Guyana Times Daily - November 23, 2015

APNU and AFC contesting polls together

Mabura Road

monday, november 23, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Suicides at Kaieteur Falls

Visitors can no longer access edge of Falls

The edge of the Kaieteur Falls, where visitors normally enjoy a breathtaking view of the picturesque scenery, has now become a restricted area.

In light of the recent instances of suicides committed by visitors who jumped off the cliff, the restriction was necessary in order to prevent any future reoccurrence, the Tourism Ministry said in a statement.

Within the past three months, two women have plunged to their deaths by jumping off the 741-foot waterfall.

The Kaieteur Falls is the world’s largest single-drop waterfall and tourists travel from afar just to marvel at its wonder.

The fall-edge restriction will remain in place as a temporary measure until authorities implement a more permanent solution to address the disturbing trend of visitors jumping off the Falls.

The Tourism Ministry is asking for the cooperation of the general public with the new limitations.

The Kaieteur National Park remains closed until further notice as Police continue their investigation into the death of Roshinee Pagwah, who plunged to her death on November 21.

Regional Chairpersons, Vice Chairpersons yet to be sworn in as Justices of the Peace

BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM

Over four months have passed since the APNU/AFC government has sworn in the Regional Chairpersons and Regional Vice Chairpersons however each of these elected officials is yet to be sworn in as a Justice of the Peace (JP).

According to the Local Democratic Organs (Amendment) Act 1985, the Chairmen and ViceChairmen shall by virtue of their offices be Justices of the Peace for their regions.

By not being sworn in as Justices of the Peace, these regional authorities are not being allowed to perform their roles as part of their civic duty and as a result the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) are being affected.

Guyana Times understands that after the coalition took office in May this

year it took approximately 45 days for the RDCs to be convened to have their Councillors sworn in and the election of the Regional Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons to take place as well.

Although the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) did not return to office following the General and Regional Elections this year, the Party gained control of seven of the 10 administrative regions in Guyana.

During the 2015 budget debates in August last, it was pointed out to government that they had not sworn in the regional officials as Justices of the

Peace, yet to date nothing has been done to rectify this situation.

In fact the administration appeared to have either ignored this point or has purposely chosen not to empower the Regional Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons.

A source close to the PPP/C told this newspaper that such an action which he deems as “deliberate” on the part of the government has resulted because the administration wishes to stymie the powers that some PPP/C supporters are supposed to have in the seven regions won.

CGX issues convertible debenture to cover Guyana operations’ expenses

Canadian oil and gas exploration company

CGX Energy Inc has announced that it has agreed to issue a convertible debenture of some US$1.5 million to Pacific Exploration and Production Corp at a conversion price of Cdn$0.335.

The proceeds of the debenture will be used to cover certain expenses generated in Guyana in connection with its work commitments and general corporate purposes.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Dewi Jones said the company was appreciative of Pacific’s continued support of CGX Energy through this time of depressed oil prices.

“This short-term financing will allow the company to continue to develop its asset base with a view to farming out working interests in each of the Corentyne, Demerara and Berbice blocks in light of Exxon’s significant discovery offshore Guyana.”

The debenture has a term of 12 months and an annual interest payable of five per cent.

The Principal amount will be funded in three separate tranches of US$500,000 made from time to time by Pacific in its sole discretion. In the event that the company fails to satisfy any of its obligations under the debenture, Pacific shall have the right to take a pledge of shares in the company’s subsidiaries.

The debenture is subject to final approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

monday, november 23, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, November 23 – 14:05h-15:35h

FERRY SCHEDULE

WEATHER TODAY

APNU and AFC contesting polls together

B y D evina S amaroo

Putting to rest months of speculation, the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have finally decided to join forces to contest the Local Government Elections (LGE) on March 18, 2016.

This was confirmed by AFC Executive Member Dominic Gaskin on Sunday during a telephone interview with Guyana Times

“We are going as a coalition,” Gaskin, who is also the Business Minister, told this newspaper when asked about his party’s preparation for the upcoming polls.

The politician disclosed that both parties are currently working together to develop campaign strategies and determine the selection process for candidates.

In fact, Gaskin admitted that its members are yet to decide upon a suitable person to act as the campaign manager to coordinate the various preparatory activities.

Nonetheless, he noted that the party already commenced awareness campaigns to educate its membership on the local Government structure and process.

Prompted for more information on the coalition’s preparations, Gaskin stated that he was not heavily involved in the LGE discussions and was, therefore, not in a position to divulge further information.

Just some four months ago, AFC General Secretary David Patterson reported that his party was still deciding if it was in its best interest to stand solo or join forces again with APNU.

Massive defeat

At a time when speculation was rife, political commentators had noted that both the AFC and APNU would suffer a massive defeat should they contest as a coalition at the upcoming polls.

Dr Henry Jeffrey, former Foreign Affairs Minister, had explained that if the AFC decides to contest alone, the chances were it would perform miserably since it would have by now lost a significant portion of its traditional constituents.

“This will weaken the AFC,” he noted.

And consequently, he explained that the circumstances would then weaken APNU since the two parties had to coalesce in order to form the central Government.

Before the historic ‘marriage’ between the two parties, the AFC had ex-

pressed scepticism on coalescing with APNU, fearing the backlash from its supporters who have not forgotten the track record of the major APNU partner People’s National Congress in Government. AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan had warned that if the AFC were to coalesce with APNU, his party would become “dead meat”.

Resign or merge

Meanwhile, according to reports from another section of the media, Ramjattan made it clear that he would rather resign as AFC Leader than fully

merge with APNU.

“We are going to maintain ourselves as AFC… [I] would rather resign as leader of the AFC than have that happen,” Ramjattan is quoted as saying.

Moreover, as predicted by many, Prime Minister and AFC Executive Member Moses Nagamootoo had finally admitted that there were several conflicts between his party and the APNU membership.

In spite of consistent denials by some members of the AFC, the parties have clearly been in breach of the much touted “Cummingsburg Accord”, notably in favour of APNU.

Specifically, contrary to the Accord, Nagamootoo does not chair Cabinet, nor is he in charge of domestic national affairs.

In fact, the powers he was promised have all been diminished to oversight of the information sector of the State media – an authority he now has been accused of abusing.

The Accord also stated that the Prime Minister would recommend ministerial appointments and provide organisational structures for Ministries – for the approval of the President and the appointment of Heads of Agencies and non-constitutional commissions.

It is apparent that he was never involved in any of these activities.

Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran had also predicted danger ahead for the coalition given the violations of the Cummingsburg Accord and alleged internal pressure on President David Granger from the PNC arm of the alliance.

Ramkarran recognised that the Accord has been blatantly breached and if it were not addressed quickly and appropriately, the parties could expect to lose support, particularly the AFC.

That aside, with the date for LGE fast-approaching, political parties are hastily switching to elections mode to prepare themselves for these critical polls which will determine which party will have authority to control the various constituencies within the country.

The PPP/C already reported that it is in the process of identifying potential candidates. (devinas@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Editor(ag): Michael Younge

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Bigger, better Banking?

At the opening of the new headquarters of Demerara Bank Limited (DBL) President David Granger called for banks to increase their number of branches –especially in the rural and hinterland areas. While not saying so explicitly, he reminded the audience that as the first “local” bank to be opened in 1989, Demerara Bank benefited from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) strictures imposed on the Guyanese economy in the wake of its bailout of the then PNC government.

Up to that time all Banks, including the US Chase Manhattan, Britain’s Barclays and Canada’s Royal Bank of Canada, had been nationalised, and Guyana National Co-operative Bank (GNCB), having taken over their portfolios since 1973, ruled the financial roost, such as it was.

Since IMF-imposed policies, which had the liberalisation of the financial sector to meld with international finance at its core, we had a half-dozen new banks opening and all making substantial profits every year. Like DBL, two others are affiliated with local manufacturing conglomerates, while the others are foreign branch operations.

In the post-IMF neoliberal world, banking in the developed countries has moved far beyond the simple intermediation of funds from depositors to users via loans. The distinction between investment and commercial banking has been deliberately erased and savings deposits are just another facet in what has been dubbed the “financialisation” of the economy.

Most profits in this “Alice in Wonderland” world are generated not from activities in the real world but through speculation in what are essentially international casinos using mathematical equations generated by “quants” to produce an exotic number of “securities”. Billionaire Warren Buffet calls these “financial weapons of mass destruction”.

Up to this point, Guyana has fortunately remained in the backwater of international finance, because of its minuscule size and its lack of sovereign rating. It has therefore fortuitously been spared the blushes of some poor economies in Europe –Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain (PIGS) for instance - which are locked in the death embrace of banks moving money across national borders with impunity in their quest for high profits in a world where the bottom had dropped out of the model.

In Guyana, the concerns have been more mundane. While President Granger would have been concerned about security (people moving around with “bags of money”) the easier access to transferring funds, which has revolutionised microtransactions in Africa via mobile phones, has not taken hold in Guyana. While initially there were concerns that this new way to handle credit might affect the bottom-line of banks, the reverse has been true as it has led to those mobile users opening traditional savings accounts.

And we arrive at the need that has not been filled with the new privately owned commercial banks. With the closure of GAIBank, the agricultural sector, which inevitably has to form the foundation of Guyana’s development, has been undercapitalised. This is more so in the Agri-processing subsector that can generate greater profits from value-added activities. While one hears of rice farmers receiving loans, for instance, the deposits in the rural branches of each of the banks far outweigh the loans in those areas or farmers. Those funds will rather be intermediated to corporate customers in Georgetown. The efficiency of allocating resources in the economy is not optimum – especially when one looks at the stubborn spread between savings and lending rates.

The government has announced that it is going ahead with the idea floated by the previous administration to initiate a Development Bank to replace GAIBank in our financial intermediation mix. The plan is being vetted by the Caribbean Development Bank. There is a misconception that GAIBank failed because of a poorly supervised loan portfolio (and there was that) but in reality, the albatross that actually sank it was the devaluation of the Guyana dollar by the Hoyte administration, as part of the aforementioned IMF deal.

Banks must be regulated to intermediate funds efficiently for productive activities and not to create “financial weapons of mass destruction”.

Wonderful nature

Discrimination: three cases for Amna Ally

Dear Editor, Discrimination has historically been a politically and socially charged issue in Guyana. After 50 years of independence, the position remains the same.

The APNU/AFC Coalition campaigned heavily on the platform of national unity. Indeed, the Coalition was sold to the electorate as a National Front Alliance and as a solution to the historical problem of racial and ethnic suspicion and discrimination. When it assumed office, the Government established a department styled “Ministry of Social Cohesion”. I say “department” because it falls, administratively, under and it is accommodated at the Ministry of the Presidency – unless of course, we accept the proposition that there can be a ministry within a ministry. But that aside, I have no doubt that this department was created as a mechanism to forge national unity.

Over the past few weeks, Minister Amna Ally has been very vocal in the press and active throughout the country. From what I know of her, she is a hard worker and a person whom I believe would like to excel at her job. The realities and exigencies of our society, however, will require much more than delivering speeches and making releases to the press, if she is to succeed. At a minimum, it will require the implementation of a clearly defined and articulated policy targeting national unity, coupled with tangible

and decisive actions in relation to acts and policies perceived to constitute racial and political discrimination, since this is the very antithesis of national unity.

The Constitution protects the citizen against discrimination from the State on a variety of grounds, namely: race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, creed, age, disability, marital status, language, birth, social class, pregnancy, religion, conscience, belief or culture. I would like to draw to the attention of this Minister, a few cases which I believe can objectively be interpreted to constitute racial and political discrimination in violation of the Constitution.

(1) Nearly 2000 Amerindians lost employment when a programme of the PPP/C Administration was scrapped by the Coalition Government on the ground that the persons who benefitted from this programme are supporters of the PPP. This programme had its presence in hundreds of Amerindian communities throughout the hinterland and benefited almost the entire Amerindian population. If all these persons are supporters of the PPP, then the PPP should have won a landslide victory at the 2015 Elections. If we were to proceed on the assumption that this programme only benefitted PPP supporters, then the scrapping of this programme was intended to penalize PPP supporters on the ground of their po-

litical association and that amounts to discrimination under Article 149 of the Constitution. One may also argue that since the victims were all of one ethnic group and similar programmes which benefit other ethnic groupings in the country were not similarly terminated, then it amounts to ethnic/racial discrimination against the Amerindians as well.

(2) Street lights were removed from Bath Settlement and Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. From all the evidence available to me, these are the only communities which have been visited with such treatment. This, without more, is discrimination against the residents of these two villages. Additionally, the residents of Bath Settlement and Bush Lot are largely of one ethnicity. Historically, they have voted consistently for one particular political party which is not in the government. On this basis, the residents of Bath Settlement and Bush Lot can make out an impenetrable case of discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity/ race and their political affiliation. The fact that the residents of Region 10 enjoy subsidized electricity paid for by the Government and those residents are largely of a different ethnicity and historically, they have voted consistently for the governing party, would strengthen the argument of the Bath Settlement and Bush Lot residents that they are be-

ing discriminated against.

(3) Several hundreds of employees in the public sector have been dismissed without lawful cause by this new Government. When the PPP took office in 1992, over 85 per cent of the persons employed in the public sector were from one ethnic group. After 23 years when the PPP left Government, over 75 per cent of the persons employed in the public sector are STILL from that same ethnic group. Approximately, 95 per cent of the persons dismissed by this Government are of one ethnic group. About 99 per cent of those hired to replace those fired are from a different ethnic group, historically supportive of the governing party and from the same ethnic group that continues its predomination in the public sector. This is yet another compelling case which can be made out of ethnic and political discrimination. I can give many more examples and I intend to do so in subsequent articles. But I have given the Minister three very solid cases of discrimination with which she can begin to work. If she can address them successfully, she will go a far way in making her department the greatest success story of this administration. Needless to say, if she succeeds on anyone, she will win my unflinching support.

Sincerely, Mohabir Anil Nandlall MP Attorney

There needs to be a national discussion on suicide

Dear Editor, Yet another suicide at Kaieteur Falls. It is a very sad situation in Guyana with all these suicides being committed by young people. There needs to be a national discussion on why so much apparent hopelessness among our youth and what can be done to stem this growing phenomenon.

While we are all saddened by this senseless taking of one’s own life, we must also be concerned about the image being created of our internationally famous tourist attraction - Kaieteur Falls - as a suicide destination for distraught locals. Many might not agree with me but this could have a negative impact on our tourism.

Imagine a family with young children having to experience someone taking

their own life by jumping off the falls. Such an experience could leave scars for life.

I would like to recommend for discussion and consideration that airline/excursion tickets to Kaieteur not be sold to a single individual not holding a foreign passport. In short, Guyanese purchasing tickets to visit Kaieteur must be accompanied by at least one, or perhaps two other persons.

This is certainly not the solution to the suicide problem in Guyana but may reduce the incidence of such senseless acts at our top tourist attraction.

Let it be noted that I said I offer this suggestion for discussion and consideration.

Regards, Wesley Kirton

Hindsight has always been 20/20

Dear Editor, Guyanese have always relied on hindsight for decision-making. This goes on in every situation in Guyanese society from the family to the government. Monday morning quarterbacking is for those who don’t have the vision or guts to make decisions to execute plans. This is called paralysis by analysis; therefore, safest thing to do is always use hindsight.

What is interesting is that the following are never considered in the hindsight debates - gold board, rice board, tourism board, tender board, income tax board, cricket board, state media board, etc. Nevertheless, constructive criticism is what should be the discourse. If the government believes a project is something they are unable to manage then sell it to the people via shares.

Selling shares to the public spreads the risks, and at the same time investors gain a return for taking risks. Shares could be sold on a stock exchange and dividends payment and other custodial services could process by the banks. Nothing new here because Banks DIH has been doing this for decades. The days for building or investing in projects that are going to be sold at fire sale as soon as there is a change of opinion due to hindsight should be over, unless there are less than transparent motives such as transfer of wealth for selfish gains because fire sales ( known as family and friends discounts) are never good.

Government dictating or interference in how the free markets work is nation-

Response to Harry Gill

Dear Editor,

Kindly permit me to respond to allegations and accusations levelled against me and my Ministry by Member of Parliament (MP), the Honourable Harry Gill, about their supposed incompetence while I am on official duties overseas.

In his letter published on November 19under the caption ‘No one seems to have authority to get things done when Minister Volda Lawrence is abroad’ Gill complained in the penultimate paragraph that “...the Minister is always out of the country and no one else seems to have the authority to get things done in her absence”

There are several inaccuracies and omissions in the MP’s missive which I will highlight for the record.

Firstly, upon my assumption to office the Child Protection Agency (CPA) informed me that there were several matters still outstanding with the Adoption Board. As a consequence, I asked Ms Bibi Shadick, on June 24 to Chair the meeting of the Board to conclude those outstanding matters

alisation by another name. Moreover, its interference creates artificial barriers to entry as well as an implicit tax as a result of lack of competition. For these reasons, let the market determine which businesses survive. Trust me, it is the most efficient way to allocate goods and services. If there are no risks then investors would invest without due diligence.

Hindsight has no value, moreover, those that practice it are just taking your watch and telling you the time. Therefore, before government projects or any project get off the drawing board, public commentary is wise. Unless, the public, including professionals and NGOs are deemed by stakeholders (“benefactors”) to be intellectually challenged to provide constructive feedback. I have always respected “Traders” for their resourcefulness and tenacity - albeit some of their actions were unlawful - during the period of restricted importation of several goods.

Perhaps they should be giving feedback - based not on hindsight - on some projects. They are well-known on how to maximize profits given a circumstance. For a more serious note, destroying capital is a fool’s play. It leaves a bitter taste with past and present investors and scares future ones. Unless, the funds are being washed; therefore, return on investment is not an issue. Another suggestion is that political pundits should become real consultants with real political advice and earn real money!

Keith Bernard

which were before them prior to the May 11 polls.

Secondly, the Board met but was still unable to conclude all the outstanding matters, and on August 26 Ms Shadick was asked again to Chair the Statutory Meeting in a bid to bring closure to those issues with assurances from me that that Meeting would be the last she would have been asked to Chair.

Thirdly, Mr Gill approached me at the end of October about a “personal matter”. However I advised him that the new Board was awaiting Cabinet’s approval and it was my estimation that, hopefully, the outstanding matters would have been resolved in time before the new Board is constituted. I was further advised that the new Board would be gazetted. The CPA staff was also advised that I was awaiting Cabinet’s approval of the newly-named Adoption Board.

Fourthly, given these accurate background information, it is preposterous for Mr Gill to allege that I gave him September 30 as the date when the ‘old board’

would be instructed to meet and resolve the outstanding issues. This is either a figment of his imagination or him being deliberately careless with the truth.

Fifthly, while I cannot fault Mr Gill for pursuing persistently and painstakingly his personal programme, as a representative of the people, their issues should be paramount to him.

I want to counsel the MP, that as a recent expatriate, he should familiarise himself with my track record.

(a) My recent visit to Peru, was my fourth. On the previous occasions, I was selected based on my track record in and out of the National Assembly, as an elected member of the then Opposition and now as a Minister of the government to participate and present papers on social issues.

(b) This time I had the opportunity of attending a meeting on hunger and under-nourishment.

(c) These trips Mr Gill complained about are not ‘joy rides’. My most recent engagement began from 8:30am and lasted until 8:30

pm (d) On the final day following the 8:30pm conclusion I immediately travelled for 18 HOURS back to Guyana and reported for duty at 8:30hrs Thursday. (e) I am inviting Mr Gill to my Lamaha and East Streets office and I am expecting him to report before 4am.Since persons in need of assistance would present themselves from 4:00 am knowing that their matters will be addressed in a professional and cordial manner irrespective of whether the Minister is in office or not.

I wish to remind my legislator colleague that when one points an accusing finger at others there are usually three others pointing in the accuser’s direction.

I conclude by urging Mr Gill to reflect on, and internalise, what the author, playwright and poet, William Shakespeare, said many years ago: the fault is not in our stars but in OURSELVES.

Sincerely,

Volda Lawrence Minister of Social Protection

Draga in private river claims close to Issenuru village

Dear Editor, I am writing this letter to enlighten the Guyanese public that a story has more than one side.

I started working my Draga SD 7652 at a point about 400 yards above where the dredge is presently located – (which by the way is a white Draga and not the one shown in the newspapers), this was in the Issenuru Village area during the first week of April, 2015. At the time of commencement of working, I was granted permission by Dwight Larson, then the secretary of the Issenuru Village Council. In his words what he says goes and he does not need to consult the council or anyone to grant permission, as his word was powerful enough.

The first three productions, he personally would have witnessed the ‘wash down’ every time and collected 12 per cent of the gross amounting to a total of 28 grams of gold. For this I was not issued any receipt even though I requested same. On another occasion he asked me for $60,000 to fix his outboard engine. I borrowed the money from an Apaiqua businessperson to assist him as I wanted to stay friendly with him and by extension the village. On another occasion he came on the dredge at about 22:00h (10:00 pm) and asked for $20,000 to purchase alcohol for a friend’s birthday party.

Again I assisted.

I have donated at the request of the previous village council cash totalling $300,000 to assist in taking a group of 60 persons to Kamarang to play football.

To the present council, around August this year, I donated a further $400,000 to take the same group to the same event.

Being a good Guyanese citizen I believe in the code of the “Bushman”, we all eat from the same plate. We

have always maintained a friendly relationship with the Village and at no time ever refused to assist in whatever way we can. That is why I cannot understand the reason for this situation.

Aside from the assistance, I have always had to pay 12 per cent of my gross production as tribute, this was the amount demanded. I have in my possession receipts from various representatives of the village Council totalling almost 700

grams of gold (22.5 ounces) ($4,500,000) at today’s gold price.

To the best of my knowledge I would have paid to the village council’s representatives another 300 grams (10 ounces) ($2,000,000) of which receipts were never issued to me. In a summary I would have paid 32.5 ounces of gold ($6,500,000) to the village council of Issenuru.

Yours faithfully, Suresh Ramkissoon

Page Foundation

Teens, parents, and teen parents

(Continued from Saturday)

At the National Campaign we talk about the success sequence. Young people who follow a simple formula very much increase their chances of reaching their life goals: first they graduate from high school (at least); they wait until their 20s to marry, if marriage is their intention; and then they have children after they are married. If they do things in this order, it greatly reduces the chances that their children will grow up in poverty.

To look at it from a research point of view, only about 40 per cent of teens who have children ever graduate from high school. That is really a problem in today’s global economy.

Gina Stepp: How far do statistics go in conversations with teens? The old commentary is that life’s tragedies—birth, death, broken lives, crime—become, in the hand of statisticians, simple clinical reports with “all the tears wiped off.”

Bill Albert:* Well, I think that’s true. We’re often very good at issuing reports. We’re not very good at telling stories.

*GS: And do you think it’s the stories that really give us a sense of what needs to change?

BA: Yes, I think that’s right. And in the case of teen pregnancy, the overall narrative is about the dreams that are deferred or dismissed

One of the primary questions parents need to ask is “Are you ready for a relationship?” If a son or daughter has become friendly with someone and they’re considering moving that relationship forward, there are several questions the parent might want to pose: Do you respect each other? Are you honest with each other? Do you communicate well? Do you have friends in common? Do the friends that you trust like and trust this person? Do you have shared interests? Also, with teens in particular it’s important to be sure they are not being pressured by someone else to be in a relationship. They should be very certain that they are ready. And remind them that they have a choice and that they should leave room for themselves to change their mind.

altogether. It’s about great compromises – about growing up too soon. Silly things like missing the prom, because you have to be home with your child. About friends who aren’t friends anymore because they’re in a completely different space than you are. It’s about the realities of a very needy five-year-old versus a beautiful, doll-like infant. It’s all of those things together. It’s a rewarding job to be sure, but it is also a difficult job and it’s a lifelong job.

GS: Is it conversations about these realities that you’re saying parents need to be having with their teens?

BA: In part, yes. And it’s important for parents to remember that this is an 18year conversation. This is not a one-time conversation at the dinner table. And it’s something that starts at an early age and develops over time in age-appropriate ways. It is also in part about “body parts,” but not predominantly so. To overstate things just a bit, we’ve been so focused on body parts and pregnancy avoidance and disease avoidance that sometimes we miss the issue of relationships.

This is one of these areas parents are particularly well suited for. One of the primary questions parents need to ask is “Are you ready for a relationship?” If a son or daughter has become friendly with someone and they’re considering moving that relationship forward, there are several questions the parent might want to pose: Do you respect each other? Are you honest with each other? Do you communicate well? Do

you have friends in common? Do the friends that you trust like and trust this person? Do you have shared interests? Also, with teens in particular it’s important to be sure they are not being pressured by someone else to be in a relationship. They should be very certain that they are ready. And remind them that they have a choice and that they should leave room for themselves to change their mind.

The other thing on the relationship front – and

and support of their parents, do they?

*BA: That’s right, and that’s why the way you have the conversation is also important. If you have a 15-year-old daughter who suddenly wants to date someone, you don’t want that moment to be the first conversation you have with your daughter about this topic. If your answer is “Absolutely not,” she thinks you’re picking on that particular guy. But if you have started this conversation at an earlier age and have said,

dating is not a good idea much before you’re, say, age 16,” it looks less like you’re making a game-time decision and less like you’re picking on a particular person.

Another thing for parents to talk about with their teens is the issue of older partners. Again, this goes back to setting rules before the heat of the moment. As you get older, age differences don’t matter as much. But there is a significant difference between being 15 and being 18. Parents need to remember that even a difference of two or three years in age can be worrisome, because it can often lead to risky and unforeseen situations. But these are the kinds of rules of the house that need to be set down before the situation arises.

Are parents afraid of setting these rules because they think none of the other parents are doing it?

Possibly, but one way to finesse those kinds of fears is to be acquainted with your child’s circle of friends, as well as with the parents of those friends. It’s the best way to get more people on the same

The other issue when it comes to setting rules is that parents often focus on what they consider safe to do rather than on what may be the right thing to do. And the right thing entails helping children understand the potential physical consequences for what they do. Of course, you have to differentiate between short-term and long-term consequences for them, because sometimes it’s easier for teens to grasp the shortterm consequences simply because of the way the brain develops over time. Let’s say your daughter wants to be a veterinarian. It’s nice for her to have that goal, but part of your job as her parent is to help her understand how to achieve it. You might lay it out in terms of finishing high school, then advising her on which courses she needs to focus on; children need some instruction. And you would also point out any actions that would have the consequence of delaying or completely derailing her plans. Beyond the physical consequences, we also need to let them know about potential nonphysical consequences. One of the most striking findings that turns up in our commissioned survey data is that about two-thirds of those teens who have had sex wish they had waited longer. Many teens are under the impression that everyone else is doing it. But if you look at the data, only about half of high school students have had sex. But that’s not the impression most teens get— and that’s important. Teens are more likely to follow what they think is the social norm, so one of the roles of parents is to address these myths. (www. vision.org)

Sugar workers down tools again

– dissatisfied with GuySuCo’s offer for 2015 API

BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM

In light of the position taken by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) with regards to the Annual Production Incentive (API) for 2015 against the proposal submitted by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) hundreds of sugar workers have once again downed tools.

Guyana Times understands that while this strike has not extended to all sugar estates throughout the country, the workers of the Enmore and La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara estates commenced strike on Saturday last.

Meanwhile, sugar workers employed at Blairmont Estate, West Bank Berbice (WBB), joined in solidarity with those at the East Demerara estates and proceeded on strike on Sunday.

General Secretary of GAWU Seepaul Narine, told Guyana Times Sunday the workers who went on took strike at the two sugar estates are unionised with GAWU.

They have resorted to this form of action as a result of disappointment with the corporation’s stance in relation to what it is offering workers as the API for this year:

“Following the meeting between GAWU and GuySuCo on Friday where the 2015 API for sugar workers was discussed, the workers’ representatives in the GAWU delegation went back to the Estates and notified them. The workers who have gone on strike are dissatisfied with GuySuCo and what it is offering. We have seen the reaction from those at the East Demerara estates and now at Blairmont but at this point I can’t say

if the others at the rest of estates will be going on strike as well.”

Despite the union and the sugar corporation meeting twice last week to discuss and settle the API for 2015, the discussions ended in limbo.

On Friday last the union and the sugar entity met but unfortunately the duo could not agree on a fixed quantum for sugar workers’ 2015 API.

This publication also understands GAWU has proposed five-and-a-half days for the API while GuySuCo has offered two-and-a-half days.

Chairman of GAWU Komal Chand had told Guyana Times on Friday last that the sugar corporation once more “reinstated” its position on the counterproposal GuySuCo put forward to the Union. The sugar entity was not showing any signs of budging:

“They have not reconsidered what they are offering GAWU for the API. The fact that they haven’t removed from their initial position means that the representatives who were there at the meeting will have to go back to the various estates and inform the workers of what

GuySuCo is offering… After this then we at the Union will be able to say what the way forward is.”

He sought to explain that while GAWU and GuySuCo have not yet come to a ‘conclusion’ on this matter, the position taken and maintained by the sugar company ‘incensed’ the Union’s delegation present for the second meeting.

Chand had posited that although no decision about the 2015 API was made the sugar corporation has already signalled it will be making the payments in March 2016.

“GuySuCo has said that whatever they have to pay they will pay it next year March. This is highly unusual for them to pay the API for this year until next year. Usually the API for the workers is paid at the end of the last crop of the year,” the GAWU Chairman told Guyana Times

This position taken by GuySuCo on the 2015 API comes against the backdrop of the sugar company being unable to negotiate with the union on its salary/wage increases.

As it is, there is much uncertainty as to how the other workers who have not gone on strike will respond to the API counter-proposal put forward by the sugar corporation, especially now that a percentage of sugar workers are already on strike.

It is unclear how the already cash-strapped GuySuCo will afford to pay what the Union is asking or even accumulate enough funds to give sugar workers what it is counter-proposing.

However, it is expected that sugar workers who have not yet proceeded on strike at the other sugar estates will take strike action soon. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

Port Mourant eye clinic without medication – Region 6 Chairman

BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM

Hundreds of patients, who are in need of specialised eye care, namely surgeries for cataract, from the National Ophthalmology Hospital, Berbice, are on a waiting list as the institution has no medication and supplies to perform surgeries.

Guyana Times understands the eye clinic, located at Port Mourant, has been without medication for several months now.

Chairman of Region Six David Armogan told this newspaper on Sunday that the facility has been functioning without medication for its patients and as a result, a number of patients are unable to get their much needed surgeries done.

He explained that this in turn contributes to the backlog of eye care cases.

“This has been happening for quite a few months. So that is why the people, who are going there, are being put on a waiting list. It is because they are awaiting these drugs to come from wherever it was sourced from. Cuba used to supply the drugs but that arrangement is over now. Government has to procure these drugs so I don’t know what is taking them so long,” Armogan stated.

According to the chairman the relevant authorities have been notified of this “stressful” situation through various channels and even persons from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) had ensured

that the health ministry was aware of the problems.

“The Minister of Public Health has been apprised of the situation. He knows what is happening, he was there, he knows about it for quite some time now. We at

Region

Six Chairman David Armogan

the RDC have submitted a list already to the health ministry but we are waiting on the procurement of the drugs,” he emphasised.

Armogan posited that to date the RDC is yet to receive word from the health ministry as to when the medication will be made available in order for the eye surgeries to recommence at the clinic.

“We have not heard anything from them as yet. We keep finding out every week but we are always hearing ‘next week’…hopefully soon the eye clinic will get what they need,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ramnauth Ragoo, 59, on Saturday told Guyana Times he encounters difficulty seeing clearly with both eyes and so

visited a private eye clinic where he was told he has cataract in his left eye.

As such, he opted to visit the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, East Bank Demerara (EBD), the following day and the doctor there confirmed he was indeed suffering from cataract in the said eye.

“I saw a Cuban doctor who is a specialist and she observed it and said indeed it is cataract and that it is ready for surgery. She gave me a date to go the Port Mourant eye clinic for December 5 and I asked her why she gave me such a long time from now if it is ready for surgery. The doctor then told me that they don’t have the material or drugs to do surgery and that at the time she was talking to me there were over 400 persons waiting to do surgery at Port Mourant,” he stated.

Repeated efforts to contact Public Health Minister Dr George Norton on Sunday proved futile. The state-of-the-art National Ophthalmology Hospital was commissioned in 2009 by then President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The Ophthalmology hospital is one of several projects under the Guyana/Cuba collaboration programme initiated by President Jagdeo in 2006, which includes the construction of four diagnostic and treatment centres at Diamond, Suddie, Mahaicony and Leonora. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

monday, november 23, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Fuel truck hijacked on Mabura Road

By Devina Samaroo

In excess of $4 million worth of fuel is now missing and two persons are injured following the hijacking of a fuel truck along the Mabura Road, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Motor lorry GSS 1819 was transporting fuel en route to Mahdia from Georgetown when the incident occurred.

Guyana Times was told that two persons travelling in a motor vehicle drove up alongside the moving truck and informed the truck driver that a spare wheel had fallen off the tray.

The truck driver stopped the lorry and upon investigation, noticed that indeed the spare wheel was missing. The two persons offered to lead the truck driver to the location where the wheel had fallen off and the two vehicles began to proceed along Mabura road.

Some 15 miles later, the two vehicles came to a halt and the men exited their vehicles to look for the wheel.

It was at that moment six armed men joined the other two persons and attacked the truck driver and porter. According to informa-

tion, the men were stripped of their clothing and received several blows about their bodies, resulting in minor injuries. After incapacitating the men, the attackers then reportedly fled the scene in the motor lorry and the other motor vehicle.

This newspaper understands that the injured men waited on the deserted road until another truck came by and hitched a ride to the Linden Police Station.

Contacted for a comment on the matter, Divisional Commander Calvin Brutus told this publication that upon receiving the report around 10:00h on Saturday, three teams were immediately dispatched to nearby areas in search of the missing truck. He disclosed that the teams covered Mabura,

Omai, the Amaila Falls road, and other areas, but the truck was nowhere to be found. Nonetheless, he noted that the teams would be dispatched again to comb other areas in search of the truck.

Prompted for further details, Commander Brutus stated that Police Officers were receiving conflicting reports from the driver and the porter.

Meanwhile, Guyana Times contacted the owner of the truck, Deodat Dhanraj of First Street, Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), who expressed great worry over what transpired.

He noted that only last month, a similar incident took place when a Brazilian miner had his truck hijacked in a similar manner along a different “bush trail”.

Although information reaching him was also sketchy, Dhanraj stressed that he did not believe his workers conspired to have the truck hijacked.

When questioned further, Dhanraj said he believed that one of the attackers sabotaged the truck so the spare wheel would fall off.

“The drive is so slow that somebody could have hopped onto the truck and then they could cut the rope…somebody could climb on the truck whilst the truck was driving,” he stated, noting that it could have been a part of a plot to lure his workers into the ambush.

Investigations into the matter are currently ongoing. (devinas@guyanatimesgy.com)

Barbados gets IDB help to improve road infrastructure

Barbados will rehabilitate sections of two major highways to lower transport costs and improve road safety with a US$25 million loan approved by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB).

The IDB loan will finance the rehabilitation and improvement of approximately 31 kilometres of key segments of Barbados’ primary road network, including drainage, construction of sidewalks, rehabilitation of associated bridges and culverts, and safety features along with a pilot for outsourced performance-based routine road maintenance.

It will also contribute to the strengthening of transport sector governance through capacity building within Barbados’ Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) in the key areas of transport planning and asset management, maintenance financing, technical standards for quality control and assurance, gender parity, and road safety.

These primary roads – the ABC Highway and the Charles Duncan O’Neal Highway – connect Barbados’ touristic, industrial, and business areas with the Bridgetown Port and the Grantley Adams International Airport. This

road network supports transportation for Barbados’ productive sectors, which consists primarily of tourism, light manufacturing, quarrying, and agriculture.

The project will also provide funds for institutional strengthening to improve transport sector planning, road maintenance financing, civil works project implementation and supervision, and sustainability, the IDB

said. It is expected that this project will contribute to sustainable growth in the Barbadian economy through interventions to rationalise and improve public sector efficiency and by supporting Private Sector participation and development through greater involvement in the transport sector. (Excerpt from Caribbean360.com)

Brazilian dam toxic mud reaches Atlantic

Awave of toxic mud travelling down the Rio Doce River in Brazil from a collapsed dam has reached the Atlantic Ocean, amid concerns it will cause severe pollution.

The waste has travelled more than 500 kilometres (310 miles) since the dam at an iron mine collapsed two weeks ago.

Samarco, the mine owner, has tried to protect plants and animals by building barriers along the banks of the river.

Workers have dredged the river mouth to help the mud flow out to sea fast.

The contaminated mud, tested by the water management authorities, was found to contain toxic substances like mercury, arsenic, chromium and manganese at levels exceeding human con-

sumption levels.

Samarco has insisted the sludge is harmless.

In an interview with the BBC, Andres Ruchi, director of the Marine Biology school in Santa Cruz in Espirito Santo state, said that mud could have a devastating impact on marine life when it reaches the sea.

He said the area of sea near the mouth of the Rio Doce is a feeding ground and a breeding location for many species of marine life including the threatened leatherback turtle, dolphins and whales.

“The flow of nutrients in the whole food chain in a third of the south-eastern region of Brazil and half of the Southern Atlantic will be compromised for a minimum of a 100 years,” he said. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Eyew tness To be or not to be…

…one party

Responding to a trenchant analysis of the state of the APNU/AFC coalition by former PNC executive, Sherwood Lowe - which posited them becoming more of a unitary party than a coalition – AFC party leader Ramjattan heatedly denied this was the case.

However he wasn’t as categorical in his denial like before the elections when he swore there was no way the AFC was “coalescing” with APNU. “Dead meat” was what he predicted would be his party’s fate if such joining at the hip ever took place. Well, it appears this is exactly what Lowe’s saying: APNU is digesting and absorbing the AFC into its structure – which is what you do with “dead meat”.

This Eyewitness didn’t expect Ramjattan to say anything different. When you’re being screwed royally – that is, with everyone looking on to make sure something’s going on! – you gotta grin and bear it. But let’s look at some of the tests Lowe applied to conclude the AFC’s gone the way of the Dodo. There should’ve been a “conflict settlement mechanism” to deal with disagreements between the parties. Ramjattan accepted there was no such mechanism – but because there’s no disagreement!!! Well, even if we take Ramjattan at his word (we know that QUITE a stretch – but this is a hypothetical, all right?) and there’s absolutely NO disagreement between APNU and AFC , then the two of them are indistinguishable – and by definition - one! But enough about Ramjattan’s “word” - as usual, he’s just full of it. And we’re not talking about hot air. What does he mean there’s no dispute or “dispute settlement” mechanism? What about that press conference David Patterson held back in July to confess: yes, there were disputes between AFC and APNU and yes, there was a committee to look into the said disputes.

Remember? Paterson said the “six-member” committee consisting of “Joseph Harmon; Basil Williams, Nigel Hughes, Dominic Gaskin and himself” and a Chairman Burch-Smith. Is Ramjattan saying that Patterson’s also full of it? Or is it that he, Ramjattan, isn’t comfortable with the composition of the Committee? Too “urban”, for him and Nagamootoo? Or is it they’ve “shocked out” Burch-Smith the way they did with Harold Lutchman?

And I magine we haven’t even touched Lowe’s other criteria. Like structured formal meetings by Cabinet Ministers from the two parties to arrive at common positions of issues? Did the AFC, for instance, agree to not trying to salvage the rice contract with Venezuela?

But we guess the doubling of the salaries, the outriders and the perks kinda takes the edge of the angst of being taken for granted, no?

One love, baby!!

…a token

But the perfect exemplar of what’s wrong with “the coalition that’s not a coalition” contention is the position of Moses Nagamootoo. The signed and sealed Cummingsburg Accord has never delivered what was supposed to Nagamootoo’s. And this is not a bone of contention? How can the AFC ever talk about the PPP not wanting to have “power sharing” or “unity” talks, when even its negotiated agreement with APNU was ground into the dirt ?

Now that “governance” was denied to him, wouldn’t it be better for Nagamootoo to have another substantial, substantive portfolio rather than just be a token. Or worse yet, to simply “run and fetch” bones for the administration? Where’s that “paddy deal” with Mexico? Wasn’t that simply to show rice farmers the government was “doing something”?

And what about that trip to Canada via Texas and New Jersey? Where are all the investments that Nagamootoo negotiated with “businessmen” - identified by President Granger in HIS earlier trip to Toronto?

C’mon fellas…be SOMEBODY. Have some pride.

…FOR Amaila

With all that cheap, fracking oil being squeezed out in the US, and it’s hiding of its global warming evidence, it doesn’t look like ExxonMobil will be in a hurry to open up Lisa.

So Amaila’s in play again. Isn’t economics exciting?

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

Zero tolerance for violence against women – Minister Lawrence

– Govt still mum on Charandass’s insults against women

BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM

As Guyana gets ready to join the rest of the world in commemorating “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women” Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence is campaigning for ‘zero’ tolerance for violence against women and girls to new communities, spaces and audiences.

However, Minister Lawrence along with the rest of her ministry remains mum on the recent incident of AFC Member of Parliament (MP) Charandass Persaud, verbally assaulted female Parliamentarian and President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha Dr Vindhya Persaud for merely expressing her views on her religion.

The sentiments aired by the AFC Parliamentarian via a Letter to the Editor prompted much disapproval and condemnation from a number of women’s rights supporters who have been calling on him to publicly apologise for his statement.

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

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

“Who the hell is Vindhya

Persaud? And if they kiss my ass, I will apologise to Vindhya Persaud. That is all they need to hear,” he vehemently stated.

To date, the Social Protection Minister and her female counterparts who sit on the government benches in Parliament are yet to publicly condemn the AFC parliamentarian for both of his statements which are deemed “offensive” and “distasteful” among many women.

To make matters worse, Minister Lawrence as the Social Protection Minister, who is trumpeting the call to end violence against women and girls has failed to ensure that Charandass apologise to both Dr Vindhya and the women of this country for his utterances.

In a media statement on Sunday on the topic of Guyana celebrating “International Day for the

Elimination of Violence against Women” Minister Lawrence had a very powerful message:

“There is one truth that should not go unnoticed that is applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, and never tolerable. Let us take action now. Let us deepen and broaden our partnership, bringing all in society to help us end violence against women and girls everywhere,” the minister stated.

She went on to say there is no blanket approach to fighting violence against women because strategies may work in one community but this does not mean they will have desirable results elsewhere.

According to the Social Protection Minister, violence affects everyone, irrespective of her/his status, society, colour, race, religion, ethnicity or social background.

“Far too often, the crimes go unpunished; the perpetrators whom over time are predominantly men and boys walk free. I therefore call on men around our beautiful country to lead by example, to make clear that violence against women is an act perpetrated by a coward, and that speaking up against it is a badge of honour,” she added.

The public is yet to see the Minister take her own advice and speak out against the actions of her fellow MP,

100% tariffs on imported chicken under review

–

local producers have market monopoly

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin has said while there is no reported shortage of chicken locally, he is making moves to analyse the industry to see if there is any basis for reducing the 100 per cent tariff on the importation of chicken.

The previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration (PPP/C) in 2012 had announced the granting of licences to over a dozen local businesses to import chicken to meet the shortfall in supply on the local market during the holiday season.

That allowance also attracted a 100 per cent tariff to protect the interest of local producers.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Sunday, Gaskin said he inherited a system which reflected that these

allocations were on a discretionary basis. He said there must be some analysis to develop a set of rules to set things into place.

Such analysis will include consideration of how many pounds of chicken are consumed annually here and the benefits of imported frozen chicken to the Guyanese populace, especially the less fortunate.

Meanwhile, the Minister said the Business Ministry has been monitoring the situation and licences have already been given out to at least nine importers to continue the process.

In 2012, the then Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry had said that it was always in receipt of applications for licences to import chicken, although some persons

reluctantly undertake to import chicken at a prescribed duty.

It said the majority of companies were advocating for a 60 per cent reduction of the tariff to enable them to be competitive on the local market.

This was in response to the then hike in price for chicken on the local market after Government granted an initial approval for 12 pending applications to import a limited quantity of chicken for a period of three months to combat the scarcity of the commodity.

The importers were granted a 50 per cent waiver on duty instead of the 60 per cent that they had requested by way of application for permission to import eight million pounds over a six-month period.

Charandass Persaud, and to ensure that he does the “acceptable thing” which is apologise.

Meanwhile the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) member, former parliamentarian and fellow Attorney James Bond has joined the bandwagon calling on his colleague to do the honourable thing and apologise.

Recently, during an International Men’s Day event, Bond underlined that any statement or comment that lends itself to aggression against women should be strongly condemned:

“I don’t care who says it. We should not be making these statements in this day and age.”

Bond explained that an

apology is necessary, given the public outrage over the matter:

“If he said statements that provoked violence towards a woman, then I would say he is wrong and he should apologise. I know him very well, I know he’s a gentleman and I don’t think it is in him to abuse a woman… If your statements are taken out of context, apologise and clear it up… don’t let it fester,” he urged the AFC parliamentarian.

Also, President of a newly formed men’s group ReMan Guyana, Alvin Doris, also called on the parliamentarian to apologise.

“CharandassPersaud did not have to be a Member of Parliament or a prominent Attorney to find it necessary to apologise. Any man should apologise for offending a woman in any way,” Doris stated.

Nonetheless, he noted that “from time to time, we have these slipups that is an affront to womanhood” however, in such situations it is necessary to apologise;

“When a man does something like that, it reflects badly on manhood generally. I ask your pardon as woman… we (men) are not to destroy the woman, or demean the woman; we ought to celebrate the woman, that’s what a man ought to be…,” he stated.

Letters to the Editors written by both men and women are also evidence of the growing outrage over Charandass’s statements. In addition, people are taking to social media to vent their disgust over the unprofessional conduct of Charandass and the lack of action taken by the administration to reprimand such offensive demeanours.

Moreover, People’s Progressive Party/Civic Member of Parliament Bishop Juan Edghill believes strongly that Persaud should resign or be terminated from his post as a parliamentarian. (kristenm@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Kaieteur Falls suicide

Young woman expressed unhappiness on Instagram

By Devina Samaroo

Before 21-year-old Roshinee Pagwah plunged to her death at the Kaieteur Falls, the young lady had exhibited signs of suicidal tendencies via social media – unfortunately, much to the obliviousness of her peers.

In an Instagram post the day before jumping off the Falls, Pagwah remarked, “There is nothing more depressing than having it all and still feeling sad.”

On her Facebook profile, the young woman posted, “Today is gonna be 5 years now that ur gone & I swear not a day goes by that I don’t think of u & miss u…u would never know how sorry I am up to this very day.”

Pagwah was referring to her former boyfriend, who had committed suicide some five years ago by ingesting poison.

According to reports, Pagwah had ended her relationship with her boyfriend and the devastated young man took his life.

Reports suggested that the young lady still suffered from the emotional trauma of that experience.

Time and again, numerous Non-Governmental

Organisations (NGOs) have spoken about the warning signs of a suicidal person and would constantly urge family members and peers not to treat the matter lightly.

Contacted for a comment on the matter, The Caribbean Voice (TCV) noted that Pagwah had indeed displayed clear signals of wanting to end her life.

The TCV spokesperson lamented the fact that the warning signs were right there yet it appeared as if no one made any attempt to intervene.

“The minute that Facebook post was noticed, proactive action should have been started...talking to her, persuading her to seek counselling (she had literally stated that she was depressed). It is better to be proactive and err than to say or do nothing and end up with a loss of life and all the consequential heartbreak,” the NGO noted.

The TCV said it would soon be making contact with the relatives of the deceased to lend assistance in whatever way it could.

“We are very saddened by her death. We will be making contact with the family members to see how

best we can help them and provide the necessary counselling to help the family deal with the situation. Normally, these incidents happen, you need to provide the necessary counselling or else, you might end up seeing a repeat in the situation,” the NGO explained.

Investigations Meanwhile, a team from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) travelled to the Kaieteur National Park on Sunday to continue the investigation into the case. According to information

received, preparations have commenced to secure and extract Pagwah’s body.

Up to press time, the body had not yet been recovered.

The operation will be led by the Special Forces of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) owing to the dangerous and extremely rugged terrain below the waterfall.

The last suicide victim’s body was recovered approximately two weeks after the incident. On September 1, Gyaneshwarie “Laleta” Sivanand of Durban

Backlands, Georgetown, had jumped to her death off Kaieteur Falls.

On Saturday last, Pagwah, who was a former New Amsterdam Multilateral School student and an employee at the Guyana Power and Light New Amsterdam branch, committed the act even though efforts were made to restrain her.

Captain Gerry Gouveia told Guyana Times that the staff at the Kaieteur National Park did everything they could to stop the young woman from jumping, but she reportedly pull a “rugby move” on the rangers and jumped to her death. The woman’s mother, Indra Pagwah told this publication that she was unaware that her daughter had any problems that would have prompted her to end her life.

“She nah had no problem… she was quiet and always use to enjoy she self wherever she go. I can’t say what get into she fuh she do something like this,” the grieving mother cried.

One critical after threecollision accident in Eccles

Athree-vehicle collision in Eccles, East Bank Demerara at about midnight on Saturday has rendered one person critical while several others sustained minor bruises.

Guyana Times understands a Jeep was making its way out of the street next to “Sari Sign” road onto the East Bank Public Road when it collided with a Primo car PTT 4557 that was heading south along the East Bank highway. The collision caused the Jeep to swirl out of control and further crash into a minibus travelling in the same direction as the Primo. The Primo pitched

all the way in the vicinity of Kendrick’s Auto Spares while the minibus pitched onto the pavement.

The minibus PTT 3474 is registered under the National Communications Network (NCN) Inc. At the time of the incident, the minibus was taking employees home from work.

According to information reaching this newspaper, the driver of the jeep, identified as C Sukhdeo, sustained severe head injuries and was rushed to the Bhalwant Singh Hospital. He is reported to be in a critical condition.

The other persons involved in the accident only sustained minor bruises about their bodies.

Police arrived on the scene shortly after after.

Those involved in the accident were taken to the Providence Police Station for questioning.

Based on preliminary findings, police sources confirmed that the NCN minibus and the Primo car were speeding along the East Bank corridor and failed to stop at the blinking red light at the intersection.

An investigation has been launched into the incident. (devinas@guyanatimesgy.com)

Broad-based consultations held to move HEIP forward

To better education output in the hinterland, the Education Ministry is currently engaged in a broad-based consultation, targeting communities and their needs. These are to be addressed in the administration’s Hinterland Education Improvement Programme (HEIP).

In a recent interview with GINA on the programme, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam stated that the Education Ministry is in the process of devising a multisector approach to addressing the needs of hinterland regions in relation to education that really can reflect all variables that will ultimately help to see improved performance. Many of the departments involved he said, have already crafted their operational long-term plans and a collaborative approach is being taken for its implementation with

Chief Education Officer Olato Sam

agencies and ministries namely the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and Communities ministries.

The Chief Education Officer noted that all plans will soon be widely available to the public, through the Ministry of Education, as a means of getting support for

the educational initiative in the hinterland regions. The programme consists of five components: improving the Quality of Teacher Education; Aligning Teaching-Learning Resources to Improve Students’ Outcomes; Improving Physical Facilities; Fostering Community Alliances; and Strengthening Management and Supervision in the hinterland.

Currently there are approximately 250 schools at all levels, nursery, primary and secondary in hinterland regions. The Coalition Government, with international support, continues to place significant emphasis on the development of education in the hinterland regions as this is seen as critical to the reduction of poverty and improving the lives of Guyana’s indigenous peoples.

Armed bandits rob Bakewell employee

– finger severed during attack

Police are searching for two armed bandits who pounced on Andre Sukhwa, a supervisor attached to Bakewell at Palmyra Village, Corentyne, Berbice, which also left him with a missing finger.

According to reports, bandits on Saturday evening attacked and robbed Sukhwa, who had just minutes before returned to the company’s bond. The incident took place sometime around 18:30h.

According to Sukhwa, he was preparing to enter his car when two armed bandits attacked him. He explained he was at the door when the men approached and chopped him several places about his body. He was also relieved of some $80,000.

“When I turn around I see these two men right up to me, one had a gun and one had a cutlass. The one start to fire chops and the next one say he gon shoot.”

Sukhwa, recounting the ordeal, said several chops were fired in his direction, the first one connecting to his right hand.

“And he continuing firing and I put up my hand to bar the chops because is my head he start aiming for and he catch me on this hand.”

The supervisor received two chops to his left hand, one leaving a finger hang-

FITUG proposes ‘joint council’ with GTUC

– to agree on workers’ issues by way of consensus

BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM

Although trade unions in Guyana continue to fight for workers’ rights and wellbeing on a daily basis there is much work left to be done. It is with this in mind that Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) is proposing that the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) join forces for the overall betterment of the workers they represent.

First Vice President of FITUG and President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) Komal Chand last week told reporters that in previous years attempts were made to have the trade unions united but have been unsuccessful to date.

ery year in Guyana.

to follow up with them they said simply that they are not making progress… and so we have always tried to have common May Day rally,” Chand noted.

Meanwhile, FITUG will be embarking on a campaign throughout the country to seek out workers who are not unionised and work with them to ensure they become affiliated with a union, preferably one that falls under the

umbrella of FITUG.

“We are also going to work to have more unions affiliated to us. So those are areas that FITUG is looking at and we are going to try to organise workers who are not unionised, there are many, many of them, try to get them to come over,” FITUG’s first vice president added. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

ing by the skin and the other to the back of his wrist.

Sukhwa explained that while he was defending himself against the cutlass-wielding bandit, the other one went into the car and searched.

“He searched till he find the wallet with $80,000 which was personal money and they take it.”

Sukhwa said the bandits entered from the gate, which was opened at the time and walked past the guard. He later managed to alert a fellow employee, who took him to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Meanwhile the security guard who was on duty at the time told Guyana Times he had opened the gate for Sukhwa to drive out. According to him the men approached the gate and made their way straight to the supervisor.

“I couldn’t do anything when they start chopping… I start hollering but no neighbours aint come out.”

The Bakewell Palmyra bond has no telephones and the guard has no cellular phone.

The company built and moved to that location about a month ago after being at a rented location in the same community for several years.

Police are investigating the incident.

“The records will show that we have done everything that we could have done to bring about that kind of conciliation. We have also offered from FITUG, like as was done in Trinidad, to have both FITUG and the GTUC have a common body, a council, where we can agree on matters by way of consensus. Those matters that we agree to where there is no disagreement we could jointly support those matters and that is still open,” Chand posited.

He stated that FITUG is “still ready” for such a move to take place; having both organisations fused into one where a council is formed and comprise of members from both FITUG and GTUC.

“On issues that we find consensus on, we could jointly support for the benefit of the workers and the interest of the workers in the country. We tried at one time with the help of Sir Leroy Trotman who retired as General Secretary of the Barbados’ Workers Union after many, many years, a respected trade unionist, and a veteran trade unionist. He tried to conciliate to have FITUG and GTUC working as one body but unfortunately his efforts went in vain,” Chand explained.

FITUG’s first vice president referred to an incident which took place a few years ago where an affiliate of the GTUC, the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) had proposed that the unions participate in one rally for Labour Day which is held on May 1 ev-

“From the private conversations with us, they (GTU) decided that the rally could be held at a common ground which is at the compound of the Teachers’ Union… and we supported, we agreed but it would appear to us that they didn’t get the support from the GTUC... it would appear to us, because when we tried

monday, november 23, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Abolition of death penalty discussions begin today

ACaribbean Regional Conference on the abolition of the death penalty begins today at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where various panellists consisting of international and regional experts will discuss the various aspects of the death penalty and its abolition in the Caribbean.

There is a worldwide trend towards the abolition of the death penalty. Today, some 140 countries (nearly two-thirds of all the countries in the world) no longer execute people. Guyana however still adheres to the provisions provided for the death penalty.

However, although the capital punishment remains in the books, the practice has been discontinued for more than 17 years. Guyana last executed a death row prisoner in 1997. While Guyana has not yet abolished the death sentence, persons could still be sentenced to death but people are no longer being executed. Guyana currently has more than 30 prisoners on death row.

In fact, Guyana has al-

ready made a commitment to the United Nations to abolish the penalty about two years ago.

Guyana’s law states (without providing for alternatives) that an individual convicted of a capital offence “shall be liable to suffer death as a felon.”

In addition, legislation provides that murder and felony murder in the course of terrorism are “punishable by death.”

While this language is ambiguous, under Article 19 of the Criminal (Offences) Law, courts may not substitute punishments not specifically stated for death-eligible offences, so courts appear to have no discretion in sen-

tencing.

Article 164 of the Criminal (Procedure) Law provides that when a person is convicted of an offence punishable by death, “the Court shall thereupon pronounce [the] sentence of death.”

Multiple studies have shown that the death penalty does not deter crime effectively and it runs the risk of executing innocent people. Additionally, the death penalty is incompatible with human rights and dignity.

The UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) has mandated Guyana to review its laws and abolish the death penalty. Several other countries in

the Caribbean Community (Caricom) must do the same.

The European Union and the United Kingdom are the world’s leading institutional actors in the fight against the death penalty and its action in this area represents a key priority of its external human rights policy.

The EU and the UK actively support the civil society organisations around the world campaigning for the abolition of capital punishment.

Experience in Europe and other parts of the world has taught us that the death penalty does not prevent an increase in violent crime, nor does it bring justice to the victims of such crimes.

Any capital punishment resulting from miscarriage of justice, from which no legal system can be immune, represents irreversible loss of human life.

Meanwhile, the Regional Conference was organised by the Delegation of the European Union and the British High Commission in Guyana.

Today will serve as the opening ceremony to the Conference.

On Tuesday, the Conference will continue with the panellists presenting and discussing their various points on the abolition of the death penalty.

Admission is free and all interested persons are welcomed.

Humanitarian group pays CSEC fees for 100 Berbicians

An estimated 100 students in Berbice will have their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination fees paid in full or in part by the Humanitarian Mission of New Jersey Arya Samaj (HMNJAS) Inc, Port Mourant chapter.

According to President of the Humanitarian Mission, Pandit Suresh Sugrim, a number of parents had contacted the Mission seeking assistance with examination fees.

Sugrim said the parents claimed they did not have enough money to pay for their children’s CSEC examinations and as such the Mission saw it fit to help these parents.

“So we decided to make a difference in giving a child a gift of an education because it is very sad to know that a parent cannot afford to pay for that child’s examination, and because of that the child will not be given the opportunity,” Sugrim said.

He added that while in the United States, he contacted several donors and was able to raise $600,000 to assist those parents.

On Thursday the first batch of 25 students received full or part payment of their examination fees. He said some will be receiving half tuition; some will be receiving full

tuition while others will receive matching funds. In an invited comment Regional Education Officer of Region Six, Volika Jaikishun who facilitated the process at the HMNJAS, Port Mourant office said what the organisation is doing: “means a lot to the parents of Region Six. Finding the money was a hard task for some people. I want to thank the Mission very much for taking this step in collaboration with the Department of Education and I hope that next year we can have the same help for our children or even more.”

Meanwhile Pandit Sugrim said the Mission is committed to working with student to give them a new and extended lease of life.

Lord’s Prayer Christmas ad banned in UK cinemas

Apre-Christmas advert featuring solely the Lord’s Prayer was Sunday banned from Britain’s biggest cinema chains for fear of causing offence, to the bewilderment of the Church of England.

The 56-second advertisement features believers from various walks of life, including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, a weightlifter, a farmer, a couple getting married, refugees, and a gospel choir, saying the main Christian prayer.

The Church of England (CofE) is the State church in England and the ad was cleared by the British Board of Film Classification and the Cinema Advertising Authority.

Welby, the leader of the world’s Anglicans and

the spiritual head of the church, said: “I find it extraordinary that cinemas rule that it is inappropriate for an advert on prayer to be shown in the week before Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

“Billions of people across the world pray this prayer on a daily basis. I think they would be as-

tonished and deeply saddened by this decision, especially in the light of the terrorist attack in Paris where many people have found comfort and solace in prayer.

“This advert is about as ‘offensive’ as a carol service on Christmas Day,” he told The Mail on Sunday newspaper. (AFP)

Guyana prepares to observe World AIDS Day 2015

As Guyana prepares to observe World AIDS Day 2015, observances locally will bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic and emphasise the critical need for a committed, meaningful and sustained response.

This is according to Programme Manager of the National AIDS Programme

Secretariat (NAPS), Dr Shanti Singh. World AIDS Day is observed on 1 December each year. This year the day is being observed under the theme, “Ending the AIDS epidemic as part of Sustainable Development Goals”. NAPS has announced that it will be hosting a number of activities to mark the occasion.

Guyanese receives prestigious Global Leadership Award

Astell Collins with Ambassador Dr Clyde Rivers

Dr Astell Collins, one of Guyana’s inspirational leaders was included among an elite group of world leaders to receive the prestigious Global Leadership Award.

This outstanding citizen has been honoured with a Global Leadership Award at Capitol Hill in Washington for his work in leadership development globally.

At the award ceremony, Dr Collins became emotional as he reflected on his grandmothers who are both deceased; (Doreen Jeffers and Marjorie Collins) whom he wished were alive to witness the moment. As a tribute to his heroes, Dr Collins dedicated the award to their memory.

Undeniably the Guyanese-born leader continues to represent Guyana with excellence and has become a national role model for his compatriots, particularly youths.

The former medical technologist possessed the required courage to redefine his life and became an internationally sought after leader. He is committed to emancipating others from only existing in the limitations of labels to live fully while they are alive by discovering their true value and potential.

When asked why he pushes himself so hard, he responded: “The transition-

The upcoming events for the observance includes a World AIDS Day walk on Saturday 28 November at 06:00h, with the assemble point at 704 Car Park on Lamaha Street, also, a lecture at the University, a PEPFAR-sponsored team from Harvard University at 09:00h at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, and an appreciation ceremony on December 3 at the Marriott Hotel, where NAPS will honour Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission/ Voluntary Council and Testing (PMTCT/VCT) nurses who work in the hinter-

land HIV programme.

The 2011 political declaration on HIV/AIDS committed countries to by 2015 halve sexual transmission of HIV and transmission on intravenous drug users, eliminate mother-to-child transmission, significantly reduce AIDS-related maternal deaths, tuberculosis deaths in people living with HIV, and put 15 million people with the disease on antiretroviral drug therapy.

In addition, member states committed to accelerate research and development for a safe, affordable, effective, accessible vaccine,

and for a cure for HIV, as well as to deploy new biomedical interventions – such as microbicides, HIV treatment prophylaxis and early treatment as prevention as soon as they are validated.

Guyana had observed World AIDS Day in 2012 under the theme “Getting to Zero”, when it was explained that this meant “Zero new infections, zero discrimination, zero AIDS-related deaths”.

The country’s HIV fight began in the late 1980s as a daunting task, but quick mobilisation of international partners, health services and non-governmental organisations saw the recognition for immediate action.

The answer to this call to action showed results, leaving several areas of focus for Guyana. Firstly, Guyana had shared its intention to report the elimination of mother-tochild transmission in 2015. The tireless work and drive in this area by health personnel and others was to ensure that no babies are born HIV infected.

Secondly, persons liv-

ing with HIV continue to access high quality services and high quality antiretroviral medication, which has resulted in persons living longer and healthier lives, and fewer deaths related to AIDS.

Thirdly, new infections have continued to be reduced as efforts are intensified in targeting the population at higher risk for HIV.

The fourth point was that stigma to HIV is less than before. Dr Singh in 2012 called for an intensification of efforts towards moving Guyana to an AIDS-free destination of zero AIDS infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths. She expressed confidence that the benchmark of zero could be achieved.

This sentiment was supported by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who urged member states to intensify their efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission, and to work to ensure all HIV-positive mothers can survive and thrive, something that is already being done in Guyana.

ing of my mentor Dr Myles Munroe, has evoked a sense of urgency, for it reminded me that our days are numbered and hence, I demand excellence from myself and an incomparable level of commitment to serving humanity”.

Dr Collins believes that effective leadership is what is necessary in transforming Guyana to the paradise it has the potential of becoming. Furthermore, he declares that as a developing nation we do not need more politicians in leadership but rather more leadership in politicians. He further remarked that politicians only think of the next election but true leaders think about the next generation.

In Guyana, Dr Collins delivered his motivational speeches to students and teachers across the country.

Following the viral sex tape of St Roses High School students, Dr Collins wasted no time in orchestrating seminars aimed at educating students about self-worth and self-value. He also hosted guidance sessions at the school to help students and teachers recover from the tragic incident.

Dr Collins pledged to continue on his mission to help people, particularly young adults, realise their worth, their talents, abilities, gifts and strength through his leadership seminars.

Regional

Argentina’s Opposition takes on Peronists in run-off vote

Argentines voted in a run-off election on Sunday that hands the centre-right opposition, led by Mauricio Macri, its best chance in more than a decade to wrest the presidency from the populist Peronists and set the economy on a more free-market course.

In a sign of Argentines’ weariness with a spluttering economy, rising crime and corruption, Macri went into the country’s first ever second-round ballot with a comfortable lead in opinion polls over his ruling party rival Daniel Scioli.

Outgoing President Cristina Fernandez, who was preceded in office by her late husband Nestor Kirchner, is as loved by the poor for her generous welfare programmes as she is reviled by others for her confrontational style and the stifling controls she put on the economy.

“We need a change,” said Carlos Mombru, a 72-yearold retired engineer whose two sons left Argentina in search of better work oppor-

tunities during Fernandez’s rule.

“This country doesn’t have an economic problem, it has a political problem,” he said, referring to Argentina’s rich hydrocarbon and metal resources, as well as its powerful grains industry.

Barred from seek-

ing a third straight term, Fernandez will leave office next month with Argentina deeply divided between those who back her protectionist policies and defence of worker rights and those who back the Opposition’s open-market policies.

Scioli lost his front-runner status after the October

25 first-round vote when Macri, the two-term Mayor of Buenos Aires and scion of a wealthy family, unexpectedly came in right on his heels.

But with one in 10 voters undecided, Scioli cannot be counted out. (Excerpt from Reuters)

St Vincent: Ruling party launches election manifesto online

The incumbent Unity Labour Party (ULP) on Saturday launched what party leader, Ralph Gonsalves, described as the “Maccabees version” of its manifesto for the December 9 General Election.

Gonsalves launched the unabridged version of the manifesto which is available online, and said that the hardcopy version will be distributed next week.

The hard copy, he told party supporters at a rally in Campden Park, is “not as long, with all the ideas, all the proposal.

“That will be the King James version,” he said.

“Tonight, what we are launching is the most comprehensive, the most detailed, the most compelling developmental programme ever offered by any political party at any election in the

history of the Caribbean,” Gonsalves said of the 66page document.

The ULP is seeking a fourth consecutive term in office, and Gonsalves said there has been nothing like the manifesto before.

“And to beat what we have put online would require a very special Herculean effort,” he told party supporters.

“I repeat, we are launch-

ing tonight with Labour love, in grand style, our online version of the manifesto.

The most compelling developmental narrative, based on our vision, which is people-centred, our philosophy of social democracy applied to our circumstances in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the detailed policies and programmes to further uplift this country.” (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Sao Paulo students protest against closures

Like many working class youth in Brazil, Jessica Santiago de Souza studies for her high school diploma at night and works during the day to bring home more money for her family.

Her public school, Salvador Allende, sits on the impoverished outskirts of Sao Paulo’s East Zone and is covered in graffiti. Drug addicts sit on a patch of grass opposite.

At 20, Jessica says she is the oldest in her class. She originally dropped out of school in her mid-teens due to “family problems”.

She is determined to go to university and eventually get a better job that will allow her to support her father, she says. That is why she was so distraught when

she heard that her school was closing.

“There are only two oth-

er high schools in this area, and I’m worried that the classes will be too full,” she

says. So, Jessica began to organise her fellow students via social media. They agreed to occupy the school in protest against the closure. Their occupation began with 15 students and supporters at 03:00 on November 12. That number has grown since then to around 50 demonstrators, including students, former students, supporters, and even teachers.

Jessica is one of the hundreds of thousands of students in Sao Paulo who have been affected by school closures that are part of a local Government’s ‘reorganisation’ programme, purportedly aimed at making the school system more efficient. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Colombia to free 30 jailed FARC rebels as peace talk gesture

Colombia’s Government said on Sunday it will free 30 jailed members of the Marxist FARC rebel group as a gesture of goodwill as the two sides negotiate an end to more than five decades of war.

None of the inmates have been convicted of violent crimes while fighting for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), according to a statement from President Juan Manuel Santos’s office.

Once released, the group

will receive psychological help, education, job training and support for their families as they are reintegrated into society, it said.

Peace talks between the Government and FARC leadership have entered their fourth year in Havana, Cuba, as the two sides work through a complicated fivepoint agenda.

Santos has said he wants a peace accord signed by March 23 to end the conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions. (Reuters)

Amnesty says “ghost citizens” in Dominican Republic being

denied basic rights

Amnesty International Erika Guevara-Rosas

Amnesty International says tens of thousands of Dominicans are being denied their basic human rights since a 2013 ruling stripped nationality from anyone born to undocumented foreign parents or grandparents since 1929.

Without papers, these citizens are turned into “ghosts”, unable to access basic services such as education and health, and without the possibility to earn a decent living, said the human rights watchdog.

Merida, 42, is one of them. She was born in the Dominican Republic to Haitian parents who were not allowed to register her birth because they had no documents themselves. Merida suffers from a heart condition, but every time she goes to the doctor she is refused treatment because she does not have any identity papers. She buys medicine using the prescription of a friend who has a simi-

lar condition, but Merida believes she needs to change medications as those are causing her side effects.

“With the stroke of a pen, authorities in the Dominican Republic have effectively wiped four generations of Dominicans off the map,” said Americas Director at Amnesty International Erika Guevara-Rosas.

Giselle Mateodeli, born in the Dominican Republic in 1979 to Haitian parents, has been denied a nationality. “It is extremely serious not to have documents. I need to work for my son, I need to have a source of income. I feel powerless because I am not able to do anything in life”. Authorities in the Dominican Republic claim they have already taken enough measures to solve the problem, and that no one in the Dominican Republic lacks a nationality. But Amnesty International says a study it conducted has proved otherwise. (Excerpt from Caribbean360.com)

Schools closed as Belgium extends Brussels lockdown

Belgian Prime Minister

Charles Michel has confirmed that schools will be closed and a state of emergency will remain in place in Brussels as Police continue to hunt for suspects from the Paris attacks.

At a press conference on Sunday evening, Michel said that Brussels’ metro system will also remain closed today because of a “serious and imminent” threat.

“What we fear is an attack similar to the one in Paris, with several individuals who could also possibly launch several attacks at the same time in multiple locations,” Michel told a press conference in Brussels.

Possible targets were malls, shops and public transport, Michel said, adding the Government would boost Police and Army presence in the capital.

Security officials met on Sunday afternoon to decide whether to extend the emer-

Five

gency measures which have been in place since Saturday amid concerns that a “Parisstyle” attack is imminent in Brussels

For the rest of the country, a threat level of three on a four-tier scale would remain in place, Michel added.

Warnings on movement remained in place as authorities continued their efforts to track down one of the men believed to be involved

in the attack on the French capital last week that killed 130 people.

Salah Abdesalam, a Belgian national, is suspected to be hiding in the Brussels area and carrying what might be an explosive device.

Michel moved to increase the state of alert in Brussels to the highest level early on Saturday in response to the threat. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

dead in Burundi violence, Police deny attack on presidency

At least five people were killed in overnight clashes in Burundi, Police said on Sunday, denying residents’ reports of shelling late at night at the President’s Office in the capital Bujumbura.

Burundi has descended into violence since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced in April he would run for a third term – a move opponents said violated the Constitution – and went on to win a disputed election in July.

The authorities have identified those behind the unrest only as “criminals”, but the leader of a failed coup against Nkurunziza, General Leonard Ngendakumana, said in July that force was the only way to prevent the president’s third term.

Deputy Police Spokesman Moïse Nkurunziza said there was no shelling near the President’s Office in the Rohero district of the capital on Saturday. Residents had reported clashes between

soldiers at the presidency and unknown attackers.

“Up to now the Police have no information of a likely shelling last night,” Nkurunziza told a news conference.

Hundreds have been killed in related violence since April and 217,000 people have fled to surrounding countries, raising fears of slide into ethnic conflict in a region where memories of the 1994 genocide in neighbour Rwanda are still raw.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Iran sentences Washington Post reporter to prison term

An Iranian court has sentenced Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian to a prison term, the state news agency has said quoting the judiciary spokesman.

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei did not specify the length of the term, IRNA reported on Sunday.

The Washington Post said the publication was aware of the Iranian media reports, but had no further information.

“Every day that Jason is in prison is an injustice. He has done nothing wrong. Even after keeping Jason in prison 487 days so far, Iran has produced no evidence of wrongdoing. His trial and sentence are a sham, and he should be released immediately,” said Douglas Jehl, Foreign Editor of The Washington Post.

The US State

[File:

Department also said it could not confirm the sentence.

“If true, we call on the Iranian authorities to vacate this sentence and immediately free Jason so that he can be returned to his family,” a state department spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.

Rezaian, 39, was arrested in July, 2014 at his home

Around the world

China says won’t cease building on South China Sea isles

China said on Sunday it would continue to build military and civilian facilities on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea and the United States was testing it by sending warships through the area.

“Building and maintaining necessary military facilities, this is what is required for China’s national defence and for the protection of those islands and reefs,” Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur.

China planned to “expand and upgrade” the civilian facilities on the islands “to better serve commercial

ships, fishermen; to help distressed vessels and provide more public services”, Liu said, adding that China rejects the notion that it is militarising the South China Sea. He said China has mostly built civilian facilities.

Liu’s comments at the annual East Asia Summit, this year hosted by Kuala Lumpur, were some of the most forceful explanations that China has given regarding its position on the South China Sea.

Washington was testing Beijing with its insistence on “freedom of navigation” patrols in the strategic waterway, Liu said.

China, which claims almost the entire energy-rich South China Sea, has been transforming reefs into artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago and building airfields and other facilities on some of them. That has prompted concerns in Washington and across the region that Beijing is trying to militarise its claims in the South China Sea.

Earlier this month, US B-52 bombers flew near some of the islands, signalling Washington’s determination to challenge Beijing’s claim. At the end of October, the USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed around one of them. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Myanmar landslide: 90 dead at Kachin jade mine

Alandslide at a jade mine has killed at least 90 people in northern Myanmar, witnesses say.

The victims were buried when a vast heap of waste material, discarded by the mining companies, collapsed in Kachin state, Burmese media reported.

Many of the dead were

Magnitude

scavengers living on or near the waste dumps, who search through the debris in the hope of finding fragments of jade to sell.

The state of Kachin produces some of the best jade in the world.

The landslide in Hpakant happened in the early hours of Sunday morning, and

there are reports of dozens more missing.

A huge rescue operation is underway with the Myanmar Red Cross, the Army, Police and local community groups all at the scene trying to dig people out of the earth.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said that many of the dead were asleep in huts when the landslide happened.

“We are seeing only dead bodies and no one knows how many people live there,” local official Nilar Myint told the AFP news agency. He said that only one person had been pulled alive from the rubble, but had died soon afterwards.

However, rescue efforts have been hampered by bad weather. (Excerpt from BBC News)

5.9 earthquake rocks Pakistan, Afghanistan and north India

Earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday. Tremors were also felt in J&K and Delhi.

According to reports,

the epicentre of the quake was Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan.

No casualty or loss of property has been reported so far.

A total 408 aftershocks

with four or greater magnitude have been recorded over the past 100 days following the April 25 earthquake that left nearly 9000 people dead in Nepal. (Times of India and One India)

Authorities missed many ‘red flags’ before Paris shootings

There were multiple chances to stop the men who attacked Paris.

in Tehran where he had been working as a correspondent for the American newspaper for two years.

He appeared four times since May behind closed doors at Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, a special tribunal that presides over politically charged cases or those related to national security. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

In January, Turkish authorities detained one of the suicide bombers at Turkey’s border and deported him to Belgium. Brahim Abdeslam, Turkish authorities told Belgian Police at the time, had been “radicalised” and was suspected of wanting to join Islamic State in Syria, a Turkish security source told Reuters.

Yet during questioning in Belgium, Abdeslam denied any involvement with militants and was set free. So was his brother Salah –a decision that Belgian authorities say was based on scant evidence that either man had terrorist intentions.

On November 13, Abdeslam blew himself up at Le Comptoir Voltaire bar in Paris, killing himself and wounding one other. Salah is also a suspect in

the attacks, claimed by the Islamic State, and is now on the run.

In France, an “S” (State Security) file for people suspected of being a threat to national security had been issued on Ismail Omar Mostefai, who would detonate his explosive vest inside Paris’ Bataclan concert hall. Mostefai, a Frenchman of Algerian descent, was placed on the list in 2010, French police sources say. (Excerpt from Reuters)

What the people say about I SAY...

The recent insult against women’s rights activists by Member of Parliament Charandass Persaud

Curtly Frank – Student (Georgetown)

“Well any form of abuse is unacceptable, really. I think verbal abuse in public is terribly embarrassing. Men who verbally abuse women in public must have some sort of insecurity if they have to resort to public embarrassment. Men who hold public office, especially above a certain rank (especially a minister, MPs, high ranking GDF/GPF officers, etc) deserve to be stripped of their offices publicly, and that really should be a crime, if it isn’t.

Christopher Persaud - Supermarket clerk (Essequibo Coast)

“A woman need the respect and she should be given it. I think it’s only wise for the Member of Parliament to apologise to Dr Vindhya for the derogatory comments he made towards the cultural leader. I want to call on Charandass to be wise and apologise, ‘cause it’s the best thing to do”

Indera Gopaul - Berbice

“When our leaders act in such an irresponsible manner then what examples are they setting for the young generation? He is asking a fellow Parliamentarian to kiss his *** before he apologise to her for something he should not have said in the first place. Those things should not be allowed under this new administration which came into office to provide change. This is a test for President Granger to see what he is made of.”

Beatrice Mittelholzer - Essequibo Coast Women’s Rights Activist

“As the chairperson of Women and Gender Rights Group of Region Two, I personally disliked his attitude. He has belittled and pulled men of quality down to his low domain. He has no character neither morals to say something like that at and about women. To be a Member of Parliament and behave in such a manner is disgraceful. He should have never become a leader in the first place. I would really like to know if he would like to meet with me to have a one-on-one talk about how to treat woman. I am ready to meet with him. His words and action show that he is immature and insecure. He have underestimated her high quality in all her walks in life. Women of Region Two have totally rejected and disapproved of his immorality.”

Vishal Shiwsankar (Georgetown)

“It’s just against the law of Guyana and no woman should be abused in anyway. In the case where the abuser is someone in authority like a Member of Parliament or Minister they should be dismissed from that position”

Hemraj Samaroo - Student/ Businessman (Georgetown)

“Abuse should never be tolerated, irrespective of which gender falls victim to it. I believe persons should not show biasness when persons complain of verbal abuse or any other form. As it relates to the pressing issue, persons in public office need to have some decorum and find more diplomatic ways of dealing with issues, and the “cuss out” thorough fare should not be allowed, irrespective of the position they hold. All Guyanese should strive to treat each other equally. “

Lisa Paton - Private sector employee (Essequibo Coast)

“I seriously think women are the pillars for nation building as such they should be treated with utmost respect from the opponent gender. Dr Vindhya Persaud, who is a very respectful person in the Hindu community and Guyana at a large was only speaking on what she believe was right; what Charandass did was wrong and he should publicly apologise.”

Naomi Dyer - Corriverton

“Charandass was asked to make an apology and he refused. Even James Bond said that he should apologise. I think that President Granger should make him apologise. That is abuse against women just like he the abuse by the former Minister of Health, which Charandass had criticised on television. He must be made to apologise or be banned from Parliament.

Chevy Devonish – Law Student/ Activist (Georgetown)

“Well, it’s unfortunate that this has become a norm, passed down through socialisation. Men are taught that it’s normal to verbally abuse and harass women in private or public, and women are also taught that this is normal. If it is to stop we need to change the way we socialise our children. I also want to point out that verbal abuse and violence is not sex-specific. Though most of the reports show women to be the victims, they are also perpetrators from time to time. So the response must be balanced.”

Gustavo Gunsalves - Berbice River

“Charandass Persaud has a history of being disrespectful to women. I remember when he went on television and called a doctor ‘fat’ and said she was too fat to sit in a car. Now he wants to haul Dr Vindhya off the stage. Every time he publically ridicules a woman it is always a pretty and intelligent woman who has no time with him. Could it be that when the fox can’t get at the grape he says it is sour?”

I think that with his past record the Alliance for Change should ban him from making public statements and women should boycott him as a lawyer. When you live in glass houses you should not throw stones and when you have secrets in your closet you should shut up.”

To bring crime under control

PSC urges more ‘proactive’ crimefighting approach

In light of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) observing the trends in the escalation of criminal activities in the country, it has recommended to the APNU/AFC government that the Guyana Police Force take a more ‘proactive’ approach in combating crime.

Quite recently at a media briefing, Chairman of PSC Norman McLean stated that the Commission had prepared a comprehensive document with a list of strategies for the reduction of crime in Guyana.

He had presented this document at the Annual Officers’ Conference earlier this year but to date the PSC has received no feedback as to whether or not the government will be considering much more implementing the well-thought-out recommendations.

Guyana Times, given a copy of the revised and updated document last week, understands that while the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has notably been executing its duties and achieving successes in some cases, much more can be done.

“We wish to ensure that crime is under control and that our citizens can live a crime free life which is generally free from the fear of crime. In that regards as was stated by the objects of the Police, the primary object of an efficient Police is the prevention of crime, the next that of detection. That is the order, prevention therefore is our prime responsibility,” the document said.

According to the list of strategies developed for combating crime in the country there needs to be a “halo of protective measures” in homes, schools, on the streets and everywhere else to prevent criminal activities from occurring.

The document goes on to say recent studies have shown there are no “born criminals” and that certain conditions impact on people which in turn drive them to crime.

“Primary crime prevention is addressed by the physical presence of the Police in their communities ‘thru’ patrols, etc in their environment, as well as physical measures such as what is called hardening of targets by marking items, grilling and other environmental means of protecting life and property, use of guards, dogs and security measures.”

The PSC also stated that there is also a “secondary” or “social crime prevention” which prevents persons from drifting into crime by improving social conditions, strengthening community institutions and enhancing

recreational, educational and employment opportunities.

Guyana Times was told that secondary crime prevention interventions deal with the offender or potential offender. These interventions seek to eradicate social conditions which may foster crime such as the removal of slums, improved housing and establishment of more sport facilities.

With regards to crime detection, the PSC views this as an important element in embracing the total police role especially when preventive methods fail and there is no choice but to “enforce” and “detect”.

It has noted that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is a specialized unit and has been receiving training especially on fingerprint, forensic,

crime scene, operations, etc.

“We are aware of the development of the Forensic Lab which will be most welcome because this will enhance the performance of the Police.

A simple and basic issue is the development of facial sketch artists for making composite images of perpetrators… This is particularly important to assist with the identification of suspects in robberies, murders, etc.”

Guyana Times further understands the business community has concluded that in order to properly and efficiently address the crime situation in Guyana, this needs to be done in a holistic manner and not “piece meal”, according to the list of recommendations. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy. com)

Minibus driver shot

Aminibus driver is now nursing a gunshot wound to his jaw after being shot as he was operating along the Kitty/Stabroek route on Sunday evening.

The incident took place on Sheriff Street, Georgetown, in the vicinity of the Guyoil Service Station.

According to A

Division (GeorgetownEast Bank Demerara) Commander of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Clifton Hicken, a passenger of the minibus reported that while they were proceeding along the route (to the bus park), the conductor said he heard an “explosion”.

Subsequently, the driver identified as

40-year-old Devon Sears, stated that he felt a “burning sensation” on his jaw.

“This was not an attempt for robbery or anything. But investigations are still ongoing,” said Commander Hicken.

Guyana Times understands that the incident occurred around 18:50h on Sunday.

Guyana celebrates International Men’s Day

As Guyana joins the rest of the world in observing International Men’s Day, local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in collaboration with the Social Protection Ministry rolled out their programme to transform the landscape and work towards integrating young men in the nation-building process so they can eventually contribute significantly to the socioeconomic climate of the country.

Men and boys of all ages and from all cultural backgrounds gathered at the Queen’s College Auditorium in observation of International Men’s Day at a simple ceremony hosted by the Social Protection Ministry in collaboration with a newly formed NGO called ReMAN.

The event saw presentations from several men’s ac-

tivists and specialists who focused on various issues affecting men. The forum also allowed for the men in attendance to voice their concerns and express themselves in a free environment.

Some of the issues discussed were suicide and suicide related matters, violence against men and women and criminality. The objective was to raise awareness on the issues and educate the men on responsible behaviour in addressing the situations surrounding the relative issue.

ReMAN President Alvin Doris, speaking with Guyana Times on the sidelines of the event, explained that the organisation, which was launched on International Men’s Day 2014, aims to reposition men to embrace leadership and responsibility. Doris said the primary target group is boys between

Multimillion-dollar resort to open next month

The multimillion-dollar Aruwai Resort, located on the Essequibo

River, is expected to be opened next month.

Bartica miner and promi-

nent businessman Chunilall Babulall told Guyana Times that preparations were al-

ready underway to have the astounding resort have its grand opening in time for the Christmas season.

President David Granger is expected to be the guest speaker at the momentous inaugural ceremony.

The luxury resort is located approximately 20 minutes from Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) on an island about a quarter of a square mile long. It boasts a 38-room hotel with a beautiful beach nearby.

Other facilities that will be available on the getaway island include a pool, spa and a gymnasium.

According to reports, tourists vacationing at the resort will enjoy exhilarating boat rides on the Essequibo, Cuyuni and Mazaruni Rivers and visit wonderful landmarks like Fort Kyk-over-Al and the local mining camps.

Also serving as a bonus for visitors is the breathtaking White Water Waterfalls located right across the river from the resort. (devinas@ guyanatimesgy.com)

ages of 11 to 17.

“You ought to bend the tree when it is still young,” he stated, noting that the 11-17 age range is a crucial transition point from boyhood to manhood.

Some of the undertakings of ReMAN includes working with the relevant authorities to establish mentorship programmes in schools where the male teacher would be provided with the requisite training to allow them to properly mentor and advise male students; extend basic services to boys in orphanages; work with school dropouts and help them to build capacity by returning to school or trade institutions; and to work with men in prison and ex-cons to help them reintegrate into society.

Meanwhile, James Bond, speaking on behalf of Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence, highlighted some of the major issues affecting men in Guyana.

“Men are faced with serious problems of unemployment, low self-esteem and lack of confidence, addiction to drugs, street gangs, dysfunctional marital households, contagious diseases and alternative social lifestyles. The list is not exhaustive and when we look at the issues of our youth male at the school level, we are faced with bullying, peer pressure, drugs in school, poor performance and dropouts, sexual abuse and trafficking in persons, teenage pregnancies, suicide and the list is unending,” Bonds underlined.

Against that backdrop, Bond urged the gathering to empower their lives by embracing positive values and ideas so they can assume leadership roles and responsibilities in the society.

Also speaking to this publication was Head of the Men’s Affairs Bureau, Pastor Diego Alphonso who noted that his organisation will be working in close collaboration with ReMAN and the respective Ministries to continue the efforts towards building capacity and transforming the landscape so that men develop the necessary skills and mindset to be of value to the nation’s society.

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

Financial gain is apparent. Assert your needs and wants without being overbearing. Tact and diplomacy will enable you to charm people and groups into granting you favours.

Money matters will be unsettling. Avoid lending and borrowing. Call in loans and pay off as many debts as you can to avoid being left in a compromising position.

Your innovative concepts will provide you with a new direction. Focus your efforts on what you enjoy doing most in order to end up with a lucrative sideline or full-time career.

Don’t be content with just getting by. Educate yourself about topics that are relevant to your profession. Your chance for advancement will increase as you become more proficient.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

In order to stay ahead of the game, you must be aware of what your competition is doing. Be observant. It’s apparent that someone is trying to undermine your credibility.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Unanticipated changes within the family will cause emotional distress. Do your best to avoid finding fault or placing blame on others. Outside help may be required to reach a compromise.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Be honest about your feelings and intentions. The time and effort you put into your personal relationships will be proof of your devotion.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Put your plans in motion. This is an opportune time to show others what you have to offer. Make the best of any opportunity you get to enhance your self-esteem.

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Keep your plans to yourself if you don’t want someone else to end up taking credit for your hard work. Someone you trust will let you down.

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

Stay in the background where you can get a better view of what’s going on around you. Careful timing will ensure that your work will reach a wide and receptive audience.

AQUARIUS

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Love is in the stars. You may feel like splurging, but resist the urge to overspend or you will fall short when your monthly bills arrive. Think ahead and set new trends.

Showcase your ideas to anyone who can help you move forward professionally. Trying to do everything on your own will be disheartening. Don’t be shy; ask for assistance.

Canelo defeats Cotto by decision,

says ‘now it’s my era’

Canelo Alvarez is the new middleweight champion of the world after pounding his way to a unanimous decision victory against Miguel Cotto in a hard-fought battle Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Alvarez and Cotto delivered an entertaining fight that had the crowd cheering throughout as Alvarez stalked Cotto, who knew his best chance to win was to box, box and box.

Cotto, 35, gave it a tremendous effort, staying on his toes and moving nicely throughout the fight, but the judges clearly liked Alvarez’s brute strength more, awarding him the fight on surprisingly wide scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111.

ESPN.com had the fight 115-113 for Alvarez, a former unified junior middleweight titleholder who won a world title in his second weight class.

“It’s an emotion I can’t put into words,” Alvarez said through a translator as the sold-out crowd of 11,274 cheered. “I’m very happy, and much respect to Miguel Cotto. I will always respect him and he’s a great champion, but now it’s my era.

“I was fully prepared for what Cotto was going to do in the ring, whether that was take a defense stance or be the aggressor.”

The victory will go down as one of the best for Mexico in its rich and legendary boxing rivalry with Puerto Rico and should launch Alvarez -at 25 already Mexico’s most popular fighter -- to even greater stardom.

“It’s a great victory for

me; not just for me, but for all of my country, for all my people, and especially for my team,” Alvarez said. “I have a great trainer [Eddy Reynoso]. He brought me here from nothing. I didn’t even know what a jab was. That I’m at this level shows the quality of my trainer.”

Said Reynoso, whose father, Chepo, serves as Alvarez’s manager and assistant trainer: “We are very proud of Canelo today. As we all know, he started from the bottom and now he is the champion. I was never worried about him from the first round through to the 12th round. He has great defense strategy, but I was hoping that he would have finished Cotto sooner.

“I know that he was looking for the knockout and as a result didn’t throw as much as he should have to put Miguel on the canvas. We have a lot of respect for Miguel; he is a great fighter, and we have tremendous respect for Freddie Roach as a

trainer.”

Saturday’s fight was contracted at a catchweight of 155 pounds, five less than the division limit.

Alvarez not only claimed the WBC belt but also the lineal world championship, which Cotto was defending for the second time. However, on Tuesday the WBC stripped Cotto of his belt because of a dispute over the sanctioning fee. The WBC demanded $300,000, which Alvarez agreed to pay. Cotto offered to pay $125,000. The WBC refused to negotiate the fee, contrary to what it has typically done for major fights.

Cotto was shocked by the decision and did not do a postfight interview, nor did he appear at the postfight news conference. He immediately retreated to his dressing room, where his promoter, Jay Z of Roc Nation Sports, told him, “You had a great fight.”

“We thought it was much closer than the scorecards

showed,” said Roach. “It was a competitive fight. Miguel’s defense was unbelievable all night long.”

The fight began with the crowd immediately breaking into chants of “Mexico! Mexico,” but it was Cotto who moved well and outboxed Alvarez. That was clearly Roach’s game plan as he entered his fourth fight since remolding Cotto in the wake of back-to-back decision losses to Mayweather and Austin Trout. Alvarez began to land a bit more in the second round, but Cotto’s speed was still giving him problems.

Alvarez landed a solid right hand late in the third round that did not appear to faze Cotto, but Alvarez landed several more in the fourth that did seem to bother Cotto more.

The action finally began to heat up in the fifth round. As the two exchanged powerful shots, Alvarez landed an uppercut, and Cotto responded with a left hook during an exchange.

Alvarez, who had slight swelling under his left eye, had a big eighth round, landing a powerful right hand that finally seemed to stun Cotto. But Cotto stood in, and they had a long exchange in the first minute that had the crowd going wild.

Alvarez continued to impose his will on Cotto, who backed away and looked a bit tired at the end of the round. Alvarez’s power advantage was evident again in the ninth round, when he landed several heavy shots that stopped Cotto in his tracks. (ESPN)

Bolt maintains big lead over Messi

Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt looks a safe bet to be named 2015 Latin American and Caribbean Athlete of Year after holding a 13-points lead in the polls over closest contender Lionel Messi.

In the latest round of voting Radio Havana Cuba cast its vote for Messi over Bolt, but that only moved the Barcelona and Argentine star to five vote, well behind the double world record holder, who leads the field with 15. His compatriot sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who claimed the 100m and relay titles at the Beijing Olympic Games, however, continues to trial Cuban Yarisley Silva.

The latest polls show Silva on 11, three ahead of Fraser-Pryce. After

Ibargüen moved into fourth place on four votes.

The Cuban boxing team, victorious in Doha and runner-up at the World Series, were also favored by Radio Havana Cuba and reached 13 votes, well ahead of the Chilean national football team, winner of the 2015 Copa America, who are now second on five votes.

Participation in the annual survey conducted by Prensa Latina is made up of Latin American news organisations (written press, radio, television and electronic media) who vote as entities and not as individuals.

The votes will be accepted until Monday, December 21. The survey’s results will be released a day later. (Digicel

Hafeez will not play with Amir due to spot fixing past

Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez has said he will not play in the same team as disgraced ex-team-mate Mohammad Amir.

Fast bowler Amir, 23, was jailed for his part in a spot-fixing scam during the 2010 Test series in England and banned from cricket for five years.

He returned in September and is playing for Chittagong Vikings in Bangladesh.

Hafeez refused to play with Amir in the Twenty20 competition, saying: “I can’t share the dressing room with someone who hurt my country’s integrity.”

The all-rounder, 35, said he had no “personal issues” with the bowler, who would be eligible for selection for Pakistan’s squad to tour England next summer.

He added: “If any other team makes me an offer then I will play the league and I have no problems facing Amir as I have played against him in the domestic matches, but I can’t be in the same team.”

Asked what his stance would be if Amir was recalled by Pakistan, Hafeez said: “We will look at it when it happens. It’s premature to say anything now.”

Amir, then 18, pleaded guilty to bowling no-balls at pre-arranged times during Pakistan’s fourth Test against England at Lord’s in 2010.

He served half of a sixmonth jail term, while team-mates Mohammad Asif and captain Salman

Butt served six and seven months respectively.

Hafeez said: “They were just banned and went away from the fields. It was us who had to bear the brunt.

“We had to restore Pakistan team’s integrity, restore the confidence of the world.

“We had to suffer the taunts of the fans and after 2010 every act, every defeat and every mistake of ours was seen as suspicious, so we overcame that tough time and will not allow it to happen again.”

Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq said he supported Amir’s inclusion in the Bangladesh league.

“He has been playing domestic cricket in Pakistan so it’s a tournament where he can share the experience of some of

the international players and see where he is at the moment,” said Misbah.

Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott said Amir, Asif and Butt should be “given a second chance”.

Speaking to pakpassion.net, the 75-year-old said: “Give them a proper chance, get fit, play well and if they are still good enough then give them a chance in the Pakistan team.

“Nobody should hold anything against, or favour, any of the three in any way.” Amir claimed 4-30 for Vikings in Dhaka on Sunday in his first match outside Pakistan in five years.

The Pakistan Cricket Board told Butt and Asif they must complete a “rehabilitation process” before they will be considered for selection. (BBC

IOC president proposes overhaul of WADA doping operations

IOC president Thomas Bach proposed an overhaul of the World AntiDoping Agency’s operations Friday, including the creation of independent testing and professional intelligence-gathering units to avoid the type of scandals that have embroiled Russia and track and field.

In a radical change, Bach also recommended that all doping sanctions be handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport rather than by individual sports bodies or WADA.

Bach also said that Russia’s Olympic chief briefed him on “important first steps” that have been taken to reform the country’s anti-doping program following the suspension of its track and field federation.

Bach spoke in a keynote address at the opening in Prague of the general assembly of the European Olympic Committees, with Russian officials among the delegates.

A month ago, a summit of Olympic leaders proposed that drug-testing be taken out of the hands of sports organizations, and that WADA should take over testing on a global level to ensure more credibility. WADA leaders agreed this week to study the idea.

On Friday, Bach laid out

Thomas Bach

three proposals for WADA to consider, in order to ensure a “streamlined, efficient and worldwide harmonized antidoping system”:

• Setting up a testingand results-management unit within WADA that is independent of the agency’s monitoring role. Sports federations would transfer their anti-doping systems to the new body and make funding available. Governments would support the new organization “both logistically and financially.”

• Establishing a “professional intelligence-gathering unit” within the new doping body. The unit would deal with compliance by national anti-doping bodies and drug-testing labs accredited by WADA. This would help to make them “compliant at all times and in such a way to protect the clean athletes

worldwide to the same level.”

• Doping bans and other sanctions worldwide to be imposed only by CAS, the Swiss-based arbitration court that currently rules on appeals of doping and other cases. Bach said the change would make the process more cost efficient and harmonized across all sports and countries. The right to appeal against sanctions to a different CAS panel “would be fully upheld and guaranteed.”

“We are convinced that the adoption of these proposals would lead to a more efficient, more transparent, more streamlined, more cost efficient, more harmonized anti-doping system,” Bach said. “It would better protect the clean athletes and enhance the credibility of sports.”

In the meantime, Bach

said WADA would lead an intelligence-gathering program funded by the IOC to make drug-testing as independent as possible in the lead-up to next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“Out-of-competition testing during the Olympic Games will also be guided by this intelligence group from WADA to make it more targeted and effective,” he said.

Earlier, Bach spoke with Russian Olympic Committee chief Alexander Zhukov, who informed him of “some first very important steps” taken by the country to get its house in order on doping.

Russia’s athletics federation was provisionally suspended by the IAAF last week following a report by a WADA-appointed commission that accused the country of operating a statebacked doping program. Russia’s track and field athletes are indefinitely banned from global competition and could miss the Olympics in Rio.

Zhukov is overseeing Russia’s efforts to sanction guilty athletes and officials, reform the athletic federation and become compliant with global anti-doping rules.

“These important steps include renewal, include new people, include also new inquiries,” Bach said. (ESPN)

McIlroy wins European season finale, tops money list again

Rory McIlroy won Dubai’s DP World Tour Championship on Sunday, overhauling overnight leader Andy Sullivan with four birdies on the back nine to also be crowned Europe’s top money earner for a third year in four.

McIlroy carded a final round 66 to end with a 21-under aggregate score of 267, having begun the day on 15 under, a shot adrift of England’s Sullivan at the $8 million European Tour’s season finale.

Playing partner Sullivan’s 68 left him on 268, one stroke short despite stretching his advantage early on as McIlroy seized control mid-round with seven birdies in 11 holes.

The four-time major winner could even afford to take a drop on the 17th after finding the water, eventually recovering to make a 40-foot bogey before sealing victory with a 12-inch par putt on the final green.

It’s probably the longest putt I’ve ever made for a bogey; I don’t think there’s been one that’s come at a better time, so definitely the best bogey of my career,” the Northern Irishman told reporters.

The victory was his fourth of the year and first since May, McIlroy having missed three tournaments including the British Open at St. Andrews after rupturing ankle ligaments while playing soccer in July.

McIlroy’s 12th tour title means the 26-year-old also retained the Race to Dubai, formerly known as the Order of Merit and given to Europe’s top money earner. He was also victorious in 2012 and 2014.

SULLIVAN START

Ahead of play, McIlroy practiced his putting until almost the last moment while Sullivan casually waited on the opening tee. But the duo seemed at ease with each other, amiably chatting and joking as they walked the first fairway.

Sullivan, ranked 53 in the world, sunk an eight-foot birdie on the first after seeing McIlroy miss a 15-footer that ended just short. Both birdied the second, Sullivan moving to 18 under and McIlroy two adrift on 16 under. On the par-three fourth, McIlroy seemed perturbed after pulling his tee shot and although he recovered with

The new GFF

B y A ven A sh R A mz A n

It has been just over a week since Wayne Forde was elected to head the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for the next four years.

His Team Integrity slate won a keenly contested election 12-10 against the Nigel Hughes-led Team Unity – a result which may have come as a surprise to many, but a breath of fresh air for those who clamour for real change.

Forde campaigned vigorously on his slate’s name, boasting at every opportunity that his comrades were men of integrity, and such a character trait was badly needed in the sport, especially with all the negative reports emanating out of the Zurich-based FIFA headquarters.

The message seemed to have resonated well with the Member Associations of the GFF, who demonstrated their inclination for men of such quality, through their votes.

Not that the candidates from the other slate do not portray such values, but in the lead-up to the election, there was much talk about two individuals in particular who many deemed detrimental to Team Unity’s chances.

It certainly did not help Team Unity’s ambitions when one of those persons made a U-turn on the day of the Congress when he had earlier publicly disclosed his intentions to step down from his designated post of First Vice President, citing unwarranted attacks from Team Integrity.

Of course, Forde and his team were quick to refute those allegations, and so the process of electing a new Executive Committee of the GFF went ahead without much further hiccup.

an 80-foot putt to within four feet of the pin, he scuffed his next effort for a bogey that gave Sullivan a threestroke advantage.

The duo again picked up shots with close range putts on hole five, McIlroy’s the first of three successive birdies that lifted the world number three to 18 under.

Sullivan also birdied six but then bogeyed eight – his first dropped shot in 22 holes - as his lead was reduced to one stroke by the turn.

“I gave it everything on that front nine, I just couldn’t quite get the putts to drop on the back nine,” said Sullivan.

“I didn’t really hit it close enough again, (but) to come up head-to-head with someone of Rory’s quality was absolutely awesome and something that will stick with me for a long time.”

McIlroy took a lead he was not to relinquish on 14, tapping in from two feet for a third birdie in four holes, although a bogey on 17 narrowed his lead to one stroke and gave Sullivan a final chance.

The Englishman’s 20-foot birdie attempt on the 18th, which would have forced at least a play-off, rolled inches wide and McIlroy then took two putts to seal victory by a stroke.

“If I hadn’t won today, I wouldn’t have been too happy,” said McIlroy. “Andy had chances to make a couple of birdies and didn’t quite convert and I was able to just hang on.”

South Africa’s Branden Grace (67) was third on 273, while compatriot Charl Schwartzel (69) was one of six players tied on 275. (Reuters Sport)

Moments after being elected, Forde’s first words to the media were, “On behalf of my executive body, I want to say thank you to the football fraternity, the Guyana football fraternity, for expressing their confidence and their faith in us to transform the landscape of football in Guyana.”

He continued, “For many years we have been listening to the cry for change, and I think the members of the Guyana football fraternity have demonstrated their faithfulness in the possibility of that change. I can tell you with complete confidence that that change has come to Guyana’s football.”

Indeed, transforming Guyana’s football is no easy task, and it would take more than a term to even lay the groundwork to push the process forward. From his utterances, it’s an undertaking that Forde fully understands to be “challenging”, and would require all and sundry to work for the common good.

“This is a journey that we cannot take alone. We need all hands on deck, and throughout the campaign we’ve expressed at every opportunity, the importance of including all stakeholders…and I believe that that will be the hallmark of this executive for the next four years,” Forde explained.

The fact that Forde has extended a hand of friendship to the members of Team Unity is a clear indication of his desire to construct a model of inclusivity.

It is the only way to move Guyana’s football forward.

The GFF new Ex-Co cannot afford to live in a cocoon and expect the brilliant plans outlined in its manifesto to come to fruition.

A collective approach must be adopted in order to forge a pathway that would ultimately lead to the benefits all stakeholders crave in Guyana’s football.

In just one year, the Normalisation Committee has provided a strong foundation for the new Ex-Co, and the onus is now on Forde and his men to build on that momentum.

As one local sport administrator would usually say, “Once you plan your work, and work your plan, there is nothing to fear.” A fearless approach would certainly do no harm, but Forde and his men must work to ensure that such lofty qualities that brought them to office in the first place are maintained. Integrity must be their watchword. (aramzan@ guyanatimesgy.com)

YELLOW PAGES

monday, november 23, 2015

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According to the once-prolific middle-order batsman, the West Indies’ decline has come from a mixture of poor leadership and the money-driven shortest version of the game.

Waugh, speaking at a youth forum in Thailand, said West Indies cricket has not had good leadership in 10 years.

NBA Roundup…

According to Waugh, Australia’s success at cricket, has come from taking a blueprint of the way West Indies cricket was run.

Waugh also believes, that the West Indies have suffered from a Twenty20 drain, saying the team’s best cricketers like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Samuel Badree, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo, have preferred to play in lucrative short-form leagues, to the detriment of the regional side.

The West Indies will tour

next month in a three-Test

beginning December 10. (Digicel

Heat survive Sixers; Knicks win fourth straight

Dwyane Wade scored 27 points and the Miami Heat survived a major scare from winless Philadelphia, rallying from 17 points down to beat the 76ers 96-91 on Saturday night.

Hassan Whiteside scored 13 points and added nine rebounds and eight blocks for the Heat, who went on a 19-2 run in a seven-minute stretch of the fourth quarter to escape. Chris Bosh also scored 13 for Miami.

Philadelphia is now 0-14 this season — the ninth-worst start in NBA history — and has dropped 24 consecutive games going back to last season. Few of those were as winnable as this was, but the 76ers simply folded in the final minutes.

Isaiah Canaan scored 22 for Philadelphia, and Robert Covington finished with 21.

Knicks 107, Rockets 102 Kristaps Porzingis had 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocked shots to lead New York over slumping Houston.

The Knicks (8-6) won their fourth straight overall. They also snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Rockets and a 10-game skid when playing in Houston.

The Knicks didn’t get their eighth win last season until Jan. 23, when they were 8-36.

James Harden had 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as the Rockets lost for the sixth time in their last seven games.

Cavaliers 109, Hawks 97

Kevin Love scored a season-high 25 points, LeBron James added 19 and Cleveland beat Atlanta.

The teams met for the first time since the Cavaliers swept the Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals, and it didn’t take long for Cleveland to continue its dominance.

quarter. Cleveland quickly built a 10-point lead, stretched the margin to 57-40 late in the first half and the Hawks never recovered.

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was ejected in the second quarter after making contact with an official. Budenholzer was given a technical for arguing a call, bumped referee Ben Taylor after stepping on the floor and was quickly tossed.

Spurs 92, Grizzlies 82

Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points, Tony Parker had 18 and San Antonio snapped Memphis’ fourgame winning streak.

Manu Ginobili added 15 points for San Antonio, which is unbeaten in six home games.

Tim Duncan had 10 points, including a pair of running floaters in the lane in the final 90 seconds to seal the victory, as well as 10 rebounds.

Mike Conley had 16 points and Courtney Lee added 15 points off the bench.

Memphis’ only lead came on Tony Allen’s 20-

The Cavaliers took control after trailing 17-16 midway through the first

foot jumper to open the game. Neither team had

its starting power forward. LaMarcus Aldridge was a late scratch with a sprained left ankle, his first missed game with San Antonio. Memphis’ Zach Randolph was in uniform, but did not play in his second straight game due to right knee soreness.

Kings 97, Magic 91 DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points and 12 rebounds as Sacramento held off Orlando.

Rajon Rondo added 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Kings, who had lost two in a row. Marco Belinelli chipped in 13 points off the bench.

Trailing 65-61, the Kings outscored the Magic 22-2 in the final 5:03 of the third quarter to take an 83-67 lead into the fourth. Sacramento led by as many as 16 points in the final period.

Orlando surged within 87-80 in the fourth, but after Evan Fournier was called for a technical for arguing an offensive foul, the Kings got the lead back up to double digits.

Tobias Harris led the Magic with 24 points. Fournier added 17.

Pacers 123, Bucks 86

C.J. Miles scored a season-high 21 points to lead Indiana over Milwaukee. Paul George had 20 points and seven rebounds, and Jordan Hill added a season-high 20 points off the bench for the Pacers (8-5), who have won five of six.

Greg Monroe had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Bucks (5-8), who have lost three straight and five of six. Jabari Parker and O.J. Mayo each finished with 10 points. (Macomb Daily)

Antigua and Barbuda set to face Guyana in basketball action

Antigua and Barbuda have selected an all-star team to play Guyana from November 26 to December 3 at various locations in Guyana in a four-game basketball series.

Below are a few profiles of the inbounding officials and players of the Antigua and Barbuda squad:

Name: Marlon George

Position: Coach

Background: George has been the Head Coach and Manager for Digicel in the Business Basketball League for several years, leading his team to a third-place finish in this year's competition.

Name: Carlton Brodie

Position: Referee

Background: Brodie is the First Vice President of the Antigua Barbuda Basketball Association and a FIBA Certified Official for the past 10 years.

GABF shortlists 30-man squad to face Antigua and Barbuda

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) will host an Antigua and Barbuda men’s all-star basketball team from November 26 to December 3 at various venues in Guyana.

The GABF recently shortlisted a 30-man squad for the All Star Basketball Challenge Series that will bring many of the Antiguan players from their men’s team that placed third in the 2015 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships, held during June in the British Virgin Islands.

Darcel Harris and Marlon Rodrigues will coach the Guyana men’s all-star basketball team in

their quest to outperform their inbounding counterparts.

The Guyana All Star Team will be selected from the following squad: Dominic Vincente, Dave Causway, Travis Burnett, Kurtleigh English, Shelroy Thomas, Nikolai Smith, Travin Dryden, Harold Adams, Terron Welch, Amineke Archibald, Chris Williams, Dennis Niles, Keon Cameron, Trenton

Woolford, Orin Rose, Jermaine Hamilton, Akeem Kanhai, Jason Squires, Stefon Gillis, Ruel Ritch, Tyrone Hamid, Randy Richardson, Royston Siland, Jermaine Slater, Shane Webster, Drumson McAulay, Fabian Johnson, Kurt Elias, Ryan Gullen and Rayon Cummings.

The game dates, start times and locations for the All Star Challenge

Basketball Series between Antigua and Guyana are Saturday, November 28 at Mackenzie Sports Club from 20:00h; Sunday, November 29, Burnham Court from 20:00h; Monday, November 30, Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from 21:00h; and Wednesday, December 2, Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from 21:00h.

Practice sessions commenced for the Guyanese squad on November 18. Supporting games will be played before each of the feature games as basketball fans are encouraged to support their local basketball stars, with free admission for children under the age of 13.

Name: Ettienne Davis

Height: 5’11

Position: Guard Basketball background: Davis, who currently plays for Big Banana Express in the local league and Digicel in the Business League, leads both teams. In the local league, Davis averages nine points per game. He rallied his team to a second-place finish in the second division, promoting them to the premier division.

In the Business League, Davis was no different as he led his team with his hardcore style, averaging 11 points and five rebounds per game to finish third in the regular season.

Name: Mario Samuel

Height: 5’10

Position: Guard

Basketball background: Samuel currently plays for KC Ballers in the second division of the local league averaging five points per game. He also plays for Sandals in the Business League where he averages 10.2 points per game.

Name: Eric “Lebron” Joseph

Height: 6’1

Position: Small Forward

Basketball background: Joseph, who is a three-time champion in the local league, currently plays for the 2015 league and playoff champions in the premier division, F and G Trading Cuties Ovals Ojays averaging eight points and four rebounds per game. Joseph plays for newcomers Fitzroy Rewinding Transformers in the Business League, leading his team to an eighth- place finish in the regular season and a spot in the playoffs with 15.4 points and eight rebounds per game.

Name: Adissa “Rass-I” Harris

Height: 5’10

Position: Point Guard

Basketball background: Harris currently plays for the local league and playoff champions F and G Trading Cuties Ovals Ojays in the premier division where he averages eight points and eight assists per game. Harris also plays for the 2015 league champions in The Business League, 3Ds.

Djokovic ends year on high with Finals win over Federer

Novak Djokovic put the finishing touch to a magnificent season by beating Roger Federer 6-3 6-4 to win the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday for the fifth time in his career.

The Serbian underlined his complete dominance of men’s tennis with another immaculate display to become the first player in the year-ending tournament’s 46-year history to triumph four times in a row.

Federer brought the tournament to a close in anti-climactic fashion with a doublefault, although not as much as a year ago when he pulled out of the final with back injury.

After a modest celebration, Djokovic walked back to his chair and wrote “And now for vacation” in Serbian on a camera lens. How he deserves one.

The 28-year-old has stomped through the season to leave his rivals trailing in his wake -- securing the yearend world number one ranking weeks before the London finale.

He won three of the year’s four grand slams, beating the evergreen Federer in the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals to take his career haul to 10, and would have celebrated the rarest of ‘calendar year slams’ had it not been for an inspired Stanislas Wawrinka in the French Open final.

Not only that but he won a record six Masters Series crowns and reached 15 consecutive finals after losing to Ivo Karlovic in the Doha quarter-finals at the start of the

year.

He ended the year with an 82-6 win loss record -- half of those defeats coming against Federer, including Tuesday’s 7-5 6-2 group stage defeat by the Swiss that snapped his 23-match winning streak and three-year unbeaten run indoors.

With the stakes raised, though, the 34-year-old Federer made far too many errors on Sunday while Djokovic’s defences proved largely impenetrable, but for the odd flash of Swiss magic that had his large red and white fan club chanting their approval.

Stand-out season

“I returned more balls back than I did five days ago,” Djokovic told a news conference.

“Obviously sitting here with this trophy alongside me, I couldn’t ask for a better finish of the season.

“This season definitely stands out. I can’t say I expected it, not at all. But I always gave my best, and I’m always asking from myself the most.”

Federer’s chances were fleeting.

He had the first break point in the second game but fluffed a forehand into the net.

In the next game a nearidentical forehand found the net to give Djokovic the break and from there the world number one never looked back.

The clinical Djokovic teased Federer into a volley

error on set point in the ninth game to move ahead.

UNRELENTING

DJOKOVIC

Federer, bidding for a record-extending seventh title at the year-ender, was staring at the abyss when he trailed 3-4 0-40 in the second set but escaped with five straight points.

Djokovic was unrelenting though and wore his opponent down with one brutal rally two games later, sealing victory when a Federer second serve sailed long. He has now levelled his head-to-head record (22-22) with Federer for the first time in his career, a day after pulling level with Rafael Nadal (23-23).

Djokovic is seven short of Federer’s record 17 grand slam titles and, if he avoid injuries, it is far from inconceivable that he could threaten that mark in the next few years.

However, world number three Federer warned that emulating 2015 will be a tall order for the Serb.

“Margins are small at the very top,” Federer said.

“That’s why this year of Novak’s is amazing. Rafa has been there. I’ve been there. We both know how hard it is to back it up. It takes a lot of effort.

“You’ve got to be physically in shape, no injuries whatsoever. Mentally you have to be at your peak at all times. It’s not as easy as it seems sometimes.”

(Reuters Sport)

WICB PCL 4-Day Tournament

Guyana enforce follow-on with Barbados 67 runs adrift

– Carter hits 89 in fight back

By Akeem Greene

After a disastrous start to the third day’s play, the Bajans ended on 116-3 from 81 overs on Sunday when play drew to a close at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

With one day remaining, the Bajans are behind by 67 runs after Guyana enforced the follow-on.

Barbados Pride, facing the daunting tasking of overhauling a 233 deficit to make Guyana bat again, was led by a well-composed innings by Jonathan Carter.

Carter’s attritional 89 saw him being dropped four times by the close-in fielders as he frustrated his Guyanese counterparts for their mishaps in the field by striking 12 fours while facing 235 balls.

Carter’s vigil came to an end in the last over of the day, when he attempted to pull a short pitched delivery from skipper Leon Johnson who brought himself in for the first time in the day, and was caught by the running Vishaul Singh at square leg. Carter would be upset as he seemed set to score his third First-Class century in 51 matches.

He and right hander Sharmarh Brooks, who made 30 not out from some 126 balls, put on an 84-run partnership which frustrated the Guyanese bowlers, who certainly wanted to bowl out the Bajans cheap-

ly.

Carter, who has played 13 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies, will be ruing his lost opportunity not only to score a muchdeserved ton but most importantly to put Barbados in a more comfortable position as they are still 67 runs adrift from the 233 target to make Guyana bat again.

Carter, who seemed to be batting with a lucky charm, was dropped on 12 off the bowling of Jacobs in final over before lunch as the visitors ended on 38-1. After lunch, Jacobs, bowling from the southern end, seemed more relaxed and bowled with a bit more flight and turn. He brought Carter forward to induce an edge but it was dropped by skipper Leon Johnson in a sharp chance at first slip. Carter and young open-

National Schools’ Championships

er Kyle Corbin seemed to stabilise the innings with a second-wicket partnership of 62 runs, but in the 37th over, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie broke the partnership after the righthanded Corbin lobbed a catch to Shimron Hetmyer at mid-off, with the score on 82.

Corbin made 24 from 106 deliveries striking two boundaries before Motie’s dream debut in First-Class cricket continued. The 20-year-old Motie has already picked up 14 wickets from his first two FirstClass matches and again looked threatening on the flat Providence pitch.

Carter was soon dropped again at forward short leg by Assad Fudadin off the bowling of Motie. The lefthander then rocked on the back foot and spanked a

short delivery from Motie through the cover region for four which took his score to 51 off 136 bringing up his 14 First-Class fifty. Carter, on 60, and Brooks, on 6, continued to test the bowling and took the score to 112-2 at tea. Some 74 runs were scored in the post-lunch session, with one wicket being taken and 34 overs being bowled.

Earlier, Barbados, resuming on their overnight score of 60-4, were bowled out for 104 from 50 overs, with Tino Best topscoring with a flashy 19 (3x4s) from 23 balls.

Guyana continued to be dominant and took eight wickets. Ace spinner Veerasammy Permaul took 3-41 from 21 overs as young Motie snared 3-19 from eight overs. Steven Jacobs chipped in with 2-18.

‘Nationals’ nicely balance ahead of today’s start

Guyana’s most anticipated and biggest sport event is set to start today with three different events at three different locations.

Swimming will start at 10:00h at the National Aquatic Centre, while the 10K road race will start from 06:00h from the Earth Station, and head to the University of Guyana Road before finishing in front of the Children’s Monument in the National Park.

The 40K cycle race will also pedal off today from 10:00h in front of Ocean View before turning at Strathspey on the East Coast of Demerara for the finish in front of Ocean View Hotel.

An electric buzz is in the air ahead of the event, as today will mark the 55th edition of the historic Championships along with Guyana’s oldest rivalry in North Georgetown (District 11) versus Upper Demerara/ Kwakwani (District 10) –

the two most successful teams in the history of the Championships: District 11 with 14 championships and District 10 with 13.

Nevertheless, while both squads are ready for their date with history, there are other strong contenders that can sway the outcome of the Championships.

East Coast Demerara (District 4) can also be considered a strong contender in the championships since they are always in the mix,

sporting seven titles.

New Amsterdam (District 15) also could be top contenders with their rich history of talented athletes and while they don’t have a championship to their name, the District always find a way into the upper brass of the competition.

Another team that seem to have a realistic shot at the Championships is South Georgetown (District 13), but whether their athletes can perform on the day is the big question with a district that have always had great talent but have never seemed to make an impact on the event.

East Georgetown (District 12) seem to be the dark horse in the event due to their talented team in the athletics division, whether they can impact the cycling, swimming and teachers championships is left to be seen.

With all logistics in place for a great event this year, no clear winner can be pegged to take the title from the onset.

Barbados Pride only lasted an hour in the first session, as they lost their last six wickets for 44 runs from 21 overs.

Debutant Kemar Braithwaite went the leg before wicket route to Permaul trying to turn a ball pitched on the offside into leg side, for 15. Jacobs, who opened the bowling with Beaton, seemed to be trying too hard to get wickets and strayed some balls down the leg side. He had a great chance earlier when he got one to grip and turn and induced an inside edge off Braithwaite which looped over Motie at leg slip.

West Indies Test spinner Permaul, who has figures of

1-45 from 27 overs so far in the second innings, will be looking produce some magic along with Motie (1-26) as Guyana go for victory. Guyana will hope to get the remaining seven wickets in quick time and avoid having to bat again, as the last time these two teams played at Providence, the home side , chasing 69 for victory on the final day, were bowled out for 67. The new batsman to come, Barbados Brooks, who is a former West Indies youth player, will take the fight to the home team along with watchman Miguel Cummins 0*. Action gets under way at 09:00h. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy.com)

1, Reifer 5-2-10-0, Permaul 21-6-41-3, Motie 8-119-2, Jacobs 9-4-18-2

Barbados Pride 2nd Innings

K Corbin c Hetmyre b Motie 25

K Brathwaite LBW b Permaul 15 J Carter c Singh b Johnson 89 S Brooks not out 30 M Cummings 00 To bat: R Chase, +M Rampersaud, *K Stoute, A Nurse, S Benn, T Best Extras: (b4, lb3, w0, nb1) Total: (3 Wkts, 81 Overs) 166 Bowling: Jacobs 24-3-69-0, Beaton 13-5-19-0, Permaul 27-11-45-1, Motie 16-326-1, Johnson 1-1-0-1

Guinness Greatest of the Streets

Close wins the mantra of Day 4

By TreisTon Joseph

Teams are being made to work for their wins, as defence is the order of the 2015 edition of the Guinness Greatest of the Streets Georgetown leg that continued on Saturday evening at the Albouystown tarmac.

Upsetters scored the first win of the night’s action with a slim 2-1 win against West Back Road in the second game of the evening.

West Back Road came out hot, with Josiah Charles scoring in the third minute of the game only to see his side unable to score again for the evening as Orlando Ricketts scored the equaliser in the 14th minute while Joshua Britton scored the game winner in the 15th minute.

West Front Road pulled off a 1-nil win against East Front Road with Hubert Pedro scoring the game winner in the ninth minute.

Alexander Village topped Castello Housing Scheme 1-0 for yet another close game, with Chavez Lescott

scoring the game’s only goal in the second minute of the match.

Albouystown A gave their home crowd something to cheer about with a 1-nil win over Queens Street Tiger Bay. Osafo Peters was the scorer in the game, with his goal coming in the 18th minute.

Meanwhile, in other results, Laing Avenue played to a 1-1 draw with South Sophia, while Back Circle and Broad Street Bullies also ended in a 1-1 draw.

Old School Ballers and Cross Street drew nil-all, while Albouystown B and Stevedore Housing Scheme settled for a nil-all draw as well.

Action in the tournament will continue on Tuesday at the National Cultural Centre tarmac from 19:00h.

Game-6

Old School Ballers-0 vs Cross Street-0

Game-7

Albouystown-B-0 vs Stevedore Housing Scheme-0