Guyana Times Daily

“Severe crisis looms at UG”

wednesday, april 23, 2014| guyanatimesgy.com

PPP commends Amerindians for budget protest

APartnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) are being accused of attempting to reduce the indigenous population to “second-class citizens”.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee made this allegation on Tuesday as he continues to bombard the joint parliamentary Opposition over its disapproval of the $1.1 billion budgeted for Amerindian development.

Speaking at the party’s weekly press conference, Rohee alleged that under the previous People’s National Congress (PNC) regime, Amerindians were reduced to “second-class citizens”, and the Opposition is today guilty of the same behaviour.

According to him, Amerindians at the time were denied their basic fundamental rights, which included the right to quality education, quality health care, employment opportunities, and recreational facilities. “It is quite evident by the actions taken by the combined Opposition,

that they are bent on repeating their past performance mainly to starve Amerindians of developmental funds and to stultify their material and cultural advancement,” he further contended.

Amerindians ought to be applauded for their militant stance against the acts of the Opposition, Rohee told reporters, noting that the refusal of the combined parliamentary Opposition to approve money allocated for Amerindian development is highly outrageous and unconscionable. According to him, the Amerindians are suffering at the hands of the Opposition due to the overwhelming support they have given to the PPP/ Civic Government.

Now, the ruling party is calling on both APNU and the AFC to rescind their decision to disapprove critical funds for Amerindian development, declaring that they must desist from playing politics with the life and well-being of indigenous people.

It was pointed out that the disapproval of the entire capital budgetary allocation for the Amerindian

Affairs Ministry will negatively impact the living standards of indigenous communities, especially as it pertains to land titles and capacity building at the local level under the Amerindian Development Fund.

Social and physical infrastructure

“As a party and Government, we are proud of our track record in terms of raising the profile of our Amerindian people and bringing their communities into the mainstream of national development. It is clear for all to see that the entire social and physical infrastructure of these hinterland communities have been substantially overhauled since the assumption of the PPP Administration to office,” he said.

In today’s society, many Amerindians have broadened their horizon by ven-

turing into a wide cross-section of fields from medicine to Information Technology and Communication. The Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force and Teaching Service Commission have large

numbers of Amerindians.

Rohee recalled that after winning office in October 1992, the PPP Administration moved to establish a Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and subsequently appoint-

ed an Amerindian Affairs Minister, Vibert De Souza. Additionally, the PPP/C Government designated the month of September Amerindian Heritage Month to celebrate the lives and work of the indigenous people.

Rohee made it clear on Tuesday that the PPP/C will continue to champion the cause of the indigenous population despite the negative Opposition forces. Last Wednesday, the 2014 National Budget was approved in the National Assembly with amendments. The initial $220 budget, presented by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh in March, was reduced to $182.5 billion with $37.5 billion being disapproved. The allocations for the Ministries of Amerindian Affairs, Health, Transport, and Finance were affected as was the Office of the President’s.

Baramita woman kills man during fight

Aday after a man gunned down his reputed wife and then

killed himself in the goldrich Port Kaituma district, the table turned on Tuesday when a woman allegedly stabbed to death her reputed husband during a fight at Baramita, North West District.

Dead is Junior Brandt, 32, of Baramita. The incident occurred around 07:30h. Investigations have revealed that Brandt was allegedly involved in an argument with his reputed wife, during which he was fatally stabbed. The suspect has not yet been arrested. Tuesday’s murder has moved the figure to four deaths in less than a week in the interior. Only on Sunday, a North Rupununi

man was found with several stab wounds to his chest along the Tabatinga Public Road in Lethem, Region Nine. Terrence Robin James, 23, of Kwatamang Village, was discovered about 05:40h by a passerby, who alerted the police and the relative of the dead man.

It is believed that the man might have attended the rodeo at Lethem and was on his way home when he was attacked and stabbed to the chest. James’ body was taken to the Lethem Hospital Mortuary to await a post-mortem examination. The police have launched an investigation into the incident. No one has yet been arrested. Then on Monday, Victor Pires, 62, allegedly shot and killed his reputed wife Pamela Martin, 39, during an argument. He later shot himself. The bodies are at the Port Kaituma Hospital mortuary. An improvised shotgun and three empty cartridges were found at the scene by the police. Earlier in the year, the body of Howard Peters, 67, was found lying on the access road to Shea Village, Deep South Rupununi, Region Nine. His body bore multiple stab wounds. It was reported that Peters had been “sporting” hours before his body was discovered.

‘Fair’ millers priority for Venezuelan rice shipments –

Ramsammy says

By Jomo Paul

Agriculture

Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said millers who were paying rice farmers “next to nothing” for their paddy will be the last to be served as new shipments begin under the rice export deal with Venezuela.

He said those who were “fair” will be given priority by the Government and this practice will continue in the future. “If you do not treat the rice farmers with the fairness and respect they deserve, then there will be consequences that may be severe to your businesses,” Dr Ramsammy warned millers in an interview with Guyana Times

The Minister told this newspaper that he recalled that at the beginning of the current crop, the millers were being “profoundly unfair” to farmers in that they were offering them just about $3100 per bag of paddy. This state of affairs only changed when he met with several of the millers and urged them to offer better prices. He said even then a few of the millers “flat-out refused to raise the prices”, saying that they were not sure of the Venezuelan market, which was not finalised at that time, and were unwilling to gamble their monies on it.

“You cannot treat the farmers like that and then want to be rewarded at the highest,” Dr Ramsammy said, as he explained that some of the very millers who were offering the

farmers the low prices are demanding that their stock to be given priority in the exporting.

“My words must be like gold, in that I said priority will be given to the millers who offered fair prices to the farmers from the beginning of the crop,” the Minister stated.

He went on to indicate that he is advocating for the development of a quota system, which would reveal which millers have been offering the recommended prices for paddy. He added that from that system, the Ministry will be able to efficiently decide which millers are given priority by the Ministry and the Guyana Rice Development Board when it is time for the rice and paddy to be exported.

“It is unfortunate that I have to give any one of them [‘unfair’ millers], any of them this market, but I’m obliged to, because it is for the farmers,” the

Agriculture Minister declared, adding that “at the next crop, anybody that doesn’t start with a fair price, I am scratching you off... you get knock out if you don’t treat the farmers properly.”

This, he maintained, will ensure that the farmers are offered the prices they deserve for their produce across the board.

In March, rice farmers

in Essequibo took to the streets in protest over the prices they were being offered for their paddy, and the persistent delay in payment.

Essequibo farmers on that occasion had milled around the Anna Regina High Bridge, armed with placards, chanting: “We want more price for paddy this crop, we want we money now.”

Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor Naith Ram, who is also the Chairman of the Essequibo Farmers’ Group, said then that there has been a significant decrease of approximately $1000 in the price for a bag of paddy when compared to the last crop. The AFC Councillor had opined that the rice industry is not being given the attention it deserves. He also lamented the fact that some farmers were owed monies by millers for very long periods – in excess of seven months, in some cases.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Partnerships for development

According to a release issued recently by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 38 new initiatives were launched by governments, business, private foundations and civil society to push forward effective development cooperation at the first High-Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.

Launched in Busan, South Korea in December 2011 and led by Ministers from Indonesia, Nigeria and the United Kingdom, the Global Partnership helps nations, business and organisations work better together to end poverty. A breakthrough at Busan was to place Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in the broader context of development cooperation – a context which includes trade, investment, domestic resource mobilisation, remittances, and climate finance.

UNDP reported that over 1500 participants from more than 130 countries, including developing nations like the Central African Republic; emerging providers like Brazil and Turkey, donors; parliamentarians; and leaders from big businesses like Unilever and H&M, came together to discuss progress in development co-operation and to anchor the Global Partnership in a post-2015 development framework.

The two-day forum included five thematic plenary sessions on areas of cooperation that can boost results in developing countries – effective development cooperation in middle-income countries, tax and development, ‘South-South’ and ‘Triangular’ cooperation and knowledge sharing, partnering with business in development and progress in meeting commitments on effective development cooperation. Concrete commitments launched at the forum include:

* Increasing aid aimed at strengthening tax administrations in developing countries to ensure they get more of their own money,

* The Arab donor coordination group pledged to step up development cooperation with developing countries in ways that are fully in line with the Global Partnership Principles, and

* Philanthropic foundations launched a set of guidelines on how the philanthropic sector can engage with governments and other stakeholders in the reality of post-2015 development.

Forums such as this are critical in setting a post-2015 development framework. Not so long ago, member states had expressed their determination to accelerate achievement of the MDGs and build on the foundations they set to craft a post-2015 development agenda which completes unfinished business and responds to new challenges. They had agreed that the eradication of poverty and hunger worldwide should be at the core of the new agenda.

Leaders made it clear that the agenda should integrate “in a balanced manner the three dimensions of sustainable development”, and agreed that this involved “working towards a single framework and set of goals – universal in nature and applicable to all countries” while taking into account national contexts, policies, and priorities.

They had also acknowledged that reducing poverty, protecting the planet, growing our economies, and achieving social justice are shared and inter-linked objectives. Green and inclusive economies and societies are needed to deliver on these multiple objectives, and so are strong and innovative partnerships.

According to UNDP Administrator Hellen Clarke, this year´s progress report on the Global Partnership suggests that longstanding efforts to change the way development cooperation is delivered are paying off in lifting the quality of aid delivery.

However, she stressed that more needs to be done to transform cooperation practices, ensure country ownership and use of national systems, and ensure transparency and accountability among partners.

Most of us would agree that an ambitious new sustainable post-2015 development agenda is in the making. However, critical to its implementation will be both the quantity and the quality of ODA. In this respect, Clark suggests that the Global Partnership can play a vital role in advocating for meeting ODA commitments, promoting best practices, forming new alliances for development, and strengthening mutual accountability.

In the new development architecture, the role of South-South and triangular cooperation, civil society organisations, the private sector, and major foundations will continue to grow. As stated by the UNDP Head, this proliferation of actors brings opportunities, but only if it can be navigated. Like Clark, we believe that the more effective this partnership is, the greater the progress the world will make on an ambitious post-2015 agenda.

Kissoon has an identity crisis

Dear Editor, Psychologist Erik Erikson relegates those who have no clue who or what and where they belong as being very unhappy and unhealthy as opposed to those who are secure in their identity. Freddie Kissoon’s numerous “serpent” writing against Indians and specifically Hindus and Hinduism can explain why he is lost without an identity.

With no cultural compass to guide him in life’s maze it has made his confusion into an art form seeking approval. Where he has found acceptance is pivotal.

His association with David Hinds, Nigel Hughes, David Granger, Clive Thomas, and Eusi Kwayana, etc is an exciting contrast of those who each know exactly what is their place, mission and aspirations for themselves and those they unceasingly champion.

But Freddie is that special exception. He would not be able to testify on his current predicament even as philosopher Socrates had urged that life is not worth living in an unexamined world. Know thyself, the old man advised. What can Freddie reveal anyway which is not already crystal clear?

By new habit Freddie, has moved away from bashing Portuguese to now bashing Indians because he has swallowed the odium they are the guilty race of all Guyana’s misfortunes. He does not sugarcoat his contempt for eternal India, the Jagans who he despises, PPP/C supporters, Indo-Guyanese, and Hindus, in particular

Vedic

* Freddie can blame Hindus for all of India’s ills, including the dreadful caste system. He is free to completely ignore imposed adaptations from outside invaders including Arab traders (who brought African slaves now living in freedom in Gujrat state), the Mughal Muslim presence or the European Portuguese, Dutch, French and British colonial interlopers.

For Freddie, India has nothing good to be admired or of which to be proud. Why he transforms Mahatma Gandhi into a gay rights symbol is what he wants to force down our throats for some unknown reason. Yet India still remains a functioning democracy of nearly one and half billion citizens, the majority Hindus with all the fault lines no different from any country.

That India is an emerging world power with an Indian space satellite on mission to Mars is insignificant. His contempt of India’s majority Vedic culture which is influencing Indian economic and technical advancement is meaningless. When India definitely emerges from its cocooned poverty what would it matter who is left in the dust. India will be a nation to be reckoned with regardless.

* Freddie attacks Indians for their beauty and preference for skin whitening like India is the only country with such a practice. He is yet to clarify why his creolisation and that of his siblings is not similarly abnormal or shameful, noteworthy by exactly the same stan-

dards which he himself has laid down and by which he demands from others.

* Freddie likes Canada, not the USA or India, and not even Guyana which he does not mention. What did Freddie ever contribute to Canada’s development to compensate for the all expenses-full scholarship which Canada gave him? At least I worked in the good old USA for 35 years, living in roach and rat invested ghetto apartments to secure my education. Even royalty seeks citizenship and a passport from the great America.

* India has one and a half billion citizens, overwhelmingly Hindus. They still elected minorities such as a Sikh and three Muslims as President, an Italian born naturalised Indian Mrs Sonia Gandhi as Congress Party leader and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, even after a Sikh bodyguard assassinated Mrs Indira Gandhi. Where in the world can minorities, other than in India, be democratically elected to control the power levers?

* For Freddie to convert former Trinidad Prime Minister Basdeo Panday as racist completely ignores that it was by Panday’s concession Robinson became Trinidad’s Prime Minister/President who never repaid his debt to Panday’s UNC.

* No religion is without its critics. But India neither invaded nor obliterated anyone’s culture. So far, Caribbean black people have no cause to seek reparations from Hindus or Indians. But justice for Wismar 1964 is a necessity because Indians were not the aggressors during

the massacre.

* Freddie has located his destiny to remain shackled in subservience unless he is born again. With no religion, he believes God is dead or he can finish the job. Any one eyed man who aspires, seeks to prevail and become number one among his chosen Guyanese friends, all with their eyes on the prize, is on folly’s runaway express to nowhere.

If even he can believe that God, not fashioned in his image, is on a special mission to save him for a monument, it would not matter at all. Why has God apparently not provided a cure for him? Maybe, just maybe now, Freddie has already been sentenced to the ultimate dark side and his writings on the walls, courtesy of Kaieteur News’ services, are only shrill echoes of agony from down under hell’s fires. Can this be some divine conspiracy by both the Hindu and Christian deities to isolate so much viciousness and evil by handing over the problem to their joint opposite for complete ownership?

India will continue to be great because of its Vedic culture, Hindu Dharma/ Karma, Sanskrit origins and Bhakti. With her minorities integrated in her wide bosom, they will also become other assets of continued progress. When federalism comes to Guyana let’s hope he has already defined his choice.

Reminder, Krishna [God] created Hindus, Krishna does not make mistakes.

Bolo Ramchandra ki jai, Vassan Ramracha

Ill informed public officials

Dear Editor,

On a previous occasion, I felt obligated to pen a letter, to the press, when one Peeping Tom sought through his privileged anonymity to miseducate/misinform the reading public on the status of a Town Clerk in Guyana. On that occasion, it was postulated that the relationship between the Town Clerk of the M&CC of Georgetown and that of a Regional Executive Officer (REO) of a Regional Democratic Council are the same.

On this occasion, this letter is in response to Minister Whittaker, the Minister responsible for Local Government, who has indulged in the same travesty. In one of his recent excursions, in the press, he pontificated that the Town Clerk of the M&CC of Georgetown is analogous to a Regional Executive Officer and as such can conduct the business of that office in a manner similar to the conduct of an REO in the execution of his/her office.

This is far from the truth. It may have been either a misadventure or an attempt to mislead. In either circumstance, the public should be told the truth. I also hope that this instance is not indicative of the public education that is being conducted, under the Minister’s auspices, on the reformed elements of the local government system.

While the City Council and a Regional Democratic Council (RDC) are both statutory/corporate bodies, the only power that the RDC is actively vested with is the authority to carry out delegated functions on behalf of central ministries.

In that regard, a RDC is responsible to some central ministry for every act it carries out. Its resources are provided through a parliamentary appropriation under the Ministry of Local Government and its Regional Executive Officer (administrative head) is appointed by the Ministry as an employee of the Ministry.

Such an appointee additionally functions as the Clerk of the RDC and is separately appointed as the Accounting Officer by the Ministry of Finance.

What is the scenario with the City Council? The City Council is a revenue raising body. It raises its own revenue through taxes and may be given a subvention by Central Government. It has its own budget in keeping with its statutory provisions.

It also has statutory officers whose functions are prescribed by statutes, which specifically states: “He shall have the duty of ensuring that the business of the council is carried out with order, regularity and expedition in accordance with the by-laws, resolutions and standing orders of the council.” (inter alia).

The “He” there refers to the Town Clerk. What is clear from this provision is the duty of the clerk to act in accordance with the “resolutions” of the Council. It should also be noted that there is a provision that specifies: “If the council or any of its committees acts against or rejects his advice, he shall be entitled to require that his advice be recorded in the minutes.”

A Town Clerk may also be required to act against his/her own advice once the action does not fly in the face of the law.

Hence, the Town Clerk shares no analogy with a REO. It is also interesting to note that in the case of the City Council, the Treasurer is the statutory officer responsible for finances and may report directly to the council on such matters. This is quite different from the RDC where the REO is also the chief financial officer.

It is unfortunate that public officials are either illinformed or find it convenient to be strangers to the truth.

Yours truly, Vincent

Alexander

A case of sexual harassment of a teacher

Dear Editor, I was at the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) to inform the senior officers there about a document that a regional education official refused to approve. The official appeared to be sexually attracted to me and kept on calling and inquiring about my location.

He wrote a letter to the Ministry of Education inquiring about the document. The matter was brought to the attention of someone who also made sexual advances.

Collateral damage from budget cuts is irresponsible

Dear Editor

I write with concern and frustration regarding the outcome of the 2014 Budget deliberations in the National Assembly. At the outset, I wish to state that I believe it is healthy for governments to be held accountable by the elected opposition (as indeed by the entire populace) for their degree of spending, administration of programmes and the policies which dictate spending.

In many jurisdictions around the world, the beneficiary in minority government situations are the people, for even though governing with a minority is difficult, this situation often forces elected representatives to develop the maturity to seek compromise, which normally accrues to the benefit of a wider cross section of the population.

Therefore, I am not at all unhappy to see our elected Opposition tasking Government to defend its spending, administration and policies.

What concerns me, however, is the cavalier approach to what has been termed “collateral damage.” In the mature language of compromise and responsible behaviour, which I firmly believe we have a right to expect of our elected officials, this phrase should be regarded as an obscenity.

I direct one of the state entities which have been damaged collaterally: the Institute of Applied Science and Technology, which is among a handful of other agencies whose entire budget has been disapproved, simply because the budgets of these agencies were aggregated together with a few state entities with which the collective Opposition has significant issues.

It is not my jurisdiction or intention to examine the merits or demerits of the Opposition’s vexation with these agencies, as there are able and eminently more qualified individuals on both the Government and Opposition benches whose job it is to concern themselves with such matters of national importance.

The regional official called to inquire and the disapproval was overturned. Some problems erupted pertaining to these inquiries. I reported the matter to the Guyana Teachers Union and the Ministry of Education.

An investigating panel was appointed in March 2013 (names provided). I am still awaiting the outcome of the investigation.

Sincerely,

Name and address withheld by request

My simple question is –does the collective Opposition really believe it is responsibly acting in the interest of the Guyanese populace when “collateral damage” is not only a reality, but when there has been no utterance from these elected officials on the way forward for the stricken agencies?

I meet, as is unavoidable in small Guyana, and indeed am friendly with, many of the elected Opposition as well as elected officials on the Government side. Not a single one of these elected officials have indicated to me that they felt the IAST is underperforming.

Indeed, the criticism I have received from the President is that the institute has not been doing enough to commercialise

its exciting research projects, a criticism with which I concur, and we have been taking steps to address this lack, despite some of the inherent systemic barriers to research commercialisation in Guyana.

In fact, Mr Ramjattan has often commended me for the work that we do at the institute, and Mr Nagamootoo has in the past recommended foreign investors interested in peat gas to the institute. Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, who I meet from time to time, also has never indicated anything but admiration for what we have been doing at the institute.

This is of course not to suggest that there is no room for improvement or that we are well funded and well-staffed. But in general, our efforts have been met with approbation, particularly by those who have taken the time to actually observe first-hand what is happening at the institution.

I can therefore only conclude that the collective Opposition has been gravely irresponsible in allowing entities with which they have no articulated issue, such as the IAST, to be placed in an untenable situation with respect to both their operational and capital allocations for 2014.

Incidentally, the institute’s capital expenditure for 2014 was targeted at the acquisition of equipment which was crucial to one of our more important projects: the replacement of mercury in gold mining with activated carbon produced from locally sourced coconut shells (successfully practised elsewhere around the world).

Given the imminent ban on mercury and the crucial role of the gold sector in the national product, is it not cav-

alier for this kind of project to be relegated to the mortuary because of “collateral damage?” The IAST loses skilled labour constantly to the developed world – only a few months ago, we lost one of our Ph D chemists to Israel.

In the main, this is due to the uncompetitive salaries available, but I can assure you that the current uncertainty of how the institute is to meet its employment and operational expenditures has presented major challenges to staff motivation and morale, and certainly does not help the brain drain.

Furthermore, it is now the end of April – for how long will we allow the follow up negotiations to continue, whilst the collaterally damaged agencies limp along in limbo – doing nothing for the national good, losing morale, and certainly, not being efficient with the taxpayers’ dollars. It is unconscionable for functioning agencies with important mandates to be held ransom.

It is also dangerous for the elected Opposition to assume that they are exempt from being concerned that

such agencies function – every Opposition of every nation must be as concerned with good governance and effective functioning of state agencies as is the Government of the day, or they effectively demonstrate that they are not fit to form a responsible government.

I am therefore calling on the elected Opposition of this country to demonstrate to us that they can be mature, that they are not willing to slash and burn in a manner which engenders that obscenity –“collateral damage”, and that when this occurs, they are willing to take responsibility to suggest compromised ways in which to avoid damage to programmes important to the national fabric and national competitiveness.

Why am I calling on the Opposition and not the Government? The Opposition proposed the cuts and enforced them with their majority in the national legislature.

Yours sincerely, Suresh Narine Director, IAST

Page Foundation

Keep skills sharp during Easter break

Help your child stay at the top of his learning game during the holiday vacation — no flashcards involved!

The Easter break means a well-deserved reprieve from homework and daily obligations. But before you know it, the holidays will be over and it will be back to the bus stop. To prepare for a smooth re-entry and a successful third term, don’t let school skills like reading, writing, and math slide completely during the Easter vacation. Try these family-friendly activities

to keep skills sharp:

Read for pleasure. Whether your child is in the mood for holiday stories like the Story of Easter or the newest instalment from his favourite series, the Easter break provides the perfect opportunity to stash schoolbooks and read for fun. Encourage relatives to give books as holiday gifts or gather together (big children too!) to take turns reading from classic tales.

Cook up an easy lesson. Invite your child into the kitchen to help you

whip up a special dish — from cookies to pancakes. All of those half-tablespoon and quarter-cup measurements are great practice with fractions.

Write thank-you notes. Penning notes of appreciation to gift-givers teaches gratitude and helps polish writing and spelling skills. Not sure what to say? Check out our thank-you note template for wording.

Make the most of car rides. Turn the drive to or from a holiday get-together into an opportunity to

practise letters and numbers. You can look for licence plates from different series, try to find the alphabet on the licence plates, or count the number of red (or white or black) cars you see.

Maintain reasonable bedtimes. With no school to get up for in the morning, it can be tempting to let children become night owls. A few days before school starts up again, ease back into the regular bedtime schedule so your child can start the final term bright-eyed.

Ask for grocery list assistance. Have your child help choose what to buy, decide how much you need, check your supplies to see what you’ve already got, and write or draw pictures on the list.

Let children play online games. An hour or two on the computer will help children work on their computer skills.

Have a family game night. Chances are many of your family’s favourite board and card games reinforce skills such as counting, reading, and drawing. Gather the group to play games you usually don’t have time for on school nights. (www.scholastic.com)

Several tips for becoming a super grandfather (Part two)

Spoil them but carefully. Every grandfather looks forward to the opportunity to spoil his grandchildren and to give them things and time that will help them be happy. But grandfathers need to be a little careful as well. Feeding them ice cream half an hour before dinner is not a good idea.

Remember to think about the bigger picture when you are tempted to spoil them. It is also good to remember that children love quality time spent with them as much or more than they love toys, video games and treats. Think more about making memories than adding to the toy box.

Focus on simple fun

Sometimes, grandparents can be complicated as far as their interactions with the grandchildren. Try to keep interactions simple and direct. While a trip to Disneyland may be good occasionally, you don’t have to have major league entertainment all the time. Reading together, playing with the children in the yard and just talking over some treats can be the best interactions of all. Give age-appropriate gifts. Sometimes grandparents are so excited about giving gifts to the grandchildren that they forget what they are capable of enjoying. An electronic tablet might be good for a 10-year-old but not for a two-year-old. Think about their maturity level, their motor skills and their attention span when considering gifts for them. And always remember safety for the smallest ones – too small parts can be choking hazards. Most toys have age guidelines printed on the box, and checking these are a good way to make sure that your gift will work and be a good thing for the children.

Don’t take risks Parents are often a little over-protective of their children, while grandparents have seen children grow up with all kinds of risky experience and turn out just fine. But grandchildren are not the ones with whom grandfathers should take risks. Always buckle them up in the car in a safe car seat. If you take them on a motorbike, make sure they are wearing a helmet. Don’t leave them out of sight anytime you are in charge. Just make sure that you are keeping the importance of their safety and health at the top of mind in your interactions.

Truly, grandfathering is a great gig. It can be a lot of fun and very rewarding if you follow just a few simple rules, take appropriate precautions, and make sure that you are having meaningful and fun interactions with the grandchildren. (Excerpt

Man hacked to death at Kaneville

– body discovered days later

By Vahnu Manikchand

The body of a 40-yearold man was discovered on Tuesday morning days after he was allegedly hacked to death by his brother.

The dead man has been identified as Jairam Teekaram of Third Field, Kaneville, East Bank Demerara. According to a police press release, Teekaram’s body was discovered around 06:30h in the yard and bore several chop wounds. Guyana Times understands that the two men had an argument on Sunday evening during which Teekaram was chopped about his body and left in the yard covered with a piece of carpet.

Teekaram’s body was discovered Tuesday morning after the next door neighbour noticed his head sticking out from the carpet. He had sustained deep chop wounds to his head and upper body. Before heading over to investigate, neighbours tried to make contact with the man’s son to find out where he was, since initially, they were not sure if the body was his. However, by this time, a former workmate came to the house looking for Teekaram, and after seeing toes peeking out from under the carpet, he uncovered the severely chopped body.

When Guyana Times visited the scene, neighbours related what they

knew about the incident. According to one woman on Sunday evening, Teekaram had consumed alcohol and went home; he and another man, who was staying there at the time, subsequently fell asleep.

She added that his brother “Jasho” came home late that evening and began beating the two men; however, the other man ran out of the yard and sought refuge at a stall about two houses away. The woman said they saw “Jasho” hitting his brother and asking him if “y’all get money?”. The woman said that she dismissed the incident, thinking that it was another regular squabble the brothers were having, but then “Jasho” came out and told the other man “you gone be next… go see what I do to that one in there, must go see”.

GECOM’s deputy CEO will not renew contract

Come July 31, Calvin Benn will not renew his contract as the Deputy Chief Election Officer (DCEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This pronouncement came shortly after reports surfaced on local news websites that the DCEO had quit his post at the entity. However, GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally on Tuesday denied those reports stating that he was aware that the DCEO was on leave for two months and there was nothing more to it, opting not to comment further on the reports. Guyana Times, however, subsequently learnt that Benn had indicated that he will not be renewing his contract with the commission, and, as such, will have to vacate his post when his contract expires in March. It was also revealed that Benn had cited some personal and health issues when he notified the Commission that he will not be continuing his service.

In fear, the man fled the area and on Monday morning “Jasho” was seen leaving for work. He then returned in the evening and was cooking as though things were normal.

Another woman told this newspaper that when she heard the argument on Sunday and looked into the yard, she saw “Jasho” armed with cutlasses and he seemed to be hitting his brother. “I didn’t know he was chopping Nas, it look like he was hitting him,” she recalled. The woman continued that on Tuesday morning, her husband was in their yard when he noticed a human head sticking out from under the carpet.

Neighbours said Teekaram recently moved in with his brother after he fell ill. “His brother used to do everything cook, clean and

they does get their lil’ fight but nothing like this ever happen,” one woman said.

The body of Teekaram

was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour to await a post-mortem examination, which is expected to be done

today. “Jasho” was taken into custody to assist with the investigations. (vahnm@ guyanatimesgy.com)

The Commission is set to meet in the coming week when commissioners will discuss the issue. Benn, who had also applied for the post of CEO, subsequently withdrew his application, practically clearing the way for the appointment of Keith Lowenfield.

In a statement at that time, GECOM had said Benn was not interviewed, because he tendered a letter dated March 10, 2014, regretfully informing the entity that he was no longer interested in the post and, by way of said letter, was withdrawing his application for the post. “Benn submitted in his letter that he had engaged in some serious reflection during a recent period of illness and has concluded that it would be unwise for him to compete for the position of Chief Election Officer,” the GECOM statement read. Further, he had also expressed regrets to the Commission for any inconvenience which might have been caused by his change of heart.

No bail for alleged serial robber

Shawn Davis, a vendor of 164 Charlotte Street, Georgetown on Tuesday appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan on two counts of robbery.

The first charge read that on March 6 in Georgetown, the 43-yearold man along with others unknown robbed Roopchand Maraj of one gold chain valued $300,000 while the second charge read that on April 16

at Croal Street, he robbed Annalisa Ross of one gold chain valued at $150,000.

Davis who had no lawyer was not required to plea to either of the indictable charges. However, Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones, requested the matter to stand trial in The Magistrates’ Courts as opposed to the High Court and the defendant at this stage was given a chance to plea and he pleaded not guilty to both of

the offences.

Prosecutor Jones objected to bail citing that the defendant has similar matters in the courts.The defendant, however, interjected, denying that he has pending matters while arguing that he had no previous brushes with the law. Davis was remanded to prison and the matter was adjourned until May 8 when statements will be read.

Grove man jailed in Essequibo for narco trafficking

Imran Mohamed, 37, from Grove, East Bank Demerara, was fined $30,000 and sentenced to three years' imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. Mohamed appeared before

Magistrate Sunil Scarce, On Tuesday at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court.

Presenting the facts of the case, Prosecutor Krishnadatt Ramana said it is alleged that on Monday, April 21 at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast the

defendant had in his possession two grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Mohamed was not represented by any attorney. Mohamed told the court that he had visited the coast and was waiting to go in the interior to work.

Duo fined for ganja possession

On Tuesday Mark Denny and Dexter Klass were charged separately for possession of cannabis after they appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

It is alleged that on April 14, Mark Denny was found in possession of three grams of cannabis. Meanwhile, it was alleged that Dexter Klass was found in possession of 1 gram of cannabis on April 17 in Albouystown. The men who were both unrepresented pleaded not guilty to the charge and told the court that they had no previous trouble with the law.

Denny who is a 38-year-old Albouystown resident is a mason by profession and Klass who is unemployed were both fined $3000 and ordered to serve six months community service for which they are required to report to the Ruimveldt Police Station at specified times.

Man on five gun-related charges

Paul Thompson was on Tuesday slapped with five gun-related charges when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The 29-year-old plead-

ed not guilty to the first charge which read that on April 17 in Charlestown, he was found in possession of five live 1.54 rounds of ammunition without a licence. While the second charge read that on the same day he was found in possession of a 1.54 Smith and Wesson pistol. He, however, pleaded guilty to this charge. The third and fourth charges alleged that, Thompson, with intent to commit murder, discharged a loaded firearm at Deon Gibson and Alarick Edwards. He was not re-

quired to plea to either of these charges. The final charge against the Kitty, Georgetown resident was an attempted robbery under arms. It is alleged that on the same day, Thompson attempted to rob Rafick Singh. He was not required to plea to this charge. The defendant who was unrepresented, is a miner and told the court that he hadno previous brushes with the law. Police Prosecutor Michael Grant objected to bail and Thompson was remanded until May 9, when statements will be read.

Eyew tness

Eyes on the sky...

...after Easter

Guyanese are fond of boasting that they’re lucky: no hurricanes to deal with!! Well, you’d be hard pressed to prove that point after viewing the debris your humble Eyewitness saw in the parks, on the sea wall, and...well...EVERYWHERE...on his way to work yesterday. If your Eyewitness didn’t know better, he’d swear the hurricane belt had just shifted several degrees latitude to the South.

What’s it with we Guyanese? Don’t we ever look downwards? Don’t we see how the garbage we dumped so nonchalantly on the ground, looks? Yesterday was Easter: the day that, even if you’re not Christian, you’re aware that God had visited earth. And is this how we honour that memory? By dropping on that earth our plastic bags, Styrofoam containers, plastic bottles, spoons and forks – and whatever else that we didn’t want to take back home!?

The mind is boggled to think how the revellers put up with the garbage while they were picnicking. Or is it like being in the old pit latrines: after a few minutes, you just don’t notice the stench?

Now your Eyewitness is sure there’ll be the retort that the “organisers” didn’t provide bins for the garbage. But let’s get real: would it really have mattered? Fact of the matter is most of us have such a low self esteem, we treat ourselves as garbage. And of course, the place our “selves” happen to be from.

It’s like the old Groucho Marx gag: “I wouldn’t belong to a club that’ll have me as a member!!” But interestingly, the moment we decamp for “overseas” we walk for miles to find a garbage can. This shows that it’s not that we don’t know better but we just project our poor self image onto our country.

Keeping the surroundings clean is for “foreign”. And the claim about garbage cans doesn’t hold up also because if Guyanese are in “foreign” and there’re no cans, like the other natives they’ll put it in their bags.

OK? Now that your Eyewitness has gotten that off his chest, he has to ask what’re we going to do about this dropping of our garbage behind us like Gretels leaving trails in the jungle? Well, this is one Eyewitness that doesn’t believe in just moral exhortations to “do the right thing”.

Sorry, but we have a very bleak view of human nature. Unless there’re some real heavy sanctions for littering in this country, we’re going to have our parks looking like after Hurricane Gilbert it struck.

We say, if people litter, name them, fine them and shame them. Especially the shame, like with pictures in the papers.

...with bauxite

We’re glad the Government finally woke up to Bosai’s foot dragging on the billion-dollar alumina plant promised back in 2008. OK...they did say that they had to do a feasibility study. But it was quite insulting to be told that because of heavy overburden the project wasn’t feasible. From the moment we began to mine bauxite here back in 1917, everyone and their uncle in the bauxite business knew that “overburden” was our reality.

But Block 37, which is what Bosai’s been lusting for –and the Government’s now pulled – after all isn’t your run -of-the-mill bauxite. It has one of the largest deposits of RASC bauxite in the world – high in aluminium oxide and low in iron.

It’s used as a “sweetener” to up the aluminium content of metal grade bauxite (MAZ) but more importantly, is used to produce the bricks that make the furnaces that keep the world's metallurgical industry going.

No alumina plant: no Block 37. And we hope the Opposition don’t have their eyes in the sky and start backing foreign interests again.

...on LEAD

Even if the Government doesn’t want to call in UNASUR right now, shouldn’t it at least bring the LEAD programme to the attention of Caricom?

“Severe crisis looms at UG”

...from budget cuts, Vice Chancellor warns

By Alexis Rodney

University of Guyana Vice Chancellor,

Professor Jacob Opadeyi has said that a severe crisis will ensue at the tertiary institution if the decision taken by the parliamentary Opposition to disapproved UG’s budgetary allocation is not reversed.

He said the situation is troubling since thousands of University students will be directly affected. He was at the time speaking to this publication in an exclusive interview, at his University of Guyana Turkeyen Office on Tuesday.

Professor Opadeyi explained that the situation is further complicated, since loans to students are offered on a yearly basis. He said if something is not urgently done about the situation, some 3500 students will not be able to enrol in the new academic year, which commences in September. “… the University not having this money to cushion our expenditure is a big blow. On the other hand is to know that over 3500 students will be affected by this development... in real terms that is over 50 per cent of our students... If we do not have that income to come in, we’ll have implications”.

Repercussions

Such consequences include the University’s inability to hire and retain staff members and meet other overhead costs. He said the situation is a wakeup call

for the University to determine how it will be funded.

Opadeyi confessed that the institution’s current income – including its subvention –cannot meet its expenditure, thus stifling its ability to grow and improve its facilities. He said the University over the past two years has been running on a deficit. And thus, the thought of not being able to access that $450 million, he noted, is “very devastating”.

“The University cannot fund itself”, Opadeyi remarked nor can it base its existence on trying to predict what will happen in the National Assembly. The Vice Chancellor stressed that the educational institution is not interested in the politics of the day. What holds its interest is the $450 million allocation. He has, therefore, made a simple plea to the Opposition to reconsider its decision and to work concertedly towards

any move that will improve the University. “So here we have submitted the budget for this year. The budget is based on expected numbers of students and the income we are going to get. So if the $450 million is subtracted from that, then we really have to wonder if we should close shop and what we are really doing in the education of our students.”

Opadeyi revealed that although the University receives a yearly budgetary allocation of $1.4 billion, it is still underfunded. The Chancellor explained that “you need money to look good”, pointing out that the lack of adequate funds continues to cripple the University’s growth. “You will see we have begun painting our buildings, but it’s only some of the buildings and not all. The challenge is if you do not have the resource that you need to make progress, you’ll look like a lazy man. So our challenge is managing our finances.”

Challenges

He said the institution also faces the challenge of paying workers’ salaries. According to him, this should not be happening. He said the University should be in a position where the money needed for the year is readily accessible from the bank, but it does not have “that luxury”.

He explained further that because of the unique timeframe in which the University operates, it may

be difficult for it to survive financially. The Vice Chancellor said while Government’s budget covers January to December, the University’s financial year runs from September to May. He said that the institution has to wait until April after the budget consideration, before it knows how much money it will receive.

He reminded that plans are still afoot to increase the tuition fees, since the current rate is inadequate to support the University in real terms. He pointed out that the University is also looking at staff promotion, among other things.

This calamity, he lamented, is injurious, and “there will be an increase in tuition before the end of this year”. He continued: “This is why this issue of the nonapproval of the budget is a concern for the students, but certainly, we are going to make moves to make sure that our fees are increased one way or the other and students will have to start looking at ways to finance their education under the circumstances”. Whether or not the funds for UG are approved, Opadeyi concluded, the fees will be increased.

Last week, the combined parliamentary Opposition

voted against funding for several Finance Ministry programmes, including the $450 million allocated to the University for student loans. Over the years, a vast majority of the student population at the country’s premier tertiary institution benefited from student loans and a large percentage of new undergraduates continue to apply for this facility. President Ramotar had stated that the loan facility is designed to assist bright, young Guyanese to further ready themselves to make their contribution to the country’s development.

Jamaican drug traffickers for court today

The two Jamaican nationals intercepted with the compressed marijuana at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) are expected to be arraigned today.

According to Police Public Relations Officer Ivelaw Whittaker, investigations were conducted and the duo is expected to charged and placed before the courts.

On Monday around

07:00h, ranks of the Police Narcotics Branch at the CJIA discovered the drug when conducting routine searches on the luggage of a male and female Jamaican who were incoming passengers on a Fly Jamaica flight from the island. A total of 28 kilograms of compressed marijuana was unearthed.

The duo was taken into custody and investigations were launched.

In the national drug re-

port for 2012, it was revealed that police seized 80.587 kilograms of cocaine, 16 grams of hashish, and 40 grams of ecstasy for the year 2012. In addition, 18 fields with an estimated total of 130,950 kilograms of marijuana were destroyed during 12 cannabis eradication exercises. There was an additional 513 cannabis seizures during the year, which yielded 1089 kilograms.

Green denies bullying rates collectors on Easter Monday

Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green is reportedly being investigated for allegedly bullying revenue collection staff of the Mayor and City Council, by seizing the key for a vehicle they were using and the money they had collected on Easter Monday. But he has denied the allegations, saying he is anxiously waiting to see what the police will do.

This was revealed by acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba at a news conference on Tuesday. Sooba blasted Mayor Green for his alleged actions on Easter Monday when he took to the sea wall with his bodyguards along with Deputy Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen and another councillor, Gregory Fraser, and allegedly took away the keys to the Council’s vehicle which was transporting the revenue collection officials and the monies they collected.

In addition, the Mayor allegedly ordered and encouraged vendors and patrons not to pay a cent to the rate collectors. The tax collectors reportedly proceeded to the Alberttown Police Station immediately after the incident and lodged a formal complaint. However, when Green was approached for the keys to the vehicle, he denied he ever had the keys.

Sooba is further calling on the Mayor to issue an apology to her tax collectors and the councillors, since he allegedly accused them of being “thieves”.

Sooba told media operatives present at the briefing that the move was a new strategy by the Mayor and his followers to tarnish her reputation along with those of her councillors, noting that they have sunk to “an all-time low”.

Police action

The acting Town Clerk disclosed that Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker would have already been briefed and a report was sent to him on the incident. She stated that it was now up to the Minister to decide what action will be taken against the Mayor, while the Police will have to decide if they are going to institute criminal charges against him.

She said the collection of revenue from vendors on Easter Monday has been practised by the Council

for more than 20 years now and she could not understand why the Mayor and his councillors did not support the initiative this year.

Mayor Green, when contacted by Guyana Times , for a comment on the issue stated that the acting Town Clerk had her own agenda and was not telling the public the whole story. Green related that despite reports by various sections of the media, he did not have any bodyguards with him on the sea wall on the day in question and was only accompanied by the Deputy Mayor and Councillor Fraser.

He disclosed that upon their arrival at the sea wall, he was made to understand that a family who were picnicking under a small tent were made to pay $10,000 despite that the fact that they were only picnicking.

Intervention

He stated that soon after he observed an elderly woman who was selling plantain chips being bullied by the tax collectors to also pay $10,000. The Mayor said it was then he and the Deputy Mayor intervened since the woman was crying, lamenting that her plantain chips could not generate $10,000 for herself much less to pay them.

“The Deputy Mayor then intervened and informed them that the Council had never assented to the sale of vending

spots and as such, they should not be collecting money from anyone,” Green said.

He disclosed that at no time did he call the Town Clerk’s tax collectors thieves despite the fact that they were bargaining with patrons on the sea wall for amounts ranging from $5000 to $10,000. He reiterated that he had never taken the keys to the vehicle and would like to see on what grounds the police would arrest him and institute charges.

Deputy Mayor ChaseGreen echoed similar sentiments, noting that Sooba was wrong on her part as the Council had never given authorisation for the sale of spots to be conducted. “The Town Clerk must know her place in this Council. It is called the Georgetown Mayor and City Council and not the Town Clerk and her Officers. Permission was never given to her to conduct the sale of vending spots along the sea walls. She constantly harps that the activity has been going on for years and it happens every year, but what she did not mention was that permission was always sought and given before the sales begin. Even if she was selling vending spots, why should picnicking families be forced to pay?” Chase-Green questioned. She noted that she will be keeping a close eye on the matter and is waiting to hear what the Minister will have to say on the issue.

Easter musings

Satiricus was resting up in his hammock. It wasn’t easy running around with the kids on Easter Monday with the kites and all that. The wife had put her foot down on Satiricus hanging out with the fellas at the back street bar. She had this weird idea that he needed to be a model to his son.

“God help the kid,” sighed Satiricus, “if he has to become a newspaper hack like his old man.” But he’d hung around and tugged at the kite and ate the stale polouirie with sour. He had to admit he felt a bit virtuous.

And thinking about “virtue” as he started to doze, his thoughts flashed to Rum Jhaat – leader of the KFC. Not that the man had virtue but at his amazing lack of any visible sign of that quality. Satiricus had been forced to cover the Budget Debates and of all the people in Parliament, he’d been struck at the singular ability of Rum Jhaat to speak from both sides of his mouth. Combined with the man’s ability to look in the same two directions to which his mouth spoke, Rum Jhaat was duplicity incarnate.

Take his take on Amerindian development. From one side of his mouth, looking in the direction of his house Amerindian Geraldo, tears rolled down Rum Jhaat’s cheeks as he described the trials and tribulations of that unfortunate group of Guyanese.

But with the other eye fixed balefully in the direction of the Minister of Finance, Ashanee, the words were spat out from the other side of his mouth to chop the $1 billion Development Fund for the Amerindians.

On the day the House was considering the Speciality Hospital, like the Ancient Mariner of yore, Rum Jhaat had fixed his beady left eye on his erstwhile ex-comrade Berry Rumsarran and screamed, from the opposite side of his mouth: “Cut the funding!! Show no mercy...take no prisoners. We don’t need no fancy hospital. We just need for my friend from UPA to get the drug contracts!”

Then in an amazing demonstration of oral and ocular gymnastics, he simultaneously purred softly to his friends, as his other eye gazed on the opposite side in the APANU benches, “But my friends, if we can get my own most qualified contacts from India to build the hospital, then of course, we need to vote for the funding.

And don’t believe a word the Government says that my friends are my clients. All I do is for love, not money.”

As Satiricus nodded off to sleep, he wondered if Rum Jhaat had actually said, “All I do is for love of money.”

Caricom officials to discuss consumer protection

The Caricom Rapid Alert System for Information Exchange on Dangerous Goods (CARREX) will be the focus of the Seventh Meeting of Caricom’s Consumer Affairs body, in Jamaica on April 24 and 25. CARREX is part of a Caricom Secretariat project, funded by the European Union under the 10th European Development

Fund (EDF); and is intended to boost consumer protection and confidence and to improve the quality of products entering and trading on the regional market. According to a Caricom Secretariat release, the CARREX programme will ensure that dangerous goods entering the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) are tracked and removed from the market. These goods

Minibus conductor allegedly drowns in Enterprise Canal

The body of a Route 44 minibus conductor, who was suspected to have drowned, was fished out of the Enterprise Sideline Canal, East Coast Demerara on Tuesday. His body was discovered about 14:00h by a group of relatives.

The dead man was identified as Parmanand “Birdo” Ramnauth, 33, of Lot 121 Ghandi Street, Enterprise.

According to information received, Ramnauth left home on Monday evening around 21:00h to join some friends at the Enterprise Pasture to celebrate Easter, but did not return home.

After his mother, Chandroutie Ramnauth, woke up on Tuesday morning and realised that he was not at home, she contacted her son-in-law and informed him of the situation.

The son-in-law in turn organised a search party and went to look for the man; after several hours, Ramnauth’s body was seen floating in the trench.

There were no visible marks of violence; hence, foul play was ruled out. The body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home to await a post-mortem examination.

The grieving mother recalled last seeing her son alive when he left home claiming that he was going to the pasture. She said after time passed and her son did not return home, she retired to bed. She said when she woke up on Tuesday morning and did not see him, which was unusual, she made a few telephone calls to inquire if anyone had seen him, but to no avail.

The distraught mother said she informed her sonin-law and he immediately went in search of her son. After a while, she saw her son-in-law returning with tears in his eyes and suspected that something was amiss. As he walked into the yard, he related the devastating news.

According to the distressed woman, her son would normally consume alcohol and she believed that he might have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of his demise. It is suspected that he had fallen overboard while crossing a bridge that leads to his home.

Ramnauth leaves to mourn his parents and three siblings.

cover a wide range of product categories, including toys, motor vehicles, jewellery, and furniture.

In the coming months, the programme will support Caricom member states to develop their national warning systems to improve market surveillance of non-food consumer goods. A series of national consultations with consumer agencies and institutions such as the Bureaus of Standards, and Ministries of Health and Agriculture will be held as part of this process. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will also benefit from capacity building to accelerate regional consumer participation in this programme.

The meeting in Jamaica will serve both as a platform on which to assess

the performance of the CARREX programme to date, as well as to heighten awareness and to strengthen the CSME.

The meeting convened by the Caricom Secretariat includes representatives from the Caricom Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The meeting will also be attended by representatives of the Organisation of American States (OAS), who have been specially invited to discuss cooperation and collaboration with the CARREX and the OAS Rapid Alert System for Exchange of Information (RAPEX) and Consumer Safety and Health Network (CSHN) for countries in the hemisphere.

Works Ministry purchases eight bikes for police

Eight motorcycles were purchased, through the Public Works Ministry, for the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to strengthen its traffic capability, a release from the Ministry said.

The Works Services Group (WSG), a department within the Ministry, paid $14,815,736 for the motorcycles and their spare parts. According to WSG Coordinator Geoffrey Vaughn, the procurement falls under the department’s Road Safety/Traffic/ Maintenance section, which “is tasked with utilising some of its international funding to plan, implement and execute various projects, which are aimed at addressing safety issues on our road network, including the safety and monitoring of our roadways”.

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn will hand over the motorcycles to the Police by the end of the month. Vaughn added that it was only fitting for the Ministry to provide the necessary support to protect “our human resources which is our main asset”.

The funds for the motorcycles were made possible through a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

“The GoG [Government of Guyana] would like to thank the IDB for their continuous support for projects such as this,” Vaughn said.

The Ministry has provided motorcycles and other devices to the Police on previous occasions and will continue to support these joint ventures with the GDF.

wednesday, april 23, 2014 | guyanatimesgy.com

Vandals leave thousands without phone service in city

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company has expressed regrets to thousands of its customers whose telephone services are affected as a result of the vandalism of a 2400pair feeder cable. Fifteen metres of the cable were stolen over the Easter weekend in the Sophia area.

This has resulted in the disruption of telephone services to customers in Bel Voir Court, Bel Air, Prashad Nagar, Sophia, Blygezight and surrounding areas, GT&T said in a statement. “The damage was severe and thus extensive repairs, including civil works, would be necessary. It is expected that repairs would be completed within four to five days and services fully restored,” the company explained.

According to GT&T, these acts of vandalism continue to affect the rollout of ser-

vices nationally, since resources have to be diverted from scheduled works.

“Community welfare and security are also affected. GT&T expresses its regret for the inconvenience caused and reit-

erates its call for communities to be vigilant for persons who set out to destroy such vital communication infrastructure and to report such acts to the police and to GT&T’s vandalism hotline 0908.”

Nine prisoners freed through intervention by FFTP

Nine non-violent prisoners from the Georgetown and Timehri prisons were released through the intervention of the Food For The Poor (FFTP) Organisation two Mondays ago in time to spend the Easter holidays with their families and friends.

According to a release, the prisoners were confined to prison because of their inability to pay fines, even though

the amounts in some instances were very small. The prisoners were addressed by FFTP Guyana Chief Executive Officer Kent Vincent, Chairman Paul Chan-a- Sue, Secretary Paulette Charles, and acting Director of Prisons Wilton Trotz, of the Guyana Prison Service. They all implored the inmates to seek God, to walk in the path of godliness and to be good and decent citi-

zens of their country.

The prisoners then expressed their thanks to FFTP Inc President and Chief Executive Officer Robin Mahfood via Skype, who told them to thank God for their freedom and not to return to prison. Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Programme is based on the scripture, Matthew 25:36: “I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

New LIAT CEO takes office

The newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LIAT, David Evans has taken the reins of the regional airline, promising to listen to staff to determine how to improve the carrier.

“The years I have spent in the airline business have taught me that there is no monopoly of wisdom in the CEO’s office,” Evans said, according to a release by LIAT. The new LIAT Chief Executive underscored the value of listening to staff “who are close to the customers and who have the best insight into what the customers want and need”.

Evans, an aviation veteran who was responsible for the Caribbean when he was Area Manager for British Airways, announced he plans to begin his duties by listening to the shareholders, staff, the customers, and LIAT stakeholders “who definitely know the airline much better than I do”.

Leveraging his experience working in 14 countries

on four continents, Evans stressed that communication will be central for LIAT, both internally with his staff and externally with the travelling public, but added that he will be staying true to the mantra of “keeping it simple” and avoid over complicating messages.

Service is key

The new CEO believes taking good care of customers is the basis of success and declared that the airline’s service will be a key differentiator because “it is people who deliver service not airplanes and engines”.

Evans has served a number of airlines in several re-

well, and what we can do better,” he said, indicating that putting in place some small wins to improve performance while laying down longer term plans will be part and parcel of his approach,. Evans is a results-driven executive with more than 35 years of experience in senior roles within the aviation industry. He speaks Spanish, French, German and Mandarin Chinese, and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Lancaster University and Combined Honours in Modern Languages from Wadham College, Oxford University, England. He assumes the Chief Executive responsi-

gions and is convinced of the importance of positioning LIAT as the airline “of the Caribbean and for the Caribbean”. Turning to LIAT’s reflection process, Evans said the new ATR aircraft represent a major opportunity to enhance the in-flight experience, and LIAT’s route network makes it a very attractive partner to international carriers.

“I will focus on what we do

bilities from Julie ReiferJones, who has been Acting CEO since the resignation of Ian Brunton in September 2013. LIAT is one of the leading Caribbean airlines. It is owned by regional shareholders, with major shareholders being the Governments of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Environment Ministry partnering with Chenapau on developing Kaieteur National Park

Work is underway to improve the conservation and management of the Kaieteur National Park, with the village of Chenapau slated to play an even greater role.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, in a release, said through the Protected Areas Commission, (PAC); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, it has been focused on community projects and consistent engagement with the village as the enhancement project continues.

The community was a key player in the preparation of the draft Kaieteur National Park management plan. The management planning process involved multiple community meetings, which documented and verified community input and concerns. With the recent creation of the PAC, the draft plan was taken back to the community and a two-day meeting was held with the Council and the larger community. The draft plan is now being updated and finalised and will again be sent back to the community for final comments.

A key concern raised during the management planning process was the need for training, jobs, and livelihood

development. In response to these requests, the Ministry and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) conducted a weeklong tour guide training in October 2013, which involved 19 residents from four communities in Region Eight. In early 2014, four trainees from among the top performers were hired as wardens at the National Park. At that point, Kaieteur National Park’s staff consisted of three Chenapau residents (including the Senior Warden), two from Paramakatoi, and one from Karisparu.

Strong ties As far back as 1999, Chenapau has had multiple representatives on the Kaieteur National Park Board, who were part of discussions and decision-making on the development and management of the Park. This was following the inclusion of additional state land in the expansion of the Park to protect more of the Potaro watershed. Chenapau was also given the right, which it still enjoys, to use the Park for traditional hunting, fishing and gathering activities and other sustainable livelihoods. However, mining was prohibited because of the sensitive nature of the ecosystem. No titled lands were taken away from Chenapau in this process.

The Park has also employed multiple residents of Chenapau as wardens, guesthouse attendants and other support staff. Additional employment was also facilitated in 2011 and again in 2014, when the Ministry partnered with the WWF to carry out biodiversity surveys in the Park and Upper Potaro. During these two surveys, approximately 23 and 20 residents of Chenapau were employed, respectively. Aside from direct employment, the projects also hired community boats, purchased fuel, paid for accommodation, rations and supplies, and paid village fees when landing at the

In 2009, this airstrip had been incomplete and non-functional for a number of years, and Chenapau asked the EPA for assistance to complete the airstrip. Based on this request, approximately $20 million in funding was granted to complete the airstrip, under the KfW-Guyana Protected Areas System (GPAS) Project. With this funding, the airstrip was made operational, allowing villagers to directly access air transport in cases of emergency and removed the additional costs required to travel by boat to the Kaieteur

Airstrip. Chenapau then requested support for a craft development project, and over $1 million in additional funding was approved for Chenapau. Under this second project, artisans from Paramakatoi and Annai were taken to the community and conducted two training courses. The first phase involved training more than 30 women from Chenapau and Karisparu, while phase two led to the training of more than 20 men and women in furniture- and craft-making using natural products. Chenapau was ultimately granted one of the largest allocations of any community under the GPAS

Project.

One of the primary projects currently being pursued with Chenapau is the purchasing of craft from the village for sale at the Kaieteur National Park Visitor Arrival Centre. Discussions were held this year with members of the Council and other residents regarding a standardised process for procuring quality craft items at acceptable prices, with a sample batch already purchased.

Committed

The Ministry and its agencies remain committed to building on these partnerships with Chenapau, and working with the community to support alternative and sustainable livelihoods for its residents. The Ministry is also committed to ensuring that the Kaieteur National Park is preserved for the sustainable use and benefit of Chenapau, the residents of Region Eight, and all Guyanese. As a national protected area and part of our Guyanese heritage, Kaieteur National Park is the centrepiece of Guyana’s Protected Areas System, and the Ministry will continue to prevent unlicensed mining and other detrimental activities in this important and sensitive area, the release concluded.

City strewn with garbage after Easter

─ Sooba says things will be back to normal today

By Gomatie GanGadin

Tonnes of refuse lined several streets of Georgetown up to late Tuesday morning following the Easter Monday activities around the sea wall and parks.

As was predicted, vendors and citizens indiscriminately dumped their garbage on the roadways leaving a sea of plastic bottles, bags, drink cans, and other debris. The streams of litter started from Ogle and snaked their way along the East Coast Highway to the Bandstand area in Kingston.

The Guyana Defence Force headquarters at Camp Ayanganna was not spared, neither was another Easter hotspot, the Joe Vieira Park on the other side of the Demerara River just over the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Its environs were littered with broken glass bottles and large amounts of litter stacked in corners and on some parts of the roadway.

The presence of the garbage has left persons wondering what City Hall has done with the money raised from the sale of vending spots for the Easter activities. Just before the Easter activities commenced, acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba had reportedly gone against the City Council and sold vending spots along the banned seawall areas, openly stating that this decision was taken to facilitate the clearance of the large quantities of garbage left after the Easter celebrations. However, no worker from the Mayor and City Council was in sight.

During a tour of Irving Street and Vlissengen Road and the environs of the sea wall on Monday, Guyana Times observed that most of the articles used on Monday were still present on the roadways and parapets. In

past years, the sight that greets anyone venturing out on the morning following not just Easter but any major public holiday, really gives new meaning to the derisive moniker “Georgetown, the Garbage City”. Anyone can be forgiven for thinking they had ended up in the aftermath of a hurricane.

After several attempts to contact the acting Town Clerk on the matter, Guyana Times was finally able to get a comment Tuesday evening. Sooba noted that the cleanup would have started and everything should be back to normal by this morning.

The National Park on the other hand had no garbage present in its environs even though it was filled to capacity on Easter Monday. This was a clear testament that the garbage can be cleaned in a timely manner if the Council gets its act together, a citizen remarked, noting that if the National Park workers can clean up the area, the Council can do an even better job cleaning up the city after a major event.

Litterbugs Recently-revised laws state that litterbugs who dispose of garbage in public places and out of vehicles can be fined $50,000. Under the Environmental Protection (Litter Enforcement) Regulations 2013, laid in the National Assembly recently by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, individuals who litter public places or throw garbage out of vehicles can be fined $50,000 if found guilty. If it cannot be determined who threw the garbage out of a vehicle, the driver shall be deemed to be the person who littered and can be fined $50,000 upon conviction, as well. If it cannot be determined who was driving the vehicle, its owner is liable for the offence

NA businessman charged for Angoy’s Avenue killing

ANew Amsterdam businessman was on Tuesday refused bail when he appeared at the Albion Magistrate’s Court charged with the murder of Angoy’s Avenue resident Errol Lindo.

Charles “Bristol” Henry, owner of Bristol Mall at Main Street and Lad Lane, New Amsterdam, appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh on Tuesday.

Henry seemed emotionless as the charge was read to him. The 52-year-old selfemployed Lindo of Caracas Village was shot by Henry on Wednesday, April 16 in Caracas. Henry was represented by Attorney Horacio Edmond. Asked whether he had any information on Henry that he wanted to present to the court, Edmond said he wants the earliest trial date. The matter has been transferred to the New

unless he or she proves otherwise.

Businesses that dump garbage in public places can be fined $100,000 on conviction, and the lack of garbage receptacles is not a defence. According to the regulations, owners of public transportation must provide one or more receptacles for litter and if this is not done, the owner can be fined $15,000 on conviction. If an individual litters the private premises of another person, the litterbug can be fined $30,000 or imprisoned for six months on conviction. In addition, anyone who assists litterbugs can be convicted for the offence and fined the same amount. If an individual or company continues to litter and is caught and convicted a second time, the fine is doubled.

Litter wardens

The regulations provide for litter prevention wardens. In addition, the police, public health inspectors, forest officers, mining officers, harbour masters, and officers of the Environmental Protection Agency are deemed litter prevention wardens.

They can order “unsightly premises… by reason of litter” to be cleaned up and those failing to comply can be fined. If the offender believes that the order is unjust for any reason, he can request the Minister reviews it. A person can be fined $30,000 if s/he obstructs a warden, fails to comply within a reasonable time with the orders of a warden exercising his/her power, refuses to give his/ her name or address or gives a false name or address, falsely pretends to be a warden, threatens or assaults a warden, or attempts to bribe a warden. Those who tamper with garbage receptacles can be fined $15,000 on conviction.

Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court for April 28, when a police report will be heard.

The accused was quickly rushed out of the courtroom to a waiting police vehicle. As he was greeted by a handful of family members who tried to embrace him before he was taken away, tears rolled down his face. Earlier, Detective Police Corporal Dharmindra Inderpaul swore to the evidence of the charge.

Meanwhile, a large crowd had gathered at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court in anticipation that the accused would have been taken there. However, as word spread that Henry was appearing at the Albion Magistrate’s Court 12 miles away some rushed over, but, by the time they got there, Henry was already on his way to jail.

An autopsy revealed that Lindo died as a result of shock and haemorrhage due to multiple gunshot wounds. The autopsy was conducted by Government Pathologist, Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan at the New Amsterdam Hospital Mortuary. One bullet was removed from the body during the autopsy. The post-mortem revealed too that Lindo received a bullet to the left leg which entered and exited at a lower point. Another bullet passed through the left side of his abdomen and exited causing little damage. The bullet that was removed was lodged in the upper chest and entered from the shoulder close to the neck. Lindo was allegedly embroiled in a dispute over land with the accused when he was shot.

Sophia child was attempting to mimic hanging

Child Care and Protection Agency Director Ann Greene told Guyana Times on Tuesday that the 10-yearold boy from Sophia who had attempted suicide last month had done so, because he was attempting to copy a picture he had seen on the Internet.

At the time of the incident, a close family member reluctantly told this publication that the hanging incident might have been an accident, because he did not believe that the boy would want to commit suicide, knowing that his family members love him.

That relative said he had earlier seen the boy playing in the yard on the day of the incident, but moments later, he had heard the boy’s mother calling him for breakfast and subsequently saying he was nowhere to be found. A few minutes later, the boy started to scream at the top of his voice, and he was seen hanging from the laundry line on the verandah.

Neighbours and friends of the boy’s family assisted in cutting him loose and rushing him to the Georgetown

Public Hospital. Another source had told this publication at the time that the boy’s stepfather usually illtreats and badly brutalises him, and this may have triggered his decision to commit suicide.

However, Director Greene put this speculation to rest, noting that her officers had investigated, and are still investigating, the matter and nothing of that nature was evident.

Greene related that the

child disclosed that he was playing and after recalling the picture, he decided to try what he had seen in the picture.

On this note, the Director lamented on the irresponsible reporting of some media agencies which seem to have no regard for minors with regard to the content they place on their websites. She noted that the content tends to have a direct and indirect effect on those who peruse it.

Greene was at the time speaking about a popular online news agency, which had reported on the suicide by hanging of a 13-year-old in Enmore. The online agency had even carried an explicit picture of the child with the bed sheet tied around his neck, hanging from the ceiling of his room.

“Responsible reporting is very important. You do not know who is going to be reading and looking at your content and children tend to try to copy what they see. That child attempted to copy what he saw and this is why we need to be very careful. It has to be said again and again,” Greene lamented.

Regional

Bolivia raises minimum wage by 20 per cent

Bolivia will raise the minimum wage by 20 per cent, President Evo Morales announced on Monday. Following talks with leaders from Bolivia’s main trade union federation, President Morales also said that the basic salary would go up by 10 per cent. The increase is well above inflation, which was 6.5 per cent in 2013.

The move has been welcomed by the trade unions

but harshly criticised by the employers’ federation, who said they had been bypassed in the negotiations.

The minimum salary for public and private sector workers will go up from 1200 bolivianos (US$175; £100) to 1488 bolivianos.

“There has been economic growth, and that’s why we have decided to raise the minimum salary by 20 per cent,” President Morales said.

Bolivian Central Labour Union leader Juan Carlos Trujillo said the negotiations had been “very bitter, icy and heavy” but that in the end, the two sides had reached an agreement. He said he had asked the executive to recognise “the need and the obligation to create a salary structure which is based on the country’s growth and the recognition that the riches of Bolivia have to be shared between the haves and the have-nots in equal measure”.

The Confederation of Private Entrepreneurs (CEPB) rejected the increase, saying the workers would end up paying for it through increased taxes. The director of Bolivia’s largest employers’ organisation, Daniel Sanchez, said the decision had been based on politics rather than on sound economic reasons. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Fewer fire deaths reported in Jamaica last year

Nineteen people, including five children, were victims of firerelated deaths last year, according to information provided by the fire services in the 2013 Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica which was tabled in the House of Representatives on Thursday. It was, however, a decline from the 23 reported fire deaths in 2012, although the number of children receiving injuries tripled to nine. Meanwhile, there were

70 fire-related injuries, 32 of which were in the Corporate Area. Males accounted for 84 per cent of the deaths, and 79 per cent of the injuries last year. The data showed that the largest number of fires occurred in parishes with high urban population, namely St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew, Clarendon and St James. Most fires were reported in St Catherine, which registered a 15.6 per cent increase to 2697 fires, fol -

lowed by Kingston and St Andrew with 2476, which was 44 fewer than the previous year.

The Jamaica Fire Brigade received 11,834 genuine calls last year, a one per cent decline from 2012. The fire brigade reported that bush fires have been on an upward trend in recent years. The figures showed that 88 per cent of the fires were non-structural, with bush fires accounting for 66 per cent. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Cuba’s burgeoning private sector hungry for flora and fauna

The lack of markets to supply raw materials for Cuba’s new private sector, along with the poverty in isolated rural communities, is fuelling the poaching of endangered species of flora and fauna. In 2010, the Socialist Government of Raúl Castro gave the green light to pri-

vate enterprise in a limited number of activities, mainly in the services sector.

But without wholesale markets to supply the 455,000 “cuentapropistas” – officially registered selfemployed people – unforeseen phenomena soon appeared, like the rise in poaching and illegal log-

ging.

Forests, which cover fewer than 29 per cent of the territory of this Caribbean island nation, are suffering the consequences.

“You can get a permit to work as a carpenter, but it’s hard to get the raw materials,” Antonio Gutiérrez, a carpenter who works at a sawmill in the Ciénaga de Zapata, the largest Caribbean island wetland, told Tierramérica. “You can also build more homes, or upgrade homes. People need boards, windows, everything…and to solve the problem they go into the bush and cut.”

Last year, the forest ranger corps levied 19,993 fines for a total of 125,000 dollars, and seized 2274 metres of wood. Although there are no statistics on wood confiscated in previous years, the authorities say illegal logging is on the rise. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

TT Minister responds to call to burn draft procurement bill

Burning the draft Procurement Bill is not in the mind of Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie as he is very optimistic the ongoing wrangle between the Government and the Public Sector/Civil Society Group on Public Procurement will be sorted out. “I have no doubt we will work it through. I understand their position. We are talking,” Tewarie told the TT Guardian in response

to questions on chairman of the group Winston Riley’s continuing call to burn the bill. “You can burn the bill. It is a waste of time,” Riley said in a Guardian report on Monday.

Riley said about 70 per cent of the procurement for goods, works and services in TT is done through government-to-government arrangements. He said Clause 7 of the bill, which has been laid in Parliament and is

yet to be debated, removes government-to-government arrangements from the legislation. Hence, there is no need for a procurement bill. Riley, indicating his grouse is not politically motivated, noted the issue is a decadesold one, since 35 years ago the then Government removed government-to-government arrangements from under the Central Tenders Board Act. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

EC$125M in drugs burned

Law men destroyed over 125 million EC dollars worth of drugs last week. The High Court, in collaboration with the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy –ONDCP and the Narcotics

Department of Police Force, destroyed a cache of cocaine and cannabis at the Burma Quarry on April 17.

Justice Keith Thom supervised the destruction of over 915 kilos of cocaine and 390 pounds of marijuana that had been evidence in successfully concluded High Court cases. It’s the second operation of this type for the year. In March, officers burnt cannabis and cocaine valued at close to EC$7 million. (Antigua Observer)

Cayman Gov’t pushes back budget due date

The Cayman Islands Government’s spending plan for the upcoming 2014/15 budget year will be brought to the Legislative Assembly on May 19, according to Finance Minister Marco Archer.

Archer said the proposal still requires approval from the United Kingdom, which must occur prior to the scheduled Legislative Assembly presentation. It typically takes at least a couple of weeks to ratify the budget as lawmakers go

through it line by line in a finance committee. The budget was initially scheduled to be unveiled on May 2. The Government must pass a budget by June 30 to maintain legal spending authority.

If Government sticks to its four-year financial agreement set with the UK last year, it will anticipate a CI$123 million operating surplus by the end of the next budget year – that’s June 30, 2015.

The plan seeks a CI$12.5

million cut in spending from this year’s budget, with most of the reduction coming in the areas of supplies purchases and in subsidies to public sector statutory authorities and Government-owned companies. Budgeted figures may change depending on how the Cayman Islands fared during 2013/14. For example, as of January 31, the Government’s account was in surplus by CI$80.5 million. (Excerpt from cayCompass)

Trinidad: Man drowns after first pretending he was drowning

Ariver lime among friends ended in tragedy when their 21-year-old friend drowned in Blue Basin pool at Valencia River Resort on Valencia old Road, Saturday. Dead is Keston Austin, a labourer, of Arima who went under water and never surfaced. His body was fished out by divers at about 18:30h, Saturday.

Police reported that at about 17:00h a group of

men arrived at the Valencia River Resort, and they all seemed to be in high spirits and having fun. The men from Arima then all decided to go for a swim in the Blue Basin at the Valencia River. The Blue Basin is considered to be the deepest part of the Valencia River and visitors are warned not to bathe there unless they can swim.

Austin’s friends left the river and returned to the bank where they contin-

ued to have fun, dancing to the music from their car. Austin decided to remain in the water and at one time pretended to be drowning, calling his friends for help, but they all believed that he was “clowning” and did not take him too seriously. They continued to enjoy themselves. It was when they looked back and did not see Austin they became worried and dived back into the water to look for him. (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Ukraine alert as politician is killed Belarus fears for its security after Ukraine crisis

Ukraine’s Acting President has relaunched military operations against pro-Russian militants in the east after two men, one a local politician, were found “tortured to death”. Oleksandr Turchynov said the politician, named as Vladimir Rybak, was found near rebel-held Sloviansk.

“The terrorists who effectively took the whole

Donetsk region hostage have now gone too far,” he said. The move came as US Vice President Joe Biden was visiting Ukraine. As he met Ukrainian leaders in Kiev, Biden called on Russia to “stop talking and start acting” to defuse the Ukraine crisis. The US and the West accuse Russia of using undercover military to back separatists in eastern Ukraine, where public

buildings are occupied in at least nine cities and towns. Russia denies involvement. Biden warned Russia that further “provocative behaviour” would lead to “greater isolation” and urged Moscow to end its alleged support for pro-Russian militants.

In remarks to Ukrainian MPs, Biden said the US stood with Ukraine’s new leaders against “humiliating threats” – an apparent reference to Russia.

The Vice President called on Moscow to urge the proRussian separatists to leave the buildings they are occupying and to abandon checkpoints.

The US is to provide an additional US$50 million (£30 million) for political and economic reforms in Ukraine, including US$11 million to help run the presidential election due on May 25. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Obama set to back Japan in islands dispute as Asia tour begins

President Barack Obama is expected to offer guarded support for Japan in its bitter territorial dispute with China over a group of islands in the East China Sea, as Washington seeks to reassure its Asia-Pacific allies of its commitment to regional security in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

Obama will arrive in Tokyo on Wednesday at the start of an eight-day tour of Asia that will include South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. On Tuesday

about 150 Japanese politicians risked further souring ties with China by visiting Yasukuni, a shrine in Tokyo that honours Japan’s 2.5 million war dead, including 14 leaders hanged for war crimes by the allies.

Three years after the US announced it would shift its attention from Europe and the Middle East towards the Asia-Pacific, Japan is seeking US support at a time of record Chinese military spending and concern over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.

Discussions between Obama and the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, are expected to focus on Tokyo’s longstanding dispute with Beijing over the Senkakus – known in China as Diaoyu – a group of uninhabited islands claimed by both countries.

The US is bound by a bilateral security treaty to defend Japan, although so far it has refused to take sides in the dispute in an attempt to avoid creating additional friction with China. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Indian election: Kashmir violence leaves three dead

Militants killed two local officials and another man in Indian Kashmir before issuing a warning to Kashmiris against voting this week in the country’s election, according to police and residents.

The militants targeted two village council chiefs in separate attacks late on Monday in Pulwana district, south of the main city of Srinagar, a senior police officer said. “Three people

including two village heads were killed by local militants active in the area and the attack is aimed to keep the voters away from polling,” AG Mir, the Inspector General of Police, said.

“The attackers belong to the local militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen, they were two in number and we have identified them,” Mir said. Police were hunting for the attackers, who entered the home of one village head and shot him dead

in the Tral area of Pulwana district. They killed another senior village official and his 24-year-old son about an hour later in the same area.

Narendra Modi and his BJP party are expected to take power after a decade of Congress party rule.

Posters warning residents of punishment if they went to the polls appeared early on Tuesday morning in the Tral area where the attacks happened, according to residents. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that the crisis in neighbouring Ukraine threatened his own country’s security, and that Belarusians should pull together to protect their independence. Lukashenko, who has run the ex-Soviet country of 10 million people for almost 20 years, is a close ally of Moscow but he said last month that Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula set a bad prece-

dent.

“The states surrounding us are in a state of flux. Ukraine is seething, Russia is trying to stand tall again, in front of our eyes old borders are crumbling,” Lukashenko said in his annual address to parliament. “Any geopolitical disasters will affect us too... We have to defend our most important value: the independence of our country.”

Lukashenko, criticised by the West for his harsh policies towards the Opposition at home, re-

lies heavily on economic and military support from Russia. On big international issues, he usually follows Russia’s line. However, tensions occasionally flare up in relations between Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“In order to defend this right (to independence) our whole nation must be united,” Lukashenko said. “My message to those who are critical of the Government is that we accept any opposition which is within the law.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

South Korea ferry death toll reaches 121

Family members of missing passengers of the sunken Sewol ferry identify some of the bodies found so far

The total known death toll from the South Korean capsized ferry has now reached 121, as more bodies were brought back to Paengmok Port on Tuesday night. Of the 479 passengers and crew

on board, only 174 people have been rescued and 181 remain missing, presumed drowned. Of those aboard, 339 were children and teachers on a high school outing.

The authorities were

poised to attempt to lift the vessel using cranes last on Tuesday, but with so many bodies still to be found, they were not yet ready to begin the operation. “We still have a lot of missing bodies. Shouldn’t we find as many as possible before moving on?” asked Kim Hyungi-gi, the main representative for the victims’ families.

The families have set a deadline of Thursday for the retrieval of all the bodies. The Sewol ferry sank last Wednesday on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional honeymoon island of Jeju.

Meanwhile, four crew members were taken into police custody on Monday, and were paraded, heads bowed and hiding their faces, before TV cameras on Tuesday. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

S Sudan rebel leader rejects massacre claims

South Sudan’s rebel commander Riek

Machar has said his forces were not behind the massacre of hundreds of people in the contested town of Bentiu. The UN has accused them of killing more than 200 people in one mosque alone after driving Government forces from the town last week. Video shot by Al Jazeera shows bodies littering the streets of the

town and the inside of the mosque.

Machar, who was dismissed as Vice President by President Salva Kiir in July 2013, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that his rebels would not kill their own people. “I contacted the field military commander in Bentiu who told me that such accusation is false. First of all we respect our people, and the majority of the forces are

from the region and we can’t kill our citizens,” Machar said. Al Jazeera’s Anna Cavell, who travelled to Bentiu, said the conflict in South Sudan had taken on a new ethnic dimension. She said many people at a UN base in Bentiu, the capital of oil-producing Unity state, were reluctant to speak to journalists for fear of reprisals. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

New anti-radicalisation plans aimed at fighting jihadism

rench Interior

FMinister Bernard Cazeneuve will submit an anti-radicalisation plan to the cabinet on Wednesday aimed at stopping youths from joining jihadist groups in Syria. France is set to unveil a new anti-radicalisation plan aimed at French citizens or residents believed to be at risk of involvement in violent extremism amid concerns over the growing numbers of youths joining the jihad in Syria. French

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve will present the anti-radicalisation strategy to the French cabinet on Wednesday following months of intensive research and coordination by his ministry. The comprehensive strategy is designed to combat radicalism from the early stages of cyber indoctrination to the advanced phase of jihadist volunteers travelling to the battlefield or zone of operation, according to

French officials.

“Our plan is to tackle this upstream [at the source], and all the way downstream,” said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in an interview with a French radio station Tuesday. “We will identify young people caught on this tragic path. We will monitor this online, and then we must stop them from crossing the Syrian border, and monitor their return and reintegration.”

(Excerpt from France24)

wednesday, april 23, 2014

Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security opens

Urgent coordinated action is needed to restore the health of the world’s oceans and secure the long-term well-being and food security of a growing global population.

That is a key message of an international summit that opened on Tuesday at The Hague in the Netherlands. Ministers and senior representatives from governments, the fishing industry, coastal communities, science and civil society are coming together at the Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth (April 2225) which aims to bring global attention and increased investment into addressing the three key threats to ocean health and food security: overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution. The summit will culminate in a high-level roundtable on Thursday, April 25.

“Urgent joint action of the global community is needed to

address the threats facing our oceans,” said Sharon Dijksma, Minister for Agriculture of the Netherlands, which is hosting the summit.

“Local innovations to balance ecology and economy at sea must be identified and put into practice in other regions. The Global Oceans Action Summit in The Hague provides the opportunity to make a difference.”

On average, 17 per cent of global animal protein intake comes from fisheries and aquaculture, and demand for fish protein is expected to double in the next 20 years, yet some 28 per cent of global stocks are already overfished. At the same time, climate change is threatening biodiversity, altering habitats, and changing the productivity of fisheries. “Healthy oceans have a central role to play in solving one of the biggest problems of the 21st century – how to feed nine billion people by 2050,” said Árni M Mathiesen,

Assistant Director-General for Fisheries and Aquaculture at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

“However, we need to act now at the speed and scale necessary to meet the challenges we face by joining forces with all stakeholders, fostering partnerships, and spurring sustainable growth.”

More than 500 delegates are expected to attend the Summit, including more than 60 ministers, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and leaders from civil society. The Summit was co-organised by the World Bank, FAO and the Governments of Grenada, Indonesia, Mauritius, Norway and the United States of America.

The Summit will focus on some of the underlying causes that have led to the overfishing, increased marine pollution, and loss of critical habitat as well as potential solutions. This means balancing the de-

mand for growth with the need for conservation of marine areas; addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the high seas and within national exclusive economic zones; and ensuring private sector growth does not come at the expense of protecting the livelihoods of local communities.

Blue growth

“Solutions exist that balance the ecological and economic demands on the ocean,” said Juergen Voegele, Director of Agriculture and Environmental Services at the World Bank.

“We have the opportunity to align all our efforts and bring solutions to scale locally. With public-private partnerships and shared approaches, we can restore ocean health and provide food and jobs for communities worldwide.” In exploring solutions, emphasis will also be placed on the finance mechanisms and governance structures needed to ensure that actions have the impact and longevity to respond to global demands. Among the approaches discussed, inclusive partnerships that bring together public, private, community and civil society actors will be highlighted.”

Coming out of the 2012 Rio+20 Conference, the blue economy comprises the food, jobs and opportunities for development provided by ocean and coastal assets. Blue growth emphasises conservation and sustainable management of aquatic resources and equitable benefits to the coastal communities that rely on them.

PPP says Region Eight ambulance is not ‘junk’

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee on Tuesday denied allegations that the $12 million ambulance recently assigned to Region Eight is non-functional, pointing out that since March it has already transported three patients from the Mahdia Regional Hospital to the Georgetown Public Hospital on separate occasions.

Since the ambulance was delivered in March, there has been much criticism. The Regional Chairman Mark Crawford publicly stated that the ambulance might have been taken from a “junkyard”. Just days ago, AFC Councillor Niem Gafoor told sections of the press that the ambulance is non-functional. According to him, “the ambulance is a pick-up transformed into an ambulance”.

But Rohee argued that the ambulance was up and running. “The ambulance is an off-the-road vehicle, suitable for the terrain,” he told reporters. It was explained that during a budget meeting in 2012 involving an AFC Councillor, it was decided that an ambulance would be procured in 2013. However, it was only until the latter half of 2013 that the ambulance was procured and it was subsequently delivered in March 2014.

The AFC councillors said too that the Chenapau Health Centre was in a deplorable condition. In defence, Rohee said the Chenapau Health Centre was slated for rehabil-

Police, GT&T trade blame over unreliable 911 system

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee on Tuesday said the unresponsiveness of the 911 system was technically linked to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) Company but the telephone giant said it was being wrongfully accused, laying the blame at the feet of the Guyana Police Force.

Speaking at a People’s Progressive Party news conference at Freedom House, Rohee called on GT&T to rectify the technical problem which continues to affect the efficiency of the 911 system. It was explained that in some cases when 911 calls are placed, senders hear the ringtone, but the telephones on the receiving end do not ring.

He said this was one of the main reasons why people are often unable to access the 911 service. “This can only be a technical problem. It has to be a technical problem,” Rohee lamented, but said GT&T was refusing to accept that the unresponsiveness of the 911 system was caused by a technical problem.

“As far as I could recol-

lect the GT&T people are not accepting any responsibility or any blame for the 911 calls not going through to the police stations,” the Home Affairs Minister told reporters.

Concerned

However, GT&T, which provides toll-free service at all police outlets denies the allegations, noting that it should not be held responsible for the inefficiency of the service.

“It is with grave concern and disappointment that we have noted the reported comments from the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Clement Rohee that the unresponsiveness of the 911 system is a technical error that GT&T is refusing to accept responsibility for,” the telephone giant said in a release on Tuesday.

GT&T explained that the 911 service is installed and operated like any other landline service provided, with the only difference being the use of three digits (911) instead of the standard seven digits.

The company further stated that the 911 equip-

ment is controlled by the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

“Hence GT&T has no responsibility nor visibility as to manning levels and indeed whether or not there are GPF personnel tasked with 24 hours, seven days, 365-day manning of the 911 facilities across the country.”

According to the telephone company, before 2006, the Brickdam Police Station was solely responsible for receiving all 911 calls despite the location of senders within Guyana, but the system was reviewed based on the request of the Force in 2005.

Personnel issue

It was subsequently agreed that landline calls to 911 will be answered at police stations based on a detailed schedule submitted by the police; as a result, each district has one dedicated 911 line. However, this does not include Georgetown and New Amsterdam which have four dedicated lines each. All cell calls irrespective of where they are made from are answered at the Brickdam Police Station.

“GT&T does weekly checks to ensure all lines are technically functional,” the company stated, noting too that records are made of all the emergency calls that are answered during routine tests. “Priority is given to faults detected during the tests or complaints reported when the line is answered,” the company stated clearly.

“GT&T reiterates that the unresponsiveness of the 911 personnel has nothing to do with GT&T. Our checks have revealed that the following occur with great frequency (a) the disappearance of handsets from the termination points of 911 lines at various Police Stations (b) the removal of the handset off the hook (c) no answer by personnel during standard working hours,” the company said. As a result, GT&T is now calling for an urgent investigation to be launched into the 911 system to ascertain the real problem.

In March of this year, the Cabinet approved more than US$20,000 to fly in experts from the United States to assess the efficiency of the 911 system. The two experts ar-

itation in 2012, but while mobilisation was paid, the contractor did not commence the project. This deficiency within the system was reflected in the Auditor General’s Report. However, this year, the centre’s fence will be rehabilitated under the region’s ‘health recurrent’ programme.

Improved services

“Chenapau has benefited from treated bed nets, a boat and engine, outreaches…, and the placement of malaria personnel,” Rohee said in an effort to paint a picture of the work done by the PPP/Civic Government in the region. Despite criticism by the AFC, he said the region continues to air lift patients from the Mahdia District Hospital to Georgetown Public Hospital. “The PPP/C Government has allocated a significant amount of financial and other resources over the past decade and more to provide additional health services, and improve significantly the quality of those services in Region Eight,” he further pointed out.

According to Rohee, the Region Eight Administration, led by the AFC, continues to deceive and demean the “hardworking staff of the regional health services”, while failing to recognise the achievements made in the regional health sector. “No mention is ever made of the achievement and success stories of the region, and on the contrary, only isolated negative issues are highlighted.”

rived later that month and after a period of five days submitted three basic recommendations to the Home Affairs Ministry for short, medium and long term solutions.

The first recommendation tabled by the experts is to integrate all the emergency lines into one system; the 911 system. That would mean that fire, medical and police assistance would have one number – 911 instead of the 912 and 913 numbers that are currently being used. However, within the 911 system there will be dedicated lines linked to technical personnel who would be capable of responding to the concerns. But these technicalities are to be worked out. Another recommendation is to review the country’s entire 911 system; however, this would be very costly and difficult since there is only one telephone company in Guyana that offers landline services.

The highly technical document has been reviewed by the Home Affairs Minister, but, due to the technicalities, further advice is being sought from locals specialised in the area.

The PPP General Secretary and Home Affairs Minister said AFC councillors and other regional leaders must be cognisant of the fact that resources are always finite, hence there is a need to prioritise. Boasting of the strides made in the regional health sector, Rohee pointed to the placement of four doctors at the Mahdia Regional Hospital who are supported by an increased number of registered nurses, midwives, nursing assistants, lab technicians and environmental health officers.

It was stated that the procurement of vehicles, including All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) will aid in the work of the health department, in addition to the construction of new health centres and the rehabilitation of dozens of health buildings.

In the 2014 National Budget, $944.7 million was approved for Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), with $165.9 million allocated for capital projects. Under capital expenditure, $11 million was allocated to regional administration and finance while $48.3 million has been set aside for the public works sector, $64.3 million for education delivery, and $42.3 million for health services.

Rodney Commission opens on Monday

– Govt agencies to top witness list

By Alexis Rodney

Head of the Walter Rodney Secretariat

Hugh Denbow has confirmed that the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry is set to commence next Monday with some major Government agencies topping the list of witnesses.

The Commission’s Chairman, Barbadian Queens Counsel, Sir Richard Cheltenham had initially announced at its first press briefing early last month that the inquiry would begin the day after Easter. However, new information from the Secretariat suggests that there have been a few changes. The Secretariat’s head explained that Cheltenham had never confirmed the April 22 date, but had instead signalled that the Commission was working to begin on this date. The new date, according to Denbow, is definite.

He reiterated that the Secretariat has adequate witnesses and evidence to commence the Inquiry, but the work cannot be done without the presence of the three-member Commission. He noted that members of the Secretariat and the Commission were last week engaged in a conference call where notes and information were exchanged.

It was at that point, he revealed, a decision was taken to have the Inquiry begin on April 28. “We have to work with the Commissioners in terms of their schedule, because being in different countries they have things to do, so when we all met together in the conference call, we all came to a consensus that the 28th would be a good time to start. It was not that it was scheduled and postponed, the chairman had said we all are working toward the 22nd, but it wasn’t hard and fast,” he explained.

Denbow said the Secretariat is tasked with de-

Dr Walter Rodney

termining who will testify at the Inquiry and at what point. He stressed that there are individuals and entities that must participate. These include the Guyana Police Force that has sent volumes of files, the Guyana Defence Force and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He said the Police Force has been providing much-needed cooperation on the matter. Based on what is gathered from these entities, Denbow noted, the Secretariat will then begin looking at individuals. He said the Secretariat will also have to look at the post-mortem examination results. This will require witnesses from the DPP’s Office and the hospital.

He noted too that many overseas-based Guyanese, who were here during the time of Rodney’s death, have indicated their interest in returning to testify. These include members of the recently-established Justice for Walter Rodney Committee. The 50-member Committee, in a press release on Tuesday, said it was pleased with the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry and pledged its full and continued support to the Inquiry, which seeks to ascertain who or what may have led to the death of the late

historian and co-founder of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr Walter Rodney.

Fair and transparent

The Committee said that since its formation, it has been in contact with the Rodney Secretariat making recommendations which would lend to a fair and transparent Inquiry.

It said it has suggested to the Secretariat, the names of several organisations and individuals that played a role in the political activist’s death.

When Guyana Times visited the Secretariat’s office on Tuesday, preparatory work was ongoing. The technical team had already installed microphones and voice recognition devices which will be converted into verbatim reports to assist staff members who will be in a separate room, to compile the day’s report in just a few hours.

The Walter Rodney Commission comprising Chairman Sir Cheltenham, Jamaican Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels Brown and Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam will be convening the public hearings for April 28 to May 2.

The aim of the Inquiry will be to examine the facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of, and subsequent to the death of Dr Rodney and who or what was responsible for the explosion which resulted in his death; to investigate the role, if any which the late Gregory Smith, Sergeant of the Guyana Defence Force, played in the death of Dr Rodney and if so, to inquire, who may have counselled, aided or abetted him to do so.

Invitations are still extended to persons who may wish to testify. Statements should be submitted to the Commission’s Secretariat at the Supreme Court Library Building on South Road, Georgetown.

Supenaam ferry turns back for two passengers

Passengers aboard the Supenaam to Parika Ferry on Tuesday were left stunned when the vessel was made to return to the Supenaam Stelling after approximately 30 minutes into its journey to pick up two passengers.

Speaking with Guyana Times shortly after the incident, one of the passengers, Francis Darchiville, related that he arrived at the stelling at approximately 09:30h on Tuesday and he, along with other persons, waited for the ferry, which arrived approximately 15 minutes late.

Darchiville explained that not long after the arrival of the ferry, it departed for Parika since the crew was very efficient in offloading and loading the ferry with goods and other items.

However, about 30 minutes into the hour-long journey to the Parika Stelling, the captain allegedly received a call from a supervisor at the Supenaam Stelling and was instructed to return the ferry to the stelling where two new passengers boarded, much to the annoyance of the other passengers.

Darchiville, a former Region Three Councillor, explained that after he observed the captain was turning the vessel around, he enquired as to what might have transpired and was told by the vessel’s captain that he was “just following orders”.

“Following orders”

Darchiville maintained that as a result of the ferry turning around for the two passengers, he and all the

GDF Coast Guard receives training from Brazilian Navy

Ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard have begun a twoday naval training exercise being conducted by the Brazilian Naval Task Group during which naval techniques and other advanced practices will be exchanged.

This exercise is part of Operation CARIBEX 2014, an ongoing annual training programme. The Brazilian

that Brazil has several vessels of the same class as the GDF Essequibo ; as such, its navy has the expertise and so this year, the training will be focused on ‘manover-board’ drills and damage control. Beaton added that at the end of the training, the Brazilian experts will assess the condition of GDF Essequibo ’s machinery and the skill level of its crew.

“So basically, they will

Military Attaché, said this training exercise is important to Brazil and Guyana, and other countries too, since the aim is to strengthen their relations with each other.

original passenger were delayed by approximately 45 minutes, time which he explained could have been spent conducting business. “Why should a boatload of persons be made to suffer just because two persons who probably have friends in high places missed the ferry?” questioned Darchiville.

The man maintained that such an incident had never happened previously, and it was a blatant disregard for the persons travelling on the ferry at the time.

Efforts made by this publication to contact the head of the Transport and Harbours Department and the Minister of Public Works for a comment on the incident proved futile.

Navy arrived in Guyana on Tuesday with two patrol vessels Bocaina and the smaller Graúna with 19 officers and eight military crewmen. The vessels are docked at the GDF Ship Hinds, Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

A media briefing was held on board Bocaina during which it was disclosed that this year’s training began earlier that day aboard the vessels Graúna and GDF Essequibo , which is the flagship of GDF. The two vessels along with their crew members went out to the mouth of the Demerara River on Tuesday afternoon where they conducted the first phase of training.

According to Commander Gary Beaton, last year, GDF sent eight ranks to Brazil for training under the CARIBEX 2013 programme. He noted

give us an assessment on the readiness of the crew and also on the integrity of its machinery,” the commander said.

Strengthening friendship

Meanwhile Captain Jackson Sales, the Commanding Officer of the Task Force, said the Brazil Navy crew is here to strengthening friendship by helping the GDF Coast Guards.

Sales disclosed that 70 per cent of the Bocaina vessel was completed in Brazil and so his country has the expertise to help Guyana improve operational security in the river and sea. He added that the GDF ranks have displayed great competency since most of them were already trained in this area.

Colonel Ronaldo Pacheco, the Brazilian

“Security is important for our countries and all countries need to strengthen relations through security in all areas such as international trafficking, human trafficking, and patrolling our rivers and seas so this training is a part of an agreement between Brazil and Guyana,” Pacheco stated.

The crew will depart Guyana for Suriname and then French Guiana.

The ties between French Guiana and Brazil are strong since the French territory is currently building four submarines for Brazil. The Brazilian crew members are expected to pay courtesy calls on the Mayor of Georgetown and the GDF Chief-of-Staff before their departure. There will also be a tour of the vessels open to the public from 14:00 to 17:00 today. The Brazilian Naval Task Group is under the command of the Northern Naval Group, which was originally founded in April 1974 and was called the Amazon Flotilla (FLOTAM).

SUDOKU

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(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

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Jamaica into final with narrow victory

Jamaica withstood an inspired spell from medium pacer Kevin Stoute to clinch a one-wicket victory over Barbados on Tuesday and advance to the Final of the Regional FourDay Tournament.

Stoute captured 5-29 from 16 overs and left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn ended with 3-78 from 26 overs, as the Jamaicans successfully chased 167 for victory on the final day of the semifinal at Kensington Oval.

Jermaine Blackwood hit four boundaries in the top score of 64 from 98 balls in two hours and Andre McCarthy made 43, but no other batsman reached 20, as the visitors almost blew their chance to win.

Nikita Miller formalised the result about 15 minutes past the scheduled lunch interval, when he steered

Shiv’s 82 helps Derbyshire to first innings lead

West Indies middleorder batsman Shiv Chanderpaul scored his fourth half century of the season to help inspire Derbyshire to first innings lead over Hampshire on the third day of their County Championship game here Tuesday.

Chanderpaul compiled 82 runs as Derbyshire, replying to Hampshire’s first innings 328, amassed 399 runs in a rain-affected third day at their County Ground.

At stumps Hampshire were 20 without loss, still

trailing Derbyshire by 51 runs.

The veteran West Indies batsman, 35 overnight, faced 141 balls, hit 11 fours and played a crucial role in reviving his team’s innings after a slump of 273 for 2 to 312 for 7.

The hosts had hoped to establish a commanding position as they resumed following a morning wash-out at 203 for 2.

Once play finally got underway, Chanderpaul’s overnight partner Stephen Moore added a further 22 be-

fore falling to Sean Ervine.

South Africa international Kyle Abbott picked up 4 for 84 as Hampshire frustrated Derbyshire’s attempts to build a sizeable first innings advantage.

Chanderpaul departed three overs after Moore, caught by Ervine off James Tomlinson for his 82.

Hampshire responded by making a solid start to their second innings, Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams making it to the close unbeaten. (Windiescricket)

Lance Armstrong team boss gets 10-year ban

Lance Armstrong’s former cycling team manager, Johan Bruyneel, has been banned for 10 years for his involvement in doping.

Doctor Pedro Celaya and trainer Jose ‘Pepe’ Marti have been given eight-year suspensions, says the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada).

The trio all worked for Armstrong’s US Postal Service team (USPS).

“The evidence establishes conclusively that Mr Bruyneel was at the apex of a conspiracy to commit widespread doping”

American Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and given a lifetime ban for doping in 2012.

He finally admitted using banned substances in a television interview with Oprah Winfrey in January 2013.

“The evidence estab-

lishes conclusively that Mr Bruyneel was at the apex of a conspiracy to commit widespread doping on the USPS and Discovery Channel teams spanning many years and many riders,” said a Usada statement.

“Similarly, Dr Celaya and Mr Marti were part of, or at least allowed themselves to be used as instruments of, that conspiracy.”

Two other doctors connected to the team, Spaniard Luis Garcia del Moral and Italian Michele Ferrari, were handed lifetime bans from professional sport by Usada in July 2012.

Usada’s 2012 report said the USPS team had run “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme the sport has ever seen”.

Bruyneel, who worked with Armstrong at the US

Postal and Discovery Channel teams, was widely implicated in Usada’s report but took his case to a three-person arbitration panel in London last December and was banned until 11 June, 2022.

A former professional cyclist, Bruyneel was team manager for all of Armstrong’s seven Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005.

“A very small minority of us has been used as scapegoats for an entire generation”

The Belgian enjoyed further success with Astana before moving to run the RadioShack team, a position he resigned from when Usada published its report into Armstrong’s doping.

“I do not dispute that there are certain elements of my career that I wish had been different, nor do I dispute that doping was a fact of life in the peloton for a considerable period of time,” the 49-year-old said in a statement on his website.

“However, a very small minority of us has been used as scapegoats for an entire generation.

“There is clearly something wrong with a system that allows only six individuals to be punished as retribution for the sins of an era.” Bruyneel said he continued to dispute Usada’s jurisdiction over him and might still appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Phelps facing toughest challenge yet

Michael Phelps has been swimming against the tide all his life. Time and time again he has proved the doubters wrong, setting the standard for Olympic achievement with his 18 gold medals.

But now, almost two years after retiring from swimming and two months shy of his 29th birthday, the American is plunging into uncharted waters by attempting a comeback where the risk-reward ratio is heavily stacked against him.

If all goes well, Phelps could be back on the winner’s podium at Rio, although he insists he is still undecided about whether he wants to go to the 2016 Olympics.

If it goes wrong, he will join a long list of great athletes who were lured back to competition but failed to reproduce the form that took them to the top of their chosen sports.

His legacy is already assured. Nothing he does in the future will take away from what he did in the past but as Muhammad Ali, Mark Spitz, Michael Jordan, Bjorn Borg and Michael Schumacher all dis-

covered, it can still become a permanent footnote.

Phelps has not yet given a full explanation for his decision to come back or his plans for the future. That will come on Wednesday when he and longtime coach Bob Bowman face the media before the April 24-26 Grand Prix meet in Mesa, Arizona, where he will make his return.

A global sporting icon, Phelps

has already amassed a fortune through his endorsements so money is unlikely to be the driving motivation to get him back in the pool for the grueling training required to be an Olympic swimmer.

Nor is he likely to top his past achievements so anything he does is likely to be less than before. He won six gold medals at Athens in 2004 and an unprecedented eight at Beijing in 2008 when he was at

Oscar Pistorius’ family denies acting coaching for trial

Oscar Pistorius’ family has denied he took acting lessons ahead of his testimony in the trial of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

In a statement, they say claims he had received coaching for his emotional performance were “devoid of the truth”.

The South African athlete has broken down on several occasions during the trial, often disrupting proceedings.

The Paralympian denies intentionally killing Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day last year.

He says he fired four shots through a locked toilet door out of fear, believing there was a burglar inside.

But the prosecution says the 29-year-old model and law graduate was deliberately killed after the couple had an argument.

‘Faux heroes’ South African columnist Jani Allan claimed Oscar Pistorius took acting lessons ahead of his trial in an open letter to the athlete last week, saying she had heard it “from a reliable source”.

“Oscar, you are the latest in a long line of faux heroes. Like so many who preceded you, you have betrayed your people and disappointed your fans,” she wrote.

The Pistorius family said they felt compelled to deny the claims after they were widely circulated in the media.

In a statement on Oscar Pistorius’ website, spokeswoman Anneliese Burgess said Ms Allan had never met Mr Pistorius and that any knowledge she had of him was “fictitious”.

“This type of comment makes a mockery of the enormous human tragedy involving the Steenkamp family and our client and his family,” it adds.

The allegations followed seven days of emotional testimony from Mr Pistorius, who at times broke down in court and vomited when evidence from the post-mortem examination was presented to court.

If found guilty, the

27-year-old - a national sporting hero and double amputee dubbed the “blade runner” because of the prosthetic limbs he wears to race - could face life imprisonment.

If Mr Pistorius is acquitted of murder, the court must consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could receive about 15 years in prison.

He also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies.

There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.

The trial has been adjourned over the Easter period and will resume on 5 May. (BBC Sport)

his absolute peak.

At the 2012 London Games he won four gold and by the law of diminishing returns would be hardpressed to match that in Rio, when he will be 31, past the age when most elite swimmers have hung up their goggles but not too old to be totally discounted.

At the Athens Olympics, Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands won the women’s 50 meters freestyle gold medal days before her 31st birthday.

Four years later in Beijing, Jason Lezak teamed up with Phelps to win gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay at 32 while Dara Torres won three silvers in the Chinese capital at age 41.

For Phelps, his biggest asset is his physique and perfect technique. He stands 1.93m (6ft 4in) tall but has a wingspan of 2.01m (6ft 7in) giving him greater pulling power in the water.

But the natural evolution of swimming looms as his biggest obstacle. Even if he can match his best times, his younger opponents are getting faster all the time.

This week’s meet will offer few

real clues to what Phelps might do in Rio, if he were to go that far. He has deliberately picked a relatively light program of three races - 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and 50m freestyle.

“It’s just a start,” Bowman told Reuters last week.

The first big test for Phelps will come in August when the U.S. national championships, which will double as the trials for next year’s world championships in Russia, are held in California.

Then in mid 2016, the U.S. Olympic trials will take place in Omaha, Nebraska.

Phelps only needs to finish in the top six in either the 100m or 200m freestyle at the 2016 U.S. Olympic trials to make the relay team and if he did, he would have a realistic chance of adding to his collection of Olympic medals.

For mere mortals, that would be a lifelong achievement but for Phelps, he is likely to want to swim at least one individual event, possibly the 100m butterfly which would also secure him a place on the medley relay and a chance at four golds in Rio. (Reuters)

Spurs coach Popovich named Coach of the Year

Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs was voted NBA Coach of the Year, becoming the third three-time winner of the award, the National Basketball Association announced on Tuesday.

Popovich’s Spurs posted the NBA’s best record at 62-20 to secure homecourt advantage through the postseason as he claimed the coaching honor for the second time in three seasons and joined Don Nelson and Pat Riley as a three-time recipient.

After steering the Spurs to a 15th successive season with 50 or more wins, Popovich totaled 380 points, including 59 first-place votes, from a panel of 124 sportswriters from the United States and Canada.

Phoenix Suns first-year

coach Jeff Hornacek was second in the voting with 339 points, including 37 first-place votes, followed by Tom Thibodeau of the

Chicago Bulls, who tallied 159 points. The Spurs, a model of consistency under Popovich, were the only team to record 30plus wins both at home (329) and on the road (30-11) in a spirited bounce back after losing an epic seven-game series against the Miami Heat in last season’s NBA Finals. San Antonio led the NBA in points per game differential at 7.8, having averaged 105.4 points per game while giving up 97.6, and recorded a 19-game winning streak that tied for fifth-longest ever in the NBA.

Popovich presided over a balanced roster, with French point guard Tony Parker leading the team with a 16.7 scoring average and 29.4 minutes played per game. (Reuters)

Moin named Pakistan manager and chief selector

Moin Khan, the former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper, has been named chief selector and manager of the national team. Moin had been Pakistan’s head coach for two months till the end of the recent World T20, and is currently a member of a three-man panel to evaluate candidates for coaching positions with the national team.

The position of full-time selection committee head has been vacant for the past 10 months after Iqbal Qasim decided to not renew his contract and since then, an interim selection panel has been working. The board has also appointed former batsman Zaheer Abbas as principal advisor to PCB chairman Najam Sethi.

Moin has been Sethi’s

choice for various posts in the PCB setup. He was originally named chief selector last year during the legal wrangle in Islamabad High Court but the decision was nullified by the court. He was subsequently appointed team manager. The PCB had been functioning under an interim management committee for a large chunk of 2013 after the court suspending Ashraf as board chairman in May; it ruled Ashraf’s election to be questionable. But then Zaka Ashraf was reinstated by the court as PCB chief in January, only to be axed by the Pakistan Prime Minister, the board’s chief patron.

The PCB has selected teams since July with an interim selection committee of Azhar Khan, Saleem Jaffar

and Farukh Zaman - the trio whose stint ended after the announcement of World T20 squad. The position of the chief selector has had plenty of changes in recent times. Incoming chairman Sethi removed Aamer Sohail, a week after he had been appointed by ex-chairman Ashraf. The PCB, under Ashraf, had also considered Mohammad Ilyas for the head of selection committee but never made it an official appointment and Ilyas was restricted to the junior selection committee. Rashid Latif was the next man named by the succeeding chairman but, despite committing to the role, he refused to sign the contract over differences with the PCB. His tenure was expected to be effective from April 1. (ESPNcricinfo)

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Kings XI v Sunrisers, IPL 2014

No stopping Maxwell and Kings XI

Last season, Glenn Maxwell was the punchline to tons of millionaire jokes. He warmed the Mumbai Indians bench for much of the campaign, and was a peripheral figure in the three matches he did play. This time, the season is only a week old, and he’s not just played three matches, he’s been the Man of the Match in each.

The people laughing now will be Kings XI Punjab’s owners who will view the million dollars they sunk on Maxwell as a bargain given the three impressive wins he has orchestrated at the start of the season. If the previous two victories had been thrilling affairs in which Kings XI hunted down massive scores, this was a forgettably one-sided affair after Maxwell put on a show again to lead the side to 193. Especially after L Balaji removed David Warner and Aaron Finch in the fifth

over. Sunrisers Hyderabad have a dangerous top-order - any of Shikhar Dhawan, Warner or Finch can singlehandedly transform a match - but they also have a dangerously unbalanced batting line-up. After the big three, the batting is alarmingly thin - KL Rahul is still finding his way at this level, Venugopal Rao isn’t someone teams are going to worry about too much, Irfan Pathan is a spot too high at No. 6 and Darren Sammy is great at providing the finishing touches but less proficient at building the base.

Once Mitchell Johnson accounted for Dhawan and Balaji made his double breakthrough, it was a hour-long dirge for Sunrisers’ fans before it ended in a crushing 72-run defeat, leaving them with plenty of questions over the composition of the team.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Mohali T20 innings (20 overs maximum)

CA Pujara c Venugopal Rao b Sammy 35

V Sehwag c Sammy b Mishra 30

GJ Maxwell c Sammy b Mishra 95

DA Miller c Warner b Kumar 10

GJ Bailey* c Warner b Kumar 10

MG Johnson b Kumar 4

AR Patel not out 0

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

Total: (6 wickets; 20 overs) 193

Did not bat: WP Saha†, L Balaji, R Dhawan, Sandeep Sharma (1) Fall of wickets: 1-51 (Sehwag, 6.4 ov), 2-86 (Pujara, 10.6 ov), 3-154 (Miller, 15.3 ov), 4-179 (Maxwell, 17.6 ov), 5-189 (Bailey, 19.2 ov), 6-193 (Johnson, 19.6 ov) Bowling: DW Steyn 4-026-0, B Kumar 4-0-19-3, IK Pathan 2-0-28-0, KV Sharma 4-0-37-0, A Mishra 4-0-562, DJG Sammy 2-0-22-1

Hyderabad T20 innings (target: 194 runs from 20 overs) AJ Finch b Balaji 19 S Dhawan* c †Saha b Johnson 1

DA Warner c Maxwell b Balaji 8 KL Rahul† c Miller b Patel 27 Y Venugopal Rao b Sandeep Sharma 11 IK Pathan b Patel 5 DJG Sammy c Patel b Balaji 15 KV Sharma c Miller b Johnson 10 DW Steyn b Balaji 12 A Mishra not out 4 B Kumar c Johnson b Dhawan 1

Extras: (lb 3, w 3, nb 2) 8

Total: (all out; 19.2 overs) 121 Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Dhawan, 1.2 ov), 2-31 (Finch, 4.3 ov), 3-33 (Warner, 4.5 ov), 4-49 (Venugopal Rao, 6.6 ov), 5-74 (Pathan, 10.2 ov), 6-93 (Sammy, 13.3 ov), 7-95 (Rahul, 14.1 ov), 8-114 (Sharma, 17.3 ov), 9-118 (Steyn, 18.3 ov), 10-121 (Kumar, 19.2 ov) Bowling: Sandeep Sharma 4-0-26-1, MG Johnson 4-0-262, L Balaji 4-0-13-4, R Dhawan 2.2-0-23-1, AR Patel 4-0-202, GJ Maxwell 1-0-10-0

Djokovic hopeful of Madrid Masters return after wrist injury

World number two Novak Djokovic says he hopes to return in two weeks’ time after his wrist injury was found to be not as serious as first thought.

Djokovic had claimed he would be out for “some time” to let the wrist heal after exiting the Monte Carlo Masters.

But the Serb, 26, is now optimistic of being fit for the Madrid Masters in a fortnight.

“Fortunately, the situation with the injury is better than it first seemed,” said Djokovic.

“Doctors assured me that I will be ready for Madrid, then Rome and

Roland Garros, just as it has been planned.

“However, I need to continue with the recovery process and full medical treatments. It means I will have to take a short break in order to recover as soon as possible.”

The French Open is the only Grand Slam that Djokovic has yet to win, although he came close to beating Rafael Nadal in last year’s semi-finals before losing in five sets.

Djokovic had won consecutive Masters 1000 titles in Shanghai, Paris, Indian Wells and Miami before losing to Federer in Saturday’s Monte Carlo semi-finals. (BBC Sport)

Preysal lose to Everest by seven wickets

After playing to an exciting tie against Bush Lot United on Good Friday, Trinidad and Tobago club side Preysal lost to Everest Cricket Club (ECC) by seven wickets in a feature Over-40 game on Sunday at the Everest ground, Camp Road.

The 20/20 fixture was organised as part of activities to celebrate the ECC’s 100th anniversary.

Batting first, Preysal could manage only 101-8 off their allocation of 20 overs.

Rohan David, who stroked 77 against Bush Lot United, made 26 and Mathiew Alex scored 15 at the top of the order, but consistent bowling by the home team triggered a collapse which saw the visitors being reduced to 57-8.

It took an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 44 between Imraz Ali, who scored 21, and Liton Ramdeen (20), to give the innings some degree of respectability.

Bowling for ECC, Basil Persaud grabbed 2-7 and Rohan Sarjoo 2-27.

In reply, Everest found themselves in early trouble at 23-3 before Rakesh Gangaram slammed four fours in a top score of 40 not out to guide his team to victory at 102-3 in 17 overs. Former

United must move fast with vital window looming

Manchester United must move quickly to appoint a new manager and give him maximum time to operate in what will be a critical transfer window for the club.

A season of abject failure under David Moyes brought a swift end to the former Everton manager’s reign at Old Trafford and United will have to act equally decisively to install the right man to try to revive their fortunes.

Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal is the favorite and he has the necessary experience and record of success.

Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund’s Juergen Klopp have also been linked with the job, although the German appeared to rule himself out of contention on Tuesday.

But bringing in at least four top-quality internationals and moving out several ageing players and serial under-performers will not be an easy task.

The United defense needs a complete overhaul.

Center backs Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were key players in United’s success under Alex Ferguson but Vidic is joining Inter Milan and Ferdinand, 35, is also long past his sellby date.

French left back Patrice Evra has given sterling service in eight years at the club but he too should be allowed to leave along with firebrand

Brazilian right back Rafael, a talented attacking player but defensive liability.

Then there is the midfield, for so long a major strength of United sides under Ferguson with the likes of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs contributing so much in their contrasting styles.

Moyes had to rely on the experienced but one-paced Michael Carrick as his central linchpin and the acquisition of the skilful and creative Juan Mata failed to address United’s glaring issue in the center of the pitch - a lack of speed.

Darren Fletcher is a disciplined player and a solid shielder of the defense but his lack of creativity will always be exposed at the highest level while Tom Cleverley has failed to show the necessary quality.

The signing of Marouane Fellaini from Moyes’s former club Everton, a panic buy

for 27 million pounds ($45.4 million) at the end of the preseason transfer window, will go down in history as a microcosm of the manager’s doomed stay at the club.

The lanky long-haired midfielder has looked like a fish out of water at United, failing to score a goal and frequently lumbering ineffectively around the center of the pitch.

He must also be moved on along with Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa who has had limited opportunities to prove his worth but looks too similar to Mata to be accommodated in the same team.

Moyes rarely played with two wingers, a cornerstone of Ferguson’s success, but the emergence of 19-year-old Adnan Januzaj was a beacon of hope in a depressing season.

The highly inconsistent Ashley Young and Nani must also be moved on, though pacy and disciplined right winger Antonio Valencia may have a future at Old Trafford.

Perhaps Moyes’s best achievement at United was persuading England striker Wayne Rooney to stay and his form has been consistently good in a difficult season.

The same cannot be said of Robin van Persie, whose 26 league goals fired United to the title 12 months ago in Ferguson’s last season in charge.

SOJ to share ideas with the Caribbean

Special Olympics Jamaica (SOJ) will host a cadre of regional counterparts during the staging of the annual Caribbean Business Meeting at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel from this Thursday through to Saturday.

After Thursday’s opening ceremony, which is scheduled to commence at 9:00 am, a high-level team from Special Olympics North America (SONA), the region’s governing body, will lead several training programmes.

The focus will be on marketing, social media management and fundraising, as well as on providing exposure to Athlete Leadership (ALPS), Unified Sports coaching and Law Enforcement Torch Run.

The representatives from SONA will be Amie Dugan, the director of marketing and communications; Chuck Loring, from the Board of Development and Fundraising; Marie Merritt, the senior manager of Unified Sports; Nancy Sawyer, the senior vice-president of Athlete Leadership; and Annette Lynch, the senior manager of Coaching Excellence and Sports Education.

The Dutch striker has been a peripheral figure under Moyes, plagued by the injuries which afflicted him at former club Arsenal and clearly unhappy at playing in a losing team.

England forward Danny Welbeck has shown flashes of his ability but the Manchester-born 23-yearold hinted last week that he was unhappy at Old Trafford and he could also leave.

One plus has been the reliability of young Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea and he will stay at United, a player along with Rooney, Januzaj, Mata and young defenders Phil Jones and Jonny Evans for the new manager to build a team around.

United have been linked with some of the best players in the world.

Bayern Munich’s German midfielder Toni Kroos, Paris St Germain striker Edinson Cavani and young Southampton left back Luke Shaw are reportedly on the club’s radar.

All fit the bill in terms of the quality United need but the new manager will face fierce competition to secure their signatures and will not be able to offer them European football next season.

There are tough times ahead for Manchester United. They must choose the right manager to negotiate them. ($1 = 0.5944 British Pounds) (Reuters)

Lorna Bell, the executive director of SOJ, said she welcomes the expected attendance of athletes and officials of 17 other Caribbean countries, namely, Cayman

Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, St Kitts & Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Bahamas, Anguilla, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Guadeloupe, Belize, Haiti, Guyana, Suriname, Dominica, British Virgin Islands and St Lucia.

Bell said Jamaica, who are seen as front-runners in the Caribbean in Unified Sports training and competition, are ready to “share new ideas” with their neighbours.

She stressed the significance of Unified Sports in building awareness on intellectual disability and said a major aim is to “help to get coaches and everyone on board”.

SOJ, linking with Scotiabank Business House team, has been active in Unified Football for six years. Two weeks ago, the local organisation expanded its reach into basketball, made possible through a partnership with club outfit Urban Knights.

SOJ has been invited to the inaugural Special Olympics Unified Football Cup in Malaysia between October 29, and November 10 this year. The inclusive Unified Sports programme brings together athletes with intellectual disabilities and individuals without these disabilities as teammates for training and competition.

(Jamaica Observer)

Premier League: Jose Mourinho ready to change Chelsea team against Liverpool

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is ready to make wholesale changes to his starting XI for Sunday’s crucial Premier League encounter with Liverpool.

The Blues drew 0-0 with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final, but the result came at a heavy cost to the Stamford Bridge club.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech will not play again this season after suffering a shoulder injury in the first half, with captain John Terry facing a similar fate after limping out in the second period with a foot problem.

Midfield duo Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel were booked during the match, ruling them out of the second leg in west London next Wednesday.

Prior to that game, Chelsea head to Anfield

looking to cut the five-point gap to Liverpool in the final three matches of the season. But after the 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland last time out in domestic action Mourinho has admitted he now wants to prioritise his quest for continental glory, a decision which may upset Manchester City, who are still battling for the title too. (Skysports)

Record haul!

Jamaica garner 88 medals at 43rd Carifta Games

Jamaica unofficially racked up a record haul of 88 medals to top the 43rd staging of the Carifta Games at Stade Municipal Pierre Aliker in Martinique for the 30th consecutive year and their 37th overall since the first staging in 1972.

On Thursday before departing for the French territory, Neil Harrison, the head coach of the 84-mem-

ber Jamaican team, the largest delegation to ever take part in the games, told the Jamaica Observer that expectations were high for yet another outstanding Carifta Games, and he was right.

The Jamaicans totally dominated the 26 other nations at the Games and garnered 88 medals, comprised of 42 gold, 34 silver and 12 bronze to break their

10-year-old record haul of 84 medals established in Hamilton, Bermuda, in 2004.

Jamaica started the day with 51 medals — of 25 gold, 19 silver and seven bronze — and collected another 37 as they dominated not only in the sprints, but the middle and long distances, hurdles and field events. (Jamaica Observer)

Ramdin let down by T&T batting

Captain of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team Denesh Ramdin yesterday expressed his disappointment with the batting effort of the squad, as they lost their Regional Four Day Championship Semi-Final contest against the Windward Islands at the Queen’s Park Oval.

The Windwards, who were sent in to bat, tallied 248 with Trinidad and Tobago declaring their first innings on 140/8. The Windwards, in their second turn at the crease, were dismissed for 231 and the hosts, set 340 to win in a day-anda-half, were bundled out for 105.

“Very disappointing,” was how he described the second innings performance. “It was a good batting track. We didn’t apply ourselves again. (The Windwards) were going to bowl disciplined areas and we kept playing rash shots (to) balls that we needed to leave alone. We didn’t bat well in the first innings and we tried a strategy by not giving them that bonus point (but) things didn’t work out.

“Our top five batters, in-

cluding myself, didn’t get starts, didn’t go out there and bat as long as we wanted to,” Ramdin confessed.

Asked if the players will need to take stock of themselves during the domestic leagues, particularly the batsmen, Ramdin responded, “I would say so. At this level you get less bad balls. Going back to the club level, you may get a couple bad balls but the batsmen should capitalise on that.” He continued, “our bowling has been pulling us.

There are some players that performed okay throughout

the season but not consistent, and our bowlers kept us in the hunt all the time.

Losing the (President’s Trophy, in the Regional Championship round-robin phase) by two points and now the Semi-Final, (is) hard.

“We knew 340 was going to be a task. We needed someone in the top four to score a big hundred and it didn’t work out. Hopefully we come good next season. It’s going to start earlier and it will be two rounds so there is a lot to look forward to.”

(Windiescricket)

Manchester United sacks manager David

Manchester United manager David Moyes has been sacked, only 10 months after succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson.

His dismissal was announced shortly after 0830 BST, following a meeting with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward at the club’s training ground.

Moyes, 50, was chosen by Ferguson to succeed him when he retired after 26 years in charge last summer.

United said player-coach Ryan Giggs will take charge “until a permanent appointment can be made”.

His first match as interim boss will be the home game against Norwich on Saturday.

The BBC understands coaches Steve Round and Jimmy Lumsden have also

Moyes

left their posts, but goalkeeping coach Chris Woods and first-team coach Phil Neville will remain with the club for the rest of the season.

United refused to comment on newspaper reports on Monday that Moyes, who left Everton to sign a sixyear deal with the Premier League champions, would be sacked before the end of the season.

Man Utd’s disappointing season

* Defeated in Champions League quarter-final by Bayern Munich

* Beaten in League Cup semi-final by Sunderland

* Lost at home to Swansea in the third round of the FA Cup

* Five points from a possible 24 against the current Premier League top four of Liverpool, Chelsea,

Manchester City and Arsenal

* Defeat against Everton confirmed club will miss out on Champions League for first time since 1995-96

However those reports prompted club officials to hold talks with Moyes late on Monday in a move designed to prevent a drawn-out dismissal process.

And in a short statement on Tuesday, the club said Moyes had departed, adding that it “would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role”.

Netherlands coach Louis Van Gaal, Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp, Atletico Madrid’s manager Diego Simeone and Paris St-Germain’s Laurent Blanc have already been tipped as possible successors.

(BBC Sport)

With the installation of floodlights at the Alboin Sports Complex expected to be completed by month- end, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has organised a 16team grand double- wicket cricket competition for May 3 and 4.

The competition will cater for both male and female pairs, with both finals scheduled to be played under lights on Sunday, May 4.

The entry fee for each male pair is $40,000, while each female pair will pay $10,000. The winning male pair will collect $500,000 with $100,000 on offer for the winning female pair.

The male runner-up takes home $200,000 and

After a hiatus of over a decade, the Annual National Novices Boxing Championships will make a grand return on May 2 and 3.

Organised by the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), the two-day event is tentatively scheduled for the East Ruimveldt Community Centre ground, pending approval from the Mayor and City Council.

President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle, informed this newspaper that his associa-

Registration for the Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL Inc) inaugural Independence Cup will close this afternoon, and according to Assistant secretary/ treasurer of the GSCL Inc. Russell Jadbeer, no late entries will be accepted.

The three-day tournament is scheduled for May 3, 4 and 5 and will feature teams battling in three categories, Masters, Open and Female.

The first six female teams to register will be al-

the female runner-up pockets $50,000.

The preliminary-round matches will be four overs per side with both players bowling two overs.

The first match is scheduled to start at 10:00h on Saturday, while Sunday’s matches are scheduled to start from 13:00h.

Incentive prizes for sixes will be given out for the top five male six hitters and the top three six hitters on the distaff side. Incentive prizes will be given for the most catches, best five fielders, and run outs on a formula to be determined. No fielding restrictions will be in place, but other standard cricket laws will apply.

The GCB will provide the

fielders, umpires, meals, refreshments, scorers and announcers each day in addition to promotion and marketing of the event and other officials.

Admission to the venue on Saturday is free. However, adult males will be required to pay $1,000 to enter the ground on Sunday. Double- wicket cricket at a high level was last played at Bourda in 1987, when several international players competed including Sir Garfield Sobers, Lance Gibbs and Michael Holding in addition to all the then present Guyanese Test players. Eleven fielders, including the two participating players, will be on the field at all times.

tion is on a drive to take the sport to the people, hence the staging of the event at the East Ruimveldt CC ground. The GBA boss further disclosed that gyms from across the country, along with the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) have been invited to compete. This event will kick off the association’s activity for the year, which promises to be a very busy one with several local, regional and international events on the cards for local boxers.

lowed to play and will battle for a top prize of $50,000.

In the Open category, the Competitions Committee of the GSCL Inc. is looking to accommodate 12 teams for which a prize money of $800,000 and trophy would be paid to the winning team, while the losers will pocket $200 000 and a trophy. The entrance fee for this category is $110 000 per team. The final of this category will be broadcast live on NCN Radio.

The admission fee for the

Masters category is $100 000 with the winners pocketing $500,000 and a trophy and the second-placed team $200,000 and trophy. Registration can be done by contacting Assistant secretary/treasurer of the GSCL Inc. Russell Jadbeer on 225-4802, 226-4205 or 626-8228 or at Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Seaforth Street, Campbellville. The official launching and drawing will be held on Thursday from 17:00h at the GNIC Sports Club.

The three category finals of the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA)- organised Trophy Stall- sponsored male and female softball tournament will be played on Saturday at the DCC ground in Lance Gibbs Street, Queenstown. Action will bowl off at 14:00h with Floodlights

taking on Success in the Masters 20/20 final, followed by the Female championship game from 17:00h, involving Wellwoman and Trophy Stall. That game is slated to be a 10/10 affair.

The Male Open final will crown the day with action set to get under way at 18:15h. Two of the country’s leading softball teams, Wolf’s Warriors and Regal

will battle for supremacy. As is the norm with all competitions organised by the GFSCA, there will be live commentary of the games at the venue, while there will be musical entertainment beyond the boundary. Admission to the venue is $200 per person, while vehicular parking inside the ground will attract a fee of $500.

Last season, Glenn Maxwell was the punchline to tons of millionaire jokes. He warmed the Mumbai Indians bench for much of the campaign, and was a peripheral figure in the three matches he did play. This time, the season is only a week old, and he’s not just played three matches, he’s been the Man of the Match in each.