Guyana Times Final

After bullet, tainted ballot

monday, july 28, 2014| guyanatimesgy.com

Gunfire erupts at chaotic PNCR Congress

Several participants attending the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Congress on Sunday scampered for cover after a guard discharged a round in the air following an outburst by Linden par-

ticipants.

The shooting incident occurred on the final day of the party’s Congress held at Congress Place, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

According to information reaching Guyana Times, the

shooting happened at the commencement of the voting process when some angry Lindeners thought that they were disenfranchised due to alleged corruption involving the polls.

Based on reports, the

voting process was being done in a chronological order with respect to regional delegates, but participants felt that it was a ploy to prevent them from voting.

The delegates in airing their concerns with respect

to Voters’ Identification were shouted on, but this did not go down calmly with them. The Linden supporters turned up only to find their names not on the official Voters’ List.

In responding to the outcries, the guard whipped out his firearm, firing a single shot into the air.

Former General Secretary Aubrey Norton moments after pulled out of the leadership race, but not before condemning the shooting incident, saying that there were other ways in addressing the issue.

Norton said he cannot recall during his tenure with

the party that a gun had to be used to restore law and order.

“A gun should not have been used… not at all,” he added. One member told Guyana Times that she heard a “popping” sound and thought that it was a balloon, but after she saw people running away from the scene, she realised it was a gunshot that went off. The woman admitted that prior to the sound, she saw a group of angry delegates arguing, claiming their names were not on the list. She said after a while, everything went back to normal and the voting continued.

Heavy winds rip off roofs of Linden homes

Mid-afternoon rain accompanied by lightning and heavy winds on Sunday ripped off the roofs of several homes in Linden.

The mini-storm which started about 15:45h, has left many Lindeners counting their losses, which they say amount to thousands of dollars.

The hard hit areas include Amelia's Ward, Silvertown and several other areas across Wismar and Mackenzie.

According to reports by residents, several trees were cut down in Amelia's Ward after being hit by the lightning storm. The storm also resulted in power outage in a number of areas in the mining town.

In the aftermath, uprooted trees could be seen flung across roads in several ar-

eas and residents trying to fix the roofs of their homes.

Several houses were left without zinc sheets, while some residents combed the streets in search of missing sheets. Most of the zinc sheets from the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) on Greenheart Street were blown unto the streets and remained along the roadway.

"I think Linden had its first tornado today, many people's roofs got blown off their houses," one resident remarked.

One driver stated that his windshield wipers were blown off by the impact of the heavy winds while he was driving. While electricity supply was restored to several areas on the Mackenzie shore in the evening, the Wismar shore remained without power.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

After bullet, tainted ballot

... Granger continues as PNCR head

By Jomo Paul

etired Brigadier David Granger, ironically billed as a “disciplined leader untouched by the political muck and stain of the PNC” by some supporters, was returned to its helm on Sunday at an election mired in allegations of extensive fraud, intimidation and bullyism.

His main challenger Aubrey Norton had pulled out the race in disgust and amid a gunshot fired during the voting and widespread claims of “disenfranchisement”.

The unsavoury events on Sunday afternoon further condemned the People’s National Congress Reformthe party of the late Forbes Burnham, as being unable to move away from its past characterised by vote rigging and thuggery. It raises serious doubts about the PNCR’s internal workings, which will certainly undermine its role as the “leading light” in the fledgling Opposition coalition – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

The Congress Place fiasco also makes a mockery of Granger’s own “democratic” sententiousness following the 2011 elections when he led his troops on the streets protesting what he alleged were irregularities by the Guyana Elections Commission.

Irregularities

At 13:45h Norton, who was the last candidate left standing after Sharma Solomon, dropped out in protest at the irregularities he and others, primarily from the Region 10 delegates, had identified. It was reported that he is reconsidering his membership in the PNC which he had served since 1972.

From all appearances Norton drew his largest block of support from Region 10 and also had large followings from central Georgetown and along the East Coast of Demerara. Granger, apart from securing the support of most of his Members of Parliament selected by him back in 2011, also pulled strong support from the hinterland communities, the East Coast and Georgetown. It is unclear what would have been the outcome of the elections had everything been untainted.

Although not saying which candidate he supported, Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge who himself had narrowly lost out from defeating Granger back in 2011 as leader of the PNC, called for the sacking of General

Secretary Oscar Clarke. Greenidge believes that Clarke did a poor job in accrediting delegates and did not respond in a timely manner to concerns raised by members. Norton had been a key backer of Greenidge in his challenge to Granger, apart from securing Region 10 for the PNC in 2011.

Shortly after the election by default, a release from Granger’s office declared that he was returned “unopposed” as Leader of the Peoples National Congress Reform “after longtime party member Mr. Aubrey Norton indicated that he was no longer contesting for the leadership.” The release continued that “voting was delayed for several hours due to complaints of an inflated delegates list and every effort was made to reconcile the situation, thus delaying the process.” The release failed to mention anything about the single gunshot which was heard in Congress Place dur-

that the writing was on the wall that the vote would have been controversial after delegates from Linden expressed concerns about the delayed issuance of party cards as well the disenfranchisement of several persons – including reportedly Chairman of Region 10 and challenger to Granger – owing to “trumped up” reasons.

“Look this thing was fixed from the word go…nobody does beat the leader at PNC elections, you don’t know that. Everybody would a glad for a change, but nobody does beat the leader,” the party member said as he exited Congress Place. Norton, himself last Friday at the opening of the Congress, had told reporters that there was a “high level of indecency within the party, which must be rooted out.”

Norton then complained bitterly that the Opposition Leader’s driver was verbally abusive to a long-standing party member. “Mr Granger’s driv-

fight the indecency in here.”

According to him, Opposition Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge’s supporters had in the past suffered from similar levels of abuse. But he said rather significantly, “I am not Greenidge, I will not tolerate it.”

Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon, a key backer of Norton had also raised a number of issues in a letter addressed to Granger last Friday also alleging that the party’s Constitution had been violated. Through letters and direct conversations, the Region 10 Chairman had reportedly lodged his complain at the General Secretary’s Office. “Region 10 delegates are still to be duly accredited and members still await their membership cards,” he said in a press statement issued hours before the opening ceremony.

According to Solomon, on July 14, he received a letter advising him that only persons with both 2012/2013 and

ing the time of voting and the chaos that erupted as delegates scampered for cover. Meanwhile, Norton’s dropping out has now become a trend whenever anyone decides to challenge the incumbent leader in recent times, dating back to 2002. Then both Raphael Trotman and Vincent Alexander had announced their intentions to challenge Desmond Hoyte for the leadership, but on the day of the Congress both men pulled out. They received standing ovations for doing so because the membership felt they were doing so “for the good of the party”.

Alexander again dropped out a few years ago, along with Van West Charles, after challenging Robert Corbin. But this time, as in the present with Norton, the challengers threw in the towel after charging “widespread corruption” in the internal party electoral process. One party member told Guyana Times on Sunday

er called young Wayne Mason a dog… he said ‘you dog, get out of here’,” the main contender alleged, noting that a formal report was made to the party’s General Secretary. “If we are going to have a proper Congress, then there must be a certain amount of decency and respect for what is happening.”

He added: “I will have to take a position on what is happening in this party. I have been a member of this party since 1972, and I have never seen this kind of behaviour before.” According to Norton, if the matter is not dealt with in a fair and transparent manner, he will have cause to revise his relationship with the party. “I does stand up and fight the PPP and I will

2013/2014 membership would be eligible delegates at the Congress, but according to him, this contradicts Rule 15 (2) (A) which states that each group shall be entitled to send to Congress, one delegate for every 10 financial members. “Region 10 has 11 groups and 950 members. Guided by Rule 15 (2), the region should be allotted no less than 96 delegates,” Solomon said in defence of his case of party irregularities.

General Secretary Oscar Clarke had told Guyana Times that issues relating to accreditation would have been dealt with “in a fair and transparent manner”. From what played out at the denouement, clearly this was not done.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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Editorial

Our human development

Karl Marx might have lost the battle, but he has won the war. In the 19th Century, he postulated the primacy of the economic in human affairs. His critics might have rolled back the tide of the “ruling proletariat” that Marx predicted, but his ideas certainly dominated the thoughts of those in charge of every country in the world.

Up to almost the turn of the last century, when one wanted to question how well a country was doing, the answer was always phrased in “economic” terms – for instance the Gross National Product (GNP) or some such metric.

But there were always others who believed that there was more to life than purely the economic. One of them was an economist from Pakistan, Mahbub ul Haq, and another from India, Amartya Sen. Working at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with other leading development thinkers, they produced the first Human Development Report in 1990. Its basic premise in the opening sentence has guided all subsequent Reports: “People are the real wealth of a nation.”

In the words of al Haq, “The objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives.” Our policymakers would do well to remember this. Last week, the latest UNDP Report was presented and as usual, various spins were put to it to suit their political agendas. But if the focus of the report is “people”, then it is critical that the views of the people be taken into account when their “well-being” is considered.

Looking at the Human Development Index (HDI), we can at least agree that it is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living.

Patrick Chesney, local Programme Specialist of the UNDP, at the launching of the Report, advised that policymakers must ask some basic questions. “Is the economic growth improving the lives of people in areas that really matter, from health to education and income, to basic human security and personal freedoms?”

We would like to believe that if Guyanese are honest, they would, in general, answer “yes” to the question, confirming the figures that were thrown out. Take, for instance, life expectancy, which is correlated with better living conditions.

Between 1980 and 2013, Guyana’s life expectancy at birth increased by 5.7 per cent years – but we all know that. Schooling also improves lifestyle choices and here, while we may not know about the mean 2.7 per cent increase in school years, we know more persons are going to school.

Income – the money we earn – is needed to purchase the necessities in life. While money might not make the world go around, few would doubt that it does grease the wheels of life. Using the concept of “purchasing power parity” (PPP) – what a given amount of US dollars can purchase within a particular country – allows a more realistic appraisal of what goods would be available to particular citizens.

On a PPP per capita basis, Guyanese check in at US$6341 versus, say a comparable country like Belize at US$9364 or Suriname at US$15,113. Any Guyanese who have visited these countries would confirm that from a consumer standpoint, the citizens have more goods accessible. This is the reality of being Guyanese. But policymakers have to look beneath descriptions to look for causative factors so that they can suggest implementation strategies designed to improve matters.

From that standpoint, Minister Singh’s point that our GNI decline from US$2315 to US$1312 between 1980 and 1990, showed we were starting from a lower base than the other Caribbean countries. The consistent increase between 1995 and 2013 from US$1312 to US$6341 should suggest that if all Guyanese put their shoulders to the wheel, we can raise our HDI to a level with the best of them.

Religious leaders must break their silence

Dear Editor,

On July 24, the Baltimore Sun carried a commentary, which stated, “Gender violence causes more death and disability among women ages 15 to 44 in the US than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents or war. Currently, our military and universities are actively seeking solutions to prevent and respond to this violence within their respective institutions.”

The reference was to the United States, but the appeal is international and certainly is relevant to Guyana. In fact, in Guyana, neither the military nor the university are actually actively seeking solutions and thus this appeal must resonate with them as well.

For us in the Caribbean Voice this appeal is critical, because suicide is related to gender in a huge way. Oftentimes, females are murdered by their partners, who then commit suicide. Also, females are routinely abused by their partners, and this often leads to an escalation of violence as well as suicide.

The authors of the Baltimore Sun commentary referenced a recently released report based on a LifeWay Research survey of 1000 US Protestant pastors. The authors state, “According to the report, US faith leaders seriously underestimate the prevalence of sexual and domestic violence experienced by people within their congregations. They also lack the tools to address it in constructive and helpful ways. The good news is more than eight in 10 said they would take appropriate action to reduce sexual and domestic violence if they had the training and resources to do so.”

As in the US, there is no doubt that faith leaders in Guyana also “seriously underestimate the prevalence of sexual and domestic violence experienced by people within their congregations” and “lack the tools to address it in constructive and helpful ways”. We do certainly hope that the vast majority, if not all, however, “would take appropri-

ate action to reduce sexual and domestic violence if they and the training and resources to do so”.

So what can faith leaders do to reduce sexual and domestic violence?

Here’s what Baltimore Sun says:

First, they need to get a firmer grip on reality. Faith leaders need to fully understand that domestic and sexual violence occurs in all communities worldwide, including their own congregations. Ignoring this sin does not make it go away; it gives silent consent.

Second, faith leaders need to build relationships with the resources in their local communities that protect and support victims and survivors. A faith leader’s vocation is to nurture faith and support a victim’s spiritual well-being, but his or her physical or emotional well-being should be guided by professionals trained in domestic and sexual violence.

Third, faith leaders need to seek out domestic and sexual violence training. Training is indeed critical because a little knowledge in this area can be more dangerous than no knowledge at all. In fact, research has indicated that abused women who seek help from untrained clergy typically find themselves in a worse situation than before.

The top priority in sexual and domestic violence should be to ensure the immediate safety of victims or potential victims. Though this is common knowledge among those in the health community, it may be counter-cultural for US (and Guyana) clergy – especially those who hold firmly to values that view family matters as private, place a high priority on family “stability,” strictly prohibit divorce, practise “male headship” and submission of women, or who see untrained counselling as part of their pastoral duty.

In keeping with these commonly held values, a large majority (62 percent) of pastors in our survey say they have responded to sexual or domestic violence by providing couples or mar-

riage counselling – which the health community widely acknowledges as a potentially dangerous or even lethal response for a victim (as it, no doubt, also is in Guyana).

Finally, with a firm base of knowledge beneath them, faith leaders must speak out on sexual and domestic violence. Nearly two-thirds of pastors surveyed preach or speak once a year or less about the issue. Ten per cent never mention it at all.

Sexual and domestic violence inflicts deep emotional, physical, and spiritual harm on those who endure it. Because God calls us to love one another, to live in peace and to stand up for the oppressed, it is a moral imperative that pastors and other faith leaders speak out against sexual and domestic violence and that they are equipped with the proper tools, allies and devotion to address the issue.

In order to lead in this area, the faith community also needs to have a theological conversation. For only when people begin to believe that all people are created in God’s image will they begin to understand how acts of violence harm the dignity of other human beings.

Martin Luther King Jr once said of another social injustice, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.” Let’s break the silence.

Sincerely, Norkah Carter

Devv-Ramdas Daniel Judy Deveaux

Annan Boodram Bibi Ahamad

Collis Nicholson

Anna Addie Odyssey

Donna Jennifer Ross

Sharma Daneshwar

Pandit

Pandit Amintnarine Rabindradat

Shoba Jagnanan

TUC did not give Indians a solidarity monument

Dear Editor,

Let’s analyse Lincoln Lewis’s thesis that “TUC has a proud record of fighting for and achieving racial equality, a record that is open for public scrutiny”. When Mr Lewis cites Guyanese history, most notable is his uncanny proclivity to assume joint ownership with the PNC of what’s their good minus the bad and the ugly.

Responding to the charge that the TUC practices racial discrimination against Indians, Mr Lewis correctly cites Richard Ishmael of the Manpower Citizens Association (MCPA) as “Indian” enough to be elected as the TUC President in the early 1960s. The MPCA was under fire by

the PPP-backed GAWU which sought to supplant Mr Ishmael’s MPCA in the sugar industry. With external forces anxious to be rid of the 1960s PPP Government, Mr Ishmael was elected as TUC President to spearhead the CIA-funded 80 days national strike with active PNC and UF support. Crippling the country, it partially lead to the PPP’s removal from Government in the 1964 elections.

Of interest is the very remorseful Christmas card reportedly sent from Texas, USA to Freedom House in December 1992 after the PPP/C was reelected in October two months earlier. Mr Ishmael apparently confessed his sins and six

months later, his conscience clear, he passed away and went to heaven. Since Mr Ishmael’s Presidency, the TUC has found no Indian qualified to be its leader even one anxious to get to heaven!

The TUC absolutely had no input whatsoever in regard to GAWU’s attaining recognition contrary to Mr Lewis’s hallucination. Volunteering this caveat to strengthen his case about non-discrimination has backfired on him. It is an untruth most shamefully unbecoming.

In return for the PPP’s “critical support” to the PNC for nationalising the bauxite industry, the PNC conceded recognition of the GAWU in 1976. Mr Lewis

AFC continues to attack Finance Minister

Dear Editor,

The Alliance For Change (AFC) continues its personal attack on Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh with its recent unsubstantiated complaint to the acting Police Commissioner of illegal spending by the Minister and other senior Government officials of some $4.5 billion claimed not to have been approved by the National Assembly. This is yet another nefarious approach by the AFC to gain cheap political points by misleading and misinforming the Guyanese populace.

Embarrassing to note, the AFC has in its armoury a bench of lawyers; however, one will question the competency and integrity of these individuals for misrepresenting the Constitution in a bid to justify their lust for power and signalling their intent by way of a “noconfidence motion” on the Government.

After a barrage of personal attacks on Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee by the Opposition, in particu-

lar the AFC, they have now launched a vicious campaign against the Finance Minister. Fresh in our minds too should be the Linden and Agricola protests orchestrated by the same party and only a few days ago, their leaders using innocent rice farmers to execute their snide political agenda on the Essequibo Coast.

The AFC must come clean with Guyanese and let them know there is no real substance behind the allegations levelled at the Minister and other officials, instead only cheap politicking. Guyanese are not fools! Our Constitution is no secret as it states clearly in Article 218 3(b) that the Minister is acting within his rights in the execution of his duty to the Guyanese people.

Further, the AFC must not only mention the amount ($4.5 billion) but also where it was spent and on whom. The answer is clear and straightforward, every cent was spent on developmental projects so that our people can continue to live prosper-

ous and progressive lives. It was used to make the ordinary men’s and women’s lives better; the very men and women our friends in the AFC will seek support from come elections.

One must wonder too, why there were no formal complaints in 2012 and 2013, but in 2014 that coincides with their intent of a “no-confidence motion”. Are we to believe that these are the people who want to govern this country when their policy is to deceive the electorate?

The Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) refutes the claims of the Opposition that the Finance Minister’s actions are un-constitutional. On the other hand, WPO would like to commend the Minister for releasing the budgetary allocation for developmental projects aiming to improve the living conditions of our people, especially the women of this country.

Respectfully submitted, WPO, Freedom House

volunteered that Mr Boysie Ramkarran was the GAWU candidate for the TUC presidency in 1982. The truth of the matter is he was never elected TUC President at that election or anytime afterwards.

History completely negates Mr Lewis’s self-promoting boast that the TUC gave Indians a solidarity monument like that is the most important aspect of their existence. Every year, monument or not, GAWU paid annual tribute to those bulleted Enmore workers. When will the PPP/C Government make reparations to those families? The Enmore Martyrs monument was the actual brainchild of Mr Ranji Chandisingh, the highest -ranking PPP Marxist ideological defector to the PNC and not a TUC initiative.

With the PNC anxious to appear communist by cloaking adornment, they humoured him until he was no longer useful. These developments with Demba’s nationalisation, PPP “critical support”, and GAWU’s recognition rapidly followed one after the other. How can such degenerate dishonesty engender trust for inclusionary government or whatever?

If Mr Lewis insists GAWU is not Guyana’s largest trade union, he is obligated to boost his case since the TUC also archives the membership evidence totals and their sources. Providing the figures to compare any five other descending Guyanese unions should be no big challenge.

He will also regain credibility with Guyanese, upon providing full receipt

of all the dates of formation of those Jamaican unions, their membership totals, and verifiable sources to ratify his claims that they outrank the GAWU in active dues paying membership in the Caribbean. In any case, and despite Mr Lewis’s request, why FITUG broke away from the TUC with the GAWU as a founding member is best left for them to explain.

For Mr Lewis to, however, require Indo-Guyanese alone, specifically by race, no questions asked, to bear kickback forever burdens when all were equally similarly visited with TUC “blessings” is beyond belief.

Were those “blessings” TUC riding saddles, kind gifts one brother gives to another or first prize won in some contest from hell?

Could it be due to some secret magnanimity by which the PNC and company really really gave it to Indians by an overabundance which they can never forget?

It’s doubtful that Lewis has suddenly become dull, due to all work and no play with final remedy found only by relief through the usual entitlements. Why it prerequires the cultural miscegenating political cannibalism of Indians as the automatic antidote by engulfing dependency is most worrisome as it is frightening.

Not only is it a humiliating insult to black ingenuity and the building of proud self-sufficiency at best, but it denies black is independently beautiful, rather, most dependent on external alloy for validation. Black magnificence by federalism is certainly best

pursued in mutual harmony rather than by constant conflict if cool heads prevail.

In their own province, black magnificence would not require any compliance or else impose such standards for anyone’s approval or validation to be most proud and free of all inhibitions.

While Guyanese have already banished the colonials and the Portuguese with America on rotating emergency standby to safeguard their self-interest, can our internal squabbling transition into diffusion mode by only Guyanese initiative courtesy of TUCFITUG or by a third body? It should become clearer whether executive government, shared governance, or power sharing are just meantime remedies. When overwhelming remorseful reparations from former slave masters, traders, and suppliers completes emancipation, many bells would be set ringing. No doubt the arrival of the first tranche best exemplified in continental Africa’s many governments first paying up their fair share for genocidal complicity in the supply of slaves would be historic. Best equipped, not to justify or procure African bounty for Africans , but instead expedite the handover bounty will be no other than Buxton’s black sage who has personally amassed enough black miseries himself to which all black people were subjected.

Sincerely,

Sultan Mohamed

Page Foundation

Parenting For Success

our vision is a Guyanese society where every child enjoys the right to a childhood in a safe and caring family, free from poverty, violence and exploitation

Successful intervention

Case study – Names and places have been changed to protect the persons’ privacy.

Mary was just 13 years old when she fell pregnant, after being sexually abused by her father for many years. As soon as her father became aware of the pregnancy, he made sure she aborted the pregnancy. However, Mary’s class teacher noticed something was wrong with her and she enquired of her what was happening. The case of abuse was reported to the relevant authorities and an investigation was launched; subsequently, Mary was removed from her father’s care and placed with another adult. Mary’s mother then passed away and this was a very devastating time. However, she was able to use her sadness and write a beautiful eulogy to read at her mother’s funeral. Mary’s father made an appearance at the funeral and his presence discouraged Mary from reading the eulogy. As a result of her traumatic childhood and not being able to say goodbye to her mother,

Mary started displaying suicidal tendencies.

The counsellor worked with Mary to overcome and deal with the difficul-

her feelings about what she had experienced and her memories of her mother, since writing was something that she enjoyed do-

al ground to read it to her mother. She also developed a memory book of ‘Mother’s memories’. While living with her new family, Mary

ties that she had faced in her life. In exploring positive coping mechanisms, the counsellor and Mary decided that journaling was the better method for Mary to keep expressing

ing. She got the chance to speak about her mother and all the things that she was not able to say to her. She wrote a goodbye letter to her mother and was accompanied to the buri-

was given many chores and responsibilities around the house. Sometimes, these chores were too much and whenever they were not completed, Mary was beaten and verbally abused. In

time, Mary began to rebel against her new family and she informed her counsellor of the unfair treatment that she has been receiving. She was removed from their care and placed in an institution because no other family wanted to take her into their care. Due to the instability of her life and the trauma she had experi-

were conducted by the counsellor to work with Mary. Together, they worked on self-esteem building and self-care in order for Mary to start improving her life. Mary was able to successfully complete her Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams and was placed on work study.

enced as a young girl, Mary began wetting her bed.

Positive turn

Mary’s life began to take a positive turn at age 15, when she was placed in a new family. She attended school regularly and the bed wetting ceased, once she was in a stable home environment.

Home and school visits

Following this, she applied to the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), but was not accepted due to her low grade in Agricultural Science and the fact that she did not have the funds to enrol in the school discouraged her from pursuing that dream. Due to the fact that Mary was fast approaching the age of 18, she wanted to get a job and start saving money for an apartment, because she could not live in her current environment past that age. Contact was made with Mary’s older sister, who was unwilling to provide Mary with a place to stay, because she was involved in an abusive relationship and did not want her younger sister to be around the abuse.

Mary gained employment and rented an apartment with another young girl and together they worked and paid the bills. Currently, Mary is working hard, attends church and has begun a journey towards a happier life. She is still in contact with the counsellor and has the opportunity to receive support. Mary is a young independent woman who has worked incredibly hard in order to improve herself and her life despite the fact that her childhood was so difficult.

Please contact us on telephone number 231-7174 or at programmes.childlink@networksgy.com for any support you may need on parenting and any other challenges that you may be experiencing with your children.

Pre-qualification exercise: not sole sourcing

NEW GPC must compete with top int’l agencies ...to supply medical drugs to Guyana

Despite being cleared as the sole pre-qualified company to supply medical drugs to the Guyana Government, NEW GPC INC would still have to compete with a number of top international agencies that gained automatic qualification.

These agencies include the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

There has been some confusion regarding sole-sourcing of drugs with some reporters equating the NEW GPC’s pre-qualification clearance as being sole sourcing. Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, President Donald Ramotar was again asked about the issue of sole sourcing in the context that a sole supplier can sell at exorbitant prices because of the supposed monopoly.

Higher standard

The President, in his response, agreed that overpricing could be an issue with a sole supplier, saying “... may-

qualified and against which NEW GPC will have to bid.

The term “no-bid contract” or sole-sourcing is a popular phrase for what is officially known as a “sole source contract” which means that there is only one person or company that can provide the contractual services needed, so any attempt to obtain bids would only result in that person or company bidding on it. United States laws permit the Government to award sole source contracts under specified circumstances.

Legal reasons for sole source contracts in the USA include: only one firm has a product that will meet the project needs or only one firm can do the work; the exist-

disgruntled companies had complained that the criteria were “too high” and required substantial investments in infrastructure and human resources.

On Saturday, NEW GPC General Manager Ravie Ramcharitar told Guyana Times that the company invested billions of dollars to create the proper storage for pharmaceuticals.

“It is not appreciated how complex was the infrastructural network to man the pharmaceutical supply chain for Government. We hired hundreds of qualified Guyanese to create a worldclass manufacturing facility. We were the first in the Caribbean to produce antiretroviral drugs to fight HIV/ AIDS. The truth is we know we out-pointed all the others by the openly stated prequalification criteria because they were unwilling to make that investment,” he said.

Ramcharitar also pointed out that pre-qualified suppliers do not provide all pharmaceuticals needed to the Health Ministry and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Under the rules, there is direct bidding that results in some of the companies, such as International

be what we have to do is encourage broader participation and higher standards and hopefully some of those who did not reach the criteria will reach them”.

Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon had earlier explained that the pre-qualification exercise is not “sole sourcing”, which is when only one supplier has items. After pre-qualification, NEW GPC will still have to compete with the international pre-qualified suppliers. Dr Luncheon announced last Wednesday that NEW GPC was the only one of the seven companies that had applied for “pre-qualification” status to fulfil all the requirements. This, however, does not mean that NEW GPC will become the “sole supplier” as was assumed by a reporter at the press conference, but will join the list of international suppliers mentioned above that were automatically pre-

ence of an unusual and compelling urgency; for purposes of industrial mobilisation or expert services; an international agreement; sole source is authorised or required by law, eg, socio-economic programmes; national security; and the public interest.

Expert scrutiny

President Ramotar told the news conference held at States House on Saturday that the other six companies that had submitted bids to be considered as a pre-qualified supplier had failed to meet their criteria. The Head of States again clarified that the decision of awarding the contract was done strictly at the level of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and not at the level of Cabinet.

The NPTAB had selected a panel of experts who scrutinised the applications. From the onset, some of the

Riehl, Lilly to quit PNCR ... bemoan death of democracy under Granger

By Jomo Paul

Former Deputy Speaker

of the National Assembly and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) stalwart Clarissa Riehl has signalled her intention to resign from the party, contending that it has lost direction under incumbent David Granger.

According to Riehl, she was by default not a member of the party for the past two years, but recently renewed her membership with hopes of being able to bring change within the party, but regrets the decision. When asked if she intends to resign, the former Deputy Speaker responded: “I do, I intend to disassociate myself completely.”

Riehl, speaking to reporters outside of Congress Place, registered her disgust with the state of affairs of the PNCR. She said she has not set foot in Congress Place for the past two years because she did not “like the climate”.

“The incumbent always

wins whether by manipulation or otherwise and that seems to be the name of the game... there cannot be any fair contests with an aspiring person,” said Riehl.

Riehl also criticised Granger’s leadership methods, confirming that he was too “aloof”. She pointed out that any other PNCR Leader would have seen it fit to engage the distraught Lindeners and persons who were not allowed access to the Congress, but Granger did not.

“At the said time, Granger was standing with some of his senior men and his bodyguard drinking ice water... he should have been at the helm,” Riehl, a former Magistrate, now a practicing Attorney said. She said she went to vote for Aubrey Norton to lead the party because she feels it was a wise idea for the party leader and the presidential candidate to be two different persons.

List padding

However, the voting process was marred by allegations of “list padding” by a member of the Accreditation Committee, which gifted Granger the party leadership after Norton pulled out in protest of the rigging. The PNCR leaders have a unique distinction of rigging both the national election and their internal elections.

Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM) National Secretary Adel Lilly told Guyana Times that the Committee met for the first time on Saturday, but were not allowed enough

time to vet the Voters List that was presented to them. Lilly said “from all indications, the list was padded”, explaining that the lists from several regions had “too many” delegates. When asked what his next move was, Lilly said that he was quitting the party as he bemoaned the death of democracy under Granger. “I cannot support such an organisation that will go into elections that is calling for democracy to be acknowledged in the country and not even doing it in the party.” He said the GYSM has taken sides with Granger, and pointed out that Norton’s supporters were treated with much contempt and bitterness. “The GYSM is promoting propaganda... they are telling people that the PPP [People's Progressive Party] financing Aubrey Norton’s campaign.... I was attacked this morning and told to go to Freedom House because I support Aubrey Norton.”

Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), that failed to pre-qualify, winning hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts for pharmaceuticals and equipment.

Change criteria

Responding to queries about whether the criteria should be changed to allow for more than one company to supply the health sector with drugs, so as to allow for competitive pricing, the President noted that changing the criteria to allow for the entry of another firm that could not meet the prior criteria would allow for the danger of being supplied with poor-quality drugs.

“That is a serious issue when you are talking about the health of people in the country, because you know there is concern about some of the types of drugs we have been getting in the country and so forth,” the President said.

ECD girl crowned Miss Emancipation 2014

Franale Latoya Holder, 22, who hails from the East Coast of Demerara was on Saturday evening crowned Miss Emancipation Queen 2014 by the House of Sanae at a simple ceremony at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown.

This gem of a young woman can be described as one with an abundance of aspiration, inspiration and talent as she confidently makes her journey to her success.

The beautiful young lady, through her courage, vibrancy, intelligence and talent, aspires to become a professional musician and has already embarked on her career.

Being the eldest of seven children has taught her to be responsible, as she is always helpful to her parents.

The support she receives from them is her main driving force and pillar in her life.

As a child, she had the privilege of living in two countries, a privilege she took full advantage of. She attended schools in Suriname and Guyana.

The combined learning experience is what mattered to her as it gave her the added advantage of being fluent: scripted and verbal in English and Dutch as well as a Caribbean slavery language called “Stranang Tongo”. She loves the colour yellow and is inspired by her siblings.

Of recent, there has been a division as to who owns the franchise, but the Miss Emancipation Pageant was first hosted by House of Sanae in 2012.

Eyew tness

Why worry??

...follow the Leadah

Now that all the storm and fury have passed at the PNC Congress, we can appreciate the folk wisdom:

“When dawg larn fuh suck egg, he cyaan stap!” The PNC was born out of manoeuvrings, plottings and betrayals – and it’ll take more than even the sustained assault of an ex-General Secretary like Norton, to change the modus operandi of the party of Forbes Burnham.

Your Eyewitness is writing this early Sunday morning, still basking in the glow of his Guyana Amazon Warriors’ victory over the Barbados Tridents. That young Beaton showed character, didn’t he?? But when he thinks about the goings on that’ll unfold at Sophia later in the day, for sure he knows it’ll be no Lionel Richie’s “Easy like Sunday morning”! You’re talking about close-up, hand-to-hand combat – no holds barred.

After all the “fat talk” about democratic “one man, one vote” at the Congress – which would’ve given dibs to the PNC for some funding from the IRI – why aren’t we surprised they’ve stuck with “one delegate for every 10 members”? You don’t get it, Dear Readers?? With 750 delegates showing up, that’s a whole lotta dough to buy their votes. But with the 10:1 rule, it comes down to a more manageable number. It’s all about money, Baby!!

So we’ll come down to good old-fashioned carrot-andstick politics...and this Eyewitness is going on a limb to say it’ll be Granger when it’s all over. It’s a simple case of Arithmetic: he has more carrots and sticks as the incumbent leader. So let’s move on to the question as to what kind of PNC can we expect henceforth.

Well, for one, very elitist and leadership from top down. In addition to following in the tradition of the Burnhamite ruling style, this fella Granger was a GENERAL. He was head of a rag-tag army that specialised in shooting ballot box protesters, but a General nonetheless. When he barks, “Jump!!!” PNCites better ask, “How High, SIR!!!??” On the elitist style, there was a telling anecdote by gossip columnist Kissoon from the MuckrakerKN. Seems he hangs out with Aubrey Norton, but has never even been invited over for tea by Granger. Even though more than anyone else he’s tried to rehabilitate the image of Burnham and the PNC in the last few years!!

Granger wouldn’t be caught dead in the company of someone from Kissoon’s social class. And so we’ll have a PNC where the middle-class big ones will use the lowerclass followers as cannon fodder. Same ole, same ole.

...let sugar fail

Granger’s been accused of not having an “ideology”... even though his Donkey Cart economist Khemraj thinks he can discern one. But then from the distance of New York, what can he see?? Now there are pros and cons for having an ideology. It at least gives you a framework for analysing events as they unfold. But it can be a fetter when it is applied dogmatically – against all evidence in front of your eyes.

Take the case of and for sugar in Guyana. Very few know sugar – at least theoretically – like Clive Thomas –who could’ve been Prime Minister with Cheddi, if the WPA hadn’t been too greedy. In an interview with this paper, he offered a very good DESCRIPTION as to where the industry’s at right now. And the most sensible observation that things’ll get worse before they get better.

But when he came to PRESCRIPTION, going against all the evidence, he nixed even partial privatisation. Now this is ideology (Marxist in this case) as blinders!!

...be a slave

A fella took exception to the Muckraker’s resident house-slave Adam Harris, in their Dem Boys Seh column, referring to other Guyanese as “coolies”, “bucks” and “blacks”. He wanted to know why not “ni**er” for the last group. Especially when his boss calls him that!!!

Lindeners to “punish” PNCR for sham elections

... Norton hints at quitting, Greenidge dismayed

BY JOMO PAUL

Lindeners have vowed to punish the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) for allegedly involving in vote rigging at its Congress on Sunday, with some declaring that they will resign from the party while others say they will boycott its activities.

Party Executive Carl Greenidge also expressed grave concerns over the integrity of the party, saying that alleged internal election fraud could drive members away.

With the possibility of snap elections, the declarations by the Lindeners, several of whom were disenfranchised and watched their leaders walked out of Congress Place dissatisfied with the process, would be

Granger for the leadership, pulled out over concerns about fraud.

Followed by angry Linden delegates, he stormed out of the compound of Congress Place, Sophia moments after declaring he was no longer

where I go. I can promise everyone that I have no interest in the PPP. I was never PPP, I will never be PPP,” he said.

Regarding joining the Alliance For Change (AFC), he told reporters that he will

“Give them back the keys to their building, Vanessa Kissoon, give them back, we don’t want nothing to do with them, Linden is finished with the PNCR,” shouted one angry woman.

contesting, saying that the process was flawed.

“I cannot participate in a flawed process... I believe we need a process with integrity and at the end of it; you must feel strong and feel good that you partici-

be discussing this with his family.

“I have to get time and then when I sit down, I will sit down and discuss it and decide what I think is in best interest of Guyana and my own family, etc,” he said.

bad news for the PNCR, who according to political commentators have cloaked itself under the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) umbrella to evade examination of its sordid past in and out of Government.

Former General Secretary Aubrey Norton, who was challenging David

pated in a proper process... I am through, I am through,” he told reporters outside the gate of Congress Place.

Asked about his political future and whether he will join another party, Norton who resides in Plaisance, East Coast Demerara said:

“I have always been PNC but for the first time I have to sit down and think through

Greenidge for his part said: “Given what is going on at the national level, people need to find a party that will look after their interest. People do return to their party during elections. But it’s not going to be as vibrant as it should be,” he said. While saying he would not join another party, Greenidge said he will not participate in fu-

ture elections of the party under the current leadership.

As the third day of the 18th Biennial Congress got underway on Sunday, the process left much to be desired for observers and delegates alike who vented fury that they were not allowed entry into the compound, despite having the requisite documents.

At approximately 15:00h, the entire Linden contingent of the PNCR walked out of Congress Place, saying that they have been wronged by electoral process. Guyana Times understands that out of the nearly 120 Linden delegates, only a meagre number was accredited with voting privileges. Those persons that were not given voting privileges included Regional Chairman for Region 10, Solomon Sharma.

“Give them back the keys to their building Kissoon, give them back, we don’t want nothing to do with them, Linden is finished with the PNCR,” shouted one angry woman.

Upset

The clearly upset Lindeners stood outside of Congress Place for close to 40 minutes as they spewed venom at the electoral process. “When we come, they ain’t finding delegate cards, them ain’t finding your name on the list and a list was issued to Linden with the number of delegates, we submitted names as delegates, when we reach here, no cards, even the Chairman, the Regional

Chairman of Linden didn’t have a delegate card to go in and cast his vote,” said another Lindener. “There is no more PNCR/APNU, no more in Linden as from today,” said the woman.

Even as the Lindeners were making their way from Congress Place, the situation got tense as an unidentified woman ran from the compound and started shouting expletives at the minibus. She accused them of coming to Georgetown to set strife and cause the corruption within the party.

As the bus was passing, someone spat on the woman who retaliated by throwing an empty bottle that she had in her hand at the bus filled with vocal Lindeners. Her missile, however, was not taken lightly as a man opened the window of the bus and shouted threats at her. “I would take off you neck, you know who you playing with... I would bore you in you head,” he shouted.

Earlier in the day, some

of the persons in their determination to get into Congress Place and cast their votes, made use of alternative entry methods, as they jumped the fences.

A crowd had gathered at the gates to Congress Place after the guards had padlocked the gates from within. However, some persons bitterly protested this measure, noting that they had travelled too far to not be granted access to observe and cast their votes.

Ryan Belgrave, a member of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement attempted to restore peace to the frustrated lot, but his words further infuriated them.

“You kill yourself for a party, rain sun and dew and now you can’t go in,” said one irate man. An observer from Lethem, Region Nine explained that when he arrived, he was told that he would not be granted access. He said that he was not sure why he was not granted access, but was awaiting further information.

Region Seven Chairman wants durable Bartica/ Issano Road

Following a protest by residents against the deplorable state of the Bartica/Issano Road, works have commenced with the hope that the quality of the road would be durable enough to withstand heavy traffic.

Speaking to Guyana Times, Region Seven Chairman Gordon Bradford, explained that for several years, the people of Bartica have been struggling with the deplorable conditions of the road, and despite many complaints, nothing was being done, hence, they decided to take some action.

The Regional Chairman said that over the years, substandard work was done on the roads, which would only last a few weeks before it return to the terrible state it was in before.

“The residents, they came out and protested and picketed and intervention was made. Right now, there is a team of engineers and workers in Bartica that has commenced work on the One to Five Miles Road,” he stated.

Bradford went onto say that the contractors have brought in the adequate equipment; hence, he along with the residents are expecting that they do quality work.

“They have the equipment with them so we are expecting a road with some kind of life span that would last for some time, maybe five, six years until we can

get the kind of heavy-duty or industry grade type road that can stand up to the heavy traffic this kind of road is subjected to,” Bradford said.

He explained that the contractors are using coal mix or pre-mix to patch and shape the road. The Chairman also said that there is a grader that is being used to reshape the road. However, Bradford noted that he hopes when the patching is finished, they would pave it with the hot mix or asphalt to sustain it.

In addition, the Chairman pointed out that drainage is another problem plaguing Bartica; however, he noted that the Ministry has sent an excavator and promised to do the drainage in the area.

“We are holding them to that promise. There is the Bartica Minibus Union and every information I received, I have passed it on to them and every inspection we do, I invited a representative so we can partner and see that we get a type of road that we can live with for the time being,” he said.

Protest

After the residents took to the streets about two weeks ago, immediately after the Public Works Ministry sent a team to Bartica and began working on the rehabilitation of the road. The team included the Engineer overseeing the project, Lawrence Mentis; Naeem Mohamed, the Ministry’s Hinterland Engineer; and Lloyd Rollins, Maintenance Supervisor.

On Friday last, the Public Works Ministry sent a release, disclosing that works on the road are 25 per cent complete. It said Mentis disclosed that some $25 million approved in the Ministry’s 2014 Budget is being used to fund the rehabilitation work, which is being carried out by the Account Unit within the Ministry.

However, the Works Ministry is seeking additional funding from the Local Government Ministry to do repairs on other sections of the busy access road.

“While the road is five miles long, the most impassable section is being fixed with part concrete/asphalt and part coal mix,” the Ministry explained.

Meanwhile, United Minibus Union, Bartica Branch Chairman Keith Blair expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of the project so far.

“The progress is encouraging. I speak for myself and the community and we are very happy with what is going on,” Blair said.

Under the Hinterland Road Rehabilitation Programme, the Ministry has set aside $1.08 billion to repair roads countrywide.

Can’t teach old dog new tricks

When a dog start to suck egg, it does always suck egg. No matter whah remedy yuh try, it gone never stop suck egg. That is why old people seh old habits does die hard and that yuh can’t teach a old dog new tricks.

It got nuff people in de Pee-N-C/Hard who stay like dem dog whah does suck egg. And nuff a dem been suckin egg from a long time now. So now in dem old age dem can’t stop, plus yuh can’t teach dem new tings because dem set in dem wicked ways.

Over de weekend, de Pee-N-C/Hard was playin hard ball wid dem own people from Linden and somebody from Plaisance who Green Jah call Nutten. Well, among Green Jah, Will Yams and Oscar de bite man, de Linden people seh dem not sure who could tell de best lie.

Accordin to one of de Lindeners, one of dem plannin de lies, de other tellin the lies, and de last one repeatin de lies. Then all three of dem does turn round and defend de lies. That is why a reporter seh instead of a folk song, dem shoulda bring Lord Nelson to sing “King Liar” at de Congress.

But no body ain’t got no doubts about who can shoot and who can rig elections. After all, Green Jah deh in this riggin business a long time now, and as a old soldier he had to be good shoot man. But it look like he train he own body guard to shoot like he now, and he got people doin de riggin fuh he.

De man who Green Jah call Nutten ain’t seh nutten at first, but he eventually tell some of de reporters that he gon never join de Pee-P-P, but he considerin de KFC. Well, if he never hear bout jumpin from de fryin pan into de fire, he gon definitely feel it.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! And what better place to feel de heat of a fryin pan as against de real fire, but the de KFC!

ECD girl crowned...

from page 8

In 2013, it was hosted by House of Sanae and Miss Emancipation was held in keeping with the theme of the month of August, Emancipation Month. Alexis Connelly is franchise owner and Shabakie Fernandes has taken up position as Public Relations Officer.

“Through this event, we strive to showcase a culture which is uniquely Africa,” Fernandes said.

She said that their Queens go through one month of training, during which they are taught African History, social issues such as domestic violence and child sexual abuse.

“They also do sessions of community life competence, which teaches them the importance of a comprehensive approach in community building.”

Thus, the organisation encourages past and present Queens to visit schools and empower the youth to understand the importance of having an education and networking.

Meanwhile, the special occasion was an evening of elegance which saw women decked out in their elaborate African prints which created the right atmosphere to welcome the new queen.

The lovely Miss Jilicia Pinder, who was the first person to be crowned as Miss Guyana African Queen in 2012 under House of Sanae, performed a rendition of “Malika” by Miriam Makeba. This song also happened to be her talent piece at her coronation in 2012. The evening also saw a dance by the Divine Star Dancers, who performed to perfection.

In addition, five elders who are important bearers of history and culture were honoured for their tremendous support and promotion of African cultures.

They were Jean Britton Waldron Williams, Rudy Guyan, Dr Maxine Aaron Parris Goring, Penda Guyan and Anetha Daniels. They all were given plaques in appreciation of their hard and continuous work.

Eid Greetings from:

The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana

Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest, and there is no God but Allah (SWT). Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest, and to Him belong all Praises.

On this auspicious occasion, the end of the holy month of Ramadan, I extend on behalf of myself, family, and the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), to all Guyanese and especially our Muslim brothers and sisters, Eid Mubarak!! Eid Mubarak!! Eid Mubarak!!

On this day of Eid-ul-Fitr, we join with Muslims worldwide to congratulate each other with greetings of Eid Mubarak. The holy month of Ramadan was a month of great sacrifice during which we intensified our devotions to Allah (SWT) by fasting from dawn to sunset while remain-

ing in the remembrance of Allah (SWT) and being in a state of goodwill, by giving charity to the poor, needy and the vulnerable, by feeding those suffering from hunger, and the increase of prayers to compliment the compulsory five-daily prayers. We perform these actions knowing that by the promise of Allah SWT, we will obtain taqwa or God consciousness and at our journey’s end obtain His paradise.

The obligation of fasting in the month of Ramadan for the believers, men and women, who are sane and healthy, is a clear message to mankind that unrestricted indulgence in fulfilling the desires of one’s base or animal self has to be curbed for some time, to give an upliftment to one’s spiritual self. The object of fasting as described in the Holy Quran is

“so that you may guard against evil”.

During the auspicious month of Ramadan, a fasting person abstains from food, drink and sexual relations from dawn until sunset, in obedience to the command of his Creator Allah.

Eid-ul- Fitr signifies the end of this fasting period and is a day of joy and thanksgiving, but despite being a day of celebration, the day commences with an additional prayer after sunrise, reminding the believers that the object of fasting must be fully borne in mind even after Ramadan.

May Allah (SWT) bless us and may He continue to guide us.

Fazeel M Ferouz CIOG President

The Anna Catherina Islamic Complex

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of a month of fasting and great sacrifice. It is an occasion for rejoicing and an opportunity for Muslims to gather in joy, as well as in remembrance of those less fortunate. It is a Day of Graduation for all those who have faithfully observed the commands of God Almighty and an opportunity for all of us to rededicate ourselves, not only to achieving spiritual growth, but also to the cause of peace between all people of the earth. Our challenge now becomes one of finding ways to maintain our focus. As the appearance of the new moon brings to a close, the holy month of Ramadan, we extend to all our Muslims a blessed celebration of the Eid ul-Fitr and peace, health, and prosperity in the year ahead. May peace be with you and your families.

Eid finds us more content and happy with ourselves. We have reawakened

Muslim Youth League of Guyana

Eid Mubarak to all Guyanese especially the Muslim Community. Eid-ulFitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

On this very auspicious day, we reflect, rejoice and celebrate our achievements and blessings that were earned for fasting during the glorious month.

The holy month of Ramadan granted us the great opportunity to develop best practices to be better human beings, and to be more respectful to our fellow man.

Now that we have experienced great spiritual values and we have elevated our own lives to a higher category of human being, we must now develop different practices to coexist with people of all races, and religious and cultural beliefs.

Our practices in the just-concluded holy month of Ramadan have taught us to live in peace, and display tolerance for all in the society regardless. We must be more caring and loving to all. We have to be more compassionate with all who pass our way. We have to remember that the practice of charity must continue as the destitute are still there.

Congratulations to all who have fasted and even though who did not for reasons only they know, and may God Almighty grant us all a better life in this world.

Eid Mubarak, Eid Mubarak, Eid Mubarak.

our faith. We stand at a crossroad today: how shall we continue this journey toward Islam? How shall we remain at peace? The habits that we have established during this month must be nurtured. As we return toward our roles in this society, the world in which we live faces us with difficult choices. Our guidance comes from our willingness to turn toward Allah and to find peace within ourselves. Then and only then, will we feel content in our choices.

Our global society could and should be an example of coexistence and cooperation, of mutual benefit and human concern. Muslims need to create an inner environment of peace and faith, of tranquillity, non-violence, and security. Then we can hope to find solidarity and to create cooperation by supporting one another, standing by one another in what is good and right and needed for success,

growth, and sustainability.

It is our sincere hope and prayer that we are able to affirm the unity possible among Muslims, and between Muslims and other religions. We face the challenges of living in a globalised world where there is greater alienation and distance between classes of individuals based on economics and education.

We must work hand in hand with people who have faith in the essential goodness of humankind. The ethical, social, economic, political and spiritual challenges before us are enormous and demand mature, sincere, tolerant, openminded “good people” to meet the growing challenges. We extend to all Muslims a blessed celebration of the Eid-ul-Fitr and peace, health, and prosperity in the year ahead. May peace be with you and your families.

Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman and the Shaheed Boys & Girls Orphanages

Eid-ul-Fitr, the greatest festival of Muslims, is being observed by over one and a half billion people worldwide. Every nation has its celebration, and today is our celebration. It is the celebration, which marks the end of a month of fasting and sacrifice. It is an occasion for rejoicing and an opportunity for Muslims to gather in joy, as well as in remembrance of those less fortunate. It is a Day of Graduation for all those who have faithfully observed the commands of God Almighty. It is also an opportunity for all of us to rededicate ourselves, not only to achieving spiritual growth, but also to the cause of peace between all people of the earth. Today, the responsibility is on us as Muslims, to erase the negative stereotype created about Muslims. No Muslim is a weapon of mass destruction or a person who inspires fear! It is our common challenge and our shared responsibility to create a better world for ourselves and our children.

Fasting is a trial of physical endurance and also a way of developing empathy for the poor and destitute. It is a bridge by which Muslims can reach out to the needy in all communities. Muslims today represent an increasingly important element in the tapestry of human society. Civilisation was made stronger by the core values of Islam, we must not allow anyone, within or without of us, to destroy that.

As the appearance of the new moon brings to a close, the holy month of Ramadan, we all pray that it will usher in a year of reconciliation and peace. We extend to all our Muslims a blessed celebration of the Eid-ul-Fitr and peace, health, and prosperity in the year ahead. May peace be with you and your families.

Minister Irfaan Ali

On the occasion of Eid on which you break the month of fast, I would like to wish all Guyanese living here at home and those residing in the Diaspora, Eid Mubarak.

It was indeed a great month of fasting, a month where you learn to forgive, tolerate and have patience with those who surround us.

It was a month of great blessings and rewards; a month when our hearts were open to charity and everything that is good and righteous. On the occasion of Eid, I wish that every Guyanese, especially the Muslim community, would reflect on the lessons Ramadan had inculcated, and many of the sacrifices they would have made during this month as lifelong commitments to improving ourselves, families and communities.

As we celebrate this year’s Eid, we must not forget any of our fellow humankind who are suffering in one way or another, all across the world; many of whom are still today in hunger; the many who are displaced as a result of war and oppression, especially the people of Palestine who today continue to struggle for their independence, continue to struggle for their own homeland, and for their freedom.

For this was a great lesson of Ramadan; one in which we extended our care, love, and affection to the wider humanity with acts of charity, kindness, and goodness.

We in Guyana should continue to work on the many social and economic programmes that would continue to improve the lives and the living conditions of our people so that humanity itself can advance here in Guyana.

Once again, I take this opportunity in wishing Guyanese, especially the Muslim community, Eid Mubarak.

Guyana Islamic Forum

Eid Mubarak to Guyana and the world. This is the marvellous day of peace, love, goodwill, charity, and harmony. It is the day of celebration in purification and without fanfare, but a celebration that is worthy for the faster.

The faster is now the embodiment of perfection, for, as the Prophets of religions did in ancient times, he/she fasted for an entire month. They, like the prophets, are embedded with spiritual dynamo as those of yore. Prophet Abraham fasted and got enlightenment and closeness (Taqwa) with Allah (God Almighty), as did Moses who did marvellous miracles with the permission of God; Jesus Christ imbibed the power of healing after fasting on the Mount and denying Satan. Muhammad derived his spiritual powers to travel to Good and speak to him directly, as well as healing powers

and received the Al-Quran (Revelations from the Creator). Peace and blessings of God be upon them all. The fasting Muslims are like those in power of goodness, closeness with God, and if they ask Allah for permission, they can also imbibe the power of healing humanity of soul and physical troubles, even the earth and universe can receive divine healing from the Fasting Muslim after the Ramadan. For they drank of the cup of righteousness. Enjoy this day, fellow Muslims. You followed the Prescription of Allah to the letter, and you are now one in God Closeness (Taqwa), a Healer of mankind and the earth. Eid Mubarak to our entire Guyana. Let us continue to spread the love, peace, goodwill, and harmony among our peoples of our great country, and continue to live in dignity and love.

The US Embassy

The US Embassy in Georgetown wishes to extend Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to all Muslims in Guyana and around the world as they mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. We congratulate all Muslims on their intense devotion, reflection, service, and spiritual rejuvenation achieved during the month of Ramadan.

As Muslims worldwide recommit themselves to honour their faith by reaching out to the less fortunate through everyday

acts of faith, kindness, charity, service, tolerance, and selflessness, we also encourage all to share in the spirit of Eid and to embrace these values which are so important in cultivating cooperation, promoting cross-cultural understanding and sustaining humanity.

During this festive period of renewal, we join in sharing your optimism for a brighter future and we wish you a joyous and blessed Eid ul-Fitr. Eid Mubarak!

Hicken calls on Diamond residents to work with Police

By Vahnu Manikchand

Senior Police Superintendent and A Division Commander

Clifton Hicken urged residents of the Grove/Diamond Housing Scheme to work along with the Police in order to ensure that there is effective policing of in the area.

He was at the time addressing concerns of the residents on Saturday during his ongoing outreach programme. The Commander explained that persons should also recognise that they too have a role to play in policing the community. “There is something called conduciveness to facilitate perpetration of crime and that is why throughout my outreach programme I’m asking for partnership, because we recognised that the Police aren’t equipped with all the resources to meet the demands of people,” Hicken stated.

During the outreach, residents spoke about problems they are facing in the twin community ranging from instances of break-and-enter to the Police-public relationship. One resident complained about the lack of professionalism of the Police Officers stationed at the Grove/Diamond Station, recalling an incident where there was someone in his yard and when he called the station, he was told to come down to the station and make a formal complaint.

Bush, “bicycle gang”, and loud music

Another resident spoke about unfair treatment by the Police, even as she was being severely affected by her neighbours who own a “pluckery”. She explained that the business has its feather machine running from early morning until after midnight at times, which causes great inconvenience to she and her family. She added that the business constantly burns feathers and despite several complaints to the Police, nothing was done; however, when she burnt a little grass in her yard she was taken into custody and placed on $10,000 station bail. The woman went on to talk about the neighbouring business installing cameras that are focused in her yard.

Additionally, residents call for the clearing of unoccupied house lots that are left with overgrown bushes, providing hide-outs for criminals. They also called for action to be taken against the “bicycle gang” along with restrictions on music carts which are playing CDS more loudly than they ought to.

Responding to these issues, the A Division Commander pointed out to the residents that they too

are responsible for ensuring the safety of their properties; hence, they should make adequate provision to secure them. “If you have a fence without a padlock on the gate, you are inviting people to walk into your yard unhindered and to perpetrate acts of crime,” he stated.

Hicken acknowledged the residents’ pleas for a day patrol in the community; however, he explained that the patrol would only be present in areas which are considered safe havens for criminals. He added that there would also be patrols on standby to answer any emergency situation that may arise.

Breaking and entering

Addressing the crime of breaking and entering, the A Division Commander noted that this was a serious crime that continued to record high prevalence not only in his but all divisions. He disclosed that the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which the Police Force recently acquired from the US Government, is helping authorities to make headway in solving crimes.

Hicken went on to say that the Force has put in place mechanisms that will cater for persons to make complaints from their homes without having to go to the stations. He told residents that it was their responsibility to get the numbers of senior ranks when faced with issues rather than getting confrontational with the junior ranks.

“Your taxpayers’ money is paying us to serve you and we should maximise the opportunities we have to properly serve you, being confrontational is not the way,” he warned. According to the Commander, if persons are having problems at the station level, then they should contact senior officers or the Operation Room based at Brickdam Police Station on telephone numbers 2271611 and 227-1149.

The residents had complained bitterly about the numerous robberies happening at an area in the village called “Achieduck”;

as such, Hicken instructed the Police to remove or arrest anyone found loitering in the area after 21:00h. He told the Police to book those who are of suspicious nature and release them on their recognisance.

Commander Hicken explained that taking such a step is against the democratic rights of people; however, he is doing it to ensure the safety of the community and its people. He added that the Police, commencing on Friday, will launch a bicycle campaign to deal with the issue of the “bicycle gang”. This, he said, will see the Police looking for requirements such as lights for night riders.

Another issue the Senior Police Superintendent spoke on is the Community Policing Group (CPG), which he always tries to strengthen and foster. Hicken not-

ed that CPG members play an integral part in keeping any community safe. He said they better relate to the community than the Police do. “You speak the language the community understands better than us and you voluntarily are helping us to help you, so I am happy that we are working together… I know you have your daily lives, but if you can take one hour of your time to come out with us to ensure that you live comfortable, eventually the message will be sent to criminal elements,” he said.

The Commander encouraged the residents to make use of the hotlines and other social avenues such as websites and Blackberry Messenger accounts that have been established to help protect citizens of Guyana.

Diplomatic mission turns over documents to Rodney Commission

Head of the Walter Rodney Secretariat Hugh Denbow said that staff members are currently reviewing over 600 documents provided by a foreign Government, whose Embassy had operated in Guyana during the time Dr Walter Rodney was killed.

Although he declined to give the name of the country, he pointed out that the Embassy had accumulated information on the activities of the then ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) and Dr Walter Rodney. Upon completion, the information will be presented to the three Commissioners for further consideration. That evidence may join the list of close to 100 other statements provided by persons who are yet to testify.

Since the beginning of the inquiry on April

28, last, only seven witnesses have given evidence. The life of the Commission was recently extended to September by President Donald Ramotar. However, sharing his personal view, Denbow said the Commission may have to be further extended, because of the quantum of evidence still to come. Added to that, Denbow related that even if evidence is completed by that time, the Commissioners will still have to deliberate on the evidence provided. That, he noted, will be a tight call.

The Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry goes into its fourth session today and Working People’s Alliance Executive Member Tacuma Ogunseye is expected to continue being cross-examined by PNCR Attorney Basil Williams.

turn to page 14

Granger claims election was transparent

By Jomo Paul and Gomatie GanGadin

In the face of widespread irregularities, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Leader David Granger said the Congress vote was transparent and that he would not resign despite his waning popularity and calls for him to go.

Granger, Basil Williams, Volda Lawrence, and Dr George Norton ( were all returned unopposed to their substantive posts within the party. Ronald Bulkan was also returned

as Treasurer after he defeated the only competitor, Clement Corlette.

Following the highlyflawed elections, Granger insisted at a news conference that there were “no grounds for his resignation” and the election process was done in accordance with the constitution of the party.

The PNCR’s 18th Biennial Congress was marred by accusations of corruption, factionalism, and vote rigging from many distraught party members who had expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in

which the elections were being conducted. But Granger said the PNCR was “not prepared to go back to elections unless there was evidence of wrongdoing”.

Granger also explained that the circumstances surrounding the gunshot that was heard at Congress Place on Sunday would be investigated. (see story on page 2) Granger claimed that the “explosive seemed to be a shot from a small firearm” and the person involved was in no way connected with the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the PNCR.

Guyana may nominate Seeraj for ACP SG post

The Guyana Government is considering nominating Dharamkumar Seeraj as this country’s candidate to be the next Secretary General (SG) of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) grouping, sources inside Government have said.

Guyana is among three Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries that will nominate candidates to head the powerful 79-member grouping. Regional leaders at the end of their summit earlier this month in Antigua and Barbuda said Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana have all signalled their intention to submit the names of candi-

dates for the post.

This newspaper was told that in addition to Seeraj, Government was looking at other candidates but there is a tendency to lean more to Seeraj, who is a Member of Parliament (MP) and General Secretary of the Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA).

Back in June, the ACP had indicated that the next SG will be a Caribbean national. The tenure of the current SG Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni of Ghana ends in February 2015. The Council of Ministers will meet in Suriname in November, where they will finalise the selection of his successor.

The new SG, who will come from any of the ACP’s member states in the Caribbean, is expected to begin work in March 2015. His/her term will end in 2020.

“The upcoming term is especially significant as it will see the last leg of ACP[European Union] EU cooperation under the current Cotonou Partnership Agreement, which ends in 2020,” a release from the ACP has said. The Cotonou Agreement is the most comprehensive partnership agreement between developing countries and the EU. Since 2000, it has been the framework for the EU’s relations with the 79 ACP mem-

New GuySuCo board to be installed this week

The long-awaited Board of Directors for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) will be announced and installed this week.

This is according to President Donald Ramotar, who was at the time responding to questions on Saturday at a media briefing at the State House. Ramotar noted that while the industry was experiencing its fair share of challenges, the Government was not likely to give up on it.

Great future

“Even though the situation might look tough, I have confidence that we can overcome these and move ahead and it is worthy to support them at this point in time, because the industry has a great future in Guyana,” he said.

The life of the present board was extended to June and the new board was scheduled to come on stream from July 1. The board is expected to, with the support of management, guide the industry’s turnaround.

Just last week, it was revealed that the company’s cost of production was double that of world market prices. However, President Ramotar noted that while this was true for the moment, it may not be cause for concern, since world market prices fluctuate.

The President noted that this was the first time that the company had experienced such a situation, and generally it was a price taker on the international market.

In response, the sugar company has been seeking to

ber states.

The Secretary General holds executive powers and heads the Brussels-based ACP Secretariat, which is the administrative and technical body of the ACP Group. The Secretariat provides policy guidance and technical expertise to the organs of the group, and monitors the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement. Appointment to the top post is for five years, and generally follows a principle of rotation amongst the six ACP regions, including West Africa (currently holding the post), East Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands.

The SG shall in turn appoint four Assistant Secretary Generals to head various departments in the Secretariat during his or her term. The regions will nominate candidates for these posts. The ACP is an organisation created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. It is composed of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific states, with all of them, save Cuba, signatories to the Cotonou Agreement, also known as the “ACPEC Partnership Agreement” which binds them to the EU. There are 48 countries from Sub-Saharan Africa, 16 from the Caribbean and 15 from the Pacific.

minimise the amount of sugar it sells on the world market and has been looking at other sources of revenue, President Ramotar said.

The company is also trying to compensate for the prices on the world market by doing some value-added production. It has moved to outfit the plants with cogeneration facilities, so as to have another source of renewable energy and income. The sugar company already has a demonstration bio-ethanol plant at its Albion Estate and is, at present, testing its e-10 fuel in 20 vehicles belonging to GuySuCo and the Agriculture Ministry.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) had issued calls for a professional and competent Board of Directors at GuySuCo, saying that the brightest and best persons available should be appointed with a skill set that includes but is not limited to accounting and finance, engineering, agronomy, human resources management, among others.

Several weeks ago, it was disclosed that GuySuCo has debts of more than $42 bil-

lion, with billions owed to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

Finance Director Paul Bhim disclosed to a Parliamentary Committee that GuySuCo’s long-term debt stood at US$112 million or G$23.072 billion, while the short-term debt totals G$19.4 billion.

Significant turnaround Meanwhile, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee has said that he hopes that the new board can effect a significant turnaround in the sugar industry. The General Secretary said sugar was still the largest employer of labour and any further decline in production could have disastrous effects on the livelihood and well-being of sugar workers and their families.

He noted that nonetheless Guyana continues to be the largest exporter of sugar to the region. He recommitted on the party’s behalf to the resuscitation of the industry.

Diplomatic mission turns over documents...

The Secretariat’s Chairman related that this round of the inquiry which runs until August 7th will see both Ogunseye and Human Rights Activist Karen Desouza, being cross-examined during the first week. According to Denbow, the Guyana Defence Force is expected to send officers to present evidence that may corroborate the information provided by former Army Chief Norman McClean, whose evidence in chief was interrupted so as to allow for the provision of verification from the Guyana Defence Force. Mc Clean during his testimony at session two of the investigation, had raised objection to evidence put before him by Commission’s Council Glen Hanoman, which indicated that accused murderer Gregory Smith had indeed been receiving a salary from the military body although he, McLean, had claimed that Smith was a deserter.

Hanoman had presented another document to McLean

purported to have been signed by an officer of the Guyana Defence Force, showing that arms and ammunition was being transferred to the House of Israel organisation. This should happen during week two, Denbow reasoned. Major General Norman McLean is also expected during that second week as well, to continue his evidence in chief.

Police Crime Chief Leslie James is also expected to return during the second week with information regarding the investigation carried out into the seven missing files that were reported at the commencement of the inquiry. Denbow said he could not say whether or not the files were found, but will be awaiting the information from James, who also has to be cross-examined. As it relates to the Rodney family and their participation at the inquiry, Denbow said the family’s Attorney Andrew Pilgrim and the Commissioners are looking into that.

The Walter Rodney

from page 13

Commission was established to probe the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr Walter Rodney, who was killed when a bomb exploded in the car he was sitting in some 34 years ago, close to the Georgetown Camp Street Prison. The PNC Government which is said to have carried out inhumane attacks on its Opposition, had since been accused of using electronics expert, the late army sergeant Gregory Smith to kill Dr Rodney.

And while the political body has since denied the accusation, President Donald Ramotar in February of this year, set up a tribunal to investigate whether the explosion that claimed the life of Dr Rodney was an act of terrorism, and if so, who were the perpetrators. Barbados Queen’s Counsel, Sir Richard Cheltenham; Jamaican Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown; and Guyanese-Trinidadian Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam constitute the Commission.

Times Notebook

Why are they misinforming us?

It is depressing to see how certain politicians and the news media everyday make Guyana look as if it is moving backwards and Guyana is on the verge of collapse.

It is appalling that so many persons are engaged in a puerile effort to get people to believe that Guyana is a nation where everyone is starving and where people are routinely being brutalised by the Government.

The doomsayers are trying their best to portray Guyana as a country where everyone is homeless and hopeless.

Consider this: Guyana has seen an increase of more than 70,000 new houses in the last 20 years and Guyana’s caloric intake has increased from about 2000 per day per capita to almost 3000 calories.

Life expectancy has increased to 70, even though Guyana nearly dropped below 60 in 1990. More than 16,000 new vehicles entered Guyana in 2013, more than all that entered in the 1980s.

The doomsayers have absolute freedom to spout their nonsense, courtesy of living in a free and democratic country, where the media prospers and where

there is freedom to assemble anywhere.

There are more than six radio stations, more than 30 television stations and four daily newspapers in a country with less than a million people. Yet the doomsayers claim there is no media freedom, but they make their claims in widely circulated newspapers, on radio and TV stations, many of which are clearly and unabashedly anti-government.

In 1990, more than 70 per cent of children under five years old were anaemic, but the situation improved to 47.9 per cent by

1997 and to 24 per cent by 2012. For young people five to 16 years old, the figures improved from greater than 75 per cent in 1990 to 56.7 per cent in 1997 and to 20.8 per cent in 2012.

In 1990, more than 78 per cent of pregnant women were anaemic and this improved to 52 per cent in 1997 and 41 per cent in 2012.

These efforts to misinform and mislead the population are hyperbole and rhetoric designed to persuade the masses to reject Government. The doomsayers have chosen

to paint Guyana as one of the worst countries in the world because they want power.

Guyana has many problems. Which country is without problems? Would we want to go back to a Guyana we had in 1970 or 1980 or 1990? Would we want to be in a situation that many Caribbean countries, including Barbados, now find themselves, where they must freeze public servant salaries?

Unbroken growth

Guyana is the only country today in the Region that has seen almost a decade of unbroken economic and social growth. In the decade of the 1980s, Guyana’s growth trajectory was negative. No country in the Region has ever undergone such a long period of continuous negative growth.

Experts believe that the greatest challenge Caricom faces is the horrendous debt burden many countries in the Region face today. Jamaica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and others face international debts approaching

or surpassing 100 per cent of their GDPs.

None of Guyana’s doomsayers ever tell us that in 1990, Guyana stood out as the basket case with a debt burden of almost 750 per cent of our GDP. Guyana today with a debt burden of about 43 per cent of GDP stands out as one of the best in Caricom.

The doomsayers actually justify blacklisting Guyana. Even though Guyana gained a respite from an earlier threat of blacklisting because of non-passage of the AML/ CFT Bill, we still face FATF blacklisting in October if Guyana does not pass the legislation.

The same politicians who claim to be on our side have taken a vacation until October. The AFC politicians say they really cannot find anything to object to the AML/CFT bill, but they want the President to appoint the Procurement Commission.

The President says he is ready to appoint the Commission. The Constitution establishes that the President can only appoint nominees to the Procurement Commission who are nominated by the Parliament. After almost a decade, the Parliament

is still dithering.

The Public Accounts Committee is responsible for making the nominations and the PAC is chaired by Carl Greenidge, with a majority of Opposition members. Who must the President appoint?

The doomsayers are taking Guyana on a journey to disaster. We must move forward, faster, not go backwards. Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times. notebook@gmail.com.

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

Corentyne Chamber renews calls for permanent exhibition site Truth

Simply the

… at Berbice Expo

The 10th annual Berbice Exposition and Trade Fair was officially opened on Friday, July 25, attracting thousands of Guyanese who expressed satisfaction with the many products and services on display.

Held under the theme “Exploiting Science and Technology for Economic Development”, the event, which ends today, saw exhibitors from Berbice and across Guyana showcasing their products and services, while offering free samples and literature to members of the public who flocked to the booths to cash in on the many deals specifically for the event.

Delivering the feature address, President Donald Ramotar noted the importance of such events and pointed out that the theme is a timely one, as it coincides completely with the vision of Government on how the country should develop.

“Indeed the embracing of new and efficient technologies is one of the bedrocks of the economic transformation being pursued by my administration. This is reflected in our plans to

improve the spread of information communications technologies (ICT), modernise the productive sectors and equip all of our people with the requisite skills to better utilise the technologies that are today driving innovation and worldwide,” he said.

Growing businesses

The Head of State related that he was pleased by the business community’s enthusiastic embrace of technological change and innovation, and it was hoped that the Berbice Expo will give greater impetus to the process. “I wish to assure the people of Berbice that in our attempts to create a new and technologically driven economy, that they will be an integral part of this process. Indeed our national ICT and other strategies are intended to deepen the involvement of all areas of our country in the process of economic transformation and development.”

Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC) President Tejpaul Adjodea noted that the Expo has grown to become a household name as the

event attracts interest, both locally and internationally.

He said despite the challenges, they were able to take Berbice Expo to greater heights. Adjodea pointed out that one of their main challenges is the high cost of building and dismantling structures for the event; as such, he called on the Government for a permanent exhibition centre in Berbice.

Multi-purpose arena

“The centre will provide permanent structure, adequate parking and a tarmac area to cater for the inclement weather; the vast investment that we made over the years for the last nine years could be better used for a permanent site. It is envisioned that this centre will become a multi-purpose arena used to host various activities, indoor and outdoor games, etc.”

The CCCC President noted the prevailing state of economic prosperity of the citizens of the country was a very important requirement in order to stimulate and enhance growth of business and commerce.

“We believe that science

and technology can play an integral role in developing the various sectors in this region, which will lead to increased production and productivity thereby creating additional income.”

He also thanked the Government of Guyana; the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry; the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo); sponsors and exhibitors for making Berbice Expo 2014 a reality.

Guest Speaker, Dr Leslie Chin, in his address, outlined numerous business opportunities for entrepreneurs with the implementation of science and technology. Regional Vice Chairman Bhupaul Jagroop congratulated the CCCC and relevant stakeholders for hosting another successful exhibition.

Meanwhile, the presentation of awards to top performers of 2014 National Grade Six Assessment was conducted at the end of the opening ceremony. President Ramotar handed over the awards to the two top students: Joel Persaud of Cropper Primary and Simeon DeAbreu of All Saints Primary.

Berbice power

Whether we Berbicians realise it or not, we hold a great deal of authority when it comes to the outcome of elections in the Republic of Guyana. We always did and always will. And no political party should take us for granted. None of them. But they do. They must be made to pay a price for taking us for granted. There is talk about a no-confidence motion in what passes for Parliament in Guyana. We can be sure that there is wheeling and dealing on all sides. Already, the PPP/C has sent out its folks to talk to us. We saw the frantic rush to Berbice when the budget of last year was in jeopardy. The Government people descended and made their case to us. The Opposition did not even bother.

People like me understood what Mr Robeson Benn was talking about. He made it simple. He did not talk down or talk big. He just talked.

Then they descended again for this Anti-Money Laundering Bill story. All these people, at all kinds of meetings, telling us things that they cannot make us understand. Big words. Big talk. Prophecies of doom. They may have been right, but the important thing is that they only come here when they need us. When we need them, dem not there.

We ask for relief for our killed fishermen. Nothing. We ask that our best Police Commanders stay with us. Nothing. We ask for help for our boxers. Nothing. Our children almost got burnt to a crisp in a bus. Nothing. We ask for our own university. Nothing. We Berbicians are rich in nothings, and if broken promises could feed our children, no one would go hungry for 100 years!

We also suspect that there are people within the ruling party who are trying to position themselves to have power. The Opposition parties want the same thing: power. They all do not seem to know that the greatest power comes from service to people. They have not learnt what the greats have tried so hard to teach.

We Berbicians can be the judge as to who is to be given the privilege of serving us and our other brothers and sisters and children in this nation. And judge we must, for this concerns our own futures and those of our children. We shall cease to tolerate a flying visit every once in a while and be talked down to as if we were so many sheep. We need to say: “Hear ayuh people! We nah want go Georgetown fuh every single ting and every piece of document!”

Any reform within the PPP/C must come from within that party. But we can make all of the parties think long and hard about how they can serve us Berbicians and our nation. If they do not SHOW change, then Berbicians must support a new political party made up of bright people who are truly interested in service to Berbice and Guyana. We need to stop tolerating this utter disrespect.

Small-scale Berbice livestock farmers allege exploitation

… as Home Affairs Ministry lauds stray-catching programme

he Home Affairs

TMinistry’s stray-catching programme is making progress, as they impound animals left to roam the streets and urge cattle owners to ensure proper supervision of their animals to prevent accidents on the roadways.

The Ministry reported that the programme was extremely successful in 2013, since there was no report of an accident involving a stray that resulted in the death of a person.

However, small-scale livestock farmers in Berbice are accusing the stray catchers of exploitation. They allege that the stray catchers are not executing their duties properly, as they are bent on making money one way or another and would deliberately take their animals, usually few goats, sheep or a couple of cows, from vacant lots and impound them.

Sheila Phillips, of Nigg, Corentyne, said that she has a few goats and would often put them in an empty lot to graze, but on several occasions, the stray catchers have driven her animals out of the lot and impound them just so they can earn money.

the stray catching programme is very active in Berbice, as the unit has, since its establishment on July 27, 2012, impounded a total of 2299 animals comprising 1301 cows, 323 goats, 425 horses, and 250 sheep.

However, he stated that the initiative was not intended to be taken into every single dam and street in the region to catch animals, but rather to concentrate on the public roads.

On the issue of exploitation, he said: “If in the eventuality that there is valid evidence that the stray catchers are involved in this unprofessional practice and are found culpable, they will face the necessary consequences.”

He appealed to all residents to desist from letting their animals roam on the roadways, as that is a major cause of accidents.

This publication also sought a comment from an official at the Home Affairs Ministry who reiterated Armogan’s sentiments of not condoning this alleged practice of improper impounding of animals.

He said where there is valid proof, the incident will be

Several other residents are also alleging the same, especially in the Upper Corentyne area. One individual told this publication that he felt targeted, as he has experienced the situation several times.

“ Me na say me cow dem na go road, but if one or two head go on the road, them people this come in the place where them graze and drive out all and carry dem to pound,” the man lamented, while noting it was expensive for him to retrieve his impounded cattle. For every animal a straycatcher impounds, a fee of $5000 will be paid.

This, residents said, is exploitation and they are calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter and implement measures to curb this “injustice”.

Berbice Chamber of Commerce President Mark Roopnarine had also raised the issue of stray livestock roaming the public roads in the region, especially in New Amsterdam and the Corentyne, with Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee when he visited Berbice.

According to him, it continues to be a major issue and he is of the view that the stray catchers are not vibrant as they ought to be.

Region Six Chairman David Armogan, when asked to comment on the issue, said

Inner peace

Ihave said it many times and will say it again: the key in life is to do what we enjoy. In other words, do what’s best for ourselves rather than trying to please other people. I totally understand that sometimes people are trapped in a job that they don’t like. If that is the case, find a way to get out. The reality is – it is not worth it to continue a job that one does not enjoy.

If we are happy with what we do, we wouldn’t be so miserable and this will bring the inner peace that we’ve been longing for. Once we have that and physical health, it’s like having the best of both worlds. There is absolutely no comparison when we are in alignment with what we love.

In almost all of my articles, I find a way to include diversity and inclusion, because acceptance is important. I cannot emphasise this enough, but accepting everyone, regardless of their looks or beliefs, automatically brings us that sense of inner peace. Let’s not forget too that it is just as important to learn to accept who we are. Though it’s probably one of the hardest things to do, it certainly is the most rewarding thing.

One of the easiest things we can do is to look in the mirror and point out all the negative things about ourselves. However, one of the best things we can do for ourselves is, instead of counting all the things we wish we could be, it is probably best to count all the things that we are thankful for that bring out our true beauty.

One of the hardest things to do is to forgive those who hurt us and cause us pain, realising that inner peace can be reached when we are willing to forgive. It’s basically when we are able to let go of our past. In other words, when we can accept things the way they are, it is a lot easier to let go of difficult situations and to forgive what has happened.

A good way to look at this is if we don’t forgive someone, we are connected to that person. For example, if we are not willing to forgive, our thoughts will return to the person who did us wrong, over and over again. One of the key things to keep in mind too is to forgive both yourself as mentioned and others. By doing this, we are making the habit of forgiveness a natural part of our lives, so it will become much easier to forgive others.

By now, I hope people will realise that we cannot change anyone but ourselves. The bottom line is only we can control our destiny. Therefore, we should take the time to decide what is important to us and set our mind to it. We should try to have a little faith in ourselves as well and remove all the things we doubt ourselves about and then we can really become what we visualise. For questions, comment and feedback, email them to mcnarine@rogers.com.

reported to the Minister and a retraction will be made and the officers found guilty will be subsequently dismissed.

“We will not encourage that and in all instances of impounding animals, a Police rank was supposed to be with them, so based on the information submitted, we will make our decisions on whether these allegations are valid,” he said. He added that he was of the view that while the allegation may be valid in some cases, malicious persons may be bent on breaking the law, and thus create mischief so that the programme becomes extinct and they can again have their cattle freely roaming the roadways.

When it was noted that in many instances, no Police rank was seen accompanying stray catchers, the official was quick to point out that this may be due to the unavailability of ranks who would give direct orders to continue the work in their absence.

The stray catching programme, he stressed, has been successful across the country and has contributed to a reduction in accidents on Guyana’s roadways.

He also encouraged both cattle owners and stray catchers to abide by the rules and laws governing the system.

GUYANA

Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel make light work of St Lucia Zouks

It was the bowler’s 100th wicket in Twenty20 cricket.

In an attempt to keep the momentum going inside the fielding restrictions, the Zouks promoted Roelof van der Merwe up the order. With a highest score of 18 since March 2013, this represented a risk, but the South African did a decent job in the pinch hitter’s role. He reached 21 before he sliced the ball into the hands of Badree on the third man boundary off the bowling of Javon Searles.

When a rebuilding effort was needed, Keddy Lesporis decided that attack was the way forward. He had hit two sixes in his innings of 20, but then tried an overambitious heave against a Dwayne Bravo yorker that he inside edged on to his stumps. That left the Zouks struggling at 70-4 at the halfway stage of their innings, and all the pressure was on Sammy to get them up to a competitive total.

Sammy should have departed LBW for five when he was struck on the pads plumb in front of the stumps by Sulieman Benn. The umpire turned down the appeal, and it was difficult to under-

stand why. He made the most of the let off as he went on to top score for his team with 46 not out. Sammy is a finisher, with the top order failing he is not able to play with the attacking intent that makes him so dangerous.

Sammy combined with Tonito Willett for the biggest partnership for the Zouks; that it was just 27 runs

shows what a stop-start affair this St. Lucia batting effort became. Willett departed for ten, caught brilliantly at mid-wicket by Ross Taylor. The ball was timed superbly and Taylor leapt to his left to claim the catch one handed.

More indifferent batting saw wickets continue to tumble. First Sohail Tanvir hit the ball straight up in the

air, then Mervin Mathew and Shane Shillingford were short of their ground thanks to some lazy running. The only man that seemed to do his captain justice was Ray Jordan, who did a good job at getting Sammy back at the strikers end, even sacrificing his wicket to give the set batsman the bowling.

From the very beginning of their innings, the Red Steel made the Zouks regret their poor batting display. Fresh from recording his highest T20 score in his last match, Evin Lewis continued his brilliant form as he brought up his half century off just 24 deliveries. He finished on 77 to record his personal best in successive innings.

The game was all but lost before the half way stage of the Trinidad & Tobago innings, but the Zouks did not help themselves in the field with sloppiness and spurned chances. Debutant Ray Jordan was denied his first ever wicket in senior cricket when Mervin Mathew dropped an easy chance off Lewis on the cover boundary.

Lewis could not quite see the job all the way through to its conclusion as he was caught going for yet anoth-

er six. Despite scoring 55 not out in a match winning partnership, Kevin O’Brien was very much the junior partner to Lewis in this innings.

Perhaps the highlight of the Irishman’s knock was the one handed shot for six over long on, but young Lewis was the star of the show.

The evening was summed up for the St. Lucians as O’Brien was out stumped off a no ball from Shillingford. The resulting free hit saw the Red Steel score the winning runs to wrap up a resounding victory.

SCOREBOARD

St Lucia Zouks innings (20 overs maximum)

ADS Fletcher† b Badree 4

J Charles st †Pooran

b Badree 15

RE van der Merwe c Badree

b Scantlebury-Searles 21

K Lesporis b DJ Bravo 20

TA Willett c Taylor b Cooper 10

DJG Sammy* not out 46

Sohail Tanvir c Badree b Edwards 1

M Mathew run out (Edwards) 1

S Shillingford run out

(Cooper/DJ Bravo) 1 ROO Jordan run out

(Cooper/DJ Bravo) 6

GE Mathurin not out 0

Extras:(lb 5, w 6) 11

Total: (9 wickets; 20 overs) 136

Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Charles, 3.1 ov), 2-33 (Fletcher, 5.2 ov), 3-52 (van der Merwe, 8.1 ov), 4-70 (Lesporis, 9.6 ov), 5-97 (Willett, 15.3 ov), 6-101 (Sohail Tanvir, 16.3 ov), 7-103 (Mathew, 16.6

ov), 8-112 (Shillingford, 17.4 ov), 9-133 (Jordan, 19.4 ov)

Bowling: FH Edwards 4-0-331, S Badree 4-1-13-2, SJ Benn 4-0-31-0, JPR ScantleburySearles 1-0-14-1, J Bravo 3-018-1, KK Cooper 4-0-22-1 Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel innings (target: 137 runs from 20 overs) KJ O’Brien not out 55 E Lewis c Charles b Shillingford 77 DM Bravo not out 0

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

Total:(1 wicket; 14.4 overs) 137 Did not bat LRPL Taylor, DJ Bravo*, N Pooran†, JPR Scantlebury-Searles, KK Cooper, SJ Benn, S Badree, FH Edwards Fall of wickets 1-129 (Lewis, 13.5 ov)

Bowling: Sohail Tanvir 2-016-0, GE Mathurin 2.4-0-260, DJG Sammy 1-0-20-0, M Mathew 2-0-18-0, ROO Jordan 2-0-19-0, S Shillingford 4-026-1, TA Willett 1-0-11-0

WICB Regional Under-19 cricket…

Destructive Hetmyer, bowlers put Guyana in command

Adestructive hundred from Shimron Hetmyer was solidly backed up by the bowlers as Guyana remained in command of the second round game against the Windward Islands in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Under-19, Three-day tournament.

Playing at the Everest Cricket Club ground, Guyana gained first innings advantage, making 243 in response to the Islanders’ 139. At stumps on day two on Sunday, the

Windward Islands were struggling at 79-4, still in arrears by 25 runs with a day to play.

While the Guyanese bowlers did their part in their second innings, with Steven Sankar so far being the pick with 2-22, the morning session was all about Hetmyer, the West Indies Under-19 opener. Dismissed by reckless strokeplay in both innings against the Leeward Islands in last week’s first round at the National Stadium, the lefthanded Hetmyer responded in

belligerent fashion, slamming a 125 to totally dominate the bowling.

His fellow West Indies Under-19 teammate Tagenarine Chanderpaul played a solid supporting role, hitting a sedate 24 in an opening partnership of 108. The pair had resumed from an overnight position of 44-0 with Hetmyer on 26 and Chanderpaul on 17.

Skipper Brian Sattaur’s dreaded run with the bat continued as he failed to trouble the scorers, falling at 121-2,

but Hetmyer continued to pepper the bowling, bringing up his hundred.

Such was Hetmyer’s dominance that when he finally dismissed for 125, Guyana only had 155 on the board. Hetmyer’s knock took just 129 balls and spanned 141 minutes and included 13 fours and four sixes.

His dismissal, 26 minutes before the lunch break, sparked a collapse, as the last seven wickets could only muster 88 runs, 40 of which came off the bat of Akshay Homraj. Bowling for the Windward Islands, Doran Edwards had 3-42.

Faced with a deficit of 104, the Windwards lost a wicket without a run on the board and were reduced to 48-4 before skipper Roland Cato and Anson Latchman added an unbroken 31 to bring some stability to the innings.

In the other games, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica were both leading by 91 runs against Barbados and the Leeward Islands respectively.

At the National Stadium, Trinidad and Tobago were 77-1 in their second innings after restricting Barbados to 185 in response to their first innings 199, while over at the Demerara Cricket Club,

for

SCOREBOARD

Windward Islands

1st Innings 139 Guyana 1st Innings (overnight 44-0)

S. Hetmyer c Jno-Lewis b Edward 125

T. Chanderpaul c Cato b Edward 24

*B. Sattaur c Cato b Hypolite 0

B. Baldeo lbw b Edward 7

K. Paul run out 1

S. Ramcharran b Hypolite 9

A. Homraj c and b Pope 40

+K. Savory c Pope b Lewis 15

D. Waldron not out 11

S. Sankar lbw b Pope 3

N. Smith b Phillip 1

Extras: (lb-4, w-1, nb-2) 7

TOTAL: (all out, 67.5 overs) 243

Fall of wickets: 1-108, 2-121, 3-155, 4-159, 5-159, 6-188, 7-219, 8-233, 9-242

Bowling: Lewis 12-2-47-1, Phillip 8.5-0-36-1, John 6-3-210, Hypolite 17-2-67-2, Pope122-26-2, Edward 12-3-42-3

Windward Islands 2nd Innings

G. Pope c wkpr Savory b Paul 0

M. Gordon lbw b Ramcharran 17

T. Simon c Baldeo b Sankar 21

K. Jno-Lewis c Baldeo b Sankar 10

*R. Cato not out 15

+A. Latchman not out 12

Extras: (b-2, nb-2) 4 TOTAL: (4 wkts, 35 overs) 79 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-29, 3-48, 4-48 Bowling: Paul 4-1-14-1, Baldeo 6-2-19-0, Ramcharran 9-3-131, Sankar 11-3-22-2, Waldron 4-2-5-0, Chanderpaul 1-0-4-0

La Rose rides away with GBTI money

– wins 4th annual GBTI 50-miler in Berbice

Curt La Rose of Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) pedalled away with the top prize when the fourth Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) 50-miler was held in Corriverton, Berbice on Sunday.

Defending champion Elijah Brijadar was nowhere to be seen when the cyclists rode past the finish line outside of the bank’s Corriverton branch.

La Rose kept his composure throughout the race and paced himself well, putting the disappointment of the previous day behind him when he did not place in the Grenville Felix Memorial race.

When the flag went down, several riders went out to the front and quickly opened a lead of some 200 metres. Among them were Dwight Holder, Toran Harris, Nashane Jaunalra, Jeban Crawford, Sean Israel and Everald Mundy who kept that lead for the first quarter of the race. As the pace reached 40 km per hour, Jaunalra and Holder started to drop back and soon were with the pack led by La

Rose.

The riders got to Adventure Village where they turned around to return to the starting line.

Ray Millington was the first to make a move to catch Israel and Mundy who were way ahead with seven miles left in the race. Harris also went for them and so did La Rose as they all were off their seats as they came to the entrance of the Number 63 Beach.

Israel started to fade leaving Mundy, Harris and La Rose to take over as the new leaders, but the two veterans were no match for the youthful legs of La Rose. The two were forced to battle for second place and as they got into Corriverton, with a quarter of a mile left, Mundy decided to concede after realising that Harris still had the finish he could not produce.

The first, second and third places were easily decided, but there was a battle for the next three available.

Israel, Crawford, Holder and Millington were off their seats as they came around the turn and

saw the chequered flag waving in the distance and realising that one of them would not be part of

the presentation ceremony.

The scores gathered in front of GBTI got to see the finish they were hoping for as Millington got home before Crawford, while hometown boy Holder was pushed into sixth, leaving Israel out of the top six finishers.

Mundy and Crawford took two sprint-point prizes each, while one each went to Harris, La Rose, Holder and Jaunalra.

The female 12-mile event, which started in front of the Number 51 Police Station and proceeded to GBTI Corriverton, was won by Maricia Dick of FACC with Crystal Lambert of Trojan Cycle Club occupying the second spot and Christen Matterson third.

The beginners rode from Number 36 Village to Corriverton; a distance of 20 miles. Baiesh Sadeo of Corskel Cycle Club won

that category while taking both sprint point prizes. In second place was Barman Narine, ahead of Roopchand Kidernauth and David Sampson in that order.

GBTI Corriverton has been holding the event annually and is part of the bank’s commitment to giving back to the community. It is also the main community project undertaken by GBTI Corriverton with hundreds of thousands of dollars going into the event.

Manager of the branch, Keiola Blackman, who was on hand during the presentation ceremony thanked all of the participants for their support of the event while promising to continue to promote the sport.

Blackman presented all of the participants with gifts from the bank. Thirty-eight persons participated in the three categories.

Thomas, Foster cruise to GMAA 5K victory

Cleveland Thomas and Andrea Foster easily won the male and female Open categories respectively when the Guyana Masters Athletics Association (GMAA) staged a 5K run on the inner circuit of the National Park on Sunday.

Thomas ran unchallenged to take victory in 16:08.5 ahead of Desmond

The runners

Amsterdam (18:30.8) and Seon Barry (19.076) who came second and third respectively.

Foster upset decorated road race opponent Alika Morgan who quickly fell off the pace. Nikita Wilson was third.

The Under-20 male cat-

egory was a keenly contested affair with the McKenzie brothers dominating. Matthew McKenzie took top honours in a time of 17.33.8 while Joshua McKenzie came in second in 17.42.3 and Carl third in 17.54.8 Sasha James, Tonya

Smith and Eudia Forte were the top three finishers in that order in the female Under-20 category.

The male 35-39 category was won by Larry Josiah with Reuben Stoby second. The male 40-45 category was won by Joseph Jardine.

The 45-49 female winner was Cyrleen Phillips. Lleweyen Gardner was the expected winner of the 55-59 male category. Walter Guilds was second and Carlton Stephenson third. The 5K race on Sunday was the first event of the recently resuscitated GMAA.

Commonwealth Games…

13-year-old wins swimming bronze

Scotland’s 13-yearold swimmer Erraid Davies has won bronze in the SB9 100m breaststroke final. The Shetlander is Scotland’s youngest ever competitor and the youngest competing in this Commonwealth Games.

Davies was way back in the first 50m but powered back in the second 50 to take the medal.

Sophie Pascoe of New Zealand stormed to victory in one minute, 19.36 seconds with Madeleine Scott of Australia taking silver. “I’m really happy,” said the teenager. “It’s another PB and I could really hear the crowd in the last 25m. Mum and Dad are here to watch and I’m not sure what we’ll do to celebrate later.”

Her mother Joyce told BBC Radio 5 live:

“Apparently she was going to get some cake and some Irn Bru to celebrate. “We

South Africa chasing 331 to beat

Sri

Lanka

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka 2nd innings

WU Tharanga c †de Kock

b Steyn 30

JK Silva c Philander b Morkel 26

KC Sangakkara c †de Kock

b Morkel 72

DPMD Jayawardene c Elgar

b Imran Tahir 0

AD Mathews* not out 63

KDK Vithanage c du Plessis

b Morkel 7

N Dickwella† c de Villiers

b Steyn 16

MDK Perera b Imran Tahir 7

HMRKB Herath c de Villiers

b Morkel 4

Extras: (b 1, lb 2, nb 1) 4

Total (8 wickets dec; 53.4 overs; 242 mins) 229

Did not bat: RAS Lakmal, BAW Mendis

never promised her anything for doing well in the Commonwealth Games, no rise in pocket money or anything like that!” (BBC Sport)

Vincenzo Nibali completes Tour de France victory

Vincenzo Nibali won the 101st edition of the Tour de France as he finished the final stage on the Champs-Elysees in Paris safely in the peloton. The Italian is the sixth man to win all three Grand Tours - the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana.

His winning margin of seven minutes 37 seconds over Jean-Christophe Peraud in second is the big-

gest since Jan Ullrich won by more than nine minutes in 1997.

Germany’s Marcel Kittel won Sunday’s traditional final-stage sprint finish.

The Giant-Shimano rider outsprinted Norway’s Alexander Kristoff to win his fourth stage of this year’s Tour, with Garmin-Sharp’s Lithuanian Ramunas Navardauskas in third.

For Nibali, the 21st and final stage was all about

reaching the finish safely because Tour tradition dictates that the leader going into the final stage should not be challenged. The 29-year-old Astana rider dominated the Tour from the moment he took the race lead on stage two in Sheffield and wore the race leader’s yellow jersey for 18 of the race’s 21 days. He is the first Italian winner of the race since Marco Pantani in 1998. (BBC Sport)

Lewis Hamilton third in Hungarian GP as Daniel Ricciardo wins

Lewis Hamilton fought up from a pit lane start and a first-lap spin to finish third as Daniel Ricciardo beat Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso to win a sensational Hungarian Grand Prix. And there may well be words behind the scenes at Mercedes after Hamilton refused orders to let team-mate Nico Rosberg pass by during the race.

Hamilton judged a thrilling wet-dry race perfectly to hold off title rival Rosberg, who finished fourth. The result reduced Hamilton’s deficit to Rosberg to 11 points.

Bowling: DW Steyn 13-159-2, VD Philander 11-3-350, Imran Tahir 18-0-76-2, M Morkel 9.4-1-45-4, D Elgar 1-0-9-0, JP Duminy 1-0-2-0 South Africa 2nd innings (target: 369 runs)

AN Petersen c Vithanage

Fall of wickets 1-38 (Tharanga, 10.2 ov), 2-82 (Silva, 21.1 ov), 3-83 (Jayawardene, 22.4 ov), 4-164 (Sangakkara, 39.6 ov), 5-174 (Vithanage, 41.6 ov), 6-203 (Dickwella, 47.6 ov), 7-214 (Perera, 50.2 ov), 8-229 (Herath, 53.4 ov)

South Africa have a day to chase 331 runs to beat Sri Lanka in the second Test in Colombo.

b Herath 0 D Elgar not out 13

Q de Kock† not out 21

Extras: (lb 4) 4

Total: (1 wicket; 17 overs) 38

To bat:F du Plessis, HM Amla*, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, VD Philander, DW Steyn, M Morkel, Imran Tahir

Fall of wickets 1-4 (Petersen, 8.1 ov)

Bowling: HMRKB Herath 8-5-71, MDK Perera 6-1-24-0, BAW Mendis 3-2-3-0

On Sunday, Sri Lanka declared on 229 for 8 with an unbeaten 63 from Angelo Matthews. Summarised scores: South Africa 282 and 38 for 1 need another 331 runs to beat Sri Lanka 421 and 229 for 8 dec (Sangakkara 72, Mathews 63*, Morkel 4-45)

A spectacular last 10 laps featured a three-way scrap for the lead when Alonso, Hamilton and Ricciardo’s diverging strategies brought them together, and with Rosberg closing fast after his own late stop. But Ricciardo passed Alonso for the victory with three laps to go.

Richardson

IA few laps earlier, Hamilton had been told to let Rosberg by so the German could pit more quickly, and therefore score as many points as possible. Rosberg complained repeatedly on the radio, asking why Hamilton was not letting him past.

But Hamilton, realising that if he let Rosberg by he was at risk of finishing the race behind him, refused, saying: “Tell him to get closer.” Rosberg’s stop on lap 56 ended the discussion, but it will certainly contin-

tells captains to not ‘undermine’ ICC judiciary process

CC chief executive David Richardson has come out in support of match referee David Boon’s verdict on Ravindra Jadeja, relating to the incident with James Anderson at Trent Bridge, and said MS Dhoni’s critical comments on the ruling “undermine” the judiciary process. All parties involved, including Dhoni and Alastair Cook, he said, should “respect the process”.

Jadeja was found guilty of a Level 1 offence of the ICC Code of Conduct and fined 50% of his match fee by Boon. However, the verdict

didn’t go down well with the BCCI and Dhoni, who called it a “hurtful verdict” and said that Jadeja had only turned to look at an England player who was allegedly directing foul language at him. Cook, however, despite admitting he did not see the incident, suggested that India might be exaggerating the seriousness of it in order that Anderson could be forced out of the series.

“England captain Alastair Cook and, more recently, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni have made public comments

relating to the alleged incident that took place during the first Test at Trent Bridge, the latter of which is critical of and undermines the ICC disciplinary process,” Richardson said on Sunday.

The incident is reported to have taken place as the players were leaving the field for lunch on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test.

India alleged Anderson abused and pushed Jadeja, while England alleged Jadeja turned and approached Anderson in a

threatening manner. India also disputed testimonies given at the hearing by England players Matt Prior and Ben Stokes that Jadeja’s bat was raised dangerously when he turned towards Anderson, and that Jadeja had pushed Anderson first. India claim Jadeja neither touched nor swore at anyone.

Anderson’s hearing will be held on Friday August 1 in Southampton and will be conducted by the ICC-appointed Judicial Commissioner, Gordon Lewis. (espncricinfo.com)

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“The Girls Dem Sugar” powers home – at Summer Regatta in Bartica

The Girls Dem Sugar, Jaguar and Flash were among the winners when the annual Summer Regatta was held in Bartica on Sunday.

The Girls Dem Sugar, captained by Selwyn Joseph, secured victory in the 115-200hp (4 laps) race. Second was Quick Silver piloted by Clarence Belle while 3rd Flash driven by Hosea Jardine came third.

Jaguar, driven by Dave Scott, won the 225hp unlimited (5 laps) race ahead of The Girls Dem Sugar and Quick Silver.

See other results below (1) 75hp to 90hp, 3 laps1st- Flash driven by Hosea Jardine, 2nd- 3:16 driven by Dave Younge, 3rd- Revenge

Selwyn Joseph, 3rd- Quick Silver driven by Clarence Belle (3) (3) 25hp-40hp, 2 laps

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GABF administers bans and fines to senior players

– who refused to return team uniforms following recent CBC Championships

By Treiston Joseph

Twelve of the 15 players that were a part of the men’s national basketball team that participated in the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships in the British Virgin Islands earlier this month, were fined and suspended for offcourt misconduct.

According to an email from the President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) ,Nigel Hinds, due to “the refusal of the players to return team uniforms and warmup suits when requested by GABF management”, executives of the GABF that included Michael Singh (VicePresident), Kenrick Thomas (Vice-President), Haslyn Graham (Vice-President) along with Hinds himself deliberated on the sanctions at a monthly Ordinary meeting at Cara Lodge on Saturday.

Akeem “The Dream” Kanhai, Shelroy Thomas

and overseas- based player Ray Victor “who eventually returned all the team uniforms” were each fined $20,000 and will be banned from tournaments, clinics, or tours approved by the GABF until the fines are paid.

Ryan Stephany “who returned all the GABF gear except the white uniforms” was fined $30,000 and will be banned from tournaments, clinics, or tours approved by the GABF until the fine is paid.

However, failure by Stephany to pay the fine by February 1, 2015 will result in an additional $25,000 fine as reimbursement for the uniforms.

Shaine Webster, Ryan Gullen, Andre De Florimonte, Keron McKenzie and Gordon Klaiber are players who refused to return any of the uniforms and were fined $40,000 each.

As was the case with the other players above, they will also be banned from

tournaments, clinics, or tours approved by the GABF until the fine is paid, failure to pay the fine by February 1, 2015 will result in an additional $70,000 fine as reimbursement for the uniforms.

The final three players that were fined-Andrew Ifill, Dwayne Roberts and Rawle Marshall- were each fined $80,000 as they were seen as the ringleaders in “usurping the authority of management and refused to return any uniforms.”

The three “ringleaders” were also banned for one year and will not be allowed to participate in any tournament, clinic, or tour approved by the GABF until the fines are paid. They will also have to pay an additional $70,000 as reimbursement for the uniforms if the fines are not paid by February 1, 2015. Necosia Mitchell was banned for six months for making false statements to coach of the women’s national team, Ann Gordon.

Commonwealth Games…

Harris reaches semis in 100m

– Bascom not so lucky

Overseas-based sprinter Adam Harris went through to the semi-final of the men’s 100 metres when the 20th edition of the Commonwealth Games continued on Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.

Harris clocked one of his slowest times of the year in 10.45s to finish second in his heat behind Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade, who won the event in 10.40s.

Jeremy Bascom finished fifth in his heat with a time of 10.55s, which failed to move him past the first round of the event.

Harris will contest the semi-final today, while Winston George and Stephan James will hit the track in the men’s 400 metres.

Meanwhile, Alex Arjoon won semi-final two of the men’s squash consolation plate by defeating Gihan Suwaris 3-2 at 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-3 and 11-2.

Onika George will hit the pool for her pet event in the 50 metres back stroke, while Eon Bancroft will enter the ring, along with Dennis Thomas, for boxing.

GHB concludes Under-19 development camp

The Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) on Friday concluded a two-week national Under-19 Boys development camp at the GCC ground, Bourda.

The camp was designed to develop the individual skills of the participants in outdoor hockey, since most of the clubs and schools train on indoor surfaces. The daily sessions started with videos of the various techniques related to the topic of the day, followed by practical session on the field.

Topics covered includ-

Mohamed sets record at Dem Life golf tourney

The annual Demerara Mutual Life sponsored golf tournament lived up to its anticipated excitement on Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Course with Club President David Mohamed setting a personal record on his way to winning the 19-28 handicap category.

Teeing off at about 12:45h, three of last year’s winners- Papo Haniff, Maurice Solomon and William Walker- were present to defend their titles. However, as skill of play would have it, operating on the Flight play system, new winners emerged.

Mohamed’s net score,

which would have won him the Best Player score on the previous Open system, gave him instead a record for the 19-28 handicap Flight. One wonders if members of the Lusignan Golf Club executive are bent on setting records for the Club this season.

Only last week, Ground Supervisor Mike Guyadin’s net 60, handicap 15, was a record for the Open Medal Pay system. Such enterprising achievements by golfers can only cause greater skill and performance levels for the benefit of the Club.

Now using the system of Flights for competitions, the LGC expects much keener

competition and records to be set in each Flight.

The first and second placed finishers of the different Flights were:

First Flight (0-9 handicap) Mohanlall Dinanauth and William Walker; Second Flight (10-18 handicap) Bolaram Deo and Colin Ming; and Third Flight (19-28 handicap) David Mohamed and Troy Cadogan.

Joann Deo won the Ladies category, while Bolaram Deo won Nearestto-the-Pin.

Demerara Life Branch Manager, Charles Clarke, was on hand from start to finish of the day’s play. New

to golf, but a player and lover of cricket, Clarke in his congratulatory remarks to the winners said, “Dem Life is honoured to be associated with the Lusignan Golf Club, and on behalf of the Company I can assure you of our continued support. In fact, I am considering becoming a member of the Golf Club myself.”

A beaming Club President Mohamed expressed appreciation to Demerara Life on behalf of the LGC and took the opportunity to express appreciation for the state of the ground, as well as to encourage golfers to continue good golfing.

ed moving with the ball, 3D skills, passing and receiving, goal scoring, creating space, defending, goalkeeping and penalty corners. The camp was run by a coaching team that included national Men’s Coach Robert Fernandes, national goalkeeper Alysa Xavier, national player Robert France and Andrew Xavier.

Forty Under-19 players participated in the camp, which concluded on Friday with a mini World Cup tournament. The players were split into four teams, representing Germany, Argentina, England and Colombia.

They played a round-robin followed by semi-finals and final. Colombia defeated Germany 3-2 via sudden

death penalty shootout after the score was tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation time, while England breezed past Argentina 3-0.

England took that momentum into the final and got out to an early lead through Myron Phillips, before Colombia came roaring back through a Deheron Wilkinson double and one goal apiece from Rosario Ramsammy and Shemar Boston to take the title 4-1.

It is the GHB’s intention to select an Under-19 training squad to begin training and competing in all local tournaments as part of the preliminary stages of preparation for the Pan American Junior Championships scheduled for 2016.

Alastair Cook fell agonisingly short of a first Test hundred in 14 months as England controlled the first day of the third Test against India at Southampton.

The England captain seemed set to end his 27-innings wait for a century when he edged a Ravindra Jadeja long-hop down the leg side to wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni to depart for 95. That ended a stand of 158 with Gary Ballance, who moved to his third ton in five Tests to lead England to 247-2. While Ballance was the centurion, the day revolved around Cook, whose barren run had mirrored the poor form of his side and led to ex-England captains such as Michael Vaughan, Mike Atherton, Kevin Pietersen and former batsman Geoffrey Boycott to call for him to resign.

Cook, whose previous 27 innings had yielded only 638

runs at an average of 23.62, has repeatedly claimed he will not quit, despite presiding over a 10-match winless run. And this knock will go some way to ending any doubt over his immediate future, with two more matches against India coming before England have an eight-month break from Test cricket.

King gets first lien on Grenville Felix Memorial Cycling trophy

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stuns field of seasoned cyclists

Mario King of United Cycle Club, in a time of two hours, 22 minutes and 56 seconds (2:22:56), won the inaugural Grenville Felix Memorial 60-mile road race when he sprinted away from Paul DeNobrega, Hamza Eastman and Robin Persaud in a surprise attack on the seasoned riders on Saturday.

King, who at one stage of the race was part of the stragglers about one mile behind the leaders, judged his advances well and made his move when it mattered most to cross the finish line about 15 metres ahead of De Nobrega with Eastman being a close third.

Robin Persaud was five

Eastman, Persaud and DeNobrega took an early lead and were pulled back by the second pack of riders which included Raymond Newton, Godfrey Pollydore, Junior Niles and Kurt La Rose.

As the group of nine joined the leaders Eastman and Persaud broke away and were out of sight for about 20 miles.

As the riders neared the turnaround stage of the race, the stragglers caught up with the big guns and joined forces to catch Eastman and Persaud. They were successful shortly after the 30-mile point. However, the one big bunch that was seen at the starting line was

metres behind to occupy the fourth spot.

Fifty-two cyclists took to the starting line and in the end Paul Choo Wee Nam was fifth, Christopher Holder sixth and Jamal John seventh. Alanzo Ambrose finished in the final position that mattered.

The cyclists rode off from in front of the Felix’s home at Canefield, East Canje and proceeded on the Corentyne to Number 43 Village and returned to the starting point to complete the 60-mile journey.

shortly broken once more as Eastman and Persaud again got away, but this time taking with them the experienced Pollydore. He did not prove to be much help and the leaders were once again back with the rest of the riders. With the last 10 miles left in the race the two, in a final attempt to try to get their hands on the lien trophy, went ahead again. That was the cue for King as he pedalled has way from the back and passed big names,

who were no match at that stage of the race. King took on the leaders who included DeNobrega, Choo Wee Nam and Eastman in the final one and a half miles of the race through East Canje and then crossed the finish line with ease.

Eastman took four of the eight sprint point prizes with two going to Persaud and one each to DeNobrega and Pollydore.

For the juniors, Jamal John was the first to cross the finish line with Alanzo Ambrose second and Akeem Arthur third.

Speaking at the presen-

tation ceremony, Russel Felix, son of the late Grenville Felix, said the idea to have the race to showcase the life of the former sports enthusiast was conceptualised three years ago. However it was not until 2013 after collaboration with the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) that they were able to have the first event held on Felix’s birthday. Sadly the former GuySuCo engineer passed away in January. He would have celebrated his 97th birthday on July 16.

Russell took time off to praise the work of

the FACC and its Coach Randolph Roberts, who he said has been a pioneer for the sport in Berbice.

Meanwhile, former Berbice cyclist Franco Crawford, who now resides in the United Kingdom, was on hand and also promised to support the club while praising Roberts.

The female race was not held because of fading