friday, august 21, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
A45-year-old female cash crop farmer of Number 45 Village, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) was on Thursday evening shot dead during an armed robbery at
her home.
The dead woman has been identified as “Pam”, a mother of three.
Information reaching the Guyana Times reveal that several armed bandits
stormed into the woman’s home, demanding money and other valuables.
It was during this process the woman was shot.
Police are currently investigating the incident.
The Social Cohesion Ministry will be hosting a National Roundtable discussion on September 3 at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre to aid in the facilitation of a national dialogue on social togetherness, programme planning and development of initiatives that can help to promote national unity.
The Ministry has been holding preparatory meetings with members of civil society where participants were given opportunities to contribute to the crafting of the framework for the building of social cohesion and addressing equality throughout Guyana.
Project Coordinator Roxanne Myers underscored the importance of working together in achieving this goal of social cohesion.
University of Guyana Students Society (UGSS) President Joshua Griffith, who was one of the participants, told the group that there was a need for political cohesion before the country could become cohesive.
Bishop Francis Alleyne of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown shared also that if Guyana was to move forward, focus must be placed upon healing and reconciliation of the past.
Government will be launching another Commission of Inquiry (CoI), this time into the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) cases in the mining districts across the country.
This decision comes after a meeting between Governance Minister Raphael Trotman and the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) on Thursday afternoon.
According to a press release from the Ministry of the Presidency, the GWMO had met with President David Granger to discuss some of the issues in relation to TIP and the working conditions in the mining areas and as such, based on follow-up discussions, it was decided that a CoI be launched.
The setting up of the Commission is currently being done in collaboration with Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence, the release said.
A group of lawyers have
already begun drafting the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Commission.
According to the release, Trotman noted that the mining industry has a lot of “evils and ills” associated with it, but the most disturbing is the trafficking of young children.
“Trafficking by itself is bad, but it really bothers me to know that young people are put in that situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes,
disclosed that the Ministry planned to establish a database of women in the mining sector to aid in monitoring situations in the interior regions.
Also coming out of the meeting was the announcement that Government will be reopening the Gold Board Office in Bartica.
Additionally, it was announced that responsibility for the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) would now be placed with the Public Infrastructure Ministry.
Forty-six participants recently graduated from the Taxidermy Children’s Camp at the Guyana National Museum, Georgetown, where they learned the basic techniques in taxidermy – the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect.
Participants also learned about museums, Guyana’s wildlife and about current environmental issues regarding monuments, heritage and archival records. This is the Museum’s eighth annual camp and it was conducted in two phases. The participants, upon graduating, were presented with certificates of par-
ticipation. Two participants – Kamilah Lambert and Shakeel Edwards – were presented with tokens for their outstanding performance during the camp.
During a simple ceremony, Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry commended the participants for attending the camp and encouraged them to share their experiences with others.
This year’s camp was held in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Iwokrama, National Trust, National Archives, the University of Guyana’s Biodiversity Centre and the Environmental Protection Agency.
friday, august 21, 2015 |
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, August 21 – 09:00h-10:30h and Saturday, August 22 – 09:30h-11:00h
The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, August 21 – 07:45h-09:15h and Saturday, August 22 – 08:30h-10:00h
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.
Thundery to heavy rainfall can be expected throughout the day, with thundery showers in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East to East North-easterly between 0.89 metres and 3.12 metres per second.
High Tide: 08:24h and 20:43h reaching maximum heights of 2.40 metres and 2.39 metres respectively.
Low Tide: 01:56h and 14:16h reaching minimum heights of 0.75 metre and 0.86 respectively.
Conceding to mounting no-confidence calls
responsible for rising crime – insists Govt will still use “dogs” and “horses” to fight crime
By Michael younge
Just when Guyanese thought the public discourse on crime could not become more “depressing” as described by Finance Minister Winston Jordan, Vice President and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan on Wednesday evening insinuated that the fired Community Support Officers (CSOs), who are largely of indigenous heritage, were responsible for the rising levels of crime and criminality in Guyana.
Ramjattan was at the time addressing the National Assembly as parliamentarians continued Day Three of the debates on the $221 billion National Budget presented by Finance Minister Winston
long, around the same time y’all stop paying the indigenous CSOs, the thing start going up around that time,” he said.
Outrage
While his statement was factually correct, his implied slur on indigenous criminality immediately evoked outrage in the Opposition benches especially amongst those of Amerindian heritage. This forced the Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland to make frantic attempts to return order to the proceedings.
Despite these pleas, the outbursts continued, but this did not stop Ramjattan from continuing his presentation which had him shouting at the top of his voice to drown out the voices of the Opposition Members of
Jordan last Monday for approval.
The Vice President was seeking to respond to the Opposition’s claim that since the new Government took office back in May, it has been unable to deal with the crime situation or competently implement measures aimed at reducing crime and making Guyana safe.
In his defence, Ramjattan, who has core responsibility for the sector, said that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition was deliberately misleading the public and the fact remained that crime was on the increase since 2014 and continued to soar in February 2015, long before the new Government took office.
“It was growing since February, long before we come into Government;
Parliament (MPs).
At this point, Chief Whip for the Opposition, Gail Teixeira sprang to her feet, seeking to have the Speaker support her position that Ramjattan withdraw what she referred to as a “racist and criminal” charge made against the CSOs and by extension, law-abiding Amerindians.
“He is making a link between the CSOs not being paid and the increase in crime. It is unacceptable in this House. I am asking that he withdraw that comment,” Teixeira said. Making racist statements in the National Assembly is supposed to be sanctioned.
But as has become the norm, the Government nominated and elected Speaker ignored the Chief Whip and refused to examine the
Public Security Minister’s statement for racist imputations. Instead he requested that Ramjattan continue his presentation.
After making the controversial statement, Ramjattan, contrary to the statement being recorded on the Hansard, denied that he was making a nexus between the firing of the Amerindians and the rising levels of crime
Later on Wednesday evening, the PPP/C in a statement said that the new Government was attempting to do damage control by trying to make efforts to cover its tracks with the implementation of a Hinterland Employment and Youth Services programme especially after the legal proceedings filed on behalf of the 1972 CSOs.
The Party said “in the absence of information regarding this hastily announced statement in the Parliament, seems to be a training programme and not employment for the fired Amerindians. The legal, po-
litical and constitutional wrongs have already been done”.
It also argued that “the PPP will only accept a full reinstatement of the CSOs” as it stated that it condemn “the statement by Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan in Parliament, that the crime wave escalated when the CSOs were dismissed”.
“We consider this statement to be racist, irresponsible and most disrespectful to our Amerindian brothers and sisters and indeed to all victims of crime and all lawabiding citizens,” the PPP/C maintained.
Dogs and horses
Despite being ridiculed in both mass and social media forums for failing to present realistic and more serious proposals to fight crime, Minister Ramjattan maintained that he was going to use “horses” and “canines” as an important element in his plan to deal with the phenomenon.
Editor (Ag): Michael Younge
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
The 2015 budget debates are currently heating up in the National Assembly with some very interesting perspectives being presented by both Government and Opposition MPs. In a few days time, policy makers will be required to vote in favour or not, for the various allocations, including funding for certain projects which are expected to further transform this country into a more modern, developed state where citizens can enjoy a better quality of life.
It is encouraging to note that unlike the last two budget debates, this time around there’ssome level of maturity being displayed by some MPs. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, just after he was sworn in, gave his party’s commitment to work with those from the Government to further develop Guyana.But he was quick to underline the point that all parties have an obligation to the people of this country, on both sides of the House, to work towards that ‘better life’ being promoted by the Government.
Also, PPP/C Member of Parliament, Dr Clive Jagan issued a strong appeal to all MPs of the House to focus their energies towards the betterment of the entire country. He lamented the fact that politics in Guyana has reached a point where parties appear to merely “oppose for Opposition’s sake” and blatantly disregard what serves as the best interest of the country and its citizenry.
This mature and bipartisan approach which the PPP has brought to the Budget debates is like a breath of fresh air and the Government must take example as Guyanese look to see who among our politicians are really serious about ‘putting the nation first’. Already we have noted that the Government has voted to reduce the number of days set aside to consider the various estimates, which as expected angered the Opposition resulting in its MPs staging a walkout.
It could be recalled that there was a high level of rancor, bitterness and partisanship displayed by the APNU/AFC while they were in Opposition. Their members opposed almost every Government initiative which was meant to further develop Guyana. Their one-seat majority was used to make reckless cutson the national Budgets without any reasonable justification. It is interesting to note that now that these parties (APNU/AFC) are in Government, they are proposing some of the same initiatives, or similar projects and are asking the Opposition for support.
Indeed, the APNU/AFC inherited a better Guyana than what the PPP/C met in 1992, after 28 years in political wilderness due to rigged elections by the People’s National Congress (PNC). As stated by Dr Clive Jagan in his maiden address to the National Assembly, over the past decade or so, Guyana has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth unlike some other countries in the region. Guyana now has an education system that is once again considered one of the best in the Caribbean, we now have a stabilised exchange rate; rice production is soaring at 600,000 tonnes a year and there is wider distribution of electricity and water among others notable successes.
When President David Granger was sworn in as Head of State, he issued a call for all parties to work together and promised that his Government will work towards inclusionary governance. However, actions taken by the Government since it assumed office tend to suggest otherwise.
Certainly, the challenges confronting us would require more than just political rhetoric from the Government and Opposition. Infact, it requires concrete action to match the talk from both sides. Guyana can achieve its true potential if there is really meaningful cooperation between all parties working in collaboration with civil society and other like-minded groups. When there is an absence of political stability, the entire country is affected as investors do not want to put their money into a country that is politically and socially unstable. Hence, there is need for all MPs to leave aside their own partisan, political interests and work for the betterment of all Guyanese.
Dear Editor,
The behaviour of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government in the 11th Parliament so far reminds everyone of the behaviour of the People’s National Congress (PNC), the party that is the parent body of the coalition partners. Recall that the PNC had prevented the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Cheddi Jagan from speaking in the 5th Parliament and throughout the 1st Parliament to the end of the 5th Parliament when the PNC dominated the House with large majorities that they obtained through rigged elections, they used big stick methods to pass legislation and stifle the Opposition. I’m afraid that the early signs for the 11th Parliament show that APNU/AFC is staying faithful to its genes, a total disregard for parliamentary democracy.
Their vulgar effort to prevent the Leader of the Opposition from speaking last in the budget debate before the Finance Minister responds is a travesty. This has been the procedure for all budget debates before. The Leader of the Opposition speaks last to close the debate before the Finance Minister responds. That has been so before Independence and it has been so since Independence.
I have witnessed the last 22 budget debates before this one. I spoke in the last 17 debates. The Leader of the Opposition was always given the privilege to close the debate before the Government responded. Not only that, the Leader of the Opposition was given vast room to meander and use the floor of the Parliament to make a political case. The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) throughout the 6th to the end of the 11th Parliament never sought to restrict the Leader of the Opposition in terms of time or relevance when the Leader of the Opposition speaks during a budget debate. Corbin once spoke for almost three hours. Hoyte’s last budget address in 2000 lasted for over two hours. Granger who is not usually long made one of his longest speeches ever during the 2014 budget debates.
The efforts by APNU/AFC to change this well-established procedure in Guyana’s Parliament and a procedure used in every Parliament in the world beg the question of why. The best response so far is that the entire coalition is afraid of Bharrat Jagdeo, particularly Moses Nagamootoo who seems not to want to speak before the Opposition Leader.
He has lost every debate in the PPP Executive
Committee’s meeting with Jagdeo in the past and he knows that he cannot match Jagdeo in terms of fiscal management and economic and social development of Guyana. He must have, therefore, persuaded his colleagues that they must have Jagdeo speak before him.
Also, the PPP MPs have so far outclassed the Government. Those of the coalition are all morbidly afraid to sit in their seats as Jagdeo takes them on. I hope that Guyana is not deprived of the opportunity to see Bharat Jagdeo expose the hypocrisy of APNU/AFC.
The APNU/AFC has straight-jacketed the Opposition by using their numbers to prevent free expression during the budget debate 2015. PPP speakers have not been granted extra time and the time allotted to PPP speakers have been truncated by loud and unruly heckling by Government.
I would advise the PPP/C to walk out of the debate if APNU/AFC changes the procedure to prevent Jagdeo from closing the actual debate before the Finance Minister’s response.
I recommend that the PPP show spine and not allow APNU/AFC to sabotage well-enshrined procedure and to use their numbers to subterfuge democratic
norms. These procedures are the very lifeline of democracy and majority seats in Parliament cannot be used as a big stick to thwart rules and the very pillar of a democratic Parliament.
The 11th Parliament was born out of a questionable election. The Government side sits in their seats with an election that a large percentage of the Guyanese electorate rejects. Now their behaviour is one that adds to the illegitimacy of the goings-on in this Parliament.
My final word is for the Speaker. He has had a distinguished career and is well respected. People wondered whether he would allow APNU/AFC to make him serve their narrow interests or if he will choose to serve the people. So far, he hasn’t sought to be fair to the PPP MPs as the APNU/AFC has done everything to truncate the speeches of Opposition MPs. Now the challenge is front of him; will he be a part of the sabotage of Guyana’s Parliament?
The presentation by the Leader of the Opposition is always a highlight in budgetary debates. The 2015 budget debate must not be different.
Sincerely,
Leslie
Ramsammy
The Government must address the GPL situation immediately
Dear Editor, I read with horror the recent media report of what Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and Cabinet is doing at the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL).
My horror was due to the destructive and mindless ac-
tion taken by the Minister without any regard for the continuum of the electricity supply to consumers.
The electricity supply for the country is now fairly steady and this was an uphill achievement of ending the blackouts which the Irish
company bequeathed to the consumers before they left.
GPL now has no Director and will move toward collapse, causing widespread blackout, humbugging the water supply and comfort of people, affecting the hospitals and operation theatres, preventing students from being able to study, and causing further contraction of businesses, resulting in further decline of the national economy. Many old and sick people’s lives would be terribly affected.
turn to page 5
Dear Editor,
I am a 66-year-old Guyanese and a former senior public servant. All my life I voted for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), but at the recent General and Regional Election held on May 11, 2015, I voted for “change”, I voted for the coalition. As I observe the transition of Government, the practices, patterns, utterances
and behaviour of the new Administration, I have already started to feel that I made the biggest mistake of my life.
I was looking at the ongoing budget debate on television and I was shocked to witness the second Vice President and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan uttering these words, “wait, we gon jail alyuh as soon as we find ev-
erything”, “thief, thief, ‘Yu’ all thief too much and is ‘Yu’ all de street bandits following”.
The honourable Member of Parliament must understand that he holds a very high office in Government and he should no longer be in the election campaign mood with his colleagues as though in a private habitation. This is unacceptable and I hope that his
Excellency David Granger is taking note and will be cautioned in the most serious manner.
We must bring back respect and democracy to this nation for one and all irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion. Furthermore, the Minister is a lawyer by profession and he must understand that implications of using such words within the judi-
ciary.
The other issue I wish to highlight is what the Minister of State Joseph Harmon said about how he would have used privately funded trips to promote Government businesses.
The Government needs to separate the two issues for this is certainly a dangerous path and practice. We all know that businessmen don’t give money unless
there is a motive and a form of repayment.
On the campaign trail the coalition speakers focused heavily on the closeness of the business community to the ruling PPP/C. I hope that good sense shall prevail and they pull themselves up or be pulled up by the President.
Yours truly, Mohammed Majood
Dear Editor,
The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) seeks to create the impression that it has a plan for hinterland development which is different from, and better than, anything the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government ever had in place. This is clearly an attempt at deception and can at best be described as a desperate effort to rehash what the PPP/C successfully implemented plan with results that all can see and experience.
There’s nothing new about President Granger’s 10-point strategic plan for hinterland development. It could at best be described as a case of too little too late for APNU/AFC.
The PPP/C Government did commit extensive resources and persevered during the period of almost 23 years in Government, to bring about positive changes and improvements in the lives of our Amerindian
peoples, whom the People’s National Congress had treated as recluse during their 28 years of misrule of our country. The APNU/AFC would have the Guyanese people believe that they are a new people. Their 97 days in Government thus far and their obvious failure to deliver or even evidence intention to deliver on commitments they made to the Guyanese electorate to be honoured during their first 100 days in Office, clearly indicate that the more the APNU/AFC talks about change, the more it back peddles.
I wish to assist the Government to wake-up from its stupor and remind that the PPP/C and our Amerindian peoples have made tremendous progress in realising the improvements that are now being put on the front burner.
The PPP/C Government worked with Amerindians to bring improved social services and infrastructure and, in the process, creat-
ed for them wider choices in respect of the goods and services via better quality education and healthcare than were available to them before the PPP/C took office in October 1992.
Better education and training have meant for some better jobs and concomitantly better earnings. Improved health care has meant healthier lives for many.
Those many are now Ministers of Government, Education Officers, Head Teachers, Doctors, Health Workers, Medexes, Dentexes, Microscopists, Nurses, Agriculture Officers, Engineers, Police and Army officers etc. It is due in no small measure to the fervent and dedicated commitment and work of the PPP/C Government in the area of access to quality education and healthcare to all, including our hinterland population.
The significant investments included infrastructural support such as new airstrips and rehabilita-
Dear Editor, There are many malpractices in the mining sector which damage the environment, cause industrial accidents and even deaths.
Junior Minister Simona Broomes should focus on these issues to enhance the situation.
tion of other airstrips, improved roads, provision of river and land transport, radio sets and more recently landline and cellular phone services for use in hinterland administrative centres, schools, health centres, health posts and village offices, resulting in improved communication.
Also the provision of solar electricity in homes and even in these very institutions, along with the provision of potable water, water wells were also facilitated by the PPP/C Administration.
The Hinterland Housing Schemes were launched under the PPP/C Government in Regions One, Two and Nine.
The human rights and fundamental freedom of our Amerindian people are protected through our Constitution and other legislative measures.
Article 35 of the Constitution states: “the State honours and respects the diverse cultural strains which enrich the society”. Amerindian Heritage Month, a PPP/C initiative provides opportunity for all Guyana to know more of this “diverse culture”.
Article 149 G of the Constitution provides that “indigenous peoples shall have the right to the protection, preservation and promulgation of their language, cultural heritage and way of life”; while Section 212 S makes provision for the establishment of the Indigenous Peoples Commission. This has already been set up under the PPP/CGovernment.
The APNU/AFC should allow this Commission to continue its work without the political interference evidenced in the dismiss-
al of the 1972 Amerindian Support Officers (CSO): a beastly act pungent with the smell of ethnic discrimination.
We must by all media at our disposal deny the APNU/AFC the space and opportunity they continuously seek to deny the PPP/C and our Amerindian peoples the progress we collectively made during the period October 1992 to May 15, 2015, and support the PPP/C’s continuous efforts to bring further improvements. The APNU/ AFC’s 10-point strategic plan represents a mere attempt to cloud their failure to make provisions for Amerindian development in their 2015 Budget.
Sincerely, Norman
Whittaker
Minister Broomes should also ensure that miners are covered by social security benefits and since she was herself a miner, should ensure that workers are not exploited by their employers and that mining is done in respect for the environment.
Protection Agency (EPA), the Labour Ministry and the Police Force to bring to an end the lawlessness taking place in the mining sector of Guyana’s hinterland.
Minister Broomes should work in collaboration with the Environmental
Respectfully,
Dan Persaud
Mr Granger and his Government need to take immediate remedial action. There was talk of importing foreign expertise and though this would cost millions of dollars, it should be done immediately. The only proviso is that the Government should be sure that the foreign expertises are capable. Over the years, GPL and
GWI had engaged foreign expertises who are non-productive, for example, the Irish expertswere not capable. In America, in the States of Mississippi and Louisiana when they were extensive flooding and breakdown of electricity for a month, their expertise did not solve the problem. Guyana managed to keep its electricity going
from page 4
under similar flood conditions.
We pray that this looming disaster does not happen to us again and that Minister Patterson does not have to bear the cross of bringing this disaster on the country.
Yours sincerely, F. Drakes
By James Lehman, msW
“Being consistent is the hardest thing of all,” many parents tell us. And it’s so true – it’s easy to lay down a rule and then let it slide when you’re tired or in a hurry. In this article, James Lehman explains why consistency is the key to your child’s behaviour—and tells you ways to keep on track when you feel like giving up.
When your child is young, he starts to learn simple math. The way he learns is through a process called “rehearsal and repetition”. At first, simple addition and subtraction are the most alien concepts in the world to him. But slowly, he begins to understand that two and two equal four –and then he builds on that knowledge. Consistency is imperative. Look at it this way: what if two and two didn’t always make four? How would your child learn addition if the rules were always changing? If that was the case, he would never learn how to solve Math equations correctly or adapt his learning to tackle more complex problems. This learning process is called “internalisation” because your child takes it from the outside in; it becomes part of him on the inside.
my mother is going to act if I throw a tantrum? Can I predict how my father will react if I’m late for school? Can I predict how my parents are going to act if I don’t do my homework? Let’s face it, predictability is one of the foun-
dict what time they’re going to go to bed, how they’re going to be dealt with if they curse, and what’s going to happen if they don’t do their homework. Consistency is a key learning tool for your child, because when something is consistent,
room. The other thing that happens is that they don’t know how their parents are going to react; they’re effectively learning how to live with anxiety and chaos. They’re learning that the world is not predictable and adult responses can’t be gauged. As a result, different characteristics develop in different children. Some become aggressive and hostile, while others become compliant and passive. All of them learn to deal with unpredictability, which again, creates anxiety. Children have to develop the capacity to deal with anxiety when they’re young, so this can be overwhelming to their defences. Sadly, they often wind up solving problems using inappropriate behaviour.
at her.”
I also believe that many parents, through no fault of their own, don’t really have an understanding of how important consistency is. A majority of the families I saw in my therapy practice were in the dark about it, so I worked with them to give them the tools they needed. I said, “This what’s going on here: If you yell at your child for two days because he’s not doing his chores, then you do his chores for him the next two days, and the following day, you punish him, you’re going to raise a child who learns that nothing anyone does is predictable. And if things aren’t predictable and he can’t internalise problem-solving and social skills, he also won’t be able to internalise the values, knowledge and experiences that it will take to shape his behaviour.”
Now, consistency isn’t really the sexiest or most exciting word in personal development. But it is, coupled with time, what will give you real results in your life. Sticking with the programme and doing something consistently – and not just when you feel inspired or something like that – is very, very powerful. These tips can be used to make it easier to get through the period that is needed to establish a new habit in your life (about 21-45 days). They can also be used after a habit is established because even then you will have bad days or slip up.
Consistency is one of the main requirements for children to learn how to predict things. In other words, I can predict that two and two equal four. Can I predict how
dations of our society – that’s why we’re disturbed when the trains don’t run on time or the post office isn’t open. For children, inconsistency produces anxiety. Think of it this way: what if your boss was nice one day and mean the next? What if she said “good job” to you and then turned around and said “that’s unacceptable” after you performed the same task the exact same way? Or what if your employees showed up to work sometimes, but didn’t show up other times?
Children need to be able to predict that two and two are going to be four the same way they need to be able to pre-
he can rehearse it and incorporate it inside of himself until it becomes a part of him.
Let’s look at it this way. What if one day you don’t clean your room and your mother yells and screams at you to “get in there and pick things up”? And what if the next day, she’s in a hurry so she picks it up for you? And then, what if two days later she yells at you again? And then on Saturday, she picks it up for you because company is coming over. What are you learning?
Most children learn that if they put up with their mom yelling at them a little bit, eventually she’ll clean their
Why is consistency the hardest thing for most parents? Why is it so hard for parents to be consistent? First of all, parents are human. Unless we really push and train ourselves, I think it’s easy to get off track. To a parent, expediency often takes the place of consistency. It’s quicker to pick up your child’s room yourself when you’ve got company coming over than it is to get your son to take responsibility for it. Quite a few parents have told me things like, “I get so frustrated that my daughter won’t do what I’ve told her to do a thousand times that I start screaming
Again, internalisation, rehearsal and repetition — these are the keys to learning. Believe me, if the parents I worked with thought anything was hurting their children, they would do their best to try to change it. But many saw inconsistency as just being human—and in a sense, they were right. They were overworked, overwhelmed and often exhausted. But the bottom line is that choosing expediency over consistency has an effect on your child’s behaviour and character. The truth is, many children today are aggressive and destructive, and this emanates in part from inconsistent parenting. (Excerpt from empoweringparents.com)
Use a morning ritual This is perhaps the most powerful tip I have found so far in this area. You simply set up a routine in the morning that you do as soon as you wake up. This works so well because what you do early in the day often sets the context for your day. As humans we have a strong tendency to want to be consistent with what we have done before. That’s one big reason why a bad start often leads to a bad day and a good start often leads to a good day.
Do things even if you don’t feel like it Your inner voice and feelings can be disregarded if you like. You can do whatever you want to do anyway.
Don’t hurt yourself Whatever you do during your day sends signals back to yourself about what kind of person you are. Do the right thing like being effective, kind or go to the gym and you feel good. Get lazy, negative or just plain mean and you tend to feel worse after a while. You don’t get away, there is no escaping yourself.
Focus on and take responsibility for the process, not the potential results Focus on the process and you will be a lot more relaxed and prone to continue than if you stare yourself blind on the potential results that never come as quickly as you want to and puts you on an emotional rollercoaster from day to day.
Find and do what you love or like to do. It always easier to stick with the programme if you love or at least like what you are doing every week. So experiment and find what suits you best.
Let go of old self images Use reminders in your environment (positivity.blog.com)
boasts
First time Member of Parliament (MP) and Junior Minister of Social Protection Simona Broomes lit up the chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday Evening, as she participated in her first ever budget debate.
Broomes, who is no stranger to controversy, claims that she is seeking out the interests of the poor and working class.
Parliamentarians from both sides listened thoughtfully to the 30-minute long presentation, as Broomes related the “sickening” working conditions she has been encountering, where young Guyanese are working for wages way below the minimum standard.
She blasted the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government for failing to enforce the laws, noting that it is because of its “disrespect” that workers are now suffering.
“They are suffering”, she said, continuing that “gone are the days when workers are neglected”.
She spoke of the frightening situation in May earlier this year when she visited the site at an interior mining camp, where 10 miners were killed.
“Mr Speaker, these things must change, have to change and under this Government will change”.
This, she said, occurred
because there was a lack of social protection. Government, she said, will bring social protection to Guyanese workers.
She spoke of the budget, noting that it has laid a blueprint for nation and a green economy.
According to Broomes, the needs of the working people and denial of justice remain a black eye which must be removed. “We will not organise or have groupings to pay the people minimum or below the minimum wage... We are operating in service to the people, she said.
Minister Broomes added that the money allocated to the Ministry will see a vast change right across the board for every single Guyanese.
Meanwhile, Bromes, who
also touched on the growing issue of Trafficking in Persons, said that the previous Government had failed to implement an act which could have prevented persons from suffering at the hands of traffickers.
She said the act was laid in the house since 2005; however, nothing has been done about it.
“We will add regulation and implement the act. Human trafficking is something that one has to find, one has to look for it. And I am living evidence that we have the best skills to identify and eradicate it”, Broomes said.
She further highlighted that Government will not allow “such lawlessness” where a person is charged
for human trafficking and sentenced to prison, have that case appealed and be allowed to walk the streets. She said she knows too many cases where justice was denied, while the victims continue to suffer.
Broomes made this statement despite facing embarrassment and public ridicule when she carried out a raid in Bartica aimed at removing persons reported involved in human trafficking.
Soon after the raid, the public learnt that the persons removed were women who were employed as dancers, and that from time to time, would willingly be involved in sex work.
The public also learnt that they were some who overstayed their time after entering the country legally. To add insult to injury, the charges against those who owned the building were not in relation to trafficking.
Immediately, questions arose about the Minister’s competence and her ability to distinguish between sex work and trafficking in persons.
Before that, the controversial Minister had found herself at the centre of a scandal in which the Head of the Child Care and Protection Agency Ann Greene was sent on a month accumulated leave after getting involved in a spat with the Junior Minister.
In Guyana, victims of rape receive little or no protection from perpetrators
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan is slated to engage a wide cross-section of stakeholders on the worrying issue of sexual crimes and the lack of rigid legislation to deal with rape or sexual assault cases, at the National Suicide Prevention Conference set for today at the Cara Lodge Hotel, Quamina Street, Georgetown.
Organiser of the event, local Non-Government Organisation (NGO) The Caribbean Voice, an advocacy group that has been making headway in the fight against suicide and suiciderelated issues, bemoaned the stark reality that there is very little protection against rapists for communities in Guyana.
The stakeholders’ conference is to create a platform to initiate a national conversation on suicide and related issue with the goal of crafting viable programmes to tackle these issues nation-
ally and foster collaboration between NGOs and Private and Public Sector institutions and agencies.
Minister Ramjattan is slated to engage the forum where it is expected he will lay down his Government’s plan to aid in the fight against social scourges such as domestic violence, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, and rape. Particularly, given the portfolio of his Ministry, it is expected that he address the issue pertaining to the lenient justice system and weak legislations.
“Against this background of increasing sexual violence and crimes, there has been an average conviction rate of 1.4 per cent in rape cases compared to rape reports originally made to the Police. Additionally, as of last year, there were no convictions for sexual offences since 2011,” The Caribbean Voice lamented.
friday, august 21, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
– accuses her of accepting bribes to “lock him away”
Junior Williams, 24, who is currently standing trial for the murder of 75-year-old pensioner Joyce Lewis, on Thursday disrupted the court as witnesses were called to offer statements during the trial.
He began to hurl indecent language at the Magistrate, telling her
that “Me ain’t want this case try in this court! Yuh tek bribe! I don’t trust you!”
He shouted allegations of the Magistrate being bribed by his own family to pin the murder on him. Williams stated that he wants his matter tried in the High Court as the Magistrate is “corrupt”.
The disruptive prisoner even attempted to forcefully leave the stand and became violent in his attempt to do so. The Magistrate kept her composure and proceeded with the matter after informing Williams that she would do so in his absence.
On March 26, 2014,
Lewis was found in her North Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, home with her hands tied, throat slit and underwear below her knees. Her house was also ransacked. Williams was held and charged for the murder after he was linked to the crime scene by the Police Force fingerprint system.
Brandon MacDonald.
Aman was on Thursday placed on $75,000 bail after he appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court
Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with simple larceny.
They can run but can’t hide...
... from Jagdeo
Nagamootoo has the look of a fella who’s been bitchslapped so many times, he suffers a trauma every time he hears the name “Jagdeo”. He won’t even talk to his boyhood friend also named “Jagdeo” - who used to catch crabs with him on the Whim foreshore. So when he learnt former President Jagdeo was going to speak AFTER him in the Budget Debate, he nearly suffered a heart attack.
Good thing he’d sneaked some of that good, old Whim bush rum into Parliament, to calm his nerves. But during the recess, he fell on his knees to the APNU Chief Whip, to have Jagdeo moved up the order, so that his presentation wouldn’t be skewered as he knew it would be. Ramsammy has just revealed how he was “skinned up” by Jagdeo during PPP’s Ex-Co meetings when he attempted to “debate” Jagdeo.
Afabayo Yakhana, 26, a Mason of 3 Hadfield Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
It is alleged that on Tuesday, August 18. at Wortmanville, Georgetown, he stole one Samsung Galaxy S5 Smartphone valued $130,000; property of
The Prosecutor made no objection to bail which was granted in the sum of $75,000 on the condition that the defendant remains on good behaviour for the duration of the trial. He will return to court on September 10.
– after
man was on Thursday remanded to prison after he appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court
Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with discharging a loaded firearm with the intent to commit murder.
Ceon Anderson, 22, of 17 Tucville was not required to plead to the indictable charge which read that on Thursday, July 30 at Tucville, Georgetown, he discharged a loaded firearm
at the Virtual Complainant (VC) Desmond McPherson with the intent to murder him.
During the court proceedings, the defendant denied the allegation, stating he had no knowledge of the incident and said “Mussie Sean Hinds shoot he.”
The man stated that during the period in which the incident occurred, he was out of the country. He said that the Police went to his residence and told him that he is wanted for questioning.
Upon learning of the allegation, he said he took his passport to the Police Station and showed them that he was not in the country at the time. He expressed fear for his life, saying, “My worship, there are lots of people that want to kill me you know”.
The Magistrate remanded the defendant to prison until September 7 when he will appear before Magistrate Judy Latchman in Court Three.
Ceon Anderson was remanded for discharging a loaded firearm with intent to commit murder
Man who stole vehicle with driver inside further remanded – claims ill-treatment due to mental disease
The 24-year-old patient of the National Psychiatric Hospital who was on Wednesday, August 5, placed before Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with stealing a car while the owner was in the driver’s seat, on Thursday made another appearance in court where he alleged that he was being abused and ill-treated in prison, due to his mental illness.
Raymond Samaroo, a minibus driver, of 20 Owen Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was in court to face the indictable charge which read that on Monday, August 3 at 35 Garnett Street, Campbellville, he stole one Honda CRV motor-
car valued $5 million, one Samsung cellphone valued $25,000 and $30,000 cash; all to a total value of $5,055,000; property of the Virtual Complainant (VC), Rhonda Joaquin.
The court had previously heard that on the day in question, the VC was parked in front of her yard and was about to exit the vehicle when the accused rushed into the vehicle, forcing her to exit, and drove off with it. He subsequently drove through two Police road blocks, nearly injuring two officers in the process. It was also revealed that the accused has a pending matter of a similar nature before Court Five.
Samaroo was previ-
ously charged for stealing a 4-Runner in a similar manner while the driver was purchasing a meal at a Chinese restaurant. It was while he was on bail for that charge that he committed the present offence.
On his previous appearance, Attorney Clyde Forde made an application for bail stating that his client suffers from a mental disease and could not be held accountable for his actions, as he suffers from delusions and amnesia.
The Attorney had presented a certificate which declared that his client is indeed a patient of the National Psychiatric Hospital and requested that he be placed on bail so that he could receive his
monthly treatment.
Magistrate Ann McLennan remanded the accused to prison until he is returned to the Hospital and had ordered that the defendant return to court on Thursday.
Upon his return, it was discovered that he has not yet been evaluated by a Psychologist and as such, the Magistrate stated that he would be further remanded until September 3. The defendant then lamented that he was being physically abused and ill-treated in prison by inmates due to his mental disease.
He alleged that he was chopped about his body and received several blows to his head, and pleaded for bail.
“Debate”? For a fella like Nagamootoo, who invariably “wings it” in any discussion, it was like Jagdeo taking candy from a baby! But in APNU trying to hide its 11% man, it’s trampling on a convention that’s been with us since Independence. And with all Westminster-type Parliaments across the world. The convention is that the Opposition Leader’s the penultimate speaker - just before the Finance Minister.
And it makes sense, no? The Opposition Leader gets the opportunity sum up all the arguments his MP’s who preceded him, had made. And to place them within an overarching framework to critique the budget presented by the Government. The Finance Minister then has the final word, to rebut. With the people of Guyana as the sitting jury, it’s as if the two opposing sides in this institutionalized mechanism to get the best “bang for the buck” for Guyana, are allowed to make their “closing arguments”.
But this Eyewitness doesn’t think it’s Jordan who’s ducking Jagdeo: Jordan know’s he’s a technocrat and will stick up to the numbers. He’ll leave macro-economic theory on stimulating the economy and suchlike to fellas like Greenidge. The Government must not bow to the pusillanimity of Nagamootoo to refuse to face the man he considers his “nemesis”. They will be doing themselves a favour if they allow him to be a deconstructed. Their 11% man is actually a “hollow man”... full of hot air, that escapes from orifices at both ends of his gastrointestinal tract.
If the APNU/AFC combine is sure of the bona fides of their Budget, then they should have it subjected to the fire of Jagdeo’s critique.
Or else neither history nor the Guyanese people will absolve them.
Ramjattan finally got the floor to explain why he was fiddling with 2: am curfews while Guyana was burning from a raging crime explosion under his watch. But even before getting to his excuses, even the Muckraker had to point out that his APNU mentors made him address the “racism” issue - which they’d avoided like the plague. Ramjattan, the 11% man’s Berbice sidekick, had to justify his VP title.
He’d put his foot in his mouth when he connected the burgeoning crime rate with the firing of 1800 Amerindian CSO’s. The racist implications were too much for the Opposition. What do Amerindians from the hinterland have to do with armed robberies on the Coast? But the PPP’s demand for an apology was denied by the Speaker.
One wonders what would’ve happened if a PPP member had claimed that the crime upsurge had coincided with Granger’s letting loose “60 convicted criminals” at his accession to the Presidency?
Banned from Parliament?
...Ramjattan’s
Ramjattan was obviously so ashamed to be the token “racism” spokesman that he flubbed his lines. Looking at the PPP, he begun: “It was not ethnic cleansing, you guys were doing some…” But before he could complete his sentence, Greenidge shouted “you were using tax dollars to pay people to do PPP work.”
The mouth is muzzled....
The David Grangerled A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Government continues to come under pressure for the somewhat dictatorial stance it has taken towards Guyana’s first people; the Amerindians, and is being called upon to stay true to the rights and conventions as laid out in the Amerindian Act.
Amerindians themselves and their representatives have been very vocal over the last few months and particularly after the presentation of this years’ National Budget, as they claim that the country’s estimates, is devoid of any contribution for the Indigenous community.
Technocrat Minister
The Government had also demoted the Amerindian Affairs Ministry after renaming it the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry of under the David Granger Administration.
Soon after, Guyanese learnt that the Minister representing the interest of Guyana’s first peoples would not have voting rights as he was appointed to the Parliament as a technocrat Minister.
Illegal Toshaos Conference
The contention began rising during the budget debates, which began on the very day the National Toshao’s Conference got under way. That Conference has been deemed illegal by former Head of the National Toshao’s Council (NTC) Yvonne Pearson, who said that the right procedure for the holding of the event was not adopted by the new Government. This, she said, has left the more than 160 Toshaos with the impression that the new Government does not value their contribution.
The information revealed by several Amerindian leaders is that Government is so bent on sticking to its 21-point 100-day plan, that it has disregarded many of the standards, protocols and procedures on the planning of the conference, the highest forum where Amerindian leaders assemble to discuss pressing issues pertaining to their development.
Key Amerindian leaders, spokespersons and NTC Executives have already ex-
pressed their frustration over what appears to be the “hijacking” of the conference, which is supposed to be under the control of the NTC.
Amerindians said they were never “duly informed” of the meeting, nor were there any consultations regarding the agenda of the conference.
The high handed approach, as it is seen by many, taken by the new Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry has allegedly left many Amerindian leaders out in the cold, with limited access to the decision-making process on matters of prime importance to their communities.
Former Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, had also slammed Government for the unethical and unlawful procedures taken to organise the Conference.
According to the former Minister, the standard procedures require that the agenda for the conference be crafted by the NTC Executives and the date for the conference be decided upon by the NTC. However, this was not the case this time around under the new APNU/AFC regime.
“This whole fanfare of the coalition Government being paragon, being virtuous and being consultative and trying to depoliticise the NTC is a farce,” Sukhai posited, noting that the APNU/ AFC Administration blatantly discarded the law and undermined its promise to the Guyanese people.
The Government had in return accuse the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), particularly former President Bharrat Jagdeo, of attempting to disrupt the meeting, by allegedly offering to pay for them to return to their respective communities, and boycott the Conference.
According to reports, the Toshao’s were offered cash and plane tickets to return home. This was later debunked by the PPP which explained that it was former Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai who wanted to meet with the Toshao’s on that matter.
“I was present at the meeting… it had nothing to do with Jagdeo inviting anybody; that’s a total lie. In fact, Jagdeo and myself were invited by the former Minister of Amerindian Affairs, who has
managed to maintain these relationships with the Toshaos to a conversation.
The former Minister invited them for a conversation and took the opportunity to invite us to be part of this discussion. It had nothing to do with bribing them to sending them back home; that’s not true,” the PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee had reported as well.
Since the new Government came to power, it continues to come under fire for its firing of close to 2000 young Amerindians who were employed as Community Support
In light of the dismissal of these youths which outraged the PPP/C, the Party explained in a press briefing that the almost 2000 youths were engaged in support services to the Village Councils and in particular the social services, education and health sectors in various Amerindian communities and their respective regions. They each received a monthly stipend of $30,000 which amounted to some $60 million per month and was paid by the then Amerindian Affairs Ministry.
“The Granger-led Administration has cut loose and thrown onto the bread-
Officers (CSOs) across the country by the previous Administration.
This act has been deemed by many as ‘unjustified’ and has sparked the concern of citizens who fear that discrimination is ‘in play’.
In July, Minister of State Joseph Harmon confirmed the dismissal of 1972 CSOs in the hinterland regions. He posited that it “might have very well been the right thing to do” as their operations were found to be political.
While trying to justify this action, Minister Harmon stated that the programme has been in existence for over five years and was being used by the PPP/C Government for political purposes, hence their sacking was “justified”.
line some 1972 Community Support Officers. They were branded political activists by Government, carrying out support services to the Village Councils particularly in the social services sector in various Amerindian communities…. The CSOs have since been left out since Granger became President,” the PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee had told reporters.
He added that the APNU/ AFC Government was “oblivious” about the hurt and pain it has caused those individuals and “obviously don’t care”.
The CSOs were recruited from the villages based on consultation with Village Captains and Councils.
Meanwhile, former President and now Opposition
Leader Bharrat Jagdeo says that his Party fully supports the legal action filed by The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG), on behalf of the 1972 young Guyanese of Amerindian descent.
He deemed the decision by the new Government as the “largest single act of ethnic discrimination in the history of post-independent Guyana”, adding that “there may have few precedents of similar nature around the world”.
According to Jagdeo, the persons fired amount to almost three per cent of the population of indigenous people living in Guyana.
“Apart from the devastating impact that this discriminatory action will have on these individuals and their families, it removes from the Amerindian village economy at least $270 million per annum.”
The former President said this act violated all international practices, norms and laws relating to indigenous people. “We call on the APNU Government to immediately reverse this grave injustice perpetuated on our Amerindian brothers and sisters.”
TAAMOG President Peter Persaud had filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Government on the grounds that the CSOs were unlawfully dismissed.
Before the large-scale dismissal, Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock had announced that Government was moving to revisit the CSO programme.
The Minister was at the time visiting the Orealla/ Siparuta region, where he assured residents that the new Government was in place to serve all the people, regardless of their political persuasion.
He said the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry was in the process of developing a strategy to ensure that the indigenous population, particularly youth, women and children fulfil their potential.
CSOs fell under the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) launched in 2013 by the Amerindian Affairs Ministry across the country.
Capacity building and
training workshops were hosted for those CSOs selected by the Village Councils in areas such as business, agriculture, governance, social welfare issues, communication and infrastructure.
The intention of the Ministry was to provide the support requested by hinterland communities in these areas CSOs would assist the Village Councils and Community Development Officers (CDOs) in developing and enhancing community life while monitoring progress of ongoing projects. Also, in most communities, at least one CSO was attached to the community health centre to provide assistance.
Before the programme was implemented, this support was provided by only 15 CSOs dispatched to the 10 administrative regions.
The YEAP aimed at professionalising young people while promoting personal and educational development and creating employment opportunities, regardless of their political persuasion. The programme also allowed stipends to increase village income while boosting local economy.
Meanwhile, former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, in his weekly blog “Conversation Tree”, recently said, “I cannot say if the employment of 2000 persons was for a political objective as alleged by the Government. It seems unlikely having regard to the large number involved. The Government, which has the responsibility, has provided no information of a credible nature to the public about this large-scale dismissal,” Ramkarran stated.
He noted that the sudden loss of income by the CSOs in the most deprived communities in Guyana has been met with public indifference.
“While I would be prepared to give the Government the benefit of the doubt, it would be conditional on an acceptable explanation for this destructive act with a stroke of the pen and the presentation of a plan for the injection of the same level of resources in the Amerindian communities, which have suffered this devastating loss,” the former Speaker of the House maintained.
Hundreds of children are expected to benefit from Digicel Guyana Inc’s dental outreach in several communities across the country in the next few days.
The outreach is planned for eight communities in Georgetown, Timehri, Hararuni, Essequibo and Berbice among others. The first doctor visits commence on Thursday at the Digicel Head Office, Kingston, Georgetown and will continue today in front of the Timehri Police Station at 10:00h.
Speaking with the media on Thursday, Communications Manager of the telecommunications giant, Vidya Sanichara explained that the initiative was a collaboration between the Rotary Club of Central Georgetown and Digicel and was four years old.
The official stated that over the past years, hundreds of children have benefited from the programme and this year a similar number was expected to benefit. Sanchara disclosed that the
2015 outreach will be bigger owing to the fact that more communities will be included.
She explained that the company saw it necessary to get involved in the programme since there were not many children who could actually visit a dentist to have their teeth cleaned and polished and more so, free of cost.
She implored those living in the communities highlighted to take advantage of the programme. This is a way of giving back to the
communities, Sanchara noted.
In brief remarks, Rotary Club of Central Georgetown member Andrew Boyle said the initiative was supported by Hand-In-Hand Insurance Company and others including Virginia Rotary Club.
He explained that the programme would feature at least four trained dental technicians who were geared and prepared to attend to the children. He added that the Rotary Club started with mobile dental chairs after which the den-
tal services bus was donated. It was brought from the United States and has been doing the job it was set to do.
Nevertheless, he noted that some repairs were needed and called on Corporate Guyana to assist so that the Club in turn could continue its programmes. He also noted the bus has been given a facelift, and thanked Digicel Guyana for its tremendous support.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, several children were seen at the Digicel headquarters waiting to get their teeth
cleaned and polished. One young man said that he was told about the programme by a friend. He hails from Bartica but now resides in Kingston.
Several others claimed that they were at the location since 09:00h, explaining that the dental outreach was operating on a “first come first served” basis, but the officials stated that they would attend to as many children as possible between the hours off 10:00h and 17:00h.
Thieves struck again at a school in New Amsterdam, but unlike the five previous occasions, this time it was a medical school.
After breaking into three schools and attempting to go into two secondary schools in New Amsterdam, Berbice thieves on Wednesday evening broke into the New Amsterdam School of Nursing and removed about $8000.
Reports are that students and staff turned up to the school building situated along Angoy’s Avenue and found the main office ransacked and windows leading to the inner office smashed.
Entry to the building was gained through a window.
Police have since been able to lift fingerprints from the scene. At the time of the break-in, a lone guard was
on duty and reported hearing nothing.
Recently, thieves broke into several secondary schools in New Amsterdam and in the process security guards were beaten and raped, while in excess of $5 million was removed from three schools.
The spree of school breakins in New Amsterdam started on July 29 when six armed men went to the New Amsterdam Multilateral School, where two guards were on duty, and duct taped the male guard before blindfolding the female and raping her.
The men then broke into the school and carried away $1 million in cash and $4 million in cheques.
On August 1, bandits went to the Berbice High School, where three guards were on duty. They tied
them up before taking away their cell phones.
The men then made their way into the school and stole projectors and other valuables.
The following night bandits focused their attention on Tutorial Academy Secondary. The two guards were beaten and bound. There are reports that the female guard was also sexually assaulted, the school broken into and $10,000 removed.
Then a few nights later, bandits unsuccessfully attempted to enter both the Berbice Educational Institute and Vrymen’s Erven Secondary. One guard was injured in those attempts.
Police have so far not been able to catch the perpetrators.
Aman was on Thursday sentenced to two years in prison after he appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with armed robbery.
Jermaine Sealey, 26, of 21 Victoria Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, pleaded guilty to the charge which read that on Tuesday, July 28, at Orange Walk, Bourda, Georgetown, while being armed with a dangerous weapon, that is a knife, he robbed the Virtual Complainant (VC) Timothy Yorrick of $5000, a BlackBerry cellular phone valued $45000 and a phone case valued at $2000; all to a total value of $52,000 property of the said Timothy Yorrick.
According to Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones, on the day in question the defendant joined the VC’s taxi
and requested to be taken to Bourda Market. Upon his arrival at the destination, the defendant requested to borrow the VC’s cellphone to make a call. He then pulled out a knife and put it to the VC’s rib and demanded that he hand over his money. The VC became fearful
for his life and the defendant subsequently stretched his hand and removed the money that the VC had in a compartment in his dashboard and made good his escape. A report was made to the Police and an investigation was launched. On Tuesday, August 18, the defendant joined another motor car, however, the driver acted on information he had received, took Sealey to the Alberttown Police Station where the VC showed up and positively identified him as the perpetrator. He was told of the allegation and charges were laid. The Prosecutor also revealed that the defendant had previously been sentenced to nine months in prison in Court One on a similar charge where he borrowed an individual’s phone and escaped with it. Upon reviewing the facts, the Magistrate sentenced the man to two years in prison.
On day three of the 2015 Budget debates presentation, Members of Parliament from both sides of the House took to the floor highlighting development, or lack thereof, within the various administrative regions in Guyana.
The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) parliamentarian, Bernard Rajkumar, outlined that President David Granger had promised “moderate” increases in public servants salaries, as well as in Old Age Pension, and noted that the coalition Government has stayed true to this in the 2015 Budget.
“They appreciate the efforts being made by the APNU/ AFC Government for providing a good life for them after retirement,” he added.
During his presentation, there was heckling from the Opposition’s side of the National Assembly asking about the slashing of the electricity subsidy. However, Rajkumar pointed out that only a fraction of Guyanese benefited from that programme; hence Government’s decision to scrap it.
The parliamentarian explained that those pensioners who live in areas such as the Pomeroon River, where there is not electricity, can now benefit from the rise in the Old Age Pension and use the money to buy fuel to operate their generators.
On the other hand, the coalition Government’s MP with responsibility of Region One (Barima-Waini), Richard Allen, during his presentation outlined that the coalition Government will provide a better life of Guyana’s school children and teachers as well. He noted that the hinterland is deprived of adequate teachers
in one of the country’s main subjects – Mathematics.
Furthermore, he assured teachers that they will no longer have to use their personal monies to provide better teaching and learning environments in the hinterland schools as was done before under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) regime. “This will not happen again under his Government,” he stated.
Allen went on to talk about the mining sector, noting that the APNU/AFC Government has given them assistance to help them stand their operations.
“Miners have been suffering with the heavy costs they had to bear to produce the mineral, which the past Administration was boasting on, for gold production and the revenue received from gold but nothing was given back to the miners. The APNU/AFC Government showed that miners will receive help tangibly,” the region’s representative mentioned.
Meanwhile, the PPP/C parliamentarian representing Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Komal Chand, expressed his disappointment that the region, which is Guyana’s third most populated with
According to the organisation, some factors contributing to the lack of conviction include the lack of rape kits at hospitals, flimsy evidence, inefficient jury systems, shoddy prosecution, reluctance of victims to give evidence and the discontinuance of cases due to the unwillingness of victims to pursue – which could be because of the flaws in the justice system or the stigma and taboo attached to being a victim of sexual assault. Some recommendations made by the organisation include having a registry of sex offenders and sensitise the public to its advantages and have training for Police and healthcare workers to communicate empathetically with victims. Widespread education also needs to be done to break the culture of feeling ashamed and guilty
some 107,416 residents, had its capital programme “unnecessarily curtailed” this year. He pointed out that only a mere $202 million was allocated to Region Three this year, noting that it is a significant decline from the Regional Democratic (RDC) revised budget of $306 million in June 2014. Chand explained that such as massive cut would hinder progress in the region.
“Indeed, the dramatic cut would tremendously hamper the region’s capital work programme and prevent it from adequately fulfilling the demands of the many residents. Due to this reduction, we can expect to see deterioration of important roads and bridges and in the health sector, purchase of important medical equipment will be affected,”
he stated.
Chand went on to point out that attention must be given to several infrastructures that needs repair work in the region. He specifically
mentioned the access bridge to the Patentia Housing Scheme that needs to be repaired as soon as possible and requested the subject Minister secure funding to construct a new bridge.
Additionally, he called for remedial works to be executed on the roads along the West Bank of Demerara, including both Canal Polders.
Additionally, the Opposition parliamentarian highlighted that Region Three has seen economic expansion and growth over the years resulting in a robust and thriving economy.
“This was due to the work of the Regional [Democratic] Council and the encouragement and inputs of the PPP/C Administration.
This is a trend that should continue. I, like the other citizens of the region,
would remain alert to ensure that the gains made thus far in the raising of people’s living standards do not unravel due to neglect,” he noted.
from page 7
of being a victim, the NGO added.
Statistics show that the rape rate in 2010 was 15.5 per 100,000 which would translate into a 124 rapes for that year.
From January to July 2013, there were 179 reported cases of rape. Then from January to September 2014, there were more than 140 reported cases of rape. According to records, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) recorded a 60 per cent increase in rape reports during the period January 1 to June 11, 2015. Most of these offences were against underage girls.
Also, Guyana has the second highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the Caribbean with an estimated 97 teenage girls between the ages of 15-19 out of 1000 becoming pregnant each year.
More than 100 parents living in the Amerindian community of Mashabo in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), a village that is located eight miles from the Essequibo Coast, received the $2000 school uniform voucher.
The voucher was distributed by the head teacher of the Mashabo Primary, Quado Vancoten.
While some 108 parents received the voucher, many persons were not satisfied with the amount of money given to them. One parent Waney Raphael confessed that the money cannot offset her children’s schooling expenses and described it as meagre. The mother
Raphael said she has two children going to the secondary school on the Coast and daily expenses were more than $2000. The Amerindian mother pointed out that a shirt cost
The mother said daily parents spend more than $2000.
A father of five children said the loss of $50,000 in assistance for his children was a great injustice
$1000 and a pair of pants $1000 and that would exhaust the voucher.
as he called on Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine to re-think.
said she was very disappointed over the move by the Education Ministry to cut the $10,000 “Because We Care” grant.
Another mother, Rose Raphael who is living at Mashabo Mission, also related that the money was insufficient for uniforms.
Another community spokesperson, Henry Hendericks said each parent has at least six children in the community
ed over the move by the Education Ministry to stop giving the $10,000 grant.
Some of the parents at the Mashabo Primary school for the voucher distribution and the $10,000 grant was a great help to boost education in the Amerindian Community. Hendericks said that many persons were anticipating the money for the new school term and are very disappoint -
At a face the community meeting held on Thursday, parents raised their hands signalling their plight while calling for the re- in-
troduction of the $10,000 per child grant.
Parents in the Amerindian community are of the view that a $10,000 grant or even more is needed to assist them in sending their children to school.
There seems to be a “star” rising in firsttime Member of Parliament (MP) of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Yvonne Pearson, who made an impression during the budget debate on Wednesday evening.
Pearson, who described herself as a member of the Carib tribe, is also the former head of the National Toshaos' Council. She blasted the Government for its decision to fire close to 2000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) from Amerindian communities in the first place, and said that its efforts to replace the programme by another name was is more nothing than “damage control”.
Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock on Wednesday announced Government’s plans to have the Youth Entrepreneurship and apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) replaced by the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS). That move, he said, will give the close to 2000 CSOs, who were fired by Government in June, the opportunity of being employed once again.
But Pearson, pounced on the announcement, which was also communicated by MP Dawn Hastings, saying that it was the pressure that was imposed by the PPP/C which caused Government to seek to reinstate the young Amerindians.
She said Government might have changed the name of the programme, but it remains the same. She said she was, however, happy that youth in the Amerindian Communities would be allowed the opportunity of being employed.
According to her, the
move to have them dismissed was outright wrong from the inception, as she strongly supported the indigenous community.
She said the PPP/C has always been a strong supporter of the Amerindian people, and will continue to do so, even as it sits on the opposite side in the National Assembly.
“Under the PPP, there was development in the education sector. This new Government can boast about what is happening, but it all started under the PPP,” Pearson told the House amid loud thumping from her colleagues.
“Why do we fail to say that these things have happened? It is not perfect, but things have happened. Amerindians are serving with dignity and pride in various areas… We have doctors, nurses and all. We cannot pretend and say things have not happened,” she said.
She also slammed the 2015 National Budget, which she said was crafted excluding the interests of the indigenous peoples.
“Nothing is being said about the Hinterland Electrification Programme or the Presidential Grant”, she argued.
Speaking to the ongoing National Toshaos' Conference, Pearson said the new Administration has displayed “gross disrespect” to the people. “It is a breach of the law and the violation of the people,” she said, continuing that the ongoing conference could very well be occurring illegally
Meanwhile, Pearson said that her presence in the National Assembly was a long time coming and that it was the PPP/C which had afforded her the opportunity.
She spoke too about the National Budget, saying that “there is nothing fresh” there, not for many Guyanese and particularly not for the many Amerindians across the country . “Where is the Hinterland Electrification Programme and the Presidential Development Grant that is given to the communities”, she asked
Youths from the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) on Wednesday repainted, cleaned and enhanced the surrounding of the Bush Lot monument at Cotton Field, Essequibo.
According to coordinator of the activity, Umesh Odit, the Bush Lot monument was built to commemorate the first Indian settlement along the Essequibo Coast and over the years the monument has lost its ambiance. As such, Odit said youths from Region Two decided to cooperate and repainted the structure as well as enhance the environment of the monument.
Odit said that he was asking residents to desist from tying their cows and other animals in and around the vicinity of the structure. “ While the youths can only do this much, persons from the community need to play their part in protecting history and the monument, persons from the community should see the monument as part of them and as such care and maintain the surrounding,” he said.
Youths who partici -
pated in the activity said they were happy to be part of such a historic project. Many of the youths said the project was decided upon since it was seen as a very important monument in Region Two and has a rich Indian legacy.
The monument was erected in the area where 90 odd East Indian families once settled when they were brought from India on May 5, 1838.
In light of a recent article that was published in a section of the media which stated that a murder suspect was beaten by Police ranks to confess to a murder, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud has instructed that an investigation be launched by the Police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
The murder was reportedly committed at Kimbia, Berbice River, earlier in the year. Quacy Walker, 24, was arrested on August 18, at the Amerindian Hostel in New Amsterdam
and taken to the Mackenzie Police Station, Linden where he was interrogated.
Valerie St Kitts, the
man’s aunt, alleged that Police placed a plastic bag over her nephew’s face and beat him at the Mackenzie Police Station on Monday evening, trying to force him to confess to the murder of the Jamaican national.
The aunt claimed that she visited the Mackenzie Police Station where she was told that her nephew was transferred to the Police Headquarters, Eve Leary and she would be unable to see him.
The woman is calling for the relevant authorities to look into the matter.
The operation of the Inter Agency Suicide Prevention Help Line, which was launched by the Guyana Police Force on August 6 last, was on Thursday given a boost through the donation of a complete desktop computer.
The donation was made by the management
of the Innovative Mining Company of Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.
The Inter Agency Suicide Prevention Help Line is based at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, and is in operation on a 24hour basis.
It is an avenue through which depressed persons, or their relatives or friends, can call with a view to the affected person receiving psychological assistance by way of counselling. The Inter Agency Suicide Prevention Help Line can be accessed through the following numbers 223-0818, 223-0009 and 223-0001 and Mobile: 6007896 or 623-4444.
Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence was left to deliver her 2015 Budget debate presentation to a House full of Government members, as the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition in a well-orchestrated and dramatic move, exited the parliamentary chambers just as
she stood to make her remarks.
Lawrence began her speech to a room full of sour and puzzled faces as all of the PPP/C Members of Parliament (MPs), led by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, calmly walked through the doors.
The Party proceeded to the MP Lounge where it was reported they had a “small meeting” to discuss matters pertaining to a decision made by the Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, to allow a motion for a limit on the considerations of the budget estimates to three days.
A PPP/C official subsequently told the Guyana Times that the move sought to send a signal of the Party’s dissatisfaction with the motion that was allowed.
Midway through the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Member’s presentation, PPP/C MP Vindhya Persaud re-entered the Chambers as she was slated to speak subsequently.
The full PPP/C contingent only returned to their seats just as Persaud began her presentation.
During her opening remarks, Persaud lashed out at the Government over its move to reduce the days for the consideration of the Budget, expressing her utmost disappointment and declaring that parliamentary democracy was clearly under threat.
PPP/C could not allocate finances to pay CSOs after April – Sukhai ... says was APNU/AFC responsibility after taking office
Former Amerindian Affairs Minister under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, Pauline Sukhai has debunked claims that the then Government failed to allocate monies to pay the Community Support Officers (CSOs), noting that the 10th Parliament was prorogued and elections were upon the country.
The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government has come in for a lot of fire as persons accused it of discriminating against Amerindians after 1972 CSOs were dismissed over a month ago. However, Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock has since clarified that those CSOs were never dismissed. He told the National Assembly that the PPP/C Cabinet on March 18 approved $234,240,000 as stipends for some 1952 CSOs for the period January to April 2015, and made provisions for CSOs to be paid their $30,000 stipends thereafter.
However, speaking with the Guyana Times Sukhai explained that her Administration could have only make provisions for the CSOs to be paid up to April, since Parliament was prorogued and elections were just a few days away. Furthermore, she pointed out that the coalition Government came in power approximately two weeks after; hence it was responsible for ensuring that the CSOs were paid thereafter.
“I believe they had no intention of keeping the CSOs and, therefore, they made no attempt to make any financial arrangements for them when they got into office,” she stated. Additionally, Sukhai opined that the Government was disrespectful to the Amerindians for not formally meeting or indicating to them in written format that they were going to be sacked.
“I find this very disturbing for a new Government to have entered into office and meet a programme which is being executed under a State Ministry and they would have just neglected to deal with it as the new incoming Government. But politically, we know that they have had plans to ban the CSOs until the Toshaos demand that they be reinstated,” she added.
Allicock on Wednesday, in a special announcement to the National Assembly, clarified that the new Administration has not fired or dismissed the 1972 CSOs, as is being “falsely alleged” by the Opposition. “We reject the allegations of ethnic cleansing as false and mischievous, and dangerous peddling of racism and division,” he declared.
According to the Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister, the previous Administration was using the Amerindian youths under a political scheme called the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP). Furthermore, he went on to announce that the APNU/AFC coalition has replaced the YEAP with the Hinterland Employment and Youth Services (HEYS) programme, which will see all former CSOs being eligible for training to acquire necessary skills that would enable them to earn an income.
Addressing this, Sukhai
Members of
highlighted that the new Government, with a new name, has sought to also engage some 2000 Amerindians. The PPP/C Member of Parliament further pointed out that with the uncertainties surrounding this new project, it was unclear whether all of the CSOs would be able to benefit from the programme given the limited information available as it relates to the required criteria for entry.
She stated that it was a last-minute decision taken by the APNU/AFC Government in order to offset the increasing pressure directed at it as a result of the dismissal of hundreds of CSOs.
“It’s a last dash to take the heat off of them because they didn’t even deliver a concept paper to say how this new programme that seeks to train 2000 or more CSOs will operationalise itself. It is just a pronouncement and so I’m looking forward to see the concept of this new project,” the former Amerindian Affairs Minister outlined. Furthermore, the PPP/C MP went on to deny allegations that the then Government had political motives behind recruiting CSOs. In fact, she said the Amerindian youths were recruited for capacity training in order to participate in the development of their respective communities.
The National Assembly Thursday selected nine members to serve on the Committee of Selection. Five members were put forward by the Government, and four were nominated from the Opposition side of the House.
Social Cohesion Minister and Government’s Chief Whip, Amna Ally, first rose to nominate Members of Parliament on the Government’s behalf to serve on the Committee. These members are Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes, and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan;
along with Ally herself, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
Meanwhile, Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira nominated MPs Juan Edghill, Neil Kumar and Gillian Rosemarie Persaud, along with herself, to represent the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on the Committee. These nominations were seconded by Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine from the Government’s side and Irfaan Ali on the Opposition’s.
Motion passed On Wednesday, August 19, all MPs in the National Assembly voted to establish a Standing Order Committee,
the Committee of Selection. The motion, which was moved by Vice President and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, reads, “The Committee of Selection shall consist of the Speaker as Chairperson and not fewer than six, nor more than 10 members to be nominated by the National Assembly.”
It resulted in a change in Standing Order 86 (2) which now reads that each committee shall consist of seven members; four representing the Government and three representing the Opposition. In addition, the Government and Opposition will be entitled to elect one alternative Member for each Sectoral Committee.
The 10th sitting of the National Assembly started with heated exchanges between the A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition over the restriction placed on the days allowed for the considerations on the 2015 Budget estimates.
In an apparent move to hide from public scrutiny, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo moved the motion to have the days for the budget considerations reduced to three, as opposed to the seven days conventionally allowed for this exercise.
This has sparked uproar in the National Assembly, with the PPP/C declaring that democracy is un-
der threat. The Party pointed out that this reduction is a denial to the right of Guyanese to scrutinise the budget – the largest budget Guyana has ever seen amounting to $221 billion.
Ignoring the protestation from the other side of the House, Prime Minister Nagamootoo contended that the move is constitutional, alluding to the fact that the request is in line with the Standing Orders.
But PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira argued that this goes against established conventions and principles, asserting that the Government is scared of being held answerable to the public for the projects laid down in the Budget 2015.
Teixeira highlighted that there are numerous items in the Budget that demand answers and three
South Korea fired a barrage of artillery rounds into North Korea on Thursday after the North shelled across the border to protest against anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts by Seoul, moves that raised tensions on the divided peninsula.
Washington urged Pyongyang to halt any “provocative” actions in the wake of the first exchange of fire between the two Koreas since last October. Both sides said there were no casualties or damage in their territory.
North Korea did not return fire, but warned Seoul in a letter that it would take military action if the South did not stop the broadcasts along the border within 48 hours, the South’s Defence Ministry said.
In a separate letter,
Pyongyang said it was willing to resolve the issue even though it considered the broadcasts a declaration of war, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said.
North Korea’s young leader, Kim Jong Un, would put his troops on a “fully armed state of war” starting from 17:00h today and had declared a “quasi-state of war” in frontline areas, Pyongyang’s official KCNA news agency reported. Such language is often used by North Korea in times of tension with the South.
A South Korean military official said the broadcasts would continue. Seoul began blasting anti-North Korean propaganda from loudspeakers on the border on August 10, resuming a tactic that both sides had stopped in 2004.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
days is not enough time for the Government to provide the necessary clarifications on pressing issues and concerns the public may have.
Nonetheless, Speaker of the House Barton Scotland allowed the motion, holding out that there is no
speak, the placement of the Opposition Leader’s speech and now the restriction to the time allowed for the considerations.
“I know because I was here in this past and I sat here on the other side and saw the Leader of the
fault as it is in line with the Standing Orders.
It was then put to a vote but the results remained the same as 32 voted for the motion to be allowed while 28 voted against it.
Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, in a subsequent interview with media operatives, asserted that the Government is hell-bent on railroading every practice that has been respected since Guyana gained its independence, alluding to the limit to the time allowed for the Opposition Leader to
Opposition Desmond Hoyte speak for two hours; in fact, his time expired several times and we voted on the other side to allow him to continue until he finished his speech.
They are not only seeking to limit my speech to 45 minutes but also to move away from the tradition where Leader of the Opposition is the second to last speaker,” Jagdeo related.
He went on to say that the Government is clearly afraid that several elements
of the budget which are not consistent with progress will be exposed; given their haste to reduce the time allowed for considerations.
“This is a bigger budget than the actual 2014 Budget. It also has several new features where Ministries were reorganised so the line items would have changed. If anything, I thought they would have given us more time to consider the estimates. How can you justify reducing the consideration of the estimates from seven days to three days if you are not afraid of greater scrutiny of these estimates,” the former President argued.
Condemnations continued to be mounted as PPP/C Member of Parliament, Dr Vindhya Persaud, during her budget presentation, expressed her extreme-
ly disappointment in the Government for requesting this reduction. She reminded the APNU/AFC coalition that in the 10th Parliament, they both requested for additional time (more than seven days) for the consideration of the estimates, challenging them to give a rational explanation for the decision to reduce the days to three.
But the fight did not stop there, during the one-hour recess period, the PPP/C held a snap press conference to express their dissatisfaction with the move.
The PPP/C Chief Whip, during the presser, highlighted that to the scrutinising of the estimates is a crucial function of the parliament as it gives some form of reassurance to accountability and transparency.
– GPL says it’s working to fix recurring technical problem
Thousands of consumers on Thursday were up in arms as they continue to face continuous blackouts which have affected their livelihoods.
Customers particularly in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) said their frustration reached peak levels as the power company continued to supply electricity in a haphazard manner with the supply going on and off throughout the day.
“This could never be right. Whole day this going on and my lights coming on and off like a fairy light. GPL eyes pass Guyanese
and I got nuff stocks to lose,” one business woman who asked not to be identified related to the Guyana Times
She said that when the lights came off and on back the first time, she was not bothered that much, but as it continued to be unreliable into the evening, she had no choice but to close her business and go for a walk.
Another Guyanese explained that he has lost confidence in the company to deliver a consistent and stable supply of electricity.
“GPL for me mean to Get More Lamps and that is exactly what I do,” a
Georgetown resident related.
But, GPL in a statement said it was experiencing recurring problems as it attempted to fix one major problem that affected its technical system.
“At a 20:30h this evening, the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS ) experienced a third shutdown for today August 20, 2015.
“The most recent shutdown occurred while the Company was attempting to repower the West Bank areas stretching from La Retraite to La Grange. Consequently and unfortunately, at this time the
Company has taken a decision to isolate the feeders from LA Retraite to La Grange resulting in those customers having to be without electricity until tomorrow (today).”
The company maintained that this will allow GPL to thoroughly examine the transmission lines.
“This decision can possibly change as the restoration effort continues.
Our emergency teams are currently working to restore electricity to all other affected customers in the DBIS. We seek your patience and offer our sincerest apologies,” the statement noted.
friday, august 21, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com
– says hinterland will not benefit
Once again the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government has come under fire for yet again discriminating against hinterland residents, specifically the country’s indigenous people.
Several Toshaos and other representatives of Amerindian communities have indicated to Guyana Times that they feel somewhat victimised by the new Administration, who has cancelled the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project initiated under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) regime. The new Administration has now introduced the One Laptop Per Teacher (OLPT) project.
These concerns were raised on the sideline of the recent National Toshao Conference (NTC) held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, earlier this week. Speaking with this newspaper under the condition of anonymity, several indigenous persons highlighted that a lot of resources went into establishing ICT (Information and Communications Technology) hubs in many Amerindians villages to facilitate the OLPF programme and now these will go to waste because there will be no use for them.
One man explained that even if the hubs remain, not all the communities have teachers who will be benefiting from the programme. Another went on to point out that while it is a good idea to equip teachers with modern resources to educate the hinterland students, many of the schools in the Interior do not have ICT facilities for the teach-
ers to use.
“So you see now, we Amerindians don’t have anything to benefit from with this One Laptop Per Teacher… we feel like we will be left behind all the time ‘cause we won’t get access to Internet and our children won’t learn how to use computers,” a concerned community leader stated.
Being penalised
In the meanwhile, former Head of the National Toshaos Council and PPP/C Member of Parliament, Yvonne Pearson, pointed out that there is a difference between giving teachers computers to enhance their skills and giving communities the equipment to moderate their lives.
While stating she is not opposed to teachers receiving laptops, she is also of the belief that the OLPF project should not be forfeited. “My big question is what will happen to the 100 hubs that we had already completed and those villages that are waiting to have the computers… we had plan that at least 20 computers would be placed in each hub so we are asking that computers go to those villages that are ready,” she added.
Moreover, Pearson opined that she hopes not just teachers from the coastland would benefit from the OLFT but those from the hinterland also. “This is something I am fearful of! How things are now going, it looks to me as though we are being penalised,” she added.
When this decision was made public, a number of families lamented the new Administration’s position on this matter, as they felt
that the children should have been the beneficiaries as was the case under the PPP/C Government.
Many parents who could not afford to supply their child/children with such modernised learning equipment were gravely disappointed by the APNU/AFC’s move.
The PPP/C, in response to this move by the present Administration, had explained that the programme (the OLPF) was conceptualised and implemented with the visionary aim of bridging the information and telecommunication gap, not only between those on the coastlands and interior of Guyana but also between Guyana and the rest of the rapidly technological world.
He had stated that an enabling environment would be created for parents, guardians and other family members to become more involved in their children’s academics if they were given the opportunity of having one laptop in their home.
It was also hoped that under the OLPF project the possession of a laptop would enhance and encourage research and learning approaches in academia and general social studies.
The achievement gaps between children of poor or working class parentage and those who come from high-income bracket parentage would be narrowed.
The OLPF Project was launched in Guyana in January 2011 by the PPP/C. The Government at the time had planned a distribution of about 90,000 computers to poor families across the country over a three-year period.
Agroup of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam residents are accusing Police in the town of assaulting them.
According to two teenage girls and a female adult, one of the officers who went to their home on Thursday and assaulted them, was involved in a fight with one female and hit another.
According to Cenetia Mickle, they were having a birthday party for her father who is currently out of the jurisdiction.
The 17-year-old said shortly before mid-day a group of Police Officers came to their home and told her cousin, Felicia that the music was a bit too loud.
“We turn it down but after they gone my cousin Jason, turn it up back a little bit because it was very low and you barely hear the music.”
She said that during the
course of the afternoon, the Officers returned to their home.
“When they come it was five of them in the Police blue and white jeep. One of them, who was not in uniform walked up the step and my mother tell he can’t come up the step with the muddy shoe. Plenty rain fall Wednesday afternoon and so the yard get plenty mud. I was standing by the door and the Officer pushed me and hit me in my tummy then walked into the house and disconnect the music.”
According to the teenager, she is currently a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital and has been referred to the special clinic because of consistent and prolonged tummy pain.
Her mother, Vivienne Mickle said she was hit by the same Police Officer.
The other teenager Felicia Henry said she tried to stop one of the Officers
from disconnecting the music and was pushed. She said she pushed the Officer back and the two became involved in a scuffle.
“And then we start to fight right inside the house, he knock me and I knock him back. Every knock he give me, I give him back and then we hold on until he push me down.”
According to Henry, when the Officer was driving away from the home he kept using indecent language to her. “I don’t feel that is right because when you cuss the Police does want to lock you up.”
Police had removed a part of the sound system to prevent the continued playing of amplified music.
Meanwhile, a senior Police Officer told this publication that the matter will be investigated.
However, Mickle is not convinced that justice will be served.
An 18-year-old male told Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday that he was the owner of 800 grams of cannabis sativa (marijuana) found in his home where he lives with three other persons.
Mark Marcellos, of 164 Tabatinga, Lethem, Region Nine (Upper TakatuUpper Essequibo) said that the illegal drugs found in his home had nothing to do with his two friends, 18-year-old Raveena Ignatius and 33-year-old Gilly Stanislaus.
The trio was charged for
the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking after Police raided their Tabatinga home and found them packing off 800 gram of the illicit drug.
According to the Police, the drug was scattered on the floor in the verandah where the three accused surrounded them. When they were arrested it is stated that they refused to cooperate with the officers.
However, Attorney Jerome Khan, who represented all three the defendants told the court that Marcello had admitted to Police Officers that the drugs were his; howev-
He argued that a lot has already being invested on canine handler training amid canine jokes from various parts of the Parliament.
Test match crime-fighting skills
The Minister also took a swipe at all those who wanted instant and short-term solutions to fighting crime.
He said, “This crime rate is not T20 cricket. This is a Test match we talking ’bout and it will take some time before the crime rate goes down because you have to put a number of programmes and packages together.”
He called for the root causes of crime to be addressed, explaining that greed propelled crime.
“I had to inform them [the Police Commanders] that crime comes about also because of a terrible human condition called greed… like some people who are former Ministers having eight cars and huge chunks of money,” he remarked.
The usual resources were given to the security forces to fight crime and these included $125 million which was allocated to purchase arms and ammunition as well as fingerprint and ballistic equipment.
Some $193 million was allocated for vehicles, trucks, motorcycles and outboard engines.
That aside, Ramjattan spoke about the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras on every street in the city and Government’s plan to raise the morale of the ranks of the security forces.
No emphasis was placed on the detailed measures and plans which the new Government had, since in Opposition, for fighting crime or how they would be financed.
Currently, public outrage is mounting as crime and criminality surge, but this has not done anything to force the new Government
to move faster to deal with these concerns.
Recently, the PPP/C was called upon to use its position in the National Assembly to declare “no confidence” in Public Security Minister Ramjattan and have him replaced by a more capable Minister in the crucial area of national security.
The call was made by Associate Professor of Political Science at Nassau Community College, Dr Baytoram Ramharack, in his latest column in the Guyana Times . The New York University trained political scientist was involved in Guyanese politics for several decades and was one of the founding members of the Jaguar Committee for Democracy and the ROAR political party.
Dr Ramharack said the crime situation in Guyana, particularly in Berbice, has risen to unacceptable
heights and believed that a change in management of the security sector may see a change for the better. Dr Ramharack hails from Berbice.
Using the statistics provided recently by the Guyana Police Force, Dr Ramharack showed a 10 per cent increase in criminal activities by the end of July compared to the same period last year. Murders, he said, increased from 80 to almost 100 within a year.
“It’s reported that 35 murders were committed in Georgetown/East Bank Demerara (A Division), 17 in East Coast Demerara (C Division)and 16 in Berbice(B Division), 12 in the Interior (F Division), and four each in West Bank Demerara/East Bank Essequibo(D Division) and Linden/Kwakwani (E Division), while six were recorded in Essequibo Coast/Islands(G Division). Given our geographical
population distribution, these figures indicate that murder is a national problem that occurs throughout Guyana,” Dr Ramharack said.
On Wednesday, newlyappointed PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP) Cornel Damon declared in the National Assembly on Wednesday that Ramjattan needed to go, since the Ministry was failing miserably to reduce or even stabilise the soaring crime rate.
“The Honourable Member has no plan to fight the surge of crime and the senseless killings of our businessmen and women and so the Honourable Minister Ramjattan must go,” Damon exclaimed.
The politician pointed out that in the 10th Parliament, it was Ramjattan who engineered calls for then Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee to go when the crime rate was
er, he did refuse to write a statement when asked by the officers. In court the young man maintained his guilty plea. With this, Khan asked the court to grant the other defendants bail as they pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Magistrate Ann McLennan sentenced Marcello to three years imprisonment with a fine of $1,275,000, while Ignatius and Stanislaus were released on $50,000 bail each. They are expected at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court for report on September 7.
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40 per cent lower than it is today.
Former President Donald Ramotar, during an interview with the Guyana Times , also contended that the Ministry has not performed at all in the area of crime fighting, noting that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) has yet again failed the Guyanese people.
“When they were in Opposition they claim to know everything, but they are clearly not grappling with the problem that has been created,” Ramotar stated.
He asserted that the coalition Government was to be blamed for the current situation because when it was in Opposition, it established a record of defending criminals and now that it was in Executive Office, the individuals now feel more empowered to commit felonies.
The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s 20th edition of its popular production Naya Zamana will be held at the National Cultural Centre on Saturday, August 29 at 20:00h.
Presented under the theme “When Fates Collide”, Naya Zamana 20 promises to be a rollercoaster ride filled with hilarity, a touch of mystery, fairytale romance, cutting edge choreography and grandeur.
The audience is encouraged to grab their life jackets, luggage, cameras and that box of tissue because you never know where fate will take you!
Boasting a diverse cast of Dr Indhira Harry, Aryan Masi, Farzaana Khan, Travez Piaralall, Nazim Hussain and Ananda Latchman, along with some 60 talented dancers of the Dharmic Nritya Sangh, Naya Zamana 20 is not to be missed. It will be magical from the very first moment.
Over the years, Naya Zamana has transitioned from a successful dance production to a theatrical presentation, seamlessly blend-
ing dance, drama, music and song.
As its name suggests, successive generations of artistes kept the produc tion growing in numerous ways; new faces, new styles of dance, additional skills on stage but what remains as the constant formula which makes this production in comparable with any other in Guyana is the team work which exists between Dr Vindhya Persaud and her
The Indian High Commission in collaboration with Indian Commemoration Trust presents a live “Kathak” extravaganza with world renowned Kathak dancer, Namrata Rai and famous musician, Pandit Udai Mazumdar out of India.
The event is billed for the Indian Monument Gardens, Camp and Church Streets, Georgetown on Saturday, August 22. Rai is an international Indian classical dancer, a disciple of Dr Madhukar Anand and Pandit Udai Mazumdar. Also, she is a dance teacher and performer. Rai has performed at various prestigious festivals around the globe.
She has performed for the International Dance Festival Ascona in Switzerland; The Ravi Shankar Centre, (94th Birth Anniversary) New Delhi, India; Modhera Dance Festival, Gujarat, India; and the National Divali Manifestatie in South America, among others.
Rai is an empanelled art ist and teacher of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), in New Delhi. She is also an art ist of SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth).
he ultimate place to be this Saturday evening is Club 704 on Lamaha and Albert Streets, Georgetown, where you will witness the first live performance of Natural Black in the spacious environment. Natural Black, Guyana’s own reggae superstar is known for his performance throughout the Caribbean and further afield.
The event this Saturday evening is titled “All Summer” and will feature energetic performances by the reggae artiste. Some of his hits include “Jah Guide”, “Far From Reality”, “Cool Nuh Black”, “No Prejudice” among many others.
However, on Saturday evening, before the live performance, several deejays will be in the house to put you in that party mood with the best selections. Deejays Breeze, Puffy and Akim will be
Tickets for the event cost $2000 but ladies will be admitted free before 22:00h. There will be Guinness Specials all night. The event is sponsored by Pulse Taxi
This renowned woman has also taught at the Welham
Several top international, regional and local artistes are expected to create a whirlwind this weekend in Guyana when R&R Entertainment hosts Chutney Explosion.
The team is slated to perform at three big shows, with the first set for the Skeldon Line Path ground, Corentyne, Berbice this eve-
Twenty-eight-year-old
Brian A Lumley is a leading Jamaican Chef who recently participated in the Hits and Jams (HJ) Entertainment ‘Sun, Water and Sand’ event in Guyana which was hosted at the HJ Water World, Providence, East Bank Demerara.
The Jamaican born chef is one of three children for HewLoxley and Jennifer and grew up in Portmore Street, St Catherine with his two other siblings, Donald and Stephanie.
His childhood can simply be described as “great” since it was filled with strong family ties and great food. Growing up, he was always encouraged to help out in the kitchen and it was no secret that he loved to eat. His mother ensured that he and his siblings grew up on excellent nutritious food – fast food was a scarcity in their household.
Cooking has been something he enjoyed since at the tender age of nine. The yearning to make his skill work for him as a profession did not come until high school, when his mother opened her own restaurant on Langston Road in Kingston where he got a taste of restaurant life. Although he was getting good grades in school, he knew from that a nine to five desk job was not what he wanted.
He wanted to become a Chef. After high school, he enrolled at the Runaway Bay Heart Institute and completed a joint programme with the Culinary Institute of America. His career as a Chef took off from there.
Some of his major successes include opening his first own eatery called
ning followed by another big show at the Better Hope Community Centre ground, East Coast Demerara on Saturday evening. The final show is billed for Bath Settlement ground, West Coast Berbice. The shows will be headlined by Guyana’s own Terry Gajraj and Apachie Warria from New York,
689 by Brian Lumley in Kingston, Jamaica. He is a double-award winner of Taste of Jamaica’s “Chef of the Year” award – the youngest Chef to ever win this prestigious honour and also a member of the Jamaica national culinary team.
In 2013, he earned the top prize as “Caribbean Chef of the Year”, an award that has eluded a Jamaican chef for over 14 years.
Lumley said he was thrilled to be a part of the SWS weekend in Guyana. It was his first visit to Guyana and was received with open hands and big hearts, thus making him feel at home. He was honoured to have worked with a great team from Hits and Jams Entertainment and was amused to witness firsthand the appreciation for Jamaica’s culinary offerings.
As such, if given the opportunity to return to Guyana he will definitely come again. “There was a genuine love for Jamaica’s cuisine among Guyanese and it would be an honor to share in this experience once more”, the Jamaican Chef told Guyana Times Entertainment. As a young entrepreneur in his country, he feels very privileged to be pursuing his passion. Entrepreneurship, he said, is by no means an easy feat; however, it is a rewarding one. “The added benefit is that when one starts young, you get a chance to really grow with your business”.
and will feature Nishard M, Amit Sooknanan and Kavita Maharaj out of Trinidad and Tobago. The Guyanese cast includes Bunty Singh, Pooran Seeraj, Steven Ramphal, Prince JP, Halima Khan, Richie Hansraj, Vishalie Sukram, Shakti Sting Orchestra and the Nachgana Dance Troupe.
Neelam Madadin and
the Freestyle Band from Suriname will also be featured in the event. The Sevdah dancers out of New York will also add some flavour with their dance routines that will wow the audience. Tickets for the event cost $1000 in advance and $1500 at the gate. Gates open from 16:00h and start at 19:00h.
traditional world cuisines and attracting culinary talent from all over the globe to learn the Caribbean way of cooking. “I see myself in five years making strong strides in spreading this philosophy through travel and developing restaurant concepts”.
His mother is his main motivation and his very first teacher in the kitchen. “I know that everybody thinks that their mother is the best cook in the world, but Ms Lovable cooking and tutelage is legendary”, he grinned.
always be willing to volunteer your time, practice your skill everyday and never stop learning. The Jamaican Chef says that cooking for him is not only a passion, but a way to unwind.
“You can say it’s my therapy. One of my favourite meals to prepare is red wine marinated lamb roast with soothing music (whichever the mood allows) in the background”.
His dream is to see Caribbean cuisine being ranked among the more
For those who wish to take up cooking as a life career, he advises them to find a mentor,
In closing, he stated that “my religion is love, I appreciate and encourage the ‘good’ in people’s soul. I love my Caribbean people, I love my Caribbean spirit”.
FMiss United Nations and Miss Jamzone International Soyini Fraser will take to the stage once again, this time to represent Guyana at the Miss Grand International Pageant 2015 to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday, October 25. The third edition of the Miss Grand International will see delegates from around the world assembling to compete fiercely in the world renowned pageant. Fraser, who is no stranger to pageantry, was selected by local franchise holder Clive Prowell.
The Miss Grand International Pageant is expected to address the scourge of war and violence around the world. Each delegate is expected to derive strategies to reduce war and violence.
Fraser, who has represented Guyana on the international stage on numerous occasions, is confident going into the pageant. She intends to represent Guyana to the best of her abilities. The competition commences on October 5, and will end with the grand coronation night on October 25 at an indoor stadium – Huamark in Bangkok. The delegates will be completing in several segments in various cities in Thailand. These are swimsuit, national costume, talent and intelligence among others. The scores from the preliminary competitions will be tallies for the selection of the top 20 delegates to compete for the crown on the night of October 25.
Guyana’s National costume is expected to be designed by Olympia SmallSononram while one of Fraser’s gowns will be created by Michelle Cole. Another dress will be designed by another local designer. Fraser wings out mid September where she will spend some time in New York before heading to Thailand.
All roads will lead to the Hits and Jams Water Park, Providence, East Bank Demerara for the annual Jamzone Beach Jam on Sunday.
The Water World, the first of its kind in Guyana, was officially opened two Fridays ago and already successfully hosted the Sun, Water and Sand event in July.
Only recently, it was the venue for the
However, the action continues on Sunday for the entire family. The gates open at 10:00h which allows children to utilise the various rides that were installed for their pleasure. During the day, both adults and the children will participate in fun filled games at a change of winning over $1 million in cash and prizes.
As the sun sets, the “big people” party gets
are known for their energetic and versatile performances and are expected to heat up the huge crowd that is anticipated.
In addition, the Fushion Sound System comprising Gully Ras, Selector Diamond, Deejay Shizzle others will set the place on fire. They will also be joined by the Stereo Sonic Sound System. Tickets for the event cost $2000.
In about a month’s time, Guyanese beauty Alicia Bess will be representing Guyana in Trinidad and Tobago in the Miss Global International Pageant. The pageant will see beauties from around the world competing for the coveted title in several segments.
In order for her to represent Guyana, she will need finances to offset expenses with respect to travel and others engagements.
As such, the local Miss Global International Committee has planned a fundraising venture that will take the form of a take away Bar-B-Que and ‘lime’ for Saturday, August 22, at the Barbacoa Fire Side Grill, located on Main Street, Georgetown (next to GPL).
Cost per Bar-B-Que is $1000 and can be purchased in advance or at the event on Saturday between 14:00 and 20:00h. In addition, supports
Twenty-four-year-old Acacia Northe has won the Miss Berbice UK title when the pageant was held at Chandler Community Hall in London on August 9. She outshone her other rivals in traditional and evening wear.
The newly crowned queen will now go on to represent Guyana in the Miss Guyana UK Pageant to be held in November.
The Miss Berbice UK Pageant was organised by Berbice UK Emancipation Association (BEKEM) and saw the London Brunel University Graduate who is studying Theatre Television and Film, competing against four other former Berbician – Taryn Harris, Siobhan Watson, Alexie Deygoo and Truth St Louis.
The former All Saints Primary School pupil will compete with 11 other delegates for the coveted Miss Guyana UK crown. Northe, who left Guyana at the age of nine, is a former resident of New Amsterdam. The Miss Guyana UK Pageant is held for persons who previously lived in Guyana and or have parents who are Guyanese.
show improves in standard and this year, they are promising a spectacular event. One of the main performers is New York
at the Georgetown Club, Camp Street, Georgetown.
The show will feature two overseas-based jazz performers, six saxophone players and one trumpet player and they will be accompanied by local vocalists. The organisers are convinced that every year, the
Taylor attended many prestigious colleges to further his studies in music and performance. The second foreigner in the line-up is
Saxophonist Courtney Fadlin and he is a Berkley School graduate and a gospel jazz player.
“The Jazz and Soul Concert
focuses on the contribution of a number of black artistes in the genres of jazz and soul music. Tributes will be paid to the likes of Etta James,
The local line-up consists
will also be a part
Tickets cost $2000 and can be
and/or
from
directly, or at the
KL Rahul’s second Test century was the centrepiece of a fluctuating opening day at the P Sara Oval, which saw India recover from a troubled start and move to a solid but never dominant position. Rahul and Virat Kohli, who came together after two early strikes from Dhammika Prasad, added 164 for the third wicket before Rohit Sharma built on the platform they erected and scored the third half-century of his stop-start Test career.
Rohit and Wriddhiman Saha put on 52 for the sixth wicket and took India past 300 before Angelo Mathews ended the partnership with what turned out to be the last ball of the day.
Rohit came in at No. 5with Ajinkya Rahane taking the No. 3 slot he vacated - and eased his way into form, taking plenty of singles against spread-out fields and hitting only four boundaries in his first 50 runs. The scoring opportunities arrived late in the day, when Sri Lanka took the second new ball as soon as it was due.
Prasad had already sent down 18 overs in the day, in five separate spells, and a sixth one proved too much of an ask. He sent down two long-hops in his first over, which Rohit duly pulled for a six and a four, and another short ball in his next over, which Rohit steered behind point for another boundary. But just when he looked set to have a good night’s rest and resume in sight of a hundred, Mathews dismissed him for the second time in two Tests in exact-
ly the same manner, jagging one back off the seam to strike his front pad as he looked to play around it.
Noting at the toss that “whatever grass we saw two days ago has disappeared”, Kohli chose to bat first. Mathews said he would have bowled anyway, expecting the pitch to stay true to its usual self and assist his seamers early on.
Mathews’ hunch was proven right, as Prasad found seam movement to strike in the first over of the
There has been such an insanely addictive quality to this Investec Ashes series that a normal, hard-fought day of Test cricket at times had a depressive feel about it. The Oval pitch largely behaved itself, despite all predictions to the contrary, and more to the point Australia’s batsmen behaved themselves, too, punctiliously so. Everybody was behaving themselves. It was all thoroughly virtuous.
Nothing wrong with that many will properly say. Test cricket must be allowed its occasional longueurs. There was much nous and skill on show. But there will have been England supporters at The Oval who will have found normality hard to bear, grousing, as Confucius did, that virtuous people often revenge themselves for the constraints to which they submit by the boredom which they inspire.
This was a vision of the Ashes series as many had envisaged it. Australia will delight, as they should, in the success for their upcoming leadership team of cap-
tain Steven Smith, who conquered scratchy beginnings to deliver an unbeaten, oldfashioned 78 (well, vinyl is in again, after all), and vice-captain David Warner, his pugnacious moustache removed as if he was determined to prove he can adhere to the responsibilities of middle management, and whose 85 set the tone with its controlled aggression and sound judgment. He might not be England’s favourite opponent, but he is averaging 46 for the series and even they could not have fairly begrudged him a first Ashes hundred in England.
For Michael Clarke, an incumbent captain trying to keep body and soul together before he retires - with some relief he says - at the end of the Test, there was less to celebrate. He was fortunate not to be out first ball and reached 15, a lofted on-drive against Moeen Ali has most assertive moment, before he feathered a ball from Ben Stokes to the wicketkeeper. Clarke reviewed, but Real-Time Snicko confirmed an edge sensed by umpire
Test. Having swung two of the first three balls away from M Vijay - only gently, but perceptibly - he got the fourth to nip back in off the seam. Not quite fully forward to defend, Vijay’s front pad was right in front of off stump when the ball struck it.
Next to go was Rahane. At his regular No. 5 slot, against an older ball, he may have gotten away with reaching away from his body to drive on the up. Against a new ball that curved away from him, he didn’t; the thick edge carried nicely to third slip.
With Mathews taking the new ball from the other end and asking questions of the batsmen - he straightened one from wide of the crease to send it flying off Rahul’s edge between gully and point - India were under a fair deal of pressure.
Dushmantha Chameera - in the team because of Nuwan Pradeep’s hamstring injury - released some of it when he came on as first change, but only after creating a clear chance in his first over. Rahul went hard at a
Kumar Dharmasena but too faint for Hot Spot.
The upshot of Australia’s diligence - diligence it should be said on a surface that became less testing as the day progressed - was that they closed the first day handsomely placed on 287 for 3 and, having stabilised themselves for the first time since their victory at Lord’s, they will be questioning what exactly occurred in the fever-
ish period at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge when a decent, but far from exceptional, England attack took on the status of world beaters.
Win this Test, incidentally, though it was looking a tougher challenge, and England would leapfrog Australia on their way to No. 2 in the rankings. It would take a strong response with the second new ball, due imminently, for that ambition
shortish ball outside off and sliced straight to gully, only for Jehan Mubarak to drop the waist-high chance.
Three fours came off Chameera’s first two overs - all from half-volleys driven down the ground or flicked off the pads - and two more in his next two, including a controlled pull from Kohli off a waist-high short ball.
Rahul and Kohli grew increasingly comfortable as the ball lost shine and shape - the umpires called for a replacement after 10 overs - though the odd one still
seamed around, as Kohli discovered when Prasad jagged it back into him and
him on the back thigh. The pitch too lost its early juice and flattened out into an inviting batting strip.
At lunch, Rahul was on 39 and Kohli on 48. Rahul overtook his captain with three fours in the first three overs after the break, the best of them a drive off Prasad between short cover and midoff. It was the result of a big forward stride and immaculate weight transfer, and it brought up his fifty. (Cricinfo)
India 1st innings
M Vijay lbw b Prasad 0
KL Rahul c †Chandimal b Chameera 108
AM Rahane c Karunaratne b Prasad 4
V Kohli* c Mathews b Herath 78
RG Sharma lbw b Mathews 79
STR Binny c Chameera b Herath 10
WP Saha† not out 19
Extras (b 8, lb 8, w 2,
to be confidently voiced.
London has treated Australia well; it is the rebellious outposts which have caused them such grief. They won at Lord’s and, south of the river, all the punditry about whether The Oval would unveil a pitch that was green, greener or greenest, was somewhat exaggerated.
Summer has hardly happened in England this year, as a lush square and outfield testified, but this square rarely turns upon batsmen. Even though the weather was overcast, England’s pace bowlers found no swing and when they did occasionally find the edge, a sluggish surface ensured the ball often did not carry.
Culture shock was at its most apparent before lunch as The Oval reacquainted cricket followers with that strange phenomenon: attritional cricket. Eighty-two runs at a touch over three an over is hardly pedestrian on the first morning of a Test match, but it felt like another world.
Australia, whose batting has been characterised
by impatience throughout the Ashes summer, survived the first morning without losing a wicket, Rogers and Warner, who showed serious intent from the outset, achieving something neither side had managed in the first four Tests. (Cricinfo)
friday, august 21, 2015
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Stephen Francis is livid with what he considers the ill-advised set up of a Jamaican pre-World Championships camp.
Francis, speaking with The Gleaner, said his athletes looked good before the camp but lost days of training due to poor organisation.
One of the athletes, Francis spoke about with specific reference, was breakout sprinter, Elaine Thompson.
“Before we got to Japan it was great,” said Francis of Thompson’s preparations headed into the World Championships in Beijing, China.
“I don’t know what may happen after because it [the camp in Japan] was a disaster,” the high-profile coach said.
Thompson is tipped to take the podium in her World Championships debut, having run 22.10 at the
Stephen Francis
London Diamond League recently, in what were difficult conditions.
The time would put her third in the World Championships 200m contestants with only Candyce McGrone (22.08) and Dafne Schipper (22.09), having gone any faster
“I can’t fathom what the arrangements in Japan was about. Who was it for? Because it cannot be for the athletes,” said Francis.
Francis was speaking be-
fore a scheduled practice in Beijing, which he said many of his athletes may not make because they had got into the country late the night before.
The veteran coach, who guides the performance of athletes like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce went on to say, the JAAAs should consult with coaches before going into making plans like hosting a mandatory camp, because the organisation’s hierarchy were unaware of the negative effects it could have.
“I am just hoping, crossing my fingers that we can rescue something in the next couple of days.”
“I am sick and tired of trying to let the JAAAs know that they are not experts,” boomed Francis.
“These people obviously can’t organise their way out of a garbage can and they should leave it alone.” (Digicel Sportsmax)
Donovan Powell, brother coach of former world record holder Asafa Powell, believes the sprinter is in prime form to claim his first gold medal at a major games.
According to Powell, Asafa, who has run a season’s best of 9.81 in the 100m, which is second only to world leader Justin Gatlin, is in prime physical shape to deliver at the Beijing World Championships.
“He is in tremendous shape now, his weight is down and we are looking forward to the competition, to getting him through the rounds without problems,” Powell told Jamaican media entity The Gleaner.
“I’ve told him to just be confident, go out there and execute and run his own race,” said Donovan. “We are looking for a PB this year, and I see where we can get that done here.”
Many believe that it would take a personal best
for Powell to stand a good chance of getting among the medals at the event, after being easily dismissed by Gatlin in July and with world’s fastest man Usain Bolt seeming to find form ahead of the event. Donovan does not believe the sprinter will have to go that fast to secure a podium spot.
“…It’s not like a bunch of guys are running fast, I think 9.8 can get him on the podium, but I’m looking for a PB, personally,” he said.
“He (Asafa) is just more confident now, and I think he is ready to go. He has a chance to win that gold, and if he does the right thing, then that can certainly make that happen.” (Digicel Sportsmax)
At the third time of the asking, the Caribbean Awards for Sports Icons (CASI), will be hosted in Antigua. The awards, which will be held at the Sandals Grande Resort, are return-
ing after a six-year break.
A number of the Caribbean’s great sportsmen and women are expected to make the trip to Antigua.
Barbadian cricket legend, Sir Everton Weekes,
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce are just some of the big names expected to make appearances.
The event began in 2008 and was held in Jamaica, before it moved to Barbados the following year.
CASI was started by veteran Jamaican sports journalist, Al Hamilton.
The first two events saw awards handed out to Sir Vivian Richards, Bolt, Mychal Thompson, a former NBA champion from the Bahamas.
This year, Weekes, Fraser-Pryce, Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidadian physical education specialist Dr Iva Gloudon and Grenada parasport swimmer Nye Cruckshank. (Digicel Sportsmax)
emerara Distillers
DLimited (DDL) has sponsored the now renamed Pepsi Michael Parris Under-16 boxing tournament which is slated to box off from August 29 at the Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis gym.
Called the nursery of boxing in Guyana, the Pepsi Michael Parris tournament has become a main staple on the calendar of the GBA’s calendar.
At the press conference on Thursday at the Department of Sport Head Office on Main Street, GBA President Steve Ninvalle expressed his gratitude to DDL.
“We have a long relationship with Pepsi and with them being on board we think we will be able to fly the flag high,” Ninvalle noted.
Brand Manager for Pepsi, Larry Wills noted the reason behind their continued support of the event.
“DDL, Pepsi and
Gatorade…we are very happy to be on board with the GBA, because we like the work and the execution of this tournament and we will always try to give back to our community,” Wills stated.
Ninvalle also revealed the reason behind renaming the tournament after Guyana’s only Olympic medallist.
“The nursery is important and we want our boxers to know that like Michael Parris the Olympics can create an avenue to fly the flag high,” Ninvalle stated.
The GBA Technical Director stressed that the tournament has continued to produce great talent. “I feel proud that DDL has the confidence in the GBA to continue to sponsor the tournament and the tournament itself have produced boxers that have gone on to a professional and elite level,” Poole mentioned.
DDL has been the lon-
Former world number
one Tiger Woods shot his lowest round for two years with a 64 at the Wyndham Championship in Sedgefield, USA.
The 14-times major champion finished the first round two shots off the lead on six under par, a week after missing the cut at the US PGA Championship.
Woods, 39, made seven birdies and one bogey and was happy with both his iron plan and his putting.
“They were both solid today, it was nice,” said Woods.
“I was telling Joey (caddie Joe LaCava) it’s finally nice to get something out of a round, a round that could have been two to four under par, it’s finally six.”
Woods, who has missed the cut at his last three majors, shot his best round since the 2013 WGC Bridgestone, 749 days ago.
Germany’s Martin Kaymer also posted an opening 64 in North Carolina, with Americans Erik Compton and William McGirt the early leaders on eight under. (BBC Sport)
Guyana’s senior National Women’s football team will commence their Road to Rio when they face St Kitts and Nevis today in an Olympic Qualifier at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic.
Guyana is in Group Four in the Caribbean Zone of the Women’s Olympic Qualifiers, which also has Cuba who they will face on August 23.
The Mark Rodrigues coached squad is focused on advancing out of Group Four and further in the qualifiers with hopes of becoming the first team from the Land of Many Waters to play at the Olympic Games.
gest running partner of the GBA for the tournament that is now in its fourth edition. (Treiston Joseph)
Goalkeeper Ruth George is the only locally based player selected with Rodrigues turning to players from his historic 2010 Gold Cup squad and from his 2012 U-20 group who are from the US, Canada and the UK.
Rodrigues noted, “This is a much more experienced squad than 2010, but we must remember that other countries have also been developing their female players, while also reaching out to their Diasporas for higher level players, so we do not know what to expect from our competition until game day.”
Further, Rodrigues embraced the expectations of the squad, “the team has embraced the fact that everyone’s expectations are based on our achievements in 2010 and rightfully so. It was a great, historical achievement for Guyana football.”
However, the Head Coach highlighted that “while it’s great to reflect and rejoice on the past and the legacies created and set back then, we must now first and foremost remain focused on what we have to do on August 21 and 23, and that is to win our group to advance”.
Group One will be host-
ed by Puerto Rico and fields Aruba, Puerto Rico, Haiti and Grenada. Group Two features St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Cayman Islands and Trinidad and Tobago, to be staged in the latter country.
The Group Three games will be played in Suriname and the teams in this group are Dominica Republic, Dominica and Jamaica.
Three teams will advance from the female category into the CONCACAF Women’s Summer Olympic Tournament for 2016.
The Squad: Ashley Rodrigues (Captain); Kayla De Souza; Briana De Souza; Ashlee Savona; Calaigh Copeland; Otesha Charles; Mariam El-Masri; Olivia Gonsalves; Alison Heydorn; Kailey Leila; Chantal Lynch; Kelly PelzButler; Brittany Persaud; Leah-Marie Ramalho; Justine Rodrigues; Martyne Alphonso; Derienne Busby; Ruth George and Chante Sandiford.
Young Aleka Persaud took the Goodwill Swimming Championship by storm last weekend in Trinidad and Tobago, copping seven medals, inclusive of an amazing five golds in the 8 and Under female category.
The diminutive athlete was Guyana’s star performer at the August 14-16 championship, outclassing her competitors from the host country, Barbados, Suriname, St Lucia and the Bahamas.
The New Guyana School Grade Five Student copped gold in the 50m butterfly in a Goodwill record time of 36.20 seconds, and also occupied the top podium spot in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke. Persaud collected a silver in the 100m IM and bronze in the team relay.
The soft-spoken youth told this publication on Thursday that she was proud of her effort and she would be “showing off” her medals to her classmates when school re-opens month-end. She thanked her coaches for their great input and advice during training, and also her parents for their support and encouragement.
Aleka’s father Ivan Persaud, who, incidentally, is the current President of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association
(GASA), was impressed with the effort.
“This is great for swimming in Guyana because never before had we done something like this at this age group. So I think the work that the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association is doing, along with the Government of Guyana, allowing us to have an overseas-based coach in Isabel Maria
Cousa Fals is very, very significant. We’ve never done this before and now we’re going and compete for medals at the lowest age group,” Persaud pointed out.
Persaud said the GASA will work on systems to ensure athletes, who excel from such an early age, are given the attention and support that is needed to
propel them to the next stage.
He, however, noted that progression to another level is not always easy, especially when the child has to balance sporting endeavours with pursuing academic excellence.
“It takes a lot because you have to make sure they’re on training every day on time. You’ve got to make sure their nutrition is on par, make sure you also combine their education and their studies, because after they come from home from training 7o’ clock in the evening they still got to do their homework. I think it’s a lot of work going into it, and I applaud Aleka’s mom, Holly Persaud, for putting in so much time after training to make sure that she completes all her assignments,” Persaud pointed out.
Overall, Guyana’s 31-member contingent, by far the largest group of swimmers to represent the country at the Goodwill Championship, captured 27 individual medals. Apart from Aleka’s five, Onika George and Hannibal Gaskin also copped a gold medal each, in the backstroke and freestyle respectively.
The Goodwill Championship will take place in St Lucia next year, while Guyana is the designated host for the 2017 event.
– it will be an honour to represent Guyana at the senior level, says batsman
By Rajiv Bisnauth
The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has reacted with total elation and satisfaction at the elevation of opening batsman Kandasammy Surujnarine to the Guyana Jaguars lineup for the second season of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL).
According to information reaching Guyana Times Sport on Wednesday, the 21-year-old has replaced Barbadian Ryan Hinds, and is among the 15 contracted players in the Jaguars’ lineup.
BCB President Anil Beharry, in an invited comment on Thursday, is of the view that Surujnarine’s callup is long overdue, adding that it represents the rapid development and high standard of cricket in the Ancient County.
Beharry went on to say that it was a joy to see that the hard work of the Board was getting the desired results.
Beharry also indicated that the opener was rewarded for all the hours spent working on his game and
called on him to take full advantage of his opportunity.
“It was just a matter of time for him to earn that call-up, the young man has been working tremendously hard on his game, and that hard work has now paid off,” the BCB President stated.
Beharry further pointed out that his achievements will inspire the BCB administrators to work even harder.
Great feelings
Meanwhile, the Albion player, who is considered one of the country’s brightest prospects, expressed how happy he was to be among the 15 contracted players for the 2015/2016 season.
Surujnarine, who represented Guyana at the
Under-19 level in 2011, said should he be given an opportunity to play in the upcoming tournament, it will definitely be an honour to represent Guyana at the senior level.
Hinds and fellow Barbadian Javon Searles were snapped up by the Jaguars on behalf of Cricket Guyana Inc (CGI) during the player draft in June, in
keeping with the WICB’s regulation, which stipulated that regional territories acquire a maximum of two foreign players.
But, Guyana Times Sport was reliable informed that the 34-year-old Hinds withdrew from the squad due to previous commitments elsewhere.
The 15 players will be placed under three respective contracts grouped A, B and C.
The 15 players are: Christopher Barnwell, Anthony Bramble, Paul Wintz, Raymon Reifer, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shimron Hetymer, Ronsford Beaton, Keon Joseph, Assad Fudadin, Rajendra Chandrika, Vishual Singh, Javon Searles and Kandasammy Surujnarine.
Further, it must be noted that batsmen Leon Johnson and Shivnarine Chanderpaul are part of the Jaguars set-up, but were not considered for contracts since both batsman have WICB retainer contracts.
The Guyana Jaguars are defending champions of the PCL Four-day competition.
Top senior and junior chess players will begin the quest for top honours on Saturday when the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) stages the Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham memorial chess tournament at the National Resource Centre, Woolford Avenue. The registration process will start at 13:00h on Saturday, followed by the first round of matches an hour later. The competition, which will be played under the Swiss format and will comprise seven rounds, will continue on Sunday, and will wrap up with the final two days of action the following weekend.
The tournament has been sanctioned by the local governing body, the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), and its President Irshad Mohamed said each player will have a time control of one hour, 30 minutes.
Entrance fee for senior players is $1000, while juniors will pay half that amount. According to Mohamed, the junior category will be significant, as it will be used by the GCF as the qualification tournament for the national junior championship later this year.
The top eight players will earn automatic entry to the national championship. Cash and trophies will be at stake for the Burnham tour-
The University of Guyana (UG) Trojans are now 0-2 at the University Games Championship after losing to hosts Panama 72-49 on Wednesday in their second game of the tournament.
Team Captain Akeem “The Dream” Kanhai was the high point man for the Guyanese side with 16 points.
Guyana got off to a hot start in the game, leading Panama 17-11 by the end of the first quarter.
However, a woeful offensive performance in the second quarter along with some shady defence allowed Panama to outscore the Guyanese 28-5 in the period to take a 39-22 half-time lead.
Panama continued their dominance in the third quarter to open their lead to 26 points as the scoreline read 61-35 by the end of the third. The Trojans were outscored 22-13 in the third period.
Urling said this week, “FIFA has already certified or contracted an inspector. He will be in the country next week, Monday or Tuesday, to inspect the Providence facility to move forward with the artificial turf. He will come in and assess the ground and look at the sub-base, look at the entire typography and will then report back to FIFA.”
Howard McIntosh of FIFA’s Development Division is also expected in Guyana today and will hold discussions with the Normalisation Committee members on the way forward for the facility The Normalisation
Committee head also expressed the hope to have the facility up and running in time to host games in the second edition of the soonto-be-launched inaugural Stag Elite League. Urling had hailed the signing as a “monumental occasion” for Guyana, one “that would change the face of football in Guyana forever.”
He added that the Normalisation Committee has been in discussion with football’s world governing body FIFA about starting the Goal Project at the East Bank Demerara location, as well as commencing the FIFA’s Challenger Project, under which an artificial
UG would play some stifling defence in the fourth period to outscore the hosts 14-11 which was too little to overcome their 26-point deficit.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, UG fell to Guatemala 63-39 in their tournament opener. Emmanuel Archibald topscored in the loss, with 16 points while Kanhai netted 13 points.
The Trojans again were hot out of the gates, taking the early lead as they outscored the Guatemalans 2010.
However, Guyana’s performance from there on out was extremely under-par as UG’s second, third and fourth quarter were all in single digits that read nine, four and six respectively.
pitch will be built. That investment, which Urling described as “major”, is estimated to be in the vicinity of US$500,000.
Urling said the ultimate aim is to make the GFF a self-sustainable organisation that would not have to rely on FIFA, and other partners such as the government and corporate entities. The Normalisation Committee chairman said initial discussions for use of the Providence facility was made possible by Normalisation Committee member Robin Chandarpal and Director of Sport Neil Kumar, who recommended the site to be developed.
nament, and according to Mohamed, a highly competitive four days of chess is anticipated.
Interested players can register by just turning up at the venue on Saturday or by calling Mohamed on 6641650.
By AvenAsh RAmzAn
FIFA’s presidential
hopeful David Nakhid will lobby for the CONCACAF Gold Cup to be staged in the Caribbean once he is elected head of the world governing body next February.
Nakhid, who announced his candidacy earlier this month, was in Guyana this week to meet with the local
federation, and during a media briefing at the Marriott Hotel on Wednesday, he outlined his vision for the sport.
While developing infrastructure within the confederation and giving the Caribbean Region a voice in the wider football world are high on Nakhid’s agen-
da, having the CONCACAF Gold Cup hosted in the Caribbean is also one of his goals.
The Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men’s national football teams governed by CONCACAF, and determines the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Rotating the hosting of the Gold Cup among Caribbean territories is one of the points included in Nakhid’s manifesto.
“It’s unbelievable that
as the majority voting bloc within CONCACAF we haven’t been able to arrange to have the premier event of CONCACAF staged in our region for 20-odd years. And my European friends tell me that’s just crazy. A Gold Cup can push a lot of development. It can force Governments to invest in the infrastructure that’s needed because the spotlight then becomes on them,” the 51-year-old former Trinidad and Tobago midfielder outlined.
Nakhid reasoned that having the Gold Cup in this
part of the world will remain a dream, however, until the proper infrastructure is put in place across the territories.
The benefits, he highlighted, of hosting the Gold Cup are tremendous, especially for a small football nation such as Guyana.
“You could imagine European teams wanting to come to Guyana in the midseason break or pre-season to enjoy the kind of weather you have here, the hospitality you have here. But where is the infrastructure? Nobody ain’t com-
ing and train on a cricket ground. And that’s the reality of it gentlemen. So we have an event like the Gold Cup, which we have in our manifesto, must come to the Caribbean,” he told the gathering of media operatives.
Nakhid continued, “Imagine what it would do for your public [if] you have Mexico playing Guyana or Costa Rica playing America. Imagine the buzz, the sponsorship, the media rights, the television rights…everything is there. The Tourism Minister would say ‘here
what, chance to promote Guyana’. What you have there? You have movement. Movement in terms of economies of scale and movement in terms of actual development. As it is, what we have? What do we have? After all the promises, after all the illusions of leadership, what do we have, not only in Guyana, but all the other countries? Next to nothing, gentlemen.”
The CONCACAF Gold Cup was last played in the Caribbean way back in 1971 when Trinidad and Tobago was the host. It is held every two years, and since 1991 only three countries have hosted the championship: the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.
It is a point Nakhid will campaign on once he receives nomination by the October 26 cut-off date. The FIFA election will be held on February 26 next in Zurich, Switzerland, with several candidates vying to fill the seat that will be vacated by Sepp Blatter.
The others are legendary midfield trio Michel Platini of France, who is the current UEFA President; Diego Maradona of Argentina and Zico of Brazil, as well as Musa Bility and Chung Mong-joon.
By AvenAsh RAmzAn
Chairman of the Normalisation Committee of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Clinton Urling, has announced that an official from football’s world governing body, FIFA, is expected in Guyana next week to inspect the newly acquired facility at Providence, East Bank Demerara.
In May this year, the GFF signed a 30-year lease with the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council for use of the Providence Community Centre ground. It was
