Guyana Chronicle E-paper 3-1-2020

MONDAY 2nd March, 2020

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GUYANA

No.105927

DECIDES …GECOM Chair assures nation all systems in place, observers all set

…Guyanese across country upbeat, ready to vote

SEE STORY ON PAGE 03

Guyanese on Sunday made a last check on the voters’ list for their names (Adrian Narine photos)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

In memory of Yohance Douglas!

Presidential adviser donates laptop to UG student

A second year Law Student of the University of Guyana, who sells pizza to fund his studies, was presented with a laptop by President David Granger’s Political Adviser, Dr. Mark Kirton in memory of the late Yohance Douglas who was gunned down by police back in March 1, 2003.

The 22-year-old Joshua Edward was presented with the laptop on Sunday. He told the Guyana Chronicle that the device will assist him in the advancement of his legal studies.

“It will help me out essentially, fundamentally with my UG assignments because the previous laptop that I had was very slow,” Edward told Guyana Chronicle.

The aspiring lawyer said he was motivated to start his own business last December after coming to the sad realisation that he had no money to pay his tuition fees. Though, a donor stepped in at the eleventh hour and paid his fee, Edward was determined not to have history repeat itself and as such, with the backing of his mother began to sell pizza.

“From the beginning of January, I told my mother, ‘mommy you will make the pizzas and we will go around selling it. She makes it and I get them sold,” he shared.

Dr. Kirton, former Dean of the Faulty of Social Sciences at the University of Guyana, said the donation was made in commemoration of Yohance Douglas’ 17th Death Anniversary. At the age of 18, Douglas was shot death by the Black Clothes Squad on March 1st, 2003. “Every year as I think about

Yohance and his tragic death, I reflect on youth and how life has been over the years.

LAS Douglas was killed on Saturday, March 1, 2003. Reports were that Douglas was among five friends, O’Neil King, Kwesi Heywood, Randolph Goodluck and Ronson Grey who proceeded for a casual drive after basketball practice. They proceeded along the Eastern Highway and ended up at the junction of Sheriff and Bonasika

was injured in a shootout during a robbery attempt.

Douglas subsequently succumbed to spinal injuries and blunt trauma. His life was snuffed out in one fell swoop at the barrel of the gun. He was laid to rest on March 11 at the Beterverwagting burial ground.

His death shocked the Guyanese people and some who

Murdered UG student, Yohance Douglas

His life and that of other youths were snuffed out without allowing them to reach the zenith of their capacity and their capabilities,” the Presidential Adviser said. According to Dr. Kirton he was moved by Edward’s story, particularly his passion of ensuring that his dream of empowerment is realized.

IN HONOUR OF YOHANCE DOUG-

Presidential Adviser, Dr. Mark Kirton presenting Joshua Edward with a laptop

Streets after stopping at Mr Lee’s Mathematics lesson for a check on a family member.

Upon their exit from Bonasika Street, they were stopped by a Green CRV occupied by men with no explicit identification, who instructed them to exit their car. The men who later were identified as members of the Guyana Police Force opened fire on the White Toyota Sprinter, PHH 8115 which carried Douglas and his friends. When the gun-powdered smoke had cleared, Douglas was left with the brunt of the assault. Reports by material eyewitnesses suggest that the rogue policemen rushed Douglas to the hospital after planting a wig in his pants pocket and told the hospital staff that the second-year University of Guyana Architecture student

of Douglas was the culmination of a long series of executions that beset a nation filled with ghosts and Phantoms who operated with mortiferous immunity. This can be traced to the post-1992 period with the emergence of the ‘Black clothes’ or ‘Target Squad’. In those days, there was a penchant for small groups of members of the Guyana Police Force who were answerable only to the political directorate. President David Granger has referred to this period as the ‘Troubles’ what he called the descent of this country during the Bharrat Jagdeo administration. Jagdeo was President of Guyana from August 11, 1999 to December 3, 2011 during which there were three massacres: Lusignan where 11 people were killed- Bartica where another 12 were killed and Lindo Creek where seven miners were slaughtered. Besides, there were

A beaming Joshua Edward after receiving his laptop

were imbued with a sense of classism, presumed that model, educated citizens are immune to excesses of the state. Commentators have said that the execution

countless extra-judicial killings- with some activists estimating that around 400 Afro Guyanese males were gunned down.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

‘We’re well prepared’ …GECOM assures nation all systems in place, observers all set

By Lisa Hamilton THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has given the assurance that all systems are in place for smooth elections today as Guyanese go to the polls to elect a new government. Over 600,000 Guyanese are eligible to vote in the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

“We are well prepared,” GECOM Chairman, Justice (Ret'd) Claudette Singh told Kaieteur Radio on Sunday.

“We are prepared to deliver free, fair and credible elections.

Everything has been put in place towards transparency.”

There are some 2,339 polling stations across the 10 administrative regions and nine political parties are competing in the general elections and 11 in the regional elections. Justice Singh said that it has been quite a journey to E-Day, but it has all been worth it to ensure that Guyanese get the right to participate in this democratic process.

“All of our logistics operations, they were all put in place. Ballot

standing challenges, Singh said: “At this point in time I would say no; nothing that one cannot handle.” She said that GECOM will endeavour to bring Guyanese results of the elections at “the earliest possible time” with due consideration for possible

icle. “Each observer will go out and visit polling stations tomorrow.”

A team of over 50 EU observers are in Guyana, made up of both long and short-term observers and led by Estonian Politician and Chief Observer,

Observers of the Organisation of American States (OAS) during a visit to polling stations on Sunday

The Ashmin building in downtown Georgetown, where GECOM will do its final tabulations

papers and all election materials have been shipped to the different locations,” she said. She noted that lights were also being placed at the tents being used as polling places and there will be ample security at each polling place, as well as portable toilets and water.

While there was a recent issue regarding congestion and distance at polling places in Mon Repos and Foulis, the same has been rectified and residents were notified. Asked whether there were any out-

recounts.

ELECTION OBSERVERS IN PLACE Meanwhile, several EOMs told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday that they too were ready to oversee the process to ensure that all actions are in keeping with established laws.

It is the largest contingent of EOMs Guyana has ever had in its history. “Our observers are all ready,” European Union (EU) EOM Press Officer, Evan Eberle told the Guyana Chron-

Urmas Paet. The EU’s EOM will issue a preliminary statement of its initial findings on March 4, while a more comprehensive final report, including recommendations for future elections, will be presented approximately two to three months later.

SPREAD ACROSS GUYANA On the other hand, The Carter Center’s 40-member team will be spread out across Guyana, led by Co-Chairs for-

mer Prime Minister of Senegal, Madame Aminata Toure and Attorney-at-Law, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and grandson of former US President Carter, Jason Carter.

“We have sent all our different short-term observers after fully

Sonali Campion said that all observers are ready for the task at hand today. “Observers were deployed on Friday and they’re doing their local preparations and finding out where the polling stations are and speaking to local stakeholders and they

pared and submitted to Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, QC. Meanwhile, the 17-member CARICOM EOM held a final planning session yesterday. They will assemble at the end of Election Day activities

CARICOM Election Observers arrive at the CARICOM Secretariat, on Sunday for their final planning session

Members of The Carter Center team along with Attorney-at-Law, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and grandson of former US President Carter, Jason Carter (second left), and former Prime Minister of Senegal, Madame Aminata Toure (fifth left)

briefing them and training them on the procedures for the polling and counting and tabulation.

We have at least one team in every region of the country,” Senior Electoral Adviser to the Center, Carlos Valenzuela, said. They too will issue a preliminary statement on March 4, and a final report on a later date.

Over at the 11-member Commonwealth Observer Group, Programme Officer

attended the closing rallies,” she said. Commonwealth Observers will be in every region except One and Eight, but will be working along with other international EOMs to cover the outstanding regions. Chairing the group is former Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur. An interim statement on the group’s preliminary findings will be issued on March 4, while a final report will be pre-

for a de-briefing session, after which the Chief of Mission, Cynthia Combie Martyr, will issue a preliminary statement.

Altogether, the GECOM Chair has advised: “I would ask every elector to be out there. It is their responsibility to cast their ballots; it is their constitutional right to vote and I would ask them to do so as responsible citizens of Guyana.”

Minister Norton calls for peaceful, respectful voting MINISTER of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, is calling on all Guyanese to be respectful and courteous as they head out to cast their votes today.

“Since assuming office in 2015,

the Coalition Government, led by His Excellency, President David Granger, has worked assiduously towards fostering a socially cohesive nation where diversities are embraced and differences are respected,” Norton

said in a statement. He added: “At a time when Guyana is receiving global recognition, I believe that we have an ideal opportunity to demonstrate to the world that respect, unity, tolerance and harmony are alive and well

throughout this land.”

Norton called on every Guyanese, including members of opposing parties, to exercise their constitutional right in a manner that is peaceful and respectful. “When the

elections are over, I look forward to working alongside each and every Guyanese to further build this great nation. May the fruits of this election benefit every citizen.”

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GUYANASUNDAY CHRONICLE Monday, March 1, 2, 2020 CHRONICLE,

Six medical doctors for national awards

…Dr. Fawcett urges selfless service without expecting rewards Coronavirus:

South Korea sect leader to face homicide probe over deaths

By Navendra Seoraj

SOMETIMES the key to (BBC) The leader of work a rebeing rewarded is to ligious sect in South Kowithout expecting anything in rea could homicide return, andface this isathe philosoinvestigation over Surgeon, some of phy of Orthopaedic the coronavirus Dr. country’s Fawcett Jeffrey, one of deaths. six medical doctors who were The government of listed as city recipients of the Cathe capital Seoul has asked cique Crown of Honour. prosecutors Lee As part ofto thecharge celebrations Man-hee, the founder of the for Guyana’s 50th Republic Shincheonji and 11 Anniversary, Church, some 66 persons others. were named as recipients of Theyawards. are accused of national President Dahiding the names of some vid Granger had said that the members to conferringasofofficials national tried awards track patients before the virus is recognised as a mechanism spread. provided under the Constitution South Korea of Guyana to give is duebattling nationthe worst coronavirus outal recognition to outstanding break outside China. citizens.

The country has reported “I lived life21making 3,730 casesmy and deathsa contribution to healthcare not

with the intention of getting an award or medal, but with the intention of making certain that my patients got the requi-

come better than I am… I think that is the way I saw life, not that I worked towards getting a medal,” said Dr. Jeffrey in an invited comment, on Saturday.

The doctor, who began his journey in the medical field in

which he was honoured to be the recipient of. For the young persons, who might be looking up to Dr. Jeffrey or following

Dr. Dalgleish Joseph

a similar path, he encouraged them to be selfless because if they are selfish, the medical Dr. Cecil Harricharan field is not the one for them.

“I would say you have site attention and care…I also chosen a noble profession…the Renowned Obstetrician/ aimed impart to Thereto has beenknowledge growing growing public anger towards the Shincheonji Church of Jesus profession should have people Gynaecologist, my juniors so that they can bewho are chosen to be in the Dr. Neville Gobin so far. More than half of all before fanning outpeople aroundwho the profession and not infections involve members country.

1985, said he worked selflessly choose the profession because of forthe his Shincheonji patients and Church for the they thought there were gains of Jesus, a fringe What’s happening persons who he had Christian to train to and positives from it,” he said, group.

South Korea? become better doctors. And, addinginthat persons should be A u t h o r i t i e s s a y On Sunday Seoul in the process of doing this, in it for the love ofthe what they Shincheonji members infect- City government filed awho lehis efforts were recognised do. Among the doctors, ed one another in the southgal complaint to prosecutors and he was awarded, an award have spent much of their life ern city of Daegu last month, against 12 leaders of the

Monday, March 02,March 202001,- 09:30hrs ~11:00hrs Sunday, 2020 –– 8:30hrs

in the profession, was Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, who was also among the sixThey doctors received sect. are who accused of the Caciquecausing Crown of Honour. homicide, harm and It wasthe reported thatDisDr. violating Infectious Singh, was one of Act. two forensic ease and Control The BBC’s Laura Bicker in Seoul says the complaint reflects growing public anger towards the religious group. Its leader Lee Manhee claims he is the Messiah.

All 230,000 members of the church have been interviewed. Nearly 9,000 said they were showing symptoms of coronavirus.

A 61-year-old female member of the sect who

Harricharan.

His parents were living at Novar, Mahaicony, where the Harricharans reared cattlevirus and tested positive for the was among the first to be infected.

She initially refused to be taken to a hospital to be tested and is known to have attended several church gatherings before testing positive.

Mr Lee has also been tested for the virus and is awaiting the results.

Roman Catholic churches remain closed, major Protestant groups have cancelled Sunday services and all Buddhist Orthopaedic events have beenSurgeon, called off.

Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey

Greece blocks 10,000 migrants at Turkey border

planted rice, but as was the custom, his mother returned to her parents’ home to give birth.

The news report stated that pathologists in Guyana, and Cecil was born the first of six has performed overit25,000 (BBC) Greece says has stopped nearly migrants children, and10,000 grew up on the post-mortem examinations. crossing over the land border from Turkey. thriving farmlands at Novar.

He Separately, had testifiedGreek in thepolice recentsay He at least 500the people seven enjoyed farms,onmilking Commission of Inquiry (COI)islands boats have reached the Greek of Lesbos, Samos and Chicows and then dropping off intowhere the Lindo Creek Massacre.are already severely overcrowded. os, camps for migrants container upon container at During the COI was revealed Turkey has itvowed to open itsthe doors for migrants to travel train station in Mahaicony. that to theDr. EU.Singh was bypassed The milk would then be taken by the government of Recep the day, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan saysforit sale. cannot to Georgetown Hedeal also in 2008, for the of post-mortem with the amount people fleeing Syria’s civil war. worked the rice fields at a time examination on the remains of His decision came after at least 33 Turkish soldiers were when bulls were usedthis to plough the eight miners killed at Lindo killed in air strikes in Idlib province in northern Syria week. the lands.

Creek.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called a meetat age young Despite the challenges, ing for his country’s nationalhesecurityAnd, council later19, onthe Sunday.

Harricharan set out for Halifax, remains stationed at GPHC, The EU’s border protection agency Frontex said it was on NovaTurkey.

Scotia, in Canada, to wherealert” he continues to work “high on Europe’s borders with in medicine at “efficiently” health Turkey issaid hosting 3.7offimillionpursue Syrianstudies refugees, as well as the prestigious Dalhousie cials. Another awardee, who such migrants from other countries as Afghanistan - but Unihad spent manystopped of his them yearsfrom as a leaving versity. later graduated previously forHe Europe under an with aidmedical profession, was Dr. an M.D., C.M degree (Doctor linked deal with the EU. Dalgleish Joseph.

In 2011, Dr. the of EU Medicine and Master of But Mr Erdogan accused of breaking promises Josephin was the 159agreed made 2016,among when Ankara to help shore up the EU’s Surgery). candidates put border. forward by the south-western Over the years he has A Partnership for National served as the General Medical Unity and Alliance for Change What’s happening in Greece?

Officer at the New Amsterdam (APNU+AFC) coalition, aheadhaveHospital Almost 10,000 migrants been blocked entering and hadfrom served at the of the elections thatday, year.

Greece in the last the Greek government said. for 17 Mahaicony has Hospital Josephmigrants was alsotossed a former Some stones, years. metal bars and tear he gasretired canisThereafter, People’s ters when National stopped atCongress the border. having served the government (PNC) Member of Parliament Seven boats carried more thanfor 30025people to Lesbos, aryears and enteredfour private and Director of with the University rived on Samos 150 and two on Chios with a combined total practice and today still operGuyana (UG)’s Medical of 70 to 80 people, a police officialates toldathe Reuters news agency. clinic at Middle Street, School.

Another stalwarthave in thealso been Groups of migrants seen wading through a Georgetown. medical, whosoil wasatawarded, river to Greek Kastanies.

Thesent other two doctors wasMany Dr. Cecil Harricharan, blocked migrants have been to Evros, an area who, according Kaieteur along the Turkey border.News, who were awarded, are: Dr. Abraham and has Greek chalked up 50defence years and deputy minister AlkiviadisFung-a-Fatt Stefanis accused Dr. Neville Gobin, who both counting, the medicalmigrants field. to Turkey of in encouraging make the trip. work forbutthe According to Kaieteur News, “Not only are they not stopping them, theyWoodlands are helping Dr. Harricharan was bornSkai CecilTV. Hospital. Dr. Gobin, who is them,” he told Greece’s the Managing Director of Edgar on were March 6, 1929, at migrants There clashes between and Greek police on Woodlands has Little Abary, in the Saturday after Mahaicony, President Erdogan effectively gaveHospital, the all-clear for head forJoaquin the EU. been a prominent Obstetrithe migrants home histomother, cian/Gynecologist over Theused EU said it was assisting and Bulgariafor - which Liliah, to live before she Greece also borders Turkeythe - inelder protecting the bloc’s parameters. married his father, 40 years.

Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Mabaruma residents excited to vote today

By Rabindra Rooplall in Mabaruma RESIDENTS of Mabaruma, in Region One (Barima-Waini), are upbeat and excited to cast their votes in today’s historic general and regional elections.

This is the first time the area, which is the seat of administration for Region One, is participating in regional and general elections since it was gazetted as a township. For businessman Monty Broomes, who operates a guesthouse and catering service in Mabaruma, he is excited to vote this year.

Broomes noted that at the last General Elections, many persons were not interested in going out to vote, but on this occasion, everyone is interested in heading out to exercise their franchise.

He said there are many young people in the district, and noted that after the elections, government needs to develop more educational and technical institutions in the region. So far, he said, he is very pleased with the new

roadways and developments

Barima-Waini community.

tuma,” Broomes said, “but we

resident, will be heading out early along with his family to

Goocharan James, who is excited to vote today

Derrick Fernandes

David Broomes will be voting early

Mabaruma businessman Monty Broomes

need one in Mabaruma. Most of the times when changing cheques, the most that can be changed is $250,000.” He explained that persons in the district should not be forced to head to Georgetown to change large cheques, since that would be putting them at risk.

Derrick Fernandes, another prominent Mabaruma

vote. For the father of three, more schools are needed for the youthful population in the region. Fernandes said whatever the outcome of the election, he is hoping for many developmental opportunities to occur in Mabaruma. He said this is his second time voting.

David Broomes, who works as a driver and is also a

in Mabaruma. He is also anticipating the implementation of the solar farm in the district to contribute to a stable supply of electricity.

The 400-kilowatt solar-powered farm at Khan’s Hill, in Mabaruma, is expected to provide an additional 17 hours of electricity to the 3,000–plus residents of the

The farm is being built by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and managed by the Hinterland Electrification Company Incorporated. It was constructed by the German company, Meeco, at a cost of $227M. Meanwhile, the businessman further stated that there is need for a bank in Mabaruma, “We already have one in Kai-

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mechanic, said he will be voting today, and he has a strong feeling that many Mabarumans will be doing likewise.

“I would like to see more infrastructures, in terms of roads, better medical facilities…” he noted. Other than that, he said, things are developing in the region.

According to Goocharan James, a security guard, he is excited, as are many other residents of the district, to cast his vote today. James, who hails from the community of Waikrabi, and has only one child, is a part-time cobbler.

He said the government has done a good job, but more focus needs to be placed on helping to develop agriculture in the region. A total of 660, 998 persons are registered to vote in the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Of that number, 8,369 are members of the joint services, and they voted on Friday, as did the 83 ambassadors and Guyanese serving overseas.

Guyanese woman in Leaders in Region 5 call for calm and peaceful polling in the Region leaders sons destroyed our roadside ery Guyanese citizen. Nobody in the face of provocations.

Trinidad return to vote today PROMINENT of both the APNU+ shop where we sold beef. We has a right to deter or dissuade

THE Regional and General Elections today are touted as the most important in post-Independence Guyana, and Keña Melville, a Guyanese who lives in Trinidad and Tobago is not missing the occasion to exercise her franchise.

She has returned home to vote.

“I voted for the first time in the May 2015 election,” Keña Melville said, adding that “My vote was important then, and it is important now because, as a citizen, I feel satisfied knowing that I have the power to decide and elect persons to serve in government.”

For the past five years, however, Melville has been living in Trinidad and Tobago. She went to the Twin Island Republic and pursued her undergraduate degree at the University of the West Indies (UWI), and subsequently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and International Relations.

Now, she is seeking employment and hoping to commence post graduate studies in September of this year.

Though part of the expansive Guyanese diaspora that stretches all across the globe, she has always paid attention to the developments at home and remained cognisant of the power of her vote. It is for this reason she has travelled home to vote.

“To me, my vote or rather my voice is worth catching a flight for,” she affirmed. “I love Guyana, and I would like to see her prosper; therefore, using my vote is just one way in which I can contribute to that prosperity.”

Moreover, voting, whether at the Local Government elections, or the Regional and General Elec-

Keña Melville

tions, is a choice made to select the best political leaders to guide another period of development for Guyana, which is currently preparing for a massive increase in its revenue stream owed to the discovery of large oil and gas reserves offshore. It also represents a choice, according to Keña, to choose those leaders who represent her and her personal interests.

Most importantly, perhaps, for Melville, is that this vote also means that she is actively participating in securing a good future for even the generations after her, including, but not limited to, her baby cousins and her own children.

While Guyana’s elections are characterised by a great degree of tribalism, Keña related that she always had the freedom to choose her own political parties. On a national level, she remarked that Guyanese should be happy that they live in a democracy where they have the ability to exercise their franchise freely, and elect whoever they decide is the best person for the job.

AFC Party and the People’s Progressive Party Civic in Region 5 (Mahaica Berbice) have called for a peaceful National and Regional elections in the Region today.

Former PPP/C Member of Parliament Harry Gill said: “I am responsible for people in the Bel Air Woodlands NDC and, given the number of voters in the area against two Polling places, I would urge all residents to come out early and vote so that there is no large buildup at the end of the day.”

Gill said he was satisfied with assurances by the Police that they had the capability to take action against any attempts to disrupt the smooth flow of the elections. Ms. Latchmin Azeez Community Development Officer of Bush Lot Village WCB said that she and family had suffered at the hands of vandals and thieves during the elections campaigns, attacks which she said were politically motivated.

She said: “Per-

rebuilt it then they vandalized it with spray paint. Then they stole cattle from our ranch and after a great effort we managed to recover most of the animals. People are now in Court for larceny of cattle.”

She said that despite this the family had remained firm in their political beliefs and despite these trials she would urge all the citizens of Region 5 to set an example for the rest of the nation in good and orderly conduct for Elections day 2020. Mr. Vinceroy Jordan, People’s National Congress (PNC) Chairman in Region 5, also urged all residents of the Region to go about their business of voting in a very calm and orderly manner.

He said: “Voting at National and Regional Elections is the democratic right of ev-

anyone else from exercising their rights.” He appealed: “Regardless of which political party we support let’s all vote with decency and order.”

Regional Executive Officer Ovid Morrison said: “I was very unhappy with some attacks made on some supporters of a political party living at Bush Lot Village WCB. I was also happy with the level of restraint shown by some members of another political party

I however urge that we put these things behind us and focus on what matters most on this significant day in the history of Guyana.”

“Let history record that the people of Region 5 and indeed the nation as a whole conducted themselves in a calm and dignified manner on March 2nd 2020 while exercising their rights to vote for governance for a better Guyana .”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Let peace and maturity reign today

T

ODAY Guyanese go to the polls to decide what kind of government our country would have over the next five years. It is the sort of civic duty that is overladen with far-reaching consequences. And this election is by far one of the most significant. Here is hoping that Guyanese understand the responsibility that is placed on them to ensure that today’s exercise bears the kind of fruit that would reflect the better side of us.

No election result will satisfy all the contestants; there will be victors, and those who will not quite make the mark.

But in the end, all Guyana should be winners. The burden of democracy commands us to respect the rules we agree to, and fall in line when the majority prevails. Towards this end, we call on our top leadership to ensure that we emerge from today as a more mature nation that our children can be proud of. Against that background, our message today is one of peace and maturity. There is always the temptation by political parties to push the envelope, even on Election Day, as they search for advantage over their opponents.

How many times have we not heard of instances where parties are swayed to tamper with the electoral process?

We urge our leaders to help GECOM deliver the cleanest elections possible. The integrity of the process matters, especially in an environment that is as tense as ours. There

must be pressure on those who would like to engage in muddying the waters to cease and desist.

We call on the political parties to ensure that citizens are allowed to cast their votes free from harassment and intimidation by those who often appoint themselves as guardians and enforcers of communities. In areas where some voters may be deemed a minority, representatives of the majority sometimes use that status to intimidate the perceived minority. Such actions are a far cry from the democracy to which we aspire. Let every citizen in all communities go to the polls and cast their vote, free from undue pressure and threats from partisan enforcers. Today must be a day when freedom of association must be upheld in its entirety.

We are aware that in certain communities there are those who are well-practiced in the art of electoral manipulation.

One practice is to try to bully election workers. This publication calls for very strict policing of such actions. Polling Day workers, whether they are from GECOM or from the respective political parties, must be left to do their jobs with the kind of impartiality that would yield outcomes that all parties and all sides can accept. No doubt, our armed forces are called upon to be as vigilant as possible to thwart any attempts to sully the process. Today must be a day when we can look the world in its face and demonstrate our maturity

UN calls for peace as Guyanese vote today Dear Editor,

G

UYANA, has a unique opportunity to establish a more prosperous and sustainable development path for all its citizens.

Ensuring a credible and peaceful election is central to the country’s future development.

This is the time for all stakeholders to demonstrate commitment to democratic principles, processes and institutions, and not lose sight of the fact that legitimate elections represent the voice and will of the people.

I encourage all stakeholders to ensure an enabling environment for the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Promoting a peaceful and calm atmosphere in respect of the rule of law is key for a credible poll. This includes respectful exchanges of partisan ideas without resorting to hateful and inflammatory speech, through to the end of the electoral process. The dignified acceptance of the results by political parties will help to build confidence and trust in State institutions, and create a foundation for cooperation beyond the election.

In this context, respect for human rights is an essential element for the holding of peaceful and inclusive elections. This means that all Guyanese, men, women, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTI community and other minorities, are able to exercise their full and equal right to participate in the electoral pro-

cess without facing discrimination or other obstacles.

The UN System is committed to supporting Guyana in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The salient message of SDG 16 is that there can be no sustainable development without stable, secure and inclusive societies with respect for human rights, rule of law and effective governance. SDG 16 calls for further strengthening of institutions of governance, more inclusive and participatory processes as well as renewed commitment to end all forms of violence and insecurity, including gender-based violence. The UN will not observe the election as election observation is done exceptionally with a specific mandate from the Security Council or General Assembly, and includes the deployment of a large team to systematically collect data on the electoral process over a period of time. We are, however, closely monitoring political, security and human rights developments in the electoral context. In collaboration with other international partners, the United Nations stands ready to support all stakeholders in fostering an environment conducive to inclusive and peaceful elections.

Regards, Mikiko Tanaka UN Resident Coordinator

as a nation. Parties must move beyond rhetoric, and ensure that their supporters adhere to the code of conduct to which they agreed.

There is always the threat of violence on Election Day; it is a day when tempers are bound to flare. But the watchwords of peace and tranquility must roam the country. We want peaceful elections. There has been much talk of the role of citizens on this day. The first duty is to vote. Then, as we await the results, let there be calm. An election that is riveted with violence or the threat of violence is not to the benefit of our country. We have come too far as a civilisation to let violent instincts rule our hearts and minds on this crucial day. Today must be a day when we resolutely turn our faces away from violence.

The world is watching Guyana; the new status as a potentially oil-rich country has set the gaze of the international community upon us. Apart from the local, international and regional observer groups, these elections are being covered by several international and regional media. It is a testimony to the importance of this day that others have shown an avid interest in what happens here. The rest of the world must see the face of a Guyana that recognises its new status as a place of global importance.

Too much noise in Aurora Village Dear Editor,

W

E the residents of Lots 51, 52, 53, 54,56 and 57 Aurora Village, Essequibo Coast, by way of this letter, are hereby making a special appeal for some form of assistance so that we can enjoy the peace and tranquility of our surroundings and amenities of our homes, which we are entitled to.

There is a nightspot that opens from about 10:00 hrs on most days or earlier and closes in the wee hours of the morning. The loud, lewd and vulgar music is played so loudly that most times it prevents us from having a sound rest, be it day or night; our children writing exams, Grade 6 and C.X.C. and the Term tests are affected also, And despite numerous reports to the Aurora Police Station by telephone or in person, the situation is getting worst. Many of us have just stopped reporting because most of the time, the police don’t respond in a timely manner or they don’t come at all, or even when they come and stop the music as soon as they have left, it is business

as usual again. It is interesting to note that the Aurora Police Station is less than 300 metres away from this night spot in question and the ranks there at times may also hear the music.

We are respectfully asking that the police, and the licensing authority for the businessplace in question take the necessary action by doing all that is within their authority, so as to bring some measure of relief to us the residents of this area. Please note that due to space, the signatures do not reflect the number of people who are being inconvenienced and affected.

Regards, Bibi Shereeza Narine Thelma Mansoorah Satdaye Narine Sherry Fiedtkou Deodat Bissessar T. Worrell Mohamed Gafoor Manda Narine Praimwattie Sharda Raghoo Nadia Raghoo Maywattie Ramrattan Raoofh Jagdat Mohan Jadunandan

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Careful not to fall prey to the propaganda Dear Editor,

W

E refer to the news report titled “A mob out for blood: India’s protests pit Hindus against Muslim” in your February 28, 2020 edition of the newspaper.

The article sourced by your esteemed newspaper has been written with complete bias and prejudice against the Government of India. One should be careful not to fall prey to the propaganda by various elements that are pushing a narrative against India.

In any hugely diverse society such as India, pockets of dissent and dissatisfaction are a fact of democratic life. The report is one-sided and has not taken into full consideration of the facts that have emerged out of a detailed investigation being carried on by the Police and judicial authorities in India. The violence seems to have been pre-meditated with an intention to create disturbances and claim worldwide media attention especially during the recent successful visit of President Donald Trump to India.

The Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) allows persons belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist and Christian faiths who have illegally migrated into India over the last 65 years from three neighboring Islamic countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan), to acquire Indian citizenship on a relatively fast track basis. The CAA was necessitated by the precarious lives these religious minorities had been living for many years, deprived of the benefits of Indian citizenship. It was a situation that could not be redressed without amending the existing citizenship law. These minorities entered India for many reasons - persecution, discrimination, physical insecurity, threat of forcible conversion, protection of their womenfolk. They could only migrate to India, as no Muslim country would either accept them or give them citizenship.

In 1947, the non-Muslim minorities in Pakistan mostly Hindus and Sikhs, constituted about 23 percent of the population; today they constitute about 5 percent, with Hindus at about 1.65 percent. In 1971, at the time of Bangladesh’s creation, Hindus constituted 19 percent of the population, whereas in 2016 they constituted only 8 percent. This should be contrasted with the number of Muslims in India: according to the 1951 post-partition census, there were 35 million; their estimated number today at about 200 million (rising from 9.8 percent of the total population in 1951 to 14.2 percent in the 2011 census). Not only that, Muslims have occupied the highest positions in the country in all domains; the Indian constitution protects the rights of all minorities; and Muslims, along with other minorities, are given special rights in managing their religious and educational institutions.

The government has repeatedly clarified that the CAA aims to grant citizenship on a one-time basis to a particular group of persons with no alternative options, and not to revoke the citizenship of anyone, much less an Indian Muslim. The CAA has a cut-off date of December 31, 2014, after which no illegal immigrant, whether Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Christian or Muslim would be eligible for citizenship under the amendment.

In this larger sense, the CAA is by no means anti-Muslim. India is probably unique amongst major powers in not having a citizenship register; the system of national identity cards does not exist.

This is an anomaly for a country that has open border of 1758 km with Nepal, a longer porous 4096 km porous border with

Bangladesh, a 4056 km un-demarcated border with China and a 3323 km contested border with Pakistan. Ironically, all these neighboring countries have citizenship rolls of their own. All this necessitates, for sovereignty and security reasons, that India has a proper citizenship roll. For good governance, to ensure that the beneficiaries of government schemes are genuine citizens, for maintaining social harmony, and to prevent illegal migration in the future as well, such a roll is essential. India also has to plan for the future, for the repercussions of climate change, including the triggering of mass cross border movement into India. Outside observers need to better understand the dynamics of internal politics in a raucous democracy like India. But they’re not trying to understand the issues dispassionately.

In the process, they themselves show disrespect for India’s democracy. They forget that Prime Minister Modi was elected as India’s leader through the largest-ever democratic exercise in human history, winning more than 550 million votes, in an electorate of 830 million. The leaders of western democracies do see shared values of democracy, pluralism, human freedoms and private enterprise with India as a strong basis of partnership at a time. These shared values are constantly highlighted when India and western leaders meet and issue joint statements.

India continues to be a major victim of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. Sea-borne Pakistani terrorists caused mayhem in Mumbai in 2008, in which several Israelis too were brutally murdered. The shocking April 2019 terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists in Sri Lanka are a reminder of India’s vulnerabilities in its south. Muslim extremists are active in Bangladesh too.

With the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, its links with Pakistani agencies, the emergence of ISIS in Afghanistan, India’s concerns about the spill-over of religious extremism and terrorism from the Pakistan-Afghanistan soil have got exacerbated.

WE WISH TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE ISSUE: The Minister of Home Affairs of India took stock of the prevailing law and order situation in Delhi. The Home Minister appealed to citizens not to believe in rumours and fall prey to evil designs of miscreants and groups interested in precipitating communal tension. Only 12 Police Stations out of the 203 PSs in Delhi (about 4.2% of the geographical area) have been affected by these riots, while normalcy and communal harmony has prevailed elsewhere in the National Capital. Delhi Police is mandated and obligated to provide security to all sections of society irrespective of caste and religion. Prime Minister Modi also appealed for calm and said that “peace and harmony are central to our ethos. I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Delhi to maintain peace and brotherhood at all times. It is important that there is calm and normalcy is restored at the earliest. Police and other agencies are working on the ground to ensure peace and normalcy”.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE SITUATION ARE: No major incident has been reported in the last 36 hours in any affected Police Station of District North-East.

• Prohibitory orders under Section 144 will be relaxed for a total of 10 hours tomorrow in view of improvement

in ground situation.

• So far, 48 FIRs, pertaining to clashes, loss of lives/ property, etc., have already been registered and further FIRs would be registered in due course.

• Police has detained/arrested 514 suspects for questioning so far. Further arrests would be effected in the course of investigation.

• Delhi Police has separately set up two Special Investigation Teams (SITs) for investigating serious offences.

• Nearly 7,000 Central Para-Military Forces have been deployed in the affected areas of North-East District since February 24. Besides, Delhi Police has also deployed three Special Commissioners of Police, six Joint Commissioners of Police, one Additional Commissioner of Police, 22 Deputy Commissioners of Police, 20 Assistant Commissioners of Police, 60 Inspectors, 1,200 other ranks and 200 Lady Police under the overall supervision of Commissioner of Police to effectively guide and supervise Police response so as to contain and normalise the situation.

• 35 persons have lost their lives in these tragic incidents since February 24. Situation is slowly returning to normal.

• Citizens are requested not to lay credence to any rumour. Delhi Police has set up helplines for round-theclock assistance. These helpline numbers are being given adequate publicity so that information about miscreants and any emerging situation may be conveyed to the Police.

• Two Security personnel sacrificed their lives in the line of duty to restore law and order. Besides, nearly 70 Police personnel and senior officers have been injured in these unfortunate incidents. Adequate steps have been taken to ensure medical support to the injured.

• As a confidence-building measure among different sections of the society, Delhi Police has started holding Peace Committee Meetings across Delhi to normalise situation and improve inter-community harmony. Such Peace Committee Meetings would continue till situation normalises. So far, nearly 330 Peace Committee Meetings have been organised in various districts of Delhi in the last two days. Apart from this, meeting with Residents Welfare Associations (RWA) and Market Welfare Associations (MWA) have also been convened in several areas. Such Peace Committee/RWA/MWA have been attended by different sections of the society including Civil Society Groups, representatives of different political parties including Congress, AAP, BJP, etc.

• East Delhi Municipal Corporation has already initiated steps to clean the streets and repair damaged public properties in riot-affected areas. Other civic agencies are also ensuring the civic amenities to the citizens is restored as soon as possible. Movement of traffic on the highway and connecting roads is returning to normal.

Regards, Vijayakumar K. Counsellor (Com. & Dev. Projects ) High Commission of India

The abandonment of reason in Guyana Dear Editor,

I

READ Freddie Kissoon’s article of February 24, 2020 in Kaieteur News entitled “50 years of wishing and hoping and leaving” where he expresses the view that with cultural confusion in the Caribbean, none of the countries stands out more as a failure than Guyana.

I agree with his pessimism about the current state and future of Guyana. He states that we cannot go on blaming the psychological effects of colonialism and the legacies of Burnham and Jagan. To a certain extent, I agree with him on this point too. But I am sure that deep down he knows that the problem is the divisiveness born of racism – it is a phenomenon that has led to the poison we have experienced in the past, are experiencing at the moment, and will continue to experience for some time in the future. Until we solve the racial issue we will continue with the anti-intellectualism

that permeates the society and which is seen in our culture.

Racism is an enemy to rational thinking, and a reasoned intellectual disposition. Any right thinking person would not hold racial views because they would know the consequences of racism in Guyana. The racists know this and they hate and condemn any intellectual who points to the racial underpinnings in the society and warn of the dire consequences to this country.

We need to ask ourselves: “Why must one group of people have all the entitlements and another group have nothing?”; “Why must we hate those who are different or poor?” “Why are we unable to control our greed?” “Aren’t we all entitled to a good life?” Because racism blocks our thinking, our leaders and members of the society, seem to have lost the intellectual ability to reason. We see this consequence in the rejection of persons with sound intellectual capabilities and who appear to be honest, and the promotion and maintenance of persons who are intellectually weak and

corrupt. It therefore means we will continue to struggle as a nation.

We can see the effects of racism and division and the consequent lack of intellectualism currently playing out in the United States. We are seeing corruption, removal of restrictions to avoid the vagaries of climate change and protection of the environment, attempts to leave a swath of people without health care, inhumane treatment of people at their southern border etc. And similar to Guyana, the basis of much of these problems is the abandonment of reason.

For the betterment of everyone, we need to start thinking about how racism is destroying us and what can be done to counter it. But with the inherent destructive nature of the oil industry, I agree with Freddie that nothing is going to change for us in the near future.

Yours faithfully, Professor Kean Gibson

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Guyanese hopeful for peaceful elections ….first-time voters anxious to exercise their democratic right

AS the populate prepares to cast ballots today, many are praying for a peaceful and violence-free election as they make their way to their various polling stations to vote for the political party of their choice.

Raquel Bacchus, a first-time voter, noted that she is elated to be voting for the first time since she recently celebrated her 18th birthday in October of last year and is now eligible to exercise her democratic right as a proud citizen of Guyana.

However, Bacchus is hoping for a smooth and clean election across Guyana. She added that she is hoping that after elections everything remains calm and whichever political party is elected into government remains true to their manifesto and policies.

“I just hope that this election brings about some change and unity and I hope the next government stick to their plans and help this country to go forward,” the young voter stated.

Another first-time voter, Rox-

anne Austin, noted that she is anxious to cast her ballot; however, she noted that the anticipation is tense given all the fuss that was made by politicians.

Nevertheless, the young voter is enthusiastic that Guyanese will put aside their political affiliations and remain respectful to each other so that the country will see a peaceful and violence-free election for the year 2020.

Meanwhile some of the older stalwarts expressed similar hopes for elections day 2020.

Kalawatie Singh, a store owner, noted that she is keeping a positive mind for elections and is praying that Guyanese everywhere respect each other’s choice and keep the peace during and after the elections. Singh’s convenience store is considered as a melting pot in the rural community of Noo-

tenzuil and as such, she noted it is a pity that politics tend to divide Guyanese.

“If we can celebrate for Mashramani and cricket together, why we can’t get along during election time? After election we still got to live together… we got to work together and be cooperative… this racism thing needs to done,” Singh stated.

Troy Adams, a fruit vendor, noted that he will come out early in the morning and set up his stand to catch some early morning customers. However he will make his way to his polling station around midday time when he believes there will not be a crowd.

Despite the heckling and vulgar remarks from supporters from the major political parties, Adams stated that he is hopeful that persons will remain calm and keep the peace during the day and after.

Judith Lepps stated that given Guyana’s history, she is praying for the best and hoping that persons remain calm during elections day and the days leading up to the results.

“I am praying that everything goes smooth on elections day…I am praying for all of Guyana,” the

pensioner stated.

Meanwhile, United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann Lynch, said there is great interest in Washington for free and fair elections here and she urged all parties to accept the results.

In a terse statement on Saturday, Lynch said all eyes are on Guyana this week. “I just returned from the worldwide U.S. Ambassador’s conference in Washington and there is great interest in free, fair and peaceful Guyanese elections on March 2.”

“I encourage all registered voters to exercise their franchise in a peaceful manner and to allow others to do the same. Good luck to all the parties. After the people of Guyana have spoken, the United States stands ready to work with the next democratically-elected administration, and I encourage all parties to respect the outcome,” the ambassador said.

Guyanese Dr. PI Gomes made stellar contribution to ACP group -steps down as SG for the Group of States after five years THE five-year tenure of Guyanese Dr Patrick Ignatius Gomes, who served as Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, from March 1, 2015, has ended.

He was succeeded by Secretary-General, Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Head of Mission to the European Union, who assumed office on March 1, 2020.

On Friday, February 28, 2020, the Committee of Ambassadors (CoA) of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States bade farewell to the outgoing Secretary-General Dr Gomes , according to a release from the ACP. The senior management team that comprised the Assistant Secretaries-General and the Chef de Cabinet, also demitted office.

During his tenure, the outgoing secretary-general

represented the Caribbean Region in the rotational system by which the Secretary-General of the ACP

States, which included most notably, the winding down of the 20-year Cotonou Agreement and subsequent activ-

ture of the SG’s tenure was the revision of the ACP’s Constitutive Act, the Georgetown Agreement, which was

Outgoing Secretary-General (SG) Dr Patrick Ignatius Gomes (left), accepts a symbolic gift from Chair of the Committee of Ambassadors, Teneng Mba Jaiteh (right).

Group is selected every five years. He took the reins of the ACP at a crucial time in the history of the ACP Group of

ities related to the ongoing post-Cotonou negotiations, the release added.

Another very notable fea-

endorsed at the Ninth ACP Summit of Heads of State and Government in Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2019.

The revised agreement will come into force as soon as it has been signed by the requisite number of ACP member states.

Alluding to Dr Gomes’ inaugural address to the CoA, the release said he had pledged to facilitate “diversified partnerships across the Global South by 2020.”

In this regard, he looks back on the signing of the Headquarters Agreement for the ACP Information Centre for South-South and Triangular Cooperation -- the first such centre to be established in an ACP region -- in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in 2019.

Also, the ongoing partnerships with non-traditional partners such as India and Peru, who were both present at the recent symposium on South-South and Triangular Cooperation which was held at the ACP secretariat.

Key to creating “the ACP We Want,” as per the Sipopo Declaration following the Eighth Summit of ACP Heads of State, was the creation of a fund to ensure the long-term

General, Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti

financial sustainability of the ACP Group. This fund, the ACP Endowment Trust Fund (ETF), was officially launched by ACP Heads of State at the Ninth Summit. Following the meeting of the Ambassadorial Task Force in February 2020, plans for the operationalisation of the fund will soon be rolled out, the release stated.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Guyana needs stronger consumer laws – Jordan

By Tamica Garnett WITH the expected economic growth and massive investment forecast for Guyana, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, and other consumer protection advocates believe that stricter laws are needed in several areas to protect consumers in Guyana.

Jordan, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, pointed to the banking sector, the hire purchase system, and credit card sector as areas where consumers in Guyana are not sufficiently legally protected.

“There are too many laws which are too many years old.

For example, there are no hire purchase laws, and this whole issue of credit cards I don’t think we have credit card legislation specific to our consumers; and banking literacy laws we need that. You wake up one day you see something is taken out [of your bank account] just like that, no information, no reason, nothing,” Jordan reasoned.

Over the past year, the public transportation, banking, and retail sectors, are some of the areas which have come under heavy criticism by consumers, and continuously highlighted as sectors, in which, consumer protection frameworks severely lacking.

In public transportation, there is no agency bestowed with authority to regulate

the pricing structure of taxis, which during peak seasons, as much as double their fares.

The minibuses openly disre-

some time, the bank, only last year, acknowledged that the situation existed.

Another situation arose

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan

gard laws against loud music, speeding and overloading.

Notwithstanding attempts to deal with the situation, the agencies responsible continue to show that they lack the capacity to do it as the situation continues to exist with no end in sight.

Consumers have been widely criticising the banking sector, and in recent months, the attention has been placed on Trinidad-owned Republic Bank, which had effected several changes to its banking system. These changes were not smoothly implemented much to the dissatisfaction of customers, many of whom experienced delays in accessing their finances. Despite documented cases of the issue ongoing for

last February, where the bank began taking money out of customers’ account without notice, saying that it was as a result of money that was not credited from accounts during the period November 4 – December 31, 2019.

Some customers accused the bank of deducting the money twice. Minister Jordan pointed out that such situation could not obtain in other countries.

“In the US the banks would send you a long list of consumer information as part of their requirements under the law. I would like to see our customers stop being taking for granted not only by banks, but all the other institutions operating in this country,”

Jordan said.

In the retail sector, the biggest issues are refunds and warranties. Many of the stores

Consumer Rights activist, Pat Dyal

are owned or operated by foreign nationals, a situation that has been ever increasing, and the nationals are often unfamiliar or purposely disregarding, the country’s laws.

Previously, many of the stores would often prominently display notices informing customers that they were not entitled to refunds, something that is against the law which provides for refunds. This situation has since been somewhat curtailed following campaigns by the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC).

In the case of warranties, as recent as last December, the Guyana Chronicle visited several stores in Georgetown and were repeatedly informed by store personnel that no warranty is offered by the business on

products sold, though the laws clearly provide for six months warranties to be offered.

“We need to really upgrade our standards and ensure that those investors who are coming here, whose home country require top standards of them, that they bring those standards rather than try to adopt the non-standards of Guyana,” Jordan said.

In Guyana, consumer protection laws include the Consumer Affairs Act of 2011 and the Competition and Fair Trading Act Chapter 90:07, there also legislation related to financial institutions such as the Dealers in Foreign Currency (Licensing) Act No.19 of 1989; Credit Reporting Act No. 9 of 2010; the Insurance Act; National Payments Systems Act. Some of the Guyana’s consumer laws are enforced by the CCAC, which comes under the Ministry of Business. There is also the Department of Consumer Affairs, which focuses on consumer awareness and educational programmes.

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards; Food and Drugs, Analyst Department; and Consumer Advisory Bureau, also offer a layer of consumer protection with responsibility of policing certain businesses to ensure that standards are upheld.

The Bank of Guyana is responsible for policing the banking and financial sectors.

However, where there are laws that offer some amount of protection, consumer rights advocate and columnist, Pat Dyal, believes that there are issues with enforcement.

“For instance we have legislation where the Parliament unanimously passed a law against noise in the minibuses.

For a few months the police carry it out but dropped it, and did not do anything further, so noise goes on in the minibuses as usual. That’s an example where the law is there but you have failure to execute,” Dyal related.

Hire Purchase is also an area where Dyal thinks more needs to be done to protect consumers.

“Hire Purchase needs to be considered by itself. When consumers buy things from [name of store] store you end up paying twice as much and that is wrong. Then there are seizures. Many people complain to me about being at the end of paying for the hire purchase items, have only about two or three installments and the people still come and seize it,” Dyal explained.

He also pointed to businesses re-selling seized items and in some cases displaying the items as new when they are in fact used. “That’s a scandal that consumers have to be alerted about,” Dyal said.

Young Essequibians eager to vote --37,979 persons eligible to do so in Reg. 2 tends to cast her vote early.

She plans to get up very early, say her prayers, and then head out to the Polling Station to cast her vote.

Andy Jaglall, who hails from Region Two but now lives in Canada, said that given the significance of this year’s elections, he decided

Yashoda Sukhdeo

Ravi Lakhan

Ravi Lakhan

ESSEQUIBIANS, particularly young people, are eager to cast their ballots in today’s highly-anticipated General and Regional Elections.

On Sunday, the atmosphere in the predominantly agricultural region, was reportedly calm. According to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Pomeroon-Supenaam District has 135 polling stations, with 37,979 eligible voters. Of that number, 12,088 are from

the Pomeroon Riverine area.

A drive around the various communities in the Cinderella County during the course of the day on Sunday revealed that many persons are excited about the elections, and based on conversations they reportedly had with drivers, residents and farmers, they are hoping to vote early.

Nineteen-year-old Yashoda Sukhdeo, who hails from Golden Fleece, is excited to vote for the first time.

According to her, voting effects change in a democratic society. “It’s my democratic right, and I was just waiting on this to go and put my ‘X’,” she told the Guyana Chronicle. “I am a little nervous, but I want my vote to count. So I would ensure that I neatly mark my ‘X’,” she added.

Meanwhile, 75-year-old Baby Loaknauth, a seasoned voter, said though she is not as healthy as she was during previous elections, she in-

to return home to exercise his franchise.

Ravi Lakhan also came back from England to cast his vote. Lakhan said he secured his flight well in advance so he could be in Guyana to vote. He also ensured that his name is on the list. Lakhan, who hails from Middlesex Village, said that many young people in his area are eager to vote. “I

am back home for a reason,” Lakhan said, “and I will be assisting many persons to polling stations. I want to ensure that persons get their democratic right to vote, so I will be using my vehicle to assist.”

Several political activists said they will be transporting persons to the various polling stations.

A Region Two Polling Station located at Golden Fleece

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Donna Edghilo

- headteacher with designing skills wins at this year’s Mashramani celebrations

By Michel Outridge IF anybody had told Headteacher of Lodge Nursery School, Donna Edghilo, that her school would be the winner of this year’s Children’s Costume and Float Parade, she might have been in doubt.

But it happened. The school won and it goes to show that, through hard work and dedication, anything is possible.

Edghilo has been at the Lodge Nursery School since 2017. However, she taught at other schools such as Plaisance Nursery, Sherman’s Nursery and J.E. Burnham Nursery, where she started her teaching career. She was once the headteacher of Plaisance Nursery.

“Teaching just happened for me. When my mom went to the Ministry of Education to get my sister in a school, I went along, and it dawned on me that I had to do something with myself and vowed to myself I would become a teacher. I didn’t mind teaching because I like children

and nursery is the best and I have been at it for more than 25 years,” she said.

BECOMING A TEACHER The headteacher was trained at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and later at the University of Guyana (UG) where she secured a Bachelor of Education. Edghilo has a Certificate in Management and is also a certificated dance teacher.

As a child, Edghilo always fancied dancing, but, with a strict father, she was unable to blossom until she was of age and thus in a position to enroll in dancing classes.

Initially, Edghilo taught at both primary and secondary schools. However, she later specialised in nursery education. “I would say the best part of teaching for me is seeing children realise their true potential in school work, for example, when the quiet ones come out as the best dancers for the Children’s Costume and Float Parade,” she explained.

Noting that times have changed with the digital age,

This year’s winning float.

Head Teacher Donna Edghilo

Edghilo said children are more drawn to technology such as smart phones and have put aside the old-fashioned way of reading from a text book.

“Sometimes some children are very quiet and withdrawn in class. Very often, those are the ones who are caught between parents who have domestic issues and when you engage them in

years old and placed first among the 15 nursery schools that participated on February 15, 2020 in the Children’s Costume and Float Parade.

In the past, her school also gained first place among other winnings.

This year, Edghilo’s theme was ‘Uniting Guyana with love.’

Her costumes were made from pieces of materials collected from the large Float Parade.

Due to a lack of funds, the headteacher would oftentimes use her own money to create costumes with The children of Lodge Nursery support from a few School on Mash Day parents.

Edghilo added simple tasks like drawing that brings out the best in them,” that, at times too, once permission was granted, they she said.

The mother of three point- would use funds from the ed out that in 1998, soon after Parent-Teachers Association completing CPCE, she started (PTA) Fund but stated that it would be nice if a grant can to experiment with designing be given by the ministry, eschildren’s costumes but was pecially for Mashramani. on a pause until 2000.

“This year’s win was bitter sweet because with a low DESIGNING budget, using whatever we Edghilo was successful in had and a lot of asking people making, ‘from scratch’, both to assist, we did manage to float and costumes to outfit pull it off. I am grateful for the 15 children ages four and five support I received from a few

parents and my 11 teachers,” she said.

She pointed out that the main costume took a few days to complete. It depicted Guyana’s resources, the people, a map of the administrative regions and our flora and fauna.

The boys of Lodge Nursery School were outfitted with colours of the Golden Arrowhead while the girls wore red, yellow and green with hats of hearts.

Edghilo told the Guyana Chronicle that the costumes of revellers took some time to finish but her mother and teachers were assigned tasks and it was a collective effort and they all worked tirelessly to make it happen.

The Headteacher reported that often parents don’t see teachers as human beings with responsibilities.

“Today, we spend more time instilling moral values than teaching because children come with a lot of domestic-related issues; some three-and four-yearolds seem to be in control of their parents, and, as such, they have no discipline. We therefore have, at times, to do more talking than teaching and it puts a strain on us. My advice to parents is exercise tough love, discipline your children and at the same time involve them in activities that will boost their self-confidence,” Edghilo said.

Coroner’s inquest soon for Leguan police officer killed in accident A CORONER’S inquest is expected to commence into the death of Police Constable Shaquiel Woolford, 20, who was killed during an accident at Success Public Road, Leguan, Essequibo island on May 20, 2017.

An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, and is held to determine the cause of a person’s death.

In Guyana, a sitting magistrate who acts as the coroner empanels a jury, after which the inquest is conducted.

Magistrate Esther Sam will preside over the inquest at the Leguan Magistrate’s Court with a five-member jury to determine whether

DEAD: Shaquiel Woolford

anyone is criminally responsible for Woolford’s death.

According to reports, Woolford was attached to the Leguan Police Station.

Enquiries disclosed that Constable Woolford was proceeding east along the road on motorcycle CH1860 when another motorcycle CH4564, driven by a 44-year-old Phoenix, Leguan resident, rode out of a yard from a northerly direction into the path of the policeman and they collided.

As a result of the impact, Constable Woolford fell and suffered injuries to his face and head.

He was rushed to the Leguan Cottage Hospital in a conscious state where he was treated and referred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, but succumbed on his way to that institution.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Exxon pursues fourth development project EXXONMOBIL affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL), has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to undertake the Hammerhead Development Project, with facilities for petroleum production expected to last at least 20 years.

This marks the pursuit of Exxon’s fourth development project, with Liza Phase I and Liza Phase II already approved, and Payara awaiting approval.

The Hammerhead discovery, announced in August 2018, encountered approximately 197 feet of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir. International oiland- gas research firm, Wood Mackenzie, had suggested back in 2018 that ExxonMobil and Guyana had “hit

jackpot” with the discovery.

In a public notice issued on Sunday, the EPA sought to notify the public that the project will be implemented in multiple stages, which will include well drillings and completions; and the mobilisation and installation of subsea equipment, umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF).

There will also be the installation of a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility, as well as production operations, and decommissioning.

According to the EPA, “The proposed project will be undertaken in the marine offshore environment within Guyana’s territorial waters, and would require land-based activities for support at marine shore bases.” .

In keeping with the En-

vironmental Protection Act No. 11, 1996, the EPA says, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for development must first be provided before any decision is made as project could have significant impacts on the environment.

As such, through the notice, it is inviting members of the public to make written submissions, within 28 days of the publishing of the notice, highlighting any question and matters they require to be considered in the EIA. It goes on to explain that EEPGL, as the Operator, holds a 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block, while Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd, holds another 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited the remaining 25 per cent.

Region 10 voters ‘pregnant with excitement’

By Vanessa Braithwaite TODAY in Region 10, 33, 808 electors are expected to cast their votes at 125 polling stations. The atmosphere is pregnant with excitement and anxiety, as residents see themselves being first in line at their respective polling stations to exercise their democratic right. Polls will be opened at 06:00hrs sharp and there is expected to be a queue at if not all, but most polling stations at the opening of polls.

On Sunday, regional officials and party representatives were still in campaign mode, urging residents to vote in favour of their party. Sound trucks were traversing the various communities calling on the electorate to come out in their numbers. Residents in Region 10 are hopeful that today’s (Monday) proceedings will be a smooth and uneventful one, more so that the Region 10 police ranks have given the assurance that systems are in place in terms of security and keeping law and order intact, in the eventuality of a hiccup. Commander of Region 10, Hugh Winter, told the Guyana Chronicle that ranks will be at polling stations throughout the day, securing all 125 ballot boxes.

APNU+AFC candidate Jermaine Figueira said his party is expecting a smooth polling day and he is confident that with the systems put in place by GECOM, this will be done. In relation to voter turnout, Figueira said from the feedback on the ground, it is expected that today’s election will see a big turnout at the polls.

“We expect that the turnout will supersede that of 2015, despite rumours of alleged plots of unrest within

the community. We have alerted the police as we have gotten their confidence that everything will be done in decency and order. We have encouraged our supporters to go out exceedingly early, so most of the voting will be finish by 12:00 pm,” he said.

Similar sentiments were shared by PPP/C candidate Dexter Harding, who said he too expects a smooth day and is confident that the police will do their work. He encouraged not only residents of Region 10, but Guyanese at large to respect the results of the elections, so that there will be a peaceful aftermath.

“We are fully charged; it will be a large turn out tomorrow.

I want to encourage all Guyanese, despite which party wins, make the right decision for Guyana. If we try to burn buildings and destroy infrastructure, it is a step backward for Guyana. Let us encourage an atmosphere of peace,” Harding said.

ANXIOUS AND EXCITED Over in Ituni, resident Keisha Griffith said the atmosphere in the small mining community is mixed as residents are excited, but still anxious as to what will take place post-elections. In Ituni, there is only one polling station she said, and systems have been put in place in terms of security.

While parties have also made preparations to assist the electorate with transportation and whatever is needed to ensure they cast their ballots, citizens have also volunteered to serve in this regard in their respective communities.

Anthony White of Amelia’s Ward said he will be providing shuttling services for residents, particularly those

living far from the polling stations.

“Amelia’s Ward is a very big community and there are only four polling stations.

Many persons, especially the elderly and disabled will have a difficulty getting there, so I went into my own pocket to ensure these persons get to the polling stations,” White said.

“We will also be providing them with water and whatever else is needed.”

Amelia’s Ward resident Jonelle Archer said she will be exercising her franchise because she was not able to do so for the 2015 elections, neither the following two local government elections.

“What I am grateful [for] is that I was able to get registered because the last three times I was unable to return all the way to where I used to live in another region to vote, because that was where I was registered years ago, so today, I will be first in line to cast my ballot.”

Archer will be given stiff competition, as first-time voter Laylan Duggin, who is also voting at the Linden Foundation Secondary School, said she intends to be first in line. She said after attending two community meetings at three rallies, she is very hyped about the elections and is encouraging all other youths and firsttime voters to exercise their franchise. “These elections are about us, we need to go out and vote and let our voices be represented in the ballot paper. We were given a chance to get registered and we should not let that chance waste, since many people stood up in the sun protesting to ensure we were not disenfranchised,” Duggin said.

The location of the Hammerhead discovery

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Dr. Wazir Mohamed plugs Diaspora centre …as vehicle for knowledge and skills transfer

Dr. Wazir Mohamed, one of the co-chairs of the 2020 Diaspora Engagement Conference is of the view that there is no shortage of skills and capability in Guyana and abroad. He, however, sees the need for there to be an inter-link, so as to effect the synergies that are needed.

He made the observation

on Friday last, February 28, during precursor discussion held at the Education Lecture Theatre (ELT) of the University of Guyana (UG) and aimed at building collaboration for the arrangements of the university’s second Diaspora Engagement Conference.

According to Dr. Mohamed, a team consisting of

diaspora members and personnel from UG are actively developing the platform that would involve Guyanese civil society, the private sector, youth groups, Indigenous groups and other individuals in Guyana.

The event is meant to encourage a business competition for local start – as an

encouragement for them to engage with a view to showcasing themselves.

“I firmly believe that we should develop a more engaged process that matches Guyanese skills, experiences and expertise with those of the diaspora. We need a groundwork process both at home and abroad, to engage institutions and processes

Dr. Wazir Mohamed, Co-Chair of the 2020 Diaspora Engagement Conference, addressees the audience

Some of the participants at the event

with a view of what we can create and to spur a kind of groundwork development and engagement, in which Guyanese at home and abroad will engage with each other,” Dr. Mohamed reiterated.

He said too, UG is interested in diaspora engagement in relations, part of which has to do with our own interest in how to grow the university and bring the kinds of intellectual resources that we need to have now, back to the country. He noted that those have been fleeing and leaving the country in droves for the last 30 and 40 years.

Noting that re-engagement of the intellectual resources needs to be done in a systematic way, Dr. Mohamed cautioned that the diaspora conference cannot be taken or discussed in isolation from the ongoing discussion regarding the establishment of the diaspora centre at the University of Guyana, as they go in tandem.

Since the 2017 conference, Dr. Mohamed said he has worked extensively and collaboratively and have led discussion to widen and attract support for the idea for the establishing of a diaspora centre.

Those collaborations included

discussion on action and consultation with CARIFORUM in an effort to the place the diaspora engagement on the agenda of the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) group of countries.

It included too, conducting of a feasibility study by a consultant who was selected through a competitive bidding process by an ACP/European Union combination. The consultant, having interviewed several persons from the diaspora, submitted a report to the EU and the ACP and subsequently the University of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed informed the audience.

The report recommended in no uncertain terms the need for the EU and the ACP to support a centre for diaspora engagement at the University of Guyana.

On this note, Dr. Mohamed disclosed that the governing council of the ACP is now engaged in the process of determining the next step, adding that the consultant’s report were among agenda items at the two highest forums of the ACP- the Political Affairs Committee and Committee of Ambassadors - in January and February this year.

Having already impacted the thinking at the ACP level to the extent that they are pre-

pared to assist to develop the centre, Dr. Mohamed said the university “must be prepared to further all the engagements with a new dispensation of the ACP.” The diaspora centre can be the vehicle to skills and technology transfer that is so vital to development, he charged.

Meanwhile, with effect from March 01, 2020, the ACP has a new Secretary General who is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Head of Mission to the European Union, Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti.

The out-going ACP Secretary General, Guyanese Dr. Patrick Ignatius Gomes, ended his five-year mandate, which began in 2015, on February 29, 2020.

Of the impending diaspora conference, he emphasised that essentially the intention is not to create a talk shop or a think-tank, but to create the institutional framework that will bring Guyanese skills at home and abroad into contact with each other. The aim is for us to learn and benefit from each other, a process that the United Nations likened as a brain gain, he added.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Connection Quiz

MOST adults aim to do their best for children; they want to see them do well and eventually make a valuable contribution to society. But connecting with children nowadays is different.

With so many distractions around, and adults leading busy lifestyles, it is becoming harder for parents to firstly connect with their children, and, secondly, to make a lasting impression. So how do you shape up when it comes to ‘connecting for correcting’ your child? Try our quiz.

1) You’ve been pre-occupied on your cellphone all night consoling a friend who has recently left her boyfriend. During that time, your 14-year-old son has been using the computer in the front room to research his homework. Do you… a) Kiss him goodnight and tell him you hope he gets an ‘A’ on his assignment? b) Check the computer history later to see which sites he visited? c) Make sarcastic remarks to him about what children

should and should not do Online?

2) Your 11-year-old daughter comes home wearing her Best Friend’s expensive trainers, and tells you they swapped shoes for the day. Do you… a) Tell your daughter to be careful not to scuff or damage the trainers? b) Explain that swapping anything is unacceptable, and then settle down for the evening? c) Explain that swapping is unacceptable and take measures to exchange the trainers immediately?

3) Your two-year-old daughter behaves badly, and resists every time you try to brush her teeth. Do you… a) Continue to struggle with her, hoping she will eventually see reason? b) Try different strategies to see which one helps her to enjoy brushing her teeth? c) Give her a hot slap to put her straight, and then brush her teeth while she is crying?

4) Your newborn baby has several gifts, including some infant storybooks and puzzles. Do you… a) Put the books and puzzles away until he is old enough to appreciate them? b) Keep the gifts in view, so he can see them as he grows, and eventually use them? c) Start reading the storybooks to him every day, and introducing him to the puzzles as soon as he can play with them safely?

5) Your child’s whole world revolves around his Ipad; he gets moody and ‘vex’ when you take it away.

Do you… a) Let him have it whenever he wants, to keep the peace? b) Rethink and adjust his Ipad access, to bring and keep order in your home? c) Tell him if he gets ‘vex’ when you take it away, you’ll give him a box?

6) Your family is waiting for dinner, and while you are cooking, a friend calls with some scandalous gossip. Do

you… a) Hold the phone to one ear while you continue to cook? b) Put the phone on loudspeaker (so the family can also hear) and continue cooking? c) Stop cooking altogether and put your feet up to ‘hear story’?

7) Your 10-year-old comes home and dumps his school bag in a chair. While he is taking a nap, you hear a beeping noise coming from his bag, but he does not have a cell-phone.

Do you… a) Wake him up and ask him to show you what he has in his bag? b) Go through the bag to find out what he has brought home? c) Leave the bag, forget about the noise, and also go to take a nap?

ANSWERS: 1: (a & b) Children tend to take advantage while their parents are pre-occupied, and even though we love and trust them, there is no harm in double-checking from time to

time: Keeping one step ahead and on the look-out to nip ANY negative behaviour in the bud.

2: (c) Nipping in the bud can only happen if parents stay connected to what is transpiring in their child’s life.

Nothing should be overlooked, and disciplining a child must be done ‘as soon as possible’ rather than later.

3: (b) Grown-ups have the ability to reason with children in a number of ways that are pleasant. There’s no need to resort to violence or threats. If you want to connect to children, find some common ground and understanding.

4: (c) Even newborn babies enjoy being read to; they love the tone and sound of their parents’ voice. Reading to babies also helps to develop their brains.

5: (b) Cell-phones and Ipad games are addictive, and can rob families of spending quality time. Parents should balance ‘screen time’, outdoor activity and family time for their child’s health and sense of wellbeing.

6: All of these answers are

wrong. Parents should set a good example for their children by focusing on one thing at a time. Children will emulate their parent’s behaviour, so trivialities such as gossip can definitely wait.

7: (b) Parents have the right to go through their child’s school bag and their school books if they so choose. Parents can connect with their child on different levels, not only to show that they care, but to also guide and protect them.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979, or us a line at childcaregy@ gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION

Inmate escapes from Mazaruni Prison

A PRISONER who was serving time for larceny at the Mazaruni Prison, escaped from the facility on Saturday.

According to Director of Prison (ag) Gladwin Samuels, the officer-in-charge of the Mazaruni Prison, Senior Superintendent (ag) Kofi David reported that the prisoner, one Christopher Punch, escaped from the facility on Saturday some time after 14:20 hours.

He said that based on what David reported, Punch was

Christopher Punch

signed out to labour on the farms, attending to the animals and so on, which is a critical task, even during this

period of heightened security.

Punch was serving time for four counts of "larceny of a motor cycle", and is serving four consecutive two-year sentences.

He also has one count of attempted larceny, for which he was sentenced to one year in prison. This latter sentence is being served concurrently with one of the two-year sentences. An investigative team is examining the matter.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Reshuffled polling stations in place for E-Day -electors run final check to ensure they are on the list

By Navendra Seoraj ELECTORS along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) were making final checks to ensure that their names were on the list at various polling stations, especially those stations which were reshuffled by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), to avoid congestion.

The Guyana Chronicle, on Sunday, visited the villages of Foulis and Mon Repos to examine the alternative arrangements.

This publication observed that there were four tents (polling stations) in place at the playfield in Foulis; five polling stations at the Mon Repos primary and nursery schools; two stations at the Mon Repos Market Tarmac; and two at the Mon Repos Health Centre.

According to information from GECOM, a total of 3,195 persons are slated to vote at the various polling stations in Mon Repos.

Residents were seen checking the lists, which were posted at the various polling stations, to ensure that they are not left out of the process. Residents of Mon Repos said they welcomed the reshuffling of polling stations in that area because the initial arrangement would have resulted in congestion.

Late last week, Public Re-

Five polling stations have been placed at the Mon Repos Primary School (Adrian Narine photos)

Some of the tents which were installed at Foulis on the East Coast Demerara to facilitate voting

lations Officer of GECOM, Yolanda Ward said there were initially two polling places in Mon Repos, but it was increased to five polling places. Additionally, she said the polling place at the former Regional Democratic Council (RDC) office in Foulis was moved to “Jai’s

workshop.”

Early this month, Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield announced that there would be 2,352 polling stations, inclusive of 131 private residences, of which 91 of the private residences are in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). How-

ever, moving towards the ideal, GECOM was making a special effort to reduce the number of private residences used as polling places.

The commission has since made the list of private-residence polling places available to political parties, and they have been using

their own intelligence to highlight residences with which they may have issues due to real or perceived political affiliation.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), however, believes that the reduction could cause congestion at some of the polling stations. This concern was raised by the party during a meeting with Chairperson of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, the six GECOM commissioners and the CEO, last Tuesday.

Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, subsequent to the meeting, told media operatives that the PPP/C requested that the number of polling places in Mon Repos, Foulis, Kildonan and Chesney be reviewed.

While a decision was taken to review the placement of polling stations in those areas, the GECOM Chair made it clear that there was no decision made to return to private residences, but rather for Lowenfield to address complaints of congestion and possibly find other public places or neutral venues.

“We never agreed to go back to private residences.

The PPP made complaints about congestion at polling stations and these seem meritorious and so the CEO was tasked with addressing this…” Justice Singh told the Guyana Chronicle.

She said the CEO would

have to meet with his returning officers in the specific areas where the PPP/C had raised the concerns and address the issue regarding congestion.

“They said for example there is one school where there are several polling stations, but only one gate…so we will be trying to relocate around 3000 people from voting at that venue to other places…” Justice Singh explained. She also rubbished claims that the commission was discriminating against the PPP/C and attempting to disenfranchise its supporters.

The Carter Center, in a preliminary statement on May 27, 2015 and under the heading ‘Location of polling stations’ stated: “Because of the lack of state establishments in some areas, 166 (or seven per cent) of these stations were located in private buildings and residences.

While the establishment of polling stations on private property did not seem to negatively influence public confidence in the electoral process, The Carter Center recommends that GECOM take steps in future elections to ensure that citizens can cast their ballots in a neutral environment free from intimidation.”

Carter Center deploys observers across Guyana INTERNATIONAL observers attached to Carter Center are currently observing Guyana’s General and Regional Elections today.

The more than 40 observers representing 15 countries are spread across the country’s 10 regions.

They were deployed on Saturday, February 29, 2020.

The delegation is co-led

by Aminata Touré, former Prime Minister of Senegal, and Jason J Carter, Chairperson of The Carter Center Board of Trustees. The delegation will draw upon findings from the Carter Center’s history and ongoing presence in Guyana, including the work of its core team of electoral experts and longterm observers, who arrived in January.

In recent days, the delegation’s leadership has been meeting with key stakeholders to hear their perspectives on the electoral process.

These stakeholders included candidates, political party

The more than 40 Carter Center international observers, who are currently spread across the country

leaders, GECOM, civil society leaders, and the security sector, among others.

In a pre-election statement, the Carter Center encouraged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to publicise and distribute existing procedures for tabulation as widely as possible.

“The Carter Center notes

that publicising and widely distributing procedures for both tabulation and recounts – with key safeguards in place for transparency, allowing party scrutineers and observers at all stages – will be integral to ensuring that the will of the voters is accurately and comprehensively reflected in the final results,”

the centre said.

Added Touré: “It is a great honour for us to be [in] Guyana at this historic moment. We are hopeful that the electoral process will be peaceful, inclusive, and credible, and that Guyanese come together after these elections, so they can share their bright future as one nation.”

Additionally, the centre had described the proceedings on Nomination Day in January –which resulted in 11 political parties being approved — as “festive and peaceful.”

“The nomination process went ahead without any glitches. Although some new parties raised concerns about

the order in which parties were received by GECOM, all parties were given an opportunity to correct defects in their lists and were able to do so in the time allotted,” the centre stated.

The report indicated that since Nomination Day, electoral preparations have been on track and in adherence to the established timetable, both in Georgetown and in the regions.

This includes the printing of ballot papers under the supervision of two members of GECOM; the arrival of these ballots ahead of schedule and the finalisation of appropriate polling stations.

The Organisation of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth and the European Union (EU), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the U.S. Embassy, and British High Commission are among international observers.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

New Sussex Street road in two weeks’ time

THE stretch of road along Sussex Street, between St. Stephen’s Street and Vlissengen Road, which has posed a danger to both motorists and pedestrians for many years, is now expected to be fixed in 14 days’ time.

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is “piggybacking” on the Ministry of Infrastructure, the agency that is funding the project, Constituency 10 Councillor, David Allicock has informed.

“It is noteworthy that this road is an indispensable artery to both Constituencies 10 and 11,” Allicock has said, adding that Sussex Street needs revetment to both sides of its drainage and recapping of its road surface from end to end.

The Councillor, along with Mayor Ubraj Narine, has also been lobbying for a pedestrian sidewalk to be constructed on the southern side of the road. “This street is heavily and continuously utilised by residents on foot, competing with vehicular traffic,” the councillor pointed out.

A few months ago, the M&CC had taken a decision

shoulders as a result of that, has yielded a very dangerous effort for motorists and pedestrians because they are all competing for the same space, and it is only a matter of time before, god forbids, something happens,” he said.

Councillor Heston Bostwick, too, had said he felt the revetment of the Sussex and St. Stephen’s Streets canals is of utmost importance at this time. “This, I feel is priority.

The roads have no shoulders and they pose a serious hazard. I would

Constituency 10 Councillor David Allicock

to close off Sussex Street to vehicular traffic. There were huge potholes and no road shoulders, which posed a serious threat to motorists and pedestrians.

“We’re delighted to say that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has co-opted that project for us. The temporary fix will look to put up some level of barriers so that some heavy- duty trucks cannot pass. So it will be a two phase operation,” Allicock had explained in a previous interview.

He said the road was in very bad shape. “The fact that the road has now merged with the canal and there are no

A section of the road was paved a few days ago

Sussex Street has been in a deplorable state for years

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The road between St. Stephen’s Street and Vlissengen Road is expected to be fixed in two weeks’ time

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

GECOM fires Presiding Officer --was caught campaigning for PPP at Port Kaituma

THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has fired a Presiding Officer who was spotted campaigning with the Opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) recently at Port Kaituma in the North West District.

Reports are that Sheldon Henry, who was expected to work today, Elections Day, at an area within the Matarkai sub-region in Region One (Barima-Waini), called ‘Eyelash’, received notice from GECOM officials at Port Kaituma earlier on Sunday that his services were terminated.

Residents told the Guyana Chronicle that after a photograph surfaced on Saturday night with Henry campaigning with the PPP, they made it their duty to visit the GECOM office in the area to ensure that

the matter was being dealt with.

Several days ago, GECOM was forced to fire another Presiding Officer, Jenny Shaw, from the Enmore area, on the East Coast of Demerara, after she was seen campaigning with the PPP. Like all other staff members, the role of a Presiding Officer is crucial to the polling station, as he or she is responsible for the efficient operation of the station to which they are assigned, and ensuring that it functions in an orderly manner at all times.

The official task is to determine the six-digit number for the stamp (official mark) in the presence of Polling Day Staff and Polling Agents.

He/she also ensures that persons other than vot-

The photograph which surfaced on Saturday evening of Presiding Officer Sheldon Henry at a campaign event hosted by the PPP

ers, e.g. Certified Political Party Agents, attending the Polling Station are au-

ERC reiterates call for peaceful, transparent elections THE Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has renewed its call for peaceful, fair and transparent elections, saying that for this to happen, it will take the collective effort of all of us, regardless of preference.

According to the ERC, voting is a democratic right which enshrines choice.

“As we exercise the right to choose, we must respect the rights of others to do so. In the process, we must also remain cognisant of the need to be tolerant and respectful of each other, now, during and after March 2.”

The Commission says elections is historically a sensitive period, and all are urged to work in the best interest of Guyana and Guyanese, and not be engaged in activities, in any shape or form, that are counterproductive to the fostering of harmony and good relations.

“The lessons of history serve as a pertinent reminder of the need for us to collectively chart and embark along a path of togetherness, in an effort to lessen tension and to safeguard the welfare of all of our people,” the ERC has noted.

The Commission says that all are, therefore, encouraged to keep public actions free of intimidation, and utterances

free of hate, racial and all other forms of incitement.

During this and the subsequent period, the ERC posits that society should demonstrate to itself and individuals along with others that “while we will disagree in the process, it is not a reason for hostility through hate, and elections must not be a process that divide us.”

Adding that the ERC is heartened by contesting political Parties that have signed the Code of Conduct, the Commission urges that despite whatever challenges may confront us, the spirit and intent of what was agreed to, is respected by all.

“This we believe is crucial not only to the process of peace, but a vital component in being able to mitigate incidents that occurred during the campaign and which have the potential to repeat themselves.

Let us also strive to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood and to ensure that the will of the Guyanese people is respected following the elections.

In closing, the Commission said, “On behalf of the Commissioners and Staff of the ERC, we extend best wishes to all involved, and remind that peace, during and after the process, is in the hands of all of us.”

New Sussex Street road in ... be very grateful for it to be done for the sake of the residents and for the health of the community,” Bostwick expressed.

He explained how the canal from the cemetery to the Sussex Street canal is just

a few yards apart. “Now that you’re experiencing erosion to some parts, you might very well find that the water from the cemetery would be mixing, and that’s what we don’t want because that can lead to cholera and all sorts

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of things.”

The Councillor said he is also hoping that the koker, which once existed at the corner of Sussex and St. Stephen’s Streets, will be reconstructed.

thorised to enter, and are in possession of Identity Cards issued by GECOM.

One of the more import roles of the Presiding Officer is that he/she,

when called upon, determines whether a person is eligible to vote.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Desiree Edghill, MS, seeking to blaze new trail

By Wendella Davidson DESIREE Edghill, MS, the Executive Director of Artistes in Direct Support (AIDS), who through the non-profit, community-based organization has blazed the trail in raising awareness about the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and sexually transmitted infection education, is now contemplating addressing issues in relation to cancer.

According to this phenomenal woman, a cancer survivor, she wants the focus to be more on prevention, as such she is contemplating using the `tried and proven’ model the organisation had used during their successful HIV/AIDS programme, for a cancer prevention project.

Speaking recently of her plans during an exclusive

interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Edghill said, “I want to do a prevention programme; the organisation did a great one on prevention for HIV, and I think we could use that same model to do a prevention programme for cancer.

“I don’t want to do something to give support to someone who has cancer; there are already a lot of people doing that. I want to do a programme to tell women do not get cancer; prevent yourself, just as how we did with HIV,” she added.

However, she explained that now that the programme through which the organisation is funded is almost at an end, she will have to find new avenues through which she can tap into funding.

The Artiste in Direct Support Organisation has, during the execution of its successful HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection education,

to three years. Funding from USAID, which has been supporting the organisation since 1999, she said, will come to an end in July. USAID currently provides funding for only two civil society organisations, Artiste in Direct Support being one.

On this note, Edghill disclosed that the results of a

work in the field of HIV. The four-month project targeted the key affected population, this being men who have sex with men and commercial sex workers, but not the country’s youth, who are still at risk, Edghill contended.

Edghill disclosed that the organisation has just concluded a consultancy with the

Desiree Edghill, MS, Executive Director of Artistes in Direct Support

received funding from the World Bank, Global Fund and USAID. But Edghill said that the World Bank funding is no longer available in Guyana, while that of the Global Fund is scheduled to finish in two

President David Granger decorates Desiree Edghill with her `Medal of Service’ National Award

survey in relation to HIV/ AIDS among youths here is quite worrisome for her, as it has been found that a lot of the new infections to date are among persons 15 to 49 years old.

“We have come full circle,” she said. “We are right back where we started, as our youth are our most at-risk population.”

With her organisation being cognisant that youths are not reading the newspapers, Edghill said that television advertisements specially targeting young people have been created in an effort to capture their attention and sensitise them about the dreadful HIV/ AIDS scourge.

Additionally, over the years, the organisation has shifted its focus to the workplace, the community, and the key affected populations, given that the most affected populations are the at-risk population which include men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers, loggers and miners, and the adjacent population to a lesser extent.

Edghill lamented, however, that youths should have been among the lot, because every day, a young person is experiencing their first sexual encounter, so we should never have stopped addressing our youth.

She also regretted the focus now having to return to the youths, when the funding is leaving Guyana, adding that there had been repeated calls for attention to be placed on sustainability.

The organisation does work with faith-based communities and in-school and out-of-school youth.

FOUR-MONTH PILOT It was explained that last year, the government started a pilot project that saw civil society funding to conduct

anywhere where HIV testing was being done.

“Subryan, even in the face of brutal stigma and discrimination, wanted the public to know of the presence of the disease, and the need to take precautions against it. For him using the Arts as an avenue was his way of sensitising the public, “Edghill said.

She admitted to being timid at first, because of the then stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, and recalled being referred to as ‘The AIDS Lady’, something she did not take kindly to, and which has caused her to only attend funerals when absolutely necessary.

CARICOM CHAMPION FOR CHANGE Edghill said that over the years, both she and her organisation have faced stigma and discrimination because of their fight to stamp out

Desiree Edghill receives the Commonweath Points of Light Award from British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn

United Nations for a National Strategic Plan (NSP) that will span from 2020 to 2025.

She said that in addition to the inclusion of youth in the blueprint, a budget and a module evaluation plan have also been created. The latter will allow for checks and balances to be conducted.

Meanwhile, an ongoing NPS that began in 2013, which was slated to last for seven years, will conclude later this year.

Artistes In Direct Support is the brainchild of the late Keith Andre Sobryan, who had put together a team comprising Margaret Lawrence, Robert Narain, Paloma Mohamed, Don Profitt and Desiree Edghill.

Subryan was, in 1989, diagnosed as suffering from the dreaded HIV Disease, and according to Edghill, it was he who suggested that the organisation should be so named.

The aim, she said, was to immediately seek to address stigma and discrimination, since at the time persons never wanted to hear or be seen

the stigma. Her work and determination was nevertheless recognised, and in 1992 she was rewarded for her grit and determination when she was bestowed with the CARICOM Champion for Change Award. In 2013 she was the recipient of a Longstanding Service Award from the Ministry of Health for giving 25 years of yeoman service and in 2018, she was conferred with one of Guyana’s National Award `Medal of Service’.

In February 2020, Edghill was the recipient of the Commonwealth Points of Light award for her work to raise awareness and educate persons about HIV/AIDS. The award, which is given by Queen Elizabeth II, was presented on her behalf to Edghill by British High Commissioner Greg Quinn, at a ceremony at his residence.

It is given to individuals in Commonwealth countries who are recognised for their sterling work support individuals and groups in society.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020 FROM PAGE

Desiree Edghill MS seeking ...

Edghill is Guyana’s second Commonwealth Points of Light awardee, the first being Denise Dias of the `Women in Black’ organisation. She is overall the 124th awardee for the Commonwealth.

“I’ve done a lot of work over the years, not for awards. It’s in my genes, and my genes are very tight,” Edghill said, adding: “I wrote my first play in 2000 when Keith Andre Sobryan died.”

She recalled that he used to write all of the organisation’s plays, from 1992 when it was first established. And when he was dying, she said, he asked that they continue the organisation.

Edghill said her organisation has, since its creation, undertaken lots of work, including creating posters for the service industry, through the ILO and in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour. She has also personally trained Occupational Safety and Health (OS&H) officers to function as HIV personnel, who in addition to conducting inspections at work places in relation to OS&H systems can check for the presence of HIV policies and programmes. And, where

none exists at any organization, they trained officers can assist the errant organisations in formulating and implementing such systems.

THROUGH THE YEARS Reflecting on the organisation’s climb to its current status, Edghill said they initially used to finance shows from their own pockets, and were supported with meals and accommodation by people within the out-of-town communities where they performed. To answer questions raised by persons in communities, as it relates to HIV, Edghill said they would have personnel from the Genitourinary (GUM) Clinic, now the National Care and Treatment Centre.

In 1999, the organisation was among six non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that were identified by USAID to undertake a Guyana HIV/AIDS /STI Youth project.

But while the organisation was known for its work, it was not registered, as such the first work contract was the through the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA). Edghill said she and Subryan, who had

18

previously undergone some training in Suriname, were given the job to formulate the materials for the project.

That entailed putting together a theme with a jingle `Ready Body is it really Ready’. The launch of the project was Subryan last public event that he attended.

Edghill recalled Subryan ‘s request as a bid his time, was for the organisation to be sustained even after his demise in 2000. She honoured her friend’s request by having the organisation registered in September 2001, after doing a play, and taking all of the proceeds for that purpose.

And, not only was an office opened in 2001, but the first set of peer educators, numbering 12, were also trained in 2001 and presented with Certificates.

The organisation began doing structured work, and designed its own programmes, conducted workshops that enabled them to discuss and formulate programmes that were applicable to the respective regions.

Edghill noted that of about 20 NGOs that were functioning then, Artistes in Direct Support is the only

one that is left that was receiving funding from the USAID in 1999. In addition to funding from USAID under the Guyana HIV/AIDS/STI project, they also benefitted under the Guyana HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme 1 & 2 and under the Advancing Partners and Communities (APC) so we came full circle.

She said the organisation received lots of support from educator Bonita Harris, who was very instrumental in training the members as educators, and to train the trainers who in turn would tutor the young people.

Edghill said it was Harris who created the Bodywork Manuals1-3, the Faith Matters 1-3, that allowed them to engage with the Faith-Based

Community and men who have sex with men. “The manuals she created were so effective that, over the years, we have been sharing them with our partners in the Caribbean,” Edghill said, adding: “Through our work and that of others, Guyana has been considered among the pioneers in addressing, HIV/ AIDS. Our country has been among the first that started to address HIV/AIDS, as other counties, especially those that thrive on tourism, did not want to be associated as having HIV in their countries. The authorities there felt that such a stigma would have deterred persons from visiting their countries.”

Edghill pointed out, too,

at that time Guyana, was the only country on this side of the hemisphere that qualified for three major funding – the World Bank, the USAID through PEPFAR and the Global Funding. As a result of all of that funding, Edghill said they were able to do tremendous work.

“One of the things we were able to do,” she said, “was keep the HIV virus here to under two strains, HIV 1 & 2, for years. And, to date, it has not changed.

“Now,” she said, “we are in control of our virus; we have attained our first 90 of the UN 1990 goals; are three per cent towards our second; and are 75 per cent completed on the third.”

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Tokyo marathon takes place on empty streets (BBC) - THE Tokyo Marathon took place on Sunday against a backdrop of empty streets and with just a couple of hundred runners due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Organisers had reduced the entries to just elite runners and wheelchair athletes with the mass race, which usually attracts around 38,000 runners, cancelled.

The numbers of volunteers were also reduced and spectators were advised to "avoid gathering along the course" and were instead encouraged to "support through TV and radio."

Event staff and competitors were given surgical masks and hand sanitizer.

Ethiopian Birhanu Legese won the men's race for the second year in a row in two hours four minutes and 15 seconds, while Israel's Lonah Korlima Chemtai Salpeter won the women's race in a course record time of 2:17.45.

Tokyo is due to host the Olympics from 24 July to 9 August.

"If the Olympics look like this, it's going to be a sad sight," 68-year-old shoemaker Hiroshi Enomoto, who watched the race in the downtown area of Asakusa, told Reuters.

"There are maybe 20% of the number of people who came to see the race last year. Normally, it's so packed you can barely breathe."

More than 200 people have so far been infected with the coronavirus in Japan, while at least 621 people who were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship which was held in quarantine off the port of Yokohama, tested positive.

Schools in Japan have shut for two weeks, and Japan's football league postponed domestic fixtures until mid-March.

Tokyo 2020 organisers have said the torch relay before the Games, which was due to travel across Japan starting on 26 March, will be scaled back but they are not discussing calling off events.

Madrid beat Barcelona ...

FROM PAGE 27

drought when he volleyed over when unmarked before former Middlesbrough forward Martin Braithwaite had a chance to win it, only for his shot to be saved.

Vinicius then pounced, firing in from a narrow angle, the 19-yearold Brazilian becoming the youngest scorer in a league game between the sides this century as he surpassed Lionel Messi’s record set in 2007.

His side never looked back and Mariano put the finishing touches on a win which gives them real hope of landing a first league title since 2016-17.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Bangladesh storm to biggest ODI win

(ESPNCricinfo) - Bangladesh stormed to a 169-run win in Sylhet, their largest in ODIs. They rode on a ton from Liton Das and swift cameos from Mohammad Mithun and Mohammad Saifuddin to reach 321 for 6 before Zimbabwe’s chase imploded.

Saifuddin did the early damage with an opening spell of 2 for 6 in five overs and the visitors never really recovered, bowled out for 152 with Bangladesh’s bowlers sharing the wickets around.

On a hot, humid afternoon, Das appeared more troubled by the conditions than he was by Zimbabwe’s attack.

Opening the batting alongside Tamim Iqbal, he crunched the sixth ball of the innings to the cover point boundary and added three more fours inside the Powerplay to set the tone of the innings.

Iqbal raised Bangladesh’s fifty in the 11th over with a rasping cut, but otherwise played within himself and was fortunate to survive a strong lbw shout soon afterwards when Carl Mumba pinged his front pad with a full, angled delivery.

Zimbabwe declined the review even though replays showed Iqbal would have been out.

There was some iffy judgment with regards to the DRS from both sides as Iqbal then burnt Bangladesh’s review when Wesley Madhevere, the 19 year old debutant, trapped him in front with an offbreak that rushed on with the arm.

But there was no doubt about Das’s acumen with the bat in hand and he progressed steadily, in almost complete control, putting the fielders under pressure with some swift running and cashing in on anything loose.

that would have missed the off stump.

The dismissal slowed Bangladesh’s progress somewhat, and they went seven overs between the 26th and 34th without a boundary before Das ended the drought with a whip through mid-

Mahmudullah plundered 68 runs in the space of nine overs before Mahmudullah was removed, on review, by a Chris Mpofu yorker.

Mithun raised a 40-ball fifty with his fifth four before he, likewise, was undone by an indipping yorker

caught Tinashe Kamunhukamwe flat footed in the crease, the ball ricocheting into the stumps via the inside edge.

Six overs later, Saifuddin nipped one in off the seam to strike a shuffling Regis Chakabva in front of his stumps

Tinashe Kamunhukamwe plays on to one © BCB

At the other end, Najmul Hossain Shanto was similarly sharp in calling for quick singles, and he peppered the boundary with a couple of crisp strokes of his own as the pair added 80 for the second wicket in quick time.

Bangladesh cruised past 100 in the 20th over, but Iqbal’s injudicious use of the review earlier came back to haunt Shanto when he was given out lbw to a ball from Tino Mutombodzi

wicket to raise his hundred.

He shifted through the gears thereafter, swiping Tiripano for three boundaries in the space of an over and then heaving Madhevere over midwicket for his second six.

But, having struggled with cramp for some time in the sweltering heat, Das was then forced from the field.

There was little respite for Zimbabwe, however, as Mohammad Mithun and

from Mpofu, but Saifuddin ensured Bangladesh would not be slowed by the quick strikes.

He cleared the ropes with three massive hits in the final over of the innings to breach 300 and lift the hosts to an imposing total.

Saifuddin transferred his batting momentum into his bowling effort, and Zimbabwe’s chase was almost immediately derailed.

With his fourth ball, he

- a review confirming his downfall - and captain Chamu Chibhabha then aimed a desperate heave at Mashrafe Mortaza only to slice a simple catch to mid-off.

Zimbabwe were three down inside the Powerplay, with the required rate already ballooning above seven an over and their innings looking increasingly rudderless.

It was left to Madhevere to give it some impetus and a

veneer of respectability.

He shrugged off the loss of Brendan Taylor, fluffing a slog sweep to be bowled

by Taijul Islam, with a couple of crisp strokes which showed his potential to succeed at this level and briefly rallied alongside Sikandar Raza.

They added 35 for the fifth wicket - the highest stand of the innings - before Raza top-edged a pull at Mustafizur Rahman and Zimbabwe’s slide began in earnest.

Madhevere followed him to the pavilion soon afterwards, swatting a catch into the covers, and with the match out of their grasp Zimbabwe’s lower order decided they would go down swinging.

Wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami flogged two big sixes before he was run out, and Tiripano was aiming for a boundary of his own when he slammed a stinging return catch back to Mehidy Hasan.

After two big hits, Mumba’s merrymaking was ended by a full, straight delivery from Saifuddin that clattered into the stumps, but it was left to Mortaza to bring the innings to an end. In the 40th over, Tino Mutombodzi swiped underneath a short one to present a steepling chance to Saifuddin at deep square leg and give Mortaza his 100th ODI wicket as captain in his final series in charge of the one-day side.

His milestone was one of several bright points for Bangladesh took a 1-0 series lead, but Zimbabwe failed to turn up in any department today.

City snag third League cup (BBC) - Manchester City secured their third League Cup win in succession - and their fourth in five years - with victory over Aston Villa at Wembley.

Pep Guardiola’s side won an historic treble of domestic trophies last season with the Premier League and FA Cup, and they thoroughly deserved their triumph despite a spirited effort from Aston Villa.

Manchester City looked like they would stroll to victory when Sergio Aguero’s strike and Rodri’s header from a corner that was hotly contested by Villa put them in complete control inside 30 minutes.

Villa, while strictly second best, offered themselves a lifeline when Mbwana Samatta headed in from Anwar El Ghazi’s cross four minutes before the interval.

City continued to dominate as they sought a third goal and Villa were agonisingly close to forcing extra time

when Bjorn Engels saw his header from a corner turned on to the woodwork superbly by keeper Claudio Bravo.

It was their last chance and City closed out the win their superiority merited.

Manchester City may be about to lose their Premier League title to Liverpool, who are 22 points clear at the top of the table, but no-one can argue against their claims to the first piece of domestic silverware this season.

They were in control of most of this game apart from a frantic closing spell where the much-maligned 36-yearold Chilean keeper Bravo produced that stunning save from Engels to break Villa hearts.

If there is any frustration - and there will not be much - for Guardiola and his players, it is that they should have had this game done and dusted without any need for late moments of anxiety.

Aguero once again proved he is the man for all occasions with his predatory strike, while 19-year-old Phil Foden demonstrated his rich promise with a fine performance, which even contained a piece of audacious ball-juggling in the second half.

John Stones slipped unfortunately for Villa’s goal but he also contributed some vital defensive headers when City finally had to survive some concerted pressure in the closing minutes.

Fernandinho continues to be a towering presence and it was a win achieved with Kevin de Bruyne on the bench for the first hour.

It has been an outstanding week for City as they followed up Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first-leg win away to Real Madrid by lifting the EFL Cup.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

New Zealand hold slim edge

(ESPNCricinfo) - India began the second day needing a big effort just to stay alive in the Christchurch Test, but so big was their bowling effort they ended up with a first-innings lead of seven runs.

However, another lower-order rally by New Zealand followed by yet another varied and special bowling performance brought them right back into the contest.

After a 16-wicket day, India were 97 ahead with four wickets in hand.

One of the six wickets lost was nightwatchman Umesh Yadav.

There was a bit of everything to enjoy for bowling enthusiasts: Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah looked unplayable for three hours with their seam and swing, Trent Boult swung the ball, Tim Southee used the surprise bouncer, Colin de Grandhomme mixed swing and seam, and Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson found disconcerting bounce.

Throw in two wickets and a superman catch for Ravindra Jadeja, Jamieson’s innings of 49 and 51-run partnership with Wagner, Virat Kohli’s pumped-up reactions to New Zealand’s players and crowds followed by another early dismissal to end a personally dismal tour, and you had a day bursting at the seams with action.

This was a pitch unlike any seen in New Zealand in recent times.

It quickened up from day one and allowed more seam movement, which brought Shami and Bumrah right into the game.

However, it is one thing

to have conducive conditions and quite another to barge through on the back of them from so far out of the game.

India had toiled for 23 overs on the first evening for no wicket, and began the day just 179 runs in lead.

overs unchanged either side of lunch followed by another spell after a half-hour break.

While it was Yadav who got India the first breakthrough, Shami and Bumrah were the ones who tortured the batsmen with their seam

he would be on the day.

Ross Taylor and Tom Latham batted with better intent, adding 40 in little over 10 overs, but Taylor perished trying to dominate the weak link on paper, Jadeja.

He stepped out in pre-

his judgement until he left one ball too full from Shami, and it hit his stumps. Moments later, Kohli dived in front at second slip to send Nicholls back. He was so pumped up he was asking the crowd to “shut the **** up” by now.

New Zealand get together to celebrate Virat Kohli’s wicket © (Getty Images)

They were handed a lifeline through the prodigious seam, but they also corrected their lengths accordingly from the first evening.

It was also their skill and pace that made life difficult for the batsmen.

They also had to show fitness: Bumrah had to bowl a spell in each of the four hours that India were on the field, Shami bowled 12

movement.

Bumrah’s seam movement accounted for the early dismissal of Kane Williamson, who played at a wide ball he would have left alone otherwise.

Kohli, looking away from his team, evidently let out a Hindi expletive but didn’t get in the personal space of the batsman. This was not even close to the most pumped up

meditated fashion, and didn’t have a bail-out option when Jadeja pulled the length back.

Yadav then took an amazing catch running back from point, despite over-running the ball a little.

It was still not panic stations as Latham and Henry Nicholls got into a partnership.

The heart of the resistance, Latham had been excellent in

The lunch break came at the right time for India as Bumrah and Shami came back well rested, and unleashed hell.

They were now bowling 145kmph legcutters regularly, hoping at times that it would seam less so as to take the edge.

That wasn’t needed with BJ Watling and Tim Southee, who fell in the same

Bumrah over.

Watling, tied down for no run off 15 balls, tried to break the shackles with a big drive, but found a diving Jadeja at point.

Southee could be forgiven for just poking at one; the bowling was just too good. de Grandhomme and Jamieson then started to play their drives, and as both the main bowlers came off they saw an opportunity. Only for Jadeja to rip one past the outside edge and into the off stump of de Grandhomme for 26 off 44.

At this point, India’s high-risk batting in the first innings looked like a masterstroke.

New Zealand had survived for only two overs fewer than India, but they were 65 behind. It didn’t look like they would last much longer as Shami drew a top edge from a Wagner, which Hanuma Vihari dropped at fine leg.

That catch would have made it 190 for 9, but instead Wagner went on to frustrate India even as Jamieson looked like the most comfortable batsmen on either side.

Wagner finally nailed one hook after the partnership had crossed 51, but Jadeja intervened with an absolute stunner 20 metres off the deep backward square leg fence.

It went flat and fast, but Jadeja moved sharply to his right, leapt up with his legs sort of cycling through the air and stuck his left hand out over his head to stun Wagner.

Shami soon drew another top edge from Jamieson, one short of his fifty, to get India the lead.

Permaul on course to break personal record of most wickets in a 4-Day season ―22 wickets away from breaking season best haul of 67

By Clifton Ross GUYANA Jaguars ace spinner Veerasammy Permaul is on the path of crushing his personal career-best of most wickets collected in a WICB/PCL Regional 4-Day season, following his spellbinding performance in the last round.

The left-arm spinner, Guyana’s overall leading wicket-taker in Regional 4-Day cricket with more than 500 wickets to his credit, churned out a jaw-dropping spell of spin against Jamaica in the last round, as the champs got some revenge over the Scorpions after they lost to them at home a few rounds ago.

With returns of 7-59 and 8-18 and ending with overall figures of 15-77, Permaul has now almost doubled his body count when compared to the second placed fast-bowler, Chemar Holder, of the Barbados Pride, who sits on 29 wickets.

Overall, the former West Indies Test spinner has 45 victims from just 6 games played, coupling his strike-rate of 31.5 with his utterly stingy average of 10.62. Given Permaul’s current form and intentions, it is clear that the lefty plans to break his tally of 67 wickets which he ended with in the 2014-15 season.

The wicket-barrage by Permaul has also seen him shatter a few of his personal bests, as his current haul

of 45 wickets surpasses his 40 which he bagged in the 2015-16 season.

The West Indies ‘A’ spinner then surged to 42 victims which came at the end of the 2016-17 season. Only his haul of 50, which he accomplished during his magical run in the 2017/18 4-Day tournament and his career-best of 67, has yet to be bettered.

Clearly, the outcome this season, taking into consideration the remaining 4-rounds, the next of which will be played in Permaul’s backyard of Guyana, is that the former national captain will most certainly break his personal-best and possibly end with 70 victims by the time the season concludes.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

West Indies Women dumped out of T20 World Cup

CMC – WEST Indies missed out on the semi-finals of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup for the first time in six tournaments when they suffered a 46-run defeat to England in a lopsided contest here Sunday.

Needing a victory to remain in the tournament, West Indies once again struggled with the bat, failing to chase down 144 at Sydney Showground Stadium and crashing to their second defeat in three games to remain third in Group B on two points.

Lee-Ann Kirby, batting at number seven, topscored with 20 but no other batsman passed 15, as leftarm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, with three for seven and 20-year-old leg-spinner Sarah Glenn, with two for 16, undermined the innings with brilliant spells.

At one stage, the Windies were well-placed at 41 for one but once captain Stafanie Taylor retired hurt on 15 in the eighth over, the innings went into terminal decline with the next nine wickets going down for 55 runs.

Player-of-the-Match, Natalie Sciver, had earlier top-scored with 57 as England rattled up 143 for five off their 20 overs after choosing to bat.

Danni Wyatt chipped in with 29 while Amy Jones fin-

ished on 23 not out, allowing the 2018 losing finalists to gather 80 runs from the last 10 overs and finish strongly.

Africa who won their third straight with a 17-run verdict over Pakistan in the other Group B game on

the board but Sciver arrived to anchor two critical partnerships which helped England recover.

Off-spinner Anisa Mohammed claimed Wyatt in the ninth over, swatting a full toss to long on and Knight

Sophie Ecclestone celebrates another wicket for England © (Getty Images)

With the victory, England moved to the top of the group on six points from their full complement of four matches to clinch their spot in the semi-finals, along with unbeaten South

Sunday.

West Indies struck in the first over when seamer Shakera Selman hit the dangerous Tammy Beaumont with the fourth delivery of the match with a single run on

First, she posted exactly 50 for the second wicket with Wyatt who struck two fours off 27 balls, before adding a further 39 for the third with captain Heather Knight (17).

followed in the 14th over, run out by Selman’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end attempting a quick single.

Fran Wilson picked out Britney Cooper at mid-wicket with leg-spin-

ner Afy Fletcher in the 16th over but Sciver combined with Jones in a 33-run stand to revive the innings.

Sciver, let off twice during her knock, struck six fours off 56 balls.

Needing a batting effort the likes of which had eluded them in recent years, West Indies stumbled at the start when Deandra Dottin (9) continued her abysmal run by pulling Ecclestone to mid-wicket at the end of the third over with 12 runs on the board.

Taylor joined Hayley Matthews (12) and looked to be repairing the damage in a 29-run, second wicket stand when tragedy struck.

After taking a sharp single, Taylor pulled up and was eventually stretchered off, leaving the Caribbean side without their best batsman.

Matthews, well short of runs in the tournament, was then bowled by Glenn in the next over and when Shemaine Campbelle (1) and Chedean Nation (0) both perished with the score on 42, the Windies had lost three wickets for no runs in the space of 17 deliveries.

The slump derailed the run chase and Kirby’s 15ball cameo, with a four and two sixes, only served to delay the inevitable.

South Africa book semi-final spot (ESPNCRICINFO) - LAURA Wolvaardt produced one of the innings of the tournament as South Africa rebounded from a tricky start against Pakistan to book their spot in the semi-finals.

Wolvaardt struck a 36-ball half-century which lifted a stuttering innings into a total that proved too much for Pakistan who were missing captain Bismah Maroof after she was ruled out of the tournament with a finger injury.

Pakistan had made the early running through another impressive new-ball spell from Diana Baig, and for much of the innings it appeared South Africa would struggle to make 120, but Wolvaardt, batting for the first time in the tournament, changed all that as she struck 33 off her last 15 de-

liveries with 29 runs coming off the last two overs.

South Africa defended the total without the services of Marizanne Kapp, who missed the Thailand match with a respiratory infection and struggled after her innings on a warm day, as the remaining bowlers, led by Shabnim Ismail, applied consistent pressure to Pakistan’s top order which proved too much to handle.

Baig set the tone for Pakistan’s victory against West Indies and she produced a similarly demanding spell here.

The dangerous Lizelle Lee, who scored a century against Thailand, fell in the opening over when she edged an outswinger and in her third over - which became a wicket maiden - Baig had Dane van

Niekerk dragging on.

She thought she had removed van Niekerk in

showed the ball just missing leg stump.

Not than van Niekerk had

Laura Wolvaardt top-scored with 53 (Getty Images)

her previous over when the South Africa captain was given lbw, but the DRS

been especially confident of it being overturned - she was halfway off the ground before

the ball-tracking confirmed her reprieve. Not that it lasted long. Baig’s opening spell finished with 3-1-13-2.

Wolvaardt’s T20I career has not taken off in the way her ODI form has - where she averages 45 - and she has been handed a new role in the middle order for this tournament.

Today’s innings may come to be viewed as a breakout moment for her. South Africa were 54 for 3 at the halfway mark when she walked in, and soon 64 for 4 when Kapp departed, and in desperate need of a strong second half.

Woolvaardt produced a wonderfully measured innings, running hard - something not always seen in this tournament - and then finishing with a blaze of boundaries as she struck

five of her last six deliveries for four.

The crispness and power of her driving was outstanding, strong wrists enabling her to find gaps between and over fielders.

Without Kapp, even more onus fell on Ismail and she responded with a twoover new-ball spell that put Pakistan on the back foot.

She conceded just two runs off the bat and her second over was a wicket maiden when she induced Muneeba Ali to splicing a pull to midon.

Pakistan did not help themselves with some poor running which brought the wicket of Umaima Sohail who hit the ball straight to cover and set off immediately, on for Javeria Khan to not move an inch.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

Matthews Heroics down West Indies

(ESPNCricinfo) - Fabian Allen was on a rampage.

He’d struck three sixes (one of them 98 metres long) plus two fours, and was on 37 off 14 balls.

He’d just crashed one over cover, and seemed set to close out the game, only nine runs needed off the last five deliveries.

But Angelo Mathews went back through the years, resurrected what seemed for so long to be a dead-and-buried version of himself and sharpened the next ball with considerable bowling wit.

Allen tried to swing it over midwicket for what would have effectively been the match-sealing six.

place to take the catch above his head, maybe two feet in from the boundary.

This was the moment this ebbing, flowing game was won by Sri Lanka West Indies’ No. 10 and 11 unable to seriously challenge the target with only four balls remaining.

Sri Lanka’s batsmen had combined beautifully to get the team to 307, but it was Mathews who really clinched the game.

With captain Dimuth Karunaratne missing his usual death bowler in Nuwan Pradeep, who left the field clutching his leg after 4.3 overs, Mathews was required to deliver his full

got close to this target was down to an outstanding 111-run opening partnership between Sunil Ambris and Shai Hope.

The former made a runa-ball 60. The latter hit his third fifty of the series and collected the top score of the game for the second time in three matches, with 72.

Nicholas Pooran was shunted up the order to No. 3, and hit 50 off 61 balls. Captain Kieron Pollard also made a strong run at this target, making 49 off 50.

But both Pooran and Pollard - batsmen who could have taken the game away if they had been al-

gether off 62 balls.

After the openers fell, the two Kusals -- Mendis and Perera -- came together to produce perhaps the best batting surge of the match, totalling 89 off 74 in each other’s company, in the middle overs no less.

Towards the end of the innings, Dhananjaya de Silva and Thisara Perera made 64 off 50 balls together.

There were no star batsmen, really. Just a series of excellent contributions from which two in particular stood out.

Mendis’ 55 off 48 was full of efficient sweeps, ferocious pulls, and a flatout refusal to allow West

West Indies’ effort in the field was frustrated by their own continuing indiscipline, both with the ball where they sprayed it around too much, and in the field where they were sloppy yet again.

But it was also hampered by injury - Allen unable to deliver a single ball, because he hurt his shoulder while patrolling the boundary.

They also had a bowler take a clump of wickets - Joseph finishing with figures of 4 for 65, each of his victims an important opposition batsman.

But they paid for being too loose through the middle overs in particular, firing too many down the legside, and allowing

partnerships to bloom and then flourish.

Pollard and Roston Chase were the only bowlers to go at less than six an over, but even they were around the 5.1 mark.

From among the remaining Sri Lankans, Wanindu Hasaranga had another outstanding outing with the ball, that googly once again causing problems as he returned 1 for 41 from his 10 overs.

Isuru Udana was the only other bowler to take a wicket for Sri Lanka, but he conceded 76.

There were three run outs in the West Indies innings - a further indication of the improvement in Sri Lanka’s fielding in recent weeks.

SCORECARD

SRI LANKA A Fernando c Hope b Joseph 29 *D Karunaratne c & b Chase 44 +K Perera c wkp Hope b Pollard 44 K Mendis c Pollard b Joseph 55 A Mathews b Cottrell 12 D de Silva c Pollard b Joseph 51 T Perera c sub (R Powell) b Joseph 38 W Hasaranga b Holder 16 I Udana c Pollard b Holder 2 L Sandakan run out 0 N Pradeep not out 0 EXTRAS: (w 7, lb 9) 16 TOTAL: (all out, 50 overs) 307 Fall of wickets: 1-60 (Fernando), 2-88 (Karunaratne), 3-177 (K Perera), 4-185 (Mendis), 5-214 (Mathews), 6-278 (D de Silva), 7-293 (T Perera), 8-306 (Hasaranga), 9-306 (Sandakan), 10-307 (Udana).

Bowling: Cottrell 10-1-58-1, Holder 10-0-68-2, Joseph 10-0-65-4, Chase 10-0-51-1, Walsh 3-0-20-0, Pollard 7-0-36-1.

Nicholas Pooran has all the shots and a bright future © (AFP)

But Mathews had taken just enough pace off, and Kusal Mendis was standing at just the right

quota - the first time he’d done this since way back in July 2015. He took 4 for 59.

That West Indies even

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(2) Which SL scored most runs?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

lowed to survive - were dismissed by Mathews; then at the death, he claimed the wickets of Jason Holder and Allen as well.

Earlier, he had been the only batsman in Sri Lanka’s top seven not to make 25. And yet, he almost undoubtedly played the most definitive hand in this game.

It had been three good partnerships that propelled Sri Lanka to their imposing score, on what actually seemed a slower-than-normal Pallekele surface. First, Avishka Fernando and Dimuth Karunaratne made 60 to-

Indies’ spinners to bowl cheap overs.

Later, de Silva had a little luck while starting his innings, his mis-hits only just carrying above the outstretched hands of infielders, while edges skimmed past the keeper and brought him boundaries.

But he too made a half century, eventually settling into his graceful batting self - backing away and blasting Alzarri Joseph through the covers on one occasion, then reaching his fifty with a delightful aerial flick over square leg. He made 51 off 47.

WEST INDIES +S Hope c Mendis b Udana 72 S Ambris b Wanindu Hasaranga 60 N Pooran c sub (D Shanaka) b Mathews 50 *K Pollard c Udana b Mathews 49 D Bravo run out 8 J Holder c Mendis b Mathews 8 F Allen c Mendis b Mathews 37 H Walsh run out 2 R Chase run out 0 A Joseph not out 0 S Cottrell not out 1 EXTRAS: (b3, lb2, w9) 14 TOTAL: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 301 Fall of wickets: 1-111 (Ambris), 2-171 (Hope), 3-218 (Pooran), 4-240 (Bravo), 5-253 (Pollard), 6-275 (Holder), 7-287 (Walsh), 8-294 (Chase), 9-299 (Allen) Bowling: Pradeep 4.3-1-22-0, T Perera 7.3-0-54-0, Udana 100-76-1, Mathews 10-0-59-4, Sandakan 3-0-31-0, Hasaranga 10-0-41-1, D de Silva 5-0-13-0 RESULT: SRI LANKA WON BY SIX RUNS. SERIES: SRI LANKA WIN THREE-MATCH SERIES 3-0.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: ANGELO MATHEWS. MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: WANINDU HASARANGA.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 2, 2020

MILO schools Football tournament 2020

Tucville, New Central seal wins on day six THERE were wins for Golden Grove Secondary, Tucville and Bishops’ High as the Milo Schools Football tournament continued yesterday at the Ministry of Education Ground.

In the first game, St Johns College went down 2-3 to Golden Grove Secondary.

While it was St Johns who got the ball rolling thanks to Shem George in the 10th minute, Calvin Richmond was the star of the show with his hat-trick for the winners.

He equalized in the 26th min, before David Xavier re-

stored St Johns lead in the 38th.

Richmond would be savior again in the 52nd before giving his team the lead for the first time in the 67th, a lead that would hold till the final whistle.

In the second game, Bishops’ High were overrun by Tucville 0-3.

A brace from Simeon Benn (6th and 51st) coupled with Shawn Lewis’ 19th minute strike ensured that the win was a walk in the park.

New Central High, on the other hand, had some work in their 3-1 win over Queenstown.

Madrid beat Barcelona to head La Liga

Garfield Caesar opened the scoring for the New Central side in the 42nd before Jose Lawson brought the game back level in the 49th.

The back and forth strikes on goal continued well into the second half as New Central finally got past the spirited Queenstown defence.

Caesar then completed his hat-trick inside two minutes (61st and 62nd mins.)

Matches continue next weekend with the tournament also being sponsored by the Ministry of Public Health under its Stop Gender- Based Violence Campaign.

MotoGP opener cancelled over Coronavirus fears The opening race of the MotoGP season in Qatar on 8 March has been cancelled as a result of travel restrictions imposed on passengers from Italy because of coronavirus.

Six of the riders in MotoGP’s premier class are Italians and some teams are based in the country.

people have been infected with coronavirus - the vast majority in China’s Hubei province, where the outbreak originated in December. Italy is the worsthit country in Europe, with its death toll standing at 34 from around 1,700 confirmed cases.

Eleven towns in north-

symptoms as they came into the stadium before their win at Lecce on Sunday.

Atalanta fans were checked for coronavirus symptoms before they were allowed into the ground “The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has resulted in Qatar travel restrictions being brought into force

Vinicius Junior scored the opener in a second half where Real created several chances

(BBC) - Real Madrid beat Barcelona in a captivating El Clasico to move above their rivals at the top of La Liga.

Vinicius Junior drove in via a deflection in a second half packed with chances after Isco saw a shot saved and an effort cleared off the goalline.

Karim Benzema volleyed over for Real and substitute Martin Braithwaite went close for Barca moments before Vinicius sparked celebrations at the Bernabeu.

Substitute Mariano struck in added time as Real moved a point clear of Barca.

Mariano had not played a single minute in La Liga for Zinedine Zidane’s side this season until being brought off the bench in injury time

to seal a memorable win.

Los Blancos finished third last season - 19 points behind champions Barca but the tight nature of the title race this time around placed added significance on the fixture in the Spanish capital.

Zidane had said his side were in a “delicate moment” as a result of picking up one point from their last two league matches and having suffered a home defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League in midweek.

And Real’s task looked ominous given they had not beaten Barca in the league in their last seven attempts.

Quique Setien’s side also arrived having won four league games in a row at the Bernabeu but they will rue missed op-

portunities in the first half.

Antoine Griezmann fired over from a Jordi Alba cut-back, Arthur was denied by Thibaut Courtois after breaking through on goal and the Madrid keeper parried a Messi effort when the Barca talisman broke the offside trap.

Going into the break, Courtois had saved 30 of the last 36 shots he had faced in La Liga and his interventions were built upon as Zidane’s side carried more threat in the second period.

Isco curled an effort at the top corner to force a fine save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen before heading low past the keeper, only for Pique to intervene.

Karim Benzema could not end a five-game goal TURN TO PAGE 22

The Losail track in Qatar hosted MotoGP’s first night race in 2008

“Italy clearly plays a vital role in the championship and in the MotoGP class both on track and off - and therefore the decision has been taken to cancel premier class competition,” a statement said.

The Moto2 and Moto3 categories will still race next weekend as their teams and riders were already in Qatar for pre-season testing last week.

Globally, around 86,000

ern Italy at the centre of the outbreak - home to a total of 55,000 people - have been quarantined. Schools, universities and cinemas have been closed and several public events cancelled.

Several Serie A football matches were postponed this weekend, while fans from Atalanta - who are based in the northern Italian city of Bergamo, which has had deaths from the virus - were screened for

that affect passengers from Italy, amongst other countries,” MotoGP’s statement added.

“As of today [Sunday], all passengers arriving at Doha on direct flights from Italy, or having been in Italy in the past two weeks, will be taken straight to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days.”

The second round of the MotoGP season is scheduled to be held in Thailand on 22 March.

Angelo Mathews is a key figure for Sri Lanka © (AFP)

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26

Permaul on course to break personal record of most wickets in a 4-Day season ―22 wickets away from breaking season best haul of 67

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24

Matthews Heroics down West Indies

MILO schools Football tournament 2020

Tucville, New Central seal wins on day six

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27

Veerasammy Permaul

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Action between Bishops’ High and Tucville (Adrian Narine Photo)

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MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2020