monday, february 17, 2014| guyanatimesgy.com
BY BHISHAM MOHAMED
The nude body of a mother of two was on Sunday morning found aback the Dakara Creek, Timehri, East Bank Demerara in a heavily forested area. The woman is suspected to have been raped then strangled.
Dead is Savatri Gangadeen-Parma, 33, of Matadyal Road, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara. The woman was discovered about 06:00h by her husband and members of a community policing group (CPG), who went in search of her following reports the previous night that she was missing.
The suspect, a loader operator attached to a wellknown trucking service on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, was arrested on Sunday. He had several marks of violence about the body consistent with a fight or struggle, and notably, one of the woman’s rings was found in his pants pocket. The suspect has since reportedly confessed to the killing.
No sign
According to reports, the woman operates a small business in the vicinity of the Soesdyke/Linden Highway junction, but works her car as a taxi from time to time.
She reportedly called her husband about 22:00h on Saturday evening while he was in St Cuthbert’s Mission, informing him that she was going to drop off two passengers at a “loam pit” in Timehri and that she was taking her younger son as company.
After some time elapsed and there were no word from his wife, Kissoon Parma called her and she gave him conflicting reports, claiming at one time that she was coming, and another time she was at the airport.
After some time passed, he called her again and was told the same thing, so, he decided to drive to the location she told him she was
heading.
As he approached the area, he saw his wife's car and his son sleeping in the back seat, but there was no sign of the woman.
As he looked around, he found his wife’s clothing and thought that something was amiss; hence, he telephoned the CPG, relating his concerns. A member of the policing group told Guyana Times that prior
to getting the distress call, members were patrolling on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway where they saw Parma in the vicinity of Yarrowkabra and upon inquiring, he reportedly told them that he was waiting on someone.
The official stated that they left him there and continued their patrol. About 20 minutes later, he said that the man contacted them and explained what happened. He explained that when CPG ranks arrived at the location, the man showed them the clothes and gave them additional details. The ranks, who were suspicious of what happened, detained him for questioning.
While searching for the woman, he added that they heard screams coming from the densely forested area, but did not get a clear indication as to the direction they were coming from.
Police ranks and CPG members broke up into three groups and searched the area, but came up emp-
ty-handed. They left the area to respond to an arson report, but returned about 04:30h and resumed the search, and after about two hours, they found the body.
The CPG official said that from all indications,
for her sibling, and it was then they made the gruesome discovery. The woman said her sister was found lying face down and from all indications, her hands might have been broken and a shoe lace was seen close to
the woman was strangled with a boot lace. At the scene, which was cordoned off by police ranks as well as CPG members, Sharon Gangadeen, a sister of the dead woman told Guyana Times that the police decided to revisit the area on Sunday morning to search
her body. She said her sister’s footwear and other belongings were found along the track leading to where her body was discovered.
The outraged woman bashed the CPG members who were at the scene, accusing them of neglect of duty.
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
The traffic congestion during rush hours in the mornings and evenings is becoming almost unbearable for citizens to cope with. These days it is normal to spend more than half an hour in the traffic when going or coming from work or school, especially in areas along the East Bank and East Coast corridors, where there is a huge build-up of traffic almost daily.
The situation at the Demerara Harbour Bridge is even worse. It is clear that the bridge is no longer adequate to accommodate the large volume of traffic on daily basis. Hence, it is a wise move on the government’s part to look at building a more modern structure to cater for the changes.
Not only is the traffic situation adding to people’s personal frustrations, it is certainly having a negative impact on the level of output of our citizens, both students and workers. As a result, this would have a negative impact on production and the economy as a whole, as production hours are lost by way of employees coming to work late, or the fact that they are so tired and stressed the next day after spending long hours either waiting for transportation or stuck in traffic.
Within the last five years or so, traffic congestion in the city and other main thoroughfares has gotten worse, and there could be a number of factors responsible for this. Although there has been significant improvement to the road network recently, the continued establishment of new housing schemes across Guyana and the increasing number of vehicles being imported into the country are contributing to the traffic-related problems.
Thousands of persons have now been relocated from the city to other suburban and rural areas where they were allocated houselots by the government to build their homes. Most of these persons have to travel back to the city where they work or attend school.
Also, due to the fact that thousands of persons have entered into the middle and upper middle class where they have more disposable income, many are opting to purchase their own vehicles. So within the last three to five years or so, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of vehicles driving on the roads. However, the road network expansion programme, even though improving, still cannot accommodate this massive increase in vehicles driving on the roads.
There are a number of steps which could be taken immediately to minimise the impact the problem is having on citizens and their ability to get to their destination with minimal delays. For example, the authorities could work to ensure that there is more police presence in certain areas in order to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
There could be more diversions where there is a heavy traffic build-up. However, these are more short-term solutions. We believe that an effective way to address the problem is to continue expanding the road network in the country, especially in areas that are heavily populated. For example, the East Bank and East Coast road expansion projects, once completed, will bring much relief to the travelling public.
Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) had signed a US$20 million loan agreement for the road-expansion project. At the time, the bank had said that the funds will finance the programme that seeks to enhance urban and suburban mobility and safety, lower transportation costs, and reduce accident rates in certain areas in the country. These investments will result in improved conditions for driving and access for vehicles and pedestrians along one of the busiest stretches of Guyana’s main road network.
We urge the authorities to continue to look at ways in which the road network in Guyana could be further expanded, improved, rehabilitated, and maintained. This would certainly bring a great relief to citizens’ frustrations and would also help to reduce the number of road fatalities in the country.
Dear Editor,
I do not usually engage in exchanges in the press, with non-lawyers on matters of law. I extend this rule to some lawyers as well, when the content of what they espouse is devoid of legal scholarship.
However, many persons have requested that I reply to a letter penned by elderly political scientist Eusi Kwayana, published in another section of the press on February 1 under the headline, “It is now open for us to conclude that the Committee of Supply process is high farce”.
I choose to respond because the mistake of which Kwayana is guilty has infected many of the opinions expressed, publicly, in respect of the recent High Court ruling on the budget.
Kwayana makes out a case for supremacy of the Standing Orders, apparently, over the Constitution. He invokes Article 9 of the Constitution, “Sovereignty belongs to the people and they exercise it through their representatives and the democratic organs established by or under the Constitution”, in his attempt to argue, by implication, that the opposition has a right to cut the national estimates presented in the Committee of Supply.
Kwayana’s argument is predicated upon a fundamental constitutional misconception. He overlooks the
cardinal legal truth that the Constitution, born out of a referendum, is the supreme voice of the people.
It is the document in which the people have agreed to define and delimit even the powers of the members of the National Assembly who are their representatives. As representatives of the people, elected members of the National Assembly cannot act in contravention of the voice of the people, that is, the Constitution.
To the extent that the Constitution, the voice of the people, expressly or by implication, inhibits these representatives, they are restrained from acting. This is precisely why the Constitution is supreme and not the National Assembly. It is in this context that Article 9 of the Constitution must be read and understood.
Significantly, Kwayana abysmally fails to appreciate that the Committee of Supply is a creation and handmaiden of the National Assembly, via Standing Orders. It is not of constitutional or statutory creation. Nevertheless, it ought not to be a farce.
In fact, if it has become farcical, it is the elected members who have made it so. The fault must lie in the members of the assembly themselves and not in any other person or place.
The political truth may be that members of the
National Assembly and the members of standing committees, including the Committee of Supply, worship at the altar of political interest, rather than worship at the altar of national interest. The result from such a political misfocus is obvious.
According to the High Court decision in the budget cut case, the purported exercise of a power to cut the Estimates of Expenditure is a flagrant stultification of the power to approve or to withhold approval of those estimates expressly conferred by Article 218 of the Constitution.
This express power, conferred by Article 218, renders a power to cut by implication, a constitutional impossibility. So from whence is this power to cut derived? The flawed argument advanced, is that it flows from the Standing Orders.
This is nothing short of constitutional heresy. It flies in the face of the express language of Article 8 of the Constitution, which declares the Constitution to be supreme and strikes at the very heart of constitutional supremacy, the foundation upon which the edifice of our constitutional democracy is constructed.
Since Section 9 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Act 1980 mandates that the Standing Orders must be construed to con-
form to the Constitution, it is the Constitution which is supreme over the Standing Orders. Therefore, if there is inconsistency between the exercise of powers under the Standing Order and the exercise of power under Article 218 of the Constitution, then the power under the Standing Order cannot be exercised. It would be an unconstitutional exercise of power. This position would obtain even if the Standing Orders are law. Article 8 of the Constitution so prescribes.
Therefore, it rationally follows that if the exercise of power to cut the Estimate of Expenditures under the Standing Order is in direct conflict with the exercise of the power to approve or to withhold approval of the said estimates under Article 218 of the Constitution, the power to cut under the Standing Order cannot be exercised. Or if exercised, will be unconstitutional.
No amount of critical statements from those who regard themselves as belonging to the “intelligentsia” of Guyana can assail the clear rationality which underlies the High Court’s decision; or, maybe, “judgment has fled to brutish beasts and men have lost their reason”.
Mohabir Anil Nandlall, Attorney General/
Legal Affairs Minister
Dear Editor,
The elusive M Maxwell has been appearing quite a lot in the so called independent media, misrepresenting the views of others and engaging in name calling like a discredited columnist of another paper.
In another section of the press, Maxwell claims that “I defend ethnic supremacy”, but when challenged, he offered no evidence. Maxwell believes that ethnic supremacy is when one opposes racial injustice perpetrated against one’s ethnic group.
Those who fought against the kind of racist governance that existed in Guyana during the ethnic dictatorship would be considered as racists according to Maxwell. And if you call a spade a spade (that is, ethnic voting and the abuses Indians suffered), you become a supremacist, in the words of Maxwell.
Mike Persaud also
seems to subscribe to the same definition of racist ideology and supremacism as Maxwell. Maxwell and Persaud do not understand the concept of racism and supremacism.
Sociologists define ethnic supremacism as a belief that a particular ethnic group (or some other socially constructed identity) is superior to others. That feeling existed and still exists in virtually every society including America.
The practices of slavery and indenturedship by Europeans are considered as supremacist in nature because non-Whites were considered as inferior. Governance in Guyana prior to 1992 was largely based on policies of racism and supremacism where certain ethnic groups were persecuted and marginalised.
President Donald Ramotar and former President Bharrat Jagdeo
recently made references to and condemned those who subscribe to the belief that Indians lack the intelligence and ability to govern Guyana – those he chided would be considered as engaging in supremacist thoughts.
I do note that evidence exists that Maxwell advocated ethnic subordination (and, by extension, ethnic supremacy) when, writing in another newspaper, he urged Indians to abandon “their party” and vote for another ethnic party – in effect advocating “the marginalising” of Indians and a restoration of their “inferior status”.
Such marginalising of Indians and other ethnic groups took place during the period of the dictatorship that is described by sociologists and many Guyanese writers as “supremacist rule”.
Maxwell had suggested that Indians should
“stand down from power” and should not vote for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) – many considered that view as racist and supremacist.
Persaud suggested that Indians not vote for a candidate of their own ethnicity, even if the candidate laboured in the trenches all his life to fight against ethnic persecution. I believe people should vote on issues – the ethnicity of the candidate should not matter.
But I am also a pragmatist and I am not naïve about voting trends in multi-ethnic societies, including America, Britain and Canada.
I note that the so called independent media allow critics of the government to engage in all sorts of name calling, but hardly permit an equal response.
An inexorable descent into personality with demeaning comments
against others should not be entertained by the media. If Maxwell is engaged in name calling, then those he attacks should have a right to respond with equal name calling. That has not been the case in the socalled independent media.
Home Affairs Minister and PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee recently repudiated a media house for being biased. No paper should allow itself to be used to lambaste and to hurl abuse on others unprovoked.
Although I never advocated violence against anyone or any group and although I never subscribe to supremacist beliefs, Maxwell and Persaud so describe me. But when several other individuals called for the beating of Indians, a clear example of supremacist thinking, Maxwell and Persaud did not so describe them or condemn their advocacy of ethnic genocide.
Maxwell and Persaud seem to feel that those Indians who are routinely beaten, robbed and raped in Guyana are racist and supremacist.
I remind Maxwell that I fought against ethnic supremacist practices during the dictatorship, playing a leading role in New York from 1977 (and prior to that in Guyana) through the restoration of democratic governance in October 1992.
I also spent a considerable amount of time in Guyana during my breaks from my work and academic studies to struggle against the ethnic dictatorship. My position on ethnic rule is consistent. Racism and supremacism do not belong in any society or in anyone’s thoughts.
Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram
Dear Editor,
In a few days we will be celebrating the 44th anniversary of our republic status, that is, of our complete independence as a nation and a people.
This makes it an opportune time for us to take stock of how each of us has been contributing to the advancement of this nationhood, and adjust our thinking and actions towards a better approach to achieving this objective.
We are all now aware, and mostly despondent, of the political culture that has developed over the past years. The opposition has been consistent in opposing any measures being proposed by the government, even when these are clearly seen to contribute to the benefit of the country as a whole.
This line has been closely followed by our people in supporting or opposing some project, with no other apparent consideration than whether we are among the supporters or opposers of the present administration. We are also all aware that in a subtle manner each of these groups corresponds largely to the two main races to which we belong.
It is a sad state of affairs, and one that will by all appearances continue ad infinitum. Our people are not projecting this cooperative spirit into their thought processes, and are controlled by the prejudices which they continue to allow to influence their reasoning about any situation.
This means that our struggling country is per-
petually locked into a mode in which about 50 per cent of the population will forever be working towards the programmes of the government, effectively making use of only one-half on our human resource capabilities, while the other half will be engaged in doing its utmost in negating what is being attempted, further hampering national progress.
Are we forever doomed to this crab-barrel mentality? Can we not see that the developed countries have reached their superior positions by acting like civilised human beings and applying restraint to their actions when the opposite would lessen the common effort in such a manner that the country and people would become poorer?
If we have a People’s National Congress (PNC) government at any one time, do we, or should we, expect any other type of behaviour from the other side of the political spectrum?
I am convinced that, despite the charges of corruption at various levels, and some errors being made by the present administration, the government has been making sincere efforts within its competence to introduce policies which would benefit all sectors of the nation.
However, no government can claim to be perfect, and no one has a right to expect it to be. Moreover, we are not a metropolitan country where the infrastructure and administrative machinery are of an advanced standard.
We are not in a highly-
developed society where the majority of citizens are literate and experienced. We are not in a country where the political system is stable and fully evolved.
What any government does is clearly within its competence, and all of us as citizens have the obligation to cooperate in the nationally-established programmes, more so in times of national disasters or when some new measure is being adopted.
Opposition elements must clearly understand that their role in the whole situation is generally to keep the government on the right track and within the bounds of accountability, and definitely not to impede the efforts of the administration, as we will all be poorer for it.
The opposition, along with the agencies which are affiliated to it, has to use its position to get the best out of the system, opposing constructively what they perceive to be against the general good, but likewise supporting what is being done to help our people.
They need to remember that the time will come when they will be controlling the reins of government. Would they be willing to accept an opposition at that time which will be forever trying to destroy what they are striving to build?
Our claim to Independence and republican status must be accompanied by maturity, responsibility and the cooperative spirit to place the interest of the nation above all else.
Only when we are all prepared to act accordingly will we be able to assert the
right to celebrate together this coming occasion as one which we all deserve. Yours sincerely, Roy Paul
– ChildLinK’s vision is a Guyanese society where every child enjoys the right to a childhood in a safe and caring family, free from poverty, violence, and exploitation
continue the session.
In today’s society, television plays a major role in our children’s day-to-day lives. Children begin watching television for many different reasons. While, the main reason is for entertainment, they also watch for learning purposes. While doing so, they may come across shows/movies on the television that are not age appropriate and child-sensitive. The content of these shows often sends the wrong messages to our young children. This content ranges from sexual acts to indecent language, and aggressive and violent behaviours etc. Children can sometimes get the wrong impression of the messages from the movies/ shows and act them out in their daily lives.
Case study – Names and places have been changed to protect persons’ privacy.
Nine-year-old Ralph lives in a rural community in an extended family comprising his father, step-mother, sisters, brothers, grandparents, uncles, and aunts in a top and bottom flat house.
Ralph lives in the upper flat with his grandparents while his parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles live in the lower flat of the house. His grandparents often times give Ralph the opportunity to do whatever he wants whenever he wants, leaving his parents with limited input into his life. Within the school environment, Ralph actively participates in classroom and outdoor activities and his performances is average for his age.
A student from Ralph’s class visited the ChildLinK’s counsellor attached to the school with a horrifying story that involved Ralph. The student claimed one week prior, while she was preparing to join her friends in the yard for a game of cricket, Ralph came into the class and blocked the door, stopping her from leaving. When she asked him to move so she can leave, he refused and pushed her back away from the door. As she made her way to the other door to leave, Ralph grabbed her and started to kiss her on
the mouth. With every effort she tried to push him away, but he was too strong. Ralph then took her hands, put them behind her back, pinned her to the bench, and started “jucking/wining” on
was encouraged to tell her class teacher about the incident in an effort to stop it from happening again. The following day a group of girls from Grade Four visited the counsellor and related a
her. She screamed and tried to push him away, just then boys came to the classroom and saw what was happening. They pulled Ralph off of her and hit him a few times about the body. She did not report the incident to the class teacher, because she was ashamed. The student
similar story about Ralph touching them on their private body parts and telling them “wicked words”. These students claimed they have complained to the teacher on numerous occasions and Ralph was disciplined; however, he still continues with these behaviours. The coun-
sellor said she will investigate.
Assessment of the situation Ralph was invited to the counsellor for a discussion. Upon arrival, he appeared nervous and anxious to see the counsellor. Ralph was asked whether he understood the reason he was in the session and he replied “no”. The counsellor then shared her concern over the stories that she had heard about him touching the girls inappropriately and saying “wicked words” them. Ralph further shared that he only did it because he thinks the girls like what he was doing. When asked why he thinks the girls like to be touched like that, Ralph replied “in movies the girls are always happy when boys touch them like that”. The counsellor asked Ralph what are these movies he sees that involve boys touching girls like that. Efforts were then made to help him understand the inappropriateness of his actions. However, Ralph became silent and refused to
To further assess the root cause of the child’s behaviour, the counsellor made a visit to Ralph’s home to meet with his parents. During the discussion with Ralph’s parents, it was discovered that Ralph spends most of his time in the upper flat with his grandparents. When his grandparents are not around, Ralph is left unsupervised in the upper flat. His parents describe him as being responsible so they usually ensure that he has his meals, etc, when his grandparents are not around and he stays by himself in the upper flat. The parents said they allow him to be unsupervised, because his grandparents have cable television and Ralph loves to watch cartoons.
The concern over Ralph’s behaviour in school with the female students was shared with his parents as well as the importance of supervising his daily television shows/movies. A suggestion of having parental controls set up on the television was made, because there is a possibility that he is watching adult movies. The parents willingly accepted the suggestion and promised to supervise Ralph closely, especially his television watching. The grandparents were informed also of the need to supervise Ralph’s television time. At school, Ralph continued in other child-friendly sessions that were focused on safe and unsafe touches, the importance of respecting other people’s bodies, the Sexual Offence Act and penalties for sexual offenders. Ralph still lives with his extended family, but his parents and grandparents are providing the necessary supervision. His behaviour has improved and there are no more complaints about him touching the girls or telling them “wicked words”. His grandparents were able to set up parental control on the television and a special time has been put in place for him to view television.
Please contact us on telephone number 231-7174 or at programmes.childlink@networksgy.com for any support you may need on parenting and any other challenges that you may be experiencing with your children.
The three-day Rupununi Music and Arts Festival concluded Sunday evening with organisers hailing it as a great success.
The festival had an auspicious start at the Rock View Lodge in the Annai community of Region Nine on Friday. It was formally
ture together and having humanity embracing each other.” Minister Ali, observing the large influx of overseas guests and performers, reminded them that they could always extend their stay in what he described as the cleanest and most beautiful area in Guyana. The minister also commended
opened by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who commended the organisers for launching an event that brought performers from across the world to Guyana’s interior. He said tourism has been identified as a sector that can foster development by attracting overseas visitors to experience Guyana's unique flora and fauna. To this end, new airlines and the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport are in train to take advantage of the new opportunities available, along with the construction of the soonto-be-opened Marriott Hotel, the prime minister said.
The fact that Guyana has been listed as one of the top 21 places to visit in 2014, by the prestigious National Geographic Traveler Magazine, was also noted. The prime minister also took the opportunity to present a $5 million cheque to the organisers as a show of government’s support for the inaugural event.
For acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali, the event was about being able to experience global music.
“Music is one of the most beautiful forms of bringing people together, cul-
the organisers for initiating the programme and using local talent and skills to ensure its success.
The event was also described by Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn RodriguesBirkett as a unique way
to showcase the interior of Guyana to many who believe that Guyana basically starts and ends on the coastal region. It will also benefit surrounding indigenous communities, she noted, and they will learn from it.
Coordinator and Rock View owner Colin Edwards said the event was not easy to organise, and while he acknowledged that some mistakes may have been made inadvertently, next year’s
festival would build on and improve on what was described by many who attended as a wonderful event.
Edwards thanked all the entities that made the event possible. These include government, the tourism and Amerindian affairs ministries, embassies, local banks, and a myriad of private sponsors.
Annai’s Toshao Mark George also welcomed the hundreds of visitors and urged them to enjoy what he
In anger, she said that if the CPG ranks were responsible enough, they would have followed the screams they heard when they went to the area on Saturday evening.
She explained had they done that, her sister might have still been alive. Nevertheless, Sharon stated that her sister was a very quiet person, who did not transport people she did not know.
An aunt told this publication that her niece was very quiet, noting that on the night she went missing, she left her older son in the shop,
telling him that she was retuning shortly.
Meanwhile, the police, along with the woman’s relatives, followed several leads and were successful in apprehending the suspect who was seen leaving the area early Sunday morning. The shoe prints on the sand matched the footwear he was wearing at the time of his arrest. There was also a one boot without a lace; the missing lace is suspected to be the murder weapon. The suspect, a man in his 30s, might have committed the act and then stayed at his boss’s place some distance away.
termed “the most beautiful part of Guyana”. He asked them to encourage others to come and experience what the community has to offer. The performers included Marc Mathews (spoken word); Keith Waithe (jazz & world flautist); Chuckie (Marlon Adams) and the Buxton Children’s Group; Fusion African drumming; Raghu’s Indian Tassa drummers; Ras Camo; Indus Voices and Dance Worqs;
from page 3
A taxi driver in the area said the suspect telephoned and requested to be dropped off on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. He said as he was heading to the pickup point, he recognised a number of police and other vehicles heading in the same direction. He did not pay heed, thus went to the man’s place as was requested. Upon his arrival, he told investigators,t the man acted in suspicious manner and more strangely, he cancelled the request.
Acting on that bit of information and the fact that the suspect did not stay at home on the evening the act was
Trevor Rogers; Desmond Atherly; Desmond
and
The international performers were Zambian Namvula, Filligar (U.S.A.); Iryna Muha (UK/Ukraine); Ramon Goose (UK); Pavel Ván? (Czech Republic); Aref Durvesh (UK); and Drew Gonsalves (Canada via Trinidad), the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
committed, the police arrested him.
Upon his arrest, he reportedly told ranks that he hired the woman to take him to the “sand pit” and on his way, he made a pass at the woman, who in turn threatened to make a complaint to the police. It was then, he confessed that he pulled out a sharp object and ordered her to strip.
After she did so, the man told investigators that he asked her to walk into the dark area and into the bushes, and there he reportedly raped and killed her. (bhisham@guyanatimesgy.com)
The misdiagnosis of lung cancer is seen as one of the top challenges of the local health sector, Guyana Medical Council Chairperson, Dr Vivienne Mitchell has said.
Mitchell made the comments on Sunday while addressing the council’s Continuing Medical Education (CME) meeting which held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal.
Lung cancer, paediatric hip pain in emergency medicine, early warning scoring systems, and newborn jaundice were among the topics that were up for discussion at the meeting.
Mitchell said the subject areas were selected based on challenges facing the health sector.
Alluding to lung cancer, Dr Mitchell said misdiagnosis remains a major problem. “We miss the signs and by the time you diagnose, it is downhill,” she explained. However, this is an issue that the Health Ministry is working to address.
Similarly, she said, capitalising on the early warn-
ing scoring system is essential, but as in the case of lung cancer, there are late detections. “A lot of the cases when you analyse them, the doctors and nurses involved miss the warning sign.”
Doctors and nurses, she lamented, need to pay keen attention to patients and detect early signs of disease.
Medical protocols
Dr Cheetanand Mahadeo spoke extensively on lung cancer, while Dr Tiffany Alexander addressed paediatric hip pain in emergency medicine, and Clive Bowman who has a master’s degree in paediatrics made the presentation on newborn jaundice and challenges currently faced.
Going forward in 2014, the medical council would be focusing on establishing clinical guidelines, treatment protocols, and standards to govern the health sector.
Doctors operating within Guyana come from all over the world, and there is a large influx of young doctors in the medical sec-
tor giving rise to a need for standardisation in treatment.
Dr Mitchell said despite the location and hospital, patients must receive the same treatment for a particular ailment. Currently, there are treatment guidelines for primary, maternal and mental health; however, there is need for national treatment guidelines for secondary health-care. Secondary health-care is treatment administered at a hospital.
The available textbooks were written primarily for First World countries which have different resources from what exist in Guyana. As a result, there is a clear need for modification, Dr Mitchell said.
The medical council is hoping to achieve its objectives through collaborative support from the Health Ministry and its supporting arms.
Meanwhile, providing an overview of its 2013 operations, the medical council’s chairperson said it had an income of $8.1 million, with an expenditure of $6.6 million, a surplus of $1.5 million. With the increase in funds at the institution, the chairperson said there was greater need to have the council’s account audited. The council also campaigned for better office space, as it is currently housed at the Health Ministry.
In his remarks, Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran said the ministry is engaging strategic partners to facilitate continuing education for Guyana’s emerging workforce.
The University of Guyana (UG) last Friday hosted its annual Career/Open Day Fair under the theme “Honouring the past, moulding the present, transforming the future”.
The opening ceremony held in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, was attended by hundreds, many of whom were students from various schools across the country.
This year, 38 organisa-
tions participated in the fair, including the Global Networks Group, Banks DIH, Hits and Jams Radio, the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Revenue Authority.
In addition to these organisations, the university also had on hand, members from the Berbice campus, its religious societies and representatives from the different faculties of the university.
UG School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Coordinator Linda JohnsonBhola said the university embodies the hope of Guyana’s future.
“This is not just a celebration for us; it is not just another open career day, it is a unique one, one that coincides with 50 years of the existence of this university.”
According to JohnsonBhola, when the university was founded 50 years ago, it was intended to prepare the best and brightest minds among the nation’s children
to development Guyana and despite limited resources, the school is on its way to achieving this objective.
UG Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr Phillip DaSilva in an invited comment said the university is happy to be playing a role in assisting students to be able to identify suitable careers which they may wish to pursue, and in doing so, receive whatever guidance is necessary through the annual career day activity.
Those wishing to attend the university were informed through the faculties’ booths of the criteria for acceptance and the processes involved in making acceptance possible.
He also stated that plans are on stream for the university’s structural development and administrators are in constant talks with the student’s body to identify and fix weak areas in the system.
He, however, noted that while every effort is being made in raising standard of learning at the university, everything cannot be accomplished at once and will take some time to become reality.
Guyana Times spoke to several students at the event, all of whom said the fair was informative and educational.
The organisations that took part in the event were presented with certificates of participation.
...dead calypsos
We’ve just had the Mashramani Calypso Competition. Quick now – how many of you heard the entries over the airwaves – even in the “buildup” to the contest during the last couple of weeks? We thought so. Nary a soul. Now anyone who’s been following this column would know that your humble Eyewitness is a fan of Kaiso. But he’d be the first to confess he fully agrees with Dave Martins that calypsos just aren’t popular with the throbbing masses no more.
And for something that’s supposed to be part of pop culture – “popular culture”, get it? – that’s fatal. The folks over at the MuckrakerKN took time to criticise the government radio stations for not playing the offerings. But let’s say the folks at 98.1 aren’t masochists and so, sidelined the government-bashing staples – what about the dozen or so other radio stations? Ditto for the plethora of TV stations.
They were all calypso-free for the simple reason that these entities survive on advertisements – the sponsors of which, demand a listening or viewing audience. These business folks know you can take as much water as you please to the horse, but if the horse doesn’t want to drink, he’ll just walk away. And people have walked away from Kaisos.
The calypso art form was born as an avenue for the average man to do social commentary – without having to go to university. Which, not so coincidentally, was barred to him. So Kaiso expressed in poetry, the local wit and wisdom of the man on the outside of “the system”. There’s other avenues nowadays... loads of other avenues... for filling that need of the people. Calypso has become “old hat”. And there’s nothing worse for the popular taste than being stale.
So how come we have the calypso competition for Mash? That’s a good question. It’s there because somebody in some dusty backroom of the Culture Ministry decided they have to “Preserve Our Culture”!! And if calypso was part of our culture by golly, we’ll preserve it! But they missed the whole point: culture in general, and popular culture in particular, is not static. And by definition it can’t be static. People’s environments – social, economic, political or whatever – change all the time. And their reactions to it will inevitably change. If we want to preserve calypso in the present, the Culture Ministry already has a place to do so – the museum.
For what it’s worth, the only poetry at the competition was the poetic justice delivered as every contestant bashed officialdom!
...outside rock
Your Eyewitness is intrigued that the U.S. embassy brought the “rock band” Filligar to Guyana as cultural ambassadors, representing the “American people and their cultural values”. Now as rock aficionados would know, Filligar is an “indie” band – a label to describe those outside the rock (commercial) mainstream, after the “alternative” title lost meaning when Nirvana and other “alternatives” broke out big time.
“Indie” is from “independent”. But we don’t know how “independent” Filligar is when they’re officially sponsored by their State Department to tour places like troubled Egypt and the Middle East – and now Guyana. What we can be sure about is that, unlike the calysonians at the Mashramani competition, they won’t be bashing their sponsors. No wailing about the “Wolves of Wall Street”!!
But what troubles us more is who decided that indie rock most represents what America stands for musically? Is it because Filligar’s members graduated from Ivy League Dartmouth College? We wager if any poll is taken in the U.S., music from graduates of America’s black ghettoes would come out on top.
And what they sing about would resonate more with the average Guyanese.
...a dead wanker
After Caricom, the OAS, the U.S., the EU, the UK and even Russia pleaded with the opposition to sign the AML/CFT Bill, APNU says the government “overreacted” to CFATF’s deadline!
The Caribbean Science Foundation (CFS) will be hosting its annual Student Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) and is inviting interested students to send in their applications.
The SPISE programme is an intensive four-week summer programme in Barbados for gifted Caribbean highschool students who are interested in studying and exploring careers in science and engineering. Through this programme, the CFS is aiming to help address the low numbers of Caribbean students pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering, while at the same time groom the next generation of science, engineering technology and business leaders in the region.
Those who are accepted for the programme are said to be among the top scholars in STEM. In 2013, the SPISE programme saw the participation of 16 students, including a Guyanese. The National Milling Company of Guyana Inc (NAMILCO) had sponsored Deowattie Vanessa Narine of Bishops’ High School to attend the programme. Narine, 17, was the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Best Science Student in 2012.
University-level
During the programme, the students were involved in university-level courses in calculus, physics, biochemistry, entrepreneurship, humanities (one Caribbean concept) and Mandarin. They also did laboratory work in robotics/electronics and biochemistry.
The participating countries were Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. The programme was held in Barbados with training sessions at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus. The students were afforded the opportunity to attend classes, which were taught by leading professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Through the programme, students were also allowed to
participate in a career seminar series during which they were exposed firsthand to the career paths, decisions and experiences of six distinguished professionals, in science and engineering, from the diaspora and the region. The instructors at the seminar included faculty members from the University of the West Indies and senior management from the U.S. biotechnology industry.
At the end of programme, students had to present to the public their final projects based on robotics and entrepreneurship. The students had also performed two skits, entirely in Mandarin, to display their newly-learned language. The skits “The Crazy Waitress” and “Shopping Day Gone Awry” were well received by the audience. These performances were especially impressive since the Mandarin instruction comprised only 12 hours in total over a three-week period.
In the end, the students found the SPISE experience invaluable, and this was reflected in an exit interview in which they commented about the new and difficult materials they learnt and how their confidence to compete with other students in their age group from any part of the world was boosted. However, this year, the programme will include approximately 20 students. It will run from July 19 to August 16. Students desir-
ous of competing in the programme must be between the ages of 16 and 18 by July 1 and must complete the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examin math and science subjects. Low-income household students and females are urged to apply since the programme is free of charge, owing to the generous support from sponsors. Student, teaching assistant and instructor application forms are posted on the CSF website at http:// caribbeanscience.org/projects/spise.php. The application process will be closed on March 31.
Meanwhile, CSF is also encouraging sponsors to join in supporting the programme. Sponsors may opt to designate support for students from specific countries and each student will be branded as a scholar of their sponsor. The cost per student is US$6000 plus round-trip airfare between the student’s country and Barbados.
The cost covers student’s housing, meals, stipends for the instructors and teaching assistants, and partial costs of lab equipment and supplies. The CSF will supply the sponsors with interim and final updates on the performance of their students and assist the sponsor by providing reports, photos and other materials to showcase their corporate social responsibility.
Five years after learning they were victims of a US$7 Ponzi scheme, investors in the Stanford Financial Group (SFG) say they feel abandoned.
Less than 10 per cent of their money has been recovered. The Antiguan liquidators have announced their first payout – just one per cent to victims.
CNBC reported that by comparison, liquidators in
the Bernard Madoff scam, which was unearthed just months ahead of the Stanford fraud, say they are close to recovering the full estimated US$17.5 billion invested. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued SFG, and a court placed it in receivership on February 17, 2009.
Twenty-eight thousand investors — 10 times the number of direct inves-
Caribbean religious and political figures met on Sunday for a three-hour regional interfaith service ahead of a forum on Monday that they hope would help formulate a strategic plan for the Caribbean Community (Caricom).
They are also hoping that the event would begin a process among faithbased Organisations (FBOs) within the region aimed at transforming the social fabric of the community. Host Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, who spearheaded the initiative for the regional interfaith conference, told the congregation at the St John’s Pentecostal Church that he was certain that the Lord “has brought us here and forum was an historic occasion (and) we start off by worshipping together”.
He described the one-day forum as “a very important event” that would place religion at “the future of this region”.
Caricom Chairman and St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves said religion played an important role in the life of Caribbean people.
“The Caribbean nations are founded in the supremacy of God and we are here today to re-affirm the fact
that we are founded in the supremacy of God,” he said, adding there was nothing more joyous “to hear our people in the Caribbean in praise of our God and Saviour”.
The conference targets religious leaders of faiths practised across the Caribbean, and, in particular, leaders of national and regional faith-based organisations. Chairperson of the event, Apostle Steven Andrews said religious leaders will focus on strategic objectives to reignite the spirit of fellowship among the Christian community.
“We want everybody to have a voice in building a better Caribbean. These stakeholders will have an integral part to play,”
Andrews said.
The senior pastor of the House of Restoration said another objective is to “to build a framework for a regional consultative process between the heads of government, the church and other organisations”.
Prime Minister Spencer had made the suggestion for the conference during the January 9 Caricom ambassadors meeting in Guyana. The meeting was conducted to review the first draft of a strategic plan that will guide the direction of the Caricom for the next five years.
While addressing the January 9 session, Spencer said the role of the church should be highlighted and recognised in the first draft of a strategic plan. He said the church can assist in strengthening the moral fabric of society and can participate in building a robust Caribbean community.
“Within the context of this strategic plan, there should be an article item to reflect the relevance of the church and religion in building a modern Caribbean civilisation,” Spencer said at the time. Following the conference to be held at the Jolly Beach Resort, the religious leaders will draft an implementation framework. This will eventually be reflected in the strategic plan. (CMC)
An international effort has been launched to develop quality standards for key products of the multibillion dollar spice and herb trade.
The sector has been enjoying rapid growth for several decades on the back of burgeoning demand from the booming economies of Asia and elsewhere, and increased recognition of the health and culinary benefits of herbs and spices.
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Assistant Director General Ren Wang.
“Once clear internationally accepted standards are established, consumers can trust the safety and quality of the spices and herbs they buy.
at a global level for many of the world’s most important spices such as black pepper, vanilla and nutmeg and herbs like rosemary, thyme and basil.
tors in the case of Madoff — bought certificates of deposit (CDs) from Stanford International Bank. Stanford’s U.S. sales force promised the investors that the CDs were at least as safe as instruments from a U.S. bank, but a jury later found most of the clients’ money financed Stanford’s lavish lifestyle instead of the high-grade securities and real estate it was supposed to.
In response to the sector’s growth and the extraordinary diversity of the trade and its products, the global food standards body the Codex Alimentarius Commission last year established the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH). The first meeting of the CCSCH will be held in the southern Indian city of Kochi in Kerala state from February 11-14.
The new committee is hosted by India and is responsible for promoting worldwide quality standards for many of the most important spices and culinary herbs.
“By developing such standards, Codex wants to contribute to the safety, quality and fairness of the international spice and herb trade,” Food and
“Importers can trust that the spices and herbs they order and then have delivered will be in accordance with their specifications. Perhaps most importantly, the millions of smallholder farmers who grow spices and herbs for a living can see more clearly what they should be growing and to what standard,” Wang said.
Established by the FAO and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1963, Codex develops harmonised international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice to protect the health of the consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.
The commission is already helping to regulate the safety of many spice and herb products – like all other foods – with its general standards for hygiene, contaminants, and pesticide residues. The new committee will be part of a continuing effort to establish quality standards
According to the FAO publication “Spices and Herbs for Home and Market”, there are around 50 spice and herb plants of global trade significance, but many other spices and herb crops are expanding and offer good returns to small-scale farmers.
Spice and herb plants provide seeds and fruits, leaves and stems, flowers and buds, roots and rhizomes and bark and resins that can all be commercialised in various forms. Each of these products can then be sold fresh, frozen, dried, whole or ground, distilled into oils or solvents extracted into oleoresins.
With such a diverse range of by-products and uses, booming international demand and expanding areas of production, the need for international standards is clear.
While there are standards for some spices and herbs already, there is no global body that provides product specific, harmonised quality standards for whole and ground spices and culinary herbs.
The draft of the Linden electricity disruption manual has been submitted to Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon, by the Technical Committee which was established by the Region 10 Democratic Council (RDC) last year, to look into prolonged unscheduled electricity disruptions in the mining town.
The committee, which is headed by Chairman Horace James, had been meeting once weekly to discuss and troubleshoot elements to be included in the manual, following the increase in blackouts in the community recently as well as last year.
Members of the committee include representatives of bauxite mining company Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Inc (BMGGI), the community’s main electricity supplier; the Linden Electricity Company Incorporated (LECI), which is responsible for electricity supply at Mackenzie; the Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Limited (LUSCSL), which is responsible for the supply at Wismar; the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI); and the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC).The draft has been submitted on time and the
regional chairman indicated that he is both grateful and impressed with its content.
Public awareness
“The region would have far advanced in its electricity/ blackout manual. I am very impressed with this manual, the draft of it, and we expect that at the end of this manual, people can be very comfortable with prolonged electricity (disruption), if not with the conditions that they will be enduring, to the sat-
isfaction that they will know what is happening and how the region intends to deal with issues.”
The manual is being prepared as part of the RDC’s response to increasing public awareness on the issue and improving its disaster preparedness response. Unscheduled blackouts in the community, which lasted for over 12 hours prompted the decision and led to the formation of the committee.
“This electricity dis-
ruption manual, we recognise that it may be the first around. We are very grateful. It is very detailed in how services will be maintained in the event of a prolonged blackout. We’ve also identified areas of rationing electricity, where will take priority and for how long. We’ve also identified the type of services that will be delayed and how we will be able to rotate with ensuring people in the community receive the services,” Solomon stated.
Also included in the draft manual are the relevant parties to firstly be informed in instances of prolonged blackouts, hotline numbers, systems to be put in place to ease water transmission and supply woes, among other initiatives.
“This manual in its draft (stage) would have come to the attention of the statutory meeting (RDC) and we hope that at the end of next week (this week), we can have a final copy of this electricity emergency manual and at least residents will have a chance to experience how soon we can see it enforced and to run the diagnostic test to recognise how effective and efficient this manual really is,” the regional chairman said.
De G-Owe-A announce that de Queen baton comin to Guyana, and as soon as Dew Man and Pill Grim mek de announcement, some people start to jump fuh joy, although it still got another two weeks to go before de baton reach de s*ity of Green and garbage.
On de other hand, some people start to holler and bawl. Then dem start to cry. At this early stage, no body ain’t sure if dem who happy, happy fuh de Queen or fuh de baton, or both, or happy that de Queen sendin a baton.
When Harding hear that all de way in Jamaica, he apply fuh asylum right away. He tell No Gel Hugly that de pullice bringin another baton fuh he all de way from England. And Harding remember he mudder tell he that tings from England strong and does last long.
That alone mek Harding never wanna come back to he home country and to de s*ity of Green and garbage, especially knowing that he got to land at Timehri, and that is whey de Queen baton gon land, and that is wheh de pullice baton station deh.
It too soon to know if dem who hollerin, bawlin and cryin sad because is a baton comin and not de Queen she self. A lotta people still wanna see de Queen. But it got some a dem who ain’t kay bout de Queen. All dem want is a baton. Dem boys done start to line up at de hairport, and dem ain’t mind if is a midnight flight. De Mook and he headitor goin to meet de baton in Tee-T.
Wid Green in de s*ity, includin Green Case, Green Bridge and Green Jah, some body seh de Queen mighta plan to mek de trip too, because de whole a de Royal Family like every ting to do wid de environment. But is when de Queen realise that all dem Greens in de s*ity is garbage, that is when she change she mind.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Look out fuh all dem who gon tek night-off when de baton reach!
The government of Guyana has collaborated with the governments of Malaysia and China to provide scholarships to Guyanese at different levels in the two countries.
For the academic year 2014/2015, under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP, scholarships are available at the master’s level in engineering, agriculture science and technology.
Persons applying for the scholarships must possess
a bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.5 or above and their qualifications or training should be relevant to the intended field of study.
The applicants must not be more than 35 years with at least five years working experience.
Meanwhile, the government of Guyana in partnership with the Chinese government is offering a limited number of scholarships in China for undergraduate studies for the academic year 2014/2015 in the area of human medicine.
Applicants must obtain passes in a minimum of five subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams with grades one or two, inclusive of English language, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Candidates must be under 25 years of age at the time of applying. Applications can be obtained from the Public Service Ministry, Permanent Secretary at 164 Waterloo Street, Georgetown and must be returned by February 21 and February 28 respectively.
Times Notebook is concerned that opposition politicians have descended into blackmail politics in a treacherous political agenda designed to grab power through the backdoor.
The opposition leader is blackmailing the president when he insists that he will not support the appointments of the acting chief justice and the acting chancellor of the judiciary.
It is blackmail politics intended to intimidate the chief justice and the chancellor who have proven that they would make judgments in accordance with the law.
Blackmail politics was used by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) against the home affairs minister in 2013. They voted against a bill to eliminate illegal and illicit arms and ammunition into the country.
By rejecting the bill APNU and the AFC allowed criminals access to illegal and illicit arms and ammunition that kill people daily in our country. The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) was brought to a halt because APNU and the AFC did not want a particular person to be on the ERC.
On February 10, Basil Williams announced that if roads in “their communities” are not in the budget, they will cut the budget when it is presented in Parliament. We thought that politicians from any party would want development in every community. What does a politician mean by “our people”? Will the opposition reject the notion that there are people in Guyana who are not “their people”?
The use of violent protests is one of the oldest forms of blackmail politics. The Linden protest in 2012 was nothing less than blackmail politics to destabilise the country. Miners and foresters could not do their business because of the violent blocking off of Linden in 2012.
This is not dissimilar to the tactics promoted by the People’s National Congress (PNC) and the United Force (UF) in the early 1960s when they promoted violent protests in Georgetown and other
parts of Guyana. The fiasco surrounding the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Amendment Bill is a good example of blackmail politics practised by APNU and AFC. Guyana will face treacherous consequences if it is blacklisted.
After 10 months, APNU could not tell the country what amendments it wanted in order to pass the AML/ CFT Bill. Yet, at the last moment before Parliament on February 10, APNU proposed amendments.
Among the amendments APNU wants is to give power to the police to stop and seize money from citizens or visitors if that amount is more than $2 million. Does any citizen in Guyana, regardless of which political party you support, want this power in the police?
It is a strategy by APNU and the AFC to use blackmail every time in order to create as much pain for our people and country so that they could grab power through the backdoor.
PPC
AFC leaders have said from the beginning that they have no objection against the present bill. Yet, in the worst example of blackmail politics, they have tied their support in Parliament to the appointment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC).
The AFC leaders are guilty of blackmail politics because they are part of a mechanism in Parliament that must nominate the members of the PPC for the president to appoint. Can the AFC demonstrate that those nominees have been submitted for appointment?
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), made up of a majority of APNU and AFC members, agreed to a public advertisement for persons to be recommended or for persons to apply to be possible nominees for the PPC, and the deadline for submissions was extended. The PAC will consider these names and then make nominations from among these persons to be submitted to the president.
The president is still waiting on Parliament, through the PAC, to submit these names to him in order for him to appoint the PPC. Yet the AFC insists that the president must name the commission now before supporting the AML/CFT.
Narrow political agendas
Clearly, these political parties pursue narrow political agendas to defer, reduce, and destroy development in Guyana. The only motivation of APNU, AFC and their partners is to subvert development. The stubborn use of blackmail politics by APNU and AFC is an insult and an assault on the people of Guyana.
In Belize where the AML/CFT Bill can harm their off-shore banking industry, Belizean politicians came together to pass the bill, because they know the consequences would be far worse than any impact
on the off-shore banking industry.
If our politicians cannot be patriotic and do the right thing for our country, Times Notebook urges the people of Guyana to stand in solidarity to protect the interest of our country by rejecting blackmail politics.
Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times. notebook@gmail.com.
monday, february 17, 2014 | guyanatimeSgy.com
President Donald Ramotar on Saturday said the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), Hope Canal Project will boost food security and foster other developments for Guyana.
He was at the time speaking at the commissioning of the long-awaited Hope Canal Bridge, component two of the Hope Canal Project.
He was joined by Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy; Public Works Minister Robeson Benn; National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lionel Wordsworth; and several other government officals.
“This is only part of total infrastructure projects that we are planning in our country... for us really to have rapid economic growth and for us to improve the quality of our lives, we have to invest in infrastructure to facilitate and encourage economic development, and so this is part of that whole project,” the president told Region Four residents at the commissioning ceremony.
Humanitarian standpoint
The head of state pointed out that the project, which was conceived after repeated flooding was experienced in the area, has importance from an economical, as well as humanitarian standpoint.
“I myself have gone in those areas in times when there were floods, and I could attest to the way it wrenched our hearts, you will be less than human if you went to see the condition that the people were in, water flooding their homes. I remember going at one time and speaking to people right up to their step from a boat,” he said.
The president said what was more impacting was seeing farmers, some of the hardest working people in the world, putting in their labour and having to continuously witness it being de-
stroyed or see their animals lost.
“It was those conditions that formulated the ideas that we had to do something, because we had to make the choice of releasing water into the MMA, knowing full well that it will destroy people’s farms, but the alternative to that was having the pressure on the walls break and flood the whole coastal area,” he said.
Improve production
Reducing the impact of the flooding on the farmers’ crops, also helped to improve production and productivity, which is extremely important, given the global issue of food security, the president said. The commissioning of this phase of the project also addresses the issue of providing improved infrastructure for the growing number of vehicles that now traverse Guyana.
He expressed the hope that the other three components of the project will be accelerated, so that the entire transformational project can come on stream.
Following the floods of 2005 and more so in 2008, government through the NDIA explored the previous options of re-introducing relief measures to maintain a safe conservancy water level
The NDIA was tasked with putting together a plan to undertake the necessary hydrological and hydraulic studies and an environmental management plan.
Through public bidding, a consultancy contract was awarded to CEMCO/SRKN Engineering in association with Mott Mc Donald to the value of $64 million, and which spanned a period of 14 months. Concurrently, during this period, several consultations were held with stakeholders and a technical oversight team was put in place to review reports from the consultant. Following acceptance of the design for each of the four components,
the successful bidder was DIPCON at the contract sum of $349,654, 353. The company commenced work on the bridge in August 8, 2011. The project was expected to be completed on February 4, 2013, but suffered two extensions, bringing the final date to November 30, 2013. The project duration of 18 months had to be revised to 27 months.
Deserves celebration Minister Ramsammy said the project in its entirety deserves celebration by all, for the reason that it was a signal achievement for Guyana, coming forward as a result of Guyanese in-
in militating against hydrological storms, particularly rainfall, resulting in water level rising above the safe threshold.
bids were launched for the construction works and supervision services.
For the public bridge,
tervention. He noted that the design was done by a Guyanese company, and while DIPCON Construction
is a Trinidadian company, it has become much like a Guyanese company.
“Guyanese engineers, Guyanese workers have constructed the Northern Relief Channel and this first component that is opening for vehicular traffic was done by Guyanese workers, and if we cannot celebrate that together, something is definitely wrong with us,” he said.
He noted that Guyanese too must be proud of it for the reason that it is a climate change adaptation project and it testimony to Guyana not only acknowledging climate change, but as well doing something about it.
Reliable partner
“When all is said and done, the Northern Relief Channel at Hope will be recorded as a significant input that Guyana has made to climate change in our country,” he said.
Minister Benn congratulated the ministry, the NDIA, the engineers, the contractors and labourers for successfully bringing that component of the project to completion.
He said it will ensure Guyana continues to optimise its food production by reducing the risk of flooding in the Mahaica/Mahaicony/ Abary (MMA) areas.
He particularly recognised DIPCON, for being a
“reliable development partner in Guyana” for 19 years, especially on construction work, moreso roads and bridges.
“They have been with us for the long haul over all of these years, and their effort in Guyana really has to be recognised, while we have gone through the ups and down of developing our country, all of these years,” Minister Benn said.
Guyanese engineers and workers are learning more, and are become more formalised on the issues of safety and engineering excellence.
The bridge is a single example as to how they can and are growing in terms of expertise and delivery.
The project faced many challenges during the construction phase. Wordsworth explained that during the pile driving phase, the position of the crane was a challenge due to limited working area on the western pier, especially during the driving of the raking pile.
He said too, that the contractor originally said in its work proposal that the concrete beams for the bridge would be cast at DIPCON’s Owerwagt Plant, however, it turned out only the bearing piles and the 17.5 metre short piles could have been cast.
The Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches (FGF), one of the leading Christian denominations here, is celebrating its 50th year of existence.
The year-long activities planned to coincide with the fellowship’s Golden Jubilee anniversary were officially launched last Saturday with a prayer breakfast held at the Marian Academy located on Carifesta Avenue.
Among the hundreds in attendance were Prime Minister Sam Hinds, Opposition Leader David Granger, Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman, other political leaders and heads of various Christian denominations in Guyana.
Presenting the fellowship’s history was Professor Winston McGowan, who noted that it
started out of a vision God gave to the late Philip Mohabir, a Guyanese who had migrated to the United Kingdom.
Mohabir returned to Guyana and along with several other persons started the fellowship in April of 1964. Today, the FGF consists of about 120 churches located all across the 10 administrative regions. McGowan, who is also a member of the fellowship’s highest leadership body, highlighted that the FGF was a unique denomination as it was native to Guyana.
He pointed out that the majority of the workers were Guyanese and the organisation was not at any stage overly dependent on overseas sources for financial and other support.
Superintendant of the fellow-
ship, Apostle Elsworth Williams, declared the celebrations open. Acknowledging God’s faithfulness to the fellowship over the years, he stressed that there is much more to achieve. He called for leadership in the churches and nationally.
The theme of the celebrations is “Let’s celebrate! Together we build; together we achieve!” The fellowship has several activities planned for the rest of the year, particularly during the month of July.
These include a relay torch run, a march of witness, community projects, evangelistic outreaches and a youth extravaganza. The celebrations will culminate in December with a celebration rally in Corentyne, Berbice.
By Bhisham mohamed
Two-time Carib Soca
Monarch Jumo Primo had dreamt of defending his title for another year, but his dream was shattered after a “tongue-licking” performance by Kwasi “Ace” Edmondson early Sunday morning at the National Park arena.
Edmonson performed his song “Still In the Game”, and sealed the deal
Johashen who sang “Blow”. He also had a few words for “Shelly G” who he said is back “in the game” but “Mr Limpy” cannot help her to win the monarchy. His tremendous impromptu talent on stage definitely did justice to his performance, adding the spice and humour the crowd was starved of.
Coming in at second spot was Primo who dished out “On The Road”. The
with his creative and poetic skills. Outshining 13 other artistes in this year’s competition, Edmondson’s “hip hop/hard talk” presentation had the audience in a frenzy as he bashed several of his colleagues.
He did not spare Primo indicating to him that his reign was over, since he was there to take over. He then turned his attention to Orlando “Bonesman”
overconfident soca sensation thought that he had the title in his pocket, but his performance lacked certain elements. His stage performance was undoubtedly one of the best for the evening which saw his fans waving and jumping, but clearly it was not enough for the judges.
In third spot was “Bonesman” who was the first to launch attacks on
competition, setting the tone for an unforgettable evening.
All in all, the night saw some very rowdy performances and some that put you to sleep. One such performance was that of Ernesta Nelson, who performed “Ridiculous Wining” and, believe it or not, the name spoke for itself. For more than 15 minutes on stage, she made sure that all her dancers showed the audience and the judges how to wine. Kudos must be given to her for her excellent costume that captivated the crowd’s attention. At the beginning of the competition, she performed a little “R&B”-like piece that did not go down well.
In Berbice, she had un-
fellow artistes as he dished out his popular song. It was more like stand-up comedy with lots of energy. He zoomed in on the X2 singers, as well as Edmondson and others. He too had the audience screaming and bursting out into hearty laughter. Copping the fourth place was Jonathan “Lil Red” King with his song, “Who We Are”, as he invaded the National Park arena in grand style, creating a carnival-like atmosphere. His entire costume and set was, appropriately enough, red with a touch of gold. He had the audience gyrating to his vibes and was very creative, with a truck that elevated him into the air. He performed to the delight of his audience but the judges had their own criteria.
Best newcomer
The best newcomer prize of $100,000 went to “Kemmy” who performed “Designated Winer” and was the first to start the
from page 12
derlined her name in the semi-finals, but with a totally different routine in the final, “Lady T” was just not ladylike as she climbed onto the roof of the stage to perform her piece, “Hit the Road”.
Some of the other performances that were outstanding but did not place were Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts with “Yada Yada”, Clinton “Passion” Adolphus with “Cost of Living”, and that of Abigail AJ James who made her way to the front of the stage on a CBR. “Shelly G” also had the audience behind her, but the judges did not see the need to give
out some of his best soca songs, which had the crowd going wild.
After a while, he switched gears and tried a few reggae songs much to the delight of his fans. As is a norm during his performances, he started to stripping, starting with his tie and then his shirt, and lo and behold, the ladies were uncontrollable.
In addition, he invited
her a place.
Roger Bowen performed satisfactorily before the audience, but there was another unimpressive performance by Quacy “Avalanche” Coates. As the judges made their decision, guest artiste Kes the Band, specifically lead singer Kees, had the audience in the palm of his hand with his excellent stage performance. As usual, he dished
young woman onto stage who showcased her dancing talent and can be described as steamingly hot. His time, though, was cut short by the police who stopped the band from playing for reasons unknown. Just after 04:00h, the emcees Kirk “Chow Pow” Jardin and Leslyn Lashley rushed through the results.
tion.
There was also a period of brief delay due to the inadequate supply of aggregate for casting of concrete works. The bridge has a length of 74.4 metre and a 47 metre sloped approach
“The longest 40 metre beans were considered too heavy, and there was no available truck capable to transport the long-span beam. Also, it was determined to be impossible to be traversed around some of the turns on the main roadway, between the plant yard and the site, and as such, much more time had to be spent on site preparation work,” explained.
on both sides. As part of quality control as per contract and standard engineering guideline, Geotec Associates of Trinidad and Tobago was hired to conduct four tests on the prestressed concrete piles, to confirm the allowable bearing load for the foundation. Additionally, some
concrete samples were taken among the concrete cylinders, for laboratory testing by another Trinidadian firm. The jack used to stress the strands in the 40 metre beams in the span was calibrated by the Guyana National Bureau of Statistics (GNBS) and personnel from Dywidag
on the part of the contractor. Immediately after the commissioning of the bridge, the structure was opened to traffic. The road diversion, which vehicles were using to traverse the East Coast Highway in the vicinity of Hope, will now be closed to facilitate the remaining works towards bringing the other components of the project to frui-
The bridge has a 12-month defects liability period, commences from today. Also present at the commissioning were Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran; Labour Minister, Dr Nanda Gopaul; Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony; and junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill.
AVenezuelan opposition leader wanted by police in connection with deadly street protests told supporters via Twitter to keep demonstrating, but peacefully, and armed police visited his father’s home, apparently seeking to arrest him.
Authorities accuse Leopoldo Lopez of murder and terrorism in connection with violence around four days of sporadic anti-government protests that have left three people dead and both sides blaming each other for the bloodshed.
The demonstrators have vowed to stay in the streets until President Nicolas Maduro resigns, although there is no sign of that happening.
The president has said he will not let the demonstrators cause chaos by blocking roads. Troops have fired teargas and water cannons to clear about 1000 protesters who lit trash bonfires
and threw stones in an affluent part of eastern Caracas.
About twice that many opposition supporters gathered peacefully in the same area on Sunday, many wearing baseball caps in the red, blue, and yellow of the Venezuelan flag, singing, blowing whistles, singing, and listening to speeches.
“To the country and the students, who I’ve always
admired and supported, the battle is in the streets, but without violence,” Lopez said on Twitter late on Saturday.
Meanwhile, police were visiting his home and the home of his father, looking for the opposition leader. Their behaviour was “very civilised,” the elder Lopez told a local newspaper, and when they found he
The Cuban government says it has suspended consular services in the United States after an American bank decided to withdraw its facilities.
Cuba says it will not be able to renew passports and process visas unless it finds an alternative to the M&T bank.
The bank said its decision was taken for business reasons.
The move is likely to prevent tens of thousands of people travelling from the U.S. to Cuba every month and could have a big impact on the economy there.
The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with the communist-run island in 1961 and imposed an economic embargo a year later.
In the absence of bilateral contacts, consular services have been handled by the Cuban Interests Section in Washington.
In a statement, the Cuban government blames the trade embargo for its failure to find a new bank “in spite of huge efforts made”.
The M&T bank announced last year that it would stop accepting deposits from today, which is a public holiday in the US.
“The section regrets any inconvenience this situation may cause,” read the statement.
It says it will only be able to handle “humanitarian cases”.
More than 40,000 people on average travel to Cuba from the U.S. every month, most of them CubanAmericans, according to the Miami-based Havana Consulting Group.
Americans who do not have Cuban nationality are also allowed to travel if they are taking part in cultural exchange programmes. (Excerpt from BBC News)
From his bungalow on the side of a hill in western Jamaica, Willie Thompson surveys the same lush valley that one of his great-great-grandmothers was forced to harvest for sugar cane more than 180 years ago.
“I am an African descendant,” he said, whippet-thin and grizzled at the age of 78. “She came here with the chains on her feet, on a slave trade ship.”
Thompson knows that when Parliament voted in 1833 to abolish slavery in Britain’s colonies, Earl Grey’s government was made to pay out compensation worth almost £2 billion in today’s money.
And after an exhausting day spent scratching out a living by farming yams, he wonders what might have been if Nana Bracket and her comrades, rather than the ancestor of David Cameron who
owned them, had received £4101 of it – the equivalent of £415,000 today.
“The English made a lot of money back then. A lot of money,” he said, with a sigh almost long enough to reach Dudley, West Mids, where he worked as a labourer in the 1960s before returning home.
“I think it is fair for we to get a bit of compensation for what all our people been through.”
A coalition of 14 Caribbean states, including Jamaica, agrees with Thompson, and is now mounting the first united campaign for reparations from Britain over its role in the Atlantic slave trade.
The group is ready to sue in the courts and has hired Leigh Day, the London law firm that last year won £20 million for Kenyans tortured by the British during the Mau Mau rebellion of the 1950s.
was not there, they left.
On Saturday night, protesters clashed with police and National Guard troops around Plaza Altamira, a square in Chacao that has long been a centre of opposition activism.
The unrest underlined the problem for peaceful student demonstrators seeking to distance themselves from a masked, violent rump who have been torching tires and vandalising property. Student leaders say they are “infiltrators”.
Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres said small, peaceful demonstrations of about 150 to 300 people took place in four or five cities around the country on Sunday, in addition to the larger rally in Chacao.
He said the government guaranteed citizens’ right to assemble peacefully. But he said the face of the protests in Chacao had turned much more sinister when darkness fell. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says he is “outraged” by allegations of a massive corruption network in the Colombian army.
The allegations were published by the Colombian weekly magazine Semana. It says it has taped conversations that prove that huge amounts of money were siphoned off by corrupt army officers.
The defence budget has soared in recent years and the United States continues to pay Colombia a generous annual allowance to wage war on drugs.
Some generals and other senior officers are accused of taking bribes of up to 50 per cent of the contracts they awarded; others of diverting money that was meant to be spent at the barracks on petrol and other supplies.
The irregularities al-
legedly took place in 2012 and 2013. President Santos has ordered the Defence Ministry to carry out a full investigation.
“I feel outraged by the damage that this causes to the armed forces and the country,” said Santos. He added that “crimes of corruption” should be investigated by civilian prosecutors – not military courts.
Two weeks ago, Semana published potentially damaging allegations involving the Colombian army. It said that an elite military group had spied on government officials engaged in peace negotiations in Cuba with Colombia’s largest rebel group, the FARC. Santos dismissed the army’s intelligence unit.
The army said the group had been set up legally and had not performed illicit activities. (BBC News)
The North Korean ship seized with undeclared Cuban weapons on board is returning to Cuba, says the Panamanian government.
The Panama Canal Authority recently said the ship could leave, after Pyongyang paid a nearly US$700,000 fine.
The ship was seized seven months ago with Sovietera weapons and fighter jets hidden under sacks of sugar.
Three members of the crew stayed behind to face arms trafficking charges.
The captain, the first officer and the political officer of the Chong Chon Gang face sentences of up to 12 years. The other 32 crew members were released without charge.
Panama’s Foreign Ministry said the ship set off on Saturday morning.
United Nations sanctions ban any country from providing arms to North Korea. The container ship was stopped near Manzanillo, on the
St Lucians will be paying less for electricity, as a result of a 2.6 cent reduction in the tariff for 2013.
The country’s sole provider, the St Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) announced that the basic tariff for electricity has been reduced, starting with bills for February and continuing the remainder of the year.
LUCELEC Manager Trevor Louisy explained that the basic tariff is what LUCELEC customers pay per unit of electricity without
Atlantic side of the canal, on July 15 under suspicion that it was carrying drugs.
It had disappeared from satellite tracking for a few days as it approached the Cuban capital, Havana, having departed from Russia’s eastern coast three months earlier.
On searching the vessel, officials found military hardware including two Sovietera MiG-21 fighter aircraft, air defence systems, missiles, and command and control vehicles.
Cuban authorities said the ship was carrying 240 tonnes of “obsolete” defensive weapons.
The North Korean government insisted the ageing weapons were simply being transferred to North Korea to be repaired, before returning them.
Panamanian officials quoted by Reuters news agency said the arms would likely be sold or given away and the sugar sold to companies interested in turning it into ethanol. (Excerpt from BBC News)
the fuel surcharge. It is reviewed in January of every year in accordance with the Electricity Supply Act and reflects the average price of fuel for the preceding 12 months.
Louisy said the reduction in the basic tariff is a result of the average price of fuel for 2013 being lower than the previous average price LUCELEC paid in 2012. “These reductions are largely due to a fuel price hedging programme which LUCELEC has had in place
for the past five years.
“It is designed to reduce large fluctuations in the fuel surcharge,” he said.
LUCELEC’s Corporate Communications Manager Roger Joseph says what the customer pays from month to month is the total of the basic tariff plus the fuel surcharge (which is calculated each month).
LUCELEC customers will see details of the basic tariff and fuel surcharge on their monthly electricity bills.(CMC)
The deposed Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, was accused of committing “the biggest case of conspiracy in the history of Egypt” as he faced court on espionage and terrorism charges.
Prosecutors on Sunday outlined their case against Morsi, stating that he and his group the Muslim Brotherhood conspired with foreign groups in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza to conduct espionage and commit
terrorist acts inside Egypt.
However, the trial was adjourned when Morsi lawyers withdrew from court, after their client complained that he was being kept in a soundproofed dock to silence him.
The former president stated that he was placed in the glass cage to stop him speaking to the people of Egypt.
“We are in a farce, all this because you are afraid of me. You are afraid that
the president speaks,” Morsi cried out, and told his defence: “If this farce continues, don’t come to the court.”
The court was adjourned until February 23.
The prosecution says that the Brotherhood was planning in 2005 to send “elements” to the Gaza Strip for military training by Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, adding that, upon their return to Egypt, they would join forces with extremist groups in the Egypt-controlled Sinai region.
The Brotherhood aimed to establish an “Islamic emirate” in North Sinai, according to the prosecution.
Sunday’s case is one of four against Morsi. Others charge that he conspired with foreign groups to break out of prison during the fall of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, and was complicit in the deaths of people who protested against him while he was in power. Many of the charges carry the death penalty. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
The operation to rescue illegal gold miners trapped in an abandoned mine in South Africa has been halted overnight.
So far 11 miners have been rescued from the shaft near Johannesburg.
Other trapped miners refused to leave after discovering they faced arrest at the surface. It is unclear how many remain underground, with reports suggesting they could number 200.
A full rescue operation will not restart unless the miners request it, said an emergency services official.
Werner Vermaak of ER24 told the BBC the mine site would be guarded overnight by a private security company, who can call for help if the miners change their mind. They could also prevent unauthorised rescue attempts.
Vermaak said the miners would not be denied help if they called for it.”They will be offered rescue should they decide to come out,” he said, adding “but they will be arrested should they come to the surface again,” he said.
Lacking ladders or ropes, they will not be able to leave
An amnesty for antigovernment protesters in Ukraine will come into force today, prosecutors have confirmed.
The prosecutor’s website said criminal charges would be dropped in response to the protesters’ decision to end their occupation of government buildings.
By leaving the City Hall and other locations, they met the government’s conditions under an amnesty law.
Protesters had held some of the buildings for more than two months. The BBC’s David Stern in Kiev says protesters have also partially dismantled barricades on a street in the centre of the capital.
However, a group of radical protesters are also re-
ported to have blocked the entrance to the City Hall building, shortly after other opposition supporters vacated it.
They are not thought to have entered the building itself.
The protests started in November when President Viktor Yanukovich abandoned plans to sign a farreaching association agreement with the European Union.
Instead, he advocated closer trade relations with Russia, which dominated Ukraine for centuries until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Protesters left City Hall on Sunday morning.
The Swiss ambassador in Kiev entered the build-
ing soon afterwards to help transfer it to the control of the authorities.
Switzerland currently holds the rotating presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
On Friday, authorities feed the last of 243 prisoners who were arrested during the unrest.
Yanukovich passed an amnesty law last month and agreed to negotiate with the opposition after at least four people were killed in protests.
This weekend, some opposition members continued to call for his departure, and another demonstration is due to take place in Kiev’s central Independence Square. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano summoned Matteo Renzi to a meeting today at which he is expected to ask the centre-left leader to form a government that must overhaul one of the most troubled economies in the eurozone.
Napolitano is likely to ask the slick-talking mayor of Florence to form the country’s 65th government since World War Two in the meeting, which a statement from the president’s office said was scheduled for 10:30h in Rome.
Enrico Letta resigned as prime minister on Friday after his Democratic Party
(PD) forced him to make way for Renzi, 39, who is promising radical reforms to the eurozone’s third-biggest economy and a government that can survive until 2018.
Renzi would become the youngest prime minister in Italian history.
But to take power he will need the support of a centreright rival, and if he gets it, he will become the third premier in a row picked by the president and not by popular vote.
This process is not widely welcomed in a country where a long-entrenched political elite, resistant to reform, has grown unpopular
due to systemic corruption and mismanagement.
“Renzi committed an original sin, which is that he will become prime minister without an election,” said Giovanni Orsina, deputy head of Rome’s Luiss School of Government. “Now in order to make that original sin forgotten, he needs to govern very effectively.”
After getting a mandate from the president, Renzi will have to strike a deal with the small New Centre Right (NCD) party, whose support the PD needs to command a parliamentary majority. (Excerpt from Reuters)
the mine without help, he added.
Rescuers are still unable to confirm how many miners are trapped. After initially being told by the group they were in contact with that there were a further 200 miners trapped elsewhere, communications were cut off when the miners realised they faced arrest.
They have also been unable to verify claims the accident was caused by rival miners pushing boulders into the shaft. Police are investigating the allegations.
(Excerpt
Hundreds of drivers were stranded by the
At least 11 people have killed by a recordbreaking snowstorm in Japan, according to local media.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes and hundreds have been more injured, as more than one metre (three feet) of snow fell in some areas.
The snow forced airports to cancel flights and closed roads as it barrelled past Tokyo on Saturday.
Forecasters are warning of blizzards and avalanches later, as the storm moves north towards Hokkaido.
Kyodo news agency reported deaths in several prefectures near Tokyo, and other deaths as far south as Oita on Kyushu island.
Reports said roofs of buildings had collapsed under the weight of snow in some areas, and hundreds of drivers had been left stranded in miles-long traffic jams.
Some 27 centimetres of snow was dumped on Tokyo on Friday and Saturday, and several other cities reported record snowfall.
It is the second major snowstorm to batter Japan in a week .Last week, Tokyo residents were warned of a severe snowstorm for the first time in more than a decade.
Eleven people were also killed in that storm, with more than 1000 injured nationwide. (BBC News)
Dr Janet Yellen in her debut testimony as chairman of the Federal Reserve to the House of Representatives on February 11 pleased investors in the Dow Jones a great deal which was up almost 200 points.
According to reports, the European Central Bank (ECB) is “seriously” considering taking its interest rate on overnight bank deposits into negative territory. The view that the ECB might consider more stimulus is growing with the combination of a sluggish economy and extremely low inflation playing a major part in this analysis.
By contrast, Governor of the Bank of England, Dr Mark Carney, predicts that growth in the United Kingdom will be 3.4 per cent this year, making it one of the fastest-growing advanced economies in the world. Consequently, interest rates are likely to remain low and, like Dr Yellen is expected to do, Dr Carney will look at a broad range of indicators to judge whether there is any slack in the indicators. The point is that we are in for a long period ahead of extremely low interest rates.
Another US$1.4 billion was withdrawn from dedicated emerging market bond funds in the week ended February 12 and investors are very nervous. U.S. and European mutual funds along with exchange traded funds suf-
fered an outflow of US$1.2 billion this week which came on top of outflows of US$4.2 billion in the previous two weeks.
One strong view is that the currencies of many countries are vulnerable and Kazakhstan devalued the tenge this week by 19 per cent saying that the Russian’s ruble’s plunge to a record low this month put additional pressure on the currency.
There is a real possibility that countries with a small level of reserves relative to their liabilities will suffer attacks on their currencies. These include Argentina which had US$30 billion of reserves at the end of 2013; Turkey (US$131 billion); Hungary (US$46 billion); Indonesia (US$100 billion); and South Africa (US$49 billion).
This was a relatively light week for economic
news starting on February 11 with the wholesale trade report, which increased the stockpile in December at the slowest pace since last summer, namely by 0.3 per cent, while sales growth slowed to 0.5 percent from 1.0 percent in November.
There was nothing on February 12 in the way of economic reports and on February 13, there were jobless claims which increased by 8000 to 339,000 in the week ended February 8 and retail sales, which declined 0.4 per cent in January and the December and November numbers were revised down.
Also, business inventories rose 0.5 per cent in December but excluding autos increased by 0.2 per cent. Import prices rose 0.1 per cent in January and factory production fell by 0.8 per cent, which was
unexpected and the previous month was weaker than originally reported. The Thomson Reuters/ University of Michigan preliminary index of sentiment was unchanged at 81.2 this month.
In overseas news, euro area industrial production contracted 0.7 per cent in December, but growth rose 0.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, which was more than expected.
China’s exports rose 10.6 per cent in January from a year earlier, which was higher than expected and imports increased 10 per cent, which was again above expectations.
Japanese machine orders fell by the most since 1998, calling into question the faith in Abenomics.
Australia’s unemployment rate hit a 10-year high of six per cent and Argentina unveiled a new consumer price index
Most Asian share markets edged higher today in a nod to the resilience of Wall Street, but Japanese stocks struggled with both a stronger yen and a surprisingly weak reading on economic growth.
The Nikkei slipped 0.4 per cent as the U.S. dollar a third of a yen to 101.47. A stronger yen is viewed as negative for Japanese exports and corporate profits, and often prompts knee-jerk selling in shares.
In contrast, a lower dollar tends to be positive for commodities priced in that currency, helping lift gold to a fresh three-month peak at
which showed that inflation in January was 3.7 per cent.
The gold price has risen significantly since the end of last year when it was US$1204 an ounce. Now it is over US$1300 at US$1319 Friday morning and up US$60 per ounce over the week. Prices dipped marginally below US$1200 at the end of last year, and there definitely seems to be more of an interest in the metal in 2014.
Interest rates rose this week with the U.S. 10year Treasury yield increasing from 2.67 per cent the previous Friday to 2.75 per cent Friday morning and the 30-year yield from 3.65 per cent to 3.70 per cent.
But they are still a long way from the level reached at the end of last year when the 10-year yield was 3.04 per cent
and the 30-year 3.96 per cent.
The euro rose from US$1.36 to US$1.37, the pound sterling from US$1.64 to US$1.67, the Swiss franc from 0.90 to 0.89 and the Japanese yen increased marginally in value from 102.1 to 101.8. The Australian dollar was unchanged at A$90 to the dollar and oil prices rose from US$98.15 to US$99.54 a barrel. The Dow Jones index increased 1.8 per cent. What is the case is that the official fourth-quarter 2013 estimate of 3.2 per cent will be revised down and 2.5 per cent is likely to be the growth in the first quarter of 2014? There could be a pick-up in the economy as good weather finally appears but it might not happen. Dr Yellen’s problems are certainly mounting!
US$1323.76. The dollar’s losses were broad, with the euro firm at US$1.3703.
Neither was the Nikkei helped by data showing Japan’s economy grew just 0.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to the previous quarter, confounding forecasts of a 0.7 per cent gain.
The disappointing result will keep pressure on the Bank of Japan to support the economy once an increase in the sales tax goes through in April. The central bank’s latest policy meeting ends on Tuesday and the market will be keen to see what it makes of the growth figures.
“We still have to see how much last-minute domestic demand ahead of the sales tax hike boosts January-March GDP before pondering whether extra fiscal and monetary stimuli are needed,” said Junko Nishioka, chief economist at RBS Securities in Tokyo.
Share markets elsewhere in the region fared better, with South Korea adding 0.4 per cent and Australia 0.3 per cent. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.35 per cent, having bounced five per cent in the previous seven sessions. (Reuters)
The five couples participating in the Roraima Wedding Expo “The Race to the Altar” competition were treated to a day of fun and adventure at the Arrowpoint Nature Resort.
The couples vying for the prize of a fully-sponsored grand wedding, which will be held on March 29 at the Duke Lodge, are: Felicity Smith and Denzil Dublin, Pride Bacchus and Devina Narine, Fareeda Ghanie and Nigel Canterbury, Ryan Fletchman and Maria Prince, and Romel Mc Lean and Nazeema Kalil.
This is the second time the competition has been held. On Friday evening, St Valentine’s Day, the couples were introduced to the public and treated to a romantic dinner. Then very early on Saturday morning, they left Georgetown for the resort, which is located approximately 45 minutes up the Demerara River in the Kamuni River (Pokerero Creek).
When they arrived, the couples were treated to breakfast after which they were briefed on the activi-
ties for the day. During this time, they had discussions on social issues and were given a brief history of the resort and the area. The couples also had an interactive session where they spoke about themselves, their
Half way through, the couples were challenged to a race. They then continued deeper into the woods until they came across a small lake from where they had to kayak back to resort.
According to the couples, it was most challenging and they all realised that they could not have done it alone. They said it took a lot of patience, communication, and cooperation for them to accomplish the task.
Kayaking is very strenuous, so after they returned and had relaxed a bit, the couples had lunch. They were then back at it again with a friendly competition of volleyball. This too, they noted, showed them that cooperation was important in their relationships as it allowed them to get the task
partners, and their relationships.
Jungle trails
They then set out to tour of the ‘jungle’ trails where they trekked side by side.
The stage is set for the three-day historic sitting of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) commencing from today.
The full bench of judges will be presiding over the period during which they will consider applications/appeals or hear submissions in three appellate jurisdiction cases.
done more easily.
The rains came and so the couples got a chance to cuddle up indoors and take in the wonderful day they have had. Then came the biking, the last activity which they enjoyed immensely.
Roraima Group of Companies Chairman, Captain Gerry Gouveia had a sit down with the couples, advising them on the importance of a relationship and family. He then enquired what they had learnt from the day’s activities. A quick snack and short relaxation period ended a memorable day for the five couples.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the couples were treated to a breathtaking aerial tour of Georgetown, compliments of Roraima Airways. Captain Gouveia himself flew the couples over the capital.
The next event for the couples will be a visit to their home by “The Race to the Altar” cameras, giving them a chance to show a bit of themselves and talk in a more comfortable environment. All of this will be aired on television, and the public can vote for the couple of their choice via Facebook or phone to help chose a winner, who will be announced on February 27.
The first hearing will be at 10:00h this morning in the case of Paul Lashley & John Campayne versus Detective Corporal # 17995 Winston Singh for the hearing of a special leave application. Also on the agenda for today is a judicial education workshop for the judiciary of Guyana from 14:00h to 17:00h at the same venue. The workshop aims to present themes on the improvement of justice delivery, and will be led by CCJ President, Sir Dennis Byron and CCJ judge, Justice Adrian Saunders.
Then on Tuesday’s hearing at 10:00h, the case of Feizal Mohamed Amin, trading under the name, style and firm of Amin Lumber Enterprise versus the Guyana Oil Company will engage the attention of the court for the hearing of an appeal. At 12:15h on that same day, the court will hear an application for special leave in the matter with Daniel Ramlagan by Ramkumarie Ramlagan versus Narine Singh by Saiojini Singh.
This will be the third itinerant sitting of the court, which had previous sittings being held in Barbados in April 2012, and Jamaica and Barbados in March 2013. The court views these itinerant sittings as important to ensuring that it is accessible to the people of the Caribbean Community which it serves.
The culmination of the court’s itinerant visit will be the special sitting in honour of the retirement of
Justice Desiree Bernard, on Wednesday at the GICC from 10:00h. The full bench of the CCJ will sit, along with acting chancellor of the Guyana’s judiciary, Justice Carl Singh. Various members of the local and regional legal fraternity have been invited to attend this special sitting of the court. The occasion will be addressed by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall; Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque; Professor Harold Lutchman of the Regional, Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC); Oswald Barnes of the CCJ board of trustees; Guyana Bar Association President Ronald Burch-Smith; and Guyana Association of Women Lawyers President Simone Morris-Ramlall.
Justice Bernard, a former chief justice in Guyana, has sat on the bench of the CCJ since its establishment in August 2005.
Meanwhile, writing in his Conversation Tree blog, Senior Counsel and former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran said the CCJ’s sitting here is long overdue but welcomed nevertheless.
He reminded that Guyana and Barbados were the first countries to accede to the appellate jurisdiction of the court “and our own Justice Desiree Bernard, now retiring, has been one of its first members”.
Bulwark against illegalities
He recalled that when the CCJ was proposed, both the Guyana government under Desmond Hoyte, commendably, and the PPP welcomed it immediately. “The court now exists as a bulwark against the violation of human, civil and constitutional rights in Guyana and the Guyanese people feel a sense of safety, security and confidence in its existence.”
According to Ramkarran, there have been many appeals from Guyana to the
CCJ on a wide variety of civil matters, including a complicated case involving Roman Dutch law, which is still of limited application only in Guyana.
He noted that the Shanique Myrie Case, which established the legal principles relating to the vexed question of freedom of travel in the region, stands out as a major development in Caricom by a court, which, by the decision, demonstrated that it is independent, innovative, and forward-looking. “The decisions of the CCJ are leading not only to the development of our own jurisprudence but also to that of the Caribbean. It is influencing positively the environment, norms and standards for legal practice,” the senior counsel said.
“All Caricom governments approved the CCJ. Trinidad and Tobago under a past UNC [United National Congress] administration even successfully campaigned for the court to have its seat in Trinidad. As we all know, when the UNC lost office, it changed its mind about supporting the court in its appellate jurisdiction. The JLP [Jamaica Labour Party] of Jamaica, having got into office, declined to support the CCJ as an appellate court and has continued to do so. In both cases, the parliamentary majority without the support of one major party was inadequate to establish the court. St Vincent rejected it in a referendum,” the senior counsel recalled.
However, Ramkarran asserted that the CCJ is a shining star in the flickering Caricom project. “If the region is to eventually sign up to the court in its appellate jurisdiction, the court needs to ensure that its appellate decisions continue to be of a quality that creates an irresistible momentum towards complete acceptance by the people and governments of the Caribbean.”
Set aside your worries for today, and get involved in a pleasurable pastime. Participate in some fun and games with family members or friends who enjoy pursuits similar to yours.
By Bernice Bede Osol
(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
Put your abilities in the spotlight. Demonstrate your skills to those in a position to help you advance. Seizing an opportunity will give you a chance to improve your financial situation.
Don’t be tempted to divulge personal information, even if those around you are curious about your private life. If you let something slip, you’ll jeopardise an important relationship.
One way to increase your status is to make yourself visible in a charitable organisation. Support a worthy cause or improve your networking skills to attract the attention of someone influential.
(Aug. 23Sept. 22)
(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)
You have been craving companionship. Enjoy a little romance or devote time to someone you think is special. Memories will help you choose the right path.
(March 21-April 19)
Business meetings and professional functions will play an important role today. By conveying helpful suggestions to your superiors, you will encourage your advancement and gain the chance to explore new challenges.
(April 20-May 20)
Show your family how much you care. A trip or time spent word toward the same domestic goal will create strong new bonds and strengthen old ones. Your efforts and concerns will be appreciated.
(May 21June 20)
Social engagements and other group gatherings should be avoided. You will be hypersensitive to the opinions of others. Rather than risk hurt feelings, treat yourself to some peace and quiet.
If you’re feeling bored and restless, now would be an ideal time to contact some of your old friends. You may decide to change your routine by attending a sports event, concert or reunion.
(Sept. 23Oct. 23)
People you live or deal with daily will be frustrating. Airing your opinions will only make matters worse. Distance yourself from the situation and spend time doing something that makes you happy.
(Oct. 24Nov. 22)
Your charisma, charm and personality will generate positive attention. Newfound friends will brighten your life, not to mention your personal prospects. Plan to have some fun.
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
Don’t try to persuade others to your way of thinking. They will not be receptive to your comments, and you could end up causing an argument. Keep your opinions to yourself.
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Attorney Nigel Hughes has blasted the allegations made out against him regarding his ‘relationship’ with the jury foreman of the Lusignan Massacre trial.
In a statement on his Facebook page, Hughes pointed to the fact that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has continuously proffered assertions against him, contending to the victims of the 2008 Lusignan Massacre that he is responsible for the “release and discharge” of the persons blamed for the mass murders.
The attorney noted that he had restrained himself from making any public statement on the issue since the director of public prosecutions has made an appeal using his prior representation as a central reason. Hughes explained that in normal circumstances and in most countries, the issue of public comment on matters which are sub judice are avoided and frowned on, especially if the comments are being made by those who hold offices of significant legal responsibility and their comments on matters which are sub judice of the publication.
The attorney nevertheless stated that this does not seem to have any weight in Guyana. He referred to the several issues, which he said were “overlooked” despite him having raised them before.
“The people of Lusignan and Guyana appear not to have been made aware that the person who admitted and confessed to being with ‘Fineman’ and participating in the Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek massacres, Mr Dwane Wiliams was not and will not be prosecuted by the state for any of these 33 murders he participated in. He has been granted a free pass by the state for killing not only the people of Lusignan, but those in Bartica and Lindo Creek,” the attorney pointed out.
Hughes further referred
to the court documents in which Williams admitted in his testimony to being in the company of Fineman during several massacres. Williams was charged along with two others for the death of those persons who were killed during the 2008 Lusignan Massacre; however, he subsequently became the prosecution’s main witness during the trial last year after the charges were dropped.
“Me and Fineman were tight. I was with him in Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek. Lusignan, 11 people were killed; Bartica 12 people were killed; and Lindo Creek 10 people were killed; 33 people were killed when I was with Fineman and I am not facing a single charge, Williams had admitted.”
The attorney alluded to the fact that just a week before the trial commenced, the charges against him were mysteriously dropped by the state and Williams was released.
“Perhaps the people of Lusignan may wish to inquire of the attorney general and the DPP, why the state, which is responsible for protecting and serving them, would let a self-confessed murderer of 33 citizens go free without a single charge. No other person in the history of this country has enjoyed
such a pardon,” the attorney stressed.
Hughes clarified that he did represent Vernon Griffith, who was the foreman of the Lusignan Massacre jury panel, in a civil action that concluded in 2008. On the other hand, he highlighted the fact that Griffith was a member of the People’s Progressive Party, who was also represented by the current attorney general in 2011 in an action which he (Hughes) appeared against him (Griffith).
Party duties
In addition, he recalled that the said man, as part of his party duties, participated in a picket exercise outside of the Supreme Court during the Linden Commission of Inquiry in 2012.
“He was there along with senior members of the PPP,” Hughes stated and provided a photo of this. The attorney went on to say on his Facebook post, that during the trial, the only relationship that existed between him and the jury foreman was hostility; hence, there was nothing to disclose.
“Is the PPP saying that I should have disclosed that the foreman was a PPP member, that he had been represented by the attorney general two years immediately prior to the trial when I appeared against him in the same case? Is this the nondisclosure they are speaking about?” he questioned. Hughes had represented one of the two accused charged with the murders of those 11 persons who were killed in the wee hours of January 26, 2008; however, the mixed jury had found both men not guilty of the murders. As such, they were freed of the charges.
It was subsequently revealed that Hughes had previously represented Griffith in a court matter. This caused Griffith to be barred from jury duty for life by the trial judge, Justice Navindra Singh.
To keep making progress on reducing poverty and inequality, we must pay attention to the goods and services markets of modern technology, in particular those linked to information and communications. This is according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Production, Productivity and Management Division Director Mario Cimol at the recent opening session of the seminar “Fostering cloud computing in Europe and Latin America”, in Santiago, Chile.
“Technology is rarely thought of as a fundamental component of inclusion. Nevertheless, the policies to foster cloud computing in particular and the use of ICT in general are essential for reducing inequality due to their potential to universaliase social services such as health or make SMEs [Small and Mediumsized Enterprises] more com-
petitive,” added Cimoli.
The impact of cloud computing was analysed in the workshop organised by ECLAC and the European Commission, with the support of the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, the Chilean Under-Secretariat of Telecommunications, País Digital Foundation, and the Santiago Chamber of Commerce.
Europe and Latin America face similar challenges in this area, said Ken Ducatel, Head of Unit of the DG CONNECT E2 of the European Commission, upon presenting an overview of the cloud computing strategy that is being implemented by the bloc, which aims to harness this technology’s potential in terms of increasing productivity and creating companies and jobs, among other goals.
Mauricio Agudelo, of the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, said “the new technologies are of interest for
the development of the region,” while Catalina Achermann, from Chile’s Under-Secretariat of Telecommunications, highlighted the importance of the event as a continuation of the work of the Regional Dialogue on Broadband created in 2010, which today groups 11 Latin American countries and has ECLAC as its technical secretariat.
Although the perception exists that goods of advanced technology are accessible only to the richest sectors of society, the reality is different, said Cimoli. Once the most basic needs are met (food, housing and clothes), the groups that recently left poverty behind demand a great number of goods and services related to entertainment (television sets of a certain quality and game consoles) and to personal communications (smartphones with access to social networks and content distribution networks).
Mitchell Johnson secured his best Test figures as Australia wrapped up a crushing 281run victory over South Africa on day four of the first Test.
The 32-year-old left-arm paceman, man of the series as Australia whitewashed England in the Ashes, took match figures of 12 for 127 at Centurion.
Johnson followed his first-innings 7-68 with 5-59 as the Proteas were dismissed for 200 in their second innings.
"You never play a perfect game but it felt really good out there," he said.
Australia captain Michael Clarke added: "Mitchell is on top of his game. He has amazing pace,
is fit and strong, and executes his plans perfectly.
"Statistics don't lie and his record is as good as any fast bowler I have ever played with."
Johnson's figures were also a record for any bowler in Tests at Centurion.
Australia declared after 3.2 overs of day four having added only two runs to their overnight 288-3 second innings total.
Chasing an unlikely 482 to win the hosts - number one in the world Test rankings - slumped to 12-2 as Johnson accounted for openers Alviro Petersen and captain Graeme Smith. Johnson added the wicket of JP Duminy before tea and continued his assault
after the interval with the dismissals of Ryan McLaren and AB de Villiers, who followed up his 91 in the first innings by top-scoring with 48 in the second.
The fast bowler was ably supported by Peter Siddle, who claimed the wickets of Faf du Plessis and Robin Peterson, and Ryan Harris, who chipped in with the dismissals of Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith admitted: "We were outplayed from the word go. It is one of the most disappointing four days we've had for a long time."
The second Test of the three-match series starts in Port Elizabeth on Thursday. (BBC Sport)
Leading Russian pair Alexander Zubkov and Alexey Voevoda lead the Winter Olympics two-man bobsleigh standings at halfway, with Jamaica in last place.
The host-nation favourites finished in a combined time of one minute 52.82 seconds to lead Swiss duo Beat Hefti and Alex Baumann by 0.32 secs.
Great Britain's Lamin Deen and John Baines finished the day in 23rd place. Jamaica, appearing in bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2002, were last in 30th.
Winston Watts, 46, was part of Jamaica's bobsleigh teams in 1994, 1998 and 2002, and this time teamed up with brake-man Marvin Dixon.
Watts had to contend
with almost snapping off his helmet visor at the start of his second run, saying: "It's just one of those things.
"I pulled my visor and with all the adrenaline it just broke, and I said: 'Well, I'm not going to stop now, I'll show the world I've got heart and I'll take my sled down.'"
Asked about regular comparisons to the film 'Cool Runnings', featuring a Jamaican bobsleigh team, Watts added: "Cool Runnings is a very nice movie and it opened such a nice way for us, but a lot of people look at that movie and see us as jokers.
"We're not jokers - we're serious contenders. This is not an excuse but things didn't go the way we wanted them to. But we have come here and we have gone out to compete the best we can
and to show the world that we're still alive."
Competing 50 years to the day that Tony Nash and Robin Dixon won Olympic gold for Britain, the current GB pair of Deen and Baines know that finishing in the top 20 would be an impressive achievement.
Baines was only drafted into the two-man set-up last week following a careerthreatening injury to former Olympic sprinter Craig Pickering.
"We haven't had long to prepare and still have a few things to work on, but I'm sure we'll be going quicker tomorrow," Deen told BBC Sport.
The third run will begin at 1430 GMT on Monday. Only the top-20 sleds after that stage will be allowed to compete in the fourth and final run. (BBC Sport)
It began as "let's see what we can do" minutes after lunch on day three. Then it became about taking it to the next session. Then the next day. Along the way it was about making India bat again.
Even the most fanciful New Zealand players wouldn't have thought or planned or chalked how they were going to go about it, but close to four sessions later, it has now reached a stage where New Zealand are not only favourites to preserve their series lead, they can also dream of a win. Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling added 188 to their overnight 158-run stand without ever looking in trouble, taking the lead to 194, giving India cause to be worried, very worried.
If this carries on for some more time, McCullum and Watling will have staged possibly New Zealand's best rearguard ever. McCullum's career-best became the first New Zealander to score backto-back double-centuries.
Watling played the lon-
gest innings by a New Zealand wicketkeeper and was eight short of registering the highest second-innings score for them from No. 7. The partnership - at 346 runs - was their third-highest. By tea, India had gone 120.4 overs without a wicket.
Numbers, though, don't do justice to such stories. The task they faced was enormous. They were going with an aim of just batting and batting for days, and at any point for a major duration in the partnership one bad ball could turn the whole match back in India's favour.
After having put a huge effort n day three, New Zealand still began the day at 6 for 5. Just imagine the cruelty of getting out at any point in the first session, and watching India come back.
MS Dhoni, too, decided to test their patience as opposed to their survival skills. Having spent most of the last afternoon waiting for a mistake, Dhoni attacked for about half an hour on the fourth morning before resorting to his fancy fields. At
one point, he asked Ishant Sharma and Shami Ahmed to bowl from round the stumps with a seven-two offside field.
It is not hard to imagine that they struggled to bowl wide outside off. The only chance created was by Zaheer Khan deep into the first session, but India had just one in-between slip that couldn't get to the catch that a second slip would have taken.
It can't take away from the feat of McCullum and Watling. McCullum struggled with back and shoulder pains even on day three and has a dodgy knee. Watling had kept for 103 overs, and got a 37-over rest before coming out to bat again. They still showed intent as the fourth day began.
Now that they were in credit, they knew runs will push Dhoni further on the defensive. Defensive he be-
came, but now he struggled to stem the flow of runs. The bowlers were not able to follow his outlandish plans, and kept straying every now and then. Fifty-six runs came in 13 overs in the first hour.
The slips came out, the knuckle-ball slower balls from Zaheer Khan stopped landing, Shami and Ishant went back to bowling one loose ball an over, and India were already waiting for a mistake, or the new ball.
Milestones kept falling by the wayside. When McCullum went past 137, he had beaten his previous best aggregate for a Test series, 370, also against India. When he shouldered arms to Zaheer in the 118th over, at 312 balls, he had played his longest innings too.
That leave, though, was part of the only spell where India found some control through Ravindra Jadeja and Zaheer. Four maidens were bowled consecutively, but the two batsmen were too well set and too determined to let that draw them into a loose shot. The shackles
broke as Jadeja angled too far into the pads, and New Zealand were off again. There was little happening for India. Just before lunch Jadeja beat Watling with one that ripped across him. Watling walked towards square leg, and you could imagine him grit his teeth and get his concentration back.
Every time they played a false stroke - and there weren't many - Watling would make sure they gathered themselves again. A Watling walk to square leg. A quiet word to McCullum. In between, McCullum found time to display some brilliance. In the 142nd over, with India already beaten to pulp, he found the boundary beating three men around the point region, and a man behind them in the deep. It's the doggedness that he and Watling will value more, though, as they walked back together for a session break for the fourth time. The routine was same: a wee knocking of the fists, a quiet pat on Watling's back.
After a grand opening ceremony, Kaysan Ninvalle and Niron Bissu won the first titles of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Mashramani competition on Saturday at the National Gymnasium.
Ninvalle played like a true champion to win the boys nine and under age category, defeating Shemar Husbands 11-4, 11-7 and 113, and Cieara Sukhu 11-6, 11-3 and 11-2, on his way to the title.
Ninvalle showed his class as a player and battled his way to the under-11 fi-
nals, where he fell to eventual champion Bissu 9-11, 7-11 and 12-14. Meanwhile, earlier at the opening ceremony, both Sport Director Neil Kumar and GTTA President Godfrey Munroe wished the players well in the tournament. The tournament will continue today at the National Gymnasium with more age category match-ups.
Britain's Andy Murray has been beaten by Marin Cilic in the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament quarter-finals.
Murray, seeded second in Rotterdam, was broken in his first service game and again in the fifth game of the second set as he lost 6-3 6-4 in 71 minutes.
The world number six said: "It was the first time I've played three [days] in a row since the surgery in September, so that has to be a positive."
Cilic, who sent down eight aces, will play Igor Sijsling in the last four.
Murray, who had back surgery in September but reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open last month, failed to convert any of three break points from 40-0 in game six of the second set as Croatia's Cilic saw out a comfortable win.
The Scot added: "I didn't get off to a good start in the first set, but he served extremely well throughout the match. I created a lot of opportunities to break serve, but I could not convert my chances."
It was Cilic's second win over Murray in 11 FedEx ATP meetings.
"It's a great feeling," said 25-year-old Cilic.
"Andy made a few more unforced errors than usual,
Andy Murray
but I think it is a great victory for me. Eight wins in a row now and I am looking forward to the semi-finals."
Cilic, who last beat Murray at the 2009 US Open, has now won 16 straight sets on the ATP World Tour. Last week, he lifted his fourth PBZ Zagreb Indoors title when he beat Tommy Haas in the final.
Dutchman Sijsling beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2 2-6 6-1, while the other semi-final will see number three seed Tomas Berdych take on Ernests Gulbis of Latvia. Gulbis beat top seed and defending champion Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina 6-3 6-4. Berdych battled back from a set down to beat Poland's Jerzy Janowicz 6-7 (9-11) 6-2 6-4. (BBC Sport)
The curtains came down on the first ever Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club/ Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (RHTY&SC/GBTI) Inter Secondary School cricket tournaments on Friday last at the Area “H” Ground in Rose Hall Town.
Port Mourant Secondary School (PMSS) was crowned champions of the female tape ball tournament after they crushed Central Corentyne Secondary School (CCSS) by nine wickets in the finals.
In the male under-15 finals, J C Chandisingh Secondary School (JCCSS) defeated pre-tournament favourite Lower Corentyne Secondary School (LCSS) by four wickets in a closely contested final to become the inaugural champions.
Batting first after winning the toss, the CCSS females were bundled out for a paltry 35 in 8.5 overs, with only Tiffany Moore, 17 not out, offering any resistance to the PMSS bowling attack of Shabika Gajnabi, 2 for 8,
justed the player of the finals for her 10 not out and brilliant bowling performance.
In the male under-15 finals, JCCSS after winning the toss surprisingly invited LCSS to take first strike. LCSS reached 95 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs, as Junior Sinclair top scored
from Shaide Pir Baksh with 15. Sinclair returned with the ball to claim 3 for 17 in a losing cause. Otto was named player of the finals for his vital innings of 28 to lead his team to victory.
Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RHTY&SC Hilbert Foster hailed the tourna-
Erica Lashley 3 for 8, and Kavita Ramsammy 3 for 4.
In response, PMSS coasted home to victory in 4.1 overs, as Alima Arokium, 12, was the only batsman to be dismissed. Ramsammy, 10 not out, and skipper Erica Lashley, 5 not out, were unbeaten at the end.
Moore was the only wicket-taker with 1 for 7 from 2 overs. Ramsammy was ad-
with a patient 30 and received good support from Allaz Ally 15 and Kellon Anderson 10.
Bowling for JCSS, Pir Baksh claimed 2 for 14 and Jairendra Kumar 2 for 16.
Needing to score 96 to win in 20 overs, JCCSS held their nerves to reach 97 for 6 in 19.2 overs.
Vasladeo Otto led the charge with a polished 28 and received good support
ments as an outstanding success, saying they surpassed the organisers’ expectations.
He disclosed that several new and promising talents have been identified, especially at the female level, and specially mentioned Ramsammy, Moore and Arokium.
Foster expressed gratitude to the management of GBTI for their sponsorship
of the two tournaments, which formed part of the club’s anti-drugs and antisuicide campaign for youths.
Former West Indies Test player Basil Butcher advised the youths to always strive for excellence, to develop a culture of discipline, and to always listen to sound advice.
The former Corentyne High School (now JCCSS) student stated that he was proud to be present at the finals, as he was able to notice some promising talents for the future.
Manager of GBTI Port Mourant Branch Ghoeblall Mahadeo expressed great satisfaction at the success of the tournament and the organizing skills of the RHTY&SC.
He also advised the youths to say no to drugs and suicide, noting that that GBTI fully understands its role as a corporate entitiy. He also said the bank will continue to invest in youth related activities.
Both winning teams received a trophy each and medals, while each player received a personal collection of books and educational materials.
The losing finalists received a trophy and collection of pens for their players. Each school also received a large anti suicide banner.
By Treiston Joseph
The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) held their award ceremony on Saturday evening at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), where Olympian Winston George was named male athlete of the year.
Before the awardees received their trophies for their hard work during 2013, the AAG received a stern warning from Senior Vice President of the GOA Charles Corbin.
The warning came about due to local distance athlete Alika Morgan withdrawing from the South American team, citing that she was given short notice and was inadequately prepared, despite being shortlisted for the event since last year.
“It will mean that, when we have recommendations coming from the AAG, which have to be considered where I’m a member of the panel, the position of whether that person should be on the panel will become questionable.
“Because, if at the time after selection, the athlete is saying I’m not prepared. Did the AAG not know this before the person was included on the list?” Corbin questioned.
However, earlier, President of the AAG Aubrey Hutson, who explained the rigours of 2013, was positive that the association will produce good athletes.
“This council is committed to producing the caliber of athletes that the nation could be proud of. For 2013 we had a good – but as I said at the congress – we did not have a great year, but it was a good year,” Hutson stressed.
Meanwhile, National Sports Commission (NSC) executive member of Gervy Harry, who stressed that we must do more for our athletes, indicated that such a
task might prove to be difficult because of administrative issues.
“It might be a difficult task because of what is happening with sports in our country today, and I’m talking basically about the administration of our sports.
“At almost every association and federation, we have got wars at the top, open confrontations at the top, and that is not going to do well for sports in Guyana,” Harry stated.
The event concluded with the athletes receiving their awards before interacting informally with their other athletes and officials.
List of award winners:
Male Athl ete of the Year (Winston George), runner-up (Stephan James), Female Athlete of the Year (Alika Morgan), runner up (Jevina Strake), Junior Male Athlete of the Year (Kevin Abbensettes), runner up (Clarence Green), Junior Female Athlete of the Year (Jevina Straker), runner up (Alita Moore), Youth Male Athlete of the Year (Jason Yaw), Youth Female Athlete of the Year (Cassey George), runner up (Tirana Mitchell), Coach of the Year (Julian Edmonds), Official of the Year (Kendra Squires-Rose), runner-up (Nigel Hope).
The Petra Organization opened their Milo Football under-20 School’s tournament on Saturday with four games as Dolphin Secondary destroyed Cumming Lodge Secondary 4-0 at the Ministry of Education ground.
Dolphin Secondary wasted no time in opening their account as Samuel Hunte dropped in back-toback goals in the seventh and ninth minutes respec-
tively to put Dolphin up 2-0. Shawn Mohammed would then make it 3-0 just before half with a 30th minute goal.
Job Ceasar would put the nail in the coffin to send Cummings Lodge back to the drawing board with a 70th minute goal.
Bishop’s High School then drew with St Mary’s Secondary 1-1 as Sean Turney dropped the first goal for St. Mary’s in the 25th minute before
Nathaniel King equalized with for Bishop’s in the 69th minute.
Tucville Secondary topped Freeburg Secondary in the third game 2-0 when Keifer Brandt opened the account in the 17th minute before Jamal Trim’s 45th minute goal to seal the win.
The final game of the day saw Charlestown Secondary gaining a walkover against St Joseph High School who failed to show up for the encounter.
By Rajiv Bisnauth
Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony has accused the opposition of delaying the passage of the Cricket Administration Bill, but expressed a willingness to have all of their concerns addressed so as to have “consensus” on the proposed legislation.
Dr Anthony, speaking with Guyana Times Sport during an interview on Friday, explained that discussions have been concluded at the level of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee and is now on the floor of the National Assembly for consideration.
The legislation has been deferred at least four times when it came up for a second reading in the House.
“One of the difficulties we are now having is that some of the persons on the committee, the opposition members on the commit-
tee, they have asked us to delay the full presentation to the National Assembly because there are some concerns raised by cricket stakeholders.
“And because of those concerns, they want to first re-check some of the things to make sure that what was raised won’t pose any dangers to what they are doing,” said the minister.
“Our position, the government’s position, is that we have gone through this more than two years now we have been at it. The committee would had have a long session in terms of debating and discussing the suggestions that were put forward by the opposition committee.
“We have adopted those suggestions and, therefore, if they would like to have whatever re-look they would like to have, we don’t have a problem. What we, however, would like to see is that this is done in a timely manner so
that we can move the bill forward,” said Dr Anthony.
Meanwhile, the minister feels that the passage of the bill is vital for the development of the game here.
“I think if the bill is not moved forward, cricket will suffer and we have spent a lot of energy and time trying to put this together. So the earlier we can get the bill moving, I
Seventy less fortunate students attending schools in the Lower Corentyne and Central Corentyne, Berbice on Friday last received school bags from the cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) under their pro-education campaign.
The students were drawn from the Central Corentyne Secondary, J C Chandisingh Secondary, Lower Corentyne Secondary, Port Mourant Secondary, Corentyne Comprehensive High and Winifred Gaskin Secondary schools.
The presentation was done during the finals of the RHTY&SC/Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Inter-Secondary Schools cricket tourna-
ments for females and under-15 students. The students were selected based on performance in school, personal discipline, attitude and involvement in sports.
Long serving Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hilbert Foster stated that the school bags, worth $100,000, were meant to encourage the students who were mainly from single parent households to stay in school and to obtain a sound educational foundation.
He cautioned the students that education is the most important asset a person can attain and that it would open doors that would remain closed to an uneducated mind.
Foster also urged them to get involved in a youth and sports club in their district and to develop a strong
faith in the God they believe in.
Office Manager of the RHTY&SC Moonish Singh, who is also the cricket manager of the club, disclosed that over the last ten years a total of 5500 students have received school bags from the RHTY&SC pro-education programme.
The programme is administered by the Rose Hall Town (RHT) Farfan and Mendes under-15 team, RHT Bakewell under-17 and second division teams, Pepsi under-19 and intermediate teams, Metro Females team, and the Gizmos and Gadgets under-21 and first division teams.
The teams during this year intend to assist close to 1000 students in Berbice with school bags.
think it will be better for everybody.
“The reason why I don’t want to push it ahead without having everybody on board, although they were all onboard at the committee level, is that we want to present it to the National Assembly with consensus.
“So if it takes a few more weeks perhaps to get that agreement, I think it’s worth waiting,” the sport minister added.
The bill was tabled by government in December 2011 in a bid to end the impasse over the national game.
It provides constitutions for the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) and the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) and is divided into five parts with one schedule giving respective boards the powers to effectively manage the affairs of local cricket.
The absence of a corporate structure for the county boards had been exposed when secretary of the BCB Angela Haniff challenged the validity of the GCB elections of June 10, 2011.
Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang threw out the matter on the grounds that all of the associations embroiled in the matter were legal non-entities and had been so from their incep-
tion. Therefore they could not sue or be sued.
In the name of the sport minister, the bill tabled in Parliament seeks to remedy this by establishing the boards as corporate bodies and conserves their status and operations.
The bill was tabled following an acrimonious row between the government of Guyana and its Interim Management Committee (IMC) and the GCB over the state of cricket in Guyana.
The bill was sent to a Special Select Committee after it was laid in the National Assembly by the sport minister. Several amendments have been made to the bill, including changes to provisions that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) had objected to.
President of the GCB is Drubahadur who was elected in January 2012, but once the bill is passed and signed into law, new elections will be held.
Former world 100-metre champion Asafa Powell could know his fate in two weeks after a Jamaica anti-doping panel hearing his case resumed on Wednesday.
The hearing, halted in January, resumed but remained unfinished after
Powell’s lawyers wanted the chance to cross-examine an anti-doping expert now working at the Winter Olympics in Russia.
The Jamaican sprinter tested positive for the banned stimulant oxilofrine after the 100-metre final at the Jamaican national
championships last June.
The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) and Powell’s attorneys agreed to a final submission of evidence on February 26 but only after Powell lawyer Kwame Gordon objected to a report labeled “very, very significant” by Jamaica Anti-Doping Agency attorney Lackston Robinson.
“We don’t think it should be entered (into evidence) at this stage because our witness would not get the chance to reply,” Gordon argued.
The report from an American laboratory was ordered by Powell’s team seeking clarification that oxilofrine was indeed contained in the Epiphany D1 supplement taken by Powell.
Gordon also said if the report was rendered into evidence, Christiane Ayotte, director of Montreal’s antidoping laboratory, who analysed the report, must be available for cross-examination.
However Ayottee is working on the other side of the world at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Gordon instead offered to have his expert, Wayne McLaughlin, analyse the document and submit his findings in writing when the hearing resumed in two weeks. (Trinidad Guardian)
If someone asked what is faster than lightening, you might be left without an answer, but on Sunday, the large crowd that packed the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary saw with their very own eyes Director of Hits and Jams Rawle Ferguson dashing past Team Lightning’s Kerwin Bollers on his way to victory for Team Quick.
The most anticipated race of the Hits and Jams fun day did not disappoint, as Bollers bolted out of the blocks before Ferguson matched strides with Bollers at around 60 metres, before pulling away to win easily in the final 20 metres of the featured event. Ferguson, a former national athlete, was pleased with the victory and hopes to repeat the win next year when the event is held.
Meanwhile, Team Wickedee was the winner of the football competition, while Guyana Times/TVG/RGI’s Treiston Joseph won the media race at the event.
