Guyana Chronicle E-paper 06-07-2020

7th June, 2020

' No.106022

President says electoral process was compromised

‘POLLS MANIPULATED’ SEE PAGE 03

…asserts role of CARICOM scrutineers; CEO in preparation of recount, observation reports

…again calls on Guyanese to await GECOM declaration

First group 14 of Guyanese return from US PAGE

A family was among several persons who arrived on flight from New York on Saturday (Delano Williams photo)

Ballots without 05 Corentyne man dies after documents not counted PAGE

---DROs 'no-shows’ at GECOM meeting

pinned under tractor

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

‘Polls manipulated’ …President says electoral process was compromised

…asserts role of CARICOM scrutineers; CEO in preparation of recount, observation reports

again calls on Guyanese to await declaration by GECOM PRESIDENT David Grang- tions. The national recount examine the CARICOM re- ically elected government er, while maintaining that commenced on May 6, 2020. port at this stage. The ‘result’ to be sworn-in to office. I he will accept the results of The second stage of the of the General and Regional am committed to uphold the the General and Regional process, the President posited, Elections – the fourth and final Constitution and the rule of Elections as declared by the will see the compilation of a law. I respect the integrity Guyana Elections Commis- report of the recount by the and autonomous nature of the sion (GECOM), said from Chief Elections Officer, and Elections Commission. I will all indication the electoral is within that report, that the abide by the declarations of process was manipulated as irregularities, in addition to the Elections Commission as he pointed to the countless the tabulated votes, will be I have abided by the rulings of irregularities that have been detailed. the Court,” the Head of State unearthed since the recount “The Chief Elections Oftold the nation. of the votes commenced a ficer, in the circumstances, is With the recount near month ago. obliged to present a matrix of completion, the President “Everyone is aware of the poll results of each electorcalled on Guyanese to await numerous reports of irregu- al district together with a sumthe completion of the four larities including unstamped mary of the ‘Observation Restages – the current recount, ballots, deceased and migrant ports’ of each electoral district the reports of the Chief Elecvoters and missing poll books. to the Election Commission,” tions Officer and the CARThose irregularities appear President Granger detailed.

ICOM observers, the review to have been committed in- Given the exceptional interest by the Elections Commission tentionally, not accidentally, of the CARICOM Heads of and the declaration of the final and demonstrate a pattern of Government and the leading results by the Chairman of the manipulation of the electoral role the CARICOM scrutinizCommission. process,” President Granger ing team, it is the President’s It was President Granger, said in an address to the nation hope that their ‘report’ will be who in 2019, met with the President David Granger on Saturday. sent to the Election CommisChair of the Elections ComAccording to the A Part- sion, and receive the fullest stage of the process – will be mission, the Elections Comnership for National Unity consideration. declared by the Chairman of missioners and the Leader of + Alliance for Change (APThe ‘review’ of the report the Elections Commission the Opposition, and offered NU+AFC), for which the by the Elections Commission- after she has studied the report a commitment to ensure that President is the Leader, there ers – the third stage of the pro- of the Chief Elections officer the General and Regional have been more than 2,000 nu- cess – will follow,” the Pres- and the Observation Reports, Elections would be free and merical irregularities, resulting ident further detailed, while the President summarized. credible. in more than 90,000 votes noting that the Elections ComIterating a long held posiThe date for the elections being affected. In recent days, missioners will be expected tion, President Granger said was proclaimed by President 29 ballot boxes from along to take into consideration all he will accept the results of Granger following an indicathe East Coast of Demerara the evidence provided in the the elections as declared by tion by the Elections Com(ECD) were discovered with CEO’s ‘report’, both from the GECOM. mission that it would be in a no official statutory docu- tabulation and observation, in “…I shall accept the dec- position to effectively conduct ments inside – just ballots, for their deliberations. laration of the results by the the General and Regional which the lion’s share went It is expected, also, that Elections Commission, which Election by the end of Februto the main Opposition – the the Election Commission will will allow for a democrat- ary, 2020. Elections were set People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Added to that, the APNU+AFC has been the primary victim of rejected ballots, due to the failure by GECOM’s staff to mark the ballots correctly with the six digit stamp.

While the Elections Commission, chaired by Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, is expected to decide on the 29 ballot boxes today, it is expected to deliberate on the irregularities while considering the reports of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield upon the completion of the recount of the March 2 votes and the tabulation exercise.

Acceptable outcome President Granger, while reminding the nation that the National Recount was widely supported by the Government and Opposition, said an acceptable outcome is expected based on four sequential stages. It was outlined that the ‘recount’ of ballots – the first stage – follows the decision of the Elections Commission, on April 3, 2020, that it would recount Irregularities that have been detected as of May 26, 2020. Since then, more ballot all ballots cast in the Elec- boxes have turned up without critical documents needed to validate the votes

for March 2.

It has been three months since those elections were March 2, 2020.

“The General and Regional Elections were free and orderly. Subsequent events resulted in the prolongation of the electoral process well beyond the deadline for the declaration of results. That prolongation was occasioned by a delay owing to legal challenges in the Supreme Court of Judicature and the Court of Appeal. The Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) approached the Supreme Court on three separate occasions, obstructing the work of the Elections Commission. Those actions and the calls for recounts of ballots allowed for the Supreme Court to determine the way forward,” the President explained.

The Elections Commission made several declarations pursuant to Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03 subsequently and almost immediately received requests from political parties for recounts in the 10 electoral districts.

It was President Granger, who on March 15, agreed to a total recount of the ballots from all electoral districts.

However, he had emphasized that the recount ought to be done in accordance with the

Constitution, the applicable law and the judgment of the Court.

“I had agreed, also, that a High-Level Team from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) would be allowed to function only within the framework of the Constitution and under the aegis of the Commission and the rulings of the Court,” he further reminded. To date, the recount has been in progress for 32 days, and according to President Granger, the diligence and persistence of the Chairman of the Elections Commission ought to be applauded, as he points out that she continues to perform her duties under the Constitution “admirably.”

“She demonstrated her respect for the rulings of the Court and has facilitated CARICOM’s observation role in the recount process in order to assure every one of the credibility of the elections,” President Granger said while urging full support and respect for the Elections Chair.

“I encourage everyone to respect the Chairman of the Elections Commission and the Commissioners and to desist from scurrility, vulgarity and character assassination. The Commission must be allowed to perform its functions in accordance with the Constitution,” he urged.

Chart provided by APNU+AFC

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

George Floyd: US capital braces for biggest demonstrations yet (BBC) Large crowds have gathered to protest against racism and police brutality in Washington DC amid rising anger, sparked by the death of George Floyd.

Mr Floyd died in Minneapolis on 25 May, after a policeman knelt on his neck even as he said he could not breathe.

There have been protests across the US since, but Washington's police chief

believes Saturday's "may be one of the largest we've ever had in the city".

Anti-racism rallies have also been taking place in other countries.

Parliament Square in central London was filled with people supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, despite calls by the British government to avoid mass gatherings for fear of spreading the coronavirus.

People in the US capital said they were planning peaceful protests

Infections have been confirmed in a handful of US protestors in Kansas, Georgia and Ohio, reports the New York Times.

In Australia, there were major protests in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane that focused on the treatment of indigenous Australians.

Mr Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after being arrested outside a shop.

Video footage showed a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck for almost nine

minutes while he is pinned to the floor. Mr Floyd is heard repeatedly saying "I can't breathe".

Mr Chauvin has been dismissed and charged with murder. Three other officers who were on the scene have also been sacked and charged with aiding and abetting.

On Saturday, hundreds of people queued to pay respects to Mr Floyd in Raeford, North Carolina, laying flowers at a public viewing of his body in a church. A private memorial service has been held in Raeford, near where Mr Floyd

was born.

What is planned in Washington?

Almost a dozen different demonstrations have been advertised by organisations and activists, according to local media.

Protesters have been asked to gather at landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol, and some are expected to march towards the White House.

"We have a lot of public, open source information to suggest that the event on this upcoming Saturday may be

one of the largest we've ever had in the city," Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham told journalists.

He did not provide a crowd estimate, but Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said local officials were projecting that between 100,000 and 200,000 people would attend, the Associated Press reported.

On Friday, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has clashed with President Donald Trump over his handling of the protests triggered

by Mr Floyd's death, asked for the withdrawal of all federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops from the city's streets.

In recent days, it had become apparent that their presence was "unnecessary" and "may counterproductive to ensuring the protesters remain peaceful", she said.

Ms Bowser also renamed as Black Lives Matter Plaza an area opposite the White House where federal officers fired smoke grenades to clear protesters ahead of a visit to a church by Mr Trump on Monday.

City workers painted "Black Lives Matter" in large yellow letters on the ground.

Coronavirus: WHO advises to wear masks in public areas (BBC) The World Health Organization (WHO) has changed its advice on face masks, saying they should be worn in public where

Sunday, June 7, 2020 - 05:30 hrs

social distancing is not possible to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

The global body said new information showed

they could provide "a barrier for potentially infectious droplets".

Some countries already recommend or mandate face coverings in public.

The WHO had previously argued there was not enough evidence to say that healthy people should wear masks.

However, WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that "in light of evolving evidence, the WHO advises that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks where there is widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments".

The organisation had always advised that medical face masks should be worn by people who are sick and by those caring for them.

Globally, there have been 6.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and nearly 400,000 deaths since the outbreak began late last year, according to data compiled by

Johns Hopkins University.

What is the WHO's advice?

The organisation said its new guidance had been prompted by studies over recent weeks.

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead expert on Covid-19, told Reuters news agency the recommendation was for people to wear a "fabric mask - that is, a non-medical mask".

Fabric masks should consist of "at least three layers of different material" in order to be effective, the WHO says.

However, those aged over-60 and with underlying health risks should wear medical masks in areas where there is community transmission.

At the same time, the WHO stressed that face masks were just one of a range of tools that could be used to reduce the risk of transmission - and that they should not give people a false sense of protection.

"Masks on their own will not protect you from Covid-19," Dr Tedros said.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 7, 2020

Critical documents for 29 ballot boxes still missing –– DROs a ‘no-show’ at meeting called by GECOM

–– Commission takes decision to exclude SORs from tabulation

By Svetlana Marshall THE Elections Secretariat has thus far reached a dead-end in its search for critical documents that were discovered missing when 29 Ballot Boxes from the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) were opened at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre; and an attempt to meet with the Deputy Returning Officers (DRO) responsible for those documents was met with ‘a no show’.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), headed by Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, has since taken a decision to exclude the Statements of Recount (SORs) for those contentious ballot boxes, pending its decision.

The missing documents include counterfoils (used and unused ballots), Poll Books and marked Lists of Electors among other statutory documents; and an investigation by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, has not, so far, been fruitful.

“The poll bags have been checked but the documents were not found,” GECOM Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, said in a statement on Saturday. The boxes came from the Ogle Community Centre, Lusignan, Montrose Primary School, LBI Primary School, Chateau Margot Nursery and Primary Schools and Life Spring Ministries, among other areas.

The statutory documents were discovered missing on Thursday June 4, 2020 and Friday, June 5, 2020 and the issue was brought to the attention of the Elections Commission after the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) objected to the Statements of Recount generated for

GECOM’s PRO Yolanda Ward those ballot boxes being included in the tabulation exercise.

A meeting, according to Ward, was immediately convened by the Chair of GECOM with the Commissioners present at the Conference Centre at that time and the Chief Elections Officer.

“Following the discussions, the Commission decided that the SORs prepared for those ballot boxes should not be included in the tabulation at this point in time,” Ward explained.

However, at the conclusion of the meeting, it was discovered that twenty-eight (28) of the twenty-nine (29) SORs were already tabulated.

As a result, the tabulation supervisor was advised to highlight those figures during the livestream on the ongoing tabulation for Region 4, pending a decision of the Commission.

Further to that, the CEO was advised to investigate the reasons why the documents were not included in the ballot boxes and to ascertain where the documents could be found.

“It must be stated categorically that none of these missing documents are in the possession of the CEO. The poll bags have been checked but the documents were not found,” GECOM’s Public Relations Officer stated.

Importantly, some of

the Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) responsible for those areas were invited to a meeting by the Chief Elections Officer on Saturday, and, while they committed to be present, they were a no show. “...as at 16:00hrs, no DRO showed up to be interviewed. Efforts would be made to contact the Presiding Officers who were responsible for the respective polling stations,” Ward noted.

The issue of the missing documents was the subject of a letter penned to the Chair of GECOM by the APNU+AFC on Saturday.

Lack of documents Writing on behalf of APNU+AFC, Elections Agents Joseph Harmon and Minister Amna Ally said the lack of the critical documents has effectively affected the recount process. “There is no account and or explanation for the missing statutorily required documents. This means that there is no way for the Commission to verify that the ballots were issued to this polling station. Consequently the validity of any count from this box is in question,” Ally told the Elections Commission.

It added: “Additionally, it cannot be substantiated that electors who cast ballot in these cases met the statutory requirements. In this circumstance the aforementioned Ballot Boxes should be set aside.”

The coalition, in the letter, also noted the limited ability of its agents to examine each and every ballot, and as such, they could not detect with any certainty the issues at hand.

“We continue to call for investigations and action in these matters and since the complaint of fraud is so clear, it is suggested that the Guyana Police Force can help GECOM to bring a speedy resolution to the issue,” APNU+AFC urged.

Weighing in on the issue on Friday, Elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander told reporters that the discoveries were strange, while pointing to the fact that the boxes originated from People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) strongholds.

“A significant number of boxes from Thursday into Friday were found with only ballots in their contents. The other doc-

uments, the Official List of Electors (OLE), the counterfoils, all those documents which [are] supposed to give information about who should have voted, are not in the box. This is strange, and what is even stranger is that it’s coming in a cluster. It’s not one far and in between. There are those who would argue there were similar instances prior, but I myself don’t

recall a similar instance where absolutely nothing else other than ballots [is] in the box. Here we have this apparent cluster,” Alexander posited.

In addition to the cluster, coincidentally or not, all these boxes reflect exceedingly high figures for the PPP/C. The Elections Commission will today convene a meeting to determine the way forward.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

GECOM must honour requirements of recount order ANOHER week and another mountain of evidence unearthed to bring to the attention of GECOM and Guyana the extent to which some went to steal the government of Guyana. Another week and another set of attempts by the PPP to bully its way to power by changing the rules it agreed to. Another week and another set of attempts by external observer groups to usurp the role of GECOM and in the process assault Guyana’s sovereignty. Another week and another period of anxiety for the Guyanese people as they await an end to this long, winding road of self-searching.

From fake voters to dead voters to missing official documents to bloated voter-turnout, the instances of fraud keep coming to the fore. As recent as Friday, as many as 25 boxes from the East Coast of Demerara were discovered

without accompanying documents. The East Coast of Demerara is part of the very Region Four, where the PPP claimed that its votes were allegedly stolen. This must be the biggest irony of the century whereby the accuser is found to be the accused.

How can the absence of accompanying documents for so many ballot boxes from the strongholds of one participating party be a simple error?

If there were lingering doubts about the case being made by the APNU+AFC regarding the credibility of the elections, the discoveries this past week have put those to rest. The PPP has been arguing that GECOM does not have the authority to investigate and pronounce on the anomalies and irregularities uncovered by the coalition.

We beg to differ. The recount order clearly says that the main objective of the exercise

is to do precisely that. Here is what the order says in plain language: “And whereas the Guyana Elections Commission, in exercise of the authority vested in it under Article 162 of the Constitution and pursuant to Section 22 of the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act, No. 15 of 2000, seeks to remove difficulties connected with the application of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03, in implementing its decisions relating to the conduct of the aforementioned recount of all ballots cast at the said elections, including the reconciliation of the ballots issued with the ballots cast, destroyed, spoiled, stamped, and as deemed necessary, their counterfoils/ stubs; authenticity of the ballots and the number of voters listed and crossed out as having voted; the number of votes cast without ID cards; the number of proxies issued and

the number utilised; statistical anomalies; occurrences recorded in the Poll Book.”

It is clear from that paragraph that the objective of the recount is to determine the credibility of the elections.

Now, the PPP is attempting to disregard the recount order which it signed. It must be noted here that a gazetted order of this kind is a form of law-- a supplementary law. It means GECOM is legally bound to satisfy the requirements of the order in its entirety. Nothing short of that would suffice. GECOM is not an arm of the PPP, nor is it the water-boy of external forces with biased agendas.

In this regard, we note that the OAS has pronounced on the recount before it is over. To begin with, such pronouncement is tantamount to direct interference in Guyana’s internal affairs in the most brazen manner. Second, the OAS’ pronouncement

blatantly disregards the recount order. The OAS is telling Guyanese that the large volume of anomalies and irregularities are of no consequence, that they are mere irritants. Well, that is not a matter for the OAS; it is a matter for GECOM to decide. And further, we must add that in the case of a close election every single irregularity becomes pivotal to the final outcome. Finally, it is reckless for an organisation of such repute as the OAS to disregard the delicate nature of the situation in Guyana in pursuit of its solidarity with one contestant.

It is against this background that we call on GECOM to honour the letter and spirit of the recount order. The first line of action is to honestly and justly assess the mountain of evidence at its disposal. That has to be done in the context of the section of the order quoted

above. We are aware that GECOM is under severe pressure from domestic and external forces, but its ultimate loyalty must be to the Guyanese people and the laws of the country.

We have now come to a pivotal moment in this long process which started long before polling day. It is important that we get it right. Too much is riding on such an outcome. Unfortunately, the recount has laid bare the kind of fraud that has plagued our electionss.

This cannot be a time for business as usual. If we declare winners and losers while ignoring the high volume of demonstrated fraud, we would in effect be validating wrongdoing of the highest order, which could come back to haunt us yet again.

URP challenges the two major political parties to form a National-Front Government Dear Editor, THE United Republican Party (URP) Leader, Dr. Vishnu Bandhu is calling on the two major political parties to put away the decades-long ‘winner-takeall’ political tradition, and establish a National-Front Government where Shared Governance will be the order of the day.

Racial strife has destroyed our country, as it continues to destroy the world.

How long must we continue to allow our citizens to become caught in the tangle of racial segregation and political greed.

Reflecting on the two major parties' commentary about the results coming out of the recount, it is obvious that Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh, Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will have an angry Commission to preside over when both sides meet to discuss the various narratives we have been hearing in the media up to this stage of the recount, with 2172 ballot boxes out of the total 2339 completed, which leaves 167 boxes to be recounted, this being approximately 80 per cent of the ballots cast at March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.

A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) has been raising several anomalies in the various workstations, and has charged that the March 2 elections were not credible.

The APNU+AFC has been raising concerns of deceased and migrated persons voting, and missing statutory documents in ballot boxes in the March 2 general and regional elections, in areas known to traditionally support the People Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

The PPP/C, on the other hand, is maintaining that the Guyana Elections Com-

mission (GECOM) has “no jurisdiction” to investigate the allegations of “electoral fraud” being leveled by the APNU/AFC Coalition; that this should be done via an election petition after the results of the election has been declared.

Dr. Bandhu is reminding both the APNU+AFC and PPP/C leaders that they were both in agreement that they will accept the results of the recount.

Both of the major parties also said at the end of balloting on March 2, that the elections were free, credible and transparent. Now, as anomalies are unearthed on

both sides, it is being said that the elections are null and void.

The Presidential Candidates of the two major parties, Brigadier (Retired) David Granger and Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali should surprise Guyana by appearing together at a press conference, with hands joined in victory, not for any political party, but to show a victory for all citizens of Guyana.

All the other parties that contested the March 2 election should join them in an act of solidarity for a safe and modern Guyana.

According to the Leader of the URP, all political leaders must exercise political

maturity, and stop thinking about self and political alliance, and begin to think about the country. Unless an alliance that bridges the racial divide in our country is fostered, our people will continue to feel marginalized. If one of the smaller parties that contested the General and Regional Elections got only a single vote, it means that they have a constituent they are representing, therefore we must not allow sections of the electorate who have voted to go unrepresented because the party they voted for did not get a seat in parliament.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

Credibility and integrity of the electoral process Dear Editor, SINCE March 2, 2020, there has been much activity around the Recount Process. There are questions of its legality, and some see it as an act of commitment and good faith by His Excellency, President David Granger. The Recount Process was gazette, and all political parties were getting into gear; GECOM itself had to be in a state of readiness. In any electoral process, only a simpleton or persons not committed to fairness would negate or purposefully avoid the embrace of Credibility of the electoral process. And so, in a decision to embark on a Recount, the simpleton’s view is irrelevant and cannot be considered.

So what are the principles which should guide this process? First and foremost, it is the Legal framework under which the election was conducted; that framework has provided GECOM with the power to conduct the process, ensure the credibility and integrity of the process, and declare the results of the process. These are very

important processes which must be operationalised by well-trained and committed persons; persons who are not easily corrupted should be identified as part of the process, because there are a number of processes which would allow the Guyanese citizenry to conclude whether the process is wholesome, with credibility and integrity.

Much of what which must be followed by the staff of GECOM and the citizens is clearly defined in the Law, or the Administrative Manuals of GECOM. For example, all statutory documents must be placed in each Ballot Box before being sealed. Clearly, there is a reason why this is required; there is no room for the description of violation of the process as an anomaly or an irregularity. In the electoral process, the violation of these processes is fraudulent.

In the words of the Former Attorney-General, Mr. Anil Nandall, “Fraud is fraud, and everything committed or tainted by fraud makes it a nullity Ab initio.” When the process, as defined, is not met in part or in the whole, how can anyone accept that all the processes related to the Box

bears an iota of credibility and integrity. When a Box arrives without documents, in many instances, it is only the simpleton or the intellectual retard that would not understand that credibility and integrity has been trampled on. My count shows that approximately 11 to 12 enveloppes should be placed in the Ballot Box before it is sealed; had this Recount Agreement not taken place, fraudulent violations would not have come to the fore.

This basic understanding of the principles of credibility and integrity, and the compromise by fraudulent actions seem to knowingly escape the intellectual capacity and understanding of the Heads of Embassies and Missions accredited to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, a Sovereign State, who have also been accredited Observer Status to our elections on March 2, 2020.

Their so-called admonitions and veiled threats to the country, and most of all to our Head of State, is out of character with the normal behaviour of members of the Diplomatic Corps. Their apparent lack of timing of

their comments show disregard and disrespect. There can be difference, but there are processes by which one would expect them to voice their difference; that locus is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before these Heads of Mission arrived in Guyana, their details were presented by their governments to the Government and People of Guyana. After due consideration, they were accepted, and they presented their credentials. Now they have conducted themselves, not as diplomats but as part of a Mafia linked to Race, Power, Economics and Politics, disregarding the need to ensure that our electoral process is one of credibility and integrity. Our Head of State has been tolerant, since, in many other jurisdictions, a decision would have been made for them to be recalled. As Observers, their behaviour has been out of step with the norm. When the world is crying out for human justice, where are the voices of these Representatives speaking to the disenfranchisement of voters in Georgia and Wisconsin; vote-rigging in Hungary, Bulgaria, Roma-

nia etc; voter-suppression in other jurisdictions. They speak of credibility, but are unable to define the elements of same, which are defined in our laws and administrative procedures. So I say to these Diplomats, and all Observers, you have got to be like Caesar’s wife, and your comments need to be studied and evidenced-based, so that, as a people, we can respect you. Guyana has had years of association with your countries, and hence we hold no major difference with your country, but their departure from the behavioural norms of diplomats.

In any electoral process, there are two phases: (1) The Qualitative phase, the elements of which speak to the Credibility and integrity of the process; (2) the Quantitative or numerical phase.

The qualitative influences the second. And the words of Anil Nandall ring through and true. Hence an iota of fraud compromises the credibility and integrity of the first phase, and hence voids the second phase. Also in a country where the voting pattern is racially charged, one cannot risk the acceptance of

descriptions of anomalies and irregularities.

Lastly, I have been puzzled by the behaviour of a former Minister, Kit Nascimento, who saw it fit while describing the security personnel of our Head of State to likening it to Idi Amin’s. I want to say to Mr. Nascimento that in the world today, the slogan ‘Black lives Matter’ is not singularly about the survival of Black people, but also about the respect for Black people and all Guyanese.

He should know better, and by his comments, he not only disrespected President Granger as a Black man, but he also disrespected the office of Head of State. As Guyanese, of all the issues we must address is the issue which has eluded us, and failed to confront is that of RACE .

Regards, Richard Van WestCharles

Allow GECOM to complete the process

Dear Editor,

“THE law, as I have been saying, is the greatest invention of man, and the law says, that fraud is fraud.

A fraud, once committed, makes everything a nullity; everything that is tainted by fraud is void, ab inito, meaning from the inception.”

Words beautifully put and passionately articulated by the man whose popularity in the PPP rivals its Maximum Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Those words, quoted verbatim, and spoken by the former Attorney-General, Mr. Anil Nandlall and televised for the world to see and hear, must not only be taken with the absolute seriousness it requires, because, in law, he is absolutely correct. But they must also be taken into context, in light of the daily happenings being unfolded.

It must be noted that, in law, fraud is defined as “the intentional deception” to secure “unfair” or unlawful gain, or to “deprive” a victim of a legal right.

Mr. Editor, it is significant to recognise that this spoken truth by Nandlall, that some would say is seldom,

was presented before the recount, and was premised on an “allegation” of an unlawful act committed by Mingo, who made a legal declaration of District Four’s results, and, I daresay, it still is.

Contrary to Nandlall's then claim, as I had previously mentioned, the credibility of the March 2, 2020 elections, coupled with the insurmountable evidence the Coalition has provided and continues to provide the Guyana Elections Commission, brings to the forefront the real legitimacy of the former Attorney-General's position of fraud that was systematically done in all regions of the March 2, 2020 elections.

The proof is in the evidence that was, and is being provided regularly by the Coalition.

Mr. Editor, what will GECOM do? Will they bow to international pressure being applied by daily visits of their local representatives to the GECOM Chair at the ACCC, where the national recount is ongoing? Or will they demonstrate the testicular fortitude of their better understanding and knowledge of Guyana's political process and its history than any outsider could under-

stand, to guide this “Guyanese” process?

Mr. Editor, These are some of the fundamental questions that GECOM has to, and must answer, not only for its own redemption as a credible independent body, but to clarify a direction for the population and the future of Guyana.

Again I ask, will GECOM put the Guyanese interest above international interest?

Will they give validity to a process where the evidence implies that the credibility of the process was significantly compromised?

Mr. Editor, no one will accept that GECOM's task will be an easy one, given the very rugged road that led to this present destination. Their prudent decisions must be guided by evidence beyond a numerical count that is in question.

With the alarming amount of unquestionable, indisputable and incontestable evidence of a definitely compromised electoral process, where fraud to deprive the people's will was done, the question, which remains, what will be done, cannot go unanswered.

All eyes are apparently

on the GECOM's chairman, a woman who seems to be the "target" for uninvited guests, from scores of PPP/C representatives on a daily basis, for what, only GOD knows, as well as those from the international/diplomatic community who are "not interfering" in our sovereign democratic electoral process for self-determination, as they want us to believe.

Additionally, Mr. Editor, the CARICOM team is also experiencing a new brand of Guyanese hospitality, which they seem to have recognised but continue to conduct their affairs in a very professional manner.

I take refuge in knowing that the learned Justice and the CARICOM team will be guided by the evidence presented and the law.

The Chairman has demonstrated she is her own woman; a strong woman, who will not be bullied by anyone, at home or abroad.

The Chairman and her team have a Herculean task to arrive at the country's most important decision.

Guyana's interest is paramount, and the lives of all Guyanese matter; credible elections matter.

As stated in my embryonic remarks, referencing the profound words uttered by the former Attorney-General, “The law, as I have been saying, is the greatest invention of Man, and the law says that fraud is fraud. A fraud, once committed, makes everything a nullity; everything that is tainted by fraud is void, ab inito, meaning from the inception.”

Mr. Editor, it would be remiss of me not to state, emphatically, that the WILL of the Guyanese people must not be determined by a fraudulent process that lacks credibility, and, moreover, it must never ever be as a result of outside influences.

The world has seen the outcomes of such interferences, and the travesty that beholds such societies because of such. Hence, the Mullen's report has indicated that the Russians interfered in the American 2015 elections, and the world is witness to the violations of the laws by police, the constant abuse of the media, blatant lies and countless abuse and deaths of many minority groups: Black Americans, the Latino community, etc.

The George Floyd Movement

speaks volumes. There were also interferences in Bolivia's election and the elections of several other Latin and Central American countries, as well as the electoral process of parts of African and South African countries, and the experiences are grave and damning.

Mr. Editor, the outcome of these elections must be guided by the law, and the CARICOM team, which is the "only interlocutory authority" in this process, must be allowed to do its work to its conclusion.

We will only respect the views of our respected CARICOM body, and that of GECOM. All others who present a distasteful audacity to speak and give independent and joint statements before CARICOM and GECOM are allowed to complete their work, must be responsible in understanding that their utterances can cause more harm than good to our fragile State.

Yours respectfully, Jermaine Figueira

8

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

DROs refute PPP/C claims that POs were instructed to leave documents out of ballot boxes THE discovery of 29 ballot boxes void of crucial statutory documents sparked a response from a Deputy Returning Officer (DRO), who contended that it was the instructions of the Region Four Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo to exclude the documents but this, other DROs have said, is far from the truth.

“Please be informed that instructions were given by Miss Carlyn Duncan (Clerk to the Returning Officer Mr. Clairmont Mingo-District # 4) to include only unused, valid and rejected ballots in the ballot boxes,” Depu-

ty Returning Officer, Paul Jaisingh said in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh.

Jaisingh was stationed at the Chateau Margot Primary School, where at least four of the 29 ballot boxes came from. The other boxes were submitted from other parts of the East Coast Demerara (ECD) corridor including Ogle, Lusignan, Montrose, LBI, Life Spring Ministries and Chateau Margot Nursery School.

In his letter, Jaisingh alleged that the instruction was

communicated to Presiding Officers, who complied. “As a result the other documents were placed in the bag provided,” he contended while noting that the instruction was given on Election Day a few hours before the close of the poll. But the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, upon checking the poll bags as suggested

by Jaisingh, came up empty handed.

Jaisingh’s contention has also been rejected by other Deputy Returning Officers, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward said in a statement on

Saturday.

“A group of Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) who were responsible for clusters of Polling Stations on the East Coast of Demerara, Region 4 has submitted a signed statement to the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission refuting allegations that the Clerk to the Region 4 Returning Officer, Ms. Carolyn Duncan instructed them to advise the Presiding Officers to not include the official documents in the ballot boxes at the close of poll,” Ward said.

Contrary to the Jaisingh’s statement, the DROs report-

edly informed the Elections Commission that they were particularly instructed by Duncan to remind the Presiding Officers to ensure that all statutory documents were in the ballot boxes before they were sealed.

“In this regard, the Guyana Elections Commission wishes to remind the public that in preparation for the conduct of General and Regional Elections 2020, all staff were adequately trained in accordance with the legal requirements and procedures to be followed,” Ward stated.

The DROs reportedly

said that they were also advised by Duncan to make regular checks to all stations to ensure a smooth flow of the electoral process. In case of an emergency or any difficulty encountered, DROs were to make contact with Duncan. In light of this development, the Commission, Ward said, is making every effort to ascertain the whereabouts of the documents so that the objections in relation to the boxes with missing documents could be resolved expeditiously.

COVID-19 update…

Guyana records one new case in five days THREE more persons have managed to overcome and recover from the dreaded Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the total number of local recoveries to 80.

Those persons were medically cleared by health authorities on Saturday, and according to reliable sources, they have since been sent home.

While three persons walked away COVID-19-free, one was added to the list of total infections, after health authorities recorded a new case within the past 24 hours.

According to information from the health authorities, the new case was found after some 45 persons were tested between Friday and Saturday.

Local authorities have tested 1,797 persons to date, and 1,643

of those persons have tested negative for the disease, while some 154 were positive.

Of the total number of infections, 80 persons have recovered, and 12 have died, but there are yet 65 active cases, of which 62 are in institutional isolation, and two are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

LONG-TERM RESPONSE Health authorities continue to work towards strengthening the healthcare system to respond to COVID-19 on a long-term basis.

The potential and existing activities are part of a plan to have a comprehensive COVID-19 health network, whereby patients across the country’s 10 administrative regions will be able to access these services.

Region Four (Demerara-Ma-

haica) remains the epicentre of the disease, and there are a number of communities outside of Georgetown which have recorded cases.

Among communities on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) where cases have been recorded are: Atlantic Gardens, Friendship, Golden Grove, Good Hope, Lusignan, Plaisance, and Strathspey. Among communities on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) where there were cases are: Diamond, Grove, Land of Canaan, Providence, and Timehri.

Health authorities are also placing emphasis on the four hinterland regions, especially now that three of them have recorded cases of COVID-19.

The need for surveillance in those regions is also important, because Guyana’s South Amer-

ican neighbour, Brazil, is now rated as the COVID-19 epicentre of the Americas.

“We continue to plead with the residents of Regions One, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine to remain on high alert recognising that our neighbours, Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname are reporting new cases,” said Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Boyle in her update on Friday.

“Residents of Region Seven, with the new cases in Venezuela, and the upsurge in your region, your vulnerability is increased.

We are calling on the Toshaos and other authorities to ensure that residents do not cross borders, and that persons from those other countries are not entering your community. Community members must report any migrant entering your community & any-

one who has signs and symptoms, and immediately bring this to the attention of the health authorities,” Dr. Boyle advised.

As evidenced, COVID-19 remains a serious issue, not just here in Guyana, but globally as well. And, according to global statistics, there are over 6.5 million cases of COVID-19, with over 382,000 deaths. And, with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease. In the absence of approved medications, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventive measures to contain the spread of the disease.

URP challenges the two major political parties ...

Our constitution needs reform, it needs to have policies to ensure that every constituent is catered for. Our reformed constitution must also focus on the element of

segregation and division that has destroyed the fabric of our culture, which is a hate crime. Hate crimes must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and persons

guilty of such crime must be subjected to jail time.

Electoral reform must also be at the core of the reform process and all political parties which contested

the March 2, 2020 elections must be a part of the reform process.

I am calling on the ABCE countries to stop speaking about sanctions

against our country, and begin to speak of Shared Governance and a National-Front Alliance situation.

Let us all begin a movement that will heal our

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country of the vicious act of self-aggrandisement.

Regards, Dr. Vishnu Bandhu Leader of the United Republican Party (URP)

9

SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 7, 2020

74 boxes to be processed … as GECOM warns against unauthorised pronouncement on election results

EVEN in the absence of a complete recount process as outlined in the Order, there have been unofficial reports announcing the results of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections but the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is warning against such actions – behind the backdrop that it is the only constitutional authority that can declare the results of the elections.

While the National Recount is almost to an end with just 74 ballot boxes left to be processed, the Elections Commission, in a statement on Saturday, reminded that GECOM is the sole constitutional authority mandated to pronounce on the results of the elections.

“In this regard, the Commission is urging political parties, organizations, interest groups and other individuals to desist from pronouncing publicly on the results of the elections,” GECOM’s Public Relations Officer,

Yolanda Ward said.

As the recount winds down, a total of 93 ballot boxes from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) were processed. To date, votes within 2, 265 ballot boxes have been recounted from a total of 2, 339 ballot boxes. Additionally, 2,236 Statements of Recount (SORs) have been tabulated for the General Elections while 2,229 SORs have been tabulated for the Regional Elections.

Notably, all of the boxes from the other nine (9) Electoral Districts – Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Two ( Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). In total, votes within 2096 ballot boxes

have been recounted.

But while the recount of the votes is near completed the declaration of the results, is not automatic, based on the order.

The amended order outlines the procedure to be employed, once a report of the recount is submitted to the Elections Commission by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield.

The amended order states: “The Commission shall, after deliberating on the report at Paragraph 12, determine whether it should request the Chief Election Officer to use the data compiled in accordance with Paragraph 12 as the basis for the submission of a report under Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, Cap 1:03, provided that the Commission shall, no later than three (3) days after receiving the report, make the declaration of the results of the final credible count of the elections held on the 2nd day of March 2020.”

According to Paragraph 12 of the Order, the matrices for the recount of the 10 Electoral Districts must be tabulated by the Chief Elections Officer, and a report submitted to the Elections Commission, together with a summary of the Observation Reports for each District.

In the not so distant past, Elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander had explained that, in accordance with the amended order, the Chief Elections Officer is required to submit his Report on the National Recount no later than June 13.

He noted that once the report is deliberated upon by the Elections Commission, it will determine whether the Chief Election Officer should use the data to compile a final report for the declaration of the results.

Commissioner Alexander explained that during the deliberation on the report submitted on the recount, the Elections Commission will

confirm or negate whether persons voted in the place of the dead or individuals who were out of the jurisdiction on E-Day, in addition to a number of other anomalies that have surfaced since the commencement of the recount.

But Elections Commissioner Sase Gunraj, in a separate interview, had offered a slightly different explanation, which suggested that the results of the elections ought to be declared three days after the June 13 deadline.

“Finally, the Order specifies the time within which a declaration has to be made by the Guyana Elections Commission of the final results of the elections held on the 2nd of March, 2020, and that date is no later than three days from the 13th day of June, 2020,” Gunraj had said.

While Alexander, in his discourse, indicated that the Commission will deliberate on, among other things, the Observation Reports ahead

of any declaration, Gunraj has long maintained that GECOM has no such authority.

“GECOM has taken no decision; the Commission has taken absolutely no decision in so far as it relates to treating with any of the issues that have arisen, or may arise during this recount process,” Gunraj contended. To date, more than 1,500 ballot boxes have been processed from a total of 2,339.”

The National Recount, which commenced on May 6, 2020, is being executed under Article 162 of the Constitution, and Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act under the supervision of the Elections Commission, based on an agreement reached between President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo following the intervention of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

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BUNGLED BALLOT BOXES

BY tomorrow I expect the completion of the recount of all valid ballots cast in the March 2, 2020 elections in Guyana. This will be the first of four stages – Recount, Report, Review and Results (4Rs) – to which the President, the Opposition Leader and the Elections Commission have agreed to resolve the impasse that followed claims of widespread rigging at the polls.

The seven-member Elections Commission, which is the sole constitutional body supervising all processes of the elections, has set June 13 as the date for completion of the recount, and June 16 as the outer date for announcement of the official results.

EMANCIPATION AND DEMOCRACY These dates hold tremendous significance for the struggles of the Guyanese

people for emancipation and democracy. June 16 marks the 72nd anniversary of the Enmore Martyrs; and June 13, the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Walter Rodney.

When colonial police killed five unarmed sugar workers in 1948, by cowardly shooting them in the back, it accelerated the struggles for trade union and industrial democracy. It was the catalyst for the formation of the colony’s first united national liberation movement-- the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), and also inflamed the passion for attainment of independence of our country from British imperialism.

But, as happened then in other oppressed territories such as Kenya and India, the colonial powers engineered political and social divisions, the legacy of which has haunted our countries

long after independence.

In Guyana, after independence, there was a prolonged period of authoritarianism that resulted in struggles for restoration of electoral democracy and for a system of non-racial governance.

Walter Rodney emerged as a prominent leader during a phase of popular insurgency to which state and para-state groupings responded with naked force. Walter was killed in a bomb explosion.

His tragic death gave impetus to the fight for the restoration of democracy in Guyana which, in 1992, held free and fair elections. That was an incomplete revolution of sorts as the genuine strivings for multi-ethnic democracy remain unsatisfied though a multi-party government took office for the first time in 2015, and fairly credible general and local elections have been held up

to 2018.

DARK SHADOW I have given a glimpse of the episodic events of 1948 and 1980 to show how the circumstances surrounding the 2020 elections have now cast a thick dark shadow over the gains of struggles over so many years. The reports of widespread acts of electoral fraud on March 2 have tainted not only the integrity of the ballot boxes but have compromised our short-lived enjoyment of credible elections post-1992.

It is fortunate, almost a saving grace, that our Courts have ordered a recount of ballots, which has revealed irregularities in almost all of the electoral districts. There has surfaced glaring evidence of ballot boxes literally stuffed with ballots marked for the PPP with no official supporting documents inside those boxes. Without validation from the voters list for those polling places, the identity of voters who cast ballots could not be ascertained. Those ballots, though legibly marked for a party, without proper legal identity of voters, could have been cast by phantoms!

As I see it, the Elections Commission already has the results of the 10 electoral districts which show that the APNU+AFC Coalition has won by a narrow margin. The Opposition does not agree that those results are credible,

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

and has hinted at going to the Courts on the ground that “fraud vitiates everything”.

That is its right.

But a de jure government has to be put in place, even out of necessity, in a situation where Guyana is battling the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic in the absence of a Parliament and without a national budget. How the Elections Commission traverses this delicate situation will determine whether or not Guyana plunges into a blind spot of unprecedented socio-political and constitutional crises.

When the reports from the recount are submitted in a few days’ time, the Elections Commission will have an opportunity to review the observations. It could assign weight to the evidence of material irregularities to determine whether these could amount to fraud. This could be sufficient for a lawful authority to later vitiate the results, and to render the elections null and void as was the case in the 1997 elections when the Elections Commission had declared the PPP the winner and the President took the Oath of Office.

BURDEN OF FRAUD In recent interviews with Mark Benschop and Rickford Burke, I have admitted how ashamed I am to know that the PPP, with which I have been associated for 50 years, could become a party to blatant electoral fraud. The 2020

dirty tricks have stripped the PPP of any and all pretences, once considered righteous and legitimate, to complain about electoral fraud. It has now exposed to ridicule its supporters who must unfortunately carry the burden of this fraud.

What is more shameful is that key PPP apparatchiks are in consort with foreign interests and agencies, and local reactionaries, to disrupt the national democratic order in a vulgar and desperate power-grab. They have become strange bedfellows since the major protagonists behind the fraud have been trained

by Moscow, once deemed the Mecca of Communist revolutionaries!

“Cheddi Jagan,” I lamented during the interviews, “would have felt betrayed to see this vulgarity and betrayal”. It is sad that he had created a party that has survived the Cold War based on adherence to principles of democracy, nationalism, patriotism, and the defence of the ideals of freedom and liberty, only to see all these values being trashed.

I may be generous to feel that such crass behaviour is redeemable. We can revisit our mistakes, and we can correct them before they create schisms that we would be unable to heal, now or in the near future.

West Bank man allegedly kills brother A 34-year-old man is currently in police custody for allegedly fatally stabbing his 22-year-old brother at their Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home during a fight on Saturday morning.

Dead is Timothy Hodge who was killed between 03:30hrs and 04:30hrs on June 6, 2020. According to reports, the two siblings lived with their mother at Sisters Village and would often fight, since they had an adversarial relationship.

During the period in question, the suspect arrived home late and noted that the door was locked.

However, his mother

opened the door and the suspect came inside and locked back the door.

A few minutes later, Timothy arrived home and the door was locked. He also called out for his mother, who eventually came and opened the door.

Timothy became angry and accused his mother of allowing his brother to lock him outside. In a fit of rage, Timothy went into his brother’s bedroom and attacked him with a piece of wood. In retaliation, the suspect sprang off of his bed, picked up a knife and stabbed Timothy to the neck.

The suspect and his

mother immediately went and reported the matter to the Wales Police Station.

The police went back to the family’s home and found Timothy lying in a pool of blood.

He was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival. The body is currently at the Ezekiel funeral Parlour awaiting a post-mortem. The police also retrieved the knife and the piece of wood at the murder scene. An investigation is underway.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

OP-ED

Many people took things for granted

By Adam Harris

MANY people take some things for granted. They see roads being built, or garbage being collected or transportation provided for their children to go to school and they take those things for granted.

Prior to May 2015 Georgetown was a dump. People called it the Garbage City without a measure of disgust. They simply took it for granted that the government would do nothing to alleviate the situation.

In fact, one government minister, Kellawan Lall, actually said that he would not mind if there is an outbreak of disease in the city.

And to add salt to the injury, Bharrat Jagdeo simply said that his party has never won Georgetown. The inference was that Georgetown would not attract any significant interest from his government.

He even would speak proudly of the days when it took more than 10 minutes to drive from State House to Public Buildings. He did not mind presiding over the collapse of the city; the majority of the people did not vote for his party.

Georgetown is a far cry from what it was in early 2015.

Businessman Brian Tiwarie put his vast resources at the disposal of the nascent government to clean up the city. Within days the transformation was most remarkable.

Visitors from all parts of the world came and remarked on the cleanliness of the city. To a man they proclaimed, “Georgetown is so clean.”

There were other developments. David Granger removed the ban on employment in the Public Service, then set out to ensure a professional Public Service. That is still a work in progress.

He removed the conditions that allowed for the payment of

bribes when people sought to obtain official documents. The long lines disappeared from the passport offices, as did the delay in obtaining documents.

People relaxed and took these things for granted. During the tenure of the PPP government bribery, theft and graft were normal things. Contractors took it for granted that they would pay 10 per cent of their contract to a minister or one of his surrogates. That too was taken for granted.

Corruption having become a way of life in the past and an accepted part of national life, saw the PPP planning and scheming five years ahead of the 2020 elections.

The loss in 2015 did not go down well. Jagdeo had often preached that the PPP could never lose an election again in Guyana. He knew what he was saying. I did not recognise the cold, hard fact that even if no supporter turned up to vote his party would win the elections.

Since Jagdeo did not take losing an election for granted, he began to put he machinery in place to topple the government.

He used every resource, even Charrandass Persaud to initiate the no-confidence motion, Then came the large-scale spending. Money was always there, having been siphoned from the public treasury in the past and squirrelled away like King Midas’s gold. So money, some US$34 Million was the amount agreed to by a lobbying firm in Washington.

Not only did this firm sell the People’s Progressive Party to the foreign diplomats, it provided the message that they all saw and believed. The lobbying firm secured their support for the People’s Progressive Party.

The PPP did not take the work of its lobbyist for granted.

It walked the streets of its supporters offering everything under the moon and the stars once

Adam Harris

the party wins the elections.

On the other hand, the other people believed in decency and took it for granted that all the players would play by the rules.

The PPP had studied most of the known hangers-on in the society. It knew their weaknesses and fed it.

Jagdeo during a meeting at the National Cultural Centre so humbled a man who is now a vocal critic of the government, that this man never uttered a word in his own defence.

Jagdeo bought this neophyte of a lawyer.

Then there was the self-proclaimed communicator. The PPP in days gone by, hounded this man. It had his friends shot on the seawall and a fellow party member escaped to Canada.

But this man who was close to Forbes Burnham and an ardent supporter of Desmond Hoyte (perhaps by pretence) was acquired by Jagdeo.

Others who were brutally treated in the past became Jagdeo’s choir boys and girls.

Perhaps it was the promise of grand things.

A long time ago I recognised that people may have all the money in the world and still feel inferior to ordinary people. Take that person and promise him a diplomatic post-

GWI catches Arctic Waters tapping into fire hydrant

THE Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is reminding the general public that tampering with its infrastructure is punishable by law.

According to a release from the utility company, the reminder comes in light of a recent discovery that a water company, Arctic Waters, has been filling its 10,000 gallon (approximately) capacity truck with water from a fire hydrant for sale to its customers.

It said officials from GWI, on Saturday, 6th June, 2020 witnessed Arctic Waters company doing so from a fire hydrant located in Garnett Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

“Arctic Waters, in committing such action, has evad-

Arctic Waters truck tapping into the fire hydrant

ed paying some $6,750 per tank of water and the utility will be taking strict actions against them for this illegal activity,” GWI said.

“GWI also takes this opportunity to condemn the actions of rogue officers within the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) who seek to condone and assist in such activities, as was also witnessed by officials from the utility,” the

release said.

It noted that fire hydrants exist only for use in the event of a fire and emergency cases where GWI sees fit based on its own assessment.

The utility said tampering with its infrastructure attracts a fine of $30,000 for residential customers and $65,000 for non-residential customers.

ing and suddenly he becomes important. The man with his money desperately wants power. He wants to strut with international characters, even if he cannot speak the language.

Jagdeo is also known to offer every Tom, Dick and Harry Lall whom he controls, but whom he needs in these days of the elections, duty-free concessions on high-end vehicles.

He knows that his sycophants need to look important so he has played to their weakness.

While all this is happening, others take their gains for granted. How else can one understand that in the PPP areas there have been all the shenanigans with the ballot boxes?

How is it that only in PPP areas that dead people came from the dead to vote? Money was paid to people to supply the names of their dead relatives to the party. It was the same with those who left the country, remained overseas but voted.

There have been massive

irregularities in these elections but these were planned since 2015. People were recruited and briefed. They were paid from the party coffers and by GECOM. Meanwhile, the paid party servants flooded the newspapers with letters. Former presidents, the former prime minister, former ministers and party loyalists all penned letters. Sadly, the incumbents were not as visible or strident.

The PPP was as hostile as it was promising to its newfound friends. I saw the scathing attacks against people and their children. Who attacks the children?

Joseph Harmon has been critical of Jagdeo and his party.

He has long been talking about how corrupt and destructive Jagdeo and his cohorts could be.

Jagdeo attempted to paint him as the most corrupt person in Guyana. Then he extended his attack to Harmon’s children, contending that they be-

came very rich form Ill-gotten gains. The children have said nothing.

Business mogul Brian Tiwarie, once a close friend of Jagdeo and the PPP, parted ways with both. Recently he and his children came in for attacks from the PPP. He was accused of being Joe Harmon’s friend as if that is a crime.

Then there was the attack against his children. One daughter who was home on her birthday, Tuesday, was said to have deserted her children earlier in the day to leave for Florida. Her husband, a naturalized Guyanese was reminded of his origins.

The die is cast. I wait to hear about decency. Reporters were forced to spare Sam Hinds’s son. They could not attack Donald Ramotar’s children because it was not nice.

Jagdeo has none, but many of his followers are parents.

They will cry foul when the time comes.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

Guyana playing critical role in maintaining food supply to CARICOM states EVEN as Guyana contends with the effects of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the country has maintained a critical role in supplying food to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states.

Guyana’s role in maintaining regional food security was highlighted by Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, during his message on World Food Safety Day 2020, which was celebrated under the theme “Food safety, everybody’s business”.

Food safety, a matter of growing importance, encom-

passes all the practices carried out during production, handling, distribution, preparation and storage of food in order to guarantee its safety for consumption.

According to Holder, this year, the focus is placed on food markets by inspiring action to help prevent, detect and manage food-borne risks, which contribute to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.

“As we celebrate this day during the Coronavirus pandemic, it is important to note

that Guyana’s role in the assurance of food security within the region has been recognised, as we provide critical support in ensuring that the food supply for CARICOM states is maintained.

“In addition, we must all be reminded that together we play an important role in ensuring that food is safe and nutritious. This includes governments enforcing regulations and promoting more sustainable solutions, food producers and vendors adopting and applying good hygiene practices like TURN TO PAGE

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

First group of stranded Guyanese return from US

On Saturday afternoon, the first group of stranded Guyanese passengers who were given the green light by the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) to return to these shores, touched down at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) aboard an Eastern Airlines flight.

Some 137 passengers who were stranded in various parts of the United States since Guyana’s airspace was closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, arrived on Saturday. American citizens who have been stranded here

were awaiting their chance to return to their homeland aboard the outbound Eastern Airlines flight.

Reports are that a second flight is expected in Guyana in the coming days.

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence told reporters that the arrival of the locals was a significant experience as she noted that it meant Guyana came a far way since January this year when the authorities here were made aware of what was transpiring in Wuhan, China.

“The fact that today we

can be able to open the airport for Guyanese who are in various countries, today specifically we looked at the USA,” Lawrence said. She said that the arrival of the first set of passengers meant that the authorities ,”would have been able to put in place several elements needed to ensure that we can be able to cushion any effects that may spill out for persons travelling from high risk countries.”

In terms of the CJIA preparedness, she said that the Ministry of Public Health has been working closely

with the airport management and also the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to ensure that Guyana can be able to accommodate passengers passing through the airport and while maintaining the guidelines of physical distancing among other measures.

The passengers are undergoing a mandatory seven-day quarantine and Lawrence said that the surveillance department of the Ministry of Public Health will ensure that the passengers are following the guidelines. Should there be an issue which may arise,

A parent and his son were among the group of returning passengers.

that unit will address such matters.

According to the Department of Public Information, all arriving passengers would have been subjected to the strict guidelines instituted by the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), which includes but is not limited to the nationals submitting negative tests for COVID-19 no less than 48 hours before arrival.

On Friday, Minister of Public Infrastructure Da-

vid Patterson noted several passengers would have had issues related to their COVID-19 tests while a few were deemed ineligible to travel.

Nevertheless, the Minister maintained that stranded Guyanese should continue to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with the respective embassies and consulates in their area.

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Guyana playing critical role ...

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) along the food supply chain and consumers making healthier choices and pushing for a safer food supply,” said the agriculture minister.

In Guyana’s progression towards an effective and more sustainable system for ensuring, not only food security, but access to safe food as well as maintenance of a healthy and productive population, the Food Safety Act was passed and assented to by President David Granger, in 2019.

The systems implemented, recently, have positioned Guyana to develop an Integrated Food Safety Authority. Minister Holder said this authority will be grounded in a risk-based regulatory system focused on decreasing food-borne illnesses and non-communicable diseases, in addition to improving confidence for consumers and our trading partners. “I look forward to significant actions in the area of food safety in Guyana in 2020 and the years beyond, and leave you with the WHO’s five keys to safer food: keep clean, separate raw and cooked food, cook food thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures and use safe raw materials and water,” he said.

It was reported, in May, that there is substantial evidence to show that Guyana is “food-secure,” especially at a time when the local economy, like many others, has taken a hit from external and internal shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Food Programme (WFP) says people are considered food-secure when

they have adequate access, at all times, to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. It also lists “food availability,” “food access” and “food utilisation” as pivotal, central planks of food security.

Guyana, however, continues to stay “above water” in this regard, and, in putting Guyana’s situation in simple terms, Director of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Dr. Odhu Homenauth, said: “Guyanese will not go hungry.”

The country, he said, is food-secure and will be able to “weather the storm,” because there has been no evident drop in the production of fruits and vegetables. NAREI has been monitoring the local production of vegetables and fruits, and, according to Dr. Homenauth, to this end, there has been no decline. For the first quarter of the year (January to March), production was over 179,000 tonnes, compared to 170,000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2019. “Apart from COVID-19, we had dry conditions which may have affected crops, so we saw a slight decrease in terms of acreage of some commodities. The decrease in acreage continues to be a trend,” said the director. Despite this prevailing trend, Dr. Homenauth said no sector has been hard hit, but there has been an inevitable decrease in the exportation of some commodities. There has been a reduction in air cargo, especially to Canada and the United States of America because of the restriction on air travel.

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ook review: B A review of David Granger’s The Rupununi Rebellion

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DAVID Granger’s The Rupununi Rebellion is an eye-opening account and

analysis of an attempted secession which occurred in the Rupununi District in

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

1969. The book unravels the demographic, economic, geographic, strategic, political and sociological complexities of the Rebellion.

A group of rich ranchers, almost exclusively members of a single clan of relatives, executed an insurrection in the Rupununi – Guyana’s largest, remotest and southernmost district – on 2nd January 1969.

The plan entailed the secession of the District and the declaration of a ‘Republic of the Rupununi’. The intended new state was to be aligned to Venezuela which, at the time, had resurrected its territorial claim to more than two thirds of the country, including the District in which the rebellion occurred.

The insurrectionists launched their main attack

on the town of Lethem, the administrative centre. They began their assault on the Town’s police station, killing four policemen and arresting other government officials, including the District Commissioner, who were imprisoned in the abbatoir. The rebels held sway for almost two days until troops from the 2nd Battalion of the Guyana Defence Force were deployed from the military base at Atkinson Field to quell their rebellion.

The insurrectionists, although equipped with rifles, modern 50-caliber machine guns and anti-tank recoilless rocket-launchers, were outmaneuvered by the better armed and trained soldiers. Many rebels, including the masterminds and the presumptive ‘president’ of the ‘Republic of the Rupununi’, escaped and sought asylum across the borders.

Guyana, at the time of the Rebellion, had attained its Independence only thirty-one months earlier in May 1966.

The Rupununi Rebellion represented, therefore, “…the single most serious threat to national security and territorial integrity… [and]… the sternest test of statehood and social solidarity.”

The Rupununi District is frontier territory. Bordering both Brazil and Venezuela, its most notable feature is its sprawling grasslands which, though

not very fertile, allow for largescale cattle-rearing. The District’s isolation and stunted development created conditions for fomenting the Rebellion.

The Rebellion occurred against the backdrop of strained relations with the country’s western neighbour, Venezuela which had repudiated the 1899 Arbitral Award which had definitively settled the territorial controversy just prior to Guyana’s Independence in 1966. The Geneva Agreement between the United Kingdom, Venezuela and British Guiana, the latter still a colony, provided for the establishment of a Mixed Commission which would examine the controversy which had developed as a result of Venezuela’s repudiation of the Arbitral Award.

Venezuela, despite the Geneva Agreement, resorted to forceful measures in the same Independence year, including the occupation of Guyana’s portion of Ankoko Island in the Cuyuni River which forms part of the border between the two countries.

Prime Minister Forbes Burnham addressed the nation two days after the Rupununi Rebellion. He accused the ranchers and Venezuela of complicity in the insurrection.

It was revealed that the rebels had received training and support from Venezuela.

Prime Minister Burnham

pointed, also, to the relationship between the conspirators and the United Force, a local political party which was once in a coalition with the People’s National Congress. He did not accuse the United Force out-rightly of complicity in the Rebellion, even though there were subtle suggestions to this effect. Certain officials of the United Force were prohibited from entering the District after the Rebellion.

The Rebellion is a riveting tale of conspiracy, intrigue and treason; it provides a captivating plot for an action-movie script. A book, however, can be just as entertaining and exciting as a movie. The task of narrating and analyzing the Rebellion has fallen to David Granger. He has not disappointed. Granger has produced a masterly and meticulously-researched work which dissects the complexities of the revolt. The Rupununi Rebellion is arranged, conveniently, into five main sections, namely: * A new state – painting the broad historical, geographical and social canvas of the Rebellion; * The remote frontier – exploring the economic, geographical and sociological factors of the District; * A criminal conspiracy – detailing the secessionist plot and its execution; * The defence of the district – examining the daring military counter-offensive to the Rebellion; and * The aftermath of treason – examining the national reaction to the Rebellion.

Land access is an incendiary and emotive subject which can ignite insecurities and fears. This was less the case in the Rupununi in 1969 where ranchers had appropriated vast acreages and felt threatened when the Amerindian Lands Commission was established to examine the issue of the land rights of the Indigenous people throughout the country. The ranchers feared dispossession and displacement from their immense leases and ‘hacienda’ lifestyle and the granting of titles to the indigenous Makushi and Wapishana people many of whom they employed as ‘vaqueros.’

The book’s main shortcoming, perhaps, is that greater consideration was not given to the insecurities of the ranchers. Granger, notes, fairly and even-handedly, that one of the ranchers behind the Rebellion had expressed concerns about the Government’s refusal to renew their land leases. The relative isolation of the Rupununi from the rest of the country would have contributed to the rancher’s fears of being uprooted from lands which their families had controlled for decades.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

This is a paid political ad

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

Tullow Guyana partners with the Caribbean Surgery Inc. (CSI)

…in support of national COVID-19 response AS countries around the world continue their efforts to combat the novel strain of the coronavirus, many have turned to the use of masks to protect them from droplet transmission.

A press release from Tullow Guyana said the oil company has partnered with Caribbean Surgery Incorporated (CSI) with the aim of addressing this need together.

The two entities are sponsoring the procurement of 10,000 cloth masks for free

distribution at central hubs of Georgetown.

“In response to the national, regional and international demand for masks, Tullow and CSI have commissioned local manufacturers to produce masks.

These masks are reusable and come in various sizes for both children and adults. The COVID-19 response strategy ‘Mask UP’ project is in alignment with the public health advisory as one of the mandatory requirements that the

general public wear masks when outside their homes.” the press release said.

Accordingly, Mr. Joachim Vogt, Tullow Country Manager, said, “Tullow has linked arms with stakeholders to help fight and reduce the spread of COVID-19. We recognise that in the face of [a very large problem, it is important even to take small steps in the right direction.

No effort is too small at this juncture.”

Tullow Guyana said

it has aggregated another $2 Million to this effort by sponsoring 10,000 masks.

It noted that thus far the total value of aid supplied

by Tullow Guyana to the national COVID-19 response is $4 Million.

According to the release, CSI will be coordinating and leading the distribution in bus parks, market places and communities, making the cloth masks accessible city-wide for free to the public.

Tullow Guyana local team

Dr. Surendra Persaud, Director/ General Surgeon CSI signs donation agreement with Joachim Vogt, Tullow Country Manager

Education Ministry satisfied with Hinterland students’ preparedness for July exams

THE effects of the novel coronavirus led to the closing of hundreds of schools across Guyana, leaving thousands of students and teachers to find new ways of learning.

The Ministry of Education created an Alternative Plan Programme whereby, students were provided with home-based learning activities inclusive of electronic learning or e-learning.

Chief Education Officer (CEO), Ingrid Trotman, stated that while the Ministry used e-learning for students, such as radio, television, social media and the Ministry’s website, consideration was also given for students who were unable to gain access, especially vulnerable communities such as in the hinterland region.

“For the hinterland students, the Ministry of Education provided booklets for Grades 2, 4 and 6, along with the past papers and these were distributed to the region, which further had it distributed to each school and then unto the students,” the CEO stated.

This was done as part of preparations for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) for

secondary schools, June-Ann Gonsalves further explained: “The teachers themselves prepared worksheets and they were sent to the different villages for those areas that we could not have gotten contact with”.

Gonsalves also said that she is satisfied with the level of preparedness for exams and the engagement of students in hinterland regions, including Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9. “I feel comfortable with the engagement that would have been involved and the collaboration across,” Gonsalves said.

“It wasn’t just the Ministry as in the Central [Ministry], but the individual regions, we had meetings with our REDOs [Regional Education Officers] and the regions did their part to ensure that the learners were engaged to assist in whatever was absolutely necessary.”

ACEO for primary education, Carol Benn, is also satisfied with the work in primary schools in the hinterland and confirmed that past papers dating back to 2017, worksheets prepared by teachers and distributed to homes, as well as parent-teacher engagements were held. NGSA exams are slated for July 1 and 2, while CSEC exams will be held from July 13-August 4 and CAPE during the July 13-31 period.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

‘Don’t allow our motherland to descend into darkness’

…Sir Shridath urges AS the national recount of votes cast at the March2, 2020 elections comes to a close, revered Guyanese Diplomat, Sir Shridath Ramphal, has urged citizens not to allow the country to slip into chaos.

“As Guyana nears the tipping point of its ‘elections crisis’ I plead with all my fellow Guyanese not to allow our motherland to descend into the darkness of denial of the rule of law and regularity,” Sir Shridath said in a terse statement on Saturday.

He added: “As Guyanese, we owe it to ourselves, to the Caribbean Community, which we have helped to bring to life, and to the wider global community whose respect we have earned as an enlightened democratic State, not to debase ourselves by descent into the pit of lawlessness.”

He noted that in a matter of weeks, Guyana shall be appearing before the International Court of Justice at the worthy instance of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to appeal for global justice under international law against menace to our national patrimony. “Almost three-quarters of Guyana – of land and sea – is under threat. We must protect it

with clean and united hands.

Let lawfulness prevail in our country; unless it does, all of Guyana - and all its people are imperilled!” Sir Shridath encouraged.

Back in March when the Caricom recount team was forced to retreat after the court granted an injunction against the process, Sir Shridath had said in a statement that, “in the darkness of disagreement, CARICOM’s helpful intervention in trying to resolve the general elections process at the request of both president Granger and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, was a ray of light. All of Guyana should have welcomed it, as most Guyanese did. It is a wholly legitimate role of community that must not be smothered under any pretext whatever.”

He added: “It is utterly regrettable that, despite the highest-level agreement between the political leaders of Guyana and five CARICOM heads of government acting for the Community, the invited CARICOM team to oversee the recount of the votes, has had to withdraw.

Guyana is being deprived of regional and international approval and the opportunity for global respect at a time when it matters most.

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A review of David Granger’s ...

David Granger brings a unique perspective to this recounting of the Rebellion.

He was, at that time in 1969, a young officer in the country’s Defence Force and the Adjutant of the Battalion which was deployed to quell the Rebellion. He had eye-witness experience and first-hand knowledge of the military operation launched to counter the rebel offensive.

He has scrupulously mined a wealth of sources, backed by personal experience, in producing this book.

Despite his own role in quelling the Rebellion, Granger has succeeded in producing a dispassionate analysis of the causes and consequence of the treason.

The Rupununi Rebellion is an outstanding work of scholarship. It is richly researched, citing Brazilian anthropological sources and the texts of statements by the Prime Minister, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Permanent Mission to the United Nations. It analyses the convergence of geography, ethnography, economics, politics and international re-

lations in fomenting a bloody insurrection in a small, newly-independent state. The book’s text is complemented by illustrations, appendices and maps to help the reader gain a richer understanding of the Rebellion’s setting, its causes, execution and eventual suppression. The Rebellion is a cautionary lesson to those overlook these factors in pursuing development.

The Rupununi Rebellion is not a new book. It was first published in 2009 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Rebellion.

It was republished ten years later in 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the event. The book remains the most comprehensive, yet concise, and authoritative record of the Rupununi Rebellion.

David Granger, with this book, has provided an invaluable service to the recording of the country’s history. His account and analysis preserve the memory of the Rebellion and, in so doing, ensures that it will not be relegated to historical obscurity.

Distinguished Guyanese Diplomat, Sir Shridath Ramphal

CARICOM has not closed the door to proving the preciousness of its familial ties with Guyana; it can still play the role Guyana’s two political leaders agreed it should.

What is required now is for all to place the interest of the nation above other narrow considerations that could mar the country’s prospects; and retard the strides that the people of Guyana have made collectively. I urge that peace and progress be pursued lawfully and transparently.”

In the run up to the elections, Sir Shridath again

had urged citizens to remain peaceful– warning that nothing should be done to hinder the country’s progress as it gets ready to defend its territory before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “The closing days of a national elections and the days after it when it pronounces its democratic decision, those days are fractious ones in any democracy and Guyana is not immune from this, but we do have a greater need than usual to demonstrate to the world that our na-

tional motto [One People, One Nation, One Destiny] does describe us…The proceedings on the 23rd of March at The Hague will be about that destiny. It is my plea to all fellow Guyanese that between now and then, we do nothing to impair that destiny,” Sir Shridath implored. Sir Shridath said that “the eyes and the ears of the global community will be upon us in a few weeks-time” as the country defends its position that the Arbitral Award of 1899 remains intact.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 7, 2020

Corentyne man dies after pinned under tractor

The small Community of 72 Village, East Berbice Corentyne was thrown into a state of shock and mourning following the demise of a popular tractor operator who was pinned to death in the backlands of the said village on Saturday morning.

The victim has been identified as Ghaneshwar Jahaman called “Dougla and Ganesh” of Number 72 Village. At the time of the incident he was operating

the tractor in the rice fields when it toppled pinning him at the bottom in the muddy fields that was submerged in water. The incident occurred at approximately 10:30 hrs.

According to reports from Jahaman’s boss Toural Singh a Rice Farmer, who was also in the backlands operating a separate tractor he noticed Jahaman’s tractor “flipped” over. He hurriedly, went across to his employee when he dis-

covered that the tractor had pinned “Ganesh” and he was motionless. Singh made his way to the road where he informed relatives and the police.

About three hours later the police arrived at the scene and were able the remove the body that was completely covered in mud. The body was taken to the Skeldon Hospital awaiting a post mortem examination. Relatives told the Guyana Chron-

icle that Jahaman had left for work at around 06:30 hrs and was in a jovial mood. He has been a tractor operator for over ten years but has been employed with Singh for the last eight months. Family members who gathered at the roadway as they awaited the body from the backlands were moved to tears. They described him as a caring and helpful individual.

Deceased: Ghaneshwar Jahaman

Farmers trying to remove the body of Mr Ghaneshwar Jahaman from under the tractor

The tractor involved in the accident

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 7, 2020

Joshua wears knee brace at Black Lives Matter march

BRITAIN’S world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua wore a knee brace as a “precautionary measure” at a Black Lives Matter march.

Joshua, 30, was seen using a scooter during parts of the march in his home town of Watford.

The IBF, WBA and WBO world champion felt a “twinge” in his left knee during training this week.

“It will be further checked by his doctors but there is no immediate concern,” his spokesman said.

“The brace is a precautionary measure on the advice of physios.”

Joshua addressed the crowd, who marched in protest following the death of American George Floyd.

Floyd, 46, died while being arrested on May 25 in Minneapolis. The four officers involved have since been charged over the death, which sparked days of protest in the U.S. and Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the world.

Joshua read out a poem describing racism as a “pandemic”.

“We stand united against a virus which has been instrumental in taking lives, taking lives of the young, old, rich, poor; a virus which is unapologetic and spreads across all sectors,” he said.

“The virus has been declared a pandemic. This is out of control. And I’m not talking about COVID-19. The virus I’m talking about is called Racism.”

Joshua hoped to fight twice in 2020 but has accepted he will have no more than one bout this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Talks are ongoing over when and where his mandatory world title defence against Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev can take place, given the challenge faced in creating a viable event without fans present.

Ideas have been floated by Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn on the prospect of a bout at Royal Albert Hall where only a small number of high-priced seats are sold.

Pulev’s team has raised the prospect of fighting outdoors at a Roman amphitheatre in Croatia.

Those close to Joshua expect his injury to have no impact on plans to face Pulev and insist he will be able to return to normal training in the short term.

(BBC Sport)

Brian Lara makes history ...

From back page

the next morning, which had stood for 11 years, was a measure of the West Indian’s ability to thrill and surprise in equal measure. He moved right across his crease and paddled McGrath down to fine-leg, exposing his leg and middle stumps with such risk that didn’t seem to be justified by the result of a single run.

But it mattered little as Lara punched the air and again received the hearty congratulations of the Adelaide crowd and all 11 Australian players.

Lara’s total of 226 out of 405 wasn’t nearly enough for the Windies in the end, with Mike Hussey, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden and Warne steering the Aussies to a seven-wicket win But there was little doubt which player produced the standout performance of the match, and the manner in which Langer spoke underlined the esteem with which the West Indian was held by his peers.

“I love watching Lara bat, he’s the king,” Langer said.

“I just wish I could bat like that. If I was Lara I would have danced down the pitch and whacked it over the top (when on 99). But that’s why I’m Langer and he’s Lara.”

And there will only ever be one Brian Lara. (Cricket.com.au)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 7, 2020

Who is English county cricket’s greatest-ever overseas player?

BBC Sport users have already chosen their greatest overseas player for all 18 first-class counties, when we ran our first poll at the start of May. Now is the time to judge who was the best of them to perform in English county cricket.

It is more than half a century since the doors were opened to allow overseas players to play county cricket on a regular basis - and most of the world’s best have since graced the domestic game in one form or another.

With the help of our BBC local radio commentary teams, who have so far had a quieter-than-expected start to the 2020 season, it was a tough job even whittling each county down to a best final four.

Such is the quality of choice that you only have to look at the great names who were left out of the poll altogether: - Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Dale Steyn from South Africa - Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble and Ravichandran Ashwin from India - Two of New Zealand’s finest batsmen in Brendon McCullum and Martin Crowe - West Indies stalwarts such as Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Andy Roberts - Legendary Pakistan batsman Javed Miandad - Australia greats from past and present - Allan Border, Glenn McGrath, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Steve Waugh, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc - Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, the world’s all-time leading wicket-taker in Tests All of those played English county cricket but, in most cases, not enough of it. None made our shortlist.

Now it gets even tougher for you, as you have to pick who you think is the best of the 17 players left in the contest.

Voting closes at 12:00 BST on Thursday, June 11, with the winner being revealed shortly afterwards.

If you are still undecided, you can find out a bit more about each of the 17 contenders below.

ALLAN DONALD The South Africa fast bowler nicknamed ‘White Lightning’ spent 13 years associated with Warwickshire, taking 536 first-class wickets in 141 games.

That figure included 88 in the 1995 County Championship title defence. The Bears had an option to re-sign Brian Lara that summer, on the back of his record-breaking, treble-winning year in 1994, but the Warwickshire committee stuck with Donald, who had been representing his country on a tour of England the previous season.

Donald also claimed 245 one-day scalps for the Bears, helping them win the NatWest Trophy in 1989 and the 1997 Sunday League.

Donald was the winner of Warwickshire’s vote with 42%, ahead of West Indies batsmen Lara, Alvin Kallicharran and Rohan Kanhai.

ASIF IQBAL The Pakistan batsman was the win-

one of the more evenly contested, but Ambrose came out on top with 47% ahead of Pakistan all-rounder Mushtaq Mohammad, paceman Sarfraz Nawaz and Indian spinner Bishan Bedi.

Between 1989 and 1996, the West Indies Test fast bowler took 318 wickets in 78 first-class matches and 115 wickets in 95 one-day appearances for Northants, highlighted by two scalps in Northants’ NatWest Trophy final win over Leicestershire at Lord’s in 1992.

He also claimed 405 Test wickets, leaving him 15th on Test cricket’s alltime list.

Four players from African countries are in the 17-man shortlist: From left: Allan Donald, Ken McEwan, Brian Davison and Mike Procter ner of the Kent poll, taking 56% of the vote ahead of West Indies all-rounders Carl Hooper and John Shepherd, as well as Sri Lanka batsman Aravinda de Silva.

Asif was also a brilliant fielder and bowled medium pace, helping to win four Lord’s one-day trophies, three Sunday Leagues and two Championship titles.

He also won 58 Test caps in and

several winters playing Sheffield Shield cricket.

He played for his native Rhodesia before they achieved Test status as Zimbabwe.

SIR CLIVE LLOYD Lloyd won the Lancashire vote with 66% from Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram, five-time pre-war Champi-

Three West Indies legends and cricketing knights: From left: - Sir Viv Richards, Sir Curtly Ambrose and Sir Clive Lloyd - are included in our shortlist around his 13 231 runs in 243 first-class games for Kent, whom he captained in 1977, 1981 and 1982.

Added to that were 5 554 one-day runs in 241 games and 179 wickets in both forms, during 14 years of service between 1968 and 1982.

BRIAN DAVISON Batsman Davison was the winner of the Leicestershire poll with 56% of the vote, ahead of West Indies opener Phil Simmons, paceman Winston Benjamin and South African batsman Hylton Ackerman.

Bulawayo-born Davison made 18 537 runs in 303 first-class games in 14 years with Leicestershire between 1970 and 1983, hitting 37 tons. He also scored 6 744 runs in 276 one-day games.

Davison returned to England to play for Gloucestershire in 1985, before ending his career with Tasmania in the last of

onship winner Ted McDonald and Indian wicket-keeping legend Farokh Engineer.

He served as a player from 1968 to 1986, before taking an Old Trafford committee role between 1993 and 2012.

The left-handed batsman played 219 first-class games for Lancashire, hitting 30 centuries in a haul of 12 764 runs, spread around a glittering West Indies career, which included captaining his country to victories in the first two World Cups.

He was a serial one-day trophy winner in his 273 games; the first two one-day league titles (1969 and 1970), followed by four Gillette Cups between 1970 and 1975.

He was twice man-of-the-match in finals, thanks to a memorable 126 against Warwickshire in 1972 and again in 1975 against Middlesex.

SIR CURTLY AMBROSE The Northamptonshire vote was

DARREN LEHMANN Yorkshire’s infamous old rule that a player must be born within the county’s borders was abandoned in 1992 when they recruited a teenage Sachin Tendulkar.

The future India superstar did well, making 1 070 County Championship runs and a further 540 in one-day cricket, but he, Kane Williamson and Jacques Rudolph were all eclipsed by Darren Lehmann with 69% of the Yorkshire vote.

Lehmann made 8 871 runs in 88 firstclass matches for Yorkshire in six seasons at Headingley between 1997 and 2006, all at the prodigious average of 68.76, while also making 5 481 runs in 139 limited-overs matches.

Capped 27 times at Test level by Australia, he went on to become his country’s head coach. He was cleared of any wrongdoing by Cricket Australia during the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in 2018, but chose to resign at the end of that series.

DAVID BOON In a tight Durham vote, based on their first 28 seasons as an English first-class county, the stocky Australian batsman claimed 33% of the poll to just edge out South African Dale Benkenstein and two more Australians, Michael Di Venuto and Callum Thorp.

Boon helped shape Durham into a competitive force after seven years of scratching around at the bottom of the County Championship table and inspired them to Division One for the start of the new two-tier league structure in 2000.

He scored 3 007 first-class runs and another 1 465 in one-day cricket.

DESMOND HAYNES He picked up 52% of the Middlesex vote to win from former West Indies team-mate Wayne Daniel, Australian opener Chris Rogers and South Africa fast bowler Vintcent van der Bijl.

Haynes made 7 071 runs, at an average of 49.10, in 95 matches during his five seasons at Lord’s between 1989 and 1994, including 21 of his 51 career centuries.

He also made six more tons in oneday cricket, scoring 4 105 runs for Middlesex in 96 matches, and helped Middlesex win three trophies; the County Championship in 1990 and 1993, plus the Sunday League in 1992.

TO BE CONTINUED

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 7, 2020

BCCI contemplating moving IPL 2020 out of India EVER since the coronavirus pandemic started taking charge from the month of March, cricketing tournaments have gone for a toss.

India have also suffered from that aspect as apart from the bilateral series against South Africa being cancelled, the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) has also become doubtful. It was scheduled to get underway on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium.

However, the tournament had to be postponed for an indefinite time period due to the lockdown and the continuous increase in COVID-19 cases. The situation has worsened to the extent that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also been contemplating moving the T20 event out of India. Arun Dhumal, the BCCI treasurer, said that it’s about safety of the players.

“If it is safe for our players to play IPL in India, then it would be our first preference but in case the situation does not permit and we are not left with any choice and a window is available then we can look at moving IPL 2020 out of India,” Dhumal was quoted in an exclu-

BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal sive interview with Times Now. Back in 2009, the entire IPL had to be shifted to South Africa, that time because of the political scenario in India. The Lok Sabha Elections were underway and the security forces weren’t available for the matches.

Even in 2014, a part of the tournament had to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the same reason.

“We have done it in the past in South

Africa. We may not want to do it willingly but if that’s the only possibility then there is not much anyone can do about it,” Dhumal stated.

Earlier, it was learned that the world’s richest cricket board could end up incurring losses worth INR 4 000 crore if the IPL doesn’t take place. The cricketers could also face pay cuts from the board.

Previously, if reports are to be believed, Sri Lanka and the UAE have offered to host the IPL. But the BCCI treasurer sounded concerns about travel restrictions and other problems in the pandemic situation.

“No country is safe from the COVID-19 pandemic so it’s not going to be easy if we decide to shift IPL out of the country and take players to Sri Lanka, Dubai or South Africa. The situation is almost the same everywhere, international travel restrictions are also a problem.

“Sri Lanka was okay but in the last couple of days cases have risen there so problems are there; we need to deal with them,” he added. (CricTracker)

Bayern crush Leverkusen to stay firmly on title course BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) - Bayern Munich came from a goal down to ease past hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 yesterday and remain firmly on course to retain the Bundesliga title with four games remaining.

The Bavarians are within touching distance of their eighth consecutive league crown and have also set a league record with 90 goals after 30 match-days.

Leverkusen’s 17-year-old Florian Wirtz stole some of the spotlight at the end, becoming the youngest Bundesliga scorer when he netted in the 89th minute.

Lucas Alario fired the hosts into the lead after 10 minutes as Leverkusen, without the injured Kai Havertz, scored with the first chance of the game.

But Bayern recovered from the early shock and Kingsley Coman curled in the equaliser in the 28th minute before the visitors struck twice in three minutes to turn the game around.

Leon Goretzka completed a sensational passing move in the 42nd minute and Serge

Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Baumgartlinger in action with Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich as play resumes behind closed doors, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Matthias Hangst/Pool via REUTERS) Gnabry chipped the ball over tally to 30 league goals but keeper Lukas Hradecky on is still 10 shy of the all-time the stroke of halftime. league record of 40 set by Bundesliga top scorer Gerd Mueller in 1971-72.

Robert Lewandowski headed Both he and Mueller were in Thomas Mueller’s 20th booked and will have to sit assist of the season. out their next game against Lewandowski took his Borussia Moenchengladbach.

“We needed a bit of time to get into the game and the goal was a wake-up call for us,” Bayern coach Hansi Flick, whose team have won 23 of the 26 matches since he took over earlier in the season.

“The way we came back from a goal down shows the attitude and mentality of the team.”

It was Bayern’s ninth straight win but there was also some cheer for Leverkusen despite their setback in the race for a Champions League spot.

German Youth international Wirtz made a name for himself with a superb 89th-minute strike that beat keeper Manuel Neuer and made him the youngest Bundesliga scorer at 17 years and 34 days.

Leaders Bayern moved 10 points clear of Borussia Dortmund, who play Hertha Berlin later. RB Leipzig are third, also on 60, after conceding a lastgasp equaliser in their 1-1 draw with bottom club Paderborn. Bayer Leverkusen stayed fifth.

Sir Geoffrey Boycott leaves Test Match Special after 14 years SIR Geoffrey Boycott’s 14-year spell on the BBC’s Test Match Special is over, with the commentator saying the coronavirus pandemic had essentially made the decision for him following his quadruple heart bypass.

The 79-year-old former England batsman said he had “to be realistic”.

The ex-Yorkshire player, who scored 8 114 runs in 108 Tests, had the operation in 2018.

“I would have loved to continue but I need to be realistic,” he said.

“My contract with the BBC finished end of last sum-

Geoffrey Boycott (left) made the last of his 108 Test appearances in 1982. mer. I would like to thank BBC TMS and BBC Sport for a wonderful 14 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and just love cricket with a passion.

“COVID-19 has made the decision for both of us.”

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: “Geoffrey has been an iconic voice in our Test Match Special box for 14 years.

“While we wish the circumstances were different, we would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank him for his contribution to our cricket commentary over the years and we’re still hoping to hear his unique cricketing insight at some point on TMS this summer.”

Boycott said he could still make the occasional appearance on the show.

“Hopefully I may still have some input to BBC TMS if that tall, lanky ex-Leicestershire medium pace bowler (BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew) needs an honest appraisal or wants to take the Mickey out of me, maybe he will give me a call while on air,” said Boycott. (BBC Sport)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday June 07, 2020) COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Sanjeev Sharma-5/26 (Sharjah, 1988) (2) Patrick Patterson-6/29 (Nagpur, 1987/88)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) What is the highest individual ODI score made by an Indian player against the WI to date?

(2) What is the highest score made by a WI player in an ODI against India to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

30

SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 7, 2020

ICC mulling substitutes for Tests if player tests positive for COVID-19 THE International Cricket Council (ICC) hasn’t ruled out the chances of introducing substitutes in Tests matches in case a player tests for coronavirus during a course of a match.

The development was put forth

by Steve Elworthy, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) director of special projects.

Last year, the apex cricket board brought about “like for like” substitutes in case of concussion to a particular player. Marnus Labuschagne became the first concussion substitute after Steve Smith was ruled out of the Lord’s Test in the Ashes last year. Elworthy said that

ECB director of special projects Steve Elworthy

the same rule would be applied for COVID-19 patients as well.

“COVID replacements are certainly something that the ICC are discussing. I’ve seen communication about that and it’s certainly something we hope would be allowed — specifically for Test matches, not necessarily ODIs (one-day internationals) or T20s (Twenty20),” Elworthy was quoted as saying in Sky Sports.

“That replacement would have to be a ‘like for like’ player… Our on-site COVID medical practitioner and Public Health England would be informed immediately and that

player would then be put into isolation for a period of time.

“With the testing protocols of getting those players into that (bio-secure) bubble first, you would hope that wouldn’t be a scenario we’d have to deal with. But clearly it’s something we are planning for,” Elworthy, who’s also a former South Africa fast bowler, added.

England are all set to host the West Indies in a three-match Test series. The opening Test will get underway on July 8 at the Edgbaston in Birmingham. The second and third Test will be played at the Old Trafford in Manchester. The visitors will be taking a 14-man squad along

with 11 reserves.

They will train and quarantine together for around a month before marking the return of Test cricket in the country. The Brits are also scheduled to host Pakistan in August. Recently, the inaugural edition of the Hundred and the T20 Blast were also postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As far as changes are concerned, the ICC has also put forth the regulations that need to followed after the resumption of cricket. The board has restricted the use of saliva taking into account how contagious the coronavirus has been. (CricTracker)

Kameko stuns Pinatubo to win NBA players union director 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket surprised over proposed

2020-21 start date

Kameko recorded a third win in five races ANDREW Balding’s Kameko stunned unbeaten favourite Pinatubo to win the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, the first British Classic of the year.

Oisin Murphy guided the 10-1 shot through the centre on good to firm ground for a famous victory by a neck.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Wichita (15-2), ridden by Frankie Dettori, took second.

Pinatubo (5-6) was on the inside rail but finished third in a field of 15, one and a quarter lengths back.

Kameko, beaten by a neck over the same course and distance last September, won by three and a quarter lengths last time out, in November.

Pinatubo beat Arizona by two lengths on soft ground over seven furlongs in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last time out in October, when Wichita was third.

But on a blustery, showery day behind closed doors at the Suffolk track, the favourite was unable to find an extra gear in his

seventh race.

Celebrating his first British Classic, Murphy said: “It means the absolute world to me. It’s the stuff of dreams.

“Around four furlongs he got a little bit lost but he came home really well.

“It was a gutsy performance. He hardly blew a candle out afterwards - he must have a tremendous amount of ability.”

Having given Balding a first Guineas triumph, Kameko is now favourite for the Derby at Epsom on July 4.

Balding, who won the Oaks with Casual Look in 2003, said: “To me it looks the obvious choice. There would be a stamina doubt but there’s only one way to find out.”

Pinatubo’s trainer Charlie Appleby, who won the Group One Coronation Cup with Ghaiyyath on Friday, said: “Pinatubo travelled well into the race when he had Frankie’s horse as his target, but when he made his move he got up to their girths and just didn’t go any further forward.” (BBC Sport)

NATIONAL Basketball Players Association (NBPA) executive director Michele Roberts expressed concern over the NBA’s tentative timeline to open training camps for the 2020-21 season on November 10 - less than a month after the proposed end of the NBA Finals in Orlando, Florida.

“I was surprised to see it,” Roberts told ESPN on Thursday night.

The NBA delivered teams a working timeline with a number of revised dates, including the start of training camp on November 10 and opening night on December 1, sources said.

The NBPA’s team representatives are expected to approve the NBA’s plan of a 22-team resumption of the 201920 season in Orlando on a Friday conference call.

But looming negotiations on a long list of 2020-21 financial and competitive issues will include the league’s hopes of starting next season with such a

National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts tight turnaround after this season’s Finals in October.

Changes to the league calendar would be among the many items that have to be collectively bargained with the NBPA. Starting the season in early December would allow many NBA players to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and also would avoid the back end of the NBA playoffs, draft and free agency fighting for attention with the start of the 2021 NFL season.

The NBA’s plans for

resumption at the Disney World Resort in Orlando include a July 31 tip and October 12 as the final possible date for a Game 7 of the Finals - which would leave less than month of time-off for players who participate in the Finals.

Nevertheless, eight teams are finished for the season now, and most teams in the league will have completed their season by the end of September.

The NBA and NBPA recently reached an agreement to extend until September the original 60-day window that preserves the league’s right to terminate the collective bargaining agreement, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, sources told ESPN. The extension prolongs NBA’s ability to trigger the nuclear option to its economic crisis - terminating the CBA under the force majeure event provision - which it could have done within two months of the March 11 shutdown of the league.

31

SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 7, 2020

Permaul’s omission in direct contrast to CWI selection mandates … GCB launches probe into non-selection of leading wicket-taker

By Clifton Ross CRICKET West Indies’ (CWI) recent snub of the 2020 Regional 4-Day leading bowler and wicket-taker, Guyana Jaguars spinner Veerasammy Permaul, has raised a number of red flags about selection policies, resulting in the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) probe for answers.

Permaul snatched 50 wickets from just 8 matches with a tournament/career-best 15-77 with 8-18 being his best returns in an innings.

The left-arm spinner was 14 wickets ahead of the second-place bowler and recent Test selectee, pacer Chemar Holder, who bowled well for his 36 wickets which he had acquired by the end of the COVID-19 affected 4-Day season.

Permaul was, nevertheless, left out of the squad who winged out for their upcoming battle in the United

World 400m champion Salwa Eid Naser

Guyana Jaguars left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul Kingdom against the English.

However, his counterpart with regard to leading the season in his trade; Jermaine Blackwood, the tourney’s leading run-scorer (768 runs) easily made the cut.

Even more baffling, Blackwood’s teammate Nkrumah Bonner, who first of all earned his selection by

ending as one of the few batsmen to cross the 500-run mark, and the 4th leading run-scorer overall with 523 runs in total including 2 hundreds, garnered more favours with selectors for the England series.

With the leading run-scorer, the second leading wicket-taker getting the obvious nods following highly-justifiable performances this season, Permaul’s non-selection for the same Test series raised an immediate tocsin, about what is the yardstick being used currently by the CWI for international selection.

The regional governing cricket body, even prior to the formation of the Professional Cricket League (PCL) was adamant that Test and One Day International (ODI) hopefuls needed to participate and accomplish much in the respective annual Regional 50-Overs and 4-Day tournaments.

World 400m champion provisionally suspended for whereabouts violation

WORLD 400m champion Salwa Eid Naser has been given a provisional suspension for failing to make herself available for anti-doping tests.

The Bahraini, 22, ran 48.14 seconds - the third-fastest time in history - to claim the world title in Doha in 2019.

She could face a ban of up to two years for the whereabouts violation.

Naser said in an Instagram live video: “I’ve never been a cheat.

I will never be. I only missed three drug tests, which is normal. It happens.”

Explaining that the missed

tests occurred before last September’s World Championships, she added: “Hopefully, it’ll get resolved because I don’t really like the image. It’s going to be fine. It’s very hard to have this little stain on my name.”

World Athletics anti-doping rules say a whereabouts violation consists of any combination of three missed tests or filing failures in a 12-month period.

Naser, who was born in Nigeria but switched allegiance to Bahrain in 2014, is the first Asian woman to be world champion in the discipline.(BBC Sport)

CWI CEO Johnny Grave The PCL, in keeping with the old rules, ensured that players needed to remain fit, play in the sanctioned CWI tournaments for their respective franchise and most importantly; let their seasonal statistics be the benchmark for Windies selection.

It could be argued that Permaul might not be that impactful in English conditions as a Test spinner, but

his approach to the game and his all-time dedication to keeping fit while letting the ball do the talking, coupled with his returns this season; proved more than enough to warrant selection especially with a few high-profile players pulling out of the tour.

In the past, a veteran, 35plus year-old Devon Smith used to bully the selectors into retaining his opening batsman’s spot in the Windies team by dominating just half of the 4-Day season with a truckload of runs; only to have mixed returns on the Test scene.

At 30 years old, with more than 500 first-class wickets but just six Test matches under his belt, the last being some five years ago against Australia, Permaul needed to be one of the bowlers on that tour.

Permaul has maintained his rank as the leading spinner in Regional 4-Day cricket

in terms of wickets and being the only one with 500-plus victims to be still active.

The left-hander should have been given the chance to improve the quality of his spin which would have made him a better Test bowler; much like his ‘partner in crime’ Devendra Bishoo who has had more success internationally.

Recently, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) expressed its utter bewilderment following Permaul’s omission from the squad. The GCB release questioned CWI and its selection methods as performances were the strongest criteria for selection and Permaul had exceeded those qualifications.

The GCB concluded the official statement to CEO Johnny Grave by requesting rational clarification behind the absence of the 4-Day season’s leading bowler in the squad of 25 players.

Impossible to play under U.S. Open’s COVID-19 protocols, says Djokovic (REUTERS) - World number one Novak Djokovic has said participating in the U.S. Open would be an impossible task due to the “extreme” COVID-19 protocols in place for the tournament at Flushing Meadows.

The U.S. Open, scheduled to begin on August 31, will be the first Grand Slam to be played after the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the season in March. The French Open was postponed to September while the Wimbledon championship was cancelled.

The suspension of the tennis season was last extended until the end of July but Djokovic, a three-time champion in New York, is not sure the tournament will go ahead.

“I had a telephone conversation with the leaders of world tennis.

There were talks about the continuation of the season, mostly about the U.S. Open due in late August, but it’s not known whether it will be held,” Djokovic told Serbia’s Prva TV. “The rules that they told us that we would have to respect to be there, to play at all, they are extreme. We would not have access to Manhattan;

World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic we would have to sleep in hotels at the airport, to be tested twice or three times per week.

“Also, we could bring one person to the club which is really impossible. I mean, you need your coach, then a fitness trainer, then a physiotherapist.”

Djokovic suggested economic

factors were behind the push to play the tournament.

“They want the tournament to go ahead at any cost for economic reasons, which I understand,” he said. “But the question is, how many players are willing to accept those terms.”

World number two Rafael Nadal had also said he would not travel to the U.S. in the present circumstances.

Nadal has also questioned whether tennis can restart with the pandemic still gripping large parts of the world and every player unable to compete.

“For me is very difficult to separate the status that the world is living from my real perspective on the world of tennis, no?” Nadal said this week.

“We need to be responsible; we need to be sure that the situation is safe enough then of course try to come back to our tour when things are clear.”

The U.S. leads the world in total cases, numbering over 1.9 million, while it has also recorded more than 109 000 deaths due to the novel coronavirus.

From the Vault

Brian Lara makes history with 226 in Adelaide

By Martin Smith

Brian Lara’s double-century was met with a standing ovation so prolonged that he was forced to wait before taking strike again. (Getty Images

THE build-up to the West Indies tour of Australia in late 2005 was a microcosm of both Brian Lara’s career and his team’s fortunes in the first part of this century.

The legendary left-hander, still one of the best batsmen in the world despite reflexes that had been dulled slightly by his 36 years, had blasted four centuries in five Tests against South Africa and Pakistan earlier in the year.

But his team came into the series having won just five of their previous 30 Test matches and faced the prospect of taking on a mighty Australian side that, while wounded and slightly diminished by their famous Ashes defeat in England, had not lost a Test series at home in 13 years.

The first two Tests of the series went to script, with Australia winning by 379 runs in Brisbane and nine wickets in Hobart, while Lara contributed 102 runs across four innings and was twice the victim of a poor umpiring decision.

Heading into the third Test, Allan Border’s long-standing Test run-scoring record was still some 213 runs away and seemingly out of Lara’s reach, for this series at least.

As per usual, he had copped more than his share of criticism for the result of the first two Tests and was under pressure due to a perceived weakness against fast, short-pitched bowling.

It was no surprise, then, that Lara began nervously when he walked onto the Adelaide Oval with his side 16-2 on the first morning of the third Test, a rampaging Brett Lee at the top of his mark and the small matter of McGrath, Warne and MacGill

waiting for their chance.

But when he emerged from the 40-minute lunch break unbeaten on 27, the nerves that had underlined the opening session had gone. It was as if he’d turned the clock back some five or ten years.

He welcomed Warne into the attack with two boundaries from two almost identical deliveries, one cracked past point and one swept viciously in the complete opposite direction.

He marked McGrath’s return by standing tall and crashing a good length delivery through the covers and then brought up his half-century, which Tony Greig ominously observed in commentary was “only the beginning”.

Lara’s first fifty may have taken 92 deliveries, but his subsequent 50-run milestones took just 52, 56 and 61 balls respectively as he pummelled the advertising boards all around the famous old ground.

Sixteen of his 22 fours were hit to the short square boundaries, eight on the off-side and eight on the leg.

The genius of his innings was marked by the reaction of his opponents and the 20 000 strong crowd on that first day. Warne warmly shook Lara’s hand when he brought up his hundred, while his double-century was met with a standing ovation so prolonged that Lara was forced to wait before taking strike again.

He finished the day unbeaten on 201 out of a total of 352-7, just 12 runs shy of Border’s record.

The manner in which he captured the Australian’s mark See page 27

NBA legend Michael Jordan to donate $100M to racial equality fight

Michael Jordan is “truly pained and plain angry” after the death of George Floyd.

MICHAEL Jordan says he will donate $100M (£78M) to groups fighting for racial equality and social justice.

The NBA legend said in a statement that he and his Jordan Brand would distribute the money over 10 years.

The money will go to a number of organisations in a bid to tackle “ingrained racism”.

It comes in the wake of protests breaking out across the U.S, and around the world following the death of George Floyd as he was restrained by police.

Floyd, an unarmed black man, died on May 25 after a white police officer, since charged with murder, knelt on his neck for over eight minutes.

“We are announcing a joint commitment from Michael Jordan and Jordan

Brand to donate $100M over the next 10 years. We must join forces with the community, government and civic leaders to create a lasting impact together,” said Craig Williams, president of Jordan Brand.

“There is still more work for us to do to drive real impact for the black community.

We embrace the responsibility.”

Speaking last week Jordan said he was “deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry”.

“I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration,” he added.

“I stand with those calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of colour in our country.

“We have had enough.” (BBC Sport)

Anthony Joshua was also seen using crutches

Joshua wears knee brace at Black Lives Matter march

see story on page 27

Permaul’s omission in direct contrast to CWI selection mandates

… GCB launches probe into non-selection of leading wicket-taker See story on page 31 Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2020