Guyana Times Daily - January 26, 2015

US deporting fewer criminals to Guyana

2 NEWS

monday, JanUaRy 26, 2015 | gUyanatimesgy.com

27 children nabbed in Pomeroon truancy campaigns

... lack of funds, transportation cited as main issues

By IndrawattIe natram

n the wake of calls for fre-

Iquent truancy campaigns to be carried in Pomeroon, the Department of Education has conducted several exercises during the past week.

According to Senior School Welfare Officer Haimraj Hamandeo, 27 children were nabbed during a series of truancy campaigns conducted in both Lower and Upper Pomeroon in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Hamandeo said that the objective of the campaigns were to increase school attendance at all levels. The School Welfare Officer noted that the areas targeted included as Malbourgh, Hackney, Kayamuri, and Kabakaburi.

Hamandeo said officers from the Department of Education had talks with parents in the various riverine communities about the importance of an education and their children attending school.

Speaking about measures put in place to encourage children to attend school, the sen-

ior official said parents of the truants were issued warning letters. Parents were also warned about the consequences if they continued to neglect their parental duties.

Some of the reasons for children not attending school unearthed by the Department of Education were lack of transportation and financial difficulties. Parents were advised to visit the Department of Education so that referral could be made to different agencies for assistance.

Very concerned

Hamandeo said the Department was very concerned about the large number of children who were not attending school. Nonetheless, he noted that the Region could boast of attaining universal primary education.

Weekly campaigns will be conducted throughout the Senior School Welfare Officer’s tenure to ensure that there were fewer school-age children on the streets.

Only last week, Education

Minister Priya Manickchand said the Ministry would strengthen its welfare programme in schools across the country. Speaking at a press conference, Manickchand said more welfare officers would be trained by high-level officials

from across the Caribbean, noting that a team of 13 supporting masters were currently in the country undergoing training.

Manickchand said since the initiative was the first of its kind, they may not be able to pull off everything on time and as expected, but would work towards perfection when addressing welfare matters within the schools. “Again, we will not be able to provide all the services and respond to all the welfare cases as expected. We have to find other ways of having the country band together to address the issues of inter-personal violence, of stranger violence, of resolving issues violently, so we really need everybody on board – the Church, the Mandir, the Mosque, the NGOs, the schools and even the parents in the home,” she said.

In addition, the Minister noted that of the 13 persons lending their assistance to train the welfare officers, eight were attached to the Education Ministry while the

other five were placed to work within the Social Services Ministry. She underscored that the trainers had specific training on young people so local officers would be empowered to deal with issues affecting youths.

The Minister also pointed out that although the Education Ministry had many important issues to deal with to boost the education sector, literacy remained on top of the agenda. “Literacy is an unfolding issue that we are addressing; part of it was to make sure that our children have all the resources like

textbooks and workbooks and so on. We have started implementing the plans that we have rolled out; in fact, one of the major developments is that parents will now be able to go into schools and get updated reports about their child’s performance, especially in literacy as this remains on the top of our agenda,” she added. Moreover, Manickchand added that this new system would help children to learn faster and also keep parents up-to-date with their child’s performance, especially in reading.

Money changer shot

...robbed $800,000 in South Ruimveldt

Amoney changer who operates in America Street, Georgetown is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital after he was robbed and shot in front of his residence on Saturday evening.

Riburn Vibert Fraser, 48, of Lot 2688 Manatee Place, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was reportedly shot twice to his body by one of the bandits who was armed with a handgun. The incident occurred at approximately 00:10h as the man was about to enter his yard.

It is believed that the two bandits who appeared to be on foot followed Fraser to his house from a nearby drinking spot. The two men reportedly confronted the money changer and demanded the money he was carrying in a bag.

He reportedly put up a fight, but one of the men whipped out a gun and discharged two rounds, hitting the businessman. They then relieved him of the bag containing $800,000, an undisclosed sum of foreign currency, and several important documents. The men then made good their escape.

The injured money changer, according to information received, jumped into his car and drove to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was immediately admitted. He subsequently underwent a successful surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his body.

When the Guyana Times visited the man’s home at

South Ruimveldt, there were blood stains by the gate and several pieces of broken items including a necklace. A neighbour told this publication that he arrived home five minutes prior to the shooting incident. He explained that he was in his home when he heard the two gunshots and immediately ran to his window to investigate. As he peered out, he saw two men running up the road while Fraser collapsed to ground. He said that one of the men was tall and the other was not that short. It was dark hence their faces were not recognisable.

The neighbour stated that when he reached the scene, he saw the injured man driving off with his female companion beside him. He later learnt that the man drove to the hospital. A niece of the money changer when contacted told the Guyana Times that her uncle was taken into emergency surgery and as such, he did not get to tell them much about the incident.

She could not confirm how many times he was shot, but was thankful for his life being spared. This was not the first time the man has been attacked – a few months ago, in a similar manner, three men confronted him and one pulled the trigger of a gun, but the gun did not go off.

The Police, in a release, stated that they have launched an investigation into the incident. No one was arrested.

are expected to range between 23 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 3.57 metres and 5.36 metres per second.

High Tide: 08:55h and 21:24h reaching maximum heights of 2.51 metres and 2.41 metres respectively.

Low tide: 02:26h and 14:55h reaching minimum heights of 0.69 metre abd 0.74 metre respectively.

The above-normal high tide is in effect until Monday, January 26, 2015. Residents of coastal, ow-lying and riverine areas are advised to take necessary precautions against possible flooding

US deporting fewer criminals to Guyana

…overall drop in deportations cited

By Vahnu Manikchand

Fewer convicted criminals have been deported here from the United States over the past five years –something which Caribbean leaders had fought Washington on since 2002.

Between 2008 and 2013, a total of 1035 persons were deported here, 803 of whom were non-criminals. On a much broader scale, the United States has deported thousands of convicted criminals to the Caribbean annually since 1996, when Congress mandated that every non-citizen sentenced to a year or more in prison must be kicked out of the country upon release.

In all, the US is responsible for about three-quarters of the region’s returning criminal deportees, with the United Kingdom and Canada accounting for most of the other ex-cons arriving in the Caribbean. It is a phenomenon that also afflicts many parts of Central America, where street gangs that grew out of Los Angeles spread to the region through massive deportations. Brutal and powerful, one such gang, the “Maras” are blamed for rampant violent crime, extortion and, more recently, acting as enforcers for drug cartels.

Some years ago, Caribbean Governments had said that deportees were exacerbating crime in nations with high levels of violence. The US in attempting to defuse tensions had introduced a programme to help reintegrate deportees, but the programme which was coordinated by the International Organisation for Migration recorded moderate success and was scrapped. Some Caribbean countries such as Guyana had also enacted laws, which gave lawmen the power to monitor criminal deportees.

Downward trend

Speaking to the Guyana Times last week, United States Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Bryan Hunt said that the number of Guyanese being deported from the US has been spi-

ralling downwards over the past few years.

Hunt said that the numbers have always been tremendously small. “A vast majority of Guyanese who leave the United States end up doing so voluntarily and are not deported,” he noted.

According to the United States Department of Homeland Security, there has been a decreasing trend from 2008 to 2013 in the number of persons who were deported from the US back to Guyana. Statistics on the US agency’s website shows that in 2008 some 508 persons were sent back, while 492 were deported in 2009. The following year saw 428 Guyanese deported back to Guyana and 411 in 2011.

Approximately 360 persons returned home in 2012 and another 292 the following year. The figure for the year 2014 was not yet available. These persons were deported on a criminal/noncriminal basis.

Visas

In other migration matters, Hunt noted that Guyanese on short-term visas (tourist, business or student visas) did not usually overstay the time prescribed by the immigration officer upon entry in the US. He noted that they usually returned to Guyana before that time was up or departed for another country.

“But in the main, most people (Guyanese) comply with the terms of their visas and depart by the time that they’re supposed to and stay within the category that they are operating in,” Hunt stated.

As it relates to the issuing of visas, the Chargé d’Affaires explained that the US Immigration Law provided a great deal of discretion to the Consul Officer at the window in the Embassy. He noted that US Immigration Law makes the presumption that everyone who comes through the doors of the Embassy to get a visa intends to immigrate to the United States unless persons can convince the officer otherwise.

“So the burden is really on the applicant to convince the officer who is interviewing them that, for whatever reasons the applicant can identify, he or she is going to leave the United States and return to Guyana. Generally, people do that by showing that they have family they are leaving behind in Guyana that they intend to return to, they have a very well paying job they intend to return to, that they have previous travels to other countries where they have left within the timeframe and a host of other intangible factors that one can bring to the window,” he pointed out.

Hunt posited that at the end of the day, it was a judgment call by the Embassy’s officers and was of the belief that they, more than often, made the correct judgment call. However, the Chargé d’Affaires mentioned that those persons who believed that their cases were not adjudicated correctly had the option to re-apply and be reinterviewed by a different officer. This way, he added, they would have a second opportunity to make their cases as to what their ties to Guyana were.

The US Embassy official underscored that persons have to be realistic when applying for a visa. He outlined that someone who just started a job, did not own a house here, was unmarried and had never travelled overseas may not have a good chance of getting a visa if they applied right now. “You have to look at your individual circumstances and ask yourself honestly, is what I’m going to present to a visa officer going to convince them that I’m really going to come back to Guyana,” Hunt added.

Petitions

On the issue of persons who have Permanent Visa petitions ongoing applying for Tourist Visas, he said success depended on the individual circumstances. Hunt noted that there were cases where people who have immigration petitions pending were still granted nonimmigrant visas, particularly if they showed that they had no immediate intention of immigrating to the US and were up front with the officer that they had an immigration petition pending, but would not be moving any time soon.

The Embassy official stressed that the process had no “hard and fast rule” that made it impossible. “What I will say is that if you conceal from the visa officer that you have a pending visa petition, they will know that and that will undercut the credibility of your entire story if you conceal something like that. It’s always better to be honest and up front,” he noted.

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Manoeuvring for power

One of the main reasons for the spreading cynicism about "politics" in Guyana is its practice as "politricks" by the Opposition. The one issue on which Guyanese are united is on the unfortunate salience of race in voting choices.

The cynicism arises when politicians raise hope in the populace that they are serious about addressing the racial bogeyman, but soon expose themselves as wolves in sheep’s clothing, who are in fact actually exacerbating racial divisions in their mobilisation activities.

We will illustrate this thesis by examining the short and inglorious history of the Alliance For Change (AFC). Directly invoking the racial divisions, the AFC was formed by three individuals from the three major parties in Guyana - the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the People's National Congress (PNC), and the Working People's Alliance (WPA).

The individuals were respectively Khemraj Ramjattan (Indian), Raphael Trotman (African/Mixed) and Sheila Holder (African/Mixed). Rejecting the non-racial claims of their originating parties, they asserted that in their own persons they could "speak for" and "represent" all the peoples of Guyana. As a bonus, they promised to alternate their Presidential Candidacy between the "Indian and African" leaders after each election.

The AFC slavishly adopted the dominant neo-liberal economic paradigm that was promoted by the US - but which had been shown to be simply opening up the economies of the developing world to exploitation by multi-national corporations. The PPP/C had fought the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on specific aspects of the neo-liberal prescription here by opposing the privatisation of GuySuco and the downsizing of the Public Service, initiated by the PNC's Desmond Hoyte.

Along with the rest of South and Central America shifting leftwards, the PPP/C was viewed once again as "troublesome". The US would have wanted to create "options" as they had done in the 1960s through the labour movement and the United Force (UF).

The AFC explicitly claimed to be backed by the US on the assumption by some Guyanese that this country could somehow become a 51st State of the US. The AFC did nothing to disabuse them of their illusion.

The AFC's claims were given further credence with the arrival of a high-profile American pollster, Dick Morris, who conducted a poll purporting to show them "winning the 2006" elections. Heavily funded from sources not clearly evident, the AFC secured a mere five seats.

An analysis of their votes showed that their votes came preponderantly from the traditional African-Guyanese constituency of the PNC. Their parliamentary contribution was very nondescript because they were unwilling to be the "swing vote" in Parliament as they had promised. They generally supported the PNC/APNU on issues. The AFC's exploitation of racialised voting was exposed in the lead up to the 2011 elections.

Raphael Trotman left the party citing a mysterious "illness" and the Presidential Candidate Ramjattan (by their "ethnic rotation" policy) brought in Berbician Moses Nagamootoo from the PPP/C.

However, Sheila Holder, the Prime Ministerial Candidate, dropped out and was replaced by Trotman who did not campaign much on the hustings. The party received almost all their votes from Indian Guyanese, who later realised that Trotman's withdrawal was to "not split the African vote" for the PNC/APNU. He was rewarded with the Speaker's Chair by the APNU and recovered miraculously from his illness to occupy the chair.

Abandoning any pretence of being a "swing presence" in Parliament, the AFC voted solidly with the PNC/APNU and even led that party by adopting a more extreme stance against the PPP/C.

For the upcoming elections, the AFC has also abandoned the "racial rotation" principle so as to once again go after the "Indian" vote. With an Indian candidate. While they are ostensibly locked in coalition talks with the PNC/APNU, it is unlikely that this will be consummated since Ramjattan wants to "divide" the Indian vote to gain leverage.

The AFC has kept and exacerbated the race card.

AFC telling Berbicians it will never coalesce with APNU

Dear Editor, Now that the President has made it clear that General Elections will be held on May 11 this year, the Alliance For Change (AFC) is still trying to hoodwink the public that they have not yet decided on who is going to be their Presidential and Prime Ministerial candidates.

This is according to AFC’s General Secretary David Patterson. However, everyone is aware that Moses Nagamootoo and Nigel Hughes were already selected by the AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan and his selected few in the party. There is no election within the AFC, only selection and rigging.

Unable to get David Granger to remove himself from his impending selection as Presidential Candidate for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the AFC is now telling Berbicians that they will never coalesce with APNU.

Is it the conclusion of a

jilted lover? It will be fruitful to Ramjattan to recall the fable of the fisherman and his wife. Having saved the life of the fish and was granted wishes that removed the couple from poverty to riches, the wife wanted to acquire the ultimate power, resulting in them being reverted to their former poverty stricken conditions.

Ramjattan and the AFC wanted the ultimate power - to fulfill the dreams of Nagamootoo to become the President of Guyana, although the AFC managed through deceit and lies to muster a meagre 10.7 per cent of the total number of votes at the 2011 elections.

This is so absurd and ridiculous. However, the AFC’s climax will be worse than that of the fisherman and his wife - the AFC will be worse off than before!

According the party’s consultant Daizal Samad, the AFC will score a resounding victory. If I could recall

the AFC’s former consultant Salim Nazrudeen, the AFC would have scored a resounding victory in 2011.

If I were paid a handsome salary, then I would have said the same thing. Therefore, since the consultant is reportedly being paid, his overly expressed optimism is expected. Money and new found popularity can project a person in a world of fantasy!

However, the grim reality is this. Those persons from the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) who joined the AFC are now convinced that the AFC at the very core will only be satisfied with an Indian President and this has once again demonstrated what I have said repeatedly that the AFC is a racially divided party.

Therefore, these persons will happily move back into the arms of the PNCR. Nagamootoo will once again fail in his bid to become the President of Guyana. Then on the other hand, those

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) supporters who joined the AFC are now convinced that the AFC is only interested in fulfilling their own selfish political agenda and not the social and economic development of this country. They are convinced that the AFC is the most corrupt political party this country has ever seen. They will move back to the PPP/C.

The above scenario will give the PPP/C the majority it needs to continue its developmental agenda and propel Guyana forward.

The AFC is likely to earn the lowest number of votes in its short existence and this will thrust the tiny band of fortune-seekers into oblivion - a worse ending than the fisherman’s fable. Let the games begin!

Haseef Yusuf, AFC Councillor Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne)

Russia actively working with European partners to settle Ukrainian crisis

Dear Editor,

I would like to tell you about the Russian position on Ukraine.

Russia is actively working with its European partners on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, including within the Normandy format.

We stress for the urgent need of starting an inclusive dialogue in Ukraine to discuss in detail and coordinate the constitutional system of Ukraine as a stable and safe country for all Ukrainian citizens without exceptions.

Only the people of Ukraine without any foreign interference must determine their future. Direct contact between Kiev and the selfproclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics are of fundamental importance in this context.

All other formats involving external players, including the Normandy and the OSCE activities, must be aimed at assisting a direct and sustainable dialogue on issues that need to be resolved to settle the crisis.

Russia has been seeking strict compliance by all Ukrainian parties with the provisions of the Minsk agreements. Despite all existing agreements Kiev has been building up its military presence in the South-East.

Increased militarization, announcements of “new waves” of mobilisation, calls for “taking revenge” for the situation “on the ground”, that had taken shape on the eve of the conclusion of the Minsk agreements in September, are among developments

that testify to this. It is vital to stop immediately preparations for another attempt to quell the resistance by force and abandon the political resolution of problems that resulted from the coup in Ukraine on February 22, 2014.

However, it is even more important to stop bombing and shelling of Donetsk and other big cities in the region with heavy artillery, trying to take control of one town or another.

Modi and Obama agreements could transform globe

Dear Editor,

Agreements between President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could bring major changes in clean energy, trade, and regional security with global impact, benefiting small nations like Guyana.

The two leaders met in Delhi on Sunday right after Obama’s Air Force One landed. Modi was at the Palam airport to receive the President and First Lady Michelle Obama. The motorcade of Barack and Michelle were escorted by heavy security to Rashtrapati Bhavan where President Pranab Kumar Mukherjee accorded them a state welcome.

Obama is in India to attend Republic Day celebrations. He is the first US President to be the Chief Guest at the Republic celebrations and is also the only US President to visit India twice.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India several times as President and as Prime Minister and was also a Chief Guest at Republic Day parade, an honour reserved for leaders of major nations.

India attaches special significance to the relationship with the US, seeing it as essential to transform India into a developed state. And the President was personally invited by Modi to be his guest.

Obama received a 21gun salute at the forecourt

All

of the President’s sprawling home; Commander Pooja Thakur became the first woman to lead the ceremonial Guard of Honour, which was inspected by the President.

It was a first for Obama to be escorted by a female Commander. The President had a light lunch with Mukerjee. Prime Minister Modi and his council of ministers were also present for the honours.

Obama then went Raj Ghat to pay respects at the eternal flame memorial (cremation monument) for the father of the nation Mahatma (Mohandas) Gandhi. He stood in silence for a minute. The President said Gandhi has been his inspiration.

Obama then went to Hyderabad House where Heads of Governments usually meet the Prime Minister. There, Obama and Modi met over for three hours to discuss a number of contentious issues.

First, they held one on one chat over chai (tea) on the magnificent lawns of the office building as well as with their aides and hammered out a number of agreements. Analysts said the warm personal chemistry between the two leaders helped to iron out several differences in USIndia partnership.

The two leaders then met with the media. Obama greeted the media in Hindi:“Namaste. Mera pyaar bhara namaskar

Guyanese

(My greetings with affection).” Modi said India is honoured that Obama ac-

on Obama, saying he “sees new excitement and confidence in this relationship”.

cepted his invitation to be the Chief Guest for India’s Republic Day. “It is special because on this day we celebrate the values shared by the world's two largest democracies,” he said. Modi showered praises

Obama replied: “Chale saath saath (Let’s walk together).”

He joked that Prime Minister Modi is getting even “less sleep than me”. The President said he is struck by Modi's energy

have the right to belong to a political party of their choice

Dear Editor, I read a letter in another section of the press on January 21 under the headline, “Selling to the highest bidder”, by an “angry Amerindian”.

It is indeed regrettable that “angry Amerindian” chose not to disclose his/her name for being the author of the letter, which prevented me from engaging in a more fitting response, causing me to believe that he/she is a blatant coward, which is not part of the genetic makeup of Amerindians for the things constructive.

I suspect as well that “angry Amerindian” is simply an acolyte of the PNC/ APNU party who became angry because I nailed Sydney Allicock for voting against the $1.2 billion Amerindian

Development Fund (ADF) allocation in our 2014 ational budget in the National Assembly.

But the truth hurts.

“Angry Amerindian” referred to TAAMOG as a two-member association. Can he/she say what are the memberships of the APA and GOIP before I respond adequately?

I will also not respond to a matter in relation to a timber company and two Amerindian communities in the Pomeroon until the relevant Toshaos who are now former Toshaos give me the impetus for a response.

Yes, I was the Presidential Candidate for The United Force (TUF) at the November, 2011 elections. So what? In Guyana democracy

flourishes and all Guyanese have the right to belong to a political party of their choice and my choice currently is the PPP/C, whose Government has a solid and impressive track record in promoting the social and economic development of the Amerindian communities in Guyana, hence my glorification for the PPP/C Government.

But to ensure that the Amerindian communities continue in freedom to chart their development programmes for economic empowerment, I shall willingly contribute my energies towards a PPP/C victory by an overwhelming majority at the upcoming May 2015 general and regional elections.

Which side are you on

“angry Amerindian”? On the side of the people? I guess not because I hammered Mr Allicock in a section of the media which made you angry, hence your letter for the cesspit’s archives. Finally, let me inform wicked and disgruntled “angry Amerindian” who seems to be a traitor to the Amerindian people of Guyana that my allegiance is not for sale and will never venture into that category of deceit and immorality which “angry Amerindian” is currently in.

In your next letter “angry Amerindian”, kindly state your name and organization and let’s get on with the discourse. Don’t be a coward

Peter Persaud

and commitment to lifting people out of poverty. He said, “Part of the reason we are natural partners is because we share values –democracy, entrepreneurship, freedom.”

The leaders said they have decided to scale up their economic relationship including holding talks in future on a bilateral investment treaty. Obama said deepening ties with India is a foreign policy priority for his Administration.

They announced they reached a deal on operationalising a landmark civil nuclear agreement that was made seven years ago, but stuck over the issue of liabilities. The two leaders said the nuclear agreement demonstrated a new trust between both sides.

And Modi said it created new economic opportunities and expanded India’s option for clean energy. “I see renewed energy in our engagement. I thank you for your leadership and for setting the tone last September” (when they met at the White House).

Obama remarked: “Today, we achieved a breakthrough on two issues that were holding up our ability to advance our civil nuclear cooperation and we are committed to moving towards full implementation. This is an important step that shows how we can work together to elevate our relationship.”

The two sides agreed to cooperation on defense in which they will co-develop and co-produce advanced defense weapons. The two sides also agreed to work

Next, it is essential to take steps to guarantee the non-resumption of hostilities and strict implementation by all sides to the conflict of a "silence regime" and compliance with the agreements on withdrawal of heavy artillery from the contact line.

Despite the differences over one of its sections, President Vladimir Putin suggested avoiding further disputes about the line of contact for now and withdrawal of heavy weapons from the contact line in accordance with the coordinates which the Ukrainian side insists upon.

We have used our influence on Donetsk and Lugansk leadership and

on a global strategy to combat terrorism.

They also “renewed their commitment to deepen cooperation to advance peace, stability, prosperity in Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region which is critical for the future of the two countries and the world”.

The Prime Minister said: “Our relationship stands at a new level today. We have outlined a broad vision for our friendship and cooperation that reflects the opportunities and challenges of this century. As Lord Buddha said, noble friends and companions are the whole of the holy life.”

They also discussed working on how to help in the transformation of Afghanistan, after complete withdrawal of the US troops. Obama praised India for its generous assistance to Afghanistan.

The two leaders also reached agreement on technology and defence. Obama said in the last few years there has been a 60 per cent increase in the bilateral trade and wanted the trade level to reach $100 billion, which he hoped could be achieved with Modi’s Government’s commitment to liberalise ease of doing business.

Once this partnership is strengthened, India stands to grow and expand by leaps and bounds. And countries like Guyana that have close ties with India will see an increase in loans, line of credit, grants and other forms of aid.

Vishnu Bisram

they accept such an option in the spirit of goodwill in order to avoid further civilian casualties.

So this is precisely what we should work on now. Kiev’s attempts to escalate the conflict with the aim to settle it by military force, apparent provocations, including the shooting of the bus near Volnovakha, could only exacerbate the deep domestic crisis in Ukraine.

Unfortunately, not all of our partners listen to our arguments. But we will continue to deliver our position on the Ukrainian issue to them.

Petr Sizov

Deputy Head

Russian Embassy Letters continued on page 18

Page Foundation

How to talk to your child about lying

By Michael KraMer, PhD

When your child lies to you, it stirs up a potent mix of emotions. You might feel angry, hurt and offended all at once. Lying is extremely upsetting for parents because it shakes the foundation of trust we have in our child. So it’s understandable and normal if you have an emotional reaction to lying— whether the lie is elaborate and “premeditated” or impulsive—a fib your child tells because he just didn’t stop and think.

Often, children prefer to simply “serve their sentence” rather than have a meaningful conversation with their parents about the reasons for and impact of their lie. But having a conversation about the lie is where the learning happens for your child, and is where you can influence better choices for more consistently responsible behaviour.

But no matter how angry, hurt or offended you feel when you catch your child in a lie, it’s important to respond to him in a consistently calm and measured way rather than an emotionally reactive way (for example, “How dare you lie to me? I’ll never trust you again!”). When we overreact emotionally, it allows our children to focus on our unreasonable behaviour and sometimes diverts them from taking personal responsibility for their behaviour.

Likewise, it’s important not to overreact by imposing a disproportionate or inappropriate consequence that doesn’t fit the circumstances (for example, “You’re ground-

ed for a month! No electronics. No car!”). While throwing down a punishment might make you feel better in the moment, it won’t help your child to learn from her mistake.

What we want children to learn from lying

Talking about the reason your child lied is an opportunity for her to learn from her mistakes in three ways:

It increases her awareness of the emotional impact of lying on others. Lies don’t happen in a vacuum. They affect lots of other people, from siblings to peers to teachers and coaches, depending on the nature of the lie and the consequences that result from it. Because children have a tendency to “leap before they look,” they often don’t realise how their actions affect others…until you make them aware of it.

It increases their awareness of the impact the lie has on them. Children may feel guilt, shame, and a loss of selfrespect and self-esteem when they lie. They lose freedom and have to endure more parental supervision. It’s helpful to talk openly about these realities with your child so she becomes more aware of how she is impacted as a person when she doesn’t tell the truth.

It teaches children the importance of solid core values. A value system can’t be variable or situation-specific; it has to be consistent to have any meaning. Your child’s value system is the cornerstone of trust in your relationship. By talking about the lie

with your child, you are creating an opportunity for her to gain a better understanding of the consequences of her actions and, ultimately, to be more truthful.

The Conversation: How to set it up for success

Don’t just dive in to this conversation. After you’ve taken some time to calm down and get some perspective, set it up with these four things in mind:

Establish consequences or loss of privileges. It’s

ample, your son tells you there will be a responsible adult chaperoning the party this Friday and you find out later there wasn’t. You can give a consequence called “verification”. For the foreseeable future, your son loses the privilege of going to any party until you’ve verified there will be an adult on site (By the way, I’ve found this consequence to be very effective. Children really don’t like it and will often decide being truthful works better.). Or

definitely necessary and appropriate to have consequences for lying. The most common consequence is a loss of privileges for a specific period of time. This is different from the “grounded for eternity” consequence I mentioned earlier. Suspend a privilege that’s related to the offence. Say, for ex-

let’s say your daughter uses the family car to go somewhere you’ve told her she’s not allowed to go, and lies about it. The consequence could be her car use is restricted to driving to and from school only and you check the odometer. When she demonstrates she can follow the rules with the

car for two weeks, she gets driving privileges back.

Withholding privileges for a period of time is important because it helps draws the child into a period of reflection. So, time that’s normally spent on the phone or with the Play Station is spent thinking about telling the truth and how to be reflective, not reactive.

Tell your child that part of the consequence is that he needs to have a meaningful conversation with you about the lie. Some children won’t want to talk about it at all. It stirs up emotions that make them very uncomfortable, and they’ll resist at all costs. In this case, explain that the loss of privileges stays in force until he has a meaningful conversation. Other children may want to have the talk quickly to get the consequence over with. I’ve always found it to be most effective to keep the suspension of privileges in force for the amount of time you specify and not cut it short after the conversation takes place. So, if you take away your teen’s cell phone for a week, and he decides to have the conversation on day two, he still loses cell phone access for the rest of the week. Privileges resume after both conditions are met.

Set the framework before having the conversation. Talking about a subject like this can seem pretty big to your child, and he might not know

where to begin or what to anticipate. You can simply tell him, “Here are some things I’d like you to think about before we talk.” Then give him a list of three or four open-ended questions to consider, such as: What were you trying to accomplish when you lied?

(If the lie involved peers) How would you define a healthy friendship?

(If the lie involved breaking house or family rules) How did you decide that lying was a way to deal with your frustration about our rules/expectations? If you’re unhappy about a rule because you see us as overly restrictive or protective, what could you do about that besides lying?

Ask about trust with a question such as: In the future, what are the reasons that I should trust you’ll keep your word?

What will you do differently the next time you find yourself in this situation? No lectures. Avoid the word “why.” When you are establishing consequences, setting the framework and having the actual conversation, avoid the emotional temptation to lecture your child about the offence. Keep it businesslike and calm, asking open-ended questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no. Avoid the word “why.” Asking your child “Why did you lie about going to the party” will likely set up a power struggle and defensiveness that will get in the way of learning.

Once you’ve given your child the framework and he’s thought things through, have the conversation. You can use the framework you set up as a guideline.

How will I know my child has learned something from this?

You know best when your child is being authentic or simply telling you what they think you want to hear. Children generally demonstrate that they are learning from mistakes by speaking openly and genuinely about their reason for making the misstep. They will also generally show some level of authentic emotion— sadness, guilt or shame. For most children, lying doesn’t feel good. In your conversation, allow space for them to talk about that and why it doesn’t feel good.

Some children can lie regularly but only get caught infrequently. That’s why when you discover that your child has not told the truth, it’s important to have a structured conversation that shines the light on the impact of their lie. It’s not a conversation your child will enjoy having, but the payoff of that talk is a big one—a child who has more respect for himself, you and others. A child you can trust.

(Empoweringparents)

Paucity of skilled persons sets back Troy Resources

By Gomatie GanGadin

The availability of skilled per-

sons in Guyana has been described as a major challenge to the full-scale launch of the mining operations of Troy Resources Guyana.

This is according to Troy Resources Executive Director (Project Management) Ken Nilsson. Speaking to the Guyana Times during an exclusive interview on Tuesday, Nilsson related that the company’s full-scale operations will require some 500 persons and while the company was desirous of providing employment opportunities solely for the Guyanese people, it was facing an uphill task in finding the right persons for the jobs.

“Finding qualified people is always a challenge for us. Generally, the people we find do not have the experience and qualifications that we need. We want to give Guyanese the jobs, that is why we have not brought anyone from Australia or Canada or Brazil (other countries in which the Australian gold mining company operates), but we are having difficulties in finding the right persons for the right jobs, especially in the technical areas,” Nilsson stated.

As such, the Executive Director told the Guyana Times that the company now has to invest in bringing skilled persons from other countries to train the Guyanese before any work can commence.

“The fact that we want the jobs to remain with the Guyanese means that we have to bring our people from Australia to train them, work with them, before they can do the job,” Nilsson added.

The official noted that he understood that while there were many qualified and skilled Guyanese,

the salaries and opportunities offered in the country for employees were not competitive enough to prevent migration. To this end, he stated that more must be done by the Public and the Private Sectors to encourage people to remain in Guyana so that the country could be developed to its full potential.

“The fact of the matter is that they aren’t being paid enough so no one is attracted to stay. So incentives will have to be offered,” he said.

At present, the Executive Director disclosed that the company was trying to entice Guyanese who would have migrated to the United States and Canada to return home and work for the company.

“We are trying to get people back into the country, especially those from the United States and Canada. If you want to run a successful institution, then you need the skilled people, you need the right persons,” Nilsson remarked.

80 per cent of graduates migrate

Back in July, the local Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) registered their concerns over revelations that more than 80 per cent of the country’s graduates and skilled workers have been emigrating.

The organisations, at that time, had noted that they were not only concerned but alarmed as well, since this would mean that the operations, expansion and growth of the Private Sector and subsequently, the economy will be greatly affected, since these workers were the most crucial ones for the development of the country.

According to the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP)

Human Development Report of 2009, the migration of graduates and skilled workers had stood at 76.9 per cent, but had increased over the years. A recently-concluded study conducted by Simona Vezzoli, a researcher from the International Migration Institute

78.6 per cent of them living there. At present, Guyana has an emigration rate of close to 50 per cent with approximately 780,000 Guyanese residing abroad, compared to the 747,884 which make up the country’s current population. Among the 780,000 are, of course, the

(IMI), Oxford Department of International Development, University of Oxford, England, revealed that about 80 per cent (8 of every 10) of our university graduates and skilled workers leave for another country.

While Guyanese emigrants have moved to places such as the United Kingdom and the Caribbean islands, they are most abundant in the United States of America and Canada, with some

country’s top university graduates and skilled workers.

Incentives

Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Abraham Subnauth related that it was alarming to know that the country’s most educated and capable were emigrating. Subnauth noted that the emigration of the trained and skilled labour force was tremendously affecting pri-

vate operators in the country. He said while Guyana has, in recent times, experienced growth and has had numerous investors coming on board, many more businessmen had expressed a willingness to invest and expand their businesses in Guyana, but these plans have been hampered by the lack of a substantial skilled and educated workforce.

“Even at a premium wage of $6000, a day you do not have people to work and it’s frustrating to those who have businesses. You cannot expand, because there is no one to fill the capacities you want filled. Growth is stifled,” Subnauth opined.

According to the GCCI’s Attitudinal Study, which was conducted in early 2014, 36 per cent of entrepreneurs in Guyana disclosed that one of the biggest obstacles to their businesses’ success was the inability to source and keep skilled persons in their employ. All of these persons reportedly left the country for what they termed “a better life” or “better opportunities”.

The two Private Sector officials posited that many were migrating to the continent of North America to live “the American dream” and if Guyana were to regain its citizens and more so, its graduates, the country’s leaders will have to step up to the mantle. “The US have the “American dream”, promises them a house, a car, a good job with a matching salary.

“The Government can work on systems which can offer graduates a reason to stay here in Guyana. Someone graduates – jobs, maybe a duty-free concession or a house lot at an affordable cost. It will not stop migration, but it can reduce it,” they noted.

Municipalities still struggling to collect rates, taxes

The Local Government and Regional Development Ministry said it was concerned by the six municipalities’ inability to recoup the millions outstanding in rates and taxes in their respective townships.

As a result, the Ministry said, more stringent measures will be implemented to ensure these entities increase their revenue collection. Some of these measures include the establishment of a Debt Recovery Unit, taking defaulters to court and the continuation of payment plans.

Nevertheless, the Ministry said in 2014, the six municipalities across Guyana made significant strides in terms of providing services to citizens despite limited human and financial resources. In reviewing the performance of the municipalities in the collection of rates and taxes in 2014, there was an overall improvement in revenue collection but not a significant one.

“This continues to be a worry for the Ministry, since within each municipality, there are millions of dollars that are outstanding. Further, in 2014, the Ministry implemented the Fiscal Transfer Act for the first time to determine the allocation of subvention to municipalities.

The Fiscal Transfer Act takes into consideration land mass, population size, and per cent of budgeted revenue which the Council collected in the previous year. This method also makes allocation based on performance level of municipalities. In 2013, a total of $65 million was allocated to the municipalities, while in 2014, a total of $77 million was allocated from which the Fiscal Transfer Method was applied,” the Ministry said.

Among the six municipalities, a total of $13,157,223 was utilised on road rehabilitation projects while a total of $25,566,648 was utilised on drainage improvement projects. The Ministry said it experienced the most difficulties with the Georgetown Municipality, since the Council did not submit its 2014 work programme in a timely manner.

In Berbice, the Ministry also experienced major challenges with Corriverton and Rose Hall municipalities, since the contractors who were awarded contracts (such as roads and drainage) under the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) failed to deliver services; as a result, the Councils were only able to spend 80 per cent of their subventions in November.

The Ministry said roadside vending remained a

Local Government and Regional Development

challenge. Municipalities spent significant time trying to remove roadside and illegal vendors, but vendors continued to refuse to utilise the markets. Due to illegal vending, municipalities suffered from loss of income: markets vendors refused to pay their fees, since the illegal vendors were the ones to benefit the most. Roadside and illegal vending also had an adverse impact on the environment, since the vendors dumped refuse indiscriminately around the perimeter of the markets and the cleanup added to the expenditure of the municipalities.

Several Municipal Markets were upgraded

through a project implemented by the Ministry with funding from the India Brazil South Africa Cooperation (IBSA). Anna Regina benefited from the construction of a fence, installation of security lights and drains, and the raising of the market floor. At New Amsterdam, works were ongoing at the back for the construction of additional enclosed market space. Rose Hall Market benefited from the construction of a fish shed and water reservoir and the installation of security cameras. Linden’s market saw repairs to the constabulary office, washroom, stall area, and chain link fence. Very shortly, retendering will be

done for works to be done at Corriverton Market. In addition, under the Georgetown Aspect of the Clean Up My Country Programme, La Penitence Market’s drains were de-silted, electrical lights were installed around the market, the sanitary block was rehabilitated, and a footpath along Saffon Street, as well as a tarmac and fence along Saffon Street and Independence Boulevard were constructed.

For the Bourda Market, 14 street lights were installed along Robb Street, Alexander Street, North Road, Regent Street and Orange Walk; internal drains were de-silted along with the Orange Walk and North Road Canals. For the Stabroek Market, 12 street lights were installed which are not only benefiting the vendors, but also the hire car and minibus operators and the public at large that utilise the area.

Solid waste

In 2014, the Ministry embarked on the establishment of Sanitary Landfill Sites within each Administrative Region except for Georgetown whose waste is disposed of at the Haags Bosch Landfill Site which was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as part of the Ministry’s Regional

Solid Waste Management Programme. As a result of this initiative, municipalities in the regions were no longer responsible for the collection of residential and commercial waste. However, they are responsible for the collection of market waste and open/public deposited garbage.

To further address the issue of illegal dumping, the Ministry, under the Clean Up My Country Programme, embarked on a Bulk Waste and Community Clean Up Programme, which saw several hundred tonnes of waste removed from the communities within the municipalities. In terms of enhancement of human resources, the Georgetown Municipality Solid Waste Director benefited from participation in a Solid Waste Management workshop in Jamaica. Complaints of illegal construction and expansion of buildings were numerous particularly in Georgetown. These illegal structures posed major challenges during the Georgetown aspect of the Community Clean Up Programme. It was noticed that in every community, persons had constructed bridges in such a way that drains were blocked or re-directed and this has contributed to flooding in the city.

Police complete probe into Trotman paedophile allegations

...file to be returned to DPP today

Police have completed their investigations into the rape allegations against Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman and will be forwarding the file to the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) today.

When contacted on Sunday, a source told the Guyana Times that the file has been prepared and will be directed to the DPP so that recommendations can be made on the way forward for the case. However, the source related that the file was incomplete as it was missing a medical, but this was impossible to obtain in this case, because a number of years would have already elapsed and nothing can be proven by a medical at this point in time.

In September last year, 22-year-old Johnny Welshman

accused the Speaker, who he fondly called “Uncle Raphael”, of sodomising him when he was a 12-year-old boy. Since the allegations were made by the 22-year-old, Trotman has moved to the courts to attain a gag order and filed a $50 million lawsuit against his accuser.

As per the gag order, Welshman was ordered to remove all malicious content from his Facebook Page. Welshman, in return, had also moved to the High Court, seeking to have the injunction discharged.

The Speaker at that time had expressed that he was of the strong belief that the allegations were politically motivated in an effort to divert attention from the no-confidence motion that was scheduled to be heard in the House shortly. He noted that he was fully prepared to cooperate as he placed his trust in the hands of investigators. “I have every confidence that not only would the Police do a good and thorough investigation, but I am confident that I would be completely exonerated,” he had said.

Sloth

On November 11, acting Chief Justice Ian Chang had ruled to uphold an injunction filed by Trotman that prevented Welshman from repeating his allegations of sexual abuse until the conclusion of the matter, much to the anger of the alleged victim.

After more than 30 minutes of deliberations, Justice Chang

had upheld the injunction. This was confirmed by the Attorney representing Trotman, Nigel Hughes, who told reporters outside the Chief Justice’s Chambers that “the injunction continues until there is a determination of the matter”.

The young man had previously told the Guyana Times that he was frustrated by the slothfulness of Police in probing the matter. On Wednesday, November 12, he attempted to take his own life in frustration over what he called the slothfulness and perceived wrongdoings in Guyana’s justice system Welshman was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital after reportedly consuming a large amount of chlorine-based liquid. He was treated and sent home.

“I can’t take it anymore: I wanted justice and I am the one that is constantly harassed on the road. Well, live with yourself at my death… I know I will be in hell ‘cause I committed suicide, but I rather die than to continue living in

Teenager

pain… Uncle Raphael, my father and Colin, I will never forgive you’,” Welshman posted on his Facebook page the day of his suicide attempt.

The young man, who had indicated that he was no longer being represented by Attorney Peter Hugh, said he was awaiting the arrival of another Attorney from Trinidad and Tobago before he proceeded in a legal direction.

injured after gun trap goes off

Ateenager who went to the Queenstown Backdam, Essequibo to cut wooden posts was now nursing a gunshot wound to his left foot after he came into contact with a gun trap.

Eyew tness Gnashing of teeth...

...over Prezzie’s elections move

Even though the Opposition - led by the AFC - has been threatening to have elections “called” in Guyana since last June...they’re all on the backfoot, now that Prezzie’s set the date for May 11. The Opposition, of course, always knew they could set the elections date.

Once they passed a “No-Confidence” Motion - which they always could with their one-seat majority - Prezzie would’ve been constitutionally compelled to schedule elections three months hence.

But they went the other route - to wage a prolonged war of attrition against the Government. Slashing Budgets, controlling the House and the Committees, blocking Bills that would’ve benefitted the country. They even made a foray into actual physical war at Linden and Agricola.

They just didn’t have the guts to bring down the Government via a direct elections challenge. They were scared shiftless they would lose “corn and husk” - especially their duty free car allowance! They only became entrapped in the “No-Confidence” option when Moses Nagamootoo, in his inimitable loose and louche manner, opened his mouth and “story jumped out”!

Garfield “Gavi” Rodrigues, 19, of 253 Queenstown, Essequibo Coast is in stable condition at the Suddie Hospital, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

According to reports, the teenager left home around 08:30h on Saturday morning in the company of a friend to cut the posts to complete an order and it was while doing so, a hidden gun trap went off hitting him just below the knee. He was assisted out of the backdam and rushed to the Suddie Hospital where he was admitted.

An x-ray done on the foot proved that there were at least seven pellets lodged there. His father, Errol Richardson, in a telephone interview with the Guyana Times said his son left with the friend for the backdam and shortly after, he left for work.

He added that he returned home for lunch and on his way back to the construction site, he stopped by his mother-inlaw’s and it was then that his mobile phone rang. It was his son on the other line requesting that he travel into the backdam since he had been shot.

Richardson said that he panicked, hired a taxi and rushed to the area, but by this time, the friend had managed to bring his son out to the main road. On their way to the medical institution, the young man and his friend related what had occurred. A report of the incident was subsequently made at the Police Station.

Richardson told the Guyana Times that on Sunday morning, a team of Police ranks and himself went to the area where the incident occurred, but the only thing they found were spots of blood and no trace of a gun trap. The Police believe that the trap was removed from the area after the incident. However, they have since taken statements from the teenager and his friend who was detained for questioning. The investigation is ongoing.

Now in all democracies where elections aren’t pre-set, like the US...”calling” the election’s not an inconsiderable power. Hey!! He who sets the agenda has a hell of control of that agenda, no?

So in Parliamentary systems inherited from Britain, when the Government has a majority in Parliament, they can select any day they please - once it’s within their fiveyear term. Look at the fella in Sri Lanka...he had another two years to go. Point is, it’s acceptable for the incumbent to set a date...and he’d be a damn fool if he didn’t pick a date that had some advantage for his party.

The Sri Lankan, experience, of course, shows that some folks can be a little too “smart”! Now in Guyana, with Prezzie having lost the initiative to “call” elections to the Opposition after their “No-Confidence” Motion, what was he to do?? Roll over and play dead??

Well, all he had to do was look at what his fellow Heads of Government were doing in similar circumstances. In this case Prezzie did what what the Prime Minister of that bastion of sobriety and democratic propriety, Canada, did. Prorogue Parliament, seize the initiative and “call” elections!!

The Opposition’s forgotten the old folk saying, “Do fuh do na obeah!!” And they’re pi55ing mad because Prezzie “do” them real good!!

...on Prezzie’s elections date

Now the Opposition doesn’t just have their collective underwear in a knot about Prezzie outmanoeuvring them. Based on their reactions in the Muckraker yesterday, the actual date he’s chosen has really knocked them for a loop. We wonder if they’ll ever recover.

The Muckraker’s owner’s chief-cook-and-bottle-washer thinks Prezzie was “angry” because of all the pressure the Opposition brought down on him!! And that the EU’s spiteful action - prodded and applauded by the Opposition - was the final straw!

So in this supposed burst of anger and pique, Prezzie set the election date without so much as consulting his Cabinet!! Harris is willing “to bet (his) last dollar that the Education Minister wasn’t consulted”!

Imagine that! Looks like the Muckraker’s boss or consigliere has a direct pipeline to the Education Minister?? Well this Eyewitness also has his pipeline - and he’s assured that the Minister was fully consulted - as she’s since confirmed. So why’s the Muckraker beating this dead horse??

Another bitching is that the date’s right after Arrival Day. But very nastily, the Muckraker brought race into the equation by calling it “Indian Arrival Day”.

Why “Indian”?? He didn’t even have to look at the legislation - didn’t we all “arrive” here??

...on violence

Another Opposition reason suggested for the date was that it’ll avoid violence - since children would be caught in the line of fire. Since when did concern for school children ever deter the Opposition from violence?

Think Agricola!

Guyana's relations with US, UK intact

...as it diversifies diplomatic relations – Rodrigues-Birkett

The Guyana Government said that its longstanding relations with the United States and Britain remain intact despite recent diplomatic spats over governance matters here.

The comment was made by Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett during an interview on state broadcaster, National Communications Network. Both diplomats of the US and Britain have recently differed with the Donald Ramotar administration

Police ready to protect polls …ranks receiving training in crowd control

The Guyana Police Force says that it is prepared to maintain the peace and protect citizens in the upcoming General and Regional Elections billed for May 11.

This is according to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Leslie James. According to James, who is also the Crime Chief, the Force has been preparing even before the date was announced so as to be ‘on top’ of any situation which may arise during the countdown to the polls.

He said the lawmen will thoroughly discharge their mandate of maintaining law and order in the country.

“The Guyana Police Force is adequately prepared to manage the May 11 polls. “I wish to state clearly that the administration of the Guyana Police Force even before the announcement of the date by His Excellency, President Donald Ramotar, we have been meeting and strategising, we have been planning to deal with any pre or post activities as it relates to elections.

I would say that as an organisation, the force is equipped and we will be able to deal with any eventualities,” James said.

He related that while the Force is not currently “in line” since such an order is yet to be given but it will be whenever it is given. James had asked that every political party cooperate and support the Guyana Police Force so that a peaceful elections process is achieved for the benefit of all of Guyanese.

President Donald Ramotar last week during the announcement of the date for elections noted too that he is hoping and expecting that all stakeholders will ensure peace and stability. “I will expect the

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Leslie James

political parties, the security services and the people of Guyana to conduct themselves in a manner that would ensure continued peace and stability before, during and after the elections. We have a collective obligation, every Guyanese, to ensure the protection of the democratic gains we have made and for which we have endured so much as a nation to secure”, Ramotar stated.

Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee had indicated earlier this month that police ranks will soon undergo training in crowd control, which observers had said could become useful in light of elections. Guyana’s history has been dotted with post-lections violence and police are often called out to restore order.

Rohee had said that the training was recommended over the years and is provided for in the Guyana Police Force Strategic Plan. Notably, he said the Linden Commission of Inquiry had made a recommendation for the Guyana Police Force to receive this type of training. Following the 2011 elections some eleven persons were shot and injured with rubber bullets by

ranks of the Guyana Police Force during a march between Winter Place and Louisa Row.

Permission had been granted to the Youth Coalition For Transformation, for the use of a “noisy instrument” at the Square of the Revolution but the protestors insisted on proceeding on the march along Hadfield Street and were shot when they refused to obey the Police’s hailing.

Among those injured are 75 year-old Sarah Johnson, Joan Baveghems who is a former People’s National Congress Reform Parliamentarian, former Army Chief Brigadier Edward Collins, APNU’s Youth Leader James Bond, Brentnol Holder, Neil Mattis and his 10 year-old son Johnny Mattis, Lurlene Nestor and Laurine Mingo.

These persons were all treated for pellet shots about their bodies at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and sent away.

Back in August September last year ranks of ‘A’ Division (GeorgetownEast Bank Demerara) received Special Riot Training sessions in anticipation of having to deal with crowd control and unauthorised mass street protests. The ranks which were drawn from several policing locations within ‘A’ Division, had their training in the Brickdam Station compound.

on domestic issues of governance.

The latest exchange between UK Ambassador, Andrew Ayre was over the proprogation of Parliament and him issuing threats that Guyana could be sanctioned by the Commonwealth for allegedly breaching its charter. This was later found out to be contrary according to Rodrigues-Birkett

During the interview Minster Rodrigues-Birkett clarified that comments about and concerns of neglect of partnerships with

long term partners are totally unfounded.

She said that the United States of America remains Guyana’s largest trading partner in the world and so it is very important for that relationship to be preserved and strengthened.

Also she highlighted that Guyana has its largest Diaspora population in the US as well, “so we have worked very hard to maintain our relationship, we are also working closely together on security matters, and in fact “I would think that our security portfolio, in terms of projects, is the largest one within the US Caribbean basin security initiative.”

The Minister added that Guyana is also working with them (the USA) on a number of other initiatives, such as the issue of Trafficking in Persons, and even though “we do not always agree on some of the pronouncements, we are working very close-

ly on that matter with the United States.”

Forging ahead

Meanwhile, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett explained that Guyana was forging ahead, working with countries such as Turkey, recalling the CARICOM/Turkey meeting last year.

In a more direct manner at the bi-lateral level, Guyana has had several visits from various teams from the Turkish Government; these are already bearing fruit as some small projects have been approved by Turkey, in some key areas such agriculture and health.

She also mentioned that association with Chile will unfold as the Chileans will be establishing an embassy here in Guyana, by the end of this year. She stated that was because of “our outreach down south as well … we now have an embassy in Kuwait and so we are doing some work in that region as well … so yes we have been increasing our number of partners in the International Community.”

Pertaining to the effects of this kind of amalgamation, the Minister emphasised the importance of establishing relations, with so many countries, as almost natural, since “it is an interconnecting world … it’s becoming interconnected with the technology that we have today, and we also see that diversification of power as we have many emerging economies that are doing very well and certainly those countries are looking for new partners.

“Albeit, this kind of intermingling can be sought after and even be actualised, the Minister did not withhold her caution as “there will be times when we will not share the same position and there will be other times when we converge with respect to our positions … so it’s important for us to have relations with all the countries in the world.”

Minister RodriguesBirkett highlighted that China is one of Guyana’s consistent partners. She revised the fact that Guyana

was one of the first countries in the English speaking Caribbean to establish diplomatic relations with China, and she “thinks that they hold that fact very dearly and we also have been working very closely with China in good times and in bad times.”

She noted that China is the second largest economy in the world, with the largest foreign reserves, a major force with which to reckon.

The Minister also said that this power house and close ally of Guyana has been reaching out to the Caribbean and the Latin American countries, and so the China/CELAC (The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) must be lauded.

She went back and cited the first China/CELAC forum where out of that meeting came what is

deemed a ‘cooperation plan’ that included in it some $35B that can certainly come to the Latin America and Caribbean region. The details are that $5B of that is for cooperation; $10 B for concessionary financing; and another $20B for infrastructure projects.

This kind of union she suggested is “quite a major achievement … of course the implementation now is what will be important and so small countries like Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean … we have to be ready to put forward our projects under that initiative.”

Banks DIH blames flash floods, crime for dip in profits

BY: ANASTACIA CLEMENTSON

Banks DIH Limited

Managing Director

Clifford Reis said the company’s 2014 economic performance was negatively affected by crime and the series of flash floods that affected the nation.

The beverage giant has recorded a $270 million decrease in profits for 2014. It posted a profit before tax of $3.473 billion and profit after tax of $2.265 billion when compared to the $2.538 billion recorded in 2013 after taxation.

Reis made this disclosure on Saturday at Banks DIH Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Thirst Park, Georgetown.

In delivering the company’s report before hundreds of shareholders, the Managing Director explained that Banks DIH made substantial progress in 2014 but it was marred by crime and the daily floods.

“Consumers are once again dealing with fear and uncertainty which has contracted spending and thus the income statements of most businesses,” he said.

However, the Guyana Police Force said at the end of 2014, some 147 murders were recorded in comparison to 155 for the same period in 2013, a decline of five per cent. Serious crimes also decreased by 15 per cent from January 1 to December 31, 2014 when compared to the same in 2013.

Nevertheless, Reis said that many businesses were also forced to close their doors due to the series of flash floods that affected not only Georgetown but other flood prone communities across the country.

The Managing Director said he is trying to comprehend how “in this age of the 21st century with the availability of science and technology that our capital city experienced flooding after a short period of rain.” This is he said is “unacceptable.”

He said floods not only affect businesses but families as well, noting that the damage to properties often result in “the unnecessary financial losses.” According to Reis, it is time the relevant authorities put effective measures in place that

would bring this age old problem to an end. Many of the stakeholders present endorsed the sentiments expressed by him.

Banks DIH recorded an

quality of life of our workforce and their families as well as our communities and society at large. In this regard, we are committed to supporting environmental

He said the company will continue its efforts to strengthen its community partnership by upholding its corporate responsibility to its suppliers, employees,

A section of the shareholders who were present on Saturday

operational profit before tax of $4.971 billion while the profit after tax paid to shareholders was $2.660 billion.

The Net Asset Value per share was increased from $21.55 to $23.20, that is, an eight per cent increase.

The company has maintained the dividend payment of $0.64 per share with the overall cost being $640.0 million.

Throughout 2014, Banks DIH maintained its policy to replace and/or upgrade its production capacity through the installation of a state-ofthe-art manufacturing plant and other machinery that enhanced its competencies that will ensure competitive advantage regarding the conversion of raw materials into quality fresh, finished products.

Additionally, the company managed to complete the brewery and cellars modernization programme and also commissioned the palletiser along with a new pasteuriser for the Beer Plant. The restaurant production capacity was enhanced, as the company was able to secure more equipment.

Banks DIH has also managed to achieve stage one of the re-certification of the Food Safety System Certification, which means that the company’s products were in compliance with those strict standards.

“As a corporate entity we have a continuing commitment to contribute to sustainable economic development while improving the

sustainability by complying with all applicable statutory and other requirements,” Reis said in his report.

customers, government bodies, trade unions and shareholders.

Rum Jhaat and Green Jah can never come together

Rum Jhaat don’t really like Green Jah and Green Jah don’t really like Rum Jhaat. Between de two of dem, not many people gon like dem if dem start to like one another. But some times people does have to play as if dem like one another in order fuh life to go on.

Plenty man and wife like that. Dem don’t like one another, but dem does still live home fuh life to go on. But some times some people does can’t tek it no more and dem does give up. One woman in Berbice had to play like she like a man de other day fuh she wedding. But that only last fuh one day.

Green Jah and Rum Jhaat been talkin to one another bout comin together fuh life. De problem is dem talkin more than dem comin. Some body who try a long time to get Rum Jhaat and Green to come together seh neither of dem can come, so neither of dem will come.

Wuss yet, according to de same some body, is if yuh try to get Rum Jhaat and Green Jah to come together. It ain’t gon be no comin. And it ain’t gon be no together. And it look like dem tellin people that dem comin together more than dem tellin one another bout comin together.

This problem with dem comin together go back a long time. Was only de other day de two of dem had talk bout a No-Confidence Motion. But neither of dem had confidence in one another and neither of dem had confidence in de motion.

So at this stage, it ain’t gon be no Green Jhaat, and it ain’t gon be no Rum Jah. Both of dem firm in whah dem want, but neither of dem firm enuff to give one another whah de other one want.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Kiss de Moon tell people in Linden that Green Jah ain’t firm. And a lil gyal by de court seh Rum Jhaat ain’t firm either!

Man held for Patricia Sanasie’s execution

Two weeks after Patricia Sanasie, wife of popular city businessman Deokaran Ram Sanasie, was gunned down in front of her home in Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara, the Police have arrested a man who matched the description given to them.

The suspect was picked up on Norton Street, Georgetown on Saturday. He is presently being grilled by investigators at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). He is expected to be placed on an identification parade today at which the daughter of the dead woman who witnessed the shooting will have an opportunity to point out her mother’s killer.

A senior Police rank stated that the dead woman’s husband was also listed as a suspect in the matter and said once that was firmly established, all arrangements would be made for his extradition from the United States of America. The rank stated that they had reason to believe that the businessman might have been involved in his wife’s execution.

However, in a recent interview with the Guyana Times from his New York

City home, the widower said that he did not know anything about his wife’s killing. He stressed that he has been in the US since early December and knew nothing of the shooting.

In February 2014, Ram was shot three times about his body while outside his business place on Fourth and

Light Streets, Alberttown, Georgetown. The businessman had claimed that his wife and her younger brother were behind the failed attempt on his life, but this was denied by the two siblings.

Sanasie said that he and his wife have been separated since his shooting last

year and he had ceased all contact with her. He said he left his wife alone so that she could figure out what she had to and find her way back to him. The couple had been together for the past 28 years and had three daughters ages 25, 22, and 14.

Sanasie also claimed that there had been room for a possible reconciliation.

On the night of the shooting, the now dead woman and one of her daughters, Romona, had returned home from church around 19:10h, when the 45-year-old exited the vehicle to open the gate so that her daughter could drive into the yard.

It was while doing so the lone gunman confronted her and pumped at least four bullets into the woman’s body. She reportedly fell to the ground and was quickly picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Relatives of the dead woman, including her daughters, thought that it was payback time following the attempted execution of her father by three men on bicycles. They believe that the businessman might have paid a hefty sum to have her killed.

Times Notebook

Make 2015 election platform for development ideas

The President had promised since early December that in January he will announce a date for election. He has kept his promise. Now, both parliamentary Opposition parties have a problem with the date, since it clashes with CXC examination for certain subjects.

The President from the inception spoke about ensuring elections are held at an appropriate time, but there is no time that will not have one or more important things that will collide with elections.

We would hope that the political parties and politicians will engage in a real battle for ideas of how to ensure Guyana continues on the development road and possible ways to accelerate this development.

This election must be about how Guyana moves up to a high-middle income country from its present status of a lowmiddle income country. This is not a too ambitious goal for Guyana to attain, although some people, particularly the Opposition, have said it is far too ambitious. We encourage political parties to make this a defining debate for the future of Guyana.

The PPP/C has made attaining a high-middle income status as a national goal for this generation. Can APNU and AFC tell the nation if they subscribe to this goal and if their plans for Guyana include reaching that target as soon as possible?

The political parties must tell us what transformational initiatives will be pursued to move Guyana to the status of a high-middle income country and how soon they believe Guyana can get there.

The PPP/C has already declared that their destination for Guyana in the short and medium term is to attain high-middle income status. The PPP/C has shown by its track record that it has the capacity to lead Guyana towards this milestone.

It was the PPP/C that took Guyana from a lowincome, bankrupt, highly indebted poor country to now a low-middle

income country, from a GDP of about US$250 per capita in 1992 to almost US$4,000 today.

The PPP/C has demonstrated policies and programmes that have contributed to development, reduced poverty, reduced the debt burden and modernized some aspects of the national infrastructure. It has developed policies and programmes that have improved the social welfare standing of the Guyanese people.

Transformational projects include the Berbice River Bridge and the Takatu Bridge to Brazil, the Suriname Ferry Service, the Convention center, and the new Linden and Georgetown Hospitals, to list a few.

The introduction of new schools, nursery, primary and secondary, has allowed Guyana to reach universal access to education at both primary and secondary school levels. Health has become a national priority, with services such as open heart surgery now available locally.

The PPP/C has introduced safety nets programmes for the poor, such as increased pensions, wavier of water rates for the elderly, school uniform vouchers, grants for every child in school.

The PPP/C has proposed a way forward to reduce Guyana’s dependency on fossil fuel-based electricity and the use of fossil-based fuel in transportation. This is an important policy direction and the Amaila Falls Hydro Electricity Project that the PPP/C initiated and has committed to complete is a tangible component of this programme.

The establishment of a small bio-ethanol plant at Albion is intended to catalyze the introduction of blended fuel in the transport industry. The overall programme is intended to generate adequate and affordable electricity, create a more environmentfriendly transport industry and reduce Guyana’s carbon emission footprint. These are important ideas for development.

APNU and AFC have voted against budgets for

these projects. APNU and AFC have radically different ideas when it comes to energy policies for Guyana. Both parties have taken positions that reject the direction of hydro-electricity and bio-fuel as important new directions for our country, as far as the evidence points.

APNU and AFC have expressed concern about the Chinese presence in Guyana. The PPP/C has made it clear since 1992 that foreign direct invest-

ment (FDI) is an imperative for rapid development in Guyana. Since it assumed government in 1992, it has transformed the role of FDI in Guyana’s development.

Investors from North America, Europe, India, China, Latin America, the Caribbean and people from the Diaspora have flocked to Guyana as an investment destination. APNU and AFC must be clear if investors are welcome and state clearly if the Chinese

would be welcomed as investors in Guyana since they both have declared the Chinese pariahs.

These and other policies and ideas are the kind of genuine discourse we should have over the next few weeks. There are public records that must be disavowed or clarified. This election period would be a time for the political parties to discuss their ideas openly and seriously with the people of Guyana. It would be interest-

ing to see how the political parties explain their policy direction for Guyana with their actions in the 10th Parliament. This election must demonstrate willingness by politicians to explore ideas for development and reject the usual cussing out that unfortunately both APNU and the AFC have already started. Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times.notebook@gmail. com.

monday, JanUaRy 26, 2015 | gUyanatimesgy.com

Remembrance Service planned for Lusignan Massacre victims

Today marks eight years since the Lusignan Massacre, which resulted in the deaths of eleven innocent persons. In remembrance of those slaughtered at the hands of criminals, the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) will be hosting its annual inter-faith service.

Scheduled for today, the service will commence at 17:00h at Tract “A” Lusignan, East Coast Demerara where the killings occurred, the IAC has said.

The eleven innocent persons, including five children, were mercilessly riddled with bullets on the morning of January 26, 2008 by gunmen armed with shotguns and AK-47s.

vor of that attack is 12 year old Roberto Thomas, dubbed the miracle baby, who was just 4 years old at the time.

The country was thrown into a state of shock when news spread of the mass murder in the quiet village. Residents were fast asleep when the group of gunmen carried out their murderous attack on the defenseless victims. The quiet village was transformed into a contentious arena as residents staged a number of protest actions, citing their grave disappointment in the

country’s national security system following the attack.

The attack was said to be carried out by former soldier turned criminal, Rondell “Fine man” Rawlins, who was later shot and killed by members of the Police Force, and members of his gang.

In August 2013, a mixed jury found that the other men accused of the killings were not guilty. James Anthony Hyles, known as ‘Sally’ and Mark Royden Williams, called ‘Smallie’, were subsequently exonerated.

The event will be held in collaboration with the relatives of the slain victims, residents of Lusignan and members of the religious community. Tributes will be paid by relatives, representatives of the IAC and those of the three major religions.

The sorrowful event of January 26, 2008 has forever altered the lives of residents of Lusignan. Those who were directly affected through the loss of a loved one, grapple in constant trepidation and pray daily

that such a tragedy would never see the light of day, in any part of the country, again.

Clarence Thomas, 48, and his two children Ron, 11, and Vanessa, 12; Mohandai Gurdat, 32, and her two sons Seegobin Heeralall, four, and Seegopaul, 10;

Seecharan Rooplall, 56, his wife Dhanrajie Ramsingh, 52, and their granddaughter Raywattie Ramsingh, 11; Shazam Mohammed, 22; and Shalem Baksh, 52, were all savagely murdered in the wee hours of the morning when the gunmen stormed their homes. The lone survi-

Life as a teenage mom

–

teenage mothers urge young people not to make the

BY: DEVINA SAMAROO

Quite often in Guyana, stories of unwed teenage mothers travel through the grapevine with scorn and disgrace. Many are bewildered as to why underage girls engage in sexual activities which often lead to pregnancy.

In a quest to get some answers, Guyana Times sat down with several teenage mothers who were eager to share their stories with the aim of helping others.

Samantha (only name given), who is now 24, recalled that she was only 15 years old when she became pregnant.

“It was the first time we had sex. He was my best friend’s brother. He didn’t force me to have sex but I felt…in order for him to stay with me, I should have sex with him, to give him something that is special.”

Samantha came from a broken family and while she had sufficient emotional and financial support from her grandmother, her mother was quite the opposite.

“I could go to my grandmother about anything. You see when she found out, it was devastating. I felt so guilty and I just keep saying that I was sorry.”

Despite her grandmother’s support, Samantha said she endured a journey of hardship after becoming pregnant as family members constantly criticised and condemned her.

“I wanted to accept my mistake and move on and continue with school but they didn’t want me to. My aunts sent me to Sophia Training Centre but they always complained that they don’t have money to send me and how they have their own children to look after.”

Due to their negative attitude towards her, the teenage mother decided not to accept their help but this did not stop her from attending school.

“Because of my determination, I graduated with Grade ‘A’ in catering. As soon as I graduated I sent out applications and two days after I got a job.” Samantha’s success did not end there, but neither did her woes.

Throughout her journey to success, Samantha had to put up with a mother who relentlessly made her feel terrible all the time.

“I would work and give her $2000, I don’t make much. I had a child to look after and she didn’t understand. She used to complain that I don’t help her out. When I would speak up and talk about my stories on television and other print media, she would cause a scene.”

Additionally, some 19 days after her first child was born, Samantha’s grandmother died. Her family blamed her for the death.

“You see, my grandmother didn’t want the child’s father to sign for the baby but I was told that if he signs, he will have to help out so he came and signed. So it’s because of that, they say she didn’t like it and it led to her death. So they just held that against me all the time.”

On a brighter note, the young woman had a second child for the same guy. Today, they are happily married.

“The people at Women Across Differences (WAD), I consider them my family because they helped me and supported me. They were at my wedding. I thought I would have felt bad because my mother wasn’t coming but I didn’t because I was happy.”

Samantha also fur-

thered her studies at Global Technology, Guyana Industrial Training Centre, and the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education.

“I was sponsored to further my studies; I travelled a lot with UNFPA to share my stories and people recognised me and wanted to help.”

She made it clear, however, that had she been more educated on sex, her life would have been different. Lack of knowledge she says, often result in poor decision making.

“I didn’t have anyone to talk to me about these things. I didn’t know, I didn’t know anything about using a condom, or how you get pregnant or anything.”

Peer Pressure

However, it was a different situation for 17-old-year old Emily (only name given), who was also 15 years old when she got pregnant.

“Well there was this boy, a conductor, and he used to hustle me all the time but I never took him on. But I don’t know why, he keep hustling me and so I just eventually took him on. He would persuade me to have sex but I didn’t really want to but I guess it’s because he kept asking that I did.”

She said he had made a promise never to ejaculate in her but constantly did resulting in her pregnancy.

At the time, her father was dead and her mother was visually impaired. It was her eldest brother who had to abandoned school to care for the family.

But, unlike Samantha’s circumstances, Emily’s life was considerably stable.

“My family was close and everything and my mom used to talk to me about sex be-

same mistake

cause we came from a family where teenage pregnancy is frequent. She got pregnant when she was a teenager and she never wanted that for me. I never thought this would happen.”

Emily’s sister reportedly told her that she had “sinned too many times so abortion should not be an option.” But despite being warned, Emily attempted to terminate the pregnancy by drinking various mixtures that were “supposed” to get rid of the fetus.

“I tried several things that my friends tell me about like Guinness and black pepper but none ever worked.”

Nonetheless, the young mother said as time went by, she grew attached to the life growing inside of her.

She too succeeded in her academics with Grade Two in English and a Grade Three in Mathematics.

“I didn’t go back to school. I visited my lessons teacher and she said she would help me for free so I used to go but then I got sick but when I recover, I just decided to write the CXC without going back to classes or anything.” Emily also furthered her studies at Computer World.

As it relates to the bus conductor, he abandoned her. However, he occasionally supports the baby with a mere $5,000 a month.

Samantha and Emily, along with several other girls who were apart of WAD’s programme for pregnant teenagers formed a group called “Young Mothers For Change” with the intention of sharing their experiences.

The members of the group would visit schools and communities and encouraging teenagers to make better decisions.

Fire leaves Wismar family destitute

The residents of Lot 1 Matthews Lane, Christianburg, Wismar, Linden were not able to save anything but the clothes on their backs, when fire destroyed their two-storey home on Saturday evening.

The home in which Ashanti Sumner and her brother, Rennison, resided went up in flames at approximately 20:00h. At the time, only Rennison, who occupied the bottom flat, was at home. Ashanti noted that she was at

if she left anything plugged in and she said ‘no’.”

He said it was not until after neighbours raised an alarm that Renisson emerged from inside the bottom flat. “He didn’t even know what was going on upstairs. He was inside resting. All I see, when he come out, he went back and he bring out a box, that was all; he didn’t go back inside. By time then, the fire get more big. I never see a fire spread so fast in a building yet. Shortly after that, I hear

work.

The distraught woman, who lived on the top floor of the home, has since estimated their losses in the millions. The visibly shaken woman wept at the scene, noting that nothing was saved from the burning building despite the efforts of the Linden Fire Station.

Reports indicate that an explosion was heard in the home before it went up in flames. According to a resident, who lives in close proximity to the home, at approximately 20:00h on Saturday, he noticed the lights to his home blinking. The man further related that upon venturing outside to investigate, he saw what appeared to be fire in the centre of the top flat of the Sumner home. Almost immediately after, he said he heard someone saying that the home was indeed on fire.

The man said Rennison was downstairs at the time, and seemed not to have realised what was happening on the top flat.

“It (the fire) start from upstairs. I ain’t know if she left on any stove or anything. This morning I asked her (Ashanti)

a big explosion,” he related. The man added that a neighbour upon realising what was going on called the Linden Fire Station, which responded approximately 1520 minutes later. By then, he related, the fire had spread to the bottom flat of the house.“Well, when they come was a set of problems, they ain’t had enough water.”

The resident further stated that other neighbours were reluctant to assist, since they feared another explosion. While the top section of the home was made of wood, the bottom was concrete.

According to the resident, later in the evening after the firemen had left, flames were still seen coming from the home. “When everybody gone to bed, the house start back burning, so they (firemen) had to come back this morning (Sunday).”

Further checks on the ruins of the structure on Sunday revealed that smoke was still emanating from inside, despite constant rainfall in the afternoon. The woman and her brother have since been staying with relatives and friends in the neighbourhood.

26, 2015 |

Guyoil commissions refurbished Regent Street station

Weeks after blazing the trail as the only local supplier of aviation fuel in Guyana, the Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) on Sunday commissioned its flagship Regent Street Service Station.

Standing as the largest of nine service stations across the country, the $250 million edifice has come through “leaps and bounds” to be what it is today and is said to have added to the commercial landscape of downtown Georgetown.

Finance Minister, Dr

Ashni Singh, during his feature address, pointed out that the company continued to maintain the transformation that was oftentimes expected in the developed world and which has allowed Guyana to achieve the progress it has so far. He urged local businesses, within the Public and Private Sectors, to create a trusting atmosphere for continued growth and development within the country.

“We need constantly to make greater efforts to ensure that we deliver to citi-

zens a better quality of service. Constant efforts must be made so that ultimately we will have not just the beautiful buildings, but world-class quality service,” Dr Singh told the audience.

He said the company has been playing its part in the quest for quality service, alluding to its compliance in implementing the 30 per cent tax cut on fuel.

Dr Singh said the company remained one of the better service providers in all Guyana and stood among the greater competitors in the service it provided, selling more fuel at a cheaper price, and generating more turnover when compared with other fuel providers in the country.

“I commend you and congratulate you for demonstrating this, for displaying the highest standard of corporate governance,” the Finance Minister said.

Guyoil Director Oscar Phillips told the gathering of Private Sector members and special invitees that the commissioning could not have come at a more appropriate time as the project, like all others

Bandit shot dead in gas station hold-up

Abandit is now dead after he was shot by the owner of a gas station at La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara Sunday evening.

The unidentified man, along with an accomplice stormed the Choke Gas Station sometime around 20:40h, robbing a pump attendant of her BlackBerry cellphone, her house keys, and close to $40,000, part of the day’s sales.

“I saw the men coming in, but there was a car blocking them,” the pump attendant who asked not to be named told the Guyana Times

She explained that as the persons drew closer,

she realised that they were not who she thought they were.

“So he come up to me and tell me ‘give me your bag’”. By that time the gunman was pressing the gun to her stomach. The pump attendant said she was not “really afraid”, because the owner was standing just behind her. It was then that the gunman was shot by the businessman.

This is the second time in less than two weeks that the business, which has been in operation for some 13 years, has been robbed. The last time the gunmen carted off $30,000.

The owner explained

across the country, demonstrated the efforts taken by the company to “better serve and accommodate our customers, while increasing the shareholders’ equity and increasing scope and new opportunities for everyone involved”.

He said the company’s initiative to offer more competitive fuel prices has placed a heavy demand on the company’s capacity to serve more customers. He noted that Guyoil has already completed, and will continue to undertake, renovations of other stations across the country, all with the aim of improving quality of service.

“The company is dy-

namic: we are on the move; we are not accepting our status quo. We believe that every organisation that accepts its status quo and remains stagnant, eventually it dies… so we are on the move at Guyoil.”

The manager pointed out that all investments made on projects over the past two decades or so were executed with the company’s own resources. He said despite this, the company has still been able to provide “reasonable returns” to its shareholders and has been able to remain compliant with its tax obligations.

“As chairman of the finance, this is to assure you

that at all levels of the organisation, we are fully committed to good governance and in this regard, we have been meeting all of our regulatory requirements on a timely basis,” Phillips said.

The company’s Managing Director, Badrie Persaud, told the gathering that the Regent Street station, the largest in the country, has seen some major improvements during the year-long renovation. Apart from the improved physical structure, there has been an improvement in the station’s storage capacity.

“We have 20,000 gallons of gasoline storage on the ground, 10,000 gallons diesel and 5000 gallons kerosene on the ground,” Persaud said. Reiterating the sentiments of his colleague Phillips, Persaud informed that the company did not only comply with tax regulation, but had an innate interest in the regulation of fuel prices.

“We have witnessed that recently. The price of fuel at the pump a few days ago was reduced by 30 per cent thanks to the leadership of our subject minister and the board and management of the oil company,” Persaud said proudly.

that he was standing outside when the two men approached and held up his employee, taking away the items. He said: “I shot him in his stomach and the Police carried him away to the station.”

The second bandit was reportedly shot in the buttocks by the owner.

The bandits were subsequently taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where the first succumbed while the second remains hospitalised under Police gaurd. When the Guyana Times visited the hospital, drops of blood lined the pathway to the Emergency Room.

Thousands march against Venezuelan President

Thousands of protesters have marched in the Venezuelan capital banging pots and pans over shortages of food and demanding an end to President Nicolas Maduro’s term in office.

Demonstrators poured on to the streets of Caracas on Saturday rallying against sky-high inflation and shortages of food and consumer goods.

Opponents say Venezuela’s economic crisis is a consequence of 15 years of socialist policies,

begun by Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chávez, who governed from 1999 to 2013 before his death from cancer.

“Maduro must step aside for Venezuela to be able to unite in a national reconstruction process,” Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado, a deposed politician who was jailed after deadly riots last year said.

“The Government needs to be changed urgently,” Machado argued, at what Opposition activists called

the “March of Empty Pots”.

“I am protesting because in my country there is nothing, no food, no nourishment, no medicine,” protester Maria Carolina Nolia told the Associated Press news agency.

Maduro is facing a dismal 22-per cent approval rating, and three quarters of the population oppose his Government, recent polls show.

Venezuela was already mired in economic woes before oil prices began their recent slide, but the sharp downturn in crude prices has been especially punishing for a country that relies on oil for 96 per cent of its foreign currency.

Following the drop in oil prices, Maduro has travelled in recent days to Algeria, China, Iran, Qatar, Russia and Saudi Arabia as he makes an urgent appeal for cash.

This week Maduro even floated the idea of discussing raising the local price of petrol. The price has not been raised since 1989.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Haiti back on democratic path – Prime Minister

Haiti has installed a Provisional Electoral Council to organise long-delayed elections – after weeks of protests and political uncertainty.

The nine-member panel represents different sectors of society.

It was sworn in shortly before a United Nations Security Council delegation arrived on a three-day mission.

General and municipal polls are three years overdue, and President Michel Martelly began ruling by decree last week when Parliament was dissolved.

The dissolution followed a failure to elect new Members of Parliament in the impoverished Caribbean nation.

‘”It’s a new step for the country on the road to democracy,” Prime Minister Evans Paul said after the swearing-in ceremony in the capital Port-au-Prince.

“Democracy does not work without elections,” he added.

Meanwhile, anti-Government demonstrators again took to the streets of the capital to demand the resignation of President Martelly, accusing him of trying to be a dictator and dragging his feet on elections. Martelly denies the accusations.

The President praised the “pluralism” at the centre of the new Cabinet and said it was down to the “goodwill” of the Opposition.

But Opposition Leaders accuse the President of failing to deliver on forming a consensus Government.

Martelly has been in power since 2011 and has pledged not to change the Constitution to seek a second term.

His opponents accuse him of using the current crisis to promote his own candidate to succeed him in elections later this year.

Haiti remains heavily dependent on US financial aid.

It is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere and is still recovering from a devastating earthquake in January 2010, in which large parts of the capital were destroyed. (Excerpt from BBC News)

TT: Journalist found dead in her bedroom

Outspoken media personality Marcia Henville, 51, died in her home at Fidelis Heights, St Augustine, early Saturday morning.

Police and the Fire Service were called on the scene, alerted by a fire at the home, and discovered Henville’s body. The Sunday Guardian understands that first responders found her body when they entered her bedroom.

At the house, there were no visible signs of fire damage, as the fire appeared to have reached only Henville’s bedroom on the upper floor.

Police cordoned off the house and closed the gates to the small community housing. The media were not allowed inside the gated housing development.

Henville shared the house with a male relative and her two adult children. While the two children, aged 23 and 19, escaped unharmed, the male relative was said to have sustained burns to 35 per cent of his body and is currently at hospital warded in serious but stable condition.

Police have also indicated that there are no suspects in the case as yet,

though a male relative is assisting with the investigation. The Sunday Guardian was informed that neighbours also reported to Police that they heard a loud argument and the sound of a woman screaming before the fire was spotted.

While co-workers and colleagues describe Henville as “vocal”, “vibrant”, “robust,” and a “voice for the voiceless,” they knew of one issue Henville kept silent on: she had her own domestic problems and trials to deal with which were taking a toll on her.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Alberto Nisman: Prosecutor death report journalist flees

Ajournalist believed to have been the first to report the death of Argentine Prosecutor Alberto Nisman says he has fled the country, fearing for his life.

Damian Pachter, who works for the Buenos Aires Herald, left Argentina ear-

ly on Saturday.

Alberto Nisman’s body was found in his apartment a week ago, hours before he was due to testify in Congress.

He had been investigating the bombing of a Jewish centre in the capital in 1994 which left 85 people dead.

Nisman, 51, had accused several senior Government figures – including President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman – of involvement in a plot to cover up Iran’s alleged role in the bombing.

“I am leaving because my life is in danger,” Pachter told the news website Infobae.com.

“My phones have been extensively tapped.”

He said he would return to Argentina when his sources told him conditions had changed.

On Thursday, President Fernandez said she was convinced that Nisman’s death was not suicide.

Investigators initially said they believed he had committed suicide, but later said they could not rule out homicide or “induced suicide”. (BBC News)

Brazil facing worst drought in decades

Severe drought and water shortages are causing blackouts and threatening a range of businesses in Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo, authorities have said.

Rio de Janeiro State’s Government warned on Friday that the Rio region was experiencing its worstever water crisis, while low water levels in the Paraiba do Sul river affected Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paulo, which is suffering its worst drought in nearly 100 years.

Environment Secretary Andre Correa said the Rio

State Government would implement water rationing after July, even if rains fail to materialise during what is supposed to be the current rainy season.

However, water infrastructure expert Marilene Ramos said that “six months is too long to wait” for water conservation measures, such as hiking rates for those who use too much water and decreasing the amount industries can use.

“It’s absolutely urgent those measures be taken right now, it cannot be postponed,” Ramos said.

The water shortage is threatening to shut down businesses that cannot operate without it.

“If we don’t receive the water truck and we don’t have water, the factory has to stop, our machines only work with a cold system and it works if we have cold water,” Mauricio Colin, Director of Daicast Industry, which runs a metal factory in Sao Paulo, said.

Sao Paulo’s residents said the last few days have been plagued by blackouts that have affected parts of the city and the suburbs.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Two dead following British Virgin Islands boating accident

Aboating mishap off the coast of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands on Saturday, led to the death of a man and a woman.

The Police, who have not released the names of the individuals, said the man is a Jamaican engineer and the woman is Caucasian.

The Police report that a

group was travelling in an inflatable boat to Oil Nut Bay from an event in The Valley area of Virgin Gorda when the vessel crashed into a rock just before daybreak.

The body of the Jamaican was recovered on Saturday morning and the body of the woman was recovered later in the day.

Four others on board the vessel were taken to hospital where they were treated.

“I can confirm a boat accident in the sea off Virgin Gorda. The body of a female was recovered at the scene. A male was previously pronounced dead,” said Police Information Officer Diane Drayton. (CMC)

India, US seal nuclear deal as Modi hosts Obama

The United States and India have announced a breakthrough on a pact that will allow American companies to supply India with civilian nuclear technology.

It came on the first day of President Barack Obama’s visit to India.

The nuclear deal had been held up for six years amid concerns over the liability for any nuclear accident.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the nations were embarking on a “new journey” of cooperation, with stronger defence and trade ties. Obama said that the nations had declared a new friendship.

Security is intense in New Delhi, with Obama to

be the guest of honour at today’s Republic Day celebrations. Thousands of security personnel have been deployed.

The nuclear pact had been agreed in 2008, but the US was worried about Indian laws on liability over any accidents.

Now, a large insurance pool will be set up, without the need for any further legislation.

US Ambassador Richard Verma said: “It opens the door for US and other companies to come forward and actually help India towards developing nuclear power and support its non carbonbased energy production.”

The BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says the sides also agreed to in-

crease their bilateral trade five times, from the current US$100 billion a year. The US will also sell more military hardware to India.

Earlier, Modi stressed the importance of the visit by breaking with protocol to receive Obama personally at Delhi airport.

After his arrival, the US President travelled to the presidential palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan, for an official welcoming ceremony.

Obama laid a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial and planted a tree.

At a joint press conference, Modi said the two countries were “starting a new journey” based on “renewed trust and sustained attention”.

He said of Obama: “We have forged a friendship, there is openness when we talk.”

He said the two nations would increase cooperation on defence projects and on “eliminating terrorist safe havens and on bringing terrorists to justice”.

Obama said the countries “had declared a new friendship to elevate our partnership”, which “commits to more meetings and consultations across Governments”.

He added: “The new partnership will not happen overnight. It will need patience but will remain a top foreign policy priority for my Administration.” (Excerpt from BBC News)

Turkish President in Somalia amid tight security precautions

Turkish President

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched a number of development projects in Somalia sponsored by his Government, including an airport terminal in Mogadishu, during a visit to the country.

Hundreds of soldiers and Police officers shut down much of the capital’s streets, where on Thursday five people were killed in a suicide attack on a hotel housing the Turkish delegation. Nobody from the delegation was harmed in the incident.

Erdogan, on his second visit to Somalia, was accompanied by his wife, daughter and Ministers.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud lauded Turkey for investing in his country, despite challenges including insecurity caused by the armed alShabab group, which is allied to al-Qaeda.

In a statement welcoming the visit, Mohamud said Turkish aid had been a “force of nature” for Somalia.

“Turkey did not hold

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised the “major developments” seen in Somalia, after being welcomed at the capital’s new Turkish-renovated airport [Reuters]

back, waiting for stability before it invested. Instead, it invested to achieve it,” he said.

“Where other international partners chose to plan their interventions from elsewhere, Turkey put its people on the ground in Somalia.”

Erdogan praised the “major developments” seen in Somalia, after he was welcomed at the new Turkish-renovated airport by his counterpart.

The visit to Somalia ends

Around the world

Ebola crisis: “Too slow” WHO promises reforms

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set out plans for reform, admitting that it was too slow to respond to the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

At an emergency session in Geneva, Switzerland, Director General Margaret Chan said Ebola had taught the world and the WHO how they must act in the future.

She said the corner had been turned on infections, but sounded a warning about complacency.

More than 8500 people have died in the outbreak, the vast majority in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Dr Chan said: “This was West Africa’s first experience with the virus and it delivered some horrific shocks and surprises.

“The world, including WHO, was too slow to see what was unfolding before us. Ebola is a tragedy that has taught the world, including WHO, many lessons about how to prevent similar events in the future.”

Dr Chan said that although disease outbreaks would continue to deliver shocks, “never again should the world be caught by surprise, unprepared”.

The reforms announced included a “dedicated contin-

gency fund to support rapid responses to outbreaks and emergencies”.

There would also be improvements in international coordination and greater support for countries that needed to respond quickly to emergencies.

Liberia announced on Friday that it was down to just five confirmed cases – there were 500 a week in September. Guinea and Sierra Leone have both also experienced falls in infection rates.

WHO figures show 21,724 reported cases of Ebola in the outbreak , with 8641 deaths. (Excerpted from BBC News)

Greece exit polls show victory for left-wing Syriza

Exit polls for Greece’s general election pointed to a victory for the anti-austerity, leftwing Syriza party as voting ended in a milestone event for the crisis-hit country.

“First exit polls suggest a potential 10 per cent victory for the party,” said Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Phillips, reporting from Athens, just after polls closed on Friday at 6pm (1700:GMT).

Syriza received between 35.5 and 39.5 per cent of the national vote, ahead of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ centre-right New Democracy party, which took 23 to 27 per cent, according to multiple polls by Metron Analysis, GPO, Alco, MRB and Marc.

The far-right Golden Dawn and pro-European To Potami are in a neck-andneck race for third place with percentages between 6.4 and eight per cent respectively, according to polls.

Barring a huge upset,

victory for Syriza, which had led opinion polls for months, would produce the first Government in the eurozone openly committed to cancelling the austerity terms of its European Union and International Monetary Fund-backed bailout programme.

A Syriza win would represent another turning point for Europe after last week’s announcement by the European Central Bank of a massive injection of cash into the bloc’s flagging econ-

omy after years of trying to clamp down on budgets and pushing countries to pass structural reforms.

Nearly 9.8 million Greeks were registered to vote in the election.

Al Jazeera’s Phillips said the elections went smoothly without any problems.

“Greeks are experienced with elections as this is the fifth general election in recent years, displaying the crisis-hit country’s political instability,” Phillips said.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Protest deaths mark anniversary of Egyptian uprising

At least 20 people have been killed in protests held across Egypt as the country marked the fraught anniversary of its 2011 popular uprising.

Spokesman Hany Abdel Latif told MENA, Egypt’s state news agency, that security services arrested at least 150 people for protesting and inciting violence on Sunday.

bagh, a 32-year-old mother of one from the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, and 17-year-old Sondos Rida Abu Bakr. The Government says it is investigating the matters.

Erdogan’s Horn of Africa tour, which has included visits to Ethiopia and Djibouti, a key port on the Gulf of Aden and the entrance to the Red Sea.

Al-Shabab has long threatened Turkish workers and aid agencies in Somalia, accusing them of spreading secularism.

A Turkish security official and a Somali student were killed in a 2013 July attack on the Turkish consulate and relief mission in Mogadishu. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

In demonstrations across the country on Sunday, protesters were killed in Cairo, the El-Matariya district just north of Cairo, Damanhur, Alexandria and in Giza. A security conscript was also killed in the El-Matariya district protest.

Officials accused one of the protesters in Alexandria of shooting at Police before security forces killed him, while the Egyptian Interior Ministry claimed that two of the three people who died in Damanhur had been killed as they tried to plant an explosive device.

Interior Ministry

Egyptian authorities tightened security in Cairo and other cities in anticipation of the protests. Police sealed off several main squares in Cairo, including Tahrir, and beefed up security at vital state installations.

The stepped-up security came as activists mourned the death of a female protester shot on Saturday in downtown Cairo while taking part in a gathering commemorating the nearly 900 protesters killed in the revolt, and another killed in Alexandria on Friday.

Activists blame Police for the deaths of Shaimaa el-Sa-

Videos posted online show el-Sabagh, a member of the leftist Popular Alliance party, with other protesters carrying placards and chanting “bread, freedom and social justice”, a chief slogan of the 2011 uprising. Protesters near her carried wreaths of roses they intended to place at nearby Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the uprising, in memory of the fallen protesters. In the videos, gunshots ring out and el-Sabagh falls. She is later shown carried by her husband as blood seeped out of her mouth. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

monday, january 26, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com

VOX POPULI PUBLIC OPINION I SAY...

What do you like most about Mashramani?

Anthony Ajodha

“Basically the vibes and spending time with family you haven’t seen in a while, and friends. Oh and the music, don’t forget the music – short and sweet.”

Ryan Ali “Mashramani is a time when Guyanese can showcase their creativity and express themselves through their fashion and music, basically through the arts. It encourages and promotes national pride and that’s what I like about Mashramani.”

Natasha Sawh

“I like the togetherness and unity. Everybody just seems to forget about their problems for that one day and just come together as one to celebrate Mashramani. It’s just a pity it doesn’t happen every day.”

Hernaman Dorrick

“Oh, well, I love Mashramani: it’s just an exciting time where Guyanese come together and bond and just have a good time and I like seeing that, it brings unity and it’s just amazing. I’m really looking forward to Mash this year. I can’t wait.”

Daryl Chambers

“Oh my gosh, you have no idea how much I love Mashramani, or any holiday. But I’ve been to carnival in other countries and they’re awesome and I think Mashramani is getting there. We’ve seen it progress throughout the years and kudos to everyone who contributed to that. It’s great to see Guyanese talent being showcased, their creativity and everything. Also, the onlookers get to have a good time off from work. So, basically, I just enjoy going out in the crowds and having a good time with friends whilst feeling happy that my country managed to pull such an event off.”

Tenisha Garnett

“I love the fact that we forget our differences and come together to celebrate as one. As a child growing up, every year we would picnic at Church Street on the Mall for the festival and a lot of times we made new friends ‘cause we always ended up cooking so much food that my parents would offer whoever is next to us on the Mall; most times, they have kids too, so me and my brother would go walking around with them to see the floats and we would all act as though we’ve known each other for years and just have fun. I also really enjoy seeing the different creative costumes with all those beautiful colours; it was mind-blowing for me as a kid who has always been a big fan of art.”

Alexander Ward

“The way everyone celebrates it. They just come together and party for the adults; the children have their little concerts and parades, and there is something for everyone.”

Sonia Ranjee

“Oh, I love the colours and the glitters. Everything is a beautiful sight, you just have to stop and stare and take in everything you see. And you get to come together with your friends and family and have a good time and create memories. It’s a great holiday.”

Dave Ramcharitar “It’s the holiday I get right after my birthday! Who wouldn’t like that? But what I like the most about Mashramani is the unity it brings about. To see all Guyanese come out as one and just enjoy the music and masquerading, not having to worry about political and racial issues, but instead we all celebrate our freedom as Guyanese.”

Students urged to adopt energy-efficient practices

As the country moves towards more energy-efficient practices, students from various secondary schools were urged to do the same.

This message was extended to them at a Caricom energy forum, which was held at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown last week. The forum which was scheduled to be held in November 2014, in observance of Caricom Energy Week, was rescheduled after heavy rainfall, which resulted in flooding. However, due to its importance, it was hosted by the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA).

Delivering brief remarks at the ceremony was Dr Mahender Sharma, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GEA, who acknowledged that the focus of the activity was to educate students and encourage them to adopt energy-efficient practices.

“We have a mandate to keep people informed …. we want to create awareness and we hope that that awareness creates some con-

sciousness in you and that’s the essence of the forum,” he said.

He also urged the students to learn as much as they could from the presentations by the various speakers and participants, and to put them into practice, as much as possible. He

said that this was “… so that you can know what are the topical issues, what are the things that you can do, but more importantly, do them”.

“We can do all the research and create those nice brochures that you have there, but if you don’t read them, then do the things, then we

really haven’t done much.”

The Minister with responsibility for energy, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who was also present at the ceremony, said that “the response to climate change problems, I think, requires most of all a change in lifestyle, a change in the

assumptions which have been prevailing for maybe the last 100-200 years”.

He added: “For you students, I think there is much that you would have to learn, to really grasp what is being considered. I would like to encourage you to pay additional attention, to sense additional motivation, to learn many of the things that are relevant to this question of climate change, and the challenges that it poses to all of us.”

He noted that with civilisation, more needs became evident and “by burning more carbon-based fuel, we have been putting more CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere …. and we have been having more and more heat from the sun trapped in the atmosphere, and our temperatures have been rising.”

Further, the PM said: “The scientists tell me that if the atmospheric temperatures rise over 3, 4, 5 degrees Centigrade, then we can see huge dramatic longto-reverse, if not irreversible changes, so they say there is a threat to life.”

He then pointed out that at the Government level, great emphasis has been placed on renewable energy – alternative energy – which would not add to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is produced using energy sources that are not carbon-based, such as sunlight and wind. Other possible non-carbon sources of fuel include volcanic activities (for the Caribbean).

The forum was also used to reward the winners of the GEA essay and art competitions. A student from Queen’s College copped first place, while one from St Joseph’s High School came in second, and another from Abrams Zuil Secondary School (Essequibo) was third, in the essay competition.

In the art competition, the first place was secured by a Bishops’ High School student, while two students from School of the Nations secured second and third. The teachers representing the winning schools were also presented with certificates of recognition for participating.

Suicide at Georgetown Public Hospital Family shocked woman jumped through window

Vishnu Narine, the 20-year-old son of Sheneza Farouk who reportedly jumped to her death from the window of the Female Surgical Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital Friday, said he was shocked by his mother’s suicide

The young man explained to this newspaper that he spoke to his mother just two hours before her death. “I only spoke to her about 18:00h and she was fine, she was herself,” Narine said.

The young man related that his 37-year-old mother was hospitalised since November 2014. He said his mother had started suffering

from kidney failure which resulted in her entire body becoming swollen during early November. After this was observed, Narine said he took her to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where she was hospitalised for a short period of time.

While at the hospital, he said his mother complained of an allergic reaction to the catheter that was inserted into her urethra to relieve the symptoms of her illness.

“When I went and told the nurse what was happening with my mother, she started to give me an attitude, so we ended up in a cuss-out and I took a taxi and carried my

mother to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH),” Narine recollected.

He said that his mother was treated very kindly while at that hospital and her condition had begun to improve and parts of her body were no longer swollen, but the WDRH subsequently referred her to Georgetown Public Hospital.

“I feel bad that my mother died. I don’t know what would have caused her to do that … I am having such a hard time believing that she is dead; my mom and I celebrate our birthdays in the same month.

This is why I am having such a hard time believing she did that.”

When the Guyana Times spoke to Narine, he disclosed that the Meten-Meer-Zorg family was in the midst of preparing for his mother’s wake. A Post- Mortem Examination is expected to be done on the dead woman’s body next Monday.

The housewife leaves to mourn her two sons, Narine and his 23-year-old brother, Akash Farouk.

The incident reportedly happened around 20:20h Friday night. Other women in the ward with Farouk reportedly said they were about to go to sleep when they saw the woman jump through the window.

Ex-cons hail rehab programme

…for opening up second shot at life

BY: ANASTACIA CLEMENTSON

Ex-convicts of the Camp Street Prison have praised the prison’s rehabilitation programme for the changes it has made in their lives.

Ex-convict Brian Norville told Guyana Times that he was incarcerated in 1998 for murder. According to him, at the time of the incident, he had an anger management problem which was linked to substance abuse. Norville recalled too that fighting was a normal occurrence for him which led to his first imprisonment prior to 1998.

But these are issues of the past, he said, explaining that after five years of rehabilitation, he has developed a new perspective on life. Now, his focus is on his family, religion and mission to change the attitude of prisoners.

Initially, life in jail was based on “hard talking,” fighting and gangs who often crossed blocks to show their strength. However with the arrival of Fay Clark, the then Prison Chaplain, the situation in the prison changed for a good. According to Norville, Clark enabled the implementation of a number of rehab programmes under a local chapter of Prison Fellowship International.

The first project involved the development of disciplines, which carried the theme “Redeem Our Time and Realign Our Purpose”.

Norville said the pro-

grammes made prisoners realise that they were a part of society and had a choice to either destroy it or build it. He added that prisoners realised that they all had something to give and a responsibility to do so.

With this recognition, participating members of the programme embraced their responsibility as peer educators and ministered to their fellow colleagues.

However their initial efforts, Norville explained, were rejected by many of the inmates. Nevertheless, they persevered and within three

years the group had grown exponentially. He said that the men were no longer rushing to fight or cause harm to their fellow inmates but were placing emphasis on their attitude and life after prison.

Norville was released from the Camp Street Prison in 2003 after serving a five year sentence. It has been twelve years now since he was released.

Norville’s friend, in and out of jail, Donald Morrison, also expressed his appreciation for the rehab programme which paved the way for him to write the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) exams. He had participated in one of the programmes called “The Behaviour Change

Project.” At the time, 18 prisoners were studying for the exams but only six were successful in the end.

He recalled that Reverend Clark even worked with him after his release in 2003. Thanks to the support he received, Morrison was able to secure a job as a foreman following his release. Today, he serves as a senior superintendent at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Clark, now the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the prison, told Guyana Times that the rehab programmes were initially based on the setting of goals and objectives, overcoming adversity, developing disciplines for discipleship and dedication.

Without any doubt, the choices we make in life will determine the failures and successes of a person. This means that it is very crucial for us to consider what we want from life so that our decisions we make will help us reach our goals.

Every day we face with so many different choices to make and quite frankly not all of our choices have much to do with our eternal salvation. For example, the kinds of cloth we wear are all things we have to determine constantly.

I am sure that sometimes we may wonder if our choices really matters or not. And in some cases we tend to worry too much about what other people think of our choices or not, because we might feel that if no one really knows what we are doing, then our decisions isn’t really affective to anyone.

For sure everyone will have their own view on decision making. For example, some people may say that this is something that happens every moment, whereas others may say it happens every day.

But personally for me it can be both. The key is to be able to recognize when an opportunity exists and take full advantage to make a choice with the hope to maximum results.

One important thing to keep in mind is that though every day may be a choice, not every choice will necessarily come with an opportunity. For example, for me personally, I choose my own college and university, it is certainly myown choice which gave me theopportunity to become the person I am today.

Someone who wants to become a teacher for example will have a similar choice and opportunity for him/herself.

If someone wants to become what he/she has always been dreaming of, then they must make that choice when the opportunity is there on his/her own time, otherwise they wouldn’t have the ability to achieve it at all.

Regardless of our age, we all have the capability to make choices that can affect us for the rest of our lives and hopefully it’s the ones with a positive effect. We all actually have the ability to re-make ourselves and improve our lives.

The thing is we canonly receive so many new opportunities in life, which means this is something we should be conscious of to grab it when it comes, because we don’t know how it will last. It could be we only left with one choice in a particular situation.

I have no doubt that many of us probably have lots of choicesto make in life. If that is the case I encourage everyone to be prepared for them all not only to makethem, but to be able to see through them.

Because remember life is made up of the choices we make every day in our lives. So if there are not enough opportunities for us, then the few that are left for us may change our lives forever.

For questions, comments or feedback, send them to mcnarine@rogers.com.

Large forest operators urged to increase value-added production

Large scale forest companies and operators were called upon to increase value added production and harvesting as most forest operations are not fully utilising their allowable cuts as approved by the sector’s regulatory agency, the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).

This call was made by Natural Resources and the Environment Minister Robert Persaud during an interactive meeting last Thursday with large scale forest stakeholders. The meeting sought to review the performance of the forest sector and to strategically enhance its competitiveness in 2015.

According to the Natural Resources and the Environment Minister, specific emphasis will be placed on improving the operations of the Forestry Training and Development Centre and simultaneously that of the Forest Product Development Marketing Council. In 2015, the GFC will continue to enforce the rules and regulations of the sector; however, this will continue to be done within the flexibility of the sector’s poli-

cies and not to the extent as an enforcer, said Minister Persaud.

With this, he congratulated operators and companies within the sector on their compliance efforts which saw Guyana maintaining its low level of deforestation as verified by independent international external audits. This is testimony of Guyana’s world class sustainable forest management practices and speaks to a world class forest sector. In moving forward, Minister Persaud stated that the Government is open to suggestions and initiatives from stakeholders within the sector to improve on the sustainable management of Guyana’s forest resources. In this respect, stakeholders expressed the view that they should have similar benefits as other sectors, particularly for the processing of raw materials for value added production.

Minister Persaud stated that GFC and his Ministry would be willing to make representation following the submission of justifiable proposals from the sector, outlining support requests.

Further, in a presentation at the

meeting, Commissioner of Forest, James Singh pointed out that the forest sector recorded significant growth in 2014, with production volumes increasing in the main product categories. Production in 2014 was 530,000 m3, an increase of 21 per cent over 2013 figures of 437,000 m3.

He also highlighted that exports of forest produce in 2014 was US$54 million, an increase of 38 per cent over the 2013 value of US$38 million.

He further updated the meeting on Guyana’s 4th Annual Assessment of Deforestation and Forest Degradation under the Monitoring Reporting and Verification System (MRVS) in 2014 where interim results showed a decrease in the rate of deforestation from 0.079 per cent as the annual rate for 2012, to 0.068 per cent as the reported rate for 2013. Total deforestation is 12,702 hectares for 2013. GFC also successfully fulfilled its 2014 deliverables under several other bilateral and international agreements, for example activities under the Guyana-Norway agreement; Forest

Carbon Partnership Facility; the formulation of the Guyana- EU FLEGT VPA; MRVS Roadmap Phase 2, and meeting several independent audit requirements to the satisfaction of both partners and the international community.

Concession holders were also reminded by Singh of their sustainable forest management obligations and were called upon to increase the submission of forest inventories and implementable investment plans to sustain the robust and effective compliance system of the Commission. Additionally, the GFC will be reviewing the national log export policy through a consultative process with the members of the Forest Products Association and other stakeholders, to develop a new policy for implementation in 2016. GFC will also continue to support the marketing activities of the Forest Product Development and Marketing Council, especially in promoting the use of selected lesser used species as alternatives to the traditional species.

Requiem of a university

Dear Editor,

It is with great sadness that I write this open letter to inform the general public today about the death throes of the University of Guyana (UG), to which we all but more specifically the support staff have contributed their blood, sweat and tears.

It was expected that those reposed with authority would be sympathetic and work in our fa-

this time around three years after the staff of the University returned to work from strike action. Same reaction; the situation is the same - ridiculous.

In 1994, the staff of the University were split resulting in the birth of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA), which the University administration then recognized as the ex-

negotiations have been controlled with the collusion of the University administration and the UG Council over the years, with greater interference today resulting in the nonrecognition of the UGSSA, which sadly has continued and contributing further to the deterioration of the morale of the support staff.

The deterioration of the physical surroundings is alarming as the

vour, but alas this was just a figment of our imagination; the reality has proven to be worse than what we have imagined.

In the dire times of the floods of 2005, the support staff of UG, were forced to clean up a definitely hazardous environment with minimum equipment and safety wear; forced by the University administration then to work with no word of compensation, but only threats.

However, when the time came for the discussion on compensation for a task not ever envisaged and an event unprecedented in the history of Guyana, the University administration then, and the University administration today, vacillated over compensation to the support staff.

It was six months after the event then, and

clusive bargaining agent for the University academic and senior non-academic staf, with the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) emerging as the exclusive bargaining agent for the support staff.

Due recognision must be given to the support staff and salutations for sticking with the University during those times and even now when the demise of our beloved University is very imminent.

In these times of neglect, frustration, marginalisation and downright contempt for the valuable time that the support staff have put in and the constant toiling with constrained financial resources; keeping the flag of the University flying high is very commendable and it must be celebrated.

Our wages and salaries

constrained financial resources cannot upkeep and maintain the physical wellbeing of the support staff. There is no regard for the support staff welfare with the gains of yesterday eroded under the current administration and yet the demands for excellence are enforced.

The support staff – all of them are the first ones to enter the University environment every working day to prepare the work environment for the remainder of staff who rely on them to man the ship, the sinking ship which they continue to shore up – invariably are the last to leave after the hordes of students have left.

In the normal scheme of things, the support staff are regarded as the distant cousin in the University family and least respected. Most of all, the ones who

are policed the most and the least paid.

The support staff have been let down by the University administration and the UG Council time and time again by empty promises and the support staff are fed up and thoroughly disgusted. Clearly, the interest is not in us, but only to save the University from falling apart.

The events over the last few days have clearly demonstrated that the University administration lacks the caliber of persons to govern it effectively. The fact that no fight was shown by the University administration in advancing the cause of the support staff at the level of the UG Council spoke volumes; this has left the support staff with a feeling of despair and general disgust.

It was a shameful sight to see vacillation at its best; representatives of the University’s administration are reluctant to show militancy and stand in solidarity with the support staff; this reluctance has effectively made the efforts of the Unions that represent the interests of the support staff difficult to sustain.

The last rites were said over a decayed University administration which over the years presided over the gradual decline and demise of the University and allowed themselves to be pressured and cowed by the UG Council. This lack of resistance persisted and the Council continued to rule and ride roughshod over the affairs of the University.

Yes, the fight is ours; we cannot give up; they can cut our pay, but they cannot daunt our spirits as we will stick resolutely to our demands for justice. Justice delayed is justice denied. One for all and all for one!

Bruce Haynes Chairman, UGWU

CCJ celebrating 10th anniversary despite achieving very little

Dear Editor, I was surprised when I received a media release from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) that it is arranging activities to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

I do not think that the regional court has achieved much to warrant a year-long celebration. The release stated that the CCJ has come a long way over those 10 years.

“As compared to the solitary case that was filed and heard in 2005, last year the Court delivered 21 judgments, six of which were from Barbados, four from Belize and 11 from Guyana.

“Twenty-six matters were filed in 2014. It is for our stakeholders (lawyers, courts throughout the region, academia, the general public) to assess critically he jurisprudence of the Court has fashioned over those years, but the judges and administrative staff of the Court are extremely proud that for the last decade we have been afforded the opportunity to serve the region in implementing the historic mandate of the Court and in furthering the development of Caribbean jurisprudence," the release said.

The release added that throughout the calendar year, the Court will be embarking on a variety of activities to commemorate the 10th anniversary.

Is there need for celebration when only three countries have abolished appeals to the Privy Council? More efforts should be made to convince the other Governments, especially Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, sever ties with the London-based Privy Council.

These two countries were in the forefront in the formation of the CCJ and I am at a loss why they have changed their minds. It is because of Trinidad's involvement from the inception that the court is headquartered in Port of Spain and Jamaica under the leadership of Edward Seaga, who was advocating for the regional court, and

moreso it is contributing the most annually for the administration of the court and its is unfortunate that it is receiving very little benefit.

The latest report is that a Bill has been tabled in the Jamaican Parliament seeking approval to abolish appeals to the Privy Council, but that Bill will have to get the support of the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) before the change can be initiated because there was a Privy Council ruling that three quarters of the parliamentarians have to agree to remove the Privy Council as the final court.

Trinidad and Tobago seems to be interested, but the current Prime Minister wants to go half way only - abolished criminal appeals only, but she changed her mind and said that she will seek a referendum from the electorates. This is election year in the twin island republic.

I do not know what is the delay for Dominica going on board because, Britain gave the green light and the local Parliament passed the required legislation more than six months ago.

The Grenada Government has indicated that it will seek a mandate from the electorates by a referendum sometime this year. The St Lucian Government is also willing to sever ties with the Privy Council, but no positive step has been taken to do so.

Perhaps I should state that the CCJ in its original jurisdiction interprets treaties and dealt with an application filed by a Jamaican woman who was harassed and refused entry into Barbados. The regional court ruled in favour of Shanique Myrie and awarded damages and costs in her favour.

I sincerely hope that before the end of the year at least two countries will join the Appellate Division and there will be good reason for a celebration.

Oscar Ramjeet

Caretaker hardly around his workplace

Dear Editor, The Management of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, hereby seeks the assistance of the relevant authorities to solve a major problem concerning the attitude and work of the Groundsman/Caretaker of the Area “H” Ground in Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice. This individual has been employed at the ground for several years now and over that period

of time has failed to fulfill any of his duties. Numerous letters, complaints to the officials of the Mayor and Town Council have all been in vain. I have personally attended over six monthly meetings of the Council and despite countless assurance that the situation would improve, it has simply gotten worse.

The pitch is hardly prepared for the cricket teams to practice; the ground is full of garbage and bushes. The Caretaker is hardly around his workplace

and even when he is in the ground, can be found in the pavilion doing nothing.

Our members are forced to prepare the pitch themselves, while the club has to pay members of the public to clean up the venue. On January 19, the club had to pay $2000 to a labourer to clean up around the main pavilion, while the Caretaker slept in his ‘office’.

On January 20, six members of the club were forced to prepare the cricket pitch while the Town Council’s Caretaker was

seen sitting in the pavilion, chatting on his cell phone. Later on he left the ground on his bicycle, never to return.

The IMC Chairman, all the Councillors, Town Clerk, Superintendent of Works and the Township Treasurer are all aware of the situation and yet nothing is being done to correct the problem. We had also brought the situation to the attention of the Minister of Sports and the Regional Chairman.

The Officer in Charge of the Township in the Local

Government Ministry has last year, visited the ground on a surprise visit and had issued a stern warning to the caretaker in the presence of the Town Clerk.

The situation improved for a week, but returned to the same problems after that. I would like to personally congratulate this officer for being very professional in performing her duties, but the problem lies at the Town Council with the officers doing nothing.

This letter is being

written out of total frustration and we hope that the necessary action would be taken to make sure that tax payers’ funds are used in the proper way. The Rose Hall Town Council cannot continue to pay a worker who does absolute nothing and is absent from his workplace 95 per cent of the time.

Hilbert Foster Chief Executive Officer/Secretary RHTY&SC

ICC Cricket World Cup column…

My World Cup heartbreak

By Courtney Walsh

It was 1987 in Pakistan where I made my ICC Cricket World Cup debut, one I want to forget in a hurry!

It was my first tour without the likes of Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall; two had retired and one took rest from the tournament. I was entrusted for the first time to take up the mantle as a senior bowler.

I did not live up to expectations when I let the team down twice in the opening three matches, which contributed to the West Indies’

But before the last-ball incident, which earned me a lot of respect and appreciation for the sportsmanship shown, there was more drama. With 12 required off the last three balls, a catch was dropped off the fourth delivery that went for a four. Then, Abdul Qadir hit me for a six on the penultimate ball!

As Qadir was taking the winning runs, the world was coming crashing down on me and with it my boyhood dreams of winning the ICC Cricket World Cup. I was in Jamaica as a kid when we won the first two World Cup finals at Lord’s.

failure to reach the semi-final for the first time in their history.

In our tournament opener against England in Gujranwala, Pakistan, Allan Lamb took me to the cleaners when he and England scored 29 off my final nine deliveries to pull victory from the jaws of defeat. England, which required something like 100 off the last 10 overs, won with two wickets and three balls to spare.

We comfortably beat Sri Lanka in Karachi but three days later in Lahore, I faced even worse. With Pakistan requiring two to win off the last ball, I didn’t runout last-man Saleem Jaffer who was backing up too far. Abdul Qadir took the required two runs off the last ball to give the home side its first victory against the West Indies following losses in the 1975, 1979 and 1983 World Cups.

When the West Indies took on India in the 1983 final, I was playing for Tyndale in a town called Hexam, way up the north. The final was previewed as an easy walkover for the West Indies. Well as we all know, that was not to be the case and the West Indies failed to complete a hat-trick, an achievement accomplished by Australia when they won in 1999, 2003 and 2007.

Having played in three World Cups (1987, 1996 and 1999), I think the closest I came to winning the World Cup was in 1996. We lifted ourselves from a shocking 73-run defeat to Kenya in a low-scoring affair in Pune to reach the semi-final, where we faced Australia. On way to the semi-final, we defeated South Africa by 19 runs, so the confidence was high and momentum in our favour.

In Mohali, we did well to restrict Australia to 207 for eight following a 138-run fifth

wicket partnership between Stuart Law and Michael Bevan after Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop had reduced Australia to 15 for four. In the run-chase, we had the match in our bag when we reached 165 for two. But then, Shane Warne pulled some tricks out of his sleeve and we fell five runs short of the target with the spinner finishing with four wickets.

This was another sad exit for me and the team. I have had many landmarks in cricket: the first to 500 Test wickets; West Indies’ leading wicket-taker in ODIs with 227 wickets; Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1987; captain of the West Indies in 22 Tests; named as one of Jamaica’s greatest cricketers in 2004; inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010 as well as other accolades I received from the government and official institutions, at home and around the region.

But the regret of not wearing a World Cup winner’s medal runs deep, as it was something I wanted to do as a child. This leaves my career somewhat incomplete.

Having said that, the lessons I learnt from all my World Cup appearances and playing against some of the greatest players is that this game is the best leveller.

It was also great to rub shoulders with some of the legends of the game, like Sir Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, Glenn McGrath, Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Steve Waugh and Wasim Akram, just to name a few from the opposition, and all my West Indies colleagues as well as those who taught me so much about the game and life.

My World Cup experiences have also helped me to toughen up and become a better bowler and thinker of the game. Although I was not a World Cup winner, this great game made me a winner with what it taught me.

Cricket was and will always be a part of my life, so I can’t wait for the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and hope the event produces new stars so that the game remains in safe hands and continues to thrive and flourish. (Trinidad Express)

Pacquiao makes contingency plans

As hope fades by the day that a deal will be reached for a May 2 showdown between welterweight champions Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao ─ by far the biggest fight that can be made in boxing and one of the biggest in the history of the sport ─ the Pacquiao camp is putting a backup plan in place.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, in this Denver suburb promoting Saturday night’s trilogy fight between welterweights Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios, told ESPN. com that if the deal for the fight with Mayweather falls through, Pacquiao will fight another opponent May 30 on HBO PPV with potential sites being Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the Barclays

they have sparred together and spent time in training camps together when Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s longtime trainer, also trained Khan.

Arum said other possible opponents for Pacquiao are Russian brawler and former junior welterweight titlist Ruslan Provodnikov and junior welterweight slugger Lucas Matthysse of Argentina. However, Khan tops the list of opponents not named Mayweather.

Pacquiao has been in London with his wife, Jinkee, adviser Michael Koncz and others for the past few days. During his trip, Pacquiao met with Khan and they discussed a possible fight, Arum said.

Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division titleholder,

the CEO of CBS, which has Mayweather under contract for two more fights on subsidiary Showtime PPV. Arum also said he has had direct conversations with Mayweather adviser Al Haymon on the deal points, and even though the two have had a rancorous relationship for years stemming from Mayweather’s messy exit from Top Rank, “We are on the same page.”

Haymon does not speak to the media.

Haymon also serves as an adviser to Khan, which most view as an impediment to making a Pacquiao-Khan fight. Arum said that is not the case.

“Khan’s contract situation is that he is promoted by Oscar [De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions] and

Center in New York, London and long shot Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

“A lot of places around the world want to host a Manny Pacquiao fight,” Arum said. “He’s an international icon, and I have been approached by a number of people looking to host a Manny Pacquiao fight.”

Arum said that although there is no set opponent should Pacquiao need one for May 30, welterweight contender Amir Khan, a former unified junior welterweight titlist from England, is the leading candidate. Khan has been unsuccessful so far in landing his much-desired fight with Mayweather, but Pacquiao certainly would be just as significant.

Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), the 36-year-old Filipino legend, and Khan (30-3, 19 KOs), 28, know each other well because

traveled to London to meet with Prince Harry, who hosted Pacquiao and his group for dinner at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, according to Arum.

“Prince Harry has a group looking to put on a Manny Pacquiao fight in London,” Arum said. “Khan would certainly make sense, and it’s an interesting fight. But remember all that is a backup plan. We are still trying to nail down the Mayweather fight. We need Mayweather to say yes.”

Pacquiao has said he wants any deal with Mayweather wrapped up by the end of January, because of the amount of time needed to launch such a massive promotion.

Arum and Pacquiao have said they have agreed to all of the terms as outlined by Mayweather during talks for which the go-between was Leslie Moonves,

he has an advisory contract with Haymon, who has no power to prevent the fight, as we understand it. Oscar is confident he can make the fight,” Arum said.

Khan has been under contract to Showtime, but Arum and De La Hoya have said the contract expired with his last fight, a stellar performance in a near-shutout decision against former titleholder Devon Alexander on Dec. 6.

“According to Oscar’s lawyers, the Showtime contract is up,” Arum said. Before Pacquiao flew to London, he met with Arum at his Los Angeles home to discuss the state of the Mayweather talks and to formulate the backup plan.

“Hopefully, it won’t happen and we won’t need this plan because Manny will be fighting Mayweather,” Arum said. “But you have to plan ahead.” (ESPN)

NZ take series with 120-run win

A117-run third-wicket stand between Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor was the centrepiece of New Zealand’s imposing 315 for 8, which founded a 120run victory against an ailing Sri Lanka. Williamson and Taylor hit 97 and 96 respectively, on a track not offering much beyond the first 20 overs, before Corey Anderson and Grant Elliott provided late-order acceleration to transform the total from dominant to daunting. Anderson also claimed 4 for 52 with the ball, as the hosts sewed up the series. They lead 4-1 with one match to play.

Sri Lanka arrived in New Zealand with high hopes for their southern-hemisphere season, but with one win out of seven matches in all, their World Cup plans have veered towards disarray. Once more, a vital catch was dropped. A straightforward chance from Williamson was spurned, and the batsman went on to make 70 more runs. Again the bowling failed to penetrate beyond the early overs, as the hosts’ top order worked themselves into form.

And for the fourth time in the series, Sri Lanka’s batsmen collapsed around a good innings from one of the senior three batsmen. It was Kumar Sangakkara’s turn to wage a lone battle this time. He hit 81 from 66, as the team slipped to 195 all out in the 41st over.

In the first innings, Williamson played and missed while the ball was still new enough to move in the air and off the seam, but quickly established a tempo while Martin Guptill strug-

gled at the other end. A back-foot punch off Suranga Lakmal brought him his first boundary, before an on-drive and a leg glance off Dhammika Prasad brought two more, a few overs later.

When Rangana Herath’s spin arrived, Williamson used his feet adeptly, often trekking out of his ground to work balls into gaps. Herath should have had him for 27 in the 15th over, but Sri Lanka’s trend of shelling vital catches continued. Dilshan got his hands to lofted cover-drive, but ended up parrying it over his head, having misjudged the pace at which the ball was coming to him.

Taylor was watchful early in his innings, as he sought to shake off a run of poor form. But he appeared to regain fluency after he hit Thisara Perera for four through the covers in the 18th over, and he and Williamson settled into a pattern of risk-free accumulation. They traveled at around four runs an over until Williamson raised the rate with two beautifully timed sixes over wide long on in the 24th and 26th overs, completing his half-century, off 60 balls, in between.

The pair continued smoothly as Lahiru Thirimanne got overs out of his less capable bowlers, partly to make up for those the still-injured Angelo Mathews would ordinarily contribute, but also because Lakmal had left the field with a groin strain, and could bowl no more than seven overs.

Williamson was well on track to hitting his second hundred in three innings when he was run out, effec-

tively by Taylor who did not respond to Williamson’s call for a second. Williamson departed for 97 from 95 balls, despondent though he had put New Zealand on course for a second consecutive score of over 300.

Taylor completed his first fifty of the series in the same over Williamson fell, and quickly meted out punishment during the batting Powerplay, cracking Prasad square on the off side twice in the 37th over. A promoted Anderson began his charge too, walloping three fours himself in a Perera over that disappeared for 19, but just as he was getting his big hits humming, Herath had him caught at the cow corner fence.

Taylor would depart in sight of his 12th ODI ton not long after, trapped plumb in front by a yorker-length Dilshan ball. But though wickets tumbled towards the end of the innings, Grant Elliott’s big strikes ensured that the foundation New Zealand had constructed at 40 overs - when they had 229 for 3 - would result in another commanding score.

That New Zealand did not achieve a total as great as their 360 on Friday, despite having been 175 for 2 after 34 overs, was thanks in part to Herath’s control and Dhammika Prasad’s intensity. The pair were brought into the side for this match in place of Nuwan Kulasekara and Sachithra Senanayake.

Russell powers Windies...

Behardien found a hint of movement and trapped Denesh Ramdin lbw to leave West Indies teetering on 48 for 4.

Samuels watched the early carnage with a patience he had not shown earlier in the series. Instead of attacking the spinner, this time Aaron Phangiso not Imran Tahir, immediately, he hung back. That proved a wise decision as he witnessed the run-outs of both Leon Johnson and Jonathan Carter while he was at the crease and only really began to chip away at the target once joined by Sammy.

The pair seemed to understand each other better, rotated strike without risk and took boundaries when Kyle Abbott and Wayne Parnell missed their lines. Their 93run sixth-wicket stand saw Samuels reach fifty off 70 balls and Sammy off 47. The former captain was the more aggressive and it cost him when he tried to send Parnell over cover but was caught by a backpedalling de Villiers.

Sammy was replaced by the equally forceful Russell, who picked up where Sammy left off albeit in slightly more difficult circumstances.

Although South Africa’s bowling made run scoring easier, especially as Morkel’s later spell were expensive, West Indies lost Samuels, Jason

Holder and Carlos Brathwaite as Russell seemed destined to run out of partners.

However, he just kept hitting though and took West Indies from needing 43 off the last six overs to seven off the last two and victory with nine balls to spare.

South Africa may have known their total was slightly below par when they needed Miller to smack 30 runs off the last 11 deliveries he faced to propel them over 250, after he fought out a century in 122 balls. Miller had support from Duminy through the early part of his innings and the pair shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 90 but he lacked any other significant partner. Parnell contributed 12 runs in a seventh-wicket stand of 63 but South Africa needed more after their top order - missing Hashim Amla - was removed relatively cheaply.

Cottrell and Holder had South Africa stuttering at 32 for 3 thanks to a trio of sharp catches behind the batsmen to leave de Villiers with a big job. He was out for just 19, after being dropped on 6 by Sammy in his follow through, which meant South Africa were tested in one of the areas of their game which remains a concern ahead of the World Cup.

While Miller has proved

he has both the temperament and technique to be more than just a big-hitting finisher, the underbelly remains fairly soft, especially against a disciplined attack. Holder, Sammy, Russell and

Brathwaite stuck to tight lines and gave South Africa very little - just 86 runs in the 20 overs between 15 and 35 and only 22 runs in the Powerplay, which frustrated them. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

SOUTH AFRICA

+M van Wyk c wkp Ramdin

b Cottrell 18

R Rossouw c Sammy b Cottrell 4

F du Plessis c wkp Ramdin

b Holder 4

*AB de Villiers c wkp Ramdin

b Russell 19

D Miller not out 130

JP Duminy c & b Sammy 43

F Behardien b Holder 12

W Parnell b Holder 12

A Phangiso c Johnson

b Holder 0

K Abbott not out 1

Extras: (lb2, w17) 19

TOTAL: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 262

Did not bat: M Morkel

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Rossouw, 2.2 overs), 2-32 (du Plessis, 6), 3-32 (van Wyk, 6.2), 4-76 (de Villiers, 14.4), 5-166 (Duminy, 36.4), 6-196 (Behardien, 42.1), 7-259 (Parnell, 49.2), 8-259 (Phangiso, 49.3)

Bowling: Cottrell 6-0-39-2 (w3), Holder 10-1-53-4 (w2), Russell 10-1-60-1, Sammy 10-1-46-1 (w1), Brathwaite 10-1-39-0 (w3), Samuels

Sri Lanka’s response began with some promise, as the openers progressed to 56 without loss in the 13th over, before a wild Dilshan swipe sent a nick through to the keeper, off Anderson. Thirimanne was strangled down the leg side next over for 29, as the team’s efforts to find a decent opening partner for Dilshan had him batting at the top of the innings again.

Mahela Jayawardene was visibly out of touch, and was almost out twice to Daniel Vettori, who was playing a record 280th ODI for New Zealand. Though it was the spinner that troubled him, Jayawardene would be out to Anderson, scooping him gently to mid on in an attempt to

correct his languishing scoring rate.

Kyle Mills, Trent Boult and Vettori all contributed mean spells of bowling, sending the asking rate ever higher, and it was that pressure that saw Dimuth Karunaratne hole out for 26, and saw both Dinesh Chandimal and Jeevan Mendis cheaply run out. Sri Lanka were always going to struggle after a big top-order partnership eluded them, but Sangakkara’s dismissal in the 38th over effectively sealed the loss.

He was out trying to lift his tour nemesis Boult over the inner ring. A third runout and another high catch in the circle finished the match off. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand innings (50 overs maximum)

MJ Guptill c †Sangakkara

b Perera 28

BB McCullum* c Perera

b Prasad 0 KS Williamson run out (Prasad/†Sangakkara) 97

LRPL Taylor lbw b Dilshan 96

CJ Anderson c Perera

b Herath 40

L Ronchi† c Karunaratne

b Prasad 13

GD Elliott not out 21

DL Vettori run out (†Sangakkara/Prasad) 3 KD Mills run out (Karunaratne/Prasad) 0 Extras:(b 4, lb 4, w 9) 17

Tota: (8 wickets; 50 overs; 228 mins) 315

Did not bat: TA Boult, MJ McClenaghan

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-59, 4-254, 6-292, 7-312, 8-315. Bowling: RAS Lakmal 7-1-31-0, KTGD Prasad 10-0-59-2, HMRKB Herath 10-1-45-1, NLTC Perera 10-0-86-1, BMAJ Mendis 5-027-0, HDRL Thirimanne 2-0-170, TM Dilshan 6-0-42-1. Sri Lanka innings (target: 316

runs from 50 overs)

HDRL Thirimanne* c †Ronchi b McClenaghan 29

TM Dilshan c †Ronchi b Anderson 21 KC Sangakkara† c Vettori b Boult 81 DPMD Jayawardene c McCullum b Anderson 9 FDM Karunaratne c Mills b Anderson 26 LD Chandimal run out (McCullum/†Ronchi) 9 BMAJ Mendis run out (Anderson/Vettori/†Ronchi) 3 NLTC Perera lbw b Anderson 2 KTGD Prasad run out (Mills) 2 HMRKB Herath not out 1 RAS Lakmal c Guptill b McClenaghan 3 Extras: (lb 2, w 6, nb 1)

Total: (all out; 40.3 overs; 180 mins)

Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-61, 3-82, 4-146, 5-158, 6-168, 7-171, 8-189, 9-191, 10-195. Bowling: KD Mills 6-0-29-0, TA Boult 8-2-310-1, CJ Anderson 10-0-52-4, MJ McClenaghan 4.3-1-29-2, DL Vettori 8-122-0, KS Williamson 2-0-180, GD Elliott 2-0-12-0.

Eto’o move to Sampdoria as good as done

verton striker

3-0-19-0, Gayle 1-0-4-0. WEST INDIES

D Smith b Morkel 0

C Gayle c Behardien

b Duminy 10

L Johnson run out 18

M Samuels b Behardien 68

+D Ramdin lbw b Behardien 3

J Carter run out 5

D Sammy c de Villiers

b Parnell 51

A Russell not out 64

*J Holder c Miller b Duminy 13

C Brathwaite run out 11

S Cottrell not out 1

Extras (b4, lb3, w14, nb1) 22

TOTAL (9 wkts, 48.3 overs) 266

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Smith, 0.3 overs), 2-12 (Gayle, 6.1), 3-41 (Johnson, 13.5), 4-48 (Ramdin, 15.5), 5-73 (Carter, 20.5), 6-166 (Sammy, 36.1), 7-189 (Samuels, 39.2), 8-218 (Holder, 43), 9-239 (Brathwaite, 47.1) Bowling: Morkel 9-1-581 (w7, nb1), Abbott 9.3-162-0 (w1), Duminy 6-0-292 (w1), Phangiso 10-1-41-0 (w2), Parnell 10-0-48-1 (w2), Behardien 4-0-21-2 (w1).

ESamuel Eto’o will complete his move to Sampdoria on Monday.

The 33-year-old passed a medical on Sunday, posting a picture on Twitter with the message: “Successful medical. Ready for a new challenge!!!”

Eto’o joined the Toffees on a free transfer in August 2014, and has scored four goals in all competitions so far this season.

Sampdoria are fourth in Serie A, 13 points behind leaders Juventus.

On 21 January, Everton manager Roberto Martinez denied reports linking the forward with a move away from Goodison Park.

But the Italian club posted a picture of the striker wearing a club polo shirt on Twitter on Saturday, before Everton confirmed the move was close to being completed.

Samuel Eto’o

The Cameroon international signed for Serie A rivals Inter Milan for £28m in July 2009, where he scored 25 league goals during his two-year spell.

Eto’o, four-time African Footballer of the Year, scored 12 goals in 35 appearances for Chelsea last season after signing a one-year deal from Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala. (BBC Sport)

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NBA roundup…

Klay Thompson sets league record for most points in a quarter

Klay Thompson scored the most points in a quarter in NBA history, a 37-point third period that powered the Golden State Warriors to a 126-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night in Oakland, Calif.

Thompson, who finished with a career-high 52 points, pleased the announced sellout crowd of 19,596 at rowdy Oracle Arena with a performance that will long be remembered in the basketballloving Bay Area. The All-Star hopeful made all 13 shots, including a league-record 9 from 3-point range, and hit both of his free throws during a 12-minute span.

His streaky shooting touch helped the Warriors (35-6) erase a sloppy showing for its franchise-best 18th consecutive home victory. Golden State became the 10th NBA team to win at least 35 games halfway through a season.

The last player to score at least that many points in a quarter was Carmelo Anthony with 33 in 2008.

Hawks 103, Thunder 93 — Paul Millsap scored 22 points, Jeff Teague added 17, and host Atlanta eclipsed the franchise record with its 15th straight victory.

Before a raucous sellout crowd, the Hawks won for the 29th time in 31 games to extend their Eastern-best record to 36-8.

Four starters were in double figures and backup point guard Dennis Schroder led a spurt at the start of the fourth quarter that helped the Hawks pull away. He finished with 13 points and five assists, igniting the arena with a towering finger roll that dropped gently through the net.

Cavaliers 129, Hornets 90 — LeBron James scored 25 points and host Cleveland

routed Charlotte for its fifth straight win.

The Cavaliers, with an artful display of shooting and passing, had the home crowd on its feet throughout the game. Cleveland’s 75-40 lead at halftime was its biggest in franchise history and the margin reached 49 points in the fourth quarter.

Heat 89, Pacers 87 — Luol Deng scored 23 points, Chris Bosh added 19 and Miami survived another second-half struggle at home, hanging on to top Indiana.

Dwyane Wade scored 13 for Miami, which led by 20 late in the third quarter before Indiana ripped off an 11-0 run and got right back into the game.

Knicks 113, Magic 106 — Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and New York extended its season-high winning streak to three games with a victory over visiting Orlando.

Jason Smith added a season-best 19 points for the Knicks, who improved to 8-36. Lance Thomas had 16 points, and Langston Galloway 15; both are in the midst of their second 10-day contract.

Rockets 113, Suns 111 — James Harden scored 33 points, including a 20foot jumper as time ran out, to lift Houston to victory in Phoenix.

Harden, the NBA’s leading scorer entering the night at 27.2 points per game, added 10 assists and six rebounds and made 14 of 17 free throw attempts for the Rockets, who were without injured star center Dwight Howard for the final three quarters.

Bulls 102, Mavericks 98 — Derrick Rose scored 20 points, Jimmy Butler had 14 of his 20 in the second half and Chicago won in Dallas.

The Bulls beat a Western Conference playoff contender for the second night in a row after losing six of their previous eight games. They handed defending champion San Antonio its most lopsided loss of the season in Chicago Thursday.

Pelicans 92, Timberwolves 84 — Newly minted All-Star starter Anthony Davis had 21 points and 12 rebounds to help New Orleans avoid what would have been another ugly road loss with a victory in Minneapolis.

Eric Gordon scored 20 points and the Pelicans (2221) shot 50 percent from the field to move over .500 for the first time since Jan. 2.

Spurs 99, Lakers 85 — Tony Parker scored 17 points and host San Antonio never trailed in rolling over depleted Los Angeles. which potentially has lost Kobe Bryant for the season.

Kawhi Leonard had 15 points and 14 rebounds, Manu Ginobili scored 15 points and Tim Duncan added 14 points for San Antonio. Raptors 91, 76ers 86 — Kyle Lowry scored 17 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead Toronto’s comeback victory in Philadelphia. Patrick Patterson added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who overcame a 9-point deficit with 5 ½ minutes left. (Boston Globe)

Winless india need to avoid defeat

If India don’t win or tie or get a no-result on their Republic Day, and Australia Day, they will leave themselves with an unenviable task of needing to beat England with a bonus point and also making up a pretty significant difference between their and England’s net runrate. Should India lose their net run-rate will fall from the current -1.356. If they are to make the final then, they will have to be better than England by at least 25%, and also go past their net run-rate of 0.481. Considering all that, it is a pretty big match that India enter on Monday. Good news for them is, Australia are through to the final already, and if they are going to let up or experiment now might be the time. Bad news is, Australia are unbeaten the whole summer, and India have won nothing. The last time India lost three ODIs in a row was way back in February 2012, in the triangular series in Australia. They came close in South Africa and New Zealand in 201314, but were saved by rain in Centurion and a late streaky

partnership in Auckland. That they are in danger of doing that so close to the World Cup will be a matter of worry for them. They will still be without the services of Rohit Sharma, who MS Dhoni said is not a worry for the World Cup at least.

Australia will play around with their combination a little. They might put batsman in situations that deviate from their usual role in the side, but their bowling - especially at the death - remains and will remain their biggest asset. They have bowled first in all their three matches, and have conceded 67, 61 and 59 since the end of the 40th over. India will have to hurt them more there if they are to turn the game against England into a direct knockout.

In the spotlight George Bailey comes back to the side as captain, and should stay there until Michael Clarke is fit. Before Clarke got injured, it was Bailey who was keeping Steven Smith out. Now, though, Smith seems a certain first starter, and it will

be Bailey (or Glenn Maxwell) who will be under fire if Clarke has to push his way back into the XI, whenever he does. Bailey has not had a big score since the blockbuster ODI tour of India in late 2013. He has averaged 23 at a strike-rate of 73 since. He needs to stack up reasons for staying in the side when all members of the World Cup squad are fit.

Axar Patel will naturally and undesirably be compared to Ravindra Jadeja. His bowling has done him no disservice. In the first match he went for 45 runs in 10 overs, including overs bowled at the death. It is with the bat, though, that he compares unfavourably to Jadeja. Two innings, two ducks against quick bowling. A bit similar to how Jadeja’s career started. India have said often that the absence of a big hitter at No. 7 has introduced caution to the top six, delaying the slog. India have also said they won’t be averse to playing two left-arm spinners once Jadeja is fit, so Akshar will remain in focus over the remaining matches of the triangular. (Cricinfo)

Hercules elected President of GABA

Junior Hercules will have his hands full after being elected President of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) on Sunday at the Duke Lodge.

Hercules, who is also President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Coaches Association (GABCA) as well as President of the Plaisance Basketball Club, won the election unopposed, with seven votes in an open ballot system.

Hercules thanked outgoing President Michael Singh for his tremendous work over the last two years, while committing to ensuring that basketball in Georgetown continued to progress under his administration.

In addition, Hercules highlighted that the first step his administration will take is to develop the game through a “collective approach”.

Further, Hercules believes that his post as GABA President will not conflict with his presidency of both the GABCA and Plaisance Club since development will be the key for all involved.

Singh, who noted that he has not left the sport and was also Vice President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), said the GABF was committed to ensuring that the new administration transitioned smoothly into their operations.

Meanwhile, Adrian Hooper was appointed the new Vice President, defeating Ewart Williams six votes to three, while Cheryl Thomas was elected as Secretary of the Association after running against Nadine Luthers-Williams.

Joyce Sullivan was elected Treasurer unopposed, while Luthers-Williams was elected unchallenged as the Assistant SecretaryTreasurer.

The clubs that voted were the Colts, Republic Bank Nets, Eagles, UG Trojans, Plaisance Guardians, Knights, and Melanie Patriots while the Dynas Ravens, TGH Pacesetters and Pepsi Sonics were noshows.

AAG hosts successful AGM

The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday at which President of the Association, Aubrey Hutson preached dedication.

Hutson highlighted that due to the AAG’s juniors performing at high levels during the course of last year, the Association has been offered accommodation for athletes to attend games and that offer needed to be taken advantage of.

Training kits have also been pledged to the Association

to aid in the children’s athletics programme, according to Hutson.

However, Hutson noted that it was time that the AAG stuck together as family and moved forward as one instead of having public bickering that hampered the accommodation of sponsorship.

“We have great junior talent and it’s about giving them the exposure they need to perform and we must take advantage of it.

“Coaches need to come in, sit with and identify their athletes so we can work to-

Guinness Street football... Exciting matches kick off West Dem leg

The West Demerara leg of the Guinness Greatest in the Street Football Tournament commenced on Saturday evening with several teams recording victories on an exciting night of action at the Pouderoyen tarmac.

The opening game of the night produced just one goal with Donford Williams scoring in the 19th minute for Brothers United against

Golden Stars. Game two was a 4-0 drubbing that De Kinderen inflicted on Vergenoegen All Stars.

Darrel Alexis opened the scoring in the seventh minute, followed by Stephon Dickson (13th minute); Ulric Bourne (16th); and an own goal in the 19th minute.

In the other games, Patentia Street Ballers de-

feated Raiders 2-0, Majee Street gained a similar margin over Demerara Speedboat Service, Jetty gained a walkover from Young Warriors, Pouderoyen Showstoppers defeated West Side Ballers 2-0, Den Amstel got the better of Admiral United 3-0 and Uitvlugt won 3-2 on sudden death kicks against Showtime after a 1-1 draw.

Pathetic Jaguars...

Chasing 201 for victory, the Jaguars were dismissed for 65 in 24 overs.

Opener Trevon Griffith top scored with 31 from 28 balls, but once Narine removed him in the seventh over, caught by Kieron Pollard at first slip, the innings plunged into a terminal decline.

The Jaguars crashed from a position of 36 without loss to lose their last 10 wickets for 29 runs.

Earlier, the Red Force were helped to 200-8 in their 50 overs by a brilliant hundred by Mohammed, who fought a lone battle.

gether,” Hutson stated.

Further, he highlighted that more needed to be done for the senior competition, “We basically have two senior meets and that’s not good enough; we have a few invites to some grand prix and we need our seniors in top form,” Hutson noted.

The AAG boss said that there would have to be a reconstruction of the development committee in order to rectify the problem for the seniors, which was the only resolution coming out of the AGM. No motions were moved.

Mohammed was the backbone of the Red Force’s total. With wickets plummeting around him, the right-hander stood firm to finish unbeaten on 117 off 132 balls.

Surviving a chance on 69, Mohammed hit 11 fours and five sixes, and was featured in four key partnerships after Guyana Jaguars had made early inroads with their varied attack.

Mohammed and Solozano were the only two batsmen to pass 20.

However, it was Mohammed’s unbroken ninth wicket partnership of

52 off 33 balls with Captain Rayad Emrit, who finished 12 not out, that really made a huge impact in the hosts’ total.Mohammed smashed 42 runs from the last three overs to end the innings on a high after the Red Force at one stage seemed nowhere close to reaching the 200run mark.

He reached his century

Trinidad & Tobago innings (50 overs maximum)

E Lewis lbw b Wintz 0

JL Solozano c & b Permaul 21

DM Bravo c sub (VA Singh) b Wintz 5

JN Mohammed not out 117

S Katwaroo† c †Bramble

b Crandon 0 DJ Bravo c Reifer b Crandon 10 KA Pollard b Permaul 9 KK Cooper b Permaul 2 SP Narine b Bishoo 9 RR Emrit* not out 12

Extras: (b 6, lb 4, w 5) 15

Total: (8 wickets; 50

off the third ball of the final over before finishing the innings with two superb offside sixes.

Left-arm spinner

Veerasammy Permaul finished with 3-22, while Royston Crandon (2-27) and Paul Wintz (2-44) picked up two wickets apiece. Devendra Bishoo was the other successful bowler.

201 runs from 50 overs)

TA Griffith c Pollard b Narine 31 R Chandrika lbw b Narine 7 RA Reifer lbw b Narine 1 S Chanderpaul lbw b Narine 7 CD Barnwell* lbw b DJ Bravo 0 RT Crandon c †Katwaroo

GCB Executive returned unopposed

By Rajiv Bisnauth

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) on Sunday may have heeded warnings from Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony and Cricket Ombudsman Dr Winston McGowan and did

not proceed with its planned elections. But the entire GCB Executive were returned unopposed to their respective positions following the Board’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held upstairs of the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Pavilion, Bourda.

This result was inspired by the 2014 Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) held in October, which saw members of both the Raj Singhled faction of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) and the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), each giving nominations to return the executives.

“The GCB made a conscious decision to proceed with its legally constituted AGM as advertised a month ago and upon reviewing the GCB Constitution contained in the Cricket Administration Act. “We realized that there was no need for elections for

our AGM. That Constitution provides nominations for all the positions that make up the Executive Committee which must be done at the October OGM, preceding the January AGM, which resumes for those nominated persons,” according to the minutes of the GCB’s AGM.

The minutes further indicated: “There was a single nomination for the elected officers of the Board, hence there was no need for an elec-

tions. The Minister has uselessly reserved the right to set the date for the elections of GCB as stated in Article 17of the said Act. It is a very simple technicality, but very significant.” The GCB was under tremendous pressure over the past days whether to proceed with the planned elections or not, given the procedures laid down in the Cricket Administration Act 2014.

Any elections outside of the Act, would have been deemed illegal, unlawful, null and void, and of no effect, when one considers the statutes contained in the recently passed Act, according to the Attorney General.

The provisions con-

tained in the Act are clear and empower only the Sport Minister, following consultations with specified bodies and entities, to set the date for the first elections of the local Board.

Based on the Cricket Administration Act 2014 (Schedule 1, Section 7), the “elections to the Executive Committee of the GCB in respect of the first elections shall be held in accordance with Section 17 on the date

appointed in writing by the Minister acting in consultation with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)”.

Part VII, Section 17 of the Act states that “the Minister, after meaningful consultation with the WICB, shall be responsible for the appointment of a Cricket Ombudsman, who shall be responsible for the verification of the Register of Clubs and for performing the functions of Returning Officer for the first elections of the membership of the GCB”.

According to the Act, the “members of the Board shall be the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), the Demerara Cricket Board and the Essequibo

Golden Jaguars players share knowledge with youths

GA full house of 40 junior players between 5 and 12 years of age were at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Ground, Bourda, to meet, take photos with, and be coached by Nurse, who is currently undertaking the United States Soccer Federation B licence coach-

Cricket Board (herein referred to as Member Boards or County Boards), and such other cricketing bodies as may hereafter be admitted to membership by the Board as non-voting Associate Members or Honorary Members”.

In addition, the Act states that “the Berbice Cricket Board, the Demerara Cricket Board and the Essequibo Cricket Board shall be responsible for cricket in their respective geographical areas subject to the overriding au-

thority of the GCB”.

This new development means that the Board will administer the game locally until new elections are held.

The Sport Minister had written to the WICB earlier last week with regard to the setting of a date for the elections of the GCB.

Should the Dave Cameronled body not respond within the 21 days stipulated timeframe, Dr Anthony told this publication last Wednesday that he would go ahead and set a date for the elections.

On Sunday, Drubahadur was returned as President. Fizul Bacchus is Vice President; Anand Sanasie, Secretary; Virendra Chintamanie, Assistant Secretary; Anand Kalladeen, Treasurer; Raj Singh, Marketing Manager; Colin Europe, Competitions Chairman; Rayon Griffith, who is currently the Manager/ Assistant Coach of the Guyana Jaguars, Chairman of the National Selectors; and Nazimul Drepaul, Junior Selector.

Scorching Thompson breaks meet record

America-based Guyanese Brenessa Thompson is having a magnificent start to her 2015 season on the indoor circuit.

Two weeks after sprinting to an American leading high school 55 metres time of 6.95s, which still stands, Thompson broke the New Balance High School indoor 55 metres record with a time of 7.01s. Thompson was explosive out of the blocks and transitioned smoothly to top flight as she made the run seem effortless, with daylight between her and second place.

In addition, Thompson started Medgar Evers var-

ing qualification. The Junior Jaguars Academy is held 16:00 to 17:00h every Saturday afternoon at the GFC Ground. The session is a full hour of fun, safe developmental football coaching for boys and girls of all abilities and levels.

NAGICO Super50 final…

Pathetic Jaguars fail to deliver

Jason Mohammed fashioned his maiden regional one-day hundred while mystery spinner Sunil Narine spun his web around leaden-footed unsure batsmen and almost singlehandedly bowled Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to an emphatic 135run victory over Guyana Jaguars in the final of the NAGICO Super50 regional cricket tournament on Sunday evening at the Queen’s Park Oval. The T&T off-spinner enhanced his growing reputation with brilliant figures of 6-9 off eight overs which eventually kept the Jaguars under tight leash in their run-chase, as batsmen found it difficult to score freely. Dwayne Bravo (2-29) and Mohammed (23) supported Narine.

− Narine, Mohammed star in TT title win

Cameron must go, says PM Gonsalves

LRussell powers Windies to close win over SA

At last it was competitive. After three one-sided matches in a series that was decided before this game began, there was a thriller in Port Elizabeth as Andre Russell carried West Indies over the line for a one-wicket victory. It provided Jason Holder his first victory in charge of West Indies’ and it came in a manner he will not forget. His attack restricted South Africa to a reasonable score by getting into their middleorder early and then cancelled out David Miller’s maiden ODI century with fifties from Marlon Samuels, Darren Sammy and Russell, who held his nerve when the pressure could have reached breaking point at the end. Russell scored 64 off 40 deliveries, including three sixes off his last eight balls with No. 11 Sheldon Cottrell for company, and settled nerves which would have started to jangled from the third ball of the innings when Dwayne Smith was bowled by a full, fast Morne Morkel delivery. He needed a touch of fortune, though, when he was

dropped at slip on 40 by AB de Villiers in the 47th over and five balls later he was saved by the DRS after being given caught behind when Snicko confirmed there was no edge. That West Indies found themselves on the brink of victory was thanks to Samuels’ patience, Sammy’s

determination and South Africa’s slew of freebies after they had slipped to 73 for 5. With three-quarters of their frontline atrack rested, they sent down 14 wides and a no-ball which left de Villiers baffled over their illdiscipline.

What de Villiers was more sure about was how

to manage his bowlers. He used them in short spells and made some inspired bowing changes, including bringing on JP Duminy on in the Powerplay, which resulted in the wicket of Chris Gayle first ball, and Farhaan Behardien in the 16th over.

ong serving regional Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has blasted the leadership of West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron as “poor” and “embarrassing”, and says the Jamaican executive needs to be axed or resign as head of the regional entity.

The St Vincent and Grenadines leader was speaking in reference to Cameron’s handling of the recent players contracts impasse, which resulted from a disputed Memorandum of Understanding and the subsequent abandonment of the India tour by the West Indies one-day team.

More significantly, his comments come just six weeks ahead of the WICB annual general meeting when Cameron will be up for reelection.

“I hope the respective boards in the territories tell him to take a break and come back at a later date, perhaps with more mature, renewed skills of leadership,” Gonsalves told the Nation newspaper here.

“I think his leadership in this regard has been extremely poor and has embarrassed us before the world. I happen to know certain facts which draw me to the conclusion that it is his sole leadership that led to the premature end of the tour of India.

“And I believe he bears heavy responsibility and really he should withdraw himself from any consideration for any leadership or from his term.”

The outspoken Gonsalves has played a central role in trying to resolve the impasse that ensued when West Indies players walked off the one-day tour of India,

following the fourth ODI in Dharamsala last October.

Their move scuppered the remaining one-dayer, the one-off Twenty20 International and the threeTest series that had been scheduled.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) blamed the WICB for the abandonment, and subsequently lodged a claim of nearly US$42 million in damages. Only last week, the BCCI gave the WICB a deadline of next Tuesday, to indicate how it planned to settle or face legal action.

Gonsalves said while the players needed to bear some responsibility in the matter, the ultimate burden rested on Cameron.

“It doesn’t mean that the players were not to have showed greater restraint in the interest of the region,” Gonsalves explained.

“But you can’t send people there (India) without a contract and then your attitude to them was that you aren’t talking to them. And his attitude also to the Indian board was quite dismissive.”

On the matter of the US$42 million claim, Gonsalves said he planned to engage regional grouping, Caricom, on how best to go about ensuring the claim was properly addressed.

“And I am engaged in this matter not to help Dave Cameron, who I am satisfied is the person primarily responsible for this debacle,” he said.

“But I want to assist West Indies cricket which is bigger than Dave Cameron. Any way I can help, I will help. Only last week, Cameron said he would embrace any challengers to his post when the AGM is staged in Jamaica on March 7th. (CMC)