Guyana Times Daily - May 23, 2015

Woman murdered by best friend

…Speaker, Deputy still to be identified

PPP/C to “internationalise” election concerns

– mulls way forward with new Govt

Indian President, OAS SG congratulate Granger

GuySuCo falls short of first crop target by 5007 tons Guyanese to get CDB training in pottery, mould design Guyanese among winners of Caribbean film project

saturday, may 23, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Stage being set for 11th Parliament

…Speaker, Deputy still to be identified

By Alexis Rodney

Preparations are well underway for the commencement of the sitting of the 11th Parliament, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs has said.

While it was unclear what would be the exact date of the commencement, Isaacs said he was working with the deadline as indicated by President David Granger last Week. At his swearing-in ceremony at Parliament building last Saturday, Granger indicated that the sitting would be resumed early in June. Isaacs informed that currently minor rehabilitative work was ongoing along with major clean-up activity in preparation for the big day.

He said he was also working on the programme for the opening session, which will see the presence of members of the diplomatic corps, senior political leaders and the family members of the Members of Parliament (MPs). He is currently putting together the invitation to be sent to the special invitees.

He could not disclose the programme outline at this stage to Guyana Times

After an inactive nine months, parliamentarians will gather in the legisla-

tive chamber. However, the tables will be turned as the Government which existed in the 10th Parliament will now be sitting on the Opposition side.

Threatened with a NoConfidence Motion tabled by the then junior Opposition party, the Alliance For Change (AFC), former President Donald Ramotar prorogued Parliament on November 10, last year. The prorogation came at the end of the three-month recess which began in August. Following the prorogation, Ramotar dissolved Parliament and called elections in May this year which resulted in his party losing power to the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition being led by President David Granger. Meanwhile, while preparations are ongoing for the convening of Parliament, it is still unclear who the new Speaker of the National Assembly will be, although it has been touted as the former Justice of Appeal, Claudette Singh. Granger had told the media that he was not aware that there was a shortlist that could be made public at the time. He said if one of the parties nominated her, she must be given an opportu-

nity to indicate that she was willing to serve. Under the Cummingsburg Accord, the Speaker has to come from civil society.

Presentation of budget

The Administration also has to present a budget soon and newly-appointed Finance Minister Winston Jordan said that extensive consultations with high-level Ministry staffers have commenced with a view to completing and presenting the National 2015 Budget. According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), the Minister, who is a highly qualified financial expert, said that he inherited some of the groundwork which was already laid out by the previous Minister, Dr Ashni Singh.

The preparations were made based on the previous Government’s priorities, but now the focus will be changed to reflect the agenda of the new APNU+AFC Administration.

Minister Jordan explained that he has spoken to most of his senior staffers, including those from the Statistics Bureau, the Accountant General’s Department, the Bank of Guyana and several others.

“They have given me an indication of where we are

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs at, and now I am trying to put that in some kind of framework, to get a preliminary assessment of the state of the economy, and how we, ourselves can begin to set our own targets, for this truncated physical year, and at the same time looking ahead to what we will have to do to frame the budget for 2016”.

Asked about Guyana’s economic performance for 2015, Minister Jordan replied that during a transition meeting with his predecessor, he was informed that a growth of 3.9 to 4 per cent is expected. This figure was projected, taking into

7-year

Sconsideration a full financial year, the Minister said. “Seeing that we have some numbers now of the performance in the first almost half of the year, we need to make some projections on what is it is going to be for the next half and come up with some new projections and that is what we are doing right now.”

As part of efforts to craft a new structure for the Finance Ministry, Minister Jordan pointed out that a suitably qualified person has been found to head a “macroeconomic section” that he intended to set up. He said that this was because budgets were being produced without this overarching framework, within which such major documents should be undertaken. Too often these frameworks have been developed outside of Guyana, he stated, “In other words, experts come in, mostly from the World Bank, IMF [International Monetary Fund] and so on. They come in for short periods and I want to really have the in-house capability to develop this and to be discussing it with these teams when they come in for their annual visits.”

It would also be good to

have this aforementioned background, in which to develop various projects which the new Government may wish to undertake. It will also help with the development of the Administration’s strategic medium and longterm plan according to its manifesto, he added.

Moving ahead, Minister Jordan is looking forward to full cooperation from the agencies which come under the ambit of the Finance Ministry, and his Cabinet colleagues. He is asking for the general population to have patience. “I know they are clamouring for us to do a whole range of things. In time I know, most, if all, will be done. I’m asking that they give us this little time, as we begin to put things in place so that these promises that we made can be realised.”

The outside date for the National Budget’s presentation to the National Assembly is three months after the convening of the 11th Parliament, around the end of August 2015. The Finance Minister is optimistic, however, that this process will be completed long before then, given the implications for the following 2016 National Budget, GINA reported.

run of murder suspect ends

even years after being on the run, murder suspect Kendell Skeete was arrested by Police in Georgetown on Thursday following a tip-off from a member of the public.

Skeete was wanted for the murder of Kenneth Allen, of Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, committed on October 15, 2008. In 2009, then Magistrate Fazil Azeez had issued an arrest warrant for Skeete after the murder charge was read in his absence.

It was reported that on October 15, 2008, Allen was stabbed to death by Skeete after he attempted to rescue another man from being

robbed by the suspect and a group of men. This did not go down well with the attackers who turned their attention on Allen.

Allen reportedly put up a fight, but was stopped in his tracks after Skeete whipped out a knife and stabbed him several times about his body. A post-mortem performed on his body proved that he died from a stab wound that penetrated his lung and heart. Allen collapsed to the ground and was taken by passersby to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The murderer subsequently fled the scene. Now that he is arrested he is expected to be charged with murder when he makes his first court appearance on Monday, May 25 at the Wales Magistrate Court.

M&CC says desist from littering city drains

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is appealing to all Guyanese to pay more attention to the way they treat City drains as these are vital to public health and safety.

The city is drained by 12 canals which empty into the Demerara River. The outflow from these canals is controlled by gates, which open at low tide to drain the city and close at high tide to prevent flooding. These gates are better known as kokers or sluices.

In a release, City Hall said that over the years, the challenge of drainage seems to be aggravated by com-

plex natural condition. The Atlantic brings, with each tide, a large quantity of mud suspended in the water creating serious problems for the city.

The municipality’s key objectives in this area of responsibility are to maintained the drainage works necessary for effectual draining in the city (approximately 644.5 miles of drains); cause all drainage works in the Council drainage area to be kept, so as not to be injurious to health; to be property cleansed and drained; and to reduce mosquito breeding in street and alleyway drains in the city (approximately 102.5 miles of alleyways). However, the Council’s current constraints are:Post 1970 Georgetown has same sluices, and no catchment areas which existed before but 13 odd square miles to be drained; presence of squatters on drainage reserves preventing access to machines cleaning canals; heavy aquatic growth; inadequate staff and absence of vehicle to transport staff; equipment and materials; outfall channels-heavy siltation in the Demerara River; unreliable support of fuel restricting the flow of water and vessels which are harboured in channels; and the major constraint of finance.

saturday, may 23, 2015 |

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic from Saturday, May 23 – 08:30h-10:00h and Sunday, May 24 – 09:00h-10:30h

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

Saturday, May 23 – 07:10h-08:40h and Sunday, May 24 – 08:00h-09:30h

FERRY SCHEDULE

Ferries will be departing the Parika and Supenaam stellings on:

Saturday, May 23 - 06:00h and 17:00h Sunday, May 24 - 06:00h and 17:00h

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers can be expected in the morning and into the early afternoon, with heavy rain showers in the late afternoon. Thundery showers with return in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 4.47 metres and 5.81 metres per second.

High Tide: 08:33h and 21:12h reaching maximum heights of 2.31 metres and 2.20 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 02:06h and 14:39h reaching minimum heights of 0.98 metre and 0.91 metres respectively.

PPP/C to “internationalise” elections concerns

– mulls way forward with new Govt

By Vahnu Manikchand

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has indicated that it will be approaching the international community to raise concerns from the recently concluded General and Regional Elections such as alleged elections rigging.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday at Freedom House, top officials of the PPP/C reiterated their dissatisfaction with the electoral process, particularly the tabulation of the results that gave A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition a 4000 plus vote

they will be internationalising their concerns so that the international community would know the current APNU/AFC Government is not a true reflection of the Guyanese people’s will.

“We want to take this to the international level so that Governments around the world must know that the Government of Guyana, who they will have to deal with, is not a Government that reflects the will of the people. It’s an undemocratic Government; one which was formed by rigged elections and we are going to inform all the international Governments and organisations of our position,” he stated.

risome since it could also mean that there is further manipulation being taken place. Additionally, Ramotar pointed out that the international observers erred by only monitoring the voting process and those processes that followed.

He explained that while many of the missions gave the election process a “clean bill of health”, they did so even before the SoPs were verified in the various areas by the respective Returning Officers (ROs). “That is why we think that they were duped. They were not looking at where a huge amount of rigging has took place and that is within GECOM’s machinery itself; where we

the party’s agents. “We believe elections do not end if you have a good day of voting. They end only when the results are declared and the integrity of the entire process, including the count and what ends up as the final numbers, are verified,” he outlined.

Jagdeo added that this action by the missions was premature, while noting that they trusted the GECOM and its Secretariat rather than scrutinising the process. He went onto remarked that nothing can be more alarming than having fake SoPs, which the Chief Elections Officers admitted to detecting. Despite this, he noted, GECOM failed to take

win over the People’s Progressive Party.

The former ruling party is maintaining that they were robbed of votes after their polling agents were intimated and forced to leave the polling stations before signing the Statements of Poll (SoPs). PPP/C even requested a total recount but this was denied by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Since the swearing in of President David Granger a week ago, the PPP/C wrote the Commission requesting all the ballot boxes and SoPs, however they are yet to hear from GECOM.

At the press conference on Friday, Leader of the Party, former President Donald Ramotar, said that

The former ruling party disclosed that they already have some 30 countries and organisations from the region and the global community in mind to approach. It was further outlined that the PPP/C is gathering evidence to form a petition against the recently elected Government and the Elections Commission.

Ramotar went onto say that a recount of the May 11 Elections would prove that his party acquired the majority of votes. He added that GECOM would usually release these records a few days after previous elections, but it has been over a weeks and they are yet to do so.

The former President noted that the delay is wor-

have established already that there are clear cases of forged and fictitious Statements of Poll that were used to tabulate the results of these elections,” the former President stated.

Moreover, former President and Executive Member of the PPP/C, Bharrat Jagdeo, also shared similar views about the approach the observer missions took, that is, declaring the elections “free and fair” before the ROs could have verified the results from each polling station with

any actions or cause an investigations to be launched. Both former Presidents under the PPP/C regime have stated that they will have to examine, over the next few days, what the party’s attitude and relationship with the ruling APNU+AFC coalition will be as it relates to Parliament. Nevertheless, the PPP/C said that it will remain vigil and continue its struggle until they are given all the boxes of ballots and Statements of Poll from the May 11 elections.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Chanderpaul’s future

If one is to take the words of the President of the WICB Dave Cameron at face value it seems like West Indies Champion batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul may have played his last test innings during the just concluded tour of England here.

No doubt, Chanderpaul would have reached the end of his career - a reality he must be finding hard to come to grips with, given that he has played cricket for all of his life. It is the only occupation he knows.

However, what is interesting is what Mr Cameron said in relation to Chanderpaul’s future. He said according to a Caribbean Media Corporation story that Chanderpaul met recently with the WICB hierarchy to discuss his future and more would be revealed in the coming days.

“Unfortunately, I am not privy to the discussions, but obviously it is where he is at and what are the next steps,” Cameron is quoted as saying. He added: “In another couple of days it will be made a lot clearer as to the end result of those discussions or how we go forward.”

Firstly, why would the WICB hold discussions with Chanderpaul about his future? Isn’t this an indication that they have concluded that it is about time he leaves the cricket scene?

From all the reports this newspaper have received the WICB is ready to part ways with Chanderpaul and the meeting was to indicate this to him. Cameron’s acknowledgement that in the coming days this would be made clearer also fits perfectly into our surmise, as the WICB would name its squad shortly to compete against Australia in a two test series in the Caribbean.

Surely if Chanderpaul does not feature in the squad this would give a much clear picture as to the future of the Guyanese player.

However, amid this scenario, we are concerned why Chanderpaul would be forced into retirement before overhauling Brian Lara’s record of 11, 953 runs as the leading run scorer for the West Indies.

With just 86 runs shy of achieving that feat, there could be no fitter send off for Chanderpaul who has given yeoman service to a team that he has had to carry on his back for years as one of the most reliable and consistent batsmen.

If Mr Cameron is indeed concerned about the way our cricketers are treated when they leave the scene, it would be incumbent on him to ensure that Chanderpaul does not retire without eclipsing the record.

For all the loss of form, Chanderpaul remains fit and agile in the field. In his last six Tests, Chanderpaul managed 91 runs in five innings in South Africa last December and January and 92 in six against England over the past month.

After 164 Tests (more than any of the 302 players who have worn West Indies colours in their 87 years of Test cricket), he tallies 11,867 runs, averages 51.37 and has 30 hundreds to his name, all carefully achieved with neat deflections and gap-seeking strokes from a ungainly, exaggerated open stance that defies reason and instantly identifies him.

Cricket commentator and writer, Tony Cozier in a recent article asked: “It isn’t worth contemplating how much worse West Indies’ downfall would have been without him; now the reality is that, whether selected against Australia or not, a career in its 22nd year is winding down.

“He will eventually return to his home in Miami, carrying with him his memories and an ambition to introduce the game to schools in Florida, a scheme that is already up and running.”

While we would not argue for Chanderpaul to continue playing until he decides to call it a day, we believe that given the nearness of him achieving a very important record and the fact that he is undeniably the last batsman standing in the modern era of West Indies cricket it is perhaps fitting to bestow him the honour of carrying on for one last series to achieve his goal.

President Arthur Chung and renaming of Convention Centre

Dear Editor

Having read of President Granger’s seemingly sudden decision to rename the Convention Centre, my personal analysis leads me to believe that his decision is not well thought out.

While I have no seri -

ous objection to Mr Chung being remembered for his contributions, one should note that he had already been given the highest national award if my memory is correct.

Secondly, Mr Arthur Chung was a non Executive President with largely ceremonial re -

sponsibilities, unlike the subsequent Presidents, and hence carried much less responsibilities in actuality.

But even more important he held that office during the massive rigging of elections and while the infamous 1978 referendum was held .

Therefore, once could say that he turned a blind eye to these events and could possibly be deemed to have colluded with the PNC administration.

I look forward to hearing the views of your readers

Chris Persaud

Race-based voting in Guyana? I must

Dear Editor,

be

My sincere congratulations to the black voters and Mr Granger according to Mr Hinds you voted race, you should be proud. Things really worked out.

May I also congratulate the ‘C’ 11 per cent Indians who voted for this blackbased party and managed to topple the Indian-based government, hats off! You’ve done it, in the name of national unity, honesty, transparency and integrity.

I hope the incoming Prime Minister can live up to 11 per cent worth of Indian expectations. APNU is not a multi-ethnic party as is obvious by the claim made by Hinds that he congratulates his brethren.

As opposed to who? The majority whom voted for the opposition? And what are they? Not his brethren? So it’s the same game, different day, you know how that phrase goes. Everyone waving the flag of unity for votes and off course all the political parties are race-based.

I am not going to be a hypocrite, voting in the Caribbean is race-based and will continue to be so, the

imagining things

question is who gets beaten and who gets a good beating?

Does the losing party and its voters have a history of violence against the others? Who has more to lose in the long run?

Politics is changing all over the world, let’s hope Mr Granger is up to keeping his promises, there are emerging power-houses everywhere. Let’s see what he means by shared government.

Hinds’ zeal at an Africanbased party winning the elections could not be contained even by mere words in a letter to the editor.

It was practically jumping off the page by the second paragraph if it wasn’t already obvious by the headline but, off course he threw in the occasional “a win for all Guyanese” and the blindfolds come on for everybody. Did the dream party win?

Especially when we were hearing cries that if this black-based party didn’t win that there would be mass eruptions onto the streets? Who is willing to ask why? That is not race-motivated too?

And off course I don’t believe the PNC rigged this election, why would they need to? When Indians stayed indoors for fear from threats of being victimized and having their houses and businesses ruined?

To the losing party, you didn’t lose only because of the above reasons but, you failed your own with no ethnic security and completely ignoring the needs of Indians as well. You have paid the price even though theirs will now be greater.

If you want to win, here’s a hint – drop socialism and pay attention to black nationalism because bold face will get you where you are going. There can be unity only when there is unity and right now the unity we speak of is feathery words with no true cement in its claim.

The PPP/C has to change the way how their leaders are elected by executive appointments. PPP/C leaders must let the rank and file membership elect their leaders.

Let me also remind the ‘C’ 11 per cent Indians

this time it is not the UF Portuguese people that toppled the PPP/C party. It is the AFC Indians. Indians must hold AFC Indians accountable for Indians victimizations.

I hope that these 11 per cent Indians can sleep well when Indians are robbed as in the case of the Khublall family and the Annandale home invasion – that the AFC Indians will stand against the PNC government with the same enthusiasm and bring the PNC/ Granger government down. The PPP/C government will rise again only when their political socialist philosophy changes to challenge the rise of black nationalism. ‘Ideals’ was the cause of their demise in this 2015 elections. The PPP/C leaders will learn and witness how fast the PNC leaders will institute change regardless of law and who gets upset to ensure black rule permanent.

Get ready for it, some people already waving flags for their brethren.

Vassan Ramracha

Donating blood qualifies as highest kind of giving

Dear Editor, Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN), in collaboration with SEWA-GUYANA and the Cornelia Ida Mandir, quietly conducted its 9th annual blood donation drive on May 2 and 3 last.

It was yet another record-breaking voluntary venture yielding 570 units of blood, though we fell short of our target of 600 units. Our previous high was 551 units. It is regrettable that year after year such a feat goes virtually unnoticed in Guyana.

Our project started in May 2007 with a modest contribution of 76 units which we were told was a record for Guyana. In 2008 when we set a target of 170 to mark the 170th anniversary of Indian Immigration, we raised 176 units.

Since then the contribution has risen almost exponentially, and the response was so overwhelming that starting in 2013 we decided to have the drive twice a year, the second time to coincide with Divali, as a result of which the combined total for the year was 1,059 units.

This, we were told, was about 10 per cent of all voluntary blood donations in Guyana. From 2007 to our most recent blood drive, we have contributed a staggering 4,091 units of blood to the National Blood Bank.

We want to take this opportunity to thank the staff at the Blood Bank for their diligent work that lasted without break for about 12

hours each day. We are also grateful for the massive support we have received from donors.

People came from as far as Wales and Canals I and II on the West Bank to Parika Backdam, Leguan and Wakenaam. They came without any material incentive and on their own expense.

We are also happy to report that along with members of the Cummings Lodge Mandir, the entire Dhanaciar Singh family of the same community supported the drive.

But the most important support came from the students and teachers of SVN. Most of the teaching staff showed on both days to help with a variety of chores, and in the days coming up to the drive they spent several hours each night calling up persons on our data base to remind them of the event.

In all of this, the contribution of SVN students was critical. Each student was requested to find two donors from their respective villages. Once the names were submitted the office verified the information which was then entered into our data base. The students themselves were asked to remind the donors that they had recruited.

Because the drive required the constant supply of electricity, the school’s generator was used for more than 12 hours each day, and this added to the expense

that SVN and SEWA incurred.

In addition meals were prepared for donors and volunteers. The Blood Bank supplied 20 cases of Vita Malt, with compliments of Banks, that was meant for the donors. But since this was grossly insufficient we had to procure an additional ten cases.

Though publicity and support from the business community are important to ensure greater success, our effort is inspired by the spirit of daana, a Sanskrit word that means giving, generousity, charity etc.

The Bhagavad Gita (17.20) speaks about three types of giving. Accordingly, that charity which is given to one from whom there is no expectation of a return, which takes into consideration the proper time and place and which is given to a worthy recipient with the notion that “it should be done” is the purest and ideal giving.

According to this teaching giving blood qualifies as the highest kind of giving. Those who give it do not expect gratitude from any specific individual because they do not know who the recipient is.

Those who receive it have no specific person to thank because they do not know the donor. It is this anonymity that makes blood donation the most ideal form of giving.

Swami Aksharananda

Rastafari community ready to contribute to national unity

Dear Editor, The Guyana Rastafari Council, on behalf of the Rastafari Community of Guyana, takes this opportunity to extend congratulations to His Excellency

President David A Granger and the Honourable Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. This victory would not have been possible without both leaders subsuming their individual interests and egos in support of the higher ideal and aspiration of national unity.

It serves as a testimony to the kind and quality of leadership that they bring to the service of the nation. As such, we feel that we speak for

all Guyanese in saying that Guyana looks to the future with much confidence in the hope that has been cherished by generations that our full human and natural potential would one day be realized.

So, as we commence this new chapter in our nation’s history, the Rastafari council as a representative of a faith based movement sees it fitting at this point to impart to our new leaders some advice imparted to us by our father Kedamawi Haile Selassie that “the true leader is one who realizes by faith that he is an instrument in the hands of God, and dedicates himself to be a guide and inspirer of the nobler sentiments and as-

pirations of the people”. The Rastafari Council and Rastafari community of Guyana stand ready and willing to make our contribution to the process of achieving national unity, progress and development. Congratulations once again!

May Kedamawi Haile Selassie bless you and keep you; and make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

Ras Simeon

President Guyana Rastafari Council

Proud to share in this moment

Dear Editor,

The Permanent Secretary, Directors and Staff of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport extends warm congratulations to Guyana’s new President, His Excellency, Brigadier David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and the recently appointed Cabinet members.

We are proud to share in this moment that will no doubt go down in Guyana’s history books.

Your message of hope, freedom and opportunity

Dear Editor, First, we the members of the Shiv Ganesh Durga Mandir in New York wish to congratulate President David

Honourable Mr Granger,

resonates with our staff, as it does with people across Guyana.

In this regard, we are confident that under your leadership, Guyana will return to being a great force for good and prosperity in the Caribbean and the world.

We are enthused and motivated by the steps taken thus far to transform the City to its former glory – the Garden City.

We are even more pleased with President Granger’s commitment to revive our na-

tional monuments. These edifies play a pivotal role in our country’s history as such we are dedicated to partnering in this process.

It is hoped that with these steps, Guyanese will be more patriotic and appreciate the symbolism of our monument.

We wish you and your Cabinet all the best in your future endeavours as we endeavor to provide excellent public service to all Guyanese.

Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport

Granger on his election as President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and to wish him every success on his new journey.

Also, to all of his elected members especially Prime Minister Moses Nagamotoo. Bibi Naz

Dear Editor, The Government of Mexico congratulates Brigadier (Retired) David Granger, new President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, on his success in the general elections celebrated on May 11.

Mexico reassures its firm intention to continue with the strengthening of the traditional friendship and cooperation ties which exist between the two countries.

Guyana is an important partner for Mexico in the Caribbean region. Today, the Guyana-Mexico relationship is based on mutual friendship and the increasing convergence of interest in bilateral, regional and multilateral issues.

Bilateral cooperation is broad and multi-sectorial, covering health, education, agriculture and several other fields.

Recently, the Mexican

Government through the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation is inviting graduate students and professionals in arts, media and academic fields, to apply for the 2016 Scholarships Programme for International Students and the 2015 edition of the Special Programmes of Scholarships.

Mexican Embassy

When you mess with the bull you get the horn

Dear Editor, The May 11 Regional and National elections have come and gone leaving the PPP/C and its over 200,000 supporters licking their wounds, wondering how this could have happened.

The million dollar question everyone is asking is why an election that has clearly been rigged has solicited not a single criticism from any of

the observer teams, not local, nor international. On the contrary, all the teams of international observers commended the conduct of the elections, a clear insult to the intelligence of Guyanese. My answer to this seemingly difficult question is a very simple one, it is all about geopolitics.

From a geopolitical point of view, the PPP/C Government

has paid the ultimate price. Here we are with history repeating itself and paying the ultimate price once again. How sad. The PPP/C has messed with the bull and has got the horn, and so has every Guyanese.

Name withheld

Editor’s note: This letter has been edited for libel.

Please accept sincere congratulations on the occasion of your inauguration as the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

I note with satisfaction that the nature of RussianGuyanese relations are friendly and constructive. I am confident that their further development in different spheres is in accord with fundamental interests of our peoples.

I wish you good health and every success in fulfilling your highly responsible duties as the head of state.

Best wishes to the new Government Russian-Guyanese relations are friendly Mexico keen to continue friendship, cooperation

V Putin

Russian President

saturday, may 23, 2015|

Region 2 PPP/C supporters continue protest

Staunch supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) staged their third day of peaceful protest against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and its Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally at Anna Regina.

Supporters once again braved the weather and turned up in their numbers walking from Bush Lot to Anna Regina. They then converged at the Anna Regina High Bridge chanting “Surujbally must go, Surujbally stole our votes, Guyana election was not

free and fair, we demand a recount, provide the PPP\C with the SOPs, recount my vote” and other slogans.

The protest was headed by executive members of the Party, former Regional Vice Chairman Vishnu Samaroo, former Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud and former Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Alli Baksh.

Supporters hailed from different communities throughout Region Two.

According to Baksh, the supporters from Region Two are supporting the PPP/C Central Committee in call-

ing for a total recount of every single ballot that was cast within the 2299 polling stations on May 11. He said although the PPP/C had found several discrepancies and the same was communicated to GECOM, officials still went ahead and declared the election results. This, he said, was unfair and did not reflect the will of the Guyanese people.

Region Two supporters are demanding GECOM furnish the Party with copies of the Statements of Poll, Tally Sheets and a breakdown of results of each Polling Division or Ballot Boxes.

Canje shop thief refused bail

An alleged habitual thief was on Friday remanded to prison by Magistrate Sherdell Isaacs-Marcus in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court when he appeared on a simple larceny charge.

Hardat Dyal, 32, of Adelphi New Plantation, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) is accused of

stealing $40,000 from shop owner Davlachmi Rikkhi on May 13. Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Phillip Sherriff told the court that Dyal and Rikkhi live in the same village and on the day in question, he jumped into Rikkhi’s shop and stole the money which she had left in a box. A report was made to the Police and the accused was arrested.

17-year-old miner granted bail for 'touching' school girl

Seventeen-year-old Kevin Grudge, of Good Hope Village, Essequibo, was charged for sexual assault after he appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce on Friday at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court.

Police allege that on January 1, 2015, Grudge touched a 14-year-old in a sexual way without her consent.

The miner pleaded not guilty to the charge. Grudge

was not represented by an attorney.

The court heard that the matter was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice and was now returned after five months. The court also heard that both parties had come to a settlement.

According to the parents of the secondary school student, she was walking along the Supenaam Public Road while

wearing a top that exposed her skin and the defendant walked up and touched her on her back. A complaint was then lodged at the Aurora Police Station.

There was no objection to bail by Prosecutor Haimraj Ramsewack. The defendant was granted $50,000 bail and was expected to return to court on June 5 for the commencement of his trial.

Baishanlin plugs $1M into clean-up efforts

Baishanlin International Forest Development on Friday handed over a cheque for $1 million to the coordinators of the governmentled clean-up efforts which began at the Independence Arch on Sunday last.

Managing Director of Baishanlin, Chu Hongbo handed the cheque over to Chief Coordinator Larry London in the presence of Assistant Coordinator Bobby Vieira. Hongbo was accompanied by Eddie Wang, the company’s Forestry Development Department Director.

Speaking at the event, Hongbo said the company is pleased to be associated with the clean-up activities and looks forward to forging a long-term relationship with the Guyanese people. London thanked Baishanlin for its contribution and reiterated the Government of Guyana’s commitment to work with all foreign investors.

keeping the city and country clean.

Sherriff objected to bail being granted, stating that the accused has four other matters similar in nature pending. He said the accused habitually steals from Rikkhi’s shop.

Magistrate IsaacsMarcus refused bail and ordered that Dyal return to court on June 3. The matter has been transferred to the Reliance Magistrate’s Court.

In addition to the monetary contribution, Baishanlin also intends to adopt a section of the Durban Park area. The company agreed to begin immediate assistance in this regard with the supply of several pieces of equipment. This was welcomed by Vieira who said the long-term involvement of the business community and other stakeholders will play an integral role in

The company’s contribution to the clean-up activities come in wake of several other interventions made over the months to support persons, and communities, particularly those in which it operates.

In November, the company partnered with the community of Linden in support of major rehabilitation work at the McKenzie Sports Complex ground. At the time the company purchased a number of tools for use in the initial phase of the operation. The

company also has been supporting road rehabilitation work in Kwakwani by supplying a number of heavyduty equipment and machinery. During the latter part of 2014, Baishanlin sponsored the North Rupununi Football Association, providing the entire team with uniforms.

Hongbo said Baishanlin will continue to work closely with other stakeholders while contributing to the country’s growth and development. He also reiterated the company’s commitment to fully abide with the laws of Guyana.

Parliamentary matters among Social Cohesion Minister’s portfolio

Minister of Social Cohesion in the A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC)

Government Amna Ally said that governance and parliamentary matters are among the issues listed in her portfolio.

Speaking with the Government Information Agency today at her office located in the Office of the President (which is to be renamed the Ministry of the Presidency), Minister Ally added that while she will be involved in governance matters in and around the government unit, she would also be in charge of parliamentary matters.

She expressed the hope that when Parliament is reconvened and all the terms of reference for the Ministers are made out, by then she would be able to clarify the issues which would become her priority.

Observing that the name of the unit is a new one, Minister Ally explained that she is currently studying what happened within it during the tenure of former Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic. She pointed out that, “I am more or less studying what’s been happening, and then I am going to do an assessment in collaboration with the President and other members of the Cabinet, then we are going to take it from there. I am still new in it and am trying to find out what exactly should be the priority.”

East Canje residents say APNU+AFC promised them land

Scores of residents of East Canje, Region

Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) descended on a reserved plot of land at New Area, Canefield, Canje on Thursday in an attempt to grab the land.

The would-be land grabbers were chased off of the vacant land, which is owned by the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund (SILWF) and can accommodate about 50 house lots.

The would-be land grabbers were promised a meeting with SILWF officials on Friday to put mechanisms in place for them to legally own the land.

The residents are adamant that they should be allowed to get the land, saying, “We vote for a change and the people say that new Government we gon get more progress in this country… if this new Government give we this land, we gon start to build right away,” one resident said.

The residents say that

dents on Friday and told them that they will have to apply for the land. He encouraged them to record their names and contact phone numbers. Forty-eight names and phone numbers were recorded.

According to Gamandhi, SILWF had applied to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) for the said plot of land to be developed into a housing area. “About two years ago we applied and they gave us two other pieces of land which we have already given out, but now that the demand has resurfaced, we will reply again.”

He said that the land will only be given to workers employed with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Following reports of widespread land grabbing along East Coast and East Bank of Demerara, APNU+AFC had issued a press release expressing its disturbance over the illegal and unau-

ful authorities have been instructed to maintain peace and good order in all locations where attempts have been made to stake illegal claims to land, the release added.

In March 2011, both APNU and the AFC did not support the bill to prevent land grabbing when it was passed in the National Assembly. The amended clause stated that “State land; Government land; land wholly owned by state entities, including companies and corporations, or in which the controlling interest is vested in the state; and lands identified by law, or on a plan drawn and approved in accordance with any law, set aside for reserves, cannot be acquired by prescription through adverse possession”.

At the time, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member Clarissa Riehl said the grouping would have been less hesitant to support the bill had

Residents as they descended on the land at East Canje

they were promised during the election campaign that if the A Partnership for National Unity/ the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition came into Government, they would receive house lots. “As youths we need a change…. We got a change in the Parliament and we need a change out here now,” another resident said.

The action of the Canje residents followed land grabbing on the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara since the new Administration took office.

Building Inspector for SILWF, Lawh Gamandhi met with the Canje resi-

thorised grabbing of land in some communities. “The coalition wishes to inform the public that President David Granger has not authorised any of these illegal activities,” the document noted.

Police to keep good order

“To those participating in these activities, we say please do not be misled by persons who may have encouraged these actions; and rest assured that all Guyanese will be given fair and equitable access to land under the new Government’s land distribution policy,” the APNU+AFC release has said.

The Police and other law-

it been specific to squatting on Government reserves alone.

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan back then argued that he did not see the relevance of the legislation if the law already made it illegal to squat on Government reserves. He believes that it would only discourage Guyanese who would have an interest in developing plots of unused state land.

Now the current Administration is forced to deal with residents who are demanding that they be allowed to occupy land other than that which is owned by the Government of Guyana.

Adelphi man found dead in home

…

threatened suicide

after wife, daughter moved out

An East Canje man whose wife and 19-year-old daughter moved out from the family home took his own life one week after, but was only discovered two days after he committed the act.

The partly decomposed body of Dunstan Beharry, 34, of Adelphi, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) was discovered on Thursday at his Adelphi home lying on a bed.

The discovery was made by his brother Mahadeo Persaud who lived in the

lower flat of the two storey building. Persaud broke into his brother’s home after getting a foul smell in his home. According to Persaud, as he began to investigate the origin of the stench, he realised that he had not seen his younger brother in two days. He said when he went to the door, he noticed it locked and broke it to gain entry into the house. Beharry’s body was found in a decomposed state in his bedroom. According to Persaud, one week prior to the incident, Beharry’s wife

President Granger continues to meet with diplomatic community

On Friday, President David Granger continued his meetings with members of the diplomatic community, as he outlined his Administration’s vision for continued bilateral relations.

Meetings were held with India’s High Commissioner to Guyana Venkatachalam Mahalingam; British High Commissioner to Guyana Greg Quinn; and Canadian High Commissioner Nicole Giles.

Country Representative to Guyana for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Khadija Musa also paid a courtesy call on the President and held brief discussions.

In giving a synopsises of his meetings, the Head of State said they were all aimed at giving his Government’s continued commitment to work in all areas of cooperation with the respective countries.

According with President Granger, his Administration

will be working closely on matters of national security with the British. Matters of governance will be high on the agenda with Canada and reform of the Guyana Elections Commission. At the forefront of the bilateral relation with Canada will be to implement systems that will ensure a more timely declaration of elections results. During his meeting with the Indian High Commissioner, President Granger said he made a commitment that all projects will proceed as initially planned and that the two countries will continue to forge relations in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Meanwhile, Musa said that discussions were held on some of the UNDP’s initiatives that are ongoing, their progress, and achievement.

Most importantly, Musa said the meeting clearly provided the UNDP with the new Administration’s position on the ongoing work in this regard.

Further, both the Indian and British High Commissioners extended congratulatory messages to the new Head of State, as they went into their respective country’s ongoing bilateral areas of cooperation. High Commissioner Mahalingam said he was looking forward to strengthening areas of bilateral relations between Guyana and India. Meanwhile, British High Commissioner Quinn said areas of cooperation between Guyana and the Britain will include strengthening the parliamentary cooperation process, and security and trade. Already the President has held meetings with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretary General Irwin LaRocque, Brazil’s Ambassador to Guyana Lineu Pupo de Paula and Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana Reina Margarita Arratia Diaz. The meetings were all held at the Office of the President.

and daughter walked out of the house taking with them their belongings. He said that his brother then promised to take his own life. The distraught brother stated that although he did not see Beharry, he did not miss him. Beharry is said to have been a habitual drunkard.

Meanwhile, an autopsy performed by Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan revealed that Beharry died as a result of poisoning. Police are treating the matter as a suicide.

Mahdia miners died from suffocation – post mortem

… Police to seek advice on charging operator

Following the recovery of the bodies of 10 miners from the mining pit, which collapsed on Sunday last at Mowsie Backdam, Region Eight (Pataro-Siparuni), post-mortem (PM) examinations conducted on the bodies revealed that the men all died as a result of suffocation.

Guyana Times was made to understand that following the discovery of the last body on Thursday morning, five of the bodies were air dashed to Georgetown later that night. The PM examinations were then conducted the following morning by State Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh.

Sunday’s pit collapse claimed the lives of 10 men, while seven others were injured. Those who survived are Sheldon Adams, Andrew Lazarus, Henry Xavier, Regan Greene, Alex Greene, Shawn Xavier, and Collymore Lewis.

Following the incident,

an intense search was conducted and five bodies were initially retrieved on Monday and flown to Georgetown the following morning. Meanwhile, during searches conducted on the next three days, the remaining five bodies were pulled out from the mud.

The dead men have been identified as Bobby Brain Errol Brittlebank of Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden; 17-year-old Raymond August of Dartmouth, Essequibo; Michael Moore Gardener, 26, of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara; and Esmond Martin of Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara.

The other causalities of Sunday’s incident are Leyland Jones; Jason Trotman of Samatta Point, Grove, East Bank Demerara; Trevon Phillips of Old Road Stewartville, West Coast Demerara; and Nomar Cort, Dick Frank Bernard and Glenn Bernard, all of Nappi Village, North Rupununi,

Lethem.

According to information received, about 17 men were in the pit working when the walls came crashing down. The area had been experiencing extensive rainfall over the last few days resulting in the earth becoming moist and loose.

Guyana Times understands that there was heavy equipment on the edge of the pit while the men were working down below. The weight compounded by the wet conditions caused the walls of the mining pit to cave in and tumble onto the workers.

This mining incident claimed the highest single causality in the history of the sector. Consequently, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) had disclosed that the operation at Mowsie Backdam was illegal and the owner, Imran Khan of Grove, East Bank Demerara, breached several aspects of the Mining Rules and Regulations.

According to the Commission, they were made aware of the illegal operations since August 2013 but Khan had obtained an injunction from the High Court, barring the GGMC from taking any actions against him and his mining activities.

On the other hand is expected that Khan would face criminal charges as a result of this operation. However, when contacted, Commander of the F Division (Interior locations) Courtney Ramsey, disclosed that a file is being prepared with all of the statements obtained during the investigation into the incident. According to the Commander, the file will then have to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution’s Office (DPP) for advice on whether the Police should go ahead and lay charges. The file is expected to be completed during the course of next week.

Airport baggage handler remanded for involvement in crème liqueur drug case

An employee of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) was remanded to jail after being brought to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for his involvement in the crème liqueur drug case.

The accused, 18-yearold Keon Duncan from Friendship, West Bank Demerara, pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy when it was read to him on Friday afternoon.

The charge against him read that he, in the company of Vinod Mohamed, conspired with Raphael Armstrong and other persons known or known to traffic a quantity of cocaine to New York.

Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru told the court that the capture of Armstrong in the United States launched

an investigation into how he passed through Guyana’s airport security with the illegal drug. This lead to Duncan who was seen on the airport’s cameras pushing a wheel chair into the washroom with two bottles of the suspected crème liqueur.

Armstrong was apprehended on December 5, 2014 at the John F Kennedy (JFK) Airport after being caught with the illicit substance.

Reports indicate that Armstrong was pulled aside for a routine customs inspection when he presented a black suitcase along with a yellow duty-free shopping bag. The suitcase was searched without incident however, Armstrong apparently displayed some distress when the duty-free bag

Keon Dundan is suspected to have made it possible for 6.3lbs of cocaine to be smuggled to the USA

was taken to be inspected by the customs agents, which in turn lead them to search further.

Thus, the two 26-ounce

bottles were found with the suspicious substance inside of it. It was tested and proved to be cocaine.

Even so, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday afternoon, Duncan’s lawyer sated that the prosecution has no case against his client as they do not have the cocaine nor any accurate facts about how the cocaine was smuggled, taking advantage of the fact that no quantity was detailed in the charge against his client.

Attorney Leslie Sobers said that what the prosecution has at best is circumstantial.

Nevertheless, Magistrate Fabayo Azore remanded the accused. He was ordered to appear in court again on May 27.

Eyew tness

Going forward...

...on elections recount

Even before the final results of the May 11 elections were announced by GECOM, the PPP/C had questioned the Preliminary count. There was a gap of only 5000 votes between the PPP/C and APNU/AFC.

Pointing to discrepancies in the numbers between their SOPs and that announced by GECOM from 22 boxes, the PPP/C asked for a recount of those boxes. They said the Chairman of GECOM agreed.

It seemed a reasonable response - how long would a count take?? Especially since the PPP/C said they'd accept the entire results if the minuscule recount showed no discrepancy.

But then lo and behold, there was no recount and the "final" result - which saw some small additions to both parties totals, but retained the 5000 votes in favour of APNU/AFC - was declared.

The APNU/AFC, according to GECOM and the international observers had "won". What was the PPP/C to do?? Well they had the precedent of the PNC/R back in 1997. Then, even though there was a gap of 40,000 votes in favour of the PPP/C, the PNC/R claimed there was "rigging" and demanded a recount.

But it didn't only do that. It came out with supporters in the streets in violent protests and presented the PPP/C from governing even though all the international observers had also vouched for the elections.

Eventually, Caricom was called in and the "Herdmanson Accord" was brokered between the PPP/C and the PNC/R. There would be a "forensic audit" of all ballots, constitutional reform, and a truncation of the PPP/C's term of office by two years.

In the present, with a much better case for a recount, the PPP/C has thankfully not called out its supporters in violent protests. All they have done is to direct their peaceful protests to GECOM at its national HQ in Georgetown and in the regions calling for a recount and a resignation of GECOM's Chairman.

It doesn't appear that the protests are having any effect and we hope that the PPP/C doesn't feel compelled to follow the PNC/R's precedent. Guyana suffered too much in the ten-year war that followed - which had armed gunmen in Buxton taking on the state and individuals deemed to be "supporters of the PPP/C".

If this was done for a 40,000 gap, it's quite possible that even "non-hot heads" might be roused to radical action for a contested 5000 gap.

This Eyewitness believes that all those countries that have professed to have Guyana's interest at heart must prevail on GECOM to allow an internationally vetted "forensic audit" to be done to the results.

If we go by the PNCR's 1997 actions, not to do so could place Guyana back on the precipice.

...on oil

When the PPP/C administration trumpeted the oil find by Exxon , they were accused of electioneering. Well, the news has now come from the horse's mouth and all Guyanese should sit up and take notice.

If Guyana's to know any peace and experience true development of its people from the expected massive increased flow of revenues, there must be a national approach.

The actions of the new administration - even as its bona fides are being challenged - to make unilateral changes on national matters does not bode well that this will be done. How do you change 48 years of tradition in commemorating our Independence Day without consulting the PPP/C??

What other event is there in Guyana's history to which the people can say they ALL participated? And if this can be redefined arbitrarily and unilaterally by one party - this Eyewitness is worried.

We suggest that the new administration take a deep breath on oil, independence and everything else that concerns us all.

...on sport

Folks might want to ask, "Roopnarine for Sports?" But the fella did represent Queens in senior cricket back in the day - as well as Cambridge University. Like so many Caricom leaders, he's a cricket tragic.

Granger’s Cabinet now stands at 26

– Sharma appointed Junior Minister of Finance

Land install a “muscular and lean government”.

It is understood by this publication that the Ministries of Governance and Citizenship, and Social Cohesion which is headed by Amna Ally, will be based at the Office of the President or under the Ministry of the Presidency with guidance from the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

According to President Granger, the Governance Ministry’s modus operandi will be to improve the quality of governance in the country, in particular the observance of constitutional provisions.

to have a Cabinet which is committed to have efficiency and transparency. I feel proud to have behind me a group of men and women who are going to transform Guyana and see that we have a good life for all Guyanese,” Granger said.

Lack of youth

In the meantime, President Granger when questioned by media operatives on the lack of youth representation in the Cabinet related that it should not be a cause for concern.

Bounty thief has a week to make amends

Athief has one week to make amends with the victim of his theft or he will be facing five months imprisonment.

when the security guard observed that he was acting suspiciously and searched his person. The items were found stuck in his waist band.

er but muscular Cabinet”.

The others who took the oath of office in addition to Ramjattan are: Sydney Allicock as Minister of the Indigenous People ; Raphael Trotman as Minister of Governance; Noel Holder, husband of

He said that Trotman will also be responsible for the establishment of a Commission to look at constitutional reform and to ensure that there is stricter application of Article 13 of the Constitution which calls for inclusionary governance. Additionally, the

eader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan was among nine others who were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers by President David Granger at the Office of the President on Friday. Ramjattan has been appointed Minister of National Security, formerly Minister of Home Affairs. He is also the second Vice President.

A 10th Minister –Dawn Hasting – Minister within the Ministry of Communities has also been appointed; however, she was not present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Granger’s Cabinet now has more members than the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration despite the merger of several ministries and a promise by him to have a “small-

the late Sheila Holder as Minister of Agriculture; former Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix as Minister of Citizenship; Valerie GarridoLowe, Minister within the Ministry of the Indigenous People; Keith Scott as Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure; Jaipaul Sharma as Minister within the Ministry of Finance and Hans Dominic Gaskin as the Minister of Business and Investment.

The Ministry of Business, Governance and Citizenship came as a surprise, since Granger had promised to minimise the number of ministries

Ministry of Citizenship will place key emphasis on immigration, naturalisation and registration.

The President explained that this ministry was created to ensure that Guyanese citizenship is protected and for better recording of Guyanese citizens from birth to death.

Immediately after the swearing-in, President David Granger welcomed the new members on board his Government, noting that the work has only now begun and as such, they must take their responsibilities seriously.

“We are committed to have a Cabinet which is committed to national unity, we are committed

“We have a balance of experience … there are only two persons in the entire Cabinet who have had cabinet experience and we need to ensure that persons who have had experience in other fields are in positions to lead those ministries.

You would have noticed there is a significant number of junior ministers who will be understudying them so what you see now will not be what will exist in a few years from now,” he said.

The felon, Ram Narine from Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Annette Singh on Friday in Court 11 of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after being accused of stealing from Bounty Farm Limited.

The charge read that on May 21 he stole bacon valued $1000 and a Fabuloso priced at $840 from the Bounty outlet on Alexander Street, Georgetown.

Police Prosecutor, Corporal Adduni Inniss told the court that the accused was apprehended around 14:30h at Bounty

The Prosecutor’s report states that the thief was asked to pay for the items but he refused, thus the Police were called in. He was arrested and charged for the offence.

Narine did not deny that he had taken the items. In confessing his guilt, he told the court that he was willing to pay for the items, but he was out of work at the moment. He asked the court to be lenient with him.

Magistrate Singh fined him $25,000, which he is obligated to pay within one week.

saturday, may 23, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com

Sugar industry probe top priority of new Agriculture Minister

BY GOMATIE GANGADIN

Newly sworn in Minister with responsibility for Agriculture Noel Holder has said he intends to commission an inquiry into the operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) as one of his top priorities after assuming office.

Speaking to Guyana Times on Friday immediately after he was sworn in as Minister of Agriculture, Holder, who is also the husband of the late Sheila Holder, one of the founding members of the Alliance For Change (AFC) said that it was completely necessary that a commission of inquiry be conducted since the sugar industry was a vital part of the country’s economy. Holder said that it was not, and will never be, the Government’s intention to close the sugar industry, stating that it is important that the problems hindering the development of that industry are identified and worked upon so that it can once again bloom. He noted that this plan of action, however, could not yet be discussed since he has not yet officially taken over the office and as such, is not familiar with the in depth details and nature of the industry.

This comes on the backdrop of several calls being made by several members of society for an inquiry to be launched into the operations of the sugar company since it was failing to produce despite the substantial amounts of money being plugged into its operations.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) was the first to issue the call during the course

of 2014. In the November/ December 2014 edition of its newspaper ‘Combat’, GAWU urged for a commission of inquiry to be set up into the operations of the sugar industry, while criticising GuySuCo over 2013’s “disappointing” performance, including the cost of producing sugar, the harvesting of young canes during the second crop and failing to negotiate a better sales deal with Tate and Lyle.

GAWU further said a comprehensive inquiry is “long overdue” into the operations of the sugar industry and must not be delayed further if the industry “is to be saved from collapse.”

Soon after GAWU had called for a comprehensive inquiry into the sugar industry, the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) extended its support for a probe into the sector.

According to NAACIE, 2014 recorded the second lowest production in 24 years stating that “fundamentally flawed management, unprofessional economic decisions to reject the Tate and Lyle threeyear contract in late 2012 for a mere one-year agreement thus resulting in significant financial loss to the Sugar Corporation for 2013 to 2015 inclusive.”

NAACIE noted that it is against the litany of poor board level and management decisions, that it is throwing its unstinted and categorical support towards calls for an urgent commission of inquiry into Guyana’s besieged sugar industry. “A national expert, impartial inquiry must be mounted now. Not so much

to cast blame now so obvious but to rescue this vital industry which offers succor to thousands and to the nation’s life source still,” it stated.

The Union, which also represents key employees in the

sector, is of the view that the industry is indeed besieged and under siege by the atrocious decisions by its board of directors and management.

Meanwhile, recently sworn in Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had said that an inquiry into the sugar industry should have been conducted years ago, when it was observed that US$200 million spent on the Skeldon Factory was not yielding results.

“We felt long before that a rescue plan had to have been announced and all we got was false hopes that production would have been better,” Nagamootoo said.

With the AFC now holding the portfolio for the agricultural industry, and with Moses Nagamootoo being a part of the AFC, it is expected that a full investigation would also be launched into all monies given to the Guyana Government

from the European Union for the sugar industry.

Nagamootoo has been on record for calling for a forensic audit into the billions of dollars that were invested in the Skeldon Factory and also the $17 billion that was given by Parliament as a bailout for “the cash-strapped” industry.

According to Nagamootoo, just within the last year, GuySuCo had made a number of errors, including prematurely cutting crop. He added that the harvesting of young canes could place this year’s crop in jeopardy. Analysts have said that young canes are being reaped because GuySuCo has not had a rigorous replanting exercise in recent years and so there aren’t enough mature canes in the fields.

However, despite the early harvest, GuySuCo was still producing at an all-time low and its errors could affect the lives

of thousands of sugar workers, Nagamootoo said. GuySuCo’s 2014 production of just over 216,000 tonnes was the second lowest in over two decades. Further, it was 3000 tonnes below GuySuCo’s set target. The industry has encountered a series of problems over the last decade, including the burden of the Skeldon factory, the revamping of the European Union sugar market and the slide in prices, poor field husbandry and declining labour pools. Successive turnaround blueprints by GuySuCo have failed to reverse the deteriorating performance and the high debt. Sugar production was meant to be averaging between 350,000 and 400,000 tonnes at this juncture. However, it is nowhere near this and 2013 saw dismal production of 186,000 tonnes and the lowest ever first crop tally in the industry’s history.

GuySuCo falls short of first crop target by 5007 tons

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) said it has fallen short of its first crop target by over 5000 tons of sugar and blamed this on bad weather.

In a release, GuySuCo said at the close of first crop, the Corporation achieved 81,194 tons, some 5007 tons below target. The industry had set a first crop sugar production target of 86,201 tons of sugar. GuySuCo’s first crop production is, therefore, roughly, an eight per cent improvement over its 2014 production of 75,000 tons, GuySuCo said in the release.

“The improved production

is a reflection of both increased productivity and quality, from improved cane yields across the industry delivering 3.1 tons of cane per hectare over budget and a one per cent higher increase over budget of sugar in the cane. The Corporation is able to report that all estates, excepting East Demerara and Skeldon surpassed their targets.”

According to the corporation Skeldon Estate began grinding four weeks later than scheduled as a result of the late arrival of critical materials required for the completion of the modification works on its pump dumper which commenced dur-

ing the last out of crop period.

Production at Skeldon was further restricted by the MayJune rains prematurely halting production, resulting in some 95,000 tons of first crop canes remaining to be harvested in the second crop. The Corporation wishes to point out that, had the weather permitted the harvesting of the 95,000tons of first crop canes, Skeldon Sugar Estates would have produced 15,053 tons of sugar.

Enmore Sugar Estate, similarly, began grinding two weeks later than scheduled due to the late arrival of materials for factory maintenance work begun in the out of crop

period and was forced by rain to prematurely halt production, leaving 45,000 tons of first crop canes to be harvested in the second crop. Had both Skeldon and the East Demerara Estates been able to complete production of all of its first crop cane remaining to be harvested, the total, first crop would have exceeded 91, 000 tons, that is, in excess of the targeted production of 86,201 tons. It is important to note that the remaining un-harvested cane from the first crop will be harvested in the second crop, which will result in the industry achieving its targeted 2015 production of 241,503 tons of sugar.

saturday, may 23, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Rural Constable shot by TV bandits Wanted Guyanese murder suspect nabbed by US authorities

ARural Constable (RC) attached to a Community Police Group is now nursing a gunshot injury to his left hand after he was shot by two bandits who stole a television (TV) set from a house in Louisa Row, Wortmanville, Georgetown.

According to information received, at about 02:00h on Friday morning, the RC intervened after he observed a woman on Louisa Row running behind two men shouting “thief”. The men had a television set in their possession. The Constable responded to the woman’s heed and went behind the two men.

He managed to catch up

to the men and in an attempted to apprehend one of them, the other pulled out a firearm and discharge a round hitting the Rural Constable. The Constable fell to the ground and the men made good on their escape. The RC was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted. The Police have launched an investigation into the matter, where statements were already taken from the woman and the injured Constable. Persons in the neighbourhood recalled hearing the sound of two gunshots in the wee hours of Friday morning but as they looked out, there was no one in sight.

AGuyana man accused of murdering a corporate executive, his wife, their 10-year-old son and the housekeeper was arrested by US Marshals on Thursday evening in North-East Washington.

The 34-year-old former Marine, Daron Dylon Wint is expected to be charged with first-degree murder in the killings of his former employer, Savvas Savopoulos and his family along with the housekeeper. The suspect was convicted on assault and malicious destruction of property charges some time ago.

Wint is a Welder who previously worked for Maryland-based American Iron Works. On May 14 last, businessman Savvas Savopoulos, age 46, was slain at his home along with his 47-yearold wife, Amy; son Philip and housekeeper, Veralicia Figueroa. Savopoulos’ US$4.5 million mansion was also set on fire after the slayings.

After the incident, the Guyanese native made good his escape and was on the run until he was apprehended on

Thursday evening. Nevertheless, investigators questioned Wint’s girlfriend in Brooklyn who claimed she was not in contact with him. Others were also questioned.

On the day of the incident, it is believed that Wint might have held the family and their housekeeper captive for nearly a day before they were killed. This was intimated by another housekeeper who claimed that she received an unusual voice mail from Savopoulos and a text message from his wife’s phone instructing her not to report for work.

No possible motives were identified for the gruesome murders. It was reported that Savopoulos’s personal assistant dropped off a package containing $40,000 in cash at the home the morning of May 14. Records show Savopoulos made his last call, to his assistant, at 11:54h on the day he was reportedly murdered.

Caricom diversifying, widening links in response to global changes – LaRocque

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) is diversifying and widening its foreign policy thrust in response to shifts in balance of powers as well as the dynamic and fluid changes taking place in the global environment.

While it was both challenging and necessary, the Community has also acknowledged and responded accordingly to the management of shared problems in an interdependent world, in the formulation and coordination of its foreign policy. Those acknowledgements were shared Wednesday by Caricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque as he addressed the opening of the 18th Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations, underway in Saint Lucia.

Against the backdrop of widening its engagement in response to major shifts in the world, Ambassador LaRocque said the Community was pleased to receive at the meeting, the Foreign Ministers

of Ecuador, Japan, New Zealand and Sweden, as well as representatives of the European Union. In June, the Community will solidify relations with India through the inaugural CaricomIndia Joint Commission. In the recent past, he added, Caricom Heads of Government have met with leaders of the United States, France, Cuba, Mexico, Japan, China, and Spain.

“The Community’s en-

gagements with these countries are indicative of our continuing efforts to deepen existing relations, while simultaneously exploring new ones, all to the benefit of the citizens of the Community. It also demonstrates that several states recognise the growing significance of our foreign policy coordination,” Secretary General LaRocque stated. Closer to home, he said the Community had transferred and strength-

ened its relations with Latin America by coming together, cooperating bilaterally, collectively and institutionally through new arrangements such as CELAC, ALBA and Petrocaribe. Some Caricom Member States are also active members of SICA and UNASUR.

The Community has already seen results from widening the scope of its foreign policy coordination internationally with regard to us-

ing Gross Domestic Product as the principal criterion to ‘graduate’ countries to middle income status, which comes with it denied access to much needed development finance. Secretary General LaRocque noted that through persistent lobbying on the international scene, highlighting the need for development partners and international financial institutions to factor in the peculiarities and vulnerabilities of small states, the Community had some measure of progress. “The International Monetary Fund (IMF), for example, has started paying greater attention to the special macroeconomic issues facing small states and their implications for Fund engagement. The United States and Japan have also taken a fresh look at their positions on this issue. This has once again demonstrated the value and strength of our Community acting in concert,” Ambassador LaRocque.

This Eighteenth Meeting

of the COFCOR is focusing on a range of issues which form part of the foreign policy positioning of the Community including the foreign policy dimensions of security with specific attention to current and emerging transnational threats. “Transnational threats, organised criminal activities that transcend national borders, are perceived as the greatest threats to the security of our Community. These include, but are not restricted to, illicit trade in drugs, arms and ammunition, money laundering, human trafficking and terrorism. It is necessary therefore, that the Community bolsters its own security cooperation arrangements to protect our borders from the external elements who ply their trade in weapons and drugs. We must also continue to engage our international partners to work with us in finding ways to counter these threats and activities,” Ambassador LaRocque told the meeting which concludes on Friday.

(Caricom Secretariat)

Woman murdered by best friend

Amother of one was on Thursday evening stabbed to death by her best friend during an outing at the Aracari Resort, Versailles, West Bank Demerara at about 22:30h.

Dead is Latoya “Renita” Thomas, 20, of Sunflower Clove, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The young woman was reportedly stabbed to her abdomen and head by her best friend, Angelique Williams with a broken bottle.

Police in a statement disclosed that based on investigations, Thomas was involved in an argument with another female during which she was stabbed to her abdomen and head with a broken bottle. She was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The suspect has been arrested and is assisting with investigations.

However, additional information revealed that the two women along with a group of friends went to the resort for an outing and after spending some time, they decided to leave. As they were about to leave, an argument broke out between the suspect and one of the other girls who was at the gathering.

Thomas reportedly intervened, requesting that the two ladies end the argument while telling them it was for a frivolous reason and “they better than that”. Williams became enraged and thought that Thomas should not have intervened, and collected a bottle from the ground, broke it and attacked the mother of one.

She dealt several blows to Thomas’ abdomen and head. After committing the act, she reportedly slashed her own risk. The friends who witnessed the attack reportedly panicked but picked up the

Newly appointed AG holds meeting with staff

The newly appointed Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams formally met with the staff of his Ministry on Friday, outlining his vision and that of the new David Granger-led Administration.

Williams was sworn in as the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister on Wednesday at the Ministry of the Presidency.

two injured ladies and took them to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. Due to the injuries that Thomas sustained, she died on the way to the medical facility while Williams was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital to receive addition medical attention. They were all under the influence of alcohol.

Attempts to make contact with the dead woman’s immediate family proved futile. Nevertheless, Guyana Times was told that the two friends lived in the same house. They are always seen together at various night spots around the town.

A close friend of both women told this publication that he woke up to the news of the unfortunate incident. He is still trying to come to grips with the woman’s death while at the same time feeling angry at what occurred. “Up to now, I can’t understand what happened… it had to be something that trip Angelique to stab her best friend… she is not like that…”, he added.

Another friend, “Spida” explained that after he received the telephone call on Thursday evening, he rushed to the hospital where he saw a group of friends who were all at the outing. Upon enquiring, he was told what occurred and that Thomas did not make it. At that time, he noted that arrangements were being made to transfer Williams to the Georgetown Public Hospital since she had inflicted wounds to her risk.

He is shocked at the incident and hopes that some answers can be given to the questions he has lingering in his mind about the issue. Thomas leaves to mourn her 15-month-old daughter, parents and siblings. Police are continuing their investigations.

In addressing the employees for the first time, Williams welcomed everyone and reiterated the commitment of President Granger, who had opined that his Administration would be working in the interest all Guyanese.

Williams articulated, among other things, the need for professionalism by all the public servants within the Ministry and outlined

that within his remit as the Attorney General, no malice, retribution or ill will shall be expounded on his part to any staff, regardless of their political affiliation, race or religion. He charged that the employees of his Ministry should do their work to the best of their abilities and promised to give his best in the performance of his functions.

“At all material times

I will consider myself to a be a servant of the people of Guyana, and I trust that you will see yourselves, each and every one of you in the same light… I look forward to working with you all, as a team, for the betterment of the Guyanese people in terms of the remit of the Attorney General Chambers and the Ministry of Legal Affairs,” Williams said.

Regional

Thousands attend mass funeral for mudslide victims

ARescue workers are still searching the local river for more victims.

A spokesman for the national emergency authorities said he expected to end the search for victims on Thursday or Friday. He said between 20 and 25 local people caught in the flood had not been accounted for, and the authorities are doing everything in their power to find them. Locals and fire fighters have been searching a 40 kilometrelong stretch of land on the banks of the Liboriana River.

Venezuela, Colombia at odds after plane crash

Venezuela and Colombia are at odds over the events leading up to a small plane, loaded with 1.2 tonnes tonne of cocaine, crashing into the Caribbean Sea on Wednesday as it was being intercepted. Both are taking responsibility for the operation that foiled the drug smuggling attempt.

ed to Central America. It blamed the crash that occurred in waters off the Colombian coast on a motor failing when the pilot tried to evade the military planes that had ordered it to land.

Thousands of persons gathered in the square outside of the town’s main church to pay their respects in front of the long row of coffins which held those deceased.

mass funeral has taken place in the Colombian town of Salgar for victims of a devastating mudslide on Monday. Burials were held for 33 of the 84 people whose bodies have been recovered. Several local people are still missing.

One resident of Salgar particularly hard hit is the city’s cemetery worker who has prepared 15 graves for members of his own family, mostly cousins who died in the flood. Between 20 and 25 local people are still missing.

US, Cuba close talks with no embassy announcement

Five months after Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro announced their intention to improve ties, on Friday the former foes completed a fourth round of negotiations without ironing out enough of the differences that have accumulated over a halfcentury of estrangement to restore diplomatic relations. The United States (US) and Cuba still have no agreement on re-establishing embassies.

However, the top US diplomat for Latin America, Roberta Jacobson, insisted the two sides were “much closer” to that goal after a “highly productive” session. Cuba said the talks would continue, but gave no date for a future next round.

Appearing first in backto-back news conferences, the Cuba’s top diplomat for the United States, Josefina Vidal, was circumspect. She avoided

any description of the remaining obstacles to restoring diplomatic relations and offered no criticism of the United States, but said two days of discussions in Washington focused on “every aspect of the functioning of embassies and the behaviour of diplomats.”

Even as many of the biggest hurdles have been cleared, Washington and Havana are still wrangling over American demands that its diplomats be able to travel throughout Cuba and meet dissidents without restrictions. The Cubans are wary of activity they see as destabilising to their Government.

“We are confident that when we get to an agreement, our embassy will be able to function so that our officers can do their job as they do worldwide,” a similarly careful Jacobson responded when asked about the matter. (Excerpt from the Jamaican Observer)

Most of the residents were asleep when the landslide hit at 03:00h local time on Monday. The landslide was triggered by heavy rains that sent torrents of water and mud crashing into the La Liboriana ravine, causing an overflow that destroyed the neighbourhood below. (BBC News)

The unidentified pilot, whose body was recovered from the wreckage along with the drugs packaged in one kilogramme parcels, was travelling with a Mexican passport.

Soon after the plane crash, the Colombian air force said the Hawker 800 aircraft had taken off from Venezuela and was head-

Mexico investigates new Guerrero disappearances

Mexican federal investigators are looking into the disappearance of at least 15 people in the city of Chilapa in Guerrero state, after it was overrun in early May by hundreds of gunmen.

Families told Police that the gunmen claimed they were community Police and took away several young men.

Chilapa has been caught in battles between two rival drug gangs fighting for territorial control. The gunmen overran Chilapa between May 9 and May 14, disarming local Police and forcing the Police Chief to leave. They said they had come to end violence in the city between rival drug gangs Los Rojos and Los Ardillos. They later returned the weapons.

After they left, some resi-

dents said the gunmen had been kidnapping and rounding up men. Most of the men were said to be under 30. Local media say the number of those disappeared could be much higher. Federal Prosecutors announced on Thursday they were sending detectives and experts to Chilapa to search for the disappeared.

Also on Thursday, Police found at least three dismembered bodies wrapped in blankets in a cemetery near Chilapa. They have not been identified.

Jose Diaz Navarro, who is representing the families of the disappeared, said he had an unofficial report of a far larger group of 30 missing people. Last year, 43 students disappeared in another town in Guerrero, Iguala.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

However, Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Wednesday night that the plane had originated in Central America and had landed in a remote part of Venezuela for a few hours. “We know that plane came from Central America,” he said. Padrino said his country’s military shot at the plane when it took off again and then alerted their Colombian counterparts. (Caribbean 360)

No Zika cases in Caribbean, assures Barbados Health Ministry

The Barbados Ministry of Health is assuring the public that there are no suspected cases of the Zika virus in the Caribbean to date, but says it is in communication with regional and international stakeholders in order to ensure a timely and effective public health response, if necessary as the rainy season approaches.

In a statement released today, the Ministry noted that the mosquito-borne virus had been confirmed in Brazil, the first report in the continental platform of the Americas.

“The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) first released an epidemiological alert on May 7 advising that public health authorities in Brazil were investigating a possible transmission of the virus in the north-

east of the country. On May 15, the Brazil International Relations National Focal Point confirmed positive test results for the infection,” the statement noted. The virus, transmitted by the <<<Aedes aegypti>>> mosquito, is named after the Zika Forest in Uganda and was first detected in human samples in Nigeria in 1968.

“Symptoms of the disease may appear within three to 12 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and may include fever, headache, non-contagious red eye, muscle pain, joint pain or rash. Less frequently, there is eye pain or diarrhoea. Symptoms may last four days to a week,” the Ministry said. It noted that there was no vaccine or specific treatment for Zika but patients are usually advised to rest, take fluids and medication for fever and pain.

(Barbados Today)

Govts meet in Barbados with potential equity partners for LIAT

At least two regional Governments have expressed an interest in purchasing equity in the cash-strapped Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT) airline company.

Vincentian Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves reported that his St Lucian counterpart, Dr Kenny Anthony, had been invited to the talks involving him and three other Caribbean Community (Caricom) Prime Ministers, whose

Governments currently account for LIAT’s total equity.

However, Anthony was yet to confirm his participation in Friday’s meeting, which is also due to be attended by Barbados’s Freundel Stuart, Antigua and Barbuda’s Gaston Browne and Dominica’s Roosevelt Skerrit.

“I am quite sure if he (Anthony) is available he will come, because from our discussions he is showing a great interest in get -

ting involved as an equity partner, certainly to provide support within LIAT as we go forward with reforming LIAT and strengthening it,” said Gonsalves, ahead of the high-level talks.

The move to increase LIAT’s shareholder base comes against the backdrop of a new study on “Making Air Transport Work Better for the Caribbean”, which has revealed that LIAT, Caribbean Airlines and

Bahamas Air were consistently recording losses of about US$1 billion collectively.

The study, which was carried out between the last quarter of 2014 and March 2015, also stresses the need for greater cooperation among regional Governments and carriers, including foreign airlines, as well as harmonisation of administrative and regulatory policy and operations (Excerpt from Barbados Today)

UN says Burundi refugees cholera epidemic worsening Indian

The United Nations (UN) refugee agen-

cy said that the cholera epidemic in the remote Tanzanian fishing village of Kagunga, where about 50,000 refugees are still stranded on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, is worsening. At least 3000 cases of cholera have been reported since last week, and the outbreak has claimed 31 lives to date.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday the cholera outbreak had become “a new, worrying, and growing additional complication” for the tens of thousands of refugees seeking refuge in Tanzania.

While our priority is to get the refugees out of Kagunga because of the dire situation, we are still working on better access to safe water and promote hygiene there,” Celine Schmitt of UNHCR stated.

“At this rate, further cases can be expected over the next days and until the situ-

ation can be brought under control,” the agency said in a statement.

The influx of Burundian refugees into Tanzania has been steadily increasing during nearly a month of political unrest and a failed

military coup in the East African state. More than 300 cases of cholera were reported on Thursday across the Lake Tanganyika region and there are concerns the epidemic is yet to peak. There is still no confir-

Hungary mothers in McDonald’s breast-feeding protest

Mothers in the Hungarian capital Budapest have occupied a McDonald’s restaurant in protest against its move earlier this week to stop a woman from breast-feeding her baby.

Several baby-carrying mothers entered a McDonald’s near the Western Railway Station, sat down, bared their breasts and began feeding their babies.

The protest was against the treatment of the young mother on Wednesday.

A McDonald’s statement blamed a security guard for the incident.

Women are welcome to breast-feed in McDonald’s

restaurants as part of the fast food chain’s familyfriendly policy, the statement said.

It added that an investigation into the incident had been launched.

“I was waiting for my sister who was due to arrive by train,” the young mother caught up in the dispute wrote on Facebook.

“I fed my baby at home before I set out, in order to avoid this [breast-feeding in public], but it was 30C (86F) and my baby was very hot and thirsty.

“I went into the restaurant at nine in the morning and looked around for a quiet spot where I wouldn’t disturb anyone.

“I asked a waitress and she said it would be fine.”

But when she started to feed the child, a security guard told her she was not engaging in “accepted activity” in the restaurant.

The guard then went away to check with the manager, came back and asked her again to stop.

“Very few women nurse their babies in public in Hungary, because they are afraid they will be harassed or treated disrespectfully,” Erika Schmidt, a mother of three and member of the Birthhouse Foundation, told the BBC after taking part in the protest. (Excerpt from BBC News)

mation of the source of the epidemic, though there is some speculation that refugees carried it across the border, with cases of cholera already been reported in the southern Burundian town of Makamba. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

leader set to form Tamil

Nadu Govt

Jayaram Jayalalitha is set to return as the Chief Minister of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu after the State Governor invited her to form a new Ministry.

Her conviction in a corruption scandal last year had cut short her fourth term as the Chief Minister, but earlier this month, an appeals court cleared her.

Her replacement quit on Friday, paving the way for her return. She is scheduled to take oath on this morning, officials said.

Jayalalitha, a former actress, is one of India’s most colourful politicians. She has been a leading figure in south Indian politics for the past three decades.

Jayalalitha was convicted and sentenced to four years by a trial court last September for amassing unaccounted-for wealth of more than US$10 million, and had

to quit as the Chief Minister. The appeals court ruling earlier this month paved the way for her returning as the head of Tamil Nadu Government.

On Friday morning, Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah’s office said, in a statement, that Mr Panneerselvam, party leader and loyalist who was heading the Government in her absence, resigned along with his Cabinet Ministers. The Governor accepted the resignations and invited Jayalalitha to form a Government “at the earliest”, the statement added. Later in the afternoon, Jayalalitha called on the Governor and accepted his invitation to form the Government.

Thousands of supporters flashed victory signs and threw flower petals at her car as it sped through the streets of Chennai. “This is the happiest day of our life,” former Minister Sellur K Raju said. (Excerpt from BBC News)

First set of Hillary Clinton emails published online

The United States (US) State Department has released hundreds of emails from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email account, many relating to the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. More of Clinton’s emails are set to be released in the coming weeks.

Clinton has constantly defended her use of the private account since the launch of her presidential campaign. This first batch is just a fraction of the approximately 55,000 emails that the State Department is currently reviewing for release.

during or after the attacks,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement ahead of the release.

The New York Times has reviewed some of the emails ahead of the release and reported that they “appear to back up Mrs Clinton’s previous assertions that she did not receive classified information at her private email address”.

Nigeria fuel crisis takes rising economic toll

Nigeria is facing a prolonged fuel-supply crisis that is taking a severe toll on the country’s economy, living conditions, and basic services, reports say.

The shortage in Africa’s leading oil producer has forced an increas-

ing number of drivers in Lagos to stop using their personal vehicles, but prices for commuters on public transport have more than doubled. Black market vendors have been selling petrol at about US$0.70 per litre, almost double the official price. At Lagos domestic airport

on Thursday morning, passengers were told all flights were delayed because there was no aviation fuel.

Felix Onuah, a Nigerian journalist, told Al Jazeera that many companies and businesses have been forced to shut down due to a dearth of supplies. Musa Yusuf, Director General of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that “many companies have shut down because they cannot get diesel to fuel their plants”. He also warned that the fuel crisis could take a major toll on employment.

“Unless the situation is redressed, companies may be forced to lay off staff,” Yusuf said.

“There is a serious crisis. About 80 per cent of petrol stations do not have fuel in the country,” he said.

“It has also caused a lot of hardship because the shortage has caused a sharp rise in transportation costs and other services associated with fuel.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

“The emails we release today do not change the essential facts or our understanding of the events before,

The State Department and Clinton have been subject to intense scrutiny by a congressional committee which is investigating the attack on a US diplomatic facility in Benghazi, during which Ambassador Christopher Stevens was killed.

The paper said that many of the emails detail Clinton’s concerns following the attack. They also offer a snapshot of the former first lady’s private life, including her radio listening preferences and compliments she received from a colleague regarding a photo in the press. (Excerpt from BBC News)

France to ban food waste in supermarkets

France’s Parliament has voted unanimously to ban food waste in big supermarkets, notably by outlawing the destruction of unsold food products.

Under the legislation passed on Thursday, as part of a broader law on energy and the environment, supermarkets will be forced to donate any unsold but still edible food goods to charity or for use as animal feed or farming compost. All large sized supermarkets will have to sign contracts with a charity group to facilitate food donations.

“It’s scandalous to see bleach being poured into supermarket dustbins along with edible foods,” Socialist Member of Parliament (MP) Guillaume Garot, who sponsored the bill, said. At present, some grocery stores are pouring

bleach in bins after throwing away food to make it unfit for consumption.

French people throw away between 20 to 30 kilos of food per person per year costing an estimated US$13-$22 million annually. The Government is hoping to slice food waste in half by 2025.

Last month, MPs presented 39 suggestions to the French Government to end food waste, among them, that French people take up “le doggy bag” to cut food waste in restaurants.

The Head of the French Federation for Commerce and Distribution, Jacques Creyssel, said it was a mistake for the new law to only target big supermarkets, which he said represent only five per cent of total food waste.

(Excerpt

saturday, may 23, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Indian President, OAS SG congratulate Granger

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Organisation of American States (OAS)

Secretary General José Miguel Insulza have joined other countries’ and organisations’ heads in congratulating retired Brigadier David Granger on being elected President of Guyana.

In a message of congratulations to Granger, the India Head of State said traditionally the relationship between India and Guyana has been cordial and friendly. “India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations in 1965 with Guyana even before its independence. These relations have been strengthened and consolidated over the period with many high-level visits from both sides since Guyana’s independence,” Mukherjee said in his message.

He said there existed potential for India and Guyana to work together on many fields, particularly agricul-

6

tural development, education, health, infrastructure, renewable sources of energy, forestry, pharmaceuticals and Information Technology.

On Friday, High Commissioner of India to Guyana V Mahalingam paid a courtesy call on Granger during which he handed over the congratulatory message

from the President of India on his assumption of office as the eighth Executive President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Apart from handing over the message, during the first meeting between the President and the High Commissioner after the formation of the new Government, discussions were held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere on various areas of cooperation between India and Guyana to further the relations between the two counties.

Meanwhile, the OAS Secretary General has also congratulated the newly-inaugurated President, who was officially declared by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as the winner of the 2015 General Elections.

In a letter sent recently, Secretary General Insulza extended his congratulations to the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU + AFC)

coalition for the victory at the General Elections held on March 11. “Your victory is a confirmation of the confidence which the people of Guyana have in your leadership and that of the other coalition members,” reads the letter sent on Monday, May 18.

The letter recalls that the OAS was invited to observe the elections “so as to help in the further consolidation of democracy in Guyana”. “From all indicators, the people of Guyana were able to exercise their civic responsibility freely and the elections were conducted in a calm and peaceful atmosphere,” writes the Secretary General, who expressed his certainty that, under the new administration of the Secretary General-elect, Luis Almagro, the OAS will continue to offer its full support to advance the political and socio-economic development of the Caribbean country.

million die every year from tobaccorelated diseases – PAHO

Tobacco-related illnesses are among the biggest public health threats the world have ever faced, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

It added that approximately one person dies from a tobacco-linked disease every six seconds, equivalent to nearly six million people a year. That forecast, the WHO said, will rise to more than eight million people a year by 2030, with more than 80 per cent of these preventable deaths occurring among people in low- and middle-income countries.

The WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) entered into force in 2005 allows countries to enact national legislation in areas that include protecting people from exposure to tobacco smoke; eliminating illicit trade; banning advertising, promotion and sponsorship; banning sales to minors; including large graphic health warnings on tobacco packages; increasing tobacco taxes; and protecting all these public polices from commercial and other vested interests in the tobacco industry. There are 180 Parties to the Convention, 30 of them from the Americas.

Meanwhile, the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) is honouring six individuals and organisations as winners of the regional 2015 World No Tobacco Day awards, in recognition of their contributions to advancing tobacco control in the Americas to reduce deaths and illness from the tobacco epidemic, which kills one person every six seconds worldwide.

The World No Tobacco

Day awards honour individuals and organisations who have made outstanding contributions to advancing policies and measures on tobacco control. The regional winners from the Americas of the 2015 World No Tobacco Day awards are: Nicaragua, represented by President Daniel Ortega. Nicaragua was the first country in the world to ratify the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade of Tobacco Products. The country’s leadership and example are expected to encourage other countries of the Americas to follow suit and help to secure the number of ratifications needed for the protocol to enter into force internationally; Uruguay, represented by President Tabaré Vásquez. Uruguay was the second country of the Americas to ratify the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. Vázquez, a medical doctor and oncologist by training, played the lead role in advancing his country’s comprehensive and effective tobacco control policies. Despite legal challenges by the tobacco industry, he has continued to support tobacco control during his second presidential term and is also encouraging public policies to reduce harmful consumption of alcohol; Marcelo Fisch, head of the Fiscal Special Control Division of the Federal Revenue Secretariat in Brazil’s Ministry of Finance. Fisch has been a key partner in advancing tobacco control both in Brazil and internationally. He was a key participant in negotiations of the guidelines for the implementation of Article 6 (price and tax measures to reduce

demand for tobacco) of the WHO FCTC as well as the Protocol on Illicit Trade of Tobacco Products. Under his vision and leadership, Brazil began a process that eventually culminated in a track and tracing system for tobacco products known as Skorpios;

Patricia Sosa, Director of Latin America programmes for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK). CTFK is a leading force in the fight to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll in the United States and around the world.

licit trade of tobacco products as well as other efforts to undermine tobacco control in the Americas. Bialous co-authored the 2002 PAHO publication “Profits over People,” which is based largely on her research, and gives generously of her time to mentor young tobacco control advocates; and Mirta Molinari, who serves as Regional Tobacco Control Coordinator for Latin America of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and Director of the Union’s

Working jointly with PAHO/ WHO and other partners, Sosa has provided key support and coordination that has helped advance tobacco control in countries including Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Peru; Stella Aguinaga Bialous. A nurse by training, Bialous has become an internationally recognised expert on monitoring the tobacco industry and developing policies to address industry interference with public health. Her research into the internal documents of the tobacco industry has helped to expose the industry’s role in the il-

New malaria strategy aims to cut burden of disease by 40%

The World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, agreed on a new global malaria strategy to be implemented between now and 2030.The organisation’s 2016-2017 budget was also approved.

The global malaria strategy aims to reduce the global burden of disease by 40per cent by 2020, and by at least 90 per cent by 2030. It also aims to eliminate malaria in at least 35 new countries by 2030.

Between 2000 and 2013, the global malaria mortality rate dropped by 47 per cent. A major expansion of the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended core package of measures – vector control, chemoprevention, diagnostic testing and treatment – has proved both cost effective and efficient. Nevertheless, millions of people are still unable to access malaria prevention and treatment, and most cases and deaths continue to go unrecorded and unreported. In 2013, malaria killed an estimated 584,000 people.

There were 430,000 confirmed cases of malaria in the Americas in 2013, and 82 recorded deaths. Mortality from malaria was reduced by 78 per cent between 2000 and 2013, while the total number of confirmed cases was reduced by 64 per cent. Eighteen of the 21 countries of the region with endemic malaria are anticipating a 75 per cent reduction in incidence rates for 2015.

The new WHO-approved strategy aims to build on recent successes to radically reduce this figure. Developed in close consultation with endemic countries and partners, the strategy provides a comprehensive framework so countries can develop tailored programmes that will sustain and accelerate progress towards malaria elimination.

It comprises three key elements: ensuring universal access to malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; accelerating efforts towards elimination and attainment of malaria-free status; and strengthening malaria surveillance.

country office in Mexico. The Union’s Department of Tobacco Control is a global leader in the fight against tobacco use and for the implementation of the FCTC. In the Americas, the Union has partnered with PAHO/WHO and others to advance the FCTC, through its Mexico City office, which opened in 2007. Molinari is a longtime tobacco control expert and has been a key partner in advancing tobacco control not only in Mexico but in many other countries of the Americas.

The approved strategy emphasises the importance of innovation and research, and the critical need for political commitment, sustainable financing, strong health systems, and collaboration across different sectors.

WHO budget

Member States also approved WHO’s proposed Programme Budget for 2016-17. The US$4.4 billion budget includes a US$236 million increase over the 2014-15 programme budget to meet the countries’ needs; leverage the experience gained during the Ebola outbreak; address emerging priorities such as antimicro-

bial resistance, health and the environment, malaria and viral hepatitis; and implement resolutions passed by the Assembly and WHO’s Regional Committees. Additional funds will also be used to further strengthen transparency, improve risk management, and enhance accountability.

Issues including Ebola, antimicrobial resistance, and the global vaccine plan are still pending discussion by the working committees of the World Health Assembly, which concludes its sessions the next week.

Plenary In the meantime, Ministers and delegates of the Americas addressed the plenary of the World Health Assembly regarding the need to ensure that every country has a solid health system ready to face any adversity. They made reference to the lessons learned during the Ebola outbreak and highlighted the region’s achievements with respect to the resiliency of health systems.

Representatives of 21 countries of the region spoke before the plenary to share their perspectives, which included considerations on the recent introduction of the Chikungunya virus into the region, reforms to advance universal healthcare access and coverage, concern over the cost of drugs and certain vaccines, thoughts on the availability of human resources for healthcare, and praise for the Americas for having eliminated rubella.

Additionally, various technical sessions were held parallel to the plenary. In one of them, the lessons learned during Ebola outbreak in West Africa were shared. Another, held on May 20, examined climate change and its impact on human health as a topic to be included in the discussions that will take place in Paris, France, during the next Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The delegations of the Americas were also active in organising events on more varied health issues. Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Uruguay cosponsored an event on approaching drug problems from a public health perspective in which former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan took part.

Brazil also called a meeting to discuss advances made with regard to road safety in light of a high-level international conference that will be held in that country at the end of the year.

In addition, Haiti participated in the organisation of an event on health during emergencies and health worker safety.

Ramotar still to decide on MPs

Despite Parliament set to convene early next month, Opposition Leader and former President Donald Ramotar is still to name the members of his shadow Cabinet who will represent the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in the National Assembly as Members of Parliament (MP).

The PPP/C Leader said that, at this stage, he is more interested in the move to see that the Guyana Elections Commission grants his wish for a total recount of the ballots cast on Election Day.

According to Ramotar, thePPP/C believes that it has enough time, as GECOM is still to release the records it had asked for.

“We are still to determine our role as far as Parliament

is concerned. We are still in discussion on this matter,” Ramotar told reporters on Friday.

He said the Party is still to determine what its attitude to the new Government will be, since as far as the PPP/C is concerned, the new administration was formed on the basis of rigged elections.

The ruling Granger led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change Government has already elected its Ministers of Cabinet, some nine more than the previous administration. With nine additional Ministers sworn in by President David Granger on Thursday, the 15 already sworn in brings the total to 26 Ministers in his Cabinet.

Hotel owner allegedly robbed

$1.96M

by guests

Three persons, including an ex-police officer, are now in custody assisting the Police with their investigations into a $1.96 million robbery at a hotel at Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Reports are that two guests had checked into the hotel at about 06:00h on Thursday and committed the robbery later in that

day. According to Yakub (only name), during the midday hours, he was in the bar of the hotel when one of the two men came up, put a gun to him and ordered him to lie on the floor in front of the cashier counter. Yakub told this publication that another man waiting nearby ran into the caged area and took $1.96 million; money the owner said belonged to his Masjid. The other man, he related, stood

over him with the weapon. Guyana Times understands that prior to the attack an ex-policeman, along with a female, booked a room at the hotel. The ex-policeman was seen on surveillance footage talking with one of the robbers while at the hotel. Both the ex-policeman and the female are in custody, including the two men the hotel owner has identified.

CDB’s Governors pledge to fight poverty more creatively

The continuing impact of poverty and high unemployment on the region emerged as one of the key areas of concern for Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), who wrapped up the 45th Annual Meeting of their Board earlier this week.

This was disclosed by the President of the Bank, Dr Warren Smith, as he gave the customary report on the meeting’s deliberations during the closing ceremony.

Dr Smith stated that seven broad themes emerged from the discussions: poverty reduction; private sector development; strengthening internal processes; membership in CDB; innovative financing modalities; partnerships and collaboration; and refuelling Caribbean integration.

But he noted that the strongest point, arising during the discussions, was that poverty remains a fundamental development challenge. “Many Governors voiced concern about high and rising unemployment, and the unacceptably high rates of poverty in many of our BMCs (Borrowing Member Countries). Our re-

gion’s youth, facing much higher rates of unemployment than the adult labour force, is particularly at risk in this environment,” Dr Smith said.

“Part of the solution requires that we identify new sources of economic growth for our BMCs. However, we recognise that growth by itself is not enough. We need to also promote job-led growth that is targeted and gender-sensitive. And we need to build economies that are more diversified and resilient,” he proffered.

CDB, he said, would not retreat from its founding mission, which one Governor reminded “remains as clear and compelling today as it was in 1969”. What is required, Dr Smith said, is new thinking that identifies appropriate strategies for reducing poverty.

“CDB will support and provide intellectual leadership for this undertaking.”

Many Governors recognised the critical and catalytic role that must be played by the private sector in galvanising Caribbean growth, he said.

“While this is, indeed, the case, priority attention must be given to creating the en-

abling environment within which this growth can occur. The cost of doing business must be reduced so that our economies become more competitive; logistics and connectivity improved; and bureaucratic obstacles minimised.”

The CDB intended to find appropriate entry points that would support and promote a larger and more efficient private sector, he said.

“In this regard, we also intend to be very selective and targeted in our approach to direct private engagement.

One of our newest initiatives offers in-country capacity development to enable public and private sector actors to assess the risks associated with public private partnership (PPP) financing modalities. Our jointly-funded PPP Regional Support Facility, which was launched yesterday, is designed specifically for this purpose,” he said. The CDB is also expecting the private sector to play a leading role in reducing energy cost and bolstering economic resilience by deepening and accelerating its green finance agenda.

saturDaY, maY 23, 2015 | guYanatimesgY.com

Guyanese to get CDB training in pottery, mould design

Beginning May 26, the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Caribbean Technological Consultancy Services (CTCS) Network will conduct a three-week workshop on ‘Modern Techniques for Mould Design and Manufacturing for Ceramic and Pottery Producers’ in Guyana.

The workshop targeting Micro, Small and Mediumsized Enterprises (MSMEs) involved in ceramic and pottery production aims to equip producers to meet the increasing export demand for ceramic and pottery products from Guyana.

In a release, the CDB said that approximately 30

MSMEs will benefit from this initial training to be facilitated by experienced potter, Mr Robert Campbell of Hands in Clay Jamaica Ltd.

Over the three-week period participants will be exposed to a range of topics including learning how to make twopart moulds, the incorporation of Amerindian symbols into their work, jewellery design and stamp moulds to reproduce jewellery parts, as well as glazing techniques and acrylic finishes.

Edward Greene, Division Chief, Technical Cooperation Division, CDB notes, “Through this workshop, we aim to increase the knowledge of Guyana’s ceramic and pottery produc-

ers on modern techniques so that they may improve efficiencies, thereby better positioning themselves to capitalise upon the growing demand for their products.”

“We are please to collaborate with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on this venture which supports one the Bank’s strategic objectives to promote broad-based economic growth, by providing support to Private Sector development aimed at enhancing the viability of MSMEs.” GCCI will provide on-theground support and logistics for mobilising the participants and coordinating the workshop activities.

Guyanese among winners of Caribbean film project

Guyanese artiste Kojo McPherson is among three winners of the Caribbean Film Academy (CAFA) film project. They all competed in the CAFA 2015 screenwriting competition in the Caribbean Film Project. In a release, the CAFA said the requirements for entering were: films needed to be short, include several cultural elements (locations, food, and music from the country), engaging, and formatted and structured to industry standards. Entries came from emerging writers and filmmakers from Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and many different parts of the Diaspora. In the end, the best three scripts were selected.

The three winners are Klieon John of St Kitts and Nevis in first place with his entry “Jeb”. His film explores a timid young girl’s love for a dashing but seemingly nonchalant painter; a

love that drives her to desperation as she pays a visit to a shady obeah woman, whose real magic may not be supernatural at all. In second place was Karen Chapman, Diaspora – Canada where her entry “Love and Longing”. Her film tells the story of a young couple, divided by race, find-

ing each other again, and the third place winner was Kojo McPherson, of Guyana with his entry “Adero”. His film tells the tale of a man who seems to have everything yet finds himself searching for purpose and his sense of self when a touch of ‘the mystic’ (or mysticism) enters his life.

The Caribbean Film Project would like to thank the judges for the time they spent reading, discussing, and commenting on the scripts. They would also like to thank all the collaborating partners, Groundation Grenada, ChantiMedia, The Audio Visual Association of Dominica, and SASOD Guyana.

The next step will see each writer being paired with a writing coach, with roughly one month to improve and revise their scripts, to make them ready for production. Then they will all be invited to participate in a directing workshop, in preparation for the production.

Jamaica rejects buggery law repeal, same-sex marriage

Jamaica’s Justice Minister, Senator Mark Golding says the Government has rejected suggestions from United Nations (UN) member states to repeal current buggery legislations and legalise same-sex marriages.

In a statement to the Senate on the United Nation’s recent periodic review of Jamaica’s human rights record, Senator Golding said that there were “recurring recommendations made by some member states that did not enjoy Jamaica’s support”.

He said that there were repeated calls by some UN member states for Jamaica to repeal the buggery law,

as it is seen as discriminatory to the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgender (LGBT) persons. Coupled with this, he said, was the continued request by some of the member states to legalise same-sex marriage and grant more rights to LGBT communities.

“I assured the Council that the Constitution of Jamaica guarantees basic human rights to all Jamaicans, and indicated further that, in order to create greater understanding of the concerns of the LGBT community, several initiatives have been put in place,” Golding said. “I informed the Council that the Jamaica Constabulary

Force’s Diversity Policy aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination and inequitable treatment toward members of the public, and guides members of the Police Force in their professional dealings with persons of particular groups, including LGBT people,” he added.

The UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Jamaica’s human rights record was undertaken by its Human Rights Council (HRC) between May 4 and 15. The result of each review is reflected in an “outcome report” listing the recommendations the State will have to implement before the next review. (Jamaica Observer)

SUDOKU

Tuesday's Solution

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

Nothing will hold you back. Your affable nature and sense of fun will be infectious to friends and family alike. A younger acquaintance will see you as a role model.

Be open-minded regarding your career. You may be intrigued by an opportunity to change your direction, but careful consideration will be necessary in order to avoid a mistake.

Monetary gain is apparent. A gift, windfall or old debt that is repaid will help you take care of a financial matter that’s weighing on your mind. Be smart with your cash.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Moodiness will alienate the people you care about most. By pursuing a favorite hobby or catching up on your reading, you can rid yourself of the blues and avoid trouble.

Financial opportunities are available. Make yourself knowledgeable regarding investments, or enlist the aid of someone who can provide you with the pertinent information. A business trip will pay off.

Be adventurous. Travel will open many new avenues. Comparing notes with people from different cultures or vocational backgrounds will expand your knowledge and broaden your horizons.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Minor personal enhancements will improve your self-image and confidence. Confrontations with family members can be avoided if you dedicate yourself to a solitary activity or to taking care of personal paperwork.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

An intriguing invitation will result from a social event that you normally would never attend. Say yes if a friend asks you to try something out of the ordinary.

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Keep your budget in mind before you make an investment commitment. If you allow yourself to get carried away by visions of wealth, you will end up taking on an unnecessary risk.

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

Relationships will keep you busy. Taking part in things will lead to an introduction to someone who has a resounding effect on your future. High-volume activity will relieve depression.

AQUARIUS

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

An opportunity to form a partnership will develop if you attend a vocational event. Minor mishaps will develop if you are not paying attention. Be careful while traveling or operating equipment.

Younger family members or friends will provide novel ideas for entertaining activities. Rediscover previous pleasures by visiting an old friend, neighborhood or hangout. The past will lead to new beginnings.

NBA Playoff roundup… Warriors Hold Off Rockets’ Rally

Stephen Curry scored 33 points to turn back another spectacular performance by James Harden, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Houston Rockets 99-98 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Harden rallied the Rockets from 17 points down in the second quarter and had a chance to finish off the comeback in the final seconds of the fourth. Instead, Klay Thompson and Curry trapped Harden, who lost the ball as time expired.

Harden fell to the floor and put his hands over his head as the Warriors celebrated on the court, the sellout crowd roared and golden-yellow confetti fell from the rafters.

Harden had 38 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Dwight Howard overcame a sprained left knee that slowed him down to finish with 19 points and seven rebounds for a Rockets team headed home in a major hole.

Game 3 is Saturday in Houston. (The Ledger. com)

Lies will be exposed on court, says Nadal

One thing that has been consistent about Rafa Nadal’s disappointing season so far has been his brutal honesty. After a recent defeat by Italian showman Fabio Fognini the 14-times grand slam champion described his feared forehand as “vulgar” while other defeats have prompted him to admit he is suffering from nerves and a loss of confidence.

Hardly the language expected from one of the toughest competitors the sport has seen but Nadal says it is pointless trying to bluff his way through a poor spell.

Speaking to reporters at the French Open on Friday where the 28-year-old will be gunning for a record extending 10th title, Nadal

again pulled no punches.

“I say what I feel. I said a lot of times in my career I’m not gonna lie if it’s not 100 percent necessary,” he said.

“I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but at the end of the day you can lie here but you cannot lie on court.

“If you say that you are great and you go on court and you play against a good player, you don’t lie. Otherwise you’re gonna come back and gonna say, Okay, I was lying before.

“I don’t need to lie to create better expectations. I am being honest. When I say I don’t know what’s gonna happen, I really don’t know what’s gonna happen.

“That doesn’t mean that I don’t have confidence in myself to try to be ready for it. I have to think that I am

ready for it.”

With no titles on European clay this season and crushing defeats by Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka in the build-up to Roland Garros, most of the talk has been whether or not the Mallorcan is in decline.

Defending women’s champion Maria Sharapova said the doubters were being disrespecftul to a player who has a 66-1 career record at Roland Garros, but her opinion is not shared by former men’s champion Jim Courier.

“What’s interesting with Rafa is that he’s so honest about what he’s going through,” he told Reuters. “Rafa has set himself up for the conversation because he talks about how he is not playing the big points well.

“He says he doesn’t have confidence and that his forehand is vulgar. He is initiating the discussion.”

Nadal will need that confidence to return quickly, with a possible quarterfinal against Djokovic on the horizon.

“I would love to arrive to that match, but that’s the quarter-finals and I didn’t start the first round yet” the sixth seed said. “If I arrive to that match, we are going to have two days to talk about.” (Reuters)

Chelsea boss will not walk away from club

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says he would not choose to leave the Premier League champions but is prepared to manage another English club.

Mourinho, 52, began his second spell in charge at Stamford Bridge in 2013.

His first stint, from 2004-2007, ended after his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich became strained.

“I see myself coaching another club, yes, but I love Chelsea and I am in Mr Abramovich’s hands and until then I am here,” Mourinho told Football Focus.

“The day Mr Abramovich thinks I am not good enough for Chelsea, I want to work, and if possible in England too.”

In September 2007, the former Porto boss left English football after Chelsea suffered an indifferent start to the season.

He went on to man-

age Italian side Inter Milan where he won the league, cup and Champions League treble, before joining Real Madrid, capturing the La Liga title and domestic cup in his three-year spell in the Spanish capital.

After returning to Chelsea, the Portuguese boss - who has been named manager of the season - led the club to their fourth Premier League title this season - a third under him - as well as

winning the League Cup.

“Until Mr Abramovich says, I don’t see myself going,” added Mourinho. “Any club comes to me now and offers me a fantastic project, offers me twice my wages in the contract at Chelsea, no chance.”

He also told Football Focus that periods of “clear domination” enjoyed by Manchester United and his previous Chelsea side are no longer possible. (BBC Sport)

andy murray hails best claycourt form of his career

Andy Murray says he is playing the best claycourt tennis of his career as he heads into the French Open.

The Briton won his first title on the surface in Munich earlier this month and followed up with victory over Rafael Nadal in the Madrid Open final.

Murray, 28, is the third seed at Roland Garros and will face qualifier Facundo Arguello of Argentina in round one.

“It’s probably the best I have played on clay, for sure,” said the Scot, twice a semi-finalist in Paris.

“I never really felt particularly comfortable on the surface. Sometimes by the

time I got to the French Open I started to feel good, but obviously winning tournaments and beating good players helps with the confidence.

“I just feel like I have an idea of what I’m doing on the court. Sometimes in the past I have not really known what was happening on the court and felt like I was struggling with my movement.

“This year it doesn’t feel like that. I feel like I’m moving well. I feel a lot freer on the court, my body feels good. That’s positive.”

Murray is in the same half of the draw as nine-time champion Rafael Nadal and top seed Novak Djokovic, who could meet as early as the quarter-finals.

“I think Novak for me goes into the tournament as the favourite now,” said Murray.

“But on that court Rafa’s record is ridiculous. It’s completely possible that he gets out there and feels great, especially if he gets himself into the tournament and wins his first few matches.” Murray is in Paris with French coach Amelie Mauresmo, who experienced the pressure of being a home favourite as a player but never made it past the quarterfinals in 15 attempts.

“For me, that’s one of the benefits of working with a player that’s just played in the slams and done well in the slams,” said Murray.

“They are also aware of the pressures and stuff that comes with trying to win an event like this.

“Amelie obviously put a lot of pressure on herself there, which probably wasn’t beneficial for her performances, and can obviously give me advice and input based on her experiences of playing in these tournaments.

“So it’s good to have experienced ex-players around I think at these times of year.” (BBC

Nehra, Hussey carry CSK to the final

Chennai Super Kings entered their sixth IPL final in eight attempts, withstanding and overcoming Royal Challengers’ fightback on a slow pitch. Super Kings seemed to have the game in control from the moment Ashish Nehra took out Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the fifth over. But Royal Challengers scrapped their way through to set a fighting target of 140. Their bowlers kept the Super Kings top order quiet in the first half of the chase, and the wickets came in the second. MS Dhoni hung in but fell after levelling the scores. R Ashwin nudged a single off the penultimate ball to seal the win.

Both captains had their wish fulfilled at the toss. Dew in mind, Dhoni wanted to chase. Knockout pressure and a dry pitch in mind, Kohli wanted runs on the board.

With R Ashwin turning and bouncing the ball right away, the Royal Challengers openers targeted Nehra. Kohli pulled and lofted him for a four and a six after which Nehra asked Dhoni to stand up to the stumps.

First ball of Nehra’s next over, Kohli stayed on the crease and tucked one straight to backward square leg.

Two balls later, Chris Gayle survived a close legbefore shout. Three balls later, de Villiers was not so lucky, given leg-before with replays showing the ball to have pitched just outside leg stump.

Ashwin removed Mandeep Singh soon, and Royal Challengers were limping at 36 for 3 in the eighth over.

Gayle bided his time, waiting for Dhoni to bring on his two left-arm spinners so he could attack them. Dhoni brought them on only after Gayle fell in the 14th over for 41 off 43.

He instead used the parttime offspin of Suresh Raina after Ashwin had bowled out.

Dinesh Karthik and Gayle took Raina for a few runs, Gayle swinging a couple of big sixes over long-on, before Dhoni had his bowler change his line to get the left-hander. Raina went over the stumps, Gayle attempted the third six of the over and the bowler settled under the top-edge.

Nehra made his third important intervention of the night when he had Karthik caught at longon in the 17th over for 28. Sarfaraz Khan made an intelligent 31 off 21 to drag the total to 139 for 8, but as Kohli said later, Royal Challengers were 15-20 runs short.

Dwayne Smith holed out early in the chase but Michael Hussey and Faf du Plessis had pushed the score to 61 by the tenth over. They had several close calls while running, and were put down once each, Hussey by Karthik and du Plessis by Gayle.

Yuzvendra Chahal

broke the stand in the tenth over, bowling du Plessis for 21. Raina’s poorest IPL season with the bat became worse when he charged out second ball and mishit Chahal to longoff.

Playing only his third match of the season, Hussey steered the score past 100, relying on the pull and the drive. Two sixes off Chahal in the 16th over reined in the asking-rate, which had almost touched ten.

Even after Hussey fell mishitting a pull off David Wiese in the 17th over, Super Kings found the big shot just when they needed it. Pawan Negi swung Harshal Patel over deep midwicket for six in the 18th, Dhoni stepped out to lift Mitchell Starc over mid-off for four in the 19th. Negi was run out in the same over, and Starc broke Dwayne Bravo’s off stump with his last ball, but only five were needed by then, and Royal Challengers were left to rue the rare collective failure of their big three batsmen. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Royal Challengers Bangalore innings (20 overs maximum)

CH Gayle c & b Raina 41

V Kohli* c Sharma b Nehra 12

AB de Villiers lbw b Nehra 1

Mandeep Singh c Hussey b Ashwin 4

KD Karthik† c Sharma b Nehra 28

SN Khan c Negi b Bravo 31

D Wiese c Bravo b Sharma 12

HV Patel run out (†Dhoni) 2

MA Starc not out 1

S Aravind not out 0

Extras (lb 2, w 5) 7

Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 139

Did not bat: YS Chahal

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-25, 3-36, 4-80, 5-107, 6-125, 7-138, 8-139

Bowling: A Nehra 4-0-28-3, R Ashwin 4-0-13-1, MM Sharma 4-0-22-1, SK Raina 3-0-361, DJ Bravo 3-0-21-1, P Negi 1-0-4-0, RA Jadeja 1-0-13-0.

Williamson builds on century opening stand

New Zealand gave themselves the opportunity of a substantial lead after their top order dominated the second day at Lord’s. They had the luxury of a rare century opening stand, as Martin Guptill and Tom Latham added 148, which was then built on by Kane Williamson who will sleep on a graceful 92 having formed an unbroken partnership of 155 with Ross Taylor.

By the close, the visitors were within 86 runs of England’s 389, which was substantial after being 30 for 4 but there was not much power to add on the second morning as the last three wickets fell for 26. England’s bowlers toiled as cloud cover gave away to late-afternoon sunshine, their only moments of relief coming in quick succession when the New Zealand openers - who were each given a life - departed in the space of three balls.

It might have been three wickets in five balls with Taylor, too, having an early reprieve when Williamson’s call for a sharp single would have left him stranded if Stuart Broad had hit with an

than a year.

Opening partnerships have not been a hugely successful part of New Zealand’s history, but on this occasion Williamson and Taylor had a wonderful foundation to build on. This was just New Zealand’s fifth century opening stand on English soil and fifth against any team since 2004 - highlighting the challenge they have had in finding a productive combination. Both openers took advantage of being reprieved: Guptill, on 25, was caught at first slip off debutant Mark Wood, who was denied the wicket by overstepping, and Latham, on 21, was dropped at second slip by Ian Bell off Ben Stokes.

Wood nudged 92mph in his first over in Test cricket and got the ball to carry through at chest height to Buttler. In his third over he produced an excellent delivery which climbed outside off, took Guptill’s edge and was well held by Alastair Cook at first slip. The celebrations began, but then agony took over as replays showed he was on, not behind, the popping crease.

Wood’s Durham team-

under-arm flick in his follow through. Apart from that, and when he was beaten by a Moeen Ali delivery which ripped out of the footmarks in the penultimate over of the day, Williamson did not put a foot wrong.

Chennai Super Kings innings (target: 140 runs from 20 overs)

DR Smith c Starc b Aravind 17

MEK Hussey c Patel b Wiese 56

F du Plessis b Chahal 21

SK Raina c Wiese b Chahal 0 MS Dhoni*† c †Karthik b Patel 26

P Negi run out (Khan) 12

DJ Bravo b Starc 0 RA Jadeja not out 0

R Ashwin not out 1

Extras (b 3, lb 1, w 3) 7

Total (7 wickets; 19.5 overs) 140

Did not bat: MM Sharma, A Nehra Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-61, 3-61, 4-108, 5-135, 6-135, 7-139. Bowling: MA Starc 4-0-27-1, S Aravind 4-0-25-1, HV Patel 3.50-26-1, D Wiese 4-0-30-1, YS Chahal 4-0-28-2.

Williamson, whose previous Test innings was an unbeaten 242, had not batted in the middle since April 13 having made just two IPL appearances for Sunrisers Hyderabad - perhaps that was a good thing given his natural tempo. He also has an insatiable appetite for nets and is unlikely to have missed the chance for some extensive sessions.

He certainly looked like a man who was well in tune with his game, driving England’s bowlers to distraction with his delicate touch through third man - which was left oddly unprotected - and timing each of his 12 boundaries beautifully. A century beckoned on the third day as did the prospect of Brendon McCullum, scorer of a triple, two double-hundreds and a 195 in little more

mate Stokes was also eyecatching in his first spell, finding help off the surface and troubling Latham in particular who he should have removed when the left hander pushed at one going across him but Bell, moving to his left at second slip, could not hold on.

Guptill, showing the form of the last four months, which has included doublehundreds at the World Cup and for Derbyshire then 150 in the recent warm-up match against Worcestershire, went to his fifty from 87 balls and Latham, with a sweet cover drive, from 95 deliveries. The off-side play of both batsmen was a stand-out feature, Guptill opening his innings with a lovely cover drive, while Latham regularly picked off boundaries through the covers.

New Zealand’s scoring rate was well above four an over in the afternoon (and did not dip under that for most of the day) as England struggled to gain control. Moeen, who did not bowl until the 33rd over but found some

purchase from a dry surface, provided the breakthrough when Latham was trapped on the back foot by one which skidded on. Two balls later and Guptill’s innings was also over when the desire to drive brought his downfall as he played on the up against Broad and was superbly caught, down to his left, by Gary Ballance at cover.

Taylor endured a nervous start, greeted by a strong lbw appeal first ball by Broad and then being left stranded by his partner next delivery. He was nowhere near as fluent as Williamson and flirted with being lbw on two further occasions - one of which, against James Anderson, brought a review - but came down the pitch to loft Moeen straight and later uppercut Stokes to third man although towards the end of play, as Broad peppered him with the short ball, he appeared to be struggling with an injury.

England had resumed on 354 for 7 following the finalball dismissal of Jos Buttler on the first evening and the lower order could not push them beyond 400. Moeen made 58 - overall England’s Nos 5 for 8 added 315 runs for the innings - but Trent Boult twice found outside edges during an impressive spell.

Moeen had moved to his half-century in the first over of the day when he pulled Southee for his ninth boundary but he only added a further five runs before sparring outside off against Boult and edging through to Latham, who continued to deputise for the injured BJ Watling behind the stumps. Boult had his fourth when Broad feathered an edge, but he could not join Southee on the honours board when Matt Henry chimed in for his fourth courtesy of a fine reflex catch in his follow through to remove Anderson.

Anderson, who is sitting on 397 Test wickets and having seen the ball swing for Southee and Boult, sprinted off to prepare to open the bowling on a ground where he has profited throughout his career. But it was a much wearier walk off come the end of the day. (Cricinfo)

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caster Semenya “couldn’t have survived” gender allegations without family

Caster Semenya, the former 800m world champion who was forced to take a humiliating gender test aged 18, says she “couldn’t have survived” the resulting furore without her family.

Semenya, now 24, burst onto the scene after winning gold for South Africa in 800m at the World Championships in Berlin six years ago.

However, her muscular build and rapid improvement - she improved her personal best by seven seconds in nine months - led to accusations that she was not eligible to run as a woman.

The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) was condemned after demanding Semenya take a gender test. She passed the test, but remains indignant at how she was treated.

“It was upsetting, you feel humiliated,” she told the BBC. “If it wasn’t for my family, I don’t think I could have survived.”

The IAAF was particularly criticised for its decision to make the test public, with Dame Kelly Holmes

among those who questioned why the IAAF kept suspicious drugs tests private until an athlete had been charged, but chose to publicise Semenya’s situation.

Semenya continued: “I was world champion but I was never able to celebrate it. It was a joke for me. When I grew up, I grew up like that. I grew up with boys, I grew up around boys, I cannot change it.

“You cannot control what people think. It is about yourself, controlling yourself - what is in you. But now I want to focus more on the future, I don’t

want to go back there. What is done, is done.”

Despite her abhorrent treatment at such a young age, Semenya never entertained ideas of quitting athletics.

“Running is what I will always do,” said Semenya. “Even if, maybe, the authorities could have stopped me from running in 2009, they could not have stopped me in the fields. I would have carried on with my running, it doesn’t matter. When I run I feel free, my mind is free.”

Semenya has struggled in recent years after dislocating her knee, but is de-

termined to represent South Africa at the Olympics again, four years after taking silver in London.

“Coming back from a 24-month setback is hard,” she says.

“I am a dreamer. And what I dream of is to become Olympic champion, world champion, world record holder - I can’t stop running because of people.

“If you have a problem with it, you have to come straight to me and tell me. I cannot stop because people say ‘no, she looks like a man, this and that.’ It is their problem. Not mine.”

(Reuters)

Test cricket remains holy grail despite T20 lure, says Sir Curtly

Sir Curtly Ambrose says he is all for the exciting Twenty20 format but believes Test cricket remains the holy grail of the international game.

Speaking here earlier this week as he promoted his new autobiography, Time to Talk, the legendary West Indies fast bowler said while T20 was a great way to drive fans to the game, Test cricket was the standard players would continue to be judged by.

“There’s nothing wrong with T20. It is an exciting game, it brings spectators to the game and I have no problem with it but for me I’m old school, so I still believe that Test cricket is the real cricket,” he told TalkSport Radio in an in-studio interview.

“At the end of a career,

you will be judged on how much Test matches you played, how many runs you scored and many wickets you’ve taken. You will hardly hear about T20 … Test cricket is the cricket in my opinion and when I say that people say I am too old school but it’s alright, that’s the real cricket for me.”

Sir Curtly also took aim at West Indies players who opted for the lucrative Indian Premier League over commitments to the regional team.

He said it was “unfair” that these players were allowed to easily get back into the West Indies team once their IPL commitments were finished, at the expense of players who had committed themselves to the regional outfit wholesale.

“I have no problem with guys plying their trade elsewhere to make money because cricket as you know … can be a short life so if a guy wants to secure his future financially I have no problems with it but it really hurts that we can’t put our best team out there every

single day,” said Sir Curtly, who serves as a bowling consultant to the West Indies team.

“When you’ve got six, seven, eight of your top players in the IPL then we’re not going to be as strong as we want to be and apart from that, it hurts me that when other guys stay back in the Caribbean, work hard sacrifice for the team and these same star players just walk right back into the setup. That to me is unfair and I can’t support that.”

Sir Curtly played 98 Tests during an illustrious career, snaring 405 wickets at an impeccable average of 20.99. He is only behind Courtney Walsh – who finished with 519 wickets –on the all-time West Indies list. (CMC)

gillespie holds positive talks over England head coach role

Jason Gillespie has held two positive meetings with director of cricket Andrew Strauss over the England head coach vacancy.

Gillespie, 40, was named by Strauss as a potential replacement for Peter Moores, who was sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on 9 May.

“I’ve spoken to Andrew and the ECB about the vacant position,” Yorkshire coach Gillespie told Sky Sports News.

“We had a good chat and we’ll see what pans out from there.”

Former Australia fast-bowler Gillespie led Yorkshire from Division Two to the 2014 County

Championship title within three years. He said he was one of several candidates in the frame for the England role.

Gillespie said: “They made it very clear they’re chatting to a number of people of interest, so they’ll let us know what the process is in due course.”

Gillespie was appointed Yorkshire coach in 2011 and previously said he would “take persuading” to leave the job.

England caretakercoach Paul Farbrace said on Wednesday he would find it “hard to say no” if he was offered the job on a permanent basis.

(BBC Sport)

Different day, same struggle for national ruggers

By TreisTon Joseph

As the national rugby teams (male and female) prepare for the most important stretch of their rugby legacy, they are faced with a very familiar problem… a wet and muddy training field.

As is known, the national ruggers train at the National Park rugby field which can get muddy and in some instances flooded after it rains.

Yet, the male and female national squads that will face rugby powerhouses such as USA and Canada who are professional squads have to train in such conditions for their upcoming Olympic qualifiers, a daunting and uphill task indeed.

Putting things into perspective: if either the male and female squad should qualify for the Olympics, it will be the first time in Guyana’s history that it will be represented at the

Olympics by a team sport, yet such a shot at history is made to seem almost impossible with the condition that Guyana ruggers have to train under.

Only last year, the Guyana men’s side created history by winning both the North American Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) 15’s and sevens’ titles in the same calendar year, yet here they are in another struggle to try their hand at history making again.

The men are seven-time champs of the NACRA sevens title, and the women are three-time champs of the female version of the title and here they are again different day same struggle in hope of creating some amount of history and Guyana’s most successful sport for the year 2014.

Hopefully, the newlyinstalled Government can supply some type of aid for the ruggers and possibly grant a sport that has

been so underappreciated a chance to train for the next couple of days either on the field of the newly-commissioned National Track and Field Centre or on the field of the Guyana National Stadium.

As Coach of the team, Theodore Henry noted in a recent interview with this publication, “the weather has been tough for us, what we want to do is really better when the place is dry, but it can be down while the place is wet, however, it slows our intensity.”

There is no more subtle cry for better facilities than that; hopefully in time to come the national rugby team is treated with much more respect especially in their lead-up to such highprofile tournaments.

Because as proven in times past, despite their struggles for finance and with training conditions, they always produce the goods.

Jose Mourinho, Eden Hazard win award double

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been named Barclays Premier League manager of the season for the third time.

In his second spell at the club, the Portuguese, 52, guided Chelsea to their first Premier League title in five years and a League Cup success.

Blues midfielder Eden Hazard, who scored 20 goals for the champions, was named player of the season.

It adds to his Professional Footballers’ Association and Football Writers’ Association awards.

Mourinho was also recognised after Chelsea’s league triumphs during the 200405 and 2005-06 campaigns.

He succeeds Tony Pulis, who was named 2013-14

manager of the year after he masterminded Crystal Palace’s remarkable escape from relegation.

Pakistan triumph as cricket returns after 6 years

The occasion of international cricket’s return to Pakistan was made merrier by the opening pair of Mukhtar Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad as they tore into and broke down Zimbabwe’s challenging 172 for 6, to ensure the side, playing at home after six years, won by five wickets.

Their 142-run stand equalled the opening partnership between Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal against Bangladesh in the 2010 World T20 but the one at the Gaddafi Stadium will be counted as more special. The March 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus, outside this very cricket stadium, had taken international cricket away from them.

The full house was fully entertained by the newcomer Mukhtar, who made 83 off 45 balls. His dozen boundaries were hit off a bowling attack which lacked a leader and a strong attacker but Mukhtar did what he had to do. He was severe on everything straight and on his legs, nine of his 12 fours coming through fineleg, midwicket and long-on. He reached 50 off 34 balls and left the more recognised Shehzad far behind.

Shehzad didn’t miss out though, getting to his fifty in the 12th over. He struck some brutal hits down the ground but was generous enough to let Mukhtar do all the hitting. The pair fell in consecutive overs - Shehzad gave a catch to point, while Mukhtar hit straight to long-on - but the crowd was fully entertained for one hour by the pair.

After the MukhtarShehzad partnership, Pakistan lost three more wickets before captain Shahid Afridi struck a straight boundary to complete the win with three balls to spare.

The start of the evening, too, will remain memorable. The crowd started to enter the stadium more than two hours before the first ball

and it was a full house when Shahid Afridi and Elton Chigumbura strode out to the toss, held seven minutes earlier as the Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain met with both squads. Afridi gave one last pep talk before the hosts raced to the turf.

The first ball was a fuller length delivery from Anwar Ali that crashed into Hamilton Masakadza’s pad.

The pace bowler didn’t appeal, but an appeal wouldn’t have been out of place given the drama of the occasion.

Masakadza then got to work with a string of boundaries but he failed to keep the crowd’s noise down. A gap of six years for an international game kept them animated even as they fanned them-

Mohammad Sami for 13 and next ball, Pakistan’s comeback man - playing his first international match since July 2012 - got Masakadza to inside-edge on to the stumps. The noise was at a maximum but despite that, and the regular wickets, their fielding errors slightly blotted the occasion. A few outfielders dived over the ball, Sarfraz missed two stumpings, including that of Chigumbura when he was on eight, and Riaz dropping a skier off his own bowling.

Charles Coventry, another comeback story of the day, was given caught-behind though TV replays showed the ball appeared to hit his bicep on the way to the wicketkeeper. Chigumbura,

selves with the four and six placards.

Masakadza got seven fours and a six in his 27-ball 43, cutting, lap-sweeping and forcing fours through point, midwicket, fine-leg and mid-off. His only six was a high pull off Bilawal Bhatti over square-leg in the third over. Vusi Sibanda was nondescript at the other end with 13 off 15 balls.

Their 58-run stand ended in the seventh over when Sibanda top-edged

Pakistan innings (target: 173 runs from 20 overs)

Mukhtar Ahmed c Mutumbami b Cremer 83

Ahmed Shehzad c Mutumbami b Williams 55

†Sarfraz Ahmed

b Wahab Riaz 14

E Chigumbura* b Wahab Riaz 54

SC Williams c Wahab Riaz b Shoaib Malik 16 Sikandar Raza c Ahmed Shehzad b Mohammad Sami 17

R Mutumbami not out 4

AG Cremer not out 2

Extras (lb 3, w 5, nb 1) 9

Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 172

Mohammad Hafeez c †Coventry b Cremer 12

Shoaib Malik b Panyangara 7

Umar Akmal c Sibanda b Vitori 4

Sarfraz Ahmed† not out 3

Shahid Afridi* not out 4

Extras (lb 5) 5

Total (5 wickets; 19.3 overs) 173

meanwhile, kept the pace set by Masakadza with timely boundaries. Zimbabwe’s tally of 58 in the last five overs was mostly his doing.

Chigumbura’s late onslaught began with a topedged four off Bhatti before fours were squeezed past point and inside-edged. He added blasts over point, midwicket and extra cover off Riaz’s third over before flicking Sami’s full-toss to reach his second T20 fifty, making 54 off 35 balls.

Sikandar Raza struck a high six over midwicket before falling in the 17th over but he helped Chigumbura add 42 for the fifth wicket in just 4.2 overs.

Malik was the most economical bowler with 1 for 12 from three overs while Sami took 3 for 36. Riaz finished with two wickets but he was too wayward for a bowler leading the attack.

Zimbabwe’s bowlers too were poor for most of the Pakistan innings, though Cremer looked happy with his two wickets while Williams and Brian Vitori took one wicket apiece.

Hazard’s team-mates John Terry, Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic were also nominated for the player

of the season award, as were Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez. (BBC Sport) Eden Hazard

Did not bat: T Panyangara, CB Mpofu, BV Vitori

Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-58, 3-73, 4-100, 5-142, 6-168.

Bowling: Anwar Ali 3-0-180, Mohammad Sami 4-0-36-3, Bilawal Bhatti 3-0-37-0, Wahab Riaz 4-0-38-2, Shahid Afridi 3-028-0, Shoaib Malik 3-0-12-1.

Did not bat: Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz

Fall of wickets: 1-142, 2-144, 3-157, 4-162, 5-169

Bowling: T Panyangara 2.3-028-1, BV Vitori 4-0-24-1, CB Mpofu 3-0-32-0, SC Williams 4-0-33-1, AG Cremer 4-0-282, Sikandar Raza 2-0-23-0.

For the fans and the team, it was a joyous occasion, a chance to cherish a match played in their home. International cricket in Pakistan came to a halt in Lahore and it is here that Zimbabwe’s tour got underway, with a win for the home team. (Cricinfo)

GFF to celebrate CONCACAF Women’s Day today

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) will participate in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)

Women’s Football Day initiative today by organising a series of football events at the Fruta Conquerors’ Ground, commonly known as the Tucville Ground.

Designed to empower all CONCACAF Member Associations to join forces for an annual day of celebration of women’s football, the initiative is the first of its kind for the confederation and focuses on accomplishing several goals.

Among the goals are: generate awareness about the transformative power of women’s football; promote and encourage continued investment in women’s

football; and unite every Member Association in creating a memorable day of women’s football.

The GFF, in a release on Friday, said it was excited to host a three-on-three tournament as a female awareness event in order to kick off a return of women’s football for Guyana.

GFF Normalisation Committee Chairman Clinton Urling said, “This initiative from CONCACAF is commendable and the Guyana Football Federation fully supports the development of women’s football from the grassroots to the senior level. Our vision is to see the women’s game become a marketable product with Guyana having the best women’s programme in the CFU Region and then eventually the broader CONCACAF and FIFA lev-

els.”

The event is open to girls from ages nine and up and will include the following elements: grassroots girls’ games; Under-14 three-onthree tournament; women’s three-on-three tournament; women’s national team announcement; and coaching achievement presentation.

Kick-off time for events around the region is 11:00h, with an opening ceremony scheduled for 10:30h. The GFF is requesting of participants to be at the venue at 09:30h to allow for a smooth process of registration.

“The GFF looks forward to an excellent turnout for the event and is working diligently to organise a unique and enjoyable experience for all participants, staff, and spectators,” the GFF release concluded.

‘West Side’ Independence Cup to kick off May 29

The third annual Stag Beer ‘West Side’ Independence Cup will kick off on May 29 at the Leonora Sport Facility with $600,000 up for grabs for the champion team.

Defending champions and tournament hosts Slingerz FC will be joined by Pele, Fruta Conquerors, Anns’ Grove, Grove Hi-Tech, Den Amstel, Uitvlugt and Pourderoyen in the tournament that has become one of the biggest events on the ‘West Side’.

“We want everyone to leave the tournament with something at least,” Slingerz FC General Manager Colin “BL” Aaron said.

The runner-up team will pocket $300,000, third

place

$150,000, fourth place

$100,000 and fifth through eighth place will receive $75,000, $60,000, $50,000 and $40,000 respectively.

Playing in the curtain raiser after the gala opening ceremony, Pourderoyen will face Fruta Conquerors and the second game will bring together Slingerz FC and Grove Hi-Tech.

Since the Club was established three years ago, Slingerz FC is yet to be defeated in the West Demerara. In fact, in the short space of time, the Club carries an impressive record, winning the GFA Banks Beer tournament, the Kashif and Shanghai tournament, the West Demerara Football Association League,

Kmtc emancipation meet set for august 2

The Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) will stage its annual Emancipation Day horse race meet on August 2 when a large number of the country’s horses are set to invade the facility at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice.

According to Honorary President of the KMTC, Cecil Kennard, preparations for the event have already begun, as it is one of the major activities of the Turf Club.

Seven races are carded for the day, and jockeys,

stables and horse owners have until July 26 to register to participate in the event.

The day’s programme will be highlighted by the feature A and Lower race, which will carry a winning purse of $1 million over seven furlongs. The runner-up in this race will receive half that amount.

The D3 and Lower winner will pocket $500,000, while the winner of the G1 and Lower will collect $320,000.

Other races carded for

the day are the K1 and Lower W/A, Two-yearold Guyana bred, H1 and Lower, and J1 and Lower. The races will be run under the rule book of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. More information on the meet can be had from Roopnarine Matadial (3253192); Ivan Dipnarine (331-0316); Justice Cecil Kennard (623-7609, 2254818, 226-1399); Isabella Beaton (693-7812); Dennis DeRoop (609-9143); or Compton Sancho (6900569).

along with all the tournaments featured in their jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, when the tournament continues on May 31, Pele will tackle Uitvlugt, and Anns’ Grove will do battle with Den Amstel. The semi-finals will be played on June 5, with the final set for June 7 at the same venue.

“We expect this tournament to be one of the biggest and the venue will have a lot to do with it. It’s an excellent surface for football, the best on the ‘West Side’ and it will allow all the clubs to play their best football,” Aaron said.

Slingerz FC had defeated Den Amstel in 2013 and 2014 to capture the title.

GFF to celebrate CONCACAF Women’s Day today

National rugby women receive funds from Lotto Guyana

The Guyana Lottery Company on Friday made a donation to Guyana’s national rugby women’s squad to the tune of $100,000.

At the simple handing over ceremony at Lotto Guyana’s head office on Lamaha Street, Georgetown, Managing

Director Tracey Lewis was pleased to be on board with the team that has three North American Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Championship titles.

“I have seen these girls in the park and they train very hard and we here at Lotto Guyana are very

happy to support them as they go to America,” Lewis mention.

Senior player of the team, Andrea Ashley noted that the sponsorship will go a far way in helping with the squad’s success.

“We are thankful for this and will continue to put in the work so we can

Windies Women gunning for clean sweep of T20s

After clinch-

ing the One-Day International series convincingly, West Indies Women have now set their sights on sweeping the three-match Twenty20 series which bowls off at the R Premadasa Stadium here Saturday.

The touring side suffered just one defeat en route to taking the fourmatch ODI series, 3-1, and captain Merissa Aguilleira said they had resolved to play unbeaten for the remainder of the tour.

“The place is very humid down here but after all, we know what we came to do even though we came to win all of our matches,” she said.

“We fell short in one so … we’ve said to ourselves that we’re not going to lose any more matches. We’re going into the T20s with full fire and hopefully we can bring it home for the people of the Caribbean.”

All three matches have been scheduled for the R Premadasa Stadium, with the second game carded for Monday and the final one on Tuesday.

do well and I just want to say thanks to Lotto Guyana for this gesture,” Ashley noted.

The Guyana team is expected to leave for North Carolina on June 5 where they will participate in the Olympic qualifiers for a chance to make the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Despite playing inconsistently, West Indies Women still managed to outplay the Sri Lankans in the ODIs and will now take that momentum into the T20 series.

They opened the series with a five-wicket victory, slumped to a six-wicket loss in the second game be-

fore rebounding to win the last two encounters.

In the last game, they managed just 156 but defended it superbly to come away with an important 31-run verdict.

“I felt really good to know that we have actually crossed that hurdle because after going out there and scoring 156 we knew that we had to step up to the plate,” Aguilleira explained.

“It was really a team effort, we went out there as a team and organised ourselves in a way where we just had to stay focussed and maintain our focus, and I think that’s exactly what we did. I think it was a really tremendous job and well done to the team.”

The last three games of the ODI series counted as ICC Championship games, and Aguilleira pointed out that winning two of these matches had been vital.

“Winning was important because we really wanted to get the six points but we fell short in the first [championship] game but we’re really thankful to God that we got the last four points,” she said. “Hopefully going [forward] in the championship we can get more points.”

The ICC Women’s Championship is a multiyear, bilateral competition between the top eight sides, which earns points towards qualification for the 2017 Women’s World Cup. (CMC)