October 18, 2016

Archives for May 27, 2016

Guyana’s Jubilee celebrations in New York start on June 4

Guyana’s 50th Independence Celebration Committee (New York) has announced final plans for its one week “Guyana Jubilee Celebration NYC” from June 4-12, in the Tri-State area.

This will be the largest celebration outside of Guyana.

The celebration kicks off on Saturday, June 4, at 13:00h with an interfaith service at the York College Performing Arts Theatre, at 94-45 Guy R Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, Queens. This will be preceded by an inter-county cricket match at 09:30h, at the Idiewild Park Springfield Blvd & 149th Ave, Rosedale, Queens.

A symposium on Guyana’s independence journey is planned for Sunday, June 5, at 09:00h at the York College Large Lecture Theatre, at 94-20 Guy Brewer Blvd, Queens, while on Monday, June 6, there will be an exhibition of Guyanese art from 10:00h at Aljira Centre for Contemporary Art, 591 Broad St, Newark, NJ.

The following day, June 7, will see a live radio broadcast from the famous Sybil’s Restaurant at 13217 Liberty Ave, Jamaica, Queens, at 19:00h.

On Wednesday, June 8 – which is Guyanese Volunteer Day – Guyanese medical doctors, nurses and lawyers will provide free medical and legal services at various locations in Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey.

Locations are listed on the Committee’s website, www.celebrateguyana50thinnyc.com.

On Thursday, June 9, there will be the official flag raising ceremony at Newark City Hall Square, at 920 Broad St, Newark, NJ. This will be done by the Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka.

Friday, June 10 is “Invest Guyana” Business and Investment conference at 09:00h, at the Harvard Club of New York, located at 35 W 44th St, New York, NY.

Speakers include Guyana’s Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, Finance Minister Winston Jordan, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally and Agriculture Minister Noel Holder.

On Saturday, June 10, there will be the President Cup Soccer Tournament at the South Shore High School Park, located at 6565 Flatlands Ave, Brooklyn, NY (at the corners of Ralph and Flatlands Avenues) at 10:00h.

The Black Tie, Red Carpet official Jubilee state dinner will take place on Saturday, June 11, at 20:00h, at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel and Towers, located at 811 7th Avenue & W 53rd St, New York, NY. Keynote Speaker is Guyana’s Head of State David Granger.

The grand finale of Guyana Jubilee Celebration NYC, the Independence Parade, is on Sunday, June 12, in Brooklyn. The parade will start at 11:30h, at the intersection of Church and Utica Avenues and will proceed West to Ralph Ave, turn South into Ralph Ave and ends at Ralph and Flatlands Avenues – a 3.3 miles route.

A grand after parade, unity concert will take place at 16:00h on Sunday, June 12, at South Shore High School Park, at 6565 Flatlands Ave, Brooklyn NY (at the corners of Ralph and Flatlands Avenue).

The New York Jubilee Committee is asking all Guyanese to showcase the Golden Arrowhead (Guyana’s flag) during Guyana Jubilee NYC from June 4 – 12. For more information of the New York celebration, visit their website or call 929-263-2556 or 212-947-5115.

 

Kicking National unity…

..in PPP’s teeth

At the last sitting of Parliament Tuesday night before the Big Jubilee Flag raising ceremony, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo literally rose to the occasion and delivered one of the most moving calls for national reconciliation. He was acclaimed even by the government benches for his magnanimity since very few in his position – as the officially and constitutionally defined role of “Opposition Leader” – had ever offered an unreserved olive branch.

“We believe that we have to work together regardless of our political persuasion to move our country forward. We too share a vision for our country… with ideals… similar to that the President (Granger).” He pledged that after the Independence celebrations, the PPP would spend the year working to bring the country together. “The patriotism of the PPP must never be questioned,” he concluded. Afterwards he spoke specifically to the Junior Minister of Education, in charge of the Flag-raising ceremony at midnight of May 25/26, assuring her that he and his MPs would be there.

Many had hoped after this ringing peroration for unity, Jagdeo and Granger might duplicate the famous embrace between Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham in that inaugural raising of the Golden Arrowhead when the Union Jack was lowered for the last time on May 26, 1966. But such idealists… and Jagdeo… were given a swift kick in the teeth rather than an embrace when they arrived at the Jubilee Park for the grand event.

Imagine there were no seats reserved for the PPP dignitaries – just a couple for former Presidents Jagdeo and Hinds!  While all sorts of other persons – some in the most casual attire in disrespect of the solemn occasion – were escorted to VIP seats, the PPP MPs were left standing for 45 minutes. Refusing to be disrespected any longer, the Opposition Leader and his MPs left the ground. When former President Ramotar later arrived and discovered what had transpired, he also left.

There was no other course of action open to them: the callous disrespect by the APNU/AFC government was not just an insult to the PPP individuals on site, but the 202,000 Guyanese whom they represent.

How can President Granger and his government even utter words like “unity” and “social cohesion” when they would not even deign to pick up the olive branch held out by the Opposition so openly?

Combined with all the other events that determinedly and flagrantly insisted on overwhelmingly showcasing only individuals from the old PNC days, it appears clear that all the rhetoric of “unity” and “coming together” aren’t even worth a bucket of warm spit.

That at least, doesn’t stink to high heavens.

…with National Awards

At his first opportunity to hand out National Awards last year, President David Granger picked 52 worthies as deserving of the honour. He assured it was totally on merits that former Prime Minister and City Mayor, Hamilton Green; PNC General Secretary, Oscar Clarke; former Minister of Information in the PNC administration, Yvonne Harewood-Benn; former PNC Executive Member Supriya Singh-Boden and former PNC Home Affairs Minister Llewellyn John all received awards. Nothing to do with him being also Leader of the PNC, you cynical reader, you.

Well, this year, in the conveniently scheduled government-sponsored African-Guyanese Awards in observance of the UN Decade of People of African Descent, PNC Executive Carl Greenidge proffered another reason. He claimed the PPP avoided doling out National Awards between 1992 and 2015 just to slight African Guyanese. They were the only ones deserving of those awards since they dominate the Public Service and Disciplined Forces. Other fields aren’t “national”, presumably.

Well, this year another 85 worthies collected their Awards.

Same background, naturally! Rectification of “PPP spite.”

…at “National Symposia”

The Jubilee celebrations opened with a “National Symposia” at Arthur Chung Conference Centre last Tuesday.

Guess out of the 70 scholars analysing the “Independence Journey” how many Indian Guyanese made the cut!

Let us acknowledge the magnanimity of Dr Jagan, who was ousted from office unfairly, still showing up to show his solidarity with Mr Burnham on the inaugural occasion.

 

Region 2 residents want undesirable

Dear Editor,

Residents of Charity, in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) would like to state that since the conclusion of the Local Government Elections, we have not seen or heard anything from Neighbourhood Democratic Council officials who have to look into issues confronting us.

Our area is polluted with stink and stagnant water. Garbage which consists of plastic, broken bottles, paper, plastic bags, cardboards and boxes etc, line the roads and trenches.

There are vendors who squat illegally and build unsightly stalls over the said trench which is very unhealthy, since it is impossible to get around to clear.

Sooner rather than later, a serious epidemic may erupt which will affect residents in the area. Eighty per cent of the vendors are from far off villages that are undesirable and make themselves a nuisance in front of business places and private properties.

We are appealing to Central Government and the relevant authorities to remove these vendors to the vending mall specifically built for them to ply their trade.

This mall cost the Government over $30 million. We need some uniformity. We may have a township very soon since it is a port of entry.

We thank you.

Sincerely,

Concerned residents

 

Scrap metal export ban to be lifted even though no improvements made — source

The scrap metal ban, implemented in June of last year is soon to be lifted, according to a reliable source whoscrapmetal chooses to remain anonymous.

Scrap metal export was put on pause for one year by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government until the scrap metal industry was improved.

It was expected that better procedures and strategies would be put in place to improve the trade as concerns were raised over the management of the Scrap Metal Unit, the body that monitors the trade.

Additionally, there were complaints of vandalism and theft, as metal thieves were pillaging state and private infrastructures to supply the lucrative trade which had a demand on the international market. Concerns were also raised by metal exporters over the large duties levied on the exportation of scrap metal.

However, government is moving to lift the ban even though no significant strides have been taken to improve the industry, said the source.

According to reports Guyana Times have received, scrap metal exporters are uncertain whether to proceed with their trade as they have not received any confirmation on the ban, and are hesitant to restart normal work.

According to a source, numerous calls have been made by exporters but no substantial information is being given to them.

This publication was informed that if the ban is lifted, usually exporters would have to pay 100 per cent duty to export and since no progress was made to improve the industry within the year, this will likely remain the same. This payment would be nearly impossible for the dealers to pay.

However, according to the reliable source, the Business Ministry is seeking to have the exporters export their goods for free until better can be done. This will be done to keep the dealers quiet until procedures are put into place.

This will however result in major losses for government, losses amounting to multimillions.

Further, the Business Ministry along with Ministry of Communities, will be meeting with the Guyana Metal Recyclers’ Association for discussions as to how to proceed.

After that meeting definitive answers are to be given to the exporters as to how they should proceed.

 

West Indies beaten by Barbados select XI in warm up match

Tri-Nation Series: West Indies | Australia | South Africa

Test batsman Shai Hope and former West Indies opener Omar Phillips stroked half-centuries as a Barbados Select XI dealt West Indies a 50-run defeat in the first of two warm-up matches here Wednesday night.

In a day/night encounter at Kensington Oval, the Select XI piled up 290 for eight off their 50 overs, with the stylish Hope carving out a top score of 61 and Phillips getting 58.

Off-spinner Ashley Nurse claimed three for 61 while fast bowler Shannon Gabriel picked up two for 75.

In reply, West Indies were restricted to 240 all out off 47.1 overs thanks to leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr who finished with three for 17 from four overs and seamers Kevin Stoute (2-28), Tarik Shorey (2-33) and Dario Seale (2-50), all of whom finished with two wickets apiece.

Jamaican Rovman Powell smashed a top score of 58 while Nurse completed a solid all-round game with a fantastic even 50 off a mere 31 balls.

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin chimed in with 32 while Darren Bravo got 24 and Marlon Samuels, 23.

The Select XI got a great start after the left-handed Phillips put on 58 for the first wicket with Kyle Corbin who made 14, and a further 53 for the second wicket with Hope.

Phillips, who played two Tests during the senior players strike seven years ago, struck seven fours and two sixes off 66 deliveries while Hope gathered seven fours off 79 balls.

When Phillips fell to give Nurse his second wicket, Hope and Roston Chase (18) added 40 for the third wicket before both fell in the space of 18 balls, to leave the Select XI on 165 for four in the 36th over.

However, Shamarh Brooks stroked 44 from 37 balls with two fours and two sixes and captain Stoute hit 29 from 41 balls, to revive the innings in a 60-run, fifth wicket partnership.

Kyle Mayers arrived late on to belt 29 from 13 deliveries, to provide the flourish at the end.

Shorey and Stoute then scythed through the West Indies top order to leave the innings in ruins at 81 for five in the 20th over.

Johnson Charles played across one from Shorey in the fourth over and was lbw for seven at 15 for one and in the left-armer’s next over, Andre Fletcher pulled a catch to mid-wicket to fall for seven at 20 for two.

Samuels struck four fours in a 20-ball knock before perishing lbw to Stoute in the 12th over and eight balls later, left-hander Jonathan Carter fended off a short ball from Seale to be caught at point without scoring at 59 for four.

When Bravo was caught at mid-wicket off Stoute in the 20th over, West Indies were tottering but Powell then engineered two half-century stands to rally the innings.

The 22-year-old, who has played a single first class game, struck two fours and four sixes off 71 balls and added 62 for the sixth wicket with Ramdin and 66 for the seventh wicket with Nurse.

Powell was seventh out at 209 in the 41st over and despite Nurse’s four fours and three sixes, the Windies still came up short.

 

Hinds calls for conversation on misuse of State apparatus against opponents

Walter Rodney CoI report

said report should not be used as

political football

By Alexis Rodney

While agreeing with the call by People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, for the final report

WPA Executive, Dr David Hinds

WPA Executive, Dr David Hinds

of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI) be sent to Parliamentary Special Select Committee, executive member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr David Hinds has cautioned the two major political units against using the report as a political football, and urged that it be used as a force that could propel a “conversation” against the abuse and misuse of the State Apparatus.

Hinds, speaking with Guyana Times in an exclusive interview, reined in the fact that Guyanese are tired of both the PPP and the People’s National Congress/A Partnership for National Unity (PNC/APNU), using the very inquiry as a “political football”. When the inquiry was first established back in February 2014 by former President Donald Ramotar, and with the allegation that the PNC had killed Dr Rodney, then opposition leader and now President David Granger had maintained that the inquiry was being used as a tool to tarnish the good name of the PNC. Ramotar denied this assertion and pointed to the call made by Dr Rodney’s widow and her children for an investigation into his death.

Some two years later, and with the final report of the Presidential Inquiry being made public, the PPP, now in opposition is very concerned that the details of the report may never be scrutinized. The party’s Teixeira was somewhat emotional during the 37th sitting of the National Assembly earlier this month, when House Speaker Dr Barton Scotland informed that her motion to have the report sent to the committee could not be considered.

Hinds said he wants to believe that Teixeira might have been genuine in her call for the report to be considered for debate in Parliament; however, he was also aware that political parties have a way in turning “genuine things into political footballs.” “I agree that it should be sent to the Parliamentary Select Committee. It should be laid in Parliament and there should be a debate on it. I am not quite sure of the workings of Parliament and what it being sent to the Parliamentary Select Committee is set to achieve… My suspicion of the scenario by the PPP is grounded in the very birth of the Commission of Inquiry,” Hinds told Guyana Times.

He added that he is firmly for justice for Dr Rodney and believes that all Guyanese are: “But for both sides wanting to make it a political football, I am totally against that. It should be laid against Parliament, the President has given his undertaking that it be laid before Parliament. It was handed over to the Speaker and that there will be some level of debate, whether if it is at the level of the select committee or in Parliament, it doesn’t matter. What I want is for it not to be made a political football.”

Hinds, speaking of the call by Teixeira, said if her initiative to get the report before a select committee is to advance a conversation on State and political violence against the opposition, then that is the conversation he wants to be had.

“We are tired of this throwing stones at each other. I think Walter Rodney means more to Guyana, more to the world than to be used to be throwing stones… if the report should be used for anything, it should be used to start a conversation among the leaders and the people, about the misuse of state apparatus against political opponents,” he stressed.

Details coming out of the 18-month investigation, heard evidence from numerous witnesses, that the Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham regime of the 1980s had been very forceful and had used its political power to injure smaller and defenceless political parties. Rodney, a world respected political and social activist, died in June 1980, after a communication device he was examining exploded in his lap.

It was the theory of those close to the founding Leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), that the man he had somewhat come to trust; a then Guyana Defence Force Sergeant and communications expert William Gregory Smith, had implanted the explosive in the device Rodney was expected to test.

The theory claimed too that the Government of the day, the People’s National Congress and its leader Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, had used Smith to carry out the attack.

In the report the three Commissioners – Barbados Queen’s Counsel Richard Cheltenham, Jamaican Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Trinidad-based Guyanese Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam – concluded that given all the relevant facts, events and circumstances set out in the report, they could do nothing else but establish that William Gregory Smith was not acting alone but had the active and full support, participation and encouragement of, and/or was aided and abetted by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) – both agencies of the State – and the political directorate including Prime Minister Forbes Burnham in the killing of Dr Rodney.

 

Cricket, the energy of Independence!

By Devina Samaroo and Romario Samaroo

All warriors were called out amid pomp and fanfare as two-time finalists of the Caribbean Premiere League (CPL) T20 Cricket, the Guyana Amazon Warriors team participated in the country’s Independence Day paradeamazon in observance of the 50th Jubilee celebrations.

The gargantuan crowd grew wild with excitement on seeing their favourite players parading on the road, joining them in the grand festivities, just ahead of the much anticipated CPL tournament.

With two fully loaded trucks on the road, hundreds of thrilled fans and supporters flaunted their Amazon Warriors branded jerseys, flags, hats and other merchandises as they gyrated to the beat of the popular theme song: Calling All Warriors!

True cricket fanatics made use of the opportunity to greet and rub shoulders with their heroes, soliciting autographs and snapping selfies, reminiscent of the distinctive razzmatazz known to this cricket-loving region Fifty autograph cricket balls were given to excited fans along the parade route.

At the Stabroek Market Square before the parade kicked off, Amazon Warrior’s Coach Roger Harper explained that the players are committed to their vigorous training sessions and capitalising on advice in every possible way to improve performance and remaining a force to be reckoned with in the highly competitive tournament, with the ultimate goal of emerging champions for the first time.

“We have a good squad of players. We are looking forward to have a successful tournament,” Harper expressed.

Among the players who were in the parade were Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Christopher Barnwell, Stephen Jacobs, Assad Fudadin, Paul Wintz and Anthony Bramble. Coach Roger Harper, Assistant Coach Esuan Crandon along with Team Manager Omar Khan were also in the parade

The team will come out under new Captain, New Zealand’s destructive top order batsman Martin Guptil, who has been with the Amazon Warriors since the inaugural tournament in 2013.

The team will include regional powerhouses: Dwayne Smith, Orlando Peters, Stephen Katwaroo, Muhammad Ahsan Ali Khan, Jason Mohammed, and Rayad Emrit.

The team will be boosted by international players with the likes of Pakistani fast bowler Sohail Tanvir; Australian duo, Chris Lynn, the explosive all-rounder and spinning phenomenon Adam Zampa; both of whom had exceptional runs in this year’s Indian Premiere League (IPL).

The core of the squad comprises local superstars including Captain of the West Indies Under-19 Worldcup Champions Shimron Hetmyer; spin twins Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo; all-rounders Christopher Barnwell and Stephen Jacobs; fast bowler Paul Wintz as well as specialist top order batsman Assad Fudadin and wicket keeper Anthony Bramble.

The Amazon Warriors will be hosting the inaugural winners Jamaica Tallawahs on July 7 (7pm), the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots (12 midday), defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders (7pm) and the St Lucia Zouks (7pm) at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

 

That Independence Date

As a footnote to the hype around the Independence Jubilee celebrations was the observation by two letter writers Rakesh Rampertab and Swami Aksharananda that the date chosen for Independence, May 26, 1966 was at best, insensitive to the sentiments of Indian Guyanese. And at worse, an act to remind them in perpetuity of their humiliation.

Just two years before independence, between May 22-26, three Indians in the community of Wismar had been murdered, 38 injured, six women and girls raped, 220 houses and businesses burnt to the ground and 3399 men, women and children – almost the entire Indian community – evacuated.

The CoI into the atrocities concluded: “This was a diabolical plot, ingeniously planned and ruthlessly executed… politically and racially inspired.” The “ethnic cleansing” was in retaliation for the murder of an elderly African couple, the Sealeys, aback of Buxton  on May 21.

The murders were only the latest in a string of tit-for-tat violence unleashed after the PPP called a general strike in the sugar industry – overtly for “recognition” by the Sugar Producers, but actually a last ditch attempt to derail the imposition by the British and the Americans of Proportional Representation (PR) method of voting they knew would eject them out of office.

The Wismar ethnic cleansing “tit” of May 22-26 was followed by the “tat” of bombing of the ferry between Wismar and Georgetown, the Sun Chapman, on July 6 and killing 38 African Guyanese aboard. Even though the Inquiry was inconclusive, the PNC and residents of Wismar maintained the bombing was the retaliatory work of the PPP.

That evening five Indians were murdered and seven seriously injured from the approximately 300 who had either remained or returned after May 26.

Rampertab pointed out the PPP did originally object to the PNC’s choice of independence date (they had boycotted the constitutional conference in Nov 1965). But they objected more vociferously when the PNC downplayed the commemoration in favour of Republic Day, February 23 after 1970.

They placed it on the front-burner after returning to power in 1992. Rampertab also claims that in 1962 it was PPP Minister Cedric Nunes who originally proposed the May 26 date. Hamilton Green, who was at the 1965 London Confab, claims May 26 was a “compromise” between preference between Burnham’s choice of February 23 (Cuffy’s Revolt) and D’Aguiar’s August 1 (Emancipation).

But the suggestion by Rampertab that the date should be changed would seem academic since it is a matter of the historical record, an order of the British Crown, granted us independence on May 26th. One cannot undo that circumstance.

The other suggestion would be to “let sleeping dogs lie” about that period in the 1960s when there were enough atrocities committed by “both sides” to spread around. But there are some who believe otherwise.

One such person is President David Granger. In a 2003 paper, without ever mentioning the preceding Wismar atrocities, he wrote: “The most alarming slaughter of the ‘Disturbances’ was that of 40 Africans on 6 July at Hurudaia in the Demerara River as they travelled in a motor launch to Mackenzie.”

The following year, a “Son Chapman Tragedy Commemoration Committee”, with the PNC integrally involved, organised a 40th Anniversary event at the fatal spot at Hurudaia on the Demerara River. Robert Corbin, leader of the PNC said, “a nation that fails to record its history is bound to make the same mistakes.”

After Granger became the leader of the PNC he attended the Commemoration ceremony in 2011 and declared he wished more people would converge at the spot. The Motto on the Monument at Hurudaia declared: “Those who forget the lessons of history do so at our own peril.”

In 2013, Granger and the PNC initiated moving the commemoration to the centre of Linden so the people there “would not forget”. When the PNC took office they would construct the monument.

We cannot undo the past but I believe we can have a memorial for ALL the 176 Guyanese who perished in the 1964 disturbances and need restorative justice.

 

Unity and social cohesion

Dear Editor,

50 years on and those that seek to divide the people through political means continue to win victories, the failure to allocate seating to the PPP Members of Parliament is not an isolated act or accident of planning, it was a well calculated move designed to elicit knee-jerk reactions from both sides of the political divide. It was an inexcusable act of sabotage against our Nation.

Our President has done a good job of appealing for unity and social cohesion, his sincerity is now under serious question and his future actions will be regarded with askance as all else he has planned fails.

Social Cohesion is undoubtedly needed and must be given serious attention. The current Minister of Social Cohesion must resign over her failure at the most basic of tasks. I would humbly suggest that the President consider the appointment of a younger person with greater inter-personal skills, serious intellect, integrity, unbridled energy and unquestionable cohesive credentials.

Attorney James Bond would suit this portfolio and I have no doubt the appointment of someone such as Bond would be well received by all sides of the political coin and more importantly, the people of Guyana who yearn to live in a less divisive country.

The Golden Arrowhead waves magnificently, her colours vibrant for all to see, dear President; it is time for us to see yours.

Respectfully,

Robin Singh

 

Renegades confirmed that they are not going to re-sign Chris

Australia’s Melbourne based Big Bash franchise, Melbourne Renegades, have confirmed that they are not going to re-sign West Indian star batsman, Chris Gayle, for this season’s tournament. Renegades chief executive, Stuart Coventry, said that the club is looking elsewhere to fill its overseas quota. “We’ll unveil our international signings soon and Chris (Gayle) isn’t part of those plans,” Coventry told News Corp.

The decision of the Renegades to not call upon Gayle’s services effectively ends the West Indian hopes of featuring in this season’s

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle

tournament, with the remaining clubs having already signed or having shown no interest in the Jamaican. Dwayne Bravo could be a replacement for Gayle, according to reports. (cricbuzz.com)