Guyana Times International

Dr Vindhya Persaud’s email: Rohee says members can “agree to disagree”

In wake of criticism from one of its members, Dr Vindhya Persaud about it not entering Parliament, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) said party members can agree to disagree.

In an email addressed to several of her colleagues, Dr Persaud strongly expressed her disagreement with the Party’s plan to protest whilst the 11th Parliament was being convened.

The former Member of Parliament (MP) and current Head of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, which represents a major part of the PPP/ C’s constituency, argued that previous protest actions organised by the Party gained minimal support from the public and the PPP/C’s support base. She added that the protests are not yielding the desired results. Dr Persaud, in the email, claimed that she advised the Party against the picketing exercise and urged them to participate in the opening of the Parliament. “I would like to advice for the picketing exercise planned for

June 10.

My response comes against a backdrop of recent happenings… I strongly urge, as I did previously at our meeting, that we go to Parliament and represent our support base as a formidable opposition,” an excerpt from the email read.

Rohee, when questioned by media operatives about the Party’s position on the former MP’s stance, disclosed that the Party had a discussion with Dr Persaud and they have settled the matter, reaching an agreement where it was agreed that party mem-

bers can disagree on certain issues.

“We conveyed to her our dissatisfaction with the forum she chose to express her views and not with the content… she conceded that the forum was not an appropriate one, but she held on to the fact that she was convinced of what she said was a conviction…so I told her that, we have an agreement… where we can agree to disagree,” Rohee explained.

But Dr Persaud, in a subsequent interview with this publication disclosed that the email was

Success Elementary School grabs top spots at Common Entrance

The Success Elementary School, which is a private school, has grabbed the top two positions at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment Examinations in Guyana.

Just over 15,000 students from across Guyana wrote the NGSA examinations commonly known as Common Entrance. The top student is 11-yearold Solomon Cherai of Success Elementary who gained 530 marks out of the total 535. He will be going to Queens College when the new school year

begins in September.

The #2 position went to Shania Eastman who also attends the Success Elementary. The Success Elementary School also gained the #6 spot.

Once again, the private schools in Guyana have dominated performances in the top 1%. Chief Education Officer Olato Sam said the reason for that is the private schools may be able to practice things that the public schools may not be in a position to practice.

Celine Farinha of the Peter’s Hall

Primary grabbed the #3 position along with Shreya Persaud and Isabella Hussain of the Academy of Excellence.

Once again, the private schools have dominated performances in the top 1%.

Chief Education Officer

Olato Sam said the reason for that is the private schools may be able to prac-

tice things that the public schools may not be in a position to practice. He however, stated that the private schools follow the same curriculum that is offered in the public education system.

Students would have been assessed in Grades 2 and 4 before writing the Grade 6 assessment. The examinations saw improved performances in Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.

Education Minister, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine said he is not satisfied with the results but is “happy for what has been achieved”. He said there is room for improvement and the Education Ministry will be examining ways to reach that improvement over the coming months.

Dr. Roopnarine said the new President David Granger administration has already made it clear that its main focus will be education.

The results for all students who wrote the examinations are available on the Ministry of Education’s webside -http://www.education. gov.gy/web/. (Taken from News source)

To contact: Guyana Times International

New York Office

106-15 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica NY 11435

Email: guyanatimesnyint@gmail.com

Tel no: 718-658-6804

Preferred method of contact via EMAIL Guyana Office

Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana.

Tel no: (592) 227-0704, 227-0709. Fax (592) 225-8696, 227-0685

Email: guyanatimesint@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Crime concerns

When a new administration takes over the reins of government, they are usually given a “honeymoon period” in which they are not challenged too aggressively.

However, from the reports in the press, it appears that the criminals in our midst have not only ignored the honeymoon for the new Minister of Public Security and the Police Force that falls under his bailiwick, but have actually upped the ante in challenging them.

In the first four months of the year, there was an average of 14 murders per month but following the elections that rate has increased by at least 50 percent. And this rise in murders is reflected across the spectrum of crimes, especially in armed robberies.

We do not believe it is useful to speculate on motives behind the increased criminality, but call on the government to send a strong message that it will be tough on crime. But in this regard, the new government might have made two missteps.

The first one was for the President to announce, in almost his first official act, that he was pardoning 60 persons who had been incarcerated for what must have been misdemeanours.

It appears, however, that this act could possibly have had the unfortunate consequence of signalling that the new administration might be soft on crime.

After all, no matter how innocuous the crimes the pardoned persons might have been committed, the magistrate or other judicial official must have had some rationale within sentencing guidelines to impose the sentences, after the usual pleas for mitigation.

The other crossed signal was for the new President and Minister of Public Security going beyond his remit to place on hold the reorganisation by the Commissioner of Police of his top brass.

Here was the top cop signalling to the criminals that in the new dispensation he was tweaking his apparatus to deal with the just announced slight increase in crime so that it did not get out of hand.

And it did get out of hand as we know to our cost. Whether this was a matter of “correlation” or “causation” is somewhat academic right now, since the “hold” on the reorganisation of the top tier of the Police Force has now been lifted.

In order to get a handle of the spiralling crime rate, the new administration has to understand and accept that the political campaign is now over and both its rhetoric and its actions must be directed towards curbing crime and not scoring points against the previous administration.

Take for instance, the action of the Junior Minister of Social Protection upstaging the Bartica Police by leading a charge of her old Women Miners colleagues against “Trafficking in Persons” (TIP) in a hotel. It turned out to be just a case of illegal entries and expired entry permits.

What the Junior Minister, who boasted in Wild West style, “I is Broomes, and I making a sweep”, must have done was to demoralise the Police who accompanied her because they could have conducted the same raid with much less fanfare and local annoyance.

If she had passed on the “tip” she claimed she received on “TIP activity” to the local Bartica Police, it is very likely that using their contacts in the community they would have found out it was going to be a wild goose chase.

To further reinforce the point that the new administration needs to focus on better policing and not “one-upmanship” is underscored by the same Junior Minister claiming “substandard” accommodations for the Bartica Police.

This might all be true, but wouldn’t it have been best to bring the said conditions to the attention of the Minister of Public Security so that he could work with the Police administration to rectify matters?

The issue of citizens’ security was one of the two the top issues in the campaign. It should now be dealt with condignly.

Dangers to business in cyberspace

PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD:

Listening to international cyber security expert, Dr Darren Hayes talk, one would never switch on a computer again, take a call on a smartphone or use any form of social media. He said danger lurks everywhere in cyberspace.

Dr Hayes said last Friday that terrorists and organised criminal groups are increasingly making use of all these devices as well as the internet and social media to commit crime and steal the personal data of unsuspecting users to harness for their criminal activities.

Dr Hayes was the feature speaker at a breakfast workshop, “Mobile apps and social media used by terrorists and organised criminal groups,” held by the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants (ACCA) on May 28 at the Trinidad Hilton and Conference Centre, St Ann’s.

He is the Director of Cybersecurity and an Asistant Professor at Pace University in New York. According to a handout provided by the ACCA, Dr Hayes is listed as one of the Top Ten Computer Forensics Professors by Forensics Colleges.

According to the handout, Dr Hayes has worked on numerous cases involving digital evidence in both civil and criminal investigations, he served on the board of the High Technology Crime Investigation Association Northeast Chapter and has made numerous appearances on American business television programmes to discuss cyber crime.

He said, “The internet is being used by terrorists to recruit individuals but also to recruit hackers. Hackers are used to break in and destroy networks in the West, everything from banks to government agencies but hackers are also being used to steal money from banks and other institutions to finance their activities. Organised criminal gangs which were traditionally involved in human trafficking, burglary, car theft, all now have cyber capabilities where they steal credit card information and it’s a lot easier than stealing a car because you can sit at your computer and simply hack into a network from your

home and steal a lot more money a lot faster.”

He said the aim of the seminar was not necessarily to scare people but to educate them about the types of information that is being collected about them, the ways that they might be attacked, “and just make people think a couple of times before they post something on the internet or before they download applications to their phones. They need to be aware of the risks associated with that.”

He said he was not expecting to discourage people from using their devices or downloading, “but I think you just maybe need to think about why a game is available for free. Nothing is available for free because you are giving up something when you are downloading something for free. They want something from your phone, or they want something from your computer or they want to find out about you.” He said that unfortunately a lot of companies do not have the right protection to keep their information safe.

He said that feared terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), were very sophisticated. They know the types of social media that young people are using, they know the key terms and phrases that influence them and they are very, very good at propaganda and recruitment.”

He said all this is especially troubling for business because more and more politics is affecting business. He said that when sanctions were imposed on the banking industry in Iran, for instance, there was a backlash in which Iranian hackers hacked into a number of high profile banks in the US in retaliation for the sanctions. “So politics is very, very closely tied with cyber attacks today.”

He said the threat is real and “anybody who has money is a target,” wherever in the world they might live, even in Trinidad and Tobago. And while business people might feel safely insulated from such issues here in this country, Dr Hayes said, “There are so many banks here that work globally and so people need to understand that cyber crime today is global and

so cyber attacks are global and affect Trinidad. As long as there is money here and there is intellectual property here, you are open to attack and attacks will come and there are hackers and some major networks here in Trinidad so people should not think that any nation is insignificant. Everyone is open for attack.”

Brenda Lee Tang, head of ACCA Caribbean, which organised the workshop, said the information was “pretty scary”but it was necessary to raise awareness of the issue both for members of the ACCA and for the wider community.

“We actually have an arrangement with a particular company which goes to schools and talks about cyber bullying and from there we recognised that there was a lot that needed to be done because children are very vulnerable, they don’t know the dangers that lurk over the internet. They are very naive and so they post a lot of very personal information online, not to mention photos, but also your profile.”

She said Dr Hayes hosted a webinar on the subject with the ACCA on Wednesday and even the adults at that session realised “that there were a lot of things that we probably do in our personal lives that we didn’t remember that affects our professional lives.”

She added that people cannot be too careful when using the different communication devices and avenues available today. “Posting things, sharing conversations that you ought not to have about the company, about your personal life, because everything is being captured somewhere.”

In an address to open the workshop, she said, “Stronger connectivity yields greater risks of fraud, theft and abuse, and ACCA is doing all that we can to promote cybersecurity awareness among our members and the general public.”

She added that “theft of digital information has overtaken physical theft as the most commonly reported fraud, and the relative insecurity of the small and medium-sized enterprises is making them a growing focus for cyber attacks.” (TT Newsday)

State audit exercise: Ram, Goolsarran present “clear” conflict of interest

An accredited accountant is urging the David Granger-led administration to engage one or more international accounting firms to conduct the forensic audits it is undertaking at several state agencies, arguing that some of the local firms identified present a clear case of conflict of interest and could destroy the credibility of the work they are being contracted to do.

The accountant, who asked not be named, is also contending that a forensic audit is usually underpinned by legislative provisions, which are non-existent at the moment, and also called for greater transparency in the awarding of the contracts, citing that no tender was advertised for the auditing services but firms were just handpicked for the job.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, speaking to media operatives on Monday at the Parliament Building, related that his Ministry has contracted private independent firms such as Ram and McRae, Hinds and Associates, former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran, among others, to begin the audits into the operations and transactions of 30 plus agencies.

Both Christopher Ram and Goolsarran were staunch critics of the previous administration and had publicly commented before on the financial statuses of a number of the agencies being audited.

According to Minister Jordan, in an effort to ensure transparency and accountability, the audits are being done by a wide field of persons, and not confined to one firm or in-

dividual.

The Finance Ministry had expected to commence financial audits of at least four agencies on Monday, three of which are the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Gold Board and National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited.

While Minister Jordan could not say whether audits had indeed begun in all of the mentioned

agencies, he indicated that Goolsarran, who is tasked with the audits for those agencies, had iterated to him his intentions of beginning as soon as Monday and was positive that those had gone through.

The audit will target those agencies which, under the previous administration, were allowed to remain as offline accounts and did not follow the correct

procedure of having their revenues placed in the Consolidated Fund, Jordan stated.

However, in an invited comment to this publication, the accountant said that it is not the forensic accountants who determine fraud but instead the court. This means that it is necessary that there already exists a legislative framework to interpret the findings of the auditor and then later aid in the application of the law; otherwise a forensic audit will not have the intended consequences.

Public critics

To this end the accountant said both Goolsarran and Ram are public critics of the past People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration and supporters of the current A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government. The accountant noted that Goolsarran also worked under the People’s National Congress administration as the Auditor General.

Dr Vindhya Persaud’s email: Rohee says

not meant for the public domain and appeared unsure of how the email was leaked. Nonetheless, in the letter, Dr Persaud mentioned a number of issues she believed contributed to the party’s failure at the May 11 polls.

When questioned about the contents of the email, Dr Persaud insisted that the letter was not meant for the public and therefore she will not be making any public pronouncement on the mat-

ter. “I would just like to say that that email was meant for the internal party…it was meant for the internal party and I am not commenting on anything else,” she maintained.

Clinton Urling, anoth-

er PPP/C member, had several issues with the functioning of the Party. Urling, who recently joined the PPP/C, declared that the Party will be better off without the involvement of former President and Executive

“Given their ties to this administration and obvious animosity towards the PPP/C, this is a clear case of lack of independence and conflict of interest. Goolsarran and Ram, who are members of the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), should be reminded of that body’s code of ethics which mandate Integrity, Objectivity, Professional Competence and Due Care, Confidentiality and Professional Behaviour. Both gentlemen should therefore do the honourable thing and distance themselves from this engagement,” the accountant urged.

members can...

Member Bharrat Jagdeo.

In response to his statements, Rohee had also indicated that the forum used to express those views were inappropriate.

Rohee reiterated that if any PPP/C member has an issue with the Party, there is an established system in which they can voice their concerns internally, rather than doing the unprofessional thing by going public with their opinions.

I support the PPP not going into Parliament

Dear Editor,

Half of the country seems to be at a virtual standstill, like it or not. One half seems excited that they got the edge due to the inconsistency of the counting of election results, while the other half feels cheated.

Claiming there is a majority government with less than 4000 votes more, which in itself is a controversial number given no recount was authorized, is appalling. I would consider it a statistical tie at this point until a recount happens.

Our economy is coming to a grinding halt as the administration attempts to gain credibility by ensuring their half of the country validates that everything the PPP/C did was bad and none of them benefited.

I believe in data and this approach is an emotional and political maneuvering by the new administration without any rational thinking in many areas. This will be a subject of intense debates for a long period to come.

There are already early indications, that many businesses are halting any new investments. Foreign direct investors are weary of the

change of Government, especially in light of potential border issues again with Venezuela, and the threat of the recount that can see the 2015 elections be deemed null and void, and new elections called.

Also, many of the APNU overseas supporters are arriving in country to see what they can get from the system, versus bringing in investments.

The international community in their earnest to justify their decision to call the election fair and free seems to have taken front and center stage in every aspect of governance.

Daily, one would see an Ambassador or a High Commissioner meeting with officials and promising money for process improvement activities even giving direction on how the government should operate and what they must do.

While all this is happening, the APNU/AFC ministers are taking the opportunity to say everything “is in bad shape” in order to sometime in the future be able to claim they were successful.

During this period, although early, we have not heard of a sin-

gle initiative that indicates any new macroeconomics improvements, no initiatives on what is on the forefront for Guyana, where will new revenues come from?

This is the same group that disapproved every single economic initiative in the 10th Parliament.

I support the PPP/C not going into Parliament, even for the life-cycle of this administration. The ABC countries have urged the new administration to put on their top priority list the passing of the AMLCFT Bill, and it is the same group of lawmakers that failed to pass it in the 10th Parliament.

The administration’s law makers had the majority in the 10th Parliament and refused to pass the same bills. Will the 11th Parliament talk about alternative energy, which Guyana badly needs?

One may ask why the PPP/C would want to be in Parliament to discuss these same issues that were disapproved before. What would have really changed? Let us think clearly about our future.

Dr

Peter R Ramsaroop

No justification for Granger to pardon 60 prisoners

Dear Editor,

It has become a daily occurrence, that is, another deadly day as the news greets you of another deadly armed robbery.

People are losing their lives at the hands of vicious armed thugs who are out to get what homeowners and business people have. They come on foot, on motorcycles, or ride with you in minibuses.

Their job is to seek out all those who have cash or jewellery, they come to snatch your hard earned cash away from you and if you dare resist you are shot and killed. Daily occurrences in this dear land of ours.

People are dying and continue to die under these circumstances as another heist is set in operation. Right now life is cheap because when an innocent citizen dies it is no big deal.

But far more distressing is the fact that when a bandit gets killed the multitude of questions that has to be answered, the mountain of evidence that has to be presented to show just cause for his

demise, the how, when and why surrounding his death.

It is as if the bandit’s life is all that matters and should be the focus of our attention. This is the Guyana the PPPC had to govern, a country that was corrupted by an opposition who were intricately wrapped up with the criminal fraternity.

The opposition defended them at every turn, accusing the PPPC Government of discriminating against the youth, arbitrarily blaming them for crimes they did not commit.

Remember up to a month ago these bandits were defended on the grounds that “they lack opportunities, most of them being jobless”. And, the mantra “Police brutality and extra-judicial killings” came to the fore.

Right now, there are ongoing investigations, as well as court cases linking the Police with these “extra judicial killings”. Whenever a criminal dies there is always the theory that he was killed under “suspicious”

Open the boxes and do the recount

Dear Editor, Cheated but not defeated should be the slogan of the PPP/C whenever they take the seats given to us.

I say the seats given to us by the Commission because that is the position taken by GECOM. “Let us give the PPPC 32 seats and the coalition 33 seats.” This is their justification of a hard fought close election.

So, I ask the question, what is a close election? Is it something you can sit by your computer and conveniently “cook the books” hoping that the loser would accept it?

Or is it carefully carrying out a recount to clear up any doubt? If the election was indeed close as they claim,

then prove it! Show the Guyanese people and the world how that came about. Why are they terrified about a recount?

You see, the proof of May 11 would have long since been validated if a recount was done. With a recount, satisfaction is guaranteed on both sides, winner and loser, and by this time we would be well on our way.

That is, the losers with the happy acceptance that they have lost and the winners with a clear conscience that they have won a fair fight. Not the “hopscotch dilly dally double talking” nonsense that we see going on at the present moment.

It defies reason that an election would have

been concluded without a recount. Unbelievable! And it could only be in a country called Guyana known for its rigging of elections under the PNC.

To add insult to injury, the very same culprits known for this sort of thing are the ones who were declared winners. Open the boxes! Again I say open the boxes! Are we in a lodge? What is the secret order? But that is not to be. They at GECOM are in a strong holdout that a recount is not necessary. Then who determines that? The people’s votes determine who wins or loses an election, not GECOM. And it is the people’s votes that we want to verify.

Neil Adams

GuySuCo’s CEO replaced by two appointees whom the then Opposition attacked

Dear Editor, The termination of the CEO of GuySuCo was not a shock to me. But the manner of the termination of Dr Rajendra Singh falls in the category of a witch hunt. Clearly, it makes no sense.

circumstances or because of government involvement.

Never in the history of Guyana are criminals given the love, respect and attention as they did when the Coalition was in opposition.

Well, come to think of it, that same facilitating opposition is now the government of Guyana and the “freedom fighter bandits” are out in full force robbing, shooting and killing as they usually do – crime is at an all time high – if not the highest in decades.

And there is good reason for the spike in crime because with the incoming administration came a huge pardon – 60 of these criminals were immediately pardoned and sent back into society.

President David Granger in defense of his pardon said that he is giving “petty thieves” another chance. Well, I have news for you: You are well aware of the “Sheema Mangar” case, and the guy who snatched her Blackberry phone.

I feel a sense of vindication and a sense of loss at the same time. I believed that Dr Singh could have been given a chance until after the forensic study of GuySuCo, as promised by the new Government. At the same time, I wish Mr Hanoman and Mr Bhim the best.

Dr Singh has been replaced by two other appointees that were made by the PPP/C Government and two persons that were severely attacked by the Opposition then.

The then Opposition attacked their appointments and were severely critical of their performance. Now in Government, they have resorted to the same people that they mercilessly attacked when the PPP/C Government appointed them as CEO and during their tenures.

Mr Paul Bhim replaced Mr Errol Hanoman as CEO of GuySuCo. Mr Bhim was later replaced by Dr Rajendra Singh. I worked closely with Mr Paul Bhim. I believed that Mr Bhim tried his best to stabilize the situation at GuySuCo.

As the Minister of Agriculture, given the situation that the sugar industry faced, I be-

lieved that Mr Hanoman and Mr Bhim did their best to overcome changing weather patterns, a difficult labour situation and an unfriendly international situation with falling sugar prices.

The PPP/C Government was criticized that these challenges were merely excuses for poor performances and management in the industry. Several calls were made for terminating these gentlemen. I was in the hot seat when such calls were made to me as Minister to terminate Mr Bhim.

My explanation that a difficult labour situation, inclement weather and falling international prices were major contributory factors for declining production and other problems in the industry was rejected.

Dr Rajendra Singh faced the same situation and, indeed, a level of stabilization was achieved, recovering from the 2013 production which was the lowest in 20 years.

The industry recovered a reasonable level of production in 2014, surpassing the 2013 production by about 15 per cent. The first crop actual production in 2015 exceeded the first crop production of 2014 by more than 3,000 tons.

It is true that the first crop production failed to reach the first crop target for 2015 because the beginning of the crop and the end of the crop periods encountered inclement weather conditions that caused a loss of opportunity days.

While Skeldon continues to be a major challenge, Skeldon has shown some positive signals that it can recover and perform to what was expected of it. Overall cane production improved in 2015 and there is enough cane in the fields to ensure that the 2015 target is reached.

The industry requires Government support and the way forward is for everyone to work together. It would have made better sense for the government to complete its own audit and then decide on management changes.

Both persons brought back could not have change things without the support of Government when they were at the helm. They will not be able to change the present situation without committed support from the present government.

Clearly, sugar remains an important part of our development story. Government support for GuySuCo and the sugar industry must not be something we think about. It has to be committed. Playing politics with the industry will cause its recovery to be more difficult.

I believe that the termination of Dr Raj Singh and the manner in which it has been done demonstrates a political response from the new administration, rather than one that is designed to help the industry.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy

PPP/C says going to Parliament now is not priority

…maintains 2015 elections were rigged in favour of APNU+AFC

With hundreds of Guyanese gathered in front of Parliament Buildings to witness the historical opening of the 11th Parliament, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) took to the streets in front the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), as they continued their protests for a complete recount of the ballots of the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

Even though it appears as if all the odds are stacked against them, the PPP/C remains determined in its cause to stand up for its rights, as it once again staged a peaceful picket-

ing exercise.

General Secretary of the PPP/C Clement Rohee explained to Guyana Times International why the party saw it fit to stage the protest rather than participating in the Parliament.

“Well this is continuation of our campaign for a GECOM recount of the votes and part of our campaign for Surujbally to resign as GECOM Chairman. It doesn’t matter to us whether Parliament is sitting at this time, what is important to us is that we are focusing on our goals and at this point in time, GECOM and these demands are our priority,

not Parliament,” he said.

Still not giving a definite answer as to when it will be participating in Parliament, Rohee repeated that the PPP/C will participate in its own time.

“It depends on a number of factors and how we evaluate the political situation in respects to the future perspectives and the future of the country,” he noted.

As it relates to the selection of Members of Parliament (MPs), Rohee maintained that consultations are still ongoing.

Meanwhile, as the PPP/C support base conducted their exercise free from Police hindrance, passersby rudely hurled

Hundreds overjoyed to witness commencement of 11th Parliament

Parliament Square, the beautiful garden located at the corner of High Street and Brickdam, was officially declared open to the general public by Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan to coincide with the opening of Guyana’s 11th Parliament on Wednesday.

At the simple opening, tents and chairs were made available for the use of the public and large television monitors were set up so that they would view the ceremonial opening of the 11th Parliament.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Guyanese turned out in their numbers to finally set foot on the lawns of the lovely little park.

It will now be available for use by the public on a regular basis and will be used as an assembly ground when there are sittings of the National Assembly.

The park initiative was initially conceptualised and realised by the Central Housing and Planning Authority of the Housing Ministry; however, Bulkan said he will be seeking Cabinet’s approval to have its responsibility handed over to the Georgetown Municipality.

The Minister noted that Parliament will be representing the citizens of the country and therefore, the citizens should be allowed within adequate proximity of the proceedings.

He noted that with

the opening of this park, Guyanese can now take pride and ownership of the activities that are being conducted during the National Assembly.

“In fact, our Constitution says that sovereignty belongs to the people, who exercise it via the elected representatives, and the democratic organs created by and under the Constitution and, of course, Parliament is the supreme organ of democratic power, so we do not believe that the public should be kept away during sittings of the National Assembly,” he said.

The park project reportedly cost some Gy$37 million and was aimed at enhancing downtown Georgetown.

sly remarks in their directions in an attempt to discourage the supporters from exercising their democratic right by publicly and peacefully dis-

playing their dissatisfaction with the turn of events within the country.

The PPP/C is grounded in its belief that

the 2015 General and Regional Elections of May 11 were massively rigged and that the results were significantly manipulated to favour the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Government.

Since going public with these claims, the PPP/C has been calling on GECOM for a total recount of the votes, insisting that the simple recount would prove that their argument of an unfair election process is true.

“It

is time for hostility to cease”

– President David Granger

By Gomatie GanGadin

Amid the deepening rift between the Government and the People’ Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) over allegations of elections rigging, President David Granger opened the 11th Parliament on Wednesday and once again extended the invitation of inclusionary governance to the opposition stating that it is time for the hostility to cease and for the good of the country to be put first and foremost.

This was even as he signalled his intentions to ensure that a slew of ‘controversial’ bills such as the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of the Terrorism Bill (AML/ CFT), the President’s Benefits and other Amenities Bill and the Constitutional Reform Amendment Bill are passed in this session of

the Parliament. While in opposition, Granger’s party had stymied the passage of some of the said bills.

On Wednesday, President Granger reiterated his call for the PPP/C to take up its seats in the National Assembly and to represent the 49 per cent of the population which voted for them.

“The election campaign is over. The ballots have been cast, the tallies have been tak-

en, results have been declared a new administration has been installed.

“Let us put the hostility of the hustings behind us. Let us eschew the rancour of the campaign and the rhetoric of rivalry. Let us look to the future with hope, determined to do only what is best for the Guyanese people now and for generations to come,” he said.

“Let us reinforce the foundation of our na-

tion by working together for the common good. We are now the National Assembly, not a political party rally. We shall in pursuit of the common good, build bridges across chasms and in doing so; we are again extending an invitation to the People’s Progressive Party to join the APNU/ AFC in this honourable house to serve the people. This is the time for collaboration and not confrontation”, President Granger said.

Pregnant woman dies at

The administration of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is once again in for criticism following the death of a young pregnant woman who passed on Wednesday evening due to pregnancy complications. Carol Bollers was admitted to the medical facility on Monday June 8, but took her last breath in the wee hours of June 10.

According to a release from the medical institution, the now dead woman was less than five

months pregnant. She was admitted after visiting the Accident and Emergency Unit complaining of abdominal pains. Upon inspection, it was discovered that that Bollers was suffering from ruptured membranes.

As a result, she was admitted and treated, but her condition worsened. Despite attempts by the doctors to save her life, she passed. A postmortem examination is expected to be performed on the woman to determine the exact cause of

death. The hospital extends it sincere condolences to the bereaved family.

In 2014, the Georgetown Public Hospital had a total of 11 maternal deaths. Five of these deaths were women referred from other health institutions. However, the hospital’s maternity ward admitted 9735 patients for 2014. Pregnant women are sometimes admitted to the hospital for observation though they may not necessarily be near delivery time, GPHC has

stated.

Meanwhile, the medical institution said that a total of 6085 babies were successfully delivered at the institution in 2014, 1332 of which were born to teenage mothers. In total, the hospital did 6179 deliveries; however, 94 of those deliveries were stillbirths.

The PPP/C boycotted the opening of Parliament and instead staged a peaceful picket exercise outside the Guyana Elections Commission’s Headquarters in Kingston. The party is also yet to submit its list of candidates for Parliament. Bills to return

Meanwhile, President Granger touted the introduction of several bills which will be placed on the ta-

ble to be debated and passed. Among these are the Constitutional Amendment Bill to amend the Constitution of Guyana; the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly Bill, to introduce an independent office outside of Parliament for the Clerk; the Fiscal Management and Accountability Amendment Bill; the much controversial Former Presidents Benefits and other Amenities Bill to cap benefits; Constitutional Office Bill to review the salaries and responsibilities of Constitutional office holders, the Telecommunications Bill; the Public Utilities Commission Amendment Bill to encourage more investors, better service and quality; the Broadcasting Amendment Bill and the Local Government Amendment Bill to cater for the hosting of local government elections.

GPHC 4 teens allegedly raped in Parfaite

Harmonie

The GPHC iterated its commitment to the public and looks forward to providing more quality service to patients who visit the medical facility or its health centre across the country.

The Police are presently investigating at least four instances where underage girls of Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara claimed that they were sexually molested.

A senior Police rank told the Guyana Times International that case files have been prepared and have been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

In one of the cases, this publication understands that a 15-yearold girl claimed that she was collected by a silver grey Carina 212 motor car with no registration plates driven by a man who was wearing a mask.

She also told Police ranks that at the time she boarded the vehicle, two other women were in the back passenger’s seat, but they requested to be put off in the La Grange, Middle Road West Bank Demerara.

When questioned about the location where she was taken and raped, she was unable to provide the information.

She also claimed that

she was picked up in front of her school moments after lessons had finished, noting that no one saw her entering the car. After she was raped, she claimed that the driver dropped her off at a location and she had to walk home. She cannot identify the driver of the car.

A relative of the teen told the Guyana Times International that the L’Aventure Secondary School student was taken to a road leading to Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo where the driver committed the act.

He said that from information gathered, the teenager told her family that the man was about 40-year-old and was sporting a bald head.

The relative further stated that after the act was committed, the teenager was kicked out of the car and walked for about 30 minutes until she reached home. The relative is holding out that the same person who raped his cousin is on a rampage and might be connected to a few other incidents in the area.

PM Nagamootoo unperturbed about Cabinet’s

chairmanship

…Nandlall says preelection accord flouts Constitution

Prime Minister (PM) Moses Nagamootoo says he has no issue with President David Granger chairing Cabinet meetings, even as former Attorney General Anil Nandlall says a provision in a pre-election pact between the parties now in government violates Guyana’s constitution.

Under the Cummingsburg Accord, Nagamootoo is to chair Cabinet meetings even if the President is in Guyana, but this violates constitutional provisions.

Nandlall has expressed surprise that the coalition, with so many Attorneys-at-Law in its fold, came to make an agreement that “collides so flagrantly the constitution.”

The Cummingsburg Accord cemented the current coalition between A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the

Alliance for Change (AFC), thus allowing it to wrest the Executive branch of government from the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) after a 23-year reign.

The Accord contained several agreements, including a stipulation that the PM is to chair Cabinet meetings. This provision came under scrutiny recently when it was revealed that Granger, as opposed to Nagamootoo chaired Cabinet’s first meetings.

In fact, to have Nagamootoo chair Cabinet where Granger is present and capable of executing the responsibility contravenes the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Article 106 (3) specifically.

The Article reads: “Cabinet Meetings shall be presided over by (a) the President; (s) in the absence of the President, continued on page 15

PPP/C says Constitution violated, as Govt appoints 3 Technocratic Ministers

By Vahnu Manikchand

President David Granger has appointed three technocratic Ministers as catered for in the Constitution, but the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) said that those selected are ineligible and violated the supreme law of the land.

Clerk of the Natio nal Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs said that the Party has misinterpreted the law and based on his advice the President’s appointments are well within the Constitution.

On Wednesday, all the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Members of Parliament were sworn in by newly-elected Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland. The three technocrat Ministers are: Sydney Allicock, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs; Winston Felix, Minister of Citizenship and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott. These three Ministers will have no voting rights as technocratic Ministers, as only

the allotted 33 can vote in the National Assembly. A total of four technocrats can be appointed by the President to represent his Government.

However, the PPP/C has deemed the appointments of the technocratic Ministers a violation of the Constitution. In a statement on Wednesday, prior to the swearing in of the Members of Parliament, the PPP/C pointed out that the three Ministers are on the coalition’s Lists of Candidates for Members of Parliament that were submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) by the Representative of the APNU+AFC lists.

“The PPP contends

that Articles 103 (3) and 105 of the Constitution and laws pronouncing on the eligibility of appointment of Technocratic Ministers do not confer technocratic status on these three (3) Ministers already sworn in by President David Granger as Ministers,” the Opposition highlighted in its statement.

Article 103 of the Constitution states: “Subject to the provisions of Article 101 (1), Vice Presidents and other Ministers shall be appointed by the President from among persons who are elected members of the National Assembly or are qualified to be elected as such members”.

While Article 105

states: “A Minister who was not an elected member of the Assembly at the time of his appointment shall (unless he becomes such a member) be a member of the Assembly by virtue of holding the office of Minister, but shall not vote in the Assembly.”

According to the Party, Allicock is listed first on the APNU+AFC Geographic List of Candidates for Region Nine and the APNU+AFC Coalition did not win the geographic seat for that region. Furthermore, PPP/C pointed out that Felix and Scott are listed on the APNU+AFC National Top Up List of Candidates at number 24 and 46 respectively.

Reputed wife, 2 others held for murder of Hamson’s owner

As investiga-

tions continue into the murder of

Store owner Farouk

along with other men.

A Police source told the Guyana Times International that rob-

bery was ruled out, since the man’s personal belongings were intact, and that the murder might have stemmed from an old grievance. Based on this, the Police further conducted investigations and found several leads and evidence that now implicate the man’s reputed wife. The source could not divulge additional information about the three suspects, but disclosed that the three people are now deemed

as prime suspects.

The Hamson’s General Store owner was found dead at his Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home with at two stab wounds to his chest on Wednesday, April 16, 2014. Ghanie, of Lot 97 Collingwood Avenue, Nandy Park, EBD, was

continued on page 11

Attorney files motion to reverse Broomes’ ban on PSC

Another legal action has been brought against the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Government, with this time Junior Social Protection Minister Simona Broomes’ decision to cease the Public Service Commission (PSC) from conducting interviews to fill posts in various public offices, being the subject.

Attorney Euclin Gomes has moved to the courts to have the decision by Broomes reversed, saying that it is his “national duty” to ensure that those entrusted with the sovereignty of Guyana act in due compliance with the Constitution when discharging their public functions and constitutional duties.

The legal action was filed by former Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall on behalf of Attorney Gomes. The proceedings name Attorney General Basil Williams as the Respondent in the matter.

On May 28, Broomes issued a letter to the Secretary of the Public Service Commission advising that all interviews and meetings of the Commission are to be ceased forthwith until instructed by President David Granger.

The letter states “It has been brought to my attention that there are alleged clandestine efforts to fill vacancies within the Public Service and more particularly, within the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, (now Ministry of Social Protection) and these interviews are to be conducted tomorrow. Please be advised that all interviews and meetings of the Commission are to cease forthwith until further instructed by his Excellency, the President, David Arthur Granger’s notice.”

According to Gomes, this action is a violation of the Constitution, hence it is null and void. Therefore, Gomes is asking the court to issue a declaration that the Public Service Commission, “… in the exercise of its functions, that Commission shall

not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority”.

In addition, the Attorney requests the court to declare that the letter issued by Broomes to the PSC Secretary is “clearly in violation of the letter and spirit of Article 38(G), 201 and 226 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana,”

According to Attorney Gomes in the court documents, Article 201 states: “subject to the provision of this Constitution, the power to make appointments to public offices and to remove and to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices shall vest in the Public Service Commission”.

He further pointed out that Article 226 (1) says “save as otherwise provided in this Constitution, in the exercise of its functions under this Constitution a Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority” while adding that Article 38(G) of the Constitution guarantees the integrity of the Public Service and further insulates it from political influence.

Gomes underscored that the abovementioned letter is in flagrant violation of those three constitutional articles. The matter has been scheduled for hearing on June 17 at the High Court.

“We must all work

together for the good of country” – new House Speaker

By Gomatie GanGadin

Former diplomat and scholar Dr Barton Scotland was on Wednesday sworn in as the country’s 8th Speaker of Parliament when the 11th Parliament was convened by President David Granger, ending weeks of speculation and negotiation between the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parties.

The Deputy Speaker will go to the opposition, PPP/C when it enters Parliament. This is the first time that a member from the civil society has been elected to preside over the 65-seat National Assembly.

According to the Cummingsburg Accord, which was signed be-

unanimously decided upon by the coalition after intense discussions.

Though members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) were absent from the first sitting of the 11th Parliament, the Deputy Speaker’s position has been given to them. As such, Scotland indicated that the election will not take place until the PPP/C takes up their seats in the National Assembly.

Scotland, who was nominated by the Government’s Chief Whip, Amna Ally, and seconded by the AFC’s Catherine Hughes, was the lone nominee for the position of Speaker.

In accepting the position, Scotland thanked the House for the opportunity to serve in this capacity, noting that they

In expressing congratulations to the Speaker, Leader of the House and Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, told him that he will now be relied upon to provide guidance to the National Assembly. “We will rely

tween the two parties on February 14 of this year, the Speaker must be drawn from the civil society.

Leading up to the convening of Parliament, Scotland, along with Attorneys-at-law Roysdale Forde and Stephen Fraser, were touted for the position. However, Scotland was

must all work together for the good of the country. “By electing me Speaker of this National Assembly, you have presented me with an opportunity to join with you.

I invite you to let us work together to that end, and may our efforts be crowned with success,” the new Speaker expressed.

Reputed wife, 2 others held for murder of...

found by his girlfriend Vanessa (only name given) who went to check on him after several calls to his phone went unanswered. The man, who lived alone, was found lying on his back and might have been dead for more than 12 hours.

The businessman was last seen dropping off a worker in Georgetown before heading home. Neighbours claimed that they did not see any strange movements or heard any unusual sound, except that the man’s house was in darkness on Wednesday night. At that time, they thought that Ghanie was out of the country.

from page 10

Upon the discovery, the neighbours were terrified and called for Police patrols in the area. His brother, Fizal Hamid explained that he received a call from the man’s girlfriend with the news. He concluded that the murderer had to be someone who was familiar with the man’s premises and dogs. Hamid also stated that his now dead brother did not have any enemies and was not sure who would want to kill him in such a brutal manner.

Several persons were questioned but were subsequently released. Police are continuing their investigations.

on your guidance, your great sense of impartiality and your scholarship to take this House through what troubled waters. We are here as honourable members of the House to assist you as much as we pos-

sibly could. On behalf of the Government of Guyana and all of us in the Government benches, congratulations on your post,” Nagamootoo shared.

Scotland held various diplomatic posts and once headed the Department of International Economic Cooperation under the late President Desmond Hoyte.

He served as an advisor to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in 2012 and was part of the team that accompanied then Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett in April of that year, when she made an oral presentation in support of Guyana’s submission for an extended continental shelf to the commission on the “Limits of the Continental Shelf” at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. Scotland is also an acknowledged expert on the Law of the Sea.

Scotland also served as a Commissioner on the Caricom Competition Commission, which was launched in 2008, and later became its Chairman. Scotland worked in private practice in the areas of Natural Resources and Investment Law, Negotiations and International Law. He holds a Master of Law degree and a Doctorate in International Law. In the meantime, it is unclear when the Deputy Speaker will be elected since the PPP/C has indicated that it will only go to Parliament when it pleases them. As of now, however, the Party says it has no intention of doing so. Parliament will resume on June 25, 2015 at 14:00h.

Govt to undertake major restructuring at GRA

…Sattaur's future to be determined

Several staff members of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) could soon be reassigned to tackle high taxation and that agency might also have a new Commissioner General, Finance Minister Winston Jordan said Monday.

Reflecting on last Friday’s visit to the Camp Street, Georgetown-based GRA Headquarters, he said he had indicated that the revenue generating agency appeared to have a lot of staff that could

be better utilized.

"I thought that staff might be able to be reallocated into areas of high taxation so to speak." He explained that it was only a small visit to the agency but already he felt that restructuring staff was an area to be looked at; "whether there is the best use of staff in the organisation."

The Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted the Finance Minister as saying there may be some need for tax reform at the administrative lev-

els, according to the minister because he said that he is worried at the rate in which they remit and the level of remittances, relative to the tax base.

Additionally, the name of former Inland Revenue Department senior official Godfrey Statia is being called for a top position at the GRA.

Jordan could not confirm that, saying that nothing official has been indicated to him.

"Tweaking of some of the operations at GRA,” is one of the objectives of

the new administration that was voted into office on May 11, 2015, he said.

The Finance Minister noted that GRA has gone through restructuring continuously for the last three or four years under various projects that have been financed by a number of different donors and treasury money. "So they are literally going on continuous reform basically." He expressed that the agency will continue to run in its current state, "with some strengthening in some areas."

Confusion surrounds appointment of Youth Director

Minister within the Education Ministry

Nicolette Henry, with the responsibility for the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, on Monday said that Alliance For Change member Trevor Williams has not been appointed as Director Youth, but is among others being considered for the post.

“Director of Youth, that position has not been filled as yet… They are currently going through interviews and I understand that Mr Trevor Williams is being considered at this time,” she explained at a press conference held at the department, (formerly Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport) on Main Street.

Minister Henry confirmed that former A Partnership for National Unity Member of Parliament Christopher Jones has been appointed as Sport Director. As a Parliamentarian in the 10th Parliament, Jones had held the portfolio of education and culture. His responsibilities included culture, youth, sport, vocational training, public information, broadcasting, and science and technology.

Williams, who holds a degree in international relations, is a youth leader with international experience and missionary work.

Meanwhile, the Minister noted that there are presently several vacancies, including six senior positions within the department, expected to be filled by public servants. The vacant positions include the Executive Director for the President Youth Award, Principal Personnel Officer and Logistics Coordinator. The Minister pointed out that the Ministry will be utilising the same mechanism that was previous-

ly employed to fill these positions.

She noted that these positions were vacant prior to her appointment as Minister, and also that she has retained all the staff who worked with the previous Minister. The exception is the former Sport Director, Neil Kumar, “who took leave and whom I have never seen,” Minister Henry explained.

Questioned about whether or not she had received a letter of resignation from Mr Kumar, the Minister replied in the negative, but further said that she had called him and engaged in a cordial conversation. “He has pretty much indicated to me that he recognised that his tenure had come to an end; I thanked him for serving his country in that capacity and said that I look forward to opportunities for having his service as they relate to the development of moving Guyana forward,” she said.

Former Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony told this newspaper on Saturday that while the appointment is supposed to be made by the Guyana Public Service Commission, the decisions were seemingly arbitrary as earlier in the year when the former administration was seeking to make an appointment to fill the position of Youth Director, several protocols were observed. He stated that candidates were identified and they were interviewed so as to ascertain the most suitable individual for the position. He also raised questions as to whether or not the individuals are qualified to fill that position, stating that it is mandatory that individuals taking up those said position must possess university qualifications.

PPP/C closer to filing elections petition – Rohee

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has indicated that it is now one step closer to filing its elections petition to challenge the results of the General and Regional Elections 2015.

PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee, speaking at the Party’s weekly press conference, said that the PPP/C has already gathered significant data for the petition. “Data and evidence has already been collected for inclusion in the petition. More information, more details and more evidence are being collected for inclusion in the petition as we speak,” Rohee disclosed.

PPP/C Executive Anil Nandlall had stated that the petition is a special type of litigation which has its own peculiar rules and therefore a lot of care has to be taken in preparing the elections petition. According to the laws of Guyana, the PPP/C has 30 days following the official gazetting of the elections results by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in which they can file the petition.

After a protracted delay, GECOM finally gazetted the official results of the May 11 General and Regional Elections on June 6. Since the announcement that the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change coalition won the elections, the PPP/C has been refusing to accept those declared results. Constantly and unrelentingly, the PPP/C is arguing that the results were widely manipulated and that they are the true winners of the elections.

The party has said that, due to the “many discrepancies and irregularities that occurred on Election Day”, there are reasons enough to doubt the results

declared by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield.

Further, the PPP/C has been contending that, if GECOM is maintaining that the results are credible, a recount of the entire results would not make a big deal. The PPP/C’s rationale is that, if the Commission is certain the recounting of results will not make a difference, the least it can do is grant the recount to allow those persons who are uneasy to find some solace and regain trust in GECOM.

However, the Guyana Elections Commission last week adopted the official position that it is not in a position to grant requests made by political parties for a recount or final count of ballots cast at the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

A GECOM Commissioner told this newspaper that the issue came up for discussion last Tuesday when the seven-member Commission met to discuss outstanding issues with respect to the May 11 Elections and concerns raised by the main opposing party, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic. The Commissioner said that a decision was taken that only the judiciary or “courts”, at this point in time, can order a recount of the ballots cast and that the matter was out of the scope of both the CEO, Lowenfield, and the Commission as the governing body.

The Commissioner explained that the time for recounts “had passed” and as such there was no provision for a recount of ballots once the CEO had issued a final declaration and moved to gazette the results. “At this point, the Commission will have to await the ruling of the courts”, the Commissioner reiterated.

Guyana’s Judicial system to receive Cdn$750,000 grant

As the diplomatic community continues to show its appreciation to the new Government, Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicole Giles paid a courtesy call on the new Attorney General (AG), and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams at the AG’s Chambers, Carmichael Street, Georgetown.

In a brief comment, the AG pointed out that the courtesy call also entailed discussions on areas with which Canada can assist Guyana. The discussion included talks on the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill and a grant of Cdn$750,000 to develop the justice system in Guyana. Representatives of the Canadian High Commission including High Commissioner Dr. Nicole Giles paying a courtesy call on the new Attorney General, Basil Williams

This money will be spent on drafting of legislation, improving the administrative department of the courts and training for lawyers and judges among others.

Dr Giles pointed out

Guyana’s attorney General and minister of legal affairs Basil Williams greeting canadian High commissioner Dr. Nicole Giles

that this money is part of a project with the Justice Education Society of British Columbia, which is a Canadian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), that aims at strengthening the justice system.

The reason for selecting Guyana as a beneficiary, she explained, is that “we believe in Guyana, there are strong opportunities to make a difference to improve the justice system.”

She added that, “I think everybody accepts that the impunity rates are not acceptable at this point in time, and that there is also very strong will on behalf of the police and the prosecution

“NothiNg to hide”

Ramotar challenges Govt to pursue forensic audit

Completely convinced that the widespread allegations of a corrupt People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration is utterly fallacious, Central and Executive Member of the Party and Former President Donald Ramotar said he fully supports any forensic audit spearheaded by the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Government to detect the slightest evidence of illegality and unscrupulousness within the former administration.

In fact, Ramotar pointed out that both the APNU and AFC, when in Opposition, constantly accused the PPP/C Government of being involved in all sorts of misconduct but yet, since occupying office, they cannot find any evidence of such; now they have to resort to using a “microscope” with the hopes of discovering something amiss. “The way they spoke about corruption in our country when they were in the Opposition, I think it should not be difficult to find corruption. The fact that they are not finding anything tells you that what they are saying is not true. I think they should bring in experts from abroad, if they want to bring in, and let them audit the big projects,” he said.

Contrary to the information being peddled by the APNU/ AFC, Ramotar insists and maintains that the PPP/C has nothing to hide. “I am very con-

vinced that these projects had no corruption in them. The Marriott, we had public open bid tender…the Amaila Falls, we had partnership with Blackstone, a reputable company. It is surprising the distortion and lies peddled in the press before elections; and up to now they are saying they want to set up some body to look for this or that. If they have to get a microscope to look…I would have thought they would have just walked in and find these things with the way they were behaving,” he insisted.

With this in mind, Ramotar reiterated that the PPP/C has nothing to hide and this is clearly evident in the fact that the APNU/AFC is yet to uncover something fraudulent or corrupt. He assured that they will not and thus challenged them to pursue the forensic audit.

Recently, the Cabinet granted approval for forensic audits to be conducted in 30 state agencies, national projects and private accounts. Finance Minister Winston Jordan had disclosed to the public that

the new Government will be investigating agencies such as the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) with the hopes of discovering evidence of corruption.

Jordan explained that the audits are being conducted to determine how the assets of the state were sold, disposed of or transferred under the previous administration. According to reports in other sections of the media, funding for the project will come from “international and independent donors”. The Government has since contracted several private auditing firms.

Also, reports indicated that the APNU/AFC Government has no interest in using the country’s audit office to conduct the investigation. In fact, the Government assured that highly qualified, credible and competent persons will be selected to carry out this critical task.

and the judiciary and the courts to try to address that, so we have strong partners and a strong opportunity to try to address that, and that’s why we want to try to assist Guyana.”

Additionally, she noted that there are also two, Gy$20M Regional Justice Programmes for the Caribbean through Canada’s Regional Developing Programmes, of which Guyana is one of the key beneficiaries.

She added that one of the programmes will be implemented through the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) while the other will be done through the University of the West Indies. (GINA)

U.S-based Guyanese honoured for outstanding work at Asian Heritage Night

Dhan Persaud, the first Police Officer of South Asian decent to have joined the NYPD was recently honoured for his outstanding work in law enforcement in the U.S during an event to mark Asian Heritage Night.

Dhan migrated to the United States from a little village called Melville on the island of Wakenaam, Guyana, in 1970. After nine months in the land he is to now call home, he volunteered for the Military Draft in 1971 and subsequently joined the Army. He proceeded to graduate with distinction in Basic Training from Fort Dix, New Jersey and then on to Advanced Training in Fort Polk, Louisiana graduating once again with distinction. He was then sent to Germany with the First Infantry

Division and was made Rank Spec 4.

After serving in the

military, Dhan then joined the NYPD in 1981 and became a Sergeant

in 1985 whilst also continuing to study at Long Island University, even-

tually receiving a MBA. Dhan then worked as a Patrol Officer and was later promoted to Lieutenant where he was assigned to the 9th Precinct. He was later assigned as a Taltoon Commander in the Narcotic Division and was an integrate officer in the Bronx for 7 years.

In 2001, Dhan relocated to Florida where he continued to serve as a disciplinary officer. He was hired by the Orange County Office where he was assigned to the Court Services Division in Orlando as a Deputy First Class.

When asked what advice he would like to give the younger generation, Dhan replied that he would like to encourage the young officers to "hit the books and study hard, and to do the right thing to become successful".

PM Nagamootoo unperturbed about...

from page 9

Guyanese woman busted in New York …says thought cocaine was diamonds

The New York Daily News has reported that a woman who was busted for smuggling 10 kilos of cocaine to the U.S. from Guyana told authorities she thought the contraband was diamonds, a Brooklyn Federal Court complaint says.

the Prime Minister; (c) in the absence of the President and the Prime Minister, such Minister as the President may designate.”

In accordance with the principles of statutory interpretation the word ‘shall’ indicates an obligation as opposed to discretion on the part of the president to delegate the responsibility to another functionary outside of the conditions laid out in Article 106 (3).

knowledged that the chairmanship of the Cabinet belongs to the president, while pointing out that “it is not an issue that I find that upsets me.”

Nagamootoo has ac-

“It’s not upsetting to me because I think we are working as a ream and while the President is in the country and the President has something to say to the Cabinet then one wouldn’t expect the President to just move away into a side room. “

Nagamootoo further said that “we have an active President and we have to make this Accord work, make this coalition work, and for me the things that are minor irritances I won’t elevate to any importance.”

Alizah Henry, a U.S. citizen, was arrested last weekend at Kennedy Airport after U.S. Customs and Border Protection cops found in her suitcase four bags of white powder labeled “Champion Baking Powder” and determined it was drugs. She said her dad said it was diamonds.

Guyana's crime rate soars: 9 murders in 7 days

As the worrying crime rate continues to spiral, Guyana recorded an alarming nine murders in the space of seven days.

Over the period June 3 to June 8, the Police reported on several matters that resulted in persons being killed or injured during criminal activities, including both victims and perpetrators. During this period, some seven persons died. Six other persons lost their lives during the course of May 29 to June 2.

This week saw two persons being killed in separate robberies and one person injured; one man was fatally shot during an argument; a couple were murdered in their home; one man was executed and another was injured in the same incident, while a woman was chopped to death by her partner. Furthermore, another man was killed after he opened fire on a Police Officer, injuring him. In addition, two decomposed bodies were found.

An unidentified man was found floating in the Cozier Canal, Region Two. He died from drowning. Then, the decomposing body of 41-yearold Sasenarine Baljit, of Clifton Settlement, Port Mourant, Corentyne, was discovered on Friday at the Tain Backdam, Corentyne, with suspected shotgun injuries.

This comes two days after the village was plunged into shock, following the discovery of the bodies of Parbatie Vijrauren and Ramdat Persaud of Tain. The woman’s former common-law husband, 26-year-old Ian Boodhoo, was arrested and confessed to the double murder. He was subsequently charged and remanded to prison.

Promoter Manu Durant, 40, of Atlantic Ville, East Coast Demerara, was involved in an argument with another man at a popular night spot on North Road, Georgetown, during which he was shot to his chest. The incident occurred around 04:30h last Thursday. He was rushed to a private hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries a few hours later. His assailant was nabbed on Saturday at Eteringbang, Cuyuni River.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, a brazen daylight robbery attempt on popular businessman Neezam Khan resulted in him sustaining a gunshot injury along with one of his attackers being killed, while another was injured. Reports revealed that Khan, who is a licensed firearm holder, was at a snackette in Grove, East Bank Demerara, when four men on two on motorcycles approached him.

Robberies

One of the men was armed with a handgun and held up the businessman, relieving him of his jewellery. The businessman was shot to his left arm during the process; however, he managed to open fire on his attackers. One of them, Michael Grant, was hit to his chest and pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

Another perpetrator, Curtis Vasconcellos,

IAC urges ethnic balance in public sector job appointments

The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) is urging the Government to ensure there is ethnic balance in its appointment of persons to work in the Public Sector.

The IAC said that it was of the firm view that the manner in which it is being conducted is in stark contrast of the coalition’s promises of inclusivity. “Based on the appointments so far, it is clear that only persons from one particular ethnicity are being given the opportunity to serve. Whilst the IAC is cognisant of the Government’s right to appoint persons of its choice, the organisation believes that ethnic sensitivities cannot be ignored. This emerging worrisome trend demands more than ever that the elected Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) takes up its seats in the National Assembly without “any delays even as it addresses its grievances re-

garding GECOM and the 2015 elections” .

The IAC said that the Government with its one-seat majority must not be allowed to rule for just one segment of society or one particular ethnic group. “This can only be ensured if there is a vigilant parliamentary Opposition from the inception”.

The group said that when in the Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU + AFC) coalition, having being aware of Guyana’s multi-ethnic composition, focused its campaign on the need for unity and for all to be involved to materialise the envisaged change which was touted. “Unfortunately, now that the coalition is the government, the IAC is so far unimpressed with attention being given to Guyanese of other ethnicities, particularly Indo-Guyanese. If, for some reason this may have been an oversight, the IAC urges the

shot to his neck and right hand. He has been admitted at the Georgetown Public Hospital under guard. Police are currently hunting for the two other assailants who fled the scene.

The next day saw Police Officers shooting to death a young man who had escaped from custody after injuring a rank. Eighteen-year-old Regan Richards, of One Mile Extension, Wismar, was arrested on Sunday and taken into custody at the Wisroc Police Outpost.

However, while there, he managed to overpower Police Constable Victor Fausette and took away his service revolver.

The teenager shot the Police rank above his left ear and escaped with the firearm. Ranks went to Richard’s home, where they came under fire from the teenager. The Police returned fire, hitting him to his body. He was taken to the Mackenzie Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Around 21:40h the same day, a group of men were under a shed at North Sophia, Georgetown, when a car drove up and a man armed with a firearm exited, discharging rounds

in their direction. Colin Kendall called “Bow Foot” of North Sophia was hit about his body and subsequently pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Another man identified as Keith Nedd was hit to his left side and was admitted to hospital where he was treated before being dis-

charged. The gunman escaped in the waiting car.

Then on Monday, 18-year-old Keith Daniels was fatally stabbed during a robbery. It was reported that around 01:50h, the teenager was walking home with a relative when they were confronted by three men.

One of the men was armed with a sharp ob-

ject, which he used to stab the teenager to his chest.

Government to demonstrate a profound sense of tolerance for all and to respectfully make amends given that it is still early days for the new Administration.”

Further, the IAC said it was very mindful of the many professional Guyanese who have been fired from their jobs and of the “vast number of those who will face a similar fate shortly”.

“Here again, it seemingly demonstrates the Government’s reluctance to adhere to what it articulated in the campaign and even through its current public utterances.”

Recently, the IAC said in congratulating the Government following its ascension to office and having noted its willingness to work with the Administration of the day, commended the coalition for the position taken on national unity and the stringent need to strengthen social and racial harmony and the banishment of hatred.

The three perpetrators escaped while the injured young man was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. On Tuesday, a 42-yearold woman was hacked to death by a man she shared a relationship with.

Reports revealed that the woman, Carol Shako of Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, had an argument with the man during which she was struck to her head and chopped to her neck with an axe. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre. The suspect has been arrested.

Absurd! PPP/C says Govt dishonest about Gy$500B allegations

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) says it has noted with interest the recent absurd claims about hundreds of billions of dollars being siphoned off annually.

The Party’s statement comes on the heels of assertions by the recently appointed Minister of State and Minister within the Ministry of the Presidency, Joe Harmon, that the Government was seeking international help after a World Bank report showed that close to Gy$500 billion was being stolen every year.

PPP/c General Secretary clement rohee

Harmon maintained that the Government would move to establish and make operational a State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) which would track down the monies and other assets to ensure that they are brought back into the public’s coffers. He said that SARU is part of a multi-pronged approach to stamp out graft and will be independent, away from the political direction of the administration. It will comprise of members from civil society agencies, the business community and the Guyana Human Rights Association.

He noted reported of instances where several vehicles belonging to the state were transferred under questionable circumstances the week leading up to the May 11 Elections, explaining that the Unit will also be dealing with this issue.

The Minister has also based his position that over Gy$500 billion could be missing based on some research work done by Professor Clive Thomas on the underground economy and the state’s financial management status quo. “In a country where the national budget is Gy$200 billion, the mere illogicality and impractical-

ity of Gy$500 billion being siphoned off every year should be obvious to all,” the PPP/C statement read.

The main opposition party contended that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Government can provide no sensible explanation of where this money was being sourced from, how it was being siphoned off, by whom and to whom.

The PPP/C maintained that the simple fact of the matter is that the APNU/AFC is now caught with a serious problem on their hands. Since it never intended on deliver any of the promises in their manifesto, it now needs to concoct an explanation as to why they will not be meeting those promises.

The PPP/C also explained that the plain truth is that the political dishonesty of the APNU/AFC Government is about to be disclosed by their failure to deliver any of their first 100day promises. “And the stage is being carefully set for this great betrayal to be perpetrated on the Guyanese people,” the PPP/C noted.

“These people are ruthless” – Sahoye-Shury …accuses new Govt of firing employees because of their political affiliations

National Director of the Community Development Council (CDC) Philomena SahoyeShury has lashed out at the Government for what she has described as a ridiculous dismissal letter that was addressed to her by the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

The reason for her dismissal is stated in the letter: “The Office of the President has taken the decision for you to be dismissed for not reporting for duty since 12th May, 2015.” It was also stated in the letter that in light of her dismissal, her emoluments are forfeited. Sahoye-Shury refuted these claims saying that it was not her duty to report to the Office of the President but that she has her office at 34 A North Road, Lacytown, Georgetown. She also pointed out that there were no visits to her office to verify these allegations of her not reporting for duty.

During an interview with the Guyana Times International, Sahoye-Shury revealed that she will not be ad-

hering to the letter, saying “I am not prepared to negate my office as National Director of the Community Development Council unless it is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that I did not come to office”.

It was also explained that four other staff of the CDC including Amit Ramdath who is the National Coordinator of the CDC, and SahoyeShury’s Confidential Secretary, Natasha Corrica have been sent on leave.

She expressed concern as it relates to the recent incidents where a number of employees within the Government have been dismissed. She believes that the decision to dismiss her was arbitrary and was a result of her political affiliations with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). “How could they hope to run a country when in a lot of areas, they are doing as they see fit? I am concerned in asking if there is proper investigation on these persons before you relieve them of duty,” Sahoye-Shury said emphasising her belief

that these dismissals are all part of a witch-hunt on the new Government’s part. “To tell me that I am dismissed without coming here or sending somebody here to verify and certify that I am operating … I will say that these people are ruthless,” Sahoye-Shury stated.

The political activist stated that she was unfazed by the letter as she was prepared to fight and has already engaged her lawyer, but her concerns lay with the persons who would benefit from the work done by the CDC. She reflected on the many projects that are currently on hold such as sewing classes, block-making, bee-keeping and tilapiarearing which are aimed at bettering the lives of poor community members across the country. She revealed that a large number of persons have already vowed to support her in her fight to retain her office.

Republic Bank Apprenticeship Programme produces Guyana’s future Bankers

− first CBET trained Bank Clerks

The Republic Bank of Guyana has once again showed its commitment towards the edification of the nation’s banking system by producing its next line of Bankers with their Apprenticeship Training Programme. On Tuesday, the bank held a graduating ceremony at the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel for its 32 graduates who successfully came through its 7th Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme.

The training programme is an annual seven month training done by Republic Bank for persons interested in being a part of their workforce. It offers secondary school graduates the opportunity to experience the working world in a nurturing, safe and professional environment.

The Managing Director of the Guyana branch, John Alves, told attendees at the ceremony that their main objective for the training is to “support national pro-

fessional development, by moulding and guiding each group in readiness for their respective options”. He added that the bank’s overachieving aim is to improve lives, foster dreams, positively shape circumstances, hone potential and reward excellences.

This, he said, is what the training gives to their employees, the skills and confidence necessary to do their job competently and unwaveringly. The Managing Director said the training grounds each apprentice into, not just the protocols of banking, but the world of work and professionalism.

Director Alves indicated that the programme does not only wish to shore up the professionalism of their workers, but also to be prepared for every necessity whether it be first aid, helping those in need, or simply having fun. This was seen in the many adventures the graduating class went on during their training. These included trips

to Baganara Island, visits to the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, and first aid training. Wholesomeness was fully embodied in the curriculum of the programme. The Director urged the graduates to embrace this principle, detailing that “professionalism, dedication and integrity” should be their mantra; “with these you have the power to succeed.”

In addition, the Managing Director elaborated about the Competency Based Education (CBET) which was added to the apprenticeship programme

this year, making the 2014-2015 graduating class the first group to benefit from this programme. He stated that a registrant of the Council for Technical and Vocational Training (CTVET) of Republic Bank is now able to offer and deliver CBET. As such the graduates received their National Qualification Certificate as a certified Bank Clerk issued by the CTVET.

Hollis Kellman, the Manager’s Assistant of Foreign Business of the Water Street Branch of Republic Bank, told the group that they should feel quite privileged

to participate in this “unique programme” as it basically makes them well rounded individuals, prepared and armed for the working environment. She urged them to use these skills well to push themselves as much as possible in whichever field they may branch off into.

A full number of 32 graduates received certificates of completion from the Republic Bank on Tuesday evening. However, four of the graduates were particularly highlighted for their great achievements during the training. There were six priz-

es given out and three of those went to Cassandra Sunthgolam from the New Amsterdam branch of the Republic Bank. Motivational Speaker, Dr Marlon Hestick had an opportunity to address the young graduates on Tuesday evening, highlighting the importance of the opportunities in the whole. He told the graduates that it is indeed a privilege to be chosen from many, but emphasised that “time and opportunity comes to all”, adding that it is alright to fall along the way as long as you “fall forward”.

Granger calls on civil society to help fight war on crime, poverty

Moments after receiving an award from the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC)

Saturday evening, Head of State, President David Granger challenged the religious body to work with him in ridding the country of crime, poverty, ignorance and disease. He described them as “the four horsemen of the apocalypse” in society that needed to be overcome. The President made the comments during an awards ceremony at the Complex.

In addition to Granger, the Complex also honoured Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and other members of the Cabinet on their ascension to office. The event also served as a thanksgiving for the entity’s award of the Golden

Arrow of Achievement which was announced on May 26. Being an honorary member of the ACIC, the Head of State said he was privileged to be back at the Complex addressing his fellow brothers and sisters, not just as a brother but as their President.

The gathering was also assured that while they have seen the Head of State attending the ACIC in a different capacity in the past, going forward there will be many other visits. President Granger thanked the members of the Complex for the support they have shown the Coalition. The Head of State charged the ACIC to set a task which it should strive to accomplish over the next 11 months as Guyana moves into its 50th year of Independence.

“Set yourselves a task

over the next 11 months to have something you can measure in terms of overcoming ignorance, crime, disease, set yourself objectives…” the Head of State urged.

Citing the ACIC as an institution that has been working towards ridding society of these social ills, the President urged the Complex to continue in the same vein. Speaking specifically to the Complex being bestowed with the National Award, President Granger said the honour was rightly earned and well-deserved.

“The award of the Golden Arrow of Achievement did not fall from the sky, it was hammered out by the work you have done…” Special mention was made of the ACIC’s President, Hakeem Khan for his sterling contributions to

the Complex, and most importantly, the contributions of the body to the communities it serves.

Deserving Prime Minister Nagamootoo who also delivered brief remarks at the thanksgiving ceremony expressed similar sentiments. “I want to say that this Complex deserves much more than the award that was given to all its members for the work it has done among the Muslim and Guyanese community for many years.”

As politicians, the Prime Minister said, it is now upon them to live out the creed of peace and tolerance that is exhibited by Muslims. The Prime Minister hailed the Complex’s members for their spiritual support shown to the Coalition, and most importantly for their commitment to moral revival in Guyana. “We are not today fighting for space as two political parties, we may be many political parties, but today we are one Government, and we are working for one Guyana, so congratulations for the Complex having worked for this award for supporting change and moral rejuvenation in Guyana.”

Prisoner killed after shooting cop in head

Aprisoner was shot dead by police after he had disarmed a rank at the Wisroc Police Outpost and shot him in his head last Sunday evening.

In a statement police said that about 18:05h ranks responded to a report of threatening behaviour in which Regan Richards, 18 years, of One Mile Extension, Wismar, who is reported to be mentally unstable, was armed with a cutlass and chasing down residents.

Regan Richards was arrested and taken into custody at the Wisroc Police Outpost. The circumstances are not yet clear, but while in custody at the Outpost

Regan Richards managed to overpower Police Constable Victor Fausette and took away his service revolver. He then shot the police rank above his left ear and escaped with the firearm. Acting on information received, police ranks subsequently went to his home where they came under fire from Regan Richards. The police returned fire, hitting him to his body. He was taken to the Mackenzie Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The police service revolver, with six spent shells, has been recovered. Police Constable Victor Fausette has been admitted to hospital.

Manu Durant killer nabbed near Venezuelan border

Days after wellknown promoter Manu Duran was shot dead at Baroombar, North Road, Georgetown, the alleged shooter was arrested on Saturday evening at Eteringbang, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The suspect was arrested while on his way to the interior, a Police source stated. Guyana Times International understands that after the shooting on Thursday morning, the Police would have informed their colleagues about the incident and provided them with a photograph of the wanted man.

A Police rank stationed at Eteringbang reportedly saw the man and informed his superiors who turned up in the area and apprehended the suspect. He was transported to the Bartica Police Station from where he was further transferred un-

der Police guard to the city. He is expected to be charged with the capital offence of murder shortly.

It was reported that the shooter is a security guard attached to the nightclub. In addition, it is believed that when Durant and his friends arrived at the nightclub, the facility was closed, but the now dead man demanded that the security guard give them access. This resulted in an argument.

It was during the argument that Durant pulled out his gun and discharged a round in the

direction of the guard. He missed and the guard retaliated by firing a few rounds at Durant, with one hitting him to his chest.

A senior Police Officer confirmed that the information they would have received remains sketchy. The reports, he noted, were all inconsistent.

Family members of Durant remain tightlipped about the shooting incident. Durant was a promoter who brought in several regional artistes to perform at shows in Buxton and other villages along the East Coast of Demerara. Back in 2008, Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Durant for the alleged kidnapping of Buxton teen Tenisha Morgan, who was at the time the girlfriend of Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins. It is believed that it was the abduction of the teen that triggered Rawlins’ rage causing the Lusignan and Bartica massacres.

Council warns against horses, cattle roaming around Georgetown

The Mayor and City Council continues to encourage all citizens to get involved in the massive on-going clean-up campaign in Georgetown. The Council is very pleased that more corporations, community development groups and individuals are participating in activities in different sections of the City.

One of the challenges the Council is dealing with is the provision of receptacles, in certain areas. Lack of receptacles is encouraging a few citizens to litter the areas that were cleaned.

Another source of concern is the attitude of some owners of animals who continue to allow horses and cows to roam and dung freely on parapets, thoroughfares and open spaces, much to the discomfiture of residents in local communities. The law stipulates that owners of animals must have the appropriate accommodation to keep such animals, and to prevent owners from impinging upon the rights of others in their neighbourhoods.

According to the law:

“Every cattle-byre shall, for every cow, heifer, ox or steer or other animal kept therein, contain not less than 40 square superficial feet floor area, and 300 cubic feet capacity of air space, or

less than two square feet ventilating space in window, jalousie, lattice or other opening to the external air.

Every cattle-pen shall, for every cow, heifer, ox steer or other animal kept therein contain not less than 40 square or superficial feet floor area.

Every cattle-byre or cattle-pen shall be floored with concrete, tiles, bricks laid in cement, or asphalt, so graded towards the “grip” or channel gutter at the back, that no liquid matter can remain on the floor. The “grip” or channel shall be formed with a proper uniform fall, discharging into the yard drain or sub-main drain of the district.

The walls, if any, shall be made of impervious material other than wood for a height of four feet from the floor. The walls, if any, and drains shall be adequately and regularly flushed with water and properly constructed and water-tight roof.

Police seek public’s help in nude and battered schoolgirl murder probe

The police in ‘C’ Division has encountered a snag in relation to their investigations into the murder of 15-year-old schoolgirl, Alicia Ali, whose nude and battered body was found on the seawall in the vicinity of the University of Guyana (UG) Access Road on March 25, 2015 and they are appealing to members of the public to come forward and volunteer information which may aid in their probe.

A senior member of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) told the media on Wednesday that they are seeking the assistance of the general public to solve this crime and bring the perpetrator (s) to justice.

Since the discovery

of the body, sleuths have questioned more than 10 persons, including the teen’s mother, stepfather, a previous stepdad, and two boyfriends, among others.

They are, however, hunting for a person of interest for questioning.

On March 25, the body was spotted by passersby and the police were summoned but by then a large crowd had gathered to get a glimpse of the corpse.

Ali resided with her mother at Sixth Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, on the night before she failed to return home after going to a nearby shop to make a purchase for her mother on the evening of Tuesday, March 24. A search was then launched for her.

Speculation was rife following the discovery of the body after a letter was found in the teen’s room indicating that the schoolgirl probably took her own life, but after the autopsy the police deemed the death a homicide.

The teen’s clothes that she was wearing at the time of her murder and her cell phone are yet to be found. It is believed that she was killed elsewhere and her body stripped and dumped at the seawall location during the wee hours of the morning of Wednesday, March 25, 2015.

An autopsy revealed that Ali was strangled but died of asphyxia due to drowning, compounded by a compression injury to the neck.

Every cattle-byre or cattle-pen shall be provided with a proper receptacle or dung stead for the reception of dung or other refuse. Every such receptacle or dung stead shall be not less than 10 feet distance from the cattle-byre or cattle-pen and shall be maintained to the satisfaction of the inspecting officer. The dung shall be cleaned up as often as may be necessary, and removed from inside the cattle-byre or cattle-pen at least once daily.

Every cow-keeper shall cause each cattlebyre or cattle-pen to be kept thoroughly clean and disinfected with lime wash containing 5 per cent of crude carbolic acid to the satisfaction of the inspecting office. Such disinfection shall be done at least once every three months.

Also, Council is putting in place a maintenance plan to secure the integrity of the environment and to prevent all the hard work of citizens from going to waste.

PPP/C blasts Opposition for targeting public servants

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) on Saturday said it continues to view with deep concern the usurpation of functions of independent constitutional bodies, gross violations of the Constitution of Guyana and the trampling of workers’ rights by the new de-facto Administration.

The party in a statement to the media explained that dozens of workers in the Public Sector continue to be victimised, harassed, sanctioned and dismissed without due observance of natural justice, the rule of law and due process and they are being replaced by party hacks and cronies.

nyism”, the statement posited.

Comparing the situation to “ethnic and political cleansing”, the PPP/C said that the Government was failing to honour its promise to avoid embarking on witch-hunts.

“The Public Service Commission and the Police Service Commission, two important independent constitutional entities, are now openly and publicly being given political directions in terms of “who to hire and who to fire”.

sons to fill certain vacancies in the Public Sector, including the Director of Youth position but Trevor Williams, an AFC Executive member, was handpicked and appointed to this position.

“In the face of such authoritarianism, rampant discrimination, unconstitutionalities and vulgar violations of workers’ rights, we note the deafen-

ing silence of the Trade Union Movement, the Guyana Bar Association, the Guyana Women Lawyers Association, The Guyana Human Rights Association, Transparency International, Amnesty International, Red Thread and those who masquerade as champions of human rights, the rule of law and democracy”, the PPP/C noted.

Govt rethinks promised 13% hike

“One Minister has disclosed to his staff that

The PPP/C said that all of these ordinary workers are being punished because of their perceived support for the PPP, as it explained that the workers have families to maintain and loans to pay, even as their livelihood and their homes are now put in jeopardy.

he is executing political directions and that thousands of party faithfuls of the APNU have been promised jobs and therefore jobs have to be provided. Qualifications and meritocracy are therefore being sacrificed at the altar of political cro-

Two Ministers; Khemraj Ramjattan and Semona Broomes, are on record giving such directions”, the statement said.

The party said it was aware that the Public Service Commission only recently conducted interviews with a view of hiring qualified per-

…says any increase must be tied to productivity

Government seems more cautious about delivering the promised 13 per cent pay increase for public servants, saying now that any increase would have to be tied to productivity to stave off inflation.

However, it assured that the Gy$2000 increase in Old Age Pension is almost certain and can be achieved in the 100-day plan the coalition had unveiled during the election campaign. The plan promised “significant pay increases for Government workers including: nurses, teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary education, security personnel and civil servants on the traditional payroll”.

According to a report by the Government Information Agency, Finance Minister Winston Jordan said as it relates to salary increases for public servants, Government would be “the first to admit that salaries are not where” they should be, but noted, “you have to have a plan about taking them where you want to be, it cannot be a oneshot thing”.

The Minister said that salaries should be a part of the compensation package, and that increases must also be premised on productivity increases otherwise “you are just going to a circle which is the easiest part, but then you

thus encourage inflation, which will have an impact on competiveness and an overall impact on the country”.

He said that a salary increase is one of the issues on the Government’s front burner, but one that will be done in a sustainable manner. “I could give you 10 per cent today and by year-end, you probably give me back 11 per cent in taxes or more, so it has to be in a menu of measures that we have to look at to lift public servants who have stagnated over the years,” he said.

The Minister said that he knew for a fact the allowances for some public servants have not moved much in 20 years. “I understand people are getting Gy$200 for meal allowance…” he noted. In the lead-up to the May 11, 2015 elections, then Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh had warned that some of the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) promises were unrealistic, and had described them as “empty”. “This is nothing short of a blatant attempt to bribe voters and is a gross insult to the Guyanese people,” Dr Singh had said. What is worse, Dr Singh highlighted, is that the members of the APNU+AFC bloc have become notorious for inconsistency, offering a different set of “goodies” every time they speak.

29 held in human trafficking raid …victims mostly foreigners from Latin America

Twenty-nine nonnationals were apprehended in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) following an exercise carried out by Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes and a team of officers from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons(TIP) Unit and the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO).

This operation, which was executed at approximately 01:45h Sunday at a popular hotel and a bar, was led by the Minister herself, who acted on a tip-off she received while visiting the region on Saturday. The alleged victims are between 20 and 30 years of age, and are citizens of Dominica, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. Four were in the country illegally and a similar number overstayed their time. The victims, along with two alleged perpetrators, were escorted by Police Officers to Georgetown where a proper investigation is expected to be conducted, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. Of the 29 persons, 11 are likely to face charges

and possible deportation, while the others will be assisting in the investigations.

“I am Broomes and I will not miss a sweep,” the Minister said, referencing her name. She pointed out that the Social Protection Ministry will be aggressively tackling human trafficking throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. “It’s a great feeling. I know that when I was honoured

as a TIP hero I had taken an oath to work with Government, civil society and individuals in bringing Guyana to a decent stage internationally… definitely, with the power invested in me, these are some of the things I will take on. I have been there, I know what’s going on, and I know what to look for,” Minister Broomes emphasised.

The Minister explained that persons are now ‘beating’ the bor-

ders and gaining entry into Guyana illegally. It was observed that this is a trend by persons from Dominica especially. The Minister further indicated that the hotel owner is a flagged person and the GWMO has been monitoring his activities for a long time.

“…there are also persons from Baroombar in Georgetown up here now. We have noticed a shift in how it is running. We got informa-

tion of his connection internationally and that also is proving right, because, for example, one of the young ladies arrived from Dominica yesterday (Saturday),” the Minister pointed out.

The alleged perpetrators also had the victims’ passports in their possession. According to Minister Broomes, one of the alleged perpetrators who was charged with TIP and released on Gy$1 million bail, was

also held for questioning after she walked into the station with two of the girls’ passports. The Minister was also in contact with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan whom she said indicated that he wanted a thorough investigation into the matter.

“I’m pleased so far that the minister is on top of this, and has instructed a thorough investigation, because we have lots of persons who are here illegally. One Brazilian was refused entry into Barbados and she returned here and she has an immigration officer number in her phone that she contacted,” Minister Broomes noted.

She said the aim was not to scare anyone, but rather to protect them and ensure they are in Guyana legally, not held against their will, and should have their passport in their possession. This was the largest such operation in Bartica and it demonstrated the new Administration’s commitment to working with stakeholders to eradicate TIP, not only in Bartica and Region Seven, but Guyana as a whole.

GCSM welcomes Cuba’s removal from terrorism list

The Guyana Cuba Solidarity Movement (GCSM) has lauded the move by the U.S. Government to formally drop Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry signed the final order to rescind Cuba’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation, effective May 29, 2015.

President of the Guyana Cuba Solidarity Movement (GCSM), Haleem Khan, who hailed the move as visionary said after 54 years of isolation, Cuba’s removal from the list takes away one of the largest impediments to

normalisation talks between Cuba and the U.S. The talks have been going on since President Obama and Cuban President, Raúl Castro announced in December that the two countries would end their diplomatic isolation.

He explained that while the United States has significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba’s policies and actions, these fall outside the criteria relevant to the rescission of a State Sponsor of Terrorism designation.

Underscoring the benefits of Cuba’s omission from the list, Khan said the most immediate

change could be the use of American-issued credit and debit cards in Cuba.

Cuba’s removal also means it will have more access to global financial markets and loans from international organisations such as the World Bank.

While the U.S. maintains its economic embargo on Cuba, which can only be changed by an act of Congress, new rules published by the Obama Administration in January allowed some financial openings.

U.S President Obama, a Democrat, has asked the Republicancontrolled Congress to lift the decades-old U.S. economic embargo against Cuba. Cuba had cited its designation as a state terrorism sponsor as an obstacle to reestablishing diplomatic relations and upgrading their so-called interests sections in Havana and Washington into fullfledged embassies.

Khan emphasised that the Cuban Government and nation are living in peace and harmony. Cuba is a source of inspiration in several areas for the world to see, particularly in medicine and sports.

Guyana cops MDG award for reducing hunger

…Agriculture Minister receives honour in Rome while attending several meetings

Guyana was bestowed an award for achieving the distinction of meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), relating to hunger. Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder was in attendance in Rome, Italy, for three specialised meetings, as well as for issues regarding Guyana’s membership of various agriculturally related organisations. The Minister also received the prestigious award for Guyana’s success in meeting the MDG in relation to hunger.

The first meeting he attended was the Thirtyninth Session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations’ (FAO) Biennial Conference, the General Meeting of FAO. This meeting’s agenda included the appointment of the Director General of the Organisation, Dr. Jose Graziano da Silva. The present Director General was returned unopposed almost unanimously. The count showed that of the 179 countries eligible to vote, 177 voted in his favour.

Guyana’s presence at these forums is very significant. The country, be-

cause of its topographical and geographical setting in a coastal zone being below sea level and thus prone to flooding, is a member of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Prudent watch is therefore always necessary as rising sea levels, increasing air and sea surface temperatures, and changing rainfall patterns, as well as the impact of natural disasters and the degradation of coastal and marine ecosystems, are always matters that impinge on the ‘Sustainable Development’ of these types of countries.

The second meeting was vital as it provided an opportunity for SIDS to share experiences and highlight priorities to achieve sustainable development for ‘Food

Security and Nutrition.’ Guyana’s success thus far in this area is universally accepted. Guyana has made outstanding progress in MDG1, particularly in the area of halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

Guyana is also among 38 countries which have met internationally-established targets in the fight against hunger, ahead of the deadline set for 2015. In addition, the country has also met the more stringent World Food Summit (WFS) goal, having reduced by half the absolute number of undernourished people between 1990-92 and 2010-2012.

The final meeting was a Special Event ceremony on June 7, entitled “Completing the Millennium Development Goals Round: recognising achievements in the fight against hunger.” The occasion saw Guyana, as one of four countries in CARICOM, receiving special honour for having achieved the distinction of meeting either the “World Food Summit (WFS) targets and/or the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)” in relation to hunger. (GINA)

Gov’t to return power to Local Democratic Organs – Bulkan

…hinterland regions to benefit from infrastructural development

The Government will be phasing out central Government’s domination and usurpation of Local Democratic Organs powers practiced by the former Administration, says Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan. The Minister highlighted this vision to staff members during a recent introductory meeting at the Ministry’s Kingston boardroom.

He informed them that “the Ministry sees its task as equipping and empowering the local bodies to manage their own affairs and better serve communities.” The Ministry’s future role would be one of oversight in keeping with the laws governing Local Government.

Bulkan emphasised that “the authors of the 1980 Constitution were aware out of experience that Guyana is too large to be effectively and efficiently managed from the centre and vested powers in the Local Democratic Organs.”

HONOURED IN BREACH

However, particularly over the past 15 years provisions relating to local democracy were honoured in the breach.

The Minister related that the Ministry of Communities will be devoting its attention and resources to help develop the four hinterland regions.

JOB CREATION

“These regions are blessed with spectacu-

lar natural beauty and are rich in resources but lack opportunities and poverty overshadows the population. As such, Government will be focusing on job creation via sustainable economic ventures, infrastructure and community development to ensure residents have a good life.”

The sorrowful state, he noted, of the Local Democratic Organs and the hinterland re-

gions are reflected in the conditions under which the staffers of the Departments for Local Government and Regional Development operate. “The workers were vocal about their poor cramped working conditions that were ignored for years and interference in personnel matters,” he stated.

Bulkan related that central to the vision of the David Granger’s

Administration is improved working conditions for public servants, payment of decent wages and salaries, and permanent employment rather than contract employment. He added that “there will be no interference in personnel matters and public servants would be given the opportunity to function as professionals.”

Reflecting on President Granger’s

charge to the country’s most senior public servants, Bulkan said the public service would be the engine to bring development to Guyana. He explained that “public servants have to address the growing inequity and inequality in society. They must be responsive to the needs of the people as well as resourceful, relevant and reliable.”

Bulkan reiterated that “public servants cannot be politicians and pointed out the need for administrative neutrality and devotion to their job and duties.” He noted that they must give impartial advice and the central focus of public servants must be to serve the people.

Bulkan stressed that “corruption would not be tolerated and accountability and transparency must be embedded in every transaction.” In addition, public servants must perform their duties with impartiality, intelligence and integrity.

ExxonMobil reminds oil search contract is with Guyana

…as Gov’t responds swiftly to Maduro’s threats

Venezuelan

President Nicolas Maduro, in a glaring about turn of foreign policy from predecessor Hugo Chavez, has signed an official Presidential Decree, in the neighbouring South American country, claiming just over two thirds of Guyana’s territory, including its offshore jurisdiction. The Guyana Government has since swiftly responded to Maduro and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela’s attempt to annex maritime spaces pertaining to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana as downright illegal, and an act that will be resisted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the David Ganger-led Administration, earlier this week, by way of public missive, dismissed the Maduro decree, saying it “cannot be applicable to any part of Guyana’s

territory and any attempt by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to apply that instrument in an extra-territorial manner will be vigorously resisted by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.”

The Guyana Government said it will spare no effort in bringing to the attention of the international community this aggressive and illegal act by Venezuela.

Maduro issued the decree on May 27 last, which seeks to violate Guyana’s territory. The Guyana Government has since dismissed the Maduro presidential decree as a flagrant violation of international law.

The Guyana Government maintains that the decree “is inconsistent with the principle that all states should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other states, large and small.”

According to the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, “The Cooperative Republic of Guyana rejects this illegality which seeks to undermine our efforts at development through the exploitation of our natural resources off-shore.”

Mere days before the Maduro decree, ExxonMobil, an American company contracted to search for oil offshore Guyana, in its Stabroek Block—now claimed by Venezuela— announced a significant discovery of the crude.

This publication understands that a high level meeting was arranged between senior Government officials and the Exxon Mobil team on Monday, but this was cancelled.

Carlton James, Exxon Mobil’s Public Relations Officer, told this publication the reasons for the cancellation were not communicated to him, but reiterated the

position of the company when Venezuela had initially objected to its search.

James reminded that ExxonMobil is under contract with the Government of Guyana and pronouncements by Venezuela do not change this.

He further stated that ExxonMobil will not pronounce on Government to Government relations.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in its missive, said Guyana will continue, undeterred, to access and develop its resources in accordance with its Constitution and laws in keeping with the principles of international law.

“Guyana denounces this decree which is a violation of international law…It is international law that must reign supreme, and not the ambitions of a larger state which wishes to trample upon the rights of a

smaller country in order to obstruct the sovereign right of Guyana to develop its natural resources.”

Government maintains that the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela, which was defined by the Arbitral Award of 1899, is recognised by all states.

Venezuela also recognised its border with Guyana as settled for over 60 years, having also participated in the demarcation of this established boundary which was completed in 1905. Guyana says it is concerned that the decree disregards international law, constitutes a threat to regional peace and security, and breaches the Geneva Agreement of 1966.

“It is therefore imperative that Venezuela adheres to the principles of international law in seeking to delineate its maritime boundaries with neighbouring states, pending actual delimitations.”

Tango event showcases seductive choreography, scintillating music

Those who attended the Argentine Embassy’s Tango event in Georgetown last Sunday were caught up in an intoxicating whirlpool of seductive dance fantasia, coupled with pulsating music that set the soul on fire. From start to finish the audience became engulfed in the rich, stirring strums of the guitars as legendary guitarists Rodolfo Gorosito, Jose’ Cataldi and Armando De la Vega worked exquisite magic with their fingers, as the strumming ignited long lost memories, and weaved its spell on excited senses.

And Tango Dancers Alicia Orlando and Claudio Barneix were an enthralling blur of steamy moves and pulsating routines, with smiles that mirrored their happiness on stage.

The Argentine Embassy event was promoted in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and was staged at the National Cultural Centre on Sunday. The show was entitled ‘Sutil Tango’ and there was no admission fee.

Over the past few years, Guyana and Argentina have had a fruitful relationship which has seen cultural groups going to the country to share their knowledge and skills. Only in October last year, popular Argentine folklore singer Nestor Basurto visited the country on a 10-day tour, and taught music to students and performed at several concerts across the country.

The audience thoroughly enjoyed the programme and expressed

their conviction that there is a need to have more shows of this nature on local shores. They opined that it was a breath of fresh air from the more costly and somewhat mediocre events which seem to be rapidly enveloping our society as promoters are more intent on making fast money than offering healthy and satisfactory entertainment.

There was resounding applause after every performance and the fusion of legendary Argentine folk song, the electric strums of guitar and the alluring dances certainly had a vivid effect on the attendees.

The promoters should certainly be applauded for their programme, since it afforded a rich serving of music and dance, generating bliss and satisfaction.

Based on movements from Argentina, Tango findings have dictated that this dance form helps to develop firm body tone, improved pos-

ture, better balance, general fitness, and graceful movement.

It’s sensual, energetic and combines elements of aerobics and tango for

those who want to get fit and toned, while doing something a bit more interesting and stylish than jogging on the treadmill.

Army ready, able to defend Guyana’s territorial integrity –Brigadier Phillips

Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Mark Phillips has stated firmly that the Army will not sit idly by and allow any illegal incursion of this country’s territory. Brigadier Phillips in an invited comment was speaking specifically to the latest posture by Venezuela in issuing a decree claiming sovereignty over Guyana’s territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean off the Essequibo region.

The Chief of Staff is of the firm view that any claim to Essequibo is illegal, and thoughts to the contrary must not be entertained by any Guyanese, Venezuelan or international body. He added that the ruling in 1899 was binding, and still remains legal, and more so an international law that has to be honoured.

Asked specifically about the ability to defend Guyana should the issue get out of hand, Brigadier Phillips made it clear that the nature of the GDF is to defend Guyana, and it is in the psyche of the men and women who serve in the Army.

Brigadier Phillips dismissed the notion of limited manpower and resources, as he maintained that Guyana is ready and capable of addressing any invasion.

Last year, heavily armed soldiers from Venezuela were found in Guyana at an area in Essequibo where they were reportedly providing protection to a group of Venezuelans who had boated into Guyana and were conducting some form of survey in the same disputed area between the two countries.

Back then, many persons thought that the then Government’s ap-

proach to addressing the issue was a very soft one that sent a message to the Government of Venezuela that Guyana will tolerate their intrusion uninterrupted.

The Government of Venezuela had however claimed that the presence of the soldiers and other personnel on Guyana’s soil was not sanctioned by that country, even as the presence coincided with a State visit by President Nicholas Maduro.

There were suggestions that the group was part of a Venezuelan Opposition move to provoke a situation between

Guyana and Venezuela, and that those persons were attempting to undermine the Maduro administration.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s State-owned airline, Conviasa, has since been barred from landing at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport for want of the deposit of a security bond in keeping with regulations of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.

The passenger bond is usually to offset any expenses, should the airline cease operations suddenly, leaving stranded passengers.

Venezuela’s President Nicholas Maduro, just a few days ago issued a decree claiming sovereignty over Guyana’s territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean off the Essequibo region.

In the Venezuela Official Gazette of May 27, 2015, President Maduro authorized sovereignty over Guyana’s coastal waters which include the Stabroek Block where the US oil company, ExxonMobil recently announced that they had found significant deposits of oil.

‘Make youth a priority’

– Ambassador Ramdin

“An y Government in the hemisphere should make youth a priority, and the simple reason for that is that [if] we do not work with the youth, which is the majority of our population, we will have severe problems on our hands in the coming years.”This is according to the outgoing Assistant Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Ambassador Albert Ramdin, who gave an exclusive interview to this publication at the Pegasus Hotel on June 4.

Ramdin, a Surinamese national who served in the OAS since 2005, was at the time responding to the question of the importance of youth and the fact that Guyana is still working on a national youth policy after 20 or so years. Ramdin pointed to the reality that if the youth are not given direction “in terms of education about care, about upbringing, about social norms [then] we will see many of them end up in criminality.” He reasoned that youth are not inherent-

Land distribution to indigenous people of paramount importance – Sydney Allicock

Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock asserted that land distribution to the indigenous people is of paramount importance for his ministry as well as the Government.

Speaking with this publication from his office at the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Minister Allicock explained that land distribution in communities is an ongoing exercise and it has been long overdue.

“We recently acquired support from the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) – we intend to continue to hasten this distribution process.”

The Minister noted that this issue of land distribution to our indigenous people is one of importance should these communities develop and become economically viable.

“We need to see how best we can bring a closure to this land demarcation process. We are hoping that within the next five years we can have this all settled.”

“We have issues in mining and lumbering that presently af-

fect these communities where land was allotted to persons to either mine or conduct lumbering. So we will have to work along with all parties concerned to be able to bring these issues to a peaceful closure.”

This, he noted, has been an ongoing issue that was reported. Some residents have explained that the community was allotted state land and then private stakeholders were given land to either mine or lumber, the Minister noted with much concern as he assured that this matter will be investigated.

With the proper allocation of land to these communities, residents will have the comfort

of their allocated land and will be better able to plan. At the moment some communities cannot plan because they do not know their boundaries.

“It is a very tense situation. I know this will be a challenging project since there are many stakeholders that will be involved, some of which are the GGMC (Guyana Geology and Mines Commission), the Forestry Commission and other private business persons. I am hoping for an early meeting with all the stakeholders and hopefully we can come to a resolve,” Allicock stressed.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

He also noted that

some communities in Region 8 are utilising state lands and are currently asking for these land titles to be extended. “We realised that there are some serious legal implications but now we are having with us David James, who is one of the only indigenous lawyers that is very much au fait with the issues affecting Amerindians.”

Minister Allicock further explained that the ministry needs to educate the indigenous people on their rights since many of them are not very familiar with what their rights entail. “We need them to know what their rights are and what the international laws that govern our first people are.”

“We would be guided by those laws and within the confines of the law we will be looking to grant these extensions.” He stressed that this is the right of our indigenous people.

He alluded to the fact that if more was done to educate the indigenous people of their rights, “they would have been able to be in a better position to negotiate or discuss matters pertaining to their land and its allocation.”

Floods threaten cash crops in Black Bush Polder

Close to 100 acres of cash crops are under threat in the Black Bush Polder, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) following more than 70 inches of rainfall within the past week. This translates to several million dollars in damage. After watching more than 35 inches of rainfall slowly recede from the land over the past week, cash crop farmers in the four polders were greeted with a downpour on Friday and a further downpour on Saturday totalling in excess of 42 inches of rainfall. Now the farmers, most of whom are located in the Mibicuri Polder, are trying to

save about 80 acres of cultivation having already lost some 20 acres over the past week.

About 50 farmers are being affected in Mibicuri. Last Sunday, continuous rainfall left scores of acres of land cultivated by farmers in the Black Bush Polder inundated. With much done to get the water off the cultivated land, the farmers could do nothing on Friday and Saturday as the rains which were promised since Monday, reappeared.

Leafy vegetables had been harvested prematurely and flooded the markets over the past week, earning very little income, but the other crops like tomatoes,

cucumber, squash, egg plant, bora, corilla, okra and pumpkins are left submerged.

According to one farmer, even though much of the water may have appeared to have drained off the land over the past three days, the roots of the plants were waterlogged. “The plant root dem soak in the water. It looking green now, but as soon as the water go down the leaf gon start get yellow.”

Many of the farmers were looking forward to reaping within a few weeks and garnering revenue to service bank loans which they took to invest in their agriculture business. “Is 1500 roots of tomatoes,

‘Make

youth a priority’...

ly criminal but are railroaded into that position because of circumstances. The senior OAS official spoke further to the need for providing education and job training for youth who are now pushed into “disillusionment, marginalisation, and in the end, frustration” because of limited employment opportunities.

The Guyana National Youth Council has long advocated for a national youth policy to address the issues which are detrimental to youth participation, empowerment, and engagement in Guyana. A policy of such a nature was started some 20 years ago but has remained in draft since.

Meanwhile, newlyappointed Education Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnarine has given assurance that under his watch the policy “is not going to remain in draft for very much long”.

While the Minister could not specify a time for the launching of the national youth policy, he said, “I can assure you it will not be 20 years.”

Youth unemployment remains one of the major concerns in the western hemisphere and specifically

500 roots of cucumbers, 1000 roots of watermelons and other crops I got,” one farmer said.

His losses are in the millions of dollars. He noted that while he is losing, he has a short time to repay a hefty bank loan. One farmer who focuses on the production of okra for both the local and export market says, “I put down 1000 more plants and I lost all of them.”

Apart from the cultivation area, the residential area is also flooded with several inches of water in some yards. Last Sunday’s rain left sections of the residential area inundated.

The Mibicuri Primary School remained closed until Thursday as floodwaters covered the main access road to the school.

Chairman of the Black Bush Polder Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Thakoor Persaud explained that the water was removed from the school street. “We pump out the water from the Mibicuri Hospital and now you could get to walk and go in. We had to pump the water from the school street…”

from page 26

for Guyana. A recently released report by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) showed that youth unemployment in Guyana sits at 40%.

“Youth have to become the productive part of our population,” Ambassador Ramdin stated in his interview. He cautioned against a small productive population in the face of a private sector that is not consulted on how to boost youth employment and training.

Ramdin recognised that unless young people are given an opportunity at economic development, they will continue to burden the state’s resources. “We have to be careful that we don’t alienate a generation of youth and create a problem for the future because the cost will be enormous.”

The OAS Assistant Secretary General, during his interview with this publication called for governments to recognise that the absence of opportunities, education, social norms, and stable homes, all contribute to the situation of youth in criminal activities, and he asserted that governments should recognise these factors and address them.

Findlay fired as PS of Labour Ministry

Patrick Anthony Findlay, who has been serving as acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security on Monday had his services terminated by Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence.

Findlay, who spoke to Guyana Times International on Tuesday evening, related that he was told by the senior Minister that given the fact that the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security had been subsumed into the Ministry of Social Protection, his post of Permanent Secretary of the Labour aspect had

become redundant.

As such, Findlay said that he was told that his services would no longer be required by the Administration and he was subsequently sent on three months leave. He remains doubtful that he will be recalled or asked to render any other service to the Ministry.

Findlay joined the Public Service in 2010 as Administrator of the newly-formed Men’s Affairs Bureau. He was then appointed Deputy Permanent Secretary in 2012 with responsibility for several key services at the Ministry, including Men’s Affairs and Countering Trafficking In Persons. In 2014, he was promoted to acting Permanent Secretary in the Labour Ministry and oversaw the operations of the five Departments under the Labour arm of the Ministry. When the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) submitted its List of Candidates on Nomination Day to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), his name had appeared on it as a candidate for the Party.

Professional photographer

Saajid Husani enjoys capturing, through his camera lens, memorable moments of people and nature. He believes that it requires an artistic mind to capture beauty through the lens. In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine Saajid shares his tips on capturing life in the most beautiful of ways.

Sunday Magazine: What sparked your interest in photography?

Saajid Husani: It began in 2013 when I saw a Facebook friend had a very unique profile picture. I started doing some research and realized I can create similar images. The more photos I took the more I got addicted to it, the more I wanted to create something unique.

Sunday Magazine: Is photography a hobby, passion or career?

Saajid Husani: It started off as a

hobby and then I got into doing paid jobs. I won’t say I have a passion for it, but would say I have a determination to get better and to keep trying and improving what I do already.

Sunday Magazine: What do you like photographing?

Saajid Husani: I love photographing people and the ordinary scenes that people pass hastily, forgetting to stop and breathe and enjoy what is around them.

Sunday Magazine: What is your focus when you want to capture something?

Saajid Husani: My primary focus is getting something that stands out, something that the ordinary person doesn’t see. There isn’t a single thing that I focus on; I pay attention to lighting, composition, and posture and expressions of people in my photography.

Sunday Magazine: Is good photography dependent on a good camera or an artistic mind?

Saajid Husani : A good camera does indeed yield better images, but one needs to learn to use it properly. A high-end camera is just as good as an amateur camera; however, it depends on how you use it and to have the artistic mind to see what is possible and what you can do to create something that’s unique.

Sunday Magazine: Any projects you are currently working on?

Saajid Husani: I’m currently working on some surreal photographs, but that’ll be a surprise when I’m finished with them. Check out my page on Facebook, SH Photography & Designs, for recent and upcoming photos.

Sunday Magazine: Do you consider photography as an art?

Saajid Husani: Photography is an art especially when photograph-

ing people. There is so much you can do to add and take away from a scene to give it a different feel or view. You can add extra lighting, you can take away lighting, you can add filters to your lens; you can change the colours. It is your choice.

I’ve been criticized that what I do sometimes isn’t photography because I take it bit too far, but all I do is create something that pleases my eye. It all starts off with my camera and flashes and then I head into editing to create what I originally saw. Some may argue once I head into those territories it’s no longer photography, but photography played an important role in capturing my base image.

My view is simply that my images are evolving to my eye. On the other hand, with landscapes, there is some enhancing that I do that my camera isn’t capable of doing. However, I re-

tain what is there and try to bring back what the scene was or should be.

Sunday Magazine: What are your plans concerning your photography career?

Saajid Husani: Getting more into high-end type of photo shoots. I would also like to travel, capturing the beauty of wherever I visit.

Sunday Magazine: What are the challenges of being a photographer and how do you overcome them?

Saajid Husani: Criticism was my challenge. There will be some that like what you do and some that will not.Constructive criticism I welcome with open arms, but I’ve learnt that some people have closed minds and there is nothing I can do to change it. Instead of dwelling on the bad reviews, I choose to move forward and continue to do what I like to do.

Colonel Charles Hutson, co-founder of the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School, talks about his lifelong dedication to improving Guyana’s aviation industry

Aeronautical engineer Colonel Charles Hutson believes “necessity is the mother of invention” and out of ‘necessity’ he cofounded the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School.

Since its conception, the school’s mission is to provide lucrative opportunities within the aviation industry - ultimately developing it. Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School was conceived by Capt. Malcolm Chan-aSue, an aviation pioneer, and Hutson. It became operational in 1993.

The school was named after the pioneers of aviation in Guyana - Art Williams (Arthur James Williams) and Harry Wendt (Herman Edgar Wendt). Both were pilot-mechanics who, in the early 1930s, laid the foundation for aviation in Guyana and by so doing, opened up much of the country’s interior for the first time.

“When I decided I was going to remain in Guyana to help pull together the aviation industry, there was a need to establish an Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO). To do so, one had to prepare a disposition, which outlines all the procedures that will govern everything in the AMO. As part of the AMO, a training institution is required and that is how the school was established,” Hutson recalled in an interview with the Guyana Times Sunday Magazine In 2006, the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School was nominated as the school of Caricom by

the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS). In that same year, the school became the first tertiary institution in Caricom to have ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems Standards. The Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards certified the school on July 24, 2006.

Additionally, the school is accredited and certified by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, CASSOS, the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Suriname and the Trinidad and

Tobago Civil Aviation Authority. The school is also approved under the rules and regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation Document 7192, Part D1.

Hutson pointed out that the school’s policy is to ensure meeting the regulatory and statutory requirements of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, customer satisfaction, employee development, environmental protection and safe training practices.

Growing up on Great Troolie Island in the Essequibo River, three miles east of the mainland Essequibo Coast, Hutson reminisced being fascinated with the

chanical engineering. Hutson stated he was successful because of his extensive reading. Additionally, he credits his unwavering dedication, and never allowing anything to distract him, for his success.

He revealed that when he came to Georgetown, at the age of 15, he did not know how to ride a bicycle. Hutson counts himself fortunate because he received much needed help from various individuals - something he is very grateful for.

“Part of my roots, and the background from which I came from, I was taught to extend help to those who need it. I never looked at self only and

tionally.

Last year, the institution collaborated with the University of Guyana for the establishment of a degree programme in aircraft maintenance engineering. After completing three years of theoretical and practical training at the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School, the partners are planning to have students complete a degree programme at the university.

“For youths, in any area of life, you need to decide what your passion is and pursue it. Don’t be selfish; share your knowledge with others. Most importantly, you must be

amphibian planes that would land there.

“At a very tender age I expressed to my parents I wanted to become an engineer because of my fascination with planes and helicopters. I joined the aviation industry in 1961. I have studied helicopters in France. In the US, UK, Brazil and Canada, I studied engineering and various plane types,” he recalled.

The engineer disclosed that he never attended high school, but went straight from primary school to the Government Technical Institute where he spent four years studying me-

so I never thought about going abroad to pursue a career. I wanted to remain here to do my part in developing the industry and helping others to be successful in aviation. Being abroad, I observed how extremely bright Guyanese are, especially when they are provided with opportunities. As a result, I wanted to provide the opportunities for persons to excel in the aviation field and that is why the school was started,” Hutson noted.

Currently the head of training, Hutson stated that the school’s programme is very extensive and recognised interna-

disciplined,” Hutson advised.

Located in the Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services Ltd.’s hangar, Ogle International Airport, the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School is a non-governmental organisation committed to developing aircraft engineering skills and technical expertise essential to the development and safety of air transport within Guyana, the Caribbean community and the world at large. Visit www.aesguyana. net for more information on the school.

Vidushi Persaud is determined to break down beliefs and taboos concerning women in male-oriented fields

Guyana Times Sunday Magazine spoke with the local attorneyat-law and award-winning shooter about her aims.

Sunday Magazine: What are your academic qualifications?

Vidushi Persaud: I attended Stella Maris Primary School, where on the basis of performance at the National Common Entrance Exams, I was offered a place at President’s College but opted for Queen’s College. I left Queen’s College after being awarded the prestigious Doodnauth Hetram

Shield for Best Academic Achievement by a Fifth Form Student in Arts Stream for subjects at the CXC Examination written in the same year. I attended the University of Guyana where I secured my LL.B. and in 2001, I graduated with my Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad & Tobago. I am currently an Attorney-at-Law in private practice in my family Firm, Persaud & Associates.

Sunday Magazine: What prompted you to learn how to shoot?

Vidushi Persaud: Anyone who has known me for any length of

time knows how radical a change this is for me. Now I don’t think of myself as a “gun-nut”. I still can’t discuss the minutiae of calibres and makes and models, and I’m not sure I want to. Frankly, a lot of that just bores me. However, in the space of about four years, I have gone from thinking that banning guns sounded like a good idea to thinking shooting is a woman’s right! And this is all because of my boyfriend and Guyana’s number one hand-gun shooter, Ryan McKinnon.

Sunday Magazine: Were you ever discriminated for being in sport shooting?

Vidushi Persaud: Over the years, I have heard a number of gentlemen commenting and reprimanding Ryan and saying he “has broken the cardinal rule of allowing a girlfriend or wife shoot or learn to shoot”. I am just happy to be able to participate in a sport traditionally dominated by men and do not often think off my gender in relation to competitions.

Due to all the constraints placed on sport shooting in Guyana and the fact that firearm handling and more so sport shooting is stereotyped as something male oriented, the sport is assumed to be male dominated, it is always difficult as a female to fit in comfortably here as opposed to other countries where they fully support and encourage their female shooters. In the other countries I have visited in the region, like Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Suriname, it is amazing how they empower their women and recognise the designated Ladies Category.

Sunday Magazine: What was your parents’ reaction to your interest

in sport shooting?

Vidushi Persaud: I am very fortunate to have the best and most supportive parents ever: Vidyanand and Dia Persaud. They have always encouraged me and my two sisters to do the positive things that interest us. They are aware that Ryan has taught me and that all safety rules are always observed and that this is sport shooting. Unlike other sports, shooting sports do not require you to be 6ft tall or have superhuman strength. Many of the skills can be learnt and tuned with practice.

Sunday Magazine: What are your plans for your shooting career?

Vidushi Persaud: I hope to continue my training with Ryan and

work on my weak areas, especially those that were more evident during my recent Suriname match, so that my level can be raised and we can be better prepared for the international circuits. I will continue with my personal training coach and his advice, which has brought me so far and I am thankful for his constant support and encouragement. I would like to change the perception of the Guyanese public to understand a woman competitive shooter. It is hoped that we can educate and encourage more women about firearm usage, safety and promote women’s shooting interest and participation in the competitive shooting sports.

A home for vulnerable and needy children

The Bright Horizons Family Home, a non-profit organisation, provides support and loving care for abandoned or abused children.

The home, located in Kuru Kururu, provides a shelter for children of all ages. Children depend on Bright Horizons for clothing, food, shelter, medical care, and education.

Until recently, Bright Horizons Family Home was operated by Joseph Livan and his wife, Doreen. Sadly, Doreen passed away in December 2012, but Joseph continues the work of taking care of the children. Joseph is the head of a six-person Board responsible for the home.

Children at the home are educated at various schools, but this was not always the case. In the past, before they received the help and funding, they were receiving the minimal amount of education. Depending on the school, they have specific uniforms they must wear, which was an additional cost.

In addition, transportation to school is by bus or taxi; drivers often exploited the children by overcharging them. Successful in raising money, the home bought a bus. It is used to ferry the children to school,

into the city for medical appointments, and provides fair and low-cost transportation to village children to help pay for gas and maintain the bus.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, long-time resident, Sharon, who was taken into the home as a child, said she is very grateful to the Livans for providing a home for her. Now an adult, she continues to live at the home where she volunteers her time to the children there.

“Joseph and the late Doreen Livan were always fond of children and providing for them. The home was established in 1997. We now

have eight girls and nine boys from five years, who came into the home as babies, to teenagers. They are from different backgrounds. Some were on the streets, abandoned and abused. At the home, we show them love, and provide the best we can. They all attend school in Kuru Kururu: nursery, primary and secondary. We also bring them up in the way of a Christian and teach them responsibility. I’m very grateful to the Livans for taking me into their loving home. That’s why I decided to stay here to offer my service, because this is the only home I know and so I will continue to be here,”

Sharon explained. The home, according to Sharon, welcomes support from kind-hearted individuals in areas such as monetary donations, school and medical supplies.

er and the children loved to be with her. When our church called us into fulltime service, we were placed in Haruni and were given a children’s home to run. I guess it was our calling due to our love for children, regardless of their race. We didn’t have children of our own so being among them brought happiness to our lives. One day we were coming from a meeting and my wife told me she had a vision to open a children’s home in Kuru Kururu and this we did. Many of our children who came to us as babies are now adults. These have migrated and gone on to great things,” Joseph reminisced.

For those who reached the age of 18 and do not have anywhere to go, Joseph noted he has extra land where the home is located, for them to remain there to build and

nors. If we can get some more dedicated monthly sponsors, we can take up to 20 to 30 more children off the streets. Please consider joining us as a monthly donor. There is so much to do at the home. We call this a family home and not an orphanage. We don’t like the word ‘orphanage’ or ‘stepchild’ -- they are family. These children are not up for adoption. They all consider themselves as brothers and sisters and they stay at the ‘home’ until they are the age and decide themselves that they can leave on their own time schedule. Thanks again to our donors they are all in school (with their proper uniforms) and doing well. They have a limited amount of school, play and church clothes. These children are very smart and they have the hope of a bright future. I

Joseph Livan, one of the founders, who is lovingly called “daddy” by the children, recalled that his wife was an ardent churchgoer and loved children. Opening a home for children was her lifelong dream.

“She was a strong Christian. I wasn’t. However, I later became a Christian. My wife was a Sunday school teach-

farm. Some have done so already and are very grateful for the love and provisions given to them by the Family Home.

The home is currently funded by different individuals and organisations, and effervescent U.S. donor, Frank Ashe.

“We are currently having 25 children that are supported by our do-

thank God every day for the wonderful things He provides for us all,” Ashe declared.

For more information, visit Bright Horizons Family Home Non-Profit Organization for Abandoned Children on Facebook, or website www.thefamilyhome.org, or email: flashe@comcast. net

Limiting educational possibilities

By Anu Dev

Last week I was reading an article titled, “Writing too many subjects at CSEC could be up for revision”. It made me groan in frustration as I do whenever someone floats the idea of limiting knowledge.

When I wrote my 15 CSEC subjects in 2011, there were people who asked me, “What was the point of writing so many subjects?” And my answer was always the same –and the truth – “Because I was genuinely interested in all of those subjects.”

In Third Form at Queens College, we were exposed to all of the subjects we would have to choose from to eventually write at CSEC. And so, after a year of sampling, I discovered that I quite enjoyed most of the subjects we did and I was passionate enough about them to be able to handle doing them, never mind all of the timetable clashes.

My teachers allowed me to go ahead with my plan provided I kept up with the workload and maintained my grades.

But yes…I know there are lots of kids who write tons of subjects, not because they’re especially interested in the subjects per se, but because they hope to earn that CSEC/UWI scholarship. And who can blame them?

In our year, there were no Government scholarships for top CSEC students – the CSEC/UWI scholarship was all we had to aim for. So one way to cut down the number of subjects being written individually is to fund more national scholarships.

Secondly, and more germanely, if there are more national scholarship options available at the CAPE level, maybe we won’t have students writing 70 subjects at CSEC in the hope of topping the Caribbean to get that scholarship.

Our present Education Minister should know in his time; the Guyana scholarship, which he won, was only given to the top A Level achievers. But the awards must be tied to our country’s developmental skill needs.

Going through the CAPE experience I can say that it was a quantum leap from CSEC. Going into Lower Six we were informed upfront that we’d be expected to cover 80 per cent of the work on our own, with our teachers there to cover the remaining 20 per cent.

Compared to CAPE, we were practically spoon fed at CSEC. And the level of the work at CAPE compared with CSEC is so much in depth. I never thought I would reach a point in my life when CSEC would seem as simple as Common Entrance, but then I did CAPE and well, I found myself wishing I was still back in Fifth Form.

But in terms of preparing me for university, CAPE did a much better job of preparing me for university than CSEC ever could – I learnt a lot about how to use the resources around me to learn things on my own. But 15 CSECs did give me a breath of knowledge that made me much more rounded.

And of course, more national scholarships could hold the answer to our brain drain problem.

In Trinidad, The Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados, all of their scholarship students are expected to return to their country to serve for a particular number of years. And I don’t think that that’s unfair. It makes sense; your country is paying for your education… of course you have to give back something to your people.

It’s a win-win for both our country and our students. We could send our top students abroad to get the highest quality education and then have them return home to develop our country.

And hopefully we can get to a point where the development is so significant that our scholars will stay not just because they’re obligated to, but because they genuinely want to stay because of the great opportunities that they could have right at home.

But please, let’s not limit our students by fixing some arbitrary number of CSEC subjects as the limit. Students should be free to choose the number of subjects they want to write based on their capabilities. Guyana has churned out some of the brightest minds in the Caribbean.

How would they have been allowed to soar if someone had decided to clip their wings and shackle them to the ground?

Grades withheld again from UWI students

PORT-OF-

SPAIN, TRINIDAD:

Students at The University of the West Indies' (The UWI) St Augustine campus are feeling a sense of déjà vu as, for the second successive semester, grades are being withheld.

The Students' Guild is now requesting that the university's Summer School registration period, which ended on Saturday, be reopened as a result of the non-release of grades.

The first semester of UWI's 2014-2015 academic year ended on December 19.

Grades for that semester were withheld as lecturers began protest action against the administration over salary arrears.

The students protested over the non-issuance of their grades as it affected their registration for the second semester, which began on January 18.

At the end of January, the West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT), the union representing lecturers and administration at the St Augustine campus, was able to settle its impasse and grades were eventually released on February 6.

Grades for semester two are now being withheld and this is being linked to ongoing protest action with non-academic staff at the university.

During semester two, examinations held in April at the Sport and Physical Education Centre (SPEC) at the St Augustine campus were interrupted by a group of 35 silent protesters who walked around the room.

The protesters wore Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) T-shirts and walked around for 15 minutes, without any intervention from the invigilators.

Semester II at The UWI St Augustine campus ended on May 15.

Semester III, commonly known as Summer School, began on May 18.

The Students' Guild on Sunday sent an email to campus registrar Richard Saunders calling for the Summer School registration period to be reopened.

"As a matter of urgency, the Guild of Students is asking that you please give the necessary correspondence to have the Summer School registration period reopened," stated a letter signed by Students' Guild secre-

"The Guild president has indicated that stemming from a conversation between you both, an assurance was given that you would consult with the Examinations Department.

"However, to date, no new information has been given on this matter or changes observed," the letter added.

The Guild said it has been "inundated" with emails from students on the issue.

"Administration is yet to provide the Guild in writing with a definite

date by which grades will be released," the letter stated.

"The Guild is therefore of the firm view that the Campus' Administration has failed the students in this regard. Communication is key to our relationship and this continues to be overlooked," it said.

Summer School is traditionally used as a period for full-time students who fail exams to repeat courses, as well as a means for both parttime and evening students to complete required courses.

"Due to the non-release of official grades to the students by the registration deadline date for Summer School, a number of students have been up in arms as to whether they need to resit courses or whether they have been successful in their first attempt at the course," the letter stated.

The Guild said the new grade point system adopted by the UWI this academic year has also affected the student's ability to "truly predict a potential outcome" of exams. (TT Express)

The Arthur Chung Convention Centre The Place of the Seven Ponds

Formerly known as the Guyana International Convention Centre (GICC), located in Liliendaal on the East Coast of Demerara, the centre was recently renamed the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, in honour of Guyana’s first president, Arthur Chung.

On Feb 16, 2006, the People’s Republic of China presented the ultra-modern GICC to Guyana, after a request by the government of Guyana in 2002. The paperwork was inked in January 2003, during a state visit by State Counsellor of China, Madame Wu Yi.

The People's Republic of China had granted the funds, which amounted to approximately US$ 8M, for its construction. The centre comprises a main conference hall with a seating capacity of 372, five smaller conference rooms, a business centre and a restaurant.

Arthur Chung was born Jan 10, 1918 at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara.

Although an apprentice surveyor and sworn land surveyor, Chung studied in England to qualify as a barrister in 1947. He returned to Guyana and began his career in law as acting magistrate before moving on to Puisne and Appeal Court Judge in 1963.

When Guyana became a republic in 1970, Chung was elected its first president. He held the position from March 17, 1970 to Oct 6, 1980.

Arthur Chung died June 23, 2008, and was buried at Seven Ponds.

The Place of the Seven Ponds, known also as the ‘Place of Heroes, the Seven Ponds’ or ‘Seven Ponds’, lies south of the central avenue in the Botanical Gardens in Georgetown.

As its name suggests, it consists of seven small ponds: six trapezoidal and surrounding a central monument, which stands in a circular and seventh pond.

It was constructed in 1969 as the burial site of then recently independent Guyana’s first Governor-General, Mahaica-born Sir David Rose.

It would later accommodate other eminent Guyanese such as presidents Arthur Chung and Desmond Hoyte,

Prakash urges Jack to head to US: "Face trial so we can get truth"

PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD: Congress of the People leader and Justice Minister Prakash Ramadhar on Sunday urged former Fifa vice president and Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner to go the United States to face trial in connection with the ongoing corruption scandal, insisting that the country’s reputation has been tarnished.

“This is the battle for truth and TT has to have its image repolished so that the true beauty of the nation be seen and not be identified by the actions of Mr Warner and those around him. I think it is so important for him to save the reputation of this country,” Ramadhar told local and international members of the media during a press conference at the COP’s Flagship House in St Clair on Sunday.

Warner is one of 14 people wanted by the United States on suspicion of soliciting bribes worth millions in his Fifa dealings. He has been charged with multiple offenses, including racketeering and bribery, but has denied the charges.

Warner, currently on TT$2.5 million bail after his

arrest locally, is expected to reappear in court on July 12. However, he has threatened to reveal secrets regarding “resources” he provided for Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar’s 2010 general election campaign, which are purportedly linked to Fifa.

Scoffing at this on Sunday, Ramadhar said if Warner was innocent as he claimed he should not have a problem going to New York to face the courts. “Go to your trial so that we will hear what the facts are and not what you say they are. And when you go we hope that what you speak will be the truth and not further allegations, as what we have had with you over the last couple of days.

On details of the questionable transactions made by Warner, Ramadhar said due to the judicial process it would be inappropriate for him to speak on matters before the court.

“These are charges that emanate from the United States and therefore the conduct of this Government is only to ensure that the judicial process for extradition is engaged. The Attorney General has done what he has to do,” Ramadhar said.

But he warned that sometimes extradition matters could be dragged on for a lengthy period by attorneys.

On his relationship with Warner, Ramadhar described it as one of indifference. He said since 2011 he had called

Postal workers protest in

staged a protest on monday outside the St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain office of Chief Personnel Officer Stephanie

PORT-OFSPAIN, TRINIDAD:

TTPOST workers in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday staged a simultaneous protest over delays in the commencement of negotiations for the collective bargaining period of 2011 to 2013.

In Trinidad, close to 100 workers chanted, “how long now CPO?” to the beat of drums, outside the St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain office of Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Stephanie Lewis.

In Tobago, workers protested outside the TTPost office at Milford Road, Scarborough where they chanted, “we

shall overcome...we shall overcome someday.”

Although the union does not negotiate directly with the CPO, TT Postal Workers Union (TTPWU) General Secretary Reginald Crichlow said Lewis is part of the Secretariat to the Government’s InterMinisterial Committee (IMC), which must evaluate proposals from the union and TTPost management.

“We fall under the Ministry of Public Utilities. I don’t know when the proposal went (to the secretariat) but I know we would have submitted our proposal some time last year (and) as far as we’re

aware, the document is still there waiting to be advanced to the IMC. That’s why we are here protesting,” Crichlow said.

The TTPWU represents approximately 850 of TTPost’s 1,100 employees, including managers and monthly-paid staff among them, delivery officers, mail officers and transport officers.

for Warner’s removal from the Cabinet, adding that when the ILP was created he also had views on that, especially with the use of money in politics.

Congress of the People leader Prakash Ramadhar says neither he nor any other Government member has

been interviewed by US authorities regarding political funding which may have been provided to the party by Jack Warner. However, he pledged Trinidad's cooperation with the ongoing probe.

Asked if he had any conversation with Warner about handing himself to US authorities Ramadhar said he had not. Warner, who still holds the position of an MP, was also problematic, Ramadhar said. Saying that Warner was still popular, Ramadhar added that he not only had a say in the Parliament but also questioned the integrity of many.

On whether he believed Warner has not acted in the best interests of TT, Ramadhar was also vocal on this. “I will not say that he has not acted in the interests of Trinidad and Tobago, but what is being unearthed now is that it is a serious self interest and I can’t say now what proportions of his actions were in the interest of TT or that it was self motivated under the cover of the interest of TT,” Ramadhar said. Efforts to contact Warner on Sunday were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls to his cellphone.(TT Guardian)

TT Saint Lucian embassy in Taiwan now open

Crichlow said Finance Minister Larry Howai is corporation sole of TTPost and Howai, as chair of the IMC, would direct the CPO to direct the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Utilities to advise (TTPost) management and the board as to what kind of offer to make to us.”

TTPWU Tobago branch president Carlyn Walters-Patterson on Monday said postal workers are working with 2006 salaries. “Another (collective bargaining) term has begun and nothing is being done. We are of the belief that this protest will force the CPO’s hand to put things in place for us.”

“A job evaluation recommendation was done in 2010 by an independent HR consultant and they recommended an 18.5 percent increase in basic salaries to a number of job positions that we represent. That is yet to be applied,” Crichlow said. (TT Newsday)

TAIPEI,TAIWAN:

The government of Saint Lucia opened an embassy last Thursday in Taiwan –the Caribbean country’s first in Asia, in an effort to strengthen bilateral ties.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Saint Lucia Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony, and attended by minister for external affairs, international trade and civil aviation Alva Baptiste; permanent representative of Saint Lucia

to the United Nations Menissa Rambally; and other Saint Lucian officials. Also present were Taiwan’s Foreign Minister David Lin, Taiwan’s ambassador to Saint Lucia James Chang and other Taiwanese foreign affairs officials.

During his visit, Anthony met with Taiwan President Ma Ying-jieu, to whom he stressed Saint Lucia’s appreciation for the support received from Taiwan. He also thanked the Taiwan president for the continuous fund-

ing of the Constituency Development Program (CDP), which has provided thousands of jobs across all 17 constituencies in Saint Lucia. The prime minister also visited with Saint Lucian students in Taiwan.

Taiwan and Saint Lucia have maintained close cooperation in public health, education, infrastructure and culture since the two countries resumed diplomatic relations in 2007.(caribbeannewsnow)

This week's Crossword

New sheriff…

….or vigilante in town?

“Is I name Broomes and I making a sweep!” If you wanted to make it up, no script writer would’ve been so bold to caricature the new Junior Minister of Social Protection, Simona Broomes. He would’ve been accused of being over the top…not to mention mean spirited.

No Minister of any government would speak like that, right? Wrong. That was a direct quote of the said Minister as she rode into Bartica in her mission to “clean up the town”.

Broomes’ claim that she “received a tip” when in Bartica and then gathered members of her old Women Miners’ posse and Police to swoop down on two hotels, is belied by the fact that she came along with some reporters from the Georgetown media.

This was a well-planned exercise worthy of one of those SWAT teams we hear about.

But Broomes is from Bartica…she knows these hotels and knows what goes on in them. And her actions raise several issues. Right off the bat we have to ask “why did she have to go all the way to Bartica to conduct a raid on a ‘huttel’, as they quaintly used to be called”?

Even as she stood – hands on hips and arms akimbo – surveying what she’d wrought, she allowed that some of the “girls” had come from a (named) nightclub in Georgetown.”

So how come she didn’t raid the Georgetown Clubs – like J Edgar Hoover going after Al Capone? A little birdie whispered (whistled?) into your Eyewitness’ ear that Broomes is merely settling old scores now that the Marshall gave her a badge.

And that’s why she could give her own version of Clint Eastwood’s “go ahead…make my day” with her “I is Broomes and I making a sweep”.

This

week's Puzzle

After her dust up with Ann Greene, it’s not surprising that she herself promised that she’ll be making a lot of these sweeps. She has a lot of scores to settle. But in her rush to show who’s “woman” isn’t there a danger she might be acting more like a vigilante than a Sheriff?

Does she really believe that these foreigners are really “trafficked” and need to be “rescued”?

Did she ever hear about “sex work” and that some folks might actually choose the “oldest profession” rather than be used and abused as 12hour security guards making below minimum wage?

If she has a problem with sex work…which we’re told is still illegal in Guyana, shouldn’t she at least apply the law impartially starting with the epicentre in Georgetown rather than settling scores in Bartica?

Some folks might call it “bullyism”. …for border controversy

That Venezuelan border controversy just won’t go away, will it? Raised by the US with the Venezuelans, back in 1962 as a backup measure to ensure that Cheddi Jagan and the PPP didn’t take Guyana into the Russian Camp. It took on a life of its own even as Jagan was ousted. There’s the principle of “unintended consequences”.

Now there’s no question that with Chavez coming into power, the rhetoric was turned down and this was continued by his successor Maduro. But the problem is that the border controversy can’t be wished away by any Venezuelan government –no matter how friendly.

It’s actually written into their Constitution and the right-wing now in opposition will never allow its excision.

So what to do? Well, just before the last elections, the PPP Government had suggested they were looking at a “judicial settlement” – since the “UN good officer” process had gone nowhere.

And most interestingly, Guyana’s longest serving Foreign Service Minister – from the PNC – Rashleigh Jackson, had agreed.

Shall we bring in the new Sheriff?

…for rising crime

Did the word go out that with the new Sheriff for Public Protection, criminals have a free pass? Just because his first act was against the Police?

Celebrating the 49th anniversary of Guyana’s independence, the National Gallery of Art, located in Castellani House, has on display a beautiful array of abstract art, paintings and sculptures by distinguished Guyanese artists.

According to statements by Alim Hosein, Chairman of the Castellani House Management Committee, and Ohene Koama, Curator (ag), Castellani House, “the theme of ‘independence’…turns our attention to independentthinking artists whose works add a special dimension to the National Collection.”

Works by veteran artists such as Philip Moore, Carl Anderson, Stanley Greaves, George Simon, Oswald Hussein, Donald Locke, Terence Roberts, Aubrey Williams, and many others, are wonderfully exhibited at Castellani House, located at Vlissengen Road and Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown.

The exhibition con-

tinues to July 18, 2015. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday from 10:00 hours to 17:00 hours, and Saturday from 14:00 hours to 18:00 hours. The gallery is closed on Sundays and holidays. Admission is free. (Photos courtesy of Castellani House)

The Shaping of Guyanese Literature An interview with Imam Baksh Burt Award for Caribbean Literature winner

Part II of III

By PetamBer Persaud

(Extract of an interview with Imam Baksh, Georgetown, Guyana, May 2015, just after he received first prize in the Burt Award for Caribbean Literature. The Burt Award is a recent literary award. It is designed to benefit literature in the Caribbean by hosting writers’ workshops, handsomely rewarding the best writing for young adults in the region. It also provides new material for readers and educators, and work for publishers, booksellers and educators. The award ensures manuscripts are published by Caribbean publishers, and books printed in the thousands are distributed in the Caribbean and wider society.)

PP Earlier you talked about reading and how essential it is to read, to read what you want to write because nothing is wrong with imitating the masters as it were. Two issues: what were you reading meaning the type of literature you were interested in, and, did your reading influence your writing?

IB I was always attracted to stories that explored things. So one of the first sets of books I had as a child and that I treasured most were the books that tell you how a child lives in other countries like Malaysia and how they would tap rubber. There was another one about how they used to round up sheep on his father’s farm in New Zeeland. These things attracted me. There was a whole new world out there that I know little or nothing about. Then there was a series of books about two brothers who used to go the South Seas or the Amazon, or the Congo….catching gorillas or giant iguanas. I couldn’t do these things but they were doing them for me, so those books I treasured.

Along the way, I discovered I was attracted to the fantastic – things that bent reality or broke reality. And this is very innocent – you find it in children stories all the time. We read fairy tales and there is magic; Cinderella and there is magic, Pinocchio – magic. All those children stories are filled with magic. Magic is motivating. And the monster and the beast like the beast in “Beauty and the Beast”. Or the dragon. And you would have to fight these beasts/monsters/dragons. And just the idea of fighting these monsters was fun.

PP One of the biggest attractions right now is the Harry Potter series…

IB The Harry Potter series is a good example –there are the mentors and monsters and witches and wizards etc. When I was ten or eleven, I discovered Stephen King. My mother though he would drive me crazy, she said it would poison my mind.

I also started reading about the same time, military and spy thrillers like Alistair McLean; these were fast-paced stuff. It was something looked down on, what people called pulp fiction, no serious thoughts in them but I found them absolutely interesting and enjoyable.

From Stephen King, I branched out into writers like Neil Gaiman – he wrote comic books at first. I love comics: the superheroes – Superman, Batman. And then there were other creations that were not superheroes like the fantasies.

PP All this while you were developing as a writer because you were able to tell what worked or what did not work in a story.

IB Like analysing the work?

PP Yes

IB One thing that helped was that I ended up a UG and considering teaching as a career, so I did a degree in English and I learned a lot by way of studying English Literature where I read a whole lot of books that I would not normally read. As I said before I am attracted to the action oriented stories – so here I was in a classroom setting reading “The Colour Purple” or “Their eyes were watching god”; stories without too much fight scenes, focusing on the realities of life… but I still enjoyed those books, although I would not have picked those books up on my own. In the middle of all that, you go back and study the critics all the way Aristotle to the Russian to Jacques Derrida the deconstructionist …

PP Post-modernist…

IB And you see certain things in literature are cyclical – one generation emphasizes reality, the following generation says no, reality is too plain, let’s dress it up and then the next generation says you’ve

gone too far, let’s go back to reality...so there are these ups and downs …

PP …moving in cycles not unlike the trend in fashion…I am glad you raised this point because this is happening in all art forms where the ‘artists’ are going back to ancient times and traditions imitating and merging with contemporary trends.

Lots of categories wherein to work. What’s your particular area or areas of interest in writing?

IB I’ve always been a fan of mythology and futurist stuff, which seems like the two ends of a spectrum. A lot of time I write and try to bring the two ends together where you will see mythological characters popping up in some form in the future time because they are so enduring, lasting through the ages. If you look at ancient stories like Ram and Seeta or Anancy or the Roman and Greek Gods of Jupiter or Zeus and their many children and the different ways they come into conflict with each other. So I put some of that stuff into this book because I love the action and drama from mythology and bring everything forward into the future ….

PP Now let’s look at your book, ‘Children of the Spider’, against all that we’ve discussed so far….

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com (TO BE CONTINUED)

Scenes from the opening of the 11th Parliament

Make Mabaruma a place to visit

Mabaruma, in north-west Guyana, was built high above the forest on an enormous hillock of green. Up there, running along the ridge, is an avenue of stately rubber trees, and a pleasing sprawl of orchards, paddocks, and tiny wooden farms.

Located in Region One (Barima/Waini), Mabaruma is approximately one and a half hour flight from Georgetown. It is also located near the Venezuela border.

One of Mabaruma’s attractions is the Kissing Rocks. The hike from the main road of Mabaruma to the

Kissing Rocks takes approximately 45 minutes by foot. During this hike it's likely that you'll hear and perhaps even spot some monkeys climbing in the trees surrounding the path. Once there you can cool down in the river.

It is said that each person of a couple would stand on one rock and lean to try to kiss their partner, if they could reach it meant that their relationship would be a successful one. There are other stories, tales and myths associated with the Kissing Rocks.

A large population of indigenous persons continue to live off the land in Mabaruma.

Trinidad: Top cop’s son in court

PORT-OFSPAIN, TRINIDAD:

Police Constable Justin Abraham, son of veteran crime fighter Senior Superintendent Johnny Abraham, appeared before a Tunapuna magistrate on Monday charged with misbehaviour in public office.

The constable, who has a six- year career in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), appeared before Magistrate Gillian David Scotland in the First Court.

He was also charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and demanding money by menace.

The charges were laid indictably and he was not called upon to enter a plea.

PC Abraham, 26, from Caparo, was represented by attorney Taradath Singh.

After submissions to the court, bail was granted at TT$350,000 to cover all charges and the matter is expected to resume on July 6.

Speaking to the media after the matter was called, Senior Supt Abraham of the Central Division, who was in court to support his son, said he had faith in the

justice system to exonerate his son from all allegations.

While he described the situation as “unfortunate” he said that since the matter was before the courts, he must allow due process to follow its course and could not comment further.

PC Abraham was charged with the offences on Sunday morning after he was positively pointed out during an identification parade on Saturday night at the Port of Spain CID building on St Vincent Street, Port of Spain.

Charges were said to have been laid by Sgt Daniel of the TTPS’s Professional Standards Bureau.

According to sources, investigations were launched into the actions of the constable fol-

lowing reports of an incident at Aquarius Bar in Tunapuna on May 30, where it was alleged he had a confrontation with another man.

Following this incident, the man left the bar and made his way home, but the constable allegedly followed him to his home in Arouca.

At the home, the two men engaged in another confrontation in which it was further alleged that the constable reversed into the man’s gate. The man demanded reimbursement for this action, but the constable allegedly told the man whom he was and dared him to make a report to the police.

The confrontation soon became physical, and it is alleged the man slapped the constable. The constable in turn allegedly held the man by his neck before pushing him away. It is alleged as well that the constable pulled out his personal firearm and fired shots into the air as a warning.

The man went inside his home and the officer left the scene.

A short while later, the man went to Tunapuna Police Station where he made a report on the alleged incident. (TT Guardian)

Fifa fiasco may affect TT polls

PORT-OFSPAIN, TRINIDAD:

Political analyst Maukesh Basdeo says the current Fifa scandal involving Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner and subsequent allegations about his financing of the United National Congress (UNC) in 2010 could make a huge impact on voters, thus affecting the results of a poll showing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar leading in the Barataria/ San Juan constituency.

The poll, which was conducted before the scandal broke by H.H.B and Associates and featured on the On the Margin show on CNC3 last night, indicated that 42.8 per cent of constituents polled in the area felt PersadBissessar would make the best Prime Minister.

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley was voted the best option

for Prime Minister by 30.6 per cent of respondents while Warner trailed behind with eight per cent.

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Basdeo said current issues involving Warner and allegations against the PM would impact the results.

“These polls represent a snapshot in time but opinions can change with new information,” Basdeo said, adding the issues, including criminal charges against Warner and ongoing public statements from both Warner and the People’s Partnership members were very serious issues.

“If a similar poll was conducted this or next week, the results would change.”

He said there was no way to know how the news would affect voters.

He added: “The scenarios would change. We can only speculate but the new info would

have an impact.

“The central figure is Mr Warner. There could be a sympathy vote for Warner... that eight per cent could evaporate.

“There could be a decrease but if there is a decrease, the question is where would those votes go. The percentage decrease would result in an increase for someone else, whether Dr Rowley or the Prime Minister.”

Another analyst, Dr Bishnu Ragoonath, had a different view.

“The results of the poll may not necessarily change but people may start to challenge Mr Warner’s credibility.

“It would not create any significant impact on the ratings of the Prime Minister at this time,” Ragoonath said. He added that whatever the polls said at the moment only represented what was occurring at that present time. (TT Guardian)

A rhythmic slave - Jamaican Grace Jones; model, artiste

KINGSTON,

JAMAICA: The avant garde world was blessed with its share of characters in the 1970s: Andy Warhol, Lou Reed and Jamaican Grace Jones.

The Spanish Townborn singer was a big part of global pop culture in the late 1970s into the late 1980s. After relocating to Syracuse, New York as a pre-teen, Jones become a model and was later immersed in the punk/new wave music scene.

She is best known for club hits including 'That's the Trouble',

'Sorry', 'Pull Up to the Bumper', 'Slave to the Rhythm', 'My Jamaican Guy' and 'Sex Drive'.

This year marks 30 years since Jones released 'Slave to the Rhythm', her seventh studio album. It was distributed by Island Records and has sold over one million copies worldwide.

It is among Jones' most successful albums in terms of sales, doing well in Europe. Slave to The Rhythm reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart in November 1985, peaked at number 73 on the

Billboard 200 Albums Chart and number 25 on the R&B Album Chart.

The title song was a major hit and is Jones' biggest chart success. It went number 20 on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart and number one on the Dance Music Club Play Chart.

Jones also made an impact in Hollywood, starring in films such as the James Bond flick, A View to a Kill, the comedy Boomerang which also starred Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry and Conan the Destroyer.

Her last studio album was 2008's Hurricane.

Last year, she recorded the song, 'Original Beast', for the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack.

BBC Films, the film arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation, recently announced that it is backing a documentary on Jones. Titled Grace Jones... The Musical of My Life, the project is being co-financed by BFI Film Fund and the Irish Film Board. It has been in the pipeline for seven years.

James Wilson and Katie Holly are co-producers of the documentary. (Jamaica Observer)

Destra wins Canadian award

PORT-OFSPAIN, TRINIDAD:

Soca artiste Destra Garcia won the Best International Act (Caribbean) at the 2015 Black Canadian Awards on Saturday at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Canada. This is the second

year running that Garcia has captured the award the nominees of which this year included fellow Trinidadian acts Benjai and Farmer Nappy.

Garcia posted on her Facebook Page; “We won again this one is for all my dedicated and loving fans. I love you so much.”

The other nomi-

nees were popular internationally acclaimed acts Gyptian (Jamaica), Chronixx (Jamaica), Etana (Jamaica) and Charles Jahfaa (Haiti).

This enhances Garcia's accomplishment and signals that soca music is really coming of its own in North America where reggae music was always the dominant Caribbean genre in the United States and Canada including the West Indian communities in these places.

Garcia beat out these artistes to win.

The Black Canadian Awards focusses on showcasing and celebrating the achievements, successes and cultural/ artistic expressions of Canadians and others of African descent. The award ceremony and other activities surrounding the event are organised by the Diversity Advancement Network under the direction of Canadian businessman, Paul Ade. (TT Express)

TT set to be big player in tourism

PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD: TT is working closely with its tourist industry partners across the Caribbean to develop and strengthen capacity, said Samdai Rampersad, deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism.

She was speaking at a TT-sponsored Allied Awards Luncheon held during the 42nd Caribbean Week New York at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan.

Rampersad told conference delegates while TT was “a bit of a latecomer” in the tourism game, it was poised to be a big

player in the region.

“We are happy to be part to the dialogue, to be part of the discussions, to be part of the way forward,” she said.

“We invite you all to come to TT, see what we have to offer—a growing economy, an economy that is buoyant, that withstood the recession of 2008-2009.

“We are preparing for an election, but we are making good progress, good strides in diversification and good tourism success.”

Rampersad said the islands of Trinidad and Tobago “complement each other very well.”

“We have a very buoyant economy which is doing very well these days and there is a lot of structural development intended to support our tourism thrust. We have heard a lot over the past two days about the strides that have been made in our visitor arrivals. We have heard so much about Cuba’s coming into the game.

“We are very well positioned to deal with all of the challenges that can prop up as a Caribbean region.” (TT Guardian)

Jamaica’s Youth Minister says thanks on Instagram

KINGSTON, JAMAICA

- Youth and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna expressed gratitude after escaping major injuries in a motor vehicle collision Sunday night.

The incident is reported to have occurred near the Spanish Town exit of Highway 2000 as the minister was heading into Kingston. She was a passenger in one of the motor vehicles.

"I want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers," she wrote in a post to her Instagram page.

"My driver and I are safely at home... No broken bones or fractures

but we have been asked to rest," she continued, insisting that that is a difficult task for her.

The minister said her thoughts and prayers are with the other people who had been involved in another crash and had been rushed to hospital before her collision.

Reports are that the motor vehicle Hanna was travelling in collided with a Honda Accord after it cut its speed upon approaching an accident on the highway.

The occupants of the Honda motorcar were also taken to hospital where they were reportedly treated and released. (Jamaica Observer)

Water crisis cripples Tobago tourism industry

PORT-OF-SPAIN,

TRINIDAD: The water crisis in Tobago is not only affecting residents but also hotels and beaches across the island, including Pigeon Point Heritage Park, along with ANR Robinson International Airport.

World-renowned Pigeon Point Beach turned away many tourists on Sunday as there was no water at the establishment.

Both locals and tourists were told at the security booth that the facility was closed due to no water.

Pigeon Point Heritage Park administrative assistant Marion Baynes confirmed the situation.

“Later in the afternoon on Sunday, a requested truck-borne water supply arrived and all tanks were filled. We are trying at this time to monitor usage of the wa-

ter supply at the facility,” Baynes said.

ANR Robinson International Airport was not spared as passengers in the domestic waiting area were greeted with signs of the toilet facilities being out of order over the weekend, due to a lack of water.

Airport officials told the media this problem existed during the entire dry season, when the toilet facilities were closed intermittently because there was no water.

“There were some changes in the plumbing system earlier this year, following ongoing repair works at the airport and, since then, the water problems have been consistent, adding to the already dry season,” said an official who asked not to be named.

Efforts to contact Leslie

Charles, deputy general manager of Operations at the airport, proved futile.

And several hotels and guest houses are also facing dry taps and some have closed their doors.

Others along Store Bay Local Road have been depending on truck-borne supplies to remain open.

One guest house owner told media operatives she has had to refund many of her customers.

“The situation is so bad along the western side of the island we have to resort to using our pool water to flush our toilets. The situation is nothing short of a disaster. We now depend on a truckborne supply,” the owner said.

A Tobago resident, who is a member of the protective services, said she is quite upset with WASA as the four tanks at her home were empty on Sunday.

“My taps are dry, I have no water. My husband and I have to either pay for water or find another area where there is a supply. We usually fill barrels,” she said.

Some residents of Mason Hall also complained there was no water in their taps, while villages such as Castara and Charlotteville had an irregular water supply.

Two weeks ago, head of WASA Tobago Raffie David claimed there was no water shortage in Tobago, but that is little comfort to those who are experiencing dry taps, with many tourists checking out of some hotels and guest houses on the island. (TT Express)

Jamaica records 5% increase in tourist arrivals - Minister McNeil

KINGSTON, JAMAICA:

Tourism and Entertainment Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill says Jamaica recorded a five per cent increase in overall visitor arrivals for the 2014/15 winter tourist season over the corresponding period last year.

Speaking at the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association's (JHTA) 54th annual general meeting and convention at Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay on Saturday, Dr McNeill said Jamaica recorded a 9.1 per cent increase in stopover arrivals from the United States, with 445,000 visitors coming from that country between January and April 2015.

This was 37,000 more than the corresponding period in 2014.

The minister said 61,670 visitors arrived from the United Kingdom, up from 48,363 last year, representing a 27.5 per cent increase, and described this as a "marked improvement over previous years."

He further said that

cruise ship passenger arrivals increased by 11.2 per cent for the period under review, compared to 2014.

The minister attributed these outturns to renewed and significant growth in the United States, Jamaica's largest source market, as well as the United Kingdom and Europe.

Dr McNeill said based on these figures, Jamaica should record a positive 2015 summer tourist season, with expectations high for the autumn, and 2015/16 winter periods, based on the continual upward trend in visitor ar -

rivals.

"The sector continues to perform well, even with the challenges we are having with the harsh (global) economic environment. We are building on the successes of 2014, which was, again, another record year for Jamaica in which we broke the two million (stopover arrivals) mark again," he pointed out.

Dr McNeill said the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is already promoting the 2015 autumn, and 2015/16 winter tourist seasons, while advising of plans for the island to have a

continuous, year-round tourist season without the traditional breaks.

He also commended the JHTA on its role in and contribution to Jamaica's achievement of its tourism performance targets, noting that the public/private partnership facilitating this "is now bearing fruits".

"A large part of the work that goes into bringing those arrivals to Jamaica is done by the people in this room, and I want to thank each and every one of you," he added.

Meanwhile, Tourism Director Paul Pennicook in his presentation on the topic: 'The Changing Face of Travel and Tourism', urged industry stakeholders, particularly hoteliers, to become more responsive to market changes.

"What we are seeing in 2015 is a travel industry that is very different from the industry of a few years ago. As stakeholders, we need to embrace these challenges and determine how best to adjust our strategies and mindsets to continue to grow market shares," he stated.

During its awards luncheon, the JHTA recognised a number of industry stakeholders, deemed to have distinguished themselves over the past year.

Notable among these was Sandals Resorts International chief executive officer and JHTA second vice president, Adam Stewart, who was named 2014/15 Hotelier of the Year.

Other awardees included: Hotel Employee of the Year, Earl Cummings, Sandals Royal Caribbean; Hotel Manager/Supervisor of the Year, Marcia Morris, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel; and Tourism Employee of the Year, Christopher Bailey, Appleton Estate Rum Tour.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to tourism industry stalwart, Joyce Wright of Rondel Village in Negril, while the Abe Issa Award for Excellence went to Olympian, Alia Atkinson.

The International Airline Award was copped by Jet Blue; the Allied Members Service Awards, by purveyor, J Wray and Nephew/Campari; Local Transportation -- Tropical Tours; and Attraction -- Dolphin Cove.

(Jamaica Observer)

Spare the rod…

…and save the child?

The new Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, is a firm opponent of corporal punishment in schools. In fact, when the Special Select Committee of Parliament was reviewing the issue a few years ago, Minister Roopnaraine announced he was, “proud to be completely against corporal punishment in all its forms”.

He thinks corporal punishment actually pushes kids into violent behaviour and other ways have to be found to sanction children. For starters, counselling should be introduced in schools.

Now even before looking at the good Minister’s position, he himself might be interested in what his boss thinks about the subject. In a rather oleaginous interview in the new, presumably sanitised Chronicle, President Granger was asked about “caning” –whipping on the hands or buttocks with a three-foot, supple “wild cane” – during his days at Queens in the 60s.

Evidently, Granger with an ear to ear grin, said, “We took what they called six of the best, normally it was six strokes of the cane for misdemeanours; but we took it in our stride.” He said the occasional six strokes of the cane were not regarded as any form of cruel or corporal punishment.

“I don’t think we were psychologically damaged because of that,” said President Granger.” So it’s clear the President feels that corporal punishment is no big thing.

And when the previous Education Minister went around canvassing the country’s opinion most folks showing up at the hearing not only agreed with Granger, but actually said that corporal punishment was salutary when it comes to schoolchildren who broke the rules.

So the Bill that came out of the Committee kind of straddled the fence – it stipulated that discipline had to be imposed in line with the manual. But the manual doesn’t prohibit corporal punishment – even though the then Minister said she doesn’t “believe in” corporal punishment.

What to do? Well it looks like as with most things we’re on the issue that’s a case of “to each his own”. Each of the three persons cited above went to Queens College where caning was doled out regularly and yet the President differs with the others even though he appears to have been the only one who experienced the “cane”.

Guyana scholar Roopnaraine, who was three years ahead of Granger, and Manickchand it would seem have more of an “intellectual” bias against the “rod”.

Let the debate begin – once again. And let those who actually felt the cane of correction speak out this time!

…on Cummingsburg breaches?

Your humble Eyewitness is puzzled by how this Cummingsburg Accord between the AFC and APNU is supposed to work. Is it just a gentlemen’s agreement because the leader of the AFC Ramjattan said the leader of APNU was “an officer and a gentleman”?

But then there was a referee, so to speak, in the person of that respected academic Dr Harold Lutchman. He was supposed to settle any and all disputes.

But somehow no one seems willing to go to him even as supporters of the AFC – and even the APNU – are claiming that President Granger’s gone way beyond pushing the envelope on the Accord.

Take this last action where – in direct contravention of the agreement to have the Prime Minister chair the Cabinet – this was done on two occasions by President Granger. The first was excused as an informal, get-toknow-you muster of all 27 senior and junior Ministers.

But the second was a working session of the Cabinet. Yet the leader of the AFC says he’s OK with that because “he wanted to hear from the President”!

So what was the point of the Accord?

…on Wild West behaviour?

We know the Junior Minister of Social Cohesion used to work in the interior…which does have a “Wild West” flavour. But surely she should now take a look at her job title, no?

“Cohesion”?

Cat fights in culture

Satiricus was so excited. Here it was that as a newspaper hack for two decades, up to now he’s had to report on the “culture wars” going on in other countries. And of course, these countries were also dubbed “developed”.

US has its culture wars between the conservatives (“gay is bad”) and the liberals (“down with Bruce Jenner…up with Caitlyn Jenner”!). Even those yahoos in Australia had culture wars – and they couldn’t even pronounce the word “mate”.

Why the heck couldn’t we have a culture war. Jeez…didn’t we feel strongly about anything cultural? Was politics and ethnic voting the alpha and omega of Guyanese existence? Seemed to Satiricus, in addition to the humiliation of being “just above Haiti” economically, even that country could boast about a “culture war”.

Between those aspiring to the pretensions of the “Grand Blancs” and of course, the Creoles. But now we had a full-fledged culture war…Satiricus could now stop hanging his head down in shame, like Tom Dooley.

And the war was between two Titans (with a capital “T”) of Guyanese culture – Gruel Johnson and Barry Braffit. Over the last decade Gruel had kinda eclipsed Barry on the culture scene. But Barry was more of a roots man and was involved in a bit of this and a bit of that so he was able to keep his head above water.

Gruel, on the other hand, insisted on being a pen pusher and so was at the mercy of those who could print the aforementioned scribblings. Or more often, not.

His battles against the Press Baron were legendary…no quarter was shown. Barry on the other hand, was more measured. Being a couple of decades older than Gruel, maybe the result of experience….Or as Gruel claims…just plain old, selling out to the master?

So Barry pointed out that Gruel had also done his share of selling out and sucking up to the Baron. And Gruel countered that Barry was just sticking up for another culture club member who didn’t have the guts to come out into the open because she had been feeding big time at the Baron’s trough. And paying off Barry on the side.

If by now you think this is just an old cat fight between two ageing Queens, and where’s the “culture war”? you’d be wrong. Very wrong. In culture it’s all about words.

This seemingly petty mudslinging, more suitable for fishmongers, is called a “trope” by these members of the literati. What you see is just “signifying” very deep cultural concerns.

As you can tell by their allusions to words like “Cerberus”, “discourse”, “Brutus” and so on….

You mean you don’t know about those things, you from the great unwashed masses?

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Guyana’s 2015 elections have led to a change in government. Some have argued that it might be a good thing for a change at this time. The ABC countries seem to embrace this notion.

Guyana has developed tremendously in the last two decades. The GDP is ten times larger than it was in 1992; it is more than US$3.1B today, compared to less than US$300M in 1992. Total external debt at the end of 2014 amounted to US$1.2B compared to US$2.1B in 1992; the present external debt to GDP is 39.5 per cent, far below the 750 per cent it was in 1992. The new administration must at the minimum commit to keep Guyana on this trajectory.

The new government has decided that making what we have better is not their approach. They have decided on reform and investigations. They definitely seem to embrace a totally different approach, just to show that they are different from the PPP/C.

There is nothing wrong in wanting to distinguish itself from the PPP/C, but the new APNU+AFC administration must understand that doing things differently must keep Guyana on an upward trajectory of development, not on revenge and humiliation.

The PPP/C Government has ensured that should economic growth continue throughout 2015, it would be the 10th successive year in which Guyana experienced economic growth, at an average of about 4.5 per cent.

This is the longest continuous period of economic growth ever in our history. It is the longest period of economic growth in any Caricom country.

Even though it is early yet, we already have the signals of a very authoritarian administration. Police officers have been terminated without the involvement of the Police Service Commission.

The Public Service Commission, an independent authority created by the Constitution, just like the Police Service Commission, has been ordered to suspend its work. It has been told in writing that it must cease all operations to fill public service vacancies, an important part of its functions.

According to the

Times

Minister with responsibility for labour, she was mandated to instruct the Public Service Commission to suspend its activities by the President himself.

A number of persons whose appointment and or termination are supposed to be through boards have had their appointments terminated through ministers. The CEO and the board of GuySuCo were terminated by ministerial directive upon Cabinet instructions.

In many cases persons are terminated, not only without notice and without adherence to statutory requirements, but are sent home without their benefits.

The new government is flexing its muscles. It is demonstrating that it has no patience for working in partnership with any authority. Authorities like the Police Service Commission, the Public Service Commission and Boards were established to ensure distributive power and transparency and to promote accountability.

Already, they are being pushed aside as the government even at this

early stage seemed determined to establish an environment which reflects its propensity for strong-armed authoritarian rule.

There is real fear stalking the land. Crime has increased and the new Minister of Public Security is busy firing Police officers and deciding who he wants to go where.

Some of the crimes are being committed by people who openly declare that it is “awe time now”. The new administration which in opposition had all the answers has totally ignored the increase in piracy affecting fishermen.

It is time that this new government gets on with the business at hand – protect our people from the criminals. Instead they seem to want to address reforms; just for the sake of showing they are doing something different.

The economy has grounded to a halt. Look around the business places – in Georgetown and in other places and see how slow business has become. The question is why. The answer lies in uncertainty.

People are scared since they see their family being fired or sidelined. People see a government which appears more focused on seeing who it would take revenge on and who it will humiliate, rather than getting on with the business of keeping Guyana moving forward.

The 2015 General Elections are in the books. The courts will have to determine whether the elections were fair or not. But the business of the country must not become yet again a victim of a government that is so consumed with humiliating its opponents that it has forgotten its mandate is to lead Guyana forward in development. It has been a bad start, but it is still early and the new administration still can ensure that it embraces the vast opportunities before it to make Guyana an upper middle income country, with standards of living that is far better than any of us could imagine. Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times.notebook@gmail. com.

Laverene Cox to get wax statue at Madame Tussauds

Actress and reality TV star Laverene Cox will be the first transgender to have her wax figure displayed at Madame Tussauds.

The "Orange Is the New Black" star's wax figure will make its debut on June 26 during Pride Weekend festivities, reported Aceshowbiz

"I am so deeply honored to have been asked to be part of the Madame Tussauds legacy," said Cox, after being announced to have her wax figure displayed at the museum.

Cox's likeness will sit at the Madame Tussauds in San Francisco with wax figures of other celebrities including Lady Gaga, George Clooney and Anne Hathaway.

The 'Grand Street' actress was grateful for the honor.

"I am so deeply honored to have been asked to be part of the Madame Tussauds legacy.

"When I think about being who I am, a black trans woman from a working class background raised in Mobile, Alabama, this honor feels even more improbable and extraordinary," said, the LGBT advocate.

Madame Tussauds San Francisco also posted a video on its YouTube channel showing Cox working with the museum's studio artists for her upcoming wax figure.

Cox has been the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the acting category.

She has been an outspoken advocate of LGBT community. (TOI)

Sofia-Joe to tie the knot soon

Actress Sofia Vergara will soon tie the knot with fiance Joe Manganiello.

The 'Hot Pursuit' actress said that her wedding with fiance Joe "is going to happen soon" in a "very secret place where nobody is going to find us," reported E!Online.

The actress looked all set to start a family with her fiance.

"Joe is younger than me. He is 38. He has never had kids.

How am I going to say no? I tell him if we are going to do this, we have to do it, like, now,

because I don't want to be 50 with a baby," Vergara said.

Vergara, 42, and 38-year-old Joe began dating in July 2014. The

Colombia-born actress opened up about her relationship with the 'Magic Mike XXL' actor during an interview in August last year. (TOI)

Melanie Griffith, Banderas reunite for daughter's graduation

Actress Melanie Griffith and her ex-husband Antonio Banderas reunited at their daughter's Stella's high school graduation.

Melanie took to Instagram to share some photos from the celebration. One of the photos showed the 'Working Girl' actress posing alongside her former flame, reported Ace

Showbiz.

In the photo, Melanie, Stella and Antonio posed arm-in-arm. The 57-yearold actress wore a red sleeveless floral dress and gold sunglasses, her daughter donned a red gown while the 'Spy Kids' actor sported a white long-sleeved top and blue sunglasses.

"Mama, Stella and Papi. Our angel is amazing. Beginning the

Vanessa Hudgens' run on Broadway to end

'High School Musical' star Vanessa Hudgens's run on Broadway is coming to an end.

Her musical 'Gigi' is set to close later this month after she made her debut on the 'Great White Way' in April earlier this year, reported Contactmusic.

The revival of the

play, about a simple Parisian girl, who is trained to be a courtesan, received less-thanstellar reviews and only 30 per cent of its USD 1.3 million potential in the box office.

The show's producers announced the curtains will come down on 'Gigi' for the last time on June 21 after about 100 performances. (TOI)

Reese Witherspoon developing Wall Street comedy

Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon and Australian producer Bruna Papandrea's Pacific Standard Banner is developing a film adaptation of Maureen Sherry Klinsky's forthcoming novel Opening Belle.

The film is being adapted for Warner Bros, reports variety.com.

The novel, which is due to be published later this year, is loosely based

on Klinsky's real life experience working as a managing director at Bear Stearns, New York. It is a comic version of a woman juggling motherhood with a career at Wall Street in 2007, when she must deal with the impending financial crisis while raising three children.

Witherspoon and Papandrea formed Pacific Standard in 2012 in order to fill the vacuum for movies with female protagonists. They produced 'Wild', 'Gone Girl' and 'Hot Pursuit', and are also developing an adaptation of the novels Big Little Lies, The Engagements and The Outliers. (TOI)

Chris Pratt once worked as amateur stripper

Hollywood actor Chris Pratt, who will be seen in the action-adventure film Jurassic World, has confessed that he once worked as an amateur stripper.

Pratt, 35, opened up about his struggling past in the July issue of The Red Bulletin, reported aceshowbiz.com. "I was always a very much naked person. I loved to always get naked," the Guardians of the Galaxy star said.

"I was very free, so I thought, 'I may as well get paid.' "

The 35-year-old actor dropped out of college in his first semester. Since then, he sought a job

next chapter of her life! Freedom!!" she captioned it.

She also posted a photo of her hugging Stella. In the photo, Melanie noticeably covered her "Antonio" tattoo with bandage.

Melanie added a photo of Antonio hugging Stella along with caption, "Father and daughter celebrating at Bacclaureate luncheon! So sweet!!"

In another picture, Stella could be seen posing alongside her father and her family. She wore a black-and-navy dress, while her brother Alexander and father Antonio donned suits.

Melanie, who filed for divorce from Antonio in 2014, also shared a photo of her posing with her three children including Dakota Johnson. (TOI)

that could support himself. His job as a discount ticket agent was shortlived which led him to work as a stripper. He dubbed himself a "cheap Magic Mike" because he was paid US$40 for each performance.

The actor also admitted that his career

in Hollywood didn't go smoothly. He once auditioned for Avatar, but failed to make the cut. "That's just one of the movies I auditioned for and didn't get. I wasn't getting any parts. None! I tried for almost every movie you didn't see me in," he told the magazine.

Pratt is currently busy promoting the highly-anticipated 'Jurassic World' which will be released in the US on June 12. The movie features Chris Pratt, joined by Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jake Johnson, Ty Simpkins, Judy Greer, Omar Sy and Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan. (TOI)

Zoe Saldana's husband takes her last name

'Aname after they secretly got married two years ago. The "Guardians of the Galaxy" actress made the revelation in

a magazine which featured her on the cover, reported Ace Showbiz. The 36-year-old actress said she initially rejected her Italian artist husband's decision to become Marco Saldana.

"I tried to talk him out of it. I told him, 'If you use my name, you're going to be emasculated by your community of artists, by your Latin community of men, by the world,' " she said Saldana and Perego tied the knot in the summer of 2013. The couple welcomed twin boys Cy and Bowie back in November 2014. (TOI)

Aamir Khan says he’s a relaxed parent

Aamir Khan, who has lent his voice to the character of the dog Pluto Mehra in the family drama Dil Dhadakne Do, on a dysfunctional family, says he believes in being a friend to his children.

Asked about the kind of parent he is, the father of three told IANS: "I am a very relaxed parent and believe in trusting my children and in teaching them what I know and what I have learnt in life. Then I trust them to take the right decisions in their life.

"I believe there should be a lot of trust and faith in the relationship of parents and children... a child must feel relaxed and be happy to share whatever they want to share -- their concerns, fears, dreams... they should be able to share it all with you."

Aamir is a doting father to sons Junaid and Azad Rao and daughter Ira. (TOI)

Ranbir-Katrina to wed in 2016

Ranbir Kapoor has finally confirmed his relationship with Katrina Kaif after years of dodging media speculations and according to IANS, he also revealed that he will marry her by the end of

2016. The actor, who is usually guarded about his personal life and his closeness with Katrina even as they continued to be spotted together, opened up about the actress in an interview to Anandabazar Patrika.

Always a pleasure to work with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Jackie Shroff

A"This year both of us are extremely busy, so there won't be any time for the marriage. We have planned to tie the knot by the end of next year. Both of us have agreed on that," the report quoted Ranbir.

He was further quoted saying, "Both of us are sure about our relationship and if we don't open about it now, it would be showing disrespect to the relationship. I am 33 now and it is time I have my family. Even Katrina wants that. I have grown up in a family where film is everything. So, I know the importance of gossip and my funda is simple. When there is gossip, try not to react and it is advisable not to think too much about yourself."

(TOI)

Deepali Sathe is the new kid on the Bollywood playback singing block

If you've heard the song 'Yeh kaisi jagah' from Hamari Adhuri Kahani, if it made you hum, then you surely must have wondered whose lilting voice it is. It's Deepali Sathe, the new rising sensation in the Bollywood music world. Deepali has already lent her voice to the song 'Daingad' in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, and can't stop gushing about her experience of having worked with music composer Jeet Gannguli.

"This isn't the first time I've sung for Jeet

da. I first worked with him for a Bengali track 'Janemon' for Herogiri," says Deepali. Jeet liked her voice so much that he called her for 'Yeh kaisi jagah'. "I got to know that Jeet da told Mahesh and Mukesh Bhattji that he was gifting them a fresh and new voice in this film and had praised me a lot too. He also told me that this is the most important song of my career and will prove to be a turning point for me. So frankly, I was nervous and excited all at the same time while recording the song. But at

the time of recording, Jeet da helped me and narrated the story to me about a woman being in a dilemma because she is happy being in love but at the same time, she is already married to someone else. It really made me get into the mood of the number and I could sing it well," she says.

Deepali isn't new to the music world. She started crooning at the raw age of three during Sai samiti bhajans and live shows. She started mingling people in the music industry including Udit Narayan with whom she sang a duet, Asha Bhosle, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Khayyam, Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan, Suresh Wadkar among others who were her judges at the reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

The singer then went on to lend her voice to the title tracks of shows like Vaari Apne Piya Pe Vaari, Main Lakshmi Tere Angan Ki and Jodhaa Akbar before moving on to playback singing for Hindi films. (TOI)

ctor Jackie Shroff, who will share screen space with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in ‘Jazbaa’ years after featuring with her in ‘Devdas’, enjoys working with the former beauty queen whom he considers a “fantastic actress”.

“It’s always a pleasure to work with Aishwarya. She’s a fantastic actress and a lovely lady and my little B’s (Abhishek Bachchan) wife,” Jackie said.

“I think we have the same kind of tuning, we think the same way. It’s

a beautiful feeling to be working with her,” he added.

Sanjay Gupta’s ‘Jazbaa’ has made news as Aishwarya’s comeback film, and it also grabbed eyeballs when its first look was launched at the Cannes International Film Festival earlier this year. The film also stars Irrfan Khan and Shabana Azmi.

Jackie is yet to begin shooting for the film, but he will start work on it June 21. (Indian Express)

Aanand L Rai confirms Salman Khan's rejection to play dwarf

Director Aanand L Rai has confirmed that superstar Salman Khan turned down an offer to play a dwarf in his next film. But he says "it's all part and parcel" of the business. The Raanjhanaa director confirmed the report on Tuesday night at the success bash of 'Tanu Weds Manu' Returns here.

"You're in a business, you tell stories, you work on films, you work on the scripts, you go to your actors. Sometimes they like it, sometimes they don't. It's a part and parcel of your game," Rai said. Rai, who is known

for his content-driven and women-centric movies, made headlines with Tanu Weds Manu in 2011. Later, he followed up the success with Raanjhanaa.

Currently, Rai is busy

enjoying and celebrating the success of Tanu Weds Manu Returns as the movie has been appreciated by audiences and critics alike and has already grossed over Rs 100 crore. (TOI)

Karan Johar: I am incapable of directing 'Brothers'

Filmmaker Karan Johar, who has once again teamed up with director Karan Malhotra for their upcoming film 'Brothers', said he is incapable of helming such a film. Brothers, produced by Dharma Productions, is an official Hindi remake of 2011 Hollywood release Warrior that essayed story of two estranged brothers.

"Today audience prefer films that are entertaining. Content matters a lot irrespective of the genre. I am happy that at Dharma Productions, we are making all kinds of films. We are excited about Brothers and proud to be associated with Akshay Kumar and Jackie Shroff," Karan told reporters at the trailer launch of 'Brothers'. In the film, Akshay and actor Sidharth Malhotra play on-screen brothers who will battle out each other in a martial arts tournament.

"I don't know about Martial arts... I am incapable of directing a film like Brothers. I can't make a film like this. Karan (Malhotra) has done a brilliant job. This film will see never-before-seen avatar of Jackie, Akshay, Sidharth and Jacqueline Fernandez," he said. Karan and Malhotra have earlier worked in Hrithik Roshan-starrer Agneepath.

As a producer, Karan insists he is not running behind any one particular

genre but his focus is on content. The director, who is known for his family dramas, said Indian cinema has seen many movies made on siblings. Karan and Akshay are teaming up for the first time with the project. The duo was earlier supposed to work on a film that was to be directed by Punit Malhotra but things did not materialise. "It is not about making right film but a better film. I am happy and proud that Akshay is a part of Brothers," he said. When asked Akshay whether actors cut down on remuneration to do a content-driven film, he said actors should turn producers. 'Brothers' is slated to release on August 14, 2015. (TOI)

CPL: Fudadin looks forward to debut

Out of favour

Windies Test

batsman Assad Fudadin is anxiously awaiting his Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) debut after being snapped up by the Guyana Amazon Warriors during the 2015 draft.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to represent the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the first time,” the 29-year-old Fudadin said.

The batsman, who was selected in the 15th round for US$5000, will

be one of those looking to add firepower to a squad that has found itself in second position for the last two editions of the tournament.

Fudadin will be joined by Australia’s Brad Hodge, West Indies veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera and local superstars Devendra Bishoo and Paul Wintz as the newcomers in the Amazon Warriors outfit.

“It will be a good experience for me, since I

will get the opportunity to mix with a few international players, who are specialised in oneday cricket, so it will be a good opportunity for me to experience and I want to thank the management unit for putting their faith in me,” he said.

Other members of the squad include Trinidad’s Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin and Guyana’s Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul and Ronsford Beaton. (Digicel Sportsmax)

TT’s Ammon makes Davis Cup team

PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD:

Ethan Ammon will make his Davis Cup debut next month after placing second when the four-day trials concluded Sunday at Tranquillity Tennis Club, Victoria Avenue, Port of Spain.

The United Statesbased 17-year-old won four of his six matches in the straight round-robin tournament.

Dexter Mahase, who also won four times but lost to Ammon, and Tobagonians Vaughn Wilson and Akiel Duke also made the team for American Zone Group III of the world’s premier male team tennis competition, which will take place on clay courts from July 20-25 in Panama.

Wilson, who has already played Davis Cup on four occasion, impressively won the trials as he beat all six opponents and was only challenged in two matches.

The 22-year-old national champion was made to work to defeat Ammon 6-3, 6-4 and had to pull out all the stops to nose out two-time Davis Cup player Richard Chung 3-6, 6-3, 7-6.

Mahase, a member of the Davis Cup team about a decade ago, managed just two games against Wilson, while Jovani Lewis and Duke, who made their Davis Cup debuts last year, notched three and four, respectively.

Ammon defeated Lewis, Mahase, Chung and Jerome Ward in straight set, but the 2010 doubles champ of the ITF (International Tennis Federation) 13 & Under Development

Championships went under in straight sets against Wilson and was edged 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 by Duke.

Mahase, who only returned to competition last year after an absence of over five years, also had four wins. But his only straight-forward victory was against Ward as he needed three sets to get by Duke, Lewis and gain revenge over Chung, who had beaten him in straight sets in March in the quarterfinals of the Tranquillity Open.

The 21-year-old Duke got past Lewis, Ward and Ammon, to clinch the final place ahead of Chung.

Just as he had done when they met in the final of the “Tranquil”, Chung beat Duke again in straight sets (7-5, 6-2). The former national champ also took out Lewis, but blew his chance to make the team for the third time when he was stunned 5-7. 6-1, 6-2 by Ward.

Ward, who recently returned home after being in the United States for over five years, also took down Lewis as the

left hander failed to win a match.

However three members of this year’s team— Mahase, Duke and Ammon —are left-handed.

The nine participating countries—Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Paraguay, TT, Panama—will be placed in two round-robin groups.

The two from each group will advance to the knockout phase and the winners of the two semifinals will be promoted to American Zone Group II next year.

Trials results: Wilson bt Duke 6-1, 6-3; bt Lewis 6-1, 6-2; bt Ammon 6-3, 6-4; bt Mahase 6-2, 6-0; bt Chung 3-6, 6-3, 7-6; bt Ward 6-1, 6-0. Ammon bt Lewis 6-3, 6-2; bt Mahase 6-1, 7-6; bt Chung 6-3, 7-6; bt Ward 7-6, 6-2.

Mahase bt Duke 6-3, 3-6, 6-1; bt Lewis 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; bt Chung 3-6, 6-2, 6-4; bt Ward 6-2, 6-1. Ward bt Lewis 6-0, 6-1; bt Chung 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

Chung bt Duke 7-5, 6-2; bt Lewis 7-5, 7-5. (TT Express)

GABF names 16-man delegation for CBC Championships

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has named a 16-man delegation for the 2015 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Men’s Championships, starting next week in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

The squad to be captained by Akeem Kanhai includes Dave Causway, Travis Burnett, Shelroy Thomas, Jermaine Slater, Ryan Gullen, Jason Squires, Keron McKenzie, Gordon James, Rudy James, Chris Williams and Ryan Stephney.

The travelling officials are Head Coach Darcel Harris, Assistant Coach Marlon Rodrigues, Manager Troy Greene and Assistant Manager Junior Hercules.

Training sessions for the players contin-

ue at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall twice daily from 08:00h and 20:00h, with the final practice session set for Friday.

The team will depart Guyana on Saturday, and will play Antigua and Barbuda on Monday. The other teams in Guyana’s group are Bahamas, Bermuda and Suriname.

In preparation for the championships, Guyana hosted Bermuda in an

Invitational Series in March, which Guyana won 3-0. In early May, the Guyanese lost a Challenge Series in Suriname with the host nation winning 2-1.

Guyana is seeking to improve on the fifth place achievement at the 2014 CBC Championships, where the Guyanese finished ahead of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

SCA Women’s cricket tournament bowls off

-Canadian-based Guyanese Deo Samaroo welcomes teams…

By RavendRa Madholall

TORONTO, CANADA:

The inaugural Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) Women’s T20 cricket tournament bowled off on Sunday at the Ashtonbee ground with two matches.

President of the Association and Canadian-based Guyanese Deo Samaroo was on hand to welcome the four participating teams while Member of Parliament Rathika Sitsabaiesan of ScarboroughRouge River also attended.

Superstars defeated Kaisoca Women Cricket Club

A team while the SCA Junior Under-13 side got the better of Kaisoca B team in the first round fixtures.

The action will continue on Sunday at the same venue with two more matches while two other teams have expressed their interest to participate .

District, stated that she was not too familiar with cricket but learned few things about basic bowling and is heartened to be given the opportunity to bowl off the commencement of the competition.

Main sponsor of the competition Krishna Sarju of Caribbean Restaurant also in Scarborough took the opportunity to say that he was thrilled to come on board and when approached by the SCA, there was no hesitation and expressed happiness to display his generosity.

Other executive members were presented and promised to continue with the great degree of commitment including Vice-President Bisham Singh, Secretary Eon Gunraj, Treasurer Vish Jadunauth and Assistant Ground Coordinator Francis Mathew.

“I [am] very thrilled to see the involvement of women’s cricket in our Association for the very first time; I must commend the ladies to take up the

Samaroo, in his opening remarks, thanked his fellow executives of the SCA for this initiative to have a tournament for women’s cricket and is very optimistic it will be successful upon completion of the season in early September.

challenges and play the game in good spirit. Great job by my executives to see the action gets cracking and I am very hopeful it will continue to be very successful,” Samaroo declared.

Sitsabaiesan extended con-

gratulations to the SCA for having women’s cricket tournaments and feels this version of the game is undoubtedly exciting and entertaining.

Nancy Lowes, who is the Manager for Parks and Golf Courses in Scarborough

Other special invitees including Archie Mohan of Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club and Kim Sue of the Ontario Softball Cricket League echoed similar sentiments to the SCA on bringing out the ladies to the ground.

Sir Andy, Gayle praise Pietersen

CASTRIES, ST LUCIA:

Legendary West Indian fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts believes the St Lucia Zouks stand to gain from Kevin Pietersen’s England omission as he prepares to play in the Caribbean Premier League while superstar batsman Chris Gayle says the embattled middle order batsman should be representing England in all forms of the game.

Pietersen had been hoping for an international recall after last being selected for England during the 2013-14 Ashes Tour in Australia.

However, his prospects of a come-back on the English team suffered a setback when new director of cricket Andrew Strauss told him he would not play for England again this summer.

“Once Kevin Pietersen comes to St Lucia Zouks and prepares to play his part, I don’t think he’ll have a problem with anybody,” said Roberts.

“He didn’t have any problems with any of us last year when he came for two matches. I found he helped and he looked to help some of the youngsters. They had a few conversations with him and some have seen wisdom in what he’s said.”

Pietersen will represent the Zouks for the second time after turn-

ing out for St Lucia in the latter stages of the Caribbean’s Twenty20 competition last year.

Gayle has added his voice to debate on the controversial English batsman who was sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board after last year’s whitewash Ashes defeat in Australia.

The record-breaking batsman was hoping for a recall to the England side after apparent preseason encouragement from new ECB chairman Colin Graves.

But even after his maiden triple-century for Surrey on Monday, he was informed within hours by England director of cricket Andrew Strauss that there is no imminent prospect of him playing for England again.

“He should be playing for England, there are no

chris Gayle... added his voice to debate on the controversial English batsman Kevin Pietersen

two ways about it,” said Gayle.

“They (the ECB) must have their reasons but we would love to see your best player in action, out in the middle, entertaining. It doesn’t matter what format – Test, 50over, Twenty20 – he’s a class player”.

Strauss was Pietersen’s Test captain in 2012, when he discovered the batsman had sent “provocative” texts about him to opposition players from their native South Africa.

Strauss has confirmed that Pietersen is “not part of our plans” for the Ashes summer citing a “massive trust issue” between himself and the 34-year-old cricketer.

“One of the best players England has ever produced. But it’s your loss. KP is looking forward to the CPL. England don’t

want him? We will take him,” said Gayle who took his tally in three NatWest T20 Blast innings to 328 as Somerset

defeated Hampshire by eight wickets last Friday.

“He (Pietersen) will entertain the fans. We will make some sales off

him, sell some tickets. It should be fantastic. The CPL is going to be one big party.” (CMC)

J’can Blake happy to shake rust as he cruises to 200m win

KINGSTON,

JAMAICA: Double

Olympic silver medallist Yohan Blake made a long-awaited return to the track when he competed in the men's 200 metres at meet four in the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) AllComers development series.

The Racers Track Club representative, who has not competed in almost a year due to a hamstring injury, cruised to victory in his heat at the National Stadium on Saturday.

Blake, who is also known as 'The Beast', went out hard and opened up a gap ahead of the field coming off the curve before easing down in the end in a moderate 21.57 seconds.

However, his time placed him in 13th position overall, as Anguillan native Zharnel Hughes, representing High Performance Centre topped the event with a time of 20.44 seconds. Hughes won

olympic and World championship medallist yohan Blake glides home to victory in the men’s 200m at the Jaaa all-comers development meet four at the National Stadium on Saturday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

ahead of the Racers Track Club duo Miguel Francis (20.73sec) and Terrel Cotton (20.84sec).

Despite having pre-race jitters, Blake was elated to be back in competition.

"First I have to give God thanks that I am back on the track; it felt different [because] I was really nervous [and] didn't know what I could do really. But I feel really good to the get the rust off," he told reporters.

The 25-year-old admitted that thoughts of aggravating the injury played out on his mind, but encouraging words from coach Glen Mills and teammates assisted him significantly.

"I felt it so it was on my mind a little, but my coach and Usain (Bolt), and Warren (Weir) kept telling me to not think about it and just go out there and enjoy the race and that's what I did," he explained.

The 2011 World Championship 100-metre

gold medallist confirmed his participation in next weekend's meet five in the series, as he looks ahead to the National Senior Championships set for June 25-28.

"I don't take long to get going, so I am going to come next week and run one more and head into the trials. I just have to keep it simple and do some speed work and I will be good," said Blake.

However, he expressed uncertainty about doubling up in the sprints, and is optimistic about a podium finish which will earn him a spot on the team to the World Championships in Beijing, China in August.

"I am not sure as yet I am still leaving it for the coach to decide what he thinks is best for me. I just want to get back my competitiveness and see what happens, but I would like to be in the top three," he added. (Jamaica Observer)

Limacol renews Caribbean Premier League deal –

NEW GPC brand to partner with umpires, referees

NEW GPC INC, under its popular Limacol brand, on Monday confirmed that it will continue as a Principal Partner of the Caribbean Premier League. As partof the agreement, Limacol will become Umpires and Referees Partner, which will see Limacol represented on the Umpires’ uniforms and during the Third Umpire review.

Limacol was title sponsor of the first two seasons of the Caribbean Premier League, and its support of the tournament has helped the League rapidly become one of the most popular T20 competitions in the world. In that

time, the Limacol brand has become the most recognisable brand name synonymous with CPL.

NEW GPC Chairman, Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, said; “We are delighted that Limacol will be continuing our successful relationship with CPL – this year’s tournament looks bigger than ever and we look forward to continuing to provide ‘Genuine Caribbean Cool’ to cricket fans across the region and around the World.”

Caribbean Premier League Commercial Director, Jamie Stewart, said; “Limacol has been the central supporter of CPL since before the first ball was bowled, and cricket

fans across the region have the brand to thank for help-

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2015…

ing to make the CPL dream a reality. We are very pleased to extend the strong relationship with Limacol into 2015 and we thank the company for its continuing support of the Biggest Party in Sport.”

Global superstars including Kevin Pietersen, Jacques Kallis and Shahid Afridi will join the Caribbean’s finest cricketers, like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, as well as exciting upand-coming local talent.

Last year’s tournament attracted a global audience in excess of 65 million and this year is set to be even higher as fans across the world continue to be drawn to the high

quality action on the pitch and the unique party atmosphere off it. (CPL Release)

Amazon Warriors training camp to start Thursday

The Guyana Amazon Warriors’ first step to winning the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for the first time commenced with the official training camp at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

New Head Coach Carl Hooper, who resides in Australia, has already landed in Guyana and will lead the players through their drills ahead of the June 20 start of the Caribbean’s mega T20 tournament.

The foreign-based players – Australian Brad Hodge, Pakistan’s Umar Akmal, Trinidad and Tobago pair Sunil Narine and Lendl Simmons, and the Sri Lankan

trio Tillekaratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga and Thisara Perera – are expected to arrive in Guyana in time for the start of the camp.

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and spinners Devendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul are currently part of the West Indies squad for the Test series against Australia, and they are expected to link up with the Guyana Amazon Warriors unit for the opening game against defending champions Barbados Tridents on June 20.

Hooper, who previously worked in the now defunct Antigua Hawksbills set-up, said during an interview with Guyana Times Sport recent-

carl Hooper

ly that the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad is a balanced one, and he is confident the franchise can go one step fur-

ther and win the title.

The South America-based franchise finished runner-up in the first two seasons, losing to the Jamaica Tallawahs in 2013 and the Barbados Tridents last year.

Prior to the Player Draft in February, the Guyana Amazon Warriors had Narine, Simmons, Ramdin and batting all-rounder Christopher Barnwell as the retained players from last year, while they picked up the remaining 11 during the Draft process, five of whom had previously represented the franchise.

Malinga, Dilshan and the Guyanese trio – left-arm spinner Permaul, fast bowler Ronsford Beaton and open-

er Trevon Griffith – have all returned to the franchise, while the newcomers are Perera, Hodge, Akmal and the Guyanese quartet – veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, leg-spinner Bishoo, batsman Assad Fudadin and seamer Paul Wintz.

Guyana Amazon Warriors squad reads: Denesh Ramdin, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga, Thisara Perera, Brad Hodge, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Assad Fudadin, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Christopher Barnwell, Ronsford Beaton, Umar Akmal, Trevon Griffith and Paul Wintz.

Benn is WI Player-of-the-Year

–

Singh and

Hetmyer

Sulieman Benn was named West Indies’ Player-of-theYear for the 2013-14 season in WICB’s annual awards function in Kingston on Tuesday. Benn picked up 28 wickets in five Tests at an average of 25.03 between October 2013 and September 2014 – the period of consideration for these awards.

Kraigg Brathwaite was awarded the Test Player-of-theYear, while Test captain Denesh Ramdin was named ODI Playerof-the-Year. Brathwaite scored 593 runs in the five Tests that were played during this period at an average of 74.12, which included a 129 against New Zealand and a double-century against Bangladesh. Ramdin produced

among awardees from Guyana

impressive numbers in ODIs, scoring 445 runs in 11 games at an average of 63.57, including two centuries and a half-century, with a career-best 169 against Bangladesh.

Jermaine Blackwood, who scored 63 on his Test debut in 2014 against New Zealand, and a hundred and fifty against England recently, was named Emerging Player-of-the-Year and Stafanie Taylor was awarded the Women’s Player-of-the-Year.

Hero MotoCorp is

Samuel Badree was named T20I Player-of-the-Year for his 19 wickets in 12 matches during this period, with an average of 12.36 and economy of five runs per over.

Meanwhile, Guyana claimed three awards with the national Under-19 team winning the Regional Under-19 Team-of-theYear, Shimron Hetmyer Under-19 Player-of-the-Year and former Guyana Cricket Board President Chetram Singh the WICB Lifetime Achievement Award.

new title sponsor

of Caribbean Premier League

The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Hero MotoCorp Ltd, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, as the new Title Sponsor of the league for a period of one-year.

With this sponsorship, the much-awaited third season of CPL will be known as the ‘Hero Caribbean Premier League’.

Synonymous with some of the marquee sports partnerships in India as well as globally, New Delhi (India)headquartered Hero MotoCorp has for long had a steadfast commitment towards promoting various disciplines of sports including cricket, golf, football and hockey.

Hero has been associated with cricket for over two decades in various capacities. In 2007, Hero was the Global Partner of the ICC World Cup, held in West Indies. In CPL 2014, Hero MotoCorp was the Presenting Sponsor of CPL teams, St. Lucia Zouks, and defending champions, Barbados Tridents.

Richard Bevan, Chairman, Hero Caribbean Premier League, said: “It is our pleasure to have the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp,

as Title Sponsor of CPL. Hero has been one of the leading sponsors of cricket throughout the game’s history, and it is a testament to CPL’s growing success that the event will now be known as the ‘Hero CPL.’

We look forward to Hero’s support and to making Season 3 of the CPL the biggest yet.”

Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director and CEO, Hero MotoCorp Limited, said: “Hero MotoCorp has been associated with sports, and particularly cricket, for well over two decades. The game of cricket has for long remained the most popular sport in India, and also in the Caribbean. As Hero rapidly expands its global footprint, we have been forging strong associations with sporting icons and events as part of our global brand building initiatives. Caribbean cricket and cricketers have always been highly popular

in India and in many other parts of the world, and our title sponsorship of the CPL is a logical extension of our long-term association with the game. We look forward to a highly exciting month of cricket in the Caribbean.”

Renowned international cricketers, Kevin Pietersen, Jacques Kallis and Shahid Afridi, will join the Caribbean’s finest cricketers, Chris

Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo. The tournament will also witness participation of talented local players from the Caribbean region.

CPL 2014 attracted a massive global audience in excess of 65 million. This number is expected to break all previous records to post record participation of spectators from around the world. (CPL Release)

Bollywood is here!

– megastar Shah Rukh Khan buys stake in T&T Red Steel

Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan has purchased the Trinidad & Tobago franchise in the Caribbean Premier League, the Times of India reported on Wednesday.

Shah Rukh, coowner of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, joins Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg and Gerard Butler in the CPL owners’ club.

Shah Rukh, who is the first IPL owner to own a team in an overseas league, says it is just a step in their global expansion vision.

“This is in line with our vision to expand globally. We are thrilled to become part of the cricketing tradition of Trinidad & Tobago,” he said.

The T&T Red Steel

unit boasts a galaxy of known names who ply, or have plied, their trade in the IPL. Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Johan Botha are among them. Another major name joining the T&T Red Steel this year is former South Africa and KKR all-rounder Jacques Kallis. After announcing his retirement, Kallis is now the mentor of the Shah Rukh’s IPL franchise. (Indian Express)