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Parris passes on ...former Deputy PM Haslyn Parris dies No. 104505

TUESDAY MARCH 29, 2016

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Unity in diversity ‒ as thousands celebrate Easter 2 P.

President David Granger reacts as he helps in raising a kite in the National Park Monday (Delano Williams photo)

Region Five needs UG campus, industrial site

‒ to help in economic transformation, says chamber president P.10

Granger calls on Aishalton residents elected Barticians to worried about deliver ‘green town’ illegal mining 3

Unity in diversity 2

‒ as thousands celebrate Easter President David Granger in the National Park

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

He was not to be taken as a joke though, because as the famous Guyanese proverb goes: “Only children and drunk men talk the truth”. Speaking briefly to the media, which sought to capture every moment shared on Monday, the Head of State was keen to note that the Easter celebration is not limited to one group, but has now become a national pastime. “I come here every year, because Guyanese of all ethnicities and all religions look forward to this ritual of flying kites on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Even though they may not be Christians, it has now become a national pastime,” the President said. He revealed that other Caribbean countries are as-

tonished at the scale of Easter Monday kite-flying in Guyana, and its ability to attract diverse groups to share memorable moments in the same space. Meanwhile, the day’s activities at the National Park were no different from what obtained in other years. Though most of the excitement was fuelled by kite-flying and sports playing, what was interesting to observe was that this event provided an opportunity for commercial-based activities. And happiness was clearly not limited to just those flying kites or picnicking. Owners of snow-cone carts and food stalls cashed in big, given the demand for their products during the day.

Even those selling children’s toys shared in the celebration, as every crying child provided an opportunity for their products to be sold as a commodity of comfort. One Christian group also took its religious displays beyond the walls of the church by staging a magnificent depiction of the death and Resurrection of Christ. Their programme was punctuated by dances which were good enough to demand the attention of those around. Unity, it seemed, was being fostered. Guyanese, even if just temporarily, appeared to have realised what it means to truly live in accordance with our motto, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”.

PM sympathises with family of sugar worker killed by bees

By Ravin Singh Excitement was intense in the National Park on Monday as thousands flooded the public space to share quality time with family members and friends and to observe the symbolic Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And although this celebration emerged out of the Christian faith, in a country with very diverse ethnic and religious composition, Easter is no longer limited to one group, but is observed as a national pastime by all. This was the contention of President David Granger,

who made an appearance at the park, which he traditionally visits on Easter Monday. Dressed in sober colours -– a blue shirt and a pair of grey pants -– the Head of State was immediately flocked by hundreds, who seized the opportunity to have their photographs taken with him. Others wanted a mere hug, while some just wanted to touch the man who sits at the helm of this great nation. From cradling babies to his chest to posing with hundreds of people for photographs, and a few failed attempts at flying a kite, the happiness this brought to the President was sure to leave

vivid memories etched in his heart. And while broad smiles dominated most of his two-hour-long walk around the park, his expression was sometimes indescribable. A few moments evidently left him puzzled. From having to cheer up crying babies to having to wait for children to find their camera application for photographs with him, what was evident was that his patience was not thin. “Mr President, I just want shake yuh hand and let yuh know I happy with how you running this country. Keep up the good work, partner,” one partially drunk man said, as he staggered away.

PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo on Monday joined in expressing sympathy to the family of Mr. Romesh Lalaram, the estate worker from Bath, West Coast Berbice who succumbed to bee stings. The Prime Minister and his wife visited the family and expressed their condolences. Mr Lalaram, 56, was attacked by

a swarm of Africanised bees aback Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice on Saturday, and later succumbed to his injuries. Several other estate workers were stung by the bees. The Guyana Sugar Corporation has stated that it will provide support to Mr Lalaram’s family.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Granger calls on elected Barticians to deliver ‘green town’ President David Granger greeting at the Golden Beach some of the racers who participated in the Bartica Regatta (Sandra Prince/Ministry of the Presidency photo)

Residents queued up along the seawall at Golden Beach, Bartica, to greet President David Granger at the start of the Regatta. At right (in foreground) is Kamal Persaud, who is likely to be named Deputy Mayor of Bartica (Sandra Prince/Ministry of the Presidency photo)

PRESIDENT David Granger on Monday charged those elected to the new Bartica Town Council to see their victory at the recently concluded Local Government Elections as an opportunity to collaborate with residents to enhance livelihoods. Addressing patrons at Bartica’s Golden Beach at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Bartica Regatta, President Granger said the new Town Council should plan to make Bartica a green town. “When I think of Bartica, I think of environment,

of employment, of development. I would like to see the new Town Council not celebrating a victory -- there is no victory here; there is an opportunity to combine [efforts] with the other elements of Bartica -- the business community, the social community, the government society -- to move Bartica forward. “It is not a victory, it is an opportunity; and let’s use this opportunity over the next three years to make Bartica strong,” President Granger said. The Head of State said he always believed that,

given its history, Bartica should have become a town. Now that this vision has been realised, the town must aim to become the pioneer of green efforts. “I have always felt that Bartica should be a town; Bartica is 185 years old. Bartica is the best laid out hinterland town, and deserves to have been made a town one hundred years ago. “We must endeavour to make Bartica clean, green and serene. Bartica deserves to lead. That is the charge I have given the Town Council.

“We must abolish all of this Styrofoam, we must start planting, and we must have solid waste management systems. Bartica must lead the way. “What I want to see out of Bartica is a clean environment, economic development and also the empowerment of our citizens,” the President said. With regard to Regatta, the President said the region must aim to expand the regatta to include other communities and villages. He also hoped the regatta would become a national event in which every individual could participate.

Director General of Tourism in the Ministry of Telecommunications, Mr. Donald Sinclair, said Bartica must be commended for overcoming the challenges and hosting a successful Regatta every year. “Congratulations must be given to the officials and other persons for sustaining this Bartica Regatta over the many years, despite the economic and many other challenges,” Sinclair said. Mr. Sinclair said the Tourism Ministry hopes to see the regatta expanded to become a major tourist attraction. Regional Chairman Mr.

Gordon Bradford said the Bartica Regatta has become a traditional fun day for every Bartician, and it continues to draw citizens from across the regions. Having declared the Regatta open, President Granger led the “Lap of Honour” to kick off the day’s proceedings. He was cheered on by First Lady Sandra Granger, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams; and scores of citizens who turned up for the fete. (Ministry of the Presidency)

Central focus on hunger, poverty eradication

‒ as Gov’t accelerates efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals By Shauna Jemmott GOVERNMENT is accelerating efforts to eliminate extreme hunger and poverty through the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment, in order to attain the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This is according to Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, who recently addressed a Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) conference held at the GTU Hall on Woolford Avenue in Georgetown. Minister Lawrence told the gathering that women from across Guyana are encouraged to support the Government in accomplishing the Caribbean Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations MDGs to which Guyana is partner. The United Nations Millennium Project website www. unmillenniumproject.org lists the goals as: eradicating extreme hunger and poverty;

achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and developing a global partnership for development. In September 2000, at the Millennium Summit, various governments across the world “committed their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of timebound targets.” “The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the world’s time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions -- income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion -- while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. “There are also basic human rights: the rights of each person on the planet to health,

education, shelter, and security.” The UN said though the world made significant progress in accomplishing many of the goals, there are huge disparities across and within countries, making progress far from uniform across the world. The universal organisation named poverty as the greatest challenge for rural areas, even though urban poverty is also prevalent, increasing, and “under-reported by traditional indicators”. The report stated that between 1990 and 2002, average overall incomes increased, the number of people in extreme poverty declined significantly, child mortality rates fell, life expectancy rose, and there have been increases in adequate water supply and improvements in sanitation services for people in developing countries. BEHIND Though the 2015 deadline has passed, Guyana is far from

accomplishing the MDGs, and Government continues to work within the perimeters of the declaration’s purpose. According to a report on studies and perspectives by ECLAC, a UN Sub-regional headquarters for the Caribbean (http://caribbean.cepal.org), on the Caribbean’s post-2015 agenda, it was recommended that the Caribbean Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) provide a “unique opportunity to address social, economic, and environmental gaps in the sub-region (with) proper planning (being critical)”, since “the Caribbean sub-region is at risk of falling behind in the global quest for development as human development gains are being eroded”. ECLAC said the Sustainable Development Goals’ process “will only be successful if member states promote a participatory approach that includes stakeholders comprising civil society, the private sector, and the local citizen”. “The post-2015 develop-

ment agenda presents a major opportunity for Caribbean countries to reverse decades of lagging economic performance and make the transition to balanced, holistic, and people-centred growth and development… if national, regional, and global will and resources can be mobilised around a set of SDGs with transformational potential, Caribbean development could, in the near future, attain an historic inflection point,” the report stated. Government has already become creative in involving stakeholders and civil society in its post-2015 programme, to transform the lives of citizens. Minister Lawrence said now is the time for women to fit in to alleviate the endemic societal ills, and “inasmuch as the task seems insurmountable, (women) can be the torch bearers”. “Each of you belongs to a community, to a church group, to a women’s group. If you aren’t allied to any action group, then now is the moment to

become involved. You can spearhead the movement; you can encourage individuals who have particular talents or skills to enhance their entrepreneurial ability by aligning themselves with EMPRETEC or any other agency involved in the business of entrepreneurship.” She said women must encourage others to make efforts to improve themselves and become self-sufficient, rather than wallowing in self-pity. Development resources, training and support programmes are available through various agencies. “You need to mobilise and revolutionise the movement that will help to combat these social issues… through the provision and implementation of social, cultural, economic and educational programmes that will build awareness and provide training, so that in the medium and long term, solutions could be found,” Minister Lawrence said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday March 29, 2016

Pakistan plans new paramilitary crackdown; Easter bombing kills 70 (Reuters) PAKISTAN has decided to launch a paramilitary crackdown on Islamist militants in Punjab, the country’s richest and most populous province, after an Easter Day bombing killed 70 people in the provincial capital Lahore, officials said on Monday. Sunday’s suicide bombing at a public park was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban’s Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction, which once declared loyalty to Islamic State. The group said it was targeting Christians. The brutality of the attack, Jamaat-ur-Ahrar’s fifth bombing since December, reflects the movement’s attempts to raise its profile among Pakistan’s

Family members mourn as they gather near the body of a relative, who was killed in a blast outside a public park on Sunday, during funeral in Lahore, Pakistan, March 28, 2016.( REUTERS/Mohsin Raza)

increasingly fractured Islamist militants. At least 29 children enjoying an Easter weekend outing were among

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those killed when the suicide bomber struck in a busy park in the eastern city of Lahore, the power base of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan is a majority-Muslim state but has a Christian population of more than two million. Pope Francis condemned the attack as “hideous” and demanded that Pakistani authorities protect religious minorities. It was Pakistan’s deadliest attack since the December 2014 massacre of 134 school children at a military-run academy in the city of Peshawar that prompted a government crackdown on Islamist militancy. Security and government officials told Reuters the decision had been made to launch a full-scale operation involving the paramilitary Rangers, who would have powers to con-

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duct raids and interrogate suspects in the same way as they have been doing in the southern city of Karachi for more than two years. The move, which has not yet been formally announced, represents the civilian government once again granting special powers to the military to fight Islamist militants. “The technicalities are yet to be worked out. There are some legal issues also with bringing in Rangers, but the military and government are on the same page,” said one senior security official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to share details of the plan. One other military official and two government officials confirmed the decision on condition of anonymity. “The PM ordered a joint operation of ?the counter-terrorism department and Rangers in the border areas of Punjab against terrorists and their facilitators,” said one government official who attended a meeting with Sharif and Punjab officials on Monday. The move is likely to be controversial in Punjab. In Karachi, the Rangers’ crackdown has drawn accusations of human rights abuses and the targeting of opposition politicians, though the rate of militant and criminal violence has dropped sharply since the paramilitary force arrived. Sharif’s own party has long opposed any militarized operation against militants in its Punjab heartland.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday March 29, 2016

Brazil party set to abandon Rousseff, eyes presidency (Reuters) BRAZIL’S largest party will decide on Tuesday to break away from President Dilma Rousseff’s floundering coalition, party leaders said, sharply raising the odds that the country’s first woman president will be impeached amid a corruption scandal. The fractious Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) will decide at its national leadership meeting on the pace of disengagement from the Rousseff administration, in which it holds seven ministerial posts and the vice presidency. A formal rupture appears inevitable and will increase the isolation of the unpopular Rousseff, freeing PMDB members to vote for her impeachment. That makes it likely she will be temporarily suspended from office by Congress as early as May and replaced by Vice President Michel Temer, leader of the PMDB, while the Senate decides if she should be permanently ousted. Temer aides said the vice president is ready to take over and move fast to restore business confidence in Brazil, in an effort to pull the economy out of a tailspin. Brazilian media reported over the weekend that a team of Temer aides is drawing up a plan for his first weeks as president. Brazil’s stocks and currency rose Monday on the prospect of Rousseff’s removal. Many blame her for running Latin America’s largest economy into the ground, while Temer is widely viewed as far more business friendly.

from contractors working for state oil company Petrobras. Rousseff ’s government is also grappling with Brazil’s worst recession in decades and an epidemic of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, as it scrambles to host the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August. The Petrobras scandal has weakened Rousseff by reaching her inner circle with allegations against her mentor and predecessor, Workers’ Party founder Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. An attempt by Rousseff to appoint Lula to her Cabinet was the last straw for many of her allies who saw it as a desperate move to shield him from prosecution by a lower federal court that is overseeing most of the Petrobras Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff arrives to case. a meeting with jurists at Planalto Palace in Brazil’s top court is exBrasilia, Brazil, March 22, 2016. (REUTERS/ pected to decide later this week if Lula can indeed beThe Economist Intelli- of the directorate will vote come a minister. gence Unit said in a note to to end the PMDB’s alliance clients it no longer expects with Rousseff and her WorkLULA DOWNCAST Rousseff to survive impeach- ers’ Party. One told Reuters With the prospect of imment, joining other risk an- that 75 had already pledged peachment ending 13 years alysts who have raised the to do so. of rule by his Workers’ Party, odds of her removal. Rousseff is an econoLula said he was “saddened” “On Tuesday we will be mist by training and a forby the PMDB’s exit from a disembarking from this gov- mer Marxist guerrilla who coalition he forged in 2006. ernment. The vote for inde- was imprisoned and tortured The former union leader who pendence will win,” PMDB during Brazil’s long military Senator Valdir Raupp, who dictatorship. She vigorously until recently had backed denies any wrongdoing and Rousseff, said by telephone. rejects impeachment charges Raupp said PMDB min- that she manipulated governisters would have to resign ment spending accounts to or leave the party, though help her re-election in 2014. a gradual withdrawal from The impeachment process those posts may take place only adds to the crisis hitas a compromise to keep the ting Brazil, shaken by its party united. biggest corruption scandal Party officials calculate - an investigation into politthat between 70 to 80 percent ical kickbacks to the ruling of the 119 voting members coalition and other parties

Suspected money launderer for ‘El Chapo’ detained in Mexico

A man suspected of laundering money for jailed drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was detained in southwestern Mexico, and faces extradition to the United States, Mexican authorities said on Sunday. Juan Manuel Alvarez, who was arrested in Oaxaca state, has ties to an international money-laundering network that spans Mexico, Colombia, Panama and the United States, Mexican police said via their official Twitter account. A separate statement

from Mexico’s National Security Commision, which coordinates security forces, said Alvarez is sought over money laundering allegations in the United States. Describing him as the “principal financial operator” for an undisclosed drug trafficking group, the statement said he headed another criminal organization that operates mainly in the western Mexican state of Jalisco. That state is home to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNG), whose gunmen shot down an army helicopter in the state last May, claim-

ing the lives of six military personnel. The JNG have historic ties to Guzman’s Sinaloa Cartel. Guzman, who escaped twice from Mexican maximum-security prisons, was recaptured in Mexico in January and is seeking to speed up his extradition to the United States in the hope he will be treated better in prison there. As head of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman is accused of leading a bloody war against rival gangs and smuggling vast quantities of illegal drugs into the United States.

remains Brazil’s most influential politician told foreign reporters in Sao Paulo he thought agreement was still possible. But in Brasilia, a presidential aide said the break was “irreversible” and the Rousseff government was now focusing on individual members of the PMDB and other parties to try to convince them to vote against impeachment by offering government jobs and pork barrel for their districts. Lula also called for tax breaks and other measures to get the economy growing again. The departure of the PMDB is expected to lead other smaller parties to bolt from the governing coalition, a domino effect that will further undermine Rousseff’s ability to muster one third of the votes in Congress needed to block her impeachment. The two largest, the Progressive Party (PP) and the Republican Party (PR), each with 40 seats or more in the lower chamber, have signaled that they are leaving. An impeachment vote is expected as soon as mid-April in the lower house. If she fails to block it with the votes

of 171 of its 513 members, Rousseff would face a trial in the Senate where she has lost crucial support, Senator Raupp said. PMDB senators believe it would be almost impossible for them to stop the impeachment if it passes the lower house. Rousseff would be suspended for up to six months at the start of the trial and Temer would become acting president. Temer is already looking at ways to cut public spending to tackle a widening fiscal gap that cost Brazil’s its investment grade credit rating, the O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper reported on Sunday. It said a small team of aides led by Wellington Moreira Franco, Rousseff’s former civil aviation minister, is considering sweeping welfare cuts in social programs that would be carried out by the finance minister of a Temer government.

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

Mrs Janet Jagan

MARCH 28 marked the 7th death anniversary of Mrs. Janet Jagan, nee Rosenberg. Mrs. Jagan is the only woman to have been elected President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. While women around the world, including in developed societies, are still struggling to break the proverbial glass ceiling, Guyana, a small and young nation, has distinguished itself in this regard. Mrs. Jagan migrated to Guyana from the USA in December 1943 to join her husband, Dr. Cheddi Jagan. Mrs. Jagan loved literature and the arts. She was a prolific writer in the media; was editor of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) organ, the Mirror; and edited the party’s publication, the Thunder. She also wrote children’s books, and was an avid admirer of local poetry and arts. Her passion for politics cannot be over-emphasised. She stood out as a beacon in the fight against colonialism, using the workers’ and women’s platforms as a vehicle. It was that era that saw her joining and working with the trade union movement; and moreso, in 1946, co-founded the Women’s Political and Economic Organisation, along with Winifred Gaskin and Frances Stafford, and served as General Secretary. In 1948, when sugar workers on the East Coast Demerara estates downed tools in protest of poor working conditions, and were shot by the colonial police, Mrs. Jagan was among those who staged protests against the killings and injuries those workers had suffered. She was part of the group that highlighted the gravity of the workers’ deprivation and their inhumane treatment. This protestation led to the colonial authority establishing a commission to inquire into the circumstances that led to the shooting of workers. This incident was another act of galvanising Guyanese around the necessity that the workers’ struggles can be given fillip through the establishment of a political movement. In 1949, this led to the formation of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), of which Mrs. Jagan was among its founders. In January 1950, the PAC morphed into a political party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), of which she was a co-founder, and held the position of General Secretary (1950-1970). This was Guyana’s first mass-based party. The PPP’s strength was borne out in the fact that, in addition to being a political outfit challenging the colonial status quo and advancing the cause of the masses, it embraced the working class principles adumbrated in 1926 at the Caribbean Labour Leaders Conference, and reflected the involvement of women, youth, the experienced and Labour. The fight for universal adult suffrage, which started with the labour movement in 1926, was embraced by the PPP. This was achieved in time to contest the 1953 elections. Mrs. Jagan contested, and won a seat in the 1953 elections, representing the Essequibo constituency. This was achieved after residing in Guyana for 10 years. She went on to hold distinguished positions such as minister and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Prior to this, Mrs. Jagan was elected to the Georgetown City Council in 1950. When she assumed office as Minister of Labour, Health and Housing, she found an inequity in treatment towards women. At that time female nurses, married or unmarried, were not permitted to get pregnant and still retain their profession. Minister Jagan removed this discrimination, and thereafter made it possible for women to continue their profession and raise a family that included children. In 1963, she became Minister of Home Affairs on the

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Prison rehab must be the work of Government Dear Editor,

bilitate them could be best spent on prevention. Any nominal politician knows IF THERE is one country in the of this baseline thinking, so for years on Caribbean that needs a break from end and with billions spent or research the epidemic of crime, it is Guyana. and reports, a politician can get away Prisoner rehabilitation, then, must with the lack of the implementation of be seen in a larger context than just common sense, actionable, prison rebenefiting the offender. The author- forms and yet feel no negative political ities must understand that they must consequence. engage the rehabilitation of prisoners President Granger seems to be with the safety of the wider commu- somewhat an out-of-the-box thinker nity in mind. in this regard. However, his noble huTo view the benefits of a changed manitarian acts of annually releasing criminal as only applying to him or her convicted criminals is shrouded in is to be civilly and communally myopic. political correctness. For indeed it cost For too long, politicians have his administration nothing to release shrugged off prisoner rehabilitation prisoners. because they naively attribute the benIn fact, when one looks at the hefty efits only to the offender. I read with sum it takes to maintain an offender, much angst the recent lament from Jus- President Granger might well receive tice Cecil Kennard as he expressed the accolades from those financially inlong-established fact that if the findings clined. So while the President wins the and recommendations of the last prison nod for his Godly and civil beneficence, CoI had been implemented, the latest this, however, does not solve the crime tragedy and multiple deaths in the pris- or recidivism problems. More has to on would not have happened. I bet that be done. Actual money needs to be there is not one single solitary soul who expended, not just on the oft repeated would step up and take responsibility CoIs, surveys and reports, but on pracfor the lack of implementation of those tical pre- and post-release rehabilitation findings, which cost tax payers millions programmes. to compile. Under the last administration there What we all know for a fact, how- was a Superintendent who served as ever, it that responsibility rests squarely both Chaplain and Re-entry Coordinaon the shoulders of our politicians. tor for the prison. She was specifically Editor, I am framing this discussion employed for, and tasked with, enviwith this summary slant because, at the sioning and implementing programmes end of the day, prisoner rehabilitation that should have reduced the rate at must first be the work of the govern- which the guys returned to prison, ment; for they are the custodians of the and hence reduce the overcrowding. It prisoners. However, what all politicians might be helpful for the powers that be quickly find out is that, short of a prison to ascertain from the Superintendent riot which sees many dead, there are what contributions she has made over little or no political benefits to rehabil- the many years she served in that caitating prisoners. A politician gets or pacity. loses no votes if he diverts money to the Except she was grossly inept or the rehabilitation of offenders. then government completely nonchaNeither does a politician win or lant, there must have been practical lose any set of constituents if he harps suggestions and recommendations that on what he is doing to change the be- she would have made that would have haviours of the incarcerated. also reduced the likelihood of that tragic Prisoner rehabilitation, in actuality, event. is a political zero sum undertaking. Justice Kennard’s latest observation The notion from the skeptics and rings true. It bemoans the failure of the cynics is that these guys are virtually previous administration on the prison irredeemable and money spent to reha- front. However, one could well argue death of Minister Claude Christian, and resigned from the Cabinet in 1964 during the period of racial disturbances. By 1992, Mrs. Jagan had served 46 years in the National Assembly. With the change of Government, when the PPP won the October 1992 elections, Dr. Cheddi Jagan became President, and Mrs. Jagan, the First Lady, was appointed minister without portfolio in that administration. During this period, she served for three months as Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. At the death of President Jagan in 1997, she ascended to the position of Prime Minister and First Vice President for the remaining life of the 1992 government. At the 1997 General and Regional Elections, Mrs. Jagan was elected president in an elections that witnessed an extended period of streets protests. These elections

that had there not been a massive riot with resultant deaths, it might well have been likely that the atrocities now being addressed would still be the modus operandi of the Guyana Prison Service. In other words, prison life is as such in Guyana that except the government is severely embarrassed, human rights and international best practices get thrown out the window. This government, in this Golden Jubilee Year, has a similarly golden opportunity to seize the moment. All the stars have been aligned to, once and for all, establish a normal, internationally acceptable prison service. The inmates have spoken; the international community has vowed their support for prison officers’ training; the CoI is moving apace; the Minister of Public Security, VP Ramjattan, is hands-on; and just recently the IDB awarded the Guyana Government a grant of US$15 million, US$2.3 of which is directly for the purposes of prisoner rehabilitation and social integration services. Through this IDB Citizen Security Strengthening Project (CSSP), there should be established a rehabilitation and reintegration service and delivery training plan. Part of the loan will also be used to address prison overcrowding and alternatives to incarceration. If these are handled correctly, Guyana might well be on its way to no longer being known as a crime-ridden nation. Guyana’s recidivism rate stands at 75% (meaning that 3 out of every 4 persons in prison were there before). If the money assigned is attributed to the rehabilitation of prisoners, and if those released from prison can be placed in a programme in which they are helped with their criminogenic needs (drug addiction, job training, employment, education, etc), the residents and visitors can rest assured that crime would soon no longer be the order of the day in Guyana. The ball of prisoner rehabilitation is in the hands of this administration, history will say what they did with it. PASTOR W. P. JEFFREY Practical Christianity Ministries

were challenged in the High Court and, in 2000, were vitiated and nullified, with an order given to hold fresh elections. It was this era that led to the signing of the Herdmanston Accord (17th January 1998) and St. Lucia Statement (2nd July 1998) between Mrs. Jagan and former President and then Leader of the Opposition, Desmond Hoyte, which resulted in constitutional reform. Mrs. Jagan was among the women and men who fought for this nation’s independence, and arguably can be described as one of the mothers of this nation, which was birthed on 26th May 1966. Though she is seen as one of Guyana’s controversial political figures, her contributions need to be made known, truthfully and honestly contextualised, and acknowledged as part of the nation’s ethos.

Parris passes on

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

...former Deputy PM Haslyn Parris dies

Dead: Haslyn Parris

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister and Commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Mr Haslyn Parris, died at the Balwant Singh Hospital on Monday afternoon, leaving his family and friends in a state of shock. His daughter Frances Parris told this newspaper that the senior Paris, 75, was rushed to the hospital on Sunday night. She declined to comment on the cause of his death, noting that Parris was a very private person. Parris represented the interest of the People’s National Congress (PNC) on GECOM, and resigned from the Commission a month before the 2006 general and regional elections on the basis that his continued par-

ticipation on the panel would compromise his professional integrity. President David Granger expressed condolences to Ms. Sarah Paris on the sudden death of her father. Haslyn Parris was born in Buxton Village, East Coast Demerara, on March 2, 1941 and died at the Balwant Singh Hospital, Georgetown on March 28, 2016, a few weeks after his 75th birthday. Parris was educated at Queen’s College, Georgetown, where he won the Guiana Scholarship in 1959. He attended the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, earning the BSc (Mathematics), 1962 and the London School of Economics, earning the BSc (Economics), 1966 and the MSc (Economics), 1967. He served as Chief Economist, Bank of Guyana and Head of the State Planning Secretariat. He was also appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Bauxite Company and later, Minister of Planning and Development and Deputy Prime Minister. He was a member of the Guyana Elections Commission and the Constitution Reform Commission. The news of his death came as a shock to Chairman of GECOM, Dr Steve Surujbally, who told the Guyana Chronicle that he had spoken

to Parris only last week. According to Dr Surujbally, Parris’s contributions to the Commission were “solid, constructive, far-reaching, far-thinking. “Lots of what we accomplished, the ideas were from him, whether it was about the IT sector or the voter registration.” The GECOM Chairman said that Guyana has lost an “intellect” who made significant contributions to the country. “This is a shock; I spoke to him up to last week and asked him to look at the results of the Local Government Elections to see if there was a trend to support one of his theories,” Dr Surujbally said. He reminisced on a book that Parris wrote and recently asked him [Dr Surujbally] to critique before publishing. However, due to the recently concluded elections, Dr Surujbally did not find the time to put his critique together. Dr Surujbally recalled that former Presidents Burnham and Desmond Hoyte had great respect and admiration for Parris. Parris leaves to mourn his wife and three children. Haslyn Parris was awarded the Cacique’s Crown of Honour (CCH) for his public service.

CPA remains under-resourced; less than 8% prosecuted Dear Editor, DESPITE the fact that the Ministry has publicly committed to establishing partnerships with state and non-state actors to deal more effectively with the investigation, treatment, management and prosecution of child sexual abuse cases, many children still do not receive the services they need, and the rate of prosecution of these cases remains abysmally low. According to Ministry figures, 628 cases of child sexual abuse were reported to the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA) in 2014. Of these, less than 8% were prosecuted, and even fewer resulted in convictions. The CPA has stated that the agency remains under-resourced, and is therefore forced to focus on responding to allegations of abuse, leaving a gap with respect to providing services to children who have been

abused, and non-offending family members. If this government truly takes the protection of children seriously, it must assess the approach taken by the Ministry of Social Protection in dealing with these issues. One important element of any action would be to consult with those organizations that have been working with children and families in Guyana. NGOs stand ready to continue to support the Ministry in protecting children, but must be included in planning and decision-making with respect to the services they provide in partnership with the Ministry. Additionally, the Ministry must commit the resources necessary to support an effective child protection programme. Yours Faithfully, OMATTIE MADRAY, ChildLink Inc. CHANTALLE HAYNES, Forward Guyana Inc.

British Navy vessel sails in today THE Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard will receive British Patrol Vessel the HMS MERSEY at Port Georgetown today. Following the vessel’s berthing, a media briefing and a brief tour has been scheduled. The vessel’s Commanding Officer will also be visiting the Commonwealth War Graves at Eve Leary, Georgetown. In addition, while in Port Georgetown, the vessel’s Commander will also pay courtesy calls on President Brigadier David Granger, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and GDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Mark Phillips.

Fish processing plant to be set up at Victoria Village By Svetlana Marshall GLOBAL Seafood Distributors plans to set up a fish processing plant in the village of Victoria as it seeks to meet the growing demands of the fishing industry. Located 18 miles east of Georgetown, Victoria has a rich historic background dating back to November 1839, when 83 ex-slaves pooled their resources and bought Plantation Northbrook (its former name) for 30,000 Dutch Guilders. Besides being the leading exporters of products made from coconuts and cassava, Victoria, like other villages along the East Coast, has played its part in the fishing industry; but, over the years, villagers have been turning to other industries. With the strong backing of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), Global Seafood Distributors is hoping to reawaken villagers’ interest in the fishing industry. By 2017, the Global Seafood Distributors is likely to construct a multi-million-dollar fish processing plant in Victoria – a project that will create employment for more than 200 persons. Global Seafood Distributors, located in West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, does value-added processing of grey snapper, banga mary, trout, and other wild-catch fish; and also produces seasoned fish, fish fillet, nuggets, steak, headless and head-on fish. A solar fish-dryer forms a major part of its operation, and this has significantly boosted the plant’s capacity to meet the demands of its customers. In an interview with Guyana Chronicle, Chief Executive Officer of Global

Allison Butters-Grant, CEO of Global Seafood Distributors

Seafood Distributors, Allison Butters-Grant, said the establishment of a fish processing plant in Victoria will create a plethora of opportunities, thereby stimulating the village’s economy.

“The fishing industry is not just only about buying fish and selling fish; there are all kinds of downstream and expanded businesses that can branch off from fisheries,” Butters-Grant posited. Once the fish processing plant comes on stream, it will open markets for the sale or manufacture of fishing equipment and accessories. In the fishing industry, many people work as anglers, and in some cases anglers own their own boats and sell their catch to local grocers or fish markets. But it does not stop there: fishermen would need assistance, not only to make the catch, but to repair their boats and nets when necessary, thereby generating employment. The rebirth of the fishing industry at Victoria and other

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Tuesday, March 29, 2016 - 08:30 hrs Wednesday, March 30, 2016 - 09:00 hrs Thursday, March 31, 2016 - 10:30 hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Finance Minister, others for several int’l meetings

FINANCE Minister Winston Jordan is due to attend several international meetings overseas. He will first attend the 57th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the 31st Inter-American Investment Corporation (ICC) meeting to be held in Nassau, Bahamas from April 7-10, 2016. Minister Jordan would be accompanied at the IDB meeting by Governor of the Bank of Guyana and Alternative Governor of the International Monetary Fund (IMF,) Dr. Gobin Ganga. At that meeting, Guyana will make a statement on behalf of the Caribbean constituency of the Bank. Guyana will be pressing for visible engagement during its discussions with the IIC, the private sector arm

of the IDB. The IIC provides project financing in the form of direct loans, equity investment, and lines of credit to the private sector, but that has not been active in Guyana in past years. Minister Jordan will be accompanied to the IIC meeting by Head of the Multilateral Financial Institution Division of the Ministry of Finance, Sheranne Isaacs. The Finance Minister and Dr. Ganga would then move on from the meetings in Bahamas to the spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank, which are going to be held on April 15 - 17, 2016 in Washington DC. Key elements of the meeting would be the discussion of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) and the joint World Bank/IMF Development Committee.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

During these engagements, the opportunity will be taken to hold bilateral meetings with the officials of the IMF, World Bank and IDB, as well as other delegates and private sector organisations and civil soci-

ety groups. Following the spring meetings, Minister Jordan will then attend the Fourth Annual Ministerial Forum for Finance Ministers at Harvard University, being held from April 17 - 20, 2016. This prestigious meeting is open to only ten serving Finance Ministers in the world. They will be drawn from Africa, South East Asia and Latin America. The theme of this year’s gathering is “Demonstrated leadership and commitment to building national well-being through economic development and social advancement.” The forum is aimed at enhancing ministerial and political leadership to achieve better value for government investment. Meanwhile, Cabinet has approved Guyana’s attendance at a high level IDB

public-private dialogue on trade facilitation, to be held from March 30 – 31, 2016 in Argentina. This dialogue is intended to facilitate open public-private engagement and to seek to improve trade facilitation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Business, Rajdai Jaggernauth, will represent Guyana at this meeting. Approval has also been given for Agriculture Minister Noel Holder to lead a team to attend a meeting of the Inter-American Institute on Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA.) The meeting will be conducted at the IAC headquarters in Costa Rica from April 11 to 15, 2016, and will discuss IICA country strategy 2014 - 2018 based on agriculture priorities and needs identified by Guyana.

Minister Holder’s delegation at the meeting will include Chief Executive of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Richard Cumberbatch, and General Manager of the New Guyana Marketing Authority, Ida Sealy-Adams. Meanwhile, Guyana will also participate in the first regional seminar on illegal deforestation. The seminar will be hosted by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) in Brasilia, Brazil, from April 13 to 14. Guyana’s delegation to this meeting will include Chairperson of the Guyana Forestry Commission, Jocelyn Dow; Manager of GIS Remote Centre at the Guyana Forestry Commission, Towanda Smart; and Technical Officer, Ministry of Natural Resources, Gavin Agard.

Kara Kara toll booth to generate funds for newly-elected council THE Kara Kara toll booth that was disbanded in 2013 by former Minister of Local Government Norman Whittaker will be restored soon after Linden’s newly-elected councillors have been sworn-in. Organizer for APNU+AFC, Sandra Adams, revealed to the Guyana Chronicle that re-establishment of the toll booth will be given priority as a means of garnering funds. According to outgoing IMC Chairman Orin Gordon, the council was forced to run a municipality with limited resources as it stood as an independent body exclusively dependent on rates and taxes. With the current tax rates, which have not been updated since 1976, the money accumulated could only have sufficed for 25% of the council’s expenses, according to Gordon. He said the municipality has lost in excess of $250M as a result of the toll booth operation being halted; and as an autonomous body, the toll booth has to be gazetted for the new council to prog-

ress. Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney-General Basil Williams, during his recent visit to the mining town, disclosed that the municipality will be given subventions by the government, but the toll booth should be reinstituted at the earliest. He disclosed also that the toll booth was enacted in 1997, but, in 2013, Minister Whittaker disbanded the booth under the pretext that it wasn’t gazetted. “He was to gazette it and he did not, and he used it as an excuse to stop it just at the time that Bai Shan Lin entered,” the Minister of Legal Affairs said. He concurred with the disclosure of the former IMC chairman that over $250M had been lost as a result of the concessions given to Bai Shan Lin to have their lumber trucks transport their products. “Over $250M was lost, which would have been earned because of the many heavily laden trucks passing through Kara Kara. They did not want you to be enriched

and empowered,” he told the people of Linden. As a result of this loss, the council was unable to pay increased wages to workers, which caused many to leave, and the municipality could not pay for basic services. “They never wanted you to strive. They took away all of your financial abilities to spend money to look after yourselves. You used to take fees from those large trucks passing through Linden, the heavy lumber trucks and the bauxite container trucks, and you use to get a reasonable income from that as a Town Council. Thirty-five percent of those revenues constituted your budget in this town of Linden,” Minister Basil Williams said. Minister Williams said that immediately after the new council has been put in place, the regulations will be presented to parliament and the toll booth will be gazetted so that collections will commence. He also said that the municipality will have its own bank account. (Vanessa Braithwaite)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Motorcyclist Aishalton residents succumbs to injuries worried about illegal mining By Shauna Jemmott

RESIDENTS of Aishalton in the Deep South Rupununi say they feel threatened by the flurry of illegal mining operations in their community. Douglas Casimero, Toshao (elected village leader) of Aishalton, said the illegal mining is taking place in the Marudi Mountains, bringing with it frightening activities, including violence and prostitution. In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Mr Casimero said that miners from areas out of the Rupununi, including foreigners, are seen displaying weapons which are believed to be illegal. Casimero said that apart from destroying the natural landscape, the illegal mining activities are undertaken without any regard for waste management, given the haphazard disposal of waste that is evident. He said that while the dry season has kept the pollution under control, residents are concerned that when the rains come, destructive waste would be drained into the main waterways. Casimero explained that

Douglas Casimero, Toshao of Aishalton, Region 9

Aishalton is not against foreigners, but the Marudi Mountains are “overflowing with foreigners” and other miners, who are conducting activities without proper documentation. He said the mining activities have resulted in increased vehicular traffic throughout their titled land, including excavators, fuel trucks and other heavy duty vehicles, which are destroying the roads. Toshao Casimero said there is no consideration for

farm roads and bridges, and the fear is that when the rainy season comes, in addition to draining waste into the waterways, farms will be inaccessible. He said excessive speeding is also a great cause for concern, since the miners have no regard for elderly people and children on the roads, and have little or no respect for the village leadership. Further, the presence of illegal miners threatens the way of life of the people of Aishalton, with there being an overall increase in threats to the local culture. “We recommend that the relevant authorities regularise the mining activities in Marudi Mountain, because we cannot accept illegal mining in that area. Let it be legal; we are not totally against mining…a lot of illegal activities are taking place there.” He said that a meeting has been held with the Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, and a stakeholders’ meeting was scheduled to take place to iron out the issues. (Michel Outridge)

MOTORCYCLIST Julian Orlando Bacchus, fondly called “Jemma”, of 988 Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara, has succumbed to head injuries he sustained in an accident that occurred more than a month ago. He died on Sunday while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The 26-year-old Bacchus had been admitted into the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Hospital after the accident, but was later transferred to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of that institution. His injuries included head injuries, multiple fractures to the skull, and speech impairment, his mother, Allison Richardson Bacchus, told Guyana Chronicle on Monday.

Bacchus had been employed with Troy Resources as a wielder/ fabricator. He had left home on his motorcycle at about 20:40 hrs on February 7 to attend a cousin’s birthday party at Buxton, East Coast Demerara. Shortly after, she received news that her son was discovered injured on the Railway Embankment at Bladen Hall, East Coast Demerara, a few villages away, where it appeared his motorcycle had crashed into a rail. For the seven weeks Bacchus had been a patient at the Georgetown Hospital, “he was in and out of consciousness,” his mother said. She, however, never expected him to die, since he had started showing signs of recovery and was expected to be discharged soon. The young man was also scheduled to begin speech therapy next week.

His mother had spent the entire day with him on Saturday, and he had a craving for ice-cream. Early Sunday morning, his mother was sleeping when a nurse from the hospital telephoned and asked her to “come down to the hospital”. The mother said while she thought she was going there to sign a document for further medical care, she received the shocking news of her son’s death. She related that she was asleep on Sunday morning and had a dream of her son visiting her. In the dream, she asked him why he returned home when she was planning to visit him later, and he told her he had no need for clothing. The mother said she immediately awoke and observed that it was 05:20 hrs. That was the very hour she was told that he had passed on.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Region Five needs UG campus, industrial site

‒ to help in economic transformation, says chamber president

WBCIC President Imran Saccoor

By Clifford Stanley PRESIDENT of the West Berbice Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WBCIC), Imran Saccoor, is contending that Region Five can be transformed with the establishment of a University of Guyana campus and an industrial site there. Addressing exhibitors and visitors at the WBCIC’s inaugural Region 5 Expo and Trade Fair, held last weekend, Saccoor said such a tertiary educational institution would boost economic prospects in Region 5. “We all know the benefits of education, and having an educated populace,” he said. He said the chamber had asked the previous administration to establish a West Berbice UG sub-campus, but to no avail. The chamber is now pitching this idea to this new administration with the hope that it will be received favourably. With respect to the establishment of an industrial estate in Region 5, Saccoor

said there has been much talk in the past about such a project, but it never got off the ground. The chamber president said he held recent discussions with many medium-scale hardware businesses in Region 5, and they have all signalled their willingness to engage in manufacturing; but they need the facilities, access to land, and tax concessions that will help them to proceed with their investments. “If the Government can provide that opportunity, I am sure that many of our medium-scale hardware businesses will be prompted to go into direct manufacturing; to start some small manufacturing industries in the region and the West Coast of Berbice, with the resultant benefits for all,” the chamber president said. He said: “This chamber has the will to drive commerce and trade, but we cannot do it all by ourselves, but rely on whoever is the sitting Government of the day. We have been receiving Government support over the years, and we are optimistic that this will continue so that these visions for the economic transformation of Region 5 can become a reality.” Saccoor pledged that the WBCIC will continue to advocate for prudent and strong business policies, and he said the chamber stands ready to work with any Government or non-governmental organisations, or any other interest groups that have at heart the best interest of Region 5 and Guyana as a whole.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Business Ministry to work closely with regions ‒ to identify development, investment priorities THE Ministry of Business (MoB) will be collaborating with the local authorities in every administrative region to identify developmental priorities as well as opportunities that can attract investments. Minister with the business portfolio, Dominic Gaskin, said that though the Ministry is located in Georgetown, its mandate covers the length and breadth of Guyana. He pointed out

that every region can be an important contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “Whatever services, benefits or opportunities are available through the MoB and its various subvention agencies will be made available in every region in Guyana. We will be making every effort to ensure that the work of the Ministry is not limited to Georgetown, but is indeed spread throughout

Guyana,” Minister Gaskin has promised. Gaskin made these comments while addressing participants and visitors at the inaugural West Berbice Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WBCIC) Exhibition and Trade Fair held over the weekend at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice. He viewed the WBCIC Expo and Trade Fair as a grand initiative towards mo-

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Mrs Sita Nagamootoo with Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, and President of the West Berbice Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Imran Saccoor, tour the booths at the expo

bilising the private sector in pursuit of regional economic growth and competitiveness. The two-day exposition and trade fair, which ended on Sunday, featured exhibits of commercial businesses, service providers and producers in West Berbice and other parts of Guyana. The exhibitors included sellers of security video surveillance systems, agricultural equipment, agro-processors, garment

and furniture manufacturers, the Small Business Bureau, and service providers such as Hand-in-Hand Insurance, GT&T and the Republic Bank. Two businessmen from Suriname, who visited as observers, said they will network with members of the WBCIC to sell their products locally, as well as import products from members of the chamber. The visiting Surinamese were Amersingh Radhoe,

Managing Director of Amka Food and Flavour; and D Somsingh, General Manager of Advanced Ventures, a company that comprises experts in joint investment, branding and export. Both men said the expo had given them the opportunity to make contacts with Guyanese businesses in West Berbice, and they are hoping that the relationship will grow from strength to strength.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo inspects packets of rice at the expo

Fish processing plant...

From page 7

Agro-processed products at the Young Women’s Christian Association’s booth

nearby villages on the East Coast will hopefully create an opportunity for Butters-Grant to source fish at an affordable cost. “Pricing is a big problem,” she posited, explaining that the price of fish is never stable, but is always fluctuating. “We have a situation where prices are through the roof…one day it is $120., a next day it could be as high as $220 for the same product. So if you have six boats and you have 40 buyers, the six boats figure that the 40 people need it, and as high as we can take it, whoever can sustain the price is going to buy it,” she explained. In addition to processing fish, Butters-Grant says the company is looking to generate waste-energy. “The plant we foresee is going to be a plant developed around zero waste. Every piece of product will be utilized. If it is not utilized for human consumption, it will be processed for animals; or you never know which direction we are heading, whether we process for fertilizer,” she said. Renewable energy is key on Butters-Grant’s agenda, given the price of electricity here in Guyana. It was explained

that besides the fluctuating price of fish in the local industry, cost of electricity is a major stumbling block. “The highest cost of production is energy -- is GPL.” Despite the challenges, Butters-Grant said, Global Seafood Distributors pays keen attention to quality and standards that are equivalent to those offered in the United States, and the company can boast: “We eat what we sell.” For Butters-Grant, fish is in her DNA. Her parents were the owners of shrimping trawlers, and according to her, this year marks 50 years since she has been in the fishing industry. But Butters-Grant had migrated to the US and spent some 29 years there. The entrepreneur said she not only feels proud to be walking in the footsteps of her parents, but feels a sense of empowerment to be expanding her operations to Victoria. “I feel ever empowered by going to Victoria, knowing that 83 freed slaves were able to save enough money, although they pushed it in a wheel barrow, to pay their masters to own some land…,” she said.

President David Granger in the National Park

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Easter Monday fun Photos by Delano Williams and Ivan Bentham

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and his wife Sita celebrated Easter at 63 Beach on the Corentyne Coast

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Lethem ‘trail boss’ knows the ropes By Michel Outridge AT FIRST glance, one would not conclude that this timid looking 58-yearold had been driving almost his entire life. I learnt that it was the only job he knew, and I soon found out that he was very good at it. I met Derrick Paul, fondly called ‘Uncle Derrick’ by his colleagues, at Carly’s Bus Service at Oronoque and Robb Streets in Georgetown. It was my first trip to Lethem by trail, and I was very hesitant when I was told that I had to overnight on the trail. But very early into the journey I felt a sense of relief, as conversation flowed easily between us. He is soft spoken and accommodating, and it was a pleasure engaging in conversation with him and learning about his years blazing the Georgetown to Lethem trail -– a journey

Derrick Paul posing in front of his mini bus in Lethem after completing a trip from Georgetown recently

which takes more than 11 hours of driving. ‘Uncle Derrick’ sits comfortably behind the wheel of his route 94 minibus, and soon you realize

that he is a very defensive driver, not given to daredevil stunts and heart-stopping manoeuvres. In addition, his bus is fully air-conditioned, making his passengers com-

fortable and the long trip bearable. Sitting in a bus that is travelling for so many hours is not normal for most people, but a quick chat with

Uncle Derrick can make you forget your concerns on a dark and bumpy trail which is also very dry and leaves a cloud of dust in its path. He told the Guyana Chronicle that he had been driving that particular trail since 1991, and for the past two years the trail was being kept in much better condition, making the journey a bit easier. Along the trip, one would leave the bus service in the city as it gets dark and would arrive in Lethem the next day. There were adequate stops on the way, which gave passengers a little leisure time. Derrick, who lives in the city, said he was very passionate about his job, and when he gets behind the wheel, he always ensures that his passengers are safe and comfortable. He is probably the oldest among his 22 fellow bus drivers at Carly’s, which

has been in existence for 10 years and operated by a Guyanese couple. He is originally from Essequibo, but considers himself to be a ‘city boy’ who would like to retire from driving in two years’ time. He has many stories to tell, having travelled that route countless times, but what is most discerning is his easy-going persona and kindness. Like his colleagues, he is very hospitable and has grown to love his job. Uncle Derrick told this publication that driving the trail is not about flamboyance, but safety in getting passengers safely to their destinations. He added that sometimes he would have to wait his turn to transport passengers, and would get work sometimes three times a month, depending on how much people were travelling.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 29, 2016

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday March 29, 2016

Sri Lanka Women bow out with SA win

SRI Lanka Women captain Chamari Atapattu willed and rallied her side to a 10-run victory over South Africa Women in Bangalore, in the last league match of the Women’s World T20. Atapattu first stroked her maiden T20 international fifty, which contained five fours and one six, even as her partners floundered. Atapattu then brought herself into the attack in the defence of 114 and her second over resulted in two wickets. She ran to her right from her follow-through, collected a wristy push from Trisha Chetty and flung a throw to the keeper to catch Dane van Niekerk short for 24 off 31 balls. Three balls later, Atapattu pinned her opposite number Mignon du Preez plumb in front for a duck, a wicket the Sri Lanka captain identified as the “turning point” at the postmatch presentation. Left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari and left-arm pacer Udeshika Prabodhani backed Atapattu to squeeze South Africa’s middle order. From 50 for 0, South Africa slumped to 102 for 7. du Preez said: “We had a good start and we lost it in the middle order. We have been struggling with it in the

whole tournament. It was also poor execution from us. This is something we need to work on and come back stronger.” Prabodhani speared in full balls and defended 12 off the last over, including taking the wicket of Chloe Tryon for 11 off 10 balls. Though it was just a dead rubber, Sri Lanka toasted the win, and got into a huddle only after wicketkeeper-batsman Dilani Manodara had joined the team from the dug-out; Prasadani Weerakkody had taken the gloves in the absence of Manodara. Manodara was pinged on the grille of the helmet when she missed a scoop off her first ball. She scratched around for 4 off 9 balls, before she was bowled by seamer Marcia Letsoalo. Manodara was later sent to the hospital for a scan and it was found that she had no major injuries. Sri Lanka’s middle order folded as well and they managed only 34 for 4 in their last five overs. Atapattu, however, had lifted Sri Lanka with a bevy of muscled slog sweeps. She hit 52 off 49 balls before she was runout by Marizanna Kapp, who was featuring in her 50th T20 international. She picked up two

Player of the match, Chamari Atapattu, celebrates her fifty against South Africa in Bangalore. scalped two wickets. But wickets and was com- Atapattu’s act would prove plemented by leg-spin- to be too much for South ner Suné Luus, who also Africa. (ESPN Cricinfo)

Former Honduran president pleads ... From backpage

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York that he sought bribes in connection with awarding media and marketing rights for World Cup qualifier matches. “I knew that it was wrong for me to ask for and accept such undisclosed payments,” Callejas said in court. Callejas, who pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering, conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy, agreed as part of a plea deal to forfeit $650 000. His lawyer declined comment after the hearing. Sentencing was set for August 5 and the charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years each. The 72-year-old is one of 42 individuals and entities charged as part of a U.S. investigation into more than $200 million in bribes and kickbacks sought and received by soccer officials for marketing and broadcast rights to tournaments and matches. The investigation has sent Switzerland-based FIFA and other soccer governing bodies into an unprecedented crisis. Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s newly elected president, has vowed to

restore FIFA’s image. To date, 14 people and two corporate entities have pleaded guilty in the U.S. case. Callejas served as Honduran president from 1990 through 1994. He was the president of the Honduras soccer federation, FENAFUTH, from 2002 to 2015 and was also a member of FIFA’s marketing and television committee. He was indicted in December and came voluntarily to the United States later that month to face the charges. Callejas has been under house arrest as part of a $4 million bail package. The indictment said Callejas took bribes from Media World, a Florida-based affiliate of Spain’s Imagina Group, so that the company could obtain media and marketing rights for qualifier matches ahead of the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments. In court, Callejas said he accepted “hundreds of thousands” of dollars in bribes from Media World and used a “significant portion” of the money to pay delegates to FENAFUTH to ensure his re-election.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday March 29, 2016

Kohli masterclass prompts Tendulkar comparisons (REUTERS) - Indian great Sachin Tendulkar remains the gold standard of batting in the post-Bradman era but Virat Kohli’s latest masterclass in Sunday’s World Twenty20 shootout against Australia has prompted comparisons with his famous compatriot. Not for the first time in the tournament, it took Kohli’s masterly knock to get India across the line in a virtual quarter-final against the reigning 50-overs world champions. Kohli remained unbeaten after a sublime 82, burnishing his reputation as arguably the best chaser in limited-overs cricket with a knock that reminded many of Tendulkar’s 143 against Australia in a 1998 one-dayer at Sharjah dubbed “desert storm”. Shane Warne was at the receiving end of Tendulkar’s wrath in that match and 18 years since the contest, the Australian spin great saw Tendulkar’s shadow in Kohli’s latest knock. “Great knock by @imVkohli Reminded me of one of your many special innings buddy,” Warne tweeted to his great rival Tendulkar after Kohli secured India a place in the semi-finals on Sunday. Kohli bejewelled his knock with two sixes and nine boundaries and sprinted tirelessly between wickets in a flawless display of limited overs batting under tremendous pressure. He middled every ball, timed his shots with surgical precision and found gaps with eerie regularity to stamp his class. “Of the modern players, I’ve always thought that Brian

the streets of a city long accused of inculcating aggression in its youth. Since Kohli’s international debut in a one-dayer against Sri Lanka eight years ago, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has closely watched the tattoo-wearing, blunt-speaking, heart-on-hissleeve youngster transform into

an aggressive character who will be ready to take on challenges and he will be aggressive on the field. “But he will also improve. He is shifting in the right direction but he is a tremendous character. He should not lose his character because that’s what his strength is.”

Homegrown talents key to Manchester United future - Giggs

Virat Kohli acknowledges the applause after India’s win over Australia in Mohali on Sunday. Lara was the best placer of the ball,” former Australia captain Ian Chappell told www.espncricinfo.com. “I think I have got Brian in second spot now.” LARA’S PRAISE The West Indian batting great was also bowled by what he saw and requested videos of Kohli’s early days, hailing

the Indian as the “best timer of a cricket ball” that he has seen. At 27, Kohli stands on the brink of batting greatness with 36 international centuries against his name and averages of 44 in Tests, 51 in one-dayers and 55 in Twenty20 matches. It has been a fascinating transformation of a Delhi cricketer perceived initially as yet another brash brat from

Sinclair to captain Berbice in Inter-county U-17 tournament

THE junior selection panel of the Berbice Cricket Board, led by Leslie Solomon has named a strong team to participate in the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter-county Under-17 tournament. The 14-man squad will be led by Kevin Sinclair, with Steve Deonarine appointed vice-captain. The team was selected after two trial matches recently held at the Albion Sports Complex. Outstanding performances were recorded by Javed Karim, Alex Algoo and Kevin Sinclair. The selectors also used performances from the Memorex Under-17 inter-club

a mature match-winner. Kohli hates the idea of an on-field confrontation that doesn’t include him and Dhoni argued it suits the player who succeeded him as India’s Test captain. “He will always be the same,” Dhoni said after the victory in Mohali. “He will be

Kevin Sinclair and the A Ally and Sons Secondary School cricket competitions as part of their

selection criteria. The players selected to represent Berbice are: Kevin Sinclair (captain), Steve Deonarine (v/captain), Alex Algoo, Chandradat Veerasammy, Keith Simpson, Junior Sinclair, Kelvin Omroa, Javid Karim, Karran Rajpaul, Brandon Stewart, Kevlon Anderson, Steven Kalamadeen, Garfield Benjamin and Syaad Peerbaksh. The selectors have also named four standby players: Junior Williams, Malcolm Mickle, Kris Ramnarine and Emanuel Seecharran. The manager is Rabindranauth Saywack while the coach is Andre Percival.

Manchester United assistant manager Ryan Giggs

Rebel tennis club maintain slim lead

REBEL Tennis Club currently sit at the top of the leaderboard with three wins in the Guyana Tennis Association’s (GLTA) interclub competition. Roraima and Sheltez A are neck and neck in a tie for second with both securing two wins. The GLTA is satisfied with the support club members have given as spectators supported their teams, especially Roraima Club. President of the GLTA Grace McCalman, remarked, “It is heartening to see clubs get an opportunity to play on other clubs’ courts and play other members at their levels. I see this as a pillar for club development.” Sheltez B delivered a clinically win against Non-Pareil Tennis Club 5 points to 2 points while Sheltez A lost by a slim margin against Le Resouvenir 3 points to 4 points. The two teams for Sheltez squared off and Team A emerged as the winner of the meet. Rebel have also gained good standing by defeating Sheltez B, Roraima and Le Resouvenir. Matches conclude this week at Harry Panday’s court and Le Resouvenir Tennis Club.

(REUTERS) - Big-spending Manchester United must always continue their tradition of bringing through players from the youth academy, assistant manager Ryan Giggs has said. The 20-time English champions have endured a stuttering campaign by their high standards and sit sixth in the league, are already out of Europe but retain hope in the FA Cup ahead of a sixth round replay with West Ham United next month. United manager Louis van Gaal has brought through a number of academy players this term, such as striker Marcus Rashford, but the Dutch coach has been tipped by British media to make way for former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho next season. Giggs said future United managers should respect the club’s history for promoting from within. “I think it will always be part of the club’s philosophy. It’s part of the history, it’s what sets us apart from other teams,” Giggs told the club’s website (www.manutd.com). “Yes, we can bring world-class players in from around the world but we want one of our own to be performing on that Old Trafford pitch .... we need players to come through the ranks. That’s a massive part of the United history.” United, 16 points back of leaders Leicester City, host Everton in league action on Sunday.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday March 29, 2016

Pacers hang on to beat Rockets

(THE Sports Xchange) The odd adventure that has been the Indiana Pacers’ 2015-2016 season was on display in all of its glory -- or inconsistency -- on Sunday night in Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the equally up-and-down Houston Rockets. Indiana (39-34), who lost on the road to 21-win Brooklyn on Saturday night, led Houston (36-38) by 16 points in the third quarter, trailed by five in the fourth quarter and somehow found a method to scratch out a 104-101 victory. Paul George had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Monta Ellis added 23 points and Ian Mahinmi had 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Pacers held on. Houston’s Jason Terry had a chance to force overtime, but his 3-point attempt from the right wing was short as time expired. “This was exactly the kind of game we expected,” said Mahinmi, whose 19 points tied his career high. “We felt really bad about the loss Saturday (at Brooklyn), and we knew we had to have this one tonight. A big thing right now is that we are still learning to play with each other, and we are getting better.” Mahinmi and Ellis each made one of two free throws in the final 11.7 seconds to help the Pacers hold onto the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Indiana are a half-game ahead of the eighth-place Detroit Pistons, who were idle Sunday.

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) holds the ball while Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley (2) defends in the first half of the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports) “After Houston came back and made it a game, we finally did a good job of taking control again at the end,” George said. James Harden poured in 34 points to lead the Rockets (36-38). Trevor Ariza had 14 points, and Dwight Howard added 11 points and 10 rebounds. Houston remains a halfgame ahead of Dallas for eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race after the Mavericks also lost Sunday. “Those 3-pointers are the shots we are comfortable taking,” said Ariza, who was 2 of 8 from beyond the arc. “If the shots are not there, we want to keep moving the ball and looking for a better shot.” The Rockets, who lost their fourth consecutive road game, made only 7 of 33 shots from 3-point range (21.2 percent), their second-worst 3-point shooting percentage this season. “They missed some open 3-pointers, but overall, I thought our 3-point defence was good,” Indiana

coach Frank Vogel said. “They hurt us and got back in the game in the third quarter when they went small, and James Harden really got going.” A George 3-pointer gave the Pacers a 93-92 lead with 5:43 to play, but Harden answered immediately, pushing the Rockets back in front at 94-93. Indiana clung to an 81-79 lead through three quarters, but baskets from Harden and Ariza gave the Rockets an 8381 advantage with 10:44 to go. Trailing by 16, Houston used a 16-3 run to close to within 70-67 on a Harden 3-pointer with 4:08 remaining in the third quarter. Another Harden 3-pointer tied it at 70 with 3:32 left in the quarter. “This team defends the 3-point line well,” Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of the Pacers. “They force you into taking coverage shots because their length allows them to cover a lot of ground to cover and contest. I thought we got looks we wanted, but always in those situations, you want to put

pressure on the rims. But the Pacers do a great job protecting the paint.” A 3-pointer from George Hill and a steal and layup from Ellis extended the Indiana lead to 67-51 with 7:57 remaining in the third quarter, prompting a Houston timeout. At that point, the Rockets were 2-for-20 from 3-point range. “Tonight, we needed contributions from everybody to win this game,” said Vogel, noting that the Pacers were playing the second of a back-to-back. “I thought Solomon Hill came off the bench and gave us some good minutes when Houston went with its small lineup.” Solomon Hill played only 15:30 but had two points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals and played excellent defence against the Rockets’ perimeter players. George scored 16 firsthalf points, and C.J. Miles came off the bench to add 10, helping Indiana seize a 57-47 lead through 24 minutes. The Rockets, who got 10 first-half points from Harden, missed 14 of their first 15 attempts from 3-point range and finished the opening two quarters 2-for-18 from long distance. Indiana led 30-24 after the first quarter and increased their advantage to 55-42 on a Mahinmi layup with 1:41 remaining in the half before the Rockets closed within 10 at intermission. The Pacers outshot the Rockets 47.1 percent to 44.7 percent overall, and Indiana posted a 50-44 rebounding edge.

Amla gives South Africa consolation win

By Amlan Chakraborty

NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) - Hashim Amla struck an unbeaten 56 to guide South Africa to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over champions Sri Lanka in a low-scoring World Twenty20 dead rubber yesterday. With both teams out of contention for a place in the semi-finals, the Group One match was of no real consequence and South Africa’s

second win in four matches helped them finish third in the group. Sri Lanka, who lost for the third time in four games, finished level on points with Afghanistan. The top two, West Indies and England, qualified for the last four. Chasing a target of 121, South Africa lost opener Quinton de Kock in the second over but Amla and skipper Faf du Plessis (31) shared

a stand of 60 to take the game away from their opponents. du Plessis was unlucky to be given out leg-before-wicket to Suranga Lakmal after an inside edge crashed into his pad. AB de Villiers (20 not out) smashed Lakmal for a six to seal South Africa’s win with 14 balls to spare. Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews sat out the match with a hamstring injury suffered in the previous game

against England. Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka could not make the most of the breezy start they received from stop-gap captain Dinesh Chandimal (21) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (36) who put on 45 for the first wicket. Aaron Phangiso claimed two wickets in two balls to trigger a collapse and Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 120 in 19.3 overs.

Williams bid for ninth Miami title ends

MIAMI, USA (Reuters) Serena Williams’ bid for a ninth Miami Open title came to a shock end when the world number one was beaten 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2 in the fourth round by 15th-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova yesterday. The loss on the Miami hardcourts was the first since 2012 for Williams, who had Svetlana Kuznetsova swept the last three titles. It was a day of dramatic from the start, breaking Wilupsets at Crandon Park, as liams to go up 3-1 then Williams stepped onto the sweeping the next three Stadium court for her Round games to level the contest at of 16 match immediately af- a set apiece. ter third-seeded world numThe Russian upped ber two Agnieszka Radwans- the pressure with a pair of ka of Poland was tripped up breaks to start the third as by 19th-seeded Swiss Timea she stormed through the Bacsinszky 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. opening three games before A tight first set saw both Williams finally stopped the Williams and Kuznetsova bleeding with a break of her register a break but neither own at 3-1. player could gain the upper The relief was brief, hand, sending the opener however, as former U.S. to a tie-break which the and French Open chamtop-seeded American dom- pion Kuznetsova immeinated 7-3 with the help of diately hit back with yet a pair of thundering aces. another break and went A battling Kuznetsova on to finish off the upset in controlled the second set just over two hours.

Zaheer Khan to captain Daredevils in IPL 2016 ZAHEER Khan has been appointed as captain of the Delhi Daredevils for the 2016 IPL season. Zaheer joined Daredevils in 2015; he played seven of the team’s 14 matches, taking seven wickets at an average of 22.28 and an economy-rate of 6.45. He described his appointment as a “huge honour”. “It is a huge honour to captain Delhi Daredevils,” Zaheer said. “To get this responsibility is a way for me to give back to the game. I firmly believe that with the players currently involved we have the makings of a very good side, a young side that can surprise people. The potential of this group of players is immense and it is now up to us as players to turn that potential into consistent performances.” Daredevils’ team mentor Rahul Dravid was full of praise for Zaheer, and expressed high hopes for the bowler’s forthcoming stint as captain. “Zaheer has been

Zaheer Khan a leader for a very long time. Anyone who has followed Indian cricket will know the impact Zak has had,” Dravid said. “Zak has a big personality, but it is the steel, focus and drive behind the outward confidence which I think he will bring to the captaincy and that I am sure will inspire the rest of the team. He has the respect of the dressing room and the franchise is proud to have him as our captain.”Zaheer had retired from international cricket last October, but he had last played for India in February 2014. (ESPN Cricinfo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday March 29, 2016

Pele FC’s 45th Anniversary Celebrations

Pele, Santos rivalry to intensify Thursday, as football festival climaxes By Michael DaSilva THE Pele versus Santos football rivalry will intensify on Thursday with the staging of four matches featuring Pele and Santos teams in different agegroup categories, as Pele Football Club celebrates its 45th anniversary. All four matches will be played at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) beginning at 14:00hrs with Pele Under-15 team tackling their Santos counterparts. From 15:00hrs, Pele Under-17 side will face off with Santos Under-17s and from 16:00hrs, Pele Overseas Masters will engage Santos Masters. The feature game on the day’s programme will bring together Pele Elite Reserves and Santos senior team from 17:00hrs. Pele FC was founded on July 18, 1971 by former national player and coach Lennox `Mullen’ Arthur at the Albouystown YMCA and almost immediately after its formation, the club rose to supremacy, dominating football locally at all levels.

Frank Watson The club’s first president, the late Frank Watson in whose name the Under-15 and Under-17 tournaments were staged last Saturday, was a Guyana Airways pilot, who, while flying to a destination in the interior, crashed into a mountain and until today, neither his remains nor that of the aircraft he was flying have been found. According to Arthur, while playing for Santos FC which was also founded in

Patrick `Labba’ Barton the Albouystown community, he got the desire to branch off and form a new club and as such, he scouted for talent that will make the club one of the best in Guyana. So every time there was a school tournament, he would attend and scout for talent. In the end, he recruited among others, Patrick `Labba’ Barton, Wendell Manifold, Keith `Bumpy’ Layne, Linden Carter, Monty Wilson, Clyde `Oiler’ Watson

and his twin Colin Watson, Orin Fanfair, Alfred Harrison, Alfred Morrison, Keith Cadogan, Eric Smith, the late `PT’ Gregory Stewart, Rodwell `Tarzan’ Anderson and Ashton among others. Arthur said on identifying the club’s members he had a difficulty with coming up with a name for the club and he asked the players to come up with a name but they could not, so he suggested Pele, as the famous Brazilian king’ Pele had just retired from International football and because `king’ Pele was a member of the Brazilian team Santos he mentioned the name Pele for the club and immediately, all the players agreed on the name and hence the formation of Pele, Since its formation, Pele FC has been a force to be reckoned with locally as the players probably have won all the major tournaments since 1971. Arthur left Pele in 1979 and formed Strike Again FC, but one year later he returned to Pele FC and continued to climb the ladder of success. Prior to his leaving the

Tallawahs strengthen ahead of new CPL season Owner of the team, Manish Patel, believes those inefficiencies in the side have been removed following the recent CPL draft in Barbados. “I think last year we... learnt that there were a lot of gaps especially in the middle order, so we have filled those gaps, this year and we feel we are a pretty well-balanced and solid middle order team this year compared to last year,” said Patel in an interview with the Jamaica Observer. The team has a far more international look than in recent times with Kumar Sangakarra, and Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka, Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh, Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim and Ausralian batter Alex Ross earning places (Tuesday March 29, 2016) from the draft. COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY There are also a number of newcomers from other islands STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall to the team, and according to Patel, they bring something to (Tel: 225-9230) & the table as well. AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte There is Jonathan Foo from Guyana, Jon-Russ Jaggesar Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) from Trinidad and Tobago, Garey Mathurin from St Lucia, Answers to yesterday’s quiz: Timroy Allen of ICC Americas, and Keswick Williams of St (1) Darren Sammy Vincent. (2) Stefanie Taylor “A lot of these guys, I think, obviously have talent and they just need the opportunity and the Tallawahs will give Today’s Quiz: them the platform, along with other franchises as well, to (1) How many matches have been scheduled for the current ICC Men’s T20 World Cup from the Super 10 stage? showcase their talent and then, hopefully, that will trans(2) How many matches have been scheduled for the late into some good wins for us,” said Patel. current ICC Women’s World Cup? The Caribbean Premier League goes from July to Answers in tomorrow’s issue August.

THE Jamaica Tallawahs, having lost in the semi-final of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in back-to-back years, are doing something about it. Though the franchise won the inaugural of CPL, the Chris Gayle-led unit, has found itself falling a little short in the last two iterations and there are a number of fans not happy with the make up of the team. That make up meant heavy reliance on Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Chadwick Walton.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

Wendell Manifold club in 1979, Arthur and the executive of Santos FC arranged a meeting with officials of the Brazilian Embassy here in Guyana for the embassy to sponsor a tournament for the Brazilian Embassy Cup and the officials agreed to do so, since Santos was named after a Brazilian club and Pele was

named after `king’ Pele. The first year the two teams met for the cup was in 1973 when Santos took the lien on the trophy with a 2-0 victory. However, the following three years, under the captaincy of Wendell Manifold, Pele prevailed, winning the fourth and final encounter by a whopping 5-0 margin. That Cup was never played for again and that is why Thursday’s feature match between Pele Elite Reserves and Santos Senior team will be an intriguing affair that should not be missed. Meanwhile, today, overseas-based Pele FC members will be distributing schoolbags with school supplies to youths in need of additional support. Tomorrow, the overseas-based players will conduct a Coaches seminar for 25 specially selected coaches and will also hold a soccer camp at the GFC ground for youths from primary schools. Football balls and bag packs as well as meals and refreshments will be provided.

NOTABLE DATES

WAY N E ` B i g Tr u c k ’ Braithwaite won the World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedelatin and the World Boxing Council (WBC) Latino cruiserweight titles when he defeated Yohan Pablo Hernandez on March 29, 2008 in Germany. Braithwaite was knocked down once in the first round but won by technical knockout (TKO) decision when referee Jose Antunez stopped the fight at one minute and 52 seconds of the third round after Hernandez visited the canvas three times. The victory was the 23rd for Braithwaite who stopped 19 opponents up to that time. Braithwaite has been away from competitive boxing since October 2012. Braithwaite, the second Guyanese to win a world title, had his last victory on

Wayne `Big Truck’ Braithwaite March 6, 2010. He fought Adam Harris at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut and needed only one round to dispose of his opponent. The loss to Braithwaite was the first defeat for the Cuban-born Hernandez in 15 fights. The German resident went on to win the International Boxing Federation cruiserweight title and has been undefeated since losing to Braithwaite.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday March 29, 2016

Guyana badminton team capture six gold and two bronze medals THE Guyana National Badminton junior team captured six gold and two bronze medals at the Suriname International Junior Easter Tournament which was played at the Kwatta Sports Complex from March 25 to 27. Sunburst champion Narayan Ramdhani was a triple champion, winning gold in Under-19 Singles, Doubles & Mixed Doubles, while his younger sister, Priyanna, captured gold in Under-15 Singles & Under-19 Mixed Doubles and bronze in Under-15 Mixed Doubles categories. Jonathan Mangra won gold in Under-19 Boys’ Doubles, while Tyreese Richards won bronze in Under-15 The victorious badminton team proudly display the Golden Arrowhead after their successful Mixed Doubles to complete the tally. tournament in Suriname.

Bramble ‘excited’ Dottin loves her role about upcoming CPL bowling at the death By Rajiv Bisnauth

WICKETKEEPER-batsman Anthony Bramble is anxiously awaiting the fourth edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as yet another chance for him to continue his swift recognition. Following the official CPL 2016 Draft, which was held in February, Bramble was snapped up by the local franchise for US$7 000 for the first time. With 28 first-class matches and 21 List A games under his belt, the 25-year-old, speaking on the announcement, relayed, “I am very excited about playing in the upcoming edition of the Caribbean Premier League”. He added, “It will be great, and apart from that

the CPL will feature some of the world’s best cricketers and I can’t wait to test my skills and play in what is going to be a dynamic and exciting competition.” The squad includes six specialist batsmen - New Zealand’s Martin Guptill, Barbados’ Dwayne Smith, Australia’s Chris Lynn, Trinidad and Tobago’s Jason Mohammed, Antigua’s Orlando Peters and Guyana’s Assad Fudadin. Sohail Tanvir of Pakistan, Christopher Barnwell and Steven Jacobs of Guyana, and Rayad Emrit of Trinidad and Tobago are the all-rounders, while the bowlers are Veerasammy Permaul and Paul Wintz (Guyana), Adam Zampa (Australia) and Muhammad Ahsan Ali Khan (ICC Americas). Steven Katwaroo

(Trinidad and Tobago) is the other wicketkeepers. Guptill was bought as the marquee player, while those retained from last year were Permaul, Barnwell and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo. However, due to Bishoo being a centrally contracted West Indies Cricket Board player, he could only be chosen as a replacement, but not as frontline selection. He has been retained and could be called upon to play providing he is not on West Indies duties. The Guyana Amazon Warriors will play 10 games in the preliminary phase of the League, with four matches in Guyana, two in Florida, and one each in Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica and St Lucia.

Anthony Bramble goes on the attack for Guyana Jaguars during his top score of 51 against T&T Red Force in the Regional Super50 semi-final earlier this year. (Photo courtesy WICB)

MOHALI, India (CMC) - All-rounder Deandra Dottin says she is comfortable with her role as a death-over specialist after West Indies knocked out India on Sunday to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. Dottin bowled an outstanding last over to spur West Indies to a nerve-wracking three-run win over India in their Group B game at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium. She removed Ekta Bisht with a yorker, forced the run-out of Shikha Pandey and with the penultimate ball of the final over dismissed Sushma Verma to restrict India to 111 for nine. “My heart was very good. I am accustomed. I love bowling last overs. It has become a trend for me having to bring my team to victory. I like being in that position,” declared Dottin. “The captain told me I have to limit the boundaries - bowl yorkers. I said, ‘it’s okay we got this’. I still have my nerve. When I am bowling I don’t have nerves. It is only when I am batting I have nerves. So I am just calm when I am bowling”.

Deandra Dottin Dottin made 45 and Stafanie Taylor, the Windies Women captain, led the way with 47, sharing a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 77 that anchored the Caribbean side to 114 for eight from their allocation of 20 overs, after they were put in to bat. Dottin, later named Player-of-the-Match, returned to grab 3-16 from her allotted four overs, as India Women were restricted to 111 for nine from their 20 overs to silence a near-capacity crowd. “The game plan was to stay there as long as possible,” said Dottin. “Knock around the ball, get the singles, the twos and

pounce on the bad balls. Try not to make rash shots. But the whole idea was to stay there until the last couple of overs. . The result meant that the West Indies Women ended the group stage in second position with six points – two behind group winners England Women. They will face New Zealand Women on Thursday in semi-final action at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. “We are looking forward to playing New Zealand,” said Dottin. “We actually have the chance to be in the final. So it’s just some work that needs to be done and this team will bring it home.”

Guyana badminton team capture six gold and two bronze medals See story on page 23

Golden Jaguars must weather … Nurse calls for ‘The Blue Hurricane’ clinical display By Stephan Sookram

THE pride and joy of Guyanese football goes on show this evening in Puerto Rico when the Golden Jaguars face that country’s national team in the Caribbean Football Union Scotiabank 2016 Men’s Caribbean Cup first round. The Golden Jaguars, fresh off their 7-0 win against Anguilla last Tuesday in Guyana, will have a different brand of football to adapt to when they face the country’s El Huracán Azul (The Blue Hurricane). The Spanish-speaking team blew away Anguilla 4-0 in their last encounter but the Jags skipper Christopher Nurse believes that the winds of change will blow in favour of the South American side telling Chronicle

The Golden Jaguars team go through final training stint ahead of their game against Puerto Rico. Sport, “We’re in good stead to get a positive result.” “As a team we’re pretty sure if we can remain tight and disciplined in defence, our attacking players will get the opportunity to score goals and create opportunities,” continued the Jags skipper.

“I think the team is confident coming off the back of the Anguilla win but we know that Puerto Rico are going to be a different team to face, a much more difficult team than Anguilla and playing away from home, we know that they’ll have a big

crowd which will make it a little more difficult for us,” contended Nurse. Nurse, who signed with that country’s Puerto Rico FC team earlier this month, has already seen an advantage to spending time in the Caribbean country adding,

Cayman, Barbados win CARIFTA gold early on Day 3 THE Cayman Islands and Barbados picked up gold medals during the morning session yesterday at the 2016 CARIFTA Games being held in Grenada. Competing in the Under-18 javelin for girls, Cayman’s Danilez Thomas produced a winning throw of 45.97m to be a comfortable winner over Holly Charles of Grenada, who won the silver with a mark of 44.75m. Asha Jones of Trinidad and Tobago won the bronze with her mark of 44.44m. It was one of the few events so far these championships in which Jamaica has been shut out of the medals as Aiko Jones, the under-18 discus champion was fifth with 39.23m. Jones was also a medalist in the shot put. In the High Jump for Under-20 Girls, Ashanti Phillips of Barbados claimed the gold medal over Jamaica’s Britny Kerr. Both ladies had cleared 1.73m but the Jamaicans had to settle for silver because of Phillips’ cleaner record.

Rechelle Meade of Anguilla won the bronze medal with a leap of 1.65m. Jamaica stands a good chance of adding to the 26 gold medals it has already won, as the country has the two fastest qualifiers in the finals of the Under-18 Girls 100-metre hurdles. Joda Campbell won Heat 1 in 13.70 seconds while her teammate Dasazay Freeman won Heat 2 in 13.74s. The rest of the field will be hard-pressed to get the better of both Jamaicans who were superior to their rivals, including Laetitia Bapte from Martinique who was second in Heat 1 in 13.83s and Sasha Wells of the Bahamas, 13.84s. Hannah Connell of Barbados, 14.23, also qualified from Heat 1. Charisma Taylor of the Bahamas, 13.83, who qualified from Heat 2 will be hoping to get among the medals. Jessie Zali from Martinique, 14.18, is also through to the finals. For Grenadan fans the events of Sunday, March 27, will live long in their memories.

It was the day Anderson Peters won his fifth C A R I F TA t i t l e i n r e cord-breaking fashion and his countryman Markim Felix, finished 1-2 in the Boys Under-20 Javelin. Peters took the gold medal with a throw of 78.28 metres, breaking the record of 77.59m set in 2012 by Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott. Walcott went on to win gold in the javelin at the London Olympics later that summer. The home crowd’s delight was further boosted when Markim Felix won silver in 69.41m. Kalvin Marcus of Barbados won the bronze with a mark of 61.99m. Sunday was also another big day for Jamaica’s athletes, who continued in their winning ways in several field events as well. Zico Campbell took gold in the Boys Under-18 shot put in a new Carifta record of 17.75m. His teammate Rasheeda Brown also broke

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216.

the previous record of 17.56m set in 2015 by Isaiah Taylor, with his throw of 17.57m. Tristan Gibson of Barbados (16.64m) took the bronze medal. Among the girls, Shanice Love of Jamaica threw 52.05m to easily win the Under-20 Girls discus over fellow Jamaican Davia Brown 46.66m and Serena Brown of the Bahamas, 45.97m. In the Under-20 Boys Long Jump, Suriname’s Miguel van Assen, 7.66m, won the gold medal ahead of Jamaica’s Obrien Wasome, who leaped out to 7.52m. J a m a i c a ’s S h a w n - D Brown’s best effort of 7.45m was good enough to seal the bronze medal. In the Boys Under-20 High Jump, Jyles Etienne of the Bahamas cleared 2.07m in a jump off with Jamaica’s Kobe-Jordan Rhooms, 2.06m. Benjamin Clarke of the Bahamas won the bronze with a clearance of 2.03m.(Sportsmax.com).

“I have an insight into some of the players that they have on their team because some of them play with me on the club team.” “We have a little more depth on some of the players in their team which is always good in our preparation, but overall I feel it’s a game where we can get a positive result and top the group. Come next week time we should be top of the group with a better seeding going into the next round.” He pegged the encounter to be an ‘entertaining affair’ but still gave the Jags the edge over their ‘windy’ opponents. The Jags unit includes seven oversea based players – Neil Danns (England); Samuel Cox (England), Walter Moore (Finland);

Brandon Beresford (U.S.A); Christopher Nurse (Puerto Rico), Marcel Barrington (England) and Anthony Whyte (Canada) and Nurse will be looking to their experience once selected by coach Jamaal Shabazz. Senior members in Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Vurlon ‘GQ’ Mills are also expected to play integral roles in attacking when the winds lull, while Nurse is expected to shepherd the back four to batten down the hatches for the storm that is to come. Nonetheless, the game gets going at 19:05hrs at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium and when the winds die down 90 minutes later, the winner will assume the lead of group five in the tournament.

Former Honduran president pleads guilty in FIFA bribery case

Rafael Callejas is also a former Honduran soccer federation chief. tigation at soccer’s world By Nate Raymond NEW YORK, USA (Reuters) - Former Honduran President Rafael Callejas pleaded guilty yesterday to U.S. charges that he participated in bribery schemes that are under inves-

governing body FIFA. Callejas, who is also the former president of the Honduran soccer federation, admitted in federal court in Brooklyn, New

See page 19 TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016