produce powerful art.

He also tutored Lokono artists – Oswald Hussein, LynusClenkien, Telford Taylor, Roland Taylor and others - who from the 1990’s revealed a hidden dimension of the Guyanese imagination with their shapeshifting works in wood.

Philip Moore had, from the 1940’s, been intuitively drawing from his native African ancestry, but also recognising and utilising the iconography of the East Indian worldviews.

Later, in the 1970’s, the Village Movement artists broughtthe African ancestry further into the limelight through the medium and style of their intuitive wood sculpture.

Gary Thomas, Compton Parris, Omowale Lumumba, and Colin Wardewere some of the main exponents of this movement,which still live on inthe works of the Main Street Artists Brian Clarke, RasIah, Marvyn Phillips, Francis Ferreira and others.

In the 1980’s,

Bernadette Persaud showed the power and relevance of East Indian religions and imagery in interpreting and understanding Guyana.

Dudley Charles gave serious consideration to the beliefs of the folk, starting in the 1980’s with his “Old House” series andcontinuing this engagement in his subsequent works.

As in any other genuine art, inthe particularity of Guyanese art, there is a connection to the universal. Aubrey William’s abstract paintings turn the Guyana landscape into the ground of examination of cosmic matters; Denis William’s Human World addresses all of modern industrial life; Philip Moore’s metaphysics apply to all;Winslow Craig’s themes touch universal chords.

Artists such as Terence Roberts,Carl Anderson and Derrick Callendarcontemplate Guyana’s identity within the widest international context; PhilbertGajadhar celebrates East Indian ancestry, but also recognises its relatedness to other cultures as well, and so on.Our artists ex-

plore formal technical issues, tackle great questions of being, engage in metaphysics, comment on the world, and are alive to global efforts for freedom, justice, development and the best possibilities of human life.

The National Gallery of Art, Castellani House, located on Vlissengen Road, is currently hosting an art exhibition showcasing works from Guyanese artists mentioned in this article. Aptly titled “From Colony to Nation”, the exhibition opens a window to the past and reviews the present so as tohelp us in the necessary tasks of reflecting, celebrating and inspiring. As we celebrate our semi-centenary, this art exhibition stirs a feeling that art will continue be there to lead, support and inspire our development.

The exhibition is currently open to the public until July 30, 2016. Admission is free.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday; the gallery is closed Sundays and holidays. (Excerpted from notes by Alim Hosein)

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from page 32

Cheddi Jagan meeting with Levi Eshkol during a visit to Israel in 1961 (Wikipedia)

of the authority of government.”

In 1951 he arrived in the United Kingdom not only to attend a World Youth Festival in Berlin but also to begin discussions with the British Colonial Office about independence for British Guiana.

This would all lead to the 1953 general elections, which became the first elections under adult suffrage for the Guyanese people.

In a historic election that saw an almost 75 per cent voter turnout, the PPP won 18 of the 24 seats, but it was here that Burnham’s dispute with Jagan appeared.The new government was led by Jagan as Chief Minister. Real power, however, continued to reside in the hands of the British.

Though the PPP were in office,they did not have real power to implement the changes they saw were needed; they did however make some changes in the educational system, reform to local government, gave more rights to farmers, increased rates for workers, and improved drainage and irrigation to boost agriculture.

Planters and the colonial authorities festered under a PPP in office, eventually claiming that Jagan’s party exhibited Communist tendencies, so that on Oct. 9, 1953 the British sent troops into British Guiana, suspended the constitution, dismissed the government and created a nominated legislative council made up mainly of those they felt would be sympathetic to the colonial status quo.

The Americans sided with Britain’s actions and shortly after, Jagan was handed a restriction order that limited his movements to Georgetown only, though he would break it and be arrested.

After he was released on bail he was almost immediately rearrested and placed before the courts where the magistrate handed him a six months with hard labour sentence –one that shocked the world.

But it gave him the opportunity to soon agitate for better prison conditions, one of which led to changes in the prison diet – the first since 1934. Jagan spent five months at the Camp Street and Mazaruni prisons, moved around because of his influence over many of the prisoners.

While he was unfazed by his prison experience, he was greatly distressed when his wife, Janet was imprisoned for five months.

But the British authorities saw as their greatest achievement the 1955 split between Jagan and Burnham, which Jagan viewed partly a result of Burnham’s ambitions and partly a result of British machinations.

The British Guiana constitution remained suspended from 1953 to 1957 and the years from 1957 – 1964 Jagan wryly considered a “coalition” of the PPP and the Colonial Office.

Nevertheless he was triumphant in the 1957 elections,and the 1961 elections saw him re-elected as premier of British Guiana as the colony was granted self-government in 1961, though once again real power was in the hands of the Governor.

While in government he worked tirelessly to secure Guyana’s independence, and was instrumental in establishing the University of Guyana.

But Jagan would be ousted three years later after race and labour riots led to Burnham leading the country out of colonial rule in 1966.

As CNN would in 1997 recall, Jagan was blocked from rule by Britain and the United States, which opposed his Marxist beliefs. The New York Times noted that US “government documents that only came to light in the 1990's indicate that Washington was behind much of the Guyanese labour unrest, sabotage and disinformation efforts that led to race riots between East Indians and blacks that left nearly 100 dead.”

Consequently, for almost three decades Jagan remained in Opposition, until 1992 when Guyana’s first free and fair elections returned him to power – with the support of the US government.

According to the Washington Post, in power he is recognised for steering Guyana “toward what some economists called one of the most successful economic adjustments anywhere, including a 1996 agreement to reduce by 67 per cent the country's debt with the Paris Club of creditor nations.

From a high of 105 percent in 1989, inflation fell to 4.5 percent in 1996, as the country opened to foreign investors eager to tap vast resources in mining, forestry and agriculture.”

Jagan was also a writer who penned several books

President Cheddi Jagan being congratulated by out-going former President Desmond Hoyte following the Oct. 9, 1992 general elections (Mirror)

relating to Guyana’s history.

Cheddi Jagan died March 6, 1997 in Washington, USA where

he had been hospitalized after a heart attack. He was 78.

He was given a state funeral and his body lay in

State in Georgetown and Albion. He wascremated March 12, in the Babu John cemetery at Port Mourant, Berbice.

40 feature

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Handing over a copy to Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes (left)

dding a delicious twist to traditional ground provisions meals, Sabrina Panday’s “Provisions: Cooking Healthy with Nature's Bounty” inaugural cookbook is simple to use with appetizing recipes tested in her own kitchen.

As a little girl growing up in Guyana, and as with most Guyanese, Sabrina came to know ground provisions as a collection of various root vegetables. Her interest in cooking and food exploration led her to research through many cookbooks for a collection of recipes dedicated to ground provisions, but did not find one.

Consequently, the idea was born to create a cookbook that explored different cuisines, from home and abroad, using staples and vegetables grown and available in

the Caribbean.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Sabrina said the word "provisions" means to provide or supply something, especially of food or other necessities preparing in advance to meet the dietary needs. Based on this concept, the cookbook was compiled.

There are over 40 recipes with “simple” instructions.

Sabrina has worked as a flight attendant, been a model and dancer, and now works in marketing and managing various sports projects.

She was employed with the ICC T20 World Cup organisation and now the Caribbean Premier League.

Additionally, she is a florist, events decorator and now a published author.

This culinary venture is a new path for

Sabrina, who has approximately 20 years of culinary experience. She mentioned that although she is not a chef, her experience and business background aided in the success of her cookbook.

What is notable, too, is that she personally designed and compiled the cookbook, which is why she refers to it as her “baby”.

“When you do what you love it’s no longer work. My love for cooking since I was a child inspired me to publish this cookbook – a project I wanted to do for a very long time and a dream come through. While I was growing up I was given cookbooks as gifts, and as I got older my collection grew. Also, my eldest brother Imtiaz Ali Panday, who has passed on, was very instrumental in life, teaching me most of the things I know, that is why I dedicated this book to him,” Sabrina recalled.

Losing her parents at age 12, Sabrina had to learn to be a grownup, although she was the youngest of her siblings. Her eldest brother taught her to cook, among other vital life skills. For his contribution, Sabrina dedicated “Provisions: Cooking Healthy with Nature's Bounty” to him.

The recipes, according to Sabrina, were all tested in her kitchen so readers can rest assured that they will create delicious meals the entire family will love.

The photos in the cookbook were also taken by Sabrina as she made the meals in her kitchen.

“What’s notable about this cookbook is

that it appeals to vegetarians and gluten free enthusiasts, something I did unintentionally. It’s a twist on what can be done with ground provisions other than the traditional recipes we know. I have received positive feedback, locally and internationally and my dream for this cookbook is for it to be worldwide,” she declared.

Sabrina has a contagious positive attitude, which she credits to being “bold and fearless and never underestimating oneself”. Yoga and meditation, she pointed out, have also helped her to be a successful individual.

Sabrina Panday’s “Provisions: Cooking Healthy with Nature's

Sabrina Panday

Bounty” is available at Guyana Stores, Austin’s Bookstore, Giftland Mall and at various hotels.

It is also available online on Amazon. To find out more, visit Sabrina Panday on Facebook.

from page 31

Lowering the British flag (left) to hoist the Golden Arrowhead (right) at the Independence Day ceremony, May 26, 1966

1966.The Guyana flag was also raised at Charity, Anna Regina, and Suddie, as well as at Hamburg, Tiger Island.

Fireworks and tramping added to the jubilations.

The independence programmes in Mackenzie, Wismar and Christianburg included a candle light parade before the flag-raising ceremony and after religious services, and later during the day there was a regatta.

Coinciding with the Duke and Duchess of Kent’s visit to the community on May 27, there was the laying of the cornerstone of the Mackenzie Community Pavilion.

Dinner and dances, sporting events, church services and a tramp were also

part of the celebrations.

Berbice celebrations included a lighted torch run in addition to the flag-raising ceremony. Sam Shepard, New Amsterdam’s marathon champion, and the town’s schoolboy champ, Clifford La Rose, ran a 5-mile, two-leg relay around the town and back to the District Administration’s office compound.

It was at the compound too that then Minister of Trade W.O.R. Kendall, hoisted the Golden Arrowhead for flagraising ceremonies. Additionally, the Royal Air Force (RAF) staged a flypast and a brief air show over New Amsterdam.

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The aftermath of Independence

By Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine

L

ike a vast majority of countries in the post-colonial era, Independence did not achieve the expected rewards as postulated by their individual Heads of State. Corruption, nepotism and dictatorship became the order of the day. Guyana fits snugly into this mold.

The benefits of chartering a new political course was wrecked on the rocks as Guyana’s first Head of State abolished the Privy Council, at that time the country’s highest legal appellate body. The road to dictatorship had begun. The middle of his rule saw him proclaimed himself and his PNC party above the Constitution with his socalled ‘Declaration of Sophia’in 1980, just like his sub-Saharan counterparts; Idi Amin (Uganda), Bokassa (Central African Republic), Mugabe (Zimbabwe),Sekou Toure (Guinea),Siad Barre (Somalia) Mobutu Seko (Congo) ad nauseam.

Guyana had descended into a police state and while the population steadfastly condemned the sins…. no one was prepared to condemn the sinner.

Much has been written on rigged elections, however, it may be superfluous to add that the Western world did not care much about this phenomenon as the alternative to leadership was a Marxist. The 1968 elections embraced overseas voting

where non-existent souls were listed on the voters’ list. In England, numerous voters’ addresses were vacant buildings while horses were living at listed voter addresses! His venture into Socialism came when Western leaders refused dealings with him. Playing East against West, Nationalization soon dominated the landscape and the Opposition Leader threw his backings and came out with a lopsided program of ‘Critical Support’. (Burnham and Jagan must go down in history as two of the most clumsy, internecine misfits ever to walk Guyana). In effect, if Burnham was guilty of building disastrous economic structures then we must recall that Cheddi Jagan, the mouthpiece of Marxism/Leninism was the chief architect.

There followed massive food shortages in the late 70’s: One had to join long lines for oil and soap at the KSI (Knowledge Sharing Institute) outlets—what a name for a place to buy food!!

Oblivious of his disastrous policies the dictator created the National Service, National Guard Service, Peoples’ Militia, Tactical Services Unit –all staffed predominantly by blacks- and some other clandestine organizations which will probably remain hidden. Amidst this catastrophe Burnham erected two huge statues, Cuffy and Damon, two slave ‘leaders’ to remind his people of their sordid history and

the whiplashes of massa. Sadly, massa days were not over: only the color of massa had changed.

There was great unrest and suffering in the country but the dictator continued his sojourn into the labyrinth of clumsiness and concocted a masterstroke: the threat of an invasion by neighboring Venezuela, a country with a Socialist ideology with massive food shortages and now tottering on selfdestruction. Burnham’s demise in 1985 ushered in a somewhat logical era, where his successor, Desmond Hoyte (who later declared to make his own homeland ungovernable), opened up the economy to foreign investments and obtained an IMF loan. This resulted in massive capital flight (as if this was something new) and astronomical devaluation of the currency…which continues to this day.

Being fed up with a police state the US and other Western powers surmised it was time to intervene in Guyana’s future and in 1992, with the help of the Carter Center, Guyana witnessed its first free elections since Independence. The Marxist PPP, led by Cheddi Jagan and his American-born Jewish wife, came to power and performed creditably until his early death in 1995. Shortly afterwards Guyana witnessed huge developments with a rebuilt infrastructure and massive foreign companies operating in its resource rich interior. But this

was a superficial program as huge amounts of forestry and mining concessions gave rise corruption on a scale never witnessed in the country. Ministers and high officials siphoned off untold amount of money through kickbacks. Bai Shan Lin now mines over 1.5 million acres of timber, while OMAI was taking out gold by the tons every month. As the French philosopher, Jean Karr stated: the more things change the more they remain the same.

• The leaders are concerned about their power and not the people.

• The spoils of the country’s natural resources continue to go to foreign bank accounts.

• Sugar has continued to dominate the economy.

• Leaders have plundered the treasury like their British predecessors.

• The population has remained the same.

• Racial tensions continue unabated.

• The country still relies heavily on imported goods.

In the final analysis Guyana has a bleak future and none of its leaders—past and present—have shown moral concern or remorse for their actions. Sad to say, Guyana has moved from a wealthy colony to a withering corpse in the aftermath of Independence.

42 feature

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com from page 39

Charity and Pomeroon, the catholic community, made a great impact for the weeklong celebrations where banners were placed across the Roman Catholic Church had its bells tolling to welcome the event. The Rahim’s of Charity offered a free bus ride to Suddie and back.

In the Pomeroon River, motorlaunch Queen Mary, Chamberlain, Napoleon, Titanic were decorated and their journey to the Kabakaburi Mission in

the Upper Pomeroon were met with a big party of blowing of horns and beating of fuel drums for music.

At Kabakaburi, Rev. Father Holden and Toshao Williams organised a treat for the Carib and Arawak community with cassari, arasoka, fried hymara fish, roasted calamari. The Calistro’s, Tobin’s and Baird’s supplied rich music well into the night. At the enclave of Siriki,

Independence Day revellers in a parade

the first Hindu temple built by Pundit Ramphal,

he provided his motorlaunch (named Romace)

to transport farmers to attend the satsang.

At Jacklow, Imam Basir had his jamaat honour the celebrations in prayer too.

The licensed firearm owners, being the Gouveias, Correias, Silvas and Adams, did not spare the occasions to give gun salutes with shots that appear to shoot out small pieces of paper.

For those of us at that age and time

will recall that historic event that set the path of our road to real emancipation. Therefore, we have the obligation to disseminate in written history for the benefits of posterity. We must stand united and vehemently embrace our national pledge and motto as well to recognise our political icons Cheddi and Forbes, for they are the greatest benefactors of our independent Guyanese nation and we are the beneficiaries.

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Post-colonial rhizomatic identities

By Ravi Dev

T

aking my son to write his CAPE Literature exams last, he waxed enthusiastically about the poet Olive Senior whose Gardening in the Tropics was an assigned text.

The Jamaican, of mixed heritage, used the activity of “gardening” as an extended trope to analyse the brutal colonisation of the Caribbean by the Europeans and their influence in the formation of our identity.

Gardening does involve “rooting out”, discarding” “cultivating”, “nurturing”, “grafting”, “hybridity” and so many activities that are also at work in cultures and relationships in the construction of identities. All of us have been and continue to be “cultivated” whether we like it or not.

Even when we were uprooted from homelands in Asia, Africa and Europe, we were all already “hybrids” that had been variously constituted.

The North Indians of the Bhojpuri belt, for instance, were the consequences of continuous invasions for thousands of years,

of which the Moghul invasion and its Islamic world view was only the most extensive. The music and the religions of the people were dramatically “cross fertilised”. The British presence in the century before the end of Indentureship had already begun to have its impact, if for nothing else that the famines that made millions hungry and homeless and willing to seek their fortunes across the “Kala Pani”.

In the Caribbean, the Indians and Portuguese and Chinese indentureds would encounter the Africans who had been subjected to hundreds of years of European imposition of culture and religion – forcibly and not so forcibly. While against all odds, the Africans retained elements of their cultures in Africa – they were drawn from all across West Africa – it was into their “creolised” culture that the new arrivals would be exposed to in the Caribbean.

The Africans were expected to inculcate “English culture”, even though their humanity was denied and by definition could never

be “English”. This was interesting since most of the overseers they interacted with were Irish and Scottish. The indentured servants inevitably imbibed much of their new culture from the African creoles who preceded them in the plantation, and who were expected to “season” them into the new dispensation.

Out of this experience with independence we were told that we were “One people; One Nation; One Destiny”.

However, in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean, people of African origin sought to counter the European hegemonic cultural imposition with the ideologies of “Black Power”, “Negritude” and “Pan Africanism” all of which privileged the African culture as the “root” of the tree of “national culture”.

But reviewing the broad sweep of Caribbean history, Senior sought to make the point that there is no “pure” origins and no “one root” that we can discover on which to construct our Caribbean identity. She borrowed the metaphor

of the “rhizome” – with its multiplicity of roots that privilege no one root for Caribbean identity from the Martiniquean Edouard Glissant. He was consciously reacting against the construct of “negritute” and of “hybridity” that been proposed to describe French Antillean identity.

The first excluded all others such as people of Indian origin and the French and the latter that still privileged the “African root”.

Glissant himself had adapted the image from the French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari who introduced the rhizome as a metaphor for “multiplicity,” rather than a “multiple”. In a more abstract plane than Glissant and Senior, the Deleuze and Guattari emphasised “there are no points or positions in a rhizome, such as those found in a structure, tree, or root. There are only lines.” They also emphasised that we need to stop focusing on sameness since what holds all existence together is difference, not resemblance.

I am happy that CXC had chosen a text like Gardening in the Tropics which will help make our young people move away from the binary of “African” and “Indian”, which enviably creates divisions and towards a more fluid, permeable conception of self in which “Guyanese” can be a mosaic rather than hierarchical strata of dominator and dominated.

The Garden City: Reloaded

S

atiricus’ heart swelled with pride with the opening of the spanking new “Independence Arch” at Agricola. 50 years after the first one to the southern approaches had been installed at Ruimveldt, as Pressie intoned, there was so much symbolised by the new structure at the new spot.

The first arch had been a gift from DEMBA, the old bauxite company at Linden. They had converted our own bauxite into aluminium (in Canada – but that’s another story) from which they crafted the triple arch. “Imagine our red mud becoming shiny aluminium!” marvelled Satiricus.

The three strands of the arch had signified the three counties of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice, Now we have a triple steel arch made by a Surinamese company. Satiricus was proud that even though our 10 regions now had their own flags, we were now being signalled we’re still “three” united into “One Guyana”. And steel is stronger than aluminium.

On the move from aluminium to steel, Satiricus figured out Guyana was ready to explore and exploit its iron ore to make steel. Bauxite was now old hat – steel was the thing. And Satiricus was sure using the Surinamese company to create the arch, was meant to show how much of a good neighbour we were to Suriname. Even though they still claimed the 6000 square miles of the New River Triangle.

But what pleased Satiricus most of all was moving the arch to Agricola. This showed that since Independence, Georgetown had grown to include more “garden space”. As Satiricus thought about Agricola, Georgetown, and its recent history, the soaring words of Pressie flowed through his mind.

“Citizens should not have to shut themselves in their homes on weekends afraid to venture forth because of unlit streets. Georgetown must become a walking city where people, in the evening, can stroll with their family to enjoy the outdoors, can jog, or simply hang out with friends in our numerous watering holes. Safety and security are essential to enjoying the good life.”

Satiricus could just see himself “hanging out with his friends at the Agricola watering holes”.

Especially since over the years at his old Back Street Bar “watering hole” in his village, he had probably paid for the construction of the arch with all the beers he’d consumed from the Beer Company that funded the Surinamese company.

47

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

Golden Years of Guyanese Literature

Everything’s all right…

S

atiricus was relieved. He’d been hearing all this doom and gloom on the economy. And since he’d been seeing with his own eyes folks losing their jobs and businesses just not getting customers, he figured the reports were true. But now Satiricus’ eyes had been opened and he knew it was all one big mistake.

“How yuh know dat, Sato?” asked his buddy Cappo. “Look wha’ happen to abee sugar workers.

Dem throw 1700 a dem out in de streets, bai!”

“Budday, what you and me see is only a small piece of the picture,” said Satiricus as he looked around the Back Street Bar. “Like how we only see a few of the fellas taking a drink nowadays. It could be other bars are overflowing with people.”

“Well, chap…me na know ‘bout you. Even even me brudder-in-law in Berb-Ice who mo’ rich dan God, complaining,” replied Cappo. “De man na even gi’e he sistah wan present duh she birt’day.”

“Cappo, what you’re doing is taking “anecdotal” evidence and extending it to the whole country,” said Satiricus firmly as he sipped his beer slowly. No gulps nowadays. He had to nurse his drinks since Cappo had no money to stand his round. And his wife had cut back on his pocket money.

“Me na know ‘bout “a neck dote”. Me know wha me feel…and me feelin’ real strain now, Budday…real strain,” Cappo said feelingly. “Is wha’ mek yuh talkin’ suh much schupidness?”

“Is not stupidness, Cappo,” said Satiricus firmly. “The IMF tell the Finance Minister our economy is growing, boy. Growing. They looking at the big picture….which is the real picture.”

“IMF?” asked Cappo quizzically, “Na Burnt Ham bin call dem “International Mother F***er?”

“That was then,” Satiricus snapped impatiently.

He didn’t like when Cappo questioned him.

“Me know dis time na laang time,” conceded Cappo. “But whe’ de IMF find growin’ in Guyana?

A na de Finance Ministah bin seh even de drugs na bring in money nowadays?”

“Ah…but that is where the Finance Minister is a big man to admit he could be wrong!” crowed Satiricus. “The IMF tell him we producing more gold, budday! Gold!”

“But na all de prafit fram gold a guh to de country, whe’ de gold company come fram?” asked Cappo the canecutter.

Satiricus was struck speechless. He never did like Cappo arguing with him.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Renown Guyanese poet Martin Carter (1927-1997)

By Petamber Persaud

B

y the time, the Golden Arrowhead replaced the Union Jack on May 26, 1966, many of our writers had already gained a foothold in world literature. It would be useful to remember that the vehicle responsible for such exploit was the British literary tradition,to which our local literature was hitched over a long period.

However, that pervading colonial influence lost some ground in the 1940s with the rise of Guyanese intellectualism and birth of political awarenessgiving rise to a Guyanese literature consolidated and given validation through the 1950s and 1960s, looking towards independence and the future.

Two writers whose work encapsulates that shift were Edgar Mittelholzer’s “Kaywana Trilogy”, covering more than300 years of Guyana’s history from slavery to the birth of democracy, and Martin Carter’s Poems (of resistance, of succession, and of affinity).

Poems of pride in country from the pens of A. J. Seymour, Cyril Madray Kanhai and numerous others formed part of the equation of giving validity to a Guyanese identity and sovereignty.

After Independence, there was a marked increase in publications by Guyanese writers, both from the established and the emerging ones, both from the locals and those in the diaspora.

There are many contributing factors to this upsurge in writings by Guyanese on Guyana.

Enabling features of this novel literature could be found in the mushrooming of literary organizations, founding of literary magazines, publications of anthologies, offering of literary prizes, recognition of women writers and the opening of performance venues.

Publishing

Self-publishing was a notable feature of the post-Independence period. Sheik Sadeek was a pioneer in this field. The Guyanese Writers and Artists Association and other entities like the Free

Press, Release Publishers, Demerara Publishers, and Red Thread Women’s Press made significant contributions in this area.

Overseas publishing houses also started taking a healthy interest in local writers, with the most notable contribution coming from Peepal Tree Press.

The Caribbean Press, instituted under a former president, Bharrat Jagdeo, in less than a decade of operation published over seventy Guyanese titles of rare books and contemporary writing.

The situation for publishing has changed but not significantly to effect a shift away from self-publishing.

In fact, the digital age has enhanced self-publishing.

Indian Verse” edited by C. E. J. Ramcharitar-Lalla (1934) and “They Came in Ships”, published in 1988.

Organizations

Performance venues

The liberation of the imagination in our writers was harnessed and streamlined with the formation of organizations like the PEN - Guyana Writers Group, the Annandale Group of Writers, the Pavements Poets, the Messenger Group and the Culture Corp of the Guyana National Service; Mahadai Das was perhaps the Corp’s best known poetess.

Later, in the new millennium, many other literary organizations like the Association of Guyanese Writers and Artists, Janus, and Writers in Concert (WICK) were formed.

As time went by, the convergence of writers through those organizations extended the debate/ discussion on current issues, to include a wide cross section of society for whom the writers were supplying new words/phrases to address new experiences.

New experiences of this era included estrangement and the quest for harmony, which were dealt with by writers like Jan Shinebourne, Sasenarine Persaud, Harischandra Khemraj, Grace Nichols, Roy Heath and Narmala Shewcharan, among others.

Prizes

The Guyana Prize for Literature, initiated by the late President Desmond Hoyte in 1987, was another defining moment in our literary heritage. Some recent winners, like Ruel Johnson, Subraj Singh, Ryhaan Shah and a few writers like Oonya Kempadoo will be a force to be reckoned with in the near and not too distant future.

We must not diminish the importance of another literary prize – the Jagan Gold Medal for Literature offered during 1950s and 1960s.

Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta), founded by the late President Forbes Burnham, added a new major performance venue – the National Cultural Centre, to existing ones created by various forms of the performing arts, and poetry reading. The Theatre Guild, founded in 1957, was for decades the major performance venue.

The Indigenous voice

The indigenous voice, which was stifled for a long while, starting supplying new nuances to mainstream literature. See the

ers also grabbed world attention.

In poetry, Grace Nichols won the Commonwealth Prize, in fiction, Pauline Melville the Whitbread Prize, and Karen King-Aribisala the Commonwealth Prize; in drama, Paloma Mohamed won the Anthony Sabga Caribbean Award for Arts and Letters.

Literary studies

Academics from around the world have and are continuing to do dissertations on our literature, namely on the work of Martin Carter, Wilson Harris, Jan Carew, Edgar Mittelholzer, David Dabydeen, Cyril Dabydeen, Sasenarine Persaud, among others.

I am sure that in the near future, local resident academics will take as much pride in our literature and do us proud. It is imperative to have the scholarship alongside the creative literature.

Fifty years in life of a nation’s literature is not a very long time but we have achieved much, far too much to do justice to in this short paper. But when we string these bits and pieces together, we would find, without a doubt, that we have indeed produced a solid core of writing that we can proudly call Guyanese literature.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or

Magazines

Magazines like Kaie, Kyk-over-Al, New World, Dawn, Heritage, Plexus, Expression, the Arts Journal and the Guyana Annual, offered intermediate avenues for showcasing emerging writers; some were responsible for launching the career of many writers who have gone on to international recognition.

Anthologies

Anthologies acted as yardsticks to the nation’s literary development and as bookkeepers of the nation’s invaluable literary heritage.

Some prominent anthologies included “Guianese Poetry”, edited

by N. E. Cameron (1931), “An Anthology of Local

Jacket of Edgar Mittelholzer’s Lectures Vol. 1, published by The Caribbean Press

encroachment of the environment, its beauty, its destruction, and its recovery in the poetry of David Campbell, Basil Rodrigues and Edwina Melville.

Women writers

A glorious manifestation of this post-Independence period was the emergence of female writings, enriching the literary landscape from a different perspective. Our women writ-

email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com What’s happening: Coming Soon: “Made in Guyana” by Petamber Persaud is a pocketbook bursting with a wealth of information and pictures on people, places and events, and on things made in Guyana. Check the media for a barrage of books to be launched soon.

48 Bollywood

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Priyanka Chopra wants to be James Bond

“Q

uantico” star Priyanka Chopra, whose name was being thrown around as one of the candidates for the role of Bond girl, says she rather wants to play James Bond. “I get that all the time.

But I wanna be Bond,” Priyanka said when asked whether she would be playing a future Bond girl. Fans are already starting to throw their support behind a handful of actors, including Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba, to pick up Daniel Craig’s mantle.

But recently, the idea of giving the part to a woman has been catching steam on social media, reported Complex magazine. However, the 33-year-old Indian actress is happy that she is getting a chance to play the villain before any Bond opportunities arise.

She stars as villain Victoria Leeds in the upcoming “Baywatch” film. “I wanted to play a bad guy for a really long time. And I’m doing that in Baywatch, so I’m excited.” (Indian Express)

Kriti Sanon looks forward to ‘beginning of beautiful journey’ in showbiz

K

riti Sanon, who walked into the world of Bollywood with “Heropanti” in 2014, looked back at the start of her career, exclaiming that it has been an ‘amazing’ journey till now. The actress says it is just a start as she has miles to go.

Kriti, who is currently in Budapest shooting for her upcoming Dinesh Vijan’s “Raabta”, got nostalgic when “Heropanti” on Monday clocked two years since its release.

Directed by Sabbir Khan, “Heropanti” also introduced Tiger Shroff.

The film narrated a love story and how the couple faces all odds to get together.

“It feels like yesterday when Tiger and I

A were nervous and excited about our release. Time flies and how! It has been amazing 2 years in this industry,” Kriti said in a statement.

The 25-year-old actress, who was last seen onscreen in Shah Rukh

Khan-starrer “Dilwale”, added: “Everyone has been warm and welcoming. There is so much more I want to do as an actor and it’s only the beginning of a beautiful journey.” (Indian Express)

I am proud of doing ‘Rustom’: Ileana D’Cruz

B

A

ishwarya Rai Bachchan, who has a daughter with husband and actor Abhishek Bachchan, says she is committed as an actress, but being a mother tops her priority list. After receiving a positive response from the audience for her performance in the film “Sarbjit”, the actress took on a special Twitter Q & A session and interacted with her fans across the globe, read a statement. From film choices to personal anecdotes, the actress answered a diverse range of questions sent by her fans on Twitter through special video tweets. She chose her favourite questions and answered them on @SarbjitMovie. She also answered questions from celebrities including Jackky Bhagnani, her “Sarbjit” co-star Richa Chadha and Abhishek.

When a fan asked her which one is harder – to be a mom or to be an ac-

ollywood actress Ileana D’Cruz, who is all set to share screen space with superstar Akshay Kumar in the upcoming film “Rustom”, says she is “quite proud” of being a part of Tinu Suresh Desai’s directorial project.

“The film we have done is fictional…there is a lot of fiction involved.

‘Rustom’ is a very intense movie. It’s vintage no doubt…I hope people walk

in and get immersed in the story. I am quite proud of (doing) this movie,” Ileana, who has launched the Skechers Go Flex Walk range, told IANS. Talking about how so many biopics and period dramas are being made in the Hindi film industry, Ileana, who was last seen on screen in the 2014 film “Happy Ending” feels it’s not a trend but a coincidence.

“I think it is maybe a coincidence because I know there are so many films actually have been in the making for a while or been talked about for a while…There are so many coincidences that so many biopics are releasing on the same time,” said the “Barfi!” star. The actress says she hopes “it goes well”. “Rustom” is slated to release on August 12. (Indian Express)

fter impressing everyone with back-to-back thrillers like Badlapur and Ahalya, actress Radhika Apte will once again be seen in Pawan Kriplani’s psychological thriller Phobia, which is releasing on May 27.

In conversation with the IndianExpress. com during a press conference of Phobia in Delhi, Radhika talks about her upcoming film Phobia, her experience of working with Rajnikanth in Tamil film Kabali directed by Pa. Ranjith, and winning the best actress award at the Tribeca film festival for Anurag Kashyap’s Madly, which made headlines a few months back when a nude clip from the film had been leaked online.

You will be next seen as Rajinikanth’s wife in Kabali, how was your experience working with the Thalaivar.

Radhika: Really good. I think he is one of my favourite actors/ co-actors. He is extremely simple, humble and hardworking. He is a gem of a person. Very inspiring.

How is Rajinikanth

tress? The mother of four-year-old Aaradhya said: “Being a mom tops my priority list. I am committed as an actor and it’s there for you to see.”

In fact, she even considers her “little Aradhya, our angel” an inspiration.

The former beauty queen shared that as a lady, her mother is her biggest inspiration and today, even her daughter. Talking about “Sarbjit”, which tells the hard-hitting story of an Indian farmer who was held captive and eventually died in a Pakistan jail, she said that the film found her.

“It was meant to be. Would I like to do more biopics? Yes…sure,” she added. When she was asked about her father-in-law and megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s reaction to her performance in the film, she said: “Pa put his arm around me and said ‘You did a very good job’. (Indian Express)

on sets?

Radhika: All these adjectives that I have used.

Phobia is the first time you’re playing a solo lead in a Hindi film.

Madly, what was your first reaction?

Radhika: I was alone at my room at 3 ‘o clock in the morning in Manali. So, I was just like ‘Is there anybody

Do you feel it will be a path-breaking film for you?

Radhika: That you’ll have to wait and see. I can’t tell you. We hope… or no, there’s no hope here (laughs)… whatever happens happens, we don’t care. From your mouth the God hears.

You seem so natural on screen, how do you prepare yourself for your role?

Radhika: We did a lot of research on panic attacks. We read a lot.

We met psychologists, we met patients, we met doctors and a lot of other kind.

You recently bagged the best actress award at Tribeca awards for

awake?’ and there was nobody awake. So, I was like it’s two more hours to call everyone and then I went back to sleep.

Given the controversy that ensued from the nude clip leak online from Madly, and then winning an award for the same movie, how does it feel?

Radhika: I don’t consider the first part at all. I didn’t do anything.

I only react to the part that I got the award. If I had gotten it if the video wouldn’t have been leaked, would I feel less happy or what? How is it related? It’s not related. Phobia hits the theatres on May 27. (Indian Express)

Hollywood 49

WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

'Coming out as a gay man wasn’t difficult because I was well-established and confident' – Sir McKellen

S “F

ruit Ninja” is the latest mobile app to get the big screen treatment after “Angry Birds”.

Tripp Vinson will produce a live-action comedy based on the second highest-selling iOS game of all time, The Hollywood Reporter said.

“Fruit Ninja” has had more than 1 billion downloads and centres on ninjas who sliced their way through the likes of pineapples and strawberries.

A

ctor Russell Crowe says he was relentlessly pranked by King Of Pop Michael Jackson.

The 52-year-old “Gladiator” star, who was on “The Graham Norton Show,” revealed that he received prank calls from the “Thriller” hitmaker, re-

The two have previously adapted “How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack”, based on the 2010 book by Chuck Sambuchino, which is being developed by Robert Zemeckis’s ImageMovers and Sony Animation.

Vinson Films has partnered with Halfbrick Studios for “Fruit Ninja”, with Sam White and Tara Farney serving as executive producers. (Indian Express)

ported Digital Spy. “He just got into the habit of wherever I was staying, (Michael) would just call into the hotel, ask for my room and put on funny voices.

“I’d never met him!

The first couple people I said it to – I didn’t want to sound like I was insane… When I actually

started talking to people who really knew him well, they’d go, ‘Man, he does it all the time’,” Crowe said.

The legendary musician used to reveal his identity, after the actor got irritated. “I used to do that – when I was like 11 and 12 (Michael) would always start off being kind of gruff, like he was the hotel management and there was some kind of problem. If I got kind of irritated, he’d just (chuckle and say), ‘Don’t worry Russell, it’s only Michael!’,” he recalled.

However, the two never met.

(Indian Express)

Vin Diesel remembers Paul Walker while shooting ‘Fast 8’

V

i n Diesel honoured late friend and “Fast and Furious” costar Paul Walker, who died in a fatal car crash in 2013, in an emotional Instagram post.

With production on “Fast 8” currently underway, Diesel, 48, shared a touching account he had with one of the film’s crew members with his social media followers.

“Many of the crew members who have worked on several of the past Fast films are here again to help us make something special,” he captioned a throwback

ir Ian McKellen was in full flow at National Centre For The Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai earlier in the week. The legendary British actor regaled audience with some interesting anecdotes from his stellar career, had everyone in splits with his spontaneous wisecracks and didn’t flinch from discussing the homosexual aspect of his personal life.

Sir McKellan opened up about his sexual orientation when quizzed by celebrity host Aamir Khan about the roughest and most depressing phase of his life.

While the Hobbit star was quick to allay any notions of having faced difficult times in his professional career, he admitted that in personal life it was his homosexuality that he found difficult to deal in his younger days.

“One aspect which was difficult for me and it’s a big part of my life being a gay man in England. It was legal but you had to be 21. It did inhibit me if I had love scene with a girl as I couldn’t fake it. I did try to avoid romantic parts,” said the 76-year old.

It was at 49 when Sir McKellen officially declared his homosexuality to the world by which time almost everyone knew about his homosexual orientation.

When asked by Aamir if it was difficult to come out in the open, the Shakespearean actor disagreed and said,

“It wasn’t difficult. I was well-established and confident.”

The only worry for Sir McKellen was about losing female fan following.

However the same disappeared when there was no decline in his fans mails from women folks.

The actor also narrated the story of a female fan who wrote to him citing her disappointment on learning about his homosexual status as she fantasized him as a sex figure. But later on she realised that the actor was her fantasy and she could carry on with it unabated. (Indian Express)

Becca Tobin gets engaged

F

ormer “Glee” star Becca Tobin is engaged to her boyfriend Zach Martin.

The actress, who played cheerleader Kitty Wilde for three seasons on “Glee” between 2012 and 2015, revealed that her Martin has proposed to her, reported Digital Spy. “I got engaged!” she announced.

“Every single person thought I was kidding. I thought he was kidding when he had the ring in front of my face! I thought it was fake.”

The actress debuted her ring in a photo she posted on Instagram of her and her new fiancé, captioned: “Thank you for all the congratulatory messages … How long until he realises he’s marrying a complete lunatic? #soblessed.” (Indian Express)

Eva Longoria gets married

A photo of himself seated beside Walker.

“One of them at the end of the week came up to me and said wow what we are capturing on film is excellent… And then looked at me and said Paul would be proud.”

Two days prior, Diesel also posted a video to his Instagram account, in which he shared his thoughts on filming the

latest “Fast and Furious” installment without Walker.

“Coming into shooting “Fast 8”, I knew that it was gonna be a darker road,” he said. “It’s amazing how regardless of how successful you are, that you have to go into a dark place to channel a character — to feel a character.” (Indian Express)

ctress Eva Longoria and fiance Jose Antonio Baston have tied the knot in Mexico.

A source has confirmed that the couple got married in a sunset ceremony in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, a lakeside town roughly 88 miles from Mexico City, reported People magazine.

“They married on an altar under lots of little lights,” the source said.

“It was very romantic. Eva wore her hair down and smiled during the whole ceremony. He was in a gray suit.”

In photos posted by Al Rojo Vivo, a Telemundo

news program, Longoria and Baston can be seen exchanging their vows in front of a giant white cross overlooking the lake.

Longoria, 41, wears a sleeveless white gown with a long white veil.

According to previous reports, the couple hosted roughly 200 guests at

a private residence and planned to finish off the big day with fireworks.

This is Longoria’s third marriage. She was earlier married to actor Tyler Christopher (2002-2004), and later to French basketball player Tony Parker (20072011). (Indian Express)

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Pele FC fined Gy$200,000 for abandoning Stag Elite League game Pele FC and Golden Jaguars midfielder Gregory Richardson

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he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) stated in a press release that; in matter of Pele FC’s abandonment of Match 52 in the Stag Elite League Finale against Alpha United, the Executive Committee of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has ruled the following in keeping with Article 15.2 of the Stag Elite League Regulation: 1. That Pele Club will be fined a total of G$200,000.

2. Forfeiture of the match by Pele FC and a 3-0 victory awarded to Alpha United FC 3. Deduction of three points from Pele FC from the Points Standings in the League Pele FC abandoned the match against Alpha United after Gregory Richardson and Omario Williams were both sent off in the 25th and 27th minutes respectively, both players were sent off for using abusive and threatening language towards the referee.

Article 15.2 states that the Guyana Football Federation shall have the authority to suspend, fine

or disqualify any official(s), player(s) or competing teams(s), that breach any Laws of the League or for any action or conduct not in the best interest of football or the Elite League.

Additionally, the Executive Committee has ruled that the club had violated Article 13.5 of the said Regulations and will face disciplinary actions if found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute and will be liable for a minimum fine of twenty thousand dollars.

Further, the fine indicated earlier (Gy$200,000) must be paid by the 27th May, 2016; failure to adhere to this deadline will result in further disciplinary action being taken against the club.

Pele FC now drops to 5th position with 14 points as GDF now moves into fourth on 17 points. Both sides have one game remaining. Pele will be looking to turn things around when they face Fruta Conquerors next, as they seek to secure a top four finish.

Nevertheless, GDF will be looking to dampen those hopes as they face bottom of the table GFC in their final game. A victory will secure GDF’s fourth place finish and book a final four playoff spot.

CPL returns to “iconic” Kensington Oval

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he Barbados Tridents will be looking to make home form count as they bid to regain the HERO Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title and will face the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Kensington Oval on Monday, 11 July.

The Tridents have signalled their intent of regaining the title they last won in 2014, by signing up South African star AB de Villiers in the close season who joins an exciting panel which includes fellow Proteas trio Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson and David Wiese, Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik as well as the likes of the hugely influential local trio Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Rampaul. West Indies Under-19 World Cup winner Shemar Springer will also feature in this year’s squad.

The combination of day and night time games is sure to attract a large following to the 15,000 capacity Kensington Oval once more.

Speaking at the announcement of their home CPL fixtures, Sid Mallya, Chairman of the Barbados Tridents franchise, said: “The Kensington Oval is one of world cricket’s most iconic grounds. To be there with a vocal home support behind you is an enormous thrill for the Tridents players and we are fully focused on bringing success back to Barbados this year.

“There is a really positive mood around West Indies cricket at the moment, following the success of the West Indies men, women and Under-19 teams over the past few months, and we are determined to build on that feel-good factor over the coming months.

“It is an exciting year for all concerned and the chance to spread the game into mainland USA, with matches for all the teams in Fort Lauderdale in the last weekend in July, is a hugely exciting development both for CPL and the game of cricket in general. Barbados is a real stronghold for crick-

et in the Caribbean and the team will be focused on putting on a show for our fans both at home and on the road.”

The remaining fixtures will be confirmed over the coming week and tickets are on sale now from www.cplt20. com.

Barbados Tridents Home Fixtures (all times local): July 11 – Jamaica Tallawahs (20:00 Hrs), July 13 – St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots (20:00 Hrs), July 16 – Trinbago Knight Riders (12:00 Hrs), July 17 – St. Lucia Zouks (19:00 Hrs).

Barbados Tridents Squad: Kieron Pollard, AB de Villiers, Shoaib Malik, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Rampaul, David Wiese, Robin Peterson, Raymon Reifer, Ashley Nurse, Wayne Parnell, Akeal Hosein, Imran Khan, Kyle Hope, Navin Stewart, Kyle Corbin, Steven Taylor, Shemar Springer. The Coach is Robin Singh and Assistant Coach is Vasbert Drakes.

Junior Pan American Championships

Canada whip Guyana 8-0 in final pool match Aroydy Branford takes on a Canadian defender

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he Guyana National Junior Men’s Hockey Team went down to Canada 8-0 in their final Pool B match on Monday at the Junior Pan American Championships in Toronto, Canada.

Having lost both their first two matches against Mexico and Chile, the bottom of the table clash was dominated by a Canadian side desperate to avoid playing Argentina in the quarter finals. The first three Canadian goals came from penalty corners and a defensive mistake led to a fourth, which caused the Guyanese to lose their composure.

Guyana had a better second half, with some Aroydy Branford breakaways leading to penalty corners and several close calls. However, Canada would add another four goals to seal the emphatic win and book their quarter final spot against pool A runners-up

Trinidad & Tobago.

In his assessment of the match, head coach Robert Fernandes stated, “We did not play well today, we didn’t execute our game plan with the level of intensity that was required and we lost our composure when the goals started to go in. We need to learn from these experiences and build on them to be more competitive in the future.”

Guyana’s next match will be its toughest challenge to date, when they face perennial powerhouses Argentina in their quarterfinal on Wednesday at 10:00 hrs.

In other results from day three: Argentina defeated Puerto Rico 21-0, Trinidad & Tobago defeated USA 5-1 and Chile defeated Mexico 3-2. Local fans will be able to stream the matches live on the www.panamhockey.org website.

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Jack Warner sued GBA Jubilee amateur

by CONCACAF card set for May 28

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Jack Warner,

IAMI, CMCTrinidad and Tobago’s Jack Warner, the former Vice President of football’s world governing body (FIFA), is being sued for more than 50 million dollars by the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association (CONCACAF).

The new suit centers around a lavish soccer facility built in Trinidad with millions of dollars in funding from FIFA. The suit accuses Warner, who served as CONCACAF president for 20 years before resigning in 2011, of fraudulently securing FIFA and CONCACAF funding to develop the property.

The site now includes a hotel and banqueting facilities and is said to be

built on lands belonging to Warner.

His wife, his accountant and two companies linked to the 73-year-old are also named as defendants.

Warner, who has in the past denied wrongdoing, is also facing corruption charges in the U.S. and remains in Trinidad where he is fighting extradition.

Warner, who was banned from soccer by FIFA in September is one of four presidents who have been forced from office amid claims of wrongdoing, with three charged by the U.S. Department of Justice.

CONCACAF last week elected Canada’s Victor Montagliani as its latest leader and is on the verge of naming a new general secretary as soon as next week.

romoter Seon Bristol (Bristol Promotions) in collaboration with the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will be hosting a Jubilee amateur card on May 28 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall starting at 19:30 hrs.

A press briefing was held by the GBA to discuss the amateur boxing card set for May 28; in attendance were President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle, local promoter Sean Bristol, former Commonwealth champions; Lennox Blackmoore and Kenneth Bristol and GBA Technical Director Terrence Poole.

Ninvalle expressed his appreciation for the continued partnership with local promoter Sean Bristol, a former amateur boxer himself and applauds his continuous contributions towards boxing in Guyana.

“Mr. Bristol has been very supportive, we (GBA) are happy that we can once again collaborate for the development of the sport” he stated.

Ninvalle further stated that the event will feature competition from mainly the youths, junior and schoolboys categories with the emphasis on devel-

oping our young boxers and indicated that they are looking to stage 15 bouts on the card.

Bristol, who also gave his remarks, stated he felt it was an injustice to the fans since there was no boxing event for the Jubilee, he stated that he instantly contacted the GBA. “I think it was unfair to our fans, in regards to boxing not being part of such a proud moment that Guyana is experiencing, I immediately reached out to Steve Ninvalle and we are happy to have this event added”, Bristol said.

The promoter explained that this event will help to develop the young talent and prepare them for other engagements and hopes it would not only be a memorable event but also a successful one.

He also stated that he met with two former boxers Lennox Blackmore and Kenny Bristol and both without hesitation promised to assist in making the card a successful one. The promoter further indicated that former boxers who want to assist would be welcomed and can contact the GBA.

Youth Cricket League: Commonwealth Youths defeated Bear Youths on May 22. Batting first, CCL scored 140 runs for 8 out in their allotted 20 overs while Bear Youths only managed to score 49 runs in 13.4 overs.

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WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 2016 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Renegades snub Amazon Warriors Windies star Gayle hoping to lift CPL title M - 2016 fixtures announced T

he Guyana Amazon Warriors have announced their fixtures for the forthcoming 2016 HERO Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign and will open the home series of matches with an evening clash against Jamaica Tallawahs on Thursday, 7 July.

On the weekend of 9 and 10 July they will then host St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Trinbago Knight Riders before completing the block of matches with a final home game against St. Lucia Zouks on Tuesday, 12 July.

The Warriors will be led this year by New Zealand star batsman Martin Guptill and includes a host of local and international talent in their ranks including West Indies stars Dwayne Smith, Christopher Barnwell and Veerasammy Permaul.

The Guyana-based squad will also include Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir as well as the likes of Australian duo Chris Lynn and leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who has produced a string of impressive performances in the IPL of late.

The Guyana based side will be coached by Roger Harper who will be assisted by Esuan Crandon, while Omar Khan will continue as Team Manager.

Welcoming the return of CPL to Guyana, Dr. Ranjisinghi 'Bobby' Ramroop, franchise owner of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, said: “We are delighted to announce our schedule of home matches for the coming season and believe that we have a strong squad that is capable of mak-

Amazon Warriors’ fans at a previous CPL match

ing a big impact in this year’s competition.

“This year we will be led on the field by Martin Guptill and we are also delighted to welcome back local favourite Roger Harper for his second spell as coach. Having come so close to lifting the title on two previous occasions, back in 2013 and 2014, we believe that we have the squad to go a step further this year.

“We are excited about welcoming four top quality teams to Guyana and there will be huge interest in these games. So the message to our loyal and passionate supporters is clear; tickets for our matches in Providence Stadium will be keenly sought after, so book your tickets early to avoid disappointment.”

The remaining fixtures will be

confirmed over the next week and tickets for all confirmed fixtures in the Caribbean and Fort Lauderdale are on sale now from www.cplt20.com.

Guyana Amazon Warriors Home Fixtures (all times local): 7 July – Jamaica Tallawahs (7pm), 9 July – St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots (12 Midday), 10 July – Trinbago Knight Riders (7pm), 12 July – St. Lucia Zouks (7pm).

Guyana Amazon Warriors Squad: Sohail Tanvir, Martin Guptill, Dwayne Smith, Chris Lynn, Rayad Emrit, Adam Zampa, Jason Mohammed, Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Orlando Peters, Assad Fudadin, Anthony Bramble, Paul Wintz, Steven Jacobs, Steven Katwaroo, Ali Khan, Shimron Hetmyer

ELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – West Indies batting star Chris Gayle will not be returning to Melbourne Renegades for this year’s Big Bash League.

The franchise confirmed they had decided to focus their attention elsewhere for the coming season, ruling out any possibility of Gayle being part of the line-up.

“We’ll unveil our international signings soon and Chris isn’t part of those plans,” Renegades chief executive Stuart Coventry said.

The move by the Renegades comes quickly on the heels of the latest sexism controversy involving Gayle, last week.

In an interview with journalist Charlotte Edwards published in the Times paper in England, Gayle is quoted as saying he has “a very, very big bat, the biggest in the wooooorld.”

He added: “You think you could lift it? You’d need two hands.”

Edwards also said Gayle asked her how many Black men she has “had” and also inquired if she had ever been involved in a “t’eesome”.

The interview once

Chris Gayle

again sparked controversy, especially against the backdrop of his “don’t blush baby” scandal during the Big Bash last January, for which he was reprimanded and fined for his contentious comments.

Somerset, with whom Gayle will take up a sixmatch contract in the T20 Blast shortly, said this week they were “disappointed” to read Gayle’s comments and would talk to the player once he arrived at the club.

The 36-year-old Jamaican is one of the most sought-after Twenty20 stars and is currently playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Caribbean Premier League.

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