Guyana Times Daily - April 17, 2015

World-class Marriott Guyana opens doors

...raises the bar in hotel industry

Guyana

Businessman stabbed to death at Nandy Park

Serious crimes ahead of last year’s numbers

Search continues for missing ASL pilot, cargo loader

The beginning of a 5-star experience

april 17, 2015 |

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Friday, April 17, 2015 – 14:30h-16:00h and Saturday, April 18, 2015 – 14:30h-16:00h

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

Friday, April 17, 2015 – 14:00h-15:30h and Saturday, April 18, 2015 – 15:30h-17:00h

FERRY SCHEDULE

Ferries will be departing the Parika and Supenaam stellings on: Friday, April 17 – 05:00h, 13:00h and 17:00h Saturday, April 18 – 05:00h and 16:00h

WEATHER TODAY

09:19h and 21:38h reaching minimum heights of 0.40 metre and 0.41 metre respectively.

World-class Marriott Guyana opens doors

... raises the bar in hotel industry

By Gomatie GanGadin

he world-class Marriott Hotel

TGuyana was officially commissioned on Thursday at a gala ribbon cutting ceremony and then an evening reception with top executives of the internationally-branded hotel praising the spirit of Guyana, while underscoring their satisfaction in being able to provide jobs for hundreds of Guyanese.

The celebration began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning to officially commission the fivestar hotel, the first of its kind in Guyana by President Donald Ramotar and Representative of the Marriott, Brenda Durham. This was followed by a grand reception in the hotel’s ballroom in the evening. The plaque of the commissioning was also unveiled by the President, who was joined by several officials of the hotel, Government Ministers and members of the local Private Sector.

At the gala reception held in the evening, President Donald Ramotar showered praise on the project, noting that it was historic and one that all of

attacks and slanders by people specialising in negativity, trying to destroy things, it has become a reality.” Ramotar expressed that the benefits of the Marriott Guyana project will be huge with it expected to be a catalyst for expansion in the travel and hospitality sector in this country. “The service standard of the industry is expected to

Guyana should be proud of, pointing out that the project has significantly transformed the landscape of Guyana. “This is indeed a historic occasion. It is my pleasure to open this iconic building that has transformed the landscape of Guyana. We are very pleased that this property will be managed by Marriott. This property and this hotel should make all Guyanese very proud. This hotel has vast capacity…,” the President said.

He noted that the Marriott Guyana has truly overcome major tests and it was indeed a proud moment to see what it has evolved to be. “Making this project a reality was a considerable challenge, but today, despite all of these

improve as a result of Marriott setting the standards; we can expect other investments from hotels in improving their rooms and amenities to offer a better service… We now have the capacity to host the big events like business conferences… The number of people visiting Guyana will increase. The Marriott will promote Guyana,” he shared.

Commitment

Brenda Durham, Marriott’s representative in Guyana, told the gathering that Marriott has a commitment towards the hotel here in Guyana and the country as a whole, noting that it was very much close to the hearts of Marriott’s executives. She related

that the hotel has been able to exceed Marriott brand’s expectations and as such, it was indeed a privilege to be able to commission it. “What we were looking for was the spirit of Guyana and we love this hotel. We realised that this is a great privilege for us, but we also realise that it is big responsibility and we take that seriously… It is always a pleasure to see our flag flying in countries and Guyana is a special country to us. This hotel has become special. We have 4100 hotels across the globe and so hotels open every other day, but this was a hotel that senior management became very interested in and you hear them asking questions throughout the holidays… this hotel is part of the heart and soul of the company,” Durham said.

Provision of jobs

She further pointed out that one of the major accomplishments Marriott was proud to have made was the provision of jobs for more than 200 Guyanese, noting that the satisfaction of the hotel’s investors and associates was beyond expectations. “One of the most beautiful things about coming into a market is our ability to impact people. The pleasure for us is that when we get into a country like this, it is the people that join our family. We really do live the culture…when I came here, one of the things that really stood out to me was the spirit and passion and pride of the associates, it is something I will take back with me to Corporate,” the Marriott Executive said.

Marriott International Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arne Sorenson, in a special video message for the gathering, said he was pleased with the work done on the hotel while praising the country. Sorenson said that the hotel will play a major role in the growth and development of the country and as such, deserved celebration.

The luxury hotel boasts 197 guest rooms and suites that offer views of the ocean at every turn. Its ballroom has the capacity to accommodate between 400 and 700 persons at any time depending on the set-up. It can also be transformed into four sections to host smaller events. The hotel also has five boardrooms and an open style kitchen to allow patrons to dine in the restaurant and watch their meals being prepared by expert chefs. Its indoor gym will cater mainly for its guests but membership will eventually be offered to the public. In addition, daily passes will also become available once the hotel is open to the public.

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

Remember the children

Although the country is understandably preoccupied with its general elections, politicians should soundly condemn the recent spate of horrifying acts committed on young children in Guyana - as should religious and civil society - in the loudest voices possible.

Yet there is hardly a murmur from anyone, despite the almost daily reports of children being sexually molested, raped or murdered. Theirs are a small, voiceless section of our society crying out for our protection.

While there are groups that protest for their own rights, none seems to focus on the rights of young children to grow up protected from those who wish to harm them. None seems to feel the anguish of the mothers and fathers who must endure an existence after burying their children.

Not one group or organization has taken the lead to significantly advocate for improved laws for and rights of Guyana’s children, many who are too young to explain the fears they may have as children their age are being harmed.

In fact, as the majority of sexual offences occur against children, their fears are, all too real. Tragically, as young innocents, some have no notion of the monsters lurking unseen in our society.

Already, acts of physical and emotional abuse are committed daily against young children; sexual abuse of these young children, when considered along with the types of violence against women, point to a truly alarming situation in Guyana that few are tackling head on or making any significant progress with.

In addition, while many mime the old cliché, “children are the future”, few have shown any initiative aimed at truly making Guyana a safer place for these children of the future. It has become a meaningless phrase, seemingly uttered for popular appeal rather than out of authentic concern for these children.

The blame game has been played repeatedly; it is already old: a ship that sailed years ago. Who has an updated, more innovative and genuine plan for fighting for the rights of young children that does not revolve around a political party?

Has the plan for improving the rights of a child become a political football that can only be revealed if party ‘x’ wins over party ‘y’? What does than say about our politicians?

Ideally, the aggressive fight to stop violence against young children goes beyond politics. But alas, we live in a less than ideal world and therefore our children remain suffering at the hands of sexual predators, bullies and murderers while the adults fiddle with whatever they believe are of more importance to themselves.

Who knows of the potential for great achievements from among the now dead or traumatised child victims of sexual violence? Every child has the potential to become a great political leader, scientist, engineer, author or artist; snuffing out an existence denies the world of such.

For those that survive, innocence is destroyed and impacts much of the victim’s future, making what may have already started out as a rough life increasingly harder.

It is not enough to ape sympathy for a mother in anguish; the factors leading to the sexual act of harming a child can be complex and varied; therefore, every facet of a plan to fight sexual offences against children needs to consider more than just punishment of those who commit these heinous acts.

Programmes and personnel are needed to manage mental illnesses, drug addictions and paedophilia - often indications of abusive personalities. Reducing poverty and ignorance that often breeds sexual abuse of young children is also essential. So too is the need for specialist training that can spot signs of sexual abuse and for specialists to care for and counsel victims.

Many programmes should aim to stop sexual abuse and violence before it occurs and require a wide and organized range of policies along with efficient cooperation among different agencies. This requires skilful planning and above all, the will to ensure innocent young children enjoy a childhood and one that is free of fear.

Could

Nagamootoo

drop out of elections at last moment and regain his credibility?

Dear Editor, Could Mr Nagamootoo drop out of the elections for the AFC's earth shattering blunder? The AFC has achieved nothing to its credit since its existence.

While the AFC has no mandate to barter Indians into cultural extinction it may still regain respect and emerge their protector.

The AFC's championship of Indian racial balance of Guyana's armed forces could become their most significant achievement. It has already been predicted that the 2015 election may send that political party into extinction.

With all their patriotism and sacrifices, what achievement would signify their brief historical existence? For example Mr David Granger's APNU boldly advocates for special rights and privileges for GDF veterans.

Now here is a tradeoff of compromise within the co-

Voters

Dear Editor,

In the marketplace of ideas, no single individual or political party enjoys a monopoly.

This is why all political parties must be given that right to be heard, regardless of how we as individuals may feel or wish to interpret that message.

It is our right to accept or reject what is being said but at the very least the right to free speech must be respected.

This is why the hostility displayed by supporters of the APNU/AFC and the van-

alition as well as with the PPP/C Government. What is most understandable in Guyana's politics is the alarm which finds four former top level military Afro Guyanese operating boldly within the top heavy African APNU-AFC coalition.

Obviously topsy kind of days are long gone and rightly so. What governs the mindset of Mr David Granger, Mr Edward Collins and now Mr Gary Best, all former heads of the GDF, along with former Police Commissioner Mr Winston Felix to become arrayed within the Opposition is still history? Emancipation of slavery was achieved since 1838.

But mental slavery still find gifted men in battle against Europeans who enslaved them. Their battle is not with other races in Guyana.

In fact, the "other races" are viewed as interloping

hindrances to be dealt with by "any means necessary" (Malcom X).

Against whom is the APNU-AFC coalition now preparing for war? Are Guyanese planning an invasion or expecting one?

Wakenaam is already Guyanese territory brothers!

Civilians viewing this issue objectively will conclude that should such a gathering of militarised men within the PPP/C government would be quickly seen as most ominous.

This gathering of the former generals all united in the top heavy African APNUAFC camp has to be motivated by some special reason and intent.

What is it? Quick march into federalism? Whether these military men behave as Africans first, or simultaneous as Guyanese in totality, cannot be by the same criteria which classifies oth-

er race groups as requiring APNU recertification of their national loyalties and patriotism.

But no one race owns Guyana to establish any litmus test of patriotism. It is not democratic neither a pivotal reassurance for race harmony and peaceful coexistence.

If Guyana's former military leaders are authentic, Guyanese why are they not within the PPP/C, no less Guyanese? What does this secret alliance means?

The AFC's Mr Moses Nagamootoo's who is most ambitious for political power, has been fuelled and focused in his rage against PPP/C leaders who he believes denied him what Dr Cheddi Jagan promised.

But all Guyanese in their youth were repeatedly also told they were the future leaders of Guyana.

will have the last word

dalization of campaign materials in support of the PPP/C must not be condoned and condemned by all those who cherish the ideals of free and open speech. Let us keep the campaign clean and civil.

The pelting of vehicles with bricks and other missiles and the breaking up of meetings as reportedly happened in Sophia is not consistent with the norms of acceptable behaviour and every effort must be made to prevent it from happening again.

We must never allow a situation to develop where politicians are being ha-

rassed, beaten and in some cases forced to run for their lives for daring to appear on opposition platforms.

The days when hooligan elements from the House of Israel and other rogue elements broke up political meetings with impunity must never be allowed to rear its ugly head again in this beautiful land.

Political meetings are an integral part of our political culture. It is also an effective way of communicating with the electorate.

This form of communication was recognised over

twenty three hundred years ago by the Greek philosopher Aristotle who, in his writings on politics established that humans are political animals who are gifted with the faculty of reason and that politics and communication go hand in hand because they are essential components of our human make up.

As we approach voting day on May 11, let a million ideas bloom. In the final analysis, it is the Guyanese electorate who will have the last word on voting day.

Hydar Ally

Hypocrisy in Chris Ram's personal prosecution of Jagdeo

Dear Editor,

Chris Ram, an executive of the WPA, and a member of the Opposition PNC-led alliance filed a private criminal charge to prosecute Bharrat Jagdeo over remarks the former President made at Babu Jaan, as reported in another media.

My response was not published in that paper.

Questions are asked by voters about whether Ram is genuine about his objection to the content of the speech (a report on racist uttering, allegedly by Jagdeo and confirmed by others, made by APNU campaigners during the 2011 election)?

Or is it mere cheap politics to get back at the former President for his ongoing running with Ram?

If Ram is so genuine, voters charge, how come he has not filed similar complaints against his friends who are accused of violating the law?

It is noted that worse (very vile) anti-Indian comments were uttered at campaign stumps and were written in the media (in the two opposition affiliated papers) in recent weeks by individuals close to and from Ram’s party.

People I conversed

with want to know whether Ram would also pursue private criminal charges against these individuals and against the media? Or is it a case of seeking to silence opponents and closing one’s eyes to abusers who are friends?

Anyone and everyone who violated the laws, including lawyers, scribes, and politicians should be prosecuted. Otherwise, it is a case of hypocrisy and vindictiveness.

Voters also query that since Jagdeo is prosecuted (by Ram) for exposing the racist APNU campaigners’ comments, shouldn’t the media also be charged and prosecuted for carrying the statements?

And if the media and speakers are prosecuted what happens to protection of free speech? Is there a conflict in the law and if so which takes precedence –protecting free speech or the electoral law?

Is perceived hate speech protected and when does someone’s words become hate speech?

If someone (like Jagdeo, for example, reports on hate speech, is the person also guilty of hate? Should

Jagdeo absorbs and accepts the hate remarks about "coolie people" and not inform the nation about them? That will be the crux of the case in court and I will be surprised if it is not thrown out by a judge. It is frivolous and nonsensical.

In Guyana, race is used as a central part of attacks on opponents in political campaign.

That is the nature of our politics; some of these comments are racially offensive and it comes down to the media on whether to carry them.

Stopping vile, racist uttering should and must be a matter of public interest and those who campaign against the outpourings of such remarks should be commended.

Filing private charges against public officials (in public interest matters) is laudable. It is a noble goal initiated by attorney Ramesh Maharaj (an indefatigable anti-corruption crusader) in Trinidad; Guyana does not have an equivalent.

Lawyers and the media should emulate go after purveyors of hate. But it should not be done for opportunistic

reasons and must not be partisan; many people feel Ram (and the opposition media) are bias in that they do not go after their friends and or party colleagues or the parties they support.

There should be some level of sincerity and consistency in legal action in public interest cases.

If Jagdeo, David Granger, Donald Ramotar, Liz Harper, Vishnu Bandhu, Mark Benchop, David Hinds, Nigel Hughes, etc. violate electoral rules, they should be prosecuted.

But people should not be prosecuted selectively – i.e, only those from an opposing party or those with whom one has a personal conflict or to exact revenge from an earlier dispute. That is political immaturity at its epitome.

Everyone who violated the rules should be upbraided and reprimanded. If David Granger, for example, uttered unsubstantiated comments and campaign on race hate, would Ram prosecute him?

That is the bottom line question? Unless there is consistency in prosecution, people will see it as politics as usual, and political hypocrisy.

4% increase in serious crime recorded turn to page 16

Dear Editor, Statistics reveal that a 4 per cent increase in serious crime has been recorded for this year unto Monday April 13, 2015, in comparison to the same period in 2014.

Among the serious crimes police by the Force are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping.

47 murders have been recorded for this year unto April 13, 2015, in comparison to 41 for the similar period last year, an increase of 15%.

Unto April 13, 2015, robbery under arms overall has decreased by 19% in comparison to the same period in 2014.

The statistics indicate a 27% decrease in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms, and a 3% decrease in armed robbery where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.

The offence of rape has shown an increase of 62% unto April 13, 2015, in comparison to the same period in 2014.

Could Nagamootoo drop out of elections...

Is there a cure for such politician's promises? Now by his namesakes adage, "an eye for an eye", is enough healing balm to be procured to soothe his hurt.

Shylock will have his pound of flesh when a "D" is come to judgement. As the AFC's Prime Minister Mr Nagamootoo wants the entire PPP/C leadership, their supporters (regardless of race) and the current ruling Government to pay the price for the slight done to him.

Indians are now carved out as living sacrificial slices of "dead meat" for personal. revenge. Ironic how the Afrocentric WPA sets up a gullible Dr Rupert Roopnarine.

Infatuated with be-

coming Prime Minister he serves as bait and is quickly dumped into the septic tank without any care.

What did he achieve for himself or Guyana except infamy and loss of credibility for asserting Dr Walter Rodney was stockpiling weapons to violently overthrow the PNC Government. He was the big cheese who stands alone.

This AFC aggressive mission to deliver 11 percent Indian voters to make the PNC leader Mr Granger as the next President is tenuous and will backfire. What the AFC has done is only emboldened Mr Granger's total rejection that he has no blood on his hands for the 1973 GDF shooting deaths

of Bholanath Parmanand and Jagan Ramessar.

His firm rejection that he will not apologize for the PNC's rigging of national elections has now come full circle to his PNC's advantage.

Mr Nagamootoo's AFC has in effect,almost exonerated Mr Granger's denial and refusal to apologize. Mr Nagamootoo wants rigging to be forgotten.

It is easier for Mr Nagamootoo to overnight dismiss those two 1973 ballot Box martyrs as insignificant.

When so done, it does not matter that it would allow the PNC to win the 2015 elections. What matters most to him is to become

Prime Minister of Guyana. Mr Granger effectively could rise to power by the same crime for which he has been accused of being responsible. When the ballot fails, what would those well trained military men who use many bullets do? Who would be spared between Amerindian, Portuguese,

Chinese, Indian, or Guyanese, like there is any difference? On May 11, Mr Nagamootoo will finally find out what Guyanese think.

"Make room, and let him stand before our face.

Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too, That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice.

The police have questioned a number of persons from the community as the investigations continue.

Investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the death of Devi Ramadhar, 17 years, of Pouderoyen, WBD, whose body was found on the seawall at La Jalousie, WCD, on April 11, 2015.

The cause of her death is so far undetermined. However, two men were arrested and questioned by the police and later released on bail.

Ballistics tests are being conducted on the spent shells and a warhead that were recovered as investigations into the murder of businesswoman Shevon Gordon, 45 years, of Block 22, Wismar, continue.

Shevon Gordon was shot and killed during an armed robbery at her home on April 04, 2015. So far the two suspects in this robbery/murder have managed to evade capture by the police. Efforts are continuing to be made.

Police Public Relations Dept

There has been no arrest so far in the investigations into the murder of Quincy Bowman, 31 years, of Cummings Lodge, ECD, whose body was found with a gunshot injury to the head in the vicinity of Busta Bridge, Festival City, on April 06, 2015.

from page 4

"To the last hour of act; and then 'tis thought Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange Than is thy strange apparent cruelty." (Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice).

Will he regain his integrity and still make history?

Sultan Mohamed

The rebranding of Guyana

By Trinidad correspondenT

The present Government of Guyana must take a long hard look at the image that it has outside of its borders. Possibly they do consider it in passing, when targeting distinct groups in the area of Investments and Tourism, but those groups are more focused on themselves and what they can benefit from a Guyana association.

I make this proposition because I was surprised to find out that a number of my close friends and associates are still harbouring an image of Guyana that I have discarded some decades ago.

That image, unfortunately, was embedded during what is known as the Burnham era; it was an image to be sure, that was not

entirely wrong. The image of shortages of the most basic food stuff, chronic underdevelopment, bankruptcy, floods, outages, racism and repression and a corresponding lavish lifestyle of the elite was what was seen as Guyana. So strongly embedded were the images of hopelessness and poverty that at home when one heard a Guyanese accent one instinctively held on to one’s pockets. It was an era that saw massive migration of Guyanese which in turn brought people in the outside world into contact with the reality of Guyana through the real horror stories told by real victims

Of course back, then Guyana was not on anyone’s list as a holiday destination. I have said all this to say, that more than 22 years after the Burnham era, the im-

ages linger on and the views persist in the Caribbean and beyond. This is a tragedy since Guyana today is a far cry from those dark days.

Today the Guyanese who had fled are returning and too few are leaving to spread the news of a new Guyana. On a visit to Trinidad as recent as February this year, a close friend, female, educated at post-graduate level and up to date on world affairs confronted me with the questions: “Does Guyana have nightlife? Are there taxis to get around? What do they eat there? Are all the houses wooden? Do they use outhouses? Do they have TV stations?”

All these because I suggested a visit to Guyana, a place she confided, she promised she would never go. As we stand on the verge of a national election, this is

an appropriate time to focus on the Guyana you want the world to know.

Guyana is in need of rebranding.

Unfortunately, an election time is no time to rebrand, but it provides an impetus and the evidence that suggest it is of paramount importance, not only for the Guyanese Government and its citizens, but also for the world that is surely missing out a blossoming paradise about to unfold. Should the PPP/C lose this crucial election there would be no need to rebrand Guyana. To some, or frankly to many their loss would be a return to the dark days whose images linger on. Even if the aspirants would like to correct the image it would not work and would be akin to Satan correcting sin.

The only ones that would

have the moral authority to sell the new Guyana would be those who have been responsible for its creation. And if that distinction is lost on those who had banished Guyana to the back of their minds, it would help to remember the intervention of the outside world which said, enough is enough, and insisted that Guyana joined company with the rest of the world in embracing free and fair elections. It would help to remember Walter Rodney, one of Guyana’s finest minds, murdered because he dared to oppose! Innocent Guyanese shot down because they dared to insist on free and fair elections!

The bankruptcy of Guyana then deemed the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere! Those issues and countless others that characterised a bru-

tal and uncaring dictatorship willing to deny its citizens the basics of a decent existence, while the chosen few lived lifestyles comparable to the excesses of the Roman Empire.

On the other hand should the PPP/C return to office, (and I mean return with the numbers that count) their task would be to share their successes, their vision and their new Guyana with the world.

And what gives the current administration its branding rights?

Well, today Guyana can report that between 1992 and 2014 it reported growth in every year except 1998, 2000 and 2005. House loan interest moved from the absurd figure of 32 per cent to 4.25 per cent.

The 2013 Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Report highlighted Guyana as having the highest economic growth in the Caribbean ; and between 2012 and 2014 Guyana’s economy increased by 25 per cent to $650 billion.

The foregoing does not spell out the strides in education, health and infrastructure. Nor does it reflect the social and psychological welfare that pervades this once stressed nation. Guyana was left behind for decades and had to catch up with the rest of its neighbours (rightly so) and to be honest, there is some catching up to do.

But I can see no reason now, why Guyana cannot be spoken about in the same glowing terms as Jca, Bdos, Gda and many others, be it for leisure investment, work or play.

The message has to start taking root in Guyana itself. Guyanese must first appreciate that the peace, serenity and stability they now enjoy came with a price.

Charity must begin at home and for the outside world to believe, Guyana must believe! May 11th is the beginning of the process of rebranding Guyana. The people’s vote must say I BELIEVE! and only then would there be something to celebrate and share with the outside world.

Jimmy Carter to lead team of elections observers

...former President due to assess voting, tabulation

Former US President and Head of the Carter Centre, Jimmy Carter, is due here along with a large team of observers to monitor the May 11 electoral process.

In a statement, the Carter Centre said it has launched an international election observation mission for Guyana’s May 11 elections at the invitation of the Government of Guyana. The core team of experts will be joined this week by six medium-term observers, together representing nine countries. According to the Centre, its observers will meet regularly with representatives of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), political party candidates, civil society organisations, the international community, and citizen election observers to assess electoral preparations and the pre-electoral environment, including election administration, campaigning, voter education, and other issues.

“They will be joined by a larger delegation of election observers in May, led by former US President Jimmy Carter, who will assess the voting, counting, and tabulation processes. “I look forward to leading our delegation to observe Guyana’s elections on May 11,” said President Carter. “The Carter Centre has a long history in Guyana and great respect for the Guyanese people. These will be the fourth elections we have observed there since 1992, and we trust they will be peaceful and inspire hope for the future.”

With the Guyana mission, The Carter Centre reaches an important milestone: its 100th election observation. The first took place in Panama in 1989 during a hotly contested race that the Centre declared fraudulent.

Since then, the Centre has observed elections in 38 countries. The Carter Centre’s election observation mission is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct that was commemorated at the United Nations in 2005 and has been endorsed by 49 election observation groups. The Centre assesses the electoral process based on Guyana’s national legal framework and its obligations for democratic elections contained in regional and international agreements.

A not-for-profit, NonGovernmental Organisation, the Carter Centre has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Centre was founded in 1982 by former US President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.

Guyana wants more details on US “clean energy” initiative

While Government is pleased with the commitment made by United States President Barack Obama, it is of the view that more time could have been allowed for deeper consultations on his plans for clean energy within Caribbean countries.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon on Wednesday disclosed that Obama’s announcement to focus on clean and renewable energy did not provide the much needed time for him to discuss his own “thrust about clean and renewable energy”.

According to him, while it was a “very important visit”, it was “brevity of the engagement”. “To my mind it was an offer that was accepted by the Caricom heads and indeed provided an opportunity, but not much of an opportunity. This encounter spanned more than just a few hours for the heads and primarily for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to discourse with President Obama,” Luncheon told journalists.

Obama during a brief stop in Jamaica last week, before heading off to the Summit of the Americas in Panama, vowed that his country would assist the Caribbean region with its energy security as a means of generating economic growth. He said that the aim of the US was to see how it can be a more constructive partner for the Region.

There are growing signs that the US is stepping up its focus on the Caribbean to help fill a potential void left by Venezuela’s scaledback oil diplomacy.

Earlier this year, US Vice President Joe Biden hosted Prime Ministers and other top officials from all Caribbean coun-

tries at the first Caribbean Energy Security Summit in Washington. The focus was on exploring ways to help Caribbean nations obtain financing from international institutions to convert diesel-powered energy plants to natural gas and increase alternative energy sources.

Vehicle for increased growth

According to Luncheon, the commitment made by the US President is embedded in Government’s expressed intentions captured in the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), initiated by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, and its current insistence on pursuing renewable energy for its impact on the economy of Guyana. “Obama was essentially saying this is the way of the future,” Dr Luncheon said.

Meanwhile, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who was also present at the meeting, told the Guyana Times in an invited comment that the visit was a genuine and very positive one.

“There were some practical nuts and bolts issues that he has agreed to look at. Some issues relating to the work being done by the international financial institutions, the World Bank, [International Monetary Fund] IMF, questions re-

lating to competitiveness prosperity, issues dealing with, international banking, security issues, climate change, energy,” Gonsalves told the Guyana Times

President Obama told Caribbean leaders last week that the Caribbean, despite having less resources, was paying significantly more for energy. He said if there could be a lowering of those costs for the development of clean energy and increase energy efficiency “we could unleash, I think, a whole host of additional investment and growth”.

bating climate change. The revised version was published on May 24, 2010 and subsequently the LCDS Update was launched on March 2013 by President Donald Ramotar.

Government has outlined how it has planned to spend the funds derived from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Norway and other funds that may become available. Priority investments will be in Amaila Falls equity, Amerindian Development Fund, Amerindian land titling, micro and small busi-

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo in 2009 launched Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). The Strategy outlines Guyana’s vision to promoting economic development, while com-

ness enterprises and vulnerable groups sustainable livelihoods, International Centre for Biodiversity Research; Adaptation Project; and other support for the LCDS.

Business deal gone bad sours friendship

ALusignan, East Coast Demerara man was granted $100,000 bail on Thursday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for allegedly taking several items that were his friend’s for his own personal use.

The accused, 42-year-old Ramotar Rampersaud, and the Virtual Complainant (VC), Ramesh Sahadeo, are friends and have been so for several years. However, due to a misunderstanding regarding the VC’s articles, this friendship may

end.

Sahadeo reported to the Police that he entrusted Rampersaud with several items, including a quantity of spare parts valued at $640,000, bearings valued at $200,000 and a tool kit worth $240,000 between September 1 and September 30, 2014 for him to sell them and return the proceeds to him. The total value of the items is estimated to be over $9 million. However, the accused is alleged to have fraudulently converted all

the items for his own use.

Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru detailed that the men had made a business arrangement to sell the items, but then the VC said he wanted his money rather than the articles.

Guyana Times understands that the defendant was given three weeks to pay the VC for the items. However, this deadline passed and the defendant continued to promise that he would pay the VC, but never did. Rampersaud ad-

mitted to taking the items to sell with the intention of paying the VC within six weeks.

Rampersaud was represented by Attorney Mark Conway who secured bail for his client. He said that some of the items were converted as his client had promised the VC and these proceeds can be paid to him.

The matter was transferred to Court 11 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where Magistrate Annette Singh will be presiding over its trial.

Teacher placed on bail for simple larceny

APlaisance Primary School teacher was placed on $25,000 bail on Thursday by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court following two charges of simple larceny.

The woman, 28-yearold Patricia Sobers, of First Street Industry, East Coast Demerara (ECD),

pleaded not guilty to the charges which read that on December 23, 2014 at Scotia Bank, Carmichael Street, Georgetown, she stole $30,000 property of the Virtual Complainant (VC) Katija Hall. It was also alleged that on December 28, 2014, at the same location she stole $20,000 property of the said complainant.

According to Police Prosecutor Bharrat Mangru, the defendant is known to the VC. He explained that the defendant stole the VC’s Scotia Bank card and made the cash withdrawals. A report was made, and the banks security footage was reviewed where the defendant was discovered. The Police was notified and an investiga-

tion was launched. The woman was later arrested and taken into custody. Her defense requested bail in a reasonable sum on the grounds that she is a single parent to a minor, and is not a flight risk. It was also stated that she has had no previous convictions. Bail was set at a sum of 25,000 and the matter will return to court on June 2.

Sexual harassment lands father of 3 in court

Aman accused of groping a fellow party-goer and then slapping her when she objected appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to answer to charge of unlawful assault.

Mark Pereira, a father of three, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on April 3 at Albouystown, Georgetown, he unlawfully assaulted Roxanne

Williams. According to the prosecution, on the day in question, Williams was at a dance party in the vicinity of Albouystown when Pereira touched her inappropriately and slapped her when she reacted angrily.

According to Williams, on the night of the incident, she was at a dance during which an unknown man approached her in an unbecoming way. She identified the man as Pereira

in court and said that he left her after she ignored his advances. The woman claimed that some time later she was on the phone when the said man walked behind her and placed his hands up her skirt. She said when she reacted angrily, he dealt her a slap, doused her with his beer and left. A report was made and the man was charged with the offence.

Speaking in his defence, Pereira claimed that he

has no knowledge of such an incident; however, he offered Williams $40,000 to settle the matter. The woman refused as she said that the man was grossly disrespectful towards her and she was highly offended. The Magistrate has summoned several witnesses and will allocate a date for the matter to return when the witnesses are located.

Eyew tness

The real deal...

...Jagan

Cheddi Jagan’s family sacrificed greatly to send him to dental school. Not just his dad...but his brother Oudit who had to labour while his brother studied. We have to remember that this was the late 1930s when the Great Depression had laid waste to colonies like Guyana, which caught a cold when the “Mother Country” merely sneezed.

But when Jagan returned to Guyana, he didn’t just plunge into politics as most of us know from the history books.

He also helped the rest of his siblings to move out of the poverty stricken, plantation environment. And there were a whole lot of siblings. One of them, Naipaul, assisted him in his Dentistry Office in Charlotte street...while Janet also did her bit.

This brother Naipaul became particularly close to his older brother since he had to literally “man the store” while Cheddi and Janet were off politicking and generally saving the poor and oppressed.

Cheddi Jagan was a serious man, who generally kept his eyes on the prize - independence to Guyana - but he could also see the funny side of life. Especialły its irony.

Naipaul, however, like the rest of the Jagan clan, steered clear of politics - content to just assisting his brother and take care of his family. Your Eyewitness was pleased as a punch, therefore to see the son of NaipaulDr Clive Jagan, announced as a candidate for the PPP/C in the upcoming elections.

Clive Jagan’s a very private individual - who followed his Dad and Uncle in the dental field. He’s always practised in Guyana after qualifying as a dentist.

In fact, he must’ve been such a good example at home and the office that three of his sons decided to follow in his footsteps. You don’t find that often nowadays - or any other days. There’s been lots of talk about Dr Cheddi Jagan and his “legacy”. There’s the political legacy that’s mostly invoked - with good reason.

But there’s also the legacy of his as a professional and a family man that his nephew Clive Jagan exemplifies to the max. This Eyewitness salutes the good doctor for standing up at this crucial time in our history to remind the Guyanese public that the Jagan legacy is alive and well.

...on the military concern

Looks like the Stabber’s playing the fool on the concerns raised by citizens of this country of the possible military Government that might be in the offing if the PNCled APNU/AFC coalition has its way.

The Stabber pointed to the PPP/C employing several ex-military personnel - including Ex-Brigadier Joe Singh “in various capacities at high levels within Government”, to suggest that the PPP/C is being disingenuous for sharing the abovementioned concerns.

But it’s the Stabber that’s being disingenuous. The key term they themselves admit is that the PPP/C government “employed” ex-military men. These ex-military men were not Government officials making policy.

But this is precisely what faces Guyana if, God forbid, Granger and his cohorts - COP Felix, Chief of Staff Edward Collins, Lt Colonel Harmon and dozens others BECOME the Government.

The old question in democracies of the military being under civilian control then becomes moot. Who then, will guard the guardians??

...or face contempt charges

After the Court ordered AFC MP Ramayya, the Bush Doctor, to apologise to PPP/C’s Zulficar Mustapha, for slandering him racially and otherwise, the fella has still not done so in the spirit of the Court’s order.

Why doesn’t he just go on his knees, “wring” his ears and say, “Sarry Sah!!”

Businessman stabbed to death at Nandy Park

The proprietor of Hamson’s General Store was on Thursday morning found dead at his Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home with at least two stab wounds to his chest.

The body of 56-yearold Farouk Ghanie of Lot 97 Collingwood Avenue, Nandy Park, EBD was found by his reputed wife Vanessa (only name given) who went to check on him after several calls to his phone went unanswered.

The circumstances surrounding the man’s death are sketchy thus far, but investigators believe that the man might have been killed by someone he knew. The man was found lying on his back and might have been dead for more than 12 hours.

At his house, his brother, Fizal Hamid, who is also a businessman, explained that just after 08:00h he received a telephone call informing him that his brother was found dead in the vicinity of the back washroom.

Hamid said that he immediately mobilised and rushed to the area. There he saw his brother’s motionless body lying on the concrete ground.

He reiterated that his brother’s common-law wife attempted to contact him on Thursday morning but both the land line and his mobile phones went unanswered. She reportedly drove over, only to find the man lying in a pool of blood.

The aggrieved man could not say who might have wanted his brother dead but recalled seeing him on a daily basis since they all have stores on Regent Street. He recalled his brother complaining to him about an ex-employee with whom he had some “vibes” but refused to further speculate while noting that the perpetrator had to be known to the dogs.

“He is not someone who gets into trouble…anyone can find out his reputation…he does not discriminate….He always try to assist”, Hamid stated. He also confirmed that the area where his brother’s body was discovered was not ransacked.

One neighbour told media operatives that at about 18:30h on Wednesday, she looked over at Ghanie’s house and saw it in darkness. At that time, she thought that it was unusual explaining that even if the man was out of the country, someone will turn on the exterior lights and this was not the case.

The woman said that she went to bed and at no time, she heard the sounds of dogs barking. It was not until she woke up the following morning that she noticed a fleet of vehicles in front of the man’s house, and upon enquiring found out that he was murdered.

Another resident told the media, that there needs to be more security for residential areas claiming that anyone could have been killed and no one will know. She called on the relevant au-

Driver who allegedly broke seatbelt law on bail

ALindener who stands accused of driving his car without a seatbelt was granted $65,000 bail on Thursday at the Georgetown

thorities to provide security rather that talking what they have done to curb the crime spree.

An employee who was at the scene, told Guyana Times that his now dead boss dropped him home on Wednesday evening and headed straight home. Before pulling off, he recalled Ghanie giving him $1000.

He stated that he went to work as normal and as soon as he arrived at the Regent Street store, they received the message about the man’s death. He, along with other workers rushed to the house where they saw his body lying on the ground.

‘This had to happen last night (Wednesday)… And it had to be someone who is a trustee…no body can’t get into the yard so… the dogs would rip them apart so it had to be some-

body who the dogs know,” the man stated.

Contrary to the dead man’s brother, the worker

related that from all indication Ghanie might have put up a fight since there were broken items where

the body was found.

Meanwhile, as the news spread about the man’s death, his employees and close friends turned up at the home and were allowed into the yard. Crime scene investigators were seen searching the area for clues that might lead to the perpetrator.

The man’s reputed wife was later taken to the Providence Police Station where a statement was taken. The father of five has been operating his hardware business for several years, and was not known to be someone who would be engaged in bad deals.

His body was taken to the Memorial Garden Funeral Home where it is awaiting a post mortem examination. Police are continuing their investigations.

Magistrates’ Courts. The accused, Devon Mills, was charged with driving without a seatbelt on April 1. He is also accused of failing to produce his driver’s licence when asked to by a Traffic Officer.

Mills pleaded not guilty to the both charges before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in Court One, stating that he did produce his driver’s licence.

He was granted bail in the sum of $50,000 for the latter charge, while the former charge got him a $15,000 bail.

His case was transferred to the Linden Magistrate Court.

President Ramotar tours ExxonMobil’s Deep Water Champion

President Donald Ramotar and his Natural Resources and the Environment Minister Robert Persaud on Wednesday paid a visit to ExxonMobil’s oil exploration ship, the Deep Water Champion.

ExxonMobil, which is still to offer a response to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is currently drilling for oil under a licence from the Government of Guyana in the Stabroek Block, some 120 miles offshore Guyana with-

in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone. This is despite Venezuela’s objection on the exploratory activity.

According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), the President and a party travelled by helicopter from the Ogle Aerodrome and were given a 360 degree view of the drillship from the helicopter. After a short briefing aboard, the party returned to Ogle.

Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is the local subsid-

iary of ExxonMobil, the largest publicly-traded oil and gas company in the world.

The company’s massive rig dubbed the “Deep Water Champion” commenced operations more than a month ago on March 5. With the total area allotted to Exxon covering 26, 806 square kilometres, the company has a target depth of 1750 metres.

EEPSL Country Manager Jeff Simmons, last Wednesday, had said that the drilling was midway. He explained that the team would conclude the initial stages of drilling shortly. At which time, the project is expected to produce promising results.

The scope of operations spans a drillship, with approximately 200 crew and contractors; helicopter support flying out of Ogle International Airport – a utility as well as a searchand-rescue craft, which is always on standby; four support vessels and two shore bases – Georgetown and Trinidad, as well as a waste treatment facility at the John Fernandes Site at Houston, Greater Georgetown.

Simmons had said that the work was proceeding without any interference from Venezuela.

The company, which intends to pursue explora-

tion activities over a 10year period, remains leery of a possible showdown with Venezuelan authorities.

Guyana has been receiving sustained international attention from huge com-

panies, especially in the oil sector, particularly since the US Geological Survey said in 2000 that the GuyanaSuriname Basin has the second largest unexplored oil potential in the world after

Greenland. ExxonMobil is an industry giant that has the leading inventory of oil and gas projects, and the world’s largest refiner of petroleum products.

Guyana can do more to foster growth in telecoms sector – Cornette

Though Guyana has been credited for the advancement made in the telecommunications sector, loopholes within the system continue to stymie further progress.

This is the strong belief of well-established Guyanese within the field of telecommunications, Lennox Cornette, who is also the author of a recently published book, “The Development of Telecommunications in Guyana”.

From years of extensive research on the topic, and being exposed to the telecommunications field after working at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) for four years, Cornette attained a desire to gain more knowledge about the history of telecommunications advancement in the country.

During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times on Tuesday, the author cited a section from his book where it states that Caribbean Islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados were just a few years ago,

leading Guyana in its telecommunications development.

However, to date, Cornette disclosed that Guyana has succeeded in its advancement and is no longer lagging loosely behind those nations.

Nonetheless, he said that the country can do much more to foster growth within the sector.

“For example, there are still a lot of areas where telephone services can be ruled out, a lot of areas now are covered by cellular but some people are complaining of having to climb in the trees to push their phones up to get signals…,” he lamented.

He added that one of the important aspects of telecommunications is bandwidth, noting that Guyana has to take swifter steps to ensure the fastest bandwidth is provided.

“Bandwidth rules the world right now,” Cornette professed, noting that slow bandwidth contributes to inefficiency in the usage of the internet – which Guyana is currently enduring.

“To simplify it, it’s like, you’re having a river that is flowing but that river is flowing into a 12-inch pipe, you have a lot of water coming, but when it reaches a certain point, it’s going through a 12-inch pipe; imagine the bottleneck there,” he exemplified.

On that note, he said the relevant authorities must ensure that bandwidth is a top priority issue that needs immediate improvement.

However, he said that the Government and Digicel’s fibre optic cables

are excellent initiatives.

Missed Opportunities

In relation to his book, Cornette explained that the publication describes in detail the development of telecommunication from since the colonial years to this modern 21st century.

The first part of the book speaks about the period from 1884-1966 where Guyana was severely neglected as the colonial administration was then only interested in communication between the colony and the mother country (Great Britain) than communication within the country itself.

The second part of the book describes the period 1967-1990, tagged “The Period of Missed Opportunities.” In 1967, the first telephone company was formed. In the aforementioned period, although numerous studies were done by various international organisations to determine the plan for telecommunications in Guyana, very little was done to implement those findings.

The period from 1990 to almost 2012 was tagged “The Period of Restoration, Reorganisation and Expansion” because during this time, the telecommunications sector experienced rapid development as it advanced in its cause to be on par with the rest of the world.

Persons desirous of reading the book can purchase it at the Giftland OfficeMax and Austin’s Book Store or pay a visit to the National Library or the University of Guyana’s Library.

PPP/C remains true to Cheddi’s philosophy – Dr Clive Jagan

Dr Clive Jagan, nephew of former President Dr Cheddi Jagan who was named on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) List of Candidates, said the PPP/C has remained true to the philosophies of his late uncle, and it is for this reason he has thrown his support behind the party.

Speaking to media operatives at Freedom House on Wednesday, Dr Jagan, in addition to applauding the party for upholding the principles of the late President, said the PPP/C is the only party that can move the country forward.

However, when questioned on whether he believes that the party may have strayed from Jagan’s core values, he responded in the negative. He explained that the PPP/C continues to uphold the fundamental pillars such as democracy, freedom of press and progress for the people.

“In terms of moving away from his principles, I real-

ly don’t agree with that because I’ve seen development, I’ve seen that presumptions are made that they are moving away but there has been no valid proof that can make the Opposition or anyone come out and say that the PPP has moved away. They still stand for the same policies, they still stand for progress, they still stand for democracy, for freedom of the press, everything is still going on…,” he said.

In responding to questions regarding the difference in the lifestyles of Government’s officials, party leaders and supporters from Jagan’s era to now, the relative said that while his uncle was a simple man, the two periods cannot be compared since things have changed drastically over the years.

“He was a very simple man; I can tell you that, he was very simple. He had sheep in his yard to mow the lawns…but time has changed from then to now. People have changed, they have achieved more,” the nephew pointed out.

He further pointed out that it is the Opposition’s fault that inclusionary governance is not being practiced by the PPP/C since it took power some 23 years ago. He noted that the Opposition has always been antagonistic towards the ruling Administration, and it is for this reason, the practice is not being followed.

“In terms of inclusion, even when the old man came into power in 1992, he wanted inclusion and he wanted to go about this, he started the city council in terms

Serious crimes ahead of last year’s numbers

The Guyana Police Force

in a release stated that 47 murders were committed up to April 13 when compared to 41 for the same period last year, resulting in a 15 per cent increase. Overall, there has been a four per cent increase in serious crimes for the year, in comparison to the same period in 2014.

Among the serious crimes that are being monitored by the Police are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping.

However, there has been an overall decrease in robbery under arms by 19 per cent compared to the same period in 2014. In addition, statistics show that there is a 27 per cent decrease in the number of armed robberies where firearms were used and a three per cent decrease in armed robberies where instrument other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.

With respect to the offence of rape, the Police stated that there has been a 62 per cent increase up to April 13, in comparison to the same period in 2014.

of sharing governance and some trust needed to be established before you can go further and the Opposition over this time has not gone further to build trust or they

have shown no reason to trust them. They have not changed their attitude to the Government…it is an antagonistic one,” Dr Jagan said. Meanwhile, several of the

party’s young candidates, including Vanessa Benn, daughter of Robeson Benn, Dr Mahendar Sharma, and Dr Thandeka Smith also expressed their reasons for

joining the PPP. They all indicated that it bordered on their belief that the PPP was the only party which can further the growth and development of the country.

Meanwhile, the Police stated that there has been no arrest for the murder of Quincy Bowman, 31 of Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, whose body was found with a gunshot injury to the head in the vicinity of Busta Bridge, Festival City, on April 6, last. Nevertheless, the Police have questioned several persons from the community as the probe continues.

With respect to the murder of Devika Ramodar, 17 of Bella Dam, West Bank Demerara (WCD), two men were arrested, questioned and released on bail. The teenager was found almost one week after she went missing. Her body was found on the seawall at La Jalousie, WCD on April 11.

In addition, ballistics tests are being conducted on the spent shells and a warhead that were recovered as investigations into the murder of businesswoman Shevon Gordon of Block 22, Wismar, Linden continue.

The businesswoman was shot and killed during an armed robbery at her home on April 04. So far, the two suspects in this robbery and murder have managed to evade Police ranks.

VOX POPULI PUBLIC OPINION I SAY...

What do you think about the

Kamal Kabool – “The Marriott is definitely a great investment. I mean, who would have thought Guyana could get a five-star hotel? I can predict that it will attract a lot of tourists to Guyana and I am excited for the whole host of recreational activities it will bring. Look at the Princess Hotel, look how it expanded into an entertainment complex. I am sure the Marriott has a positive future in Guyana.”

Devendra Persaud – “I was always excited about this project. Now that it has opened, I can’t wait to see the exciting features and services it will offer Guyana, especially in terms of entertainment, food, you know. It will give Guyanese more variety to that social life. In addition, although I don’t know the technical side of things, I am sure it will boost the country because when people planning a vacation, especially rich people, and they see that your country has the Marriott, they will definitely come to Guyana.”

Shameeza Kabool – “Well to be honest, I think it’s gonna be a great opportunity for youths, because they will offer a wide range of jobs and it’s gonna be a lift for Guyana’s tourism.”

Marriott Hotel?

Reshma Samaroo – “I think the Marriott Hotel will develop Guyana, because, in order for a country to grow, you have to start somewhere and at one particular aspect, you cannot do it all one time. Now, I think, the money the country will get from this hotel, they can use it now to develop the other aspects like the education sector, health; there’s lots of possibilities with this hotel. Plus I am positive the entire population will look forward to the entertainment the hotel brings.”

Luis Kumar – “I think the Marriott Hotel is a positive step towards the development of Guyana and its tourism sector. It will offer jobs to young people and so much more. I think this five-star hotel will live up to its international expectations, since there are over 500 more and growing around the globe. We, as a nation, should welcome this new hotel under the brand of Marriott and I am sure it will be as successful as the other Marriotts around the world.”

Daryl Chambers – “Well, I am speaking for myself in that I am excited to see what the Marriott will bring. It will make that area livelier; it’s going to be a nice place to go and have dinner, or to have a good social time. But generally, I could understand how some people would object, especially if they are in a bad living situation, they would feel the Government wasted money. But I think the Government can make back that money, it’s not wasting, it’s an investment, if you know anything about business, you will see it is an investment. I am sure in the years to come; everybody will be enjoying what the Marriott has to offer.”

Persaud – “It is good we have a five-star hotel for the first time in Guyana. It will attract a lot of rich and important overseas people as they know they will have somewhere comfortable to sleep and rest during their stay in Guyana. Besides, many people are members of Marriott Membership Club, including myself, and we get preferential treatment at any Marriott Hotel we stay at because of our membership. Guyana’s economy will definitely get a boost because Marriott is an international brand name and it will be listed in the Marriott directory. Rich people will not visit a country if there is no international brand name hotel so this will definitely boost tourism.”

David Pollard – “Well, for me I think it’s a great investment in Guyana. It has its pros and cons obviously and different people will view it differently based on their position in the country and also how the Government has treated them. For me, I work hard, I make an honest living and that’s that. But you know I am excited to see what the hotel has to offer, I am looking forward to its entertainment aspect.”

Denise McKenzie – “I think this hotel will benefit the country which will eventually benefit the people if the money generated is spent wisely. But, I think the hotel should not have been a priority. It is a good investment and I am excited and all. I am not against it, but I really think the money should have been used for something else like UG, or increase pay or micro-financing, something that will directly help the Guyanese.”

Search continues for missing ASL pilot, cargo loader

Almost four months after the Air Services Limited (ASL) aircraft went missing along with pilot Nicky Persaud and cargo loader David Bisnauth, the search continues for the two.

On Thursday, Proprietor of Rainforest Tours, Frank Singh disclosed that they have completed phase one of the private search mission, which began on February 6, 2015. He explained that they were informed that a miner had a full view of the aircraft before it went missing; as such the team was deployed to that area and covered most of the land.

The head of the mission noted that the team was divided into three parts and had continued phased two but were forced to discontinue. “Within that period of time, we closed in on 10 square miles but during that time I came out and some of the men got malaria so we decided to close the operations. The men came out so that we can restock with food stuff and so on,” he explained.

According to Singh, they have approached

the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) to get the last signal that was picked up from Persaud’s cellular phone in order to narrow down the search to where the pilot’s cellular phone signal was last detected. He noted that the information is supposed to be available to them by Monday after which they will resume with phase two of the search mission.

“We’re asking GT&T to assist us because in Mahdia, there is a cell phone tower there, which would assist us. So I don’t know if they

can pick it up before or after. They can identify well this is the position but they can break down where it is. For example, if we have 25 square miles, they can break it down to 10 square miles instead of us going and search the entire square miles,” he outlined.

It was explained that the aircraft last spotted over White Water Creek, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Thus far, the private search team has managed to cover a total of 25 square miles, combing through areas such as Fort Fork, Toucan

27-year-old American busted with cocaine, sentenced to 3 years

An American citizen was on Thursday morning busted with 5.2 kilograms of cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The illicit substance was reportedly found stashed in false walls of his suitcases.

Twenty-seven-year-old Reuben Lamb was about to board a Caribbean Airlines flight to the John F Kennedy International Airport when he was intercepted. According to information received, the bust was made by the Police Narcotics Branch as his bags were being scanned. After the illicit drug was detected, the man was pulled from the checkin-counter and questioned. The 27-year-old man positively identified his bag and upon doing so, he was immediately taken into Police custody where he was questioned.

He later appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, and was sentenced to three years imprisonment after pleading guilty to a drug trafficking charge. Before entering a guilty plea, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry reminded him of the penalty for the offence which is no less than five years.

Based on Police information, members of the Police Narcotics Branch was monitoring the airport at the time when the defendant placed his suitcases on a baggage trolley and while unpacking, they noticed whitish substance on the outside which prompted them to search the pieces.

During the search several plastic parcels were discovered taped to the top and bottom of the walls of the suitcases and the illegal drug was unearthed. It was then taken to be tested and weighted, and found to be 5.2 kilograms.

He was told of the offence and charged. During the investigation, he reportedly told investigators “this is my stuff, just trying to make some money.” He told the court that he was a security officer and “a poor man trying to mek a dollar.” The estimated street value for the cocaine is $532,800. However, the Chief Magistrate tripled the amount which amounted to $1,598,400 as a fine to be paid by the defendant.

On Monday last, 68-yearold Aurthur Manget of Land of Canaan, EBD was nabbed at CJIA as he attempted to smuggle 11 kilograms of cocaine in false walls of his

Mountain, White Water and Black Water among others. These terrains are very mountainous.

Meanwhile, Singh is calling on the public to offer whatever assistance they can so that the search mission can continue. He noted that there is an account at Scotia Bank (account number 114594) that was specially set up to facilitate funding for the mission. This account is opened to the public for them to see how the proceeds are being spent.

Furthermore, some of the major contributors thus far include New GPC Inc, NS Mattai and Company

and Star Computers among many others. The head of the search mission further stated that most of the donations they have been receiving are in food items and other necessities.

Also part of the rescue mission is father and brother of the missing pilot. The 25-year-old’s wife, Stephanie Persaud, is also playing an active role in the mission. The still grieving woman told Guyana Times that these past months have been difficulty for her son who recently turned four.

“It is hard for me but I’m coping with the support of my father-in-law and broth-

er-in-law but my son has been saying that he misses his dad and asking for him,” she stated.

The Britten Norman Islander bearing registration number 8R-GHE was heading to Karisparu after taking off from Mahdia Airstrip on December 28, 2014. On board was Captain Nicky Persaud, 25 and David Bisnauth, 53. Immediately after the spot tracker went dead, a search and rescue mission was established but after one month without success, both the Government of Guyana and Air Services Limited called it off.

APNU/AFC has no credibility to talk about small miners

Tsuitcase.

He was about to board a Caribbean Airlines 524 Flight destined for Canada when he was busted by members of the Custom Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU). Based on reports, the elderly man arrived in Guyana about five months ago and was on his way back to Canada when the cocaine was found.

It was reported that Manget was about to be checked in by a counter clerk when members of CANU recognised that he was acting in a suspicious manner. Upon checking his suitcases, it was noticed that one side looked heavier than the other causing it to topple on its side.

As members of the drug enforcement unit took a closer look, they realised that the man’s suitcases had false walls which were filled with cocaine.

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) said it has noted the recent comments made by A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) in a newspaper article captioned “Ramotar promises small miners what he fails to do as President – Khemraj Ramjattan”.

The PPP/C said that the APNU/AFC, and in particular AFC Leader Ramjattan, has no credibility to speak on the opportunities and rights of small miners since their record has shown that they were the ones who are partially responsible for the state of the mining sector.

“The National Assembly’s Hansards of 2013 and 2014 budget debates will show the combined Opposition of the APNU/AFC cut budgetary allocations for interior roads (mining roads), hinterland airstrips and other infrastructure necessary for successful mining operations. Ramjattan and the APNU/AFC should explain why they voted against

the mining industry,” the Party said.

It noted that the APNU/ AFC speakers in the debate lambasted the mining sector and have indicated their intentions, on several occasions, of even closing down mining. The PPP/C said it was not interested in playing politics with the livelihood of miners and their families as the APNU/ AFC coalition was now pretending to show concern for small miners.

“New mining lands were opened and made available in a sustainable and transparent manner especially for the small and mediumscale miners through lotteries and auctions in North West and Mahdia. These lotteries were undertaken with the full collaboration and support of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) as the representative of all miners. Following the APNU/AFC’s cut to budgetary allocations for interior roads (mining roads) and hinterland airstrips the Government made special provisions to ensure mining operations, includ-

ing hinterland residents, were not severely affected through [Guyana Geology and Mines Commission ] GGMC’s investments in roads,” the PPP expressed.

The Party said that in 2014 alone, the mining regulatory agency processed 2916 new applications for Prospecting Permits (Medium Scale) and 981 applications for new Mining Permits.

“How does this support a claim, supposition or misinformed belief that new mining areas are not being made available for small and medium scale miners?

Mr Ramjattan of APNU/ AFC is either misinformed or deliberately misleading the people of Guyana,” the Party lamented. It noted that if re-elected, in its new term, it would remains committed to the continued advancement and development of the mining sector and would explore new opportunities with all stakeholders to enhance and expand the support and services to small and medium-scale miners.

PPP/C calling on persons to desist from vandalising campaign materials

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is once again condemning the actions of persons who have launched a campaign of vandalism and terrorism against the party’s efforts to engage the population in meaningful participation.

The party said that the willful and malicious destruction of its billboards, flags and posters, particularly in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), continues unabated despite reports and repeated appeals to the relevant authorities to intervene, noting that these acts of terrorism and vandalism can only benefit the opposition alliance.

“We shudder to think that these acts represent a return to the old days

of terror and repression. Their attempts to instill fear and the use of military style intimidation have not gone unnoticed. We in the PPP/C would like to encourage all right thinking persons who put Guyana first, to resist these attempts and renounce this reign of terror on May 11,” the party said.

This is just one of the many attacks which have been carried out on the party’s campaign materials.

Only three days ago, Education Minister Priya Manickchand, during a visit to Berbice had cause to condemn the attacks of vandalism which were carried out on the party’s materials in that region.

Govt alarmed over ERC’s staff monitoring election campaign

The Guyana Government seemed alarmed that staffers of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) have been discreetly monitoring election campaign meetings across the country despite there being no Commission in place.

Presidential Adviser on Governance, Gail Teixeira said that there was no Commission in place and as such, this cannot be done.

In an invited comment on Thursday, Teixeira said that while the Commission exists, there were no commissioners to head it.

“The ERC hasn’t been

appointed so they cannot monitor anything… the Commission exists, but the Commissioners don’t exist because the Commissioners haven’t been appointed. The ERC has an office, it has staff, but the Commissioners have not been appointed…,” the Presidential Advisor stressed.

She, however, said that if it was that the Commission’s staff was indeed monitoring elections, they cannot take action against any party. “They can monitor, but they cannot act on certain things. They have a right to ap-

proach the Police if they see things, but they cannot take action,” Teixeira said. She did indicate, however, that once a full Commission had been appointed, all necessary actions could be taken against any party which could be caught violating any code of conduct.

No official mandate

The Guyana Times over recent weeks has noticed ERC staff at most of the major public rallies of the various parties. Contacted on the issue, President Donald Ramotar had pointed out that the ERC could not officially execute its mandate without a Chairman.

But Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ERC, Yvonne Langevine said the Commission could monitor the campaigns without a Chairman. She said the staff has always been involved in the monitoring of elections and even if the Commission did not have a Chairman, it could still compile reports of its findings. Further, she explained that the ERC did not announce its intention of observing the elections season, because it feared victimisation. According to the CEO, ERC staffers were abused and attacked by members of the pubic during the last elections period in 2011 and as a result, they decided to go undercover this time around.

Sometime in February, the President had an-

nounced that the ERC would become fully operational in time for elections with the swearing in of 10 new Commissioners and the election of a new Chairperson. However, to date, that has not yet materialised.

The ERC is said to play an integral role as a constitutional entity which serves to protect and preserve the interests of all stakeholders as far as creating an atmosphere of tolerance and harmony among the different races and ethnic groups in Guyana’s diverse society. The ERC has been virtually dysfunctional since 2011, when then Opposition Leader Robert Corbin had secured an injunction against the body, barring the Chairman and two Commissioners from taking any decision, recommendation or issuing any direction on behalf of the constitutional body.

Corbin was also granted an order to have the current Commissioners and Chairman of the ERC refund to the state all monies they had collected after August 2007, when the life of the Commission had expired.

However, in November of that same year, the injunction filed against the ERC officials was thrown out of the High Court. The Judge had said that the case was baseless. The Commission’s Chairman at that time, Edghill, who was also blocked from per-

forming his duties, resigned from the post, to join the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) election campaign. Edghill is now Minister within the Finance Ministry. The Opposition had also in the 2012 and 2013 national budgets cut funding for the constitutional body, but this was later restored through a court order.

The ERC had comprised representatives from seven different constituencies. These included a representative each from the three main religions – Hinduism, Islam and Christianity; Labour; the Private Sector; youth and women’s affairs organisations. However, a motion was moved and passed by the National Assembly to increase the number of representatives from seven to 10.

Among those chosen by the Appointments Committee were: Pastor John Smith who represents the Christian community; Rajkumarie Singh, the Hindu community representative; and Sheikh Moeen ul Hack from the Muslim community; Norris Witter from Labour; Ravindra Dev, the Private Sector representative; Gomattie Kalicharran for youth organisations; Ruth Howard for women’s organisations; Peter Persaud for Amerindian groups; Barrington Braithwaite for African groups; and Neaz Subhan for Indian groups.

Alleged drug trafficker, 3 others busted with cocaine, guns

By Bhisham mohamed

Suspected drug trafficker

Barry Dataram was on Thursday busted with over 100kg of cocaine at his 4th Avenue home, Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.

Three other persons were also arrested during the raid, which occurred around 14:00h. Along with him, his wife and two workers who were at home when Custom Anti Narcotics Unit carried out the raid were also taken into custody. They were taken to the CANU headquarters where they are being grilled.

Head of Custom Anti Narcotics Unit, James Singh told the Guyana Times that apart from the more than 225 pounds of cocaine, a large

quantity ammunition used in high-powered assault rifles and more than $1Million cash was unearthed during the operations.

Singh also added that members of the drug enforcement unit found the cocaine in several parts of the house in several packages of frozen seafood suspected to have been prepared for shipment.

Singh noted that acting on intelligence, CANU swooped down on the house where the businessman was caught red-handed.

The house is suspected to be the place where the cocaine is packaged and prepared for exports by mules.

The businessman, he added was being monitored over a period of time while disclosing that he was named in a US Court document a few

Alleged marijuana trafficker gets bail

Aman was granted $50,000 bail on Thursday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for being found with several grams of cannabis sativa (marijuana).

The accused, Gilbert Rhodius, was brought before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in Court One to answer to the charge.

The charge read that he was found on Lot 664 Fourth Avenue, Subryanville, Georgetown on April 16, 2015 with 10 grams of mar-

ijuana which he had in his possession with the intention of trafficking.

His lawyer, Mark Conway addressed the court for bail. He stated that his client is a businessman, father of five children and has a fixed place of abode at Lot 666 Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.

Chief Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry granted him bail and transferred the matter to the Providence Magistrate’s Court.

Canadian remanded on drug possession charge

A51-year-old Canadian citizen was remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after being charged with possession of narcotics.

Aurthur Manget, whose local address is listed as Lot 123 Old Road, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on Sunday April 12, 2015 he had in his possession 9.760 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

According to Police Prosecutor Steven Telford, the man is Guyanese by birth but is now a citizen of Canada, and is in possession of a Canadian passport. He said that on the day in question, Manget was about to depart Guyana on a Caribbean Airlines Flight BW 524 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) when he was busted by ranks of the Custom AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) with

the illegal substance. It was explained that the elderly man was observed acting in a suspicious manner as he approached the check-in-counter. It was then observed that his suitcases seemed bulkier than usual and when scanned the illicit substance was discovered. Manget was remanded to prison and the matter will return to court on April 30 for statements.

Barry Dataram

years ago as a suspected cocaine supplier but successfully fought off extradition several years ago due to a lacuna in the extradition treaty at that time. That has since

been corrected.

The CANU head further stated that they will be working closely with United States Drug Enforcement Agency and also Regional drug enforcement unit to continue to fight the drug trade in Guyana.

He reiterated that the unit has been performing exceedingly well despite the budget cut to the subject ministry. They will continue to work with various stake holders to put a dent in the drug trade.

Earlier in the day, a US citizen was nabbed by members of the Police Narcotics Branch as he was attempting to smuggle out 5.2kg of cocaine through the Cheddi

Jagan International Airport Timehri.

He was subsequently sentenced to three years and fined over 1.5million after he pleaded guilty to a drug charge at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts.

On Monday last another man this time a Canadian citizen was busted with just over 9 kilograms of cocaine at the CJIA. The 68-yearold man was on Thursday charged and remanded to prison.

Dataram gained notoriety in 2007 following the kidnapping of his wife, Sheleza, and their three-year-old daughter in December 2007 by two Venezuelans, one of whom was later shot dead in

a confrontation with the police. Dataram was then arrested and detained by police beyond the 72 hours that the law allows a person to be held in custody before being charged. His lawyers subsequently approached the court with a habeas corpus writ but police asked for an extension to conclude their investigation into the kidnapping, which they said was drug-related.

What followed was a series of court appearances during which Dataram was twice set free and rearrested.

He was finally set free in December 2008 when he had appeared before Justice Charles Ramson who was a High Court judge at the time.

16 news

friday, april 17, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com

Phillips hails Reparations confab in US a success

The International Conference of Reparations held in the United States April 9-12 has yielded much success, Guyana Reparations Committee Chairman, Dr Eric Phillips has said.

Among those successes were the establishment of a Global Reparations Committee and the decision by the United Nations General Assembly to declare 2015-2024 as the Decade for People of African Descent.

Phillips, who was accompanied by Dr James Rose to the event held at the York University, told the Guyana Times on Thursday that the Conference had over 12 delegations from Caribbean countries. For the first time, the United States has also established a reparations committee, and so have numerous countries around the world.

These include Denmark, Europe, and Martinique, he told this publication in a tel-

Guyana Reparations Committee Chairman, Dr Eric Phillips

ephone interview. According to Phillips, the global reparations committee will be utilising the same model being used by the Caribbean Reparations Committee.

The three-day conference, hosted by the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW), also ended with a call for Caribbean Governments

to move ahead with the recommendation that the slaveowning and slave-trading European nations be invited to attend an inter-governmental reparatory justice summit in 2015.

It was also agreed that two global reparations summits be held, the first in 2016 in the Caribbean and another in 2017 in Europe. The objective of the conference is to use reparations payments to deal collectively with pressing economic and educational problems facing the citizens of the Caribbean who trace their origins to the underdevelopment imposed by slavery, slave trading, native genocide, and economic exploitation by the European nations.

The summit featured rousing speeches by, among others, US civil rights leader, the Rev Jesse Jackson; US actor Danny Glover; and Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and Chairman of the Caribbean

AFC's campaign strategies

Dear Editor, Immediately after Valentine’s Day this year, the AFC’s Leaders have been using various tactics in Berbice to prevent their Party from being transformed into ‘dead meat’ status. They have been using these tactics both in their TV presentations and on their political platforms across Berbice, but to just a handful of curious onlookers who soon dissipated.

Their campaign strategy is devoid of any essence and they are failing miserably to tell Berbicians in a specific and detailed manner how they will make their lives better. So far they have only succeeded in convincing Berbicians how they will make their own lives better, namely, by dreamily outlining what positions they are going to get after winning the 2015 Elections and trying to convince them that by achieving those positions they will then make Berbicians’ lives better.

Their campaign strategies have also comprised the following:

1. Attempting to convince Berbicians that the AFC+APNU coalition is Dr Jagan’s vision and dream. They have now included Burnham in the equation but I am yet to hear their APNU counterparts echoing this. Freddie Kissoon has now become a historian like Granger but he is seeing things in a way that onlyRamjattan can see them.

Freddie and his buddies in the AFC should at least study Jagan’s West on Trial if he so loves CheddiJagan. At least the PNC in APNU are not that stupid to talk about Burnham’s vision of a National Unity Government! They have realised the absurdity of such a claim.

2. Attempting to convince Indians in Berbice that they are not Indians, but Guyanese. I am yet to hear the AfroGuyanese in APNU denying their African ancestry or ethnicity.

3. Attempting to convince Indians that they are racial since they are no longer attending AFC public meetings and which clearly indicates that they will not vote for them in the upcoming General Elections.

The bridegroom side has not seen this novel revelation and has never mentioned this as part of their campaign strategy since they know that they have been rejected as for what they have done to the bride’s people in the past. But the ‘dulahin’ is insisting that the ‘dulaha’ did no wrong. Love is indeed blind but I have never heard that it is that stupid!

4. Attempting to convince Indians that they should vote for Granger as President since the Afro-Guyanese buy rice, greens and fish from the Indians. The AFC has seen trade as beneficial to Indians only. Again, APNU has never tried this as his campaign strategy, since ke knows that this is fallacious reasoning. It is only the ‘Indians’ in the AFC saying this.

5. Attempting to convince Indians that they owe the propagation of their race to the Afro-Guyanese midwives who quelled the hollering of the Indian mothers in the hospitals and in so doing, saved their lives. APNU has not seen this since they know that people are being paid to do a job and they have amoral and legal obligation to do so professionally.

6. Attempting to tell Indians in Berbice that Granger is ‘gentleman’ since he went to school with Moses and Ramayya. I am yet to hear Granger saying that he and his bride crossed paths at primary school and looked at each other and fell in love at first sight. Moses and Ramayya overlooked this when they were accusing Granger and the GDF of rigging the General Elections in Guyana.

7. Attempting to convince

Reparations Committee, Sir Hilary Beckles.

Reparations movement According to Phillips, Glover is soon to meet with Brazil’s Former President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, to work around strategies for the establishment of a reparations committee there. Participants have also agreed to consolidate the growing African global reparations movement and to call on all civil society organisations and Governments in countries around the world with Afro-descendant populations to establish national reparations commissions or committees.

The New York summit also recognised US Congressman John Conyers as a champion of the reparations movement and the consistent sponsor of HR40 – the reparations study bill in the US Congress.

It urged the US Congressional Black Caucus,

major civil and human rights organisations in the US, and the US labour movement to support the global reparations movement. Additionally, the summit applauded the Government of Brazil for declaring mandatory the study of African history and culture at all levels of the educational system in that country, and called on all countries with Africandescended populations to do likewise and to recognise the “validity of traditional African spirituality”.

The summit called on the global reparations movement to develop sustainable funding strategies, urging the international community to work towards a 21st Century new moral order for sustainable development in which reparatory justice was an integral component.

The IBW International Reparations Summit came two years after the 15-nation Caricom group decided unanimously to form a rep-

arations commission and to demand that the former European colonial and slavetrading powers pay the debt owed to African people in the Caribbean region for the enormous wealth made off of their forced and uncompensated labour during the centuries of African enslavement.

In January 2014, Caricom issued a 10-point programme for “Reparatory Justice” that framed their reparations demands as a “development strategy”. The Transatlantic slave trade brought over 10 million captured Africans to work as chattel slaves in sugar and cotton plantations throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. It was the largest forced migration in human history. Today, Caricom nations have a population of 16 million, and the Diaspora in the United States, Canada and Europe is about four to five million people.

Berbicians that the AFC will never close Guysuco yet insisting that aquaculture is the way forward. RajendraBissessar made this revelation on April 11th, less than week ago. APNU’s Stanley Ming has made it clear that Guysuco should be deleted from the economic landscape of Guyana. He said that Guyana can do better without Guysuco but this in direct contradiction to Granger’s ‘too big to fail’ postulation.

8. Attempting to convince to convince Indians that the 23 years under the PPP/C is far worse that the 28 years under the PNC dictatorship. I am wondering why Dr Rodney lost his life in 1978 and what was the purpose of his assassination by the PNC. Every social and economic aspect of this country was destroyed under the PNC.

Under the PNC we were reduced a nation of beggars and we were so impoverished that we could not have afforded three square meals per day, children, mothers and adults were severely malnourished. Children went hungry to school. Smuggling of food from neighbouring countries was a thriving business.

The infant mortality rate was extremely high. Malnourishment related diseases were prevalent. Even adults had ‘white-mouth’. The ban of basic food items seriously affected the cultural and religious practices of Indians. Sourcing of food item became a criminal activity.

Houses were in disrepair, materials were unaffordable and even paint had to be smuggled from Suriname. Moreover even basic kitchen utensils such as cups and plates had to be repaired by the ‘solder man’. Even iced-water was a luxury and refrigerators were only afforded by the very rich. Television was also a rich man’s appliance and kerosene stove was only afforded by the rich. The masses cooked on ‘fire side’ with wood.

Pregnant women could not have afforded maternity dresses and had to wear their mother’s big dress. Old bed sheets were torn and used as napkins for the baby and old rags were used as beddings. I could write volumes to substantiate that Guyanese were traumatised and starved for 28 years. The treasury was empty and the country was severely indebted and even loans from foreign lending institutions

and donor countries had dried up.

9. Attempting to get us to suffer from amnesia so that the coalition could get into power. But if the AFC leaders do some research they will know that even the ants use past experience to live a better life in the future (Nature World News). So if the ant can do that with only one brain cell then why must us,human beings with billions of brain cells

forget the past?

In conclusion, the AFC’s campaign strategies have failed miserably to convince the Berbicians that they have done what is best for this country and her people by forming a coalition with the PNC who have destroyed this country. The AFC has already become dead meat and the carrions are hovering!

Haseef Yusuf

Hypocrisy in Chris Ram's...

Voters queried how come Ram only finds Jagdeo’s comments on “race” troubling and not others aligned with the APNU+AFC alliance? It is a fact that others (from ram’s alliance) are also stirring up race and promoting anti-Indian hatred. For example, it is reported in various media that the leader of the alliance accused the PPP of the murder of a political activist but offered no evidence.

The said leader also implored African supporters in Linden not to vote PPP because “the PPP is involving in killing Africans”. Really? Were there police reports? Why wasn’t a private case filed against the leader or other individuals who made the unsubstantiated charges Many say Ram’s inaction speaks volumes.

Also, an agent provocateur academic from the US, affiliated to the opposition, made similar charges of the PPP abusing and killing Africans, urging them to vote out the ruling party; not an iota of evidence was offered to substantiate the allegations.

Are these racially charged allegations not in violation of the model code of conduct and the very constitutional acts that Ram claimed Jagdeo violated? Yet, Ram has not filed a case against these individuals. So when a political opponent speaks on racially sensitive matters, he becomes “racist”, but when

someone from your party says worse things about another person’s race, it is “free speech”.

It is mentioned by the leader of one of the minor parties that Ram’s Presidential candidate called people in the opposition “jackasses”. Is that an acceptable remark and will Ram file a private criminal complaint to demonstrate he is not politically biased? And there is much anti-Indian racist vitriol being spewed in some of the media.

Will Ram file private criminal complaints for prosecution against these reporters, editors, publishers, and commentators? No private charge there either! Voters ask why is there silence from Ram. It is noted that his silence speaks louder than the racist bile that poured out of the mouths and pens of others against the Indian population.

It is also noted that Ram’s client, Freddie Kissoon, uses vile bile to call people all kinds of names and in addition he degrades Indians who don’t support the alliance. Will Ram file a private criminal complaint against Kissoon?

This private legal action against Jagdeo opens up a Pandora box that would be difficult to control. Others may also want to file similar private charges against public officials and even Ram himself for their free speech; they may poke at anything

he writes and uttered. And where would it end?

Instead of spending time preparing, what lawyers describe as, frivolous charges against Jagdeo, Ram could have spent his time preparing a case challenging the illegality of the Burnham constitution that gives unlimited powers to a President and that prevents post-election coalition?

Ram could have pursued a public interest case, as Ramesh Maharaj would have done in Trinidad, by demanding the people have a vote on the Burnham constitution or return the country to the democratic constitution of 1966? Many voters query why Ram opts not to prosecute those who beat, robbed, and raped Indians in so many acts of political violence? Are these matters not worthy of public interest and should there not be restitution to the countless victims of the org of violence directed against them?

Lawyers I spoke with say the anti-Jagdeo charge is frivolous and that it will be thrown out of court. But the damage inflicted on social relations and constitutionally protected rights of free speech would have already been done. It is not too late for Ram to proceed in haste with similar vigilance in monitoring the anti-Indian hate speech of his comrades.

Vishnu Bisram

US not probing Webster over cash jet

The United States Embassy here has denied having knowledge of any investigation being carried out by that country into the alleged links between Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster and a pilot who was last year arrested with large sums of cash in his private jet.

Speaking to the Guyana Times on Thursday, in an invited comment, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Bryan Hunt related that he has no knowledge of such, while stating that he would stand by the statements made by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon on Wednesday. On Wednesday, Dr Luncheon said that as far as Government was aware, the Human Services and Social Security Minister was not associated with Guyanese pilot Khamraj Lall who was charged with money laundering in the United States late last year.

According to Dr Luncheon, the Government has not received any information on the Minister, who was scheduled to leave office later this month, or any other Minister in the Administration with respect to the matter. He was responding to queries on whether Government could confirm the Minister’s involvement in the matter. On social media, there is widespread speculation that Minister Webster is the “senior Government official” implicated in the money laundering case.

Dr Luncheon, who was at the time addressing journalists at the Office of the President (OP), said while such reports have not reached Government, inquiries could, however, be made with the appropriate organs, including the American authorities here or the Guyana Police Force which may be involved in the investigations.

No information “I can assure you that we have absolutely no information whatsoever from any source official that a Government Minister or specifically Minister Webster is in any way associated with or engaged with Pilot Lall in those offences of which he was accused and charged in North America.”

Speculation is rife the Minister may be linked to Lall, who was in December 2014 charged in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after he was caught with US$620,000 on board his private Jet. Reports say too that this maybe the reason behind Webster’s recent resignation.

“Minister [Webster] came with a letter of resignation which primarily dealt with the status of her health condition that she felt was not improving and a commitment to this Administration to continue to serve in the context of her personal concern of her health. I think she plucked down her preference, my health in preference to my job. It was on that basis that she offered her resignation,” Dr Luncheon stressed. Lall, who was travelling with his father and the co-pilot of the aircraft, had initially told officials that he and his father had only US$5000, but later allegedly said they had US$12,000. On closer inspection of the plane, officers found US$150,000 wrapped in plastic bags and a blanket under an exit seat. As the search continued, several black garbage bags with another US$470,000 in cash were found in a compartment near the engine.

Group ignored during protest at Marriott opening

City Mayor Hamilton Green, who has presided over the virtual collapse of Georgetown, on Thursday led a protest against the Guyana Marriot Hotel.

Green was backed by Government critic Freddie Kissoon, Alliance for Change (AFC) General Secretary David Patterson and others who gathered outside the compound during their protest.

Green vigorously led the demonstrators chanting his disapproval against the five-star hotel, but as he and Kissoon attempted to lead the group closer to the Marriott Hotel through Battery Road, they were prevented from doing so by Police Officers on duty.

The Mayor’s security then proceeded to remove the barricades to allow the Mayor and his team of protestors to access the area. However, the Policemen reportedly intervened and arrested the security for obstruction of duty, much to the annoyance of the protestors.

Eventually, the Mayor and his followers were allowed on the road but

only up to a certain point. Initially, Green tried to hide the fact that he was protesting against the flagship hotel under the pretext that he was in the vicinity to assess the area before the high tides come in. After being prompted, the Mayor told media operatives that the Government’s US$51 investment was a waste of money and demonstrated a lack of priority in the minds of the leaders in Guyana.

“For us, the priority should be the university, the healthcare system, the social system,” he asserted, suggesting that tourism is not significantly important towards the country’s development. “It’s not a question of the tourism sector, it’s a question of priorities,” Green maintained.

Green claimed that there has been no credible study to suggest that the Marriott Hotel will generate money. He also ignored the fact that Guyana’s tourism sector is blossoming and there is a high demand for hotels in the region. He also ignored the fact that the international hotel has more than 4087 properties in over

80 countries and territories worldwide, which is substantial evidence that the hotel is successful. In addition to that, the Marriott Hotel addresses the employment issue in Guyana by creating thousands of job opportunities for locals.

Over the years, criticisms and unwarranted opposition against the Marriott Project have persisted incessantly. Among the recent criticisms by vociferous antagonist Christopher Ram is that the creation of Atlantic Hotel Inc, preceded any feasibility study for the project, but “which company exactly would have been tasked with hiring the international consultants for a feasibility study or approach the Marriott Group”?

This was an observation made by AHI Chairman Winston Brassington, who ahead of this week’s opening, once and for all dispelled the incessant criticisms against the project, which in part did lead to an Opposition Parliamentarian leading court action that saw financing being held up and NICIL having to rescue the project.

East Ruimveldt shop owner freed of marijuana charge

“Iam free” were the words uttered by an East Ruimveldt, Georgetown shop owner on Thursday morning as she made her first steps as a free woman after a charge of marijuana possession was dismissed against her at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Melroy Hopkinson broke down in tears of relief with her friends and family as soon as she exited Court Three at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

A host of friends were on hand at the courts to support the mother and grandmother. She told Guyana Times that

GECOM Chairman says MMU largely autonomous

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally has responded to concerns raised by Government over the operations of the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU).

Speaking to the Guyana Times on Thursday, Surujbally said the MMU operated with a large degree of autonomy. He said it may be expected that the Unit, tasked with overlooking the operations of both Government and privately-owned media houses in the lead-up to General and Regional Elections, present its reports to the governing body of GECOM before release.

According to Surujbally, it is a normal occurrence that if several persons interfere with such reports, it becomes untidy in the end.

At his post-Cabinet brief-

GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally

ing on Wednesday, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon said the Unit, which falls under the purview of the elections body, might be operating on its own.

He lambasted the Unit

for saying in its inaugural report remarks made by former President Bharrat Jagdeo last month during the commemoration ceremony for founding leader of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic and late President, Dr Cheddi Jagan, “could be deemed racially divisive”.

“In the case of this inference, Cabinet is contending that there were material facts that those statements alluded to were acknowledged as statements made by others originally for which the former President disclosed the likely response, were those statement made by a member of the governing party, he said ‘we will kick them out’.”

He said Cabinet was unclear on the inference drawn by the MMU.

“As a logical construct, Cabinet held strongly to the view that in the presence of

facts, inferences about the same matter could not be inconsistent and if it were so it would be illogical. In this case, the statements that the (former) President made were undisputedly credited to others,” Dr Luncheon added.

According to the Cabinet Secretary, it is expected that the views of GECOM be brought to bear on the report that is publicised by the Monitoring Unit. This is among the constitutional mandates of GECOM, he said, noting that media monitoring is “indeed intricately caught up in GECOM exercising its constitutional mandate”.

In its recently-released report, the MMU castigated most local media houses for below-par standards, slamming them for bias, both in favour of the opposition coalition and the Government.

she was quite happy and relieved to be free as she “don’t do things like this”. She said that she has a daughter who works as a sales manager, a brother with an impressive job in the Prison Service and her very own shop, thus she “ain’t get reason fuh do things like duh”.

It was three weeks ago that Hopkinson was brought to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to the charge of marijuana possession after 64 grams of the illegal substance was found in her shop.

The shop owner was charged with narcotics possession for purposes of trafficking. At that time, Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru had presented to the court that ranks showed up at Hopkinson’s shop after they had been tipped off about a possible illegal substance being there. They found the drugs in the ceiling of the shop in two black plastic bags.

Guyana Times understands that the Police were positive that no one else could have entered the shop from that vantage point to place the marijuana in the ceiling.

However, Hopkinson’s lawyer, Jed Vasconcellos, told the court that the prohibited drug could have been placed there by anyone. He spoke to the fact that the shop was attached to a range house and thus easily accessible to persons. He also informed the court that the establishment was located some distance away from his client’s home.

The Attorney then made a no-case submission before Magistrate Judith Latchman. He argued that the prosecution had no case as it was unable to prove that the defendant had control over the substance and was aware of it.

Attorney Vasconcellos proved to the court that anyone could have accessed Hopkinson’s shop to plant the drugs.

The submission was upheld by the Magistrate, who ruled that there was no evidence that the defendant knew of the 64 grams of cannabis that was found in her shop. She cited two cases to show that it was necessary to prove knowledge and also control of the prohibited substance.

Magistrate Latchman said she would not call on Hopkinson to lead a defence.

Sharon Foster, a resident of East Ruimveldt and a friend of the defendant, said she knew from the start that the Police had made a mistake when they arrested Hopkinson. Thursday morning saw her picketing the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts from the time the case was called in court to the time Hopkinson walked out of the courtroom.

Foster told the Guyana Times that the entire East Ruimveldt community was supportive of the Shop owner as everyone believed she was framed. She stated that if the case had not been thrown out on Thursday, more residents of the community would have come out to protest today.

She said that the woman was loved by all in the community, to the “lilest child”. Foster added that Hopkinson has also never been named in such cases, stating that she did not quarrel nor was the “warrish” type.

The shop owner had a huge following right from the start of her case last month as family and friends had flooded the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on hearing the news of her arrest.

QVLN & OVEOUS represent a melding of cultural and musical influences by two incredible artists: Quetzal Guerrero (QVLN), who picked up the violin at age four and has not put it down since, and OVEOUS, a lyricist whose words have touched millions of people worldwide.

The pair, along with a full backing band, performs a mash up of Latin, Soul and Hip Hop that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Along with their diverse set list, the pair also offers educational programmes that teach audiences the fundamentals of poetry and songwriting. They also focus on

Arizona native QVLN – Quetzal (Ket-sal) Guerrero, one of the group’s founders, had studied violin as a child at the famous International Academy of the Suzuki Method, in Matsumoto, Japan, and the Conservatorio Pernambucano de Musica in Recife, Brazil.

QVLN’s innate musicality and work ethic has led to collaborations and performances with a long string of great musicians and performers, including Macy Gray, RES, Keb Mo, Tito Puente, Lalo Guerrero, Christian Castro, Acoustic Alchemy, and Jorge Santana.

Q’s artistry, much like his American, Mexican, and Brazilian heritage, bridges many cultures and styles. The result is music that is both familiar and fresh to the listener, offering an unassuming yet explorative convergence of genres and influences spanning American Folk, Soul, Reggae, Rock and Brazilian rhythms.

A consummate and electrifying performer, QVLN exudes a brilliance that is rare in contemporary music. His sound is inspired by the likes of Sting, Jimi Hendrix, and Santana. Unfortunately, he did not arrive in Guyana with the group, but is expected to be here for the show on Sunday.

Brazilian born bass player Andre de Santanna, followed in his father’s footsteps (renowned bassist Antonio de Santanna) and started playing the bass at the age of 15.

He has toured the world and recorded with a variety of prolific musical acts, such as, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira and Eydentity, Sergio Mendes, Matisyahu, David Archuleta, SeuJorge, Jesse McCartney, Diego Torres, Adrianna Evans, RBD, and Bebel Gilberto.

He is also on the rise as a sought-after producer, writer and engineer, having worked with, Jason Mraz, Roy Thomas Baker, Sheryl Crow, Bushwalla, Two spot gobi, and Steve Fister, etc. He currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

the diverse roots of American music.

The group released eight albums and collaborated with artistes such as Tito Puente, Lalo Guerrero, Keb’ Mo, Macy Gray and Jorge Santana.

OVEOUS is now approaching his 10th year as a world-renowned recording artist and

poet, and has appeared on HBO, the Arsenio Hall Show and at the Apollo Theatre.

The group is slated to perform at the Theater Guild on Sunday evening, but before that, the group will be performing at the Sophia Children Orphanage.

On Monday they will leave for Berbice where they will perform

Growing up in the Bronx and Washington Heights, OVEOUS has become a powerful voice that has cultivated a tremendous following, based on an uncompromising allegiance to breathing real life into his words and an undying commitment to keeping his late brother’s gift of lyricism alive.

Now approaching his 10th year as a world-renowned recording artist and poet, OVEOUS is taking every experience he has had (from HBO to Apollo to world tours) to improve ways in which he can educate, empower, and inspire people all over the globe.

Evan Greer is a dynamic artiste who never separates the divine element from any artistic setting he is placed in. He began to practise and study drums at the age of two, and started performing professionally at the age of 13 with Alma Da Batucada.

This experience along his continuing study and growth have led him to work with Balandugu Kan, Aloe Blacc, Marcus Anderson, Morris Tepper, Gary Pratt, Keb’ Mo’, Dwight Tribble, Richard Grant, Rembert James, will.i.am, Shakira, Kanye West, MILA Samba school, Quetzal, Viver Brasil Dance company, Swing Brasil dance company, David Kirton, and Queen Omega, Ruben Martinez, Yellow Alex and the Feelings and Kara Mack. He stud-

in New Amsterdam before leaving for Venezuela on Tuesday.

The five-member group was selected via the United States Embassy through an audition process to spread their message of peace and unity. The group will tour Guyana, Venezuela, Peru and Honduras, coming off their trip to Guatemala.

Alberto López received his first music lessons as a child in a neighbourhood music school in Medellín, Colombia. Upon his family’s move to the United States, he furthered his studies in piano and percussion at the New England Conservatory and the Juilliard School.

In addition, Alberto studied counterpoint, harmony and orchestral conducting privately under the great JacquesLouis Monod. Mr López has performed, recorded, composed and/or produced music with artists such as Quetzal, Mstislav Rostropovich, Rubén Blades, Celia Cruz, Lee Ritenour, Stanley Clarke, LCD Sound system, The Brand New Heavies, The Dalai Lama, Juanes and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, among others.

He was part of the Oscar-nominated sound track for the 20th Century FOX animated film “Rio” and in 2013 received a Grammy Award (Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album) for his work on the “Imaginaries” album by Quetzal, released on the Smithsonian Folkways label.

López is an active educator, teaching privately as well as giving lectures and workshops in schools and universities.

ied music at the Alexander Hamilton Academy of Music and California State University Northridge.

Evan has also travelled

the world to absorb the music of the African Diaspora. He has travelled to Brazil, Cuba, and Guinea to study different percussive styles.

Blackwood hails Sir Viv, Gayle and Russell after maiden century

Jermaine Blackwood has hailed the influence of the legendary Sir Vivian Richards, along with Jamaica and West Indies teammates Andre Russell and Chris Gayle, following his maiden Test hundred here Wednesday.

The 23-year-old, in only his sixth Test, stroked a superb unbeaten 112 to help fire West Indies up to 295 in their first innings, in reply to England’s 399 on the third day of the opening against England at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.

He told reporters that Sir Viv had always impressed on him the importance of combining patience with positive stroke-play.

“I met Viv at the [High Performance Centre] last year and he’s been a very important person [in my career],” Blackwood said.

“He’s taught me a lot and I’ve really learned a lot from Viv. He’s always been talking to me about staying positive and always continuing to play the way I play but to be just a bit patience.

He was always telling me to stay patient and positive at the same time.”

Both these elements characterised Blackwood’s innings. He consumed 224 balls and 5-1/2 hours at the crease but also slammed 14 fours and two sixes, in a display of his aggression.

He also praised Russell, describing him as a “big brother” who has always provided encouragement and inspiration.

“Andre Russell is like my big brother. I’ve known him for about ten years now and I actually stay with Russell in Jamaica right now. I’m from Westmoreland but he’s from [Old Harbour in] St Catherine, and we actually live under the same roof, so he’s like a big brother to me,” Blackwood explained.

“Almost every day we train at home and I always put in the hard work. Me and Russell always talk about cricket and even this morning he sent me a voice note on my phone telling me to stay focussed and positive, bat for long, and make sure I get the century for

him.”

Blackwood, who made his Test debut against New Zealand last year in the Caribbean, said he was thrilled to finally reach three figures after making a few half-centuries in his short career.

He also pointed out that Gayle, who like Russell is currently campaigning in the Indian Premier League, had also given him plenty support during the innings.

“It was a very special moment. I’ve been getting a lot of messages from my family and everybody back home, a lot of close friends, and they just wanted me to capitalise on the score that I had overnight and go on and make a big hundred. I have three half-centuries and to make a Test century is really a big [moment]. I am very happy,” he explained.

“And Chris, Chris is like my father. I talk to Chris like almost every day and he was backing me all the way to make the hundred.”

Resuming the day on 30, Blackwood survived a dropped on a chance on 43, to reach his half-century, 1-1/4 hours before lunch. He then had to negotiate a barrage of short-pitched bowling from England’s seamers, as they tried to dislodge him with aggression.

The right-hander said he had been unfazed by the method of attack.

“It’s Test cricket. I’m used to it. I’m from Jamaica [and] they are a lot of fast bowlers from Jamaica so I’m not afraid of any short balls,” he said nonchalantly.

“I would take one or two licks (blows) but after that the bowlers are going to get tired and that is the time I’m going to dominate.”

England ended day three on 116 for three in their second innings – and overall lead of 220 runs. (CMC)

IAAF unfair in denying Gothenburg bid for 2021 Worlds

The decision to hand US city Eugene the 2021 World Athletics Championships was “unfair”, according to the Swedish Athletic Association.

It claims the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was aware of its desire to host the championships in Gothenburg.

The IAAF bypassed the usual bidding procedure to name Eugene as hosts.

“This is not fair play - we were taken by surprise,” said Swedish athletics’ general secretary Anders Albertsson.

The IAAF has been contacted for a response to the claims.

When asked whether Swedish Athletics was aware of a change to the bidding procedures, Albertsson added: “We’ve stated the question on numerous occasions and been told the normal procedure would be applied in 2021.”

According to Albertsson, the deadline to show official interest was April 2016, followed by a bid submitted in August before an announcement of the host in November.

The IAAF website has a section

on the process for bidding for a World Athletics Championships, stating that a potential candidate should submit interest five years before the event.

“We told the IAAF of our intentions back in 2012 and then had a meeting with them when we hosted the Indoor Worlds in 2013. We wanted to host the 2021 championships so it would coincide with the the city’s 400th anniversary,” said Albertsson.

“We were preparing the documents for the political decisions that had to be made in Gothenburg. The federation and city put a lot of effort into the dream of hosting the championships.

“We congratulate Eugene - they will make an excellent hosts and there are no hard feelings. But we would have been happy to get to the starting line.”

The 2007 World Championships, held in Osaka, Japan, were also awarded without a bidding process. (BBC Sport)

ICC hits SLC with funding blow over committee formation

The ICC has said that it will withhold its next financial distribution due to Sri Lanka Cricket pending an investigation into possible government interference in Sri Lanka cricket. SLC’s board had been dissolved by the government last month and, on March 31, Sri Lanka’s sports minister Navin Dissanayake appointed a nine-member interim committee, headed by Sidath Wettimuny, to run Sri Lanka cricket.

The ICC board met on Thursday to discuss whether the appointment was a breach of the ICC’s constitution, “which requires free and fair elections for office-bearers within Member boards”.

The board supported an ICC governance review committee recommendation that it write to the sports ministry, “seeking a full and proper explanation of its intervention that prima facie puts SLC in breach of the ICC’s constitution.”

Until the issue is resolved, the board also decided that the ICC would withhold the next financial distribution due to the SLC and instead hold it in an escrow account.

The board gave Nuski Mohamed, a nominee of the interim committee, the opportunity to provide information about the status of the committee, and invited him to attend the board meeting as an observer. Mohamed didn’t attend the meeting, which therefore had no Sri Lankan representation. Mohamed had also been treasurer of the two previous SLC boards.

The interim committee had been established because the posts held by the office-bearers, led by president Jayantha Dharmadasa, had become null and void. The laws governing all sports bodies in the country require annual elections to be held on or before March 31. SLC’s elections, had been postponed until the end of April due to the World Cup, which ended on March 29. However, with the appointment of the interim committee, these elections were scrapped, with the sports minister suggesting the interim committee would be in charge until cricket in the country was “cleaned up”.

“We don’t think an election is going to help that process but only complicate it,” Dissanayake had said. “Improving the cricket structure, changing the voting system for the elections, we feel this interim committee will bring those changes. Anybody who takes over after that will have to adhere to it. It’s a very transparent process.”

Though SLC had elected its boards from January 2012 to March 2015, allegations of significant government interference characterised that period. Several high-profile office bearers were elected uncontested, while potential candidates alleged government pressure had compelled them to bow out of the elections. Prior to that, SLC had been run by a series of nine interim committees, between 2004 and 2012. At no point during those years did the ICC cut SLC’s funding, nor order an investigation.

Pakistan begin life after Misbah and Afridi

The dysfunctional relationship between the BCB and PCB will be put aside as Bangladesh and Pakistan play their first bilateral series since December 2011. During these last three years and four months, their off-field battles went nearly as far as cutting off ties, but the need of the hour - playing international cricket - brought them together.

There was controversy between the two boards over the choice of an ICC president, Bangladesh cancelling two tours to Pakistan in one year, and the PCB barring its players from domestic competitions in Bangladesh.

More recently, the PCB demanding a share of the revenue from Pakistan’s 2015 tour of Bangladesh and, after many convoluted statements, BCB deciding to pay compensation for the cancelled tours in 2012, were points of contention.

Now that the cricket is

definitely taking place, attention will move to how Pakistan will do without Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi. It is a new era for them, led by Azhar Ali, who hasn’t played an ODI since January 2013. A host of new players like Sami Aslam, Saad Nasim and Mohammad Rizwan have been included.

The return of Saeed Ajmal, who has missed international cricket since August last year, will also be a major occasion.

Pakistan, however, possess a pace attack that would make most teams jealous: Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan will lead it, with Ehsan Adil and Rahat Ali as support. The injury to legspinner Yasir Shah is a blow, but they have Saad Nasim and Haris Sohail to bank on for slow bowling.

On the whole, though, Pakistan lack experience, with only Mohammad Hafeez and Ajmal having more than 100 caps.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, are the most stable they have been in the last 18 months. They realised their goal of the making the World Cup quarterfinals. Mashrafe Mortaza is leading a side with the experience of Shakib Al Hasan, who will stand in as captain in the first ODI. Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah are the experienced in-form batsmen, and there is reason to be excited by the likes of Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman. Newcomer Rony Talukdar has also done well in domestic cricket, to earn his first international callup.

For the first time against Pakistan, Bangladesh could be a serious threat, particularly in the ODI series.

A blazing century in the practice match against the Pakistanis put Sabbir Rahman in the limelight. He already has a settled position in the Bangladesh batting line-up, at No 7, but now he has put some distance between him and his closest competitor Nasir Hossain.

International cricket awaits the return of Saeed Ajmal, who has been away fixing his banned bowling action for the past several months. The initial assessment meant he had to work harder than any of the bowlers who were banned last year. Ajmal was given the green signal in February, and now will play his first international match since August 30, 2014. (Cricinfo)

Manny Pacquiao: Floyd Mayweather fight is perfect timing

Manny Pacquiao says the timing is right for his long-awaited fight with American Floyd Mayweather.

Mayweather, 38, and Pacquiao, 36, are considered two of the best fighters of their generation and the bout on 2 May is set to generate £162m ($250m).

The contest has been more than five years in the making and critics have said the pair have left it too late.

“It’s a good thing it is happening now because more people are informed about it than before,” Pacquiao said.

Speaking at his open training session in Hollywood on Wednesday, the Filipino added: “What I feel right now is motivation, inspiration and determination. The killer instinct is there, I love it.”

Pacquiao’s WBO belt and Mayweather’s WBC and WBA welterweight titles will be on the line at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

And while Mayweather says it will be the penultimate fight of his career because he no longer enjoys

the sport, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach says his man is in the best shape of his life.

“We’ve had a very good training camp. I’ve never seen Manny at this level,” said Roach.

“He’s really motivated for this fight. It has really escalated his performance. I think he’s faster than ever and he’s definitely hitting harder than ever.”

Mayweather has a perfect record of 47-0 with 26 knockouts, while his opponent has 57 wins, five losses and two draws to his name.

Michael Phelps targets Rio 2016 Olympics

Eighteen-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps says he wants to compete at Rio 2016, after serving a six-month ban.

The 29-year-old was suspended by USA Swimming after a conviction for drink driving in September.

He entered a short-lived retirement after London 2012, but will now bid to reach a fifth Olympic Games.

“You guys heard it here first,” he told reporters at Arizona’s Skyline Aquatic Centre, where he will be competing for the first time since his suspension.

“I am looking forward to next year. I don’t think it’s too hard to really realise why I came back.”

Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, will not swim at August’s World

Championships in Russia, as part of an agreement with USA Swimming alongside his ban.

He will instead race at the US national championships in San Antonio, Texas, taking place at the same time as the Worlds.

“The last couple of months have probably been the hardest I’ve ever had to go through in my entire life,’’ he added.

“I take full responsibility for all of my actions. I’ve hurt a lot of people and it’s been terrible.” (BBC Sport)

Monte Carlo Masters: Roger Federer & Stan Wawrinka bow out

World number two Roger Federer and defending champion Stan Wawrinka both suffered third-round defeats at the Monte Carlo Masters.

World number nine Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open champion, beat fellow Swiss Federer last year to win his first and only Masters 1000 title.

But he lost 6-1 6-2 to Bulgaria’s world number 11 Dimitrov in 54 minutes.

Second seed Federer was beaten 6-4 7-6 (7-5) by Frenchman Gael Monfils, the world number 18 and 14th seed.

It was a second consecutive win on clay for Monfils over the 17-time Grand Slam champion after his

straight sets victory during last year’s Davis Cup final. Federer, 33, four times a beaten finalist in this event, was competing for the first time since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Indian Wells final nearly four weeks ago. He was broken in the ninth game of the first set and then squandered a 5-3 lead in the second set tiebreak, losing four successive points. Wawrinka had won two of the previous three meetings with Dimitrov, including a clay court encounter at the 2013 World Tour Masters in Madrid.

But the 30-year-old Swiss made 41 unforced errors and had just four winners against the ninth seed. He was guilty of 13 of those unforced errors as Dimitrov raced 4-0 ahead, and failed to convert four break points in the sixth game of the second set. (BBC Sport)

NFL reinstates Adrian Peterson after 5 month ban

MOn Tuesday at his boxing club in Las Vegas, the American accused eightdivision world champion Pacquiao of being a “reckless” fighter.

But Roach said: “Manny is not reckless at all. Everything we do is planned out and it’s part of the game plan.

“Mayweather is a counter puncher and we have to attack really quick and get out really quick. We can’t stay in the pocket too long.

“We know how to beat this guy.” (BBC Sport)

innesota Vikings player Adrian Peterson has been reinstated by the NFL after serving a five-month ban for “recklessly assaulting” his son.

In November, Peterson, 30, pleaded no contest to the misdemeanour charge of assaulting the four-yearold before being banned without pay by the league.

Peterson will be available to the Vikings from Friday, but must fulfil ongoing “counselling and treatment”.

The NFL said further violation could result in “suspension” or “banishment”.

The running back won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award in 2012 and

is seen as a key figure for the Vikings, where he is under contract until 2017.

They begin their new season in September and said they “look forward to Adrian re-joining”, in a brief statement on Thursday.

Peterson used a wooden implement to discipline his son in the Texas town of Spring in May. The footballer was said to have punished his son after the boy pushed another of his children off a motorbike video game. (BBC Sport)

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Royals make it 4 out of four after tense chase

Late drama turned a one-sided canter into a last-ball finish, but Rajasthan Royals, the team that had dominated 95% of the contest, won in the end and preserved their perfect record for the season. Two Mumbai bowlers set it up for Royals: Dhawal Kulkarni struck twice with the new ball to peg Sunrisers back early, and Pravin Tambe removed both Naman Ojha and Eoin Morgan after they had staged a recovery of sorts with a 52-run fourthwicket partnership. The Sunrisers innings didn’t take off at all after that, and a target of 128 should never have tested Royals’ batting line-up.

end of their innings, with Ravi Bopara and Ashish Reddy biffing 31 off the last 21 balls.

Having been put in to bat, Sunrisers had a mixed start from their openers. Shikhar Dhawan survived a nervy first over against Tim Southee’s swing, and saw an outside edge fall just short of Smith at slip, and soon edged Kulkarni behind to fall for 10. David Warner, though, seemed to be carrying on from where he had left off against Royal

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Just when he looked like he might hurt Royals with a big innings, he was run out going for a misjudged single.

Kulkarni then jagged one back to trap the crease-bound KL Rahul, and Sunrisers were 35 for 3, without too much batting depth to call upon.

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Both Rahane and Sanju Samson played and missed against the new ball, and both survived close callsTrent Boult seemed to trap Rahane plumb in front with a perfect left-armer’s inswinger, only for the umpire to rule it not out, and Ashish Reddy dropped a tough chance off Samson when he miscued a pull off Praveen Kumar - but they kept chipping away at the target in a first-wicket partnership of 64. Steven Smith went early, for once, and Ravi Bopara picked up two wickets in a constricting spell of medium-paced cutters, but Rahane changed gears at just the right time for Royals.

Rahane sent a square cut off Bopara screaming away to the right of third man, and charged him in his next over to chip him wristily to the wide long-on boundary. A pulled four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 18th over took him to 59, and left Royals 15 to get from 15 balls with seven wickets in hand. It should have been a stroll, but such is the nature of Twenty20 that they nearly lost it from there.

The pitch in Visakhapatnam was on the slow side, and there was plenty of grip on offer for anyone who bowled spin or medium-paced cutters. Tambe’s wicket of Ojha illustrated this perfectly. After

drifting into a line just outside leg stump, a quickish legbreak spun past the outside edge and crashed into middle stump. Tambe nearly had Morgan stumped off a googly in his next over, but Samson didn’t have to fret over his muffed effort behind the stumps for too long. Picking the wrong length to a reverse-sweep, Morgan was lbw next ball, a quicker, flatter googly from Tambe hitting his pad almost on the half-volley.

With two set batsmen dismissed, Sunrisers only managed a modest amount of acceleration towards the

Berbice on top after ‘awful shot’ sparks Essequibo collapse

By Rajiv Bisnauth

Berbice dominated the opening day to seize the early momentum of their final round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Under-19 Inter-County Three-Day game against Essequibo on Thursday at the Enmore Community Centre Ground.

Inspired by a devastating spell by fast bowler Grisean Grant, together with spinners Leon Andrews and Kassim Khan, Berbice engineered a stunning Essequibo batting collapse to leave the Berbicians on top.

Grant, who produced a superb spell, claimed 3-14, while Khan and Andrews finished with 3-34 and 3-30 respectively.

The trio went about their task diligently and ran through the line-up to dismiss Essequibo for 139 immediately after the lunch interval.

At the close, Berbice were 196-6, a first innings lead of 57 runs. Khan is unbeaten on 10, while Daniel Lewis is on two.

spinner Leon Andrews within the first hour of play and ending an 40-run opening partnership with Parmesh Parsotam.

Exciting all-rounder Kemo Paul and Parsotam consolidated for a short period, but with the Berbicians attacking with spin from both ends, they were rewarded with the wicket of Paul.

The West Indies youth player perished just before the lunch interval to spinner Kassim Khan for 13.

The right-hander Parsotam continued to mix careful defence and daring stroke play to remain unbeaten on 47 by the interval, with Essequibo on 94-2.

However, concentration seemed to wane and the Essequibians crashed within the first hour of play on resumption, losing the last eight wickets for 59 runs.

Earlier, opener Nathan Persaud played the early supporting role, recovering from a nervous start to reach 17 before being dismissed by

The 18-year-old Parsotam failed to add to his 47, while Jonathan Fernandes made 18, and was the only other batsman to reach double figure after the interval. Baldeo was the other successful bowler with 1-32.

Berbice then lost Andrew for 19, but Baldeo unbeaten on 22 and Hetymer on four held up Essequibo’s quest for further breakthroughs, and by the interval Berbice reached 51-1.

The final session saw the dismissal of both Hetymer (41); Baldeo (32); Parmanand Ramdhan (31); Clifton Lindie (41); and Samuel Kistasammy (2).

Akinie Adams has so far claimed 3-29, while Keanu Harry, Denzil Harry and Looknauth Khinkoo all chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Meanwhile, the National Under-17 team closed on 211-9 off 96 overs in the other final round game between Demerara at the Everest Cricket Club Ground.

Play resumes at 10:00h at both venues today. GCB U-19 Inter-County 3-Day Tournament

media Xi, enterprise o -40 clash on sunday

The Guyana Media XI will travel to the East Coast Demerara (ECD) community of Enterprise on Sunday to face hosts Enterprise Busta Sports Club Over-40 team in a feature 20/20 match, commencing at 13:00h.

The match has been made possible through an invitation from the hosts to the Guyana Media XI, which readily accepted the challenge.

Skipper of the Guyana Media XI, John Ramsingh said, “We are grateful for the invitation, as this will provide us in the media another opportunity to network with those clubs in the outlying areas. Rest assured, our boys are confident of doing well and we will be going all out for a victory.”

Captain of Enterprise Busta Sports Club Over-40 team, Seemangal Yadram, said the Club was looking forward to the visit of the Guyana Media XI, noting that they have assembled a

strong squad for the match.

Meanwhile, Tiger Sports of Old Road Enmore, ECD, has come on board with exclusive sponsorship of trophies for the game.

Proprietor of Tiger Sports, Sheik Mohamed, a former national wicketkeeper/batsman, is also expected to feature in the match as a guest player for the Guyana Media XI.

Guyana Media XI squad reads: John Ramsingh (Captain); Ravi Persaud; Rajiv Bisnauth; Clifton Ross; Avenash Ramzan; Sheik

Smith leads Windies fight...

Unbeaten on 92 at the break with England on 224 for four, Ballance reached his landmark in the seventh over after lunch when he punched Benn down the ground for four.

Along with Buttler, he then went on the attack, clearing the ropes at long on with part-time off-spinner Samuels before finally holing out to Jermaine Blackwood at deep midwicket off Benn.

Buttler, who smashed five fours and two sixes, put on a hasty 52 off 40 deliveries with Chris Jordan (13) before Jordan holed out to

Darren Bravo at deep midwicket off seamer Kemar Roach, a delivery after he was bowled by a no-ball.

Pacer Jerome Taylor finished with two for 42 while Benn picked up two for 115.

Brathwaite’s early demise put West Indies immediately on the backfoot but Smith and Bravo buckled down in a partnership headlined by discipline and positive stroke-play.

Smith has so far hit seven fours off 131 deliveries while Bravo was fluent in gathering three boundaries off 87 balls.

Both batsmen were watchful immediately after tea but progressively grew in confidence and opened up to play several handsome shots.

Smith, who only returned to Windies colours for the recent tour of South Africa following a three-year

ENGLAND 1st Innings 399 WEST INDIES 1st Innings 295 ENGLAND 2nd Innings (overnight 116 for three)

*A Cook c Benn b Taylor 13

I Trott c wkp Ramdin b Taylor 4

G Balance c Blackwood b Benn 122 I Bell run out 11

J Root b Holder 59

B Stokes st Ramdin b Benn 35 +JC Buttler not out 59

C Jordan c Bravo b Roach 13

Extras (b1, lb6, w5, nb5) 17

TOTAL (7 wkts dec; 86 overs) 333

Did not bat: S Broad, J Tredwell, J Anderson.

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Trott), 2-20 (Cook), 3-52 (Bell), 4-166 (Root), 5-226 (Stokes), 6-281 (Ballance), 7-333 (Jordan).

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break, showed his strength on both sides of the wicket. He clipped seamer Jordan to the mid-wicket boundary and followed up by smashing a short ball from Broad to the ropes in the same area a couple overs later, to move into the 30s.

In the bowler’s next over, he collected another boundary through point and brought up his fifty with a streaky four to third man off off-spinner James Tredwell.

Bravo looked in good touch, stroking Broad to the cover boundary and lifting Tredwell over extra cover, for two of his fours. With England running out of ideas, captain Alistair Cook turned to Root and he struck the key blow with just his seventh ball, getting one to turn out of the rough and induce Bravo’s indiscretion. (CMC)

Bowling: Taylor 15-5-42-2, Roach 14-1-53-1 (nb2), Holder 17-5-63-1 (w1, nb2), Benn 263-115-2, Samuels 15-0-53-0. WEST INDIES 2nd innings (target: 438 runs)

K Brathwaite c Root b Broad 5

D Smith not out 59

DM Bravo c Jordan b Root 32

M Samuels not out 2

TOTAL (2 wkts, 40 overs) 98

Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Brathwaite), 2-90 (Bravo)

Bowling: Anderson 7-0-260, Broad 9-1-27-1, Tredwell 11-6-14-0, Jordan 4-1-16-0, Stokes 5-0-11-0, Root 4-3-4-1. Position: West Indies require a further 340 for victory. Toss: West Indies. Umpires: Billy Bowden, Steve Davis; TV – Bruce Oxenford.

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” futsal tournament

Final 2 legs launched

Banks DIH under its Guinness brand has launched the final two legs of the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Futsal Tournament at the company’s Thirst Park head office on Thursday.

Berbice will have its first edition of the tournament starting this evening, while the Linden leg will start from April 22.

Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste was optimistic about both tournaments that will hand out $300,000 to winners of both legs.

“Banks DIH is happy to associate with Berbice and Berbice is fortunate to have the tournament when it has blossomed.

“However, in Linden, we do expect the same type of competition that we have seen over the years,” Baptiste noted.

Linden Coordinator Caeron Sealey highlighted that the tournament was special to the Linden community.

“The tournament as it is a social event also sees small entrepreneurships developing and we see it as a special part of our community,” Sealey

stressed.

Meanwhile, Berbice coordinator Phillip Carrington noted that it was great to have the Guinness tournament in Berbice for the first time.

“The Berbicians are happy to have Guinness for the first time and we hope that it becomes a special tournament here, especially at a time where football is not being played a lot in the Berbice area,” Carrington stated.

The final of the Berbice leg will be played on Sunday, while the final of the Linden leg will be played on May 5.

Farfan & Mendes Men’s Hockey First Division League

Old Fort, National U-21s play to draw

Old Fort and the National Under-21 select team battled to a nil-all stalemate on Wednesday at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Ground, Bourda, in the penultimate match of the 2014 season.

Pool leaders GCC with 12 points remain out of reach of all opposition. However, bragging rights remain as the National Under-21s, who have been improving as the tournament progresses, have been putting pressure on the senior clubs.

Old Fort began the match with a depleted side as some team members were late for the 17:00h start. While the Under-21s made several raids through the midfield, defensive stalwart Dwight Sullivan and former international Ivor Thompson stifled their attacks before any real threat on the Old Fort net.

The arrival of Aderemi “Dove” Simon for Old Fort brought new life to the team and he wasted no time in making his presence felt. Mid-way through the first half, Simon made a fine solo run from the left

across the Under-21 scoring circle only to be brought down by the Under-21 deep defence earning his side a penalty stroke.

Simon’s heroics were short-lived, however, as he failed to convert the stroke, which was easily batted away by competent goalkeeper Medroy Scotland.

While Mark Sargeant and Leon Bacchus put in a solid midfield performance for the Under-21s, their efforts were matched by Simon and Jason DeSantos of Old Fort. Despite several close shaves, the match ended with a nil-all draw seeing both team receive a point each for their efforts.

GCC will oppose the National Under-21s today from 16:45h at the same venue in the final match to conclude the 2014 season.

GCC, having played unbeaten throughout the tournament, have only dropped points to the Under-21s in their first round clash.

In their previous encounter, the Under-21s had surprised the veteran Bourda team with two early goals before GCC clawed their way back to a 2-2 draw.

President Ramotar to...

Dr Anthony added that when the facility becomes functional shortly, there will be an extensive programme to ensure the country’s athletes benefit from coaching, as well as training on a quality surface.

“We will be having coaches there so that we can teach kids from a very young age, who have the talent and who have the desire to participate in athletics and track and field that you will be able to get the training on a quality surface so you can

excel,” Dr Anthony reiterated.

The synthetic track is one in a line of facilities the Government has invested in over the past decade, in a concerted effort to provide quality training centres for the country’s sportsmen and women.

Other facilities constructed recently were the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown and the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.

A Ally & Sons Inter-Secondary School U-17 Cricket

Karim bags 11-wicket haul, hits 50 for Rosignol Secondary

The 2015 A Ally and Sons Inter-Secondary School Under-17 Cricket Competition, organised by the Berbice Cricket Board continued recently after a break for the Easter holidays.

Medium-pacer Javed Karim of Rosignol Secondary took 7-32 to help bowl out Fort Wellington Secondary for 70 in the first innings. He then opened the batting and hit 50 to lead his school to 125 in reply.

When Fort Wellington batted a second time, they were bowled out for 61, with Karim picking up 4-26 to end with match figures of 11 for 58 runs. Rosignol went on to win by nine wickets.

Dishan Phillips with 58, Dianauth Persaud with 51, and Jamey Goria with

53 spearheaded Number Eight Secondary to 2415 declared in their first innings against Woodley Park Secondary. When Woodley Park replied, Stephen Saul took 6-23 and Nigel Deodat 3-1 from two overs to bowl them out for 28 and then, following on, they fared just a little better in their second innings, bowled out for 40.

Saul picked up 3-19 and Deodat 6-14, both of them ending with nine-wicket match hauls. Below are the summarised scores from the games.

At Blairmont: Rosignol Secondary School beat Fort Wellington Secondary School by nine wickets. Fort Wellington Secondary 70 all out (Adrian Isahack – 24; Javed Karim – 7-32;

Chandradat Veerasammy – 2-20) and 61 all out (Hariskumar Singh – 24; Chandradat Veerasammy – 5-33; Javed Karim – 4-26) versus Rosignol Secondary 125 all out (Javed Karim – 50; Hariskumar Singh – 4-45; Damien – Bishun 4-59) and 10-1. At Number Five: Number Eight Secondary School beat Woodley Park Secondary School by an innings and 173 runs. Number Eight Secondary School 241-5 declared (Dishan Phillips – 58; Dianauth Persaud – 50; Jamey Goriah – 53; Nandanie Arnold 3-42) versus Woodley Park Secondary 28 all out (Stephen Saul – 6-13; Nigel Deodat – 3-1) and 40 all out (Nigel Deodat – 6-14; Stephen Saul – 3-19).

Smith leads Windies fight but England on top

Opener Devon Smith stroked his first halfcentury since his return to Tests last December but Darren Bravo’s demise, half-hour before the close, left West Indies with a mountain to climb to win the opening Test against England.

At the close of Thursday’s penultimate day, West Indies were 98 for two in pursuit of 438 for victory, still 340 runs adrift at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.

The left-handed Smith was carrying West Indies’

fight with a fine, unbeaten 59 and was accompanied by Marlon Samuels on two.

Left with five overs to face before tea after England declared their second innings on 333 for seven just over half-hour before the interval, West Indies were quickly in trouble when opener Kraigg Brathwaite fell in the second over.

He failed to keep down a short ball from seamer Stuart Broad and popped a regulation catch to Joe Root at short leg, with the score on seven.

However, Smith and Bravo then put their heads down to add an important 83 for the second wicket, as West Indies went to tea at nine for one and then batted safely through the first hour of the final session.

Bravo was looking at ease when he drove at the first ball of part-time off-spinner Joe Root’s second over, and was spectacularly caught onehanded by Barbados-born Chris Jordan diving to his right at first slip.

The left-hander faced 87

balls and hit three fours, and his dismissal put England in an even stronger position to pull off a win on Friday’s final day.

Earlier, Gary Ballance struck his fourth Test hundred – a knock of 122 – as England, resuming the day on 116 for three, enforced their dominance over the next two sessions.

The left-hander faced 250 deliveries and counted 11 fours and two sixes in just under 5-1/4 hours at the crease, and shared to key partnerships to keep England on top.

He put on 114 for the fourth wicket with Root who hit a breezy 59 off 79 balls with five fours and a six, to post his second half-century of the game.

Jos Buttler hit an up tempo unbeaten 59 from 56 balls to give the visitors quick runs down the order.

When Root was bowled, dragging on to fast bowler Jason Holder on the stroke of the first hour of the morning, Ballance and Ben Stokes combined to post 60 for the next wicket.

Stokes, not out on 33 at lunch, made 35 before missing a charge at left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and going stumped off the fourth ball after the interval.

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Final 2 legs launched

double handing over at the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” final legs launching

President Ramotar to commission synthetic track today

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

President Donald Ramotar will commission Guyana’s first state-of-the-art synthetic track and football facility at Leonora, West Coast Demerara today in what is expected to be a “spectacle” of a ceremony, according to the sources close to the Sport Ministry/National Sports Commission.

After delivering the feature remarks, President Ramotar will unveil a plaque to officially commission the multimillion-dollar facility, which has a rubberised track and a football field in the centre.

The ceremony is slated to commence at 10:00h and will be chaired by Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Sport Ministry, Steve Ninvalle.

Invitees will be treated to interludes from the Culture Ministry’s Steel Pan Orchestra and local drummers, while the National School of Dance will also perform.

Representatives of the three major religions will then offer prayers to kick start the formal proceedings, which will be followed by a project review by Permanent Secretary of the Sport Ministry, Alfred King.

Before President

Ramotar delivers his address, there will be remarks from Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony; Director of Sport, Neil Kumar; Athletics Association of Guyana President Aubrey Hutson; and member of the Normalisation Committee of the Guyana Football Federation, Stuart May. National track athlete Tirana Mitchell and Golden Jaguars footballer Vurlon Mills will also give their impressions of the venue.

After the formal proceedings are over, the track will be put to use immediately with male and female 100m, 400m and 800m races, as well as male and female long jump and javelin events. The day’s activities will culminate with a football match involving Slingerz FC and Anns Grove United FC.

Earlier this month, Dr Anthony labelled the commissioning of the facility as “historic” for Guyana.

“And to do that, we have a big programme where we will have our national athletes participating in several events, and of course, apart from the track and field events, we will also have football because in the middle of the track, there is a nice football field as well,” the Minister explained.