Guyana Times Daily - July 27, 2015

Hinds to surrender to police today

Indo-Guyanese victims of Govt’s "ethnic cleansing"

...NGOs, Human rights groups silent – ex-President Ramotar

The A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government is not yet 100 days old, but already Guyana is witnessing ominous signs of racial discrimination and victimisation that do not spell well for the future of the country.

Amid these disturbing and alarming actions being carried out by the Government, human rights groups, the international community and the religious community have all been studiously silent, passively watching the Administration continue to discriminate against professionals in the Public Sector.

These are the views ex-

pressed by former President Donald Ramotar, who, in a press statement, detailed the many instances where he claimed the Government demonstrated clear signs of dictatorship, and highlighted that the various stakeholder groups were deafeningly mum during it all.

“Not one word has been uttered by these organisations as the process of once more making the majority of people in this land secondclass citizens in their own country continue unabated and is being done boldly and unashamedly.

“This despicable act is occurring in the full presence of the diplomatic community, some of whom profess to be champions of human

rights. Today, they, too, are silent as the onslaught against Indo-Guyanese citizens is brazenly taking place.

“The United Nations, also, has many offices here in Guyana and they, too, have remained mum as this blatant discriminatory act continues. This body is supposed to be intolerant to any form of discrimination and should be the bulwark in defence of human rights.

“Another group that is being remarkably silent as the regime continues to purge the state apparatus of Indo-Guyanese is the religious community. These groups continue to pray for those in authority, even though it is clear that the Government is practising racial discrimination.”

“It is time to break the silence,” Ramotar said, as he urged the aforementioned organisations to speak out against the Government’s attack on the hardworking people of this nation, who, he indicated, invested heavily all their time and energy into shaping the economy into what it is today.

“It is time for them to break their silence. Is the talk of brotherhood of man mere words or do they really mean it? If they do, they should speak now before it is too late,” he penned in his statement.

Ethnic cleansing

Ramotar reiterated that the witch-hunt that is taking place in the various Government agencies is a form of ethnic cleansing as a vast majority of the persons sent on leave or being dismissed are IndoGuyanese or are regarded as supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

“They are being ‘discarded’ at a rapid pace. This campaign is being executed despite the fact that Indo-Guyanese have always been a minority in the public service,” he alarmingly stated, noting that it appeared that the APNU+AFC

Administration was attempting to denude the public service of Indo-Guyanese.

“The accusation of racial and political discrimination being levelled against the de facto regime by the PPP certainly bears much merit,” Ramotar insisted.

Further, he said the APNU/AFC regime seemed to be determined to turn back the hands of time to the Burnham days.

“During the Burnham period, it took much more time to make every Government institution an arm of the PNC [People’s National Congress]. Indeed, it took years and only accelerated after the 1973 rigged elections. Today, the Granger regime is trying to achieve this in less than 100 days,” Ramotar said.

Moreover, Ramotar said these brazen attacks were being executed even by the Guyana Police Force (GPF). He referred to the recent incident where five persons, all of Indo-Guyanese descent, were charged for drunk driving, citing it as a clear case of racial discrimination.

“It is clear that members of the Guyana Police Force, who work road patrols, recognising the attitude of the Central Government towards Indo-Guyanese employees, take that as carte blanche to target road users of Indian descent. This was a problem in the past, but now it appears that the Traffic Police, sensing the Granger Government’s position, is discriminating much more openly,” Ramotar stated.

In addition, Ramotar reminded that the attacks, discrimination and marginalisation of Indo-Guyanese by a previous PNC Government led to massive economic decline and eventually the impoverishment of almost all Guyanese and as such, “it is time” to stop all forms of racial and political discrimination in Guyana.

“Such policies will eventually lead to social and economic ruination,” he predicted.

monday, july 27, 2015

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, July 27 -14:00h-15:30h and Tuesday, July 28 – 14:30h-16:00h

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

Monday, July 27 – 12:55h-14:25h and Tuesday, July 28 – 14:00h-15:30h

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery to heavy showers can be expected throughout the morning and the afternoon. Thundery showers will continue throughout the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South-easterly to East North-easterly between 1.34 metre and 4.02 metres per second.

High Tide: 13:16h reaching a maximum height of 2.26 metres.

Low Tide: 06:44h and 19:08h reaching minimum heights of 0.89 metre and 0.94 metres respectively.

Hinds to surrender to police today

Self-confessed death squad member Sean Hinds is likely to turn himself in to law enforcement this morning, he revealed to Guyana Times in a telephone interview on Sunday, even as he fears that the execution of activist Courtney CrumEwing will be pinned on him.

He noted that his lawyer was out of the country, but would have met with him on Sunday evening when a decision was taken. In fact, Hinds noted that he was never contacted by the Guyana Police Force to turn himself in despite speaking to at least two senior ranks over the weekend.

Ever since Hinds came forward and alleged the involvement of several high-profile persons in connection with the execution of political activist and journalist Ronald Waddell, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had called for him to turn in himself so that he could assist with investigations into several other serious offences. These include, Guyana Times understands, the staking out of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s home.

However, Hinds has denied this, saying that at no point in time was he ever close to the PM’s residence.

“I don’t even know where the PM lives … and two weeks ago… if the presidential guards de see me, Bannas, believe me, they would ah done find me … they know where I live, they know all meh contacts and this new issue come a shocker to me and I must say that this is bare politics playing out.”

He said that the last time he was in the vicinity of Conversation Tree was about two weeks ago to purchase tyres for his

car and then again a few days ago to purchase another two tyres for his next vehicle. Those tyres were bought not far from the gas station on Sheriff Street, Greater Georgetown.

He further stated, “I never spoke to Nagamootoo while he was a PPP/C even before becoming Prime Minister and even after he was elected as PM … whenever he come to City Hall, he would say hi and right but that was it … when he wave his hands , is everybody acknowledged him… Why would I want to stalk his home?”

On Saturday, PM Nagamootoo had confirmed that security personnel attached to his residence noticed a strange car parked close to his house about two weeks ago, and when they approached the car, they recognised Hinds as one of the occupants. Before the guards could have got closer, the car sped away.

In response to statements that the Police had visited his homes, looking for him, Hinds stated that every day he would review his surveillance cameras and he had not seen any Police car or any vehicle that looked like a Police vehicle in front of his house.

A source had told the Guyana Times that the Police had visited four places of abode of Hinds and he was not found.

“I am willing to turn meh self in … I don’t want protection, I have been protecting meh self for the past 47 years, why would I want protection … Why would I call for amnesty, I haven’t done anything… I don’t want them to give me things that don’t belong to me, man … I had nothing to do with Crum-Ewing and I know is that they de want pin on me, that is why I went to the television station and made a statement.”

He admitted that he knew Crum-Ewing before he was killed. In fact, he stated that the now dead man was related to his wife and they met several times.

As he prepares to hand himself in, he has had a thorough medical checkup as a precautionary measure, claiming that anything is possible when someone is being questioned by the Police.

“They would want information and I know how the Police operate, they will squeeze you and want you to sign confession statements, but if they try anything, I not going down alone,” he added.

Hinds went on to say that he was willing to talk with anyone even the President of Guyana, David Granger and did admit that he expressed his intention to speak with Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. He is a little scared, however, since he believes that he might be the next target.

“Next thing you hear is that Sean Hinds dead … The way things popping up is like anything is possible… but I telling you that if [they] try to put away me in jail for something I

didn’t do… no matter how many years I spend, I will get them,” he stated.

Finally, Hinds stated that while sections of the media and society were putting a political twist on his involvement in the death squad, he received instructions from his boss at the time, Axel Williams and not Ronald Gajraj as he has been hearing of recent.

Waddell was gunned down in a hail of bullets outside his Subryanville home by several criminals in an incident that shocked the country and still today remains one of the unsolved murders that occurred following the 2002 jailbreak.

Hinds recently implicated Patrick Denny and former Assistant Police Commissioner Steve Merai in the execution, while claiming that he has evidence and footage to prove his account of what took place. Merai has since produced an alibi to show that he was elsewhere when Waddell was murdered.

Additionally, “Phantom Squad” member Seleyn Vaughn has given testimony in a US courtroom that a local drug lord had funded the execution which was done by other named individuals.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Political Pollution

In rather matter of fact tones, another section of the press reported that in 1964, the Venezuelan government sought clearance from the U.S. Government for a plan to support Burnham and D'Aguiar with a band of armed men to stage a coup against the Cheddi Jagan government. What is of even greater interest is that at the time, Britain was still ruled Guyana as a colony but evidently was not on the U.S.Venezuelan axis.

U.S. officials pointed out that they had their own plan of "elections under Proportional Representation", to oust the PPP - duly accomplished five months later in Dec 1964. Three years earlier, President John F. Kennedy had decided Jagan was a Russian fifth columnist and he would not accept "another Cuba in the hemisphere". The CIA- sponsored riots of Feb 16, 1962, which launched violent ethnic riots that segued into 1964, was only one arrow in the U.S. quiver: the Venezuelan motion to the UN General Assembly, also in Feb 1962, claiming that the border Arbitral Award of 1899 was fraudulent and void, was another.

Today, Guyana is still reaping the bitter harvest of these two arrows - but most analysts and politicians stubbornly refuse to factor them in their analyses and proposed solutions to our present political travails. While to the U.S. of 1962, the border controversy with Venezuela was just another option, it morphed into a nationalistic issue to the Venezuelans which none of their politicians can ignore. To our detriment.

Since Guyanese politics had already taken an ethnic turn by the 1961 elections, the U.S.-CIA sponsored destabilizing 1962-1964 riots inevitably were also channeled along those cleavages. While the British always used the police to protect colonial interests, when those interests supported "one side" in the 1960's the police also took an ethnic turn. In the 1960's, the police were fingered in several atrocities, notably in Mahaicony. The COI into the Wismar atrocities of 1964, denounced the police and Volunteer Force, who stood by as arson, rapes and robberies were committed. Janet Jagan resigned as the Minister of Home Affairs because of this indifference and the British Governor's refusal to sanction them.

Because of these inaugural distortions during our "independence era", our politics became polluted with the intervention of the police and military to a degree unmatched in the Commonwealth Caribbean. This pollution gave an edge of uncertainty and danger to political participation that was epitomized for the longest while by the assassination of several members of the Working People's Alliance, including its leading light Dr Walter Rodney in 1980.

By that time, the Police Force, as well as all the new military and paramilitary groups lumped as "the Disciplined Forces" all part of the apparatus of the People's National Congress (PNC), which explicitly declared that it was "paramount" over the government. It was generally accepted that the coercive arms of the state - primarily the GPF - were in dire need for reform and professionalization when the government changed hands in 1992 after the first "free and fair" elections in 28 years.

However, under a policy of "no discrimination, no victimisation, no recrimination” the new PPPC government eschewed the needed shakeup of the Police Force and in fact kept on one of the pillars of the old dispensation as the Police Commissioner. However, one of the major recommendations of the Constitutional Changes agreed to unanimously by the PPP and PNC in 2000, a "Disciplined Forces Commission" (DFC) was established in 2003 to consider reforming all the Disciplined Forces, especially to making them more representative of the ethnic composition of the populace.

The recent allegations by one self-proclaimed "police hitman" of the subversions of the police force into the present should remind the government that the 164 recommendations of the DFC must be implemented ASAP. Especially the one on their ethnic composition.

Hold referendum on constitutional amendments

Dear Editor,

The Chief Justice (ag) ruled that the 2001 amendments to the 1980 Constitution were unconstitutional because they were not approved in a referendum. Since the three parties approve of the amendments, then they should put it before the voters for approval. Politicians and some of their supporters seem opposed to a referendum, fearing rejection. There are those who argue that the 65 MPs are more powerful and more representative than the 500,000 voters. They also claim that the Parliament giving approval to amendments is more democratic than the electorate being given an opportunity to vote for the amendments.

However, the Constitution was the creation of the late dictator Forbes Burnham and was never approved by the nation in that fraudulent July 1978 referendum. Burnham always wanted to be an allpowerful Chief Executive and so the Constitution was constructed according to his dictates. Although Burnham died 30 years ago and although there were amendments to the Constitution, the original ideas and constructs remain “Burnhamite”. It is noted that some writers and sections of the media commonly refer to it as “Burnham’s Constitution”. Guyanese did not play any role in the drafting of the Constitution. There was no consultation

with the population in its drafting – no constitutional convention, no representatives of the people were consulted. It was never approved in a democratic and free and fair referendum as required by law. So it is Burnham’s creation, not the people’s. The Chief Justice made it clear that the people must give their assent to the Constitution to make it legitimate. What is wrong with that ruling to empower voters and strengthen democracy?

There are those who argue that the Constitution should not be called Burnham’s because it has been embraced by the political parties and that Burnham died 30 years ago. The parties don’t have a choice in the matter. It is the de facto constitution and since it was never challenged in a court, it is also de jure. If it is challenged in court and the court reverses its legitimacy as it did regarding the 2001 amendments, then we will have to return to the 1966 Constitution. It is never too late to challenge the legitimacy of the Burnham Constitution. But unlike other countries, Guyana lacks brave public interest lawyers who care for their nation and democracy.

There is hardly any Guyanese who is opposed to changing the Constitution because of the undemocratic manner in which it was foisted on the population and for its creation of an all-

powerful executive branch and a lack of balance of power with the other branches of Government and the people.

The political actors like the Constitution because it empowers them. The parties and/or their agents harbour the hope of ruling the country under the Burnham Constitution. They look forward to the opportunity to tower over the people. The people are opposed to the Constitution and want it replaced. They want an opportunity to be part of the process of constructing a Constitution that empowers them, not the politicians.

Those who argue that two-thirds (45 members) of the Assembly, acting as agents for the voting population, is supreme over 51 per cent of the people who elected them to make decisions are wrong.

Few politicians behave like true democrats, consulting with the people on any policy decision. They all have toed the party line for fear of losing parliamentary perks and, in fact, one of the amendments to the Constitution specifically prohibits voting against a party’s (whip) position. So they cannot exercise a vote of conscience and/or do what the people demand.

Two thirds or 45 MPs can never be more powerful than a majority of the electorate or 205,000 voters. As the original Greek democratic theorists, natural rights theorists, and modern-day democratic ad-

vocates would argue, direct democracy, where convenient and possible, is always superior to indirect democracy. The people are supreme over the assembly. In a small nation like Guyana, it is not inconvenient or difficult for a voting population of 500,000 to discuss and debate a Constitution and vote nay or yea.

If politicians are true practitioners of democracy, let the people decide on how they are to be governed since they were never asked for their approval of the Constitution concocted by Burnham.

Under our current crop of politicians and parties, it may never happen because our politicians are afraid that the people will do the right thing and reduce their powers. Am I the only democrat in Guyana and the Diaspora who is interested in empowering the Guyanese nation and reducing the powers of politicians? Is there not one decent lawyer willing to stake his reputation and challenge the legitimacy of the Burnham Constitution?

It is time that a serious effort be made by politicians to construct a new Constitution or place the Burnham Constitution before the population for a vote. If it loses in a referendum, then the nation should return to the independence Constitution.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Business owners have started to suffer Life matters

Dear Editor,

The small to medium businesses in Guyana are the bread and butter for a large number of the Guyanese population, either through employment or indirect circulation of money in the economy. These business owners have come to enjoy a standard of living and economic security over the past decade or so, but they are now struggling just to survive and that standard of life is quickly vanishing.

The Government is certainly in a dilemma, because anyone can see that if business is slow, fewer taxes will be collected. If the Government is not getting taxes, how can it increase salaries and decrease VAT?

It is important to note that this is not a PPP/C generated situation, since the business owners did not have

this issue during the PPP/C Government.

APNU made promises during the elections that it knew it couldn’t respect. This means that APNU has betrayed the public trust, which is the worst sin to commit in politics. The young man/woman who was able to get a loan to build a home and start a little business to make their mortgage comfortably is now looking down the barrel of the poverty line with no home to live in.

This is the APNU-led implosion which was mentioned during election time and this is just the beginning, of a series of events which will make businesses, especially small ones, suffer tremendously. It remains true that this Government is too caught up with revengeful propaganda at the expense of economic growth.

It is not showing signs of any economic prowess or vision.

APNU and its supporters have taken the position that no one should criticise them for anything, since they can justify their inaction and incompetence with the “PPP/C was worse” line, a line that is rooted in reactionary “schoolboy” behaviour that will bear no fruits for this country. Brothers and sisters, don’t forget that reactionary politics is the starting point for fascism.

Regardless of my position in politics and my objections to the electoral system, I am more concerned about my country’s development and safety. Therefore, for the sake of my countrymen and women, I would hope I am wrong and our economy may improve.

Malcolm Watkins

Bisram should inform Diaspora on Amerindian situation

Dear Editor,

I refer to a letter in the Guyana Times of Friday, July 24 captioned “Guyanese Diaspora disturbed by Govt findings” by one Vishnu Bisram.

It is important for the Guyanese Diaspora to know as well that Guyana’s Amerindians are also fired from their jobs based on political victimisation and witch-hunting by the APNU/AFC Government.

Quite recently, approximately 2000 young Amerindian Community Support Officers (CSOs) of 187 communities were fired from their Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme. They are now denied the opportunity to stay in their villages and contribute to its active development.

These young Amerindians are now unemployed and many had to go to Brazil to seek employment to fend for their families.

Further, some key staff members of the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry have also been abruptly dismissed from their jobs including the important Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) Project team leaving the Amerindian landtitling process at a virtual standstill.

The Indigenous People’s

Affairs Ministry is now packed with APNU/AFC cronies who know next to nothing about Amerindian issues and development.

So I am appealing to Vishnu Bisram to let the Guyanese Diaspora know that Guyana’s

Amerindians are also fired from their jobs as a result of political victimisation and witch-hunting by the APNU/AFC Government.

Yours faithfully, John Herman

Dear Editor, Guyanese lives matter. LIFE matters! It was the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr who said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Outside of natural death, no one deserves to die. When a person dies at the hands of another and that killer escapes accountability, it must not only matter to the grieving loved ones but to every Guyanese. We cannot, and must not, be silent in the midst of such tragedy.

The revelations by Sean Hinds about his alleged activities, alleged activities of State officials and the politically connected in determining who will die, how they will die and when they will die must raise the ire of the better angels within us. Earthly man is not possessing of the power to give life and correspondingly does not have the power to end life. The loved ones of Courtney Crum-Ewing, Ronald Waddell, Donna McKinnon, Satyadeow Sawh and countless others would want us to break our silence, come out in condemnation of the atrocities and call for justice to be served. The lives of their loved ones matter as much as those of our loved ones. No one, I repeat, no one, deserves the death our fallen brothers and sisters have met.

In a country where the law is supreme, the law must at all times take its course; however tempting it may be to engage in vigilante activities. Vigilante activities breed more vigilante activities, consum-

ing the innocent, bystanders, and entire society. No level-headed citizen can deny this country’s image has taken a beating on the global front; persons live in fear in their homes and on the streets; and our overseas loved ones shy away from visiting. Guyana is our home. This is not the image we want for her and the fear we want to live in. And since this is not what we want, we can only make the change by coming out of silence and letting the security forces and Government know life matters.

When life is threatened or taken by another, the world is robbed of its most vital resource. And while life cannot be reclaimed, justice can and must prevail for departed loved ones. Those who have information and have decided to share such, be it in the Police Station, at the television station or wherever, properly used, this can begin the process of healing, ensuring justice. Within recent days points of reference are being offered and the wheel of justice can start turning.

We are One People, One Nation, One Destiny. The alleged dividers of race and politics are immaterial to getting to the bottom of the lawlessness that shrouded this blessed land during the 2002-2006 crime sprees, in July 2012 and March 2015. The people of Linden/Region 10

continue to speak about their story of July 18, 2012 when, in standing up for their rights, many were injured and Shemroy Bouyea, Allan Lewis and Ron Somerset slaughtered. This tragedy was visited on the citizens by agents of the State on instruction by those elected to serve and appointed to serve and protect, some of whom were allegedly promoted and continue to wear the uniform of the State, being paid by those they violated.

Life is a right. According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the right to life “means that nobody – including the Government – can try to end your life. It also means that you have the right to be protected if your life is at risk. Similarly, public authorities should consider the right to life when making decisions that might put you in danger or which affect your life expectancy.” Those who have acted contrary to this directive, and aided and abetted others to act in like manner should be held accountable. There is no statute of limitation and for as long as it takes and irrespective of the hurdle, required to get there, justice must be served. And since departed loved ones cannot speak for themselves, we must speak for them. Life matters.

Sharma Solomon

Page Foundation

Teen moodiness: Is it normal or is it depression?

By Dr Joan Simeo munSon

Your teen prefers to sleep till 11:00h, is crabby when she wakes up, would rather talk to the dog than you, and isolates herself for hours at a time in her room, glued to her laptop. Is she depressed? Or just being a normal teenager?

It’s perfectly normal for teens to be moody, irritable, overly sensitive and withdrawn. After all, this is a developmental period where both their mind and body are growing rapidly. But, as a parent witnessing your teenager’s mood rapidly change throughout the week, day, or hour, it’s common to worry that they may be affected by depression.

Below are some clues that can help parents differentiate whether your teenager’s mood and behaviours are “normal,” or if your teen is in need of attention from a professional.

The signs parents need to look out for generally involve changes in mood or behaviour, or even physical changes, that suddenly show up and persist in your teen’s life.

Normal teenage moods and behaviours

Popular perception is that the teen years are fraught with continual angst and unhappiness –and this can certainly be true for many teenagers. But, teens who are not clinically depressed are able to

rise above moments of feeling fragile, blue, or helpless. They are able to bounce back after a day or so, calling on strengths such as their support network (one or two close friends, family, etc), an interest in outside activities, an ability to function well at school, or an overall positive sense of self.

What does teenage depression look like?

Depression in the teen years generally starts to show up around age 13 and then peaks between the ages of 16 into the early 20s. Identifying depression in young people can be difficult because there is a wide array of symptoms, which can be different from what we see in adults. The signs parents need to look out for generally involve changes in mood or behaviour, or even physical changes, that suddenly show up and persist in your teen’s life.

**Sleeping habits.** All of my teens would sleep until noon on the weekends if allowed, mainly because their school week is filled to the brim with homework, sports, and school activities. But if you notice that your child would rather hole up in bed for the day on the weekends, has irregular sleep patterns you

haven’t noticed before, or is taking an unusual number of naps, this could signal depression.

Using substances to self-medicate.** Some teens find that using drugs or alcohol helps to temporarily ease symptoms of depression, and the high they experience can become a

strong reinforcement to continue using. Certainly not all teens who use alcohol or drugs are depressed; but if you know your child is using any substances, check in to determine why. Alcohol and drug use have the potential to increase depression in both adults and teenagers alike.

Acting-out behaviours. There is a fine line between normal teenage acting out (back talk, challenging or breaking the rules, and being defiant) and the possibility that such behaviours are being caused by depression. Because the teenage brain isn’t yet fully developed, some children find that when they act out, they get a temporary release from the anxious and depressed feelings that accompany a depressive mood disorder.

One thing to keep in mind is not only how often your teen acts out, but how he or she responds when you consistently apply consequences. For example, if your daughter has an emotional outburst with tears, yelling and name calling, but is able to regain her composure after you’ve responded calmly and are able to discuss what is bothering her, she’s most likely exhibiting normal teenage angst (even if she explodes again the following week). However, if she acts out in a threatening manner, cannot calm herself, or you find she continues to act in a hopeless, reckless manner, then she may need to be screened for depression. Physical symptoms. Some teenage depression manifests through physical symptoms such as recurrent

stomachaches, headaches, chronic pain, or gastrointestinal distress. If your teen has ongoing medical problems with no apparent physical explanation, seeking professional help to rule out depression may be useful.

Social withdrawal. All teens isolate themselves occasionally, and most want time away from parents and siblings, but social withdrawal looks different. For instance, if your son was in the habit of meeting friends at the skateboard park twice a week, but now holes up in his room, this is something worth exploring with him. If his change of heart is due to a desire to change peer groups, or because this group of boys is engaging in risky behaviour, then he’s making a good choice. But if he’s withdrawing for no apparent reason, this could be a sign of depression.

Annoying behaviour isn’t necessarily depression

As parents of three teenagers, my husband and I find our house is filled with annoying behaviour, pretty much on a daily basis. This includes yelling (more them, less us); irritability (sometimes all of us!); mean and even spiteful behaviour directed at siblings; anger towards parents; a sense of hopelessness around a sporting event or a school project; and mood swings that can change from zero to sixty, depending on whether someone is getting what they want in the moment.

It’s easy, as a parent, to feel chronically overwhelmed by this rapid shifting of moods; and it’s even easier to wonder if there’s something more serious going on (after all, it all seems so irrational!). If one child tends to stir the pot more than the others, that may cause you to feel even more concerned. Keep in mind, though, that as long as your child is able to “bounce back” most days of the week, then their annoying behaviours don’t signify that they have a depressive disorder.

Whether your child is struggling with clinical depression or experiencing a rough patch in their development, as parents we need to be on alert to support our teen and determine what sort of help is needed. There are options available to help if depression strikes. Calling the paediatrician to see if they have recommendations for mental health workers that specialise in teenage depression is a good place to start.

The important thing to remember about adolescent depression is that this isn’t necessarily a lifelong diagnosis. If your teen is able to get treatment early, the likelihood is high that they will successfully get through this difficult stage in their development.

(Empoweringparents.com)

Crum-Ewing

investigation

As investigations continue into the murder of Courtney CrumEwing, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall’s bodyguard, Rajput Narine, who was implicated in the killing, was released by Police on Saturday evening.

The former bodyguard who was arrested on Wednesday last was released after the 72-hour detention period expired.

A Police Officer stated that although Narine was released, he has to report to Police Headquarters on a daily basis as the investigations continue. His passport, Guyana Times understands, has been lodged, the source also stated.

However, the Police are moving full steam ahead in the investigations involving the main suspect, Regan Rodrigues. This publication understands that Rodrigues has not been cooperating with the Police and has remained tight-lipped.

In a recent revelation, political activist Mark Benschop claimed that $3 million was offered to Rodrigues to get him killed. After he would have been eliminated, the next hit was to be on Crum-Ewing. Benschop claimed that Rodrigues would have reported to the Police that he was paid for the two hits, but contrary to his claims, the Police have no knowledge of such allegation.

“If Mark Benschop’s life was in danger, why would he send the man who contracted to kill him to make the report? Does it make any sense?” a source asked the Guyana Times. Another issue that has surfaced is an alleged recording of Rodrigues telling a Police Officer of the apparent hits.

“There is no audio, there has never been one,” the source stated.

The source also claimed that Benschop never gave a statement to the Police regarding the threat on his life and more so, he did not make a report. “It is quite strange that at this time,

Border controversy In issuing ID cards, Venezuela cannot claim Essequibo – Greenidge

FBenschop is trying to defend Rodrigues, very strange.”

Nevertheless, Guyana Times understands that the file on the execution of Crum-Ewing is expected to be completed this week and would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack for legal advice on proceeding further.

Crum-Ewing was gunned down on March 10 while encouraging residents of Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara to cast their vote in the May 11 General and Regional Elections for the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition.

A source had told Guyana Times that the .32 pistol which was found in Rodrigues’ possession two Mondays ago was proven to be the same gun used to execute the ex-soldier.

Rodrigues was charged and refused bail for being in possession of the Taurus pistol and 14 matching rounds. He was remanded and will make his next court appearance for that matter on August 4.

With Rodrigues in custody, the Police are looking for the “intellectual authors” of the execution-style killing, since they believe that the suspect was paid a hefty sum to get the job done to cause chaos during the elections period.

Rajput, on the other hand, was arrested after Police received a tip during their investigations.

The former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall immediately denied any involvement in the assassination of Crum-Ewing, and said that his ex-bodyguard was hired several days after Crum-Ewing’s death.

Nandlall repeatedly refuted suggestions that he, or any other member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), orchestrated the murder, which is being deemed a politically motivated killing.

oreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge has broken his silence on plans by Venezuela to issue Identification Cards to the estimated 200,000 inhabitants of Essequibo county, as a part of its massive plan to gain ownership of the region.

Minister Greenidge indicated that this move would definitely not give the Spanish-speaking nation any standing in the ongoing controversy. Venezuela in the final years of the 1800s had signed a treaty with Britain in which it had agreed to accept as final the decision made by an international arbitration panel which in 1899 unanimously settled the border as it is to-

day.

Greenidge, during an interview on a radio broadcast on Sunday, explained that the award of citizen-

ship to Guyanese is “open to any country” and it does not mean that Venezuela can “deem claim to the territory”.

In fact, Greenidge pointed out that the Venezuelans officials cannot step foot in Guyana to conduct this activity and he highly doubted Guyanese “will be willing to run the gamut of the Venezuelan military” to secure ID cards.

“The point is this, if you are so desperate that you need to be issuing ID cards to foreign citizens, then good luck to you,” the Minister retorted to Venezuela.

According to Venezuelan reports, in the coming days, its Government intends to launch a diplomatic offen-

sive to gain ownership of the western Essequibo area. The plan is dubbed a diplomatic approach to “recover” the geographical space that Venezuela claims. With Guyana’s resistance growing stronger, Venezuela has seemingly decided to intensify its efforts to steal the country’s territory. According to the reports, other aspects of the plan include having the border controversy taught in elementary and high schools and universities; having the issue widely broadcast in media located in bordering areas; and the launching of an awareness campaign to make Guyanese understand that the territory purportedly “belongs” to Venezuela.

Suspect confesses to Hamson owner’s murder

Almost four month after the owner of Hamson’s Trading, Farouk Ghanie was found brutally murdered in his Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara home, the main suspect confessed to the murder on Sunday.

Guyana Times was reliably informed that the man made the confession while being interrogated at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary. He also revealed the names of his two accomplices.

Only in June, the Police arrested the main suspect along with the girlfriend of the dead man and another man, but they were subsequently released on bail.

However, based on additional information received during the continuous investigations, the suspect was once again picked up the and further interrogated during which he made the disclosure and gave a detailed account of what transpired.

He will be charged with the capital offence of murder shortly.

Ghanie was found dead at his home with two stab wounds to his chest on Wednesday, April 16, 2015 by his girlfriend Vanessa (only name given) who went to check on him after sev-

eral calls to his phone went unanswered. The man, who lived alone, was found lying on his back and might have been dead for more than 12 hours.

The businessman was last seen dropping off a worker in Georgetown before heading home. Neighbours claimed that they did not see any strange movements or hear

any unusual sounds, except that the man’s house was in darkness the night before he was discovered. At that time, they thought that Ghanie was out of the country.

Upon the discovery, the neighbours were terrified and called for Police patrols in the area. His brother, Fizal Hamid explained that he received a call from

the man’s girlfriend and was told the news. He concluded that the murderer had to be someone who was familiar with his brother’s premises and dogs. Hamid also stated that his now dead brother did not have any enemies and was not sure who would want to kill him in such a brutal manner.

Bandits steal $millions from MMZ home

...Police arrive 3 1/2 hrs after calls

Bandits on Saturday evening burglarised a Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara home carting off millions in cash and other items while the occupants were at a family function a few villages away.

The men, from all indications, entered the house by removing several louver panes from one of the bedroom windows on the upper flat of the house located at Lot 7 Kastev, Meten-MeerZorg.

The house is owned by hairdresser Geeta Nadiram whose Canada-based daughter is visiting along with several

relatives from Wakenaam, Essequibo.

According to reports received, Nadiram left home about 22:00h for Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo for a wedding and when she returned a few hours later, she was greeted by a ransacked house. Upon checking, she realised the house was broken into, and further checks revealed that four iPods, Cdn$300 and over $1 million in Guyanese currency were missing among other items.

Speaking with Guyana Times from her home on Sunday morning, the distressed woman stated that she arrived

home from work about 21:00h and left about 22:00h for Tuschen, to attend a weeding.

She noted that on account of her working all day, she decided to leave the wedding house a little early with her daughter for home.

As she arrived at home, she tried to open one of the doors, but she realised that it was locked from inside, so she went to another door and as she opened it, she saw the place had been ransacked and immediately raised an alarm.

In fear she rushed to the area where she kept the money and other valuables – everything was gone. Her daughter’s room and personal belongings were also tumbled.

Nadiram stated that they contacted the Police, but were told that there were no vehicles available, since the ranks were out responding to several reports of noise nuisance. The woman stated that they sent a vehicle to collect the Police, but after one and a half hour, the driver returned claiming that there were no Police available to accompany him.

At this point in time, they again attempted to get the Police to come, but the woman on the other end of the line could not say when the Police would be available to visit the scene. Guyana Times was told the Police arrived at the home at 03:30h and took statements.

Nadiram was furious at the way the Police at Leonora Police Station handled the situation. The homeowner was later made to understand that several strange boys were seen in the village during the day, and she was in the process of getting a copy of the surveillance footage from a neighbour’s home with the intention of getting the images of the perpetrators.

Cops issue wanted bulletin for suspects in sex worker’s murder

The Guyana Police Force has issued wanted bulletins for the two men who were implicated in the murder of Nephi Luthers, a sex worker who was gunned down on Wednesday at Carmichael and Quamina Streets, Georgetown.

One of the men has been identified as 42-year-old Ron Forde called “Andel” of Lot 19 Meadow Bank, East

Bank Demerara and of Lot 31 Rahaman’s Park, EBD, while the other is 24-yearold Kanand Ojha of Lot 2 First Street, Meadow Bank, EBD.

Luthers, 20, of ZZ Durban Street, Wortmanville, was shot once to his chest during a confrontation with Ojha and Forde.

It is believed that on the night of the shooting, Ojha left the Guyana National Stadium and went in the vicinity of the St George’s Cathedral, where he paid a sex worker $5000 to perform a sex act.

During the act, he was reportedly relieved of his personal belongings. After the act was completed, he left in his motor car, but subsequently realised that his phone and cash were missing.

Ojha, from reports received, collected Forde and went back to the location where they confronted Luthers, but he denied doing business with the man, which resulted in an argument.

During the argument,

the client reportedly told Luther “You have to give back the thing”, but in response, the commercial sex worker said: “Me ain’t been with you”. At this time, the client’s friend pulled out the gun and pulled the trigger, shooting Luthers to his chest.

The sex worker fell to the roadway and the two men fled the scene. Luthers’ colleagues picked him up and rushed him to the

Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. From all indications, Luthers was mistaken for someone else.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Forde and Ojha is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-8196, 226-7065, 2271149, 911 or at the nearest Police Station. All information will be treated with strict confidence.

Eyew tness

West Indian disarray...

...in the air

So what else is new? We've been rapped again - this time by our own Caribbean Development Bankthat we need to re-look at our airline industry. For a region made up of islands but still hanker for some sort of unity - but more importantly depend on foreign tourism, you'd think that transportation links between the territories and the between the territories and the metropolitan countries would be way up on the agenda of CariCom, no?

No! For the longest while each territory insisted that it had to have its own airline. Not just a kind of prestige thing but seemingly as a sine qua non of being "independent". Like having your own flag and coat of arms and such like. So we in Guyana had our Guyana Airways...with our Golden Arrowhead and name proudly emblazoned on the side. Some cynics felt that these airlines mainly served to flatter the ego of our political leaders so that when they went abroad, they could deplane from their "national airline" in style.

Be as it may, these airlines were never profitable since both foreign tourists and returning natives only used them during the holidays. While Marxists point out that all capitalist businesses form one series of "booms and busts"... with our airlines, it was mostly "busts" and had to be highly subsidized. So since ego can only go "so far", by 2000, Guyana privatized its airline and in 2011, Jamaican Air was sold to Caribbean Airlines, owned by the Trinidadian Government. This last one must've been a hard one to swallow since Jamaica always has a "thing" about those "uppity" Trinis who refused entry to their citizens with gusto.

So right now we have Caribbean Air, BahamanAir and LIAT...which collectively had yo be subsidized to the tune last year of US$1B!!! Now that's a tune with a heck of a HIGH note!! So what to do? Since Jamaica's venture to produce and sell Ganja on a mass scale will take some time (not least because of spliffs are ever to become legal over-the-counter items, the multinationals will ensure they take the bulk of the profits) we can wait on them to fund a consolidated truly "Caribbean Airlines". But this must be done.

Your Eyewitness hereby proposes that CariCom finally gets off its collective haunches, and like they did with CXC,more an autonomous body to organize and run a Catbbean-Wide Airlines that at long last be professionally run.

And one that won't have to five free tickets to every politician's friends and friendly charity.

The airline business is a "hawk eat hawk" business in the skies.

...in the law School

Here was the new, always dapper and mustachioed Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs about to have a chat with the law students at UG. As the self proclaimed "legal luminary" of the new government, you couldn't blame him for expecting these apprentices - not even wet behind the ears - to look up to him with awe as he dropped legal pears of wisdom and clever bon mots.

Sadly, he's still dusting himself off after running into what he must think was a buzz saw. Seem the budding lawyers've already imbibed the fundamental legal maxim that "attack is the best defense"! Before the AG could even strike his pose, the students waded into him. What does he have to say about UWI's Hugh Wooding (necessary for them to practice) increasing their fees by a third? And so on...

The AG didn't even get ask whether - if the government subsidizes their legal education - would the students serve as prosecutors for two years after their return?

Or whether UG law School should become a campus of UWI?

...in cricket

Now that's it's clear that there will be no changes in the WICB's makeup or modus operandi, only CPL can save WI cricket.

Especially if Shahrukh landed in TT last night!!

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

School audits indicate “creaking” system – Dr Roopnaraine

Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine has disclosed the reports coming in from the school audits demonstrate the need for Government to place special focus on the education sector.

The Education Ministry earlier this month had launched a countrywide environmental audit of all public schools, which was aimed at ascertaining the infrastructural and other physical needs of each school. Dr Roopnaraine said the audits were critical to the implementation of strong evidence-based national policies. So far, the Ministry has received eight reports. Two regions are still outstanding.

“Those that have come in so far are what we had expected. The system is creaking, many are on life support,” he commented when asked for an update on the investigation late last week. “It’s an area of work that is very challenging but will have to be done,” Roopnaraine continued.

“If we don’t get education right, we will get nothing right. All other ministries will have to be depending on this Ministry to produce the great minds,” he noted, relating that many schools needed invigorating and renewing.

The Minister said the Ministry was still working to establish the Commission of Inquiry into the sector, highlighting that the school audits would be fielded into the CoI, since it will give an indication of what has been happening in the public schools across the country.

Meanwhile,

proper protection for teachers.

“The GTU is the first group I met with since taking office and they put forward their concerns. My own attitude to the Union is that they should sit with me so that policies could be formulated. So that when teachers are in the classroom and their members are operating the educational mandate, they would be implementing policies that they have contributed to,” Roopnaraine explained.

“I don’t want to hear what’s in the classrooms; I want the GTU to fully participate in the actual formulation of policies,” he continued, saying that he hoped that the working relationship which existed between the two bodies would continue.

He said he has already

“If we don’t get education right, we will get nothing right. All other ministries will have to be depending on this Ministry to produce the great minds.”

Roopnaraine said that he has already looked at the list put forward by the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), and while the expectations are good, he would prefer to sit with the Union so that they could both settle on some policies.

The Education Minister was responding to questions on whether he has considered the requests being made by the Union.

The GTU has raised several concerns with both the current and previous Governments, ranging from unconducive work environments, to better wages and

told the GTU that it needed to identify persons to work along with educational officials at the Ministry, so that there could be an enhancement of the work.

GTU President Mark Lyte had disclosed recently that the Ministry needed to address the growing reports about security of public schools. Teachers are still clamouring too for their promised five per cent increase and allowance which were promised to them in an agreement between them and the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)

Administration.

The promised duty-free concession is also another issue, the Union has raised on behalf of teachers Roopnaraine said he was also hoping to facilitate the establishment of a National Parent-Teacher Association, which would see the integration of teachers and parents in the execution of the education policies.

“I want the parents and I want the teachers. I want a National ParentTeachers [Association] going appointing a secretariat so that we could really integrate the parents and teachers in the carrying out of the education policy. So that is what we need, we need an active partnership with parents and teachers and the Ministry.”

Harper not on list for diplomatic posting – Greenidge

Days after telling reporters about Ambassador Elisabeth Harper being considered by the new Government for an overseas ambassadorial position, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge has disclosed that Harper’s name was not on the list.

During an interview on a radio programme, Greenidge said that he did not even know if the Ambassador, who was the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic 2015 Prime Ministerial Candidate, was interested in the post. However, when asked about the reports of her being considered for a diplomatic post, the Foreign Affairs Minister again did not confirm nor deny that she had been considered.

“I’m not disputing that there are such reports, but I don’t think that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have conveyed that information to anyone ...We are considering many people for these posts. We try to look as widely as we can,” he remarked.

On Monday last, Greenidge revealed to media operatives that the Administration has been in talks with Ambassador Harper. “I, myself, spoke to Ambassador Harper a few weeks ago on a variety of matters including Venezuela,” he told reporters.

Asked subsequently whether Harper was being considered for the position of Guyana’s Ambassador to Venezuela, the Foreign Affairs Minister said: “I’m neither denying nor concurring”. He added: “Everybody is being considered ... I don’t want to say more than that.”

Guyana’s current Ambassador to Venezuela is Geoffrey Da Silva, who is still stationed in the neighbouring country in light of rising tensions between the two countries. Venezuela has recently renewed claims

on Guyana’s territory.

Prior to her entering the political arena, Ambassador Harper served as the Director General of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, a post she had held since 2001. She was also an Ambassador to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) at the time of retirement.

Harper, a holder of the Golden Achievement Award, began her career at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in

1976 as a Registry Clerk, working her way up to Director General. She previously served as Director of the Department of the Americas and Asia at the Ministry from 1996 to 2001; a Consular at the Guyana High Commission, London 1991-1995; Head of the Frontier Division, Foreign Affairs Ministry 1990-1991.

Described as a distinguished public servant, Harper has been a member of Guyana’s delegation to various meetings of Caricom, the Latin American Economic System, the Association of Caribbean States, United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), among others.

Harper has served in several other positions as Nonresident High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago (2003-2015), Non-resident High Commissioner to Barbados (2004-2015), Nonresident High Commissioner to Grenada (2006-2015) and Non-resident High Commissioner to St Kitts and Nevis.

Harmon says Govt had no part in Hanoman’s contract non-renewal

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon has defended Government against the allegations levelled by Lead Counsel in the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI), Glen Hanoman that the new Administration was sidelining him by refusing to renew his contract.

But the Minister of State told Guyana Times that he could have only approved those who were recommended by the Secretariat’s Administrator Hugh Denbow.

“What I understand is that they have decided to deal with a few persons who need to tidy up some issues that arose. So really I’m not aware, I’m not too sure about Mr Hanoman’s contract. What I can say to you is that all of the persons who were recommended by the Commission itself, Mr Denbow, that he needs these people to work and those persons have been retained,” Harmon said.

Harmon said he did not “run the Commission”, and simply provided the resources for the unit to ex-

ecute its work.

“They told me they have all that they need to do the final sitting. So if Mr Hanoman is not part of that arrangement … if he has not been renewed, that has to be a decision that was made by the organisers of the Commission,” Harmon said.

Last Friday, the Lead Counsel told Guyana Times that he would not be overseeing the proceedings of today’s sitting of the Inquiry, as it was obvious that Government did not want him in the post.

The Attorney, who was appointed Lead Counsel under the Donald Ramotar Administration, said that he would not be participating in the investigation until things fall into place. He explained that his contract came to an end in April, a month before the May 11 General and Regional Elections.

He said that he was hoping that things would have fallen into place following the elections. This has not happened, he said, and his countless efforts to contact both the Ministry of the Presidency and the

Commission Secretariat’s Administrator have been futile.

Hanoman explained that he could not participate in the hearing in that capacity without first signing a contract. He said as far as he saw it, the new Government did not want him at the helm of the investigation.

The CoI was established in February of 2014 by President Donald Ramotar, and has as its main objective, ascertaining who or what was responsible for the massive bomb blast that claimed the life of Dr Rodney, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) cofounder, on the evening of June 13, 1980.

Testimony coming from the many witnesses so far have all suggested that the political leader was killed by the then People’s National Congress (PNC) Administration headed by Prime Minister Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. The PNC is the largest component of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition which is part of the new Administration.

Investigations ongoing into Scrap Metal Unit – Scott

anxious for trade to resume

Aforensic audit into the operations of the Scrap Metal Unit and its bank account began last Monday after the Communities Ministry launched an investigation, citing irregularities in the Unit’s operations and finances.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott stated that he could not determine the length of the auditing process into the Scrap Metal Unit and the Housing Ministry as members of the respective entities must answer questions about funds and other irregularities pre-

sented by the auditors before the trade can resume. However, Minister Scott shared that he was very anxious for the operations of this Unit to resume, as he recognised that many would suffer if it did not. He said he was very conscious about the fact that many persons depend on this trade as their only means of income, and it would not be easy for them.

He added that persons may be involved in activities that may not be quite right, and when the situations get out of control, many innocent persons are affected.

Scott had recently announced that an investiga-

tion was underway along with an audit of the Unit’s bank account which contained millions. “I found it weird that the former Cabinet removed the Scrap Metal Unit from another Ministry and placed it, under strange circumstances, under the authority of the Minister and one other person.

We are investigating this and a number of other things that appear irregular like the operations of the bank account. We are talking about a very large sum of the taxpayers’ monies,” Scott reportedly said.

Former Housing and

Water Minister Irfaan Ali recently told <<<Guyana Times>> the Unit was transferred from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Commerce to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) for better management.

“Both sectors had one Minister, the Scrap Metal Unit and the Enforcement Unit of the CHPA were both viewed as having the capacity that can be interdependent in order to police the system.

You may recall that one time there was tremendous vandalism of property, even phone lines and so on as it

related to the scrap metal trade, so an enforcement arm became necessary for the Scrap Metal Unit,” Ali said.

Therefore, instead of establishing another enforcement arm, the Minister decided to bring the Unit under the Housing Ministry for more integration. In relation to the bank account, Ali explained that when the Unit was transferred, the Board of Directors of the CHPA decided collectively to open a new bank account in a commercial bank – an act Ali said was perfectly within the laws of Guyana.

Times Notebook

APNU+AFC has abdicated its responsibility to the people

The new A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change [APNU+AFC] Government is less than three months old. But even at this early stage, it has shown a worrying willingness to turn its backs on virtually all its promises. It has sought to make excuses and has so far abandoned all the arguments it used as mantra while the parties were in the Opposition.

One of their mantras was their criticism of the previous People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government for a lack of consultation. No matter how much the PPP/C Government consulted with people, the APNUAFC Opposition were ferocious in their attack on the PPP/C Government for what APNU-AFC called a total lack of any consultation by the Bharrat Jagdeo and the Donald Ramotar-led PPP/C Governments. Indeed, in the 10th Parliament, they used the allegation that the PPP/C was not consulting enough to block important legislative actions.

Well, now APNU+AFC is in Government, it has a golden opportunity to demonstrate its own commitment to the consultative process. It is only three months, but what is clearly emerging is a new Government that has a total disregard for consultations. Its adherence to this component of good governance is appalling and demonstrates that the criticism of the then PPP/C Government was merely a political strategy and was criticism for criticism’s sake and as a strategy to stymie development. If anything the people of Guyana expected from the new Government, given its long history of being critical of the PPP/C Government, it was greater fidelity to the concept of consultations.

Earlier this week, we found out that the APNU+AFC and Grangerled Government has no intention to implement a reduction in VAT and in providing a 20 per cent salary increase, as they had promised in Opposition, in many budget debates, particularly in the 10th Parliament and as it

committed in its 100-day programme that was included in its manifesto.

The PPP/C had since the introduction of VAT argued that the VAT rate was fair and was the appropriate VAT rate as determined by various studies. The then People’s National Congress (PNC) and afterwards the APNU+AFC combination argued that the appropriate rate for Guyana should be considerably lower than the present VAT rate. They argued that their own studies showed that a VAT rate below 10 per cent was fair and appropriate for Guyana. During the campaign, APNU+AFC argued that Guyana can afford to reduce the VAT rate and that it will make this a priority action within its first 100 days in Government. It totally rejected the PPP/C Government’s argument that lowering the VAT rate would negatively impact on Guyana’s fiscal situation.

Similarly, it argued that Guyana’s fiscal situation leading up to the elections and even long before the elections, throughout the

Jagdeo and the Ramotarled Governments, placed Guyana in a position to provide at least a 20 per cent pay increase. In a way, this was an unwitting commendation of the PPP/C Government in that the then Opposition was agreeing that the PPP/C had led a development trajectory that made a large pay increase viable.

We should note that throughout those days and those arguments by the then PNC, followed by APNU and AFC, other countries around the world were either freezing or providing wage and salary increases much lower than two per cent. APNU+AFC denounced the incredible record of the PPP/C of giving at least five per cent pay increase each year for the almost 22 years in Government. It took the side of the Guyana Public Service (GPSU) as that union made the most unreasonable demands on the PPP/C Government.

Well, the proof is in the pudding and it is APNU+AFC with responsibility for the pudding. The pudding being offered by APNU+AFC to the

people of Guyana is not the recipe it promised and committed to before the elections. Its arguments that a reduced VAT and a 20 per cent pay increase were not only possible, but will happen within 100 days of it being in Government are now being rejected by its own Finance Minister and Cabinet. Where are its economists who made extensive arguments that both a VAT reduction and a 20 per cent increase were not only possible now, but must be priorities for the new Government?

But we ask another question, who did this Government consult with and what agreements did those consultations bring about?

Has this Government which argued so extensively and ferociously for more consultation when the PPP/C was in Government given up on consultation? Is it now taking up a posture that Governments know best? Has it consulted with the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) and GPSU and other unions? Has it consulted with the Private Sector and consumer organi-

sations before deciding that 2015 is not a good time for the reduction of VAT and a pay increase of 20 per cent?

The truth is that APNU+AFC has consulted with no one because it now has become convinced that the previous PPP/C Government was right that Guyana’s fiscal situation could not afford a reduction of VAT and a 20 per cent increase of wages and salaries. The truth is also that APNU+AFC was never committed to consultation. It did not consult with the Amerindians before it discontinued the Community Empowerment Programme that employed about 2000 young Amerindians. It did not consult with anyone before deciding it would discontinue the “Because We Care $10,000 per child” Programme. There is a serious aversion to consultation by the APNU+AFC Government. In the process, it has betrayed the people of Guyana.Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times. notebook@gmail.com.

Govt to increase subvention for Shaheed’s Orphanages

The children of the Shaheed’s Boys and Girls Orphanages had much to celebrate Saturday evening, as President David Granger announced that his Administration would be increasing the annual subvention given to the organisation.

According to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, shortly after returning from Washington DC,USA, the President made the announcement at the Orphanages’ Eid Fest which marked the ending of

the holy month of Ramadan. In his address, President Granger lauded the efforts of the Board of the Guyana United Islamic Anjuman for its outstanding humanitarian work at the two orphanages. Noting that a lot has been done for the children who are cared for in the two facilities the Head of State said he was aware of the challenges and his Administration was prepared to “up the Government subvention”.

He said there was no better gift a society could give

a child than care, attention and the basics: food, clothing and shelter. Paraphrasing the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child, the President noted that children were the future of any country and as Islam taught it was a serious error on the part of anyone who neglected the basic needs of children and other vulnerable groups.

The Head of State emphasised the need to nurture the country’s future generation, noting that children today face a lot of

challenges. “Children in Guyana face many challenges, because of broken fami-

Speaking of his experiences in some parts of Guyana, the President said he was often saddened by the sight of young children going to and from school without shoes. He said that it was important for school-age children to have the basic necessities including food, clothing, shelter and textbooks in order for them to have a good education. Being cognisant of these facts, the President said his Administration would continue to play its role in ensuring that schoolage children were provided with the basics, while supporting the efforts of other organisations that have similar goals. Based on statistics, the Head of State said, Guyana has a high school dropout rate and this was an issue that needed to be addressed. He urged the Board of the Orphanages to use as a measure of success the number of children who successfully completed

sure those children be valid citizens and have access to education, food, shelter and clothing,” he said. Going forward, as Guyana prepares to celebrate its 50th Independence Anniversary, the President called on the Guyana United Islamic Anjuman to set a goal to promote social cohesion and the “good life” of all Guyanese. Meanwhile, Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally, who was also present at the event, echoed similar sentiments as she called on the gathering to play their part in national unity and work together for the building of Guyana as a nation. The Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman was founded on June 1973, making it the oldest Islamic organisation in Guyana and out of that organisation, the Shaheed’s Boys and Girls Orphanages were birthed in the 1950s. The functions of these facilities are to provide care, home and facilities to

lies and only society can protect a child … the human child requires [the] special care of something called family and if the family is absent, it is the duty of the society to do what the family ought to have been doing,” he stressed.

school and were able to find jobs.

Duty of state

“Five hundred boys and girls drop out of secondary school, many of them will end up illiterate and it is the duty of the state to make

orphan, vulnerable and destitute children. To support the transition of children out of the orphanage, the Board has set up a bank account for each child. Once they age out of the facility, they are given a sum of money in addition to $50,000.

Bystander shot during argument at Plaisance

An East Coast Demerara (ECD) man was accidentally shot twice in the wee hours of Sunday during an argument between two men in the vicinity of the Guinness Bar, Plaisance Line Top, ECD. The shooting incident occurred around 02:45h.

The injured man has been identified as Jomo Lewis, 34, of Sparendaam Squatting Area, ECD. He was reportedly shot once to his shoulder and once to his abdomen and was admitted a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

According to information

received, Lewis was with his friends at the Line Top when an argument broke out between two men who were standing some distance away. The argument escalated and one of the men whipped out a gun and discharged several rounds, two of which hit Lewis.

One man told Guyana Times that the area was packed with people partying and suddenly the sounds of gunshots rang out which had everyone scampering for safety. During this time, it was realised that Lewis had fallen to the ground and was bleeding.

He was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital. This publication was made to understand that one of the bullets was lodged in the man’s body, but he underwent emergency surgery and his condition was stabilised. Immediately after the shooting, the man who pulled the trigger escaped, but the Police have been furnished with his particulars. The Police have so far questioned several persons in connection with the shooting as they continue their investigations.

Business people’s uncertainty contributing to economic slump – Greenidge

… budget presentation could jumpstart economy

Businessmen’s uncertainty and lack of trust in the economy is a contributing factor to the economic downturn currently being experienced. So says Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, who has expert knowledge in the field of finance and business.

Previously, many experts struggled to give reasons for the economic slump. Businessman and politician Clinton Urling recently told the Guyana Times that “I would have thought that given the fact that the elections are over and we have a new Government, that consumers’ confidence would have been restored, but businesses, especially for the retail stores, is really slow. I don’t understand and I don’t have an explanation as to why.”

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin appeared reluctant to accept that economic activity was dwindling, claiming that this notion was just a perception and that there was no credible data to support this concept.

But Greenidge, who had served as Finance Minister under the People’s National Congress (PNC) Administration, believes that the economic downtown was more of a run-on of what was already happening in the fiscal year of 2014.

“After the budget of 2014, I don’t think the rate of growth has been the same because of the uncertainty as regards the date of an elections, the parliamentary standing of the Government, the disputes over the budget, a number of projects couldn’t go forward because they were cut, and the Government itself although it did go spending in areas where monies weren’t approve, did not actually continue with the same rate of spending on capital as they had perhaps done in the previous years,” he suspected.

Greenidge, who is also a

Vice President, assured that the Finance Minister “knows what he is doing and he is fully aware of what concerns exercise the minds of businessmen and the business community”.

On that note, the Minister believes that businessmen were basically waiting to see what the 2015 budget will offer before they decide on their next course of economic action.

Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Norman Mc Lean agreed that businessmen’s uncertainty about the economy, especially during the pre- and post-elections period, have contributed significantly towards the current state of the economy, but he pointed out that there are many other contributing factors.

“It is part of the situation. Remember, the Government has a situation where they haven’t put forward a budget as yet, so all the spending they are doing is 1/3 of what was put forth by the previous Government and Government’s spending is critical to any economy. So a lot of people are anxiously waiting on Government to make an injection…into the economy to rebuild that confidence so I think when the budget is presented, it will kick start the economy,” McLean said.

Gold, sugar, rice

While the presentation of the budget can contribute to a better economy, Mc Lean reminded that the three main industries that drive the economy –mining, sugar and rice were simultaneously experiencing turmoil.

He alluded to the drop in the world market price for gold, which is now US$1094.5 per ounce and contended that there is a high possibility that the precious metal could plunge to a detrimental US$1000 per ounce- putting the local industry under serious pressure as the cost

Bobbi Kristina Brown dies at 22, family confirms

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22, the only daughter of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, died Sunday, nearly five months after she was found unresponsive in a bathtub of her home, her family said.

Brown has been unresponsive in hospitals and hospice care since she was found in a bathtub of her Roswell, Georgia, home on January 31. Her family said she suffered irreversible brain damage.

“She is finally at peace in the arms of God,” her family told NBC News in a statement. “We want to again thank everyone for their tremendous amount of love and support during these last few months.”

Bobbi Kristina was music royalty as the daughter of two superstars — and the granddaughter of another,

Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney, who died in February 2012.

She became even better known at age 10 when she was featured on her father’s reality TV series, “Being Bobby Brown”.

Police have said that they investigated the case as a medical emergency and that no foul play is suspected. No criminal charges have ever been brought.

But late last month, Brown’s conservator sued Nick Gordon – who has been described as Brown’s boyfriend and husband, an attachment her family denies – for $10 million, accusing him of having physically abused Brown and having improperly withdrawn US$11,000 from her bank account after she was in a coma. (NBC)

of production for small and medium scale miners remain stubbornly high amid the falling gold prices.

The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) noted that there was already a noticeable downturn in the economy of many hinterland mining communities such as Bartica, Port Kaituma, and Mahdia. Other communities such as Linden, Diamond, Beehive, Anns’ Grove, Essequibo Coast villages and other coastal communities where miners generally reside are also seriously affected, as there is a visible reduction in their spending power.

This situation can gravely impact the livelihood of over 100,000 Guyanese who depend both directly and indirectly on the industry.

Similar circumstances have befallen the sugar industry. The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) was, in fact, on the verge of clo-

sure due to lack of funding. If the company had not received the necessary finances to extend operations, thousands of Guyanese would have been out of jobs.

The rice industry too is struggling to survive, especially with the recent collapse of the PetroCaribe deal with Venezuela – which had guaranteed a significant portion of the local product’s market –30 per cent – with a bumper harvest expected.

With this lucrative market no longer available, rice experts predict that millers will reduce the amount of paddy they purchase from farmers, leaving the farmers with a surplus. The situation is compounded by the fact millers are often paid belatedly and this affects farmers who are also waiting to be paid by the millers.

The limited cash flow in this industry, therefore, is a contributing factor to the

“Government’s spending is critical to any economy. So a lot of people are anxiously waiting on Government to make an injection”

downturn in the economy.

Drugs bust

Recently, proprietor of the Jerries Restaurant and Bar, Jerry Bacchus stated that the increased drug busts over the years have also played a role in the downturn of the economy.

“The drugs bust, some people tend to laugh and scoff that this could be a factor … Our economy thrives off of those in the drugs business and the drug money is spent back here so the more drug bust there are, the less money is spending,” he reasoned.

Cuba marks Castro's uprising anniversary with call for US embargo end

Cuba marked the anniversary of Fidel Castro’s first armed uprising 62 years ago Sunday with calls for an end to the US embargo and the return of the US naval base at Guantanamo.

The ceremony – attended by Cuban President Raul Castro and some 10,000 of the country’s ruling elite and their guests but not by the frail 88-year-old Fidel –

was the first since the restoration of relations with the United States.

“Now begins a long and complex road toward the normalisation of bilateral relations, which includes, among other things, the end of the blockade and the return of the Guantanamo naval base,” said Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, the number two of Cuba’s communist party.

Machado’s brief speech contrasted with the hours long anti-American orations Fidel was known for, particularly on the July 26 anniversary of the assault he led on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago in 1953.

Although a military failure that landed Castro in prison, the uprising is considered the start of a revolutionary movement that ultimately ousted the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

Fidel stepped down as the country’s President in 2006 in poor health, and has watched with some scepticism as his brother and successor Raul has gradually opened the Soviet-style economy to private enterprise and outside investments.

On December 17, Raul and US President Barack Obama stunned the world by announcing plans to restore relations severed for more than half a century.

On July 20, the longtime Cold War foes reopened embassies in each other’s countries.

Colombia halts air strikes on FARC

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has ordered Government forces to suspend air strikes against camps belonging to FARC rebels.

The move comes days after the FARC began a month-long unilateral ceasefire in a bid to accelerate peace talks.

President Santos said his order only applied to camps outside urban areas which did not pose a threat to the local population.

Peace talks have been taking place in Cuba since 2012.

However, the process has been hampered in recent months by an upsurge in violence.

“I have issued the order to stop, as of today, bombing raids against camps where there are members of that group,” Santos said at a military event in Cartagena.

“From now on, this type of bombing will only be done by explicit order of the

President.” BBC Colombia correspondent Natalio Cosoy says the move is a new step towards de-escalating the conflict.

More than 200,000 people have been killed since hostilities started in 1964.

Earlier this month, four countries helping to facilitate the peace talks – Cuba, Norway, Chile and Venezuela – called for a de-escalation in violence. (Excerpt from BBC News)

CDB approves financing for solar photovoltaic plant in Anguilla

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved a US$2.34 million loan to finance the installation and commissioning of a one-megawatt Solar Pholtovoltaic Plant which will enable the Anguilla Electricity Company Limited (ANGLEC) to introduce renewable energy into the mix for electricity production.

The project in Corito, in the south of the island, will

also allow the utility company to examine and assess the response of its power system to the incorporation of an intermittent renewable energy source.

“The installation of the Solar Photovoltaic Plant will help reduce the nation’s reliance on imported petroleum fuel for its energy requirements,” said CDB’s Acting Director of Projects Andrew Dupigny.

To ensure sustainability of the project, the contractor’s scope of works includes training for ANGLEC’s staff to help them develop the skills required to maintain and operate the solar PV plant. The power plant will be designed, operated and maintained to guarantee at least 20 years of operation, within the design parameters. This loan is the CDB’s sixth intervention in the energy sector in Anguilla and supports the Government’s goal of transforming the country into a carbon-neutral economy.

Anguilla’s 2008 National Energy Policy presents a vision for the country’s future as one of energy independence, with the island meeting its energy needs from reliable, affordable and renewable energy resources. The Government has set a national target of producing 30 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. (Excerpt from caribbean360.com)

TT: Dana Seetahal’s family elated over arrests for killing

The family of Dana Seetahal, SC, has commended the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service following the arrests and charges laid against her alleged killers.

During a briefing on Saturday, Deputy Police Commissioner Glenn Hackett announced that 11 men were held and charged in connection with her May 4, 2014 murder.

Speaking on behalf of Seetahal’s family Saturday, her nephew Dave Persad praised the Police Service for its work on this case, but said the family understood that

the real journey had only just begun.

“There is no closure as yet,” Persad said in a telephone interview.

Among the 11 held were brothers Rajaee Ali and Hamid Ali.

“It took a while for us to have confidence in the Police Service, but I can say after what we saw today (Saturday) we have more confidence in the work that they do,” Persad told the Sunday Guardian in a telephone interview.

Hackett, at the start of the media conference, apologised to the entire Seetahal clan for not being able to apprise them

of the ongoing investigations to the extent they would have liked.

“We did stay in contact with the Police since the investigation began. We were not given a lot of information and we understand why, but people who lose a loved one would also understand why you need answers,” he said.

Persad said he stayed in contact with his aunts (Seetahal’s sisters) and cousins during the short televised news conference and they were in quick communication when the information on the arrests was made public. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Escaped prisoner shot dead in Trinidad

Police are reporting that early Sunday morning they discovered the body of Hassan Atwell, one of the men who shot their way out of Port of Spain Prison on Friday. However, Head of Corporate Communications in the Police Service, Ellen Lewis has denied that Police were involved in Atwell’s killing. Police says they got reports

of shooting around 00:30h and when IATF arrived they found the bullet-riddled body of Hassan Atwell. Atwell, 41; Christopher “Monster” Selby, 30, and Allan “Scanny” Martin, 42, staged a daring armed escape from the Frederick Street Prison. Martin was one of the men on trial for the kidnap and murder of Xtra Foods Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Vindra Naipaul-Coolman. Martin was shot dead shortly after. Selby remains on the run. He too was in prison on murder charges Armed with two pistols and a hand grenade, they ordered the prison gate open, and escaped in a four-wheeldrive Nissan Navara, which was parked outside. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

NATO calls emergency meeting after Turkey’s request

NATO Secretary General Jens

Stoltenberg has called an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss security at the request of Turkey after last week’s suicide bombing there and ongoing Turkish security operations on two fronts.

NATO said in a statement on Sunday that the North Atlantic Council, which includes the ambassadors of all 28 NATO allies, would meet following a request by Turkey to hold consultations under Article 4 of NATO’s founding Washington Treaty.

Turkey announced on Friday a double military offensive, one against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group across the border in Syria, and the other targeting Kurdish

PKK fighters in northern Iraq.

“Turkey requested the meeting in view of the seriousness of the situation after the heinous terrorist attacks in recent days, and also to inform allies of the measures it is taking,” NATO said.

“NATO allies follow developments very closely

and stand in solidarity with Turkey.”

In Article 4, members are encouraged to bring subjects to the table for discussion for political consultation.

Since the alliance’s creation in 1949, NATO has been invoked several times, such as by Turkey in 2003 and in 2012, and Poland in 2014. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Greek PM Tsipras under pressure over covert Syriza drachma plan reports

Some members of Greece’s leftist Government wanted to raid central bank reserves and hack taxpayer accounts to prepare a return to the drachma, according to reports on Sunday that highlighted the chaos in the ruling Syriza party.

It is not clear how seriously the plans, attributed to former Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis and former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, were con-

sidered by the Government and both Ministers were sacked earlier this month.

However, the reports have been seized on by opposition parties who have demanded an explanation.

The reports came at the end of a week of fevered speculation over what Syriza hardliners had in mind as an alternative to the tough bailout terms that Tsipras reluctantly accepted to keep Greece in the euro.

Around a quarter of the

party’s 149 lawmakers rebelled over the plan to pass sweeping austerity measures in exchange for up to 86 billion euros in fresh loans and Tsipras has struggled to hold the divided party together

In an interview with Sunday’s edition of the RealNews daily, Lafazanis said he had urged the Government to tap the reserves of the Bank of Greece in defiance of the European Central Bank. (Excerpt from Reuters)

India-Japan defence ties set to grow stronger

Defence ties between India and Japan are set to grow stronger with both coming together for Malabar naval exercises in October and exploring possibility of having joint air exercises.

Japanese defence sources expressed satisfaction at the growth trajectory in the defence ties saying, “the direction is right. We need to

work on it more”.

“Japan is happy to be invited for the Indo-US naval exercise ‘Malabar’ slated for October in the Bay of Bengal,” the sources told PTI, adding that the next step hopefully will be joint air exercises.

It is not just the cooperation at the level of forces that both countries are looking at. “There is a huge op-

portunity present in the defence manufacturing too especially in the context of Make in India,” Indian defence sources said.

The importance that Japan puts on defence ties with India can be seen from the fact that the Japanese Embassy has added two more defence attaches. (Excerpt from economictimes)

Obama says no limits to what Kenyans can achieve

US President Barack Obama, wrapping up a trip to Kenya, has told Kenyans that there is “no limit to what you can achieve”, but said they had to deepen democracy, tackle corruption and end exclusion based on gender or ethnicity.

Obama addressed an audience of several thousand packed into an indoor arena in Nairobi on Sunday, before heading to Ethiopia, the sec-

ond stop on his East Africa tour.

Obama, whose father was born and died in Kenya, talked of his own experience and Kenya’s in the five decades since independence.

“I’m here as President of a country that sees Kenya as an important partner. I’m here as a friend who wants Kenya to succeed,” he said, after being introduced by his sister Auma Obama to a crowd

Around the World

Somalia blast: Mogadishu hotel rocked by bomb

At least 10 people have been killed in a huge bomb explosion at a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

A BBC correspondent in the city says a lorry was used to attack the Jazeera Palace Hotel near the airport.

Ambulances have been collecting the dead and wounded in what he describes as one of the worst scenes of destruction he has seen in Mogadishu.

Somali militant Islamist group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The al-Qaeda linked group said it was responding to assaults by an African Union force and the Somali government.

The blasts came as President Barack Obama was leaving Kenya for Ethiopia, at the end of a trip during which he had discussions about dealing with the threat from al-Shabab.

International diplomats

often stay at Jazeera Palace Hotel, which has been targeted in the past. It also accommodates several embassies including those of China, Qatar and Egypt.

“A suicide car bomb exploded at the gate of Jazeera Hotel,” Major Nur Osoble, a police officer, told Reuters news agency.

A Government security officer was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying hotel security guards were among the dead.

which had secured tickets to attend.

To a mixture of applause and laughter, Obama described being picked up at the airport on his first visit to Kenya in the 1980s by his sister in an old VW Beetle that often broke down. This time, he arrived on Air Force One and travelled in the President’s armoured car nicknamed The Beast. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

PUBLIC OPINION I SAY...

What are your expectations for the 2015/2016 budget?

Joel Brown

“Well, I'm expecting the budget to focus on allowing more funds for teachers, doctors and nurses. A lot of our qualified people leave after contracts are up because their salary can't maintain them in this country.”

Sherene Craig “Increased salaries for Government workers, of course. A little more focus and investment in the education sector. Better guards against floods, raise in pension and proper infrastructure”.

Robin Motayne

“My expectations are for more funds to be directed towards the education and sports sectors of the country. Being that we are immensely lacking in these areas … lacking in terms of facilities. ... not talent. And if more investment is made in the areas of sports and all levels of education Guyana will produce wellrounded students.”

Wayne Forde

“I would personally like to see more money going towards education, health and public infrastructure. Most of the roads in and around Georgetown are in a deplorable state. For the health sector I would like to see more community centres being built and properly equipped and staffed.”

Dave Ramcharitar

“I’d like the Government to place more attention to the education sector. Cheaper and better education. That’s all.”

Sheldon Gomes

“I would like to see lower VAT, increased wages, when food stuff are posted from places like USA and Canada pay less duty and stuff. And more attention given to sports.”

Tyrone Williams

“With this new Government, I’m convinced that monies will be assigned to places where it needs to go ... .There will be no stealing or rather significantly reduced stealing from the treasury so I expect improved infrastructure and reduction of vehicle destroying pot holes. Reduced flooding due to proper drainage, improved public health facilities resulting in less maternal deaths, a respectable public education system and hopefully at least some sort of Government assistance for tertiary education. And finally, rejuvenation of UG.”

Julius David

“I expect that the budget will reflect some of the promises that were made on the election campaign trail. I want to see something that will cause the standard of living to be a bit better. There was an indication of salary increase that is better than the arbitrary five per cent. I would like to see that reflected in the budget. I also would like to see that the Old Age Pension increase to an amount that will be able to sustain our senior citizens. I would like to see projects properly financed, so that there will be scope for employment. I don’t expect to see every promise be mirrored in this budget, which is unrealistic but there must be a strong indication that there is the will to stand by your word.”

Tevin Spencer

“I would like to see an increase in salaries for public servants; also, I would like the Government express an interest in higher NIS and Old Age Pension benefit. Also, I would like to see the VAT being reduced on certain food items; another thing would be an increase in incentives for small businesses to expand or create new opportunities which would see an increase in employment among the Guyanese population. Also, I would like to see the tolls on the Berbice River Bridge crossing reduced for vehicular traffic. Also, I would indicate that there should be a reduction in the duties and consumption tax on vehicles imported into the country. Also, monies should be channelled more into scholarship programmes for youths like myself.”

Law students in Trinidad want “equitable” access to legal education

The Students Representative Council (SRC) in Trinidad and Tobago is imploring the relevant authorities to look into the recent hike in fees at the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS), saying it stymied “equitable” access to legal education.

In a statement from the SRC, its President, Kiev

Chesney, is calling on the Government of Guyana and other stakeholders at the local, regional and Caribbean Community (Caricom) levels, to intervene so that students can have reasonable and equitable access to legal education and training in the Region. Law students are required to undergo a two-year postgraduate programme in order to obtain the Legal Education Certificate (LEC) which allows them to practise law with the Commonwealth Caribbean.

“... the increases render access to legal education in

the Region inequitable and virtually unattainable for the average Guyanese student. Thousands of brilliant Guyanese and aspiring lawyers from other jurisdictions and across the Region will be disenfranchised if they cannot afford these new fees, leaving the profession open to only those with the adequate finances to enter,” the SRC President highlighted.

According to Chesney, the Member States had agreed to “equitable access” in the Declaration on Functional Cooperation titled “A Community for All” during the 28th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom in July 2007, at Needham’s Point, Barbados.

“The Student Representative Council and the general student population are deeply concerned and disheartened by the decision to impose this substantial increase to the fees of current and prospective students of the Hugh Wooding Law School. The new fees structure will make it extremely difficult for some law students to complete their legal education. In other cases, it may force students to prematurely abandon their aspirations of practising law in the Region after already investing a great deal of time, money, effort and hours of lost sleep,” he stated.

Chesney explained that students from Guyana,

Dominica, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines are now required to pay TT$91,014.87 (G$2,963,764.77) per year in addition to the accommodation and living expenses associated with studying abroad. This increase of 38.97 per cent is equivalent to G$833,683.33 per year. Chesney disclosed that the

tirelessly to attain a place in the top 25 to ensure admission to the Law School, will also have the herculean task of finding close to $6 million in tuition fees. In addition to that huge amount for tuition, these students will also need to factor in another $3 million for accommodation, food and other expenses for the

to conjure up the additional G$833,683.33, on top of the already taxing G$2,130,080.67 to continue their legal education.

The Hugh Wooding Law School is one of three schools that fall under the Caricom Council of Legal Education (CLE). In the Agreement Establishing the Council of Legal Education, the body

make a full payment at the beginning of the course instead of the previous arrangement where only 50 per cent of the fees were paid at the beginning and the remainder throughout the course.

Last week, Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Basil Williams, in comments to an audience of

Law School during this past week indicated to many students that they passed their exams and while they were elated about this, they realised that with the new fees in place, they would not be able to continue with their second year.

He further pointed out that those students leaving the University of Guyana who would have worked

two-year period. Chesney noted that in total, the approximate cost of attaining a LEC was almost G$9 million.

Moreover, he outlined that current students such as himself and the other 20odd Guyanese, who are expected to commence their second year, are now left with an insufficient period of less than two months

was empowered with exclusive jurisdiction to certify legal practitioners in the Commonwealth Caribbean, therefore a person cannot practise law within the Region unless they have received a LEC from one of the three law schools.

In addition to the increased fees, another requirement added recently will see students having to

law students, said the sudden hike in fees was bothersome and he was currently seeking the particulars to understand the rationale behind the decision. Williams posited that the students should have been given at least a year’s notice before the imposition of such an extreme hike in the fees.

Minister Ally to W Berbicians: Local Government Elections close

A section of the audience at the consultation

The Social Cohesion Ministry launched its regional consultation exercise at Belladrum, West Coast Berbice on Saturday with Minister Amna Ally telling a gathering of over 60 residents that with Local Government Elections fast approaching, they needed to make the issue of development a priority rather than put race on the front burner.

The purpose of this initiative is to engage citizens at the community level in a national conversation on the promotion of together-

ness and national unity, one of the most important mandates of the Ministry, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said in a release. Minister Ally explained the provisions of Article 149 of Guyana’s Constitution which prohibits any form of discrimination against any person on the grounds of race, place of origin, and/or political affiliation.

“Your relationships in the community are important. We want to promote useful and productive rela-

tionships within and among groups at the community level. How you relate to neighbouring communities, regardless of your ethnic background, is also important,” she said.

She explained that when individuals and groups failed to find common ground on issues that affect their development and when they were unable to resolve conflicts that arose from time to time, society would break down. In this regard, the Ministry wants to build trust among communities

and for that to happen, there must be behavioural changes and the creation of an atmosphere of peace and acceptance.

Residents welcomed the initiative and recommended youth involvement and strong relationships between the community and its leaders. Belladrum resident Julian David said: “Residents need to have closer relationships with their [Neighbourhood Democratic Councils] NDCs and [Regional Democratic Councils] RDCs and more importantly, there should be no place for party politics in community development.”

Sense of belonging

He called for effective communication between leaders and ordinary citizens saying it was key to ensuring that communities become more united. David said that often, leaders allowed themselves to become isolated by the office that they held and communities were left feeling neglected.

The outreaches are intended to be a first step in ensuring that communities work with their leaders to bring about social change. “I want to ensure that you feel a sense of belonging…in your country. We are all different, recognise those differences and respect them.

Do not allow them to become barriers,” Minister Ally said.

The Minister is urging all faith-based organisations to get on board as the Ministry strives to find ways and means of eradicating discriminatory practices that have plagued communities in Guyana for decades.

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed Regional

This outreach follows a consultation exercise with key stakeholders in Georgetown and is the first of a series of similar exercises across the country.

Chairman of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Vickchand Ramphal, assured Minister Ally that the Ministry would have the full support of the RDC in its quest to bring about positive changes.

Region Five Parliamentary Representative Jennifer Wade said that this initiative was one that was badly needed in the region and spoke about the longstanding social barriers between communities such as Hopetown, Bath Settlement and Bush Lot.

Today, the Social Cohesion Ministry will continue the exercise in New Amsterdam and Skeldon. The Ministry also will be hosting a Social Cohesion Roundtable in September where all of the inputs garnered at the regional outreaches across the country will be discussed and a holistic plan will be formulated on the way forward.

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

Don’t overdo it. Concentrate on the projects that mean the most to you and best showcase your talents. New friendships will lead to increased socialising and activities.

You will face chronic health problems if you don’t focus on moderation. Resist the urge to try a medication or supplement just because a friend recommends it. Listen to your health care provider.

Changes in your personal life are apparent. It may be time to sever a relationship if you are being restricted or have too many demands placed on you.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Your bubbly charm and unique talent will wow the crowd today. No matter what competition you come up against, you will be a strong contender.

You should avoid borrowing or lending money. Play it safe. Don’t wait for others to do things first. Work diligently on your own and strive to be the best at what you do.

You can cultivate new friendships, but mixing business with pleasure will create problems. You will get positive results by listening to the plans and ideas of others.

Getting into shape will boost your confidence. Make a focused effort to improve your health through diet and exercise. Complete unfinished projects before they gather dust.

If you act rationally, it will help to solve a difficult problem. You will not have a realistic view of the situation if you don’t get all the facts. Consider making a couple of personal adjustments.

Be persistent. Not everyone will agree with your plans, but once the final results are in, it will be obvious that your thinking was right on target. Upcoming career changes look good. Focus on education and boosting your resume. A position that appeals to your creative nature will turn out to be quite fulfilling.

Greater involvement in your community will lead to an exciting opportunity. You will be able to accomplish a great deal with your unique style and innovative ideas. Step into the spotlight.

Don’t trust everyone you work with. You will end up being blamed for something you had no part in. Be honest but diplomatic. Getting into a heated argument will not help your career.

Vettel wins classic Hungarian GP, Lewis Hamilton 6th

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel took a surprise win in a chaotic, dramatic and thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton finished sixth.

Hamilton had a mighty let-off after an error-strewn drive because title rival and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg finished eighth after a late puncture.

The result means Hamilton, in the most unlikely circumstances, extends his lead over Rosberg to 21 points.

Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat took his first career podium in second.

Vettel’s victory - his second of the season - came as a huge surprise, and the German dedicated it to French driver Jules Bianchi, who died last Friday and whose funeral Vettel was one of many active F1 drivers to attend on Tuesday.

A minute’s silence was held for the former Ferrari reserve driver on the grid before the race and his family attended the event.

Vettel said in French over the radio on his slow-

ing down lap: “Merci, Jules. Cette victoire est pour toi.”

(Thank you, Jules. This victory is for you).

He added in English: “You will always be in our hearts. We know sooner or later you would have been in this team.”

There was a further surprise behind Vettel as Russian Kvyat took second place despite being one of several drivers to suffer penalties as a result of driving transgressions. He was handed a 10-second penalty for taking an advantage by going over track limits but held on ahead of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo was involved in the incident that dropped Rosberg from second with four laps to go.

The Australian dived for the inside at Turn One, ran wide and Rosberg’s trajectory on the inside of the corner took his left rear tyre into contact with Ricciardo’s front wing, puncturing it.

Ricciardo had to pit for a new front wing but managed to take the final podium position.

Behind him, 17-yearold Max Verstappen took the best result of his short career in fourth, ahead of Fernando Alonso in fifth, by far the strongest finish of McLaren-Honda’s dismal season so far.

Up front, the events that led to Vettel’s 41st victorya number that matches the tally achieved by three-time champion Ayrton Sennawere extraordinary and easily the most exciting race of the season so far.

The win was made at the start, when Vettel got the jump on both Mercedes drivers, fought off Hamilton

Lampard’s debut delayed again, Pirlo ready to play

ndrea Pirlo claimed

A“I’m not here to be a tourist but to play” less than a week after he arrived in the United States.

New York City fans will have to wait yet another week to see Frank Lampard debut but Andrea Pirlo is ready to play against Orlando City on Sunday.

Lampard, who finally arrived in New York at the start of the month after first being announced as City’s player a year earlier, is struggling with a calf injury and will not face Orlando at Yankee Stadium.

The former England international has also been replaced in the MLS All-Star team by New York Red Bulls captain Dax McCarty.

But Pirlo, who only touched down in the United States this week, is expected to make his bow for City after claiming, “I’m not here to be a tourist”.

City coach Jason Kreis cannot wait to see the 36-yearold former Juventus midfielder show what he can do in a competitive MLS fixture.

“It’s always been our goal

Frank Lampard

and objective to play a style that would suit Andrea,” Kreis said on Saturday, according to City’s website.

“We haven’t always achieved that goal in all our games this year, but it’s been our objective to play a possession game, a dominant game and a game where we dictate the tempo of the match. With someone who dictates the tempo of matches really well, we think this should be a perfect fit.”

Kreis added: “With the additions of the players we’re making right now, we feel

that can be the tipping point that pushes us where we want to be.”

City sit ninth in the Eastern Conference standings heading into Sunday’s game against seventh-placed Orlando, although Kreis’ men are just three points outside the play-off spots.

Pirlo is convinced he can help the MLS expansion club surge up the table ahead of the regular season’s completion at the end of October.

“I’m not here to be a tourist but to play,” the Italian veteran said. (Digicel Sportsmax)

and took the lead into the first corner.

Behind him, team-mate Kimi Raikkonen passed Rosberg into Turn Two for second place as Hamilton dropped back to fourth.

But the drama on the opening lap was not over, as Hamilton made a mistake at the chicane midway around the track and ran wide, dropping a further six positions.

It was a most uncharacteristic mistake by Hamilton, whose season had until this event been almost flawless. But the errors were not over.

As the Ferraris dominated at the front, with Rosberg surprisingly unable to keep pace, Hamilton set about recovering lost ground.

He did so with some excellent overtaking moves on Williams’s Felipe Massa, Force India’s Sergio Perez and, after the first pit stops, Red Bull’s Ricciardo.

Hamilton then set about closing the gap to Rosberg and had reduced it to six seconds when a dramatic incident brought out the safety car on lap 43, with 26 laps to go.

Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India suffered a total front wing failure on the main straight, smashing into the barriers and leaving carbon-fibre debris all over the braking area for Turn One.

Many drivers behind the top four chose to take advantage of the safety car period to switch to the grippier soft tyre and, crucially, at the head of them was Ricciardo in fifth at the restart, with exactly 20 laps to go.

The Australian got a better exit from the final corner than Hamilton and as the

world champion defended to the inside, Ricciardo went for the outside.

Hamilton locked up on the dirty inside line and slid into the side of the Red Bull, breaking his front wing and damaging Ricciardo’s bodywork.

After hanging on with the damaged part for a couple of laps, Hamilton bowed to the inevitable and pitted for a replacement.

He rejoined in 12th place, saying over the radio: “I’m so sorry, guys. I’m really sorry.”

His engineer Peter Bonnington told him to get his head down and chase some points, and Hamilton did so, passing the Saubers of Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson, Jenson Button’s McLaren and Romain Grosjean’s Lotus to take sixth place and eight points that could be crucial in the title fight in the second half of the season.

Raikkonen lost second place when his engine suffered a hybrid system failure, dropping him down the field and eventually into retirement. (BBC Sport)

Pressure from US prosecutors may be best chance of FIFA reform

U.S. prosecutors could eventually try to impose a court-appointed monitor on FIFA to ensure that soccer’s corruption-hit governance body cleans up its act, according to attorneys who have helped troubled companies and other entities to reform.

FIFA’s decision last week to establish its own task force to propose reforms has been blasted by critics who say the organization has shown over many years it is incapable of transforming from within.

Leading FIFA sponsors Coca-Cola Co and Visa Inc have joined labor union and anti-corruption groups in demanding FIFA agree to the establishment of a fully independent reform commission. Visa CEO Charlie Scharf said on Thursday that FIFA’s response to corruption allegations were “wholly inadequate” and showed a lack of awareness of the need for change.

But there is little sign that Zurich-based FIFA will voluntarily heed calls for an independent commission or major change.

Another path to reform

could emerge out of the ongoing U.S. court case against nine current and former soccer officials from FIFA and related groups, plus five company executives. They were all charged in May with bribery-related crimes. And prosecutors say the investigation is far from over.

Legal experts say that in many other cases outside monitors have been installed by U.S. prosecutors to clean up corruption or other bad behavior in organizations as diverse as major banks and labor unions.

Michael Cherkasky, who is now serving as the monitor in global banking group HSBC after it settled money laundering allegations with U.S. authorities in 2012, said prosecutors could choose to take the FIFA case beyond individual prosecutions and turn to broader reform.

“What we’ve found is putting someone in jail doesn’t change the culture of an organization,” said Cherkasky, a former prosecutor who has also been a monitor in the Los Angeles Police Department and in the Teamsters union.

“If you have a structural-cultural problem where there is

enormous ability for the people in power to create great wealth and act corruptly, then the next person frequently takes advantage of that structure,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Justice has given no indication it plans on going down the monitor path, and has currently tagged FIFA and related bodies as victims of officials trying to profit off of the sport for their own gain. Prosecutors in the case declined to comment on whether monitors could be considered.

Broad Powers

Monitors can be installed as a result of an outof-court settlement, as part of a plea deal after an indictment, or imposed by a judge during a case. The monitors can wield broad powers depending on how their mandate is designed, Cherkasky said. They can monitor the bank accounts, emails, and business transactions and make recommendations to the leadership of an entity. They can also coordinate with international authorities. (Reuters)

Patience running out on Ramdin again

The topsy-turvy cricketing life of Denesh Ramdin has taken another backflip.

Given the history, it is premature to believe that his reliably reported omission from the West Indies team for the ODI series in Zimbabwe* next month is his last tumble.

Over the 15 years since he first played in West Indies colours in the champion team in the Costcutter Under-15 World Challenge in England in 2000, Ramdin has experienced the idiosyncrasies of West Indies administrators and selectors more than most. Every time, he has surmounted them.

Only Jeffrey Dujon of West Indies’ wicketkeepers has played more Tests, 81 to Ramdin’s 69; only Dujon (169) and Ridley Jacobs (147) have more than his 127 ODIs. Neither was ever dropped.

Ramdin had seemingly made the position his own with impressive performances in both departments following his Test debut in a strike-weakened team in Sri Lanka in 2005; even after amassing 166, his first Test hundred, in a high-scoring match against England in Barbados in 2009, a couple of inadequate series subsequently in Australia and the Caribbean against South Africa prompted the selectors to turn to the diminutive Jamaican Carlton

Baugh. The unkindest rejection was the choice of the unproven young Antiguan, Devon Thomas, for the 2011 World Cup after Baugh’s withdrawal through injury.

Ramdin spent 16 Tests and almost two years biding his time. He regained his place for the series in England in the summer of 2012; in his first 14 Tests back, he had hundreds against England at Edgbaston, Bangladesh in Mirpur and New Zealand in Hamilton and averaged 52.71. More recently, there were two rapid hundreds in ODIs against England and Bangladesh at home.

It was a turnaround that brought him the Test captaincy in June 2014 after Darren Sammy was replaced following calamitous series in India and New Zealand. For all Ramdin’s experience, it was a curious choice for he had become embroiled in uncharacteristic controversy since his return to the team.

When, with the aid of last man Tino Best’s cavalier 95, he completed his hundred at Edgbaston, he turned in the direction of the pavilion and produced a piece of paper from his trousers’ pocket.

“Yea Viv, talk nah” it read. It was a reproach to Viv Richards who had previously questioned his contributions in the earlier matches. The ICC immedi-

ately fined him 20% of his match fee for “conduct unbecoming”. Ramdin later apologised but it remains a prominent negative mark on his CV.

Nor was it to be the only one. He copped an ICC twomatch suspension during the Champions Trophy in England the following year for allegedly scooping the ball from the turf and claiming a catch in the match against Pakistan at The Oval.

For all that, he was generally accepted in the West Indies as the only logical option. If his cautious tactics and losses to New Zealand and Australia in his 13 Tests at the helm have attracted adverse comments, they were counter-balanced

by the clean 2-0 sweep over Bangladesh and a plucky 1-1 draw against England.

All were in the Caribbean; the greater challenge will be in Sri Lanka and Australia at the end of the year. His lovehate relationship with his own Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TCCB) could determine whether he keeps the job.

After Ramdin’s highest score by a West Indian in a home ODI (169, including 11 sixes) against Bangladesh in St Kitts last August, the TTCB was effusive in its praise.

It was, it gushed in a media release, “a tribute to the hard work and commitment that he has been able to produce the kind of form

FIFA puts troubles aside at glitzy World Cup draw

FIFA put its problems to one side and began the countdown to the 2018 World Cup finals on Saturday when Russian president Vladimir Putin and FIFA chief Sepp Blatter re-assured the nation the tournament would go ahead as planned.

A glitzy preliminaryround draw ceremony was beamed live to 170 countries around the world, sending a powerful message that the finals would take place no matter what enquiries are going on over alleged voting irregularities which secured Russia the hosting rights five years ago.

Blatter confirmed that Russia would stage the tournament, saying that the FIFA executive committee had “full trust and confidence”. Putin told the global audience that “Russia will be fantastic hosts.”

Putin also pledged to host a World Cup -- in a country where racism is rife at soccer matches -- promising both domestic and foreign players and fans would feel at home at a “grandiose international sporting festival”.

All 209 FIFA members registered to take part in the finals, and although 22 teams have already been eliminated, 851 match-

even though they might have tougher qualifiers than usual, they should all qualify because the secondplaced team in each group will take part in seeded playoffs.

Among some of the more eye-catching European pairings was England being drawn with Scotland, the old rivals who played the world’s first international in 1872.

this season and to show the unique talent and promise we at the TCCB had recognised many years ago”.

The mood markedly changed two months later after Ramdin returned from India with the team that prematurely abandoned the tour over a contracts dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board.

Ramdin claimed that he had been restricted from participating in a practice session with the Trinidad and Tobago team; he felt “hurt and embarrassed”. He said when he later met with the TTCB he was told that he “did not demonstrate proper leadership in relation to the tour of India”.

It advised him that he would be replaced as team captain by allrounder Rayad Emrit for the inaugural WICB Professional Cricket League.

Ramdin saw this as punishment for being among the players who aborted the Indian tour “contrary to the undertaking given by the WICB” that there would be no discrimination or victimisation.

It was a widely held view that Dwayne Bravo’s forthright comments during the standoff with the WICB led directly to his removal as ODI captain. In spite of the WICB’s denials, Bravo clearly paid the price, as Ramdin did for Trinidad and Tobago.

That Ramdin was re-

tained as Test captain for the series against England and Australia was a paradox typical of the WICB. He might find the appointment of 23-year-old Jason Holder as the new ODI captain instructive.

At that age Ramdin promised to develop into the longterm captain. He was captain of the U-19 team for the World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004, leading them to the final against eventual champions Pakistan. He marked his Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2005 with a half-century, impressive his glovework and a composed attitude. A worthy replacement, it appeared, had been found for the long-serving Jacobs. His performances until his first slump in form put him on the sidelines five years later confirmed the optimism.

On their first tour of Australia at the end of 2005, he and Bravo saved some face in a 3-0 drubbing in the Tests with a seventh-wicket partnership of 182 in the second in Hobart. Bravo’s 113 was in his eighth Test, Ramdin’s 71 in his fourth.

“Our goal is to play for 14 or 15 years so as to ensure that, when Brian (Lara), Shiv (Chanderpaul) and the senior guys move on, we can turn things around,” Bravo said at the time.

Future upheavals render that quote now sadly laughable.

(Cricinfo)

As Pan Am Games near end, Toronto ponders Olympic bid

Canada was putting a golden finish on the Pan American Games by winning five events on Saturday but with one day to go officials were casting an eye at a bigger prize -a possible bid for the 2024 Olympics.

the women’s road race to claim the host’s 197th medal, eclipsing the mark of 196 set at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg.

es will be played over the next 32 months to establish the 31 teams who will join Russia at the tournament in June 2018.

World champions Germany were handed a kind draw when they were placed in the same group as the Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan and San Marino.

There was ironic laughter when Oliver Bierhoff, the general manager of the German national team, drew his country out of the bowl.

“I’m pleased we avoided Spain or Italy, but I am sure all the top teams will go through,” Bierhoff said.

Spain and Italy, the

previous World Cup winners before Germany, were drawn together while the Netherlands and France, two other European powerhouses, were also placed in the same group.

That was partly because UEFA, European soccer’s governing body which is looking to increase revenue from TV and other commercial marketing opportunities, decided to place their top six ranked teams in six-team groups rather than five so they play extra matches.

Slight manipulation

Slight manipulation of the draw was needed to ensure that happened, but

Cameroon, the first African country to make a major impact in the World Cup when they reached the quarter-finals in 1990, must negotiate a tricky twoleg knockout tie against Somalia or Niger at the start of their campaign.

South Sudan, who joined FIFA in 2012, will face Mauritania in their firstever qualifier. The winners play Tunisia in the second round.

African champions Ivory Coast, seeking a fourth successive finals appearance, will play Liberia or GuineaBissau.

Angola will meet South Africa in arguably the toughest of the secondround meetings.

The qualifying competition, already underway in Asia and the CONCACAF zone, will end globally in November 2017.

Emboldened by a Pan Am Games that has seen Canada post record medal totals and win positive reviews for a well-organized and entertaining competition, Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) president Marcel Aubut told host broadcaster CBC that he will, “absolutely lead and advocate with the whole power of my office that Toronto becomes the host city for 2024 Olympic Games.”

Toronto mayor John Tory has also refused to write off a run at the 2024 Summer Games and throwing the city’s hat in a ring that already includes Paris, Rome, Boston, Budapest, Hungary and Hamburg, Germany.

But the clock is ticking and Toronto will have to decide quickly with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) having set a Sept. 15 deadline for interested cities to submit a letter of intent.

The penultimate day produced another record for Canada cycling’s Jasmin Glaesser, who took gold in

“Today, Canada broke its all-time medal total at a Pan Am Games by reaching 197 medals,” COC president Marcel Aubut said in a statement. “This is an outstanding achievement and reflects the hard work of our athletes, coaches and National Sport Federations.” There was more to come as Derek Drouin, the Olympic and world bronze medalist in the high jump, and women’s team foil added gold to the Canadian total.

There was also gold in the boxing ring for the hosts, Caroline Veyre winning the women’s lightweight title while Mandy Bujold successfully defended her Pan Am flyweight crown with a split decision over American world champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza.

Canada’s newest sprint sensation Andre De Grasse, winner of the 100 and 200m titles, had looked poised to sign off with a third gold by helping Canada win the 4x100m relay.

But the team was later disqualified for stepping outside of their lane giving the top spot to the United States. (Reuters)

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WICB Regional U-19 Tournament… Centuries from Hetmyer, Spence lead Guyana, Jamaica to big wins in round 3

Two unbeaten centuries were recorded in the third round of matches in the WICB Regional Under-19 Tournament here on Saturday.

West Indies youth player Shimron Hetmyer scored 135 runs, propelling Guyana to a six wicket victory over Leeward Islands while Jevoy Spence hit 107 as Jamaica demolished Canada by 167 runs.

In the other third round fixture, a half century from Keagan Simmons denied Windward islands of a win over Trinidad and Tobago who prevailed by two wickets.

At Mandeville, Balchan Baldeo, Akshaya Persaud and Kassem Khan picked up three wickets each to bowl out Leewards for 217 in 45.2 overs despite attractive knocks of 60 and 48 from Vice-captain Jaeel Clarke and Captain Kacey Carty respectively.

Opener Hetmyer then batted throughout the innings to steer his side to victory, facing 114 balls

while hitting 18 fours and four sixes.

Spence’s undefeated 107 highlighted Jamaica’s solid 280 for two in a lopsided encounter against Canada at St.Elizabeth.

The young opener struck six boundaries and two sixes in his 150 ball occupation of the crease and received sup-

Digicel School Football Quarterfinal...

port in building the innings from Odean Smith who was not out on 68 and Michael Frew who scored 53.

The target proved too much for Canada who collapsed for 113 all out in 37.2 overs with Jamaican bowlers Smith and Oshane Thomas leading the destruction by picking up three wickets each.

At Louis Jamalco Sports Club, Simmons the number three batsman, stayed around for most of the innings to deny Windwards of a victory.

Ryan John smashed 66 and Gidron Pope 65 as the Windwards piled on 209 for eight from 50 overs before a five wicket haul from Othneil Lewis under mined the Trinidad innings. Lewis bagged five for 29 and Ryan John two for 44 to severely disrupt the Trinidad run chase as the Windwards pressed for victory. But Simmons stubborn 60 from 103 balls kept T&T in the game as they successfully chased the target with four balls to spare.

Defending Champions Christianburg/Wismar reach semis

Three-time defending national champions Christianburg/Wismar

Secondary breezed past Annandale Secondary 6-0 to seal their berth in the semifinal after Sunday’s quarterfinal at the Wisburg ground.

Christianburg showcased their dominance from the start of the match, wasting little time to get into attack mode on an Annandale defence that seemed lost.

Kendolph Lewis opened the scoring for the Linden based side with a goal in the

fourth minute before making it 2-0 in the 19 minute.

Amaniki Buntin then made the game 3-0 in the 32nd minute heading into the halftime break.

While Annandale showed a bit more aggression in getting the ball forward, they never seemed in with a clear chance of scoring.

Both teams wrestled the ball in the mid field for most of the second period exchanging possession before the floodgates were opened once again in the later stages

of the game as Antwain Gill scored in the 81st minute to make the game 4-0. Javon Bobb then scored in the 86th minute while Lewis registered his hattrick in the 89th minute to seal the win.

With the win, Christianburg/Wismar will now face familiar foe Waramadong in the semifinal which will kill all chances of the teams reaching in a fourth straight final of the tournament. (Treiston Joseph)

Crawford rides away with GBTI title

Romello Crawford continued his rise in local cycling when he won the eighth annual Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), Corriverton Branch 60-miler on Sunday.

Crawford, who arrived in Guyana hours before the event, wasted no time in signaling his intentions and was the first out of the pack. He was never challenged and slowly increased the distance between himself

Wand the second rider.

The Trojan Cycle Club athlete took all ten sprint point prizes up for grabs.

Despite the heavy rainfall, none of the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) or Corskel Cycle Club riders were able to keep up with the top finishers from Trojan. Jubal Crawford was a distant second in a race which was dominated by the cousins.

Andrew Hicks also

wearing Trojan colors was third ahead of his teammate Toran Harris. Wasim Hassnu Hassnu of FACC was fifth with the former President of Trojan, Steve Ramsuchit sixth.

Seasoned campaigner Marcia Dick led the females to the finish line to give the FACC a win. The second place went to Christine Matterson and third, to Whitney Poyer.

For the beginners,

Balram Narine of Corskel was first ahead of his teammate Curtis Dey. Roopchan Kidnauth was the only cyclist not from the Upper Corentyne to place in that category finishing third. The fourth place went to Alex Burnet.

The seniors started in from of the bank’s Corriverton Branch and proceeded to Adventure village before returning to the point of origin to finish while the

to the finish line and the beginners from

the

Twenty-eight riders started the race with the winners receiving cash and other incentives.

Manager of the Corriverton Branch Keiola

Blackman in brief remarks thanked all of the participants and promised the bank’s continued support for sport and the community. She noted that the bank’s sponsorship of the event was one way in which the bank gives back to the community. (Andrew Carmichael)

top BHS 6-1 to reach semifinal

Waramadong booked their ticket with a 6-1 win over the Region Six (East

Berbice/Corentyne) champions; Berbice High School (BHS), on Sunday at the Burnham Park in New Amsterdam when the two schools met in a quarterfinal match.

Backed by several supporters from Orealla and some from New Amsterdam the Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) champions displayed a superior standard

their play at the top.

However, it was Ashton Ward who opened the scoring in the sixth minute when he found the back of the net.

An unmarked Ward moved up from the midfield and collected a pass inside six yards and made no mistake in showing the other players how to score.

It was then left to the

get after getting past the defense.

Moments later the ball was with Ward playing on the far side. His shot was right in the center of the goal for Griffith to do the rest. At that point it seemed all over with the half time whistle expected to come anytime. In the second half Waramadong slowed down

of football.

The two forwarders employed by Waramadong were almost unstoppable despite the four burly defenders in place for BHS.

Azual Medina netted a hat trick and Dilmark Griffith a double as Waramadong concentrated

two forwards to take care of business. Medina scored in the 14th, 83rd and 84th minutes while Griffith scored in the 40th and 64th minutes.

BHS seemed in with a chance with the score at 2-nil when Derrick Taylor had a shot but went off tar-

the pace of the game and scored three more goals. In the 79th minute of play Shemar Arrendell scored for BHS to make it 4-1 prompting Waramadong into more aggression which resulted in two more goals. (Andrew Carmichael)

Johnson, D’Andrade finish 2nd and 3rd in 5k event

The 1st Annual Lysol Health Fair and 5K event was held on Saturday at the Queen's Park Savannah, Trinidad with Trinidad-based Guyanese Kelvin Johnson and Lionel D’Andrade finishing second and third respectively.

Johnson finished in 16:29s while D'Andrade was closely behind in 16:39s. The Cuban Livan Reyes placed 1st in 16:25 as the road race had a huge turn out with 264 participants.

D'Andrade highlighted that the event was merely used as preparation, “this race was a preparation for the Banker's Insurance Half Marathon to see where I am at.”

The half marathon is scheduled for August 31 and will give D’Andrade enough time to correct his short comings in hope of winning.

(Treiston Joseph)

The top three finishers receive their prizes after the event

Trinidad & Tobago

Red Steel are the new kings of Caribbean cricket after winning the 2015 Hero CPL.

The Red Steel won a thrilling final in front of their home fans at a rocking Queen’s Park Oval, seeing off the defending champions Barbados Tridents.

Half centuries from Kamran Akmal (60) and Cameron Delport (50) in a century partnership, plus a late flurry from Dwayne Bravo (29) saw them post an imposing total of 178-6.

Barbados made a stunning start in return, with US star Steven Taylor scoring 20 runs off his first 10 balls in CPL and Dwayne Smith finding form. The pair put on 47 in the opening four overs before Taylor’s debut ended when he was out lbw to Johan Botha.

The Tridents tried to keep pace with Smith (49) falling just short of a half century and Kyle Corbin (20) and Misbah Ul Haq (21) getting among the runs.

But they fell behind an imposing rate and even the arrival of Kieron Pollard (20 off 14 balls) couldn’t see

Red-hot Steel are 2015 CPL champions SCOREBOARD

Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel innings

JH Kallis b Peterson 8

CS Delport c & b Pollard 50

Kamran Akmal† c Nurse b Pollard 60

DM Bravo c Peterson b Emrit 9

DJ Bravo* not out 29

KK Cooper c Pollard b Emrit 4 J Botha not out 1

Extras: (b 2, lb 4, w 11) 17

Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 178

Did not bat: JN Mohammed, DYA Davis, S Badree, SJ Benn Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-120, 3-120, 4-160, 5-165

Bowling: RR Emrit 4-0-25-2, R Rampaul 3-0-47-0, RJ Peterson

4-1-24-1, KA Pollard 4-0-282, AR Nurse 2-0-15-0, I Khan

1-0-12-0, JO Holder 2-0-21-0.

them home.

The Red Steel are the third different winner of the CPL, following the Jamaica Tallawahs in 2013 and Barbados last year.

They did it the hard way, winning six out of their last seven matches, including eliminator victories over the much-fancied Tallawahs and the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

“These are the best fans in the world to play cricket in front of”

Red Steel skipper Dwayne Bravo said: “It’s a great feeling, words can’t explain it. Thanks to the fans who came out every game and made this final very special.

“These are the best fans in the world to play cricket in front of. T&T - this is for you!”

Barbados skipper Pollard admitted they were second best to his close friend Bravo’s side.

“In the final it can go either way. They ended up winners. We weren’t up to scratch with the ball but I’m still proud of the guys - they did a terrific job and hopefully next year we can go one better.” (CPLT20.com)

Barbados Tridents innings DR Smith b Benn 49 SR Taylor† lbw b Botha 20 KAM Corbin c Delport b Benn 20 Misbah-ul-Haq c Cooper b Davis 21 KA Pollard* not out 20 JO Holder not out 20 Extras:(b 4, lb 1, w 3) 8

Total:(4 wickets; 20 overs) 158

Did not bat: RJ Peterson, RR Emrit, AR Nurse, R Rampaul, I Khan Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-85, 3-117, 4-118

Bowling: S Badree 4-0-390, DJ Bravo 4-0-39-0, KK Cooper 4-0-22-0, J Botha 1-0-11-1, DYA Davis 3-018-1, SJ Benn 4-0-24-2.

Annai march on...

party two minutes later with a goal from the top of the box that rocked the centre of the net.

Edwards then increased the lead after showcasing his ball handles by dribbling two defenders down the middle of the field before releasing a powerful shot to strike the back of the net.

The goals continued for the Daniels’ brothers as Annai attacked the defence of Dolphin from every angle, making it impossible for a shabby defence to even have a chance of looking somewhat decent.

The first half would end with Dolphin trailing 7-0 and the game all but decided in a lopsided match-up.

The match started horribly for Dolphin as S Daniels scored a low left corner shot two minutes into the game to start the goal scoring fest.

G Daniels came to the

Captain Garville Daniels led the team with six goals in the fifth, 10th, 26th, 32nd, 59th and 67th minutes while sibling Sherral Daniels was equally devastating with six goals as well in the third, 15th, 53rd, 61st, 83rd and 90th minutes. Netting a solitary effort in the eighth minute was Stewart Edwards.

Meanwhile Chase Academy dominated Charity Secondary School 8-1, scoring their last five goals in the second half while Charity scored their consolation goal in the second period as well.

With the wins for Charity and Annai, both teams will now clash in the semifinal round on Wednesday.

The Annai team simply player together as a team and worked the ball around beautifully to cre