National schoolgirl cricket ‘windball’ team gets assistance from President
-to compete in Barbados tourney shortly
Georgetown, GINA, March 17, 2008
The national schoolgirl cricket ‘windball’ team need not worry about how its members will be getting to Barbados to participate in the West Indies Female ‘windball’ Championship on March 22-25, as President Bharrat Jagdeo has committed to cover the airfare cost for the 18 girls on the team.
The team, accompanied by Kwabena Wright, Programme Director for Al Sport and Tour Promotion called on the Head of State today at the Office of the President where the news was relayed.
According to a pleased Wright, the team comprises schools girls who would have been selected from schools countrywide following various competitions.
The current national team has been preparing for the Barbados event over the last nine months and is setting its sight on succeeding in the upcoming competition, since it is the second time that Guyana will be taking part in the Championship. Last year, the team was only able to succeed in defeating one of its counterparts.
The team is expected to ‘wing out’ to the island on Wednesday, March 19.
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No CARICOM Leader expressed concern over CARIFESTA in Guyana-President
Georgetown, GINA, March 17, 2008
Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo, in response to a question by one media entity as to whether any Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Leader expressed concern about Guyana’s hosting of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) X, in light of the crime situation, affirmed that no Leader expressed this concern while he was attending the CARICOM intersessional meeting recently in The Bahamas.
The President was addressing the media at a press conference he hosted at the Office of the President on Friday last.
“Not a single leader has expressed concern about us hosting CARIFESTA here. These were two horrible killings-Lusignan and Bartica-but when I was in Jamaica, in 24 hours, they had 25 killings and so, that’s the perspective we’re talking about,” the President said.
The Head of State told the media that on the contrary, the Leaders assured that they would be sending large delegations to the event billed for August 22-31.
President Jagdeo told reporters at the Press conference that Guyana provided a progress report on CARIFESTA during the intersessional meeting and he urged the participating countries’ Leaders there to ensure that they attend CARIFESTA and that they send delegations since, the success of the event would depend on the region’s participation and extra regional sources.
“But developments and preparations are on track. We will hopefully look forward to the hosting of CARIFESTA with a difference,” the President posited.
CARIFESTA X is being hosted in Guyana under the theme “One people, One Caribbean, Our life Our Culture”.
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Rio Group membership to strengthen Guyana’s negotiating authority
Georgetown, GINA, March 17, 2008
Guyana will benefit much now that it has become a full fledged member of the Rio Group since the membership will allow the country to strengthen its negotiating authority.
Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo explained the benefits of this when he addressed the media at a recent press conference at the Office of the President, which he hosted to update them on current issues of topical interest and to brief them on the outcome of two international events, which have just concluded and in which he participated.
The recently-concluded 20th Rio Group Summit held in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic ended with Guyana and Haiti being accepted as full-fledged members of the Rio Group.
President Jagdeo explained that Guyana will now continue to represent CARICOM on the Rio Group until such time that CARICOM Heads of Government nominate a state for representation of the community.
“Now, we are a member of the Rio Group in our own right and it is very important for Guyana because of the importance of this Group in preserving peace and having political dialogue in the region,” the President underscored.
He pointed out that the benefits which can be accrued from being in an organisation such as the Rio Group may include money from some technical assistance.
“The Rio Group is more of a consultative body. It is trying to bring together voices of Latin America and the Caribbean to speak on (together, in a common way) several major global developments so we can, by being part of the group, get our ideas translated as part of a bigger consensus and then, forwarded to many of the negotiations that are taking place around the world,” the Guyanese Leader told the media.
He added that be it the reform of the United Nations Security Council, the position at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or interaction with the European Union (EU), Guyana can now be part of a bigger bloc of views.
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