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ARCHIVES FOR AUGUST 10, 2009

NACTA third term
findings could encourage a referendum on the issue
While the opposition parties have claimed that the Jagdeo’s administration is inefficient and ineffective a recent North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) poll has shown that the Head of State maintains immense popularity from both within and outside the People’s Progressive Party structure.

According to the poll if Mr. Jagdeo were to be the PPP/C’s candidate for the next election, voters believe he would easily win re-election as they do feel the current choices available from the opposition parties cannot defeat him.

The report of the NACTA poll further stated, when asked whether Mr. Jagdeo should be allowed to seek another term as President 47% said yes while 31% said no, with 22% offering no response.

According to a source while the Constitution does not allow President Jagdeo to run for a third term, this recent development could bring to the fore the issue of whether a referendum should be held to determine whether he should be given the chance to run for a third term based on his popularity.

This development also comes on the heels of the recent view offered by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves that there should not be term limit for leaders within CARICOM because of an obvious shortage of quality leadership in the region. He further noted that we in the region should not follow everything which the US has adopted.

President Jagdeo for his part has publicly stated that he is not interested in a third term but the findings of this recent poll could bring some pressure on him from his supporters to perhaps reconsider his position, especially in light of the many achievements that have been made under his stewardship as President.

Scout association hosts 14th Jamboree
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, performing the duties of President, Saturday afternoon attended the 14th Scout Jamboree held at Camp Ayanganna, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) headquarters. This years marks 100 years of the existence of scouting.

Young ladies engaged in a cultural presentation.

Prime Minister Hinds, on behalf of the Government, acknowledged the sterling contributions that scouting has made, not only in Guyana but internationally.

He said that scouting inculcates leadership and discipline, and he encouraged the youths to become more knowledgeable about Guyana’s history and the history of scouting.

Prime Minister Hinds applauded the scouts for their hard work and stated that scouting prepares individuals in various areas such as preventing the spread of HIV, reducing substance abuse, teenage pregnancies and under-employment.

Among those present at the opening ceremony were Chief Scout Ron Robinson, Chief Scout Commissioner Zaida Joaquin, and representatives from various scout groups across Guyana and the Caribbean.

Guyana was the first country in South America to form a scouting association and currently has a national membership of approximately 1,000 persons.

Among the activities at the jamboree was a display of parachuting skills by GDF personnel. (GINA)

Minibus, jeep collide in city
By Nathalene deFreitas
Road accidents continue despite several interventions by the Guyana Police Force to halt speeding and drinking and driving. The latest was an accident yesterday involving a route 44 minibus, BLL 178, and a jeep, PLL 384, at the junction of Vlissengen Road and Rupert Craig Highway.

The accident occurred around 15:30 h in front of Celina’s Resort.

An eyewitness on the scene, Clive Cadogan, said the traffic lights were working, but it appeared that someone breached the lights.

A Guyana Defence Force ambulance transported passengers from the minibus to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).

The driver of the minibus Raymond Crandon, 30, is a patient at the Georgetown hospital and is being treated for injuries to the hand and head.

As he was awaiting an x-ray at the hospital, he recalled that he was not speeding and that he had the green light to proceed on the highway.

“I had the green light to go and as soon as I reached the intersection I feel this impact,” said Crandon.

When this newspaper spoke with some passengers from the minibus they all supported the driver’s statement.

Cordelia Darell, 36, who was seated next to the driver, escaped with minor injuries.

“I live over the river, but I normally sell plantain chips and other snacks on the East Coast. Everything just happened sudden within the blink of an eye. The jeep slammed into us. I am just thankful that no one was injured seriously,” Darell said.

Terry Lallbachan, a passenger from the jeep, said three persons along with the driver were in the jeep and he was hitching a ride to work at Celina’s Resort when the accident occurred. He said he was not too clear as to what caused the collision.

Those that are patients at the hospital are Uriel Prince, who received injuries to her back; Yvette Boucher, with a broken leg; and Alliya Rahamatullah also with a broken leg and injuries to her hand.
The other passengers were treated and sent away with minor cuts and bruises.

New Texana rams to beef up mutton production
By Tajeram Mohabir
Some 24 farmers countrywide have benefitted from the sale of a batch of Texana rams developed from an artificial insemination (AI) programme spearheaded by the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) at a reduced cost.

The Texana is a cross between the Texel male and/or the Barbados Blackbelly, Virgin White Island White and Barbados Black Belly crossed female.

Some of the Texel sheep sold. (Sonell Nelson photo)

The animals were sold at $60,000 per head, $ 140,000 less than the cost to import one of rams.

NARI Director, Dr Oudho Homenauth, speaking at a ceremony convened at the NARI compound in Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, pointed out that the activity is another success story in the many ongoing initiatives in the agriculture sector.

The initiative was conceived some two years ago following discussions with Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and former British High Commissioner to Guyana Mr. Fraser Wheeler.

Stemming from the talks, executives from the British Texel Sheep Society, compliments of the British High Commission, visited Guyana to explore the possibility of introducing the breed here.

From the visit an agreement was reached to initiate the next phase of the project, which included the acquisition of semen and Texel embryos to be used on selected local flocks.

And in February, 2008, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the British Texel Sheep Society and NARI to introduce the Texel breed here.

Acting President Samuel Hinds, left, and Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud with one of the new breed.

“Appropriate and relevant bio technological methods were selected for the introduction of this breed. The methods I am referring to are embryo transplants and laparoscopic insemination. I believe it was the first time this type of AI was done on a large scale in sheep in Guyana,” the NARI Director disclosed.

He said NARI has been able to introduce two breeds from this technology, the Texana and pure bred Texel which will remain under the control of NARI for the time being.

With respect to embryo transplant, the scientist explained better use is made of the elite mother through the harvesting of embryos and for low productive mothers through implants and improved acclimatisation.

He expressed kudos to the British High Commission, the Department for International Development (DFID), the UK technicians who visited Guyana, and local veterinarians and staff of the Livestock Department for making the initiative possible.

Mr. Wheeler’s wife, Mrs. Sarah Wheeler, who was delighted to be present at the sale of the first set of Texana rams, underlined the object of the project has always been to cross breed the Barbados Black Belly with a top quality British Texel to produce a bigger, leaner carcass with higher meat yield and quality cuts for export.

The quality of the produce, Mrs. Wheeler emphasised, in the first year has exceeded her expectations.

She said too the initiative supports President Jagdeo’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

“The local sheep genetics ability to supply more meat means there is a better supply of meat (protein) per animal. If you then factor in the CO2 emissions, then in fact Texanas will make the local sheep more efficient protein producers per kilogramme CO2 emitted.

“Fast growing Texel/Texanas are in fact very green,” Mrs. Wheeler said.

According to her, the British Texels out performs the growth rate of any other Texel phenotype (Canadian, Dutch and American), and have outstanding vigour, versatility, and ability to significantly increase the lean meat yield production from all maternal lines.

“The Texana has taken on these qualities but maintained the adaptability to the tropical climate and hardiness of the Barbados Black Belly. I think they will significantly outperform any Dorper or Santanese crosses in high quality yield,” she posited.

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said the initiative is part of a wider programme to scale up the livestock industry; and another 10 from the Dubulay farm, and a further dozen from NARI and the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) will be available shortly.

The AI programme, he said, will be extended to the Rupununi shortly and the next phase of the project would be done in February next year.

Persaud explained that in the interim, the use of pure bred Texel rams at NARI would be used for breeding and his ministry is looking at the possibility of producing the embryos and semen locally.

The minister warned too that the animals will be repossessed if the farmers fail to comply with the conditions stipulated in the sales agreement.

Apart from the Texel Sheep project, the local swine breed was also augmented with improved stocks from the USA and neighbouring Suriname.

Many farmers have benefitted under this programme and Persaud announced that 52 more farmers, mostly in the hinterland, will soon be beneficiaries.

Over the years, improvements have also been made to the cattle and goat industries and Persaud underscored that these developments are in keeping with Government’s thrust to build a modern agriculture sector that will serve as a model to the Caribbean.

Acting President Samuel Hinds said the Government is steadfastly committed to transforming the agriculture sector, and on that noted, he lauded Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler and the other players for their support.

Understanding the LCDS (Part One)
A GINA Feature
The Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which seeks to find solutions to the two major challenges that the Government of Guyana must address in the future-- climate change and economic development-- was launched on June 8, 2009. Widespread debate and consultations have already occurred. This series of articles seeks to provide answers to some of the questions that Guyanese may have.

Deforestation contributes as much as 20% of greenhouse gas emissions.

What is climate change?
Climate is described as the long term average of a region’s weather. Climate includes patterns of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind and seasons. These climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural eco-systems, and affect also the human economies and cultures that depend on them. In fact, because so many systems are tied to climate, a change in climate can affect many related aspects of where and how people, plants and animals live, food production, availability and use of water, and health risks. Climate change represents a change in these long-term weather patterns.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines climate change as “a change of climate which is attributable directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”.

An aerial view of part of Guyana's pristine forest.

What causes climate change?
The world’s climate undergoes changes over time naturally; but over the years many scientific studies have indicated that we have experienced abnormal changes since the industrial revolution began. There is new and stronger evidence to suggest that the Earth has warmed by approximately 0.75 ?C since pre-industrial times. Eleven of the last 12 years (1995-2006) rank among the twelve warmest years in the instrumental record of global surface temperature.

Ice cores taken from deep in ancient ice of Antarctica show that carbon dioxide levels are higher now than at any time in the past 650,000 years. In its 2007 report to the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that it is more than 90 percent likely that the accelerated warming of the past 50-60 years is due to human contributions.

Industrial activity - one of the major contributors of greenhouse gases.

These contributions include increased levels of “heat-trapping” gases (a.k.a. “greenhouse gases”) such as carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. In fact, the Earth’s atmosphere acts like a blanket draped around the Earth. It contains certain gases, such as carbon dioxide, which absorb heat from the sun, reducing the amount that escapes back into space. In this way, they act very much like a greenhouse which traps heat within an enclosed glass building. Without these gases, the Earth’s temperature would be very much colder, and life as we know it would be impossible on the Earth.

One of the biggest ways people contribute to greenhouse gases is by burning fossil fuels. We use coal, oil, and natural gas to generate electricity, heat our homes, power our factories, and run our cars.

Changing land use patterns contribute, too. Trees and other plants use carbon dioxide and release oxygen in exchange. When trees are cut down for development, agriculture, and other purposes, they are no longer available to take carbon dioxide out of the air, but release carbon dioxide as they decay or burn.

Our world in peril.

As the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases increase, more heat is “trapped” and global temperatures rise. This then causes the climate to change.

Why is climate change a concern?
Over the past 100 years, global temperatures have risen by 0.7°C. If the world does not act, by 2050, global temperatures will rise by more than 5°C above today’s temperature. Glaciers will melt and large areas of the world will be flooded by the rising of the sea levels, while in other areas, more severe droughts will occur. Extreme weather events and changes in the natural system will also take place. Hundreds of millions of people will starve, hundreds of millions more will become displaced, diseases will spread, agriculture will collapse in many parts of the world leading to a decrease in food security, and scarcity of water and other resources will lead to conflict and war.

Combating climate change
Scientists have concluded that temperature increases of about 1.3°C above today’s global average will be virtually impossible to prevent. But if increases are limited to this amount, the worst extremes of climate change may be avoided.

There are two main ways to combat climate change. The first way is by reducing the man-made causes of climate change and is known as ‘mitigating’ climate change. The release into the atmosphere of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide should therefore decrease. These gases are emitted by the use of fossil fuels to generate power and energy for transportation, by agricultural activity and by the destruction of tropical forests.

The world needs to emit 80% less greenhouse gases by 2050 on a 1990 baseline. Achieving these deep reductions will require today’s biggest polluters to cut emissions sharply.

The other way is by combating the effects of climate change once it is already taking place and is known as ‘adapting’ to climate change. Actions that have this aim are for example: construction and maintenance of sea walls to keep out the sea; development of hydro-power or solar power to reduce the dependence on gas and diesel and diversification of agriculture away from the low-lying coast.

Why should Guyana get involved in the climate change fight?
Even though Guyana is not among the countries, like the developed countries, that are required to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions, nonetheless, over the last century, significant changes in Guyana’s climate have been observed. Two major changes observed over the years include changes in temperature and rainfall. One key effect of climate change observed in Guyana is sea-level rise.

The country is very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Hundreds of thousands of Guyanese live below the sea level and to the south of the East Coast of Demerara, a dense population centre; billions of gallons of water which irrigate much of our country’s productive land are held back by a 130-year old earthen dam. Changing weather patterns mean that the physical infrastructure which offers protection against these two threats is being put under ever increasing strain.

Nobody needs to tell the citizens of Guyana that climate change is occurring: in 2005, the worst flood in the history of the country caused damage equivalent to 60% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and studies indicate that the rains were not associated with the usual weather systems affecting Guyana. Every year, flood-related damage is experienced in parts of the country. In other parts of the country, drought-like conditions are being experienced.

It is therefore evident that addressing climate change is a necessity: climate change must not be seen uniquely as an environmental issue, but must be treated in relation to the effects it has on development and economic growth, and therefore must have a fundamental role in policy decisions.

Indigenous people to actively partake in Guyana’s development
A GINA Feature
By Imdaad Sattaur
They came from every corner of Guyana – from Barima in the north to Konashen in the south. They represented the Wai Wais, the Patamonas and the Wapishanas, and the other tribes that make the rugged and beautiful interior their home. They were the 157 democratically-elected toshaos of Guyana’s indigenous communities and they gathered for the third biennial National Toshaos Council (NTC) at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) on July 27-31, to discuss a wide range of matters that are important to their people, and were met with open arms by President Bharrat Jagdeo and his Administration.

A section of the gathering at the National Toshaos Conference.

Gov’t commitment
Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo was among the many government officials who engaged in an interactive session with the community leaders.

“I don’t think that any other country in the whole world has ever assembled all of its elected leaders from the indigenous community to discuss affairs pertaining to their development,” President Jagdeo said.

He expressed the belief that such an achievement should be lauded and symbolizes the commitment of Government to strong democracy at the national and local levels.

Land titles
Eleven Amerindian communities received their land titles as Government continues to ensure that its indigenous people receive the rights to the lands that they have inhabited for generations.

President Bharrat Jagdeo with some of the Toshaos who received their land title certificates.

The titles were presented to the toshaos of Chinese Landing, Muritaro, Great Falls, Malali, Nappi, St Ignatius Homestead and St Ignatius Farmlands, Tobago and Wauna Hill, Karau, Kwebanna and Waikrebi.

The land title certificate is a legally binding document that follows the completion of a land demarcation process that specifies the location and boundary of a particular community.

“We will not rest until we have dealt with all of the Amerindian land issues. It was difficult in the initial period because many of the Amerindians were told different things, but now it’s moving faster,” President Jagdeo assured.

Government’s progress in titling lands has been ongoing for 10 years.

NTC Council
Twenty toshaos from the 10 administrative regions were elected before Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, to serve as the Executive of the National Toshaos Council (NTC).

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai with newly elected executive members of the National Toshaos Council.

You are a legislative body. You also have specific functions and from those functions will emanate activities that will provide leadership and representation and work to establishing a strategic approach to supporting all the village councils,” Minister Sukhai told the newly-elected body.

The NTC is a constituted body of all Toshaos and Senior Councillors of Amerindian villages and the election of the executive members was done democratically.

The newly elected NTC was urged to work in partnership even though finance is limited in some areas. The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs will provide some financial assistance until that time when the NTC becomes an independent organization.

Interactions with Gov’t Ministers
Toshaos had the opportunity to interact with Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and other Ministers of Government.

Toshaos testing their all-terrain vehicles.

The Prime Minister, who has responsibility for mining, stressed that Government has taken the decision to desist from issuing mining claims on river and streams that bypass Amerindian territories, strengthening the communities’ control over their lands.

Communication, which remains difficult in the hinterland, is to receive a boost this year, Minister of Local Government Kellawan Lall stated. He explained that money has been budgeted this year to purchase and extend lines into far-off areas, and roads in the interior will be developed, improving accessibility to numerous communities.

Training was recognised as a major concern for communities and Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir told those present that skills training is ongoing in several regions, with efforts being made to include Regions Eight and Nine.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport is engaged in a number of training programmes, and Amerindians were urged to take advantage of these as well.

The Ministry will be paying special attention to training youths from hinterland communities in various sporting activities, including football, volleyball and basketball.

Human Services and Social Security Minister Priya Manikchand educated the toshaos on public assistance, since many were unclear on the matter. She reminded them that public assistance is only for a six-month period to assist those in need until they can get back on their feet.

Minister of Education Shaik Baksh reassured toshaos that his Ministry continues to train persons in the field of teaching so that all schools throughout the country will have skilled and qualified teachers.

The tourism ministry is involved in hotel management training, and toshaos were encouraged to have the Amerindian population involved. “There is great scope for community-based tourism, like in Surama. As you know, recently Surama got the international prize for community-based tourism. We also have a tour guide training programme, not only in Georgetown but in the region. We’ve been speaking with toshaos from different villages to get involved in eco-tourism so that they can get developed like Surama,” Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manniram Prashad encouraged.

While addressing the issue of water supply, Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali reassured Amerindians of his Ministry’s promise to bring water into every community. “The Government of Guyana regards the hinterland water supply as…very important. We have a specific strategy that is developed that is called the Hinterland Water Strategy. It has just been revised a few weeks ago.”

Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS)
On the penultimate day of the conference, President Jagdeo joined the toshaos again and discussed the LCDS, explaining that if their communities decide to opt into the programme, every cent earned from Amerindian lands will be given to these communities to pursue their economic and social development.

He explained that indigenous communities do not have to decide immediately to opt into the LCDS, as it will still be some time before the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012 and is replaced by the Copenhagen agreement that will be signed in December. However, he stressed that any decision on opting into the programme must be done at the community level with each member of the village being given a chance to participate.

Presidential grants
The President indicated that there is $234M in presidential grants for 2007-2009 available for distribution; $15M and $59M in grants outstanding for 2007 and 2008 respectively, and $160M has been put aside for grants this year.

The Presidential Grants programme provides communities with the financial resources necessary to fund projects that aim to provide the required services within their communities and help to make them more economically viable. The projects include productive and economic projects ranging from expansion of village farms, eco-lodges, building dams, clearing trails, providing kitchen facilities for school feeding programmes and cattle rearing.

The Ministry of Amerindian Affair monitors the progress of the projects and Community Development Officers oversee their execution.

Of the available grants, $18,294,690 was distributed to 18 communities for fishery, agricultural and poultry projects, the construction of a wharf and a guesthouse, and other initiatives decided by the villages.

Communication links
Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company’s Chief Executive Officer Joe Singh indicated that telephone services will reach Mabura Hill and its surrounding villages in September with the commissioning of a new cell tower location.

Additionally, Annai and Aishalton will get cell towers next year, and Paramakatoi and Kamarang have been targeted for LandSat facilities as regular microwave transmissions, which operate by line-of-sight principles, would be impossible in those mountainous regions.

Justices of Peace (JPs)
Ninety-four Amerindians were sworn in as Justices of Peace (JPs) in the presence of Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson and Minister Sukhai.

This initiative will ease the burden Amerindians have been facing over the years of having to travel to other communities in order to gain access to the services of JPs.

ATVs and radio sets
President Jagdeo’s commitment to provide indigenous villages with all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) took a step forward when Minister Sukhai handed over vehicles to the toshaos of Baramita, Kanapang, Kato, Kopinang, Kurukabaru, Bamboo Creek and Karasabai.

This would significantly improve transportation and economic activities in Regions One, Eight and Nine, with the seven new ATVs costing over $14M, and will add to the fleet of ATVs that have already been handed over prior to this year.

The Ministry of Health also presented radio sets to toshaos of Karaudaranau and Sand Creek, Region Nine, which will act as a form of communication in times of emergencies.

Amerindian communities are being transformed from traditional villages into modern communities capable of providing their residents with a standard of living that would please any Guyanese.
Government remains committed to this ideal and continues to work diligently to make it a reality.

Child labour a most rapacious form of exploitation

Child labour today remains one of the most rapacious forms of exploitation of man by man and in many instances it implies another form of slavery as the beneficiaries become richer at the expense of the future of innocent children.

Predatory employers take advantage of children who come from a poverty-stricken background paying them a pittance for long gruelling hours of work without any long term benefits and violating labour practices at will. At the same time the children are deprived of having a sound education and as such cannot escape the vicious circle of exploitation and this become destined, in many cases, to a life of permanent poverty and suffering.

In this regard the announcement by the Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir of intensification of training for Labour Officers to increase policing of this scourge is a most welcome one because if we are to become a society where justice and respect for human rights becomes the norm then all forms of this scourge will have to be eradicated .

According to the minister there has been a significant increase in the number of labour inspections, disclosing that in 2008 there were over 3,000 up from 900 in 2006 while for the first half of this year there has already reached some 2,000.

It is universally accepted that our children are the future of the world and therefore society has a moral obligation to protect them from social evils and to nurture them so that they can become the future leaders and builders of national pride and dignity.

However, the minister alluded to very pertinent and universally accepted measures to deal effectively with the problem of child labour. He pointed out that trade unions, employers, parents and community members have to join in to help curb this scourge, and that the only way to escape the poverty trap is through education.

The United Nations is urging improved access to education as the appropriate response to address the plight of the estimated 165 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 worldwide who are involved in child labour.

“Despite global progress in many areas, it is unacceptable that so many children must still work for their survival and that of their families,” Juan Somavia, Director-General of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), said today on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour.

The ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) says that of some 218 million child labourers around the world, millions are either denied educational opportunities that would give them a better future or must balance work with education.

“For too many children, particularly children of poor families across the world, the right to education remains an abstract concept, far from the reality of daily life,” Mr. Somavia stated.

He noted that more than 70 million primary school-aged children are not enrolled in school. Many of these and other out-of-school children start working at an early age, often well below the minimum age of employment. And when a family has to make a choice between sending either a boy or girl to school, it is often the girl who loses out.

“Our challenge is to offer hope to the child labourers of the world by making their right a reality, ensuring that they have quality education and training which can lead them towards a future of decent work,” he said.

“This is essential to break the cycle of child labour and poverty. And it is a sound investment for individuals and society.”

To tackle child labour, ILO is urging governments to provide education for all children at least to the minimum age of employment, as well as education policies that reach out to child labourers and other excluded groups.

Lessons from Africa
By Keith Burrowes
‘Guyana is demographically a small country, yet it is a socially complex one with each group operating in a social system based on interdependence’
I DON’T know if it is a personal phase I’m going through, or whether it’s just a manifestation of a male mid-life crisis, but I have noticed of late that certain things tend to incite or move my emotions more profoundly than they, or similar things, might have, say… a decade ago. Like when I hear Barack Obama speak, for example, and on hearing of Michael Jackson’s death. The most recent occurrence was while watching Fareed Zakaria interview the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. The central subject of the interview was the rebuilding of Rwanda in the aftermath of its 1994 genocide.

Here was an example of two extremely fine minds in engagement with each other. Zakaria, in my estimation, has risen to be one of the best interviewers on CNN, an authentic and sincere journalist in an industry that has been focusing more on ‘anchortainment’ (Lou Dobbs, for example) than the actual delivery of useful information. This was the first time I was seeing Kagame in action, and I would rate him as the best African political leader I’ve seen, outside of the legendary Nelson Mandela. Elegant, articulate, intelligent, Paul Kagame is the exact opposite of the traditional image of the African strongman we have come to expect from experience.

For those who don’t know much of what happened in that country, outside of watching Don Cheadle in the movie, Hotel Rwanda, over 800,000 people -- around the present population of Guyana -- were slaughtered in little over three months. The killings were overwhelmingly done by the majority Hutu people against the Tutsis. Today, Rwanda, under Kagame for the past nine years, has been hailed not just for its recovery from the effects of the genocide, but its economic success, particularly considering the record of perpetual poverty of African post-conflict states.

The thing I found most remarkable during the interview was the Rwandan President’s explanation of his country’s approach to reconciliation and justice in the aftermath of the killings. According to Kagame, what they did was first categorise the people who were involved in the crimes, those who conceived of and planned the genocide, and those who acted. After hunting down and arresting those behind it, they then placed them before the Courts. When it came to those who actually did the killings, there were over 130,000 persons who were imprisoned for taking part in the genocide. Today, Kagame said, most of those persons have been reintegrated into society.

How? Through a unique Rwandan model of dispensing justice in the aftermath of the genocide -- the Gacaca process, described by Zakaria as “part court, part community council, part group therapy.” Under the Gacaca system, perpetrators of the massacres and violence would meet in a public place with survivors and relatives of victims of the genocide, and confess to their role in what happened, often providing a context for their actions.

What happened in Rwanda is that many of the Hutus who took part in what happened believed that they were under siege by the Tutsis, and that they were acting as part of some larger defensive citizen’s militia. Also, the media had played a significant role in inciting ordinary people to violence through a constant dehumanisation of the Tutsis by referring to them as cockroaches. Most of the people acting under the influence of this propaganda, who participated in the Gacacas, confessed to their crimes, expressed remorse, and committed to reconciliation; the primary response by Tutsis attending these events was forgiveness.

After watching the Zakaria interview, I came to the conclusion that the Rwanda experience has several lessons for Guyana. Firstly, there is the obvious cautionary tale like Guyana about the results of the escalation of ethnic conflict. Like Guyana, the ethnic divisions in Rwanda were over a hundred years old, and were artificially programmed into the society by outsiders, in this case, Catholic missionaries who instilled the concept that the Tutsis were a superior race to the Hutus.

Secondly, our well-documented history of division has as much hampered our economic development as the reconciliation in Rwanda has fuelled theirs. Rwanda, a primarily agricultural economy, with no seaports and little mineral or other natural resources, has experienced tremendous growth during the post-conflict era, with much of the praise for that going to Kagame’s stewardship. Guyana is demographically a small country, yet it is a socially complex one, with each group operating in a social system based on interdependence. We don’t need to go through the sort of social trauma as happened in Rwanda to see that there is more to be gained from finding ways of reconciling and working with each other, than not.

Finally, there is the lesson inherent in the use of the Gacaca system. While we may hopefully never reach such a stage, it might be prudent for some entity here -- the Ethnic Relations Commission more likely -- to extract and record the key mechanisms of this system as part of a larger repository of information on conflict management.

Yesterday was Emancipation Day, the day when the fore-parents of Guyanese of African ancestry were freed from the institution of slavery, although, it is argued that after four hundred years of enslavement, emancipation is still necessarily a work in progress. I would argue that while much of the focus this month is going to be on ethnic consciousness and identity, there is a great case to be made for an expanded consciousness, one which encompasses all of our people, in much the same way that the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda have done in the aftermath of one of the most brutal acts of inhumanity in recorded history.

(First published on August 2, 2009 but reprinted by popular demand)

RK‘s Security Services celebrates 30 years
RK’S Guyana Security Services commenced business in August 7, 1979. It was a most humble and amazing start with the initial capital investment of $7.50 (G) (seven Guyana dollars and fifty cents), which purchased one and half gallon of gasoline. It started with one person, our CEO/Founder, who was the proprietor, the supervisor, secretary/typist and recruiter. Most times he would travel with his little typewriter on his lap on his motor cycle while supervising and would write introductory letter and print accounts for service. On many occasions, he was the security guard holding for watchmen when he provided supervision on behalf of companies. For several years our CEO never had rest exceeding 45 minutes to two hours.

The first customer was Hong Kong Restaurant, then Circle, CJ’s, Charlie Khan, M. Beepat and Sons Ltd, R. Saywack Dry Goods., Sylvie’s Variety, Daswaney’s, Taj Mahal, DA Thani, Kirpalani’s, Bhagwan Dry Goods, and then came Prashad’s Hospital and Health Foods Outlet, Samson’s Enterprises, Squirrel Manufacturing, Ricks and Sari, and we continued to expand over the years. M. Beepat and Son’s Limited and Sylvie’s Variety are still our customers since the pioneering days of 1979 and early eighties.

With great discipline, ambition and vision, Mr. Roshan Khan, supported by some dynamic and loyal officers took the business to historical heights. The service was taken to New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, Port Mourant, Black Bush Polder, Corriverton and Crabwood Creek. Other agencies where then inspired to follow suit. Later it was taken to Anna Regina and then Linden Town. In 2007, RK’s expanded to service locations in Regions One, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten. Serving such areas and communities that can be reached only by plane as well as others deep in the Amazon Jungle including Kimbia, Kurupung, Matthews Ridge, the Rupunni, etc.

It moved into Alarms Systems and Surveillances, and now set to establish a new dimension in security soon in Guyana.

Today RK’s employs over 1,200 workers nationwide, handling Banks, Embassies and Diplomatic Residences, factories, Ministries, and over 300 locations nationwide.

We look upon this as an inspiration to Guyanese and young people. A modern day rags to success story, which can help people, especially the youths to understand, that what the mind can conceive, it can be achieved. The policy of RK’s is: We will go anywhere you want us. If any media wish to have a one on one Interview with the Founder, this can be arranged by contacting the undersigned.

In addition to being the founder of RK’s Guyana Security Services, he is also founder of RK’s Enterprises, RK’s Institute of Motoring, and is now establishing ECO-Star Motors, good for the economy, excellent for the environment, which will be launched in the near future. He is President of the Guyana Islamic Forum for Education, Peace and Religious Solidarity. He is a co-founder of the Guyana Association of Private Security Organisations, and served as President, Secretary and Treasurer. He is also founder of and manages the Latifan Humane Foundation for Charity, Peace and Conflict Transformation (named after his mother), and the Electric Mosque’s: Teachings of Islam. Mr. Roshan Khan is a Senior Ambassador of Peace of the Universal Peace Federation, and has travelled to Japan , South Korea , USA , and other countries as a Peace Ambassador.

The management has decided to celebrate the occasion with a multi-faith prayer service, to host Feeding of the Poor programmes, to serve lunch to the Joshua House Orphanage, The Dharm Sala, and the Ptolemy Reid Centre. We intend to do two clean up campaign in the city and to donate blood to the blood bank of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Praise and thanks to god almighty for having provided the wisdom, the strength, the vision and power to our ceo and founder, through whom thousands of mouths are fed and their welfare taken cared, directly and indirectly.
DAVID MOORE (Training Commandant)
Coordinator of Anniversary Celebrations
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JPs came into being since the 12th century
THE Justices of the Peace (JPs) came into being long ago, dating back to the 12th century in the reign of Richard I in England. In 1195 certain men were appointed as ‘Keepers of the Peace’ in the maintenance of law and order in the land. The Act of 1327 designated as ‘Keepers of the Peace’ as ‘good, lawful men’, followed by ‘Wardens of the Peace’. Sixty four years later, during the reign of King Edward III, the Statue of 1361 recognised the essential function in society of these men whose designation eventually changed to “Justice of the Peace”. The 14 century therefore was significant in that it facilitated the transition in bringing the JP name into prominence. From the 16th century the title of ‘Magistrates’ was used as the need arose for the JP to hear matters and complaints from the local jurisdictions or outlying areas on federal crimes, bail hearings, issuing of search warrants and licences for the sales of beverages, construction and undertakings of a commercial nature. However, when it was found that they could not adequately cope with the workload, professional or stipendiary magistrates were sought. The unpaid magistrates rendered voluntary service but that soon became unappealing for a calling and so the numbers of volunteers soon dwindled.

Surprisingly, a critical need for the utilisation of stipendiary magistrates was to counteract corruption and malpractice on the lay bench. [Lay Magistracy …. the 19th century many of the powers granted had to be withdrawn, excepting those touching on those minor/petty offences that had been of limited jurisdiction and that remained within the competence of the JPs. Foreign jurisdictions like California, Hong Kong and Malaysia have replaced JP courts by qualified attorneys. However, the government of Malaysia subsequently was pressurised to appoint JPs as second class magistrates to deal with the backlog of cases in the court system.

The Lay Magistrates in the United Kingdom, on the contrary, has remained a useful model to this day as the cornerstone of its justice system. Guyana, once an English colony, has inherited the English judicial system and thus, the Lay Magistracy legislation is not alien to our historical inheritance.

It must be noted that there has been a hue and cry from legal circles and the public on the shortage of magistrates and trial judges to deal with the critical backlog of cases in the court system. Noteworthy efforts have been made in mediation with the implementation of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to reduce the quantum of court-connected cases pending for several years with no hope of a solution according to the dictates of the current court process.

ADR has been closely followed by the vigorous call for community-based medication by the JP association and other sources, for the Lay Magistracy legislation, which was first introduced in Parliament in 1999 and has been successfully reintroduced in Parliament in July 2009. If, as in Malaysia, JPs are involved within their limitations to help deal with the backlog of cases, only those who are academically qualified and experienced, with a great sense of professionalism would be eligible for such an appointment in Guyana. What likely seems a possibility however is JPs to be involved in mediation of cases for out-of-court settlement?

Heightened professionalism on the part of all JPs is not practicable without instituting an official monitoring mechanism, oversight body, in which the JPs association should be accorded membership or representative status.

At the same time, the political administration should review the life of the JP appointment – tenable for a lifetime as an honorary award, such as in Hong Kong, India and Sri Lanka; or renewable every two years as in Arkansas, USA; or every five years as in New South Wales and New Hampshire; or four years for justices courts in Arizona; or appointment of JPs to be done through Parliament.

Clearly, the current revolution in the justice system is to enlarge the responsibilities of JPs who are qualified, competent and of good character in the delivery of justice.

Every JP should see the urgent need to be a member of the Guyana Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths to Affidavits Association in order to benefit from its monthly statutory meetings, lectures and activities, aimed at achieving professional growth and development and better justice for all.
HERMON BHOLAISINGH
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Need for intervention in the Niger –Delta
AS an American born and a descendant of the Niger-Delta in Nigeria, who has also lived in Nigeria for 16 years, I write to inform you about the need to intervene in the Niger-Delta crisis that would most likely be tearing Nigeria apart in a couple of months or years.

The discrimination against the Niger-Delta is so much that they are even worse off that the struggles of Black Americans in the United States, who at least have affirmative action and Civil Rights laws to hold on to. The Niger-Delta single handedly produces almost 98% of Nigeria's revenue through oil, but are the poorest and have the most under-developed lands in that nation. Despite their oil wealth, many of their daughters, who should be in school, are one of the top prostitutes in Europe and their sons have become the criminals in many cities for survival.

As a student in Benin City, our passing grade was usually the highest in the country for all standardised exams into high schools and universities, and we are suppose to be the minorities. I remember in the mid 1980s to early 1990s, when we took the Common Entrance Exams to enter Federal high schools or JAMB to enter university, the passing grade for BENDEL (Benin-Delta) would be like 320 and the other ethnic groups (East and West) would be in the high 200s, while the North was like 199. We even saw other ethnic groups who schooled in the Niger-Delta take their lower scores to their home state to get admission into the Federal high schools, but the Niger-Delta student was stuck and had no place to go because his passing grade was the highest.

In the United States as a college student, we used to organize reunions for Nigerian students across the country in the mid 1990s. The purpose was to bring us together to have a sense of home, exchange ideas, and come in contact with other students of similar ethnicity. One of the first activities of the weekend event was to organize the tables by states and give a shout out. My two years at the event, I noticed that there were no single female at EdoState tables. We just assumed that they may all be in Europe or did not attend. To our surprise, on the last day of the event when people start departing to their various cities, the females begin to identify themselves to the Edo males they saw at the State tables earlier. After further investigation, as the Nigerian culture expects us to start meaningful relationships at college, it showed that the ladies felt that they had a better chance disguising as a member of a major ethnic group to secure their males. They figured that it was more of an economical or political advantage to do so than to end up like their Niger-Delta fathers and uncles with little or no opportunities. Why must a daughter of the place that brings almost all of Nigeria's revenue run away from home and socially change her name unofficially?

Nigeria is about to host the 2009 Under-17 Soccer tournament later this year and about eight venues have being chosen by FIFA for the event, but not a single city is located in the Niger-Delta. I will like to add that the first soccer world cup tournament Nigeria ever won was the same Under-17 tournament that was hosted in China in 1985 in which 10 out of the 17 players were from the Niger-Delta. We did not plan to dominate the team; in fact Nigeria did not take it seriously because it was the very first of its kind, and no one expected Nigeria to win anything of significance at the time. Now in 2009, just about 25 years later, the stadiums in the Niger-Delta are not worthy of being considered for the event that gave Nigeria its respect in soccer in the eyes of the entire world. Any civilized nation, considering the historical facts of the tournament and the economic value of the Niger-Delta to Nigeria, would have made sure than at least two highly equipped stadiums out of eight were renovated in the Niger-Delta area to host the event.

MEND, the movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta has taken the gun and destroyed many oil facilities in order to protest their oppression by the rest of Nigeria (for not speaking up). I have chosen to take the pen because they say that the pen is mightier than the sword. I hope this pen will motivate you to get involved in putting pressure on the Nigerian government publicly to allow the States and Local Government Area (counties) to control their resources and pay tax to the Federal Government. Please act fast before the gun gets mightier than the pen in the Niger-Delta. I look forward to your response.

This message has been sent to President Obama and former President Jimmy Carter in the United States.
EHI AIMIUWU
Business Instructor, Atlanta, GA
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Detractors of Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy
I have observed in recent weeks several articles by one Janette Bulkan and Sasenarine Singh attacking the Low Carbon Development Strategy, President Jagdeo and the Government of Guyana.

What concerns me is that these persons have chosen not be constructive in their criticisms but rather to try to look for issues to pull down the Strategy and government's efforts in trying to position Guyana to help the world to address this issue of climate change.

I have been following the media reports, and the consultations and general feedback on the Strategy and most if not all persons are supportive of what President Jagdeo is trying to do. What is so wrong in trying to protect Guyana's forests and receive payments for it? What is so wrong in using these payments to help develop our country? Not knowing all the details I am sure there are lots of things that will need to be worked out, but let's give it a try. Everyone I have spoken to supports it, and from what I hear, even internationally there is a lot of interest and support for what Guyana is trying to do.

It upsets me when these persons, who chose not to give any positive suggestions to help the President and our country in such a noble initiative, but choose to sit at the side and snipe and criticise.

For the benefit of our readers I ask what suggestions Ms. Janette Bulkan and Mr. Sasenarine Singh have to help to improve the Strategy.

Perhaps there is a deeper reason to the sniping?

Perhaps Ms. Bulkan does not want to see our forests protected and maintained for climate change because personal interests would be compromised.

Ms. Bulkan, does not have to worry, as I read in the Strategy, forestry and mining activities will be allowed to continue, once there is compliance with the forestry laws. However, certain practices will not be tolerated, for example, trying to buy logs from Amerindians and exploiting them with prices, or importing logs across the border, or being 'landlords' over Guyana's forest and allocate to the same Asian companies.

The more I reflect on these issues, the more I am beginning to understand the views of Ms. Bulkan and her fears of what the Strategy might bring to some.

If Ms. Bulkan and Mr. Singh are so concerned and interested in what Guyana is doing, why don't they volunteer to help our country rather than snipe and gripe using the media? Let's see how patriotic they both are.
TODD MORGAN

T&T stage spectacular comeback to beat hosts
BASSE-TERRE, CMC – Trinidad & Tobago came from behind to win in sensational fashion while Barbados pulled off a contrasting victory, when the 7th Caribbean Junior Volleyball Championship continued here Wednesday night.

While T&T registered an exciting 23-25, 18-25, 25-18, 25-23, 17-15 victory over hosts Guadeloupe, Barbados easily got past the Bahamas 25-18, 25-23, 25-22.

The Bahamas women, however, saved some pride for their country when they posted a 25-23, 25-19, 25-20 win over Martinique.

Still reeling from their four-set loss to Martinique on Tuesday, T&T stumbled out of the blocks and quickly found themselves down 2-0 in sets and facing a heavy three-set defeat.

But they hit back well, overpowering the hosts in the next three sets to pull off an astonishing victory.

With the encounter locked at two sets apiece, the advantage in the decisive fifth set swung back and forth before T&T finally sneaked home.

Trinidad & Tobago were led by Ryan Stewart who finished with 32 points including 22 kills and eight blocks while Lucas Beaugendre finished as Guadeloupe’s highest scorer with 18 points.

There was no such drama in Barbados’ encounter, however, as they took control from early, dominating the Bahamas’ front and back court to pull off an easy first-set win.

The Bahamas rebounded in the second and third sets, temporarily taking the lead but were unable to stop Barbados’ hitters and collapsed on both occasions.

In the women’s section, the Bahamas experienced little difficulty as they handed Martinique a solid defeat.

The winners were led by Avoni Seymour who scored 12 points while Coraline Joseph-Rose finished with nine points.

Aussie fans admit England fire-drill prank: report
KARACHI - An Australian supporter group has admitted setting off a fire alarm which forced the English team out of their hotel on the opening morning of the fourth Ashes Test, reports said in Sydney yesterday.

The England cricket team's hotel in Leeds was evacuated in the early hours of Friday following the fire alarm, forcing the players to stand outside in heavy rain for more than 20 minutes until the all-clear was given.

"Fanatics" leader Warren Livingstone told The Sunday Telegraph that one of the 100-strong group had set the alarm off with the aim of disrupting the English team's sleep, describing it as "good old-fashioned Aussie high-jinks".

"Yes, it was one of our guys who did it as a bit of a prank. I got a text message after it happened," Livingstone told the Sydney newspaper.

"At first I thought 'good on yer', we're just doing our bit for Australia. But I can't condone this sort of thing. I don't want any trouble. We've all had a big laugh and it might have made a difference, the way they batted."

English wicketkeeper Matt Prior blamed the incident for his team's batting collapse.

Australia bowled out England for just 102 on Friday's opening day and are poised to wrap up victory to level the series at 1-1 ahead of the fifth and final Test at The Oval.

A spokeswoman for the Radisson SAS Hotel in Leeds, northern England, refused to divulge what caused the fire alarm to go off but said it was "definitely not a prank".

British media reports conflict with the Fanatics' claims. They said the alarm may have been set off by another hotel guest, a woman who had rinsed her underwear in a bathroom sink and left it too close to a lightbulb to dry.

Harbhajan firm on not signing WADA
NEW DELHI- - India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Saturday stood firm on his objection to the controversial WADA "whereabouts" clause, saying he was not bound by the "unacceptable" rule.

"We are not bound to inform WADA about our whereabouts," Harbhajan said.

"If I go somewhere like buying vegetable and at that time WADA need my sample then it will become my fault and repetition of the same for more than three times will make me a defaulter," he wondered. "So this is not an acceptable rule."

The feisty off-spinner said he would want to be remembered like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev after he retires. "I want to be remembered like them as people remember those players who contribute or serve long years for the country," he said.

Asked to compare the captains under whom he had played, Harbhajan took the easy way out and said all of them are marvellous leaders in their own right.

"I have played under Sourav, Kumble and Dhoni as well. Three of them are marvellous captains. After the match fixing issue Sourav was the captain and he started boosting players to achieve the highest. Sourav is a good friend of mine and he was a great captain," he told 'India News'

Fourth Ashes Test, Headingley
Aussies win to level Ashes series
ONDON, England (BBC) - Australia duly completed victory by an innings and 80 runs in the fourth Test at Headingley yesterday to level the Ashes series at 1-1 with one match remaining.

England resumed in an impossible position, 261 runs behind and with only five wickets left.

And it looked like being a swift demise when James Anderson was caught at slip.

Mitchell Johnson took 5-69 as Australia beat England by an innings and 80 runs at Headingly (Getty Images).

But Stuart Broad hit 10 fours in 61 and shared a pulsating 108 from 12.3 overs with Graeme Swann who fired 62, before Mitchell Johnson sealed it with 5-69.

It had threatened to be England's worst defeat at home, but the partnership ended those fears and that record margin of an innings and 226 runs at the hands of the West Indies at Lord's in 1973 remains for a while longer at least.

On the ground where Ian Botham inspired one of the greatest comebacks in 1981, there was a glorious hint, but inevitably no dramatic reverse in this match, as Australia took the series to a decider starting at The Oval on August 20.

The deficit when Botham walked out at number seven 28 years ago was a mere 122, so the chances of Anderson, Prior and the bowlers compiling around 300 more than that to set Australia any sort of total were beyond even the imagination of the bookmakers.

Still the opera singer performed "Jerusalem" on the playing area with admirable gusto as the players took the field, but perhaps "Things Can Only Get Better" or "Always Look on the Bright Side" would have been more appropriate. There was a healthy crowd in attendance too, some even brave enough to sport fancy dress, and one patriotic soul donning full English knight regalia.

Anderson at least extended the record for number of Test innings without a duck to 54, but the ball after doing so he gave comfortable catching practice to Ricky Ponting at second slip.

Given that there is no guide as to how to bat when more than 250 behind and only Broad, Swann, Steve Harmison and Graham Onions remain, Prior played some stylish drives square of the wicket, before eventually fishing at one wide of off-stump that was magnificently scooped up by Brad Haddin, diving low to his right.

The four Australian seamers, none of whom had previously played at Headingley, complemented each other superbly during this match.

After Stuart Clark and Peter Siddle did the damage in the first innings, it was Johnson and more significantly Ben Hilfenhaus who posed the greatest threat.

Hilfenhaus continued to bowl accurately with just the right amount of movement to further expose frailties in the batsmen.
But the next hour gave the crowd some fantastic entertainment in glorious Sunday morning sunshine as Broad and Swann adopted a positive approach.

Having claimed Test-best bowling figures of 6-91 on Saturday, Broad spoke confidently about surpassing his highest score with the bat, 76 against South Africa at Lord's last year, and it looked as though he was heading for a remarkable maiden century.

In one Clark over he thumped four fours to bring up the fifty partnership in 51 balls with Swann, and a magnificent drive on the up down the ground off Siddle recorded his fifth Test fifty from only 42 balls.

If the tall, blonde left-hander bore a resemblance to Graham Dilley, who shared in the famous 1981 partnership, the right-handed Swann began to bat in the mentality of IT Botham himself with some bold full-blooded strokes in classic nothing-to-lose vein.

In a truly thrilling passage of play, 49 came in three overs and the crowd were delighted to have the opportunity to bait Clark, who took the badinage in commendable spirit when he returned to patrol the boundary.
On 53 Broad was reprieved when Johnson backtracked from mid-off but could only push the ball over the ropes for four and the 100 partnership was soon recorded in a mere 73 balls.

Groans rang out across the ground when Broad's hook was caught at deep square-leg, but Swann ensured that the fun did not end when he hooked - perhaps a little bit like Botham in his 1981 century at Old Trafford - whilst not looking at the ball.

It sailed for six and signalled his second Test fifty.

Against all the odds, England made it to lunch, when they were given a standing ovation by a crowd delightfully surprised to have some live action to watch in the afternoon, and having savoured a session in which 163 were scored in 24 overs.

But soon after the interval Swann was given out caught behind chasing a wide one and Johnson confirmed his return to form by shattering the stumps of Graham Onions, leaving everything to play for in south London.

Lyle upset by club captaincy snub
LONDON, England (BBC) - Sandy Lyle says he feels let down by the European Tour after missing out on the captaincy for the next Ryder Cup.

Fellow Scot Colin Montgomerie has been selected to lead Europe at Celtic Manor in 2010, but Lyle does not understand why he has been overlooked.

"I was let down by the European Tour," the double major winner told BBC Scotland. "It's frustrating.

"I'm still mystified why they haven't pin-pointed any sort of qualities I'm lacking. I'd like to know."

They were Lyle's strongest words yet in response to the decision in January to choose Montgomerie for the captaincy and European Tour chief executive George O'Grady was singled out for criticism.

"I've not been as far forward at self-promoting as some players we know can be," said Lyle.

"I've always had it ground into me that you don't go out there blowing your own trumpet, you let your clubs do the talking and I think my clubs have done enough talking over the years as far as results, majors and experiences go, which is more than enough to be a Ryder Cup captain.

"I think George O'Grady probably could've supported me a bit more and made them realise how much I had done behind the scenes in supporting the European Tour for what they have now, which is a world tour.

"I would've given it a damn good shot and have some respect from the players."

Asked how angry he was about the situation, Lyle replied: "If you put it in a scale of one to 10, I'm probably on about a seven, but I shall not lose sleep over it.

"I'm a little cheesed off, yes. I don't mind saying that, I've got nothing to lose, but I will still sleep at night and I won't toss and turn in my bed all the time thinking, 'well, what have I done wrong?'

"I was prepared to be at tournaments and play a lot of the guys, get to know their names and get to know what they want and that's something a lot of captains haven't been able to do over the years.

"Monty's got a lot of work. I think he didn't realise how much commitment was involved to be the Ryder Cup captain.

"He has always been a player in the Ryder Cup, so it's a whole new ball game for him now and the microscope will be on him all the time and I hope he chooses well.

"In the end, no matter how good a captain you might be, it's all down to the players to win and make him as comfortable as possible. Hopefully, he might consider me as a vice-captain, but time will tell."

Lyle won the second of his two majors at the 1988 Masters and admits his form dipped the few years that followed, although he had an encouraging performance as he returned to the scene of those triumphs this season.

But Gary Player this week told BBC Scotland that he regarded Lyle as Scotland's greatest-ever golfer and he has tipped the 51-year-old to succeed Montgomerie for the 2012 event.

"I think Colin Montgomerie will be a good captain, he's been a good competitor," said Player.
"I think Sandy Lyle must be your next captain after Colin."

Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 5th ODI, Colombo
Aamer and Naved earn Pakistan easy consolation win
By Sidharth Monga (Cricinfo)
A hostile Mohammad Aamer and an inconsistent-but-smart Naved-ul-Hasan meant Sri Lanka narrowly avoided their worst-ever ODI defeat at home yesterday.

Naved earlier gave Pakistan's total a boost with hefty hitting in the final overs, after Pakistan had threatened to let half-centuries from Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq go to waste. Sri Lanka however, took the series having already won the first three matches.

This was also the 10th straight time that a side batting first won at the R Premadasa Stadium. It can't be ascertained if it was just the conditions, but the Pakistan pace bowlers were way better than their Sri Lankan counterparts. Aamer and Naved got more movement, and demonstrated better control and variation.

Aamer set the agenda with the first ball, a brute that injured Upul Tharanga's middle finger. Even if the finger wasn't broken, the spirit was as he played and missed at an away-swinger next. The third ball, short and climbing into Tharanga, duly produced the edge. Even before the returning Sanath Jayasuriya could cause any damage, Naved flummoxed him with a superb slower delivery, putting the onus squarely on Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

They added 35 in 37 deliveries, targeting Naved, before the veteran bowler fooled Sangakkara too with a slower one. Even before Sri Lanka could recover from that blow, Jayawardene edged an angling delivery from Aamer, finishing the match - at 58 for 4 - for all practical purposes.

Aamer and Naved, though, proceeded to take out whatever life remained in the contest. Aamer did away with Chamara Kapugedera and Angelo Mathews in his next two overs, while Naved came back to take out Nuwan Kaulasekara and Dammika Prasad. Kulasekara's dismissal was a splendid effort by Misbah, diving forward at first slip, giving him his third catch of the innings. Aamer finished with a career-best effort and Naved reached 100 wickets in ODIs.

Thilina Kandamby and Malinga Bandara delayed the inevitable, but the record for the highest successful chase at the Premadasa Stadium never really came under threat. That Pakistan got to that total was largely due to the responsible fifties from Younis and Misbah.

After an 83-run stand between Younis and Misbah for the fourth wicket, Pakistan lost three quick wickets, making them reassess the total they aimed for, but Naved's late hitting made sure they felt confident going into the defence.

Throughout their disastrous tour Younis has spoken about the importance of partnerships. Today he was involved in three valuable ones. The first one started after the first ball of the match, when umpire Gamini Silva welcomed back Nuwan Kulasekara by missing a thick inside edge from Kamran Akmal, and giving Sri Lanka a bonus wicket.

Younis was sedate to begin with, enjoying a ferocious start from Iman Nazir from the other end. Nazir, playing his second match since his comeback from the ICL, raced to 35 from 21 balls in the first seven overs, as Prasad's first three overs went for 30. Sangakkara then took a gamble, bringing on Mendis in the eighth over. The Pakistan batsmen have been exceptional in playing Mendis, looking to play him straight as often as possible, but Nazir went to turn the second ball he faced from him to midwicket, paying the price as he was trapped plumb in front.

Younis found the perfect partner in Mohammad Yousuf, who did the majority of the scoring in the 68-run third-wicket partnership. But by the time Yousuf fell for 43, Younis looked set to convert the slow start.

Younis, 13 off 39 at one stage, had started accelerating and along with Misbah, who also started fluently, Younis threatened to take Pakistan past 300. It was a typical Younis knock - a slow start, an increase in the number of singles and doubles in the middle portions, and only a few boundaries. Without a flurry of hits to the fence, Younis got 37 off the next 32 balls he faced, to reach his second fifty in a row.

WIPA Mediation concludes first phase with little progress
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Mediator Sir Shridath Ramphal expressed disappointment yesterday that more agreement had not been reached during the preliminary stages of discussions to resolve the bitter dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) over payment and contracts.

Predictably, no settlement was reached after the first phase of the Mediation Process to resolve the fierce stand-off between the parties but it is apparent that Sir Shridath had expected more progress at this stage.

Declaring in a CMC exclusive interview on July 28 that he was targeting the end of August to reach a settlement, Sir Shridath expressed disappointment yesterday that “more agreement had not been reached during the first phase of discussions” although he felt encouraged that both parties “wished to continue” the Mediation Process in the hope of reaching a comprehensive settlement of their differences.

The process is now set to go beyond August.

After a meeting with CARICOM Chairman Bharat Jagdeo in Guyana on July 21, the WICB and WIPA signed a Mediation Agreement when the Guyana President called for the Mediation Process to ‘be pursued with the utmost expedition’.

Coming out of that Mediation Agreement, Sir Shridath was appointed Mediator and had his first meeting on July 27 with WIPA chief Dinanath Ramnarine and the experienced Industrial Relations practitioner Gerard Pinard, the WICB’s appointed facilitator.

CARICOM announced that parties completed Sunday, 25 hours of “intense discussion” without reaching “overall agreement” on the issues in dispute between the WIPA and the Board.

Sir Shridath, a former commonwealth secretary-general, emphasized the importance of resolving the issues, stressing that it is “essential to the future of West Indian cricket” and he continued to place value on the mutual assertion in the Georgetown Agreement that while both parties are ‘mindful of the mandates of their respective bodies’, they are also ‘conscious of their responsibilities to the people of the West Indies and the international sport of cricket’.

The second phase of the Mediation Process is now being pursued, with further critical discussions slated for later this month.

Work on the issues will be ongoing and the parties are expected to resume their vital and intense discussion on the stand-off on August 27.

“In the second phase, which begins immediately, the Parties will, in the light of the discussions, prepare written submissions with a view to exploring a comprehensive settlement based on the principle of partnership,” CARICOM stated Sunday in a press release.

“These submissions will be exchanged no later than 20 August and discussions on them will resume on 27 August and continue for as long as necessary between then and the end of the first week of September.”

The crippling conflict between the players and the board left a makeshift team representing West Indies in the recent Digicel Home Series against Bangladesh after top flight players boycotted the series, citing pay and contract issues as their main grievances.

Little-rated Bangladesh won both Test and One Day International (ODI) series against the Caribbean side.

The board has already named a largely inexperienced squad – minus most of the top flight players – for the Champions Trophy in South Africa in September even though part of the July 21 Mediation Agreement entailed the estranged players immediately becoming available once again for selection.