Guyana Times Daily - December 7, 2015

Finance Minister deceived Guyanese

Fedders

Region 10 Chairman to engage Cabinet on land issues

GGMC clears air on $4M food bill, land transaction

Tertiary education needed in Essequibo –Chairman

Tertiary education needed in Essequibo – Chairman

BY INDRAWATTIE NATRAM

Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt has called for the establishment of a branch of the University of Guyana in Essequibo.

Ramdatt made the call during the 28th Graduation and Prize giving exercise of the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE), Anna Regina Centre that was held at the Cotton

Field Secondary School.

Delivering the Charge to graduating students, the chairman said it is time government conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of a branch of the University of Guyana in the Region. He noted too that many young persons from the Region are denied a university education due to huge expenses, including that of affordable accommo-

dations.

Addressing the graduates on their achievement, Ramdatt said: “Your achievements are part of our achievement as a people and as a region, your area of studies will no doubt prepare you for continuing education, entrepreneurship and employment.”

He implored them to take the opportunity to continue their studies, aiming for the

best in their field.

Ramdatt also called upon the graduates to adjust to the competitive environment, where quality and high standards must be maintained:

“Our environment is not only competitive but it is increasingly becoming challenging, we must see challenges not as problem and burdens but as opportunities. As you move forward, I wish you well and ask of you to see yourself as having a moral and civic responsibility in building your families, community, Region 2 and our Guyana.”

Graduates were awarded based of their academic performance and improvement in the basic courses.

Eighty-four students excelled in the courses of Information Technology, Upgrading Professional Administration, Supervisory Management, Catering and Pastry.

Headteachers urged to pay attention to infrastructural issues

Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice)

Regional Democratic Council (RDC) member Charles Sampson has called on Headteachers in the Region to play a more proactive role in examining the infrastructural needs of their respective schools.

He was at the time addressing members of the RDC at the December statutory meeting after a number of issues affecting schools were brought to the forefront by various councillors.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian has also urged more collaboration between heads and the Education Department in ensuring that certain issues were highlighted through necessary correspondence. He said Headteachers should pay more attention to these types of issues since they were the managers of their respective schools. It was

noted by the Council that Councillors were the ones who often times bring issues regarding infrastructural malfunctions at schools to the forefront, which begs the question of if some Headteachers are paying attention to the issues.

Sampson said issues regarding any infrastructural damage should be brought to the attention of the Region 10 Education Department and copied to the Council, especially in instances where these issues pose a danger to students.

“When there are problems at the schools, they must be reported to the Ministry of Education... send a copy of whatever you’re reporting to the Regional Chairman’s office...they need to go around the schools sometimes to see what is happening”, he reiterated.

Police host Christmas party for youth club

The Guyana Police Force, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Sunday hosted its annual Children of Rosemary Lane (Tiger Bay) Youth Club’s annual Christmas concert and party which saw dozens of children showing up to participate in the festivities.

At the event, the children showcased their talents in dance, music and poetry and were awarded gifts and monetary prizes at the end of the day.

Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine during the feature address on behalf of the Police Commissioner, urged the young people to value the gift of life and make best use of their time on planet earth.

The assistant commissioner commended members of CID for the excellent work they are doing to guide the young people of

the Rosemary Lane Youth Club in a positive direction. He noted that as members of the Guyana Police Force, “We need to understand that in law enforcement, we have a social contract with the public”.

Ramnarine told the young people that they are preparing them for adulthood by teaching them life skills that is sure to be useful for the working world.

“We have taken that contract on board, now you have to respond to us in keeping your end of the contract by displaying those positive attitudes and being good responsible citizens and staying away from the life of crime” Ramnarine exerted.

The assistant commissioner also pointed out to the youths that “jail time is waste time” as he encouraged them to steer clear of the path that leads in that direction.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, December 7 – 14:30h-16:00h and Tuesday, December 8 – 14:30h-16:00h.

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

Monday, December 7 – 14:00h-15:30h and Tuesday, December 8 – 14:30h-16:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Specialty Hospital Project Flip Flop:

Finance Minister deceived Guyanese

– Fedders Lloyd’s disqualification confirmed, no contract was promised –

inance Minister

FWinston Jordan deceived Guyanese last week when his Ministry released a two page statement justifying Government’s decision to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Fedders Lloyd Limited which it claimed was the ”second ranked bidder” in the tender process to select a contractor to build a world-class Specialty Hospital here.

The Ministry made this disclosure even though it was fully aware that that company had been disqualified during the initial tendering process but opted to offer spurious reasons why a new tendering process was not initiated and followed.

Following the Administration’s announce-

Ramotar

not disqualified. Contacted for a comment on this development, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall vociferously stated that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) are again vindicated in its contention that Fedders Lloyd was disqualified, the bid was never evaluated and therefore cannot be considered as the second ranked bidder.

In that regard, Nandlall slammed the government for bypassing the transparent process to handpick a contracting company, which is known to have close ties with a senior government official, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, to undertake the construction of the specialty hospital.

Nandlall made it clear that he does not have any

we don’t know the cost of the work they did… the right thing to do, the only thing you can do as a government, the transparent thing to do, was to hire an independent company to evaluate how much work was done… the remaining works that need to be done and then go out to tender.”

Jagdeo explained: “So if US$2 million of the US$4 million was spent on the project and Fedders Lloyd came and say they assess it to half a million, then the country gets duped US$ 1.5 million because there is no independent evaluation.”

Promised contract

Reports in another section of the media alleged that Nandlall, former President Donald Ramotar, and former Finance Minister Ashni Singh had met with Fedders

ment that it was sourcing the building of the hospital to Fedders Lloyd, Guyana Times had reported from the inception that the company was not eligible to be considered as a second-ranked bidder because of certain inconsistencies in its submission to the Tender Board.

Even after that report, Government failed to release the evaluation report to the public but stoutly insisted that the former PPP administration was lying and that Fedders Lloyd was

contentions with Fedders Lloyd and the only problem is government’s approach in contracting the firm.

Moreover, former President Bharrat Jagdeo had hypothetically pointed out that even if Fedders Lloyd is the second ranked bidder, it would still be wholly wrong for that company to conduct an evaluation of the works completed thus far on the Hospital project. He had reasoned:

“…Imagine the previous contractor did some work…

Lloyd officials and had assured them of a contract.

Asked to respond to these allegations, Nandlall stated that the report is completely disingenuous.

He explained that he met with representatives of the company on more than one occasion and had numerous discussions.

“The gentleman showed up at the Ministry of Legal Affairs on numerous occasions and out of courtesy, I spoke with him on a number of occasions,” Nandlall

sions, Nandlall said he ny that the contract with Surendra Engineering was terminated and that the law ment go back to tendering. Therefore Nandlall said, he told the official that since

ernment cannot simply sign

Nandlall maintained he never assured Fedders

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

ting a contract: “So it is disingenuous for this gentleman from Fedders Lloyd to convey the impression that a promise was made to him.”

Nandlall pointed out too, that Surendra’s contract was terminated since September 2014, therefore, if government had truly promised a contract to Fedders Lloyd, they had a length of time to do so before the May 2015 General and Regional Elections.

Guyana Times also contacted the former President for a comment and he too denied having promised Fedders Lloyd a contract. Meanwhile, Guyana Times made numerous efforts on Sunday to contact government officials for a comprehensive explanation on the matter, but all attempts proved futile.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan was out of the country.

Efforts to contact other relevant ministers including Health Minister Dr George Norton, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, State Minister Joseph Harmon, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma also proved futile.

Editor(ag): Michael Younge

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

End Violence against Children

The new Minister of Education has committed his Ministry and presumably his administration to ending corporal punishment in schools. Corporal punishment is a form of violence but sadly, there are still individuals in society who see it as a salutary method to “instil discipline”. Guyana is not alone in this backwardness.

The 2014 UNICEF report “Hidden in Plain Sight”, which collated reports from 190 countries on violence against children offers data that is staggering. The covering release from UNICEF emphasise that the effects of this violence is “lasting, often inter-generational (and) exposed children are more likely to become unemployed, live in poverty and be violent towards others.” And it is in “plain sight” if we would only open our eyes.

The report focused on sexual violence, homicide, bullying and violent discipline. Pointing out that the data is only what was reported, the authors cautioned that their findings are almost certainly understated. The summary on sexual violence: “about 120 million girls under the age of 20 worldwide (about 1 in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts, and one in 3 evermarried adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 (84 million) have been victims of emotional, physical or sexual violence committed by their husbands or partners,” is therefore, mind boggling.

While the incidence of violence against children is higher in the undeveloped world, most of the reports are centred on girls. But this is a lacuna of information that must be filled because even in the developed countries sexual violence against boys is quite extensive.

For instance, according to the report, “In Switzerland, a 2009 national survey of girls and boys aged 15 to 17 found that 22 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, had experienced at least one incident of sexual violence involving physical contact.” And this is where the recent report by the young man as to how he was introduced into the pattern of sexual violence is a useful starting point for us to begin to address this scourge here.

From what other reports on individualised acts of sexual violence on boys show, most often it is a relative or close family friend who commits the act. In Guyana, individuals are much more protective of their female children but permit opportunities for molestation against boys: parents are just not socialised into accepting sexual violence against boys. Males are allowed much freedom with male children. For instance when relatives visit and “sleep over”, very frequently older males are allowed to sleep with boys of the host family.

Because of the closeness, between the victim and the paedophile, the former is often “groomed” by the latter to win their trust. The young boys would be plied with gifts, taken on trips, introduced to influential persons to impress on the intended victim that the perpetrator of the violation is an “important” person. This serves another purpose - after the act is perpetrated, the young victim is more easily persuaded that if they speak out, no one would believe them.

On account of the fact that they are violated by relatives or close family friends who are presented as authority figures, the sexual violence is doubly damaging. It is a violation of trust and of body. These violated individuals almost inevitably have problems in dealing with societal authority figures and symbols. The violated boys grow up to become “troubled and disturbed” youths and men who we see with increasing frequency. Because the act is often interpreted by the child as having “taken away their manhood” suicidal behaviour often results.

We can do worse than heed the advice of UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake: “Violence against children occurs every day, everywhere. And while it harms individual children the most, it also tears at the fabric of society — undermining stability and progress. But violence against children is not inevitable. It is preventable — if we refuse to let violence remain in the shadows.”

Setting the records straight

Dear Editor,

My disposition on writing letters to the press has been to give factual reports, dispel erroneous information and expose mischief makers. On this occasion, my objective is to draw the readers’ attention to the facts on Kaieteur News report of December 5, 2015, on Freddie Kissoon’s termination by UG, thus ensuring that no misconstrued role is attributed to me.

The report indicated that the Ombudsman’s letter of advice was dated December 22, 2014. My last working day at UG was December 23, 2014. In preparation for a seamless handing-over I had ceased, over a month prior to December 23, 2014,

receiving any correspondence and or dealing with any new matter. That letter might have been addressed to me but, in the circumstances referred to above, would not have been directed to me, upon receipt, since it was dated on December 22 when I had already ceased handling incoming correspondence and its delivery most likely was on or after December 23, the day when the University closed for the Christmas break and I demitted office. January 6, 2015 when the Ombudsman was reported to have made his pronouncement was beyond my period at UG. The aforementioned should dismiss any thought that I was at UG and associated with

the response or lack of to the Ombudsman’s advisory on Kissoon’s termination.

May I however share some knowledge on the Office of the Ombudsman as it pertains to the Kissoon or any such case.

1. That the Ombudsman pronounced on the matter was an acceptance, by him, that the termination was not illegal and could not have been the subject of judicial redress. The Ombudsman’s jurisdiction is restricted to matters of maladministration or wrong doing that is not justiciable.

2. He could only have concluded that Kissoon was unfairly dismissed. With that view I concur.

3. While an organisation

is not compelled to act on the advisory of the Ombudsman, it may be acted on in the interest of justice/fairness.

4. The equally fundamental role of the Ombudsman is to submit an annual report to the National Assembly, which report may bring to the attention of the law makers lacunae in the law. In this instance the lacuna is the absence of provisions, in our laws, for the termination of employment, by the employer, to be effected only when cause is proffered. It is for the legislators to determine whether or not they accepted that there is a lacuna and if so whether it should be plugged.

Yours sincerely, Vincent Alexander

Role of media in covering social issues

Dear Editor,

Writing on his blog recently, social activist Vidyartha Kissoon stated: “There are reporting guidelines around the world. For example the Good Samaritans in the United Kingdom and the Australian Press Council encourage reporting which will increase public awareness about what could be done to prevent suicide and include references to places for help. Needless to say, none of the news stories about the recent suicides in Guyana did not include or conclude with the actions readers could take to prevent suicide.”

Indeed media in Guyana have not been displaying social responsibility to the extent that has become critically needed. There should be less attempts to dramatise suicide cases (and sex crimes, domestic abuse and the like) and the report-

age should include information on preventive actions, roles of families and friends in helping victims deal with these issues and to obtain access to help (including phone numbers and other contact info) and where appropriate the role of the legal structure in addressing these issues. Also, media should desist from publishing photos of suicide victims as this only adds to pain and agony of the survivors –families and friends.

Also, media should regularly publish or broadcast messages that bring about awareness focused on discouraging these actions and offer strategies that would help to prevent suicide, abuse and so on as well as to ensure that it offers correct information rather than add to the confusion.

For example the Kaieteur News ended a recent editorial by asking whether suicide

is preventable, rather than actually presenting the evidence that affirmatively answers that question.

The fact is that evidence abounds that individuals, organisations and nations have succeeded in saving lives and reducing suicides. Perhaps more importantly is that a tremendous body of research indicates that generally those with suicidal mindsets do not want to die; they just want the pain and agony to go away.

For one, there are specific frameworks implemented by various nations that have been successful in reducing suicides significantly. The Shri Lankan Model of Hazard Reduction, which The Caribbean Voice has been propagating, reduced pesticide suicide in that nation by about 50 per cent in a decade or so. Other models with significant successes were developed in Brazil,

New Zealand, Japan, and Western Samoa, among other places.

Also, individuals such as Sergeant Kevin R Briggs, a former California Highway Patrol Officer, persuaded upwards of two hundred people from taking the fatal plunge at the Golden Gate Bridge that crosses the San Francisco Bay in the USA. And Australian, Don Ritchie, has dissuaded about 160 individuals from taking the suicidal jump at the cliff known as ‘The Gap’. Many similar experiences are documented, especially relating to counsellors and suicide prevention activists and NGOs, (including The Caribbean Voice) whose proactive interventions have saved teeming lives around the world.

Sincerely, The Caribbean Voice

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Intellectuals of all races must speak up against ethnic abuses

Dear Editor,

Given the legacy of abuses Indians suffered ever since they arrived on the shores, and shared (at times similar) experiences with Africans, intellectuals from all ethnicities have an obligation to speak out on grievances the various groups have experienced. Their writings will help guide future generation of scholars in their research by offering their views on important issues. Too few (Indian) intellects are concerned with anything other than their own personal success in life and about themselves. That is why Dr Ramharack appealed to them to speak out on matters impacting on Indians and other groups as well, and subsequently joined by Ravi Dev and myself.

Some forget that it was the struggle of others (like Dr Jagan, Kwayana, Ravi Dev, Baytoram Ramharack, myself) that helped make many intellects who they are today and responsible for the restoration of democracy and our freedom a la the struggle against the PNC dictatorship. Due to many social problems and the ongoing reality of racism and other systems of oppression being experienced by Indians, Amerindians, Chinese, etc, Indian (and other) intellectuals should be more active in addressing these issues.

They must also be vigilant in confronting the many obstacles that may arise to hinder the progress of the communities where they live. This is even more reason for (Indian) intellectuals to speak up on critical issues relating to their future wellbeing. They and intellects from other ethnicities simply cannot stand by and watch as they themselves and others suffer from various abuses. They have to join the struggle that a few of us are waging to improve the lives of others.

Africans must also speak up on issues impacting on groups other than their own. Nothing is wrong with intellects focusing on their own group. It is okay to be an ethnic advocate and to speak out against racism or on issues affecting your group. But attacking other

groups is unacceptable and must be condemned.

Also, some Black writers are insensitive to discriminatory attitude experienced (or related) by Indians or Amerindians. I am of the view that Blacks and Indians should speak out objectively on matters impacting on all groups. Moral conscience dictates that people speak out against racism (or its kinship such as prejudice, discrimination, intolerance, etc) regardless of the purveyors; racism must be condemned in all its forms. Intellectuals of all ethnicities must speak out on (or address) issues impacting on race relations.

Everyone, regardless of ethnicity, must speak out. We may not agree with every viewpoint, as has been the case with Bakr, but at least we will have a variety of perspectives on an issue to examine and form our own conclusions. Hopefully, we learn from each other.

When intellectuals of different backgrounds address an issue, it is expected they will have different opinions because, obviously, they have varied experiences and live in different neighbourhoods. It is better to have many voices than having a few doing all of the advocacy for a (persecuted) people or addressing issues facing a group.

The liberating potential of the collective community is enhanced when there is full participation of comments from scholars irrespective of backgrounds. Indian intellectuals cannot do it alone. Black intellectuals and those of other ethnicities also have a role in addressing issues affecting Indians or other groups. Only then will it be easier to talk about “race”, and it won’t be a taboo issue or pushed under the rug.

The burden to start and carry on conversations (writings) should not fall on the shoulders of a few (Indian) intellectuals and that is the main point made by Prof Ramharack. Bakr and intellectuals of other ethnicities are welcomed in joining the conversation.

Yours sincerely, Vishnu

Bisram

GRDB Burma Rice Research Station paddy infested with rice weevil

Dear Editor, I had previously written in the press about the poor quality of seed paddy produced and sold to farmers by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Research Station. Now again there is a second and more serious occurrence due to poor management that lead to further deterioration in seed quality.

The seed paddy currently being sold to farmers now is seriously infected with rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus)) and other storage pest such as the lesser grain borer moth, Angoumois grain moth, etc.

Of these storage pests the rice weevils appear to be the most predominant on the seed paddy sold by the Rice Research Station and it is one of the most destructive grain pests.

The rice weevil capable to cause a reduction in grain weight from 5 to over 15% depends on the level of infestation. Grains which are not lost is severely reduced in quality by insect damage. Many grain pests preferentially eat out grain embryos, thereby reducing the protein content of feed grain and lowering the percentage of seeds which germinate.

It is my view and from

communication with my fellow farmers the seed paddy at the GRDB Research Station sold showed very pronounced sign of grain damages with high number of holes visible, which means that these storage pest had a long uninterrupted feast and the ideal condition (such as improper packing and spacing, incorrect heights, poor sanitation, etc) prevail in the area where the seeds were stored.

The damage will certainly affect the percentage of seed germination and field establishment of the rice in this coming crop. Farmers who purchase should to be

alert and apply some kind of seed treatment (either cultural, mechanical or chemical) and prevent further grain damage if seeds still in store.

The Minister of Agriculture and Chairman, and directors of GRDB board need to investigate and take strong disciplinary action for this serious neglect by head who sits idle enjoying huge salary and allowances from tax payers and allowed this damage to occur and farmers to suffer.

Yours faithfully, T Ross

Rename a street “Bechu”

Dear Editor, I understand through the dailies that there is an initiative to rename fifty streets and places in Georgetown in anticipation of fifty years of independence. While I have some reservations about this initiative, I ask the committee/board to consider renaming one street in the name of Bechu. To recall, Bechu was an indentured Indian in British Guiana in the latter stages of the Nineteenth Century who challenged the indignities of indentureship through numerous letters to the Chronicle. This was remarkable during the days when a majority of indentured Indians were nonliterate to even challenge their basic existence much more to write about it in a form of resistance.

Of equal importance is that Bechu’s leadership roles challenged the concept that there were never any identifiable Indian leaders during indenture. Yet, this individual is practically unknown among Guyanese. Of course, Clem Seecharan dedicated an entire book on the life of Bechu but those who want to know more from their own perspective can visit Guyana National Archives.

I am sure many would like to suggest their favourite names as well. However, I am asking for Bechu, one name, to be

chosen to represent and remind all Guyanese of those who endured hardships on those brutal tropical plantations during eighty years

of indentured servitude. Am I asking too much? Let me say that my call to include Bechu has nothing to do with Indo-centric rep-

resentation but a representation of one aspect of Guyana’s history. Thank you Lomarsh Roopnarine

Page Foundation

BY DR LAURA MARKHAM

Adrian: “You broke your promise! You’re a liar!”

Adrian is still very angry, but Mom’s empathy keeps him calm enough that he doesn’t lash out physically this time –only verbally. He storms away from her, across the room. Mom knows this is actually an improvement – he removed himself rather than hitting.

Mom: (Accepting her son’s anger.) “You’re really mad at me, Adrian. You feel like I broke my promise.”

Adrian: (yelling) “You DID break your promise! You told me I could go!”

**Mom: (Wincing, because she knows his accusation is true, and ignoring, for now, his raised voice, mom speaks kindly and calmly, validating his anger. She models taking responsibility.) “I gave you permission to go and now I won’t let you. I didn’t keep my word. There was a good reason, but I still broke my word. No wonder you feel mad and hurt.”

Adrian: (Mom’s empathy is helping him trust her with the source of his upset.) “All the rest of the children are going! I’ll be the only one who isn’t there!”

Mom: “Oh, Sweetie. No wonder you’re upset. You want to be there with all the other children.” Adrian’s tears well up. Mom’s understanding is helping him feel safe enough to feel the vulnerability and fear under his anger. But he lashes out one last time. “You don’t understand! If I don’t go, they won’t let me play basketball with them at recess!”

Mom: “You’re worried

you’ll be left out after this?”

Adrian begins to sob. Mom moves closer to hug him. He cries for awhile, shrugging off her attempt to hug him. She stays next to him, her hand on his arm. Finally he stops crying, and turns to her, sniffling.

Adrian: “Jake will be mad at me.”

Mom: “Hmmm.....You think so? Just because you can’t go today?”

Adrian: “I don’t care if Jake is mad at me. I still get to play basketball. I’ll get the teacher to help if they won’t let me play.

Mom:”That’s an idea. Is it the rule that everyone’s allowed to play?

Adrian: “Yeah. And anyway, they should want me on their team. I’m the best passer.”

Mom: “I would always want you on my team.”

Adrian hugs her.

Mom: “But Adrian, there’s something important we need to talk about. Look at my arm.”

EVER. What can you do next time you get so mad?”

Adrian: “I know, I’m supposed to use my words.”

Mom: “Yes. And if you can’t do that, what can you do?”

Adrian: “Scream?”

Mom: “That’s better than hitting.”

Adrian: “Hit the couch?”

Mom: “Great Idea! And you can also try what I do. Count to 10, taking deep breaths. Let’s try it.”

Adrian: “Ok.” (They count to 10 together, taking deep breaths.)

Mom: “Adrian, do you think you can do these things next time you’re angry? Because angry is fine, but hitting is

NEVER ok. I would never hit you. I will not let you hit me.”

reminder code for when you’re getting angry?”

Adrian: “Can you yell ‘Time Out!’? Like a referee?”

Mom: “Sure, I can try that. What will you do when you hear ‘Time Out’?”

Adrian: “I’ll count to 10 and breathe, no matter what.”

Mom: “Ok, it’s a deal. Now, let’s get ready to go to Grandma’s. We’re behind schedule now, so I really need your help to get ready.”

Adrian: “I’ll be fast!”

What has Adrian learned? Some valuable skills to control himself. That his mom can help him sort things out when he’s upset. That when there’s a problem, the mature thing to do is own up to your part

Adrian: (Non-defensive, now that he’s come to terms with the source of his upset) “I’m sorry, Mom. Does it hurt?”

Mom: “It hurts. Adrian, I understand why you were mad. You can be as mad as you want. But I will NOT let you hit me. People are not for hitting.”

Adrian: “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was really mad.”

Mom: “I understand you were really mad. Mad is ok. But it’s no excuse for hitting,

Adrian: “Mom, I won’t hit any more. I’m getting better at controlling myself. I was surprised when you told me, that’s all.”

Mom: “Adrian, it was fine you got angry. And maybe I could have done a better job telling you. But even if you are completely right to be really mad about something, it is NEVER ok to hit, no matter what. Ok?”

Adrian: “Ok. Shake on it.” (They shake hands.)

Mom: “Do we need a

of creating it, as his mother did. That he’s capable of hurting someone else, and he really does NOT want to do that.

That his mother will set limits on his actions to keep everyone safe, which is a great relief. That his feelings are acceptable, and have a way of evaporating once he lets himself feel them. And, maybe most important of all, that his mother’s love for him is unconditional – no matter what. (www.ahaparenting.com)

Kindness and consideration are key values many parents wish to instil in their children from a young age. Teaching children to be kind and show concern and appreciation for others is inevitably difficult with so many external influences. There are, of course, a number of strat -

* Avoid allowing your children to put each other down and make sure they learn this is unacceptable and that you expect kindness and care to be shown between them. It is important that the home environment has the right

egies you can use to try and help your child develop a kind and caring persona.

values and expectations as the starting point.

*Try to subtly encourage your child to display kind actions when appropriate, but strike a good balance and do not pressurise your child.

*Praise your child and show appreciation for their kindness if they offer to help you with a chore or small job. This will show them acts of kindness are valued and appreciated by others and encourage them to do similar helpful things in the future

*Aim to try and catch your child doing something kind and considerate; then praise them and explain why you liked their action. By praising your child for acts of kindness they will be more likely to have the desire to repeat such behaviours. .

* Give your child the responsibility for their own actions, choices and behaviour. As a parent you are there to encourage kind and considerate actions, but do not continually pressurise a child. Instead offer suggestions that they may like to take on board. Forcing your child to ‘be kind’ will only build up resentment and a lack of natural consideration and care for others.

*Read stories and share books with your child about the importance of being kind and helpful to others.

*Model kindness in your life and relationships. Your child will take note of this and is more likely to implement positive actions in their life. Being a good role model is perhaps the most powerful strategy. (teachingyourchild.org)

2015 API talks

Bleak Christmas most likely for sugar workers

– as GuySuCo, GAWU move to conciliation Tuesday

By Kristen MacKlingaM

Sugar workers throughout the country will soon find out whether or not this year’s Christmas season will be bleak for them and their families after the conciliation meeting between the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) takes place on Tuesday.

This meeting between the duo and the Labour Ministry, which is the conciliator, is focused on discussing the long overdue workers’ Annual Production Incentive (API) for 2015.

Both the Sugar Corporation and the workers’ Union had decided to pursue the route of conciliation after talks between the two ended in deadlock last week.

Guyana Times understands that GuySuCo is maintaining its position of two-and-a-half days API would be paid for the production of 233,361 tonnes which it will more than likely ensure is paid by March 2016.

Meanwhile, GAWU is sticking to its proposal of five-and-ahalf days API for its workers.

Already, for this year, the cash-strapped Sugar Corporation said it has paid out $828 million for the

Cane

Personal Performance Incentives (PPI) and $1.040 billion for Weekly Production Incentives (WPI).

This totals $1.868 billion that GuySuCo has doled out to its workers for incentives thus far and these payments were made almost immediately after these incentives were earned.

However, with regard to the 2015 API, the sugar entity has failed to make any payments to date and it was still unclear as to if a decision on the quantum would be reached before Christmas.

As such, workers are ‘uneasy’ since they work tirelessly throughout each year, with one of the few consolations being their API payments which are expected to be made available to them just in time for the holiday season or before the end of the year.

Discussions between GAWU and GuySuCo had been ongoing for weeks until the last talks broke down, because both parties firmly maintained their positions concerning the 2015 API.

This did not sit well with the thousands of workers across the sugar belt and they subsequently proceeded on strikes at the various estates and factories throughout the country.

According to GuySuCo, ow-

ing to the last few occasions when workers downed their tools and took strike action, the Sugar Corporation has lost millions of dollars and the production levels are not where they were expected to be.

Meanwhile, the Government Information Agency (GINA) recently stated that the Sugar Corporation, through its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Errol Hanoman, explained that as a result of the loss of man-days, the strikes not only affected production, but the workers also lost “significant earnings”.

“Had it not been for the loss of two weeks of man-days due to strike action, GuySuCo would have already realised its 2015 production target. Despite the loss, the company is still optimistic that it will achieve its 2015 target of 227,443 metric tonnes,” GINA reported.

According to the news agency, the latest production figure of 218,631 tonnes was provided by Hanoman.

Hanoman further related to GINA that Blairmont and Skeldon operations were expected to be completed by December 12, while operations at the Albion and Enmore locations will close by December 19.

(kristenm@guyanatimesgy. com)

Govt continues to tout “respect” for females

– but fails to admonish MP for verbal assaults on women

By Kristen MacKlingaM

Three weeks have passed since Alliance For Change (AFC) parliamentarian Charandass Persaud verbally assaulted his fellow Member of Parliament (MP), Dr Vindhya Persaud when he expressed his desire to “haul her off” a stage.

However, to date the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and AFC coalition Government has remained mum on the issue.

Charandass’s attack on the Hindu Leader came merely because she was conveying her views on her religion. When women’s rights supporters expressed their disgust at Charandass’ “disrespectful” and “abusive” comment(s), he proceeded to insult them – stating that before he issued any apology to Dr Persaud, the women’s rights groups should “kiss my ass”.

However, on Saturday, a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency reported that Head of State David Granger called on “men to respect women’s equality” as he outlined what he called the three pillars of gender relations.

This call was made at the National Association of the Adventist Men’s Ministry 2015 Men’s Conference, which was held in the main auditorium of the Sophia Exhibition Centre.

The President stated that there was no form of reasoning that could diminish respect for gender equality and these virtues must be learnt in homes and then practised in the wider society.

Further, the Head of State said respect should go beyond gender and include race and religion, the statement added.

“We have to build respect in all of our religions and I do believe that in Islam, in Christianity and in Hinduism, respect for human life is paramount, that respect of the equality of a man is not something only in our Constitution, but it’s something in the Bible, and must be in our hearts as well,” President Granger

posited.

Meanwhile, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence in her message for “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women”, had stated that she was campaigning for zero’ tolerance for violence against women and girls to new communities, spaces and audiences.

However, the Social Protection Minister and her female counterparts who sit on the Government benches in Parliament thus far have failed to publicly condemn the AFC parliamentarian for both of his statements which were deemed “offensive” and “distasteful” by many women.

Additionally, Minister Lawrence as the Social Protection Minister, who trumpeted the call to end violence against women and girls, has failed to ensure that Charandass apologise to both Dr Persaud and the women of this country for his utterances.

Sadly, no member of the APNU/AFC Administration has publicly reprimanded AFC’s Charandass for his rude remarks against women.

The sentiments aired by the AFC parliamentarian against People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) MP Dr Persaud via a Letter to the Editor prompted much disapproval and condemnation from a number of women’s rights supporters who have been calling on him to publicly apologise for his statement.

“Dr Vindhya Persaud so disgusted me that I felt like hauling (her) off the stage,” penned the AFC member in the letter carried in Stabroek News.

However, instead of apologising Charandass, also an Attorney, when contacted by Guyana Times on the matter appeared unrepentant and this was further supported by his response:

“Who the hell is Vindhya Persaud? And if they kiss my ass, I will apologise to Vindhya Persaud. That is all they need to hear,” he vehemently stated. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

monday, december 7, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Rosignol minibus fare reduced by 13% from today

Minibus operators plying the Number 56 (Rosignol-New Amsterdam) route have taken a decision to reduce the fare by 13 per cent from today.

The fares have been reduced from $300 to $260. This followed a meeting held on Sunday at Rosignol, West Coast Berbice (WCB) to address issues of bus owners operating along that route.

Many of the drivers have gone on the breadline, since Government on September 1, introduced the subsidised water taxis’ service on the Berbice River to transport passengers between New Amsterdam and Rosignol.

Acting President of the Number 56 Minibus Association, Dwaka Soolall told Guyana Times that the Association has implemented measures which would see commuters paying a reduced fare with the hope that more persons will use the bus service as against the water taxis.

Before the water taxis were introduced, there was an average of 70 bus trips made across the river daily; now that figure has been reduced to an aver-

age of 24. There are 49 buses registered to operate in the Route 56 zone. None of them make more than four trips per week.

During Sunday’s meeting, some of the drivers related that the reduction will cost them to lose $1100 per day, something that will affect them severely, but they decided to make the sacrifice with the hope that it will improve business.

The introduction of the water taxi service in Berbice was a move by Government to pressure the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) to reduce the toll to cross the bridge.

Government, in its 2015 National Budget, proposed a $300 reduction in the toll for minibuses and cars from $2200 to $1900.

It was announced that the reduction would take effect from September 1. However, the BBCI said that it could not unilaterally make a decision on the matter and asked for more time to consult with investors.

Without allowing the BBCI to consult with its shareholders, Government introduced the water tax-

is, but instead of pressuring the BBCI, Government pressured the Route 56 minibus operators, as many persons opted to use the subsidised water taxi service which cost $120 per journey, putting many of the bus operators on the breadline.

According to some bus operators, they have not been able to meet their financial obligations to loan agencies and it is only a matter of time before their vehicles are repossessed.

Desperate

The decision to reduce fares is seen as a desperate move by the operators who two months ago requested to meet with President David Granger, but received no reply to their letter of request.

According to the

cision to reduce the toll by $300, they will not be further reducing their fare.

“We have already reduced our fares and if they reduce the toll by $300, it is only $10 per each passenger and we have already taken off $40.”

He, however, pointed out that if the toll was reduced for a second time as promised by Government, then they would consider a further reduction in bus fares.

Meanwhile following a meeting with the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association, the Traffic Department and the Route 56 bus operators, a decision was taken to allow the buses to go up to New Street in New Amsterdam to take passengers when they come from Rosignol.

Association, bus operators are being forced to compete on an unlevel playing field since Government subsidises the water taxi service by providing free gasoline and paying the operators $3000 per trip. They say they too should receive subsidies.

Meanwhile, the Minibus Association President said should the BBCI take a de-

For some time, commuters had been complaining that when they pay the $300 fare to get to New Amsterdam, they are required to pay a further $100 to get to other bus parks.

The 56 bus park in New Amsterdam is located on Matthew Allen Road, away from all of the other parks.

Eyew tness Slouching towards…

…Christmas

The cliché of “a picture’s worth a thousand words” came to life in yesterday’s front page pic of this newspaper. With less than three weeks to go before Christmas you’d normally have to have a phalanx of Roman gladiators to move you through the pavement in front of any business street in downtown Georgetown. But here it was – ON A SATURDAY! - one solitary shopper (hopefully) is ambling down the tchotchkes-laden pavement without a soul to disturb him.

It evoked in this Eyewitness the sentiments of Lionel Ritchie’s “Easy like Sunday Morning”. What’s going on? Where’s shopping frenzy? The hustle and bustle? Christmas, every Guyanese will tell you, comes but once a year – and the rest of the year’s practically given over to throwing every dollar the family can scrape together into the “Christmas kitty”. Mom thinks the family needs a new sofa? Wait till Christmas. New duds for the kids? Christmas. Dad painting the fence? Christmas.

The motto now is supposed to be, “Shop till you drop!” So what this lassitude tells you is the economic downturn has hit rock bottom with such a bump, the one time of the year folks suck it up and splurge like there’s no tomorrow, ain’t no mo’. Citizens looking down the road and seeing those dark clouds ahead - are gonna save for that rainy day. And we’ll continue the downward economic spiral, as a mirror image to that upward crime spiral.

After twenty-three years of the PPP/C in government, there’s no question even some of their faithfuls were wondering whether another party at the helm mightn’t be able to do better. Well, now they know… and those who voted for APNU/AFC have to be shaking their heads ruefully. After all, they WERE promised a rose garden. In this Christmas season your Eyewitness has to be charitable – but when these people have soured the mood of this festive season so miserably, they have to be described as “clueless” at best.

Whenever his administration hits a wall – and the hits have been coming fast and furious of late - President Granger insists he wants an “inclusive” government. Well, at every turn, the PPP in general and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo in particular, have offered to lend their expertise. Up to now it’s clear the government would have our economy collapse around our ears before they accept they need the PPP’s help.

But isn’t this “Season of Goodwill” the perfect time for them to swallow some of that false pride and ask for help? They might just escape being called “the Grinch that stole Christmas”.

Which ain’t going to be easy since they insist on wearing those green suits!

…a meltdown

But what’s going on has implications far beyond the government ruining our Christmas cheer.

You see, dear reader, when businessmen look around and don’t see crowds thronging to get at their goods, you know that they aren’t going to be in a mood to make no investment for next year. And even though Christmas buying has to do with mostly merchants selling the aforementioned tchotchkes, these worthies do meet the rest of their fraternity that includes the industrialists and other captains of industry during this season.

And with the “Six Sisters” in intensive care right now, this Eyewitness can tell you – there ain’t going the no spending by no one in 2016. When this paper said Guyana was in a recession, some pedant from the government’s apologist stable said there has to be a downturn for two quarters before we can call it that. Well, we’ve now completed two quarters since the elections: what say they now?

More planning for the 50th Independence Anniversary?

…destitution

Johnny Braff once ruled the (radio) airwaves – across the Caribbean – during our Independence ers. He’s evidently fallen on hard times. Maybe the administration can make one of his signature hits the anthem for their 50th Independence Anniversary and rescue the crooner.

“A River of tears” might be most appropriate.

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

Govt erred by failing to have dialogue earlier – Dr Jeffrey

– GuySuCo, GAWU pension plans to lose $9.9M and $2.9M annually

The A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government in trying to fulfil its campaign promise to reduce the Berbice River Bridge tolls within 100 days of being in office has failed to do so.

However, in attempting to reduce the tolls, the Administration may now jeopardise the pension plans of thousands of pensioners across Guyana.

Political commentator and former Government Minister, Dr Henry Jeffrey on Friday evening told Guyana Times that while the move to ensure that the tolls were reduced was “a good thing”, it has been executed in a manner that was “improper”.

He stated that should the bondholders be forced to accept the conditions of lowering the tolls then the pension schemes for the National Insurance Scheme (NIS); Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) would be drastically affected.

According to Dr Jeffrey, had the APNU/AFC coalition “done the wise thing” by holding consultations with shareholders/bondholders of the BBCI after taking office, both sides would have emerged with an amicable agreement.

“I think the Government went precipitously and made all these arrangements for change without properly sitting down and talking to these people. They made these decisions that they are going to lower and lower and all that without first of all discussing this matter. I think what they are trying to do might be good, but they needed to have discussions and agreements before making announcements,” he said.

According to former Minister, no Government

of the day should use its power to, or assume that because it is in power it can, make decisions on such matters and then expect other parties who are involved to “just agree” with what the Administration has decided upon.

“I think it really was not properly discussed before the decision was taken and all of that … I have no problem or quarrel, just that the process in which the Government has done things, I mean not because you are Government means people have to follow every decision you make without discussions …The government had a long time to review the proposal put forward by the BBCI before it made this announcement,” Dr Jeffrey added.

Should these bondholders agree to the request being made, they would be losing significantly on their multimillion-dollar investments in the Bridge Company.

On the other hand, should they refuse, the toll reductions will take much longer to be implemented.

Although GuySuCo was declared “insolvent” and allegedly not in a position to pay workers their earned Annual Production Incentive (API), its pension fund for sugar workers – $281 million will also

Floating Police base for Pomeroon River

In an effort to strengthen security within territorial borders, a floating police base will be in operation in the Pomeroon River, Region Two.

This announcement was made by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo during an outreach in the region on Saturday.

Addressing a gathering at the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School auditorium the Prime Minister said strategic security booths will be placed along the region to monitor and address the crime situation.

He added that to negate piracy, systems are being put in place to have fishing vessels equipped with transponders. A transponder is a wireless communications,

monitoring, or control device that picks up and automatically responds to an incoming signal. This

the Prime Minister explained will act as a guide for Maritime officers to act promptly on information from fishermen at sea.

be receiving lower returns, as well as GAWU’s $81 million pension plan.

Guyana Times understands that as per the original agreement, bondholders would receive 11 per cent interest on the sums each invested regardless of the amount, but the new proposal by the APNU/ AFC Government would see that the interest rate be reduced to about 7.5 per cent.

This would mean that GuySuCo which had invested the $281 million would have benefited from $30.9 million annually, but with the much lower interest rate it would be receiving an average of $21 million each year instead.

Meanwhile, GAWU’s investment of $81 million that would have been bringing in $8.9 million per annum in interest would now be getting an average of $6 million every year should it be pressured to accept the new interest rate to facilitate a reduction in the bridge tolls.

Guyana Times understands that the bondholders were invited to a special meeting scheduled for December 14 to discuss matters concerning Government’s intention to reduce the Berbice River Bridge tolls.

The bondholders are the New Building Society Limited (NBS); the NIS; Republic Bank Limited; the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI); Scotiabank; Citizens Bank; the NEW GPC INC; Trust Company Guyana Limited; Handin-Hand Trust; Guyana Sugar Corporation Pension; Guyana Power and Light Pension; GAWU Pension; Guyana Geology and Mines Pension; Demerara Bank Limited; Demerara Distillers Limited Pension; Massy Pension and Geddes Granger Pension.

The Prime Minister announced that the administration will also be examining possibilities of purchasing helicopters to help fight crime.

“Once we find the money, we can buy helicopters to help fight crime and secure Guyana’s border,” Nagamootoo asserted.

Meanwhile

Essequibians used the opportunity to complain about the high crime rate in the region and called for a proper security plan.

GGMC clears air on $4M food bill, land transaction

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

The numerous controversial articles being reported in the media about the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has prompted the entity to lash back in an attempt to clear the air and restore the good name of the agency.

In doing so, the GGMC provided explanations for several speculative allegations it believes was an outright effort to tarnish the name of the Commission and its staff.

Media reports indicated that the GGMC chairman racked up a staggering $4 million food and drinks bill in 18 months, and that he approved mining lands for a friend then took control via irrevocable Power of Attorney.

Shedding some light on the matter, the GGMC detailed recent developments which led to the current situation.

It explained that the Board commenced a process in 2014 to review the Management Systems of the Commission, given the numerous complaint and allegations being made against critical departments.

A draft report was provided by the consultants in

February 2015, but given the change in Government, the finalisation of the report was placed on hold until the board was reconvened.

In September 2015, the Board was resuscitated and approval granted for the continuation of the process of the Management Systems Review. During the time the report from the consultants was being finalised, the government initiated a Commission of Inquiry into the spate of deadly mining accidents.

The findings of the Commission of Inquiry and the Management Systems Review both revealed there were some critical issues that needed to be addressed, given non-performance by specific functionaries along with serious dereliction of duties and undertaking of practices that deviated from the Mining Laws and Regulations.

Given the findings that were presented to the Board, the Board was forced to move and approve a motion of “No Confidence” against the culpable persons on 23 November.

It is this action by the Board that resulted in the current spate of articles appearing in the media.

The GGMC noted that the Commissioner Rickford

Veira was on annual vacation during November and was scheduled to return to duty on 2 December. However, given the action taken by the Board, he unofficially resumed duties on 1 December, one day earlier and it is alleged he requested staff to provide the information currently in the media.

Mining lands for friend

That aside, GGMC responded to the article that indicated that GGMC Chairman Clinton Williams approved mining lands for his friend Ivor English and subsequently took control via an irrevocable Power of Attorney.

The GGMC claims it is

not a part of the processing of applications and approval for mining permits. GGMC pointed out that the law requires that after the relevant departments have processed the application for mining permits, the Commissioner signs and then submits to the Chairman to countersign to give legal effect to the document.

“The requirement of the Chairman’s signature is applicable for all mining properties and not limited to Mining Permits. That is the scope and entirety of which the Board and Chairman is involved,” GGMC noted.

Therefore GGMC pointed out, the applications for the mining permit made by English was processed and approved by the relevant departments and the commissioner in 2014. The agency said the Power of Attorney for the lands was done in 2015 and as such even the notion of “undue influence” does not hold given the fact that the applications were not made by the chairman.

“For the sake of argument one may say that the Chairman may have influenced the favourable processing of the applications but this argument would not hold since it would imply that any other application can be influenced,” the

statement said.

It noted that the Commission processes applications for mining lands on a “first come, first serve” basis which negates the exercising of subjectivity. The date and time of payment of the application fees and first year rental is paid is used to determine the “first come, first serve” eligibility, the Commission claimed.

“Therefore, if someone else applied for the said mining lands prior to Mr Ivor English, then it would have been granted to that applicant,” GGMC noted.

It was further pointed out that the GGMC Act does not preclude members of the Board from owning mining lands or having interest in mining.

“The Act states that the persons appointed to the Board must have the expertise and capacity in the areas of the functions of the Commission; such functions which deals with mining. More importantly, the Act allows for Board Members to be owners of mining lands or to have such interest given that Section 6 (1) to 6 (4) of the Schedule deals with the issue of Conflict of Interest and how Board Members are expected to act if such situations arise,” GGMC stated.

$4M food bill

Regarding the allegation that the GGMC chairman racked up $4 million in food and drinks in 18 months, the GGMC clarified that the Board of Directors had approved expense accounts for the Chairman, Commissioner and two Deputy Commissioners

“The senior officers of the Commission often times were engaged in activities/ engagements on behalf of the Commission and thus it was deemed prudent for the Commission to fund these engagements rather than the expenses being borne personally,” the statement said, adding that these engagements were in the form of dinners and other social events and were for external and internal stakeholders of the sector, inclusive of management of the Commission and not necessarily for personal engagements.

“It would be placing the senior officers of the Commission in a difficult moral and conflict of interest position if such engagements were funded by current and potential stakeholders of the Commission,” GGMC pointed out, noting that it is in these circumstances that the expense accounts and all subsequent expenses were approved by the Commission.

LGBT relationships

SASOD pushes for law reform on intimate partner violence

BY: DEVINA SAMAROO

Violence affecting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community is predominantly horrendous because there is no legislation that specifically protects LGBT persons from the onslaught of discrimination, verbal abuse and targeted violence that sometimes lead to death.

In fact, the laws regarding violence are contradictory, which often deters persons of the LGBT community from going to the police to seek necessary help.

As such, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) is calling for law reforms on intimate partner violence in LGBT relationships.

SASOD recently collaborated with the USAIDAdvancing Partners and Communities (APC) Guyana Project to host the third in its series of monthly lunch talks on a range of topics. The sessions are being held in observances of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), which got off on 25 November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women –and runs until 10 December – Human Rights Day.

The recently concluded session focused on “Barriers LGBT People Face in Accessing Services on Intimate Partner Violence” where a group a panellists shared their concerns on the matter.

Conflicting laws

Human rights activist and Commissioner on Women and Gender Equality Commission Vanda Radzik pointed out that Guyana has a number of progressive laws however there is a serious problem with enforcement of these laws. Radzik highlighted that the Domestic Violence Act is intended to be gender neutral but this neutrality appears to not be applied in practice in LGBT settings.

SASOD Managing Director Joel Simpson focused on the issue of conflicting laws. He explained that there are laws on the books that criminalise same-sex intimacy and cross-dressing but on the other hand, there is a gender-neutral Domestic Violence Act and a Domestic Violence Policy which clearly says that homophobia is an impediment to service provision for homosexuals in abusive relations.

“In terms of protection, the state recognises that the laws need to serve persons of all genders, but at the same

time, we have these archaic laws which don’t help to prevent bias violence. In fact, these laws further propel the stigma and discrimination which leads to targeted violence and hate crimes,” Simpson stated.

He pointed out that those abusive persons in LGBT relationships are emboldened by the fact that their partners will not go to the police to report the violence because there are laws which criminalise the very nature of the intimate relations.

“The laws around samesex intimacy are indirectly enforced and the laws on cross-dressing are directly enforced, and therefore LGBT persons are reluctant to go to the police to seek any sort of recourse,” Simpson explained.

Also, he underscored the need for sensitivity training for the police, healthcare providers and social workers.

Stigma

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary on the Board of Directors of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) Ayana McCalman recognised that there is a lack of data on intimate partner violence in LGBT relations. McCalman explained that while SASOD and its partners might be aware of the LGBT violence, the general public is completely ignorant of what occurs because the situations are not being recorded by government agencies. She pointed out that when accessing legal, social or health services, the real challenge for LGBT persons is stigma and discrimination.

“There is the stigma of saying that your partner abuses you and then there is also the stigma of being LGBT in Guyana,” she said.

McCalman noted that stigma hinders access to services, protection from violence and other forms of discrimination.

During the session, it was highlighted that the current administration clearly stated in its 2015 Manifesto that it was going to address all forms of discrimination in-

Toucan Connections workers still awaiting severance

Former employees of Toucan Connections Incorporation (Linden Call Centre) are yet to receive their severance packages, almost four months after the company closed its doors without any prior notice given to employees.

Close to 100 employees were left jobless after the call centre abruptly closed its doors August last.

cluding those related to people suffering discrimination based on sexual orientation. As such, a call was made for the administration to deliver on its commitment.

The workers also received no benefits as officials of the company told them it is the responsibility of the government to pay that to them.

Following the closure and nonpayment of severance, Labour Minister Simona Broomes intervened, stating that it is

the responsibility of the company’ to ensure that employees are given their severance package and respective benefits.

The Minister also stated that by shutting down and dismissing its workers without any prior notice, Toucan Connections has violated the labour laws of Guyana. These laws addresses the fact that businesses upon closure or stated intentions to do so, must ensure all employees are well-informed with due notice.

She also underscored the injustice of the company denying employees their right to receive their benefits.

The Labour Ministry also announced that it will be taking strict action against the com-

pany as it has violated the Labour Law Act, under Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act. In response, Toucan Connections Supervisor Shontel Brooks told the Minister that the company thought the severance package was the responsibility of the government.

When Guyana Times contacted Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian for a comment on the position facing Connections employees, he stated that there is no new information available with regards to the ongoing proceedings.

This newspaper also contacted the Labour Ministry for an updated position but those efforts were unsuccessful.

monday, december 7, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Medical outreach hosted in Region 8

B

Over 700 persons benefited from a mass medical outreach in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni).

Residents from Tumatumari, Micobi, Campbelltown, Princeville and Mahdia received free medical check-ups, compliments of the New Doctors Clinic, located in Newtown, Kitty, Georgetown.

The medical outreach, which was a collaborative effort between the Clinic and the Mahdia District Hospital, commenced on November 30 and conclud-

ed on December 4. It offered services such as dental care, ultrasound screening, cancer screening, electrocardiogram screening, contraceptive counselling, family planning advice, optometry care and general medical checkups.

Regional Health Officer, Dr Ravendra Dudhnauth, during his address at the outreach, pointed out that the average cost for one patient to travel to Georgetown for an ultrasound is approximately $48,000.

Dr Dudhnauth said persons were often in need of medical attention but

cannot afford to travel to Georgetown to access those services.

The medical team included Director of the New Doctors Clinic, Satyendra Khemraj; Administrator of Mahdia District Hospital, Carl Perreira and Regional Health Officer, Dr Ravendra Dudhnauth.

The New Doctors Clinic is a privately owned medical institution and has been in operation since March 2010. The Clinic offers services such as general checkups, surgery consultations, orthopaedics consultations, gynaecology consultations and eye-testing.

Essequibo businessman goes berserk

– drinks poison, drowns self

Following a heated argument with his brother, an Essequibo businessman guzzled down a large quantity of poisonous substance then attempted to drown himself in a tank of water, which eventually resulted in his death.

Dead is Sunil Singh, 31, of Henrietta Village, Region Two.

Guyana Times understands the father of one and his brother were engrossed in a heated argument on Saturday following which he swallowed the poisonous substance.

According to a relative, the brothers were arguing when Singh walked away and went into his storeroom. At that time relatives were

trying to pacify the other brother.

Eventually, when they went to check on Singh they discovered him drinking the poisonous substance.

Efforts were made to snatch the bottle away, but he ran and reportedly attempted to drown himself by dunking his head in a tank of water.

Relatives succeeded in restraining him and immediately rushed him to the Suddie Public Hospital. There he battled for his life until he succumbed one day later.

Singh leaves to mourn his wife and seven-yearold son. His body is at the Suddie Mortuary awaiting post mortem.

Increases, working conditions a priority for GAWU

– resolutions unanimously passed at Union’s Conference

The failure by the Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL) to meet with the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) under the auspices of the Social Protection Ministry was high on the priority list of topics discussed at the Union’s first “Area Conference” on Sunday.

This conference is one of two, which must be held before the end of the first quarter in 2016 in order to pave the way for the Union’s 21st congress.

The Union’s constitution requires the holding of two Area Conferences between congresses.

According to a media statement from GAWU on Sunday, the non-resolved issues affecting union members in some non-sugar bargaining units were also addressed.

It also noted that the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee (SILWFC) has to date failed to address the union’s claims for a salary hike and improvements in working conditions for its employees.

With regards to the DTL issue, the seniors of GAWU denounced DTL for: “Its failure, so far, to meet with the Union under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Protection with a view that the Company’s employees who are far away at Mabura Hill, some 160 miles away from Georgetown, could have their wages and salaries adjusted in the light of the high cost-of-living there.”

Meanwhile, resolutions on Education and

Training, Unity of the Working Class, Wage/ Salary increases and Annual Production Incentive (API) for 2015, the National Insurance Scheme, and on the state of wage rise for workers at SILWFC and DTL were unanimously passed at this special conference.

“A resolution was also passed to pre-empt the closure of any estate and the sellout/privatisation of the sugar industry. The Union’s General Secretary… spoke to 29 matters including the vexed issues – award of a day’s pay for every 85,000 tonnes of sugar as Annual Production Incentive to sugar workers and the Corporation’s flouting the Union/Corporation Recognition Agreement in not entering into Collective Bargaining with the Union for the first time in 26 years.”

Guyana Times understands that over 160 union members from the Enmore, La Bonne Intention, Wales, and Uitvlugt Sugar Estates, Noble House Seafoods, Demerara Distillers Limited, Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, National Parks Commission, Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee, and CARICOM Rice Mills Limited turned up for this conference held under the theme: “Workers Unity and Solidarity Paramount Now!”.

Additionally, GAWU stated that it remains steadfast in holding its Congresses, Area Conferences, Annual Branch Conferences, etc.

Guyana Times was told the union continues

to strive to have the functioning of its branches to ensure an active link, as far as possible, with its ‘rank and file.’

“Statutory meetings of the Central Executive Committee and the General Council are held throughout the year. GAWU is also proud of its yearly audited statement provided by the Office of the Auditor General. The Financial Statements for year ended 31st December, 2014, have already been issued in accordance with Section 22 (1) of the Trade Union Act, Chapter 98:03 of the Laws of Guyana,” the media release also said.

According to GAWU this is “verifiable testimony” to the union’s democratic nature and adherence to statutory regulations.

Meanwhile, the workers’ union urged its delegates to return to their respective workplaces imbued with a ‘reinvigorated spirit’ to continue to wield stronger unity and solidarity among themselves.

It is expected they will “forge ahead with their struggles, for an urgent settlement of their API dispute and the opening of purposeful negotiations, though already late, on their 2015 wage/salary claim,” GAWU’s statement added.

It was also mentioned that the delegates also agreed that solidarity with the smaller bargaining units like those at SILWFC and DTL may need the support of the union’s ‘bigger and productive’ bargaining units. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

Men must respect women’s equality – President

President David Granger called on men to respect women’s equality as he outlined what he called the three pillars of gender relations on Sunday at the National Association of the Adventist Men’s Ministry 2015 Men’s Conference, held at the Sophia Exhibition Centre.

“Christian men have to respect women as being equal in dignity. Christian men must get away from the notion that women must be submissive or subordinate. Women must be respected, they must be loved, they must be revered,” the Head of State told the Conference.

Adding that there is no form of reasoning that can diminish respect for gender equality, the President said these virtues must be learnt in the homes and then practised in wider society. Further, the Head of State said respect should go beyond gender and include race and religion.

“We have to build respect in all of our religions and I do believe that in Islam, in Christianity and in Hinduism, respect for human life is paramount, that respect of the equality of a man is not something only in our constitution, but is something in the Bible, and must be in our hearts as well,” the Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted the President as saying.

Another equally important pillar of manhood posited by the President is the ability to make responsible choices: “Sometimes, depending on our upbringing, we make decisions that are conditioned by non-rational motives… these choices have to be responsible Christian choices. Go back to the Bible and learn from the life of Christ.”

More often than not, the President said, people fail to realise that their choices have consequences that can be to their detriment: “We have to make a choice as fathers. Listen to the advice that you were given to make sure that your child goes to school, stays in school and graduates.”

The third pillar that is

necessary in today’s world is “resolution”, President Granger said, noting that in today’s challenging society, it is easy to walk away from responsibility: “You must have responsibility for every child you bring into this world, and the churches must insist, society must insist, we must abolish forever the expression ‘single parent household’… The love of a mother and the lessons of a father are critical to a child’s wellbeing.” Expanding on the importance of the role of the father, President Granger added: “There are many things a child has to learn from a father and if that father is absent, the child may very well grow up without those lessons: The lessons of responsibility, the lessons of discipline, the lessons of orderliness.”

He outlined these as some of the things a child can learn from his/her father.

With social media playing a role in promoting religious extremism, the President said the church needs to provide guidance to lead members of society away from that path: “We have to ensure that we as men, as fathers, provide the type of guidance, which will prevent them from taking the path toward extremism.”

Meanwhile, at the event, the National Association of Adventist Men’s Ministry took the opportunity to honour some longstanding members who have been serving not only the association but their respective communities. George Union was one of those recognised for providing humanitarian services in and out of the Seventh-day Adventist circle for more than 60 years.

The conference, which began on Friday and will conclude today, has so far featured presentations on men’s health, skill harnessing, empowerment, and the importance of responsibility. Dr Leon Wilson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Alabama State University was one of the distinguished guest speakers featured at the event. Wilson is an expert

Region 10 Chairman to engage Cabinet on land issues

Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian recently disclosed that he would be seeking to realise his vision of having a single agency responsible for land selection in the Region through Cabinet.

The issue of the Regional Land Selection Committee was once again put on the front burner at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) statutory meeting held late last week.

the intention of making land easily acquirable.

It became dormant after Morian was recently installed as Chairman, with the Regional Chairman contending that Region 10 was ill-prepared for such a Committee since its administration is not an issuer of land, coupled with the fact that several agencies are responsible for the same.

“We are in deep trouble as it relates to land selection in Region 10...what we’ve discovered is that we have five owners of land in the Region. The recommendation I’ve made is that we’re asking Government, at the decision of Cabinet, to have one agency deal with lands,” Morian related to the Council.

in Social Psychology and holds a Master of Arts in Religion and Counselling from Andrews University in Michigan and a Bachelor of Theology from Caribbean Union College, now known as the University of the Southern Caribbean.

This time, however, it was Councillor Gordon Calendar who sought to engage the regional head on the status of the Committee. Calendar based his questions on the fact that persons have consulted him on the status of the Committee. While it was recently labelled a “rubber stamp” by Morian, the Committee, which was established by way of motion by former Councillors of the RDC under previous Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, was set up with

Morian said he was advised that the issue would require serious intervention by Government, and he would seek to have a single agency responsible for land in the Region, as he believed only under such conditions would the Committee be a well-functioning one.

The head of the Regional Administration said he would soon draft letters to President David Granger, Minister of State Joseph, Harmon and others with the intention of making changes to land issuing and ownership.

He added that should the situation regarding land ownership remain at five agencies, then more credentials should be given to a Land Selection Committee which has the legal authority to issue lands upon request.

“We need Government support on this, that our Land Selection Committee must not be rubber stamp. We must have the say...and that’s the route I’m going to take. I know I have the support of all the Councillors that we want a Committee that has the first right as a local Land Selection Committee,” he noted.

Regional

Venezuela’s socialists pressured in knife-edge vote

People in Venezuela are voting in key parliamentary elections, with the country’s economic troubles putting heavy pressure on the socialist Government led by President Nicolas Maduro.

Voters in working-class parts of the capital Caracas rose early on Sunday morning to the sound of Governmentsponsored music and fireworks. Long lines started to appear even before polls opened, as anxiety loomed over possible trouble.

“The big problems are the lack of security and the high cost of living,” voter William Carrasco told the AFP news agency as he queued up to vote in Caracas. “Things could get violent.”

Opinion polls showed that the Opposition coalition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) could gain a majority of the votes over the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) for the first time in nearly 17 years.

A victory for MUD could reset the Socialist Party’s hold on a majority of seats at the National Assembly seats and undermine the “Chavismo” ideology, a left-wing anti-capitalist movement set forth by late President Hugo Chávez.

The election will have no immediate impact on Maduro’s term in office, which expires at the start of 2019. But the Opposition can seek a recall referendum next year by collecting about four million signatures.

Maduro, Chávez’s anointed successor, initially said he would challenge the elections from the streets if his party lost, but has now agreed to respect the outcome of Sunday’s vote.

More than 19 million registered voters will elect 167 representatives for the unicameral body, which is the legislative branch of the Venezuelan Government.

Support for the ruling party has fallen in the face of a slowing economy, the result of decades-long price controls on imported goods and falling oil prices.

Maduro has agreed to let the jailed Opposition Leader, Leopoldo Lopez, vote in the election from the Ramo Verde Prison, where he is being held.

Lopez was sentenced to 14 years in jail last year after being convicted of inciting violence during anti-Government protests. His supporters say he is an innocent political prisoner.

“Today I came to vote for the liberty of all the political prisoners,” Opposition figure Lilian Tintori, Lopez’s wife, told journalists after casting her ballot.

The election marks the end of a tense campaign season, with some violent incidents.

On November 26, Opposition party member Luis Manuel Diaz was shot dead in a campaign event where

Tintori was also present. Tintori accused the Government of being behind the attacks, an allegation the Government denied.

David Smilde, a senior fellow specialising in Venezuela at the Washington Office on Latin America, told Al Jazeera there was a 90 per cent chance the opposition was going to gain a majority.

“The question is what majority – is it three fifths or two thirds?” he said, adding that the margin of a potential victory was crucial for an already divided Opposition that might find it hard to define future policies.

“Between them there are very different visions as to what needs to happen, what needs to be reformed and who should assume that reform,” Smilde said.

“Some radicals want to try to get rid of Maduro through a referendum, others think it’s better to work with the Government.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Persad-Bissessar takes landslide victory in UNC elections to retain leadership

Former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar firmly held off her challengers to remain the political leader of the main Opposition United National Congress (UNC) on Saturday.

Preliminary results show the Opposition Leader maintained overwhelming support of members, despite leading the party into defeat in the September general elections.

Up to 01:00h Sunday, she had secured 10,147 votes compared to the 909 garnered by Dr Roodal Moonilal and

Minister

Vasant Bharath’s 729.

Official results are expected to be released by the party today.

However, Moonilal has already indicated he would be seeking legal advice, alleging several irregularities in the election process on Saturday.

He told journalists at his Oropouche East constituency office that his Attorneys were reviewing a number of issues, including the rejection of more than 2000 supporters to cast their votes. (Caribbean360.com)

High profile corruption trial to open in Turks and Caicos

The trial of former Premier Michael Misick and nine co-defendants on multiple charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering will begin on Tuesday at the Supreme Court in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), and is expected to last six months.

It is understood that procedural issues will be dealt with by the court until December 18 and the trial will then resume on January 18, 2016.

The trial results from a lengthy investigation into alleged systemic corruption in the TCI during the 20032009 Misick administration. A 2009 Commission of Inquiry report also resulted in the suspension of internal self-Government in the TCI and the imposition of direct rule from Britain for three years until 2012. Almost the entire elected Cabinet led by Misick has been indicted, includ-

ing the former Premier, Ministers, their relatives and Attorneys.

Misick later fled the British territory but was extradited from Brazil, arriving back in the TCI last year on a US Government plane. He is currently free in the islands on a $10 million.

The defendants are: former Premier Michael Misick; former Cabinet Ministers McAllister Hanchell, Jeffrey Hall, Lillian Boyce and Floyd Hall; Lisa Hall (wife of

Floyd Hall); local Attorneys Melbourne Wilson and Chalmers Misick (brother of Michael Misick); Quinton Hall (brother of Floyd Hall); and Earlson Robinson (brother of Lillian Boyce).

The special investigation and prosecution team (SIPT) set up by Britain in the wake of the Commission of Inquiry report has already secured guilty pleas and convictions against at least one major property developer. (Excerpt

Brutal cartels fight over Mexico’s ‘conflictfree’ gold revenues

Heroin traffickers linked to the abduction and disappearance of 43 students a year ago are battling over millions of dollars paid by Canadian mining giant Goldcorp to a village in Mexico’s southern gold belt, leading to a wave of murders.

As a signatory to a Conflict-Free Gold Standard drawn up by the World Gold Council industry group, Goldcorp commits to extracting the precious metal in a manner that “does not fuel unlawful armed conflict or contribute to serious human rights abuses”.

But residents of Carrizalillo in the impoverished state of Guerrero say the some $3 million a year in rent paid by Goldcorp for their land, which the mine is built on, is fuelling a bloody feud between two rival cartels.

Village authorities say

the company is not doing all it can to protect them. The violence highlights an ethical quagmire for industries operating in Mexico’s drug badlands and raises questions of whether companies could do more to ensure safety for people connected to their operations.

In response to Reuters’ questions, Goldcorp said it has held numerous meetings with authorities to seek better security outside the mine’s perimeters, in line with obligations under the standard.

“Even though we can and do advocate with local authorities for the respect of human rights in the vicinity of our operations, we cannot take on the role of Government,” said Michael Harvey, Goldcorp’s Latin America Director for Corporate Affairs and Security. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Colombia says it has found ‘holy grail’ of shipwrecks

Reporting from the Colombian capital Bogota, Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti said the San Jose was believed to be “the holy grail of a shipwreck” with a trove that is “valued somewhere between US$4 billion to US$17 billion”.

He added researchers “have no doubt” that after decades of searching they have finally discovered the San Jose shipwreck as “they were able to see the brass cannons that were unique to that ship and that had dolphins carved on them”.

Rampietti said Santos, despite his enthusiasm during the press conference, did not reveal many details about the discovery, saying the exact location of the ship was a state secret.

A long-running legal dispute has been at the centre of the issue of San Jose’s ownership for years.

The Government’s announcement did not shed light on a legal wrangle with Sea Search Armada (SSA), a US-based salvage company that had a long-standing suit against Bogota over ownership of the wreck. SSA said in 1981 it had located the area in which the ship sank.

SSA and the Government were partners back then and adhering to international custom, they agreed to split any proceeds. The Government later said any treasure would belong to Colombia.

In 2011, a US court declared the galleon property of the Colombian state. (Al Jazeera)

Climate funding piles up, but nations argue over how quickly

Developed nations have mobilised some US$80-$90 billion per year to help the poorest survive a warmer world, delegates at Paris climate talks said, but emerging countries dispute the figures and say a goal of US$100 billion by 2020 is far from reach.

The issue is central to United Nation talks in Paris, where nearly 200 nations are trying to forge a new pact on climate change.

In October, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which represents rich nations, calculated that financial pledges from the developed world totalled US$62 billion in 2014 towards an agreed UN goal to reach $100 billion by 2020.

Since that report, new promises of funding have been made, including from Britain, France, Germany and Japan, the delegates said.

The OECD has yet to update its figures, but delegates at the UN talks said they had used the OECD methodology to analyse the new money.

One national finance expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the new total was some US$94 billion, while NonGovernmental Organisation Oxfam said the figure was more like US$82 billion.

Developing nations, such as India, have accused the West of a lack of transparency and say the OECD vastly over-estimated the size of contributions.

An Indian Finance

Ministry report said “the only hard number” was $2.2 billion that was clearly climate money.

The arguments are bitter as developing nations fight for help to deal with weather impacts they say hit the poorest hardest.

Richer nations, meanwhile, say the world has changed since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and countries such as China no longer count as emerging nations. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Yemen’s Aden Governor killed in blast

The Governor of Yemen’s city of Aden, Major General Jaafar Mohammed Saad, and five of his bodyguards have been killed in a car bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The incident happened on Sunday in Aden’s Tawahi district in the country’s south.

ISIL, in a statement posted on a messaging service, said it detonated a car laden with explosives as Saad’s convoy passed by.

The group promised more operations against

what it called “the heads of apostasy in Yemen”.

ISIL also posted what it said were photos of the booby-trapped vehicle as a white van carrying Saad drove past, then two other photos of a huge ball of fire which it said were taken as the bomb exploded.

Tawahi has in recent months become a stronghold for several armed groups, including al-Qaeda whose fighters have expanded across the area.

Saad was recently appointed Governor and was known to be close to President Abd Rabbu

Mansour Hadi, who returned to Aden last month after several months in exile in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Pro-Hadi forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been battling Iranbacked Houthi rebels in Yemen since March, when the Houthis overran the capital, Sanaa, and advanced south – forcing Hadi’s Government to flee.

Saad’s killing comes a day after the United Nations envoy in the country held talks with Hadi in Aden aimed at kick-starting peace talks between the warring sides. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

China Inner Mongolia checkpoint attacked by mob

Alarge mob has attacked a checkpoint in a remote part of China’s northern Inner Mongolia region, State media say.

About 100 masked attackers beat staff and destroyed buildings before escaping, according to the China News Agency. No motive has been given

Around the world

France elections: National Front leads in regional polls

France’s far-right National Front (FN) appears to have made big gains in the first round of regional elections, estimates show.

They put the FN ahead in at least six of 13 regions in mainland France.

The elections are the first electoral test since last month’s Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed.

The centre-right Republican party led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared to be in second place ahead of the governing Socialist Party.

Exit polls from Sunday’s

vote predicted that the FN had won 30.8 per cent of the vote, followed by Sarkozy’s Republicans on 27.2 per cent and President Francois Hollande’s Socialists with 22.7 per cent.

FN leader Marine Le Pen, who stood in the northern region of Nord-Pas-DeCalais-Picardie, and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen, who stood in ProvenceAlpes-Cote d’Azur in the south, both looked to have won more than 40 per cent of the vote, polls predicted, breaking previous records for the party.

Addressing supporters, Marine Le Pen said it was a

“magnificent result” which proved the FN was “without contest the first party of France”.

Sunday’s first round will be followed by a run-off on December 13.

But Sarkozy said there would be no “tactical alliances” in the second round to try to counter the far-right. In previous years, the centre-right opposition and governing Socialist party have worked together to block the FN.

French regions have wide powers over local transport, education and economic development. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Rival Libyan lawmakers sign proposal for peace deal

Lawmakers from Libya’s two rival Parliaments have signed a declaration of principles aimed at ending the North African country’s civil conflict.

The proposal was signed late on Saturday by two groups from the Libyan Parliament and the rival General National Congress. The initiative is separate from United Nations-

sponsored talks between the country’s two competing Governments and Parliaments to form a united Administration.

Four years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is in turmoil. Tripoli has been controlled since last year by an armed faction called Libya Dawn, forcing the internationally recognised Government and elected Parliament to work in the

east.

Lawmakers said the declaration calls for forming a 10-person committee – five members from each Parliament – that would be charged with naming an Interim Prime Minister and two deputies. Legislative elections would be held within two years. Delegates from the elected House of Representatives and the General National Congress said it was too early to decide on the proposal, which would have to be put to both Houses for a vote.

Western Governments are pushing for the UNbacked agreement to form a Government of national unity as the only way to end the chaos in Libya, where Islamic State militants have gained ground.

Moderates have supported the UN proposal after a year of talks, but hardliners in both camps have been demanding more concessions from the other side.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Indo-Pak NSAs meet in Bangkok, discuss terrorism, Kashmir

Iand Police are searching for those involved.

The region has, in the past, seen tensions between minority ethnic Mongolians and Han Chinese.

Some 13 people were injured in the early morning raid in Ejin Banner county, the reports said.

The attackers were armed with sticks and pepper spray, using construction equipment to wreck the checkpoint and several vehicles, the China News Agency said.

The group stole money, mobile phones and other items. (BBC News)

n a sudden breakthrough, National Security Advisers of India and Pakistan held talks in Bangkok on Sunday on a wide gamut of bilateral ties including terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir, and agreed to take forward the “constructive” engagement.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua also discussed peace and security and other issues including tranquillity along the LoC.

After the talks, the two sides issued a joint press statement which said, “Pursuant to the meeting of the Prime Ministers of India

and Pakistan in Paris, the NSAs, accompanied by the Foreign Secretaries, met in Bangkok today (Sunday).

“Discussions were held in a candid, cordial and constructive atmosphere. They were guided by the vision of the two leaders for a peaceful stable and prosperous South Asia.

“Discussions covered peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and other issues, including tranquillity along the LoC. It was agreed to carry forward the constructive engagement.”

The meeting is a major breakthrough given that the two sides had engaged in the blame game

earlier in September this year resulting in the cancellation of NSA-level talks and stalling the interaction process as was agreed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in July in Russian city of Ufa. The two Prime Ministers had a brief but close chat on November 30 in Paris where they had gone to attend the climate summit.

The Bangkok meeting also paves the way for a visit by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Islamabad this week to attend a multilateral conference on Afghanistan. (Excerpt from India Express)

What the people say about I SAY...

Opinions on the renaming of streets for Guyana’s 50th Anniversary

Nafeeza Baig

“It may be a good initiative providing that the renaming is done to honour local heroes or politicians. However, I believe it may be extremely controversial in that there may be antipathy toward the new name. Some people may be of the view that it is an overturning of a respected traditional name, or it will contribute to confusion from the altering of a familiar name. It may also be contentious because it may be seen by many as a way to rewrite history, even if the original name is not well-liked but nevertheless traditional or convenient. If the renaming of the streets is done, however, it definitely must not erase the presence of a cultural group or previous political regime, whether positive or negative, in order to show the supremacy of a new political regime as this would further add to the political divide.”

Hemraj Samaroo – Businessman

“It should only be done to streets that aren’t named in the first place or go by names like “Rum Shop Street”. As for streets that are already named, that should remain since it’s already in our minds.

And it should also be done on the East Coast, ’cause most streets there don’t have a name. When directing people to your house, you have to say things like “over the double bridge corner on the right or left “. In addition, if public figures are chosen as names, persons should make it fair and they do not use one side of the political spectrum.

Jemima Holmes

The renaming of the 50 streets is a great move on the path of patriotism. However, I believe that the renaming of some of these are unnecessary since many citizens will find it difficult to remember all those changes especially the popular streets, such as Orange Walk. In addition, there is the possibility that many citizens will continue to use the old names for a while.

La Toya Herbert

There are some roads that name access road and front road and back road, we want to change some of those and have them properly recorded. I fully agree that these streets should be properly renamed. Using well-known personalities in Guyana eg Justice Pollard, Sir Shridath Ramphal, Eddy Grant, etc. However in using these names, they should be done carefully.

Patrice Wishart

It is the government’s prerogative to rename a street and I personally don’t have an issue with it, as long as the new name has a significant meaning. I also see no need for public consultations but I do see a need to explain the rationale behind the name change.

Akeem Peters

I think the renaming of the streets is a good initiative but my concern isn’t with the renaming, it’s with the procedure in which it’s implemented. There must be public consultations. It’s also pertinent that our heritage and history is reflected in the name of our streets. Therefore our history should be treasured above the preservation of public personalities. Public consultations are the first step.

Delon Moffett

I don’t think they should rename streets, because they could find many streets that have no name. For a long while in South I lived on a block that had no name.

Ron Motilall

“I don’t see a problem with renaming streets and buildings in favour of something more Guyanese and by extension the renaming of ministries. I think that the government has taken this approach as a sort of re-branding for the country. We should laud the government for these steps only where they result in solidarity among the people ie where the people appreciate the shift in name and it strengthens national identity. My only problem with the renaming of everything is the cost, both in terms of money and in terms of effort, at least for the effort we see on TV and in the media. It appears sometimes that the government is concerned more with re-branding than fixing important issue eg the rampant crime spree.”

Dennis Glasgow

To be honest, I am neither for nor against the name changes since a part of me is thinking that it would be great to have a new modernised or even more patriotic names because there are still a few places that are named after places in England or famous Englishmen from our colonial era and while I do believe we need to pay homage to a few of them, we also need to exhibit Independence and individuality and what better way to do so but to rename a few places. The other part of me is saying that it isn’t necessary, since we have already grown accustomed to the current names and we’d have to learn new ones if this happens. Additionally, I believe the best thing to do is to have consultations with key stakeholders, inclusive of concerned citizens and the opposition, before any definitive decision is made.

Kim Fung- Trainee teacher

“I think the people living in the street should have a short meeting and agree on a suitable name for their street... They’re the ones living there, hence they should play some part in naming the street”.

Jubilante Cutting I believe some streets in Guyana should be renamed to honour significant parts of our history, historical heroes and even modern day Guyanese heroes who have or continue to represent Guyana in Sports, the Arts, Politics, Sciences, or otherwise locally and internationally. Most naturally, you cannot select everyone, so those persons who have performed in an exemplary or inspiring manner should be shortlisted and voted on.

Derwayne Wills

I lived in First Street, Alberttown, my whole life, and they could’ve renamed First Street to something reflective of our historical figures. Then again, even with historical figures we have to be careful that renaming streets doesn’t glorify one side of the political divide.

Kidackie Amsterdam

I think streets can and should be renamed to give recognition to outstanding and upstanding sons and daughters of the soil.

Ruimveldt family fearful after home invasion

ASouth Ruimveldt, Georgetown, family of four has been left disturbed after they discovered Sunday morning a number of valuable belongings missing from their home.

Speaking with Guyana Times Anthony (only name given) said he was

shocked on Sunday as the family returned from an overnight family outing to find their home ransacked.

The father of two teenagers further told this newspaper he was told who the perpetrators are but added he does not want to “name names” as

he is afraid for the safety of himself and family, noting that the robbers could be described as “very bad people”.

Anthony estimated his losses to be about $1.5 million.

An investigation has since been launched into the incident.

Orealla/Siparuta residents ready for tourism-based villages

Under the Hinterland Tourism Development Plan, dozens of residents from Orealla/ Siparuta Village, the only indigenous community in Region 6, participated in a Tourism Development workshop in the community and which was facilitated by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA).

The activity is part of the drive to develop the Berbice Tourism Circuit.

The objectives of the one-day session were to broadly define tourism with specific reference to the communities’ potential and current offerings; assess the residents’ readiness for tourism-related development in their communities and identify the benefits of tourism. In addition the aims were also to discuss challenges and issues; examine possible tourism enterprises; conduct a training needs assessment; and elect a Tourism Committee to coordinate future initiatives and activities.

All participants from the two adjoining communities on the Corentyne were eager to learn how their small villages could benefit from tourism activities and they were also open to possibilities for training and capacity building.

While conducting the

session, GTA Director Indranauth Haralsingh stressed the importance of good leadership and collaboration and reminded that “everyone has a role to play” in the developmental process.

On charting the way forward, Haralsingh acknowledged that the communities possess valuable attributes which can be refined and marketed through a series of events including Fish Festivals, Heritage Day celebrations, Regattas, Pepper Pot festivals and Pineapple Festivals, among others.

He emphasised however that harnessing the existing potential will call for a clear action plan, proper time management, partnership, and teamwork.

“Tourism is an investment. You need to ask yourselves if the community is ready to welcome investment in the area,” he posited.

During the interactive session, the attendees also learnt about the various elements of tourism and the importance of maintaining high standards and service.

On this note, the GTA Director assured that his organisation will provide the necessary support and training in the areas of Catering, Housekeeping, Food Preparation, Project Management, Proposal

Reconstruction of Umana Yana underway

Work to rebuild the historic Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown, destroyed by fire in 2014, has commenced. The fire is believed to have been of electrical origin.

Recently, work commenced on the foundation and the flooring on which it was originally erected.

The foundation work started in November, is expected to be completed by the end of December 2015. The estimated cost of the foundation is $7.135 million, a Government Information Agency (GINA) report stated.

Project Manager Khiraj Bissesar explained that the project will be done in phases, adding that Public Infrastructure Ministry will also be installing solar powered systems, fire prevention systems including water sprinklers, fire extinguishers, and cooling system.

After these works are completed, Indigenous

Affairs Ministry will take over the project.

It is expected that the new benab will be built using traditional methods by members of the Wai Wai tribe led by former Toshao Colin Andrews. The materials will be supplied by the villages of Masakenari and Moraikobai.

The Umana Yana was erected in August of 1972, as a VIP Lounge and Recreation Centre, and is a palm-thatched hut (benab) erected for the Non-

Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference in Guyana. It is a 55-foot high coneshaped benab constructed by Amerindians of the Wai Wai tribe from thatched allibanna and manicole palm leaves, and wallaba posts lashed together with mukru, turu and nabbi vines.

The Umana Yana shelters an area of approximately 460 square meters.

Umana Yana is an Amerindian expression for “meeting place of the people.”

CaPRI to host renewable energy workshop

Writing, Record Keeping, and Bird Guiding. In accordance with the residents’ request GTA will produce a brochure to assist with the marketing and promotion of the area.

Before the end of the workshop, the residents had already established a Tourism Committee and they also agreed to send two representatives to attend the Tourism Industry Conference to be hosted by the Tourism Ministry today.

The residents also expressed gratitude for the information imparted and reaffirmed their willingness to work with the Ministry of Tourism to further develop and enhance their communities.

Training and Capacity building in hinterland communities remain a top priority, in keeping with the administration’s pledge to ensure that the many tourism products in the hinterland communities are utilised for the benefit of those communities; the overall aim is to generate vibrant and sustainable livelihoods within communities across the country.

The government’s ten-point strategic plan for hinterland development was unveiled at the National Toshaos Council meeting earlier this year.

ARenewable Energy workshop is to be hosted in Guyana by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) in collaboration with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat.

Representatives from both the public and private sectors have been invited to participate and contribute insights on issues surrounding renewable energy development in the country.

With funding from the European Union (EU),

viability of renewable energy investment decisions and identify appropriate project financing; and financiers of renewable energy projects and proponents of renewable energy policies and programmes, to evaluate the socioeconomic and environmental impact of potential investments.

Similar workshops have already been held in Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis, Haiti, Jamaica, and Barbados which are five of the six target countries of

CaPRI has been analysing conditions needed for sustainable, private-sector driven renewable energy investment in the Caribbean, and developing tools for private and public sector actors to progress in this direction.

This workshop will present and seek feedback on the findings and outputs of this work, which include webbased tools designed to assist project developers to understand the investment climate and policy framework for renewable energy. It will also assist businesses and individuals to assess the

this work. They were well attended and the content presented by CaPRI, along with a panel discussion which has become a permanent feature of the workshop agenda, catalysed serious debate on enabling conditions needed for further development in the respective countries. The tools were well received and feedback for their improvement duly integrated.

The results of surveys conducted at the workshops show significant knowledge creation from the project findings and application of the renewable energy tools.

Awareness of renewable energy technologies and their viability was shown to have grown by 70 per cent in St Kitts and Nevis.

Moreover, 90 per cent of participants opined that renewable energy technologies can offer socioeconomic benefits over conventional fossil-fuel based technologies for small island developing states, and felt that these benefits – greenhouse gas emissions reduction, energy supply security and job creation – should play a more significant role in renewable energy technology policy direction.

In Grenada and Haiti, participants resolved to use the tools to accompany decision-making when evaluating renewable energy technologies, assessing the policy environment and sourcing renewable energy project financing.

An overwhelming majority of participants in the Jamaica workshop demonstrated that they would now include socioeconomic grounds when lobbying for renewable energy policies to create a more enabling environment for renewable energy.

CaPRI is an economics focused think tank linked to the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. Its mission is to promote ‘evidence–based policy dialogue within Caribbean societies’ and its vision is to make ‘the production of research work more relevant to the pertinent issues of economic development in the Caribbean’.

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

Expand your interests. Travel and educational plans will lead to new places. Trying new things could help you advance. Don’t let emotional mishaps ruin your day.

Opportunities will develop in an unusual manner. Your passionate approach to everything you do will help make even the most difficult task possible. Be honest about your feelings and what you want.

Finish what you start before you run out of time. Talking may be your favourite pastime, but it won’t pay the bills if you don’t follow through with your plans.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

You’ve got more going for you than you realise. Stop worrying and start producing. Much can be accomplished if you get down to business and put your skills to good use.

Don’t leave anyone out. Your fun-loving nature will be admired by outsiders, but someone close will feel left out if you neglect his or her needs.

You’ll have some big ideas, but if you temper them, you will not only reach your destination in record time, you will get recognition for your accomplishments.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Don’t argue a moot point. Keep the peace and put your time and effort into positive change. Don’t worry about those who decide to take a different route. Do what’s best for you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Take an unusual approach to whatever you do. Altering your living quarters or engaging in a project with someone as unique and creative as you are will bring good results.

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Now is not the time to be greedy or self-centred. Use your energy to get ahead in business, not to encourage opposition. Be willing to compromise and work as a team player.

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

You’ve got insight, and with a little ingenuity you can achieve whatever you set out to do. Romance is skyrocketing, and emotional matters can be turned into long-term benefits.

AQUARIUS

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Don’t be too trusting. Protect your money and possessions. Don’t let emotional matters escalate into a battle of the wills that will leave you feeling exhausted and frustrated.

Pursue your beliefs. A challenge will help you realise your full potential. You don’t have to overdo it to get ahead; you just have to be precise and stick to basics.

NBA roundup…

Warriors 21-0 after holding off Raptors

Stephen Curry made nine 3-pointers and scored 44 points, leading the undefeated Golden State Warriors to a 112-109 victory over the Raptors in Toronto on Saturday.

Curry was 14 for 24 from the field and 9 for 15 from beyond the arc as Golden State pushed its NBArecord start to 21-0. Klay Thompson scored 26 points, and Draymond Green had 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the win moved Golden State past the St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association, a predecessor to Major League Baseball, for the best start to a season by a professional sports team.

Kyle Lowry made six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 41 points for Toronto. DeMar DeRozan recovered from an ugly 1-for10 shooting performance in the first half, finishing with 16 points.

Lowry found Lucas

Nogueira for an alley-oop dunk with 2:03 to go, tying it at 102. Green responded with two foul shots for Golden State. After DeRozan went 1 for 2 at the line, Curry hit two more free throws.

Curry and Thompson then combined to go 6 for 6 at the line in the final 18.2 seconds to help Golden State hang on.

At 25 consecutive regular-season wins, the Warriors possess the thirdlongest streak in NBA history, behind only the 197172 Los Angeles Lakers (33) and the 2012-13 Miami Heat (25).

The game turned into something of a 3-point shooting contest between Curry and Lowry, with the reigning NBA MVP taking the personal duel and the game. Each star also had seven assists.

Heat 99, Cavaliers 84 — Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and took the fourth quarter off, Tyler Johnson added 19 more and host

Miami took advantage of Cleveland’s decision to hold out LeBron James, sending the Cavaliers to their straight loss.

Richard Jefferson started in place of James and led Cleveland with 16 points. James was given the night off to rest, the first game he has missed this season. Heat

fans serenaded him with a ‘‘LeBron is tired’’ chant in the fourth quarter.

Nuggets 108, 76ers 105 — Danilo Gallinari scored 24 points, including the goahead slam dunk with less than a minute remaining, to lead visiting Denver over Philadelphia.

The Nuggets trailed for

Liverpool beaten by lowly Newcastle

Liverpool missed the chance to close in on the Premier League’s top four when they suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to lowly Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday.

Dutchman Georginio Wijnaldum, signed from PSV Eindhoven in the closeseason, forced Martin Skrtel into an own goal in the 69th minute and then added a second himself in added time.

That gave Newcastle only a second home win of the season and took them above neighbours and relegation rivals Sunderland in the bottom three.

All that Liverpool could point to after a disappointing display was a wrongly-disallowed goal by fullback Alberto Moreno that would have brought them an equaliser 10 minutes from the end.

Juergen Klopp’s side remain seventh, six points behind the Champions League places, after only their second defeat in the 12 games since the German took over from Brendan Rodgers in October.

Newcastle manager Steve McClaren had wanted his team to “get back to the

basics of work-rate and organisation” and they did so to good effect in matching Liverpool’s pressing game.

With the home side content to sit back and Liverpool unable to break them down, the game took a long while to warm up and threatened to become the first goalless draw between the sides for 41 years.

The visitors made nothing of a crop of early corners

and until Jordon Ibe swung one over in the 22nd minute there was not a sniff of a scoring chance.

Centre-half Dejan Lovren headed it down invitingly but Christian Benteke lifted the bouncing ball over the bar from barely three metres out.

Newcastle’s only threatening moment in the first half-hour predictably came in a swift counter when

Papiss Cisse broke away and was briefly one-on-one with Martin Skrtel but delayed and allowed covering defenders to get back and dispossess him.

McClaren’s team had a better moment just before the interval when Cisse flicked on a corner and Congolese defender Chancel Mbwemba headed over the bar.

Newcastle took the lead after 69 minutes when Moussa Sissoko’s cross was slightly miscontrolled by Wijnaldum but he still managed to fire in a shot that Skrtel deflected in.

Klopp had been dissatisfied enough to make a double change with an hour played, sending on Daniel Sturridge and fellow England international Adam Lallana for Benteke and the equally ineffective Roberto Firmino.

The two substitutes were involved in a rare scoring opportunity but Sturridge pulled his shot carelessly wide.

And Wijnaldum made sure of the points when he clipped Sissoko’s perfect through ball over keeper Simon Mignolet. (Reuters Sport)

the entire second half before Jameer Nelson tied it at 102 with 1:26 remaining with a 19-foot stepback jumper.

After Isaiah Canaan (15 points) missed a drive on the 76ers’ ensuing possession, Nelson went baseline and set up Gallinari for a dunk to make it 104-102 with 47.9 seconds left.

Philadelphia guard Tony Wroten returned for the first time since suffering a right ACL tear on Jan. 13. Wroten averaged 16.9 points and 5.2 assists in 30 games last season. He had 4 points in 13 minutes in this one.

Clippers 103, Magic 101 — Jamal Crawford scored 16 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and Wesley Johnson added 21 points off the bench for Los Angeles.

Blake Griffin had 28 points and 13 rebounds, and DeAndre Jordan added 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers, who played without injured guards Chris Paul and J.J. Redick.

Los Angeles snapped Orlando’s five-game winning streak.

Rockets 120, Kings 113 — James Harden scored 31 points, Dwight Howard added 22 and host Houston won its third straight, outlasting Sacramento.

Hornets 102, Bulls 96 — Nicolas Batum scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help visiting Charlotte beat Chicago. Trail Blazers 109, Timberwolves 103 — Damian Lillard finished with 19 points and 7 assists, and Portland rallied from 17 points down in the third quarter to beat host Minnesota.

Bucks 106, Knicks 91 — Michael Carter-Williams had 20 points, and host Milwaukee used a 21-4 run in the third quarter to pull away from New York.

Jazz 122, Pacers 119 — Derrick Favors scored a career-high 35 points, and Utah rallied for an overtime win against Indiana in Salt Lake City. (Boston Globe)

Suspension will have psychological effect on Narine - Ramnarine

Former West Indies Players Association president Dinanath Ramnarine is concerned about the psychological effect being suspended will have on embattled spinner Sunil Narine.

Narine was suspended from international cricket last week after being called for a suspect action during the West Indies series against Sri Lanka last month.

“Hopefully this is a minor setback, but I think that psychologically it affects your game in a tremendous way,” he said.

“And one would hope that he doesn’t allow it to get to him too much; I think that is key, and also, (he needs to) seek the necessary professional help that would

help him to get through this difficult and tough period.”

The bowler had previously been called for a suspect action during the Champions League T20 and Indian Premier League (IPL). The International Cricket Council said it had found that “all variations of his deliveries exceeded the 15-degree limit.”

“Obviously, that is going to be a disappointing thing when one considers that he has gone through that process several times before, so psychologically it’s going to be a frustrating thing. But those are scientific tests,” Ramnarine said.

Narine was forced to quit the Bangladesh T20 league earlier this month. (Digicel Sportsmax)

South Africa push for draw in epic blockathon

In their final innings of a long and wretched series, South Africa’s batsmen produced their most unyielding display, responding with dour defence in the face of a mountainous fourth-innings task.

Hashim Amla was at the forefront of their defiance, playing the slowest innings of 200 balls or more in the history of Test cricket*, but South Africa’s job, notwithstanding their captain’s monumental effort, was less than half done.

India declared half an hour from lunch, after Ajinkya Rahane had become the fifth Indian batsman to score twin tons in a Test match, setting a target of 481 with just over five sessions remaining. At stumps on day four, South Africa had only lost two wickets while eating up 72 overs. They only scored 72 in that

time, but it hardly mattered to them: South Africa were batting time, and runs were simply not on their minds. At stumps, Amla was batting on 23 off 207 balls and with him was AB de Villiers, on 11 off 91. Their third-wicket partnership was worth 23 off 29.2 overs. Before that, Amla and Temba Bavuma had put on 44 in 38.4 overs.

South Africa began their fourth innings with a possible 158 overs remaining in the match. Given the sheer amount of time left, a draw seemed out of question, but South Africa have shown themselves capablein Adelaide three years ago and in Colombo last yearof defying that sort of logic.

South Africa’s batting has been far from its best during this series, but they kept faith in their ability - unique in this era - to bat long with-

SCOREBOARD

India 1st innings 334

South Africa 1st innings 121

India 2nd innings 267

South Africa 2nd innings (target: 481 runs)

D Elgar c Rahane b Ashwin 4

T Bavuma b Ashwin 34

HM Amla* not out 23

AB de Villiers not out 11

Extras 0

Total (2 wickets; 72 overs) 72

To bat: F du Plessis, JP Duminy, DJ Vilas†, DL Piedt, KJ Abbott, M Morkel, Imran Tahir

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-49

Bowling: I Sharma 12-716-0, R Ashwin 23-13-292, RA Jadeja 23-16-10-0, UT Yadav 9-6-6-0, S Dhawan 3-1-9-0, M Vijay 2-0-2-0.

out thinking of runs.

They had five overs to see out before lunch, and did not survive that period unscathed. R Ashwin looped one up to Dean Elgar from around the wicket, drifting it into the left-hander and getting it to leave him from a middle-stump line. Elgar didn’t reach the pitch while trying to drive straight, and Rahane took a comfortable catch at slip.

In walked Amla. It took him 46 balls to get off the mark, and the first runs were unintentional, his back-foot defensive stroke off Ravindra Jadeja squirting away into the fine leg region. Bavuma, blocking with comparable single-mindedness at the other end was on 8 off 50 balls when Ashwin sent down a rare half-tracker - possibly slipped in deliberately to break the batsman’s rhythm - that left him

with almost no option but to pull for six.

The overs ran by quickly, hypnotically, and the closein cordon grew in strength. It was fascinating to watch. South Africa, perhaps, were making things more difficult for themselves by contributing to India’s rapid over rate and leaving themselves more overs to face. When their innings began, 68 overs remained from the 90 scheduled for the day; India bowled 72.

And while neither batsman was making too many mistakes - their control percentages hovered in the lowto-mid-90s - every little mistake was amplified by the presence of four, sometimes five, fielders around the bat at all times.

Between lunch and tea, the edges weren’t finding fielders though. Amla came forward to defend Jadeja, and nicked him between first and second slip. Ishant Sharma, replacing Ashwin in the 28th over, found Bavuma’s edge twice in the second over of his spell, and the ball streaked through the slips on both occasions.

By tea, India had bowled 22 maidens in 39 overs, and had only one wicket to show for it. It took a ball of great beauty from their best bowler, Ashwin, to finally break the stand in the fourth over of the final session. It drifted away slightly from Bavuma’s off stump, and hit it as he played for more turn than there was. The length was key, punishing the batsman for his lack of a frontfoot stride. (Cricinfo)

Campbell-Brown eyes big 2016

Like fine wine, Jamaican female sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown feels like she’ll get better with age.

As a consequence, Campbell-Brown - one of the greatest female sprinters of all time with 17 Olympic and World Championships medals - aims to run her best yet in the upcoming year.

Campbell-Brown’s personal bests are 10.76 seconds for the 100 metres when winning World Championships gold in 2011; and 21.74 for the 200m when winning gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

“Right now, I’m having fun and ensuring that I maximise my potential because I still feel like I can run faster. I really feel like I’ve not run my fastest yet, so I’m holding on to the hope that I will run faster, and I’m feeling that my ending will be better than my beginning,” CampbellBrown told The Sunday Gleaner in an interview in New York.

The 33-year-old flew up to the Big Apple, where she was presented with the Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) Humanitarian Award at its yearly function last night at the JFK Hilton Hotel in Queen’s.

The former Vere Technical standout finished this season on a high by winning the 200m bronze plus a sprint relay gold medal at the IAAF World Championships last summer.

PRIZED FINISH

With the Olympics next year in Rio, Brazil, she noted her ambitions for a prized finish and clocking.

“I normally tend to think big, especially where track and field is concerned. So I try not to underestimate myself. My PR is 10.7. Sometimes I tend to believe I can go 10.6, you never know, sometimes 10.5. It’s just a matter of getting everything together.

“If I should look back at my 100 metres, I don’t think I’ve ever run one 100 metres and can say everything was fine. I still have not hit that near-perfect 100 metres,” she observed. “I don’t think us human beings can be perfect. We can work for perfection, but it’s hard to achieve. But I feel like I’ve a lot of room to improve.”

She added: “For the 200 metres, I

Phelps wins 200 butterfly for third victory at Winter Nationals

Michael Phelps was pleased with his third national title in three days, viewing his dominant performance Saturday as a stepping stone toward his fifth Olympic berth

The 18-time Olympic champion won the 200-meter butterfly in the U.S. Winter National Championships after winning the 200 individual medley Thursday and the 100 butterfly Friday at the King Aquatic Center.

Phelps finished in 1 minute, 56.11 seconds, leading comfortably at each turn. He set the world record in the event in 2009 at 1:51.51. Chase Kalisz was second at 1:57.19.

“Winning’s always important, but for me it’s more time-based right now,” the 30-year-old Phelps said. “For one, I’m happy I didn’t get run down by Chase in the last 50, that’s one thing, but just for me to be able to see progress; when you are training and it is hard and it’s brutal and there are some days where you just don’t want to be there, if you’re actually seeing success, it makes you want to go back.”

feel like I can go 21.6. You never know. The sky’s the limit.

“I’ve to think further than I really want or I may never achieve it.”

STAYING HEALTHY

For improvements, she says that health is a prerequisite.

“With training, my objective is to stay healthy and hit all my workloads properly.”

She has won all but one of the Olympic and World Championships 100-200 medals - the elusive Olympic 100m gold.

“That 100 metres, right,” she answered with a broad smile when asked how much that medal was fuelling her desire.

“I try not to focus on one event. I just focus on me. I feel like if I can get everything right, make sure I get my body to respond when I want it to, then anything is possible,” said CampbellBrown.

“If I’m able to win gold in the 100 metres, then that would be great. If I don’t by the time I retire, then I don’t think it’s my destiny. So I just have to focus on training, on preparation, on execution and just see what happens.

“I think it would be the icing on the cake. I’m very satisfied with all that I’ve achieved, but that does not mean that I’m not willing to earn more. I still want to achieve everything that God has for me, but so far, I think I’ve been blessed.”

(Jamaica Gleaner)

“This will make me hungrier. Even though I did win and I swam good times, there are better times that I can swim before Olympic trials and that’s what I’m focused on.”

“These are the stepping stones,” Phelps said. “For me, the fastest I went last year was like 1:58, 1:57, so I know that I’m ahead of where I was last year and I know that I’m doing the right things in making steps forward to be able to get to the end result where I want to be. It was a struggle in-season last year. I can remember a couple meets where I was beyond frustrated and I’ll leave it at that.”

Four-time Olympic champion Missy Franklin won the 200 backstroke in 2:07.87 and finished fourth in the 100 freestyle. She won the 100 backstroke on Friday and finished second in the 200 freestyle.

Haley Anderson, who won the silver medal in the 10-kilometer open water in the 2012 Olympics, won the 800 freestyle and the 200 butterfly.

Other women’s winners were Simon Manuel in the 100 freestyle and Lilly King in the 200 breaststroke.

Other men’s winners were Michael McBroom in the 1,500 freestyle, fourtime Olympic champ Matt Grevers in the 200 backstroke, Santo Condorelli in the 100 freestyle, and Carlos Claverie in the 100 breaststroke,

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Nathan Adrian, from nearby Bremerton, received a huge ovation when announced for his race, but finished third in the 100 freestyle. He won the 50 freestyle Thursday. (ESPN)

By the time he made the first turn at 25:27 in front of an enthusiastic capacity crowd, the race was essentially for second place. But Phelps said it provided a measuring stick for where he needs to be en route to the Olympics.

napoli fall to Bologna in serie a

Napoli missed the chance to go top of Serie A after losing for the first time since August despite a strong fightback at struggling Bologna.

The hosts raced into a 2-0 lead in the opening 21 minutes after goals by former Roma striker Mattia Destro and defender Luca Rossettini.

Destro made it 3-0 before Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain scored two goals in the last three minutes.

Inter Milan remain top of

the table after a 1-0 win over Genoa on Saturday.

The one consolation for Napoli, chasing a first Serie A title since 1990, was Higuain’s two goals. It takes the 27-year-old former Real Madrid striker’s tally for the season to 14 league goals, and five in his last three appearances.

Napoli’s next Serie A game is at home to title rivals Roma on 13 December.

Bologna’s first win since 7 November lifted them out of the relegation zone. (BBC Sport)

YELLOW PAGES

Skipper Holder: No time for excuses

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In a frank assessment where he minced no words, the 24-year-old told reporters his players needed to examine themselves, take responsibility for their performances and “stop looking for excuses”, as they looked to lift themselves ahead of the opening Test against Australia starting Thursday in Hobart.

“Obviously, we’re going to cop a bit of criticism. We obviously have to improve, there’s no doubt about it,” a sober Holder said.

GOOD PREPARATION

“Going into the Test match, we’re up against the number-two ranked side in the world in Australia so we have to be better, we need

to make the most of these coming days and make sure our preparation is very good leading up to the first game.

“We’re at the stage now where we need to make some strides forward. We’ve

been a bit stagnant for a few months so we just need to pick ourselves up, try something different and find it within ourselves.

“Each player has to look in the mirror, reflect on their personal performance and hope to uplift the team, especially in this first Test match.”

Opting to bat first at Allan Border Field, West Indies managed only 243 all out and then watched helplessly as Cricket Australia XI - with six players on firstclass debut - piled up 444 all out.

In their second innings, the Windies slumped to 97 for seven on the third day before being dismissed for 210 early on the final morning, leaving the hosts with a mere 10 runs to win. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Platini lawyers say document could help prove his innocence

European football chief Michel Platini’s legal team believes a 23-page memo published by a French newspaper on Sunday could help clear him of wrongdoing and allow him back into the FIFA presidential race.

Platini, until recently seen as the man to lead football’s governing body FIFA out of its worst ever graft crisis, has been suspended for 90 days by FIFA’s ethics committee while it investigates his conduct.

The final verdict is expected by the end of the

month and Platini’s lawyers have already said that ethics investigators had recommended a lifelong ban for the Frenchman.

FIFA will hold an election to find a replacement for its president Sepp Blatter, also suspended, on Feb. 26, and Platini, who has registered as a candidate, cannot run while he is banned, although he might be allowed to take part if he is cleared.

The investigation centres on a 2 million Swiss franc ($2 million) payment from FIFA to Platini, a former France team captain and coach who

has been UEFA president since 2002, in 2011 for work he completed between 1998 and 2002.

Blatter has said there was a verbal agreement between the two while Platini says the payment was delayed only because of financial problems at FIFA.

On Sunday, French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche published a 23page memo which it said was presented to UEFA executive committee members in November 1998 and mentioned that Platini was being paid 1 million Swiss francs a year for work he was doing for FIFA.

The newspaper said the memo was presented at a meeting in Stockholm, chaired by Lennart Johansson who was UEFA president at the time.

“From the moment that we have proof of an agreement between FIFA and Mr Platini, and of knowledge of this agreement by officials of UEFA, then this (ethics committee) inquiry falls down,” Thomas Clay, one of Platini’s lawyers, told Reuters by telephone.

“For us, it’s very important evidence that Mr Platini has always been telling the truth.”

Clay said he had seen the document although he did not know how the newspaper had obtained it and why it had taken so long to appear. The newspaper could not be immediately contacted for comment, while the ethics committee declined to comment.

“It shows that the contract did not have any sort of secret character and that many people, including those in UEFA and FIFA, have known about it since 1998,” said Clay.

The Swiss attorney general’s office has opened a criminal investigation against Blatter over the payment, which it describes as “disloyal”.

Platini was described by attorney general Michael Lauber as being somewhere “between a witness and an accused person” in the case.

FIFA has been buffeted by a wave of scandals and as the sport faces criminal investigations in Switzerland and the United States. (Reuters)

Russell dazzles but can’t stop Ram Slam defeat

West Indies limited overs star Andre Russell slammed an astonishing half-century in a telling all-round performance but failed to prevent Knights from a six-wicket defeat at the hands of Warriors in the South African Ram Slam Twenty20 yesterday.

Chasing 171 at Mangaung Oval, Warriors got home off the last ball of the innings when Christiaan Jonker got a couple off Russell’s bowling, after they had required eight runs off the last over.

Russell, bowling his lively seam, had rocked Warriors with the new ball in his first two overs, removing Gihahn Cloete without scoring and Colin Ingram for nine, to leave the innings in turmoil at 13 for two in the third over.

However, Somila Seyibokwe struck a match-winning 73 off 57 deliveries

and spearheaded two key partnerships to rally the Warriors innings.

The right-hander added 43 for the third wicket with opener Colin Ackermann who struck a run-a-ball 27 before posting an invaluable 107 for the fourth wicket with JJ Smuts who belted an unbeaten 43 off 27 balls.

Russell was the leading bowler with three for 31 from his overs.

The right-handed Jamaican had earlier carved out a stroke-filled 52 off a mere 24 deliveries as Knights reached a competitive 170 for five, after being sent in.

Russell counted two fours and five sixes to singlehandedly dominate the latter half of his side’s innings.

Opener Rilee Rossouw struck 43 from 37 balls while Theunis de Bruyn chipped in with 36 from 29 deliveries.

WICB/PCL 4-Day cricket

Can the Windies rise Down Under? Fudadin century puts guyana in control

Asks Akeem Greene

The West Indies are in Australia hunting their first series win against the Aussies in some 22 years after their 2-1 series victory on the 1992-93 tour.

Since then the West Indies have had a horrid time Down Under; in fact, the last time they toured in 2009-10, they lost 0-2.

In the first Test match in Brisbane, they lost by an innings and 65 runs. In the same Test match, Adrian Barath scored a hundred on debut in the second innings in an attempt to avoid the follow-on. In the second Test, Christopher Gayle thrilled fans with an entertaining knock of 165 which helped the regional side draw the Test match. Despite their loss in the third Test, they had a more spirited showing, as chasing 359 for victory, they lost by 35 runs.

Australia and West Indies have played 113 Test matches with West Indies losing 56 and only winning 32. Now the regional side is attempting a major undertaking with a vastly inexperienced side and is up against a side that is extremely formidable at home.

The only players in the

current side with the scars from the last tour are Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach and Denesh Ramdin. Most memorable for the bowling department was the pace which Roach bowled with and the trouble he caused Ricky Ponting; the unfortunate side was seeing Taylor limp off due to injury. West Indies’ last away series win was against Bangladesh in 2012.

Jason Holder, at the helm, undoubtedly has a herculean task in leading this team to any form of resistance against the men in the baggy green caps. The most experienced player in this side is former Captain and wicketkeeper/batsman Ramdin with 71 Test matches. Holder, who has just played 10 Test matches, has to find a way to forge a unit who will not buckle under the immense pressure that is forthcoming.

In a warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI in which six players were making their first-class debuts, the boys in maroon were on the verge of an inning defeat and in the end, lost the match by 10 wickets. In the first innings, Kraigg Braithwaite, Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels could manage just 26 runs

between them; all three are batsmen on whom the team are heavily dependent.

There were only two bright spots from the tour game – skipper Holder and Barbadian all-rounder Carlos Braithwaite who looks set to make a Test debut after a reasonable outing. Holder and the underperforming Darren Bravo were the only two batsmen to pass fifty in the game as they failed to make at least 300 runs in either innings.

The current selection panel is placing much emphasis on youth in building a new team, but both the players and selectors need to come to a consensus as to when do results count, when do players begin saying it’s time for me to produce more runs or bowl more consistently; when will the Caribbean people have something to cheer about again?

Answering these questions in Australia is an extremely difficult task considering the vastly different conditions that will be presented. In short, if the Windies cannot find a way to score runs positively, the bowling line-up, which, at times, can threaten any batting side, will fail miserably. Many pundits are already expecting 3-0 drubbing, but one would hope the regional side can prove them wrong when the first Test starts on December 10 at the Hobart.

Preferred XI: 1. Kraigg Braithwaite; 2. Rajendra Chandrika; 3. Darren Bravo; 4. Marlon Samuels; 5. Jermaine Blackwood; 6. Jason Holder; 7. Denesh Ramdin; 8. Carlos Braithwaite; 9. Kemar Roach; 10. Jerome Taylor; 11. Devendra Bishoo. (akeemg@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Johnson, D’andrade cop 1, 2 finish at TCL 6K

TTrinidadian Illey Bruce

placed third in 21:39s.

D’Andrade noted, “I felt better than last week. However, I’m still feeling some cramps during my racing. I’ve been training hard and wanted to close off the year with a bang; the same way I started with my win in Suriname in January. But Johnson edged me out this morning and so I had to settle for second place. So I’ve closed off the year with 43 races. It’s been up and down for me this past year, but I’m looking forward to the New Year with a new strategy.”

The TCL 6K had 300 participants and all the proceeds from the race will go towards a Children’s Home for the Christmas Season.

– Chanderpaul, Barnwell find form with bat

Opener Assad Fudadin crafted his fifth First-Class century on Sunday to help Guyana Jaguars to a lead of 265 when day three of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL) came to a close in Trinidad and Tobago.

Fudadin, who ended day three on 94 not out, got to 102 before being caught off the bowling of Uthman Muhammad.

Out-of-favour

West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul also found his touch and after resuming on 22, played in his typical style to get to 82, while Ramon Reifer stroked his way to 64.

Christopher Barnwell, who was a driving force with the ball by picking up five wickets, made sure he signalled his intentions with the bat by smashing 11 fours on his way to a half century of 79 runs.

Guyana ended day three on 475 all out off 165.1 overs.

Following up their brilliant first inning total, Guyana put extreme pressure on Trinidad and Tobago

SCOREBOARD

T&T Red Force (1st Innings) 210 all out

Guyana Jaguars (1st Innings)

ShimronHetmyer lbw b M Richards 7 Assad Fudadin c S Katwaroo b U Muhammad 102

Leon Johnson*b N Deonarine 92

Vishaul Singh run out (U Muhammad) 16

Shivnarine Chanderpaul lbw b I Khan 82

RaymonReifer st S Katwaroo b N Deonarine 64

Christopher Barnwell c (sub) b Y Ottley 79

Anthony Bramble+ c K Hope b Y Ottley 0 Veerasammy Permaul c J Mohammed b I Khan 10

Ronsford Beaton c U Muhammad b Y Ottley 2 GudakeshMotie not out 15

Extras 1b 5lb 0w 0nb 0pen 6

Total 475 all out

by picking up two wickets. Day three ended with the Red Force making 51-2 off 19 overs.

Bowling: Marlon Richards 23.0-6-68-1, Uthman Muhammad 21.0-7-65-1, Jason Mohammed 17.0-7-29-0, NarsinghDeonarine 33.0-8-802, Imran Khan 29.1-0-114-2, KaveshKantasingh 31.0-5-810, YannicCarriah 4.0-1-15-0, Yannick Ottley 7.0-4-17-3. Fall of Wicket: 1-10, 2-148, 3-183, 4-249, 5-323, 6-447, 7-447, 8-451, 9-458, 10-475

T&T Red Force (2nd Innings) Jeremy Solozano lbw b R Reifer 1 Kyle Hope not out 22 YannicCarriah c S Hetmyer b V Permaul 16 NarsinghDeonarine not out 10 Total 51 for 2

Bowling: Ronsford Beaton 6.02-22-0, Raymon Reifer 4.0-210-1, Veerasammy Permaul 6.0-3-6-1, Gudakesh Motie 3.00-11-0.

Veerasammy Permaul picked up one wicket for just six runs before the close of play while Bajan Reifer was the other wicket taker for the Jaguars with figures of 1-13.

Day four will continue today with Trinidad and Tobago needing a further 214 runs to force Guyana to bat again.

GTTA proud of national squad

AGuyanese national table tennis squad returned on Friday with three gold and two bronze medals from the North American Team Championships held from November 26 to 29 at the Maryland National Resort.

The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) on Saturday held a press briefing to express its gratitude to the players for their performances as well as the sponsors that made the trip possible.

GTTA President Godfrey Munroe noted that Guyana’s table tennis was on the rise and only time

would tell of the potential of the young and upcoming talent.

“The tour was significant because they (Guyana) played some good teams like Puerto Rico, Our success shows that we have the potential and I hope you the players stay focused because we have good things planned in 2016.

“We will be working with this nucleolus, because there is an abundance of talent and all we need is the support,” Munroe declared.

“This is one of the best tournaments to attend because of the different styles you are exposed to and the performances were great.

“It goes to show that when we come together and work, amazing things can happen,” Lewis, who was a former national player himself, noted.

Manager of the squad, Ramesh Persaud echoed the sentiments of Lewis and noted that with strength in numbers, table tennis would keep the Golden Arrowhead flying.

Coach of the squad, Idi Lewis noted that the experience the players gained at the tournament would only help in their overall development.

Farfan and Mendes Junior Christmas team tournament

Islam turns in impressive performance WicB future remains unclear after caRicom meeting

The Farfan and Mendes

Junior Christmas team tournament rolled off at the Georgetown Club with a number of exciting matches on Saturday.

In perhaps the best game of the night, Daniel Islam (Team Minions) defeated Alex Cheeks (Team Tornados) for the first time in his career by a 3-2 margin in a hard-fought game. Cheeks quickly found himself behind the eight ball as Islam stole the early momentum in the match, taking a 2-0 lead, before the former won the third game 9-11, and held on for the fourth to force a fifth game. Islam regained his early composure and completed the win with an 11-7 set point.

Anthony Islam (Team Rising Stars) also held on for an intense victory to cap off a good night for the twins. He defeated Matthew Phang (Team Bungatuffies) in another intense five-game match, which ended when he cinched the final game 11-9. Anthony was off to a brisk start, winning the first game 11-7, before falling behind 2-1, as Phang won the

following games by 15-13 and 11-9 margins. Islam, however, returned to win straight games to seal an impressive victory. For Team Bungatuffies, James Mekdeci defeated Mohryan Baksh 3-2 (119, 11-8, 3-11, 9-11, 11-4) in another game which went down to the wire, while Christiana Fernandes won the lone game for Team Tornadoes when she beat Noah Rahaman 3-0 (6-11, 11-7, 11-8).

Overall, there were seven wins for Team Minions, five for Team Rising Stars, four for Team Bungatuffies and one for Team Tornadoes.

Complete Day One

Results: Daniel Islam beat Alex Cheeks 3-2; Aliyah Persaud beat Jason Gomes 3-2; Mikhail Persaud beat Chad DeAbreu 3-0; Christiana Fernandes beat Noah Rahaman 3-0; Haley Carpenter defeated Liam Carpenter 3-2; Demetrius DeAbreu defeated Abosaide Cadogan 3-0; Ben Mekdeci beat Taylor Fernandes 3-0; Makeda Harding beat Michael Ramroop 3-0; Anthony Islam beat Matthew Phang 3-2; Shiloh Asregado beat Louis DaSilva 2-0; Mashal Allicock beat Beau Fernandes 2-0; Georgina Fernandes beat Nathan Rahaman 3-2; James Mekdeci beat Mohryan Baksh 3-2; Kirsten Gomes beat Michael Alphonso 3-2; Dominic Collins beat Ethan Jonas 3-1; Rebecca Low beat Maya Collins 3-0; and Nyron Joseph beat Alec Melville 3-0.

IAAF president unsure Russian athletics has ever been clean

IAAF president Seb Coe has admitted he cannot be certain Russian athletics has ever been clean but vowed to do “whatever it takes” to catch drugs cheats in future.

Coe was giving evidence on Wednesday to the UK’s culture, media and sport select committee investigating blood doping in athletics following revelations made in the Sunday Times in August.

Russia’s athletics team became the first country to be banned from international competition due to doping offences, in the wake of damning revelations by the World Anti-Doping Agency of systematic doping and cover-ups in Russia.

Coe, who was a gold medal-winning runner at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, was asked by MPs if there had ever been a period when Russia’s athletics programme was clean.

“I genuinely don’t know the answer,” he said. “We have to recognise it is a global problem.

“In the 1960s and 70s the Eastern Bloc countries would have said they were only doing what was going on in American campuses.

Asked about the IAAF’s anti-doping funding, Coe said it is currently in the region of $4 million (£2.7m), but vowed to provide extra budget if it would help catch drugs cheats.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure we have sys-

tems in place,” he said. “I’ll double it [the budget] if I have to.

“[But] our sport is not just a story of anti-doping. I do need to create structures and coaching pathways for clean athletes to do what they want to do.

“No parent is going to nudge their child to a sport that they think is full of junkies.”

After more than two hours, Coe was questioned on his association with sportswear giant Nike, with whom he held an ambassadorial role for 38 years before relinquishing it last week.

He again denied a conflict of interest - a charge previously levelled by committee member Damian Collins, among others.

Coe said: “I made the judgement, given the level of noise around the relationship, that this had become a monstrous distraction, that reality and perception had

The proposal to dissolve the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) was not table for discussion when the body met with CARICOM regional leaders on the weekend.

According to reports the meeting focused primarily on the issue of the governance of West Indies cricket, with both sides failing to reach an agreement despite three hours of dialogue.

“All of us are very clear, the issue of the governance and structure of West Indies cricket, this is the fundamental issue, “declared Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr.Keith Mitchell, the chair of CARICOM’s Cricket Governance Sub Committee after the meeting.

“The leadership of the region will not be able to duck away from that fundamental issue. That has to

be the front burner issue for us,” he said. The board indicated that it needed to also consult with its stakeholders and after this there will be other meetings to discuss how we go forward as far as the governance of West Indies cricket,” Dr. Mitchell explained.

“So that’s the leadership clear position as far as the way forward is concern.”

F1 partnership

Fbecome horribly entangled and I didn’t want anything to distract from the changes I’m making.”

Coe pointed to previous roles, with London 2012 and the British Olympic Association, where he declared the reported £100,000-a-year Nike role, as he did with the IAAF.

“In hindsight would I have got rid of it earlier? If I’d thought the noise would’ve got to the level it did, yes, I would have done,” Coe said. “It would have been a conflict of interest if it hadn’t been properly identified.”

The city of Eugene, which is home to Nike, has been awarded the 2021 IAAF World Championships, without a bidding process, after missing out on the 2019 event.

Coe rebuffed suggestions of a conflict of interest there, despite an email emerging last week which suggested he lobbied his predecessor Lamine Diack over the hosting of the 2021 World Championships.

“The email clearly indicates a wide-ranging conversation. I don’t actually remember the conversation,” Coe added. “The advice I gave was very clear and concise and recorded in the email: get back into the competition.”

Asked why he engaged in the conversation, given his role with Nike, Coe said: “Because I was asked the question.” (ESPN)

ormer world champions Red Bull and Nissan’s Infiniti premium car brand will end their Formula One partnership at the end of this year, the team said in a statement on Sunday.

Infiniti, part of the Renault-Nissan alliance, have been with Red Bull since 2011 and title sponsors since 2013.

The relationship had looked to be on borrowed time after the team fell out with Renault as a result of the poor performance of the V6 turbo hybrid power unit provided by the French manufacturer.

The car marque could now follow Renault, who announced last week that they were buying struggling Lotus and returning as a full

Burns

will

Australian opener Joe Burns will be keeping an eye on Windies pacer Kemar Roach, despite few expecting the team to pose any significant challenge.

The West Indies will be heavy underdogs when the series gets under way on December 9 in Hobart, few expecting anything other than a dismal run of results.

Burns, however, believes that Roach and opening bowling partner Jerome Taylor could be a dangerous combination.

“He hit me a lot in the ribs in the nets,” Burns who played with Roach for Brisbane Heat in Australia’s Big Bash league said.

“I think they have a pretty decent new ball opening

works team.

Red Bull, who won four successive world drivers’ and constructors’ titles with Renault engines, tried and failed to secure an alternative engine for 2016 and have ended up with a compromise instead.

The team announced last week that their 2016 power unit would be still provided by Renault but branded with the name of new Swiss luxury watch partner TagHeuer.

“The team today announces that its commercial partnership with Infiniti will conclude at the end of 2015,” Red Bull said in a statement.

“Red Bull and Renault have reached a mutual and amicable agreement that will see the French car man-

ufacturer continue to supply the team with engines for the 2016 Formula One season, and this new agreement does not cover any marketing activity for the RenaultNissan Alliance.”

Media reports have suggested the Infiniti deal was worth some 40 million euros ($43.53 million) a year to Red Bull, and possibly more.Together, Red Bull and Infiniti won three drivers’ and constructors’ titles as well as 35 Grands Prix wins, 37 pole positions and 80 podiums.

“They became the title sponsor of the team in 2013 where Infiniti enjoyed greater visibility than any other manufacturer in the sport,” said team principal Christian Horner. (BBC Sport)

keep eyes on Roach

partnership with Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor. They can be quite quick and they move the ball around,” he added.

Ranked six spots below their opponents, the Windies have not managed to win a Test in Australia since Courtney Walsh’s side visited in 1996/97. Australia won that five-Test series 3-2. Burns, despite being relatively inexperienced himself, said Australia needed to remain focused, despite the recent struggles of their opponents.

“It is exciting to play against the West Indies, it was a team I grew up watching,” the 26-year-old said.

“They have shown over a long period win, lose or draw, they are worth watching. And in international cricket there are no easy games. You have to make sure you are switched on.” (Digicel