Guyana Times Daily - December 4, 2015

Armed soldiers in Venezuelan aircraft land at Essequibo

friday, december 4, 2015 |

650 graduate from GTI NDIA Engineers rescue flamingo

As the Government Technical Institute (GTI) celebrates 64 years this year, more than 600 students successfully graduated from the Technical Institution on Thursday, at a ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC).

There was no surprise when Kevin Corridus was dubbed Valedictorian of the 2015 class as he not only passed with distinction in his competency based Education Course but also walked away with a National Award upon completion of the Guyana Technical Education Examination.

In his speech, after congratulating his fellow graduates, the young man stated that over the years, GTI has taught him how to accept the consequences of his actions, learn responsibility and

discipline.

GTI not only provided the students with academic knowledge, but moulded them into responsible individuals with sound values to face every new day.

Corridus admitted that there were times he wanted to give up, hating the many late nights in school trying desperately to grasp a concept, but shared that his faith in God kept him on the right path.

The Valedictorian encouraged his fellow graduates to continue the hard work and to not give up in the face of adversity, as there is so much more in life that they are yet to accomplish.

Principal of the institution, Carl Benn, shared with the graduating class his upcoming retirement, but added that he was very grateful for the progress made by the institution and

the place it is in, as he departs from the Technical Institution.

He mentioned that during the academic year, 2014-2015, the institution achieved an overall pass rate of 73 per cent. He added, however, that the Mechanical Department of GTI secured a 93 per cent pass rate and warded the department, Most Outstanding for the year 2015.

The retiring Principal told the graduating class that this is the time to reflect on their

ed, bringing the total number of courses offered to 38. Courses are conducted on Full-time, Dayrelease and Evening basis.

The Government Technical Institute as the leading technical institute is committed to offering quality training to students with the availability of high quality facilities, qualified and caring staff at a prime location.

The objective of the institution is to offer education and training in technical, scien-

achievements and let it be what guides them down the path of success.

The GTI began operations in May of 1951 in temporary accommodation in the Queen’s College compound. By July of the said year, it was relocated to its present location. The original purpose of the institution was to provide training in craft skills but by July 1956, technician level courses were introduced and by September 1961, Diploma level programmes were includ-

tific and commercial fields of students to young people and adults; to structure and organise programmes consistent with the needs of industry as well as in keeping with national goals; to provide work attachment opportunities for trainees; to facilitate extended opportunities for persons to gain knowledge and skills through open access and other means; and to provide opportunities and experiences that promote the development of self as well as that of the nation.

– donate it to the Zoo

Two engineers of National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) on Wednesday rescued a stranded flamingo from the Essequibo River while they were conducting routine field visits in Western Hogg Island.

The Engineers reportedly noticed an object in the river between Hogg Island and Liberty Island and upon investigation, discovered it was a flamingo.

They carefully retrieved the bird since it appeared to be unable to fly due to the heavy rain in the area at the time.

“We noticed something in the water and decided to turn back and found out that it was a flamingo so we decided to save it because it was unable to fly because of the weather” Engineer Rudolph Persaud explained.

Another engineer that was a part of the team which rescued the bird recalled embracing the bird as they brought it onto the boat.

The team saw it best to donate the bird to the Guyana Zoological

Park so it can be cared for and seen by the Guyanese public.

The management of the park applauded the NDIA engineers for the rescue and safe delivery of the bird and noted that this was the first time they would have one of these birds in their care since the Zoo was opened in 1952.

Facilities are being prepared to safely house the bird.

The engineers plan on having follow-up visits to check up on the bird’s housing condition and care in the future.

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, December 4 – 12:30h-14:00h and Saturday, December 5 – 13:30h-15:00h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, December 4 – 11:35h-13:05h and Saturday, December 5 – 12:40h-14:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

Armed soldiers in Venezuelan aircraft land at Essequibo

– GDF launches investigation – Chief-of-Staff

of 1.03 metre and 1.09 metres respectively.

GDF Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

AVenezuelan helicopter landed at the Kaikan Airstrip, Region Seven (Cuyuni-

Mazaruni) within close proximity of the Guyana/ Venezuela border on Thursday morning around 10:45h.

Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Brigadier Mark Phillips told Guyana Times several Venezuelan military men neatly dressed in uniforms and armed disembarked the aircraft.

Reports indicate the soldiers began to engage in conversation with two nearby villagers and shortly after, they boarded the chopper and took off.

Brigadier Phillips told this newspaper that the Venezuelan soldiers were inquiring from the villagers if they had landed in San Juan, Brazil. However, the villag-

ers informed them that they landed in Kaikan, Guyana. Upon receiving this information, the men embarked the helicopter and left.

The Chief-of-Staff said initial reports indicate that none of the men stayed behind and he dismissed reports which suggest that the Venezuelan military disappeared into the jungle.

Upon observing this interaction, the security forces at the Kaikan airstrip reported the matter, and an investigation has been launched. Brigadier Phillips said the security officers there did not intervene when the aircraft landed.

The Chief-of-Staff noted that the Ministry of the Presidency was alerted of

the incident and an investigation was launched. Guyana Times made contact with Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge who said he was out of the country and knew nothing of the matter.

Meanwhile, this report comes at a time when tensions are high between Venezuela and Guyana after the Bolivarian Republic revived the century-old issue of its claims to nearly half of Guyana’s territory after US-oil giant ExxonMobil declared a significant oil find in Guyana’s maritime territory.

The GDF Chief-of-Staff urged citizens not to be alarmed. (devinas@guyanatimesgy.com)

$49M to be spent to benefit coconut farmers

Months of suffering are expected to soon be over, as government comes to the rescue of the dozens of coconut farmers across the coastland, whose crops are currently suffering severe destruction from the red palm mite pest infestation.

State Minister Joseph Harmon disclosed that cabinet was briefed on this grave outbreak affecting the coconut industry and so approved the sum of $49 million for the purchase of chemicals, equipment and safety gear for distribution to coconut farmers at a subsidised cost to assist in combating the problem.

Additionally, the minister disclosed that technical teams from the Agriculture Ministry will be deployed to the more severely affected areas to assist farmers in dealing with the infestation.

Caribbean. The invasion of this species is the biggest mite explosion ever observed in the Americas. It was known to only affect plants in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and African countries.

Like most other plant feeding mites, this species disperses on the wind. Tropical storms and hurricanes can distribute this mite over wide areas. The red palm mite forms colonies on the undersides of leaves. The mite damages guard cells in the leaf, resulting in uncontrollable water loss from the plant. Leaves turn yellow, then brown, and eventually die. Without healthy leaves, the trees cannot produce healthy nuts.

Coconut farmers in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and Region Ten (Upper Demerara Upper Berbice) are all affected.

The red palm mite pest, also known as raoiellaindica, is now becoming established throughout the

Earlier in June, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) confirmed that coconut trees in the Pomeroon Region were under attack from the pest. The Pomeroon is considered the largest coconut-producing area, not only in Guyana but in the Caribbean.

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

Editorial

Continuous decrease in mother-to-child HIV transmission

The Pan-American Health Organisation /World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) released the good news on World AIDS Day that its most recent date shows that new HIV infections in children have fallen by half since 2010.

The report entitled ‘Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in the Americas 2015’ highlights that in the Caribbean there was a decrease of 88 per cent of HIV transmission from mother to child. This percentage represents a move from 4100 such cases to fewer than 500.

For Guyana the report shows that 83 per cent of pregnant women were tested and counselled for HIV.

The excellent news for Guyana, in the report, was the fact that this country is close to achieving elimination of HIV transmission from mother-to-child.

There is no doubt Guyana has made significant progress with respect to efforts for the reduction of HIV. As a matter of fact, the United Nations Development Programme report on HIV/AIDS stated that Guyana records an overall steady progress in fighting HIV/AIDS and that this country shows signs of beginning to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The UNDP has projected that Guyana will meet the target of achieving universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it.

Over the last five years, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the population has decreased and access to anti-retroviral drugs has more than quadrupled. This means that the then government was successful in its use of a multipronged approach to combating HIV/AIDS.

The UNDP reported that work in Guyana has been done to increase knowledge and awareness of the disease, promote and provide testing and the use of preventive measures, as well as to expand and ensure the availability of treatment. As such, these actions have resulted in the decline in HIV/AIDS prevalence and increased survival for those infected.

This effort, it is urged, should now continue by the new administration. This administration should now continue the focus on intensifying its activities to raise awareness, to increase prevention, to focus on high-risk groups and to improve treatment.

This is urged since although Guyana has made great progress in this area, there is an estimated two million people in Latin America and the Caribbean who are living with HIV. According to PAHO there were approximately 100,000 new HIV infections in the Region in 2014. The vast majority of these infections were in adults and youths, mainly gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender women, and sex workers and their clients.

As such while Guyana’s efforts have been laudable the key priority in addressing all strategies, and particularly treatment, is that of ensuring the sustainability of the current programmes, currently primarily donor-funded.

PAHO has pointed out that to put an end to AIDS as a public health problem by 2030, countries of the Region, civil society, international cooperation, and people living with and affected by HIV set new ambitious goals last year.

The “90-90-90” HIV treatment target calls for ensuring that by 2020, 90 per cent of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90 per cent of all people with diagnosed HIV receive sustained antiviral therapy, and 90 per cent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy have undetectable viral load.

As such it is urged that Guyana continue to accelerate its prevention and access to treatment programme and like other nations we too can achieve the goal of elimination of new HIV infection by 2030.

NACTA Poll in Trinidad puts Kamla ahead in split voting in party elections

Dear Editor,

The findings of the ongoing opinion poll being conducted in Trinidad by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association(NACTA) into the internal elections of the opposition UNC has found (voting) members engaging in split voting across slates for executive positions in the 5 December vote.

The opinion poll is being conducted by Dr Vishnu Bisram.

There are three full slates of candidates contesting 18 positions inclusive of party leader. Kamla’s slate is tipped to win though not all the positions.

Party members say they want a very strong executive, and they note that some of the candidates for positions lack the calibre, capacity, and experience to serve in the national executive. And as such, mem-

bers say they will pick and choose candidates across the three slates and among the independents rather than vote “straight ticket”.

This does not preclude the possibility that a slate will not sweep the internal elections winning all the positions. Incumbent leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has wide appeal among voters, but they don’t find several candidates in her “Team UNC” slate very appealing.

Dr Roodall Moonilall’s “Loyalist” slate is viewed as having some of the strongest candidates who members feel can help with rebuilding the UNC.

Members also like some candidates of Vasanth Bharath’s “Team Reconnect” and independent Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh (former Minister) for Deputy Leader.

Voters are split in their

preference for leadership lauding the qualities of three main contenders. A huge majority (74 per cent) endorse Dr Moonilal’s combative style in taking on the ruling PNM, saying he has strong credentials to bring back alienated old-timers and unite the party. But many also like Vasanth Bharath’s nonconfrontational business management style that members feel can rebrand the UNC to make it attractive to swing voters especially on the corridor.

However, Kamla remains the star attraction with PP supporters holding out hope that she can unite the various factions in the opposition. Party activists have been commenting how accessible she has been hearing their concerns throughout the internal election campaign period.

Kamla enjoys advan-

tages of leadership incumbency and the court victory last Monday in the UNC general election petition has given her an additional boost to retain the position. Also, the strong emotional sentiment for Kamla is producing a long coattail could very well propel other (non-appealing) members in her slate to win posts.

Some 96,000 are on the voters’ list. The poll is projecting a relatively low turnout of about a fifth of the membership. Many members are still undecided on how they will vote, making it a competitive contest among the three slates.

The outcome will depend on turnout and election day machinery to bring out supporters.

Yours truly, Vishnu

Bisram

Vestigial titles and anachronistic attitudes

Dear Editor,

The reported move by Ivy league Universities, Harvard and Princeton, to discontinue use of the title: “Master” as in ‘Master of the Residential College’ and instead use ‘Head of the College’ on the grounds that terms like “Master” are too poignant reminders of the distasteful history of slavery is quite interesting.

It makes me wonder if

the world of Higher education should now be reviewing the award of graduate degrees which carry the pre-fix “Master” as in MA or MSc or MBA, MPH, MPhil, etc.

Should we as Guyanese with our own history of slavery and indentureship allow such moves to go unnoticed? Should we be questioning, for example, the Apprenticeship Agreements we execute

which refer to the provider of the training as “Master”?

Should we continue to refer to our male teachers as “Sir” this or that (first name), another colonial vestige, while we refer to the female counterpart teachers as “Miss” so-and so (first name) instead of the appellation used during my time as a student/ teacher ie Mr or Mrs or Miss so-and-so (surname)?

Titular misnomers

might be considered superficial or unimportant concerns to some but what cannot be ignored is the continuation of anachronistic attitudes, beliefs and behaviours which have their genesis in times, situations and contexts long, long ago… . These must be dealt with frontally and expeditiously.

Nowrang Persaud

Let’s save the earth

Dear Editor,

I must compliment the government on making our city a bit more Clean. As I look around our city, the large heaps of garbage on the roadways are being removed but this should not be only the government’s duty but all in Guyana should put a hand and help to eradicate the build-up of garbage on the streets in the capital and even in the countryside. It is our country and let’s have that greater pride and serve our land that gave us birth.

Moreover, the earth is seen as mother, our food comes from the earth and from a Hindu perspective one should respect that mother that provides. Every day we commit various sins, we trample on her, but yet she provides for our country and our family. Repay her simply with reverence.

Removing litter from the environment costs everyone money. Litter is a threat to public health. Litter attracts vermin and is a breeding ground for bacteria. Items such as broken glass and syringes can be a health hazard in public places.

If my memory serves me correct, when Narendra Modi was elected Prime Minister of the Republic of India he made a pledge to clean the holy rivers of India, in the same way, as Guyanese, let’s play a role and make our rivers clean, the bags, the plastics can be disposed of in the right

way; don’t litter, it’s not the way to treat mother earth that nourishes our lands.

Hinduism has always been an environmentally sensitive philosophy. No religion, perhaps, lays as much emphasis on environmental ethics as Hinduism. The Mahabharata, Ramayana, Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas and Smriti contain the earliest messages for preservation of the environment and ecological balance.

Nature, or Earth, has never been considered a hostile element to be conquered or dominated. In fact, man is forbidden from exploiting nature. He is taught to live in harmony with nature and recognise that divinity prevails in all elements, including plants and animals. The Rishis of the past have always had a great respect for nature. Theirs was not a superstitious primitive theology. They perceived that all material manifestations are a shadow of the spiritual.

The Bhagavad Gita advises us not to try to change the environment, improve it, or wrestle with it. If it seems hostile at times tolerate it. Ecology is an inherent part of a spiritual world view in Hinduism.

Once again, let’s have greater love and respect for mother earth.

Pt Surendra Tiwari Patentia Mandir

Disappointed with Police roadblocks – Sparendam, ECD

Dear Editor, I wish to guide the Commissioner of Police and members of the Guyana Police Force that this is not in any way an attack, but a guide, an advisory from a friend, someone who loves and have great respects and history with the Guyana Police Force. I am not one who likes to critique or ever to make derogatory remarks of the GPF.

I have observed that roadblocks are virtually a daily occurrence at this station. Many times it seems an exercise in futility, and appears from the behaviour of the police, that they are not interested in what they are doing, and merely doing it for show and because of instructions. At times, people lose appointments, job opportunities, late for doctors’ visits, and even religious functions. Many of our guests for a function last Friday came when the function was finished, due to the road block.

For national security purposes, I have no quarrel with roadblocks, but to have roadblocks during the high traffic period when most people are heading home to get there before it gets dark, due to criminal activities, is cumbersome, and at times annoying. Surprise ones could be most effective.

One can understand the periodic roadblocks, but it is now day after day. If they wish to do a roadblock in front the station there, remember, there is another roadway called the embankment. Those bent on criminality or having illegal items will just change roads. That also becomes heavy in traffic

as most people just use that roadway.

But I ask the heads of the police to note carefully my point now. On 2 December the situation took the cake, as we say proverbially. Ok, the roadblock was in effect about 17:00h (5pm), I passed, crawling, ok, give them credit, they doing a job and wish to drive fear and terror into the hearts of criminals, and display good police activities and sense.

As I approached, about ten policemen and women, mostly men on the southern side of the eastern carriageway, engaged in concentrated and heavy conversation, in a jovial mood, laughing and smiling, and not one look in my direction, the vehicle, or any vehicle preceding or following me, to be fair, I intentionally observed, which is why I say an exercise in futility, maybe even stupidity. I do not know what happened earlier or later.

A mad man could have jumped out with a cutlass, forget a gun, and chopped all of them. The one with the shotgun, had his head down, completely oblivious of what he is supposed to do. A similar situation on a previous occasion: The armed man was lost in thought.

And this is what we have

in Guyana, and all of us in the security industry, and Public Security must be aware of: Lack of security alertness.

I feel ashamed to say there were two Senior Police Officers in Khaki uniforms, they were also in the conversation and totally lost to the mission, it would appear. They were both backing the cars as they passed. They need to be alert and aware of their objective. How can they profile people or vehicles?

Guyanese, our police and security personnel, and all of us, must develop that security awareness, alertness, not to take chances, as if everything will be alright. The

police need to work closely with private security as was the system in the past. Partnership and communication!

Police, even their heads, do not like to be criticised. This is not a criticism, but a friendly guidance, as I love our Police Force, and our peoples, I love my country and wish the best for all, especially the safety and security of our law enforcement officers, whom we the people need, and we the people must always work closely with.

Sincerely. Roshan Khan RK’s Guyana Security Services

friday, december 4, 2015

Page Foundation

Susie Walton used to yell at her children – a lot.

“The older they got, the more I yelled,” recalled Walton, an International Network for Children and Families (INCAF) parent educator and author of Key to Personal Freedom a few of the powerful myths outlined in her book during an INCAF teleseminar.

When her four boys – all within five years – were younger, yelling was a somewhat effective discipline, she admits. But that changed when they hit their teen years. Yelling no longer worked at all, and Walton was forced to find another way to interact with her children. She turned to positive discipline. As she acquired new skills and a new philosophy of parenting her children, one truth stood out among the others: that 95% of what children learn comes from what their parents model.

What was Walton teaching her sons by yelling? To solve problems, especially interpersonal conflicts, through exerting control over others.

Myth busted: validation works better than yelling

resolve the situation is not to engage her in a power struggle over the on/off button. An example of an appropriate validation here is, “I know you want to watch the TV, but you’ve already watched two hours worth today and that is enough.”

to learn a concept through positive discipline than through punishments, Walton said. However, once that child learns the concept, he is truly competent in it. Whereas, with punishments, a child behaves out of fear and does not learn the

What Walton learned is that the strongest tool parents can use during a moment of conflict with their children is validation. Children, like adults, want to be heard and understood, even if the answer is still “no.”

For example, say a girl asks her father if she can turn on the television and he believes she has watched enough TV for the day. So, she begins to have a tantrum. What does Dad do? What is not helpful is saying, “No, you can’t.” While the girl certainly wants the TV on, the way to

the parents to adopt new ways of disciplining their children. Walton suggested parents first place limits on their behaviour, making it a rule that they will not use threats, bribes, or other fearbased discipline tools on their children. With this rule in place, parents can then begin using Attached at the Heart by Attachment Parenting International Cofounders Barbara Nicholson and Lysa Parker, local API Support Group meetings, and other API resources.

It’s important, though, for parents to realise that it does take longer for children

strengthen connection with our children No parent is perfect. We all make mistakes in relating to and interacting with our children. The key is learning to forgive ourselves but also learning from our mistakes – important not only for ourselves but for our children to learn. Walton explained how helpful it is for parents to look upon their children’s undesirable behaviour not as something to be feared or ashamed of, but instead as opportunities for learning. (Excerpt from Charlotte Observer)

to be Continued

(Continued from thursday)

BY DEBBIE PINCUS, MS LMHC

I think it’s more effective to determine what your bottom line is, and then give consequences when your child doesn’t do his job. Always go back to, “What’s my responsibility here, and what’s my child’s?” The consequence in the case listed above might be that your child has to do his school work in the living room and not in his bedroom, or that he can’t watch TV until his homework is done for the evening.

3.

child create a structure for himself. You will likely have to stay more involved and check in more often. Another thing to ask yourself is, “What does this child need?” Not, “What do my children need,” but “What does this particular child need?” And then determine what your responsibilities are and aren’t. It might be that you have to help your child design a chart to keep track of what he has to do. But he should then be in charge of putting a check next to those things

What does my child need?

Understand that children with ADHD, ADD or other learning disabilities may need a different kind of guidance from parents. Perhaps they often forget homework at school or neglect to hand it in, even when they’ve done it.

If this is the situation in your family, your job is to help your

when they get done.

4. Know when you’re in your child’s box. Most of the time we’re not necessarily aware that we have crossed boundaries. There are usually signs that you have stepped into your child’s box. It might be when you’re feeling frazzled, at the end of your rope, and frustrated. On the other hand, when you feel calm and engaged in your own interests that may indicate that you’re in your own box. Know what the triggers are that cause you to jump from your box to his. Try to increase your awareness of yourself.

Most of us think we’re teaching our children responsibility. But truth be told, we’re really preaching it. And guess what? This only creates more dependency. Dependency in relationships doesn’t encourage children to be responsible for themselves—quite the opposite, in fact. The more you act in ways that respect your own values and principles, the more you will promote the necessary emotional separateness between yourself and your child. Why is this important? The more emotionally separate you are, the freer your child is to see you more clearly, with all your strengths and weaknesses – which allows him to see himself more clearly. You’re no longer in his box or in his head, telling him what to do all the time. And the more clearly or objectively your child sees himself and others and acts on that awareness, the more responsible for himself he can become.

(www.empoweringparents.com)

Retrofitted vehicles…

Auto Fashion’s boss denies allegations

The lone Guyanese company authorised to sell and install the retrofitting has denied claims that government has been expending and wasting millions of dollars of taxpayer’s funds to retrofit or customise Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) for use by government ministers.

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall told a news conference on Wednesday he was in receipt of credible information that government had handpicked the contractor to retrofit a number of state-owned vehicles at premium prices.

“There is a close friend of

the Administration and a financier of the election campaign who owns an auto accessory bodyshop and this person, this business, has

been given a number of contracts, none of which seems to have been advertised to retrofit a number of SUVs of the Forestry Commission and the Geology and Mines Commission. One vehicle has thus far been retrofitted I am told to be used by a Minister at a cost of $11 million,” Nandlall said, adding that this may be to avoid purchasing new vehicles, following a public outcry over the purchase of a $22 million SUV for Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

While Nandlall did not name the businessman, investigations by Guyana Times revealed that the only authorised company in Guyana to distribute and install the off-road accessories is Auto Fashion Guyana.

Bartica teacher hangs self

Amale teacher of the One Mile Bartica Secondary School, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) was discovered by colleagues hanging from the ceiling in his dormitory in an apparent suicide incident on Thursday morning.

Romel Benjamin, 21,

of Morawhanna, Region One (Barima-Waini) was employed with the Department of Education at to the Bartica Secondary. According to reports, his roommates woke up around 05:00h and discovered him hanging from an electrical cable. The police was immedi-

ately summoned and an investigation launched.

Regional Chairman Gordon Gradford told Guyana Times that based on information he received, the young man never exhibited any signs of depression or of wanting to end his life.

Speaking with Guyana Times Managing Director of the company Rupie Shewjattan confirmed his company has been retrofitting vehicles for the GMC and the GFC, but not at a cost of $11 million.

“We never did a vehicle for $11 million… the most is $4 million, so that’s a lie,” Shewjattan said in a brief comment.

He further explained that the customising of vehicles for these departments and many other state agencies is not something new, as he has been doing this for many years now.

The businessman argued that if the off-road vehicles are not fully accessorised it will cost more to repair them after a trip into Guyana’s rough terrain.

According to Shewjattan, the reason his company has been the only one doing this is based on the fact that he is the only authorised distributor of the ARB products used to retrofit vehicles.

ARB is Australia’s largest manufacturer and distributor of 4×4 off-road fittings and accessories.

Meanwhile, Nandlall had alleged that the customising of the vehicles was be-

ing done after government’s decision earlier this year to purchase a $22 million SUV for PM Nagamootoo was condemned by Guyanese, including many of the coalition’s supporters.

“So now to avoid spending money on the acquisition of new vehicles, we are told that the vehicles are now being retrofitted,” Nandlall said.

Efforts to contact Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Minister of State Joseph Harmon proved futile, as their phones went unanswered.

Labourer on $150,000 bail for larceny

Alabourer was on Thursday placed on $150,000 bail after he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court One charged with larceny.

Ranford Williams, 26, of 1266 Grant Road was not required to plead to the allegation which read that between September 14 and November 14 at the Vendor’s Arcade he stole a number of articles

inclusive of: a laptop; a fan; an ASP back-up battery; a quantity of cordless phones; a router; a modem $10,000 and a GTT landline, all to a total value of $294,990, property of Rashawn Greeves.

The accused denied the allegations, saying the items were leased to him by the Complainant.

Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones told the Court that some of the ar-

ticles were returned. He objected to bail, citing the nature and gravity of the charge, adding that the accused has been previously convicted on a similar charge. He related that the man was on bail when he committed the act.

The Magistrate released the accused on $150,000 bail and transferred the matter to Court Three for January 13.

friday, december 4, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Major parties should not contest LGE polls – URP

– wants community-based groups to contest

In keeping with the interest of bringing about a better and more accountable governance system, major political parties should step down from contesting Local Government Election (LGE).

This is according to lightweight political party the United Republican Party (URP).

The URP believes that since the national parties already have interest in controlling the national and regional governments, they should not also have direct control over local issues.

“Allow more non-political people an opportunity to partake in decision-making on varied aspects of their governance,” the URP ssad in a statement to the media.

On this note, the URP is calling on the various communities to form citizen groups in their neighbourhoods and contest the elections under those civic groups and not under the major political parties.

“The major parties should be rebuffed in the local elections. The local people (civic groups) are in a better posi-

tion than the traditional parties to put up the most suitable candidates for councillor positions… rather than have individuals imposed from above,” URP said.

The Party added that the country needs new faces, particularly community activists who know the issues in their neighbourhoods and know what is in the best interest of the community and its inhab-

itants.

“The party apparatchiks do not know what is best for the communities. Thus, the major parties should allow voters to control their own destinies under community civic-minded groups.” In addition, the URP calls on the major parties in parliament to empower the local governments by passing legislation to grant them autonomy to

control their destinies,” the party stated.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) is currently arranging stakeholder meetings within all of the 62 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and the nine municipalities in Guyana.

Some of the pertinent issues to be discussed include the Electoral System for Local Government Elections, Voting at Local Government Elections, the Rights and Responsibilities of Voters, Criteria to Contest the Local Government Elections, Qualifications to be Elected as Councillors, the Definition of Local Government, and What it Means to Citizens and their Communities.

Gecom noted that the primary objective of these meetings was to provide voters and candidates (political parties/ voluntary groups/individual candidates) with comprehensive knowledge about Local Government Elections to aid efficient conduct of elections with maximum participation in a free, fair, and transparent manner.

Bent Street woman jailed for ganja possession

Awoman was on Thursday sentenced to 36 months in prison after she was found guilty of a drug trafficking charge by Magistrate Judy Latchman in Court Three of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Thirty-five-year-old Natasha Jordan, a vendor of PP 6 Bent Street, Wortmanville, was found guilty of the charge which read that on April 10, she had in her possession 43 grams of cannabis sativa for the purpose of trafficking.

It was earlier reported by Police Prosecutor Deniro

Jones that on the day in question the Police had gone to the woman’s residence where they conducted a search of the defendant’s shop, which is located below her house. During the search, the woman was caught by the Police stuffing a black plastic bag into her undergarment.

She was subsequently asked by the Police to remove the bag, which she did, and upon opening the bag, the police found 33 transparent plastic bags containing a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems of what was suspected to be the narcotics. When questioned by the Police, the woman re-

sponded that “a brethren pass and I buy it fuh $4000. I didn’t sell it all the time”.

Jordan’s Attorney, Dexter Todd refuted these claims, stating that the alleged narcotic was found in the shop behind a door. The Attorney also made claims that there was no nexus between the drug and his client as the shop was a public place, frequented by numerous persons.

He added that before his client was taken to the Police Station, she was forced to change her clothing in front of the Policemen which was against the policy that a female officer be present to ar-

rest a woman.

Jordan, who was brought before the courts for an offence of a similar nature in 2001, is the mother of a 14-year-old.

In handing down her ruling, the Magistrate revealed that she disbelieved Jordan’s story that she did not have any knowledge of the narcotics. She related that the defendant was in physical control of the drugs, and it was her belief that Jordan was in possession of the substance for the purpose of trafficking. She sentenced her to a fine of $64,000 and 36 months in prison.

Eyew tness Flailing around…

…on crime

Your Eyewitness doesn’t like beating up on a guy when he’s down… and the Crime Chief’s really down. The fella pulled all kinds of numbers from his bag of statistics picked up at his UG classes to insist crime wasn’t “spiralling” out of control. When the PSC meekly suggested that perchance crime “might” be rising… he bitchslapped them something fierce.

These worthies unfortunately need police to watch out for their businesses and fell back into line. But were heard muttering under their collective breaths, “But it IS too rising.” Then the Crime Chief’s boss, the Commissioner, went and admitted out in Miami that “OK, OK... crime IS rising.” Probably didn’t realise his confession would’ve been reported back in dear old, crime challenged Mudland. But hey!! With Internet, Miami’s just a keyboard click away.

And now, up comes Pressie, right after his return from Malta (no Dear Readers, not the drink… an island out in the Mediterranean!) orders the army to join the police to get out there and “fight crime”. Don’t worry about all that talk of “Joint Services” ‘getting into action’. What exactly will the Prison and Fire Service do to fight crime? C’mon!

And don’t worry too about the reports claiming this “Operation Dragnet” was agreed to after Security Minister Ramjattan “briefed Cabinet”. Can you see Ramjattan “briefing” a Cabinet that’s chaired by a former Chief of Staff of the GDF (David Granger), with a former Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix, sitting at his side. And Minister of the Presidency, Lt Colonel (rtd) Joseph Harmon taking notes!

The only “brief” Ramjattan could give was probably the one that was all in a knot as Brigadier General Granger gave him his orders! But this decision raises the interesting question as to whether President Granger will now offer an apology to Former President Donald Ramotar, who’d strongly advised that the army get involved to fight the “spiralling crime wave”. Granger’s undiplomatic riposte was that “Ramotar should stay out of government business”.

Well, it looks like Ramotar knows more about “government business” than the six-month experienced President Granger!! And another thing: When Pressie brushed aside the former Pressie’s suggestion, he asserted snarkily that he has a “Defence Board and a Chief of Staff who he meets weekly”. So now that he’s made the fateful decision, did he in fact consult the Defence Board?

Inquiring minds want to know… and not only partisans of the rebuffed Ramotar.

After all, there have been rumours that the government’s army-like command structure is even more rigid than the PPP’s “democratic centralism”!!

…on security

Now one thing you don’t do is send mixed signals to your army – they might just start shooting at you. For soldiers, the enemy must be clearly identified, the targets located, and the order to “charge” firmly given. Now we know President Granger’s been out of the saddle for a spell… but jeez, what kind of order did he just issue?

So there’s to be a mobilisation of the “Joint Services”, your Eyewitness gets that. But who’s the enemy? The Venezuelans at the western border? The drug lords smuggling the stuff across our southern borders? The local gangs? The pickpockets around Big Market? The Fire Service don’t care – they’ll “out” any fire - if they get water when they arrive an hour later. Even if they’re next door like in Alberttown.

The Prison Service also know what to do: just throw more bodies into the Camp Street jail: built for hundreds and already housing(!!) thousands!

But the Army and Police? We do think they’re gonna be a tad confused!! And apprehensive. Terrorists, too? Sheesh!! Look what they did in Paris!

…in rice

This rice fiasco just won’t go away. Now we hear about “7% more production” but “10% more exports. Makes you think happy days are here again in the rice industry, no? Well no!

Everybody’s mum on what price they’re exporting at. We wonder why??

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

President congratulates GDF on golden jubilee

–

commemorative

medal bestowed on Defence Board

President David Granger and the members of the Defence Board, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan were on Thursday presented with the Guyana

Defence Force’s (GDF) Commemorative 50th Anniversary Medal.

GDF Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips conferred the medal on the board members after the reading of a Citation by Colonel Nazrul Hussain. Following this brief presentation, President Granger congratulated the GDF on their golden jubilee, as they held a series of

activities in November.

“The GDF has come of age and the actual conduct of the celebrations… [was] appreciated by the entire country. The population loved it and I think it is a demonstration of support for the Defence Force, which has been at the forefront of the defence of the country and [Guyana’s] territorial integrity,” the Head of State said.

Noting the anniversary celebrations occurred at a time when Guyana was facing renewed threats to its borders, the President said that the Force was able to move effortlessly from ‘operations to celebrations’. “We were very encouraged by the quality of the performance and I think it reached a high standard,” he said.

The GDF celebrated its 50th anniversary under the theme, “Commemorating the past, celebrating the present and carving the future.”

US Ambassador calls on President Granger –

says LGE to be a historic event

United States Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, congratulated President David Granger and his Administration on selecting a date for the longawaited Local Government Elections.

The Ambassador, who is

scheduled to depart on his holiday leave, on Thursday paid a courtesy call on the Head of State. He was accompanied by US Charge d’Affaires Bryant Hunt.

In a brief statement, the Ambassador said Local Government Elections are going to be a historic event for Guyana, noting that it is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy.

Last month, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan announced that Local Government Elections, which were last held in Guyana in 1994, will be held on March 18, 2016.

friday, december 4, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Students forced to pay to use Berbice water taxis

– service not free as Govt says

Acall is being made for Government to review the fares which school children are being asked to pay to cross the Berbice River on the water taxies plying the Rosignol to New Amsterdam route. The call was made by Region Six Chairman David Armogan.

Government on September 1 introduced two water taxies in the Berbice River and had announced that school children, pensioners, school teachers and nurses would be allowed to cross for free. Since then, the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition

Government has continued to subsidise the service by paying the operators $3000 for each trip they make. This is in addition to providing free gasoline for the boats. Howeve,r school children and nurses were only granted a free pass for one month. Pensioners continue to enjoy the concession.

On a daily basis, a total of 300 children cross the river from Rosignol to New Amsterdam to attend school. Armogan says it is very expensive for those children from Region Five (Mahaica-

Berbice) who attend schools in New Amsterdam and utilise the services of the water taxies. “It is very difficult for them to be paying more than $300 a day from home to school.”

Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally had collected the names of each of the 300 children from the Region Six Department of Education, but the information only resulted in a one month free pass.

According to Armogan, the Administration is going to make a formal proposal to Government for it to continue to provide the same

service to school children of Region Five, as it did during the first month after the water taxies were introduced.

Region Five only has one senior secondary school –Rosignol Secondary – forcing many children to travel to New Amsterdam to attend schools there.

Government in an effort to pressure the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) into lower its toll to cross the Berbice River, implemented water taxies to ply the Rosignol to New Amsterdam route and subsidised the service.

CIIP provides employment for over 300 persons in Linden and Lethem

The Ministry of Communities is currently assisting the Linden and Lethem Municipalities to implement the Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP). This is in keeping with the Ministry’s objective to empower and equip Local Democratic Organs.

Over 300 persons were recently employed with the project to assist the two municipalities. Some of the enhancement services the workers are expected to provide the communities with are cleaning of drains and parapets, cleaning of burial grounds and carrying out minor routine maintenance works.

Initially, when CIIP was introduced in 2014, the Ministry of Housing and Water (now the Ministry of Communities) was responsible for implementing and

monitoring the project in over 55 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, three municipalities and Village Councils.

However, as the Ministry takes a new approach towards local governance, the Linden and Lethem municipalities are the first two entities to be responsible for CIIP’s implementation in their communities. The Ministry’s involvement in the project is monitoring and provision of resources.

According to Carlton Beckles, Chairperson of Lethem Municipality, prior to the introduction of CIIP, the municipality was unable to hire labourers to clean the environment since the municipality does not collect rates.

He noted that the project has helped to reduce the financial burden of paying to clean the cemetery and parks.

Beckles added that funds allocated for the municipality to execute maintenance works this year would be utilised for additional works within Lethem.

“CIIP is helping to do a lot of work in the communities… the residents are very supportive of the programme… we are thankful for the assistance,” he said.

The Linden municipality has been benefiting similarly from CIIP. Besides the benefits of cleaner communities, the project has provided employment opportunities for hundreds of persons, particularly single parent women.

Some communities that benefited thus far from CIIP are Wisroc, Christianburg, Ameila’s Ward, Block 22, Kara Kara, Silvertown and Retrieve.

3 convicted on narcotics charge

Three residents of Kitty were on Thursday convicted to pay fines and community service after they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court One charged with being in possession of a narcotic.

Winston Crawford, 37, a food vendor of 72 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, Georgetown, pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on 2 December at 72 Sandy Babb Street, he was found in possession of five grams of cannabis.

Anthony Taite, 26, of Kitty, also accepted the allegation which read that on the same occasion he was found with one gram of cannabis. Finally, Nicola Augustus, 42, accepted the charge which read that on the same occasion she was found to be in possession of four grams of cannabis.

Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones told the Court that on the day in question, ranks of the Guyana Police Force went to the stated address and conducted a search on the per-

sons of the accused. The narcotics were unearthed in their possession and they were arrested and charged. When asked why they were in possession of the drugs by the Magistrate, they all responded that they use the substance. Crawford was sentenced to a fine of $15,000 and six weeks community service; Taite to a fine of $5000 and three weeks community service, and Augustus to a fine of $12,000 and five weeks community service.

Porter remanded on break-and-enter charge

Aporter who works in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market was on Thursday remanded to prison after he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan charged with break and enter and larceny.

Thirty-nine-year-old Devon Nurse, of 344 Republic Park, East Bank Demerara, was not required to plead to the indictable charge which read that between November 2 and

November 4 at Georgetown, he broke into the dwelling house of Mitchell Young and stole one Play Station valued $170,000, a laptop valued $160,000, gold jewellery to the value of $245,000, a cellular phone valued $60,000, $200,000 in local currency and US$2000 – a total value of $1,235,000, property of the said Mitchell Young.

The Administration of

Justice Act (AJA) was applied and the defendant denied the charge. Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones revealed that the defendant was previously convicted of a similar charge and his fingerprints were found at the scene. Prosecutor Jones objected to bail and Magistrate McLennan remanded Nurse to prison. The defendant will return to Court on January 5, 2016.

Food Importers Conference…

Health Ministry wants safety regulations followed

At an Importers Awareness Conference, hosted by the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department, held at the National Library on Thursday morning, Minister within the Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings reminded food importers that they are responsible for the safety of the consumer that may purchase their products, so proper regulations must be followed.

Dr Cummings told the importers gathered at the conference that food safety is a collective responsibility of Government and consumers, and added that all food importers are responsible under law for the safety of the food they import and distribute.

“As business men and women, you must know that in Guyana, a number of regulations exist regarding the importation of food items from abroad. As importers of food products, you must know as well that you should comply with each regulation. As food importers of food items, you are the first link in the domestic sales chain and you are consequently responsible for the marketability of the im-

ported product” the Junior Healthy Minister stated. Preventing contamination and health safety risks throughout of food chains in Guyana is extremely important to the Food and Drug Department (FDD) and is

that are imported, so as to ensure that only those products of a certain established standard are imported and sold for consumption.

Dr Cummings also mentioned that with the rapid expansion of global trade, most likely as a direct result of increase in consumer demands, links to growing educational awareness of consumers, the internationalisation of tastes and habits, developments in science and technology, and improvement in communications and transportations, there is more access than ever to a plethora of consumer goods, especially food products. She also shared when all of these patterns are coupled with the breaking down of tariff barriers,

ty, and environmental considerations” Dr Cumming explained. She further mentioned that in Guyana, the Public Health Ministry through the FDD, continues to appreciate that food quality and safety can be assured through strict applications of proper and well designed food quality control systems. Moreover, the Food and Drug Department continues to develop principles and guidelines for this area and enforces them, she added.

The Minister assure importers that in Guyana, the FDD will continue to rigorously enforce the regulations for the importation of all food items into Guyana, with the aim of ensuring that only the best quality

seen as a powerful risk management strategy Minister Cummings shared. She pressed the importers to ensure that food products imported into this country is of a certain quality and safe for consumption by all citizens. The Minister noted that the safety and health for all Guyanese is paramount to the Public Health Ministry and Government as a whole, therefore measures are constantly put in place to effectively regulate the types of food products

and quantitative restrictions as a result of elastic economic trade agreements between nations, quality and safety have become very essential elements in international trade.

“Not only have consumers all over the world become more conscious of quality, but at the same time, Government themselves have realised their roles in protecting the health and safety of their populations by posing stringent regulations based on health, safe-

product that meets the established standard are imported for consumption by the Guyanese people, but noted also that awareness needs to be spread.

She noted that effective collaboration with industry leaders and regulatory agents will most certainly increase the safety of food imports, and those in the food industry can become aware that safety does not begin and end at the national borders.

1 killed in Essequibo mash-up – driver in custody

Twenty- one-year-old

Khemraj Singh, also known as "Goose", of Hampton Court, Essequibo, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), is now dead following an accident on the Exmouth Public Road Thursday afternoon.

According to information reaching Guyana Times, Singh was riding motorcycle CG 7210 heading north, while the driver of hire car HB 9832 was heading south as was another car around 17:30h. The motorcycle and the two cars subsequently collided. Singh was thrown several feet from the accident scene by the force of the impact.

The motorcyclist was picked up in an unconscious state and rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

According to residents of Exmouth, they heard the loud impact and as they came out to investigate the cause, they saw the injured rider on the ground and immediately ran to him to offer assistance.

One eyewitness said, “His hands appeared broken and his face had scratches with blood oozing.”

A cousin of the now deceased machine operator,

Yogesh, said he and Singh went to their grandparents’ at Dredge Creek to spend the day and as they were going home, the accident occurred. He said that he was in a 212 car behind his cousin on the motorcycle when everything happened so fast. He alleged that his cousin was not speeding when the car approached him. The Police were immediately summoned to the scene. The drivers of the hire cars were taken into custody. The motorcycle, along with the cars, has been impounded at the Anna Regina Station compound. No one else was injured during the collision. Police are continuing their investigations.

Govt moves to “audit” Audit Office

Adding to its already long list of audits, Government has now

indicated its intention to carry out an investigation into the operation of the Audit Office of Guyana. Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee is seeking eligible and qualified chartered accountants to audit and report on the financial statements, account and other information relating to the performance of the Audit Office from 1 January, 2014 to 31 December 2014. This it says is in accordance with the audit act of 2004.

Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures, specified in the Procurement Act 2003 and is open to all bidders.

Since its assumption to office just over six months ago,

government has spent over $300 million on audits and Commissions of Inquiries (CoIs).

The breakdown of the estimated $300 million shows that the inquiry into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), which consisted of 11 commissioners, cost the state $71 million.

Additionally, the forensic audits into about 30 government agencies will cost more than $50 million. According to information already existing in the public domain, government will be spending some $50 million to pay handpicked auditors Christopher Ram and Anand Goolsarran for their audits (additional benefits were excluded from this calculation).

Some of the CoIs launched are the Public Service, GuySuCo, Education, and Mining.

Linden to benefit from several infrastructural projects

The Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice)

Democratic Council (RDC) has embarked on a number of developmental projects which will see residents of Linden in particular benefitting.

Presently, the Administration is engaged in building roads and bridges, in addition to conducting repairs and other infrastructural works.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian said while the Region’s budget could not have covered some of the roads in Linden which were in urgent need of repair, an intervention by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson saw a team being dispatched to assist with ongoing works.

Assistance has also been provided by the Demerara Harbour Bridge team, the

Regional Chairman disclosed. “I must say thanks to the Manager of the Harbour Bridge: he’s making available to Region 10, a portable bitumen plant. This would be located on the main road of the Wisroc area. I must announce too that the works on the roads, coming out of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, a number of men were also hired from my office,” Morian stated.

The Regional Chairman further said that the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) had engaged residents and stakeholders of the Linden community a few days ago with the view of reducing water woes in the Region. A fruitful discussion was held with GWI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Richard Van West Charles, according to Morian.

“Primarily, the demand for water is much higher than that

which is being supplied – that is one of the areas (which were up for discussion).The quality of water is not good enough for us to drink. The infrequent delivery of water is a problem...

“I felt we had a very good meeting and I am happy to report to residents that right away, the team is moving to action. They have hired from Region 10, also from my office, seven or eight persons to join the team, and we are still looking to increase this number .”

Morian added that works would also be carried out on

Blueberry Hill, Wismar with regard to laying of pipelines, in an effort to bring relief to a number of residents. He said while there were difficulties, the work was started by GWI, based on a plan which was put forward, and affected residents would soon benefit from quality potable water.

In addition, the Regional Chairman stated that poles are presently being planted at the Burnham Drive and One Mile areas as part of the Government’s electrification project.

Lindener’s

licence suspended after convicted of DUI

Intellectual currents in the Caribbean

My good friend, David Hinds’ latest “Hinds’ Sight” deals with “The Black/African Guyanese intellectual tradition and a nation of hypocrites.” He referred to a letter by Dr Baytoram Ramharack who had referred to another letter that asked “Where is the Indian Intellectual” who should be, “addressing issues germane to their physical existence?”

Ramharack aspired to offer an answer, but seems to have created a Rorschach Test for his interlocutors: they read the text but each see something different. Even though one never gave much shrift to the speculations of Freud, one could be blamed for wondering: “projection?”

One APNU/AFC newly appointed member of the Board of Director of GNNL (which sets policy for the Chronicle) in an extended admonition to Dr Ramharack, exclaimed primly, “Prefixing the term ‘intellectual’ with a particular ethnic identity is wholly and utterly to be rejected.” Since her Board had just confirmed Dr Hinds as a Columnist for the paper, I waited a week for a similar “rejection” of Dr Hinds’ violation of her rule in the aforementioned article. Her studied silence gives credence that “African Intellectuals” do get a “free pass” and that Guyana might just be a “nation of hypocrites” as Dr Hinds claims.

From far-off and not then ISIS-violated France, Abu Bakr, writing as a “Muslim”, saw Ramharack: “‘bemoaning’ his perceived absence of Indo-Guyanese intellectuals pushing a racial agenda and doing so to national applause”. The irony was obviously lost on Bakr that he was merely confirming Ramharack’s contention: “In sum, Indians are seen as nonpatriotic and as anti-nationalist as they come. As a result, Indians who publicly advocate for their community or group interests are viewed as “parochial” because they cling to their “primordial” sentiments.

An engineer on Thursday had his driver’s licence suspended for one year after he appeared before the court for a second time charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

Leroy Bajnauth, 26, of 180 Kuru Kuru, LindenSoesdyke Highway, accepted the charge which read that on Wednesday, December 2, at Mackenzie, Linden, he drove motor vehicle PGG 8460 while his breath alcohol level was 169 micrograms which exceeds the legal limit.

According to Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones, on the day in question about 19:30h, the defendant was driving the motor vehicle east along Sir David Rose Avenue when Police on patrol saw him proceeding in a zigzag manner. They stopped the vehicle and the defendant staggered out, apparently under the influence of alcohol. He was taken to the Mackenzie Police Station where two breathalyser tests were conducted. His breath alcohol level registered at 169 micrograms and 134 micrograms in the two tests respectively , whereas the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

When asked by the Magistrate for a response to the charge, Bajnauth responded: “I am very sorry, it will not happen again.”

Dr Hinds agreed with Ramharack who, in reference to the Caribbean, said: “There is no question that an intellectual tradition is firmly grounded in the African community. This has been established over the years, largely complemented by many years of oppression and discrimination, and a historical experience that has created shared values and common positions around national issues, be it racism against Africans, reparations, etc.”

But there is another perspective which, I believe, was articulated early on by Gordon Lewis. He pointed out that in the 20th century there were three main intellectual currents that swept the Caribbean – Marxism-Leninism, anticolonialism, and Pan-Africanism/Black Power/Negritude.

The first Pan-African Conference in 1900 prominently featured African Caribbean intellectuals and this tradition continues into the present. Co-sponsored by UWI, “The Inaugural Pan-African Colloquium” is scheduled for January 2016.

The three currents were all fused in the 1945 fifth PanAfrican Congress in Manchester that saw Trinidad’s Eric Williams and African leaders like Kenyatta and Nkrumah in attendance. Burnham became a member of the London LCP that was responsible for the papers out the Congress and would have been exposed to the ideological positions. CLR James, Marxist and close associate of Nkrumah would mentor our own Walter Rodney during and after the latter’s student days in London. CLR gave us the famous maxim that we ignore at our own peril today: “The race question is subsidiary to the class question in politics, and to think of imperialism in terms of race is disastrous. But to neglect the racial factor as merely incidental is an error only less grave than to make it fundamental.”

When Rodney returned to the Caribbean, he wrote in 1969: “Black Power in the West Indies means these three closely related things: 1) The break with imperialism which is historically white racist; 2) The assumption of power by the black masses of the islands; and 3) The cultural reconstruction of the society in the image of the blacks. These are the areas with which we as black people must concern ourselves hereafter.”

To his credit he did “include” Indians in the category of “black people”. But as I pointed out two decades ago, the ambiguities and contradictions in that conflation were legion. And they are the germ of what has caused Ramharack and others to ask, “Where are the Indian intellectuals”?

(To be conTinued)

Govt failing to implement Disability Act

– Blind Society wants inclusive society

The Guyana Society for the Blind has made a renewed call to government, to begin the implementation of the disability act which was passed in Parliament, and which they say provides them with inclusion.

The call was made as the organisation joined the United Nations in observance of International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

The Day was observed on Thursday last under the theme “Inclusion matters, access and empowerment for all people of different abilities”.

Executive member of the organisation Ganesh Singh told Guyana Times Thursday the body’s main focus is to ensure that persons who are born with disabilities have equal access. He said this can only be done if government makes allowance for the disability act which became law five years ago.

“Only then will we be able to have access to education, employment, access to information, access to public infrastructure, access to an independent life. Those things can only happen when the disability act is implemented. So I want to call on government and the other stakeholders to ensure that persons with disabilities are protected and promoted in a positive light”, Singh told Guyana Times

He said persons need to change the culture in society where persons with disabilities are seen as persons subjected to charity and “who should stay home”. We do not have a proper system in place to mainstream disability in every sector.

Speaking also with this publication was Rosemarie Ramjit, an aspiring teacher, who is currently undergoing studies at the Cyril Potter College of Education.

Asked if she experiences major challenges particularly in pursuit of her education, the young woman said she really does not, but was more concerned about the treatment meted out to other individuals, who may not be as fortunate as her.

“If a person in a wheelchair were to go there, they would face challenges because of access to the building. There are only very few classes that are on the bottom flat. The others are at the upper flat. They will have challenges meeting there, going to the Principal’s office, student development and all these other areas. According to

Decomposing body found at Uitvlugt identified

Police are investigating the discovery of the decomposing body of taxi driver Colin Clarke who was reported missing one week ago.

The 57-year-old Clarke, of Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara (WCD), began working as a taxi driver just over two months ago. He was last Friday reported missing by

family members.

The man’s body was identified by relatives after residents traversing the area where the body was eventually found Thursday were taken aback by a foul scent which led them to the corpse in a trench at Uitvlugt, WCD.

It is suspected that he was robbed of his car and murdered.

The father of three was reportedly last seen last Friday driving his car with number plate HC 4993, in his home village of Crane.

While his body has been positively identified by relatives, they are still to locate his missing vehicle.

Family members were shocked at the discovery, since they were hoping for the best – to find him alive. However, they were greeted with the dreadful reality on Thursday morning.

Police in the D (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) Division are continuing their investigations.

her, government has to ensure that equal access becomes a reality.

Meanwhile, president

of the organisation Cecil Morris told Guyana Times there is not much in the system for upward mobili-

ty for persons with disabilities. Even if they were to become gainfully employed the system does not provide for this. He said persons with disabilities are not opened to this.

“We are not asking for anything special, just for what we deserve in terms of acceptance in the field of work… Even the private sector that employs some people with disability, upward mobility is always an issue and we would like for them to address those issues”.

He said the society has been trying to convey to the public particularly those who make decisions, that persons with disabilities deserve a little bit more: “It’s not that we are dissatisfied; it’s just that we need to get the point of independence over and we need to get there very early. We are asking them to pay attention to what is being said.”

Theresa Pemberton is a

volunteer at Guyana Society for the Blind and an ardent activist for the rights of persons with disabilities. She told Guyana Times there remains an uphill battle for those persons in Guyana. Her passion now is to see these individuals, barring whatever disability they have, to have a normal life like any other person in Guyana. She said she is passionate about this year’s theme, but is stuck on the “inclusion” aspect of it.

“I will really like to see, especially in my country, confidence in persons with disabilities, that the level be raised. That the mangers and business places can see that persons with disabilities can do the job, that they find employment”.

The activities to commemorate disability week 2015 commenced earlier this week and will conclude on Saturday with a blind cricket competition.

friday, december 4, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Long mighty, ‘Chavismo’ at risk in Venezuela’s election

Polarised Venezuela heads to the polls this weekend with a punishing recession forecast to rock the ruling Socialists and propel an optimistic opposition to its first legislative majority in 16 years.

Founded by the late Hugo Chávez, the Socialists’ long mighty “Chavismo” movement is facing public ire over shortages of goods from medicines to milk and the world’s worst inflation under his successor, President Nicolas Maduro.

Defeat for “Chavismo” at Sunday’s vote would give the Opposition a major platform to combat Maduro and deal a further blow to Latin America’s left after Argentina swung to the right in last month’s presidential election won by Mauricio Macri.

If the Opposition coalition wins a majority in Venezuela’s 167-seat National Assembly, it hopes to reduce the Socialists’ hegemony and tackle what it deems mismanagement, corruption and authoritarian-

ism during their nearly 17year rule.

That could bring confrontation given the combative President’s strong executive powers and institutions from the Supreme Court and the central bank that are proGovernment.

After a heated election run-up marked by insults and gunshots, Maduro was winding up his campaign on Thursday with a street rally of red-shirted supporters while the Opposition was

holding a concert in affluent east Caracas.

Maduro has warned Venezuelans against betraying Chávez by voting for what he paints as a US-backed elitist clique that would abolish welfare programmes.

“Imagine if they dominated the National Assembly. I wouldn’t allow it, I swear, I wouldn’t let my hands be tied by anyone. I’d take to the street with the people,” he roared this week. (Excerpt from Reuters)

EU Delegation hosts night of Classical Music

The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Guyana, Ambassador Jernej Videtic and his wife Ruta Drizyte Videtic on Wednesday evening hosted “An Evening of European Classical Music”, at the Marriott Hotel Guyana to kick off the Christmas season.

In his welcoming speech to the attendants of the concert, His Excellency Jernej Videtic stated that he was delighted to host such an event and moreover pleased with the large attendance.

The former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and wife, and Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes were also present to witness the presentation of

those classical geniuses.

The Ambassador stated that “the purpose of this event tonight is to show that Europe and Guyana are indeed working together in unity, so we need to celebrate that during this Christmas season”.

The audience was entertained by over two hours of classical splendour by the Clemsville Music Ensemble. Among those performing was the multi-talented Guyanese singer Russell Lancaster also wowed the audience with his performances of two crowd favourites “Ave Maria” and “Oh Holy Night”.

Miss Chie Clarke, a violinist, also flawlessly played her pieces much to the audi-

Dominica lost

ence’s delight.

The highlight of the night was the introduction of Miss Kerese Harinandan, who is a classical performer who graduated from numerous highly recognised classical schools, including the Caribbean Music School graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She captivated the audience with her enchanting voice, performing some of the classics “Panis Angelicus”, “The Lass with the Delicate Air” and “Alleluia”, a Wolfgang A Mozart classic.

The concert was closed with The Ensemble performing some of the Christmas classics including “White Christmas” and “We Wish you A Merry Christmas”.

almost all its GDP due to climate change, says World Bank

Tropical Storm Erika wiped out 90 per cent of Dominica’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the rapid damage and impact assessment conducted by the island’s Government in collaboration with the World Bank, United Nations, and other development partners with funding support from the European Union and the World Bank Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.

The intense rainfall arrived after an unusual dry season, and the combination of cracks in the soil and torrential rains triggered landslides and slope failures, causing major damage to roads, bridges, houses and agricultural land.

In just a few hours, the strong winds and rains destroyed critical infrastructure that took the small nation of about 70,000 people more than five years of normal investment to build.

Increasing exposure to natural disasters represents a real threat to development prospects in the Caribbean

The total damage and loss was estimated at US$483 million.

The event took place just two months ago and killed 11 people, cutting off electricity and water supply on the island and closing down the airport. For a small economy, recently bolstered by a recovery of the tourism sector in the Region, this represents a major economic set back.

More and more, small is-

land states such as Dominica are being confronted with extreme weather events. Many scientists are attributing the increase in the number and strength of hurricanes and storms to global warming.

According to the World Bank study “Turn Down the Heat”, the number of severe hurricanes is projected to increase by 40 per cent. (Excerpt from Caribbean360.com)

Massive brawl erupts in T&T school

“School has now become a war zone.” That is how Sherwin Noel Wednesday described the Brazil High School, where his 16-yearold son, Jodel, was chopped by a cutlass thrown by another student during a massive school brawl. Speaking with his parents at his bedside at the Arima District Health Facility, Jodel said around

minutes to noon a big brawl erupted in the school.

Jodel, who is in Form Four, said the Form Three students appeared to be in the middle of the fracas. He said he was walking in the area of the fight when a boy threw a cutlass in his direction. Jodel was struck a few inches above his left ankle, a wound doctors estimated to be three inches deep, deep enough to hit bone.

Jodel said that the same boy who attacked him was subsequently hit in the head with a stone and wounded. The teen said he did not know what the fight was about but now he no longer wanted to return to school. He had previously been in a couple fights before but nothing comparable to that magnitude.

During the interview, the Noel family was told the Arima facility could not further treat Jodel and he would need to be transferred to the Eric Williams Sciences Centre, Mt Hope. Noel said he and Jodel’s mother, Jamie, were not informed of the fight right away. He said they were called once by the school but Jodel was the one who actually contacted his mother to tell her about what happened. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

San Bernardino shooting: Explosives found at California attackers’ home

The attackers who killed 14 people and wounded 21 at a social services centre in California had an arsenal of weaponry in their home, Police said.

Bomb equipment, weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found by Police in a raid following a shootout that killed the two suspects.

Authorities still have not found a motive in the attack by Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27.

Police said the attack indicated there had been “some degree of planning”.

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said it appeared that the duo was prepared to carry out another attack.

Around the world

Turkey row leaves Russia stuck with abandoned gas pipes worth billions

Gas pipes worth 1.8 billion euros

(US$1.95 billion) are to be left stranded on the shores of the Black Sea after Russia’s decision to suspend work on the Turkish Stream pipeline, a potent symbol of Moscow’s falling out with Ankara.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on Thursday work on Turkish Stream, a pipeline intended to pump Russian gas into south-eastern Europe via Turkey while bypassing Ukraine, had been suspended.

It ordered pipes from as far afield as Japan and Germany for the 2400-kilometre (1491-mile) South Stream pipeline, originally slated to open in 2018, which were then reassigned to Turkish Stream after the project was axed.

Shortly afterwards, the head of Italian oil major Eni, slated as one of the main buyers for the pipeline’s gas, said the project was dead in the water.

In the shootout with Police, Farook and Malik fired 76 rounds of ammunition at the Officers and the Officers fired 380 rounds back.

Two Police Officers were injured during the pursuit.

Law enforcement officials are also looking at possible “co-conspirators” and have been in touch with the suspects’ relatives.

Farook was not “on the radar” of law enforcement, said r Burguan. (Excerpt from BBC News)

The FBI said it was still too early to label the attack as terror-related. Authorities are expected to start releasing the names of the victims on Thursday.

Liberia’s last two Ebola patients recover, leave hospital

Liberia released its last two known Ebola cases from hospital on Thursday as it starts a new countdown to declaring itself free of the virus for a third time, health officials said.

Liberia had been the only country in West Africa with known cases. Neighbour Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free in November while Guinea’s last known case recovered two weeks ago.

“There are no cases in the ETUs (Ebola Treatment Units) in the entire Republic of Liberia,” said Tolbert Nyenswah, head of Liberia’s Ebola response, adding that Ebola safety procedures re-

mained in place.

The two patients released from the Paynesville ETU are the father and younger brother of the presumed index case, a 15-year-old boy named Nathan Gbotoe from a suburb of the capital Monrovia who died from the disease last week. However, new cases could still emerge in Liberia since there are 165 contacts still under quarantine, of whom more than 30 are deemed high risk, health officials told Reuters.

Nyenswah say the contacts under surveillance have completed 14 of their obligatory 21-day monitoring – a period that corre-

sponds with the typical incubation period of the virus.

“No need to cancel your plane ticket when you are planning to come to Liberia. Continue to come here; the place is safe,” Nyenswah told reporters.

Liberian medical workers are still grappling to explain how Ebola re-emerged in Liberia more than two months after it was declared free of the virus by the World Health Organisation.

Resurgent cases in Liberia, possibly transmitted sexually by survivors, have cast doubt on the current policy of labelling a country Ebola-free after 42 days. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Chennai: Race to rescue flood victims

Amassive rescue operation is under way to reach stranded people in the flood-hit southern Indian city of Chennai (Madras).

More than 2000 people have been rescued by the Army, while the Navy has decided to deploy a warship carrying divers, boats and relief material.

The city’s airport will re-

main closed until Sunday and train services are suspended.

A depression in the Bay of Bengal has triggered rains in coastal areas.

Last month, non-stop rain for nearly a week brought the city to a standstill.

Three days of fresh rains have again led to massive flooding, inundating homes,

hospitals, roads, railway tracks and the city’s airport.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted that he was “leaving for Chennai to take stock of the situation arising due to the devastating floods”.

Schools, colleges and factories are shut, exams postponed and power supply suspended in most parts of the city.

Authorities said all flights to and from Chennai have been cancelled as the city’s international airport will remain shut until Sunday.

A naval air base at Arakkonam, 70 kilometres (43 miles) from the Tamil Nadu state capital, will now be used as an alternative airport for relief operations. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Russia has set out to punish Turkey after it shot down a Russian warplane in Syria last week, imposing trade sanctions and releasing data it claims proves Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is involved in illegal oil deals with Islamic State.

The decision leaves Russian energy giant Gazprom with miles of pipes only useable in the Black Sea.

Industry sources said the pipes can only be used for projects in the Black Sea because of their specialised construction. Gazprom will now be forced to put the pipes in storage until tensions between Moscow and Turkey subside.

Gazprom was not available for comment. (Excerpt from Reuters)

friday, december 4, 2015|

Queenstown residents suffer millions in losses

– calling for compensation

BY INDRAWATTIE NATRAM

Residents living in Queenstown area Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are counting losses as their lands are inundated with water. Many residents have lost kitchen gardens and poultry due to the excessive water. They are blaming the Region Two Administration for negligence and calling for compensation, stating that the flooding could have been avoided if the regional officers had acted on complaints made by residents earlier.

When Guyana Times visited the area early Wednesday morning residents were seen bailing water from their premises and removing their pigs, live-

stock, etc to higher ground.

According to spokesperson of the community Mentis Cromwell, the situation could have been avoided if the outfalls at La Union and Capoey were cleared. He said “rain or no rain” the area is experiencing high water in the canals and trenches due to poor drainage and irrigation, adding that the problem is compounded by nonfunctioning sluices and pumps.

Cromwell said that during the dry weather period he along with other residents made complaints about the situation to regional officials. After the complaints were made the administration mobilised a pump but despite the pump the water remained high as the outfalls need cleaning

and digging.

“Residents feel that the drainage system is being sabotaged, I get to understand that the La Union pump is down. Why aren’t the officials having the interest of the people? My plants in the kitchen garden are under water, this is nonsense” Cromwell exclaimed.

Residents counting losses in $$$

According to Eric John, another flood affected resident, this is the fourth time the area is flooded for 2015.

“We does get flooding in June/July, never in December; rain or no rain

will have a very negative effect on the crop as the seedlings are floating. Residents said they are calling for full compensation for their losses as their livelihoods have been affected.

Clement Paul said his rice lands are under water and many of his livestock had died due to water in his yard. Like Paul, Elon Sample is also calling for compensation as over 20 of his ducks have died. Sample said:”The ducks cetchin cramp and dying; the chicken getting sick; I lost 20; this is not good at all. I invested in the business so I could get money for Christmas, now

the water in the trenches rising; there need to be clearing of the outfalls” John fretted.

Several rice lands that have been prepared by farmers are under water. This

the water destroying everything” Sample bemoaned.

Another flood-affected resident Moris Walcott said the situation is like “Square peg in round hole”; noting that regional officials are

aware of the nonfunctioning sluices and clogged outfalls but yet nothing is being done.

Walcott explained that the Region Two Administration had mobilised two pumps in the area, one for the Affiance area and the other at Capoey/ Queenstown. Walcott said the pump at Queenstown is too small and as such it does not have the capacity to pump sufficient water:

“What they doing is pointless, that pump too small; we need a bigger pump to move the water off the land; the administration has a lot of incompetent staff.”

Meanwhile, Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt who was asked for a comment on the situation, as residents claimed they

had visited his office, said he reported all residents’ complaints via an email on 18 November, 2015 and the onus is now on the Regional Executive Officer Rupert Hopkinson to follow-up with engineers.

Ramdatt said Regional Vice Chairman Nandranie Coonjah, REO Hopkinson, and himself had visited the area recently and observed that numerous drainage trenches are in need of cleaning and desilting, various outfalls are silted up, excavators are dormant and need repairs.

Ramdatt claimed he also cautioned the REO that if necessary clearing and desilting are not done in a timely manner then several other villages along the Coast will experience flooding.

Region 6 RDC urges Govt not to disband Stray Catchers Association

– “Just like how the rice farmers would look after his crop, also the cattle farmers have an obligation to look after the interest of animals” – Armogan

Government is being asked to review its stance of roaming street animals and to acknowledge that both cattle and rice farmers must coexist. Chairman of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne)

David Armogan made the call on Thursday at a Regional Democratic Council (RDC) meeting in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

Armogan was at the time addressing concerns raised by the RDC over the slothfulness of the Ministry of Communities in addressing the employment of pound staff for the 52/74 Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC). He said the Stray Catchers Association (SCA) was formed to ensure that persons who have animals take care of them. The objective of the SCA was not to prevent farmers from rearing cattle, sheep and goats, but rather to ensure that it is done in an orderly way. “Just like how the rice farmers would look after hi crop, also the cattle farmers have an obligation to look after the interest of animals. We don’t want one to be de-

stroying the other and that is the reason that the Stray Catchers Association is put in place.”

Armogan’s comments came after a heated debate by Regional Councillors over recent statements coming from the coalition Government that it was going to disband the SCA. According to Armogan, if that happens, some who rear cattle might take advantage of the situation and allow their animals to roam the roadways, much to the disadvantage to citizens. “Whereas

before, with the law and the fact that there were persons who were looking to get them off of the road, persons were hesitant to allow their animals to roam.”

The Chairman said following Government’s decision, it is hoped that animal owners will act in a more responsibility manner.

Earlier, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Councilor Zamal Hussain pointed out to the RDC that the Ministry of Communities should be ful-

ly equipped to quickly handle employment issues as they relate to NDCs. “I see that they break up a couple of Ministries and form the Ministry of Communities and we paying Ministers in that Ministry with tax payers money and they can’t function to employ a simple pound attendant. I also think that the Public Security Minister [Khemraj Ramjattan] should try to ensure that the stray catcher operation should stay. What they are planning is a very bad thing and we should

condemn this. This thing was of great assistance to the drivers on the road…”

A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition Councillor Samuel Fraser argued that the new Government is trying to make an equal playing field for both cattle and rice farmers. According to him, prior to the May 11 General Election, when the coalition as campaigning, one cattle owner complained that in the 52/74 area, there was no pasture for grazing animals. “One cow in the pound is a lot of money. There are times when these people have to sell cows to take out cows from the pound. Why should you put pressure on those people? We have to find ways of assisting them to get the cattle off the road, I am not saying that is it something good,” Fraser argued. However, no sooner than he took his seat, PPP/C Councillor Lloyd Douglas pointed out that there is a cattle pasture in the 52/74 area and one in the Skeldon community. Both, he said, were situated in the backlands.

“There are thousands of acres in that zone. Cattle farmers need to take their cattle there and not in residential areas. The cattle at 52/74 presently, they are damaging the infrastructure...” Douglas said. He added that he was not supporting Fraser and called on Government to take the necessary action to have the recommendations for persons to be employed with the 52/74 animal pound.

Hussain called on Government to exercise caution as to how it proceeds with the issue, noting that there has been the loss of lives at the expense of cattle.

On November 15, this publication reported that a Berbice teenager was killed on the Number 19 Highway, East Coast Berbice, after he rode his motorcycle into a cow. According to the Guyana Times report, Romaine Behari, 18, Lot 679 Ordnance Fort Lands Housing Scheme, Canje and his cousin Budram Rampertab also called “Ryan”, the pillion rider, were on their way home from work when they collided with a roaming animal.

In less than 48 hours, the York College Performing Arts Centre will be filled to capacity as the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabah presents its theatrical spectacular, Naya Zamana to the Diaspora. The show is set for tomorrow evening.

It will be the first time the production is taken out of Guyana after 20 years of success and from all

Ibuzzing on December 8 when the lead sing er of Kes the Band takes centre stage for another live per formance.

action last August during his perfor mance of ‘Endless Summer’ and be sure to note that the “Wotless” sing er will be rocking the house down next Wednesday, all complements of Heineken Beer. for sever al hits such as “Wotless”, “Three Bald Heads and a Dread”, “Stereo Type” and “Endless Summer” among others, Kees is excited and ready to take his fans to anoth

indications; the New Yorkers are taking full advantage.

Tickets are going fast and the venue is being decorated to have the full effect of a Guyanese production. The main characters for the show have started to arrive in the US and the set is being installed.

The audience will be mesmerised as the dance drama su-

perbly fuses the best of Bollywood and Broadway, creating a showstopping spectacle which takes your breath away. The show will take the audience on a non-stop journey of music, song, dance and drama in a gripping story set on a cruise ship.

Two stops at scenic destinations around the world give the audience a chance to go on a whirl-

wind tour with the characters.

This production gives the audience the opportunity to participate in the plots, the entertainment and yes, to travel vicariously.

Music generously interspersed throughout Naya Zamana will take all back and forth through the ages. This cutting edge choreography is brought to life by the 20-member cast coming from

Naya Zamana will see hundreds of glamorous costumes, artistic sets and props perfectly complement this much anticipated production which will definitely leave theatre goers wanting more. Tickets for the production cost US$50 for VIP reserved seating and US$30 for general seating.

er level, perhaps even giving them a sneak

sions and one must say that he has lived up to his fan’s expectations. Now, come Wednesday, December 8, patrons can expect the same vibes

You do not want to miss out on the action, so make sure you get those tickets early and have a blast. Also adding some vibes to the evening will be Deejay Blaxxbee and Shizzle. There will also be Heineken Bucket specials all

Tickets for the event cost $2000 and can only be picked up at Gravity Lounge.

Miss Guyana Universe, 25-year-old Shauna Ramdyhan has departed Guyana to compete in the Miss Universe Pageant slated for Las Vegas, USA on December 20.

The Foreign Service Officer at the Foreign Affairs Ministry is presently in Las Vegas and is in full pageant mode, with eyes set on the Miss Universe title.

During her stay in Las Vegas, the Guyanese beauty will be clashing head on in several competitions such as swimwear, evening gown, talent, intelligence and others.

She is expected to do well among her colleagues since she is fluent in Chinese Mandarin and has some command of Spanish, French and Arabic.

Guyana Times Entertainment understands that her swimsuit is designed my Guyanese designer Derek Moore while her evening gown will be designed by Randy Madray.

In addition, Roger Gary will be designing the National Costume which she will be showcased at a preliminary competition. Ramdyhan was crowned Miss Guyana Universe about three weeks ago after outshining eight other delegates at the Princess Hotel Ball Room.

After the local pageant, the delegate had limited time to prepare for the international pageant which is considered a disadvantage, since all the other delegates were selected by their individual countries months ago.

The artistes have started to arrive for the once in a lifetime concert titled “Night of the Stars” billed for the Giftland Mall tomorrow evening.

The Bollywood stars are expected to make several televisions and radio appearances. The tickets for the event have been going like hotcakes and from

feedback received, security at the venue will be tight. Promoters are encouraging all to be early and not miss out on the fabulous performances that are planned to satisfy the patrons.

Those slated to perform at the event are Preity Zinta, who is known for her dynamic role played in the movies Kya Kehna and

Eighteen-year-old Matthew Vieira is one of Guyana’s youngest riders and is a member of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC).

This talented young man is the eldest son of Mark and Sadika Vieira and the brother of two siblings. The young Vieira attended the School of the Nations where he wrote his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and was successful in several subject areas.

He grew up in Bel Air Park,

Soldier among others; Sriti Jha, known for her movie Dhoom Machaao Dhoom; and Gurmeet Choudhary, who is popularly known for his role in Punar Vivah as “Yash Sindhia”.

In addition to the already high level cast will be Shakti Mohan, the winner of Zee TV’s dance reality show Dance India Dance season 2; Shabbir Ahluwalia from

the Soap Operas, “Kahiin to Hoga” and “Milind Mishra” and Shibani Kashyap, an India singer.

Just a reminder, general admission tickets cost $4000 while the VIP tickets will cost $10,000.

Georgetown tickets are available at the Giftland Mall, Pattensen, East Coast Demerara; Survival Supermarket, Sheriff St,

Georgetown; Essential Care Pharmacy, Diamond, East Bank Demerara; Bhagwan’s, Water Street, Georgetown; Dilip Variety Store, Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown; and M&M Snackette, Demerara Harbour Bridge.

For those in Berbice, tickets can be uplifted at Nand Persaud (Corriverton), Imran and Sons, Hamid’s,

J’s Supermarket, and A Ally and Sons. Tickets on the West Coast are available at R Mohan, Vreed-En-hoop and R Tularam. Essequibians can purchase their tickets at Jaigobin and Bulkan, Parika Junction. The show is promoted by NEXGEN Global Promotions and Stars Entertainment.

Georgetown, and moved to Rahaman’s Park where he lives presently with his relatives. He described his childhood as awe some and praised his parents for his stern upbringing.

Matthew remembers being a pro at badminton but when he is not playing the sport, he is hooked to video games, as any teenager would be. He got involved in mo tor racing at a tender age after he was motivated by his father who is an ace rider/driver and his cousin Stephen Vieira who also rides the super bikes excellently.

By 13, this ‘small’ young man started to do ‘big’ things and found himself at the GMR&SC tracks riding his bike and trying to chal lenge his father and cousin. From then on, he mastered his riding capabilities and was able to move full steam ahead.

Thus far, he has participated in several races and is Guyana’s reigning Superbike Champion after the 2015 Caribbean Motor Racing Championship held in November last at the South Dakota Circuit, Timehri, East Bank Demerara.

With a little grin, he related that he is happy that he never se

out of trouble and thinks that the youth in today’s society can do same if they keep themselves occupied in co-curricular activities.

“What kept me out of trouble was doing the things I love to do… I played badminton, squash and a few other sports and along with school I didn’t really have any idle time, so basically idle time is the problem… I also think circumstances lead young people to be wayward”.

As a professional biker, he advises those who want to become a career motor racer to have a ‘Plan B’. In case motor racing doesn’t work out, he thinks being a professional is what matters. He also advises them not to rush into the sport but if they were serious, he encouraged them to visit the GMR&SC Go-kart tracks and do some training since it helps in many ways.

Matthew, who says his favourite colour is red, added “I think I liked it because most of my dad’s race cars were red...” chuckling after. His favourite food is steak and fettuccine – a dish he can have every day. This gracious young praises his mom’s cooking, arguing she is an amazing cook.

With just 21 days before Christmas, entertainment groups are already making major plans for the season, one that will be memorable.

On Christmas Day, one is expected to stay at home and celebrate with their love ones but come Boxing Day, it will be mad vibes.

This year, Westsiderz Entertainment will be hosting a massive event at the Joe Vieira Park, which will see live performances by local artistes, a vehicle sound off competition and a sound off among the best music system on the West side.

On Boxing Night get ready to

be a part of the event that is expected to be grand. Already in the lineup to perform are Prince JP, Aamir Khan, Bunty Singh, Lil Million, Lyrical Fyah and Jory.

With respect to the Sound Clash, those vying for supremacy are Slingerz Family, Big Life Sound, 71 Sounds, Ramping Vybez, Lexxus Blingerz and Power Sonic.

Tickets for the event cost $1000 in advance and are available from Saturday but patrons will pay more at the gate on the night of the show. Gates open from 14:00h. The event is sponsored by STAG Beer and Sky Vodka.

However, the vehicle sound off will see Trans, Red Jet, Deals on Electronic, Call of Duty, Star Cars, Joker and Batman competing for the prizes for most powerful sound, cleanest sound and many more. Apart from the ‘Big People’ session, there will be a Kids Zone with several games and attractions for the little ones.

The Euphoria Dance Crew is a group of dancers that specialie majorly in the hip hop aspect of dance. Other dance styles include African, soca, interpretive, dancehall, etc.

The word euphoria is defined as a feeling of excitement and happiness, hence the name Euphoria Dance Crew because this is the feeling each of the dancers get whenever they dance. In addition, they always enjoy making people happy and get very excited whenever they dance.

The group was formed approximately three years ago by five members –Jemal Ellis, Carlus Persaud, Seon Douglas, and Kevon and Yannick Collins.

Over the past three

years, two members took a different path in life to further their studies and focus on work, but the group will always remain and have a strong friendship and bond with them.

Presently there are four main dancers in the group namely, Jemal Ellis, James Lamonga, Yannick Collins and Carlus Persaud. They also had a few new faces who were eager to be a part of the group but sadly, they could not keep up with the vigorous routines. However, Nemeil Anthony Wilson is the most recent member of the group and has been showing some improvements as the days go by.

What makes this group unique is the fact that they

part take in different dance styles. Each of the main dancers specialises in various aspects of hip hop. Collins, a hip hop dancer, specialises in the art of break dancing.

This style of dance involves a lot of strength, style and rhythm. The founder, Jemal Ellis, specialises in krump dancing and is also the lead choreographer in the group.

His style of dance utilises aggression as well as character, where as Persaud is a turf dancer, a technique that involves flexibility and creativity. The two main aspects of this dance routine are connections and arm contortions.

On the other hand, Lamonga is the popper of

the group. His dance style requires precision and musicality.

These many different dance styles give the group a unique touch. Euphoria Dance Crew’s motive is to mainly spread hip hop dancing in the Caribbean, but more specifically in Guyana, and make it something that is respected by society. More so, the Crew’s mission is to allow young and talented people to feel comfortable and be encouraged to pursue a career in dance.

The group wishes to someday have its own dance company, where it can help develop other young individual to be better dancers and promote dancing in the country.

The rush is on for tickets for to the live performance by Trinidad’s Queen of Bacchanal Destra Garcia, set for Palm Court on Saturday, December

The event ti tled “the 12th Day of Bacchanal” will be held at the premier party spot locat ed on Main Street, Georgetown.

The general ad mission tickets cost $3000 while the VIP tickets cost $5000. Patrons are encouraged to come wine, gyrate, jump and wave on both floors of the venue to the best hits of the soca queen that will definitely leave you dripping wet.

All ar rangements are in place to ac commodate more than 2000 pa trons. More so, fi- nal work is being done to erect a stage.

Destra, who is known for her high-energy perfor - mances, harmonious vocal skills and eccentric fashion style, will leave her fans breath less. The last time the soca queen was in Guyana was at the Hits and Jams Water World and without a doubt, she was fantastic.

Performing one of the best soca tunes “Lucy”, the Trinidadian artiste is bound to create a whirlwind on the night of December 12.

Patrons will also be lucky to hear her perform “It’s Carnival”, “Las Lap”, “Soca or Die”, “Sign”, “Situation”, “We Luv Carnival” and the most popular song of her 2007 releases, “I Dare You”.

Tickets are available at Palm Court, Main Street, Georgetown. Gates open at

Rahane steers India after Piedt four-for

Considering they were effectively operating with a three-man attack, South Africa did incredibly well to take seven wickets on a pitch that was better for batting than the one in Nagpur. However, the surface was not docile enough to afford India the luxury of facing an inept fourth bowler, and the lack of support for South Africa’s frontline meant the batsmen could score freely when the first-choice bowlers were taken off or were tiring.

India ended the day on 231 for 7, the highest total of the series, but they might have struggled to make 200 had Imran Tahir not been in awful form. The two new bowlers in South Africa’s XI, offspinner Dane Piedt and seamer Kyle Abbott, were incisive and displayed impressive stamina, taking four and three wickets apiece, and though Morne Morkel did not strike he offered control. Tahir, however, was bowled for only seven overs on the first day because he conceded 36 runs, serving up a buffet of full tosses and longhops. The real damage to South Africa was in the

overs Tahir could not bowl, because the rest were less threatening to face and easier to score off as they tired: Piedt bowled 34 overs, Morkel 17, and Abbott 17 for only 23 runs.

The only Indian batsman good enough to battle through the hard periods and cash in on the good times was Ajinkya Rahane, who achieved his maiden half-century in India in his seventh innings and was approaching a fifth Test hundred, when bad light ended play six overs before stumps. His brisk partnership of 70 with Virat Kohli

steadied India after a toporder wobble, and his rearguard stands with Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin ensured India survived the day. A first-innings total of 250 will prove challenging on this surface, especially if a team has four reliable bowlers to defend it.

Batting was difficult in the morning, when the ball was new and there was some moisture in the pitch, but Shikhar Dhawan managed to anchor India through the first session for the loss of only one wicket. He took 18 balls to score his first run. India scored only

6 in the first 30 minutes, and 16 in the first hour.

Abbott had figures of 8-3-11-0 in his first spell; the variable bounce made facing him trickier. One good-length ball to Dhawan passed the off stump a little above the knee. Another short-of-a-length delivery climbed on M Vijay and was collected by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas at head height, but the ball immediately after kept low, forcing a crouching defence from the batsman. Vijay was later smashed on the right elbow by one that rose from a length, and wrung his hand in pain.

Abbott had Vijay caught at slip in the 12th over but he had over-stepped, his foot erring by the smallest of margins. Vijay scored only two more runs, though, before he nicked a delivery from Piedt that drifted away from him but did not spin, to Hashim Amla at first slip.

In the third over after lunch, Piedt broke Dhawan’s resistance with a classic one-two combo. The first ball drew Dhawan forward and spun away from the left-hander from around the wicket, passing

the outside edge. The next delivery slid on with the arm, beating Dhawan’s inside edge as he played for the turn, trapping him lbw. Abbott then found the gap between Pujara’s bat and pad, the delivery angling in to uproot off stump after grazing the inside edge. India had gone from 60 for 1 to 66 for 3.

In the middle period of the second session, however, Rahane and Kohli batted superbly, putting away loose deliveries and taking frequent singles to ensure pressure did not build. Their 50-run partnership came off 67 deliveries and

they looked set to cash in on South Africa’s weak support bowlers, when Kohli suffered a freak dismissal. Kohli slog-swept Piedt, making clean contact. Instead of racing to the boundary, though, the ball thudded into the thigh of the fielder at short leg and lobbed back up towards the pitch. The wicketkeeper Dane Vilas reacted quickly and dived forward, taking the catch at full length and ensuring that Temba Bavuma, who was hopping about in pain, had something to celebrate. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

South American football bosses charged in latest FIFA graft probe

Football bosses from across South and Central America were among 16 people charged on Thursday with multimillion-dollar bribery schemes for marketing and broadcast rights, in a dismantling of a Latin American football network by U.S. prosecutors.

Court documents showed that the heads of the CONMEBOL and CONCACAF associations that run football in the Western Hemisphere and others with top jobs in the world governing body FIFA were charged along with current and former chiefs of the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF), which hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.

A former president of Honduras, Rafael Callejas, and a judge on Guatemala’s constitutional court, Héctor Trujillo, were named in the indictment. A source in the court said Trujillo was on vacation in the United States. Callejas, also a former Honduran football federation chief, said he was ready to defend himself in court.

CONCACAF acting president Alfredo Hawit of

Honduras, a vice president of FIFA, and CONMEBOL head Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay were arrested in a pre-dawn raid by Swiss police at a hotel in Zurich near the headquarters of FIFA, which has been in turmoil since a first round of indictments and arrests last May.

Hawit was appointed by the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football to replace Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands who was himself arrested in Zurich in May. Webb, a former FIFA vice president, pleaded guilty last month to racketeering and other charges and agreed to forfeit $7.6 million, prosecutors said on Thursday.

A total of eight people had agreed to plead guilty since May, U.S. authorities said, pointing to progress in the investigation.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said at a news conference in Washington that corruption had become deeply ingrained in the business of football. Singling out Guatemala’s Trujillo, she said he was “purportedly dispens-

ing justice by day while allegedly soliciting bribes and selling his influence within FIFA.”

She said “the betrayal of trust that is set forth here is truly outrageous, and the scale of corruption alleged herein is unconscionable.”

For others who remain “in the shadows” of football, Lynch said, the message is: “You will not wait us out, and you will not escape our focus.”

The United States is a member of CONCACAF and it was a longtime American football official, Chuck Blazer, who became an important cooperating witness after secret-

ly pleading guilty in 2013 to criminal charges. Blazer was once CONCACAF general secretary and a former FIFA executive committee member.

The United States Soccer Federation said in a statement on the new charges that its hosting of the 2016 Copa America Centenario tournament would go ahead as planned. It said a committee created to govern the tournament “does not include these individuals and they were never in a position to make decisions that would adversely impact” the competition.

The new indictment identified Brazil Football Confederation chief Marco Polo del Nero and former CBF head Ricardo Teixeira in the list of defendants, both former FIFA executive committee members. Teixeira is the former son-in-law of longtime FIFA president Joao Havelange. In 2012, Swiss prosecutors said Teixeira and Havelange took millions of dollars in bribes in the awarding of marketing rights for World Cup finals tournaments.

The Justice Department said that the new charges bring the total number of people and entities charged to 41. The football officials were charged with running schemes designed to solicit and receive more than $200 million in bribes and kickbacks to sell media and marketing rights for football tournaments and matches.

Ironically, a FIFA executive committee approval of a package of reforms in Zurich to clean up the scandalized organization was overshadowed by the arrests and new charges.

The former head of

Panama’s federation, Ariel Alvarado, was among those charged, according to the indictment, as was Reynaldo Vasquez, former football federation president of El Salvador. Alvarado served on the executive committee of CONCACAF and on FIFA’s disciplinary committee.

Argentine nationals Jose Luis Meiszner and Eduardo Deluca, current and former secretary generals of South America’s confederation, were also charged, along with officials from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia’s Romer Osuna, member of the FIFA audit and compliance panel and former CONMEBOL treasurer.

CONMEBOL said it would “continue co-operating at all times with the investigation of authorities, and will continue deepening administrative reforms...”

In a similar statement, CONCACAF said the developments strengthened its “resolve in continuing to enact significant structural and governance changes...”

FIFA said it would continue to cooperate fully with U.S. and Swiss justice authorities.

(Reuters Sport)

YELLOW PAGES

World Cup could grow to 40 teams

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ifa has delayed a decision on whether to expand the World Cup to 40 teams, proposed as part of a package of reforms approved on Thursday.

The executive committee voted to get more women involved in decisionmaking, put term limits on senior officials, and publish their salaries.

Football’s world governing body wants to be seen as “modern, trusted and professional” by December 2018.

But changing the World Cup format has been deferred pending a further study.

A proposed move to include 40 teams in the tournament from 2026 - up from the 32 that have taken part since 1998 - has been supported by Asia and African members.

However, a number of

executive committee members, including England’s David Gill, insisted the administration needed to provide a detailed report into the commercial and footballing implications before final approval is given.

What did Fifa propose to change?

Since scandal engulfed Fifa in May, when seven of its officials were arrested, it has come under scrutiny, with sponsors pressing for a change in culture.

Thursday’s meeting of the organisation’s executive committee - which was preceded by the arrests of

two Fifa vice-presidentsoutlined measures it hopes will restore its integrity by December 2018.

The proposals must be ratified by 209 member associations in February.

A timetable has been set for implementing the changes, which include:

* The executive committee will be replaced by a new council which will clearly separate political and management tasks.

* Senior officials will now only be allowed to serve a maximum of 12 years.

* There will be stringent integrity checks in place for individuals on standing committees

* A minimum of six women - up from one at present - will be able to be elected to the Fifa council

* The salaries of the Fifa president and senior officials will be made public. (BBC Sport)

No Windies player in ICC squads

Not a single West Indies player has made it into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test or oneday international team-ofthe-year for 2015.

Players from five nations comprise the Test side while those from seven nations make up the one-day side, but no player from the Caribbean has found favour with the selection panel headed by legendary former India spinner, Anil Kumble.

West Indies languish at number eight in the ICC Test rankings and number nine in the ODI tables. Significantly also, there are no West Indies players in the top 10 of either the Test or ODI player batting rankings.

Discarded veteran lefthander Shiv Chanderpaul is the highest ranked West

Indies Test batsman at 14th, while fast bowler Kemar Roach lies 15th in the bowling rankings.

In ODIs, West Indies batsmen do not feature inside the top 30, with strokemaker Marlon Samuels the highest ranked at 33rd.

Ironically, off-spinner Sunil Narine tops the ODI bowling rankings, but was on Sunday banned from bowling by the ICC because of an illegal action.

Kumble said selecting the 12-man squad had been a difficult task for the panel.

“Team selection is one of the toughest jobs, and when you have a large pool of outstanding players to select from in a 12-month period then it becomes even more difficult,” he said.

“Testament to the quality of cricket played is the calibre of players to have missed out on selection. While selecting these squads, the selectors considered various combinations and took into account several factors in overall performances.”

England’s Alistair Cook leads the Test team that includes teammate and world

Sarfraz Ahmed and leg-spinner Yasir Shahwere also included.

The one-day line-up, meanwhile, is captained by South Africa’s AB de Villiers, who has made the squad for the fourth time in five years and joins fellow countrymen Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir as the three Proteas players in the side.

Bangladesh’s 20-yearold left-arm pace bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, was named in the squad, becoming the first ever player from that country to be selected in an ICC one-day team-of-the-year. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Pink ball Tests can boost region – Walsh

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est Indies legend Courtney Walsh believes the pink ball is the future of Test cricket and could work wonders in the Caribbean.

The Jamaica icon is with the West Indies team as ‘selector on tour’ for the upcoming three-Test series starting here next week and caught a glimpse of the first Test under lights between Australia and New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval last week.

“I was very impressed with the Test under lights. It looked like a wonderful occasion,” said Walsh, who grabbed a West Indies record 519 wickets in 132 Tests.

“I would love to see that happen in the West Indies. For us, because of the work and the economy, we might get more support to come and watch cricket at night. I’d love to see them give it a try.”

None of the Windies upcoming Tests against the Aussies for the Frank Worrell Trophy will be played under lights, however.

The opening game is set for the Blundstone Arena in Hobart, while

will

Sydney’s famous Sydney Cricket Ground will host the third and final Test in the New Year.

Australia won the historic game at Adelaide, sneaking home by three wickets in a low-scoring contest that finished within three days, and Walsh said he was impressed with the encouragement given to bowlers.

“I’m just happy to see what’s happening with the pink ball. It was good to see a contest between bat and ball that’s a little bit more even, not just a flat placid wicket where the batsman dominates and the bowlers have to toil hard,” Walsh said.

“There was something for the bowlers in every session. For me, that’s a good even contest. It’s good to see they had something to do.”

Walsh is rated as one of the greatest cricketers of all time and is a member of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. In an illustrious career, the former Test captain also took 227 wickets in 205 one-dayers in a career spanning from 1984 to 2001.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

Mills sees future for Elite League in Guyana

By Akeem Greene

The nature of Elite League football requires enormous financial and infrastructural support for it to be sustained.

Newly elected President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde, in his assessment of the Stag Elite League, questioned the sustainability of Elite Clubs, as he alluded to the financial burden it can have on them.

Adding his voice to the issue, Mills posited that League has done well and it can be sustained. “In Guyana we are not accustomed to players being paid; maybe only Alpha and Slingerz have that ability to pay, so it does put pressure on clubs”. Mills said.

For Leagues of this magnitude to be sustained, some governmental and corporate support is needed. Mills is of the view that government support will show how committed the administration of the day is to the sport. “The standard will raise if we have the government and corporate Guyana coming on board. If governments come on board, they will show they are committed to making sure the sports develop in the country”.

The Golden Jaguars player, who also is a youth

coach, was in high praise of the league as he is of the views that “it allows youths to see their local football heroes in action and it can inspire them to play more football”. The league has been a major turning point in local football, as it has toured between Berbice, Georgetown and West Coast Demerara: has attracted large crowds. Mills was also extremely thankful for the support given by the Technical Director of the GFF

Considering this is the first lengthy league of its kind in Guyana, the fitness of players was being tested constantly, and Mills is expecting the second half of

the season to be much more competitive. “A lot of players are not accustomed to playing the length of the league, a lot of times we see players playing one or two games then getting injured. As the competition continued some higher levels of fitness were seen”. Mills said

Classical Genesis Final

In a game, fashioned with drama, Slingerz FC came from behind to secure the title by beating Alpha United 3-2 in the Genesis final on Sunday night at Leonora. “It was the best final we played in my opinion but we fought well, we came back late in the game, it just goes to show how much a fighting team we are”. The end score read 3-2 but it was a fitting finale. Locked at 2-2. Devon Millington header in the 91st gave them the hard fought victory which sent the capacity crowd into a frenzy.

Organizers of the league must be commended for a job well done as it has undoubtedly helped to raise the level of football and spark a greater interest of the sport in Guyana. Slingerz FC, currently hold a one point lead over second place Pele FC, will certainly start as favorites when the second half of the league begins in February.

National Darts Championships to start tomorrow

The Guyana Darts Association (GDA) will host its National Championships starting today at the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) sports hall on Quamina Street.

The tournament will be held for three days until December 6 and only players and teams registered and affiliated to the GDA can participate.

Seven categories will be con-

Sudesh Fitzgerald

tested at the Championships and defending champion Sudesh Fitzgerald will be the man to beat. Registration of teams and players will commence at 18:30h today.

The games to be contested are as follows: four-member team competition (a team can include men / women); Mixed Triples; Mixed Doubles; Women’s Doubles; Men’s Doubles; Women’s Singles and Men’s Singles.

Skeldon High win Berbice Inter-school chess

Underdogs Skeldon High School claimed first prize in the sixth edition of the Berbice Inter-School Chess Championship held recently at the JC Chandisingh Secondary in Berbice.

The winners edged out former champions Berbice

given the opportunity to host this year’s competition. He noted that sports played an important role in the activities of a school, inspiring students to do well, adding that the improved performance of Manchester Secondary in this year’s Caribbean

Organiser-Coordinator Raghunandan also had words of appreciation for Sherryann Felix, the mother of second-place individual winner Veral Felix, who escorted her son to Manchester Secondary. Their journey to the competition began the night

High School’s Team A, who had to settle for the second prize, after winning the inaugural Championship in 2010. The winning team comprised Safraz Esau, Orsino Moses, Ravin Hendricks and Dujohn Singh.

Darwin London of Berbice Educational Institute reclaimed the Individual Category’s top prize.

Veral Felix created history for his school, Orealla Secondary, by taking home the second prize in the Individual Category.

Vrymens Erven Secondary took the team category’s third prize, while the third-place individual award went to Rayon Clifford of JC Chandisingh Secondary.

Before the start of the one-day tournament, Headteacher of JC Chandisingh Secondary, Shon Leitch in welcoming the players, teachers and officials, expressed pleasure that his school was

Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations could be attributed, at least in part, to the Physical Education programme at the school.

OrganiserCoordinator Krishnanand Raghunandan, who is also an executive of the Guyana Chess Federation, noted that the school’s Physical Education Teacher Winston Profitt was instrumental in having the school host the competition this year.

He was also high in praise for the Department of Education, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), for its vital support towards the competition.

The Department has been standing all the expenses for refreshments and travel for students and teachers, since the inaugural Berbice Inter-School Chess Championship in 2010, which had been also hosted by JC Chandisingh Secondary.

before, when they left Orealla at 11 o’clock by boat.

Former University of Guyana student Steve Leung conducted the competition, which was played according to a knockout format. He was ably assisted by teachers Wayne de France, Dane Grimmond, Joseph Brijbilas, Winston Profitt, and Zahir Moakan. Trophies for this year’s competition were sponsored by Region Six Chairman David Armogan , V Ganesh Service Station, Tajpaul Ajodhea and Family, Malesha Mackoon, D Balram (Shane) and Bibi’s Travel Service. Dr Walter Singh, Dr Sherlock Rawana, and Anand Matadeen also supported the competition.

A total of 40 students from 11 schools (10 Secondary Schools and one primary) participated in this year’s Berbice Inter-School Chess Championship.

‘Blade Runner’ Pistorius found guilty...

Members of the ruling African National Congress party’s Women’s League welcomed the new ruling, dancing and singing outside the court. They have attended the court sessions since the trial began in solidarity with Steenkamp’s family and in support of women’s rights.

Pistorius had been meant to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest on his uncle’s property in a wealthy suburb of the capital Pretoria.

A new sentence for the Paralympic champion will be handed down at a later date. Pistorius is expected to remain on parole until then, unless a court rules otherwise, officials said. In their appeal, prosecutors argued that Pistorius should have been convict-

ed of murder for firing four shots through a locked toilet door. They said he intended to kill Steenkamp and that she had fled to the toilet during a row.

“This case involves a human tragedy of Shakespearean proportions,” Judge Eric Leach said as he read out the ruling.

“A young man overcomes huge physical disabilities to reach Olympian heights as an athlete. In doing so he becomes an international celebrity, he meets a young woman of great natural beauty and a successful model, romance blossoms, and then, ironically on Valentine’s Day, all is destroyed when he takes her life.”

Leach added that “as a matter of common sense, at

the time the fatal shots were fired the possibility of the death of a person behind the door was clearly an obvious result.”

Pistorius denies deliberately killing Steenkamp, saying he mistook her for an

intruder at his home.

The case has prompted a fierce debate in a country beset by high levels of violent crime. Some rights groups had said the white track star got preferential treatment.

Anneliese Burgess, the Pistorius family’s spokeswoman, said the family would wait for lawyers advice on what to do next.

Some legal experts said Pistorius’ lawyers could appeal the court’s ruling at the constitutional court, where they could argue that the heavy media coverage of his trial had infringed upon his right to a free trial. Others disagreed, saying Pistorius had received a fair trial and had been allowed to testify.

“It will be a long shot if they approach the constitutional court, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they do,”

Johannesburg-based lawyer and legal analyst Ulrich Roux said.

ERROR OF JUDGEMENT

At the original trial last year, Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled that the state had failed to prove intent or “dolus eventualis”, a legal concept that centres on a person being held responsible for the foreseeable consequences of their actions.

Judge Leach said Judge Masipa had erred in the application of the concept, however.

Dolus eventualis refers to whether a person foresees the possibility that his or her action will cause death but carries on regardless. Some legal experts were worried that the verdict by Judge Masipa could have set a bad legal precedent in a country

with one of the highest crime rates in the world.

Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated when he was a baby but who went on to become a global sporting hero, was not at the court session in Bloemfontein, some 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Johannesburg. Steenkamp’s mother June, who has said she does not want retribution, attended the court session. She shed tears as she left the court after the new judgement was handed down.

Barry Steenkamp, Reeva’s father, welcomed the new verdict.

“It’s a big relief. I feel it’s a fair decision that the judge gave,” Steenkamp said in a brief interview on local television station ANN7, before breaking down in tears.

(Reuters Sport)

GTT / Limacol Round Robin Knockout Tournament

Milerock have chance to make history, says Head Coach

Milerock’s Head Coach, Brian Joseph is confident ahead of Sunday’s Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT)/Limacol Round Robin Knockout Tournament final that will be played at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground.

Joseph noted that his squad will have the opportunity to craft a bit of history for the club. “We have a chance to write our little

history should we win on Sunday, because we’ve never won a tournament that involved teams from other associations,” Joseph noted.

While he did not want to share his strategies ahead of the game, he did mention that watching his opponents during the tournament has helped his squad prepare to produce possible victory.

Joseph said that the

team needed no further motivation, having to claw their way back into contention after losing their two opening games and to arrive where they are was enough inspiration to win.

He pointed to the prolific Clarence Huggins as the lynchpin in their quest for victory, but so too are Denzil Fordyce and Randy Jerome.

Jermaine Grandison and Akeem James will

Guyana/Antigua 4-game basketball series

Guyana sweep Antigua with 4th straight win

B y T reis T on J oseph

The national men’s basketball team completed a sweep of the Antiguan all-star team to win the four-game series between the two nations when the final game was played on Wednesday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The Guyanese made it four in a row against the Antiguans and while the previous three games were blowouts, the visitors put up a decent fight but eventually fell 71-69 to the Guyanese national squad.

Guyana’s points mostly

came from inside the paint as they made low-post scoring a priority during the match-up.

Guyana, already with a three-game advantage and the series already won, gave some of their young players the opportunity to play in the game, with top players such as Travis Burnett, Shelroy Thomas, Ryan Gullen and Jason Squires resting. Nevertheless, Guyana came up big to close out the game down the stretch, with Amoniki Archibald leading the way with 11 points. Akeem Kanhai and Shane Webster each had 10 points.

Marlon Charles was the high point man of the game with 19 points. Adisa Edwards had 10 points in the loss, and K Edwards contributed 18 points. Meanwhile, in the opening game, Marian Academy topped St Stanislaus College 68-60. Jordan Alphonso led Marian with 24 points, while Jonathan Mangra had 13 points.

Travis Belgrave was a scoring machine in the loss for St Stanislaus, dropping 32 points but nonetheless was unable to rescue his team.

Guinness Greatest of the Streets Georgetown leg

Defending champions North Ruimveldt through to final 8 – quarter-finals set for tonight

By TreisTon Joseph

Defending champions of the Georgetown leg of the Guinness Greatest of the Streets futsal tournament, North Ruimveldt advanced to the quarter-finals of the event on Wednesday evening at the National Cultural Centre tarmac in hope of defending their title in the final on December 12.

While North Ruimveldt played to a nil-all draw with West Back Road, they were able to pull off a 2-1 penalty kick win to advance.

The Upsetters were unable to upset East Front Road, losing 1-3 in the night’s opening match of Round of 16 action.

Dillion Kelly led the way for East with goals in the

eighth and 20th minutes, while Shaka Jones had a solo effort in the 17th minute.

Upsetters’ lone goal came from Lorenzo Dewsbury in the 18th minute.

North East La Penitence topped Stevedore Housing Scheme 1-0 in a close game that saw one goal from Gerald Gittens in the 14th minute.

Channel 9 Warriors also pulled off a 1-nil victory to advance to the quarter-finals in their debut season.

Joshua Fiffie was the scorer in the 24th minute of the game.

Back Circle registered the largest margin of victory in the night’s action with a 3-0 win over Jamoon Drive.

Andy Duke wasted little time in getting the ball

rolling, scoring 14 seconds into the match for Back Circle. Duke registered his second of the game in the 13th minute, while Devon Harris was the other scorer in the third minute.

West Front Road defeated newcomers Shopping Plaza 1-nil with a Michael Oie goal in the third minute of the match.

Meanwhile, in other results, Bent Street and Old School Ballers drew nil-all, while Sparta Boss drew 1-1 with Holmes Street Tiger Bay, but the former advanced via a 4-3 sudden death kick win.

Action in the tournament will continue this evening with action in the quarter-final round at the National Cultural Centre tarmac.

South Africa’s “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius was found guilty on Thursday of murdering his girlfriend, in an appeal court ruling that could see him sent back to prison for at least 15 years.

The Supreme Court upgraded the 29-year-old Paralympian’s sentence on appeal to murder from “culpable homicide”, South Africa’s equivalent of manslaughter, for which he had received a five-year sentence.

Pistorius was released from prison and placed under house arrest on Oct. 19, having spent one day less than a year behind bars for shooting dead model Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013, in a case that attracted worldwide interest and continues to fascinate and divide South Africa.