Guyana Times Daily - June 8, 2015

Manu Durant killer nabbed near Venezuelan border

Days after well-known promoter Manu Duran was shot dead at Baroombar, North Road, Georgetown, the alleged shooter was arrested on Saturday evening at Eteringbang, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

The suspect was arrested while on his way to the interior, a Police source stated. Guyana Times understands that after the shooting on Thursday morning, the Police would have informed their colleagues about the incident and provided them with a photograph of the wanted man.

A Police rank stationed at Eteringbang reportedly saw the man and informed his superiors who turned up in the area and apprehended the suspect. He was transported to the Bartica Police Station from where he was further transferred under Police guard to the city. He is expected to be charged with the capital offence of

Manu Durant

murder shortly.

It was reported that the shooter is a security guard attached to the nightclub. In addition, it is believed that when Durant and his friends arrived at the nightclub, the facility was closed, but the now dead man demanded that the security guard give them access. This resulted in an argument. It was during the argu-

ment that Durant pulled out his gun and discharged a round in the direction of the guard. He missed and the guard retaliated by firing a few rounds at Durant, with one hitting him to his chest.

A senior Police Officer confirmed that the information they would have received remains sketchy. The reports, he noted, were all inconsistent.

Family members of Durant remain tight-lipped about the shooting incident. Durant was a promoter who brought in several regional artistes to perform at shows in Buxton and other villages along the East Coast of Demerara. Back in 2008, Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Durant for the alleged kidnapping of Buxton teen Tenisha Morgan, who was at the time the girlfriend of Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins. It is believed that it was the abduction of the teen that triggered Rawlins’ rage causing the Lusignan and Bartica massacres.

Prisoner killed after shooting cop in head

Aprisoner was shot dead by police after he had disarmed a rank at the Wisroc Police Outpost and shot him in his head Sunday evening.

In a statement police said that about 18:05h ranks responded to a report of threatening behaviour in which Regan Richards, 18 years, of One Mile Extension, Wismar, who is reported to be mentally unstable, was armed with a cutlass and chasing down residents.

Regan Richards was arrested and taken into custody at the Wisroc Police Outpost. The circumstances are not yet clear, but

while in custody at the Outpost Regan Richards managed to overpower

Police Constable Victor Fausette and took away his service revolver. He then shot the police rank above his left ear and escaped with the firearm.

Acting on information received police ranks subsequently went to his home where they came under fire from Regan Richards. The police returned fire, hitting him to his body. He was taken to the Mackenzie Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The police service revolver, with six spent shells, has been recovered. Police Constable Victor Fausette has been admitted to hospital.

Unit set up to recover missing state assets

...Harmon says administration “settling nicely”

Government will set up a unit to go after missing state assets, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon has said. He also noted that the David Granger-led Administration was settling nicely albeit with a few hiccups.

During an interview with members of the media at his office, Harmon explained that the Government is planning to set up a State Asset Recovery Unit that will look into the issue of State assets that have been siphoned off, both locally and abroad, by various people and bodies. He stated that the plan was to link with international agencies in order to establish international best practices, and help for this seems certain in the offing.

Minister Harmon noted that the Unit will be a multi-agency one, independent and free from political intervention. He alluded to the fact that eminent economist, Professor Clive Thomas, roughly calculated that some $300 billion were siphoned off per year, a figure that was upped to $500 billion by a major external financial body. According to Harmon, even if just a fraction of say “10 per cent or 20 per cent of what was taken over the years is recovered, it will be substantial and it will do a lot of good to the state of the country and its economy”.

The Minister noted that this kind of recovery attempt is a work in progress that will unfold more in weeks to come. His goal at the time was to provide some answers that Guyanese are looking for in this area. He cautioned against ‘hurry’, noting that “these things take time and it may appear as though nothing is being accomplished”, at times.

The bottom line, the Minister said, is that it must be accepted that people who are culpable where the nation’s assets are concerned “will not get away with it”. He elaborated that when the Recovery Unit is conducting its work, it will do so with various recommendations that will be taken up by the Government. He said too that the Unit will be vested with broad powers and will not be vulnerable to political strictures. In fact, the Minister emphasised that

the body will report directly to the National Assembly, and not ministers per se. Harmon also reminded that Cabinet has approved audits for over 30 entities, and the new Finance Minister Winston Jordan is ensuring that monies assigned to the Consolidated Fund are indeed going there.

Settling

Meanwhile, Harmon said that the new Administration has been settling in nicely. He said that post-Independence Guyana, until now, had only had two Governments and therefore ‘shifting’ from one administration to another is not common practice, “but so far it has been relatively smooth”.

He explained that everything was being done with vigilance so that “there will

be no ‘starts and stops’ even though there may be a few hiccups”. Minister Harmon was emphatic that whatever has to be done will be done ‘democratically’ just as the coalition was “democratically placed to oversee the affairs of the state”. He added that the new administration has already had its first full Cabinet and Defence Board meetings and the various structures in place are almost fully at work.

The Minister stated that “new Ministers, with their new Ministries, are taking up their responsibilities and that very soon all will be in full swing”. He referred to the fact that the “public is feeling a new energy”, based on the new faces, ideas, and spirit of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition. Harmon explained that the coalition brought together “a sufficiency of manpower and skills necessary to take Guyana forward and to iron out any lingering difficulty of the previous Administration”. He expressly made reference to the coalition’s reservoir of “will, experience and enthusiasm”.

He also highlighted that many Guyanese, here and overseas, are so enthused that they have offered “skilful and voluntary service” in the event they cannot be employed in official capacities. The Minister said that his desk is inundated with impressive CVs, but “all of this will take some time to sort out”. This is because currently as the ‘transitioning’ is unfolding, the new Administration has to deal with “those who were and are still on the ‘gravy train’ and not doing ‘proper work’ but just being there to do ‘a party job’ and getting paid (wrongfully) for so doing”. The Minister further stated that the expectation is that there will be a better work culture and ethic, as “only those who are actually doing Government’s work will be viewed legitimately,” since the ‘gravy train’ has now come to a halt.

Line Path man killed in road accident

Aresident of Line Path, Skeldon, Corentyne, Berbice died Saturday night after being hit by a motorcycle while attempting to cross the public road in his community.

Investigations are being conducted into the fatal accident that occurred about 19:30h on Saturday and resulted in the death of the pedestrian who has so far only been identified by the call name “Ram”.

Investigations have revealed that “Ram” attempted to cross the public road and was struck down by a motorcycle. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Skeldon Hospital. The driver of the motor cycle was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol. He received injuries from the accident and has been admitted to the Skeldon Hospital under guard.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, June 8 – 09:30h-11:00h and Tuesday, June 9 – 10:30h-12:00h

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

Monday, June 8 – 08:25h-09:55h and Tuesday, June 9 – 09:30h-11:00h

WEATHER TODAY FERRY SCHEDULE

Ferries will be departing the Parika and Supenaam stellings : Monday, June 8 and Tuesday, June 9 – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h

Thundery showers can be expected in the morning, with light rainfall dominating throughout the afternoon. Thundery showers can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 4.02 metres and 5.81 metres per second.

High Tide: 08:42h and 21:21h reaching maximum heights of 2.50 metres and 2.42 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 02:13h and 14:49h reaching minimum heights of 0.79 metre and 0.71 metre respectively.

Govt rethinks promised 13% hike

...says any increase must be tied to productivity

Government seems more cautious about delivering the promised 13 per cent pay increase for public servants, saying now that any increase would have to be tied to productivity to stave off inflation.

However, it assured that the $2000 increase in Old Age Pension is almost certain and can be achieved in the 100-day

on productivity increases otherwise “you are just going to a circle which is the easiest part, but then you thus encourage inflation, which will have an impact on competiveness and an overall impact on the country”.

He said that a salary increase is one of the issues on the Government’s front burner, but one that will be done in a sustainable manner. “I could give you 10 per cent today and by year-end, you probably give me back 11 per cent in taxes or more, so it has to be in a menu of measures that we have to look at to lift public servants who have stagnated over the years,” he said.

The Minister said that he knew for a fact the allowances for some public servants have not moved much in 20 years. “I understand people are getting $200 for meal allowance…” he noted.

In the lead-up to the May 11, 2015 elections, then Finance Minister,

“Some people I know are happy to just have a radio, listen to a little death announcement and so on and then have their sleep. They prefer a different kind of leisure so they much prefer you give them the $1500,” Finance Minister Winston Jordan

plan the coalition had unveiled during the election campaign. The plan promised “significant pay increases for Government workers including: nurses, teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary education, security personnel and civil servants on the traditional payroll”.

According to a report by the Government Information Agency, Finance Minister Winston Jordan said as it relates to salary increases for public servants, Government would be “the first to admit that salaries are not where” they should be, but noted, “you have to have a plan about taking them where you want to be, it cannot be a one-shot thing”.

The Minister said that salaries should be a part of the compensation package, and that increases must also be premised

Dr Ashni Singh had warned that some of the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) promises were unrealistic, and had described them as “empty”. “This is nothing short of a blatant attempt to bribe voters and is a gross insult to the Guyanese people,” Dr Singh had said. What is worse, Dr Singh highlighted, is that the members of the APNU+AFC bloc have become notorious for inconsistency, offering a different set of “goodies” every time they speak.

In the lead-up to the 2011 General and Regional Elections, the AFC had promised a 20 per cent pay increase for public servants. Salaries and Old Age Pensions had seen steady and sustainable increases over the past 20 years under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic

(PPP/C) Administration.

In 1992, when the PPP/C took office, public servants were in receipt of $3137 as minimum wage. This increased to $23,204 by 2005. In 2009, there was a six per cent increase; 2010, five; 2011, eight, and in 2012 and 2013 re spectively, five per cent. In 2014, workers earning be low $50,000 were granted an eight per cent increase while those earning over that sum were granted five per cent.

Pension boost

However, Minister Jordan has assured that the pension boost that the APNU+AFC Government pledged during the election campaign as part of its 100day plan will be delivered. The Government’s pledge was that pensioners will get $1968.25 or a 15 per cent hike in their pension, which currently stands at $13,125 per month. “We are going to make certain the pensioner gets at least what was in the 100-day agreement and I think it was $15,000. We are going to ensure that pensioners can get at least that,” the Finance Minister said.

they make the choice.”

He added , “For example, if a subsidy for a pensioner on electricity works out to be about $1000 per month, and water, let us say is $500, some people would prefer you give the $1500 plus the regular pension and they’ll make the determination.”

He further explained “when you are putting a subsidy of let’s say $1000, you are assuming that for example the pensioner may burn one blub or two bulbs, have maybe a television of no more than so many wattages”.

He said too that his Ministry was also examining the other benefits that pensioners receive. “We won’t want to take away any benefit that pensioners have enjoyed over the past, but we want to look at the mechanisms; how it has been given out, because some people prefer to have the money in their hand and

He then raised the issue of the pensioner who did not have these.

“Some people I know are happy to just have a radio, listen to a little death announcement and so on and then have their sleep. They prefer a different kind of leisure so they much prefer you give them the $1500,” he noted.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

“After school” lessons: again

With barely a week under his belt as the new Minister of Education, one has to conclude that Dr Rupert Roopnarine is either a very brave, or a very impetuous, man. He has promised to do away with “extra lessons”.

After the collapse of the education system by 1992, it’s recovery under the PPPC administration was accompanied by the growth of the phenomenon which became more than a “cottage industry”.

To its credit, that administration’s top officials, especially the last two, did take aim at the phenomenon in efforts to eliminate it, but to no avail. For instance they banned the practice on school premises.

It is important therefore, to examine the reasons for the rise of extra lessons, the nature of the previous efforts to address them and the reasons for their subsequent failure, so that Dr Roopnarine does not embark on a Quixotic mission.

But to examine the reasons for “extra lessons” is to discover this is a very protean phenomenon. Initially, with the aforementioned collapse of the school system concerned parents who might have been imbued with the old values, insisted that their children “get an education”.

At that time, “getting an education” did not serve as a motivation in and of itself for students to imbibe what was taught in the classrooms since the paucity of well-paying jobs commensurate with the education just were not there.

The teachers were also so ill-paid and worked in such abysmal conditions that there was little incentive for teachers to impart the same when many of them had to resort to “selling sweeties” to supplement their income. The status of teachers fell even lower than their salaries.

Even though the availability of jobs for educated persons rose exponentially after 1992 as the economy recovered and white collar job openings were created, Guyana never reached a state of full employment. Consequently there was competition for jobs and the concomitant competition for qualifications to secure those jobs.

However while teacher remuneration also rose, it was not accompanied neither with a return of the old norm of teachers viewing their job as a “vocation” nor relatedly, a return to their previous high status in society. Teachers turned to offering “extra lessons” in a burgeoning market where the better ones could earn many times their “regular” salaries. And improve their statuses.

If the new dispensation is to make a mark towards elimination of “extra lessons”, they will have to re-look not only at the salaries of teachers (which has been signalled) but at also their overall living conditions - a marker for statusto ensure they would not want to jeopardise this by offering their services out of school.

Dr Roopnarine’s point about teachers teaching portions of the syllabi at “lessons” and not in school has become a standard practice. The only way of eliminating this is to forbid, as part of teachers’ contract, the teaching of “extra lessons” and to terminate their contracts if they break the rule.

What may then happen is that teachers who are noted for their lessons in particular subjects may open specialised “lessons schools” as has occurred in places like India. The riposte is to regulate these institutions to ensure they comply with all the rules of imparting education properly.

Several private schools already established are just glorified “lessons mills” that stress rote learning for students to obtain certificates for employment.

But this raises the question of the suitability of our curriculum in imparting “education” demanded by the new job market. For instance, one other reason for “extra lessons” is to fill the demand for jobs in the accounting field as local businesses professionalise their operations.

Almost all accountants qualify themselves through “extra lessons”. While “Accounts” and “Office Procedure” have been introduced via CXC into the education system, the need for further qualification must be addressed within the official system. And so on.

Urgent response needed

Dear Editor,

Can Mr Bulkan tell this nation, what law or rule was used by the Deputy Permanent Secretary Ms Moore, who acting on his instructions, wrote to the appointed Regional Executive Officer Ms Claire Singh, Deputy Regional Executive Officer

Mr Mohamed Arjune, and Assistant Regional Executive Officer Mr Karl Singh in Region Nine, sending them on leave with one day’s notice, and

instructing that they hand over to Carl Parker, who is not an employee of the Regional Administration nor the Public Service?

Mr Bulkan, subsequently stated that Mr Parker will be acting as Regional Executive Officer.

My understanding is that before you can act in a position in the Public Service, you must hold a substantive appointment. I don’t know when that changed.

Mr Bulkan has shown no respect for law and order and has sent Public Servants appointed by the Public Service Commission (PSC) on administrative leave without the knowledge of the PSC.

Guyana’s public service is under threat by high handed, dictatorial and confused holders of political office.

G Persaud

A man of principles?

Dear Editor,

Is this a man of principles?

This is the question that came to mind instantly upon seeing Mr Gino Persaud protesting against the PPP/C demand that GECOM to recount votes casts in the May 2015 elections and that full disclosure of information used to tabulate the election be made public, demands which by any stretch of imagination cannot be considered unreasonable or illegal.

It boggles the mind that the head of an organization that declared its goals to be the fight against corruption and fight for the promotion of transparency and accountability in society is taking a partisan position.

What could have pushed him to so blatantly display his biases for the world to see and confirming what he has consistently denied.

That is, he and his organization

has always been nothing but an opposition outfit dedicated to the demise of the PPP/C Government, the very Government under which he grew up, got his education and prospered as a professional, the very Government that used tax payers money to pay millions for his study at the Hugh Wooding Law School, monies that could have been better spent on the poor.

The question now on everyone’s lips is what could have caused Mr Gino Persaud to publicly ridicule himself and the organization he heads?

In fact there seems to be some amount of parallels between him and the Chairman of GECON as the Chairman has denied the PPP/C a request for a recount or to make public information used for tabulating the elections result.

The thinking therefore is that ei-

ther the price had to be right or Mr Gino Persaud had all along been a very skillful deceiver of those who believed that he is a man of principles.

Well he has unmasked himself confirming the suspicion of tens of thousands. What has become of his mental capacity?

After all the PPP/C is fighting for exactly the same things that he said he is fighting for – transparency and accountability. Is it that Gino no longer believes in what he preaches and has joined the ranks of Freddie Kissoon, Glenn Lall, Adam Harris, et al?

When young bright minds like him can degenerate to such levels, it is certainly a reflection of the moral crisis of our society.

Observer

S D (name with held)

“Shad,

shad, shad shituation,” according to CN Sharma

Dear Editor,

It would appear that since the new administration was fraudulently elected, criminals with a sense of entitlement are having a field day. The following are some of the robberies committed for the past 23 days:

1. Robbery of three hockey players.

2. Robbery of Beharry’s salesman.

3. Robbery and looting of Khublall’s house previously burnt by APNU’s supporters.

4. Robbery of Annadale businessman.

5. RC shot while chasing robbers.

6. Businessman in Corentyne robbed by ex-cop and accomplice.

7. Chandroutie Persaud gagged and murdered by robbers.

8. Bandits robbed passengers of bus and head into Agricola.

9. Bandits robbed grocery store of Sayarange at Canje.

10. A reporter robbed by bandits.

11. Businessman and friend robbed by bandits at Kitty

12. Taxi hijacked by three bandits.

13. Businessman robbed of $1.3 million in GRA parking lot.

14. Bandit shot and killed by Police.

15. Teen robbed and beaten at bar in New Amsterdam.

16. Break-in at businessman premises.

17. Home owner in custody after woman badly beaten.

18. Homeowner in prison after killing suspected intruder

19. Taxi driver shot dead at La Parfaite by bandits.

20. Crew beaten in Berbice pirate attack.

21. Brazlian national narrowly escaped death after attempted robbery.

22. Mini bus passenger Hardatt Kissoon shot dead following robbery.

23. Michael McLeod shot and robbed at Festival City.

24. Linden mother remanded on robbery with vio-

lence charge.

Despite this, our brand new security Minister is busy dismissing Policemen, while the new President is busy releasing more criminals, to compliment those in existence.

And, not to be outdone, a magistrate with no sense of judicial fairness bans the former President from leaving the country for making a factual statement, while another sentenced three former Policemen to three years imprisonment for aggravated robbery.

In the meanwhile, a comrade in a cultural presentation who pulled down her panties and urinated in full public view is yet to be charged for indecent exposure.

According CN Sharma, a man who would have “electrocuted” the whole of Berbice if he had become President, this is a “shad, shad, shad shituation”.

D Singh

Letter to the APNU+AFC coalition, PPP/C

Dear Editor, I am forwarding to you letters on the above subject sent to the two political parties which have won seats in the National Assembly of Guyana at the May 11 elections.

Signed letters have been delivered electronically to the known email addresses for the parties and printed copies will be delivered tomorrow (today). Both parties have been alerted that the letter is open and is being sent to the press.

The issue is a matter of national importance, but all calls for addressing it have so far been largely ignored by political parties.

The change in government and a new Parliament present a significant opportunity to correct the error.

If the political parties do not take appropriate actions, it is needful for the Guyanese people to take further action against our political leaders by protesting the swearing in of any anyone known to voluntarily hold foreign allegiance.

If public protest fails, then we must take to the courts as was done in Jamaica.

The Constitution establishes us as a nation. By deliberately violating it we are destroying our nationhood.

(Letter below.)

Dear Professor Lutchman, Mr Ramotar

Congratulation on your party being elected to office and best wishes for a very successful term.

In my private capacity as a citizen of Guyana, I write to you having ex -

amined the persons identified to occupy the seats in the National Assembly won by your party at the May 11 elections.

It is my hope that my appeal to you will avert the repetition of an egregious violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana in the swearing in of the 11th Parliament.

It is now common knowledge that there were multiple persons sitting in the 10th Parliament who were disqualified from holding such office on the grounds of Article 155 of the Constitution.

This article specifically disqualifies from election to the National Assembly, anyone who “is by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state”.

This article is set on firm principles which take into account:

1. A person should not sit to make laws for one state which they are not bound to abide by because they can escape to the protection of another state; and

2. There arises a conflict of interest that threatens the sovereignty of the nation when a person with allegiance to another nation sits to make decision relating to both countries.

No party sitting in the 10th Parliament has denied knowledge of the violation of Article 155 of the Constitution. But no party or individual member moved to have the matter corrected.

Consequently, it could be said that all members of

Criminals were given a licence with that presidential pardon

Dear Editor,

It has become a daily occurrence, that is, another deadly day as the news greets you of another deadly armed robbery.

People are losing their lives at the hands of vicious armed thugs who are out to get what homeowners and business people have. They come on foot, on motorcycles, or ride with you in minibuses.

Their job is to seek out all those who have cash or jewellery, they come to snatch your hard earned cash away from you and if you dare resist you are shot and killed. Daily occurrences in this dear land of ours.

People are dying and continue to die under these circumstances as another heist is set in operation. Right now life is cheap because when an innocent citizen dies it is no big deal.

But far more distressing is the fact that when a bandit gets killed the multitude of questions that has to be answered, the mounting of evidence that has to be presented to show just cause for his demise, the how, when and why surrounding his death.

the 10th Parliament colluded to egregiously violate the highest law of the land.

The list of candidates presented by your party to the Guyana Elections Commission for the recent elections contained names of persons commonly known to be disqualified for election to the National Assembly by virtue of Article 155.

This did not go unnoticed, but sadly calls for the list to be purged were ignored.

Now that we are preparing for the 11th Parliament in an atmosphere of change to set things in order, in keeping with the change paradigm, I request that you review your list of proposed Members of Parliament (MP) to identify anyone who voluntarily holds foreign allegiance.

Any such person should be removed from your list and replaced by an appropriately qualified person.

Or, should you see the need for someone with dual citizenship to be appointed as MP, that person must first relinquish their foreign allegiance before taking the Oath of Office.

It is important to remember that the law makes room for four Ministers of Government who are not MPs.

Your taking steps to avoid the violation of the Constitution will also avoid legal action being taken against members of your party, as was the case in the Jamaican courts - Dabdoub (Abraham) v Vaz (Daryl), et al. C R Bernard

It is as if the bandit’s life is all that matters and should be the focus of our attention. This is the Guyana the PPPC had to govern, a country that was corrupted by an opposition who were intricately wrapped up with the criminal fraternity.

The opposition defended them at every turn, accusing the PPPC Government of discriminating against the youth, arbitrarily blaming them for crimes they did not commit.

Remember up to a month ago these bandits were defended on the grounds that “they lack opportunities, most of them being jobless”.

And, the mantra “Police brutality and extra-judicial killings” came to the fore.

Right now, there are ongoing investigations, as well as court cases linking the Police with these “extra judicial killings”. Whenever a criminal dies there is always the theory that he was killed under “suspicious” circumstances or because of government involvement.

Never in the history of this country are criminals given the love, respect and attention as they did when the coalition was in opposition.

Well, come to think of it, that same facilitating opposition is now the government of Guyana and the “freedom fighter bandits” are out in full force robbing, shooting and killing as they usually do - crime is at an all time high - if not the highest in decades.

And there is good reason for the spike in crime because with the incoming administration came a huge pardon – 60 of these criminals were immediately pardoned and sent them back into society.

President David Granger in defense of his pardon

said that he is giving “petty thieves” another chance. Well, I have news for you: You are well aware of the “Sheema Mangar” case, and the guy who snatched her Blackberry phone.

He can be considered a petty thief. All he wanted was her cell phone because he could not afford one. She resisted so he simply mow her down with his car. She had no right to resist, she was a fool so she died at the hands of a petty thief. By the way that “petty thief” was never caught.

In mitigating circumstances, it could be said that criminals are getting the wrong essage with that pardon of his. But say all you want, what government in its right mind would, as its priority, free 60 criminals? That in itself is licence to carry on with their nefarious activities.

In a related matter, is Michael Grant the “petty thief” from Agricola in any way related to Shaquille Grant? If he is then, sure enough, look out for another inquiry into Michael Grant’s death.

Neil Adams

Page Foundation

Have you ever set a goal for yourself, like getting fit, making honour roll, or being picked for a team? Like lots of people, maybe you started out doing great, but then lost some of that drive and had trouble getting motivated again.

You’re not alone!

Everyone struggles with staying motivated and reaching their goals. Just look at how many people go on diets, lose weight, and then gain it back again!

The reality is that refocusing, changing, or making a new start on something, no matter how small, is a big deal. But it’s not impossible. With the right approach, you can definitely do it.

Getting motivated

So how do you stay motivated and on track with your goal? It all comes down to good planning, realistic expectations, and a stick-toit attitude. Here’s what you need to do:

First, know your goal Start by writing down your major goal. Your major goal is the ultimate thing you’d like to see happen. For example, “I want to make honour roll,” or “I want to get fit enough to make the girls field hockey team,” or even, “I want to play in the Olympics” are all major goals because they’re the final thing the goal setter wants to see happen (obviously, some goals take longer and require more work than others). It’s OK to dream big. That’s how people accomplish stuff. You just have to remember that

the bigger the goal, the more work it takes to get there. Make it specific. It’s easier to plan for and master a specific goal than a vague one. Let’s say your goal is to get fit. That’s pretty vague. Make it specific by defining what you want to achieve (such as muscle tone and definition or endurance), why you want to get fit, and by when. This helps you make a plan to reach your goal.

Make it realistic

People often abandon their goals because their expectations are unreasonable. Maybe they expect to get ripped abs in weeks rather than months, or to quit smoking easily after years of lighting up.

Let’s say you want to run a marathon. If you try to run the entire distance of 26.2 miles tomorrow without any training, you’re unlikely to succeed. It takes the average person four months of training to run that far! But the bigger risk is that you’ll get so bummed out that you’ll give up your marathon dreams – and running – al-

together.

Part of staying motivated is being realistic about what you can achieve within the timeframe you’ve planned. Competing on the Olympic ski team is a workable goal if you are 15 and already a star skier. But if you’re 18 and only just taking your first lesson, time isn’t exactly on your side. Write it down. Put your specific goal in writing. Then write it down again. And again. Research shows that writing down a goal is part of the mental process of committing to it. Write your goal down every day to keep you focused and remind you how much you want it.

Break it down. Making any change takes self-discipline. You need to pay constant attention so you don’t get sidetracked. One way to make this easier is to break a big goal into small steps. For example, let’s say you want to run a marathon. If it’s February and the marathon is in August, that’s a realistic timeframe to prepare. Start by planning to run two miles and work up gradually to the distance you need. Then set specific daily tasks, like eating five servings of fruit and veggies and running a certain amount a day. Put these on a calendar or planner so you can check them off. Ask a coach to help you set doable mini-goals for additional mile amounts and for tasks to improve your performance, such as exercises to build strength and stamina so you’ll stay motivated to run farther.

Reaching frequent, smaller goals is something to celebrate. It gives you the confidence, courage, and motivation to keep running – or doing whatever it is you’re aiming to do. So reward yourself!

Staying motivated

Check in with your goal. Now that you’ve broken your goal down into a series of mini-goals and daily tasks, check in every day. It helps to write down your small goals in the same way you wrote down your big goal. That way you can track what you need to do, check off tasks as you complete them, and enjoy knowing that you’re moving toward your big goal. As you accomplish a task, check it off on your list. Tell yourself, “Hey, I’ve run 10 miles, I’m nearly halfway to my goal!” Reward yourself with something you promised yourself when you set your goal. Feel successful –you are! Now think ahead to accomplishing the rest of your goal: “What do I have to do to reach 26 miles? How am I going to make the time to train?”

GCAA seeks new head, several in the running

The Public Infrastructure Ministry will soon advertise for the position of Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) although the outgoing Director General, Zulficar Mohamed has offered to stay on.

Chaitrani Heeralall has been appointed the interim DG until the vacancy is filled. Guyana Times understands that Mohamed, who has served the GCAA for more than 34 years and has vast knowledge of aviation, retired at the end of May which saw Heeralall taking up the position. Heeralall is the next most senior person in the aviation body and would have been appointed in the interim.

In a telephone interview with Mohamed on Sunday, he

explained that under the previous Administration, a threeyear extension was approved for him to continue as DG even after he was retired. He noted that after the change in Government, he had written to President David Granger highlighting that he was willing to extend his service to the GCAA as DG for the next three years, but he has not received an acknowledgement letter. He also copied Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson.

In the letter to the President, he also listed several reasons why he wanted to continue as Director General, one of which is to see the completion of several projects that he had undertaken. One of such is the construction of a headquarters and a training centre. Another was

the installation of the surveillance equipment at the Timehri Control Tower that can see the Cheddi Jagan International Airport becoming a Category One airport.

He added that Minister Patterson had promised to review his contract along with 11 others, some of whom have also reached retirement age but were kept on the job.

The others were sent on retirement despite the previous Administration having given approval by way of a document for them to stay on for another three years.

Another senior staff of the organisation told Guyana Times that Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hugh A Denbow has instructed to advertise for a new DG as soon as possible. The advertisement is expected to be placed in the dailies as soon as this week.

When asked if Heeralall could not have been appointed to the substantive post, the official stated that the process has to be transparent. Once the vacancy is advertised, persons who have the required qualification can apply including the interim DG, Heeralall. The official noted

too that the former Director General can reapply if he sees fit. On this note, Mohamed disclosed that he will consider whether to send in an application.

Meanwhile, Guyana Times was reliably informed that former pilot of the then Guyana Airways Corporation, Astil Paul is also in the running for the position as well as Denbow. As specified, the GCAA will take on the function of National Civil Aviation Security Authority, which involves establishing a unit/division/organisation, developing plans, implementing procedures and enforcing the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (and other associated policies) to achieve the aim and objectives of aviation security in Guyana.

Financial audits of at least 4 agencies to start today

The Finance Ministry is expected to commence financial audits of at least four agencies today, including the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC); the Guyana Gold

Grove robbery

Board (GCB); and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL)

This was disclosed by Finance Minister Winston Jordan during an interview on Friday. The audit will tar-

get these agencies, which, under the previous administration, were allowed to remain as offline accounts, and did not follow the correct procedure of having their revenues placed in the Consolidated Fund.

Shot accomplice remains stable; Police hunt 2 others

Twenty-two-year-old Curtis Vasconcellos of First Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown, who was shot twice on Saturday during a robbery at Grove, East Bank Demerara is said to be in serious but stable condition.

He remains under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital. A hospital source told Guyana Times that initially, doctors thought that a bullet was lodged in the young man’s neck, but after examination, it proved to not be the case. The source added that the young man was out of danger but his condition would be monitored.

Vasconcellos, sources stated, was conscious when he was taken to the medical institution. He had already given a statement to the Police about the incident. He was shot and injured while his friend, Michael Grant, was killed during the robbery. Two other men are still at large. However, Guyana Times understands that the young man was asked to accompany a few of his friends to Grove after Grant claimed that he was going to uplift “something”.

The young man reportedly told police that his friend got off the bike and headed over the road from where he parked. As he was about to join them, he saw Grant and another having a scuffle and then heard a single gunshot. It was at that time, he said, he realised that he was duped and was actually a part of a robbery.

Duped?

Soon after, he saw Grant falling to the ground and he made an about turn and headed to his motorcycle. As he was about to leave the scene, he felt a numbness to his neck and arm and blood started to trickle down. He continued to ride, but eventually fell off the motorcycle.

Vasconcellos was using his brother’s motorcycle unbeknownst to him. The bike is in Police possession as they continue their investigations. A senior Police rank told Guyana Times that the story told by the robbery suspect as he lay in bed is hard to believe. He stated that based on information received, the four men are part of a gang that commits petty robberies. One of the men who escaped, he noted might have been the one who committed a robbery on a minibus at Eccles, EBD recently.

“Why would you leave Agricola and go to Grove without getting gas and so from the people who wanted you to go? It doesn’t add

up, he knew what was the arrangement,” the Police Officer said.

Once Vasconcellos is discharged, he will be charged.

On Saturday about 14:30h, businessman Neezam Khan, of Lot 72 Grove, was standing with others in front of a snackette in the village when two armed men attacked him and demanded that he hand over a chain and rings he was wearing. He put up a fight and was shot to his arm after which the now dead teenager relieved him of the jewellery.

As they left and were about to jump on their motorcycles, Khan managed to whip out his licensed firearm and discharged a few rounds in their direction. Grant was reportedly shot to his chest and fell to the ground and died almost immediately, while Vasconcellos and another received gunshot injuries. The fourth bandit made good his escape unscathed.

Police in a release stated that they were investigating the incident. Police stated that the bandit who was shot to his chest was pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

Two other bandits, Police claimed, made good their escape. The shot businessman, the Police added, was taken to a private medical institution where he was admitted. One of the motorcycles that were left behind was impounded by the Police.

Earlier, the Finance Minister had stated that he had discovered that the Consolidated Fund is heavily over drawn, while the previous Government was maintaining several offline accounts. The Minister explained that there are two Consolidated Funds, an older one that had “mothball, so to speak when we were bringing in IFMAS (Integrated Financial Management and Accounting Systems) back in 2003” and the current

Consolidated Fund. He said that the older fund has an unreconciled balance of about $46 billion. The two funds together have a balance of $71 billion, but adjusting for offline accounts that really belong to Government, there is about $60 billion overall, the Minister explained. In terms of the offline financial records, the Ministry has already started closing accounts with balances that should have gone into the

present Consolidated Fund. The Ministry is also examining other accounts and doing forensic audits for some funds like Petrocaribe, lotto, wildlife and those related to the GGMC, GGB and NICIL. The Minister said that once these audits are completed, the Ministry will be better able to ascertain the balances in these offline accounts and will then transfer those to their rightful place, which is the Consolidated Fund.

Cop caught with AK-47 for court today

Orin Sergeant, 32, a Police Constable attached to the West Ruimveldt Police Outpost who was found with an AK47 and 32 rounds of ammunition will make his first court appearance today at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He is expected to be charged with possession of firearm and ammunition without being the holder of a firearm licence.

Sergeant was arrested on Friday evening during a Police roadblock at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara following the discovery of the firearm and ammunition.

It was reported that Sergeant boarded a taxi that plies the Georgetown-

Berbice Route, along with other passengers. The car was subsequently stopped at the roadblock during which the ranks requested a search be conducted on the vehicle. The Police Constable reportedly got nervous and told the ranks that the suitcase in the car’s truck was his and identified himself as a Police rank.

Nevertheless, the Police ranks insisted that a search be conducted on the suitcase and in so doing, the AK-47 assault rifle and ammunition were found.

Upon the discovery, he told investigators that he was given the suitcase by a man and was paid to drop off the suitcase at an address in West Coast Berbice.

The Police Constable was further interrogated, but refused to divulge any more information.

On Friday last, Eustus Thomas, 43, of 606 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown; Orvin Paul, 57, of 597 East Ruimveldt and his wife, 52-year-old Waveny Paul were arraigned for the possession of guns, ammunition and narcotics that were found during a raid at Warlock, East Ruimveldt on Thursday.

It was reported that the trio were found with an Uzi sub-machine gun with 14 matching rounds of ammunition; one .38 revolver with six live rounds and 482 grams of cannabis. They were all remanded to prison

until June 30.

Meanwhile, on Friday, during another Police operation, one man was arrested after a Lugar Intratec .9mm sub-machine gun with eight spent shells was found in a septic tank along Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

Investigations revealed that the Police responded to a report which suggested that a man was discharging a firearm along Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

As the Police approached, the suspect who had the firearm in his possession was seen running away and eventually disposed of the firearm in a septic tank. He is also expected to make a court appearance today.

Desilting of city canals moving apace

The desilting and cleaning of several major canals in and around the city of Georgetown are moving apace in an effort to provide flood relief and enhance irrigation in vulnerable areas.

The multi-faceted initiative involves the following agencies: the Force Account Unit (FAU) of the Public Infrastructure Ministry; National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) of the Agriculture Ministry

and the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

According to a release by the Public Infrastructure Ministry, the FAU in collaboration with the M&CC commenced cleaning the concrete lined canal along the Avenue of the Republic in the vicinity of the High Court. Meanwhile, desilting of the Cummings (Lamaha Street) Canal from Vlissengen Road is continuing westbound. However, Walter Willis, Technical Adviser of the Public Infrastructure Ministry, disclosed that workers were facing a dilemma since the Gandhi Youth and Muslim Youth Organisation’s fence is on top of the northern edge of the canal which means that the excavator has no room to manoeuvre.

“What that means is that they have occupied the reserves, so that section could not be completely desilted. A resolution will have to be sought to straighten out

ing contractors accompanied Willis to inspect the Kingston, Lamaha, Sussex Street and Meadow Bank South outfalls to determine the magnitude of equipment and manpower needed to execute the desilting exercise. The contractors will submit their priced proposals to the Public Infrastructure Ministry today.

Another contractor inspected the covered section of the inlet channel leading to the Lamaha Street sluice. This channel is a tunnel under the Transport and Harbours Department Workshop, Lamaha Street, which leads to the inlet at Urquhart Street (opposite the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board). A quotation for desilting and cleaning the tunnel will also be submitted to the Public Infrastructure Ministry today.

In addition, a collapsed culvert heading eastward along Sophia access road

the issue,” the Technical Adviser added.

Nonetheless, two excavators – a short-reach and a long-reach – are desilting the Cummings Canal going east from Middleton Street to the Sheriff Street Bridge. Willis added that works will continue on towards the Liliendaal Pump Station going through Sophia.

Meanwhile, two dredg-

was repaired by GAICO Construction Inc, a contractor hired by the Public Infrastructure Ministry. This project was completed today. All of the works are being funded from the $75 million approved by Cabinet, which was announced by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson on Wednesday, June 3.

Eyew tness

Marching...

...against cigarettes

After former Minister of Health Ramsammy waged an extended, but ultimately futile battle to have tobacco smoking banned from public smoking, seems that the war is about to be joined again.

We’d never gotten a full explanation as to why legislation was not tabled after Guyana signed on to the “WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC)” back in 2005. Among other measures stipulated - including warning labels and such like - was to “create smoke-free work and public spaces”.

In 2008, Minister Ramsammy initiated a flurry of activities designed to stimulate public discussion on the need to get going on the topic, but somehow it didn’t gain traction and faded from public view.

Like with most new areas the new proms will seek to sweep, we hope the new administration will not try to reinvent wheels. Guyana has neither the resources or the time for this.

Take cigarette smoking in general and smoking in public spaces in particular. Now we all know that smoking tobacco causes cancer: there’s no ifs, buts or maybes about this assertion. It’s not even like climate change where some scientists have their doubts. Strange but true. With tobacco cigarettes, “killer sticks” is about the kindest description of the product.

This Eyewitness continues to be amazed that politicians can talk about banning marijuana and making it illegal with jail terms for even small quantities (which is the default position in most jurisdictions including Guyana), and not even ban cigarette smoking in public spaces, much less banning it all together.

Cigarette smoking is hundreds of times more dangerous than marijuana. And secondary smoking - that is, inhaling smoke puffed out by jerks around us in restaurants or in stores - is proven to be even more dangerous than that inhaled not the lungs by the aforementioned jerks.

So what’s going here and what should we look out for if we’re to get anywhere with the proposal this time around.

Right off the bat is the power of the producers of cigarettes. These are all multinational behemoths with advertising/lobbying budgets hundreds of times the ENTIRE BUDGET OF GUYANA!!! So how do we counter this power?

Well by speaking truth to that power. And this is where the media come in - they have to educate the public on the dangers to public health posed by smoking cigarettes. The media owe nothing to these cigarette companies since they won’t advertise given the warnings they have to include prominently in ads.

Even more importantly, civil society groups, which have literally been coming out of the woodwork recently, should initiate and sustain a campaign to ensure that smoking in public spaces be banned.

...for the unity train?

Your Eyewitness is informed that there’ll be a “victory party” for the “unity train” that supposedly ensconced the present government into power. The parade, like the Inaugural Ball at the Pegasus (blacked out?) is privately organised and will take place in Brooklyn. Now for historical reasons, Guyanese in Brooklyn are practically all PNC supporters ...while traditional PPPC partisans settled over in Queens.

So when the APNU/AFC alliance held their fundraisers in New York, there was one in Brooklyn and one in Queens - with the AFC taking credit for pulling in some ex-PPPC Queens supporters.

When the NY parade was announced, your Eyewitness was eager to find out if there’d be one in each “constituency”. Unity, no?

But even though there hasn’t been any parades scheduled for Queens, he’s looking for the pics of the Brooklyn Parade to see all those AFC supporters who schlepped over from Queens for the “Unity Fest”.

Just like the inauguration at the stadium, no?

...for work

It’s rather surprising that Ruel Johnson has to publicly ask this new government for a job in the cultural arena. Culture is ineluctably agonistic and Johnson represents “one side” in an engagement that demands all be involved.

Venezuelan airline grounded over non-payment of bond

By Bhisham mohamed

Some 42 Venezuelans were stranded for more than two days at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) after the Government of Guyana suspended the operations of Conviasa Airlines due to the non-payment of a $20 million bond which should have been paid since 2013.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Sunday, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson explained that apart from the bond that is owed by the Venezuelan-owned airline, it had also owed the CJIA and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) a sum of money for landing and administrative fees. The money, he confirmed, was paid in full to the two organisations late Saturday evening. The Minister, however, made it clear that the decision of the Guyana Government was not linked to the recent decree issued by the Venezuelan President, claiming Guyana’s oil-rich territorial waters. He stat-

ed that the suspension of the airline’s operations and the decree made by the Venezuelan Government happened almost simultaneously, but iterated that there was no connection.

Patterson further explained that the deadline to lodge the bond was May 31 and since it was not done, a decision was taken to suspend the airline’s operations. The bond, he disclosed, is more or less a protection cost in case of an emergency or an issue that might arise. The bond also takes care of the fees to renew licences.

However, he noted that Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge had intimated to him that some arrangement would have been put in place to transport the stranded passengers to their native country. Attempts to contact the Minister proved futile. In addition, several phone calls to local representatives of the airline, Captain Gerry Gouveia went unanswered.

“Exhausted”

Meanwhile, when Guyana Times visited the CJIA on Sunday morning, the passengers were seen lying around while some were walking around the facility. Some of the older women

IAC urges ethnic balance in public sector job appointments

The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) is urging the Government to ensure there is ethnic balance in its appointment of persons to work in the Public Sector.

The IAC said that it was of the firm view that the manner in which it is being conducted is in stark contrast of the coalition’s promises of inclusivity. “Based on the appointments so far, it is clear that only persons from one particular ethnicity are being given the opportunity to serve. Whilst the IAC is cognisant of the Government’s right to appoint persons of its choice, the organisation believes that ethnic sensitivities cannot be ignored. This emerging worrisome trend demands more than ever that the elected Opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) takes up its seats in the National Assembly without “any delays even as it addresses its grievances regarding GECOM and the 2015 elections” .

The IAC said that the Government with its oneseat majority must not be allowed to rule for just one segment of society or one particular ethnic group. “This can only be ensured

if there is a vigilant parliamentary Opposition from the inception”.

The group said that when in the Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU + AFC) coalition, having being aware of Guyana’s multi-ethnic composition, focused its campaign on the need for unity and for all to be involved to materialise the envisaged change which was touted.

“Unfortunately, now that the coalition is the government, the IAC is so far unimpressed with attention being given to Guyanese of other ethnicities, particularly Indo-Guyanese. If, for some reason this may have been an oversight, the IAC urges the Government to demonstrate a profound sense of tolerance for all and to respectfully make amends given that it is still early days for the new Administration.”

Further, the IAC said it was very mindful of the many professional Guyanese who have been fired from their jobs and of the “vast number of those who will face a similar fate shortly”. “Here again, it seemingly demonstrates the Government’s reluctance to adhere to what it articulated in the campaign and even through its current

were sitting on wheelchairs. While the passengers could not speak English, they used their mobile phones to vent their grievances. As one man typed “We are here two days now… no food… no water… no place to rest… and no officials told us anything… There are two women and one child who is suffering from diabetes and it hard on them”.

Via the Google translator, the man further stated that they are out of money since they had to spend the little they had on bread. Holding up his debit card, he shook his head and typed “it no work here”. He pointed to the children and again shook his head and typed “they did not bathe since yesterday… they are exhausted and we can’t do anything”.

Another woman on her phone related that she was upset since no one spoke to them since they were at the airport. She also shared the sentiments of her fellow passenger who stated they had

no money, food or water. “We need to go home…we are tired,” she typed.

One man held up his ticket which confirmed his flight for June 6 as he pointed to his wristwatch. When Guyana Times visited the duty office of the CJIA, the staff on duty related that they have not got any word

about the arrival of the flight from Venezuela, but promised that as soon as they received confirmation, they would alert the passengers. The operations of Conviasa Airlines were launched in 2013 with flights on a weekly basis. The airline is being handled by Roraima Airways.

Flight arranged for stranded Conviasa passengers

Tpublic utterances.”

Recently, the IAC said in congratulating the Government following its ascension to office and having noted its willingness to work with the Administration of the day, commended the coalition for the position taken on national unity and the stringent need to strengthen social and racial harmony and the banishment of hatred.

“Therein lies the reason for the IAC’s disappointment which must be seen in the context of a noticeable departure from these principles for the appointments in question. The organisation, therefore, urges the Government to re-examine its current appointment policies which must be governed by the promises articulated during the campaign. The IAC wishes to reiterate that while it remains steadfastly committed to working with the Government of the day in helping to build a harmonious society, it will not surrender its right to advocate when it believes that injustice has been meted out to Guyanese. In addition, the IAC will continue to do its bit in helping to find solutions to mitigate the many social challenges our society face.”

here is some relief in sight for the more than 40 Venezuelan passengers who were stranded in Guyana following a decision by the Guyana Government, via the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), not to allow Venezuelan state-owned airline, Conviasa Airlines to land in the country over the non-payment of its bond.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, with responsibility for the

transportation sector, informed the Government Information Agency (GINA) on Sunday that permission has been given for a “oneoff flight” to take those who were stranded back to their native country. It was revealed previously that Conviasa owed landing and administration fees to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the GCAA. In addition, the airline has never lodged a bond for its operations in

Guyana. Minister Patterson stated that the airline has paid the monies owed to the CJIA and GCAA, but is still to lodge the bond with the Guyana Government. It is standard procedure that airlines operating out of Guyana would usually have to lodge a bond in case there is a need to cater for passengers affected by issues which may negatively affect their flights in and out of the country.

GECOM finally gazettes official elections results

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), after a protracted delay, has finally gazetted the official results of the May 11 General and Regional Elections.

According to Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, the elections body on Friday, June 6, 2015, gazetted the results and the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) official list of parliamentary representatives. Questioned on whether the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic’s list of parliamentary representatives was submitted to be gazetted, Lowenfield replied in the negative. He noted that the list was gazetted with whatever results the Commission had, added to the list submitted by the APNU+AFC.

The officially declared results of the 2015 General and Regional Elections, as well as related disclosures, were supposed to have been gazetted since Tuesday, May 26 according to a legal stipulation. However, this was not done because the political parties elected to be represented in the National Assembly — the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C — had not submitted their lists of designated MPs. APNU+AFC submitted its list last Monday, but the PPP/C has not yet done so.

The submission of these names is part of the disclosures that must be made in gazetting the election results, according to Section 99 of the Representation of the People Act. The law states that: “As soon as possible, but no later than 15 days after Election Day, the Commission shall publicly declare the results of the election, and shall cause to be published in the Gazette a notification thereof, specifying the number of votes cast for each list of candidates; the number of rejected ballot papers; the num-

ber of seats allocated to each list of candidates; and the names of the persons who, as a result of the election, have become members of the National Assembly.”

Relative to the delay on GECOM’s part, legal provisions also allow the Commission to extend the 15-day deadline, but that ended last Tuesday.

Section Five of the Representation of the People Act states that: “Where, under this Act, any act is required to be done not later than a specified number of days before election day, the Commission may, by direction under its hand, if it deems it requisite or desirable so to do, extend the time allowed by reducing the number of days so specified, and the following provisions shall have effect in relation to that power…(c) the Commission shall, as soon as practicable after any exercise of the power, publish in the Gazette a notification thereof, which shall include a brief statement of the reason for, and the effect of, that exercise.”

The current APNU+AFC Administration scored a close victory in the General and Regional Elections with 207,200 votes, while the PPP/C secured 202,694 votes. Given the results of the elections, APNU+AFC secured a representation of 33 MPs in the 65-seat National Assembly, while the PPP/C secured 32 seats.

The PPP/C has, however, refused to accept the results of the elections, deeming it a ‘”rigged” process and as such, has said that it was still facilitating discussions on whether it will take up its allotted seats in the National Assembly and if it does, who would be its representatives. President David Granger, in the meantime, has issued the proclamation for the 11th Parliament to be reconvened on Wednesday, June 10, at 14:00h.

Young NA Hospital doctors sleeping on the floor – Norton told

Junior doctors attached to the New Amsterdam Hospital have been forced to operate in inhumane conditions including sleeping on the floor and using washroom facilities set aside for patients.

The plight of the doctors was brought to the attention of recently-appointed Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton. The doctors are contending that the death of one of their colleagues’ baby is as a result of her having to sleep on the floor while pregnant and perform three 24-hour shifts per week in addition to performing an 8-hour shift on the other working days of the week. They say the doctor, Dr Hagar Mohamed, lost her baby due to two factors: the inhumane conditions they have to endure while on duty and the lack of support provided to the female doctor. The child was born premature at the New Amsterdam Hospital and had to be rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, because the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in New Amsterdam is currently not functioning. Newborn babies who need intensive medical attention are often admitted into a special area of the hospital called the NICU. An ambulance had to be summoned from the Fort Wellington Hospital to transport the infant.

Sadly, it did not have sufficient oxygen. Doctors on duty were initially not allowed to remove a bottle of oxygen from the hospital to put in the ambulance. Reports are that some of the doctors on duty insisted that the oxygen be placed in the ambulance. When the driver of the ambulance would have returned, he was required to write a statement to the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) saying the oxygen was placed into the ambulance which he was driving. The BRHA was on Friday suspended and its head sent on leave.

Currently, two other doctors attached to the New Amsterdam Hospital are pregnant. On Thursday, one was granted leave after tests revealed that her baby’s heart beat was very slow.

Unfair

The doctors are of the view that they are being treated unfairly and as patients do not have equal rights as other patients.

“It is not safe for us, we could get infected and you could have contamination of patients,” one doctor related in speaking about having to use patients’ washroom facilities, while another said that whenever she had to work ‘on call’, which is a 24-hour shift, there is nowhere to take a shower in the hospital apart from the facilities for patients.

The Public Health Minister said it was an unacceptable situation. “Doctors and nurses should not have to use the patients’ washroom…”

The doctors told the Minister that there was also

need for washroom facilities for doctors and nurses working at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit. About 40 junior doctors are attached to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

The junior doctors further said they are forced to be ‘on call’ three times per week. However, the Public Health Minister said this would only be necessary if there was a shortage of doctors at the hospital. Doctors attached to the New Amsterdam Hospital are called upon to work an eighthour shift at health centres throughout the region and still function at the hospital. They, however, argue that this was pointless since persons do not go to the health centre when

they have an acute illness. “We don’t see a need for an 8-4 shift at the health centre every day. The health centres were run without doctors in the past.”

Dr Norton, however, noted that having doctors at the health centres is an improvement. The junior doctors argued that there were not enough doctors for that and it placed undue hardship on them to have to work a 24-hour shift three times per week and still work other days per week.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Leslie Cadogan said that he had given certain instructions which were not carried out. The Minister has ordered a full investigation. Meanwhile none of the junior

doctors attached to the New Amsterdam Hospital have been allowed to do post-grad courses, while doctors in other regions are undertaking theirs.

The Minister in trying to offer some form of consolation said that his predecessor might not have been aware of the facts, but was informed otherwise. “Governance is a dynamic thing, changes have been made and if we continue to make the same mistakes and do the same thing, it will be foolish. If we don’t do something to improve your working conditions, we know that we will lose you. I want to commend you for sticking it out through all that hardship,” Dr Norton said.

Times Notebook

APNU+AFC focused on humiliating opponents more than development

Guyana’s 2015 elections have led to a change in government. Some have argued that it might be a good thing for a change at this time. The ABC countries seem to embrace this notion.

Guyana has developed tremendously in the last two decades. The GDP is ten times larger than it was in 1992; it is more than US$3.1B today, compared to less than US$300M in 1992.

Total external debt at the end of 2014 amounted to US$1.2B compared to US$2.1B in 1992; the present external debt to GDP is 39.5 per cent, far below the 750 per cent it was in 1992.

The new administration must at the minimum commit to keep Guyana on this trajectory.

The new government has decided that making what we have better is not their approach. They have decided on reform and investigations. They definitely seem to embrace a totally different approach, just to show that they are different from the PPP/C.

There is nothing wrong in wanting to distinguish itself from the PPP/C, but the new APNU+AFC administration must understand that doing things differently must keep Guyana on an upward trajectory of devel-

opment, not on revenge and humiliation.

The PPP/C Government has ensured that should economic growth continue throughout 2015, it would be the 10th successive year in which Guyana experienced economic growth, at an average of about 4.5 per cent.

This is the longest continuous period of economic growth ever in our history. It is the longest period of economic growth in any Caricom country.

After several weeks, the most prominent accomplishment has been an inauguration that raised many questions.

Firstly, what made this inauguration so special that we had to spend $198M?

The second question regarding the presidential inauguration is was it organized for only one section of the population? The attendees at the inauguration were more than 99 percent AfroGuyanese.

The third question about the inauguration is why only Christian prayers were used? An inauguration for the presidency must be for all of Guyana, a country that recognizes a multi-religious, multi-faith nation. What happened to Muslim and Hindu prayers?

Fourthly, does the ad-

ministration think it is justified in a cultural programme that neglected to recognize Guyana as multicultural?

Even though it is early yet, we already have the signals of a very authoritarian administration. Police officers have been terminated without the involvement of the Police Service Commission.

The Public Service Commission, an independent authority created by the Constitution, just like the Police Service Commission, has been ordered to suspend its work. It has been told in writing that it must cease all operations to fill public service vacancies, an important part of its functions.

According to the Minister with responsibility for labour, she was mandated to instruct the Public Service Commission to suspend its activities by the President himself.

A number of persons whose appointment and or termination are supposed to be through boards have had their appointments terminated through ministers.

The CEO and the board of GuySuCo were terminated by ministerial directive upon Cabinet instructions.

In many cases persons are terminated, not only without notice and without adherence to statutory

Preparations ongoing for Toshao and Village Council elections

More than 100 Amerindian communities will be holding meetings for Toshaos and Village Councillors shortly. Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, has indicated that the Ministry was in preparation mode, and that the elections were expected to be conducted by July 22.

During a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), the Minister explained that the village leaders’ elections were delayed to accommodate the Regional and National Elections on May 11. He said that the Ministry was currently in collaboration with the Ministry of Communities to distribute letters to the various communities advising of the meetings.

To be elected as a Toshao, a person must be eligible

to stand as a Councillor and should not have held the position for the two terms immediately preceding his or her nomination. Immediately after the hold-

ing of the village elections, the Minister said the next focus will be the National Toshaos Council, so that the Ministry could get on with its work, because “without a council or without the Toshaos, there is very little that we can do for the communities”.

He said that the Administration’s intention is to depoliticise the Toshaos’ Council, allowing Amerindian leaders to discuss the way forward without any sort of alliance. “We would like to have Toshaos using their imagination, their own strength, because they are the ones who have to manage their communities, and if they are linked heavily to political parties, then they would be probably intimidated and they wouldn’t be able to do their work as they should be for the communities,” Minister Allicock explained.

requirements, but are sent home without their benefits.

The new government is flexing its muscles. It’s demonstrating that it has no patience for working in partnership with any authority.

Authorities like the Police Service Commission, the Public Service Commission and Boards were established to ensure distributive power and transparency and to promote accountability.

Already, they are being pushed aside as the government even at this early stage seemed determined to establish an environment which reflects its propensity for strong-armed authoritarian rule.

There is real fear stalking the land. Crime has increased and the new Minister of Public Security is busy firing Police officers and deciding who he wants to go where.

Some of the crimes are being committed by people

who openly declare that it is “awe time now”. The new administration which in opposition had all the answers has totally ignored the increase in piracy affecting fishermen.

It is time that this new government gets on with the business at hand – protect our people from the criminals. Instead they seem to want to address reforms; just for the sake of showing they are doing something different.

The economy has grounded to a halt. Look around the business places – in Georgetown and in other places and see how slow business has become. The question is why. The answer lies in uncertainty.

People are scared since they see their family being fired or sidelined. People see a government which appears more focused on seeing who it would take revenge on and who it will humiliate, rath-

er than getting on with the business of keeping Guyana moving forward.

The 2015 General Elections are in the books. The courts will have to determine whether the elections were fair or not. But the business of the country must not become yet again a victim of a government that is so consumed with humiliating its opponents that it has forgotten its mandate is to lead Guyana forward in development.

It has been a bad start, but it is still early and the new administration still can ensure that it embraces the vast opportunities before it to make Guyana an upper middle income country, with standards of living that is far better than any of us could imagine.

Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times. notebook@gmail.com.

monday, june 8, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Granger declares war on crime, poverty

...receives award from ACIC

Moments after receiving an award from the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC) Saturday evening, Head of State, President David Granger challenged the religious body to work with him in ridding the country of crime, poverty, ignorance and disease.

He described them as “the four horsemen of the apocalypse” in society that needed to be overcome. The President made the comments during an awards ceremony at the Complex. In addition to

award of the Golden Arrow of Achievement which was announced on May 26. Being an honorary member of the ACIC, the Head of State said he was privileged to be back at the Complex addressing his fellow brothers and sisters, not just as a brother but as their President.

The gathering was also assured that while they have seen the Head of State attending the ACIC in a different capacity in the past, going forward there will be many other visits. President Granger thanked the members of the Complex for the

Independence.

“Set yourselves a task over the next 11 months to have something you can measure in terms of overcoming ignorance, crime, disease, set yourself objectives...” the Head of State urged.

Citing the ACIC as an institution that has been working towards ridding society of these social ills, the President urged the Complex to continue in the same vein. Speaking specifically to the Complex being bestowed with the National Award, President Granger

Granger, the Complex also honoured Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and other members of the Cabinet on their ascension to office.

The event also served as a thanksgiving for the entity’s

support they have shown the Coalition. The Head of State charged the ACIC to set a task which it should strive to accomplish over the next 11 months as Guyana moves into its 50th year of

José Graziano da Silva re-elected FAO Director-General

Incumbent Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director General José Graziano da Silva was Saturday re-elected to a second term with the highest number of votes ever in the history of the Organisation.

In the ballot by FAO member countries, Graziano da Silva received a total of 177 out of 182 votes cast. Addressing the plenary after his re-election, Graziano da Silva reaffirmed FAO´s commitment to ending hunger and malnutrition.

Nominated by Brazil, Graziano da Silva was the only candidate during this year's election cycle. His new term will run from July 31, 2015 to July 2019. The election took place on the first day of FAO's biennial governing Conference (June 6-13).

Since taking up the post of FAO Director General in 2012, Graziano da Silva has spearheaded major transformational changes within the Organisation, making FAO more responsive to its members' needs. He sharpened the focus of FAO's work on five strategic objectives, with the new goal of totally eradicating hunger and malnutrition. He also reinforced institutional ca-

pacities both in the agency's headquarters and in the field; found significant cost-savings by streamlining administrative procedures; increased collaboration with external partners; and enhanced support for South-South Cooperation.

Graziano da Silva joined FAO in 2006 as the head of its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and was first elected Director General on June 26, 2011. Prior to that he led the team that designed Brazil's highly-successful "Zero Hunger" ("Fome Zero") programme and led its initial implementation. José Graziano da Silva is the eighth FAO Director General since the Organisation's founding in 1945.

mention was made of the ACIC’s President, Hakeem Khan for his sterling contributions to the Complex, and most importantly, the contributions of the body to the communities it serves.

Deserving

said the honour was rightly earned and well-deserved.

“The award of the Golden Arrow of Achievement did not fall from the sky, it was hammered out by the work you have done…” Special

Prime Minister Nagamootoo who also delivered brief remarks at the thanksgiving ceremony expressed similar sentiments. “I want to say that this Complex deserves much more than the award that was given to all its members for the work it has done among the Muslim and Guyanese community for many years.”

As politicians, the Prime Minister said, it is now upon them to live out the creed of

peace and tolerance that is exhibited by Muslims. The Prime Minister hailed the Complex’s members for their spiritual support shown to the Coalition, and most importantly for their commitment to moral revival in Guyana. “We are not today fighting for space as two political parties, we may be many political parties, but today we are one Government, and we are working for one Guyana, so congratulations for the Complex having worked for this award for supporting change and moral rejuvenation in Guyana.”

The Prime Minister also committed to making himself more available to the Complex and the communities its members serve. The ACIC was

awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement Award for its outstanding service to the community in the West Demerara area. This is the first time in the history of Guyana that a Muslim group would have received such a prestigious award. Throughout the evening’s proceedings congratulatory messages from locals and those further afield, were coming in, as the event was being broadcast live in Trinidad.

An award by the body was also presented to Executive Member of the ACIC, Fazil Azeez for his outstanding contribution to the Complex. Azeez is recovering from an injury, and his son Gibran made a heartfelt speech and accepted the award.

72 countries achieve MDG target to halve proportion of hungry people

An international awards ceremony on Saturday recognised the great effort made by countries around the world which has led to the near achievement of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target to halve the proportion of hungry people by a 2015 deadline, bringing it below the five per cent threshold.

A majority – 72 out of 129 – of the countries monitored by FAO have achieved the MDG target, with developing regions as a whole missing it by a small margin. Out of the 72 countries, 29 have also met the more stringent goal to halve the number of hungry people as laid out by Governments when they met in Rome at the World Food Summit (WFS) in 1996.

And another 12 of the total 72 countries have maintained their hunger rates below five per cent dating back to at least 1990. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director General José Graziano da Silva paid tribute to these achievements at the ceremony which was held at the Organisation's headquarters. "Since 1990, 216 million people have been freed from hunger," he said.

He noted, however, that almost 800 million people still suffer from chronic undernourishment. FAO defines this as a state of dietary energy deprivation lasting over one year. Graziano da Silva urged for a redoubling of global efforts to combat chronic undernourishment. "One out of nine people on the planet still do not

have enough food to conduct active, healthy and productive lives. It is not acceptable," he said.

The year 2015 marks the completion of the monitoring period for the MDGs, which will be replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals currently being negotiated by the international community.

Global commitment

The Sustainable Development Goals will forge a global commitment that goes beyond the reduction of hunger, seeking instead to totally eradicate it, the FAO Director General said. "If we all do our part, zero hunger can be achieved within our lifetimes. Together we can make this vision a reality," he said.

At the ceremony, Bolivia (Plurinational State of); Costa Rica; Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic); Mozambique; Nepal; Solomon Islands; Suriname; and Uzbekistan received an award for having reached the MDG target. They joined other countries who were awarded for reaching the target in previous years.

Angola, China, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Mali and Myanmar were awarded for having also achieved the more ambitious WFS. The Prime Minister of Gabon, Daniel Ona Ondo, and the Vice Premier of China, Wang Yang, received diplomas on behalf of their countries at the ceremony.

Other dignitaries in atten-

dance included: President of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta; Prime Minister of Djiboutim, Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed; Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe; Prime Minister of Fiji, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama; Prime Minister of Niger, Brigi Rafini; Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Everard Gonsalves; and Prime Minister of Tunisia, Habib Essid.

The UN State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015 (SOFI 2015) report released last month noted that countries that have made progress in fighting hunger have enjoyed stable political conditions, promoted inclusive economic growth and the development of agriculture, fisheries and forestry. Many also had policies in place aimed at promoting and protecting access to food. The report noted how enhancing the productivity of small-scale family farmers – including women and young people – and strengthening social protection mechanisms are key factors for promoting inclusive growth, along with well-functioning markets. In contrast, conflict, political instability or natural disasters – including those stemming from climate change – often result in protracted crises that add to vulnerability and food insecurity, the report said. Strong political commitment, respect for basic human rights and the integration of humanitarian and development assistance are necessary to address such crises, it stressed.

Floods threaten cash crops in Black Bush Polder

Close to 100 acres of cash crops are under threat in the Black Bush Polder, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) following more than 70 inches of rainfall within the past week.

This translates to several million dollars in damage. After watching more than 35 inches of rainfall slowly recede from the land over the past week, cash crop farmers in the four polders were greeted with a downpour on Friday and a further downpour on Saturday totalling in excess of 42 inches of rainfall. Now the farmers, most of whom are located in the Mibicuri Polder, are trying to save about 80 acres of cultivation having already lost some 20 acres over the past week.

About 50 farmers are being affected in Mibicuri. Last Sunday, continuous rainfall left scores of acres of land cultivated by farmers in the Black Bush Polder inundated. With much done to get the water off the cultivated land, the farmers could do nothing on Friday and Saturday as the rains which were

promised since Monday, reappeared.

Leafy vegetables had been harvested prematurely and flooded the markets over the past week, earning very little income, but the other crops like tomatoes, cucumber, squash,

“The plant root dem sock in the water. It looking green now, but as soon as the water go down the leaf gon start get yellow.”

Many of the farmers were looking forward to reaping within a few weeks and garnering revenue to

egg plant, bora, corilla, okra and pumpkins are left submerged.

According to one farmer, even though much of the water may have appeared to have drained off the land over the past three days, the roots of the plants were waterlogged.

service bank loans which they took to invest in their agriculture business. “Is 1500 roots of tomatoes, 500 roots of cucumbers, 1000 roots of watermelons and other crops I got,” one farmer said.

His losses that farmer noted are in the millions

of dollars. He noted that while he is losing, he has a short time to repay a hefty bank loan. One farmer who focuses on the production of okra for both the local and export market says, “I put down 1000 more plants and I lost all of them.”

Apart from the cultivation area, the residential area is also flooded with several inches of water in some yards. Last Sunday’s rain left sections of the residential area inundated.

The Mibicuri Primary School remained closed until Thursday as floodwaters covered the main access road to the school.

Chairman of the Black Bush Polder Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Thakoor Persaud explained that the water was removed from the school street. “We pump out the water from the Mibicuri Hospital and now you could get to walk and go in. We had to pump the water from the school street…”

He told this publication that livestock has also been lost at Mibicuri. He, however, noted that over the past week, Agricultural Extension Officers and Veterinarians have visited the Polder on a daily basis. He said mostly sheep are being affected by the floodwaters while cattle and goats are also in danger. He could not say how many have died or how many are in danger.

The NDC Chairman said that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) is currently excavating the outfall channel which drains water from the polder of Yakasari. “They also digging the outfall channel at Eversham which drains the water from Mibicuri. Right now we are using pumps at Number 47 Village to drain the

water from Johanna and Yakasari.”

Efforts are also being made to clear the outfall channel at Number 43 Village to assist with drainage of Lesbeholden. Pumps are also being used there when the tide rises and the sluices have to be closed.

According to getamap. net, the Black Bush Polder

night and Saturday morning left sections of New Amsterdam under several inches of water.

One of the severely hit areas was downtown New Amsterdam where store owners had to install makeshift bridges leading into their stores in Pitt Street and parts of Main Street. Heavy rains are also forecasted for the town of New

is likely to experience more rainfall today and for the next three days. The forecast says that there is a possibility of prolonged heavy downpours on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, heavy continuous rainfall on Friday

Amsterdam over the next three days.

Saturday’s rain also left sections of the Corentyne inundated while farmers on the East Bank of Berbice were also counting their losses due to floodwaters.

Test for Pena Nieto as Mexicans vote in shadow of gang murders

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's party is expected to keep its slim working majority in the Lower House of Congress in legislative elections on Sunday despite discontent about corruption, gang violence and lacklustre economic growth.

Mexicans also began casting their ballots for nine state governorships and more than 1000 state and municipal posts, with voting due to run until 23:00 GMT and preliminary results expected around 03:00 GMT on today.

At least seven candidates and nine campaign officials were murdered in campaigning soured by drug cartel intimidation and dissident teachers protesting against education reforms.

Fresh violence flared over the weekend, with 13 people killed on Saturday when gangs clashed near the resort city of Acapulco, but the incident appeared to be unrelated to the election.

Early on Sunday, dozens of ballot boxes were burned by activists in Guerrero and Oaxaca states, two of Mexico's most restive. But all but a handful of polling stations across the country were operating normally, officials said.

After pushing through economic reforms early in his presidency, Pena Nieto has been hit by allegations of corruption and a failure to bring drug violence under control.

First, he was buffeted by criticism over the apparent massacre of 43 students last September by a drug gang working with local Police. Then he had to contend with accusations of corruption following revelations that he, his wife and his Finance Minister had bought houses from Government contractors.

There were 1374 murders across Mexico in April, the highest monthly total in nearly a year, police data shows. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Investigation shows Jack Warner used FIFA money for personal loans, debt payment

Former FIFA Vice

President Jack Warner used US$10 million from football’s governing body to pay credit card debt, give himself personal loans, and also laundered some of the money, according to a BBC investigation.

BBC reported Sunday that it had seen documents detailing three wire transfers on January 4, February 1 and March 10, 2008 from FIFA accounts to the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) accounts.

Trinidadian Warner was

the President of CONCACAF at that time and controlled its accounts.

The money had been sent by FIFA on behalf of South Africa and was intended to be used for that country’s Caribbean Diaspora legacy programme which was aimed at developing football in the Region.

However, the report indicated, of that money, almost US$1.6 million was used to pay Warner’s credit cards and personal loans.

It said the 72-year-old football executive made several personal loans to himself – the largest being US$410,000 – and paid credit card debt. The largest

payment made for the latter purpose was US$87,000.

Some of the money was also moved around, the BBC report stated.

Warner is among 14 people – nine of them current or former FIFA top officials and five sports marketing and broadcasting executives – accused of racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering, bribery. United States prosecutors allege they offered and accepted more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks over a 24year period.

He has denied all allegations and plans to fight his extradition to the US to fight the charges. (Excerpt from caribbean360)

Axed Clico Chairman calls out CB Governor

Axed Clico Chairman Gerald Yetming is calling out Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran as he raises questions over his sudden dismissal from Clico following multimillion-dollar payouts made to former Clico Directors.

On Saturday Yetming, in a statement to the Sunday Guardian, said, “The Governor's action needs explanations, since the implications of his actions can be far reaching.”

This follows an announcement by the Central Bank in a brief statement, on Friday night, that it had terminated Yetming’s ap-

pointment as Chairman and Carolyn John’s appointment as Managing Director of Clico pursuant to its powers under Section 44(D) of the Central Bank Act. Wendy Ho Sing has been appointed Executive Chairman of Clico with immediate effect.

According to the release, the Central Bank said it took this action after “Clico failed to follow direct instructions issued by the Bank on March 26, setting out the protocols for all disbursements to policyholders and creditors under the Clico Resolution Plan.

“These instructions included obtaining approval from the Bank for all pay-

ments prior to disbursement,” the release stated.

Questions have also been raised as to what prompted the about turn made by the Central Bank after it issued a statement on Wednesday in which it said that the Directors were being paid as creditors, and not Directors who may have assisted in the collapse of the company.

However, Yetming, who is currently abroad, speaking to the Sunday Guardian, dismissed allegations levelled against him, declaring that no protocols or instructions from the Central Bank were breached. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Ex-Spanish PM enters Venezuela dispute

Former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez has arrived in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to help with the defence of jailed opposition politicians.

Gonzalez will meet lawyers and families of the prisoners.

He postponed a trip in May when the trial of one of the Opposition Leaders, Leopoldo Lopez, was cancelled.

The Venezuelan Congress has classified him as a "persona non grata".

Two other former leaders, ex-Presidents Andres Pastrana of Colombia and Jorge Quiroga of Bolivia, have also offered their help to members of Venezuela's Opposition.

In a visit to the country last week, they were forbidden from visiting Lopez,

Daniel Ceballos and Antonio Ledezma, opponents of the Government of President Nicolas Maduro who are all in jail.

President Maduro has described the interest of the foreign leaders in Venezuelan affairs as part of a hostile campaign against his government and the country. Lopez is on hunger strike in a military prison outside Caracas while he awaits his trial. He is accused of being responsible for the violence during a series of anti-government protests last year in which 43 people died, some of them Police Officers. (BBC News)

Mysterious Caribbean shipwreck identified

Underwater archaeologists have solved the mystery of a shipwreck filled with blades, scissors and mule shoes more than three years after finding it in the waters off the Caribbean coast of Panama.

The vessel has been identified as the Nuestra Señora de Encarnación , a colonial Spanish ship known as a nao, or merchant ship, that sank in 1681 during a storm at

the mouth of Panama’s Chagres River.

“This truly is an exciting and intriguing shipwreck,” said project director Frederick “Fritz” Hanselmann, who is also underwater archaeologist at the Meadows Centre for Water and the Environment at Texas State University.

Very few Spanish merchant naos have ever been found, and even fewer have been unearthed in the

Encarnacións ’s amazing condition, Discovery News said.

Resting at a depth of just 40 feet, the 334-yearold wreck is buried in up to three feet of muddy sand and silt that preserved the entire lower portion of the ship’s hull, the report says. Originally constructed in Veracruz, Mexico, Encarnación sailed as part of the Tierra Firme fleet, en route to Portobelo, Panama from Cartagena, Colombia. Hanselmann and colleagues stumbled upon the vessel in 2011, during their ongoing search for five ships the 17th century pirate Captain Henry Morgan lost en route to sacking Panama City in 1671. A year before, the team recovered guns that were lost overboard when Morgan’s ships ran aground.

The manifest of the ship matches the archaeological record. Apart from perishable organic material, the items are still in place. (Excerpt from CMC)

Barbadian Finance Minister cautions credit unions

“B e careful what you wish for”!

Barbadian Finance Minister Chris Sinckler issued this warning to credit unions Saturday evening in the face of a call to reduce the disadvantage they have against commercial banks in the business environment.

“I caution you to be

careful what you wish for, because with great freedom comes great responsibility and when you portend to adopt a different stance on equality with commercial banks and to do some of what, or most of what, commercial banks do and have access [to] and are able to do, you too will have to live with the standards of commercial banks,” he said.

Sinckler cautioned the credit unions to “hasten slowly” in this particular case. He made the comments at the opening of the City of Bridgetown Cooperative Credit Union Ltd’s Black Rock, St Michael, branch, responding to comments made minutes earlier by CEO of the credit union Steve Belle. (TY) (Barbados Nation)

Around the World

Turkey ruling AKP “loses majority”

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK party) is leading Turkey’s parliamentary polls, but may not form a single-party Government, according to the preliminary results from Turkey’s semi-official news agency.

The AK Party got 41.2 per cent of Sunday’s votes, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) scored 25.3 per cent, with 97 per cent of the votes counted, preliminary data from the Anatolia news agency shows.

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) secured 16.6 per cent of the votes, while pro-Kurdish left-wing Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) won 12.4 per cent.

The HDP, which was contesting the elections on a liberal platform, has been seeking to cross the country’s 10 per cent electoral threshold for the first time to make its way to the Parliament. Its conclusive success will affect the distribution of seats and, consequently, the power of the ruling party.

Anatolia’s data suggests that AK party is set to secure 260 MPs, below

the 276 seats necessary to form a single-party Government in the 550-seat Parliament. The CHP, MHP and HDP are projected to secure 131, 82 and 78 seats respectively.

Garo Paylan, a HDP candidate from Istanbul likely to make his way to the Parliament, told Al Jazeera that

Turkish voters punished the AK party’s divisive rhetoric.

“The results show that the citizens of Turkey have expressed their support to the HDP’s language that has been calling for all the citizens of Turkey live together in harmony,” Paylan said.

G7 leaders urge tough line on Russia at start of summit

Leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations backed a tough line toward Moscow at the start of a summit in the Bavarian Alps, with US President Barack Obama urging the gathering to stand up to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Host Angela Merkel greeted Obama in the idyl-

lic Alpine village of Kruen under blue skies, surrounded by locals in traditional dress, drinking beer and eating white sausage and pretzels.

The German chancellor was hoping to secure commitments from her G7 guests to tackle global warming ahead of a major United Nations climate summit

in Paris in December. The German agenda also foresees discussions on global health issues, from Ebola to antibiotics and tropical diseases.

But the crises in Ukraine and Greece seemed likely to overshadow the discussions at Schloss Elmau, a luxury Alpine hotel near the Austrian border.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, speaking before the start of the summit, voiced exasperation with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who has dismissed the latest aid-for-reform proposal from international creditors as “absurd”.

Athens is running out of cash and will default on its debt, a move that could end up pushing it out of the eurozone, if it fails to reach a deal with its European partners and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the coming weeks.

Juncker reaffirmed that a so-called “Grexit” was not an option being considered, but said this did not mean he could “pull a rabbit out of a hat” to prevent it.

Obama said leaders would discuss the global economy, trade partnerships and “standing up to Russian aggression in Ukraine”, as well as threats from violent extremism and climate change. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Saudi-led air strikes kill 44 in attack on Yemeni army compound – agency

Saudi-led air strikes killed at least 44 people during an air raid on the main headquarters of the Yemeni army in central Sanaa on Sunday, the Houthi-run state news agency Saba said.

The agency said that more than 100 people, including civilians, were also wounded in the attack which also destroyed private houses in Tahrir district in central Sanaa.

Residents had earlier said that four explo-

sions shook the compound, where soldiers allied with the Iranian-backed Houthi group that dominates Yemen had gathered since Saturday evening to get their pay cheques.

“More than 44 citizens were martyred and 100 others, including women and children, according to preliminary figures,” the agency said.

The agency quoted a source at the Health Ministry as saying that rescue teams were work-

ing to find people believed to be still under the rubble of houses destroyed by the raids.

The escalation of the violence came despite progress toward convening United Nations-backed peace talks this month in Geneva. The exiled Yemeni Government in Riyadh and the Houthis have agreed to attend the talks which start on June 14.

UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed was in Oman for

Saudi court upholds blogger’s 10 years and 1000 lashes

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has upheld the sentence of 1000 lashes and 10 years of imprisonment on blogger Raif Badawi, despite a foreign outcry.

Speaking from Canada, his wife Ensaf Haidar told news agency AFP, “this is a final decision that is irrevocable”.

In March, the kingdom expressed “surprise and dismay” at international criticism over the punishment.

At the time, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it rejected interference in its internal affairs.

In 2012, Badawi was arrested and charged with “insulting Islam through electronic channels”.

For four years, he had been running the Liberal Saudi Network, which encouraged online debate on religious and political issues.

Saudi authorities sent

his case for review as global pressure to free Badawi mounted.

Badawi received his first 50 lashes in January, but subsequent floggings have been postponed.

A shaky video taken on a mobile phone showed Badawi being lashed by a member of the security forces.

The footage prompted international protests which were repeated every Friday, the scheduled day for the beatings.

It is not clear why Badawi has not yet endured a second round though a medical report found he was not fit for the punishment.

Saudi Arabia enforces a strict version of Islamic law and does not tolerate political dissent. It has some of the highest social media usage rates in the region, and has cracked down on domestic online criticism.

US manhunt for jailbreak killers

Two convicted murderers are on the run after using power tools to escape from a maximum security jail in New York.

Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34, have been described as “dangerous individuals”, by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

They cut through steel pipes at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora and fled through a manhole.

talks with the Omani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs aimed at preparing for the Geneva meeting, Omani state news agency ONA reported on Saturday. Oman had been mediating efforts to convene the Geneva talks.

Saudi-led forces have been pounding the Houthi group since March 26 in a campaign aimed at restoring President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Cumo said the prison breakout was the first escape from the facility in 150 years.

“It was an elaborate plot,’’ he added.

The two escapees left a taunting post-it note for their jailers saying: “Have A Nice Day!”

The New York Post reported that they cut through the steel back walls of their cell before clambering along a 6ft catwalk to reach a series of pipes and tunnels, which they again cut their way through. The pair then

climbed up through a manhole into a nearby street, “disappearing into the darkness some 20 miles south of Canada”.

They placed bundles of clothing in their beds to fool guards into believing they were asleep after making their escape on Friday night. Their absence from adjoining cells was not discovered until the following morning.

Sweat was serving a life sentence without parole for the first degree murder of Broome County sheriff’s deputy.

Matt was given a jail term of 25 years to life for the kidnapping and beating a man to death in 1997.

Police are trying to determine how the men acquired the tools.

“How they got them, and how they found their way through the maze of tunnels and pipes, remains a mystery,” The New York Post quoted officials as saying.

monday, june 8, 2015|

Man executed in North Sophia

Aman was shot dead in North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, on Sunday by a gunman who fired several shots at a group of men.

Police said in a release that about 21:40h on Sunday, a group of men were under a shed at North Sophia when a car drove up and a man armed with a firearm exited and discharged rounds in their direction.

More rain, flooding expected

The Hydrometeorological Service has forecast that more rain and flooding in some areas are expected throughout the week. Below is the Service’s forecast for the week: Today: Partly cloudy and sunny skies can be expected throughout Guyana during the morning. Conditions are likely to deteriorate during the afternoon with cloudy skies and occasional light to moderate showers. Rainfall is expected to range between 5.0mm and 20.0 mm with the maximum over Regions 5 and 6.

Tuesday: Cloudy to overcast skies with frequent moderate to heavy showers, light continuous rain and isolated thundershowers can be expected throughout Guyana. Rainfall is expected to range between 20.0mm and 40.0 mm with the maximum over Regions 4 to 6 and 9.

The perpetrator escaped in the waiting motor vehicle. Investigations are in progress.

Colin Kendall called “Bow” of North Sophia was hit about his body and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Another man so far identified as “Keith” was hit to his left side and has been admitted to hospital.

GPSU turns 92 today

The Guyana Public Service Union on Sunday celebrated its 92nd Anniversary with a church service held at the St Andrew Kirk Church on Brickdam and later a brunch at its Shiv Chanderpaul Drive headquarters.

The events were attended by President David Granger, Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Attorney General Basil Williams. On June 8, 1923, the GPSU was formally established as a trade union. From the Union’s inception, its founding fathers embarked on the mission of securing the establishment of a professional and career-oriented public service.

In a message to mark the occasion, GPSU President Patrick Yarde said his Union was motivated to mould a workforce insulated from any discrimination and prejudice; that enjoys security of tenure, that is efficient and that would faithfully and effectively serve the Government of Guyana to the best of its abilities in a lawful manner consistent with their policies to achieve their set goals and objectives. He said it was the desired expectation that career development was guaranteed premised on good performance and that natural justice and due process would be adhered to should this be necessary. “Over time, the leadership of our

Union worked assiduously to achieve the goals mandated by its existing constitutional forums and most were achieved by agreements entered into...”

Among the agreements he cited are: Avoidance and Settlement of Dispute Agreement; Check Off of Union Dues and Agency Fees; DutyFree Concessions for Motor Vehicles; Tax Free Vacation Allowance etc; Projects eg Housing Scheme for Public Servants and unification of the Public Service Eliminating Open Vote Positions.

Achievements, challenges

Yarde said the achievements though significantly noticeable were not without challenge but indeed contributed substantially to the desired goals. “A major and persistent shortcoming was the issue of a living wage and meaningful negotiations generally to correct this situation. Then in 1992 there was a change in political party in government. Notwithstanding, the GPSU directive to its membership to respect the democratic process and to serve faithfully the Government of the day, the[People’s Progressive Party/Civic]

PPP/C Government pursued an unwarranted onslaught on public servants and executed a barrage of anti-trade union attacks acting in conflict with legally binding agreements

between the Union and Government,” Yarde contended.

He said the most noticeable was the 1999 memorandum agreement between Government and the Union for arbitration after which most of the resulting awards were ignored followed by subsequent impositions of wages, salaries, allowances and conditions of service which were deplorable and this continued for 14 consecutive years.

“In addition, the widespread irregular recruitment of contract employees to permanent, pensionable public service positions and the termination of workers trade union rights among many other undesirable actions. This environment of executive lawlessness, mistrust and lack of confidence overwhelmingly prevailed for more than two decades,” the Union said.

Yarde noted that the General Election of May 11, 2015 resulted in a change of Governments. He said the GPSU is committed to embracing and working with this newly-elected Government of Guyana towards shared goals and ideals, restoring good governance and trade union rights which it was confident will result in an environment which is most receptive of national unity, harmonious relationships and the utilisation of the energies of the people positively for the development of Guyana.

Wednesday through Saturday: Cloudy skies with scattered light to moderate showers can be expected over Regions 1 to 6 during the morning, conditions are expected to improve during the afternoon. Rainfall is expected to range between 10.0 mm and 25.0 mm within a 24-hour period. Other regions can expect cloudy skies with moderate showers and light intermittent rain; isolated thundershowers are likely over Regions 7, 8 and 10 during the afternoon.

Rainfall is expected to range between 15.0mm and 35.0mm within a 24-hour period. Please note that with the forecasted weather conditions, water accumulation is likely to occur in flood prone and poor drainage areas. Above-normal high tide is not in effect. The next period will begin Friday June 12, 2015. The forecasted rainfall along with the Spring tides can cause coastal flooding. Residents are advised to take necessary precautions.

City clean-up

TIP operations in Bartica:

29 held in human trafficking raid

...victims mostly foreigners from Latin America

Twenty-nine non-nationals were apprehended in Bartica, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) following an exercise carried out by Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes and a team of officers from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons(TIP) Unit and the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO).

This operation, which was executed at approximately 01:45h Sunday at a popular hotel and a bar, was led by the Minister herself, who acted on a tip-off she received while visiting the region on Saturday. The alleged victims are between 20 and 30 years of age, and are citizens of Dominica, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. Four were in the country illegally and a similar number over stayed their time. The victims, along with two alleged perpetrators, were escorted by Police Officers to Georgetown where a proper investigation is expected to be conducted, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. Of the 29 persons, 11 are likely to face charges and possible deportation, while the others will be assisting in the investigations.

“I am Broomes and I will not miss a sweep,” the Minister said, referencing her name. She pointed out

that the Social Protection Ministry will be aggressively tackling human trafficking throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. “It’s a great feeling. I know that when I was honoured as a TIP hero I had taken an oath to work with Government, civil society and individuals in bringing Guyana to a decent stage internationally…definitely, with the power invested in me, these are some of the things I will take on. I have been there, I know what’s going on, and I know what to look for,”

Minister Broomes emphasised.

The Minister explained that persons are now ‘beating’ the borders and gaining entry into Guyana illegally. It was observed that this is a trend by persons from Dominica especially. The Minister further indicated that the hotel owner is a flagged person and the GWMO has been monitoring his activities for a long time. “…there are also persons from Baroombar in Georgetown up here now. We have noticed a shift in how it is running. We got information of his connection internationally and that also is proving right, because, for example, one of the young ladies arrived from Dominica yesterday (Saturday),” the Minister pointed out.

The alleged perpetrators also had the victims’ passports in their possession. According to Minister Broomes, one of the alleged perpetrators who was charged with TIP and released on $1 million bail, was also held for questioning after she walked into the station with two of the girls’ passports. The Minister was also in contact with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan whom she said indicated that he wanted a thorough investigation into the matter.

“I’m pleased so far that the minister is on top of this, and has instructed a

thorough investigation, because we have lots of persons who are here illegally. One Brazilian was refused entry into Barbados and she returned here and she has an immigration officer number in her phone that she contacted,” Minister Broomes noted.

She said the aim was not to scare anyone, but rather to protect them and ensure they are in Guyana legally, not held against their will, and should have their passport in their possession. This was the largest such operation in Bartica and it demonstrated the new Administration’s commitment to working with stakeholders to eradicate TIP, not only in Bartica and Region Seven, but Guyana as a whole.

Broomes expressed gratitude to the officers of the Bartica Police Station for their vigilance, the GWMO which brought their experience to bear, and the TIP Unit which assisted in successfully carrying out the operation.

Meanwhile, Marina Charles, head of the TIP unit for the GWMO, said that this was a big step for the organisation that has always indicated its willingness to work with the Government and other stakeholders to tackle TIP.

Caricom will be at forefront of APNU+AFC administration’s foreign policy – President Granger

The A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC)

Government will be prioritising regional integration, President David Granger told Trinidadian-based media entity Saturday during an interview, according to the Government Information Agency (GINA).

Asked about future cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, the President said that as someone who studied in that country, he was very grateful and respectful of the hospitality shown to him.

His first meeting on taking office was to engage with Caricom Secretary General Dr Irwin LaRocque, and President Granger said that he gave his assurance that the Caribbean Community will be at the forefront of his administration’s foreign policy.

He added that all are aware of the close bonds among Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica and Guyana, as they were the first four independent states in the region.

“I will be going to the Caribbean Heads of Government meeting, next July, and I look forward to meeting with the heads of all 14 countries so that we can advance the Caribbean Community”.

This is a top priority, he added as all of them can learn “a lot from each other, that is, improve their economies. I must admit that

things have not been going quickly enough, in my view and I hope that one of the things we will be able to achieve…is the quickening of the pace of the Caribbean Integration Movement.

Trinidad is pivotal to what happens in the Caribbean”.

President Granger will be accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, and he said he intends to translate talk into action, hence his main reason for choosing an economist to head that key post, because he is “talking economics”.

The President was asked about efforts to have many in the Diaspora return to Guyana’s shores. He noted that given the fact that many overseas based Guyanese returned home to vote, the APNU+AFC Administration has already commenced attracting members of the Diaspora to return on their own.

In terms of cooperation on the national level with the former government, he explained that with the political opposition gaining

Stumbling blocks

Stumbling blocks come in different forms. There are not too many people I know who can just go into a room full of strangers and feel comfortable to start off a conversation.

Therefore an example of a stumbling block would be the reluctance to talk to a stranger.

Narine Dat Sookram

This is not surprising to me, because we were brought up with the idea that talking to strangers is not a safe thing to do. Please do not get me wrong here, because most definitely this can be true in certain circumstances, so in a sense it is still a good piece of advice.

However, when it comes to business, taking the first step to talk to a stranger is a great opportunity to connect with other professionals who may be very interested in our products and services.

It is so crucial, because if we only talk to people we already know, we will surely miss out on other great opportunities to make new connections that can enhance our business.

Another stumbling block would be the fear of being seen as too pushy. Sure enough some people can certainly be that way, but if we really think that we might turn people off with our assertiveness and expect them to talk to us first, then we might find ourselves spend time all alone at what whatever function we may be at.

One thing I know for sure is that when we are open to people and being friendly to them, they surely find it to be very interesting and it does not turn them off.

There is sometimes that feeling that other people may not like us. This in some cases may be very true. However, if we recognize a situation as such, we should never take it personally.

There is always that slight possibility not everyone will be interested in us and may not even want to talk to us. The best thing to do is to move on to the next thing on the list or the next person in line.

Sometimes we can certainly have our intentions totally misunderstood. For example if we were to approach someone of the opposite sex and start off a conversation, it may be seen as a form of flirting, whereas the intention was to totally network. In some cultures this is more of a bigger problem for women than men.

32 Parliamentary seats, a large portion of Guyanese supported them. It is with this in mind, he said that the PPP/C has been written to, with the aim of forming a “Government of National Unity”.

This, President Granger said, was part of “the strategy of forming a government of national unity”.

We have to keep in mind though that women have an equal opportunity in the work arena and they too need to make all the professional connections the same way men do. I say this, because I feel like women can no longer afford to hold back to move forward with their professional career.

The thing is, whatever our stumbling blocks may be, we much face them before we attend our next networking event and set a plan for ourselves so that we can move on. If we take the time to do so, we will sure to approach our next networking opportunity with more confidence.

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

Life is

Dear Editor,

Dedicated to all students writing CXC, especially those of Saraswati Vidya Niketan:

Walk with me, my friend, Let us see what we cannot see

Let us hear what we cannot hear Conjure images

And in these think of successes and failures

And out of them delight yourself

Krishna Nand Prasad

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER

Your mind will be full of inspiration and creativity. Don't disregard any of your daydreams. A moneymaking opportunity will blossom if you nurture one of your ideas.

Your considerate and compassionate nature will not go unnoticed. Partnering with a charitable agency or group will magnify your good qualities and generate positive interest from others.

In order to save your reputation, you will have to resolve any workplace issues quickly. A jealous colleague will spread false information or try to sabotage your efforts.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Your intuition will lead to new ideas regarding your career path. Financial troubles will decrease as you develop additional means of income. A joint venture will pay off.

A truthful dialogue will iron out any problems with someone you love. Keeping your feelings bottled up will lead to anxiety and unhappiness. Clear the air.

Swift action will enable you to take advantage of an opportunity. Convert an unconventional idea into a moneymaking enterprise that fills a niche in your community.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

If you want to find a way to improve your work environment, you should bounce ideas off your peers. Working toward a common goal will garner positive feedback and improve your business relationships.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Interacting with people from diverse cultural backgrounds will increase your desire for travel. You will become more understanding of others as a result of your newfound knowledge.

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Stubbornness or a lack of ambition will hold you back. You have to view both sides of every situation if you want to avoid an unnecessary dispute.

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

You have the ability to mellow even your most ruthless critic. Use your original ideas and knowledge in order to gain allies and potential partners. Present your views with confidence.

AQUARIUS

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Legal and financial responsibilities should take precedence over other matters. A loss is apparent if you fail to keep your records up to date. Cash will come your way from an unusual source.

Expect to have your intentions misinterpreted. Don't react emotionally. Unless you have your facts straight and you know what you want, an unfortunate disagreement is likely to occur.

IOC leaders meet with eye on FIFA scandal

As FIFA struggles to contain its burgeoning corruption crisis, Olympic leaders are preparing to meet at their headquarters about 100 miles down the road in Switzerland with a busy agenda of their own.

While the scandal engulfing soccer’s governing body is not officially on the agenda, it will likely be addressed during the two-day meeting of the International Olympic Committee executive board that opens in Lausanne on Sunday.

The IOC was rocked by the Salt Lake City bidding scandal in the late 1990s and emerged stronger after ousting 10 members and enacting a series of reforms. It is now watching closely as FIFA reels from the farreaching bribery investigation that led to the decision of Sepp Blatter -- who is also an IOC member -- to resign as president.

“It’s absolutely important for FIFA to regain credibility for FIFA so I can only advise that they work hard at reforms and work hard on addressing these grave allegations,” IOC President Thomas Bach told Britain’s Sky News in Berlin.

The IOC board’s main talking point is expected to

be the future of SportAccord

following Marius Vizer’s resignation as president of the umbrella body for Olympic and non-Olympic federations. Vizer quit last Sunday after more than two dozen federations cut ties with SportAccord in protest over his attacks on the IOC and Bach.

The state of preparations for the next three Olympics in Rio de Janeiro; Pyeongchang, South Korea; and Tokyo will also be reviewed by the board, as well as plans to set up a “mourning area” in the athletes village in Rio.

Next Tuesday, less than two months before the vote, the full IOC will gather at the Olympic Museum to hear technical presentations from the two bid cities for the 2022 Winter Olympics -- Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Beijing.

A look at what’s in store:

FIFA and Blatter

FIFA confirmed Friday that Blatter would not be attending the IOC briefing with the 2022 bid cities. About 90 of the IOC’s 100plus members are expected to come. Considering the FIFA crisis and the fact that the meeting involves Winter Games, it’s no surprise

Blatter is staying away.

Blatter has been an IOC member since 1999. He retains his seat as he continues to serve as FIFA president until a new election. However, he would lose his IOC membership next year in any case when he reaches the retirement age of 80.

Sport discord

The fate of SportAccord hangs in the balance following the ugly fight with Vizer. He stunned the Olympic world by publicly bashing the IOC and Bach’s reform program in a speech at the SportAccord convention in April in Sochi, Russia. Vizer faced a furious backlash from many federations that forced him to go.

The IOC is likely to distance itself from SportAccord and push for it to be completely revamped or scrapped altogether. There are already existing associations representing winter and summer Olympic federations and another for non-Olympic sports.

The next games

Organizers from Rio, Pyeongchang and Tokyo will be updating the IOC board. With the Rio Games just over a year away, Brazilian

organizers will seek to reassure the IOC that they are on track, despite continuing concerns over water pollution and some construction delays.

The IOC will consider adding some disciplines to the Pyeongchang sports program. And Japanese organizers will report on plans for including a new sport or sports to the Tokyo Games, with baseball and softball still considered the most likely additions.

Mourning the dead

The board will follow up on a decision announced in February to set up a special area in the Olympic Village in Rio for athletes to mourn the loss of family or friends, and to observe a “moment of reflection” during the closing ceremony to remember those who have died during any games.

Bach said the remembrances could include the victims of the 1972 Munich Massacre, in which 11 Israeli athletes and coaches died after Palestinian gunmen raided the Olympic village. Families of the victims have been pushing the IOC for years to include a moment of silence during opening ceremonies. (ESPN)

Blake replaces Webb at helm of Cayman Football

Bruce Blake has replaced Jeffrey Webb at the helm of football in the Cayman Islands, the governing body for the sport has announced.

Blake, the Vice President of the Cayman Island Football Association (CIFA), has been appointed as acting president on a provisional basis, said a statement released by CIFA.

The decision was taken during an emergency executive meeting of CIFA following Webb’s arrest in Zurich, Switzerland after being indicted by US law enforcement officials on a number of charges.

Webb was provisionally banned from any football-related activities by FIFA’s Ethics Committee following his arrest.

CONCACAF subsequently removed him as President of the organisation, which is the governing football body for North, Central America and the Caribbean.

“As a result of the decision of the

Bruce Blake

FIFA Ethics Committee on 27 May to provisionally ban Jeffrey Webb from Carrying out any football-related activities on a national and international level, the CIFA Executive Committee took the decision to appoint Bruce Blake as acting President on a provisional basis, pending the outcome of any on-going investigation by the FIFA Ethics Committee said the statement.

CIFA says it is “concerned and disappointed” to learn of Webb’s arrest but has declined further comment on the probe.

“As this is an ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate for CIFA to comment further, as the presumption of innocence until proven guilty must prevail,” the statement said.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jeffrey and his family at this difficult time”.

Cayman Islands are preparing to host the CONCACAF Boys under 15 Championships in August. (CMC)

Wawrinka stuns Djokovic to win French Open

Stanislas Wawrinka stunned Novak

Djokovic to win his first French Open title and thwart the world number one’s career Grand Slam hopes.

The Swiss eighth seed played magnificently in a 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory at Roland Garros.

Wawrinka, 30, brought an

Wawrinka hitting 60 winners as his aggression broke down the seemingly invincible Djokovic defence. The victory makes him only the second Swiss to win at Roland Garros after Roger Federer, the man he beat in the quarter-finals.

Having lost the first set of the final following a poor ser-

end to Djokovic’s 28-match winning streak as he claimed his second Grand Slam title.

Djokovic had been hoping to become the eighth man to complete the set of all four major titles.

But the Serb will have to wait at least another 12 months before attempting to match the full set of major titles collected by Andre Agassi, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Roger Federer, Rod Laver, Rafael Nadal and Fred Perry.

The 28-year-old had been a strong favourite to finally get his hands on the Coupe des Mousquetaires after beating nine-time champion Rafael Nadal and third seed Andy Murray, but he was outplayed by Wawrinka.

“It was an incredible atmosphere on court and I felt emotion like I never have before,” said Wawrinka.

“I would like to thank my coach Magnus Norman. You played in the final without winning but this victory is yours as well as mine.”

Djokovic was effusive in his praise for the new champion: “There are things that are more important in life than victories and that is character and respect - Stan you are a great champion with big heart.”

Their last four matches in Grand Slams had gone to five sets and this was every bit as good in terms of quality, with

vice game at 3-3, Wawrinka came storming back with a barrage of winners that left Djokovic looking lost for a response.

Four break points came and went in the second set before the fifth arrived in the shape of a set point, and Wawrinka finally converted to level the match.

It was merely a sign of things to come as the eighth seed tore into the Djokovic serve in the third, and despite seeing off three break points for 1-1, there was little the top seed could do four games later.

A brilliant forehand winner was followed by an equally breathtaking backhand to earn three break points, and the first was converted as Wawrinka moved forward and hammered a short ball. The crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier roared as the Swiss hit an outrageous winner around the net post on his way to securing the set.

Djokovic was now facing a third French Open final defeat and he dug in, taking advantage of a lull at the opposite end of the court to fashion a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

The match was now on Wawrinka’s racquet, however, and he came storming back to level at 3-3 after some brilliant defence earned him the break.

West Indies should persist with youth

Clive Lloyd’s brave new world of youth, alternatively the postChanderpaul era, is off to a rocky start.

Realising from his previous six Test matches that Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the most experienced, most dependable and, significantly, oldest of modern-day batsmen, had come to the end of his remarkable 21-year career, West Indies’ chief selector Lloyd, with head coach Phil Simmons by his side, set out the plan for the future leading into the two Tests against Australia.

“Our aim is to continue to play our young players to give them exposure, and you can’t get better exposure than playing against one of the best teams in the world,” he said. “They will be tested and that is what it’s all about.”

As Australia completed their victory in Dominica by nine wickets before the end of the third day on Friday, Lloyd could identify his newest selection, the 23-year-old debutant Shane Dowrich, as an example of his expectations. Dowrich’s level-headed defiance for 70, stretched over four hours as West Indies battled to remain in contention, was a model to others, already seasoned in the demands of Test cricket, who didn’t measure up.

The Dominica result has left Lloyd, Simmons and their fellow selectors with some thinking to do in the few days leading into the second Test at Sabina Park on Thursday. One concerns the opening position. Talented as he might be, Shai Hope had never gone in first in his short career when elevated in his debut Test against England in Barbados in May. It was asking too much of him.

Rajendra Chandrika, a specialist opener, was included in the squad but not

in the XI for the first Test, presumably on his strong regional first-class season rather than his modest overall record. The question is how to accommodate him, allowing Hope to revert to his accustomed slot in the middle order.

The spectre of the “I’m not retiring” Chanderpaul continues to hover in the background, even more so given the outcome of the first Test without him; Simmons, captain Denesh Ramdin and Jason Holder have all made the point that the team now needs to move on. Whatever they do, the selectors can hardly abandon Lloyd’s plan after one match in which West Indies twice presented Australia with a challenge before slipping back into the frailty that has long since condemned them to No. 8 among Test teams.

Brendon McCullum’s would be a practical template to follow. The New Zealand captain overcame even more dire circumstances in his early series at the helm to build New Zealand into the force they have become. Three years ago, under Ross Taylor, they were soundly thrashed in the Caribbean, losing both Tests, four of the five ODIs and both T20s. When Taylor was replaced, they were skittled for 45 by South Africa in McCullum’s first Test as captain; they succumbed by an innings in both Tests. They then lost both Tests in England in 2013, routed for 68 at Lord’s in the second innings.

Still McCullum, coach Mike Hesson and the selectors stuck with their players and their plans; seven of those beaten in the West Indies in 2012 were at Headingley last week, three years later, when they thumped England to level the series and maintain their No. 4 spot in the Test rankings. It was a rapid leap

from just above West Indies at seven. Short of alternatives, Lloyd has no option but to take the same path. Simmons, Ramdin and their emerging players are there to carry it out on the field. Time will be the decider; perhaps Lloyd can unearth more like Dowrich. The Dominica capitulation, as was the case

Marlon Samuels, ten years his senior and in his 59th Test, held firm in a fourth wicket partnership of 144 that inched West Indies marginally ahead.

Neither effort could be sustained. Among Bishoo’s six victims were such eminent players of spin as Michael Clarke and Steven

ers stayed with him while 192 were added and the lead mounted to 170, as West Indian spirits sagged. It was not an unusual occurrence.

When both West Indies openers were swept aside for 25 by the end of the second day and the ever-frustrating Darren Bravo drilled Josh Hazlewood for David

in the series in South Africa against Test cricket’s present top team in December and January, has let them appreciate what is required to achieve to start a climb back up the ladder.

West Indies were undermined by unrelenting bowling and flawless, spectacular catching and ground fielding. They were constantly under pressure; the slightest lapse in concentration was seized on. For a few hours into the second day, Devendra Bishoo brought them back into contention with six wickets in succession from high-class legspin. The next day, Dowrich and

Smith. Another was Brad Haddin, the dangerous wicketkeeper-batsman, who was utterly bamboozled by a fizzing legbreak that pitched on leg and hit the top of off. Immediately compared to Shane Warne’s famed “ball of the century”, to Mike Gatting in the Old Trafford Ashes Test in 1993, it has quickly become “the ball of the 21st century”.

From 126 for 6, Adam Voges, a 35-year-old belatedly on Test debut, accumulated an unbeaten 130 over five and a half hours; it was fashioned by a dozen seasons of tough Australian state cricket. Three tenacious bowl-

Wiggins breaks UCI Hour Record at Lee Valley Velopark

Sir Bradley Wiggins has broken the iconic hour record by completing a distance of 54.526km (33.88 miles).

The 35-year-old smashed the record previously held by fellow Briton Alex Dowsett of 52.937km (32.89 miles), which was set in May.

Roared on by a capacity crowd at Lee Valley VeloPark in London, Wiggins became the sixth rider to claim a Tour de France title and the hour record.

“I’m just glad it’s done. It was torturous,” he said.

“That’s the closest I have ever come to what it’s like to a have a baby,” Wiggins, who becomes the fifth person in the past nine months to break the record, joked.

The multiple Olympic and world champion on track and road surpassed Dowsett’s 212 laps, set in Manchester, with 1min 42secs to spare and eventu-

ally completed 218 laps.

But the 2012 Tour de France winner fell short of the target he had set himself of 55.250km, or 221 laps.

“You’re constantly looking at the clock counting down. When you’re out there, you never think it’s coming to an end,” he added.

“I always compare myself to the greats and I am

just glad to be in the company of those guys.

“To get up there and do that, to put yourself on the line, takes a lot of courage and it’s a mental game as much as anything.”

Former British cycling performance director Dave Brailsford said it was “an honour” to witness the occasion.

“Bradley rode well on what was a heavy and hard

day,” he said.

“I’m so pleased for him, it’s his day and he is such a magnificent athlete.”

Since the UCI, cycling’s world governing body, unified the regulations surrounding the event last year, four riders have held the record: Germany’s Jens Voigt, Matthias Brandle of Switzerland, Australian Rohan Dennis and Dowsett.

(BBC Sport)

hardly an error, rather a sensible balance between defence and attack. In his first Test, Dowrich vindicated Lloyd’s confidence. The deficit was erased and the lead pushed to 11 with seven wickets intact; if a contest appeared to be developing, those mindful of West Indies’ inclination to inexplicable collapse remained wary. Another duly arrived after Dowrich’s long vigil for 70 off 185 balls was ended with a catch off Hazlewood tapped to silly mid-on. It was a crippling blow to West Indies’ tender mid-section, and it swiftly dumped them onto the canvas.

Warner’s flying catch at midoff in the sixth over on the third morning, another debacle appeared certain. It was here that Dowrich showed an appreciation of the mental strength necessary to counter the Australians on a slow, if turning, pitch. His partner was Samuels. Into his 15th year of Test cricket, Samuels’ experience renders him the natural successor to Chanderpaul as the leader of the batting, in experience if not character; seemingly aware of his new responsibility, he swapped his natural flamboyance for a more relevant method.

For 50 overs, there was

None of Lloyd’s young brigade is more reckless than Jermaine Blackwood, none of the older hands more unpredictable than Samuels. Blackwood’s default shot is a gully-cricket slog. Sometimes he gets away with it, as through Jos Buttler’s missed stumping when he was on 4 in his unbeaten 47 in West Indies’ victory in the final Test over England in May. Now he didn’t; he was so far down the pitch to Lyon that Haddin could momentarily fumble and still stump him. Samuels’ shot in the following over was equally outrageous. For 184 balls, he advanced with the restraint demanded of his station. In the over after Blackwood’s slog, he produced a replica of his first-innings dismissal, a steepling hook into long-leg’s lap. It is impossible to determine what occupies Samuels’ mind at such times.

That was basically that, as Australia were left with the formality of scoring 47 for their victory. Twice over the three days, promising positions had been transformed into despondency for the West Indies. It’s enough to create panic in the selection room, a reaction Lloyd and his men can ill afford. (Cricinfo)

Warner should just turn himself in, says T&T Justice Minister

Trinidad and Tobago justice minister Prakash Ramadhar has issued a plea for politician and former FIFA vice president Jack Warner to volunteer to turn himself over to US authorities.

Warner is facing extradition to the United States on charges of racketeering, money laundering, bribery and corruption linked to his tenure as a FIFA official. The former CONCACAF boss has repeatedly denied the accusations set out in a 160 page indictment unsealed in a New York court room last week, but increasingly the evidence seems to be stacking up against the Trinidadian.

Ramadhar, in an interview with UK media entity SKY News has urged the former MP to consider the reputation of the twin island republic.

“If you love this country and you care about its reputation - and about the future

of our children in particular - he, having been so highly held and loved by many, should set the right example,” Ramadhar said.

“You can do the right thing even at this stage and in some way remedy the situation by taking responsibility, going to your trial or entering a plea if you are so minded to do,” he added.

“Let there be finality as soon as it is possible.”

In the latest of stinging accusation the BBC have produced a document which proposes to show how US$10m received from South Africa ahead of the 2010 World Cup vote, the purpose of which was officially listed as development of football in the region, was spent illicitly.

The Egyptian sports minister has now accused the former Trinidad MP of asking for US$7m ahead of the vote, also for the 2010 tournament, a vote which was won by South Africa.

(Digicel Sportsmax)

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Morgan sets world leading distance, new Jamaica discuss record

Jamaican athlete Jason Morgan has set a world leading distance for the discuss after an outstanding display at the Peak Performance Track and Field Classic in Mississippi on Saturday.

Morgan also set a new national record after throwing 68.19 metres which secured him qualification for the IAAF World Athletic Championships in Beijing in August.

Morgan’s mark eclipses the 67.93m set last month by Germany’s Christoph Harting as well as the 66.40 set by his countryman Frederick Dacres.

“I am definitely humbled by this performance. I definitely put in a lot of hard work, and God just showed me how good it is to stay determined and dedicated,” said Morgan, the 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist.

“Last week, I had a dream that I threw really far, but I couldn’t see what number I threw. Thank God that dream became a reality today.”

Morgan has now reclaimed the national record from Traves Smikle (67.12), a boost to

Jason Morgan

his chances at the national championships later this month.

The record breaking throw could also put him in contention for a medal at the World Championships. (CMC)

Hamilton eases to Canadian GP win over Nico Rosberg

Lewis Hamilton took a controlled victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, fending off team-mate Nico Rosberg.

The Mercedes drivers circulated at the front throughout an unusually uneventful race as Williams’s Valtteri Bottas beat Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen to third.

didn’t feel under too much pressure. I felt I could pull it out when I needed to.

“Did I need this? I think so.”

Rosberg said: “It was a challenging race because we had to manage fuel, brakes and all these things. It was a good race but I couldn’t quite make it happen.

same with a better-judged move on Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, but still needed his fellow German to spin to avoid contact.

After Hamilton led comfortably through the first part of the race, Rosberg came at him after their sole pit stops, but the world champion was never under threat.

“I was pushing like mad to try to put the pressure on Lewis but he didn’t make any mistakes.”

Behind them, Raikkonen was on course for a comfort-

Vettel would have had to race Lotus’s Romain Grosjean for fifth, but the Frenchman put himself out of the reckoning by misjudging a lapping move on Manor’s Will Stevens and getting a puncture.

Grosjean finished 10th, which he held on to despite a five-second penalty for causing the incident was applied.

Hamilton’s fourth win in seven races extends his drivers’ championship points advantage to 17.

The win helps to make up for Hamilton’s disappointment in the last race in Monaco, where he lost a dominant victory as a result of a strategic error by the team.

Hamilton led into the first corner from pole position and built a four-second lead before his pit stop and then controlled the gap at little over a second for the rest of the race as the drivers of the two silver cars managed fuel, brakes and tyres to the finish.

Hamilton said: “I love Montreal. I love this track. I love this city. Really just a fantastic weekend, great to get back on the top step.

“I didn’t feel I had the most comfortable balance, I had a bit too much understeer. Nico was quick but I

able third place until a spin at the hairpin on lap 27, caused by the hybrid system kicking in unexpectedly.

That cost him position to Bottas and, although Ferrari chose to pit Raikkonen to fit a set of fresh super-soft tyres with 30 laps to go so he could attack to the end of the race, Bottas was able to do enough to hold him off.

Raikkonen finished ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who drove an attacking race from the back of the grid following an engine problem in qualifying and a five-place grid penalty for passing illegally in practice.

Vettel rode his luck at times, especially at the last chicane, where he was involved in two near-miss incidents.

He bounced over the kerbs trying an over-optimistic move on McLaren’s Fernando Alonso early in the race, and then did the

His mistake handed sixth to Williams’s Felipe Massa, from 15th on the grid. t was a dire race for Red Bull and McLaren, both struggling with a lack of power, although much more so in McLaren’s case.

The best-placed Red Bull was Daniil Kvyat in ninth, behind Lotus’s Pastor Maldonado and Hulkenberg.

Both McLarens retired after running close to the back of the field.

The drivers’ difficulties coping with the underpowered and thirsty Honda were underlined by a response he gave on the radio to his team when asked to save fuel.

“I don’t want, I don’t want,” Alonso replied. “Already I have big problems now. Driving with this and looking like amateurs. So I’d like to race and then I concentrate on the fuel.”

GFF unveils new Golden Jaguars Kit

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) yesterday unveiled their new Kit ahead of their Senior National Men’s Football team (Golden Jaguars) 2018 World Cup Qualifier against St Vincent and the Grenadines on June 10 and 14. According to the GFF’s Marketing and Communication Director Rawle Toney, the Federation is more than pleased to partner with Admiral Sportswear to be their official uniform and kit provider for the next four years.

“Admiral is a highly respected international brand and one in which the Guyana

Football Federation is proud to be associated with and to have our entire national and league teams outfitted in” Toney said while speaking to the media yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium where the simple but significant event was held.

Admiral, the second-largest football brand supplying professional teams in the U.S. and Canada in addition to supplying competitive and recreational teams, will outfit our National sides with a unique kit for their 2016 Olympic qualifiers and 2018 World Cup qualifier.

The Golden Jaguars will debut their new Admiral kit in their 2018 World Cup

qualifier on June 10 against St. Vincent.

Both the Men’s and Women’s U-23 teams will also be wearing Admiral during the CFU 2016 Olympic qualifiers at the end of June and August respectively.

“The deal was done in such a strategic way, that the GFF could benefit. Admiral will sell the products online and the Federation gets a percentage from that sale. But also, the GFF already have fan wear and those are being sold for $2,000 and the player’s replica will cost $6,000. All items are sold only at the GFF’s Head office in Campbellville” Toney said.

Admiral itself is a leg-

endary brand, having been worn by some of the biggest names in the sporting world.

The England National Team, Manchester United, New York Cosmos and most recently the West Indies Cricket team are just some of the teams that once donned Admiral.

In fact, Admiral has supplied most of the current English Premier League (EPL) teams in addition to being the largest brand in the original North American Soccer League (NASL).

Today Admiral is a major player in the North American and international markets.

Powell smashes 6-year record in France

Former 100m world record holder Asafa

Powell smashed a six-year record to win a regional meet in Marseille, France on Saturday.

The Jamaican sprinter clocked 10.05 seconds into

Daniel Bailey of Antigua ran 10.38 seconds for fifth place.

Powell is the second fastest man this year behind American Justin Gatlin with 9.84 seconds set while winning

a strong head wind of negative 2.4 metres per second to eclipse the old record of 10.17 seconds set by Dwaine Chambers of Great Britain in 2009.

Wilfried Koffi of Ivory Coast was second in 10.29 seconds and Lethoso’s Mesito Lehata was third in 10.30 seconds.

Jamaican Winston Barnes was seventh in 10.48 seconds, while

the 100m at the Jamaica International invitational in early May. He is preparing for National Trials in Jamaica later this month.

Meantime, in the women’s 100m race, Jamaica’s Olympic Games silver medallists Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson were second and third in 11.34 seconds and 11.42 seconds, respectively. (CMC)

Fletcher: Genuine misunderstanding led to ammunition fine

est Indies cricket -

Wer Andre Fletcher says the EC$2,000 (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) fine imposed on him by a court in Dominica for possession of ammunition was as a result of a ‘genuine misunderstanding’ on his part.

However the Grenadian wicket keeper batsman says he has accepted full responsibility following his arrest at the Douglas Charles Airport after security officials found 50 rounds of .22 ammunition in his possession.

In a widely circulated statement released this weekend, Fletcher says he had no idea that the package in his possession was actually .22 ammunition instead of .22 pellets for the registered hunting air rifle he owns.

“Whilst in Dominica, I came into possession of a package of what I thought were pellets for my air rifle, and sought to carry them back with me. The

package was obtained from a person who has a license to have such items,” said Fletcher.

“When I obtained the package it was sealed. Having been told that the package contained air rifle pellets, without closely inspecting it further I assumed that the contents were indeed what I was told. Until it was brought to my attention at the airport, I had no inkling that the package contained live ammunition”.

Fletcher, who played 15 ODIs and 22 Twenty20 internationals for West Indies, was leaving Dominica after participating in a training camp with the Windward Island Volcanoes ahead of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

He said he carried the package in his carry-on bag and it was during routine inspection that he was informed by a customs officer that he was carrying the ammunition.

“I carried the package openly in my hand to and through the airport and subsequently loosely placed it in my carry-on bag as I sought clear secu -

rity at the Douglas Charles Airport in Dominica,” the statement explained.

“During the normal inspection of my luggage, the customs officer

in Dominica informed me that the items appeared to be .22 calibre live rounds and not .22 pellets. Upon further investigation of the package, it was indeed found that the contents were live .22 calibre rounds and not .22 pellets for air rifles”.

Fletcher, who last played for the West Indies in a T20 game against South Africa in Durban in January, said he was treated with respect by authorities in Dominica and is thankful for the role played by team manager Lockhart Sebastien in resolving the issue.

“I want to specially thank our team manager Mr. Lockhart Sebastien of the Windward Islands Volcanoes, who assisted me through the legal process and who would have indicated to the media at the time that, ‘It could have happened to anybody’,” said Fletcher.

“I am also of the view that the Dominican au -

thorities, who at every turn treated me with respect, after investigating the case believed the incident to have derived out of a genuine misunderstanding”.

Fletcher’s arrest in Dominica on an ammunition charge had sparked concern in Grenada, especially within the local cricket fraternity where officials appeared confused over the incident.

In a slightly lengthy statement aimed at clearing the air Fletcher has insisted that he had no intentions of compromising his cricket career.

“The unfortunate incident which led to my detention in Dominica on May 28th will not deter me from continuing to represent the region or my country once given the opportunity to do so,” he stressed.

“I will never intentionally do anything to cause hurt or embarrassment to my nation, my fans or especially my family”. (CMC)

Junior Squash Championship… Joseph, Wiltshire perform to end their junior careers

The local racquet wielders produced several stellar encounters on Sunday to conclude the Junior National Squash Championships, sponsored by Woodpecker Products Limited and hosted by the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) in collaboration with its corporate sponsor Digicel at the Georgetown Club Courts.

the event marked the final Junior category appearances for champions Akeila Wiltshire and Nyron Joseph, who both achieved 3-0 victories to graduate at the top of their respective classes.

Despite the exodus of the two experienced players, the dominance of several younger players suggests the conveyor belt of player production in the sport is still functioning as well as ever, especially with notable performances from the Most Outstanding Girl award recipient Makeda Harding, who swept the Under 13 and Under 15 categories, while finishing second to Rebecca Low playing with the Under 17 girls.

Also impressive were the performances of Alexander Cheeks and Most Outstanding Boy Shomari Wiltshire.

With the likes of Most Improved girl Sarah Lewis, Under 17 winner Ben Mekdeci and Most Improved Boy Daniel Islam also playing well, Guyana can be expected to continue its dominance at the regional level for some time to come.

The evidence of more youthful engagement in the sport was apparent as the tournament featured a competitive Under-nine category, which was won by Beau Fernandes and Mohryan Baksh.

Under 11 winner, and Under 15 runner up Kirsten Gomes battled to victory over Madison Fernandes 3-1 (11/5, 9/11, 11/5, 12/10) , relegating Fernandes to third place in the Under 13 category.

Paige Fernandes defeated Haley Carpenter 3-0 to finish second and third respectively in the girls Under 11.

However it was the dominant Harding’s performances which stood out, with 3-0 wins over Mia Collins and Abosaide Cadogan to secure her two titles.

The towering right hander, who recently turned 13, is expected to be a part of a strong Junior Caribbean Amateur Squash Association (CASA) team in July.

Rebecca Low and Sarah Lewis produced one of the featured female games in the Girls under-17 category, fighting it out shot for shot in a game which Low won 3-2.

The Under 17 champion, Low took the first game 11/8, but lost the second 9/11, before going ahead 10/3 in the third.

What followed was a nine point streak by Lewis, who placed third in the group, which saw her take the game 12/10. Low regained her composure in a highly emotional match to take the last two games 11/6 each.

The girls Under 19 game between Akeila and Larissa Wiltshire, a virtual final with Rebecca Low already assured of third place, saw the experience of the incumbent Akeila saw her triumph over the youthful exuberance of her younger sibling. The two showed impressive fitness as each hard earned point was followed by another, with a mixture of thoughtful cross court strokes and deliberate drops employed to take the ball away from each other, matched by intuitive court movement. The final 3-0 score line, though fitting, did little to epitomize the competitive nature of the match, with ended with a 13/11 victory in the last game.

Nyron Joseph, in his last game at this level, held off a determined Ben Mekdeci 3-0 to finish atop the Boys Under 19 group,

relegating his opponent to second and Alec Melville to third. In another close match, Joseph scrambled

to victory in the first game 15/13, before taking the following games 11/7, 11/6 to finish on a high note. The

players can now expect preparation for Regional foes as the top squash athletes look ahead to the

National Senior Championships…

Perry doubles

− Foster dethrones George

By Treiston Joseph Drama and feel good stories unfolded on the final day of the National Senior Championships which was held at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.

Rupert Perry after two years of watching his team mates compete after a tough knee injury rose to win a

Nationwide

sprint double by capturing the men’s 200 metres final in 21.1s. Davin Fraser finished second in 21.4s and Compton Caesar third in 21.7s.

Meanwhile Carifta bronze medalist Adrea Foster displayed superb dedication to her craft by finally ousting three-time Carifta gold medalist from her proverbial throne with a gut wrenching

win the women’s 800 metres.

Foster clocked a winning time of 2:19.30s despite a elbowing match between herself and George who dropped out at the 500 metres mark.

Cleveland Thomas continued his good form with a win in the men’s 5000 metres clocking 15:48 for the win to finish ahead of Winston Messingher and Matthew

“Greatest of

McKenzie.

The women’s 200 metres was won by a blazing Natrena Hooper who dominated the race from the curve to easily win in 24.4s while Avon Samuels finished second in 25.1s and Aniquah Powley in third with a time of 25.5s.

The men 800 metres ended in unsportsmanlike conduct when Devon Barrington

the Streets”

won the race and afterwards attempted to assault second place finisher Ornesto Thomas as both athletes had to be separated by officials on the ground.

In field events Yoel Benjamin was the winner of the men’s triple jump with a leap of 13.95 metres while Hooper won the female version in 12.33metres.

Sophina Vanderstoop was the winner of the women’s discuss with a throw of 27.81 metres while Tandica burgess won the women’s high jump with a leap of 1.35 metres.

Running Brave Athletics Club won both the male and female 4x400 metres relay events to close the show.

tournament… Contenders emerge on night 2

By TreisTon Joseph

Limited goals and intense action was the story of the evening when night two of the Nationwide Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Tournament was held on Saturday evening at the National Culture Centre Tarmac.

No team scored more than two goals in a single game while no more than four goals were scored in a single game overall. That was the toughness of all eight games when night t2 of the tournament culminated.

Sparta Boss seemed like the most likely threat to win the overall title with their fluent football and easy on the eyes passes that say

them defeating Globe Yard 1-nil and defeating Leopold Street 2-0 on sudden death kicks after a 2-2 draw.

Jermin Weekes scored

the winning goal for Sparta Boss in the 20th minute against Globe Yard while Dennis Edwards and Sheldon Shepherd were

the goal scorers for Sparta boss in the 2-2 draw against Leopold Street. With the wins Sparta Boss advanced to play West

Front Road-Goal is Money in the semifinal stage.

Speaking of West Front Road, on night two they were also able to secure two

wins by defeating Unruly Gang 1-0 with a winning goal from Randolph Wagner in the ninth minute while topping Showstoppers 2North Ruimveldt despite a win and a loss on night two, made the semifinal by defeating Leopold Street 2-0 with a double from Colin Daniels in the 12 and 13th minutes but fell to Globe Yard 1-0.

The final team in the semifinal is Showstoppers who defeated Melanie-B 1-0 with a winning goal from Nathan Allicok in the 21st minute while drawing earlier with West front Road 1-1. The semifinal matchups will see West Front Road taking on Sparta Boss while North Ruimveldt will battle Showstoppers.