Guyana Chronicle E-paper 6-10-2020

WEDNESDAY 10th June, 2020

'

‘No winner declared as yet’

No.106025

---Jagdeo admits more processes to follow

--- recount process still at stage 2

SEE PAGE 02

‘Don’t stray from your order’ …AG urges GECOM to honour its gazetted recount order --says PPP/C ‘s attempt to skip processes should be frowned on

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DPP appeals decision to free Bisram 16 Guyana records two 15 new cases of COVID-19 PAGE

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Family and guests attend the funeral service for George Floyd at The Fountain of Praise church Tuesday, June 9, 2020, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, Pool)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

‘No winner declared as yet’

---Jagdeo admits more processes to follow --- recount process still at stage 2 CELEBRATING victory at this stage of the national recount process is premature, and even the People’s Progressive Party/C Civic, which previously did such, has come to realise that the four stages of the process must be respected.

The recount shows the PPP/C in the lead by 15,416 votes but has unearthed massive irregularities and alleged cases of electoral fraud which the APNU+AFC estimates have compromised 90,000 votes. Nonetheless, on June 7, when the recount was completed and tabulation continued, a crowd of PPP/C supporters, egged on by their

leaders, celebrated victory.

On the other hand, the APNU+AFC, led by President David Granger, reminded that the Elections Commission was only now at Stage 2 of a four-stage process. Later acceding to same was Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, during a message on his Facebook page, on Tuesday, calling for persons to respect the GECOM Chair.

In concluding his remarks, he stated: “I, therefore, call on you to exercise restraint as we await CEO Lowenfield’s expeditious submission of a tabulation of the certified recount results from the ten electoral districts, together

with a summary of the observation reports for each district to the Commission.

The Commission will then meet and discuss this report consistent with its mandate, President David Granger Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo

and the final results should be declared in accordance with the Order, on or before the 16th of June.”

On previous occasions such as an address to the nation, President Granger had also urged the public to await the completion of the exercise. “I encourage everyone to await the completion of the four stages – the current recount, the reports of the Chief Elections Officer and the CARICOM observers, the review by the Elections Commission and the declarations of the final results by the Chairman of the Commission,” he had stated.

The above remarks from both leaders stand true to the Order which legally trig-

gered the recount. It outlines Stage 1 as the counting of the ballots and Stage 2 as the compilation of reports which must be handed over for review by the Commission.

At stage two --- where the process currently is --- Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield must submit a report of the recount no later than June 13.

The report will include a summary of the Observation Reports for each District. It is in these observation reports that the APNU+AFC, primarily, has highlighted over 6,000 cases which it believes are tied to electoral fraud.

These cases include: counterfoils and ballots carrying the same number; ballots for one region cast in another; ballots cast for the dead and persons who have migrated; persons voting without proper identification; persons voting outside of their districts without employment documents; large numbers of improperly stamped ballots at locations where disciplined services members voted; missing poll

books and documents from one polling station being found in the ballot boxes of another.

It is also expected that the three-member CARICOM Scrutinising Team will present a report on their observations, recommendations and conclusions to the Commission. When the said reports are received by the Commission, it will then proceed to Stage 3 which will see them deliberating on the reports and how they will be treated with.

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

Once the report is delib-

erated upon, Stage 4 should commence as the Commission will be in the position to know clearly whether the CEO should use the data to compile a final report for the declaration of the results by GECOM Chairperson, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh. The Elections Commission has had previous cause to remind the public and persons who address the media that it is the only body with the legal right to pronounce on general and regional elections in the country.

It has stated: “While the National Recount of the ballots cast in those elections is almost to an end, the Commission wishes to remind that the Guyana Elections Commission is the only Constitutional authority mandated to pronounce on the results of the elections. In this regard, the Commission is urging political parties, organizations, interest groups and other individuals to desist from pronouncing publicly on the results of the elections.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

‘Don’t stray from your order’ …AG urges GECOM to honour its gazetted recount order --says PPP/C's attempt to skip processes should be frowned on

IF the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is to deliver credible elections results to the nation, it must not stray from the binding Order, which outlines the actions it must take prior to making its final declaration.

Attorney General, Basil Williams, made it clear today that though the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has encouraged the disregard of the said Oder throughout the recount process, it is nonetheless incumbent that the commission meets the legal requirements gazetted on May 4, 2020.

The gazetted Order paved the way for the national recount to commence May 6, 2020 and under the watchful eyes of scrutineers drawn from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The AG reminded that it was an agreement forged between President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, that cleared the way for the national recount and that the said agreement --- with clear outlines in keeping with the law --- led to crafting of the Order.

It was signed by GECOM Chairperson, Justice (Ret’d)

Claudette Singh, and made by the Elections Commission, pursuant to its powers under Article 162 of the Constitution and Section 22 of the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act. However, Williams said that it is disappointing that the PPP/C and GECOM Opposition-nominated Commissioners have now chosen to disregard the very Oder they played key roles in crafting.

“The Leader of the Opposition was a signatory to the Caribbean Community initiative. PPP/C aligned Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, boasted that he drafted the Order, which now governs the recount. Gunraj visited the Attorney General’s Chambers with a GECOM delegation to meet with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel on the said Order and delayed the meeting saying he expected Anil Nandlall to attend. Any reasonable person could conclude that all these political actors knew the purpose of the Order that was gazetted

by GECOM to pursue the total recount of the votes cast at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections,” the Attorney General stated.

Contrariwise, he said at

the PPP/C has sought to undermine the CARICOM initiative in several ways, such as attempting to force the

time to complete the recount than 25 days, PPP/C-nominated commissioners later had no option but to agree to an

Attorney General, Basil Williams

elections process, inclusive of the recount process, into an April 30, 2020 deadline.

The AG noted that this was done to coincide with the constitutional requirement of a dissolved Parliament being convened not later than four months after its dissolution which the PPP/C itself has argued in the courts was not mandatory as one could exceed the said limit. Additionally, though previously politicising the position of others that GECOM needed more

extension of the timeline by some two weeks.

The AG also pointed out that the opposition claimed that GECOM cannot resolve the discrepancies and anomalies which marred the balloting despite the Order saying they could. He also noted that the opposition claimed that the recount was merely numerical despite the Order stating that both the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) and the commission have to assess the discrepancies revealed

in the Observation Report Forms.

On the matter of irregularities highlighted by APNU+AFC Agents during the recount, Williams said that further deception was pursued by the PPP/C when it claimed on countless occasions that GECOM could not consider the death certificates laid over as proof that persons voted in the place of deceased persons.

The party claimed that it was an offence for a member of the public to possess a death certificate of a deceased person. Back in May, the AG debunked this claim by pointing to the Law which states that every Guyanese has the right to access official documents in the possession of public authorities. “All of these abominations, when any lawyer worth his salt would know that, as a constitutional commission, the decision-making processes of GECOM would be of a quasi-judicial nature,” he told the newspaper on Tuesday.

Furthermore, he explained that Order No. 60 of 2020, made under Article 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution and Section 22 of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act No. 15 of

2000, is subsidiary legislation having being published in the Official Gazette and therefore a law of the land binding on GECOM and all political parties who contested the said GRE. He reminded that though the PPP/C has “publicly and prematurely” celebrated victory that they have won the elections, they are well aware that the recount process is takes up four stages: recount of ballots; the report of the recount; the review of the report by GECOM and the declaration of the results. The AG stated: “[The PPP/C is also] unconcerned that the CARICOM Scrutinising Team has to submit their report directly to the commission at stage three under paragraph 13. They also set their faces against the credibility assessment that is required to be done by the CEO, the chairwoman and the commission, that can impact the efficacy of the ballot recount. It is incumbent on GECOM to stay the course and be true to its Order and not be encouraged to turn its back on its own Order.”

ACDA: Recount results cannot be validated

THE African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) has pointed out that the national recount, riddled with irregularities, puts the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in the same position it was previously in when it could not make a final pronouncement on the elections due to a lack of transparency.

In a release to the media on Tuesday, ACDA stated that the high number of missing documents realised during the recount has brought into question the credibility of the elections and GECOM, holding the responsibility to conduct said elections, cannot declare results it cannot verify. “The Guyana Elections Commission has had valuable assets stolen from it that prevents it from using the information from the recount to pronounce differently on the elections than it did earlier,” ACDA stated, adding:

“The recent discoveries revealed that documents that can confirm the will of the Guyanese electors are missing from the official repositories of GECOM, clearly suggesting that the apparent illegality was committed at source with the intention to hide the misconduct. Unless those documents become available, ACDA takes the position that the information from the recount is less credible than the information provided from the first count.”

The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has argued that every election will produce margins of error and the ones discovered by the coalition are minimal. However, the APNU+AFC contends that there are “clearly linked” patterns amongst the irregularities which invalidated votes cast for the party. It is also steadfast in the position that fraudulent votes cannot be counted and that GECOM has the responsibility

to deliver credible results to the electorate.

The last recital of the Order provides that the conduct of the recount process is for the purpose of “…the reconciliation of the ballots issued with the ballots cast, destroyed, spoiled, stamped, and as deemed necessary, their counterfoils/ stubs; authenticity of the ballots and the

number of voters listed and crossed out as having voted; the number of votes cast without ID cards; the number of proxies issued and the number utilised; statistical anomalies; occurrences recorded in the Poll Book”.

ACDA has declared that it was the first organisation to support the decision of the President and the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, to have a recount of the votes and it also requested that the recount be done in chronological order in all 10 Districts.

ACDA said that it did so with the belief that the recount would help to accurately determine the results of the March 2, 2020 elections but the loss of “valuable data” highlighted during the recount exercise, makes it impossible for GECOM to ascertain, in totality, the will of the Guyanese people.

The Association maintained:

“It cannot be that the contents that should be in 41 boxes from polling stations on the East Coast of Demerara and many others from other areas of the country could randomly vanish into thin air. The stealing of such a large quantity of GECOM’s data seem to fit an intentional pattern of deception which was intended to alter the true will of the Guyanese electors. This also calls into question the validity of the votes in the affected areas and the credibility of the information emerging from the recount exercise.” It compared the severity of the loss to that of the loss of bank records and has since called on the commission to shun the information from the recount if it cannot validate all the results.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

George Floyd’s funeral hears calls for racial justice (BBC) The funeral for African American George Floyd, whose death in police custody caused global outrage, has heard impassioned pleas for racial justice.

Speakers in the church in Houston, Texas, lined up to remember a man whose “crime was that he was born black”.

Mr Floyd died in Minneapolis last month as a white police officer held a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes, his final moments filmed on phones.

Four police officers involved have been sacked and charged over his death.

His coffin has now been taken from the church and is being driven in a motorcade to the Houston Memorial Gardens where he will be buried beside his mother.

One of Mr Floyd’s nieces, Brooke Williams, called

for a change in laws which, she argued, were designed to disadvantage black people.

“Why must this system be corrupt and broken?” she asked “Laws were already put in place for the African-American system to fail. And these laws need to be changed. No more hate crimes, please! Someone said ‘Make America Great Again’ but when has America ever been great?”

Republican President Donald Trump’s Democratic opponent in the November presidential election, Joe Biden. addressed the service in a video message, saying: “When there is justice for George Floyd, we will truly be on our way to racial justice in America.”

Mr Biden has sharply criticised Mr Trump, accusing him at the weekend of making “despicable” speculative remarks about Mr Floyd.

But the Democratic politician was himself recently accused of taking black American votes for granted when he said African Americans “ain’t black” if they even considered voting for Mr Trump.

What did they say at the funeral?

The service was held at the Fountain of Praise church, attended by some 500

guests including politicians and celebrities.

“George Floyd was not expendable - this is why we’re here,” said Al Green, the local Democratic congressman. “His crime was that he was born black.”

Veteran civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton told the service: “All over the world I see grandchildren of slave masters tearing down slave masters’ statues.”

Pic saved as funeral Caption: Mourners wore “I can’t breathe” badges at the service

Talking about Mr Floyd’s difficult life, he said: “God took the rejected stone and made him the cornerstone of a movement that’s gonna change the whole wide world.”

In Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz called on people to honour the funeral by observing silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the time Mr Floyd was pinned to the ground before he died.

Mr Floyd’s coffin is being taken to a cemetery in Pearland, south of Houston.

For the last mile of the procession it will be conveyed in a horse-drawn carriage.

Barriers have been erected along the route to allow members of the public to pay their respects safely as the procession passes.

Mr Floyd will be buried in a private ceremony.

Memorial services were also held in Minneapolis and

North Carolina, where Mr Floyd was born.

What did Biden say about Floyd’s family?

After visiting the family on Monday, the Democratic candidate told CBS: “His little daughter was there, the one who said ‘daddy’s going to change the world’, and I think her daddy is going to change the world.”

“I think what happened here is one of the great inflection points in American history, for real, in terms of civil liberties, civil rights and just treating people with dignity.”

Floyd family spokesman Benjamin Crump, who tweeted a photo of the meeting said Mr Floyd’s relatives welcomed Mr Biden’s comments.

“That compassion meant the world to this grieving family,” he added.

Burundi President, Pierre Nkurunziza, dies of ‘cardiac arrest’ at 55

WED. June 10, 2020 - 09:00hrs ~10:30hrs

(BBC) Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza, aged 55, has died after suffering a cardiac arrest, the government says.

He was admitted to hospital on Saturday after feeling unwell, his condition improved but on Monday he had a cardiac arrest and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, officials say.

After 15 years in power, Mr Nkurunziza was due to step down in August.

In 2015, the announcement that he would run for a third term plunged the country into chaos.

Reaction to his death: BBC Africa Live It sparked anger as some questioned the legality of a

third-term bid.

There was a failed coup attempt, hundreds of people died in clashes and tens of thousands fled the country.

After a change in the constitution, he was able to run for a further term in last month’s election but he decided to retire and was to be known as the “supreme guide to patriotism”.

He was also due to receive a $540,000 (£440,000) retirement pay-out and a luxury villa.

Pierre Nkurunziza was loved and feared in equal measure - loved by those who felt he lived up to his promises when he was elected after the civil war, and feared by his political opponents.

When the former rebel

leader took office in 2005, at the age of 40, the country that had been brutally torn apart by an ethnic conflict that had killed about 300,000 over a decade.

Young, optimistic and charismatic, he managed to live up to everyone’s expectations by uniting people and rebuilding the economy. Between 2006 and 2011, the president - known for his preaching and love of football - received seven international awards for his peace-building efforts.

But after a decade in power, his reputation took a nose dive and the unity he had built collapsed when he organised a referendum to allow him to stand for a third term. Deadly protests erupted, there was a coup attempt and hundreds of thousands of people fled the country.

After this he only left the country officially once - by car to neighbouring Tanzania. The UN accused him of oppressing the opposition and killing and abducting opponents, accusations vehemently denied by

Burundi’s government.

Despite suspicions that he planned to stay on for a fourth term, he did not stand in elections in May, which were held despite coronavirus.

He and his wife Denise, who had five children together and adopted several others, regularly organised prayer gatherings - and the man who was to become Burundi’s “supreme guide to patriotism” put all his successes down to God, including what he said the country’s success against Covid-19.

What happened to the president?

The official statement announcing the president’s death said he was taken ill in the evening after helping out at a volleyball match in Ngozi, northern Burundi, on Saturday.

He went to hospital, but appeared to be recovering on Sunday and was able to communicate with the people surrounding him, the government says.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

GPSU vows to bolster 23-year-old race relations committee …says much more needed to promote racial harmony in Guyana

Cognizant of the fact that Guyana remains a racially divided nation, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), in its quest to foster racial harmony, will be enhancing the work of its Race Relations Committee as it celebrates its 23rd Anniversary today.

As in the case of any other Elections in Guyana, the 2020 General and Regional Election has resulted in a highly racially charged environment, but GPSU, through its Race Relations Committee, has been joining forces to promote racial harmony.

“There is still much work to be done to promote racial harmony, acceptance and tolerance among the wider society and to remove the scourge of racial and xenophobic intolerance and prejudices from the mindset of many individuals in Guyana,” GPSU said in a statement on Tuesday.

It pointed out that the utterances of certain politicians, during the General and Regional Elections 2020 campaign, contributed to the widespread tension and protests, including unwarranted attacks on staff of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). “Urgent actions need to be taken to defuse, where necessary any likely racial prejudices,” it posited, while challenging Guyanese to do better.

“The GPSU urges the general public to desist from engaging in any conduct that would be disruptive or harmful to anyone. No good can come from tearing apart our neighborhoods and de-

stroying our communities.

It is time for us to open our minds, shed our biases and engage in constructive dialogue and productive actions that benefit all of us as a nation. Let us remember that while we may be of different races and may have different stories we are humans, “One People” created equal under God!,” GPSU urged.

Today marks 23 years since the GPSU’s Race Relations Committee was formally launched, to address, largely many of the issues the country still faces.

Its formation received international commendation from Sir Herman Ouseley, Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, London, United Kingdom; Bro. Han Engelberts, General Secretary, Public Services International, Ferney, France; and Bro. Joseph Pollydore, General Secretary, Guyana Trades Union Congress among others.

“The genesis of this action was premised on the change of the Government of Guyana with Elections held on 5th November 1992, which was a concomitant change as a result of a ground swell of poor ethnic relations in communities. Additionally, within the public service of Guyana it was obvious that the incoming government lacked confidence without merit, in the holders of many public service offices, who were predominantly of different ethnicities to the presumed racial support base of the then elected government.

Actions taken by the new

pledge of the Government to establish an Ethnic Relations Commission and to address the scourge of racism nationally, this committee never functioned,” it said.

It, however, admitted that its first attempt to include race relations in its rules had shortcomings. Years later, a steering committee was appointed by the President of the GPSU with the mandate to prepare a strategic plan and submit recommendations to address and improve race relations within the union and the Public Service.

The Steering Committee commenced work on November 30, 1996 and December 26, 1996, it submitted a Concept Paper to the Executive Council and an agenda for the period January - June 1997, which concluded with the launching of this committee.

At the launching of this committee the President of the Union, Patrick Yarde, acknowledged that the citizenry was thrown together by historic occurrences which compels them to coexist with each other. He had said that, in effect, the relationship was a marriage with no provisions for divorce.

Admitting that there was no blue-print to deal with racism, Yarde said the Union took the commonsense approach in addressing the unavoidable environment in which workers lived and operate. In attendance, the Late Mrs. Janet Jagan, Prime Minister of Guyana addressed the gathering and endorsed the efforts of the Union.

“The GPSU is proud of

President of GPSU, Patrick Yarde

government were extremely glaring and unsubstantiated both in the national public service and in the Guyana Diplomatic Missions based overseas,” the GPSU recalled as it walked down memory lane.

It said the posture of the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government resulted in serious conflict with the Union, which at the time, had challenged the Government’s campaign of ethnic cleansing.

“Most glaring was the action taken at the Customs and Excise Department when over 90 percent of the most senior staff members, including the then Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Clarence Chue and his Deputy, Mr. Harold Bahadur were instructed to

go on indefinite leave in November 1992, in a most highhanded and irregular manner,” it recalled.

At the time, it was flooded with numerous complaints, prompting it to look at racism in a more holistic manner. It noted that the approach to dealing with this problem changed from an individualist approach that was being used on a case by case basis to a general assessment of the root cause of the problem and path forward.

“It was decided that the course of action to be taken was to amend the rules of the Union to incorporate the race relations mission as one of its functions with clearly defined objectives. The Union was forced to take this route because notwithstanding the

GuySuCo seeks gov't bailout The Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) is facing the prospect of closure having exhausted its finances, Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), disclosed on Tuesday. The ailing sugar corporation is desperately in need of financial support from the Government.

In a letter to President David Granger on May 15, close to a month ago, Chair-

man of GuySuCo’s Board of Directors, John Dow said the sugar corporation was in a “dire financial crisis” with billions in debt, and insufficient finances to execute critical factory maintenance.

“Despite improvements in the productivity of cane, GuySuCo’s sugar production for the last two crops has fallen short of expectations and the current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems

experienced in meeting the 1st Crop 2020 production targets…As a result of the cash generated from operations cannot meet the outgoings particularly when external funding has been difficult to obtain,” Down said as he painted a vivid picture of the financial challenges facing the Sugar Industry.

At the time of the letter, GuySuCo was only able to offset labour and fuel ex-

penses. The corporation’s Financial Department had estimated that it would be out of cash by this week (the second week of June).

“Cash will not be available to meet any outgoings for spares and materials for the mid-year Out-of-Crop maintenance of our factories. This inability to purchase spares and materials is likely to result in factory performance in the 2nd Crop 2020 being adverse-

its efforts to maintain good and enlightened race relations at the leadership level, the membership level, the staff level, the community level, and at agencies throughout Guyana. However, observations and concerns made then at the launching of the Committee on June 9th, 1997, 23 years ago, are all still significantly relevant today,” it acknowledged.

Since the launching of the committee, the Union’s Rules were further amended to extend the mandate of the Committee to deal with Equality and Human Rights.

Its Executive Council has not only enhanced the work of its Race Relations Committee in its current Strategic Plan and Programme of Activities but has identified it as one of the top priorities of the Union. The only aspect now being looked at is the redefining and streamlining of the Union’s programme in engaging members in this new environment of COVID-19 and the requirements of social and physical distancing. This is being done in compliance with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Four-Pillar Policy Framework on the Revised Decent Work Agenda, taking into consideration this new development.

…facing closure as finances dry up

ly affected with increased factory downtime, reduced sucrose extraction at the milling plant and low sugar and molasses production,” the Board Chair informed the Head of State.

Further to that, he disclosed that there was a backlog of G$2.1B owed to creditors. Due to the corporation’s inability to pay creditors on time, many of its experienced contractors have become unwill-

ing to tender for GuySuCo projectors, and creditors have been demanding large upfront payments before supplying goods. However, given its financial woes, it is unlikely, Dow said, that the creditors will grant further credit.

“If some of the crucial creditors are paid, GuySuCo would be out of cast before the 2nd week of June,” he noted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Solving crime

E

VIDENCE has shown that crime has its genesis in the society, and its growth and pattern need to be addressed not only through applying crime-solving methods, but also by putting in place preventive measures which take on board a scientific approach in gathering and analysing data.

It is within this context that our approach to crime and crime-fighting can engender positive results. and societal development.

Crime speaks to a violation of the laws.

Equally, crime cannot be fought by committing crimes, and this is why it becomes important to recognise that the upholding of laws is hinged upon crime-fighting and development. When a nation accepts crime as destructive, regardless of the socio-economic and political standing of the perpetrators, and is prepared to treat all equally before the law, it creates the desire to put systems in place to address crime in an holistic manner.

White-collar crime, while having similar debilitating effects as blue-collar crime on

development, is being given less attention.

This lends itself to a scenario where the privileged and connected may be allowed to get away with illegal activities in full view of the system, the operators of which turn a blind eye or are similarly compromised. Equally, if systems are not put in place to minimise and deter blue-collar crime, it lends itself to the perception that this is the result of a failure by the system and communities to address the welfare of the less privileged and unconnected, i.e., the ordinary man and woman.

One of the most effective tools of crime-fighting is using information or intelligence gathered from those accused in a scientific manner, not only in crime-solving but also to plan and project crime avoidance.

And to this end, it may be opportune for this nation to look at an education programme in criminology, and appointment of criminologists, whose role it is to focus on the study of crimes and their causes, effects, and social impact. In the 21st Century, crime-fighting has become more sophisticated and holistic;

it is not seen as separate from the society. It also requires an effective national development strategy, which will tackle social ills such as poverty, hunger, education deficiency, unemployment and under-employment, respect for human life and the environment, graft and corruption, upholding of the rule of law, international conventions, charters and declarations.

And where efforts at tackling blue-collar crime are seen as necessary only through military hardware, such efforts ought to be reviewed. Evidence has shown that such an approach, in the absence of intervening factors such as human rights, employment/ unemployment rate, school dropouts, recreational facilities and incentive/attractiveness for the get-rich-quick syndrome, which is built on criminality, never aids in addressing the cause. Also needed to be factored in is that blue-collar crime will seem acceptable to perpetrators, where it is seen or felt that the privileged and connected are allowed to engage in acts of criminal conduct with

impunity.

Making crime-solving and avoidance/ prevention part of a nation’s developmental strategy is possible when all are held to the same standards, and play by the same rules. In this environment, it helps, too, to recognise that modern-day crime-fighting techniques do not see killing as acceptable or a first choice. And where death has occurred, the Coroner’s Act, Chapter 144 sets out procedures as to how this ought to be dealt with. For years, this law has been observed in the breach, and only for a chosen few, in spite of its being universal. It is the equal responsibility of the alleged criminal, law enforcer, privileged and connected, and the ordinary man and woman to abide by the law, and be held accountable under the law. Effective and efficient crime-fighting is hinged on these stated factors, and the nation has to work to ensure that said factors form part of the daily occurrence in the management of the State.

Guyana needs to get the winner-loser knee off its neck Dear Editor,

D

ESPITE the evident triumphalism of the PPP/C and its supporters, the only real news emerging from the recount exercise is that the 2020 elections were riddled with irregularities, which, in effect, amounts to fraud. As I have long speculated, the votes in the boxes are severely compromised by a widespread and systematic manipulation of an electoral system that easily allowed for such interference. And the culprits are on both sides of the political divide.

For the good of Guyana, that fact must be established and acknowledged by GECOM, the various stakeholders, and the Guyanese people.

This letter is not to argue whether numbers should trump system, or whether systemic manipulation must meet a certain

threshold in order to become fraud. I think we have passed that point. Suffice to say that any awarding of the election to either the APNU+AFC or the PPP/C would be tantamount to putting the official stamp on electoral fraud. That would, by any measure, be a travesty of formal democracy, but, above all, it would represent a travesty of natural and social justice. And both sides would be justified in feeling cheated.

Guyana is a stubborn country; its people are often put in the position of having to place the political dagger to the proverbial throat of the “other”, and call that act by another name. It is a state of affairs that takes root, and skews the collective minds in dangerous directions, so, we play with danger with little care for the consequences. As is now happening in real-time, we look only for validation of our respective narratives; the “other” ceases to exist as real, living,

and legitimate.

Nevertheless, history persists in breaching the walls of that unreason by offering another path. One such path is for GECOM to use the results of the recount to spark a quest for a new order to Guyana, at least in the short-term. Should GECOM annul the election for want of credibility, it could open up a whole new chapter for our beleaguered country. More than two months ago, I floated the idea of annulling the election, and putting in place an interim government, with the express task of overhauling the electoral and governance systems to bring them in line with the crying demands of the country. I was attacked by the “ethnic democrats” and their cohorts in “civil society” as being a madman who wanted to deny the PPP/C its victory and to violate the votes of Guyanese.

Now two months later that very proposal has emerged as a credible alternative to the

chaos that is likely to emerge from awarding the election to one of the parties and its camp. In our embrace of the carnival of domination we often do not see commonsense even when it spits in our faces. As it was on the morning of March 3, the fairest decision GECOM should arrive at is the annulling of the election, which then opens the way for an interim power-sharing government for a stipulated period of no more than two years, with the task of doing what I suggested above.

The problem is that the PPP/C, which has already declared itself the winner, is unlikely to embrace such an outcome. We have to deal with that when we get to that point. In the spirit of the times, Guyana deserves to breathe, but to do so, it must get the winner-loser knee off its neck.

Regards, David Hinds

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

7

The answer lies with us and those in authority Dear Mr. Editor,

I

N Monday’s edition of the Stabroek News (8/6/2020), Ms. Denise Murray showed in a short missive that she is knowledgeable in an aspect of the Guyanese reality, which, in my opinion, has not been adequately promoted as necessary for our development as a people/nation.

However, I am aware of the fears in her questioning what hand would be dealt the Independent progressives.

Would they be cultivated or exorcised?

A look into history would find examples of how different authorities have dealt with such Independent Progressives, and the jury, in my view, is still out on how to treat such persons (not group), in order to maximise

on the benefits they conceive for all. From a macroscopic position, there are cases where independent and progressive leaders coalesced and continue to do so, for the betterment of the world. On the other hand, we have had clashes between such leaders, each not seeing beyond his/her immediate (flawed) frames of reference.

There is no doubt that President Obama is truly an independent progressive, as far as American presidents go. Likewise, the former Libyan leader, Col Muammar al-Gaddafi should be considered an independent progressive. Yet, they did not see eye-to-eye.

Within Southern Africa, the same can be said of former President Robert Mugabe and his nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai. The same can be said also about the relationship between

President Cyril Ramaphosa and EFF leader, Julius Malema.

The scenarios outlined beg the question: Does their independence of thought somehow cloud the needs for working together? Though this, of necessity, is not always a fair question, for it is the one with power that generally makes the decision of whether they can coexist or not. We have the classic case of Dr. Fidel Castro and Ché Guevara. Where they agreed that Ché should simply export Communism, supported by Fidel. Guyana is in no position to internationalise the Cooperative Philosophy, so that model would not work for us. Mr. Ori, referenced by Ms. Murray, focused on finding the independent progressives, while Ms. Murray wanted to

know what we’ll do when they are found.

I say we should harness their energies; channel it to the benefit of all. A difficult task, since they are independent, and pride themselves on that seeming independence of thought\s and actions. But, guess what?

The Chinese did it, albeit in a massive country, where it is easier to not walk on people’s toes. However, the idea/ingredient of allowing others to bloom while working towards the same goal was the key. A song popularised by the Guyana National Service’s Culture Corp asks, Can we do it? The answer lies with us and those in authority.

Regards, Elton McRae

Doing what is right as required Dear Editor,

I

T is evident that the CARICOM Mission’s observation on the entire recount process of the March 02 national and regional elections in Guyana will be a most key determinant as to how these elections were really held.

To further understand their role in this most significant political occurrence at this seminal juncture of the nation’s history, one must be reminded of the significant description, given by the Community’s ambassador to the Organisation of American States(OAS), that the three-person validating team is “THE MOST LEGITIMATE INTERLOCUTORS” in the recount process.

One certainly interprets this to mean that its requested presence, of course supported by the entire Community, gives it pre-eminence; and that it stands tall above every other foreign presence. It is the HEART AND BACKBONE OF THE RECOUNT PROCESS. Therefore, we understand that its importance and role in the final determination of the question of the validity of the Recount of the March 02 votes is no mere coincidence, but a solemn undertaking

which will also place the moral credibility of the Caribbean Community and all that it represents on trial.

One is not here seeking to advise, in any way, how the Team must conduct its work; however, it will be remiss of me not to remind the group of a few things.

First, it is fully aware of the interference of external players, in all guises, in alliance with internal elements, in our internal affairs in a manner that has caused more harm than good. It would also be aware that those forces, have sought to exert pressures, for a certain desirable outcome, via a consistent attack on our sovereignty, most of all on the Executive, and on the electoral commission - GECOM. Second, it is these elements of external intrusion, of which the CARICOM group must be wary, and not fall prey to its variable pressures.

For it must remember, that in its current mission and undertaking, that its first responsibility must be to the people of Guyana, who will have to live with the consequences of whatever decision(s) it has made. And in underlining this fact, this group needs not be reminded that its morality must be about truth, which it must satisfy. This means

applying this requirement to the actual manifestation of what has been endemic in all of the electoral districts, as originating from the ballot boxes. It must not, in any way seek to gloss over, or obfuscate, the very troubling and alarming findings which it would have been encountering on each day of its presence at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) work-stations.

Thirdly, in carrying out this function, the CARICOM Mission is hereby reminded that its pronouncement must only satisfy ITS REASONS FOR BEING HERE: TO VALIDATE THE RECOUNT PROCESS, IN TERMS OF ITS CREDIBILITY ON THE BALLOTS CAST -HOW THIS HAD BEEN DONE. THIS, IT MUST PRONOUNCE ON IN AN OBJECTIVE AND IMPARTIAL MANNER, AND NOT TO THE WHIMS AND FANCIES OF ANY EXTERNAL POWER(S).

Its findings, if done in the spirit and letter of their mandate in the proper required manner, can benefit this country and eventually CARICOM in multiple ways.

Regards, Carlotta Mendonca

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

This post-election period must not see us further frustrated I

Dear Editor,

N human history, when mistakes are made, we all look forward to opportunities, first to learn lessons and second to avoid making similar mis-steps in the future.

I write this letter the day after the results of the recount have been published, but what does the recount and subsequent action mean for Guyana?

The 2020 elections have exposed again the sad, sorry state of our national estate.

In an effort to have this condition examined a letter was sent to the leadership of the main political parties and published in sections of the media, January 2019.

In that letter, I proposed the immediate establishment of a National-Front Government, and made a number of suggestions, including a severe code

of conduct for all leaders.

Let us be reminded that in the mid-fifties, our two national leaders (Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham) sought to create a new society as a result of the Waddington Constitution.

At that time, our workers were united across social and ethnic barriers where there was no racial tension, no greed or personal ambition.

They also sought to create a new Guyana man. This was during the height of the Cold War, and a treacherous world.

The powerful leaders did not believe that a country of less than a million people deserved to go beyond the boundary of neocolonialism. The rest is history.

The two main political parties (PNC AND PPP) tinkered with the noble objective of unity. We saw the civic component, the reform, and

now the second Coalition in our modern political history.

None of these have brought us nearer to the goal of our dream of One People, One Nation, One Destiny.

This is a good time for us to work to realise the Burnham-Jagan dream; that is, the creation of a strong United Citizenship.

Let it be known that as the Cold War was winding down, Dr. Cheddi B. Jagan and Forbes Burnham accepted that unless they could find a mechanism for working together, our people would stumble.

The late Elvin Mc David was the principal go-between for these quiet Burnham-Jagan talks.

I was part of this quiet effort, and state without fear of contradiction that the two leaders were anxious to set aside differences and return to the 1953 situation, with the

grouping (Burnham-Jagan) would lead Guyana to glory.

After Burnham’s demise, I made an effort to restart this initiative and rekindle the flames of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.

One evening, Dr. Joey Jagan brought his father, Cheddi, to my home in Lodge for a social chat. I had hoped to use the occasion to resume talks.

Unfortunately, Desmond Hoyte, unaware of the earlier talks, was hostile to the idea of PPP-PNC talks.

This, I regard as a tragedy.

The 2020 Elections results exposes the fact that in spite of the rhetoric with Afro, Indo-Guyanese relationships, three generations on, the rending of our social fabric has not seen much repair.

An examination of the ballot boxes from certain areas tells us that much change has not taken place, in so far as our

voting pattern is concerned.

If, for whatever reason, we cannot recover from the earlier Apan Jaat crusade, then we must bring as a matter of urgency, our history of race relations since the end of slavery and the introduction of immigrants, allowing our people to see what can unite us as against what can divide us.

This education should begin from the cradle.

We must therefore forge boldly and systematically to deal with our racial ethnic demographics and come to an arrangement that affectively caters for this reality.

Many of us feel duty bound to avoid any form of pessimism, but evidence is now crystal clear. We are a divided nation.

Future governance, if it is to be successful must take account of the above situation.

Long before any other elections are held our Leaders must be prevailed upon to sit and in a civilized manner and talk things through.

Mr. Editor, this is a position I have taken for four decades.

In the late 1950’s, a group led by Eusi Kwayana out of the desperation to find a feasible forward step, even discussed the possibility of some form of partition.

This post-election period must not see us further frustrated but pursuing every opportunity for educating our young people of Guyana about our social and political history, which itself will remove the veil of bigotry and ignorance and allow us to march forward triumphantly.

Regards, Hamilton Green

DRO Jaisingh’s claim is likely an attempt to frame Mingo and cover electoral fraud Dear Editor,

A

S a citizen of Guyana watching the progress of our

2020 elections I am deeply concerned about the misinformation permeating our society, threatening the body politic of our

nation but more specifically the credibility and outcome of our 2020 elections.

Our nation has witnessed attack upon attack on the

credibility of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), and the Chairperson of GECOM who until now has had an unblemished and distinguished professional and character record.

Prior to the 2020 elections, I also recall no such attacks on the Secretariat and Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of GECOM as we hear now. The PPP/C and their various support team members, including sections of the media, however, want us to believe the credibility of GECOM has been destroyed by Mr. Clairmont Mingo. He has once again become the “fall guy” who is responsible for the PPP/C areas in the lower East Coast Demerara producing 41 ballot boxes without statutory documentation, and evidence circulating to this effect is allegedly implicating his clerk.

I know neither of these two individuals (Mr. Mingo nor Ms. Duncan), but I see where the possibility exists how they are being framed and used as scapegoats to take the blame for the dastardly acts of possible electoral fraud committed by others . This impacts not

only these two individual,s but also the credibility and efficiency of GECOM, whilst providing shelter for those who know exactly why the documentations are missing, and where they can be located. The racial connotations behind their being targeted are also noted.

But that requires a separate review.

I refer to an article published by Kaieteur News dated 6th May 2020 and captioned, “Mingo had instructed POs to leave documents out of ballot boxes”. Said article states, “The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is in possession of the missing statutory documents from Region Four ballot boxes on the East Coast of Demerara, documents that were ‘missing’ because Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo had passed instructions that they be left out of the boxes since Elections night.”

The above is premised on a statement made by Deputy Returning Officer (DRO) from Chateau Margot Primary, Paul Jaisingh, who, in a letter to GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, explained the “instructions from Miss.

Carlyn Duncan (Clerk to

the Returning Officer Mr. Clairmont Mingo-District # 4)”. Said email by DRO Paul Jaisingh triggered a widely-circulated article on social media. A telephone conversation purportedly supplied evidence of the conversation held.

Take note of this conversation below, as I submit, DRO JaiSingh’s claim is likely an attempt to frame Mingo and cover electoral fraud: I submit if the evidence circulating about Mr. Mingo and Ms. Duncan is true , then so is the evidence submitted in this letter to prove there was a conversation as recent as today (June 9th 2020) between Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan.

They are alive and squabbling over these elections. Technology can make most things possible and believable. As was the case of the letter with Justice Claudette Singh’s signature. It can also be used to generate official emails copied to others. We have to be on the alert in this information/technology age and not be gullible.

Regards, Debra Archer

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Jagdeo now tells supporters not to attack GECOM chair

AFTER months of verbal abuse, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has now called on his supporters to stop attacking the character of the chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh.

Both Jagdeo’s party and his supporters had been brutally critical of Justice Singh and have often referred to her in derogatory terms. Besides, Justice Singh had received death threats and other attacks from unknown elements. However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, Jagdeo said: “I’ve noticed very harsh comments by supporters of the APNU+AFC and PPP/C directed at the Chairperson of GECOM, Justice Claudette Singh. I wish to urge our supporters and well-wishers to refrain from ad hominem attacks against Justice Singh.”

He added that the last few months have been a difficult period where the Chair has had to contend with key elements within the Secretariat and the three APNU+AFC Commissioners, who are

bent on undermining every effort aimed at producing a

entire process is testimony to her commitment to ensuring

President David Granger on January 11, 2017 presented to Justice Claudette Singh, her Commission of Appointment as Senior Counsel

credible result which reflects the will of the electorate.

“The recount could not have been completed without her leadership and steadfastness.

The fact that she was present at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre throughout the

its completion in keeping with the undertaking that she had given to the court,” Jagdeo noted. According to him, when he and President David Granger I appointed Justice Singh “we did so with knowledge of her personal

Consumer body concerned about non-compliant water vendors THE Department of Consumer Affairs of Ministry of Business has noted with deep concern, a number of water processors and resellers of five-gallon water who are not in compliance with the established requirements.

Many Guyanese rely on drinking water from manufacturers and distributors who are expected to be validly licensed and oftentimes buy portions of drinking water by five-gallon water bottles.

Just recently, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) caught water company, Arctic Waters, filling its 10,000-gallon capacity truck with water from a fire hydrant, for sale to its customers.

The said act amounts to tampering and is punishable by law. Members of the public were outraged by the act and questioned the business’ integrity and that of others.

In a public notice on Tuesday, the Department of

and professional integrity.”

“I, therefore, call on you

Consumer Affairs said that a number of water processors and resellers of five-gallon water are not in compliance with the requirements of the Government Analyst – Food and Drug Department (GAFFD), for water processors and distributors.

The department therefore advises consumers that manufacturers and distributors must have a valid licence, issued by the GA-FFD and Drug Department of the Ministry of Public Health, prior to being in operation.

This is an indicator of their compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices

(GMP’s) and the said licence must be prominently displayed for consumers to see.

The Department of Consumer Affairs also reminded that all bottles used must be properly cleaned, sanitised, labelled and sealed. Personal bottles should also be sanitised regularly. Meanwhile, no funnel should be used to transfer water to bottles prior to sale and/or distribution.

Consumers are also advised to report any company or individual who fails to comply with the GA-FFD requirements as it relates to the sale of treated water to the general public.

to exercise restraint as we await CEO Lowenfield’s

expeditious submission of a tabulation of the certified recount results from the 10 electoral districts together with a summary of the observation reports for each district to the commission.

The commission will then meet and discuss this report consistent with its mandate, and the final results should be declared in accordance with the Order, on or before the June 16,” Jagdeo said.

President David Granger has been consistent in urging respect for Justice Singh and in almost all of his statements related to the elections, he has called upon Guyanese to respect GECOM’s independence and its chair. In his latest statement last Saturday, President Granger said thusly: “I applaud the diligence and persistence of the Chairman of the Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh, who continues to perform her duties under

the Constitution admirably.

She demonstrated her respect for the rulings of the court and has facilitated CARICOM’s observation role in the recount process in order to assure everyone of the credibility of the elections.

I encourage everyone to respect the Chairman of the Elections Commission and the commissioners, and to desist from scurrility, vulgarity and character assassination. The commission must be allowed to perform its functions in accordance with the Constitution. I encourage everyone to await the completion of the four stages–the current recount, the reports of the Chief Elections Officer and the CARICOM observers, the review by the Elections Commission and the declaration of the final results by the Chairman of the Commission.”

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Ministry of Education launches distance learning survey

THE Ministry of Education (MOE) has launched a ‘Teachers Survey’ to better understand how teachers feel during the pandemic and what can be done to support them moving forward.

The survey comes as hundreds of teachers nationwide returned to primary and secondary schools from June 8, 2020 but the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) resisted the MOE’s Order by calling on teachers to stay away from schools.

The push and pull comes amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the scheduled Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) exams. The learners are expected to write these exams in July 2020 as decided both by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) and the MOE. In its survey, apart from the basic information of the

teacher’s gender, age, teaching level and region, the questionnaire gathers information on their distance learning experience.

It questions whether they have been personally facilitating distance learning with their students since the pandemic and whether they have done so through platforms such as Zoom, Google Classroom, WhatsApp and Facebook; both digital and non-digital platforms or only non-digital tools such as books and work sheets picked up by families.

The survey asks the teachers to average how much experience they personally had with e-learning prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

Information on the attendance, participation and engagement of students is also being collected. If a teacher takes attendance for distance learning classes, it seeks to determine whether this was done if students log on, completes assignments,

communicates or any other criteria.

It also hopes to determine the average percentage of participation and a comparison of assignment completion rates of in-classroom and distance learning.

The survey also collects data on the difference in time now spent on academic instruction through distance learning, grading, professional development, collaborative planning with colleagues, reaching out to students, reaching out to parents/ guardians and social-emotional support for students.

Teachers participating are also asked to state whether they chose to focus their distance learning programme on teaching new content as planned before the pandemic; reinforcing old content and/ or addressing learning gaps or a combination of the two.

It asks them to average about how many of their students have access to a computer, tablet or smart phone to use for school work when

they need it; a quiet place to study and/or attend virtual class; how many of them have age-appropriate skills to successfully navigate technology for distance learning; the challenges learners experience in accessing remote learning modalities and the challenges they have experi-

enced in moving instruction from the classroom to online.

The MOE is hopeful that the COVID-19 curve will flatten in Guyana by September 2020 and then it will consider the changes needed to the academic year.

Chief Education Officer (CEO), Ingrid Trotman,

had stated at the MOE’s recent public and media engagement, that the ministry would be conducting a diagnostic assessment to determine the existing learning gaps as result of the closure of schools and how it should go about addressing them.

‘Goldfields’ begins planned ‘care and maintenance’ phase at AGM GUYANA Goldfields Inc., operator of the Aurora Gold Mines (AGM) here in Guyana, on Tuesday announced in a press release that mining of Phase 4 at Rory's Knoll open pit and satellite pits has now been completed.

“As per our previously announced plan, we will continue to process stockpiles

until approximately the end of June, and thereafter the mine site will go into care and maintenance,” the company said.

The company said that the phased reduction of activity and employees is well under way and is expected to be completed over the course of the coming weeks.

“Full-time security pres-

ence will be maintained at site, along with adequate crews to maintain the site, including environmental monitoring and compliance.

Infrastructure such as camp, water supply, power supply and other systems will remain operational at a reduced level,” the company said.

ERC distances self from Roshan Khan’s comments on recount THE Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has distanced itself from remarks made by one of its Commissioners, Haji Dr. Roshan Khan on June 8, 2020 who spoke on the recount process as birthing “very credible” results.

Khan had invited himself to the media tent set up outside the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where the national recount was held, and claimed that he was

“instructed” to say what he did on behalf of the ERC. It’s a claim that the ERC has since refuted, by way of a release issued on Tuesday saying: “The Commission would like to categorically state that the views expressed by Commissioner Khan at that forum were solely his, and not that of the ERC. Even as the Commission awaits the official declaration of the results by the Guyana Elections Commission,

citizens are urged to exude patience, calm and respect for each other.”

The Commission sought to remind the public that throughout the recount process, it has only been awarded observer status, and that assertions on the elections are best lefty to GECOM. The ERC said in conclusion that it looks forward to working with all Guyanese for the greater good of the nation.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

11

Experts say China’s white paper on COVID-19 fight of global scientific value BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Many overseas observers have agreed that the white paper “Fighting COVID-19: China in Action”, released on Sunday by China’s State Council Information Office, is of global scientific value for countries to learn from China’s experience in fighting the epidemic.

The Chinese government released the white paper to keep a record of the country’s own efforts to fight the virus, to share its experience with the rest of the world, and to clarify its ideas on the global battle, according to the white paper.

Lee Hee-ok, director of the Sungkyun Institute of China Studies at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, said that after the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese government’s effective governance and strong anti-epidemic measures enabled China to contain the novel coronavirus rapidly.

Noting that China adopted an assistance method of pairing 16 cities in Hubei

Province that have been hardest hit by COVID-19 with a Chinese province or municipality, Lee said such an approach has established a robust mutual aid network for epidemic prevention and control.

Besides, the timely opening of makeshift hospitals has made it possible to treat COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms quickly and on a large scale, which has played an important role in blocking the early spread of infectious diseases, Lee added.

From Jan. 24 to March 8, China rallied 346 national medical teams, consisting of 42,600 medical workers and more than 900 public health professionals to the immediate aid of Hubei and the city of Wuhan, said the white paper.

Ronnie Lins, director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business, said he was impressed by the fact that medical personnel across China travelled to Wuhan to fight the epidemic, adding that only concerted action by the whole society could

effectively prevent and control the epidemic.

The white paper also said China has exploited the pioneering role of science and technology and fully applied the results of scientific and technical innovation in its fight against COVID-19.

In its battle against the novel coronavirus, China has always adhered to a scientific attitude and used high-tech means such as big data and artificial intelligence, Lins said.

China’s white paper on the country’s battle against COVID-19 is an invaluable scientific and medical resource, said Alfredo Bruno, head of the National Reference Center of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses at Ecuador’s National Institute for Public Health Research.

“From the beginning, China strove to swiftly detect the virus and genetically sequence it,” Bruno said, noting China’s National Genomics Data Center posted that information on a global genome data bank.

“That allowed every country to be able

Hong Kong citizens able to better exercise freedoms under national security legislation

BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that new national security legislation will enable Hong Kong citizens to better exercise their legal rights and freedoms in a secure environment.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks in her rebuttal to the assertions of western politicians who oppose the legislation, including U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Hua told a press briefing that, with the return of Hong Kong to China and the completion of follow-up matters, all UK-related provisions in the Sino-British Joint Declaration have already been implemented.

“The legal basis for implementing ‘one country, two systems,’ including for the Hong Kong-related national security legislation, is China’s Constitution and the Basic Law, not the Sino-British Joint Declaration,” Hua said.

Targeting four categories of acts, namely secession, subversion of state power, organizing and committing acts of terrorism, and foreign and external interference in the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), and a very small number of people whose behaviors gravely jeopardize national security, the national security legislation will not impact the

rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents, and will only contribute to the better exercising of their legal rights and freedoms in a secure environment, Hua said.

“Therefore, there is no need whatsoever for foreign investors and the law-abiding Hong Kong residents to worry,” the spokesperson said.

A survey by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce showed that 61 percent of the respondents believe the law will have either a positive or no impact at all on their businesses over the long term, and the Hang Seng Index gained ground for five days in a row, according to Hua. “These are all votes of

by Hong Kong residents, but the “freedom” to do everything they want to sabotage China’s national security, Hua said.

Hua stressed that the Hong Kong-related national security legislation aims to plug the loopholes in national security for the Hong Kong SAR and the whole

to develop the diagnostic tools that in turn allowed them to rapidly detect the novel coronavirus, in contrast to other epidemics,” the expert said.

On international cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the white paper said China calls for building a global community of health for all.

Countries should support each other and join hands to contain the spread of the virus, and protect the health and wellbeing of people across the globe, said the white paper.

Bruno praised China’s donations to many countries impacted by the pandemic as having “been of great help.”

He said he “completely agree(s)” with China’s call for greater global cooperation to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The only way we can tackle it is for all of us to unite regardless of political beliefs and social conditions,” said Bruno.

Top political advisory body to hold standing committee meeting

BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee will hold a meeting from June 22 to 24 in Beijing.

The decision was made on Monday at a meeting held by the Chairperson’s Council of the CPPCC National Committee, which was presided over by Wang Yang, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

Wang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed that the practice of formalities for formalities’ sake should be done away with in future meetings and research trips.

In addition, he called for furthering the role of a mobile platform for political advisors to perform their duties, facilitating the implementation of their suggestions.

Monday’s meeting also heard reports on the third session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee and approved the draft agenda and schedule for the upcoming standing committee meeting.

No ethnic group should be left behind in China’s poverty eradication: Xi

Hua said around 3 million Hong Kong residents expressed their support for national security legislation in signature campaigns, and wellknown foreign companies like HSBC, Jardine Matheson, Swire Group and Standard Chartered have voiced their support for the legislation.

confidence in the national security legislation for the Hong Kong SAR and the prospect of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle,” Hua said.

The reason why some U.S. politicians have uttered opposition to the legislation is that what they care about is not the freedom enjoyed

China.

“Those who don’t intend to engage in secessionist, subversive and terrorist activities do not need to worry or overreact at all,” Hua said, adding that China firmly opposes any foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs.

YINCHUAN, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday said all ethnic groups are part of the big family of the Chinese nation and no ethnic group should be left behind in the country’s fight against poverty, in its building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and in its drive toward modernization.

Xi made the remarks when he talked with residents on the square of the Jinhuayuan community in the city of Wuzhong during his inspection in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The community is home to more than 13,000 permanent residents, nearly half of whom are of ethnic minority groups.

It represents the fine tradition of the Chinese nation and the great strength of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics to enable people of all ethnic groups to walk hand in hand into a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Xi said.

“With the continuous efforts of the Party and the government as well as the tireless endeavors of the people, the days ahead will surely be better and happier,” he added.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

More than 150,000 seafarers trapped on board ships due to COVID-19 ―ILO says seafarers should be treated as ‘key workers’ and safely return home

GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has called for urgent and coordinated action to release the 150,000 to 200,000 seafarers trapped on board ships around the world because of measures to contain the COVID-19 virus.

The ILO has urged governments, immigration, health and maritime au-

thorities to work together to recognize seafarers as ‘key workers’ who ensure the flow of trade and the movement of vital medical supplies, safety equipment, food and other critical goods during the pandemic.

Referring to the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 , the ILO has called on governments to adopt without delay all possible measures

to facilitate crew changes and the repatriation of seafarers, while taking steps to minimize the risk of contagion.

More than a month after the ILO issued warnings , at the end of April, about the plight of seafarers refused permission to leave their ships, limited progress has been achieved and, according to the ILO, the situation is worsening by the day.

Many of those on board completed their tours of duty more than four months ago but with contracts extended exceptionally because of the crisis, many are now reported to be experiencing mental health issues and physical exhaustion, which is reducing their ability to safely carry out their duties.

Meanwhile, the restrictions on crew changes, brought in by countries to reduce the spread of COVID-19, have meant that seafarers waiting to return to sea have lost their income.

“I urge member States to recognize seafarers as “key workers” and adopt the urgently-needed measures that will enable those who have been working

hard to keep us supplied with medicines, food and other necessities, to go home and be replaced by fresh crews,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.

“Forcing exhausted seafarers to continue working more than four months beyond the end of their contract is unacceptable. This jeopardizes their health and endangers maritime safety.

Action is needed now to ensure decent work for seafarers, avoid maritime accidents and environmental disasters. We call on governments to work together to make these crew changes happen in safety.”

The call for key worker status for seafarers was underlined in a joint statement issued on 22 May by the International Civil Avia-

tion Organization (ICAO), International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the ILO. This would exempt crew from travel restrictions and facilitate their joining or leaving ships.

The International Chamber of Shipping, the International Trade Union Confederation and the International Transport Workers’ Federation called attention to the urgency of the situation in a letter to the United Nation Secretary General, António Guterres on 21 May. They highlighted the risks to the mental and physical health of crews trapped on board and expressed concerns about the most vulnerable potentially resorting to self-harm and even suicide.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

‘GECOM must probe fraud claims’ -Henry Jeffrey rubbishes contention that allegations could only be ventilated via elections petition

POLITICAL Analyst, Dr. Henry Jeffrey, said the allegations of electoral fraud, which surfaced during the national recount, ought to be thoroughly investigated by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) ahead of the declaration of the results of the General and Regional Elections, as he dismissed the contention that those allegations could only be ventilated in the High Court via an elections petition.

The national recount, which commenced on May 6, has unearthed a wide range of irregularities and alleged cases of electoral fraud, which, according to the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), have compromised approximately 90,000 votes. These irregularities include the discovery of 41 ballot boxes void of statutorily-required documents and missing certificates of employment, official lists of electors, oaths of identity, poll books, unused ballots and counterfoils. There were also cases in which the oaths of identity were unsigned and ballots, unstamped and partially stamped, resulting in them being deemed rejected. Added to that, the APNU+AFC has cited more than 3,000 cases, in which, it alleged that unscrupulous people voted in the place of the dead or persons who were out of the jurisdiction on March 2 when the General and Regional Elections were held in Guyana.

“Whether or not this has taken place is not a matter for speculation, but can be and must be sufficiently verified factually. If a factual investigation finds that not only one or 10 or even 100 migrants and/or dead person ‘voted’ in the elections, but hundreds and over 1,000 did and that this did not happen in one or two regions but in every region of the country, what are we to conclude? For me, the problem is not merely numerical; it is structural and suggests that some corrupt actor has been systematically attempting to influence the outcome of the 2020 elections,” Dr. Jeffrey said on June 3 in his weekly column – Future Notes, under the title – “When the winner becomes a loser.”

In a discourse on Monday, during a programme called ‘Periscope on Politics’ aired on News-Talk Radio Guyana 103.1 FM, Dr. Jef-

frey iterated that these irregularities and alleged cases of electoral fraud cannot be simply brushed aside.

“Allegations are being made, and once they are being made, they must be properly investigated, and the outcome factored into the final decision,” Dr. Jeffrey said.

While the APNU+AFC has been urging GECOM to investigate these irregularities, many of which surfaced in the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) strongholds, the PPP/C and its allies have been up in arms against any investigation by the Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh-led Elections Commission, on the basis that Article 163 of the Constitution gives the High Court exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate on matters of electoral fraud. On the flip side, the APNU+AFC has argued that Article 162 (1) (b) gives wide powers to the Elections Commission to ensure an impartial and fair electoral process.

“I don’t buy that these complaints have to be left to some sort of elections petition,” Dr. Jeffrey said, while adding, “I think it would be illogical and I would say stupid.”

“Hear what you are saying must happen – the persons who are being accused of stealing must be given the instrument – the government in other words - to prevent the investigations from happening. We have seen it happen; we have seen it happen before where up to now the petition that the PPP left has not occurred,” the political analyst said.

But while PPP/C Executive Member, Anil Nandlall, has said that the Elections Commission not only lacks the constitutional powers to facilitate an investigation but the capacity to do, Dr. Jeffrey, who forms part of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), said the Elections Commission call upon instruments of the State for assistance. “…Whether or not these things happen, whether or not they happen, can be proven and must be proven satisfactorily, to the satisfaction of the Commission and its Chairman,” he emphasised.

BLOATED LIST With a number of electoral safeguards in place, sections of society have argued that it was impossible for persons to vote in the

Political Analyst, Dr. Henry Jeffrey

place of the deceased and or electorates who were out of the jurisdiction on Elections Day, but Dr. Jeffrey posited that the Official List of Electors is undoubtedly bloated, and has created a breeding ground for electoral fraud to take place, for which both of the major political parties have used it to their advantage.

Long ahead of the no-confidence motion, the APNU+AFC had championed the cause for GECOM to facilitate house-to-house registration, so as to generate a new National Register of Registrants Database (NRRD), from which the Official List of Electors could be extracted, and though GECOM, in 2019, moved the initiate the process, under the leadership of Justice James Patterson, the PPP/C, in objection, moved to the High Court to block the move.

GECOM, under the chairmanship of Justice Singh – later took a decision to discontinue the exercise and merge the data from the house-to-house registration with the National Register of Registrants Database.

The outcome – a list with more than 600,000 electors, notwithstanding the fact that Guyana’s population is 750,000.

“Why do you want to stop that from happening?

Well, we have the result here…You went to elections with an extremely bloated electoral list, and now, you are hearing from the other side that dead people have voted, thousands of people abroad have voted,” the political analyst reasoned.

Maintaining a long held position, Dr. Jeffrey contended that both of the major political parties have used the “bloated” List of Electors to their benefit as part of a “culture of rigging” the elections, so as to attain a majority in the National Assembly.

In his column – ‘When the winner becomes a loser’ – Dr. Jeffrey submitted that

the conspiratorial system, which has for far too long undermined and devalued the votes of the electorate, has now been broken down.

“Justice demands that given this opportunity, GECOM must do all it can to destroy this conspiratorial network that it has been bequeathed by the very conspirators who have refused to create a more democratic framework or at the minimum a clean electoral list! It appears to me

absurd to conceive of doing otherwise and propagandistic comments about what the law is will not suffice. What is lawful is for courts to determine and the objecting parties can go immediately to court and present their case,” he said.

In light of the situation that currently faces the GECOM, Dr. Jeffrey, in his discourse with NewsTalk Radio Guyana, said had he been the Chair of

the Elections Commission, and there was a clear case of electoral fraud, he would have taken a “radical” decision to force the political parties to work together under the chairmanship for the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards. Under such a circumstance, he suggested that the List of Electors should be “cleaned,” and elections be held after 18 months.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Coalition shuns certification of Reg 4 results …maintains polls were manipulated, fraudulent

THE A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) party, on Tuesday, shunned the certification of the Region Four results, as it continues to maintain that the elections were manipulated.

On Tuesday, the signing of the certification for the Region Four district occurred at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, which is officially the final step of the first phase of the recount, and the party was not represented by way of signature.

APNU+AFC agent, Juretha Fernandes, told the media outside the centre, on Tuesday, that the party is looking for what the order states and that is credible results.

Fernandes also pointed out that the observation report has the power to turn things around.

"I think the observation report has cast more than a shadow of doubt on the process. The process from day one, when we went into the very first box, we have been seeing numerous anomalies and it has been coming to front. It's up to the CAR-

ICOM team right now and the CEO to send that report through to the Commission," she said.

Adding to her comment, another APNU+AFC agent, Daniel Seeram, said that there is still an ongoing investigation for the series of boxes which do not have statutory documents in them.

There is also evidence that will substantiate investigations that dead and migrated people have voted, he said.

However, other political leaders and party members are of the view that what the recount numbers are reflecting now will be the ultimate outcome. In fact, they believe that the observation reports will have no effect whatsoever on the final results.

Expressing these sentiments was PPP/C agent Dr Frank Anthony, who said "In my view, no, the reports will not cast a shadow of doubt on the current numbers because the order that was issued was very clear and therefore we look forward to the next step where the CEO will prepare his report and present that to GECOM

APNU+AFC agents, Daniel Seeram and Juretha Fernandes

and GECOM will then do a declaration."

Sase Gunraj a GECOM commissioner representing the PPP said he too believes that the observation report has no impact on the process. He said that they are awaiting the summary of the 10 certificates and the observation reports and it is anticipated that, in a matter of days, the report will be ready to proceed to review and declaration. Meanwhile, Presidential Candidate of the Liberty and Justice Party, Lennox Shuman has already

been making plans for the joint party's one seat in the National Assembly. "We have been discussing how we could take that seat and hold the new incoming administration accountable. We have to ensure that the administration who sits there is held in account for the people and we can never go down this path again," Shuman said.

He also said that there is a lot of cooperation among the smaller parties to decide how they are going to use the seat.

LJP candidate, Lennox Shuman showing off the signed Region Four certificate

PPP/C’s contempt case against Mingo set for Thursday CLOSE to three months after it was shelved, the contempt matter in the case Reeaz Holladar v.

Returning Officer for Region 4 Clairmont Mingo

and others, will be heard

by Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 11:00hrs, via Zoom.

The contempt-of-court

matter, which will be heard in the High Court, was filed by the late Reeaz Holladar, a private citizen, over the alleged failure of the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer to adhere to the orders handed down by the High Court on March 11, 2020.

The Chief Justice had ruled that the declaration of votes made by said Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo on March 5 was unlawful, on the grounds that there was substantial non-compliance with Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People Act when the Statements of Poll (SOPs) for District 4 (as Region Four is called for elections purposes) were tabulated. She then ordered that the verification process, which was interrupted, be resumed or restarted, and that the SOPs be tabulated and projected in the presence of persons entitled to be there under the law.

When the contempt matter came up in the High Court for the first time on March 13, it was alleged that while the tabulation process was recommenced on March 12, the Returning Officer had re-

Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo

sorted to the use of a spreadsheet for the tabulation of the votes in the reported absence of the SOPs, a move which resulted in major objections from agents attached to some political parties. The disagreement later resulted in the tabulation process being suspended for the day, and Holladar moving to file Contempt of Court proceedings on behalf of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

But in the RO’s defence, Attorney-at-Law Robin Hunte and Senior Counsel Neil Boston told the Chief Justice that their client was adhering to the orders of the High Court, despite attempts by some to derail the process.

But in responding to a series of questions posed by Justice George-Wiltshire, Boston explained that the Returning Officer had placed the contents of the SOPs and the

polling station number on a screen for the duly-appointed candidates and observers to view.

The Chief Justice had then made it clear that the Returning Officer must produce the SOPs during the tabulation process.

While noting that it was not for the representatives of the various political parties and observers to disrupt the process by raising concerns after concerns, Justice George-Wilshire had said that they were entitled to view the SOPs, in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03. A second declaration by the Region Four Returning Officer was made on March 13, 2020.

In a separate court case later that month, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, while acknowledging that the initial declaration made by Mingo was set aside by Chief Justice, said during the final tabulation exercise, SOPs were used at all material times.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Guyana records two new cases of COVID-19

---two persons recover, active cases down to 59 IT is evident that Guyana is not “out of the woods” when it comes to the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), as the country recorded two new cases of the disease within the past 24 hours.

Director of Primary Health Services, Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton, said the new cases were found after health authorities tested 38 persons between Monday and Tuesday.

To date, the total number of persons tested is 1,854 with the total number of negative cases being 1,698 and 156 positive cases.

Of the total number of cases, 86 persons have recovered and 12 persons have died, but there are 59 active cases, of which 58 are in institutional isolation and one person is in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“I wish to turn the spotlight on the Caribbean. As you are aware, most of the Caribbean countries managed to limit the transmission of COVID-19 in their country, with Guyana, Jamaica and Haiti being among the only countries that continued

to report new cases.

“Bravo to Barbados and Trinidad who have reported no new cases in 14 and seven days respectively and Antigua that has not reported any new cases in 35 days,” said Dr. Hamilton in a virtual COVID-19 update, on Tuesday.

Those countries should serve as encouragement for Guyanese, who still choose to flout the control measures and act callously, by not doing their part in fighting the disease.

“I wish to underscore and remind our fellow Guyanese to be cognisant of the contributory factors leading to the decline in the number of reported cases - chysical distancing, Cough and sneeze etiquette, handwashing and most importantly staying at home. Let’s prioritise them so that Guyana, too, can begin to see no new cases,” Dr. Hamilton advised.

She further advised persons to utilise testing facilities and hospitals, once they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or if they were in contact with someone who was infected.

Health authorities here continue to work towards strengthening the healthcare system to respond to COVID-19 on a long-term basis. The potential and existing activities are part of a plan to have a comprehensive COVID-19 health network, whereby patients across the country’s 10 administrative regions will be able to access these services.

Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) remains the epicentre of the disease, and there are a number of communities outside of Georgetown which have recorded cases.

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

Health authorities are also placing emphasis on the four hinterland regions, especially now that three of

GTA to launch Tourism Recovery Action Committee

THE Department of Tourism in the Ministry of Business, in collaboration with the Guyana Tourism Authority, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana and the Small Business Bureau, will be jointly convening a multi-agency Tourism Recovery Action Committee (TRAC).

The establishment of TRAC is driven by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Almost all tourism destinations have experienced almost total shutdowns of the industry. In Guyana, after a solid performance in 2019, the tourism industry is expecting a period of negative growth in 2020, largely attributable to the suppression of travel resulting from the measures in place to contain the spread COVID-19. In light of the place that tourism has recently been recognised to occupy in the Guyana economy - as the number two foreign exchange earner – recovery should be a

matter of national priority.

Tourism recovery is integral to national recovery.

The mission of this committee will be to propose research-based solutions and define viable strategies for the tourism sector in Guyana through a process of multi-agency and multi-stakeholder collaboration aimed at accelerating recovery from the adverse economic and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the next 12 months, the committee will be focusing its work upon a wide range of impact areas as it seeks to nurture the tourism sector back to full recovery and will be assisted by a number of specialists, advisory sub-committees. These advisory subcommittees will be exploring and proposing solutions in areas such as safety and sanitation, strategic marketing, tech-innovation, international partnerships, finance and resource mobilisation, communications management, ports and frontiers, product resilience,

research and data collection.

By means of a sustained engagement with local and international stakeholders, the committee hopes to tap into a wide pool of best practices and recovery intelligence in order to jumpstart tourism businesses in Guyana safely, and in phases. In this effort, there will be participation by the public sector, private sector, community, municipal and regional entities, and international organisations. With the Minister of Business having direct oversight responsibility for TRAC, its secretariat will be the Department of Tourism in South Road.

The Central Committee of TRAC (comprising the Department of Tourism, the Guyana Tourism Authority, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana and the Small Business Bureau) is expected to hold its first meeting this week in order to plan the immediate lines of action to be pursued.

Director of Primary Health Services, Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton

them have recorded cases of COVID-19.

NEED FOR SURVEILLANCE The need for surveil-

lance in those regions is also important, because Guyana’s South American neighbour, Brazil, is now rated as the COVID-19 epicentre of the Americas.

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

“Residents of Region Seven, with the new cases in Venezuela, and the upsurge in your region, your vulnerability is increased. We are calling on the Toshaos and other authorities to ensure that residents do not cross borders, and that persons from those other countries are not entering your community. Community mem-

bers must report any migrant entering your community and anyone who has signs and symptoms, and immediately bring this to the attention of the health authorities,” Dr. Boyle advised.

As is evident, COVID-19 remains a serious issue, not just here in Guyana, but globally as well; and, according to global statistics, there are over 6.9 million cases of COVID-19, with over 400,000 deaths. And, with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease.

In the absence of approved medications, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventive measures to contain the spread of the disease.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

DPP appeals decision to free Bisram

ONE week after High Court Judge, Simone Morris-Ramlall, had ruled that the incarceration of Guyanese-American businessman, Marcus Bisram, was unlawful and ordered that he be released from prison, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Senior Counsel (SC) Shalimar AliHack, has filed an appeal with the Full Court against that judgment.

Bisram stands accused of killing 26-year-old carpenter, Faiyaz Narinedatt, in November 2016, and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) had ordered that he be committed to stand trial at the High Court. However, his lawyers moved to the High Court with an application challenging the decision of the DPP. Bisram’s team of attorneys comprised Arudranauth Gossai, Sanjeev Datadin, Glen Hanoman, Bernard

DaSliva, and Dexter Todd.

On June 1, 2020, Justice Morris-Ramlall granted a total of eight orders which led to the release of Bisram. The first order granted by the trial judge was for the quashing of the decision of the DPP made on or about March, 30, 2020, directing Magistrate Renita Singh to re-open the preliminary inquiry into the charge against Bisram, with a view of committing him for the said charge on the ground that the decision of the DPP was unreasonable, unlawful, and made by ignoring relevant considerations and ultra vires.

The second, was an order of certiorari for the quashing the decision of the DPP made on or about April 3, 2020, directing Magistrate Renita Singh to commit Bisram for trial in the High Court for the offence of murder, on the ground that the said decision

was unreasonable, unlawful, and made by ignoring relevant considerations and ultra vires. “An order of certiorari be and is hereby granted quashing the decision of the said Magistrate made on or about April 6, 2020 at the

to stand trial in the High Court for the offence of mur-

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Senior Counsel (SC) Shalimar Ali-Hack DEAD: Faiyaz Narinedatt Guyanese-American businessman, Marcus Bisram

Whim Magistrates’ Court, committing Marcus Bisram

der,” one of the orders read.

Additionally, the judge granted an order which prohibited the DPP from proffering an indictment in the High Court charging Marcus Bisram with the offence of murder. Justice Morris-Ramlall also ordered that the March 30, 2020 arrest of Bisram was unlawful, along with his incarceration since March 30, 2020.

Finally, the judge ordered the respondents to release Bisram from custody forthwith. Following the judge’s

order, Bisram walked out of the Camp Street Prison, on Tuesday, April 2, 2020, after the final documents were signed. His attorneys also contended that they will soon be filing a lawsuit against the respondents for the unlawful arrest and imprisonment of their client. However, dissatisfied with the judge’s ruling, the DPP has moved to the Full Court to have it overturned. A date is yet to be set for the court hearing and Bisram remains free.

During trial at the Magistrate’s Court, Magistrate Singh had initially freed Bisram after she found that the evidence given by the

star witness for the prosecution was “unreliable” under cross examination. However, DPP ordered the magistrate to commit Bisram to the High Court to stand trial for the indictment. Bisram was accused of orchestrating the murder of Narinedatt, a twenty-seven-year-old father of two, who was killed on November 01, 2016. Narinedatt’s body was found around 03:30 hours on Tuesday, November 01, 2016, on the Number 70 Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice.

His death was initially reported to be the result of a hit-and-run accident.

It was later reported that Bisram allegedly made sexual advances to Narinedatt, who objected to the advances. Bisram was initially charged here in absentia, while five others: Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, Harri Paul Parsram, and Niran Yacoob have also been committed to stand trial for the murder of Narinedatt.

Bisram, who holds dual citizenship, was extradited from the United State of America on November 21, 2019. He was charged with murder hours after his extradition and placed on remand at the Camp Street Prison.

FROM PAGE

GuySuCo seeks govt’ ...

He noted that the GuySuCo’s business plan calls for investments in critical equipment and infrastructure works to secure the future of the Corporation, however, these cannot be sourced from cash generated from operations. “To date, GuySuCo has expended G$9.639B from the NICIL/SPU Bond...

Recent interaction (GuySuCo/NICIL/SPU) indicates that little or no further funds are likely from this source in the near future,” Dow told the President.

Providing a background, Dow pointed to the fact that the condition of three Estates – Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt – in 2015 was such that considerable sums of money were required to fix the deteriorated infrastructure in the field, such as brides, dams and revetment. Some equipment in both field and factory required replacement. “Considerable sums were, and still are, required as a result of the neglect to provide routine capital required for many years prior to 2015. This lack of Capital investment was well documents in the 2015 report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Sugar Industry,” the Board Chair reminded.

It was noted too that the

plan for GuySuCo in 2017 consequent to the laying of the State Paper in Parliament was premised on the 4,650 acres of commercial land being sold and the funds being made available for the rehabilitation of infrastructural and the necessary capital for factor and agricultural equipment. And though the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) of NICIL successfully secured a Bond of G$30B, only G$17B has reportedly been raised to date. “It must be noted that GuySuCo was not consulted nor agreed to this Bond that was raised by NICIL for the stated purpose ‘To fund long-term projects and capital expenditure.’

Dow told the President that notwithstanding the purpose of the Bond, the proceeds from the sale of commercial lands were not remitted to the Corporation and apart from sales income, the Bond has been the only source of funding for the Industry’s priority programme.

“GuySuCo has, since January 2019, been urging NICIL/SPU to change the purpose (“caveats”) of the Bond to be in line with our requirements. To date, NICIL/SPU has been unwilling or unable to get this done,” Dow complained.

5

He added: “The Bondholders, without a change of caveats, have apparently been insisting that no further disbursements be made from the Bond as GuySuCo’s request do not fit the stated purpose on which the bond was raised.”

Further, he disclosed that NICIL/SPU has been in the business of selling the corporation’s assets from the closed Estates – scrap iron, tractors, and punts among others, and though, GuySuCo has requested to be granted first refusal on the sale of those assets, it has not been afforded the opportunity. Added to that, the corporation has not received any accounting of the sale of its assets, though requests were made.

To compound the situation, GuySuCo did not receive a subvention in 2019.

Due to the No Confidence Motion, which was moved against the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Administration in December, 2018, there was no National Budget approved for 2020. At the time of the motion, the budget for 2019 had already pass.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

UG appoints first female Vice-Chancellor PROFESSOR Paloma Mohamed-Martin, PhD, A.A., has been named Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG), becoming the first female to hold the post in the 57-year-history of the University.

The University of Guyana’s Council, on Tuesday, made the announcement, noting that the yearlong search for the institution’s 11th Vice-Chancellor has Newly appointed Vice Chancellor ended. “The Council of the University of Guyana, Prowarmly congratu- fessor Paloma Mohamed-Martin lates and wishes her a productive and sucin 2013 and also served as cessful tenure,” UG said.

Chair of The University’s The Council also extended its sincere appreci- 50th Anniversary Comation to all applicants and mittee.

Before her new appointshort-listed candidates, and ment, she served as Deputy to the Search Committee Vice Chancellor– PACE, a and Teams of Evaluators new role which focused on for their months of diligent further expansion of UG’s service.

P r o f e s s o r M o - role as the leading tertiahamed-Martin brings a ry academic institution in wealth of experience to the Guyana. The role focused on fundraising at UG, while post.

She is a former student engaging with the universiof the University of Guy- ty’s alumni bodies across ana, Harvard University, the globe.

Professor Moand the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. hamed-Martin succeeds Her area of specialization Professor Ivelaw Griffith is social and behavioral who withdrew his request, change, specifically how in 2019, to renew his concommunicative and cultural tract, which ended June 14, aspects of life are implicat- 2019. ed in change.

Subsequently, a transitional management team, A c c o r d i n g t o U G ’ s which included Professor P A C E ( p h i l a n t h r o p y , Mohamed-Martin, has been Alumni and Civic Engage- running the university. ment) forum, she returned The team, which was to Guyana in 2007 from duly approved by the Unistudies overseas to help versity Council, was chaired re-establish the failing by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Centre for Communication for Academic Engagement, Studies (CCS) at the Uni- Professor Michael Scott; versity of Guyana, and, de- with Deputy Vice-Chanspite major challenges, she cellor for Philanthropy, remained passionately com- Alumni and Civic Engagemitted to UG’s progress ment, Professor Paloma in becoming a top ranking Mohamed, serving as the University. In doing so, she Deputy Chair; and Regishas functioned in multiple trar, Dr Nigel Gravesande roles: as a world class aca- serving as Secretary to the demic, researcher, beloved Management Committee. and inspirational teacher, During the months leadas well as a dedicated and ing to Professor Griffith’s courageous administrator. exit from Turkeyen, a storm Serving as an adminbrew over the renewal of istrator, Dr. Paloma had been Dean of the Faculty of his contract. Both the UniSocial Sciences, where she versity of Guyana Senior spearheaded the Faculty’s Staff Association (UGSreformation process from SA) and the University of Guyana Workers Union 2012 to 2014.

According to PACE, (UGWU) had advocated prior to that, she became for the removal of Prothe first Director of the fessor Griffith, alleging CCS, having created and that he was wasteful and run the Centre’s reform poured money everywhere, from 2007 to 2012 under except into developing the the USAID-funded Phoe- teaching space, under his nix project with Ohio Uni- leadership.

A call was also made versity and UNESCO. Dr. Paloma Mohamed became for an overhaul of the a member of the Univer- institution’s senior adminsity of Guyana’s Council istration.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

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Sammy questions possible racism during SRH stint (ESPNCRICINFO) Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy has questioned possible references to the colour of his skin while he was part of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) dressing room in IPL 2013 and 2014.

He said he wasn’t aware at the time of the racist connotation of the word used, and has asked his former team-mates to clear the air on it.

In a video post on Instagram on Monday, Sammy spoke of some of his team-mates calling him a “degrading” name. In an earlier Instagram Story, on June 7, he had said the word used was kalu, a Hindi word with a colour connotation.

In Monday’s post, Sammy said he initially thought the word meant something “uplifting” or “funny” as it often caused “laughter in the moment”.

Now that he knows the meaning, though, Sammy said he wanted his former team-mates - whom he did not name - to reach out to him and tell him if they had meant it in “any way, shape or form” that was degrading, and if so to apologise.

Sammy said the word had been used for both himself and Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera.

In his case, Sammy said, team-mates “called me that word over and over again to the point that I was even saying ‘that’s my name’”.

He said he thought it meant “strong stallion”, but he came to know of the real meaning when listening to a show by US-based comedian Hasan Minhaj.

“I was listening to Hasan Minhaj talking about how some of the people in his culture view or describe black people,” Sammy said in his Instagram post. “Now that doesn’t apply to everybody, but I say this because of something I experienced.

(Previously, on the Instagram Stories post on June 7) I said I was angry after listening to him describing a word that they use to describe black people, which he was saying is not in a good way and it was degrading. Instantly I remembered when I played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in

2013 and 2014, I was being called the exact same word that he described.

“I will be messaging those people - you guys know who you are. I must admit, at the time in which I was being called that, I did not know what it meant.

I thought it meant strong stallion or whatever it is, and I saw no problems with it because I was ignorant to the fact of what it meant; I thought it meant something else, something uplifting.

“But, every time I was called it - it was me and Thisara Perera - there was always laughter in the moment. Me being a team man, I thought, hey, teammates are happy, it must be something funny. You can understand my frustration and my anger when it was pointed out to me that it wasn’t funny at all, it was degrading.

“So, I’m going to be texting you guys, and asking you guys, when you repeatedly called me that word over and over again to the point that I was even saying that’s my name, did you all mean it in any way, shape or form as a degrading word to me.

“I’ve had great memories in all the dressing rooms I’ve been in, as a T20 player, as a leader in a dressing room, as a captain, I’ve always been one to build up a relationship or build up a team, not bring it down. So, all those who used to call me that, you guys know yourselves, some of you have my numbers, you have me on Instagram, on Twitter, wherever.

U TQ

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“Reach out to me, let’s have a conversation. Because, if it was in any way, shape or form what Minhaj said it meant, I’m very disappointed, and I’ll still be angry, and deserve an apology from you guys, because I saw all of you guys as my brothers.

“So, talk to me, reach out to me, please clear the air.”

Sammy had played for Sunrisers in both 2013 and 2014, even captaining them in 2014. Perera had played for Sunrisers in 2013.

The Sunrisers franchise has been asked for a comment.

However, ESPNcricinfo understands that the franchise is unlikely to make any comment as Sammy did not report the matter at the time and also he has not pointed fingers at the franchise.

ESPNcricinfo has also asked the BCCI for a comment.

Sammy had also spoken out against racism last week, in the wake of the custodial killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white policeman in Minneapolis. Floyd died in Minneapolis on May 25 after the police officer held him down with his knee on his neck for over eight minutes while he was handcuffed.

The incident, captured on video, has sparked angry protests across the globe, with several cricketers speaking out as well.

Sammy was among the very first active cricketers to publicly speak out after Floyd’s killing.

Monday, June 08, 2020

COMPLIMENTS OF THE XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LT -83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: (1) Kiran More-(23 dismissals: 13 catches/10 stumpings) (2) Jeff Dujon (47 dismissals: 33 catches/14 catches)

TODAY’S QUIZ: (1) How many players have now captained India in ODIs? (2) How many persons have now led the WI in ODIs?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

ICC approves use of COVID-19 substitute

(ESPNCRICINFO) - The ICC has decided to allow substitutes only in Test cricket if a player shows symptoms of COVID-19, and has also introduced a system of issuing two warnings per innings, followed by a five-run penalty for repeated use of saliva on the ball.

Those decisions were approved by the ICC’s Chief Executive Committee (CEC) based on the recommendations made recently by the ICC cricket committee. The CEC also approved the use of non-neutral umpires for all international formats and added the use of an unsuccessful review for each team in each innings of a match. All these are interim adjustments to the playing conditions owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PRICE OF SALIVA, FIVE-RUN PENALTY FOR BATTING SIDE The ICC cricket committee, headed by former India captain Anil Kumble, had recommended that sweat and not any artificial substance should be used to shine the ball. That sweat was a safer option than saliva was approved by the

ICC’s chief medical expert Dr Peter Harcourt, who had highlighted that COVID-19 was an airborne respiratory infection and highly contagious.

playing behind closed doors.

In case saliva was applied on the ball by the fielding team, ICC said the umpires will first clean the ball before

ency during an initial period of adjustment for the players, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning. A team can be issued

Umpires will be able to levy a five-run penalty after two warnings for saliva application under new regulations (AFP)

The ICC has said that the match officials will penalise teams only after a period of “leniency” as players get used to the new playing conditions which comprise staying in a bio-secure environment and

play recommences. “Players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball,” ICC said in a media release. “If a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leni-

up to two warnings per innings but repeated use of saliva on the ball will result in a 5-run penalty to the batting side.”

Like-for-like substitutes only in Tests Teams will also be al-

lowed to replace a player if he/she shows symptoms of COVID-19, but only during a Test match. “In line with concussion replacements, the Match Referee will approve the nearest like-for-like replacement,” ICC said.

Kumble’s committee had deliberated on the issue and was not in favour of such substitutes once Harcourt said that test results could come back in about half-hour time. Some of the cricket committee members had felt if testing could be done that quickly and a player was found infected that would mean both teams and coaching staff would need to go into isolation for two weeks as per the medical procedure.

The committee felt in that case COVID-19 substitutes were not needed.

HOME UMPIRES; THREE REVIEWS PER INNINGS IN TESTS, TWO IN WHITE-BALL FORMATS Neutral umpires will not be officiating in Tests for the first time since 2002. The CEC agreed that “owing to the current logistical challenges” home umpires would stand

in all three formats. The local umpires would be picked from the ICC’s Elite Panel and International Panel of match officials.

In order to remove the perception of bias, the cricket committee had recommended that an additional review should be granted to each team in every format, which the CEC has ratified.

“The CEC has also confirmed an additional unsuccessful DRS review for each team in each innings of a match, keeping in mind that there may be less experienced umpires on duty at times. This will increase the number of unsuccessful appeals per innings for each team to three for Tests and two for the white-ball formats.”

In addition, any code of conduct issues will be dealt with by the ICC’s cricket operations department and any code of conduct hearings will be held by a neutral match referee via video call. That means it is more than likely now that Chris Broad could officiate as match referee in a Test series involving his son Stuart during the English summer.

Leagues one and two seasons ended today (BBC) - THE League One and League Two seasons have both been ended early after a formal vote by clubs yesterday.

Both tables will be settled on points per game, while promotion, relegation and the play-offs all remain.

Coventry and Rotherham go up from League One, while Wycombe replace Peterborough in the play-off places.

Swindon are League Two champions, but “ongoing disciplinary matters” mean it is not yet certain who will drop out of the EFL and into the National League.

Stevenage are bottom, but they could yet be reprieved after Macclesfield Town were handed a fresh EFL misconduct charge on June 1.

The Silkmen, who are three points above Stevenage, have already had 11 points deducted for pre-

vious rule breaches this season and have a further suspended two-point penalty hanging over them if they transgress again.

Both votes were passed by an “overwhelming majority”, according to the EFL, who also confirmed that the League Two playoff final would be held at Wembley on June 29.

No dates have yet been confirmed for the League One play-offs.

Elite football in England has been suspended since March 13 because of coronavirus, with only the Premier League and Championship so far committing to resuming their seasons later this month.

Clubs in League One had previously been divided over whether or not to bring the season to an early conclusion.

Initial talks stalled after at least six sides, including Sunderland, Portsmouth

and Ipswich Town, said they wanted to continue the campaign.

However, the new regulations - proposed by the EFL board and approved by the 71 member clubs earlier yesterday - meant just 51% of teams in any given division needed to agree on

ending a season early.

The points-per-game system does throw up one significant change to the League One table, with eighth-placed Wycombe Wanderers replacing sixthplaced Peterborough United in the play-offs.

Wycombe will move up

to third because they have at least one game in hand on each of their play-off rivals.

What’s the situation in League Two? While the top half of League Two is largely unaffected, Swindon Town have been named champions af-

Coventry City have been crowned League One champions

ter leapfrogging Crewe Alexandra because the Robins have a game in hand.

The situation at the bottom has been complicated by the Macclesfield charge, however, which relates to late payment of wages in March and for “failing to act with utmost good faith in respect of matters with the EFL and for breaching an order, requirement, direction or instruction of the league”.

Wembley to host League Two play-off final Following yesterday’s vote, it was announced that the League Two play-off semi-finals are to begin on Thursday, June 18 - two days before the Championship season is set to resume.

The final, which will take place on Monday, June 29, is to be held at Wembley as originally planned. All games will be held behind closed doors.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Lisbon favourite to stage UEFA last-eight mini-tournament

(BBC) - LISBON is the favourite to host an eight-team Champions League knockout tournament in August, if it is given the go-ahead by governing body UEFA. UEFA is planning to move the final from Istanbul, where it was due to be held on May 30, for the new format.

The Europa League final due to be held in Gdansk, Poland, on May 27, is likely to be moved to Germany.

Europe’s continental cup competitions were stopped in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

U E FA’ S e x e c u t i v e committee will make its decision on June 17.

Meetings over the past few weeks have debated various scenarios, including completing the tournament in two-leg ties as originally planned.

But recent discussions have centred on the type of format world governing body FIFA is aiming for with its Club World Cup concept, which it is felt would provide the most entertaining option for broadcasters and TV viewers.

It would mean the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final being played in one location as a mini-tournament behind closed doors.

The Champions League final would be played on August 23, with the Europa League final taking place on August 21.

Spain, Germany and Russia have been mentioned as potential hosts for the Champions League but given its location and the fact it has no teams left in this season’s tournament, Portugal is viewed as the most likely option.

Lisbon has two stadiums with the facilities required to host high-profile matches, and hotels to

accommodate the required number of teams.

The Portuguese Primeira Liga resumed on June 3 and most coronavirus restrictions in the country are being lifted this month.

In Germany, Bundesliga restarted on May 16 and venues in Gelsenkirchen, Cologne, Duisberg and Dusseldorf are likely to stage Europa League games.

WHAT ABOUT REMAINING LAST-16 GAMES? What is less clear is how the outstanding last-16 matches in both the Champions League and Europa League will be settled.

Ideally, UEFA would like these to be played in the same locations as the ‘final eight’ games to reduce the potential for coronavirus-related postponements.

However, many clubs are resistant to this idea as it means giving up home advantage in delicately-placed two-leg ties.

In the Champions League, Manchester City are 2-1 up after the away leg of their tie with Real Madrid. Barcelona drew 1-1 at Napoli, while Juventus are 1-0 down after their trip to Lyon.

In the Europa League, Wolves drew 1-1 at Olympiakos in the first leg of their last-16 tie, while Manchester United beat LASK 5-0 in Austria and Rangers lost 3-1 at home to Bayer Leverkusen. Two Europa League ties, both involving clubs from Spain and Italy, are yet to be played, although it is felt these could be played as one-off ties.

Clubs in Italy, Spain, Germany and England are due to host last-16 games in the Champions League and the Europa League, with three more from Ukraine, Switzerland and Denmark also needed for the latter

competition.

UEFA is thought to be reluctant to use different formats for its two flagship club competitions.

Benfica’s Estadio da Luz could be used for the Champions League mini-tournament

21

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Mercedes conducting two-day test

Woods, crowd missing as golf returns

Tiger Woods of the United States plays a shot on the 15th hole during the first round of the Genesis Invitational on February 13, 2020 in Pacific Palisades, California (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Several teams will perform tests in older cars

(BBC) - Mercedes are conducting a two-day test at Silverstone this week in preparation for the resumption of the Formula 1 season next month.

The world champions are running a two-year-old car, permitted by F1’s testing restrictions so drivers can “blow off the cobwebs” after a threemonth break.

The team will also practise the social-distancing protocols organised by F1 to ensure the season can run safely.

Valtteri Bottas drove yesterday, and Lewis Hamilton will drive today.

F1 has been forced to postpone or cancel the first 10 races of the season as a result of the coronavirus

crisis but has now announced the first eight grands prix of a revamped championship.

This starts with races on three consecutive weekends in July, with two events at Austria’s Red Bull Ring on July 3-5 and July 10-12 followed by the Hungarian Grand Prix July 17-19.

All will be covered by strict social-distancing and coronavirus-testing guidelines to ensure minimal risk.

Teams will travel on charter planes, and will be kept apart while away from the UK, staying in separate hotels from each other, with no mixing allowed at the track.

Team personnel and drivers will be tested before travelling to the event and every two days while there, teams

will be separated into “families” and “sub-families” to limit contact between people.

If any team member tests positive for coronavirus, all members of their “sub-family” will have to isolate until they have tested negative, a procedure that is expected to take up to two hours.

Some media will be allowed to attend, but they will be kept apart from the teams, and journalists from the written media will not even be allowed into the paddock.

All news conferences will be virtual, even for those travelling to the race.

The social-distancing guidelines will be under constant review, with the potential for them to be relaxed

for the subsequent races in Britain, Spain, Belgium and Italy.

Teams returned to work this week after the end of a lengthened factory shutdown, which ran from the end of the week after the cancelled Australian Grand Prix until the end of May. A number of other teams are also expected to conduct similar warm-up tests to Mercedes in the coming days.

Testing of current cars is heavily restricted under F1’s rules, with teams allowed to do only 100km a limited number of days a year.

Two-year-old cars will generally be used for these tests, as they permit much greater mileage.

Hegerberg signs long-term Nike deal (BBC) - Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg has signed a “historic” lucrative longterm sponsorship deal with Nike.

Hegerberg, 24, has parted with Puma and her representatives claim her new deal runs for “at least” a decade.

A source told AFP the contract was worth upwards of 1m euros (£890 000) to the Norwegian player.

“It is yet another massive step in my career,” said Hegerberg. “Nike and I have common goals to elevate women’s sports in the years to come.”

She added: “My perfor-

mances brought me here, and I sure want to keep writing history with the help of Nike, on and off the field.

I am thrilled to be part of this team.”

Victor Bernard, Hegerberg’s agent, said: “This is a historic contract and a true commitment both to Ada and women’s football.”

Hegerberg was the first

Ada Hegerberg won the first women’s Ballon d’Or in 2018

winner of the women’s Ballon d’Or in 2018 and was also named BBC Women’s Footballer-of-the-Year in 2017 and 2019.

Her goals have helped Lyon win their domestic title for five consecutive seasons and claim the women’s Champions League in each of the last four seasons.

However, she did not take part in last year’s World Cup in France because of a long-standing disagreement with the Norwegian football association and was succeeded as Ballon d’Or winner in 2019 by USA star Megan Rapinoe.

(REUTERS) - TIGER Woods and the fans will be missing when golf returns this week after a threemonth hiatus due to the novel coronavirus but the Charles Schwab Challenge will otherwise get the full major treatment with a strong field on display.

Led by world number one Rory McIlroy, the world’s top five players and 101 PGA Tour winners will be at the stately Colonial Country Club outside Forth Worth, Texas.

Play starts tomorrow in the first tournament since the Players Championship was halted in mid-March by the pandemic.

With NASCAR, IndyCar and the UFC already back in action the PGA Tour will become the latest North American sport to emerge from the COVID-19 shutdown.

But like the conditions surrounding those sports, golfers will be returning to a very different-looking arena where social distancing and the results of nasal swabs and thermal scans will be as important as what they put on their scorecards.

The most jarring change will be the absence of galleries that would normally flock to any tournament featuring the world’s best players.

Golf’s biggest name and winner of 15 majors, Woods, will be the only noticeable absentee in the elite field as he continues to get his game in shape after recovering from back issues.

Television coverage of the Charles Schwab Challenge will be extensive and have all the technological bells and whistles, including a few new features such as Augmented Reality technol-

ogy virtual signage.

Some golfers will also wear microphones in an effort to liven up a subdued soundtrack.

Whatever technology or viewer-friendly gimmicks are rolled out they will not replace the familiar buzz that resonates across the course when a player holes out or drains a monster putt.

“The atmosphere will definitely be different,” world number four Justin Thomas told reporters after a practice round yesterday. “But then again, everything is different from what we’ve been used to the last three months.”

While the PGA Tour has put together a detailed protocol outlining in great detail what golfers can expect in the way of testing and procedure when they arrive at the Colonial, no one knows exactly what they will see when action gets underway.

Spain’s world number two Jon Rahm, who was self-isolating in the United States while his family was quarantined in Spain, said he did not pick up a club for seven weeks.

South Korean Im Sungjae, leader of the Fedex Cup standings, flew in his coach to his Florida base to keep him in shape.

“You’re going to see definitely a wide variety of scores, not just because of the golf course but just to see who used their time well or not,” said Thomas. “I sometimes feel rusty after two, three weeks off, let alone four months.

“That’s going to be weird, but at the same time it’s going to be weird for everybody, so I’m just going to hopefully try to get back into that as quick as I can.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 10, 2020

23

West Indies arrive in England Jason Holder, West Indies captain, touches down in Manchester (Getty Images)

(CMC) - West Indies arrived in Manchester early yesterday for their historic ‘bio-secure’ three-Test series against England, becoming the first international team to visit the United Kingdom in nearly four months since the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Caribbean side touched down by private charter from Antigua at 07:45hrs (02:45hrs Eastern Caribbean time) and immediately travelled to Old Trafford in Manchester, where they will undergo further COVID-19 testing and a two-week quarantine.

While in quarantine, the 25-man group will also intensify training for the series, the first one to be played since the global cessation of cricket due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

West Indies are travelling with a 14-man Test squad and

11 reserves to facilitate injury replacements and warm-up matches among themselves.

The series will be played behind closed doors starting at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on July 8, with the final two Tests carded for Old Trafford in Manchester.

Players will be in isolation for the seven-week duration of the tour and will follow strict social-distancing and sanitisation protocols throughout.

Former head coach Floyd Reifer, who replaces Indian Monty Desai as batting coach for this tour, said he was comfortable with the COVID-19 measures implemented for the series by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

“I have no concerns, I’m a positive person,” said Reifer, who oversaw Windies World Cup campaign here last year.

“I just believe once we adhere to the protocols – washing your hands and doing all the necessary things you’ve been hearing for the last six months – then everything will be ok.”

The UK has been particularly hard hit by COVID-19, recording nearly 290 000 infections and over

Brazil withdraw bid to host 2023 Women’s World Cup

Brazilian star Marta is a six-time FIFA Player-of-the-Year

(BBC) - The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said the government did not consider it wise to offer financial guarantees in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Brazil will now support Colombia’s proposal which is up against Japan, and a joint bid from Australia and New Zealand to host the 32-team tournament.

FIFA will vote to select the hosts on

June 25.

“Because of the fiscal and economic austerity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, (the government) thought it would not be recommended to right now sign the guarantees asked for

by FIFA,” said a CBF statement.

Brazil has hosted a number of major international sporting competitions in recent years, including the men’s World Cup in 2014, the 2016 Olym-

pic and Paralympic Games and the Copa America in 2019. But the CBF felt it was an outsider to host yet another big event.

The country has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 35 000 deaths and in excess of 640 000 confirmed infections, but the latter number is believed to be much higher because of insufficient testing.

40 000 deaths.

Sport was one of the sectors hit by the subsequent government-enforced shutdown and it forced the ECB to postpone its domestic programme.

The ECB hopes West Indies tour will kick-start its summer schedule, with Pakistan already confirmed to follow in August.

West Indies are holders of the coveted Wisden Trophy after stunning their higher-ranked opponents in a three-Test series in the Caribbean last year.

SQUAD – Jason Holder (captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer and Kemar Roach.

RESERVES – Sunil Ambris, Joshua DaSilva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon Harding, Kyle Mayers, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Shayne Moseley, Anderson Phillip, Oshane Thomas and Jomel Warrican.

Pep hires mentor Lillo as assistant coach

Juan Manuel Lillo (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

(REUTERS) - Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has appointed his mentor and coaching inspiration Juan Manuel Lillo as his new assistant, the Premier League club said yesterday.

Lillo, 54, will take up the role vacated by Mikel Arteta, who left the Etihad Stadium to become manager at former club, Arsenal.

The Spaniard joins from Qingdao Huanghai, having helped the club to the Chinese League One championship and as a result helping them achieve promotion to

the Super League.

Lillo, who has previously managed Real Sociedad, Vissel Kobe and Real Oviedo, has worked with several world class talents during his career, including Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Yaya Toure.

He also coached Guardiola towards the end of his playing career, during their shared time in Mexico at Dorados de Sinaloa.

“My relationship with Pep goes back many years and I am thrilled to be joining him as part of this ex-

citing team,” Lilo told the club’s website.

“Manchester City have enjoyed much success over recent seasons and played a brand of beautiful football we have come to expect from this club and its manager.

“It’s a pleasure to become a part of this group and I hope to make an important contribution to the club’s success going forwards.”

City will restart their campaign after the COVID-19-enforced break against Arsenal on June 17.

West Indies arrive in England PAGE 23

Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope and Rahkeem Cornwall wear face masks in Manchester, yesterday (ECB/Getty Images)

PAGE 22

Darren Sammy makes his IPL debut in 2013 (BCCI)

Sammy questions possible racism during SRH stint

Woods, crowd missing as golf returns

PAGE 19

PAGE 20

Tiger Woods of the United States plays a shot

ICC approves use of COVID-19 substitute

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020