Guyana Times Daily

SunDAY, november 29, 2015 | guYAnAtimeSgY.com

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

– 08:30h-10:00h.

Specialty Hospital flip-flop…

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

November 29 – 06:45h-08:15h and Monday, November 30 – 07:25h-08:55h.

Fedders Lloyd MoU reeks of corruption – Gaskin, Jeffrey –

Winds: Easterly between 3.12 metres and 4.47 metres per second.

High Tide: 06:29h and 18:41h reaching a maximum heights of 2.54 metres and 2.62 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:02h and 12:15h reaching minimum heights of 0.50 metre and 0.71 metres respectively.

Finance Ministry says no contract awarded yet

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

n the heels of an intense public hue and cry over the secrecy and implementation of exorbitant ministerial salary increases, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration struck again, as another public outrage erupted over the lack of transparency surrounding the new arrangements for the construction of the controversial Specialty Hospital.

Criticisms continue to mount over the sole-sourcing of Indian company Fedders Lloyd to undertake the site evaluation and construction of the facility and the lack of reasoning regarding why the current Administration deemed the project impractical under the former regime, as political commentators, Dr Henry Jeffrey and Ramon Gaskin join in expressing their concerns over this publicly perceived act of corruption.

gal representation of the Fedders Lloyd Corporation, which he then believed, was cheated of the contract to build the Specialty Hospital. Contentions were made that Ramjattan had political, rather than legitimate motives, for objecting to the US$18.1 million contract for the design and construction of the hospital which was awarded to Surendra Engineering Company.

Dr Jeffrey, during an interview with <<<Guyana Times>>> on Saturday, pointed out that secrecy shrouded the entire process, adding that there is a complete lack of transparency in the undertaking.

“It is quite clear that these people criticised the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) about openness and transparency and tendering process and they’ve broken all in one stroke,” he posited.

It is a known fact that Public Security Minister and Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan is a close affiliate of the Fedders Lloyd Construction Company and for this very reason, there should have been a tendering process; Dr Jeffery contended. He highlighted too, that as a matter of law, the project should have been put to tender.

“They are supposed to open this matter for tendering process and they are supposed to allow other people an opportunity…Ramjattan is a senior member of the Cabinet and he is in a position of kind of a conflict of interest and therefore, they (Government) have to be even more transparent than the PPP/C,” he reasoned.

Ramjattan is the legal representative of the Indian firm and for this reason; he was almost hauled before the Committee of Privileges on the charge of failing to declare pecuniary interests in matters debated in the National Assembly. Ramjattan was said to be in a “conflict of interest” position over his le-

“The whole situation is absurd… here they go again… another issue that will remain in the consciousness of the people and Local Government Elections is just around the corner,” Dr Jeffrey expressed.

Political commentator Ramon Gaskin raised similar points as he questioned the backpedalling of the coalition Government’s initial stance on the Specialty Hospital Project.

“There is a lot of inconsistency here… we were told that they would not be proceeding with it at all and now suddenly you hear, they are proceeding with it, so there is a lot of inconsistency,” Gaskin pointed out.

He explained that the entire situation appears to be laced with a hint of corruption given the close relationship between Ramjattan and the company that was single-handedly selected to construction a facility which the APNU+AFC coalition had vigorously rejected in the past.

“It now looks like an inside job that the Minister probably arranged for these people (company) to get this thing (project); it looks like that in the eyes of the public… It sounds like a corrupt transaction and we need to know more about it,” Gaskin said.

Retendering

Calls are being made from all sections of society for a retendering of the process.

Critics asserted that since the project falls under a new arrangement, then there also needs to be a new tendering process.

“Well it is my opinion that, if indeed the hospital should go forward, then it must be retendered. It should be retendered because the first tender was scrapped and now if Government wants to proceed with it (the project), it has to be retendered. You can’t just call the other guy and give it to him, it doesn’t work like that,” Gaskin explained.

Dr Jeffrey shared similar views as he too called on the new Administration to cancel the contract with Fedders Lloyd and put the matter to tender.

President of Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) Calvin Bernard is also quoted in another section of the media calling for the project to be opened to tender. “Bottom line is it should go back to tender,” he stated.

On the other hand, Government adamantly maintains that there is no time to put the matter to tender.

Private Sector Commission

Chairman Norman McLean supported Government’s position, claiming “I don’t see a problem. Do you want them to go over the same bidding process again?” he questioned.

Meanwhile, both Dr Jeffrey and Gaskin are calling on the Government for more information about their version of the Specialty Hospital Project.

For Dr Jeffrey, he is demanding to know why the Government flip-flopped on its initial posture towards this project.

“I don’t even think they have explained clearly to people why having the Specialty Hospital now is different from having it under the PPP/C… why is it… what has happened to make this sudden change around… they need to say clearly what differentiates this project from the PPP/C project,” Dr Jeffrey stated.

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton had told Guyana Times that his

Administration was not “properly informed” about the project, hence its initial position towards it.

“… if Guyanese were going to be employed in this hospital, if Guyanese have to pay to receive treatment in this hospital, what types of treatment, are the Guyanese students going to be taught there. These are things that were not coming through with regards to the bidding of the contract to build the hospital,” Dr Norton stated.

The Specialty Hospital, a project initiated by the PPP/C Administration, is aimed at catering for complicated surgeries, ranging from heart operations, organ transplants to cosmetic surgeries.

In 2012, an US$18 million contract was awarded to India-based Company Surendra Engineering, which was tasked with designing and building the controversial facility. The funding was provided by the Indian Government through a Line of Credit. In January, the contractor’s services were terminated owing to several contractual breaches. The matter was taken to the High Court and compensation was accordingly awarded to the Government. (devinas@guyanatimesgy.com)

Sunday Editor: Michael Younge

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

For justice at Climate Change Confab

Culminating a process that began in 1992 in next door Brazil, tomorrow, 196 nations will be represented in Paris at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). The Conference will be concluding on December 11. In what is seen as a Herculean effort to save the planet from the catastrophic effects of a gradually but inexorable increase in atmospheric temperature, unanimous agreement is required to prevent greenhouse gases from warming Earth above 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 Fahrenheit, from pre-industrial levels by 2020.

It is hoped that binding pledges the countries will submit to effectuate the reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon, methane) to achieve the 2020 target will be signed, since they have made their own formulations. To date, 178 countries, including Guyana, have submitted their plans. The fly in the ointment, however, will be to determine whether the submissions in total will be sufficient to achieve the goals and who will be responsible to make greater cuts in pollution.

The top three polluters from the burning of fossil fuels –coal, oil, and gas - in descending order are the US, China and India but while the first two have made their commitments, India has not done so as yet. But it is not that India is being ornery or recalcitrant: she represents a position that resonates in many of the underdeveloped countries that believe the demands are denying them justice in their drive to improve the welfare of their impoverished masses.

Back in 2009, climate talks in Copenhagen were derailed over disagreements over allocation of responsibilities on bringing down pollution levels between the developed world that had caused the global warming and developing countries that are now beginning their industrialisation and insist they burn fossil fuels to do so. The post-WWII optimism that nuclear power would have filled the gap has been dissipated after the Fukushima disaster in Japan. The 2009 conference ended with a weak agreement that “recognized” the need to contain temperature rises, but no legally binding treaty.

The underdeveloped world’s call is one for “climate justice”. Their major contention is since they bear no responsibility for creating the catastrophe that mankind faces right now, why should they be asked to make cuts in burning fossil fuels when they need to do so to implement their development plans.

If, for instance, one were to look at the carbon emissions after the industrial revolution really kicked into gear after 1850 – the “carbon space” – then the US alone spewed out 33 per cent while Europe and other developed countries are responsible for another 45 per cent. The remaining 22 per cent came from the remaining 170 developing countries. India, for instance, with more than 1 billion people contributed only 3 per cent, so when the pressure to make cuts in emissions in Paris, they will certainly balk at the notion that the developed world should have the gall to suggest that past discrepancies be ignored. Secondly, and on top of the past inequity, to maintain their magnificent standard of living, the average American is responsible for 17 tonnes of Carbon annually while the average African emits below 0.5 tonne. It is generally the developed world that pushes the world average to 4.9 tonnes.

The main alternative to burning fossil fuels is to utilise renewable “green alternatives” such as solar, geothermal, water and wind-sourced electricity. And this is where Guyana is missing a major opportunity to market its hydropower potential by dragging its feet on the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project (AFHEP). This project already connected to fossil fuel substitution, which the US$80 million Norway committed, could have earned more support at COP21 since it is embedded in the pioneering Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) as a model for developing countries. Finally, in addition to supporting the call for equity in fossil fuel utilisation, Guyana can expand the monetisation of the sequestration of Carbon with our forests.

Paying tribute to a fallen hero

Bakr & Kwayana

preparing way for WPA to

quit coalition & piggyback on PPP/C

Dear Editor,

Worrying about Guyana’s shambolic economy, the criminal spike, unchecked corruption, the fussing about non-issues, and the acts of intolerance coupled with the coarse and polarising public debate now in vogue? With SN’s imprimatur as the given partisan outlet to the likes of France-based Abu Bakr, he has been afforded adequate shelter which blocks responses to his diatribes. Yes. The APNU-AFC coalition is now empowered and it makes them happy. So what accounts for the perception that the hopes which the PNC-led coalition had offered – is fast slipping away?

Why have the highest levels of the government, including President David Granger, not spoken up against the incidents of hate speech? When they have eventually done so, they have often sounded scripted and remote. By all intentions Bakr has with impunity become the new coalition’s John the Baptist rearguard of their hardened designs.

Certainly by the huge social media backlash against Guyana’s downturn is found a growing sense of reflected disquiet, that a few African supremacists are signalling their response how they will treat the possibility of the coalition’s quick demise.

How is the carving out being marshalled by their Black pincer strategy. Firstly,we know Bakr’s SN printed barcodes are clearly representatives of a buildup to standoff with any incoming PPP/C government.

Even the maverick KN daily columnist has conceded that the PPP/C will be returned to power in 2020. If Bakr’s boys seem extreme they hope that the alternative anti-coalition discredited Black fringe may be palatable to the PPP/C , so they think.

True to script here comes, secondly, the other incoming claw led by Eusi Kwayana who is born again preparing for power-sharing la de da atop the PPP/C.

Wasn’t that idea simply dead and buried by the current coalition’s birth existence? By artificial wailing against any ducking of the Rodney Commission of Inquiry (RCOI) report they slingshot seek political power when the coalition is defeated at next year’s 2016 local elections and in 2020.

Kwayana always relished the spotlight of himself as the eternal trekking great big Black hope. Right now he is an integral part of PNC coalition things falling apart. Dr Rodney dubbed it the reverse Midas Touch. Anxious to jump the sinking ship he is grabbing onto Brer Anancy’s web and by such positing he hopes to Tarzan swing into political power atop the incoming PPP/C elephant, fully empowered.

Remember the story of the hungry monkey who lined up the alligators to count them whilst he effectively crossed the river?

Bakr’s threatening oleaginous boast in SN that: “I look forward to the manifestation of the avatar being summoned, the ‘Indian Intellectual.’ Believe me, we are equipped (sic) and confident” is no accidental boast.

Guyana’s armed forces still need to be racially and ethnically balanced to guard against ethnic cleansing. Now there is this public emergence of what a blogger calls a “species of hardcore supporters” of Guyanese Afro-centricity.

They are not the fawning, old-fashioned sycophants that Guyana’s leaders are used to. Their identification with extremism is unprecedented in Guyana. Some of them behave more like racist self-appointed intellectual guardians and anything

goes in their holy books.

Whether they seek Kwayana’s partition or Federalism no one knows. So what accounts for the emergence of the uber supporter?

Many believe, it follows from fragile self-esteem.

Many APNU supporters appear to be defining nationalism by the hard, irreconcilable position of instinctive race loyalty rather than the noble values that Guyana should stand for. Completely race united in 2011 they wanted 11 per cent Indian crossover votes in the 2015 elections - openly said so - and Gecom ensured by rigging they got it with AFC compliance.

Prior to the 1992 election of the PPP/C, the WPA claimed it should have, after Dr Rodney’s murder, be recognised as the sole natural inheritors to his legacy.

Imagine Dr Rodney’s historical subsuming of race to class becoming an all-African affair, not Guyanese institution? Their position was debunked as a total fallacy- most shamefully at that 1992 elections.

Was Forbes Burnham’s warning that the WPA was the Worst Possible Alternative (WPA) completely vindicated?

Thirdly - and most disturbingly - is this tendency to tell Indians and others, that they should be grateful that Guyana was carved out of the Atlantic by Africans, and for this they are owed a debt. Were our happy Amerindians not minding their own business in their Guyana until the new arrivals? What unspoken debts are they most owed?

Is there any doubts that there is a sense among the practitioners of majoritarian politics in the ruling coalition party of a fantasy world of politics where all others in Guyana, including Indians, don’t matter?

Now race prejudice and

entitlement is openly expressed without describing somebody as Indian or whatever.

Far away from the shrill echo chamber of social media, the majority of Guyanese may prove to be calmer and more sceptical. The results of the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) may be an indicator of the country’s genuine preferences if Gecom can decapitate and keeps its intruding Statement of Polls (SOPs) within its pants. Too much to ask, isn’t it?

President David Granger knows he is perceived as anti-Indian (Wikileaks confirmed) by the united rejection of half of his countrymen to his 2015 election. Why his government has not guaranteed that every Guyanese, irrespective of race, religion or creed will be safe and protected may not perhaps be of major concern to him in the long run.

That crime spiked immediately after he took over is most suspicious. Was it a plan with a definite objective which is also in shambles now that African youths are drifting to the PPP/C?

Every week the PNC-led coalition keeps backpedalling from what they loudly told Guyanese that the PPP/C did wrong. Now in office we hear Guyana is not actually bankrupt to give them a 50 per cent pay raise, Amaila Hydro project is good for Guyana and the Speciality Hospital makes good sense. In that case GuySuCo will not die yesterday. Promptly pay Guyana’s hard-working sugar workers their deserved Annual Production Incentive (API). They do not seek anything close to the 50 per cent which their bosses have pocketed.

Let’s get it on. Fair is fair.

Sultan Mohamed

GTT opens store at Giftland Mall

GTT is living up to its promise to “Do More” as it opens a new retail store at the Giftland Mall, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, where it also launched its Christmas promotions.

The new trendy modern store opened Saturday morning and is located in the vicinity of the food court on the first floor. It offers mobile, landline, DSL and mobile money services as well as serves as a payment centre.

The store has an open layout and the décor highlights bright, bold and vibrant colours. Promotions on offer by the company are prominently displayed around the store on huge digital screens.

This is the first in a series of retail stores to be opened by the phone giant. The company’s Chief Executive Officer Justin Nedd briefly remarked that this is the beginning of more to come from GTT.

“This is our first flagship store, where we’re really demonstrating that we are doing more for the customers… We have more stores coming, the first one probably in two weeks, so come in and see what we have to offer,” Nedd stated. The CEO further revealed that 2016 will be an exciting year for GTT and its customers.

Meanwhile, the phone company will also launch its two Christmas promotions today. The first one will see customers getting free selfie sticks with the purchase of any smartphone as well as a free phone when they buy three, four or six months of data. The models of phones for this promotion are the Drone XT, Blu Advance 4. OL and Blu Studio G.

Additionally, customers will get free data when they buy any smartphone while new customers will get free SIM cards to enjoy GTT’s various promotions. There are also other hot deals on all smartphones and customers are encouraged to visit the stores to learn more about these offers.

Secondly, GTT re-

turns with its “Crazy Cash” Christmas promotion and over $6 million are up for grabs. According to Marketing Manager Anjanie Hackett, with this promotion, customers will get the chance to win $50,000.

Pre-paid customers, who top up with $500 or more daily, are eligible for a chance to be called by 98.1FM on Monday to Friday at 13:45h and can win a minimum of $50,000 cash daily if they answer their phones with the phrase “I can do more with GTT.”

Hackett further stated that customers also have a chance to enter the Grand Drawing to win over $6 million in cash and prizes on December 23.

The company’s Commercial Officer Gert Post, said: “The company will continue to turn up the service offerings, image and the quality of service it offers. We know that at this time people look forward to extra cash to do their Christmas shopping and we have made it easy for our customers to win cash daily.”

On the other hand, at the launch, 10 media operatives benefitted from the promotions as they were selected to take part in a ‘Spin the Wheel’ game for prizes such as free data, top up, gifts, and cash.

Guyana Times staff members walked away with three of the prizes including a $15,000 cash prize.

GECOM’s Head unmoved by removal protests

Since the results of 2015 General and Regional Elections, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition refused to accept the results, citing various inconsistencies with the electoral process and has since made several calls for the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr Steve Surujbally to be removed.

Over the past six months, the PPP has hosted several protest actions outside of GECOM’s head office on High Street, Kingston, Georgetown, where dozens of supporters mounted placards, most of which called for the Chairman’s removal from office.

However, Dr Surujbally told Guyana Times in a recent interview that he will not be intimidated. He said that this is not the first time he is experiencing this, as other political actors and stakeholders had previously used similar slurs and abuse against him.

“I would not be intimidated by that, but it would be nice if they could spell my name correctly from time to time,” he stated firmly, ending with a small chuckle.

According to the Head of the elections body, he viscerally feels that no Elections Commission Chairman or Chief Elections Officer (CEO) and even members of an Elections Commission

should be subjected to such crude and boorish torment.

However, he noted that this is happening because they at GECOM have no recourse and are an easy mark. “Neither GECOM or I can really respond to somebody saying ‘Surujbally must go’,” he stated.

The GECOM Chairman further questioned why such behaviour is directed towards him. “Why? What have I done, do I count votes? I’m but one member of a seven-man Commission, though I might be the primus interpares, what did we do that we must go?”

Dr Surujbally went on to opine that the Opposition plays the role of advantage takers very easily, as they are able to get away with it. He pointed out that while he firmly believes no Elections Chairman or CEO should be subjected to any form of abuse, he recognises the fact that

Guyanese have the right to protest.

However, he added persons need to be cognizance of what they say, when and where they say it, as well as the negative impact of saying things that are blatantly untrue.

“But I suppose they will not stop it, we will have to carry out the elections to the best of our ability and I think that ability has proven itself. There is no question about the elections being rigged – not at all,” he stated.

The GECOM Chairman said there is a menu of measures that would preclude any rigging, adding that it would take a massive conspiracy to do such, and such acts could not be invisible.

While he is not intimidated, Dr Surujbally remarked that these protest actions by the PPP Opposition are “not as reprehensive and load some as it is comedic”.

Page Foundation

Anu Dev

If it’s November it has to be “Tourism Month”!

And sure enough we had our obligatory “theme” (“Growing the Business of Tourism through Product Innovation”) and exhortations by our very poised Minister of Tourism on “the need to transform our various tourism products: ecotourism; adventure tourism; community-based tourism; heritage, sports, fishing, bird watching, entertainment, agriculture and arts tourism, into innovative, marketable, revenue-earning businesses that could sustain themselves and grow branch by branch.”

I was a bit surprised however, that medical tourism wasn’t touted since this is one of the most lucrative and growing sectors in the tourism industry. Just like other types of tourism, “medical tourism” is a special reverse type of import

Medical Tourism for development ...

– here the import (the medical tourist) actually comes to buy the product (medical treatment) and leaves the foreign funds here rather that we sending it abroad!

And those “foreign funds” are astronomical. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), medical tourism contributed nine per

cent of global GDP

(more than US$6 trillion) and accounted for 255 million jobs in 2011. So while our regular tourist numbers are inching ever upwards and we should keep on pushing in that area, the medical tourism idea which was mooted by the previous government when they initiated the Speciality Hospital in 2012 should be pushed, since it is back on the cards.

Medical tourism brings in more than twice the spending of traditional foreign tourists so while we’re not going to be exactly overrun by tourists in downtown Georgetown, you’d be surprised at how many relatives, friends and signifi-

cant others will fill up the Marriott, Pegasus, Ramada Princess and all the other smaller Hotels that now dot our - dare I say it? – once and future “Garden City”. With angioplasties (for instance) going for $100,000 in the US (and we talking about US greenbacks here!) versus the $11,000 that India charges and even if we go to $15,000, there’s still a lot of wriggle room for the surgery to be done here. And rake in all the side benefits of regular tourism.

And what the studies on the major players in medical medicine – India and Thailand- have shown is that having come for the medical treatment, the foreign patients and entourage do get an opportunity to see the country and its attractions. And return. And why shouldn’t they come to see our dear land of Guyana? We have so many beautiful sights to behold and places to visit - the land itself has done half of the work, all we Guyanese have to do is to market the beauty! Medical

tourism can be another arrow in our marketing quiver to do this. Brazil is also a big player in medical tourismplastic surgery especially. Another type of medical tourist that we can attract would be our Guyanese Diaspora in the US, which is fighting socialised medicine tooth and nail – no matter what they say about Obamacare! For some reason, not many officials talk about the number of these “foreigners” who return here to have their dentures replaced. They cost at least ten times less those in the US. Maybe our Speciality Hospital can also do dental surgery as for instance Costa Rica.

In the latter country, dental care can cost as much as 70 percent less than in the United States. More than 40,000 medical tourists visited Costa Rica in 2011, a third for dental care. Guyana, like Costa Rica, is but a short trip from the United States and it offerslike we soon will - orthopaedics, cardiology, spine, cosmetic and bariatric (obesity) surgery.

So let’s think – and act - outside the box and watch our tourism revenues swell! And not so incidentally provide higher paid employment to our swelling number of doctors!

UGSS, UWI Guild Council sign MoU to improve student lives

The University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) and the Guild Council of the University of the West Indies (UWI) on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will see the two bodies collaborating to formulate policies for the improvement in the academic lives of students.

UGSS President Joshua Griffith in a short address explained that the approach is to work together with the Guild Council and student leaders so as to improve how they advocate for the rights of students.

According to Griffith, the aim is: “To improve student governance and the efficiency of how we work, and to foster the exchange of culture among the various stakeholders of the MoU”.

“Guyana - we have a number of students at the various UWI campuses and so do the members here from the various countries. Barbados, St Vincent, Trinidad, Jamaica… they too have students at our University, and so as a subintent of the MoU, we would also like to ensure that students from our respective countries who are present at other universities are also cared for and protected,” he posited.

UWI St Augustine campus Guild President Makesi Peters echoed Griffith’s sentiments, adding that the partnership was one that was envisioned for quite some time, as it is a means of making students’ lives easier: “Guyanese students attending the St Augustine

campus, Mona and Cave Hill Campus are disenfranchised. That is because the Government is not a contributing member to the Guild so as a result of that students have to pay high costs in terms of Hall fees and living expenses.”

He revealed that he met with Minister of Education Rupert Roopnaraine and they had discussions on ways Government can join the initiative. He related that the MoU is intended to foster a relationship to champion the rights of students.

Meanwhile, UWI Cave Hill Campus Guild President Dalano DaSouza reiterated the importance of presenting the leaders of the universities that they, as students, desire the opportunity to collaborate and provide support to their counterparts.

UWI Cave Hill Campus Law Representative Jordan Jarrett stated that the MoU would play an important part in conveying technical support as well as ideas to each other as to how to resolve certain issues that arise in terms of administration.

He also highlighted that the tenets of the MoU are based on advocacy, academic, culture and sport: “The idea is that we want to share on more than a dialogue level, what our cultural expressions are.”

Also present at the signing were St Augustine Campus Vice President Clarissa Violenus and UWI International Affairs Committee chairperson Shantel Fredricks.

New Govt disappointing Guyanese

– says former President Ramotar

Former President Donald Ramotar said Guyanese and all who placed their confidence in the new A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) regime are now seeing the true colours of the Administration, and are now expressing grave disappointment.

The former leader said that the new Administration is disappointing its supporters and every citizen in almost every area possible.

“Persons with military and Police backgrounds are now dominating the regime in almost every area. In the process, they have been using military tactics in their politics. One of the methods is deception, one of the most dominant features of this Government”.

The former Guyanese leader recalled that both the APNU and the AFC, while in the Opposition, did every-

thing to stop development from taking place.

“They did not care if people were hurt. Indeed, that was precisely their intention. To hurt the economy and the welfare of the masses. Their strategy was to try to stop the progress that the country

was experiencing under the [People’s Progressive Party/ Civic] PPP/C Administration. That is what guided their activities on all the developmental and infrastructural projects that the PPP/C initiated,” Ramotar said

Deception

Speaking about the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, Ramotar said the then Opposition had deceived the nation. “The then Leader of the Opposition, David Granger, and Mr Ranjattan of the AFC were invited in and given a full brief on the project and what it meant for the country. This was done twice”.

He said the PPP/C Administration even took a delegation of the two parties on the road that was being built and flew them over the site.

“All the documents and studies were given to them. They had full knowledge of

Hamson’s Trading owner’s murder probe...

Second suspect arrested

Over seven months after Farouk Ghanie was found dead in his Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home, ranks of the Guyana Police Force were able to arrest the second suspect wanted for the businessman’s murder.

Kemo Evans, 20, of Bagotstown, EBD and of Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was arrested on Friday evening at the Ogle International Airport (OIA) when he arrived on a flight from Barbados. He was taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), where he was interrogated.

Guyana Times understands that Evans has since confessed to the murder. About a month ago, police had issued a wanted bulletin for the young man for questioning into the 16 April murder of Ghanie.

Shortly after the murder, a handyman who had confessed to clubbing the owner of Hamson’s Trading Limited to death, was charged for murder.

The suspect was arrested as he was making his

way into the interior. He was subsequently taken to the CID Headquarters, where he later confessed to the murder. He also revealed the names of two other persons who were involved in the murder – one of whom was Evans.

Ghanie, of Lot 97 Collingwood Avenue, Nandy Park, was found dead at his home with at least two stab wounds to his chest.

The businessman was found by his girlfriend Vanessa (only name given) who went to check on him after several calls to his

phone went unanswered.

The man, who lived alone, was found lying on his back and might have been dead for more than 12 hours.

The businessman was last seen dropping off a worker in Georgetown before heading home. Neighbours claimed that they did not see any strange movements or hear any unusual sounds, except that the man’s house was in darkness the night before the gruesome discovery.

At that time, they thought that Ghanie was out of the country.

the workings of the project. Yet they voted against it in the National Assembly.

This was one of the greatest acts of economic sabotage – a most anti-national position... Even when they got into office, the Minister of Finance seemed to have taken great pleasure to say that the regime was scrapping the Amaila Falls project, stating that to proceed with it would be criminal,” the former Head of State argued.

Therefore, last week, many persons were flabbergasted when the same Finance Minister who called the Amaila project “criminal”, announcing that the project was on the front burner.

The situation with regards

to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill was even more glaring. The APNU/AFC decided to put our entire financial system in danger by refusing to pass this important piece of legislation.

Even though top officials from Caribbean Financial Action Task Force came to Guyana and explained what was needed to have an acceptable bill, the two parties held out. The only reason Guyana was not black listed was because the PPP/C Government met all the requirements on the non-legislative side.

The AFC had stated previously that the Procurement Commission was so important to them that they would

not pass the Bill without that body being put in place. Six months have passed and that body has still not been set up. The APNU and AFC heaped a great deal of muck on the Marriott Hotel project. That, of course, was undertaken to enhance and promote our country as a tourist destination. The Marriott brand is extremely important for our country and for tourism growth.

They spoke about corruption on the project; to date, they have been unable to point out a single corrupt activity. Now that they are in office, they are using the Marriott for their social activities and many are praising its facilities and benefits.

Hero’s welcome for Veteran Pilot Alvin Clarke

Roraima Airways joined hands in collaboration with the rest of the aviation fraternity to honour Guyanese pilot Alvin Clarke who lost his battle with cancer in Canada where he was receiving medical treatment.

The veteran pilot succumbed early Saturday morning, plunging the aviation sector in grief. He was a well respected pilot who sometimes risked his life to save others when they needed medical emergency evacuations from the hinterland regions.

His body was flown home

to Guyana by Fly Jamaica Airlines and touched down at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) where his family, friends and colleagues were waiting to pay respects to their fallen comrade.

Minister of Governance

Raphael Trotman also visited the CJIA to pay respects to the veteran.

Scores of aviators and members of the Fly Jamaica team formed a honour guard as the body of Clarke was taken to BK Skytruck which led a fleet of airplanes waiting on the Runway to take

the body to Ogle Airport where the family took possession.

Clarke served as an officer and pilot in the Guyana Defence Force where he gained recognition for flying in high-risk situations. He later served as Roraima’s Chief Pilot up to the time of his death. He was also nominated by his friends Gerald Gouveia, chief executive officer of Roraima Airways and Nigel Hughes attorney for a National Award.

Gouveia spoke highly of the veteran pilot: “Alvin was known to be a very private

person, he would not have liked all of this (hero’s welcome) but he deserved it. All people in the hinterlands of Guyana, when people were sleeping at night, they knew they could call Roraima Airways and for me I could stay in my bed because Alvin would do it. And he did it for years and did it well. He also had a fantastic sense of humour and would light up any room he walked into with his amazing smile. Alvin deserves a National Award not only because he was a pilot but because he was a pilot with exceptional skills and exceptional courage and that’s the requirement for getting National Awards.”

Nigel Hughes also expressed his eternal gratitude towards Clarke whom, according to him, he owes his life.

Although the funeral date has not been announced, Roraima Airways announced that there will be a flyover by a fleet of aircraft as a show of final respect for Captain Alvin Clarke just before his burial.

Cutting nose..

…on LCDS to spite Guyana’s face

The largest gathering of world leaders and representatives - outside of the Annual opening of the UN General Assembly - will take place in Paris starting tomorrow and continuing for the next 11 days. And it’s not because of the ISIS attacks in that city. But for another reason that’s far deadlier – global warming’s tipping point. The UNFCCC’s Cop21 is trying to get the world to take action to avert the global calamity staring us in the face by burning fossil fuels.

As to whether the connection and causation of the first by the second is “proven”, only Donald Trump and the” looney right” in the US aren’t convinced. Global warming caused hundreds of thousands of deaths last year, due to flash floods, drought and a host of climate-related disasters cause by the increase in global temperature rise.

Now this Eyewitness’ convinced the major “polluters” pushing emissions and global warming – the US, EU and the developed world, ain’t gonna be cutting back in proportion to their historic emissions. They’ll pretend they didn’t produce most of the increased carbon in the atmosphere and talk about “dont look back - let’s start from now!” So of course, they get to maintain their advantage – not to mention their standard of living - while those asked to make “proportionate” cuts remain mired in poverty, death and destruction.

With the US temporarily in the lead in the fossil-fuel sweepstakes with its cheap shale oil and working to have the Venezuelan plum drop once again into its mouth, they’re certainly not going to be making cuts. So what’ll do they do to appear virtuous? (And superpowers must transmute might into right to appear virtuous!) Well they can take the lead from Norway: pay folks like us with lots of trees not to cut them down.

Trees, as this government refuses to accept, are resources that do the dirty job of picking up carbon from the atmosphere and keeping it locked away as “wood”. Places like the US that want to be energy hogs should pay us for cleaning up after them. And this was the argument former President Jagdeo made and Norway – who wanted to look virtuous since it’s right up there with the US on a per capita fossil fuel guzzler – bit.

But Jagdeo’s spiel on “green energy” wasn’t a onetrick pony. He launched the “Low Carbon Development Strategy” for the entire COUNTRY – which made the world sit up and take notice. COP21 presents Guyana with the opportunity to punch way beyond its weight category on the world stage. Giving us “international social capital” for use against Venezuela or for development, for instance.

But will this lot in government bring up LCDS? Not in this life.

You see, Jagdeo came up with the idea.

…on API to spite sugar industry

This Eyewitness’ amazed at the gall of the APNU/AFC to deny justice to sugar workers. Their propaganda machinery labelled the sugar workers “shortsighted” and “antinational” to strike for their Annual Production Incentive (API). Sugar workers fought and died for this right and it cannot be denied to them.

As part of their negotiated contract, that’s expropriating their property – ironically determined in a sugar industry case – AG v Teemal – when Burnham tried to do the same thing. The other argument – that GuySuCo running at a loss - has nothing to do with anything.

For instance, GuySuCo’s the govt’s responsibility - just like the Army. The Guyana Government’s runs a deficit year after year – and we’ve never heard of the army denied a month’s wages as bonus for Christmas.

This Eyewitness’ wagering that this year it’ll be no different. So what’s different about sugar workers?

O tempora! O mores !

…on Police to spite crime spiral

Your Eyewitness believes it’s the Police that should get a bonus this Christmas. But this should be tied to a targeted reduction of “serious crimes”.

And let’s not fiddle with the stats, OK dude?

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

Forensic Audits…

“Release the reports now” – Jagdeo urges Govt –

says theft of public resources claim is “nonsense”

BY EDWARD LAYNE

“Release the reports, let people comment on the reports, all these audit reports, so if you are getting them, release them to the country.”

Those were the sentiments expressed by Leader of the Opposition and former President Bharrat Jagdeo in the face of failure by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government to make public the findings of the forensic audits of state agencies.

After months, or even years, of a hue and cry about widespread corruption in many state agencies and projects under the for-

mer People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, the APNU/ AFC upon assuming office back in May 2015, launched a series of forensic audits costing the nation hundreds of millions of dollars.

But six months later, the Government is still to make public the audit reports, especially for agencies such as the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), which the APNU and AFC while in Opposition accused of massive corruption.

“We have not heard anything about the Hope Canal, because they said it was corrupt and it was useless, so where is the audit report for the Hope Canal too. They should release the NICIL

report and the response by NICIL the other audit reports,” Jagdeo told a news conference on Saturday at the PPP headquarters, Robb Street, Georgetown.

Jagdeo highlight that the only audit report to be released thus far is that of the Caribbean Festival of Arts 10 (CARIFESTA X), hosted by Guyana from August 2231, 2008.

However, it is believed that this release was convenient, since the accounting officer at the then Culture Youth and Sport Ministry, Keith Booker died a few years ago and therefore

there can be no response to the audit queries.

Jagdeo said that while his position remains that the forensic Auditors

Christopher Ram and Annand Goolsarran do not have the integrity to conduct the audits, he is still eagerly awaiting the publication of the findings, which he is convinced will vindicate the PPP/C’s long held position that this exercise was unwarranted and baseless.

“They have started off this course of action, then you have to ask them what they are doing, because we would like to see the findings although some of the people who are doing the audits are the accusers and the accusers should not be doing the audits. Now that you have done the audits why not release it?” Jagdeo questioned, adding that, “I know a lot of what we have heard was about theft of public resources through NICIL and through the Hope Canal etc… that’s a lot of nonsense.”

A shed, shed story

Satiricus wasn’t surprised at the parents’ reaction to the initiative of the Berbice High School Headmaster (HM) to raise the level of performance of his charges. They were up in arms (which in the rice growing area meant grassknives, cutlasses and forks) over the HM’s decision to move one class to the bicycle shed out in the school yard. It was a “shed, shed shituation” according to the parents.

“Parents nowadays had it too good after 23 years of record PPCEE spending on schools and the rest of the educational system,” grumbled Satiricus morosely. “They don't know the dangers of getting too soft”. The Bicycle Shed classroom was just the tip of the new educational revolution the new Pee-an-See was introducing. Or rather, “re-introducing”. The HM was just following orders.

All through the now infamous “23 years of PPCEE rule” the Pee-an-See had whined and whinged as to how the PPCEE was messing up (they used a harsher word, unsuitable for a family newspaper). Now it was payback restitution time – to bring it back to the glory of the Burnt Ham Days. “And these parents couldn't appreciate the significance of being educated under a shed!” moaned Satiricus.

“Did anybody sit down and think – or even stood up and think - as to why 80 per cent of our country with all our “potential” never got developed?” fretted Satiricus. “Our children have gotten too soft, that's what.” But Burnt Ham was misunderstood – and it was clear parents had gotten any wiser. Back in the day, Burnt Ham hadn't destroyed all the school buildings – just for the hell of it. Or – God forbid – because he didn't know what he was doing.

He knew exactly what he was doing: he was going to create a country of men!! And you didn’t Molly-cuddle boys if you wanted them to be men. You have to expose them to the elements so they could be tough when they graduated to join the police and army and People’s Militia and National Service – to work for minimum wages, even if labaria bit them!

Now the new Pee-an-See government wanted to follow in the stride of the Founder Learner – but they had to please their new KFC partner and not chop down all the school buildings to toughen the students right away. Hence the bicycle shed. The New Education Czar was a kind, gradualist.

This was just the tip of the “shed revolution” that would be heard around the world. In America you took boys behind the wood shed to give them a good hiding so they could become “men”. But in Guyana, we did them one better – we take boys and girls to the bicycle shed so they can become nation builders!

“I hope these parents would now end their shedding of eye-water,” muttered Satiricus.

Herstelling man found dead under tree

The body of a Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, man was found in a neighbouring village just after noon on Saturday.

The dead man has been identified as Samaroo Seepersaud, 63, called “Allan” of Lot 11 Herstelling New Housing Scheme. His body was found under a tree on a dam behind the Park Vue Hotel in Farm, EBD.

There were no marks of violence on the man’s body and investigators believe he may have died from natural causes. However, they are awaiting results of a post mortem examination to get a confirmation.

One of the dead man’s son, Bihsham Seepersaud, related to Guyana Times that his father left home around 08:30h on Friday

for his morning run and hangout with his friends but never returned.

Bihsham noted they began worrying after 16:00h, since his father would return home around that time from his daily outings: “He does go lime with his friends them or some times go bet on horse races in town and thing, so we di’n take it as anything. Is till after 4 o’clock then we start get worried cause he does always come home that time.”

He went on to say they began calling family and friends to find out his whereabouts but got no information. Bihsham related that by night family and friends went over and they began searching for him. They even went to his grandfather’s abandoned house in Coven Garden,

EBD, but did not find him there either.

“So we went home back because it get late but early this morning we went out back to look for him. We went in the scheme (behind Park Vue Hotel) driving round because people said they see he in there but we di’n find anything. Then sometime after 12:00h, my brother and two friends went back on foot and find he on the dam,” the son related.

According to Bihsham, they do not know how the man ended up there and none of his friends saw him on Friday. Nevertheless, the man said they too do not suspect any foul play in his father’s death.

The father leaves to mourn his wife, three children, other relatives and friends.

Zorg businessman identifies attackers

– remains hospitalised

Owner of Seeta’s Licence Liquor and Restaurant Bar at Zorg in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Mohamed Fizool has identified the two suspects in police custody as his attackers.

The suspects are Carlos Petri, 22, of Maria’s Lodge and Chatish Singh, 20, of Onderneeming Sand Pit. They allegedly robbed and shot the businessman.

They are expected to make their first court appearance before Magistrate Sunil Scarce Monday at Charity.

The businessman said he would like to thank the police for promptly arresting the suspects.

Meanwhile, Fizool remains hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit of Suddie Public Hospital where he is nursing a gunshot wound to his left foot.

Fizool, 55, said he is still experiencing immense pain in his foot after being attacked and robbed of his personal jewellery by two unmasked men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.

Injured Mohamed Fizool

“Release the reports now”...

Jagdeo had always made it clear that he is supportive of the forensic audits, but had concerns about the Auditors – Goolsarran and Ram – and their integrity to do an impartial job.

“We in the PPP will support any forensic audit but for a forensic audit to be fair and to do its work to find corruption, you have to have the skills to do that and I submit that these two persons, they are political operatives. They do not have the skills to practice forensic audits…

We are in favour of hiring a reputable international company, in a transparent process to do this, to do forensic audits of all of our accounts,” Jagdeo had declared in a televised programme of TVG-Ch28 back in August. Jagdeo had previously questioned the objective of the audit, highlighting that the process was being used for political gains by the Government.

“Normally when you do an audit, you get all your findings and you submit a

management letter and the management responds to your findings… But everyday they are releasing little bits to the newspapers to make it a political process,” he highlighted.

The Government has been flip-flopping regarding the real reason behind the forensic audits of several State agencies.

When it was first initiated, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had declared that the aim was to ascertain how the assets of the

Younge’s Take

An open letter to the Cabinet

Dear Ministers,

Upon your ascension to office, you promised the Guyanese electorate you would uphold the Constitution of Guyana and exercise your respective portfolios with high levels of transparency, accountability and integrity.

You all promised you would govern in the interest of the people of Guyana and vowed never to repeat the atrocities and wrong doings you claimed were committed by the previous Peoples Progressive Party Civic government.

There was also a commitment to scrap, remodel and in other cases, reform several policies and projects that were being pursued by the PPP/C while at the same time presenting the Guyanese public with a clear and modern socio-economic development strategy that would catapult Guyana’s growth and development over the next years.

Recall, President David Granger’s promise to create thousands of jobs within months of accessing office for the depressed communities of Region Ten, Region Seven and Regions One.

State were sold, disposed of or transferred under the previous Administration, adding that those found guilty will face criminal charges.

However, Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma disclosed that one of the reasons why the Government is commissioning audits was to satisfy the demands of the donor agencies and the international community.

He explained that before the APNU+AFC coalition got into Government, the international community indicated several expectations it had of the new Government.

“The demands for this new Administration are a lot. We have to fulfil these demands, in areas of accountability and transparency… We aren’t doing this because we want to spend money or we want to witchhunt anybody… it’s a demand and request from these agencies that transparency and accountability must be available,” he noted.

He added that if the Government did not perform the financial audits, it would not have the financial support of the international bodies.

This statement was received with expressions of great incredulity by members of the local business and financial community when it was published.

Finance Minister Jordan, however, attempted to backpedal from his Junior Minister’s statement and explained that the international community did not actually demand the forensic audits, but they did throw their support behind the initiative.

He said the APNU+AFC coalition had discussions with members of the international community, including the British High Commission, the Canadian High Commission, the European Union and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to name a few, and they all spoke of the need for accountability and transparency.

Also, there was a commitment by you to end ministerial arrogance, to be more forthcoming and open with the media regardless of whether they appeared supportive or not.

Lastly, the biggest commitment was to end the wastage of taxpayers’ monies as a result of nepotism, cronyism, bad policies, creating jobs for the boys, misappropriation of funds and financial mismanagement.

It’s now six months since you have taken the oath of office and already there are massive breaches and broken commitments as well as promises. While it may be too early to allege you have betrayed, lied and fooled the public completely, it is not too early to accuse you of “high-handed and white collar gansterism” in office.

While you all enjoy your duty free concessions, 50 per cent increases in pay and state funded joy rides around the world, the poor are getting poorer and the national stock of wealth is decreasing because of a lack of new domestic and foreign direct investment.

As Ministers, you have done nothing to improve the livelihoods of the poor. Not a single new initiative or programme has been launched by your Government to tackle poverty alleviation directly.

Instead, you have opted to ride on the foundation, projects and policies initiated by the PPP/C, the very same policies you rejected while in opposition. How can the public trust you after your announcement that the Specialty Hospital and Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project will be continued after you blocked their implementation for three years because of alleged bad design, corruption and other reasons?

How can you argue that the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) is "absolutely necessary" when as parties in opposition you had labelled it as a “slush fund for the PPP”, “corrupt” and “illegal” while in opposition?

How can your Ministers take away street lights from communities, impose a 2am curfew on bars and clubs and remove sums budgeted to help parents take their children to school. While in opposition, you had argued for more social spending and for more schools as well as for communities to be developed using modern methods.

The cabinet cannot seriously believe that telling Guyanese that “things will get better by Christmas” economically will end the anxiety and uncertainty looming over the country’s worrying downwards growth trend. Things are bad and people are suffering. Rice is in trouble and sugar is also facing more challenges. Bauxite and Gold as well as rare and precious mineral mining is not improving significantly.

Added to that crime is rising and businesses are being targeted. There is no social cohesion taking place. Communities are more divided now than under the entire ruler ship of the PPP. There is more ethnic and racial insecurity when compared to state of affairs over the last five years.

It is clear that there is widespread discrimination in the award of contracts. The only ones leading comfortable lives are those “boys and girls” who financed your elections campaign and those who are living off the wealth accumulated from legitimate and illegitimate businesses.

Surely, we appreciate the cleanup exercises, ongoing preparations for the country’s 50th anniversary and protection of our territorial sovereignty but Guyanese are concerned more about bread and butter issues.

You promised the citizenry “a Good life” but as it turns out that appears to be “a Good lie”.

Your word is your bond and it is self-defeating to govern in a bubble without understanding the extremities faced by ordinary men on the ground. Over the last six months, your make up has been removed and Guyanese are seeing the naked truth.

You can continue your “white collar gansterism” and govern as you see fit ignoring the stories told by the masses inclusive of your supporters about the world they live and soon you will realize how quickly Guyanese people resent political trickery and arrogance.

You have Government and we have our votes! Who has the real power?

Why are we killing ourselves?

The issue of Guyana’s high suicide rate has made news headlines in recent months. “The Caribbean Voice” led by Annan Boodram has done some good work in the area of suicide awareness and with very limited resources. While the problem appears more prevalent in the Indian Guyanese community, it does also exist as a growing issue among Amerindians and, as we saw recently, in the gay community because of specific stress factors. It is a national problem.

Region 2 woman hacked to death by husband

ARyhaan Shah

Over the years, I and close friends have discussed the issue from time to time with a view to trying to help especially since no government has ever responded to the crisis in any great measure. We saw it as a problem that we would have to solve as a community and without much state help.

However, since everyone works, contributes nationally and pays taxes, our role should be to lobby government to move and move quickly to respond constructively to this national crisis. It is no feather in our cap that Guyana is named “the suicide capital of the world”.

Despite this, there is, as yet, no National Suicide Crisis Centre that would coordinate the various strategies of awareness, alertness and treatment that would be necessary to dealing with the problem holistically.

Such a centre would be responsible for collecting data that would go beyond the statements to the media that are made by the families of the victims. This would have to be undertaken by trained professionals who would be sensitive to and trusted by the respective communities if they are to get people to speak freely and frankly.

Data collection and analysis are imperative for formulating strategies to counter the problem. The specifics of exactly what led to the suicide could help pinpoint areas of weaknesses and the exact issues that need addressing in the respective communities.

While there is no crisis centre, or any similar establishment or organization, there are churches, mandirs, and mosques in every town, village and community across Guyana.

Moulvi Moen Hack addressed the issue of suicide in a recent Friday kutbah and the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha is also trying to help in their communities across the country. There are probably Christian preachers speaking to their congregations about the issue as well.

Since the religious communities are already engaged and are most likely to be people of compassion and understanding, perhaps, they would be willing to step in and help in practical ways.

Could churches, mandirs and mosques not be used as safe havens until professional help can be arranged for distressed people seeking help or for families who need help for a loved one?

This would mean that a distressed Hindu can seek refuge in a church and a Muslim in her neighbourhood mandir. This kind of tolerance might take some education from organizations such as the Dharmic Sabha, CIOG and the Council of Churches since there was a most unchristian and uncharitable act relayed to the media recently where a young woman was no longer welcomed into her church because she performed an Indian dance at a Diwali event.

However, most of our imams, pandits and preachers surely value all human life and they might be very willing to act as first responders if they are given some guidelines on what to do and who to contact if they are approached.

In a broader sense, are we at all surprised that Guyana is the suicide capital of the world? We have been living with brokenness for 50 years and more. The horrors of the colonial era simply continue in various guises of arrogance, lawlessness, vulgarity and corruption that are perpetrated by our own leaders in a country where anything goes.

Fifty years on from independence we live in homes and communities broken by continuous migration. The extended family structures that could have offered support are gone and we have in place no systems, no institutions, and no sense of urgency about anything, not the current crime wave, not the failing economy and, if not those, why expect government to care about why some of us choose death over life?

In a country where no one is held accountable for anything, it is no surprise that life itself is viewed as a commodity of no account. The glib words spoken by our political leaders never match the realities of people’s lives so we live in a surreal world that is as bent and misshapen as Dali’s clocks.

The world must see Guyana as a terrible place to live. As things stand, are they wrong?

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

mother of one is now dead after her jealous husband chopped and stabbed her to death on Saturday afternoon.

Dead is Malinie Narine, 23, of Jib Village, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). Her husband Vishnu Narine, a labourer was battling for life in the Intensive Care Unit at Suddie Public Hospital up to press time. He was unsuccessful in taking his own life after committing the gruesome act sometime around 17:30h.

According to information reaching Guyana Times Vishnu had a heated argument with his wife during which he equipped himself with a cutlass and a knife and dealt several chops and stabs about her body. The young woman sustained multiple injuries to her abdomen and hands.

Further reports revealed that after inflicting the fatal injuries to his wife, the man then turned the knife on him-

Commonwealth in solidarity with Guyana –outgoing SG

Outgoing Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations Kamalesh Sharma has reaffirmed the organisation’s support for Guyana over the border controversy with Venezuela.

Sharma provided this information when he was questioned on the matter by the Guyanese Press Corps, currently in Malta providing coverage of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

“I have visited Guyana myself, the deputy general (political) visited Guyana, we have a very old association working with Guyana particularly with the electoral office and we have expressed solidarity as Commonwealth with Guyana on the question of the territorial dispute with Venezuela. I have very close relations with the Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge who is a member of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group which is the custodian of our core political values in the Commonwealth,” Sharma stated.

Meanwhile, the Press Corps also sought Sharma’s comments on funding for the Iwokrama International Rainforest Conservation Centre.

“We do not give budgetary support to projects any more, but the deputy secretary general is on the board of Iwokrama and what the heads told us to do was to help in the creation of a sustainable financial business plan for Iwokrama and we are happy to work in that direction until that is achieved,” he stated.

Earlier this year the Commonwealth had indicated that it would no longer be funding Iwokrama, forcing Government to provide US$100 million to assist it to meet its obligations.

self, slitting his throat. Both weapons were recovered at the scene by investigators.

This newspaper was told neighbours heard loud screams at the couple’s home and rushed over to investigate. Upon arrival they stumbled upon a bloody scene. The police was summoned and transported the injured man to hospital. His wife had already died.

Mother of the deceased Sattie (only name given) described Vishnu as a jealous

and abusive person, adding he would prevent Malinie from visiting her although they live in the same village. The grieving mother related she learned about the tragic event from villagers.

“I hear he chop she up and stab her then he slit he throat, I didn’t see her long, her father and I are separated long” Sattie explained.

According to the dead woman’s father, Toolsie aka Robin, he left the couple sleeping at their Jib residence earlier in the day. The man recalled that his daughter was often threatened by her husband, who often expressed intent to take her life.

Toolsie pointed out that his son-in-law does not like his wife socialising with her family. The young family lived with her father at Jib.

“I told him to behave yourself but he got angry and started the stupidness, he ask me to tek a drink and I refused” the man related.

The couple shared a fouryear-old son, Donnie Narine.

This newspaper was told Malinie had endured an abusive relationship but never spoke out.

Following the incident, the news quickly spread throughout the community and scores of persons converged at the scene. Many persons were overheard saying that they knew the young couple had domestic problems.

At the bloody scene, the deceased was lying lifeless on the downstairs bed. She was fully clothed. Her body was taken to the Suddie Mortuary and is awaiting an autopsy.

Specialty Hospital Project… Evaluation report renders Fedders Lloyd disqualified – Jagdeo –

Govt defends decision

Pointing out that Fedders Lloyd Construction Company was disqualified from the bidding process on the Specialty Hospital project, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo challenged the government to release the evaluation report which would confirm this disclosure.

As controversy mounts over the hiring of Fedders Lloyd to undertake the construction of the Specialty Hospital, the former President is contending the current administration is engaging in a massive corruptive act that will eventually plunge the country deeper into an economic crisis.

He was at the time addressing journalists during a media briefing at the People’s Progressive Party/Civic

(PPP/C) Headquarters, Robb Street, on Saturday.

Government is asserting there is no need for another “time consuming” tender process; that it would be easier to go with the second ranked bidder which, the administration argued, is Fedders Lloyd.

“They argued that they are going with the second ranked person, the one who did not get the bid but they have a duty first of all to release the evaluation report done by the last government,” Jagdeo stated, noting that the report clearly states that Fedders Lloyd was disqualified.

“The evaluation report was not done by politicians; three technical staff did the evaluation report. That report will show that this company was disqualified so it’s

not the second ranked bidder, they are disqualified and that was done at the technical evaluators and not the cabinet level,” he stated, calling on the government to release the evaluation report to the public.

Hypothetically, Jagdeo pointed out that even if Fedders Lloyd is the second ranked bidder, it would still be wholly wrong for that company to conduct an evaluation of the works completed thus far on the Specialty Hospital project.

“…Imagine the previous contractor did some work… we don’t know the cost of the work they did… the right thing to do, the only thing you can do as a government, the transparent thing to do, was to hire an independent com-

pany to evaluate how much work was done… the remaining works that need to be done and then go out to tender,” he reasoned.

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

Government’s response

On the other hand, the Finance Ministry is stoutly defending its decision to hire Fedders Lloyd, a company that is legally represented by Public Security Minister and Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan.

According to a press release from the Finance Ministry, all of its actions are in accordance to the Procurement Act Chapter 42:05 which states: “If the supplier or contractor whose tender has been accepted fails to sign a written contract, if required to do so, or fails to provide any required security for the performance of the contract, the appropriate board shall refer the matter to the Evaluation Committee to determine which of the remaining tenders is the second lowest evaluated tender based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the bid documents subject to its right, in accordance with section 40(1), to reject all remaining tenders.”

The Ministry explained that in the public bidding done for the Specialty Hospital under the PPP/C government,

four tenders were received. Two were deemed to be rejected, leaving the remaining two - Surrendra Engineering and Fedders Lloyd Ltd – in contention.

Now, since Surrendra Engineering’s services were eventually terminated by the previous government, the Ministry has found it fit to proceed in accordance with Section 42(5) of the Procurement Act, and hire the second bidder - Fedders Lloyd.

Moreover, in further defending its decision to not go to public tendering, the government pointed out that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two entities is more advantageous.

The Finance Ministry stated that under the MoU, Fedders Lloyd agreed to hold its prices expressed in its original bid some four years ago. “A new tender will result, obviously, in price escalation due to inflation,” the Ministry

stated. The Ministry also contended that a new tender process would be too time consuming.

Additionally, the MoU stipulates that Fedders Lloyd would examine works already done by the previous contractor and to integrate those works within its proposed current design options, which will lessen the burden of loss of funds already spent.

Also, the MoU shows that Fedders Lloyd intends to complete the designs and finalise the list of equipment (which was not completed by the previous contractor) to the satisfaction of the Ministry of Public Health and that Fedders Lloyd intends to hold the overall cost of the project within the available balance of the Line of Credit from Exim Bank of India.

“It is the intention of the MOF that should the conditions in the MoU be satisfied by Fedders Lloyd, then the Tender Board will be invited to make an award of contract to Fedders Lloyd.

Procedurally, therefore, there is no impropriety in the method used by government in entering the MoU with Fedders Lloyd with the intention of leading to an award should the conditions stipulated in the MoU be met by Fedders Lloyd.

The decision to utilise the instrument of the MoU safeguards the procurement process and seeks to optimise the use of Public Funds, in this case a loan, in the most beneficial way,” the Ministry stated. (devinas@guyanatimesgy.com)

Columbus' legacy

In a recent short video produced by The Cut, several individuals of native American descent were asked to express the first word which came to mind upon hearing the name Christopher Columbus. The recurrent words cited were "evil", "fake", "murderer", "genocide".

Columbus' arrival to the America's remains a point of dispute among many indigenous nations as to the positive contribution he along with men like Cortes would have made to indigenous peoples.

The first point of contention, disputed as well by scholars worldwide, remains whether or not Christopher Columbus actually "discovered" the Americas. More and more historians and archaeologists are unearthing evidence that the Spanish were most likely not the first to have set foot on these lands, but instead, trading and migration routes would have already been established long before, possibly by inhabitants of the African continent, Vikings and later on the Portuguese. All of these theories however, overlook the most evident fact being that the Americas were discovered by those who are known today to have first set foot on these lands: the indigenous peoples themselves.

Although Guyanese do not celebrate Columbus Day, they also learn from an early age that Christopher Columbus "discovered" Latin America. However, like many other children, they aren’t taught that he accidentally lost his way as he was trailing a maritime route to Asia established by the Portuguese, and famously navigated by men such as Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco Da Gama, for trade.

It is omitted that Columbus sought the good offices of King João II of Portugal to find a western maritime route to Asia, but was rejected because the Portuguese believed India to be to the East and not the West, rightfully so. However, they are taught that Isabella of Spain granted a fleet of ships to Columbus, but not that Spain was lagging behind the small nation of Portugal in terms of maritime trade and exploration.

But unlike the Portuguese explorers who at that time were driven more by business and trade rather than domination, men like Columbus and Cortes through their actions were more bent on dominating the "savages" they encountered upon their arrival. While they sought to rape the continent of its gold, they also slaughtered and terrorized countless indigenous men, women and children, contributing to the extinction of nations of individuals. Based on archaeological findings, it is believed there would have been a decline of some 90% of indigenous peoples since the landing of Columbus to the colonization by other Europeans such as the French and British.

What remains certain, is that the arrival of the Spanish marked the beginning of the cultural erosion of indigenous cultures, the disruption of their ways of life, the denial of their right to freedom based not only on their supposed paganism, but also on the lust of Europeans for their lands. Indigenous nations have disappeared, great civilisations such as the Aztechs, Mayas and Incas were disintegrated, and while many would concur that this is all part of the evolution of mankind, it was a most unnatural evolution, forced by the greed and barbarianism of the Spanish and those who took suite.

While the slave trade which unravelled within the same temporal and spatial frame remains at the heart of contemporary debates, the trauma inflicted upon indigenous peoples is diminished by those culpable. Lands remain stolen in developed countries which have thousands of vacant acres. Indigenous rights had to be created in modernised societies proclaimed to be pioneers of human rights for all, except for indigenous peoples.

Reservations are still in place in the US, where indigenous peoples face high suicide and alcoholism rates, are blocked from job markets and suffer extreme levels of poverty and low life expectancy. Across the world, indigenous peoples continue to suffer since their lands were "discovered" by the Europeans, and their situation continues to degrade as they remain marginalised in the lands of their ancestors.

It is why Columbus Day is looked upon with irony by those indigenous who know the history of their forefathers. Columbus' accomplishment marked the beginning of a terror which yet transcends generations.

It is not too late to teach Guyanese children those historical facts of the New World which for too long have remained absent from our text books.

Govt looking to have “Small Business Expo” annually

As the inaugural ‘Small Business Exposition” wines down, the Government of Guyana is looking to make the event an annual feature in order to boost small businesses.

This was disclosed by Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin, on Friday at the opening of the three-day exposition being held at the Sophia Exhibition Centre, Georgetown. The event is collaboration between the Ministry of Business, and the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA).

The Minister said: “We would like to explore the further development of this event to see whether it can become an effective measure in encouraging (small businesses) participation in profitable economic activities”.

Gaskin pointed out that access to the country’s economic space must be available to all Guyanese across the country, highlighting that even vulnerable sections of the population must not be shut out of economic opportunities.

The Minister of Business explained that Government decided to postpone GuyExpo this year to May 2016 because of insufficient time to plan the megaevent after its assumption to office. However, he noted at the same time, it recognised that small businesses are dependent on the annual exhibition and trade fair to showcase

their products and services, as well as to boost incomes.

At the time, Gaskin added, he was in talks with GMSA during which the idea was birthed to have this exposition to replace the deferred GuyExpo so that the small businesses would not be deprived of benefits yielded from such events.

According to the Minister of Business, the main vision behind the Small Business Exposition was to put small businesses in the spotlight. Against this backdrop, he stated that this event is more than just a one-off event; it is a targeted measure that addresses two of his Ministry’s main goals: support the development and exports of value-added industries; and increase the economic opportunities and capabilities of vulnerable groups.

“This event presents a real opportunity for small businesses to have access to a volume of customers over a three-day period that they may not ordinarily encounter in an entire year of business. This allows them to showcase and sell their products and to get valuable feedback that can be used to improve these products,” the Minister stated Additionally, the Minister outlined that for those small businesses that cannot afford to advertise and rely heavily on wordof-mouth to expand, Business Expo presents an opportunity to get the word out.

Gaskin added that the exposition also features a number of business-related workshops that focuses on areas such as procurement procedures, tender board procedures, digitalisation of businesses, financing businesses, and entrepreneurship, among others.

Moreover, he expressed satisfaction with the quality of exhibits and the types of services being promoted over the weekend, noting that the diversity of the small businesses is encouraging:

“It is important for Guyana to have a vibrant, independent, innovative and competitive private sector that can partner with Government to develop the country. Our Government is committed to partnering with a progressive private sector in building a strong and sustainable economy.

To this extent, no one will be shut out.”

On the other hand, the Business Minister went onto say there are much more work to be done to make Guyana an investment friendly environment – both on the local and international scenes.

He disclosed that Guyana has become a challenging place to do business, as it continues to rank low in the World Bank’s annual “Ease of Doing Business” index. According to the Minister, a recent report saw Guyana ranking particularly low in the areas of access to credit and getting electricity. In efforts to address these issues, Minister Gaskin said his Ministry will be engaging stakeholders in the electricity sector to explore ways in which businesses can get access to electricity at affordable costs.

In addition, he noted his administration has thrown its support behind legislations that would see improvements in the transfer of information from credit providers to credit bureau operators in order to strength the lending process, which businesses rely on to access financing.

“The Minister of Business will continue to identify areas where the ease of doing business in Guyana needs to improve and to implement and recommend measures for those improvements,” he stated.

SunDAY, november 29, 2015 | guYAnAtimeSgY.com

Deokie pleased with performance at CMRC

Even though the racing season has come to an end, Team ER race car driver, Daniel Deokie, should be proud of his performance at the last round of the 2015 Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor Racing Championship, which was held at the South Dakota circuit.

The Group One driver achieved two first place finishes at the November 15 event. Deokie said of his performance, “The car worked good as we planned and we’re hoping to continue doing well in the quest to continue building motor racing in Guyana.”

Group One, which has limit of 1500cc, saw Deokie pushing his D15, a high-pow-

ered Honda Civic, to the max. The race car driver is already planning for the 2016 season, as he looking to maintain higher levels of consistency.

Deokie was extremely grateful for assistance given by his support staff, which includes his family and friends. In addition, he expressed gratitude to his sponsors- Toucan Industries, Emran and Raymond General Automotive Services, Robbie’s Jewellery and Fitness 53 Gym- for their investment.

Deokie is in his fourth year of racing and has come a long way from Drag Racing to competing with the ‘big boys’ on the circuit. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy.com)

Caribbean Boxing

Championship…

England win T20 series in Dubai

England wrapped up victory in the T20 series against Pakistan after a thrilling three-run victory in Dubai.

Captain Shahid Afridi’s late cameo - 24 off eight deliveries - was not enough to help Pakistan over the line after England finished on 172-8.

James Vince (38) top

4 wins for Guyana on night 2

Guyana’s boxers at the Caribbean Boxing Championship being hosted at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall were engaged in six fights on night two of the competition on Friday, racking up four wins to go with two defeats. This is in addition to the Guyanese pugilists collecting four victories and a loss on Thursday’s opening night.

On night two, Jamal Eastman, Diwani Lampkin, Clairmont Gibson and Eon Fraser were in winner’s row, while compatriot Christopher Moore and Roger Sloon were not so fortunate.

Eastman got the better of Nicholas Alexander of Trinidad and Tobago in a Youth Bantamweight

clash, while Lampkin, like Eastman, recorded his second win of the competition by getting past Justin Edwards

of Barbados in a Light Welterweight fight.

Gibson emerged winner against Dominica’s Simon Joseph in a Novice Bantamweight showdown, while Fraser produced a sensational knockdown of Christopher Andall of Grenada, finishing the Super Heavyweight contest two minutes and 38 seconds into round two.

For Guyana, Moore lost to Jamaica’s Daniel Hilton at Junior Featherweight, while Sloon suffered defeat at the hands of Charles Cox of Barbados in the Novice Middleweight.

The four-day competition will wrap up this evening with the various finals at the same venue.

Fury beats Klitschko to become world champion

Binated the clash in Germany to end the Ukrainian’s reign as WBA, IBF and

The Manchester fighter survived being docked a point in the 11th round, win-

ning the verdict with scores of 116-111, 115-112, 115112.

Fury, unbeaten in 25 fights, inflicted Klitschko’s first loss in 11 years. (BBC Sport)

scored for England, with stand-in captain Jos Buttler (33) and opener Jason Roy (29) also chipping in.

Afridi was also the pick of the Pakistan bowlers, taking 3-15.

The win was England’s fifth consecutive T20 victory, with the World T20 set to take place in India in March. (BBC Sport)

England innings (20 overs

JJ Roy c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Shahid Afridi 29

AD Hales lbw b Shahid Afridi 11

JM Vince c Anwar Ali b Shahid Afridi 38

JE Root c Shahid Afridi b Shoaib Malik 20 JC Buttler*† c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Sohail Tanvir 33

SW Billings c Umar Akmal b Wahab Riaz 11

DJ Willey c Sohaib Maqsood b Anwar Ali 4 LE Plunkett c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Anwar Ali 1

CR Woakes not out 15

AU Rashid not out 3

Extras (lb-1, w-6) 7

Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 172

Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Hales, 4.1 ov), 2-47 (Roy, 6.4 ov), 3-74 (Root, 10.3 ov), 4-109 (Vince, 13.4 ov), 5-136 (Billings, 16.3 ov), 6-150 (Buttler, 17.5 ov), 7-151 (Plunkett, 18.1 ov), 8-154 (Willey, 18.4 ov)

Bowling: Anwar Ali 4-0-27-2 (2w), Sohail Tanvir 4-0-43-1 (1-w), Wahab Riaz 4-044-1 (2-w), Shahid Afridi 4-015-3, Ahmed Shehzad 1-0-10-0, Shoaib Malik 3-0-32-1 (1-w)

Shehzad, 4.6 ov), 2-60 (Rafatullah Mohmand, 8.1 ov), 3-90 (Mohammad Hafeez, 11.2 ov), 4-93 (Sohaib Maqsood, 12.3 ov), 5-107 (Umar

(1-w), CR Woakes 4-0-40-2 (1nb, 4-w), LE Plunkett 4-0-333 (1-nb, 1-w), SD Parry 4-033-1, AU Rashid 4-0-18-2

Kiwis battle to save Adelaide day-night Test

New Zealand face a battle for a victory to level the series after an eventful second day of the first day-night Test in Adelaide.

The Kiwis were reduced to 116-5 at stumps to lead by 94 runs with paceman Josh Hazlewood doing the damage with 3-32 under the lights with the pink ball.

Earlier, Australia were dismissed for 224 with wicketkeeper Peter Nevill top scoring with 66.

Australia lead 1-0 in the three-match series.

A crowd of 42,372 attended the second day, after 47,441 watched day one at the Adelaide Oval.

The hosts had added only 64 runs to their overnight total for the loss of six wickets when the scoreless Nathan Lyon was controversially reprieved by the decision review system at 118-8.

New Zealand appealed for a catch at slip after a Mitchell Santner ball hit Lyon’s upper arm during an attempted sweep shot and then called for a review af-

Voges c Guptill b Southee 13

SE Marsh run out (McCullum) 2

MR Marsh c †Watling b Bracewell 4

PM Nevill† c Santner b Bracewell 66

PM Siddle c Latham b Craig 0

JR Hazlewood b Santner 4

NM Lyon c Williamson b Boult 34

MA Starc not out 24

Extras (b-5, lb-3, w-1) 9 Total (all out; 72.1 overs) 224 Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Warner, 3.2 ov), 2-34 (Burns, 13.1 ov), 3-63 (Voges, 24.4 ov), 4-67 (SE Marsh, 28.4 ov), 5-80 (MR Marsh, 36.1 ov), 6-109 (Smith, 48.2 ov), 7-109 (Siddle, 48.6 ov), 8-116 (Hazlewood, 51.5 ov), 9-190 (Lyon, 67.4 ov), 10-224 (Nevill, 72.1 ov)

ter it was turned down.

‘Hot spot’

Bowling: TG Southee 17-150-1, TA Boult 17-5-41-2, DAJ Bracewell 12.1-3-18-3 (1w), MJ Santner 16-1-54-1, MD Craig 10-1-53-2

New Zealand 2nd innings TWM Latham c †Nevill b Hazlewood 10 MJ Guptill

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5-0 wins for north georgetown and St Stephen’s

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n a day where a total of 15 goals were scored, North Georgetown and St Stephen’s accounted for 10, as they chalked up identical 5-0 victories over Winfer Garden and St Ambrose respectively in the second annual Petra/ Smalta/Ministry of Public Health Girls Under-11 football competition.

The organisers were blessed with brilliant sunshine and cool breeze emanating from the Atlantic, as the two schools were among eight learning institutions to leave the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue with full points from their games.

The North Georgetown

lasses were led to victory by Shamiya Daniels, who showcased her penchant for goal-scoring, netting on three occasions. She opened her school’s account in the third minute, and added two other goals in the 10th and 15th minutes.

In between her strikes, Angel Denny and Thanifa Phyllis tucked in a goal each, in the seventh and ninth minutes respectively.

Leonanna Greaves was the star shooter for St Stephen’s. She netted a double in the ninth and 14th minutes, while Kizieya Phillips (1st), Shanaya Gordan (11th) and Paulette Hughes (22nd) scored once.

While Stella Maris

gained a walkover from Sophia Primary, the other five games all produced 1-0 scorelines. In the day’s opening matchup, West Ruimveldt needled St Angela’s with Nikita Kingston’s first minute strike being the lone goal of the contest.

Shania Elexy (17th) was the standout as Tucville defeated F.E. Pollard; Shanique Ferguson (17th) scored for St Pius against St Margaret’s; Dewanie Crandon (9th) netted for Enterprise versus Smith’s Memorial; and Angel Davis (20th) scored the all-important goal for South Ruimveldt against St Agnes.

Another eight games are

carded for the same venue today, the first of which will kick off at 10:00h. Tucville will square off with St Angela’s in the opening game, followed by Stella Maris against South Ruimveldt 45 minutes later. F.E. Pollard and West Ruimveldt will collide at 11:30, followed by Sophia against St Agnes at 12:15h; St Margaret’s against Winfer Garden at 13:00h; St Stephen’s versus Smith’s Memorial at 13:45h; St Ambrose against Enterprise at 14:30h; and St Pius versus North Georgetown at 15:15h. The 16-team, round-robin, knockout tournament has medals and trophies up for grabs.

Indian government casts shadow over Pakistan series

The Indian government’s delay in granting permission has put a cloud over the resumption of the Pakistan-India bilateral series.

ESPNcricinfo has learnt that a senior minister in the Indian government believes the chance of the series taking place is “very difficult”, and that a final decision will be taken by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Neither Thakur nor the BCCI president Shashank Manohar was available for a comment. However, a senior board official said he personally felt the series would not happen: “It looks unlikely considering the government has not said anything.”

Both the BCCI and the PCB had met recently in Dubai and agreed to play a series in Sri Lanka subject to clearances from their national governments. On Friday, the PCB revealed that the Pakistan government had given the nod for the series, allowing Pakistan to play India in Sri Lanka. However, the Indian

government has remained quiet since BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur submitted a written request to the Indian foreign ministry on Tuesday.

“Sports should not be dragged into political and diplomatic controversies,” Rajiv Shukla, the chairman of the IPL governing council, told PTI. “We cannot decide on the series with Pakistan without the consent of the

government. That is why we have written to the government and are awaiting its response. The moment we get the response, we will let everyone know.”

The PCB, on its part, has been fretting over the sudden silence from the BCCI over the last few days. If indeed the series does not take place, it would be a major setback for cricketing ties between the two countries.

After expressing its reluctance in public frequently, the BCCI checked with the PCB earlier this month whether Pakistan were open to traveling to India to play a series between December and the first week of January.

The PCB rejected that offer on two counts, saying it was Pakistan’s turn to host India in the UAE according to the MoU signed by both boards in 2014. The PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan also expressed surprise at the offer to play in India when there had been open protests against Pakistanis in India by the Shiv Sena, a regional political party. Despite the setback, Manohar and Shaharyar finally met in Dubai on November 21, where it was decided Pakistan would host India in Sri Lanka. Although neither of the two boards had revealed how many matches would be played, it was understood there would be three ODIs and two T20Is tentatively starting December 15. (Cricinfo)

Murrays win to put GB on verge of Davis Cup victory

Great Britain are one win from a first Davis Cup title in 79 years following Andy and Jamie Murray’s doubles victory against Belgium.

beat Steve Darcis and David Goffin 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-2 to put the visitors 2-1 up in Ghent. Britain require one win from today’s reverse singles matches to secure their first Davis Cup victory since

1936. Andy Murray will play Goffin, with Kyle Edmund scheduled to face Ruben Bemelmans in the final match.

Captains can change

their nominations up until one hour before the 12:00 GMT start today, and Britain’s Leon Smith could bring in James Ward for Edmund if it comes down to a fifth rubber. (BBC Sport)

DMW International Indoor Hockey Festival...

Pepsi Hikers annihilate Carib HC 11-0

The Pepsi Hikers signalled a strong warning to all challengers with a massive 11-0 victory over Carib Hockey Club of Trinidad as the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival continued on Friday evening at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

Bounty GCC Men also created a stir by upstaging the popular Canadian side, The 6ix, in a high-energy duel that ended 5-3 in favour of the locals. GCC also continued on their path of steamrolling their way through the Veterans division with another win, this time at the expense of Carib HC, while YMCA of Barbados remains their closest rival in the pool table.

In the final game of the evening, spectators were hopeful for an exciting match-up between the Pepsi Hikers and Carib HC, but from as early as the second minute, it was obvious that Carib’s eyes would be on the clock, counting down the time to stop the onslaught.

After Jamarj Assanah opened the Hikers account two minutes into the match, Carib would never get off their defensive position as

the Hikers raided their goal 10 more times before the final buzzer, with national MVP Shane Samuels scoring a hat-trick, Assanah and Robert France doubles, while Jerry Bell, Reginald Harper, Colonel Heywood and Randy Hope scored one each.

The Bounty GCC versus The 6ix Men’s first division match extracted the most noise from an excited crowd as the highly touted, The 6ix, featured several internationally known players from Pan American champions Canada.

With an impressive display of speed and skill, Bounty GCC however, would remind the spectators that the competition was still wide open as the competitive match seemed able to produce a winner from either side.

Orland Semple and Kevin Spencer were once again the marksmen for GCC, with Semple scoring the opener in the 12th minute of play. Canadian international Jonathan Roberts equalised two minutes later after a find display of passing by The 6ix, and a Gagan Dhanju penalty corner put the Canadians up by one after a further pair of minutes.

GCC’s Spencer would re-

spond however, with a pair of goals just before the half to give his team a 3-2 lead at ‘lemon time.’

Spencer and Semple each scored second-half goals before The 6ix could get on the board again in the 30th minute through Jugraj Kalkat. While The 6ix refused to fade and seemed to threaten the GCC lead, Spencer would be on the end of a swift counterattack to seal the game with its final goal to give GCC the 5-3 win.

Newcomers Phoenix managed to produce the upset of the tournament thus far by defeating the highly regarded Old Fort 4-2, while the Under-21s showed their class by rebounding from their loss to the Hikers a day earlier with a 4-1 victory over Carib HC.

GCC continued their unbeaten streak in the Veterans division with a 2-1 victory over the Carib Vets, while Malvern Vets of Trinidad held the unbeaten YMCA of Barbados to a 1-1 draw. The Hickers secured the easiest three points of the evening by walkover as Old Old Fort failed to show up on time for their scheduled match.

The category finals are billed for this evening, starting at 17:00h.

Pizza Hut sponsors GCC Ladies

With Pizza Hut re-entering the Guyanese market under new ownership and management by The Corum Group, the company has found it imperative to form partnerships with key leaders across different sectors in Guyana.

Pizza Hut over the next three years will be heavily involved in sponsoring both academia and sporting activities. This was disclosed at the weekend after the company’s made its first tangible expression to one of the country’s leading hockey teams.

“We feel that having balance is the true key to a successful life. The GCC Women’s hockey team is one of the most decorated teams within the sports sector in Guyana and we are proud to be their main sponsors,” the company said in a statement.

Recently, the GCC Ladies have expanded their achievements by participating in the Trinidad and Tobago National Outdoor and Indoor Hockey League. This was the first time this has ever attempted by any regional team and the GCC Ladies placed a

Alpha United vs Slingerz FC tonight

– as Genesis phase of Stag Elite League culminates

History will be created this evening when Georgetown’s Alpha United and West Demerara’s Slingerz FC clash in the first-ever final of the Stag Elite League at the Leonora Stadium, West Coast Demerara.

After months of tedious battle, the inaugural Stag Elite League has been reduced to two teams, who remain in contention for the coveted title of champions.

After the eight teams completed their quota of 14 matches each in the preliminary stages, Alpha United, Slingerz FC, Pele FC and Fruta Conquerors emerged as the top four teams on the points table,

thereby advancing to the semi-finals.

At the semi-finals last Wednesday, Alpha United booked their place in the final with a 3-1 success over Pele FC, while Slingerz FC joined them with a 2-0 victory against Fruta Conquerors.

Tonight’s highly anticipated final at the country’s newest sport facility, is slated to get cracking at 21:30h, while the third place playoff will get underway at 19:00h.

With nine wins, the most by any team in the competition, Slingerz FC topped the League phase with 28 points, followed by Pele with 27 points from

GTA/Trophy Stall Doubles…

their eight wins, Alpha United third on 26 points from seven victories and Fruta Conquerors fourth on 20 points from five wins. The champion team tonight will pocket $4 million, compliments of the government of Guyana, while second place will collect $2 million. The winner of the third place playoff is guaranteed $1 million, while the loser will receive half that amount. It must be noted that this is the Genesis phase of the Elite League- the Finale is set to commence in 2016. Admission to the venue is $1,500 for regular seating, while VIP tickets cost $5,000.

Ramdyhan/Dey crowned Ladies Doubles champions

Rrespectable fourth in the Outdoor League and made the semi-finals of the Indoor League. The team’s strong junior development programme has provided the sustainability and consistency to ensure the team’s continued success well into the future.

The GCC Ladies have been dominant also in regional competition by defeating teams from Canada and Trinidad in the annual Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival, hoisting the trophy no less than five times its eleven years of existence.

eigning Junior and Ladies champion Nicola Ramdyhan and team-mate Aretta Dey capitalised on a golden opportunity to defeat Shelly Daly-Ramhyhan and Fiona Bushell to claim the Ladies Doubles championship at the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA)/Trophy Stall Double Tennis competition.

The Ramdyhan/Dey pair won in two sets: 6-4, 6-4.

In the first set, DalyRamdyhan’s signature service game was broken twice, but there was a sterling performance from her partner Bushell that kept the pair breaking back to stay alive in the set.

Bushell, who was just recently elevated from the Novice category, was able to maintain reasonably con-

sistent volleys and keep up the momentum with DalyRamdyhan as they defended their side of the court and capitalised on opportunities to make winners at the net.

But it was the young Ramdyhan, who frequently attacked her mother at the net to eventually earn a 6-4 win in the first set. In the second set, the Daly/Bushell combination was once again maintaining a high level of net play.

They raced to a 3-0, 4015 lead before the young pair turned up the heat with heavy ground strokes directed at Bushell, resulting in them winning five games straight to take the score to 5-3.

Daly/Bushell then held serve to stay alive at 4-5. Ramdyhan then spared no

moment in closing out the set as she held serve at 6-4. As the tournament winds down in its third weekend, Harry Panday offered the use of his tennis club to the GTA for the remaining matches to be played during the evenings.

The Men’s Doubles semifinals were held last evening, while from 17:30h today, the winner of the Aretta Dey/Daniel Lopes versus Keenan Persaud/ Sarah Klautky match will play Nichola Ramdyhan/ Nicholas Glasgow in the Mixed Doubles final. The winner of the Nicholas Fenty/ Leyland Leacock versus Jason Andrews/Daniel Lopes game will then face Anthony Downes/Harry Panday in the Men’s Double final.