Guyana Times Daily - November 9, 2015

monday, november 9, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

monday, november 9, 2015 |

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic

FERRY SCHEDULE

WEATHER TODAY

Ogle Airport: "Govt owned yet Correia controlled"

The management at the Ogle International Airport (OIA) has come under fire from the Small Aircraft Operators, who said that the entire operation is working in favour of international air services only.

The operators, whose aircraft fly domestic trips, vented their frustration in a letter to the editor of this newspaper on Sunday, in which they noted that there was “an eruption of an unbearable discontent which is rife at the Airport”.

According to the six small operators, there is a myriad of serious and vexing issues they face on a daily basis with Ogle Airport Inc, the company which runs the Airport.

“Ogle Airport, while improving its regulatory compliance and infrastructure in the past decade, is in fact an anti-competitive and oppressive business environment. The establishment of an aviation operation requires large amounts of capital and the operating environment definitely contributes to the success or failure of the enterprise,” the aircraft operators said in their letter.

According to them, the Airport has refused to allow cargo transport operations using the main terminal, although foreign operators, including LIAT, are allowed to do so. The aircraft operators said they have been ordered to use the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) for their cargo operations. This, they said, would add to their operational cost.

They further claim that the management is consistently reluctant to respond to their needs in a “timely manner; gives them no voice on issues affecting them, imposes staff on them with authoritative and confrontational attitudes”, often threatening, shouting, and demanding; is sub-leas-

ing land for facility development at prohibitive rates; is charging astronomically high fees for airport usage, and has introduced a “toxic and draconian operators’ agreement which demands that we sign over liens on all of our property including our aircraft, among other odious provisions”.

The operators said given that the issues were serious, one could imagine how difficult the operating environment was when compounded with anti-competition measures by Ogle Airport Inc’s management, led by the Correia Group.

“The Correia Group controls the Airport and has increased the cost of fuel; monopolised ground handling and other services and arbitrarily terminated tenancy contracts with the apparent aim of forcing us out,” the operators said in the letter.

“We have now joined in unity and are now part of nine operators out of 10 that are disenfranchised by the actions of the Correia Group and their agents who manage and regulate the Airport. We, therefore, urgently call on the Government to intervene, investigate and regula-

rise this Airport for the benefit of all of its stakeholders.”

Dispute

Efforts by this newspaper on Sunday to reach the management of OIA proved futile.

In 2011, Air Services Limited (ASL) had called for a Commission of Inquiry into the Ogle Airport after it accused the Ogle Airport Inc of running a “monopolistic” family affair.

Again in 2013, management and ASL clashed in a bitter dispute over the requirements for the start-up of the carrier’s US$1 million fuel farm. In that instance, ASL had accused Ogle Airport Inc of deliberately creating conditions to ensure that its fuel would not be cheaper and it would be forced to continue buying fuel stored at a fuel farm being operated by Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services (CAMS).

Ogle International Airport is owned by the

Government of Guyana, but is run by the private company, Ogle Airport Inc, which exerts total monopoly control over the facility greater than that of the private partner in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

Guyana Times was told that the facility is a public utility which is managed and controlled by the Private Sector.

The operational arrangement was negotiated after the initial five investors who formed a corporation, Ogle Airport Inc, made a proposal to operate the Airport following safety concerns which were raised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Ogle Airport is the base of operations for several local aircraft operators including: Trans Guyana Airways; ASL; Roraima Airways Ltd; Oxford Aviation; Hinterland Aviation, Domestic Aviation, Phoenix Aviation, Hopkinson Aviation, Wings Aviation and JAGS Aviation (BK).

Editor(ag): Michael Younge

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Guyanese foods and restaurants

Last week, “Restaurant Week” – officially the “Guyana Restaurant Week” (GRW) - kicked off under the theme “Explore, Eat and Repeat”. With many gourmets and aspiring ones fearing foods “repeating” on them, maybe the theme was not the most felicitous, but the intent was to have domestic and foreign tourists – and hopefully food loving natives – sample our local “fine dining”. That is a worthwhile endeavour.

As part of the ongoing “Tourism Awareness Month”, GRW is in its second incarnation and will continue to the 15th of the month. Serendipitously, GRW’s launch coincided with the 2nd Caribbean Agri-Business Forum in Barbados which brought together experts from across the region and Europe to address the long identified need for the region, including Guyana, to wean their citizens off imported foods. Formed as they were as transplanted colonies dominated by European colonial powers, the Caribbean has always looked abroad for almost all its needs, including foods.

It was more than ironic that these territories, which produced the first successful industrial-type mega farms, have still not adapted that technology and know-how to produce its own foods. Harking to Guyana’s example and experience in attempting to introduce a greater percentage of local foods into the local menu, the conference was cautioned not to proceed by “banning” any foreign foods (such as wheaten flour and Irish potatoes), and imposing local foods (such as rice, cassava flour, and yams). It was suggested that the populace have to rather be convinced that the local foods are as nutritious and delicious as any of the foreign foods.

And this is where we believe that institutions such as GRW can play a greater and more proactive role in fostering new eating habits. The preference for foods is seen as very idiosyncratic and the expression, “there’s no accounting for taste” might also be considered quite apropos in applying to foods. But taste is acquired and as such can be encouraged in particular directions.

As colonials, our native foods were derided by the ruling class and the “import syndrome” started early in the day to continue into the present. In fact it has recently become exacerbated with the invasion of “fast food” chains from the US now that their government has finally began cracking down on their methods of preparation that leads to unhealthy outcomes such as obesity and cardiovascular challenges.

And this is where institutions such as GRW can play a critical role in changing our “taste” for foreign foods. One initiative might be to offer incentives to the fifteen upscale restaurants that are participating in a promotion where patrons are rewarded if they sample at least five of them during GRW to be creative in preparing local foods in innovative ways that would appeal to the palate of one and all. As the participating roster of restaurants increase, so will the demand for local foods.

One irony of our culinary challenge is that as “the land of six peoples” drawn from four continents, Guyana has such an astounding variety of local dishes. We have African, Indian, Chinese, Amerindian as well as European cuisines at our disposal, all of which give us an almost infinite number of permutations and combinations of foods that we can offer our own citizens and the world.

Our biggest challenge is to convince our own people that our foods are as good as any in the world, and possibly better. All the institutions of government and the private sector must get behind this goal.

A second movement that the Ministry of Tourism can encourage is for restaurants outside of Georgetown to be brought up to a higher standard that can cater to international norms of hygiene and presentation. Many of these restaurants serve very delicious local dishes that would appeal to the palate of tourists but because they are thought not to be “sophisticated” they never get any attention.

Remembrance Day 2015: Members of the Diplomatic Community at the Remembrance Day Memorial Service at the Cenotaph on Main Street, Georgetown waiting to lay wreaths for the fallen heroes

Support for 2-day holiday for Diwali

Dear Editor,

President David Granger is reported to have said he supports Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan on the Diwali holiday. So he has closed discussion and room for reconciliation. He should have called in the reps of the major Hindu organisations and tried to reach a consensus. Alternatively, he could have appointed a body to resolve the impasse. The proposal from Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran to grant two days of holiday should not have been dismissed; especially in Italy the precedence exists for back-to-back holidays. This is a workable compromise that will not cost the Government any serious loss of funds; in fact, the Government may benefit from people spending more money.

The Diwali holiday has taken on political undertones. Since there is a disagreement by Hindu scholars (and politically aligned Hindu organisations that are pro and anti-Government) over the actual date for the holiday (November 10 or 11) because of the appearance of the dark moon and new moon on both dates, Ramkarran suggests that both Tuesday and Wednesday be declared holidays on this rare occasion –brilliant idea. This placates the Government opponents (probably over 75 per cent) who will celebrate the festival on Wednesday instead of Tuesday (Government holiday). Nothing is lost in awarding a two-day holiday as not much work will be

done on Wednesday; people will still be in holiday mood to enjoy the festivities that will be observed by the overwhelming majority.

Clearly, a resolution over the date is not forthcoming from religious leaders. The Government must come up with a resolution that will be satisfying to both religious and political forces since it has become a political problem with Government involvement in it.

A two-day celebration will make both sides of the dispute happy. And as Ramkarran noted it allows the Government to score political points on its opponent (showing that it is willing to listen and resolve conflict).

At any rate, Diwali is not really a one-day event. It is celebrated over several days. In fact, in India, the official holiday is Wednesday (no dispute over the moon), but most of the country is locked down on November 10 as well with shopping and preparation for the festival. South India celebrates on Tuesday (a holiday) and North India celebrates on Wednesday. So there are really two holidays, as Ramkarran eloquently explained, and workers are not penalised for the extra day off from duty.

Diwali is a time for contemplation, reflection and rejuvenation of life and a recommitment of duty to nation, while staying true to the meaning of lights (celebration of light triumphing over darkness). Diwali is a time for inspiration when people think about obligations to their families, communities

and nation. It is supposed to reflect on the shining light of the future. It is a time for renewal of the home and of a recommitment to family life. This is a time of deep familial connection as well as political unity. So how can there be light (family or political unity) when there is conflict and division, when darkness still fill the air of some politicians seeking to teach political opponents a lesson? This conflict over the date is an opportune time to bring healing (a central goal of Diwali) among political opponents and to reflect on whether it would not make sense to declare both days as holidays rather than seek to teach the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha a lesson as some so gleefully articulated.

Diwali is an extremely popular public celebration, not just for the glittering lights and fireworks or singing and dancing, but for its focus on the meaning of the light, that has to do with truth, justice and liberation. It is the biggest and brightest of all Hindu celebrations in the world. In Guyana, it is very important to the national landscape. Hindus and non-Hindus all come together and celebrate this period with great pomp. It is a time of joy and togetherness. Diwali symbolises light overcoming darkness (knowledge to overcoming ignorance, strong health to overcoming diseases) and good (kindness, peace, goodwill) overcoming evil. Many feel it is celebrated on one day. No, it is not. Sweets, food, invitation to dinner, charity are carried out on

the main day but diyas are also lit on other days.

People look forward to invitations in the home on the main day to share in the distribution of sweets and foods. Onlookers take time out of their life to revel in the magnificence of the lights of Diwali and enjoy the delicious foods. And in recent years, they look forward to the motorcade. If the motorcade (which people look forward to with great expectations) is held on Tuesday when some Hindus would be lighting their diyas (as is the custom), how would people enjoy the modern day aesthetics of the festival. Spread the light (manage conflict with a compromise to bring opponents together) that will be eternally remembered. Diwali, a religious celebration, has become politicised over the date. A resolution to the dispute is urgently needed. Ramkarran has attempted a solution that few even thought about – that is leadership and he is suggesting one where the Government has offered none (a take-it or leave-it attitude).

Ramkarran has shown great leadership on this issue. The coalition Government should listen to him. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and President David Granger should seek to bring about a resolution to this conflict. Their leadership is needed now more than ever in overcoming what has become a needlessly divisive issue.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Light a candle for sugar workers

Dear Editor, Prime Minister Moses Verasammy Nagamootoo is a true chameleon – this man can say different things at different times to suit his own selfish agenda. There are numerous examples to prove this.

For instance, at one time he spoke about not accepting a salary increase unless the public servants are paid an increase first. Then he spoke about the PPP/C government officials living ‘Cadillac lifestyle in a donkey cart economy’. Moreover, he always quoted the late Dr Cheddi Jagan about ‘a lean and clean government’- he emphasised this in the APNU/ AFC’s Manifesto when he added that the Coalition will ‘cut extravagance’. By now the public is fully aware of the hypocrisy of these utterances.

However, I would like to recall what this man said in a statement in the media on December 20, 2010. In that statement published in the Stabroek News entitled ‘Light a Candle for the Sugar Workers’, Nagamootoo said: “This year sugar workers were given not a cent either as wage increase as GuySuCo did not achieve its set target. The workers were literally expected to ‘produce or perish’ “.

This year, 2015, the sugar workers have produced yet they have ‘perished’. GuySuCo has refused to even sit with the Union to discuss any wage increase. What do you say to this, Prime Minister?

However, Nagamootoo

went on further. He said that:

“No one denies that the sugar industry is in crisis due to a combination of exogenous and internal management factors, low workers turn-out, work stoppages and inclement weather compounded the problem. But the sugar workers cannot be the only scapegoats for failure.”

Here again Nagamootoo quite accurately assessed the sugar workers plight and the problems faced by GuySuCo. So Prime Minister why is it that the sugar workers are made the scapegoats now?

This erudite gentleman further stated: “Give the sugar workers even a nominal wage increase. Zero is an insult, not an option.”

So this begs the question: Why not a ‘nominal increase’? Is ‘zero’ the only option?

Nagamootoo then concluded by quoting Ricky Singh: “As we observe Christmas, ‘Light a Candle’ for our sugar worker.”

Lighting that candle is now more opportune than in 2010 since the sugar worker were given a five per cent wage increase and incentive bonuses.

In conclusion, I exhort the Prime Minister to lead a candle light vigil in support of his sugar worker siblings, or does he truly believe this utterance in Parliament when he referred to GuySuCo as a ‘black hole’?

History has already condemned this man!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Teachers union should support corporal punishment ban

Dear Editor,

I am hoping that the Guyana Teachers Union soon sees it fit to support the call from various sections of our society for the total ban of corporal punishment in our schools.

For many years as a teacher and headmaster in schools in four regions of our country, I was a part of the system in which the cane was accepted as the most effective instrument of penalty for transgressions by students. This was so because teachers saw it as the fastest and most accessible method, which was tolerated by parents because for the most part they themselves knew no other means of discipline. This was also so because many teachers were unqualified and did not have the benefit of formal training at the

training college which included a course on educational psychology.

We all know of the many inherent dangers in the use of this inhumane method, physically and emotionally, both in the short and long term, including immediate personal trauma and physical injury, destructive attitude toward the teacher, the school and the society at large, development of an angry disposition, absenteeism and drop-out, low selfesteem and depression.

I now feel that the time is long overdue when the cane should have been cast aside, and all the relevant agencies should now join in exploiting techniques which must also form a part of the curriculum of our teachertraining college. I now suggest some of these which can be implemented:

Provide direct instruction to students in social skills, and reinforce this with teacher feedback, and other self-esteem enhancing activities; Devise a system to apply logical consequences that will teach students personal responsibility for their actions, for example, losing the privilege of participating in special school activities; Consider the use of time out, which may allow students to learn to take control of their actions and, ultimately, in conjunction with instruction in social skills, to cease their undesirable behaviour; Employ problem-solving classroom meetings and/or school assemblies with honest discussion of problems to encourage student ownership of and responsibility

for solutions; Maintain a system of ready communication with parents; Establish contractual agreements that clearly outline consequences with students and their parents to enhance the development of self-control behaviour; Develop a system of referring students to a counsellor, social worker and/or psychologist at the local or intermediate level and coordinate services with Social Welfare personnel.

I can almost guarantee that these methods will not only make whipping redundant, but will go a long way towards building a most convivial atmosphere in our schools.

Yours sincerely, Roy Paul New York

Govt needs to take note of Chinese generosity

Dear Editor,

The Stabroek News reported that “China ready to work with Guyana on renewable energy, infrastructure” (Friday, November 6, 2015). This is very good news which came out of a meeting held between the Chinese Ambassador Zhang Limin, President David Granger, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, Governance Minister Raphael Trotman and Minister of State Joseph Harmon.

The Chinese Ambassador says his Government will be working closely with Guyana in the areas of renewable energy and infrastructural development. But

the Granger Government needs to seriously take note of the generosity of the Chinese Government which in my view intends to provide continued donations for Guyana’s Economic Development.

In this connection while the Chinese Government

provides donations to Guyana you have the Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman on the other hand threatening to close down Chinese businesses in Guyana such as Bai Shan Lin which contributes significantly to the forest sector.

President Granger therefore should ensure that Minister Trotman cease at once his threats against Bai Shan Lin and other foreign companies in Guyana’s Forestry Sector.

Yours faithfully, Hubert Trotz

Page Foundation

By Kathy Caprino

While I spend my professional time now as a career success coach, writer, and leadership trainer, I was a marriage and family therapist in my past, and worked for several years with couples, families, and children. Through that experience, I witnessed a very wide array of both functional and dysfunctional parenting behaviours. As a parent myself, I’ve learned that all the wisdom and love in the world do not necessarily protect you from parenting in ways that hold your children back from thriving, gaining independence and becoming the leaders they have the potential to be.

I was intrigued, then, to catch up with leadership expert Dr Tim Elmore and learn more about how we as parents are failing our children today – coddling and crippling them – and keeping them from becoming leaders they are destined to be. Dr Elmore is a best-selling author of more than 25 books, including Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future Artificial Maturity: Helping Kids Meet the Challenges of Becoming Authentic Adults, and the Habitudes® series. He is founder and President of Growing Leaders, an organisation dedicated to mentoring today’s young people to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Dr Elmore had this to share about the seven damaging parenting behaviours that keep children from becoming leaders – of their own lives and of the world’s enterprises:

We don’t let our children experience risk

We live in a world that warns us of danger at every turn. The “safety first” preoccupation enforces our fear of losing our children, so we do everything we can to protect them. It’s our job after all, but we have insulated them from healthy risktaking behaviour and it’s had an adverse effect. Psychologists in Europe have discovered that if a child doesn’t play outside and is never allowed to experience a skinned knee, they frequently have phobias as adults. Children need to fall a few times to learn it’s normal; teens likely need to break up with a boyfriend or girlfriend to appreciate the emotional

maturity that lasting relationships require. If parents remove risk from children’s lives, we will likely experience high arrogance and low self-esteem in our growing leaders.

We rescue too quickly

Today’s generation of young people has not developed some of the life skills children did 30 years ago because adults swoop in and take care of problems for them. When we rescue too quickly and over-indulge our children with “assistance”, we remove the need for them

might make our children feel special, but research is now indicating this method has unintended consequences. Children eventually observe that Mom and Dad are the only ones who think they’re awesome when no one else is saying it. They begin to doubt the objectivity of their parents; it feels good in the moment, but it’s not connected to reality. When we rave too easily and disregard poor behaviour, children eventually learn to cheat, exaggerate and lie and to avoid difficult reality. They have not been conditioned to face it.

to navigate hardships and solve problems on their own. It’s parenting for the shortterm and it sorely misses the point of leadership –to equip our young people to do it without help. Sooner or later, children get used to someone rescuing them: “If I fail or fall short, an adult will smooth things over and remove any consequences for my misconduct.” When in reality, this isn’t even remotely close to how the world works, and, therefore, it disables our children from becoming competent adults.

We rave too easily

The self-esteem movement has been around since Baby Boomers were children, but it took root in our school systems in the 1980s. Attend a little league baseball game and you’ll see that everyone is a winner. This “everyone gets a trophy” mentality

We let guilt get in the way of leading well Your child does not have to love you every minute. Your children will get over the disappointment, but they won’t get over the effects of being spoiled. So tell them “no” or “not now”, and let them fight for what they really value and need. As parents, we tend to give them what they want when rewarding our children, especially with multiple children. When one does well in something, we feel it’s unfair to praise and reward that one and not the other. This is unrealistic and misses an opportunity to enforce the point to our children that success is dependent upon our own actions and good deeds. Be careful not to teach them a good grade is rewarded by a trip to the mall. If your relationship is based on material rewards, children will experience neither intrinsic motivation nor unconditional love. (Forbes.com)

– new survey looks at how parents are balancing the demands of work and family

By Melissa Willets

AThe short of it

new Pew Research survey finds that more moms are working full-time, and more dads are helping out at home, but many are still struggling to strike the right work/life balance.

The lowdown

The survey of 1807 parents with children under age 18 finds that 46 per cent of families now have two fulltime working parents. So it’s no surprise that more than half of them say juggling family and careers is a challenge. Moms are more likely than dads to say balancing a full-time job with parenting is very difficult.

But about half of the moms surveyed say they do more than their partners when it comes to caring for the kiddos when they’re sick and carpooling them around to every activity known to man!

Interestingly, fathers are more likely to say they share household responsibilities, while mothers are more likely to say they do more. Maybe it’s all the things we do that no one notices that account for that difference. My husband still believes in the magic toilet paper roll replacement fairy! It’s refreshing to hear that 62 per cent of couples who both work full time say they are equally focused on their careers. But, the survey suggests dads are still earning more than moms.

That being said, more dads in two-parent income families are sharing the load of household chores and parenting responsibilities versus homes where the mom doesn’t work outside the home or works part time. More than half of parents say they’re both responsible for the laundry, cleaning and cooking, as well as disciplining the children and enjoying family activities.

There’s an education gap in how parents view their ability to balance work and family life. College-educated working mothers are more likely to find it difficult, as compared to mothers without college degrees. The same disparity holds true for working dads. There’s also a racial gap; white moms and dads say the balance act is more difficult.

The upshot

Unfortunately, working mothers are twice as likely as working fathers to say advancing in their careers has been more difficult now that they have children, which once again, underscores the finding that moms take on the brunt of the work when it comes to day-to-day parenting responsibilities.

It’s also interesting to note that working parents say they don’t spend enough time with their children or their partners; nor do they have sufficient time to do the things they enjoy, proving there just aren’t enough hours in the day!

Perhaps the most relatable statistic to come out of this survey for me is that 4 in 10 full-time working moms and 3 in 10 moms who work parttime say they always feel rushed. Moms who don’t work outside the home are more likely to never feel rushed. Huh? Tell that to a mom-ofthree. And with that, gotta go. (Parenting.com)

Inauguration spending

Govt under pressure to come clean

Pressure is mounting on the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU/ AFC) government to end the secrecy on the profligate spending on events leading up to and including the grand Presidential inauguration ceremony at the Providence National Stadium.

Even after being drilled by the media on the matter at various forums, government ministers have continued to stonewall on providing details about the issue.

Questions submitted in parliament by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition on this public concern received ambiguous responses from government.

During a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Sunday, political commentator and former Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Henry Jeffrey forthrightly stated that government is obligated to make public the information on this matter and all matters of similar nature, especially now, given the magnitude of confusion surrounding the inauguration spending.

“The government should provide the public with what they spent. Is that a big thing for them to do? I don’t think it should be. Why is it so difficult for them to give the amount of resources

spent and say where the resources came from? I don’t understand.” Dr Jeffrey stated.

He reminded that the coalition campaigned on the matter of transparency and accountability and against this backdrop, drew the conclusion that government does not practice what it preaches.

“I mean, you campaigned on talking about transparency and all of that… I read the various articles in the press, but I still can’t understand what is their problem... they should provide the accounts and they should be transparent,” he noted.

Additionally, this publication spoke to former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran, a public supporter of the APNU/AFC, who also does not compre-

hend the apparent concealment over the matter. He too urged government to come clean on the inauguration spending issue, noting the administration is required by law to make these disclosures public.

“It is in keeping with our laws… any government department or government agency who receives gifts are required to value them and to bring them into account into the books of the ministry and to inform the auditor general so he can bring to account the value of these gifts into the public accounts,” Goolsarran stated.

He went on to say government is mandated by law to periodically make these disclosures public. He noted that the inauguration events took place since May yet to date no information has been released to the public on the matter, in spite of enormous public interest on this concern.

Nonetheless, Goolsarran said government can still make amends by publicly disclosing the answers before the New Year.

Conflicting reports

A number of conflicting reports are emanating from government regarding the inauguration spending.

Initially, State Minister Joseph Harmon had disclosed that government contributed minimally to the in-

auguration activities but the majority of the financial expense were covered by donations from private individuals.

Thereafter, on the final day of the Budget Estimates, Minister Henry succumbed to pressure from questions sprung by PPP/C Member of Parliament Charles Ramson Jr and revealed that millions of dollars were spent on the ceremony at the National Stadium.

Ramson had asked the Minister about a particular allocation under “subsidies and contributions to local organisations” under “Cultural Preservation and Conservation” within the Education Ministry and she disclosed that the money was spent on the inauguration ceremony and the T20 matches held in Guyana.

The PPP/C, after being denied the opportunity to

further prompt the Minister on this matter in that moment, had submitted a list of questions to the government seeking clarification on the issue.

But the response, government through its Education Ministry, Department of Culture Youth and Sport, stated that no monies were spent from government coffers on the events.

The PPP/C had asked government to provide a detailed list of all the costs incurred in relation to, and in preparation for, the Presidential Inauguration events held at Parliament Buildings, Independence Arch, National Stadium, Pegasus Hotel, and elsewhere, including the cleanup campaign that preceded those events.

The Ministry’s response is: “the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport was not required to provide any financial, technical, nor in-kind support in preparation for the Presidential Inauguration events held at Parliament Buildings, Independence Arch in Brickdam, Pegasus Hotel, and elsewhere, including the clean-up campaign that preceded those events.”

It remains unclear why government redirected the questions to the Education Ministry from the Finance Ministry.

Nonetheless, subsequently, Governance Minister Raphael Trotman was prompted on the matter during a post-cabinet press briefing. He revealed that some $1 million was spent from government while the other monies were from donations.

During the Budget debates, the Minister had said “Government had spent approximately $1 million and all monies beyond that had come from private contributions and companies.” Trotman made this comment despite the position of his colleague, Junior Education Minister with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Nicolette Henry who stated in her Ministry’s response that no State monies were spent to fund inauguration activities.

Nevertheless, Trotman assured that government will soon make this information public.

“We are now in the process of compiling that list and I see no reason why Government should not share, to the best of its abilities, how that list is populated in terms of how much. Some persons have expressed a view that their donations of contributions were to be anonymous, but I believe that in the best way as possible we will provide, once the tally is made,” Trotman said.

monday, november 9, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Speeding minibus collides with taxi

– reportedly ignored traffic light

Several persons escaped death on Sunday after a speeding route 44 minibus jumped a Traffic Light and collided with a city taxi at the corners of Camp and Middle Street, Georgetown.

The incident occurred around 12:00h. Eyewitnesses on the scene reported that the minibus with registration number BTT 8932 was speeding south along Camp Street and having disregarded the traffic light collided with a Crown Taxi HC 3219 that was travelling west along Middle Street.

The minibus slammed into the taxi and then swerved into a concrete pole on Camp Street avenue, which resulted in it being uprooted. Several

passengers sustained injuries and were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital for treatment.

At the scene, the minibus driver stubbornly refused to accept he was in the wrong, even though the bystanders

concluded otherwise.

Police arrived promptly on the scene and immediately launched an investigation.

National Drama Festival preliminaries commence

The Preliminary Round of The National Drama Festival 2015 a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth & Sport and Digicel Guyana, has begun.

Thirty eight plays will jostle for the finals set to be launched on November 20, 2015.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Education this year’s festival will see a mixture of experience with the likes of Francis Quamina Farrier, award winners Colleen Humphrey, Kijana Lewis, Sheron Cadogan-Taylor and Mark Kazim along with newcomers from across the regions.

Strong competition is expected from theatre groups in Linden, Buxton and Parika as they vie for attractive cash prizes and trophies.

So far 13 schools from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 & 10 are registered to compete in their finals to be held at Theatre Guild from November 23 to 27, 2015.

This year’s festival has $6 million up for grabs in the open, open short or one act, junior, debutante and secondary schools categories.

Prizes will be given out for best production, best new Guyanese play, best director, best costume, best set, best use of lights, best use of sound, best performing cast, best actor, and best actress, best performing cast, among others.

The official Opening Ceremony is scheduled for the National Cultural Centre on November 20, 2015 at 19:00h.

The finals also to be held at the National Cultural Centre is free to the public.

Eyew tness Fantabulous claims

…by AFC on wealth

The AFC’s become so “bassidy” from abuse by their erstwhile partner APNU, they’ve gone off the deep end. Guyanese’ve become so used to this sort of pathology in domestic relations they knew it was only a matter of time it’d be manifested in institutional arrangements modelled on the domestic one.

Back at the beginning of the year, the AFC tried to play hard-to-get as APNU assiduously wooed them to become hitched up for the elections. “What would our people say?!” exclaimed Khemraj Ramjattan, leader of the AFC. “They’re very conservative, you know. They might just cast us out and we’d be dead meat!”

But a faint heart never won a fair lady and after APNU persevered, a pre-nuptial agreement – dubbed the Cummingsburg Accord - was hammered out and announced on Valentine Day. “This is soooo modern,” cooed the chatterati. Over at Whim, Nagamootoo made the marriage analogy more explicit and swore there’d never be a “divorce” in this marriage made in heaven – or Georgetown Club.

But look what happened right afterwards – as so frequently happens in Guyana. Once APNU had its way with the AFC and got what it wanted – the Presidency –things changed.

AFC was allowed to have access to the credit card for shopping and other splurges – but had no power to make decisions on important matters. And we’ve seen so often in the domestic scene, while in the beginning this seems very attractive, when the bride can spend millions to fix up the home, get new clothes after jetting off to foreign climes – it soon wears thin as ennui takes over.

And that’s when the frustration turns into anger and the neglected and trivialised party starts acting irrationally. And we arrive at the AFC. They took the time to convene a meeting of their executive to announce that the PPP/C had no “street cred”. Why? Because the PPP/C said, the AFC were dodging and ducking from an accounting of how they’d given themselves the whopping 50% pay hike.

“Not so!” blared the AFC. “We’re pure as the driven snow and it’s the PPP/C who havs‘fat cats’ salaries. And not only that …they have fabulous sums stashed away. And if we fink, they’ll be shamed!” Now earlier the same week the AFC’d issued their bitter denunciation, a poor abused lady in a three-way relationship tipped off the cops as to some AK-47 bullets the wanker had stashed away in his latrine.

And she gave the AFC an idea: embarass the PPP/C who’d been the old flame of their two top dogs.

But the question is: will they be producing evidence of the PPP/C’s perfidy, like the bullets in sh*t? It’s “put up or shut up” time!

…on democracy

Seems the AFC really never learnt that “Staan easy better dan beg pardon”. Hitting out in rage against the PPP/C because they knew they’d been cuckolded, they didn’t stop with the “throw talk” about “fabulous sums” of secretly stashed cash. They screeched it was “hypocritical” for the PPP/C to accuse them of placing Parliament on “pause” since they’d “prorogued” Parliament.

Now let’s look at this claim. The AFC – as it admitted –had brought a “no confidence” motion – the most extreme motion in Parliamentary affairs since it can bring down a government. As has occurred in almost every Parliamentary democracy in the world, one CONSTITUTIONAL device to seize the initiative and control the Parliamentary agenda of the Executive, is to prorogue Parliament.

Canada did it, England did it and even the birds and bees probably did it. But postpone Parliament because the Ministers have to jet off on shopping binges?

O tempora! O mores!

…on salaries

Ramjattan declared the GPL fella who gave himself a retrospective raise should be criminally prosecuted. How about the retrospective 50% raise from July 1 - that adds up to $475 million - the Cabinet gave itself?

Not criminal? How about venal?

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

Venezuela expands PetroCaribe investments

– Guyana not included

BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM

Rice farmers throughout Guyana continue to hope that the APNU/AFC administration will follow the advice of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, and seek out the Venezuelan government to re-establish the once lucrative PetroCaribe deal that the two countries shared.

If and when the Guyana government will pursue this move to rescue the country’s failing rice industry is yet to be announced.

However, Venezuela has already begun expanding PetroCaribe investments and the latest country to benefit is St Vincent and the Grenadines.

According to a recent report by “venezuelanalysis.com”, on Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pledged new resources to St Vincent and the Grenadines while proposing a special economic zone in the Caribbean to strengthen regional trade.

President Maduro had made these promises during a diplomatic visit to the island nation.

Guyana Times understands that the Venezuelan Head of State, while engaging top government officials in St Vincent, warned that ideas for “domination of our peoples are recycled,” and that the old ways of domination now wear “new masks.”

It must be noted that for close to 10 years the Venezuelan PetroCaribe alliance has supplied almost 20 neighbouring countries with fuel and favourable terms for payment.

These payment terms

include low-interest loans, while investing in community projects including hospitals, schools, highways, and homeless shelters.

Meanwhile, a Venezuelan report stated that President Maduro “checked up on a number of such projects” initiated by his predecessor Hugo Chavez, including a $32 million fuel storage and distribution plant named after the late president.

According to official data, this plant presently provides energy for over 90 per cent of St Vincent.

This newspaper also understands that the Venezuelan President also visited the soon to be opened Argyle International Airport, which had received substantial support from PetroCaribe in 2008.

It was also reported that President Maduro posited that PetroCaribe today is the “backbone” of the energy, social and economic development of the Region.

Additionally, he is seeking a regional hub to serve as a centre for construction of more than 50 homes, to be financed by the oil alliance. Approximately 7500 of laptops were promised to be distributed by the government of St Vincent.

However, with Venezuela now expanding its services and making agreements within the Caribbean and keeping Guyana out of its plan, it is unclear whether the APNU+AFC government will approach the Spanish-speaking nation with any proposals.

In recent weeks, the Venezuelan leader has visited Antigua, Suriname, St Lucia, and Grenada to dis-

cuss possibilities for a “powerful commercial economic zone” in the region, to protect against United States monopoly.

Late last month, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dennis Moses visited Caracas as the two countries discussed joint projects to exploit new gas deposits on the sea border of both countries, as well as to enhance the proprietary information on organized crime in the area.

For a number of years Venezuela, under the leadership of the late President Hugo Chavez, had inked “rice for oil deal” with the Guyana.

This arrangement was secured under the then People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration and resulted in Guyanese rice farmers, and the country as a whole benefiting tremendously.

However, following the APNU+AFC coalition coming into power this year, and Venezuela also having a new government, the relationship the two countries previously shared disintegrated.

Eventually Venezuela officially ousted Guyana from inking another PetroCaribe deal by turning to Suriname to supply their rice needs under the same arrangement in October last.

The agreement signed between President Maduro and his Surinamese counterpart Desi Bouterse, will allow Suriname to continue to receive favourable rates on oil in exchange for rice from that country. (kristenm@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Bath Settlement street lights removal

Manickchand condemns act

– says one Minister’s pay increase could provide 394.9 street lights

People’s Progressive Party Region Five representative and Former Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Sunday condemned the removal of the street lights in Bath Settlement, Berbice.

Residents of Bath Settlement had recently taken to the streets to protest the removal of the lights within the community. The protest commenced after the new government made a decision that the community would now have to pay for the electricity of its street lights.

The Private Sector in the region had asked for

one month to come up with a payment plan, but the lights were removed after their time had expired.

However, Former Minister Manickchand took to social media and stated that the government ministers’ increase could have been allotted to assist in the situation. Manickchand stated: “If we took away only on single Minister’s pay increase… not pay, just the increase from only one single minister, we could get 394.9 street lights, and Bath Settlement only needs about 20.”

The MP further added that a large number of communities would be able to receive electricity if all the salary increase were to be annulled.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) on Sunday reported that GPL is in continuous talks with residents of Bath over the “niggling” street-light issue. The report stated that GPL, after meeting with the Regional Executive Officer of Region Five and his engineer, and then interfacing with residents, made it clear that ‘issues were badly handled’ in the very inception.

The power entity had clarified it is responsible for the supply of electricity, and not the installation of ‘street lamps’ and automatic power supply for these, as they are personal matters and fittings, and are quite different from regular GPL street lamps.

Infrastructure Minister David Patterson had shared that the Neighbourhood Democratic Council is responsible for paying the bill in Bath Settlement, and this was not done. The minister also shared that GPL cannot afford to subsidize electricity cost. He added that if the NDC can provide an arrangement for the payment, then the lights will be reinstated.

Woman killed as truck topples off Harbour Bridge

– husband survives

An early Sunday morn-

ing trip for two vendors turned tragic when the Canter truck in which they were travelling plunged off the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), resulting in the death of the mother of one.

Dead is Gangaday Persaud, 22, of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo. Her husband, known as “Rio” survived and was taken into Police custody to assist with investigations. According to reports, the couple were travelling on

the Harbour Bridge in the retractor span area (where there are no rails) at about 05:00h when the husband noticed a bag of boulangers (eggplant) had fallen off the tray. Reports are that the man attempted to turn around the Canter to retrieve the sack when he lost control. This resulted in it toppling over the bridge and into the Demerara River.

Eyewitnesses said the bridge was wet and as such when the driver lost control the truck skidded and ended in the river.

It must be noted that U-turns, overtaking and reversing are prohibited on the DHB. Both man and wife went overboard with the Canter. However, the husband managed to free himself before the truck went too deep underwater, but his wife got pinned down under the vehicle.

Guyana Times understands that the couple was transporting goods and vegetables to Georgetown and Plaisance, where they normally conducted business at the markets.

A relative told this newspaper that she received a

call from another relative informing them of the accident.

“I got a call from my cousin and he told me about the accident. I don’t know much of what happened. Just that he fell over in the river and that the truck fell from her side, so he managed to climb out but he couldn’t save her because she went under the truck,” the relative stated.

At the scene of the accident, family members were in utter shock. The mother of the deceased was crying uncontrollably and had to be taken away because she was fainting frequently.

WCD home robbed during motorcade procession – after 12 hours Police failed to investigate

BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM

AWindsor Forest, West Coast Demerara (WCD), family of four has been left traumatised and in disbelief after they returned home just after midnight on Sunday to find the house vandalised and their money and jewellery stolen.

Tameshwar Narine also known as ‘Kutch’ of Lot 114 Fourth Street, Windsor Forest told Guyana Times he and his family went to the Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground on Saturday to witness the Diwali motorcade procession.

He said he left home at about 18:00h on Saturday to meet his family at the location.

According to Narine, when he and his family returned home, he noticed the television was not in its usual spot and realized something was amiss.

“When I got in the house I noticed the television was not on the table where it was… when we pulled the blinds by the bedroom doors we see all our clothes and the children clothes dumped all over and the clothes baskets were emptied. The wardrobe was ransacked and the money and all our jewellery we had was gone,” he lamented.

Guyana Times was told the thieves entered the house via a bedroom window. Some of the louvers were broken while others had been removed.

The television was found on the bed very close to the window.

“We called the police two times, you know, since around midnight when we discovered this and then in the morning again, and the

police at Den Amstel Police Station never came. Then an officer called and said how the matter was sent to Leonora Police Station and that they will deal with it, yet nobody has come and it has been almost 12 hours gone,” Narine stated.

When Guyana Times arrived at the Narine’s home on Sunday afternoon, the bedrooms were still ransacked and the window panes were lying on the bed. The family was still awaiting the arrival of police ranks to conduct an investigation before they touched any of the items strewn across the floor.

“I work at Stabroek market doing two jobs to take care of my wife and family and to build this house little by little and now all that hard earned money is gone. Nobody hear or see anything in this place because everyone around had gone to see

lice constable at the Den Amstel Police Station that the reason the matter had been transferred to Leonora Police Station is because his police station is not equipped to deal with such reports.

“We don’t have a Criminal Investigations Department (CID) or a Traffic Department here at Den Amstel so the matters are sent to Leonora Station. I am surprised a rank from CID has not gone there as yet because this report was made so many hours ago. Leonora has the CID rank and the rank should have already gone,” he explained.

According to a family friend, the constable at Den Amstel Station subsequently made contact with ranks at the Leonora Police Station around 13:00h to enquire as to why no rank had visited the Narine family or began an investigation.

the motorcade,” the man posited.

This newspaper was told the family’s loss in cash and jewellery amounts to over G$300,000.

Although Narine and wife had been living at that location for over ten years, this is the first time they have been robbed.

Meanwhile, this newspaper was told by a po-

The constable was told the Leonora CID rank should have already been in office since early Sunday morning but unfortunately other officers who were on duty had not seen the CID officer up to when the telephone call was made from the Den Amstel Station. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

Attempts to take over Red House

No ‘talks’ ongoing with Govt – PPP/C

BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM

In light of claims made by Attorney General Basil Williams, of meeting with a delegation from the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to discuss having the Red House ‘lease deal revamped,’ the Opposition is denying that such talks have occurred.

The PPP/C in a statement said neither did such talks occur between a delegation from the Opposition Party and the AG nor is any such “talk” currently on-going.

Guyana Times understands that in actuality the AG had met with representatives of the Management Committee of Red House, who had been advised by the PPP/C against such a meeting with Williams, particularly in the absence of any written communication from the AG Chambers on the matter.

“However, two members of the Management Committee persisted and proceeded to the meeting with Mr Williams only to have their views/proposals rebuffed by Williams as was predicted by the PPP/C,” the PPP/C said in its statement.

According to the PPP/C, the name ‘Red House’ is an exemplification of the fact that Dr Cheddi Jagan was, at that time, branded a ‘Red’ and ‘Communist’ and due to the fact that he lived at the time in that building it became known as Red House or the Red’s House.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Party is maintaining that former Presidents Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte were never deemed as ‘Red’ or ‘Communist’ and they never shared the ideology and philosophy of Dr Jagan.

As such, to suggest that Red House be the depository of Burnham’s and Hoyte’s work is not only “ludicrous” but “objectionable” to say the least, the PPP/C noted.

Cuba-trained Guyanese doctors to start working today – expresses satisfaction at quick resolution

BY ALEXIS RODNEY

ess than a month af-

Lter their plight was brought to the fore by this newspaper, the 92 Cuba-trained Guyanese doctors will finally be heading to work today.

Public Health Minister Dr George Norton told Guyana Times that as far as he is aware, everything was “taken care of” and the medical officers were on the way to commencing their careers.

Over the last week, the doctors were engaged with the Health and Public Service Ministries, signing contracts and ironing out minor issues.

“Red House is a symbol of the ‘Four Freedoms’ that Jagan so ardently believed in; it symbolizes his fight for Guyana’s independence, for the right of Guyanese to0 elect a government of their choice, for a democratic culture, and for peace and social progress,” the party noted.

It added that to associate Red House with Burnham and Hoyte would be a “historical misnomer” and contrary to the progressive anticolonial and anti-imperialist ideas, thoughts and memories associated with Cheddi Jagan.

Only three months after taking office, the APNU/ AFC coalition had indicated its interest in controlling Red House.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon had announced that the State Asset Recovery Unit was looking to control the building.

The Red House is located on High Street, Kingston, Georgetown. It was once the official residence of the Colonial Secretaries and prior to that was occupied and owned by Sir Eustace Woolford, a former speaker of the Legislature. Dr Cheddi Jagan lived there whilst he was the Premier of British Guiana from 1961-1964.

The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre was officially established in 1999 with intention was to promote research into and publish materials on the life, work and ideas of Dr Jagan.

This will also promote research into the history of Guyana’s struggle for Independence and social justice, the history of Guyana as a whole from the early 1940s to the late 1990s.

Dr Jagan was well known around the world as an incorruptible freedom fighter and revolutionary who dedicated his life to the freedom of the poor and powerless in Guyanese society. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

Speaking with Guyana Times on Sunday, some of the doctors who had initially brought their plight to this paper said they are “happy that the matter was dealt with so quickly by the minister of health and thank him for sticking to his word.”

Some also expressed happiness and excitement to be given an opportunity to serve the nation.

“For me, taking care of the sick and reducing the incidence of diseases is what I plan to do as a young doctor. Cuba taught us how to heal our population and not to be afraid to reach out to the population”, another doctor told Guyana Times Last week the Health Minister had told Guyana Times the situation that led to the Cuba-trained doctors being jobless was either one where the officials responsible had been “dragging their feet”, or one of sheer “negligence”. He had said he was prepared to do everything in his power to get the doctors on the job.

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monday, november 9, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Remembrance Day 2015 Veterans Legion to receive annual subvention – President Granger

President David Granger has announced the return of the fixed annual State subvention to the Guyana Veterans’ Legion.

The announcement, which was made on Sunday at a Remembrance Day reception hosted by the Legion at Coghlan House, Carifesta Avenue, was well received with loud applause from a packed room of mainly exservicepeople.

At the event, several cheques were handed over to the organisation inclusive of promised unpaid subventions in the sum of $1.5

Veterans Rest Home in Lamaha Springs to offset expense.

This brings the total to $4.8 million, which will help to improve the quality of life of veterans.

“We do not see this as a reward for past services. We see it as an investment in the future, so that young entrants in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) must know that they can look forward to a comfortable retirement,” the President said.

In addition to financial assistance, the President outlined several initiatives the Government will be im-

ans are living and working and making recommendations for improvements.

A Veterans Trust will be established to raise funds for the continuing education, training and resettlement of veterans following retirement. It will also seek to procure for veterans land for housing and agricultural purpose.

The Veterans’ Department, which has already been established at Base Camp Ayanganna, will be staffed and equipped to ensure veterans and their families receive entitlements from the State in a

million, a contribution of $300,000 from the Office of the Prime Minister, $1 million from President Granger as patron of the Guyana Veterans Legion, $1 million for the repair and maintenance of Coghlan House and $1 million for the National

plementing to assist veterans.

The initiatives include the convening of the National Veterans’ Commission on November 21. This Commission will be tasked with examining conditions under which veter-

timely fashion. All of these entitlements and benefits will be consolidated with the passage of comprehensive legislation.

President Granger said the Veterans’ Act will ensure the entitlements of soldiers and their families are

guaranteed and secured under law: “The State acknowledges and accepts its obligation to assist our veterans to ensure that they, too, can enjoy a good life. The State

will help to open opportunities for veterans when they leave active military service.”

President of the Guyana Veterans’ Legion, Lt Col

(ret’d), George Gomes said the greatest service a person can give to their country is to serve in its military. He said that as the aging process begins to take its toll on surviving veterans, there is need for institutionalised veteran care.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner Greg Quinn, who also delivered remarks, said it is important that countries continue to honour the memories of those who sacrificed their lives so that future generations can live in peace. “They have not and must not have died in vain,” he said.

Remembrance Day, also known as “Poppy Day”, has been observed by Commonwealth Nations since the end of the First World War.

Cuba-trained Guyanese...

Late last month, some of the new doctors who had graduated some two months prior, told Guyana Times they were unsure of their future and had to be seeking other forms of employment to garner income as they were being given the “royal run-around” by the Ministry of Health/Public Service Ministry when they sought to enquire about employment.

Norton said this should not have happened, especially with the new government in office: “We cannot allow our well trained doctors to be at home, never!”

He reminded that he had assured the new doctors at their graduation back in August that Government was prepared to assist them through this phase, and was also opening avenues to have them further their studies in any particular field they want to specialise in.

Norton however lamented he could not see why the doctors, whom he had already begun building a relationship with, could not have gone to him first with the issue.

He said too that although they did not sign their con-

tracts, they were free to begin working at their specified places of employment until their contracts were ready.

But the doctors who had spoken with this publication explained that their only concern was the signing of a contract, which they said would seal their commitment to the Government and people of Guyana.

The doctors explained that if they did not sign a contract, they could not just simply show up at any medical institution to work. “It would be illegal,” they had told Guyana Times

Guyana shines at International Expo in Italy

– Limacol a huge hit at the Expo –

Communications Officer

The Guyana Tourism Authority has declared Guyana’s participation at the recently concluded Expo Milano 2015, a “resonant success”.

Under the theme, “Feeding the Planet; Energy for Life”, the occasion which commenced in May and concluded in October, took place in Italy, with Guyana being one of eight Caricom countries to participate.

According to GTA Director Indranauth Haralsingh, this is the largest and longest sustained destination promotion for Guyana, which sought to promote the country as an attractive tourist destination.

Haralsingh noted that such World Expos usually occurs every five years and of recent, Guyana has been a part of Expo Zaragoza in 2008, Shanghai Expo in 2010 and now Expo Milano. The next Expo, he noted, is scheduled for Dubai in 2020, where Guyana is to once again participate with aims to promote the wonders that the country has to offer.

Guyana’s four-member team at the fourmonth event were Senior Communications Officer of GTA Chevon Lim, GTA’s Investment Officer, Kamrul Baksh, Toshika Logan, a research and planning analyst from the Tourism Ministry, and Surijdai Ragubar, a tourism Development Officer also from the Tourism Ministry.

The GTA Director also stated that it was particularly excellent to create tourism awareness to build on destination branding after which there were a lot of inquiries from visitors about what they can expect from a visit to the land of El Dorado.

GTA’s Chevon Lim told the media that Guyana was not a known destination in Italy but the team’s presence

Diwali celebrated by US Congress

The US Congress celebrated Diwali with more than 1000 Indian American invitees, including Guyanese and other Caribbean people, attending.

Diwali has been celebrated annually in Congress and at the White House over the past 15 years. Some 30 members of Congress partook in the celebrations last Wednesday evening. The event was used to celebrate the accomplishments of the Indian American Diaspora.

The annual celebration, which attracts people and organisations from all over the US, was organised this year by Congressman Ami Bera and Congressman George Holding, Democratic and Republican co-chairs of the Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

The Members of Congress say Diwali at Capitol Hill provides an opportunity to meet with members of Congress and

there presented a firsthand opportunity to showcase this country to the 768,000 visitors who passed through the pavilion on a daily basis.

Lim said the Expo also allowed them to promote export-ready Guyana products, and to interact with international media in an effort to enhance the overall image of Guyana.

She added that the local team received positive feedbacks from the many visitors to the Guyana booth and noted many visitors openly claimed Guyana had the most attractive brand logo in the Caricom pavilion and close to one million visitors collected the Guyana logo.

The Communications Officer further explained they were able to introduce a wide range of Guyanese products to the European Market with the assistance of several local companies which contributed to Guyana’s showcase.

She said Limacol was a huge hit, as during hot days, visitors were given samples of the product and were quite astonished at its effects, and agreed they would readily purchase the product if it was available in Europe.

Lim also said foreigners are now aware that Guyana is one of the leading producers of sugar and rice in the Caribbean and that numerous European rum distributors expressed interest in Banks DIH products including their 10-, 12- and 15-year-old rum and their assortment of flavours of Rum Punch.

The local companies which supported this venture were New GPC House of Limacol, GuySuCo, Umami, THAG, the Guyana Forestry Commission, Banks DIH, Beharry and Company, Pomeroon Oil Mills, NAMILCO, Amazon Caribbean Guyana Limited, and Go-Invest.

other elected officials to celebrate the contributions of the South Asian community in medicine, business, technology, health care, arts, academics and much more.

Bera, the lone Indian American Congressman, and one of only two Hindus in the august body, in a release about the event said that the event celebrated “who we are and all

our community has accomplished.”

“Over the next decade, I look forward to making DC, the hub for connecting members of the community not just from the surrounding region, but across the country to celebrate our progress and talk about the future. The Indian American community has been playing a key

role in building needed ties between our two countries, and I congratulate the volunteers who worked to make this year’s Diwali celebration in Washington a success.”

US President Barack Obama celebrates Diwali at the White House later in the month. Guyanese Americans were invited to past celebrations.

Brazil dams burst: Hopes of finding survivors fading

Hopes of finding survivors of mudslides and floods on Thursday in Brazil are fading, the Governor of Minas Gerais State has said.

A huge wall of red sludge descended on the south-eastern village of Bento Rodrigues when two dams holding waste water from an iron ore mine collapsed.

Hundreds of rescue workers continue to search for 28 people who are missing feared dead.

The authorities have confirmed the death of one person.

Two other bodies have been retrieved, but officials are not sure whether their deaths were connected to the breach of the dams on Thursday afternoon.

They will carry out DNA tests to check if they are related to the 13 mine workers and 15 residents, including five children, who are missing.

“It is unlikely that the 13 workers who were at the dams will be found alive. We have to accept that,” said the Governor of Minas Gerais, Fernando Pimentel.

“The other 15 are missing and someone might eventually be located somewhere else, perhaps in a nearby village. But as time goes on, our hopes are fading,” he added.

Chile and Peru in border spat over La Yarada-Los Palos area

Chile has protested against the Peruvian Government’s decision to create a new district in a tiny disputed border area.

Chile says the move has no legal basis but damages bilateral relations.

Peru says residents in the new La Yarada-Los Palos district will be able to elect their representatives and take part in decisions about their future

The current row began in 2014, after the International Court of Justice gave Peru an additional area of sea.

the new boundary starts.

Chile says it starts from the same point on the coastline as it does now. Peru disagrees and says it begins 270 metres inland.

The creation of the new administrative district was passed by Congress last month and signed into law by President Ollanta Humala on Saturday morning.

The Chilean Government has issued a note strongly rejecting the move.

Humala said the creation of the new district was part of reforms to promote decentralisation and democracy in Peru.

The Opposition United National Congress’s December 5 leadership contest will be a three-way race following Saturday’s decision by UNC Senator Vasant Bharath to challenge incumbent UNC leader Kamla PersadBissessar and compete with contestant Roodal Moonilal for the top post.

The mine is owned by Vale and BHP Billiton and is operated by Samarco.

Samarco head Ricardo Vescovi told the AFP news agency that to the best of his knowledge, Brazilian law does not require an emergency alarm for dam failures. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Residents complained of not being warned once the Fundao and Santarem dams collapsed. Many saved their lives by running to higher ground when they heard the noise of the approaching sludge.

Three-way race for UNC Leader: Vasant jumps in

Bharath confirmed his decision to contest Saturday after a final meeting with his team, which will form his slate that includes UNC San Juan/ Barataria MP Fuad Khan. “This is more than just an internal UNC election for me, it’s about fully rebuilding and taking the party forward and more-

so all about T&T’s future,” Bharath added.

Bharath was scheduled to deliver remarks at Saturday night’s Diwali Nagar celebration in Chaguanas. When PersadBissessar addressed the Nagar audience on Thursday, she apologised for losing the September 7 general election and asked for support in her leadership bid. Certain religious teachings, she noted, showed that sometimes kinsmen had to go up against each other to do the right thing.

Moonilal, who also addressed a Nagar audience on

Friday, said he was aware of heartbreak over the general election outcome and promised “brighter days ahead”. Bharath, 58, has been meeting with various constituencies over the last three weeks to gauge members’ opinions and decide if he should contest. Following Saturday’s meeting where he confirmed his decision, he told the Sunday Guardian, “I’ve met with many of the major constituencies, executives, activists and influential people in the party and today I met with a group which will become my slate and will be launched after Diwali. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Venezuela says US intelligence plane violated air space

Venezuela said a US Coast Guard intelligence plane violated its airspace on Friday and that other planes with capacity to gather information were circulating close to the South American country.

“Forty-eight hours ago, an intelligence plane for the US Coast Guard took off from the air base in Curaçao,” Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said in a televised broadcast on Sunday.

“The most serious part is that this plane, a Dash-8

... violated air space, our air space,” he said, adding the aircraft was close to the western Los Monjes archipelago on the Caribbean coast.

The US Embassy in Caracas and the US Coast Guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Venezuela’s leftist Administration frequently accuses the United States, its ideological foe, of plotting to overthrow the Government and lay its hands on the

OPEC country’s oil wealth.

Government critics say Venezuela’s increasingly unpopular rulers are manufacturing foreign threats to rally its fraying coalition.

Padrino, dressed in military fatigues, said other planes able to collect information and take photos were close to Venezuela. A US aircraft carrier circulating in the region would be “very close” to Venezuela on the December 6 parliamentary elections, he added.

Opposition politician Henry Ramos took his criticism of Chavez’s struggling successor, Nicolas Maduro, to Twitter after Sunday’s accusations.

“Not even vultures fly around here,” he added, referring to the lack of international flights after airlines cut routes to Venezuela over debts.

Maduro has also clashed with neighbouring Colombia over alleged air space violations. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Bahamas PM says major investors eyeing bankrupt megaresort

BThe United Nations court gave Peru around 20,000 square kilometres (7700 square miles) and control over a further 28,000 square kilometres (10,800 square miles) of ocean currently in international waters.

The Hague court ruling was meant to put an end to a decades-old border dispute.

The two countries disagree, however, as to where

The Chilean Government has also accused Peru of deploying troops in the area, something Lima denies. The district is in the area where the 1879-1883 War of the Pacific took place. The war ended in humiliating defeat for Peru and Bolivia, which lost mineral-rich land to Chile. (Excerpt from BBC News)

US Coast Guard suspends search for passenger who fell from cruise ship

The US Coast Guard on

Saturday suspended its search for a passenger who fell off the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Oasis of the Seas

According to cruise ship workers, early Friday Bernardo Albaz, 25, jumped from the seventh deck of the vessel onto a life raft and then fell into the water.

The ship was about 17 miles east of the Turks and Caicos and 80 miles away from The Bahamas when Albaz fell.

Brazilian, was taunted by Royal Caribbean crew members at a bar on the ship late Thursday night. Winkleman said they were teasing Albaz because he was gay.

“There was a big altercation at the Solarium Bar on the Oasis. As a result went back to his room and was furious.”

Shortly after, according to Winkleman, ship employees arrived to the room.

“There are people who are major investors today in The Bahamas with a huge global reach,” Christie told reporters.

ahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie revealed on Thursday that several major investors are interested in purchasing the distressed Baha Mar multibillion dollar resort property, but lamented the fact that developer Sarkis Izmirlian is now on the sidelines of a development that he invested heavily in.

“There are investors from outside of The Bahamas who are interested and I presume by now the bank (ExportImport Bank of China) knows who they are, and have had discussions with some of them.

that over, then it’s going to be taken over by a world [class] kind of investor.”

“People will be pleased as those names surface to know that if those people are interested in being able to take

While the Government is not a part of any negotiations to sell the US$3.5 billion resort property, Christie said Baha Mar’s receivers are entertaining the investors. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

During a news conference on Saturday, Attorney Michael Winkleman who represented the Albaz family said there was a misunderstanding as to what led to the tragedy.

“Royal Caribbean says this was a domestic dispute and a suicide. It was anything but that,” Winkleman said.

It’s alleged that Albaz, a

“Royal Caribbean security comes on the scene and as a result of an altercation in his cabin, ends up somehow falling off the balcony and onto the lifeboat area where the metal is,” Winkleman said.

Royal Caribbean had claimed that Albaz intentionally jumped off the ship and a video showed him clinging to a lifeboat for about a minute before falling into the sea. (Excerpt

Vote count under way after historic Myanmar election

Myanmar is counting ballots after voting ended in the country’s first openly contested parliamentary election in more than 25 years.

Excitement ran high as voters had the chance on Sunday to decide if the military-backed ruling party will hold on to power, or hand over leadership to the main Opposition led by the Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Voter turnout was around 80 percent, the election commission said, with around 30 million voters who chose from thousands of candidates.

Although the outcome will not be clear for at least 36 hours, a densely packed crowd blocked a busy road beside the headquarters of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy in Yangon as they cheered and waved red flags.

Polling passed smoothly, with no violence or unrest reported.

“This day we can make a

makes the key transformation from military rule to democracy

change for the future, for the brighter future for our country,” a voter in Yangon, the country’s largest city, told Al Jazeera.

Many started lining up at booths across Yangon well in advance of polls opening at 6am local time. It took up to an hour for some to make it through the line and into the voting centres.

“This election is seen as more inclusive and legitimate compared with the last

election five years ago,” Al Jazeera’s Florence Looi reported from Yangon.

“International observers have been allowed in. People who didn’t bother voting in the 2010 election are turning up to cast their ballots.”

Phil Robertson, Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch in Asia, told Al Jazeera: “I think this time around, everybody has agreed to largely play by the rules. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Indian PM Narendra Modi in Bihar election setback

Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi has admitted defeat for his governing party in a key regional election in the eastern state of Bihar.

An alliance of regional parties took 178 seats out of 243. Modi’s party won 58.

Modi won a convincing victory in last year’s national elections, but this poll was seen as a referendum on his economic programme.

Defeat is a major setback for the Prime Minister, says the BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder, in Delhi.

However, a spokesman for the BJP rejected sugges-

tions the result was a personal blow for Modi, saying the party “managed a creditable performance”.

The Prime Minister had been hoping a victory in Bihar would boost his party’s strength in India’s upper House of Parliament, which is made up of representatives of state legislatures and where he lacks a majority.

With a population of 100 million, Bihar is one of India’s largest states and one of the poorest.

The BJP’s defeat in Bihar is the second consecutive setback for the party

since it swept to power in Delhi last year.

Earlier this year, the BJP suffered a drubbing at the hands of an upstart anti-corruption party in Delhi. Now a “grand alliance” of powerful regional parties has handed out a defeat in what is one of India’s most politically crucial states.

For India’s bedraggled Opposition, the Bihar victory is a major shot in the arm. They will now be emboldened to challenge Modi by forging alliances and change the narrative of Indian politics. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Bangladesh boy killings: Six sentenced to death

Six men have been sentenced to death in Bangladesh for torturing and killing two 13-yearold boys in separate incidents earlier this year. Four were found guilty of beating Samiul Alam Rajon to death after they said he

tried to steal a rickshaw. Six other men were jailed.

The murder, filmed by one attacker on his phone, caused widespread outrage. In the second case, two car mechanics were condemned for the death of a former employee.

Around the world

Burundi violence: Rwanda President Kagame condemns killings

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has condemned the upsurge in violence in neighbouring Burundi.

“People are being killed every day, bodies are found on the streets... Leaders are spending time killing people”, he said.

On Saturday, nine people were shot dead in a bar in the capital Bujumbura.

People began fleeing Bujumbura and other parts of Burundi before a Government deadline on Saturday to hand in illegal firearms.

President Pierre Nkurunziza warned that those who refused to obey the

order would be “dealt with as enemies of the nation”.

A cycle of violence began in April with protests against Nkurunziza’s controversial decision to stand for a third term.

He argued that his first term as President did not count towards the constitutional two-term limit as he was chosen by lawmakers.

In July, Nkurunziza was duly re-elected to a third term with 70 per cent of the vote.

About 200 people have been killed since April.

“It is sad that the African continent has a disease, to an extent that I will be blamed for meddling in an-

other country, that I should be diplomatic about it or I deal with it politically. But that can’t be, I am being frank and open,” President Kagame said.

“Leaders are spending time killing people. Bodies of dead people are scattered everywhere. Refugees are wandering everywhere –women and children – and you want to call this politics? What kind of politics is this?”

Kagame was speaking on Friday – but his comments were not broadcast until the following day.

Burundi’s authorities have so far not publicly reacted. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Russia flies home 11,000 tourists from Egypt

Russia says it has flown 11,000 tourists home from Egypt in the past 24 hours, and more will return on Sunday.

Moscow announced on Friday that it was suspending all flights to Egypt after a Russian plane crashed in Sinai –- having initially dismissed suspicions that a bomb brought down the jet.

Dozens of special flights were put on for tourists

wanting to go home.

A remembrance service has been held in St Petersburg for the crash’s 224 victims, most of whom were Russian.

The main bell of the northern city’s St Isaac’s Cathedral tolled 224 times –once for each of the victims.

Meanwhile, another Russian plane with the victims’ remains – the fourth since the crash on October 31

– landed at St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, as the identification process continues.

The United Kingdom has flown 3500 travellers out of Sharm el-Sheikh, from where Metrojet Flight 9268 took off for St Petersburg on October 31.

The UK halted flights to and from the resort on Wednesday, citing intelligence concerns that the Airbus may have been downed by a bomb. The flights were restarted Sunday.

Russia criticised the UK decision – but then on Friday announced it was stopping all flights to Egypt. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the temporary flight ban into law on Sunday. Russians make up close to one in three of all foreign tourists in Egypt, most of them holidaymakers visiting resorts such as Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Second deadly cyclone hits Yemen

ARakib Hawlader died in August after air was pumped into his body in retaliation for leaving his job.

Rajon was attacked in July after a group of men accused him of stealing a bicycle rickshaw van in the north-western city of Sylhet.

One of the attackers filmed the assault on his mobile phone. The footage showed the boy being tied to a pole and hit repeatedly with a rod.

The video, which was posted on the Internet, showed the boy pleading for his life and crying for water, and screaming: “Please don’t beat me like this, I will die.”

An autopsy found that the 13-year-old had 64 separate injuries. (Excerpt from BBC News)

t least one Yemeni was killed as Cyclone Megh, which formed in the Arabian Sea earlier in the week, hit Socotra Island as it travels west towards the mainland.

Heavy winds and rain are currently battering Socotra, Al Jazeera weather presenter Steff Gaulter said on Sunday, as the cyclone brings further threats of flooding and landslides in an area usually bereft of rain.

Yemeni Minister of Fishing, Fahd Selim, said that cyclonic storm Mengh killed at least one person and caused massive damage when it hit Socotra Island, which lies about 360 kilometres off the Yemeni coast.

“Residents of the Island are exposed to flooding and severe winds amid heavy rains,” Selim, a native of the Island, posted on Facebook.

Al Jazeera’s Gaulter add-

ed: “The storm strengthened significantly over the past 12 hours and now has sustained winds of 165 km/h, with gusts up to 200 km/h.

“This makes it the equivalent of a major Category Three hurricane on the five point Saffir-Simpson scale which is used to rate the strength of hurricanes in the waters around the Americas.

“A storm of this strength is likely to cause widespread

destruction, and is easily capable of damaging homes and snapping trees.” The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) predicts that Megh will continue its path west, making landfall somewhere between Aden and Mukalla on Tuesday. Al Jazeera’s Gaulter also said with winds of 200km/h, Megh will cause “far worse damage” than Cyclone Chapala. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

VOX POPULI

What the people say about I SAY...

The rise in the number of road accidents

Vishnu Mahadeo –Teacher (Essequibo)

“I think that drivers need to be more responsible while using the road. They need to be conscious that drinking and driving is wrong; we lost too many love ones on the road due to drivers being intoxicated; life is the most precious gift that one hold and as such drivers should try their utmost best to ensure the safety of themselves and others.”

Berachah Garrett –Teacher (Georgetown)

“Road accidents for a number of years have been one of the main issues affecting our population and contributing to the death toll each year. In the last few months there seem to be a surge in the occurrence of road accidents. The rehabilitation of new roads without speed bumps and adequate traffic lights is probably a factor, because now drivers can’t resist the urge to go fast instead of driving cautiously. Preventative measures which can be taken would be, reeducating drivers on the road safety, Ads on television and having campaigns highlighting the consequences of speeding and displaying them on bill boards. ”

Murtland Haley – Law student (East Coast Demerara)

“Drivers don’t exercise enough patience on the roadways. Most are in a rush to get here and there and don’t care as to how fast they have to drive nor how careless they have to arrive at their destinations. Some take too many chances on the road. There needs to be more police presence on the road. Not just to stop and check for licence and registration but to monitor people’s driving. Basic traffic control is needed. Drivers don’t exercise enough patience on the roadways. Some take too many chances on the road.”

Leon Faria – Ex-Police Officer (Berbice)

“There needs to be a resurrection and enforcement of the traffic laws. If you are going to penalize and impose harsh fines on persons who drink and drive then you have to do the same for animal owners. When last did someone appear before the court for suffering an animal to stray? The first step must be fixed and the police must insure that drivers are qualified before issuing them with a driver’s licence. Schools also have to play a role in educating children on proper road usage.”

Rozetta LatchmanEnvironmental Officer (Essequibo)

“There are far too many persons losing their lives due to road accidents at the cost of careless drivers. This has to stop. I believe whenever someone get charge for dangerous driving there should be stricter penalties so that persons can be perfect examples; once the laws are tightened then I believe people will be more conscious whilst driving.”

Cindy Jacob - Student (Essequibo)

“I believe that there should be a review of the age limit persons are being granted licence to drive. There needs to be more road safety signs erected in strategic areas on the Essequibo Coast guiding drivers especially at nights. Essequibo need street lights. The frequent patrol of cattle on the roadways has caused an increase in accidents.”

Philip Rose – Educator (Berbice)

“The police have a great role to play in reducing the number of road deaths. They need to have more breathalyzers on the road and also more speed guns. Too many persons are being allowed to drive while being under the influence of alcohol. Government had promised a better life for all so they need to put mechanisms in place to ensure that our roads become safer. I think that there should also be heavier penalties for persons who are caught speeding and anyone who is found driving while being drunk should be banned from driving for life.”

Sundat Sookai –Businessman (Berbice)

“For the last seven years there has been a lot of accidents on the road mostly caused by drunk drivers. Alcohol plays a great role in these accidents, so parents need to play a more meaningful role in educating their children. I don’t think that workshops could help them; they say that charity begins at home. Parents need to pay more interest in their children in teaching them right from wrong. Even pedestrians and those using bicycles need to be educated. You find a lot of bicycles without reflectors on the roads at nights. I think that the Government needs to step up their champagne against drinking and driving and also ensure that parents teach their children how to use the road wheather walking or driving.”

Shazam HussainTeacher (Essequibo)

“I believe that too many persons lose their lives due to reckless driving and consumption of alcohol. This must stop. Life is valuable and should be cherished. I also call for more traffic ranks on the road supervising traffic especially during peak time (school) hours.”

Darshanie Lall - Law Student (Essequibo)

“Road safety is a collaborative effort of the Government and the people. The conditions of our roadways need to be maintained as well as strict adherence to traffic rules. We need to adopt a responsible attitude towards traffic rules and also become more careful drivers. Speed thrills but it kills! Please keep a rein on your speed.”

Dwakar Sookall - President Number 56 Minibus Association (Berbice)

“Most of the time when you hear of an accident on the road in which a person or persons die, you would find that the driver was consuming alcohol. I think this is what causes the carnage on the road. As long as they drink they intend to speed. When they speed they lose control of the vehicle and eventually they lose their lives. My suggestion is for more breathalyzers and more policemen on the road with speed guns.”

Juan Edghill – Student (Georgetown)

“I believe one of the major causes is the system of licensing. Whether it is that persons have not gone through the necessary process and taken the examination or the knowledge of road safety is not being promoted strong enough in the driving course, the system of licensing drivers needs to be taken more seriously.

A continuous campaign on road safety can be started whether by way of music or billboards but citizens should hear fervently about road safety and practicing the 5C’s. More roadblocks should be set up at accident-prone areas namely the East Coast and East Bank at random times. Further, enforce the law when it comes to drunk driving and reckless driving, pedestrian walking etc. Citizens need to be notified that government is serious.”

National Diya lit as Diwali celebration commences

Pomp and splendour marked the illumination of Guyana’s first-ever National Diya on Sunday evening at the Rahaman Park Triangle, Houston, Greater Georgetown.

Its pink, red and gold glow brightened the roadways, signalling the commencement of the festive Diwali celebrations in the country.

Songs, dances and enlightening speeches were all part of the simple ceremony which was attended by a mass of Hindu Guyanese all

decked out in their richest garments.

Much like its traditional significance, the lighting of the National Diya is meant to serve as a symbol that Hindus can be proud of their rich culture, a reminder to shine light wherever there is still darkness, improve ignorance through gaining knowledge and light up Guyana for a brighter future.

A special guest all the way from Trinidad and Tobago, Sandesh Sri Ravi jiMaharaj, during his remarks at the ceremony, underscored the importance of

Diwali festivities across the world, and in Guyana. He said, “The idea of Diwali has embraced many different narratives…it invites such thinking of nationalism for this nation.”

The principle of nationalism was the key focus of the messages delivered by all during the ceremony.

Guyanese were urged not to view Diwali as a huge fete, but to remember the origin and true significance of the holiday.

A representative of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha encouraged all Guyanese as they celebrate Diwali whether on November 10 or November 11, to light diyas with their hearts and mind pure.

“Light over darkness; good over evil,” she chanted.

Former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali also delivered remarks where he urged all Guyanese to celebrate in love and unity.

The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Group is the mastermind behind the initiative and the organisers of the cheerful ceremony.

HSS representative Ravi Dev also joined his colleagues in wishing Guyanese a happy Diwali.

IRO urges Hindus to avoid political segregation

The Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) of Guyana is urging the Hindu community to celebrate the auspicious festival of Diwali on “whatever day they deem fit”, and to shy away from politically motivated segregation.

The IRO has as part of its mission, the mandate to foster religious cohesion in Guyana, and while its members were drawn from varied religious and spiritual bodies, with contrasting sacred tenets, the group said it was the right fit to work together to foster harmony among and across all groups.

Chairman of the organisation, Reverend Ronald McGarrell told Guyana Times that the Hindu community should seek to find common ground amongst themselves. He stressed that this holiday celebrate moments of togetherness and

the segregation in the midst of one’s religion should not be so.

Over the years, the IRO has been an unassuming participant in several national cohesion and harmony endeavours. Its decade-long existence has also provided it with a track record of consistent, harmonious inter-denominational and inter-religious cordiality.

“Our annual inter-faith Prayer Breakfast sees us bringing together several factions of the religious and political spectrum, around an event of prayer. We are, therefore, willing to take on the challenge of brokering or fostering any discourse that lends to cordial and cohesive interactions of any religious or national body,” the IRO mentioned.

The group wished all Hindus a “Happy Diwali” on whichever day they chose

to celebrate it. It noted that it had been contacted by some concerned Hindus and would be willing to arrange a forum at which they could come to some consensus as to how they would determine their calendar of activities and observances, in a civil manner, to continue to foster peace and harmony across the country.

Discord over the date for Diwali 2015, began in October, when Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan announced that the gazetted date for Diwali was November 10, citing the urging of some “90 pandits” as the cause, while a majority of the Hindu community objected stating that the official day should be the 11. This announcement prompted a national conversation both for and against the move. However, a consensus has not been reached as yet.

Diwali preparations

Diwali: Celebration and traditional food

By Hindus for selfless service (Hss)

Diwali is not just the Festival of Lights as some of us know it, but is one of the most divine, colourful, sacred and loveliest festivals of the Hindus which is celebrated yearly worldwide. Diwali marks the happy return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile. It is a festival of lights and festivities.

In traditional India, Diwali is celebrated for a period of five days which reflects local traditions such as lighting diyas or earthen lamps and an explosion of culinary delicacies which offers an array of tantalising sweetmeats rich in taste and high in flavour.

Indian sweetmeats are traditionally known as "mithai" – a cross between snack, dessert and confectionery. If there's one thing that captures the Indian culinary consciousness, it's mithai. Chickpea flour, rice flour, various beans, lentils and grains, squashes, carrots, thickened condensed milk or yoghurt are normally used as base ingredients to which cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios or raisins are added. Mithai are fragrant with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg.

While "laddoos" and "halwas" are universally popular, some of the other sweetmeats are more regional specialities requiring elaborate preparation. In India as well as in Guyana, it is customary to exchange decorated boxes and bags of mithai with family, friends and co-workers.

Diwali sweetmeat preparation is very much a social activity which involves older women with the help of young people making dozens of sweetmeat delicacies; in the process, keeping the traditions alive. Diwali is also a vibrant, colourful, joyous celebration expressed through the medium of food.

Two popular sweetmeats prepared for Diwali celebrations are:

Ingredients:

Barfi

500g full cream powdered milk and 1 16 oz (170g) tin Nestlé’s cream

10 oz granulated white sugar

1 tsp finely minced ginger

1 pinch each of ground elaichi (cardamom), cinnamon and clove

1/3 cup water

candy sprinkles to your liking

Method:

Mix milk powder and cream just enough to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes. Rub the cream into the milk powder until it is the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.

In a big heavy pot, bring sugar, ginger and water to a boil. Add the spices.

Add the milk mixture to the pot and stir. Keep stirring until the mixture comes together in one clump and leaves the side of the pot as you turn. (This may be a little hard on the arms at this point, but it is important that the mixture not be too soft and crumbly.

Spread mixture into a greased cookie sheet and smooth the top. Add sprinkles.

Cut into squares before it is completely cool.

Gulab jamun

Ingredients:

1 cup of milk powder

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons (room temperature) butter

1/4 cup (room temperature) whole milk

Pinch of baking soda

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

4 coarsely ground cardamom seeds

1 tablespoon sliced almonds and pistachio

Oil for deep-frying

Syrup:

In a large pan, add water, sugar, and ground cardamom seeds, and bring to a boil.

Let boil for a minute, then remove it from the heat.

Stir the syrup until the sugar is dissolved.

Set the syrup aside.

Method:

Mix milk powder, flour and baking soda in a bowl.

Add the butter and mix well.

Now add milk to make soft dough. The dough will be sticky.

Let the dough sit for a few minutes. Milk powder will absorb the extra milk. If the dough is dry, add more milk to keep dough soft.

Knead the dough. Grease your hands with butter before working with the dough.

Divide the dough into approximately 20 equal portions, and roll them into round balls.

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. The frying pan should have at least 1½ inches of oil. To ascertain if the oil is at the right temperature, place a small piece of dough into the oil; it should take a minute to rise. If the dough rises faster, the oil is too hot; if the dough just sits without rising, the oil is not hot enough.

Place the gulab jamuns in the frying pan. Note: remember gulab jamuns will expand, so give them enough space.

It should take about 7 minutes to fry the gulab jamuns. While frying, keep rolling the gulab jamuns around so they are evenly browned. Fry until the gulab jamuns become dark brown.

Let the gulab jamuns cool off for a few minutes before placing them in the hot syrup.

The gulab jamuns should sit in the hot syrup for at least 20 minutes prior to serving. Gulab jamuns can be kept at room temperature for about a week, and for up to one month when refrigerated. Gulab jamuns can be frozen for months.

Let us go and light diyas where there is darkness still. Individualism has taken over. ‘I’ and ‘mine’ are the words ruling the minds of people. The beast within the humans has exploited the bountiful Mother Earth. ‘The Earth is our Mother and we are her children’ – this feeling is proving to be false. All these poisonous thoughts are looming large over the whole world under the name of globalisation.

But, we are not scared nor will we give up. We will forge ahead. We will rest only when we bring about, like a storm, a noble mental revolution. Look! In our organised strength, we are already seeing the light.

On Diwali and in the coming year…May you be blessed with success, prosperity and happiness!

Shubh Diwali!

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

If something needs to be done, hop to it and make it happen. Procrastinating is not your style, so stop floundering and do whatever is necessary to take care of unfinished business.

Let your voice be heard. Don’t play second fiddle to someone who is trying to outshine you. Socialising and networking will lead to prospects. Self-improvement will boost your confidence.

Stay focused and avoid letting anyone distract you from taking care of your responsibilities. Be aware of anyone who is being overly nice or complimentary, and don’t share personal information.

Make plans to do things you enjoy or to look into new interests that have the potential to raise your income. A day trip will lead to greater emotional awareness and satisfaction.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

You can initiate change, but make sure you get the approval of those your plans will affect before you begin. A competitive situation will be enhanced by worthy opponents.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Consider your options and pick a direction that will lead to greater freedom. You can focus your energy on a goal that has eluded you in the past.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Volunteer your services in order to encounter people with something to offer in return. If you gather information, you will formulate a solution that will be well received.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Consider whether you still enjoy your job. Attend a seminar, trade show or networking function that will allow you to check out other possibilities. Romance is in the stars.

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Not all roads lead to victory. You will have opportunities, but will also face opposition. Don’t believe everything you hear. Be cautious while travelling and careful when sharing information.

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

Don’t let unpredictable people cause you to be uncertain. Do your own thing and be ready to take on more if that’s what’s required to get things done. Choose what works best for you.

AQUARIUS

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Resolve any personal problems you are facing with friends, family or loved ones. Ask questions before making assumptions. Do your best to make a solid financial change.

Something will surprise you. A chance to collaborate with someone you respect or to forge a partnership that allows you to use your talents and skills more diversely looks promising.

NBA: Lakers veteran Bryant hints at retirement

No one knows if this will be Kobe Bryant’s last year. Not even the Los Angeles Lakers great himself.

Kobe Bryant’s 20th season in the NBA has not gone the way he would like so far and he is not sure if it will be his last.

The Los Angeles Lakers are 1-4 this season, while it is taking longer for Bryant, 37, to recover in between games.

Bryant - averaging 16.2 points and shooting just 32.1 percent from the field through five games - tore a rotator cuff in his right shoulder in January.

The NBA’s third all-time leading scorer insists it is too early to decide whether or not he will return for another season or hang up his sneakers when the campaign is over.

“If you asked me today, this would be my last year,” Bryant told reporters on Saturday. “But you never know.

“We’ll keep it open.

Whatever happens, happens.”

Bryant is in the final year of his deal with the Lakers. Phil Jackson, his former coach with the Lakers, said he thought Kobe would play past the 2015-16 season, even if it was outside of Los Angeles.

However, Bryant was definitive about not playing for another franchise.

“I’m a Laker for life. I’m not playing anywhere else, no matter what,” Bryant said on Friday. “It’s just not going to happen.” (Digicel Sportsmax)

Mixed emotions for beaten centurion Samuels

West Indies centurion Marlon Samuels said he would swap his latest ton for a victory after Sri Lanka inflicted more misery on the tourists.

Marlon Samuels had mixed emotions after his century could not help West Indies avoid another defeat, as Sri Lanka completed a one-day international series whitewash.

Samuels followed up his knock of 63 in the second ODI on Wednesday by making a magnificent unbeaten 110 from only 95 balls in Pallekele on Saturday.

It was very much a oneman show from the tourists though, with captain Jason Holder’s 19 the next best score as they could only post 206-9 in a game reduced to 36 overs a side due to rain.

Sri Lanka were 1805 needing just another 10 runs to reach their revised Duckworth-Lewis method target when the bad weather returned and they were subsequently declared the winners by 19 runs.

West Indies lost both Tests in Sri Lanka and Samuels said he would

swap his ninth ODI ton for a half-century and a victory after they were consigned to a 3-0 series defeat.

ship with one of the guys, but it didn’t come off.

“I started something with Jason, that went on for

He said: “If I’m making a hundred and the team lose I take it and it goes down in the book, but I’d rather make 50 and the team win.”

Samuels was also left to rue a lack of support as wickets tumbled around him, but was thrilled with his innings.

“It means a lot. The situation is that I needed to bat through, so the focus was there to bat right through. I wanted to build a partner-

a little bit but nevertheless my focus was to give them a target to bowl at.

“Usually when I get a start and get in a groove I just enjoy my batting and pick the right balls and today it was just flowing. I made good use of today and took the opportunity with both hands.

The first of two Twenty20 internationals takes place in Pallekele on Monday.

(Digicel Sportsmax)

NBA: Curry leads Warriors to another win, LeBron inspires Cavs

NBA MVP Stephen Curry posted a double-double to help the Golden State Warriors extend their unbeaten record.

Reigning NBA champions the Golden State Warriors maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 119-104 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

NBA MVP Steph Curry continued his impressive early form with 34 points, including eight three-pointers, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

Harrison Barnes contributed 21 points for the hosts as Danilo Gallinari topscored for Nuggets with 25 points.

Championship holders the Warriors have lit up the league so far and boast a perfect 6-0 win-loss record.

LeBron James scored a season-high 31 points to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to a

108-102 win over the lowly Philadelphia 76ers.

Following a lacklustre first half in which the Cavs trailed 50-49, James hit 18 points in the third period to help record the team’s fifth straight victory over their winless opponents.

James reached another landmark milestone in the home encounter, clocking up his 9,000th career field goal in the second quarter.

In Friday’s other games, the Orlando Magic ended the Toronto Raptors’ five-

game winning streak with a 92-87 victory and the Boston Celtic ended their slide with a dominant 118-98 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Paul George returned to form to hit 36 points in the Indiana Pacers’ 90-87 success over the Miami Heat, whilst the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the New York Knicks 99-92 win.

James Harden had 43 points and 13 assists for the Houston Rockets, who saw off the Sacramento Kings 116-110.

The Atlanta Hawks extended their unbeaten run to six games over the New Orleans Pelicans courtesy of a 121-115 triumph.

Marcus Morris starred as the Detroit Pistons beat the Phoenix Suns 100-92, while the Los Angeles Lakers opened their account with a 104-98 win against the Brooklyn Nets. (Digicel Sportsmax)

South American 10k Peruvians upstage Forde – Nero repeats as female champion

By TreiSTon JoSeph

In a display of long distance team running

Peruvians Orellana

Yerson and Ostos Luis finish first and second respectively topping Guyanese distance prodigy Cleveland Forde at the 13th edition of the South American 10k on Sunday that ended in the National Park.

Yerson clocked a fast time of 31:08s to win the event along with a genuine eight pennyweight gold medal as well as $1000USD, Luis clocked 31:09s while

Kenneth Rotich of Trinidad and Tobago who is a born Kenyan finished third in 23:18s.

Forde, who was unable to keep the pace finished in fourth with a time of 33:05s while Rupert Green of Jamaica rounded out the top five with a time of 33:42s. The race started with a hot pace as a lead pack of seven athletes quickly broke free, however on the upward journey Cleveland Thomas and Matthew Mackenzie was dropped while Green was dropped at the turning point at the University of

Guyana’s road head. Forde only managed to hang on up until the Russian Embassy on the downward as the Peruvians simply dominated with tactical team running.

Meanwhile on the female side of the race, Trinidad’s Tonya Nero repeated as champion of the Guyana leg with a time of 37:51s while American based Guyanese Euleen Josiah-Tanner finished second with a time of 41:03s.

Andrea Foster of Guyana was third in a time of 42:06s while Kenisha Pascal of

Grenada was fourth in a time of 44:15s. Shantel Hinds of Guyana rounded out the top five with a time of 44:34s.

At the presentation ceremony the athletes were congratulated by the Minister of Health Dr George Norton as well as Banks DIH Water Brand Manager Errol Nelson.

The President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) thanked all the athletes for their participation as well as his sponsors for making the event a success.

WICB/PCL Regional 4-Day Cricket

Shillingford’s 5-for gives Volcanoes chance of victory against Jaguars

Shane Shillingford bowled beautifully to pick up his 31st five wicket haul while giving the rattled the Guyana Jaguars the Windwards Volcanoes a chance of victory in the first 4-day match of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League that continued on Sunday with its third day at the National Stadium, Providence.

With the Guyana Jaguars being skittled out for 95 runs in their second innings, the Volcanoes will need 230 runs for victory on the final day of the match.

The Jaguars batting line

played irresponsibly, with a number of bad shots as veteran batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpual was able to put together a composed innings of 34 runs while Vishual Singh chipped in with 24 runs.

Nevertheless, Shillingford’s plagued the Jagaurs’ batsmen with his trickery, picking up figures of 5-36 from 14.1 overs to add to his first innings figures of 6-107.

Support from fast-bowlers Kenroy Peters (2-13), Mervin Matthew (1-11) and Barbadian Kyle Mayers (220) were exceptional with their lengths, utilizing a

third day wicket to their liking.

Guyana lost their last six wickets for 61 runs and simply did not have the foundation to post a better total.

Earlier, Motie bagged

his first two wickets at the first class level to reduce the Volcanoes to 228-9.

The final day of the match will be contested today from 09:00h at the said venue.

SCOREBOARD

Guyana Jaguars first innings 362 Windward Islands Volcanoes first innings

T Theophile lbw b Barnwell 46

M Bascombe b Jacobs 11

D Smith c wkp Bramble b Jacobs 52

K Lesporis c Singh b Motie 38

S Ambris c Johnson b Motie 09

D Polius c&b Beaton 31

L Sebastein retired hurt 14

K Mayers b Jacobs 00

S Shillingford not out 10

M Matthew c wkp Bramble b Beaton 06

K Peters c wkp Bramble b Jacobs 00

Extras: (nb-2, w-3, lb-4, b-6) 15

Total: (nine wickets 89.4 overs) 228

Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-78,3-158,4-158,5-172,6211,7-212,8-227,9-228

Bowling: Beaton 17-356-2, Reifer 6-1-11-0, Jacobs 29.4-9-56-4, Barnwell 15-3-32-1, Motie 22-1-66-2

Revamping the WICB is what's best for business

It is no secret that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is in need of a massive overhaul.

The fractured relationship with the board and its male squad, the low payment structure for the female team along with the torn relationship with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) not only speaks of the WICB's lack of aptitude but also clearly shows the board's ineptitude.

These hosts of issues have transferred itself into the play of the male squad which as of late has been abysmal to say the least while causing the players to have issues with their own West Indies Players Association (WIPA).

Even though the women are on the rise in the shorter formats, they according to the CARICOM Cricket Review Panel no longer play Test cricket which severely cuts the development of women’s cricket.

Section C: State and Status of West Indies Cricket of the CARICOM Cricket Review states, “The Panel concludes that the current system of governance is anachronistic; the crises resulting from lack of cricket development, poor on-field performance and our unfavourable international reputation are deepening. We conclude that it is now urgent that a modern, transparent and accountable system of governance replace the existing model. The following section details our recommendations for the rescue and transformation of West Indies Cricket.”

The panel’s summary statement was even more direct in saying that, “Our main recommendation is that the Board should be immediately dissolved and all current members resign while an Interim Board is selected to work with a change management expert to install a new governance framework.”

The WICB has been an affiliated member of the ICC since 1926 with the West Indies gaining team status in 1928 before going on to win two World Cups in 1975 and 1979.

The West Indies from the mid 1970’s to the early 1990’s boasted one of the strongest teams in the world and to see that Windies cricket has hit the doldrums in this way is unequivocally a shame.

Cricket is dear to the Caribbean people and to dissolve the WICB would mean to erase 86 years of history.

Guyana Jaguars second innings

A Fudadin c Peters B Mayers 00

R Chandrika lbw b Matthew 05

L Johnson c wkp Ambris b Mayers 01

V Singh c wkp Ambris b Shillingford 24

S Chanderpaul lbw b Shillingford 34

R Reifer c Smith b Shillingford 00

C Barnwell c Matthew b Peters 02

A Bramble c wkp Ambris b Peters 01

S Jacobs c wkp Ambris b Shillingford 16

R Beaton c Polius B Shillingford 00

G Motie not out 6

Extras: (1-nb)

Total: (for 10 wickets, 48.1 overs) 95

FOW:1-3, 2-7, 3-7, 4-64,564,6-68,7-70,7-74,9-86,10-95

Bowling: Matthew 9-411-1, Mayers 9-3-202, Peters 13-7-13-2, Shillingford 14.1-2-365, Polius 3-0-10-0

What needs to be done is a revamping of the board and just like what occurred in 1996 when the board change its name from West Indies Cricket Board of Control to its current name, such should happen with this current board along with personnel changes in all posts while installing the recommended development programmes as stated in Section D of the review report such as modeling its managerial and development structure after Cricket Australia.

We must also remember that CARICOM’s involvement means government’s involvement and the International Cricket Council (ICC) prohibits governmental involvement on such a macro level in cricket.

It is a very delicate time in West Indian cricket history as fans are losing patience as well as the players. Decisions made going forward can possibly have a ripple effect whether negative of positive.

In addition, the report also noted in its summary review that it’s does not have a problem with the board’s leader but with its structure and administration of the sport.

This shows that there is a possibility for a cohesive approach to take place where CARICOM can probably bring all stakeholders together inclusive of the players to carve a clear path forward.

Nevertheless I do believe that for the sport to move forward a revamping of the board and not dissolution is required.

YELLOW

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21 sports

Williamson, rain give New Zealand a chance

Kane Williamson and sub-tropical Brisbane conspired to give New Zealand a fighting chance of escaping the Gabba with a draw on a fourth day when Australia did not take every chance that came to them.

Play did not resume after tea, which had arrived within moments of Nathan Lyon’s critical dismissal of Williamson. Starting as if simply resuming his first innings 140, Williamson was seldom troubled in gliding past 50, but on 59 shaped to pull Lyon and was struck on the upper part of back thigh in front of the stumps. The umpire Richard Illingworth gave it out, and the batsman’s review saw the ball grazing the top of the bails.

However, the significance of Williamson’s innings, and those of Tom Latham and Martin Guptill, was heightened by the damp evening session, leaving Australia to take another seven wickets in the face of further rainy weather on the final day. To get a draw out of Brisbane would be a major fillip for New Zealand, who have looked underdone in the first Test but may be better placed with another week’s training ahead of the second match in Perth.

Australia had been forced to toil hard as Latham, Guptill and Williamson all put a high price on their wickets. They were also unable to make the most of the opportunities, with Guptill twice missed in the field and Australia’s captain Steven Smith frustrated at times by his bowlers’ inability to bowl to the fields he was setting for them.

Smith had declared shortly before play to set

New Zealand 504 to win or more realistically two days’ batting to escape with a draw. On an overcast morning, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson both had the new ball swinging dangerously, and Latham and Guptill did well to survive numerous probing deliveries as a stacked Australian slips cordon waited expectantly.

Guptill was fortunate to survive when he bunted his first ball from Johnson into the midriff of Joe Burns at short leg, but the chance spilled out of fumbling hands. He was again lucky 17 overs later when a backfoot forcing stroke burst through the fingers of Lyon at point.

Latham, meanwhile, escaped one concerted caughtbehind appeal when the ball was shown to have brushed his back thigh, and also edged Josh Hazlewood short of first slip. Eventually Starc found a hint of inswing to strike Latham on the toe, minutes before light rain

and darkening skies brought an early end to the morning session. The umpire Nigel Llong gave Latham out, and replays showed the ball would have taken a part of leg stump.

On resumption, Williamson was quickly into stride, and Lyon looked the man most capable of breaking through by using the variations in spin and bounce he could extract from a fourth-day pitch. For a time Lyon struggled to get his line right, and when he finally claimed Guptill’s

outside edge for a catch by Smith after one lbw appeal and review had been turned down, the captain gestured pointedly to a line wider of the off stump.

Lyon bowled better from that point, and found a way through Williamson to tilt the match towards Australia. There was only a matter of centimetres in the ball-tracker verdict, but the good fortune Smith’s men enjoyed there was to be offset by the poor weather that followed the interval. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Jorge Lorenzo beats Valentino Rossi to win third title

Jorge Lorenzo won the MotoGP title for the third time with victory in the final race of the season in Valencia.

The Spaniard, 28, began seven points behind Italian Valentino Rossi, who had to start at the back of the grid as a penalty for clashing with Spain’s Marc Marquez in the previous race.

Seven-time MotoGP champion Rossi, 36, would have won his first title since 2009 with a second-place finish.

But he was fourth as Lorenzo led from pole to win his seventh race of 2015.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow began at the very back of the grid after suffering mechanical difficulties shortly before the start, but Rossi was only one place above him and launched a thrilling charge through the field.

He gained 11 places on the first lap alone and reached fourth place with 18 of the 30 laps remaining.

The charismatic Italian could make no further pro-

gress but could still have won the title had the Hondas of Marquez and Dani Pedrosa both passed Lorenzo. Both were closing but their battle for second allowed Lorenzo some precious breathing space and he calmly took the chequered flag.

“I was under a lot of pressure, the rear tyre was destroyed,” said the Spaniard, who was surprisingly subjected to boos from sections

of his home crowd. He has now won five world championships in total - three in MotoGP and two racing in the 250cc category.

“I just tried to focus and go as fast as possible, the bike was moving around so much. I was praying to finish the race. Now I am fivetimes world champion, it is easy to say but hard to do.

I am very proud. This is a world title for Spain!” Marquez, 22, who relin-

quished his world title, finished second in the race. He said: “I was preparing an attack for the last few laps but when Dani went past me I lost time.

“I tried to take Jorge in the last corner but there was a lot of risk and I nearly lost the front. Second place is not the best way to end the season but next year we will fight for the championship again.”

(BBC Sport)

GTT Round Robin Knockout tournament Winners Connection impress on opening night

– New Amsterdam win as well

By TreisTon Joseph

Action in the Guyana Telephone Telegraph (GTT) Company

Round Robin Knockout tournament kicked off with two thrilling games on Saturday evening at the Number 5 ground, Berbice.

Winners Connection in the featured game of the evening man handled Rosignol United 6-1 to gain their first points of the group stage.

Rosignol got off to a hot start to send the crowd into a frenzy as Oswin Carmichael scored the game’s first goal 17 seconds into the game

However, Fitzroy Chin would equalise in the 17th minute before fluid passing allowed Marmalaque Davidson went on a goal scoring rampage with a hattrick in the 43rd, 55th and 62nd minutes.

Rawle Gittens would go onto score in the 68th minute to add to the score line before Derrol Danity’s 89th minute goal that was the exclamation mark.

Meanwhile in the opening encounter of the tournament, New Amsterdam United topped Milerock 2-1 in a thrilling encounter.

With both teams a bit

tentative in the early going, Adrian Adams drew first blood in the 26th minute to put New Amsterdam ahead in the first half.

Jermaine Grandison of scored the equaliser in the 70th minute to silence the large crowd in attendance.

Nevertheless Adams displayed some heroics scoring the winner in the 85th minute to record his first double of the tournament.

Action in the tournament will continue tonight with two matches at the Victoria ground on the East Coast of Demerara.

WR Reaz not daunted by Group 3 competitors as race day looms

By Akeem Greene

Athletics doping: London 2012 medallists ‘suspected cheats’

London 2012 medallists are among suspected Russian drugs cheats who escaped bans when bribes were allegedly paid to the heads of world athletics.

The Sunday Times claims it has obtained a list of eight athletes who officials recommended should be banned in 2011.

But it is alleged Lamine Diack, then head of athletics’ world governing body the IAAF, and Dr Gabriel Dolle, the ex-anti-doping chief, received payments.

On Wednesday the pair were placed under investigation by French prosecutors.

Diack, who was in charge of the International Association of Athletics Federations for 16 years until the 82-year-old stepped down in August, is alleged to have received one million euros in payments in 2011. An additional 200,000 euros was allegedly paid to Dolle, to cover up positive doping tests.

Diack, Dolle and the former’s legal adviser, Habib Cisse, face preliminary charges of corruption by France’s financial prosecuting body. Diack also faces charges of money laundering.

New IAAF president Lord Coe, who has offered to co-op-

erate with French police, gave his first response to the sport’s latest crisis on Saturday evening. He said: “That people in our sport have allegedly extorted money from athletes guilty of doping violations is abhorrent.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) was already investigating the IAAF following allegations made in a German TV documentary in December 2014 of systematic doping and cover-ups in Russia. It passed on information to French authorities in the summer.

The agency is due to report the findings of its yearlong inquiry in Geneva on Monday, with one investigator saying it will reveal “a whole different scale of corruption” compared to an ongoing scandal at football’s world governing body, Fifa.

On Friday, international sports lawyer Richard McLaren, who is one of three Wada independent commissioners to have co-authored the report, said their findings were “going to be a real gamechanger for sport”.

“You potentially have a bunch of old men who put a whole lot of extra money in their pockets - through extortion and bribes - but also

caused significant changes to actual results and final standings of international athletics competitions,” he said.

He added his team had “found evidence to support what was said in the documentary”.

Diack ended his reign as IAAF president in August, when Briton Coe, a double Olympic 1500m winner, was elected as his replacement.

Meanwhile Diack’s son, Papa Massata Diack, is among four men including Dolle, charged by the IAAF over breaches of its ethics code.

The charges relate to covering up Russian marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova’s doping violations, the IAAF ethics commission chairman said, and were announced on Friday after the lifting of reporting restrictions.

Papa Massata Diack is a former consultant to the IAAF. The other two charged men are: the former president of the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF) Alexei Melnikov and Valentin Balakhnichev, a former chief ARAF coach for long distance walkers and runners.

Hearings to consider their cases will take place in London next month. (BBC Sport)

Race car driver and radio station host WR Reaz is brewing with confidence as the November 15 race meet at the South Dakota Circuit is quickly approaching.

Reaz who spoke to Guyana Times Sport just after he installed a rebuilt engine in his Toyota Starlet EP82 said “I am very excited about the races; I cannot wait to get on the track.”

The team MMR racing car driver revealed that they rebuilt the entire engine in an attempt to push for a poll position. In addition, he added that he did some off sea-

son racing which put him in and his car in top shape. “I feel very fit and I think my car is up to scratch; racing is about who can withstand pressure so experience is always vital”, Reaz said.

The race car driver spoke of the changes in Group Three as it relates to the cars having a 1600 cc limit as against his 1300cc. Reaz explained that Group Three used to be Group 2B but in recent times it has moved to a Group Three. However the experience driver is now way daunted by the task at hand as is expected to revving his 4E engine to the max.

“Come race day it will power against weight” the

driver said as he believes his driving ability can be the pivot to his success; in addition to the guidance from his mechanic Shaheed Bacchus who is a former race car driver.

Reaz was thankful for the support given by his sponsors Bacchus Auto Works, Buddy’s Gym, Tony’s Auto Spares among many others.

The 2015 Seaboard Marine CMRC is shaping up to be a certain spectacle and with other experienced drivers in Group 3, fans can expect Reaz to be pulling all his tricks out the bag to get the checkered flag. (akeemg@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Venus rises in Zhuhai to return to top 10

Former world number one Venus Williams scraped past Karolina Pliskova to win the WTA Elite Trophy on Sunday, the American claiming her third title of the season as she secured a return to the top 10 for the first time in four years.

The top seed was forced to dig deep into her vast reservoirs of experience to stave off Pliskova’s challenge and emerge a 7-5 7-6(6) winner against the gutsy Czech.

“Seven weeks here in Asia and now I feel like it’s my home,” Williams told the

WTA website (www.wtatennis.com).

“I’m so excited to win the first trophy in Zhuhai. All the players felt so welcome here and we appreciated all of the enthusiasm. To see every seat filled for every match, that’s all the players and tournament could hope for.”

The seven-time grand slam champion started well and raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set before Pliskova won the next three games to level scores but the American would not be denied.

The roles were reversed in

the second set with Williams trailing 4-2 and by the same score in the tiebreak before she raised her game and unleashed back-to-back forehand winners to seal the contest. For the first time since 2008, Williams won three titles -- at Auckland, Wuhan and Zhuhai -- in a season and the 700 points she earned on Sunday helped the 35-yearold jump four places to world number seven in the new WTA rankings. Williams was last in the top 10 in 2011. (Reuters Sport)

Inter-Ministry/Corporation futsal tournament

Round of 16 to start tonight

It’s that win or go home stage in the Banks DIH Inter-Ministry/ Corporation futsal tournament which is set to continue tonight at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Eight games of thrilling action are set for tonight as some teams will be heading home and out of contention for the top prize of $200,000. The tournament to date has proven to be fast paced and tactical and should provide a number of spectacular moments when the round of sixteen action begins.

Oasis Water and John Fernandes will kick start the nights’ events followed by the cunning Republic Bank squad who will be looking to spring some more surprises when they challenge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also lined up is the Guyana Fire Service against title sponsor Banks DIH. Action will also continue on Tuesday with quarterfinal action at the said venue.

YBG Junior age group tournament Week 2 filled with action

Week two of the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) junior age group tournament was filled with a lot of energy when the tournament continued over the weekend at various courts around Georgetown.

On Friday at the Marian Academy hard court, Marian Academy topped Queens College 28-17 in the under-13 category.

Tyrese James was the top scorer in the game for Marian with 10 points while having eight rebounds. No other player in the encounter was able to crack double digit scoring.

In under-15 action on Friday at the St Roses hard court, Bishop’s High School defeated St Roses High 2723 while Marian Academy topped Plaisance Secondary 37-28 at Marian.

Double-doubles from Jordan Alphonso (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Akili Haynes (10 points, 14rebounds) led the way

for Marian Academy in the game while Andrew Johnson’s 11 points and six steals along with Nigel Bowen’s double-double performance of 14 points and 13 rebounds led the way for Plaisance.

On Saturday’s action at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Tutorial High defeated St Joseph High 32-25 in under-15 action.

While Tahir Meusa’s one man show of 20 points for St Joseph was not enough for a win, Zion Gray’s 13 points and Stanley Bourne’s 12 points were enough to topple St Joseph. In under-17 action on Saturday, Bladen Hall topped North Georgetown 40-36 as Darnell Hamer Carter led the way for Bladen with a brilliant performance of 26 points, 17 rebounds and three steals. Joshua Gordon also had 10 points in the win. Devon Hazel scored 12 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. St Roses High School

and Marian Academy went to overtime with the former coming out victorious with a 44-42 win.

Shamar Huntley’s 19 points and 10 rebounds along with Patrice Agrippa 13 points and five steals led the way for St Roses’ victory. Jordan Alphonso had 16 points and 12 rebounds while Jonathan Mangra had 10 points in the loss.

Tutorial High topped Queens College 32-19 in under-17 action as Zion Gray led the way for Tutorial with nine points.

Bishops’ High defeated St Joseph High 61 points to 21 points as well in under-17 action with Timothy Thompson having a monster performance of 26 points and 26 rebound along with four steals and two blocks.

The Tournament will continue on November 13 from 15:00h, at the Marian Academy and Tutorial hard courts and on November 14th at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall 13:00h.

GFF/Stag Elite League

Slingerz FC beat Pele to go top – Fruta Conquerors beat GDF 2-1

By Akeem Greene

Slingerz FC produced a sterling performance to go top of the table due to a superior goal difference than Pele FC as action continued Friday night at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Ground.

Slingerz scored three goals in the highly antic-

ipated clash to win 3-0.

Slingerz dominated the first half with goals by Vurlon Mills (13'), Tichard Joseph (29') and Dwain Jacobs (32').

Pele’s strike man Gregory Richardson was a given a red card in the 52nd minute which left the 10 man Pele struggling to come to back in the game. It was only the second lost for the Pele team

but one can expect them to bounce back come their next game. In the final game, the home team GDF lost 1-2 to an impressive Fruta Conquerors side. The Tucville based teams who have throughout the tournament looked determine keep a place in the top four. With goals from Eon Alleyne (67th) and Jermaine Junior (70th) and Eon Alleyne. Earlier Eusi Phillips had given the Army a 1 -0 advantage at the end of the first half, but the men in orange men bounced back to control the second half of the match and found the two goals from their more prominent players. With the win, Fruta Conquerors moved to 18 points but remains in fourth place, while GDF is stuck in the fifth position with 14 points.

Hornets hold UG scoreless in 1st

of GTT/GRFU 10’s

rugby

game

The Pepsi Hornets were in top form on Saturday when rugby returned to the National Park, winning the first game of the Guyana Telephone Telegraph (GTT) Company/ Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) 10’s rugby tournament 13-0 against the University of Guyana (UG) Wolves.

The game started with both teams looking very defensive but it was the

National School Championships… East Coast ready to compete

By TreisTon Joseph

With the National Schools’ Championships just over two weeks away, East Coast Demerara/District Four is ready to compete when the event begins on November 23 at the Guyana National Stadium and the National Aquatic Centre. District Four, who has

seven titles to their name has always been a major contender at the event but have not won a championship since 1990.

Sports Representative for the District Yvonne Bristol believes that if the District should pull of the win, they will need a cohesive effort even with the loss of some of their top athletes including 400 metres sensation Jason

Yaw.

“Well I believe to myself that District Four will need to pull together, put all hands together if we are to win,” Bristol mentioned.

With regard to the team’s preparation, Bristol has only one concern, “I think we are 75% ready, I think I need a kitchen but they want catered food but everything else is in place… we know the team,

uniforms are done and we are confident that we can pull off the win,” Bristol noted.

However, Bristol did point out one of the areas that will really need to come together if District Four is to win, “We need to improve in the swimming championship, persons are not comfortable with the different strokes like breast and butterfly…I wanted to have some training sessions

Hornets’ Leon Greaves, who started the points rolling with three points from a field goal, followed by Blasie Bailey with a conversion to finish off the first half of the game.

UG played unlike themselves with a number of drop catches and defensive blunders probably due to the adjustment from seven’s to 10’s.

Rickforde Cummins would add another five

points in the second half taking the score to thirteen to close off the day’s play. The second game between Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Yamaha Caribs was reset for another match day due to little time for that game to be played.

Action in the GTT/GRFU 10’s tournament will on November 14 with two more game; Ladies A v B followed by GDF v Police.

but could not get around to it,” Bristol shared.

The Swimming Championships will be held on Monday, November 23 at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal. In addition to the swimming competition, two field events, Long Jump and Shot Putt, along with the 10km road race, 40km and 25km cycle road race will also take place on November 23. The Games Village will be established on Woolford Avenue. Tutorial High,

North Georgetown Primary and Secondary Schools and Richard Ishmael Secondary will house the 16 Districts from across Guyana that will compete at the Championships.

The Games Secretariat has been officially opened at GTU Headquarters, Woolford Avenue, with Districts submitting their entries. The Opening Ceremony for the championship is scheduled for November 24 at 10:30h.