Trinidad and Tobago Newsday Archives

Prejudicial or not?

THIS newspaper now finds itself caught between two opposing legal views with respect to the reporting of evidence being heard before the Commission of Inquiry into the Piarco Airport Development Project. On one side is Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson who has cautioned us in a letter about one of our reports, claiming that it had “a tendency to prejudice two important issues that are the subject of criminal proceedings.” According to the DPP, the article, headlined “Maritime — Spider in web of corruption,” which appeared in Newsday on June 11, 2003, “presupposes that there is corruption and that Maritime is at the centre of such corruption.” While we are grateful for the DPP’s caution, our problem with it is that the Newsday report to which he referred is a factual account of the evidence given to the Commission by Deputy Registrar Francis Sandy and the comments made upon it by Mr Theodore Guerra SC, lead attorney for the Commission.

We saw no reason not to publish this report as we have been covering proceedings of the Inquiry since it started last August, fully aware that the hearings are privileged and the testimony coming out of it would have great public interest. Now we have the DPP warning us that our factual report of June 11 had “a tendency to prejudice” certain criminal matters now being heard. The fact is that, earlier in the Inquiry, a similar point had been made but Chairman of the Commission Clinton Bernard had summarily dismissed it, assuring us that he would not permit any prejudicial matter coming before the Commissioners to be heard in public. Yesterday, contrary to the DPP’s caution, Mr Bernard repeated categorically his view that nothing said before the Inquiry had affected or impacted on certain current criminal matters. In any case, the former Chief Justice pointed out, anybody who held an opposing view was entitled to seek a resolution in the courts.

Our difficulty becomes clear: Who is right and who is wrong, the chairman of the Inquiry or the DPP? We are hoping that this issue can be clarified without anyone going to Court, since it not only concerns us but, in fact, the country’s media as well. It falls into territory we have never travelled before, having an Inquiry dealing with a billion dollar project while criminal charges arising out of the same development are also being heard. We understand the DPP’s responsibility in warning us. He says: “I wish to remind you and place on record my concerns that arise from the aforementioned article published by your newspaper. Such publications as you must appreciate could well be used by the defence in the captioned proceedings as a basis for applying to stay the criminal proceedings on the ground of prejudice. Such applications and adverse pre-trial publicity can be avoided and must be avoided by responsible journalism.”

The DPP’s point about prejudice is well taken but, we must ask, does it apply to the Inquiry’s hearings? We cannot ignore the fact that Chairman Bernard is a former Chief Justice of our country who would be fully aware of such a possibility and, we feel sure, would also be concerned not to allow matters transpiring before the Commission to prejudice the trial of persons charged with criminal offences. Nevertheless, in the interest of both the Press and public we would like to hear the views of the Law Association and senior members of the bar on this controversial and befuddling issue.

UNITED CARIBBEAN APPROACH TO FTAA

“United we stand, divided we fall” motto of the State of Kentucky, USA. Had the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) effectively wooed Cuba, Santo Domingo and Haiti, say ten years ago, while at the same time establishing the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), the Community would have been in a stronger position today to negotiate favourable terms of entry to the Free Trade Area of the Americas, due to come into being in 2005. Instead, locked into the thinking of its colonial past, there had been stubborn resistance on the part of the initially, wholly English speaking CARICOM to accept the Spanish and French speaking countries as critically needed parts of the Caribbean whole. It was a sad carry over from the old rivalries of the European powers — Britain, France and Spain — which although they should not be doing so today, still unwittingly dominate our thinking. And, regrettably, although decreasingly, the thinking of the Spanish and French speaking Caribbean as well.

Several decades after the former West Indian colonies proudly hoisted their national flags and began singing their national anthems, a bit of the colonial resistance to closer association with non-English speaking territories remains. The latest objector, openly vocal, has been the Opposition United National Congress, which expressed reservations to closer association with Haiti, advanced recently by this country’s Administration. Three years ago, writing in The Caribbean’s Top 100 Companies 2000-2001 publication, I had cautioned: “Today…. years later, old suspicions born of rivalries between metropolitan powers — Spain, England, France, Portugal and Holland — which once owned several countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America, still linger on enough to hinder full trade relations and social exchanges between the territories, most of which are now independent. “Some of the stumbling blocks include those of language, what with people of the region speaking five different languages —English, Spanish, French, Dutch and Portuguese — the sea that separates many of the states, and imported cultural differences.”

All sides have been guilty of allowing the “imported cultural differences” to keep all too many people of the region from appreciating that the time is long overdue for optimum trading relations and closer association and, with the closer association, a united policy approach by an expanded and strengthened CARICOM, specifically, to the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Unless there is a carefully worked out common policy position, the Caribbean will continue to be exposed, to be vulnerable to whatever the FTAA holds, in the same way that fragmented as it is today it is a silly jest in a globalisation mind as represented by the World Trade Organisation’s rules and regulations. Neither Jamaica nor Trinidad and Tobago, nor for that matter Cuba, Haiti, Barbados, Guyana nor Santo Domingo can expect to negotiate terms individually in a meaningful manner with the Free Trade Area of the Americas. The Region has to be realistic. In the same way that indigenous industrialisation and agricultural development of Africa and India was consciously interrupted and rolled back by European powers, attempts at industrialisation and what have you by the Caribbean Region will be increasingly interrrupted by globalisation, unless there is a united Caribbean policy position.

We speak glibly of the industrialisation of Trinidad and Tobago, but apart from the herculean and farsighted policy thrust of CL Financial, this industrialisation is being done largely by “absentee landlords”. And in all too many instances their countries earn more revenues from investments here than does Trinidad and Tobago. But I have strayed. As I noted in earlier columns, Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the Caribbean will be swamped by cheaply produced imports of United States companies, whether they operate in the USA or in Mexico or what have you. This will be done from early into the establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, unless a Caribbean economic bloc of 20 million and more people can be created, and insist that for a determined number of years, the Region must be allowed to maintain reasonable tariff structures. The economies of the less developed CARICOM countries will slide into the mire “of a new dark age” without protective mechanisms. Should this take place there will be considerable loss of jobs, particularly in the Eastern Caribbean, when, flooded by American goods, the citizens of these island states decide it is cheaper to import them than either seek to produce them themselves or import them from other Caribbean lands.

This will pose a serious threat to small manufacturers in Trinidad and Tobago, the negative impact of which should not be dismissed. The CARICOM market represents Trinidad and Tobago’s second largest export market after that of the United States. The loss of the CARICOM market will hold frightening consequences for this country, leading as it surely will to an immediate loss of jobs, a loss of revenue, and a further dwindling of employment opportunities triggered by less money being turned around within the economy. Another attempt will be made to acquire the cement company, Trinidad Cement Limited, and should this succeed and, heaven forbid, cement production in companies owned by TCL be declared irrelevant to the needs of the acquiring company.

Manning’s Red House obsession, Calder Hart and Uthara Rao

THE EDITOR: Because of a letter he received from the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects, Prime Minister Manning has once again placed on the national agenda his Red House obsession. Many of course have grown weary of the debate, and do not understand this preoccupation of Manning, citing as far more critical the escalation of crime and kidnapping, and the stagnant construction sector in spite of the daily forecasts of “boom” revenues. Some housing activity is noted, and not without justification many have termed this “house padding.” Before commenting on the architects’ intervention, I need to focus again on two important aspects of the Red House controversy, which have never been challenged in the debate. The first is my argument that the Parliament and its precincts are vested in the House of the Speaker and, in consequence of that, the Executive which is subordinate to Parliament is without authority to interfere with, or to move Parliament. It is an error to equate the Parliament and its precincts with any other piece of government real estate, such as the Twin Towers, the Magistrates’ Court, the Golden Grove Prison, or a Customs’ warehouse. This error has led the Manning executive to see itself in a landlord role, and Parliament as its tenant to be ejected at will.

The substantive debate, therefore, is not about the size of the Parliament chamber, or the number of offices or the multi-media facilities in Parliament. Rather it is about the supremacy of Parliament, the bulwark of our democracy and freedom; and whether Manning is acting improperly in pursuing his Red House obsession. Speaker Barry Sinanan has been silent and appears to have acquiesced in whatever the government wishes to do. The second aspect has to do with the real reason for wanting Parliament moved. Readers will recall Minister Saith’s initial shock announcement that Parliament would be moved to a new building and, in his brand of “political honesty,” he catalogued all the requirements for a new Parliament, committee rooms, members’ office, etc, which he claimed rendered the Red House inadequate. He never mentioned the intended use for our vacated premier national building, until a media person asked a direct question: “Will the Prime Minister’s office occupy the Red House?” which brought forth the feeble reply: “That is an option.”

I now refer readers to a newspaper headline of March 7, “Sorry Chief Justice … but Parliament will move”. In this story the reporters quoted Manning as saying “that the driving factor behind the move to construct a new parliament building was to relocate the Office of the Prime Minister now located at Whitehall — to the Red House.” This prompted me to seek the reporter’s confirmation of that report, which he did unequivocally. We must, therefore, understand that this Red House brouhaha has nothing to do with Parliament’s accommodation, but that it springs entirely from Manning’s monster ego. Manning wants the Red House for himself. No thought had been given to a new location for the soon-to-be demolished brand new-and-hardly-used Magistrates’ Court. In typical ad hoc style, characteristic of this government, the Chief Justice was neither consulted nor advised; and Manning dreamily remarked about his Red House delusions of grandeur — “I thought everyone was on board”. Well, it is now history that only a handful of sycophants were on board with Manning, plus one architect friend of mine who understandably sees a prestigious and profitable prize ahead. Manning had left most of the nation behind, including Senator Ramchand and Suzanne Mills, whose column “No Red House for Manning” is indicative of the passionate abhorrence which citizens feel about tampering with their 100-year historic institution, for no reason but Manning’s ego.

About the architects, the unsavoury fact is that government uses its projects for patronage, and has cowed the architect community into silence, where no leading member had publicly commented on the relocation of Parliament until TTIAs recent letter. Prior to the last elections, Government had projected several major projects, most budgeted around $100 million, including hospitals, ministries, Customs & Excise, Salvatori, etc. All this huge expenditure will be controlled by Mr Calder Hart, Chairman of Udecott, on Manning’s instructions and without Central Tenders Board procedures. Calder Hart calls the shots. Calder is a friendly gentleman who clearly has talents to offer, but I must confess that it galls me, as it must thousands of other Trinis, that Manning cannot find a single Trini, either natural or naturalised, to whom he could entrust the development of TTs national infrastructure. Is this the legacy of 35 years of PNM rule, and 40 years of independence, even as Manning trumpets his 2020 delusion of first world status? Calder Hart dismisses as “colonial mentality” those citizens who would stand up to protect their Parliament, and the democracy which it embodies. He misses the irony of his own selection as a foreigner, to preside over TTs natural programme of infrastructure development, even as many Trinbagonians have difficulty entering Canada, either to work or vacation. And Manning appoints yet another foreigner, Mr Uthara Rao, to be Chairman and CEO, to dispose of our 77,000 acres of Caroni lands. Surely this reinforces the contempt which Manning holds for TT nationals and should point Calder to the source of our “colonial mentality.”

When recently presenting PNM local government candidates in Woodford Square, Manning seeks to entice the THA Chief Secretary, the mayors and regional chairmen with Senate seats, with idle talk about unlikely constitutional changes. But this mamaguy does not conceal his duplicity, that while offering the role of “Puppeteers in Parliament” to party activists, even though adorned with balisier ties, he is also embracing foreigners like Calder Hart and Uthara Rao, and together they trample over both our national dignity, and our national patrimony. To be sure, I have no problem in utilising foreign skills in our national life, but if we have no qualms about entrusting our patrimony to the hands of visiting foreigners on work permits, could TT not do better by importing a foreign-used prime minister? Lester Bird might well be tempted? TTIA President Mr Mark Raymond has since clarified that TTIA did not endorse Manning’s Red House ambitions. In his excellent Guardian dissertation “House Debate by Design,” Mark points to the Parliaments in India and in Britain, which were expanded without disturbing the original fabric. Then why not in Trinidad?

The overriding and only consensus of the architects was that the matter needed much research and discussion, that the public should obviously be involved, and the Parliament staff should have an input. I myself have suggested a colloquium where all available information would be shared with the citizens of TT for open discussion, where the Parliament Clerks and their staff would be free to discuss all the issues, and not be silenced by public service regulations. As citizens of TT, they are best placed to advise and educate the public. Indeed I question whether the Freedom of Information Act does not render redundant those regulations which prohibit public servants from commenting on public issues. My information is that since the entire Red House building is now available for Parliament, that all professional advice tendered has supported the adequacy of the Red House, and that the Parliament staff is violently opposed to vacating the Red House. PSA President Jennifer Baptiste has extracted a commitment from Manning that there will be public consultation on the matter. Were the prerogative mine, I would award Jennifer the Trinity Cross solely on the basis of her intervention to date. As PSA President this good lady is probably the only person in TT who can stop Manning, given the silence of Speaker Sinanan, and the facility with which government is able to circumvent proper procedures via Udecott and CEPEP.It has not gone unnoticed that no other Members of Parliament but Manning and Saith have publicly supported the Parliament’s ejection from the Red House. Why has the PM not acceded to the patently reasonable request of Senator Ramchand to discuss the matter? Will he follow the architects’ proposal for open discussion on the issue, or will he continue in his blundering from week to week?

cMICHAEL J WILLIAMS
Maracas

TIDCO did not pay E! TV

THE EDITOR: It is unfortunate that the Newsday newspaper opted to write an entire speculative editorial questioning the role of TIDCO in the production of the E! TV episode entitled `Wild on Trinidad and Tobago.’ A simple phone call to myself would have yielded answers and avoided speculation. For the record, please note that this episode was not paid for by TIDCO nor did it cost the taxpayers of this country one red cent.
TIDCO’s role in this particular production was indeed limited since E! worked in tandem with local promoters, Question Mark Entertainment. In general, however, as the national promotional agency, TIDCO works with the international media to facilitate and secure worldwide coverage aimed at positioning Trinidad and Tobago as a premier destination and a place to do business. Our role is a facilitator and guide. And while attempts are made to influence final production, we are not involved in censorship nor editing unless the productions are being paid for by the organisation.

RENATTA MOHAMMED
Corporate Communications Manager
TIDCO

A case of suck them dry

THE EDITOR: For some time now, I have been taking a critical look at the disrespectful manner with which young people treat or speak about most senior citizens among us. Even the middle-aged persons are guilty of this evil. It is not uncommon to hear them use the most obscene words in their presence as if to say the aged is equivalent to nothing. In other respects, some of those who ply for hire show open hostility to the aged who are a bit infirm and cannot hop, skip and jump across the road or embark or disembark from their vehicle. Oblivious of or unconcerned about the feelings of other passengers, they “damn” the aged. Will they be “forever young?” One does not have to be an Einstein or a member of the famed Scotland Yard or a Logician to draw a valid conclusion about the level of negligence or indifference or ungratefulness present somewhere, when the condition of premises of most of the aged crosses the eye. Where are their affluent children or relatives? In some countries, times were when the aged were carried to the remote mountain side and left to die, nameless and graveless.

Is it any wonder today that many die so quickly after being taken to the hospital? What precisely is involved here? One very wise gentleman was heard to say, “Whenever my relatives visit me, I know they come to borrow money which they never repay; never to lend a helping hand.” A case of suck them dry!! Another posted a big sign in his veranda, “Bank robbed, no more money.” It would appear as though the young and not so young only need the aged if they could milk or continue to milk the last drop of their blood. To respect, honour and return thanks is distinctly not in their DNA. Why this haste to annoy, to frustrate, to rob, or to remove the aged from God’s earth? The Master allots one hundred and twenty years (120) to mankind. Genesis 6:3 makes good reading and Proverbs advises, “Wisdom hath build her house.”

Can we, in the age of information, neglect to harness the collective wisdom of the aged? We do so at our peril. It is strongly advisable for those who are so blessed to have their aged alive hurry to sit at their feet, if possible, and learn. To let them go saddened to the grave is the gravest act of ungratefulness let alone wastage, the young and their kind can perpetrate upon the senior citizens upon whose foundation we are still building to this day. It is fitting for politicians to remember that they still have a vote!!! In hindsight, it may well turn out that a separate Ministry for the aged (55 and over) may be the most productive ministry in TT, if placed in wise hands. Think-tanks, consultants, advisors, guides, etc, etc. Think it through!! However, the older a person becomes, the need for adequate funding is more critical. I therefore propose the following scale of Old Age Pension payable now which ought to be reviewed upwards, in accordance with the expected natural gas bonanza, just around the corner.

$1,500 monthly, 59 years to 69 years
$2,000 monthly, 70 years to 79 years
$3,500 monthly, 80 years and above
Dare anyone despise the aged! Let the heathens rage!!

ELLENOR TAYLOR
Plymouth, Tobago

Why is poverty so high?

THE EDITOR: The vacillating 30 to 32 percent poverty rate in Trinidad and Tobago is a very disturbing trend. This is so simply on the basis of this government’s pronouncements and demonstrable commitment to reducing the poverty levels in the nation. One must therefore ask, if the government has politicised and implemented policies for rooting out poverty in this country; what is so wrong that the levels continue to stagger. I can identify at least ten programmes on which the government rests its attack on poverty in the country. Broadly speaking, they are of three categories, the first deal with education and training (YTEPP, the National Training Programme and the Citizen Conservation Corps).

The second relates to providing physical and nutritional relief (The Share Programme, the National Commission for Self-Help and NHA). The third category relates to initiatives for business generation and support (CEPEP, NEDCO, SBDC). A fourth category can be identified in image to those of the ministries of social development (through its various social service efforts) and the ministry of community development (through CDF and the CARE Programme). Why then is our poverty rate so unacceptably high? Could it be that none of these programmes is effective? Could it be that there is an administrative problem? Could it be that the benefits of these programmes are not reaching where it is needed? If, after all of the above, poverty is still rampant in this country, then the government has a duty to critically examine its policy and take remedial action. It is no longer acceptable to simply disclose that programmes have been established for poverty eradication, when the reverse effect is the experience in reality.

ALFRED GEORGE
Laventille

Create opportunities for ‘differently-abled’

THE EDITOR: Senator Kangaloo was given a mandate by Mr Manning to deal with the issues presented by the “differently-abled.” As the representative of the Government in the issue one can safely assume that the position presented by the Honourable Senator represents the position of the Government. This being the case, I am saddened by the position taken by the Senator and thus the Government on the issue and disturbed to think that the government of Trinidad and Tobago would take such a myopic view of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Considerations, which are global concerns. Your response to the issue leaves one thinking as to whether or not you are aware of the Government’s responsibility relative to the less fortunate in society. The position that the “differently-abled” in society do not possess the required qualifications for the job can be considered a form of institutionalised discrimination to further promote the under representation of the “differently-abled” in the workforce based on the following facts.

All jobs have a minimum qualification criterion but many times these have been waived on the grounds that the candidate (who by the way is not “differently-abled”) have the required knowledge, skills and abilities for entry level as well as senior positions in companies. Certainly a strict qualification criterion is not always adhered to especially in State enterprises like TTEC, WASA, TSTT, so what other criteria is utilised? By not adhering to the qualification criterion are we alluding to the fact that there are other criteria that should be given equal consideration? What about the level of job to be filled, if the qualification criterion is waived for senior positions, then why shouldn’t it be waived for entry level positions where the job is of a routine nature. Moreover, since it is waived for persons who are not “differently-abled” why can’t it be waived for those who are differently-abled based on their knowledge, skills and abilities? This is the kind of institutionalised discrimination that we seek to perpetuate. Why can’t we level the playing field and give similar consideration to the “differently-abled” to provide them with an opportunity to earn a living. Why aren’t their knowledge, skills and abilities also used as a basis for providing them with opportunities as is currently being practised in your State Enterprises.

The “differently-abled” have career aspirations just like we do and need to be provided with career opportunities to fulfill these needs. As a result, the Government has a responsibility to provide specific career opportunities to support the fulfillment of their career aspirations. “Wake up and smell the coffee!” The differently-abled in our society are here to stay since no one knows what lies ahead for them in the future. Today you are not differently abled but tomorrow, through no fault of yours, you may involuntarily become a member of this group in society. This group has special needs based on their need to be self-reliant and we need to support their efforts in a very special way. How does the Government plan to assist the differently-abled in our society?

What strategies are being developed to create employment opportunities so as to reduce the under representation of the differently abled in the workforce? Senator, this is where your focus should lie and not on justifying why they should not be considered for employment opportunities. The issue is about creating special opportunities for the differently-abled in our society by identifying jobs that they can be considered for based on their knowledge, skills and abilities. I am quite sure there are jobs which do not demand much physical activity such as receptionist, telephone operator, data entry clerks, cashiers, filing clerk and other routine jobs which require competencies such as sorting, recording, checking etc, for which the differently-abled can be considered.

BD
Sangre Grande

TT no pushovers says captain

TRINIDAD and Tobago footballers are better prepared to challenge their Venezuelan counterparts in a friendly international tomorrow at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. This is the opinion of national coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier and captain Reynold Carrington, fresh from a successful tour of southern AfricaThe rejuvenated 22-member squad went into camp yesterday at the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Tunapuna, in preparation for the encounter. Kick-off is at 6 pm. Charles-Fevrier held two practice sessions with the squad — a morning stint at the Hasely Crawford Stadium and an evening warm-up at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. He noted that yesterday’s morning session “went fine” and he had “no problems at all” with the team. But the 49-year-old coach revealed that his staff, including assistants Jamaal Shabazz, Ross Russell and Brian Williams need to improve on keeping more ball-possession. “I only see the players once or twice a week,” he continued yesterday. “Also, we want to improve our combination play in attack, that’s something we’re trying to address.” “So far, we’re doing very well in training,” he added.

The Venezuelans were due to arrive in Trinidad last night and will be based at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain. Both teams will have their final practice sessions at the Hasely Crawford Stadium today, with the South Americans fine-tuning their skills from 3.30 pm and the TT team from 5 pm. The TT players are cautious in their approach to upcoming international outings as they seek to re-establish themselves as a powerhouse in the region. Charles-Fevrier will have his first match on local soil as head coach and while hoping for the best possible result. “We are remaining quietly optimistic. I won’t get carried away with the way things are going. We are still in the building process and this match is a further challenge for myself and the team. It’s allowing us to keep an eye on the upcoming players like Kester Cornwall (Starworld Strikers) and the other boys,” Charles- Fevrier said. “We are looking to carry on where we left off in southern Africa where I thought things went very positive for us. I will like to encourage all of Trinidad and Tobago to come out and give the team their support,” he added.

The St Lucian-born coach said he was sure to include Stern John in the starting team alongside either Wrexham’s Hector Sam or Joe Public’s Nigel Pierre. Both Pierre and Sam started in TT’s recent outing against South Africa, but with the Birmingham City striker now available, Charles-Fevrier said his choice was obvious. “Stern and Dennis (Lawrence) have blended in well. I expect them to add some level of maturity to our performance. The spirit in the camp remains high at the moment and everything seems to be in order,” he said. Carrington meantime, who also skippered the team in April’s 3-0 loss to Venezuela in San Cristobal, added his team will pose a different challenge for the visitors this time around. “This is another good opportunity for the guys to get the exposure at the international level. The experienced guys like Stern and Dennis also makes it attractive for us,” he said. “We want to be able to get the country to come behind us so we hope we can put in a good performance on the evening. This time around I can assure you the Venezuelans will have a difficult time against us,” Carrington said. Richard Piper will be the officiating referee with Michael Ragoonath and Joseph Taylor as his assistants. Admission is $20 for covered stands and $10 for uncovered.

TT squad: Reynold Carrington, Derek King, Keyeno Thomas, Trent Noel, Hector Sam, Carlos Edwards, Dennis Lawrence, Dale Saunders, Silvio Spann, Kurt Williams, Ian Gray, Kerry Baptiste, Derek King, Nigel Daniel, Kendall Davis, Stern John, Jan Michael Williams, Peter Ramon Fortune, Josh Johnson, Nigel Pierre, Kester Cornwall and Anthony Wolfe.

Venezuela squad: Luis Vera, Gabriel Urdaneta, Luis Vallenilla (Caracas FC), Ricardo Paez, Giovanny Perez, Javier Villafraz (Estudiantes de Merida), Leonel Vielma, Juan Garcia (Maracaibo FC), Leopoldo Jiminez (Mineros De Guayana), Daniel Noreiga, Cristan Casseres, Wilfredo Alvarado, Javier Campos (DVO Italchacao FC), Gilberto Angelucci (DVO Tachira FC), Juan Arango (Pachuca FC), Jorge Rojas (Emelec), Manuel Sanhouse (Espoli), Alejandro Chichero (CD Cerro).

Lara stands alone at top of batting heap

LONDON: West Indies captain Brian Lara has solidified his position as the world’s number one batsman after powering his side to a series win over Sri Lanka with his authoritative match-winning half-century on Sunday. The 34-year-old Lara, who returned to the top spot last week after a double century in the first Cable and Wireless Test against the tourists, extended his lead to almost 30 points after steering the West Indies to victory in Jamaica. He scored 80 not out and engineered the seven-wicket win, which secured a 1-0 series win for the West Indies after the First Test was drawn. Corey Collymore, who captured seven wickets in the second innings for the “Man-of-the-Match” and “Man-of-the-Series” awards, made a huge leap to enter the bowlers’ top 30 on the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) world list.

Lara, a double world batting record holder, climbed to 887 points on the computerised rating system, for a healthy lead over Australians Matthew Hayden (859) and Ricky Ponting (849) with Indian star Sachin Tendulkar lying fourth on 843 points. Hayden, Ponting, England’s Michael Vaughn (5th) and South African Jacques Kallis (6th) will all be in action this summer, but need big performances to topple Lara, who holds the individual Test (375) and First-Class (501 not out) batting world records. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, at number 17, and Ramnaresh Sarwan (24th) are the only other West Indies players in the batting top 30. South Africa’s Shaun Pollock remains the top bowler, ahead of Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who has displaced Australian Glenn McGrath as number two. Collymore leapt a remarkable 39 places to be 30th on the bowlers’ list and his teammate Fidel Edwards enters the table in 60th place after a first innings five-wicket haul in his debut Test last weekend. Mervyn Dillon, at 15th, and Jermaine Lawson (24th) are the other West Indies bowlers in the top-30.

RANKINGS
Batting: 1 Brian Lara (West Indies); 2 Matthew Hayden (Australia); 3 Ricky Ponting (Australia);
4 Sachin Tendulkar (India); 5 Michael Vaughn (England); 6 Jacques Kallis (South Africa);
7 Adam Gilchrist (Australia); 8 Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan); 9 Rahul Dravid (India); 10 Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa)
Bowling: 1 Shaun Pollock (South Africa); 2 Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka); 3 Glenn McGrath (Australia); 4 Harbhajan Singh (India); 5 Jason Gillespie (Australia); 6 Andrew Caddick (England); 7 Makhaya Ntini (South Africa); 8 Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan); 9 Anil Kumble (India);
10 Jacques Kallis (South Africa).

Football Crabs crawl to top

CRAB CONNECTION swamped newboys Hearty Food Bulls 5-0 as action in the Arthur “Jap” Brown Eastern Football Association Premier League continued. Marlon Warner hit a double, national striker Warren Butler got on the score sheet once again, while Joseph Peters and Clevion Frederick also scored a goal each for The Crabs in Saturday’s match at Constantine Park, Tunapuna. But champions WASA Clean and White kept in step with the leaders with a crushing 4-1 victory over BM Spurs on Sunday. Ex-national utility player Marvin Faustin, Keston Thomas, Sherwayne Gray and Brian Bain got the goals for the winners. Earl Williams got the consolation. Carib FC surged to the top of the standings mathematically, drubbing Delta Glass Young Heart 4-1 Sunday, with ace goal scorers Jellineau Gill, Christopher Harewood, Kevon Thomas and Bernard McCall each scoring one goal. Amery Lee Rivers got a consolation goal.

Samba Xtra Malt East San Juan United shut out East/West Coaching School 2-0 but dropped to second position in the league. Wendell Isaac and Dexter Joslyn were the goalscorers. Athletico Sports Institute scored the biggest victory of the round, shutting out Falcon Crest 7-0. Stephen Peters scored a hat-trick, brother Anthony Peters got a double and Mario Reyes also struck a double. Joe Public travelled to Maloney and whipped home team Maloney Two Touch 4-2 with Michael Charles doubling up, while Keseon Theodore and Chevonne Noreiga got the other goals on Saturday. Nigel Dennis and Kerry Hepburn struck back for the losers. Police got a 3-1 victory over TSTT also on Saturday at St Joseph Recreation Ground. Dwight Elliot was the hero for the lawmen with a hat-trick, while Gregory Seales got the loner for the Telecommuni-cations men.

Here are the current standings:

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts.
Carib	3	3	0	0	9	3	9
East San Juan	3	3	0	0	8	2	9
Crab Connection	3	2	1	0	9	1	7
WASA	3	2	1	0	10	3	7
ASI	3	2	0	1	10	6	6
Joe Public	3	2	0	1	8	4	6
TSTT	3	1	1	1	5	5	4
Maloney	3	1	0	2	4	6	3
Police	3	1	0	2	4	6	3
Coaching School;	3	1	0	2	2	5	3