Sunday April 26, 2015
APNU+AFC gains control of Executive and Legislative arms of government - PPP fought to the end to derail declaration of this From Left: GECOM's CEO, Keith Lowenfield and Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally
By Abena Rockcliffe
T
he People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) exhausted all avenues to prevent this; the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday officially declared that the A Partnership For National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has won the 2015 General and Regional Elections. David Arthur Granger is now the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. GECOM's declaration was made five days after elections were held. This was the case even though GECOM completed its work way before. The official announcement was pushed back a few times as a result of the outgoing political
party's refusal to accepted defeat. The PPP/C called for numerous recounts. First, the Party called for a recount of ballots in some of the districts. Then it called for a recount of some of the ballots in all districts. When not satisfied with that, the PPP/C then called on GECOM to conduct a general recount. Up to yesterday, PPP/C Commissioners were insistent that no final declaration should be made as they pointed to so called “irregularities� and a few questionable statements of polls. This delayed the official announcement by one hour. Kaieteur News understands that the sixmember Commission was split on whether GECOM's Chief Elections Officer
(CEO), Keith Lowenfield should have gone ahead with the final declaration. GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, who had to make the casting vote, decided against any further stall to the final declaration. The final results of the General and Regional elections as announced by Lowenfield show APNU+AFC with 207,200 votes and the PPP/C with 202, 694 votes. This represented an APNU+AFC victory over PPP/C by 4506 votes. Lowenfield explained that the APNU+AFC will have 33 seats in the Eleventh Parliament while the PPP/C will have 32 seats. After Lowenfield's a n n o u n c e m e n t , D r. Surujbally declared Granger the new President of Guyana.
Food for thought
Happiness is the way
W
e convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.
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The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself. There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that time waits for no one. So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you
have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
Former president pardons child killer Ravindra Deo
R
avindra Deo, who kidnapped and killed an eight-year-old boy 21 years ago, walked out of the Georgetown Prisons yesterday---courtesy of a presidential pardon by outgoing President Donald Ramotar. Prison officials confirmed that Deo, 39, had been freed. Ravindra Deo was just 19 when he kidnapped and killed eight-year-old Vi s h n u B h i m , a s t h e Annandale, East Coast Demerara child was coming home from school. The kidnapper had reportedly demanded a $1M ransom. Prior to the kidnapping, Deo had allegedly gone to the child's home and asked the victim's father, Heerlall Bhim, for a job in the man's carpentry shop. Deo was arrested a few days later in America Street, and on December 1, 1994, he led detectives and villagers to La Bonne Intention backdam. There, police found the
eight-year-old boy's bound gagged and battered body. On December 6, 1994, Ravendra Deo appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Court, to answer a charge of murder. He was found guilty on December 4, 1995, and Justice Claudette Singh sentenced him to death. A date was actually set for Deo and two other death row inmates to be hanged, but an ex parte injunction
filed by their Attorneys prevented their execution. Deo's sentence was subsequently commuted to life imprisonment and he was removed from death row. Deo had initially claimed that an individual named 'Kresho' of Mahaicony, had assisted in the kidnapping. Police searched the Mahaicony area for 'Kresho' but never found him.
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KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
National unity, healing, reconciliation The APNU + AFC Coalition’s offer of National Unity, Healing and Reconciliation was a singular offer that the people of Guyana could not refuse. Despite the most vicious, divisive, racist and aggressive campaign that the PPP/C could have unleashed during the just-concluded election campaign, with flagrant abuse of Government resources including the national media, the people could not turn away from the dream of National Unity, Healing and Reconciliation. This was an offer of a dream to come true. It was something that was always in the hearts of the people but in all the previous elections, there was no practical way that they could see it. And then they were presented with the Coalition. It made sense. It offered hope. And in the minds of the people was a nagging fear; what if this country is to experience a repeat of the PNC/UF coalition. The PPP/C sensed this fear and tried its best to capitalize on it. It pulled out all the stops, in the process instilling fear in the people through one of the most negative campaigns ever witnessed. At the beginning of the campaign, fresh from the signing of the Cummingsburg Accord and the announcement of the Coalition, the mood of the people was up-beat. You could actually feel the effect of the pent up desire in the nation for National Unity, Healing and Reconciliation. You could have sensed a landslide for the coalition. But the PPP/C was not to be denied so easily. It ran the most organized and effective campaign ever in its history. It mastered the control of the media, particularly those under its control; NCN, Chronicle and Radio Roraima. The party’s access to friendly media was also unprecedented. I did not see any Coalition Advertisements on NTN. The support for the PPP from Guyana Times, TVG 28, and ENetworks etc was impressive. The PPP/C would have had more than twice the number of public meetings than the coalition. Its schedule of meetings was published all over and easy to obtain. The PPP website and social media campaign was always updated and always in your face. The schedule of public meetings was well organized and attended. The party brought people from all over the country for each of its rallies and built confidence in its supporters. The negative message got through. And before the end of April, the people were afraid that change will not bring hope of National Unity, Healing and Reconciliation, but instead will result in a return of the dark days of the PNC. You could actually sense the uncertainty in the people. People who were up-beat and hopeful before would say; I don’t know anymore; do you think this change would be good; how do you know it would be better; etc. It was as if the Coalition was taking a siesta in the middle of the campaign. The message was not getting through. It was late with its Manifesto. Their public meetings were sparse and poorly organized and attended. The Coalition’s best friend was Glenn Lall. He consistently kept shining the light on the true record of the PPP/C which helped to dispel the darkness, fear and confusion in the minds of the people. The next best friend of the Coalition was Hope; the Hope in the hearts of the people for National Unity, Healing and Reconciliation. This hope is a powerful emotion; so powerful, that even after their best campaign yet, the PPP/C could not make the people ignore the possibility that this dream can be realised and that this dream was worth the risk. There is no doubt that the APNU + AFC Coalition’s offer of National Unity, Healing and Reconciliation was the greatest motivation for the votes they received on May 11. The nation awaits.
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
An end to PPP rule is good for the people and Guyana DEAR EDITOR, On May 11, the voters in Guyana spoke loud and clear and the politicians have listened and accepted the verdict. But the PPP did not. They had the gall to make the bogus claim that the elections were not fair and have accused the APNU+AFC Coalition of rigging the election. The shameless PPP has challenged the election results and asked for a recount in all ten regions. The PPP leadership has once again ignored the wishes of the people, which
in turn have eroded the little trust the citizens had for them. Their intent was to force GECOM to delay the declaration of the winner of the elections in order for the ministers and other senior government officials to destroy official government documents and perhaps make a last run at the treasury. But they were alone and when they realized that the Coalition, the diplomat community, civil society and the people will not tolerate their silliness, they will swallow their false pride and
eventually concede victory to the Coalition. Ramotar’s refusal to concede victory earlier has brought to the fore the bullyism mentality and dictatorial mindset of the rogue PPP cabal. But one way or another, the PPP will have a rude awakening as its corrupt rule has come to an end. It is time for the country to move forward. The people wanted change and they got it with the election of Brigadier (retired) David Granger to the Presidency and Moses Nagamootoo as Prime Minister. It is victory
for the people who were wise to elect a cadre of new and competent leaders to govern them. They were fed-up with the incompetent and hopeless PPP regime which has been in office for 23 years and have nothing much to show for it except for massive corrupt practices at almost every level of government, a high crime rate and a 45 percent unemployment rate among the youths. The PPP has failed to unite the races and mobilize its human resources to anything close (Continued on page 06)
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur M@ilbox Steve Surujbally should We witnessed a movement resign as GECOM’s boss that was greater than all of us Kaieteur M@ilbox
DEAR EDITOR, I begin this opinion piece here with a deeply felt assertion -. Steve Surujbally almost destroyed this country. Between, Thursday, May 14- and Saturday, May 16, Dr. Surujbally, the veterinary doctor from communist East Germany almost singlehandedly destroyed Guyana. And during this period, he was the embodiment of nonchalance. Here is why the delays of the election results occurred according to Surujbally. Here is one of the words he used, “obfuscations.” He contends that obfuscations, obstacles and other irritants (my word) led to the delays and the laws allowed for these things. I contend otherwise. This is Surujbally’s explanation. What Surujbally has never been asked by the press or explained himself is if he had the legal power to dismiss these obfuscations. The PPP assault on GECOM in the 2015 election results was based on frivolities. From Tuesday morning up to the time Charles Ramson Jr. on Saturday afternoon failed to stop the declaration of the winner, the frivolities heaped on GECOPM by the PPP could have been dismissed by a majority vote and the law allowed for the GECOM Commissioners to do just that. The PPP asininities began to pour down as early as Tuesday morning at around 2.30 AM when the PPP realized from their incoming documents from their polling agents that they
lost the election, thus Jagdeo’s press conference at 3.AM Frivolity 1 – Jagdeo said there was multiple-voting F r i v o l i t y 2 Manickchand refered to violence against PPP polling agents but couldn’t provide names and locations. Frivolity 3- Ramotar said he was way ahead by 30, 000 Frivolity 4 - Certain boxes in three Regions were recounted. Nothing irregular found.
Frivolity 5 – Recounts were ordered in certain boxes in all ten Regions Frivolity 6 - False statements of polls were found. But they were discovered not by a PPP official but GECOM’s CEO himself which pointed to his professionalism. The fake documents were not included in the count and did not result in any loss of votes either way Frivolity 7 – The PPP (Continued on page 6)
Kaieteur News played a role in this outcome DEAR EDITOR, To the editor, staff and columnists of Kaieteur News. Thank you for bringing to light the many ills of the PPP government. Because of your persistence and determination the
people of Guyana were able to oust them of power. I no longer live in Guyana, but I follow the news extensively and you do a superb job of delivering it. Again, Thank you D. M.
DEAR EDITOR, Following the 2015 General and Regional Elections, we have seen the tremendous movement of Guyanese locally and abroad for a common purpose. The resounding echoes of unspoken words are moving through our Land. To our politicians. We continue to see the constant divisiveness that Guyana is plunged into during every election season. This must STOP! Hence, I implore upon you to foster the notion of National Unity through shared governance so the issues that are that are affecting the people of Guyana can be fully represented. Too often, politicians have used their positions as platforms to display their grievances with your fellow countrymen. Guyana has elected a new Leader - H.E. David Arthur G r a n g e r. To o u r n e w President David Arthur Granger and Prime Minister,
Mr. Moses Nagamootoo, Guyana has embraced you CONGRATULATIONS! I have always been supportive of development for young people, since we are the ones who will have to set the foundation for the inheritors of this beautiful Land and its bountiful resources. I ask of you to keep the promises you have made to all Guyanese during your campaigning. I urge that everything you do and say, do it in honour of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and for Guyana. Guyana has proven that the cliche “Divide and Conquer” is not always applicable. During the last few weeks leading up to the M a y 11 G e n e r a l a n d Regional Elections, we witnessed a movement that was greater than all of us. After a storm came a calm. Many hearts are rejoicing. To my fellow Guyanese who felt that they were left behind, as I have always said and will continue to say, seize every opportunity that
will come your way to make your lives better. Be humble to your fellow Guyanese and be responsible in your comments. To team APNU/AFC who has worked tirelessly during the weeks of intense campaigning, I take my hat off to you in commendation of imposing upon us a new era of promoting a political message. To all of my friends in the PPP/C Party, defeat is not a bad thing. Re-group and re-startegise for the next time around. Those who will become Members of Parliament, I seek of you to represent the best interest of all of Guyana. Let us on this day put our differences and any animosity aside and continue the development of this great Land of Ours. IT IS TIME GUYANA. It is time for each and everyone of us to move forward under the guidance of H.E. David Arthur Granger and the Hon. Moses Nagamootoo. Proud Guyanese Citizen. Olive Gopaul
Consensus politics May the Supreme Force is the way forward bless them and guide them
DEAR EDITOR, I have written letters to the newspapers saying CONSENSUS POLITICS is the way forward. Consensus politics is where we compromise, building trust and mutual understanding and, dare I say it, respect for each other. Sometimes people get too wrapped up in what they are doing to see the bigger picture. What can be so difficult in seeing that both
the opposition and government want the same thing, that is, to ensure a better life for the Guyanese people. I suggest the way forward is to practise consensus politics. That is, looking at where we can work together. Remember, we are not here forever. The very best we can hope for is to leave better institutions in place than those which we inherited. Sean Ori/Sean McLean
DEAR EDITOR, I feel terribly overjoyed with inner peace and happiness at the victory of APNU + AFC Coalition at the recent election. In this brief note, I send my personal congratulations to this great force at this victory, and in particular, to David Granger, Moses Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman, and the rest of the team. These men are decent, genuine,, transparent, patriotic, sincere and honest (to cite a few characteristics), and I am confident that they will make a tremendous difference in the solid development of Guyana and the
people of Guyana. May the Supreme Force bless them and guide them with the new government towards the new thrust in eliminating poverty, welding the citizens together against race-hate, and establish Guyana as a great and an outstanding country in the Caribbean and the rest of the world. I will certainly move back to Guyana permanently and make a contribution in a humble way and on a voluntary basis towards the development. Thank you very much. Dr. Chatterpaul Ramcharran.
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Kaieteur M@ilbox Protect our resources, Mr. President DEAR EDITOR, Congratulations on your election to the Presidency of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Echo is delighted that voters have elected you to the highest office in our beloved country. A s y o u k n o w, w e advocate for good environmental stewardship and have organized many
local activities to raise environmental awareness among local communities. In that regard, we look forward to your active support, to our advocacy. We are happy, too, with your public announcement on Saturday May 8, 2015, of your intention to set up a special environmental fund for future generations. We believe the best
investment we can make for the future is the protection and preservation of our environment and natural resources. It will always pay rich dividends. Best wishes as you begin your term in office. Royston King Executive Director Environmental Community Health Organization
An end to PPP rule is... From page 4 to its real potential. The people are aware that the economy is in tatters, unemployment and crime are on the increase and the country faces many serious social and political challenges. They know that the PPP regime has not distributed the country’s resources equitably among the people. Jagdeo has given away the airwaves to friends and relatives, allowed foreigners to destroy the country’s pristine forests, award contracts for huge kick-backs, and have used the state funds to benefit themselves, relatives and friends. Under the PPP, life became extremely harsh and unbearable for the vast majority who saw the wealthy and the politically connected creamed off everything at the top and almost always through corrupt means, thus leaving the crumbs for the masses.For the people, it is
not just a case of coping with low wages and increased poverty, but they were expected to make more sacrifices if the PPP had won the election. Under Jagdeo, many innocent lives have been lost through extrajudicial murders and others have been ruined by a vindictive PPP regime. The PPP’s promises of milk and honey in the election campaign did not fool the people this time. Almost every CARICOM state has reduced the price of gasoline since last October when the price of crudetumbled on the world market by over 45 percent. As it stands today, those who bear the full force of taxation in Guyana are the low and middle income earners on fixed incomes. Most professionals, contractors and businesses pay far less than they ought to, which, in jurisdictions like Canada, Britain and the USA, would land them in jail. But not in
Guyana where political connections, party affiliations and bribes allow them to get away with murder. Fortunately, the newly elected APNU/AFC will right these wrongs that the ordinary citizens have endured for more than a decade. Its leaders will ensure that the wealthy pay their just dues. They will improve the abysmal production levels in the sugar industry, unite the races, reduce crime and corruption, improve the health and education systems and mold the nation. For many, victory came and now change is on its way. I strongly believe that President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will work very hard to improve the status of Guyana in the international community and provide a bright future for all Guyanese. Dr. Asquith Rose.
Steve Surujbally should... From page 5 said some of its statements of poll had different results from GECOM’s. A bipartisan team found this was not true Frivolity8–ThePPP wanted a re-examination of a number of boxes in Region 4 Frivolity 9 – The PPP wanted a total recount Frivolity 10 – The PPP pointed to dishonesty of the intl. observers The question is did the law allow for many of these frivolities to be entertained by GECOM. Surujbally said yes. The true answer is no. The five-day delay was because Surujbally accepted and processed the obfuscations of the PPP. He masked this by pointing to the law. In my Thursday column on Surujbally, I wrote the following; “One of the trends in the style of Surujbally that I have noticed over the past ten
years is the proclivity to say; “I want to do it right so there can be no criticism and challenges.” I have Googled Surujbally and have pulled up several statements to that effect. But what business is that of his over whether someone will challenge what GECOM does? Surujbally should not perform his tasks at GECOM and be concerned with what others think of him and what court challenges will greet him. I would like to think he has to do what is legal, proper and correct within the confines of the law and not worry what others are likely to say and do.” (end of quote) That quote captures the essence of the style of Surujbally in running national elections and why there have been inordinate delays in announcing results under his watch the past fifteen years. If the laws are
changed he will continue to operate with the same style because he is obsessed with his image. He wants to tell the world that John Jones claimed he won a million votes, (even though number of voters were 50, 000) and I, Surujbally was fair and professional because I looked into his claim. He will not dismiss John Jones’ mischief because he, Surujbally always wants to look good. I believe there may be elements of narcissism in Surujbally’s ontology. In other words, the elections is about Surujbally, not the country, not the laws I can pull several columns and letters to the editor of mine in which my portrait of Surujbally has been a negative one. I stand by those columns. This country should not let Surujbally preside over another national election Frederick Kissoon
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur M@ilbox These two men must resign their current posts DEAR EDITOR, The CEO of a government-owned business cannot simultaneously be a Parliamentary Opposition Politician.Given that the PPP/C has lost the 2015 elections, Dr. Raj Singh, the Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, and Mr. Badrie Persaud, the Managing Director of GuyOil, must resign their current posts, as their next jobs are more than likely to be opposition parliamentarians. The reason for the resignation is that, having been included on the PPP/C 2015 electoral list as candidates, they cannot simultaneously wear two different hats: one as national law makers with parliamentary oversight responsibilities; and second, as Chief
E x e c u t i v e O ff i c e r s o f government owned businesses. This is the likely conflict of interest argument identified in the KN article of April 14 2015, captioned,” Avoiding a conflict of Interest”. For example, Dr. Singh reports to work on Monday morning at GuySuCo as the CEO, where he has day to day executive authority in the government owned business. In the afternoon he reports to Parliament as a parliamentarian on the opposition benches. Now here is the conundrum: Dr. Singh, CEO, will be reporting to the Board of Directors appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, the subject Minister for GuySuCo. In Parliament, Dr.
Singh, the Parliamentarian, will be authorized to question the Minister of Agriculture who has a reporting responsibility to Parliament for GuySuCo. Quite obviously, Dr. Singh cannot be the CEO of a government owned business and at the same time be a parliamentary opposition politician, for he would have lost his independence from the time he accepted the call to be on the PPP/C electoral list. The same argument goes for Mr. Persaud. Therefore, Dr. Singh and Mr. Persaud must resign from the CEO jobs and with haste report to former President Ramotar for their new posts in a no conflict of interest environment. C. Kenrick Hunte
A blow to the temple of division, Unity Chosen! DEAR EDITOR, The airwaves will be sanitized. Despite their enormous access to funding, abuse of state resources, truth prevailed at the ballot box. The GUYANESE voters (all six races) kept calm. They struck a blow to the temple of division and race hatred. The PPP/C was shell shocked. How could they lose? They had everything in place, unlimited media, money and a juggernaut of equipment. What they did not have and failed miserably at was capturing the minds of the 54% of GUYANESE, true patriots, who snatched the nation from the precipice of
ignominy. The arrogance, avarice, lies, the abuses, violations of human rights, vendettas, vigilante extra judicial murders, stifling of entrepreneurial ingenuity, the belief in and practice of race domination was punctured and shredded at the polls. The 23 year old stench of this regime is slowly wafting away with the free and fair election of Brigadier David Granger. The dark clouds of a failed and rejected ideology of race dominace “apaan jhaat” has been lifted. The responsible citizens of Guyana woke up and destroyed the dragon that held an empty Cup up to them. They found it unworthy. They drank from it
for 23 years. The contents got acidic and bitter, year by year. It became excruciating and debilitating. They suffered an oesophageal spasm and could no longer swallow the failed mantra of development when the caustic acid inhibited them from benefitting from the nutrients of wealth diverted from coffers of the treasury and into the pockets of family, friends and cronies of the PPP/C regime. They chose the Key of unity. Let this be a lesson and a legacy to this nation, do not fall asleep in apathy. Do not allow division and hate to raise its ugly head in this land ever again! Louis Nestor
Honour the promises made to the people DEAR EDITOR, I wish to extend congratulations to Hon. David Arthur Granger President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Hon. M o s e s Ve e r a s a m m y Nagamootoo - Prime Minister and the APNU/AFC collation for achieving victory at the 2015 National and Regional Elections. As the new Cabinet is formed and Ministers take their respective places within the ministries of Government from Monday, May 18, 2015. I appeal to our new president and government to
honor the promises made to the people of Guyana during the lengthy campaign period and to create an avenue for inclusive governance and persons and institutions with common interests, thoughts and resources for the socioeconomic development of our nation as we proceed into a technologically advance future. Additionally, I recall in 1992 when the PPP/C ministers took office there were the least of anything to hand over and to begin working with. Today, as Guyana has developed there are tones of records, fixtures
and fittings, land and buildings, motor vehicles and contracted projects which are work-in-progress. In this regard, there must be a transitional period for the smooth handing over process and accountability for transparency and continuity of development. Thus, I condemn the actions of Mr. Emile Mc Garrell – Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Water for grossly humiliating former minster Mr. Irfaan Ali on Thursday, May 14, 2015. Ms. Hana Mohamed
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
Former Spain PM to visit Venezuela to aid opposition leaders MADRID (AP) — Former Spanish prime minister Felipe Gonzalez says he plans to travel to Venezuela to help defend two jailed opposition leaders, despite the disapproval of the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Gonzalez says in a statement Saturday that he hopes to visit Venezuela on May 18-20 to give legal advice to lawyers defending Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma, mayor of Caracas. Gonzalez, 73, led Spain’s government from 1982 to 1996. He says he conveyed his intentions to Maduro’s government through the Spanish embassy. Gonzalez says Venezuela replied in a statement saying he “would not be welcome” and that he will “receive no help whatsoever.” The statement described Gonzalez’s intended visit as “an unfriendly act clearly seeking to generate a matrix of opinion against Venezuela.”
Senior UN official says cholera outbreak in Haiti needs urgent attention NEW YORK, USA — The cholera outbreak in Haiti remains the largest in recent world history, according to the United Nations official coordinating the Organization’s cholera response in the country, yet the health crisis has fallen off the international agenda after having ceased appearing in the media. “When cooperation funds dry up, the response teams on the ground no longer have resources to adequately respond to alerts, treat patients and prevent further deaths,” wrote Pedro Medrano Rojas, the senior coordinator for the cholera response in Haiti, in an opinion piece published in Wiener Zeitung. Medrano said the epidemic has caused 9,000 deaths and affected more than 735,000 people since October 2010 when the outbreak began in the aftermath of the earthquake. “Engraved in our memories are dreadful images of dilapidated buildings and
people trying to survive in the midst of the disaster,” he said. “And we can also remember the outstanding international mobilization, committed both to reconstructing the country and fighting the cholera epidemic that emerged months later.” He said it was understandable that television cameras were now in Nepal, where an earthquake similar to the one in Haiti had occurred. “But we cannot forget cholera,” he said. “The cholera epidemic in Haiti is still a humanitarian emergency that requires urgent attention. How would we react if any other country forecasted 28,000 cases of cholera for 2015?” That World Health Organization (WHO) forecast could be even worse if efforts were not made to correct the course and Medrano said the latest UN cholera fact sheet revealed that the situation is going through its worst moment in the last three years.
Heavy rains in September 2014 combined with the lack of resources for an appropriate response reversed previous declines, he said, adding that since then cholera cases “skyrocketed” from approximately a thousand per month to nearly a thousand per week, with 113 people dying between January and March. “Despite the alarming situation and the worrying estimates for 2015, the cholera epidemic has fallen off the radar of most donors,” Medrano said. “The lack of resources has already led to the closure of 91 of the 250 treatment centres in the country and has caused the departure of many international partners from the country.” He said the humanitarian community needed $36 million to secure the response capacity and he stressed that the disease was “easily treatable” through antibiotics and hydration.
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Dem boys seh... Ramotar, Sooba to be blamed for state of G/town - Mayor HELP PREPARE A NEW JAIL Defeat is not something people can accept, easily. Some people kill demself and others kill de people who beat dem. In boxing dem had Mike Tyson who was losing, suh he bite off piece of Holyfield ears. In cricket when de li’l boys lose dem does tek dem bat and ball and go home. Dem big boys does sit down and cry. Even dem Test players does cry. Elections is a different ball game. People does lose and seh that dem nah lose. Dem can’t accept. Donald is one. Before de elections Donald tell de whole world that all parties must accept de result. But he didn’t seh that he gun accept and that’s a scamp. That remind dem boys of de teacher who seh “Do as I say and not as I do.” Well scamp does end up in jail. But Guyana don’t have proppa jail fuh dem. De present jail overcrowded. De Waterfalls boss man intend to change that situation. He tell dem boys that he intend to start a fund. He putting de first $5 million to build a new jail—one that is big and fancy. He want it to have air-condition like de big countries. But this jail is not fuh de Bees. Dem boys gun tell de new Soulja Bai in town fuh move out all dem prisoner who deh at Lot 12 and put dem in this new prison. This new set wha coming in, Jagdeo and his boys and some girls, will head straight to Camp Street jail wheh dem can enjoy de facilities wha demself build and call a jail. This was de set who use to spit pun people and kick and stamp dem. Suddenly dem can’t do that no more. Dem find dem foot tie. Is de people of this country tie dem foot. Dem boys know de Soulja Bai wha dem cuss and seh how he kill people and how he thief ballot box gun tie not only dem foot, but dem hand, wid handcuff. De Waterfalls boss man seh that if de Soulja Bai don’t have vehicle to drive dem to jail, he gun lend dem transportation. He seh that he gun cut out a li’l hole at de side of de vehicle so that when Jagdeo going to jail in it people can jook he through de hole. De boss man seh that he nah too keen fuh de main man, Brassington, go to Lot 12 wid Jagdeo. Wid he size he gun tek up too much space that would hardly lef any fuh de rest of de Bees and de cabal. Dem boys plan to recommend to Soulja Bai fuh throw he pun one of dem island in de Essequibo River and leh he build he own Brazziott. Talk half and contribute to build de new jail.
The collapsing roof at the market.
As hundreds of Guyanese flocked Parliament buildings to witness President David Arthur Granger take a public oath to begin his first term in office. Georgetown Mayor, Hamilton Green, was also part of the celebrations and is positive that the new Government will bring improvements to Georgetown. The Mayor contended that the current degraded state of Georgetown’s Municipality is to be blamed on former President, Donald Ramotar, Acting Town Clerk, Carol Soba and the former Minister of Local Government Norman Whittaker. Mayor Green now says that he and senior staff have scheduled a meeting for Monday, to discuss the state of the Georgetown municipality. It was only in March that a section of the Stabroek Market wharf collapsed smashing a stall. No one was injured. According to stallholders the roof had been in a dilapidated state for some years. A recent visit revealed that no repairs have been carried out on the wharf since the roof collapsed. It was also noticed that another part of the roof is on the verge of collapsing. This situation, Mayor Green said, is quite alarming as these collapsing roofs pose a threat to the wellbeing of persons traversing and conducting business in that section of the market. On October 30, 2014, a
meeting organized by members of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to address issues affecting vendors occupying sections of the badly dilapidated Stabroek Market Wharf, was cancelled by Town Clerk (Ag), Carol Sooba. However, the acting Town Clerk in a recent interview said that vendors in that section of the market were warned to remove from the area. She said that vendors were served with written warnings to remove for their own safety from the deteriorating section of the market. However, the warnings that were sent by the
Administration of the City Constabulary were ignored, she said. She added that proposals were made to relocate the vendors to other stalls, but these were not being utilized. “Some of the vendors are stubborn, and are not concerned about their own safety, so they chose to remain there,” Sooba said. Contrary, to Sooba’s claims, the Mayor had said that resources are not available to repair the dilapidated wharf. Further, the Mayor stressed that decisions made by the Mayor and Council are being challenged by the Acting Town Clerk.
Georgetown Mayor, Hamilton Greene The alleged poor management by the Town Continued on page 12
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 17, 2015
Former Assistant Commissioner of Police arrested in MFK murder probe Investigators on Friday upped the ante in their probe of the murder of popular businessman Mohamed F. Khan, when they arrested a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, who has been implicated by alleged hit man Lennox Wayne called “Two Colours”. Kaieteur News was reliably informed that detectives have also detained a sergeant who was said to be the organizer of the plot to kill Khan. On Friday evening, detectives swooped down on the East Bank Demerara property and arrested the retired officer, who was held overnight and subsequently released last night. Investigators had searched his house in his presence but found nothing incriminating. “We searched the property, yes. But that is normal in any investigation of this nature. However, we found nothing of significance,” a source at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department told this newspaper. The source did disclose, however, that the decision to
Mohamed F Khan detain the former high ranking officer was based on telephone records that investigators managed to obtain. The phone records reportedly linked the former officer to the murdered businessman. Whistleblower Wayne claimed in his statement that he received a telephone call on August 9 from the police Sergeant, who informed him that Khan was seen at his lawyer’s office on Hadfield Street. Wayne said that he was told to stake out the lawyer’s office to see when khan was
leaving. It was around 14:00 hours that Wayne spotted the target and informed the police Sergeant. It was on this day that he saw the Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, who was allegedly also staking out the lawyer’s office for Khan. According to Wayne, the police Sergeant subsequently pulled up with some other persons in a heavily tinted vehicle and they too waited for Khan to emerge. When the businessman eventually left the lawyer’s office and boarded a taxi, the Police Sergeant and the Retired Assistant Commissioner followed him in their respective vehicles. Wayne said that he was told to back off since “they told me they would take care of things from here.” According to the source, the retired officer has provided investigators with an alibi for his movements on August 9, the day Khan disappeared. But when shown the phone records showing that he made contact with the dead businessman that very day, the former officer admitted being in contact.
“We are now checking to see if that alibi could stand up,” the source said. Mohamed Khan’s dismembered body was discovered on a dam at Cummings Lodge on September 23rd last, a month after he disappeared. He detailed a scheme that pointed to the use of police ranks and even former policemen to carry out executions. Khan had survived an execution attempt in July last year at La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara when a gunman pumped a bullet in his abdomen shortly after he returned to Guyana on a brief holiday. Wayne, who is presently on remand for the murder of Lusignan cosmetologist Ashmini Harriram, which occurred on July 10, had admitted to being the gunman in that attempt. In a three page statement that this newspaper was able to obtain, Wayne claimed that on July 8 last year he was contacted by the Sergeant (name given) who told him that he had a job for him…someone wanted him to kill Mohamed Khan. He was
to be paid $500,000. Wayne said that the Sergeant took him to the West Bank of Demerara and showed him where Khan was staying. The following day Wayne and the Sergeant followed khan to the West Bank of Demerara and when the businessman made a stop at La Grange, Wayne grabbed his opportunity. “When we reached La Grange, I collected the equipment (weapon) from (name of policeman) and I end up rolling and I shot the man. After I shot him, he did not fall and die, he end up running and jump in a car. I left and ride away and (name of policemen) left and go behind him (Khan) at the station,” Wayne wrote in his statement. Wayne said that he did not see Khan again until August 9 at the lawyer’s office on Hadfield Street. He learnt of his death a few days later. Meanwhile, the recent developments have been welcomed by khan’s relatives. His sister, Fareema Khan, told this newspaper yesterday that while they are
appreciative of the work the police are doing at the moment, there is still much more to be done. “I am reading everything, since I am the one who has been involved since his disappearance,” she told this newspaper via telephone from New York. She said that she believes everything that the informant Wayne is saying, adding that she has been privy to his statement. The woman said that the police have given her the assurance that they will get to the bottom of the matter, and will arrest whoever they have to. “Leslie James (Crime Chief) gave me his word. We told him, ‘we know you guys are not going to do anything’ but the Crime Chief told us that he does not operate like that, he will get to the bottom,” Fareema Khan stated. She said that she and the rest of the family are much more confident that justice will be served now that a new government has been elected. “If was the PPP, they would have ducked it,” she said.
Coalition secures Regional elections victory As Guyana’s elections came to a close following five days of waiting, the results have shown that the APNU+AFC coalition earned itself the most votes not only in the General elections but also in the regional. The coalition managed to narrowly beat out the PPP/C in the Regional elections with 204,981 valid votes. In comparison, PPP/C earned 202,268 votes, a difference of 2,713. The smaller parties managed to accrue 3,329, pushing the overall total to 410,578. With its Regional win, APNU+AFC now gained 13 of the 25 seats awarded from the National Top-Up list. The PPP/C received 12 seats. No other party gained a seat. Preliminary results released on Thursday had indicated a 3,176 votes gap between the leading coalition and the PPP/C. Yesterday’s results showed that this gap had reduced; from 3,176 to 2,713, a difference of 463. It is unclear where the 463 votes surfaced from. Meanwhile, the coalition’s Regional victory has earned it the Regional Democratic Chair in three regions: Regions Four, Seven and Ten.
SEATS ALLOCATION In the Regional elections, the seat allocations were as follows; for Districts 1, 2, 5 and 7, two seats were available in each region and the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C earned a seat in each. This totals 4 seats for each of the parties in the four regions. Two seats were available in District 10 and both of these went to the APNU+AFC. In districts 8 and 9, the coalition and the PPP/C earned one seat respectively. In district 3, APNU+AFC earned one seat while the PPP/ C earned two. This was also the case in District 6. The largest district was district 4 with 7 seats; here, the APNU+AFC earned 4 seats while the PPP/C earned 3. Overall, the final allocation saw APNU+AFC gaining 13 seats and the PPP/C 12. 2011 VS. 2015 PERFORMANCE Though APNU+AFC secured victory in the Regional elections, the opposition parties in 2011 had recorded a better performance. This year, the now combined parties lost four RDC seats in the nation. This year’s performance also saw the two previously separated opposition parties losing the chair of Region 8 to the PPP/C. In 2011, APNU and
AFC had a combined total of 101 RDC seats while the PPP/ C had 102. The United Force (TUF) had 2 seats. However, this year saw the TUF being unable to gain any seats.
Instead, the PPP/C managed to pick up not only the TUF’s seats but also 2 more in region 6. Further, APNU+AFC gained an RDC seat in Region 4 but lost 3 seats in Region 8.
Overall, there was an increase in the total number of valid votes cast in 2015 when compared to the 2011 Regional elections. In 2011, the nation had
cast 343,276 valid votes. This year, GECOM recorded 410,518 valid votes being cast in the regional elections. This increase represents 67,242 votes.
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
President Granger to be inaugurated at National Stadium on Independence Day Guyanese, It is written: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” We have come together at the National Assembly of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana as a mark of respect for the Parliament, for our Constitution and for the People of this great country, Guyana. We have good reason to rejoice. We rejoice not only in the favourable results, but also in the enjoyment of our democracy. We went into the General and Regional elections on 11th May 2015 as a grand Coalition, comprising six parties – the Alliance For Change; Guyana Action Party; Justice For All Party; National Front Alliance; People’s National Congress Reform and Working People’s Alliance – and won the support of the majority of people. We therefore record our gratitude, first, to the more than 408,000 citizens who participated in this important democratic process last Monday. We thank, also, the thousands of observers, officers, officials, agents and other workers – from overseas and from Guyana – and representatives of foreign missions who worked to ensure that the elections were conducted in a manner than satisfied international standards for efficiency and credibility. We congratulate the successful candidates of all parties who will soon be selected to become members of the 11th Parliament and encourage them to be faithful to their oath of office and to their constituents. The elections are over. The Guyanese people have chosen their representatives. The Constitution has been respected. Our democracy has been fortified. Let us now
put past rivalries behind us and work in unity to banish poverty, ignorance, fear and hatred. We assemble here today to witness the swearing in, not of a party leader, but of the President of all the people. I shall be a good President for all the people. We the Guyanese people have chosen to inaugurate a ‘government of national unity’ and to promote our multi-party, inclusionary partnership. We are convinced that this is the best way to overcome our historic divisions. We have witnessed the damage done to our beautiful country over the past twentythree years. We have been mocked by the destruction of local democracy and the denial of local government elections. We have been treated with contempt by the dictatorial prorogation and dissolution of Parliament. We have had to bear the brunt of the high rate of crime including armed robberies, arson, inter-personal violence, murder, piracy, rapes, road fatalities and trafficking in persons. We have had to bear the cost of the squandering of state resources on exorbitant but misconceived mega-projects. We have suffered most from the high cost of living and the high level of unemployment. We have not been filled with hatred by these conditions. We are, indeed, more determined than ever to refashion society into one in which our womenfolk can look forward to working for ‘living wages’ to cope with the cost of living; one in which old folk can enjoy adequate pensions and social protection. Our young people will be able to attain higher educational standards and look forward to finding satisfactory jobs when they leave school. Our women and
girl children canlook forward to living in safety and to being protected from abuse and violent crime. We the Guyanese people have seized the opportunity to vote for human safety, national unity and inclusionary democracy. We now look to the future. We invite you to attend the formal, official “Inauguration Ceremony” to be held at the National Stadium on 26th May; Independence Day. We also wish to inform you that the outgoing and incoming administrations, respectively, have agreed to establish a ‘Transition Team’ to facilitate the transfer of assets and the transmission of information needed to ensure the continuity of government and to guarantee the stability and security of the state. Lt Col Joseph Harmon has been appointed the new administration’s team leader to manage this process. We announce also, that Mr Moses Nagamootoo will be appointed the next Prime Minister as soon as he is sworn in as a Member of Parliament in accordance with the Constitution. We declared on 1st January this year, that 2015 would be the “Year of Democratic Renewal.” We were right. Let us therefore rejoice in the people’s choice. Let us embrace each other – regardless of religion, race, class, occupation – as fellow Guyanese. Let us work together, to realise our inspiring national motto: “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”Let us be reminded of the famous national song: Let us co-operate for Guyana, Let us co-operate for our land, Let us resolve to fight together, See we do it right together Can we do it? Yes we can. May God bless Guyana!
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Essequibo residents welcome new Govt. with prayer service With a massive prayer service, supporters of the new A Partnership For National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government welcomed President David Granger. The service was held at the APNU+AFC Anna Regina office yesterday. The Church service was led by Pastor Minerva Roberts-Britton of the Suddie Full Gospel Church. Supporters sang songs including ‘What a mighty God we serve’, ‘My God is able’, ‘Lift Jesus higher’ and ‘See what the Lord has done’, among others. Pastor Roberts-Britton in her presentation offered prayers for the new President, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, and the yet to be sworn-in Cabinet members. The vocal pastor reminded supporters that this victory was not their’s but rather that “it is of God.” She added that pressure would now be placed on the leaders to deliver on their promises while urging the supporters to pray continuously for them. A rice farmer who would only give her name as Mrs
- highlight some areas that Govt. must tackle Moore, spoke of her desire to see an elimination of the prolonged issue of late payments to rice farmers by millers. She also highlighted the need for jobs especially for youths who would have completed their secondary education. Moore said that her family owns some 21 acres of rice lands and they were forced to rent the lands because they were not being paid promptly. Her family is now contemplating changing their focus to cash crops. Former Deputy Regional Chairman, Mary Williams, who served during the periods of 1981-1985, says she would like to see the
construction of proper roads, especially at Mainstay and the resuscitation of the pine factory in her area. Williams is also calling for an upgrade in the Education system in Region Two. Teacher Chenille Bowen also had to voice her desire which is to see opportunities being made available for persons to venture into small businesses such as cook shops. She also stressed the need for tertiary institutions to be established in the Region and the opening of more jobs for the youth. A motorcade to celebrate the new APNU+AFC Government will be undertaken on a date to be announced.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 17, 2015
Former President Donald Ramotar addresses his Party supporters MY FELLOW GUYANESE: The results of the 2015 General and Regional elections have been declared by the Guyana Elections Commission. Unfortunately these results have been shrouded in controversy. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members and supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic for your unwavering commitment and support and for the confidence which you reposed in us. I want to acknowledge all the hard work and sacrifices made by you in the campaign, particularly those supporters who toiled, sometimes unnoticed, to keep our machinery going. While we are disappointed, hurt and aggrieved, I urge you to remain calm in the face of widespread provocation associated with triumphalism. We should be proud of our unstinting commitment
and ceaseless efforts to preserve our country’s democracy. We should also be justifiably proud of our record of success in restoring our economy and dramatically transforming our country over these difficult years of struggle. Let us not be daunted but redouble our efforts to keep our party strong and resilient. As we look to the future we will stand with our people to continue the struggle for freedom and democracy as we did decades before. As you are aware, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic had requested the Commission to conduct a recount of the ballots cast in view of the several irregularities and discrepancies found during and after the day of the elections. We believe that the electoral processes were severely compromised. That is why we requested a recount of the ballots.
Former President Donald Ramotar Regrettably, our repeated requests were denied by GECOM. The right to universal adult suffrage and its exercise of “one person, one vote” which the PPP won for the Guyanese people in 1953 is again under threat.
GECOM by its constitutional mandate and the observer missions have made their pronouncements on the elections without taking into account the real concerns that have been brought to their attention by our party. My party remains convinced that a recount would have proven beyond any shadow of doubt that the electoral processes had been compromised and the PPP/C would have won. We have agreed to pursue options for redress under the constitution and the law, including an elections petition. Once again we are being removed from office, not through the will of our people, but by electoral manipulations yet we will remain steadfast in our commitment to the principles of freedom and democracy.
Ramotar, Sooba to... From page 9 Clerk was said to be the “road block” to the rehabilitation. Several stallholders at the Stabroek Bazaar had recently complained about the market wharf which is now home to many drug addicts. It was only three weeks ago that bandits broke into two stalls and carted off over $2M in cash and grocery items. The recent break-ins are becoming habitual; this is according to the market vendors. They are adamant that the Council is clearly
taking no interest in the market. The vendors noted that the market constables have neglected to carry out their duties. They are also furious about the guards who never see or hear anything. The vendors are claiming that the only activity undertaken by the Municipality is the collection of stallholder’s fees. In the meantime, the vendors are of the belief that their stalls will continue to be invaded if the Constabulary continues to neglect them.
My fellow Guyanese, it has been my humble honour to serve you as President of our dear land over these past three years. I have upheld my sworn duty to carry out my mandate without fear or favour. My party is proud of our record in nurturing and building a free and democratic country. Clearly these elections demonstrate that the freedom we have can still be compromised but we have always acted in the interests of all of our people. We will continue to do so and will remain steadfast in our commitment to serve all
Guyanese and to work for the unity, stability and progress of our country. I am urging the new President and the APNU-AFC leadership to take urgent responsibility for the preservation of peace, the respect for all our citizens regardless of race, colour or creed and the protection of all Guyanese irrespective of political affiliation. As we enter into a new phase of our country’s political life, the PPP/C will continue to strive for a strong democracy, a cohesive society and a better Guyana. The struggle continues.
THE FIGHT by Christopher Lall
Two men, at each other would shout The neighbours would wonder what about? One day, one guy pushed The other said “ You’re soon gonna be mush” That started the fight There can only be one winner...right? One after the other, punch after kick For pain, one was hand-picked They fight, go KAPOW So legendary, we all said “WOW” One of them would get hit, SMACK So would the other, WHACK In the end, it was a tie They both went home and went SIGH That fight was so epic and mean Then I realized it was all a dream
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 17, 2015
Lusignan land grabbers take ... From page 15 including Mon Repos, Enmore/Haslington and Mahaica. “We hear that they grabbing land so we making sure that we too get our share,” one villager at Enmore told Kaieteur News. This newspaper was
reliably informed however that they were cautioned by former APNU Member of Parliament, Ernest Elliot. The actions however come at a time when a new administration is being put in place following General and Regional Elections. B u t f r o m a l l
indications, the move to occupy the land at Lusignan Pasture began about a week ago when persons set fire to it. Jaibarran Seekumar, treasurer of the LDFSCSL explained that cattle farmers in the area were given access to the 52-acre plot in 1986 through the National Dairy Development Programme
to cultivate grass for their animals. This arrangement was further strengthened in 2003 by the 50-year lease. Seekumar said that on Friday several persons descended on the land and began farming out plots. “Dem say change of government,” Seekumar said when asked what reason the people gave for
occupying the land. He said that the police were contacted and several ranks went to the area and warned the potential squatters to back off. However, this did not deter the residents who continued to erect pickets to demarcate their plots. Vice Chairman of the dairy farmers' group, Mohamed Haniff, said that
it was “28 years since Burnham give dis land to the 30-odd cattle farmers here. These people who ah squat, ignore de police who come to dem peacefully.” He said that he depends on the pasture to feed his 52 head of cattle and is hoping that whoever instigated the people will help to reverse the situation.
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
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The Importance of Doctor-Patient Communication By Dr Zulfikar Bux Successful medical encounters require effective communication between the patient and the physician. “Success” implies that the patient and physician have developed a “partnership” and the patient has been fully educated in the nature of his or her condition and the different methods to address the problem. Patients who understand their doctors are more likely to acknowledge health problems, understand their treatment options, modify their behaviour accordingly, and follow their medication schedules. In fact, research has shown that effective patient-physician communication can improve a patient’s health as quantifiably as many drugs. Today we discuss some key components of the patient-physician interaction which will help your understanding of the process of visiting a doctor. BEING QUESTIONED
People will talk about a new day, but people in Berbice will claim that they still have to live with crime. The authorities will move to eradicate the criminals there. Other locations will also see a decline, albeit slow, in the crime situation. And elsewhere some young gunmen are going to get a shock even as they plan a robbery. This time they will be caught in the act.
THOROUGHLY One of the most important diagnostic tools a doctor has at his disposal is being able to question you. A doctor may ask you the most private of questions or may dwell on matters that you may think is irrelevant. Each medical condition has some uniqueness in its presentation and getting clues on the presentation will help a doctor to narrow his thoughts to what may be causing your condition. EXPLAINING WHAT’S GOING ON One of the keys to recovery is the patient understanding of their medical condition. A doctor will inform you of what’s going on so that you can appreciate your treatment plan. Studies have found that patients who do not understand their condition tend to be less compliant with instructions and are more at risk for inappropriate outcomes. It is therefore vital that you listen to your doctor, ask questions, and follow
instructions given. GIVING YOU OPTIONS Some patients prefer for the doctor to make all the decisions and not include them. Each patient will have a different situation and there are times when there are multiple treatment options. Some patients may prefer an injection while others will prefer to use tablets and wait a bit longer to improve. A patient should be informed of options like these so that they make a decision which they are most comfortable with. FOLLOW-UP VISITS Seeing a doctor, getting treatment which makes you feel better and not having to see the doctor again is the ideal situation. More than often this is not the case and you may be required for a few follow-up visits for your doctor to monitor the progression of your condition. There are times when patients fail to follow up with their doctor and their situation takes a turn for the worse. This is never ideal for both the patient and the
** Elections are about pain and gain. One senior person is going to suffer a heart attack but he will survive. The
strain of making bread out of stone will be too much for him. ** Rumours will circulate about many things, one of them is about disgruntled people marching on the city. This will not be. The law enforcers will be on high alert having managed to suppress crime during the postelection period. The new government will insist on this high alert and will seek to reward these law enforcers.
doctor and the one that suffer the most is the patient. You should therefore follow up with your doctor as advised since medicine is no miracle and time sometimes reveals more than is seen initially. DOCTOR SHOPPING This is when a patient is requesting care from multiple physicians, often simultaneously, without making efforts to coordinate care or informing the physicians of the multiple caregivers. This can lead to a poor outcome for the patient for reasons too many to mention. Wanting a second opinion is well within a patient’s right, but this should be coordinated/ communicated between physicians. Doing this would prevent unnecessary delays
in treatment and use of medications that can cause cross interactions. Doctor shopping can also lead to patients having incomplete work-ups with different physicians and can lead to the patient having an unnecessary chronic condition. Effective doctor-patient communication is a central clinical function in building a therapeutic doctor-patient relationship, which is the heart and art of medicine. Both the doctor and the patient have equal responsibility in communicating effectively with each other. Once this gap is bridged, it should augur well for more effective and assured patient care. (Dr Zulfikar Bux is an Assistant Professor of
Dr. Zulfikar Bux Emergency Medicine at the Vanderbilt University and Medical Center and holds the position of Head of the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department.)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 17, 2015
The man who loved CSI By Michael Jordan I have a strange request for you this week. I want those of you, who love crime dramas, particularly the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) television series, to tell me if you recall any episode, perhaps going back five years, in which someone committed a murder in a house, and dumped the body in a creek, or river, or canal, to fake a drowning. This strange request may give a young man named Tristan Isaacs a clue about the still unsolved murder of his mother, which happened right here, and around that time… Boys will be boys, so the shiny red bicycle in the canal near the ‘D’ Field, Sophia access road caught the child’s eyes. The sight of that bike drew him closer to the water. It was then that he spotted the other object, and screamed, and ran. It was Sunday, March 13, 2011, and the sight of the running, screaming boy caught the attention of residents passing along the ‘D’ Field, Sophia roadway. What the boy told them sent them hurrying to the canal, and there they saw what had
DEAD: Neibert Isaacs-Bacon scared the child. It was the decomposing corpse of a woman, lying faceup and dressed in a green tshirt and blue denim skirt. Some of the onlookers speculated that a vehicle may have struck the woman while she was cycling through
Sophia, and that the panicstricken driver fled the scene. But others also observed that the bicycle was undamaged. Their queries turned to consternation when they realised that the victim was one of their own. She was 52-year-old
Neibert Isaacs-Bacon, a Special Constable who lived at ‘D’ Field. She worked the three to eleven p.m. shift at a location near the Sophia Exhibition site and rode the red bicycle to and from work. Mrs. Bacon was reportedly last seen alive on Friday, March 11, 2011, two days prior to the discovery. She had a 19-year-old son, and it was he who confirmed the victim’s identity after viewing her remains at the Lyken Funeral Parlour. And he was certain of one thing: No hit-and-run driver had killed his mother. Someone with a motive had murdered her. Tristan Isaacs says that his mother could not have been riding her bicycle at the time of her death, because it had suffered a puncture and she was unable to have it patched immediately. He also didn’t believe that his ever vigilant mother was attacked while traversing the area. Tristan Isaacs believes that someone killed his mother in her home while she slept, then dumped her in the canal, in the hope of making it appear that she had drowned. He thinks that the killer had also hoped that the caimans and other reptiles inhabiting the canal would have devoured the corpse. He was even more convinced of the killer’s identity when a post mortem revealed someone had clubbed her to death. She had sustained blows to the head. Tristan Isaacs says that after identifying his mother’s body, he accompanied other relatives to his mother ’s home. According to Isaacs, he observed that someone had placed a heavy plank against the back door from the inside of the house. He believed that the killer blocked the back door with the plank to thwart her escape.
The slain woman’s relatives also realised that a small black handbag, which his mother literally always carried, was missing. That handbag contained all of his mother’s valuable documents, including her birth certificate. Her phone was also gone. Something else was missing; or rather, someone. That person was Mrs. Bacon’s husband, Everol ‘Evo’ Bacon. He just couldn’t be found. The two had been married for five years, but were on the verge of divorce, and in the midst of a long and acrimonious court battle over their ‘D’ Field, Sophia property. Mrs. Bacon had reportedly also claimed in court that she was forced to flee her home after her spouse threatened her with a meat cleaver, over her attempts to gain sole possession of the property. While some reports suggest that the husband moved to a relative’s home, located close to the couple’s house, Tristan Isaacs says that the two continued to live together, up to the time of his mother’s murder. According to him, his mother, “a no-nonsense and determined person,” repeatedly ignored pleas to find other accommodation until the case ended. But some two days after Mrs. Bacon’s body was found, Mr. Bacon reappeared. He turned up at the Turkeyen Police Station in the company of an attorney. According to reports, Mr. Bacon claimed that he was in Essequibo at the time of the murder. Police detained him for 72 hours, found nothing to link
him to his wife’s death and released him. Tristan Isaacs’ mother would have celebrated her fifty-sixth birthday on January 27th, 2015. That anniversary passed with the victim’s son having not a shred of optimism that her killer will ever be caught. “I have no hope at all. The police dropped it (the case) and it doesn’t look as if they will pick it up again. The last thing they told me is that ‘the investigation is still pending.’” According to him, some of his mother ’s closest neighbours have hinted of hearing screams coming from the victim’s home on the night she was slain. Others reportedly also saw suspicious activity by a male resident, but are fearful of retaliation and will not confide in the police. Tristan Isaacs believes that the killer is someone known to him; someone with an almost obsessive fondness for television crime dramas; someone who may have been watching CSI, and watching his mother, and planning…and waiting to turn fiction into reality. If you have any information about other unusual cases, please contact Kaieteur News at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location. We can be reached on telephone numbers 2258465, 225-8491 or 225-8473. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address: mjdragon@ hotmail.com
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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
This I cannot forgive: This I cannot forget There is a line in political competition that you do not cross. I cuss you down, you cuss me down; my friends get into the act, your friends get into the act; political battles go on, but you don’t bring in family. What does family have to do with men and women battling it out in the arena of politics? If they are not involved, then leave them out; leave innocent family members out of the tit-for-tat. The PPP did not do that. They went after my wife and daughter. This I cannot forgive. This I cannot forget. My wife has been a public sector worker all her life. She is a trained chemical engineer. After we came back from studies abroad in 1984, she worked at a state body that facilitated investors GUYMIDA. After the PPP came to power in 1992, GUYMIDA became GO-Invest. My wife worked at GO-Invest for fourteen years. Just before the 2011 election she was pushed out by Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar. My wife has never dabbled in politics. She didn’t while she was at GO-Invest. She doesn’t up to this day. I
never knew what my wife did at GO-Invest. I was not interested. She didn’t discuss her work with me. We were always busy with our individual professional interests. At GO-Invest, my wife had a professional relation with both Jagdeo and Ramotar. At GuyExpo, she would meet them and they would talk. My wife had no idea that these people were planning to victimize her. It was her boss, a decent man, Geoff Da Silva who protected her. When he left to become the Ambassador to Venezuela, my wife became an open target. Anyone who knows my wife would tell you, she is a decent human being, an introvert who stays away from the world and its controversies. She lost her pension at GO-Invest when CLICO collapsed. The PPP scandalized my little daughter. They posted photographs of her having a lesbian affair on the internet. It was a nasty fiction. This young lady got vilified because of her father by a ruling cabal that had gone mad. My daughter never uttered a word about politics.
None, not one of the PPP bigwigs ever called me to apologize over what the PPP did to my daughter. I taught Donald Ramotar and his daughter; Anil Nandlall and his wife; Priya Manickchand; Clinton Urling, the daughter of Indra Chandarpal and others inside the castle of the PPP too numerous to mention. Not to mention their relatives too. Not one of them ever emailed me or telephoned me to apologize over the shocking derogation of my daughter. Mind you, it was my family that these people were hurting. They brought my family into their insane conspiracies. They have gone from office, ignominiously thrown out by the power and passion of the Guyanese people. Before this Sunday is over, I will get calls from some of them telling me they didn’t know about the trials and tribulations of my family. From
Monday, I will get discreet apologies from some of them. But these people would be hypocritically lying. I wrote about the victimization of my wife and the nasty things done to my daughter several times in my columns. Guyanese know. The little dictators know. The PPP crossed the line when they attacked my innocent family. I repeat; this I cannot forgive, this I cannot forget. I don’t want these people to apologize to me. They had a long time to do so, they did not. I don’t want any contact with them. I don’t want them to talk to me. The desire that comes from the bosom of my heart is for an investigation into the tyranny of fifteen years under
Messrs Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar. Make no mistake; it wasn’t Freddie Kissoon and his family alone that were hunted down by these people. Thousands were victimized; their families suffering in the process. The new government has a moral obligation to so many of us that have suffered so horrendously to investigate the horrible victimization of this nation by the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal. Women were molested. Men were oppressed. Families were torn apart. A nation was ruined. The new government cannot equate the search for justice with vendetta. The two are not even distantly related. There isn’t a citizen in this country that would support a
Frederick Kissoon vendetta against the PPP. David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo would not accept that. But David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo are leaders who must know that justice is a sacred value that people cherish and will always desire to have. The new government must give it to me and my fellow Guyanese.
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One Nation, Guyana Guyana achieved Independence on 26th May 1966, under the inspirational national motto – One People, One Nation, One Destiny. The Nation, this month, will celebrate its 49th anniversary of Independence. The Guyanese people today have a duty to actualise the vision of our nation’s founders by continuing their work to make Guyana ‘One Nation.’ We
cannot become One Nation if we are divided. The national motto remained as relevant as ever as the people voted in the general and regional elections on 11th May 2015. The people were determined to make national unity a reality. A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) coalition won a majority of the popular vote
and renewed its commitment to making Guyana ‘One Nation.’ The results of both the 2011 and 2015 general and regional elections have made it clear that the majority of the Guyanese people want an ‘inclusionary democracy’ in order to promote national unity. The people want greater inclusion, not exclusion. The likely ‘dispensation’ in the
National Assembly in the forthcoming 11th Parliament will require consultation and cooperation between the legislative and executive branches of government. The APNU+AFC Coalition is convinced that greater national unity will bring greater national benefits. These include the elimination of one-party domination of the
government; enhancement of local, municipal and parliamentary democracy; enlargement of multi-ethnic space and the elimination of ethnic insecurity; expansion of economic enterprise and development and the enrichment of cultural life, national consciousness and pride. Guyana, today, is an unequal society. The former PPP administration’s 23-year record has ensured that Guyana became and remained an unequal and poor society in which a few people enjoy an extremely high income and most people endure an extremely small income. The former PPP administration’s attitudes and policies harmed social cohesion, undermined our sense of solidarity, impoverished a large section of the population, alienated the hinterland regions and gradually divided ‘two countries’ instead of cementing One Nation. The Coalition will continue to battle against poverty, to establish working people’s economic independence and to improve their livelihood. The Coalition’s policy will be geared to finding ways to increase wealth, not to perpetuate poverty. The Coalition will continue the struggle to ensure that Municipal and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils which have been damaged or dismantled by the PPP are democratically elected. The Coalition will fortify grass-roots democracy by ensuring that the people are allowed to play a greater role in local government countrywide by finding solutions to rural and agrarian problems. The Coalition will continue to be totally committed to ensuring equality for all and to protect citizens’ fundamental rights. It will improve information, communication and education infrastructure in hinterland and coastal areas – a weakness which continues to hinder the development of many citizens. The Coalition will
continue its assault on inequality of opportunity and remove impediments to equal access to public services. The Coalition, most of all, will remain committed to achieving national unity and to building bridges to all communities and groups which are interested in the well-being of our citizens and the progress of our country. The Coalition will continue to work towards promoting inclusionary democracy. Guyana is facing a human development crisis as a result of the former PPP administration’s chronic tolerance of crime, cronyism and corruption. Public protests have become the visible and voluble expressions of resistance against the PPP’s mismanagement of public health, public security, public infrastructure and the public education system. Guyana, in the new millennium, has become more unsafe and more unstable than ever before, owing to the high rate of crime and the low quality of life. The Coalition’s ‘One Nation’ approach could be the main means of combining the talents of a wider constituency and of creating the conditions for social cooperation and economic progress. The three-fold purpose of such a project would be to reach a broad consensus on the goals of national development, to establish a sustainable institutional architecture and to create effective policy instruments for the achievement of our common objectives. The Coalition’s One Nation project will be the basis for major sections of society – including the government; political opposition; trade unions; private sector and civil society – to come together to seek agreement on a broad national programme to move our country forward. The Coalition’s One Nation project shows how its programme is relevant to people’s everyday experiences and expectations. Guyana’s resilient and resourceful people and communities are eager to play their part in rebuilding our country as One Nation.
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MY COLUMN
A CHANGE HAS COME I remember October 1992 as though it were yesterday. There was to be a new government and as head of the Chronicle I knew that I had to go. On the campaign trail Dr Cheddi Jagan had said that the first head to roll would be mine. There are many things that happened after October 29, 1992. I was supposed to be jobless for the rest of my life. And to make things even harder was the fact that I would not be given my pension or gratuity. But there is a God and he guided me along the way. Many people helped—Tony Vieira, a manager at Barama Company Limited who hired me to teach his daughter after Janet Jagan learnt that I was doing a stint there and got the people to terminate my services—and of course Glenn Lall. For the records, Lall did not have it easy; he faced pressure to fire me, but he stood fast and the rest is history. But throughout all this, I was the PNC thug. Being a PNC supporter was tantamount to being a criminal. I wonder how my persecutors would react if I should hold that view. I say these things because on Friday I walked into Neendkumar (Neil Kumar) as he was entering the media centre of the Guyana Elections Commission. His words to me were not ‘Good morning’ or any greeting, but “Y’all gun kick dem boys ass.” I was surprised. I reminded him of ass-kicking in 1992 and silenced him. I have lived to see the opposition return to power and the people behaving as though they have been released from jail-a 23-yearlong jail sentence. This should not have been, because a government is for all the people. This was an oath every president took. None ever held true to that oath. Carol Corbin must be smiling. She was one of them who got kicked in 1992. She had been showing Bharrat
Jagdeo his job at State Planning Secretariat. As soon as the elections results came out, he sought and got her resignation. That story was never told, so when Kumar talked about kicking ass I wanted to give him a litany of real ass-kicking. The new government will not be allowed to get away with the excesses of the previous one. The leaders will have to rule for all the people, even those at Whim who turned their backs on Moses Nagamootoo. At the same time, the overwhelming majority expect investigations into those leaders who suddenly became rich. To a man or woman, people kept saying that they must be made to account for their abundant wealth. That was money that could have gone to help the people who kept struggling. A friend said that in the Bible, the writer spoke of the poor eating the crumbs from their masters’ table, but this set ate even the crumbs. That is why people got frustrated at the delay in getting the final results. Many people had sleepless nights; some got sick. I hardly ate because I was so nervous. I too lost sleep, but it was worth it. I now say to the people, don’t expect miracles overnight. A lot of work has to be done. We do not have a budget as yet. We need to revisit some of the projects that ate up millions of dollars for nothing. We all agree that there is need for hydro; we must continue the airport improvement programme and we must renew the focus on education. There is no need for arrogance and none will be tolerated. They will also have to look at the media which was slavishly PPP. The state media must be open to all, so someone will have to go in and ask the staff to be professional. There will be no Kwame McCoy walking in and dictating what should be published.
When I was at the Chronicle, a Minister was supposed to overlook the paper. I put an end to that. I simply said that I was in charge and I would determine what was to be published. Failing that, I should be fired. The politicians immediately kept to themselves and the Chronicle remained the bestselling publication up until I left. Everyone got fair coverage. The late Reepu Daman Persaud came to me often with material for publication. I
never failed him. I expected the same from my successors, but they lacked the gumption to stand up. Enrico Woolford, when he was at GTV, reported on Desmond Hoyte’s ‘Putagee Mafia’ speech. He was not victimized because he was professional. Nothing like that ever happened, because the media was believed to be the sole preserve of the rulers of the day. They abused it to the extent that they caused it to lose all semblance of
credibility. The rebuilding process would not be long and the staff should feel no fear because they were harmless pawns. There will be no more fraud at the Ministry of Home Affairs-no more soliciting money for passports and for work permits. Rest assured, corrupt people will be dismissed rather than hugged. And unlike what Dr Roger Luncheon said to me when he tried to explain my removal from the Chronicle-”We threw out the baby with the bath
Adam Harris water” -the new leaders are advised to keep people who are performing. This is no time for wanton discrimination.
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Alibaba sued in U.S. by luxury brands over counterfeit goods A group of luxury goods makers sued Alibaba Group Holding Ltd on Friday, contending the Chinese online shopping giant had knowingly made it possible for counterfeiters to sell their products throughout the world. The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court b y G u c c i , Yv e s S a i n t Laurent and other brands
o w n e d b y P a r i s -based Kering SA seeking damages and an injunction for alleged violations of trademark and racketeering laws. The lawsuit alleged that Alibaba had conspired to manufacture, offer for sale and traffic in counterfeit products bearing their trademarks without their permission. A spokesman for Alibaba,
The logo of the Alibaba Group is seen inside the company’s headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province Bob Christie, said in a statement: “We continue to work in partnership with numerous brands to help them protect their intellectual property, and we have a strong track record of doing so. Unfortunately, Kering Group has chosen the path of wasteful litigation instead of the path of constructive cooperation. We believe this complaint has no basis and we will fight it vigorously.” Concerns over fake products on Alibaba’s platforms, including online marketplace Taobao, have
dogged it for years, although the U.S. Trade Representative removed Taobao from its list of “notorious markets” in 2012 in light of progress made. Friday’s lawsuit marked the second time in less than a year that the Kering brands had sued Alibaba over the alleged sale of counterfeit products. An earlier lawsuit was filed in July only to be withdrawn the same month with the ability to refile it while the Kering units worked toward a resolution with Alibaba, according to
court records. The lawsuit alleged that Alibaba and its related entities “provide the marketplace advertising and other essential services necessary for counterfeiters to sell their counterfeit products to customers in the United States.” The lawsuit cited, for example, an alleged fake Gucci bag offered for $2 to $5 each by a Chinese merchant to buyers seeking at least 2,000 units. The authentic Gucci bag retails for $795, the complaint said. Alibaba has allowed for
counterfeit sales to continue even when it had been expressly informed that merchants were selling fake products, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit seeks a court order that, among other things, would block Alibaba from offering or facilitating the sale of counterfeit products and unspecified damages that could include $2 per counterfeit item under a statutory regime. The case is Gucci America Inc v. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 15-03784.
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SUNDAY SPECIAL MFK EXECUTION…COPS OBTAIN PHONE RECORDS THAT IMPLICATE KILLERS – AS HIT MAN GIVES DETAILED STATEMENT TO CRIME CHIEF Investigators have taken a detailed statement from a ‘Hit Man’ who claimed to have intimate knowledge of the plot that led to the murder of businessman, Mohamed F Khan, last year. They have also been able to obtain telephone records that corroborate the informant’s story. The ‘Hit Man’ Lennox Wayne has already implicated a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and a serving Sergeant attached to the Tactical Services Unit. Kaieteur News understands that following the publication of an explosive statement that Wayne had given, detailing the whole plan surrounding Khan’s death, investigators escorted him from his cell in the Georgetown Prison to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department where they obtained a further statement. Wayne is currently on remand having been charged for the murder of Lusignan Cosmetologist, Ashmini Harriram. Giving dates and locations which are consistent with information provided by Khan before his death, Wayne admitted to being part of the plot to kill Khan, but denied that he actually committed the murder. Apart from the two policemen, Wayne has named a businessman who he claimed ordered the hit on Khan. The businessman is said to be a former associate of Mohamed F Khan with whom he had conducted a multi-million-dollar business. Investigators have however not yet pulled in the persons he implicated for questioning and Wayne is now expressing concern for his safety. MONDAY EDITION JIMMY CARTER LEAVES GUYANAAFTER FALLING ILL Former US President Jimmy Carter left Guyana after falling ill late Saturday evening. According to reports, Carter and his delegation departed Guyana around noon Sunday, from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, for Atlanta, Georgia. Carter, founder of the Election observer body the Carter
Mohamed F. Khan Centre, was scheduled to leave the country on Tuesday, following Monday’s General and Regional Elections. The former US President, as head of the observer mission to Guyana, was meant to observe the polls on V-Day before leaving the country. TUESDAY EDITION MISGUIDED MOB SPOILS PEACEFULPOLLING DAYATTACKS PASTOR HOME, TORCH EIGHT VEHICLES ON RUMOURS Riot police, backed by soldiers were Monday night called upon to defuse an explosive situation in ‘C’ Field, Sophia, after an angry mob torched several vehicles and attacked a pastor’s home in the belief that PPP/C supporters had set up an illegal polling station in the area. The building was actually a PPPC Command Centre, which had no ballot boxes, as several residents had believed. The Lot 589 ‘C’ Field property which came under attack is owned by Pastor Narine Khublall. In all, eight vehicles, including a minibus and three SUVs, one of which belonged to PPP candidate Joseph Hamilton, were destroyed by the time police and army ranks brought the situation under control. Kaieteur News was told that the mob made off with three motorcycles. People also torched a small stable in which the Khublall family
kept some of their horses. Attempts were also made to set fire to another house next to the Khublalls. A tearful Pastor Khublall was too distraught to immediately estimate his loss. He told Kaieteur News that he has lived in Sophia for the past 18 years. He is also a Community Policing member. The riot all started because of a rumour, reportedly spread by a passing minibus driver, who claimed that the PPP/C has set up an illegal polling station at the location. GRANGER, HARMON ESCORT KWAME MCCOY THROUGHANGRY CROWD In one of his closest election day shaves yet, controversial candidate of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic, Kwame McCoy escaped from the clutches of angry voters at a city’s polling station. This was after the coalition’s Presidential Candidate, Brigadier (ret’d) David Granger came to his rescue. It would be one of the few bits of excitement on a relatively calm voting Monday across the country. According to police sources and elections officials, Mc Coy who is known for clashing with voters in the past went to the St. Sidwell’s Primary School, Vlissengen Road and Hadfield Street, shortly after 14:00hrs. The Office of the President (OP) Press Liaison, reportedly claimed that he was there to
Lennox Wayne Called ‘Two Colours’ replace one of his party’s officials. However, his presence there attracted a crowd who believed he was there for some other ulterior reasons. As the crowd gathered, forcing police and other security personnel to lock the gates, it left Mc Coy inside and angry voters outside. As the crowd outside swelled, police back-up arrived. Elections officials inside (the school) were seen peering out of the windows. They had left Mc Coy in a corner of one of the rooms. Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, soon arrived, but it was clear that the crowd could not be appeased. They shouted for Mc Coy to come out. Shortly, after a loud roar went up. Presidential Candidate for A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Granger had arrived along with Joseph Harmon, a top official and candidate. Granger made his way into the compound of the polling station and the gates were locked behind him. McCoy was later escorted through the angry crowd. WEDNESDAY EDITION OBSERVERS COMMEND ELECTION PROCESS Noting that there were a few hiccups on Elections Day, the Carter Center observation team commended the election process and called on Guyanese to remain patient as
the ballots were being tabulated. This was relayed as the mission hosted a press conference at the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown Tuesday. Dame Billie Miller, co-leader of the mission, told members of the media that on May 11, Guyanese citizens turned out in large numbers to cast their votes “in what is probably the most important election since the watershed elections of 1992.” She said that Guyanese voters waited patiently in long lines from early in the morning until into the evening. “All across the country, thousands of dedicated poll workers, party agents, and officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) served with honesty, integrity, and professionalism. GECOM officials and poll workers are to be commended for these efforts,” she said. Brett Lacy, the mission’s Associate Director of Democracy Programme, said on Monday, Carter Center observers visited 297 polling stations in all 10 regions, or about 13 percent of total stations, providing a relatively high degree of observation coverage. THURSDAY EDITION PPP/C CONCEDES DEFEAT, BEGINS CLEARING OUT OFFICES Officials of a number of Government agencies and Ministries seem to be pack-
ing up and leaving, ahead of the official announcement of the winner of Monday’s General and Regional elections. On Wednesday, amidst reports of movements of files and other official documents, Kaieteur News managed to determine that this was indeed the case. This was a clear indication that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic was conceding that it had lost the elections. At the Ministry of Labour, next door to the Guyana Fire Service headquarters in Stabroek Market area, two staffers were seen packing items into a dark coloured Toyota SUV with licence plate number PPP 4200. The secretive movements reportedly attracted the attention of members of the public and even staffers, with photographs being taken. At the Ministry of Housing on Brickdam, a black Toyota SUV, tinted and bearing PTT number plates, was reportedly seen fetching boxes and heading to an East Bank Demerara location. There were reportedly similar movements at several other ministries and key Government agencies. ABC ENVOYS CALL ON PARTIES TO RESPECT RESULTS Following a visit to the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C)’s Freedom House, Robb Street, headquarters, the American, British and Canadian (ABC) diplomats in Guyana called for political parties to respect the results of Monday’s General and Regional election polls. Speaking to members of the media outside Freedom House on Wednesday, Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy, Bryan Hunt, accompanied by British High Commissioner, Gregory Quinn and Canadian High Commissioner, Dr. Nicole Giles, reiterated the missions’ wishes for political stakeholders to respect the provisions under Guyana’s election laws. ”The talking point we have been using with all the political parties is that we hope that they respect the results and respect the judicial process that exists for contesting them if they have issues with the campaign,” said Charge d’Affaires Hunt. According to the envoys, the visit to Freedom House was a routine call to receive the party’s perception on how things were going with the electoral process. Hunt clarified that the envoys had visited all the parties to gather their impressions on the elections as they finalise their (Continued on page 43)
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(From page 29) recommendations.”It is very important to get ideas in real time as to what all the political parties believe could have been potential issues or concerns during the polls. So we’re giving everyone the opportunity to comment to us as to what their perspective is,” said Hunt. British High Commissioner Quinn reiterated the envoys’ purpose for visiting the PPP/C, as they have done so with other political parties. Commissioner Giles emphasised the importance for the parties to continue communicating with each other. FRIDAY EDITION COALITION SECURES NARROW WIN IN 2015 ELECTIONS – DAVID GRANGER SET TO BECOME EIGHTH EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT The opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) led by Brigadier David Arthur Granger, has secured a narrow win this year’s elections. Mr. Granger is poised to become Guyana’s eighth Executive President. He is now to head a government that comprises a number of smaller political parties and is said to be the representation of national unity in a country as racially diverse as Guyana. The coalition, during its tenure, will have control over the executive and legislative arms of the government. The results were announced on Thursday by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield, when he presented the final preliminary results of the 2015 elections. Those results revealed that the APNU+AFC accumulated 206,817 votes while the long-governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) accumulated 201,457 votes, a difference of 5,360 votes. The coalition’s gain created a devastating loss for the incumbent PPP/C which held political power for over 23 years. Based on the preliminary
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results, APNU+AFC has secured 33 seats in what will be the Eleventh Parliament of Guyana, while the PPP/C, which will form the new opposition, has the remaining 32 seats. There will be no third Party in the Eleventh Parliament as none of the other Parties managed to win enough votes to earn a seat in Parliament. ANOTHER ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE IMPLICATED IN MKFMURDER Another Assistant Commissioner has been added to the list of top police officials linked to the execution of popular businessman Mohamed F. Khan. While he was not implicated by hit man Lennox Wayne called “Two Colours”, who admitted that he had been contracted to kill Khan, the Assistant Commissioner was fingered by a well-placed source who has intricate knowledge of the investigation. This recent disclosure points to the level of compromise in the Guyana Police Force when rogue businessmen could solicit the help of corrupt officers for a price. Reliable sources in the Force have named the Assistant Commissioner who is said to be a close friend of the businessman who wanted Khan dead. Wayne had named the businessman who he stated had ordered the hit on Khan. He had previously implicated another Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, who he said had been staking out a lawyer’s office on Hadfield Street, where Khan was conducting business shortly before he disappeared. That retired Assistant Commissioner has been fingered in a number of extra-judicial activities. Mohamed F. Khan’s dismembered body was discovered on a dam at Cummings Lodge on September 23, last, a month after he disappeared. SATURDAY EDITION ‘YOUARE NO LONGERA MINISTER’ -PS SHUTS OUT IRFAAN ALI FROM MINISTRY
Government ministries appear to be readying themselves for a new administration. The readiness was never more evident than on Thursday after former Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali, went to work at the Ministry of Housing, Brickdam, and found that he could not enter the offices. This was because the locks had been changed. Housing officials confirmed yesterday that the order to change the locks came down on Wednesday from Permanent Secretary (PS), Emile McGarrell. This was after the PS learnt that vehicles were moving several boxes and files from Ali’s office.
One of the vehicles was a black SUV, bearing registration plates, PPP 7328. Staff members took photos of the vehicle being loaded with boxes of files. Several staff members had to give statements on the role they played in the removal of what is suspected to be records. On Thursday, an angry Ali was informed that he was no longer the Minister and therefore could not have access to the offices. According to one staffer, Ali turned up and asked his driver to open the door. The driver told him that the lock had been changed. An upset Ali enquired
who gave the order. He was told that it came from upstairs. He was then reportedly informed by a junior staffer that since he was no longer a Minister, he could not enter the office. The staffer said that Ali
started “cussing” and stormed out of the building. Another staffer, Ali’s secretary, came to work and was met by the locked doors. She broke down in tears because she could not enter.
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Sunday May 17, 2015
Vector Control Services Diabetes Meal Planning – The simple plate method being bolstered with training in Region One (From the Desk of the Vector Control Director, Dr Reyaud Rahman) One of the biggest and most important tasks of the Vector Control Services is to ensure that health care workers are trained to tackle vector-borne diseases. We ensure that staff in the Regions are competent when carrying out their task and do so in the most professional and safe manner with the highest technical knowledge. One component of training is malaria microscopy training. We have just concluded a malaria microscopy course in Region One and have successfully trained 10 new Microscopists who will diagnose malaria. Malaria Microscopy is very important because it is the gold standard used to diagnose malaria in a patient. It allows a microscopist to identify malaria parasites at different stages to be viewed and is much more effective than malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test because parasites at a lower density will be identified. Malaria microscopy is inexpensive in comparison to other means of malaria diagnosis and can be done in large quantities at a very low cost. Over a long term period it has proven to be a very effective tool in Guyana. The Vector Control Services has a dedicated training unit which focuses on training and the quality control of malaria microscopist slides countrywide. It ensures that training is done one way and done so
Dr. Reyaud Rahman according to the best practices and international standards practiced. By doing this it is ensured that there is no difference in what microscopists are supposed to look for or find when making a malaria diagnosis. Persons who are selected take part in the training are taught by the best available teachers and are exposed to the most up to date methods used in malaria microscopy. Our head of the unit has over 40 years of experience and has worked and lived in most of the administrative regions in Guyana. He has a dedicated number of staff under him in the training unit to assist and support him. Region One has benefited from an intense six-week malaria microscopist course
carried out by the training unit. We have taught persons the basics from the different parts of a microscope to the in-depth reading of malaria diagnosis using a microscope. Graduates of the microscopist course are capable of mixing giemsa stain (used to stain the blood slide when examining under the microscope) and are very competent when recording and doing epidemiological surveillance work as they have been thought how to do so. Those trained are from different localities within the Region such as Upper Waini River, Kokerite, Yarakita, Red Hill, Baramita, Warimuri, Aruka River, Mabaruma, Tassawini and Chinese Landing. They are slated to be deployed by the regional administration to their respective localities or sent to localities where there is need for their newly acquired malaria microscopy diagnostic skills. We will continue our training programme throughout the endemic malarious regions and ensure that Regions Seven, Eight, and Nine are completed by the latter half of the year. We believe that by strengthening our diagnostic capacity countrywide we will capture malaria cases that previously have eluded us and capture cases which would have turned fatal and killed persons.
To keep your blood sugar levels in check, you need to make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, and take the medicines your health care provider prescribes. There are many Diabetics who constantly ask themselves and their medical doctor, “What can I eat?” I encourage all diabetes to stop worrying because the good news is that living with diabetes does not mean feeling deprived. People with diabetes can eat the same foods the family enjoys. Everyone benefits from healthy eating so the whole family can take part in healthy eating. It takes some planning, but you can fit your favourite foods into your meal plan and still manage your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol. For people with diabetes, the total amounts of carbohydrates consumed each day must be monitored carefully. Of the different components of nutrition — carbohydrates, fats, and proteins — carbohydrates have the greatest influence on blood sugar levels. Most people with diabetes also have to monitor total fat consumption and protein intake, too. Don’t worry diabetics, it’s a simple task, just balance your meals and make healthy food choices. I am hoping to present to you how to balance your meal and make healthy food choices. From my clinical experience with diabetics, there are many patients that approach diet in different ways as follows: · Some may take diet extra seriously and deprive themselves of many healthy food groups because of lack of knowledge. · Some will be very carefree and do not put any emphasis on diet. They continue to eat anything that is called food. · Some depend on others to provide food for then and may desire to eat healthy, but will have to eat what is made available to them. · Those who adhere to their health care provider’s advice and make the right diet choice and are on their way to have excellent blood sugar control. · Those who cannot afford to buy the different food types and limit their diet on what they can afford. Diabetic patients need to adopt a way of eating that reduces risk for complications such as heart disease and stroke. Healthy eating in-
Dr. Kumar Sukhraj cludes eating a wide variety of foods including: vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans, lean meats, poultry, fish etc. However how much of these you eat is of great concern. People with diabetes have to take extra care to make sure that their food is balanced with insulin and oral medications (if they take them), and exercise to help manage their blood glucose levels. This might sound like a lot of work, but your doctor and/ or dietitian can help you create a meal plan that is best for you. When you make healthy food choices, you will improve your overall health and you can even prevent complications of diabetes. A diabetic meal plan is a guide to help diabetics to choose the right type of food to eat at meals or snack times. A good meal plan should be applicable to your schedule and eating habits. The Plate Method is a simple way of choosing good portions of available foods at
lunch and dinner meals. You do not have to do any sophisticated counting.Make sure that you have a nine-inch plate and fill half of it with non- starchy vegetables (calalu, bora, lettuce, ochro etc.), quarter with starchy food (e.g. Rice, roti etc.) and the remaining quarter with meat/protein (chicken, chunks, beans etc. I would like to encourage all diabetics to plan their diet in accordance so that they can have better control over their diabetes. Please remember that diet alone cannot help you with your diabetes, but it must go hand in hand with exercise and medications. Please feel free to send an email to kumarsukhraj@yahoo.com or call 6228032 for further enquiry and discussion on the topic. Patient education plays an important in the diagnosis and management of any illness. Please look forward for a continuation of the discussion on common health issues in the next publication.
Plate method- Below is how your plate arrangement should look
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89
Legendary guitarist Riley ‘B.B.’ King (CNN) Riley B. King, the legendary guitarist known as B.B. King, whose velvety voice and economical, expressive style brought blues from the margins to the mainstream, died Thursday night. He was 89 years old. His daughter, Patty King, said he died in Las Vegas,
where he announced two weeks ago that he was in home hospice care after suffering from dehydration. The Mississippi native’s reign as “king of the blues” lasted more than six decades and straddled two centuries, influencing a generation of rock and blues musicians,
from Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan to Sheryl Crow and John Mayer. His life was the subject of the documentary “B.B. King: The Life of Riley” and the inspiration for the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, which opened in Mississippi in 2008. King’s enduring legacy came from his refusal to slow down even after cementing his status as an American music icon. Over the years, he racked up 30 Grammy nominations and 15 wins, including two in 2000: one along with Eric Clapton for Best Traditional Blues Album for “Riding with the King” and another with Dr. John for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for “Is You Is, or Is You Ain’t (My Baby).” His last was in February 2009 for Best Traditional Blues Album for “One Kind Favor” (2008).
‘Idol’ picks winner as show gets ready for exit (CNN) In a star-studded season 14 finale, Nick Fradiani was anointed the latest “American Idol.” But was anybody paying attention? Last Monday, Fox announced that it would cancel the long-running series after its 15th season airs next year. The timing seems about right: Not only have “Idol’s” ratings been declining for years, apparently it doesn’t make the hearts of Internet clickers beat faster either, with the show trending on only some
services Thursday morning. It’s quite a comedown for what once was the No. 1 program in television, leading the season-end ratings for eight years in a row and giving birth to countless frantic live blogs. Nevertheless, the show must go on — for now, at least. Fradiani, from Guilford, Connecticut, squared off against White House, Te n n e s s e e ’s , Clark Beckham for the championship. The three judges — Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez
and Keith Urban — chipped in with a performance of Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” and other performers gave the show an awards show-like glow. Among them: Steven Tyler, who performed his country song “Love Is Your Name”; Janelle Monae, who sang “Yoga”; and Michael McDonald, who lent vocals to his old Doobie Brothers hit, “Takin’ It to the Streets.” Fradiani closed the show with his debut single, “Beautiful Life,” and another season was in the books.
Nick Fradiani was crowned as the newest American Idol
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Janet Jackson Announces New Album, Tour Janet Jackson
(Billboard) Janet Jackson delivered a surprise for fans on her birthday, announcing a new album and world tour. The singer made the big reveal at midnight eastern time on May 16 by tweeting a link to a video in which, in her unmistakable voice, she coos: “I promised you’d hear it from my lips and now you will. This year: new music;
new world tour; a new movement. I’ve been listening. Let’s keep the conversation going.” Presumably the title to the album, or perhaps a first single, the tweet was accompanied with the message “My Conversation” and the hashtag “Conversations In A Cafe.” The 49-year-old Jackson’s
last studio album — her tenth, called Discipline — was released in 2008 by Island. It was followed by the collection Number Ones a year later. News of her return set the Internet abuzz as devotees reacted. At least one longtime collaborator, producer Jimmy Jam, had been dropping mysterious hints in the hours leading up to Jackson’s tweet.
Mad Max: Fury Road Earns $16.6 Million on Opening Day (Comicbook.com) It looks like Mad Max: Fury Road will eat the competition’s dust this weekend. Despite rave reviews, the Mad Max sequel only revved up $16.6 million for its opening day box office totals. Its main competitor, Pitch Perfect 2, however, sped ahead with almost $28
million on May 15. Projections estimate that Fury Road will finish second for the entire weekend with $41—$43 million total. Pitch Perfect 2 is expected to continue its lead with $62—$64 million before the weekend ends. With a budget surpassing $200 million, George
Miller’s Mad Max sequel looks like it will at least regain its money through the international box-office. As Deadline notes, Fury Road should end the weekend with $200 million worldwide, if it hits its projections. Mad Max: Fury Road is now in theaters.
Tom Hardy stars as Max Rockatanksy in the movie ‘Mad Max: Road Fury’
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 17, 2015
Those who destroy public records will feel the full brunt of the law - Ramjattan PS Emil McGarrell and former Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali.
AFC’s Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan
A
senior official of A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), which will form the Government and announce a new cabinet of ministers in coming days, has warned that anyone engaged in moving or destroying public records will be prosecuted. Amidst reports that records were being moved and destroyed in some cases at Government ministries and agencies, leader of the AFC faction of the coalition, Khemraj Ramjattan, made it clear that the Permanent Secretaries are the accounting officers of the ministries, and are ultimately responsible. “We are aware that the Permanent Secretaries are the accounting officers and they must be accountable for all documentation at their ministries. They must not do anything or allow the removal of documentation that is public property.” Ramjattan’s statements yesterday came as photographs surfaced showing movement of what appeared to be files and records of some ministries. This happened at the Ministry of Labour earlier this week and then again on Wednesday at the Ministry of Housing/Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). At the CH&PA, a SUV reportedly assigned to former Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali, was observed being used to move what
appeared to be documents. The matter apparently came to the attention of Permanent Secretary, Emile McGarrell, who ordered the return of the vehicle, PPP 7328, to the Brickdam offices. Several officers were asked to give statements regarding their role in moving the documents. The Permanent Secretary, who is a public servant, immediately ordered that locks to Ali’s office be changed. Ali was subsequently told he was no longer a minister and therefore could not access his office. The issue of public records has been a critical one for the Opposition in the leadup to the elections. Several contracts, to the tune of billions of dollars, are in question. The coalition had objected to a number of them including the Marriott Hotel, the Specialty Hospital, the Timehri airport expansion, and the Berbice River Bridge, on the basis of transparency and accountability. Some of the deals have raised eyebrows because of the generous tax and other concessions, and the cloudy use of taxpayers’ dollars. According to Ramjattan yesterday, they have taken note of the recent developments. “We have taken note of what is happening and we will deal with the situation, but we have other priorities right now. Those who take away public documents in this period of transition, they are going to feel the full brunt of the law.”
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
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More scenes from Parliament Building yesterday
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Kaieteur News
The Story Within The
STORY… By Leonard Gildarie The past week was a tough one on Guyana. Not only did we vote, and turn up in record numbers, but the delays, coupled with the wait and the crippling halt to businesses especially in the city, have only served to drive home the perilous state of this nation. As I write, GECOM has just announced its final vote count and declared that the next President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana will be Brigadier (Ret’d) David Granger of the coalition A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change. It means that for the first time in almost 23 years, we have a Government that is not the PPP/C. To say I am gravely disturbed at the rhetoric before and after the voting and racial undertones that seeped their way into the social media sites and other forums would be a huge understatement. A few of us have managed to peel away the layers and sink the
Sunday May 17, 2015
Step out of the shadows, Guyana
discussions to a new low. For the majority, they just wanted to move on. It is time to change now. It is time to put it all behind. It is a new day. The campaigning is over. Our thinking and way of doing business will have to change. We have to embrace each other. That is the first step. A look at those figures released by GECOM found that over 412,000 persons voted across the land, the highest turnout since 1992, I am told. But more telling was the number of votes for APNU+AFC and the PPP/C. The coalition received 207,200 while the PPP/C got 202, 694 - a difference of just 4,506. Herein lies the problem for me. We cannot, and I repeat, cannot run this country like before. The problems of the last Parliament are classical examples of why Guyana is divided. The winner-takesall position will not work anymore. If the language was not too clear or guarded before, let me make it clear
for you. You cannot have half of the country segregated and say you will have development. All hands are not on deck. And all hands will not be on deck until we have a captain that can manage. As captain, you must find ways to motivate the crew. We have a beautiful cruise ship with crew and passengers. The passengers
are paying dear and are demanding quality service. They want a well-dressed crew that is mannerly, that does not steal their belongings, that is at their beck and call. Without the passengers, the ship cannot sustain itself. The last Government left a lot to be desired. I do believe that President Donald Ramotar was a good man, but he was surrounded people who strayed. We had arrogance and corruption and little accountability for the actions. There were very few penalties.
The comparison has been made with nearby Trinidad where the leader, a little lady named Kamla, fired a dozen ministers for one thing or the other. She wanted to project a perception that she was intolerant of wrongdoing. In Guyana, public servants and Government officials were allowed to do as they wanted without reporting back to the employers…the poor taxpayers. I looked back at the figures from GECOM and it will make interesting reading for the analysts. I n R e g i o n Tw o , Essequibo coast, the PPP/C managed to garner 16,045 votes as against the 7,306 for the coalition. The PPP/C has never lost in that mainly ricegrowing community. But the huge inroads made the coalition should be a worrying factor for the PPP/C. It means that rice farmers likely voted for change, and were unhappy with the situation. In Berbice, voting on both sides of the river saw the Opposition again making significant headway. In East Berbice, APNU+AFC managed to acquire 22,000 votes against the almost 40,000 of the PPP/C. Never before has any Opposition party dented these traditional
Leonard Gildarie strongholds like this. In Region Five, West Berbice, the shocking trend continued. PPP/C managed 16,644 while the coalition 13,416. Of course, in Linden and other parts of Region 10 as expected, the coalition managed to overwhelm the PPP/C, receiving 16,791 as against 2,785 for the PPP/C. In addition to rice, the young voters would have made a significant impact on the pattern that emerged. Almost 60 percent of the voters, I am told, were under the age of 35. It is obvious that the message to them was not good from the PPP/C. What is glaringly obvious from the whole mix of things is that the new Government cannot do business like the former administration. It will more likely have to change the constitution to address that winner-takes-all position. Our national motto is clear…’One People, One Nation, One Destiny’. Let it not be just a phrase, let’s put true meaning to it. I can tell you from a reporter ’s perspective; Kaieteur News will not be letting up on the new G o v e r n m e n t . We w i l l continue to demand increased accountability and transparency. We will demand even-handedness and a level playing field for our citizens. The honeymoon or grace period will not be too long. The campaign promises will have to be kept. We will remain the watchdogs, the ear, eyes and mouthpiece for the masses. I do believe that the votes represent a golden opportunity to move this country forward more.We will not tolerate or be satisfied with less. After all, we are One People, One Nation and with One Destiny.
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
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CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES TO PRESIDENT DAVID GRANGER Embassy of the United States of America Georgetown Chamber of At the same time, the opposition. The Embassy of the Commerce and Industry The Embassy United States of America Embassy wishes to extend its wishes to congratulate David Granger on his swearing-in as the new President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. It is our hope that President Granger will work to repair the divisions in Guyanese society that have emerged during the election period and will work to promote inclusive governance and national development in the best interests of all of the people of Guyana. The United States of America pledges its willingness to work collaboratively with the new government in this regard.
appreciation to outgoing President Donald Ramotar and the members of his government for their service to the people of Guyana. The Embassy congratulates President Ramotar for the numerous achievements that his government made in the socio-economic development of the country and in strengthening the relationship between Guyana and the United States of America. We look forward to continuing to work closely with President Ramotar’s Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic in its new role as loyal
congratulates the people of Guyana on a democratic and peaceful election and transfer of power and the leadership and staff of the Guyana Elections Commission on a free, fair, and credible electoral process. With the election campaign concluded and all ballots cast, counted and verified, it is time for Guyana to move forward. The Embassy calls upon all political leaders to work together in a spirit of reconciliation and to focus their efforts on collaboratively building the nation’s future.
MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS The Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC) & The Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA) on behalf of the wider Muslim community express our heartfelt congratulations to Mr. David A. Granger, as the Eighth elected President of the Republic of Guyana. In choosing you, the Guyanese people have chosen the path of change and optimism. At a time when the nation is so divided, the expression of faith in you and
in the future is placed in the hands of yourself and your government. It is now up to you to bring about the unity that is so badly needed in our country. At this time when we must face the enormous challenges in this beautiful country of ours, your election raises immense hope for the establishment of a united Guyana and to preserve peace and prosperity as well as the enviable diversity of the peoples of this great nation.
Sir Ron Sanders Your Excellency President David Granger; Hon Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo Congratulations on the success of the coalition of the APNU and the AFC at the May 11 General Elections. Your government, consisting of six political parties, is a strong foundation for national cohesion to which I know you are both deeply committed. I wish you good fortune in the task of building Guyana in the context of its national motto, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”. The future of Guyana holds much promise for all its people. I know your government will work energetically to ensure the full realization of that promise. With best wishes. Sir Ronald Sanders
PREM MISIR “The Guyanese people through the sheer power of their vote have brought forth to this land a new paradigm in Guyana’s politics; where no more would any one political party have an exclusive monopoly over the political destiny of any ethnic group. At the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections, the people spoke loudly and clearly about national unity as their critical priority, and they did this through fracturing the traditional support bases of the two major political parties. And for those who are reluctant to accept and engage this new historical reality must be deemed to be in denial. But for now, all Guyanese should congratulate APNU+AFC coalition on a well-deserved electoral win which places it in the driver’s seat to advance nation building, fully inclusive of the poor and vulnerable. Let me also use this window of opportunity to wish the coalition well in the formidable tasks that lie ahead.” PremMisir
We call on you to be a President for every Guyanese, those who voted for you and those who voted against you. Your extension of a hand to the opposition party will be most welcomed to take our nation forward. Your leadership remains vital to meeting the tremendous challenges; peace and security and basically living the dream of a people who are united by race, by religion and by ethnicity. Guyanese are prepared to work together to build our country. The Muslim community will work and support your government and pledge our contribution in nation building. As an Honorary Member of ACIC, we are doubly proud of your assumption to the highest office of the land and we are committed as a group to remain involved in the process of nation building by holding the government accountable for the decisions and the implementation of all the promises made during the campaign period. HAKEEM KHAN President General – ACIC
The record will show that in the year before we celebrate our 50th Anniversary as a nation, the people of Guyana peacefully selected a new government to become the steward of our national affairs. There were of course, some delays and hiccups which caused some tense, if not frightening moments. Through it all however, we as a people and a nation showed the level of patience that prevented us from going down that path of senseless violence and destruction from which it would have been difficult to recover. As the coalition celebrates its electoral success in the coming days, it is critical that it realizes the magnitude of the work ahead. A win by less than 10,000 votes is a clear indication that there is a significant constituency that needs to be convinced of the new government’s good intentions. Both sides of the divide during the election season, shows clearly that there is a lot of work to be done. We must caution, however, that the solution is not to focus only on allaying the fears of one section of the population but the establishment of a comprehensive social
compact that ensures that all groups are comfortable living and prospering in Guyana as is their right as citizens. The coalition has already indicated that it is willing to work with the opposition but it is also for the opposition to play the responsible role in Parliament expected in a functioning democracy. The last few days were not encouraging, of course, but we are willing to assume that these are temporary emotions triggered by a loss at the polls. It is said that third time is the charm. Once again, we have been given another opportunity to govern
ourselves in a manner that will realize the potential that for the past 50 years has been nothing more than a broken promise. It is important we do not squander the opportunity. We may not get it again. We a t t h e C h a m b e r therefore wish the new government all success and look forward to the forging of the partnerships so critical to the nation’s economic future.
CARICOM Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, is anticipating “the fresh ideas and views” that newly elected President of Guyana, His Excellency David Granger “will bring to assist in advancing the interests of the Community and its people.” In a letter to President Granger congratulating him and the coalition of A Partnership of National Unity (APNU) + Alliance for Change (AFC) on their victory at the polls, Ambassador LaRocque said they had been given a mandate by the people of Guyana “to lead them towards greater prosperity and to further the development of the country.” The Secretary-General assured the President that CARICOM and its Secretariat stood ready to work with his administration in this task. The Secretary-General underscored the importance of Guyana to the Community as an original signatory to the Treaty establishing CARICOM and as the headquarters country.
From the British High Commission Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the people of Guyana following the formal declaration of results of the 2015 General and Regional elections. This was a hard fought campaign and the high level of participation is to be commended. Let me also take this opportunity to
congratulate David Granger, on his swearing in as the new President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. I look forward to working with him and his team during the coming years. It is also important to thank former President Ramotar and those who served in his government for their service to Guyana.
As we move forward now is the time to look to inclusiveness and reconciliation. As President Granger said in his speech the new government must represent the will of all the people of Guyana. The UK stands ready to assist with this process. High Commissioner Greg Quinn
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Sunday May 17, 2015
So it’s the PPP who can’t handle the truth? By Ralph Seeram At this time of writing (Friday May 15) GECOM had not made its official declaration naming the APNU/AFC coalition winner of the 2015 election. The PPP had not conceded and was asking for a recount. While the PPP is in a severe shock, one must congratulate the Coalition for the campaign they ran, albeit a successful one. The APNU/AFC coalition message was on the theme “Time for Change”; it resonated with voters especially in view of the PPP’s record of transparency and accountability. Despite the PPP protests of irregularity and producing evidence of such one must give credit to the coalition; it ran a better campaign in terms of media, and especially social media to get its message across. I have expressed my view in these columns before that Bharrat Jagdeo is the destruction of the PPP. He single-handedly destroyed the PPP, moving it from it’s ideals of Cheddi Jagan and sidelining the hard core PPP stalwarts. Apparently the PPP did not learn from the 2011 election (cuss down politics). Jagdeo was brought back and his methods were the same.
People saw Bharrat Jagdeo as the face of corruption and that turned off the potential swing voters. We know the old saying about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Mind you there were serious flaws in GECOM that needs to be investigated. How did fake Statements of Poll (SOP) enter the system? How did the PPP sign SOPs different from the GECOM signed copies? It is obvious that plans were made ahead by person or persons to perpetuate fraud. Those blank fake SOPs had to be prepared before. Despite whatever irregularities we have to accept that the Coalition has won and move forward. The Coalition unity train while it reached its destination did not pick up enough passengers as it wanted. The less than one per cent victory can hardly be deemed a breakthrough in race relation and unity as they would like you to believe. A win is a win regardless, but this election has left the races more polarized as ever. The challenge for the new APNU/AFC government is to make good of their promises of inclusive government. This week I have been bombarded with correspondence, via email,
social media and phone. My phone batteries that normally last a couple of days were being charged twice a day, because of calls and moreso fears of mainly Indo Guyanese about the new government. This was mainly from the older generation who lived under the PNC government. There are genuine fears and the new government will have to demonstrate that Indians and moreso PPP supporters have nothing to fear. David Granger will have to assure the nearly 50 per cent that did not support him that he is the President of all Guyanese. So what are the expectations of the new government? Crime, corruption, transparency and accountability and more employment opportunities must be on top of the agenda. Obviously there will be a review of all contracts— radio, TV, cable and other media contracts, all the things the then opposition criticized the PPP for, and now have an opportunity to correct. Question is, will the government seriously go after them? Will it revisit those generous logging concessions given to the Chinese company? Will it revise and complete the airport expansion? Will the
government go after misuse of taxpayers’ funds, especially NICIL? The new government will have to make good on the promise to reduce the Berbice Bridge tolls, VAT, increase old age pensions and salaries for public servants. Promises are easy to make on the campaign trail, now the government will be faced with making those promises a reality. Will a Granger Presidency go a la Kamla PersadBissessar route when it comes to any questionable practices by his Ministers? Expectations are very high of the new government, and people are going to look for quick results, not that the government can accomplish that. Some things will take
time. A Granger government will have to instill confidence very early to the business community of its sound economic policies and fiscal management, to avoid a flight of capital and cause a devaluation of the Guyana dollar. It will have to assure investors that the country’s foreign reserves will not be depleted. They need to assure the private sector very early. Yes, it’s easy to talk the talk, now a President Granger will have to walk the walk. It’s not only the new government that will have to make changes, but some critics of the PPP government. PPP as a whipping boy is no longer there.
Kaieteur News has been in the forefront exposing corruption in the PPP government. The new government must expect the same scrutiny from this newspaper; a new set of critics will emerge, one that will be keeping an eye on the new administration. As for the ordinary Guyanese, what does this change mean for them, what immediate change will they experience? They still have to get up to go to work, still got to pays bills still buy food. Nothing really changes for the ‘small man”. Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com and on Facebook.
The lighter side of Guyana’s... From page 14 KN: We are mere hours away from a very significant moment in your life. What does this historic step mean to you? P. DG: You know, I have come through a process from since 2010. I first competed for the Presidential candidacy for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) which was done in 2011 and then I was appointed Presidential candidate for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) when it was established in July, 2011. Then I became leader of the opposition in January 2012 after the elections in 2011. Later I moved on to be the Presidential Candidate of the APNU+AFC. I have come a far way and I am proud of where we have come. I was happy that we were able to secure a majority in parliament and now after the 2015 elections we got that again (chuckles.) It is the most important moment in my life. I have a strong desire to reduce poverty. I want to see my country improve. I am tired of disunity. I have struggled for this time, this moment, where we have a coalition government and this is good for Guyana.
KN: Is this a personal triumph for you? P.DG: It is the most important moment for me and it is an honour to become Guyana’s 8th Executive President. But, hmm. I don’t see it as a personal triumph, rather as an achievement for the nation. I am happy it is happening in May, too, because it is the month of Independence and it is symbolic for me. I was in the army in 1966. Trust me, this moment here for me is very dear to my heart. It is a satisfying feeling. KN: Mr. President, I know the reaction of the people during your campaign, must have been overwhelming for you. Were you moved to tears at any point? P.DG: (EXHALES) It has been an overpowering feeling. I have been all over this country and the love is just tremendous but no, I didn’t cry. I don’t cry (chuckles). But I was moved, not only by their sincerity, but for the desire for change. KN: What are you most eager to do as President? P.DG: In the short term? Make the country safer. Reform the education system and provide greater
employment, make Guyana a very rich country and of course, hold Local Government Elections this year, provided GECOM can handle it. KN: Were you disappointed in Donald Ramotar’s reaction to the election results? P.DG: Indeed, I was disappointed. I felt the elections had satisfied the international standards and there was no need to demand a total recount because the system we have ensures an accurate account of the polls at the stations. I am not saying it is foolproof, but a demand for a recount of all the votes seems to be a demand for delay, rather than trying to find out the truth. Because of the system, we knew the results by Tuesday morning… so it’s sad he acted that way. KN: Will we see changes to the electoral system? P.DG : Oh yes! Our process is way, way too slow. The slothfulness makes it way too vulnerable to manipulation, so under my stewardship it will be reformed. There is no reason why we shouldn’t have a process that gives us results in 12 hours. It’s 400, 000 people. You don’t need five days to get the results. Come on, man, we can do this count in one day in prep form. KN: What will become of the individuals like Winston Brassington, Former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh and the others whom your party had accused on several occasions of showing blatant disrespect for the country’s financial laws? (See the answer to this question and more in tomorrow’s edition)
Sunday May 17, 2015
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Male Enhancement; 4 in each pack -$500 - Tel: 638-1627
Kaieteur News
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.–CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Advertisements; Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535.
JUST ARRIVED!! 18" BRUSH CUTTER BLADES WHOLESALE & RETAIL QUANTITIES - FREE DELIVERY CALL: 6148564/ 639-3675 37.5 acre land @ Kuru Kuru Linden Highway, one stall @ Stabroek Market. Serious inquiries only! Tel: 646-4149 WOOD- USED T-SHORE AND 3/8 PLYWOOD, TO CAST DECKING, ONLY USED ONCE, HALF PRICE. CALL: 650-1031 SIGMA GENERATOR 30KVA, BRAND NEW, AUTO TRANSFER SWITCH, DIESEL, SUPER SILENT, SINGLE PHASE, FROM USA -$3M –CALL: 650-1031 Attention Loggers!!! Anchor seal wood wax 18000 5-G, N.C sanding sealer $4500 1-G, nail plates, metal straps – Tel: 2653541; 695-4785 150cc motorcycle for sale $100,000 negotiableCall:660-9478 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc call:225-9032,647-2943 One female Rottweiler pup, 8 weeks old, vaccinated and de-wormed –Tel: 627-1360 Pups for sale. Tel: 216-3408; 680-0192
Mahadeo Construction for all construction, carpentry, masonry, pluming, painting etc. Free estimates and plan Contact # 669-7376
One Mitsubishi Canter, good condition, 2.5 ton, has dumper-$2.2M-Tel: 612-1848 Three luxury minibus seats. Tel:693-2237, 219-0211 Small breed fluffy pups. Tel: 699-7077, 6196086
K. Lakeram, building contractor: carpentry, masonry, drawings of plans, general maintenance – Call:216-0671, 622-0267, 6928 4 6 4 / klakeram.construction@gmail. com
Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206 Your Dream Yard Today! Stunning designs, Assortment, colourful plant choices, Professional Landscapers Tel: 219-0468/ 648-1821 Balloon decorating for birthdays, weddings, anniversary etc, make your event extra special! Tel Maya: 642-6664 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS - CALL: 6294946 OR 225-4822 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building visadocumentsgy@yahoo.comCall: 225-6496, 662-6045 Services and repairs to gas stoves washing machine, electronic stoves, deep fryers- Call: 688-0183
BrianMoe@642-3543; Computer Technician; FB:Brian.Moe.165; Home and office visits at your comfort!!
LAND FOR SALE Commercial lots available at Eccles E.B.D $14M - Tel:592227-2913 or 592-689-3033 Professional Realty: we buy/ sell/rent/value your real estate –Call:694-3875; 6490535; 654-6198 Parfaite Harmonie, Tuschen $1.6M, (80ftX50ft) - $1.3M & $1.5M- Tel: 675-7292
TOURS Suriname Tour Trip Return, Independence Weekend (May 23-May26) Book Early Call: 644-0185; 639-2663; 6655171
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WANTED
SALON
VEHICLE FOR SALE
FOR RENT
1 Maid, 40years and older to work in SurinameContact: (+597) 322-5442; (+597) 651-6666 Business/Economics Writer, email application to snow198390@hotmail.com Senior Accounts Clerk, 5yrs experienced, CAT or equivalent. Email: snow198390@hotmail.com 1 OFFICE ASSISTANT: Must have motorcycle, car/ van license, able to work flexible hours, from E.B.D. Email: snow198390@hotmail.com One female 30-45yrs to live in and care for an elderly woman at SchoonOrd, W.B.D - Tel: 625-1514
Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal and Sacha cosmetics. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
Toyota Prado, Price$4.7M Neg. Call: 643-2403
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Staff for plant shop On East Bank Demerara, Training in Georgetown. Plant knowledge an advantage. Tel: 648-1821 EXPERIENCED ARMED SECURITY GUARDS NEED POLICE CLEARANCE, REFERENCE AND APPLICATION, AGES 3045. TEL:231-8344 Cleaners, Weeders & sanitation workers needed, salary $50,000 and up – Call:660-9478; 672-0865 Office clerk: CXC English, mathematics. Live in, live out babysitter/domestic- Call: 219-5354 Landscape maintenance team seeks Hardworking, reliable workers 17-35 ages; on the job training -Contact: 219-0468 Wanted to buy one mobile food cart with food warmers preferably, in working condition –Tel: 675-2609; 6604800 & 223-2775 We buy all low income & High income house lots. Tel: 689-3339; 611-7223 Salesgirls at Graham Bakery –Tel: 225-7417 Youngevity – 90 for life products- Call: 614-4047
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 2193900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM Aidan’s Car & Pickup rental, cheap rate, low security – Tel: 698-7807 Reduce Your Opex- Low vehicular rentals for businesses. Call: 699-0313
ACCOMMODATION Harmony Inn: Furnished Air conditioned apartment, free Wi-Fi, 24 hours coffee/tea, price $5,000, $6,000 –Tel: 6680306; 218-1400 & 694-7817 Saturdays & Sundays after lunch @ Inner Retreat Hotel Parika: Bar-B-Que & games: pools, darts, table tennis etc – Phone: 260-4504. Inner Retreat Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Retreat Road Parika. Indoor /Outdoor bar in Picturesque setting – Phone: 260-4504
Smart Choice Auto Sale: Premio, Allion, Spacio, Fielder, Bluebird, Carina 212, IST - Call: 652-3820; 6654529 First Class Auto: 09 Allion, 05 Premio, 06 Allion, Bluebird, Rush, Spacio, Runx, IST, Carina 212, Verossa, Mark 2, Axio –Tel: 609-8188; 638-3045 Blow Out Sale!!! Unregistered Toyota IST - $2,100,000Bodykit, TV, Spoiler, Fogs, Alloy Wheels, Crystal Lights & Alarm – Call: 643-6565, 2269931 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 Nissan X-Trail, Doctor’s Car, immaculate condition -$3M negotiable. Phone: 3287832, 641-3001, 232-0628
VACANCY Table hands/ bakers to work in bakery @ Best Village W.C.D, preferably from West Coast Demerara. Tel:2541399; 627-2515 Work from home, earn $5,000-$20,000 daily Call Monday-Friday 9am-5pm #233-6517, 638-0595 www.jobfairworldwide.com 1 Maid to work in U.G Road, Sawmill supervisor to work in Yarrowkabra Highway. Tel:226-0395; 665-3676 Cashier & office assistant @ Shell Service Station Providence E.B.D shift work – (6am-3pm & 3pm12pm) - email: shellramsburg@gmail.com. 1 Yard man, 1 general domestic maid, ages 25-35 must have police clearance, 2 references from previous jobs. Phone: 223-8156; 6651029 One experienced cook and one assistant cook/cashier. Call: 627-5378 Security officers, kitchen Assistant, waiter, waitresses, engineer. Contact: 603-4094
MASSAGE Relaxing Massage therapy service-Tel:674-8147
Mitsubishi 3 tons long base canter with hydraulic tail gate, GRR Series. Phone: 6997559 New model Allion: TV reverse camera, low mileage -$3,300,000 negotiable –Tel: 655-3400 Bedford Model M 4X4 truck – Tel: 693-2237, 219-0211 For Urgent Sale: Audi A4, PSS Series, good condition, going cheap, price $3.7M negotiable. Phone: 610-7665, 656-5287
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property @ 62 Bent Street Wortmanville Georgetown – Tel: 660-5019; 629-6101 Residential lots ad houses for sale at Eccles, E.B.D -$7.5M. Tel:592-227-2913 or 689-3033 CHARLOTTE ST, TWO STORIED, 3-BEDROOM, 3BA, GARAGE, BUSINESS DOWNSTAIRS, NO AGENTS PLEASE, $80M NON- NEGOTIABLE – CALL: 650-1031
Five bedrooms house @ 107 Lamaha Gardens & large parking, AC rooms, hot & cold, purified water system Call: 661-8908; 335-3590 1- One bedroom apartment to rent at Lynn Street -$35,000 per month –Tel: 670-7171 Three bedrooms house $120,000 monthly, one bedroom apartment -$35,000 monthly at Dennis Street Sophia –Call: 638-4348 Concrete compound 175X350 @ Soesdyke Public Road, access to Demerara River, ideal for sawmill/ fisheries, dockyard. Contact 682-4128; 693-5281 Spacious 3 bedroom house in Republic Park, fenced, car parking, asking $2,500USD monthlyContact: 619-2141 CHARLOTTE ST, TWO STORIED, 3-BEDROOM, 3BA, GARAGE, BUSINESS DOWNSTAIRS, NO AGENTS PLEASE $3200USD/MONTH – CALL: 650-1031 Vacation Rental: cool and comfortable fully-furnished 2 bedroom vacation apartment. Call: 678-6690 Comfortable, breezy 3 bedroom bottom flat built in closet, overhead tank, fully grilled, parking for 2 carsCall: 641-2939 One bedroom apartment preferably working couple or single person- Call: 6388858
TO LET Prime office space @ lot 239 Quamina Street, Central Georgetown, parking available in Private yard. Tel:592-227-2913, 592-6893033 Newly built 2 bedroom apartment in a safe and healthy environment –Call: 698-6496
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 17, 2015
Dredge owners to seek restitution in court - attackers still at large Dredge owners Mario and Alisha Figuera are expected to go to court to recoup their losses following last week Sunday’s attack on their mining operation. But the men who carried out the daring attack are yet to be apprehended, despite the couple’s insistence that they are still in the camp. The attack, which took place at their mining camp in district H45, Konawaruk, is alleged to have been orchestrated by a rival mining concern, on whose land they are prospecting. According to the couple, they were allowed to prospect on the land until rumours of the land’s economical value caused the other mining operators to become envious and encroach on the land. They were subsequently granted an injunction from the Chief Justice Ian Chang barring the rival operators from making any encroachment on the land until May 18th, when the case pertaining to the land will be heard in the High Court. However, on Sunday last, four gunmen, dressed in security uniforms and armed with shotguns, went on a rampage in the camp, shooting at any mining equipment within sight and causing an estimated $60Million in damages. They also wounded Figuera’s excavator operator, Ray Murray, requiring him to be air dashed to the city for further treatment. The couple says they have no confidence that the police will conduct a professional investigation, since there appears to be collusion between the perpetrators and some police officers. According to them, the police have promised that the men will report to the Mahdia Police Station, with their weapons and then be taken into custody, rather than ranks being sent in to get them from the camp. The Figueras, who had operated Wonderland Tours, are having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that the attack has left their livelihood in tatters. However, they expressed the hope that under a new administration, a level playing field would be created, making it possible for them to re-open Wonderland Tours. “Is twenty five years we own Wonderland Tours. We took it over after my father died,” she said. According to her, they were first forced to leave the tourism business, due to victimization. She finally decided to venture into mining, only to find more problems. Stating that it would take approximately $20Million just to get the operation back off the ground, the couple is adamant that the matter has to go to court. “This has to go to court. We have to get payment for the economical losses, as well as the psychological damages, because my men are having post traumatic stress.” The case is scheduled to be heard before Chief Justice Chang on Monday.
The men from Figuera mining, who are in fear for their lives.
Mario Figuera stands in the way of one of the gunmen.
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Italy’s Coast Guard rescues 2,452 Amtrak train may have been struck migrants in the Mediterranean by something - conductor tells NTSB
The crashed Amtrak train
Some of rescued migrants (CNN) Italy’s coast guard says it rescued 2,452 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday. The rescues were conducted through 11 operations that were coordinated by a central office in Rome, the coast guard said Friday via Twitter. Italy has been coping with a wave of desperate migrants from Africa and the Middle East. There has been an upsurge in migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean in an attempt to reach the country, and a corresponding increase in rescues performed
by the Italian Coast Guard. Some 34,570 migrants arrived in Italy between January 1 and May 7, according to the International Organization for Migration. The same group says 1,780 migrants died while trying to reach Italian shores. On Wednesday, the European Union’s executive arm, the European Commission, outlined a series of new proposals on migration policy, including quotas on the number of migrants EU countries must accept. Approval is not a
Governor General makes plea for unity to fight crime The Gleaner - Governor General Sir Patrick Allen has called on Jamaicans to form a united front with the security forces to help protect the nation’s children. Sir Patrick says the sexual exploitation and brutal murder of children are sending shock waves across the island. He says merely condemning this kind of evil is not enough and called on every Jamaican to join with the security forces and help to rescue Jamaica from the crime and negativity that have become pervasive.
given, however. Immigration is a contentious issue in many of the 28 member nations. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who is from Italy, presented the proposals. “With this bold agenda, the European Union has proven itself ready to address the plight of those escaping from wars, persecution and poverty,” she said Wednesday. “Migration is a shared responsibility of all member states and all member states are called now to contribute to tackling this historical challenge.” Mogherini said that foreign and defense ministers from EU nations are due to meet as soon as Monday to make some decisions on which measures will be initially approved.
(CNN)One of three conductors aboard the Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia this week told investigators she heard the locomotive’s engineer say the train had been struck by an object, National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt said Friday. The assistant conductor said she overheard radio transmissions made Tuesday by Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian and the engineer of a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) train. “She recalled that the SEPTA engineer had reported to the train dispatcher that he had either been hit by a rock or shot at, and the SEPTA engineer said that he had a broken windshield, and he placed his train into emergency stop,”
Sumwalt said. “She also believed that she heard (the Amtrak) engineer say something about his train being struck by something.” Bostian was interviewed Friday afternoon for the first time since the derailment of Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188. Eight people were killed and more than 200 were injured. While he was “extremely cooperative,” he had “no recollection” of anything that happened once the train passed the North Philadelphia station, about 3 miles from the crash site, Sumwalt said. Bostian suffered a concussion, among other injuries. The locomotive’s windshield was shattered in the derailment. But Sumwalt said there is “particular damage” to the lower portion of the windshield that the FBI
will examine. He described it as a “circular pattern that emanates out just a bit.” “We’re very interested in this report. We want to learn more about it so we will use all sources of information that we can to independently validate that,” Sumwalt said. That includes meeting with the engineer of the SEPTA train.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday May 17, 2015
U.S. conducts raid in Syria, says it kills senior Islamic State leader (Reuters) American special operations forces killed a senior Islamic State leader in a raid in Syria, U.S. officials said on Saturday, an operation that marked a departure from Washington’s strategy of relying primarily on air strikes to target militants there. Delta Force commandos used UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to punch deep into eastern Syria from Iraq. They engaged in a firefight and hand-to-hand combat with Islamic State fighters, killed a key figure in the group named as Abu Sayyaf and captured his wife, U.S. officials said. The officials described Sayyaf, a Tunisian, as an Islamic State commander who helped manage the group’s black-market sales of oil and gas to raise funds. The officials said President Barack
Obama ordered the overnight operation, which killed about a dozen Islamic State fighters and had been planned for several weeks. It marked the first known U.S. special forces operation inside Syria apart from a failed mission last year to rescue U.S. and other foreign hostages held by Islamic State in northeastern Syria. Wary of the United States getting pulled deeper into Middle East conflicts, Obama has promised not to commit major ground forces in the fight against Islamic State, which has seized swathes of Syria and Iraq. But he has left open the prospect of special forces raids. It was not immediately clear if this one marked the start of a new chapter in Syria. U.S. and Arab forces have carried out almost daily air raids against hardline Islamist militant groups in Syria
including Islamic State since last September, and U.S.-led forces are also targeting the group in Iraq. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the operation was intended to capture Abu Sayyaf but he was killed “when he engaged U.S. forces.” His wife, Umm Sayyaf, was captured, then placed in U.S. military detention in Iraq and was being questioned about Islamic State operations and hostages held by the group. No U.S. forces were killed or wounded during the operation, Carter said. Saturday’s raid followed a summit Obama held at Camp David last week with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab allies who have pressed the United States to be more militarily assertive in Syria, especially in support of moderate rebels seeking to oust Assad.
Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's ex-leader, sentenced to death
Morsi has rejected the authority of the courts An Egyptian court has pronounced death sentences on ousted president Mohammed Morsi and more than 100 other people over a mass prison break in 2011. Morsi is already serving a 20-year prison term for ordering the arrest and torture of protesters while in power. Egypt's religious authorities will now have to give their opinion before the sentence can be carried out. Morsi's supporters from his Muslim Brotherhood movement have described the charges against him as "farcical". He was deposed by the military in July 2013 following mass street protests against his rule. Since then, the authorities have banned the Muslim Brotherhood and arrested thousands of his supporters. In a separate case on Saturday, an Egyptian court banned hardcore football fan clubs known as the Ultras, who played a leading
role in protests during the 2011 uprising against then-president Hosni Mubarak. Inside the dock, Morsi and members of his Muslim Brotherhood group chanted, "Down with military rule!" after the judge read out his ruling against him. The judge's request for the death sentence in connection with the jailbreak case was referred to the grand mufti, a high religious cleric, for ratification. However, the mufti's recommendation is not binding. Even if he advises against the death sentence, the judge can still go ahead with it. The Brotherhood issued a statement condemning the sentence and called for an escalation of protests. But the tight security grip in Egypt means that it is highly unlikely to see mass demonstrations. Hundreds of Brotherhood supporters are already behind bars, while others are keeping a low profile for fear of a crackdown.
Sunday May 17, 2015
Kaieteur News
ISLAMIC STATE CRISIS: US special forces in Syria raid
Eastern Syria's oil has been a key source of revenue for IS The US says its special forces have killed a senior Islamic State (IS) member and captured his wife in a rare ground raid in eastern Syria. Abu Sayyaf helped direct oil, gas and financial operations for IS, as well as holding a military role, said a US Department of Defense statement. It said forces tried to capture him, but he was killed after engaging them. It is the first time the US is known to have carried out a ground operation to attack IS within Syria. The operation was authorised by President Barack Obama and was carried out by forces based in Iraq. US officials said Abu Sayyaf was Tunisian, with one official telling CNN he was the chief financial officer "of all of [IS]" and that the US had seized "reams of data on how ISIS operates, communicates and earns its money". On Arabic social media, however, Abu Sayyaf was not being spoken of as a known public figure. Oil and gas have been an important source of revenue for IS, which gained swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq last year. On Saturday, the group took control of the northern part of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, which it has been advancing on for three days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights a UK-based network that uses activists within Syria. In other developments More civilians were killed in Syrian government air raids in Idlib province, the Observatory reported Turkey said it had shot down a Syrian helicopter after it crossed into Turkish airspace, though Syrian state media indicated that the aircraft was a drone. The US said the operation
in Syria was conducted "with the full consent of Iraqi authorities", though it did not inform the Syrian government in advance. "We have warned [President Bashar al-Assad's] regime not to interfere with our ongoing efforts against [IS] inside of Syria," said National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan, adding that "the Assad regime is not and cannot be a partner in the fight" against IS. This was a rare, publicly announced operation for US special forces. In Iraq, the US is working with the government, but in Syria, where it isn't, these kind of operations are riskier. For months now, coalition forces have been targeting IS militants from the air - but the decision to send forces on the ground had already been outlined by President Obama in a resolution to Congress. In February he said they would be used "if we had actionable intelligence about a gathering of [IS] leaders, and our partners didn't have the capacity to get them". The US has been criticised for not doing enough to contain IS, and the scalp of Abu Sayyaf is being
hailed as a key victory. But taking out targets this way will lead to accusations of mission creep - even if President Obama stressed to Congress that using special forces didn't amount to another ground war, and that in the fight against IS flexibility was key. The Pentagon said Abu Sayyaf's wife, Umm Sayyaf, is suspected of being an IS member and of being complicit in the enslavement of a young Yazidi woman who was rescued in the raid. It said it believed at least 12 militants had been killed at the scene, that there was hand-to-hand fighting and that militants had tried to use women and children as shields. Umm Sayyaf has been taken into military detention in Iraq. One source with contacts in Deir al-Zour told the BBC that the operation lasted for about 30 minutes around dawn in the residential quarters of the al-Omar oil field, which houses about 500 families of IS fighters. The bodies of 13 IS militants, as well as many more who were injured, were later brought to the town of alMayadeen, he said.
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Sunday May 17, 2015
Bartlett disappointed at failed Jack urges exemptions in cyber crime bill… CARICOM-Canada trade talks ‘Protect journalists, whistleblowers’
The Gleaner - Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Edmund Bartlett is expressing disappointment at the failed Free Trade Agreement negotiations between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Canada, which, he says, could have paved the way for significantly enhanced trade and investment flows, especially as it relates to trade in services. Bartlett said: “It is extremely disappointing that the negotiations between CARICOM and Canada have not culminated in a successful agreement, as this could have opened up tremendous opportunities for Jamaica. In an age where the fortunes of a country are heavily dependent on agreements it is able to secure and advantages it is able to leverage, CARICOM has
Edmund Bartlett missed out on a huge opportunity.” The opposition spokesman said: “The existing Carib-Can Agreement is not sufficient to secure Jamaica’s full access to the Canadian market as that agreement is centred around trade in goods, but does not treat with trade in services. It is important to note that Canada
is likely to secure a waiver from the WTO (World Trade Organization) to continue the non-reciprocal arrangements now embodied in the CaribCan Agreement, but this does not advance our cause much as the emp-hasis at this time must be on services.” He continued: “The changing geo-economic landscape and Jamaica’s strategic interests in terms of the growth agenda suggest that we establish a mechanism for unlocking our potential in logistics, tourism services, business-process outsourcing, the creative industries and the knowledge economy. This is what a free trade agreement with Canada would help to secure, and since the CARICOM-related negotiations have failed, Jamaica must now consider and explore the possibilities of securing an agreement with Canada on its own.”
Buju calls it quits
Jamaica Observer - Incarcerated reggae artiste Buju Banton has instructed his legal team to halt any further appeals of his 2011 conviction on cocaine charges. Buju Banton, whose given name is Mark Myrie, is currently serving a mandatory 10year sentence in an American correctional facility. The entertainer has been strident in his fight for his freedom. On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that in return for Banton’s tossing of appeals, the US Attorney Office is dismissing firearms charge against the reggae singer. This move, however, is an about-turn from the entertainer’s legal team’s modus operandi. In January, Charles Olgetree — who, along with Max Stern, comprise Banton’s legal team — vowed to continue fighting to have his client’s conviction overturned to secure a new trial. “We will be fighting for Buju Banton’s freedom,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “We will present our arguments for a reversal of his conviction to the entire court in an en banc hearing later this spring,” the Harvard Law School professor continued. Banton — who has been arrested since 2009 — was convicted in February 2011, days
Buju Banton
after winning a Grammy award for his album, Before the Dawn. His other albums include ‘Til Shiloh (1995), Inna Heights (1997) and Unchained Spirit (2000). He is scheduled to be deported to Jamaica in January 2019.
Trinidad Guardian Government’s cyber crime legislation should have exemption clauses or guarantees for journalists and whistleblowers to ensure press freedom, says Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner. The legislation seeks to establish a Cyber Security Agency to handle all cyber security-related concerns including referring matters to the police, providing advice on cyber-related matters, promoting risk assessment activities, as well as establishing internal and joint procedures between the public and private sectors to manage incidents and mitigate cyber threats associated with these. Clauses also pertain to a member of the board or any person in the service of an agency who without lawful excuse “communicates/ reveals any information or matter connected with/or related to the agency’s functions to an individual or body.” It also pertains to such persons who “obtain, reproduce or retain possession of any information or matter connected with/or related to the functions of the agency which that member/officer/ other employee is not authorised to obtain/ reproduce/or retain in his possession.” Such conduct constitutes an offence, liable on summary conviction to a $50,000 fine and two years’ jail. Speaking during yesterday’s Lower House debate on the bill, Warner noted concerns over the legislation by some, including the T&T Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA). Warner, who said he’d gone to the TTPBA to get their views on the bill,
Jack Warner
questioned when consultation had been done on the bill, with whom and when. He noted concerns had been raised when the bill was first piloted in 2014-though it later lapsed-and asked if the concerns that existed then had been addressed. Warner said press freedom and journalism “depend on whistle blowers” who pass information to journalists. He said the TTPBA was concerned that witnesses to wrongdoing may be discouraged by the bill. He said among the concerns over the initial 2014 bill was the fear that reporters could face fines or jail for “giving information in the public interest” and that whistleblowers might face similar penalties. He asked Government if the same “risks” to reporters existed in the current bill and if it intended in any way to “muzzle investigative journalism.” Warner said, “I don’t know the front from the back of a computer but I went to people who know about cyber crime and consulted with them (on the bill). We have to have a free media, if not the Fourth Estate is dead,” “Right now it’s whistleblowers and reporters who are preventing corruption in state sectors from getting worse. If you intimidate them, nothing will
stand in the way of corrupt practices. Prove media concerns have been put to rest,” he added He said the situation was important in view of how Government was “using its majority to assault democracy.” Warner said he wasn’t saying to “throw out the baby with the bathwater...we know of malicious invasions of computer systems [but] we have to protect the Fourth Estate.” Calling for exemptions or guarantees for journalists and to protect whistleblowers, Warner said the National Gas Company (NGC) had been engaged in “frivolous spending” and was now on a witch hunt. He claimed NGC employees were “being searched more than in prison” and that the LifeSport issue wouldn’t have come to light if it hadn’t also been for whistleblowers. Warner said it was time to address cyber bullying and the racist statement of Jaishima Leladharsingh was an example. He questioned cyber bullying in schools and via the laptops Government had provided to students. Government MP Rupert Griffith said global cyber crime was estimated at $113 billion— enough to buy an iPad for everyone in Chile, Peru, Mexico and Colombia.
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Tour on, says PCB; Zimbabwe say not yet ESPNcricinfo Zimbabwe’s proposed tour of Pakistan witnessed another day of confusing signals from both sides. The PCB twice, in separate statements, asserted unambiguously that the tour was on while ZC insisted through the day that no such decision had been taken. Late-night reports from Pakistan that the Zimbabwe team was to land in Lahore on May 19 only added to the sense of confusion. They also revealed the importance of this visit for Pakistan, where no Full Member has toured since the attack on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009. The PCB issued a statement at 9-30 pm local time, quoting its chairman Shaharyar Khan welcoming what he referred to as Zimbabwe Cricket’s decision to undertake the tour of Pakistan
from next week. “After last evening’s unsettling news that Zimbabwe Cricket had ‘postponed’ its visit to Pakistan, I received a call from my Zimbabwean counterpart William Manase and he most kindly informed me that his Board was still willing and ready to send their team to Pakistan,” Shaharyar’s statement said. “This evening we were informed that Zimbabwe Cricket had decided to stick to its plans of sending their team to Pakistan. We welcome this affirmative response, and assure Zimbabwe Cricket again that [of] the best possible security,” the statement said. The press release followed statements made by Shaharyar to reporters in Lahore in the afternoon. He said he had had verbal communication from Manase, the
Shaharyar Khan © AFP ZC chairman, confirming the visit. “Manase called me three times to reaffirm that Zimbabwe would be touring Paki-
Sunday May 17, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today, Aries, your ability to stand up for your decisions and not let others sway you may be enhanced. This will be especially true if you've arrived at a resolution that solves a problem. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You may feel a real need to get moving today, Taurus. Almost everyone prefers quiet activities, books, art, and even just sitting around to physical activity at times. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Today, Gemini, you will probably have a ton of energy at your disposal for getting into all kinds of activities. Finish any work that still needs to be completed. CANCER (June 21–July 22) This is an excellent day to express your natural creativity, Cancer. The arts will likely be very important to you. You may find that nothing brings you more pleasure on days like this.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today, Libra, consider that artistic expression can happen in many ways. It isn't always about drawing a picture, singing a song, playing music, or acting. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may find that today brings great physical strength and energy to you, Scorpio. Given this, you may really want to do some tough, challenging physical work. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Sagittarius, it's prime time to get busy. Activities that require focus or creativity will be supported. Physical strength and energy will encourage you to do something active. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your active side may show through today, Capricorn. While you can be extremely focused on brainwork, you also love to keep active and do physical work.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) If you're feeling tired, Leo, you may need to lie back, close your eyes, and listen to some soothing music.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) If you've been feeling tired or sick lately, this will probably turn around for you, Aquarius. You may often experience moodiness, and this can be a real drain.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Today may bring up strong feelings, Virgo. This may not be new, as you have a tendency to feel things deeply.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You will probably be very busy today, which may suit you just fine. This can work in your favor if you have some work to catch up on.
stan as per schedule,” Shahrayar was quoted as saying. The PCB’s COO, Subhan Ahmed, said preparations for the tour were in full swing. “This morning we had a meeting of the organizing committee to tie all the loose ends. The ticket sales shall commence from tomorrow. From the inquiries and feedback that we are getting, people are really eager to come and watch the revival of international cricket in Pakistan.” The statements and the mood they conveyed were in direct contradiction to the sense prevailing within ZC, whose website contained a press release quoting CEO Wilfred Mukondiwa that no decision to tour had been made. “There are consultations going on at the moment with relevant authorities. We do not have a final position as yet,” Mukondiwa said. Friday’s confusion echoed developments on Thursday, when ZC issued a press release saying they were suspending the tour to Pakistan on the advice of the country’s Sports and Recreation Committee, who, after consulting the Foreign Affairs Ministry, deemed it “unsafe” to travel to Pakistan. The SRC is the organisation which has to okay all national team tours and without their permission,
ZC could not send a team. Less than 30 minutes after that release, ZC’s communications manager Lovemore Banda sent a second email retracting the statement and explained that discussions were still “ongoing.” Late on Thursday afternoon, Banda confirmed that meetings were still taking place. The situation remained the same on Friday afternoon, with ZC involved in consultation all day and no resolution reached. Zimbabwe named a squad of 16 players, including one new cap, to travel to Pakistan. Although some players were wary of visiting Pakistan, they all remained available for selection despite the international player body FICA advising them not to go. FICA’s own security report called the risks of touring Pakistan “unmanageable.” However, ZC were satisfied with arrangements made for their safety after an advance party, including managing director of cricket Alistair Campbell, visited Pakistan last
week. The group were given a tour of the stadium and facilities as well as a thorough explanation of the security plan put in place to protect Zimbabwe’s cricketers. Campbell told journalists in Pakistan he was “very excited,” about his country being the first Test-playing nation to re-open the door to Pakistan, and hoped it would help bring cricket back to the country. That trip came before a terrorist attack on a bus in Karachi on Wednesday, which killed over 40 people and brought concerns over visiting Pakistan back into the spotlight, even though Zimbabwe’s tour schedule is exclusively confined to Lahore. If the series goes ahead, it could be officiated by PCB-appointed match officials in the event that ICC officials do not travel to Pakistan. The ICC is still awaiting confirmation of the series from both boards before it can take a call over security for its officials.
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“The Internet, politics, cricket and cheating – Sometimes you really have to laugh out loud!” Says Colin E. H. Croft This is not about matchfixing or political affiliations but last week was a wild one, so deviations from norms are occasionally necessary. Sometimes, you just have to laugh! Look, no-one can stop nefarious phenomena from occurring if players in sports really want to complete such applications. Cheating in sports happens, even if we do not want to accept that. Only last week, Trinidad & Tobago were promoted to 2nd – silver medal – for 4 x 100 metres relay efforts at London 2012 Olympics, after actual 2nd placed Americans were belatedly disqualified, their Justin Gatlin having been banned for one year on a subsequent drug offence. We know of “deflate-gate’, where New England Patriots grid-iron team was accused of allowing game balls to have less-than-prescribed air pressure, thus allowing quarterback Tom Brady to be able to hold balls better; to throw; wide receivers probably having similar advantages catching too. If found to be true, after the pending appeal, then,
plain and simple, that would be cheating! Have you ever wondered how soccer players who are paid over US$100,000 a week tumble theatrically to the ground if only an opposing player’s shadow touches him, but when that same just-felled player scores a goal, his entire team jumps onto his back, yet he still remains standing? While not naïve, I prefer to allow myself to be conned into hopes that players of Caribbean sports would try to be honest enough! Anyway, you know by now that I hate so-called ‘politics” even though I, like many others involved in sports, have been subject to regular victimization and ‘politicizing.’ But it was ‘De Kabaka’, otherwise known as Linden Forbes Samson Burnham, Guyana’s first Executive President; Arthur Chung was Guyana’s first figure-head President; who unknowingly convinced me that nothing political was for me when he uttered that poignant suggest i o n ; ”No political party should lose elections if that party holds power when those elections are held!”
Since many third-world leaders operated thusly back then too, and some still do, that suggestion should not have surprised anyone. Those indicative words were issued circa 1970, long before the Internet, that technological marvel that has been active in since early 1960’s, became real for most of us. Former West Indies Women’s Team Coach Sherwin Campbell apparently only found that out, to his dismay, last week. So, while United Kingdom continued its trend of the party-in-power winning recent elections, it is interesting that St. Kitts and especially Guyana have changed political affiliations so much that ruling parties recently lost. One also wonders what will happen in Trinidad & Tobago later; eh? In 1970’s, the ruling party in Guyana could never have lost, as there were too many phantom voters. Now, with cell phones, I-pads, Instagram and all else, everything one does is not only immediately documented, but kept in perpetuity. Hence actual voters now cannot be rigged! Two situations in one Guyanese election confirmed
that comment to be true and destroyed any political aspirations I may have had. To this day, I have not fully recovered! In 1980, I apparently voted twenty four times in Guyana’s much delayed elections, for the winning slate, obviously, even though, wonder of wonders, I was, at the time of those elections, actually on tour in Pakistan with WI cricket team. In those same elections, all, without exception, of nearly 50,000 overseas votes were counted for the governing party, with, note this, not even one spoilt vote, even as the opposition did not get any either. That was it for me and politics, but it is nice to see that Guyana is mature enough to make a necessary change, after over twenty years of another parochialism; “Is we is in power now, babu!” Hopefully, international cricket, with India on 2016’s horizon, will now return to my
stunningly beautiful homecountry, and that the new government will also understand its real roll in all sports. But back to Campbell. I have always had admiration for him as he tried as an opening batsman to live up to thoughts that he could be WI’s new Gordon Greenidge, something he could never have achieved. Also, it was much revered Australian Rules trainer Dennis Waite, who did such a great job for us WI players at Kerry Packer’s circus and beyond, in 1970’s and 1980’s, whom I heard it from first: “Common sense is not common!” Campbell had also done excellent work with the WI Women’s team, but by putting anything at all, dangerous or otherwise, on the Internet, he should know that it would never evaporate completely. He deserves to be fired just for lacking common sense. As my father used to
mention often; “Ignorance is always acceptable but no-one has any right to be stupid!” So, what about England’s Kevin Pietersen? With his feistiness and “belly”, I wish that he could play for WI right now, even if he would have struggled to get into the team that I played in. What a batsman that guy still is. What a waste he has become in England. Disruptive indeed! Whom do they want to play for them; babies? Sometimes, you really have to laugh! Enjoy! E-mail c.e.h.croft@gmail.com
BCCI to meet CA, CSA over CLT20 future ESPNcricinfo - The fate of the Champions League Twenty20 will be decided in a meeting that will take place on the sidelines of the IPL final in Kolkata on May 24. The heads of Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa, the two other founding partners of the tournament, will also attend the meeting, according to BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur. “Yes, we have invited the CEO and chairman of Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa for the IPL final in Kolkata and, on the sidelines of this match, we will discuss the future of Champions League with them,” Thakur said. Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland and chairman Wally Edwards, along with CSA president Chris Nenzani and chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat are expected to attend the meeting, which will also be attended by BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and Thakur. Sundar Raman, who has been the chief operating officer for both IPL and CLT20, will also be at the meeting. Rajeev Shukla, the IPL chairman, had admitted that the future of the Champions
Sundar Raman, the chief operating officer of the IPL and CLT20, will also be at the meeting between the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa © BCCI League was in doubt, and said well as advertisers - in its six that alternative options in- editions. cluding conducting a miniThere have been six ediIPL were being discussed. tions of the CLT20 so far pit“Yes, we are planning to do ting the top teams of various away with the Champions countries against each other. League T20. In place of that, India, Australia and South we are considering an alter- Africa are the primary stakenative league. But at the mo- holders of the tournament, ment all this is at the planning while teams from West Indies, stage,” Shukla told PTI on Pakistan and Sri Lanka have Friday. been regular competitors. In April, ESPNcricinfo had The major fallout for the reported that the BCCI and the teams would be the loss of CLT20 broadcaster, Star monetary benefits. CLT20 apSports, was not keen on pearances are included in IPL continuing with a tourna- teams’ sponsorship deals and ment that has failed to gar- the non-Indian teams receive ner attention - from fans as $200,000.
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Grenada to host Under-17 Women’s Championship Miami - CONCACAF announced yesterday that Grenada will host the next CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship, which has been scheduled for March 3-13, 2016. The tournament will crown the Confederation’s champion at this level, and qualify three teams to the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to be played in Jordan. ”We are extremely pleased to award next year’s Women’s Under-17 Championship to Grenada, in the heart of the Eastern Caribbean,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “Hosting this Championship marks a milestone for sport in Grenada, and proves the Confederation’s eagerness to reward those Member Associations who are willing to assume important responsibilities within the region.” The Under-17 Women’s Championship Grenada 2016 will include eight teams, three from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), two from the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) and three from North America. Canada, Mexico and the United States are the auto-
Mexico (pictured) will look to defend its CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship crown in Grenada next year. (Photo: Mexsport)
matic North American entrants, while the CFU and UNCAF qualifying processes will take place in coming months.
As host country, Grenada is automatically qualified as one of the three CFU representatives. ”The decision of the
CONCA C A F E x e c u t i v e Committee to award Grenada such a prestigious tournament is a major milestone, and we appreciate the
Digicel SportsMax acquires rights to IAAF Diamond League 2015-2017 Jamaica Observer - CARIBBEAN sports cable giants Digicel SportsMax Friday announced that it has acquired the broadcast rights to the coveted IAAF Diamond League 2015 through to 2017. Digicel SportsMax will take Caribbean athletic fans to the track to witness the world’s fastest athletes Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, as they line up in the starting blocks alongside sprinting sensations Justin Gatlin, Asafa Powell, Kirani James, Yohan Blake, Veronica Campbell Brown, Allyson Felix and a host of the world’s biggest athletes in the coveted IAAF Diamond League series from May 15 to September 11. The 2015 IAAF Diamond League takes place over 14 world-class meetings held across Europe, Asia and North America. The athlete with the highest number of points in each discipline at the end of the season wins the ‘Diamond Race’ and actual diamonds. The trophies will be handed out at the two finals in Zurich and Brussels on September 3, and 11, respectively. Digicel SportsMax Carib-
Francena McCorory (right) of the United States competes against compatriot Sanya Richards-Ross (centre) and Novlene Williams-Mills of Jamaica to win the 400m race at the Diamond League. (PHOTO: AFP) bean marketing manager Tanya Lee said the Diamond League is the perfect addition to Digicel SportsMax’s sporting line-up. “The IAAF Diamond League is the most watched track event on the IAAF calendar outside of the World Championships and the Olympics, but what’s particularly special about the Diamond League is that track fans are taken on a constantly euphoric high at multiple points throughout the track
season with the sport’s biggest names facing off at multiple meets.” Along with the IAAF Diamond League 2015 to 2017, Digicel SportsMax is regional rights holders of premium content such as the recent Mayweather v Pacquiao bout, IAAF World Challenge meets, the Copa America, the NBA, the Barclays Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, The Women’s Tennis Association premier events, The
Indian Premier League, The Ashes, Australia and England cricket, and more. The Shanghai Diamond League will air live on Digicel SportsMax tomorrow at 5:30 am (6:30 am Eastern Caribbean Time). For IAAF Diamond League updates and a full broadcast schedule, visit digicelsportsmax.com or follow Digicel SportsMax TV on Facebook & @digicelsportsmax on Instagram.
confidence shown in our association. The staging of such an event will require all stakeholders to work together to make the event a major success,” said Grenada Football Association President Cheney Joseph. ”This is the first time that Grenada will be hosting a tournament of this magnitude, and we are very thankful for this opportunity. Grenada stands ready to host the best of the federations’ Under-17 girls and we do hope to make their time here a very memorable one.” Grenada Minister of Sport Emmelin Pierre added: “Grenada is definitely supportive of CONCACAF and the promotion and development of women’s football in the region. We are excited and grateful for this tremendous opportunity to host a women’s final
and will work closely with the GFA to be a great host.” The date of the official draw for the CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship Grenada 2016 will be announced later this year. At the draw, the eight qualified participating Member Associations will be divided into two groups of four. After the group stage, the winner and second-place team from each group will qualify to the semifinals. The winner of each semifinal match advances to the final and also directly to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016. The two losing semifinalists will contest the match for third place, from which the winner will also advance to the World Cup. Mexico is the defending champion of the CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship, having won the title in Jamaica in November 2013. CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship Grenada 2016 Date: March 3-13, 2016 Site: Grenada Teams: 8 (Caribbean Football Union - 3, Central American Football Union - 2, North America 3) Number of teams to qualify for the World Cup: 3 Format: Eight (8) Participating Member Associations are divided into two (2) groups (A, B) of four (4) teams each for the group stage. After the group stage, the winner and second-place team from each group will qualify to the semifinals. The winner of each semifinal match advances to the final, and also directly to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The two losing semifinalists will reach the third-place match, from which the winner will earn the third and final CONCACAF spot in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016. (CONCACAF)
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China to bid emotional farewell American Pharoah wins rain-soaked to Liu Xiang in Shanghai
Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang (front) stretches with students at a school as part of the launching event of Laureus World Sports Awards, in Shanghai, June 9, 2014. (Reuters/Stringer) (Reuters) SHANGHAI China will offer an emotional farewell to its newly-retired sports hero Liu Xiang at the Diamond League meeting today —and then hope desperately to witness a new athletics icon capable of replacing him. Officials confirmed yesterday there would be a special ceremony to honor 2004 Olympic sprint hurdles champion Liu, who announced his
retirement last month, during the meeting in his home Shanghai Stadium. It is likely to be a poignant occasion with even the man tipped to be Liu’s successor, former training partner Xie Wenjun, struggling to keep his emotions in check. “I feel sad. Maybe I’ll cry in front of him,” he told a news conference yesterday. Xie is one of the top young
athletes that China will be counting on to be the face of the 2015 world championships in Beijing, just as Liu was the poster boy for the Olympics there in 2008. Yet even though Liu was beaten by injury in his home Games, his eventual historic career ‘triple crown’ of being world champion, Olympic champion and world record breaker makes him a hugely
difficult act for any of his contemporaries to follow. Indeed, when Xie and top long jumper Li Jinzhe were asked if they could cope with the pressure of being China’s next sports hero, each, rather comically, seemed keen to pass the awesome responsibility to the other. Li, silver medalist at the world indoor championships last year, said: “Xie should take this responsibility as flag bearer for Chinese athletics because runners are more recognizable and are more likely to stir excitement in the fans.” Xie then responded: “I personally believe Li has the best potential to become the next athletics icon. He’s very likely to win the Olympic gold in Rio.” Certainly, Xie has his work most cut out to emulate the man he trained alongside for eight years. On Sunday, the Asian champion will have a measure of the magnitude of his task when he tackles world champion David Oliver and Olympic gold medalist Aries Merritt. Both Americans said they would be privileged to be involved in the ceremony to hail their old rival Liu, described by Oliver as “one of the greatest hurdlers of all-time and a great ambassador for the sport on and off the track.”
Italian Open: Novak Djokovic to face Roger Federer in final (Reuters) ROME – Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic will face second seed Roger Federer in today’s Italian Open final after both claimed straight sets wins. Djokovic defeated Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4 while Federer defeated Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2 at the Foro Italico. But Djokovic was unhappy about the state of the clay court after holes appeared near the baseline. “It’s dangerous to really play in these conditions,” the Serb said. “It’s obvious the court is not where it’s supposed to be, condition-wise. “We had some places where the holes are really deep. It’s not just for the serve, if you make those holes and you’re sliding and getting into that hole, you can twist your ankle easily. “People need to under-
Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his semi-final match against David Ferrer(Reuters/Stefano Rellandini) stand at this level every single thing matters to us, especially the court and the playing conditions.” Djokovic raised his game at key points in both sets to earn the breaks and stay on track for his fourth Rome title.
Federer started slowly against Wawrinka as the world number nine raced into a 3-0 lead, but Federer gradually got into the match. A Wawrinka error in the ninth game gave the 17-time Grand Slam champion a 5-4
lead and he won the set when his opponent went wide with a backhand. Federer continued his dominance at the start of the second set and will face Djokovic on Sunday for the third time in a final this year.
Preakness Stakes
(Yahoo Sport) The Kentucky Derby’s Big Three rolled into Maryland for the 140th Preakness Stakes on Saturday. And while the skies didn’t comply, with wind and heavy rain soaking Pimlico Race Course shortly before post time, Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah had little trouble routing the field by seven lengths. American Pharoah will now head to the Belmont Stakes on June 6, where he could become now the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. American Pharoah, along with Firing Line and Dortmund, comprised a trio that owned a far more lovely Churchill Downs two weeks ago. The three horses ran together at the front of a stacked pack at the Derby, but were part of only an eight-horse field at the Preakness. This marked the first time the Preakness ran on a wet track, in this case the epitome of “sloppy” conditions, since 1983. Conventional wisdom held that the rain would only help the powerful stride of American Pharoah, and that proved to be exactly the case. From the No. 1 post position, American Pharoah bolted to the lead immediately. Only Mr. Z, another horse with experience on wet tracks, came with him. But by the half-mile mark, American Pharoah had posted a faster time than in the Kentucky Derby. Mr. Z and Dortmund briefly caught up to American Pharoah between the third and fourth turns, but American Pharoah had little trouble pulling away on the final straightaway to win in 1:58:46. The Preakness serves as the pivotal moment in one of sports’ most elusive rewards, the Triple Crown. Every Kentucky Derby winner enters the Preakness with a target on its hindquarters. It’s rare, however, that a Derby winner enters the Preakness with momentum like American Pharoah. For most of the day, the horse held 4-5 odds to win, with Dortmund (4-1) and Firing Line (3-1) relatively close behind. Bob Baffert, trainer of both American Pharoah and Dortmund, has called the Preakness the easiest of the three races of the Triple Crown. Coming into this race, Baffert had sent all three of his Derby winners to victory in the Preakness. In training two of the top three horses in the
field, Baffert was, in effect, competing against himself. American Pharoah entered the race under a touch of controversy, as jockey Vincent Espinoza drew criticism for using his whip as many as 33 times during the Derby. Animal rights activists criticized Espinoza, but racing advocates noted that whips of today are far less punishing than those of past years. “The horse is my life and my passion,” Espinoza told NBC Sports’ Bob Costas shortly before the race. “The last thing I’d want to do is hurt any horse.” The question now is whether American Pharoah can close the deal on one of the most impressive feats in American sports. No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, although 14 have now won the first two races, including three in the past four years. It’s a challenge all its own, but a recent win-at-all-costs development has made the challenge that much harder. Those horses that don’t win at Churchill Downs often don’t bother to show up at Pimlico – more specifically, their trainers hold them out – only to return for the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, with fresher legs. It’s a relatively recent practice, and one exemplified by trainer Todd Pletcher, who held four Derby horses – Materiality, Carpe Diem, Competitive Edge and Stanford – out of the Preakness. Expect at least Materiality to be at the Belmont in three weeks, as well as Frosted, which also skipped the Preakness after finishing fourth in the Derby. The horses which skip the Preakness are more rested and, consequently, more of a challenge to any horse who attempts all three races.Ducking the Preakness is a Floyd Mayweather approach – maximize win opportunity while minimizing risk and completely disregarding competitive or entertainment concerns – and, predictably, it’s about as popular as Mayweather’s style. Last year, California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn called the trainers who used such a method to deny his horse the Triple Crown “cowards” and “cheaters,” and if the same method denies American Pharoah a Triple Crown, expect similar grumbling, if not necessarily in the same words.