Drugs, disaster preparedness
High on CARICOM agenda
By Wendella Davidson
NEW Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for the next six months, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning has reminded that the drug trade is a worldwide phenomenon and that the Caribbean is not immune.

And according to him, how the region protects itself from the widening scourge is an issue of high priority on the CARICOM agenda and one of several critical issues.

The others cover streamlining the CARICOM Single Market which came into being on January 1 and its progression for the coming into being of the economy aspect in 2008, disaster preparedness and the need to deepen the integration process.

Mr Manning outlined the priorities at a news conference during a one-day visit to Guyana yesterday and following discussions he had with CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington in relation to his new responsibilities as CARICOM Chairman.

The meeting sought too to identify some priorities which need to be addressed during his chairmanship.

With Manning at the news conference at the new CARICOM Secretariat in Turkeyen were President Bharrat Jagdeo, Mr Carrington and Deputy CARICOM Secretary General, Dr Lolita Applewhaite.

Manning said security in the region is a matter of high priority as in relation to the drug trade, it is recognised that the Caribbean is situated between the producing countries of the south, centrally Colombia, and the consuming countries of the United States, Canada and West Europe.

He said the region is aware too that not all the drugs that come into the countries leave and of the guns which are used to protect them not all come and leave.

As a consequence, this provides a security problem throughout the entire Caribbean presently, he said.

There is too, he said, the challenge before the region in terms of successfully streamlining the CARICOM Single Market (CSM) on January 1 last, and the institutional arrangements to follow to ensure that the economy aspects come on stream by 2008, if the operations of the region are to be successful.

In addition, disaster preparedness cannot be ignored, the CARICOM Chairman said, noting that several member states have been adversely affected by disasters, including Grenada, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Belize and Haiti.

He said that having regard to what has been taking place in the world, countries are in no position to predict when the next disaster will come in the region, reminding that the Grenada experience is particularly instructive in this regard. Grenada was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.

Manning noted that when disasters take place in other parts of the world, priority tends to be given to them, rather than to what some see as an “insignificant Caribbean”, and stressed governments in the region have to look much closer at their own arrangements to protect themselves against such disasters.

In addition, the region needs to “as is appropriate, take steps to attract the attention of the international community, though first and foremost we would have to rely more and more on our own efforts”, he said.

On deepening the integration process, he said such a need arrives out of several considerations - the reality of the banana situation internationally, and that of sugar, as a number of countries in the region depend very heavily for economic activities on bananas or sugar.

He said in the face of such realities the question that arises in a single market is what will be the economic drivers in each territory that can guarantee that the single market is sustainable.

“The time is going to come for us to sit around the table and decide who does what to ensure that every player gets a fair share,” Manning advocated.

Acknowledging that by no means the issues identified will solve the problems of the region, and that earth shattering developments should be expected over the next six months, he said his government, while assuming the leadership role, would seek “to incrementally ensure the progression of the integration movement so that with every change of chairmanship the situation is a little better…”

Manning also announced that CARICOM will officially mark the coming into being of the CSM at a ceremony to be held on January 30 in Jamaica.

That will be followed by the hosting of the community’s Inter-sessional meeting in Port of Spain on February 9-10, arrangements for which were among the issues discussed here yesterday.

President Jagdeo, in welcoming his counterpart to Guyana, implored of the Trinidad Prime Minister to visit here more often so that both countries can hold discussions on a bilateral level in an effort to forge more linkages.

T&T aiming to be 'beacon of integrity'
-- Manning
IN ITS quest to shape a country that is a “beacon of integrity in the western hemisphere and (indeed) in the world”, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago is moving to stamp out corruption in the “body politic” of the nation, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said here yesterday.

Asked about the recent resignation of two of his Cabinet ministers embroiled in corruption accusations at a press conference at the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, he said he is seeking collaboration with other countries to achieve this goal.

Mr Franklin Khan, who headed the Works Ministry, resigned last November, and Mr Eric Williams, who until Monday was in charge of the Energy Ministry, has also resigned. Both men face prosecution.

Mr Manning made it clear that the charges against his ministers were as a result of reports made by him through the Integrity Commission to the Attorney General.

The Prime Minister, who was on a one-day visit here, said he took the action of sending the matters to the Integrity Commission, and added: “Therefore, it was as a consequence of the government itself that this has come about.”

Noting, however, that “all persons are innocent until proven guilty,” he pointed out that nothing that has happened so far suggests that the individuals might be guilty.

“What is of significance, though, is the determination of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to ensure that as we conduct our public affairs we do so in accordance with the highest standards of integrity,” he added.

And as it relates to the number of charges laid recently, the Prime Minister warned that “it will continue … There is more of that to come and at the end of the day what we hope to see is a body politic that is free of corruption and subscribing to the highest standards of integrity.”

Canal farmers recount flood woes
FLOOD-HIT farmers in Canal Number One and Two Polders on the West Bank Demerara yesterday briefed President Bharrat Jagdeo on their woes as he continued a round of visits to stricken communities and updated them on relief measures by the government.

He is today scheduled to visit the Pomeroon where farming homesteads along the Pomeroon River have also been heavily hit by waters overflowing the river banks after heavy rains.

Farming communities along the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary rivers and in the Black Bush Polder in Berbice are also enduring hardship brought on by flood waters and officials said the government is continuing a relief scheme to help victims.

Flood waters in the Canals Polders had receded significantly yesterday as rainfall eased since Monday and some drainage canals are being cleaned.

As was promised by Chairman of Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), Mr Esau Dookie when he visited Canal No. 1 last week, a tractor with a heavy object was used to clear vegetation in the main drainage canal, while a Hymac excavator is cleaning the main drainage waterway in Canal No. 2.

The situation in Canal No. 1 was much better yesterday than in Canal No. 2 as most areas in the former were almost dry but with pockets of water scattered in some places.

In the latter, many yards were still under a few inches of water and crops still under threat.

On his visit, President Jagdeo heard charges that some farmers had cut parts of the A-Line and Centre-Line dams in Canal No. 1, aggravating the flooding, and he asked regional officials to investigate where the cuts were made and to seal these off as quickly as possible.

Residents of Canal No. 1 charged too that water from a new housing scheme at Parfait/La Harmonie is being discharged into the main drainage canal and this is putting too much pressure on the drainage capacity of the waterway.

Dookie said this has been stopped and the water from the housing scheme is being diverted to another outlet. However, the President assured that he will ask the National Drainage and Irrigation Board (NDIB) to ascertain the true state of affairs and to take remedial measures if required.

Residents of Canal No. 1 complained too of the unsanitary conditions of the toilets resulting from the flood at the Two Brothers Primary School which both teachers and students have to endure. The President requested regional officials to address the situation.

Mr Jagdeo was assured that the Boeraserie Water Conservancy is at a safe level and the Waramina sluice is in operation draining off excess water.

However, the President cautioned on the need to maintain a balance to ensure that when the rainy weather ends there is adequate water in the conservancy to irrigate crops.

In both Canal No. 1 and 2, residents complained about serious irregularities in the distribution of flood assistance, charging that many people who have not suffered have received assistance while genuine victims have been left out.

President Jagdeo assured that he will ask Minister within the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Ms Bibi Shadick to visit the communities tomorrow and rectify the irregularities.

In Canal No. 2, residents claimed that Shadick was discourteous to them, but the President replied that the behaviour by some residents may have frustrated the minister, triggering her reaction.

He said cane farmers affected by the floods are also entitled to flood assistance.

Another burning question raised by residents in both areas was clearing vegetation in the main drainage canals, and the President advised that the feasibility of the use of chemicals be explored, as there is a chemical which has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, he pointed out that it has to be dispensed under supervision.

The President also cautioned residents against living along reserves as this prevents the access of machinery to maintain drainage systems and in times of heavy rainfall this is crucial.

He updated residents on the government’s move to acquire machinery and equipment to help improve drainage systems in flood-prone regions, reporting that as part of a $500M programme 15 Hymacs are scheduled to arrive in the country from Italy by the end of next month.

These would be deployed to the communities vulnerable to flooding to bolster the ability to effectively maintain drainage systems, he said. (CHAMANLALL NAIPAUL)

Thousands of chickens drop dead in Trinidad
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (Reuters) - Thousands of chickens have mysteriously dropped dead at several farms in Trinidad over the last four weeks but authorities ruled out the deadly bird flu virus as the cause.

Agriculture Minister Jarette Narine said that veterinarians and other health workers visited the farms in the eastern agricultural district of Cumuto yesterday to carry out investigations and to take samples from the dead chickens.

"What they are saying to me is that it is not to be worried about," Narine told a local radio station.

Narine ruled out avian influenza.

The H5N1 bird flu strain is known to have killed at least 78 people since 2003 and some medical experts fear it could mutate into a form more easily passed between humans, threatening a repeat of past influenza outbreaks that killed millions around the world.

Narine said health officials believed the chickens in Trinidad were dying because of a fungal disease of the respiratory tract caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, a kind of mould.

The government said the affected farms would be quarantined until laboratory results confirm the cause of the deaths.

Floods send food prices up
A CHECK at the three main markets in Georgetown yesterday showed prices are up for vegetables, ground provisions and seasoning.

These are grown mainly in parts of the coast hit by flooding since last month and shipped to Georgetown and while there is no serious shortage, the prices varied at the Stabroek, Bourda and Kitty markets.

Most of the vendors said they get produce from Mahaica, Mahaicony and Berbice, all hit by flood waters.

Of the three markets the Guyana Chronicle checked yesterday, the prices are highest in Kitty where vendors said they buy at higher prices from middlemen.

“The price that we have is not the normal price; but because of the floods the produce are very hard to get now and expensive too, so we buy at a high rate and we also get some damage vegetables that cannot be sold -- then we also have to make a profit”, said Nina Devi, a Kitty Market vendor.

Another vendor there said that no matter how she tries to keep prices down for customers, they are still complaining that the items are expensive.

Prices are more reasonable at Bourda Market where vendors said the rains have caused a scarcity of some vegetables and seasoning.

The prices for these items change every day at Bourda and this is expected whenever there is a flood in the areas where the produce are mainly from, sellers said.

At the Stabroek Market, prices are much cheaper than at the other two markets and more shoppers were there yesterday.

One Stabroek vendor said the prices depend on where they buy from and agreed that the current prices are not normal, mainly because of the recent floods.

He also noted that if the rains continue, the prices will go sky high.

While prices for vegetables, ground provisions and seasoning were up during the Christmas holidays, they have jumped higher with the floods.

Health officials said it is important for consumers to know who they are buying from and to wash all vegetables with treated water and to cook them properly.

PNCR in Linden outreach
THE leadership of the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) was last weekend in Linden, a traditional stronghold of the party.

A party press release said Opposition and PNCR Leader, Mr Robert Corbin and his wife Carol hosted a reception Saturday at the Constabulary Recreation Hall for business, church and other members of the community.

“Young people were particularly prominent in the audience. During the reception many persons pledged their continued support for the Leader of the PNCR. They also expressed the hope that he and his party would retake the reins of government”, the release said.

Corbin, in a brief address, thanked the members of the religious community, the Chamber of Commerce and the business community for being present for the occasion, it said.

“Turning to the situation in the country generally and in Linden specifically, the PNCR leader said that the year 2006 promised to be one of challenges and difficulty. He, however, had no doubt that these could be overcome by hard work and co-operation. His was a vision in which a well managed country and economy would ensure that young people, in particular, could realise their dreams and hopes right here in Guyana and not have to emigrate to fulfil their ambitions”, it said.

At the end of his address, Corbin introduced the members of his Central Executive Committee to the audience.

The event was chaired by Regional Chairman, Mr Mortimer Mingo.

In Region Two…
Business places, residential parts of Charity also flooded
THE recent heavy and consistent rainfall has left Charity New Housing Scheme on Essequibo Coast, also in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), flooded, as well.

The place was under at least one foot of water when Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr Harripersaud Nokta visited on Sunday in company with Regional Chairman, Mr Alli Baksh and Vice-Chairman, Mr Vishnu Samaroo.

Residents told the ministerial party that a pump should be placed to drain the excess water from the residential part into Pomeroon River.

They said the flow into it is not quick enough because the river is currently swollen and the draught at its mouth is affected by siltation.

The flooding at Charity has also inundated Xenon Restaurant, Bar and Disco and several other nearby business places.

Meanwhile, people living aback of Charity Amazon Market are also flood victims with water covering their yards, too.

President for Pomeroon today
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo is to visit flood-hit areas along the Pomeroon River today.

Farming and other communities along the river have been hard hit by excessive rain and Mr Jagdeo on Monday announced that the government has allocated $60M in relief for farmers there.

They will receive the assistance next week, he told reporters.

Reports said the banks of the river have been overflowing after heavy rains last week.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) said regional and technical officials have been monitoring the situation and Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Mr Harripersaud Nokta, visited affected parts over the weekend.

Chinese team on boats survey mission here
THE Chinese Government is making good on its commitment to design and construct ferry boats for Guyana to be used in riverain communities as cargo and passenger vessels, Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Clement Rohee said yesterday.

A visiting seven-member survey team from the Changjiang Ships Design Institute and the Ministry of Commerce of China yesterday called on the minister at his office in Georgetown.

The Ferry Boats Project was proposed by the Guyana Government in December 2004 and the exchange notes for the dispatch of the survey team were signed on July 22, 2005 when Prime Minister Samuel Hinds visited China.

The survey team is on a 13-day visit to carry out a feasibility study for the implementation of the project.

Head of the visiting team Mr Wang Qianjin, Professor and Chief Engineer of the Chanjian Ships Design Institute, said the Chinese Government has registered its strong commitment to the project.

The team will meet officials from the relevant government departments and agencies responsible for the implementation of the project.

Mon Repos pump fixed
-- GWI
GUYANA Water Incorporated (GWI) yesterday announced that the Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara well is operational again and full supply of water will resume from 17:30 h today.

In a press release, GWI said this would mean a normal supply of water to residents of Mon Repos, Beterverwagting/Triumph, Good Hope, Lusignan (over the line), Annandale (West and South), Eastville and Buxton/Friendship.

PPP team to visit Mahaicony today
GENERAL Secretary of the governing People’s progressive Party (PPP), Mr Donald Ramotar and Member of Parliament, Mr Neil Kumar are expected to visit flood-hit Mahaicony Creek today and will present hampers to farmers and residents there, the party said yesterday.

The hampers would include foodstuff and household items, a press release stated.

Ramoutar and Kumar will have a first hand look at the flood situation and extent of losses by farmers and other residents with a view of making recommendations, it said.

The PPP has registered its regret at the flood disaster that has hit several parts of the country due to heavy rainfall.

The party said it is concerned about the losses by farmers who depend on agriculture for their livelihood and the many women and children whose lives are temporarily disrupted by flooding.

Contracts signed to renovate municipal markets, streets
THE Local Government Ministry yesterday signed contracts for major overhauls at two municipal markets in the country under the Urban Development Project (UDP).

This is the final year for the UDP which has seen vast improvements in streets, buildings and other infrastructure in municipalities across the country, including the capital city Georgetown.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr Ganga Persaud said that with the completion of Phase One of the programme, officials are working on time to conclude Phase Two by year-end.

One contract covers repairing the Wismar Market and Linden Town Hall in a six-month project from January 24. The Wismar Market segment includes constructing 126 stalls, electrical installation and fencing and putting in a gate.

The Linden Town Hall scheme covers repairing the roof, ceiling, walls, doors, windows, floor and sanitary facilities, electrical installation and repairing the constabulary building. The contract cost is G$78,688,823.

Another contract is for repairs to the Bush Lot Market, in Essequibo, in a nine-month scheme commencing January 24. This project entails paving the entire compound, constructing 159 stalls, sanitary facilities, electrical installation and fencing. The contract cost is G$112,843,738.

The other contract, for G$218,692,898, is for repairing roads and drains in New Amsterdam in a project to run for nine months from January 24, officials said.

Roads to be repaired in New Amsterdam are New Street, Pope Street, St Magdalene Street, Kent Street and Angoy Avenue.

The three contracts signed at the ministry in Georgetown yesterday were with Manager of B. & J. Civil Works, Mr Jochen Tapp and Engineer for R. Bassoo and Sons Construction Company, Ms Heidi Gillette. Also at the signing were UDP Project Engineer, Mr Robert Choo-Shee-Nam and Ms Beverly Tapp of B. J. Civil Works.

UDP Project Coordinator, Mr Fredrick Flatts said 11 sub–projects are to be completed under phase two and contracts for seven, including the three signed yesterday, have so far been concluded.

He said four more will be signed to close the programme for the year.

Flatts also said that there will be more work on roads in Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Linden and repairs to the New Amsterdam Market, Corentyne Market and Mackenzie Market.

These contracts fall under the final four sub–projects of the UDP for the year, he said.

Home Economics/kitchen equipment for eight high schools
THE Ministry of Education, through the Basic Education Access and Management Support programme (BEAMS), has signed a contract for the supply of Home Economics/kitchen equipment for the first batch of schools being built and renovated by the programme.

The contract for G$41M was awarded to Mohamed Baksh, the ministry announced yesterday.

The schools which will benefit from the initiative are Bladen Hall Secondary, North Ruimveldt Secondary, Charlestown Secondary, Tutorial Secondary, Lodge Secondary, the New Bartica Secondary, Aurora Secondary and Diamond Secondary.

These schools, the ministry said, will all be equipped with laboratory facilities for technical and vocational subjects in keeping with its policy of providing an alternative pathway to secondary education.

'SIGN ON'
– President urges other CARICOM member states
`This regional project, despite some reservations that all may have, is something that we all need to accede to at this point in time’ -- President Bharrat Jagdeo
IN THE face of wavering by some countries in signing on to the CARICOM Single Market (CSM), President Bharrat Jagdeo has encouraged them to quickly get on board since it is “something that we all need to accede to.”

At a press conference he shared yesterday with Community Chairman, Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago, Secretary General Dr Edwin Carrington and Deputy Secretary General Dr Lolita Applewhaite, President Jagdeo referred to Guyana’s unique position in the regional grouping, and its own concerns within the context of the Single Market.

Guyana, which is classified as a More Developed Country, but, in reality has a per capita income that is lower that the Lesser Developed Countries, is one of the six countries that signed on to the Single Market on January 1. The others are Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Barbados, Jamaica, and Suriname.

Mr Jagdeo said: “We in Guyana have some concerns about the Single Market and Economy… Although we are classified as an MDC (More Developed Country), Guyana’s per capita income is lower than the LDCs (Lesser Developed Countries) and Guyana is a HIPC (Heavily Indebted Poor Country)…We had a huge debt problem; we still have a debt problem. Therefore, we think that economically, we are in a worse position than countries in the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States).”

“Nevertheless,” he added, “we have sought to become one of the first entrants into the single market with the understanding that our issues would be addressed when the Development Fund is put in place, and that the Development Fund and the criteria for the use of the resources of the Development Fund would …recognise these realities… This regional project, despite some reservations that all may have, is something that we all need to accede to at this point in time.”

The Regional Development Fund is considered an important component in the CSM as a facility designed to assist the less well-off countries and the vulnerable sectors in those countries to become more competitive in the CSM environment.

Carrington pointed out that Guyana’s unique position as a disadvantaged country can be addressed under Article 156 of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Manning told the local press corps at the CARICOM Secretariat, at Turkeyen, that some of the other member states will be ready by the later deadline set, while others may not.

He reported that the countries in the OECS are of the opinion that they don’t have much to gain from the CMS, but were looking forward to the “distinct benefits” under the Single Economy scheduled to come on stream in 2008.

“I could have chosen, like some of the other countries, to stay out of it until these concerns were addressed. I’m making a plea for everyone to accede to the Single Market and Economy urgently and that we should almost immediately try to address some of the concerns of the member states,” President Jagdeo said.

Manning was on a one-day visit to Guyana to discuss matters in relation to his tenure as CARICOM chair.

Sugar workers upset over delayed API pay
SUGAR workers are upset over a delay by the Guyana Sugar Corporation to pay some $600M in Annual Production Incentive (API) because of reported cash flow problems.

As a result workers at Wales estate, West Bank Demerara, on Monday went on protest and employees at other locations have threatened to follow suit should GUYSUCO maintain its position, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) said yesterday.

GAWU General Secretary, Mr Komal Chand told the Guyana Chronicle it is customary for GUYSUCO to pay the API not later than the second week in January. However, the corporation has opted to make payments by March 11 this year and workers have rejected this.

Chand said his union has written the corporation reiterating the need for an early payment as it has “deemed the long delay as most unacceptable.”

GUYSUCO Financial Director, Mr Paul Bhim told the Guyana Chronicle the corporation has cash flow problems as the corporation produced only 246,000 tonnes of sugar during last year and spent a huge sum on the Skeldon Modernisation Project, which has put a further strain on its finances. In addition, he said, GUYSUCO has to meet costs from suppliers.

Bhim said GUYSUCO would begin shipping sugar in mid-February to Europe, from which the bulk of its finances are garnered, and this would allow an improvement in its cash flow situation.

This, he said, was why it opted to make payments in March.

The other option, he explained, was to borrow from the commercial banks but that would prove an expensive proposition as interest rates are high and would further aggravate the corporation’s difficult financial situation.

Bhim said this was conveyed to GAWU and it would have been expected that the union would have acquainted its members with the difficulties GUYSUCO is experiencing in making the payments.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Chronicle has learnt that President Bharrat Jagdeo in a meeting yesterday with GUYSUCO officials, asked Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr Ronald Ali to take steps to make an early payment to the sugar workers.

Chand, however, said that sugar workers being upset about the delayed payment have vowed not to resume work for the next sugar crop scheduled to begin as soon as the weather permits.

GPHC nurses stop overtime work
-- union
NURSES at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) have ceased working over time because they have not been paid overtime money retroactive to January 2005, their union said yesterday.

The decision was taken Friday after a meeting of the nursing staff, Principal Industrial Relations Officer of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Ms Patricia Went, said.

At a press briefing at the union’s Georgetown office, she said the money owed is in keeping with the seven per cent pay increase for public servants the government announced last month.

Went said that on December 29, the union was approached on the matter and it contacted GPHC Director of Financial Services, Mr Mohammed Karimullah who she claimed said the nurses are not entitled to any payment.

She said the matter was then taken up with the Ministry of Finance which confirmed that the nurses should receive their money.

But even though the union has been following the matter, up to yesterday afternoon, no word was given on when the nurses would be paid, she told reporters.

“We know that it would affect the management of the hospital since they are short staff at the moment”, Went said.

The action would continue until the nurses receive their money, she added.

Mosque offers reward for sign vandals
INTERMITTENT acts of vandalism have finally led to the Met-en-Meerzorg East Masjid posting a $100,000 reward for the person or persons responsible for the recent removal of a signboard on mosque property.

According to Secretary to the West Coast Demerara mosque, Mr Haleem Khan, the sign had been up since shortly before its members began their protests against the opening of the West Side Plaza Halaal Restaurant, Cool Out Spot and Pub by businessman, Mr Premnauth Persaud. That was last October, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Khan told the Guyana Chronicle that since the mosque was granted an interim court injunction order last November, restraining Persaud from carrying out any activities other than the restaurant part of his business, the breakdown in the already poor relations between the mosque and the businessman has accelerated.

Khan alleges that West Side Plaza has also continued to sell alcoholic beverages in defiance of the injunction, which says in part that “an INTERIM INJUNCTION ORDER is hereby granted restraining the First Named Defendant [Persaud], his servants and/or agents from selling any alcoholic beverages including wine and malt beverages at the ‘West Side Plaza, Cool Out Pub’ of Lot 48 Met-en-Meerzorg, West Coast of Demerara, County of Demerara, Guyana.”

That was just the latest legal manoeuvre within the storm of controversy that has surrounded this case from the onset.

According to Khan, worshippers at the mosque have been subject to constant harassment; taunts from patrons at the pub; music is continuously played throughout the hours of prayer; and on several occasions worshippers have found plastic cups, broken beer bottles, and even human faeces in one instance on the property.

Khan said that last Sunday morning it was discovered that someone had removed their signboard over the entrance to the mosque compound.

The signage had read:

“We the Muslims of Guyana strongly condemn all immorality infront [sic] places of worship”

Khan said the decision was taken to offer a reward to anyone with information on who might have removed the signboard, and another signboard with the reward amount was put up.

As a precautionary measure, Khan said, he and two others decided to secretly stay inside a building within the compound. He alleges that at about 01:45 h on Monday, three men known to him emerged from the direction of West Side Plaza and walked over to the mosque.

He said that two of the men, under the direction of the third man, began to dismantle the sign. He said they seemed to have had some initial trouble with the wiring holding the sign together and were directed to just rip the sign out.

He said the men then went into the mosque compound proper but he and the others were unable to see anything from their vantage point. After the men left, Khan said he and his colleagues checked and found nothing further amiss.

Asked why they did not apprehend the men as they were taking down the sign, Khan said that getting out from their hiding place would have alerted the men. He added that he and the other two mosque members also expected the men to return some time later in the night but that they did not.

Khan told the Guyana Chronicle that the reward is still on offer, but that anyone presenting information must, as a condition of collecting, be prepared to testify in court in the event of any criminal prosecution brought against the alleged perpetrators. (RUEL JOHNSON)

Eid message is of particular significance
-- President Jagdeo
Here is the text of the President’s message:

“On behalf of the Government of Guyana, I would like to wish Muslims and all Guyanese a happy Eid-ul-Adha (Qurbani).

This occasion is observed by Muslims and marked by acts of kindness and charity to the less fortunate in society, as a commemoration of the Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael’s willingness to obey God’s commandment without doubt or hesitation in complete obedience.

Eid-ul-Adha is a great reminder to all humanity of the importance of principles such as faith, repentance, honesty, simplicity, equality and concern for the dispossessed and the poor.

This year, the message of Eid-ul-Adha is of particular importance to our country, a year in which all Guyanese have been challenged in the national effort to work together as our country faces challenges including floods in several communities caused by intense rainfall.

The significance of Qurbani at this time serves as a reminder to all Guyanese that we must still be willing to make sacrifice in the interests of all humanity. We must embrace our common humanity that should motivate us to work together as one people for the good of our country.

Hence let love, sacrifice and compassion influence our everyday actions, especially most of all during this sacred festival of Qurbani.

May we all be inspired once again by the significance of this occasion.

Eid Mubarak!”

Remember the sacrifice
-- GIT
THE Guyana Islamic Trust (GIT) has urged Guyanese to strive to inculcate the spirit of devotion and obedience to the Creator which stems from absolute faith as Prophet Abraham did when he was willing to sacrifice his son Ishmael.

“By remembering his sacrifice, we align ourselves with his aspirations to achieve the pleasure of our Creator and sustainer, regardless the personal cost”, the GIT said in its Eid-ul-Adha message.

The organisation also said that Guyanese should commit themselves to the continuance of the struggle to help cement a place in history through their diligence and sacrifice in a world of selfishness.

Draw lessons of Eid
-- PPP urges
THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has extended best wishes to all Guyanese and to the Muslim community in particular on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.

The party’s Eid-ul-Adha message reads:

“All Guyanese and people everywhere can draw a lot of lessons from the story that gave rise to this occasion. Eid-ul-Adha is a story of sacrifice and sharing. These are two characteristics that are really needed in our world and country today.

When consideration is given to the great inequalities that exist within and between countries, it is obvious that a better distribution of resources is badly needed.

The party is convinced that given the resources at our disposal, it is possible to end poverty and misery throughout the world if there is more equitable distribution of such resources.

This calls however, for sacrifice and dedicated work of all decent minded and progressive people everywhere in helping to attain a better quality of life for all.

In Guyana we are observing this holiday at a time when many of our people are affected by flooding of farms, gardens and homes due to the unusually heavy rainfall.

For those more fortunate we urge that we share with our less fortunate country men and women. In this regard the party wishes to acknowledge the great effort of the PPP/Civic government in working to bring relief to those affected by the floods.

Once more, the PPP extends best wishes to all and hopes that the message of Eid-ul-Adha will aspire us to greater sacrifice and more sharing of the world’s resources.”

Speak out for what is right
-- CIOG President in Eid message
PRESIDENT of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), Mr Fazeel Ferouz, is urging Muslims to “uphold justice and the law at all costs and speak out for what is right according to the standard of revelation and piety even if doing so means speaking out against ourselves.”

In his message for Eid-ul-Adha being observed today, he said, “Beyond that we must also demand the truth and uprightness from ourselves, those close to us, our leaders and people in general. And we must refuse to accept lies, suspicion and corruption even if doing so is against our material interest or that of those who are close to us.”

He noted that the Qurbani, or sacrifice, "finds us this year in anticipation of many trials and challenges."

"Already the rains have come again bringing some hardship to our brothers and sisters and countrymen. We ask Allah to bless those who suffer and bless those who assist and guide us all on His way. And yet still on the horizon many commentators are predicting even more stormy weather for the year 2006. Whether these predictions turn out to be true or not the Muslims must consider what the will of our Lord is in our lives and we must be true to our faith regardless or how difficult or painful it may be. For that is true devotion and that is what our Lord requires from us", Ferouz said.

He said pressure is being applied in subtle ways “to impose on our people all sorts of sexual vices, despite our various scriptures.”

Ferouz added: “Corruption, dishonesty, violence and mayhem seem to be a way of life so much so that the process of nation building is despoiled. National elections are always a potential national disaster. Are we as a nation so deranged that we must perpetually live in fear of ourselves? In this context we need to ask what our faith requires of us. We need to be true to Allah if we are to be grateful for the grace He has bestowed upon us with Qurbani.”

Spirit of sacrifice underlying message
-- MYL
IN HIS message for Eid-ul-Adha, President of the Muslim Youth League (MYL), Mr Shabir Hussain says the underlying importance of this festival is the spirit of sacrifice (qurbani) in memory of Prophet Abraham’s great act of faith many centuries ago.

“Eid-ul-Adha is a time for Muslims to learn the value of self-denial by making a sacrifice of the things we love, to God Almighty. Prophet Abraham’s great act of submission is thus regarded solely as an example of genuine surrender to the will of God and is to be followed as such. Today, more than ever, human beings need to incorporate the lessons of this great sacrifice into our lives”, he urged.

Hussain said Qurbani offers lessons to all persons aspiring to become leaders.

“The world in which we live faces us with difficult choices”, he said, adding, “Our guidance comes from our willingness to turn toward God and to find peace within ourselves. Then and only then will we feel content in our choices.”

Abraham set vivid examples
-- Sadr Anjuman
THE Executive of the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA) and the Board of the Shaheed Boys & Girls Orphanages, in their Eid-ul-Adha message, noted that the prophet Abraham translated in his life qualities that are associated with great character.

“Generations of nations are preserved by his teachings. Islam recognises the superiority of the actions of this great Prophet by commanding Muslims to emulate these acts”, the groups said.

“We join with Muslims throughout the world to remind all of the eminence and virtues of this great but honourable leader of mankind and to echo the feelings of love for this great Prophet of Allah and his beloved son, Ishmael.”

“In this age of political instability, ethnic and racial violence, greed, materialism and uncertainties, the selfless actions and willingness to sacrifice that which he loved best, still remain a vivid example of qualities in a human that allows him to tower over all others”, the message said.

Eid has lessons for society
-- IAC
THE Indian Arrival Committee (IAC), in its Eid-ul-Adha message, urged Guyanese to use the day “to deepen our spiritual, cultural and moral attitudes as our country faces the challenges of globalisation.”

“The lessons of Eid-Ul-Adha teach us the importance of respect in practical ways of strengthening society, reaching out to the less fortunate, and supporting the need for peace and security as a nation”, the organisation said.

“Let the intended sacrifice of Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael which teaches obedience of which this can be exemplified and enriched the lives of all peoples”, it urged.

Better late than never
SO THE Media Code of Conduct has been signed for the national elections due this year.

The signatories are now bound by a gentleman’s agreement not to publish material that could be considered inflammatory, turning one group against the other and all that goes with this.

This has taken place not a moment too soon, with general elections not too far off and the citizenry concerned about what will happen this time around.

Many are not too sure about how intense the pre- and post-elections periods would be. Though we all seem to think it’s not going to be easy.

Yes, the media code has been signed. And now we must wait and see.

The code has been fashioned specifically with the 2006 elections in mind, and is quite extensive, dealing with the duties of the media, balanced reportage, and equal access to political advertising, among other things.

What is significantly not part of this document is a call for the media to be proactive in the process, making use of the power they have to sway opinion.

We would have thought that the media are useful tools for building bridges and bringing about healing and pouring oil on troubled waters.

All this of course would tax those who produce material for the media, and might take a bit more thought for writers as they try to be proactive, becoming peacemakers rather than mere reporters and columnists with axes to grind.

But it would be worth it. We need to leave no stone unturned in efforts to bring about peaceful elections.

Admittedly, the media have been remiss in not making serious efforts to bring about healing in our country.

Perhaps the time is now for us to change this. We always say better late than never.

On the other hand there is The Ethnic Relations Commission with its mandate which includes the proactive approach.

Its very vocal Chairman, Bishop Juan Edghill, never misses an opportunity to tell us, both in the print and electronic media, of the constitutional powers of the commission.

And these powers are indeed considerable.

The Act that brought the commission into being stipulates, among other things, that the commission could recommend penalties against persons who make public utterances considered inflammatory, and these penalties include barring the individual from taking part in the elections for a period of time.

The commission’s proactive role includes seminars with stakeholders on conflict resolution, and interaction with students, when commissioners speak of the evils of racial discrimination.

And these sessions are being held in communities across the country.

Of course the bottom line is that media operatives must see to it that their columns and broadcasts do not flout the terms of the code to which they affixed their signatures.

If this is done, and if the Ethnic Relations Commission sticks to its guns, chances are that general elections 2006 will not be as horrific as others in the past.

Battle to legalise abortion heats up in Brazil
By Todd Benson
The abortion battle is also being fought elsewhere in Latin America, where only Cuba and Guyana have fully legalised the procedure
SAO PAULO, Brazil, (Reuters) - Every week at the Hospital das Clinicas in Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest public hospital, women are rushed to the emergency room with severe vaginal bleeding.

Most are in their teens or early 20s and live in the dirt-poor slums that encircle South America's biggest city. Some say they have no idea what caused the bleeding. Others tell elaborate stories of menstruation gone awry.

But hardly any own up to the truth: Scared of being turned in to the authorities in a country where abortion is illegal, they are reluctant to admit they induced miscarriage by inserting a black-market ulcer medication into their vaginas.

"They try to hide the fact that they were pregnant," said Pedro Paulo Pereira, a doctor who runs the hospital's obstetrics ward. "They're young and afraid."

Although abortion is outlawed in Brazil except in rare circumstances, the country has one of the highest abortion rates in the developing world. The Health Ministry estimates that 31 per cent of all pregnancies end in abortion. That works out to about 1.4 million abortions a year, mostly clandestine.

In the United States, where abortion was legalised in 1973, about 25 per cent of all pregnancies end in abortion. In the Netherlands, a country with some of the world's most liberal abortion laws, the ratio is closer to 10 per cent.

Despite its prevalence, abortion largely remains a taboo subject in Brazil, the world's biggest Roman Catholic country. But that is now changing as civic groups and some medical professionals prompt a public debate on abortion by championing a woman's right to end an unwanted pregnancy. They want to prevent women from dying in clandestine abortions.

In September, the government sent a bill to Congress to legalise abortion. Supporters of the bill, which will likely be debated for months in the lower house, acknowledge its chances of approval are slim. But they see it as a crucial step in taking abortion out of the realm of religious dogma and turning it into a matter of civic debate.

If approved, the legislation would authorise abortion up to 12 weeks from conception, up to 20 weeks in rape cases and at any time if the woman's life is at risk or if the foetus is unlikely to survive after birth.

Currently, abortion is only allowed in cases of rape or when the mother's life is in danger. But even then, getting a judge to authorise the procedure can be difficult, and some doctors refuse to perform abortions on religious grounds.

PUBLIC HEALTH VS WOMEN'S RIGHTS
The abortion battle is also being fought elsewhere in Latin America, where only Cuba and Guyana have fully legalised the procedure. Last month Colombia's highest court delayed ruling on a lawsuit seeking to loosen the country's abortion laws.

Argentina's Congress is debating a handful of bills authorising abortion in some instances. In Uruguay, a bill legalising the practice was defeated by just three votes in the Senate in 2004.

In Brazil, activists are trying to frame the debate as a matter of public health. "We're not advocating abortion as a means of birth control," said Dulce Xavier, a member of a faith-based group called Catholics for the Right to Choose.

"It has to be recognised that women in Brazil have abortions, and that they are putting their lives at risk."

Botched abortions are the fourth-leading cause of maternal deaths in Brazil. In 2004, some 244,000 women were treated for complications from clandestine abortions in public hospitals, costing the government 35 million reais ($15.2 million).

Brazil's abortion laws also highlight its gaping social inequalities. Well-to-do women resort to clandestine but safe clinics to end their pregnancies, paying as much as 1,500 reais ($650) -- five times the monthly minimum wage -- for an abortion.

Most poor women, by contrast, turn to an ulcer drug called misoprostol, better known by the brand name Cytotec. Manufactured by Pfizer, the drug when inserted into the vagina causes the uterus to contract, expelling the embryo or foetus.

Cytotec was never intended for use in abortions, and it has not been widely tested for safety as an abortion technique. It frequently causes haemorrhaging and studies suggest it can cause birth defects when it fails to abort.

"The criminalisation of abortion places an undue burden on the poor, both in legal and health terms," said Thomaz Gollop, an obstetrician who helped draft the new abortion bill.

Doctors estimate that Cytotec is used in more than 80 per cent of all clandestine abortions in Brazil, even though the government banned the drug for all uses in the early 1990s.

GOVERNMENT BACKS OFF
Anti-abortion activists do not dispute that clandestine abortions are a cause for concern. But they say legalisation is not the answer, and that the state should not be in the business of sanctioning the termination of human life.

"Taking a life is no way to address an unwanted pregnancy," said Angela Guadagnin, a congresswoman leading a campaign to block the abortion bill. "We're not going to let it happen."

Anti-abortion activists may get their way. After sponsoring the bill, the government has since distanced itself from it, seeking to avoid conflict in Congress as it struggles to recover from a corruption scandal before elections this year.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose Workers' Party has long championed women's issues, has also suggested he opposes legalising abortion.

Still, abortion-rights advocates say momentum is shifting in their favour and that change is inevitable.

"We've managed to make this into more than just a woman's issue," said Xavier of the Catholics for the Right to Choose group. "This is a battle that is only beginning."

Judge blocks GPL from cutting off lights
JUSTICE Jainarayan Singh yesterday said more than 10 persons have been granted ex parte injunctions restraining Guyana Power and Light (GPL) from cutting off their electricity supply for non-payment of bills with ȁxcessive’ sums.

These injunctions, he said, would remain in force until the actions before the court are heard and determined.

The judge’s remarks came during the hearing of Dr Pradeep Agrawal’s claim against GPL for $730,461, which sum, the doctor is contending, is excessive.

He is claiming that because of a new inefficient system of metering, his monthly bills had moved from $48,000 to $730,461.

The doctor, faced with a cutting-off threat from the company, had to pay $150,000 to prevent this from happening.

Since then he has been able to get an ex parte application to restrain the power company from cutting off his lights. The injunction was granted by Justice Claudette La Bennett on November 11 last.

Court statistics show that the new bills received by the applicants have recorded additional sums ranging from $200,000 to $1,000,000.

Agrawal’s case has been put off to January 30, while a similar case of Molly Janki of East Coast, Demerara, versus G PL, has been put off to January 31. The other cases have also been postponed.

In all the cases before the court yesterday the facts were similar, with the plaintiffs-consumers alleging that their electricity bills recorded excessive amounts.

On the other hand, GPL is alleging that the former lower sums recorded by the old meters were due to ‘tampering with the meters’ by the consumers in order to have the machine record a smaller amount of current than was actually utilised.

Man accused of stealing sheep granted bail
DENNIS Simon (no address given) was granted $20,000 bail yesterday when he appeared before Magistrate Bertlyn Reynolds on two larceny charges.

The defendant denied both allegations, one of which accused him of livestock theft and the cases were transferred to another court for January 16.

Particulars of the offences said:

* between December 21 and 22, 2005, at Bush Lot, Simon stole a sheep worth $15,000, belonging to Rishi Persaud and

* on November 10 last, at Land of Plenty, also on Essequibo Coast, he stole a bicycle valued $30,000, belonging to Roplall Jagerdeen.

Is there a cheaper dam way?
I REFER to Mr Rudolph Gajraj’s letter in the Guyana Chronicle of 7/01/06 on the captioned subject ‘The Abary River is alive and well’ and to respond as follows.

First of all, if the watershed between the Abary River and the Mahaicony River is about the same and everyone knows water finds its own level, how come the Mahaicony is 1.5 ft. higher than the Abary?

I still maintain that rainwater from the Abary watershed north of the sluice is flowing towards the Mahaicony and contributing to the present flooding on account of the non-functioning of the Abary River. This has been happening for years.

Another issue is Mr Anand Rampersaud’s letter which preceded Mr Gajraj’s letter of the same date that claimed that the Abary River is silted up with vegetation and weeds and you cannot see the water in the river for over two miles from the Abary sluice and this has been the situation for over eight years. Yet Mr Gajraj claimed that the river is alive and flowing with water. Mr Rampersaud lives in the area.

What is of concern to me is Mr Gajraj’s option to forego the purpose of the Abary Sluice and unilaterally breach the earth dam to release water from the conservancy to the Berbice River in the event on any pressure on the earth dam. He is planning to transfer the problem from one area to another.

I hope the government and people of Guyana take notice of this proposed action and its obvious consequences. I hope he is aware of the amount of water in the conservancy.

If the earth dam is breached deliberately, it will be very difficult and costly to repair, perhaps never.

Mr Gajraj and his advisers questioned the necessity of building the seven-door sluice.

It was the only way to dam the Abary River that was very wide and deep by diverting the river after the sluice is built before continuing the dam construction across the river and then towards the Mahaicony. It was also necessary for the sluice to release a certain amount water from the conservancy during the rainy season to keep the river alive and to be used as a relief as well as in an emergency.

If there is another and cheaper way to dam the river I would like to know.

I do hope this is the end of letter writing as this is not the forum to discuss matters of such importance to the nation.
MALCOLM ALLI

Should the parents be punished?
THE article in the Guyana Chronicle Online, Saturday January 7, 2006, titled: “New Life for 12-year old girl” – the child who never went to school - exposes a heinous crime against our most vulnerable members in society.

Thank you for its publication. It compels the questions:

1. Should we allow the parents or guardians of such a child to remain unpunished?

2. Should such a deprivation be considered deliberate, negligent, inadvertent or what?

3. Should we allow poverty to be an excuse for a crime?

4. Should the intention of our supreme law, the Constitution (Art. 27), which expresses the right to an education, remain violated?

5. Should the farce of such a right be legitimized?

6. Should the rule of law, which is indicative of a civilized society which we have agreed to, be made a mockery by those who prefer to be governed by the rule of the jungle?

7. Should we, as a civilized society, look at the problem, only, from its back side, rather than, frontally?

8. Should we not rage at such a grievous wrong that has defamed us all?

9. How can a government let this happen?

10. More importantly, how can any society allow for such an act against its child?

This situation should be remedied forthwith and in such a way (however idealistic it may sound) that there, never, ever, could be a repetition.

Thank you again for exposing this societal crime.
SONIA JOSEPH
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW

Old enough to remember
AFTER reading the Sunday Stabroek News January 1, 2006 where Minister Bibi Shadick stated that pensioners will be receiving $3,500 monthly and it is not possible to assist pensioners with their light bills because Guyana is not a welfare state, I think there is still hope that the government will make every effort to assist pensioners with their rates and taxes.

There are lots of things being said about the increase in pensions; some are saying it is a New Year’s gift while others are saying it’s an election pay off.

Whatever it is, I am sure like myself all the pensioners are happy and welcome the increase.

As I am on the subject of elections, I wish to remind all Guyanese to remember the past when people had to line up for foodstuff.

I am old enough to remember those days, when children had to attend school barefooted and without proper clothing and books.

I saw children drinking water from a standpipe for lunch and while all this was happening, the so-called leader’s account was getting bigger at a Swiss bank.

Another leader had promised to give this nation a `highway to happiness’; instead we were on a road of no return.

I wonder what the `Third Force’ has to offer? Can this nation trust them? The same can be asked of the Alliance For Change.

Let’s look at some of these so-called leaders who want to lead this nation in the upcoming elections.

One is from the PNCR; after all those years, he now only knows what the PNCR was doing; the same can be said for the one from the PPP/C. As for the others, they have nothing to offer to the people of this country.

This country was at the edge of the precipice, but thanks to our courageous leader, the late great Dr Cheddi Jagan, his wife Mrs Jagan and now President Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana is back on course and has gained recognition the world over.

Soon, it will not only be known as the bread basket of the Caribbean but will regain the name as Little America.

If people of this country allow any one of those people to fool them, then we will be back at where we started in 1991.

We have seen what the PNC has done to this country with the assistance of the United Force.
NOOR MOHAMED

Start the list
MR HAMILTON Green, JP, Mayor, has commented on the Lottery Company and the investigation by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).

He said that “talking about employment policy, I can give the ERC a long list. Let us have peace and truth.”

I endorse what he said about peace and truth.

I ask that he heads the list with the employment policies at the General Register Office (Births& Deaths Division), the National Insurance Scheme, the Bank of Nova Scotia, the National Bank of Industry and Commerce and the Citizens Bank for starters.
SHARDA SINGH

The President can set the example
NONE of the anti-litter campaigns seem to be working.

One of the ways to help alleviate the problem would be for any and all promoters of events to be required to deposit a hefty sum for clean-up and damage. The amount or part thereof could be returned to the promoters if they clean up after themselves to the satisfaction of the owners or boards that gave them use of the premises.

If the premises are not cleaned up the deposit could then be used to take care of that problem.

I saw in the papers recently the President handing out lunches in styrofoam containers.

As we all know these materials are not bio-degradable. They were a major factor in the floods of 2005 and the latest one.

Perhaps the President can set an example by requiring all such functions by government entities use paper products or containers of similar materials.

If any of these measures do not work, then it may become necessary to ban styrofoam containers and plastic bottles.
P. KHAN

Monitor the deportees
IT IS welcome news that a monitoring unit is being set up to keep track of deportees, especially those who were guilty of certain types of crimes.

Just the other day, another 19 deportees were unloaded on us, who are already facing heightened criminal activities in our country.

Other countries in the region are also facing problems over deportees, and we have no say in the matter, although we have tried to get the deporting countries to consider the special and difficult problems that we are consequently faced with.

They won’t even consider providing the deportees with the benefits of their legal employment while in their country, so that they can provide for themselves and try to get back on their feet.

It becomes more important therefore that we set up a monitoring unit especially for those deportees who were involved in violent crimes, to make sure that they do not have an easy opportunity to continue such activities here either by themselves or in collusion with others.
ERIC PATTERSON

Sitting on the money 
NOTHING less than a spontaneous Tassa drum welcome greeted President Bharrat Jagdeo on his visit last week to the flooded areas of Black Bush Polder.

There were also loud chants of “We want Bharrat.”

Although government officials had paid previous visits to assess the problems and needs of the areas, and measures put in place, the people called for their President to visit them himself.

There were full and frank interactions between the President and the farmers and one of the things that came out again is the slothfulness and irresponsibility of some officials as well as some of the farmers themselves who do things that result in some of the problems.

The President had provided funds for important and critical works to have been done, to help prevent flooding, but as he pointed out, “The region has been sitting on the money. Up to now they can’t find posts and wires but Sash Sawh can come here from Georgetown and went to Crabwood Creek and find posts and wires.”

In addition, the regional officials were not keeping Central Government informed, one of the reasons obviously being that they were not even visiting the areas for which they are responsible.

Funds were provided for posts and wires to erect fences for cattle farmers to prevent the cattle from damaging dams and destroying crops, but the officials had done nothing,

Financial and other assistance are being provided to the farmers, as was previously scheduled after assessments.
JENNIFER GLASGOW

Lessons from The Flour Convoy
I AM writing to share some comments on the novel, The Flour Convoy, reference to which appeared in the Guyana press recently.

Published by the University Press of the South, this is Chaitram Singh's first fictional work.  (I had read his earlier work, Guyana: Politics in a Plantation Society.)

I grabbed The Flour Convoy from the publisher as soon as I learned it was in the market, and what a treat it turned out for me for the holiday season!

Set in the early 1980s and deriving its name from the illicit practice of the smuggling of contraband flour across the Corentyne River from neighbouring Suriname, at a time when the regime was banning almost all imported food in its short-sighted drive to replace them with local substitutes, the book reveals an incredible pattern of fraud, corruption and murder, and the lengths to which the regime resorted in order to cling to power.

Unique is the author's bold application of the local Georgetown lingo in the dialogue coursing throughout the book - a feature that augurs well for authenticity. But he did not do this at the expense of good prose, which he also exhibits in the narrative portions of the novel. 

And complementing it all is subtle injection of humour, interspiced with references to elements of Guyanese diet such as metagee, chicken curry, rice bake, and mauby.

The book gives some insight regarding the modus operandi of the 'Comrade President' and his party in the conduct of general elections; how, at a time of rampant starvation among the populace due to banned food items and myriad other short-sighted economic policies, when there was nation-wide clamour against the 'elected' government, the party was 're-elected' by a landslide majority; how ballot boxes would mysteriously disappear before eventually 'reaching' the party-designated counting centre.  

The Flour Convoy attempts to give the reader a sense of the depth of depravity into which this fictional regime was mired. 

Through the protagonist, Captain Alan Moore, and his uncle, an Anglican priest, the novel repeatedly makes the point that the fortunes of the Guyanese people are best served by honest government.  Readers might be interested to know that the novel does not address issues of race, but simply issues of right and wrong. 

The Flour Convoy compels us to examine past wrongs, if only never to repeat them again.

I strongly recommend this work of fiction to every Guyanese, including those of us who reside overseas but still have a great portion of our heart in that "land of palm trees, croton, and fern."
ABEL PETERS

Making Abraham dynamic
BELIEF in someone is more that just looking up to him - it is to make him your passion of emulation.

When Muslims practice the Hajj every year and more inclusively the annual charity of Eid-ul-Azha, they are in reality making Abraham a dynamic celebrity in their lives.

Imagine a Prophet who lived thousands of years ago getting that hype until today!

What made him so special?

I think he grew up with a sense of freedom. As a matter of fact, when Allah asked him to sacrifice his most beloved gem, i.e. his one son and only son then – Ishmael - given to him in old age and after much weeping and supplicating, he was ready.

“O my dear son! I have seen in a vision that I should sacrifice you, consider then, what do you think: He said “My Father do as you are bidden, you shall find me, God willing, one of those who are steadfastly patient.” (Quran 37:102).

Notice the knife didn’t cut the child’s neck, yet so much sincere he was in his intention and resolved in his aspiration to please Allah and not man, both son and father that, until today Muslims around the world, after thousands of years, make the pilgrimage and share the meat on Eid - all out of Abraham’s commemoration.

The Quran allows us a window into this young zeal - first about father and latter on his first born. Quran, 37:100-102.
HABEEB ALLI

T&T Indoor Hockey tournament....
Guyana take three of the four top spots
GUYANESE male hockey teams took three of the four top spots in the Ventures Indoor Hockey Tournament which concluded last Sunday after four solid days of action at the Woodbrook Youth Centre in Port-of-Spain.

The final and third place matches in the men’s competition were contested by exactly the same teams at last year’s Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, only this time around Malvern managed to upstage the Everest Hikers by 6 goals to 3 to win the gold and GCC turned the tables on national champions Old Fort High Flyers to take the bronze by 7 goals to nil. 

In the women’s competition hosts Ventures defeated Malvern by 4 goals to 2 while Notre Dame walked away with the Bronze.

The Guyanese boys had more to shout about than team trophies, since they walked away with all of the special prizes for the men’s competition which was based on a vote by team managers. Jerazano Bell of the Everest Hikers was voted Most Valuable Player, an award that he has now won on several occasions recently, Anthony Cole of the Old Fort High Flyers was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament and Devin Hooper of GCC received the award for the most goals after amassing a staggering 14 goals in just 5 matches.

The men’s final lived up to everyone’s expectations as a fast-paced, high scoring affair with both teams counter-attacking well and forwards finishing dazzling runs with well-deserved goals that had the crowd on their feet.

The Everest Hikers will regret several missed chances as Malvern proved to be the better of the two and gained their revenge by 6 -3 on Everest who had defeated them earlier in the pool round. Albert Marcano led the way for Malvern scoring three times, while two goals were scored by Mickel Pierre and one by Anthony Marcano.

For the Guyanese side, Martin Danette, Devin Munroe and Alex Gouvia all found the back of the net.

The third place game between the two Guyanese teams was a one sided affair with Old Fort responding despondently to the attacks of GCC.

Hooper netted three times, Patrick Edgill twice and Orland Semple and Dwayne Scott tucked in a goal each.

Everest gained the better of Old Fort in the first of the two semi-finals by 6 goals to 4.

The match was a hotly contested battle which saw Everest inch ahead in the early minutes matching each of Old Fort’s goal producing efforts with one of their own.

National players Bell, Danette and Munroe were in top form, each scoring a double while Ascofu Simon netted 3 of the 4 for Old Fort. In the second semi-final, although GCC scored first, Malvern caught them relaxing too early in the first half and racked up a 4-1 lead.

GCC were left to chase and despite leveling the scores in the second half at 4-4, allowed two more goals to be scored, both in the 37th and the 40th minute of the match. 

GCC were able to pull one goal back at the buzzer through a penalty corner to finish losers by 6 goals to 5.

Phillip Fernandes and Devin Hooper scored two apiece while Patrick Edghill scored the other goal.

For the eventual winners it was Pierre who led with the stick, striking three times into the net, while Colin Byron and Jonathan Warren scored the other goal.

Guyanese lone female entrant, the Everest Hikers ladies, managed to avoid the wooden spoon by defeating Raiders on penalty strokes to finish with 5 goals to Raiders 4.

The other games played though they suffered a trashing, 5-1 to the Ventures II, 5-1 to Checkers and 2-1 to Paragon.

Earlier in the pool round of the ten-team men’s competition, Everest had defeated Malvern by 5–2, University of West Indies 9-2, Paragon 9-1 and Queens Park 2-1 to finish unbeaten in pool A of the competition.

GCC also storming through their pool B, finishing unbeaten with wins over T&T Defence Force 6-1, Old Fort 8-3 and Notre Dame 8-2.

Topp XX receive $100, 000 from proud sponsors Bakewell
By Joe Chapman.
THE Kashif and Shanghai champions Bakewell Topp XX was served with ‘bread money’ as promised by the club’s proud sponsors Bakewell, who dished out $100,000 as reward for being champions of the sport’s most prestigious and lucrative football championship.

At a simple but significant ceremony held at Barrow’s Restaurant and Lounge in Linden yesterday afternoon where lunch was served to the winning team,. Bakewell’s Sales Manager Maurice Robello related his company’s delight with the team’s victory.

“We are honouring our promise to Topp XX of $100,000. For winning the championship, we will continue to sponsor them and we are very pleased with their performance and discipline.”

The assurance of commitment for continued sponsorship by Robello means that after nine years, Bakewell feels honoured to be associated with the club, which first hit the local scene when they won the senior league title on promotion to first-division football in 1991 and in the same year the national club championship.

The only survivors of that team have been star striker Collie Hercules, (who was named the Kashif and Shanghi MVP for the first 15 years of the tournament) and midfield general---captain Sheldon Noel.

In response to the promise of continued sponsorship and in giving the vote of thanks after the sumptuous lunch, national mid-field player Kayode McKinnon apologised for the absence of Captain Sheldon Noel who could not make it. McKinnon then said they do appreciate the moment of sharing and celebrating with their sponsors and was looking forward to a bright future with them.

Defense player Abassi McPherson, one of a number of semi -professional players with the club received the best defense player and Most Valuable Player awards for this year’s K&S tournament, carting off the FIFA Vice- president Austin “Jack” Warner MVP Trophy and a Scooter motorcycle from Jialing.

Pakistan and India planning Twenty20 charity fixture
LAHORE, (Reuters) - Pakistan and India are planning to play a Twenty20 charity match to raise funds for earthquake victims in northern Pakistan.

Pakistan's cricket board chairman Shaharyar Khan told Reuters that he would be holding discussions with his counterpart Sharad Pawar to finalise a date for the match.

"Sharad Pawar is due in Pakistan next week. The Indians have conveyed their keeness to play their part in raising funds for the quake victims.

"So either we play a Twenty20 match in the current series or we will again dedicate the proceeds of a scheduled one-dayer for the people affected by the quake," Khan said.

India, who started their tour of Pakistan this week, are scheduled to play three tests and five one-day internationals.

The earthquake which struck northern Pakistan on Oct 8 has left over 73,000 dead and some three million homeless.

The Pakistan board had also dedicated gate money earnings from a recent one-day international against England for the quake victims.

Khan also confirmed that both the Pakistan and India boards had reached a landmark agreement to play a bilateral cricket series only once every two years on the lines of the Ashes.

"We have taken this decision and will now be presenting it at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Karachi on the the 12th for ratification," he added.

"We don't see the ICC having any problems with accommodating this new schedule of Indo-Pak series in the future tours programme."

Khan said both boards agreed that Pakistan and India should avoid playing too much cricket against each other.

The two countries are currently playing their third bilateral series since April 2004.

Adams takes over from Harper as Under-19 manager
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) - The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday named former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams as the new manager of the West Indies Under-19 team for the upcoming International Cricket Council's Youth World Cup.

Zorol Barthley, cricket operations manager of the WICB, confirmed the appointment.

"We have appointed Jimmy because of his leadership skills and knowledge of the game and what goes on within the game," Barthley said.

Adams, who turned 38 on Monday, takes over from Roger Harper who stepped down last week to be coach of Kenya.

Adams' first role will be to oversee the five-day camp at the Cricket Development Center in Couva, Trinidad, which starts today.

"I'm excited about the role and I'm happy to serve West Indies cricket again," Adams said.

"I am excited to work with the boys and help to guide the next generation of West Indies cricketers."

In his playing career Adams was a stubborn left-handed batsman and left-arm spinner who played 54 Test matches and 127 One-Day Internationals between 1992 and 2001.

After the camp in Trinidad, the West Indies team will leave the region next Sunday to play five matches against Pakistan's Under-19s before heading to Sri Lanka for the tournament, which will be played from Feb 5-19.

Harper competed with over 30 applicants for Kenya job
FORMER West Indies senior cricket coach, Roger Harper who will travel to Kenya later this month to coach the national team for the 2007 World Cup was not the only person vying for the job.

According to a release on the International Cricket Council (ICC) website, the former West Indies player, was recently shortlisted selected from over 30 applicants, including a former coach of a Test-playing side..

“We had a very impressive list of more than 30 applications and it took a long time to whittle it down,” said Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) Chairman Samir Inamdar of a process that began in September 2005.

“It was very difficult to make the final choice but we offered the job to Roger in late December and we are delighted he has accepted it.”

Inamdar said Harper, would bring a host of qualities to the role.

“Roger’s coaching credentials are extremely impressive, not just in terms of working with players but also on the technology side of the game,” he said.

“Also, his attributes as a splendid player in all disciplines – batting, bowling and fielding – mean he has hands-on experience to help coach those aspects of the game.

“And the fact he has vast experience of the West Indies through his playing and coaching roles is a massive advantage to us given that is where the World Cup is taking place in 2007,” added Inamdar.

Harper coached West Indies from 2000 to the end of the 2003 World Cup. During his tenure, the team won nine and lost 19 of 39 Tests. He has also coached the United States and at the West Indies Academy.

Regarded as one of West Indies' greatest fielders, he was the team's principal spinner in 25 Tests and 105 one-day internationals from 1983 to 1996. Harper will take up the role later this month with his contract running until the end of June 2007.

He takes over a position originally vacated by Andy Moles in February 2005, although former Pakistan all-rounder Mudassar Nazar subsequently coached the squad while a successor was sought.Commenting on his appointment Harper said: “I’m delighted and very excited at the opportunity to work with a Kenya side that has a fair amount of talent.

“My objectives now are to get the best out of individual players and the team as a whole and to move Kenyan cricket forward.”

In order to take up the position Harper had to vacate the role of team manager of the West Indies squad for the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup, due to take place in Sri Lanka in February.

“That was a difficult decision but in that role I was manager and not coach,” he said.

“Now I have the opportunity to not only coach players once again but also to do so at a relatively high level.  It is great to be back on that circuit,” added Harper.

The 42 year-old was chosen by a five-man committee made up of Inamdar, KCA Chief Executive Officer Tom Tikolo, Nasser Verjee (KCA Treasurer), Chairman of Selectors David Waters, and Sukhbans Singh from the cricket operations department.

ICC High Performance Manager Richard Done sat on the committee in an advisory capacity.

Harper joins Kenya at an exciting time in the country’s cricket development.  From the start of this month all Kenya’s one-day matches against not only ICC Full Members but also against the other top six Associate sides – Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland – have official ODI status.

ODI fixtures for Kenya and the other Associates are yet to be confirmed as is the program for this year’s ICC Intercontinental Cup, the first-class tournament for non-Test playing countries.

Kenya were runners-up in the 2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup, losing to Ireland in the final in Namibia.

India waives telecast clause for Pakistan Tests
NEW DELHI, (Reuters) - The Indian government told the Supreme Court yesterday it would waive a controversial telecast rule to allow a private broadcaster exclusive rights to show the high-profile India-Pakistan tests starting this week.

Dubai-based Taj Television, rights holders for cricket in Pakistan, had petitioned the court against the directive which private broadcasters fear will hurt advertising revenue worth millions of dollars.

The Indian government made it mandatory in October for private broadcasters to share live sports feeds, particularly cricket, with the state-run Prasar Bharti.

Legal battles precede almost every major cricket series involving India, world cricket's commercial hub. The government wants all matches on its free-to-air terrestrial channel because millions of fans in the cricket-mad country cannot afford cable TV.

The government made a submission in court yesterday that Prasar Bharti would not pay the hefty sum demanded by Taj's Ten Sports channel for sharing the Test feed, including the original commercials.

Instead it wanted a 90-minute daily highlights package for the three-Test series starting in Lahore on Friday, which Ten Sports agreed to provide.

Both broadcasters said they would try to work out a deal separately for the five-match one-day series starting on Feb. 6.

"We are in the process of finding ways to resolve the issue with the ministry ... this gives us some breathing space," the managing director of Taj Television Pvt. Ltd, Sharmista Rijhwani told Reuters.

Cricket earns more than three-quarters of revenues for sports programming on Indian television. The one-day format gets a lion's share of these.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has also urged the Indian government to rescind the order. The issue is expected to figure in the ICC executive board meeting in Karachi tomorrow.

Beckenbauer hits out at report stadiums not safe
BERLIN, (Reuters) - Franz Beckenbauer criticised a respected German consumer products group for saying there were serious deficiences at World Cup stadiums and said in an interview published yesterday they should stick to face creams.

"I'm really sick and tired of the army of know-it-alls trying to lift their profile at the expense of the World Cup," the organising committee president said after Stiftung Warentest reported there could be problems if fire or panic broke out.

"The Stiftung Warentest knows what it's doing when comes to facial cremes, olive oil and vacuum cleaners," Beckenbauer said referring to the agency that warns consumers about product safety.

"But they should stick with that," Beckenbauer added.

"They're spouting off about our stadiums being unsafe if panic breaks out but without naming any concrete facts. The construction of the stadiums was done under the strict controls of authorities. They just want to promote themselves by saying 'Look, we're important!'"

Beckenbauer added he feared the group hurt Germany's image.

"All the nonsense fits the mood of the country. We never would have won the right to host the World Cup if all these moaners and groaners had been around in 2000 when Germany won.

"Sometimes you ask yourself: Why are we bothering with this? But the World Cup will nevertheless be a great festival."

The consumer protection group said on Friday some of the German stadiums have serious deficiencies if crowd panic or fire were to break out. It will release details yesterday.

Brazilian football season kicks off after five-week break
By Brian Homewood
RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) - Brazil's marathon season kicks off today after a break which lasted just over five weeks and with the country's sweltering summer only just beginning.

Most players would probably rather stay on the beach and skip the plethora of state competitions which open the season, with the national championship not due to kick off until the end of April.

Argentina forward Carlos Tevez, who inspired the Corinthians team which last year's Brazilian championship, has already announced that intends to sit out the opening games.

"I'd rather not play and work on my physical conditioning," said Tevez, who was signed from Boca Juniors in December 2004 for $18 million, a record between two South American clubs.

Corinthians are the first team in action as they travel to Bauru to face Noroeste in the Paulista -- Sao Paulo state championship -- the largest and most illustrious of the regional contests.

The match kicks off at 3.30pm local time, when summer temperatures routinely pass 30 Celsius, and promises to be a torrid experience for both players and supporters.

Vanderlei Luxemburgo's return to Brazilian football after his ill-fated 11 months with Real Madrid begins the following day when Santos visit Sao Bento.

Luxemburgo has gone straight back to Santos, the club he led to the Brazilian championship title in 2004 before being selected to coach Real. Pele's former club employed four different coaches in his absence.

World club champions Sao Paulo do not enter the fray until January 18, when they are away to Santo Andre.

Like Santos, they will also be under a new coach with Muricy Ramalho replacing Paulo Autuori, who was made an offer he said he could not refuse by Japan's Kashima Antlers.

Sao Paulo have also lost right back Cicinho, who has joined Real Madrid.

EDMUNDO RETURNS
Palmeiras, the other Paulista favourites under former Brazil coach Emerson Leao, have brought back 34-year-old striker Edmundo for what should be a swansong.

Edmundo, as well known for his volatile temper as his footballing gifts, inspired Palmeiras as they won successive Brazilian championship titles in 1993 and 1994.

He also received half a dozen red cards during the same period and was eventually fired for complaining that the grass at the Parque Antartica stadium was too long.

As usual, there have been a bewildering number of transfers in the close season and many fans may have trouble recognising their new teams.

Typically, the wheeling and dealing carries on for several weeks into the season while the coaching casualties usually begin after only three or four matches.

Santos have made no fewer than 12 new signings including Paraguayan international defender Julio Manzur, Chilean international midfielder Claudio Maldonado and former Paris St Germain striker Reinaldo.

At the other extreme, Cruzeiro, who play in the Mineiro -- Minas Gerais championship -- have offloaded 20 players since the end of last season.

In Rio de Janeiro, the Carioca championship starts at the weekend with veteran striker Romario among the players in action.

Brazil's 1994 World Cup forward, who was top scorer in last year's Brazilian championship, will be 40 at the end of the month and has signed a deal to stay with Vasco for another year.

Martyn uncertain over Test future
AUSTRALIA batsman Damien Martyn remains doubtful of a Test return, despite some impressive form in the one-day arena.

Martyn was axed after Australia's Ashes defeat, but reminded the selectors of his talent with a scintillating 96 in the Twenty20 match with South Africa.

"A lot of things might have to happen," he admitted. "It's really making runs and trying to enjoy the VB Series.

"If that's the last Test match I've played I certainly won't look back and have any regrets with what's happened."

Martyn began the Ashes series last summer as an integral part of the Australian middle order.

Not helped by some unfortunate umpiring decisions, he made only 178 runs from nine innings in the series, averaging less than 20.

"I don't really mull over it and worry about it," he said of his Test career, which began at the age of 21 in 1992 but has been halted after 61 caps.

"You never give up on it, I'm not going to sit here and say 'no, I never want to play again', but you've got to be realistic as well."

Martyn has been consigned to the Test wilderness before, the selectors making him a scapegoat for a defeat by South Africa in 1994.

The Australians were chasing 117 for victory in Sydney and were well set at 51-1 before losing nine wickets for 60, Martyn guilty of a wayward drive and caught for six.

It was over six years before he played his next Test, but since then he has averaged over 50 from 54 matches, with 12 centuries. (BBC Sport).

Pipe to replace Willett in Leewards squad
ST JOHN'S, Antigua, (CMC) - Batting all-rounder Maxford Pipe of the Combined Virgin Islands has been called up to replace Tonito Willett in the Leeward Islands 13-man squad for their fifth round Carib Beer Cricket Series match against Guyana in St Maarten this weekend.

Pipe, a hard-hitting middle-order batsman who also bowls off-spin, played for the Leewards in the KFC Cup one-day tournament last October.

Willett, a former West Indies youth player, did not get among the runs in the Leewards' first two matches of the tournament in November and December last year and paid the price.

The Sylvester Joseph-led side has been on a break since the first week of December as the truncated tournament, which is being played over one round this season, took a break for the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

The players were left on their own to prepare as the Leeward Islands Cricket Association had no money to organise a camp.

Most of the Antiguan players have been practising at the Factory grounds.

Coach Rolston Otto said he expected the players to work hard when they met Guyana, who will be boosted by the return of West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his Test colleague Ramnaresh Sarwan.

"I know the players have the ability and once they occupy they crease they will do well," Otto said.

"They couldn't want a better pitch than the one in St Maarten to play on after the break. It will be good for batting even for those who are out of form to regain confidence."

Last year, the Leewards and Jamaica played to a high-scorng draw at the Carib Lumber Ballpark in Philipsburg.

SQUAD: Sylvester Joseph, captain, Austin Richards Jr, Shane Jeffers, Runako Morton, Wilden Cornwall, Omari Banks, Maxford Pipe, Alderman Lesmond, Carl Simon, Adam Sanford and Gavin Tonge.

Rommel Hughes (manager)

Bryant matches Chamberlain to lead Lakers past Pacers
…Iverson inspires 76ers to home win
NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Kobe Bryant became the first player in more than 41 years to score 45 or more points in four consecutive games in guiding the Los Angeles Lakers to a 96-90 win over the Indiana Pacers at the Staples Center on Monday.

Bryant has been on a dazzling run and registered 45, 48 and 50-point performances in his three games leading up to Monday's clash and reached the 45-point plateau again when he nailed two free throws with 10 seconds left on the clock.

The NBA scoring leader becomes the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in November 1964 to string together four consecutive 45 point games.

The Lakers needed nearly every point with Lamar Odom the only other Los Angeles player to reach double figures, hitting for 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Kwame Brown chipped in with nine points and nine rebounds as the Lakers extended their winning run to three and moved two games above .500.

Jermaine O'Neal had 24 points and 16 rebounds in the loss for the Pacers.

In Philadelphia Allen Iverson scored 41 points dished out nine assists and pulled down seven rebounds to lift the 76ers to a 107-98 home victory over the Seattle SuperSonics.

The explosive point guard has registered 40 or more points on eight occasions this season and he helped provide a happy homecoming for the 76ers following a gruelling seven-game road trip that produced just two wins.

Iverson got plenty of support from John Salmons, who contributed 18 points to the Philadelphia effort while Kyle Korver chipped in with 17 points and Andre Iguodala 16.

Ray Allen paced the SuperSonics with 27 points while Vladimir Radmanovic had 15 points and 12 rebounds as Seattle slumped to their third straight defeat.

Locked in a battle with Bryant for the league scoring lead, Iverson had 10 points to key a 19-5 third quarter run that put the 76ers in command at 79-60.

The SuperSonics trimmed the 19 point deficit to just six late in the final quarter but could no closer.

In other games, Kirk Hinrich had 25 points and 11 assists to lead the Chicago Bulls past the Toronto Raptors 113-104; Jerry Stackhouse hit the game-winning jumper with less than a second to play to give the Dallas Mavericks a 104-102 victory over the Boston Celtics; Mehmet Okur scored 19 points as the streaking Utah Jazz eased past the Washington Wizards 97-89.

Ashes ticket plan infuriates fans
ENGLAND fan group The Barmy Army has criticised plans to limit the number of tickets for travelling supporters on the next Ashes tour in Australia.

Allocations are yet to be decided, but reports said only 2,000 would be sold to visiting fans each day in Adelaide.

Barmy Army spokesman Paul Burnham told BBC Radio: "Australians will have most of the tickets and I'm sure will sell them on to England fans at profit.

"What it could do is create ticket touts from the Australian public."

Burnham added that any possible restrictions may have arisen from complaints by Australian players at the treatment they received from England fans during the most recent Ashes series.

"We've heard that various Australian players are not happy with the abuse, as they call it, towards them and have said they don't want a situation where England fans group together and give them stick out there," he said.

"This summer there were a couple of incidents with Shane Warne that were out of order but that is nothing compared to what I've heard the England players having to put up with in Australia."

The Barmy Army chief has urged England followers to call on any contacts they may have in Australia to try and book tickets for them.

"As regards tickets for the Barmy Army as a big group it's not sounding promising but we have applied to Cricket Australia and tickets will become available for people that are members.

"What happened on the previous Ashes tours was that you were able to go over as an independent traveller and with the stadiums being so big you could get in.

"But with England winning the Ashes the demand is massive from Australian fans who haven't been going to watch but now want to see a genuine competition.

"On the last tour when they won in Melbourne, 80% of the ground was England fans and in Sydney when England won 95-98% were England fans.

"Then you've got the ex-pat community which is increasing all the time who want to get the union jack on and stick up for this England team, so the demand is three-fold."

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said that in view of the high public interest, a decision on tickets would be announced as soon as possible.

"We announced the match dates for next summer last month, which is significantly earlier than ever before, to help ensure customers can put circles in their diaries," he said.

Burnham remained optimistic that the familiar band of supporters that have been in attendance on England tours for much of the past decade would be present in Australia.

"British fans in general are the most supportive fans in the world and this is a massive series so I'm sure they'll find a way by hook or by crook and get into the grounds," he said. (BBC Sport).

South Africa beat Queensland by 94 runs
MELBOURNE, (Reuters) - Boeta Dippenaar top-scored with 80 to help South Africa to a 94-run win over Queensland in their one-day match in Brisbane yesterday.

The match was South Africa's final warmup before the triangular one-day series with Australia and Sri Lanka starting on Friday.

Jacques Rudolph added 50 off 63 balls in South Africa's 205 for eight at the Gabba, where Australia beat the visitors in the inaugural Twenty20 match in the country on Monday.

Garnet Kruger then took three for 18 from seven overs and Shaun Pollock captured three for 22 to dismiss Queensland for 111 in the 28th over. Queensland slumped to 28 for six in the 11th over and it was only a ninth-wicket partnership of 50 between Andy Bichel (37) and Nathan Hauritz (23 not out) that saved the home side from being dismissed for under 100.

Australia play Sri Lanka in Melbourne in the opening game of the triangular series on Friday before the world champions travel to Brisbane for a match with South Africa on Sunday.