Eccles man shot to chest during robbery in Charlestown
St Lucians busted at CJIA with cocaine in vagina
UGSS demands reaccreditation of medical school Gajraj sues Gail Teixeira and Chronicle
thursday, november 19, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
Former President and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo was one of the leaders of an International Climate Conference held in Russia recently.
Jagdeo, a leading global anti-climate change activist, addressed the event alongside the Head of the United Nations Environment Programme
Achim Steiner and Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change Secretariat Christiana Figueres, commended the outreach by the Russian Government to business enterprises, civil society and the international community as part of its preparation for the upcoming Conference of the Parties 21 (COP 21) Meeting in Paris, France.
Jagdeo shared his perspectives regarding the prospect for and essential components of, a successful agreement in Paris including the need for a global agreement that is legally binding.
He also spoke of the necessity of an agreement on climate financing at scale to allow developing coun-
tries to raise their ambition levels on mitigation action (as outlined in their INDCs), adapt to climate change and transition to a green economy.
The former President will also have several bilateral meetings with various stakeholders while in Russia.
Last month, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Jagdeo joined world leaders in New York, as the international community accelerates preparations towards reaching a historic glob-
al climate agreement in Paris in December.
While there, Jagdeo emphasised how people from developing countries around the world continued to be united in their desire to provide solutions to climate change.
From November 30 to December 11, global leaders will gather at the Le Bourget site in Paris for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) 12 Summit the Paris Agreement to conclude negotiations on an agreement to address issues of climate change
The new agreement will take the form of a protocol, another legal instrument or ‘an agreed outcome with legal force’, and will be applicable to all parties and will have to bring together the current patchwork of binding and non-binding arrangements under the UN climate convention into a single comprehensive regime.
It is expected to be implemented from 2020.
Aminer was on Wednesday jailed for 18 months by Magistrate Judy Latchman when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with stealing from a neighbouring mining camp.
Twenty-eight-year-old Troy Williams pleaded guilty to the charge, which stated that on November 10 at Three Miles, Carrau Backdam, Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), he stole two pounds of quicksilver, one ounce, three penny weight raw gold, a Nokia cellphone and a torchlight. The items valued $349,000 and are the property of Avalon Henry, the Virtual Complainant (VC).
Police Prosecutor Kerry
Bostvick told the court that Williams regularly loiters around the camp area. The Prosecutor detailed that on the day of the incident, the VC secured the items in a box in the mining camp and left for his working area. He added that after the VC left, he realised that he had forgotten an item at the camp and turned only to find the aforementioned articles missing.
The matter was reported and an investigation was launched. Williams was later arrested and searched. The cellphone was found on his person but Police were unable to recover the other items. As such, the defendant was jailed for 18 months.
ALecturer of the Government Technical Institute (GTI) was on Wednesday placed on $200,000 bail by Magistrate Judy Latchman when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged for assaulting his reputed wife.
Twenty-five-yearold John Russell of South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown denied the allegation, which stated that on November 15, at South Ruimveldt Park, he unlawfully assaulted Joy Warrel causing her actual bodily harm.
The court heard that the couple has a one-year-old child together and on the day in question, the woman asked the accused for money to travel home. He reportedly became annoyed and in response, punched her to the left side of the face, causing serious injuries to her left eye. She sought medical attention and received seven stitches. Bail was granted on the condition that he stays away from the VC. The case will continue on December 2.
By Devina Samaroo
Adding to the frustration of the student population of the University of Guyana (UG) is the delayed response by the relevant stakeholders to restore the accreditation of the flagship medicine and dentistry programme.
This perceived inaction by the institution’s administration is one of the many reasons why the students are demanding a 30 per cent refund on their facilities fees for the past academic year and a 60 per cent reduction on their facilities fees for the upcoming years.
According to President of the University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) Joshua Griffith, the loss of the accreditation is a tremendous blow to the university and its students.
He explained that moves are yet to be made to address the deplorable conditions of the facilities, noting that this tardiness is generating much unease among the student population.
On that note, Griffith urged the relevant stakeholders to work swiftly towards the re-accreditation of the programme.
Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton had told Guyana Times that the process should be completed by June 2016.
Late last month, the Minister reported that a plan was currently being drafted to address the issues which caused the educational facility to lose its accreditation in the first place.
The accreditation was lost in July 2015, following the university’s delay in submitting a report on the school’s progress to the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP).
Temporary accreditation is normally provided to the university
by the regional body under specific conditions.
The University’s Medical School was granted accreditation for the periods 2008-2009; 2009-2012 and 2013- 2015. However, the accreditation was not extended for the upcoming academic years due to failure to upgrade certain facilities.
Infrastructural developments; the review of the curriculum; and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Public Health Ministry, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the medical school for funding of the school are some of the issues needed to be addressed before the programme regains its accreditation.
Plans underway
Dr Norton had disclosed that the Government retained the services of an international consultant to work on drafting a plan to address the issue. In fact, he revealed that there are plans underway to acquire funding to have the medical school in a central and conducive compound equipped with all that is required for students to emerge as successful doc-
tors.
“If you have a university medical school and you’re training doctors, then you must have places for the doctors where they can have proper classrooms, labs and places for relaxation while on duty, which is some of the things that the University of Guyana Medical School is lacking,” he stated.
However, the Minister cautioned that the process will take time and lots of money, but he assured that the Government will certainly play its part to ensure the programme is re-accredited as soon as possible.
Students affected Meanwhile, those stu-
dents currently enrolled in the programme run the risk of acquiring a certificate that will be unrecognised in other territories outside of Guyana.
According to the Minister, the loss of the accreditation will not hinder students from getting a job or functioning as a medical doctor but it will just lengthen the process. He noted that all they will have to do is write an addition exam to achieve the required certificate.
However, he noted that the situation is still unfortunate because the programme usually attracts a large number of international students from countries like Nigeria and Syria.
Meanwhile, former Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran explained that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had completed some 80 per cent of the accreditation requirements but the transition period of the new Government may have interfered with the completion of the tasks.
According to Ramsaran, the regional body had given a list of tasks that needed to be completed for the programme to become accredited and
moves were immediately taken to fulfil those requests. He said he had visited UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadayei after he learnt that the programme’s accreditation might be retracted, to devise a plan as to what would be needed to save the accreditation, and had endeavoured to do all in his power to save the course. The former Minister said he was shocked when he recently heard the news of the medical school’s loss of accreditation as he was expecting the new Government would continue with these tasks so that any problems may be avoided. (devinas@guyanatimesgy.com)
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Thursday, November 19 – 10:30h-12:00h and Friday, November 20 – 12:00h-13:30h.
The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Thursday, November 19 – 09:40h-11:10h and Friday, November 20 – 11:05h-12:35h.
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.
Thundery showers can be expected throughout the day and into the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 3.12 metres per second.
High Tide: 10:15h and 22:45h reaching maximum heights of 2.29 metres and 2.31 metres respectively.
Low Tide: 03:37h and 16:13h reaching minimum heights of 0.85 metre and 0.97 metre respectively.
thursday, november 19, 2015 |
BY EDWARD LAYNE
Home Affairs Minister under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic during 2005, Gail Teixeira, has said that then Police Commissioner and now Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix, failed to act on an investigation, which revealed that there was a massive scheme at the General Registrar’s Office, where birth certificates were being issued with information of persons who did not exist.
Teixeira’s comments came in face of a “malicious” report in the Stateowned daily newspaper, the Guyana Chronicle, with allegedly twisted facts about a conversation between US diplomats in Guyana and Teixeira, which was released by WikiLeaks.
The cable claimed, among other things, that Teixeira during a meeting with the then Charge d’Affairs in the US Embassy in Georgetown, Michael Thomas and several other officials expressed genuine displeasure with improper or unlawful issuance of Birth and Marriage Certificates and spoke of attempts she made to address the situation with the General Registrar’s Office (GRO), as well as the issuance for Guyana Passports with fictitious information.
Visas, immigration, false documents
She said her conversations with Thomas was in the context of “Visas, immigration, false documents.”
“The issues that were raised in particular this occasion was referred to in the Chronicle yesterday (Tuesday), the present Minister of Citizenship was the Commissioner of Police when I was Minister of Home Affairs and we were inundated by reports from the US Embassy of fraudulent passports, fraudulent birth certificates and please remember, immigration under the law comes under the Police Force,” Teixeira explained.
She added that there were discussions over the General Registrar’s Office, which came under the Home Affairs Ministry, and the issuance of Birth Certificates.
“The American Embassy was asked by me to please provide evidence of these fake documents. The GRO ones were particularly disturbing because they were actually authentic birth certificates, with
the watermark of the GRO, with the signatures of people working at the GRO, but the information on it was false. Those persons don’t exist, who were written in having birth certificates and from that false document it then created another false document, fake passports, in the sense that the passports were real, they are genuine, but the persons on it were not real and it was that evidence I asked for from the Americans,” she explained.
The former Home Affairs Minister said this information was forwarded to the Winston Felixled Police Force for criminal proceedings, but despite investigations, no actions were taken.
“There were several Police investigations under Mr Felix as Commissioner of Police, investigations were held and a number of persons in the GRO... recommendations were [made] to charge them and send them home, however the Police under Mr Felix stewardship did nothing, did nothing,” Teixeira revealed.
Mr Felix has since said he has no recollection of any information passed on to him. Another former Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj, has also reportedly filed a lawsuit against the Government owned Chronicle and the former Minister Teixeira, who succeeded him, for hearsay statements in the WikiLeaks cable.
The former Home Affairs Minister said too that the Americans produced fictitious marriage certificates issued by marriage officers who were performing marriages to persons who were not to-
gether in the room at the same time when they got married.
“One marriage officer was removed because he was one of those signing marriage certificates for marriages which one person or no person was in front of him and we had evidence of that… The comments that were made with regards to a number of people such as the corruption to do with the Chinese work permits and Brazilian work permits was stated in that meeting. Mr Thomas’ other comments as I said Police investigations went absolutely nowhere, because immigration falls directly under the Commissioner of Police and under the Police Act,” Teixeira lamented.
Teixeira believes some of what was contained in the Guyana Chronicle report was inundated with personal assessments and view of US Embassy Officials.
“Some of the things that are quoted in the Chronicle are quoted directly from what are Mr Thomas’ own views and are not quoted from what I said. The way the Chronicle article is written is as if certain things which are the Charge d’Affairs opinion is being put over as if I said
that… I did not,” Teixeira declared.
Teixeira pointed out to several inaccuracies in one of the cables which alleged she had discussions with Embassy Officials on the appointment of Henry Greene as Police Commissioner.
“For example, it said we had a discussion on Henry Greene’s suitability as Commission of Police on December 23, 2005. This never took place. In 2005, December, Mr Felix was the Commission of Police and that at no point was there any discussion as his
retirement will come up in June/July of 2006. The issue of the Commissioner of Police is the prerogative of the President and therefore there will be no inclination on my part unto getting into such discussions,” she further explained.
She reiterated that the some of the other cables which were released had to do with the crime wave and the handing over to her of taped conversations that which were given to the US embassy by Roger Khan.
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
After the abolition of slavery, teaching became one of the most respected professions in Guyana. Education had been denied to the slaves who rightfully assumed this was done to keep them oppressed. The teachers in the village schools became pillars and bedrocks of the community that grew out of the historic village movement.
This persisted for over a century, extending into the independence era. By then Guyana could match any other territory in the British Empire in its educational achievements and was poised to utilise that invaluable resource to take the nation into the comity of developed, independent states. It was not to be. The reasons for the collapse of our education system and the fall of the teaching profession in status need not detain us too long since they may detract us from the point to be made, by seeming to point fingers.
The common thread in all of the ex-colonies and other poverty-stricken countries that have pulled themselves into the “developed” category has been their education system that was geared to produce the human resource that would allow them to take control over their development process. The teacher, therefore, was a prerequisite to moving the successful countries forward. In Guyana, unfortunately, while the post-1966 PNC Government articulated a progressive educational programme, the failure was in the strategic development plan for the country. The collapse of the economy and the runaway inflation reduced workers on fixed salaries such as teachers to a life of penury and shame. The story, whether apocryphal or not, that many teachers could –and did – make more money from selling “sweeties” to their charges illustrates the point.
In the pre-independence economy, almost every individual who wanted to enter the professions would have had a stab at teaching – including, for instance, Forbes Burnham and Martin Carter – and obviously would have developed some empathy for that vocation. And it was a vocation that also attracted a substantial percentage of men who provided balanced role models for students.
During the 23 years of the post-1992 PPP Government, huge sums were expended on the physical rehabilitation of the educational infrastructure, the curriculum and on teachers’ emoluments. Unfortunately, while in absolute terms, the latter, especially when it comes to salaries have increased tremendously when inflation is factored in, the Guyanese teacher is still lagging from what prevailed at independence. More relevantly, the salaries are but a fraction of what their peers are earning in any of the neighbouring Caricom territories with which they have comparable experience.
If Guyana is to move ahead, the Government must continue to build on the recovery of the educational system. But simultaneously, it must reorient its curriculum more towards satisfying the demands of a new strategic plan for really moving us into the 21st Century. It does not say much about our educational system when we still cannot satisfy the needs of an economy dependent on the same “six sisters” –rice, sugar, bauxite, gold, forestry and fishing – from a hundred years ago.
As had the last Minister of Education, President David Granger had taken the lead in calling for a greater focus on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects in schools. Amid the rightful calls and demands of our teaching profession for emolument reforms, the Government should tie these to the willingness of teachers to bring their qualifications up to the expected standards demanded by the new professions.
However, the hitches in implementing the accelerated degree programme in education by giving credit to the courses at the Cyril Potter College of Education should give pause to the Government in ensuring that all systems are in place before the new dispensation in education. Without putting down the present crop of teachers, we have to admit that in too many instances we may be getting what we pay for. The Government will have to bite the bullet and raise salaries significantly if they are to satisfy the demand for STEM teachers.
Dear Editor,
I wish to respond to a letter carried in the Guyana Times (Tuesday, November 18) captioned. “Get it right, Toshao Mc Garrell” by Peter Persaud.
I humbly acknowledge his apologies on my own behalf and will extend the apologies to the rest of the community once I return to my community. It is my hope that in the future Mr Persaud will verify information before putting it in the public domain like he did and not act on a mere “thought”. A simple check with the Ministry would have provided the necessary information.
I wish to point out to Mr Persaud that as it relates to the “five objections to demarcation which emanated mainly from the Chenapou and Paramakatoi representatives”, I am not privy to the details of that meeting. He seems to have more information on this meeting that supposedly took place, can he say who represented Chenapou? And maybe share the information he has. The lives and livelihoods of communities are dependent on the lands, which they have traditionally and customarily used over generations. The process of titling and demarcation takes years to complete, while a miner or forester can obtain legal ownership of a piece of land within a couple of weeks to months.
This has proven detrimental to indigenous communities; would it not be easier to address the extension first and then make one demarcation. Wouldn’t this save the already limited resources available for titling and demarcation?
The work of the technical team of the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) project needs to be reviewed, they cannot and should not be allowed to sit in their office in Georgetown and make decisions for communities. If they had followed due diligence and conducted meetings in the communities with residents then, we would not have been in the situation we are facing today. As it is, the process is flawed; this needs to be rectified at the earliest opportunity.
As a representative for the rights of indigenous peoples, I would have hoped that the likes of Mr Persaud would have challenged the ALT team to ensure that our rights are not being violated. Instead he chose to misinform, saying I was present at an ALT meeting, which he subsequently apologised for and then in the same letter ask me to show where he has lied before. If the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of our community was sought, there would not have been a problem with our neighbouring community.
Yes, we would like to
have our land demarcated; yes, we would like our future generations to be sure that their lands are safeguarded in law. Our only concern is that the process by which we are being forced to have this done has proven frustrating and time-consuming. We are a people who have managed our lands from time immemorial; we have lived in harmony with nature; we have hunted, fished and gathered in these lands. You would know, Mr Persaud, that around the world, the lands that are held by indigenous peoples are the lands which continue to remain in a more natural state.
We expect that any process that seeks to title and demarcate our lands has our full involvement. We expect that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would ensure that our basic rights as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) are not being violated under the project. These rights, Mr Persaud, are being trampled upon; these rights, Mr Persaud, we expect you and your organisation to advocate for.
As it relates to The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG), I admit that there is much I am unaware of, in this vein, would Mr Persaud provide a list of the executives of TAAMOG. This will help to quell the
perception out there that he runs a one-man show. It is disheartening to know that there are organisations purportedly representing the interest of indigenous people and yet there is not a shred of information publicly available that we can be aware of what they do or where they do it. Please, Mr Persaud, where is TAAMOG’s office located? What are your telephone numbers? When was your last election for executives? Do you have a constitution? Are you a registered NGO? How can communities make contact? We have a land problem, how can your organisation help to fix this?
I acknowledge that there is much more that needs to happen, and we will continue to stand up for our rights. We will continue to voice our concerns. We will continue to challenge the Government on its policies. We will challenge organisations like yours which seem to be fighting against indigenous peoples rather than for them. As the elected leader for my community, I represent the interest of all the residents of Chenapou which is to secure all lands that have been customarily and traditionally used to sustain our livelihoods for posterity.
Sincerely, Edward Mc
Garrell Toshao, Chenapou
Village
Dear Editor, Ms Scheherazade Ishoof Khan urges Indians to “Refrain from promoting the ethnicisation of legitimate academia”. She hints it is taboo to speak out against the racism that Indians experienced describing it as “ethnicisation”. Indians like Ms Khan suffer from what social theorist Vassan Ramracha describes as a classic pre and post-colonial inferiority complex. They feel insecure to publicly speak out on issues affecting Indians fearing branding of being called racist. Khan misunderstands the concept of “ethnicisation of academia”.
The ‘ethnic question’ is a thorny, complex issue, not the least because of its different sources and manifestations. It is clear that ethnic divisions have existed since time im-
memorial. Guyana has been highly ethnicised since early colonial times. Racial conflicts or tensions have been present and grievances nursed for generations. And almost every social issue is ethnicised though not all times outwardly.
Dr Baytoram Ramharack is not advocating that only Indians address Indian issues or that Indians must not address “non-Indian issues”. Non-Indian scholars have largely ignored the history of Indians and their experiences although this has been changing; some non-Indians (Leo Despres, MG Smith, RT Smith, etc) were pioneers in the study of Indian social experiences. Dr Ramharack is stating there is a well-developed Afrocentric school of thought. But there is no equivalent Indocentric school of thought; the
Indocentric viewpoint is now developing through the works of a few outstanding contemporary scholars (Ramharack, Ravi Dev, Vassan Ramracha, Harry Hergash, etc). In response, some African writers (and a few Indians like Freddie Kissoon and Khan) demonstrate overenthusiasm to attack Indian writers simply for discussing Indian issues. But being Indocentric or writing on Indian issues does not make one anti-Afro and vice versa. African writers Marable Manning and Cornell West write on Afro issues, that does not make them anti-White or anti-Asian. They write from the perspective of their experience and address issues confronting their community. When Cornell West or Louis Gates or WE Dubois, or Molefi Kete Asante write on the African experience,
Dear Editor,
The future is now. Caribbean nations must recognise that “opportunity” is the most perishable commodity and if opportunities for trade, investment and other development initiatives are not expeditiously exploited, others will seize these opportunities. Caribbean Governments need to respond quickly to the needs of their Private Sectors so that private enterprise can take advantage of the many opportunities arising from the challenges in today’s global economy.
The foregoing sums up the consensus among participants in three events held in the United States over the past week – Invest Barbados; the Fourth Annual Conference of the National Association of Haitian Professionals (NAHP); and the 39th Annual (Miami) Conference on the Caribbean put on by Caribbean-Central American Action (CCAA).
Participating in these meetings were Government, Private Sector, civil society, and media officials and academics from several countries from various parts of the world. The consensus among participants in the various discussions at these meetings is that Governments need to be predictable in their policy formulation and execution thereby generating trust among stakeholders at home and abroad; need to fight and eventually eschew corruption; and deal effectively with the issue of security/public safety.
A session at the Haiti conference entitled “Foreign and Diaspora Direct Investment in Haiti” and the several sessions at the Miami Conference which was themed “Cuba, the Caribbean and Central America” pointed to the importance of foreign investment in regional economies, concluding that “investors are not our enemies” neither should size be an impediment to expanding regional economies.
In the words of Jamaica’s Richard Bernal in his presentation at the Miami Conference “small developing economies including many in the Caribbean have firms that are internationally competitive if not global leaders in some sectors and in cases where they cannot manufacture the entire product or provide an entire menu of services, they can be part of the value chain”. In my view, this is indeed the case in Guyana and we need to focus on joint ventures, especially among our small artisans and entrepreneurs.
Further, our Private Sector it seems need to pay greater attention to the Cuban market notwithstanding the difficulties with logistics and linguistics. The Cubans participating in the Miami Conference made it clear that notwithstanding the move toward normalisation of relations with the US, Cuba will continue to ensure that opportunities for trade and investment are available to Caricom member countries.
Ruben Ramos Arrieta,
Minister in the Economic and Trade Office at the Cuban Embassy in the US, in responding to my intervention said that Caribbean trade with Cuba is valued around US$100 million annually and that there is scope for greater advantage to be taken of opportunities for exports to Cuba, noting that in recent times Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic have been very aggressive with their exports to Cuba. He said Cuba had circulated a list of some 50 products which the Caribbean could export to his country. Guyana, he said, previously supplied lumber and some rice, but he was unsure whether these products were still being exported.
Editor, I share this information on the discussions at these meetings because I am of the view that it is relevant to Guyana and it is important that the Guyana Government and Private Sector get a sense of the nature of the discussions taking place which could impact our economy.
There is a certain urgency at this time with which many small economies like ours are pursuing their economic development through linkages and leverage in a global context. The train is leaving the station and Guyana, in my view, notwithstanding the future prosperity that oil may bring, cannot afford not to be aboard!
Regards,
Wesley Kirton
Ms Khan defines that as “legitimate academia”. But when Indians write about their experience, that for her is not academia. She describes it as “ethnicisation”.
It is noted that Ms Khan sees it fit to criticise Dr Ramharack’s position on advocacy on behalf of the Indian community that has been victimised over the last 175 years, particularly so during the 28 years of PNC rule. But she has not done same to David Hinds, Eusi Kwayana, Barrington Braithwaite and other Afrocentric writers who write on the African experience. What has Khan done to take a public stand on matters affecting Indians? She says she is a supporter of the AFC. But she has not uttered a word about the failure of APNU to fully honour the Cummingsburg Accord to give Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo powers agreed upon.
Hundreds of Indians and thousands of Amerindians have been fired from their jobs. Khan never wrote a line of condemnation. That is the kind of injustice Dr Ramharack was complaining about. Ms Khan has not condemned PNC/ AFC’s wrongdoings, but
she is quick to criticise Dr Ramharack.
She is reading into what Dr Ramharack did not mean just for the sake of criticism. There are probably more intellectuals of Indian origin than any other race group in Guyana or in the Guyanese Diaspora. But their voices are not heard. Compared with Africans, there are more active advocates for African rights and interests and addressing issues that define their presence than there have been Indian intellects addressing concerns and issues pertaining to the Indian experience. Khan finds it okay for Africans to define and defend their interests, but Indians must not have the same rights.
Indian causes and the Indian struggle do not exist in isolation as issues affecting Indians tend also to have effects on all Guyanese life and Indian intellects must address them as they impact on all. But there are matters (racism, for example) separate and different that impact primarily on Indians even where offending actions (by non-Indians) or inaction may not have a racial or political element, and Indians are the predominant sufferers. It is noted that
Africans speak out in support of their group members or avoid criticising each other (except occasionally from an intellectual like Abu Bakr) where Africans are the main beneficiaries as for example in Linden electricity subsidy, or the horror the Mayoralty of Georgetown, and or the evils of the Burnham period. As Moses Nagamootoo penned, Indians were the major victims of PNC policies on rice, sugar, food ban, national service, agro policies, etc. Yet, apart from Moses and a few of us, there were few writers who took up these matters. Should Indian writers just shut up and take all the licks they get?
In sum, Dr Ramharack (or me or Dev or Ramracha, or Rhyaan Shah or Swami Aksharnanda) does not demonise Blacks or condemn or advocate Indian hegemony. They do not suggest the replacement of Afrocentrism with Indocentrism. They support multiculturalism and pluralism and racial and judicial equality and we admire those Black intellects for advocating on behalf of their community.
Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram
BY PAM MYERS, BSED
You may think that the biggest benefit of eating together as a family is to ensure everyone has food in their stomachs. However, sharing meals does more than feed each person physically; it also feeds them emotionally and draws them together.
* Family meals allow conversations to take place. Simply being together and chatting about the day can be enough to help you stay connected with other family members. No matter which meals you eat together, you’ll appreciate having the opportunity to find out what’s going on in each person’s life.
* Assign each person in the family a task to help prepare the meals. There’s no reason why you should have to do all of the cooking if others can pitch in. You might also find that some of the best conversations happen as you’re preparing a meal together. Find tasks for even the youngest of the family.
* Preparing and serving your meals at roughly the same time each day will encourage a sense of routine in your home. Your family will come to know that if it’s close to 5:30 P.M. they need to be getting home or risk missing dinner. Having meals around the same time each day also discourages snacking or in-between meal eating.
* Use the time you spend as a family around the table to talk about what’s going on in the news. Find out what each person thinks about a particular topic. Take the time to let everyone have a turn to share their thoughts and you’ll learn more about the members of your family.
* Preparing and sharing meals together is also a good way to influence what your children eat. Talk about why certain foods were served and what better choices could have been made. Talk about how foods provide nourishment and why it is important to refrain from eating too many refined and sweet foods.
* Ask about each person’s day. Teach your child that speaking up is important and that you are truly interested in what they have to say. Allow each person time to talk and you’ll soon find your children are eagerly waiting for their turn. Encouraging your children to talk during dinner may also help them express opinions and share their experiences.
* Children who share meals with their family have been shown to do better in school. Part of the reason is because the food they’re served is more nutritious than what can be purchased through any fast food drive thru. Having parents ask about what’s going on at school also encourages them to do better and handle problems that arise at school in an appropriate manner.
* You may also be surprised to know that sharing meals together can cut down on the chances that your child will become involved with drugs or alcohol. When teens get involved in things they shouldn’t, it’s usually because they’re trying to get their parents’ attention. Children who eat meals with their family already have the attention they desire.
Who knew sharing meals could be so important? By eating together regularly you can help your child excel in school, help keep them off drugs and stay connected with them. You can also encourage them and aid them in making wise food choices. (childdevelopmentinfo.com)
Have you ever noticed an inverse relationship between the behaviour of parents and their children in the early hours of school mornings? As parents become increasingly frazzled and hectic, active children tend to downshift and reduce speed.
Be proud and take a bow if you’re not familiar with this phenomenon! Yet for the vast majority of parents, this scene will ring true. The following tips can help you to break this unproductive routine, and to develop a new strategy to triumph over the trials of school mornings.
Early morning is too late
If you’re seeking to start the day off on the right foot, don’t wait until the wee hours of dawn to take your first step. The night before is the most appropriate, efficient time to launch a new day.
* Make lunch ahead of time. To avoid soggy sandwiches, you can prepare the fillings and toppings in advance and then assemble it all in the morning. Fruit slices and veggie sticks can be packed in airtight containers beforehand.
* School bags should be fully packed before going to bed, including all homework and signed permission slips.
* Arrange and match all clothing, including socks or hairbands, the night before. This habit prevents last-minute panic attacks upon discovering an empty drawer.
* If your gas tank is getting low, don’t wait until you drive carpool to fill up. There’s never time to spare on the way to school.
* Do your shoes seem to go for a stroll in the middle of the night? The case of the disappearing shoe is common. Always set shoes in a prominent and natural place, such as next to the front door or on the floor of your closet.
* Go to bed on time. In order to have energy and patience for the upcoming day, both children and adults require enough hours of shut-eye.
Be alarmed!
No matter how reliable you feel your internal clock is, alarm clocks are still essential.
* Purchase a personal alarm clock for all family members and set it for the same minute. Whether it’s a digital display with purple glitter or a vintage stainless steel bell, allowing children to select their preference can encourage them to react positively when the alarm sounds.
* Let your family democratically debate and decide the ideal wake-up time. This magic hour must be written in stone and not snoozable! Remember to allocate more time than you may expect, for there are always unpredictable delays.
Make a plan
Everyone, especially children, thrives on the comforts of a regular routine.
In general, self-esteem and confidence are bolstered when expectations are clear and goals can be achieved.
Once your children’s feet hit the floor, they should be able to slide smoothly into their next move.
* Outline the morning schedule during a family meeting. A plan generated through teamwork is more motivating than a mandate, as no one feels that they were coerced into following someone else’s ideas.
* Tasks should be age appropriate. Encourage independence whenever possible and you’ll find your mornings much quieter, not punctuated constantly by “Can someone help me?”
* List, laminate and hang up the morning itinerary, leaving nothing out. Even the most obvious jobs, such as “wake up and get dressed,” should be posted for all to see. This will save you from chasing your kids around and shouting out reminder commands.
Make mornings fun
Children love to play games. You can transform the entire morning into a race, with each family member competing for the best time or racing against the clock, setting time limits for finishing specific tasks. The winner should be rewarded with an attractive prize.
Keep focus
Concentrate on your morning itinerary and avoid distractions. School mornings aren’t the time to finish the last chapter of that book or to add the final strokes to your landscape painting. In addition, don’t get bogged down in any complicated or heavy, emotional discussions. Push these off until evening.
Breakfast in a snap
Breakfast should be as simple and effortless as possible, while still serving up nutrition that will jumpstart the day. Whole-grain cereals and milk, protein bars, or yogurt topped with fruit and granola are all tasty, satisfying options that are easy to put together. Foods that demand more attention or preparation should be made in advance.
Mornings are a time to transition from sleep hours into an activity-filled day. Changing modes can be hard for anyone; even implementing the aforementioned tips can be challenging. Why not give these ideas a whirl in advance?
Pretend it’s morning, and try out your routine when you’re not genuinely immersed in the frenzy of school mornings. Although practice may not make the mornings perfect, it’s sure to help your family get through the morning and out the door. (www.childdevelopmentinfo.com)
Following recent calls by former President Donald Ramotar for the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration to include the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in its crime-fighting plans, Commanderin-Chief and current President, Brigadier (retired) David Granger responded by saying that the former Head of State should stay out of Government’s business.
Earlier this week, following bandits’ attempt to rob former Crime Chief, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ASP), Leslie James, Ramotar had issued a statement criticising the current Government for the “casual way” it seemed to be handling the crime situation in the country and its failure to enlist the GDF in its crime-fighting strategy. He called for the regime to “immediately take steps” to have the Army assist the Police with joint patrols.
But, according to Granger, Ramotar is the country’s former President and therefore should not comment on current political activities.
“As Commander-inChief and Minister of Defence, I have given (cer-
tain) instructions to the Army. I think the best thing would be for Mr Ramotar not to interfere in the way the Guyana Defence Force is being administered,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Asked whether he would consider using the Defence Force to tackle the country’s crime situation, the Head of State posited that such a decision would be made in his “considered judgement”.
President Granger pointed out that there was a Defence Board in place and he met weekly with the Chief-of-Staff, hence he was aware of decisions and actions needed to be taken in order to deal with not only the crime situation but the defence situation as well.
...but crime not spiralling out of control – Crime Chief
Director of the Guyana Sex Work Coalition’s One Love Movement, Miriam Edwards was on Tuesday evening robbed in her home at gunpoint by a lone gunman, who escaped with a quantity of jewellery and other items.
According to information, the gunman entered the yard of Edwards’ home located at Lot 896 Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme, Berbice, about 20:15h.
At that time she was sitting on the veranda and thought he was a neighbour’s grandson and as such enquired what he wanted.
“I’ve given instructions to both the Police and Defence Forces, so I’m well advised and I’m very confident that my instructions are in the best interest of the nation,” he added.
The Commander-inChief went on to say that he has seen a “difference” in terms of fighting crime, with more criminals being arrested as well as greater and more successful responses from the Police’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
“I’m very satisfied with that,” he noted, adding that his Administration was currently rectifying certain problems that had developed within the Police Force.
Additionally, the Head of State mentioned that emphasis would be placed on the deployment of more officers to hinterland regions along with horses sent in to allow them to effectively and efficiently patrol vulnerable areas such as the Rupununi.
“So I’m very sure in a very short period of time –maybe half year or so – we will be on top of the crime situation. Right now, we are facing problems which have been accumulating over the past 12 years and it will take a bit long,” the President remarked.
As crime continues to spiral out of control in Guyana, an East Bank Demerara resident was on Tuesday evening shot to his chest during a robbery at Ketley Street, Charlestown, Georgetown.
The injured man has been identified as Colin Abbert, 25, of Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
According to information received, Abbert and his girlfriend Shabike Pereira, 23,
were walking along Ketley Street when they were held at gunpoint by two men who were armed with handguns. During the ordeal, the two men demanded gold and cash but Abbert reportedly put up a fight during which he was shot to the chest.
The men then relieved the duo of their jewellery and cash and subsequently made good their escape on two motorcycles ridden by two other accomplices.
Abbert was picked up and rushed to a private city hospital.
Guyana Times understands that this was not the first time the man went to the area to meet his girlfriend and from all indication, his movement was being monitored.
The Police have since taken statements from the injured man and his girlfriend. Investigations are continuing.
The bandit reportedly gave a faint response, but soon after whipped out a gun and ordered Edwards into the house where he instructed her to stay quiet.
The gunman then demanded that she hand over all her valuables and out of fear she handed over six gold rings, a gold chain along with her mobile phone.
At the time of the robbery, two of Edwards’s children were at home, but were unaware of what was happening. The young man then left and joined an accomplice, who was waiting on a pedal cycle. The Police were called in and an investigation was launched.
Speaking with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Edwards recounted that after taking what he wanted, the gunman, who appeared
to be in his teens, calmly walked out of her yard, got on his accomplice’s pedal cycle and they rode off.
It was after they left, she alerted her children about what happened and contacted the Police. She said she did not raise an alarm right away because she was fearful that the gunman might have injured her children.
The traumatised woman was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was treated and sent away.
Edwards told this publication that the Police were quick to respond but expressed some concerns about the length of time she had to wait at the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam for the report to be taken.
This is another robbery that came on the heels of Police refuting claims that serious crimes was not spiralling out of control.
As a matter of fact, in a release issued on Wednesday, Head of the Criminal Investigations Department, Wendell Blanhum stated that based on statistics and other data, crime is not on the increase. He had stated that the serious crimes statistics indicated there was an eight per cent increase for the period January 1, 2015 to October 31, 2015, when compared to the same period in 2014;
and for the same period in 2013, an increase of 0.2 per cent.
The Police stated that notwithstanding the eight per cent increase this year, there were significant efforts by law enforcement in the apprehension and prosecution of several high-profile criminal groups.
The Guyana Police Force also stated that in the recent instances when the Guyana Defence Force was called out in support of the Police, it was with the aim of giving reassurance to the members of the public and boosting their confidence, and not because the Police were overwhelmed by the crime situation.
thursday, november 19, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
Aman was on Wednesday taken into custody after he attempted to smuggle cannabis into the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts prisoner holding cell by placing it at the bottom of a box of food.
The man, whose name has not yet been revealed, entered the court compound about 10:30h and produced the box containing split peas and rice with vegetables to the Police for inspection before it was handed over to a prisoner.
ANorth Sophia man was on Wednesday remanded to prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman when he appeared before her charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
Twenty-nine-year-old Christopher David of Lot TT North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, denied the allegation, which stated that on November 16 at North
Sophia, he was found in possession of 21 grams of cannabis sativa for the purpose of trafficking.
According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick, on the day in question a search was carried out at the home of the defendant and the narcotics were found concealed in a chair.
The narcotics were allegedly found in his presence,
During the inspection, the officer accidentally opened the box the wrong side up, and the illicit substance was noticed along the bottom of the box in transparent Ziploc bags.
The man denied all knowledge of the narcotics, saying that he bought the food from a vendor and was willing to take the officers to the location where he bought it. Nevertheless, he was taken into custody. Police have since launched an investigation.
and he reportedly told officers that he did not live at the house but at Lot 7 Kuru Kuru, Linden.
The Prosecutor objected to bail, stating that from the different addresses given to the Police and the Court, it was clear that the man has no fixed place of abode.
In Court, the defendant stated that he has no knowledge of the 21 grams of marijuana.
“I own the joint I was smoking; I didn’t own to the substance,” he stated. He related that there were four other persons in the house at the time of his arrest and as such, the narcotics could have belonged to any of them. The Magistrate, after reviewing the charge, remanded the defendant to prison.
The case will continue on December 3.
ANorth Sophia resident was on Wednesday sentenced to three years in prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman after he pleaded guilty to a trafficking of narcotics charge when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Twenty-three-yearold Triston Frank, of TT North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, admitted that on November 16, he had in his possession 18 grams of cannabis sativa for the purpose of trafficking.
Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick told the court that Police ranks were on patrol in North Sophia when they noticed Frank acting in a suspicious manner.
One of the ranks approached him and conducted a search.
During the search, a quantity of small Ziploc bags containing what was suspected to be the leaves, seeds and stems of cannabis sativa was found.
The defendant was then arrested. The Magistrate also ordered Frank to pay a fine of $30,000.
A19-year-old Essequibo resident was on Wednesday remanded to prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
Lorenzo Peters denied the charge, which stated that on November 15 at Cuyuni River, he had in his possession 2013 grams of cannabis and 129 grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
In a bail application, Defence Attorney Roger Yearwood told the court that the defendant owned a number of boats and engines, which he would rent out in the area.
He stated that his client was hired by an unnamed individual to help him to navigate and shuttle goods into the interior. The man also leased an engine. He stated that on the day in question, the young man was in a hotel room when the Police conducted a
search. He related that they found nothing and later approached him and conducted another search. During that search, they allegedly found the narcotics in a black plastic bag. The lawyer said that Peters told the officers that he was not the owner of the
drugs and was very cooperative.
Attorney Yearwood said that his client has a very good reputation among the lawmen of his community and requested affordable bail.
Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick objected to bail on the grounds of the nature and gravity of the charges, adding that the Prosecutor’s facts differ from the Attorney’s. He stated that the narcotics were found in six transparent bags, inside a black plastic bag. He related that the young man was taken into custody and the substances were weighed in his presence. The prosecutor informed the court that investigations are still ongoing. The case will continue on December 7.
This Eyewitness is getting confused. Or more confused on this “race thing” he wrote about a couple of days ago. Here it was, the State-owned/directed Chronic editorialised that all of us should quit running away from our “racial” identity and embrace it. From politics to the economy, let’s all base participation on “race”. Biology, it announced, is destiny.
But suddenly, out of the blue so to speak, as soon as the PPP followed the Chronic’s advice to let it all hang out on “race”, GECOM’s HEAD HONCHO jumped all over them. Sounding more like Ike than Tina Turner, he truculently demanded, “What’s race got to do with it?” Evidently not apprised by the Government’s new position – if you can’t beat ‘em on “race”, you might as well join ‘em, GECOM’s Boss explained virtuously – he doesn’t hire Afro- or IndoGuyanese – just plain, old “Guyanese”.
The Government, not surprisingly, also brought down the rod of correction on the PPP, for suggesting that maybe – just maybe – in a country where it’s conceded folks vote along race, if GECOM hires folks from only one race group – maybe – just maybe – they might favour “their” party without any overt bias when a judgement call needs to be made. Just maybe.
You’d think in this day and age when white Police are shooting African American citizens like sitting ducks, the PPP might be cut some slack that folks here MIGHT act along their unconscious proclivities? It wasn’t unexpected that ACDA also threw in their two cents worth on the issue being created. ACDA, of course, castigated the PPP for “racial profiling” of its constituents. But one wonders why it was such a problem when it was revealed that quite a bunch of “contract workers” in the Public Workers –hired by the PPP – were from the East Indian race? Are they genetically predisposed to be biased like they are to diabetic?
But the clincher was the Chronic which hauled the PPP over the coals for what? Naaah …not “racial” profiling like the GECOM boss, the Government and ACDA had done. The Chronic couldn’t very well do that when they preached we should all cleave to race, could they? But what to do if they have to push Government’s agenda? (To make the PPP look bad, of course.)
Well, redefine the infraction of the PPP, that’s what. It wasn’t the sin of “racial” profiling they’d committed – it was “ethnic” profiling!!! Gasp!!! How could they??!
Expect the Chronic to get into even greater yellow journalism contortions as they try to square the circle on the Government’s propaganda.
This Eyewitness think that East Indian Guyanese (they’re a “race”, no?) have gotten a free pass on protecting this country. When the PNC were in power for their infamous “28 years”, the PPP used to blame them no end for not making sure the Forces were “balanced”. So how come after their infamous 23 years at the wheel, they didn’t make sure their supporters did their bit to sacrifice for the country? And make sure we all slept on our beds in peace?
“They didn’t WANT to join up?” What kind of answer is that? Citizens gotta do what citizens gotta do…and that’s that! Conscript them!! That’s what. A government gotta do what a government gotta do. But now that this new Government had promised they’d take care of all the previous PPP missteps, this Eyewitness must confess he was more than a tad disappointed to see that in the new batch of 375 GDF recruits practically all cleaving to the same ole, same ole.
Would someone please make sure this recalcitrant minority does its bit for President and country?
WikiLeaks revealed the Americans at the Embassy really mocked the PNC and Burnham for their rent a crowd to greet the visitors like Kaunda at the airport back in the 70s.
Racial profiling?
Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com
By Kristen MacKlingaM
After spending hours in an intense dialogue on Wednesday to negotiate sugar workers’ Annual Production Incentives (API) for 2015, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) came out only with an agreement to meet again on Friday for further discussions.
GAWU President Komal Chand told Guyana Times on Wednesday that during the discussions held between the sugar company and the Union, he along with other sugar workers’ representatives, was updated on production figures and the dates when cane harvesting was expected to come to an end for this crop.
“GuySuCo, with regard to the API for the workers, put forward a counterproposal…All I can say is that the gap between the Union’s claim and GuySuCo’s offer is very wide,” Chand stated.
He explained that it would be premature to pronounce on the matter before the next scheduled meeting between the Union and GuySuCo on Friday, but it was hoped that the API ne-
GAWU President Komal Chand
gotiations were concluded in a timely manner.
“Initially, GuySuCo wanted to meet with us until next week to discuss again, but we explained to them that the workers want this sorted out quickly and to be dealt with speedily. GAWU’s claim was sent to them since last week and this is the first meeting they have held with us in relation to our claim. Both parties expressed their willingness and desire to reach and settle,” GAWU’s President said.
With regard to the counterproposal made by the
sugar entity to the workers’ Union for the 2015 API, Chand added that he was not in a position to divulge this at present.
“What I can say though is that the representatives who were there from the estates, GAWU, were very much displeased with GuySuCo’s counter offer.”
Meanwhile, the Union is yet to receive word on if and when the sugar corporation will be facilitating dialogue on negotiations for the workers’ wage/salary increases for this year. (kristenm@ guyanatimesgy.com)
five men were charged and placed before the courts for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol after they were found to be above the legal limit.
Roopchan Jainapi of Lot 25 Number Two Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), was stopped and tested with a breathalyser on August 22, while driving motor vehicle PNN 3555 on the Cotton Tree Public Road, WCB. Jainapi was subsequently charged and appeared at
Days after the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) arrested and charged two men who were attempting to swallow a quantity of cocaine pellets, the drug enforcement unit intercepted two St Lucian nationals as they were attempting to smuggle the illicit substance in their vaginas.
The two women, whose names were withheld by CANU, were about to board a Caribbean Airlines Flight destined for St Lucia at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
The bust was made about 09:30h on
Wednesday. CANU Head James Singh confirmed that the women were being questioned and were expected to make their court appearance shortly.
Singh also confirmed that the cocaine when extracted from the plastic wrap weighed just about one kilogram. Guyana Times understands that the plastic in which the cocaine was concealed measured eight inches in length.
James confirmed that the women were nabbed while going through a security check via a pat down at the International Airport. The ages of the women were confirmed as
38 and 43. He also added that the ranks were continuing their investigations.
CANU, along with the Police, has been working assiduously to tackle the drug trade, placing more ranks at the main ports of entry.
For the year, the Police recorded that they have seized about 149 kilograms of cocaine mainly at the Ogle International Airport and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. CANU has reportedly intercepted close to 500 kilograms of the illicit substance in 2015 so far and prosecuted several persons.
Headteachers, deputies to receive duty-free concessions – another 30 applicants being processed
Over a dozen highranking teachers within the public school system are set to benefit from duty-free concessions when purchasing vehicles, while the names of another batch of applicants are being processed.
Sixteen applicants, comprising headteachers and deputy headteachers from various regions across Guyana, will soon be receiving the benefit.
the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court where he pleaded guilty and was fined $7500.
On August 22 as well, Victor Yearwood, of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, was also stopped and tested while driving motor vehicle PKK 7197 on Matthew Alleyne Public Road, New Amsterdam. He too was charged and placed before the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Courts where he pleaded guilty and a $7500 fine was imposed.
Santari Mukhlall of Lot 37 Bath Settlement, WCB was also sentenced to pay a fine of $7500, after he was found to be above the legal limit of alcohol consumption. According to reports, he was driving motor vehicle CF 9654 on the Number
These beneficiaries are: Kamal Persaud, Kathlene Armstrong, Magna Bethune, Zailmoon Samad, Gwenette Sam, Bernadette Lewis, Chandradee Kanhai, Paul La Cruz, Susan Rhius, Vernell RazackGiles, Deborah GreenidgeHinds, Juliet Mattis, Avril Lake, Georgieanai Lewis, Paulette Merell and Beverly Henry.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Guyana Teachers Union General Secretary Coretta McDonald expressed her satisfaction that these senior teachers would finally benefit from this perk, noting that most of them have already retired.
“The Union is quite pleased that we were able to pursue this matter and these teachers are to receive their due reward…
Seven Village Public Road, WCB on August 23 when the Police conducted a breathalyser test on him. Consequently, he was charged and appeared at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court where he pleaded guilty to the DUI offence.
Additionally, Kishan Lachmpersaud of Lot 83 Bath Settlement, WCB, was found to be above the legal limit of alcohol consumption after he was tested with a
We are grateful that at last this outstanding list that has been going back and forth, it has now come to a conclusion,” she stated.
Another list of over 30 applicants is currently being processed by the Finance Ministry. According to Mc Donald, the outstanding list has been going back and forth between the relevant authorities, but has been given final approval.
Furthermore, the GTU General Secretary urged the agencies handling the processing and approval of this incentive not to make the process unnecessarily tedious, pointing out that it could be completed within two weeks.
“We should be able to finish this whole business of duty free, when we submit names, in a mat-
breathalyser on August 23.
The man was driving motor vehicle PSS 6942 on the Number Nine Public Road, WCB when he was stopped by the Police.
Lachmpersaud was later charged and placed before the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court on August 24, when he pleaded guilty and was fined $7500.
Finally, Tyson Rhedy of Lot 17 Bush Lot Village, WCB, was sentenced to
ter of two weeks because at GTU we have information here on our teachers, the Ministry of Education’s Personnel Department, they also have the same information that we have so we shouldn’t have that long drawn-out period,” the Union executive explained.
Mc Donald went on to say that at times it could be very frustrating and fatiguing, when headteachers have to go back and forth between agencies and individuals to get a perk that was promised to them.
“This entire process, if we can sit together as partners and complete the list; we can cut back some of the time that it usually takes to have the dutyfree concession issue dealt with,” she noted.
Since 2009, GTU has been pushing the Education Ministry to process and approve dutyfree concessions for those teachers who have been in the public system for 30 years and more.
In order to qualify for duty-free concessions, a teacher within the public system must hold the post of a headteacher for at least three years, and have at least five years of employment before retirement.
pay a fine of $7500 after he pleaded guilty to a DUI offence. The charge stated that on August 19, the man was driving GTT 433 on the Fort Wellington Public Road, WCB when he was stopped and tested by the Police.
Rhedy was subsequently found to be above the legal limit; hence, he was charged the following day and appeared at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court.
As Guyana continues to take precautionary measures against an outbreak of the H1N1 virus commonly known as “Swine Flu”, Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton has reassured that there were adequate medical supplies on hand to treat the virus.
In an interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Minister Norton said “yes, we do have drugs available” to treat any H1N1 infection. He explained that the swine flu was an influenza strain that could be treated systematically.
“We do have what is known as a systematic treatment. You treat the fever, treat the pains; you treat the difficulty breathing. We also have somebody who is in charge of infectious diseases and, as in the case of Ebola where we would have had to isolate, we have such a ward identified,” the Health
Minister stated. Additionally, Minister Norton pointed out that the Ministry has reinforced the Port Health Authorities at the country’s two main ports of entry, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and Ogle International Airport (OIA) – as well as the ports of entry at Moleson Creek, Charity and Lethem.
The Public Health Minister further disclosed that there was a task force present at the
CJIA that was attached to the International Health Regulation (IHR) which monitored the various viral infections that could spread from one country to another such the H1N1 virus.
Following the death of two persons from the virus in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana is on high alert for signs of this killer flu and has taken various precautionary steps against any outbreak locally.
On Sunday, Dr Norton
had confirmed that there have been no reports of the virus in Guyana. This situation still stands as of Wednesday. Nevertheless, the Public Health Minister underscored the importance of persons concentrating prevention at this point in time.
“The swine flu carries the regular symptoms of sneezing, coughing, pains, difficulties in breathing; sometimes you get secretions from the nose and the regular flu so to speak, this belongs to the influenza group, specifically the H1N1 virus group,” Dr Norton previously explained.
He went on to say that persons who appear to have the symptoms should use a swab and have a sample of body fluid sent to the National Reference Laboratory which has already been placed on high alert.
“They will do tests to determine whether or not
there are any possibilities that it might be the H1N1 flu virus. If they suspect that this is the case, then we will have it sent to the Caribbean laboratory to get it confirmed. But the people at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), which really is our main source of referral, are aware of it; they are looking for it and our ports of entry are all active… Last week or the
week before we had our national task force meeting convened and we are fully prepared and ready for it,” the Minister posited.
With regard to ensuring preventative measures are in place, he stated that persons have to ensure that they were healthy and remained that way, so as to guarantee that their immune systems were not susceptible to contracting flu-like symptoms.
BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM
Chairman of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Julius Faerber, along with a number of supporters staged a peaceful picketing exercise in front of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) office on Wednesday to voice concerns about the “unbecoming and unacceptable” actions of the Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dennis Jaikaran.
Speaking with Guyana Times during the picketing exercise, Faerber said that Jaikaran had pledged to work with the administration of Region Three upon assumption of duties on October 1. However, the REO has thus far refused to discuss matters with elected officials of the region.
“The exercise is one where we are trying to get the REO of Region Three Dennis Jaikaran to work with elected officials of the region. The elected official, who is manning the RDC, is saying that the administrator, who is the REO, must be able to discuss matters with the elected officials so we can progress in the region… But the REO bluntly refused to discuss matters with myself, and the Vice Chairman,” the Regional
Chairman stated. It was noted that on numerous occasions, REO Jaikaran was invited to meetings but he “bluntly” told the officials of the RDC that he was there on “government business” and that he does not wish to have any discussions with them.
According to Faerber, while the REO is not engaging the elected officials of Region Three in talks, he is participating in dialogues with the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) activists in the area.
“We have matters to discuss when we visit communities, we have matters
to address, and he is saying he doesn’t have time to address these issues that we can do whatever we feel is right,” Faerber said.
Obstruction of meetings Faerber told this publication that every month there is a Heads of Department meeting which is held so as to deliberate and discuss on the five programmes which the region usually has ongoing.
At this meeting, the officials would be able to give updates on these programmes, state difficulties they may encounter while executing them, and together as a collective team the issues can be “ironed
out”.
“The REO has stopped those officials from coming out to meeting. He is the administrator of the region, the one who is to ensure that the programmes of the region are carried out so we can have development in the region. He is the one that signs on financially to matters and he is the one who is Chairman of the Tender Board to ensure that the works are given to contractors and we can have the works done to standards within a specific time,” Faerber contended.
Guyana Times was told that on Tuesday, there was a Tender Board meeting and that REO Jaikaran in-
vited APNU/AFC members to sit on this board without consulting the Chairman, as the head of the region.
Faerber further explained that the procedure for the RDC is to have two representatives, one from the Government’s side and the other from the Opposition’s side, to sit on this Tender Board.
However, as of now, Region Three has four Government representatives sitting on the Board with the Opposition Party, the PPP/C, only having one representative.
“These things are not right. The law constitutes that two members from the RDC must sit on the Tender Board along with heads of departments inside of the region but the REO is doing his own thing. This is a region where all of us have to work together to develop it,” the Chairman of Region Three emphatically stated.
Reduction of fuel
With regards to the Chairman being prevented from executing his duties as a result of direct interventions by REO Jaikaran, this newspaper was reminded that the REO has reduced the amount of fuel which Faerber receives on a daily basis.
“He has reduced my fuel from 10 gallons per
day to five gallons per day and that is hampering my progress as the Regional Chairman to visit communities. Previously, I used to be given 10 gallons over the weekend to visit the communities but as of now, I am not getting any fuel,” Faerber declared.
As such, the Chairman is often left to use public transportation during the week to perform his duties to ensure that the works of the region is not stalled.
“I use public transportation to come to work because when the vehicle runs out of fuel on the road, I have my job to perform. So I have to take a minibus and come to work. In my opinion, the REO says he is here to do Government’s business, he has been given specific instructions by the Government how he should operate. And I think that is what the REO is doing, he is listening to his Minister and whoever is telling him what he should do in Region Three, so that is the problem,” the Regional Chairman added. Meanwhile, another group of protestors were on the opposite side of the roadway, in support of the REO. They were shouting chants and held placards which read “Faerber must go!” and “The REO must stay!” (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)
failed to implement major projects promised
BY EDWARD LAYNE
People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Juan Edghill has described the $221 billion National Budget for 2015, which was passed in the National Assembly back in August, as “a failed budget”, pointing to the fact that very little of what is contained in the estimates were actually implemented.
Edghill, a former Minister within the Finance Ministry told a news conference at PPP Headquarters, Robb Street, Georgetown on Wednesday, that the current environment is one of uncertainty as it relates to the implementation of Budget 2015.
“We predict that Budget 2015 is already a failure, especially as it relates to implementation. During the budget debates we did question and we did asked that the Minister of Finance and the various sectoral Ministers outlined to us how they intend to implement such a huge budget in such a short timeframe and we were told that they have a plan. However, we are six weeks before the completion of year 2015 and I can tell you what we are seeing, what we are hearing and what we are observing does not represent any serious plan for the successful implementation of both the capital and maintenance budgets for the various sectors, but more particular for the Ministry of public Infrastructure,” Edghill told reporters.
Edghill said based on reports from his Party officials in the various regions, the country is operating in a policy-deficient environment, since “there seems to be no clear policy as it relates to the implementation and the laying out of public programmes.”
East Bank/East Coast Four Lane Highway
Turning his attending to public infrastructure, Edghill said that all the major projects which started under the former PPP/Civic Government and even those which were promised by the A Partnership for National Unity /Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration in the 2015 Budget seem to be at a standstill.
Speaking specifically to the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara Four Lane Highway expansion projects, Edghill said works on these two projects are at a standstill, despite a commitment during the budget debate
from the Government that works will be completed on schedule.
“Anyone traversing the East Bank corridor will see basically work on the East Bank Four Lane highway is at a standstill,” Edghill said.
He added that with regards to the East Coast Four Lane Expansion, when the PPP/C demitted office on May 20, 2015, an award was already made for this project, where local funds were used for the construction of drains and the widening of the road and as such, there should have been progress on the actual construction of the road.
“If you travel that area… the only work that has been done on the East Coast Four Lane Highway is clearing of grass from the extension and the widening that was done.”
Edghill reminded that Infrastructural development is not only critical for Guyana’s development and its expansion, but a driving force for activities
within the economy, “and when these projects are on hold, you have serious difficulties.”
Timehri Access Road
Speaking on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Four Lane Access Road, Edghill said here again there is a halt in the works, explaining that before demitting office, his Government had completed every administrative act that should have been done for the completion for that road, including the signing of a contract with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) for the relocation of utilities in the area.
“Everything is done, it is now for the contractor to complete his work. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure needs to bring to the public’s attention and bring information to us as it relates to what is happening there”.
He also questioned why works have not commenced on the upgrade of roads from Linden to Kwakwani, in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) as well as the Linden to Lethem Roads, for which huge sums were allocated in the 2015 Budget.
Edghill also alleged that many contracts which were awarded under the PPP/C Administration were placed on hold and as the now Government seeks to renegotiate these, without any proper basis for doing so.
The Public infrastructure Ministry received a budgetary allocation of $17.483 billion in the 2015 National Budget.
In what was described as execution-style killing, a Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, man succumbed to two gunshot wounds.
Christopher Mulligan, called “Chrissy” and “Taps”, of Bogey Peck Street, Festival City, was shot late Wednesday afternoon – once to his right palm and to his right buttocks.
According to reports, at about 17:00h, the father of one was sitting on the front step of his home when two men rode up on a motorcycle, entered his yard and opened fire on him.
Guyana Times understands that four gunshots were heard but only two hit Mulligan. The men rode away after opening fire.
The injured man was
picked up by relatives and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. However, he succumbed while undergoing surgery.
Meanwhile, a neighbour said that she was inside her house when she heard gunshots. The woman said upon investigating, she saw two unmasked men riding away from the scene on a motorcycle.
At the hospital, relatives of the injured man related that they were unsure as to what transpired but explained that they were informed of the shooting and rushed to Mulligan’s house.
They added that upon their arrival, they found the injured man on the ground and rushed him to seek medical attention. The Police have since launched an investigation.
President David Granger has announced that former Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Major General (Retd) Michael Atherley will head the newly constituted National AntiNarcotics Unit.
The National AntiNarcotics Unit is the combination of the Customs AntiNarcotics Union (CANU) and the Police Force’s Narcotics Unit.
President Granger made this disclosure to the media on Wednesday at an event hosted by the GDF. In 2004, Major General Atherley retired from the GDF as Chiefof-Staff and for a number of years has been serving as the Head of the Task Force on Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearms, attached to the Public Security Ministry.
According to the Head of State, the former Chief-ofStaff was selected given his experience and involvement as the helm of the Task Force on narcotics trafficking.
“We felt that he was the fittest person to examine the National Drug Strategy Master Plan, which we inherited from the [People’s Progressive Party] PPP Administration and which was never implemented. But that plan is going to be modified and we are looking at the architecture, and we expect by the middle of December or earlier, that National Drug Strategy Master Plan, which Major General Atherly is working
on at present, will be able to bring the scourge of narco trafficking under control,” the President stated.
Back in September, the Head of State told reporters on a “The Public Interest” programme that while the duties of the Police Narcotics Unit and that of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) may vary, he prefers a single unit that is stronger.
“I agree that the duties of the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit should be merged (but) the two functions have to be harmonised; we don’t need two, we need one strong unit,” he said, while acknowledging that the roles of the two agencies are similar. He said that CANU has greater responsibilities than the police unit, which deals more with mobile and eradication exercises.
While there has no confirmation of the merge, President Granger said on Wednesday that with the establishment of this new antinarcotics agency, he is hoping that narcotics trafficking in Guyana will be brought under control. “Once that is done, we will be able to control gun running and other formers of transnational crime,” said the President. Guyana has been under the international radar for it high presence of narco trafficking activities. This situation has caused the United States to establish a local Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Office here.
Arrangements are still being made and it is expected that the DEA office will be fully staffed and operational by mid-January 2016. Recently accredited US Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, had revealed that the head for the local office has already been named.
“There has already been someone selected to be the head of the office, I can’t share the name at this time, but I hope to see him on January 15 and his team around the same time,” the Ambassador had stated.
thursday, november 19, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
By Edward LaynE
The Medical Council in Guyana has been denying former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, trained Internal Medicine Specialist and Nephrologist, Dr Roger Luncheon a licence to practise medicine here.
Dr Luncheon told Guyana Times on Tuesday that he had written to the Medical Council of Guyana on June 15, 2015, stating his intentions of re-entering private practice and submitting the necessary information for licensing.
He said based on a response, in mid-July he submitted the appropriate fees for licensing, but those fees were not accepted, because he did not meet the Continuous Medical Education (CME) requirements in keeping with the Medical Practitioners Act of 1991.
The Medical Practitioners Act was amended in 2009, making provisions for waiver of the CME in certain instances. Based on legal in-
terpretations received on Section Five of the Medical Practitioners Act which addresses the Registration of Medical Practitioners:
“Sections 5.8 contemplates that a doctor, previously registered under Section 5.6 of the said act, whose other career obligations, example, Executive Government, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Cabinet Members etc., would be eligible/entitled to be added to the annual register, without more, upon demitting office, upon payment of the prescribed fees.”
Legal luminaries say that the basis of this waiver was that it would be impractical for doctors who hold such offices to have met the CME requirements contained in Section 5.8 (3) of the Registration of Medical Practitioner Act, which states; “ in order to be registered under subsection (s), a medical practitioner must submit evidence of having attended a minimum of 12 academic sessions recognised by the Council during the preced-
Dr Roger Luncheon
ing year, but where a medical practitioner is being registered for the first time, he shall at that time be required to obtain a licence of annual registration on the payment to the Secretary the prescribed fee.”
Dr Luncheon was entitled to a waiver based on his circumstances.
Having returned to Guyana in 1980 and registered as a medical practitioner, Dr Luncheon worked with the Government of Guyana at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation
and later in the Health Ministry until 1990, when he became a parttime consultant with the Government.
He ran his own private practice from 1990 to 1992 when he was appointed Head of the Presidential Secretariat under the Dr Cheddi Jagan People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government –a post he held until May 2015.
The Internal Medicine Specialist and Nephrologist said he had written to the
By UTaMU BELLE
Former Region 10
(Upper DemeraraBerbice) Chairman
Sharma Solomon on Wednesday voiced concerns over not being granted benefits, after serving in the position of Regional Chairman for three and a half years. Solomon brought the issue to the forefront as the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the public service wrapped up its Linden leg of
receive benefits as a former Regional Chairman. He further told Commissioners that he would like the issue to be reviewed, while also noting that it may be difficult for others who wish to give service and those involved in the public service who may have served under similar circumstances.
“I would like to take the opportunity to say that I find it very difficult to appreciate... when asked about my benefits after
added that he heard numerous complaints from cleaners, for example, while he pointed out that other issues included remuneration and wages and salaries. The former Regional Chairman said while he is now working as a contract employee, he is totally against it. As such, he called for an end to contract employees.
Asked by Jones if efforts were made to address some of the issues, Solomon said a number of efforts were put
hearings on Wednesday.
A number of other witnesses also testified before Chairman, Professor Harold Lutchman and Commissioners Sandra Jones and Samuel Goolsarran during the twoday public hearing, which commenced in Linden on Tuesday.
During his testimony, Solomon told the Commission that he was informed from the inception of his duties that had he served in the capacity of Regional Chairman for four years, he would have fulfilled the requirements to
Chairmanship, I was told that there was absolutely no benefits that I would receive. I found that very disturbing,” he stated.
Solomon, who served as Regional Chairman from January 2012 to 2015 said the challenges in relation to conditions of work under the public service were many.
Using the Regional Democratic Council as an example, he said there were instances where work was significantly affected due to several health and environmental inconsistencies, and as such, staffers were advised to “go home”. Solomon
forward by the Council, in the form of motions and proposed to be resolved through budgets; however, many times the efforts were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Region10 Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Representative Maurice Butters told the CoI that there are many atrocities occurring within the public service and accused the Public Service Commission of being “too politcised”.
The GPSU representative also highlighted the issue of the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) staff gra-
Medical Council highlighting the fact that he was qualified for a waiver; however, there has been no response.
The disappointed Luncheon said he has been writing the Chair of the Medical Council, Dr Shoba Gobin on a monthly basis inquiring about the status of his licences, but was still to receive a response.
In a letter to the Council dated October 28, 2015, as seen by Guyana Times , Dr Luncheon expressed his frustration that his June application was further filed for examination by the Council in mid-November.
“I am incensed by the Council’s delay. I had explained how impracticable it was for a serving Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Secretary to the Cabinet of Guyana to attend CME course,” he stated in the letter.
Again on November 13, Dr Luncheon wrote the Council highlighting that he had not received any correspondence on his June
application and restated that the legislation is clear on his eligibility to practice.
Dr Luncheon believes that the Council was deliberately denying him a fundamental right as a Guyanese – the right to work.
He explained that the matter was brought to the attention of the Public Health Minister Dr George Norton, as well as Minister of State and current Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Secretary to the Cabinet, Joseph Harmon but they too have not offered any assistance. When contacted, Dr Norton said that he saw no reason to doubt the decision of the Medical Council and as such, would encourage Dr Luncheon to take legal action if he feels in any way discriminated against.
“Dr Roger Luncheon is fully aware what the law says…it is the same law that the Medical Council is using to defend their actions. What Dr Roger Luncheon will have to do is to take the Medical Council to court,” Dr Norton said.
tuity being cut, noting that although it had led to several protests, the matter to date has not been resolved. Additionally, Butters said meetings with relevant Ministries also failed to address the issue. He also spoke of the absence of a Regional Health Authority in the region and failure to make the LHC a corporate entity; a decision that would put an end to contract workers.
Also testifying was teacher and former Member of Parliament Vanessa Kissoon, who made calls for the retirement age to be 60 or 65.
She told the CoI that there should be proper training for ordinary security guards, in addition to petitioning for allowances, meals, and duty-free concessions for senior managers. She further raised the issue of new teachers having to wait 3 months before being granted payment.
Earl Stuart, an Executive Member of the GPSU and driver at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) told Commissioners that the age of retirement should be 60, citing health related reasons while he also made calls for issues regarding the CoI to be addressed and solutions implemented.
Also testifying before the Commission was Linden Interim Management Committee (IMC) Chairman Orrin Gordon, Radiologist at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) Brian Claxton, and lecturer at the Linden Technical Institute Gregory Parkinson, among others.
A$40 million lawsuit was filed against former Home Affairs Minister and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member, Gail Teixeira and the Guyana Chronicle Newspaper over controversial but hearsay information contained in the trending WikiLeaks cables and republished.
The lawsuit was filed by former Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj, who claimed that his character was defamed as a result of the contents of the information allegedly spoken by Teixeira in the United States Government documents and republished in the Guyana Chronicle article on November 17 headlined “WikiLeaks cable… Teixeira accused Gajraj of visa racketeering”.
The lawsuit was filed in the High Court on
Tuesday. Both Teixeira and the Guyana Chronicle were served with the court action on Wednesday morning.
According to the court documents, Gajraj is seeking $10 million each for defamation of his character; $10 million from the Guyana Chronicle for libel; and an additional $10 million from both Teixeira and the Guyana Chronicle for additional damages.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Chronicle reported that during a meeting with the US government, Teixeira allegedly made several startling disclosures about Gajraj’s alleged involvement in several corrupt activities. This information was attributed to the WikiLeaks cables. Teixeira has since denied making such proclamations.
Celebrations for the Guyana Defence Force’s 50th anniversary continued on Wednesday with President David Granger taking the presidential salute at the Consecration and Trooping of the Colours ceremony.
The event was hosted at the Army’s Playfield at Base Camp Ayanganna and saw several members of the diplomatic community in attendance.
President Granger took the presidential salute after inspecting the five Units, who participated in the ceremony to consecrate and display the Colours associated with each of those Units. The Units included Base Camp
Ayanganna, Guard No 2, Base Camp Stephenson, One Infantry Battalion, Two Infantry Battalion and the Engineers Battalion. During the ceremony, the Consecration of the Colours was done through prayers by representatives from the three main religions in Guyana – Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. The Hindu prayer was done by Pandit Dhanesh Prashad, the Muslim by Brother Asheel Khan, while the Christian prayer was done by Force Chaplin, Pastor George Jeffers.
Trooping the ‘Colours” is a ceremony involving parading the Colours which identify the Units,
developed initially as a means of ensuring that each soldier knew the colour of his unit and could therefore rally in battle.
However, Colours are no longer carried into battle in response to the changing circumstances of war. Nonetheless, they remain the symbols of the spirits of the regiments, and the ceremonial tradition associated with them has been preserved.
The event was attended by not only military persons but there was also a large turnout of civilians who all seemed eager to get a glimpse of the precise and calculated parade of the Colours.
Mashramani 2016 costume and float parade has been shifted to May, to coincide with the country’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations.
The Annual Republic Lecture series will also occur in May.
According to information emanating from the Mash Secretariat, Mash 2016 will be launched on Friday, November 20, in front of the Education Ministry’s Department of Culture,
Main Street, where the 2016 logo will be unveiled, following a packed programme of activities.
Drumming, masquerade, dancing, storytelling, steel band renditions, and performances by the calypso, chutney and soca monarchs will be among the activities to which patrons will be treated.
Additionally, Music Unlimited, a local music institution, will perform several Guyanese songs.
Among the main activi-
ties for Mash 2016 are calypso, chutney and soca competitions, children’s competitions, which are slated to be held from February 17 to 20, culminating with the children’s costume and float parade, Bright up Guyana, and steel band and masquerade competitions.
On February 23, there will be the official flag raising at Parliament Building, commencing at 07:00h. All the administrative regions are to celebrate Mash as well.
UN meets with Govt, local stakeholders – on priority for next five years
Guyana’s views as to what should be the United Nations’ Caribbean priorities for the next fiveyear cycle were heard on Wednesday when representatives from the agency met and engaged Government Officials, civil society groups and Non-Governmental Organisations.
The meeting was done at a consultation workshop at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal.
With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expiring in 2015, the UN has begun, what it terms a global conversation to determine its worldwide development post-2015 goals and objectives.
UN Resident Coordinator Khadija Musa, who con-
vened the consultation, explained that the UN’s post2015 Development Agenda aims to help to define the future global development framework that will succeed the MDGs. With regard to the Caribbean, emphasis will be on multi-country sustainable development, she said.
According to Musa, the UN believes that the interdependency and interconnectivity of the world should be captured within these goals to bring mutual benefits to all the countries. There must be some thematic ties with the Caribbean as a whole because of issues such as climate change and economic trade, which should see benefit to each member state, the Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted her as saying.
Following this consultation, Musa said that the next step was that the information collected, would be fed into a document being compiled by the UN. This will then be shared with the Governments of the Caribbean countries, when they meet with the UN in December in Trinidad and Tobago.
That meeting will allow for the further narrowing down of the goals which will again be taken back to the countries for consultation and refinement. Musa explained that the UN has until 2017 to refine and launch the document. The goal, she said, is to have at this stage, national buy-in and ownership of the document.
The UN system usually looks into the goals of Governments and the Governments’ plans in general and examines the areas in which it can support them. By having the consultation, Musa noted, what the UN is doing now is beginning the discussion with citizens and ministerial technocrats as to what the UN should present to influence the next budget of the Governments. In other words, not only does the national consultation allow for global documents, but one that lines up the UN’s priority with Governments’ priorities over the next five years.
The Police chief has vowed to intensify the fight against criminals in the wake of a rise in murders in The Bahamas. The toll has risen to 134, eclipsing the 2011 record by 20 per cent and the 2014 figure by 31 per cent.
In response, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade announced that a heavily armed selective enforcement team has been deployed to bolster the efforts of lawmen.
“Whatever weapons are out on the streets of New Providence, we’ve outmatched them… we are going to stay out there for as long as it takes,” he told the media.
“Any well-meaning citizens of this country should stay out of the way of law enforcement and allow us to do our work, fairly, firmly and professionally.”
He appealed for com-
Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade says well-meaning citizens should stay out of the way of law enforcement and allow them to do their job as they fight criminals
munities to stop sheltering residents engaged in “nefarious acts” and to support work of the Police.
“I am asking you, I am begging you to give us your support.”
Greenslade, who previously called for legislative and policy changes to bolster the work of the police,
Honduras detains 5
said he was not surprised by the increase.
And even as he staunchly defended lawmen, he acknowledged that the murder toll is very disturbing.
A major challenge, he said, is the ability for repeat offenders to get bail after being charged with serious crimes. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)
Honduran authorities have detained five Syrian nationals who were trying to reach the United States using stolen Greek passports, but there are no signs of any links to last week’s attacks in Paris, Police said.
The Syrian men were held late on Tuesday in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, on arrival from Costa Rica, and had been planning to head to the border with neighboring Guatemala. The passports had been doctored to replace the photographs with
those of the Syrians, Police said.
“We received information from (fellow) Police services that these five Syrians left Greece and passed through Turkey, Brazil, Argentina and San Jose in Costa Rica before finally reaching Tegucigalpa,” said Anibal Baca, spokesman for Honduras’ Police. “They are normal Syrians.”
US Republican lawmakers defied President Barack Obama on Wednesday and set out plans following last week’s deadly Paris attacks to tighten screening
of Syrian refugees.
Obama has pledged to take in 10,000 Syrians next year from the wartorn country. But his plan faces stiff resistance from Republicans, concerned some of the refugees could be associated with Islamic State.
Reports that at least one of the Paris attackers was believed to have slipped into Europe among migrants registered in Greece prompted several Western countries to begin to question their willingness to take in refugees. (Reuters)
Cuba has blamed US policy for a surge in migration from the Communist-run island to the United States. The Cuban Foreign Ministry said US laws dating back to the Cold War encouraged illegal emigration.
The statement was published as almost 2000 Cuban migrants remained stranded on the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The Cuban migrants say they want to reach the US, but Nicaragua has so far de-
nied them passage North.
Under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, Cuban nationals can become residents in the US much more easily than applicants from other countries.
The Act was revised in 1995 under the Clinton Administration.
From then on, Cubans who made it onto US soil were allowed to apply for residency but those intercepted at sea were turned back. The policy has become known as “wet foot,
dry foot”. In its statement, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said that the policy “stimulates irregular emigration to the US and constitutes a violation of the letter and the spirit of current migration agreements”. It said that the policy was “at odds with the current bilateral context and hindered the normalisation of migratory ties between Cuba and the US and created problems for other countries”.
The Consulate General of St Kitts and Nevis marked its re-opening in the Middle East on Saturday night with a private invitation-only event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Chairing the ceremony, Elsa Wilkin-Armbrister, the recently appointed acting Consul General, officially announced the re-opening of the consulate to service the needs of St Kitts and Nevis citizens throughout the Middle East.
Wilkin-Armbrister, a na-
tive of Nevis, brings with her a wealth of international business and academic experience. With a BA in Psychology, an MSc in International Marketing and midway through a PhD in Marketing, Wilkin-Armbrister has represented the Federation for over 20 years in the areas of politics, tourism, public diplomacy and education. Well versed in international affairs having worked in USA, UK, Netherlands, Peru, Monaco, Romania, Tanzania and Zambia,
Wilkin-Armbrister has lectured at various top universities in both the UK and Netherlands. Also present at the reopening was Mark Brantley, minister of foreign affairs for the Government of St Kitts and Nevis. Brantley addressed the audience on the importance of evolving reciprocal business relationships between St Kitts and Nevis citizens and Governments in the Middle East. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)
Violeta Chamorro.
The House of Representatives yesterday passed legislation that will allow authorities to take DNA samples from suspects and convicted people, with or without their consent.
Minister of National Security Peter Bunting said the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Evidence Act 2015 is a critical weapon in the fight against crime.
Attorney General Patrick Atkinson added the Bill was “a watershed and critical piece of legislation”.
“It takes away from persons who have committed serious crimes the opportunity to hide from justice,” he said in his contribution to the debate.
The Bill outlines and establishes procedures for collection, retention and preservation of DNA samples, provides for the destruction or the retention of DNA pro-
National Security Minister Peter Bunting piloted the Bill
files, and also establishes offences and penalties for breaches of the Act.
These include falsifying any profile, swapping DNA samples or DNA profile with intent to deceive, and tampering with a container or package containing DNA samples of profiles.
The legislation also provides for the keeping, main-
taining, and operating of a consolidated forensic DNA databank, to be known as the National DNA Register, for the purposes of forensic investigation and human identification.
The Bill, which received the support of both the government and Opposition, will now go to the Senate for approval. (Caribbean360)
Police in Nicaragua are searching for a former Cabinet chief after a helicopter crash which is confirmed to have killed three other people.
Antonio Lacayo, who served as Cabinet chief from 1990 to 1997, was flying from the town of San Carlos to the capital, Managua, when the helicopter came down on Monday.
The pilot and two US businessman died in the crash, Police confirmed.
Local people said there was poor visibility at the time of the accident.
Adiscussion is currently taking place with the Attorney General on revisiting or changing the current situation of free, unrestricted/unhindered entry of T&T nationals who have joined the Islamic State (ISIS), National Security Minister Edmund Dillon confirmed on Tuesday. He alluded to the discussion, but said he couldn’t give details, in the Senate when
Lacayo played a key role in the Government led by his mother-in-law, President
After leaving office he became Chief Executive of fruit company TicoFrut.
Deputy Director of Police Francisco Diaz said the bodies of the pilot and the other two passengers had been found. They have been identified as Coca-Cola executive James S Horrisberger and Phil Wendell Tope, who worked for a Florida-based juice company. Government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said news of the crash was shocking and praised the role Lacayo played both in politics and in business. (BBC News)
UNC Senator Wayne Sturge asked if Government was revisiting or changing the free, unrestricted/unhindered entry of T&T “jihadists” now with Isis. Dillon later said the discussion with the AG was for T&T’s safety and security.
“This Government wants to make it abundantly clear that it recognises the global threat posed by ISIS and the horrific atrocities recent-
ly committed on the French people by the ISIS phenomena” Dillon added, detailing heightened vigilance measures by T&T authorities following last Friday’s terrorist attacks on Paris. Some 129 people died and 352 were injured when eight terrorists, including suicide bombers, attacked seven Paris locations. ISIS claimed responsibility. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
Awoman has blown herself up and a suspect was shot dead during a Police raid on a flat in a Paris suburb, while seven arrests were made.
Police targeted the flat in Saint-Denis in a search for the alleged mastermind of Friday’s gun and bomb attacks in Paris, when 129 people were killed.
The fate of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, previously thought to be in Syria, is still unclear.
A Government spokesman said remains of a third body may be under the rub-
ble.
Prosecutor Francois Molins announced earlier that intelligence indicated Abaaoud was in Paris.
All victims of Friday’s attacks – which targeted a concert hall, cafes and the Stade de France stadium and were claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group – have now been identified, the Government said.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group says it has killed one Norwegian and one Chinese captive. ISIL had two months ago de-
manded a ransom for the release of the men.
In other developments
Eagles of Death Metal, the band whose concert was stormed during the attacks, say in their first statement since returning to the US that they are “bonded in grief” with all those affected
US President Barack Obama condemns the actions of two dozen state governors refusing to resettle Syrian refugees as hysterical and offensive
IS media publish a photo of what it says was the bomb which downed the Russian airliner over Egypt on October 31, killing all 224 people aboard
The operation in SaintDenis – where the Stade de France is located – began at 04:20h (03.20 GMT).
Speaking from the scene afterwards, Molins said it had been ordered after phone taps and surveillance operations suggested Abaaoud, a Belgian of Moroccan descent, could be there. (Excerpt from BBC News and Al Jazeera)
Iran’s hardline judiciary arrested the son of a former Minister of Culture on Wednesday on suspicion of involvement in a controversial oil contract, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Four years ago, Iran’s Government tried to bypass the international sanctions on its oil and gas sector and buy an oil rig from a European company. Even though Tehran ended up paying out US$87 million, the rig was never delivered
to Iran.
Fars, quoting an unnamed source, said: “Mohammad Mohajerani’s arrest was related to his role in the missing oil rig case.”
Mohammad Mohajerani denied all allegations against him in a statement published on ILNA news agency in August, saying all his activities had been “in the framework of the Islamic Republic economic regulations”.
A few Iranian officials have been arrested in Iran
in the last few months as part of a judicial investigation into possible corruption related to the deal.
The ‘missing rig’ became a focus for media seeking to illustrate the complexity and cost of avoiding sanctions.
The US-led penalties will be lifted early next year following an international agreement on Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme in July, clearing the way for foreign oil firms to return to Iran. (Reuters)
Beijing said Wednesday
US President Barack Obama should not get involved in disputes in the South China Sea, after he demanded an end to artificial island building in the hotly contested region.
“The United States should stop playing up the South China Sea issue, stop heightening tensions in the South
China Sea and stop complicating disputes in the South China Sea,” Hong Lei, a Foreign Ministry Spokesman, said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.
“No country has the right to point fingers at” China’s construction activities, he added.
The rebuke came after Obama met with Philippine President Benigno Aquino in
Veteran Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal was on Wednesday cremated at Nigambodh Ghat in presence of BJP president Amit Shah, Senior leader L.K. Advani and several other party leaders.
Singhal died at a hospital in Gurgaon on Tuesday following a brief illness.
The 89-year-old, who was at the forefront of the BJP and Sangh Parivar’s
Ram temple movement, was admitted to MedantaMedicity last week after he complained of breathlessness.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called the death a “deep personal loss” and described Singhal as a “force behind several noble deeds and social work”.
“…He was an institution in himself, whose life was centred around serving the nation. Ashok Singhal
ji was the force behind several noble deeds & social work, which benefitted the poor. He is an inspiration for generations,” PM Modi had tweeted.
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu had paid tributes to Ashok Singhal at RSS office in Jhandewalan during his prayer meet. (Excerpt from newindianexpress)
At least 15 people have been killed after two powerful blasts rocked a busy mobile phone market in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, sources told Al Jazeera, a day after more than 30 people were killed in an attack in the north-eastern city of Yola.
Police said on Wednesday that two devices – one inside the market and another at its entrance – were detonated by two female suicide bombers in an area called Farm Centre in Kano.
At least 53 people were also injured in the twin suicide bomb attacks, Police said.
The attack comes a day after a bomb ripped through a market in Yola, a city in north-eastern Nigeria, killing more than 30 people and injuring dozens more.
The explosion happened at a fruit and vegetable market beside a main road in the Jimeta area of Adamawa’s state capital on Tuesday night.
The area, which also
houses a live stock market, was crowded with shoppers.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicion will fall on the armed group Boko Haram, which has killed thousands in its bid to create a state adhering to Islamic law in the northeast.
Tuesday’s blast came less than a month after at least 55 people died when suicide bombings struck two mosques in different cities in northeast Nigeria. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Manila during the annual AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering.
Beijing has turned a series of reefs and outcrops in disputed waters into artificial islands capable of hosting facilities with military purposes, alarming other claimants.
“We discussed the impact of China’s land reclamation and construction activities on regional stability,” Obama told reporters after meeting.
“We agree on the need for bold steps to lower tensions, including pledging to halt further reclamation, new construction, and militarisation of disputed areas in the South China Sea.”
APEC members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have rival claims to parts of the sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas resources. (AFP)
Riots erupted in Kosovo on Wednesday in a deepening crisis over relations with former ruler Serbia, with protesters setting fire to garbage containers and Government vehicles in the capital Pristina.
A hardcore of several hundred protesters fought running battles with Police, who used tear gas and armoured vehicles to try to disperse them.
Almost eight years after Kosovo won its independence from Serbia, the European Union (EU) is trying to smooth relations between the Balkan neighbours, but many among Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority are opposed to con-
cessions made to Belgrade.
An Opposition bloc headed by prominent protest leader-turned politician Albin Kurti has repeatedly disrupted the work of Parliament with tear gas and pepper spray, demanding that the Government scrap an EU-brokered accord offering minority ethnic Serbs greater local powers and the possibility of some financing from Belgrade.
The young country’s Constitutional Court is due to rule on the constitutionality of the accord, but on Wednesday the court was surrounded by Police and bomb squad officers after a hand grenade was lobbed into its grounds.
Police detonated the grenade in a controlled explosion.
Hours later, when news broke that a parliamentary ally of Kurti had been ordered detained for 30 days for setting off tear gas in the chamber on Tuesday, protesters converged on the Government building, lobbing rocks, bottles and petrol bombs.
Police also tried to arrest Kurti at his home, but he was not there. He later turned up during the protests, which as dusk fell escalated into riots. There was no immediate word from the Government or the President. (Excerpt from
thursday, November 19, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com
‘Haul off the stage’ comment
By Kristen MacKlingaM
Days after the outburst by Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) Charandass Persaud during which he declared that the women’s rights group(s) should “kiss my ass”, the A Partnership for National Unity/AFC coalition Government is still mum on the issue.
The AFC parliamentarian made the remarks when asked if he would issue an apology (as was being demanded by women activists) to fellow MP and Hindu Leader Dr Vindhya Persaud for stating that he would “haul” her off the stage.
In a Letter to the Editor, the AFC parliamentarian attacked the Hindu leader for merely expressing her views regarding her religion.
“Dr Vindhya Persaud so disgusted me that I felt like hauling (her) off the stage,” penned the AFC member in a letter which purported to be calling for a reconciliation of Hindu-Guyanese who were in disagreement over the Diwali date.
Although the Government has failed to address this matter thus far and its female MPs have remained silent about both statements made by the AFC MP, the Opposition has deemed the actions as “unacceptable”.
People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) member Bishop Juan Edghill, during a media briefing on Wednesday called for the AFC MP to resign since his attitude towards women was ‘unbecoming’.
“I think Charandass should do the decent thing and remove himself from
public office. He has declared himself to be a person of a thinking that does not show respect and regard for citizens of this country and more particularly, womenfolk,” Bishop Edghill said.
He added that Charandass’s first statement in itself could have been “off the cuff”, but “for you to turn around and say to women’s rights activists who find your statement to be obnoxious “kiss my ass and then I will apologise”, I find that to be something that has explained the character and the content of the personality that is named Charandass Persaud.” Bishop Edghill stated.
He emphasised that this matter should not just be addressed by the women in society but was of national interest as all persons regardless of race, culture, creed, religion or gender should condemn it.
“This should be an issue that should cause outrage on all the decent minded Guyanese. Mr Charandass’ language is inappropriate,
it is obnoxious and he deserves the strongest rebuke including from the leader of the party that he represents which in this case has to be the President. There needs to be a public rebuke for Mister Charandass,” he added.
Leadership
Meanwhile, former Government Minister
He noted that while the AFC MP may have told his Party (the Government) that his letter was misinterpreted or that he did not say what he is being accused of with regard to “hauling” Dr Vindhya Persaud off a stage in this case, there is proof of his disrespectful statement to the women’s rights group.
“You have done what
in the case of Bheri, everybody came down hard on him…they (Government officials) are not showing the kind of leadership on this issue that they should…They are a responsible party; they are now in Government, and the people are expecting a certain leadership from them and this certainly doesn’t look like leadership of any sorts on this matter,”
Who the hell is Vindiya Persaud? And if they kiss my ass I will apologise to Vindiya Persaud.
That is all they need to hear. First of all, did they read my letter?
Well the gutter journalism needs to stop. Nobody read my letter and in my letter I never said that I will ‘haul’ her or I wanted to..and if I said I wanted to haul the Prime Minister or the Queen of England off the platform what does that mean? I am assaulting her?
Even if I said that, that I want to haul Dr Vindiya Persaud off the stage, mind you when they read the letter they will know that is not what I said so the gutter journalism needs to come to an end.
And all these women rights group that are coming up , why are they not standing up for the man who was also involved in that particular speech that I mentioned?
The pandit? I mentioned his name too
And the women’s rights group, tell them for me, that if they want me to apologise let them come and kiss my ass…
and political commentator, Dr Henry Jeffrey told Guyana Times on Wednesday that although the Administration was yet to pronounce on this situation, it nonetheless must do so sometime soon.
you have to do: put it on the news…they can’t claim it is not a valid thing to say that they don’t read a newspaper, they should read all the newspapers in the first place, but that is not a valid claim. Look what happened
Dr Jeffrey added. The AFC MP’s sentiments which he publicly made about his fellow MP had generated much upheaval among women’s rights activists and female leaders.
However, when Guyana Times contacted Persaud on Sunday evening, he appeared unrepentant and this was further supported by his response when asked to comment on the situation where the women’s rights group(s) were demanding that he apologise.
“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 emphatically stated.
Meanwhile, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs told this publication on Tuesday that Parliament was yet to implement a code of conduct which would regulate and monitor the actions of each Member of Parliament (MP) on the Government and Opposition benches of the House.
“There is no parliamentary code of conduct as yet. They are now working on one I am told. We don’t have in place a parliamentary code of conduct,” he said. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)
Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) Ann Greene wants daycare services subsidised in Guyana. Greene, speaking at an Early Childhood Development (ECD)sponsored seminar in Georgetown on Wednesday that the agency is pushing local businesses and civil society members to “get involved” in daycare so that partial funding is readily available to help develop the sector.
According to a release from the Social Protection Ministry, Greene told participants that if the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) provides financial concessions to firms, many are willing to “get on board” and fund ECD initiatives locally.
“We will be advocating for that,” Greene assured her audience which packed the fifth floor of the Regency Suites on Hadfield Street. Greene is pushing for Private Sector financial support because recent research findings show that children
exposed to ECD escape delinquency in childhood and deviance in later life.
Four male care givers also attended the programme.
Wednesday’s initiative was the first in a series of meetings expected to be rolled out nationwide under the auspices of the Social Protection Ministry’s ECD Unit, Manager of that unit, Concheeta Gray said.
Gray’s unit wants to ensure that children are en-
rolled in “developmentallyfriendly” daycare services which adhere to the regulated minimum standards.
“Toddlers deserve a similar level of attention (as other groups of human beings) and must be sidelined,” Advisor to Social Protection Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) John Adams said.
Adams who delivered remarks on behalf of Minister Volda Lawrence, emphasised that daycare services throughout Guyana’s 83,000
square miles “must be safe, secure (and) infant-friendly”.
This has become even more demanding since more women are employed outside of the home and the extended family cannot contend adequately with the emergent challenges. This has spawned a bourgeoning of daycare services in Guyana and the wider Caribbean Community Region characterised by a weak licensing systems, an under-capitalised sector and the absence
of uniform standards, among other shortcomings, said Ms Paulette Bollers, Director of Municipal Day Services.
“Guyana has taken the first steps to ensure the ECD (sector) operate with minimum standards nationwide,” Bollers said.
These includes the development of healthy, strong, well-adjusted children; ensuring children have the ability to communicate effectively; guarantee that the children’s culture and that of her/his peers are respected and valued; assure that the foundation is laid for children to develop into criticalthinking adults and make certain there are “positive discipline practices” for children with behavioural challenges.
“ECD is serious business in Guyana,” Bollers reminded her audience.
While the ECD in its nationwide visits will ensure the minimum standards are followed by the some 280 registered daycare institutions the plan is “not to shutdown” those found still be-
low the accepted limit.
“We are going to work with you to get to the minimum standards (because) we are catering for a wellrounded child,” Lavern Thorne, Executive Officer of the ECD, assured the crowd. Thorne reasoned that making the necessary sacrifices now will pay dividends in Guyana’s future, concluding that if “we… invest now in our children we will not get some of the problems (in the future) we are experiencing” at present.
“The best interest of the child should be the building block of every child care centre,” Thorne said in a moving presentation.
“Every child care facility should work to ensure that children are given opportunities to support their total development,” Thorne urged.
Throne received a sustained applause from the audience when she pleaded with them to give the nation’s children “the best start in life (but) don’t do it (just) for the money”.
BY DEVINA SAMAROO
Students of the University of Guyana (UG) Turkeyen campus, are growing frustrated with the apparent crime spike on campus and the administration’s lack of will to address these concerns.
This is according to University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) President Joshua Griffith, who was at the time updating the media on several issues plaguing the University.
Compounding the situation is the fact that students were required to pay an increased facilities fee (from about $10,000 to $50,000) with the promise that these issues would be dealt with; however, throughout the past academic year, sufficient progress was not made in addressing these concerns.
Griffith noted that security remains a grave concern for students on campus.
“At nights, it is terrible to see what goes on,” Griffith commented.
Griffith noted too that the lack of adequate lighting on campus contributes
significantly to the crime situation. On this note, he is called on the University’s administration to swiftly address the issue.
“Poor lighting throughout the campus provides a haven for criminal activity. Students are still being attacked and robbed at the poorly lit Southern Campus Entrance,” Griffith stated.
Moreover, Griffith commended the move to install CCTV cameras on campus but explained that many of these new initiatives are not sustained. Observing from the administration’s track record, he lamented the lack of management in ensuring newly introduced initiatives remain on-stream.
Pressed for further details on the security crisis, the UGSS President noted that in addition to the spike in crime, the security personnel are less than unprofessional when addressing certain situations.
“We have been getting mixed reviews from the student body about the security personnel… generally, there is a fundamental need to improve the quality of services from the security personnel; the way they speak to students, how they go about
their interrogations; there have been complaints about the attitudes of the security personnel,” he stated.
Guyana Times spoke to several students on campus who admitted that cases of petty crimes have been occurring more frequently at the educational facility.
Meanwhile, the UGSS President complained that there are many other issues which the UG administration failed to address.
Some of these include accreditation of UG’s flagship health science programme; antiquated laboratories and library; a food shortage; insufficient supply of quality furniture; deplorable washroom conditions; Internet problems; among others.
Even though the University recently received new furniture, Griffith reported that there is still a furniture shortage on campus, owing to the administration’s lack of managerial skills and also to students’ carelessness. Nonetheless, Griffith said the furniture acquired are usually of poor quality, so even when students try to handle the chairs with care, they often
fall apart.
Refund and reduction
Given that the administration failed to fulfil the above promises it made to the student body, UGSS is demanding a reduction in the facilities fees from $50,000 to $30,000.
In addition, the UGSS is insisting there be a refund of no less than $15,000 of the previous payments the student made.
The UGSS President noted that the student body does not enjoy resorting to protest actions but it appears that it is the only way the UG administration will address the concerns.
“That is the predicament we are in,” Griffith stated. He said the student body will give the University’s administration up to November 27 to respond to these concerns.
If no response is forthcoming, the UGSS will write again to the council.
If there is still no favourable response, the UGSS will explore the other options available to them, including the staging of protests.
In those days, most of the news came through the radio and some from the popular newspapers. The first reports were that hundreds were dead, but by the time the newspaper could get images of the massacre at Jonestown, the radio news had already confirmed that more than 900 had died.
With no Internet or television available, Guyanese were glued to their radio sets at midday and in the evening to listen to the updates coming out of Jonestown. It was the second most newsworthy story in Guyana; the first being that of Guyana’s Independence.
But on November 19, 1978 when the first reports hit the local media it was the number one story in the world. Nine hundred and fourteen members of the People’s Temple had been poisoned after being forced to drink Kool-Aid laced with deadly cyanide.
Today, 37 years later, it is still remembered around the world, but everything from Jonestown has been stripped in the years since the deaths. The locals and to a lesser extent the Government made use of the machinery, the lumber of the structures, personal belongings of the individuals, educational resources from the school, utensils from the kitchen, medical supplies, the beds where people slept, the cottages and other things that made up the community.
The patch of rainforest in Guyana where Jim Jones moved his People's Temple in the 1970s has been almost entirely reclaimed by the jungle. Locals say if you search long enough, you can still find
remnants of a tractor used for transport and agriculture and a filing cabinet that would have kept documents about the community. The metal drums in which Jones mixed cyanide and Kool-Aid in preparation for the mass murdersuicide which took place at the site 37 years ago are also still in place.
Reverend Jim Jones made no news when he came to Guyana and brought with him close to 1000 followers of the People’s Temple. Most of his followers were Black Americans and most of them female. Statistics indicate that about 375 were Black American women.
Many of Jim Jones’ followers were street people; he picked them up and told them of a better life. Teri Buford O'Shea fled Jonestown three weeks before all its inhabitants all died. In her writings about Jim Jones and Jonestown, she states, “I was 19 years old when I joined the People's Temple in Redwood Valley, California. It was 1971, and I was homeless
when a man pulled up alongside me in a van. He told me about the community where he lived – a place, he said, where no one had to worry about food or housing. The leader was a visionary who was building a new future. I gladly took the ride. After all, I assumed, if I didn't like the People's Temple, I could always leave.”
In her writings, O'Shea said on November 18, 1978 she had left Jonestown to visit Georgetown and her life was spared. “Nine hundred and fourteen brainwashed men, women and children died in agony after poisoning themselves on the orders of a power-crazed cult leader who convinced them he was the Second Coming. The place where they fell was Jonestown, a remote commune in north-western Guyana named after its founder, Jim Jones – the evil architect of this terrible tragedy.”
In 1978, Captain Gerry Gouveia, who worked with the Guyana Defence Force as a pilot, flew army personnel to
GEA hosts “Express
The Transport and Harbours Sports Club in Thomas Lands, Georgetown was the scene of much exuberance, enthusiasm and high energy on Tuesday when 50 primary school students participated in the Guyana Energy Agency’s “Express Your Energy” activity.
Planned as one of the activities to commemorate Energy Week 2015, “Express your Energy” was attended by students, between the ages of 9 and 11 from Grades 4 and 6, from Grahams’ Hall Primary, North Georgetown Primary, West Ruimveldt Primary, St Agnes and St Ambrose Primary.
the scene and was among the first to visit the area after the mass suicide. Gouveia, who is now a successful businessman in aviation, is of the view that Jonestown should become a tourist attraction. "What we need to do is attract people to come to Guyana, whether that attraction is Jonestown or Kaieteur Falls or birding or ecotourism or cricket, to see what a wonderful country Guyana has turned out to be," says Gouveia, who now runs his own airline and tour company.
Carlton Daniels is the former postmaster in Port Kaituma, a mining community close to the old Jonestown compound. He's one of the few residents who remember what happened there. "Bringing in some tourist dollars could be good for development. There's a lot of gold mining right now, but minerals don't last forever," he says.
Nine years ago, the Guyana Emergency Relief Committee erected a plaque at the site which reads, ‘In Memory of the Victims of the Jonestown Tragedy’.
Meanwhile, even close to four decades after the Jonestown incident many are still baffled to know who Jones was. Why did so many believe in him so unquestioningly?
Jones was the son of an abusive, alcoholic father. James Warren Jones was born in 1931 and raised in an anonymous town in Indiana, where he is said to have killed his friends' pets so that they would pay him to dispose of them in his first business venture.
By his early 20s he and his
Students were encouraged at different stations to convey their interpretation and knowledge of energy sources, sustainability, energy conservation and energy efficiency through artwork/pictorial illustrations, word search and conservation tips.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), the students wasted no time in completing energy-based activities at their respective stations before jumping, bunny hopping, running and walking to the next station as their fellow team members loudly showed support. The teachers joined in the fun, coaching the students as they offered energyefficient tips and illustrated energy sources. The activity was non-competitive, so students were not judged or ranked based on their illustrations. Rather,
wife, Marceline, had founded their first evangelical church, and by most accounts he appeared a well-meaning local pastor. They also became the first couple in the state to adopt a black baby; rather a departure for Jones's father, who was in the Ku Klux Klan. They later expanded their 'rainbow family' to include a Korean child.
In 1978, many of Reverend Jim Jones’ followers had started to show some level of resistance to his dictatorship style and made contact with relatives back home. This prompted Californian Congressman Leo Ryan accompanied by a group of journalists to visit Jonestown. They arrived on November 17, and Jones feigned to welcome them. He gave them food and shelter for the night and even allowed Ryan to use his PA system to remind the members of
each school (and student) was awarded a ‘Certificate of Participation while each student, along with their teachers, was awarded a token of appreciation as an honorary ‘Energy Champion’. Students and teachers were also treated to energy conservation videos as they interacted in a lively discussion and quiz on their learning from the activity.
Amidst the enthusiasm through the cheering and delight in participation, the children clearly demonstrated a sound understanding of energy efficiency and conservation through accuracy in answering questions and explaining their illustrations.
In keeping with the promotion of sustainable energy development, Caricom Energy Week 2015 was observed across the Caribbean by Caricom Member States from November 8-14, 2015 under the theme “Empowering our Sustainable Development”.
The Energy Agency, in the exercise of its mandate, continues to promote energy efficiency, energy conservation and the development and utilisation of alternative sources of energy. The observance of Energy Week, consistent with Guyana’s energy thrust and Low Carbon Development Strategy, serves as an annual feature that provides an additional platform which enables GEA to fulfil part of its mandate by disseminating information essential to improving public awareness on sustainable energy, conservation and overall efficiency.
the People’s Temple that they were free to determine their own future.
The following day, when 16 disciples opted to follow the politician rather than the preacher, he sent his guards to shoot Ryan and the defectors as they boarded a plane at the airstrip. The Congressman, three journalists and one of the disciples were killed in a hail of gunfire.
Shortly afterwards, back at Jonestown, the suicide order went out. The disciples were gathered around the central pavilion and ordered to drink Kool-Aid laced with cyanide handed out by the guards.
Some were still so devoted to Jones that they went willingly to their deaths. But many hundreds more refused his order, only to be forced at gunpoint to take the poison.
ARIES (March 21April 19)
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
(May 21June 20)
Life is full of surprises. You will be given some interesting opportunities that will enable you to choose a direction that could bring longlasting stability and financial improvements.
Don’t be fooled by someone looking for a handout. A sob story is meant to make you feel bad. Protect your assets and keep in mind that charity begins at home.
You’ll face complaints if you don’t live up to a promise. Take care of responsibilities so that you can move on to more enjoyable pastimes. Romance is in the stars.
LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)
LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)
CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
PISCES
(Feb. 20March 20)
Put your heart and soul into being your very best. Trying a new look, honing your skills or finding an interesting way to turn what you do best into a profitable endeavor are highlighted.
You are in dire need of a change. Update your image or join a club or group that offers opportunities to meet experienced people who can help you advance.
If you are true to yourself, you will have no regrets. Implement interesting changes to your current plans in order to reach the level of success you desire.
Speak up and see what others have to say. Talks will lead to insightful suggestions and the promise of the support you need to reach your goals. You can expand your interests and knowledge if you research or travel to different philosophies or destinations. Talks will lead to a positive change in how or where you live.
You’ll be criticized if you are shortsighted regarding what you can handle. You’ll fall behind if you are too ambitious and try to take on the impossible.
A unique concept, philosophy or service will attract your attention. Consider ways to utilize your skill set with what you’ve discovered in order to allow a satisfying career to unfold.
A settlement, repayment, gift or inheritance is heading your way. Have a plan ready to put any extra cash you receive into a practical longterm investment. You will have plenty of insight into ways to overcome any obstacles you face. Live within your means in order to ease stress and be able to take on new possibilities.
By Akeem Greene
After the recently concluded fourth round of the Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor Racing Championship at the South Dakota Circuit, Guyana can be extremely proud of two of its top performers, Kristian Jeffrey and Elliot Vieira.
The star performers, speaking to Guyana Times Sport, revealed their experiences so far in the sport, and their upcoming plans.
Group Four champion Jeffrey, who had a spectacular time at this year’s championships, acquired 225 points, some 73 points ahead of nearest competitor, Kristian Boodoosingh of Trinidad and Tobago.
When quizzed about the secret behind his success, Jeffrey said, “I have a lot of video games, and believe it or not, it helps with handeye coordination.”
He further went on to emphasise the importance of keeping both mentally and physically fit. The 26-year-old spoke of the fact that due to where he lives in North America, he only gets to drive during the summer period and had to engage in Go-Karting to make sure he regains the level of fitness to enter last Sunday’s meet.
Jeffery, who drives a Mitsubishi Evo 2.2 AWD, plans on getting in to the Sedan series of driving. “I have gotten a lot of offers, but to get on some really good teams it cost a lot, so hopefully some sponsors could come onboard.”
Jeffrey intends to shift his focus just a bit off the Caribbean scene and unto
racing in the United Stated of America. And, he assured that he intends to market Guyana where ever the sport takes him.
The Top Racing team driver currently holds three lap records from the various circuits in the Caribbean. At Bushy Park, Barbados (July 6, 2015), he had the time of one minute, 01.620 seconds; Jam West, Jamaica (March 1, 2015) one minute, 08.785 seconds; and Water Field, Trinidad and Tobago (June 21, 2015) 40.528 seconds.
Having won the Caribbean Group Four title two years on the trot, Jeffrey certainly looks a level ahead of the rest, and entering a more testing field of racing should further build the character of the driver.
Elliot Vieira
Another competitor, who performed exceptionally well, was Elliot Vieira. With only one year experience in Motor Bike racing, Vieira produced a master class at the recently concluded Caribbean Motor Racing Championship to earn him the top honours.
Vieira, who rode a Kawasaki ZX6R in the 600cc Super Stock category, won all three of his races at the South Dakota circuit. In fact, throughout the meet Elliot had performed tremendously. He rode at Bushy Park in the rain, conditions which were completely new to him, and recorded a first, a second and a third in his three races.
The son of a former Caribbean champion rider, Wayne Vieira, Elliot explained that his father was the main force behind him
getting into motor biking after years in the Go-Kart arena.
When asked about competing with his cousin Matthew Vieira, Elliot responded with a grin, “I just love to beat him when I get the chance.”
The young rider also spoke of the impact Super Biker Stephen Vieira has had on him. “He took me up to the tracks and showed some skills; I have to say he is responsible for me reaching these heights so fast.”
Motor Biking is arguably one of the most dangerous forms of racing, but the young Vieira is still thrilled to hit the tracks.
The 17-year-old revealed that the motor biking is more thrilling and the experiences while riding is simply amazing.
Elliot plans to represent Guyana another year at the CMRC and then move on to racing in Canada or the United States of America. At such a young age, the rider has certainly out done himself and one can expect to see his name featuring prominently in the Motor Biking headlines in the future.
Coach of the East Georgetown squad, Nial Stanton, believes his athletes have the potential to finish among the top three districts when the National Schools’ Championship concludes on November 27 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
Stanton, who has been working with the athletes, likened the squad to the former powerhouse team that featured former 200m Under-20 record holder, Keith Roberts.
“I’m very confident in the team’s ability; I know this is one of the best team we ever had. It’s as good as our team back in 2001 with Keith Roberts when he won the 200m on Police ground,” Stanton raved.
Stanton also noted that everything is in place for the squad and that
By Akeem Greene
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, is throwing his support behind his Ministry’s team to win the final of the Banks Beer InterMinistry Futsal competition against Banks DIH Limited at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Friday evening.
When organisers of the tournament met with the Minister on Wednesday, he confidently stated that he expects his team to win the competition. “I know they
will do well; they seem to have the right mix. I did not even see them asking me to coach or be their centre forward.”
One of the organisers of the event, Esan Griffith, speaking at the briefing, revealed that he was very grateful for the support given by the various Ministries and looks forward to forging a relationship with them going forward.
There will also be the third place play off between the Public Health Ministry and the Public
Infrastructure Ministry on Friday. Two exhibitions games will also take place between the National Rugby Team and GT All Stars, then Sparta Boss will take on Bent Street.
The competition attracted 32 teams and the majority of the proceeds will go towards cancer patients. Apart from the futsal action, guest appearances are expected to be made by Jamaican Reggae superstar Popcaan and local boy Kwesi Ace among others. Actions will kick off at 19:30h.
East Georgetown’s coach believes the District has “the will to win”
the athletes are “ready” for Monday’s start of the championship. Nevertheless, Stanton highlighted that for the squad to really perform come November 23, mental preparation with be key.
“As of right now the main thing is that the kids have to believe in themselves just
like the teachers have in them and if that happens it’s a walk in the park,” Stanton stressed. Moreover, Stanton noted that he expects the squad to finish in the top three. The swimming championships will be held on November 23 at the
National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal. In addition to the swimming competition, two field events, Long Jump and Shot Putt, along with the 10km road race, 40km and 25km cycle road race will also take place on the opening day.
The Games Village will be established on Woolford Avenue. Tutorial High, North Georgetown Primary and Secondary Schools and Richard Ishmael Secondary will house the 16 Districts from across Guyana that will compete at the Championships.
The Games Secretariat has been officially opened at GTU Headquarters, Woolford Avenue with Districts submitting their entries. The opening ceremony for the championship is scheduled for November 24 at 10:30h.
The much anticipated year-end Doubles tournament sponsored by the Trophy Stall and organised by the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) got under way this past weekend with some teeth-clenching matches.
It featured many new faces in several categories. Ronald Murray and Leyland Leacock, who have previously made it in the top ranking of the Men’s Open, have now transitioned into the Men’s Over35.
Playing their first match in this category, they dismantled Steven DavidLonge and Harry Panday, who put up a stellar fight in the first 30 minutes of the match. However, the team collapsed to a 6-1, 6-1 defeat to the two younger players.
Their next challenger in the round-robin format was Sandeep Chand and Sanjeev Datadin, who gave them a closer call. Nevertheless, the determined pair knuckled down at crunch time to secure the win at 6-3, 6-4.
Romario Chanderballi and Philbert Clarke then outmaneuvered Jeremiah Kalekyezi and Vadanan Resaul 6-3, 6-0 in the Men’s Open, but subsequently fell at the hands of Stephen
Bailey and Oswin Coggins 6-4, 7-5.
Close points and failure to covert by Chanderballi and Clarke gave Bailey and Coggins the narrow opening to drive the final ball home for the win.
Sandeep Chand and Sanjeev Datadin are still alive in the same category as they took on junior national players, Hemraj Resaul and Jousha Kaleyezi, who stood their grounds against the senior players, eventually exiting the competition with a 6-2,
6-4 lose.
On the Ladies half, coach Shelly DalyRamdyhan teamed up with student Fiona Bushel to defeat Kizzy Richmond and Denise Barrington 6-1, 6-0. The latter partnership then defeated newcomers Natalie Ramdyhan and Ciara Pooran 6-3, 6-3.
In the Mixed Doubles, GBTI Novice winners
Jamal Goodluck and Tandy Primo fell in their first Open match to Kalyca Fraser and Jordan Beaton 6-2, 6-1.
Gay footballers would be treated with respect if they choose to publicly reveal their sexuality, says Premier League boss Richard Scudamore.
“The environment would be entirely suitable for them to come out,” Scudamore told the BBC Newsnight.
There have been no openly gay footballers in England since former Norwich striker Justin Fashanu in 1990.
The Daily Mirror has reported that two top-flight players are set to come out with support from their clubs.
“It would be welcomed and I think there would be a tolerance to it. I think the time would be right to do that,” Scudamore added.
Former Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger became the most prominent footballer to publicly reveal his homosexuality in 2014, after his retirement, and Scudamore is “absolutely sure” there are gay players in England’s top flight.
“It would be very strange if there wasn’t,” the Premier
League chief executive said.
In other sports, highprofile athletes have openly spoken about their sexuality, with Olympic diver Tom Daley revealing in December 2013 he was in a relationship with a man.
British race walker Tom Bosworth became the first Team GB athlete to come out as gay, while former British and Irish Lions captain Gareth Thomas, who played rugby for Wales in both codes, and rugby league player Keegan Hirst have
West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president, Whycliffe “Dave” Cameron, on Wednesday responded to a letter issued by CARICOM’s Secretary-General Irwin Larocque on Tuesday.
Below is the full text of the letter, which was posted on the WICB official site, www.windiescricket.com.
Dear Mr Larocque, I respond accordingly today, November 17th, to your letter dated November 16th formally requesting, for the first time, a meeting with WICB and the Cricket Governance Committee.
Further to our discussion I confirm receipt of your letter dated October 30th and to also confirm our discussions, on Friday November 13th, for a meeting to be convened with the Prime Ministers of the region to review the Final Report.
Whycliffe “Dave” Cameron
You advised the Prime Ministers will be out of the region the week of November 26th. Your proposal to now meet in Grenada, December 4th or 5th, for preliminary discussions on the Review Panel’s recommendations, cannot be met for the following reason: that subsequent to the release I
requested our Board members and Territorial Boards for their positions on the Report to be submitted by December 4th.
This would allow us to discuss, as a body, our position at our scheduled quarterly Board of Directors Meeting.
The West Indies Cricket Board of Directors meeting is confirmed for December 12th and 13th, to be held in St Lucia. We are proposing that an invitation be extended to members of the SubCommittee on Governance or the Review Panel on the Governance of Cricket to attend and engage the Board in discussion.
The full team of Directors will be on hand to participate in this important matter.
I look forward to your response. (WICB Media Release)
Tiger Woods has been named as one of United States captain Davis Love III’s assistants for the 2016 Ryder Cup.
Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk will also be joining Tom Lehman as vice-captains for the contest against Europe.
Woods, 39, who is battling to recover from a persistent back injury, has played in seven Ryder Cups, the most recent in 2012 under Love’s captaincy.
“Once I’m fully healthy, I’d like to try to make the team too,” said 14-time major winner Woods.
“Either way, I’m very excited to work with Davis, the other vice-captains and the players to get a US victory.”
ment vice-captain.
also come out.
Examples in football are less common. In 1990, former England Under-21 international Fashanu was the first professional footballer in Britain to come out as gay. He retired from football in 1997 and took his own life a year later, aged 37.
Swedish footballer Anton Hysen, son of former Liverpool defender Glenn Hysen, announced his sexuality in an interview with a Swedish football magazine in 2011.
In February 2013, former United States and Leeds United winger Robbie Rogers said he was gay in a post on his website.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said last year a gay Premier League footballer may never be able to reveal his sexuality during his playing career because of the intense scrutiny he would be under.
And retired basketball star John Amaechi, the first NBA player to come out, has called football “toxic” for gay people and minorities. (BBC Sport)
Should Woods, now ranked 384 in the world, qualify as a player, either automatically or via a captain’s pick, Love has the option to name a replace-
The US will be bidding to end a run of eight defeats by Europe in the last 10 editions of the biennial team competition when the 2016 Ryder Cup is held from 30 September to 2 October at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota.
Love, who will name a fifth vice-captain at a lat-
er date, said: “These three guys, joining Tom Lehman, will send a message to our team that we are really serious about this Ryder Cup.
“We are ahead of the game this time and it lets potential team members know that we are going to do whatever it takes to put them in the best position to win in 2016.” (BBC Sport)
New Zealand great Jonah Lomu will be remembered for “changing rugby union”, says former England head coach Sir Clive Woodward. Lomu, 40, died on Wednesday at home in Auckland. He had been diagnosed with a rare kidney condition in 1995.
He was capped 63 times for the All Blacks and became a global star after scoring four tries against England in the 1995 World Cup in South Africa.
“He took rugby to a whole new level,” Woodward told BBC Radio 4.
“There’s very rarely one player who dominates a whole World Cup and he certainly did.”
Lomu made his Test de-
but in 1994 and was only 20 years old when he facedEngland in the 1995 semi-fi
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Guyana’s senior national Women’s football side, the Lady Jags, fell to Puerto Rico 1-0 in extra time on Wednesday evening in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Women’s Olympic Qualifiers at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago.
After a hard-fought game, the Guyanese ended up on the wrong side of the result, despite being a dominant force during regulation time, and the opening half of extra time.
The winning goal was scored in the dying minutes of the second half of extra time when the Lady Jags conceded from a corner and the Puerto Rican player headed home to spark jubilation among her teammates.
In the opening half of extra time, Lady Jags’ second half substitute, Otesha Charles had the closest shot at goal when she was gifted a clear path on goal by the defender, but her shot was too hard and went just inches over the cross bar.
In the opening half of regulation time, the Lady Jags created several opportunities, but the Puerto Rican defence equalled to the task. Ashley Savona, Justine Rodrigues, Ashley Rodrigues and Mariam El Masri all made attempts
at the Puerto Rican goal, but keeper Karly Gustafson was superb between the uprights.
In the second half, a certain Alison Heydorn’s goal was disallowed after the ref-
eree said she handed the ball, while Savona and El Masri also made close calls on the opponent’s goal.
Charles also failed to convert a pass Savona deep into the Puerto Rico area.
Reports out of the Trinidad and Tobago indicate that the Puerto Rico goalie Gustafson did tremendously well for her country, keeping the Lady Jags at bay.
The fourth Test of the India-South Africa series is likely to be held in Delhi, with the Delhi High Court on Wednesday asking the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to provide the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) the provisional clearance needed to organise the match at Feroz Shah Kotla.
The two-judge divisional bench of the high court also appointed Justice Mukul Mudgal as an observer for the match pending his approval.
However, there remains one last roadblock in the way of Delhi hosting the Test, which starts on December 3: getting the no-objection certificate, relating to entertainment tax, from the excise department of the Delhi government. The DDCA has accumulated, despite repeated reminders, entertainment tax dues amounting to Rs 24.46 crore from 2008 onwards.
The court adjourned the matter to Thursday morning, when it will hear the counsels from both DDCA and the government before
issuing a final order. In the interim, the court also asked the DDCA to get clearances from the various civic bodies, which are mandatory.
The MCD provisional certificate was one of the two clearances the DDCA had to procure in order to get the permission from the BCCI to host the Test match scheduled to be played between December 3-7. The court asked the MCD to issue the clearance only for the period between December 1-10.
It also warned the DDCA to not approach the court next time and clear all outstanding to the MCD by March 31, 2016.
The BCCI, which had extended the original deadline of November 17 it had set for DDCA to get the clearances, has decided not to comment on the issue.
The DDCA, however, welcomed the decision. “A major hurdle has been crossed and we have got relief,” DDCA vice-president
Chetan Chauhan told PTI.
“We also welcome Justice Mudgal to oversee the match and its organising. He (Mudgal) is a good man, a cricket lover and very reasonable. He is very impartial and we are happy to carry on our duties under his guidance.The discussion on entertainment tax will be brought up in tomorrow’s hearing. We are not running away from it but it should be reasonable.”
By AvenAsh RAmzAn
eam Gillette
TEvolution’s Orville Hinds, and the Team Coco’s pair Jamal John and Junior Niles have emerged as the top riders for 2015 in the three major categories, after Guyana Cycling News (GCN) released the final points standing at the conclusion of the season.
After the tabulation of points, Hinds emerged as the leading Senior rider, while John was the top Junior cyclist, and Niles the leading Veteran rider.
Hinds, who recorded a chart-topping seven victories in the Senior category this year, finished the season with 203 points, 22 more than Alanzo Greaves (181 points and five wins) of Roraima Bikers Club. Greaves was one of six riders to record five or more wins in 2015.
Reigning Tour of Guyana Five-Stage champion Raul Leal of Team Gillette
Evolution, who had four first place finishes, occupied third spot on 161 points, followed by Evolution’s Michael Anthony (149) and Team Coco’s Hamzah Eastman (148).
Anthony had the second most victories (six), while Eastman was the first to the line on five occasions this season.
Four riders also notched up over 100 points, and they were Paul DeNobrega of Team Alanis (128), Jamal John of Team Coco’s (120), Geron Williams of Continental (114) and Marlon Williams of Team Gillette Evolution (109).
Raynauth Jeffrey of Team Coco’s rounded off the top 10 with 90 points. Jeffrey and Geron Williams copped five wins each. In the Junior division,
John of Team Coco’s was the runaway winner with 190 points, followed Raphael Leung of WS United on 100 points. John had 25 first place finishes, while Leung had five.
No other rider managed to accumulate 100 points, as Andrew Hicks of Trojan scored 93, followed by clubmate Romello Crawford (50); Christopher Griffith of Team Alanis (63), and his teammates Jaleel Jackson and Kemuel Moses with 21 and 11 respectively.
In the Veterans category, Junior Niles of Team Coco’s, who racked up an impressive 24 wins during the season, amassed a whopping 176 points, followed by Jaikaran Sookhai of Carlton Wheelers, way behind in second spot on 65 points.
Ian Jackson of Flying Stars finished third on 52, followed by the Carlton Wheelers pair of Shameer Baksh on 47 and Ralph Williams on 32 to round off the top five. In terms of wins, Williams was second to Niles with four.
Paul Choo Wee Nam (Team Alanis), Warren McKay (Roraima Bikers Club), Jude Bentley (Carlton Wheelers), Stephen Fernandes (Team Gillette Evolution) and Talim Shaw (Flying Stars) followed in that order to seal the top 10 positions.
The riders will be recognised for their performance later this year when GCN hosts an award ceremony.
The 2015 Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC)/Busta Champion of Champions 40-over cricket tournament bowled off last Saturday in the brilliant sunshine at four venues across the Ancient County.
All matches attracted sizeable crowds and at the end of the first round, Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets (RHTG&G), Tucber Park, Young Warriors and West Berbice have advanced to the semi-finals.
At the Area ‘H’ ground, RHTG&G cruised pass Upper Corentyne by 163 runs; Young Warriors defeated Police by five wick -
On a night when goals were hard to come by, Channel Nine Warriors emerged as the most prolific team, outplaying Old School Ballers 4-0 on night two in group stage action in the Georgetown leg of the Guinness Greatest in the Streets football tournament.
The Warriors were too hot to handle, slotting home goals at will, with Joshua Fiffee netting a double in the 15th and 20th minutes. Kemo Lawrence had commenced the scoring in the eighth minute, before Kevin Barrow doubled the advantage two minutes later.
West Front Road outplayed Castello Housing Scheme with Hubert Pedro (9th and 18th) and Michael Pedro (17th) getting on the score sheets for the champs, and Rawle Jones, in the 13th minute, netting for Castello Housing Scheme.
Nick Williams (2nd) and Devon Harris (12) scored for Back Circle, who edged Gold Star 2-1 with the goal coming from Samuel Dey in the
third minute, while Jamoon Drive earned a similar result against Albouystown A.
Wesley Greenidge (8th) and Andre Webber (20th) were on target for Jamoon Drive, while Albouystown’s
scorer was Osafo Peters in the sixth minute.
Three teams- Bent Street, Leopold Street and Stevedore Housing Schemecarved out 1-0 victories, with the losing teams be-
ing Shopping Plaza, Young Ballers and Festival City Warriors. The only draw of the night came between Laing Avenue and Upsetters, who both failed to trouble the scorers.
ets at the Cumberland ground; Tucber Park crushed Bush Lot Rising CC by 176 runs at the Edinburgh ground; while West Berbice got the better of Blairmont at the Blairmont Community Centre.
Former national youth cricketer Clinton Pestano slammed a brutal 110 off 72 balls to lead RHTG&G to an imposing 302-7 off 40 overs against Upper Corentyne.
Pestano received support from Renwick Batson (40), Jason Sinclair (48), Jason Anderson (32) and Eon Hooper (33*). Pestano struck eight massive sixes and four boundaries and shared a crucial sixth wicket partnership
of 100 with Anderson after RHTG&G were reduced to 106-5 in the 16th over.
Bowling for Upper Corentyne, Omesh Khemraj claimed 2-46 and R. Latchman 2-76. In response, Upper Corentyne were bowled out for 139 in 23.2 overs, as only Veriah Gooniah 17, Naeem Yacob 27 and Balram Samaroo 22 reached double figures.
Off-spinner Collis Butts claimed six wickets for 34 runs off 7.2 overs, while Eon Hooper (2-23) and national Under-17 pacer Slyus Tyndall (2-30) offered support.
At the Cumberland ground, Police amassed 214 all out in 39.3 overs after winning the toss. Martin Singh (20), Brentnol Wolford (47), S. McPherson (32) and W. Ricardo (20) were the principal scorers, as Sudesh Dhani (2-35, Amir Khan (3-56) and Kassim Khan (2-27) bowled well for the home team.
Needing to score 215 for victory, the home team reached 221-5 in 38.5 overs as Ishwar Singh (45), Kevin Sinclair (39), Wahied Edwards (58), Gajannah Singh (25) and
Sean Hetmeyer (25*) led the batting effort. Bowling for Police, off-spinner D. Doris claimed 2-37. The match between Tucber Park and Bush Lot Rising was reduced to 35 overs per side, due to the late arrival of the Bush Lot team. Tucber Park batting first, after winning the toss, reached 245-7, with Berbice senior player Devon Clements finishing unbeaten on 99 with ten boundries and one six.
Romario Shepherd (35) and Joemal La Fluer (27) were the other main batters for Tucber Park, as only Glenroy Fraser (323) from four overs bowled well for Bush Lot. In response, the Bush Lot boys were bowled out for 69 in 18 overs, as only Matthew Dayaram (16) and Fraser (12) reached double figures.
Shepherd claimed 4-30, Kellon Pellew 4-12 and Eugene LaFluer 2-5. At the Blairmont ground, West Berbice crushed Blairmont by five wickets to book their spot in the final four. Blairmont, after losing the toss, were bowled out for 145 with only Nigel Trotz (32*), Dereck Cadogan (27) and Javed Karim (15) offering any resistance to the West Berbice bowling attack of Rondell Babb (323) and Kris Ramnarine (3-21).
West Berbice in response raced to 147-5 from just 18 overs as Quacy McPherson played aggressively for 58 (4x4s, 1x6), while Arthley Bailey was unbeaten on a well played 36. Leg-spinner Kevin Jawahir bowled well for Blairmont, claiming 4-40 off seven overs.
The Busta Champion of Champions 2015 edition is the 12th of its kind and is organised by the Cricket Development Committee of the RHTY&SC. The semi-finals of the tournament would be played on Saturday.
By Akeem Greene
Trinidad and Tobago’s Group Four driver
Kristian Boodoosingh is hoping to become the Caribbean’s next Formula Four driver.
Boodoosingh, who came second on the points standing to Guyana’s Kristian Jeffrey at the just concluded Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor Racing Championship, revealed to the Guyana Times Sport, “I actually own an F4 car and
I am hoping to join the series with Calvin [Ming] next year.”
Ming is a Guyanese, and the son of veteran racer and businessman Stanley Ming. Boodoosingh was touted by the senior Ming as another driver in the Caribbean who has the ability to become an F1 driver in the near future.
Boodoosingh, in looking back at his performance last weekend in Guyana, explained that his car arrived late in the county, and he did not get a chance to do
proper testing.
Throughout the day, Boodoosingh’s Mitsubishi Evo 2.0 AWD gave him constant troubles. In one race, he was in the lead, but his car began to gradually slow.
“Throughout the day I didn’t get a clean race, but I’m happy to pull through and get some points for the country and get a podium finish,” the driver said. “If my car was working, I would have done a better job and test (Kristian) Jeffery.”
Ask about his future plans, the Trinidadian disclosed that “next year I plan to do some more racing in the United States and most importantly get my car prepared and try to bring the championship home.”
Many pundits felt it was unfortunate that Boodoosingh’s car was not up to scratch, as he would have certainly made the race meet at the South Dakota circuit even more entertaining, as the prerace hype had centred on his showdown with Jeffrey. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy. com)
Grove Hi Tech and Agricola Red Triangle will renew old rivalry when the semifinals of the Stag/East Bank Football Association (EBFA) are contested this weekend. The two clubs’ A and B teams were winners of their respective quarter-final matches on Sunday last at the Grove Playfield. The Grove A boys were pushed to the hilt in order to book their spot. Kuru Kururu Warriors it was that almost denied them that opportunity as they latter lost the exciting match 2-1 on sudden death penalty kicks after a 0-0 stalemate in the 20 minutes of regulation time.
The Linden/Soesdyke Highway-based Warriors
scored their first shot on goal to which Grove responded in like manner, but the Warriors next shot hit the bar. Cordel Johnson tried a power shot that rocketed against the cross bar to hand Grove A their passage to a date with Agricola A, who did not have to break a sweat as Soesdyke B failed to put in an appearance. Agricola B did not have such an easy passage and had to overcome a game Diamond United B team 1-0 thanks to a 17th minute effort from Collis Samuels. The game saw both teams striving for early goals, but they were not successful. Just when it seemed like the game was headed for sudden death penalty kicks based on the rules if a game ends
West Indies Under-19 all-rounder Keemo Paul stroked a fine half-century as Noitgedacht SC defeated Sans Souci by 55 runs when the Badri Prasad memorial T20 tournament commenced on Sunday in Essequibo island of Wakenaam.
Paul slammed five fours and four sixes in his 76 to guide Noitgedacht to a respectable 170 all out in 20 overs, batting first at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground. Varounie Sasepaul claimed 3-31.
Sans Souci were bowled out for 115 in 14 overs in reply. Seon Venture scored 51 (3x4s, 2x6s) and Sasepaul 21. Mark Rampersaud captured 2-15, Paul 2-21 and Neil Ramalho 2-25.
Sans Souci Jaguars overcame G Square Cavaliers by one wicket at the said venue. Cavaliers took first strike and managed 123 all out in 20 overs. Satrohan
Shiwnandan cracked 31 (2x4s, 2x6s), while Heera Sukhram made 22 and Chandrika Ragnauth 16 not
out. Beesham Moses snared 3-13 and Nokta Moses 2-11. Jaguars replied with 124-9 in 13 overs. Zameer Zaman struck 35 (3x4s, 1x6), Rashaad Rasheed 26 and Nokta Moses 18. Ragnauth picked up 3-18, Dayawant Shiwnandan 2-18 and Lokram Narine 2-29. The competition will continue on Sunday with Good Success facing Sans Souci at 09:00h and Maria’s Pleasure/Zeelandia playing Cavaliers at 13:00h at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground.
without a winner, Samuels saved his team such blushes by rocking the back of the nets.
Grove B will be Agricola B’s semi-final opponent. They too did not have to burn any energy since there intended quarter-final opponent, Timehri A, did not honour the match date.
The winner of the competition will pocket $100,000, with the losing semi-finalists taking away $75,000 each. In the third and fourth place battle, the winner will receive $50,000 with the loser and fourth place finisher taking home $25,000. The highest goal scorer, Most Valuable Player and best goalkeeper will all pocket $10,000 each.
Queen’s College and St John’s College booked their places in the semi-finals of the North Georgetown zone with easy victories over Marian Academy and Bishop’s High respectively when action continued in the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) National Secondary School Cricket League (NSSCL) sponsored by Banks DIH Limited’s Coca Cola and Rainforest Water, along with Digicel.
Playing at the Everest Cricket Club ground, Queen’s College hammered Marian Academy by 10 wickets. Batting first, the Marian Academy boys were dis-
missed for a paltry 38 runs in 12.1 overs as the Queen’s College bowlers took advantage of winning the toss on a damp pitch. Queen’s College then cruised to 39 without loss, completing their chase in 11 overs.
At the Demerara Cricket Club, Bishop’s High went down to St John’s College by 34 runs in a low-scoring affair. Batting first, St John’s College managed 111 all out in 23 overs, as only Odida Douglas made a significant contribution with 21.
Bowling for Bishop’s High, Lakeram Narine had impressive figures of 4-23 off six overs, while Daniel Singh had 3-17 and Campton Seepersaud 2-26.
In reply, Bishop’s High could only get to 77 when they were dismissed in the 28th over. Leading the bowling for St John’s College was Christopher Campbell, who had a four-wicket haul, while conceding just 11 runs in his six-over spell.
Meanwhile, Central High School registered a crushing victory over Freeburg Secondary at the Everest Cricket Club ground. Central High School, batting first, amassed 222-6 in 25 overs. They were led by Lionel Holder, who top scored with an attractive 55, while Reaz Ally sup-
ported well with a composed 54. Bowling for Freeburg Secondary, Clinton Redmon was the pick of the bowlers with 3-32, while Junior Simon took 2-14.
Freeburg then found the going tough, being blown away for just 53 in 13.2 overs. Omar Harry led the rout with 3-3, along with Deonarine Nwon, who had 2-10 and Lionel Holder 2-2.
The competition will continue today in the North Georgetown zone, with St John’s College battling Queen’s College at the DCC ground, and Charlestown Secondary playing Central High School at Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park.
