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ARCHIVES FOR SEPTEMBER 05, 2009

Private Sector hails President’s frank, open style

President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister Manniram Prashad with Private Sector officials Captain Gerry Gouveia, Mr. Kit Nascimento and Mr. Eddie Boyer at the recent Private Sector dinner at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown. (Carl Croker photo)

THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) has hailed President Bharrat Jagdeo’s readiness to discuss a wide range of issues of concern to the business sector in a statement it released yesterday.

While it welcomed the media coverage given to its gala dinner on August 28 at the Pegasus Hotel at which Mr. Jagdeo was the main speaker, the association said it was disappointed that the “very frank and open exchange” between the President and his audience on matters of concern to the private sector was not reported on.

“It was, the private sector believes, an unprecedented occasion and unique in its democratic character, when a Head of State places himself completely at the disposal of the captains of industry and commerce in a dialogue which was refreshing and often revealing, conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect, deserving acknowledgement”, the PSC said.

The association said that with its constituent members, including the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), the Forest Products Association (FPA) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), it invited a wide cross section of the private sector to attend the dinner.

This was for them to get together in a relaxed and social atmosphere, and to provide an opportunity for the President to brief the sector on the Low Carbon Development Strategy, it said.

It reported that at the urgings of the speakers preceding the President, he was asked to broaden his address to include other national issues and to field questions and answers from the floor.

“The President readily agreed to do so. While both the print and broadcast media gave extensive coverage to much of what the President said, the PSC is disappointed that the media did not capture in its reporting, the fact of the very frank and open exchange of views between the President and his audience on matters of concern to the private sector, at which the President emphasised that nothing should be considered taboo”, the statement said.

The PSC said he responded for more than two hours to “an exceedingly wide range of questions and observations from his audience.”

President Jagdeo has been earning plaudits from several stakeholders for his open and frank approach in discussing national issues.

The latest Cabinet outreach which kicked off last month at the International Convention Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown is themed `Conversations on the Future’.

President Jagdeo gave the main address and then fielded questions from a cross section of society, including students, labour and business leaders, and representatives of Amerindian and women’s organizations.

At the end of the session, Mr. Jagdeo pledged that the `conversations’ will continue, saying these are aimed at refining the pathway for the country’s future.

He explained that the government has a clear vision of national development and the event launched was intended to help get and convey the big picture.

Chairperson of the proceedings and Presidential Adviser on Governance, Ms. Gail Teixeira, said the `Conversations on the Future’ are an addition to the Cabinet outreach which continues in Region Four following recent sessions in Regions Three and Six.

She said the series allows the government to share its vision and the developmental agenda with Guyanese across the country, cutting across political confines and negativism.

Guyana’s draft Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which was also addressed at intervals during that meeting, is a component of the National Development Strategy forged several years ago, Teixeira said.

President Jagdeo noted that while Guyana has progressed in several crucial sectors, too many Guyanese are still too poor and said that entrepreneurial behaviour must flourish to help build a stronger private sector.

“We need foreign investors but we need a strong indigenous private sector”, he said.

“We have to commit to achieve much more and faster”, he said, noting the country has to move to a second wave of development.

18 new Cuba-trained doctors at GPHC
EIGHTEEN newly registered doctors from the Guyana/ Cuba programme took up responsibilities as general medicine practitioners yesterday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The new additions are at the GPHC for six months and will be rotated at health care facilities across the country subsequently.

The new doctors are:

* Dr Angelina Dhani;

* Dr Ayana Gale;

* Dr Jennel Sarju;

* Dr Ertenisa Hamilton;

* Dr Heather Morris;

* Dr Krystle Fraser;

* Dr Irv Chan;

* Dr Nigel Langhorne;

* Dr Dianele Drepaul;

* Dr Vasha Bachan;

* Dr Afzal Mohamed;

* Dr Mohamed Ally Jr.;

* Dr Thashana Teekah;

* Dr Leah Niles;

* Dr Pharez George;

* Dr La Toya Young;

* Dr Oneka Scott; and

* Dr Suzanne Stuart.

The 18 individuals spent their final year of study from September 2008 working at the GPHC and graduated as doctors on August 13.

Chief Executive Officer of the GPHC, Mr. Michael Khan, posited that the hospital is grateful for the new additions and it is hoped they put to good use what they learned.

Medical Director at the GPHC, Dr Madan Rambarran, reiterated these sentiments and added that while at the hospital the new doctors will be exposed to a various disciplines, including Surgery, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Paediatrics, among others.

Lethem community enthusiastic ahead of Takutu Bridge opening
By Priya Nauth
THE Rupununi community of Lethem, in Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) is enthusiastic as preparations progress for the official opening of the Takutu River Bridge on Monday.

In a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Region Nine Chairman, Mr. Clarindo Lucas said the arrangements are progressing smoothly with the formal proceedings expected to start at 13:00 h.

This historic occasion will be officiated by both Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo and Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva.

Lucas said high level government representation of both sides is anticipated to witness the unveiling of a plaque at the centre of the structure where the flags of the two nations will be hoisted.

He said he is chairing a planning committee which includes various stakeholders from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), the Regional Administration, the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and Lethem Power Company.

Lucas said the formal programme is being prepared by a National Committee spearheaded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while the Lethem Committee is looking at other engagements such as accommodation.

The bridge, symbolic of growing ties between Guyana and Brazil, being deemed the CARICOM gateway to South America, was opened for the movement of vehicular traffic, passengers and cargo last July 31.

Alluding to the general feeling in the community, Lucas said it is felt that now the road link is available and functioning, it is going to be a “more comfortable arrangement” for the two countries.

The overpass is to offer a multiplicity of opportunities for citizens of both countries, among them an economic and commercial takeoff for Lethem and for tourism and commerce.

“People can move more freely now and at ease and it is our feeling that the business capacity is going to increase. We have already seen signs of that happening,” Lucas said.

Accustomed
He said, as people become accustomed to using the Customs and immigration facilities on both sides, more and more traffic will open more avenues.

Lucas said more visitors will be encouraged and Guyana/Brazil trade will increase.

He disclosed that, another highlight for September 14 will be the commissioning of the new Lethem Public Hospital by President Jagdeo at 16:00h. That building is located close to the old in the middle of Lethem.

The Head of State will also be meeting and interacting with Lethem residents at 18:00h in St. Ignatius Community Benab preceding by a reception hosted by the Office of the President, Lucas announced.

“The most important thing I feel is that this bridge is going to bring the two nations closer together though we are already friends,” he posited.

Lucas said the Region appreciates the new development taking place and looks forward to more improvements, in terms of infrastructure, as well.

At his post-Cabinet media briefing last week, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon maintained that the western border with Brazil is where CARICOM starts.

He said a signboard proclaiming ‘CARICOM BEGINS HERE’ is likely to be put up at the site where the bridge will offer “untold opportunities” for economic development and integration of the economies of Guyana, Brazil, CARICOM and South America.

The Lethem-Linden road continues to be an “abiding source of interest for us to maximally exploit the bridge adjoining the two countries,” Luncheon stated.

He said Government is “aggressively” pursuing resources “to bring to fruition the dream to have a quality highway linking Lethem and Linden.”

According to him, after the formal opening of the bridge, the two countries will finalise arrangements to ensure a smooth flow of the burgeoning traffic across it in both directions, specifically for Customs and land transport.

The bridge, construction of which was completed with funding from Brazil’s Federal Government, is 14 metres wide across the Takutu River, built of reinforced concrete with walkways on both sides.

It is one of 335 projects identified by the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA), an initiative by South American governments to build a new infrastructural network for the continent, inclusive of roads, waterways, ports and energy and communications interconnections.

GECOM Chairman squandered money, opportunity and goodwill
The administration views with concern the statements published in the Kaieteur News yesterday attributed to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Dr Steve Surujbally, in which he sought to defend himself against the pointed criticisms by the Office of the President about the delay in holding local government elections in 2009, according to a statement from the Office of the President.

“Dr Surujbally sought to distance himself and the Commission from the responsibility for the delay by pointing his fingers at the President”, a statement from The Office of the President said last evening.

“However, the available records would bear the President out,” the statement said.

The statement continued:

“The Commission was presented with a golden opportunity, the violence free general and regional elections in 2006, with which to put the past history of elections in Guyana in the rubbish heap.

“The ground was further prepared by the decision of the administration and stakeholders to recreate an absolutely new national register of registrants by doing a national house-to-house registration exercise.

“The planned 2009 local government elections presented the first opportunity for the Chairman to show his mettle with the new dispensation.

“The Chairman, in his utterances at that time, committed to those high expectations.

“The results have been disappointing and the chairman’s efforts, not to deny the failures but to distribute blame, must be exposed and questioned.

“The Chairman pinpointed the delay in providing funding, claiming that it prevented the commission from meeting its targets.

“The Chairman even had the audacity to question the facts that holding elections in Guyana was a most costly proposition.

“The reality is all around us, neighbouring states hold elections with economy of time, effort and cost.

“The Chairman led a commission that insisted on planning activities consecutively instead of simultaneously. The time lost was never regained and the urgency of holding local government elections in 2009 was seemingly being ignored.

“The Chairman imposed his will with regard to the rejection of the use of valid documents for registration, an unfortunate decision that discredited and worse, delayed the registration exercise.

“The Chairman championed the move to cross match fingerprints immediately after the registration exercise.

“That decision led inevitably to additional mini cross matching exercises along the way to the verification of the list.

“The Chairman publicly preferred his choice of a design of the voter ID card.

“Suggestions of threats to the independence of the Commission prevailed on the authorities leading to the acceptance of repetitive waivers of tender board procedures to facilitate sole sourcing of electoral goods and services.

“Essentially the administration was forced to be critical in getting the Chairman to focus on the timeframe and to lead constructively.

“Those issues were discussed with the Chairman when the delay appeared inevitable. Note was taken of the likely negative public reactions to this unacceptable state of affairs and the predictable consequences.

“The Chairman led the forces that insisted on the distribution of ID cards before the claims and objection period despite the waste of time and money that would occur when sustained claims and objections led to the necessary reproduction of cards.

“He supported the defenders of that position, embracing their most untenable of interpretations of the relevant electoral statutes.

“He even rejected the electoral history of Guyana in which general elections were held at which cards were distributed even on the day of voting.

“The common thread running through the Chairman’s claims was that he was not to blame and it was the administration.

“The Chairman has to accept that he was provided with abundant resources and had cultivated heightened expectations about the productivity of his chairmanship.

“The results remain as the President so carefully observed, the Chairman has squandered money, opportunity and goodwill in his failure to deliver,” the Office of the President statement concluded.

Freeburg Secondary student stabs form mate
By Shirley Thomas
LESS than one week into the new school term, violence in schools has reared its ugly head, resulting in a 13- year-old Second Form boy of Freeburg Secondary School, Wortmanville, being stabbed in the back by another with a pointed object.

Thirteen-year-old Marlon Lowe, of “F” Norton Street, Lodge, was shortly after 16:00h yesterday rushed to the Accident and Emergency unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital, nursing a stab wound to the left side of his back - in the region of his lung, and other abrasions to his left hand, inflicted on him by a 14-year-old attending the same school.

The incident took place in the school yard in full view of other students, and while teachers were yet in school. But even as the aggressor held him down on the ground, beating him and violently stabbing him in the back, no one came to his rescue. At the end of the ordeal, struggling to get to his feet, the wounded child managed to reach his mother’s workplace, at the Guyana Public Service Union Headquarters, Regent and New Garden Streets - about half a mile away where he related to her what had happened.

The shocked and distraught mother, May Lowe, immediately took her son to hospital. It is not clear if, or how long, the attacker and a gang of ‘bully friends’ friends he had brought with him to beat Lowe remained around the school compound; but soon after the matter was reported to the Brickdam and Alberttown Police Stations, police ranks were dispatched to go in search of them.

At the hospital, Lowe related that his woes at the hands of the aggressor began on the first day of school – last Tuesday. Lowe, who is in Form 2A, said that the teen who stabbed him is in Form 2C. However, the teacher had allowed students from both classes to sit together, pending the allocation of furniture to the respective classes.

It was while the two were sitting together on the opening day of school that the 14-year-old challenged Lowe, telling him that he could ‘beat him up’, but Lowe claimed that he ignored him. Then on Friday, he said, the teen again confronted him, this time with a piece of PVC pipe, and dealt Lowe several lashes about the body.

Then yesterday, the aggressor came along with a group of friends and again accosted him, telling him that he would beat him up. On this occasion he was armed with what Lowe referred to as a ‘jooker’.

As Lowe was about to respond, one of the gang, warned him that if he only opened his mouth he would ‘bore’ him. The member of the gang then pushed Lowe down on the ground, and the teen with whom he had the misunderstanding held him down to the ground and began beating and stabbing him with the ‘jooker’ (the pointed object). It was not until he got the satisfaction of seeing Lowe’s blood flow that the aggressor let the wounded teen go.

Meanwhile, Marlon Lowe’s mother, incensed at the development, and totally dissatisfied at the inaction of the school’s administration, recalled that such behaviour had been going on at the school, unabated for the longest while.

“We would go to PTA meetings, and the teachers would show us a set of knives, scissors, surgical blades and ice picks that children are found with in school,” she related, shaking her head in disgust. She said she recalled some of the culpable students being expelled, but the menace is still there.

800MW hydro-power project in Middle Mazaruni being considered
Head of State President Bharrat Jagdeo met last evening with Charge d’ Affaires of the Brazilian Embassy, Minister Rodrigo Fonseca, and two representatives of Andrade Gutierrez Construction, Commercial Director Gianfranco Miceli, and Business Director Pablo Arruda, to discuss the possibility of establishing an 800MW hydro-power project in the Middle Mazaruni, Region Seven.

Speaking with the Government Information Agency (GINA) after the meeting, Minister Fonseca explained that the project will be studied during the coming weeks. He further stated that the Andrade Gutierrez representatives came to brief the President on the details.

“It was an opportunity for President Jagdeo to meet these gentlemen so that they could explain the feasibility and the technical aspects of this important hydro-power project which Brazil believes is important also in the effort of integration between Brazil and Guyana,” Minister Fonseca said.

Miceli explained that some of the energy would be integrated into Guyana’s national power grid with the rest of the energy being purchased by Brazil for consumption by the state of Roraima, the northern Brazilian state adjoining Guyana.

“As soon as we develop all the necessary agreements with the Guyana authorities and the Brazilian authorities, this project should most probably start sometime next year to be completed in 2015, when the first turbine should be generating,” Miceli stated when asked about the projected timeline for the development of the hydro-power plant.

This new initiative will join with the other hydro-power development under consideration, the Amaila Falls project, which has the capacity to provide over 140 megawatts of electricity and is to be located along the Kuribrong River in Potaro, Region Eight, as Government continues to build a new economy focused on innovation and value-added products.

Andrade Gutierrez S.A (AG Group or AGSA) is a Brazilian construction company. The organisation was founded in 1948 and is today one of the largest privately held groups in Latin America and amongst the top three largest construction companies in Brazil. It is a market leader in construction, government contracts, telecommunication, real estate investments and other sectors of the Brazilian economy. (GINA)

CANU makes $400,000 drug bust
- five kilos of marijuana seized
The Ministry of Home Affairs in a press release disclosed that on September 3, the Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU), in collaboration with officers from Seafreight Shipping Limited, intercepted nine packets of compressed marijuana aboard the MV Stadt Luneburg, arriving in Guyana.

According to the release, the team acted on initial intelligence which indicated that there was a strong possibility that drugs would be placed on board the vessel. Consequently, upon arrival, a search conducted revealed five kilos of marijuana of an estimated street value of $400,000.

The collaboration between the Security arm of Seafreight Shipping Limited and CANU had resulted in previous finds and they will continue to work together to ensure that the maritime service through Guyana’s ports remains secure.

CANU was established to supplement the Guyana Police Force anti-narcotics squad in an effort to assist in curbing narco-trafficking. (GINA)

Dr Reid eulogised at commemorative in home village
By Rajendra Prabhulall
FORMER Prime Minister, Dr Ptolemy Alexander Reid was eulogised at a moving commemorative service, last Wednesday, in the Eighth of May Community High School, at Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast.

The function marked the sixth anniversary of his death.

Speaking about his life and work, Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Mr. Robert Corbin said the deceased was a simple, humble child of a farmer who rose to become Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Corbin recalled that Reid was born and grew up in Dartmouth Middle Walk Dam and attended St. Barnabas Primary School in the village where he became a teacher after qualifying.

The Opposition Leader said Reid went to school barefooted because his mother could not afford to buy shoes for him.

Corbin pointed out Reid did not get any scholarship but struggled to pass his teacher’s examination and travelled to the United States to further his education.

After working very hard in American steel mills, Reid successfully completed his studies and graduated as a veterinary doctor, returned to this country and worked with Bookers before entering politics, Corbin reminded.

He said Reid made several monumental contributions to the development of this nation during his political career.

Reid served the PNC as General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary and was a loyal and dedicated assistant to the Founder Leader, Mr. L.F. S. Burnham, Corbin said, adding that Reid founded and developed the Knowledge Sharing Institute (KSI) outlets, which helped distribute consumer items and promoted agriculture across the country.

The Opposition Leader challenged young people to emulate the examples set by Reid.

Another speaker, Mr. Vincent Alexander declared Reid was a shining example and a beacon that one can follow.

Alexander, who did not sit at the head table with Corbin and other top PNCR functionaries, said Reid was a role model who was extremely humble and did not like fanfare.

Ex-Parliamentarian, Mr. Isahack Basir, described as a longstanding friend of Reid, agreed that the latter was a respected man who made significant contributions to the development of Guyana, especially in agriculture.

Basir exhorted others to keep alive the spirit of Reid and the party he helped form.

Several more tributes were paid to Reid and the programme included poetry recitation by schoolchildren.

FBI agents visit New Line Aquaculture Farm, vehicles seized

Salim Juman-Azeez, proprietor of New Line Aquaculture Farms, displays a tilapia fish

THE household of Salim Juman-Azeez, proprietor of New Line Aquaculture Farm, North Section, Canal Number Two Polder, is tight-lipped about an unusual visit last week by strange personnel at the premises and the subsequent seizure of a number of vehicles.

According to reports reaching the Chronicle, the visit by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States of America, was premised on the detention in the United States of a close associate of Juman-Azeez.

The businessman is reportedly out of the jurisdiction and the visitors dressed in shirt-jacs and blue overalls spoke with his wife.

The man’s children were at the time said to be in a vehicle that was parked outside the premises.

During a visit yesterday, the Chronicle observed that the once busy premises was devoid of any activity. The businessman’s wife was at home but this newspaper’s queries were relayed to her by a male who answered the gate call.

She replied though that there has been no unusual activity at the house, nor were any vehicles or boats seized.

A police source however confirmed that vehicles belonging to the businessman were indeed seized.

Juman-Azeez who established the New Line Aquaculture Farm in 2001, had in March 2004 injected approximately $150M in the venture, thus making it the largest aquaculture venture in the country.

The project which takes up approximately 790 acres of land aback of Boeraserie Creek, focuses on the rearing of red and grey tilapias along with one species of fresh water Pacu for the international market.

The farm which has its own hatchery with a total population of approximately 1,300 females producing 60,000 frys per week, produces approximately 110,000 pounds of fish per week.

Juman-Azeez is the father-in-law of Barry Dataram who is being sought by the Eastern District of New York for cocaine-smuggling offences.

Dataram who was detained by local police on more than two occasions in connection with the said extradition matter, has successfully won his release in the High Court in the absence of a re-extradition clause, a provision required under Guyana’s domestic extradition law.

Significant endorsement
THE endorsement of the draft Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) by the Guyana Manufacturers and Services Association Ltd (GMSA) is a significant move, coming as it does from a sub-sector that will be directly affected.

The association, in a position paper on the strategy, says it shows an overall appreciation of the development thrust of the manufacturing sub sector in the forest industry.

The document was drawn up by Mr. Rustum Bulkan, Chairman of its GMSA’s Wood sub-sector group, and he feels the strategy is in accordance with the focal areas pinpointed over the years as essential for the future advancement of this sub sector.

Mr. Bulkan is also joint Managing Director of Precision Woodworking Limited with his brother Ronald, and the two in an interview also fully backed the LCDS and what it holds for Guyana’s development.

The significance of their endorsement is that it is in sharp contrast to critics who feel the LCDS is nothing more than a pipe dream and will not get beyond the concept on paper.

The association and the Bulkans, who have in a real sense been pioneers in moving beyond primary processing in forestry and showing the worth to the country of value-added in forestry products, have instead recognized the wisdom and the vision in Guyana’s strategy to cope with global climate change.

And, having taken stock of the challenges and opportunities, they have put up recommendations for the authorities to consider.

Mr. Rustum Bulkan feels the strategy is “very comprehensive” and covers all aspects of the forestry sector.

“Overall, the LCDS represents a new and visionary way of approaching the social and economic development of Guyana”, he states in the paper.

He adds: “It will transform the way in which business is done and the approach to economic activities. It is felt that the impact on the economy and society will be one that is indeed transformational: in terms of creating more gainful employment, income generation, social services production, and livelihoods, whilst maintaining the forest resources.”

He noted that enforcement of regulations will be critical for confirming to sustainable forest management (SFM) practices and what Guyana is seeking is a trade for its services in the carbon capture market and not a handout.

His position merits repeating here: “Specifically, the draft LDCS recognizes the importance of moving up the lumber value chain and has outlined key requirements of this proposal…The LCDS recognizes that globally, the export of secondary processed wood products is high and the prices that are gained are significantly higher than that for primary products”.

The document adds that the LCDS shows good foresight in identifying that new investment in processing activities would facilitate even greater production of higher value wood products. “These would meet international standards for export and would bring new capabilities in waste minimization and recovery, as well as establish important market linkages to enhance export value of processed products.”

THE OBSERVER
Kaieteur News’ “tabloidism” and the GPA silence
Some are querying why the Kaieteur News has come in for criticism over time. The Observer would point those with such queries to the paper itself.

The answer can be found by simply analysing the content of th e publications in the context of the paper’s position on national issues.

Over the years the paper has earned the reputation of sensationalising even the simplest of issues. This is in keeping with the potency of such practices being translated into financial gains. Tabloids in North America and Europe have shown how enormous the financial gains are.

This type of reporting, under the guise of professional journalism, has led to the sacrifice of some of the basic tenets of the real profession of journalism.

The hallmark of this is the routine usage of beguiling headlines and photographs without any substantive related narrative. In some, if not many instances there is no accompanying story to the prominent photograph on the front page.

Tabloid is the term used to identify such outfits which would lead the public into believing that they (the outfits) are a professional established media house.

This is evident in the many sensational stories published by known Tabloids in other parts of the world.

The Loch Ness Monster, UFO sightings and landings and other bizarre tales are prominently placed on the front pages to woo the vulnerable reading mass.

The sex and private lives of celebrities and politicians are also exploited for the same reasons. Locally, crime and government bashing are substituted for the seemingly non-existent Loch Ness Monster and a man giving birth to twins. It is known in this part of the world that crime sells even if the incident in question is considered to be minor or of no significance.

Nowhere is this more prominent than in the Kaieteur News. Long before the paper officially took a public anti-government position; ordinary citizens had vociferously articulated this disgust at the paper for publishing images that are condemned as being gory, distasteful and even disrespectful to a reading public.

These images include those of victims maligned from accidents and the disfigured bodies of those killed in confrontation. This has irked a large section of the citizenry which, over the years, has demanded responsible reporting from the Kaieteur News. These frequent calls have been ignored.

A perusal of the Kaieteur News over the year will confirm what this column is alluding to. More recently, in the Saturday September 05, 2009, the front page photo (the only photo measuring 10.5 inches by 6.25 inches) was that of a Youth Choice Initiative building at Phoenix Park, West Bank Demerara. The headline of the photo was, “More millions being wasted!!” According to the caption of the photo, the building was constructed some seven years ago. The only deficiencies as pointed out by arrows on the said photo were that the door was opened and two window panes were missing.

The photo showed that the building, otherwise, is in an immaculate condition. If the Kaieteur News had pointed out the grass was a bit overgrown in the compound, then the photograph would have accurately reflected that. The caption of the said photograph asked “Was this the intent?” The Kaieteur News must be asked what its real intention of such publication is. If, as the paper pointed out, that the building has been built seven years ago, then what has accounted for its seemingly pristine state?

Many buildings, some of which are owned by affluent Guyanese, have a window pane or two missing. Many buildings, including the Kaieteur News’, have doors that are open. The edition in question had no related story to the photograph; none.

Again the Kaieteur News’ real intention must be questioned. This is not the first of such instances in which no story accompanies a front page picture. The next day in the Sunday, September 06, 2009 edition, a page 12 story captioned, “Problems abound at Mabaruma Hospital—Original $98.3 M had to be increased twice by more than $90M, appeared.

This story included a picture of an immaculate hospital structure in a hinterland region.

The impression created in the caption is that on two occasions, more than $90M had to be allocated to the original construction cost of the hospital of $98.3 M. If true, then it is a great underestimation of building cost of an important and beneficial government project.

However, the accompanying story carried revealed a whole different perspective. Paragraph 9 stated that “…In June 2007, Minister within the Health Ministry, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran had said while he could not definitively say what the final cost would be, an additional $80M was earmarked for the Lethem and Mabaruma hospitals with the major portion going towards the latter project”.

The Lethem hospital was mentioned in the story but not in the misleading headline. The sum of $80M was mentioned in the story, but a minimum of $180M was conveyed in said misleading headline.

It is clear from what was reported (from what the Minister said) that the Mabaruma hospital never received the sum the Kaieteur News wickedly placed in the story’s headline. Once again, the paper’s intention must be brought into question. Of recent, the paper has been publishing photos of government projects and seeks to give the impression that tax payers’ money is not being used effectively.

In the Wednesday, September 02, 2009 edition of the paper, a page 6 article headlined, “AG to examine PC security contract--$1M per month but guards get below minimum wage” Such a story with a front page bold headline, will at first glance, evoke emotions of disgust at the way how some workers may be treated.

Reading the article, the Kaieteur News showed that each guard in question was receiving $100.00 (one hundred dollars) per day! On checking the figures they used in the article, it was discovered that the guards were receiving in excess of $1000.00 (one thousand) per day! Any child who can use a calculator can so show that the figure quoted by the Kaieteur News is wickedly erroneous.

This is misleading reporting at its best.

The paper, for its own purpose, tried to dupe readers that security guards attached to president’s college were being paid $100.00 per day in the same way as they try to dupe readers into believing that the Mabaruma hospital received a minimum addition of $180M. The inaccuracies are easily spotted in the narrative as in the case of the security guards and the Mabaruma hospital.

As mentioned these are just a few of such sensational and inaccurate reporting being carried daily. The paper must be reminded that the freedom to operate, as evident in the freedom of expression in Guyana, is not the freedom to mislead.

The Guyana Press Association (GPA) must intervene and demand and ensure that the Kaieteur News do not deliberately mislead the public under the guise of journalism. The GPA does not only have a responsibility for the welfare of journalists; they have a responsibility to ensure that the public is not fed with information that is blatantly inaccurate.

They must ensure that the Kaieteur News desist from such practices and observe the basic tenets of journalism of fairness, balance and accuracy. Anything else will be deemed “tabloidism”.

The Guyanese reading public must hold the Kaieteur News responsible for its frequent inaccuracies; inaccuracies that have a known political purpose. The GPA has been conveniently silent on the Kaieteur News’ transgression of journalistic principles over the years. The Observer calls on the GPA to rise from its slumber and witness the desecration of this honourable profession. Eagerly awaiting a response.

Murderers in the making
SEVERAL times in the recent past schoolchildren have shown total disregard for the school system and the authority of the education sector by joining in protest actions, setting fires to tyres, blocking traffic, threatening and attacking those who refused to join their delinquent actions – sadly under the guidance, and with full support of political leaders and even their parents.

Today the chickens are coming home to roost. Students currently have no qualms in attacking teachers or each other, even armed with dangerous implements that can take lives.

Parents extolling “slow fiah, more fiah” strategies and joining in violent protest actions cannot set anything but anti-social examples of behaviour for their children to emulate.

During the height of the Hoyte campaign against Mrs. Jagan’s presidency, the pictures of a teacher from the once stellar academic institution, St. Rose’s High School, was seen by the world bending over and mooning her approval of the destabilising actions of her political leaders.

The minibus culture, with its decadent drivers and conductors (this is not an indictment on the decent ones), and the lewd and loud cacophony to which schoolgirls gyrated on the laps of their boyfriends in the backseats of the buses, often absconding from school to engage in nefarious practices, such as X-rated photo-shoots and other clandestine (and sometimes criminal) activities, with no, or minimal, sanction by either teachers or parents, has resulted in a sub-culture and a lost generation of young people.

Mothers take young daughters – both barely-clad, to ‘passa-passa’ parties. Fathers uncaring of their responsibilities to their children, flitting from woman to woman, and making and deserting even more children along the way, have paved the way for the delinquent behaviour of their offspring.

Relatives, even mothers, encourage their young sons to steal, even if they have to take innocent lives to do so, in order that they could splurge on the material things, and the luxuries that they refuse to earn by the sweat of their brow.

When they are caught all of them swear that they and their relatives are God-fearing angels who could do no wrong.

The agony of the nation is that the children are the statistics.

A recent letter by a gentleman who resides overseas refuted an assertion by someone who said that our children are taking guns to school.

Not guns – but certainly icepicks.

A thirteen-year-old student of Freeburg Secondary School is currently in the hospital with deep wounds from an icepick – any of which could have punctured his lungs, inflicted by another student of that school.

Reports are that the perpetrator is the school bully who had picked an argument with the victim on Tuesday last.

There was ongoing bickering between the two, with threats being issued by the aggressor, who invited a gang of friends to attack the victim in the schoolyard yesterday afternoon.

The defensive wounds on the hands of the wounded child showed that he tried to ward off the stabs. The wounds on his back indicate that he was fleeing from his attackers who pursued him to inflict the vicious, murderous wounds.

But the breakdown of the educational system in particular, and society in general, is that this has been an ongoing feud that reached near-tragic proportions, with no intervention by any adult person – either teacher or parent.

This attack occurred in a schoolyard teeming with students. Don’t they have a sense of right and wrong that they should have summoned help? And why did no teacher, or maybe a guard, or any adult in the vicinity notice and intervene before the critical attack?

What kind of children are we rearing - Murderers in the making? The aggressor is reported to have a history of such behaviour, so why was he not removed from a school environment and placed into a custodial environment where his actions could have been monitored and controlled?

Why are there no school inspectors to identify problem areas before they fructify into tragedy and two sets of parents receive tragic news – one that their child has been murdered in what should be the safest environment, a school; and the other that their child has become a murderer.

Education in the Schools
I will use two students and one school, and believe me, this will more

than suffice. I hope at the end, that the Minister of Education will

be moved to act with swiftness and efficiency.

1. The questions I posit are: Is the school semester adequate for the

completion of the school curriculum (in all the subject areas)?

2. Are lessons on a daily basis, even during vacation, a necessary criterion

for students’ success?

3. Why do teachers teach portions of the

curriculum at school, and the rest at lessons; what about those who do

not want to take or cannot afford lessons?

4. Is teaching at the

‘bottom house’ conducive to learning?

5. Why must tests be given to

all the students in class on the same topics, when only some or part

of these were taught at the school, and the rest at lessons?

Honorable Minister, be true to your appellation and act. It is so easy

to see that school teachers are rapidly becoming analogous to the

police and soldiers-- an opportunity to make a kill. Please visit these

bottom house places of learning. Please check on the qualifications of

some of those bottom house teachers, and also, please check on the

qualifications of the teaching staff at the private schools. The

earlier you do this, the better it will be for all Guyana.

I rest my case.
Sean Rizwan

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Hope the plan achieves more substance than style
I agree that the Contract to build capacity within Home Affairs Ministry and GPF could be a good one. However, as I said in a previous letter, the quality of the trainee is as important as the trainer. It takes quality and dedicated people to make any organisational structure function as it should. The first step should be to establish new independent investigative units to deal with security forces complaints and another for major cases, pending the announced reform. Investigations need to recapture trust and transparency.

Staffing of these new units should have the necessary education, skills and experience to do the job. Initially, they should have outside professionals leading and training better educated and paid Guyanese. With limited finances, we could get an immediate benefit with a smaller outlay, until the entire Law Enforcement System is overhauled, which will take years and much better paid and trained professionals. Unfortunately, what may make sense to me, will be ignored in pursuit of the grander and more ballyhooed changes promised in this plan. Best wishes; I hope the plan achieves more substance than style.
N. Augustus

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Re “Mormon imports”
I read with great interest this developing story reported in your esteemed newspaper and would like to comment as follows:

1) Once these people have broken our laws they should be deported forthwith and further, should not be allowed re-entry as they are likely to break the law again. Furthermore, I would like to ask what happens to Guyanese who overstay on visitors visas to the U.S.? Quite likely many of them are severely penalised by the rejection of future applications for visas etc.

The point is that not because we are a small poor country we should accept anything that people of the developed world would like to foist on us.

2) I am of the strong opinion that the agenda of these foreign- based churches is the aggressive conversion of our poor Hindus and Muslims in particular by dangling the carrot of material help

and then coercing them to join these churches.

It is mind-boggling to see a host of foreign looking youths walking and riding throughout the length and breadth of Guyana on this mission of conversion.

The Ministry of Home Affairs must crack down on the issuance of visas to representatives of these foreign-based churches as they are taking advantage of the poverty of our people.

3) Guyana has well-established Hindu, Muslim and Christian Churches and probably has more places of worship per head of population than most countries in the world .We do not need foreign missionaries coming in droves to convert our hapless people.

I know that it is very difficult for a Hindu or Muslim Missionary to get a work visa to go to the USA, Canada , Europe etc.

In conclusion,kudos to the Government and Commissioner of Police for taking the correct steps

which should be further reinforced by reviewing the very lax policy of allowing droves of foreign missionaries into our country.

No more Jim Joneses and corrupt and morally bankrupt evangelists.
C.Persaud

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There is another sect growing right here
The government seems to be taking no chances of another Jim Jones saga taking place in Guyana as it has evicted religious men and women attached to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints (LDS).

After which has appeared clearly as the breaking of our laws in Guyana , the leaders of that Church were asked to leave Guyana within a month. But there are varied views concerning this touchy issue. One must not forget that this is truly a matter dealing with a religious organisation which has grown to popularity in the State of Utah over the past years and which has undoubtedly spread across the world.

Guyanese would agree that the missionaries are visibly present in almost every community countrywide once there are persons living there. Guyanese are also aware that these same—now ousted—missionaries have come to their aid and assistance in their times of need. The church has made numerous monetary and itemised donations during its existence here in Guyana to various persons, clubs, hospitals, and even schools. They have given to almost every sphere of Guyanese life. They acquired huge homes (which were rented) and also built dazzling church buildings (as the one here in East Canje in Berbice).

To summarise, the church has been involved in numerous works of charity and benevolence. Whereas the Jim Jones cult church operated tens of miles away in Guyana ’s interior and amidst thick jungle, the Mormons based their work in the towns and villages amongst the people of Guyana . The future of this church now in Guyana is very uncertain. The authorities have made it clear, through the newspaper reports, that more new potential missionaries who wish to come to Guyana need proper documentation and permits to operate here.

Many did not appreciate the manner of detainment which befell the missionaries on Wednesday. More are of the view that the government is acting in a prejudiced manner against these people who only mean well for Guyana through their peaceful humanitarian works. Some say that the police should seek after hardened criminals before ‘arresting’ and detaining these people for hours after taking away their travel documents.

What seems to be a pattern which keeps generating itself in Guyana nowadays, though, seems to be the influx of foreigners arriving with the best of intentions—to help Guyanese.

Just a few years ago, we had the arrivals of persons such as Benny Hinn and Ernest Angely. They performed numerous “healings” and “miracles” at their crusades which were attended by thousands of people. Their meetings were highly publicised and garnered humungous turnouts. Did the authorities question those “miracles” which they performed? Many said that they were phony. Exiled Kenyan Gilbert Deya also touched down on our shores a few years ago. He also attracted thousands to his healing ceremonies, where he claimed to produce “miracle babies” for various persons. He has since been ordered to leave the United Kingdom , and was sent back home to Kenya where he has been charged for ‘baby smuggling’.

Presently, there is the growing membership of another religious entity—this time from neighbouring Brazil (a predominantly Catholic country). This organization is so popular (with 5000 churches currently there) in that nation that even the Roman Catholic Church there is feeling threatened by conversions of followers to that church. They are known for their huge auditoriums, which they refer to as ‘help centres’ (which can hold up to 12,000 persons at a time).

There we have another instance of foreigners coming into our country and establishing avenues and channels through which desperate Guyanese can access help, healing, material goods and even money. Many of these religious sects somehow set up shops in the minutest villages across our land, reaching and touching numerous persons living under all sorts of circumstances.

One thing I find odd though (and which might be purely coincidental): that over the past couple of months there has been a negative campaign to taint the image of the LDS Church on a television station in New Amsterdam . This Christian denominational preacher would base programme after programme on exposing Mormonism and use very inciting language on the air associating this church with Satan himself—sometimes I wonder if that particular church might have any grounds to sue this so- called Christian who so vehemently and bitterly attacks these people on a weekly basis. I wondered too if the television advisory board in Guyana was blind to months of attacks towards the leadership, beliefs, customs and humanitarian works associated with the mentioned church. The church, apparently, never rebutted nor did they comment on the programmes, which are still being aired. I think we have the right to agree or disagree with others’ religious views and beliefs but when we use the airwaves to denigrate other peoples’ beliefs and religions bold- facedly, then the government might want to focus its attention there too. The airwaves, regardless, should never be used for such purposes.

Those same missionaries will leave in less than thirty days with little or no hope of ever returning. That preacher seems to have finally gotten what he wanted. As I said, there is another growing sect right there in downtown Georgetown , in full view of the police and all. What goes for one must go for all.
Leon J. Suseran
No more Jim Joneses and corrupt and morally bankrupt evangelists.
C.Persaud
=============================

The National Library needs an extension
Jules Gibson's published photo of a long line of students in the National library waiting to utilise the research facilities in the SN dated 9/6 is an indication that the authorities needs to focus on locating a new site for an extension of the library.

I said it before that the Indian Commemoration Site on Church Street is serving absolutely no purpose and it could be relocated to the Promenade Gardens.

That site can be used for the Library's extension and it could also generate serious funds should a decision be taken to introduce a business center specialised in photocopying, laminating etc. to the general public.
T.Pemberton

WICB, WIPA backtrack on mediated positions
..Board to pursue disciplinary action against players
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Both the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) appear to be backing down yesterday from positions on which they agreed during the mediation process under former Commonwealth Secretary General Shridath Ramphal.

The WICB has decided to pursue disciplinary action against the players that breached its Code of Conduct, and the players’ body has ruled out a role for the Caribbean Court of Justice in upcoming arbitration proceedings.

The regional governing body indicated that disciplinary action against offending players had been initiated prior to the commencement of mediation.

“[It] had been suspended in favour of a settlement through mediation,” said the WICB in a news release.

“The WICB had as part of its compromise in the mediation effort offered to withdraw all disciplinary action against the players.”

The WICB news release added: “With the failure of mediation, the next step would have been the settlement of all matters through arbitration which the WICB will be pursuing immediately.

“The WICB has decided to resume disciplinary action against all West Indies players who had committed breaches of the WICB Code of Conduct during the England’s, India’s, and Bangladesh’s tours of the Caribbean by referring these matters to the WICB Disciplinary Committee.”

The WICB did not itemise all of the breaches of its Code of Conduct, but the players are likely going to be asked to respond to well-publicised charges from the three series.

Against England, the players blocked the logo of the team’s sponsor during the first One-day International in Guyana, where they also failed to attend a cocktail reception hosted by the same sponsors.

The players also failed to show for the official launch of next year’s Twenty20 World Cup to be staged in the Caribbean during India’s visit.

Things then came to a head, when 14 leading players withdrew from Bangladesh’s tour of the Caribbean to dispute outstanding pay and contractual issues.

WIPA also agreed that with the mediation having broken down, a number of proposals are no longer applicable.

“With regards to the resolution of the outstanding issues between the parties, the involvement of the Caribbean Court of Justice was not and is not under consideration as far as WIPA is concerned,” said the players’ body in a separate news release.

The release explained that during the mediation process, Sir Shridath was successful in obtaining the services of judges from the Caribbean Court of Justice and another from the Court of Appeal in Belize to sit in their personal capacity as an arbitration panel to hear two referrals.

At the same time, President and Chief Executive Officer of WIPA Dinanath Ramnarine also defended his position as far as being absent from the mediation process for two days.

He said that the WICB and WIPA had an agreement, subject to the acquiescence of a third party to a particular course of action which seemed very likely.

WIPA noted that it was – in this context – that he and WIPA attorney Dr. Kusha Harracksingh left the meeting.

“Prior to leaving, he made arrangements to have any outstanding details in the proposed agreement finalised and signed by Donna Symmonds, another one of WIPA’s lawyers, who was present at most sessions of the mediation,” said the news release.

WIPA also disclosed that Ramnarine had taken the opportunity of several players being in Guyana to play in a friendly match at the invitation of Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo to meet with his colleagues, and update them on the state of play between the two sides.

GFF/ CONCACAF 2009 NSL
Rosignol United and Alpha record victories
By Calvin Roberts
LITTLE known Rosignol United (RU) and Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Premiere league champions Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United recorded first round victories in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/ CONCACAF sponsored 2009 National Super League (NSL) tournament at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground Sunday night.

Playing under the theme ‘Win In CONCACAF With CONCACAF’, RU unsettled Victoria Kings 2-1 in the opening game of the tournament, following which football fans witnessed ‘The Hammer’ boys maintaining their supremacy over their Georgetown counterparts with a 3-1 win.

In the first match of the evening which was a clean one for referee Otis James, RU led by a Delroy Fraser 26th minute strike, raced into the lead which they kept at lemon time against a disorganised looking Victoria Kings unit.

The veteran Winston Pompey drew level for Victoria Kings when he found the back of the net in the 68th minute but the team from the Ancient County of Berbice who out hustled and at times dominated their opponents, were not to be denied their well deserved victory and duly got same when Cornel Taylor rocked the net in the 72nd minute.

In the feature match of the evening, Alpha showed why they are the three times Georgetown Football Association (GFA)/Cellink Plus champions as they outplayed, outhustled and in the process dominated a hapless looking Sunburst Camptown, after both teams were met by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.

They went ahead as early as the eighth minute, when Dwight Peters received a pass from Anthony Harding on the left and made no mistake in beating Richie Richards who performed duties between the uprights for Camptown.

The goal apparently woke up the drowsy looking Camptown unit on the field, as first Kester Alleyne (12th) and Lance Rawlston in the 15th minute respectively sent shots to their opponents’ goal, but Ronson Williams who later affected a save from a Telson Mc Kinnon shot, was equal to the task.

As Alpha continued their dominance, Camptown found their rhythm but some tight marking by Alpha’s skipper and sheriff in their defence Howard Lowe on national striker Nigel ‘Powers’ Codrington prevented the latter from making his moves for his team.

Rawlston was presented the opportunity to snatch the equalizer for Camptown, when he received a pass from the hard working Kwame La Fleur who was patrolling the right side of the field, but his shot with Williams down on the ground went wide, much to the dismay of the fans, in the 30th minute.

Alpha made Camptown pay for Rawlston’s blunder, when Edison Gomes rose high above their defence and beat a flat footed Richards with a well placed header in the top right hand corner, following a cross from Andrew Murray Jnr, who muffed an opportunity to put his team ahead due to excess dribbling, in the 31st minute.

Guyana’s number one club still managed to increase their lead going into lemon time, when the dreadlocked Issa Mc Pherson beat Richards with a free kick taken from just outside the box, with the ball making three bounces before making its way into the back of the net in the 37th minute.

At lemon time, Alpha led 3-0 and when play resumed they looked to increase it with a build up involving Gomes, Peters and Mc Pherson, but Gomes shot from a goal mouth scrimmage was saved by Richards in the 50th minute.

At the other end of the field, a Codrington free kick taken in Alpha’s third went over the bar with Williams once again out of the picture.

Camptown’s hard working skipper and defence Marshall Orlando Gilgeous became the tournament’s first casualty, when he was given his marching orders by referee Venton Mars after stepping on the foot of Alpha’s Dwayne Jacobs in the 68th minute of the match.

They were forced to defend sternly, as Alpha tried to take advantage over a 10 man Camptown unit with Quincy Madramootoo shot to goal going wide while Leon Grumble who replaced Philbert Moffat at the half, sent a feeble shot to Richards.

Camptown were not to be denied a goal, and they got it when La Fleur worked his way deep into Alpha’s half and squared the ball to Mc Kinnon who drew the defence wide to the right before sending a cross to Rawlston who made no mistake in the 80th minute.

But it was a little too late for the Continental Group of Companies sponsored Campbellville based Sunburst Camptown team, who found themselves trailing 1-3 when the shrill sound of Mars’ whistle sounded, signaling the end of the game.

Dyson says he never got a suitable WICB contract
|By Alex Brown
JOHN Dyson has broken his silence over his shock axing as West Indies head coach by questioning the professionalism of the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB) decision makers.

John Dyson has described the impasse between the WICB and the senior players as a "tragedy"

Conde Riley, the outgoing Barbados board member, stated last week that Dyson had been sacked for failing to sign a contract with the WICB, however the former Australian batsman countered that no suitable deal had been extended to him.

According to Dyson, the first contract offered to him by the WICB was addressed to Bennett King, the former Queensland coach who preceded him in the role. Subsequent attempts to clarify disputed clauses within the document were not resolved, he added, prompting him to withhold his signature for the entire 19 months he was at the helm.

Dyson was fired after West Indies' calamitous series defeat to Bangladesh, during which the board named a severely depleted squad in the absence of striking senior players to avoid a heavy ICC fine. West Indies lost their last four Tests under Dyson, but recorded commendable victories over South Africa, Sri Lanka and England in the 15 matches before industrial strife tore the team apart.

"It is correct that I didn't sign a contract, but the question is why," Dyson told Cricinfo. "The first contract I was presented with had written on it Bennett King's name and address. Obviously, I couldn't sign that. Then there were three points I felt needed clarification.

It took more than two months for them to clarify the first point, and they never got back to me on points two and three. I was never offered a contract I felt reflected what we had discussed previously. But it would seem the WICB have problems with contracts with quite a few people, and not just me.

"The only discussion I have had thus far was a phone call from (acting chief executive) Steve Camacho. He told me the executive of the board had decided to terminate my employment with immediate effect. When I told him that I was a bit shocked and asked him why, he said that he was just the messenger and that he had fulfilled his duty as messenger.

I haven't heard any more since then. If I had been in some drunken fight then and brought disgrace upon myself and the board then perhaps I could understand. When I was working for the (NSW) department of education there was a process to follow in these sorts of matters. It has been disappointing."

Dyson has described the ongoing industrial dispute between the West Indies board and players as a "tragedy." The impasse has resulted in West Indies naming severely weakened squads for the bilateral series against Bangladesh and the Champions Trophy.

The team, under the captaincy of 37-year-old Floyd Reifer, slumped to 2-0 and 3-0 defeats to Bangladesh in the Test and one-day series respectively, and will now head to South Africa without the bulk of their senior players, including Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

"It's a tragedy that West Indies is playing international cricket without its strongest team on the park," he said, "To me, Test cricket is about the best players from your part of the world playing against the best players from another part of the world and that did not happen against Bangladesh.

That is not to talk down the new team - there are players there who I think have now overtaken one or two of the older team - but the fact is that the best team hasn't been playing.

"I made my Test debut playing for Australia during the world series split, but I didn't really feel like I made my debut until after I was being picked with all the players back. I still feel like that to this day.

What happened in the series against Bangladesh was extremely sad. Some of the blokes in that series showed that they were ready for the step up - guys like Kemar Roach, Travis Dowlin and Darren Sammy - but any team is going to miss the likes of Gayle, Chanderpaul, Sarwan, Ramdin, Bravo, Taylor, Edwards when fit and Benn when in form.

If they could get their best side on the park I think they could give a tournament like the Champions Trophy a real shake. But to survive, West Indies cricket needs its best team on the park."

Travel-weary Windies arrive for Champions Trophy
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, (CMC) – A travel-weary West Indies arrived here Monday after a long flight from the Caribbean, to continue their preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy later this month.

The second string side, led by veteran Barbados batsman Floyd Reifer, touched down here around 6 am following a short layover in London. They are scheduled to undergo a training camp starting on Tuesday, in the build up to the September 22 to October 5 tournament.

After arriving in Johannesburg, the squad took a near two-hour drive to Potchefstroom, where they will be based until the training camp ends next Wednesday.

Following the camp, West Indies will play two warm-up matches against hosts South Africa and Sri Lanka.

They will open their Group A campaign in the Champions Trophy against Pakistan on September 23 before meeting defending champions Australia on September 26. They will finish against India four days later.

The squad, which left the Caribbean on Saturday evening, is missing its leading players due to the contracts impasse between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association(WIPA)..

Adams carts off Sanjay’s Jewellery Medal Play golf
CARLO Adams known for his impressive showing on the tennis court transformed his success to the golf course when he won last Saturday’s Sanjay’s Jewellery sponsored Medal Play tournament at the Lusignan Golf Club.

Adams playing off a handicap 28 won on a countback from Munnaf Arjune after both players ended the tournament with a net 67.

Adams had a gross score of 95 while Arjune (11 handicap) finished with a 78 gross.

The third place was secured by veteran ladies player Melissa Humphrey (38 handicap) who finished with a net 68.

Patrick Prashad was won the prize for the best gross of 77 while Arjune claimed the Nearest to the Pin prize.

Sanjay Persaud, Proprietor of Sanjay’s Jewellery said that his company was delighted to sponsor last weekend’s tournament and looked forward to continuing his assistance to the Lusignan Golf Club.

Executives of the Club expressed gratitude to Persaud for his kind gesture and offered to partner with him in the future.

MCYS Linden Inter-block…
Amelia’s Ward and Half Mile/One Mile to contest first quarter-final tonight
By Calvin Roberts
FOLLOWING convincing victories over their opponents, Amelia’s Ward (AW) and Half Mile/One Mile will clash in the first semi final of the inaugural Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Linden Inter-block tournament at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground tonight from 19:30h.

In their latest round of matches which was played at the MSC ground last Saturday, AW riding on the back of a Travis Waterton’s double, drubbed Speightland six nil in the feature match of the evening, after witnessing Blue Berry Hill (BBH) coming from behind to stop Canvas City Block 22 (CCB 22) by a 4-2 margin in the opening match.

In the opening match, Eon Bristol (20th ) and Mark Moses (26th ) sent their team CCB 22 into the lead, until Mark Liddell pulled one back for BBH on the stroke of half- time.

Whatever was said to the BBH players at lemon time certainly registered, as on the resumption of play, Malvin Benn scored his first of two goals in the 47th minute to help his side draw level, followed by a Ossie Hill strike in the 55th which sent them into the lead.

Benn completed his double 10 minutes after Hill’s goal and despite a valiant effort from CCB 22 who made several attempts to get back into the game with spirited runs it was all over, bar the shouting, as BBH walked away victors.

In the feature matchup, Jermaine Batson sent AW into the lead when he found the back of the net in the sixth minute, after which Waterton scored his first of two goals eight minutes later and when Ezra Greene found the back of the net on the stroke of half time, AW led 3-0.

The second half was no different than the first, with Wayne Fraser hitting the back of the net five minutes on resumption, followed by Waterton’s second goal in the 69th minute, with Marlon Simon closing off things for AW in the 75th minute.

Meanwhile, coach of AW Seon Warner told Chronicle Sport he expects his team to do good against Half Mile One Mile in their quarterfinal match tonight, despite the presence of Steve Brewley in the opposition lineup.

“I expect to do good against them. We have been preparing for this tournament a long time now and even though they are a good team, with most of their players plying their trade for Milerock who we always have a good battle with, I expect my team to come out victorious.”

He further stated, “They have in their lineup Steve Brewley, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the last Invitational tournament organised by AW and held here in Linden but we will not be fazed by his presence.

To us, this is not a AW/Half Mile /One Mile clash, but mostly an AW/Milerock clash, a rivalry that carries lots of heat in football here in Linden, but as I said before, I expect my team to come out on top.

AW will be led by their goal hungry quartet of Waterton, Batson, Greene and Fraser, with amicable support from Simon and president of the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) Bryan Joseph who is expected to lace up his footwear in order to ensure his team make it to the final four.

Half Mile/One Mile will be looking to Brewley, Marlon Maximus and Kevin Layne to turn back the challenge of their opponents in a tournament which has been a prominent one in villages around the country.

Caribbean Fury
De Groot versus Alfred too close to call
By Calvin Roberts
AS the date draw closer for Guyana's biggest boxing event which is being jointly promoted by S and S Promotions and Holland Entertainment Promotions, local pundits are not sure what to call when the coin is tossed.

As one walk the streets and listen to the roadside arguments, the views of boxing fans differ on the outcome of the Caribbean Fury main event featuring national female bantamweight champion Shaundell "Mystery Lady" Alfred and Canada’s very own American Gladiator and movie star Corinne “ Sexy Panther” De Groot who is of Guyanese descent.

National boxing coach Lennox Daniels, promoters Keith Bazillio and Herman Harris along with boxing enthusiast Oswald Pearce all found it difficult to pick a winner in this matchup, due to the fact that they have not seen De Groot in action.

Chronicle Sport sought and got an invited comment from the above mentioned names on this bout and this is what they had to say:

Daniels - Boxing Coach, trained Gwendolyn O’Neil when she captured the historic world title in 2004

Chronicle Sports (CS): "Hello Danny, who do you think will win the world title on September 26, in the feature bout between Alfred and De Groot?

Daniels: That’s a hard question to answer, due to the fact that I don’t know much about the ‘Sexy Panther’. However, what I do know is that the "Mystery Lady" is determined to win this fight, hence the "Sexy Panther" has to come good if she wants to win too. From what I've been hearing, she (De Groot) is a good fighter, so I can’t make a call until I see the first round of the fight.

Bazillio - Boxing Promoter

CS: Give me your thoughts on the two fighters hoping to become Guyana's next world champion?

Bazillio: I don’t know much about the Canadian/Guyanese fighter, but I know Alfred very well. I see she is preparing hard for this fight but I’ve observed she is planting her foot too much, instead of doing that she needs to work on more foot movements, pivoting and using the ring.

When she plants her feet, she stops and load up for big punches and her opponent may very well see it coming, so Alfred should stop telegraphing her shots and use the ring a bit more, wherein she will pose a problem not only for De Groot, but many of her opponents in the future.

CS: Probably Alfred is looking to win this fight by knockout, as she seems very determined in her training.

Bazillio: Determination don't win fights, she has to get all the tools to win the fight, not just determination. It’s tough for me to say this because I would love to see Alfred win, but she has to improve on her ring generalship.

There is now question about her strength, the ‘Mystery Lady’ is a very strong fighter and she has the ability to knockout anyone in the bantamweight division but her rhythm has to be intact as well.

She cannot afford to be off balance when placing shots. However, I think this card is going to be a very big one, especially since it will be televised internationally. So I would like to encourage firms to buy at least one hundred tickets if they are not on board as a sponsor. Buy tickets for your staff and encourage them to come out in support of this massive event. It’s history in the making and we should all be part of it.

Oswald Pearce - Boxing Enthusiast

CS: Hello Oswald, give your thoughts on who will win the world title fight between Corinne De Groot and Shaundell Alfred.

Pearce: This is an interesting scrap. I've never seen the De Groot girl fight, but she seems to be an excellent fighter and Shaundell has to be at her best to come out on top in this one and from watching her in the gym, I think she is hungry for success.

She needs to work more on her conditioning and pace herself because she tends to fade as we know later in her fights. If she works on these she could win by decision.

Herman Harris - Boxing Promoter and father of Vivian Harris

I have never seen De Groot fight, but I have seen Alfred and she is a good fighter. I heard she De Groot is doing a lot of things, such as being a movie star, an American Gladiator, and a this and a that. I can’t bet because we don’t know much about her.

Nevertheless, I think Alfred is in for a very good fight, judging from her opponent's record and what is said about her. But it’s quite obvious being a local based Guyanese, I would want Alfred to win, but I can’t predict as I would like to be on the right tract with my predictions.

Being a gladiator from my understanding means that you have to have stamina and strength, but boxing is an art and a skill, so she can be beaten by Alfred if she is not up to scratch and Alfred would knock her out, if she is just good for her looks and not her boxing abilities.

Ponting retires from Twenty20 to prolong career
..new captain to be announced later this year
MELBOURNE, (Reuters) - Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has retired from Twenty20 internationals and plans to have "set periods of rest" to prolong his Test and one-day career, but will not relinquish his lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) contract.

"After much thought and careful consideration I have advised Cricket Australia of my decision to retire from international Twenty20 cricket," the 34-year-old Ponting said in a statement yesterday

"I have also spoken to (chief selector) Andrew Hilditch, (coach) Tim Nielsen and (vice captain) Michael Clarke and I feel this decision provides me the opportunity to prolong my Australian Test and one-day career.

"As I said after the fifth Test in London, I am hoping to continue playing Test cricket for as long as possible and retiring from the Twenty20 format gives me the best chance of doing this."

Ponting's captaincy has come under scrutiny in sports-mad Australia after his team's Ashes series loss to England last month, but the batsman said he was determined to remain in charge of the side.

The 2-1 series defeat made Ponting only the second captain in more than 120 years to lose the Ashes on British soil twice.

Ponting, who will remain as test and one day captain, said he would continue to play domestic cricket for Tasmania and would fulfil his contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

"I will now have set periods of rest throughout the Australian summer and while touring which I feel will be very beneficial," he added.

Cricket Australia (CA), which has dismissed calls for Ponting to step down following the Ashes defeat, said it supported his decision.

"Needless to say he will be a huge loss to the Twenty20 side but it does present opportunities for the other players and leaders within Australian cricket to gain further experience," CA chief executive James Sutherland said.

Australia has posted a mediocre record under Ponting's captaincy in the shortest format of the game, crashing out of the Twenty20 World Cup in June.

He was excused from two washed-out Twenty20 matches last month and the start of the ODI series to return home to rest after the Ashes, but returns to England this week to captain Australia for the rest of the ODI series.

Clarke, who has been seen as Ponting's eventual replacement, has deputised in his absence.

Cricket Australia said a new Twenty20 captain would be decided later this year.

Australia's next Twenty20 international will be held on Feb. 5 against Pakistan in Melbourne.

Caption: Ricky Ponting plans to have "set periods of rest" to prolong his Test and one-day career.

America's new darling Oudin ousts Petrova, Federer wins
By Steve Ginsburg
NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Unseeded American upstart Melanie Oudin added the scalp of another Russian to her growing list of victims when she upset Nadia Petrova to reach the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open tennis yesterday.

When she smacked a forehand winner on her third match point, Oudin dropped her racket and looked at the sky while the capacity crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium roared its approval.

"Today there are no tears because I believed that I could do it," the 17-year-old said after the 1-6 7-6 6-3 victory, her fourth straight against a Russian.

"Now I know that I do belong here. This is what I want to do, and I can compete with these girls no matter who I'm playing. I have a chance against anyone."

Elsewhere on another day of glorious weather at Flushing Meadows, five-times champion Roger Federer crushed 14th seed Tommy Robredo of Spain 7-5 6-2 6-2 and will play Swede Robin Soderling, the man he beat to win his first French Open title earlier this year, in the quarter-finals.

Federer, who has dropped only one set in four matches so far, carved out 35 winners, nine aces and no double faults in a dominant one-hour and 48-minute victory.

Soderling advanced when eighth seed Nikolay Davydenko retired midway through their match with a thigh injury.

Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko needed only 47 minutes to oust Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-0 6-0 and reach her first grand slam singles quarter-final where she will play Belgian Yanina Wickmayer.

CINDERELLA FROM GEORGIA

But it was Oudin who lit up Flushing Meadows again, a Cinderella from Georgia who was doing everything she could do prevent the clock from striking midnight.

Her play energised the more than 23,000 who chose to spend Labor Day watching America's newest darling reach the final eight for the first time in a grand slam tournament.

The crowd also gave Oudin a boost just when it looked that Petrova might end her dream run.

"It's really a great feeling," the 70th-ranked Oudin said of her support. "Everyone stood up when I had my first match point. Just when I won the second set, a standing ovation. It's crazy how many people are cheering for me and supporting me."

Oudin opened her dizzying run by defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, then shocked fourth seed Elena Dementieva and former champion Maria Sharapova.

She insists there are no secrets on how to beat a Russian.

"I don't think they had weaknesses," she said. "Every single match has been so competitive and so close, and I've been able to pull it out in the end."

The fleet-footed Oudin scampers around the court like her idol, former world number one Justine Henin. She chased down everything Petrova threw at her.

"When you do it for the first time you feel so excited and everything is so new and you have absolutely nothing to lose and you go and you do it," Petrova said of Oudin.

"She's on a roll, you know. She goes, enjoys it, crowd is behind her. She's having a blast out there."

Headley and Knott become the latest legends for cricket’s Hall of Fame
TWO of the greats of the game, George Headley and Alan Knott, were formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the second ODI between England and Australia at Lord’s, London on Sunday.

The Hall of Fame, run in association with the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), recognises some of the truly great players from cricket’s long and illustrious history.

Commemorative caps were presented to Headley’s son Ron, who himself played two Tests and one ODI for the West Indies, and Knott by the International Cricket Council (ICC) President David Morgan, ICC Director and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chairman Giles Clarke, Marylebone Cricket Club Chairman Charles Fry, Marylebone Cricket Club President Derek Underwood, Former MCC President Mike Brearley and Former ECB Chairman Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth.

Headley was the first great black batsman to emerge from the West Indies. In his 24-year Test career from 1930 to 1954, he scored 2,190 runs in 22 Tests at an average of 60.83 which is the third highest average by any player with a completed career behind fellow Hall of Famers Don Bradman and Graeme Pollock.

He scored five half-centuries and 10 centuries (eight against England and two against Australia), including a century in each innings (106 and 107) against England at Lord’s in 1939 which made him the first batsman to achieve the feat at that ground. His rate of scoring centuries one century for every four innings is bettered only by Bradman.

In his debut series against England in 1930, the right-hander who was born in Panama in 1909 and had come to Jamaica to learn English aged 10, scored 704 runs in eight innings of four Tests, including scores of 21, 176, 8, 39, 114, 112, 10 and 223.

Headley’s career-best 270 was also against England at Sabina Park in March 1935.

After playing 16 Tests between 1930 and 1935, Headley played the last six Tests in 19 years. In 1948, Headley became the first black player to captain the West Indies while his final appearance for the West Indies made him the oldest West Indian Test cricketer at 44 years and 236 days.

Headley was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1934.

Besides his son Ron, George’s grandson Dean played 15 Tests and 30 ODIs for England in the last decade. It was the first of only two instances of a grandfather, father and son playing Test cricket, the other being Jahangir Khan, Majid Khan and Bazid Khan.

Ron, upon receiving his late father’s cap from ICC Director Giles Clarke, said: “My father was the first player to score a century in each innings of a Test at this historic ground, so I am delighted to be here today to accept the cap on behalf of the Headley family. 2009 is also my dad’s century year, so it makes this award even more special.

“Dad’s talents make him perhaps the greatest West Indian batsman ever, he was a genius with the bat who is often compared on an equal footing to Don Bradman. His impact on cricket in the Caribbean cannot be overestimated and he will be fondly remembered on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Knott, the 63-year-old former England wicket-keeper, made his Test debut against Pakistan in August 1967 and played his 95th and last Test against Australia in September 1981.

During this period, Knott scored 4,389 runs at an average of a little over 32 and dismissed 269 batsmen. In one of his most memorable innings, Knott’s scored 73 not out in four hours to help Colin Cowdrey save the series against the West Indies at Georgetown in 1967-68.

Knott represented Kent (1964-1985), MCC (1965-1977) and Tasmania (1969-70) in domestic cricket and scored 18,105 runs at an average of a little under 30 and dismissed 1,344 batsmen in 511 first-class matches.

Knott also played in the 1975 World Cup as he represented England in 20 ODIs in which he scored 200 runs and dismissed 16 batsmen.

Knott was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1970.

After receiving his cap from MCC President Derek Underwood, Knott said: “It is a tremendous honour to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, which features so many of my heroes and friends, past and present.

“To be recognised on the same day as George Headley is a great pleasure, as I have been friends with his son Ron throughout my career. Indeed, we toured together in 1965 to the West Indies with the International Cavaliers, a group that included many who feature in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, such as Jim Laker, Colin Cowdrey and Fred Trueman.

“It is also wonderful to be at Lord’s and be presented with my cap by Derek Underwood, who I have known since I was 11 years old. What a player he was as well!”

The cap presentation ceremony is a key part of the celebrations to mark the ICC’s centenary year as it acknowledges the greats of the game and the contributions they have made to ensure cricket is a great sport with a great spirit.

Chance for India to move to number-one ODI spot
INDIA has a chance to claim number-one place in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship as the tri-nation series also involving host Sri Lanka and New Zealand begins at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo from today.

India trails number-one ranked South Africa by just one ratings point but if they win all the three matches (including the final), it will gain two ratings points which will put it in number-one position for the first time since the rankings were introduced in October 2002.

However, if India loses one match in the tournament, it will stay on 126 ratings points while defeat in two matches will drop it to 123 ratings points.

There is plenty at stake for Sri Lanka and New Zealand as well in the forthcoming series.

Daniel Vettori’s side can narrow the gap with the third-placed side if it finishes unbeaten in the series as in this case it will rise to 119 ratings points. Kumar Sangakkara’s side will also gain six ratings points if it makes a clean sweep in front of its own supporters.

Sri Lanka has been a hard team to beat on its home turf. While India leads Sri Lanka 59-42 in head-to-head records, Sri Lanka has won 22 matches and lost 16 to India in the previous 42 encounters between the two sides in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has also dominated New Zealand when playing in its territory, having won 10 out of 16 matches with one no-result. Overall, New Zealand narrowly leads Sri Lanka 34-30.

Meanwhile, England has dropped two places to sixth after slumping to defeat in the opening two ODIs against Australia in London. Australia won the opener at The Oval by four runs and then doubled the lead at Lord’s where it won by 39 runs.

As such, Australia has climbed to 123 ratings points after gaining four ratings points while England has slipped from fourth to sixth place.

However, England can still move ahead of Australia if it wins the remaining five matches in the series.

On the other side of the coin, if Australia maintains its winning spree and claims the series 7-0 it will jump to128 ratings points while England will slide to 101 ratings points.

The series schedule is:
8 Sep – Sri Lanka v New Zealand (d/n), R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

11 Sep – India v New Zealand (d/n), R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

12 Sep – Sri Lanka v India (d/n), R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

14 Sept – Final (d/n), (d/n), R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship (as of 7 September, after Lord’s ODI between England and Australia, and before the start of the tri-nation series in Sri Lanka)

Rank Team Rating

1 South Africa 127

2 India 126

3 Australia 123

4 New Zealand 110

5 Pakistan 109

6 England 107

7 Sri Lanka 104

8 West Indies 78

9 Bangladesh 55

10 Zimbabwe 26

11 Ireland 25

12 Kenya 0

Capello has restored trust and belief in England team- Beckham
By Mike Collett
WATFORD, England, (Reuters) - Fabio Capello has picked the England team up from one of its lowest moments and restored trust and belief in the side, David Beckham said yesterday.

The 34-year-old midfielder, who has made 113 appearances for England, said Italian Capello had transformed the mentality of the squad less than two years after Croatia won 3-2 at Wembley and denied the side a place in Euro 2008.

Capello took over after that failure and a revitalised England lead European qualifying Group Six with a maximum haul of 21 points from seven wins and will make sure of their place in next year's World Cup finals in South Africa if they beat Croatia at Wembley on Wednesday.

"What Fabio Capello has brought back into the squad and also back into the nation, is the belief," Beckham told reporters at England's team hotel.

"After failing in the last qualifying campaign, the belief and the trust went from the fans and that hurts the players more than anything.

"But what this manager has done is brought the belief back for the fans and the belief back into the players and that's what we needed. We are playing good football again.

"The fans might be wanting us to beat Croatia and gain revenge," said Beckham, "but the most important thing for us is going into the game knowing if we win it we are in the World Cup finals, that's all the players and staff are thinking about.

LOWEST POINTS

He said losing to Croatia was one of the lowest points in his England career, adding: "No-one in that dressing room will ever forget that night. It was a tough time for everyone, but now, we are not looking for revenge. Our incentive is to reach the World Cup finals."

Beckham, who is no longer an automatic starter for the national side and did not come off the bench during the 2-1 friendly win over Slovenia at Wembley on Saturday, would become the first English player to appear in four World Cups if he plays in South Africa.

One man who is virtually guaranteed a starting place is Frank Lampard, who won his 73rd cap and scored his 18th England goal in Saturday's friendly.

Lampard laughed off comments by Croatian coach Slaven Bilic, that England had lost their competitive edge, or their "Englishness" ahead of Wednesday's match.

"I don't know what he's talking about," said Lampard. "He's a very good manager and a very clever man, but I don't understand that. Of course we are competitive. We want to win and get to the World Cup as quickly as possible."

Beckham added: "We might have an Italian manager, but he's got an English mentality and so have all his staff. He wants to win and so do we."

Caption: Italian Fabio Capello had transformed the mentality of the England squad in less than two years