Guyana Times Daily - July 28, 2015

Thomas new Chairman of GuySuCo

Hinds surrenders to Police

...but clams up on lawyer Hughes' advice

Family members baffled over Essequibo teenager's sudden death

US accuses Guyanese cops of human trafficking ...says corruption impedes anti-trafficking efforts

PPP demands Granger show fruits of his overseas travels

Girl ,18, allegedly kidnapped at knifepoint

Lawyer restates PNC’s alleged links to Walter Rodney’s

tuesday, july 28, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

US accuses Guyanese cops of human trafficking

...says corruption impedes anti-trafficking efforts

The United States has accused Police Officers here of being complicit in human trafficking crimes and asserted that corruption impedes anti-trafficking efforts to tackle the scourge, which has dogged this country over the years.

Back in 2013, a Policeman was charged for his part in trafficking one of four girls who were dramatically rescued by the Guyana Women Miners Association (GWMO) from the Puruni Backdam, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni). There had been several other such cases and also allegations of Policemen being paid off to turn a blind eye to human trafficking activities. In its 2015 Human Trafficking Report, the US Department of State reiterated that Guyana is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour. The report states that women and children from Guyana, Venezuela, Suriname,

Brazil, and the Dominican Republic are subjected to sex trafficking in mining communities in the interior and in urban areas. “Victims are subjected to forced labour

in the mining, agriculture, and forestry sectors, as well as in domestic service and shops. Children are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking and forced labour.

Limited Government presence in the interior renders the full scope of trafficking crimes unknown. Guyanese nationals are subjected to sex and labour trafficking in Suriname, Jamaica, and other countries in the Caribbean Region. Some Police Officers are complicit in trafficking crimes, and corruption impedes antitrafficking efforts,” the US State Department noted.

Tier 2 watch list

According to the US, the Government of Guyana does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so.

“Despite these measures, the Government did not demonstrate overall increasing anti-trafficking efforts compared to the previous reporting period; therefore, Guyana is placed on Tier 2 Watch List for a third consecutive year. Guyana was granted a waiver from an

otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3, because its Government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and it has committed to devoting sufficient resources to implement that plan. The Government released its anti-trafficking action plan in June 2014; however, the Government made uneven efforts to implement it during the reporting period.”

Convictions

Lamenting the lack of prosecution and convictions of human trafficking offenders, the report notes that the Government convicted only one trafficker—a Police Officer. It said that the judiciary initially demonstrated positive progress in denying the trafficker’s bail request; however, upon the trafficker’s appeal of his sentence, it subsequently approved the

bail request and released the trafficker. “Government efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers and identify and assist victims remained limited. The Government provided insufficient support to [Non-Governmental Organisation] NGOs that identified and assisted a significant number of victims,” the US report stated.

Additionally, the report state that while the Government sustained some efforts to identify victims, victim assistance remained insufficient and the Government penalised some suspected trafficking victims. “The Ministry of Labour, Human Services, and Social Security reported referring 16 potential victims to care – largely provided by NGOs – between April 2014 and January 2015. The Government did not provide information on how many victims were adults or children, male or female, or sex or labour trafficking victims.”

Family members baffled over Essequibo teenager's sudden death – autopsy to be conducted shortly

By IndrawattIe natram

The La Cruz Family of Lima Housing Scheme in Region

Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has been plunged into deep mourning after they lost a very young member of their family. What baffles them the most is that they are uncertain what may have contributed to the child’s “mysterious” death.

Dead is Nikita Naseeb aka Alana, 13, a Second Form student of the Cotton Field Secondary School. Alana lost her life under mysterious circumstances Friday evening. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed shortly to determine the teenager’s cause of death. According to her grandmother, Alana woke up in high spirits Friday morning and made breakfast. The saddened Yvonne La Cruz related that Alana was having her breakfast at their “veranda” when she fell. La Cruz said after hearing a loud sound, she went to her granddaughter’s rescue and saw her motionless with her eyes rolling. “When I rushed to her, her eyes had rapid movement and her body started to get stiff, I had no clue what was going on”.

On that note, the grandmother said she started to question the teenager about what was wrong. She said she was told by the now deceased that she was experiencing severe abdominal

aches and a headache. She also related that the teenager wanted her to call her mother. After she got on to the mother, she was then advised to take her to a nearby Pastor after suggesting the child was “demon possessed”. The teenager was then taken to the Pastor’s residence; however, he was not at home. She was then rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital and admitted. After several hours of fighting for her life and receiving medical treatment, the teenager succumbed. “I really don’t know what happen to Alana, she usually does be a jolly kid and she goes everywhere with me,” the grandmother said. The matter was reported to the Anna Regina Police Station. The sudden death of the teenager has sent shock waves through the community.

tuesday, july 28, 2015 |

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Tuesday, July 28 – 14:30h-16:00h and Wednesday, July 29 – 14:30h-16:00h

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

Tuesday, July 28 – 14:00h-15:30h and Wednesday, July 29 – 14:50h-16:20h

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

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

Winds: East to East North-easterly between 1.78 metre and 4.02 metres per second.

High Tide: 01:38h and 14:16h reaching maximum heights of 2.39 metres and 2.36 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 07:45h and 20:06h reaching minimum heights of 0.79 metre and 0.84 metres respectively

Hinds surrenders to Police

...but clams up on lawyer Hughes' advice

Self-confessed death squad member Sean Hinds on Monday turned himself over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary, Georgetown, accompanied by his lawyer, Nigel Hughes.

In a statement confirming Hinds had surrendered police said so far he is not cooperating with detectives as a number of questions have been put to him in the presence of his lawyer and his consistent response has been that he has nothing to say, based on advice of his Lawyer.

Hinds had earlier told Guyana Times that he was waiting on his lawyer who was overseas before turning himself in. Up to Sunday evening, he stated that he had met with his lawyer and a decision was made. Now that he is in custody, he will be questioned in connection with several serious crimes, including the recent stakeout of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s residence two weeks ago. In a recent interview with Guyana Times, Hinds refuted the claim of staking out the PM’s residence, claiming that he did not know the residence where was.

“I don’t even know where the PM lives … and two weeks ago… if the presidential guards de see me, Bannas, believe me, they would ah done find me … they know where I live, they know all meh con-

tacts and this new issue come a shocker to me and I must say that this is bare politics playing out.”

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

In response to statements that the Police had visited his

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

In addition, Hinds is expected to be grilled on the confessions he made during a television interview with respect to the execution of political activist and journalist Ronald Waddell who was gunned down in a hail of bullets outside his Subryanville home by several criminals in an incident that shocked the country

and still today remains one of the unsolved murders that occurred following the 2002 jailbreak.

Hinds recently implicated Patrick Denny and former Assistant Police Commissioner Steve Merai in the execution, while claiming that he has evidence and footage to prove his account of what took place. Merai has since produced an alibi to show that he was elsewhere when Waddell was murdered. Also, during that interview Hinds confessed that he was a member of the death squad that operated during the 2002-2003 crime wave. He said without the squad, Guyana may not have survived the onslaught of criminal activity during that period. He also claimed that the operations of the squad were supported by the Police Force and that he was provided with guns and instructions from senior Police Officers at the time. However, Hinds has distanced himself from the March 10, 2015 murder of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing.

Ever since Hinds came forward and alleged the involvement of several high-profile persons in connection with the execution of Waddell, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had called for him to turn in himself so that he could assist with investigations into several other serious offences.

Cuban fined for overstaying in Guyana

ACuban national was fined $30,000 for overstaying his welcome in Guyana when he made an appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday.

Wilfred Ramirez, age 20, of Havana, Cuba, appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer to the charges of failing to comply with conditions of the National Immigration Passport Office.

Between June 15 and July 26, he is believed to have failed to comply with the conditions and submit to the immigration Passport Office regarding his stay in Guyana.

Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones ex-

plained to the court that Ramirez was allowed to enter Guyana on June 15 for the duration of a month by the Immigration Passport Office as he said he was on vacation until July 26. However, Police received a tip about the individual and found him at the Georgetown Public Hospital. They questioned him and learning that he had overstayed his time; hence, he was arrested. He was taken to the Criminal

Investigation Division (CID) where he was charged. The accused pleaded guilty to the charge. However, he explained that he did not had any money to return to his homeland. He had tried working so that he would be able to do so. He asked the court for the opportunity to contact his family which was allowed. If Ramirez is unable to pay the fine, he will be imprisoned for six months.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Ubuntu

With Emancipation Day just days away, one of the tasks of those of us living in a country where slavery held sway for hundreds of years is to overcome the imposed world view that “Africa had no philosophy”. Not only did Africa examine the human condition most profoundly but its world view would serve us and the rest of the western world well, if we were to apply its concepts to our modern world that seems to have reached an existential dead end.

We present the views of a westerner, Heinz Kimmerle, who examined how the African concept of “Ubuntu” addresses the alienation of the western world much more germanely and holistically than the “communitarian” approach formulated in the past few decades. One African philosopher, Tschiamalenga Ntumba had distilled the overall difference between African and Western philosophy as the former being a philosophy of ‘We’ and Western philosophy being a philosophy of ‘I’.

Heinz, however thinks this is too simplistic and says: “Things are more differentiated...since we have to take into account that the ‘I’, or the person, is becoming increasingly important in African ontology, too.” Heinz interrogated the book, “African Philosophy Through Ubuntu” by the South African Mogobe B. Ramose as follows.

“The discourse of this book is organised around three proverbs, maxims or aphorisms taken from the language of the Northern Sotho. The first aphorism, ‘Motho ke motho ka batho’ can be understood as a simplification of ubuntu. According to Ramose it expresses the central idea of African philosophical anthropology. It means more specifically: ‘to be human is to affirm one’s humanity by recognising the humanity of others and, on this basis, establish respectful human relations with them’. In other words, my humanness is constituted by the human-ness of others, and vice versa. And the relations between human beings, other persons and me, are characterised by mutual recognition and respect.

“The second aphorism, ‘Feta kgomo o tshware motho’, says in a condensed formulation: ‘if and when one is faced with a decisive choice between [one’s own] wealth and the preservation of the life of another human being, then one should opt for the preservation of life’. Hereby a basic principle of social philosophy is presupposed: the other ranks higher than I myself, especially when his/her life is in danger. This is due to the fact that life or life force is the highest value, which determines also the relations between human beings.

“The third maxim is about kingship and expresses a fundamental aspect of political philosophy. The formulation of this third maxim, ‘Kgosi ke kgosi ka batho’ is very much similar to the first one. It relates kingship like human-ness in general to the humanity of others and demands mutual recognition and respect. In the words of Ramose it means ‘that the king owes his status, including all the powers associated with it, to the will of the people under him’.

“However, ubuntu has aspects that reach further than the contents of these proverbs. It has to be discussed in a comprehensive ontological horizon. It shows how the be-ing of an African person is not only imbedded in the community, but in the universe as a whole. This is primarily expressed in the prefix ubu-of the word ubuntu. It refers to the universe as be-ing enfolded, containing everything. The stem -ntu means the process of life as the unfolding of the universe by concrete manifestations in different forms and modes of being. This process includes the emergence of the speaking and knowing human being.”

Heinz also showed that the concept of Ubuntu undergirded the “African Socialism” propounded by leaders such as Leopold S. Senghor from Senegal, Nkrumah from Ghana, Kenyatta from Kenya, Nyerere from Tanzania, Kaunda from Zambia. Traditional African societies show harmonious forms of life without any antagonism of classes. There is an ethics of mutual help and of caring for each other.

Leadership is a lonely road

Dear Editor,

On July 19, I visited the Congress Place to be part of the birthday celebrations for President Granger.

When the President gave his speech, it wasn’t any prepared notes. I usually pay closer attention to people when they are speaking from off the ‘top of their heads’.

As I listened to President Granger, he said three things that fascinated me. He said that he would like the givers of gifts to him, to hold the frankincense and the Myrrh.

He said hold the frankincense and myrrh and give me boats instead. He said he wants the gifts given to him to be boats so that the children in the riverine areas could get to school in a more consistent and timely fashion. I am fascinated with this approach by the President because it speaks of his mindset. For one to defer the acceptance of personal gifts in preference of the gifts being given to others, speaks of a mind that has self-actualized and is magnanimous in scope.

Such qualities are rare, especially among politicians.

Then that night he also said that he released those young boys from prison because “young boys should be in school and not in prison”. He again reaffirmed his commitment to making this an annual event.

One wonders why the President with so many

pressing priorities, is concerned about the plight of the least respected in the society, and take the political risk of releasing offenders back into society, without forcing them to serve their sentences. As a criminologist and prison chaplain, I have a passion for working with ex-offenders and recovering addicts and so I fully understand the President’s rational.

I would like to think that the President has surrounded himself with folks who would provide suitable recommendations to him, so as to reduce the likelihood of any adverse backlash.

But the thing the President said that night was that, “Leadership is a lonely road.”

Sigmund Freud had used the analogy of an iceberg to describe the three levels of the mind: preconscious, conscious and subconscious or unconscious. That night, the President dipped below the surface of the water and made an admission that was earth shattering to me.

Why would a threemonth old President say that, “Leadership is a lonely road?” What has happened or is happening in his world that caused such a revealing admission to surface so publically? Who, or what, was he thinking about when he made that revelation?

The reason that I was so taken aback with that statement from President Granger, was because in a

very informal and relaxed conversation with the former Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, he had said the same thing to me. My secretary and I had visited his office on my request and as we spoke he said in passing, that leadership is a lonely road.

And ever since Mr. Samuel Hinds said that to me, my Freudian mind caused me to view him in a whole different light. I could not help but wonder if he was just going along with the political flow of things.

I had submitted my application through Former Minister Hinds for the position of administrator for the Onverwagt Project. There was a possibility of taking people off the streets and developing a sustainable, hydroponics agriculture project on the sprawling land space on the compound in Berbice. The idea was to create employment if the occupants were to be convinced to remain at the facility. If this was done then a winwin situation would have been created: you keep them off the streets and they make some money.

The $250 million facility, that the Prime Minister had launches a year ago, was at the time unoccupied. One year later, the Onverwagt Project had 17 occupants although the facility could house 180 occupants and the streets of Georgetown were still filled with the homeless. The Social Services Ministry never provided the opportunity for me to man-

age the project.

The Prime Minister had then indicated that Hugo Chavez wanted the facility built in Georgetown because there is where he saw the homeless people, which caused him to make the donation. However, the land space was not available in the City. Mr Hinds seemed to have wanted more than he was able to get from those around him, even though he was the Prime Minister. I think this might have been one of the reasons he said to me that leadership is a lonely road.

Now almost two years later, I am standing, listening to another political leader, of the governing party, voice the very same concern. I wonder if it is that President Granger, like Former Prime Minister Hinds, is wanting things to go differently than they are going at the moment. Is President Granger, like Former Prime Minister Hinds, more magnanimous and visionary than those in his inner circle? Is it that these men are not innate politicians but are forced to toe the politically correct line?

I am just an outside observer, a budding psychologist, trying to psychoanalyze the President. Maybe I will never find out why he said what he said. But this I know; I like what he said, for I am convinced that his thoughts find their origin in a beautiful mind.

Wendell

Jeffrey, Pastor

Clarification on forum with UG Law students and AG Basil Williams

Dear Editor,

The Guyana Times front page headline and photograph dated July 25, 2015 which captioned, “Law students AG clash over “uncertain’ Hugh Wooding agreement”, with the accompanying photograph captioned, “A law student making a point during Friday’s forum with Attorney General Basil Williams at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown” is erroneous.

Firstly your reporter failed to employ the first basic tenet of newswriting that is, checking the facts.

Had your reporter followed this basic journalist tenet the facts would reveal that the lady in photograph is not a “law student” but an Attorney at Law from the Attorney General Chambers and the question she raised was totally unrelated to the Hugh Wooding Agreement but was focused on the accreditation of the new law programs being launched by the University of Guyana (UG).

A fact check would have also revealed the Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams experiential involvement in resolving the Hugh Wooding Law students issue inherited from the PPP/C government.

On assumption to the AG’s office Minister Williams did not find a file that spoke to an updated position on the issue of the automatic entry of the 25 law students to the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) in Trinidad & Tobago.

The Minister had to write to the Council of Legal Education (CLE) for an update, in response the

Is

Council noted that there was an agreement in 2013 to automatically take the 25 law students which ended in 2014.

In addition the CLE pointed to the ongoing negotiation in relation to the collaborative agreement among University of the West Indies (UWI), UG and the CLE and suggested that a new proposal by the University of Guyana was stalling any consensus.

Within a month in the AG Chambers Minister Williams met with the current batch of HWLS students and heard firsthand the issues affecting them in the pursuance of their Legal Education Certificate (LEC) at the Hugh Wooding School. Held meetings with the Guyana Bar Association, Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Jacob Opadeyi; Head of the Department of Law, Sheldon McDonald; President of the Bar Association, Christopher Ram; past president of the Bar Association, Ronald Birch-Smith; a member of the Council of Legal Education; and Vincent Alexander, Technical Advisor to the senior Minister of Education and former UG Registrar.

Following those meetings, the AG took the decision to contact the Guyanese delegation at the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference in Barbados to seek an amendment to the agenda to include the issue of the automatic entry of the law students to the HWLS for 2015.

Williams further requested that Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge seek an agreement with the CARICOM Heads to contin-

ue the interim arrangements made at their Intercessional Meeting in 2013.

The interim arrangement was to allow the automatic entry of the top 25 UG law graduates to the HWLS for 2014, pending the conclusion of another Collaborative Agreement between UG, UWI and the CLE. Based on Williams’ intervention The CARICOM Heads at the Conference took a unanimous decision to call on the HWLS to make the required provisions for the automatic entry of the top 25 law students from UG for the academic year 2015/2016.

Editor, it is significant that after 23 years of the PPP/C government’s failure to find a permanent solution to the Guyanese law students pursuing their Legal Education Certificate (LEC) at the Hugh Wooding School, the Attorney General has not only managed to gain an immediate short term solution but recognizes the need for a permanent solution to this sore problem.

Hence the Minister is in the process of consulting with all the relevant stakeholders in pursuit of a permanent resolution that of exploring options for the establishment of Guyana’s own law school.

Editor, I do hope that you give this letter equal prominence as you have your erroneous front page report.

Regards

Namela Henry/Rowe

Editor’s Note Guyana Times stands by its report on this event, but sincerely apologises for the incorrect attribution to the attorney as a student

Harmon’s claims of OLPF wasting taxes true?

Dear Editor,

I am wondering if any investigative journalism will be done to determine what Minister Harmon revealed at the Stabroek Square, claiming that a large percentage of laptops weren’t functioning. Would it be possible to obtain an unbiased report.

It seems as though members of the APNU have taken a liking to criticise, but removing the possibility of Guyanese obtaining laptops cannot lift the people up.

Is distributing free laptops to families a bad initia-

tive? Or does removing this advantage reflect the limits of the Government in terms of their willingness to lift the people up?

This seems to show that the Government would rather neglect the people than elevate them. Why not ask the beneficiaries for their view on this and let them decide what the value of these laptops were to them.

Why is it that right wing politicians are now dictating what is beneficial to the Guyanese society when they are apparently incapa-

Violation of indigenous peoples’ rights

Dear Editor, I read the Guyana Times article of July 23, captioned “postponement of Toshaos elections-Ministry says “villages” did not qualify for elections”. In responding I wish to advise President David Granger that the Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Honourable Sydney Allicock as well as his team of advisors, that they have misinterpreted the Amerindian Act 2006. As such, the advisors, in particular the legal advisor, should submit their resignations.

It was a violation of section 88 of the Amerindian Act 2006 for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs to direct the postponement of elections in Four Miles and Eclipse Falls Top in the Port Kaituma sub-region, Region One. Furthermore, the reasons given by an advisor named Mervyn Williams have little to do with titled or untitled Amerindian Communities as specified in the Amerindian Act (Part X). The Communities Minister is not mandated to deal with Amerindian communities. It is the respon-

sibility of the Indigenous Affairs Ministry to provide for and defend all titled and untitled Amerindian communities in Guyana.

The Amerindian Act 2006, is “an Act to provide for the recognition and protection of the collective rights of Amerindian villages and communities, the granting of land to Amerindian Villages and Communities, and the promotion of good governance within Amerindian Villages and Communities”.

It is the Indigenous Affairs Minister who can make such decisions, which must be consistent with the Amerindian Act 2006, and not the Communities Minister. However, Minister Allicock and his team of advisors should have familiarized themselves with the Amerindian Act 2006 and understood that when Amerindians speak of “CDCs” they are really referring to Community Councils as specified in Part X of the Act.

Former Adviser to the Amerindian Affairs Minister, Yvonne Pearson, is indeed an Indigenous expert who in

the article I am referring to, was very factual in showing Minister Allicock and his advisors how they were misled in the postponement of the elections in the Amerindian Communities. Worse yet, the Minister and his team have also violated the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) since no prior notice was provided to the Community Councils.

What is more grave is that with the postponement of the elections in the communities, the Minister and his team violated articles 3 and 4 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which refer to the deprivation of selfdetermination.

It is disappointing that Minister Allicock and his team of advisors would contradict the Amerindian Act 2006. Amerindians should pay keen attention to the future proceedings of the Ministry to ensure that no further violations would be made to indigenous peoples’ rights.

Yours faithfully Martin La Cruz

The High Court should save us from this chaos

Dear Editor, The present APNU/AFC Government seems to be intent on destroying the PPP/C, and is distracting Guyanese from their failure at governing this country.

Less than three months in Office, the country has become dismal. Why should the people support them? Since their election in May 2015, there has been disasters, one after the other.

Floods, crime, robberies and a border controversy getting worse by the minute are making people and investors flee from this country. The tourism industry will suffer and development would stop.

Their guilt is evident as they

attempt to throw the blame on the PPP/C leadership.

The APNU vendetta, scornful language, lies and deception are evident and the bully tactics they commonly employed when in the Opposition haven’t changed. Politically lynching members of the PPP/C leadership is the Government’s way of trying to hide its failure.

This coalition Government has dismissed many employees perceived to be supporters of the PPP/C, people who are of Indian descent. Yet, it hasn’t the skills and experience needed to run the country.

Maybe this is why this Government feels threatened by people such as Bharrat Jagdeo. At least the Law is still alive in the High Court, to defend victims of political lynching. Only the High Court would now be able to save the country from the chaos in which it now finds itself. The High Court should have ordered a recount of the votes a long time ago to save the country. This matter should be seriously dealt with by the High Court because the country cannot move forward on what is deemed by a majority of the population to be a non-transparent election.

Stan Law

ble of authoring projects of their own?

This Government should focus on nurturing the people of Guyana not meandering and scapegoating. The Government cannot profess to have all the answers, while it severely lacks leadership abilities.

All that it has been doing is destroying every project of the PPP/C which though they benefitted the entire country, are portrayed to be bad initiatives.

Apana

Sincerely V.

Page Foundation

BY CAROLYN GREGOIRE

S– 90% of teens are sleep deprived – and the health costs could be significant

leep loss can take a devastating toll on the mind and body at any stage of life, from early childhood to older adulthood. But for teenagers, who are at a critical stage of development, skipping out on sleep can be particularly dangerous.

“[Sleep deprivation] is extremely detrimental at all stages of life,” Dr Michael Breus, a Clinical Psychologist and sleep specialist, told The Huffington Post in an email. “In the teen years, when development continues... the sleep deprivation effects of brain and body development are significant.”

Though sleep is arguably most critical during the teen years, teenagers are the least likely of any age group to be getting sufficient rest. Over 90 per cent of American high school students are chronically sleepdeprived, according to a 2014 survey.

While the National Institutes of Health estimates that teenagers need at least nine hours of sleep per night, only nine per cent of high school students are actually meeting these recommendations. Even more alarming is the fact that a whopping 20 per cent are getting by on less than five hours per night.

A number of biological

and lifestyle factors converge to wreak havoc on a teenager’s sleep schedule.

Late bedtimes, increasing technology dependence and high stress levels – plus early school start times – are a recipe for chronic sleep de privation and the health risks that come along with it.

“Teens are biological ly predisposed to stay up later at night and sleep later in the morning,” Breus wrote in a recent Huffington Post blog.

“This shift in teens’ sleepwake cycle, which is a nor mal part of devel opment, can make a 21:00h or 22:00h bedtime difficult.”

Over time, that late-to-bed, early-torise sleep schedule can lead to a number of health risks. Here are some of the physi cal and mental health risks associated with sleep loss during the adolescent years that both parents and teens should be aware of.

dents, published earlier this year in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, found that each hour of lost sleep is associated with a 38 per cent increased risk of feeling sad or hopeless and a 58 per

Medical School, told CNN in 2010. “Instead of giving them medications, I’d rather give them a chance to sleep better, and more.”

A parent’s intervention could make a dif

also three times more likely to suffer from depression, a 2010 study found.

early bedtimes for them are significantly less likely to suffer from depression or to have suicidal thoughts.

do tend to perform worse at school and experience greater emotional distress. Younger teens who don’t get enough sleep are also more likely to be inattentive, impulsive, hyperactive and oppo-

It should come as no surprise that teens that aren’t getting enough sleep won’t be at their best academically or behaviourwise. “We know that sleep deprivation makes teens more emotional and perform worse on cognitive tasks and testing,”

1. Mental health issues

A study of nearly 28,000 suburban high school stu-

“Sleep deprivation and depression go hand in hand among teenagers,” the study’s lead author Mahmood Siddique, a sleep medicine specialist at the Robert Wood Johnson

2. Issues with learning and behaviour

Roughly one in four teens goes to bed after 23:30h on weeknights, and those who

Why? Sleep supports brain processes that are critical to learning, memory and emotion regulation. At night, the brain reviews and consolidates information that’s acquired during the day, making that information easier to later retrieve.

3. Substance use and abuse

One study found that for every 10 minutes later that a teenager went to bed, there was a six per cent increase in the chance they’d used alcohol or marijuana in the past month, while other research showed that sleep difficulties predicted substance-related issues like binge-drinking, drinking and driving, and risky sexual behaviour.

4. Higher risk of obesity

Losing sleep can also have a long-term negative effect on a young person’s physical health, with poor sleep quality being linked to diabetes and obesity risk for teens.

High school students who skimp on sleep may be at a higher risk of diabetes and obesity in adulthood, and among teens who are already obese, not getting enough sleep can increase the risk of later developing diabetes.

The relationship between sleep loss and substance abuse in teens is a two-way street, with sleep deprivation increasing the risk of drug use and dependence, and drug use in turn fuelling sleep troubles.

Among teens already suffering from diabetes, losing sleep can exacerbate their health issues. Research has shown that teens with Type 1 diabetes may have more trouble getting to sleep, and that sleeplessness, in turn, causes greater difficulties regulating blood sugar and controlling behaviour.

5. Dependence on sleep and anxiety medications

While prescription sleep aids aren’t approved for use among people under the age of 18, many teens are being prescribed medication like Ambien and Lunesta – the long-term effects of which are still largely unknown.

But one short-term effect to be aware of is the risk of prescription pill abuse. A study last year found that teens who are prescribed sleeping pills or anxiety medication, which can be highly habit-forming, are 12 times more likely to abuse those medications than teens without a prescription.

“Sleeping pills are generally NOT a good idea for teens,” Breus said.

What parents can do

So what’s a parent to do? Educating teens and creating a family sleep schedule is a start, according to Breus.

“If parents can explain how sleep will effect grades, sports, activities... it makes it easier,” Breus said. “Next, they should sit down with their children and create a sleep schedule that everyone can live with.” (Huffington Post)

US wants Guyana to jail human traffickers

...up financing for anti-TIP crusaders

The United States Government has once again called on Guyana to vigorously convict and hold human traffickers accountable, appealing to the David Granger-led Administration to provide more funding for organisations that help fight against the global crime.

In its 2015 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report, Washington called on this country to: “Vigorously investigate and prosecute sex and labour trafficking cases and hold convicted traffickers accountable with time in prison that is commensurate with the severity of the crime; [and] provide increased funding for [NonGovernment Organisations] NGOs to identify and assist victims.”

The US said too that efforts must be made to investigate, prosecute, and convict Government officials complicit in trafficking; make additional efforts to enable victims to appear in court and testify against traffickers in a way that does not further endanger victims and develop child-sensitive investigation procedures and court procedures that protect the privacy of children and minimise their re-traumatisation. Additionally, the US said in partnership with NGOs, Government should develop and publicise written standard operating procedures to guide and encourage front-line officials – including Police, health, immigration, labour, mining, and forestry personnel to identify and protect victims of forced labour and forced prostitution. While urging that it do not punish victims for crimes committed as a result of being subjected to human trafficking, the US recommended, Government offer increased protection and assistance for victims near mining communities.

Prosecution Regarding prosecution, Washington said law enforcement efforts remained insufficient, noting that the Combating Trafficking of Persons Act of 2005 prohibits all forms of trafficking and prescribes sufficient stringent penalties ranging from three years’ to life imprisonment. “These penalties are commensurate with penalties prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape.”

However, the US said weak law enforcement efforts hindered the process of holding traffickers accountable. It noted that between April 2014 and January 2015, the Government investigated seven trafficking cases involving an unknown number of suspects

The Combating Trafficking of Persons Act of 2005 prohibits all forms of trafficking and prescribes sufficient stringent penalties ranging from three years’ to life imprisonment

and prosecuted four suspected traffickers.

“Information on the distribution of sex and labour trafficking cases was unavailable. The Government convicted one trafficker, compared with three in 2013. The convicted trafficker was a Police Officer sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for child sex trafficking; he was initially denied bail, but ultimately granted bail pending appeal on April 1, 2015,” the US report stated.

It added that in 2013, the Government released three convicted traffickers on bail while their cases were under appeal; these three convicted traffickers were still free on bail and had not had their appeals heard at the end of the reporting period. In 2014 and previous years, Guyanese courts ultimately dismissed the majority of ongoing trafficking prosecutions, the US report stated, noting that the Government trained eight Police Officers on trafficking victim identification and case investigation.

It said law enforcement cooperated with the Governments of Suriname and Jamaica on four international sex and labour trafficking cases. Additionally, the report stated that a separate NGO provided housing and assistance to 12 victims of sex trafficking without Government support.

“Donor-funded organisations provided much of the support for victims. In areas outside of the capital, NGOs provided shelter and assistance to victims, often in dangerous conditions, without any Government funding. Longer-term shelter and protection were not available in Guyana, putting victims at risk of traffickers’ reprisals as the Government did not punish most traffickers with incarceration. Reports indicated identified victims were retrafficked or became homeless after receiving inadequate protection services from the Government. The Government reported it was developing standard operat-

ing procedures to guide officials in identifying trafficking victims.”

The US said that victims often did not testify in court as officials failed to locate and inform them of court dates. “Victims also did not testify when they had no transportation to courts or could not afford residency in Guyana in the months before their court date. The Government did not adequately address this problem, which contributed to the low number of trafficking convictions. Guyana’s law protects victims from punishment for crimes committed as a result of being subjected to human trafficking; however, in November, the Government charged and subsequently placed in Police custody, a group of Nepalese suspected to have been subjected to trafficking while illegally present in Guyana. Government officials reported cooperation with NGOs to develop childsensitive investigation and

prosecution procedures; a lack of these procedures put children at risk of reprisal from traffickers. Guyana’s law provides relief from deportation for foreign victims; the Government did not report extending such relief to foreign victims over the past year.”

Prevention

In the area of prevention, the US noted that Government sustained efforts to prevent trafficking, making reference to its ministerial taskforce, which consisted of representatives from multiple Government entities and two NGOs. It said a leading NGO that has played a significant role in identifying and assisting trafficking victims was not included, despite the organisation’s critical role in victim protection. “The Government released an action plan to address trafficking in June 2014; however, it made uneven efforts to implement the plan. It conducted a variety of awareness-raising activities including distribution of posters at checkpoints in the interior, programmes at secondary schools, community awareness initiatives, and publication of a newspaper article in observance of Trafficking Awareness Day. The Government operated a trafficking hotline, but did not report how many calls it received. The Government did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts or forced labour. The Government did not provide anti-trafficking training or guidance for its diplomatic personnel.”

Scrap metal dealers urge Govt to quickly resume trade

The recent suspension of the scrap metal trade, stemming from the Communities Ministry’s investigations into the Scrap Metal Unit, has left scrap metal dealers around Guyana at a standstill and in search of other sources of income for survival.

Speaking to Guyana Times, dealers stated that the Government should have found a way to conduct its reviews without stopping their only source of income all together.

The operator of eponymously named Avinash’s Scrap Metal Dealers told this newspaper that this halt in business has greatly affected his lifestyle. He said that he has about 14 workers and with the trade paused, the pressure to keep them all sustained has heightened.

Avinash mentioned that he cannot bear to send his workers home because he knows how difficult the situation is, and has since resorted to finding them odd jobs such as cleaning yards just to make ends meet.

Sohan Shetty of Omai Transportation and Equipment Services explained that his business has been completely shut down as a result of the halt in trading.

The owner of the 10-year-old company shared that funds were tied up and he had to let go of all of his staff until the situation was resolved. He added that even after operations resume, he will have to operate at a loss owing to the recent crash of scrap metals on the US stock market. Shetty stated that they have now failed to meet the

demand of their buyers and sellers which may cause clients to shy away from their business given the unreliability.

A representative of Eternity Investments on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, which has been in operations for around five years in the scrap metal business, told Guyana Times that the Government has put a complete stop to his way of life and could have at least issued a warning to scrap metal dealers before completely shutting them down, leaving them very much unprepared and at a loss. The representative added that Government could have spoken to the Guyana Metal Recyclers Association (GMRA), which deals with affairs of the dealers, so that the transition could be smoother and not filled with frustration. He added that this has been the case for almost a month and he wished that “whoever” was in charge would resolve this situation quickly.

Minister within the Communities Ministry, Keith Scott who had recently announced the auditing and investigation of the Scrap Metal Unit owing to alleged financial and operational irregularities, had told Guyana Times that he was anxious for the trade to resume as he was aware of the difficulties this suspension may place on dealers. However, he shared that he cannot state when the investigation will come to an end since members of the unit are to go before the auditors to answer questions about funds and other irregularities.

tuesday, july 28, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Teen moms unfazed by stereotyping – say society cannot define them

B y J illicia P inder

In a recent interview with Guyana Times , teenage mothers from across Georgetown shared that there were many negative stereotypes that follow them in their daily activities, but they would only be what they chose to be and not what society expected them to be given their situation.

Among the stereotypes directed at them were ‘teen moms are either school dropouts, grew up in poverty, are single moms, or are even junkies’. In Guyana, the rate of teenage pregnancy is at an all-time high, but many teens seem to be unbothered about what members of their communities say about them.

Several teenage mothers made it very clear that they do plan to achieve their goals despite their current situation. Nineteen-yearold Shanice Edwards, of Sophia, is currently two months pregnant with her first child. Although she is lucky enough to be one of the few teens to complete high school with nine CXC subjects before getting pregnant, she says she greatly wishes that she had more time before having such a huge responsibility in her life.

She currently works at Camex Restaurant Inc, and has the much-needed support of family and friends, as she has no clue about what to do when it comes to raising a child, since she believes that she herself is still one. Edwards added that the thought of having an abortion had briefly crossed her mind, but she shoved the idea away as she was not raised that way. When asked about using protection to prevent

such a situation, the teen added that in the beginning of her relationship, condoms were present, but as the two grew closer over the years, the condoms no longer seemed necessary.

Not the end of your dreams

Her advice to other girls in similar situations would be to not look at the pregnancy as the end of their life. She urged others to not give up when they think life was being unfair, but to “always try to elevate and educate yourself, as that is the most important thing in life”.

The 19-year-old says that she plans to further her studies to achieve her career goals as soon as the child is old enough.

Another pregnant teen, Yogeeta Desmond of Industry, East Coast Demerara, is currently 36 weeks along and shared that when she found out she was going to be a mother, she was not very happy, but she was not afraid, as she knew her family would always support her. The 16-year-old mentioned that she was unable to write CXC owing to her pregnancy, but planned to do so af-

ter the baby came. When asked if she thinks she is ready to bear the responsibilities of being a parent, the teen admitted that she does not believe so, but she is also not afraid. Desmond also shared that there were not many challenges affecting her at her current stage, and she was very sure that she would be the happiest she has been since she found out that she was pregnant when the baby was born.

Another 16-year-old who spoke to Guyana Times was Latefha Rogers, who is only days away from giving birth to her first child. When asked about support from the father of her child, Rogers explained that it was complicated as she was no longer in a relationship with the man.

Rogers added that she was greatly unprepared to deal with a child at such a young age as she had many dreams and aspirations for her life, one of which was to become an accountant. She shared that she had always hoped to be financially stable with her own home before having a baby, but she must bear with her pregnancy as it was the re-

sult of her actions.

Give serious thought to each action

She urged other young ladies to give serious thought to each of their actions, as they determine how your life will end up.

A 19-year-old mother of one, Saskia Abram of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, told this publication she was in the process of re-writing several CXC subjects that she had failed when she found out that she was pregnant. She added that she was afraid to tell her mother as she knew that she would be furious. The teen mother added that she was very scared of the kind of mother she would make, as she thought she still had some growing up to do, but she looked bravely towards the future.

She stated that if given the opportunity, she would try to educate younger girls about abstinence and safe sex and urge them not to be in a rush to grow up, but to take the time to enjoy their youth as it may come to an end in the blink of an eye.

Eyew tness

Deja vu...

...on political accusations

Seems that some people - especially politiciansnever learn. When the PPPC entered office in 1992 after the first free and fair elections in 28 years, they promised «no discrimination, no victimisation, no recrimination”. Even though former President Desmond Hoyte had initiated mass «retrenchment» in the Public Service under IMF pressure (pretty much like what’s going on in Barbados) the PPP put a halt to that.

But because they felt the need to have folks they could «trust» in the upper, decision-making echelons, they did make some changes there. Trouble was, their strategy was poor- they waited too long to make their move. In these situations, if you don’t make your changes immediately, folks settle back into their «entitlement» zone. The PNC, didn’t waste much time, and under the leadership of a very acerbic and confrontational Hoyte as Opposition leader, accuse the PPP for engaging in «ethnic cleansing».

Following, as it did, earlier accusations of harassment by the PPPC on the return of «state property» - notably cars, furniture and even drapes - the accusations set the stage for very bitter political engagements. Charges of the PPPC «taking away» land from PNC supporters and giving it to theirs at Boeraserie led to Hoyte going as far as advising them to «shoot to kill» if anyone stepped on their land. Hamilton Green, vying for the PNC’s leadership - on the platform that Hoyte was «too soft on the PPP» - raised the temperature on the East Coast by charging discrimination house lot allocation in «PNC areas». Etc., etc.

The problem in politics with this approach is that sooner or later, you’ll be asked: «Wah yuh gine do about it, budday??!!» You have to «put your money where your mouth is». Or else you’re seen as a «Christmas blow blow» or, worse yet, as a «sell out». Hoyte’s taking to the streets after 1997 can be seen as an almost inevitable segueing into actions to match his earlier, strident rhetoric. And of course that led to «slow fyaah... mo fyaah» and the cataclysmic events which occurred between 2000-2008.

Whether it’s a case of «abused opposition» becoming «abusing government», or the PNC just wants the PPP to get a taste of what it felt it got from 1992, the wholesale firings and accusations of «stolen assets» are flying fast and furious against PPP appointees. But more to the point, the PPP has now defined the coalition government’s moves as «witch hunting» and «ethnic cleansing».

Whether the PPP intends to go gown the post-1992 road already pursued by Hoyte’s PNC or not, we point out the results of «unintended consequences» to both parties.

Knock got knock back, no?

...on PPP’s leadership

Seems that your Eyewitness will have to revisit this (vexed) topic of Nagamootoo’s place in the PPP leadership once again. For years and years, the man who would be President - but is now PM without a portfoliohas insisted he was one of the «top» leaders of the PPP, which he joined right after he and Granger used to play marbles at Whim while in short pants.

Now unless Nagamootoo has lost some of those marbles on the way to «town» and long pants, how could he not know that the PPP was running a «criminal syndicate» for twenty three years - as he now claims?? Since he was a «top» leader during at least 20 of those 23 years, is he now saying such a vast undertaking was carried out without his knowledge?

That wouldn’t say much for the «topness» of his leadership, would it?

Or was he just a fella who let out hot air from his orifices, as his critics claim?

...on suicide

As the number of groups «addressing» suicide multiply exponentially, the suicide rates are keeping pace. Reminds this Eyewitness of the number of groups «assisting» Haiti - while collecting billions.

But the country’s still as poor as ever.

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

Granger declares rice in "no crisis" ...but no

replacement for Venezuelan 200,000 tonne market

By Vahnu Manikchand

Despite there being no replacement for the 200,000-plustonne Venezuelan rice market, President David Granger on Monday told a conference of farmers and millers that while the local rice industry was currently facing many challenges, it was not in crisis.

He was at the time addressing the National Rice Industry Conference, which was held under the theme “Sustainable Development amidst challenges” at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre. The Conference was one of the promises the governing party had made in its 100-Day Plan.

The President acknowledged that there were challenges facing the industry, but urged stakeholders not to believe that it was on the verge of collapsing. “Rice is not in crisis! We do have challenges yes, but we must disabuse ourselves of the view that the industry is at the point of collapsing. It does face challenges because of years of neglect, institutional decay and some bad decisions, but we must make those challenges into opportunities for change,” he posited.

According to the Head of State, his Administration wants to bring an end to the anxieties and apprehensions of stakeholders in rice production. He outlined that the problems in the industry could be overcome by cooperation and not confrontation. The President stated that the conference provides a forum not only to strengthen relations, but to also hold consultations between the Administration and stakeholders in order to overcome these challenges. Granger is adamant that the woes of the industry can be overcome while expressing his confidence in its future.

He outlined that growth in the industry remained buoyant and while last year’s production showed that Guyana almost reached the milliontonne mark, the country is still a “minor producer” on the international scene. On this note, the President underscored the need to make the local rice industry more competitive in order to broaden its marketing potential in the international market.

“There are competitors out there; we are not alone, we are not fighting among ourselves. We have to compete against larger and more efficient producers. Historically, rice has been resilient… it has survived floods, it has survived droughts, it has survived pests but it will not be able to survive volatile international markets unless we bring changes into the industry,” he noted.

New markets

According to Granger, Guyana’s internal market is far too small to absorb the

Holder posited that in order to make the local rice industry a more important one with opportunities available to everyone, the issues plaguing the sector would have to be addressed to prevent them from hindering production and productivity. According to Holder, among the pressing issues that need to be looked into are compliance by millers as it relates to payments to farmers, improving varieties to enhance productivity, good agricultural practices and value added rice production.

quantity of rice being produced. He further declared that the country was unique in paddy production as it exported over 75 per cent of what it produced to some 40 countries around the world; however, those markets were not secure.

“We will have to continue to find new markets. This Administration is committed to overcoming the barriers to market access. We want to make sure that we practise what is called economic diplomacy. We’ve been good in selling rum; we must also be good in selling rice. This Administration, through its economic diplomacy, will use its foreign service to continue to open new markets for rice. But more important, rice exporters must demonstrate their own capability, their own capacity to penetrate foreign markets for our rice,” the President remarked.

He went on to say finding new markets for rice was the most pressing of the many challenges that the industry faced. He stated that this needed to be addressed especially given the fact that paddy farmers have demonstrated their capability of increasing their production to meet demand.

Another issue, Granger highlighted, is the lack of storage in the rice producing communities. He pointed to the Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) area, where paddy was laid out on the corner of the roadway to dry with lorries parked, waiting to transport the product to the mills. He urged that this be one of the matters discussed and a resolution be arrived at.

Furthermore, the President stated that farmers must reduce their cost of production, transportation and storage. “All of these costs are too high and they continue to make Guyana’s rice too expensive and uncompetitive ... We have to continue to find new ways to reduce production costs, otherwise we will lose our markets,” he underscored.

The Head of State concluded that rice was too big to fail and his Administration would continue to lend support to the thriving sector.

Reduce costs

In his remarks, Agriculture Minister Noel

“Indeed, the current marketing situation is a case in point. I think the clearest message is that costs matter. And that we cannot afford to neglect the impact that these costs have on prices for paddy and rice,” he added.

The Agriculture Minister went on to disclose that for the first time the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Central Laboratory was

International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certified. He explained that being ISO certified was a useful tool that would add credibility to the rice produced by Guyana on the international market.

As one of the pillars of the local agricultural sector, the sale of paddy generates over $ 50 billion annually. Rice continues to be a major export commodity and a significant earner of foreign exchange as export earnings have in-

creased to more than US$250 million annually. Growth in the production of rice remains buoyant as Guyana recorded last year, an annual production of over 974,000 tonnes of paddy, which was converted to over 635,000 tonnes of rice.

Nagamootoo’s "PPP crime syndicate" allegation

"A big joke" – Rohee

“Nagamootoo’s statement is a big joke; it is a huge joke. If there is anyone in this country who knows Nagamootoo as best as I do, as best as possible, politically and otherwise, I’m one of them.”

These were the words of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee in response to recent statements made by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo that there was some conspiracy between that Party and criminal elements to target him. Nagamootoo also recently said that self-confessed death squad member Sean Hinds had staked out his house – a charge the former murder accused denied. In an article in another section of the media on Monday, Nagamootoo was quoted as saying that he has reason to believe that there was a “criminal syndicate” attached to the PPP/Civic which ruled Guyana for 23 years.

He said too that Rajput Naraine, the ex-bodyguard of Anil Nandlall who was questioned for Courtney Crum-Ewing’s murder, had attempted to infiltrate the Alliance For Change (AFC).

Nagamootoo said Naraine “came to my office during

the campaign and offered his service as one of my security…he said he was going to watch my back.” He said with all that is being revealed now, including Naraine’s arrest, he was beginning to see the bigger picture. “I am connecting the dots. His name is being called in relationship with criminal elements and he found a person like me leading up to the elections as a person of interest, saying he want to help to protect etc, etc,” said Nagamootoo.

He added, “So I think there might have been a wider conspiracy which we do not know of and this is where I would expect that the Police should follow all leads to see whether there was a criminal syndicate attached to the PPP.

I have a suspicion that there might have been because why would the former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee go public to say during the campaign that ‘those who ain’t dead will be badly wounded’. It is a matter for him to explain.”

The PPP General Secretary, however, appeared to be unfazed about such statements coming from Prime Minister Nagamootoo. Rohee said that the Prime Minister was “good at spinning things, good at concocting things, he has what you call a wild, imaginative view of things”.

No relationship

Meanwhile, Rohee, during the press conference on Monday, vehemently stat-

ed that his Party had no relationship with Hinds, and at no point in time since his appointment as the PPP’s General Secretary was he aware of any security contract being awarded to Hinds by the Party.

“There is no relationship between the PPP and Sean Hinds, none whatsoever...As far as I’m aware of as the General Secretary of this Party up to the time I assumed this position, I do not know about any security being provided by Sean Hinds.”

Hinds, a former Police Officer, had paid a visit to Freedom House last week and Rohee noted that while he was aware that Hinds was there, he had no knowledge about who Hinds was supposedly meeting there. “I saw him here (Freedom House) sitting. He claimed that he was waiting to see someone. I never asked who was the someone, I just left and went away,” explained Rohee.

With regard to claims made by Hinds that officials of the PPP/C were in-

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

volved in the murder of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing and that during the election period he was given the security contract for the PPP/C, Rohee stated that this was not the case. “Mr Hinds can say what he wants to say. He is free to say what he wants to say but we can also dispute what he is claiming. There is no absoluteness in the truth in so far as any-

body on the Earth is concerned.”

Hinds, during an exclusive interview on the HGPTV Nightly News last week, confessed to being a member of the death squad and implicated the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), which he claimed provided the weapons to the said squad. According to the selfconfessed killer, the reason he made such a revelation is because he does not wish to return to prison for crimes he is not accountable for. Hinds, along with Ashton King and Mark Thomas, was charged with the murder of George Bacchus in February 2004. However, Hinds was acquitted of the charge in the High Court. He was also charged with abducting a 13-year-old female in 2009 and for a multimillion-dollar theft in Bel Air, Georgetown, in July 2012. Those charges were subsequently withdrawn on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Thomas new Chairman of GuySuCo

Renowned economist, Professor Clive Thomas has been appointed Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), replacing Shaik Baksh as the new Government commences the herculean task of reforming the sector and turning around the fortunes of the ailing sugar company.

Thomas, who is also Presidential Adviser on Sustainable Development and Economic Affairs, is also one of the commissioners of the recently-launched Commission of Inquiry into GuySuCo. Commentators say that Thomas brings to the post a wealth of experience having written extensively on sugar reform over the years. He has also with him on the board noted sugar experts Earl John, former Human Resources Director of GuySuCo and Anthony Vieira, former shareholder of Houston/Versailles estates and a manager in the industry.

The board will sit for one year with its appointment date listed as July 1. The other named members are: General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) Seepaul Narine; Adrian Anamayah; Louise Bouyea and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, George Jervis. The board will also com-

Dr Clive Thomas

prise representatives of the PPP/C and the Attorney General Chambers as well as the Corporation’s Corporate Secretary.

Back on June 4, the David Granger-led Administration terminated the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GuySuCo, Dr Raj Singh with immediate effect and instructed the members of the former Board to tender their resignations. In a statement then, the Government said that GuySuCo has been suffering increased losses over the years, noting that in 2014, the Sugar Corporation received a $6 billion bailout. For this year, the Corporation has requested a $16 billion bailout package. “On the directive of Cabinet, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder issued the letter of dismissal to Dr Singh and it

takes immediate effect. The Board was chaired by former Government Minister Baksh and included: Dunstan Barrow, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Linden Enterprise Network (LEN); Dr Dindyal Permaul, Chief Executive Officer, Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA); Keith Burrowes, Executive Chairman, Board of Directors, Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest); Badri Persaud, Managing Director, Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) and Geeta Singh-Knight, and Dr Raj Singh who sat on the Board as an ex-officio member. Over the years, GuySuCo has been “sinking further into debt due to ineffective operations both at the financial and production levels”. Government said to ensure that the Corporation continued to survive, it would be putting in place an Interim Management Committee that would oversee the Corporation for at least six months.

“Before the end of this month [June], the Government will establish a Commission of Inquiry to look in to the operations of GuySuCo and chart a way forward. The Government wishes to assure workers of GuySuCo that they will be paid and there will be no closing of the Sugar Corporation.”

Rodney CoI

Commissioners, lawyers slam early end to inquiry

By Alexis Rodney

Commissioners and lawyers participating in the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI) are adamant that the premature end to the investigation will definitely rob the Commission of a comprehensive, thorough and fair outcome.

The team met on Monday for the second to last day of public hearings

Commission, Sir Richard Cheltenham said while Commissions of Inquiry were "creatures of the executive", the move by the David Granger Administration will not speak well for the fairness of the final report which commissioners were expecting to present by November.

“The current Administration has determined that the Rodney CoI will have just two days of

creatures of the executive,” the Barbadian Queens Counsel read from a prepared statement.

He continued, “The executive sets them up, determines their terms of reference, decides who the Commissioners are and who presides over them.” He said while all those freedoms reside within the ambit of Government, Commissioners cannot, however, be told what to do,

whereby lawyers representing various interests in the investigation are expected to make their final submissions, summarising the evidence that have been so far presented. But before the official start of submissions, the legal minds had a lot to say about Government’s decision to have the final session wrapped up in a mere two days. Chairman of the

hearings. We feel obliged that while it is within the competence of the executive arm of Government to terminate the public hearings of the Commission, that kind of action is not at all unknown following the change of Government, in our Westminster type of Government. It must be remembered that Commissions of Inquiry are

and what final decisions to make. “What the executive arm cannot do and is not permitted to do is to tell us as commissioners, whatever evidence we must find and what we must reject. That is the area where we take complete independence.”

The CoI, which was convened in February 2014 by former President Donald Ramotar, has had some 66

sittings with a total of 29 witnesses giving evidence; three of whom are still to be cross-examined. The evidence of those witnesses – retired Major General Norman Mc Lean, former Police Constable Allan Gates and Holland Yearwood are said to be crucial to the investigation. Further, the Commission is still to hear from witnesses such as former Crime Chief Cecil "Skip" Roberts, Working People’s Alliance (WPA) leader Rupert Roopnaraine and former People’s National Congress leader (PNC)

Robert Corbin, all of whom have been issued with Salmon letters to appear before the Commissioners. Salmon letters, named after Lord Salmon who held an inquiry into public ethics in the 1970s, are designed to give people potentially facing direct criticism from an official inquiry a chance to reply before a report is published, according to the Guardian.

Adverse evidence

Cheltenham said there were adverse evidence provided against many individuals who were alive, who

have not been provided with an opportunity to come forward to confront that evidence and comment on it.

He said the Commission would be disinclined to make any adverse findings on such, adding that if it was found that it was necessary to make a finding, commissioners would be sure to add that the individuals against whom the evidence was given did not have the opportunity to comment on and any comment made should be subjected to that omission.

tuesday, july 28, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Marketing consultant new chairman of GRDB

…other boards in Agri Sector appointed

By Vahnu Manikchand

Amid the uncer-

tainty of markets for Guyana bumper rice crop, government has appointed Marketing Consultant, Claude Housty as the new Chairman of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRBD) - a move industry stakeholders said gives a clear indication that the administration will be focusing heavily on trying to sell the product.

There is also indication that Marketing executive, Nizam Hassan is tipped to be the next General Manager of the board. The former chairman of GRDB was Badri Persaud. Government had announced that there would be a total shakeup of the GRBD and as part of its reforms, would appoint both farmers and exporters to sit on the rice board. Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder told a conference on Monday that the members have been appointed and their names gazetted. Currently, Housty is also a member of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), tasked with responsibility in the area of marketing.

The Cabinet has reviewed and approved the appointment of the new GRDB member who will preside over the period covering July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016. In addition to Housty as the Chairman, the following persons have been appointed new members: Dr Peter De Groot; Rajindra Persaud; Jinnah Rahaman; Naith Ram; George Seales; Ricky Roopchand; Leakha Rambrich; Rajdai Jagernauth; Cecil Seepersaud; Dr O. Homenauth; and John Tracey, CEO of GBTI. The 13th spot was given to the General Manager of GRDB who will sit as an ex-officio member of the Board. While no name was listed, Guyana Times was informed that former Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) General Manager Nizam Hassan has been appointed acting head of the GRDB, replacing Jagnarine Singh who resigned his post last month after serving in that capacity for 15 years.

Hassan, who will effectively take up the acting position last week, was a part of a delegation which went to neighbouring Venezuela on July 19th, to sort out rice

shipments from this country which were stopped by its neighbouring Venezuela earlier this month. The vacancy for General Manager (Head of GRDB) was advertised in the media. It is unclear whether Hassan has applied.

Several other boards

On the other hand, the Agriculture Minister also managed to get Cabinet’s approval for several other State Boards under the umbrella of the Agriculture sector such as the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA). John Piggot was named the Chairman of this organisation. He will be presid-

ing along the Chairmen of Region Two Devanand Ramdatt; Region Three Julius Faerber; Region Four Genevieve Allen; Region Five Vickchand Ramphal; Region Six David Armogan; and Region 10 Renis Morian, as well as Sirepaul Hemraj; Hemraj Ragnauth; Pastor Sewnauth Punalall; Victor Wilson; Walter Persaud; George Jarvis; Bernard Lord; Godfrey Vaughn; Rene Dewsbury; and Omadatt Persaud and the Chief Executive Officer as an ex-officio member. The new members of Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) board includes: Michelle Johnson; Vilma Da Silva; Brian Sears; Rajdai Jagarnauth; Deodat Doodnauth, and Michalene Wilson. A seat on the board was allotted to the new General Manager as an ex-officio member, however no one has been named.

Meanwhile, Patrick De Groot was reappointed the Chairman of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA). He is joined by Rambhajan Ramlagan; Kari Persaud; Azad Habibulla; Eric Anderson; Roopnarine Matadial; Rickey Roopchand; Nigel Cumberbatch; Colin James; George Jervis; Cecil Seepersaud; Rueben Robertson; Aubrey Charles,

and Nicolas Waldron as members. Monique Ifill was appointed Secretary to the board.

The Mahaica/ Mahaicony/Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMM/ADA) has 14 members with Dr Kenneth Sealey as the Chairman. The other members are: Aubrey Charles; Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal; Freedie Flatts; a Workers’ Representative; Dwight Waldron; Jennifer Wade; Milton Nedd; Kelvin Saul; Emerson Benjamin; Victor Wilson; Lloyd Moore; Wayne Vieira and Steve Jaundoo.

As it relates to the National Agriculture Research Extension Institute, Retired Major General Joe Singh is named Chairman and Dr O. Homenauth as the ex-officio member. The remaining members include: George Jarvis; Dr T. M. Velloza; Dr Mahendra Persaud; Brian Greenidge; Wilmont Garnet; Gavin Ramnarine; Cecil Seepersau; Holly Greaves; Prema RamanahRoopnarine; Ricky Roopchand and the Deputy Chief Executive Officer as the Secretary. In addition, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam was named Chairman of the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) while current Chairman

of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr Steve Surujbally was appointed Deputy Chairman. They are joined by Patsy Francis; David Fernandes; Nizam Hassan; Prema Ramanah-Roopnarine; Denzil Roberts; Trecia David-Granath; Quacy Bemner; George Jervis; Jean David and Brian Greenidge as an ex-officio member.

Furthermore, Rueben Charles was also named the Chairman of the Guyana Fisheries Limited. He will be sitting alongside Denzil Roberts; Cecil Seepersaud; Walter Adams; Basil Blackman and Seepaul Narine, who is the secretary.

New members were also installed on the Veterinary Board of Guyana with Dr Colbert Bowen as the Chairman. The other members are Dr Mariel Savory; Dr Trebouhan Meghoo; Dr Colin James, and Dr Nicholas Waldron. Also reappointed is the Pesticides and Toxic Chemical Control Board. The Chairman appointed is Dr Lesile Munroe while Kharma Sharma; Raghunauth Chandranauth; Charles Ogle; Shamdeo Persaud; Karen Alleyne; David Josiah; Lawrence Farley are the new members and Trecia David-Garnath the Secretary.

Girl, 18, allegedly kidnapped at knifepoint

Awoman is seeking assistance to get it on contact with her 18-year-old daughter who was allegedly kidnapped on Sunday by a man armed with a knife.

Reports are that the girl had just left home and was making her way to her father’s house when a car pulled up alongside her, a male exited, put a knife to her neck and then dragged her into the car which sped away.

According to Indrawattie Bridjomohan of Hampshire Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), despite the fact that the kidnapping took place on Sunday, it was not until Monday she was informed that her daughter was abducted at knifepoint. She said that on Sunday her daughter, Samantha Chetram, left their Hampshire home about 10:00h, to spend some time with her father at Tain which is several villages away. However, she never returned and later checks at Tain revealed that Chetram

never arrived there.

A search for the teenager on Sunday proved futile. On Monday, she was told that Chetram received a telephone call earlier on Sunday while she was at the neighbour’s house.

According to Chetram’s grandmother, Bhojwatty Bridjomohan the neighbour overheard the conversation and later related that a male had asked her to elope and threatened to kill her if she did not comply. Asked

why the neighbour might have withheld such information at the time, the older Bridjomohan said that the neighbour had run away with a male friend in her young days.

Meanwhile, according to the missing teen’s mother, on Sunday the girl’s father was threatened by a young man that if he was not allowed to have her, he was going to kill her.

According to the grandmother, in December of last year, she was forced to stop Chetram from working. At the time, Chetram was a cashier at a Rose Hall Town store. She said that a young man, who had been having problems with the law and had also been a patient of the National Psychiatric Hospital, had developed an unwanted friendship with Chetram.

Police have been contacted and have since made checks in New Amsterdam and are following some leads. The Bridjomohans are worried for the safety of the teenager who is expected to get married in October.

Trotman meets Region 9 Toshaos

– emphasises need for sustainable development, good governance

Governance Minister Raphael Trotman, who also has responsibility for the natural resources and environment sector, over the weekend, met with several Toshaos and other representatives in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) where several issues, including good governance and sustainable community development were brought to the forefront.

The meeting held on Friday morning in Lethem, saw the attendance of the Toshaos of St Ignatius, Moco

Moco, Shea, Yurpukari and Maruranau, who are also representatives of the Kanuku Mountain Range Development Group (KMRDG). According to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, the team travelling with the Minister included Adviser on Sustainable Development, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Clayton Hall; Permanent Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Justin McKenzie and Commissioner

of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), Damien Fernandes.

Minister Trotman told the group that the meeting was an opportunity to understand first hand, the work which was being carried out by the group in the region. He noted that his role in the Ministry of the Presidency and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment was not to disrupt any arrangement or system the villages have put in place, but rather to facili-

Training top on Patterson’s list for staff

With systematic investments in staff education and training, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson wants the Ministry to be one that epitomises professionalism and emboldens bold and innovative ideas.

His sentiment comes after interactions with staff from the various departments and agencies that fall under the Ministry including the Works Services Group, the Guyana Power and Light, Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

“We have young, vibrant young people in our midst. It is, therefore, imperative that career advancement is key to the further development within this Ministry,” Patterson stated, according to a release from his office.

To this end, instructions have been given to heads of departments to ensure that all staff be exposed to both local and international training. “Gone

are those days when only a predominate few benefited from training programmes/ courses; that circle has to be widened,” he declared. The knowledge and skills of the staff, the Minister further stated, is the Ministry’s most important competitive advantage.

“Therefore, we must strive to continuously strengthen, upgrade and extend them to younger minds. Activities in the

field of education and training that develop qualified and motivated employees will remain one of our priority strategic policies also in the future,” he added.

Touching on the perception of unprofessionalism and poor communications skills in the public’s domain, the Minister admitted those issues would be addressed with some urgency. “For a long time staff adopted certain behavioural attitudes and patterns, so it will be a challenge to break that. However, I am confident we will make progress to change that viewpoint.”

Although he is still familiarising himself with the operational aspects of the departments/agencies, Minister Patterson is generally satisfied with the knowledge and skills shown by the staff at all levels.

However, he firmly believes that training opportunities must be available to more staff. “The future and progression of the Infrastructure Ministry depend on it.”

tate and aid the work which was being carried out, provided that it was sustainable and done in good faith.

Minister Trotman said that the Government was willing to work with and support the systems which promote good governance and sustainability and was seeking to put an end to those which did not display those characteristics.

“Where there are good systems in place, we would like to promote and support them. We are not here to shut anything down. We must be able to continue

good work where there is good work and to cease bad work where there is bad work and I will rely on your guidance to tell me what things are working and what things are not working... This is a fact-finding mission,” he told the group.

During the meeting with the KMRDG, the Minister was given an update on the various projects which had been undertaken by the group while he provided them with the opportunity to raise any matters of concern they may have had.

The members of the

KMRDG consist of 21 settlements and communities set up as a representative body when the central boundaries and management plans for the protected Kanuku Mountain Range area were discussed and finalised.

However, the members told the Minister that since then, the group has been working on its own projects to promote sustainable development for the communities.

The Toshaos related that they were having some amount of difficulty in setting up a much needed Farine (native Amerindian staple of ground, dried cassava) factory which has the potential to bolster the communities. In addition, the challenges in combating the effects of climate change were also raised during the meeting.

Following the meeting, Minister Trotman toured the KMRDG Farm and praised the facility as an important revenue-earning initiative for the communities. Later in the day, the Minister visited the neighbouring Moco Moco Village, site of the now defunct Moco Moco Hydropower Project, which was examined.

Toshao James George discussed energy generation challenges in the community and expressed his desire to see the hydropower station operational once again.

Govt mishandling diplomatic relations with Venezuela – Rohee

As the controversy continues between Guyana and Venezuela with regard to the Spanish- speaking country laying claim to Essequibo, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has reprimanded the present Administration for the manner in which it is handling bilateral relations between the two countries.

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee, during a media briefing at Freedom House Monday, stated that the new Government has already committed major economic blunders as it relates to bilateral agreements between Venezuela and Guyana.

He made reference to the oil-for-rice deal between the two countries which comes to an end in November as well as preventing CONVIASA, Venezuela’s state-owned airline, which had not paid the mandatory security fee, from landing at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) quite recently.

This decision had resulted in hundreds of passengers heading to Venezuela being stranded at the airport.

Rohee explained that such a move was “inexcusable” by Government and when the PPP/C was the ruling party, it always tried to maintain a common balance with other countries especially those that have bilateral agreements with Guyana.

“I think diplomacy has to be done in a certain way, diplomacy has to do with toning down, exerting every effort at toning down, even though the adversary would have adopted the position that you are against… We are upset with this Government about the mishandling of the diplomatic bilateral relations between these two countries. That’s where our beef is.”

According to the PPP General Secretary, there are a number of signed bilateral agreements between Guyana and Venezuela which have the potential to generate and develop closer ties between the two. Meanwhile, he noted that the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Administration was not letting the public know the outcomes of various bilat-

eral meetings that it has or should have participated in. The Guyanese public should be aware of such events since they are matters of national interest.

“I did not hear anything from Granger about what took place between the Guyana delegation and the Venezuelan delegation during the Caricom summit. We have heard nothing. Did they meet? And if they met, what did they discuss?”

Rohee also lamented that Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge recently met with the Organisation of American States (OAS) and there was no public update on what transpired at the meeting except what Greenidge reportedly said.

“The nation ought to know. So these are the kind of searching questions we need to have answers to in respect to Guyana’s bilateral relations with Venezuela. As well as the search for support and solidarity from other countries by Guyana … You’re not seeing any effort at dialogue, at overcoming the hurdles,” Rohee added.

Some of the newly appointed boards published in the Official Gazette (Extraordinary)

Chile President Michelle Bachelet says pacts of silence on dirty war must end

Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet, has called for citizens to break the pacts of silence that have covered up human rights violations during the 1973-1990 military dictatorship, praising a former soldier who helped the investigation into an incident in which two activists were burned alive.

A Chilean judge last week charged seven former members of the military over the 1986 attack in which one pro-democracy activist died and another was left with disfiguring burns. Four other ex-soldiers are still being questioned over the case.

The charges come after another soldier testified about the case last year, breaking a nearly three-decade pact of silence. “Let’s put an end to the silence,” said Bachelet, who herself was held and tortured during the dictatorship.

“There are people who know the truth about many cases that are still unsolved. Chile is asking them to follow the example of the soldier Fernando Guzmán and help to repair so much pain,” she said.

Soldiers doused Rodrigo Rojas and 18-year-old Carmen Quintana with gasoline and set them ablaze during a street demonstration on July 2, 1986. Rojas died four days later. He was a Chilean-born photographer visiting from the US, where he lived with his mother in exile.

Quintana survived and underwent lengthy treatment for severe burns at a Canadian hospital. Her scarred face later became a symbol of the atrocities committed by Pinochet’s dictatorship. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

3 Jamaicans get EU scholarships to pursue master’s degrees in Europe

Mexico missing students: Search uncovers 60 mass graves

Sixty mass graves have been uncovered in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero during a search for 43 student teachers abducted last September, official documents have revealed.

The Attorney General’s Office says the remains of 129 bodies have been recovered from the graves. None of the remains have been linked to the students who vanished in Iguala.

The information was released after a freedom of information request by the Associated Press. The majority of the bodies are male, but the remains of some 20 women were also found. The unmarked graves were discovered during the huge investigation into the disappearance of the 43 students. The number of mass

graves found from October to May could be higher because the information given to AP only covers instances in which specialists became involved. The students, from a teachers’ college in Guerrero, had travelled to Iguala and, as part of a protest, commandeered a number of buses.

The Government says the 43 were intercepted by police and handed to members of a drugs gang who killed them and incinerated their bodies. Gang members confessed to killing the students and burning their bodies after they were mistakenly told they belonged to a rival gang. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Three Jamaicans are among the top recipients of the muchcoveted Erasmus Mundus scholarship for 2015.

The awardees: Kim Lee Campbell, Nicole Ennis and Tami Palmer will pursue Masters degrees in September. Kim Lee is a graduate of the Edna Manley School of the Visual and Performing Arts, with a BFA Degree in Dance Performance and Choreography. She has been offered a scholarship to pursue a two-year International Master in Dance Knowledge, Practice and Heritage and will begin her course at the Norges TekniskNaturvitenskapelige Universitet Ntnu in Norway.

Although not an EU member State, Norway is

fully associated with the programme, a news release from the Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and The Cayman Islands said Monday. Nicole holds a first degree in biology from Yale University in the United States and will pursue a Master in Quality in Analytical Laboratories starting at the Politechnika Gdanska in Poland. Tami, who holds a BSc in Land Surveying and Geographic Information Sciences from the University of Technology, will move on to studies in the same field with a Masters of Science in Geospatial Technologies starting at the Universitat Jaume I De Castellon in Spain. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Around the World

Abdul Kalam, father of India’s missile program, dies at 83

ormer Indian President

FAPJ Abdul Kalam, considered the father of the country’s missile programme, died on Monday in hospital at the age of 83, a doctor said.

Popularly known as “Missile Man,” Kalam led the scientific team that developed missiles able to carry India’s nuclear warheads. He became a national folk hero after helping oversee nuclear tests in 1998 that solidified India’s status as a nuclear weapons state. India’s first atomic test was in 1974.

Kalam died from cardiac arrest in Bethany Hospital in the North-eastern city of Shillong, capital of

Meghalaya state, according to hospital Chief Executive Officer John L Sailo.

Kalam, who was India’s 11th President from 2002 to 2007, had collapsed earlier

in the day while delivering a lecture, according to Indian media reports. Kalam, who wrote a book called Ignited Minds, became best known as a tireless campaigner for unleashing India’s technological muscle and discouraging expensive imports from the West.

Born on October 15, 1931, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Kalam graduated from the prestigious Madras Institute of Technology in aeronautical engineering.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley expressed his condolences on Twitter: “We have lost an ideal citizen. May his soul rest in peace.” (Reuters)

9 killed in day-long Indian gun battle near Pakistani border

Indian Police overcame a group of gunmen dressed in military fatigues on Monday after a 12-hour battle that ended in a small-town Police station near the border with Pakistan, and at least nine people were killed. Police in the frontier state of Punjab killed three unidentified assailants who had pulled up at the Police complex in a stolen car, automatic weapons blazing, at about 05:00h (2330 GMT Sunday).

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his top Ministers have not made detailed statements on the attack, which came weeks after he met Pakistan’s premier Nawaz Sharif in an attempt to revive stalled relations between the nuclear-armed rivals.

Indian Policemen take their positions next to a Police station during a gunfight at Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, India, July 27. India tightened security on the border with old enemy Pakistan on Monday after heavily armed men stormed a Police station in the northern frontier state of Punjab, killing six people and wounding several others

Pakistan issued a statement condemning the assault and extending condolences to the Government and people of India, pushing back against suggestions by some Indian security sourc-

es that the assailants had crossed from Pakistani territory.

In the first such attack in Indian Punjab in more than a decade, the gunmen shot dead a barber and tried to hijack a bus before rushing the Police station, witnesses said.

Shoe shop owner Amit Sharma, 43, was woken by the sound of gunfire at dawn.

“I thought someone was setting off firecrackers,” Sharma told Reuters. Instead, he saw three men with assault rifles “spraying bullets everywhere.”

Throughout the day, regular bouts of small arms fire echoed across the town of Dinanagar and the surrounding paddy fields, some 15 km (10 miles) from the international border, Reuters witnesses said. (Excerpt from Yahoo! News)

China woman dies after falling into escalator

Awoman was killed after falling into an escalator in a shopping centre in central China, local media report. Surveillance footage from Sunday’s incident shows a metal panel at the top of the escalator giving way, causing the woman and her toddler to stumble.

The woman, identified by local media as Xiang Liujuan, 30, was able to push her child to safety as

she fell in. The incident in Jingzhou, in Hubei province, has sparked widespread anger at the department store.

The woman fell into the escalator at 10:09 local time (02:09 GMT) on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV and newspaper Wuhan Evening News reported. Employees standing at the top of the escalators tried to pull the woman to safety, but were

unable to stop her from being pulled in.

It took until 14:00 for rescuers to retrieve her body, CCTV said. There was no immediate comment from the shopping centre, but local authorities are investigating the incident, media reports said. Unconfirmed reports said that maintenance works had been carried out on the escalator recently, and workmen had

replaced the metal panel but forgotten to secure it with screws, Wuhan Evening News said.

The incident has sparked fury on Chinese social media, with many demanding answers from the shopping centre’s management. As of Monday morning, microblog posts on the subject had attracted more than 20 million views. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Burundi Parliament opens after disputed poll, opposition takes seats

Burundi’s Parliament sat for the first time on Monday after President Pierre Nkurunziza won a disputed election last week, with a leading Opposition figure taking his seat despite having boycotted the vote.

The United States called the July 21 presidential vote “deeply flawed”, while regional observers said the poll “fell short” of being free and fair. The Opposition, which also boycotted parliamentary elec-

tions held on June 29, has accused the Government of violence and intimidation against its members.

Nkurunziza’s decision to seek a third five-year term plunged Burundi into its worst crisis since an ethnically charged civil war ended in 2005. The Opposition says Nkurunziza’s bid violated the Constitution and could spark another conflict.

Agathon Rwasa, the leader of the Opposition Amizero

y’Abarundi coalition, said 20 members of his FNL party would take their seats to represent people who voted for them.

Opposition politicians were split over whether to take up their seats in the parliament. They boycotted the polls but candidates’ names were kept on the ballot papers and some of the lawmakers won seats in Opposition strongholds.

“Can we leave all those

Obama praises Ethiopia over fight against al-Shabab

US President Barack Obama has praised Ethiopia as an “outstanding partner” in the fight against militant Islamists. Its troops had played a key role in weakening the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group in Somalia, Obama said.

He was speaking after talks with Ethiopia’s PM Hailemariam Desalegn, during the first ever visit by a US President to the East African state. He also called on Hailemariam to improve Ethiopia’s record on human rights and good governance.

“I don’t bite my tongue too much when it comes to these issues,” he said at a joint press conference in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Some rights groups have

criticised Obama’s visit, warning that it could lend credibility to a government accused of jailing journalists and critics.

A legal case currently being fought through the US courts alleges that agents of the Ethiopian government eavesdropped on the internet activities of a man in the US state of Maryland.

The man, born in Ethiopia and now a US citizen, works for a political Opposition group outlawed in his home country. Addressing the media, Mr Obama described the Ethiopian government, which won all parliamentary seats in May’s election, as “democratically elected”. Opposition group have said the poll was rigged. (Excerpt from

US softens view of

Malaysia, Cuba in human trafficking report

The United States took Malaysia off its list of worst offenders in human trafficking on Monday, removing a potential barrier to its joining a signature trade pact despite opposition from human rights groups and nearly 180 US lawmakers.

The US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report also upgraded Cuba from its lowest rank for the first time since it was included in the annual report in 2003.

people who voted for us to their fate though elections results are not that realistic?”

Rwasa asked, once again rejecting the results of the election.

But Charles Nditije, from the Opposition UPRONA party that acts as the junior partner in the Amizero y’Abarundi coalition, said his party’s 10 elected lawmakers would not take up their seats in the 121-member chamber.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

South Sudan, Burundi, Belize, Belarus and Comoros were downgraded to the lowest rank, Tier Three, where Thailand remained for a second year, alongside countries with some of the world’s worst trafficking records, including Iran, North Korea and Zimbabwe.

Egypt was downgraded, to the so-called “Tier 2 Watch List” status, while Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan were upgraded to “Tier 2 Watch List.”

Malaysia’s expected upgrade to the “Tier 2 Watch List” from Tier 3 removes a potential barrier to President Barack Obama’s signature 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement, or TPP. Congress approved legislation in June giving Obama expanded trade negotiating powers, but prohibiting deals with Tier Three countries such as Malaysia. After a July 8 Reuters report on plans to upgrade Malaysia, 160 members of the US House of Representatives and 18 US senators wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to keep Malaysia on Tier Three. They said there was no justification for an upgrade and questioned whether the plan was motivated by a desire to keep the country in the TPP. U.S. Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Sarah Sewall rejected the notion that any political considerations had influenced Malaysia’s ranking.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Govt mulls return of rice flour

As rice farmers continue to wonder about the future of the rice industry in Guyana, the Agriculture Ministry Monday stated that consideration was being placed on the possibility of mixing rice flour with wheaten flour.

Permanent Secretary George Jervis told the attendees at the National Rice Industry Conference that while Government was placing focus on such an initiative, there was nothing preventing the Private Sector from exploring such an idea as well.

These comments came in light of a rice farmer’s suggestion at the said conference that rice flour should be mixed with higher quality wheaten flour so as to ensure soaring production of the staple.

The farmer conceded that the mixing of the flours was a “ticklish” suggestion, but he urged the other participants to forget about the politics and focus on the future of the rice industry instead. “Our rice is going to Trinidad, going to Jamaica, and they mix it and send it back right here. We buy it and we eat it and we say it tastes good. Why can’t we do the same here?” questioned the farmer.

According to the man, if

there is a mixture of 50 per cent of rice flour with 50 per cent of wheaten flour, such a move could result in the country saving foreign exchange on wheaten flour purchases. It would also help in securing a ready market for at least 400,000 bags of paddy or 25,000 tonnes of rice, he added.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed Chairman of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Claude Housty, stated that rice flour was healthier because of its higher digestable protein content, low calories and high fibre.

However, Housty explained that the low gluten content makes the flour difficult to bind and results in the flour goods being hard.

“If you get health conscious go to rice flour, don’t worry with wheat,” he said, while

noting that rice flour has been used to make bread, pastries and even ice cream.

The GRDB’s Chairman urged that the country seek assistance from the Philippinesheadquartered non- governmental International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Global Rice Science Partnership to produce high quality rice, its by-products and value-added rice products.

Since the election of a new Government in Panama, the country, which had been purchasing over 60,000 tonnes of rice from Guyana, has reduced its purchases. Venezuela has also cut back on the amount of rice it would usually imports from Guyana. This has pushed farmers and millers to find other markets globally where the prices for rice are lower.

Bandits terrorise Corentyne family twice in three months

Four armed and masked men last Saturday evening terrorised and shot one member of a Corentyne, Berbice family during a robbery after which they escaped with an undisclosed sum of cash and other items.

The robbery was committed on the DeeramSingh family of Lot 522 Number 48 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, just after midnight on Saturday. The four men reportedly kicked down the kitchen door in the lower flat of the house to gain entry.

As they entered the home, they held up the owners of the house and demanded cash and jewellery. The couple however, held out that they did not have money at home but they were threatened.

Two of the bandits took the woman to the upper flat of the house where they ransacked the wardrobe and found a quantity of cash.

The couple’s son, Sohan, who lives in another house saw the lights flashing in his parent’s home and went to check on his parents but as he called out to them, one of the bandits discharged a round, hitting him to his abdomen. The men then made good their escape in a waiting motorcar.

Speaking with Guyana Times , 59-year-old Nandkissoon DeeramSingh explained that he and his wife were in the

He said the decision of the executive to bring to an end the public hearings may well have implications for the thoroughness of the report as witnesses still to testify will not be heard and some of the terms of reference not adequately supported by testimonies so far will remain in that incomplete state.

Fellow Commissioner Seenath Jairam told the hearing that they have an obligation to be fair and impartial in their ruling. He said, the situation as is, had allowed him several choices, among them, opting out of the continuation of the hearings; however, “good sense” has prevailed on his part to go through to the completion as he has an obligation to fulfil. He said that the public could be assured that based on the evidence thus far, the Commission could be assured that Commissioners would do their best to be fair, although they were limited by incomplete evidence.

Meanwhile, Queens Counsel Andrew Pilgrim,

lower flat of the house when the men entered through the kitchen door. “All we hear is bram bram and next thing we see is four people in the house with gun and cutlass”, the man stated.

As they entered, he said that the men ordered them to lie on the ground and demanded cash and Jewellery right away. “One of them say, this nah go be like the last time… if all yuh nah hand over the money and gold, you all dead”, he recalled the man shouting.

On this note, he admitted that the family was robbed at gunpoint a week before the General and Regional Elections.

Nevertheless, he stated that two of the bandits instructed his wife to walk towards the upper flat of the house while the other two remained with him. On their way up the stairs, they ordered a son who was in the upper flat of the house to open the adjoining door.

As he opened the door, the men barged into the bedrooms and ransacked the wardrobes where they found the money.

They then made their way downstairs but by this time, they heard the couple’s eldest son calling out to his parents. One of the men discharged a round in his direction, hitting him in the stomach.

As they were about to leave, they searched the lower flat of the house and found another set of mon-

the lawyer representing the interest of the widow and children of Dr Rodney urged Commissioners to petition the new Administration to see if it could give some leverage to its decision to allow for at least two more weeks so that the remaining pertinent witnesses could be heard.

He said the family members of the Dr Walter Rodney, the WPA co-founder, have waited some 35 years to find solace and closure. He urged the Administration to take into consideration the Salmon letters that were sent. He said there was still time for Government to make a decision in this regard, noting that he was willing to support any entreaty the commission would make in that manner.

History will be unkind

Lawyer for Donald Rodney, Dr Rodney’s brother and the only witness, Keith Scotland said “history will be unkind to us”, as the commission was very close to the

ey and also relieved his son of his mobile phone. The farmer told Guyana Times that as the men left, they cut the telephone line, leaving the family without any means of communication.

Meanwhile, the distressed man stated that after a few minutes, persons in the neighbourhood rushed to the scene and the Police were contacted.

He stated that when they called the Number 51 Village Police Station, they were told that only one rank was on duty and he could not leave the post. Soon after, he stated that as they stood on the roadway, they saw a Police car with flashing lights and they stopped the car.

“The Police in the car tell we that he is traffic Police and that he nah have gun and so to check out the scene… he drive off and he later come back with two Police but they too de frighten to go into the area… I nah know what dem frighten, de bandits dem de done left”, the man stated.

A detective, he stated, came a while later and dusted the area for fingerprints and took statements from the family. DeeramSingh disclosed that his house is the last house on the lot but his son lives some distance away. He also disclosed that he does not have close neighbours. No arrest has been made as Police continue their investigations.

end of the hearing and the premature end would only open the new Government to criticism that it had “politicised” the CoI. He said the hearing, which has taken 34 years to commence, might very well be referred to a “pappy show”. The Commission, including its Chairman, Jamaican Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Trinidad-based Guyanese Senior Counsel Jairam, was set up to investigate who or what was responsible for the massive bomb blast that caused the instant death of the WPA Co-founder on the evening of June 13, 1980. At the time, Ramotar had said that the establishment of the Inquiry was owing to the persistent request made by Rodney’s widow, Patricia, and their three children. However, the People’s National Congress (PNC), the major partner in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition, had maintained that the move was a political stunt taken to tarnish its reputation.

APNU/AFC candidate Dr Surendra Persaud heads NIS board

...Lance Carberry appointed chairman of Guyoil

Medical doctor and former candidate of the APNU/AFC, Dr Surendra Persaud has been appointed Chairman of the troubled National Insurance Scheme, according to a notice published in the official Gazette. The administration has also appointed PNCR executive Lance Carberry as the new chairman of the Guyana Oil Company and Dr. Persaud, former Medical Director at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his general surgery internship and residency at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens. While serving as Medical Director at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, he successfully launched his private practice in January of 2006 and was among the first Doctors to do Laparoscopic surgeries at Mercy Hospital. Dr. Persaud introduced colonoscopies in 2011 and more recently endoscopies. During his tenure he has served on several of the Board Committees, including the Hospital Improvement Committee. It was widely believed that Dr Persaud would have been tapped for one of the two health ministerial portfolios or asked to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

He has taken over the NIS from

Dr Roger Luncheon at a time when the state-run social security entity is barely breaking even with total expenditures is around the same as its income. Records had indicated that the scheme had a deficit of $371 million in 2011 while in 2012, a deficit of approximately $474 million was recorded. The figure climbed in the years 2013 and 2014. NIS operates out of 14 offices countrywide, providing social security to over 45,000 pensioners and medical insurance for thousands of Guyanese in the formal and informal workforce.

In June, Government said that it was conducting a major shakeup of boards which overlooked

Government agencies. In addition to Dr Persaud, the other members on the NIS board includes Doreen Nelson, who is appointed Deputy Chairman; Keith Cholmondeley; Deryck Rodney; Christopher Ram; Kathleen Jason; Carol Corbin, and a representative each from the Private Sector, the Trade Union Congress and the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry Limited (CAGI).

On the other hand, Finance Minister Winston Jordon will be chairing the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) Board. He along with Berkley Wickham, Sonya Roopnauth, Dr Maurice Odle and

Minister of State Joseph Harmon will be sitting on the board. The new Chairman of the Guyana Revenue Authority is Rawle Lucas. He is joined by Khurshid Sattaur, Gobind Ganga, Sonya Roopnauth, Lennox Benjamin, and Jermaine Grant as members.

The National Procurement and Tender Administration (NPTA’s) new Chairman is Claude Brooks while the Vice Chairman is Lavern Lawrence. The other members are Trevor Baird; Bernard Lord; Ron Rahaman; Thomas Nestor and Anala Grant-Williams. As it relates to the Bank of Guyana, Cabinet has re-appointed Gobind Ganga as the Governor General. He will be joined by Leslie Glenn, Dr Maurice Odle, Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, Rawle Lucas, Lennox Benjamin, Sonya Roopnauth and Dr Anand Goolsarran as members on the board.

The Finance Minister was also named the Chairman of the Privatisation Board. Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin, Dr Grantley Walrond, Patricia Bacchus, Grantley Culbard, Jerome Khan and a representative of the Private Sector, are appointed the remaining members. Basil Joseph is named the new Chairman of the Income Tax Board of Review while Nigel Hinds, Donna Ellis, Attorney Gino Persaud and a representative from

the Parliamentary Opposition are the new members. The Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL) has seen the appointment of Lance Carberry as the Chairman and Oscar Phillips, Shaundell TaylorBrotherson, Berkley Wickham, Harry Parmesar, Lawrence Paul and Shondell Hope as members.

In addition, business tycoon Sattaur Gafoor was appointed Chairman of the Customs Tariff Tribunal. Bish Panday, Attorney Gino Persaud, Jacob Daly, and representatives from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Trade Union Congress and Parliamentary Opposition were named members on the board.

Another revamped entity is the Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI), which Cabinet has replaced former Chairman Winston Brassington with Beverley Harper. She is joined by members Derrick Cummings; Patricia Bacchus; Hughley Nelson and Lawrence London. The Guyana Securities Council’s new Chairman is Keith Cholmondeley while the other three members are Christopher Ram, L Glenn and Donna Levi. Meanwhile, Minister Jordon was also appointed Chairman of the Bureau of Statistics. The other members are Lennox Benjamin; Gobind Ganga; Evelyn Hamilton; Dr Natasha Gaskin-Peters and Desmond Trotman.

Rodney CoI Lawyer restates PNC’s alleged links to Walter Rodney’s killing

BY ALEXIS RODNEY

The People’s National Congress (PNC) Government of the 1980’s and its alleged involvement in the death of Working People’s Alliance (WPA) co-leader Dr Walter Rodney was on Monday the focal point of the final submission of Attorney Keith Scotland; representing the interest of the only known witness of the 1980 bomb blast.

Donald Rodney was in the car with his older brother, Dr Rodney, on the evening of June 13, 1980, when a bomb, planted in a communication device exploded, causing Dr Rodney’s instant death. And although he had informed investigators about the occurrences of that fateful evening, the younger Rodney was still arrested and charged for being in possession of the explosive, which Police said was responsible for the historian’s death.

The younger Rodney maintained that he had nothing to do with the explosive, and that it was in fact handed to him by a now dead former Army Sergeant William Gregory Smith, whom it is believed had been used by the then Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham Government to assassinate the political leader.

Appearing on his behalf throughout the hearing was the Trinidad lawyer, who during his final submission on Monday

to the tribunal headed by Barbadian Queens Counsel, Sir Richard Cheltenham, maintained, based on the evidence received thus far, that the PNC Government had its hand in the death of Rodney who was considered a “thorn in its flesh”.

He recalled the evidence of several important witnesses including Eusi Kwayana, Karen De Souza, Dr Patricia Rodney, Tacoma Ogunseye and Joseph Hamilton. Those witnesses, except Rodney’s widow Patricia and Joseph Hamilton, are all members of the WPA, and had testified about the political oppression anyone who was opposed to the then PNC Government had to endure.

Moreover, Joseph Hamilton, a self confessed member of the religious organisation House of Israel, had informed the Commission of his involvement in the many physical attacks on the WPA members, breaking up their meetings using bodily, bullish means.

Scotland spoke too to the evidence of former Labour Minister Nanda Gopaul who had informed that there was a direct act of state oppression during that period, which found many Guyanese being pounced upon by elements of the State.

The evidence presented by Eusi Kwayana –who along with People’s Progressive Party (PPP) leader, Dr Cheddi Jagan –was considered a “sacred

cow”, providing information on threatening statements being made by Prime Minister Burnham, where at his party’s congress in 1979, had warned that the WPA members needed to “make their wills” . This statement, Scotland recounted, was made a few months before the brutish death of WPA members Ohene Koama and Edward Dublin, who were both shot and killed by an arm of the state; the Police.

Scotland spoke of Rodney’s presence in Zimbabwe and how upset Burnham had become, when he realised that Rodney, who he had placed a ban on his travel, was at a nation-

al conference and was chosen above Burnham to have a private engagement with the country’s Head of State. This evidence was provided by former Attorney General Charles Ramson, who informed the Commission that during that time, Government had restricted Rodney’s travel. He was not allowed to have a passport. In May of 1980, the Government of Zimbabwe had invited Prime Minister Burnham to attend a Pan African Conference. Dr Rodney, because he was facing an arson charge, was not allowed to leave the country. However, upon his arrival at the conference, Ramson said Burnham was

extremely upset to find that Rodney was also there and was able to speak with the country’s leader instead of him. Scotland urged the Commissioners to carefully consider this evidence as well, as a mere few weeks after that Conference, Rodney was killed.

The Attorney continued his submission, going over evidence and occurrences during the periods in question, and pointed to the evidence of his client Donald who had informed the Commission of his meetings with Gregory Smith. He said although he had met the electronics expert before, on the evening of June 14, 1980, when he approached the home of Smith, there was some level of surprise on Smith’s face. He said based on the information provided by the younger Rodney, Smith was surprised because it was obvious that he did not expect him that evening. He said the plan was to get Rodney alone. However, when Donald turned up that night, instead of his older brother, the plan was thwarted.

Scotland spoke too of the evidence presented by Rodney’s wife Patricia, who had informed that Police on the evening of her husband’s death, had come to her home carrying out searches. He reminded of the news report on the State owned radio station which followed the explosion and which stated that an “unidentified” male

was found dead. This report he again suggested was written long before the explosion. There was a plan he reminded, but that plan did not fall into place. Based on reports from both Kwayana and Donald Rodney, Dr Rodney was instructed by Smith to hold the explosive device in an angle that close to his face. The historian did not follow that instruction however, and instead of his face being blown away, his lower body was.

Scotland said that the State had to be involved in everything, especially with the printing of pamphlets which found their way on the streets the following morning of Rodney’s death. The “Hickory Dickory Dock” Pamphlet had a rhythmic chorus, celebrating the death of the activist and was strewn along the streets close to his home. Scotland urged Commissioners to consider that too, particularly, who had the capacity to print the flyers during a period when there was an extensive ban on the printing materials. The Government, he submitted, had to have provided the resources for that publication. The submissions continue today with Attorney’s Andrew Pilgrim for the Rodney family, Christopher Ram for the WPA, Brian Clarke for the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and former GTUC lawyer Selwyn Pieters now appearing on behalf of the People’s National Congress.

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

Sign up to take part in stimulating educational or intellectual discussions. Any enhancement to your skills or knowledge will serve you well in the future. Gain confidence and boost your resume.

Be wary of tempting financial deals. Unless you know all the details and facts, you are likely to face a financial downturn. Invest in yourself and your talents, not in someone else.

Adjustments to your personal life should be put into play if you are feeling abused or unappreciated. Don’t stay in a situation out of habit or fear. Prepare to make a move.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

AQUARIUS

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

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

You will make a good impression on someone and will experience growth and change. A new project will become a lucrative endeavor. Romance is in the stars.

You will be uncertain regarding your next move. Take time to make an informed decision and don’t give in to domineering or overbearing individuals. Be true to yourself.

Personal difficulties will be resolved if you open up to those who care about you. Someone who has gone through a similar circumstance will offer sound advice.

Financial risks should be avoided. It is necessary to set the record straight for a meddling family member who wants to become involved in your personal problems.

Someone who has caused you pain will try to make amends. It’s up to you to decide if this person deserves a second chance. A self-improvement program will bring amazing results.

Don’t fall for insincere flattery. Read between the lines. Not everyone who praises you is being honest. Don’t allow yourself to be used to make someone else jealous. You will know in your gut if an upcoming opportunity to make a change is right for you. Guard against disappointment by getting a contract or agreement in writing before you commit.

Your honest and trustworthy nature will cause someone to seek your advice. Be careful that your empathy doesn’t cause you to take on someone else’s problems. Offer suggestions only.

Your hard work and integrity will be rewarded. Do what you can to the best of your ability, and ignore those who try to make you feel unworthy or guilty.

Tour de France: Chris Froome completes historic British win

Chris Froome became the first Briton to win the Tour de France twice when he safely reached the finish line in Paris at the end of the threeweek race.

The 2013 champion finished alongside his teammates on the final stage, behind a sprint won by Andre Greipel.

Mark Cavendish, seeking a fifth win on the ChampsElysees, finished sixth after the 109.5km race from Sevres.

The win for Froome means a Briton, and Team Sky, have now won three of the last four of cycling’s showpiece races.

Froome, 30, beat Colombia’s Nairo Quintana

to the yellow jersey by 72 seconds with Spain’s Alejandro Valverde third.

The final stage ended with 10 laps of a 7km course around Paris but the times for the general classification were taken the first time they crossed the finish line because heavy rain in the French capital had made the roads treacherous.

That meant Froome could not lose time if he was held up by a crash or mechanical problem but he still had to complete the stage.

Inside the last 10km he had to stop to remove a paper bag that had got caught up in his gears, while moments later he rode over a discarded water bottle. If

either had caused him to crash and not cross the finish line his title would have been cruelly taken away.

However, he stayed upright and rode over the line arm-in-arm with his Team Sky team-mates several seconds behind the main bunch.

How Froome won Froome had led the general classification since stage seven.

In fact, he had never dropped out of the top two positions since the third stage and up until Thursday held a lead of three minutes 10 seconds over the field.

In the end it turned out to be the narrowest winning margin since Carlos Sastre beat Cadel Evans by 58 seconds in 2008.

But it will be seen as vindication for Froome, whose composed and gritty riding was at risk of being overshadowed by persistent questions over the legitimacy of his performances and three isolated incidents of abuse from spectators.

Froome’s Tour victory was predominantly established by an excellent first week, followed by a phenomenal burst on the climb to La Pierre-Saint-Martin on stage 10 that put him almost three minutes clear. (BBC Sport)

Political tension puts IndiaPakistan series in doubt

Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, has said that any bilateral series between India and Pakistan was unlikely until the political relationship between the two countries was stable.

Thakur was speaking on Monday soon after a gunfight in the Gurdaspur district in Punjab - close to India’s border with Pakistan - led to several civilian casualties. Though security agencies in India were yet to determine who was responsible for the attack, Thakur, who is also a Member of Parliament from India’s ruling BJP, cited the incident as an example of why he believed the time was not right

for a cricket series with Pakistan.

“Even today there is a terrorist attack, in Gurdaspur. On one hand there is a rise in terrorist activity from Pakistan, on the other you can’t expect to play a cricket series with Pakistan,” Thakur told ESPNcricinfo.

“For me the safety and security of my countrymen is more important than a cricket series. This is not the way to go ahead. I was never against the dialogue process. At the same time, if you do not have good relations, you can’t have good cricket.”

Last month the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, while visiting India, had

said Pakistan had a “Plan B” should the series not go ahead. “We know there is always such a possibility when it comes to Indo-Pak relations but we think the situation will be clear in two months time,” Shaharyar had said. “We have a plan B in case the series (against India) cannot be held but I can’t share the details of that now. If such a situation is created we can call alternative teams.”

India have not played a bilateral Test series against Pakistan since 2007, though they did host them for two T20Is and three ODIs between December 2012 and January 2013. (Cricinfo)

Race to succeed Blatter is ‘poker’ game: FIFA executive member

The race to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president is like a “poker game”, long-serving FIFA executive committee member Michel d’Hooghe said on Monday.

“A poker game is currently being played. I think there will be a number of candidates, one from Europe,” Belgian D’Hooghe told Dutch broadcaster NOS.

D’Hooghe said UEFA president Michel Platini would be a good candidate.

“Michel Platini has led UEFA well and he has taken on all the challenges. He is a wonderful man, though, in his own way. Michel is highly appreciated in European soccer.”

The 69-year-old D’Hooghe, who has been a member of the powerful cabinet of world soccer for 27 years, will step down in two years, frustrated by allegations of corruption hanging over FIFA. “I will not be a

candidate for re-election in 2017,” he said.

“I have family commitments and I can tell you that last two years have been very difficult for me. Having to insist all the time that I have done nothing wrong becomes a heavy burden to bear.” D’Hooghe was cleared in February of ethics breaches over a gift from Russia 2018 World Cup organizers and trying to se-

cure a job in Qatar for the son of a friend. Qatar is to host the 2022 World Cup.

“Everything you do comes under suspicion, everything. I have attempted to do everything ethically correct,” he said.

“And if at the end your career’s work is held in doubt, that is not enjoyable.” D’Hooghe last month criticized Blatter’s refusal to take responsibility for the corruption crisis following the arrest of several top officials in Zurich ahead of the FIFA Congress in May. “If there some that are corrupt, they have had a crushing impact,” he said.

“They have tarnished the reputation of all the people who give of their best for the Institution that is FIFA. And I find that very disappointing. “I can name hundreds of FIFA employees who do their work seriously but now have to walk a little with their heads bowed below their shoulders.”

Fire sign Drogba, trade him to Montreal Impact

Chicago Fire have signed Didier Drogba and immediately traded him to MLS rivals Montreal Impact.

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has signed for Chicago Fire, who have subsequently traded him to Montreal Impact.

Speculation had been rife about Drogba’s next destination after leaving Stamford Bridge, with the man himself confirming earlier this month that he was in talks with an MLS outfit.

On Monday, it was announced that Fire had acquired his services, “acquiring general and targeted allocation money” from Impact in exchange for Drogba.

Fire completed that deal at the same time as signing former Toronto FC designated player Gilberto.

“With regards to the trade, we felt this move was in the best interest of our club,” a statement from Fire head coach and director of soccer Frank Yallop read.

“We received a signifi-

cant amount of allocation money from Montreal, giving us the spending flexibility to find another player in this window or down the line.

“We respect Mr. Drogba’s professionalism throughout this process and wish him luck, but we are excited to welcome Gilberto to the club and move forward toward the MLS Cup play-offs and the U.S. Open Cup semi-finals.”

“It’s an honour to welcome Didier Drogba to the Impact,” said Impact president Joey Saputo.

“From the first conversation I had with him, I felt that he really wanted to play in Montreal. This is one of the biggest days in club history and his arrival to the club will be beneficial in every aspect.”

“He’s demonstrated his qualities as a striker at the highest level in Europe,” added technical director Adam Braz.

“His instinct in front of the goal, his experience and his leadership are all attributes that will help the team on the field.” (Digicel Sportsmax)

Kusal ton sets up consolation SL victory

Kusal Perera sent Pakistan on the run with his most substantial innings to date, then Sri Lanka’s middle order ran the opposition down and mauled them in a frenzied finish, to found a 165run victory in the final ODI. Sri Lanka plundered 368 for 4, but even on a placid Hambantota deck, the chase was too steep for Pakistan’s in-form top order. They slipped to 140 for 5 before the halfway stage of the innings, and were all out for 203.

Kusal’s second ODI ton, and perhaps the most mature innings in his career, came in a 164-run opening partnership with Tillakaratne Dilshan, of which Dilshan’s share was 62. Angelo Mathews and Milinda Siriwardana did justice to this start, by striking a ream of late boundaries as Sri Lanka amassed 107 runs in the last eight overs.

Rahat Ali was the only Pakistan bowler to claim a wicket, and only Shoaib Malik was spared an economy rate of less than seven.

Yasir Shah’s figures of 0 for 73 off eight overs was particularly telling. Pakistan remain among the top-eight ODI teams, but let slip a chance to further embed themselves there with the Champions Trophy deadline approaching. The No. 9-ranked West Indies are only two points away.

Much of that was down to Kusal’s knock. Gone from his batting today were the indiscriminate across-theline swipes. He relaxed his ambition in this innings and allowed a capable defensive

technique to take over. The first over, from Mohammed Irfan, prompted only leaves, forward defensives and a couple of offside pushes. But when the bowlers erred, Kusal was merciless. Along the way he struck good deliveries to the boundary too, but was content to allow singles to tide him over in between the big shots.

Dilshan made use of the slipstream Kusal was creating to move briskly, but safely through the early overs. He hit two successive legside fours off Irfan in the seventh over, but was wily, rather than wild. His half-century came off 59 balls, but featured only four boundaries. He raised his bat at that milestone, but was more joyful minutes later, when he became the 11th batsman to complete 10,000 ODI runs.

Kusal had got his own half-century off 39 balls, but in many ways, it was the second fifty that set this innings apart. He ran at Imad Wasim to sock him for two successive straight sixes

Jack Warner gets more time

Acourt is giving former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner more time to fight being extradited from Trinidad & Tobago to the United States to face corruption charges.

A chief magistrate on Monday set a new hearing date of Aug. 28 after a government lawyer requested more time to examine the extradition request from the U.S. Justice Department.

The U.S. sent its request last week.

The former head of

CONCACAF is resisting extradition on U.S. charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering in the FIFA corruption case. He is out on bail and leading his political party’s campaign for Sept. 7 general elections.

Attorney General Gavin Nicholas has said Warner’s case has “absolutely nothing to do with politics.”

Trinidad legal experts believe Warner’s extradition could take years to resolve.

in the 16th over, then returned to a diet of singles and twos with his homespun technique accessing uncommon portions of the ground. Dilshan was run out attempting a quick single, but Kusal stayed the course, completing his second ODI ton with a controlled hook to deep square leg.

Pakistan’s seamers rattled Kusal twice - lifting a ball into his grille and later crushing his boot with a yorker. The only real chance Kusal gave was a difficult one to a diving mid-on, off Yasir, on 79. In the end, it was another run-out that stopped him. Perhaps hampered by that blow to the foot, he was slow completing a second run in the 33rd over. He had hit 116 off 109 deliveries though, and set Sri Lanka well on course to their enormous total.

Things could have been different though. Yasir will feel he got the better of Mathews when he drew a top-edge off a slog sweep, but Wasim backpedaling from square leg lost the high

ball in the breeze. With Sri Lanka only three wickets down at the end of the 40th over, the score at 249 and moving at more than a runa-ball, Mathews quickly got his power-game into gear. He slammed Yasir through midwicket next over, then blasted a four and a six against the turn an over after that.

With their ace spinner dominated for the first time on tour, Pakistan’s seamers were virtually fodder on what was now a pitiless surface. Siriwardana targeted the boundary from the outset of his innings, and the length of the ball didn’t matter. Irfan’s bouncers were clattered through midwicket, and Rahat had little luck with the full ball.

The pair reaped 114 runs from the last 55 balls of the innings, with five sixes and 12 fours. Mathews reached his half-century in 31 balls and Siriwardana completed his first international fifty off 25 with a hook over deep square leg in the final over to cap Sri Lanka’s most

dominant 50-over stretch of the series.

Pakistan began the chase without incident, perhaps even a little slowly given the target - 46 runs from the first nine overs. Sachithra Senanayake, who would be Sri Lanka’s best bowler in his first match of the series, made the first breakthrough, turning one past an overbalancing Ahmed Shehzad.

Then Dinesh Chandimal snapped the bails off quickly enough to catch the batsman short by a miniscule margin. Mohammad Hafeez seemed the most fluent of the Pakistan batsmen, easing boundaries square of the wicket and even stepping out to send Senanayake over long-off. But at no point did

Pakistan appear to have a grip on this chase. The run rate only briefly touched six, and the wickets kept falling. Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed were run out by rare Sri Lanka direct hits. Hafeez himself became Mathews’ 100th ODI victim when he was lbw to an indipper, and Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Rizwan succumbed to Thisara Perara. The tail eventually gave in to spin, giving Senanayake figures of 3 for 39 from eight overs.

Despite this thrashing, Sri Lanka have lost the series comfortably. But they will at least be glad that Kusal has begun to realise his potential as an out-andout matchwinner. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka innings

MDKJ Perera run out (Anwar Ali/ Mohammad Irfan) 116

TM Dilshan run out (Ahmed Shehzad) 62

HDRL Thirimanne c Mohammad Rizwan b Rahat Ali 30

LD Chandimal† c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Rahat Ali 29

AD Mathews* not out 70

TAM Siriwardana not out 52

Extras (lb 6, w 3) 9

Total (4 wickets; 50 overs; 237 mins) 368

Did not bat: NLTC Perera, SMA Priyanjan, SMSM Senanayake, RAS Lakmal, PLS Gamage

Fall of wickets: 1-164, 2-212, 3-219, 4-254

Bowling: Mohammad Irfan

10-1-73-0, Anwar Ali 9-0-710, Rahat Ali 10-0-74-2, Imad Wasim 3-0-27-0, Shoaib Malik 10-0-44-0, Yasir Shah 8-0-73-0.

Pakistan innings Azhar Ali* run out (Mathews) 35

Ahmed Shehzad st †Chandimal b Senanayake 18

Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Mathews 37 Sarfraz Ahmed† run out (Lakmal) 27

Shoaib Malik c Thirimanne b NLTC Perera 11

Mohammad Rizwan c †Chandimal b NLTC Perera 29

Imad Wasim c & b Senanayake 15 Anwar Ali c NLTC Perera b Gamage 11 Yasir Shah c NLTC Perera b Senanayake 9 Rahat Ali c Senanayake b Siriwardana 0 Mohammad Irfan not out 4 Extras (lb 1, w 2, nb 4) 7 Total (all out; 37.2 overs; 171 mins) 203

Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-71, 3-116, 4-121, 5-140, 6-170, 7-178, 8-197, 9-197, 10-203 Bowling: PLS Gamage 100-62-1, RAS Lakmal 6-0-35-

Mercedes need to sort out their starts

For the second race in a row it all went wrong at the start for Mercedes in Hungary and a rule change coming in after the August break will give the Formula One world champions even more to think about.

“We just had another crappy start, which was the root cause of all the other stuff that came afterwards,” Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff said in a frank assessment of Sunday’s debacle.

Mercedes have started all 10 races this season on pole position, and have won eight of them, but for the first time this year they had no drivers on the podium.

The Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen scythed past Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg when the start lights went out, just as Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas had at Silverstone for Williams.

Mercedes were left on the back foot in Hungary, triggering a chain reaction that left world champion Hamilton -- who also had a poor start in Austria -- finishing sixth and Rosberg eighth while Vettel went on to win.

“We need to get on top of the situation. It is not acceptable and it needs to be analyzed why it happened,” said Wolff. “It is many various reasons, not one particular one.”

Wolff said he thought a clutch calibration problem was to blame, with the cars suffering too much wheelspin.

The next race is Belgium and, to

complicate matters, there will be restrictions on the amount of information teams can give drivers at the start and that could shake things up.

Ferrari technical head James Allison agreed that the opening seconds had been crucial on Sunday.

“If you get away well at the start and are in free air, and you can have your race without compromise, it makes a lot of difference,” he said.

It certainly did for Hamilton, who could only laugh ultimately at the string of blunders he made.

The Briton banged wheels with Rosberg, bumped across the grav-

el, collided with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and collected a drivethrough penalty.

“I don’t remember a day like this,” he said, thankful at least to have stretched his lead over Rosberg to 21 points despite the mayhem.

“I just have to laugh at today, laugh at myself. When you make wrong decisions or make a fool of yourself sometimes, you just have to laugh it off.

“Considering how bad it was, the one thing I can take in my heart is I never gave up. I never threw my toys out of the pram and thought ‘this is over’.” (Reuters)

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Starc taunts England over their uncertainty

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Much speculation surrounds the character of the wicket to be used in Birmingham after Alastair Cook and Trevor Bayliss both said they wanted livelier pitches for the rest of the series after being well beaten on a flat surface at Lord’s.

It was music to Starc’s ears. “We’ll be licking our lips. Don’t worry,” he said. “They’re not really sure what they want to do now. Some of their team want batting-friendly wickets and that hasn’t helped them at Lord’s.”

The pitch is currently quite well grassed, and it remains to be seen whether it will be shaved and brushed as Cardiff and Lord’s both were.

“They want to get their bowlers back in the game, but we’ve got the pace as well,” Starc added. “So I think as Michael said,

maybe last week, it doesn’t matter what they dish up. We’ve got all bases covered, we’ve just got to adjust to the conditions the quickest.

“They’re searching for some form after Lord’s and have made a change with Gary Ballance out. They’ve brought in Jonny, who has scored a lot of runs in county cricket this year so far. Whenever you make the opposition make changes, it shows you’re on top. It’s about staying there and really pushing that home this week.”

Starc struggled with an ankle problem in Cardiff and has had cortisone injected into the joint.

After using the example of Ryan Harris to push

through the pain, he was better at Lord’s and expects to be freer still at Edgbaston although was sketchy on the intricate details of his problem after previously having surgery for ankle bone spurs in 2013.

“I don’t actually know. You’d have to ask the medical guys. All I know is it was quite sore. I got through that week in Cardiff and it felt a lot better at Lord’s. Miles better than what it was. So hopefully it keeps getting better and hopefully it’s gone this week.

“It was on the inside this time, not the outside. So there’s no spurs there, as people have said or written about. No spurs there

at the moment. I’m sure they will probably come back one day, but at the moment I think it’s just bone on bone. The cortisone is going to help that and hopefully get me through the rest of the tour.”

Young pace bowlers need to learn what Brett Lee calls the “difference between good pain and bad pain”, and Starc appears to have made that distinction on this tour.

“Coming from that scan, knowing there was nothing wrong with the bone or the joint. It’s just going through the pain, it’s nothing new for fast bowlers to push through the pain,” he said. “If Ryan Harris can get through a broken knee to try and get right for the Ashes, I can get a little bit of ankle pain to get through.

“Pain is part and parcel of fast bowling, as you progress through your years of bowling you start to learn what you can and can’t get through. As far as I was concerned, I knew there was nothing wrong with the joint so just push on.”

(Cricinfo)

Rejuvenated Bolt, in-form Gatlin could deliver spectacular time

Former British athlete turned pundit

Darren Campbell believes world’s fastest man Usain Bolt is primed to hit top gear at the World Championships in Berlin and that could make for an explosive 100m time when he faces in-form Justin Gatlin.

Bolt has struggled for most of the season with a pelvic injury but showed solid form on Friday at the London Diamond League meet. The Jamaican

clocked 9.87 in a heat before returning to register the same time in the final, in cold wet conditions.

The six-time Olympic medallist has battled to get back anywhere his best earlier in the season, failing to break the 10 and 20 second barriers in the 100m and 200m events.

“It’s important people understand that the injury he had would be similar to having a car with one flat tyre,” Campbell told BBC Radio 5 live.

“Usain Bolt’s strength is his stride and for him not to be able to get the stride length means he won’t get rhythm so you can understand how that would play a big part in why his times were down,” he added.

“They both believe they can win gold. That makes it exciting,” Campbell said.

“Now Bolt’s in shape, he has 100% belief. Gatlin definitely believes he can win and that’s what potentially will bring out a crazy time in Beijing.

“Rivalries are important because it makes people dig deeper.” (Digicel

Gatlin has been impressive to date, clocking blistering personal bests of 9.74 and 19.57 over the 100m and 200m. The American has also managed to put together an impressive 28 race unbeaten streak, and maintains that he can break the Jamaican’s world records.

Bolt has no intention to be number two

After a solid if not spectacular return to the track on Friday world’s fastest man Usain Bolt has made it clear that he has no intention to be second best.

The Jamaica, who has been hampered by injury so far this season, clocked a tidy 9.87 at the London Diamond League meet, which while not even close to his blistering personal best was a creditable performance given poor weather conditions.

American Justin Gatlin

has been in the spotlight for most of the season, having established world leads in both the 100m (9.74) and 200m

(19.57) seconds. Many believe it is Gatlin who could be the man to beat come next month’s IAAF World Championships, but Bolt is

confident he will still have some say on the matter.

“I was never No 2. I’m still No 1 and I will continue being No 1 until the day I retire,” Bolt said.

“I’ve been putting in the work and I can see it coming out on the track. It definitely looks good,” he added.

The sprinter had struggled to make an impression so far this season with pedestrian clockings of 10.12 and 20.13 over the 100m and 200m distances before Friday’s meet. (Digicel Sportsmax)

Shimar Flats benefits from RHT Gizmos & Gadgets cricket teams

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC)

Gizmos & Gadgets FirstDivision and Under-21 cricket teams last weekend donated a set of cricket gear to a promising Under-19 cricketer, Shimar Flats of Blairmont Cricket Club.

The donation was done by the cricketers as part of the Club’s Silver Jubilee Anniversary celebrations.

Club Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hilbert Foster stated that one of the main aims of the Club was to assist youths to fulfil their potentials in sports, education and culture.

Every year, hundreds of youths are assisted with sport gears, educational materials among other items under the Club’s “Live your Dream Project”.

The Gizmos & Gadgets teams, Foster stated, have produced numerous cricketing talents, including Assad Fudadin, Royston and

A representative from Blairmont

Esuan Crandon, Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Dominique Rikhi, Clinton Pestano, Eon Hooper and Akshay Homraj.

The long-serving Secretary/CEO urged the young Blairmont cricketer to develop a strong culture of hard work, discipline and dedication in order to become not only a cricketer but a positive role model off the cricket field.

Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine handed over the gear on behalf of the cricket teams.

The donation consisted of a cricket bag, a pair of batting pads and a cricket bat.

The Gizmos & Gadgets First-Division team are captained by former national Under-19 Captain Shawn Pereira, with national player Eon Hooper as his deputy.

The Under-21 Team Captain is Akshay Homraj, with Brandon Prashad as his deputy.

Stag Beer onboard with Mega Emancipation Darts Competition

The Guyana Darts Association (GDA) has planned its Emancipation Tournament for August 2 at the Malteenoes Sports Club.

The tournament will be sponsored by ANSA McAL under its Stag Beer brand with a number of lucrative prizes up for grabs.

The winners in the male and female categories will receive $20,000 respectively as action is set to start from 13:00h, while registration will commence from 12:30h. The tournament is open to all members of the GDA.

Fifa wants ‘independent’ leader for reform taskforce

Fifa has said its reform taskforce will be chaired by an independent person from outside of football.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter announced plans last week to form an 11-person panel to review football’s scandal-hit world governing body.

Domenico Scala had earlier said he would only lead the taskforce if he is guaranteed full independence.

The Swiss businessman is already the independent chair of Fifa’s audit and compliance committee.

Scala was believed to have been prepared to lead the taskforce, after meeting presidents of three of Fifa’s six continental confederations.

But a spokesman for Scala told BBC Sport: “Domenico Scala never applied for such a chairmanship.”

He added that the post would only be considered “under the strict condition” that “independence was guaranteed”.

As well as an independent chair, the taskforce will have two representatives from the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), Concacaf (North, Central America and the Caribbean) and Uefa (Europe), as well as one representative from each of Conmebol (South America) and the OFC (Oceania).

In a statement, Fifa said representatives from federations would not necessarily have to be “members of the football community” and the confederations could decide that themselves.

Blatter, who has announced his intention to stand down as president, has said presidential term limits and integrity checks for top officials are potential

areas of reform.

Recommendations are due to be presented at the next meeting of Fifa’s executive committee in Zurich on 24 and 25 September. The prospect of Scala leading an independent review of Fifa was described as “laughable” by campaign group New Fifa Now. And Alexandra Wrage, who resigned from Fifa’s independent governance committee in April 2013 in protest at a lack of meaningful action, said even an independent chairman of the reform taskforce “can’t work”. She told BBC Sport: “The process needs to be taken out of Fifa’s hands. Short of that, it’s another reform dead-end.”

Blatter’s resignation on 2 June followed the arrest of seven Fifa officials as part of a United States investigation that saw 14 people indicted on corruption charges.

A separate criminal investigation by Swiss authorities into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were allocated is also under way. (BBC Sport)

Bell prepares for a make-or-break Test

Like the disappearance of Lord Lucan, the origin of Stonehenge and how Shane Warne went that colour, there are some mysteries that time seems unable to explain.

Maybe, eventually, we will reflect on the career of Ian Bell the same way. Bell is, arguably, as naturally talented a batsman as England have produced this century. At his best the ball is not so much hit or even caressed, but persuaded that it may like to go to the boundary and seems only too happy to oblige. He has the time, the timing and the technique to be a great player.

A fine career, he has had, too: 112 Tests, 22 centuries and an average of 43.18 is impressive by any standards. He has also played a part in a team that went to No. 1 in the world and won four Ashes series. If this is the end, he can look back with pride.

Yet a nagging thought remains that it might have been better still. A nagging thought remains that, despite all the success, it is a career that may fall short of the standards it might have reached.

If it seems premature to be talking of Bell’s career in retrospect it is because it is, once again, at a crossroads. He arrives at Edgbaston, his home ground, as urgently in need of runs as at any time in his career. It is no exaggeration to suggest that this could be his last Test. It is remarkable how quickly tomorrow’s man can become yesterday’s.

Bell knows all this. Talking to the BBC at Edgbaston on Monday, he admitted he “hadn’t performed to the best of my ability in the last two months” and accepted that international sport is “a brutal environment” in which “you have to perform.”

“The only thing I can do real-

ly is focus on what’s in hand,” he said. “It’s my home Test match. It’s always great fun. I know the ground inside out. I’ve got to enjoy myself.”

To some extent, Bell can count himself fortunate to make the team at Edgbaston. While Gary Ballance, with one score of 30 in his last 10 Test innings, has been dropped, Bell, with one score of 30 in his last 12, has been promoted. And as S Rajesh’s excellent piece made clear, Bell’s run of modest form is not so much a blip as a famine.

Yet the England management have decided he has the technique and temperament to come in when the ball may be at its hardest, the bowlers at their freshest and the pitch still lively. They have backed him in the hope that the challenge will bring the best out of him. It is a huge statement of belief. And, in such an important game, a huge gamble.

But perhaps that support is just what he requires. The last few months have contained many disappointments for Bell and it may

be that they have resulted in an anxious player struggling to relax and allow his undoubted talent to flow.

Bell has had to accept the end of his ODI career - a career that, ultimately, must be considered a disappointment - and was replaced as vice-captain of the Test team by the younger and possibly more dynamic Joe Root. For the first time in his career, Bell is peeking over the other side of the hill and looking at life after international cricket. The view is unfamiliar and unnerving.

While the captaincy issue might have appeared obvious from the outside - Bell was the one man interviewed for a leadership position in 2011 who did not gain a role either as captain or vice-captain in one of the three formats - for a man whose leadership has long been admired at county level, it represented the end of a dream. (Cricinfo)

WICB Regional One-Day Tournament

Guyana, Barbados match abandoned without a ball bowled

No play was possible on Monday at the Everest Cricket Club Ground

Players and fans alike were left disappointed on Monday when Round Three of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Under-15 One-Day match between hosts Guyana and Barbados was abandoned

without a ball being bowled.

While the rain had largely disappeared by the time play was due to begin at 09:30h, it was announced shortly afterwards that the outfield at the Everest Cricket Club Ground was

unplayable after overnight and early morning downpours left the entire boundary area waterlogged.

Guyana, the defending champions, remain on 6.6 points, and will play Jamaica today at Albion.

Digicel Nationwide School Football Tournament…

Annai “happy” with semifinal berth

– ready to face Chase Academy

AWest Coast Demerara.

With Annai’s dominant display on Sunday, Coach of the Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) squad, Kelly Brasch expressed belief that the team could make it to the final.

“For the tournament,

Bility: I am the favourite for FIFA Presidency

Musa Bility believes it would be a “travesty” if Michel Platini was appointed FIFA president.

Liberia Football Association chairman Musa Bility has declared himself favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president, dismissing any potential challenge from UEFA chief Michel Platini.

Blatter announced his intention to resign following the corruption scandal that tore through world football’s governing body and an election to appoint a new president has been set for February 26.

“How can you say that he [Platini] is the favourite?” Bility said in an interview with Omnisport. “I mean, if the favourite is a popular candidate, then you have to show me his popularity.

“I think that I am the favourite. I come from the most popular continent. I do represent the largest block in football where the underprivileged nations are.

“We need to bring the rest of the world into parity with Europe, where Mr Platini has been running football for the last eight years.

“I always ask the question: What is the difference if someone wants Blatter to go, why do you want to replace him with Platini? What message are you sending?

“Do we just want to get rid of Blatter and so that’s

it? If that’s it then Platini is the candidate. But if not, if we’re looking for an honest and a fair beginning, then we have to start fresh with people with new thinking - as the [English] FA have said.”

Bility also leapt to the defence of Blatter and believes Platini should accept some responsibility for failing to spot the signs of corruption at FIFA.

“I do not believe that the current crisis in FIFA must define the legacy of Blatter,” he added. “If you look at FIFA and where he has taken the organisation from, it has been a long journey, and he has provided quality and good leadership.

“Obviously someone has to take responsibility for what is going wrong. I think he’s showing good character, and is showing leadership...

in terms of responsibility and deciding whether or not he can be president.

“Having said that, he has a legacy that I believe must be respected and to come and brush that aside, we have to rethink that.

“There are serious problems in FIFA but, like I said, you cannot excuse Mr Platini from those problems, where was he? He was in the boardroom for eight years. Did you hear from him? Did he say anything?

“I mean, come on. All of these things that we are all crying about today - what has he said? He’s said Mr Blatter should resign, okay. Mr Blatter has resigned. Let’s start again new.

“It would be a travesty and it would be hypocrisy if Mr Blatter should be replaced by Mr Platini.” (Digicel Sportsmax)

we have had a game plan and we come out and execute and I’m happy with this, but we have received a lot of support from our people and that’s where we get the courage to come out and perform, so we can reach the final,” Brasch stated.

Brasch also highlighted that the team were looking forward to their next encounter.

“Our last three games we have really improved and what we do is also look at little things during the game to improve on and work on it and that has gotten us here and that is what we will continue to do as we prepare for our semi-final,” he noted.

Team Captain Garville Daniels noted that his side were feeling confident especially after their 13-0 win.

“We just feel happy about the win and me especially with scoring so many goals, so it’s a great day for us and we want to continue winning,” Daniels stressed.

Annai Secondary will now meet Chase Academy on Wednesday at the National Track and Field Centre Ground.

Pompey named to Pan American Athletes Commission

By TreisTon Joseph

Guyana’s greatest female quarter-miler, Aliann Pompey continues to make strides in her post-athletics career, becoming the first Guyanese to be named to the Pan American Athletes Commission.

Pompey’s appointment to the Commission came after the just-concluded Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, where Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) President KA Juman Yassin nominated the Commonwealth gold medallist.

The four-time Olympian thanked Yassin for the confidence shown in her ability and pointed out the reason the Pan American nations voted her in to the Commission.

“First, thanks to Mr Juman-Yassin for his nomination and the GOA for their continual support of my endeavours.

“The athletes and Pan Am participants who voted for me are aware of the integrity with which I competed, and have faith that I will go to bat for their collective interests. The Pan Am coun-

Aliann Pompey

tries have made leaps over the past few years and have proven themselves a force in sports,” Pompey stated in an invited comment to Guyana Times Sport

In addition, Pompey indicated her eagerness to carry out her new mandate, “as a representative for the region in all the Pan Am sports, I am tasked with looking at the big picture. For the next eight years, the scope of my work has increased expo-

nentially and I am excited to start! I hope this gives more credence to my assessments on Guyana’s sports development,” the five-time World Championships athlete noted.

Meanwhile, Pompey, despite a packed schedule, indicated that she hoped at some point in the future she was able to spend a bit of time in Guyana in order to aid the development of sport.

BLUTC horse race meet rescheduled to August 2 –

KMTC race meet postponed to facilitate emergency sea defence works

By raJiv BisnauTh

Organisers of the Bush Lot United Turf Club (BLUTC) have rescheduled Sunday’s one-day horse race meet to August 2.

The race meet was slated to be held at the Club’s track, Sea View Park, Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice from 12:30h, but rainfall for most of Sunday left the venue in a waterlogged state, leaving the organisers with no choice but to postpone the event.

Chief Coordinator Lakeram Sukhdeo told this publication on Monday that there would be no changes in the original programme.

The organisers have put together an impressive eight-race programme. The feature race is classified for horses in the C Class over 1600 metres, with the winner set to race away with $1 million and a trophy.

The other events on the day’s card are the Threeyear-old race for West Indies bred horses for a winning purse of $350,000 and a trophy over 1200 metres.

Then, there is an event for animals classified E1 and Lower for a top purse of also $350,000 and a trophy

over 1500 metres.

The G2 and Lower race will be a 1300-metre affair with the animals running for a winner’s purse of $300,000 and a trophy.

The race for Two-yearold Guyana and West Indies bred animals is a 1000-metre contest for a top prize of $300,000 and a trophy.

The organisers have added the event for horses classified I and Lower and Three-year-old Guyana bred horses over 1300 metres for a winning take of $200,000 and a trophy.

The animals classified J and Lower will be competing for a first prize of $180,000 over 1300 metres. The final

event will be for animals K and Lower, also over 1300 metres for a winning pocket of $140,000 and a trophy.

The meet will be conducted under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority.

Meanwhile, the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) annual Emancipation Day horse race meet which was slated for August 2 has been postponed until October.

According to Honorary KMTC President, retired Justice Cecil Kennard, the postponement was to facilitate emergency sea defence works which are expected to commence shortly within the vicinity of the Club.

Mexico record 7th Gold Cup win

Mexico won a record seventh Gold Cup with a dominant win against first-time finalists Jamaica.

Jamaica were the first Caribbean team in the final, but were unable to produce an upset as El Tri won their third title from the last four cups.

Andres Guardado volleyed the opener in front of almost 70,000 at

Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.

Jesus Corona and Oribe Peralta added goals before Darren Mattocks’s late consolation.

The Gold Cup is the continental tournament for teams in North and Central America and the Caribbean.

El Tri’s semi-final win over Panama was marred by ugly scenes, as players clashed and objects were thrown from the stands after Mexico came from behind courtesy of two penalties.

But there was no such controversy in the final as the Reggae Boyz were soundly beaten, despite making a bright start.

“We’re very happy,” Mexico manager Miguel Herrera said. “We domi-

nated the ball. We got the rhythm we wanted and controlled the play. It’s a great satisfaction for all of us.”

PSV Eindhoven’s Guardado finished the tournament with six goals, one less than top scorer Clint Dempsey of the

United States, as he was awarded the Golden Ball for being the best player. It was his 10th career Gold Cup goal, having also

scored in a 2007 final loss to the USA and a 2011 victory over the Americans.

After the break Corona and Peralta took advantage of defensive mistakes by Reading defender Michael Hector to extend Mexico’s advantage before Mattocks pulled a goal back with 10 minutes remaining.

“For me this is not silver. For me this is gold,” Jamaica manager Winfried Schaefer said. “Nobody gave us a shot. This team played all its matches over its head. I’m very proud to coach this team. Jamaica should be very proud.” Mexico have now qualified for a play-off against 2013 champions United States on 9 October for a place in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. (BBC Sport)